Vladimir Putin is in no hurry to get the Sputnik V vaccine despite bragging about the effectiveness of the Russian jab, saying merely that he 'could' get it later this year.

The Russian president, 68, rejected suggestions he should get the vaccine immediately to encourage public takeup, telling journalists that 'I don't want to monkey around' in front of cameras.

He added that he might get the vaccine in the late summer or early autumn, according to Kommersant, many months after it was approved for over-60s by the Russian health ministry.

Putin drew criticism for declaring the vaccine safe and effective last August, when clinical trials were incomplete - but the belated results published earlier this month showed it to be 92 per cent effective.

Vladimir Putin, pictured, has played down the urgency of getting the Sputnik V jab despite boasting about the effectiveness of the Russian-made shot

Moscow last week savoured a scientific and political success after the trial results published in The Lancet dispelled many Western doubts about the vaccine.

But explaining his lack of urgency to get the Sputnik jab, Putin said he had a schedule of flu shots and other vaccinations which could not be done at the same time.

He said he would consult with his doctor and could get the shot ahead of an 'active period' later in 2021 which he says will require him to travel more.

At the moment, anyone looking to meet Putin in person has to quarantine for two weeks beforehand, according to Russian media.

Putin's office has also spoken of special disinfection tunnels that anyone visiting his residence outside Moscow or meeting him in the Kremlin must pass through.

The Russian president said last August that one of his daughters volunteered to get the Sputnik jab before it was fully tested, saying she had felt good afterwards.

'I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the necessary checks,' Putin said at the time.

The head of the Gamaleya research centre that developed the jab boasted of having taken an experimental version as early as last spring.

Two women receive a shot of the Sputnik V vaccine at a shopping centre in Moscow earlier this month

It came after Putin ordered Russia's scientific and military apparatus into overdrive to win the vaccine race, with even the name evoking Soviet technological triumphs in the early space race.

Putin declared Sputnik V the world's first registered vaccine in August, but the premature approval and limited data meant it was widely ignored in the West.

But Kremlin spokesman said last week that the trial results justified Russia's decision to jump ahead and approve the vaccine early.

The 91.6 per cent efficacy rate even fuelled talk of Sputnik V being used by the EU, which has been widely criticised for its slow pace of vaccinations so far.

The Sputnik jab was made available to the wider Russian population in December, and has been approved in more than 15 other countries.

These include ex-Soviet republics such as Belarus and Armenia, allies like Iran and Venezuela, but also Argentina, Algeria, Tunisia and Pakistan.

Peskov said last week that Russia was working to further boost production of the vaccine in foreign nations.

'The number of countries that register this vaccine at home is increasing every day,' he said. 'We are very active in responding to enquiries from various countries asking for the supply of this vaccine.'

The two-dose jab uses adapted strains of the adenovirus, the same type of virus which is the basis of the Oxford/AstraZeneca product.
Indigenous Ecuadorian groups protested in Quito on Thursday alleging electoral fraud with their candidate Yaku Perez's place in a presidential runoff in doubt.

The demonstrators gathered outside the National Electoral Council (CNE) in the capital to show their opposition to the results of Sunday's initial vote.

Perez, of the Indigenous Pachakutik party, has criticised irregularities in the vote-counting and said he will ask for a recount in certain provinces.

"Whoever does not smell fraud should take a PCR test (COVID-19 test), the fraud is there," he told the protesters.

Former right-wing banker Guillermo Lasso on Thursday extended his slim lead over Perez for second place and a spot in the April runoff.

Sunday's election was won by left-leaning former minister Andres Arauz, but there is a close race behind him between Perez, on 19.61%, and conservative banker Guillermo Lasso, on 19.66%, with 99.9% of polling stations counted.

As of Sunday, the CNE has 10 days to process the results that will define runoff candidates that will determine the successor to President Lenin Moreno.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
February 12 : Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor starrer film Roohi Afzana was completed before the coronavirus pandemic struck the world. Post-lockdown, the makers were looking for an appropriate time to release the horror-comedy. While other states opened the cinema halls with 50 per cent capacity, Maharashtra government had not opened movie halls till recently. Now with the theatres open in Maharashtra as well, makers of Roohi Afzana are considering a theatrical release of the film in March this year.

Roohi Afzana, which is on similar lines as Stree, also stars Varun Sharma. The film has been directed by Hardik Mehta, who has penned Paatal Lok and written and directed the Red Chillies production Kaamyaab. Bankrolled by Dinesh Vijan under the banner Maddock Films, Roohi Afzana tells the story of a ghost who abducts brides on their honeymoons. Initially, the film was set to release in June 2020, but its production was interrupted by the pandemic in India.

Now with the makers decision to release the film in theatres, Roohi Afzana will be the first film to release in theatres after the Maharashtra government gave permission for 100 percent capacity in theatres. The makers are expected to announce the release date soon.

Reportedly, Kriti Sanon and Pankaj Tripathi starrer film Mimi may also see a theatrical release soon. Directed by Laxman Utekar, Mimi has also been produced by Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films. It is a remake of the 2011 Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychy! The film also features Sai Tamhankar, Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Pathak.

A merger between Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya could be back on the cards after the countrys High Court overruled objections from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

The operators abandoned their planned merger in August last year after a lengthy holdup while the EACC conducted an investigation into potential corruption around the deal, and particularly any sale of the assets of Telkom Kenya, which is partially state-owned.

Now, local paper Business Daily reports that the High Court has dismissed the EACCs queries, clearing the way for a deal to proceed. The commission itself last month reached the conclusion that any Telkom Kenya asset sale would be free of corruption.

While Kenyas Competition Authority had approved the move, neither it nor the countrys Communications Authority were able to clear a deal without approval from the EACC.

While neither party has yet issued a statement on resuming their merger plans, given that the original roadblock has now been removed, the possibility now exists.

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Kabul, Feb 12 : More than 90 militants have been killed in the last two days as Afghan forces have intensified airstrikes against the Taliban militant group amid stalled peace talks in Doha, officials said.

In the latest wave of airstrikes on Thursday, the fighter jets struck a Taliban hideout in Aqtepa area of Charbolak district in Balkh province, killing 11 insurgents including three local commanders, Xinhua news agency quoted a top army official as saying.

According to the official, the sorties were launched at 1.25 p.m. on Thursday.

On Wednesday, airstrikes in the same area left 31 insurgents dead, hei added.

Airstrikes were also conducted in Aqtepa's neighbouring Gortepa village earlier in the day, which killed 26 militants.

The airstrikes also targeted Taliban militants in Nawa, Nahr-e-Saraj and Garmsir districts of the Helmand province on Wednesday, killing 27 armed insurgents including two group commanders namely Hanzala and Barakat, said an army statement.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, without making comments on the claims made by the officials, said that militants are capable enough to defend their positions.

Fighting increases amid standstill in the peace talks between the Afghan government negotiating team and the Taliban representatives in Qatari capital Doha.

The second round of intra-Afghan talks, which resumed on January 5 in Doha, has stalled.

According to local media reports no meeting has been held over the past 25 days.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will be given a plane by the Uttarakhand government to return to if he desires so, Chief Minister said on Friday.

The statement came a day after the governor was forced to deboard a Maharashtra government aircraft at the airport.

Terming the treatment meted out to Koshyari at the airport by the Maharashtra government as "misuse of power", Rawat said,"A governor is not an individual but the constitutional head of a state and representative of the President. Respect should be shown to his office as per the conventions in a democracy.

"He (Koshyari) will be given a state plane by the Uttarakhand government to return to Mumbai if he asks for it," Rawat said.

Koshyari had to deboard a Maharashtra government aircraft after sitting in it for about 20 minutes on Thursday when he was told there was no permission for the flight.

He was coming to Dehradun on way to Mussoorie to attend an official function.

Subsequently, Koshyari, a former chief minister of Uttarakhand and one of the senior most BJP leaders from the state, came to Dehradun in a scheduled commercial flight.

Condemning the way Koshyari was treated by the Maharashtra government, state BJP president Bansidhar Bhagat said, "It was shameful on part of the Maharashtra government to treat him like this. It shows how little it cares for democratic norms.

(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.)
New Delhi:

Kiss is the most special way to make your partner fell how much you love him/ her. But did you know this earler that more than two-thirds of humans generally tend to tilt their heads in the right side when kissing.



A recent study found the above finding in research. It also added that men are more likely to initiate a kiss as compared to women.



More than two-thirds of the kiss initiators and kiss recipients turn their heads to the right at time of lip-locking. The study also found that the kiss recipients also tend to lean in the same direction as their partner so that they can avoid the discomfort of mirroring heads.



The findings suggest that the act of kissing is determined by the brain's procedure of dividing the task to two different hemispheres- similar to being either right or left handed- particularly the function in the left cerebral hemisphere which is placed in the emotion and decision-related areas of the brain.



The researchers name the presence of different hormone levels (like testosterone) in each hemisphere and neurotransmitters' uneven distribution in each hemisphere (like dopamine, involved in reward behaviours) as reason behind turning to right.



"This is the first study to show sex differences in the initiation of kissing, with males more likely being the initiator and also that the kiss initiators' head-turning direction tends to modulate the head-turning direction in the kiss recipients," Dr. Rezaul Karim from University of Dhaka added.



Another author Dr. Michael Proulx from the University of Bath explained that the study gives us a seak peek into the private behaviour in a private cuture with implications for all people
Phuket marks quiet start to Chinese New Year

PHUKET: Chinese New Year got off to a quiet start today (Feb 12), with the streets quiet for the special public holiday declared in the hope of boosting domestic tourism, and only local residents attending Chinese shrines across the island instead of the bustling crowds of tourists seen in years past.

ChineseculturetourismeconomicsCOVID-19

By The Phuket News

Friday 12 February 2021, 01:03PM

People are invited to join the Annual Worship Festival 2021 as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.The event will be held at the Phuket Thai Hua Museum on Krabi Rd, Phuket Town, on Friday, Feb 19, from 10:30pm. Image: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Very few people have turned out at Chinese shrines in Phuket Town to celebrate Chinese New Year. Photo: PR Phuket

Thai-Chinese living in the heart of the Phuket Old Town area, especially along Thalang Rd and Phang Nga Rd, have decorated their homes in honour of the festive occasion, yet even then the number of houses adorned with the traditional decorations seem to be fewer than in previous years, noted the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) in their own report.

Meanwhile, few people have turned out at the Pud Cho Shrine on Soi Phuthon, off Ranong Rd, to observe annual blessing ceremonies and to make merit, PR Phuket also noted.

The shrine has installed a body temperature monitor at the entrance for preliminary screening, PR Phuket also noted.

Most of the attendees at the shrine were not wearing red clothes, red being an auspicious colour in Chinese culture.

On being asked, some attendees explained that they had not bought new red clothes for the new year in order to save money.

Some said that due to the effects of COVID-19 this year, family members were not able to return to their traditional family homes to celebrate the new year together.

Instead, the attendees were observing simple rituals that must be performed by paying homage to ancestors, at home.

Those still with jobs took time off to pay homage at the shrine and set off some firecrackers, then went back to work.

Elsewhere throughout Phuket Town is quite lonely, PR Phuket noted.

Very few people are turning out to worship the gods, or set off firecrackers, both core key aspects of Chinese New Year in Phuket Town in the past.

Most of them have only a small ritual, and give red envelopes [ang pao] to the children in the family, PR Phuket reported.

Meanwhile, people are invited to join the Annual Worship Festival 2021 as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The event will be held at the Phuket Thai Hua Museum on Krabi Rd, Phuket Town,on Friday, Feb 19, from 10:30pm.

Those interested in attending the event can contact the Tourism Development and Promotion Division at Phuket City Municipality at 076-214306.
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Top elected officials in Florida are slamming President Joe Biden's administration, following reports that the White House is considering imposing domestic travel restrictions on the state, which has the most reported cases of the 'UK variant' coronavirus.

'Any attempt to restrict or lock down Florida by the federal government would be an attack on our state done purely for political purposes,' said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, at a press conference on Thursday.

'I think it's an absurd report that they would be doing that, I think it would be unconstitutional, it would be unwise and it would be unjust,' he said.

Asked about the possible domestic travel ban, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said only: 'No decisions have been made around additional public health measures that would change domestic travel.'

'Any attempt to restrict or lock down Florida by the federal government would be an attack on our state done purely for political purposes,' DeSantis (left) said on Thursday

Biden's press secretary said that 'no decisions' have been made on policies that would affect domestic travel. The White House is meeting with airline heads on Friday

DeSantis pointed out that new cases of COVID-19 have been declining for more than a month, and said the state ranked 28th in the U.S. for cases per capita dating back to December.

He did not specifically mention the rise in variant cases. Florida now has more than 300 confirmed cases of the B117 variant first identified in the UK, which is said to be up to 70 percent more contagious than other strains of the virus.

California, the most populous state, has the next highest number of confirmed variant cases, with more than 150.

DeSantis slammed the rumored restrictions targeting Florida, saying that they were out of step with Biden's views on border controls.

'If you think about it, restricting the right of Americans to travel freely throughout our country while allowing illegal aliens to pour across the southern border unmolested would be a ridiculous but very damaging farce,' DeSantis said.

'So we will oppose it 100 percent. It would not be based in science, it would purely be a political attack against the people of Florida.'

A third of the confirmed cases of the B117 variant in the US have been detected in Forida

Daily totals of new cases in Florida have been trending down for the past month

Weekly numbers show new cases in Florida have been dropping steadily since early January

Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, also ridiculed potential domestic travel bans as unconstitutional.

'Tonight if you arrive at the U.S. southern border with a child, you will be allowed entry into the country,' Rubio told Fox News host Tucker Carlson. 'But if you are now an American citizen living in Florida who wants to travel, they are going to put some form of restriction in your way? It's clearly unconstitutional.'

'I think they are trying to punish Florida. I think they're embarrassed by what Florida has done. Florida has embarrassed California, Florida has embarrassed New York,' Rubio continued.

'It hosted a Super Bowl with actual people in the stands. The predictions about Florida didn't come true, and they're like, we can't let this stand.'

Rubio also said that Congress 'should also pass a law making it clear that this is not within the power of an administration to do.'

It came after the White House told Reuters that 'the administration is continuing to discuss recommendations across the travel space, but no specific decisions are under consideration.'

Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, also ridiculed potential domestic travel bans as unconstitutional in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson

On Friday, the chief executives of major U.S. airlines were scheduled to meet virtually with the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator to discuss travel-related issues.

One key issue for the meeting with coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients will be the possibility of extending mandatory COVID-19 testing to all domestic flights.

Airlines, aviation unions and other industry groups have strongly objected to mandatory testing before boarding domestic flights, saying it will further damage the battered industry.

U.S. officials told Reuters that it does not appear the administration will move forward with requiring domestic testing at this point, but stressed officials could revisit the idea if conditions changed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month said the Biden administration was 'actively looking' at expanding mandatory COVID-19 testing to U.S. domestic flights.

Asked about the possible domestic travel ban, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: 'No decisions have been made around additional public health measures that would change domestic travel'

On January 26, the CDC began requiring negative COVID-19 tests or evidence of recovery from the disease from nearly all U.S.-bound international passengers age 2 and older.

Southwest Airlines Co Chief Executive Gary Kelly and the leaders of the airline's unions urged President Joe Biden in a letter not to mandate COVID-19 testing, saying it would put 'jobs at risk.'

The U.S. airline industry has been hard hit by a decline in travel demand, which remains down 66 percent from pre-COVID 19 levels.

One idea that has been under review within the Biden administration is for the CDC to issue recommendations advising against travel to areas of the United States with high COVID-19 caseloads, but no decisions have been made and recommendations would not be binding, officials said.

CDC officials have repeatedly urged Americans not to travel unless necessary.

Embassy Office Parks REIT, the countrys first listed REIT and the largest office REIT in Asia by area, on February 12 reported a 15 percent dip in consolidated net profit and announced an investment of Rs 2,300 crore to develop 5.7 mn sq ft of commercial space.

It reported a 15 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 214.79 crore for the third quarter ended December and also declared a distribution of Rs 431.29 crore to its unit holders for the quarter. Its net profit fell to Rs 214.79 crore in the third quarter of this fiscal from Rs 253.45 crore in the year-ago period.

Total income has risen to Rs 595.94 crore from Rs 568.12 crore, according to a regulatory filing. The net operating income for the third quarter increased by 3 per cent year-on-year to Rs 478 crore.

Even in the pandemic year we have signed 1 million sq ft leases on a year-to-date basis  37 deals making up the million sq ft and we have delivered rent increases of 13 percent on a total of 5.3 million sq ft across 66 leases. That underscores the resilience of the business model of our REITs and the backdrop of all these issues gives us the confidence to embark on our new construction programme," said Michael Holland, Chief Executive Officer of Embassy REIT.

"We will be investing Rs 2,300 crore over the next three years to develop 5.7 mn sq ft of commercial space in different cities and different locations over the next four years. Of the 5.7 million sq ft, 1.1 mn sq ft is due for delivery this year and has already pre-leased to one of the leading global banks J P Morgan, Holland told reporters.

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

Embassy REIT Deputy CEO and COO Vikaash Khdloya said the company would also be looking at inorganic growth opportunities in cities like Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.

We are focused on acquisitions. It is our top priority but we dont have any timeline driven targets for ourselves. We are only looking for opportunities in cities driven by technology and our preference would be Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad, he said.

Holland said that as India's outlook steadily improves with a continued downward trend in active COVID-19 cases and the encouraging progress on vaccine roll-out, we remain optimistic that Indian office leasing demand will continue to increase as occupiers accelerate their return-to-work programmes."

Safety of employees working from our properties remains our highest priority. We have implemented international-standard safety procedures including enhanced sanitization and deep cleaning, fumigation and social distancing protocols. We have also initiated technology driven solutions such as optical thermal cameras, touchless visitor management, advanced air filtration and UV cleansing systems, Khdloya told Moneycontrol.

Also, we have received health, safety and ESG assurance certifications from globally renowned institutions, such as the British Safety Council and British Standards Institution, endorsing the quality and effectiveness of the wellness practices adopted by us and our efforts in controlling the spread of COVID-19 across our pan India office portfolio."

On December 24, 2020, Embassy REIT announced the successful completion of the Embassy TechVillage acquisition for Rs 97.8 billion ($1.3 billion) with a Rs 36.8 billion ($501 million) equity raise through an institutional placement. The current debt raise is part of the financing strategy for the above acquisition.

Embassy REIT is Indias first publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trust. Embassy REIT owns and operates a 42.4 million square feet (msf) portfolio of eight infrastructure-like office parks and four citycentre office buildings in Indias best-performing office markets of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and the National Capital Region. Embassy REITs portfolio comprises 32.3 msf completed operating area and is home to over 200 of the worlds leading companies.

REITs are listed entities that invest in income-generating properties and distribute at least 90 percent of their income proceeds to unitholders through dividends. After registration with SEBI, units of REITs will have to be mandatorily listed on exchanges and traded like securities.

SEBI notified REIT's regulations in 2014, allowing setting up and listing of such trusts, which are popular in some advanced markets.

A man in his 40s has died following a gun attack in north Dublin.

The man was shot a number of times in the Belclare area of Ballymun.

Gardai were alerted to the shooting at around 9pm and rushed to the scene.

The victim was treated for gunshot wounds but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Detectives are investigating the murder and have set up an incident room at Ballymun garda station.

They are also appealing for witnesses, or anyone who has information in relation to the incident, to contact them.

Gardai are attempting to establish if the murder victim has links to local to criminality in the area.

The scene has been preserved for a technical examination and the Office of the State Pathologist has been notified.

Fianna Fail TD Paul McAuliffe said: "We are hearing early reports of a shooting in Ballymun. While we do not know the details or if it is drugs related, we do know that Ballymun like many communities is in the grip of the drugs industry. DCC are preparing a community report and Gov must respond to it.

"The hearts of many community people will sink tonight seeing bad news about Ballymun in the media, knowing this has started feuding in the past and that many people with addiction are being exploited by those making millions.

"We actually had a really positive community meeting online tonight talking about the future of Ballymun but we warned that the drugs industry would hold us all back," Mr McAuliffe added.

A garda spokesman said: "Gardai are investigating a fatal shooting incident that occurred in Belclare Terrace, Ballymun, Dublin this evening, Thursday 11th February 2021 at 9pm.

"A male, aged in his mid-40s, received a number of gunshot wounds and has been pronounced dead at the scene.

"The scene is currently preserved and a technical examination is to be carried out by the Garda Technical Bureau.

"An incident room has been established at Ballymun Garda Station. Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident to come forward. Gardai are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Belclare Terrace and Belclare Park areas this evening between 8pm and 9.15pm to come forward.

"Anyone who may have camera footage of the incident (including dash-cam and mobile phone footage) is asked to make it available to investigating Gardai."
 Flash

Pakistan on Thursday conducted a successful training launch of a cruise missile with a range of 450 km, the Pakistani military said.

An army statement said that Babur cruise missile is capable of engaging targets at land and sea with high precision.

"The missile was launched from a state-of-the-art Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehicle," the army's media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

The training launch was witnessed by senior military and civil officials who praised the standard of training and operational preparedness of the Army strategic forces, "which was reflected by the proficient handling of the weapon system in the field and fulfilment of all laid down training parameters."

President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and services chiefs congratulated the participating troops on conducting a successful training launch, according to the statement.

Earlier this month, Pakistan conducted a training launch of the surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, which is capable of delivering nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 290 km. In January, Pakistan conducted a flight test of Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile which has a range of 2,750 km.
Then, as before, the Chinese leader was careful not to publicly discuss the origins of the virus, opting for a message of unity against a common enemy in an attempt to rise above tumultuous multinational sparring over the past year. Marion Koopmans, a member of the WHO mission, said We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is indicated. Credit:AP But the day after, his Foreign Ministry was doing its best to recast China not just as a protector of developing countries but as the potential victim of a foreign virus itself. The ministry seized on the missions presentation. Despite leaning towards a Chinese-origin for the disease, the investigators did raise the possibility that it may have also been present elsewhere before the first cases were reported in Wuhan in December 2019. There have been more and more international reports that the virus and epidemics broke out in multiple places in the world in the latter half of the year 2019, said ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

He repeated the claim twice for emphasis. It was followed by a volley of scientific voices in Chinese state media. Any country that reported outbreaks in 2019 should be investigated, said Lu Hongzhou, co-director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre at Fudan University. Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, told the Global Times: Wuhan is just a stop for virus origin tracing, and those experts should not expect to find an answer here. Also, it is scientifically impossible, as there were cases found in other countries even before the outbreak in Wuhan was reported, he claimed. The Australian investigator on the WHO team, Dominic Dwyer, is not convinced. I think it started in China. The evidence for it starting elsewhere in the world is very limited, he said on Wednesday. A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology after the WHO team arrived. Credit:AP Dwyer praised the Chinese scientists and authorities for being hospitable hosts, but significant questions still remain over the level of access to data that Chinese authorities were actually willing to tolerate for the joint investigation.

Then on Thursday, the day after the WHO team left China, there were key developments. WHO investigators told The Wall Street Journal that up to 90 patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 symptoms near Wuhan in the two months prior to the Huanan market outbreak, but the team was told wastewater samples prior to December 2019 had been destroyed and access to blood donations in that period were restricted due to local laws. We also know the Chinese were reporting the people who went to hospital were really sick, said Dwyer. But we now know theres a lot of ordinary transmission going on between otherwise healthy people, so there mustve been many, many more cases in December than were identified. WHO mission member Peter Daszak rolls up a vendors layout map of Huanan Seafood market as he prepares to leave his hotel for the airport at the end of the probes trip to Wuhan. Credit:AP The revelations do not square neatly with claims by Liang Wannian, the China lead on the investigation, that there was no evidence of community transmission in Wuhan prior to December 2019.

There is no substantial unrecognised circulation of SARS-COV-2 in Wuhan during the latter part of 2019, he said at the joint-press conference alongside the WHO team members who a day after leaving the podium, raised concerns about their access to information. The WHO itself has also not been immune to claims of political compromise after it was widely criticised for its initial handling of the outbreak at the start of 2020, when it delayed declaring it a pandemic, urged countries not to shut their borders and then praised the handling of the crisis by China, one of its biggest financial backers. The problem is: its a bit like looking at your internal governance yourself, said Professor Marylouise McLaws, an epidemiologist and independent member of WHOs Readiness and Response to COVID-19 panel. It is disappointing that it wasnt completely independent without the badging of WHO. The questions over WHOs impartiality and the threats posed to independent research by Chinese conditions have driven a division with the United States that also threatens to overshadow some of its preliminary results.

Let me be clear, added Peter Daszak, a zoologist and member of the Wuhan team. Im disappointed that a statement came out that might undermine the veracity of this work even before the report is released. Loading Daszak believes it will be at least two years before any concrete findings are revealed. He has spent the days since the preliminary presentation emphasising what could be the most significant breakthrough of the field trip. There was a clear potential for a link from animals we know are susceptible into that market, he said. The unconfirmed link, once thought to be live pangolins, may actually be frozen carcasses of another obscure animal - ferret badgers.

We are talking about something very different right now than a packet of frozen fish from somewhere else in the world, he said. Loading The supply chains come from places in China where we know the SARS coronavirus - a related virus - in other words a direct link from the potential bat origins of this virus into Wuhan market. To many of us on the team it was a clear clue to what might have happened. It was one of the pathways that we thought was more likely than others for sure. The team of virologists, epidemiologists and scientists will now return to their home bases across Europe, the US and Asia before preparing their report on the preliminary findings. Koopmans has pushed for investigators to travel to Italy, where reports of detection of the virus in November have yet to be confirmed.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size If the pictures of Lamborghinis lined up outside bitcoin conferences in Manhattan or jet skis bobbing in the crystal clear waters of Bermuda are anything to go by, working at leading cryptocurrency exchange and derivatives trading platform BitMEX was a sweet gig. That was especially so for its first employee, Australian born and raised Greg Dwyer. Joining BitMEX in 2015, which grew into a $US3 billion ($3.9 billion) financial behemoth in just a few years, must have seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime for Dwyer. Until it all came crashing down last year. Last October, the exchanges four owners were accused by US authorities of flouting sanctions with Iran and allowing organised criminals to launder potentially billions of dollars through their exchange. The disappearance of the public face of BitMEX, its charismatic and telegenic founder Arthur Hayes, has captivated the American financial media and inspired a Vanity Fair feature. What has not been revealed until now is the involvement of an Australian in the BitMEX saga. For the first time, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald can tell the story of how a 37-year-old maths whiz from the Sydney suburb of Gordon, a graduate of the prestigious St Ignatius College, Riverview and Sydney University, is at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in the cryptocurrency worlds short history. Images taken from Greg Dwyers social media feeds of Lamborghinis lined up at a bitcoin conference in Manhattan. Dwyer is still at large after being charged in October by the US Department of Justice with conspiring to breach US banking secrecy laws and anti-money laundering laws. His lawyers Sean Hecker and Jenna Dabbs of Manhattan law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink did not respond to a series of questions from this masthead and instead sent a statement via a New York crisis public relations firm.

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We have been in ongoing discussions with the prosecutors in Manhattan about scheduling his appearance to face these charges and look forward to being able to contest them, because they are unwarranted, a spokeswoman says. Dwyer declined to be interviewed. BitMEX has been described by regulators as a platform for money laundering that operated in the shadows of the financial markets. The size of BitMEX and its operation cannot be underestimated, in 2020 more than $US956 billion flowed through its platform and it is alleged to have more than 85,000 US customers alone. The indictment sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency community where the newly billionaire founders of BitMEX had been treated like celebrities, particularly Hayes. Yet despite the profound impact the arrests of the BitMEX crew had on the industry, the scandal has not put a dent in the stratospheric rise of cryptocurrencies, particularly bitcoin. This week, it hit fresh highs above $60,000 following the news that Elon Musks Tesla had parked $US1.5 billion in idle cash in the cryptocurrency, boosting its credentials as a store of value. At the same time there has been a boom in retail investors, many of whom are young and excited about how cryptocurrencies are changing finance. The rise of BitMEX BitMEX was an early mover in the glitzy cryptocurrency scene. Rather than simply allowing customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like other exchanges, it provided a platform to allow customers to bet on the price of different bitcoins using risky (and illegal in the US) financial derivatives that allow punters to magnify the value of their bet by up to 100 times.

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In this sense, BitMEX was similar to Australian companies that sell similar products based on shares and currencies known as contracts for difference. According to the US criminal indictment, Dwyer worked as a senior executive within the group from 2015, running its Manhattan office and as head of business development. In 2019, he moved to work at BitMEXs offices in Bermuda. Dwyer grew up on Sydneys upper north shore. After graduating from St Ignatius in 2001, he went on to study at the University of Sydney. He graduated in 2008 with first class honours in his Bachelor of Commerce as well as a Bachelor of Science. Company records show Dwyer was also an early investor in his brother Tims buy now, pay later business Limepay, which is slated for a float on the ASX next month - though he no longer directly holds any shares in the group. Tim Dwyer and Limepay are not in any way associated with BitMEX. The Limepay founder did not respond to requests for comment. Dwyer is described as a long time friend and former colleague of Hayes in court documents. The Sydneysider met Hayes while both were working at Deutsche Banks Hong Kong office in 2011. At the time Hayes was also working as a trance DJ known as DJBD. At Deutsche, Dwyer and Hayes cut their teeth in the financial sector as synthetic equity traders, brokers of exotic and risky financial derivatives that are basically bets on various financial assets.

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His experience at Deutsche Bank would come in handy at BitMEX which specialises in exotic betting products on various cryptocurrencies and indices. BitMEX capitalised on the increasing interest in cryptocurrencies and the scarcity of actual hard currencies. The financial derivatives BitMEX sells allows customers to access a market for bitcoins and other crypto-coins without necessarily owning any. The fresh-faced, well-spoken Australian was a key player in the groups development and push towards being a more mainstream product, appearing on television and in other media to promote BitMEX. In 2018, Dwyer was interviewed on Business Insider TV in the US where he talked up crypto moving from the fringes of finance to the mainstream after the historic Chicago Mercantile Exchange (known as the CME) and the Cboe Futures Exchange (CFE) opened up their exchanges to crypto. Bitcoin now trades, pretty much, on unregulated markets, he said in the interview. The fact that its going to start trading on the CME and CFE brings an air of legitimacy to the space because its going to bring in mainstream and professional investors, and have them be more comfortable participating in the futures market which is more regulated.

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This is a big endorsement for the digital currency trading space. But while Dwyer was a central character in BitMEXs story, his profile was dwarfed by that of Hayes with his sharp tongue and movie-star good looks. Arthur Hayes picked a fight with respected economist Nouriel Roubini. Credit:Twitter In 2019, Hayes hit the mainstream media headlines after picking a fight at a conference in Taiwan with respected economist and anti-cryptocurrency campaigner Nouriel Roubini, known as Dr Doom for predicting the US housing bubble that led to the global financial crisis. The confrontation would become known in bitcoin circles as the Tangle in Taipei. Roubinis argument was BitMEX was operating a business that was flouting US laws by not being properly licensed and selling its leverage products to US customers despite it being illegal to do so. It is just an example of everything that is sick and rotten in this particular industry, Roubini would remark, according to a video of the event. While Hayes claimed victory on the day and was cheered by industry press, Roubinis comments would spark a major investigation by one of Americas key market regulators, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. The US indictment is the result of this investigation. CFTC is also pursuing civil charges against BitMEX, its founders and a range of associated entities including 100x Group. The civil suit does not name Dwyer.

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With filming set to get underway this spring, Martin Scorsese has cast the female lead for his highly-anticipated new movie Killers of The Flower Moon.

The veteran director has tapped actress Lily Gladstone, 34, to star opposite Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in the based on a true story Apple Original Film, Variety reported Thursday.

It's a major breakthrough for Gladstone who is relatively unknown with roles in just a handful of productions including the 2016 independent drama Certain Women and the Showtime series Billions in 2019.

Big break: Lily Gladstone, 34, (pictured in 2018) has been cast as the wife of Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's Apple Original Film Killers of The Flower Moon, it was reported Thursday

Killers Of The Flower Moon is adapted from David Grann's best-selling true crime book of the same name about the brutal murders of Osage Nation Native Americans in 1920s Oklahoma.

The killings became known as the Reign Of Terror and became one of the first major cases to be investigated by the then newly-formed FBI.

The murders began after oil was found on land belonging to the Osage Nation.

Based on a true story: Scorsese is directing the drama about the brutal murders of Osage Nation Native Americans in 1920s Oklahoma after oil was discovered on their tribal lands

Scorsese collaborators: Robert De Niro stars as a powerful Oklahoma rancher William Hale while DiCaprio plays Hale's nephew Ernest Burkhart, who is married to an Osage woman

De Niro plays a powerful Oklahoma rancher William Hale.

DiCaprio plays Hale's nephew Ernest Burkhart and Gladstone will play DiCaprio's wife Mollie, a member of the Osage Nation.

Gladstone herself is descended from the Blackfeet and Nez Perce tribes.

According to local news outlets in Oklahoma, filming is set to take place from spring to late summer in the Tulsa, Bartlesville and Osage County area.

A virtual casting call for extras was announced last month.

The production is reported to have an estimated budget of $200 million and will be Scorsese's first film since the 2019 Netflix hit The Irishman.

Set for stardom: Gladstone, who is descended from the Blackfeet and Nez Perce tribes, is relatively unknown with roles in just a handful of productions including the 2016 independent drama Certain Women and the Showtime series Billions in 2019
Government will be moving to clamp down on food establishments which have been trying to beat the COVID restrictions, by bringing out their staff to prepare meals, which are then put on sale at other locations.
It's a tale  to borrow a phrase  as old as time. Two strangers meet and become inseparable.

Every couple has a story of how they came to be, what makes the other person special, how they make it work. On this day that celebrates love, we asked some couples to share their stories.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A unique proposal

Ashanti Witherspoons proposal to Susan was unique. Like the rest of their relationship.

Ashanti, 71, served 27 years in prison for an armed robbery. Paroled in 1999 from Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, he worked in Christian ministry and the Innocence Project, which seeks to exonerate the wrongly convicted. He spoke at Angolas Lifers Association banquet in November 2004.

Susan, 56, a widow who lived in Magnolia, Mississippi, was there.

Her brother was an inmate. She introduced herself to Ashanti, and they later met to discuss helping her brother. That led to them working on behalf of other inmates, and Susan started helping Ashanti schedule speaking appointments. When she was in town, together they attended church and meetings of Toastmasters, which teaches communication skills. They never dated.

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Then came a Toastmasters meeting in 2008.

I said, Wow, this is an outstanding lady.  Man, she would probably make a good wife, Ashanti recalled. This feeling of love just started flooding over, and I leaned over and I asked her, Would you marry me?

She froze in what she was doing. She stopped and looked at me and said, Are you serious? I said, Yeah, would you marry me? She said, Is this the way its supposed to be done? I said, Would you marry me? It doesnt matter how its done.

They never looked back.

Little by little, we just got to know each other, Susan said. When he proposed  I realized God had blessed me with a good-looking man, with a man that really loved people, and I loved him. I didnt really think, Oh, Im in love with him until that happened, and then, it was, like, Yeah, I love him.

The couple, who lives in Baker, each appreciates how much the other loves people.

Shes genuine, Ashanti said. Shes not a fake. No part of her is fake.

He cares more about  helping people than hes worried about himself, Susan said. As far as personal things, I like the way he laughs. Sometimes, if its been a rough day, hell say something kind of off the wall or quirky, and itll make me laugh and change the whole day around.

A change of heart

Life  his parents divorce, her fathers untimely death  had soured Clint and Roya Nauta on marriage. So, they lived together, with no plans to marry or have children.

A spiritual encounter changed their perspective.

Both Clint, 35, and Roya, 32, became Christians in 2011, and the couples they met at church showed them how good marriage could be. They realized it was more than what they had.

We were just having fun up to that point, Clint said. Before that, it was, just, You make me happy, and I make you happy, so its working out. But if we dont make each other happy, well just leave before that point. It wasnt until we both became Christians and I really understood what it meant to love somebody because of the way Christ loves us.

They married and have two sons, Josiah and Haddon, and a daughter on the way.

Royas determination impresses Clint. She has cerebral palsy, which affects her legs and causes a significant limp, but she hasnt let that stop her from returning to school for a masters degree in education, becoming a teacher or a mother.

When we tell people shes had two natural, unmedicated childbirths, people are shocked, Clint said. Thats how she does everything she does. Doesnt let anybody tell her she cant do something. Doesnt ask for help a lot of times  to a fault  except from me around the house. Shes going to do something herself before she asks for help.

Youre not always going to agree, but when things arent perfect, always seek to understand the other person and see where theyre coming from," Roya advised. "Or if youve done something wrong to upset the person youre in a relationship with, seek forgiveness first. I think thats what keeps a relationship strong. Put yourself in the other persons shoes and seek forgiveness when things arent perfect.

COVID connection

Not many good things have came out of the pandemic, but Patrick and Norman Millet give it some credit for getting them together.

Patrick, 49, first met Norman through a mutual friend on Facebook, but the timing wasnt right. In May 2020, however, they started communicating. With no place to go during the pandemic shutdown, for their first date Norman came to Patricks home, which he then shared with a sister and nephew. To say it went well is an understatement.

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When he left, I came inside and told my sister. 'Im going to marry him,' Patrick said. "I immediately knew it. I had no doubt. He made me laugh. He is a lot of fun. Hes smart. Hes hardworking. Hes all the qualities you would want in a partner, a spouse. He still thinks its funny when I tell that story, but its true.

It was also prescient. Only months later  on Dec. 27  they married and now live in Gonzales.

It did happen that quickly, Norman said. With COVID, we didnt have much to do but hang out with each other and got to know each other pretty well and figured out that we got along a little too well, and we didnt want to go back out of quarantine.

Communication and trust are essential to a happy relationship, they agreed.

I can tell him something and tell him dont tell anybody, and I know its going to stay with him, Norman said. I  know that hes going to be there for me no matter what.

I think the one thing that is important for me is to laugh, Patrick said. I think laughter heals your soul; at least, for me it does. I think for so long Id forgotten how to laugh, not only at myself but at things in general. I knew he was the one. He gave me my smile back.

A winding road

True love doesn't always take the straightest path, and that's certainly true for Don and Judy Hale, who met on a double date in 1958 in Monroe. Don asked Judy out after she broke up with her boyfriend, Bert, but he had an agenda.

He stopped the car on Forsythe Avenue and he said, Ive got to fuss at you for breaking up with my best friend, Judy recalled. I said, Ive got a quarter. Ill call my mother to come get me. That ended his conversation about Bert.

But not his conversations with Judy. They dated for six months, then Judy broke up with him. Upset, Don enlisted in the Marines.

I dated while he was gone the first two years, and Id come home crying because it just wasnt the same, she said. I had somebody else propose to me and I was, like, Nope, this aint going to happen.

The two saw each other when he came home on leave, and, on his second visit, he proposed.

We finally realized wed made a mistake, and Id already volunteered, he said.

There have been no second thoughts since they married in 1962. And what they liked then about each other, they still like.

He was really cute when he was young, and now hes as cute as a speckled puppy as an old man, said Judy, adding she also loves his motivation and determination. "He went to night school to get his degree and his MBA, and he wanted better than what his family had.

Judy was Judy. What can I say? I loved her then and I love her now, Don said. Shes the same today as shes always been. Shes not up and down.

I tell it like it is, she said.

Thats part of what I love about her, he said. I depend on it.

Respect

Aretha Franklin had it right, according to Luttrell and Edith Cox. A successful relationship boils down to one word.

Respect for each other, said Luttrell, 77.

Treat each other like you want to be treated, recommended Edith, 76.

The Coxes have been a couple since 1960, when he was a junior and she was a sophomore at Southern University Lab School.

We really didnt date. Back in our day, you would be courting on Sunday evenings, Edith said. The guy would come over to your house. Thats what we did in high school. I cant remember how it got started.  I guess he was looking at me and I was looking at him.

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After Luttrell graduated, he enlisted in the Army and was immediately shipped out to the first of several bases. They kept their relationship going through letters, and got engaged  appropriately enough  while Luttrell was at Fort Bliss, Texas. The couple married in 1964.

Home from his stint in the Army, Luttrell worked at area plants, and he credited Edith with doing most of the work in raising their three daughters. She appreciates that he was a good provider for their family.

Weve never been mushy, mushy, but weve always had each others back, she said. We could always count on each other if need be.

After we got married, I looked at what she was doing with the children, Luttrell said. I was doing mostly shift work. That was one of the big things, taking care of the kids. I respected that. I still do.

Weve always been here for each other and tried to respect each other. We just love on each other.

A balancing act

Jason and Lindsey Wesley met at LSU, became friends and eventually fell in love.

But, at that time, it wasn't meant to be.

Jason did the every romantic comedy movie thing where he had a panic attack and freaked out and broke it off, Lindsey said. So, we didnt speak for five years. And we did our own career things and relationships, and I checked in again with him at some point and said, I think we could be friends again.

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But the spark was still there, and Jason, 38, and Lindsey, 40, married in 2014 and have a daughter, Ella.

Lindsey appreciates her husbands sincerity. He values her patience.

I know hes trying to improve as a person, and hes coming from a place that is genuine, she said. When you have those qualities, it makes it easier to work with someone because youre always changing in a relationship.

Even when she knows she is right and I am wrong, she still approaches me in a very loving manner, Jason said. I dont see how we can lose with that.

Those attitudes reflect what they see as the secrets to an enduring relationship.

Its a balancing act, Lindsey said. You have to accept someone for who they are and where they are and not where you want them to be. At the same time, you want to challenge them to grow without pushing them. It all becomes a balancing act of accountability vs. compassion. You do have those struggles and disagreements, but you have a common goal.

You cannot become closed off, Jason added. We both remain open.
With the exception of November 1929, there has probably been no moment less conducive to opening a jewelry store in New York than at any point during the past 11 months. So it was a hopeful and norm-defying sign, like a heat wave in a Finnish noir, to find Page Sargisson Jewelry arriving on the corner of Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn right after Thanksgiving.

Ms. Sargisson had been designing and making jewelry for 16 years, selling it wholesale and online. But she had long wanted to open a store, one that was big enough to accommodate a workshop. This past August, as the lease on her studio space was running out, she approached the owner of a building whose ground floor, like hundreds of other shop fronts around the city, had been empty for some time. She told him what she could pay. They came to an agreement. By the end of December, her sales had far exceeded her expectations.

When the pandemic struck late last winter, it devastated a retail sector that had been battered for at least a decade. Vacancy mounted upon vacancy, bankruptcy upon bankruptcy. By May, with hundreds of thousands of people living in pajamas, staffing at clothing stores was down by 40 percent from the previous year. Between February and October, nearly 30,000 retail jobs vanished in New York City alone. You hardly needed any kind of statistical analysis if you walked around Hudson Yards or SoHo or Madison Avenue, where everything has felt bleak, enervating: Karma was having its way with Big Real Estate.
Rapid Insight to Present at Data Science Salons Healthcare, Finance, and Technology Virtual Event Dr. Michael Johnson is one of our most impressive and knowledgeable users, and were excited for him to share his wisdom with Salon attendees.

On February 17th, Rapid Insight, a leading data analytics software provider, will co-present a Data Science Salon session with Dr. Michael Johnson, Senior Data Scientist at St. Charles Health Center. The session, titled Keeping Humans in the Loop: 4 Strategies for Optimizing the Impact of Data Science in your Organization, will cover techniques to amplify data science and cultivate a data-informed mentality across an organization. The presentation will feature practical advice and real-world examples from Dr. Johnsons work modeling the pandemic and coordinating vaccination logistics. James Cousins, Rapid Insights Analyst Manager, will co-host the presentation.

Rapid Insight is an intermediate sponsor for Data Science Salons upcoming February virtual event. The event, titled Applying AI and Machine Learning to Healthcare, Finance, and Technology, will connect analysts and data scientists from three major industries for illuminating conversations in a casual environment. As a first-time sponsor of the event, Rapid Insight will offer a unique perspective on improving data efficiency and operationalizing business intelligence. Rapid Insight will host a virtual booth where visitors can speak with Rapid Insight analysts, schedule a software demo, and access resources to learn more about the products.

Data Science Salon events are opportunities for professionals to discuss the real issues and questions they confront in their day-to-day work, said Mike Laracy, Rapid Insights Founder and President. Our tools and support are specifically designed to make the work of data scientists and analysts more efficient, so were thrilled to join the conversation and contribute to the body of knowledge with our presentation. Dr. Michael Johnson is one of our most impressive and knowledgeable users, and were excited for him to share his wisdom with Salon attendees.

Amidst the tumult of the past 12 months, data science has been essential. Organizations rapidly adapted procedures due to COVID-19 and looked to data scientists for guidance. Data Science Salon events present a unique opportunity to share insight and wisdom within the data community. As a solutions provider designed to enable teams of all sizes to succeed, Rapid Insight is excited to engage with Data Science Salon attendees to learn and share along with them.

About Rapid Insight:

Rapid Insight is a leading provider of business intelligence and automated predictive analytics software. With a specialty in higher education and a focus on ease of use and efficiency, Rapid Insight products enable users to turn their raw data into actionable information. The companys analytic software simplifies the extraction and analysis of data, enabling institutions with student populations of all sizes to fully utilize their information for data-informed decision making. For more information, visit http://www.rapidinsight.com.

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Amazon sued New Yorks attorney general, Letitia James, on Friday in an attempt to stop her from bringing charges against the company over safety concerns at two of its warehouses in New York City.

The company also asked the court to force Ms. James to declare that she does not have authority to regulate workplace safety during the Covid-19 pandemic or to investigate allegations of retaliation against employees who protest their working conditions.

In the case, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Amazon said Ms. Jamess office had been investigating pandemic safety concerns raised by employees at its large fulfillment center on Staten Island and at a delivery depot in Queens. It said Ms. James had threatened to sue Amazon if it did not agree to her demands, including subsidizing bus service, reducing worker productivity requirements, disgorging profits and reinstating Christian Smalls, a worker Amazon fired in the spring.

Mr. Smalls has said he was retaliated against for leading a protest at the Staten Island warehouse. Amazon has said he was fired for going to the work site for the protest even though he was on paid quarantine leave after he had been exposed to a colleague who tested positive for the coronavirus.
The parties also signed a loan agreement on Kyiv's Boryspil Airport.

The European Investment Bank will provide EUR 50 million to help Ukraine combat the coronavirus.

"The funds will go towards purchasing COVID-19 vaccines and the related cold supply chain equipment that is key for the successful distribution of vaccines across the country," the EIB said in a statement on its website. "The loan reinforces Ukraine's ability to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The operation is part of the overall COVID-19 response support provided by Team Europe."

Read alsoUkraine expects to borrow US$88.7 mln for fight against COVID-19

A letter amending the Financial Agreement between Ukraine and the EIB was signed during a working visit of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to the EIB headquarters in Luxembourg on February 12, the Ukrainian government's press service reported.

These funds will be made available from the existing EUR 400 million Ukraine Municipal Infrastructure Programme (UMIP) being implemented by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development. The Ukrainian Ministry of Health will implement the COVID-19 facility in cooperation with the Project Management Support Unit under UMIP to provide strategic and operational advice as well as project management support to both ministries.

Shmyhal thanked the EIB for its prompt support in counteracting the spread of COVID-19, the Cabinet's press service said.

"This will expand our capabilities in the procurement of vaccines for the population of Ukraine and modern refrigeration equipment for a chain of vaccination centers," he said.

Following a meeting with EIB President Werner Hoyer, the parties also signed a Guarantee Agreement for the development of Boryspil Airport to obtain a EUR 270 million loan for the reconstruction of flight zone No. 2.

Read alsoPassenger flow in Boryspil International Airport drops dramatically since year-start

"Apart from qualitative modernization of the airport, we also expect to increase passenger traffic through the airport up to 56 million people in 2040, in particular by improving technical equipment, competitiveness of the company, expanding the network of routes and attracting new carriers," the prime minister commented on the signing of the document.

During the meeting with Hoyer, Shmyhal stressed that Ukraine highly appreciates the EIB's active role in supporting the Ukrainian economy, public and private sectors.

"We believe that in the near future the EIB will be able to present a new seven-year external financing mandate. We seek further cooperation, in particular in the field of financing of transport, energy sector and urban infrastructure of Ukraine," Shmyhal said.

For his part, Hoyer stressed that the EIB as an EU bank is deeply committed to supporting its neighbors in the Eastern Partnership region and Ukraine in particular. According to him, in 2020 the EIB made a record investment in Ukraine worth over EUR 1 billion.

"We started 2021 with very timely initiatives as we move towards a post-COVID-19 recovery. As the EU bank, we are ready to help alleviate the pressure of the pandemic by protecting the population of Ukraine, building resilience and supporting initiatives such as the operations signed today to support growth and recovery," the EIB President said.

COVID-19 vaccine for Ukraine

Ukraine plans to launch a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the middle of February 2021. The first stage is expected to take about 20 days when healthcare workers who have contacts with COVID-19 patients will get vaccinated.

On December 30, 2020, Ukraine signed a contract for the supply of 1.9 million doses of China's Sinovac vaccine.

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.

On February 5, Health Minister Stepanov said shipments of 12 million doses of vaccines produced by AstraZeneca and Novavax to Ukraine had been confirmed.

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.

Reporting by UNIAN
He was the Union Minister for Railways and Union Minister for State for Health and Family Welfare, a member of parliament from Barrackpore, and then a Rajya Sabha member

Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi announced his resignation from the Rajya Sabha on Friday saying he feels suffocated in the House as he is unable to do anything for the violence going on in his state of West Bengal.

"If you sit here quietly and cannot do anything, then it is better that you resign from here and go to the land of Bengal and be with people," he said in the Upper House of Parliament.

Trivedi said the world looks at India when something happens. "What I mean to say is the way violence is taking place in our state. Sitting here, I am feeling perplexed as to what should I do," he added.

The TMC MP said he is unable to bear various incidents that are happening in West Bengal. "I am grateful to my party that it has sent me here, but now I feel a little suffocated. We are unable to do anything and there is atrocity (going on). My voice of conscience is saying what Swami Vivekananda used to say - arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached," Trivedi said while announcing his resignation from the House, in a jolt to the TMC ahead of the Assembly elections in West Bengal.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh said there is a due process for resigning from the House and asked Trivedi to submit his resignation in writing to the chairman.

Meanwhile, BJP West Bengal in-charge general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya welcomed Trivedis move saying Trivedi was welcome to join the BJP in case he wanted to do so. Vijayvargiya said many more TMC leaders were feeling claustrophobic in the Mamata-led dynastic dispensation.

The former railway minister has been with the TMC since the party was formed in 1998 and became its first general secretary. He had joined the Janata Dal in 1990, a few years after working with the Congress party. He was the Union Minister for Railways and Union Minister for State for Health and Family Welfare, a member of parliament from Barrackpore, and then a member of the Rajya Sabha.

He was a member of the Upper House of the Parliament from 1990 till 1996 from Gujarat as a Janata Dal candidate and from 2002 to 2008 from West Bengal as a TMC candidate. Recently, he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Barrackpore to TMC MLA turned BJP candidate Arjun Singh.

In March 2012, he was made to resign as a Union Railway Minister by party chief Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee was reportedly upset with Trivedi over his plan to hike train fares announced in the rail budget. Trivedi had not consulted the Trinamool Congress over the Budget, according to a News18 report.

Trivedi is a prominent face of the TMC to reach out to non-Bengali voters who constitute a huge section of Kolkata and North 24 Parganas population.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Update: Brandon Batiste and Calvin Roberson have been charged in connection with Romans death >>

The U.S. Attorneys Office confirmed that two people have been arrested in the December homicide of Chicopee resident Francisco Roman.

The names of the two people arrested and charges are sealed in court and expected to be released on Friday, said Tom Carson, spokesman for the Connecticut U.S. Attorneys Office.

Roman, 28, was last seen on Christmas Eve in Chicopee Center, prompting police to put out an alert asking for information from anyone who had information about his disappearance. At the time he had a cast on his leg and was walking with crutches.

Two days later Roman was found dead in Hartford after firefighters responded to a car fire on Shultas Place and found his body inside. The Medical Examiner determined Romans death was a homicide.

Hartford Police are working with Chicopee Police, the Massachusetts State Police and federal agents to investigate the homicide, officials said.

Roman, the father of three young children, grew up in Springfield and attended the High School of Commerce.

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Washington: US President Joe Biden in his maiden phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping talked about the fundamental concerns he has with Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday, a day after the two-hour-long conversation between the two leaders.

Biden wants to lead with a clear and compelling affirmative US policy agenda and take steps to strengthen the US economy, she said.

"He wants to work with our partners and allies, as you've seen from the readouts we've done from the President's engagement. He wants to take steps across government," Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference. "He also is committed to being clear and candid in his engagements, as he was last night inhis lengthy conversation with President Xi, where he talked about the fundamental concerns he has, we have, about Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices. That obviously covers a range of concern, a range of issues: the crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuse across the country, increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan," Psaki said.

President Biden, she said, is clear-eyed about the challenge that the US facing  that's the strategic competition with China. "In order to get on our best footing in that competition, we need to take steps here at home, including making our own workforce more competitive, ensuring we are taking steps to protect our own technology, ensuring thatwe are working with our partners and allies to do that," she said. "It is a reflection of our strategy, which is that we are going to get our house in order, in order to come into that competition from the strongest footing possible, she said.

State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said the Biden Administration will engage with the Chinese when it is consistent with American interests and values. "Even though we see this relationship through the lens of competition and our broad posture vis-a-vis China is to work to position ourselves to compete and to outcompete with the Chinese across any number of realms," he said.

Responding to questions, Price said the United States is still in the initial stages of its engagement with the Chinese. "I would hasten to add that that initial engagement at the level of the Secretary of State and the President of the United States took place only after a number of calls with our closest allies and partners. There's a reason why these engagements didn't take place on day one, he explained. "We wanted to make sure that we had coordinated closely with our allies, including our allies in Europe and our treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific, but also our partners, including our partners throughout the Indo-Pacific, to make clear that our approach to Beijing was known to them, that we coordinated on that, and that, again, we positioned ourselves vis-a-vis China in the strongest possible position, Price said when asked about the delay in talks with the Chinese president.

"When we talk about our strength in the context of the relationship with China, we derive strength from our values. We derive strength from our alliances, our partnerships. We also derive strength from what we do here at home, he said. At the Pentagon, China Task Force Director Ely Ratner told reporters that the Department of Defense has become increasingly focused on the China challenge.

There's been a proliferation of policies, activities and initiatives related to China, and the purpose of the task force was, particularly with the new team coming on board, a new Secretary, to ensure that those activities were synchronized, prioritized, and coordinated to the greatest extent possible, he said. A day after he was made in-charge of the China Task Force, Ratner said that the goal is not to boil the ocean. "What we're going to do here is try to identify the most important challenges and opportunities for the (Defense) Secretary, try to identify what should serve as his and his team's top priorities on China, whether those be issues that need secretary-level decisions or guidance, issues that need greater prioritization, attention, and resources, or issues that need either strength and/or new processes to move them forward to address them, he said.

Republican Senator Rick Scott, in a statement, alleged that Biden is rolling back actions taken under President Trump to hold Communist China accountable and that such a move is reckless and show just how far he will go to appease the authoritarian regime. "Failing to stand up to General Secretary Xi has absolutely devastating consequences for our national security and for that of our allies. We don't need nice phone calls or another task force to study what's going on with Communist China, he said.

.
UPDATE: Suspect in Thumb-area carjacking arrested in Indiana

SEBEWAING TOWNSHIP, MI -- An 18-year-old Huron County woman driving her grandmothers car was waiting to pick up a family member from school when a man entered the vehicle with a knife.

Sebewaing Village Police responded to the car jacking at Unionville-Sebewaing High School on Wilder Road around 7:04 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, according to a news release from The Huron County Sheriffs Department.

The woman was driving her grandmothers 2015 maroon Chevrolet Equinox when an unknown male subject walked up to her, got into the passenger seat and produced a knife, according to police. The woman ran and the male subject took the vehicle and drove westbound on Wilder Road.

Another area resident in the parking lot noticed what happened and followed the vehicle -- now in Tuscola County -- as it fled down side roads. The resident lost the vehicle as it reached Unionville, west of M-25, according to the news release.

Back at the high school, officers then found a stolen 2001 Chevrolet pickup in the school parking lot from Mason County. Officers contacted deputies from the Mason County Sheriffs Office in Ludington and learned that, earlier in the morning, the vehicle had been reported stolen by a Mason County man in his 20s.

Officers believe the man is heading for Florida and likely under the influence of drugs, according to the police. They believe he had no ties to Huron County and officers are unsure how long he had been in the area.

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Steve Mnuchin's wife Louise Linton has revealed that the couple were sent a parcel of horse manure by a Trump-hating fanatic when he was Treasury Secretary, and admitted her notorious Fort Knox Instagram photo was 'stupid'.

Speaking in an interview with The Times, Linton spoke about her experience of being in the un-elected role of political wife, after her marriage to Mnuchin in 2017.

When asked if it was true if the couple were sent a parcel of horse manure at Christmas, she told the newspaper: 'They accidentally dropped it off at our neighbour's house. And we were travelling at the time, so we never even got a whiff of it. I guess they didn't like Steven's tax bill.'

The Scottish actress courted controversy on numerous occasions during Mnuchin's time as the United States' Treasury Secretary under the Trump administration.

Two months after their wedding in 2017, the couple flew to Fort Knox in Kentucky as part of a work trump for Mnuchin, taking the the United States Air Force jet.

Louise Linton (pictured left with husband Steve Mnuchin and right going for dinner in Hollywood on Thursday night) has spoken about her experience of being in the un-elected role of political wife, after their 2017 wedding

Linton, 40, later took to Instagram to post a picture of the pair descending the steps of the Executive plane, with the caption 'Great #daytrip to #Kentucky! #nicest #people #beautiful #countryside.'

The internet responded brutally, labelling her 'Treasury Barbie', 'Marie Antoinette', and 'the Real Housewife of the Treasury', with one correspondent replying: 'Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable.'

Linton hit back, writing 'Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband? Either as an individual earner in taxes or in self sacrifice to your country.

'I'm pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day 'trip' than you did,' she wrote. 'Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you'd be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours. You're adorably out of touch.'

She later apologised, releasing a statement through her publicist saying: 'I apologise for my post on social media yesterday as well as my response. It was inappropriate and highly insensitive.'

She told the Times: 'I really had my hand slapped for that Fort Knox picture, which I deserved. It was stupid. You make mistakes, you learn from them. I hope that I've learnt from that one.'

Two months after their wedding in 2017, the couple flew to Fort Knox in Kentucky as part of a work trump for Mnuchin, taking the the United States Air Force jet. Linton, 40, later took to Instagram to post a picture of the pair descending the steps of the Executive plane, with the caption 'Great #daytrip to #Kentucky! #nicest #people #beautiful #countryside' (pictured)

Despite the acknowledging her mistake, a few months later Linton caused a fresh upset when she was photographed posing at the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, holding a stack of newly printed dollar bills.

They were the first to feature Mnuchin's signature.

Linton was seen wearing a black leather outfit, complete with elbow-length black leather gloves that led to her being compared to Cruella de Vil, Darth Vader and Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, while the Washington Post called the photograph 'exceptionally obnoxious'.

When asked by The Times whether she was treated badly because of her ties to the Trump administration, she agreed.

'I've faced a lot of criticism over the years. I think, partly, by being so closely tied to such a controversial administration. I certainly think that being so close to the administration put a target on my back.'

In 2017, Linton caused a fresh upset when she was photographed posing at the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, holding a stack of newly printed dollar bills. They were the first to feature Mnuchin's (right) signature

In hindsight, she said that she 'had no idea how intense the focus' on her would be in her position as Mnuchin's wife, and that she wished she had asked early on what was expected of her.

She did, however, hire a 'protocol expert', she said, who helped her navigate the complexity of life in Washington DC when being tied to the White House.

Linton, a staunch animal rights activist was born in Edinburgh, outside which her family owns Melville Castle where she would spend weekends when she was younger.

But she has now lived more than half her life in Los Angeles, taking up small roles as an actress in series including CSI and a scripted reality show 'Helplessly Rich'.

Now, she is working on a while which she has written and directed which she describes to The Times as a 'modern day Kill Bill', about an actress who seeks revenge on reporters who have lied about her, and even some of her trolls.

Speaking on what her husband - who is also a movie producer and multi-millionaire - is likely to do next, she said she isn't in a position to say, only telling the newspaper that when it comes to politics: 'I think were done.'
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Premier Daniel Andrews is right to say that Victorians are well versed in the logistics of lockdown. Unfortunately, we have more experience than most in the types of harsh restrictions put in place to contain the COVID-19 virus. But that is not going to make it any easier.

Heading into lockdown is not just an exercise in following the rules, in staying within five kilometres of your home, or limiting your exercise. This is also an exercise in emotional resilience. For many last year, the toll on their mental health was a significant challenge. There would have been few who were not touched by it in some way.

Daniel Andrews announcing the short, sharp lockdown on Friday. Credit:Getty Images

When the streets and shopping precincts go quiet once again at midnight on Friday, looking after each other will be just as important as following the rules. It may only be for a few days, but it will be imperative once again that the most vulnerable are taken care of, and that we look out for our neighbours, family, friends and those in our local communities.

For many who thought the worst was behind us, this will be a shock. All the reassurances of a first-rate hotel quarantine and contact tracing system had lulled many of us into thinking lockdowns were behind us. With the rollout of vaccines only weeks away, the focus had increasingly been on recovery, not returning to restrictions.

Romancing Your Valentine is Easy at No Way JosA!



We're preparing a special evening just for you and those you hold dear. Come enjoy our sweetheart special or savor some of the traditional menu items you know and love. Make your reservation NOW! Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Mexicans celebrate Valentine's Day as El Dia del Amor y la Amistad, The Day of Love & Friendship. At No Way JosA!, we celebrate our family of friends by holding tight to our resolve to provide memorable Vallarta evenings in a safe and comfortable environment.



No Way JosA! expresses our love by presenting a night of classic Mexican romance interpreted by some of Banderas Bay's most exceptional musicians on our open-air Terrace.



Join our favorite Mexican Trio, Los Romanceros, the maestro Eduardo Leon, the impressive Roberto Falcon and the amazing Luis Rascon featuring Tu Casa en Vallarta's very own JosA Alfredo as they serenade us on this special night. The ticket price of $300 pesos that goes directly to the musicians gets added to your guest check that evening.



Along with our regular menu, enjoy a two-course special featuring:



A mixed salad with juicy strawberries, jicama, quince fruit and grilled panela cheese, dressed with a fresh vinaigrette and garnished with rose petals, along with a Surf-n-Surf main course of grilled Mahi Mahi and delicious shrimp with a bearnaise sauce, garnished with pomegranates and served with a sweet potato mash, that provides a two-course aphrodisiacal experience for only $475 pesos.



We're preparing a special evening just for you and those you hold dear. Come enjoy our sweetheart special or savor some of the traditional menu items you know and love.



No Way JosA! observes all COVID-safety and health requirements mandated by local and state authorities. We've reduced seating capacity on our open-air Terrace by 50% to allow for safely-spaced tables for your maximum comfort.







Open for dinner 7 nights a week from 4:00 to 11:00 pm, No Way JosA! is located on the south side of Puerto Vallarta at 5 de Febrero 260, (just over the Vallarta street bridge on your left heading south from the MalecAn). Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by emailing Reservations(at)NoWayJoseMx.com. For more information, call 322-223-2853, visit NoWayJoseMx.com, or join us on Facebook for real-time updates and special offers.



Click HERE to learn more about No Way JosA! - Mexicans celebrate Valentine's Day asThe Day of Love & Friendship. At No Way JosA!, we celebrate our family of friends by holding tight to our resolve to provide memorable Vallarta evenings in a safe and comfortable environment.No Way JosA! expresses our love by presenting a night of classic Mexican romance interpreted by some of Banderas Bay's most exceptional musicians on our open-air Terrace.Join our favorite Mexican Trio, Los Romanceros, the maestro Eduardo Leon, the impressive Roberto Falcon and the amazing Luis Rascon featuring Tu Casa en Vallarta's very own JosA Alfredo as they serenade us on this special night. The ticket price of $300 pesos that goes directly to the musicians gets added to your guest check that evening.Along with our regular menu, enjoy a two-course special featuring:A mixed salad with juicy strawberries, jicama, quince fruit and grilled panela cheese, dressed with a fresh vinaigrette and garnished with rose petals, along with a Surf-n-Surf main course of grilled Mahi Mahi and delicious shrimp with a bearnaise sauce, garnished with pomegranates and served with a sweet potato mash, that provides a two-course aphrodisiacal experience for only $475 pesos.We're preparing a special evening just for you and those you hold dear. Come enjoy our sweetheart special or savor some of the traditional menu items you know and love.No Way JosA! observes all COVID-safety and health requirements mandated by local and state authorities. We've reduced seating capacity on our open-air Terrace by 50% to allow for safely-spaced tables for your maximum comfort. Make your reservation NOW for a night of Love & Friendship in Tu Casa en Vallarta. Exceptional food and drink and some of the best music you will hear anywhere in the Bay of Banderas waits for you.
US President Joe Biden speaks after being sworn in as the 46th President of the United States during his presidential inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington DC on January 20, 2021. (Image: AFP)

US President Joe Biden in his maiden phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping talked about the fundamental concerns he has with Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday, a day after the two-hour-long conversation between the two leaders.

Biden wants to lead with a clear and compelling affirmative US policy agenda and take steps to strengthen the US economy, she said.

"He wants to work with our partners and allies, as you've seen from the readouts we've done from the President's engagement. He wants to take steps across government...," Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.

"He also is committed to being clear and candid in his engagements, as he was last night in...his lengthy conversation with President Xi, where he talked about the fundamental concerns he has, we have, about Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices. That obviously covers a range of concern, a range of issues: the crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuse across the country, increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan," Psaki said.

President Biden, she said, is clear-eyed about the challenge that the US facing -- that's the strategic competition with China. "In order to get on our best footing in that competition, we need to take steps here at home, including making our own workforce more competitive, ensuring we are taking steps to protect our own technology, ensuring that...we are working with our partners and allies to do that," she said.

"It is a reflection of our strategy, which is that we are going to get our house in order, in order to come into that competition from the strongest footing possible, she said.

State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said the Biden Administration will engage with the Chinese when it is consistent with American interests and values.

"Even though we see this relationship through the lens of competition and our broad posture vis-a-vis China is to work to position ourselves to compete and to outcompete with the Chinese across any number of realms," he said.

Responding to questions, Price said the United States is still in the initial stages of its engagement with the Chinese. "I would hasten to add that that initial engagement at the level of the Secretary of State and the President of the United States took place only after a number of calls with our closest allies and partners. There's a reason why these engagements didn't take place on day one, he explained.

"We wanted to make sure that we had coordinated closely with our allies, including our allies in Europe and our treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific, but also our partners, including our partners throughout the Indo-Pacific, to make clear that our approach to Beijing was known to them, that we coordinated on that, and that, again, we positioned ourselves vis-a-vis China in the strongest possible position, Price said when asked about the delay in talks with the Chinese president.

"When we talk about our strength in the context of the relationship with China, we derive strength from our values. We derive strength from our alliances, our partnerships. We also derive strength from what we do here at home, he said.

At the Pentagon, China Task Force Director Ely Ratner told reporters that the Department of Defense has become increasingly focused on the China challenge.

There's been a proliferation of policies, activities and initiatives related to China, and the purpose of the task force was, particularly with the new team coming on board, a new Secretary, to ensure that those activities were synchronized, prioritized, and coordinated to the greatest extent possible, he said.

A day after he was made in-charge of the China Task Force, Ratner said that the goal is not to boil the ocean. "What we're going to do here is try to identify the most important challenges and opportunities for the (Defense) Secretary, try to identify what should serve as his and his team's top priorities on China, whether those be issues that need secretary-level decisions or guidance, issues that need greater prioritization, attention, and resources, or issues that need either strength and/or new processes to move them forward to address them, he said.

Republican Senator Rick Scott, in a statement, alleged that Biden is rolling back actions taken under President Trump to hold Communist China accountable and that such a move is reckless and show just how far he will go to appease the authoritarian regime.

"Failing to stand up to General Secretary Xi has absolutely devastating consequences for our national security and for that of our allies. We don't need nice phone calls or another task force to study what's going on with Communist China, he said.
When opposition politician Aleksei Navalny stood in the defendant's cage in a Moscow courtroom on February 2, he held a sign that may have captured the Russian opposition's most important priority at the moment.

"I am not afraid," Navalny's sign said, shortly before Judge Natalya Repnikova sentenced him to 2 years and 8 months in prison. "And don't you be afraid."

After Navalny's team announced the suspension of public demonstrations in the wake of the state's often brutal crackdown and thousands of detentions, many of those opposed to the continued rule of authoritarian President Vladimir Putin were disappointed and angry.

Navalny's team was left with the task of maintaining the movement's momentum while refocusing it on elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, that must be held by September 19. The opposition sees those elections as a real chance to expose Putin's political weakness and loosen the ruling United Russia party's near monopoly on power.

"One of most important messages is that Putin has nothing to offer but fear," Leonid Volkov, who runs the network of Navalny's regional offices, told Current Time on February 11. "That fear and political violence are the only things on his political agenda, the only things he has to offer."

Breaking through that fear and expanding the base of active opposition supporters, Navalny team leaders say, is the movement's top priority in the months before the elections.

However, the potential for division within the opposition was further aggravated on February 6 when longtime liberal figurehead Grigory Yavlinsky, co-founder of the Yabloko party, published a long article in which he criticized Navalny's "populism" and "nationalism" as "incompatible" with a democratic Russia and just as dangerous to the country as Putinism itself.

Yavlinsky also repeated the unfounded Kremlin accusation that Navalny's supporters were recruiting schoolchildren and other minors to participate in protests.

The developments cast doubt on the ability of the opposition to convert outrage over Navalny's arrest and imprisonment into a movement capable of altering the political environment.

"Navalny's team knows how to organize successful protests that quite effectively react to particular events in the country," said Moscow-based political analyst Aleksandr Kynev. "But it has been harder and more complicated to come up with long-term strategies. This is not the first time we are seeing this."

Historically, the anti-Kremlin opposition in Russia has always been fractured, with nationalists, communists, monarchists, liberals, and libertarians regularly failing to rally together. There have been many reasons for the infighting -- from serious ideological differences, to interference from Kremlin political technologists, to the sometimes overwhelming egos of figures pretending to the movement's leadership.

This time, however, Navalny's team hopes things will be different.

On February 12, Yavlinsky walked back his assault on Navalny a bit. In an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio, he said that he regrets that his article "was unpleasant for some people." He added that it was not meant as an attack on Navalny personally, but on "the political line that he is following."

Yavlinsky also rejected the accusation that he had written the article at the Kremlin's behest, responding to conspiracy theories that he might have been promised seats in the next Duma in exchange for helping defuse the political tensions around Navalny's imprisonment.

Yavlinsky's original article drew harsh criticism from within his own party, as well as from other oppositionists. Aleksei Shitov, head of Yabloko's youth wing in Novosibirsk, which adopted a resolution critical of the article, told RFE/RL that Yavlinsky's statement "came at the wrong time."

Navalny is a tool to change political power.... I support him because he is the person closest to changing the political system. He is the only one capable of creating competitive elections in this country."

"We have to all understand that Aleksei Navalny is now not just a political figure for us but a political prisoner who was illegally tried and imprisoned," Shitov said. "There can't be any political discussion until Navalny is free. It is wrong to beat a man when he can't fight back."

The youth wing in St. Petersburg also adopted a critical resolution. The group's deputy leader, Yevgeny Timanovsky, told RFE/RL that "times like these demand maximal unity of the opposition forces, when Navalny is de facto a hostage of the Russian government and a political prisoner."

Lev Shlosberg, a regional lawmaker from Pskov Oblast and one of Yabloko's best-known figures, also slammed Yavlinsky's article, emphasizing that it had not been published in coordination with other Yabloko leaders.

"We are talking about the life and death of a citizen of Russia, of the politician Aleksei Navalny," Shlosberg wrote, referring to Navalny's poisoning in August by a Novichok-type nerve agent allegedly by agents of Putin's Federal Security Service. "His poisoning was not 'strange,' but terrifying, and his brave return to Russia brought back to our country a public politician whose main demand is simply 'liberty.'"

Shlosberg also pointed out that Yabloko's demands in the current situation are identical to Navalny's: the end to repressive violence and the release of all detainees, as well as criminal proceedings against those involved in police brutality; the opening of a criminal investigation into Navalny's poisoning and the punishment of those responsible; the release of all political prisoners and the opening of criminal proceedings against law enforcement officials who participated in the falsification of criminal cases; honest elections; and the restoration of constitutionally guaranteed civil rights and freedoms.

Even many representatives of Russia's ethnic minorities are willing to look past Navalny's earlier endorsements of Russian nationalist positions in a bid to secure broader political liberties, particularly after the Kremlin last year pushed through a package of constitutional amendments that could enable Putin to remain in power until 2036.

"Navalny is a tool to change political power," said Komi activist Aleksei Ivanov, who waved a Komi ethnic banner at pro-Navalny protests in Syktyvkar in January. "He has no clear position on federalism and so I believe he can be persuaded on this issue at any time. I support him because he is the person closest to changing the political system. He is the only one capable of creating competitive elections in this country."

Vladimir Ashurkov, executive director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, emphasizes that his movement is charting new territory and is implementing a multipronged strategy.

"The fact is that we are -- and we are not afraid to say it -- pioneers," he said. "No one before has done the things that we are doing. I mean, major investigative reports, communication with our supporters, the transformation of our structures into a sort of media empire. I mean, the creation of an organizational structure that reaches into the regions and is not based on an existing party, despite the harsh opposition of the authorities. I mean, the smart-voting system and tactics for competing in elections."

Yavlinsky argued in his critical article that Navalny's sensational exposes of corruption among the ruling elite have had little impact. But Shitov, the Navalny supporter who heads Yaboloko's youth wing in Novosibirsk, has a different take.

"Now we are seeing memes passed around with toilet brushes and 'aqua discos,'" he said, referring to two symbols that gained traction from Navalny's recent report on a lavish Black Sea residence allegedly built for Putin's personal use. "Laughter is the best weapon against fear. And in this way, the investigations are playing their role."

The next move of Navalny's team is also aimed at overcoming fear, Volkov said. He has called on supporters to come out into their courtyards on February 14 and shine the flashlight on their cell phones into the darkness as a symbol of solidarity.

"We expect that a significant number of people will feel that they are not alone," he said. "They will feel they are overcomingthe fear that Putin is trying to sow everywhere."

"I can imagine that in some courtyards, only very few people will come out," he added. "But even if there are only two, each of them will experience a moment of great joy. 'OK. I am not alone. There is another person here with me who shares my views.' And that is not as small a thing as we might imagine."

In cases where many people find themselves out together, Volkov added, the benefits could be even more significant.

"Neighborhood chat groups could emerge in some places," he said. "Horizontal ties. Forms of self-organization. Maybe they will start planning something together. Maybe they will show up together at the next demonstration. That would be a huge success."

Preliminary research has indicated that as many as 40 percent of those who participated in the demonstrations in January and earlier this month were protesting for the first time.

"As the saying goes, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step," Volkov told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "For many people, I hope, February 14 will become that first step, the smallest and shortest step onto the street that a person can take: from one's doorway to one's courtyard. But that will mean, nonetheless, that they are on the way to further steps."

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian and Tatar-Bashkir services and Current Time
Theres encouraging news for Kenyas remote communities with the announcement of a major deal set to bring telecommunications infrastructure to a number of underserved areas of the country.

According to the Kenya Broadcasting Company (KBC), the Communications Authority of Kenya has awarded contracts to five companies to roll out cellular mobile network infrastructure and services in 101 areas across the country.

Safaricom PLC, Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd, American Towers Company (ATC) Kenya Operations Limited, Seal Towers Limited and Alan Dick & Company (East Africa) Limited were awarded the contract to roll out the infrastructure and services in what are referred to as sub-locations in 17 marginalized counties in Kenya.

The sub-locations are in Turkana, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Garrissa, Isiolo, Samburu, Kajiado, Kilifi, Kitui, Laikipia, West Pokot, Narok, Mandera, Tana River, Wajir, Lamu and Marsabit Counties.

The project is being implemented through Kenya's Universal Service Fund (USF), whose purpose is to support widespread access to ICT services and promote capacity-building and innovation in ICT services in the country. Contributions to the fund include levies on licensees and appropriations from government as well as grants and donations.

The fund is expected to finance national projects that have significant impact on the availability and accessibility of ICTs in rural, remote and poor urban areas  and this project clearly fits that bill.

KBC says that the awarding of the tenders paves the way for the implementation of Phase 2 of the Voice Infrastructure and Services Project that will spur increased mobile voice and broadband connectivity, opening new possibilities to citizens in the beneficiary areas.

The project timeline set for this undertaking is 24 months.
Yogi emphasizes on establishing BSL-4 lab in UP

Lucknow, Feb 12 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has stressed on setting up BSL-4 lab in the state.

Mr Yogi said that strengthening the testing facilities during the coronavirus period, BSL-3 level labs were established in the state. It is necessary to establish a BSL-4 Lab while carrying forward this work. He instructed that an action plan be prepared in this regard and ensure action in a time bound manner.

The Chief Minister was reviewing the works of various departments in a high-level meeting convened at his official residence in Lucknow on Friday. Instructing to strengthen health services, he said that treatment arrangements should be made smoothly in all hospitals. Various medical works including general OPD, surgery should be done at full speed. He also directed that the number of beds in trauma centers of Lucknow be increased.
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Dear Care and Feeding,

My husband has had a LOT of jobs over the last two decades. A few months before the pandemic, he quit his job (with benefits for our family) over a bad day at work. I was left, once again, bitter and broken over the lack of consideration for the big picture. We reviewed our finances, and I found he had racked up over $10,000 in frivolous credit card debt. Since we now have one income and someone must stay home with our children to do virtual learning, I am working 50-to-60 hours per week to afford our living and debt expenses.

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I feel like Im the only one I can trust to financially support the household. I have control over my behavior, the work ethic to keep a job, and I bring in an income. Yet, my kids see it differently. From their perspective, I leave all the time and they resent me for being gone. I have explained myself so many ways, but they feel how they feel, and can I blame them?

My kids feel abandoned by me, and Im working harder to dig us out of a financial pit that I didnt make (though I clearly was stupid enough to allow my husband to manage his own finances when they affect me directly). How do I reconnect with my kids and not live in a land of resentment toward my husband? Its only eating me apart. I have expressed my concerns to him, but it doesnt alleviate my pain.

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Overwhelmed and Overworked

Dear O.O.,

Is your husband doing the lions share of both the child care and housework? He ought to be doing everything he can to carry his weight in every way imaginable. That means you should be able to sit with your kids and enjoy dessert while he washes dishes, you should sleep as late as possible while he prepares breakfast, and you shouldnt be on the hook for homework help unless you are literally the only one capable of the assignment. If he isnt doing as much as possible to prop you up while you clean up the mess hes made, that needs to change ASAP.

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As far as your children go, I dont know how old they are and how much they can comprehend about your inability to give them the time they desire, but know that you are not alone in hearing that sort of sentiment from your kids right now. Across the nation, young people are sick of feeling like their grown-ups dont have time for them. Alas, no one is coming to save us, and the kids are going to have to endure some suffering, just like we are. Youve told them what it is. You can try and find ways to better maximize the time you do have with them, such as playing a game like Heads Up over breakfast, or allowing them to stay up 30 minutes later for some special cuddle time, but you wont be able to fix this for them entirely and thats OK. Its a bad time, and bad times happen.

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In terms of the long-term health of your marriage, and most importantly, your own mental health, I strongly encourage you to speak to a professional. The resentment you feel toward your husband and these circumstances can grow in some truly unhealthy ways; furthermore, he needs to understand what he has done to this family, make amends with you somehow, and address whatever issues might have led him to this place. Sending you lots of encouragement and lots of healing energy, my friend.

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Dear Care and Feeding,

Im writing to you about my amazing but stubborn friend Anna. She immigrated to Canada from Europe after marrying her Canadian husband. The marriage dissolved quickly due to her husbands extreme misogyny, untreated mental illness, and verbally abusive nature. He kicked her and her two very young daughters out and told them to go to a womens shelter. Fast forward 10 years, and Anna has completed a distance education program, found a great job she loves, bought a house, and settled herself and her girls into a new city. This is no surprise, as Anna has an astounding work ethic; she is the most generous and loving person I have ever met and an outstanding mother and godmother to my children.

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Annas mother was recently given a devastating diagnosis and may not have much time even after expensive treatment and surgery. COVID has complicated matters involving flights and mandatory quarantines. It would be very expensive for Anna and her daughters to fly to her in Europe. She makes a decent amount of money, but I know things are tight, and shes pinching pennies to save for the trip.

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This is where I need your advice. I have money; my husband recently made some excellent decisions, and we got a significant amount of money in return. We want to pay for the flights and cover the mortgage when Anna is away. But she is so proud and stubborn. For example, weve invited her family to join us at a resort as a Christmas present on occasion, but she insists on paying her share. When we decline her money, she gets offended and makes up for it by bringing tons of food and cooking for everyone, so now we just tell her how much it costs so she can contribute. I cant just give her the money anonymously because Ive seen how that turned out before; once, while she was going through a difficult time, someone left $1,000 with a note in her mailbox. Instead of being excited, she was driven mad for a week trying to find out who it was from, convinced it was a trick from her ex-husband. How do I help her?

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Need Help Helping

Dear N.H.H.

Its great that you want to help Anna, but you wont be able to force her to accept it if she doesnt want to. Shes so lucky to have you; Id kill for friends who could step in and help me out like thisespecially without having to ask! Alas, this is her call.

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I would sit Anna down and explain to her that you understand why she doesnt want to take any assistance, but that you also understand that time is of the essence here. Her mother may not be able to wait for her to raise the funds for this trip, and Anna would be upset with herself for the rest of her own life if she missed out on getting to spend time with her because she simply didnt want to take a gift from a friend. Let her know that she can pay you back if she insists, and that it would really mean a lot to you for her to please allow you to do this for her and her family. Good luck to you; I hope she comes around!

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 If you missed Thursdays Care and Feeding column, read it here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

Im not a parent, but I could use some advice here. I teach at a public school that works with kids who struggled at the regular middle/high school in our district; we are currently on a hybrid remote/in-person schedule. Most of my eighth graders have younger siblings and due to the pandemic, these kiddos are watching their siblings on remote days. I cant imagine handling a 4- and 5-year-old all day now at age 30, let alone when I was 13. One kid has six younger sibs to watch; hes done no work remotely, and I dont blame the poor guy. I have not reached out to the parents about this issue, as my kids are all from lower-income families, and Im 99 percent sure their parents are essential workers who are working out of the home and dont have other options. On days they come in, my kids look like theyve just escaped from the trenches and are relieved to only be on the hook for schoolwork with no siblings nearby. Were hoping to move from hybrid to full-time soon (our district has low COVID numbers and strict masking rules), but we could be hybrid for quite a while. How can I support my kids here?

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Sympathetic in Indiana

Dear Sympathetic,

Its important that your students understand that they have your understanding, and that they know you are more concerned with their well-being than you are hounding them for assignments or attendance. Acknowledge what they are going through and that your goal is to support them as best as you can while helping them to get all they can from this complicated school year. Take time to have one-on-one conversations with each of the kids so that you are clear on what is going on with whom, and what sort of recurrent issues or concerns you may need to address to be most effective.

Find ways to build community with your classes, which is something that is largely missing thanks to the amount of time kids are spending outside of the classroom. Perhaps you can have a time each week for students to play a game, or to discuss a topic other than schoolwork and the pandemic. Create groups or pairs where kids can work together on assignments and offer each other encouragement. Take time to do activities designed to help them process their emotions about this time period (the Greater Good Science Center at UCBerkley has some great ideas here).

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Perhaps most importantly, consider how you can adjust expectations and assessments for class participation to reflect what the kids are up against. For example, giving students the opportunity to resubmit classwork when they get a poor grade, extra time to complete assignments, the ability to retake tests, extra credit opportunities that are fun and easily completed. You want them to get all that they can out of this experiment academically, but you must acknowledge that all for the 202021 school year doesnt mean what it did a few semesters back.

Finally, while I understand your reasons for not engaging parents thus far, I do think that you should have a line of communication with them and should not assume that they are all simply too busy to be concerned with their childs academic performance. Unlike in other years, you may consider taking the time to have a conversation with the student in question first to find out what they have shared with their parents about this current school year, as well as what sort of interventions may be useful in terms of getting them to a place in which they are participating to the best of their capacity.

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You want the kids to try to learn and engage, but not at their own expense. Work on figuring out assignments that allow them to feel the gratification of competition, not depletion. Avoid giving failing and low marks to the best of your ability. Remember that everything is a sham around these kids, so theres nothing virtuous about holding them up to a standard that didnt work for them before, and that its even crueler to do so now. Good luck and thank you for your service.

For more of Slates parenting coverage, listen to Mom and Dad Are Fighting

Dear Care and Feeding,

Im a 19-year-old university student, and Ive always struggled to communicate with my parents. Theyre a classic case of helicopter immigrant parents, and frankly, not very good people. Its gotten a lot worse since I started universitymy parents dont seem to understand what its like to be a student nowadays. I want to go to grad school, so Ive been focused on getting research experience and studying for the GRE, but my parents expect me to be available 24/7 for hugs (yes, youve read that right) or grocery store trips. My mom throws temper tantrums every time I say something she doesnt like, or if I word something poorly, which happens all the time because I cant express myself as clearly in my parents language as I can in English. Oh, and shes also a staunch anti-vaxxer and QAnon proponent. Ive given up on trying to reason with her.

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My dad is just as bad. He is extremely racist, makes promises that he never keeps, and he seems incapable of understanding that I cant just flick my fingers and get into Harvard. To him, Im a mixture of Greta Thunberg and Albert Einstein, while Im just another mediocre person. To make matters worse, neither of my parents think the pandemic is real. My dad just flew across the country to hang out with his friends (seriously!) and my mom refuses to wear a mask and throws fits when shes asked to do so. I honestly dont know how to talk to my parents anymore. They both need massive reality checks. Financial independence is currently out of my reach, but I dont know how to tell them to look beyond themselves.

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Mishaps in Montreal

Dear Mishaps,

We cant choose our parents, but in time, we develop the ability to decide what their role in our adult lives looks like. It seems that you have likely done all that you can do, in terms of trying to communicate with your parents and helping them to lose some of the attitudes that you find contemptable, and that they are firmly set in patterns of behavior that run counter to what you wish to tolerate. With that in mind, the best thing you can do now is focus on your plan to leave their home in the future, while figuring out how to survive them in the meantime.

Put your foot down when it comes to the hugs and the grocery store trips. A daily hug break is fine, just not when youre in danger of being distracted from your work, and you can offer up specific times when youre available to run errands, as well as times in which you simply cannot. Resist long debates and arguments, but counter false information about the pandemic and (sigh) QAnon whenever it is presented to you. Protect your peace as much as you can, and count down the days until you get to pack up and head out.

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Also: While you may not be able to snap your fingers and get into an Ivy League school, you shouldnt disparage your fathers belief in your abilities or suggest that youre just mediocre. Maybe his motivation for pushing you isnt quite what youd want it to be, and his methods of encouraging you might be anything but inspiringthat doesnt mean you shouldnt think of yourself as capable of greatness. Furthermore, you dont have to go to Harvard to be great! You deserve your own encouragement as you try to make your grad school dreams real, and calling yourself mediocre does nothing to help. You got this. Hold on and keep pushing toward your goals!

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Jamilah

More Advice From Slate

I took a job at a startup six months ago and its been very rocky. They replaced a team of five with one person (me) and the leadership consists only of the CEO. Today he asked me a question and I gave a suggestion. He then looked at me and, in front of the entire office, said, Thats stupid. He paused and called out again, Guess what guys? I have an idea! and used my exact suggestion. About 50 percent of the office clapped and laughed while the other half ignored him. I feigned a headache and am now working from home. What should I do? Call him out? Work from home until he plays nice? These sorts of incidents are happening daily and I could really use some advice.
New Delhi:

A 38-year-old Gorkhaland supporter was allegedly shot dead by police in Mirik, a tourist town around 50 kilometers from Darjeeling, during a demonstration on late Monday, claimed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha members of Tuesday.

The deceased has been identified as Asish Tamang. He is said to be an active supporter of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and separate statehood.

The West Bengal Police officials refused to comment on the killing.

However, West Bengal Tourism Minister and Trinamools Darjeeling district chief Gautam Deb talking to the media denied reports of police firing.

According to media reports, TMC and GJM party-workers clashed on Monday evening in Mirik. GJM supporters a few hours later gathered at the police station demanding release of the activist arrested during clash. On denial the party-workers got irate and torched several police vehicles.

Police lathi-charged and then opened fire, claimed GJM workers.

The West Bengal police has briefed up security in the hill town to curb any violent incident. Meanwhile, GJM has decided to take out a rally with Tamangs body and sit outside the district magistrates office to press in their demands.

Tensions have erupted in Darjeeling and surrounding areas since June 8 after GJM renewed the movement for a separate Gorkhaland state. Indefinite shutdown in the hill town began from June 12. Eight people have lost their lives during various agitation for separate statehood since shutdown began. Except pharmacies all other business outlets are closed. The government has suspended internet in the hill town for the past 31 days and army is patrolling the hills.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
ROME, FEB 12 - Premier-designate Mario Draghi is making the final decisions on his team after an online vote of members of the 5-Star Movement (M5S) gave their support to an executive led by him. The former president of the European Central Bank now has the backing of all the parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group. Draghi may report back to President Sergio Mattarella to tell him he has dropped his "reservation" about accepting the premier mandate and hand him a list of proposed ministers later on Friday. The government could then be sworn in on Saturday or early next week. It would then face confidence votes in parliament. Mattarella gave Draghi a mandate to form a government last week after outgoing Premier Giuseppe Conte's executive collapsed. Mattarella called on all the parties in parliament to get behind a government led by a non-political figure to avoid having to have snap elections in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Italy holding the presidency of the G20 this year and co-chairing the COP-26 UN Climate Summit with the UK. Italy must also finalize its plan on how to use over 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans it is set to get from the EU's COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The members of the M5S, the biggest group in parliament, voted to back the government by a majority of around 60% to 40%. Their support means no one party will be able to bring down Draghi's government on its own. The issue caused turmoil for the anti-establishment movement, which by its nature hostile to the idea of a government led by a non-politician technocrat. M5S founder Beppe Grillo held up the vote of members until Draghi agreed to have a Green 'Super-Minister' in charge of orchestrating the ecological transformation of the economy in his new cabinet. Alessandro Di Battista, one of the movement's most charismatic figures, announced be was leaving after the result of the vote was announced. There is speculation the group could split. (ANSA).
St. Lukes University Health Network, in conjunction with the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, will present the first Spanish community conversation about the COVID-19 vaccine, called Keeping Our Community Safe, on Feb. 24 at 11:30 a.m., according to a news release.

This free virtual event will be presented entirely in Spanish.

The event will be an up close and personal conversation with Hispanic community leaders regarding the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine and perspectives around it, hosted and moderated by Victor Martinez, president and CEO of La Mega Radio.

The event will feature Dr. Leonardo Claros, St. Lukes chief of Bariatric Surgery, as well as Dr. Alycia Walty, chief medical officer, Star Community Health, and David Mann, Spanish ministries pastor and global missions director, Life Church.

To register for a link to watch the forum, visit the St. Lukes Events Calendar at www.sluhn.org.

This forum is part of St. Lukes ongoing programming to connect with communities of color to present information and answer questions about COVID-19 and vaccination, according to the release. Other examples include:

 St. Lukes critical care physician, Osamudiamen Idahosa, MD, participated in a Facebook live discussion for Greater Shiloh Church last week. The discussion focused on ways to reach out to communities of color regarding the vaccine. The session was moderated by Pastor Phil David and included Shelly Blake R.P.H., a pharmacist in Easton, as well as Nishea Clark, a consultant for St. Lukes.

 St. Lukes will join Faces International, Union Baptist Church and PPL Electric Utilities in a free virtual discussion for the community on the COVID-19 vaccine, its origins, its effectiveness and its availability on Feb. 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Your Questions Answered: A Community Discussion on the COVID-19 Vaccine will address the mistrust of health care by communities of color and share scientific information on the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. The discussion will be moderated by Monica Brooks, manager of diversity and inclusion, PPL Electric Utilities. The panelists, including St. Lukes physicians, will participate in an open Q&A session immediately following the presentation.
A stone Buddha head stolen from one of the statues in north China's Tianlongshan Grottoes almost a century ago has been retrieved, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) said Thursday.

The Buddha head, which was brought back from Japan on Dec. 12, is the 100th relic retrieved by China from overseas in 2020, according to the NCHA.

The NCHA first identified the Buddha head in September 2020 when the sculpture resurfaced at a Japanese auction house. The house cancelled the auction after the NCHA contacted it and requested that the sale be halted.

The NCHA said it contacted Zhang Rong, a Chinese national and board chairman of the auction house, in an effort to retrieve the relic. In late October, after buying the Buddha head from the Japanese owner, Zhang decided to donate the sculpture to the Chinese government, according to the NCHA.

Purchasing the relic was the simplest way to bring it back to China, instead of conducting lengthy negotiations with the foreign collector, Zhang told Xinhua.

Zhang said that, as a Chinese citizen, his actions in helping to retrieve the sculpture were also driven by patriotism.

The Tianlongshan Grottoes, in the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, are notable for the Buddha statues located within them. Construction of the grottoes began in the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550) and continued until the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

In the 1920s, a large number of statues -- over 240, according to the NCHA -- were stolen from the grottoes and smuggled overseas, and are now housed in Japanese, European and American museums or have been obtained by individual foreign collectors.

There are now 25 caves and over 500 Buddha statues at the Tianlongshan Grottoes. With many of the sculptures missing or scattered overseas, researchers have been working for years to recreate the original splendor of the grottoes through digital imaging.

Examinations and evaluations conducted by experts after the Buddha head arrived in Beijing found that the relic had been stolen from a statue in Cave 8 of the grottoes in around 1924.

The Buddha head was shown to audiences on Thursday at the Spring Festival gala of China's state broadcaster and will be exhibited at Beijing Luxun Museum from Feb. 12 to March 14. It will then be sent back to Taiyuan and archived in the museum of the Tianlongshan Grottoes, according to the NCHA.
ROME, FEB 12 - Incoming Premier Mario Draghi told President Sergio Mattarella that he has accepted a mandate to form a new government on Friday and presented a list of ministers to the head of State. The new government will be sworn in at midday on Saturday. Mattarella gave Draghi a mandate to form a government last week after outgoing Premier Giuseppe Conte's executive collapsed. Mattarella called on all the parties in parliament to get behind a government led by a non-political figure to avoid having to have snap elections in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Italy holding the presidency of the G20 this year and co-chairing the COP-26 UN Climate Summit with the UK. Italy must also finalize its plan on how to use over 200 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans it is set to get from the EU's COVID-19 Recovery Fund. All the parties in parliament, except for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group, have agreed to back a Draghi administration. This means no one party will be able to bring down Draghi's government on its own. Eight of the 23 ministers in the new government are non-political experts. The rest of the cabinet is made up of figures from the wide range of parties across the political spectrum that are supporting the government Four are from the 5-Star Movement (M5S), while the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) and Matteo Salvini's League have three each. Ex-premier Matteo Renzi's centrist Italia Viva (IV) and the left-wing LeU group have one each. Eight ministers are women and 15 are men. Seven of the ministers were part of outgoing Premier Giuseppe Conte's government. The average age of the new cabinet is 54 and a half. Draghi is the oldest at 73, while Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio is the youngest at 34, . (ANSA).
State legislators across the country are proposing fundamental changes to how judges are chosen. Some pending bills would end judicial elections in favor of appointment. But in several states, Republicans want to limit or end the role of judicial nominating commissions in choosing nominees for judgeships.The bills are part of a recent trend of legislators trying to gain more control over courts . The Brennan Center for Justice counted 42 bills in the 2020 legislative sessions that would have diminished "the role or independence of courts" and reported that 11 of them would have changed how judges are chosen, giving politicians more control or limiting the role of nominating commissions.Only one of those 42 bills made it all the way through the legislative process: a proposed constitutional amendment in Pennsylvania to elect appellate judges by district rather than statewide, with the Legislature drawing the judicial districts. The Republican-backed measure would have to be approved again in the current legislative session before going on the ballot.But many of the bills that failed to pass last year had been proposed in previous legislative sessions and are back on policymakers' agendas, along with new efforts to change judicial selection.In Oklahoma, for example, legislators have proposed a constitutional amendment that would have the commission from which the governor nominates judges merely decide which applicants are qualified; the state constitution now requires the commission to compose a list of the most qualified applicants. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt has suggested that he would like to directly appoint justices, without having to choose from the commission's list. But Stitt has seemed pleased with his appointees so far: When he nominated his first justice to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2019, Stitt said that he was fulfilling a campaign pledge to appoint a justice who opposed abortion. The governor will soon replace a retiring justice , giving the court a majority of GOP appointees.In neighboring Missouri, Republican Sen. Dan Hegeman has also proposed an amendment to minimize the role of his state's judicial nominating commission . Similar amendments were proposed in the last five legislative sessions. Republicans in recent years have criticized the Missouri Supreme Court for decisions striking down laws that violated the right to vote under the state constitution. As in Oklahoma, an upcoming appointment by Gov. Mike Parson will create a majority of GOP-appointed justices.Republican lawmakers in Indiana are pushing a constitutional amendment that would make major changes to the state's system for selecting appellate judges. Among other things, the measure would give legislators more appointments to the state's nominating commission, require that the governor's nominees be confirmed by the state Senate, and end retention elections. New judges would have to be reconfirmed by the state House after two years on the bench and then again every 10 years. The measure, introduced in January, quickly drew opposition from the state's legal establishment.In Montana, Republican Rep. Barry Usher has introduced legislation that would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment to elect Supreme Court justices in seven districts , which are laid out in the bill, rather than statewide. A similar effort in 2011 was struck down by the state high court. Another Montana bill, proposed by Republican Sen. Keith Regier, would eliminate that state's nominating commission . That would leave Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and the GOP-led state Senate to appoint and confirm judges to fill vacancies, which could have an impact on ongoing conflicts over mining and water pollution. A similar bill is pending in Alaska, where the high court has also protected environmental rights. Republican Sen. Mike Shower sponsored the measure.In South Carolina, one of only two states where judges are chosen by the legislature, a GOP-sponsored constitutional amendment would end the role of the commission that screens would-be judges and compiles a list of the most qualified. Another proposal would limit the commission to merely making sure that applicants meet the minimum qualifications.The commission was created in 1997, at a time when every member of the South Carolina Supreme Court was a former state legislator. Douglas Keith of the Brennan Center for Justice, an expert in judicial selection, warned that legislative appointment can lead to nepotism. He noted that in South Carolina and Virginia, the only other state where legislators choose judges, "legislators have appointed their relatives to judgeships." Addressing that concern, a pending South Carolina bill would ban the appointment of legislators' relatives.Not all of the efforts to change the way judges are selected have come from the GOP side of the aisle. In Florida, where Republicans in 2001 gave the governor control over nominating commissions, Democrats have introduced a bill to give the governor fewer commission appointments.To choose judges and staff his commission, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has relied on local chapters of the Federalist Society, the conservative legal group whose members occupy seats on high courts around the country . The Democrats' proposal would have the governor choosing three commissioners, with the state bar association choosing the same number and those six commissioners choosing three more. The bill would also require the commission to prioritize diversity. The sponsor, Democratic Sen. Perry Thurston, said that "Floridians expect better than a governor's whim when it comes to appointing the men and women who have the power to interpret laws."While most of the legislative action around the country has focused on limiting the role of judicial screening commissions, in some states there are efforts to move away from electing judges. Democratic legislators in New York and Maryland, for example, have proposed bills to create commissions to screen for the most qualified applicants for appointment to trial courts.In Texas, some conservatives and progressives have long agreed on the need for a chang e from partisan judicial elections to an appointment system. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott adopted this stance in 2018, just after a diverse slate of Democrats swept judicial elections in Houston. A GOP legislator introduced an amendment in early 2019 that would have switched to appointments in large urban counties. When the amendment stalled in the Legislature, lawmakers set up a commission to study the issue. That panel issued a report in December but deadlocked on the issue of whether to recommend an appointment system.It's a safe bet that the issue will come up again in Texas, particularly if Democrats become more competitive in statewide judicial races, and the study commission has asked legislators to renew its term.It's a safe bet that the issue will come up again in Texas, particularly if Democrats become more competitive in statewide judicial races, and the study commission has asked legislators to renew its term. And it's an equally safe bet that legislatures in Texas and elsewhere will be grappling for years to come with efforts to change how judges are chosen, efforts that are often motivated by the goal of reshaping the courts with the power to interpret our state constitutions.
New Delhi:

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday refuted claims of FSL Agra that the substance detected in UP Assembly hall is not PETN. The government clarified that no sample sent to FSL Agra as they dont have machines to conduct tests.

The principal secretary said that the factual position is that SFSL Lucknow in its report has found the substance as water insoluble.

"Different reagents confirm presence of a nitrate and preliminary test conducted using explosive detection kit tested positive for PETN. Two confirmatory tests being conducted at SFSL Lucknow - Infrared Spectrum, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrum. The report is likely to come by Thursday," said the principal secretary.

Earlier on July 15, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath informed that 150 gram PETN was found in assembly. He said the nature of the explosive was so powerful that 500 gram of PETN can blow the state assembly.

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad on Friday conducted an extensive security check-up of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly after a powerful explosive PETN found under the seat of Leader of Opposition (LoP).

The UP ATS said that a media report possibly mentioned of a packet with magnesium sulphate which ATS has seized it and it will be sent for test if need be.

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Nay Pyi Taw, Feb 12 : Facebook has imposed widespread restrictions on content and profiles run by Myanmar's military to prevent spread of "misinformation" as protests against the military coup continued across the South Asian country.

The move comes as the situation in the country remains volatile following the military coup on February 1.

"In line with our global policies on repeat offenders of misinformation, we will also no longer be recommending them to people," Rafael Frankel, Director of Policy, APAC Emerging Countries, wrote in a blog post on Thursday.

Among other military-run accounts, these measures apply to the Myanmar Military Information Team's Facebook Page and to Myanmar Military spokesperson Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun's Facebook account.

"This same action will be applied to any additional pages that the military controls that repeatedly violate our misinformation policies," Frankel said, adding that the social networking platform is treating the situation in Myanmar as an emergency.

After the coup, Myanmar directed state-owned telecom companies to temporarily block Facebook until February 7 midnight, alleging that the social media giant was contributing to instability in the country.

It later also imposed temporary curbs on access to micro-blogging platform Twitter and photo-sharing app Instagram.

"We join with governments, the UN, and civil society around the world in calling for internet services in Myanmar to be restored immediately so that the people there can communicate with loved ones, express their political views, access important information, and run their businesses," Frankel said.

Beijing: China has banned BBC World News from broadcasting in the country for seriously violating its guidelines for reporting, China's television and radio regulator has announced.

The move comes a week after Ofcom, the British media regulator, revoked the license of Chinese state-owned broadcaster China Global Television Network's (CGTN) to broadcast in the UK.

BBC

China has criticised the BBC for its reporting on the deadly coronavirus pandemic and the persecution of ethnic minority Uighurs in the restive Xinjiang province and lodged a protest with the British broadcaster.

The BBC said it was "disappointed" by Chinas decision to ban it.

The Chinese regulator, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) has made the announcement on Thursday night on pulling BBC World News off the air in the country for serious content violation.

NRTA said BBC World News was found to have seriously violated regulations on radio and television management and on overseas satellite television channel management in its China-related reports, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

BBCThe BBC coverage went against the requirements that news reporting must be "true and impartial, and undermined China's national interests and ethnic solidarity," it said.

"As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory," the NRTA statement said.

It said that the BBC's application to air for another year would not be accepted.

It is unclear how much impact China's ban of BBC World News would have in the world's most populous country. The BBC have never been allowed to broadcast in mainland China or into Chinese homes. BBC World News was only available in international hotels and diplomatic compounds.

BBC

Ofcom's decision to revoke the license of CGTN came after it found that the Chinese state television licence was wrongfully held by Star China Media Ltd.

CGTN was also found in breach of British broadcasting regulations for airing the allegedly forced confession of UK citizen Peter Humphrey.

Reacting to Chinas ban the BBC said in a statement: ''We are disappointed that the Chinese authorities have decided to take this course of action. The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour."
The PATH transit system and one of its stations in New York have the dubious honor of having the worst air quality out of 12 subway systems tested in a National Health Institute environmental study released Wednesday.

The 2019 study of air pollution in subway systems in New York and New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington D.C. gave the PATHs Christopher Street station in Manhattan the worst marks for particulate matter in the air.

The study sampled the air in 71 stations on 12 rapid transit systems during the morning and evening rush hours. The highest mean concentrations of particulate matter were observed in the PATH subway system, followed by the NYC subway system. Philadelphias underground subway came in fifth worst.

The most extreme exposure, identified in a subway station on the PATH system, was higher than the previously published values for any subway station in the world, the study concluded. PM (Particulate matter) concentrations in the underground Christopher Street (PATH-NYC/NJ) were the highest among the 71 northeastern U.S. underground stations included in our study.

That doesnt mean other subway stations smell like a rose. Particulate matter concentrations measured in other subway stations during morning and evening rush hours were generally two to seven times over the U.S. EPAs 24-hour ambient air standard, the study found.

Overall, PATHs 33rd Street line had a much greater particulate matter concentration than the World Trade Center line, which only has three underground stations, the report said.

Because of the exposure, PATH commuters face an 11% higher risk of the same type of cardiovascular diseases associated with smoking, the report said. Riders were at the most risk standing on platforms, but they also were exposed to a lesser degree on board trains, the report said.

Particular matter consisted of 52% iron, 31% carbon, silicon, and smaller amounts of sodium, manganese, and barium in the Christopher Street station, according to the study.

Officials from the Port Authority, which runs the PATH system between New Jersey and New York, said they only received the study mid-day Wednesday, but plan to analyze it and respond quickly.

We are obviously concerned. Our plans are to dig into this report. We will do it as quickly as possible and respond as soon as possible after analyzing it, said Rick Cotton, Port Authority executive director. We are totally committed to protecting the health and safety of workers and riders.

Not all PATH stations have the same type of ventilation, with the World Trade Center station having the newest equipment.

We need to understand where the measurements were taken, how they were taken, what they show, and then look at Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning units in stations and on trains, Cotton said. Obviously the HVAC units at WTC are vastly different than at our legacy stations.

The PATH system was originally built as the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, with construction taking place in the early 20th Century and service starting on different lines between 1907 and 1911. The Port Authority assumed control of the bankrupt H&M in 1962. The World Trade Center station was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The WTC transportation hub and the Oculus train hall opened in 2016.

The study said further research is urgently needed to identify the sources of particulate matter, the factors contributing to high levels in individual stations and lines, and to assess their potential health impacts on workers and commuters.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
With the third-worst hospital staffing shortage of any state in the country, South Carolina's health care leaders are finding they must turn to creative solutions and rely on outside help during COVID-19.

As the state manages a long winter with thousands of new coronavirus cases each week and tries to implement the most aggressive vaccination campaign in its history, people are proving to be one of the hardest resource to hold onto.

Thirty-six percent of South Carolina hospitals are seeing staffing shortages, according to the latest weekly report from the White House. That compares to 16 percent nationally, and puts the state behind only New Mexico and California.

It has led the state's hospitals, and even the state public health agency, to call for volunteers, especially those with health care experience. Some are also hiring temporary staff as organizations manage vaccines and COVID-19 on top of their usual business.

It's not only hospitals that are feeling the squeeze. Charleston-based Liberty Doctors is one of the only independent primary care offices to get the Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. Its leaders felt it important to be able to offer the inoculation directly to their patients.

Dr. Hugh Durrence, a family physician with Liberty Doctors, said the practice's vaccination effort runs on volunteers. And though doctors' offices are not paid much to vaccinate, Liberty Doctors has also hired help.

"We've modified our practice to accommodate the pandemic," Durrence said.

Help on the way

Though the shortage is severe, South Carolina has people to fill in the gaps, including a force of volunteers eager to help and a reserve force of soldiers that has been sent to every corner of the state.

The S.C. National Guard has about 50 medics available. In total, about 480 soldiers are on duty in order to support the guard's COVID-19 missions.

Maj. Gen. Van McCarty, the state adjutant general, said the focus of the guard was supporting testing sites for most of last year. But with COVID-19 cases persistently high during the winter and the statewide vaccination effort ramping up, needs have shifted.

"When we began to see a significant number of our hospital utilizations throughout the state growing, and the hospitals also experiencing personnel shortages, we shifted to providing our medical support to help hospitals," McCarty said.

The National Guard is focusing on being a "force multiplier," McCarty said, strategically supporting as many operations as it can. But the guard is naturally limited in its capacity, too.

Any exposure to the coronavirus, at home or at work, causes a staffing shortfall because of the need to quarantine, McCarty added.

The arrival of the vaccine and the fact that health care workers were first in line is beginning to alleviate that problem.

Dr. Danielle Scheurer, chief quality officer at the Medical University of South Carolina, said about 80 percent of MUSC Health staff who interact with patients had been vaccinated by the first week of February.

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"We do like to think that reaching that amount at least makes the workplace safer," Scheurer said.

The number of new infections among people who care for patients at MUSC has dramatically fallen in recent weeks as a result, Scheurer said, a huge relief and success for the hospital system.

Even so, MUSC had to request $5 million in aid from state legislators to help it retain and hire staff as it faces a shortage of 1,500 nurses.

A persistent problem

Though convincing nurses and other health care staff to stay in South Carolina is a problem exacerbated by COVID-19, the state was already having trouble keeping them.

Jeannette Andrews, dean of the nursing school at the University of South Carolina, worries that even as educational institutions like hers push to send more people into the workforce, the stress of being on the front lines of a pandemic is encouraging staff to leave their professions early.

"We've got to not only continue to produce the supply for the shortage, we have to be attentive to potential attrition that may occur," she said.

And so the struggle to combat the state's workforce shortage only grew more complicated during COVID-19. Pre-pandemic, South Carolina already had one of the most severe nursing shortages in the country. Pay appears to be part of the problem.

Not accounting for the cost of living, the average hourly wage for registered nurses in South Carolina is $5 below the national average, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Wages here have also been more stagnant, growing only 8 percent between 2010 and 2019, compared to 14 percent nationally.

The pay issue is a complex one, Andrews said. Educators are not paid enough to make leaving the bedside for a teaching role worthwhile, for one. And the travel contracts that are pulling many people away from the state offer much higher pay than what most organizations can afford.

At the request of Prisma Health, the state's largest hospital system, dozens of USC students each day are volunteering, Andrews said.

Karly Taylor, a third-year nursing student, is one of them. Taylor volunteered recently at a Prisma Health mass vaccination event, where organizers needed plenty of logistical help moving everyone through the lines.

"They need the manpower in order to be able to make this run smoothly," Taylor said. "There's hundreds of people at these vaccination sites at all hours of the day. Everyone's making their best effort to make sure that people get vaccinated."
The relentless spread of more infectious Covid-19 strains, detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil, "particularly worries us," said French Health Minister Olivier Veran on Thursday.

Currently, the variant first spotted in Britain represented up to 25 per cent of the total positive tests in France, up from 15 per cent a week ago, Veran said at a weekly press briefing on the epidemic situation, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, 4-5 per cent of new cases were attributable to the variants detected in Brazil and South Africa, he said.

Over the last four days, has detected 300 cases of the variants -- first detected in South Africa and Brazil -- in the eastern French region of Moselle where "the situation is worrying," according to the minister.

"We do not have at this stage an explanation of the spread of these variants," he said, noting that the new infections were not connected to clusters.

Veran insisted that current restrictions to reduce social mixing "have already enabled us to slow the spread of the variant (first detected in Britain), and the virus in general," and for now there is no need for another nationwide lockdown.

As of Thursday, France's cumulative number of confirmed Covid-19 cases had exceeded 3.4 million, after another 21,063 people tested positive in the past 24 hours, down from 25,387 registered on Wednesday.

A further 360 Covid-19 patients had succumbed to the disease in one day, pushing the death toll to 80,803.

In 24 hours, another 454 people were admitted to hospitals where a total of 27,007 patients are receiving treatment. Of those hospitalised, 3,337 are in intensive care units, up by 18, official data showed.

As of Thursday, 2,135,333 first doses of vaccine (3.2 per cent of the total population) have been administered in since the start of the vaccination campaign, according to the Health Ministry.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorised vaccines.

Meanwhile, 242 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 February 9.

--IANS

int/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.)
On Feb. 4, Kristen scored a COVID vaccine appointment at the Gloucester County mega-site at Rowan College of South Jersey for Saturday.

A medical condition made her eligible for the shot, she said, but her grandmother, who turns 95 next month, needs it more.

I want to give her my appointment, said Kristen, who only wanted to be identified by her first name.

Kristen said she called the state hotline and a representative said it should be possible to transfer an appointment but it couldnt be done within their system. They directed me to the Gloucester County Department of Health, with whom I then spoke, and they directed me back to the states 855 number. They both keep pointing us in the other direction.

Kristen said she wanted to bring her grandmother to the site, but just hoping things work out isnt an option.

It is a very big deal and a very big trip out and will take her a couple days to recover from, and we cant put her through all of that for a `maybe, she said.

The state Department of Health didnt say if there was a statewide policy on the transfer of appointments, but it recommends people contact the individual site to see if they can be accommodated.

For vaccination sites with their own scheduling system, the individual should contact the site to see if they can accommodate the change, spokeswoman Nancy Kearney said. If the appointment was made through a site using the New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System, they can call the call center for assistance.

When Scott, who did not want his last name to be used, tried to switch an appointment at the Burlington County mega-site at the Moorestown Mall, he said he and his 85-year-old grandfather were turned away.

He said he first called called the sites helpline to see if he could transfer the shot, and the automated system said any changes would have to be made at the vaccination site. But when the pair arrived on Monday, a representative from Virtua Health, which runs the site, said they could not make the swap.

I asked for a reason and they did not have one and they would not allow my grandfather to receive the vaccine as opposed to me, he said.

An 85-year-old person would never be able to get a vaccination appointment with the system that was set up and the fact that you cannot transfer an appointment to a more deserving person is just straight wrong, Scott said. The reservations were basically who got what link first and the elderly had no chance at getting reservations. I thought I was doing the right thing.

Gov. Phil Murphy said last week at a coronavirus briefing that he likes hearing stories about the instances where folks step back and let others more vulnerable seek appointments before them.

As for Kristen, the Gloucester County site told NJ Advance Media that she could not transfer her appointment.

Theres no way to edit appointments to give it to someone else, said a spokeswoman for the county, referring additional questions to the state because its their system and process.

Kristen said she was disappointed to hear it, and she hopes officials are able to make changes in the future so the next granddaughter who wants to give her shot to her nearly century old grandmother will be able to do so, without incident.

Tell us your COVID-19 vaccination stories, send us a news tip or questions about the vaccination process on our tip form.

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Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.

This undated handout photo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a microscopic view of the Coronavirus at the CDC in Atlanta, Ga. (CDC/Getty Images)

Victorias Holiday Inn COVID-19 Cluster Grows to 13

There are fears Victorias COVID-19 outbreak could spread interstate after an infected person spent more than eight hours at an airport cafe.

The Brunetti cafe in Terminal 4 at Melbourne Airport was listed as an exposure site early Friday morning, after being visited by the case on Feb. 9 between 4.45 a.m. and 1.15 p.m.

Anyone who visited the cafe during that time needs to get a COVID-19 test and isolate for 14 days.

It brings the total number of exposure sites listed on the Health Departments website to 30.

The outbreak, connected to the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport, has grown to 13 cases, sparking fears the city could again go into lockdown.

A total of five new cases were confirmed on Thursday, including two announced at 11 p.m.

The cases, included in Fridays official figures, consist of a female assistant manager and four close contacts of people who earlier tested positive to COVID-19.

One of the five is believed to have had some contact with Camberwell Grammar School.

We believe there will be some additional exposure sites emerging from some of these cases, Victorias COVID-19 Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar said on Thursday.

That work needs to be done over the coming hours.

Weimar said authorities were right on top of the outbreak, picking up cases among identified contacts who had tested negative just days earlier.

Weirmars working assumption is all the cases have been infected with the more transmissible UK variant of COVID-19, complicating the containment job.

This is by no means over, Weimar said.

We are still in the opening quarter of the Holiday Inn outbreak, Im afraid. Weve got a lot more work to do.

The rising threat has raised the prospect of Melbourne going into lockdown again, according to the Herald Sun.

Victorian government advisers met on Thursday to consider how this might happen, the news outlet reported on Friday, citing an unnamed source.

AAP understands the government is continuing to hold briefings and meetings on Friday morning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had not been briefed on whether the Victorian government was planning another lockdown.

Hotel quarantine is never 100 per cent fail-safe and to suggest it ever will be is just not realistic, he told 3AW radio.

The issue is how you deal with it when it occurs  and the response of Melburnians, once again (has been) tremendous.

Morrison said Victorian authorities should be able to get on top of this like other states have.

Look at Perth, look at Brisbane, look at Sydney, proportionate short-term responses and theyre back on deck.

Jane Halton, whos on the board of the federal governments National COVID-19 Coordination Commission, said while the number of new cases was worrying their source had also been identified.

At the moment we are not seeing reports of any cases that have an unidentified source, she told Nines Today Show.

I really hope we dont need to lockdown but everybody right now needs to read that list of what the hotspots are, think about where they have been (and) get themselves tested.

The cluster has prompted several states to tighten borders to travellers from Greater Melbourne.

South Australia locked out travellers from the Victorian capital at midnight on Thursday, while Queensland will bar entry to visitors of the citys exposure sites from 1 a.m. on Saturday.

Western Australia also announced its hard border to Victoria would be extended for at least another seven days.

An undeclared nebuliser, used inside the room of an infected family of three at the hotel, is the suspected cause of the outbreak.
Then, as before, the Chinese leader was careful not to publicly discuss the origins of the virus, opting for a message of unity against a common enemy in an attempt to rise above tumultuous multinational sparring over the past year. Marion Koopmans, a member of the WHO mission, said We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is indicated. Credit:AP But the day after, his Foreign Ministry was doing its best to recast China not just as a protector of developing countries but as the potential victim of a foreign virus itself. The ministry seized on the missions presentation. Despite leaning towards a Chinese-origin for the disease, the investigators did raise the possibility that it may have also been present elsewhere before the first cases were reported in Wuhan in December 2019. There have been more and more international reports that the virus and epidemics broke out in multiple places in the world in the latter half of the year 2019, said ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

He repeated the claim twice for emphasis. It was followed by a volley of scientific voices in Chinese state media. Any country that reported outbreaks in 2019 should be investigated, said Lu Hongzhou, co-director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre at Fudan University. Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, told the Global Times: Wuhan is just a stop for virus origin tracing, and those experts should not expect to find an answer here. Also, it is scientifically impossible, as there were cases found in other countries even before the outbreak in Wuhan was reported, he claimed. The Australian investigator on the WHO team, Dominic Dwyer, is not convinced. I think it started in China. The evidence for it starting elsewhere in the world is very limited, he said on Wednesday. A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology after the WHO team arrived. Credit:AP Dwyer praised the Chinese scientists and authorities for being hospitable hosts, but significant questions still remain over the level of access to data that Chinese authorities were actually willing to tolerate for the joint investigation.

Then on Thursday, the day after the WHO team left China, there were key developments. WHO investigators told The Wall Street Journal that up to 90 patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 symptoms near Wuhan in the two months prior to the Huanan market outbreak, but the team was told wastewater samples prior to December 2019 had been destroyed and access to blood donations in that period were restricted due to local laws. We also know the Chinese were reporting the people who went to hospital were really sick, said Dwyer. But we now know theres a lot of ordinary transmission going on between otherwise healthy people, so there mustve been many, many more cases in December than were identified. WHO mission member Peter Daszak rolls up a vendors layout map of Huanan Seafood market as he prepares to leave his hotel for the airport at the end of the probes trip to Wuhan. Credit:AP The revelations do not square neatly with claims by Liang Wannian, the China lead on the investigation, that there was no evidence of community transmission in Wuhan prior to December 2019.

There is no substantial unrecognised circulation of SARS-COV-2 in Wuhan during the latter part of 2019, he said at the joint-press conference alongside the WHO team members who a day after leaving the podium, raised concerns about their access to information. The WHO itself has also not been immune to claims of political compromise after it was widely criticised for its initial handling of the outbreak at the start of 2020, when it delayed declaring it a pandemic, urged countries not to shut their borders and then praised the handling of the crisis by China, one of its biggest financial backers. The problem is: its a bit like looking at your internal governance yourself, said Professor Marylouise McLaws, an epidemiologist and independent member of WHOs Readiness and Response to COVID-19 panel. It is disappointing that it wasnt completely independent without the badging of WHO. The questions over WHOs impartiality and the threats posed to independent research by Chinese conditions have driven a division with the United States that also threatens to overshadow some of its preliminary results.

Let me be clear, added Peter Daszak, a zoologist and member of the Wuhan team. Im disappointed that a statement came out that might undermine the veracity of this work even before the report is released. Loading Daszak believes it will be at least two years before any concrete findings are revealed. He has spent the days since the preliminary presentation emphasising what could be the most significant breakthrough of the field trip. There was a clear potential for a link from animals we know are susceptible into that market, he said. The unconfirmed link, once thought to be live pangolins, may actually be frozen carcasses of another obscure animal - ferret badgers.

We are talking about something very different right now than a packet of frozen fish from somewhere else in the world, he said. Loading The supply chains come from places in China where we know the SARS coronavirus - a related virus - in other words a direct link from the potential bat origins of this virus into Wuhan market. To many of us on the team it was a clear clue to what might have happened. It was one of the pathways that we thought was more likely than others for sure. The team of virologists, epidemiologists and scientists will now return to their home bases across Europe, the US and Asia before preparing their report on the preliminary findings. Koopmans has pushed for investigators to travel to Italy, where reports of detection of the virus in November have yet to be confirmed.
Wheres the equity in the distribution of vaccines? Wheres the equity in how we prioritize the needs of those that have been exacerbated in this moment? How are we making it easier? Those are big questions, those are complex questions, those are complex answers, and we would all be benefited if that was the focus of the fifth floor, if that was the focus of all government in this moment, Davis Gates said. People are suffering and they need heroes and champions. They dont need petty grievances. They dont need grudge matches.
After nine rounds of talks at the military theatre level which appeared to be tapering off without any results, we find a positive development announced by the Raksha Mantri in Parliament on Thursday: a decision to disengage between the Indian Army and Chinas Peoples Liberation Army in the over nine-month-long standoff in eastern Ladakh. The issues worth examining are the triggers which created a positive sentiment, the modalities involved in the disengagement and the strategic dynamics for the future.

Why has China accepted a mutual disengagement? There is speculation that its strategic objectives having been met, it was willing to disengage; but this many not entirely be true. The objectives have been analysed to a great extent. My belief veers on the coercion theory; that Indias soaring strategic confidence through the past five years deeply worried China. The feasibility of India actually becoming a part of military equations and alliances and thus upsetting the strategic balance in Asia was not too appealing for China.

Indias talk about regaining all territories of J&K was perceived as becoming a national obsession, emboldening beyond acceptable limits. Limited military coercion to force India back to the starting line was felt necessary. However, China was surprised by Indias pushback and deep sense of resolve to stick it out. A border conflict or even general war was not the intent as it was unwinnable for China without a major redeployment. It couldnt afford creation of near-permanent voids elsewhere. A continuing standoff gave no real advantage to China except the projection of threat of a two-front war for India, which too sounded hollow given Pakistans precarious internal economic, political and social health.

With the world slowly recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, shaking into a reset and a potential new order emerging, China cannot miss the opportunity to draw favourably from it. Remaining in confrontation mode with committed troops paid no real dividends. By agreeing to disengage it is attempting to project a sense of reason and political maturity; in reality it is an exit that is giving it face. No one should expect that the agreement to disengage will be achieved overnight or that conflict resolution is on the cards. There are likely to be many revisits, especially because India just cannot trust China to implement what it has agreed upon.

The Indian government invested in a new strategy of trusting its military leadership to undertake negotiations which were really in the political-diplomatic-military domain. In nine rounds, the military stood its ground well, reflecting an intellectual and pragmatic approach. Of course, it runs the risk of coming up against obstacles in implementation. The last time it tried implementing what was agreed upon in theatre level border meetings, it led to the Galwan incident. The Indian Army is not one which will simply move back to implement an agreement with a country with whom there is virtually zero trust. It will verify and verify, just like its officers and soldiers did in June 2020, which led to Galwan. With caution and the lessons learnt, that procedure has to be implemented all over again.

It is unlikely we have seen anything close to a final agreement. I do perceive it is incomplete at present as it primarily relates only to the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso. While the actions in north Pangong Tso have been spelt out more specifically, the same is absent in relation to the south. The details of this will need to be probably thrashed out when the stage for the pullback of forward-deployed infantry comes up. Limits have been put on patrolling north of the lake to avoid physical contact between the troops of both sides. The theatre-level military-diplomatic talks will at some stage have to come down to border meetings at lower levels to restore trust and confidence.

What India should be insisting upon is the physical delineation of the LAC without prejudice to anything permanent. It will get rid of the one issue which is the bane of the LACs management: that is, the perception about where ours or the Chinese claim line exists. This is unlikely, of course, but must remain the pressure point on the Chinese side as a terminal objective of the current talks, the tenth round of which is likely to come up soon. The Raksha Mantri in his Rajya Sabha statement laid it out clearly: The House should also know that there are still some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. These will be the focus of further discussions with the Chinese side. The reference was to other areas in contention, especially Depsang, where a much greater threat exists to our defences, as also an opportunity for us to threaten the main Chinese highway to Xinjiang. Without an operational-tactical advantage, if this is vacated at the Kailash heights, it is difficult to foresee any further concessions by the Chinese. Perhaps there is more to it and will emerge in due course as understandably full transparency on military operational issues is not currently possible.

Progress on the agreement and subsequent moves towards more positive signs is not contingent upon only the events in eastern Ladakh. Everything here is linked to geopolitical issues relating to Chinese and Indian interests elsewhere in South Asia; relations with countries such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka being an example. It would be helpful if India can detach the developments in eastern Ladakh from the dynamics of Sino-Indian relations elsewhere. India will find itself under increasing pressure from China regarding its strategic equations with the Quad nations. Having come thus far and also having received fair importance from the United States in its perception of Indias role in the Indo Pacific region, New Delhi may feel its in a dilemma. However, its interests clearly lie where it has established greater trust and identified commonality of interests. It cannot afford to be seen to be submitting unreasonably to Chinese demands. The inevitability in Indias approach towards the emerging situation should be to waste little time in enhancing its conventional military capability through the self-reliance route towards modernisation. As far as its northern borders are concerned, all disengagements and de-escalation will always be a temporary phenomenon. While remaining positive in its stance, India will always need to carry a big stick, as big or bigger than all its adversaries.
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When New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo held his lengthy daily pressers during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, I tweeted my praise for his style.

'Incredibly impressed by Gov. Cuomo's leadership,' I wrote last May. 'Firm, factual, empathetic.'

That was certainly how it seemed at the time.

I found Cuomo's calm detail-oriented empathy-laced authority a stark and gratifying contrast to Donald Trump's appalling science-refuting bogus cure-spewing handling of the crisis at presidential level.

And many agreed with me, as Cuomo was showered in plaudits in mainstream and social media.

Nobody was more pleased with his performance than the Governor himself, who embarked on an extraordinary victory tour last Fall promoting a book entitled: 'American Crisis: leadership lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.'

When New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo held his lengthy daily pressers during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, I tweeted my praise for his style

Cuomo was even awarded an international Emmy award in late November, 'in recognition of his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world' Pictured: Gov. Cuomo at a press conference next to aide Melissa DeRosa

It turns out that Governor Cuomo is an insincere, inauthentic, shameless liar who deliberately hid the shocking truth about New York State's nursing-home death toll to protect his self-acclaimed hero halo

It seemed dangerously premature for any Governor to be writing a self-aggrandising tome about his brilliant leadership in a crisis that still had a long way to run.

But Cuomo was very keen to ride the vainglorious self-publicity wave and his ego soared to Trump levels as he did so.

In an interview with New York magazine to promote the book, he even described his own briefings as 'incredible'.

'People wanted information,' Cuomo explained. 'They tuned in, and the communication was on a wholly different level. There was a sincerity and authenticity and a credibility that they discerned from the briefings. And they believed it.'

Yes, we did.

Cuomo was even awarded an international Emmy award in late November, 'in recognition of his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world.'

This struck me as absurd given the second wave of the pandemic was now beginning to hit America, and New York, hard, and it was very clear that this crisis was far from over.

'WHAT?' I tweeted on hearing the Emmy news. 'This is ridiculous.'

But the growing cult of Cuomo would hear no such sniping.

During the presentation of Cuomo's Emmy, liberal celebrities queued up to pay nauseating homage.

'Thank you for your leadership during these trying times,' drooled Robert DeNiro 'We are New York Tough - smart, disciplined, united and loving.'

And Billy Crystal gushed: 'In the darkest days of the pandemic, your daily briefings gave us hope, gave us clarity, gave us the truth and gave us something that we were not getting from Washington: leadership. You are the epitome of New York tough.'

In his acceptance speech, Cuomo said of his briefings: 'They offered only one thing; authentic truth. But sometimes that's enough.'

Well yes, unless it's not actually the authentic truth obviously.

Cuomo paraded around the late-night talk shows boasting of his 'truth-telling.'

Cuomo paraded around the late-night talk shows boasting of his 'truth-telling.' CNN viewers were even treated to regular schmaltzy appearances by the Governor on his brother Chris Cuomo's prime-time show

Fans branded Andrew and Chris Cuomo's light, jokey sibling exchanges 'adorable'. Others, including many journalists, found them increasingly unedifying and inappropriate. And today, they seem even more so

CNN viewers were even treated to regular schmaltzy appearances by the Governor on his brother Chris Cuomo's prime-time show.

During one of them Chris told Andrew: 'I hope you are able to appreciate what you did in your state and what it means for the rest of the country now and what it will always mean to those who love and care about you the most.'

Fans branded their light, jokey sibling exchanges 'adorable'.

Others, including many journalists, found them increasingly unedifying and inappropriate.

And today, they seem even more so.

Because it turns out that Governor Cuomo is an insincere, inauthentic, shameless liar who deliberately hid the shocking truth about New York State's nursing-home death toll to protect his self-acclaimed hero halo.

There's been widespread speculation for months that Cuomo had been withholding the true scale of what really happened in nursing homes.

Now, in a bombshell revelation, the New York Post has reported that his top aide Melissa DeRosa, the Secretary to the Governor, privately apologised to Democratic lawmakers for rejecting a legislative request last August to report an accurate death toll - and confessed 'we froze' because they were terrified the true numbers would 'be used against us' by federal prosecutors.

'We were in a position,' DeRosa said, 'where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation.'

In other words, they lied to save their slippery skins from proper accountability.

It wasn't just legislators who were rebuffed.

Cuomo's administration also refused requests from the news media  including the New York Post - and battled a Freedom of Information lawsuit filed by the Empire Center on Public Policy.

The Governor only disclosed data on the number of residents who died in their nursing homes, not those who died in hospital. As recently as January 19, that official figure was 8,711 people. And this Wednesday, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker finally released new data revealing that the real number was 13,297  which is 52% more than the official toll, and the total rises to 15,049 when assisted living/adult care facilities are included

Now, in a bombshell revelation, the New York Post has reported that his top aide Melissa DeRosa, the Secretary to the Governor, privately apologised to Democratic lawmakers for rejecting a legislative request last August to report an accurate death toll - and confessed 'we froze' because they were terrified the true numbers would 'be used against us' by federal prosecutors

The Governor only disclosed data on the number of residents who died in their nursing homes, not those who died in hospital.

As recently as January 19, that official figure was 8,711 people.

But the next day, NY Attorney General Letitia James issued a damning report confirming that the state had undercounted the number of nursing home deaths by as much as 50%.

And this Wednesday, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker finally released new data revealing that the real number was 13,297  which is 52% more than the official toll, and the total rises to 15,049 when assisted living/adult care facilities are included.

Why has Cuomo been so desperate to keep this information secret?

The answer can be found in two decisions he took during the time he was hosting his 'incredible' daily press briefings.

On March 25, he ordered nursing homes to accept thousands of potentially COVID-positive patients when they were discharged from hospital, without requiring the residents to test negative for the virus first. Many - nobody knows the exact number, and we will never know - would have been infected with the virus and were thus being sent back to nursing homes full of other old, vulnerable people whom they would then also infect.

On May 10, Cuomo reversed this terrible decision, but not before an incalculable amount of deadly damage had been done.

The Associated Press has now revealed that more than 9,000 patients were sent back to nursing homes in that period - a figure 40% higher than official data.

So, Cuomo has persistently lied about the number of people being sent back to nursing homes, and about the number of nursing home residents who died from the virus.

After repeatedly refusing to answer questions about the real numbers, Cuomo finally snapped two weeks ago and exclaimed: 'Who cares?'

In an astonishing outburst he said: 'Whether a person died in a hospital or died in a nursing homepeople died,' he said. 'But who cares 33 [died in a hospital], 28 [died in a nursing home.] They died.'

Of course, relatives of the victims cared very much and were outraged by his grotesquely offensive tone which they branded 'callous', 'gutless' and 'disgusting.'

his arrogant disregard for people's feelings was not entirely surprising given Cuomo's breath-taking antics around Thanksgiving when he told New Yorkers to stay home, then let slip he'd be ignoring CDC advice to have his family including his mother and daughters over for a big party. Pictured: Gov. Cuomo having dinner with his three daughters Cara, Michaela and Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo along with Mariah's boyfriend Tellef Lundevall in April

Cuomo cancelled the Thanksgiving plan when it sparked a furore about his hypocrisy but as befits Cuomo's self-anointed saintly status, he didn't admit doing anything wrong, or apologize. Pictured: Cuomo with his mother Matilda and daughter Cara (left)

Yet this arrogant disregard for people's feelings was not entirely surprising given Cuomo's breath-taking antics around Thanksgiving when he told New Yorkers to stay home, then let slip he'd be ignoring CDC advice to have his family including his mother and daughters over for a big party. He cancelled the plan when it sparked a furore about his hypocrisy but as befits Cuomo's self-anointed saintly status, he didn't admit doing anything wrong, or apologize.

That incident was bad.

This new development is potentially criminal.

Until now, Governor Cuomo has been very keen to blame former President Trump and his administration for New York having one of America's worst covid death tolls.

'New York's problem was caused by federal negligence,' Cuomo raged last October. 'New York was ambushed by Covid. I believe that this was on a par with the greatest failure to detect an enemy attack since Pearl Harbor.'

Now it would appear that it was Cuomo's own appalling negligence in the way he handled New York's nursing homes that accounted for much of the death toll.

And it also appears that he has been lying about it, and deliberately covering up the truth even from fellow Democratic lawmakers.

If Donald Trump had done this, the liberal screams of outrage  led by the likes of Robert De Niro - would be bellowing furiously all over America.

It's time to stop giving Governor Cuomo awards and start holding him to proper account for the needless deaths of thousands of people.
Lebanon is the latest country to make a major effort to curb the widespread the practice of firing rifles and pistols into the air during celebrations, especially before New Years Day. In Lebanon the firing into the air begins a week before January 1st and for 2021 the nationwide media campaign against the practice seemed to reduce deaths a bit and, presumably the number injured. Only deaths are usually reported while those wounded are not reported unless the injury requires hospitalization. A least one such case occurred near the end of 2020 as a woman injured by one of these falling bullets later died from the wound. A major reason behind the nationwide campaign this year was the fact that such gunfire near airports sometimes hit aircraft taking off or landing. At the end of 2020 a new (year old) Airbus airliner was damaged while parked near the terminal. Repairs kept it out of service for several hours. Other aircraft were also hit but the impact was largely superficial.

Such injuries and damage have increased as wealth grew late in the 20th century and weapons got cheaper or simply more abundant. Lebanon found more and more AK-47s and other rifles getting into the hands of families because of the 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath which saw the formation of more armed militias just in case the civil war returned. One of the largest of these militias was the Iran-sponsored Hezbollah that now controls much of southern Lebanon.

Usually most of the casualties are from rifle or pistol bullets. These are called "joy bullets" in Arabic and are actually an old problem made more noticeable as rural people, who used to do it in thinly populated areas, move into urban areas and keep celebrating by shooting. Stopping this form of celebration is a worldwide trend because of the growing number of people injured or killed during celebrations and especially national holidays like Christmas Day, Moslem holidays and New Years Eve. In the 21st century more nations began trying to persuade their citizens to stop, with some success.

One reason more people have weapons is because the end of the Cold War in 1991 unleased more than twenty million cheap AK-47s and billions of rounds of cheap ammo. These came from former communist states emptying the warehouses of such weapons stockpiled during the Cold War. A lot more people now had these weapons and didnt mind shooting off a few dollars worth of ammo to enhance holiday celebrations. Worse yet, while for most of the 20th century joy bullets were fired from bolt-action rifles and pistols, AK-47s are automatic and can fire off the contents of a thirty-round magazine in a few seconds. Meanwhile many people still use hunting rifles or even some World War II era weapons that are still working, often just for producing joy bullets a few times a year.

Not surprisingly fireworks actually cause 5 to 10 times more casualties, including fatalities, than falling bullets. But firearms, while harder to obtain and much more expensive than fireworks, are a danger year-round, especially since so many of them are unregistered and illegal. You cannot easily kill someone deliberately with fireworks but that is what firearms were designed for.

While fireworks have been around for centuries, guns and firing them into the air during celebrations is more recent. Even more recent is this practice causing many casualties. Thats because in the last century more people were concentrated into urban areas where a lot of them were out and about during these celebrations, providing more targets for the increased number of falling bullets. Most people dont realize that bullets fired into the air can fall back to earth with enough velocity to injure or even kill.

Firing weapons into the air is a traditional form of celebration in many parts of the world. Usually, it happens at weddings and other joyful gatherings. Major celebrations bring out even more guns. When the victim of a joy bullet is a child, that usually prompts calls for the security forces to halt this practice. That is not easy, as has been discovered in many other nations with Lebanon being one of the latest examples. Meanwhile parents in countries where joy bullets are common now know to get the kids inside when this kind of shooting starts.

Such use of joy bullets has become quite widespread. While such behavior is generally banned, and the ban enforced in Western nations, in the rest of the world many injuries still result from falling bullets because the cops dont bother with this sort of misbehavior. Even some cities in America have a problem with this, quite illegal, practice. In some parts of Latin America there are even more guns and fewer police available to try and halt the joy bullets. Because there are relatively few injuries from joy bullets (compared to fireworks) the dangers from falling bullets tends to be given little publicity. That is changing but slowly.

What probably made more people aware of this problem was heavy losses from these falling objects during World War II and some subsequent conflicts. This was because for the first time a lot of anti-aircraft guns were used around densely populated urban areas in Europe and Asia. The result was thousands of casualties from what were, at first, mysterious metal objects falling silently from the sky. The British later estimated that some 25 percent of civilian casualties from German World War II bombing attacks on their cities were from this sort of friendly fire. That is, fragments of British anti-aircraft shells eventually fell to earth and caused property damage and casualties.

Americans had a similar experience. Most of the civilian casualties, and all 49 civilian deaths during the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, were from American anti-aircraft shells and bullets falling back to earth. A lot of the anti-aircraft guns used to defend Pearl Harbor were .50 caliber (12.7mm) machine-guns and these 50- gram (nearly two ounces) bullets will kill you if they drop on your head, and injure you if they hit any other body part. The 12.7mm projectiles are much heavier than rifle bullets, which will also kill or injure you if one drops on your head and hits the right spot. Kids are more vulnerable to this sort of thing. Shell fragments often weigh a kilogram (several pounds) and have sharp edges as well. There were few civilian casualties from Japanese bombs or bullets because the enemy aircraft concentrated on military targets, mainly with bombs and torpedoes. When Japanese fighters used their machine-guns on ground targets it was against personnel at these bases.

In Iraq, during the 1990s, there were instances of anti-aircraft missiles falling back to earth intact inside cities or towns. Since these things weigh several tons, they hit like a bomb. Normally the missiles are supposed to self-destruct (explode) if they don't find a target, but even if they do that there are still thousands of fragments that fall back to earth. Some of these missile fragments weighed five kilograms (11 pounds) or more. Get hit by one of these and you are dead. Large objects coming down will damage buildings and vehicles. Most explosions, be they roadside bombs, smart bombs, artillery shells, or missiles, toss heavy objects into the air. This stuff comes down somewhere and if someone is in the way they become a casualty.

During the current Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, there was not a lot of anti-aircraft fire at first. In the last few years there were more Israeli airstrikes against Iranian and Syrian troops and facilities in or near cities. The capital, Damascus, and several other cities had SAM (surface to air missile) systems available to try and stop the Israeli aircraft or, more usually, Israeli air-to-ground missiles used to keep their warplanes away from ground fire. Syria had plenty of the SAMs and received more from Russia after 2016. These were older models and not as effective as hoped. One thing that usually did work was when a SAM missed its target it was programmed to self-destruct in the air. That released a deadly shower of debris that caused a lot of casualties on the ground, even though the government urged civilians to view the spectacle from indoors. In neighborhoods that had not suffered deaths or injuries from falling debris, more people came outside or up in the roof to watch, and take cellphone photos.

Saudi Arabia has been the target of over 200 Iranian cruise and ballistic missiles supplied to Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and while only a few of these got past Saudi air defenses, there have been some deaths or injuries on the ground from the deadly debris raining down from successful interceptions.

Its not just the falling bullets that are a health threat. In some parts of the world a massive use of fireworks in a short period of time can cause another problem: black powder smog. These huge clouds of unhealthy explosives residue suspended in the air can be so bad that in some cases local airport operations have been suspended for a while. In some areas, the manufacture of fireworks is unregulated (not by design) and some of the amateur rockets and such contain a kilogram (2.2 pounds) or more of black powder. Fortunately, black powder is a slow burning and not-very-powerful explosive, so terrorists generally avoid it. Industrial and military explosives are much more effective at killing people. But, in a pinch, some of that fireworks grade black powder will do. Meanwhile, what goes up must come down, often with calamitous effect.
MOSCOW -- Russia's federal media regulator has ordered media outlets, including RFE/RL's Russian Service and Current Time TV, to delete all reports about a planned mobile-phone "flashlight" protest against the jailing of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

The official order from Roskomnadzor was received by media groups on February 12. It says Russian authorities consider any reporting about the planned flashlight protest to be a call for people to take part in an unsanctioned public demonstration and mass disorder.

Roskomnadzor's order also was sent to online newspapers Meduza and Open Media, and the TV-2 news agency in the Siberian city of Tomsk.

Navalny's team in Tomsk said they also were warned by the city prosecutor's office on February 12 that they could be held liable for staging an unsanctioned protest.

Navalny's team has called on people across Russia to switch on their mobile-phone flashlights for 15 minutes beginning at 8 p.m. on February 14 -- shining the light into the sky from courtyards and posting pictures of the protest on social media.

Leonid Volkov, director of Navalny's network of teams across Russia, announced the change of tactics on February 9 in response to police crackdowns against mass street demonstrations that have led to tens of thousands of arrests across Russia.

The "flashlight" protest is a tactic similar to what demonstrators have been doing in neighboring Belarus following brutal police crackdowns targeting rallies against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Volkov says it is a nonviolent way for Russians to show the extent of outrage across the country over Navalny's treatment without subjecting themselves to arrests and police abuse.

The 44-year-old Navalny, a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was arrested on January 17 after returning to Russia from Germany where he had been treated for a nerve-agent poisoning he says was ordered by Putin. The Kremlin denies it had any role in the poison attack against Navalny.

Navalny's detention sparked outrage across the country and much of the West, with tens of thousands of Russians taking part in street rallies on January 23 and 31.

Police cracked down harshly on the demonstrations, putting many of Navalny's political allies behind bars and detaining thousands more -- sometimes violently -- as they gathered on the streets.

A Russian court on February 2 ruled Navalny was guilty of violating the terms of his suspended sentence relating to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated.

The court converted the sentence to 3 1/2 years in prison. Given credit for time already spent in detention, the court said Navalny must serve another 2 years and 8 months behind bars.

That prompted fresh street protests across the country. But Volkov called for a pause in street rallies until the spring -- saying weekly demonstrations would only result in more mass arrests.

Authorities have criticized Volkov's call for flashlight protests.

Kremlin-friendly political observer Aleksei Martynov accused Navalny's team of stealing the idea from commemorations of Soviet war veterans.

With reporting by Meduza, TV-2, Dozhd, and Znak
Florida property insurers are jacking up rates by double-digit percentages, blaming the hikes on lingering damage from past hurricanes, a wave of litigation, and a law that encourages lawyers to sue by allowing courts to award them big fees.

The rate increases in Florida, the third-largest property insurance market among U.S. states, are the highest in memory, according to some insurance agents and residents. One danger, they say, is that the new rates could make owning a home in Florida unaffordable.

I was flabbergasted, said Karlos Horn, a 35-year-old law student who owns a four-bedroom, single-family home in Hendry County, Florida. He said his premium doubled to $200 per month last August.

That is equivalent to half of his $400 mortgage payment and the largest increase in his five years as an owner.

Floridas property insurance market, which collected $56.6 billion in premiums during 2019, is unique and covers complex risks including devastating hurricanes and the impact of climate change. Many insurers left the state after suffering big losses from hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005, leaving about 60 small and mid-sized firms underwriting property policies there today.

Although there were no major weather events last year, some insurers are still grappling with claims from Hurricane Irma in 2017, said Logan McFaddin, an American Property Casualty Insurance Association executive who specializes in Florida.

They are also facing what McFaddin described as out of control litigation in Florida, partly because of a law that can require insurers to pay attorneys excessive fees in those cases. The practice has spurred a cottage industry of contractors and lawyers who sue insurers to replace a whole roof when only a few tiles are damaged, insurers say.

Other less dramatic problems, such as leaky pipes, happen at an abnormally high frequency in Florida, often causing severe damage, including mold, consistently gnawing at profits, said Charles Williamson, chief executive officer of Vault, a Florida-based insurance exchange for wealthy individuals.

Insurers are also passing along to consumers the cost of hefty rate hikes for their own coverage, known as reinsurance, which kicks in after insurers pay a set amount of claims.

Last Resort

Floridas domestic property insurers reported a more than $1 billion underwriting loss for the first three quarters of 2020 and almost $500 million in negative net income, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

Insurance carriers understand that their role in our marketplace is to pay claims, Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier told Reuters. The challenge is when those claims are so much more expensive than they expect, it creates uncertainty, it creates turmoil  and that has to be addressed.

Florida insurers requested 105 rate increases during the first ten months of 2020, Altmaier said. More than half of the increases that regulators approved were greater than 10%.

Read More:

Floridas Property Insurance Market Is Spiraling Towards Collapse Due to Litigation: Report

Last month, Altmaier testified before Florida lawmakers, including his views on roofing litigation. We need to really spend some time on this  coming up with ways that we might be able to mitigate this kind of activity, he said.

Lee Gorodetsky, an insurance agent in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said he cannot recall such steep rate hikes during his 34-year career. The last two years have been the worst weve seen, he said.

As prices rise, more consumers are turning to Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Floridas insurer of last resort, which takes on high-risk customers who cannot obtain other insurance or must pay extremely high rates.

Citizens issued 545,000 policies as of Feb. 5, a 23% increase from a year ago, and it expects the number to grow to about 700,000 by year-end, a spokesman said. The growth signals an unhealthy broader market by showing that typical coverage is not as widely available, industry experts said.

Insurers are hoping Floridas state government will approve proposed legislation that would curb the elevated litigation costs they have seen in recent years. The bill, if passed, would add to other reforms enacted in 2019.

Measures would include limiting the fees insurers must pay lawyers in claims disputes, shortening time frames for filing claims and capping payouts for roof replacements.

However, the bill might also harm homeowners ability to pursue legitimate claims, lawyers said. That would unfairly favor insurers, one lawyer said.

Its a great business model that insurers can collect premiums and not get sued when they dont pay somebody right away everything thats owed, said Tampa lawyer Chip Merlin, who represents policyholders. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that thats good for the insurance industry.

(Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn in Washington Crossing, Pa. Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Matthew Lewis)

Related:

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Mawson drills 7.0 metres at 6.0 g/t gold and 3.4 metres at 9.7 g/t gold at Sunday Creek in Victoria, Australia

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Mawson Gold Limited (?Mawson? or the ?Company?) (TSX:MAW) (Frankfurt:MXR) (PINKSHEETS: MWSNF  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/mawson-gold-ltd/) is pleased to announce assay results from five further drill holes (MDDSC006-10) from the 100%-owned Sunday Creek project in the Victorian Goldfields of Australia. All holes were drilled at the historic Gladys mine area. The project is an epizonal-style gold prospect located 56 kilometres north of Melbourne and contained within 19,365 hectares of granted exploration tenements.

Highlights:?

Diamond drillhole MDDSC0010 intersected?0 metres @ 6.0 g/t gold from 72.4 metres including 2.0 metres @ 18.5 g/t gold from 73.9 metres and 3.4 metres @ 9.7 g/t gold from 97.9 metres including 0.3 metres @ 72.9 g/t gold from 101.0 metres while testing the down dip extensions of the historic Gladys mine area. Antimony results are awaited. (Tables 1-3, Figures 1 and 2).

Diamond drillhole MDDSC008, drilled 60 metres above MDDSC010, intersected?1 metres @ 7.6 g/t gold, 1.7% antimony from 67.7 metres including 0.7 metres @ 21.5 g/t gold and 5.0?% antimony from 73.9 metres and 0.2 metres @ 8.0 g/t gold, 3.9?% antimony from 95.0 metres;

Diamond drillhole MDDSC007, drilled 60 metres to the SW of MDDSC010, intersected a broad 20 metre lower grade zone from 76.2 metres, that included 8 metres @ 2.2 g/t gold, 0.4?% antimony from 76.2 metres including 0.4 metres @ 22.3 g/t gold and 3.2?% antimony from 78.6 metres;

Twelve drill holes (MDDSC001-012) with one hole in progress (MDDSC0013A) and one hole abandoned (MDDSC0013) for 1,955.4 metres have been now completed at the?Sunday Creekgold project. Drilling continues.

Michael Hudson, CEO, states: ?Sunday Creek continues to deliver with our first results from the Gladys mine area. Encouragingly the deepest hole, MDDSC010, reported here contains the best result reported to date from Gladys, and is reflective of drilling now testing below historic mined areas. Mawson has now drilled strong gold results from three individual sheeted vein structures: Apollo, Central and now Gladys. ?All areas remain open towards depth. Additionally, significant strike potential remains untested over 500 metres between and below historic mines, before we consider stepping out into the 11 kilometre historic mine trend.?

At Sunday Creek, historic gold mining occurred between 1880-1920 over a greater than 11 kilometre trend. Drilling during 1990-2000s focused on shallow, previously mined surface workings, covering an area of 100?metres in width, 800 metres length but, only to 80 metres average depth. As such, the entire field remains open along strike and to depth.

Within this, Gladys was the longest worked field on the historic project in the late 1800s and early 1900s, extending over 110 metres in a series of sheeted stibnite-rich veins, predominately hosted within a cataclastic faulted siltstone. Variable amounts of felsic dyke are present, but mineralization is not as intimately associated with the dykes compared to other areas on the project (ie the Apollo mine area).?

A series of historic shallow aircore holes tested Gladys in the mid-1990s. Mawson results are in keeping with or exceed the shallow drillholes that tested oxide mineralization (Figure 2). Better historic results include:

CRC028: 19 metres @ 2.7 g/t Au from 6 metres

CRC026: 8 metres @ 6.3 g/t Au from 9 metres

CRC006: 13 metres @ 3.4 g/t Au from 17 metres

CRC007: 15 metres @ 2.9 g/t Au from 7 metres

Five diamond drill holes (MDDSC006-10) from Gladys are reported here (Tables 1-3, Figure 1):

MDDSC006, drilled 50 metres up dip from MDDSC010, intersected 0.6 metres @ 4.4% antimony, with no gold returning in assay, despite the presence of visible gold being noted.

MDDSC007, drilled 60 metres to the SW of MDDSC010, intersected a broad 20 metre lower grade zone from 76.2 metres, that included 8 metres @ 2.2 g/t gold, 0.4% antimony from 76.2 metres including 0.4 metres @ 22.3 g/t gold and 3.2% antimony from 78.6 metres.

MDDSC008, drilled 60 metres up dip of MDDSC010, intersected?1 metres @ 7.6 g/t gold, 1.7% antimony from 67.7 metres including 0.7 metres @ 21.5 g/t gold and 5.0% antimony from 73.9 metres and 0.2 metres @ 8.0 g/t gold, 3.9% antimony from 95.0 metres.

MDDSC009, drilled 50 metres NW from MDDSC010, intersected a broad zones of lower grade gold, with the best result being 1.7m @ 2.4 g/t Au from 67 metres. Antimony results are awaited.

MDDSC0010 intersected?0 metres @ 6.0 g/t gold from 72.4 metres including 2.0 metres @ 18.5 g/t gold from 73.9 metres and 3.4 metres @ 9.7 g/t gold from 97.9 metres including 0.3 metres @ 72.9 g/t gold from 101.0 metres while testing the down dip extensions of the historic Gladys mine area. Antimony results are awaited.

Mineralization at Sunday Creek is hosted in late-Silurian to early-Devonian-aged shales and siltstones containing a series of dykes of felsic-intermediate composition. Gold is concentrated mainly in and around the EW to NE-SW trending felsic dykes, within predominately NW oriented brittle multiple sheeted veins and cataclastic zones. Individual high-grade quartz-stibnite veins at Apollo and Golden Dyke, and cataclastic zones at Gladys were the focus of historical mining at Sunday Creek. These zones have been proven to continue to depth by Mawson. Broader vein-hosted and cataclastic mineralization grading less than 15?g/t gold appears untouched by the historic miners.

Mawson has now drilled strong gold results from multiple sheeted vein structures within a 200 metre by 150m area (Figure 1) with over 500 metres strike to test between historic mines, before drilling will step out to test the broader 11 kilometre historic mine trend.? Better results from individual structures include:

Apollo (ie: drill hole MDDSC005: 4.2 metres @ 3.4 g/t gold from 88.0 metres and 11.8 metres @ 3.1 g/t gold from 123.7 metres),

Central (ie: drillhole MDDSC002: 5.0 metres @ 5.2 g/t gold from 53.8 metres and 21.0 metres @ 3.4 g/t gold from 109.0 metres) and now

Gladys (ie: drillhole MDDSC0010: 0 metres @ 6.0 g/t gold from 72.4 metres including 2.0 metres @ 18.5 g/t gold from 73.9 metres and 3.4 metres @ 9.7 g/t gold from 97.9 metres including 0.3 metres @ 72.9 g/t gold from 101.0 metres).

Mawson has now completed twelve drill holes (MDDSC001-012) with one hole in progress (MDDSC0013A) and one hole abandoned (MDDSC0013) for 1,955.4 metres at the?Sunday Creek?gold. Drilling continues. Assays from 10 out of the 12 completed holes have been released. Geophysical surveys (3D induced polarization and ground magnetics) have been completed.

Technical and Environmental Background

Tables 1?3 provide collar and assay data. The true thickness of the mineralized interval is interpreted to be approximately 70% of the sampled thickness. Gold-only intersections are reported with a lower-cut of 0.5?g/t gold over a 2.5 metre width except on the edge of calculated intervals where 1 metre @ >2.0 g/t gold was applied. No upper cut-off was applied.

A diamond drill rig from contractor Starwest Pty Ltd was used in the program. Core diameter is HQ (63.5 mm) and oriented with excellent core recoveries averaging close to 100% in both oxidized and fresh rock. After photographing and logging in Mawson?s core logging facilities in Nagambie, intervals were diamond sawn in half by Mawson personnel. Half core is retained for verification and reference purposes. Analytical samples are transported to On Site Laboratory Services? Bendigo facility which operates under both an ISO 9001 and NATA quality systems. Samples were prepared and analyzed for gold using the fire assay technique (25 gram charge), followed by measuring the gold in solution with flame AAS equipment. Samples for multi-element analysis use aqua regia digest and ICP-MS methods. The QA/QC program of Mawson consists of the systematic insertion of certified standards of known gold content and blanks within interpreted mineralized rock. In addition, On Site inserts blanks and standards into the analytical process.

None of the historic drill data quoted have been independently verified at this time. These historical data have not been verified by Mawson and are quoted for information purposes only. Assay techniques for gold and antimony are unknown.

Qualified Person

Mr. Michael Hudson (FAusMM), Chairman and CEO for the Company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ? Standards of Disclosure or Mineral Projects and has prepared or reviewed the preparation of the scientific and technical information in this press release.

About Mawson Gold Limited (TSX:MAW, FRANKFURT:MXR, OTCPINK:MWSNF)

Mawson Gold Limited?is an exploration and development company. Mawson has distinguished itself as a leading Nordic Arctic exploration company with a focus on the flagship Rajapalot gold project in Finland. Mawson also owns or is joint venturing into three high-grade, historic epizonal goldfields covering 470 square kilometres in Victoria, Australia and is well placed to add to its already significant gold-cobalt resource in Finland.

On behalf of the Board,

\Michael Hudson\?????????????????

Michael Hudson, Chairman & CEO

Further Information

www.mawsongold.com

1305 ? 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7

Mariana Bermudez (Canada), Corporate Secretary, +1 (604) 685 9316, info@mawsongold.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, \forward-looking statements\). All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although Mawson believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate, and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Mawson cautions investors that any forward-looking statements 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, timing and successful completion of drill programs planned Sunday Creek, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates, changes in world metal markets, changes in equity markets, the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 on the Company?s business, planned drill programs and results varying from expectations, delays in obtaining results, equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions, local community relations, dealings with non-governmental organizations, delays in operations due to permit grants, environmental and safety risks, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading \Risk Factors\ in Mawson\-\-s most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Mawson disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.
The Moscow City Court will consider an appeal of the decision to convert opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's suspended sentence to real jail time on February 20, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

RIA Novosti reported on February 12 that it learned of the hearing through a lawyer with knowledge of the court's decision.

The Kremlin critic on February 2 was ordered to serve 2 years and 8 months in prison for violating the terms of a suspended sentence imposed on him from a widely criticized 2014 embezzlement case.

Navalny could not report to parole officers because he was recovering from a coma in Germany after being poisoned with a nerve-agent in Siberia last August, in an attack he blames on Putin and his security agents. The Kremlin dismisses the allegations.

Navalny was immediately arrested on returning to Russia in January, triggering nationwide protests and a crackdown on his allies and supporters.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti
All local contacts of the provinces first case of the U.K. variant of the novel coronavirus have tested negative, Manitobas top doctor says.

All local contacts of the provinces first case of the U.K. variant of the novel coronavirus have tested negative, Manitobas top doctor says.

On Friday, chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin commended both the man, who recently travelled to Africa and Europe, for not only self-isolating properly in his home when he returned, but also his family members who self-isolated as required.

All household members have been tested twice for COVID-19; both times the results were negative, the province said. The man's initial test sample was acquired Jan. 21.

"In this case, with or without the detection of the variant of concern, this individual had to self-isolate the entire time that they were infectious," Roussin said of the confirmed case of the worrisome B.1.1.7 variant.

"They self-isolated as appropriate. You can see there was no transmission even in the household... It is the public health measures, combined with all of the tools that we have, that will limit the introduction and spread of the variant of concern in Manitoba."

Roussin said scientists have been sequencing virus samples from 140 outbreaks in Manitoba since the pandemic reached the province in March 2020.

"Weve identified many different variants that are even unique to Manitoba. Weve only discovered the one variant of concern (B.1.1.7, discovered in the United Kingdom), which we announced (Tuesday)," he said.

Public health also announced four more pandemic deaths, all in Winnipeg: two men in their 70s; a man in his 80s; and a man in his 90s linked to an outbreak at Concordia Place care home.

The five-day test positivity rate was 4.8 per cent provincially; four per cent in Winnipeg.

Eighty-one new cases of the virus had been identified as of Friday morning: 28 in Southern Health region, 25 in Northern Health, 20 in Winnipeg, five in Interlake-Eastern, and three in Prairie Mountain.

So far, 30,588 Manitobans have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.

Roussin noted Friday was the first day of some pandemic restrictions being loosened, including allowing restaurants to open to 25 per cent of their capacity.

"Our numbers have been trending in a good direction," he said. "(But) we cannot take our foot off the gas. I've said a few times: we've been here before. If we do what we did in October, we will be back to November numbers.

"We'll be forced to go backwards."

There were 240 people in hospital due to COVID-19 (90 active cases). There were 11 active cases in the province's intensive care units, with a further 18 in ICU no longer infectious but still in need of critical care.

There were 1,972 tests completed by provincial labs Thursday.

New outbreaks have been declared at Seven Oaks General Hospital's 3U 4-7 unit and Riverview Health Centre's CD2 unit in Winnipeg.

Outbreaks were declared over at four Winnipeg personal care homes: Poseidon, Convalescent Home, Golden Door, and Golden West Centennial.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said in a statement that, currently, nine of 39 long-term care facilities in the city are dealing with an outbreak. Of those, three have an active resident case, five have at least one active staff case, and two have active cases with both residents and staff.

The WRHA said the Canadian Red Cross is still helping amidst an outbreak at Southeast care home. The WRHA is also monitoring outbreaks at Concordia Place and Holy Family Home.

Meanwhile, the majority of health-care workers who were redeployed to personal care homes when outbreaks were at their worst in October-January have gone back to their regular jobs, the WRHA said.

"We would like to commend all redeployed staff members who have worked shifts in PCHs over the past few months. Your willingness to assist in the fight against COVID-19 outbreaks has been tremendously appreciated."

The WRHA is working to create a dedicated staffing pool which care homes can draw from in future.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Living cheek-by-jowl constrains the security environment. Israels Ben-Gurion Airport is about eight miles from the West Bank border, the 1949 armistice line; landing planes virtually fly over it. Palestines Jerusalem Airport, made inoperative by Israel, will require planes to overfly Israeli airspace. Security hawks are hardly wrong to infer that a single shoulder-fired rocket could impair Israeli and Palestinian international commerce and tourism for months; about a third of Palestinians support Hamas, and many of them may remain opposed to peace in any form.

Likewise, many Israeli Jews see the Land of Israel as their divine patrimony; in the dozen or so yeshivas established on the plaza facing the Western Wall  a few hundred yards from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock  one often hears chilling exhortations to clear the site and build a Third Temple. Security planning, to which each sovereign state would contribute, would facilitate formal security cooperation, marginalizing rejectionists on both sides and enhancing the moral prestige of a cooperating center.

Confederal institutions would permit dividing sovereignty in Jerusalem with a dotted-line border, actually keeping the city open to all. Over time, that dotted line might be applied along the full length of our countries. This would permit the continuity of a common market  ideally including Jordan, where much of the Palestinian bourgeoisie lives  to enable cross-border investment and the exchange of intellectual capital through entrepreneurial partnerships. Each year now, more than 1,500 Palestinians graduate as computer engineers; the global companies of Tel Aviv could provide them a kind of finishing school. Palestinians have deep knowledge of markets in Jordan and the Gulf States, potentially offering services and partnership for Israeli businesses hoping to set up operations there. Each side must develop its cities and stop pining away for the agricultural nations of the past. For neither people is agriculture more than 5 percent of G.D.P.

Drive into Nablus and you see a half-dozen big-box factories, much like those in Hebron, operated by Palestinian contractors that employ thousands of Palestinian workers in industries such as furniture manufacture, plastics, quarrying, paper-milling and glassmaking, all integrated into supply chains that largely serve Israeli markets. The day the Israeli Army is relieved of the burden of shielding the hilltop settlements surrounding Nablus will be the day that Route 5, reviled by Palestinians as a settler expressway, could be extended to connect Tel Aviv to the Jordan Valley and thus become an asset both states would have an interest in developing.

Indeed, what jurisdictions could either state exercise without the formal cooperation of the other? The two states would be pumping from the same water table; using the same desalination plants to preserve the Sea of Galilee, hence the Dead Sea Basin; and managing sewage treatment from Jerusalem into the Jordan Valley. They would be sharing much of the same electrical grid and the distribution of limited telecommunication frequencies necessary for streaming mobile data. They would be sharing environmental regulations dealing with air quality and the management of public health risks, especially epidemiological risks like Covid-19. Four million more tourists a year would add, on a recurring basis, about $9 billion to the two states common G.D.P. But allowing tourists to move about freely requires a cooperative banking and credit-card system.

Confederal institutions could begin to address thorny problems like the rights of Palestinian refugees and the interests, however arguable, of Israeli settlers; they could agree on how many Palestinian refugees could return to Israel and how many law-abiding Israelis could live in Palestine with permanent residency but not citizenship. As peace takes hold, confederal institutions could permit routine cross-border entry, perhaps to a chosen beach, with a signal from a cars transponder.

Some people argue that the two-state solution is, in any case, finished  that settlers are too numerous, Palestinians too fragmented  that anyway, the Palestinians ought to argue for equal rights in a single secular democratic state. But every argument that purports to make the two-state solution implausible makes a one-state future ludicrous: Imagine a single legislature trying to decide whether to allocate $100 million to build housing for returning Palestinian refugees not yet contributing to the economy, or to expand the Technion to advance the already thriving Israeli high-tech sector. Israels G.D.P. per capita is more than 10 times Palestines. And in what language, in other than a halting English, would the debate be conducted?
C. John Bongiovanni, who has been president of Bon Tools since he father, Carl, died of a heart attack in 2017, said he had also dealt with a lack of a succession plan. But what made the initial transition especially difficult, he said, was the lack of insurance, which would have given him some breathing room to sort through the companys finances and tend to its 70-plus employees.

The toughest thing at first was to circle the wagons and figure out what was what, he said. Key person insurance would have also relieved him of some of the pressure he feels to buy other parts of the business, like its real estate, from his mother and to begin to compensate his two sisters, who are not part of the business.

While he had worked at the company since he was young, Mr. Bongiovanni said, he had little idea what a transition might look like when his father, a fit, trim 59-year-old, died.

My father and I would talk about business, but it was the exciting parts, not the down and dirty, Mr. Bongiovanni said. It was, Oh, did you see that piece of business? Im not sure we would have laid everything out, but I could have had his wishes.

In these kinds of situations, said Erica Bramer, managing partner at the BVA Group, a litigation, valuation and financial advisory firm, the two main things to avoid are confusion over who is in charge and who knows what.

The simplest form is the owner dies and its unclear how the business is going to pass to someone else, Ms. Bramer said. Lets say there are multiple kids. Whats best for the family? Whats best for the business? What did Dad intend? Once you layer in other business partners or other employees who thought they owned part of the business, it becomes even more complicated.

Mr. Baum at Interchange Capital Partners said he counseled clients who suddenly had to take control of a company to think in terms of damage control.
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Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 Saturday last, a prison officer in Castlerea was changing in the staff locker room. He noticed something in a crate, partially concealed, under a row of lockers. Further inspection revealed it was a camera. As far as he could tell, the camera was not recording at that time.

The prison officer was shocked. His first instinct was that the camera was being used in some form of surveillance. Any such activity would be illegal and invasive.

An inquiry conducted in 2019 into illegal surveillance in the prison system found it had occurred some years previously. The purpose of such surveillance is to detect any staff member who might be bringing drugs in for an inmate. The majority of prison officers are completely clean in this respect, but as with anywhere, there are the few rotten apples.

Within the prison system, there is an extensive network of CCTV cameras, as would be expected in a secure facility. But there are none in the staff quarters for reasons of privacy. Just as staff in any organisation are entitled to their privacy, so it goes with prison officers.

The officer went home and, after consulting his wife, reported the discovery to the local gardai. He also informed his union, the Prison Officers Association (POA).

The following day, he informed the governor of the discovery. The governor detailed a chief officer to accompany the officer to the locker room. There, the camera was handed over.

The discovery of the camera came within a week of a similar discovery in the staff locker room in Cloverhill prison in west Dublin. The Irish Prison Service has denied that either of these cameras were being used to engage in covert surveillance. In a statement to the Irish Examiner, the IPS noted that these were two non-operational, obsolete cameras.

It is not correct that cameras were deployed to conduct surveillance of staff, the statement read.

There is absolutely no reason why a camera would be left in a locker room in the kind of situation where one might find an old pair of runners, or a discarded towel.

A range of sources within the prison system, at different levels of service and management, said they were baffled at the IPS explanation. Cameras are not left lying around. A security company is contracted to operate the CCTV system.

There is absolutely no reason why a camera would be left in a locker room in the kind of situation where one might find an old pair of runners, or a discarded towel.

That something along those lines apparently happened in two separate prisons within a short time span adds to the bafflement. In its statement to the Irish Examiner, the IPS did offer the following: The discovery of the cameras was investigated by local management and it was quickly confirmed that neither camera was operational, cabled or capable of operating. At no stage was there any surveillance of staff taking place.

This, however, raises other questions. Knowledge of the discovery of the cameras is widespread within the two prisons. Naturally, some may erroneously believe illegal covert surveillance was taking place. Yet the authorities have not issued any communique to staff to reassure in case of any misunderstanding over the highly unusual and coincidental discoveries.

In that vein, the position of the Prison Officers Association is also curious. The POA was informed of the Castlerea camera last Saturday. It is unclear whether the POA had knowledge of the Cloverhill camera prior to that time.

The suspicion that there could be untoward reasons for the presence of these cameras did not prompt the union to reassure its members of the IPS position that no surveillance was afoot.

The Irish Examinercontacted the POA about what action it had taken since being informed of the cameras. The response was generic, making no reference to the actual discoveries or any action taken.

All such issues when brought to our attention by our members are raised directly with the Irish Prison Service. Should we find, after investigations that concluded, that we have any concerns relating to the findings, we insist that all necessary and appropriate action is taken.

This response is in complete contrast to the POAs position nine years ago, when a surveillance camera was discovered in the tuck shop in Wheatfield prison. On that occasion, the union vehemently reflected the anger of its members and demanded an investigation.

The recent discoveries occurred against a backdrop in which the level of drugs entering prisons has reportedly not fallen noticeably during the pandemic, despite visitor restrictions.

The IPS acknowledges that an increase in drugs found in post, parcels and prisoner clothing has also increased as a result of visits being suspended.

Yet, sources familiar with the detection systems point out that about 90% of drugs in prison are conveyed through visitors. The prison authorities therefore have an extremely difficult job in attempting to stem the flow of drugs and other contraband into prisons.

There will be relief in the Department of Justice that the IPS has cleared up any misunderstandings about the discovery of hidden cameras. In 2018, former justice minister Charlie Flanagan ordered an inquiry into allegations that a private investigation firm had carried out surveillance, including placing tracking devices in vehicles and cameras in staff areas.

The inquiry, which was initiated after a report in the Irish Examiner, found that surveillance had occurred. Those involved were attached to the Operational Support Group (OSG), tasked with stopping contraband entering the prisons. The report didnt find any evidence that management in IPS HQ in Longford had knowledge of the illegal, covert surveillance activity.

The whole affair was an embarrassment to the department and the minister, to the extent that the report was published on the Friday of the August weekend, some five months after it was received.

Some observers of the Irish penal system believe one enduring priority of the prison service is to avoid causing any embarrassment to the Minister for Justice. Had there been a less palatable reason for the presence of the cameras, or had the POA kicked up on behalf of its members, the whole affair might have turned into a pain in the neck for Helen McEntee.
Smarts64: As someone who has been driving electric since 2009 and wouldnt go back to clunky ICE [internal combustion engine] vehicles, it is so annoying to hear all the nonsense that was debunked a decade ago. Truly we are ruled by dinosaurs. Energy Minister Angus Taylor says its clear the future of road transport in Australia will be a mix of vehicle technologies and fuels. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Panaitan: Why should we continue to hand over billions of dollars to the Middle East oil cartels. Keep the money in Australia by charging cars on Australian-produced electricity or hydrogen. That is just economic sense. Several readers remembered Scott Morrisons claim that Bill Shorten wanted to end the weekend for Australians and their 4WD-powered pastimes, with Labors election pledge that half of all new cars sold in 2030 would be electric. Harris said the cars we drive in another 10 years are likely to be very different from todays.

Electric cars became politically charged during the last election but the Coalitions victory meant they became their problem to deal with, he said. Loading While it sounds like something out of The Jetsons to many people, the trend around the world away from combustion engine cars is undeniable. Harris pointed to Britains plans to ban petrol cars by 2030 and the commitment of many leading manufacturers to cease making them by then. We have debated coal, gas and renewable energy for a long time but the argument has more or less finished in that space. Transport emissions are a big chunk of the worlds greenhouse gas levels and theres little doubt it will need to be addressed for Australia to meet its international obligations.

Readers shared many ideas of how the government could encourage a faster transition to the newer technology. Several looked towards Norway, which leads the world in electric vehicle ownership. Wilson: The cheapest way of supporting national take-up of EV is to set a phase-out date for petrol and diesel car engines. A ban would increase demand and reduce the cost structures associated with production of EV. A ban provides certainty for the existing industry to plan for an orderly change over - eg. petrol stations adopting EV charging points. A ban would not apply to existing vehicles, just new vehicles. Ministry of Commonsense: Great, so instead of incentives, the average consumer has to wait 2 years so that they can buy a second-hand EV. My wife and I were in Oslo/Norway 3 years ago. Walking down the streets every other car was electric with charging stations every 50 metres. Public charging infrastructure was first introduced in 2011. The Norwegian government incentivises EV use with 1000s of free charging stations in cities, a minimum of 2 fast chargers every 50km on main roads, 50 per cent off car ferries, reduced parking fees, reduced company car tax, free tolls, 0 road tax, 0 import duties and 0 GST. Marcus Aurelius: The LNP could easily waive the luxury car tax completely for EVs and eliminate any import taxes. A sensible move to try to get critical mass for EVs and encourage investment in charge stations. Also how about investment settings to encourage EV battery manufacturing here in Australia? The lithium is here, why cant it be refined and turned into batteries? LeChatBlanc: I find myself in the rare position of largely agreeing with Angus Taylor. Incentives for private purchase of EVs wouldnt give us good bang for buck. BUT ... at the bare minimum, our government needs to move their own fleet entirely to hybrid or EV. And they should be helping the burgeoning EV vehicle manufacturers in Australia. There are some already in both Melbourne and Adelaide, and they should be fostered. Likewise, the Victorian and SA governments should abandon their nonsensical usage tax on EVs. Yes, petrol excise will need to be replaced, but ... do not disadvantage EVs in the meantime!!!

LeChatBlanc wasnt the only reader who backed the government on the point that subsidies for private-use electric vehicles werent the right move. Loading The Rabbit: Good call by the Morrison government. Those who are wealthy enough to afford an electric car should not be subsidised by me, for goodness sake. OC: Electric vehicle subsidies are hideously expensive per tonne of carbon abatement. We need to seriously ask ourselves do we want to virtue-signal and make wealthy people able to afford their new Tesla or spend our limited funds abating carbon at MUCH lower cost in the agricultural, industrial and electrical sectors??? Leonardo: Good to see the government staying out of further subsidies to green ideology. If they are so good, let them compete on a level playing field. Taxpayers dollars should not be used to slant the pitch. EVs are expensive, impractical for many nd will make absolutely no difference to natural climate change. They dont deserve government market manipulation and subsidies.

Two journalists are standing trial in Belarus over their reporting on the mass unrest that has shaken the country since a presidential election in August widely seen as rigged. The court cases are the latest phase of an ongoing crackdown on free media in the country. At least 10 journalists are currently being held by the authorities on charges that are widely seen as politically motivated.
Nikola Tesla came to Colorado Springs to experiment with the climates dry air and high elevation, hoping to send a wireless current to Paris. The city granted him free land and power to execute his plans and in 1899, he sent a lighting bolt more than 100 feet into the air accompanied by a thunderous boom heard up to 20 miles away. The citys electrical equipment caught fire and Colorado Springs went dark.

Many mysteries remain around Tesla, like the actual location of his lab, the Teslas Death Ray, and more.

Photo courtesy Wellcome Library, London
ANSAmed - Weekly diary from February 15 to February 21

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEB 12 - The following are the main events scheduled in the Euro-Mediterranean area from February 15 to February 21: MONDAY FEBRUARY 15 BRUSSELS - EU, videoconference meeting of the Eurogroup.



GENEVA - Meeting of the World Health Organization on the emergency approval of two AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines, produced in India and South Korea.



TRIPOLI - Tenth anniversary of the start of the uprising in Libya against the Gaddafi regime.



TUESDAY FEBRUARY 16 BRUSSELS - EU, meeting of the ministers of economic and financial affairs (ECOFIN).



WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 17 BRUSSELS - Meeting of NATO defense ministers on mission in Afghanistan.



THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 ALGIERS - Trial for the murder of French climber Herve Gourdel by jihadists in 2014.



FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19 BRUSSELS - EU, informal meeting in videoconference of education ministers.



SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 No significant event to report.



SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21 No significant event to report. (ANSAmed).




Psaki daily tries to cover up her lack of any actual policy knowledge with phrases like "I'll have to circle back to you on that," over and over and over again. When asked an even remotely challenging question, she insults or mocks whoever asked it. She may be the worst press secretary ever. She seems to think she's a star on a reality TV program, tasked with coming up with the best takedown of any reporter with a legitimate policy question. She is wholly unprofessional, as is just about every other person Biden has appointed to his Cabinet and staff.

The first weeks of this administration have been a disaster. Psaki's tone is in keeping with the words of every other appointee. Essentially, their attitude is, "We're in power now, the media is on our side, so you all are under our thumb."

The left, as always throughout history, is all about power and control. Leftists do not respect or revere the freedoms guaranteed to all Americans by our Constitution. They loathe that document with every fiber of their being; it limits their power over us. Any protestations to the contrary are lies.

If you do not realize by now that our left, from Woodrow Wilson to Jimmy Carter Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and now Joe Biden, is motivated by a deep disdain for our working people, our middle class, you are fooling yourself. As we are seeing right now before our eyes, the American left has embraced a 21st-century version of Maoism. Look no farther than Thomas Freidman, who for ten years has revealed his elitist class's high regard for China and his contempt for America. See Lee Smith's column, "The Thirty Tyrants"; he reveals the moment our ruling class became Sinophiles. Joe Biden will never cross China; his every move will strengthen the CCP and weaken America.

So no one can be unaware of the new tone in town. Since Biden's inauguration, the anti-Americanism has been roaring down on us like an avalanche. Biden has undone all of Trump's restrictions on China's interference in the business of America. The Chinese now again have access to our power grid; their propaganda again has free rein on our university campuses. His executive orders help China and hurt the U.S. Is anyone surprised? No.

All those paying attention have known for decades that Joe Biden is as corrupt as they come, the worst of the worst. He's all about enriching his family by any means necessary. Indeed, the Democrat party employed any and all means necessary to defeat Trump; they're even bragging about it.

No one can forget the furious rage of the left when Trump won in 2016. The Washington Post wrote about impeachment fifteen minutes after he was inaugurated. Removing him from the office to which he was elected became their obsession after November 8, 2016. They had been existing in a slow burn for four years, and now that they are in the catbird seat, they are so childish that they cannot restrain their glee at being able to undo all of Trump's many successes just for spite.

They already are moving to turn the Middle East into a cauldron of simmering hate as it was under all past presidents except Trump. Trump loved Israel, so they will sabotage Israel. Trump made the U.S. energy independent so they will make us once again dependent on foreign oil. Biden will most likely extend the nonsensical COVID restrictions on our essential freedoms far into the future.

Will kids ever go back to school? The Democrat party is drunk on power, and Democrats are doing grave damage with it. And still they are bitter and acid-tongued. They've won, but they're still angry. They are angry because they know there are about scores of millions of people who have got their number and are not buying their "re-education, de-programming" nonsense.

They may sense that they are walking a tightrope and could fall off at any moment. The truth will eventually be revealed. That's why they are behaving so badly. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. who wrote:

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.

The Democrats are destroying themselves from the inside out. They fear Trump and his supporters because they know they love this country while they seek to destroy it.

Photo credit: YouTube screen grab (cropped).
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh police have put in place thick security cover around Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in the wake of a threat by some state Congress leaders that they would not allow her shoot for a film if she did not apologise to farmers over her tweets, an official said on Friday.

Shooting for "Dhaakad", Ranaut's new film, is going on in Sarni area of Betul district.

Kangana Ranaut

Sarni City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Abhay Ram Choudhary said, "Security has been tightened for the actress after MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra directed Betul Superintendent of Police Simala Prasad to do so."

Police personnel equipped with batons and firearms are deployed around the coal handling plant (CHL) near a power project, where the shooting is on, he added.

"Police will man gate numbers two and four of the CHL, from where actors usually enter the shooting venue," Choudhary said.

An inspector has been assigned to oversee Ranaut's safety at the resort, located around 45 kms from Sarni town, where she is during for the shoot, he said.

Kangana Ranaut"We will ensure that she does not face any disturbance during the shoot," the CSP added.

As per the film schedule, her shoot at Sarni would end on February 17, the police officer said.

State Congress Sewa Dal secretary Manoj Arya and Chicholi Block Congress Committee president Nekram Yadav had on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to a tehsildar in Betul, in which they threatened that they would not allow Ranaut to shoot at Sarni if she does not apologise by Friday evening over her comments against the ongoing farmers' protest.

The Congress leaders had alleged that Ranaut had maligned farmers.
More than $176 million has been pumped into the Bay of Plenty from the Government to support economic development projects in the region.

Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash says the Provincial Development Unit has now invested $1.26 billion in regional projects since 2018, working alongside councils, iwi, businesses, primary producers and community groups.

The PDU looks after eight distinct funds and manages more than 1,700 projects worth $4.460 billion across the country.

It is central to our COVID19 recovery plans which prioritise infrastructure, jobs and businesses.

Each region in New Zealand faces its own set of challenges, be it tourism infrastructure or water storage, skills training or airports, digital connectivity or marae development. The PDU was established to overcome the growing disparity between regions and major cities."

Northland, where the need is great, tops the list for regional projects, at $298 million, followed by the Bay of Plenty with over $176 million and Tairawhiti with $105 million.

Across the various sectors, tourism, skills training, forestry, rail and road projects make up the top five for government support in partnership with local communities and agencies.

The PDU manages $558 million in tourism related projects and has paid out $169 million so far around the country. In training and employment projects $497 million has been committed, with $129 million paid out," says Nash.

In forestry, $438 million is committed with $94 million paid out. Other sectors prioritised for support are small-scale water storage, aquaculture, agriculture, manufacturing and engineering, digital connectivity, energy, and airports.

The PDU also recently had its first loan to a horticulture business in Northland paid back in full a little over a year since $2.28 million loan was taken out.

The PDU is getting support to the regions where it is most needed. The one billion dollar milestone indicates that hundreds of projects the PDU manages are on track and that the full economic and social potential of our regions can be realised.

Projects are at different stages of implementation, and will take time to come to fruition, so the full benefits can be realised.

"Some of these initiatives will be real game-changers for their area and the communities that live there."
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The president of the Junta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno, this Friday (12 February) ruled out changes to the measures currently in force in the region to fight the coronavirus.

He asked the public for "prudence and patience", because "to rush - particularly in a pandemic - is never good."

Moreno made the comments during a speech in the Plaza 12 de Octubre in Huelva at the inauguration of a sculpture tribute to health and essential workers for their labours during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Juntas head said that thanks to the efforts of the vast majority of Andalusians, the incidence rate of the coronavirus has been reduced in recent days, with "encouraging" data on the drop in the number of infections and hospitalised, although unfortunately it is not happening with the number of deaths, which continues to be "alarming".

The president said that even if we are going in the right direction and we begin to see rays of hope, it must be clear that rushing things "is never good" and even less so in a pandemic.

He called on the public for patience and prudence because there are still areas of the region with "very worrying" coronavirus incidence rates.

Moreno said that no-one has more desire than his government and other administrations to return to normality so that everything can be opened and mobility restored. But he said there are still many "battles" to fight, especially, after the appearance of new strains of the virus, such as the South African, Brazilian and British variants, which already have a significant presence in areas such as the Campo de Gibraltar.

The president said he wanted to make it clear that the autonomous region will follow the "same rules" that are currently in force to fight the coronavirus with "red traffic lights" that have been established namely the closure of municipal borders with a 14-day cumulative incidence rate of more than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and the closure of borders and non-essential activities in municipalities with a rate of more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Moreno said he regretted that there are still people who violate the rules and who do not want to see the seriousness of the situation and that many people continue to die.

Mass vaccination plans

The President of the Junta also announced that he hopes the region will be able to begin a mass vaccination of the population in April when the new Johnson & Johnson vaccines arrive.

He stressed that he will use all the tools at his disposal to reach the desired 70 per cent immunity of the population by June.

Moreno said that the central Governments Ministry of Health has told the autonomous regions that at the end of March or beginning of April new vaccines could be available, such as the aforementioned Johnson & Johnson formula, which could give them enough vaccines throughout April and May to do a massive vaccination of the population".
After a harrowing winter coronavirus surge in the Bay Area, much of the next phase of the pandemic hinges on the vaccination effort  with children not yet in the mix.

Business and school reopenings depend on reducing viral transmission and driving case rates down. That means getting as many people vaccinated as possible before new, more transmissible variants can potentially take hold.

But the states efforts got off to a slow start and are still plagued by poor coordination and unpredictable supplies  and they have not yet begun to take into account children. Those 18 and younger make up nearly a quarter of the population both nationwide and in California.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, said in an interview with ProPublica published Thursday that vaccines could be authorized for children as young as first-graders as early as September.

But some experts think even that isnt soon enough, the report said. Getting younger people vaccinated is key to keeping them and their families safe, stabilizing the education system and achieving levels of immunity that will protect the larger population and decrease the threat of new variants.

Heres what we know so far about the development of vaccines, the timeline for their approval for children, and how that probably will affect school reopenings in the Bay Area.

Why cant children be vaccinated?

Vaccination plans so far stop at people 16 and older because there is no approved vaccine yet for younger age groups. According to the CDC, children can become infected with and spread the coronavirus, but most children with COVID-19 have mild or no symptoms.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reported that the U.S. has recorded 2.93 million coronavirus cases in children. The report notes that pediatric cases are based on varying age groups across the states. Out of the 43 states that report coronavirus mortality in children, 11 reported zero deaths. Californias coronavirus dashboard shows 13% of cases in individuals up to 17 years old, and a total of 13 deaths in that age range.

Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle 2020

COVID-19 has been linked to a rare but serious condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), and more than 1,600 cases have been reported in the U.S. leading to 26 deaths. Los Angeles County recently reported nine new cases of MIS-C. Much is still unknown about the syndrome, and the CDC and other agencies are investigating its cause, risk and treatment.

Why do children need to be vaccinated?

Robert Siegel, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University, said vaccinating children is extremely important.

Although the risk to children is low, it is not zero, he said. Symptomatic infection in teens is more common than in younger children.

He said that some children have additional health conditions that put them at greater risk for serious illness. And there are still a lot of questions about long-term consequences of infection.

Vaccinating children is critical in lowering the prevalence of disease and protecting everyone in the U.S. and everywhere, he said. Lowering the prevalence is also critically important in decreasing the probability of developing new virus variants that may be more contagious or may be resistant to vaccination.

There are some people who are immunocompromised that will not be able to be vaccinated, so Siegel said getting everyone else inoculated will create a wall of immunity around them and protect those individuals.

Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University, said vaccinations are also important for children who live in multigenerational households, where the virus can spread more easily to older individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness.

When might children be able to receive a vaccine?

In the ProPublica report Thursday, Fauci said pediatric trials will move in descending order by age, and he expects by September that the youngest age group (6 to 9 years old) could get vaccinated.

During a recent Twitter Q&A, he said he hopes data for older children ages 12 to 17 will be available by late spring or early summer. But until then, COVID-19 measures, including wearing masks and social distancing, will still be important.

The situation in your community is a key factor here, he said. While levels of the virus in the community are high, everyone should take steps to reduce spread to people who are not yet vaccinated or dont mount an immune response to the vaccine.

The Moderna vaccine is authorized for adults 18 and older, and the Pfizer-BioNTech is approved for individuals 16 and older. Pfizer has fully enrolled its adolescent trial of more than 2,200 children ages 12 to 15. Moderna is still recruiting for its trial of youths 12 to 17 years old.

Johnson & Johnson applied to the FDA last week for emergency use authorization of its vaccine, which, if approved, would be a single-shot dose for people 18 and older. The company is in talks with regulators about pediatric trials.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which is approved for adults 18 and older, is undergoing a U.S. trial. The results are expected in the next four to six weeks, and the company plans to start a trial for adolescents soon.

California is switching to an age-based vaccine distribution system later this month, starting with the oldest age groups and moving down to younger groups. By that measure, children will also probably not be able to receive vaccines until their age group is eligible.

What does this mean for school reopenings?

President Biden pledged to reopen most K-8 schools during his first 100 days in office. On Tuesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said a school that offered in-person instruction just one day a week would be defined as reopened, which is a much more attainable goal.

The CDC is expected to share guidance for school reopenings this week, but ultimately states and local jurisdictions decide how they want to move forward with resuming in-person learning. California is also expected to announce school reopening plans soon, which includes prioritizing educators for vaccines  though leaders of large school districts and the states largest teachers union had expressed concerns in January about a previous plan by Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying they wanted more local decision-making power.

Children and teachers eventually getting vaccinated will mitigate the need for distancing and masking, Maldonado said. It will not get rid of it all, but it will make it a lot easier to be protected from the disease.

Last week, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said it was safe to reopen schools even if teachers have not been vaccinated.

Last fall, when elementary schools were allowed to start reopening across the Bay Area, many mostly private schools began to offer in-person instruction again. Further reopenings since then have still consisted mostly of private schools and some public schools in wealthier areas.

Employee unions for the San Francisco Unified School District reached a tentative agreement Sunday to reopen classrooms, which would require the city to be in the states red reopening tier  the second-most restrictive level  only if vaccines are available to on-site staff. If the city is in the next less-restrictive orange tier, educators would return without demanding vaccinations. Currently, San Francisco is in the most-restrictive purple tier.

Kellie Hwang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi greets Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado Quesada.  UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica  UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi thanked President Carlos Alvarado for Costa Ricas commitment to protect and promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers through an agreement with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to extend health insurance to 10,000 of those who are most vulnerable.

Costa Ricas generosity in assisting people in need of international protection is an example to countries the world over, said Grandi.

President Alvarado also announced his decision to extend Costa Ricas commitments to address the challenges of forced displacement, as part of its participation in the MIRPS, a regional framework for protection and solutions for those forced to flee. Grandi celebrated the decision as another demonstration of Costa Ricas leadership in the region.

Costa Rica hosts more than 85,000 Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers who have fled their country since 2018. Grandi lauded the governments efforts to strengthen its asylum system to be able to continue receiving asylum claims, including during the pandemic, and provide alternative protection solutions for persons who require such arrangements.

These extraordinary times call upon the international community to assist countries that welcome, host and support people who are fleeing persecution ,  Grandi said.

During his three-day visit, Grandi traveled to the northern city of Upala, to hear directly from Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers about their needs and struggles to integrate. Grandi met with mayors from the northern region to learn about the host communities integration efforts and called for additional development plans. Later, he visited a local market supported by UNHCR, where nationals and asylum seekers sell their goods to the community, in an example of economic reactivation and peaceful coexistence.

Back in San Jose, Grandi witnessed the signing of the new agreement between the Costa Rican Social Security agency and UNHCR for USD $2.3 million, to provide health insurance to 10,000 refugees and asylum seekers with acute or chronic health care needs, particularly to those in the most vulnerable conditions.

Grandis visit to Costa Rica concluded a week-long visit to Latin America that also included Colombia where President Ivan Duque announced that temporary protection status would be granted to Venezuelans in the country.

Countries like Colombia and Costa Rica are going the extra mile to welcome people forced to flee. But they cannot do it alone. Efforts by the international community are essential to support them, Grandi said.

On departing Costa Rica, the High Commissioner headed to Spain, which leads the Support Platform for the MIRPS regional framework that aims to garner the backing of international actors for efforts in Central America and Mexico to address the challenges of forced displacement.

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Luxury homeware company Bedeck has signed a licensing deal with retailer and lifestyle brand Ted Baker to create new bedding and towel collections.

Designers based at the company's Co Down headquarters will work with the stock exchange-listed firm's creative team.

The three-year contract starts in January 2002 and is welcome news for the company that has suffered along with all retailers dependent on brick and mortar store sales.

Bedeck, headquartered in Magheralin, with outlets across the UK and Ireland and sale agreements with big name stores, including John Lewis, estimates the Ted Baker partnership will increase sales by as much as 15%.

The new collections will be distributed through Bedeck's wholesale network across department stores, speciality home stores, independent retailers and website as well as the Ted Baker online platform, the company said.

It will also expand international sales via distribution partners in countries including Australia, the Netherlands and Germany.

Bedeck has seen outlet sales decrease dramatically during the pandemic while growth online and delivery has not offset the damage done.

A London Stock Exchange-listed luxury retail company, Ted Baker has a series of outlets across the UK, but also sells its range through other retailers.

Like most brick and mortar retailers, it has suffered a difficult time for nearly a year.

In the just over three months to the end of January, revenue decreased 47% because of store closures and a drop in demand for outer wear and occasion over Christmas, according to proinvestors.co.uk.

Ted Baker, which grew from being a specialist shirt store that opened in Glasgow in 1988, has over 500 stores, outlets and concessions worldwide.

"We are delighted to be partnering with Ted Baker on their home textiles collections," said Gary and Andrew Irwin, Bedeck joint managing directors, said in a statement.

"Ted Baker is a prestigious worldwide brand whose focus on innovative design perfectly matches Bedeck's design led approach.

"Bedeck was founded in 1951 and over time has worked with the best retailers and brands throughout the UK and Ireland, bringing high quality, unique bed, bath and curtain brands to the consumer.

"It's fantastic to be working with a company that has ambitions to grow their business through pushing the boundaries of the category and through international expansion," they added.

"Given the synergies in approach and ambition, we look forward to a long and successful relationship.

"We cannot think of a better way of celebrating Bedeck's 70th birthday in 2021 than by announcing this collaboration."

Helen Costello, Ted Baker's group commercial and business development director, said her company is delighted Bedeck "share our passion for unwavering attention to detail and firm commitment to quality".

"It is a testament to the global strength of the Ted Baker brand that we continue to partner with the leading experts in their relevant categories," Ms Costello said.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Lufthansa Technik Philippinesone of the countrys biggest aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul companieswill slash its workforce by 20%, affecting 300 jobs starting April, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit the aviation industry.

The company is a venture between Germany's Lufthansa Technik and Lucio Tan's MacroAsia Corp.

Elmer Lutter, LTP president and chief executive officer, said the dire situation in the sector, which drove LTP's other customer airlines to file for bankruptcy, forced the company to conduct a rightsizing program to ensure it would survive the global health crisis.

"While we look forward to the soonest recovery of the aviation industry and wish for the same for all other industries affected by the pandemic, we also have to face the reality of its current state and make the necessary adjustments to ensure operational efficiency," he said in a statement on Friday.

The plan would be implemented in two phasesby voluntary separation and possible retrenchment to meet the rightsizing number.

In a mobile message on Friday, Eunice Gan, manager of corporate communications, said voluntary separation will take effect on April 1.

LTP gave assurances the package will be consistent with regulations on separation of employees set by the Department of Labor and Employment.

It will continue to work with 2,700 employees, it added.

The company said it has been providing aid to its employees since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, including flexible work arrangements, tools to secure their health such as face masks and vitamins.

The firm's health care program has also started covering its employees' mental health.

Those qualified individuals, who will be affected by the rightsizing program, may apply to enroll in the Salute Program designed to keep skills and authorizations current. LTP said they will be prioritized for rehire.

A campaign has been launched in support of a memorial to a gay activist from Portrush who co-founded a movement to support striking Welsh miners.

Mark Ashton established the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) to support the miners when they went on strike in 1984. He grew up in Co Antrim and studied at the Catering College in Coleraine before moving to London as a young man, where he dressed as a woman to work in the Conservative Club in King's Cross.

He died at the age of 26 after being diagnosed with AIDS and has been memorialised with a blue plaque in his memory above the Gay's The Word bookshop in Marchmont Street in London, as well as a garden named after him in Paris. No such memorial exists in Northern Ireland.

The Mark Ashton Trust was also created in his memory to raise money for people living with HIV and the Mark Ashton Red Ribbon Fund has collected more than 40,000 for sexual health campaign group the Terrence Higgins Trust.

The activities of LGSM were later dramatised in Pride, a film released in 2014 featuring American actor Ben Schnetzer as Mr Ashton.

The organiser of a petition for a Northern Ireland memorial, Jude Copeland, a solicitor living in Belfast, said he became interested in Mr Ashton after seeing the film and attending a talk given by members of the group.

He met Mike Jackson, who co-founded LGSM with Mr Ashton after they collected donations for miners at a Pride march in London.

"In the film you see them [LGSM] being treated with hostility and that's complete divergence because all the miners were grateful to have someone interested in their cause," said Mr Copeland.

"The strike action ended and the miners went to Pride so there was real solidarity. It was because of their union membership connection that the unions got a motion at the Labour annual conference about supporting gay rights. That led to Tony Blair's government," he said.

The recent success of Channel 4's It's A Sin, a television programme which follows a group of friends whose lives are changed irrevocably by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, has created interest in the topic, he said. "My belief is that you have to give people the opportunity to support things.

"It's very easy to say it will only be of interest to left-wing people but I think he's somebody everybody could be proud of," said Mr Copeland.

A plaque in Portrush for Mr Ashton would allow the community to talk about the isolation of people around LGBT issues now and in the past, he said. "It's about unlocking and giving people permission to be supportive of these causes. I think a plaque around the north or south strand would be a nice way."

UUP MLA Doug Beattie said the campaign for a memorial was a "great idea". "I think we do, at times, forget about our social history and what has shaped us as a society here at home and events worldwide," he said.

DUP councillor for Coleraine George Duddy said the memorial would have to be discussed by Causeway Coast and Glens council before any decision was made.

"It would be nice to know a bit more about him and the part he did play and then that would have to go through council processes and public consultation before any decision would be taken on it," he said.
The province is investigating why it took 13 days to transfer a COVID-19 sample from a provincial lab to the National Microbiology Lab  just 600 metres away  which resulted in a delay in finding the first case of the contagious U.K. variant in Manitoba.

The province is investigating why it took 13 days to transfer a COVID-19 sample from a provincial lab to the National Microbiology Lab  just 600 metres away  which resulted in a delay in finding the first case of the contagious U.K. variant in Manitoba.

"We are looking at this case to identify any logistical issues, and will address any that are identified," a provincial spokeswoman wrote Thursday.

"Constant improvement and efficiency of the process is expected."

Its uncertain whether the travellers five household members were allowed to go to work and school during that time despite stricter quarantine rules for close contacts of people who have a variant of the virus.

Variants that have taken hold in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil appear to be more infectious than the original form of the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, the province revealed it had learned on Feb. 8 that a sample collected on Jan. 21, from someone who had been in Africa and Europe, contained the B.1.1.7 variant, which has spread rapidly in Britain.

Scientists have questioned why it took Manitoba 18 days to learn about its first variant case; they directed their criticism toward provincial officials and not laboratory staff.

On Tuesday, Manitobas top doctor implied the test had taken 18 days to complete.

"The initial test results were received on Jan. 22 and the test was sent to the National Microbiology Lab for further sequencing; and the results were received last evening," Dr. Brent Roussin told reporters.

But the Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday thats not the full story.

"We would like to clarify that the National Microbiology Laboratory received the sample on Thursday, Feb. 4," spokeswoman Anna Maddison wrote in an email to the Free Press.

"The sample was processed, and the result released on Monday, Feb. 8. Two of the four days that the (national lab) processed the sample fell on a Saturday and Sunday."

Manitoba Health had no explanation for the 13-day delay. The Cadham Provincial Laboratory and the national lab are close to each other, near the Health Sciences Centre.

The province said it could not reveal whether the travellers household was required to adhere to an enhanced quarantine.

"We are unable to provide specifics about public-health advice given to the variant-positive case for privacy reasons," the province wrote.

As of Jan. 29, all household contacts of anyone suspected of carrying a COVID-19 variant must stay home for as long as 24 days. That period includes the variant cases incubation period  generally 10 days after symptoms appear  plus two weeks, to ensure no further transmission.

Manitoba has been sequencing some COVID-19 samples for almost a year, but the provincial Cadham lab started screening only recently. Screening involves a preliminary scan for possible mutations, which is later sent for sequencing, a more thorough and costly process.

The province says Cadham staff has been screening samples for the U.K. variant "since early February," suggesting the Jan. 21 sample had not been flagged as a possible mutant.

However, as of Jan. 4, Manitoba has required anyone who arrives from abroad to get tested, and has sent all positive results for detailed sequencing.

The traveller who tested positive for the U.K. variant, arrived in Canada on Jan. 19, meaning he was legally ordered to stay home only until Feb. 2 under the Quarantine Act. With his sample not reaching the national lab for two more days, and the detection of the U.K. variant on Feb. 8, its possible the entire household was allowed to circulate in public for those six days.

Roussins deputy, Dr. Jazz Atwal, revealed the traveller is male, and speculated that he either isolated well from his family, or "could have been at the tail end of his communicability when he landed" in Canada.

Premier Brian Pallister said the province constantly re-evaluates its screening and sequencing protocols, and he insisted expense would not hinder what is necessary to keep track of these variants.

Pallister chided the Free Press for publishing criticism of the length of time it took to learn about the U.K. variant, which one microbiologist had described as being "insane."

"Our health leadership has done a tremendous job in preparing us and protecting us through this entire pandemic, and I think they deserve better than a headline that uses the word insane," the premier said.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said hes concerned lengthy test times will allow a more contagious variant to take hold in Manitoba.

"We really need to find a way to shorten that turnaround time when it comes to identifying the variants. Two-and-a-half weeks is too long," he said.

Meanwhile, the province said its ramping up both its screening and sequencing for variants, and that its part of a national project to share results and best practices.

"As of this week, the majority of samples are being screened" for the U.K. variant, the province said, noting it might screen one positive COVID-19 result from a household with multiple infections, which is standard testing protocol. The province aims to screen for other variants as well.

Manitoba also said that since last March, it has sent samples to be sequenced for "more than 140 COVID outbreaks in diverse settings" such as personal care homes, hospitals, jails and northern communities.

The province selects about five per cent of positive samples to be fully sequenced.

 with files from Larry Kusch and Danielle Da Silva

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Continuing its streak of low numbers of single-day coronavirus cases, India reported 9,309 new infections and 87 deaths in the last 24 hours, second-lowest this year so far, as per the data shared by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) on Friday morning.

The overall tally of Covid cases has mounted to 1,08,80,603 while the toll has reached 1,55,447, health officials said.

The country recorded 9,110 infections, lower than today's figure three days ago on February 9 while it reported 78 deaths on that day. Earlier, the lowest cases of the year were recorded on January 19, when 10,064 new infections were reported.

For over two weeks, the country has recorded less than 15,000 new infections daily. Meanwhile, it's the second instance of recording cases less than 10,000 in 2021 so far. The daily Covid-19 death toll has been below the 200-mark for more than a month now.

The Covid cases active at present are 1,35,926 after 15,858 patients were discharged in a day. 1,05,89,230 persons have been discharged so far.

The recovery rate has increased to 97.32 per cent, while the fatality rate is down to 1.43 per cent.

A total of 20,47,89,784 samples have been tested for Covid-19 up to February 11. Of these, 7,65,944 samples were tested on Thursday, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

More than 7.5 million (75,05,010) doses of corona vaccine doses have been administered in India since the drive began on January 16 after approval for 'Covishield' and 'Covaxin'.

As per the Union Health Ministry, India has become the fastest nation in terms of the vaccine doses administered in the country, even though many countries had launched their vaccination campaigns earlier than her.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text


At that time, I was just getting started in the writing business, working as a clueless reporter for another local newspaper. My beat was the Duneland community near the Indiana Dunes. An editor suggested I interview Harry for a story to advance his writing workshop. Harry was already a local legend and a national treasure with a houseful of writing accolades and literary awards. I was already intimidated before I started researching his decades of work.
MBABANE  There are two available top positions in government which were left vacant after the demise of politicians due to COVID-19-related illnesses and the successors have big shoes to fill.

The late politicians are Minister of Public Service Christian Ntshangase and Minister of Labour and Social Security Makhosi Vilakati, who had implemented projects to better their respective ministries and had others in the pipeline.

The late ministers, who are yet to be replaced, have seen some of the projects through while others are still pending or yet to be implemented.

This leaves the successors of the late ministers with an assignment to either see the already implemented projects through or work on those that need to be implemented.

Ghost

Before he passed away, Ntshangase had three major areas he was dealing with and those are ghost employees, audit of government pool and institutional houses as well as the skills audit within government employees.

In the same month last year, this publication reported that a total of 3 194 civil servants were still not accounted for within the government system yet they appeared on the payroll.

This was revealed by the ministry in its annual performance report for the financial year 2018/19.

Following the findings of the report, Ntshangase instructed all principal secretaries to account for personnel serving in the ministries of government they led.

Following this instruction, the ministry was able to account for 2 804 civil servants in 30 days. The task for the incoming minister is to ensure that the issue of ghost employees does not haunt government again as it is an unnecessary burden on the wage bill.

On the issue of the allocation of both pool and leased government houses, which is the responsibility of the ministry, Parliament issued a motion calling upon Ntshangase, in consultation with the relevant departments, to institute an audit of the houses.

Database

The aim was to create a database of all government institutional and pool houses on a regional basis, make a list of the occupants of these houses against each house and the ministry/department for which the occupants worked and also verify if indeed the occupants of these houses were government employees, and evict those found to be occupying them illegally.

The findings of the audit of government pool and institutional houses pointed out that there were 930 stock of government houses located in the four regions and from the total stock, nine were found to be unallocated because they were unfit for human occupation and needed major renovations.

It was also discovered that 24 of the civil servants were not paying rent and claiming housing allowance illegally while 102 employees were underpaying rent, which resulted in government losing a lot in terms of revenue collections.

The skills audit exercise has been recently launched by the ministry and there is nothing much to report on as far as this aspect is concerned.

What awaits the incoming minister is to first ensure that the issue of ghost employees does not haunt government as it is losing millions due to an overwhelming wage bill.

The minister also has a mandate, with the help of the Attorney Generals office, to continually evict illegal occupants of government houses and further charge them a penalty for their illegal occupation of government houses.

Other projects in the ministry include consolidating commissions into a single body to rationalise government expenditure and improve efficiencies and also to engage public sector associations (PSAs) and other stakeholders to improve relations with public sector employees, Cabinet and principal secretaries to identify areas of concern.

Another one is to prioritise implementation of Management Information Systems for recording government data, strengthen data management and improve data quality.

Meanwhile, there is also a huge task for the next individual who will be appointed to be minister of Labour and Social Security.

This is in respect to the conversion of the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) from a provident fund to a national pension fund.

The ENPF Conversion Bill was once tabled in Parliament by then Minister of Labour and Social Security, the late Winnie Magagula, and after lengthy debates around it, it was eventually withdrawn.

Debate

Vilakati attempted to revive the debate of the Bill and in May 2019, he shared that the bill was with the Labour Advisory Board (LAB), which is a tripartite structure wherein inputs are being made.

He stated that the target was that by the end of the month (May, 2019) it should be presented to Cabinet before being tabled to Parliament. However, nothing came out of it as the Bill is yet to be re-tabled and debated again in Parliament.

During Vilakatis funeral on January 28, 2021, the ENPF announced through its representative that they would honour him by fast-tracking the conversion of the fund into a pension scheme, which would see every worker having pension.

Another project which the ministry is custodian of is the introduction of public works programme: small-scale infrastructure development through labour intensive methods, link to vocational centres for reduced adverse economic impact on citizens, employment generation.

These are some of the projects that the late minister initiated and some of them remain a responsibility for the next minister to carry forward and see them through.
Sen. Hawleys Wife Recalls Protest Outside Her Home: Not Civil Discourse

Erin Hawley, who is married to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), has detailed the frightening night when a band of protestors terrorized her and her newborn baby at home in what was described by the agitators as a peaceful candlelight vigil. Hawley said the night-time residential picketing had crossed the line of being protected by the First Amendment.

The assault on our home, followed by weeks of personal attacks on our family, are not civil discourse, Hawley wrote in an op-ed for Fox News, the first time she has spoken at length about what happened at her Virginia home the evening of Jan. 4.

According to Hawley, she was home alone with her then seven-week-old daughter when the sound of angry voices overwhelmed the TV program she was watching in her basement. She said she walked upstairs to find approximately 20 protestors standing in front of her house, shouting through bullhorns.

I stepped outside, baby in arms, and asked them to leave, saying we had a newborn and neighbors, Hawley wrote. The protesters refused.

Hawley then went back inside to the basement.

Shortly after, she wrote, I heard yelling and pounding and came back upstairs to see at least three large men at my door blocking my entire front porch and shouting Come out, come out into their bullhorns, the mother of three recalled, adding that she was thankful that her two young sons were home in Missouri with their dad that night, because they would have been terrified.

It took 15 minutes for the police to arrive and the protesters remained in the neighborhood for another half of an hour after that. She said the protesters had littered the front lawn with signs and graffitied the sidewalk in front of her house. They had also threatened to return morning, noon, and night.

You can agree or disagree with my husbands politics, Hawley wrote. And protests at office buildings are both appropriate and protected by the First Amendment. But the First Amendment also allows states and local governments to protect their citizens from harassment and to prescribe reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on protest-like events.

The op-ed comes about a week after Hawley filed a criminal complaint against Patrick Young, an activist and member of the group ShutDownDC that organized the Jan. 4 protest.

In an interview with ABC News, Young dismissed the lawsuit as a rich and powerful person harassing a normal person.

The incident prompted Josh Hawley to condemn Antifa scumbags for threatening his family while he was in Missouri. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence, he wrote on Twitter.

Hawley was one of the dozen Senate Republicans who vowed to not sign off on Electoral College votes from states battling election integrity challenges without an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns.

Only six senators, including Hawley and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), eventually cast objections following the violence that unfolded at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Alabama lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to a bill the would shield businesses, health care providers and others from lawsuits from employees and customers who claim they were exposed to COVID-19.

The bill would shield businesses, schools, health care providers, churches and others from lawsuits over COVID-19 exposure and treatment unless the person could prove the entity was acting with reckless or intentional misconduct.

The House of Representatives voted 86-4 for the bill. It now moves to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. Ivey had named the bill  along with a bill to exempt coronavirus relief funds from state sales taxes and a third to renew the states pool of industrial recruitment incentives  as the top priorities for the first two weeks of the legislative session.

Republican Rep. David Faulkner of Mountain Brook said the bill will discourage baseless lawsuits but not protect bad actors who recklessly ignore precautions.

This is going to give the protection to people, to these businesses, to these workers to get back out there without fear of needless lawsuits or really lawsuits that shouldnt be filed, Faulkner said.

Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, said he supports the bill but is concerned the immunity will encourage conspiracy theorists and irresponsible people to continue to disregard COVID-19 precautions. He described how his family was infected because of people repeatedly flouting mask orders.

Families are being impacted, just like mine, Bracy said. We are about to vote to continue to protect them.

Alabama and national politics.
The double dip recession is off... for now.

The GDP figures are in for the final three months of 2020 and the UK economy grew by 1 per cent, according to the ONS, despite widespread expectations that it would shrink again.

This means that even if the latest  and hopefully last  lockdown shrinks the economy in the first quarter of 2021 then we will avoid the dreaded double-dip  as you need two consecutive quarters of negative growth (forgive the economics speak) for a recession.

Of course, we dont know when this lockdown will end or how heavy an impact it will have on the economy, so what happens in the first half of 2021 is up in the air.

But why didnt GDP fall in the final stretch of last year, is there any way we could we claw our way to growth in the first chunk of this year, and how bad was the coronavirus year of 2020 for the UK?

The health sector was a a big contributor to growth in the last quarter of 2020 after being involved with running coronavirus testing and tracing schemes across the UK

On this weeks podcast, Georgie Frost, George Nixon and Simon Lambert dive into the GDP numbers to take a look at what this all means.

Also on the show, are we finally going to see an end to the scam refund lottery from banks for those conned into sending money to fraudsters? George explains what people need to know about that and also the issue of disabled children child trust funds.

Plus, why has Tesla bought bitcoin, what does it mean and what on earth is Elon Musk playing at with his crypto tweets at the moment?

And finally, should you head for Oxbury Bank  the farmer-focussed lender with a new top savings rate?
The Emergency made a hero out of George Fernandes. Shackled but defiant, holding aloft the chains that bound him in captivity, he became the symbol of resistance of the free and indomitable human spirit that does not yield to dictators and autocrats.

George Fernandes, was perhaps one minority political figure in recent times whose minority status never cropped up in the context of his career in politics and power. He needed no introduction other than being himself. Which religious community did he belong to, what was his caste, where did he come from, the highly caste ridden and sectarian constituency of Muzaffarpur in Bihar did not ask him these questions before voting him to the Lok Sabha?

Since George Fernandes did not live off politics but he lived for politics, totally unrelated people contributed money and resources to get him elected while the man himself was incarcerated. He was such a simple man; his needs were meagre and even his elevation to the cabinet did not alter his life style.

He was a heroic figure hence tragic betrayal at the hands of those who stood deeply indebted to him was very much in keeping with the traditional fate of a hero. A man who created a party, cemented and sustained a durable political alliance and nurtured leaders, was ultimately betrayed by those who benefited from him the most. The giant killer and seven-time parliamentarian was made to taste defeat due to the machination of friends and disciples. The grateful had their revenge. He never recovered from the ignominy of his drubbing and gradually slipped into Alzheimers leading to complete dissolution of identity. He was lost to himself a long time ago. On January 29, he was lost to the world.

Adieu George!

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Pataliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
PEOPLE

BlueHalo brings aboard new COO

BlueHalo, a private equity-backed defense technology services company unveiled last year, has hired a new chief operating officer in nearly two-decade market veteran Katie Selbe.

She will be responsible for day-to-day program execution and organic growth across the company, BlueHalo said Thursday.

Most recently, Selbe was a senior vice president and general manager at Alion Science and Technology. She is also a 15-year veteran of Northrop Grumman.

Private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners created BlueHalo through a combination of five other companies, starting with the initial backing of Aegis Technologies in October 2019.

Four more deals last year led to the launch of BlueHalo under its current identity, which was followed by two additional acquisitions at the end of last year.

BlueHalo expected to end 2020 with roughly $250 million in revenue and nearly 900 employees.

Woodbine Mohawk Park has released the sign-up links for next weeks training days and issued a reminder of COVID-19 prevention protocols to all horsepeople.

Training will take place Tuesday (Feb. 16), Friday (Feb. 19) and Saturday (Feb. 20) of next week at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Each day is split into two sessions with 40 spots open in each session. Trainers are limited to bringing in five horses per day. Sign-up opens Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Here are the sign-up links for each day:

Woodbine Mohawk Park would also like to remind all horsepeople of several COVID-19 prevention protocols.

Any horseperson that has been outside of Ontario must provide the Director of Racing (Bill McLinchey, [email protected]) with proof of their return date and be in Ontario for 14 days before coming to Woodbine Mohawk Park for training, qualifying or live racing. Any individual outside of Ontario must also provide a negative COVID-19 test taken 10 days into their quarantine.

All horsepeople are to complete Woodbines daily COVID-19 screening questionnaire before each visit to Woodbine Mohawk Park. The screening questionnaire can be found at www.Woodbine.com/Mohawk/Horsepeople.

All horsepeople must wear an approved face mask at all times while on the Woodbine Mohawk Park property. Bandanas and balaclavas are no longer permitted as face coverings, unless worn over an approved face mask.

N95 face masks that have been properly fitted prior to use

Disposable surgical / non-surgical face masks

Custom re-usable face masks that cover both the mouth and nose

(Woodbine)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - World Copper Ltd. (TSXV: WCU) ("World Copper") announces the appointment of Timothy McCutcheon as a director the Company effective February 12, 2021. Mr. McCutcheon replaces Stuart Ross on the board of directors and the Company wishes to thank Mr. Ross for his invaluable contributions during the listing process.

Mr. McCutcheon is a corporate mining executive and capital markets professional with over 25 years business experience. He was a Thompson Extel and Institutional Investor ranked metals and mining analyst for one of Europe's largest brokerage firms. He was also a founder of DBM Capital Partners, a boutique mining resource merchant bank focused on Eurasian projects. Mr. McCutcheon has led several public Emerging Market natural resource companies with assets in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia, Mali, Chile and Ghana.

Mr. McCutcheon attended Columbia University and graduated with BA and MBA degrees.

ABOUT WORLD COPPER LTD.

World Copper Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is a Canadian resource company focused the exploration and development of its two primary copper porphyry projects, Cristal and Escalones, both located in Chile. World Copper has laid claim to five copper porphyry targets, one with estimated resources and significant soluble copper mineralization.

The Escalones porphyry-skarn copper-gold project has estimated resources of 185 million tonnes of 0.33% copper (0.37% CuEq) Indicated and 254 million tonnes of 0.39% copper (0.43% CuEq) Inferred, based on nearly 25,000m of drill core from 53 holes. In addition, three significant hydrothermal alteration zones, each measuring between 2,000m and 3,000m in diameter, lie 5-10km to the north of the main discovery.

Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability as there is no certainty that all or any part of the resources will be converted into reserves. Inferred resources are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. It is reasonably expected that the inferred resources could be upgraded to indicated resources with continued exploration.

Cristal is in a prospective porphyry copper belt and with high potential for additional large porphyry discoveries, and the World Copper team has long been involved in the Chilean lithium space and as such has a unique skill in navigating the mining sector within the country.

Detailed information is available at the Company's website at www.worldcopperltd.com, and for general Company updates please follow us on our social media pages via Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's website. To view the Company's Canadian regulatory filings, please visit SEDAR.

Qualified Person

John Drobe, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Drobe is not independent of the Company as he is a consultant of World Copper.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

WORLD COPPER LTD.

"Hendrik van Alphen"

Hendrik van Alphen

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Henk van Alphen or Michael Pound

Phone: 604-638-3665

E-mail: info@worldcopperltd.com

Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news 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, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements with respect to anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of World Copper are forward-looking statements. Although World Copper believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, World Copper has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation" market fundamentals will result in sustained copper demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of World Copper's Chilean projects in a timely manner, including the Escalones Project and the Cristal Project, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of World Copper's projects and its ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of World Copper to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development activities, actual results of exploration activities, including on the Escalones Project and the Cristal Project, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the fact that World Copper's interests in the Cristal Project and the Escalones exploitation concessions are options only and there is no guarantee that such interests, if earned, will be certain, the timing and amount of estimated future production, the costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, requirements for additional capital, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in future financings, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on World Copper's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of World Copper to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in World Copper's continuous disclosure documents. All of World Copper's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the Escalones Technical Report and the technical report on the Cristal Project, when filed.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. World Copper does not undertake any 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/74386
LEBANON, Ore.-- Lebanon Community Schools will start in-person learning for K through 8 students on March 8th.

Bo Yates, superintendent, told the school board during their meeting Thursday night, elementary school students will be fully in-person five days a week. Middle school students will transition to a hybrid model. He also said high school students will transition into a hybrid learning the following week.

Yates said by that date most staff members will have the second dose of the COVID-19 and they will also have ample amount of time to prepare their classrooms for students. He acknowledge the district meets all of the Oregon Department of Educating metrics to transition students back to in-person learning. Yates also addressed the frustration parents were having of the last few weeks about the confusion of when doors would open for their children.

"I had some really passionate emails and calls," Yates said. "I do want to apologize to all of the parents out there that made plans and they got their kids ready to go and things kept slipping further."

RELATED: LEBANON PARENTS RALLY TO GET CHILDREN BACK IN SCHOOLS
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
MUMBAI : Lufthansa has terminated the services of 103 India-based flight attendants after they allegedly sought "job assurance" from the management while the German airlines group had offered them leave without pay option for two years,sources close to the developments said.

These employees had been working on a fixed-term contract with the airline and some of them were with the carrier for more than 15 years, the sources added.

In a statement to PTI, a Lufthansa spokesperson said that severe financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic leaves it with no choice but to restructure the airline and as part of that "it will not be extending the fixed-term employment contracts of its Delhi-based flight attendants".

However, Lufthansa did not provide details on the number of flight attendants who have been terminated.

According to the spokesperson, Indian cabin crew with unlimited contracts remain unaffected from restructuring as it "was able to reach individual agreements with these flight attendants".

"Lufthansa regrets to confirm that it will not be extending the fixed-term employment contracts of its Delhi-based flight attendants. The severe financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic leaves Lufthansa no choice but to restructure the airline. This includes personnel-related measures in Germany and Europe as well as in key international markets like India," the statement said.

Given our current cash burn of several hundred million euros every month, Lufthansa  like all airlines worldwide  must take steps to secure its future, it said, adding that "since we must plan with 150 fewer aircraft in the long run (by 2025) it follows that required cabin staff in all our markets is also affected."

Even now, the statement said that low demand for international air travel resulting particularly from government restrictions leaves cabin staff with little or no work left to do.

"We exhausted every possible option and had even already reached an agreement with the Indian union we were in close consultation at all times. It would have avoided compulsory redundancies for our cabin staff.

"We had signed an agreement with the Indian union providing for two years of unpaid leave, with Lufthansa continuing to provide the local health insurance  even for enrolled family members," the statement said.

Further, Lufthansa said it was willing to "absorb" all associated premiums during this period but "unfortunately, consent to the agreement was revoked by the union on December 31.

The sources, however, alleged that Lufthansa terminated the services of 103 Delhi-based flight attendants on fixed-term contracts overnight, without serving any prior notice to them, citing the coronavirus pandemic.

"These terminations happened overnight without giving any prior notice. Some of these terminated people had been employed for nearly 15 years... The management had wanted us to proceed on leave without pay for two years. We had agreed for it but wanted job assurance after the completion of the LWP period," as per the sources.

According to Lufthansa's statement, not being able to reach an agreement for cabin crew with fixed-term employment contracts has forced it to take this step as part of an inevitable restructuring of Lufthansa Group.

"It should be noted that this restructuring is not limited to India but affects all our worldwide markets and to a great extent includes our home markets, especially Germany. However, there we were able to reach initial agreements with unions to help weather the crisis," the statement said.

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With committee members garnishing vote totals based on the number of votes cast in their ward for the senate seat in the November election, Simmons garnered just over 75% of the vote to fill Steans seat. The remainder of the vote went to Rep. Kelly Cassidy, whose house district makes up half of the senate district and who held about 22% of the weighted vote. Cassidy worked closely with Steans and had declared her interest in the position early on.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - With the states deadline on police reform looming, the citys Police Reform Task Force is finalizing dozens of recommendations for City Council approval that will include an independent review board, more training and a commitment to de-escalation policies.

Jason Golub, co-chair of the task force, said the recommendations forged as part of the citys effort to comply with Gov. Andrew Cuomos executive order 203, are focused on cultivating trust, transparency and accountability to improve city policing.

He admits some recommendations will take time and money, but Golub is hopeful that the City Council will adopt them by the state's April 1 deadline.

I think we have come to a good place with our recommendations, Golub said. But to me, the rubber hits the road with how we implement things. We need the City Council to fairly evaluate and accept some or all of our recommendations and then we can plan with the community to implement them.

The 13-member task force has met for eight months. It had a rocky start with angry activists wanting answers on what happened on July 30 when Black Lives Matter protesters on Broadway were shot with pepper spray pellets by Saratoga County sheriffs deputies. The citizen outrage led the panel's mayor-appointed chair, City Attorney Vincent DeLeonardis, to step down from the leadership position. Thats when Golub and Camille Daniels, who are both Black, were named co-chairs.

Under their guidance, the group broke up into 12 committees focused on topics such as the use of force, police culture, control devices, community policing and training. Golub is pleased with the process.

I looked at how other cities have fared and it feels like we have worked substantively," Golub said. "But this is the first step in a longer conversation.

One of the many recommendations involves an independent review board. This is especially important, Golub said, in controversial cases such as that of Darryl Mount, Jr., the 21-year-old mixed-race man who fell into a coma and died after police pursued him in 2013.

Having the capability to independently review significant matters is important for community trust, transparency and accountability, Golub said. If trust has been frayed, as it has been in the Darryl Mount case, what can we do looking forward to ensure public trust in the process? We will recommend an independent review capability outside of the chain of command.

An independent body reviewing police practice would also have helped unwind the pepper spray chaos that unfolded on July 30, he said.

There should have been a process to review what happened and remediate it and ensure it wont happen again, Golub said. This goes back to trust and transparency.

Alexis Figuereo, an advocate for racial justice who is a member of the organization All of Us, said he believes that the task force is trying to do the right thing, but he doesnt have faith that the City Council will adopt all of the recommendations, especially an independent review board, which Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton has said she opposes.

I would be completely surprised if [City Council] adopted all the measures, Figuereo said. They will have to get past Robin Dalton and (Mayor) Meg Kelly first. Beyond independent reviews, Golub said the task force will also make recommendations on use-of-force policies.

Our recommendation is there should be a lot more language around de-escalation, he said. The policy is to reflect what the culture looks like. If a new police officer comes to the force and sees emphasis on de-escalation in the policy, then that informs the culture.

Golub also said there is the issue of bias. He says all people have biases, but the problem is that from the police force's point of view, if the department admits to bias, it admits to racism. While there is no data-driven evidence, which he said is necessary to collect, he said residents have told anecdotal stories about police racial profiling.

"The culture needs to shift," he said. The police do a lot of good in the community, but that gets lost and their backs go up. That is not the goal.

As the task force nears the completion of its work, the group is making one last effort to get public input with a survey that is available on the citys website or at TogaTF.com. Those who go to TogaTF.com do not have to provide an email, as they would on the city website. The deadline to complete the survey is Feb. 28.

Golub said the important thing is that a dialogue has begun between police and the community.

More Information Saratoga Springs Police Reform Task Force members: Camille Daniels, co-chair

Jason Golub, co-chair

Steven Boxley

Chuck Caputo, Saratoga Pride

Shane Crooks, Chief of Police

Kristen Dart

Vince DeLeonardis, city attorney

Terry Diggory, Saratoga Immigration Coalition

Kimberly A. Galvin

Winston Grady-Willis, Skidmore College

Daesha Harris, MLK Saratoga

Cecilia Hayes

Andrew Sephas



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We are trying to make impactful changes, Golub said. In order to make impactful change you have to have everyone involved at the table and involved in the change.  When you come to the table, we can compromise. The point is to make positive change in our community. That is where I hope we end up.
On February 5, historian Joseph Scalice published an opinion piece in Rappler, a major daily news publication in the Philippines, examining the political lessons of the fiftieth anniversary of the event known as the Diliman Commune. The World Socialist Web Site republished the statement on February 8.

Dr. Scalices article exposed the role played by the Stalinist Communist Party of the Philippines in channeling the mass unrest of the early 1970s behind the interests of a faction of the ruling elite in the name of the program of national democracy. He was writing in response to a Rappler comment based on the standard left narrative of the Commune which has focused on its supposed spontaneous, isolated and victorious character. Scalice revealed these to be myths, adding: As is always the case, the glorification of spontaneity serves to cover up the historical betrayals of leadership.

The upholders of the Stalinist perspective of national democracy responded to Scalices article with slander and ad hominem attacks. On February 6, Scalice published a response to these attacks on his Facebook page, which the WSWS is republishing below.

What my Rappler editorial on the Diliman Commune exposed was the unserious character of the historical celebrations conducted by the national democratic movement. No one has yet responded seriously to my arguments that the barricades were not spontaneous but rather were planned, that they were not limited to Diliman, and that they ended in defeat.

Over the course of the first nine days of February 1971, students at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman erected barricades around their campus, fought off repeated attempts by the military to tear the barricades down, and took control of the university.

Rather we find that the sole engagement with my scholarship by representatives of national democracy is ad hominem dismissal. E. San Juan Jr., emeritus professor of English, Ethnic Studies, and Comp Lit at several US universities, exemplified this scholarly dishonesty and unseriousness when he wrote today, This Trot may just be using this occasion to attract attention; just ignore unless he has a huge following; Trots are incorrigible wreckers since Trotsky himself bred sour grapes.

Orly Putong, one of the authors of a Rappler article on the Commune to which my editorial responded, wrote: Trotskyites like Scalice are nothing more than pseudo-revolutionaries who spend more time slandering genuine activism than actually participating in the mass movement. They are appendage [sic] of imperialism that aims to spread poison and confusion in a surging mass movement. Their permanent revolution is nothing more than a pipe dream.

Scalice tries so hard to present himself as an expert in the history of the Philippine mass movement, but his only expertise are [sic] historical revisionism and intrigue.

In the time of intense fascism, it also crucial [sic] to expose sham intellectuals who dupe and confuse the people.

It is only possible to formulate a political program capable of defending the working class against the imminent threat of dictatorship by a careful and honest examination of history. Neither the CPP nor the national democratic movement has any concern for historical truth.

When I spoke last year on the CPPs support for Duterte in 2016, Sison lied through his teeth to cover up the role played by the party. He denied that the party had ever supported Duterte and slandered me as a CIA agent and a paid informant for the Duterte deathsquads. Now, again, we see that the representatives of the perspective of national democracy are unconcerned with facts and instead resort to slander and ad hominem attacks.

The membership of the national democratic movement followed suit. I have today on Twitter been repeatedly racially attacked, been told, know your damn place, honky, accused of whitesplaining, and called an opportunistic son of a bitch. This is deeply reactionary, racist language. They are making no attempt to deal with arguments or evidence; they attempt to dismiss me with ad hominems.

To maintain the myth of the isolated and spontaneous Diliman Commune in the face of the evidence which I provided in my 2018 Philippine Studies article requires an act of scholarly dishonesty, falsifying the historical record.

Six students and youth died on the barricades in the University Belt from February 1 to 9. Among the killed were Danilo Rabaja, 19, of the Philippine College of Commerce; Renato Abrenica, 24, of UST; Roberto Tolosa, a 12-year-old sweepstakes ticket vendor shot in the back by the police; and Fernando Duque, 19, a UST student.

Pastor Mesina, who was shot at UP Diliman, is commemorated at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani [Monument of Heroes, a wall of remembrance honoring the victims of the Marcos regime]. The names and memories of the dead from downtown were politically inconvenient; they were deliberately forgotten in service to the construction of the narrative of the spontaneous and victorious commune.

The barricades of Los Banos and the University Belt were erected simultaneously with those of Diliman. They lasted until February 9 when they were taken down in a coordinated fashion as a result of centralized instructions. They achieved no gains, they split the jeepney driver strike, and they cost the Diliman radicals the 1971 campus elections. They did nothing to direct student anger behind an independent political program of the working class capable of preventing the emergence of dictatorship. Rather, within months, the KM and SDK instructed their membership to enter into conservative organizations such as the Lions Club, the Jaycees, fraternities, and religious groups, to campaign for the Liberal Party in the November election.

None of the historical scholars celebrating the commune have engaged with this material. They are not obligated to agree with my arguments but they must deal with the evidence.

A serious scholarly response would begin something like this: Scalice has brought forward important new evidence that requires a re-examination of our understanding of the Commune. This is what we constructively learn from his scholarship In the end, we disagree with his conclusions for these reasons

This is not the case. Their conduct reveals a tendentious and frankly dishonest approach.

If you are on the fence about the possibility of reforming the national democratic movement and working within it to defend democracy, pay careful attention to the manner in which they deal with their own history. The honest assessment of history is the bedrock of revolutionary politics. Falsifications and slander, on the other hand, are the primary weapons of Stalinism.

Kathmandu, Feb 11 (UNI) The Nepal Communist Party (NCP)'s Dahal-Nepal faction has demanded the immediate release of leader Ram Kumari Jhakri, who was arrested earlier on Thursday.

Ram Kumari Jhakri, a leader of Dahal-Nepal faction of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), was arrested for her comments on Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

Charges against Jhakri includes Clause 58 of 'The National Penal (Code) Act, 2017' that relates to the Prohibition of Intimidation of President or Parliament.

Jhakri was summoned by Nepal Police for questioning regarding her recent comments on President Bidya Devi Bhandari today and was taken into custody.

The Pushpa Kamal Dahal - Madhav Nepal faction has said that the state is being 'vindictive' by charging Jhakri for a crime against the state simply on the basis of a political statement, it condemned her arrest and demanded her immediate release.

As per a report by Himalayan Times, Nepali Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa had proded the Nepal Police chief to take Jhakri into custody.

Jhakri had on Wednesday appeared on the stage of a mass gathering of Dahal-Nepal faction in Bhrikutimandap with her mouth taped, as a mark of protest.

Jhakri has been accused by the police of resorting to character assassination of Nepali President Bhandari during her recent speech in Gorkha district.

The All Nepal Women's Association had handed over a memo to Prime Minister KP Sharma 'Oli' and Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa demanding action against her for her comments on the President. The Association claimed that Jhakri's comments were disrespectful of all single women across the country.

Under Clause 58 (2), under which Jhakri has been charged if the charges are proven she could be jailed up to seven years or fined up to Rs 70,000, or both.

UNI XC-RKM RHK1732
During the third day of former President Donald Trump's second trial, House Democrats in the Senate argued that his acquittal would raise the potential for him to incite violence again in the future.

According to The Hill, Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead manager, argued that Trump's pattern of incitement, which Democrats say led a mob to attack the Capitol on January 6, would resume if he were to become president again.

"My dear colleagues, is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he is ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, would stop inciting violence to get his way?... Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that? Would you bet the safety of your family on that? Would you bet the future of your democracy on that?" Raskin asked.

On Thursday, the final day of their arguments, the managers highlighted how, throughout his presidency, Trump repeatedly sided with or was slow to condemn violent actors like now-Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, who body-slammed a reporter while running for the House in 2017, or protesters who stormed the Michigan state Capitol to oppose a stay-at-home order last year, The Hill reported.

They further claimed that the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6 in an attempt to stop Congress from ratifying President Joe Biden's election victory believed he backed halting the proceedings by force.

"We humbly, humbly, ask you to convict President Trump for the crime for which he is overwhelmingly guilty of. Because if you don't, if we pretend this didn't happen, or worse, if we let it go unanswered, who's to say it won't happen again?" said House manager Joe Neguse in his closing remarks.

Meanwhile, Representative Ted Lieu rejected the argument from Trump's lawyers and allies that Democrats want to impeach him because they want to shut down a political opponent and don't want to compete against him in another election.

"You know, I'm not afraid of running again in four years. I'm afraid he's going to run again and lose, because he can do this again," Lieu said.

As the impeachment trial began its third day, Senate Republicans say that Trump's impeachment trial could conclude as soon as Saturday, reported The Hill.

"Saturday is looking better all the time, I would think, for a final vote," said Senator Roy Blunt, a member of GOP leadership, told reporters.

Trump is undergoing the trial for his role in inciting the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol last week. However, the upper chamber in the Congress is unlikely to secure the two-thirds majority necessary to convict Trump that would bar him from holding office again.

However, only six Republicans voted that the trial itself was constitutional earlier this year. The Senate determined on Tuesday on a 56-to-44 vote that it has jurisdiction to try former the president.

Trump's lawyers have urged the Senate to dismiss as unconstitutional and "self-evidently wrong" allegations that their client had a role in the attack on the Capitol by his loyalists who sought to prevent the congressional certification of his loss to Joe Biden.

(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.)
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. 1 new case of COVID-19 has been detected in Artsakh in the past one day, the healthcare ministry reported.

58 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the Republic on February 11.

Currently, 5 COVID-19 infected patients receive treatment in hospitals. The remaining confirmed cases receive treatment at home.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Artsakh is 2370.

The ministry again urged the citizens to follow all the rules to prevent the spread of the disease.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan


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On today's episode of public figures realizing their actions gasp have consequences, Gina Carano, a.k.a. Cara Dune on Disney+'s The Mandalorian has been fired from LucasFilm after sharing a post on her Instagram story comparing the treatment of Jewish people during World War II to the way Republicans are regarded in the United States. Yikes. Although removed by either Instagram's 24-hour story time limits or some crumb of retroactive self-awareness, the post has been immortalized on Twitter, as calls mounted for her to be axed from the hit Star Wars series under the hashtag #FireGinaCarano.

Amid this blowback, Lucasfilm, the Disney-owned production company behind the famed series, issued a statement on the matter, discussing the status of her employment and condemning her offensive language. "Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future," the statement read. "her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable."

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However, that's only the tip of the iceberg. From a canceled spinoff to her long-running tension with Lucasfilm, here are the three strangest overlooked details from the whole debacle.

1. Carano had previously made some cringe-worthy comments about the 2020 election, public health guidelines, and baseless conspiracy movements.

Apparently spewing unfounded nonsense surrounding America's democratic process isn't reserved for famously flatulent Borat 2 star, Rudy Giuliani. In the days following Joe Biden's win, which fairly cemented him as the 46th president of the United States, Carano took to Twitter with a statement questioning the validity of the election. "We need to clean up the election process so we are not left feeling the way we do today," Carano wrote two days after last November's presidential election. "Put laws in place that protect us against voter fraud. Investigate every state. Film the counting. Flush out the fake votes. Require ID. Make Voter Fraud end in 2020. Fix the system," she continued, adding an American flag emoji.

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Fans seemingly weren't too pleased to learn Carano's views on the matter, taking to the platform to share their disappointment with the star.

"You went from a strong woman I wanted to see more of in Star Wars and life, to a crazed, hateful fearmonger in the span of 6 months," user @flopcardboard replied. "I feel so sad for you and what you could have had, but you chose to ignore compassion and humanity."

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"So you're not just an idiot racist you're also completely uninformed," added @tomofromearth "Got it. Everything your dumb ass just listed already happens. Fascism lost. Again. Let it go baby. Let it go."
Researchers at EMBL Heidelberg have identified sequences in human proteins that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells. They have discovered that the virus might hijack certain cellular processes, and they discuss potentially relevant drugs for treating COVID-19.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was established that SARS-CoV-2 infects cells by binding to the human protein ACE2, which plays a role in regulating blood pressure. But ACE2 is almost absent in human lung cells, so how can the lungs be one of the most affected organs in COVID-19? This gave researchers a hint that ACE2 might be more than just a blood pressure regulator, and might not be the only player in the SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanism.

EMBL's Gibson team, in collaboration with Lucia Chemes at Universidad Nacional de San Martin in Buenos Aires and partners from Merck KGaA Darmstadt and University College Dublin, analyzed sequences of ACE2 and other human proteins involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as a class of proteins called integrins.

They focused on short strings of amino acids called short linear motifs (SLiMs), which are involved in transmitting information between the inside and outside of cells. Quick identification and comparison of SLiMs was possible thanks to the Eukaryotic Linear Motif (ELM) resource, the largest curated SLiMs database, which the team and collaborators have been developing for 20 years.

They saw that ACE2 and several integrins contain SLiMs that are probably involved in endocytosis and autophagy - cellular processes of uptake and disposal of substances, respectively. This result suggests previously unknown roles of ACE2 and integrins in cell physiology. "If SARS-CoV-2 targets proteins involved in endocytosis and autophagy, it means these processes might be hijacked by the virus during infection," says Balint Meszaros, a postdoc in the Gibson team and the first author of the study.

Several findings were experimentally verified by Ylva Ivarsson and her group at Uppsala University in Sweden. They confirmed the predicted protein interactions, and verified that these interactions are regulated by the naturally occurring addition of ions containing phosphorus.

Ylva Ivarsson was the best person we knew of to test these predictions. We were delighted she agreed to join this project." Toby Gibson, EMBL Team Leader

Ylva Ivarsson is equally enthusiastic. "Switching our work to SARS-CoV-2-related research helped us keep the spirit up in the lab during the pandemic," she adds.

Potential drugs for COVID-19

The findings might lead to new therapeutic approaches for COVID-19. "SLiMs could 'switch' to turn viral entry signals on or off. This means that if we can find a way to reverse these switches using drugs, this might stop coronavirus from entering cells," says senior author Lucia Chemes.

Together with a collaborator from Merck KGaA Darmstadt, the team gathered a list of existing drugs that interfere with endocytosis and autophagy. The list includes some surprising candidates, such as the antipsychotic chlorpromazine. "If clinical trials prove some of these drugs to work against COVID-19, this could be a game changer," says Manjeet Kumar, a bioinformatics scientist in the Gibson team and a senior author in the study.

Highlights, challenges, and collaboration during the pandemic

This research was initiated at the beginning of the first lockdown in Germany in spring 2020. The project was an opportunity to strengthen relations between scientists across continents. "Toby and I have had a collaboration since 2012, when Argentina became an associate member of EMBL. Our previous experience enabled us now to work together on SARS-CoV-2," says Lucia Chemes.

Working under lockdown conditions was not always easy. For example, one of the co-authors of the study, Elizabeth Martinez Perez from Leloir Institute in Argentina, was unable to return from her secondment in the Gibson team at EMBL Heidelberg.

At the same time, Manjeet Kumar had to adjust to working from home when his children were around. "I got kind support from our landlady to work in the attic of the building, though the internet signal wasn't reaching there! Eventually I bought a 35 meter internet cable and connected it to the attic. Once this was set, I got momentum in the project," he recalls.

For many, working on SARS-CoV-2 research was an inspiring experience. "We wanted to contribute to combating COVID-19. This gave us a common aim," says Toby Gibson. Balint Meszaros agrees. "It's strange, thrilling, and a bit unsettling breaking new ground in the COVID-19 field," he says. "As researchers we're enthusiastic about figuring out bits of the biology, but at the same time we're thoroughly excited to work on such an important topic."
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) building in Washington, on Jan. 28, 2021. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

An Election, a Mine Deal, and China Loom Over Zambias IMF Talks

JOHANNESBURGZambia and the International Monetary Fund begin discussing a loan program and debt relief for Africas first pandemic-era sovereign default on Thursday, with a controversial mining deal, an election, and a mountain of debt to China looming over the talks.

Several African nations are reeling under precarious debt burdens that worsened during the pandemic, and the southern African copper producer is viewed by many as a complex test case for international efforts to tackle the looming crisis.

An IMF team will hold virtual meetings with Zambian officials over three weeks after Lusaka requested in December a program with the Fund and in January debt relief under a new common framework by the Group of 20 major economies, designed to help the worlds poorest countries tackle their debt burden.

Together with Zambia and the World Bank, the IMF will draft a debt sustainability analysis that will form the basis for both.

Zambias debt had been considered unsustainable before the pandemic struck, and missing a coupon payment on a dollar bond in November tipped it officially into default.

While the framework principles have been agreed, the exact process and many details have yet to be hammered out.

Holders of Zambias $3 billion worth of Eurobonds accept that they will face a write down, but they want a seat at the table.

We  have no clarity on how they intend to treat bilateral creditors, especially China, said Kevin Daly of Aberdeen Standard Investments, a member of the creditor group.

Zambia owes around $3 billion to Chinese entities. Private creditors have blamed a lack of transparency regarding that debt for hampering talks with the government.

Beijing regularly offers debt reprofiling when borrowers have trouble paying. However, Zambias woes might require more than extending payment periods, and it is unclear if China is ready to share the pain.

Beijing is likely to only accept nominal haircuts on its claims if they are reciprocated in at least as favorable terms by private-sector creditors, said Mark Bohlund, senior credit research analyst at Redd Intelligence.

After years of strained relations, Zambia says it wants to work with the IMF to get its debt under control. But program conditions are expected to be unpopular domestically and test the resolve of President Edgar Lungu ahead of elections in August.

The recent purchase of the Mopani Copper Mines by state mining investment firm ZCCM-IHfor many an early sign of electioneeringwill complicate IMF talks, say analysts.

Glencore had planned to temporarily shutter Mopani due to depressed copper prices, a move that ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Mabvuto Chipata said would have put 16,000 jobs at risk.

Glencore declined a Reuters request for comment but said Mopanis total workforce totaled just under 10,000, including both company employees and contractors.

Chipata told Reuters the $1.5 billion in debt taken on for the transaction would be paid off using the mines output and not added to Zambias liabilities.

The IMF is unlikely to see it that way, said Grieve Chelwa, an economist with The New School in New York.

Even though its sitting on Mopanis balance sheet  ultimately the Zambian government is liable, he said. Is this going to affect the talks? I suspect so. Its a big deal.

By Joe Bavier and Karin Strohecker
Mumbai: Superstar Salman Khan has thanked his fans for their continued love and support, hours after a Jodhpur court dismissed Rajasthan governments plea against him for submitting a false affidavit regarding his arms licence. Taking to Twitter on Thursday night, Khan tweeted, To all my fans, thank you for your love support and concern. Take care of yourself and your family. God bless and love you too. The matter is linked to a case against Khan under the Arms Act, in which the actor had been accused of keeping arms with an expired licence and using these for poaching.

Khan was present in the court through video conferencing, when district and sessions Judge Raghvendra Kachhwal pronounced the order, acquitting him of the charge on Thursday. This is the second time the Bharat star has been freed from the allegation.

Earlier, the court of the chief judicial magistrate had also absolved him of the charge, after which the state had challenged the decision in the district and sessions court. Khan had filed the affidavit in the court in 2003 stating that he had lost his arms licence. The public prosecutor contended that it was an act of misleading the court purposefully stating that Khan knew that his licence was not lost, but Judge Kachhwal rejected his arguments and provided relief to Khan by absolving him of the allegation.
A trio of Democratic state senators announced Thursday that they will introduce legislation to create an independent public advocate office that would have investigative and legal powers to help protect vulnerable populations of New Jersey residents.

The mission of the office would be to protect the safety and rights of vulnerable populations in state and county correctional facilities, veterans homes, psychiatric hospitals, developmental centers, community-based programs and under state guardianship, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, and Sens. Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, and Nellie Pou, D-Passaic said in the announcement.

The legislation comes on the heels of an ongoing criminal investigation by the state Attorney Generals office into allegations of abuse at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in January, as well as New Jersey nursing homes being devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

In introducing the legislation, the senators said they hope it will give the states most vulnerable a voice, while holding officials accountable.

We need a truly independent public advocate to protect the most vulnerable, and we need broad-based community advisory boards at each institution to provide oversight and advocate for those who cannot effectively advocate for themselves, Weinberg said.

The legislation would give the public advocate broad investigatory powers, the ability to enter institutions at any time and meet with staff and inmates or residents, and the ability to file lawsuits if corrective actions are not undertaken, the lawmakers said.

New Jersey has not had a public advocate office since former Gov. Chris Christie eliminated the position in 2010.

Under the proposed legislation, the office of the public advocate would not report to the governor, unlike in the past, the lawmakers said Thursday. The senators said they are working with the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services to make sure the office remains independent, similar to the State Auditor or the State Commission of Investigation.

One thing weve learned from past experience is that the public advocate cannot report to the governor or another Cabinet official, Sen. Weinberg said. The new agency must be truly independent to be effective  and to survive.

The bill would also require the establishment of community advisory boards to provide oversight of each state and county institution. The advisory boards would hold quarterly meetings with administrators to discuss ongoing issues, the lawmakers said.

The lawmakers said the boards would consist of advocates, experts, family members, former inmates or residents, union or staff representatives, and community leaders who know what is happening in these institutions.

If we had such a board at the Paramus Veterans Home, we would have known about the pandemic sweeping through the facility much sooner, Sen. Greenstein said of the nursing home where dozens of veterans have died.

Gov. Phil Murphys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com.

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There has been a new locally-acquired case reported on the first day of a five-day lockdown in Victoria, as seven new high-risk coronavirus exposure sites were identified by health authorities overnight.

It comes as The Age revealed the returned traveller blamed for spreading coronavirus inside the hotel using a nebuliser says he was twice given permission from Victorian health authorities to use the medical device.

The new case comes after more 20,000 test results were processed on Friday.

The seven new exposure sites published by the Health Department overnight include train lines and venues in the citys south and north:
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NEWS PROVIDED BY

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

Feb. 12, 2021



NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on media coverage of the death of Larry Flynt:

The Associated Press, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times label porn king Larry Flynt a "free-speech champion." Reuters, USNews and Yahoo remember him as a "free-speech activist." They are wrong. Flynt, who died at 78, was no friend of free speech.

Freedom of speech, which is enshrined in the First Amendment, was never meant by the Founders to be an end in itself. It was meant to be a means to an end, the end being the good society. Without robust political speech, where different points of view could be weighed, the prospects of achieving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness would be diminished. Flynt spent his entire life exploiting free speech, not exercising it.

Madison, who wrote the First Amendment, would not regard Flynt as a free speech hero. He wisely observed that "liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as the abuses of power." Flynt was a master of abusing liberty.

The prospects for the good society are not advanced when naked women are depicted upside down being shoved into a meat grinder. Flynt's pride and joy, Hustler, opined, "Prime. Last All Meat Issue. Grade 'A' Pink."

Hustler went beyond its porn competitors by offering the most dehumanizing photos imaginable, including botched abortions. The New York Times offers many examples.

Pictures of women being raped and tortured, being subjected to bestiality, nailed to a cross, bagged like a deer and bound to a luggage rackthese were all featured in Hustler. The editors knew what they were doing. Showing women crawling at the end of a leash sent an unmistakable message to sick men. To put on its cover a photo of a woman's head in a gift box is not a demonstration of free speech; rather, it is an example of its perversion.

Flynt was not only the enemy of womenhe was the enemy of children. Barely Legal is one of his porn sites that appeals to disturbed men. He even had a character, "Chester the Molester," who regularly appeared in Hustler cartoons as a pedophile.

What is striking about all the pundits celebrating the free-speech heroics of Flynt is that it is occurring at the same time that his admirers are championing the cancel culture. What they want cancelled is not child pornography: They want to censor political speech, the very heart of the free speech provision in the First Amendment.

The New York Times ran a column this week by Nicholas Kristof titled, "Can We Put Fox News on Trial With Trump?" Similarly, it published a news story, "How Right-Wing Radio Stoked Anger Before the Capitol Riot." No one beats Max Boot at the Washington Post. His article, "Sadly, Fox News Can't Be Impeached," is a clarion call for censorship.

Here's the bottom line. According to the conventional wisdom, as outlined by today's deep thinkers, a free society should not tolerate Rush Limbaugh but it should celebrate Larry Flynt. That is about as good a measure there is to prove how morally debased we have become.
Blood will have blood  so predicts Macbeth in Act Three of Shakespeares tragedy. In that tale of vaulting ambition, a Scottish monarch is treacherously done in by his protege, with encouragement from the proteges spouse. Mayhem ensues.

A similar scenario is now being played out at Holyrood, the seat of the devolved Scottish Parliament. Of course, the former first minister and Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond was never the leader of an independent Scotland, as he had so dearly wished to be. His successor and former protegee Nicola Sturgeon, who appears closer to achieving his ambition, did not literally stab him in the back.

But try telling that to Salmond. He wants revenge on Sturgeon, served hot and bloody, for what he sees as her lead role in a conspiracy to destroy him and his good name. But at what cost to the greater cause of independence?

Never mind the body count, which has begun already with Sturgeon purging the SNPs Salmondites on the Westminster front benches, and which promises to reach Shakespearean levels among senior SNP politicians, officials and Holyrood civil servants by the time this complex saga is done.

The survival of the United Kingdom might well depend on the outcome of this fight to the political death between the two Caledonian heavyweights  and former comrades  who have devoted their lives to breaking the Union apart.

This week, hostilities reached a new pitch. The Holyrood Parliaments inquiry into the Scottish Governments unlawful handling of sexual harassment allegations against Salmond (it had to pay him more than 500,000 in legal costs) limped on amid fresh accusations of falsehood, nepotism and whitewash.

On Monday Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeons husband and chief executive of the SNP, made a widely derided second appearance before the committee. We will return later to him.

Salmond was to undergo his own much-anticipated interrogation the following day. But he pulled out amid a row over how much of his written evidence the committee would agree to make public.

Alex Salmond wants revenge on Sturgeon, served hot and bloody, for what he sees as her lead role in a conspiracy to destroy him and his good name

In part this concerned a dynamite submission he has made to a second ongoing inquiry, headed by James Hamilton QC.

The Hamilton inquiry is examining whether Sturgeon broke the ministerial code by lying to the Scottish Parliament during the initial Holyrood investigation into the Salmond sex allegations.

Salmond was later charged with a number of sexual offences, including attempted rape and sexual assault with intent to rape. In March last year, he was cleared by a jury of all 13 criminal charges.

The committee of MSPs conducting the Holyrood inquiry had refused to publish Salmonds Hamilton submission for legal reasons. But a copy had been leaked online.

Its six pages brim with righteous fury. The word untrue appears five times, the word false on three occasions. In each instance they are applied by Salmond to the words or behaviour of Nicola Sturgeon. Salmond believes his successor broke the code not once but on a number of occasions. She has denied any such wrongdoing.

Last night the hearings descended into further confusion and delay. The First Minister was due to give evidence before the Holyrood inquiry on Tuesday. Informed speculation had suggested that Salmond will hold a press conference on Monday in which he will let rip at Sturgeon.

With this in mind she had suggested the inquiry should use legal powers to compel her former mentor to appear. He should give his evidence under oath, rather than in a less constrained arena in which he has always excelled.

The Hamilton inquiry is examining whether Sturgeon broke the ministerial code by lying to the Scottish Parliament during the initial Holyrood investigation into the Salmond sex allegations

Could he be forced to do so? By the point of a claymore sword, perhaps.

But a judicial ruling on Thursday, that more of the disputed evidence could be published, saw the inquiry committee hold an emergency meeting yesterday.

The upshot was that Sturgeons appearance before the committee has been postponed, possibly to March. The committee hope to have had Salmond before them by then.

How has it come to this, at a time when Scottish independence seems far closer than it did in 2014 when Salmond led the SNP and the Scots voted 55-45 to stay in the Union?

Both inquiries are rushing to wrap up by March 25 when Holyrood rises ahead of Scotland going to the polls on May 6.

Last month the First Minister said that regardless of whether Westminster agrees, she will hold an advisory referendum on independence if the SNP wins a majority.

That majority has seemed highly likely for some time. Scotland voted firmly against Brexit. The nationalists already hold 61 of 129 seats in the current Scottish Parliament and Sturgeons approval ratings have soared thanks to her supposedly impressive handling of the pandemic north of the border. She gives live television briefings daily and has often seemed one step ahead of Downing Street in making the next big decision. Support for independence has grown to the extent  more than 20 consecutive polls have shown a majority for Yes  that unionists are now deeply concerned if not entirely pessimistic.

But there has been a wobble this week. A new poll by Savanta ComRes for The Scotsman newspaper suggests that support for independence has dropped four points in a month  below 50 per cent for the first time since last year.

Is this the first sign of what could be called a Macbeth Effect? Will Alex Salmonds furious thirst for retribution against Sturgeon fatally undermine the nationalist push?

Salmond and Sturgeons relationship goes back more than 30 years. In 1990 she was a teenage student activist when they met during his successful campaign to become leader of the SNP. He was 35 and married to his old civil service boss Moira, 17 years his senior.

With Salmonds encouragement, Sturgeon stood, unsuccessfully, for the SNP in Glasgow at the 1992 general election. She said he believed in me, long before I believed in myself.

She lost again at the UK general election in 1997 but entered the new Scottish Parliament two years later. Salmond stepped down as SNP leader in 2000 and the following year left Holyrood to lead the SNP in Westminster. When his successor John Swinney resigned in 2004, Sturgeon put her name forward as a leadership candidate. However, she withdrew when Salmond decided he wanted to lead the party again. She became his running-mate and together they took the SNP to previously unimagined heights.

That culminated in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. When the country voted No, Salmond stepped down once again, bestowing his blessing on Sturgeon, who replaced him as party leader and First Minister.

Holyrood insiders say the fractures in their friendship began to show after Salmond lost his Westminster seat in the 2017 general election.

Sturgeon was not happy when he announced he would be hosting a weekly TV chat show for RT, formerly Russia Today and seen as a Kremlin propaganda channel. She had also defended her mentor through gritted teeth when he made off-colour jokes about female Tory politicians during his Edinburgh Festival Fringe show.

Months later, SNP officials were told of an alleged incident at Edinburgh Airport at which Salmond was said to have behaved inappropriately with female airport staff. The former leader denied anything had happened. But in written evidence to Holyroods inquiry Sturgeon said the episode left me with a lingering concern that allegations about Mr Salmond could materialise at some stage.

The roof fell in on their relationship in early 2018 when the Scottish Government launched an investigation into allegations made by two women against Salmond.

Sturgeon and her supporters argue she simply did her duty and had no part in the due process.

Opinion is divided in the Salmond camp. There are those who believe that in Salmonds hour of need Sturgeon coldly put as much distance between herself and her old mentor as possible, lest some of the mud should stick to her.

Then there is the more hardline view held by Salmond and others that Sturgeon conspired to use the allegations as a means of political assassination. Hadnt Salmond returned as SNP leader once before? He posed a threat.

The Government investigation was a fiasco. Salmond sought a judicial review and in January 2019 a judge at Scotlands highest civil court ruled that the Government response had been procedurally unfair and tainted with apparent bias. The criminal case continued but ended with his acquittal.

The spotlight turned on Sturgeon. What had she known about the allegations and when? And what role did her husband, the most powerful official in the SNP, play? Vindicated, Salmond wanted blood.

Peter Murrell was once a PR officer for the Church of Scotland. Since 1999 he has been the SNP chief executive, marrying Sturgeon in 2010. Despite warnings from party insiders he remained in post when she became First Minister. They present a powerful axis  too powerful, some believe. Now Sturgeon is complaining that her husband is being used as a weapon against her.

If so, then he has also provided some of the ammunition.

Consider for example text messages Murrell sent in January 2019. One suggested that folk should be asking the police questions (about Salmond) and that it was a good time to be pressurising them. Another said that the more fronts he (Salmond) is having to firefight on the better.

Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell was in front of a Scottish Government committee and accused of lying under oath about what he knew about a meeting between his wife and Alex Salmond

Then there is the question of what happened at the Sturgeon marital home in Glasgow on April 2, 2018. Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that Salmond visited her at home that day, at his request, and told her about the sex allegations against him. That was the first time she had heard about the claims, she said.

But it wasnt.

In her written evidence to the Holyrood inquiry, the First Minister has had to admit she forgot about a previous meeting, on March 29, in which she was told by a former Salmond aide about the sexual harassment complaints.

But there was someone else at home that crucial day, when Salmond came calling. Yes, Mr Murrell. In December Sturgeons husband appeared before the inquiry for the first time. He told it he was not in the room when his wife met Salmond and others, and did not ask her about it.

For her part, Sturgeon had always insisted the meeting was SNP business and therefore its minutes did not need to be recorded. If it was Scottish Government business, then she would have to record it or be in breach of the ministerial code.

As a result of all this, Sturgeon suffered further discomfort in the Parliament chamber from waspish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.

We are being asked to accept that the chief executive of the SNP popped his head round the door to find the First Minister of Scotland  who is, coincidentally, his wife  her predecessor, Alex Salmond, his chief of staff, her chief of staff and Mr Salmonds lawyer, all sitting, unannounced, in his living room and he never asked a single question, then or since, about what that was all about.

Murrell appeared before the committee again on Monday for another ritual mauling. He was accused by one MSP of giving false information under oath and by another of dancing on the head of a pin with his evidence. Mr Murrell denied both. He also said there was no conspiracy against Salmond.

There were further calls for him to resign. The most popular story on the Glasgow-based Herald newspapers website on Thursday was headlined Why is Nicola Sturgeons husband still running the SNP?

Another position under threat is that of Leslie Evans, the 165,000-a-year Permanent Secretary, the most senior civil servant in Scotland.

Salmond has a particular animus towards Evans. She led the Scottish Governments flawed investigation into the allegations against him, and blamed the fiasco on a single procedural flaw. One Holyrood insider described Evans as a sacrificial lamb in the waiting.

For all the sound and fury, the greatest danger to Sturgeon lies in the Hamilton inquiry. If it finds she did break the ministerial code, she is in a very tricky position.

This week Sturgeon refused to say whether she would resign if this occurred. But that is what would likely take place. And in the middle of a crucial offensive against London rule, it could put paid to the SNPs hopes of independence for years to come.

If she resigned, who could or would succeed Nicola Sturgeon?

Holyrood has few other candidates. Aside from Salmond, the locker is bare in terms of charisma. Until this time last year the obvious choice was Nicolas golden boy, Finance Minister Derek Mackay. But he resigned having admitted to having behaved foolishly on the eve of the Budget after sending messages to a 16-year-old boy he described as cute. He was suspended from the SNP, pending investigation.

Yet Mackay received ministerial severance pay and remains a sitting independent MSP. The result of his investigation has still to be revealed.

Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP and another popular nationalist, has just been sacked from the front bench at Westminster. Cherry was on the wrong side of the transgender rights argument, which has sown deep divisions within the SNP.

In the meantime Sturgeon and Salmond fight to the death.

Stands Scotland where it did? asks MacDuff in Shakespeares play, once the dust settled. For the moment, who can tell?
Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, will attend boarding school at a medieval castle in Wales, the Royal Household said on Wednesday. The 15-year-old daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia will begin her International Baccalaureate in the autumn at the UWC Atlantic College, west of Cardiff.

Atlantic College was started in 1962 by the same founder as Scotland's Gordonstoun School and its 350 students from up to 80 countries study a curriculum centred on community involvement.

The stay in Wales will cost 75,000 euros, which the Royal Family will pay from their annual grant. Many of the pupils attending study free with scholarships.

Leonor is said to have won through in an anonymous selection process. Her father went to Canada aged 16 to study before military training.
has moved an application in the Mumbai bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) seeking the tribunal's approval to hold its shareholders meeting on the scheme of amalgamation with Reliance group.

The application was moved under Sections 230232 of the Act, 2013.

E-commerce giant Amazon wanted to intervene and has objected to Future group's application as related cases pertaining to the deal struck by the retail giant with Reliance group entities are pending in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.

Reliance group entities have also moved an application in the NCLT seeking approval to move ahead with the amalgamation deal with Future.

In August 2020, the struck a $3.4-billion asset sale deal with Reliance Industries.

Earlier, the e-commerce giant had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order which had stayed the implementation of status quo direction passed by single-judge of the High Court. The Delhi High Court had stayed its single-judge direction to Future Retail Ltd (FRL) and various statutory authorities to maintain the status quo with regard to the Rs 24,713-crore ($3.4 billion) deal with Reliance Retail in a setback for Amazon, which has challenged the transaction.

has reportedly already filed a caveat petition before the Supreme Court requesting it be heard if any plea is filed by Amazon.


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When cybersecurity info sharing makes headlines

When the sheriff of Oldsmar, Fla., held a press conference to discuss a Feb. 5 hack into the water treatment facility that could have poisoned the citys water supply, many cybersecurity experts stood up and took notice.

The intruder seemed to have breached the plants industrial controls via a remote desktop monitoring application and may have taken advantage other cybersecurity weaknesses, such as lax password security and use of an unsupported operating system. That access was used to change chemical controls to dump lye into the citys drinking water.

On Feb. 11, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center issued a joint advisory outlining how cyber criminals can gain unauthorized access to systems by exploiting desktop-sharing software and end-of-life operating systems, particularly Windows 7, and making recommendations for defending water and wastewater systems.

Despite the government response, the fact that the hack made headlines at all was itself newsworthy. security expert and blogger Brian Krebs said.

According to Krebs Feb. 10 KrebsOnSecurity blog, online forums are full of posts from security researchers describing how they accessed industrial control systems through vulnerabilities in human-machine interfaces.

Hackers see smaller municipal utilities as attractive targets. They must focus on keeping customer-facing systems running. Tight budgets often leave their IT departments understaffed, which means they likely rely on remote access for monitoring or administering control systems. Combining insufficient IT resources with frequently unattended facilities and the relative ease of finding internet-connected systems through websites like Shodan makes such facilities ripe for attack.

Why arent there more incidents like the one in Oldsmar making the news? Krebs asked. One reason may be that these facilities dont have to disclose such events when they do happen.

According to Krebs, only one federal law applies to the cybersecurity of U.S. water treatment facilities. The Americas Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 requires water systems serving more than 3,300 people to conduct risk assessments and make emergency response plans, but nothing in the law requires such facilities to report cybersecurity incidents, such as the one that happened in Oldsmar this past weekend, he said.

One large water plant fell victim to the Egregor ransomware, but the incident was handled in-house, Andrew Hildick-Smith, a consultant who served nearly 20 years managing remote access systems for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, told Krebs: They made contact with the Water ISAC and the FBI, but it certainly didnt become a press event, and any lessons they learned havent been able to be shared with folks.

Fortunately, most attacks on water-treatment plants have not yet threatened public safety, but rather are financially motivated. In several cases, Hildick-Smith said, incursions into control systems were by chance. Hackers used the control systems as a computer of convenience to set up financial transactions or as a vector for ransomware attacks on the business side of the utility.

Even if a breach causes no damage, though, some utilities are afraid that if their vulnerabilities are shared the hackers will have some inside knowledge on how to hack them, said Michael Arceneaux, managing director of the Water ISAC, an industry group that tries to facilitate information sharing and the adoption of best practices among utilities in the water sector. Utilities are rather hesitant to put that information in a public domain or have it in a database that could become public.

The only reason we knew about this incident in Florida was that the sheriff decided to hold a news conference, Joe Weiss, managing partner at Applied Control Solutions, a consultancy for the control systems industry, told Krebs. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, none of them want to talk about this stuff publicly. Information sharing is broken.
Deputy Director of Legal Affairs for the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Baba Jamal has disclosed that the fate of former Deputy General Secretary of NDC, Samuel Koku Anyidoho as a member of the party will be decided in about 4 to 5 months time.



The former Deputy General Secretary of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Koku Anyidoho has been suspended from the party pending the hearing and final determination of a petition against his conduct in the party.



Commenting on the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atta Mills Institute, Baba Jamal said on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show that the suspension of Koku Anyidoho will follow 4 to 5 months of investigation by the Disciplinary Committee before a final decision is taken.



After the suspension, the matter will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee and the committee has 4 to 5 months to investigate the matter and come up with the outcome. In the course of the investigation, the suspension will be renewed every month, he disclosed.



He explained that the National Executives of the party do not just get up to suspend someone as soon as there is a petition against the person unless there is an established case by a committee.



We have been receiving petitions every day but it is not all of them that end up in suspension . . . the content of the petition will determine whether the accused person should be suspended or not. If the petition has some values and there is a need to investigate it, we will do it, he stressed.



The former Akwatia Member of Parliament (MP) indicated that the petition against Koku Anyidoho has gone through the due process of the law governing the party and as such a Disciplinary Committee has been set up to investigate the case against him.



This has nothing to do with hatred for anybody; the suspension passed through due process of the law. It was agreed at a meeting of which I witnessed that the petition goes through the right process to establish the cause of that action and also establish the truth of the matter, he mentioned.



He noted that Koku Anyidoho will be given a fair hearing as he will be offered the opportunity to tell his side of the story before a decision can be made on the petition against him.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com









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Featured Video
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
CVT

Romanian automaker Dacia waited until September 2020 to upgrade the underpinnings to the CMF-B LS, which stands for Common Module Family, B-segment, and low specifications. Unveiled in September alongside the Sandero and Sandero Stepway, the all-new Logan will be joined by a family-sized body style with five seats as opposed to seven for the first generation Spied cold-weather testing in Scandinavia, the MCV or Maximum Capacity Vehicle appears to be the roomiest subcompact in the segment in these pictures. In addition to the longer wheelbase, the Logan MCV also exhibits shorter overhangs that enable more cargo space and better maneuverability.Although camouflaged like theres no tomorrow, the front grille reveals Stepway garnish. The vertical taillamps and wide-opening liftgate are worthy of note as well, along with longitudinal roof bars that are Stepway traits as well. These clues and the ample ground clearance lead me to believe that Dacia is actually testing the Logan MCV Stepway, not the regular model.Under the skin, I wouldnt hold my breath for anything other than front-wheel drive, 1.0-liter engines, two manual transmissions, and a continuously variable transmission. In the four-door sedan, SCe 65 5MT is the base powerplant-gearbox pairing, while TCe 90tops the lineup.If you want to save as much fuel as possible, Dacia offers a bi-fuel option with 100 PS (98 horsepower) and 170 Nm (125 pound-feet) of torque on tap. Even though its the most powerful motor available at the time of writing, the Eco-G is exclusively offered with a six-speed stick shift.As far as trim levels are concerned, the Logan MCV is likely to receive three in Romania: the Access, Essential, and Comfort. Step up to the Stepway (pun intended), and Dacia will most likely offer the Essential and Comfort with black plastic cladding and model-specific upholstery.

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Louisianas network of 211 call centers saw a 220% increase in call volume last year, a unique illustration of the need for information and services spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and a destructive hurricane season.

Louisiana 211 is a free, 24/7 referral service that connects residents in Louisianas 64 parishes to information about essential services, including housing, local food assistance programs, mental health care and employment support. In 2020, Gov. John Bel Edwards tapped 211 as the hub for state residents with COVID-19 questions to get up-to-date information on everything from the basics of the virus to vaccine locations.

Operators at the states three 211 call centers in Lafayette, Monroe and New Orleans handled 290,002 calls in 2020, up 220% from call volume in 2019. Of those calls, more than 53% were people seeking COVID-19 information and roughly 20% were hurricane survivors seeking storm help, including after Hurricanes Laura and Delta battered southwest Louisiana, Louisiana 211 said in a press release.

Sarah Berthelot, president and CEO of Louisiana Association of United Ways and Louisiana 211 statewide disaster and project lead, said many of the calls have been from the elderly, people with disabilities and people without seamless internet connections. Theres also a large volume of new callers; people who havent needed 211s assistance before, who are now experiencing instability or who are caring for family members during the pandemic and need new forms of assistance, she said.

Research suggests it takes an average of eight calls to get basic information about services without 211. Berthelot said their network is grateful to ease some of that strain on residents, especially in this past year, when the fear and anxiety in peoples voices has been clear on calls.

In many cases, 211 is able to listen to a caller and provide a solution to a need that perhaps a caller may not know how to ask for. The 211 teams dont just listen to what the 211 caller presents, but they listen in a way that allows them to surface up other forms of help that the caller might need to address the root cause of what theyre experiencing, Berthelot said.

+5 Approaching freeze forces Acadiana agencies to find ways to help the homeless Social service agencies scrambled Monday to find ways to house Acadianas homeless  at least for a few days  as a freeze approaches the regi

The United Way leader said the three call centers can exceed 100 operators any given day, as the network analyzes call demand and other data to prevent long wait times. Louisiana 211 also uses a call-back system where callers can leave their number and receive a return call from the next available operator, rather than sitting on the line, Berthelot said.

The call service also has at minimum eight full-time coordinators who work at their call centers and partner United Way agencies to ensure all resources are hyperlocal and as up-to-date as possible by working with municipal, parish and state governments and collaborating with local nonprofits and support organizations, she said.

Sometimes getting people the information they need requires getting creative. In 2020, Louisiana 211 offered a texting service in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health. Residents texted LACOVID to 898-211 to receive links to high-need COVID-19 information like vaccine sign-ups, testing site locations and curated Q-and-As about the virus and mitigation efforts. The service was used by more than 93,000 people in 2020, a Louisiana 211 release said.

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Neka Mire, call center director for 232-HELP, which serves 10 parishes in the Acadiana region, said another benefit of speaking to a live, trained operator is that call workers build rapport with callers and can determine the needs people arent expressing, or maybe dont realize they have. Often, people dont know how to ask for what they need or dont know that help is available, she said.

A lot of times people are not aware of the different resources that are available, and without that awareness of course youre going to have even more difficulty locating the things that you need, Mire said.

Mire and 232-HELP Executive Director Chris Roy estimated their centers call volume has at least doubled since this time last year. The Lafayette center now daily employs between five and six operators, up from three this time last year. At its peak, 14 to 15 operators were working at once, they said.

Mire said shes been struck by how the pandemic has increased the complexity of peoples needs. Whereas a family may have previously called seeking food assistance, now theyre seeking food assistance, housing assistance and clothing. Its been a snowball effect, she said.

The pandemic has really pushed people. Theyre having elevated stress levels, and pretty much its the entire 360 degree scope of an individual or family thats affected by COVID. Its not just a disease, its going to affect your ability to pay your utility bills. So we see this cascading effect.The pandemic definitely exacerbated a lot of people who were already on the economic margins, Roy said.

The 232-HELP staffers said unfortunately help isnt always immediately available to callers, but operators take detailed notes on unmet needs, while keeping individual caller information confidential, which is used for weekly reports that can help inform resource direction for local governments, United Way agencies  anyone they can get the data in front of, Roy said.

Resources are scarce and nonprofit and service organizations are strained, so knowing what the picture of need looks like is critical, he said.

While the goal of 211 is to offer referrals and information, having a person to speak with personally has its own benefits; many people have been dramatically isolated by the pandemic, Roy said. Its a universal experience to desire to be heard and understood, he said.

When people are vulnerable and feel like they really, really have a problem, talking with someone gives them great relief. Weve heard on the phones over and over again how grateful people are to talk to a live person who can help them in that moment. Thats come through loud and clear, Berthelot said.

The Latin American unit of Indian hotel startup Oyo Corp has ended its joint venture with the SoftBank Latin America Fund, less than six months after they struck a partnership in the region, both companies said on Thursday. Oyo's business in Latin America, known as Oyo Latam, on Wednesday said it was moving to a digital-only model, and that the changes would require laying off nearly its entire staff. SoftBank Group has poured $75 million into Oyo in Latin America, part of its more than $1 billion investment in the parent company. Although hotels in the region can still ...
This is the most infuriating news story I have read in a while, and it comes, surprisingly, from the New York Times. The protagonist is Dr. Hasan Gokal, a Houston physician. He had a limited quantity of the Moderna covid vaccine to distribute, and rather than throw some of it away, he found qualified patients to receive it. For that, he was fired from his job and criminally prosecuted.

The Texas doctor had six hours. Now that a vial of Covid-19 vaccine had been opened on this late December night, he had to find 10 eligible people for its remaining doses before the precious medicine expired. In six hours. Scrambling, the doctor made house calls and directed people to his home outside Houston. Some were acquaintances; others, strangers. A bed-bound nonagenarian. A woman in her 80s with dementia. A mother with a child who uses a ventilator. After midnight, and with just minutes before the vaccine became unusable, the doctor, Hasan Gokal, gave the last dose to his wife, who has a pulmonary disease that leaves her short of breath. For his actions, Dr. Gokal was fired from his government job and then charged with stealing 10 vaccine doses worth a total of $135  a shun-worthy misdemeanor that sent his name and mug shot rocketing around the globe.

Dr. Gokal was charged by a Democratic Party prosecutor in Houston. The charge was so absurd that it was dismissed by a disbelieving judge, but the prosecutor vowed to present the matter to a grand jury.

You should read the whole story, if you can get past the Times paywall. (Protip: clear your cache of Times cookies.) This is another sign of the times:

The officials maintained that he had violated protocol and should have returned the remaining doses to the office or thrown them away, the doctor recalled. He also said that one of the officials startled him by questioning the lack of equity among those he had vaccinated.

Equity doesnt mean what you probably think it does. Evil is a pretty good shorthand translation.

Are you suggesting that there were too many Indian names in that group? Dr. Gokal said he asked. Exactly, he said he was told.

In todays fallen world, being fired and charged with a crime is by no means the end of the ordeal:

On Jan. 21, about two weeks after the doctors termination, a friend called to say that a local reporter had just tweeted about him. At that very moment, one of his three children answered the door to bright lights and a thrust microphone. Shaken, the 16-year-old boy closed the door and said, Dad, there are people out there with cameras. This was how Dr. Gokal learned that he had been charged with stealing vaccine doses. Harris Countys district attorney, Kim Ogg, had just issued a news release that afternoon with the headline: Fired Harris County Health Doctor Charged With Stealing Vial Of Covid-19 Vaccine.

The next person who needs to be fired is Harris Countys District Attorney.

More broadly, it has been widely noted that red states are consistently doing a better job of getting people vaccinated than blue states. This apparently is due to the fact that they concentrate on vaccinations, not equity, and dont hesitate to use private companies like pharmacies to help spread the medicine. The fact that Houstons medical establishment and county attorneys office thought it was better to throw vaccine away than to use it to vaccinate people exemplifies how blue state (or here, blue county) ideology gets in the way of public health.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 16:02:55|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan province have busted a major drug-trafficking ring, arresting 26 suspects and seizing 83 kg of drugs, local authorities said on Friday.

In April 2019, railway police of Kaiyuan City arrested three suspects for transporting drugs. It was found later that all three suspects were recruited to the China-Myanmar border area as members of a multi-tiered, cross-border drug-trafficking gang that transported drugs from the border area to Sichuan, Guizhou and other places.

After months of investigation, a task force launched the arrest operation. The gang's key member was captured in Myanmar in July 2019 with the help of local police, and the remaining gang members have all been arrested in the following months, according to the Kaiyuan railway police.

The case has been transferred to the procuratorate for further investigation and prosecution, according to the police. Enditem
By Benjamin Jumbe

The ministry of health has explained the drop in Covid-19 positive cases registered in the country.

Figures of confirmed cases of the disease, for the month of January and February, continue to reflect a drop.

Addressing the media in Kampala, the minister of health Dr Ruth Aceng also said a drop has been witnessed in samples collected by 50% from 121,178 in December last year to 81,341 in January 2021.

She said the pandemic comes in waves and the peak witnessed between November and early January could signify the end of the first phase calling for more vigilance with a second wave expected soon.

Meanwhile the World Health Organisation country representative Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam says they have cleared the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine because its benefits outweigh the risks.
GARDAI have been ordered to return more than 70,000 in cash which was seized at the home of a businessman in Limerick city more than 18 months ago.

Most of the cash was found in knotted socks which were located in a small safe during searches at the home of Martin Duggan in Moyross on September 30, 2019.

The safe also contained a variety of financial and business documents as well as bank cards and a birth certificate.

The 49-year-old operates a successful coal distribution business in the city and objected to an application by the State to have the money forfeited under Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1994.

Nine witnesses gave evidence during a hearing, which took place over a number of days earlier this year.

Garda Sinead Galvin, a member of search team, said the safe, which was found in a wardrobe in an upstairs bedroom, was locked but that Mr Duggan opened it when he arrived at the house having been contacted by gardai.

She said she decided to formally seized the money as she believed it was suspicious.

Ive never seen money concealed like that in my career, she said adding that some of the money was wrapped in cling film before being placed in a washbag.

The cash, she said, included a number of 500 and 200 notes.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told the money was initially detained to allow further investigations to take place and that a file was subsequently prepared for the Director of Prosecutions.

Mr Duggan was arrested and questioned as part of the criminal investigation and a bank account and credit union account in his name were frozen by gardai for a number of weeks.

Detective Sergeant John Cleary said a decision was taken in March of last year to apply to have the money forfeited after the DPP directed that no criminal prosecution should be brought.

He said the application related to the 70,000 which was found in the safe and the almost 3,000 which was seized from Mr Duggan when he was arrested.

He said gardai are of the view the money is the proceeds of crime and that Mr Duggans explanations as to where it had come from didnt add up.

Detective Garda James Hourihane said he had concerns given the volume of the money and the manner it was stored.

He accepted Mr Duggan is a hard working man and that he has been operating fuel-distribution business for the past decade.

However, he said he did not accept the explanation put forward by Mr Duggan who said some of the money was associated with his business while further amounts were related to the sale of a number of vehicles.

I believe the money to be the proceeds of criminal conduct, said Detective Garda Hourihane.

During the hearing a senior official with the Revenue Commissioners confirmed Mr Duggan is registered for tax purposes and that he has filed returns every year, as required.

He also confirmed that he has never been audited and that no Statement of Affairs had ever been requested from him.

Sergeant Kieran Crowley gave evidence that he carried out a search of the same house in March 2012 and found almost 20,000 in cash in the same safe.

He said Mr Duggan was questioned about the money and he confirmed it was not seized as he was satisfied as to it origins.

In his closing submission, Barrister Brian McInerney, instructed by solicitor Sarah Ryan, said there was an obligation on the State to prove its case and that suspicion alone was not proof.

He said the coal-delivery business is primarily a cash businesses and he said it was not credible for gardai to insist that not even a fiver of the money seized was related to Mr Duggans business.

Its not an offence to have money in a safe, he said submitting that Mr Duggan has worked from the age of 16, has no pension and that it is possible for him to have accumulated the money over a number of years.

He said there is no lavish lifestyle suggesting his client is involved in criminality.

Referring to suggestions by Mr McInerney that gardai had engaged in forum shopping by making separate applications before two different judges in the district court, Judge ODonnell said he was satisfied there was no deliberate attempt to mislead the judges.

Summarising the evidence, he commented that the State case was replete with suspicion adding that suspicion alone is not proof.

Having considered the evidence and the legal submissions in the case, the judge said he was not satisfied the State had reached the necessary burden of proof.

He refused the application and directed that the monies be returned to the respondent.

On Monday he was told the issue of costs has been agreed.
Five weeks of stumbles by Microsoft on New Jersey's covid-19 vaccine-booking software have left the state pushing for daily fixes on almost every part of the system and doubting it will ever operate as intended, according to members of Gov. Phil Murphy's administration.

The glitches -- and attempted fixes that forced one megasite to go off-line temporarily -- have led New Jersey to rely more on the county- and hospital-operated websites that are working well and have helped schedule more than 1.2 million doses in the most densely-populated state in the country. Officials say those systems are successfully booking thousands of people. They fear the state's booking portal, run on Microsoft software and functioning for just a limited number of residents, won't withstand broad demand as eligibility eventually is opened to millions of more people.

Health care has become a major focus for Microsoft, which unveiled a package of industry-specific cloud software in May. The world's largest software company, which has hired executives with medical backgrounds, also has been researching machine learning and artificial intelligence tools for areas including clinical trials and patient care.

In late January, the Redmond, Washington-based company touted its Microsoft Vaccination Management platform -- usable by those seeking shots and by health providers -- to register, schedule, track supplies and otherwise streamline the biggest inoculation effort in U.S. history.

The platform has yet to work correctly for New Jersey in the state's effort to inoculate its residents against the coronavirus, according to two administration officials who asked not to be identified discussing contractual issues. Murphy and State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli acknowledged there was an issue with Microsoft in a Feb. 10 briefing, but didn't go into detail about the problems.

Since the state's CovidVaccine.nj.gov website went live Jan. 5, the software has booked thousands of appointments. But it's also blocked users, lost registrations, double-booked residents and crashed for periods of five minutes to three days, the officials said. Though Microsoft has worked daily on the troubles, the officials said they had no confidence that they'll get all the features called for in its contract with the company.

In a statement, Microsoft acknowledged difficulties with booking shots but didn't specify the problems.

"We are working with the state of New Jersey to deliver vaccinations as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible, and that includes addressing some technical issues," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an email.

The New Jersey officials declined to say whether the state is considering canceling the Microsoft contract, but said they are seeking solutions and workarounds of all kinds. The cost of the contract wasn't readily available.

New Jersey was among the earliest and hardest-hit U.S. states by covid-19, recording almost 21,000 deaths with a lab-confirmed link to the disease caused by the coronavirus. Murphy, a first-term Democrat running for re-election this year, has committed to vaccinating 4.7 million people, or 70% of the state's population, by late June. So far, New Jersey has administered nearly 1.2 million doses, representing a tenth of the population who have received at least one dose, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

State officials said Microsoft appears to be using too few staffers, with some key personnel in overseas time zones that leave them unavailable during U.S. business hours.

The officials said they've conferred with other states using versions of the same software, which is built on the Microsoft Dynamics customer-relationship management platform. The task appears to be going smoother, they said, in places that asked for fewer applications -- just scheduling, say, rather than more complex services.

In Oklahoma, the system Microsoft built has worked well since it was deployed in January, said Buffy Heater, an assistant deputy commissioner in that state's Department of Health. Nearly 175,000 residents have booked vaccine appointments and 730,000 residents have registered to receive shots when they become available.

While there have been minor glitches, Microsoft fixed them quickly and "we've been pleased with Microsoft's ability to work on the fly with us," Heater said. "We are kind of building the aircraft as it's already taxiing down the runway and getting ready to take off, but such is the case with all things Covid."

Iowa, after announcing a one-day bid window, said Feb. 8 it will award Microsoft an emergency vaccine-booking contract. The software company also plans to start Wisconsin's online system on Feb. 15.

New Jersey officials turned to Microsoft to help with a vaccination effort they have called unprecedented and complicated, requiring software that can do multiple tasks and remain navigable by a population that includes seniors who aren't necessarily tech-savvy. But the system hasn't performed as expected.

For example, one of the state's biggest vaccination sites, in Gloucester County was bedeviled for a week by a series of glitches, the officials said.

On Jan. 28, hundreds of unexpected vaccine seekers showed up at the megasite, misled by a system that had showed available slots. In another incident, county officials were forced to contact a group of people ready for their second doses of the Pfizer Inc./BioNTech and Moderna vaccines because they weren't able to schedule appointments on the website.

More broadly, residents on Feb. 9 found themselves unable to schedule vaccines via the state's call-in center, which also relied on the Microsoft technology. New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said administrators had disabled the feature because it was malfunctioning, and the center's staff needed more training.

The recent experience is a far cry from last May, just after New Jersey reached peak daily hospitalization and deaths, when Murphy praised the software company for helping with health-care volunteer signups and the collection of hospital data to assist staffing and bed management.

"To everyone at Microsoft, who has been a vital partner to our information technology team, New Jersey thanks you," Murphy said at a May 9 virus briefing in Trenton.

Eight months later, though, on Jan. 6, Persichilli called out Microsoft by name in one of the governor's press briefings. She said "enormous interest in receiving the vaccine" caused "capacity challenges" with the state's Microsoft-run system.
OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is taking a multilayered approach to detecting and addressing variants of concern in Canada. To this end, the government developed a monitoring program with provinces and territories to identify new COVID-19 virus variants in Canada, such as the ones originating in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351) and Brazil (P.1). Today, the Government of Canada is increasing our capacity to find and track these variants in the country by investing $53 million in an integrated Variants of Concern Strategy. This will help rapidly scale up our surveillance, sequencing and research efforts.

The Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories and the Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) to rapidly scale up sequencing and scientific efforts to detect known and potentially emerging COVID-19 virus variants of concern. This national strategy brings together public health and genomic sequencing along with epidemiology, immunology, virology, and mathematical modelling. Through this partnership, we are leveraging existing laboratories and expertise to drive public health investigations and take public health action rapidly.

This partnership involves the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) National Microbiology Laboratory (NML), Health Canada, Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). To implement the Strategy, PHAC's NML is providing $20 million and CanCOGeN is providing $8 million to increase genomic sequencing and real-time data sharing capacity. CIHR is providing up to $25 million to scale up Canadian research to increase our understanding of emerging variants and provide decision makers with rapid guidance for drug therapy, vaccine effectiveness, and other public health strategies.

Funding will expand upon existing public health networks to establish regional clinical and public health teams to quickly identify and characterize variants of concern. Through the Strategy, we will also standardize data sharing across Canada and facilitate the access of information on the variants from national and international databases. This rapid sharing of information with researchers is imperative to an effective international response to the variants of concern. The funding will also create a research network to complement surveillance efforts and public health actions as part of an integrated team, and provide key information on the biological relevance of the variants to inform public health decisions.

Story continues

The Variants of Concern Strategy is part of our science and evidence based response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 virus variants of concern continue to emerge, Canada will be prepared to detect, track, and treat these new cases.

To keep each other safe, Canadians should continue to practice public health measures, and should get tested if they experience symptoms.

Quotes

"We will always act to protect the health of Canadians. These new investments in research and genome sequencing will allow public health officials to rapidly gather further evidence to inform public health measures and reduce the spread of these COVID-19 virus variants of concern."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health

"Given the increasing presence of known variants in Canada, it is vital that we mobilize the research community to assess these emerging variants and inform decision-making related to therapeutic and public health strategies. With the launch of this rapid research response, CIHR is contributing to our national efforts to keep Canadians safe and our international efforts to stop the spread of these SARS-CoV-2 variants."

Dr. Michael Strong, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

"Genomics is at the heart of tracking new and emerging variants of concern of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Genome Canada is proud to lead the Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCOGeN), a network of federal, provincial and regional public health labs, industry partners, hospitals, research institutions and large-scale sequencing centres dedicated to genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Together we are generating data to inform regional and national public health and policy decision-making and contributing to global efforts to track viral evolution and spread. Our genomic surveillance efforts will help reduce the spread of variants of concern and positively impact the health of Canadians and others around the world."

Dr. Rob Annan, President and CEO, Genome Canada

Quick Facts

The NML has been leading the implementation of whole genome sequencing in Canada along with provincial public health laboratories.

These new investments are in addition to the $40 million the Government of Canada contributed to support the creation of CanCOGeN in April 2020, to help understand the genetic variations of the virus as it evolves.

Currently, there are three main well-defined COVID-19 virus variants of concern that are circulating globally, including the:

These variants seem to make the virus more infectious, allowing it to spread more easily.

The NML is providing critical scientific leadership for Canada's response to COVID-19. NML scientists are world leaders in genomics and its use as a surveillance tool. The work done by NML and its partners informs the priorities for sequencing in Canada to quickly identify variants and inform public health measures, such as travel restrictions, that help mitigate their introduction and spread.

Canadians are advised to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada and avoid all cruise ship travel until further notice. Canada's official global advisory, cruise ship advisory and pandemic COVID-19 travel health notice are still in effect.

On January 29, 2021, the Government of Canada announced new border measures, flight restrictions and enhanced testing and quarantine measures, to reduce the risk of importation of the new virus variants related to international travel.

The Government of Canada is providing $4.28 billion to support provinces and territories with the costs of increasing their capacity to conduct testing, perform contact tracing and share public health data that will help fight the pandemic.

On April 23, 2020, the Government of Canada announced more than $1 billion in support of a national medical research strategy to fight COVID-19 that includes vaccine development, the production of treatments, and tracking of the virus. This new funding builds on the $275 million investment for coronavirus research and medical countermeasures announced in March 2020.

On January 29, 2021, CIHR announced three research initiatives to address the COVID-19 virus variants. CIHR will provide supplementary funding for CIHR-funded COVID-19 researchers studying variants to accelerate research and lead the formation of a variant network to coordinate and align efforts in this field.

Associated Links

COVID-19 variants

CanCOGeN

Travel Information

ArriveCan

SARS-CoV-2 Variants Supplement: COVID-19 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity

Operating Grant: CIHR Network for Emerging Variants Research

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2021/12/c2841.html
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If you listen to The Daily on Sundays, youre probably familiar with our teams work narrating stories across our newsroom. But, in addition to The Sunday Read, we have also been working with reporters to develop read-aloud versions of their articles. John Woo, a senior editor, and Parin Behrooz, our production coordinator, are two members of the team that make it all happen. Weve asked them to recommend their favorite narrated articles from recent weeks:

Listen to this story: What Can Covid-19 Teach Us About the Mysteries of Smell?

Smell is a startling superpower, writes Brooke Jarvis in The Forgotten Sense. I used to think there was no limit to sciences ability to understand how our body engages with the outside world. Everything  everything!  will ultimately be discovered and known, is how many faithful believers in science were raised. Covid-19 changed that. Although we learned so much this past year about our connectedness and ingrained human interaction patterns, we also realized  through its connection with Covid-19  how little we know about olfaction. Brookes article is a thorough unpacking of the recent changes in our understanding of the bonus sense.  John Woo, senior audio editor

Its rare to come across a story thats told so vividly that it can transport you to a specific time and place. In Michael Wilsons piece about the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Dr. Kings stabbing in 1958, were taken to a Harlem department store on a cloudless Saturday afternoon in September. Michaels story is a tribute to Al Howard, but it also captures the citys energy and is even more captivating when told by Michael himself, in his warm and resonant voice.  Parin Behrooz, production coordinator
India stood up Chinas disruptive use of technology and my way or no way attitude: CDS

Assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 in Pangong is categorically false: Defence Ministry

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 12: The assertion that the Indian territory is up to Finger 4 in Pangong Tso area is categorically false, the Ministry of Defence said.

India has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement with China, the ministry also said.

Further it said that even the Line of Actual Control as per the Indian perception is at Finger 8 and Finger 4. India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China, the Defence Ministry also said.

The permanent posts of both sides at north bank of Pangong Tso are long-standing and well established, the Defence Ministry also noted.

India has not accepted China's 'unjustified claims' on Indian territory: Rajnath Singh

Following an agreement reached between India and China, the disengagement at Pangong Lake began at 9 am on Wednesday. This is thanks to several back channel talks held by the military commanders, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval with their counterparts in Beijing. Officials tell OneIndia that this has been achieved after the back-channel talks by India's top national security planners and also the fact that India stood its ground.

Officials also said that once the disengagement is complete at Pangong Tso, talks would be initiated about the withdrawal from patrolling point 15 and 17 ie Gogra and Hot Springs respectively.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Rajya Sabha that the Armed Forces had responded to the challenges posed by the unilateral Chinese action and have shown valour and courage on both South and North bank of Pangong Tso.

The statement in the Upper House was made a day after China said that both the armies would disengage from the north and south banks of Pangong Tso.

The statement by the Defence Minister signals that the are clear signs of tensions being eased in Eastern Ladakh.

Ladakh standoff: US welcomes de-escalation efforts by India, China

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

Many strategically important points were identified and our troops positioned themselves at those Hill Tops and at locations which were very important from our point of view. It is because of this great bravery of our Armed Forces in the face of harsh adverse climatic conditions that we maintained the edge. Our Armed Forces proved yet again that territorial integrity of our country remains safe in their hands and their grit and determination to safeguard our borders is unwavering, the Defence Minister said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 16:04 [IST]
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
New Jersey will get federal help as it prepares to launch 10 community-based vaccination sites across the state in the coming weeks, Gov. Phil Murphy said at his virtual coronavirus press conference Friday.

Sites will open in Somerset, Trenton, Elizabeth, Vineland, and Paterson and the program will launch on Feb. 15 at the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset.

The governor didnt disclose specific locations for the four other cities, when they will open or where the five other sites will be. He noted all would be open seven days a week for two weeks and then re-open for second doses.

Only people who live in the city or township where the vaccination clinic is located will be eligible to be administered a shot at the location.

These locations are being strategically placed in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and some of our most diverse and socioeconomically challenged communities, Murphy said.

Appointments will be required and and will be handled by community organizations and places of worship hosting the sites in conjunction the state, according to Murphy. Specific locations will be released when opening dates draw closer.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense are also assisting.

Murphy hinted last week that an official announcement about community-based vaccination sites would be forthcoming.

We know this virus has had an outsized impact on our Black and Brown communities, and in communities that have been historically under-resourced, especially in terms of medical care, Murphy said last week. This is, after all, Black History Month, and I think that we all share a common goal of using this month wisely to help make COVID-19 history.

New Jersey health officials on Friday reported another 3,285 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 64 additional deaths as more than 930,000 people have now received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine with more than 310,000 fully vaccinated.

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.

Hoyt is one of a corps of volunteer medical professionals giving up their time each week to move the countys vaccination effort along. With a second health department vaccine site now open in Portage, the health department is looking for additional qualified people to administer vaccines, as well as greet people at the door and take their temperature, help them sign in and schedule them for a second vaccine.
Kelley and Derrik Kennedy knew they wanted to open a business in Old Saybrook someday, but werent quite sure what it would look like. But a trip to Italy crystallized their vision.

They quickly became enamored with the laid-back cafes, which served coffee and pastries in the morning and wines at night, and dreamed of being able to bring that back to their shoreline town.

[We said] We love this, this is what we want to do,  Kelley said. We realized that there's nothing like that, really, in the area.

In November, the couple opened Sip Wine Bar on Main Street, offering 20 wines by the taste, glass, half-bottle or full bottle. Still wines are served via WineStation technology, an automated dispensing and preservation system.

The wine list  reds, whites, sparkling, roses, dessert wines  rotates frequently, with global representation. In addition to recognizable French, Italian and American varietals, Sip brings in bottles from lesser-known wine regions: Hungary, Lebanon, Armenia, Israel.

We can make sure that we're offering something for every taste, and then we can really understand what our guests are looking for, and help to guide them to a glass that they're really going to enjoy, Kelley said. People can do a global flight without actually having to leave home.

Sip partners with other Old Saybrook businesses to round out its food menu, including cheeses, charcuterie and accompaniments from Fromage; sweets from neighboring Dagmars Desserts and bread provided by Pursuit of Pastry. (The bar also carries beer from Old Saybrooks 30 Mile Brewery.) If guests are looking for larger plates, they can order food from ShorelineMenus.com, which will deliver to the wine bar.

Sips cheese boards are $18 for 3 selections and $29 for 5, with choice of sides like olives, fruit, spreads, veggies and nuts. Charcuterie meats are an additional $3 apiece. Sweets, with daily offerings listed on a chalkboard, are $6.

The space seats 25 guests indoors at full capacity, with a handful of outdoor tables. Though Connecticut restaurants are currently restricted to 50 percent capacity, Kelley said that was a silver lining for Sip, as it allowed them to hone in on their customers and perfect their service.

Opening a business during a pandemic wasnt ideal, Kelley said, but she notes the experience has been absolutely fantastic despite the challenges.

The community has been absolutely amazing and supportive, and we are really fortunate as to how it turned out, she said.

Sip Wine Bar is at 85 Main St. in Old Saybrook. Its open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays. Takeout and delivery options are available. 860-339-5513, sipsaybrook.com.
OnSceneTV

A man was stabbed to death early Friday in what appears to be a domestic violence-related case in north Harris County, officials said.

Deputies around midnight found a man dead from multiple stab wounds in a residence on the 1100 block of Progreso Drive in the Fallbrook neighborhood, said Sgt. Jason Brown of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
It's good that the agreements will be not-for-profit, Potter said, but there could be other benefits for the companies. One question will be whether the companies will have access to valuable data collected on those receiving vaccines, he said.

When Potter worked for insurance company Cigna he ran the company's philanthropic arm. He said much of the charitable work was designed to make the company look good.

"This is essentially buying a whole lot of goodwill with policymakers," he said. "You think in terms of PR when you're doing a lot of these kinds of things."

Goodwill with Newsom could be particularly beneficial after the pandemic as the governor tries to enact promised health care changes, Potter said. Newsom has endorsed creating a government-run health care system in California, something Blue Shield and other insurers have opposed because it threatens their business model.

Whether Blue Shield is a good fit for the job will depend on what exactly the job is, something we don't fully know without the contract, said Anthony Wright, director of consumer advocacy group Health Access. As an insurance company, Blue Shield contracts with a network of doctors and other health care providers. If that's the role it'll serve in the state's vaccination campaign, it may be a good choice, he said.

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday unanimously ruled that they cannot compel the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, and Peter Mac Manu, the witness for 2nd Respondent, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to mount the witness box.



Lawyer for the Electoral Commission (EC), Justin Amenuvor on Monday, February 8 told the SC that it will not put its witness, Jean Mensa in the witness box.



This was after the petitioner told the court it has closed its case.



Given the evidence of the petitioners witnesses under cross-examination so far, of those witnesses, speaking for the 1st respondent, it is the 1st respondents case that we do not wish to lead any further evidence and therefore we are praying that this matter proceeds under Order 36 Rule 43 and CI 87 rule 3 (e) 5, we hereby and on that basis close our case, lawyer Amenuvor stated.



Lead counsel for the second respondent, Akoto Ampaw also indicated that he will not put his witness Peter Mac Manu in the witness box and that the burden of proof lies on the petitioner.



But lead counsel for the petitioner, Tsatsu Tsikata, objected to the move by the lawyer for the 1st Respondent.



According to him, the EC boss has a constitutional duty to give accounts of what she has done in the conduct of her responsibility.



However, the Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah reading out their decision said: simply put, we are not convinced and will not yield to the invitation being extended to us by counsel of the petitioner to order the respondents to enter the witness box to be cross-examined accordingly we hereby overrule the objection raised by the counsel for the petitioner against the decision of the respondents declining to adduce evidence in this petition".



Read the full ruling 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.

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LATEST Feb. 12, 3:20 p.m. The protest mentioned in this story, which was slated to take place on Sunday at The Girl & The Fig, has been canceled.

We will continue to hold G&F [The Girl & The Fig] accountable, read a Friday afternoon Instagram post from the organizer of the protest. "Their statement is a PR stunt to gain sympathy. This event was cancelled not to retreat, but in respect for the QTBIPOC community in Sonoma."

--

The Girl & The Fig, the popular upscale Sonoma restaurant that has been embroiled in controversy over a former employee's Black Lives Matter mask this week, has released an apology on their Facebook page:

"the girl & the fig prides itself in creating an inclusive, diverse and welcoming environment for our staff and our guests since we began 23 years ago. We thought we understood the Black Lives Matter movement and were being appropriately supportive. The events of this past week have demonstrated that we have more learning and listening to do to deepen awareness of the right ways to be the best advocate we can be for the Black community.

"We sincerely apologize to our employees, patrons, and the Sonoma County community for any missteps we have taken in introducing and communicating the reasoning for our face mask policy."

Former Girl & The Fig server Kimi Stout told SFGATE that she felt forced to quit her job after being asked to remove her Black Lives Matter mask at work. While the incident transpired back in September 2020, she only recently went public with a video on her Instagram.

"I was told by the president of the company that if I did not change my mask I would not be allowed to work and that BLM is 'too political,'" read her caption.

John Toulze, president of The Girl & The Fig, has maintained that the restaurant was only enforcing its new mask policy. In a statement to SFGATE, he wrote that the restaurant created a "formal face mask policy" for employees in September 2020, which specified that staff should wear "a The Girl & The Fig branded mask provided, or a plain black or blue surgical mask to provide flexibility but still align with the dress code."

On Wednesday, The Girl & The Fig announced that it would be closing temporarily because of all the threats and backlash they were receiving (Stout has also revealed on Instagram that she has received death threats since the story was picked up by numerous media outlets). Plans for a Feb. 14 protest outside the restaurant were also circulating on social media.

The Wine Country restaurant initially responded to the controversy Wednesday on their Facebook page, writing, "This entire incident has exploded over an employee that did not want to follow the rules. Plain and simple. We did not fire her, we did not force her out, she made her own decision to quit because she did not want to follow the rules."

Stout responded in an interview with ABC7, saying, "No, I was not fired. But I had no choice based on principle. They are a business. It was nothing illegal. But in my opinion, it was not morally right," and, "I think they valued a uniform policy over showing support for marginalized lives."

But the tone of the restaurant's new statement Thursday was different. After apologizing, The Girl & The Fig promised to take new measures to demonstrate their support for the Black community, including mandatory all-staff diversity and inclusion training, compensation for their employees with standard wages they would have earned this week during the restaurant's closure, an immediate contribution to the 15 Percent Pledge (an effort calling on major retailers to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses), and continuing to be an "active Sonoma Strong advocate," using their resources to support the hospitality industry to recover after devastating wildfires and a pandemic.

"We have been changed forever by this situation," continued the statement. "We are committing significant resources to be better educated and ensure we demonstrate our intended sincerity and support for Black Lives Matter and the Black community. ... We are Sonoma Strong. We know that with compassion and a commitment to learning we will be the proud community partner and leader we seek to be."

On her Instagram story, Stout expressed her approval of the apology, and called for the planned demonstration on Valentine's Day to go forward, but with a different intention.

"What if this Sundays demonstration turns into a celebration? That we won, that we are stronger together, that we can be better together if we hold each other accountable?" said Stout in a video. "Let's celebrate that we're making a difference."
STEINHAUSEN, Switzerland, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) today issued a quarterly Fleet Status Report that provides the current status of, and contract information for, the companys fleet of offshore drilling rigs.



As of February 12, the companys total backlog is approximately $7.8 billion.

This quarters report includes the following updates:

Deepwater Corcovado  Customer exercised a 680-day option in Brazil;

Deepwater Mykonos  Customer exercised a 815-day option in Brazil;

Development Driller III  Awarded a one-well contract extension in Trinidad;

Development Driller III  Awarded a one-well contract, plus a one-well option in Trinidad;

Transocean Norge  Awarded a one-well contract in Norway;

Transocean Barents  Awarded a three-well contract in Norway;

Paul B Loyd, Jr.  Awarded a 78-day contract extension in the U.K. North Sea;

Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1 Customer exercised a seven-well option in India; and

Deepwater Nautilus  Customer provided notice of termination of its drilling contract in Malaysia.

Additionally, the company has retired the Leiv Eiriksson. The rig is classified as held for sale.

The report can be accessed on the companys website: www.deepwater.com.

About Transocean

Transocean is a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The company specializes in technically demanding sectors of the global offshore drilling business with a particular focus on ultra-deepwater and harsh environment drilling services, and operates one of the most versatile offshore drilling fleets in the world.

Transocean owns or has partial ownership interests in, and operates a fleet of, 37 mobile offshore drilling units consisting of 27 ultra-deepwater floaters and 10 harsh environment floaters. In addition, Transocean is constructing two ultra-deepwater drillships.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements described in this press release that are not historical facts are 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. These statements contain words such as "possible," "intend," "will," "if," "expect," or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, estimated duration of customer contracts, contract dayrate amounts, future contract commencement dates and locations, planned shipyard projects and other out-of-service time, sales of drilling units, timing of the companys newbuild deliveries, operating hazards and delays, risks associated with international operations, actions by customers and other third parties, the future prices of oil and gas, the intention to scrap certain drilling rigs, the success of our business following the acquisitions of Songa Offshore SE and Ocean Rig UDW Inc., and other factors, including those and other risks discussed in the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and in the company's other filings with the SEC, which are available free of charge on the SEC's website at: www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize (or the other consequences of such a development worsen), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which we become aware of, after the date hereof, except as otherwise may be required by law. All non-GAAP financial measure reconciliations to the most comparative GAAP measure are displayed in quantitative schedules on the companys website at: www.deepwater.com.

This press release, or referenced documents, do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and do not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of Transocean and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of Transocean.

Analyst Contact:

Lexington May

+1 832-587-6515

Media Contact:

Pam Easton

+1 713-232-7647
The owner of a Vestavia Hills massage parlor is now facing more charges after six additional women have come forward claiming sexual abuse.

LeVan Uriah Johnson, the 43-year-old CEO of Oasis, is now charged with 11 counts of first-degree sexual abuse for women who were clients at the business, which opened in October 2020. Though Oasis has a business license, the owner and employees are not licensed massage therapists.

Vestavia Hills police initially obtained the felony warrants in four cases in January and added two more last week. Vestavia Hills police Capt. Shane Ware on Thursday said six more warrants have been obtained since six more victims have come forward.

The investigation is ongoing, and even more charges are expected.

Johnson, a former U.S. Army soldier and former police chief in central Alabama, is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on bonds totaling $660,000. His attorney has not returned a call seeking comment and the spa is not open for business on Monday. The spa was shut down once the investigation began but authorities say Johnson reopened anyway.

Charging documents on the initial six cases said the sexual assaults happened in November 2020 and January 2021. Two of the six victims recounted their ordeals with AL.com but asked that their names not be used since they are victims of sexual assault. The women provided horrific details about their experiences as clients at the business which included inappropriate touching. More about their stories can been viewed here.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lashed out at the Congress during her response to the Budget discussion in the Rajya Sabha and said the government schemes are meant only to benefit the poor and not meant for "some Damaad" (son-in-law in clear reference to Robert Vadra).

Although she did not take any name but the Finance Minister's jibe clearly agitated the Congress leaders even as she continued with her volleys at the opposition benches.

She said: "The digital transaction through UPI till January 2020 was over 3.6 lakh crore. UPI is used by who? -- The rich? -- No.

"Middle class, smaller traders. Who are these people then? Is Government creating UPI, facilitating digital transactions to benefit rich cronies, Some damaads? No." She was referring to Vadra, who is the son-in-law of Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, and who has often been targeted by the BJP for his alleged land dealings.

The Congress objected to these charges but Sitharaman went on to target the Congress and said: "Loans sanctioned under Mudra Yojana -- more than Rs 27,000 crores. Who takes Mudra Yojana? Damaads? Attacking the opposition, she said it has got into the habit for some "to constantly level allegation, in spite of what we are doing for the poor and the steps taken for helping the poor and the needy of this country.

"A false narrative is created to accuse saying that this Government works only for cronies." The Finance Minister said that 800 million people were provided free foodgrains; free cooking gas provided for 80 million people and cash was directly given to 400 million people, farmers, women, specially-abled and the poor and needy.

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday had launched an attack on the Union government and had alleged that the Modi government ignored the poor, unemployed and the MSME sector in the Budget proposals for 2021-22.

"The most deserving were left to their fate -- the poor, farmers, migrant workers, MSME sector, middle class, and the unemployed," he said while speaking on the Budget in the Rajya Sabha.

He said that the Congress "rejected" the Budget since there was nothing in it for the poor. Everybody expected it but cash transfers to the poor was not done, he added.

Chidambaram said that there was no mention of the defence sector in the Budget either, and the numbers predicted therein were not correct.

"The Union Finance Minister did not mention defence in her speech, which is unprecedented. The budgetary allocation for defence in 2021-22 is Rs 3,47,088 crore as against Revised Estimates of Rs 343,822 crore in the current year, an increase of just Rs 3,266 crore," the former Union Minister added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
NHK - May 30

Many souvenir shops and restaurants along Ninei-zaka that leads to the temple were closed. Kanda Tomohiro, who heads a local business association, says some shop owners decided to close down as the emergency declaration has continued since the weeklong spring holiday period that ended early this month. He says people who got tired of staying home may be out in the city, but few seem to have come to tourist spots. Kanda says the damage will become greater if the situation continues into the school tour season in autumn, and that he hopes vaccinations will progress and tourists can return.

New Delhi, Feb 12 : Proceedings of the Lok Sabha on the last day of the first phase of Budget Session will be held from 10 a.m. on Saturday, instead of 4 p.m. as usual during this session due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made the announcement on Friday after the completion of the Question Hour. The decision is learnt to have taken after the request of all parliamentarians.

From the beginning of this Budget Session, the Lok Sabha proceedings were being held from 4 p.m., excluding President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 29 and February 1 when the Union Budget 2021-2022 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Earlier this month, the first phase of the Budget Session was shortened two days. As per the order, the sittings of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha were reduced to February 13 (Saturday) in lieu of February 15, the earlier slated time.

As per that order, there will be no question hour on February 13.

The Budget Session is being held in two parts this year due to Covid-19 pandemic. The first part of the Budget Session for both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha was scheduled to conclude on February 15 while the second part will commence on March 8 and is expected to end on April 8.

As per the initial schedule, the Rajya Sabha sitting was arranged from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. while the Lok Sabha's proceeding time was scheduled from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.



Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 46F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

A man has denied allegedly tricking a 92-year-old woman into paying 160 for a fake Covid-19 vaccine and assaulting her.

David Chambers, 33, pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and one charge of battery during a plea and trial preparation hearing at Kingston Crown Court on Friday morning.

His alleged victim is said to have allowed him into her home in Surbiton, south-west London, on the afternoon of December 30.

David Chambers, 33, allegedly knocked on the door of the pensioner's home on 30 December claiming he had been 'sent to administer a vaccine.' Pictured is CCTV footage of a suspect released by police

Chambers claimed he had been sent to administer a Covid jab, according to the court indictment.

He then told the woman that she needed to pay a fee for receiving the inoculation, it has been alleged.

City of London Police previously said the woman was charged 160.

On the same day, Chambers allegedly beat the elderly woman.

Chambers, 33, pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and one charge of battery during a plea and trial preparation hearing at Kingston Crown Court

On January 4, he is also accused of allegedly falsely claiming the 92-year-old owed him a further 100.

Chambers, from Surbiton, south-west London, spoke only to confirm his name, give his date of birth, enter his not guilty pleas and say he understood proceedings during the short hearing.

He was remanded in custody by Judge Judith Coello ahead of a trial at Kingston Crown Court to be held from August 9.
The Biden administration said Thursday it is working to address a global chip shortage that is hurting U.S. auto makers and other industries, aiming to free up supply-chain choke points.

President Biden will sign an executive order in the coming weeks that will involve a comprehensive review of supply chains for critical goods, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Also Read | India speeds up vaccination drive

The review will be focused on identifying the immediate actions we can take, from improving the physical production of those items in the U.S. to working with allies to develop a coordinate response to the weaknesses and bottlenecks that are hurting American workers," she said.

A White House official said the administration is having conversations with auto companies, semiconductor firms and lawmakers to see what actions can be taken to make sure American workers are not being negatively impacted by this shortage, and that there continues to be access to essential goods during this pandemic." The official said the administration also is looking for longer-term solutions.

While we are focused on the near-term actions we can take, it is also critical to identify more durable solutions to addressing the longstanding issues faced by the semiconductor industry and the end users of these goods," the official said.

A run on chips in recent months has strained global supplies of critical components in a range of electronic devices that have been in demand as people work from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Auto makers have been especially hard hit by shortages of chips that go into numerous systems, from modules that manage engines to automatic braking and assisted driving technologies.

The shortages have forced auto plants across the world to slow down or stop assembly lines entirely as auto makers try to funnel scarce chips to their most profitable models. Volkswagen AG said in December that it was reducing output at many of its factories around the world.

Shutdowns in Japan and the U.S. soon followed. Last week, Ford Motor Co. said that it would be taking down production of its flagship F-150 pickup truck, one of the companys most profitable and popular models. General Motors Co. said this week it was extending shutdowns at some North American plants into March.

The industry has pressed the White House to address the shortage, stressing its impact on the hundreds of thousands of Americans employed in auto and parts manufacturing.

Given the number of jobs that may hinge upon a handful of chips in a vehicle, we think it makes sense to prioritize the auto sector," said Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents GM, Ford and Stellantis NV in Washington.

Earlier this month, 15 senators representing states with a significant auto industry presence signed a letter sent to the administration imploring it to take action to address the shortage with semiconductor-producing companies and their home countries governments.

The chip industry has said the shortage points to the need for more investment in U.S. manufacturing and research, and it is pushing for government incentives to pump billions of dollars into that effort. In a Thursday letter, top executives at the countrys leading chip makers urged Mr. Biden to include funding for chip-manufacturing incentives in his infrastructure and recovery plans, citing the decline of the U.S. share of global chip-making in recent decades.

It can take months, if not years, to significantly expand production capacity, according to industry executives. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the largest contract chip maker in the world, announced a new plant in Arizona last year, but it isnt expected to be operational until 2024. South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co., another leading chip maker, is exploring a new $17 billion factory in the U.S. that it hopes will start production late next year.

The White House also has said it is conducting a review of former President Trumps trade policies. Under Mr. Trump, the Commerce Department put dozens of Chinese companies onto an export blacklist, often targeting the ability of Chinese companies to make and buy advanced chips. In September, Chinas largest chip maker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., was placed on that list, requiring U.S. companies to get licenses before exporting to it.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Myanmar

India

Ethiopia re-enters the abyss of war Ethopia Insight

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New Cold War

Putins Majority? New Left Review

Haiti judge accused of alleged coup plot released from prison: lawyer France24

Impeachment

Biden Transition

The climate deniers Microsoft helped re-elect Heated

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Gamestop

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Police State Watch

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In Violation of Einstein, Black Holes Might Have Hair Quanta

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Antidote du jour (via):

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JACKSON, MI  A DNA test may help police solve the mystery of a homicide that occurred 43 years ago and remains unsolved.

And Michigan Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, continues to a lot of heat for comments he made in a videotaped meeting with Hillsdale County Republicans, who later censured him.

Here are those stories some other headlines you might have missed this week.

After 43 years, DNA test provides new information in 1978 Jackson County cold case homicide

After 43 years, researchers now have new information about a person found dead inside a garbage bag in the Waterloo State Recreation Area in 1978.

Through further investigation, the victim, originally identified as female, was discovered to have been born male, according to Carolyn Isaac, assistant professor in Michigan State Universitys Department of Anthropology.

Hillsdale Republicans censure Sen. Mike Shirkey for departing from conservative values

Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey was censured by members of his own districts party for an array of actions and inactions by the top Republican in state government.

The executive board of the Hillsdale County Republican Party voted 14 to 5 on the censure vote on Thursday, Feb. 4. They said Shirkey, whose district includes Jackson, Hillsdale and Branch counties, wasnt doing enough to push back against Gov. Gretchen Whitmers coronavirus-related measures that shut down businesses and was not doing enough to support conservative values like Second Amendment rights.

Jackson snow plow crashes into vehicles, injuring two, police say

A Jackson plow driver hit two cars early Tuesday morning.

The plow driver was heading east on Morrell Street when they failed to stop at a flashing red light at the intersection of West Avenue at approximately 5:10 a.m., Feb. 9, Jackson Police and Fire Services Director Elmer Hitt said.

Two vehicles driving on West Avenue were hit by the city plow, Hitt said. The drivers of the cars were taken by ambulance to Henry Ford Allegiance Health. He said their injuries are not life-threatening.

See inside as Army National Guard helps with COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination clinic in Jackson County garage

Its a well-oiled machine.

With help from Michigan Army National Guard members, the Jackson County Health Department was able to provide the second dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine to more than 400 health care providers, first responders and people age 65 and older.

78-year-old man drives wrong way on I-94, causes crash

A man driving the wrong way on I-94 caused a crash early Tuesday morning in Jackson County.

A 78-year-old Van Buren Township man was driving west on eastbound I-94 around 1 a.m., Feb. 9. He entered the freeway at Race Road and drove just over a mile.

The man was driving a 2019 Ford Ranger and caused a head-on crash near Whipple Road, hitting a 79-year-old Redford Township man driving a 2006 Honda Accord.

Hot Cheetos on hot dogs on the menu at new soul food restaurant near Jackson

Rae and Dartagka Tipton didnt expect to open a restaurant in 2021, but when the opportunity to serve all the foods they cant find in Jackson came up, they jumped.

It just fell in our lap and we said, You know what, lets go ahead and just take a chance and see what happens, Rae Tipton said.

4 Tha Soul, a drive-thru family-owned restaurant is planning to open this month at 107 Hague Ave. near Vandercook Lake in Summit Township. The menu highlights a spin on soul food with a special emphasis on the couples favorite foods they seem to always have to travel to find.

Former Jackson-area police officer accused of perjury heads to jury trial

The case of a former police officer accused of lying under oath is moving toward a jury trial.

David Lubahn, 52, waived his right to a preliminary examination Feb. 10. His case was heard before 54-B District Judge Richard Ball in East Lansing.

The former Blackman-Leoni Township Department of Public Safety officer is accused of one felony count of perjury other than a court proceeding and one common law offense of misconduct in office, per court records.

Appointed officials receive high marks on first formal evaluations in Jackson

Four of Jacksons top city officials meet expectations set for their work, according to the first formal performance evaluations done since 2015.

City Manager Jonathan Greene, City Clerk Andrea Muray, City Assessor Jason Yoakam and City Attorney Matt Hagerty all received average scores of at least 3.5 on a five-point scale, according to the evaluations done by independent consultants at Amy Cell Talent, an Ypsilanti-based human resources firm.

Jackson County man facing multiple sexual assault charges granted bond after 19 months in jail

A Jackson County man accused of multiple sexual assaults has been released from jail on bond.

William Akin, 38, was granted a $5,000 personal recognizance bond during a hearing Feb. 2, before Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson. Part of the bond conditions include a GPS tether, requiring Akin to stay within his house, court officials said.

Bond was granted because Akin had been in the Jackson County Jail for 19 months, since June 26, 2019, and his jury trial isnt scheduled to begin until July 13, officials said. He was released from jail Feb. 4, according to records.
Federal agents seized a massive amount of narcotics in a coordinated drug bust that is among the largest ever in Northern California, U.S. Attorney David Anderson announced Thursday.

A collection of federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, filed charges against 44 people after a nearly two-year drug trafficking investigation, centered mostly in the South Bay and on the Peninsula, officials said.

The investigation into the distribution, transportation and sales of narcotics primarily involved the Sinaloa drug cartel from Mexico, Anderson said, and revealed how the narcotics ecosystem operates, transporting drugs into the Bay Area, distributing them to a network of dealers and selling them on the streets.

In addition to confiscating more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine, the operation seized 500 grams of fentanyl, 20 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of heroin, dozens of firearms and more than $200,000 in cash.

Taking into account the number of suspects and the quantity of narcotics seized, Anderson said, the scope is breathtaking, and it is likely the largest such effort ever in the Northern District of California, which he oversees.

We have successfully put a hurting to the Sinaloa drug cartel, said Daniel Comeaux, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

A map released by the U.S. attorney showed a series of 11 drug busts that took place primarily in the South Bay between April 2020 and Jan. 27. They included incidents in San Mateo, Newark, Mountain View, San Jose, Santa Clara, Gilroy and Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County) on the Central Coast. The biggest by far occurred in Sunnyvale on Jan. 27 when agents seized 572 pounds of methamphetamine and 11 firearms.

Craig Fair, head of the FBIs San Francisco office, said that more than 100 federal agents made arrests over the past two weeks, with most in San Jose but some in Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, Vallejo, Southern California and Arizona.

Nineteen of those indicted in the investigation are in custody, 13 were detained and released, and 12 are at large, Anderson said.

During the operation, which involved four simultaneous investigations, agents tracked the transportation of drugs from Mexico across the border  inside a spare tire in one incident  up to the Bay Area. They also followed the flow of firearms, including grenade launchers and sniper rifles, procured in the U.S. across the border into Mexico.

We wont allow dangerous and violent groups to use our neighborhoods as thoroughfares to traffic drugs or as a venue to conduct illegal activities, Fair said.

Anderson also announced his resignation Tuesday as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, a position he has held since January 2019. As is customary when a new administration takes office, U.S. attorneys, who are political appointees, were asked to resign.

Andersons last day on the job will be Feb. 28.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan


Michigan reported 1,193 new coronavirus cases and 10 new deaths Friday, Feb. 12.

The state is averaging 963 new COVID-19 cases per day and 38 new deaths per day over the last week. It is the lowest daily case average since Oct. 8.

Since the start of the pandemic, Michigan has reported 573,372 confirmed cases and 15,062 deaths related to COVID-19. Additionally, the state has reported 54,460 probable cases and 965 probable deaths, in which a physician and/or antigen test ruled it COVID-19 but no confirmatory PCR test was done.

(The above chart shows Michigans 7-day rolling average of new confirmed coronavirus cases. You can put your cursor over a bar to see the number. You also can click on the option just below the headline to see the actual number of new cases reported by day.)

Seventy of Michigans 83 counties reported new cases Friday. Wayne County led in new cases and deaths, with 138 cases and four deaths.

Other top reporting counties included Washtenaw with 117 cases, Kent with 100, Oakland with 95, Macomb with 66, Ingham with 48, Ottawa with 42, Kalamazoo with 32, Genesee with 30 and Berrien with 26 new coronavirus cases.

For new deaths, Ingham County reported two. Kent, Berrien, Allegan, St. Clair, Emmet and Midland counties each reported one new death.

(The above chart shows Michigans 7-day rolling average of deaths involving confirmed coronavirus cases. You can put your cursor over a bar to see the number. You also can click on the option just below the headline to see the actual number of new deaths reported by day.)

Hospitals statewide were treating 1,013 patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 on Friday, including 293 patients in the ICU. Thats down from Feb. 5 when hospitals were treating 1,296 patients with 300 in the ICU.

Of the 41,107 diagnostic tests processed Thursday, 3.6% came back positive for SARS-CoV-2. The positivity rate is back up after Wednesdays positivity rate of 2.8%, which was the lowest this year. The rate has been below the 5% threshold for 10 days.

As of Wednesday, Michigan had administered more than 1.44 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. That includes more than 1.02 million first doses, and 425,823 second doses. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines recommend two doses administered weeks apart.

Case reporting

First is a chart showing new cases reported to the state each day for the past 30 days. This is based on when a confirmed coronavirus test is reported to the state, which means the patient first became sick days before.

You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases.

(In a few instances, a county reported a negative number (decline) in daily new cases, following a retroactive reclassification by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In those instances, we subtracted cases from the prior date and put 0 in the reported date.)

The next chart below shows new cases for the past 30 days based on onset of symptoms. In this chart, numbers for the most recent days are incomplete because of the lag time between people getting sick and getting a confirmed coronavirus test result, which can take up to a week or more.

You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases.

For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here.

To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Read more on MLive:

Friday, Feb. 12, coronavirus data by Michigan county: Average positivity rate down to 3.8%

12.5% of Michigan adults have gotten at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose; see numbers in your county

54% of Americans believe the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is yet to come, survey says

Fully vaccinated individuals dont have to quarantine following COVID-19 exposure, CDC says
Im no longer part of the Dogecoin project, I left around 2015 as the community started to strongly shift from one that I was comfortable with, Markus wrote in an open letter. I dont currently own any Dogecoin except what has been tipped to me recently, I gave away and/or sold all the crypto I had back in 2015 after being laid off and scared about my dwindling savings at the time, for about enough in total to buy a used Honda Civic.
West Bengal: 43 yrs on, faulty Farakka lock repair may release flood of hilsa happiness

by Subhro Niyogi

February 12,2021 | Source: The Times of India

A faulty navigation lock at the Farakka Barrage across the Ganga, which had hindered the migration of hilsa upstream the Hooghly as well as the Padma for 43 years, will finally be set right this year, paving the way for the return of ilish  the fish that brings shimmers of silvery happiness to countless Bengalis  to the Ganga. Once found in abundance in the river till as far upstream as Allahabad and even further up till Kanpur, the hilsas progress beyond Farakka  where the Ganga splits into the Hooghly and the Padma  was halted after the construction of the faulty navigational lock in 1978. The project that will see the hilsas revival in the river is actually the revitalisation of a navigational channel for passenger and goods vessels to travel from the sea to Allahabad via Kolkata, Farakka, Patna and Varanasi. Work on navigational locks at the barrage, 280km upstream from Kolkata, promises a fresh lease of life for Kolkata Port. And, no less importantly, it gives gastronomes a reason to rejoice.



The new navigational lock will facilitate smoother and faster dispersal of vessels. It takes about two hours or more for a vessel to pass upstream or downstream of Farakka through the existing lock. The new lock will reduce the passage time to just 38 minutes. If another vessel moves in the reverse direction, the operating time will be only 23 minutes. In addition to smoother and faster movement of vessels, fish lovers in Bengal and beyond till Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh will now be able to enjoy fresh hilsa as the new lock will help the fish swim all the way from the Padma in Bangladesh upstream the Ganga, said an official of L&T Geostructure that is executing the project at a cost of Rs 359 crore. A marine fish found in the Bay of Bengal as well as the Arabian Sea, the hilsa swims upstream to breed in the sweet water of rivers. The young fish then return to the sea, only to return when they become adults and are ready to breed.



Utpal Bhaumik, former division head of Riverine Ecology and Fisheries at the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), says reopening the navigational channel would help preserve the biodiversity of the river. Keeping the sluice gate open at Farakka Barrage higher than the current level for four hours every day will help hilsa swim from the Padma and the Hooghly to the Ganga and lead to greater chances of spawning, he said. Bhaumik, though, feels that the quantity of hilsa in the Ganga is unlikely to reach the level prior to the construction of the barrage. A large volume of fish would have been netted in the Padma before reaching the navigation lock. As for the Hooghly, siltation in the lower reaches of the river has made the fish scarce even in sections closer to the sea. For a true revival, the Hooghly has to be dredged and the silted channel at the mouth of the estuary opened up, the fish expert said, pointing out that the paucity of fish in the river had led to 80%-90% of the catch happening at sea.



Sushmita Mondal, who was earlier with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which has worked extensively with Bangladeshi authorities on hilsa conservation, is also concerned about the fish changing its behaviour following years of facing the obstacle at Farakka. Before Farakka, some say there was a resident hilsa population downstream. Very little is known about the evolutionary changes that have happened, and how the fish has adapted over the years. There is a need for more studies, particularly after the lock is restored, to know more about the fish. We need to put in place monitoring protocols and record the data, she said.

 2021 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.
LAPEER, MI -- Patrick Hingst, owner of Woodchips Barbeque in downtown Lapeer, donated more than $1,300 to Lapeer Community Schools to pay off student lunch balances this week.

Woodchips BBQ was one of the businesses in mid-Michigan that stayed open to in-person dining in defiance of state COVID-19 restrictions back in November.

The business has worked to serve those who have been most negatively affected by the pandemic-driven lockdown, Hingst said.

Helping students with lunch debt fit right within our mission, he added.

Personally when I was younger I grew up in in in pretty decent circumstances, Hingst said. But there were still times I remember when I was on the quiz double team after after school or something, and supposed to go to McDonalds and just not having the money to be able to with everybody else. Thats not something I want anybody to have to go through if I can help it.

The Lapeer school district sent the following statement about the donation to MLive-The Flint Journal:

It was a random of act of kindness from Patrick, a graduate of Lapeer East. Patrick has been the owner of one of our great downtown restaurants for many years, reads the statement. Woodchips has done so many random acts of kindness in our community, they are hardly random anymore. We are truly grateful for his generosity and we hope this inspires others to pay it forward during this very challenging time.

The restaurant was served Nov. 25 with a cease and desist order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that included a $1,000 fine. Woodchips was fined another $4,000 Dec. 21.

Hingst said Woodchips liquor license suspension just ended on Jan. 29.

Remaining open despite the restrictions was to support Woodchips workers and the Lapeer community, Hingst said.

In the first three weeks of the order in November, the business focused on philanthropy and will continue to do so, he added.

Since the state has allowed limited indoor dining again, Hingst said the restaurant is doing well.

We still have lots of supporters and make really good food he said. So business wise is were right on track where wed like to be, which is whats continuing the empower us to do these, these acts of good out in the community.

Read more on MLive:

Lapeer restaurant continues dine-in service despite cease and desist order, $1,000 fine

Bowling alley, BBQ joint licenses suspended after COVID-19 order defiance

Restaurants defying Michigan dine-in ban hit with fines from multiple state agencies

Michigan cites restaurants and suspends liquor licenses to bars violating COVID-19 shutdown order
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Armed robbers attack all-night church service in Ghana, 2-y-o among 3 injured

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Suspected armed robbers attacked a church in the West African country of Ghana Saturday, leaving three wounded during a nighttime service.

Police sources told Daily Mail GH that a gang of armed robbers stormed the Action Prayer Ministry in Kumasi around 2 a.m. Saturday, where they interrupted an all-night prayer service.

According to witnesses, one of the robbers fired a pistol into the congregation, forcing churchgoers to flee.

One of the three injured victims is only 2 years old, while the oldest of the three is 22, authorities report.

All three victims sustained minor gunshot wounds on their legs, an unnamed church member told a Ghanaian-based independent digital news outlet.

Those injured in the attack are said to have been taken for treatment to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, the capital city of the southern Ashanti Region.

Police are reported to have rushed to the scene after being alerted about the incident. Before they arrived, members of the church arrested one of the attackers, identified as 22-year-old Sunday Ayine. Meanwhile, an accomplice identified only by the name Emannuel is still at large.

Police discovered BB cartridges and an empty shell, according to the report.

The church attack comes as there have been several robbery cases recorded nationwide in recent weeks. According to GhanaWeb, the increase of robbery cases could portend a looming security crisis.

The attack on the Action Prayer Ministry came just days after armed robbers attacked the River of Life International Global Prayer Centre in Bolgatanga during a service.

GhanaWeb reported at the time that the robbers physically assaulted the churchs head pastor and stole money, phones and motorcycles that belonged to congregants.

Police explained that a machete and empty bullet shell were discovered at the River of Life prayer center.

Pistol retrieved. Victims were interviewed. They claimed their mobile phones and monies were taken, a police spokesperson told GhanaWeb.

The attack in Bolgatanga marked the second attack on a house of worship in Ghanas Upper East Region in four months.

In November 2020, witnesses said robbers attacked two elders of the Church of the Pentecost in Sandema. The robbers allegedly stole the churchs offerings as well as phones and tablets belonging to churchgoers.

"I was in the company of a deaconess, who is our financial secretary, and one elder. When the two men entered the church, we even thought they were part of a COVID-19 team sent by [the] government to ensure that the church adhere[s] to the COVID-19 protocol, presiding elder Francis Ayeuenkanbe Apanab told a local radio show at the time, according to Ghanian Times.

They instructed us to lie down. They took the offering and bolted on their motorbike while giving warning shots.

The United States-based persecution advocacy organization International Christian Concern reports that Ghana has historically been a safe country for Christians as 2010 census data show that over 70% of its population is Christian.

While Muslims and Christians have generally lived peacefully among each other, fears of religious tensions have increased, especially toward the northern Burkina Faso border, ICC said in a statement.

Though it is unclear if this attack [in Kumasi] was religiously motivated or just a random act of crime, attacks on churches is a bad sign for the freedom of religion in a region where Islamic radicalism and attacks on Christians is growing rapidly.

In neighboring Burkina Faso, the rise of radical extremist violence has led to a mass displacement of residents. Last August, the United Nations called Burkina Faso the worlds fastest-growing humanitarian crisis as 5% of its population was displaced. The international body estimates that the crisis has displaced over 1 million people.

New information has emerged revealing that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate who has been named a person of interest in the fatal shooting of a newly engaged Yale graduate student knew the victim's fiancee - as US Marshals continued searching the suburbs of Atlanta for the wanted man.

The Marshals Service on Thursday announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Qinxuan Pan, who is being sought on active warrants related to a vehicle theft, and is wanted in connection with Kevin Jiang's shooting death in New Haven, Connecticut, last Saturday.

According to the agency, Pan, described as 6 feet tall and weighing 170lbs, was last seen in the early morning hours of Thursday - five days after Jiang's murder - driving with relatives in Brookhaven or Duluth, Georgia.

Scroll down for video

This photo from March 2020 shows murdered Yale student Kevin Jiang's fiancee, Zion Perry (left), laughing with MIT graduate Qinxuan Pan (far right), who is a person of interest in Jiang's killing

The US Marshals Service is looking for Pan (left) in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. He is wanted for questioning in connection to Jiang's (right) shooting death in New Haven, Connecticut

'According to family, Pan was carrying a black backpack and acting strange,' the Marshals Service said in a press release.

Pan could be staying with friends or family in Brookhaven or Duluth, which are located more than 900 miles southwest of New Haven.

The US Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force have been asked by local authorities to assist in tracking down Pan.

Connecticut District Deputy US Marshal Supervisor Matthew Duffy told New Haven Register that officials interviewed Pan's relatives and learned that he was seen 'walking by himself and acting strange' and 'not himself.'

Meanwhile, New Haven Independent has revealed that Pan had crossed paths with Jiang's fiancee, Zion Perry, while the two attended MIT.

Photos showed Pan and Perry interacting at the Lindy Hop Society Bread & Bones Birthday Jam celebration on March 4, 2020.

One of the photos from the event shows the two smiling broadly while chatting with another man.

No evidence has been presented so far to suggest that Pan and Perry had dated, but during a press conference earlier this week New Haven Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said investigators are not ruling out the possibility of a romantic rivalry.

Investigators want to question Pan in connection with the killing of Jiang, 26, a student of Yales School of the Environment, who was shot multiple times and found lying outside his car on a New Haven street on Saturday night.

Police came into contact with Pan a short time after the killing on an unrelated matter, but let him go without any charges, saying there was no probable cause to detain him at that time.

It has been reported that Pan was in the vicinity of the crime scene and checked into a nearby hotel two hours after Jiang was killed.

Jiang, a Seattle native, had gotten engaged just a week prior to his girlfriend of one year, Perry. Perry was previously an undergraduate student at MIT where Pan works as a researcher in computer science and artificial intelligence.

On March 4, 2020, Perry and Pan (pictured center) interacted at the Lindy Hop Society Bread & Bones Birthday Jam celebration

Pan, who is wanted on two warrants, one accusing him interstate theft of a vehicle out of Massachusetts, and another for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, is a person of interest in Jiangs slaying, Reyes said.

'He is not a suspect at this time,' Reyes said. 'We are not prepared to identify him as the shooter at this point.'

A short time after Jiang's death, police in North Haven were called to a junkyard on Universal Drive after getting a report about a man driving a vehicle with a flat tire.

Officers found that Pan had a valid driver's license and that the vehicle was properly registered.

'At the time, there was no reason for the officers to do a sobriety test, or pat him down,' North Haven Police Chief Kevin Glenn told the Independent. 'The vehicle was checked and found to be properly registered. Mr. Pan had a valid license, and the vehicle was not reported stolen at the time.'

Police had the car towed, and Pan rode with the tow truck driver to the Best Western Hotel on Washington Avenue, where he and the officers parted ways.

It was not until that evening when the North Haven police learned that the vehicle Pan was driving was reported as stolen out of Massachusetts.

When officers returned to the hotel to talk to Pan, they discovered he had fled the state.

Pan works as a researcher in computer science and artificial intelligence at MIT, where Jiang's fiancee, Zion Perry, (pictured with him) was an undergraduate student

On January 30, Jiang shared a video on his Facebook page, showing him popping the question to Perry while on a hike to celebrate their dating anniversary. He wrote: 'She said YES!'

According to his Facebook page, which has been dormant since 2016, Pan is a native of Shanghai, China, who works as a researcher in computer science and artificial intelligence at MIT, where Perry, Jiang's fiancee, was an undergraduate student.

When asked about a possible romantic rivalry involving Pan, Jiang and his fiancee, Chief Reyes said on Wednesday that investigators are 'certainly not ruling it out.'

Pan graduated from MIT with undergraduate degrees in computer science and mathematics in June 2014 and entered the prestigious school's graduate program two months later.

Perry earned a Bachelor's degree in bio-engineering from MIT in 2016.

Jiang was found shot dead next to his rear-end damaged Prius at about 8.30pm on Saturday in New Haven.

'We are looking into whether or not Mr. Jiang was actually targeted in this incident,' Reyes told reporters on Monday. 'We have developed information suggesting that this incident may actually not have been a random act, and that he in fact was targeted.'

Pan is wanted on two warrants, including for possession of a stolen vehicle. He works as a researcher in computer science and artificial intelligence at MIT

'We are looking into whether or not Mr. Jiang was actually targeted in this incident,' New Haven Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said at a press conference on Monday

Police were initially looking at the possibility that Jiang was shot after a car crash, as his Prius had rear-end damage

With the killer still at large, the tight-lipped chief did not offer much further information.

But he did suggest that neighbors had seen interactions earlier in the day that shed light on the murder of Jiang.

'Additional callers reported seeing much during that day - we do not want to give that information because the investigation is ongoing,' Reyes said.

Chief Reyes said that it was 'too early to establish any motive whatsoever.'

New Haven police said 911 callers reported hearing at least seven gunshots at 8.30pm near the intersection of Lawrence and Nicoll streets in the East Rock neighborhood.

Responding officers found Jiang lying in the street and he was pronounced dead. The case is being investigated as a homicide.

Jiang was a second-year student at the Yale School of the Environment

Police said 911 callers reported hearing at least seven gunshots at 8.30pm on Saturday near the intersection of Lawrence and Nicoll streets in New Haven

The New Haven Independent reported that Jiang, who lived in West Haven, was found near his Prius, which had rear-end damage, raising the possibility that the shooting came after a car accident and was a targeted, rather than a random, act of violence.

A neighbor said she was in her living room when she heard two shots, followed by a pause, and then at least five more shots.

'When we finally looked outside, there was someone lying in the middle of Lawrence Street,' she told the New Haven Register.

Salovey, the Yale president, said his staff had been in touch with Jiangs family.

'I wish to convey to them and to all others who loved Kevin my sincere condolences,' Salovey said. 'Kevin was an extraordinary young man.'

Just a week before his slaying, Jiang got engaged and posted a video on his Facebook page that captured the moment he went down on one knee and popped the question while the pair were on a hike.

Jiang and his girlfriend, MIT graduate Zion Perry (right), had been dating for a year

'She said YES!; Jiang wrote ecstatically in a status update on January 30. 'Zion sweetheart - youve really made a huge impact in my life! Ever since I met you, God has been working in my heart and changing my heart for the better, helping me become more generous and kinder to others . You are the most kind, beautiful, forgiving, patient, faithful woman Ive ever met. I love you more than words can say.'

According to his LinkedIn profile, Jiang served as a tank operator in the US Army and was in the Army National Guard.

The 26-year-old veteran earned a degree in environmental studies from the University of Washington before starting his graduate studies at Yale in 2019. He was a member of the Class of 2022.

'I know this tragedy comes during a year that has already been filled with so much sorrow,' School of the Environment Dean Indy Burke wrote in a statement on Sunday. 'Please know that we in our school stand ready to support you.'

Jiang served as a tank operator in the US Army and was in the Army National Guard

After serving his country and earning a Bachelor's degree in environmental science from University of Washington, Jiang in 2019 started his graduate studies at Yale

Jiang, like his fiancee, was a devout Christian and an active member of a New Haven church

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker addressed Jiang's killing and other violent crimes that have been committed in the city, vowing to 'be relentless in efforts to provide justice for all of the victims, their families and loved ones,' reported Fox61.

Jiang was a devout Christian and an active member of Trinity Baptist Church, where he had been volunteering his time every week for the past two years.

'Earlier this week, I had agreed to officiate Kevin's wedding,' Co-Pastor Greg Hendrickson wrote in a Facebook post. 'Now, we will be officiating his funeral instead. As a community, we are grieving deeply right now. But Kevin lived by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

'Above all he looked forward to Jesus promise of the resurrection from the dead. Though his earthly life was cut short, he used the time that he had on earth to the fullest. His example inspires us to do the same.'

On his Facebook profile Jiang wrote: 'Life is a gift that I am so thankful for.'

Jiang would have celebrated his 27th birthday this week. His death marks the sixth homicide in New Haven so far this year.

Anyone with information about Pan's whereabouts should contact the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-Wanted-2 (1-877-926-8332). Pan should be considered armed and dangerous.
A heartless attack of a man in San Francisco on an 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee which was captured on a surveillance video on January 28 sparked outrage regarding 'hate crime' not only in the United States but also around the world. The victim died a few days after the incident.

Hate Crimes Upsurge Since COVID-19 Pandemic

The man involved who was identified by the police as allegedly Antoine Watson, 19, can be seen in the video shoving Ratanapakdee to the pavement. This caused the 84-year-old man to fall hard and days later onto his death.

Moreover, in Oakland's Chinatown on January 31, a 91-year-old Asian American man was also shoved to the ground while he was walking within the vicinity of the Asian Resource Center. The attack on the elderly caught the attention of actors Daniel Wu and Daniel Dae Kim, as they, later on, made an announcement on their social media accounts that they will be offering a reward of $25,000 for any information which will lead to the suspect of another hate crime.

The announcement was preceded by the arrest of the 28-year-old, Yahya Muslim, who was charged with battery, assault, and elder abuse. According to People, Watson, who was the alleged suspect of the initial incident has pleaded not guilty to the filed charges against him, while for Muslim, it is still not clear whether he entered a plea or retained an attorney.

The two incidents were just the latest in the string of incidents, a troubling spate of attacks, and discrimination against Asian Americans since the coronavirus pandemic affected the United States in 2020. Some experts have mentioned that people partly blamed it on former president Donald Trump who referred to COVID-19 as 'Kung Flu' and 'China Virus,' which for them fueled the racism, the USA Today reported.

Read Also: Biden Calls Off Trump's Tiktok Ban, Wants Broader Review of China's National Security Risks

Asian-Americans Threat Due to Racism

In the past year, the New York Police Department has reported that there had been a 1,900 percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in the city of New York alone, New York magazine reported. They have also mentioned that based on the August 2020 report of the United Nations, they have stated that from the month of March to May of 2020, which is only a span of eight weeks, there were more than 1,800 reported racist incidents against Asian Americans in the U.S.

On the report of the Stop AAPI Hate Youth Campaign, based on their report released last September, out of 1,000 Asian-Americans young adults that they have participated in their survey, they have found out that 8 out of 10 respondents expressed anger regarding the ongoing hate crime or the anti-Asian hate in the United States. While on the analysis of the parent organization of the youth campaign, Stop AAPI Hate, they have found that one in ten tweets that concern Asian Americans in the months before the November 2020 presidential election contained disparaging or racist language.

Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights activist shared that these are hate crimes happening in the society. She also added that it is a direct result of former leaders, former elected officials who have stoked this kind of violence.

Related Article: Twitter India Slammed by Government for Refusing To Ban Certain Accounts

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Planning to kick-start its next phase of growth in India, Blackstone-backed Embassy Office Parks Reit announced an investment of Rs 2,300 crore for construction of 5.7 million sq ft of office space over the next three years. As theres supply side reduction in the overall market because of liquidity crunch, we see this as an opportunity in markets such as Bengaluru, said Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Vikaash Khdloya.

The Reit on Friday reported a 15 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 214.8 crore for the third quarter ended December, as compared to Rs 253.5 crore in the year-ago period. Total income, however, rose to Rs 595.94 crore from Rs 568.12 crore, according to a regulatory filing.

While net operating income increased by a muted 3 per cent at Rs 478 crore for the quarter, operating margin for Asias largest Reit by area stood at 85 per cent for the quarter.

ALSO READ: Residential real estate bounces back after third quarter of CY2020

Lease deals signed for the quarter stood at 311,000 square feet, with 1 million sq ft lease deals signed year-to-date. The company said it is already seeing green shoots in leasing space and it will gain full momentum in the next 2-3 quarters.





Michael Holland, CEO

As Indias outlook steadily improves with a continued downward trend in active Covid-19 cases and the encouraging progress on vaccine roll-out, we remain optimistic that Indian demand will continue to increase as occupiers accelerate their return-to-work programmes, said Michael Holland, Chief Executive Officer of

While the company achieved rental increases of 15 per cent on 1.5 msft during the quarter, rent collections for the period from office occupiers remained strong at 99.5 per cent. About 97 per cent of occupiers and the daily average of 20,000 employees operated from our properties in Q3, up 27 per cent since Q2, said Hollande.

The Reit completed the acquisition of the Rs 9,780 crore Embassy Tech Village (ETV) in December and successfully raised Rs 3,680 crore through an Institutional Placement to fund the acquisition. It launched 1.9 msft of new on-campus office development at ETV. It is further looking at large scale dominant in top six cities including Bengaluru, Pune and Chennai for inorganic expansion.
Considered the most lethal form of DNA damage, double-strand breaks must be repaired to prevent cell death. In developing therapies for hard-to-treat breast and ovarian cancers in patients with BRCA gene mutations, scientists aim to identify ways to keep cancer cells from using DNA break repair pathways. New findings demonstrate a previously-unknown capability for polymerase theta (pol theta) - a key enzyme in this repair function - that shows promise as a new avenue for treatment development.

The study results are published in Molecular Cell.

Researchers at the University of Vermont (UVM), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson), and Yale University discovered that pol theta, previously known to extend DNA in the repair process, is also able to behave like a nuclease and trim DNA.

Because these cancer cells rely on the pol theta pathway to survive and repair double-strand breaks, researchers have been focused on pol theta and trying to find out how to inhibit this pathway.

"Pol theta is a 'hot' enzyme right now," says senior author and self-described "polymerase geek" Sylvie Doublie, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the UVM Larner College of Medicine and the UVM Cancer Center. "This is a new activity for pol theta; it's an elegant way of solving the problem - you only need one enzyme."

For patients with hard-to-treat cancers, this finding could lead to the development of new therapeutic options, like the Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors class of drugs that have been used to treat breast and ovarian cancer over the past decade.

The cell has to decide which function needs to be applied and this trimming activity is a point of vulnerability for pol theta." Sylvie Doublie, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UVM Larner College of Medicine and UVM Cancer Center

One aim of the research is to create conditions where one reaction can be encouraged over the other.

A potential role for such an inhibitor would be to improve ionizing radiation therapy in cancer patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

Doublie's former doctoral student Karl Zahn, Ph.D., now a postdoctoral fellow at Yale, saw evidence of this dual function in pol theta several years ago while working in Doublie's lab. He carried out the experiments described in the paper after engaging the expertise of Richard Wood, Ph.D., professor of epigenetics and molecular carcinogenesis at MD Anderson. Wood and Doublie have had a long-term collaboration, funded by a Program Project grant from the National Cancer Institute.

Conducting the experiments, controls, and reproducing the findings took the research team several years but was critical to confirming this discovery.

"It was an unexpected finding, and the biochemistry makes sense, suggesting a way to inhibit the DNA repair process orchestrated by pol theta", says Wood.

"The trimming reaction is rapid, and many people missed it," says Doublie, adding that the research team's patience and work paid off. "'Chance favors only the prepared mind,'" she says, quoting the late French scientist Louis Pasteur.
The Plainview City Council officially recognized retired Fire Marshal Philip Mize during a regular scheduled meeting this week.

Mayor Charles Starnes started the meeting by reading a special proclamation recognizing Mizes 31-year career with the Fire Department.

Mize was hired on Dec. 26, 1989 and his last day as fire marshal was Jan. 21, 2021.

For the record, it seemed like a really short time, Mize said during the presentation.

He didnt intend to stick around this long, he noted.

The Plainview Fire Department showed up to the meeting clad in uniforms to watch the presentation. Mize was presented with the badge he wore during his tenure with the department and with a plaque.

During Mizes career, he has taught investigation and code inspection classes, he holds a Master Certification for fire fighter, is an arson investigator, and worked code inspections and is a peace officer. He is also an advanced EMT.

Mize is also credited with playing a key role in bringing the Shattered Dreams Program to Plainview, which was created to help show teens the consequences of drinking and driving. The program was introduced to Plainview in 2005 and received a mayoral proclamation.

Mize is married to Rebecca and they have three daughters, Heather, Ashley and Malissa.

Philip has been a dedicated public servant to the community, said City manager Jeffrey Snyder. So dedicated that we were able to get him to come back.

Mize will now oversee building inspection and code enforcement for the city of Plainview.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Nutritional High International Inc. (CSE: EAT) (OTC Pink: SPLIF) ("Nutritional High" or the "Company") provides this bi-weekly default status report in accordance with National Policy 12-203 - Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults ("NP 12-203"). In the Corporation's initial default announcement of October 30, 2020 (the "Default Notice"), the Corporation announced the delay in the filing of its audited annual financial statements for the year ended July 31, 2020 (the "2020 Annual Financial Statements") and related management discussion and analysis and certifications (collectively, the "Annual Filings") by the prescribed filing deadline.

As previously announced in the Company's December 1, 2020 press release of the Corporation, the Corporation applied for and was granted a management cease trade order in respect of the delayed Annual Filings (the "MCTO") by the Ontario Securities Commission. The MCTO prohibits the chief financial officer and the chief executive officer from trading in the Corporation's securities for so long as there are filings that are outstanding under applicable securities laws. The MCTO does not affect the ability of the general investing public to trade in the Corporation's listed common shares.

The audit of the 2020 Annual Financial Statements is complete and the Annual Filings were completed on February 1, 2021. The Corporation confirms that it continues to comply with the MCTO with respect to the interim financial statements for the three-month period ended October 31, 2020 which were not filed by the prescribed filing deadline. The Corporation anticipates that its interim financial statements for the three-month period ended October 31, 2020, the accompanying management's discussion and analysis and the related CEO and CFO certifications will be filed on or before February 22, 2021.

The Corporation confirms that since the Default Notice: (i) there is no material change to the information set out in the Default Notice that has not been generally disclosed; (ii) there has been no failure by the Corporation in fulfilling its stated intentions with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines set out in NP 12-203; (iii) there has not been any other specified default by the Corporation under NP 12-203; and (iv) there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Corporation that has not been generally disclosed.

The Corporation will continue to comply with the provisions of the alternative information guidelines under NP 12-203 by issuing bi-weekly default status reports in the form of news releases for so long as it remains in default of the filing requirements set out above.

About Nutritional High International Inc.

Nutritional High is focused on developing and manufacturing branded products in the cannabis industry, with a specific focus on edibles and oil extracts for medical and adult recreational use. The Company works exclusively in jurisdictions where such activity is permitted and regulated by state law. Nutritional High has brought its flagship FLI edibles and vape product lines from production to market in various markets including Colorado where its award winning FLI products are manufactured by Palo Verde, LLC. The Company signed a purchase agreement for Palo Verde and is awaiting regulatory approval.

The Company also owns Psychedelic Science which is working with Rangsit University in Thailand to consider the medical benefits of various psychedelic cacti.

For updates on the Company's activities and highlights of the Company's press releases and other media coverage, please follow Nutritional High on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.nutritionalhigh.com.

For further information, please contact:

Robert Wilson

Chief Financial Officer

Nutritional High International Inc.

416-666-4005

Email: rwilson@nutritionalhigh.com

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC., NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

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Twitter has announced that it will start adding labels to more government accounts as well as highlighting the personal accounts of heads of state.

The social network hopes that this additional information will help users have a more informed experience on Twitter.

Twitter says the rollout of these labels will take place over several months, adding that the change is an important step  so that when people see an account discussing geopolitical issues from another country, they have context on its national affiliation, and are better informed about who they represent. 

The move is a change from Twitters previous policy, which it announced in August 2020. At the time, Twitter said that it would exempt the personal accounts of government officials because these accounts enjoy widespread name recognition, media attention, and public awareness.

However, following feedback from  a range of stakeholders  including civil society, academia, and those who use our service - the company decided to adapt its policy.

Recommended Twitter suspends 500 more accounts in India amid free speech row with the government

We will expand these labels to accounts from Group of Seven (G7) countries, and to a majority of countries that Twitter has attributed state-linked information operations to. Well also apply labels to the personal accounts of heads of state for these countries, Twitter says.

These operations include platform manipulation that [Twitter] can reliably attribute to a government or state-backed actor, the site states.

Twitter also said that it would be updating other labels added to accounts of state-affiliated media, adding more information to accounts in 16 other countries.

The companys original policy affected China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, and United States; it has now expanded that to include Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

This does not affect all state media, however. organisations such as the BBC or NPR in the US are not defined as state-affiliated media because they have editorial independence.

Only outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution are included, Twitter says.

Twitter also took action against former head of state Donald Trump recently, saying that the ex-president would be permanently banned from the platform.

When are removed from the platform, you are removed from the platform, Ned Segal told CNBCs Squawk Box. Whether you are a commentator, youre a CFO, or you are a former or current public official.

Remember our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence. And if anybody does that we have to remove them from the service. And our policies dont allow people to come back.
Washington: Former president Donald Trump is set to be acquitted by the US Senate on Sunday (AEDT), allowing him to run for the White House again, after his lawyers speedily concluded their defence case in his impeachment trial.

Trumps lawyers described the Democrats push to convict Trump of inciting the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol as a blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance in their opening statements.

Trumps legal team only used three hours of the 16 hours available to them to make their case, signalling they were confident the Senate would find Trump not guilty when the impeachment charge comes up for a final vote.

Trumps lawyers said their client never urged his supporters to behave violently and had used rhetoric commonly deployed by politicians from both major parties by urging his supporters to fight like hell on the day of the riot.
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February is Black History Month, and to continue learning about the establishing, evolution, and culture of the Black Church, I spoke with African American Christian leaders and educators to guide us through the history of the Black Church and the critical purpose it serves as part of the full Kingdom. Our American history is rarely told from the perspective of African Americans because it can be an uncomfortable narrative for the majority population in our nation to hear and understand, but when we highlight one part of the church, it sheds more light on the whole church.

Dr. Eric Washington is kicking off this series with a discussion on missionaries and religion in Africa prior to enslavement.

Dr. Washington has been a professor of African and African diaspora history at Calvin University for fourteen years, teaching on race, gender, and Christian thought. His insights help paint a picture of the early events that led to what we now know as the Black Church.

1: Understanding religious beliefs of predominant ethnolinguistic groups during the period of enslavement

During the period of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade (1450-1850), a vast majority of the population of enslaved Africans were coming from various regions, including:

Senegambia, which is modern-day Senegal and The Gambia

The Slave Coast or The Rice Coast, which encompasses modern-day Sierra-Leone, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast

The Bight of Benin, which is now Benin and Togo

The Bight of Biafra, which is modern-day Nigeria and Cameroon

Congo-Angola, which is the modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Ghana

Hundreds of different ethnolinguistic groups were included in this enslavement, but anthropologists have found distinct similarities between the religious beliefs of many of these groups spanning across the African continent. Many ethnolinguistic groups practiced naturalistic religions, recognizing a high creative god while simultaneously worshipping and praying to gods or goddesses of nature as well as ancestors.

However, many Africans who were captured and enslaved were Muslims, as well as Christians, particularly in northeastern Africa. There are records that there were Christians already in Africa who were captured and enslaved.

2: The growth of Christianity throughout Africa

As the Portuguese began making contact with Africans on the western coast, many Roman-Catholic priests came to serve Portuguese traders and merchants, bringing with them the first generation of African Christians.

As more Christianity spread inland, the Congo was officially declared a Christian kingdom. Yet Christianity was largely a practice that the royals and elites participated in, while the rank and file members of the kingdom maintained their own religious beliefs and ancestral worship.

3: The Missionary Century and attempts at civilizing Africa

The 19th century is called The Missionary Century in Africa by many historians. The London Missionary Society, the Christian Missionary Society, The Paris Evangelical Society, and the American Missionary Board were just some of the organizations and groups sending missionaries throughout the entire continent of Africa.

Coming out of the First Great Awakening, there was a push amongst American believers to evangelize. In Europe, however, there had been a humanitarian push to gradually ameliorate enslavement by ministering to Africans, rather than outright fighting to abolish slavery. Because of this, many Christians Europeans felt that they were obligated to redeem Africa from the moral tainting caused by slavery. They attempted this in three ways:

Legitimate trade

The introduction of the plow to help produce and trade cash crops

The introduction of The Bible and Christianity

Dr. Washington shared that in these times, the motive to civilize and redeem Africans painted a dark image of these missionaries in Africans eyes. Rather than seeking to help the African people, Americans and Europeans were seeking control. The Bible and the plow were the main tools that Europeans employed to try to civilize Africa. As Europeans offered to educate Africans, teaching them about European history, European agricultural practices, and the English language, they insisted that Africans assimilate to European culture.

This movement in the 19th century created the long term understanding by many that missionary work implies some sort of assimilation. There is an inextricable link between missionary movements and colonialism.

As The Scramble for Africa began, missionaries on the ground had paved the way for colonialism. Because of this, Dr. Washington warns that we have to understand how this colonialist mindset is still pervasive in mission work.

4: Resisting mission work as colonialism

In the late 19th century, independent indigenous African churches began with movements that resisted the colonization efforts of missionaries. These churches had learned that when missionaries attempted to enter their churches and assume leadership, they left the members feeling like second class citizens within their own churches. Therefore, they resisted missionaries who attempted to create their own churches or assume leadership positions.

How African Missionary History Is Relevant Today

Dr. Washington shared advice for those who feel called to mission work in Africa. He emphasized the importance of knowing the people you serve, in the present and historic social, economic, and political situation. He advised missionaries to:

Learn the language beforehand in order to actually be able to engage with the culture

Enter into the mission field as a servant, not as a professional

Investigate yourself and how you understand your call (Avoid thinking that you are bringing something they need rather than coming alongside them.)

Dr. Washington clarified that mission work should focus on the reallocation of resources to benefit those we seek to serve, rather than attempting to change a culture in order to instill new ideas or take over. Such as:

Seeking infrastructural change

Bolstering resources for those on the ground

Focusing on initiatives to educate and advocate for girls

Partnering with local organizations

At Vanderbloemen, we value constant improvement and invite you to walk alongside us as we learn more about how to better love and serve the whole church. Be sure to check out the full podcast episode with Dr. Washington and stay tuned for the other episodes in our History And Evolution Of The Black Church series throughout the month of February.
A TSA officer is being praised for helping a confused family that landed in Portland, Oregon, instead of their intended destination more than 3,000 miles away in Portland, Maine.

A travel agency booked the family of three on a flight to the wrong airport late last year, and the family didn't realize the mistake until they landed, according to a statement from the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA Officer Martin Rios was called in to translate for the Spanish-speaking family members because their English wasn't very strong.

He found out they had arrived at Portland International Airport (PDX) at 7 p.m. the night before and had to spend the night in the terminal.

"They were at the checkpoint. They were trying to see if they could get someone to help them," Rios told CNN affiliate WMTW. "We were able to figure out that they were in the wrong Portland. ... They were pretty surprised, too."

Rios took the family to a ticket counter to get the correct tickets to Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine, the TSA said.

They had only about $200, so Rios used his own money to help them buy the tickets.

"(Rios) is a go getter and the fact that he chose to support these passengers in their time of need was no surprise to both his team and our leadership," said Senior TSA Manager Jeremy Alanis said in the statement. "Martin is, and has been since day one, a shining example of what it means to be a team player. (He's) the kind of officer and person any airport in the country would be proud to have as a member of their team."

He was awarded PDX's Make the Connection Quarterly Award for his customer service.

"I guess I understood their situation, being in a foreign county and with the language, you can't really communicate to anyone else and being thousands of miles away from where you're supposed to be," Rios told WMTW.

Rios said he'd heard about people flying to the wrong Portland by mistake, but this was the first time he'd seen it himself.

He said he hasn't heard from the family since the incident and hopes they got to where they needed to go safely.

"However much I helped them with, it might not have seemed like a lot to me, but it was a difference for them," Rios told WMTW.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that his country is ready for a break in ties with the European Union if the bloc imposes sanctions that damage Russia's economy.

"We're ready for that," Lavrov said in an interview on the Solovyev Live YouTube channel on Friday. "If we see again, as has happened many times before, that sanctions are imposed that pose risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive areas."

Russia's top diplomat added: "We don't want to isolate ourselves from peaceful life but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace you have to prepare for war."

The 27-member EU is working on a proposal to sanction Russia over the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Navalny, who suffered a near-fatal nerve-agent attack he and Western governments blamed on Russia's secret services, was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months on Feb. 2 for violating the probation terms of an earlier suspended fraud conviction.

Tensions between Moscow and Brussels are rising following EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's visit to the Russian capital last week, when Lavrov used a joint news conference to disparage the bloc as an unreliable partner.

Russia simultaneously announced the expulsion of three diplomats from Poland, Germany and Sweden for their "recorded participation" in protests against Navalny's imprisonment. The EU countries rejected the accusation and reciprocated in kind.

Navalny received treatment in Berlin for his chemical poisoning and was detained immediately as he returned home in mid-January.

Germany is aware of Lavrov's comments and considers them "strange," Andrea Sasse, a German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told reporters at a regular government news conference in Berlin Friday.

The EU is Russia's biggest trading partner. The bloc imported $162.5 billion of goods from Russia in 2019 compared to 84.4 billion of exports.

Russia doesn't want to break off ties but has to be prepared "in case madness prevails and such unfriendly developments take place" on the EU's side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday on a conference call. "We must ensure the security of the most sensitive strategic areas and be ready to replace with national infrastructure everything that we may be deprived of."

Navalny's allies have urged the EU, U.K. and U.S. to sanction 35 top Russian officials and business figures close to the Kremlin.

Russia, which denies any role in poisoning Navalny, has rejected Western calls to free the Kremlin critic and accuses him and his aides of working in the interests of foreign governments. Authorities have cracked down on mass protests over Navalny's jailing, detaining more than 11,000 people since last month and prosecuting his associates, provoking international condemnation.

The new U.S. administration of President Joe Biden has said it will coordinate with its allies on possible punitive action against Russia.

Lavrov accused Western nations of using the case as a pretext to increase pressure on Russia. "If it hadn't been Navalny, they would have found something else," he said.
In this Aug. 3, 2020, file photo, Paul Adamus, 7, waits at the bus stop for the first day of school in Dallas, Ga. Amid mounting tensions about school reopening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Amid mounting tensions about reopening schools, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic.

President Joe Biden requested updated the guidance when he took office, responding to complaints that the CDC's school guidelines under the Trump administration were unclear and inconsistent. The White House said Thursday that the new guidance would help drive a national strategy to get students back to classrooms.

Biden faces increasing pressure to deliver on his promise to get the majority of schools back to in-person teaching by the end of his first 100 days in office. The White House said this week that schools would be considered opened as long as they teach in-person at least one day a week.

There's wide agreement that learning in the classroom is more effective and that students can face isolation and learning setbacks at home. And a study released by the CDC in January found that, with mask wearing and other measures, it's generally safe to teach classes in-person. But teachers unions in some areas say schools have failed to make buildings safe enough to return.

Many Republicans and some Democrats counter that there's increasing evidence that it's safe to reopen schools now, and in some communities, students have returned to in-person learning five days a week.

In this Feb. 2, 2021, file photo, students wear masks as they work in a fourth-grade classroom, at Elk Ridge Elementary School in Buckley, Wash. Amid mounting tensions about school reopening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Biden has been caught between competing interests as he works to get students in the classroom without spurning the powerful teachers unions that helped get him elected. Critics say he has bowed to unions instead of taking more aggressive action on reopening.

Unlike former President Donald Trump, who pressured schools to open and blasted the CDC for issuing guidance that he said was impractical, Biden has kept his distance from the CDC as it works on recommendations. Even after the CDC's director recently said that vaccinations are not a prerequisite for reopening, the White House declined to take a firm stance on the question.

Getting students back in the classroom is seen as a key to getting parents back to work. As part of Biden's coronavirus relief package, he's calling for $130 billion to help schools update buildings, buy protective gear and enact other recommended safety measures.

He's also calling for routine virus testing in schools to identify infected students and teachers, and to contain the virus quickly.

House Democrats this week advanced the education portion of Biden's $1.9 trillion relief plan despite opposition from Republicans, who wanted to limit funding to schools that are teaching in-person. Democrats countered that the funding is needed to make schools safe.

In this Feb. 11, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, Feb. 12, is expected to release long-awaited guidance telling schools what measures are needed to teach in-person during the pandemic. Biden requested the updated guidance in response to complaints that the CDC's school guidelines under the Trump administration were unclear and inconsistent. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Existing CDC guidelines encourage a variety of measures to fight COVID-19 in schools, including the use of masks in certain settings, along with social distancing, hand washing and regular cleaning.

Some education leaders, however, say the guidance does not go far enough. On masks, for example, it says face coverings are recommended if students cannot be spaced 6 feet apart, but with social distancing, it says masks "may be considered."

Under the Trump administration, the CDC also was accused of issuing inconsistent information to schools ranging from guidance on screening students to whether whether entire schools needed to be closed if a single case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the building.

In the early days of the U.S. epidemic, some health experts worried that schools might become cauldrons of coronavirus infection, with kids infecting each other and then spreading it to family membersas seems to be the case during cold and flu season.

Those concerns were stoked by reports of an explosive outbreak in May at a high school in Israel, shortly after schools in that country reopened after a lockdown.

In this Dec. 7, 2020, file photo, students enter P.S. 134 Henrietta Szold Elementary School in New York. Amid mounting tensions about school reopening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

But with the economy reeling after lockdowns of schools and businesses last spring, the Trump administration pushed hard for schools to reopen.

In July, Trump accused the CDC of "asking schools to do very impractical things" in order to reopen. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos incorrectly said research showed there is no danger "in any way" if kids are in school, and Vice President Mike Pence promised that the CDC would issue new guidance.

The CDC did post revised documents late that month that kept many of its earlier recommendations. But in response to reporters' questions, CDC officials said that the decision on whether to send kids back to school really rested with parents. The agency also posted an introductory documentwritten by government officials outside the CDCthat stressed the potential risks of children not attending school.

In an interview with The Associated Press last month, one CDC official suggested that it was only in late 2020 that many CDC scientists felt there was strong evidence that schools could be re-opened safely, in a way that keeps transmission low.

"My lens is really looking at the data that has become available in the last four to six weeks that has really advanced our understanding of how best to prevent transmission in schools, and increased our confidence that we can safely reopen many schools," said Margaret Honein, the leader of a CDC task force working with state and local health departments, in a late January interview.

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.
A retired postman from Turkey and a beautiful white swan have been inseparable for nearly four decades, and the story of their amazing friendship has melted the hearts of millions.

When Recep Mirzan spotted a wounded swan in a filed in Turkeys Edirne province, in 1984, he had no idea that he was about to meet his best friend. He was in a car with a group of friends, when he spotted a swan that appeared to have a broken wing in an empty field. Mirzan quickly realized that leaving the bird there was the same as signing its death sentence, as predators would have most likely eaten it, so he stopped the car and took the bird with him. He kept in the car until evening, when he took it home and started nursing it back to health.

Photo: Gabriel Miklos/Unsplash

Since I love animals, I said to myself that I should take her home instead of leaving her as prey to foxes, Mirzan told The Associated Press. We got used to each other. We never separated.

Even after the female swans broken wing healed, it didnt try to fly away. Instead, it befriended the other animals on Receps farm in the Karaagac region, on the border with Greece, and decided to stick around. Recep named her Garip, which translates as bizarre, and she has been with him for the last 37 years.

She comes when I call. Since 1984, she has never left me, not even during the river floods, the retired postman told Anadolu News Agency. She used to be more vigorous, but she has grown old now. If she dies, I will make him a nice grave here, but I hope we live more together.

Garip has her own coop on Mirzans farm, but she mostly spends nights in it. During the day, she is busy following her human friend around, either during his daily chores, or on his evening walks.

After his wife died a few years ago, Recep Mirzan started spending more time with his animals, and since he has no human children, he regards Garip as his child.

Whooper swans can live for decades in protected environments, but Garip has long surpassed the average lifespan for his species.

This story reminded us of the beautiful friendship between a penguin and the man that saved him two decades ago.
DGAP Voting Rights Announcement: QIAGEN N.V.

QIAGEN N.V.: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution



12.02.2021 / 22:07

Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The AFM (the Netherlands Authority For the Financial Markets) has informed us on February 11, 2021 that a notification related to our institution has been released by the AFM. The following notification has been disclosed in the relevant register on the AFM website: Date of transaction: 09 feb 2021

Person obliged to notify: BlackRock, Inc.

Issuing institution: Qiagen N.V.

Registration Chamber of Commerce: 12036979

Place of residence: VENLO Distribution in numbers Type of share Number of shares Number of voting rights Capital interest Voting rights Manner of disposal Settlement Ordinary share 31.108.629,00 33.347.599,00 Real Real Indirectly - BlackRock, Inc. Ordinary share

943.377,00 943.377,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - BlackRock, Inc. Physical Delivery Contract for difference 58.383,00 62.195,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - BlackRock, Inc. In Cash

Distribution in percentages Type Total holding Directly real Directly potential Indirectly real Indirectly potential Capital interest 13,91 % 0,00 % 0,00 % 13,48 % 0,43 % Voting rights 14,88 % 0,00 % 0,00 % 14,45 % 0,44 % QIAGEN N.V. is not responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the notification above. The content has been taken from the relevant register of the AFM:

https://www.afm.nl/en/professionals/registers/meldingenregisters/substantiele-deelnemingen/details?id=105964

12.02.2021 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


Hugo Lopez was already struggling to support his family on his reduced hours at a deli when he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

As the 38-year-old struggled to breathe, a flood of other worries entered his mind: How would he pay for rent? How would he pay for food? How would he support his three children?

Luckily, Lopez, along with his wife and daughter, who also tested positive for the coronavirus in October, qualified for San Franciscos privately funded Right to Recover Fund. Two weeks after their diagnosis, they each received about $1,200, which helped cover rent, food and bills.

Without that help, Lopez and the majority of the 3,700 people who have received money from the Right to Recover program said they would have probably been too concerned about their finances to quarantine and take time away from work, according to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, which oversees the program.

That means without the program, the citys COVID-19 cases would probably be much higher.

When people are first diagnosed, especially Latinos that dont have resources, their first thought is economic, he said in Spanish through a translator. They begin to wonder what they are going to do to pay rent to support their family, because we have to get up and go to work.

But the program, which has been fully funded by private donations since it began in July, keeps running out of money and sometimes goes weeks without accepting new referrals. After the program stopped accepting new referrals last week, Mayor London Breeds office said it secured an additional $6 million in funds Thursday to help the program last another two to three months. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development said the program would start accepting new referrals immediately.

What will happen next, however, is unclear.

If the program runs out of money again, Supervisor Hillary Ronen said shell try to get it funded through the citys budget. But that could be difficult as the city grapples with a huge, pandemic-induced deficit. While San Francisco is expecting more financial support from the Biden administration, its still unclear how much funding it will get and how long the support will last.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

A spokesperson for the mayor said the Right to Recover program is important, and it will be in the conversation for public funding  along with several other COVID-19 support programs  in the current budget cycle. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development, which has partnered with the Mission Economic Development Agency and Young Community Developers to dole out the money, said the city should still focus on raising money from private donors.

We cant do this alone, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development said in a statement. The local demand for resources and relief in this pandemic has outweighed the resources. Our focus is to continue to raise funds to support these important programs together with private partners.

Since the program began, the city has cobbled together about $11 million, through one-time city funding and the citys philanthropy fund. People are given a debit card with $1,285, which is about two weeks of minimum wage.

Ronen, who oversees the Mission, a heavily Latino district that has experienced one of the highest concentrations of COVID-19 cases in the city, said the program should not have to rely on wealthy private donors or uncertain funding. More than 100 people are testing positive every day in San Francisco, and many of the cases are among essential workers  such as janitors, cooks and delivery drivers  and those in the Latino community who rely on every paycheck to buy food and pay rent.

I know money is tight but this is a program worth spending our limited dollars on to support individuals who are suffering and the most impacted, said Ronen, who plans to hold a hearing Wednesday on the program. Im going to be watching this money like a hawk, and will be ready to introduce a budget supplemental ... so there are no future pauses to this program again.

Referrals to the program skyrocketed over the winter surge, which caused long waiting lists for the money until the city received more funding. Guillermina Castellanos, who had to wait for funds, said it was harrowing to not have immediate financial assistance.

She and her husband  who works in construction and also fell ill  were making funeral arrangements and figuring out how to pay for the ceremonies. Three of their four children who they live with also got sick.

Amid the headaches, body aches and fatigue, they worried about getting evicted and paying the bills. When the money finally came  about $1,200 each for all five members who got sick  it was a tremendous relief, Castellanos said.

This fund is very important, she said in Spanish through a translator. There are a lot of people with different experiences, many of whom have not been able to pay rent and are facing threats of eviction.

Jon Jacobo, a member of the Latino Task Force, said the program is not just the morally correct thing to do, it is absolutely the right thing to do from a public health perspective. Without the funding, he said, you force people to make a decision: Do I stay home for the good of society, or do I go out an earn money to feed my kids?

Persuading people who are sick to stay home is one thing, but persuading others who are asymptomatic to forgo their wages is even harder, said Dr. Carina Marquez, an assistant professor of medicine at UCSF who has helped the Latino Task Force on its COVID-19 response.

If you feel mildly ill and you have no way to feed your family if you dont go to work, it becomes much harder to isolate and quarantine, she said. If were asking people to quarantine, we also need to provide them with the means to do so.

According to Office of Economic and Workforce Development data, 79% of program recipients are from neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic, including the Tenderloin, Mission and Bayview. More than half of the recipients said Spanish is their preferred language.

The main things people spent money on were food, groceries and utility bills, according to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The office also said that many recipients do not have access to regular banking and are using funds to purchase food and groceries at places where cash is accepted.

Angelica Rodriguez doesnt know how she would have made it through her bout with COVID-19 without financial support.

She was in a Kaiser emergency room being treated for the virus when she learned shed lost her hourly job at one of San Franciscos community learning hubs.

She agonized about how shed find another job while sick and contagious.

Eventually, she and two of her children, both of whom were also diagnosed with COVID-19 in October, each received about $1,200, which helped cover rent, food and bills.

The money really helped us to stay safe, Rodriguez said. And it also allowed us to recover without all the pressure.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
Andrew Bender, Perry Countys district attorney, has announced his candidacy for judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the 41st Judicial District (Perry and Juniata counties).

Bender has served in his current role for the past five years.

A native of Perry County, Bender lives in Saville Township with his wife Sarah and their two young children. They are expecting their third child this spring.

Bender is a graduate of West Perry High School, Lebanon Valley College and Villanova University School of Law. He began his legal career as a law clerk in the Court of Common Pleas of the 41st Judicial District. Before being elected District Attorney in 2015, Bender served as an assistant district attorney in Perry County and later as an attorney for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, where most of his time was spent on child abuse appeals.

He also has spent time in private practice in Carlisle and Mifflintown where he primarily represented clients in family law matters, the release said, noting that he has a strong commitment to protecting the areas youth.

Bender said that judges must respect and uphold the Constitution and make rulings grounded in common sense, in accordance with the law as it is written. No matter the crime, I have always sought to achieve justice by paying careful attention to the facts of the case, applying the law as it is written and using common sense to seek a fair and just outcome. If chosen to serve as the next judge of the Court of Common Pleas, I pledge to take the same approach with each case that comes before me.

In his role as district attorney, Bender is the chair of the Perry County Prison Board, chair of Perry Countys Criminal Justice Advisory Board and heads the countys drug task force.

On the personal side, he is a member of Faith United Church in Ickesburg, where he serves on the churchs board.

A board member of the Perry County Literacy Council, he also chairs the Perry County Friends of Scouting Breakfast Committee for the Boy Scouts of America and is a member of several organizations, including the Perry County Chamber of Commerce, the National Rifle Association (Life Member), NWTF, RMEF, Landisburg Lions Club, and Newport Owls Club.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a debate on the united EU approach to COVID-19 vaccinations at the European Parliament in Brussels, on Feb. 10, 2021. (Johanna Geron/Pool via AP)

Europe Challenges China on Human Rights, South China Sea Aggression

The European Union condemned the Chinese regimes human rights record during a recent meeting, while the latter tried to court more trade and investment with central and eastern European countries.

Around the same time, France sent a warship and submarine to the South China Sea for a freedom of navigation patrol, to Beijings ire.

Some China analysts said these moves indicated that European countries, though eager to do business with China, were also taking a strong stance against Beijings aggressions.

Wang-Borrell Conference

Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell held a video conference on Feb. 8.

According to the EU statement about the conference, Borrell stressed the EUs strong concerns about the ongoing pressure on democracy and fundamental rights in Hong Kong, the treatment of human rights defenders, as well as the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, in particular in Xinjiang.

About one million Uyghurs and other Muslim-practicing ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region are currently detained inside concentration camps, according to United Nations estimates.

Beijings statement about the conference noted that Wang emphasized that the issues of Hong Kong, human rights, and Xinjiang are all Chinas domestic affairs.

China opposes other countries interfering in our internal affairs and concocting or disseminating lies and fake information, according to the statement.

Chinese state media have framed Western media and government reports about rights abuses in Xinjiang as fake news.

Borrell called for the release of politicians in Burma who were detained following the military coup, and expressed deep concern about Irans nuclear trajectory, according to the EU statement. Borrell also underlined the EUs strong bonds with the U.S.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker ahead of a meeting in Brussels, Belgium on March 18, 2019. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

The Chinese side said in its statement they shared opinions on relations with the U.S., Burma, and Iran, but did not provide further details.

Beijings statement mainly focused on Wangs opinions about EU-China relations, which the EU statement did not review.

China and the EU are two large independent forces in the world, the Chinese statement quoted Wang as saying. As long as China and the EU adhere to our common interests and make decisions independently, we can accomplish great things.

U.S.-based China affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan said that EU-China relations are headed in the direction of US-China, with more notable tensions.

In military, human rights, territorial disputes, and such issues of hard power, China is the U.S. and EUs enemy. But in trade and technological development, China is more like a partner, rather than a rival, Tang said.

In March 2019, the EU for the first time called China a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance and an economic competitor, highlighting its pursuit of technological dominance.

Tang noted Frances unusual move on Feb. 8, whereby it sent a warship and a nuclear submarine to the South China Sea to conduct a freedom of navigation patrol. The Chinese regime claims most of the waterway as its territory, despite several other Asian countries also having claims there.

The French defense minister Florence Parly posted photos of the two naval craft on Twitter. Its proof of our navys capability to sail far away and sail for a long time, with our strategic partners, who are the Australians, Americans, and Japanese.

Beijing condemned the move at a Feb. 9 press briefing.

French president Emmanuel Macron takes part in a video conference meeting with European Council President, European Commission president, German Chancellor, and Chinese leader to approve an investment pact between China and the European Union at the Fort de Bregancon, in Bormes-les-Mimosas, south-east of France on Dec. 30, 2020. (SEBASTIEN NOGIER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Xis Promise

Also on Feb. 9, Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted a video conference for the Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC) Summit.

The China-CEEC Summit is an annual conference with the leaders of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and China. The summit was first organized in 2012.

In Xis speech, he reviewed the nine-year history of the summit and promised: China plans to import $170 billion valued products from central and eastern Europe in the next five years.

He also said China would seek to import double the amount of agricultural products from central and eastern Europe within the next five years.

The Chinese regime has issued limited data on its trade with CEEC countries. The latest data was announced in February 2017: the total trade volume in 2016 was valued at $58.65 billion, with China exporting $45.54 billion and importing $13.11 billionmeaning China had a $32.43 billion trade surplus.

Now, China is claiming to narrow that trade gap.

Spokesperson for Chinas commerce ministry Gao Feng said at a Feb. 5 press conference that the trade between China and the 17 CEEC countries reached $103.45 billion in 2020, which was 8.4 percent higher than the value in 2019.

If the trade between China and CEEC keeps on increasing at 8.4 percent each year, the total trade from 2021 to 2025 will be $663.15 billion. If over five years China imports $170 billion from CEEC, then China will export $493.15 billion ($663.15 billion minus $170 billion) to CEEC. Chinas trade surplus will be $323.15 billion.

In recent years, Beijing has courted closer economic ties with central and eastern European nations, mostly through tech and infrastructure project investments.

Former U.S. state secretary Mike Pompeo had sought to convince such nations of the security risks that come with doing business with China. In particular, he pushed for European nations to reject 5G telecom equipment from Chinese tech giant Huawei.
Chanda Kochhar, former MD and CEO of ICICI Bank, has been granted bail on a bond of Rs 5 lakh by Special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in ICICI Bank-Videocon loan case.

The former CEO and MD appeared before a special PMLA court on Friday.

The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had on January 30 summoned Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot and other accused in the case after taking cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) charge sheet.

Chanda Kochhar appeared before the special Judge A A Nandgoankar and filed a bail application through her lawyer Vijay Agarwal.

The court asked the ED to file its reply on her bail application.

The ED had arrested Deepak Kochhar in September 2020 after it filed a criminal case for money laundering based on an FIR registered by the CBI against the Kochhars, Dhoot and others.

The ED has alleged that Rs 64 crore, out of a loan amount of Rs 300 crore sanctioned by a committee of ICICI Bank headed by Chanda Kochhar to Videocon International Electronics Limited, was transferred to Nupower Renewables Pvt Ltd (NRPL) by Videocon Industries on September 8, 2009, a day after the disbursement of loan.

NRPL was earlier known as Nupower Renewables Limited (NRL) and is owned by Deepak Kochhar, the ED said.

Taking cognisance of the charge sheet, Judge A A Nandgoankar had observed, "After going through the submissions, written complaints and statements recorded under PMLA, it appears that Chanda Kochhar had misused her official position in granting loan to accused Dhoot and/or Videocon group companies."

"And (it appears) she got illegal gratification/undue advantage through her husband...through various companies for siphoning off money and proceeds of crime," the court had said.

The material produced by the ED constitutes the commission of offence, and it is "sufficient to proceed against the accused persons", the court had said.
Former Yuba-Sutter resident Ronald Simmons with his daughter, Kayla, and wife, Denise. Simmons was recently hospitalized and told he is in need of a heart transplant.
A former caretaker at a boys school has being jailed for ten years for continuous sexual abuse of young boys at the school throughout the 1980s.

Bernard Browne (62) used the promise of small amounts of cash to entice the boys into situations where he would sexually molest them.

He would ejaculate while rubbing himself naked against them and convinced some of the children that he was only doing this to collect his sperm and donate it to childless couples.

Browne with a former address at Brighton Rd., Foxrock, Dublin pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecently assaulting three boys on dates between 1983 and 1990. The nine counts are samples charges from an indictment of 44 charges.

The offending took place at the CBS school on Richmond st., north in Dublin city and, later, at Browne's flat on Belvedere place, Dublin city.

Detective Garda Eoin Treacy told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Browne was between 25 and 28 when he began molesting the first victim, an 11-year-old boy. He had told the child he could earn some extra pocket money by helping him sweep and brought him to a shed at the back of the school where he molested him.

This boy told the second victim that Browne needed boys to stimulate him so he could sell his sperm to a donor bank and he would get money for it. The two boys went to Browne's flat and Browne lay each one down in turn on the floor, stripped them and rubbed himself against them until he climaxed.

The court heard these attacks occurred on a weekly basis.

Browne abused the third victim from 1987 to 1990 when the boy was aged 14 to 17. As an adult this victim told gardai that he innocently believed Browne's story that he was collecting his sperm to help couples who couldn't have babies.

He said he felt very scared during the abuse and didn't know what the hell was going on. He said Browne told the child his family would be wiped out if he told anyone about the abuse.

Judge Elma Sheahan noted the severe emotional distress expressed in the victim impact statements of each man.

She said the assaults led to the victims turning to alcohol and drug abuse to bury their torment. She noted the victims felt their education had being negatively affected and the abuse continued to cause an inter-generational damage.

Each victim impact statement is loaded with the weight of psychological damage and upset, she said, and said the men carried a very heavy burden to this day.

She said despite their own expressions of low self esteem they were impressive courageous individuals who had the inner strength to keep going.

She said Browne's assaults involved planning and he used a sinister and cunning lie to manipulate young boys. She said his position in the school, the breach of trust and the length of time were among the aggravating factors in the offending.

She said the mitigating factors are his guilty pleas, his remorse expressed through his lawyers at the sentence hearing and his age and ill health.

She suspended the final year of a ten year prison term on condition that Browne complete treatment programmes while in custody.

Before sentence was imposed Fiona Murphy SC, defending, told the court that her client is remorseful for his actions and the very serious impact of them. He told the court that there has been no offending since this abuse ended in 1990.
Arjun Bijlani, Shivangi Joshi, Surbhi Chandana, Gurmeet Choudhary & Debina Bonnerjee, Amol Parashar, Smriti Khanna, Aashka Goradia Goble, and Kunal Vijayakar, are all coming together to sue the dreadful year 2020. Shocked? Dont be as they are all collaborating for #LiveItUp 2021, a nine-part web-series conceptualized and produced by the Godrej Group. 2020 will be personified by actress-comedienne Jamie Lever. This digital series will be released exclusively during the fifth season of Godrej LAffaire, Indias coolest lifestyle affair with lots of music, masti and fabulous discounts on lifestyle brands. Catch all the excitement of Godrej LAffaire by clicking on https://bit.ly/3r8llIB

To be released on the Godrej LAffaire Instagram and Facebook page (@godrejlaffaire) from February 14, the innovative mini web-series takes a long, hard look at the year 2020 in a fun conversational manner. Godrej LAffaire fifth season is all about making India bounce back, with live streaming sessions, exclusive web content launch, flash contests and best deals & offers that are more than generous.

The web-series has been conceived as a quirky courtroom theatrical in which viewers will see the year 2020, played by Jamie Lever, put on trial for the disruptions it caused in our lives this year from travel and food to parenting, grooming and various other nuances of Lifestyle.

Amol Parashar for instance will sue 2020 for canning all our travel plans. Kunal Vijayakar will seek revenge on behalf of us foodies who had to cook for ourselves. Aashka Goradia Goble will be representing our love for fitness and mental health. Duo Gurmeet Choudhary & Debina Bonnerjee will be giving their piece of mind to 2020 for not being posture-friendly and Arjun Bijlani is going to ensure we get back that safety waali feeling. There will be Shivangi Joshi who will fight for the right to our beauty routines, Smriti Khanna will be the voice of lockdown parents. The fashionista Surbhi Chandna will sue 2020 for making us dress in PJs all day and night.

A judge, played by radio host Sharma G aka Gaurav Sharma, will hear the arguments before delivering the verdict at the end of each episode.

Sujit Patil, VP & Head of Corporate Brand & Communications, Godrej Group, said, At the Godrej Group, we are constantly striving to cultivate a deeper engagement with our consumers and our audience. The pandemic may have made this harder than ever, but on the other hand the virtual world has opened up so many innovative avenues to build those connections that can be just as impactful. The launch of this fun web-series with seamless brand integration is an example of this. We believe the concept and storytelling will create a riveting narrative for viewers and an even more immersive Godrej LAffaire experience in a year when they cant attend it personally.

The series will highlight the trials and tribulations of 2020 via its quirky narrative. It will not only leave viewers laughing but will also connect with them as every character demands payback from 2020.

'2020 payback karo will be the rallying cry of the plaintiffs who each have their own reasons to sue the year. But who wins? Thats the mystery of it.

Watch the webisodes on Godrej LAffaire Facebook page and Instagram handle @godrejlaffaire.
Millions of families will be hit with 'sky-high' council tax bills in April as rates soar to meet the cost of England's social care crisis.

More than a quarter of districts are expected to set council tax of more than 2,000 for those in the average of Band D houses, analysis has found.

Three years ago there was not a single area in England where the average council tax bill exceeded that level.

Millions of families will be hit with 'sky-high' council tax bills in April as rates soar to meet the cost of England's social care crisis

Rutland (pictured) will see its council tax for average Band D houses raise to 2,125 in 2020/2021

Critics accused town halls of delivering a 'kick in the teeth' to residents already hit hard by the pandemic.

Last year, Band D households in 36 districts across the country had to pay bills higher than 2,000 a year, or 4,000 for the most expensive Band H homes.

This year the Government has given councils the ability to put up their bills by up to 5 per cent to meet the increasing costs of social care, while police authorities can add a further 15 to their share of the levy.

Even if local authorities raise charges by just 4 per cent  below the maximum but in line with the rise last year  then a further 59 districts will be asking for more than 2,000.

Three years ago there was not a single area in England where the average council tax bill exceeded that level. Pictured: Dorset, where rates are raising to 2,119

It would mean 95 districts  more than a quarter of the total  would have Band D bills above this level. Harry Fone, from the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'These sky-high bills will feel like a kick in the teeth to taxpayers.

'The pandemic has destroyed many households' finances  the last thing they need is an even bigger council tax bill. Local authorities must root out wasteful spending, make savings and stop these huge hikes.'

Last year the highest council tax levels in the country were paid in the tiny county of Rutland, where Band D households had to stump up 2,125. But an increase of 4 per cent would push all councils currently charging between 1,925 and 2,000 above that limit.

Critics accused town halls of delivering a 'kick in the teeth' to residents already hit hard by the pandemic. Pictured: Nottingham, where tax is raising to 2,119

For example the bill for people in Burnley in 2020/21 was 1,996. Lancashire County Council has already announced plans to add 56 to Band D bills  meaning Burnley's charges will certainly pass 2,000.

A cap means no council in London is at risk of having charges above 2,000 in Band D this year, leaving residents in the capital facing lower bills than those in the North despite living in more expensive homes.

Robert Palmer, executive director of Tax Justice UK, said: 'It's shocking that a home owner in central London can pay less council tax than a family in the North of England.

This year the Government has given councils the ability to put up their bills by up to 5 per cent. Pictured: Lewes, where tax for Band D homes is 2,111

'But this will stay hard-wired into the system until politicians act.'

Rishi Sunak is under mounting pressure from Tory backbenchers to scrap council tax and replace it with a property tax. But last week the Treasury said it had no plans to do so.

Up and down the country, councils are deciding how much to increase bills by.

They are allowed to increase rates by 2 per cent for ordinary spending, plus an extra 3 per cent for social care.

Last night, a spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'Councils are and have always been responsible for setting council tax levels. We set referendum principles to ensure that local people have the final say over any excessive increases.'
Newly designated President of Libya of the UN-hosted interim administration arrived in Benghazi, Wednesday, from Athens. In an attempt to cement relations between the divided countrys eastern and western factions ahead of December polls, Mohammad Younes Menfi, chairman of Libyas Presidential Council, entered the eastern factions stronghold after nearly three years. In a campaign to foster unity, Menfi met with academicians, activists, and tribal elderly at the airports VIP lounge, according to sources of Associated Press. The new president of the North African country, Menfi was elected for the position of interim leadership for the transitional unified Libyan government, alongside Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, designated as the prime minister in the Presidency Council at UN-sponsored meeting in Switzerland, Geneva.

Acting UN special envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams had told delegates that the challenges were not behind them, as UN-sponsored political mechanism to put end to the countrys decade-long conflict. Well be watching those you have selected to make sure they truly go back to the Libyan people on Dec. 24 of this year, to democratically elect Libyas representatives and political leadership, Williams said. Libyas new unified executive, according to the UNs agreement, was tasked with comprehensive national reconciliation "based on transitional justice principles and promoting the culture of amnesty and tolerance in parallel with truth-seeking and reparations. The interim administration was also assigned with tackling Libyas economic crisis due to war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read: Libya Migrants Allowed To Disembark In Italy After Rescue Boat Saves 424 People

Read: Libya PM Urges Int'l Community To Help Achieve Stability

Acting SRSG announces the winning candidates for the Presidency Council and Prime Minister positions for the temporary period. #LPDF https://t.co/AqBs22NnnW  UNSMIL (@UNSMILibya) February 5, 2021

Pro-Haftar politician creates 'stir'

Menfi, Libyas east diplomat, won 39 votes to the 34 in a second round of voting Friday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dbeibah, Libya al-Mostakbal movements founder had led Libyas Investment and Development Company under ousted ruler Muammar Gaddafi, according to press reports. In 2011, Libya descended into a political crisis after a Nato-supported armed revolt toppled the countrys 42-year long leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country, since then, fell into the hands of competing rival militias, and politicians that divided self-defined government in Tripoli and the Libyan east. The North African nation also turned a hoisting ground for radical Islamic rebel groups and terrorist organizations like Daesh and Al Qaida, with conflict intensifying due to the influx of arms. Last week, a 75 UN picked delegates, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum elected Menfi, Mossa Al-Koni, Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi, and Dbeibah as a temporary executive authority in the country.

[Libyan Political Dialogue Forum meets to choose an interim prime minister and a unified presidential council. Credit: AP]

In a fresh stir, following the UNs constitutional path dialogue meetings to resolve the Libyan crisis, a pro-Haftar politician Aguila Saleh reportedly appealed that the new Presidential Council and the government shall be based in Sirte and work under the armed forces that belong to warlord Khalifa Haftar and Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission. In another move condemned by the UN, Saleh proposed a change in capital Tripoli.

Read: Libya's New PM Makes First Speech Since Taking Power

Read: Egypt's President Says He Supports Interim Libya Government

(Image Credit: UN)




Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that his country is ready for a break in ties with the European Union if the bloc imposes sanctions that damage Russia s economy.

Were ready for that," Lavrov said in an interview on the Solovyev Live YouTube channel on Friday. If we see again, as has happened many times before, that sanctions are imposed that pose risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive areas."

Russias top diplomat added: We dont want to isolate ourselves from peaceful life but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace you have to prepare for war."

The 27-member EU is working on a proposal to sanction Russia over the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Navalny, who suffered a near-fatal nerve-agent attack he and Western governments blamed on Russias secret services, was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months on Feb. 2 for violating the probation terms of an earlier suspended fraud conviction.

Tensions between Moscow and Brussels are rising following EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrells visit to the Russian capital last week, when Lavrov used a joint press conference to disparage the bloc as an unreliable partner. Russia simultaneously announced the expulsion of three diplomats from Poland, Germany and Sweden for their recorded participation" in protests against Navalnys imprisonment. The EU countries rejected the accusation and reciprocated in kind.

Trade Ties

The EU is Russias biggest trading partner. The bloc imported $162.5 billion of goods from Russia in 2019 compared to 84.4 billion of exports.

Russia doesnt want to break off ties but has to be prepared in case madness prevails and such unfriendly developments take place" on the EUs side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday on a conference call. We must ensure the security of the most sensitive strategic areas and be ready to replace with national infrastructure everything that we may be deprived of."

Navalnys allies have urged the EU, UK and US to sanction 35 top Russian officials and business figures close to the Kremlin.

Russia, which denies any role in poisoning Navalny, has rejected Western calls to free the Kremlin critic and accuses him and his aides of working in the interests of foreign governments. Authorities have cracked down on mass protests over Navalnys jailing, detaining more than 11,000 people since last month and prosecuting his close colleagues, provoking international condemnation.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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Supreme Court Rules Alabama Inmate Entitled to Clergy in Death Chamber, Puts Execution on Hold

The Supreme Court granted a rare reprieve to a convicted murderer in Alabama after the inmate argued that proceeding with his scheduled execution without his pastors presence in the death chamber violated the mans First Amendment-protected religious freedoms.

The full title of the case is Jefferson S. Dunn, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections v. Willie B. Smith III. The stay appeared to have been granted just after 11 p.m. on Feb. 11. The execution is expected to be rescheduled after a new execution warrant replaces the one that expired less than an hour after the Supreme Court ruled.

Smith, now 51, was sentenced to death in 1992 for abducting, robbing, and murdering Sharma Ruth Johnson, 22, the year before. Johnsons remains were located in the trunk of her burned-out car. She had been shot in the head execution-style in a cemetery after begging for her life.

Alabama enacted a policy in 2019 forbidding an inmate from being accompanied by any religious representative in the room in which the execution takes place. Before that, the state had required the presence of a prison chaplain at an inmates side.

The policy was changed after a condemned Buddhist man successfully challenged a Texas policy allowing only Christian and Muslim clergy to be present in the death chamber.

In that emergency death-penalty appeal, known as Murphy v. Collier, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote an opinion suggesting that one way to respect the prisoners religious rights would be to prevent all spiritual advisers from being present in the chamber. Texas followed up by adopting that policy and Alabama followed suit.

In the case at hand, Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a concurring opinion that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton in 2000, guarantees Smith the right to practice his faith free from unnecessary interference.

The Eleventh Circuit was right to bar Alabama from executing Smith without his pastor by his side, Kagan wrote. Nowhere, as far as I can tell, has the presence of a clergy member (whether state-appointed or independent) disturbed an execution.

The law guarantees Smith the right to practice his faith free from unnecessary interference, including at the moment the State puts him to death.

Kagan, along with Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Amy Coney Barrett, all voted to deny the application from the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, to overturn a lower court ruling and lift the stay.

Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Clarence Thomas and Kavanaugh all voted to overturn the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit that required the presence of Smiths spiritual adviser in the death chamber in order for the execution to proceed.

Because the States policy is non-discriminatory and, in my view, serves the States compelling interests in ensuring the safety, security, and solemnity of the execution room, I would have granted the States application to vacate the injunction, Kavanaugh wrote in a dissenting opinion.

The courts online docket doesnt indicate how Justices Samuel Alito or Neil Gorsuch voted, but at least one of the two had to have voted to maintain the stay in order to obtain the required majority support among the nine justices.

Mike Lewis, communications director for Marshall, said the state hasnt yet decided how to proceed.

The State of Alabama is currently reviewing its options in light of last nights Supreme Court order leaving the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals preliminary injunction of Willie B. Smiths execution in effect, Lewis said. We have no further comment.

Anand Agneshwar, counsel of record for Smith, didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Bowing to political pressure in Washington, the administration of President Joe Biden has dragged its feet about returning to the Iranian nuclear deal its predecessor abandoned, insisting that Tehran first roll back its stockpile of fissile material before the United States removes sanctions.

We have been very clear about what we believe is possible with the formulation of compliance for compliance: Iran resumes its full compliance with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States will do the same, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday, referring to the formal name of the nuclear deal signed under the administration of Barack Obama.

But experts are warning that elements in Tehran may be in no hurry to return to the deal either. Although many in Washington believe that Iran is desperate for sanctions relief to alleviate its battered economy, that might simply not be true.

The Islamic Republic this week celebrated the 42nd anniversary of its revolution, battered but alive after suffering the worst effects of former president Donald Trumps maximum pressure campaign as well as the still-lingering aftermath of the sanctions tightened on Iran by the administration of Barack Obama a decade ago.

Nobody in the world doubts that 'maximum pressure' against the Iranian people has failed and economic war against this nation has failed, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani declared in a speech on Thursday.

It also lived through the worst coronavirus in the Middle East that continues to hit the country with a third wave as well as record-low oil prices that are now inching up. Though it continues to suffer economically, it has adjusted to a great extent, say experts.

The initial damaging shock of Mr Trumps sanctions wore off, and Iran deployed and modified old methods of evading US sanctionsincluding selling its oil through intermediaries such as Malaysia and doing business with other sanctioned nations such as Venezuela and Syria.

Somehow it managed to stay alive over 2020, says Katrin Kamin, an economist and political scientist at the Kiel Institute, a German think tank that focuses on the global economy.

She cited an increase in exports of steel and petrochemicals, expanded domestic production and consumption along with the growth of regional trade as economic measures that staved off collapse.

All that carried it through the triple crisis of sanctions, oil prices and coronavirus, she said.

Few expect the country to prosper with or without the removal of sanctions. Ms Kamin warned of a potential balance-of-payment crisis if Iran fails to access its frozen assets. Without state income or with only very restricted state income due to the sanctions regime, Iran is  at least in the long run  economically on a downward spiral, she said.

But a growing body of scholarly work suggests that anemic economic growth could align the interests of Irans struggling and resentful lower middle class with conservative politicians least interested in cutting a deal with the US. The phenomenon of economic stagnation leading to right wing and xenophobic political surges has emerged in the west, as well as Russia and Latin America.

To the extent that the economic situation of ordinary people becomes more precarious, a lot of political leaders find ways to take advantage of the precariousness, said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, of Bourse & Bazaar, a website which focuses on Irans economy. Not only is the economy not collapsing, the conditions of stagnation that have been introduced by sanctions are actually a predominant driver of the more hardline politics that have emerged domestically and internationally.

Such an emerging political alignment could make it less likely for Irans hardliners to eagerly seek a new deal : better for them to rule over a poor nation loyal to the state than a moderately prosperous people bursting with middle-class ambitions.

A handout picture provided by Irans Atomic Energy Organisation on January 30, 2021 shows Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (R) and the head of the Iranian Atomic Organization Ali Akbar Salehi (L) visiting the Fordo nuclear power plant, central Iran, on January 28. (Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran)

Insiders in Washington have said the Biden administration understands the regime is not on the verge of collapse. US officials are assembling a team of negotiators led by veteran diplomatic troubleshooter Robert Malley to oversee any possible negotiations with Iran. They have also said they are busy consulting with allies and partners as they craft further moves. The US wants follow-on talks to address Irans missile programme and support for armed groups throughout the Middle East, including the Houthi militia which has been launching attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Its very important that we do the diplomatic legwork [so] that before we undertake any approach  we know what our strategic objectives are, but as importantly, our partners and our allies also know what our strategic objectives are, Mr Price told reporters on Tuesday.

Other JCPOA stakeholders including the United Kingdom, European Union, Russia and China are eager to bring both countries back into compliance. "It is Washington that should take action to make it possible, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday. But the choreography of these steps, planning them is a separate issue.

The Biden team knows the pressure is on. Irans parliament in December passed a law requiring the countrys Atomic Energy Organisation to withdraw by 21 February from a set of voluntary and intrusive inspections it had agreed to as part of JCPOA. Iran has already reduced what nonproliferation experts call the breakout time before it has enough fissile material to begin producing weapons, from a year to a few months.

In addition, Iranian presidential elections in June mean that the country may soon be mired in a noisy distracting domestic political season, and that the next government may be less amenable to dealmaking than incumbent president Hassan Rouhani, who is constitutionally barred from running.

The economy will be good enough that it will not be a political liability for anyone during the elections to be noncommittal to pursue diplomacy, said Mr Batmanghelidj.

Iran has yet to signal any eagerness to return to talks on US terms. This week Irans intelligence minister Mahmoud Alavi warned in a television interview that the country could opt to break out of its treaty obligations and develop nuclear weapons if it felt threatened.

"Our nuclear industry is peaceful and the supreme leader clearly stated in his fatwa that developing nuclear weapons is against Sharia, he said on Monday in remarks that made headlines worldwide. But when you corner a cat, it may behave in such a way that it wouldn't do if it were free. If they push Iran in that direction, it won't be Iran's fault.

Mr Alavis comments were dismissed as his personal views by others close to the countrys powerful Revolutionary Guard. But other Iranian leaders have warned that Iran was in no mood to meet any US conditions, which include reducing its output and stockpile of nuclear material to levels set by the JCPOA but breached over the last year as the administration of Mr Trump upped economic sanctions.

"If they want Iran to go back to its commitments, America should abolish all its sanctions, Irans supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on Monday. We will assess and if we see that they have acted faithfully in this regard, we will return to our commitment.

He reiterated his call on the window of opportunity, saying that the US can use it to "accept a dialogue and end the fruitless hostility against the Iranian people".
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Bail-out or Bail-in: Which Is More Fair?

There was a lot of uproar some time back about the Indian government introducing a Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FDRI) Bill that replaced bail-out with bail-in. Many people were perturbed and many opinions were expressed by learned minds. Eventually this bail-in Bill was withdrawn and a new one is in the offing (FSDR Bill) whose details are still unclear. This is all very obscure stuff, so let me try to bring some clarity into it for the sake of the financially uninitiated.

First, what do bail-out and bail-in mean?

Simply put, when a bank goes bust, or comes dangerously close to doing so, the government rescues the bank by injecting a large amount of capital (to replenish the capital that had to be written off due to bad loans), or by merging the failed bank with a big, strong bank that can support it. This is called bail-out, simply because the government bails out the bank.

In India, the Central government has been bailing out troubled banks for decades. You know the names. Most other countries do this, too. After the economic meltdown in 2008, the US government injected the astronomical sum of $700 billion to bail out a bunch of big banks.

Why do governments do this? Because not to do it is worse. Let me explain with some simple math.

Let us say a bank has a capital of Rs10. It collects deposits of Rs90, of which about Rs20 has to be kept aside as statutory liquidity reserve (SLR) and cash reserve ratio (CRR). That leaves the bank with Rs80, of which Rs75 can be lent out comfortably.

What happens if 10% of the loans go bad and the money wont come back? The bank will have to write off these loans from its capital, which will fall to Rs2.5 from Rs10, a dangerously low level. If word gets out in the market about the banks difficulties, the depositors will want their money back, and the bank will face a 'run'.

Soon it will have no more money to pay back any depositor and it will have to shut down. Over 90% of the deposits will be stuck for a long time because the only way to repay them will be to recover the rest of the loans. You can be sure that most of the borrowers will sit tight, not repay, and watch the fun.

Disaster! Faith in the financial system destroyed!!! No government can afford to let that happen.

If, however, a knight in shining armour puts in Rs7.5 into the banks capital, and thereby restores confidence among the depositors, the bank will be in a running condition and, under good management, will recover. This small amount  Rs7.5  will prevent much bigger losses arising from the bank going totally bust : borrowers not repaying, depositors losing their money, and staff becoming jobless.

Who will be this knight in shining armour?

So far, it has been the government, as in the case of IDBI Bank, into which the government, in one form or another, injected Rs42,781 crore to bail it out.

But where did the government get this money from?

From you and me and all the public.

I am sure, the government had many other uses for this huge amount which would have done some good to the public at large.

Then who else can produce the money?

Ah, here it comes  the bail-in. The depositors become the knight. Their deposits are charged with the bail-in money. That means that if you had kept deposits with the IDBI Bank you would have lost some of it if there had been a bail-in instead of a bail-out.

Do I hear protests?

There is a little bit of relief. The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), a government body, insures up to Rs5 lakh out of the total deposits of any individual account-holder in any commercial, foreign or private bank, and even regional rural banks and cooperative banks. So if you had, say, Rs12 lakh in various deposits with different branches of a bank that was bailed-in, the first Rs5 lakh would be protected and you would lose a portion of the remaining Rs7 lakh.

How Big a Portion?

Let us look at IDBI Bank as an example. Its annual report for the year ended 31 March 2018 does not contain the numbers I wanted, though it is all of 328 pages long (mainly because it is in English + Hindi). A tongue-in-cheek remark: the theme of this annual report is Charting a new course. How appropriate!! The new course turned out to be a bail-out.

Jokes aside, here are some numbers:

Total deposits: Rs2.47 lakh crore, consisting mainly of current  Rs35,000 crore, savings Rs57,000 crore, fixed deposits (FDs) at Rs1.42 lakh crore.

The top 20 depositors had a total balance of Rs34,000 crore  almost 14% of the total.

For simplicity, let us assume that all the savings accounts have balances below Rs5 lakh, so let us keep them away from the bail-in hatchet.

That leaves deposits worth Rs1.77 lakh crore, from which the bail-in money of Rs43,000 crore has to come. That is a hit, or what investment bankers call a hair-cut, of 24%.

How many depositors would this affect? Unfortunately, the massive annual report of IDBI Bank does not mention this number. ICICI Bank has about 20 million depositors. Let us say IDBI Bank has fewer, say, 15 million depositors.

So, 15 million crore people will pay out Rs43,000 crore, or about Rs30,000 each, in a bail-in.

The big depositors, with several crores of rupees in the bank, will lose almost the full 24%.

Small depositors will lose a smaller percentage of their money, because the first Rs5 lakh is insured by DICGC.

Of course, the money will not be entirely lost. It will be converted to equity, i.e., shares, in the bank. If the Bank recovers, the value of the shares will increase, and the depositors may get this money back.

So, dear reader, what is more fair  15 million (relatively) rich people losing Rs30,000 each, or 130 crore Indians losing Rs330 each?

There is a big rider on this theory, however. If bail-in becomes the norm, the government may not be bothered about supervising the banks and punishing lax or corrupt officials in banks, regulators and intermediaries.

Just as the government does not care if a particular company goes bust and its shareholders lose money, it may not care if a particular bank goes bust, because the depositors will have to bail-in.

This will be very bad for the public at large because the entire financial system will face collapse.

Let us set aside this bail-in versus bail-out argument.

You are worried about protecting your money. What do you do?

Simple. Spread your money over as many bank accounts as you can handle. There are 12 public sector unit (PSU) banks, 46 foreign banks, 21 private banks, 43 regional rural banks and 55 urban cooperative banks under the protection of DICGC. If you have Rs5 crore to place in banks, put Rs5 lakh each into 100 of them. If even these 177 banks are not enough to accommodate your money, do not worry, there are lots of other cooperative banks, too.

If there is a bail-in at one of these banks, just sit back and wait for DICGC to pay up, full 100%. The rest of your money will remain safely in the other banks, at least for the time being.

If over 100 banks feel far too many, choose five, 10 or even 15. I have just five.

That is all I can manage in my spare time, after bridge and TV.

After all, I like writing articles, too!
A Transport for NSW spokesman said it was highly unlikely there would be any significant water quality impacts during construction for users of swimming, sailing or recreation spots. Fluctuations in sediment levels occur naturally in the harbour, in fact heavy rain runoff would cause more disturbance to the harbour than most of our work, the spokesman said. Alan Gregory, Balmain Sailing Clubs race director, is hoping for independent advice on health risks. Credit:Louie Douvis However marine scientists were concerned over a lack of measures to contain contamination disturbed in Berrys Bay and were divided over the effectiveness of measures along the tunnels route. Dr Katherine Dafforn, chair of the NSW branch of the Australian Marine Sciences Association, said disturbed contaminants might be eaten or absorbed with toxic effects on marine life resulting in death, loss of biodiversity or bioaccumulation up the food chain.

Dr Dafforn said there had been great improvements in the health of Sydney Harbour thanks to the closure of heavy industry and tighter regulation. Loading Sydney Harbour now supports significant biodiversity and is one of the most diverse in the world, Dr Dafforn said. This should be acknowledged in the Environmental Impact Statement. She said the levels of toxins that dissolved into the water in Berrys Bay would determine the effect on marine life, but she had not seen any modelling addressing that issue in the project documents. The contamination readings have also caused apprehension among members of the Balmain Sailing Club.

Race director Alan Gregory said the club was confident in the expertise of the governments consultants, but was hoping for independent advice on health risks. Children regularly capsized while learning to sail in dinghies and the club relied on divers to clean the underside of yachts, Mr Gregory said. He added strong tides could make water travel two to four kilometres in an hour. So if theres any danger of anything escaping, it will travel, he said. A netted swimming closure has been proposed less than a kilometre from Berrys Bay while North Sydney Pool undergoes refurbishments.

The 2017 report shows tributyltin has been detected in Berrys Bay sediment at 5150 micrograms of tin per kilogram. The safe level unlikely to cause unacceptable effects on aquatic life is 9, while anything over 70 is considered potentially highly toxic, according to Australias sediment quality guidelines. Fears that a new harbour tunnel may dredge up toxic material from the floor of Berrys Bay. Credit:Nick Moir Tributyltin was used in paint to prevent barnacles on the hulls of ships. It was banned in Australia by 1991 after it was discovered to be causing deaths and deformities in baby fish, crabs and oysters. It also caused female sea snails to develop male sex organs and become sterile. Heavy metals such as zinc were detected in Berrys Bay at up to 38 times the safe level, lead and mercury were detected at 32 times the safe level, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were 20 times and arsenic was seven times.

Mercury can enter the food chain via fish and is considered a major public health concern, while several types of PAHs are carcinogenic to animals and humans. Authorities discourage recreational fishing west of the Harbour Bridge due to contamination concerns. The Transport for NSW spokesman stressed most of the work in Berrys Bay would be on land. Disturbances to the water are likely to lead to some localised plumes, but over small areas and for periods less than 10 minutes  not enough to cause any issues. However Maria Byrne, a professor of marine biology at Sydney University who lives near the project site, said even small contamination plumes could have far reaching effects.

The animals that live in the sediments are eaten by the fish and they go all over the place  they take the toxic load up the Parramatta River and down past the Harbour Bridge, she said. She argued project documents failed to consider the effect of the toxins released into the water on the local environment of Sydney Harbour. Along the proposed tunnel route, levels of arsenic, copper and PAHs were above the safe level for aquatic life and levels of lead, zinc and mercury were above the highly toxic level. Loading A risk assessment by government consultants found the dredging of the sludge was high risk but would become low risk with the use of silt curtains and closed clamshell buckets.

[They] are specifically designed for projects like this, to minimise leakage and give added protection to sensitive marine environments, a Transport for NSW spokesman said. He noted the strategy had been endorsed by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. In the highly unlikely scenario where some contaminants leak, the concentrations would be negligible and disperse rapidly because of the harbours strong tidal flushing. Floating curtains will be used because the currents are too strong to anchor them to the ground, project documents say. Bill Maher, a professor of environmental chemistry and toxicology in Canberra, said while the risk assessment was comprehensive, there was not enough detail to determine if the curtains would work.


Emily McKay and her AFL star partner Majak Daw confirmed their shock split in December, one year after they welcomed their first child together.

But the former WAG put her heartache behind her on Friday, as she partied the day away with her pals including Bec Judd and Nadia Bartel in Melbourne - hours before the city plunges into a strict five-day lockdown at midnight.

Emily was spotted dancing wildly - and enjoying a friendly spank from a male pal - as the glamorous gang partied on a luxury disco bus to celebrate Kylie Brown's birthday.

Moving on: Former WAG Emily McKay put her heartache behind her on Friday, as she partied the day away with her pals including Bec Judd and Nadia Bartel (pictured) in Melbourne - hours before the city plunges into a strict five-day lockdown at midnight

The group shared a string of updates from the wild shindig as they drove to Zonzo Estate vineyard in Yarra Valley to enjoy a sit-down meal.

Emily donned an yellow floaty top and skirt for the occasion, which draped over her slender frame to perfection.

She wore a dash of make-up on her face to accentuate her striking features, and whisked her hair into a casual bun.

WAGS gone wild! Emily was spotted dancing wildly - and enjoying a friendly spank from a male pal - as the glamorous gang partied on a luxury disco bus to celebrate Kylie Brown's birthday

Such joy! The fun-filled party was lined with shots and alcohol was visible in abundance as the gang made their way to a vineyard for some food

At one point, the blonde enjoyed a brief outfit change to an orange playsuit.

In another video, Emily was seen lifting her leg into the air while Kylie - who is the wife of AFL star Jonathan Brown - danced behind her.

After the fun-filled bus ride, Emily was seen posing at the picturesque vineyard with her friend and Spray Aus co-creator, Ellie Pearson.

Brief change: At one point, the gorgeous blonde enjoyed a quick outfit change to an orange playsuit. She was spotted lifting her leg into the air while Kylie - who is the wife of AFL star Jonathan Brown - danced behind her

The lavish party comes just weeks after Emily and her beau parted ways.

Despite the break-up, the couple said that they plan to make their young son Hendrix, one, their main priority.

The split came two years after Majak nearly died after plunging from a bridge in December 2018.

Gorgeous: Emily donned an yellow floaty co-ord for the occasion, which draped over her slender frame to perfection

'One last hurrah!' After the fun-filled bus ride, Emily was seen posing at the picturesque vineyard with her friend and Spray Aus co-creator, Ellie Pearson

Stunner: Bec Judd rocked up the vineyard in a slinky black dress, with Nadia Bartel captioning the photo with 'my babe'

Four months ago, Emily sent a gushing message thanking Majak's supporters for helping him through his recovery.

'Every nurse, doctor and surgeon we met along the way. Words can't describe how grateful we are and how amazing you are,' she wrote in August.

Majak made his fairytale return to footy during the Covid-interrupted 2020 season, putting the grim reality of his mental demons behind him.

Over: It comes just weeks after Emily and her AFL star partner Majak Daw confirmed their shock split, one year after they welcomed their first child together

Almost two years after the distraught star plunged from Melbourne's Bolte Bridge, the Sudanese-born North Melbourne player, 29, geared up for the North Melbourne Kangaroos.

The bridge plunge shattered his hips and pelvis, and the chances of him ever returning to AFL seemed beyond remote.

On the night he fell, Majak reportedly had a fight with Emily and had taken a sleeping pill  Stillnox  notorious for mental side effects. His car was also found abandoned nearby the river.

Amicable: Despite the break-up, the couple said that they plan to make their one-year old son their main priority

In order to return to the field, a surgeon placed a 15-centimetre metal rod in each hip.

Majak said in a statement after the incident: 'To all our beloved fans and members, I just wanted to thank everyone for their love and support over the past month.

'My attitude and outlook towards everything has improved. I hope to be back out there playing in the blue and white stripes soon.

'Thank you all for respecting my need for privacy and for giving me the chance to get better going forward.'

Majak said he felt a responsibility to show others who are struggling with mental health - particularly through lockdown - that there is a way through their despair.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue.
WASHINGTON - A D.C. Superior Court judge on Friday ordered Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio to appear in court, after a federal agency that monitors defendants on pretrial release reported Tarrio as a "loss of contact."

Judge Robert Okun ordered Tarrio to appear via video Feb. 22 for a show-cause hearing after an official from the Pretrial Services Agency reported that Tarrio had failed to check in with the agency since his release from custody after his Jan. 4 arrest.

Tarrio, 33, of Miami, was arrested here last month and charged with destruction of property the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner outside a D.C. church in December. In addition to the misdemeanor, Tarrio also faces felony counts of possessing two extended, empty rifle magazines, each capable of holding 30 rounds of .223-caliber, AR-15-compatible ammunition. Tarrio told authorities he planned to sell the magazines.

As part of his release, a judge ordered Tarrio to report to the agency regularly. But in a Feb. 4 memo to the judge, the agency wrote that Tarrio had failed to report by phone, has not verified his address and was deemed a loss of contact, according to the filing.

In a telephone interview with The Washington Post the day Pretrial Services filed its memo, Tarrio said he had tried "repeatedly" to call the agency but did not have any success. "They don't make it easy to reach them. I will call them right now," he said.

Tarrio is a key figure in the Proud Boys, a far-right group with a history of violence. Canada recently designated it a terrorist group. The Proud Boys has supported former President Donald Trump's false claims that he won the November election, and the banner was burned during a pro-Trump demonstration Dec. 12.

Tarrio was released from custody Jan. 5 as he awaited trial, with a requirement that he abide by the monitoring agency's conditions. He also was barred from returning to the nation's capital for anything other than court business while his case is pending.
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Maybe you've already consumed plenty of wine during this pandemic. Here's an excuse to drink some more. Valentine's Day is coming -- this Sunday, February 14, for all you last minute types -- and perhaps you want to impress your sweetie. Or you want to kick it up a notch for yourself. Even better.

We asked Jill Bernheimer, owner and proprietor of wine shop Domaine LA (it's at Highland and Melrose near Hollywood) for some recommendations. We asked her to picks wines that are...

delicious and unique -- just like us

local -- or as local as you can get in Southern California

affordable -- $25 per bottle was our approximate price point (for us, that would be a bit of a splurge but not unfathomable)

romantic -- if you can't be a little sappy on a manufactured holiday designed to selll greeting cards and candy, when can you be?

You should be able to find her picks at many local wine stores or fancier supermarkets like Bristol Farms, Gelson's and Whole Foods.

Bernheimer also urges people, "If you can't get to a wine shop or a grocery store that has thoughtfully sourced selections, consider buying wine from whatever restaurant you might be ordering from for the evening." Yes, you'll pay a little extra for a bottle of wine but it will help restaurants survive after what has been a brutal 12 months.

Here are a few restaurants with great wine options: Night Market, Botanica, Ototo (they sell sake too), Kismet, All Time, Otus Thai, Esters Wine Bar next to Cassia and Helen's Wines at Jon & Vinny's. And check out our roundup of the natural wine happy hours. Yes, we published it before the pandemic but it features several stores and wine bars that are still open and offering great vino.

Now, onto the wines. Here's what Bernehimer chose and why she chose them.

Three wines for Valentine's Day. (Elina Shatkin/LAist)

WHITE

Broc Cellars - 2020 Love -- Chris Brockway works out of Berkeley but sources fruit from all over Cailfornia. The white, which was just released, is a Rhone-style blend of Marsanne/Grenache Blanc from Madera County. His "Love" series is a perfect match for this holiday. COST: $20 per bottle.

ROSE

J. Brix - 2020 Uncontainable Rose of Cinsaut -- "I love the wines from J. Brix and you can't get much more local than this. It's one of the few roses made from San Diego county grapes and perhaps the only one from organic, dry-farmed vineyards," Bernheimer says. And it's the perfect "blush" color for a pink-themed evening. COST: ~$24 per bottle.

RED

Stolpman Vineyards - 2020 Love You Bunches Sangiovese -- Bernheimer describes this as "a lighter, chillable red that's equally compelling to drink on its own or with your favorite pizza for a low-key and less serious evening." If you want to impress your date by being very on trend, Stolpman, based California's Central Coast, recently added a macerated Love You Bunches Orange wine to its line-up. "It's a very peachy, easy entree to that category," she says. COST: ~$23 per bottle.

Champagne! (Alexander Naglestad/Unsplash)

SPARKLING

For bubbles, there aren't as many affordable, domestic options. You'll have to spend a little more and most of your options will be in the pet-nat category. Pet-nat is short for petillant naturel, which means "naturally sparkling" in French. Unlike champagne, it's made by allowing unfinished wine to ferment in the bottle. Bon Appetit called it "the ultimate in lo-fi winemaking."

Bichi - Pet Mex -- If you want an affordable Champagne-method wine, you'll be relegated toward non-U.S. offerings. Bernheimer likes the Pet Mex from Bichi, in Tecate, Mexico, for a slightly dry offering. COST: ~$35.

Lo-Fi - Chenin Pet Nat -- For something drier, Lo-Fi in Los Alamos makes a lean, mineral-driven. Mike Roth makes only 100 cases so this isn't something that will be widely available. COST: ~$34.

Domaine Landron Atmospheres -- Back in the Champagne-method category, Bernheimer's go-to inexpensive bubbly is a cremant of Pinot Noir and Folle Blanche that "drinks well over its price point," according to Bernheimer. COST: ~$23.

A secial PMLA court in Mumbai on Friday granted bail to former MD & CEO of ICICI Bank on a bond of Rs 5 lakh and asked her not to leave the country without the permission of the court.



Kochhar appeared before the court on Friday in connection with the ICICI Bank-Videocon money laundering case.

The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had on January 30 summoned Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot and other accused in the case after taking cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) charge sheet.

appeared before the special Judge A A Nandgoankarand filed a bail application through her lawyer Vijay Agarwal.

The ED had arrested Deepak Kochhar in September 2020 after it filed a criminal case for money laundering based on an FIR registered by the CBI against the Kochhars, Dhoot and others.

The ED has alleged that Rs 64 crore, out of a loan amount of Rs 300 crore sanctioned by a committee of ICICI Bank headed by to Videocon International Electronics Limited, was transferred to Nupower Renewables Pvt Ltd (NRPL) by Videocon Industries on September 8, 2009, a day after the disbursement of loan.

NRPL was earlier known as Nupower Renewables Limited (NRL) and is owned by Deepak Kochhar, the ED said.

Taking cognisance of the charge sheet, Judge A A Nandgoankar had observed, "After going through the submissions, written complaints and statements recorded under PMLA, it appears that Chanda Kochhar had misused her official position in granting loan to accused Dhoot and/or Videocon group companies."



"And (it appears) she got illegal gratification/undue advantage through her husband...through various companies for siphoning off money and proceeds of crime," the court had said.

The material produced by the ED constitutes the commission of offence, and it is "sufficient to proceed against the accused persons", the court had said.
(JNS)  The Biden administration has said it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti-Semitism, a key tool in fighting anti-Semitism at home and abroad.

While addressing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kara McDonald stated: We must educate ourselves and our communities to recognize anti-Semitism in its many forms, so that we can call hate by its proper name and take effective action. That is why the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances working definition of anti-S...
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Six skeletons have been recovered from the wreck Captain 'Black Sam' Bellamy's pirate ship, the Whydah, which sank more than 300 years ago in waters off New England in 1717.

The remains were identified in several large concretions - hard, compact masses of stone and sand which form on the seabed - which were examined back on land. The bones were found packed inside, and can be seen on x-rays of the blocks.

The Whydah sank in 1717 with Black Sam, most infamous and successful pirate ever to sail the sea, and 144 crew on board.

At least six pirate skeletons were found in a shipwreck off the coast of Cape Cod, the investigative team from the Whydah Pirate Museum announced Wednesday

The remains were discovered when experts X-rayed several large concretions - solid lumps of rock formed on the seabed over time. Investigators say the remains were discovered at the wreck site of The Whydah, which went down off Wellfleet in 1717

X-rays reveal part of what is buried in the concrete which is currently being examined

Marie Kesten Zahn, an archaeologist and education coordinator at the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, probes the concretion surrounding a leg bone that was salvaged from the Whydah shipwreck off the coast of Wellfleet on Cape Cod (picture taken August 2017)

The Whydah (pictured) was a state of the art ship built in 1715 in England. It weighed 300 tonnes, was 102 feet long and loaded with 18 cannons

The Whydah Galley ship was discovered in 1984 and is the world's only authenticated pirate wreck.

'We hope that modern, cutting-edge technology will help us identify these pirates and reunite them with any descendants who could be out there,' said underwater explorer Barry Clifford, in the statement.

Casey Sherman, another member of the Whydah research team managed to trace Black Sam's DNA through a bloodline descendant in England in 2018.

The sample was tested against one of the human bones found in the wreck during an earlier find of remains.

'That bone was identified as a human male with general ties to the Eastern Mediterranean area,' Sherman said.

'These newly found skeletal remains may finally lead us to Bellamy as we now have his DNA.'

The concretion in which the remains of the Whydah pirate was found is now on display at the museum and at discoverpirates.com.

Bellamy's body is among 40 never found or identified.

Most of the treasure from the wreck is still thought to remain on the ocean floor.

Archaeologists have since recovered 200,000 artifacts, including gold coins.

Forbes listed Bellamy as the highest-earning pirate ever, plundering about $130 million worth of treasure.

Black Sam: The most infamous and successful pirate ever to sail the sea Pirate Samuel 'Black Sam' Bellamy Born: February 23, 1689 | Died: April 26, 1717 Black Sam was born in Devonshire, England, and joined the British navy in his late teens before pirating in the West Indies and elsewhere for little more than a year. He is famous for being one of the original members of the Flying Gang pirates from the Post Spanish Succession Period. Bellamy launched the careers of some of the most infamous pirates of all time, including Benjamin Hornigold and Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach. He is regarded as the most successful pirate in recorded history. He and his crew captured more than 53 ships and plundered a loot of $130 million. The pirate liked expensive and flashy clothes, and usually carried four dueling pistols in his sash. His strategy was to use two ships during warfare at sea. A larger one would be heavily armed and a smaller one would be used to block and capture targets. The Whydah was a state of the art ship built in 1715 in England. It weighed 300 tonnes, was 102 feet long and loaded with 18 cannons. At midnight on April 26, 1717 Bellamy and his crew were caught in a violent Nor'easter storm off the coast of Cape Cod. The Whydah capsized and sunk. More than 100 bodies were washed ashore in the days that followed. The only survivors were former slave John Julian and crewman Thomas Davis. Sources: Golden Age of Piracy and The Way Of The Pirates Advertisement

Bones appear on x-rays that have been used to examine what was inside the concretion

Pictures is part of the newly found skeletal remains found onboard the Whydah

Archaeologists uncovered these hardened masses of stone and sand - inside are human remains believed to be those of some of Black Sam's crew, who were given a land burial after being washed ashore when their ship the Whydah Gally went down in April 1717

Archaeologist Marie Kesten Zahn works to remove silver coins from a concretion recovered from the wreckage of the pirate ship

Buckles, cufflinks, and buttons found on the ocean floor after the Whydah sunk have been displayed by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

The former slave ship, commanded by the English pirate Samuel 'Black Sam' Bellamy, went down in stormy seas off Wellfleet, Massachusetts, in 1717, killing all but a handful of the nearly 150-person crew

The Whydah's bell was also recovered from the wreckage

The Whydah was a state-of-the-art ship built in 1715 in England. It weighed 300 tonnes, was 102 feet long and loaded with 18 cannons.

But at midnight on April 26, 1717 Bellamy and his crew were caught in a violent Nor'easter storm off the coast of Cape Cod.

Even though they were in sight of land, the storm claimed their beloved Whydah when it hit a sandbar, capsized and sank as the wind and swells of up to 30ft raged around them.

Only two of the 146 men on board survived and the bodies of more than 100 crew members were washed ashore in the days that followed and given a land burial in Massachusetts.

Crewman Thomas Davis, a Welsh carpenter, was among the few crew members who survived and much of what is known about Bellamy came from his stories.

Black Sam was born in Devonshire, England, and joined the British navy in his late teens before pirating in the West Indies and elsewhere for little more than a year.

Barry Clifford stands next to a display case containing silver coins recovered from the wreckage of the Whydah Gally at the Whydah Pirate Museum

Treasure chests filled with silver pieces - replicas of the trinkets found by Whydah investigators - were displayed at the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C.

The 10 richest pirates to sail the seas 1. Samuel 'Black Sam' Bellamy: $130 million 2. Sir Francis Drake: $115 million 3. Thomas Tew: $103 million 4. John Bowen: $40 million 5. Bartholomew 'Black Bart' Roberts: $32 million 6. Jean Fleury: $31.5 million 7. Thomas White: $16 million 8. John Halsey: $13 million 9. Harry Morgan: $13 million 10. Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach: $12.5 million Source: Forbes Advertisement

He is famous for being one of the original members of the Flying Gang pirates from the Post Spanish Succession Period and launched the careers of some of the most infamous pirates of all time.

Hugely successful at sea, his strategy was to use two ships: a larger one would be heavily armed and a smaller one would be used to block and capture targets.

And his personal tastes were expensive.

He liked flashy clothes - especially black coats - and usually carried four dueling pistols in his sash while marauding at sea.

His nickname Black Sam came from the fact he wore his black locks tied back in a ponytail rather than a powdered white wig.

Also known as the Prince of Pirates, he was popular among women.

Tall, strong and with long dark hair, he was said to be well-mannered and tidy.

He left his wife and child in England to begin his new life at sea, sailing to the coast of Florida to look for sunken Spanish treasure.

On the way he stopped off in Eastham Harbor, Massachusetts, where he met local beauty Maria Hallett.

Though her parents liked Black Sam, they thought he was far too poor for their daughter, who was just 15 at the time.

He left Massachusetts with his friend Paulsgrave William, vowing to return as the respected captain of the greatest ship the world had ever seen.
The historic decision by the Presbyterian Church to nominate current Moderator the Rt Reverend David Bruce for a second term illustrates how significantly the pandemic is affecting Church life.

Normally the election for a new Moderator occurs each February when members of 19 Presbyteries across the island meet to choose one of a number of candidates nominated earlier.

However, due to the pandemic members cannot meet together now.

So it seems sensible to renominate Dr Bruce.

He has had time in office to get to grips with most of the duties of a Moderator, though unlike his recent predecessors he has had almost no opportunity to visit individual congregations.

The last time a Moderator served for two years was when the Very Rev Temple Lundie took over in 1975 after his successor, the Rev Dr George Wynne, died only a month after his installation in June that year.

Apart from that, a Moderator has not been nominated for two consecutive terms since 1884, when the Rev Dr Todd Martin was elected, though five other ministers served two terms in the 19th century from 1841.

The renomination of Dr Bruce is unusual in normal times, and is a further example of the Churches having to adapt to the pandemic. In the past year two of the major leaders, Church of Ireland Primate the Most Reverend John McDowell and Methodist President the Reverend Tom McKnight, were installed in small virtual ceremonies streamed to their members across Ireland.

On Sunday new Dean of Armagh Canon Shane Forster will be installed in the same way, as will Canon Ian Ellis, who will be installed as Bishop of Clogher next month.

A recent report by Queen's academic Dr Gladys Ganiel found that "the perceptions of what church is and what it does may be starting to shift in response to the pandemic". She found in particular that members and clergy are discovering that "church is something other than a building".

This year the Methodist Church will hold its annual meeting online in June when the Reverend Dr Sahr Yambasu will become president. It is not certain if the Presbyterian and Anglican annual conferences will once again have to go online, rather than meet in session as normal.

Just a year ago the renomination of a Presbyterian Moderator for a second year would have been unthinkable, but like so much else, in the middle of a pandemic, anything can happen.
BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- A 56-year-old Dowagiac woman died after she tried to retrieve a tire that came off her vehicle, then was struck while crossing a state trunkline road.

Berrien County sheriffs deputies said the crash happened about 7 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 on M-11 just north on Niles, near Pucker Street.

Veronica Gary was driving a vehicle north on M-51 when the drivers side rear wheel became loose and rolled off the vehicle as she pulled over.

Gary called for help, then went to retrieve the errant tire from the ditch across the road.

As she was headed back across the road to her vehicle, she was struck by a northbound vehicle. She was thrown in the crash and rescuers found her in the roadway.

She was taken to Spectrum Health Lakeland hospital in Niles, but did not survive.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to go for a Cabinet expansion as senior minister M Venkaiah Naidus almost certain election as the next vice president will leave two heavyweight portfolios without a Cabinet minister.



Already, two key ministriesdefence and environmentare without a full-time minister.



Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan are holding the additional charge of these two portfolios respectively.



Naidu, whose candidature as the NDAs vice presidential candidate was announced on Monday, currently holds charge of the ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Urban Development.



BJP sources said a reshuffle in the Union council of ministers is expected after the monsoon session of Parliament, and some new faces could also be inducted into the Cabinet.



While Manohar Parrikars move to Goa as its chief minister in March left the defence ministry without a full-time Cabinet minister, the death of Anil Dave in May caused a vacancy in the environment ministry.



Prime Minister Modi first expanded his cabinet in November 2014 when he inducted 21 new faces, including Parrikar as defence minister.



In July last year, Modi undertook another reshuffle in which he appointed Prakash Javadekar as the human resource development minister, replacing Smriti Irani, who was shifted to textiles.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Five people including a child have died, and 13 others are injured after a bus carrying over 30 passengers fell into a gorge at Anantagiri near Araku in Visakhapatnam district on Friday night.

The bus reportedly skid off the road and fell into a gorge. Visakhapatnam range DIG Ranga Rao told PTI that their teams had reached the spot for rescue operations.

Another senior police official said rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state Fire Service personnel were on. According to locals, the passengers were natives of Telangana who were on a visit to Araku, a hill station.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. "Distressed to hear about the accident in Visakhapatnam, AP. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Prayers with the injured. May they recover soon," he said in a tweet.

Andhra Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu also expressed his grief at the news of the incident. "Deeply anguished by the tragic bus accident at Araku Ghat road. The loss of precious lives and injury to persons is very unfortunate and painful. I share the pain of the bereaved families & offer my condolences. I pray that those injured in the accident recover at the earliest," he said in a tweet.

TRS leader K T Rama Rao said on Twitter that he was shocked to learn about the bus accident at Araku. He said he had requested the Andhra Pradesh government officials to provide all support.
Authorities are seeking the driver of a container trailer who struck and seriously injured a woman cyclist on Route 1&9 Friday morning.

The 44-year-old Harrison woman was riding on the southbound side of the highway near Jacobus Avenue just before 8 a.m. when she was struck by the vehicle, which had a red tractor cab. The driver then fled, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said.

The victim was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center, where she is listed in critical but stable condition.

Investigators with the Hudson County Regional Collision Investigation Unit and the Kearny Police Department are seeking the publics help in locating the vehicle, which has a business logo or white lettering on the passenger side door. The vehicle was last seen traveling south on Route 440 past Danforth Avenue.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutors Office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential.
Maharashtra: The new state Congress President Nana Patole officially took over the reins from state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat on Friday (February 12). People of Koli Samaj, a native of Mumbai, were also present at his ceremony.

The partys state in-charge HK Patil and key state leaders attended the function at the August Kranti Maidan. Balasaheb Thorat helmed the position as state Congress leader for 18 months before Patoles appointment.

The Mumbai Congress congratulated Patole and the other 11 appointees on Twitter, reposting a document containing the names of those taking up their new positions in the party. Our heartiest congratulations to Sh. @NANA_PATOLE on his appointment as the President of @INCMaharashtra. We also congratulate other appointees. Our best wishes to them, Mumbai Congress wrote.

Our heartiest congratulations to Sh. @NANA_PATOLE on his appointment as the President of @INCMaharashtra. We also congratulate other appointees. Our best wishes to them.@BhaiJagtap1 @Charanssapra https://t.co/Eh2aZzWdB3  Mumbai Congress (@INCMumbai) February 5, 2021

Nana Patole had resigned from his post as the Legislative Assembly Speaker a day before his appointment. On Thursday he had announced that the Congress partys strength will be witnessed at the August Kranti Maidan on Friday.

He was appointed to be the leader of Maharashtra's Congress Party to strengthen their position in the state. Patole began as a Congress leader but had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party for a while before rejoining his former party in 2017.

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Burma Who Has Been Arrested in Myanmar Since the Military Coup?

Protesters demonstrate against Myanmar's military coup. / The Irrawaddy

The Myanmar military this week detained student anti-coup protesters, civil servants involved in the civil disobedience movement, and heads of election sub-commissions, expanding its targeted groups from members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), who top the list of detainees.

The arrests came after the street-protests and civil disobedience movementcivil servants who refuse to work under the military regimegrew nationwide despite an increase in the use of force against protesters.

By Thursday, scores of demonstrators who staged protests against the military coup in Mandalay, Kachin, Rakhine, Shan, Mon, Bago, Ayeyawady and Yangon had been arrested, according to a list of detainees released by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). High school students, university students and leaders of student unions were among those detained by the military. A few have already faced charges under the Peaceful Assembly Law and Natural Disaster Management Law.

On Friday, 14 more student protesters in Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State, were arrested, bringing the total number of detained protesters to 65. The arrests came after the police fired warning shots near peaceful protesters at Mawlamyine University on Friday morning. Last night the universitys Students Union office was also raided.

A total of 23 chairs of township and district election sub-commissions were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday nights, according to the AAPP. The chairman of the Union Election Commission was arrested when the military launched the coup on Feb. 1. The election commission rejected the militarys claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 general election, in which the NLD won another landslide.

More than 100 NLD leaders and senior membersincluding State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, Vice-President U Henry Van Thio, the Union Parliament speakers and deputy speakers, the Union ministers, the chief ministers of all 14 states and regions, the speakers and deputy speakers of the state and regional legislatures, ministers from state and regional cabinets and at least eight NLD Central Executive Committee members, have been detained since Feb. 1.

Mandalay City Development Committee members, doctors, police officers and teachers who joined the civil disobedience movement have also been detained. Two policemen in Ayeyarwady Region were arrested and charged under the Myanmar Police Force Maintenance of Discipline Law for posting messages on Facebook against the military coup. A policeman in Myeik, Tanintharyi Region who delivered a speech against the military coup at a public demonstration was also arrested on Feb. 9. The number of arrested civil servants has yet to be confirmed.

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NJ Transit lost its eighteenth employee to the coronavirus, Francesco Frank Prifitera, assistant manager of the agencys locomotive shop in the massive Meadowlands Maintenance Complex, officials said Wednesday night.

We lost another long serving member of our family, said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit CEO and president who made the announcement at Wednesday nights board meeting. We are grateful for his many years of service.

Prifitera, 54, of Hamburg, worked at NJ Transit rail operations for more than 31 years, officials said.

Prifitera was among those who kept NJ Transits diverse fleet of electric and diesel locomotives running, including some that have been running in the state for half a century hauling commuters.

Board chairwoman and Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti extended her sympathy and paid tribute to Prifitera as one of the frontline workers who kept the state moving despite the coronavirus.

The virus has claimed the lives of NJ Transit employees from bus drivers and conductors who are the public face of the agency to those who do equally important jobs behind the scenes, such as Prifitera, who keep the equipment in repair and moving.

Statewide, the seven-day average for new coronavirus cases is declining. New Jersey has lost 22,250 residents to the pandemic so far, state officials said Wednesday.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
On the first morning of the Lunar New Year, the weather in Hanoi is pleasantly cool, the air is fresh, and the streets are peacefully quiet.

In sharp contrast to the bustle of a normal day, Hanoi became perfectly tranquil on the first morning of the Year of the Buffalo.

With no noisy honks, no streams of busy people and no dusty air, Hanoi seems to have transformed into an entirely different city, peaceful but still full of spring colours.

National flags have been hung across the city, from main streets to small alleys.

A normally busy street is totally deserted.

Like a low note in a colourful symphony of life, the first morning of the Lunar New Year offers Hanoi residents a completely different feeling.

Many young people go for a run to enjoy the fresh air on the first morning of the Lunar New Year.

An artist makes a sketch of Hanoi on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

A woman poses for a photo on a quiet street in Hanoi.

A young couple kiss on Phung Hung Street, known for its wall paintings.

Many people visit temples and shrines on the first day of the Lunar New Year to pray for peace and good health.

Temple-goers wear masks in line with guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Nhan Dan
DELAWARE CITY, DE / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2021 / Marketing has become a growing sector with a rising demand due to the advancement of new technology, traditional practices are becoming less effective as conducting business has evolved, and attention has shifted. Companies like Vhault32, utilize technology to develop successful marketing campaigns with the intention of creating real human connection. Vhault32 is a digital marketing agency from Wilmington, Delaware, founded in 2019 by Jeremy Bishop and Stephanie Ferreira. Vhault32 is a client-focused and results-oriented agency with the purpose of helping companies of any sector create and grow their online presence by establishing new relationships, enhancing customer engagement, and generating interest in products or services. Jeremy and Stephanie share a passion for technology, and a course of action that can be utilized to elicit massive success in a brands identity and expansion. However, the founders of Vhault32 firmly believe that great business is built on the foundation of great relationships through transparency, communication, and integrity.

In a fast growing sector, there are many challenges that marketers and customers have to consider. Due to the accessibility of marketing tools, many companies are created with no prior knowledge or resources to fulfil customers needs. Stephanie and Jeremy faced many challenges with other marketing agencies before establishing Vhault32. They recognized the fault that many agencies were struggling with, from low-grade marketing management to the poor treatment of employees, and a complete absence of results. Stephanie and Jeremy understood that the degree of service they were in search of was nonexistent, consequently, they decided to create Vhault32 -a diverse and competent work environment that focuses on the customer's experience.

The creation of Vhault32 was not without challenges, the founders' shared work ethic and dedication for exceptional service have certainly contributed to their success. Stephanie Ferreira spent her formative years living in multiple countries before moving to Florida to attend Florida State University and major in Business Management. After graduating, she initiated her career in marketing with an IT company, where she assisted in developing brand identity and social media strategy for customers. Today, Stephanie is dedicated to developing new systems for the betterment of her company and the customer experience. Her outreach campaign strategy has helped countless businesses bring in qualified leads and has become one of Vhault32's most sought-after services. As she guides Vhault32's ever-growing team, Stephanie is dedicated to creating a diverse, multi-cultural environment for her company.

Story continues

Jeremy Bishop began his career as a sales representative in the health and wellness industry, it was within this position that he developed a passion for online branding. Over the last 5 years, Jeremy has helped multiple businesses and professionals generate a combined $6M in sales. Jeremy works with each business to create brand credibility, increase online engagement, and drive sales. Customers that work with Vhault32 have been impacted by Jeremys' ability to elevate their brand's message and enhance their sales strategy.

Vhault32 was founded on the pillars of vision, creativity, and purpose. The founders have created an ethical and pogressive environment for the Vhault32 team and customers. The company prides themselves on maintaining clear communication, transparency, and purpose behind every action. They believe that establishing a strong relationship with customers is the key to understanding and implementing the customers vision. Vhault32 focuses on helping businesses build brand awareness, generate new customers relationships, and develop their online credibility.

As they look ahead to the future of Vhault32, "Our goal is to continue to provide innovative, purpose-driven services for our customers," says Jeremy.

Vhault32 firmly believes that the work experience and level of satisfaction are directly correlated with customer's experience. They've dedicated themselves to creating a diverse company culture in which the team are treated with respect, and given the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.

According to the head of the Marketing department, Antonio Ferreira, "Vhault32 has been a life-changing experience professionally and personally. It is a company that truly values their team as individuals and motivates us to overcome challenges. This is a place where you have the confidence to develop creativity, inspiration, and exchange ideas."

As the marketing space evolves, Vhault32 looks forward to evolving alongside it. With a foundation rooted in creativity, an emphasis on technology, and a true understanding of the modern consumer, Vhault32 is built to last while simultaneously being fluid and adaptable in their approach. With over 150 satisfied customers, and 300+ projects completed in the last two years, Vhault32 is the future of innovative, results-oriented marketing strategies.

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GKN's owners were in a standoff with MPs last night as a cross-party backlash grew against the decision to close its last British automotive plant.

Critics accuse Melrose, which bought the engineer in an 8billion hostile takeover in 2018, of forcing through cuts despite earlier pledges to make the firm a 'UK manufacturing powerhouse'.

It has prompted Darren Jones, chairman of the Commons business, energy and industrial strategy committee, to intervene and call on GKN's bosses, who were appointed by Melrose, to explain themselves in Parliament.

Jones said: 'Aerospace and automotive are two of our most significant manufacturing sectors in the UK, employing many thousands of people across the country.

'My committee is keen to understand the challenges and opportunities post-Brexit and what this means for workers.

'Some businesses, such as GKN, are investing in aerospace but disinvesting in automotive. Its important we understand why thats happening and what it means for the future of British manufacturing.

The hearing has been arranged under the committee's ongoing inquiry into the impacts of Brexit on businesses.

However, in a snub to MPs, the request was yesterday rejected by the company  setting the stage for a tense showdown.

If the executives continue to refuse, the committee has powers to compel them to appear.

Critics also wanted to know why Melrose chief executive Simon Peckham and vice chairman Christopher Miller had not been called to the committee.

When Melrose's bought GKN, Peckham and Miller, the two senior executives, vowed to make GKN a British manufacturing powerhouse. Tory West Midlands mayor Andy Street has expressed anger, adding his voice to Labour and Liberal Democrat protests.

Street has said the decision to close the car component factory in Birmingham goes 'entirely against the spirit' of Melrose's promises three years ago.

It is feared the closure will also hamper efforts to make the Midlands a leading hub of electric car manufacturing in future, dealing a blow to the Government's industrial strategy.

The Melrose mantra towards acquiring businesses is 'buy, improve, sell'. However, bosses previously told the business committee that they would act like long-term investors.

GKN insists the automotive plant in Birmingham, which counts Jaguar Land Rover among its customers, is no longer globally competitive  and work done there will be transferred to Europe. One industry expert said the move puts 'another nail in the coffin' of the UK's car industry.

Labour's Jack Dromey, the local MP for Birmingham Erdington, said: 'As the industry seeks to recover from a huge fall in production in 2020 and looks towards a transition to electric vehicles, the loss of GKN would be a serious blow.

No show: Critics also wanted to know why Melrose chief executive Simon Peckham (pictured) and vice chairman Christopher Miller had not been called to the committee

'It is right that GKN are being called to give evidence in Parliament following their shameful decision to announce the closure of the GKN plant in Erdington  a crucial part of the automotive supply chain, supplying components into car plants across the country. 'To add insult to injury, the firm first sacks 519 workers and then refuses to justify why to Parliament.

'GKN cannot be allowed to treat employees and Parliament with contempt  if the company fails to give evidence to the select committee then Melrose must come forward to justify why they have broken the promises they made.'

Yesterday Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow business secretary, and Liberal Democrat business spokesman Sarah Olney joined calls for Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to intervene.

Miliband called the GKN factory closure 'shameful'.

Melrose insists it has kept promises made at the time of the 2018 takeover.

A GKN spokesman claimed the company's bosses had refused the select committee's invitation because they will be represented by industry group the SMMT, 'as is usual for these engagements'.
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Japanese localities have begun a scramble to secure medical personal to carry out a mass vaccination campaign against the coronavirus slated to start next week, with estimates predicting that 11,000 physicians are needed per day nationwide.

The health ministry is expected to approve Pfizer's vaccine on Sunday, which will pave the way for the inoculations to start as soon as Wednesday. Between 10,000 to 20,000 health care professionals will be given priority.

The vaccinations will be expanded in April to those aged 65 and older. Pfizer's vaccines are given in two doses three weeks apart, and the two-step vaccination of the elderly is due to be completed in a span of 12 weeks.

Those aged 65 and older number 35.3 million, according to resident registry data as of Jan. 1. If vaccinations take place five days a week, that would equate to more than 1.56 million shots a day.

Under the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's model, two doctors and five nurses would vaccinate 280 people. Using simple math, that would mean the inoculation program will require roughly 11,000 physicians per day, who will be teamed with 28,000 nurses and nurse's assistants.

Since Japan has over 300,000 doctors, 11,000 seems like a low bar to clear at first glance. But the central government is slow in providing vaccination schedules to local authorities, which has caused delays in preparations at the local level.

Local governments have started putting out calls for doctors to take part in the vaccination programs through medical associations. Doctors and nurses who participate would need to take a leave of absent from their regular workplaces.

Since local governments do not have the authority to formally request doctors to cooperate, officials have no choice but to rely on the discretion of medical societies and the physicians themselves.
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A highly anticipated global inquiry, more than a dozen investigators, a fortnight of inspections at ground-zero of the virus that sent borders up around the world, and here we are.

After months of negotiations to get the inspectors into Wuhan, Tuesdays preliminary findings of the World Health Organisation-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease left the public little more enlightened than they were in March last year.

The WHO investigators said COVID-19 was likely to have been transmitted from bats to an intermediate animal host to humans. The virus was likely to have started in China, but may have also begun elsewhere. It could have begun in the Wuhan wet market, or it may have been circulating widely in the community in the weeks leading up to the first cluster.

Opting for a message of unity: Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:Getty Images

The only theory to have been effectively ruled out is that it sprang from a Wuhan laboratory leak.

The gap between scientific probability and certainty has never been wider for Chinas coronavirus diplomacy.

As the investigators were preparing to announce their findings in Wuhan on Tuesday night, Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a virtual meeting with a group of central and eastern European leaders.

The group of 18 was divided. Serbia, Hungary and Montenegro were among six countries who have enthusiastically taken up Chinas offer of vaccines to inoculate their populations against a disease that has killed more than 2 million people. But Estonia, Slovenia and Lithuania were among six others who are increasingly wary of Beijings vaccines, its promises of economic cooperation and its role in the coronavirus pandemic.

Xi urged the group to put their differences aside. In the face of such unprecedented challenges, countries must come together and respond with solidarity and coordination like never before, he said. These efforts will contribute to a global community of health for all.

Then, as before, the Chinese leader was careful not to publicly discuss the origins of the virus, opting for a message of unity against a common enemy in an attempt to rise above tumultuous multinational sparring over the past year.

Read the full article here.
A horrified mother-of-three has issued a warning after her baby boy was hospitalised for two months because of an adverse reaction to teething gel.

Skye Elliott, 30, from Toukley, in NSW's Central Coast, had used over-the-counter gels after they worked a treat on her eldest child.

And after her second son Zander Howe had already been using Bonjela for six months, she didn't think anything could go wrong.

But in February last year, she found the 10-month-old unresponsive and barely breathing after putting him down for an hour-long nap.

'Zander was facing the wall with his back arched and wasnt making any noise,' Ms Elliott told Daily Mail Australia.

'Then I noticed his lips were starting to turn blue. When I picked him up, it felt like I was holding a rag doll.'

Zander Howe (pictured) had to be hospitalised for two months after having an adverse reaction to a teething gel

Ms Elliott called paramedics who arrived within minutes to rush Zander to Wyong Hospital.

In the ambulance, he started suffering seizures and was later airlifted from the Central Coast to The Children's Hospital at Westmead, in western Sydney.

Despite taking the recommended dose, Zander was diagnosed with chronic salicylate poisoning - a rare but dangerous side-effect.

'I felt so guilty and horrible because I was the one who had given it to him,' Ms Elliott said.

'I was lucky I had walked into the room when I had. Doctors said anything could have happened. Ten more minutes could have led to brain damage.'

Zander spent to months in hospital, with his mother by his side, as he was fed through a tube to maintain his weight and relearnt milestones that had regressed.

Choline salicylate is the active ingredient in many teething gels.

If ingested over a prolonged period or in an excessive dose, it can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness and ringing in the ears.

'Severe salicylate poisoning affects the pH of the body and that can cause a number of significant complications including seizures, coma, kidney damage and even death,' Genevieve Adamo from the NSW Poisons Information Centre said.

'In 2020, there was about 286 calls regarding teething products and of those, 226 calls were relating to choline salicylate products.'

Skye Elliott, 30, (pictured with Zander) has urged parents to do research before giving their children over-the-counter medicine

She says parents need to consider the risk and benefits before administering the medication.

'Teething gels are not recommended because there is little evidence to show they are significant in reducing pain, and there are risks associated with them.'

Ms Adamo said pain relief alternatives parents can use include offering a cold teething ring or wash cloth to chew on, preparing mushier foods which need less chewing, or giving your child something firm, like a sugar-free rusk, to suck on.

If there are other symptoms, parents are urged to consult a doctor or a child and family health nurse.

Now almost two, Zander is back at home and healthy after his scary ordeal.

Ms Elliott wants other parents to be aware that they should not always believe a product is safe because it is widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies.

'I didnt question it because it had been used so widely for so long,' she said.

'It could have been a lot worse, and I have heard for people around the world it has been a lot worse.'

'Be more aware, do more research. It is a really scary.'

Zander returned home after spending two months in hospital (pictured) being fed through a tube and relearning milestones, such as feeding through a bottle, which had regressed after the incident

A spokesperson for Bonjela said the health and safety of all Australians is the company's top priority.

'For over 40 years, Bonjela has been trusted by Australian families to manage their babys teething pain,' they said in a statement.

'The safety and quality of our products are of upmost importance. Consumers should always follow instructions when using any medicine, including Bonjela, which is indicated to be used as below and on pack:

 Wash your hands, apply enough Bonjela to cover the tip of the index finger (about a pea-sized amount) and massage into the affected area.

 This can be repeated after 3 hours if necessary. Do not apply more often than once every 3 hours. No more than 6 doses should be given in 24 hours.

 Warning: Do not exceed recommended dose. Excessive or prolonged use can be harmful. If symptoms persist, seek medical or dental advice. Bonjela meets Australian guidelines and standards, including registration with the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The spokesperson said Bonjela meets Australian guidelines and standards, including registration with the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

'We welcome our consumers and healthcare professionals to contact our Consumer Relations Team if they have questions,' they said.
Agricultural reform is a domestic policy issue of India, the Leader of the House of Commons has said in Parliament, reflecting the UK government's stance over the farmer protests in New Delhi. Jacob Rees-Mogg, in response to demands for a debate over the issue in the chamber from Opposition Labour MPs on Thursday, acknowledged that the issue is a "matter of concern" for the Commons and across constituencies in the UK and that Britain will continue to champion human rights globally, including through its current chairmanship of the United Nations.

India is a very proud democracy and a country with which we have the strongest possible relations. I happen to think that over the next century, our relationship with India may well be our most important relationship with any country in the world, said Rees-Mogg, a senior Conservative Party member of Parliament who serves as the party's Leader in the House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament.

As India is our friend, it is only right that we make representations when we think that things are happening that are not in the interests of the reputation of the country of which we are a friend, he said, adding that UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has raised the matter with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his India visit in December last year.

The UK government will continue to follow the farmers' protest closely. Agricultural reform is a domestic policy issue for India. We will continue to champion human rights globally, and having the chairmanship of the UN Security Council this month is a part of that, Rees-Mogg noted. The leader was responding during a regular Business of the House sitting as MPs debated matters to be addressed in upcoming Parliament sessions.

Labour's shadow Leader of the House, Valerie Vaz, had raised the issue of the farmers' protests being considered for a backbench debate by the Petitions Committee after an e-petition on the official parliamentary website crossed the required threshold of 100,000 earlier this month. However, the debates, usually held in Westminster Hall within the Commons complex, remain suspended due to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions and she sought a "hybrid" solution of using live streaming as a possible option.

Satyagraha is the Gandhian peaceful protest that is in the Indian DNA, but we have seen scenes of terrible violence against those who are protecting their livelihoods. I have had no response to my letter to the Foreign Secretary (Raab) yet, said Vaz, a Goan-origin MP. Fellow Labour MP Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi also pushed for a debate over the largest protest on the planet, in the main Commons chamber itself.

Given our serious anxieties, more than 100 honourable members signed a letter to the Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) seeking his intervention. Well over 100,000 constituents  incredibly, from every single one of the 650 UK constituencies  have signed an online petition, including more than 3,000 from my Slough constituency, said Dhesi, the first turbaned Sikh MP in the Commons. Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November last year, demanding the government to repeal three farm laws and provide them legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

Multiple rounds of talks between the Government and the farmer unions have remained deadlocked. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of the farmer unions protesting the farm laws, have criticised the Internet ban in areas near their agitation sites.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that any protests must be seen in the context of India's democratic ethos and polity, and the ongoing efforts of the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse. "The Parliament of India, after a full debate and discussion, passed reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector. These reforms give expanded market access and provided greater flexibility to farmers. They also pave the way for economically and ecologically sustainable farming," the MEA said in a statement last week.

The House of Commons had said earlier this month that all petitions that receive 100,000 signatures will be considered for a debate by the Petitions Committee. However, debates in Westminster Hall  where petition debates take place  are currently suspended and that the committee will make an announcement on scheduling this (farmer protests) debate as soon as possible.

The e-petition, which has now over 114,000 signatures, has called for the UK government's public statement on the issue of farmer protests and press freedom in India.
Luzette King would love to be quarantined at her home where she can be as comfortable and composed as she is in this file photo.

Much as she would like to go home, social activist Luzette King is not going anywhere soon.





She will continue her quarantine at the designated guest house where she began her mandatory 14-day quarantine, following her arrival in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saturday 6th February.





On her arrival at the Argyle International Airport (AIA) from the USA last Saturday, King was charged, that on Saturday, January 30th, at the Argyle International Airport, she entered the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines by air and did not present herself in person to the nearest immigration officer.





However, on Thursday when she appeared to answer that charge, she was slapped with two additional charges, to wit, that on Saturday 30th at the AIA she refused to present herself and failed to produce her bags to Customs.





The charges arose from an action by King on January 30, when she, without permission, bypassed immigration and customs, and was apprehended the airports car park before being deported to the USA.





When she returned to SVG on Saturday, she became embroiled in a standoff with airport and security officials, after it appeared that she had neither a confirmed reservation at a designated hotel where she would be quarantined, nor an exemption for which she said she had applied but got the push around.





When she appeared virtually before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne on Thursday as ordered, her lawyer, Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, sought to have answers to: Why persons with negative tests should quarantine in a hotel for 14 days, while persons with positive cases are allowed to quarantine at home? Why King was refused an exemption?





On the latter score, there appeared to be some variance between the responses of the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Roger Duncan, and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Simone Keizer-Beache.





Dr. Duncan acknowledged receipt of Kings application for an exemption and offered the reason for not acting on it as it having got caught up in a backlog, which he admitted, King was not told on her inquiry before she arrived, but instead was told that her application was being processed.





However, Dr. Keizer-Beache was more forthright, saying that the application was denied hands down, and, according to Bacchus-Baptiste, had indicated that the grounds for denial includes dementia.





King will reappear in Court on March 29. She continues on bail already set.





In the meantime, the Magistrate said that the issue of exemption should be dealt with by the Ministry of Health.





Want to go home





In speaking to THE VINCENTIAN newspaper before Thursdays hearing, King said that she had attended a virtual court hearing at the Biabou Leaning Resource Center on Monday 8th February, after being detained at the Biabou Police Station since Saturday 6th.





At that hearing, 67-year-old King, a Vincentian - American citizen, pleaded not guilty to the one charge as referenced, and was granted bail in the sum of $2,000 with one surety.





"Ive been locked away since Saturday night when the police took me to Biabou. I didnt even know where they were taking me, said King about her arrest.





" I would like to be at a place where I can quarantine properly. Being in quarantine should include proper nutrition and hygiene among other things, (it) is not simply about making sure you are locked away from others. . And quarantine facilities should be supervised medically, said a defiant King.





She stressed that she was frustrated and wanted to be in a quarantine facility or preferably at home, where she would be comfortable and could quarantine effectively.





"The government protocol at the airport is not about health and safety you cant even see a doctor. There is a big difference between nursing care and doctor care, the activist, who is a qualified nurse, advised.





"I am saying I want to go home and want to know why I didnt get a response to my application for exemption? she asserted.
To receive Steve Gutterman's Week In Russia each week via e-mail, subscribe by clicking here.

President Vladimir Putins government stepped up its campaign to blame the West for protests and more as the Kremlin gears up for elections later this year, demonstratively expelling European diplomats during an ill-fated fence-mending visit from the EU foreign policy chief.

Meanwhile, good news about Russias coronavirus vaccine was followed by grim news about the damage already done by COVID-19. And jailed Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny was in court again, this time facing a slander charge.

Here are some of the key developments in Russia over the past week and some of the takeaways going forward.

Time And Again

In some ways, its a very familiar situation: Ahead of an election, Vladimir Putin claims -- without evidence -- that Washington and the West, bent on holding Russia back, are behind unprecedented protests against him and his government.

It happened in 2011, when Putin claimed -- without evidence -- that then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had set the tone and sent a signal to Russian opposition activists, including Navalny.

And it happened this week, after a series of protests that followed Navalnys return to Russia from Germany, where he was recuperating from a nearly fatal nerve-agent poisoning he blames on Putin.

At a private meeting on February 11, Putin reportedly told Russian media editors that you and I know that the unauthorized demonstrations are inspired by the West and that Navalny -- whom he continued to avoid calling by his name, according to The Bell, which cited three unidentified sources -- is being used by external actors seeking to contain Russia.

In 2011 and in 2021, Putins remarks were part of a series of statements and actions that observers have said were -- and are -- aimed at laying blame on the West for domestic challenges faced by the Kremlin and tightening control by hemming in civil society, suppressing dissent, and silencing real and perceived opponents at home.

In 2011, they came ahead of a March 2012 election that put Putin back in the presidency after four years as prime minister. His plan to return to the Kremlin, announced in September 2011, was a chief catalyst -- along with parliamentary elections marred by evidence of widespread fraud in favor of the ruling United Russia party -- for months of street protests that rattled the government.

The protests in the past few weeks -- and an unusual action planned for February 14 -- were sparked by the arrest of Navalny upon his return to Russia and a court ruling ordering his imprisonment for 2 years and 8 months due to what he and his supporters say is an absurd claim that he violated parole on one of his previous financial-crimes convictions.

But protesters across the country have come out for many reasons, driven by motives including anger over corruption, concerns about the economy and their own well-being, and -- as in 2011  a desire for political change and an end to the rule of Putin, who has been president or prime minister since 1999.

Elections Ahead

And the rallies come before elections to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, that are expected in September and which will test Putin and United Russia, his main lever of influence, across the country, ahead of a decision on whether he will run for another six-year term in 2024 -- an option he handed himself by pushing through constitutional amendments last year.

While Putins rhetoric is familiar, the accusations against the West seem more pronounced and more carefully planned this time, if no more grounded in fact.

The sense of curated confrontation was on display during a visit from European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who came to Russia to mix engagement with expressions of concern at the Kremlins conduct but who faced criticism in Brussels after being targeted in what seemed like a pointed piece of trolling by Moscow.

As he was holding a joint news conference with his host, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, it emerged that Russia had ordered the expulsion of diplomats from EU member states Germany, Poland, and Sweden, accusing them of participating in the protests over Navalnys jailing -- an unusual assertion because Western embassies often send employees to observe such events, not to take part.

The message appeared to be simple: that Russias resolve will not flag in the face of Western criticism.

Moscow briefly doubled down on this signaling on February 12, with Lavrov warning that Russia is ready for a break with the EU -- indicating it is prepared to sever ties -- if new sanctions are imposed. He spoke after a Reuters report cited three unidentified European diplomats as saying the EU is likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes on allies of Putin, possibly this month.

Lavrovs remarks were clearly meant to display defiance, dissuade the EU from imposing new sanctions, and blame the West in advance for any further fraying of ties. But it may also have betrayed concern on Moscows part about the potential consequences of the standoff.

Lavrovs words were a clear and striking admission from Lavrov that sanctions harm Russias economy, Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said in a tweet.

Charge And Retreat

In any case, Moscow seemed quick to climb down from the threat implied by Lavrov: After a German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said his remarks were really disconcerting and incomprehensible, both the Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry said that Russia is ready to sever ties if the EU does so first. That clarification suggested that sanctions would not necessarily trigger such a move.

Another message Moscow seemed to send with the diplomatic expulsions may have been that Moscow cares little about the credibility of its own claims -- at least in eyes of the West -- if they serve the purpose of framing Russia, for a domestic audience, as a victim of Russophobia and a target of destructive plotting by the United States and Europe.

The Russophobia narrative is the air it breathes, journalist and commentator Leonid Bershidsky wrote in a Bloomberg Opinion article published on February 11, referring to what he called the Russian propaganda apparatus.

Some of the most dramatic anti-Western rhetoric since Navalnys return has come, as in the past, from outside the government -- or at least from people who the Kremlin says are not speaking on its behalf.

On February 10, the editor in chief of state media outlets RT and Sputnik, Margarita Simonyan, a vocal critic of the United States and the European Union, called for the government to ban the use of foreign-based social networks in Russia.

In a Telegram post the following day, Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya pointed out that Putin has repeatedly said he opposes such a dramatic step -- but then pointed to developments that could potentially change that, including Kremlin concern about street protests and public discontent.

Lets see which way the scales tip, but time is against foreign IT companies, Stanovaya wrote.

U.S.-based IT companies also came in for criticism in a sprawling but seemingly carefully calibrated screed against the West that was published in the independent newspaper Novaya gazeta on the same day Simonyan called for their closure.

Missing The Moment?

The article, filled with baseless, biased comments that seemed to veer close to hate speech and which was billed as the manifesto of Russian theater and film director Konstantin Bogomolov, took aim at an array of targets, including but by no means limited to U.S. President Joe Biden and the Black Lives Matter movement.

It also appeared to promote a number of Kremlin goals while echoing official criticism of targets such as communists, Europe, 1990s Russia, and revolution.

Bloomberg Opinion columnist Bershidskys remark about propaganda, however, came not in the context of Moscows relations with the West but of Sputnik V, the coronavirus vaccine that Russia registered in August.

The decision announced by Putin made Russia the first country to approve a vaccine for use -- but Moscow has had trouble selling the vaccine abroad and among its own citizens, at least before a study published on February 2 in the medical journal The Lancet that indicated it is largely safe and about 91 percent effective in preventing people from developing COVID-19.

The Russian government funded the development of a highly effective, highly competitive vaccine by the first-class brains that are not rare in Russian research institutions, Bershidsky wrote, but its heavy-handed politicized bungling of marketing and distribution has, in effect, held back its global success.

The good tidings from The Lancet contrasted with grim news about the damage already done by the coronavirus in Russia, where critics say Putin lost precious time by initially underestimating the danger of the virus and then risked putting citizens in danger for the sake of a vote last summer on the constitutional amendments enabling him to potentially remain president until 2036.

Life And Death

Statistics published by the state agency Rosstat on February 8 indicated that the number of Russians who lost their lives as a result of COVID-19 was 162,429, nearly triple the figure -- about 57,600 -- initially reported by the countrys official coronavirus task force.

Separately, a researcher at Tubingen University in Germany estimated that excess mortality in Russia in 2020 was close to 380,000 -- another suggestion that Russian authorities may have dramatically underreported the toll from the coronavirus.

Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the figures reflect the harsh reality that all countries of the world face in the era of the pandemic, and that "excess mortality in 2020 appeared in nearly every country of the world and its at levels we wouldnt like to see.

However, the German study indicated that the difference between the estimated number of excess deaths and the number of officially recorded COVID-19 deaths was far higher in Russia than in many other countries.

'Refusing To Worship'

As Moscow sparred with the West over its treatment of Navalny, the jailed opposition leader was in court again on February 12 for a heated hearing in a defamation case that he contends the Kremlin has engineered to discredit him in the eyes of the people.

Navalny is accused of slandering a World War II veteran, now 94, who took part in a promotional video in support of the constitutional amendments that cleared the way for Putin to run for two more terms after his current six-year Kremlin stint ends in 2024, if he wants.

In a tweet, Bershidsky echoed Navalnys criticism of the case, saying that Navalny's latest trial is for refusing to worship in the Great Patriotic War cult -- a reference to what critics say is Putins use of the issue of World War II as a tool for propaganda targeting both Russians and the rest of the world.
In Huntington's disease, a faulty protein aggregates in brain cells and eventually kills them. Such protein aggregates could, in principle, be prevented with a heat shock protein. However, it is not well known how these proteins interact with the Huntington's disease protein. New research by Patrick van der Wel (University of Groningen, the Netherlands) and colleagues at the University of Texas has partially resolved the structure of heat shock proteins that bind to such aggregating proteins, helping us to understand how they work. The results were published on 11 February in the journal Nature Communications.

Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are produced by cells that are exposed to stressful conditions. The Hsp family is diverse, and quite a few of the proteins function as chaperone. This means that they help other proteins to fold (or re-fold after being damaged) in the correct way. "These proteins can assist in folding thousands of different proteins. To this end, they use co-chaperones with specific binding abilities," explains Patrick van der Wel, Associate Professor of Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy at the University of Groningen.

Ordered

One class of heat shock proteins, Hsp40, helps to suppress protein aggregates like those that appear in Huntington's disease. These Hsp40 proteins come in different kinds, and some of them will bind specifically to aggregating proteins with a lot of repeated glutamine amino acids, like the faulty protein found in Huntington's disease. One of these Hsp40 proteins is called DnaJB8, and this was the protein studied by Van der Wel and his colleagues.

"In order to understand the action of DnaJB8, we need to know what it looks like," says Van der Wel. However, it is difficult to resolve the structure of this type of protein. "It appears as a dimer or an oligomer, so a number of these protein units work together, but their structure is not really ordered," he continues. This makes it impossible to use standard techniques, which all require ordered structures.

Carbon atoms

Van der Wel was asked by colleagues at the University of Texas to help tackle this problem. Van der Wel is specialized in solid-state NMR spectroscopy, a technology that can measure how atoms are connected to each other. In simple terms, the NMR signals of two connected carbon atoms in DnaJB8 depend on how they interact with other atoms in the molecule. Therefore, the measured spectrum of the carbon atoms can show in which amino acid they are located. Such information can be used to get an idea of the protein's structure, even if it is not well ordered.

The DnaJB8 protein is made up of different domains, with different functions. Through a series of experiments, Van der Wel was able to determine which domains are stuck inside the DnaJB8 protein, and which are available on the outside. The experiments suggested that the so-called 'J domain' of DnaJB8 was able to switch between being stuck and being accessible. This is important because this part of the DnaJB8 protein is responsible for turning on the Hsp70 protein, which can prevent the protein aggregates from forming. In other words, there seems to be a 'switch' in DnaJB8 that controls this interaction with Hsp70. Interestingly, this switch was found to be located in a domain of DnaJB8 whose exact role was previously unclear.

Hypothesis

"Thus, our hypothesis based on the structure was that the DnaJB8 is inactive until it binds to the faulty proteins and that it then attracts Hsp70," says Van der Wel. A series of simulations and experiments at the University of Texas confirmed this idea and yielded a detailed model of how these proteins work together.

DnaJB8 is a protein that is mainly found in the testes. However, a very similar protein called DnaJB6 is present in the brain, where Huntington's disease strikes. It seems more than likely that this protein acts similarly, when it protects against glutamine-rich proteins that aggregate in the brain cells of patients. "It may take many more years, but now that we understand how this process works, it could help us to find a way to enhance the activity of DnaJB6, which could reduce the protein aggregates that cause the disease," concludes Van der Wel.

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Simple Science Summary

Our cells have specialized waste disposal systems to keep our body free from clumps of defective proteins. To fight diseases like Huntington's, where protein clumps damage and ultimately kill brain cells, it is necessary to know how these disposal systems - which are themselves made up of proteins - work. Scientists studied a disposal system that protects against clumps like those in Huntington's disease. As these disposal proteins themselves also form 'good' clumps, it was difficult to discover their exact structure. Using special techniques, the scientists discovered that, under normal circumstances, two regions of these proteins are folded onto themselves. However, when they encounter the clumps, these two parts release each other and are then free to attach to another protein that dissolves the clumps. In the distant future, this insight may lead to drugs that stimulate the prevention of these harmful protein clumps.

Reference: Bryan D. Ryder, Irina Matlahov, Sofia Bali, Jaime Vaquer-Alicea, Patrick C. A. van der Wel, & Lukasz A. Joachimiak: Regulatory inter-domain interactions influence Hsp70 recruitment to the DnaJB8 chaperone. Nature Communications, 11 February 2021
Moving to Aurora has been a long time coming, said Mike Kluber, President of Kluber Architects + Engineers. Our firm is growing substantially, so it only makes sense to continue our tradition of investing in local downtown areas to accommodate that growth."

Kluber Architects + Engineers, an in-house architecture and engineering firm, has closed on the future site of their new office building on 41 W. Benton Street in Aurora.

Though the new office location selection has been nearly a year in the making, Kluber Architects + Engineers has spent the last several months designing the significant improvements for the space. The building, which formerly served as the West Aurora administration office, had long sat vacant. Now, the building will be home to luxury apartment spaces in the top floors, and Klubers new office space on the lower level and first floors-- A true mixed use downtown development project.

Moving to Aurora has been a long time coming, said Mike Kluber, President of Kluber Architects + Engineers. Our firm is growing substantially, so it only makes sense to continue our tradition of investing in local downtown areas to accommodate that growth. Were thrilled to bring a part of the downtown, of my hometown, back to life and to support the City of Aurora.

The building, now home to Esser Lofts and Apartments and Kluber Architects + Engineers, was previously in great need of repair. Between refurbishing its aging windows and dilapidated exterior, as well as bringing the building up to code, Klubers renovation and investment is a breath of fresh air to West Benton Street.

As long-time members of both the Aurora Regional Chamber and the Aurora community, we are thrilled to welcome Kluber Architects + Associates to downtown Aurora, said Jessica Linder Gallo, President & CEO of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce. Local businesses of all sizes are the backbone of our economy, and the addition of Kluber Architects + Associates to Aurora is an example of the resiliency and continued growth happening here. We look forward to our continued partnership for many years to come.

Kluber Architects + Engineers completed similar renovations on their corporate headquarters in Batavia, offering a major revitalization to an area of town that was previously in great distress. Since their renovation to the Batavia office on South Shumway Street, numerous businesses have also made their way to the area and to support Downtown Batavia. This rejuvenated a sizeable portion of the Citys historical district and brought forth several successful developments the area desperately needed. Kluber Architects + Engineers is optimistic that their investment in the City of Aurora will have a similar impact to the surrounding area.

Klubers investment is proof of their commitment to the revitalization of the Downtown area. We are looking forward to seeing them grow in Aurora for many years to come, said Bryan Gay, President of Invest Aurora.

Though the news of their expansion was only announced recently, the support and reaction from the Aurora community has already been tremendous.

Its one thing to have an amazing business move into town, but its another level when that business is also a committed corporate partner, said Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin. Kluber Architects + Engineers is both. The move speaks volumes about Klubers belief in and vision for Aurora. It is a shared vision that we have spoken about many times. We are bringing that vision into reality, right in the heart of our downtown. Welcome home, Mike and team!

The firm has office spaces in Batavia, Chicago, and Bloomington, Illinois. Their new Aurora office space will feature a modernized design and welcoming gathering areas for clients and employees. Kluber Architects + Engineers anticipates the building to be ready for use in late 2021.

About Kluber Architects + Engineers:

Kluber Architects + Engineers is an integrated architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Batavia, Illinois. The firm opened 33 years ago and has been serving the Northern Illinois area ever since. Kluber Architects + Engineers offers architecture and engineering services to the municipal, educational, health care, and private sectors in Illinois. Some of their most prominent work includes the recently completed Will County Health Department, Elgin Community College Health & Life Science building, and the in-progress Old Copley Hospital renovation in Aurora.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kluber-inc-ae/?
When Sanaz Fotouhi was 15, she dreamt she was standing in a field and children in torn clothes were running towards her shouting Help! No matter how many she helped over a wire fence, more kept coming. Ten years later, she found herself in Kabul at Hope House, a sanctuary for orphans and widows established by the indefatigable Afghan-Australian, Mahboba Rawi, to help make a film that would feature the love marriage of a young man from the orphanage and a local girl. While the narrative tension of this absorbing story is generated by the pitfalls and dangers of making a film in Afghanistan, and the drawn-out negotiations with the bride-to-bes father to allow the wedding to take place, it is the children, with their tragic stories, irrepressible energy and dignity who win our hearts.

If you dont understand what Austin Channing Brown means by the statement, White people can be exhausting, you will by the end of this slim but mighty memoir. She documents how often she is upbraided for making white people feel uncomfortable or afraid or for hurting their feelings by speaking the truth about racism in its many guises. When teaching classes about race to Christian groups, she has been yelled at, challenged, dismissed. After an incident when a white man abused her, her colleagues asked Brown what she could have done to calm him down  as if she were responsible for his behaviour. She ends by saying that hope for me has died one thousand deaths ... But in the mourning there always rises a new clarity about the world, about the Church, about myself, about God.

On Lifes Lottery

Glyn Davis, Hachette, $16.99

Credit:

Last year, as a nation, we put the collective good above our individual interests to fight COVID-19. Such a nation, says Glyn Davis, can surely end poverty among its own citizens. Chance determines the start all of us get in life, but those born into poverty are five times more likely to experience poverty as an adult. Entrenched intergenerational poverty, like the property of the wealthy, is handed down from parent to child. This cogent essay argues for collaboration between government, community and charities, pointing to successful initiatives that use local schools as a hub for sustained support for disadvantaged families and programs in Aboriginal communities to reduce incarceration. The key is turning top-down service delivery on its head to allow communities to set the agenda, ensuring that authority is shared.

The Schoolgirl Strangler

Katherine Kovacic, Echo Publishing, $32.99
The NSW government faces a tax shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars over the next four years as an uncertain future hangs over Crown Resorts and its new $2.2 billion Sydney casino.

NSW was already preparing to take a $190 million hit in casino tax revenue as a result of COVID-19 border closures, with budget forecasts showing it would take several years for revenue to recover.

Crowns Barangaroo development in Sydney and major shareholder James Packer (inset). Nick Moir, Getty

However, if the James Packer-backed group is denied a licence, or another company does not take over the under-siege casino, the government faces as much as $400 million in lost tax revenue.

This comes as high-profile director Andrew Demetriou resigned from the board of Crown Resorts after gambling regulators in Victoria and NSW pushed him and Crown boss Ken Barton to leave after being heavily criticised in an inquiry that found the company unfit to run a casino.

The independent Bergin inquiry found that Crown Resorts is unfit to hold a casino licence in NSW, with a scathing report released this week confirming Crown had facilitated money laundering.

Gambling regulators in NSW and Victoria earlier took aim at Mr Barton and Mr Demetriou for their refusal to resign after being heavily criticised in the report.

Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation chief Catherine Myers said on Thursday she would demand the pair explain why they should be allowed to be involved with the groups flagship Melbourne casino.

That came hours after her NSW counterpart, Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority chair Philip Crawford, said that Crown needed to part ways with Mr Barton and the former AFL boss Mr Demetriou if it ever wanted to open its new casino at Barangaroo.

Commissioner Patricia Bergins findings were released publicly on Tuesday afternoon. Supplied

Former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergins report found that Mr Barton was no match for what is needed at the helm of a casino and called Mr Demetrious appearance at her public inquiry unedifying.

Mr Crawford said there was no guarantee Crown would be able to make itself suitable to open the new casino in NSW.

However, under the deal signed by the NSW government and Crown to open Sydneys second casino, the regulator was contractually bound to work with Crown to try to make it suitable.

They havent operated in this state yet, and they may never. Theyve got a lot of work to do, Mr Crawford said.

Two Crown directors loyal to James Packer have stepped down after a damning inquiry report tied the casino to organised crime.

The Bergin inquiry also found Crown disregarded the welfare of its staff in China before 19 were arrested there in 2016, and went into business with high-roller junket tour groups linked to organised crime groups.

The report said Crowns core problems were poor corporate governance, deficient risk management structures and processes and a poor corporate culture.

Crown chairman Helen Coonan said on Thursday that she accepted the criticism from the report was warranted and repeated our unreserved apologies for these shortcomings.

We do not underestimate the scale of the problem and appreciate there is a need for root and branch change, she said. This change has commenced.

Crown was set to open the gaming floors at its Sydney casino in late December but the regulator blocked it from doing so after evidence of money laundering at Crowns Melbourne and Perth casinos emerged in the Bergin inquiry.

The delay will probably result in a hit to the NSW governments coffers.

Macquarie market analysts this week said it would take two years for Crown to do the restructuring work required to be deemed fit to finally open its Sydney casino.

The most up-to-date published tax revenue forecast from casinos, which includes The Star and Crown resorts, was predicted to deliver the government $848 million between 2021/22 and 2023/24.

However, budget papers show the government was forecasting casino tax revenue to drop from $394 million in 2018-19 to $158 million in 2020-21. It would not recover to $311 million until 2023-24.

Casino revenue has been revised down by $190.5 million over the four years to 2023-24, reflecting stricter border restrictions resulting from COVID-19, the budget papers say.

A spokesman for Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the NSW government was prohibited from disclosing any taxation information relating to an individual taxpayer.

Crown Resorts paid a $100 million licence fee to the government when its licence was granted in 2014.

The licence can only be cancelled through disciplinary proceedings under the Casino Control Act and the NSW regulator has the sole responsibility for taking disciplinary action against Crown.

If the regulator follows all the relevant processes and determines that the licence should be cancelled, then it can do so without triggering a claim from Crown for compensation.

However, if the compensation provisions in the agreements are triggered, then the government will need to return the $100 million licence fee, minus a $5 million deposit.

Mr Crawford also left the door open to the regulator moving to reduce Mr Packers 37 per cent shareholding, saying it was something the regulators board would discuss when it meets on Friday.

The influence has already been diluted by his retreat from the board, thats a really positive start, Mr Crawford said.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Moore, a leading provider of performance-driven marketing solutions, announces the acquisition of Worcester Envelope Company, an industry leader specializing in custom envelope manufacturing. This acquisition comes less than 12 months from the $31 million investment Moore made in envelope manufacturing with the opening of Richmond Print Group in Virginia.

Moore is investing in Worcester Envelope to expand its envelope manufacturing in overall capacity, redundancy and location diversification. Based in Auburn, Massachusetts, Worcester Envelope specializes in the manufacturing of high color direct mail envelopes to service the medium to large volume mail industry.

"Worcester Envelope Company is a 125-year-old company that has been a trusted and highly respected vendor of Moore for many years. We know the talented leadership and the superior quality of the work they produce for the industry," said Gretchen Littlefield, chief executive officer of Moore. "This acquisition was the right fit for us as we are committed to increasing our capacity and geographic footprint in the envelope manufacturing space. With this addition, we have over 347,000 square feet of envelope manufacturing in Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri and Virginia."

Worcester Envelope's leadership team will remain the same including Derek Waterhouse as president, who will report to Jeff Pelcher, manufacturing chief operating officer of Moore. The organization will continue to brand and market itself as Worcester Envelope Company, a Moore company.

"We didn't decide to sell Worcester Envelope Company. We decided to sell Worcester Envelope Company to Moore. There is a large distinction," said Waterhouse. "Through the years other companies have approached us, but the fit wasn't there. Every interaction with the people of Moore has reinforced that we share a common vision. It is clear that they are the right partner and that now is the right time. We are excited about this new chapter for the company, as it will unlock greater potential for the future."

About Moore

Moore is a global leader in performance-driven marketing solutions focused on all facets of the consumer experience. With over 3,000 employees in 36 locations across the country, Moore is dedicated to helping clients fulfill their missions. The organization provides services including strategic consulting, creative development, media planning and buying, as well as research and analytics, production management and product fulfillment, database services and public relations to nonprofit, association, commercial and government clients and is a key contributor to strengthening these sectors.

About Worcester Envelope Company

Worcester Envelope Company is a trusted custom envelope manufacturing company that operates out of a 180,000 square foot facility in Auburn, Massachusetts. Founded in 1893, the 125-year company thrives by focusing on the customer and coupling the hard work of employees with the most advanced technology available. Today, Worcester Envelope continues to focus on its customers and provide envelopes, as well as print and mail solutions, to help our customers grow.

Contact: Meredith Resnick

Phone: (202) 549-0807

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Moore

Related Links

https://www.mooredmgroup.com/



Last month, Clay Travis announced the sudden departure of Jason Whitlock from Outkick, the media venture that Travis founded which has recently gone on an aggressive hiring blitz. The split came as a surprise, given Whitlock had only been with Outkick since June after exiting FS1 a few weeks earlier. Whitlock had moved from Los Angeles to Nashville (where Outkick is based) and had been quite active in creating content for the venture, thus making the split raise some eyebrows in media circles. Fueling the intrigue was Whitlocks cryptic tweet on his exit.

Do not believe anything written or said about me unless I say it. All else is Fake News.  Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) January 9, 2021

Fast forward to today, and Whitlock has finally given his version of the split in an interview with Front Office Sports.

Clay and our third partner, Sam Savage, misrepresented the business of OutKick. Both Clay and Sam told me directly (and my lawyer in writing) that Sams equity stake in OutKick was contingent on Sam investing $500,000. Shortly after I arrived at OutKick, my lawyer was told that things were going so well financially that Sam no longer needed to invest $500,000 to get an equity stake in OutKick. I objected. I confronted Clay and Sam about it. Clay said that he didnt want to waste time or energy pursuing Sams investment. I found this preposterous and baffling. My equity in OutKick was based on sweat. I believe my sweat is far more valuable than Sams. Sam, of course, disagreed. He told me that my arrival at OutKick was a kick in the nuts and that all three of us should own one-third of OutKick. Sam refused to pay the $500,000 and his consulting firm, Savage Ventures, charged OutKick $42,000 a month for work that I deemed amateur. In my view, Sam Savage, the person with the smallest stake in OutKick and the least amount of value, exercised the most control over the company. I told Clay in November that I was going to exit OutKick unless Savage invested the $500,000 he committed and we backed away from using Savage Ventures. It was a bad business deal, a byproduct of my failure to properly vet my business partners. (Outkick responded in a statement to FOS: Outkick provided Jason access to all information necessary to make an informed business decision regarding joining the company. Nothing at all was misrepresented to him  or his lawyer  in any way whatsoever. He chose to leave after a short tenure and as we said over a month ago on the site when we announced he was leaving, we continue to wish him well.)

In the interview, Whitlock also denied having to pay $500,000 to become an owner in Outkick, which was something that was reported by the Washington Post. Whats clear in reading Whitlocks comments from the interview is that actual funding of the business was a major sticking point to the equity holders, and one they didnt seem to see eye to eye on. Whitlock denied his investment in the company and accuses Savage of foregoing an investment of the same size. In media appearances, Savage is described as the investor behind the expansion of Clay Traviss Outkick the Coverage brand, so its not exactly clear who put money into the company and when.

What might be the case is that perhaps both individuals had the option to put in $500,000, but had the option to put in an equal amount of sweat equity into the company to earn their ownership stake in Outkick (essentially, get paid in equity for their work). Whitlock shares that Savage Ventures was charging the company $42,000 a month for services he called amateur. 12 months of payments $42,000 is almost exactly the disputed $500,000 number ($504,000) and could be at the heart of the disagreement

Having worked and consulted at a lot of startups, figuring out fair equity stakes for founders, investors, and key additions is often a tricky path to navigate, and these types of disagreements are not uncommon. Going forward, the smart money is on this all being cleaned up by lawyers so the dispute doesnt further spill into public view with both parties able to move on. With that in mind, Whitlock hints in the interview hes been talking to The Blaze and Fox News for his next landing spot and throws cold water on the idea of going back to either ESPN or Fox Sports. As for the business at hand, it seems like so many things in life, the real winners here will be billable hours.
(Newser)  A disturbing trend in California, where brutal attacks on Asian-Americans as they walk down the street have been increasing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Actors Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu took action, offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case of a 91-year-old who was shoved to the ground on Jan. 31 in Oakland. A suspect was in fact nabbed, and is suspected in not just that attack but two others in Oakland's Chinatown on the same day. "This is in addition to the layers and layers and layers of other incidents that have been happening since COVID but also pre-COVID," Wu tells Reuters. "I just couldnt stand it and had to do something about it." Robberies are also on the rise, locals say, and incidents are happening in other cities as well. Many big-city Chinatowns are on alert, NBC News reports.

story continues below

"Within the community there are many seniors who live inside Chinatown (who) are also afraid to walk on their own streets," says the president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. "Many employees are expressing their fear working in their own stores." He tells ABC News he knows of at least 20 incidents in recent weeks, but believes many attacks are also going unreported. The fear has particularly hurt the community in the run-up to the Lunar New Year celebration Friday, as many have been afraid to shop. Oakland's police department has moved a command post to Chinatown and is increasing patrols, and KQED reports community patrols and volunteer escorts for Chinatown seniors have also been organized. President Biden "is concerned about the discrimination against, the actions against the Asian-American community," the White House press secretary said Monday, per KRON4. (Read more California stories.)
States dont get much redder than Oklahoma.

Republicans have carried the Sooner State in every presidential election after 1964. No Democratic presidential nominee in the past 20 years has come within 30 percentage points of winning the state.

Nonetheless, last June the ultra-Republican voters of Oklahoma voted  albeit narrowly  to approve a major provision of the defining legislative achievement of former Democratic President Barack Obama.

Oklahomans agreed to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), a federal law that Republicans have spent the past 11 years trying to repeal.

They passed Medicaid expansion for the same reason that several other red states have done the same in recent years. As the partisan vitriol has faded, as the doomsday warnings about death panels have been debunked, what remains is a question about prudent governance:

Does it make sense for any state to reject a deal in which the federal government picks up 90 percent of the cost of expanding Medicaid eligibility for uninsured residents?

That question has acquired new urgency over the past year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has flooded our hospitals and forced millions of Americans onto the unemployment rolls.

State Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, made it to the Legislature a few months after the 2010 passage of the ACA. Like most Republicans, he opposed the law, viewing it as a dangerous government takeover of the health care system.

A decade later, Larson is championing the ACAs Medicaid expansion for Texas. On Tuesday, Larson filed a bill calling for a statewide election this November to allow voters to decide if they want to expand Medicaid to cover all persons who apply for that assistance and for whom federal matching money is available.

If your income is no more than 138 percent of the federal poverty level  which works out to $17,774 for individuals and $36,570 for a family of four  you would be eligible.

A 2020 study by Texas A&M Universitys Bush School of Government and Public Service estimated that 1.2 million Texans would gain Medicaid eligibility under this expansion.

For a state whose pre-COVID uninsured rate of 18.4 percent was the highest in the nation, Medicaid expansion seems like the most logical move in the world. Rejecting it at a time of such extreme suffering seems like an act of pure perversity.

Larson said he had an epiphany on Medicaid during the early months of the COVID crisis.

I started looking at all the numbers in the summer, and it just wasnt adding up, Larson told me Wednesday. Somewhere weve got to make business decisions, and COVID really exposed the vulnerabilities weve got in our health care delivery system, especially in rural areas.

Weve closed 28 hospitals in the last 10 years and all those folks are coming into the urban centers, seeking their health care. And a lot of them dont have insurance.

Larson is hardly a lone legislative voice on this issue.

Last April, a group of 12 Democratic state senators  including San Antonian Jose Menendez  sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, urging him to expand Medicaid. San Antonio state Rep. Diego Bernal recently filed a bill to accomplish it though legislative action rather than a referendum to amend the constitution.

But Larsons advocacy stands out because Republicans in this state have been more inclined to mount legal battles against the Affordable Care Act than to voluntarily adopt its provisions.

During his final term, then-Gov. Rick Perry fielded many requests from Texas Democrats to expand Medicaid. Perry refused, calling Medicaid a broken system and suggesting that expansion came with too many strings attached.

Larson now sees the folly in Perrys partisan obstinance.

All the things that Rick Perry talked about eight years ago never materialized, Larson said. So, do we continue to follow what past voices incorrectly stated the impact would be  or do we look at the facts?

Steve Allison, the only other Republican in San Antonios House delegation, said he would vote for Larsons bill if it made it to the House floor, but he worried that sending the issue to voters would cause the state to lose precious time.

Allison added that Texas needs to improve accessibility to hospitals and physicians, not merely reduce the rate of uninsured. He said the state, which has chronically starved its Medicaid system, will need to boost its reimbursement rates to coax more doctors into the program.

For Larson, it all comes down to lawmakers showing a willingness to take off the blue jerseys and the red jerseys and look at whats right for the state.

Take politics out of it, he said, and its a no-brainer.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
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Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have approved Sputnik V.

Sputnik V is among top 3 coronavirus vaccines with most authorizations granted globally.

MOSCOW, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) announces the approval of Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus in Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In total, 26 countries have already authorized Sputnik V.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the first island nation of the Caribbean to register Sputnik V.

The vaccine was approved both in Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines under the emergency use authorization procedure without additional local clinical trials. Sputnik V is one of the world's top three coronavirus vaccines in terms of the number of approvals issued by government regulators.

The vaccine had been approved earlier in Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, Hungary, UAE, Iran, Republic of Guinea, Tunisia, Armenia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Republika Srpska (entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Mongolia and Bahrain.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said:

"By the end of the week Sputnik V has been approved in 26 countries in Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America exceeding the plan announced by RDIF earlier. Clinical trial data published in The Lancet medical journal demonstrated high efficacy and safety of the vaccine, which is also easy to distribute and affordable in price. Sputnik V is recognized globally as one of the key vaccines which will help protect the humankind and return to normal life."

Sputnik V has a number of key advantages:

Efficacy of Sputnik V is 91.6% as confirmed by the data published in the Lancet, one of the world's oldest and most respected medical journals; it is one of only three vaccines in the world with efficacy of over 90%; Sputnik V provides full protection against severe cases of COVID-19.

The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors, which cause the common cold and have been around for thousands of years.

Sputnik V uses two different vectors for the two shots in a course of vaccination, providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines using the same delivery mechanism for both shots.

The safety, efficacy and lack of negative long-term effects of adenoviral vaccines have been proven by more than 250 clinical studies over two decades.

The developers of the Sputnik V vaccine are working collaboratively with AstraZeneca on a joint clinical trial to improve the efficacy of AstraZeneca vaccine.

There are no strong allergies caused by Sputnik V.

The storage temperature of Sputnik V at +2+8 C means it can be stored in a conventional refrigerator without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure.

The price of Sputnik V is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable around the world.

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB2 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1140939/Russian_Direct_Investment_Fund_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)
Gina Carano Announces New Movie Project With Ben Shapiro

Former Mandalorian star Gina Carano, who was dropped by Disney-owned Lucasfilm earlier this week, said she will partake in a new movie project with the Daily Wires Ben Shapiro.

Carano told news outlets: The Daily Wire is helping make one of my dreamsto develop and produce my own filmcome true. I cried out and my prayer was answered. I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob. I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same. They cant cancel us if we dont let them.

The former MMA fighter-turned-actress will develop, produce, and appear in an upcoming film that the Daily Wire will release to its subscribers, according to a statement provided by the outlet to Deadline Hollywood. Details about the project are not clear.

We could not be more excited to be working with Gina Carano, an incredible talent dumped by Disney and Lucasfilm for offending the authoritarian Hollywood Left. This is what Daily Wire exists to do: provide an alternative not just for consumers, but for creators who refuse to bow to the mob, Shapiro said.

Were eager to bring Ginas talent to Americans who love her, and were just as eager to show Hollywood that if they want to keep cancelling those who think differently, theyll just be helping us build the Xwing to take down their Death Star, he added.

Other than Lucasfilm, Caranos agency UTA also dropped her after she shared a TikTok post saying the current divided political climate is similar to Nazi Germany, comparing conservatives to Jewish people.

Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighborseven by children. Because history is edited, most people today dont realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views, she wrote.

Lucasfilm, UTA, and a number of celebrities said her comments were inappropriate. However, a number of conservative commentators, including Shapiro, said the move is just another way in which powerful power centers censor viewpoints that are outside the mainstream.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Murchison Minerals Ltd. ("Murchison" or the "Company") (TSXV:MUR) today announces that, subject to all regulatory approvals, it intends to raise up to $500,000 in a non-brokered private placement ("the Private Placement"), with the net proceeds directed towards exploration and administrative expenses.

The Company proposes to issue up to 6,250,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant. Each whole common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") will entitle the holder to acquire one additional Common Share (a "Warrant Share") for a period of eighteen (18) months from the date of closing (the "Closing Date") at an exercise price of $0.12 per Warrant Share.

A finder's fee may apply to a portion of the proceeds raised under the Private Placement in the amount of 6% cash. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four month and one day hold period from the date of issue in accordance with applicable securities laws. Proceeds from the Private Placement will be used by the Company for exploration, working capital and for other general and administrative costs.

It is anticipated that a director of the Company will acquire 3,000,000 Units under the Private Placement. Any such participation is considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The transaction will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 based on a determination that the securities of the Company are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") and that the fair market value of the Private Placement, insofar as it involves interested parties, does not exceed $2,500,000 or 25% of the market capitalization of the Company. The Private Placement was approved by all independent directors of the Company.

About Murchison Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: MUR)

Murchison is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on the exploration and development of the 100%-owned Brabant-McKenzie zinc-copper-silver project in north-central Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in the HPM nickel-copper-cobalt project in Quebec. Murchison has 98.9 million shares issued and outstanding.

Additional information about Murchison and its exploration projects can be found on the Company's website at www.murchisonminerals.com. For further information, please contact:

Jean-Charles (JC) Potvin, President and CEO or Erik H Martin, CFO

Tel: (416) 350-3776

info@murchisonminerals.com

CHF Capital Markets

Cathy Hume, CEO

Tel: 416-868-1079 x 251

cathy@chfir.com

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. The parties undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information except as otherwise may be required by applicable securities law.

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SOURCE: Murchison Minerals Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629546/Murchison-Announces-500000-Non-Brokered-Private-Placement
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 23:42:30|Editor: huaxia

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NANNING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Four spoon-billed sandpipers, members of a rare and endangered species, have been spotted in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Spoon-billed sandpipers are listed as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The four birds were found during a survey of waterbirds wintering in the city of Qinzhou, said Zhang Dong, chief engineer of the municipal oceanic bureau.

A total of 20,000 to 30,000 waterbirds were observed during the two-day survey, including 148 black-headed gulls and other rare birds.

Qinzhou has invested nearly 100 million yuan (about 15.49 million U.S. dollars) in conducting marine ecological restoration in recent years. Enditem
Rioters cut through a steel fence at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on July 24, 2020. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)

Rioters in Portland Caused $2.3 Million in Damage to Federal Buildings: Official

Riots propelled by the far-left Antifa network in Portland caused $2.3 million in damage to federal buildings, an official said this week.

The office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Billy Williams confirmed the figure with The Epoch Times.

The bulk of the damage was inflicted upon the Mark. O Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, ground central for the riots that unfolded last summer, culminating in nightly clashes between Department of Homeland Security forces and rioters. That damage is pegged at $1.6 million, Williams office said.

Rioters repeatedly assaulted the building, smashing windows and ripping protective wood away from its exterior. Attempts to breach the building were repelled by federal forces, who utilized tear gas and other crowd control measures to respond to the violent incursion bids.

The clashes eventually died down and the Trump administration withdrew forces at the behest of state and city officials.

Riots continued taking place in Portland into this year but have primarily transpired in other areas. The main federal structure targeted by rioters after the summer has been an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency building.

Williams told The Oregonian that multiple windows at the U.S. Attorneys Office were broken by metal ball bearings, which officials believe were launched from wrist rockets.

Rioters used weapons including slingshots, mortar-style fireworks, and sledgehammers to attack officers, then-acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told members of Congress in an August 2020 hearing.

Federal officers guard the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse as a fire lit by rioters burns on the other side of a perimeter fence, in Portland, Ore., on July 25, 2020. (Noah Berger/AP Photo)

Officers have suffered chemical burns, bloody wounds, and attacks with blinding lasers, leaving some of our colleagues with eye injuries. The security fence we installed to protect the Courthouse and our officers has been repeatedly attacked with power tools in a dangerous attempt to topple the barrier. To be clearthese are not the actions of peaceful protesters, they are the actions of criminals, he said at the time.

The General Services Administration told The Epoch Times via email that the federal government has spent over $1 million to repair damage from the riots at five federal buildings, including the Hatfield Courthouse.

The other buildings are the Gus. J. Solomon U.S. Courthouse, the Pioneer Courthouse, the Edith GreenWendell Wyatt Federal Building, and the 911 Federal Building.

The administration official could not provide a figure for how much has been spent to repair the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.

The Portland Police Bureau was unable to provide an estimate of damage inflicted to its buildings or a figure for how much has been spent to repair the damage.

Rioters are vehemently anti-police and have launched operations against police buildings, including stations with people inside. After one particularly violent night last year, Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, said the rabble-rousers were terrorizing families with children.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 12:27:03|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, bodes well for potential cooperation between China and the United States, experts from across the globe have said.

Xi on Thursday morning took a phone call from Biden on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

The two presidents wished each other good fortune in the Year of the Ox, and had an in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and major international and regional issues.

Jon R. Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the phone call is "encouraging."

Noting there are differences between the two sides in several fields, Taylor said, "it's important to understand that they also talked about a variety of areas for potential cooperation."

Regarding the conversation as "the first step" in a long process to stabilize China-U.S. relations and to slowly improve bilateral engagement, Taylor said, "it's a welcome start given the past four years of (former U.S. President Donald) Trump's increasingly antagonistic language and actions toward China."

Similarly, Xulio Rios, director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics in Spain, said the high-level telephone conversation will help the two sides move in the same direction.

To stabilize bilateral relations and avoid strategic misjudgement, China and the United States should respect each other's core interests and broaden the cooperation agenda, said Rios.

Criticizing the former U.S. administration's hegemonic obsession that has led to a stalemate situation, Rios called on the Biden administration to outline a possible alternative for U.S. relations with China.

"The fact of the two leaders having a phone call is a good thing" because "relations between the two countries are very important," said Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister.

Despite some differences that are to be expected, China and the United States have a lot of interests in common, el-Hefny said, adding that "it is important for the United States and China to overcome differences through constant dialogue, consultation and communication."

"History has witnessed the importance of Sino-U.S. cooperation," Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation Jeffrey Greene said.

"The proven history of friendship and cooperation dramatically demonstrates that by working together our two countries can overcome any obstacles and achieve any goals and successfully work together to benefit all the world," Greene said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 18:54:10|Editor: huaxia

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HEFEI, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Every Saturday, 73-year-old Zhao Guihua takes her thermos, notebook and smartphone with her on the bus to go to a special course.

In a classroom located in a residential community in the east Chinese city of Hefei, Zhao and her 30-odd classmates, all senior citizens and most wearing reading glasses, learn how to shop on their smartphones.

"We offer a course that teaches senior citizens how to use their smartphone to scan health-tracking QR codes, make online purchases, register for hospital visits, and shoot short films for the video-sharing app TikTok," said course founder Liu Li.

Liu, 40, has been providing services for the elderly for 10 years. After learning that many elderly people are confounded by the use of digital devices in their daily lives, she set up the smartphone course in August last year to help them cross the digital divide.

Official data shows that by the end of 2019, some 150 million Chinese citizens at or above the age of 60 still hadn't had the opportunity to use the internet.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has helped accelerate the development of digital technologies and the digital economy, it has also highlighted the barriers many older people face in accessing smartphone-based services.

"During the pandemic, scanning a health-tracking QR code is required when going to the supermarket or taking a bus," said 63-year-old course participant Liu Shaomin. "As I didn't have a smartphone, I couldn't do many daily chores."

Instructor Huang Zhen said the course started with the basics of smartphones and the learners were all very enthusiastic about it. Some lessons were taught at metro stations, hospitals, parks or shops, to give the learners real-life experiences.

Over several months, the number of course participants grew from about 10 to more than 60, with ages ranging from over 60 to over 90.

"Now I can read the news, buy train tickets and book tickets for tourist attractions on my smartphone," said Zhao. "Scanning health-tracking QR codes is also a piece of cake for me."

The first thing Liu Shaomin did after starting the course was to buy a smartphone. Now, after taking over 20 lessons, he has acquired many new skills.

"I can do many things that young people do, such as making payments on WeChat, scanning health-tracking QR codes, and taking notes on my smartphone," he said proudly.

Central authorities have also moved to help elderly people cross the digital divide. In January this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched a yearlong campaign across the country to make online applications more elderly friendly.

"In the development of society, senior citizens can't be left unattended. They may lag behind for a while, but when we help them clear the barriers, they will catch up," said Liu Li. Enditem
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Trump supporters live in an alternate universe where facts and critical thinking are largely absent. I was yet again reminded of this sad fact when I read several Facebook posts giving their take on Joe Bidens inauguration. They believe that the 15,000 National Guard troops who were deployed to the Capitol at the time of Bidens swearing-in comprise proof of a coup.

Of course they remain convinced that the election was stolen from The Donald, which means Biden is a fake president. Theyre convinced that those troops were summoned to Washington to prevent freedom-loving patriots (i.e.,Trump supporters) from rising in revolt and putting an end to this charade. I recall a particularly reprehensible meme, posted by a Trump zealot, that featured a photo of Hitler and noted that he, too, was forced to station troops at his inauguration.

Reality check, Trump lovers. Your idol lost the election fair and square. Those National Guard troops were sent to Washington because of the possibility that supporters of The Donald would again descend on our Capitol as they had on Jan. 6, when the Electoral College votes were being counted. The National Guard wasnt called out to perpetrate a coup. It was called out to prevent a coup.

Nonetheless, their presence was indeed disturbing. The need for troops to ensure the peaceful inauguration of our president and vice-president is the sort of thing one associates with banana republics. Surely, one might think, there has never before been such a precarious, potentially violent inauguration in our nations history.

Actually, there was. And theres a succinct account of it in a book that just arrived at my Second Reading Book Shop. The book is History of the Great Rebellion by Thomas P. Kettell, which was published in 1866.

Contrary to popular misconception, Lincoln was not elected president in 1860 while promising to abolish slavery. The Republican party platform merely pledged to oppose the expansion of slavery into new territories. But even that was too much for our nations pro-slavery extremists. South Carolina seceded from the Union on Dec. 20, 1860. Six other southern states seceded before Lincoln had even been sworn in as president.

Lincoln left his Springfield, Illinois home by train on Feb. 11, 1861 and made speeches at a number of stops. As his journey approached its end, Kettell wrote, threats of assassination, which had been made even before his departure from his home in Illinois, began to assume more definite form. Winfield Scott, who held the position of Commanding General of the United States Army, sent a special messenger to Mr. Lincoln at Harrisburg [Pennsylvania], to advise him not to carry out the public programme (sic) announced, but pass through Baltimore at an early and unexpected hour.

The president-elect left Harrisburg on the night of Feb. 23, with the slight disguise of a military cloak and a Scotch plaid cap, and arrived safely in Washington the following morning. Kettel reported that the telegraph wires at Harrisburg were cut to prevent the transmission of the intelligence of his departure.

Like Joe Bidens inauguration, Lincolns swearing-in on March 4, 1861 took place with the threat of violence hanging over it. General Scott had, however, taken every precaution, and the military under his orders were under arms on the 4th of March: a sorrowful and unaccustomed sight to those who prided themselves on a Government sustained by law and order, and who never thought to witness troops assisting on such an occasion, except as part of a holiday pageant.

These long-ago Americans felt the same dismay we felt on Jan. 20, 2021. But the United States triumphed under Lincolns leadership  just as it will again triumph under the leadership of Joe Biden.

John J. Dunphy is an author, the Godfrey 15th Precinct Democratic Committeeperson and recording secretary for the Godfrey Democrats.
NSW Police have found new evidence in their hunt for the killer of a man found with multiple stab wounds on a Sydney footpath.

Emergency services were called to Budgeree Road in Toongabbie, in Sydney's west, about 10.30pm on November 15 last year, where they found the man.

Paramedics were unable to save the man, who has since been formally identified as 49-year-old Warwick Hunter.

NSW Police have found new evidence in their hunt for the killer of a man found with multiple stab wounds on a Sydney footpath. Pictured: 49-year-old Warwick Hunter died after being found with stab wounds

Emergency services were called to Budgeree Road in Toongabbie, in Sydney's west, about 10.30pm on November 15 last year, where they found the man. Pictured: Police are searching for the red Honda

Three months on from the killing, homicide detectives on Friday released CCTV footage of car they think could help solve the crime (pictured)

Three months on from the killing, homicide detectives on Friday released CCTV footage of car they think could help solve the crime.

The vehicle is a red Honda Accord Euro sedan with distinctive black rims on the rear wheels and silver rims on the front wheels.

Police are urging anyone with information about the movements or occupants of the car to contact them, as well as anyone with dashcam footage from the Toongabbie area between 8pm and 11pm on November 15.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said the new farm laws will bring investments, new technologies and create employment.

Addressing a gathering organised by BJP's youth wing to highlight the salient features of the Union Budget, Pradhan said the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs 40,000 crore will open new doors for agrarian development.

Noting that the Union Budget was brought at a difficult time when the economy was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister asserted that the Narendra Modi government has empowered the farmers and workers. The minister's remark come in the backdrop of protest by thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, at various border points of Delhi since late November last year against the Centre's new farm laws.

Pradhan urged Delhi BJP leaders to hold discussions over the provisions of Budget with various sections of the society, including slum dwellers, street vendors and resident welfare associations, and try to know their aspirations.

The budget allocation for the health sector has been increased by 137 per cent as compared to last year, he said.

''The Health budget has a provision of Rs 35,000 crore. We have been helping several countries with the corona vaccine which is in line with the philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam,'' said the minister.

The economic strength of a country depends on innovation and technology and the budget has also focussed on it, he said.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

The alliance called the Homeland Salvation Movement blames Pashinian for Armenias defeat in the war with Azerbaijan stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10. It staged a series of demonstrations later in November and December in a bid to force him to hand over power to an interim government.

The protests did not attract large crowds, leading Pashinian to insist that he still has a popular mandate to govern the country.

Representatives of the alliance said last week that the protests will resume soon. The movement coordinator, Ishkhan Saghatelian, announced on Monday that the first rally will be held in Yerevans Liberty Square on February 20.

Vazgen Manukian, a veteran politician nominated by the alliance as a caretaker prime minister, looked forward to the big rally, saying that the pause in the opposition campaign has lasted a bit longer than it should have.

The movement has discussed what it has done before, Manukian told reporters. I wont say now what it found right and what it found wrong. But it has drawn lessons and I think that with the February 20 rally it will continue its activities with much greater vigor.

There are several hundred thousand people who are terribly and emotionally unhappy,

he said. One million other people are also unhappy with Nikol Pashinian but dont bother to participate in all this, feeling broken for various reasons. We must manage to get these people out on the streets in order to have a full-scale, specular popular movement.

Manukian said the opposition should also strive to break and discredit what he described as Pashinians power base: senior members of the ruling My Step bloc and high-ranking police officers.

Pashinian expressed readiness on December 25 to hold snap parliamentary elections to end the political crisis in the country. Opposition leaders continued to insist on his resignation.

In a joint statement issued on February 7, Pashinian and My Steps parliamentary group spoke out against the conduct of such elections, saying that it is not backed by most Armenians.
SALEM  U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon says he believes his Republican colleagues at President Donald Trumps impeachment trial will be thinking about whats more important: their place in history or getting re-elected.

Merkley believes they will be grappling with this when it comes time to vote whether Trump is guilty or innocent of incitement of insurrection.

House Democrats prosecuting Trumps impeachment said Thursday the Capitol invaders believed they were are acting on the presidents orders to storm the building and stop the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 that was certifying Democrat Joe Bidens election.

Merkley has been watching both the gripping presentation of videos by House Democrats showing the deadly assault, and his Republican colleagues reactions. The videos show how close the members of Congress and former Vice President Mike Pence came to being harmed during the insurrection.

Almost all the Republican senators were paying close attention, Merkley told reporters Thursday in a Zoom call.

Merkley said his GOP colleagues appear deeply troubled, though he added that he has not conferred with any of them because Senate members disperse quickly after the trial adjourns for the day.

They know this is a moment in history, which they would like to do the right thing, but they feel the right thing may be in conflict with the political imperative of where their electoral base sits, the opinions of the electoral base, Merkley said.

But hours into Thursdays presentation by House Democrats, Republicans said they couldnt connect the violence to Trumps behavior.

Today was not connecting the dots, said Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford.

Only six Republican senators on Tuesday joined 50 Democrats in voting to proceed with the impeachment trial. But votes of two-thirds of members of the Senate - or at least 67 votes  are needed to convict, meaning almost a dozen more Republicans would need to vote guilty, if all Democrats also do so, in order to convict Trump.

Merkley told reporters that evidence against Trump includes that he repeatedly told a big lie that the election was stolen, that he and his team rescheduled a rally so it would coincide with Congress certification of the election results on Jan. 6, and that Trump did nothing when the mob started to attack the U.S. Capitol.

When a president takes an oath of office, the president says he will follow the Constitution and defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Well, when domestic enemies physically assaulted the Capitol, the president chose not to defend the government of the United States of America, Merkley said. And to me, thats an extraordinary breach of oath.

The Oregon senators own office was broken into by members of the mob, who smoked marijuana there. His laptop was taken but was later recovered in the Capitol and dusted for fingerprints, said Sara Hottman, a Merkley spokeswoman.

At least one of those who allegedly broke into Merkleys office has been arrested by the FBI.

Trumps lawyers are scheduled to launch their defense on Friday.

--The Associated Press

Visakhapatnam, Feb 12 : Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Visakhapatnam North MLA, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, on Friday resubmitted his resignation to Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker in proper format as he was accused of not doing so earlier.

"It was said that my resignation was not in a proper format when I resigned for the steel plant on February 6. Just now I submitted my resignation in the correct format," said Rao.

Opposing the Central government's plan of privatising the Vizag Steel Plant, which employs thousands of people, Rao took this move in protest.

Later, he joined fellow TDP leader Palla Srinivas, who launched an indefinite hunger strike opposing privatisation in this port city to extend support for the cause.

Rao also met with a few labour unions protesting the privatisation at Kurmannapalem at Visakhapatnam to campaign for the steel plant.

"I will stand by the labour unions. On the steel plant issue, a ministerial meeting should be arranged," he said.

The Visakhapatnam North MLA observed that the fight for the steel plant should be taken to Delhi. He said the campaigners should meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take back the privatisation decision.

He said the protest against privatisation should be taken ahead with one new programme a day and called the steel plant as the heartbeat of north Andhra people.

Despite party hopping multiple times, Rao continued to win in the elections, forming a loyal electorate for himself.
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Until, that is, Jan. 5. That day, the vice president met with Trump in person and told him he lacked the power to block certification of the Electoral College results. For this simple admission of fact, Trump immediately turned on him. According to The New York Times, he told Pence, You can either go down in history as a patriot, or you can go down in history as a pussy.
GPs and practice nurses as well as others on the Covid-19 frontline will descend on Portlaoise this weekend and into the coming weeks where they will receive their second vaccine dose to immunise them against the virus.

Doctors and their staff who received their first vaccine at a January mass vaccination clinic in Laois and will return again this weekend, February 13-14.

Doctors travelled from many parts of Ireland, including from around Laois, to the first clinic operated by the National Ambulance Service at the Killeshin Hotel where they received the Moderna vaccine.

It is expected that others working on the frontline will also get the jab at the clinic which is set to be used on a continual basis through the vaccination programme.

A long queue formed at the first clinic in Portlaoise on January 16 when a reported 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered to the family doctors and their teams.

Laois Offaly TD and Minister of State Sean Fleming confirmed that it would be a community vaccination hub for the general population once all those essential workers and vulnerable people get the jab.

"In the first instance, this centre will be used to vaccinate medical staff including doctors, nurses and others who have not been vaccinated to date.

"The centre will be used to vaccinate large numbers of people under 70 years of age. This will be a major process and there is ample space in the hotel to facilitate this.

"Those over 70 years of age are being contacted and will be vaccinated by their local GPs. It is good to have a central location in Portlaoise which will be accessible for people in Co. Laois.

"Finally, I want to assure people that nobody will be left behind in the vaccination programme," he said.
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LOS ANGELESAVN Media Network is pleased to announce the launch of the Valentines Day Contest on AVN Stars.

Whether youre celebrating Valentines Day this weekend or not, show your fans some love on AVN Starsand win cash.

For some, its the most romantic day of the year; for others, its time to toast being single. Whats your Valentines vibe this year? Share it in a personal photo, but please be sure that youre in the image that you submit.

This three-day, 72-hour, fan-voting contest starts at midnight PDT on Friday, Feb. 12 and goes until 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, Feb. 14.

All AVN Stars are eligible to enter and the Top 10 vote-getters will each receive cash prizes with the winner getting $750! To enter, just go into your Settings, click on the Contests tab and upload your image.

Under contest rules, all uploaded images must feature the content creator; in addition, creators are required to post a tweet about their participation in the contest.

As a reminder, AVN Stars implemented new rules for the 2021 contests. The winner of the previous contest may join the following weeks contest, however for that week their fan votes will only count 50% toward their contest ranking. For example, every 2 votes would count as 1 toward the following weeks contest ranking. The payout amount for votes will remain unchanged.

Additionally, for every consecutive week that the same creator wins a contest, that following week their votes for ranking purposes will be reduced by 50%. For example, if the same creator wins two weeks in a row, their votes for the third week would accrue at 25% toward their contest rank for Week 3.

To join AVN Stars for free, visit stars.avn.com.

Built for adult entertainers, AVN Stars is a subscription-based community where creators can monetize their content without the worry of censorship, discrimination, shadow-banning or suspensions. Creators may charge a subscription fee or make their posts available for free.
UPDATE: 3:33 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, 2021 - The 18-year-old, now 19-year-old, in the homicide of three Bear River residents is being held in the Tooele County Jail until he can be extradited to Humboldt County.

He is being held on a fugitive from justice charge, as is Von Eric Keener, the man driving with Johnson when he was apprehended by Utah Highway Patrol, according to the Tooele County Sheriff's Office.

Mauricio Sanchez Johnson's bail is set at $100,000.

Johnson turned 19 the day he was arrested by Utah Highway Patrol on Feb. 11.

---

UPDATE: 3:33 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 - An 18-year-old man has been identified as the suspect in the homicide of three Bear River residents, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect has been identified as Mauricio Sanchez Johnson of Loleta. Johnson has been taken into custody in Utah. Authorities say Johnson will be held on a no-bail warrant for charges of murder.

Two vehicles associated with Johnson were located traveling in the state of Utah. Sheriffs Investigators said they contacted the Utah Highway Patrol and the Tooele County Sheriffs Office to apprehend Johnson.

Around 2 p.m., law enforcement located the two vehicles traveling on Interstate 80 in Tooele County, Utah.

One involved vehicle yielded, and a female subject was detained. The second involved vehicle failed to yield, and a short pursuit ensued.

Law enforcement deployed a spike strip, stopping the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement located Johnson and 46-year-old Von Eric Keener. Keener was taken into custody on a parole warrant, according to the sheriff's office. Johnson was taken into custody on a warrant for murder.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said this investigation is still very active.

---

LOLETA, Calif.  An investigation is underway after three people, including a 16-year-old girl, was found dead from a suspected triple homicide in Bear River on Feb. 10, according to the Humboldt County Sheriffs Office.

On Feb. 10, 2021, at about 8:12 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriffs deputies arrived at the 200 block of Carroll Road on the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria Reservation for the report of multiple victims with serious injuries discovered inside a home on the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria Reservation.

Bear River Tribal Police Officers were first to arrive on the scene and located two dead victims. Including a male and a female. A third victim with serious injuries was found inside the home. The woman was later taken to a local hospital and later died from her injuries.

The victims have been identified as 40-year-old Nikki Dion Metcalf, 40-year-old Margarett Lee Moon, and 16-year-old Shelly Autumn Mae Moon, according to the sheriff's office.

Officers also found two juveniles uninjured inside the home. The sheriff's office says the juveniles were placed into safe custody.

The Humboldt County Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the three deaths as a homicide. The cause of death of the victims is pending an autopsy.

Sheriffs Investigators say they have identified a person of interest in the case, but no arrests have been made at this time.
The boss of one of the country's major airports has admitted Australians would be 'crazy' to book a holidays weeks or even months in advance because of border closures.

The CEO of Avalon Airport in Melbourne, Justin Giddings, has called for a national approach to coordinate border closures so people can once again feel confident to make travel plans.

'I see people who are so reluctant to travel at the moment. They're sort of at the whim of announcements on Twitter from different premiers - you just don't know what's going to happen,' Mr Giddings told 3AW.

Passengers at Brisbane airport being checked by police just before Christmas as they arrive from interstate (pictured)

Cairns (pictured) in Queensland is still a popular holiday spot with demand for flights continuing to remain high

He explained his airport was expecting to operate just three flights on Friday, though added he hoped they would be back to full domestic capacity by April.

The number of passengers on the formerly bustling Sydney to Melbourne route had plummeted, while demand for flights continued to be strong for Queensland, Mr Giddings said.

He pointed out each state has varying definitions of a coronavirus 'hotspot' leading to uncertainty about when borders will close and for how long.

His solution would be to standardise these protocols at the weekly National Cabinet meetings between Premiers and the Prime Minister, adding that in his opinion travel restrictions in some form would likely remain 'for a few years'.

A police officer patrols a border checkpoint in Victoria in December (pictured)

Beach horse and camel treks are a popular activity for hoiidaymakers in Broome (pictured) in WA which is allowing travel from most states and territories

Remote quarantine facilities such as those already in use by the Northern Territory at Howard Springs should also be considered for each state as recent outbreaks in Australia have been stemming from hotel quarantine, he pointed out.

The most recent of these outbreaks, a cluster discovered at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport in early February, caused South Australia to slam their border shut to Greater Melbourne on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, Queensland re-introduced border declaration passes for Victoria in response to the cluster.

The outbreak, which sits at 13 cases as of Friday morning, consists of a number of returning travellers, hotel workers, and their close contacts.

A major Melbourne airport (pictured) CEO has called for a national approach to standardise border rules
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There was good news for the community of Glenmore, Kilkenny this week with the news that the water supply has been removed from the EPAs Remedial Action List.

Irish Water, working in partnership with Kilkenny County Council, has completed works to improve the water supply for the village. This investment benefits over 135 customers, ensuring the delivery of a clean, safe drinking water supply.

This upgrade of Glenmores Water Supply Scheme is hugely important for the area," said Pat Duggan, Drinking Water Compliance Specialist with Irish Water.

"As part of this project, Irish Water upgraded the water treatment processes and installed a new ultra-violet (UV) disinfection system which meant that these works addressed the EPAs concerns regarding Cryptosporidium risk in the Glenmore supply and enabled its removal from the EPAs Remedial Action List (RAL).

Speaking about the works, Ian ONeill, who is Capital Programme Regional Lead with Irish Water said: These works outline Irish Waters commitment to safeguarding our water for our future. We are delighted that the scheme is now removed from the RAL and that the residents of Glenmore can enjoy a safer, more reliable water supply

Irish Water continues to work with local authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Irish Water would like to remind people to follow the HSE Covid-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.

Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID

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Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A. elevated seven Florida attorneys to shareholder in its Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando offices: Benjamin Babcock, Kiyan Bigloo, Sergio M. Eslait, Julia G. Jeffery, Marissa A. Neufeld, Melissa Lopez Rogers, and Travis M. Walker.

Firmwide, Greenberg Traurig elevated 44 attorneys to shareholder and of counsel. Greenberg Traurigs 30 new shareholders span 17 offices and 13 practice areas. The 14 attorneys elevated to of counsel or counsel come from nine different offices and practice in eight areas of law.

The firm also reported a seventh consecutive year of record revenue for 2020, more than USD $1.73 billion.

We are proud of the 2021 class and their significant achievements in providing Greenberg Traurig clients with an unparalleled level of service, said Senior Chairman Matthew B. Gorson. Especially during an unprecedented and highly challenging year, these talented attorneys demonstrated tremendous dedication to their profession. We look forward to their continued growth and know they will continue to make a difference in our firm and their communities.



Benjamin Babcock is a member of the Private Wealth Services Practice in the Fort Lauderdale office. He primarily focuses his practice on tax-oriented estate planning, including pre-immigration planning and planning for non-resident aliens, probate and trust administration, and business succession planning for high-net-worth individuals and families.

Kiyan Bigloo is a member of the Corporate Practice in the Fort Lauderdale office. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions, corporate restructurings, buyouts and recapitalizations, public and private securities offerings, corporate governance and compliance, and other general corporate law matters.

Sergio M. Eslait is a member of the Real Estate Practice in the Miami office. He concentrates on various areas of real estate law and has a broad range of experience representing real estate developers, funds, and investors in matters such as acquisitions, financing, development, construction, leasing, and disposition of retail, industrial, office, and multi-family projects.

Julia G. Jeffery is a member of the Real Estate Practice in the Miami office. She focuses her practice on real estate development and construction transactions and represents owners and developers of residential, commercial, and mixed-use real estate development projects.

Marissa A. Neufeld is a member of the Land Development Practice in the Miami office. She focuses her practice on land use and general real estate development matters and is experienced in virtually all stages of development, including site due diligence, platting, planning and zoning applications, and permitting.

Melissa Lopez Rogers is a member of the Orlando and Atlanta Public Finance & Infrastructure Practices and has broad experience as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriters' counsel, bank counsel, trustee's counsel, borrower's counsel and purchasers' counsel in various types of tax-exempt and taxable financings. These include general government, transportation, water, sewer, and electric utilities, higher education, community development districts, and tax allocation districts, with a particular focus on disclosure and municipal securities issues, economic development, and public-private partnerships.

Travis M. Walker is a member of the Corporate Practice in the Fort Lauderdale office. He is a transaction and business law attorney with experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint venture transactions, private equity and venture capital transactions, buyouts and recapitalizations, corporate restructurings, corporate governance and compliance, as well as other general corporate matters.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT), has approximately 2200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the validity of e-voting process for winding up of six mutual fund schemes of Franklin Templeton, and said disbursal of funds to unit holders will continue.



A bench of justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, while rejecting the opposition by some unit holders to the e-voting process, said disbursal of funds has to be done as per the earlier order of the apex court.



The top court had on February 2 ordered that Rs 9,122 crore be disbursed within three weeks to the unit holders of Franklin Templeton's six mutual fund schemes which are proposed to be wound up.



It had said that disbursal of money would be done in proportion to unit holders' interest in the assets.



Earlier, the apex court had asked the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to appoint an observer for overseeing the e-voting process.



The e-voting with regard to the winding up Franklin Templeton's six mutual fund schemes had taken place in the last week of December and it has been approved by a majority of unit holders.



The apex court had on February 2 entrusted the State Bank of India (SBI) Mutual Fund to disburse the money as all the lawyers gave consent to the court's order.



It had granted liberty to the litigating parties to approach the court in case of any difficulty in the disbursal of money to unit holders.

The top court on January 25 had said it would first deal with the issues related to objection to the e-voting process for winding up of the six mutual fund schemes and distribution of money to the unit holders.



Prior to this, it had granted three days for filing of objections to the e-voting.



SEBI shall appoint an observer regarding the e-voting of unit holders which is scheduled between December 26 and December 29, 2020. The result of the e-voting would not be announced and would be produced before us in a sealed cover along with the report of the observer appointed by the SEBI, the top court had said in its order passed earlier.



It had said that SEBI would also file a copy of the final Forensic Audit Report before the court in a sealed cover.



The apex court is hearing an appeal filed by Franklin Templeton against the high court's order which stopped the fund house from winding up its debt fund schemes without prior consent of the investors.



On December 7, 2020, Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund had said it has sought consent of the unit holders for the orderly winding up of the six fixed income schemes.



On December 3 last year, the apex court had asked Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund to initiate steps within one week for calling a meeting of unit holders to seek their consent for closure of six mutual fund schemes.



The top court had observed that the issue is big and people wanted a refund.



The Karnataka High Court had earlier said that decision of Franklin Templeton Trustee Services Private Limited to wind up six schemes cannot be implemented unless the consent of the unit holders is obtained.



The six schemes are Franklin India Low Duration Fund, Franklin India Ultra Short Bond Fund, Franklin India Short Term Income Plan, Franklin India Credit Risk Fund, Franklin India Dynamic Accrual Fund and Franklin India Income Opportunities Fund.

Franklin Templeton MF closed these six debt mutual fund schemes on April 23, citing redemption pressure and lack of liquidity in the bond market.



Till November 27, 2020 the six schemes received total cash flows of Rs 11,576 crore from maturities, pre-payments and coupon payments since April 24 last year.



The cash available stands at Rs 7,226 crore as of November 27, 2020 for the four cash positive schemes, subject to fund running expenses.

(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 and the US have agreed to remain in contact as well as exchange assessments of the situation in following the military coup, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing that developments in were discussed during the telephone conversations between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

He said India believed that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld in

"We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. As immediate neighbours with close cultural and people-to-people ties as well as relations strengthened by exchanges in trade, economy, security and defence," Srivastava said.

"We are closely monitoring developments in that country. We will remain engaged with all concerned on this issue," he added.

Last week, Myanmar's military grabbed power in the coup against the civilian government and imposed a state of emergency after detaining Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her League for Democracy (NLD).

The country witnessed massive protests in the last few days against the February 1 coup.

On Wednesday, Biden announced a series of sanctions on the military leaders of Myanmar for overthrowing the NLD government in the coup.

"Recent developments in Myanmar were discussed during the telephone conversations between President Biden and Prime Minister Modi on February 8 and the External Affairs Minister and his US counterpart Secretary Blinken on February 9," Srivastava said.

"India and the US have agreed to remain in contact and exchange assessments on the situation," 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.)
The reasons for the low turnout are being attributed to the haste with which the vaccines were approved by the regulatory authority leading to lack of confidence in people. (Representational Photo:AFP)

HYDERABAD: Approximately 24 per cent of beneficiaries availed of the vaccination schedule on the last day for emergency employees in the state. Effectively, the first dose of free vaccines for healthcare and emergency employees has been completed.

The percentage of beneficiaries is 33 per cent while the total number stands at 2,77,825.

The last two days saw very few beneficiaries coming forward. Despite senior officials, doctors and IPS officials going in for vaccination, the confidence levels of middle and lower cadre remained less impressed.

The reasons for the low turnout are being attributed to the haste with which the vaccines were approved by the regulatory authority leading to lack of confidence in people. Another reason noted is that 70 per cent of emergency and healthcare workers have been infected or were asymptomatic carriers of the virus. Since they have anti-bodies the need for a vaccine is not being felt now.

Dr Rahul Aggarwal, senior general physician and internal medicine specialist at Medicover Hospitals, explained, There are too many misnomers among the people. Those who are constantly exposed like healthcare and emergency workers have to avail of the vaccine. There are reasons like cases have lessened, anti-bodies are present in our body, others are worried about adverse reactions. It is important to inform people that there is a science behind the vaccines development and looking at it logically will protect them from falling ill.

Awareness and confidence-building in both these sections has been poor. People have doubts like if I get an adverse reaction, will I be treated free of cost? while others are asking if one in a million dies and if I am the one? These are questions being raised as the deaths have become a concern.

P Ramesh, a pharmacologist, says, Chemicals and preservatives used in protecting and giving shelf-life to the vaccine are causing adverse reactions. This can happen to any vaccine. Those who are being administered have taken vaccines in the past. If they have faced an adverse reaction then they must consult their doctors before taking it now.

Experts state that allergic or adverse reactions can be handled but many are shying away as they want to wait and watch those who are vaccinated. Till the second dose is completed, the confidence levels among people will be low.

There have been only two serious adverse effects in the state. Others have not reported back to the adverse effects committee with any problems after the first dose, implying that they are safe.

A senior government official said It is for free but people do not value it. They are scared and not willing to open up about their apprehensions. Those who have not availed the first dose will not be eligible for the second one.
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A group of brave Kilkenny people are taking the plunge this month for a good cause.

The Kilkenny Freezbrury group have been dipping their toes - and more - in the chilly waters of the Nore to raise money for charity,

Now in its third year, Freezbrury is a challenge created by Irish adventurer Damian Browne, which challenges people physically and mentally through cold water immersion in the month of February each year.

Participants immerse in cold water on February 1 for one minute, two minutes on February 2 and carry on the whole way up to February 28, when they stay in the water for 28 minutes!

According to Neil Gunning and Searlait Doyle from Kilkennys Freezbrury group, rules are simple: You must immerse in swimwear only, with no wetsuits or boots allowed. Immersion is at chest height and everyone must dunk at least once during the time.

The challenge has been taken on nationwide by people in support of raising awareness around mental health and to raise funds for mental health charities.

ABOVE: Brave participants from Freezbrury 2020

Last year, the Kilkenny participants raised over 10,000 for Teac Tom locally. This year the nationwide effort is in support of three mental health charities - Pieta House, Shine a Light and The Samaritans.

In Kilkenny over 40 people are actively partaking in the challenge with the choice location for those living in town down at the Weir on the Bleech Road. Everybody partaking is advised to do so within their comfort level and at their own risk with a person from their social bubble. If anybody is uncomfortable with the idea of the river the option of using a cold bath or cold shower at home is a preferable option.

Depending on the weather the river can become flooded and the current can be strong so it is advised to put safety first if this is the case.

You can follow Freezbrury on their Instagram page, @KilkennyFreezbrury2021, or the national page @Freezbrury.

Anyone who would like to dip into their pocket and make a donation to the group can do so by going to the link here
A species of cockroach eats a little bit of its partner's wings after mating, a new study reveals.

Japanese scientists who studied the woodfeeding cockroach (Salganea taiwanensis) found both male and female consumed the other's wings.

The species enjoys a post-coital process that consists of multiple stages, starting with a bit of flirtatious grooming, before progressing to eating.

The cockroach that's being eaten can then violently shake its body to throw the other off once it's had enough of being nibbled at, researchers observed.

Over time, S. taiwanensis cockroaches can gnaw their partner's wings down to a stub, becoming smaller and smaller as they get older.

Their 'mutual' nibbling is highly unusual and differs from the more common case of sexual cannibalism in insects, where the dominant female kills and eats the male after mating.

This species may be 'truly monogamous'  meaning it has sexual relationship with only one partner throughout its whole lifetime, researchers say.

Scroll down for video

Adults of Salganea taiwanensis before (right) and after (left) mutual wingeating behaviour. The right individual has long intact wings. The left individual has short wings. Most of its wings have been eaten by its mate

True monogamy is 'complete and lifelong' and is the only condition in which mating is freed of sexual conflict, but it 'may be compromised by betrayal behaviour'.

Nibbling on each other's wings may help keep them trim and 'reduce maintenance costs' of flight, the researchers suggest.

This may in some way let them invest further in reproduction or care for offspring.

The behaviour could also act as hygiene management against mites or mould, which were observed on their wings in the laboratory.

'Within mating pairs of a woodfeeding cockroach, males and females eat the mate's wings each other, which is the first mutual case in these behaviours,' say Haruka Osaki and Eiiti Kasuya from Kyushu University's Department of Biology.

'Mutual wingeating may be an example of true cooperation and may help explain some interactions between females and males from a new viewpoint.

'If the wing eating increases the ability of the mate to raise the offspring, this behaviour is adaptive for the eater as well as its mate.'

Researchers pointed out that since wings include no flesh, the value of wings as a food resource 'appears to be negligible'.

In the case of the species S. taiwanensis, new adults fly away from their natal colony, a rotten log in a forest, to search for a mate.

Osaki told the New York Times that she had been collecting insects from the woods as a hobby since becoming a biology student at Kyushu University.

'When I caught the wood-feeding cockroaches in the wild, I noticed that their wings were chewed by something,' she said.

A drawing of a mating pair during mutual wingeating behaviour by study author Haruka Osaki. The individual in the front, which already has wings chewed, is eating the wings of its mate

For their experiments, Osaki and Kasuya collected 24 young adult pairs of the species from Yona Field, Okinawa, Japan, which were taken back to the lab, placed together in containers and video recorded for three days.

In all, 12 of the pairs engaged in wing-eating until the 'wings of both sexes became as short as those of wild parents'.

Overall, the area of the wings eaten was approximately 66.7 per cent of the entire wing area in males and 68.3 per cent in females in these 12 pairs.

Of the remaining pairs, nine ate wings partially and three pairs did not eat wings at all.

The team have also broken down the 'typical sequence' of mutual cannibalism involving the 'actor', the individual that is actively eating the wings, and the 'recipient', the mate of the actor that's being nibbled.

Both male and female can be an actor, meaning the roles are reversed after a single bout (which consists of grooming, nibbling and wagging).

In 12 of the 12 pairs, the actor initially approached its mate and touched the antennae to the other insect and licked its body parts, including the head, wings and legs, as a form of grooming.

The actor then climbed onto the recipient's back and ate the recipient's wings, while the recipient was stationary, although in some cases the recipient actually leaned towards the actor.

Whenever the actor stopped eating, in 61.7 per cent of times the recipient remained motionless, while in the other 38.3 per cent of times, the recipient violently shook its body left and right (called 'wagging'), researchers observed.

After the recipients wagged, the actor stopped eating more often.

A typical sequence of mutual wingeating behaviour. Both male and female can be an actor in each bout

Once a bout was stopped, the pair usually did not groom and eat wings until the next bout.

During the intervals between bouts, both sexes were either motionless, walking, or digging  scratching the ground using its forelegs.

This new study, published in Ethology, suggests the woodfeeding cockroach benefits from a much more peaceful and harmonious form of insect cannibalism than others found in the wild.

'Mutual wingeating is like sexual cannibalism, but it differs in that one mate is not killed,' they say.

Sexual cannibalism in insects is well documented and tends to be the dominant female killing and eating the male after mating.

Generally, the benefits of sexual cannibalism may include obtaining nourishment for reproduction or encouraging males to avoid mating with inferior females, previous studies show.

From the male's point of view, it is evolutionarily beneficial for him to sacrifice himself for the good of his mate and his offspring, which benefit from his vital nutrients.

In some cases, such as the praying mantis, females eat males before they get a chance to mate, especially if they're deemed unfit or unsuitable, and thus as seen to have more of a nutritional benefit than a reproductive benefit.

The male has evolved to put up a fight, often leading to a violent struggle between the pair, to increase his chances of mating successfully.

'Sexual cannibalism usually involves the female consuming the male  the reverse type is rare,' say Osaki and Kasuya.

Another form of sexual cannibalism is called nuptial feeding, where the male presents a small 'gift' from some part of his body to the female for her to eat.

In nuptial feeding, males usually give materials other than sperm to improve their number of offspring, as detailed in a 2014 study in Biology Letters.
Leading office landlords are defying the pandemic-hit market with a swathe of new lease deals in the premium-grade echelon, albeit with higher incentive packages to entice tenants to get workers to return to the city-based properties.

AMP Capital, Dexus and Investa have all inked new deals in the past few months, with directors saying demand for premium-grade towers is buoyant.

AMP Capital's Quay Quarter Tower at Sydney's Circular Quay.

Leasing agents have said incentives in rent contracts stand at an average of 22-30 per cent across city-based assets.

This trend was borne out by the recent Property Council of Australia Office Market Report covering the six months to January 2020, where vacancy rates for premium towers rose from 3.8 per cent to 6.2 per cent - a level still considered as equilibrium for that market.
A Lehigh Valley man who worked as an assistant commissioner for the New York City Department of Probation was indicted Friday with allegedly having thousands of images and videos of child pornography.

Robert Costello, of the 3200 block of Highfield Drive in Bethlehem Township, was initially arrested last October and charged in Northampton County Court with 75 child pornography counts.

The 53-year-old Costello was being held in county prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.

On Friday, federal authorities arrested Costello and charged him by indictment with three counts of receipt of child pornography, one count of access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

Costello made an initial appearance Friday afternoon in federal court and will remain in custody until a detention hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Costello faces a maximum possible sentence of 90 years in prison, with a five year mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment, and up to a $1.2 million fine.

Costello came to the attention of federal investigators after a tip reported a person was talking about sexual abuse of children on the encrypted app Wickr, under the user name alliwant4, court papers say.

The internet protocol address was linked to an RCN account in the name of Costellos wife at the Highfield Drive address, police said.

In an interview with agents at his home in October, Costello was told they were there to speak with him about his online chats, court papers say.

Costello reportedly told the investigators that he understood what they were talking about, and said he was using Wickr and had a specific proclivity, court papers say.

Costello gave law enforcement permission to search his electronic devices. Agents said Costello had thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of children on several electronic devices he kept and stored at his residence.

A work-related cellphone contained 25 thumbnails of child exploitation material, including the sexual assault of a child younger than 10, according to the Northampton County case paperwork.

At the time of his arrest last year, Costello was working for as an assistant commissioner with the New York City Department of Probation. He had been with the department since 2011, according to his LinkedIn page.

In a statement Friday, the New York City Department of Probation called the allegations disturbing and saddening.

Robert Costello, who did not interact with those under probation supervision as part of his job responsibilities, was terminated from his position last year when we learned of the initial allegations and charges in this matter, the department stated. His alleged conduct is inconsistent with our values and does not represent our employees commitment and professionalism. The New York City Department of Probation continues to cooperate with the investigation.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Bethlehem Township Police Department.

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
Azarov has blamed Ukraine Army for Russia's armed aggression.

A national broadcasting watchdog has appointed an audit at Nash TV channel over the airing of a propaganda-filled statement by former Prime Minister of the Yanukovych era, Mykola Azarov.

The relevant statement was published on the website of Ukraine's National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council on February 12.

The statement says on December 15, 2020, speaking at a panel show (aired again on December 16), Azarov, addressing the hosts, denied the participation of Russia's military in the armed conflict in Donbas, ignored the presence of illegal armed formations committing illegal armed action on the territory of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO).

Read alsoJournalists with banned pro-Russian media could be denied access to gov't bodies"He blames the Armed Forces of Ukraine for Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. This has signs of inciting hostility and escalating the already existing military confrontation, which may lead to a further spike of violence and aggression in ORDLO and throughout Ukraine," the stamen said, adding that the matter of concern is Azarov's claim of a "civil conflict" in Ukraine.

At the same time, the hosts did not react to these and similar statements, thereby ignoring the viewers' right to full and objective information.

Since Azarov is a regular guest at Nash TV, his position on the armed conflict in Ukraine has been repeatedly circulated, and therefore the TV channel's management had to be aware of it.

"This may indicate a deliberate intention of the licensee to shape a certain path for its editorial policy through inciting ethnic hatred and spreading disinformation. Such actions on the part of the broadcaster may destabilize society and aggravate military confrontation," the regulator said.

Despite this, the National Council at a meeting on February 12 made a decision to conduct an unscheduled on-site inspection of the activities of Nash 365 LLC, from February 26, 2021, to March 12, 2021, to ascertain whether it complied with a number of legal requirements.

Read alsoU.S. embassy voices support for ban on pro-Russian TV channels in UkraineInspection of Nash TV channel

On January 19, 2020, the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council announced it would monitor the Nash TV channel over the statement by former MP Olena Bondarenko aired on January 15.

According to the regulator, the statements had signs of a latent incitement to aggression, elements of propaganda-filled incitement of ethnic enmity and hatred.

Sanctions against pro-Russian TV channels

On February 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted a National Security and Defense Council decision on imposing sanctions on MP from the Opposition Platform - For Life Party Taras Kozak and eight companies that are the founders of TV Channels 112 Ukraine, ZIK, and NewsOne.

The broadcasting of the TV channels in the digital multiplex and cable networks was suspended in the early hours of February 3.

On February 10, the Supreme Court ruled not to open proceedings on a claim seeking the cancellation of sanctions against pro-Russia TV channels.

Reporting by UNIAN
New Delhi: India's efforts to generate enough COVID-19 vaccine to share with the world has earned praise from the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying India managed to inoculate nearly six million in 22 days which showed the government's diligence, discipline and vigour into their response to the campaign.

"Bringing that diligence, discipline and vigour into their response to the vaccination campaign, we have seen its been so successful. Around six million were vaccinated in 22 days. Its the fastest as we see rates of vaccination happening," WHOs India representative Roderico Ofrin told ANI.

The global body on Thursday praised India for its efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease saying that the number of infections has been on the decline. Over three months now, cases of COVID-19 in India have been consistently going down Considering the magnitude of the populationits something the Government of India should be very, very proud of, Ofrin was quoted as saying by ANI.

Over three months now, cases of COVID-19 in India have been consistently going down... Considering the magnitude of the population...it's something the Government of India should be very very proud of: Dr Roderico Ofrin, World Health Organization country representative to India pic.twitter.com/ontttx7Bzj  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2021

Earlier, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus too had hailed India's efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This shows us that if we can do these simple public health solutions, we can beat the virus With vaccines being added, we would even expect more and better outcomes, Ghebreyesus had said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday India reported 12,923 new cases of COVID-19 infections taking the cumulative count to 10,871,294. As of Thursday morning there was 142,562 active cases and 10,573,372 cured cases even as 155,360 people have succumbed to the infection so far.

Live TV
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Hello and welcome to Five Weeknight Dishes, though really my thoughts are with dessert today, chocolate desserts in particular. Sunday is Valentines Day, and while I have zero plans to cook an elaborate dinner, and might even order takeout, I will grab this moment to make something obscenely chocolaty. The current contenders: chocolate lava cake, double chocolate cookies, bittersweet chocolate souffle or maybe even a chocolate caramel tart.

But sadly this is not a desserts newsletter. (Unless you want a special desserts edition? If so, let me know: dearemily@nytimes.com.) This is a newsletter about the stuff you cook before you get dessert.

All but one of the recipes below are very simple, though I think special, too. They are good for weeknights and also work for Valentines Day if you dont want to do something romantic but do want to show someone love. (Especially the spaghetti carbonara. Say I love you with carbonara.)

And a very happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate! Mouthwatering recipes for the holiday are right this way.
But Mr Andrews said this time there will be no ring of steel separating Melbourne from regional Victoria. I dont want this thing to go from Melbourne to regional Victoria. If we have rules that are softer, that are easier in regional Victoria, and barely enough time to set up a ring of steel  once you had it up, youd almost be dismantling it at the same time, he said. Its five days, its not weeks. Its not a long-term thing. Therefore, its appropriate to have the same rules apply across the whole state. Bass Coast chief executive Ali Wastie said her council was preparing for a rush of people coming from Melbourne to the coast and Phillip Island.

Im sure there will be an influx of people on the island and across the Bass Coast, she said. But Ms Wastie said she expected the crowds would be down on the previous lockdown with all businesses across Victoria subject to the same restrictions. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Greater Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher said her council was preparing for the possibility of an influx of people from the city but had not seen any evidence of it during the day. She said the statewide nature of the lockdown would make it less appealing for Melburnians to rush to regional Victoria where the same restrictions applied to all businesses.

Loading Were aware it may happen but I dont think it will be as significant as perhaps it could have been, she said. A Transport Department spokesman said traffic across Melbourne was in line with a regular Friday afternoon. A spokeswoman for the Victorian government said it was working to clarify South Australias position. While we understand the intent of the South Australian government to protect its residents, its important to reduce the impact on communities whove built their lives across the border, she said.

Glenelg Shire chief executive Greg Burgoyne said the blanket ban on Victorians entering South Australia would pose major logistical problems for his council, which sits on the border. He called for the reintroduction of the bubble that allowed border communities to travel between Victoria and South Australia. We have staff based in South Australia who deliver essential services in terms of childcare and a range of other professions, Mr Burgoyne said. If this isnt addressed appropriately we wont be able to deliver services in some parts of regional Victoria. At the NSW border, Business Wodonga president Graham Jenkin said many traders would be hurting after preparing for a busy weekend. It will be as much a mental health battle as anything else particularly in hospitality and with Valentines Day on Sunday one of the biggest days of the year, he said.
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Twitter Inc said on Thursday it will next week add labels to identify more state-affiliated accounts, including world leaders' personal accounts, to give users more context for geopolitical conversations on the platform.

In August, Twitter said it would start labeling the accounts of state-affiliated media outlets such as Russia's Sputnik and China's Xinhua News and of some key government officials for the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Twitter said in a blog post that it was expanding its labels to key government officials and institutions that were "the voice of the nation state abroad" from G7 countries and a majority of countries where Twitter has identified what it deems state-linked information operations.

Mock-ups of the labels shared by Twitter said "US Government organization" or "US Government official."

Asked how Twitter would determine government labels in situations such as Myanmar where the military recently seized power in a coup, Twitter's global public policy director, Nick Pickles, said the company was not labeling countries where government was in dispute.

"We will take into account the international discussion about legitimacy of the government when we are considering if it's appropriate to apply these labels," Pickles said in an interview.

The labels will only be added to verified accounts, Pickles said. For example, in Iran that would mean that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would not currently get a label because he is not verified, though the foreign minister would.

Phase 1 Countries (August 2020)

China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, and United States

Phase 2 Countries (February 17, 2021)

Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates

Twitter will also label the personal accounts of heads of state from these countries and the U.N. Security Council permanent members, citing the use of these accounts for diplomacy.

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Whether you see them on a video clip or a post, these fur babies are scene stealers though they are on one screen with their popular fur mom and dad.

Here are some celebrities who are owners of this adorable breed of dog, Bichon Frise.

1. Suzy with Dezy

Though she already had a Maltese named Damon, Bae Suzy just couldn't stop from having her very own Bichon Frise as well. She named him Dezy and even brought the little one during a photoshoot. and fans just loved Dezy and can't get enough of him.

2. Song Hye Kyo with Ruby and Ogu

If Song Hye Kyo can strike a post, then her fur babies surely can also. These two were included in one of Hong Kong Vogue's issue and the page is just overloaded with cuteness. Ogu even has his own Instagram account nearly has 4000 followers.

Song Hye Kyo has been actively donating to the Korean Animal Welfare Association and even posted in her social media account intending to end the dog breeding farms.

3. Park Seo Jon with Simba

Just like his fur dad, both are very popular on social media and when Simba is posted online, he gets millions of likes and wonderful comments from his fans who are captured by his irresistible charms.

4. Park Min Young with Leon

When rumors arose about Park Seo Jon and Park Min Young is dating together, the fans went crazier when the two posted each of them has the same breed of dog in their social media accounts. And it couldn't stop fans from speculating whether the two are actually dating or not.

Anyway, Min Young's Leon is best at showing his cuteness and photogenic photos in the actress' Instagram account.

5. Shin Se Kyung's with Jinkook and Sarang

Lastly, the fur mom of Jinkook and Sarang are often captured smirking in her Instagram posts. Seeing dogs smile may look unpleasant but seeing them smile just melts your heart. Oftentimes these fur babies are being dressed up and make them even cuter.

How Bichon Frise became loved by many

When Bichon Frise first arrived in Europe, it became a nobility pet and became a favorite especially by the royal family. They are very much popular in the royal courts during France's King Francis I and England's King Henry III reign in the 16th century.

King Henry III always carries his bichon wherever he goes in a basket that hung from his neck. This adorable breed of dogs even got popular in the Spanish royal families that the Spanish painter Goya has several images of bichon in his painting.

Though eventually, the bichon became common, it can still capture the hearts of many not only do they look like a stuffed animals but they are very much playful. With their friendly personality no wonder it has become a favorite not only by adults but also by the kids. Nowadays, it is easy to buy a bichon for yourself but certainly, need a lot of grooming and if you get allergies from the fur of dogs, bichon is probably perfect for you since they are classified to be hypoallergenic.

Did we miss any actor or actress that has a bichon? Comment below.

You may be interested in: These K-Drama Stars Have The Most Adorable Pets

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written By Liza Parker

The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
(Newser)  What will Mitch do? That's one big topic of conversation regarding the upcoming vote on former President Trump's impeachment. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blamed Trump for provoking the Capitol rioters and signaled his support for the trial now underway, notes the Washington Post. But whether he will vote to convict is a separate issue. After all, he has voted twice to end the trial because he says it's unconstitutional to try a former president. Still, he has not tipped his hand this week about his ultimate vote, saying he wants to hear the arguments on both sides. An analysis at Politico Playbook suggests McConnell will probably vote to acquit, but it also lays out a scenario for the opposite result. For one thing, McConnell is 78, and there's no guarantee he will run again in 2026, meaning this could be a "legacy-defining" vote for him, writes Ryan Lizza.

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He notes that one of McConnell's political mentors was the late Sen. John Sherman Cooper, who explained to a young McConnell why he took a stand in favor of civil rights even over the protests of many of his constituents. There are times you follow, and times when you lead, Cooper told him. In his memoir, McConnell said he would never forget the lesson that a true leader is one who doesnt take a poll on every issue. Lizza's best guess on how all this might play out: "McConnell will vote to acquit, then issue a blistering rebuke of Trump." As the Hill notes, a complicating factor is that McConnell is trying to lead a party fractured by pro- and anti-Trump camps back to power in the 2022 midterms. For now anyway, McConnell appears to be in the latter camp: He says he and the former president have not spoken since Dec. 15. (Read more Mitch McConnell stories.)
Police use of stop and search on black people has halved since last summer's race protests as some think it's 'more trouble than it's worth', a top officer said yesterday.

Superintendent Simon Rotherham of Scotland Yard suggested the Black Lives Matter demos over George Floyd's death in the US dented officers' 'fragile' confidence.

About 7,000 black people were stopped and searched in London last month, down from 17,295 in May.

Supt Rotherham said: 'We have officers say, 'it's not happening  unless I see the knife sticking out their back pocket I'd feel uncomfortable to do it'.'

Police use of stop and search on black people has halved since last summer's race protests as some think it's 'more trouble than it's worth', a top officer said yesterday [File photo]

He added that many frontline officers were wary of being filmed and the encounter ending up on YouTube or being scrutinised by the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

It follows a series of controversies last year when officers were accused of racial profiling after stopping a number of prominent figures, including a Labour MP and a British athlete.

When asked whether some officers now believe stop and search is more trouble than its worth, the Superintendent replied: More trouble than its worth? I cant answer for everyone but we do have officers who say that to us, yes.

He added: The thing that has been really evident for us over the last few years is just how fragile officer confidence is around stop and search. Its a discretionary power. You dont have to do it, no one can make you do it.

If you dont think youve got grounds to search then you shouldnt be doing it. Officer confidence around it is really impactive.

Superintendent Simon Rotherham of Scotland Yard suggested the Black Lives Matter demos over George Floyd's death in the US dented officers' 'fragile' confidence

When the press is quite rightly critical at times, and other times not so justified, it really impacts on the officers.

He went on: Its very interesting to see that the numbers of black people being searched reduced over the summer considerably.

Was that a result of Black Lives Matter? I dont know. But things do change, it fluctuates. Officers live in London, theyre aware of London. That sort of comment and commentary does impact.

Superintendent Rotherham spoke out after a showcase of a Metropolitan Police stop and search simulation designed to help communities understand how it feels to be an officer on the street and boost confidence in the tactic.

But despite the issue of race dominating debate on stop and search, none of the video simulations feature a black person, something that Scotland Yard says now needs updating.

Previous figures have shown black people are almost four times more likely to be stopped and searched in the street than white people in London, but the latest ethnicity breakdown suggests that this may change.
NBD announced today that the latest season, which was delayed due to COVID-19, has not only been shortened to just 10 episodes, but it will also be it's final run.

"I still remember the palpable excitement that night in 2018 when we announced Brooklyn Nine-Nine would be returning to its rightful home at NBC," said Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

We've always loved these characters and the way they make us laugh while also masterfully weaving in storylines that make us reflect as well. A big thank you to our wonderful partners -- Dan Goor, the writers, producers and the incredibly talented cast and crew -- for a comedy whose legacy will stand the test of time."

Executive Producer Dan Goor also spoke on the great run the show has had saying "When Mike Schur and I first pitched the pilot episode to Andy, he said, 'I'm in, but I think the only way to tell this story is over exactly 153 episodes,' which was crazy because that was exactly the number Mike and I had envisioned."

"I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with this amazing cast and crew for eight seasons. They are not only among the most talented people in the business, they are all good human beings who have become a family. But most of all, I feel lucky that we have had the best fans in the world. Fans who literally saved us from cancellation."

Speaking of the sad news that this season wil be the last, Goor perfectly signed his message off with "I know some people will be disappointed it's ending so soon, but honestly, I'm grateful it lasted this long. Title of my sex tape."


Trigg Sheriff Shooting Case Headed to Grand Jury

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CADIZ - Details of the officer-involved shooting investigation related to Sheriff Aaron Acree will be heard by a Trigg County Grand Jury.The special prosecutor in the case, 5th District Commonwealth's Attorney Zac Greenwell, told WKDZ the grand jury will hear the case on March 10. They will determine if Acree should be indicted on any charges, if his actions were justified, or if more investigation is needed.Greenwell told The News Edge he would have presented it to the grand jury on Wednesday, but an investigator was not available to testify.Kentucky State Police were asked to investigate the incident on October 28 at the Cadiz home of 44-year-old Shawn Biby, who was reportedly trying to cut a hole in the floor of his mobile home with a chain saw. After law enforcement arrived, an altercation reportedly took place, and Sheriff Acree discharged his weapon, wounding Biby, who was later pronounced dead at Trigg County Hospital. An autopsy later showed that Biby died from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.Sheriff Acree placed himself on administrative leave after the incident. He returned to work on November 10.On the Net:
A new modelling study published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) shows that the UK's coronavirus vaccination program is already reducing daily deaths. However, reductions of hospital and intensive care (ICU) admissions will likely take several weeks longer, with large reductions seen by the end of March and continuing into April.

The study is by Professor Tim Cook (Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, UK, and Honorary Professor, School of Medicine, University of Bristol, UK) and Mr John Roberts, of the COVID-19 Actuaries Response Group*.

The UK's vaccination program is being rolled out at pace, and aims to have vaccinated close to 15 million people in the first four priority groups by next Monday, February 15. The latest data suggests the government will meet and possibly exceed this target. The first four priority groups include residents and staff in care homes for the elderly (group 1), people aged 80 years and over and frontline health and social care workers (group 2), people aged 75-79 years (group 3) and people aged 70-74 years and clinically extremely vulnerable adults (group 4).

The authors explain that the reason that vaccination will affect deaths, hospital admissions and ICU admissions at different rates is due to the different age ranges for each: the average (median) age of patients dying with COVID-19 is 83 years, whereas the average age of those hospitalised is 73 years and those admitted to intensive care is 61 years. Furthermore, around three quarters of COVID-19 deaths recorded in the UK so far have been in people aged 75 years and over. Thus, since vaccination is initially targeting mostly people aged 70 years and over, the first phase of vaccination will have a proportionally greater effect on deaths.

The authors explain that the model includes certain assumptions. These include complete take-up of the vaccine and complete success of the vaccine at preventing hospital admission or death. Current evidence suggests vaccine uptake will be near to 100% in higher risk groups (with most of groups 1- 4 already vaccinated) and that the vaccines are particularly effective at preventing disease progression; the model therefore represents a best-case scenario.

The model predicts that with most of groups 1- 4 vaccinated, daily deaths will reduce by some 88% by the second half of March. At the same time, hospital admissions will have fallen by around two thirds (66%) and ICU admissions by only a little more than one third (36%).

The authors also highlight the benefits that will be seen if high vaccination rates are continued into the next three priority groups: group 5 (all those aged 65 and over), group 6 (adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group) and group 7 (all those aged 60 years and over). The authors say: "Vaccinating through groups 5-7 in addition to groups 1-4 will have a substantial impact on all three factors: reducing deaths by 96%, hospital admissions by more than 80% and ICU admissions by almost two thirds."

At the current rate of progress, most people in groups 1-7 will have received their first dose by the end of March, so these reductions will be seen in the second half of April.

The study provides some support for the UK government strategy of delaying the second dose of vaccine, as within approximately three months half of the adult population can be vaccinated with their first dose. The authors say that this strategy "will optimise the impact of vaccination on deaths and healthcare service pressures". They add that the data generally supports the government's organisation of priority groups, and highlight that the decision to vaccinate health and social care workers early will support the hospitals and care services that are needed over a prolonged period as the pandemic is brought under control.

In addition, rapidly vaccinating groups 1-7 will reduce viral circulation in the community and this may reduce spread among the unvaccinated. The authors explain: "This in turn could reduce the evolutionary pressure on the virus, thereby reducing the risks of emergence of higher risk viral strains including those that may be able to evade the vaccines developed so far."

What is unclear is how best to proceed after groups 1-7 to have been vaccinated. Currently, the government strategy is to then move onto the final two groups: group 8 (all those aged 55 years and over) and group 9 (all those aged 50 years and over). However, the modelling shows that vaccinating these last two groups has a less significant impact on deaths, hospital and ICU admissions than the earlier groups 1-7. They say: "It may be that after the UK has vaccinated groups 1-7, vaccination priorities may reasonably be reconsidered. For example, to target high risk key workers, such as those involved in transport and education, to enable community control of transmission and accelerate the return to normality in some areas of public life."

Also, there has been extensive discussion in recent weeks about how countries can best share their vaccines to help shortfalls in other countries. The authors say: "Vaccination is a global imperative and once the UK has substantially reduced its COVID-19-related deaths, hospital and ICU admissions, it may also be rational and moral to consider whether UK stocks of vaccine might also be redistributed to support the global attempts at vaccination in countries with lower access to vaccines."

The authors say: "Our model matches the UK Government's estimates for mortality reductions very well. The model shows that the impact of vaccination on deaths due to COVID-19 will be much more rapid than the impact on hospital and ICU admissions. Our model suggests that the impact of vaccination on daily deaths due to COVID-19 will be substantial throughout February and March. The impact of vaccination on hospital and ICU admissions will initially be slower: these will not decrease substantially until late March, with reductions continuing throughout April."

They add: "The early prioritisation of healthcare staff and clinically vulnerable patients is likely to increase the impact of vaccination on hospital and ICU admissions and to also protect the healthcare service. An inflection point, when 50% of the adult population has been vaccinated - and when deaths have been reduced by 96% and hospital admissions by 80% - may be a useful point for re-evaluating vaccine prioritisation."

Dr Mike Nathanson, President of the Association of Anaesthetists, says: "This analysis allows us to predict the effect of the pandemic on anaesthetists and anaesthetic departments over the next few weeks and months. The huge pressure on all staff working in, and supporting, intensive care units will continue until at least the end of March. The severe toll on wellbeing, the stress and the fatigue have all been well documented. Further, with the acute care sector so busy, it is very likely that elective care cannot restart until after Easter at the earliest. The many, many patients whose surgery is on hold will continue to wait."

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Biko Thumbnail This song is as relevant today as the day it was written and inspires our need for racial and social justice, says Mark Johnson, Playing For Change co-founder and producer. Once we all join together as a planet, theres nothing we cant overcome.

Playing For Change is proud to announce the release of its latest Song Around The World, Biko, a remake of the 1980 classic by English rock and roll hall of fame musician Peter Gabriel. The song and video, produced by Sebastian Robertson and Mark Johnson, features Peter Gabriel joined by Beninese vocalist and activist Angelique Kidjo, , bass legend Meshell Ndegeocello and more than 25 musicians from seven countries including South Africa, India, Spain and the USA. The video will stream exclusively on RollingStone.com for 24 hours beginning Friday, February 12th at 10 a.m. EST, followed by a release on the Playing For Change website at 11 a.m. EST on Saturday, February 13thPeter Gabriels birthday.

Biko Song Around The World first premiered in December 2020 as part of Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice, a virtual concert and fundraising event organized by Playing For Change in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund in honor of the United Nations 75th anniversary. The moving performance was introduced by Nkosinathi Biko, son of the deceased anti-apartheid activist and subject of the song Steve Biko. Peace Through Music, produced by Playing For Change, Sebastian Robertson and Blackbird Presents, featured more than 200 musicians including Aloe Blacc, Annie Lennox, Becky G, Brandi Carlile with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana, Gary Clark Jr., Jack Johnson, Jim James, Keb Mo, Keith Richards, Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rhiannon Giddens, Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Robert Randolph, Run The Jewels with Josh Homme, Sheila E., Skip Marley and Cedella Marley, and The War and Treaty.

Contributions from partners and all donations from Peace Through Music and Biko Song Around The World will support the Playing For Change Foundation, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations and its Remember Slavery Programme, Sankofa, the Bob Marley Foundation, Silkroad, and The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundationorganizations and programs that strive to eradicate poverty, inequality, and systemic racial and gender discrimination around the world.

This song is as relevant today as the day it was written and inspires our need for racial and social justice, says Mark Johnson, Playing For Change co-founder and producer. Once we all join together as a planet, theres nothing we cant overcome.

To learn more and watch the full Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice event please visit the Peace Through Music event website.

FULL SONG CREDITS:

Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Dynamic Music Collective (USA), Peter Gabriel (UK), Jason Tamba (Congo), Meshell Ndegeocello (USA), Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (USA), Sebastian Robertson (USA), Silkroad (USA), Silkroads Cristina Pato (Spain), Silkroads Yo-Yo Ma (USA), TAIKOPROJECT (USA), The Cape Town Ensemble (South Africa), Tushar Lall (India)

About Playing For Change

Playing For Change (PFC) is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. PFC spreads their positive message for humanity to millions of people through inspiring multicultural music videos, a live global touring band and a 501c3 foundation supporting music education around the world. Learn more at http://www.playingforchange.com

About Sebastian Robertson

Sebastian Robertson is a producer and composer. In partnership with Playing For Change he produced The Weight Around the World which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). In 2020, he was Executive Producer of Peace Through Music: A Global Event For Social Justice in celebration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary. As a composer, he recently worked on Martin Scorseses The Irishman, the blockbuster video game Cyberpunk 2077 and has written theme songs for network TV and major ad campaigns. He owns and operates Sonic Beat Records, a premium production music label under the Universal Music umbrella.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Televangelist and "Ang Dating Daan" founder Bro. Eli Soriano has died, a statement from Members Church of God International confirmed on Thursday. He was 73.

"It is with deep sadness, yet with full faith in the Almighty, that we announce the passing of our beloved and one and only Bro. Eliseo 'Eli' Soriano -- a faithful preacher, brother, father, and grandfather to many," the MCGI said.

The religious organization, however, did not state Soriano's cause of death.

Soriano was baptized in the former Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Support of the Truth in 1964 then headed by Bro. Nicolas Perez.

He took over the leadership of the organization in 1977 and renamed the religious group as MCGI in 1980.

It was also in 1980 when Soriano established "Ang Dating Daan," a radio program used to preach the gospel. It migrated into a television show in 1983.

Aside from "Ang Dating Daan," Soriano also hosted other religious programs like "Itanong Mo Kay Soriano" and "Truth In Focus." These gospel-preaching shows air at UNTV channel, managed by broadcaster and his nephew Daniel Razon.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

Intelligent virtual assistant market is anticipated to reach $21.52 Billion by 2026 according to a new study published by Polaris Market Research. In 2019, the BFSI segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period.

The growing need to improve customer service, streamline enterprise communication, and increase productivity has boosted the adoption of intelligent virtual assistants. The rising penetration of mobile devices, and integration of virtual assistants with smart home appliances further support the growth of this market. Additionally, the increasing demand of intelligent virtual assistants from small and medium enterprises has supported market growth over the years. Increasing investments by vendors in technological advancements coupled with growing need to improve customer experience would accelerate the adoption of intelligent virtual assistants. However, lack of awareness is expected to hinder market growth. Growing demand from emerging economies is expected to provide numerous growth opportunities in the coming years.

Request A Sample Report at : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/intelligent-virtual-assistant-market/request-for-sample

The use of digital assistants and bots is expected to increase in the coming years. Computer programs in the form of bots simulate conversation with users through chat windows and voice calls. They have the ability to perform a number of different automated tasks such as scheduling meetings, managing finances, and others. They also assist in successful use of unified communication tools. These bots could be used as an automated attendant monitoring the interactions and offering instructions to users.

Intelligent virtual assistants are gradually replacing traditional interactive voice response systems. Use of intelligent virtual assistants is proving effective by enhancing customer and brand experience, and providing a consumer-friendly environment. The virtual assistants also offer a platform for convenient communication within businesses through voice, text, and other channels.

North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2019, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The presence of established telecom and cloud infrastructure in this region, and growing trend of BYOD drive the market growth in the region. The growing demand of mobile devices, and technological advancements further support market growth in the region. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to growing demand of virtual assistant technologies in the developing countries of the region.

Have Questions? Or make an Inquiry before buying this report Speak to Our Industry Expert: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/intelligent-virtual-assistant-market/speak-to-analyst

The end-users in intelligent virtual assistant market include healthcare, education, retail, BFSI, government, and others. In 2019, the BFSI segment accounted for the highest market share owing to increasing need to offer enhanced customer services, and improve productivity. The demand for intelligent virtual assistants has increased from organizations operating in this sector to improve workforce collaboration, client interaction, and reduce costs.

The well-known companies profiled in the report include Apple Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Google, Nuance Communications, IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, [24]7.ai., Speaktoit Inc., CodeBaby Corporation, Next IT Corporation, Intel Corporation, and Clara Labs among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers.
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Banks did not participate on Friday in the additional sessions of non-competitive bids from Thursday's tender, when the Ministry of Public Finances (MFP) borrowed 724 million RON, according to the data transmitted by the Romanian National Bank (BNR), as reported by AGERPRES.

According to BNR, MFP borrowed 724 million RON from banks, on Thursday, through government bond issues, with a residual maturity of 116 months, at an average yield of 2.68% per year.

The nominal value of Thursday's issue was 600 million RON, and the banks submitted bids for 1.114 billion RON.

On Friday there was an additional auction scheduled, in which the state intended to attract another 90 million RON for the return established on Thursday for bonds.

The Ministry of Finances planned, in February 2021, loans from commercial banks worth 4.6 billion RON, of which 600 million RON through discounted treasury certificates and 4 billion RON through 7 government bond issues.

To these can be added the amount of 600 million RON through additional sessions of non-competitive bids, associated with government bond issues.

The sum, slightly higher than the one scheduled in January 2021 (5.115 billion RON), will be used to refinance public debt and finance the budget deficit.
Pennsylvania confronts overwhelming challenges: a structural deficit; an educational system in free fall; mass business closures and widespread unemployment; and barriers to health care.

In response, Gov. Tom Wolf recently released his proposed 2021 budget, pledging to make your lives better.

Wolfs proposals, though, couldnt be more detrimental to Pennsylvanians coping with the COVID-19 crisis. As the states Independent Fiscal Office recently projected, it will take six years for employment to recover from the COVID-19 crisis and Wolfs lockdowns. Yet, Wolf offers policy prescriptions that would only worsen our economic plight.

The governor hasnt made any effort to control overspending throughout the recession. In fact, this year marks the fourth time that his administration dramatically overspent the approved budget, which was only approved in November.

As a lame duck governor, Wolfs latest call for tax hikes wont go anywhere. But lawmakers have an opportunity to pursue an agenda that sensibly helps Pennsylvanias communities and families.

The centerpiece of Wolfs budget proposal is a 46% state income tax increase, hitting middle-class families and small businesses. Wolf should be remembered as the governor who proposed the largest tax hike in Pennsylvanias history  during an unprecedented public-health crisis. Even when factoring tax forgiveness, Wolfs proposal is still a net $2.96 billion tax increase  or $232 per resident. For perspective, a family of four earning the statewide median income would see a $1,500 tax increase.

Wolfs proposal would also hammer small businesses that pay personal income taxes. This past year, these same businesses have endured financial devastation caused by Wolfs abrupt and archaic lockdowns. Unlike their corporate competitors, small business owners cant deduct their losses in future years. Wolfs tax hike would hardly make business owners lives better.

Wolfs tax hike would fund public school districts. Its a plan, largely, to fund empty buildings. As it stands, roughly 40% of districts remain physically closed, in many cases against parents wishes. Worse, Wolfs plan would fund districts while stifling charter schools and scholarship programs.

Wolfs plan also overlooks the existing financial advantage of school districts, which already received more than $3 billion in emergency federal funding, maintained all state funding and have sat on $4.6 billion in fund reserves. The spending increase occurred while enrollment declined by 50,000 students this year, as parents sought alternative educational options during the pandemic.

Wolfs proposal would undermine education equity by exacerbating COVID-era learning loss and harming the most vulnerable. As school districts disrupt students lives, private and charter schools are providing learning opportunities that families prefer. More than 40,000 students are denied tax credit scholarships; thousands more remain on waiting lists for seats in charter schools.

Lawmakers should respond to Wolfs proposal by getting students back on track. This should include creating Education Opportunity Accounts, expanding Pennsylvanias popular tax credit scholarship programs and implementing a fair charter school authorization process to provide an excellent education for all.

The General Assembly should enact policies that challenge Wolfs harmful ideas. His policy agenda would leave a legacy of more government spending, higher unemployment and greater economic woes. Pennsylvania cant afford this outcome.

Lawmakers should embrace policies that help businesses rehire workers, jump-start our economy and support families. This would include reopening businesses and restaurants; providing tax, regulatory and liability relief for local small business; and privatizing the government-run liquor system. It would also require protecting Pennsylvanians from tax hikes. The best way to accomplish this goal is passage of the Taxpayer Protection Act, limiting the growth of state spending to match taxpayers ability to pay.

In short, its time for the General Assembly to enact its own agenda  one that launches a race to rebuild and cares for Pennsylvanias kids and communities.

(Benefield is vice president and COO

of the Commonwealth Foundation,

Pennsylvanias free market think tank)

Fury Outlines First Regional Exploration Target at Eau Claire; Summer Plans to Explore the Percival Trend

Posted by Publisher Internet

Fury Gold Mines Limited (TSX: FURY, NYSE American: FURY) (?Fury? or the ?Company?  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/fury-gold-mines-ltd/) is pleased to provide an update on its regional exploration plans at the Eau Claire project located in the Eeyou Istchee Territory in the James Bay region of Quebec. This summer the Company plans to explore the Percival trend, which is located 14 kilometres (km) east of the Eau Claire deposit. Percival was the site of a 2018 discovery that included drill intercepts of 78.5 metres (m) of 1.46 g/t gold (Hole ER18-822) and 87m of 2.35 g/t gold (ER18-823)[1] from surface (Figure 1). The mineralized footprint at Percival is 400m by 100m and is hosted within sulphidized and silicified breccias in a sedimentary sequence in multiple parallel stacked lenses (Figure 2). This represents a second style of mineralization at the Eau Claire project that Fury?s technical team believes is largely underexplored.

?Over the past six months our technical team has identified considerable opportunities to increase ounces at Eau Claire and expand upon past discoveries throughout the land position. At Percival we have significantly advanced the detection of surface mineralization under till cover using biogeochemistry. This opens up the entire property for new target development as we plan to explore the Percival, Serendipity and North Structure trends this summer,? stated Michael Henrichsen, SVP, Exploration of Fury.

Geochemistry Advancement at Percival

The Percival prospect did not provide a gold response from the historical till sampling data that covered the mineralization, leading the Company to conduct various orientation geochemical surveys over the zone in an attempt to obtain a direct high contrast gold response from the mineralized bedrock overlain by shallow tills. Fury was successful in detecting the gold mineralization at Percival through biogeochemistry sampling where spruce branches are collected, ashed and then assayed. Samples were collected every 50m on two lines spaced 100m apart and gold results showed a cluster of elevated values over the area of mineralization (Figure 3). These elevated results demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique and the Company plans to utilize it in select structural corridors across the Eau Claire property package to aid in the development of new drill targets (Figure 1).?

2021 Regional Exploration Plans

Fury plans to conduct an extensive biogeochemistry program across the Eau Claire property with the goal of developing new drill targets in 2021. In conjunction with the geochemical surveys, ground-based induced polarization geophysical surveys are planned along the Percival trend to fingerprint the geophysical signature of the mineralization. The Company believes that the sulphide-rich silica breccia bodies at Percival will image well based on the high resistivity and chargeability responses and that there will be a high potential for similar responses along trend from the observed mineralization.

David Rivard, P.Geo, Exploration Manager at Fury, is the Qualified Person who assumes responsibility for the technical disclosures in this press release.

Biogeochemical Samples

Biogeochemical samples were taken by collecting of approximately 200 grams of black spruce twigs and sent to ALS Lab in Vancouver, BC (ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015 accredited facility) for preparation and analysis. Preparation included drying, separation needles from twigs and ashing of needles only at 475?C for 24 hours (VEG-ASH01). Ashed samples are analyzed for 65 elements using nitric/hydrochloric acid digestion with ICP-MS finish (ME-VEG41a). QA/QC programs using lab duplicates, standards and blanks indicate good accuracy.

About Fury Gold Mines Limited

Fury Gold Mines Limited is a Canadian-focused exploration and development company positioned in three prolific mining regions across the country. Led by a management team and board of directors with proven success in financing and developing mining assets, Fury will aggressively grow and advance its multi-million-ounce gold platform through project development and potential new discoveries. Fury is committed to upholding the highest industry standards for corporate governance, environmental stewardship, community engagement and sustainable mining. For more information on Fury Gold Mines, visit www.furygoldmines.com.

[1] Intervals are presented in core length; holes are generally planned to intersect mineralization as close to perpendicular to strike as possible with true widths are estimated to be 75% to 85% of downhole length when hole and dips of the mineralized horizons are considered. Assay presented is not capped. Intercept occurs within geological confines of major zones but have not been correlated to individual structures/horizons within these zones at this time. Vertical depths are 35m and 65m for ER18-822 and ER18-823, respectively, and they are measured from the surface to the mid-point of the reported interval. Refer to Eastmain Resources news release dated November 13, 2018 on www.sedar.com for more information.

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Forward-Looking Information and Additional Cautionary Language

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed contains \forward-looking information\ or \forward-looking statements\ within the meaning of applicable securities laws and relate to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as \plans\, \expects\, \budget\, \scheduled\, \estimates\, \forecasts\, \intends\, \anticipates\, or \believes\, or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results \may\, \could\, \would\, \might\ or \will be taken\, \occur\, \be achieved\ or \has the potential to\. Forward-looking information is information that includes implied future performance and/or forecast information. Forward-looking information and statements in this release reflects management\-\-s current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events. Specific forward-looking information contained in this release, includes information relating to: Fury\-\-s exploration programs at its Eau Claire property and specifically, along the Percival trend; Fury\-\-s growth plans; and the future growth and development of Fury\-\-s mineral properties.

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 information reflects the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date such statements are made and are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable at the time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Such assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect, include: general economic and industry growth rates; the Company\-\-s budget, including expected costs and the assumptions regarding market conditions; the Company\-\-s ability to raise additional capital to proceed with its exploration, development and operations plans; the Company\-\-s ability to obtain or renew the licenses and permits necessary for its current and future operations; and the Company\-\-s assumptions around the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements were reasonable at the time such statements were made, there can be no assurance that such assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different (either positively or negatively) from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including risks relating, but not limited, to: the COVID-19 pandemic; the future price of minerals, including gold and other metals; and the success of the Company\-\-s exploration and development activities. Readers should refer to the risks discussed in the Company\-\-s Annual Information Form and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2019 and subsequent continuous disclosure filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and the Company\-\-s Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release represent the Company\-\-s expectations as of the date of this press release or the date indicated. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities law.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Mining Disclosure

The mining and technical disclosure throughout this release is made in accordance with applicable Canadian law and the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (?CIM?) CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (?CIM Standards?). The Company?s descriptions of its projects using applicable Canadian law and CIM Standards may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

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Jihadi terrorists killing Christians in Mozambique seek to establish government rule from 'Allah'

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Radical Islamic militants in the majority-Christian country of Mozambique have their eyes set on instituting Sharia law and have killed hundreds and displaced thousands in Southeast Africa.

Over the last two years, over 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes and farms in the northern province of Cabo Delgado due to increased massacres carried by terrorists.

According to the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, hundreds of villages have been burned or are now completely abandoned after jihadists carried out an indiscriminate campaign of terror.

Voice of America News reports that in recent weeks, jihadists seized government buildings, robbed banks, blocked roads and raised their black-and-white flags over towns and villages across the province.

The U.S. news outlet reports that the militants also released a propaganda video after a recent attack in which a jihadi is seen telling fearful residents we want everyone here to apply Islamic law.

In the recently released video, the jihadists dont cover their faces.

"We don't want a government from unbelievers, we want a government from Allah," a militant was quoted as saying in the video in the local Kimwani language.

The video gives the world a glimpse at the militants' identities that have largely remained secretive and hidden. They are believed to be members of a group called Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jammeh. The group is known locally by the name al-Shabaab but is not believed to have any affiliation with the extremist faction active in Somalia and Kenya that goes by the same name.

The hidden enemy has no face, no proposal, no interlocutor with whom one can talk, Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa of the Diocese of Pemba, told Vatican News.

The video appeared to have been filmed in the port town Mocimboa da Praia, where the militants launched an attack in late March. The town is also where the militants staged their first attack in 2017 on police and military bases. The area is rich with gas projects worth billions.

International Christian Concern, an advocacy group based in the U.S., warned that the militants appear to share the goal of full Sharia law to guide the government in the region.

According to the nonprofit, this is the first time the militants in Mozambique are claiming a political agenda.

This would be bad for Christians who would definitely be made lower class citizens and would likely be persecuted for their faith, ICC warned in an April 14 report.

It is not clear whether the militants are working with any other larger terrorist organizations.

However, ICC notes that the Islamic State has recently formed an Islamic State Central African Province that has claimed responsibility for several attacks.

If the Al-Shabaab group has support from a much larger terror network, ICC stresses it could be devastating for the local population.

Affiliated Islamic State groups have wreaked havoc in sub-Saharan Africa, the Sinai, Libya, as well as Iraq and Syria.

Bishop Lisboa said there are young disillusioned residents in the area impacted by poverty who are being led to join violent groups.

Lisboa said that some gangs that operate in the region also have links to Islamic extremist groups. He added that other gangs are said to have connections to mercenaries of the troubled Democratic Republic of Congo.

As a result of the attacks, residents have fled in various directions, including small islands with nowhere to stay and limited access to clean water, according to the ECHO.

The majority of the IDPs have taken refuge with family and friends.

According to Amnesty International, al-Shabaabs takeover of Mocimboa da Praia is the culmination of a tragic failure by the Mozambican government to protect the people in this volatile area.

For almost three years, armed groups have been attacking villagers around Cabo Delgado, causing untold human suffering without being held accountable, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda, said in a statement. These continued attacks are compounded by the fact that the Mozambican government is prohibiting journalists, researchers and foreign observers from accessing the area to assess the situation.


QINGDAO, China, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SOS Limited (NYSE: SOS) (the "Company" or "SOS"), a high-tech company providing a wide range of data mining and marketing analysis services to its corporate and individual members in China, announced today that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain accredited investors to purchase $110,000,000 worth of its American Depositary Shares ("ADS") and warrants in a registered direct offering priced at-the-market under the NYSE rules.

Under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, the Company has agreed to sell 22,000,000 ADSs and warrants to purchase 16,500,000 ADS. The warrants will be exercisable immediately upon the date of issuance and have an exercise price of $5.00. The warrants will expire five years from the date of issuance. The purchase price for one ADS and one corresponding warrant will be $5.00. The gross proceeds to the Company from the registered direct offering are estimated to be $110,000,000 before deducting the placement agent's fees and other estimated offering expenses. The registered direct offering is expected to close on or about February 17, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the offering to develop its recently launched cryptocurrency mining and cryptocurrency security and insurance business as well as for working capital and general corporate use.

Maxim Group LLC is acting as sole placement agent in connection with this offering.

The securities described above are being offered by the Company pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No.: 333-250145) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") dated November 17, 2020, and declared effective on November 30, 2020. A prospectus supplement related to the offering will be, filed with the SEC and available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, by contacting: Maxim Group LLC, 405 Lexington Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10174, by telephone: at (212) 895-3500.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

About SOS Limited

SOS is an emerging blockchain-based and big data-driven marketing and solution provider, with a nationwide membership base of approximately 20 million in China. Recently, SOS has outlined its strategy in blockchain and cryptocurrencies, which include a series of initiatives to expand its business into cryptocurrency mining as well as cryptocurrency security and insurance. The core infrastructure of SOS' marketing data, technology and solutions to insurance and emergency rescue services is built on big date, blockchain-based technology, cloud computing, AI, satellite, and 5G network, etc. SOS Limited, through its operating subsidiary, SOS Information Technology Co., Ltd. ("SOS") is a high-technology company providing a wide range of services to its corporate and individual members, including marketing data, technology and solutions for emergency rescue services. SOS transforms digital technology into data-driven operations through the research and development of big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things, blockchain and artificial intelligence. We have created a SOS cloud emergency rescue service software as a service (SaaS) platform with three major product categories, including basic cloud (medical rescue card, car rescue card, financial rescue card, mutual assistance rescue card), cooperative cloud (information rescue center, intelligent big data, intelligent software and hardware), and information cloud (News Today, E-Commerce Today). This system provide marketing-related data, technology solutions, and technology-driven big data to clients such as insurance companies, financial institutions, medical institutions, healthcare providers, auto manufacturers, security providers, senior living assistance providers and other service providers in the emergency rescue services industry. For more information, please visit: http://www.sosyun.com/

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," "outlook," and "project" and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Such forward-looking statements include timing of the proposed transaction; the business plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of the parties; SOS's estimated and future results of operations, business strategies, competitive position, industry environment and potential growth opportunities market acceptance of our products; the ultimate impact of the current Coronavirus pandemic, or any other health epidemic, on our business, our research programs, healthcare systems or the global economy as a whole; our intellectual property; our reliance on third party organizations; our anticipated financial and operating results, including anticipated sources of revenues; our assumptions regarding the size of the available market, benefits of our product offering, product pricing, timing of product launches; management's expectation with respect to future acquisitions; statements regarding our goals, intentions, plans and expectations, including the introduction of new products and markets; and our cash needs and financing plans and etc. These forward-looking statements reflect the current analysis of existing information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. As a result, caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. SOS may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Due to known and unknown risks, our actual results may differ materially from our expectations or projections. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact our expectations and projections can be found in our periodic filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. SOS's SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. SOS disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE SOS Limited
(Natural News) The mainstream media is now openly signaling to the world that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is here to stay because of all the money it brings in for the elites.

On Feb. 7, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a piece entitled, As Covid-19 Vaccines Raise Hope, Cold Reality Dawns That Illness Is Likely Here to Stay that basically confirms what we have been saying all along: that getting vaccinated for the Chinese virus will not bring back the old normal.

In fact, getting vaccinated for the Chinese virus will do a whole lot of nothing, as authorities say that masks, distancing, and other new normal protocols still need to be followed despite the jab.

WSJ writers Daniela Hernandez and Drew Hinshaw explain that even though people are now getting vaccinated by the millions, Chinese germs will continue to circulate for years, or even decades, leaving society to coexist with COVID-19 much as it does with other endemic diseases like flu, measles, and HIV.

The difference, of course, is that nobody was ever expected to wear a face diaper for any of those things. Only since the WuFlu came along has society been completely upended in the name of staying safe against the virus.

Going through the five phases of grief, we need to come to the acceptance phase that our lives are not going to be the same, says Thomas Friedman, a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I dont think the world has really absorbed the fact that these are long-term changes, he added.

Coronavirus is about make you poor and them rich

In other words, masks and distancing are never going away if Friedman and others like him have anything to say about it. They are now a mainstay of American life, even as many other countries return back to normal.

Some infectious disease experts say that these restrictions could go away now that there are vaccines widely available, while others are painting a grim future where things never go back to normal due to corona-fear.

According to the WSJ, there is a new and potentially lucrative COVID-19 industry that is emerging from all this. It includes manufacturers of masks, of course, as well as companies that make air quality monitoring devices, filters, diagnostic kits, and new drug treatments.

New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics Inc., for instance, is expected to expand by leaps and bounds this year due to growing demand for nasal and anal swabs.

We assume it would last for years, or be eternal, such as the flu, says Jiwon Lim, spokesman for South Korea-based SD Biosensor, Inc., a test maker that is ramping up production of at-home Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) testing kits.

Switzerland-based Novartis International AG and Eli Lilly & Co. are both working to snatch their own piece of the pie as well, with new therapeutics for Chinese germs rapidly coming down the pipeline. Some 300 new products for the Chinese virus are currently in development.

The introduction of international COVID-19 vaccine passports is another lucrative business endeavor that will make a handful of people very rich, while the world plunges even deeper into a new world order prison.

Even meatpacking plants are getting in on the action by replacing their human workers with robotic arms, which they say will curb the risk of outbreaks by reducing the number of workers on assembly lines.

Coexistence needs to mean no masks! wrote one WSJ commenter. They are unnecessary, they dont work and they are ruining our society, damaging our children and they are unconstitutional. Wake up, America!

If you enjoyed this story, you will find more like it at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

Archive.fo

NaturalNews.com
Justin Theroux used Instagram to pay tribute to his ex wife Jennifer Aniston in celebration of her 52nd birthday on Thursday.

And hours after posting, the 49-year-old actor was spotted strolling around New York City with his beloved rescue dog Kuma.

Theroux braved the snowy weather in a black windbreaker jacket that featured a drawing of a Pit Bull on the back of it.

They see me strolling: Justin Theroux was spotted strolling around New York City with his beloved rescue dog Kuma

He layered the jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt and threw on a pair of distressed denim jeans.

In order to trek through the snow, Theroux slipped on a pair of stylish combat boots.

Adding some extra warmth to his ensemble, the Mulholland Drive star donned a black beanie and a pair of leather gloves with red detailing.

In order to adhere with COVID-19 protocols, Justin kept his mouth and nose concealed with a face mask.

Responsible: In order to adhere with COVID-19 protocols, Justin kept his mouth and nose concealed with a face mask

Staying warm: Theroux braved the snowy weather in a black windbreaker jacket that featured a drawing of a Pit Bull on the back of it

Justin walked down the sidewalk and through various piles of snow with Kuma's leash wrapped around his hand.

Kuma, who Theroux often shows off on his Instagram, looked adorable in a padded doggy jacket as he trotted next to his owner.

For his birthday tribute to Jennifer, Justin shared a glamorous snap of his former partner going up a spiral staircase with a mirrored wall and wrote: '[heart] you B!'

All that sweet affection: Justin Theroux wished a happy 52nd birthday to his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston on Thursday

It is not known why The Leftovers star often calls her by the nickname B as the letter is not in her initials - her middle name is Joanna.

The pair were married from 2015 until 2017 but managed to stay friendly after what Justin has previously called a 'gentle separation.'

The Friends icon threw a glance over one shoulder as she climbed the stairs while modeling a long flowing overcoat.

They announced their split in February 2018 and a few months later Justin told the New York Times about how amicable the process had been.

The way they were: The pair were married from 2015 until 2017 but managed to stay friendly after what Justin has previously called a 'gentle separation'; pictured in 2015

'The good news is that was probably the most - I'm choosing my words really carefully - it was kind of the most gentle separation, in that there was no animosity.'

The Tropic Thunder writer added: 'In a weird way, just sort of navigating the inevitable perception of it is the exhausting part.'

Justin, who is three years younger than Jennifer, married her in Bel-Air in 2015 and they broke up about two years later.

Justin and Jennifer began dating in 2011, having worked together on the film Wanderlust. He had carried on a 14-year relationship with costume designer Heidi Bivens that collapsed in 2011.

At the time, E! News claimed that Heidi had been, according to a friend of hers, '"straight-up dumped,"' though the report qualified: 'Not to say it's Aniston's fault, maybe the timing was just terrible?'

As seen in 2001: Last year the public saw how much Jennifer's relations have thawed with her first husband Brad Pitt who infamously left her for Angelina Jolie in 2005

'Things were already over between him and Heidi before he got close to Jen,' a source in Justin's camp insisted to Page Six.

Heidi's mother Marilyn spoke to Radar Online in 2016, claiming that Justin initially tried to persuade Heidi he and Jennifer were not an item.

Marilyn said: 'Heidi told me what Justin had told her, that something was going to be written about him and Jennifer, that something was going on between them and he wanted her to know that it was nothing, there was nothing to it.'

Ultimately, Heidi discovered the rumors were true, 'And my sweet Heidi she calls me and says: "Oh mommy." I was going through cancer at the time. It was a time that hurt our family.' Marilyn recalled.

So sweet: Jennifer was seen having a friendly conversation backstage at last year's SAG Awards with her first husband Brad Pitt

Last year the public saw how much Jennifer's relations have thawed with her first husband Brad Pitt who infamously left her for Angelina Jolie in 2005.

Brad and Jennifer both won acting trophies last January at the SAG Awards - where he made a joke onstage about his failed marriages.

He vamped sarcastically that it had been 'difficult' to play a 'guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn't get on with his wife' in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

The camera then cut to the audience where his Jennifer clapped at the joke and wore an expression of wry recognition.

She and Brad were spotted having a friendly conversation backstage - and as she walked away she placed a hand on his chest and he briefly held onto her wrist.
Since midnight, enemy forces have not attacked Ukrainian troops.

The Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces has reported two killed in action (KIA) amid five violations of the latest ceasefire agreement by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Thursday, February 11.

"In the past day, February 11, five 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 12, 2021.

In particular, the Russian Federation's armed formations fired sniper rifles near the village of Zaitseve.

"A member of the Joint Forces was wounded as a result of the shelling. The soldier was provided with medical assistance, but unfortunately, he died during the evacuation to a hospital," reads the report.

Read alsoRussian sniper kills Ukrainian soldier in Donbas Feb 11Also, the enemy used a heavy machine gun near the village of Novomykhailivka. One Ukrainian defender was killed as a result of the shelling.

The Joint Forces' Command expresses its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased servicemen.

What is more, the Russian occupation troops fired a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher near the village of Vodiane, as well as an under-barrel grenade launcher near the town of Avdiyivka.

The occupiers also used grenade launchers of various systems and a heavy machine gun near the village of Luhanske.

Read alsoMilitary forced to open fire at rogue driver trying to breach checkpoint into occupied DonbasThe violations were reported to OSCE representatives through the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) on the ceasefire and stabilization in Donbas.

Since midnight, enemy forces have not attacked Ukrainian troops.

Ukrainian military say the situation is under full control.

Donbas ceasefire: Background

Participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22 agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27, 2020.

On the very first day of the newly-agreed truce, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has reported more such violations over the latest period.

Reporting by UNIAN
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

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61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

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Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

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Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

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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

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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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

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US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Aurwest Resources Corporation (CSE: AWR) ("Aurwest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the company will be participating in a virtual mini-conference hosted by Adelaide Capital on February 23rd at 1:40 PM Eastern Time, followed by a question-and-answer period. The conference will showcase a curated group of mining companies with operations in Atlantic Canada, which we see as an up and coming region for mineral exploration. Please register here if you would like to participate: Adelaide Capital's Atlantic Canada Conference. The webinar will also be live streamed on YouTube for those who are unable to access Zoom: Adelaide Capital YouTube Channel.

Questions may be asked during the webinar or can be emailed ahead of time to info@adcap.ca. A replay will be made available after the event on the Adelaide Capital YouTube channel as well.

On Behalf Of Aurwest resources Corporation

"Colin Christensen"

President and Chief Executive Officer

For additional information please contact:

Colin Christensen

Telephone: (403) 483-8363

Email: cchristensen@aurwestresources.com

Website: www.aurwestresources.com

About Aurwest Resources Corporation

Aurwest is a Canadian-based junior resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties in Canada. The Company currently has two Option Agreements to earn a 100% interest in Paradise Lake a 23,600-hectare (236 km2) package of gold exploration licenses within the emerging Central Newfoundland gold district. The Company currently holds a 100% interest in the Stellar copper/gold Project, located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Houston British Columbia.

Forward-Looking Information

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions, and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation: additional exploration of the Properties may not locate significant gold mineralization, the exploration program may not be completed as planned or at all; the Company may not be able to assemble a seasoned exploration team, the path finder elements may not be indicative of gold mineralization; the western margin of the Dunnage zone may not be located within the Property; the structural elements of the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt and not be similar to the Abitibi and Fosterville gold camps; the Company's ability to raise additional funding to conduct exploration; receipt of permits to conduct the exploration plans and matters relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects; certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with the applicable laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74380
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Retail pharmacies in some states are now able to distribute the COVID vaccine through a program the Biden administration unveiled last week. Officials hope that the rollout at chains such as CVS and Walgreens will smooth out a bumpy distribution process that has left the country roiled with frustration. But local news and Twitter feeds would argue otherwise: Error messages. Crashing sites. Canceled appointments. The only consistent part of the rollout so far appears to be continued confusion.

Below, we break down whats happening andalthough we cant guarantee anythinghow experts hope it will improve.

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So whats going on here?

On Thursday, the White House sent out 1 million coronavirus vaccine doses to more than 6,500 stores at 21 pharmacy chains. Previously, the majority of vaccine doses had been distributed by hospitals and health departments. The government eventually hopes to deliver vaccines to over 40,000 stores and prioritize those located in underserved communities.

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Which pharmacies are part of this deal?

All the big players, including Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, the Kroger Company, Costco, Walmart, Albertsons, and H-E-B.

How do I know where to go?

It depends on where you live. For example, North Carolinians should schedule an appointment with their Walgreens, while their neighbors in South Carolina should use CVS. Nevadans have one option (Walmart), while Californians have two (CVS, Rite Aid). Texans, of course, have H-E-B (and three others).

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Why these pharmacies?

Both experts and government officials have promoted pharmacy chains as the answer to the countrys vaccination vexations, citing their annual distribution of the flu shot to millions of Americans, as well as the fact that most Americanslive within 5 miles of one of these retailers. Larry Merlo, the CEO of CVS, oozed confidence on the Today show in December saying, We have our logistics plan, we have our staffing plan, and we are ready to go.

Were they ready to go?

Well, not so much. Overwhelming demand, a lack of clear messaging, and an uncoordinated effort seem to be at the root of the pharmacies rollout woes earlier this week.

For example, at CVS, people thought they could sign up beginning this Tuesday, but due to shipment holdups, the chain pushed back the date to Thursday. But a loophole remained: Those in Virginia who pre-registered with the states health department reported they secured an appointment.

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At Walgreens, the website couldnt support the surge in traffic. People trying to sign-up for appointments were met with an error message until late Tuesday afternoon. Your website has too many barriers for entry for a lifesaving vaccine. Now stuck at Loading, a person tweeted at Walgreens. Other pharmacy websites faltered too. Walmarts was down on Wednesday. And for the millions of Americans without internet access, as well as non-tech-savvy seniors, booking an appointment online poses an insurmountable barrier.

Problems extended beyond technology. A CVS in Ohio hadnt caught up with state guidelines and blocked a newly eligible age group from signing up, and one in Rhode Island booked appointments for people at stores in neighboring states. A Rite-Aid in Pennsylvania didnt even realize it was administrating the vaccine and turned legitimate appointments away.

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Yikes.

Yeah. But Bunny Ellerin, the director of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program at Columbia Business School, is confident the process will improve. Whatever the issues are today, tomorrowthose are hiccups. Those are not systemic problems.

Some chains seem to be hitting their stride after a rocky start. The Walgreens site was up and running by end of day Tuesday. CVS fixed its website issues and confirmed that its locations would have 250,000 doses starting Thursday. And Kroger, after initial bugs in its booking system, said in an email to Slate that it is launching a new scheduling tool soon to improve the patient experience and high volume of appointment requests. It is also working on an appointment phone number for those without internet.

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But why has it been this bad?

A huge factor behind the chaos: pharmacy booking websites.

Erick Katzenstein, a software developer who helped create a third-party site that streamlined appointment booking at Walgreens, boiled the issue down to a user-experience crisis.

Pharmacies are using a scheduling setup that was created for prescription pick-upsnot vaccinesto handle their appointment bookings. These pharmacies have not anticipated the drastic supply and demand inversion that comes with COVID vaccines. So what ends up happening is the user is selecting a location, selecting a date, selecting a time, and then, of course, seeing that no spots are available. Katzenstein said most all pharmacy sites are relying on this ineffective system. Youre not going to be able to search every conceivable combination of location, date and time. Those slots wont get filled. Itll prolong the pandemic, he said. Were facing a bottleneck for vaccine rollouts as a result of these unusable interfaces.

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Walgreens, hes noticed, has changed their system slightly in recent days, so you can search by your address first. There are still a lot of things that needs to be improved. But thats a huge step in the right direction, Katzenstein noted.

So how do I get an appointment?

First, check if youre eligible. Each state has different guidelines, and pharmacies are following those orders. And in many states, hospitals and health departments will also remain distributors. As will Disneyland. And high school gyms. And the NFL plans to turn all 30 of its stadiums into vaccine megasites (seven already are). Depending on where you live, you may have several options available.

Second, make an appointment at one of your states partner pharmacies. Dont just walk in! And dont be like these people.

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What about these extra doses Ive heard about?

Some people have had luck getting the vaccine by being at the right place at the right time, when pharmacies are closing for the day and dont want to trash any expiring shots. According to the Wall Street Journal, Retail pharmacies are taking varied approaches to extra doses, with some saying theyll give priority to their employees while others say theyll try to find takers among the public and only vaccinate employees as a last resort, if at all. You may have also seen tweets about a national standby list called Dr. B, a website that will alert you when last-minute vaccine appointments free up near you. Over 30,000 people have already signed up, but its not clear which (if any) distribution partners are using it.

I read this at work, what an amazing piece, and the timing with all the britney discussion is so important, its not just youth that have been used for profit.

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I try not to waste too much energy feeling bad for celebrities, but it's messed up that she's broke while executives continue to mine money off of her image. I see Shining crap everywhere. I'm sure it's not a shit ton of money they're making, but no matter how much we think any celebrity is making, there are dozens of people who consider that an investment as they make a crap ton more.



I guess I think about this a ton with reality show contestants whose seasons are aired over and over and don't get so much as a tiny residual. I think this is slowly changing and I have faith in the younger, more socialist generations to change it more.



Hope this wasn't too OT but this story got me in my feelings.

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This seems to indicate shes doing alright which makes me feel better

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Her boyfriend has the exact same name as the guy who made Nightcrawler? LOL



That's sad her mom died from the virus :(

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Yeah, I was like... But isn't Dan Gilroy married to Rene Russo???

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It reminded me of this gem lmao



i can't stop watching this pic.twitter.com/xQhCiymaIQ  hunter harris (@hunteryharris) January 28, 2019 Yes, he is.It reminded me of this gem lmao

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I read this today and it was very well written. She seems like a lovely woman and Im so mad when the mentally ill are exploited due to it. Fuck Dr. Phil, Fuck Kubrick and any one else who mistreated her and others. Is it so damn difficult to be kind and understanding towards people?

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I very much enjoyed reading this. Glad Dr. Phil was called out.

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glad she's doing well

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i wish her all the best 

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i have so much love and respect for shelley duvall

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Good to hear she's doing good. I watched that Dr. Phil interview in real time and it was truly atrocious. He's a POS for many reasons but that just cemented it for me. I hate that he's still popular

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shining aficionado! or that paul simon dumped her for carrie fisher, wikipedia says she introduced them too, yikes. anyways, i love shelley  maybe i'll watch 3 women this weekend



awww love to see this posted here!!!! this article was such a good read, it's comforting to know that she is doing okay and that her peers still think of her fondly. really really hope that memorabilia can continue to find its way back to her, the article mentioned that a local artist who befriended her got some of her letters off ebay for her  also had no idea lee unkrich was such aaficionado! or that paul simon dumped her for carrie fisher, wikipedia says she introduced them too, yikes. anyways, i love shelley  maybe i'll watchthis weekend

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Yes! 3 Women is amazing and Shelley is amazing in it!

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https://youtu.be/5VNv2pZbrmQ



Do you guys remember mother goose rock n rhythm? That was the coolest thing in the world to find on TV in the middle of the night as a little kid. For years I thought I made it up. Do you guys remember mother goose rock n rhythm? That was the coolest thing in the world to find on TV in the middle of the night as a little kid. For years I thought I made it up.

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Click this for the best fever dream musical ever (predating cats)

https://youtu.be/nR03eN-FC6Q Apparently I don't know how to share videos on mobile.Click this for the best fever dream musical ever (predating cats)

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Yessssss I loved this as a kid!

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as I kid I always wanted to watch her show but I never had the channel it was on

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I fucking loved this movie when I was little.



I also have fond memories of her fairy tale series.

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Yes! I randomly watch bits on youtube sometimes lol

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I think about it more often than I probably should lol

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Sure do! It was one of my favorites as a kid.

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We always watch Mrs. Piggle Wiggle!

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Nashville (1975), I think she looked ridiculously cool



I wish her all the best. Whatever makes her happy. I love the picture in the article from(1975), I think she looked ridiculously cool

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Nashville is one of my favorite movies. Cristina Raines mentioned in an interview a few years ago that Shelley was really unhappy with how her character turned out in the final edit and didn't seem to be getting along with Bob Altman at the time. I was hoping Shelley would talk a bit more about this movie's production in the new interview.

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That's such a lovely picture of her.



It's funny how when I watched the Shining as a kid I thought she was over the top but as an adult I think she is incredible in that film.

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I'm reading it rn! I come across pics of her during the 70s era a lot on IG. She had great style and eyelash game was .

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If a driver in the private sector defied such a drug-test request, they would have been asked to turn in the keys to the company vehicle and start looking for a new job. Compared to corporate life, this is a small ask when companies across Illinois now require employees to undergo biometric screenings to receive health-insurance coverage.
World Radio Day 2021 on BBC World Service

To mark World Radio Day on Saturday 13 February 2021, the BBC World Service has some special content to be broadcast over the weekend.

BBC Minute on the BBC World Service is linking up with its partner radio stations in English and Spanish. DJs on English and Spanish-speaking stations around the world are going to be sharing their experiences and messages about their year of the pandemic. They will be brought together and shared across the day on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 February within BBC Minutes news bulletins.

In addition, BBC World Service will air a one-hour documentary on Sunday 14 February, World Wide Waves: The Sounds of Community Radio. In this documentary for World Radio Day, we will visit community stations around the globe that educate, entertain and empower people to make change - including Radio Taboo in Cameroon, Kadal Osai (the sound of the ocean) in Tamil Nadu, and Radio Nacional de Huanuni in Bolivia. This documentary highlights the enduring power, possibilities and pleasures of the airwaves.

BBC News Arabic radio, one of the World Services oldest non-English radio stations, will also be delivering special content to mark the day. This will include asking listeners to record a one-minute clip explaining why radio still matters to them, with some selected for broadcast.

Read the full BBC World Service article

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/world-radio-day
Five-term federal Labor MP Graham Perrett has vowed to stare down would-be preselection rivals to contest the next federal election, despite reports party colleagues are eyeing his south Brisbane seat.

Mr Perrett, Labors assistant education spokesman, defeated incumbent Liberal MP Gary Hardgrave to claim Moreton in 2007, and he narrowly won his fifth term at the June 2019 election with a 1.4 per cent margin.

Five-term federal Labor MP Graham Perrett says he wants to run in the seat of Moreton again at the next election. Credit:Tony Moore

For months there has been chatter in Labor circles that the seat is earmarked for a female candidate under the partys affirmative action policy.

Topping the list is state party secretary Julie-Ann Campbell, who guided Labors successful 2020 state election for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and lives in the electorate.


(@fidahassanain)

The top judge has observed that un-biasness and impartiality must be maintained as a matter of principle in dispensation of justice while dismissing petition moved by Justice Qazi Faez Isa in personal capacity against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Feb 12th, 2021) Chief of Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed said that Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa should not hear the matters involving prime minister Imran Khan.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan observed that it would not be in the interest of justice that honorable judge (Justice Isa) should not hear matters involving Prime Minister of Pakistan.

He made these observations while dismissing the petition moved by Justice Qazi Faez Isa in personal capacity.

It wont be proper for the former to hear cases involving Prime Minister in order to uphold the principle of un-biasness and impartiality, the top judge held.

The CJP also held: It would be in the interest of justice that the honourable Judge [Justice Isa] should not hear matters involving the Prime Minister of Pakistan," the written order reads.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa had earlier objected to distribution of funds by Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Federal and provincial governments stance that funds had not been provided to the ministers or members of assemblies.

Justice Isa had submitted documents before the court which he had said were sent to him by some through WhatsApp.

However, the judge had said that he was not sure whether the documents were genuine, read the orders.

On it, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan asked the court not to make the documents a part of record, saying that their authenticity was questionable. AGP further pointed out that if these documents were made part of the record, the judge would become a complainant in the matter and then it would not appropriate for him to hear the matter.

The divergent opinions and the sharp divide among the judges were in display in the Courtroom No 1 today, senior counsel who witnessed the arguments in the court on Thursday observed.
Weve got to figure out a way to do this that doesnt lead to this kind of public mass (conflict). Its not necessary. Its not productive. It leaves lasting scars, Lightfoot said Friday in an interview with the Tribune. Theres a lot of healing that needs to be done in CPS as a result of this latest episode. At school levels, within schools  this was like biblical times. Brother versus brother, sister against sister, theres no need for that. This pandemic is tough and hard on its own. We need not add layers of trauma, and yet thats exactly what happened.
Irelands premier appears unlikely to be travelling to the United States next month for the annual Shamrock ceremony.

Micheal Martin said his officials are working with the US administration on how this years event should be marked in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this week, Mr Martin said he would visit the White House if invited.

Then taoiseach Leo Varadkar (left) and then US president Donald Trump in the Oval Office for the Shamrock ceremony in March 2020 (Niall Carson/PA)

On Friday he said he is more concerned about the substance of the ceremony rather than the location.

It is expected the event will take place virtually.

In respect of how we mark St Patricks Day, how we mark that unique relationship between the United States and Ireland, officials in both administrations have been engaging in terms of what is the optimal way of doing that this year in the context of Covid-19, the Taoiseach said.

It is the number one challenge facing President Joe Biden, its our number one challenge here.

What matters to us is not so much the location of how we mark it but rather the substance of the relationship between our two administrations.

There are very strong dimensions to this, the economic dimension, the undocumented in America that we constantly advocate for and try and seek remedies for, developing partnerships with other members of the Biden administration.

The Taoiseach was speaking during a visit to a coronavirus vaccination centre in Cork.
US President has been very clear about "restoring compassion and order" to the country's immigration system, the White House said on Thursday and noted that a series of executive actions signed by him in the last few weeks are just the beginning.

"The executive actions signed thus far are just the beginning, a White House spokesperson told PTI.

"President Biden has been very clear about restoring compassion and order to our immigration system, and correcting the divisive, inhumane, and immoral policies of the past four years, which is our focus in the coming weeks and months," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson was responding to a question on an influential immigration advocacy group representing Indian-Americans urging the Biden administration not to issue the most sought-after H-1B work visa to any individual born in India, till the time the discriminatory country-cap on green cards or permanent legal residency is removed.

In a statement, Aman Kapoor, president of Immigration Voice called on the Biden administration to use its authority under INA Section 212(f) to exclude any new individual born in India who are not currently in the United States legally from obtaining a new H-1B visa for the first time in Fiscal Year 2022.

The White House, however, did not say if the administration intends to issue such an order. At the same time, it has committed itself to a comprehensive immigration reform which is humane and compassionate. In his immigration reform bill sent to the Congress, the White House has proposed elimination of country-quota in allocation of green cards, a major demand of organisations like Immigration Voice and Indian IT professionals.

The non-partisan Congressional Research Service says that this "discriminatory and arbitrary" cap on the number of Indian nationals who can receive lawful permanent residency each year has created a backlog of over one million people waiting for green cards, with a wait time of over 195 years, Kapoor said, adding that in fiscal year 2030, the line is expected to grow to 436 years.

"A majority of the Green Card backlog consists of women and children, who will eventually die in these backlogs. Needless to say, the per-country limits on the employment-based green card system are, in fact, 100 per cent an 'Indian Exclusion Act'. In reality, this implies a de facto ban on employment-based green cards for any new Indian national entering the United States on an H-1B visa, Kapoor 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.)
Japanese tire manufacturer Yokohama Rubbers domestic tire mold production subsidiary Yokohama Mold is to expand production capacity at its Thai production facilities (YMTC).

The company states that the capacity expansion is aimed at strengthening the groups supply chain in the ASEAN region. Construction of the new facilities began in January 2021, with completion planned for the end of this year.

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YMTC was established in 2018 in the Thai province of Rayong. It supplies tire molds used in passenger car tires and light truck tires to Yokohama Rubbers tire manufacturing plants in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, India and other countries. The expansion at YMTC will supplement molds supplied from YMC in Japan and a business partner in China, enhancing the Yokohama Rubber Groups ability to provide a stable supply of tire molds to its plants in the ASEAN region.

Yokohama Rubber notes that it has been strengthening its presence in Asia, and its Tire and MB (Multiple Business) operations now have multiple production and sales bases throughout the region, including in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and India. By continuing to expand production capacity and strengthen its supply chain in the region, Yokohama Rubber hopes to grow its business and contribute to the development of ASEAN countries.
But the answer should be to reduce the use of cash bail and eliminate inequities, not to get rid of it entirely. Decisions about use of cash bail would benefit from better informed and more rigorous assessment of risk, for example. In this, Illinois should look to the example of states such as New Jersey, where cash bail has been used sparingly since reforms were adopted several years ago. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
GOVERNMENT received a total of $7.37 billion from oil, gas and quarrying/mining companies in fiscal 2018, with the largest payment of $2 billion coming from majority State-owned National Gas Company (NGC).

However, for the period 2019 to 2020, unaudited figures indicate a declining trend in revenue.
Using publicly available coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) data from Israel, a study suggests the BioNTech-Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine is proving highly effective in the real world.

Several vaccines have now been approved for COVID-19, and many countries have started intensive vaccination programs. In Israel, vaccination started on December 20, 2020. By the end of January, 33% of the population had received the first dose of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, also know as BNT162b2, and 19% had received their second dose.

Just as the vaccinations began, the country was in the midst of a third wave of COVID-19, with cases and hospitalizations more than doubling by mid-January 2021. In response, the country declared a lockdown on January 8, 2021. But, cases did not come down, and there were questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine.

However, it is challenging to estimate how effective vaccines are in the real world. Vaccination uptake is enmeshed with the socioeconomics and demographics of a population, along with disparities among groups in infection rates. Such confounding factors are not present in randomized clinical trials because of blinding. In the real world, clinical and demographic data at the individual level is needed to determine vaccine effectiveness.

Estimating vaccine effectiveness

In a paper published on the medRxiv* preprint server, Assistant Professor Dvir Aran, from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, used publicly available data on COVID-19 cases and hospitalization after vaccination by the Pfizer vaccine. The author provides estimates of the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing cases.

The author used the daily positive cases and hospitalization data from the Israeli Ministry of Health COVID-19 public database, including hospitalization after vaccination up to January 31, counted the number of vaccinated individuals each day and multiplied that with the daily case rate of the whole population, adjusting for the difference in the number of cases between the vaccinated and general population. Using these parameters, the author estimated the vaccine effectiveness.

The analysis found there were 3,082,190 people who were vaccinated with a first dose between December 20, 2020, and January 31, 2021, and 1,789,836 had also received their second dose. Of the total vaccinated, 1,215,797 were above 60 years.

Among the vaccinated individuals, 31,810 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 1,525 were hospitalized or died. The analysis indicates there was reduction of about 28% in the number of cases for those above 60 years by day 13 after the first dose, 43% reduction between days 14 and 21, and more than 80% reduction after the second dose.

This analysis is based on the assumption that all people who received their vaccines early on had the same level of positive cases as the general population. But, this is not true in the real world. Older people have lower positivity and lower socio-economic groups have higher positivity rates.

Adjusting for this, the author found if it is assumed that the vaccinated population has half the number of cases as the general population, there is no decrease in the number of cases up to 21 days after the first dose. The number of cases reduced by 66% seven days after the second dose.

For people over 60 years, who comprise a major proportion of the severely ill cases, the analysis suggests a strong effect of the vaccine, reducing severe cases by about 60% after the first dose and up to 94% seven days after the second dose.

Effectiveness rate estimations of the vaccination by different levels of beta values. Standard errors are in shade.

Vaccine highly effective in real world

Overall, the analysis suggests a reduction in positive cases of 66-83% in people older than 60 years, 76-85% for those below 60 years, and 87-96% effective in preventing severe cases.

The Pfizer vaccine is reported to have an efficacy of 95% one week after the second dose based on the clinical trials, although efficacy before that is not clear. Analysis of the real-world data from Israel, which includes about 140-fold more individuals than the trial, provides an estimate of the effectiveness of the vaccine in reducing cases and the disease severity.

The author acknowledges some limitations of the analysis. These include delays in reporting cases, the fact that hospitalization may increase observed case counts, and limitations on making individual-level inference as the analysis used to aggregate counts. As the incidence in the general population is also affected by vaccination, the real effectiveness may be higher. The author writes the analysis provides strong reassurance that the vaccine is highly effective.

*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.
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We've solicited questions from our audience -- awkward, tough-to-ask, even silly questions -- that they've perhaps wanted to ask people unlike themselves but have been too shy, embarrassed or afraid to ask.

We created Racism 101 to help our audience facilitate their own thought-provoking talks around race, with a conversation "starter kit," and extensive anti-racism resource guides to inform and educate. To field these questions, we assembled a panel of Angelenos willing to answer so folks didn't have to ask their friends, or even strangers.

Here's what several of our panelists had to say in response to the question: "What are some actionable steps professors can take to combat systemic racism in the classroom and on campus in higher education settings?"

HOW OUR RACISM 101 PANELISTS RESPONDED

Matthew is a multi-ethnic Afro-Indigenous educator, poet and rapper. He co-founded the Spoken Literature Art Movement, an L.A.-based writing and performance workshop series, and currently teaches writing to incarcerated youth.

He says of white educators, even those who have done the work to understand the history of cultural appropriation, racism and injustice:

"You still probably don't know what it's like to be in the skin of a person of color. And so because of that, it's important to know there are still things you can learn. It's important to know you still have to work on educating yourself on different problems and systemic issues that come from being a person of color, especially on a college campus, knowing that so [many] college campus were originally created to be an additional form of segregation."

Listen to Matthew's answer:

Roseanne is a descendant of the Mescalero Apache and Tewa tribes. For many years, she was told that she wasn't "college material." She's currently a doctoral student in a medical anthropology program. Upon graduation, she plans to devote her career to improving Native American health care policy.

"I think what would help, in my opinion, is if we gave more voices to the students of different ethnicities and to not only teach the original theorists, but also to bring in other scholars of different ethnicities into the curriculum."

More from Roseanne:

ANTI-RACISM AND HIGHER EDUCATION IN CONTEXT

Higher education has been in the limelight, as campuses across the country released statements condemning racism following the police killing last year of George Floyd in Minneapolis. How effective has that response been? Inside Higher Ed reported "few explicitly mentioned Black people, referenced the Black Lives Matter movement or included any concrete action items to address inequities on campus or in wider society."

Administrators at some universities took steps to rename campus buildings with racist legacies -- in some cases to satisfy students' demands. Students also have taken matters into their own hands. The Confederate monument known as "Silent Sam" at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill was toppled by a crowd of protesting students, faculty and local residents in August 2018.

EAB, a best practices firm that addresses challenges within the education field, conducted an analysis which revealed:

"While some institutions identified longer term initiatives such as developing anti-racism trainings and advancing the recruitment of faculty of color, they did not provide a timeline or specific metrics to measure success. Overall, EAB's analysis showed that few institutions offered substantive and systematic approaches to tackling racism on their own campuses."

WHY WE CREATED RACISM 101

The country erupted into protests, unrest and a renewed dialogue about systemic racism following George Floyd's killing. We held the first round of a virtual conversation event series, Unheard LA: A Deeper Listen with a tie in to Race In LA. The discussion repeatedly returned how Black and Brown people were being asked for their opinion, for resources and to answer questions on racial issues -- and how exhausting it can be.

MORE FROM RACISM 101
Kajal Aggarwal's Live Telecast has released today (February 12, 2021) on Disney+ Hotstar. The Tamil web series helmed by celebrated director Venkat Prabhu has become the latest film to fall prey to piracy. Live Telecast has been leaked on Telegram and other piracy-based websites.

Starring Vaibhav Reddy, Kayal Anandhi, Priyanka, Selva, Daniel Annie Pope, and Subbu Panchu Arunachalam, the series has released in multiple languages. Interestingly, the series marks Kajal Aggarwal's OTT debut. Live Telecast revolves around a crew headed by Jenifer Matthew (Kajal) who runs a reality show called the Dark Tales.

Interestingly, Live Telecast has been receiving mixed response from the audience. A few have also opined that the film's theme is confusing and is only a parody version of the Tamil talk show Solvathellam Unmai, where people open about their personal and family lives to the host and audience. On the other side, Live Telecast has people sharing their paranormal experiences with the audience. The web series has music composed by Premgi Amaren, which has been garnering huge attention of the audience.

Also Read: Live Telecast: Kajal Aggarwal Says 'I Haven't Slept Throughout The Shoot'

Also Read: Chiranjeevi To Collaborate With KS Ravindra For His 154th Project!
National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye has called for former President John Dramani Mahama to mount the witness box in the stead of the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa.



The Supreme Court, on Thursday, February 11, dismissed request by Lead Counsel for John Mahama, petitioner in the ongoing election petition, to have Jean Mensa testify before the court.



Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata had argued that it will be appropriate for the EC Chair to be in the witness box because it's her responsibility to account for her conduct but her Lead Counsel, Lawyer Justin Amenuvor raised objections.



The court ruled that it will not yield to the invitation to order Mrs. Jean Mensa and Mr. Peter Mac Manu as witnesses for the First Respondent which is the Electoral Commission and the Second Respondent, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as cited by the petitioner in the court case.



 . . simply put, we are not convinced and will not yield to the invitation being extended to us by Counsel of the petitioner to order the respondents to enter the witness box to be cross-examined accordingly we hereby overrule the objection raised by the counsel for the petitioner against the decision of the respondents declining to adduce evidence in this petition," Chief Justice Anin Yeboah declared as the Supreme Court dismissed Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata's request.



Meanwhile, the petitioner has filed a motion to open his case which his legal team initially closed prior to the Supreme Court ruling on whether or not Jean Mensa should mount the witness stand.



Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, during Thursday's hearing, said; We will now seek your Lordships permission to reopen our case in order to have a subpoena on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. My Lords, we know that we can issue a subpoena without leave but since we have closed our case on the assumption that she will be (in the witness box).so we intend to file a formal motion.



Responding to the petitioner's request to subpoena the EC Chair, Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye, popularly called Nana B, states emphatically that the person supposed to be in the witness box should be the petitioner.



He argued that Mr. Mahama is the one challenging the election verdict and so the proof of burden lies on him to testify before the court.



He found it intriguing that Mr. Mahama hasn't put himself up to witness for his own case.



"If there's anybody to mount the witness box, it should be His Excellency the former President John Dramani Mahama," he stressed on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.





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.

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Westfield Bank plans to build a branch at 12 East Granby Road (Route 20) in Granby, Connecticut, which is about a block north of the banks current location in the Granby Village Shops.

The new location will feature a suite of offices, safe deposit boxes, drive-up teller lanes and a drive-up ATM, Westfield Bank said Friday. Construction will begin once all final building permits have been approved and weather allows.

Providing our customers with added convenience and improved accessibility is of utmost importance to us, Westfield Bank President and CEO James C. Hagan said in a news release. Granby is very special to us as it was the first branch office we opened in Connecticut and the community welcomed us with open arms. While we will miss the Granby Village Shops, our new branch office will provide us increased meeting space and drive-up banking services  something our customers value highly. And because the new office is located just a block away from our current one, we think it will be a seamless transition for customers.

Westfield Bank expanded into Connecticut for the first time with branches in Granby in 2013 and in Enfield in 2014. Westfield Bank now also has Connecticut locations in Bloomfield and West Hartford.

The construction of the new Granby branch office  coupled with our Enfield branch office, our new Bloomfield branch office and our West Hartford Financial Services Center  reaffirms our commitment to the people and businesses of the Constitution State and further strengthens our Connecticut banking franchise. We feel our community bank values, customer-first approach, and convenience-based products and services are a great fit for Granby and the surrounding communities and look forward to welcoming current and prospective customers to the new office.

Westfield Bank has 25 branch offices, 52 ATMs and an additional 23 seasonal ATMs and serves Hampden and Hampshire counties in Western Massachusetts and Hartford and Tolland counties in northern Connecticut.

The new branch office was designed by DiBattisto Associates LLC of East Granby and Borghesi Building & Engineering Co. Inc. of Torrington. Construction will be completed by Borghesi Building.
For the vast majority of human existence, international trade was fuelled by renewable energy. Trade winds were used to cruelly bring enslaved labour from Africa to grow cane, limes, bananas, and cocoa in the Caribbean and powered the windmills that turned the cane into molasses and sugar. The Gulf Stream took the finished products to market. If the earth spun on its axis in the opposite direction like Venus and Uranus and the winds followed suit, the rest of the world would not have enjoyed Demerara sugar, Blue Mountain coffee, and Roses Lime Juice Cordial. The sun made it all grow productively, in not always deep soils or level ground.

Today, however, most energy in the Caribbean and other developing regions is generated through importing dirty fossil fuels. Electricity prices are generally higher than in industrial economies, stifling economic development. Between the tropics of cancer and capricorn, countries are increasingly racked by climate disasters that make dependence on imported fuels partly a question of poor energy security. Therefore, rapid investment in turning renewable resources in the developing world into energy seems natural and obvious. But just because something is obvious, it does not make it happen. A few developing countries can boast to almost entirely turning over to renewable energy, like Belize, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and especially those with hydroelectric potential. Elsewhere, the pace is slow. Too slow for the planet, but also too slow to drive sustainable development, which begs the question: What are the obstacles and how to remove them?
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  The government is allowing the reopening of cinemas, game arcades, and other leisure activities in areas under general community quarantine, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday.

The Inter-Agency Task Force has also allowed driving schools; libraries, archives, museums, and cultural centers; meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions; theme parks and tourist attractions to resume operations. Social events can also be held in establishments accredited by the Department of Tourism.

Roque said the Department of Health, other concerned government agencies, and local government units will come up with guidelines, such as the required distancing in theaters and what kind of protective gear should be worn while watching movies.

The allowed capacity in cinemas has yet to be announced. In MGCQ areas, they are allowed to fill up 50% of the seats.

Roque said the improving trend of new COVID-19 cases in the country and the capability of hospitals to attend to patients are enough reasons to ease restrictions. He added this decision was also influenced by the need to further reopen the economy.

"In other words, walang problema pagdating sa utilization rate. Alinsunod ito sa katotohanan na kailangan na natin magbukas pa ng ekonomiya dahil kinakailangan magkaroon ng karagdagang hanapbuhay," he said in a media briefing.

[Translation: In other words, there is no problem when it comes to utilization rate. There is also the reality that we need to open the economy because we need to have more jobs.]

Meanwhile, infectious diseases specialist Dr. Gene Solante emphasized he is not in favor of reopening cinemas, museums, and other leisure venues in GCQ areas.

Solante explained these places have ventilation problem, which may aggravate the spread of COVID-19.

"We consider these areas as high-risk because they are enclosed spaces. As long as they can assure us that there will be good air exchange and ventilation in these areas and strictly implement the number of people that will go there, we're fine with that," Solante said in an interview on CNN Philippines' The Final Word on Friday.

The infectious diseases expert advised the national government to prepare hospitals for possible COVID-19 cases surge, in light of the reopening of leisure establishments in GCQ areas.
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Scorch-marks have stained Dartmoor after fire crews battled through the night to stamp out a three-mile-wide blaze with investigators probing potential arson links.

Pictures taken from Brent Tor looking beyond the village of Mary Tavy show damaged areas of moorland after the fire service confirmed this morning that the flames had been extinguished.

Fire watchers had been going near the spectacle in an attempt to take photographs, prompting warnings from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service to stay away from the 'extremely dangerous' blaze.

The service earlier deployed five pumps and other units at the area near Tavy Cleave, a few miles north east of Tavistock, in a bid to tackle the fire - for which an investigation is being carried out to determine its cause.

In recent days there have been a spate of arson attacks on moorland, with a suspected deliberate fire tearing through approximately 50 acres of the Rosenannon Downs Nature Reserve near Wadebridge on Wednesday.

Devon's fire service tweeted earlier today: 'We can confirm that the moorland fire on Dartmoor near Peter Tavy is now out and we have left the area.'

It earlier posted: 'We're aware that some people have arrived nearby to get a glimpse/photo of the fire. This is extremely dangerous and certainly not an essential journey! Please stay away from the area for your own safety.'

The blaze comes in stark contrast to vast swathes of the UK that have been left frozen over, with temperatures in Ravensworth, North Yorkshire, dropping to minus 15.3C overnight on Thursday.

Damaged areas are pictured today from Brent Tor, looking beyond the village of Mary Tavy, after emergency services tackled a large fire on Dartmoor last night

Scorched earth seen from the village of Mary Tavy. The blaze was reported a few miles north-east of Tavistock and estimated to be more than three miles (5km) wide

A crew from Wadebridge Community Fire Station pictured tackling the blaze on Dartmoor yesterday. Devon and Somerset Fire Service earlier described the situation as 'extremely dangerous'

The fire seen raging while fuelled by the strong winds in Dartmoor last night. It was thought to be on a remote stretch of the moorland and no residents or animals were injured, according to reports

Over three miles of moorland were engulfed in the blaze that erupted in Devon last night and continued to burn this morning before being put out at around midday by firefighters

Pictures earlier posted to social media showed a large stretching blaze, which could reportedly be seen from as far as Plymouth and Cornwall, illuminating the night sky.

Photographer Matt Gilley described the scene as 'biblical', saying: 'The hills are like a silhouette from the smoke.'

A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service told MailOnline earlier today: 'The fire is under investigation and under control.

'We have two four wheel drives and a fire engine on the scene checking the area.'

The fire service previously wrote on social media: 'The weather is making conditions for firefighting extremely dangerous - it's very windy and low visibility...

'So we're maintaining our presence but fighting in 'defensive mode', which means we're working to stop the fire from getting worse until conditions improve for us to do more.

'We've assessed the situation and there is currently no risk to life in the path of the fire. We will continue to monitor the spread of the fire with spotters and a drone and change our tactics if needed.'

The fire was thought to be on a remote stretch of the moorland and no residents or animals were injured, according to reports.

Rob Steemson, Dartmoor National Park emergency officer, estimated the blaze to be around 5km (3.1 miles) wide.

The fire pictured from a distance. The blaze comes in stark contrast to vast swathes of the UK that have been left frozen over

The fire service earlier deployed five pumps and other units at the area near Tavy Cleave, a few miles north east of Tavistock, in a bid to tackle the fire - for which an investigation is being carried out to determine its cause

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service earlier said the blaze was near Tavy Cleave, a few miles north east of Tavistock

Smoke seen billowing after the fire broke out at Dartmoor National Park. The blaze was stoked by fierce south-westerly winds

Witnesses described the scene as biblical as large clouds of smoke filled the sky and the hills were seen backlit as silhouettes

The blaze on Dartmoor. In recent days there have been a spate of arson attacks on moorland in Devon and Cornwall. On Wednesday, a suspected deliberate fire tore through approximately 50 acres of the Rosenannon Downs Nature Reserve

How Beast from the East has fuelled raging wildfires across Britain The Beast from the East has caused a rare phenomenon in Britain - raging wild fires. The extreme cold caused curing or drying out vegetation contributing to fires in Devon, Cornwall and Scotland. Area commander Bruce Farquharson, from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said winter fires were not uncommon due to extreme cold 'curing' or drying out vegetation, and happened in Antarctica, Norway and. Scandinavia. He said: 'It is counter-intuitive for almost everybody but the risk is there, the vegetation is tinder dry and it just takes the slightest spark to ignite the fire and it will burn very quickly and spread very quickly.' A huge fire fuelled by fierce winds that engulfed swathes of Dartmoor on Thursday night was understood to have stopped spreading by Friday morning. The location of the blaze - for which the cause is being investigated - made it increasingly difficult for firefighters from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service to reach. Advertisement

He said it was not clear how or where the fire started, but that 'strong' winds were pushing it further across the moorland.

Mr Steemson added that park rangers were in attendance along with the fire service. He said that the fire was stoked by fierce south-westerly winds.

An eyewitness earlier told Plymouth Live: 'I'm sat on the top of the hill but fire appliances can't get up to the fire because the roads are all frozen.

'It looks like they will just have to let it burn out; there is nothing they can do. I can see some little flames from where I am but it is mainly a big orange glow.'

The cause of the Dartmoor fire is not known at this stage.

Area commander Bruce Farquharson from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service speculated that the extreme cold cause wild fires in other parts of the UK, specifically Cornwall and Scotland, as icy conditions dried out vegetation.

Some social media users had speculated it could have been a controlled burn that got out of hand while others suggested no one would be carrying out controlled burns with such high winds.

Meanwhile, the Thames has frozen over for the first time in 60 years after temperatures in England plunged to record lows overnight.

Seagulls perched on the frozen water on the River Thames in Teddington on Friday morning as it iced over for the first time since Britain's Big Freeze in 1963.

The cold snap looks set to continue as bookies slashed the odds on Valentine's day being the coldest on record to 7/2.

Rob Steemson, Dartmoor national Park emergency officer, thinks the fire is around 5km wide and is continuing to spread

A picture taken from Saltash showing the fire in Dartmoor national park lighting up the night sky even from miles away

The flames could reportedly be seen in the night sky from as far away as Plymouth and Cornwall as firefighters struggled to get to the scene
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Burton C. English, professor at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), has received the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA).

The award is given in recognition of his significant and enduring contributions to the agricultural economics profession. English accepted the award in February at the 2021 SAEA annual meeting, which was held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

English is a pioneer in the field of bioenergy research and is recognized internationally as an expert, garnering him numerous awards including a Certificate of Merit from the U.S. Department of Energy. With four decades of bioenergy research under his belt, he is currently focused on a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to research sustainable aviation fuel development in the Southeast, a potential game changer for rural farming communities. English and a team of researchers are currently analyzing three different supply chains including a supply chain with the objective of supplying 40 percent of renewable aviation fuel for the Nashville International Airport. This research has the potential not only to boost the state and region's economy, but it also has national and worldwide implications with regard to developing a sustainable agricultural solution that could ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He recently delivered a report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture outlining methods to incentivize the development of the bioenergy industry.

In addition to bioenergy research, English also analyzes and reports on the economic impacts of a wide range of agricultural and natural resource policies and programs. He is often invited to present these findings to congressional committees and state and federal government agencies.

"We take great pride in Dr. English's cutting-edge and mission-oriented research in the areas of bioenergy and sustainable agriculture. He has been a catalyst, a leader and a servant in forming interdisciplinary teams to conduct translational research," said Hongwei Xin, dean of UT AgResearch. "He is also a caring mentor for junior faculty. This Lifetime Achievement Award is extremely fitting to recognize his outstanding accomplishments and impacts."

English is also a founding member of both the Agri-Industry Modeling and Analysis Group (AIM-AG) and the Biobased Energy Analysis Group (BEAG). AIM-AG's mission is to assess and project the impacts of agri-industry development on the Tennessee economy, while the mission of BEAG is to provide decision makers in government and industry with up-to-date economic and environmental analyses of the biobased industry at the firm, state, regional and national levels.

In 2019, the UT Institute of Agriculture honored him with the designation of Institute Professor, the highest faculty honor bestowed. Other awards include the UT Chancellor's Award for Research, the UT AgResearch Impact Award, the UTIA Research Team Award and the Success in Multidisciplinary Research Award, to name a few.

His research has attracted more than $32 million in external funding. He has contributed to 140 journal articles, 20 book chapters, seven books, 223 abstracts or proceedings and 282 bulletins or reports.

English earned his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Iowa State University, a master's in agricultural economics from New Mexico State University and a bachelor's in forestry from Iowa State University. He has been a faculty member in UTIA's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics for 34 years.

###

Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions.

utia.tennessee.edu.

Prosecutors at former U.S. President Donald Trumps Senate impeachment trial are wrapping up their case Thursday, quoting numerous insurgents who stormed the U.S. Capitol last month who said they acted on Trumps demands that they confront lawmakers meeting to certify Democrat Joe Bidens victory in the November election.

Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado, one of the Democratic lawmakers from the House whoare prosecuting Trump, said the insurgents believed the commander in chief was ordering them. The insurrectionists made clear to police they were just following the orders of the president.

The insurrectionists didnt make this up, she said. They were told [by Trump] to fight like hell. They were there because the president told them to be there.

DeGette showed lawmakers several television interviews in which the protesters said they went to the Capitol, the worldwide symbol of U.S. democracy, because Trump had commanded them to do so.

Another House impeachment manager, Representative Ted Lieu of California, contended that Trump showed no remorse over the deadly chaos of January 6, when the insurgents rampaged into the Capitol, smashed windows, ransacked some congressional offices and scuffled with police. Five people were left dead, including a Capitol Police officer whose death is being investigated as a homicide.

Thursdays session came after several lawmakers told reporters they were shaken by graphic, previously undisclosed videos of the mayhem the Democratic lawmakers showed them Wednesday, with scenes of dozens of officials scrambling to escape the mob that had stormed into the Capitol.

But there was no immediate indication that Republican supporters of Trump in the Senate were turning en masse against him. Trump, who left office as Biden was inaugurated January 20, remains on track to be acquitted.

A two-thirds vote is needed to convict Trump of a single impeachment charge  that he incited insurrection by urging hundreds of supporters to confront lawmakers at the Capitol to try to upend Bidens victory. In the politically divided 100-member Senate, 17 Republicans would have to join every Democrat for a conviction.

At the moment, it appears that only a handful of Republicans might vote to convict Trump, the only president in U.S. history to be twice impeached.

The videos played Wednesday in the Senate chamber showed hundreds of insurgents  Trump supporters he had urged to go to the Capitol to try to stop the official certification of his loss in the election  storming through the building and into both chambers of Congress. Some of the rioters rifled through documents lawmakers left behind as they fled to safety.

Some of the rioters, the January 6 videos showed, shouted that they were trying to find former Vice President Mike Pence to hang him because he had rejected Trumps demand that he block the certification of the Electoral College outcome so Trump and Pence could remain in power.

Other surging protesters, the videos showed, menacingly hunted for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime Trump opponent.

The demonstrators stormed into her office, but the prosecutors said authorities had already whisked her away from the Capitol to safety, while some of her staff huddled in a nearby conference room behind a locked door.

The mob was looking for Pence because of his patriotism in order to execute him, impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett, a House delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, told the Senate, referring to the vice presidents looming certification of Bidens victory.

Another impeachment manager, Representative Eric Swalwell of California, narrated one video captured from a security camera inside the Capitol, telling lawmakers, Most of the public does not know how close you came to the mob before escaping to safety.

We all know that awful day could have been much worse, Swalwell said.

Earlier, the lead House impeachment manager, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, contended that Trump was no innocent bystander in the violence.

Raskin and other Democratic lawmakers said Trump laid the groundwork for the storming of the Capitol over a period of weeks leading up to the election with dozens of unfounded claims that the only way he could lose was if the election was rigged against him.

Raskin alleged that Trump, by urging hundreds of his supporters to fight like hell in confronting lawmakers at the Capitol on January 6, ignited the mayhem.

'Inciter in chief'

He incited this attack, Raskin told the Senate. He clearly surrendered his role as commander in chief and became the inciter in chief.

Raskin contended that Trump was singularly responsible in exhorting his supporters to try to upend Bidens victory.

After the House impeachment managers finish their case on Thursday, Trumps lawyers will have up to 16 hours to present his defense on Friday and Saturday.

Trumps lawyers say he bears no responsibility for the attack on the Capitol. Instead, they say, his rhetoric amounted to permissible political discourse and was protected by the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech.

The Senate voted 56-44 on Tuesday to move ahead with the trial, rejecting Trumps claim that it was unconstitutional to try him on impeachment charges since he has already left office. The vote also seemed to signal that relatively few Republicans appear willing to convict him.

Trump declined Democrats offer to testify in his defense and is not expected to attend the trial. He left Washington hours ahead of Bidens inauguration January 20 and is living at his Florida mansion.


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A new inquest has been ordered into the deaths of six men believed to have been killed by the Army in North Belfast during the Troubles (Niall Carson/PA)

The Attorney General has ordered a new inquest into the deaths of six men believed to have been killed by the Army in North Belfast during the Troubles.

James McCann, James Sloan, Anthony Campbell, Ambrose Hardy, John Loughran and Brendan Maguire were killed in the New Lodge area in 1973.

A number of them were members of the IRA.

We have just received communication from the Attorney General that following a Section 14 Application from Relatives for Justice that a fresh inquest has been ordered into the killings of 6 men in New Lodge in February 1973. #NewLodge6  Relatives 4 Justice (@RelsForJustice) February 12, 2021

Attorney General Brenda King wrote to victims group Relatives For Justice (RFJ), informing it of her decision.

Relatives of the dead believe the first two shootings were designed to provoke a response from the IRA.

RFJ casework manager Mike Ritchie said: They claimed that all six were in the IRA but that is obviously not the case.

Two were IRA personnel but not on active service at the time.

He said the group had been out for a drink when they were shot dead by soldiers in an effort to provoke a battle with republicans.

The men, referred to as the New Lodge Six, were killed in two separate shooting incidents.

Their families believe soldiers were responsible for all the killings and that a one-day inquest in 1975 failed to properly examine the deaths.

Relatives For Justice said the coroner will be able to force the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Ministry of Defence to hand over documentation and ensure any surviving soldiers are required to attend and face cross-examination on their conduct.

It will also mean that vital evidence from eyewitnesses, whose statements were not heard by the original inquest, can be considered.

While the deaths of Anthony Campbell, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran and Ambrose Hardy will be reviewed by the PSNIs Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB), those of James Joseph Sloan and James McCann will not, the Attorney General said.

She said it may be some time before police investigations are completed and any evidential leads investigated.

While it would have been open to me to either refuse or defer making a decision in their cases, I believe it is preferable that all of the killings in the New Lodge area on 3/4 February 1973 be the subject of a fresh inquest.

In the event that the PSNI investigations result in further evidential leads being discovered these should, of course, be pursued by the PSNI and the coroner should be informed of any significant developments.

Mr Ritchie said it was an important step in the search for truth about the events in New Lodge 48 years ago.

Willie Loughran, the brother of John, said it was an unprovoked attack on the New Lodge community that has left a deep trauma and many questions.

We hope that a new inquest will answer some of the many questions we have as to the intentions and actions of the British Army on that awful night.

Gary Duffy, a lawyer from KRW LAW, said it was massive news for families who have fought tirelessly over decades.

Its important to note that todays result comes against a background of intense litigation.

Ongoing judicial review challenges by the Campbell and Beatty families will now be reassessed in light of this direction.

This includes the case examining ongoing failures to have an independent criminal investigation into the murders which is due for hearing later this year.

He said he was writing to the attorneys office asking for immediate prioritisation of this inquest given the elderly age of the next of kin and the fact that this was one of the earliest atrocities of the conflict.

So often we have seen families hopes of access to justice evaporate because of the systemic chronic delays in getting inquests to hearing.

We really have to guard against that happening in yet another case.
Outdoor tables and benches are restricted from use at Mariachi Plaza in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (PC-The New York Times/Alex Welsh)

A year ago, during his State of the State speech, California Gov. Gavin Newsom eschewed his usual practice of listing a host of ambitious proposals and instead focused on one thing: homelessness. Since then the state and governors office have been upended by the pandemic and its devastating effect on the economy. But while priorities naturally shifted, the housing problem was always there  and the coronavirus has only made it worse.

With the virus still spreading and the job market on shaky ground, Newsom signed a bill last month that extended the states eviction moratorium, which was scheduled to lapse this month, into the summer. The bill also allocated $2.6 billion in federal money to clear back rent, in hopes of allowing tenants who qualify to emerge with less debt.

New Yorks COVID-19 vaccine websites werent working. He built a new one for $50

But while those triage measures will ease some of the short-term pain, the decades old housing crisis is still very much with us. Even with rents falling in many cities, California continues to have one of the worst rental burdens in the country, with about a third of tenants paying half their pretax income on housing, compared with a quarter nationwide. It also still has the nations worst problem with homelessness.

So, as has become a ritual for the past several years, the state Legislature has introduced a blizzard of new housing bills intended to make housing more plentiful and affordable. Toni Atkins, the state Senate president pro tem, listed bills to increase housing production among her top goals for this years legislative session, and legislators have once again introduced various new bills to increase density along with funding for homeless services and subsidized housing.

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

Sacramento, in the meantime, recently became the first city in the state to allow apartments in single-family home neighborhoods, after the City Council voted to adopt a plan that would allow developers to build fourplexes on any residential lot.

Its hard to imagine now, but 2020 was supposed to be the year of housing production. And while 2021 will be the Legislatures attempt at a do-over, the past year is a reminder that the housing crisis is always with us, no matter what comes along to overshadow it.

Scientists sceptical of new bat study linking climate change to Covid-19 emergence

Posted on 12 February 2021 by Guest Author

This commentary, authored by Ayesha Tandon, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Feb 5, 2021. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments posted on Carbon Brief.

Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash

A new study suggests that climate change is enabling the evolution of new coronaviruses by creating hotspots for multiple bat species.

The study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, finds that Yunnan province in southern China, as well as neighbouring regions of Myanmar and Laos, have become global hotspots of bat species richness over the past century.

Around 40 species of bat have moved into the region, the authors say, bringing roughly 100 additional types of coronaviruses with them. This is due to climate change-induced changes in vegetation, they argue, adding that the bat-borne ancestors of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2  the latter being the virus that causes Covid-19  are thought to have originated there.

However, many scientists not involved in the study say they have concerns about the data used in the study and the conclusions it draws. One tells Carbon Brief that the study makes too many assumptionsto conclude that climate change could have increased the likelihood of the pandemic occurring in this way.

Impact of climate change on bat hotspots

The past century has seen changes in bat species richness  the number of bat species in a given region  across the world. The new study points to shifting vegetation types as a key factor behind these changes.

The map below shows changes in bat species richness between the two periods 1901-1930 and 1990-2019 that  the study says  have been driven by climate change-induced vegetation changes. The orange and red shading indicates a greater increase in bat species richness.

Estimated increase in the local number of bat species due to shifts in their geographical ranges driven by climate change between the 1901-1930 and 1990-2019 periods. The Yunnan-Myanmar-Laos hotspot is enlarged in the box. Source: (Beyer et al. 2021).

The map shows that Yunnan (a southern Chinese province) and neighbouring regions in Myanmar and Laos have seen the biggest increase in bat species diversity. These are the areas of dark red highlighted in the box. There was also a notable increase in central Africa, plus several regions of Central and South America, the study says.

Dr Robert Beyer, from the University of Cambridge Zoology department and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research, is the lead author of this study. He tells Carbon Brief that the impact of climate change is expanding the habitat for bats in the region:

We know that the overall region is inherently rich in bat species, however, our data suggest that many of these bats were not able to use a significant portion of the local environment a century ago. Climate change has made many of these habitats more suitable for bats, allowing them to expand their ranges into new areas.

These vegetation changes are being driven by higher atmospheric CO2 levels, increased temperature, changed rainfall patterns and reduced cloud cover, the study notes.

Focusing specifically on Yunnan, the plot below shows how habitats have shifted over the 20th century. The left side shows the 1901-1930 distribution of vegetation over the province, and the right side shows the 1990-2019 distribution.

Change in biome in the Yunnan-Myanmar-Laos area. 1901-1930 average compared to 1990-2019 average. Source: Beyer et al. (Beyer et al. 2021).

The plot indicates that over the 20th century, there was a significant shift from tropical shrublands to tropical savannahs and deciduous woodland. This is significant, the authors note, because more bat species can survive in a tropical savannah than in tropical forests.

The chart below shows that tropical forests are suitable habitats for the vast majority of bat species.

Percentage of bat species that can live in different habitat types. Source: ( Beyer et al. 2021 ).

However, there are other factors that can affect bat populations that werent included in the study, the authors note. These include land use change from human activity, hunting, invasive species and pollution.

Bat-borne diseases

More than 60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic  meaning that they originate in animals. Last year, Carbon Brief published an explainer that unpacks how climate change and biodiversity disturbance could raise the risk of diseases being transmitted from animals to humans.

Bats carry the highest proportion of zoonotic viruses out of all mammals. The worlds bat population carries roughly 3,000 different types of coronavirus, and each individual species harbours an average of 2.7 different coronaviruses alone.

The paper notes that Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), SARS CoV-1  which is typically known as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)  and SARS CoV-2  the virus that causes Covid19  are all thought to have originated in bats.

Fruit bats hanging on trees during day, Tioman Island, Malaysia.. Credit: Peter Conner / Alamy Stock Photo.

The paper estimates that climate change-driven changes in vegetation drew an extra 40 species of bats into the hotspot highlighted in the map, leading to roughly 100 more coronaviruses in the area.

Beyers tells Carbon Brief that this allows more opportunities for the virus to be transmitted or evolve, and may have been how SARS-CoV-2 shifted species:

We estimate that the number of bat species, and of bat-borne coronaviruses, in the likely origin of SARS-CoV-2 has substantially increased due to climate-driven changes in the natural vegetation. This process has likely created significant new opportunities for the virus to be transmitted or evolve.

The piece notes that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is thought to have originated in bats in Yunnan, and that civets and pangolins carrying these viruses were then taken to wildlife markets in Guangdong and Wuhan, where the virus first began to infect people.

Sceptical reaction

To model the change in bat richness density, the authors created a map of the worlds vegetation using a global temperature dataset and a vegetation model. They then used information about the vegetation requirements of the worlds bat species to work out the global distribution of each species.

However, many scientists are sceptical of the methods used and the conclusions drawn.

Dr Dann Mitchell  joint Met Office chair in climate hazards at the University of Bristol, who was not involved in the study  tells Carbon Brief about issues with the climate data used:

Using some of our best climate observations, the authors identify a strong climate-driven signal over Myanmar and Laos, but there will be large uncertainties associated with variables such as cloud cover in that region, especially 100 years ago in South Asia  there is a lot of missing data there.

Prof Paul Valdes, a professor of physical geography at the University of Bristol, notes that although the paper is interesting, there are still many untested aspects of their conclusions  especially since we are still debating the origins of Covid.

Furthermore, to model bat species distributions, the authors rely on data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature bat specialist group. Dr Matthew Struebig, from the University of Kent, is a member of the group, and warns that this map distribution data is grossly insufficient. He adds:

Many species are not fully assessed, and too many are so poorly known they are only documented as a few dots on a map. Very little is known about optimum or preferred vegetation types  especially in the region highlighted in this study.

The study estimates the bat fauna of southern China and neighbouring countries increased by a whopping 40+ species in around 120 years. To put that into perspective, that would mean the number of bat species in Myanmar doubled in little over a century. Simply looking back at old species accounts and ecological studies from the region shows this simply did not happen.

He adds that he is sceptical of the link between climate change and bat distribution change, and that the study makes too many assumptions for me to conclude that climate change could have increased the likelihood of the pandemic occurring in this way.

Prof Paul Valdes, a professor of physical geography at the University of Bristol, notes that although the paper is interesting, there are still many untested aspects of their conclusions  especially since we are still debating the origins of Covid.

He concludes that it seems premature to conclude that climate change has had a big effect on the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.

Dr David Redding, a research fellow at the Zoological Society of London, agrees, noting that while it is useful to think about these types of links it is important to underpin these investigations with rigorous science. He tells Carbon Brief:

We know very little about the geographical origins of SARS or SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, the paper that is referenced by the authors to link the putative SE-Asia hotspot to the possible origin of these pathogens, merely mentions that Vietnam and Laos were not examined by Chinese scientists and, therefore, could not be discounted as possible source locations.

He adds that there are many other missing links in the research, for example that we know very little about how many viruses circulate between individuals in host species.

Prof Hans-Otto Poertner  head of biosciences at the Alfred Wegener Institute  tells Carbon Brief that though the analysis is very interesting, there are still questions that are not clear to him. This includes where the increase in species richness comes from, and whether there has been a timeseries of species observations supporting the modelled findings, he says.

And Prof Kate Jones  chair of ecology and biodiversity at University College London  stresses that although climate change has a role to play in changing species distributions to increase ecological hazard, there are other factors that are also important to consider.

She notes that the risk of spillover of a virus from a particular species to humans is a complex interplay of not only ecological hazard but human exposure and vulnerability. She adds:

It may turn out that increases in human populations, human movement and degrading natural environments through agricultural expansion have a more important role to play in understanding the spillover process of SARS-CoV-2.

Beyer, R. et al. (2021) Shifts in global bat diversity suggest a possible role of climate change in the emergence of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, Science of the Total Environment, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145413

MALARIA DENGUE TB PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO COVID-19

Although India has worked relentlessly towards developing innovative testing solutions for COVID-19 throughout last year, the timely detection of a number of other infectious diseases has been sidelined. In India, the range and burden of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, filariasis, leprosy, HIV infection, typhoid, hepatitis etc., are enormous. In fact, inadequate containment of the vector has resulted in recurrent outbreaks of dengue fever and re-emergence of chikungunya virus disease and typhus fever. If India can develop more than 20 different diagnostic tests or devices in a single year to fight COVID-19, many more such innovations can be brought to effectively detect other infections looming in our country.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 18:37:06|Editor: huaxia

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GILGIL, Kenya, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and two others injured on Friday when a minibus collided with a trailer in northwest Kenya, authorities said.

The head-on collision occurred early Friday along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, said John Onditi, Gilgil divisional police commander.

"Witnesses say the trailer was overtaking another car when it collided with the matatu that was oncoming," Onditi told journalists at the scene.

Locals refer to commuter minibuses as matatus.

"We have lost almost all onboard the matatu," Onditi said.

A Kenya Red Cross team and the police are trying to identify the victims.

An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accidents annually, according to the National Transport and Safety Authority.

Authorities have blamed increased road fatalities on speeding and drunk-driving. Enditem

Motorists in two vehicles could hold the key to an alleged attack on a bus driver south of Brisbane this week, police say.

The bus driver, a man in his 30s, allegedly had a liquid thought to be bleach thrown through his window from a passing car on Drews Road, Loganholme, on Monday morning.

While not suggested to have been involved in the alleged incident, police believe those in the cars may be able to help with their investigations.

Paramedics treated the Clarks Logan City Bus Service employee for burns to his face and eyes at the scene, before he was transported to hospital and released with no permanent damage. No passengers were on the bus at the time.

Police are now trying to locate the drivers of two vehicles, not suggested to have been in the incident, who might have more information about what happened.
San Francisco, Feb 12 : NASA is reportedly in talks with the Texas-based aerospace firm Axiom Space which arranges private astronaut rides to space to secure a seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that will transport astronauts to the International Space Station.

NASA is negotiating with Axiom Space to keep the Soyuz seat as a backup in the event of a problem with the upcoming ride with SpaceX, The Verge reported on Thursday.

The US space agency earlier this week said that it is considering providing in-kind services for this supplemental crew transportation service, rather than an exchange of funds.

NASA has been working with Boeing and SpaceX to provide safe and reliable crew transportation to and from the space station.

The recent success of NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission and the launch and docking of the Crew-1 mission have been significant milestones in providing reliable transportation to the space station on commercial spacecraft from American soil.

However, securing an additional Soyuz seat assures the back-up capability of at least one U.S. crew member aboard the International Space Station in the event of a problem with an upcoming ride, NASA said.

It has been NASA's practice to fly mixed crews on spacecraft to ensure safe and continuous operations of the International Space Station.

Due to operational constraints, crew members must fly to the station and return on the same spacecraft.

The crew currently aboard the station (Kate Rubins and the Crew-1 astronauts) must return on Soyuz and Crew Dragon respectively in April/May.

NASA said the SpaceX Crew-2 is expected to launch as planned on April 20.

However, if the mission launch is delayed or an event occurs while Crew-2 is in-orbit that requires a premature return, NASA risks not having a US crew member aboard the International Space Station.

"At NASA, we have a phrase we use often - dissimilar redundancy. That's NASA speak for saying we always have a back-up plan that ensures we have a path forward even if we encounter an issue with our initial approach," Robyn Gatens, Acting Director for the International Space Station at NASA Headquarters, said in a statement.

"We look forward to the next crew rotation on NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission, and we're looking to ensure we can continue to maximise our use of the station and minimize any risk by flying a US astronaut on the upcoming spring Soyuz by providing in-kind services."

NORTH BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT) today announced the promotion of Jeffrey S. Berkes to President and Chief Operating Officer. In this newly created role, Mr. Berkes will have direct responsibility for overseeing and directing all of Federal's day-to-day property operating functions, including leasing, development and asset management, on both the East and West Coasts. Mr. Berkes will partner in his new role with Wendy A. Seher, an 18-year veteran of the company, who serves as President, Eastern Region, and with Jan Sweetnam, a 24-year veteran of the company, who has been promoted to President, Western Region. Both Ms. Seher and Mr. Sweetnam will report directly to Mr. Berkes who, in his expanded role, will continue to report to Don Wood, the company's Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Berkes has been with Federal for nearly 22 years serving as its Chief Investment Officer from 2000 through 2010 and as President, Western Region since 2011, where he was charged with growing the company's presence on that coast. During the period between 2011 and 2019, the property operating income of Federal's West Coast portfolio more than doubled, representing over 10% compound annual growth.

"It is with great pleasure that I, along with the unanimous support of our Board of Trustees, am able to promote an executive of Jeff's intelligence and integrity to this newly created position," said Don Wood, Federal's Chief Executive Officer. "Putting our strongest athletes in positions where they can have the greatest impact will never be more important than in a post-COVID operating environment. The trio of Mr. Berkes, Ms. Seher and Mr. Sweetman, supported by what I believe are the best operators in the business, enhances our ability to execute in that environment."

Mr. Sweetnam, a seasoned executive with more than three decades in the industry, joined Federal in 1997 and has held positions in acquisitions and development, and most recently as Western Region Chief Operating Officer. In his new role of President, Western Region, he leads the asset management, operating and development teams for the company's West Coast portfolio, which comprises nearly 5.5 million square feet of some of the best retail and mixed-use real estate in the country.

Additionally, the company has promoted key personnel in its acquisitions, leasing and asset management teams.

Barry Carty has been appointed Senior Vice President, East Coast Acquisitions. Mr. Carty, who has been with the company since 2000, oversees Federal's acquisition and disposition strategy on the East Coast, and has been behind some of its most notable acquisitions, most recently the Hoboken portfolio.

Lance W. Billingsley is now Senior Vice President, Anchor Leasing. Mr. Billingsley oversees large-footprint tenant transactions for 80 shopping centers, representing over 12 million square feet of leasable space from the Boston suburbs through South Florida.

Kari L. Glinski has been promoted to Vice President, Asset Management, Metropolitan Philadelphia Region. Ms. Glinski joined Federal in 2014 as a senior acquisitions associate, and is now responsible for the performance of 20 assets representing approximately 4.5 million square feet, including strategic planning and value creation.

Michael S. Papillon is promoted to Vice President, Asset Management, Maryland Region. Mr. Papillon, joined Federal in 2013 and during his tenure has been responsible for the overall operations of Santana Row, Bethesda Row and Pike & Rose, and is now expanding his role to oversee the performance of Federal's Maryland portfolio.

"We continue to focus on developing a deep bench of experienced and forward-thinking senior leaders at Federal, and these promotions from within our company further validate that," said Don Wood. "I am confident that under their leadership, we will continue to execute on our long-term business plan of offering the highest-quality and most desirable portfolio of retail-based properties in our respective markets."

About Federal Realty

Federal Realty is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of high-quality retail-based properties located primarily in major coastal markets from Washington, D.C. to Boston as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Founded in 1962, Federal Realty's mission is to deliver long-term, sustainable growth through investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand exceeds supply. Its expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods like Santana Row in San Jose, California, Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland and Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts. These unique and vibrant environments that combine shopping, dining, living, and working provide a destination experience valued by their respective communities. Federal Realty's 101 properties include approximately 2,800 tenants, in 23 million square feet, and approximately 2,900 residential units.

Federal Realty has increased its quarterly dividends to its shareholders for 53 consecutive years, the longest record in the REIT industry. Federal Realty is an S&P 500 index member and its shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol FRT. For additional information about Federal Realty and its properties, visit www.federalrealty.com.

Investor Inquiries:

Leah Andress Brady

Investor Relations Senior Manager

301.998.8265

[email protected]

Media Inquiries:

Brenda Pomar

Corporate Communications Manager

301.998.8316

[email protected]

SOURCE Federal Realty Investment Trust

Related Links

http://www.federalrealty.com




The Perspective

Atlanta, Georgia

February 12, 2021

Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis

Between 1998 and 2001, I was serving in an office on the 10th floor of the Ministry of Finance when news about a scandal at the Revenue Department broke out. Major newspapers in Monrovia reported it on their front pages. The reports were so revealing and damning that the scandal captured the attention of people in high places. It became the talk of the town.

As a way of covering up the incident, authorities at the Finance Ministry ostensibly apprehended the director of that unit and other suspects of the corruption scandal and forwarded them to the Justice Ministry. But that did not solve the problem, and stealing public funds in government official circles (i.e. Corruption) continued unabated.

In the wake of the scandal, during a regular Sunday Mass, the late Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis decried corruption in government offices. The Catholic prelate wondered why, after a brutal civil war, people would not change their attitudes. He wondered why government officials still engaged in acts of corruption, ills for which the previous government was battered and brought down.

The Archbishop's exhortation on official corruption in the postwar Taylor administration, of course, did not go down well with the then officials at the Ministry of Finance. In a very glitzy way, they launched a vicious vendetta in the media to malign the Archbishop. Using government resources, they bought favor from major newspapers, including the Inquirer. Instead of addressing the scandal as reported from the Ministry, the media massively scolded the Catholic prelate simply for speaking out against pervasive official corruption.

The officials snootily cautioned Archbishop Francis to focus on cleaning up the church. The finance Ministry invariably referred to him disrespectfully as Michael K. Francis, inciting and referring him to a biblical verse: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye. (Matt. 7:5)

The late Archbishop Francis was, perhaps, not a perfect Priest, but he tried to be a good person like each and every one of us. With his training and vow, he walked some fine lines. He was serene in dealing with the vicious media attacks on his person to the end, and the issue eventually subsided.

Archbishop Francis was entrusted with the Liberian Catholic Church. His responsibility was to provide for the people, teach and sanctify the faithful. With commitments to his priestly vows, Archbishop Francis lived up to these bishopric responsibilities. He exuded moral authority during his leadership of the church. In so doing, his flock, including the clergy and the laity, were loyal, happy, and proud of the church.

However, the role of the church in society, as envisioned and fostered by Archbishop Francis, may be diminishing. Indeed, the future of the Liberian Catholic Church is apparently grim following his demise. Although Bishop Andrew J. Karnley of the Cape Palmas Diocese is credited for his effort towards keeping the vision and dream of Archbishop Francis alive, the church is grossly failing our society.

Time has changed since the passing of Archbishop Francis, but all sorts of things are happening. In fact, too many strange things are happening in Liberia--the pervasive murders of young professionals, and the raping of children, just to name a few. In this situation, the church stands morally obliged to confront this pestering evil in society--in the spirit of Archbishop Francis. It must be assertive and steadfast, affirming its role as the voice of the voiceless. In doing so, it must focus on advocacy and the propagation of faith while winning souls to Gods kingdom.

Over the years, the church, with Archbishop Francis and others providing leadership, stood the test of time and rallied to the cause of human dignity and the sanctity of life. It effectively stood on the side of the voiceless and oppressed and loudly spoke against societal ills. In its advocacy, the Church spoke loudly about problems in society, including bad administration, misuse of public resources, abuse of power, misapplication of justice, etc. The clergy used homilies/sermons, consistently and persistently advocating for the voiceless. Other churches and religious groups too were on the frontline advocating for the poor masses.

The Catholic Church, as we have been taught in school, has certain fundamental principles relative to the dignity and wellbeing of mankind. The teaching of the Gospel and thereby the winning of souls are as critical and crucial entirely in developing the human potential. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Church to ensure that every member coming through the door is exposed to available opportunities. The church must ensure that people have access to quality education as well as affordable and quality health services because all these contribute to quality of life.

Cognizant of the role of the church to serve humanity, Catholic missionaries have over the years labored to strengthen our society, catering to the needy and empowering them to reach their potential. Through missionary endeavors, the church has been in the vanguard of providing quality education at a modest cost. Missionary priests helped enhanced and facilitated the delivery of good education. Some priests taught various subjects, including mathematics, physics, chemistry while imparting moral principles.

This longstanding good and remarkable education program is being gradually eroded. The standard of Catholic education that used to be cheap and was catering to rural and urban poor, struggling families, has become very expensive for an average Liberian family. Parents have to now scratch and scrape everywhere annually to meet up with the rising cost of tuition in Catholic schools. Yet, while parents endeavor desperately to maintain their kids in these facilities, the academic output of students continues to decline at an alarming rate--to the point that Catholic students are finding it difficult to make a pass in WACSS. Teachers and administrators continue to complain of poor benefits, including remuneration.

Yet, news coming from the Education Secretariat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia headed by an ordained Priest is very troubling. It has been reported that Catholic school teachers go on strike for salary arrears and other benefits. The reports gravely cast doubts about the Mission of the Liberian Catholic Church as far its educational program is concerned. These kinds of reports are unprecedented in the Churchs many years of providing quality education and other services in Liberia. It is public knowledge and very that the Church has played a very significant role in Liberian society, especially in the educational sector. The Church is credited for its good and well-organized educational system characterized by uncompromised discipline. There is no trace of records where Catholic teachers have ever gone on strike for salary arrears. The Missionary priests, who ran the schools, handled everything in very professional ways. All issues were handled according to an established code of conduct. As a result, Catholic schools attracted students from all backgrounds, including Muslims and others.

As we begin 2021, we hope the Church will carefully take stock of its activities, especially in its education sector. Lets try to keep the dream of Archbishop Michael K. Francis alive, not only the church, but also in the entire nation. In so doing, the Church and other anti-corruption entities must exert more energies and never get bored of advocating for social justice and quality education.




Snow finally started to accumulate in Portland Thursday.

As usual, Portlanders were skeptical of the snow ever appearing earlier in the day, even though the National Weather Service in Portland was confident in their prediction.

The promised snow began to materialize in the Portland area just in time for the evening commute. As temperatures dropped and snow fell, the National Weather Service in Portland urged drivers to be careful.

Finally seeing more snowflakes here in east Portland late this afternoon as the temperature has crept down to 30 deg...and seeing more reports of the same elsewhere across the metro area. Be careful on your evening commute! pic.twitter.com/LYik4vu3AW  NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) February 12, 2021

When the snow started sticking, people started taking pictures.

Here are pictures of the snow in Portland from social media and our reporters.

Snow in Southwest Portland, Feb. 11, 2021 (Mark Friesen/The Oregonian)

Westbound Cornell at about 700 feet. One mile before Skyline.@WashCoScanner pic.twitter.com/KlAVQ12iqD  Rahul Reddy (@owllionaire) February 12, 2021

A carpet of ice is under construction in the backyard. #pdxtst pic.twitter.com/n1ptBTJe18  Sam Grover (@samgrover) February 11, 2021

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Bethesda: US President Joe Biden said on Thursday, local time, that the US will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans.

Biden made the announcement at the sprawling National Institutes of Health complex just outside Washington as he visited some of the nations leading scientists on the frontlines of the fight against the disease.

He toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the US and other countries.

US President Joe Biden wears a protective mask while speaking at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Credit:Bloomberg

The US is on pace to exceed Bidens goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks.

The European (EU) Union is likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, possibly as soon as this month, after France and Germany signaled their willingness to move ahead, three diplomats said, Reuters reported.

The sanctions, in response to the jailing of Putins main domestic critic Alexei Navalny, could be the first to be imposed under a new framework enacted in December, which allows the EU to take measures against human rights violators worldwide.

But Berlin and Paris are still likely to withhold support for tougher steps sought by some European allies, such as halting the huge Nord Stream II natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

Pressure for sanctions has grown since Moscow infuriated European countries last week by expelling German, Polish and Swedish diplomats without telling the EUs foreign policy chief, who was in Moscow for a visit. Paris and Berlin now say there must be a response.

Poland, Baltic countries, the Czech Republic and Romania had already been pushing for sanctions, and the agreement of the EUs two most powerful countries means other EU states are unlikely to block it. The decision could be taken when EU foreign ministers hold their next meeting on Feb. 22.
Delirium, a form of acute brain dysfunction, is widespread in critically ill patients in lower resourced hospitals, and the duration of delirium predicted both mortality and disability at six months after discharge, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.

Working with partners in Zambia, Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers evaluated 711 hospitalized critically ill patients; delirium occurred in 48.5%. The findings shed light on the impact of delirium on a patient's recovery -- and even whether a patient is likely to live or die.

There have been limited data on the prevalence and outcomes of delirium in low- and middle-income countries, despite there being high numbers of critically ill patients. The mitigation of delirium and post-acute support of patients with delirium is a growing public health concern in the U.S. and Europe as the number of patients in intensive care units surged with the rise of COVID-19 cases.

There is a driving unmet need to understand what happens with people's brains in critical illness in low- and middle- income countries as well as with HIV in all settings. The necessity is now urgent because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Delirium has become the epidemic within the pandemic -- and it's the strongest predictor of long-term acquired cognitive impairment after critical illness. These are bread and butter issues people care about: will I live or die and if I live, what will I be like as a person." Wesley Ely, MD, MPH, Co-Director, Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center, VUMC and Senior Author

Patients with delirium had a higher six-month mortality, 44.6%, than patients without delirium who had a 20.0% six-month mortality. Compared to no delirium, presence of 1, 2 or 3 days of delirium predicted higher odds of six-month mortality of 1.43, 2.20, and 3.92, respectively. A similar relationship was found between duration of delirium and odds of worse six-month disability, assessed using the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule.

The study adjusted for age, sex, education, income, Universal Vital Assessment (UVA) severity of illness score, HIV status, and current antituberculosis treatment in adult patients who spoke English, Nyanja, or Bemba at the University Teaching Hospital, a 1,655-bed national referral hospital in Lusaka with about 17,500 acute admissions annually.

The prevalence of HIV in the study cohort was 45.4% while 27.2% of participants had a history of tuberculosis, suggesting delirium is an important clinical issue impacting the lives of hospitalized patients with HIV and tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa. The high mortality and disability associated with delirium in this medically and socioeconomically vulnerable patient population spotlights an urgent global health issue.

"Acute brain dysfunction can have a variety of drivers, yet we know that delirium can itself lead to poor outcomes. In other parts of the world delirium is recognized as a major public health concern, while in lower resourced communities the magnitude of the problem has been obscured by acutely pressing issues such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.

Our research suggests it's widespread and may present an opportunity to improve the lives of critically ill patients in low- and middle-income countries in the future as well as advocate for global critical care equity during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Justin Banerdt, MD, MPH, internal medicine resident at Yale School of Medicine, and corresponding author who led the study on the ground in Zambia while a MD/MPH student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

The next step is to see which interventions are effective in resource limited hospitals, said Douglas Heimburger, MD, MS, professor of Medicine and core faculty at the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health. He leads projects with grant funding from the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"I'm glad for the opportunity to bring attention to the implications that delirium has on patients and communities with solid evidence. The takeaway is that delirium needs to be treated alongside the underlying and driving issue. It's an important message that needs to be a call to action so we can save and improve more lives," said Heimburger.
[February 12, 2021] WESCO Announces Sale of Legacy Canada Datacom Business to Guillevin

WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE: WCC) today announced that it has sold its legacy WESCO Datacom business in Canada to Guillevin International, a Canadian distributor of industrial products. The transaction fulfills WESCO's commitment to divest its legacy Canadian Utility and Datacom businesses in connection with its Consent Agreement with the Canadian Competition Bureau related to WESCO's merger with Anixter (News - Alert) International, which closed on June 22, 2020. Net proceeds will be used to repay indebtedness. John Engel, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are pleased to complete this transaction and to satisfy the last divestiture requirement of our agreement with the Canadian Competition Bureau. This transaction is a highly successful outcome for WESCO. We will support our associates as they transition to Guillevin, and we wish them continued success. WESCO is committed to continuing to serve datacom customers in Canada, through the legacy business we acquired with Anixter." About WESCO WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE: WCC), a publicly traded FORTUNE 500 company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Pro forma 2019 annual sales were over $17 billion, including Anixter International which it acquired in June 2020. WESCO offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The company employs over 18,000 people, maintains relationships with over 30,000 suppliers, and serves more than 150,000 customers worldwide. With nearly 1.5 million products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, WESCO provides innovative solutions to meet current customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, institutions, telecommunications providers and utilities. WESCO operates nearly 800 branch and warehouse locations in over 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and multi-national corporations.



Forward-Looking Statements All statements made herein that are not historical facts should be considered as forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the process to divest the legacy WESCO Utility and Datacom businesses in Canada, the expected benefits and costs of the transaction between WESCO and Anixter International Inc., including anticipated future financial and operating results, synergies, accretion and growth rates, and the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, statements that address the combined company's expected future business and financial performance, and other statements identified by words such as "anticipate," "plan," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "expect," "project," "will" and similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs of WESCO's management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, WESCO's management, current market trends and market conditions and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of WESCO's and WESCO's management's control, and which may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on such statements.

Those risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the transaction, the risk of any litigation or post-closing regulatory action relating to the transaction, the risk that the transaction could have an adverse effect on the ability of the combined company to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with its suppliers, customers and other business relationships and on its operating results and business generally, the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies or that the combined company could be required to divest one or more businesses, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected, the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve synergies or other anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies or benefits, the risk that the leverage of the company may be higher than anticipated, the impact of natural disasters, health epidemics and other outbreaks, especially the outbreak of COVID-19 since December 2019, which may have a material adverse effect on the combined company's business, results of operations and financial conditions, and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. All such factors are difficult to predict and are beyond each company's control. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in WESCO's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and WESCO's other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) "). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005524/en/

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Malaga city and 19 towns and villages in the province will be able to reopen their non-essential activities from tomorrow, Saturday, 13 February after registering a cumulative incidence rate of less than 1,000 infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

This was confirmed by the data published this Friday morning by the Junta de Andalucia after it postponed the decision on Thursday.

In addition to Malaga city the municipalities of Marbella, Velez-Malaga, Estepona, Coin, Genalguacil, Pizarra, Alameda, Benamocarra, Alfarnate, Cartajima, Casares, El Borge, Farajan, Ojen, Teba, Villanueva de Tapia, Arriate, Canillas de Albaida and Cortes de la Frontera will be allowed to lift the non-essential activity restriction which will allow bars, restaurants and business to reopen - subject to them not exceeding the 1,000 cases threshold again.

"Explosive"

If the incidence rate is above 500 then municipal border lockdowns will remain in place and people cannot enter or leave the area except for justified reasons.

The health authorities warn that the pressure on hospitals continues to be high, with about 4,000 patients admitted across Andalucia, of which more than 800 are in Malaga province.

The high daily number of deaths is also a concern. The president of the Junta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno, predicts "an explosive incidence" of the British strain in the coming weeks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers this new variant to be up to 70 per cent more contagious, although experts say that the vaccines approved so far by the European Medicines Agency also protect against the new strains detected.

Click on your town on the graph below to see how the 14-day Covid-19 incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants has varied this year.
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Death of North Walsham Congregational minister Death of North Walsham Congregational minister

Reverend Richard Woodhouse, of North Walsham Congregational Church, has died unexpectedly at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on January 12 2021.

Rev Woodhouse served as assistant minister at Cowper Memorial Congregational Church in Dereham before being appointed as minister of the church in 1985. He later gave oversight to Hingham Congregational Church, near Wymondham and, in September 1993, moved to become the minister at North Walsham where he served until 2008.



In the May of that year, he accepted a call to become the minister of Kentish Town Congregational Church, London, where he remained until 2013. But he was called once again to North Walsham and returned to serve there for a second time.



The Reverend Richard Woodhouse, who was 64, was described as well-respected, and his colleagues within the church said that his death had left "a great sense of loss amongst the churches that he served.



Rev Woodhouse was a regular preacher at many of Norfolks Congregational churches and served the wider denomination in a variety of ways. After many of the Congregational churches became part of the United Reformed Church, he remained a staunch Congregationalist and served both the churches and the community in which he lived with great faithfulness.



His funeral took place at North Walsham Congregational Church on Wednesday, February 3, conducted by the Rev Chris Damp, minister of Bunyan Meeting House in Bedford. A burial at Scarning churchyard, near Dereham, followed the service.

A memorial service is being planned and will take place once Covid restrictions are lifted.



Donations in his memory can be made to North Walsham Congregational Church via Murrell Cork Funerals, 57a Mundesley Road, North Walsham, NR28 0DB.



This is based on an article in the North Norfolk News .



The photo above was supplied to the North Norfolk News.



Tony Rothe, 12/02/2021
Hours after barred World News from its television networks and Hong Kong's public broadcaster said it would stop relaying World Service radio, the UK dubbed the move "an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom".

China's tit-for-tat step came a week after the UK revoked the license of Chinese state-owned broadcaster Global Television Network's (CGTN). Its National Radio and Television Administration said World News' reports on had "seriously violated" a requirement to be "truthful and fair", harmed the country's interests and undermined national unity.

The move also came days after BBC News' report on systematic rape and sexual abuse against women in internment camps for ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in China's Xinjiang region. The suspension of BBC radio news programming by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the publicly funded broadcaster in the former British territory, underlines Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong extends to media.

China has criticised BBC for its reporting on the coronavirus pandemic and the persecution of ethnic minority Uighurs and lodged a protest with the British broadcaster. The BBC said it was disappointed" by China's decision, and that it was "the world's most trusted news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour.

British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said: "China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe, and this latest step will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world." The Chinese embassy in London responded with a stinging statement, attributed to an unnamed spokesperson: BBCs relentless fabrication of lies of the century in reporting China runs counter to the professional ethics of journalism, and reeks of double standards and ideological bias.



The so-called media freedom is nothing but a pretext and disguise to churn out disinformation and slanders against other countries, it said.

Reacting to the development, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said it was troubling that as (China) restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China, Beijing's leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation.
District 47 - West TN  Northern

DYER COUNTY, SR-3 (US-51): The repair of bridges on US 51 (SR 3) over SR 211 in Dyersburg will cause temporary lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 55 MPH.

DYER COUNTY, SR-3 (US-51): The repair of bridges on US 51 (SR 3) over the South Fork Forked Deer River will cause temporary lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 55/45 MPH.

Restrictions: Beginning January 25, 2021, Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction with a 12 6 lane restriction.

DYER COUNTY, SR-20: The repair of bridge on US 412 (SR 20) over Hogwallow Road will cause temporary lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 55 MPH.



HENDERSON COUNTY (New Lexington By-Pass): The grading, drainage, construction of bridges and retaining walls, signals and paving on US 412 (SR 459) from US 412 (SR 20) west of Lexington to near SR 22 south of Lexington. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway.



HENRY COUNTY, SR-54: The grading, drainage, construction of bridges, retaining wall and paving on SR 54 from near Rison Street to near Smith Road. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway. *Speed limit has been reduced to 35 MPH.

OBION COUNTY, Future I-69 (Phase 3): Grading, drainage, construction of bridges and paving on future I-69 from west of SR 21 to US 51 (SR 3) will cause possible lane closures throughout the project.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020: Bethlehem Road north from Clifford Rives Road to Lindenwood Road will be closed. Claude Tucker Road north from Cloys Road to Section Line Road will be closed. Detour routes are posted.

WEAKLEY COUNTY, US 45E (SR-43): The repair of bridge on US 45E (SR 43) over the North Fork Obion River and Overflow will cause possible temporary lane closures throughout the project.

TDOT District 47 MAINTENANCE:



Wednesday, February 10 through Wednesday, February 17, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures at various locations in Region IV in order to repair pavement on an as needed basis.

District 48 - West TN  Middle/Southern



CROCKETT COUNTY, SR-20 (US 412) (Non-TDOT work):

Wednesday, February 10 through Wednesday, February 17, 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures on SR 20 (US 412) east and westbound in Bells, TN at SR 88, for the installation of a turning lane in the median and shoulder upgrades.

HARDIN COUNTY, SR-69: The construction of a Bulb Tee bridge over Doe Creek along with grading, drainage, and paving may cause temporary lane closures on SR 69 at LM 10.06. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway.



HARDIN COUNTY, SR-128: The grading, drainage and paving on SR 128 from south of Pyburns Drive (LM 3.11) to north of SR 226 (Airport Road) (LM 6.54). Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway.

HAYWOOD COUNTY, SR-1 (US 70): Miscellaneous safety improvements on SR 1 from near Briley/Chestnut Grove Road to the Madison County line may cause temporary lane closures.



HAYWOOD COUNTY, SR-19 (Brownsville Bypass): The construction of an I-Beam bridge along with grading, drainage, and paving may cause temporary lane closures on SR 19 (Brownsville Bypass) from east of SR 87 to west of Windrow Rd. One lane will remain. Motorists should watch for trucks entering and exiting the roadway. Speed limit is reduced to 45 MPH within the project limits. Shaw Chapel and King Road are closed at SR 19 and a detour put in place. Haralson St (Old SR19) will be closed at SR19 Bypass beginning Wednesday 11-4-2020 and a detour put in place.



HENDERSON COUNTY, SR 22: The repair of the bridges on SR 22 over Big Beaver Creek (LM 19.51) and Little Beaver Creek (LM 20.01). Restrictions: Beginning February 1, 2020 there will be a 12 width restriction put in place. Motorists should watch for crews and equipment in the roadways. One lane will remain open in both directions.



MADISON COUNTY, I-40: The widening of I-40 east of US 45 (SR 5) MM 82.0 to east of US 70



(SR 1) MM 87.0 in Jackson, including bridges, retaining walls and installation of TDOT Smartway Intelligent Transportation System.

Wednesday, February 10 through Wednesday, February 17, 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: Campbell St. will be down to one lane in each direction over I-40 for Phase 1 bridge construction activities.

Wednesday, February 10 through Friday February 12, 7:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: I-40 east and westbound will have intermittent right lane closures from Exit 82 to Exit 87 for removal of light poles.

Monday, February 15 through Wednesday, February 17, 7:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: I-40 east and westbound will have intermittent right lane closures from Exit 82 to Exit 87 for removal of light poles.

Closed until Summer of 2021: Old Henderson Rd. Bridge over I-40 will be closed to thru traffic for Phase 1 bridge demolition activities. Detours will be posted for traffic.

Closed until Summer of 2021: Watson Rd. Bridge over I-40 will be closed to thru traffic for Phase 1 bridge demolition activities. Detours will be posted for traffic.

LOOK AHEAD

Wednesday, February 17 through Wednesday, February 24, 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.: Campbell St. will be down to one lane in each direction over I-40 for Phase 1 bridge construction activities.

Thursday, February 18 and Friday, February 19, 7:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: I-40 east and westbound will have intermittent right lane closures from Exit 82 to Exit 87 for removal of light poles.

MADISON COUNTY, SR-186 (US 45 Bypass) and I-40: Interchange improvements on SR 186 (US 45) north and southbound from the I-40 ramps to Old Hickory Blvd for paving and construction of retaining walls. Widening of I-40 from just east of Exit 79 to just east of Exit 82.

Thursday, February 11 and Friday, February 12, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for signal installation activities.

Monday, February 15 through Wednesday, February 17, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for signal installation activities.

Monday, February 15 through Wednesday, February 17, 8:00 p.m.6:00 a.m.: I-40 east and westbound will have intermittent left and right lane closures from mile marker 79 to mile marker 82 for overhead sign installation.

LOOK AHEAD



Thursday, February 18 and Friday, February 19, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for signal installation activities.

Monday, February 22 through Wednesday, February 24, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.: SR 5 (Highland Avenue) will have intermittent left and right lane closures both north and southbound from Vann Drive to the Carriage House/Ridgecrest intersection for signal installation activities.

TDOT District 48 MAINTENANCE:



Wednesday, February 10 through Wednesday, February 17, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures at various locations in Region IV in order to repair pavement on an as needed basis.

District 49 - West TN  Southwest



FAYETTE COUNTY, SR-196: The repair of bridge over Shaw Creek will cause a lane closure with temporary traffic signal near MM 7.0.

SHELBY COUNTY, I-40 & I-240 : ITS Preventative Maintenance Contract lane and ramp closures to install overhead signs.



Friday, February 12, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be nighttime ramp closures in Shelby County to install overhead signs at the I-240 northbound EXIT 31 to I-40 westbound and the I-240 northbound EXIT 31 On ramp from Madison Ave to I-40 westbound. Traffic will be detoured via Exit 2 to Chelsea Ave during operation. Weather Permitting.

Friday, February 12, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be intermittent lane closures on I-40 east and westbound between MM 1.0 and MM 2.0 for installing overhead signs. Traffic will be reduced to one lane westbound. Weather Permitting.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-14: The grading, drainage, construction of concrete Bulb-Tee and I-beam bridges, signals and paving on SR 14 from east of Old Covington Pike to SR 385 will cause possible lane closures throughout the project. *Speed limit has been reduced to 45 MPH.

SHELBY COUNTY, SR-14: Construction on SR 14 for a widening project from SR 385 to east of Kerrville Rosemark Rd. There will be possible temporary lane closures throughout the project. Access to SR 14 from McCalla Rd West will be permanently detoured to Donnell Rd. *Speed limit has been reduced to 45 MPH.



SHELBY COUNTY, SR-205 : The addition of turn lanes on SR 205 (Airline Rd) from Brooks River Drive to south of I 40 will have lane closures throughout the project.

Wednesday, February 10 through Tuesday, February 16, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be intermittent lane closures on SR 205 north and southbound from Brooks River Drive (LM 15.75) to just south of I-40 (LM 16.07) to perform temporary road widening work. There will be one lane traffic with flaggers present at times. *Speed limit has been reduced to 35 MPH. Weather Permitting.

TIPTON COUNTY, SR-59: The Emergency Slide Repair of SR 59 near MM 1.0 will cause a road closure with full detour signed.

TDOT District 49 On-Call Guardrail/Concrete Barrier Rail Repair

Thursday, February 11 through Wednesday, February 17, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: There will be daytime lane closures at various locations on SR 195, MM 3.0-MM 3.4 (Fayette County) and SR 206, MM 2.3 (Tipton County.) One lane will be closed. Flagmen will be used to direct traffic. Weather Permitting.

Wednesday, February 10 through Tuesday, February 16, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be night time lane closures at various locations on SR 3 (Shelby County), SR 385 (Shelby County), SR 14 (Shelby County), SR 15 (Shelby County), I-40 (Fayette and Shelby Counties), I-269 (Shelby and Fayette Counties), I-55 and I-240. One lane will be CLOSED to repair damaged guardrail. THP will assist with traffic control. Weather Permitting.

Wednesday, February 10 through Tuesday, February 16, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be nighttime ramp closures in Shelby County at the I-55 southbound EXIT 6B to I-240 northbound,

I-240 westbound EXIT 25A to I-55 southbound, and the SR 385 westbound On ramp from Hacks Cross. Weather Permitting.

LOOK AHEAD:

Wednesday, February 17 through Tuesday, February 23, 8:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m.: There will be nighttime ramp closures in Shelby County at the I-55 southbound EXIT 6B to I-240 northbound, I-55 northbound EXIT 12C on ramp from Metal Museum Drive,I-240 westbound EXIT 25A to I-55 southbound, and the SR 385 westbound On ramp from Hacks Cross and intermittent all lane closures at I-55 northbound ramp to I-55 northbound at the I-55/I-240 junction. Weather Permitting.

TDOT District 49 MAINTENANCE

Thursday, February 11 through Wednesday, February 17, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: There will be possible lane closures on all interstates and state routes in District 49 for routine maintenance activities on an as needed basis.

From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 from any land-line or cellular phone for travel information, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel or for West Tennessee follow https://twitter.com/NicLawrenceTDOT .

As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.

In 2016, the Tennessee Department of Transportation lost three workers in the line of duty. All three were struck by passing motorists. Those tragedies bring the total number of TDOT lives lost to 112. We dont want to lose another member of our TDOT family. Were asking you to WORK WITH US. Click on the WORK WITH US logo to learn more.
The Assad regime is obstructing the work of Syrian Negotiations Committee, writes North Press.

On Wednesday, the president of the Syrian Negotiations Committee Anas al-Abdah announced that he sent a letter to members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) stressing that the Damascus government delegation has been the obstructive party to the Committees work, and that the UNSC should assume its responsibility because wasting time is not in Syrians best interests.

On Tuesday, we sent a letter to the presidency of the UNSC to be distributed to its 15 members just before holding its closed session over Syria, Abdah said in a statement published on his Facebook account.

The letter stressed, the regime is the main obstructive party to the political path, and we called on the UNSC, which is the internationally responsible authority, to work on the implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2254 and all its agendas, he pointed out.

He added, the regime and its allies received a clear answer from European Union countries and others on Tuesday that there will be no legitimacy for upcoming elections and no reconstruction before reaching a political solution.

The EU stated that, the only path can be reached through implementing UNSC Resolution 2254 and all its agendas, while the regime should show its commitment to seriously work within this framework.

Constitutional Committee must set deadlines

On a related note, the Syrian opposition delegation to the Constitutional Committee implied that the regime delegation has shown that it has no intention or seriousness towards any political solution that leads to the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2254.

Co-chair of the Constitutional Committee in the Syrian Negotiation Commission, Hadi al-Bahra, stated on the Syrian Constitutional Committee Facebook page on Tuesday that wasting time prolongs the suffering and tragedy of the Syrian people, and this is totally unacceptable.

It is not possible to continue the work of the committee and guarantee its success without setting a clear time table, he added.

These statements sparked anger from many Syrian opposition activists, calling on the delegation of the Syrian Negotiation Commission to announce their withdrawal.

A source from the Syrian opposition (who preferred not to be named) told North Press that the message is clear that what is going on is a farce.

The opposition delegation is sure that there is no clear solution in the near future, especially after the return of the American-Iranian negotiations over the nuclear program in which the Syrian issue will be a bargaining chip, the source added.

The coalition is waiting for the results of the next Astana meetings, and said it will move accordingly, while nothing is expected except for a repeat of previous Astana statements.

Media circulated news about the intention of Syrian dissident Manaf Tlass to form a new military council to lead the stage, coinciding with the announcement of his brother Firas, to form a new political body.

As for Manaf Tlass, the source said that there is no serious move to form a military council, except for individual initiatives or a spectrum of defected officers that has not yet been completed.

Some sources indicated that the Syrian opposition delegation (the Syrian National Coalition or the Negotiations Committee) will announce its withdrawal from any political action in protest of the candidacy of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the presidency.

The coalition is surrounded by platforms and is afraid of withdrawing and leaving the arena, given that commitment to a political solution is not linked to the presence or absence of any spectrum of the Syrian opposition, the source added.

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.
The gala features performances with Hakka characteristics, such as folk songs, pop songs, crosstalk and sketches in Hakka, Guangdong Hanchu opera, Hakka intangible cultural heritage and children's art. The gala, with the cordial Hakka local accent, tells stories of Hakka, Guangdong and China.

The "Hakka Spring Festival Gala 2021 - Thailand (Bangkok) Night" event was guided by the Information Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province and that of Meizhou Municipality, and co-hosted by the Meizhou Radio and Television Station, the Meizhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Thailand Asia-Thailand Economic Exchange General Chamber of Commerce.

The Hakka Spring Festival Gala has been held for 7 consecutive years. It has been held successfully in Indonesia and Malaysia, successively, in 2019 and 2020, welcomed and praised by overseas Hakka folks. The Thailand (Bangkok) Night of the gala this year was presented via video link, connecting Meizhou and Bangkok, spreading the Hakka culture to countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" and around the world, enhancing the bonding of Hakka folks at home and abroad.

The Hakka Spring Festival Gala has gradually developed from a regional Gala to a large event that goes beyond China, spreads Hakka culture and tells Chinese stories to the world. According to the staff, the Gala this year incorporates the wonderful theatrical performances in the Hakka region, many of which have won awards at the Guangdong Art Festival. It showcases successful practices of Meizhou's fight against the epidemic, while shaking off poverty and securing a decisive victory in finishing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in the past year.

Image Attachments Link:



Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=383958

Caption: At the site of the Hakka Spring Festival Gala 2021 - Thailand (Bangkok) Night

SOURCE The Information Office of the People's Government of Meizhou Municipality
The company continues to push forward on creating a strategy that will see its highly prospective property in the prolific Montney Formation come into production.

Calima has delivered successful wells and acquired the necessary puzzle pieces to make its Canadian property development-ready

( ) (OTCMKTS:RLTOF) (FRA:R1Y) is encouraged by recent developments in Canada's oil & gas sector as it remains focused on bringing its highly prospective property in the rich Montney Formation in Northeast British Columbia, Canada, to production.

The company is keeping an eye on an all-share deal (C$8.1 billion) between Arc Resources and Seven Generation announced on February 10 which would make them the premier Montney producer of low-cost natural gas and high margin condensate.

Calima believes this move will make the combined entity the sixth-largest E&P in Canada and one of the strongest ESG focused producers in Canada as this is a merger of liquids and gas-rich players in the Montney (Calima has both) and builds into the storyline that the company has been expressing for some time.

It is the first major Montney M&A in 2021 after an incredible year of Montney players combining more than $1 billion in transactions in 2020 that saw , Canadian Natural Resource and emerge as larger Montney players.

Monitoring infrastructure projects

Calima has been monitoring the many infrastructure projects in Canada and the value they will bring to the basin.

Brookfield Infrastructure has announced an unsolicited takeover bid of for C$7.1 billion, after acquiring C$4.3 billion in assets from Enbridge in 2018.

Brookfield is looking to acquire new pipes in the ground and under construction.

The Inter Pipeline Ltd assets also include the under-construction Heartland Petrochemical Complex, which would be a nice value chain link for all of that Montney gas they are already processing.

Stronger prices

Adding to the company's optimism and enthusiasm is the fact that the Spot price for AECO gas closed the day on February 10 at more than C$5/mmbtu.

In a newsletter, it said: "Whilst us Canadians are enduring overnight temperatures deep into minus 30 degrees , its a small price for our fingers to pay to see the revenues that Canadian producers are realising for their immensely vital product."

The company concluded: "While Calima has delivered successful wells and acquired the necessary puzzle pieces to make the Montney development-ready, the timing was a bit early.

"As we look forward into 2021, we see the light peering at the end of the tunnel and will continue to push forward on creating a strategy that will see this world-class asset come into production, providing the energy necessary to fuel the growing global demand for responsibly produced oil and gas."
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The Kogi State Government has signed two agreements with the World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for subsidiary loans of $62m and $10m respectively.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mukadam Idris, signed the agreements on behalf of the state government.

The government said it intended to commit the loans to rural roads and agriculture market and value chain development.

According to the spokesperson of the governor, Mohammed Onogwu, in a statement on Friday, the IFAD assisted Value Chain Development Programme is an agricultural initiative aimed at reducing rural poverty, enhancing food security among poor households and promoting economic growth on a sustainable basis.

The programme is essentially on the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in targeted LGAs in the state.

The programme is made up of three basic components which are agricultural market development, to support value addition; market linkages and support to market infrastructure and to build a very strong agro-business and value chain orientation to farmers in rural communities.

He said another component was smaller productivity enhancement, while the third programme was management and coordination.

He further stated that the World Bank loan for Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) will upgrade over 500 kilometres of rural roads, improve agro-logistics centres and enhance connectivity and access to local markets and agribusiness services in the state.

The projects are to be jointly funded by the World Bank, French Development Agency and the Government of Nigeria, Mr Onogwu added.
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Depending on who you talk to, Elon Musk is either one of the worlds foremost business magnates, engineers, futurists and industrial designers, or one of the worlds most prevalent, insufferable and contrarian online trolls. The truth is hes both, and now hes back in the news for yet another divisive decision that mixes his online persona with his extremely influential businesses.

Who is he?

The richest person in the world as of last month, Elon Musk, 49, co-founded a company in 1999 that would eventually become PayPal, and has since 2002 become founder and/or chief executive of a whole string of companies with lofty goals they have for the most part achieved.

Elon Musks every word to his more than 45 million Twitter users has the potential to move markets. Credit:Getty

Tesla is a pioneering manufacturer of electric cars and home solar batteries. SpaceX is the leading private extraplanetary transportation firm with an eventual goal of colonising Mars. Neuralink explores ways to connect the human brain to machines. The Boring Company wants to build huge tunnels under cities to support the futuristic Hyperloop transport system, which was also Musks idea.
Thousands of Navy personnel are about to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine ahead of an upcoming deployment -- and while sailors aren't required to take the shot yet, they soon could be.

Members of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group will get the option to receive the first dose of the vaccine for COVID-19, the sometimes-fatal illness caused by the coronavirus, on Saturday. So far, about 80% of the crew -- roughly 5,000 strike group members -- say they intend to get the shots, Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, U.S. Second Fleet commander, told reporters Friday.

"We cannot make it mandatory yet," Lewis said. "I can tell you we're probably going to make it mandatory as soon as we can, just like we do with the flu vaccine."

Read Next: Female Marine Recruits Arrive at San Diego Boot Camp for Historic Coed Training

Service members are required to undergo a host of immunizations. In the future, the one for the virus that caused a global pandemic, killing more than 2.3 million worldwide -- including 21 U.S. troops -- will likely be among them.

Defense Department officials have previously said that the COVID-19 vaccine would remain voluntary while it's under emergency-use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration. That designation is expected to last up to two years while the FDA assesses the vaccination's efficacy and side effects.

The Navy was the military service perhaps hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, since social distancing can be difficult in tight quarters aboard ships and submarines. One aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, was sidelined for months last year when coronavirus cases multiplied among crew members.

The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group members who take the vaccine this weekend will get their second dose in four weeks and will be "well on their way to full immunization in about six weeks' time," Lewis said. But even with about 80% of the strike group inoculated, crews will continue following safety measures the Navy put in place on ships during the pandemic, including mask-wearing, social distancing and no port-call stops.

Capt. Laurence Kuhn, the force medical officer for Naval Air Force Atlantic, said that while most people who gathered to brief reporters about the Ike's vaccination plans received both COVID-19 shots, they still spread out and wore masks.

"We're going to maintain that posture for quite some time," he said.

Most of Ike's crew is receiving the Moderna version of the COVID-19 vaccine for storage reasons, said Rear Adm. Doug Beal, vice commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the Fleet Vaccination Cell lead. That version of the vaccine doesn't need to be stored in temperatures as cold as the Pfizer shot requires.

Lewis and other Navy officials acknowledged that some sailors and their families still have reservations about the new vaccine. Vaccines typically take years to develop. The one for COVID-19 was created in about 10 months.

Military.com reported earlier this month that more than half of a group of 810 polled military family members said they weren't planning to get the vaccine, citing safety concerns and suspicions over development.

Lewis said he was eager to get the vaccine, which he said will help the Navy get back to normal. The admiral had his second dose about two weeks ago, and hasn't had any lingering side effects. He said he ran a 50k the next day, more than 30 miles.

Beal said he felt "a little bit out of it" for a few hours after taking the second dose of the vaccine.

"I don't normally take the elevator in the building, but that day I actually did take the elevator," he said. "The next day, I felt just fine and went out and did my normal workout, my normal run and that sort of thing."

Medical experts have warned that the second dose of the vaccine could make recipients temporarily feel ill since their bodies are producing antibodies to fight off the virus in the future. The Navy plans to stagger the second doses for the Eisenhower strike group's crews.

Air crews in particular, Beal said, have been instructed not to fly for 72 hours after receiving their vaccination, so they will "meter" the doses in a smart way.

The Navy has reached the point at which it can not only vaccinate units immediately about to head out on deployments, Lewis said, but those preparing to do so, too.

"We're actively pushing that right now with the other aircraft carriers," he said.

Kuhn said he felt a sense of hope for the future when getting his vaccine that the Navy -- and the country -- won't be in the same spot six months from now that it has been for the last year.

Beal called the decision for sailors and Marines to take the vaccination "a selfless act."

"It's an act that benefits the entire group -- not just the individual," he said. "And I like to think that our sailors and our Marines are all about doing something that's above themselves. I'm hoping that so many more of them will make the decision to get vaccinated to get immunized and to help their fellow sailors and Marines by doing that."

-- Patricia Kime contributed to this report.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Related: 53% of Military Families Don't Want COVID-19 Vaccine, Survey Shows
Neither the Russian nor the Chinese producers have applied for a rolling review or a marketing authorization with the European Medicines Agency. But Russian scientists have sought formal scientific advice from the E.U. regulator, a step seen as a precursor to collecting the appropriate data and documentation to request a review.

Sputnik V only this month got its first peer-reviewed feedback in the scientific publication The Lancet, which indicated it was both safe and effective. The Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for use in China, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, but the company has yet to publish detailed results of its Phase 3 trial.

Other E.U. nations have began considering Sputnik V since it received its positive review in The Lancet, E.U. officials say, and that could help its authorization by the bloc. Despite his complaints about the delays in mobilizing vaccines by the European Union, which only became apparent in December, Mr. Orbans strategy was already evident in November, when his foreign minister announced that the government was in talks with Russia about importing, and possibly manufacturing, Sputnik V.

Peter Kreko, the director of Political Capital, a research institute in Budapest, said Mr. Orban was now motivated by a desire to appear quicker and more efficient than the European Union.

While there is a strong desire to get the economy up and running again, Mr. Kreko said, the prime minister is also working to repair the image caused by his administrations bungled handling of the pandemic and Hungarys high mortality figures.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has cautioned people against rampant fraud and cheating by an entity by the name of Digital National Motor Insurance. The regulator warned in a notice that the company is selling policies without a license.

Despite lacking any license or registration to sell insurance policy of any kind, Bangalore-based Digital National Motor Insurance has been selling insurance policies, IRDAI added.

IRDAI, in the notice, said, "The Authority cautions the public not to make any transaction related to insurance business with M/s DIGITAL NATIONAL MOTOR INSURANCE."

"It has been brought to the notice of IRDAI that an entity by the name of 'DIGITAL NATIONAL MOTOR INSURANCE' operating from #DNMI co. ltd. Portal Office, Krishna Raja Puram, Insurance Info Building, Devasandra, Bangalore - 560036 having website https://dnmins.wixsite.com/dnmins and email id digitalpolicyservices@gmail.com has been selling insurance policies, although it has not been licensed or granted registration by the Authority to sell insurance policy of any kind," the IRDAI said.

The regulator has urged the public to remain alert and not to fall prey to fraud and cheating indulged in by the said entity.

The regulator has also launched several insurance awareness campaigns. Here's some of them:

'BimaBemisaal' is the brand name for IRDAI's insurance awareness campaign and has the tagline "Promoting Insurance. Protecting Insured". BimaBemisaal educates policyholders about their rights and obligations and informs them about the complaint resolution methods available to them.

Radio Campaign: Jingles on Life Insurance, Property Insurance, Health Insurance, Motor Insurance, Misselling in Insurance, among others were broadcast across All India Radio and private FM Channels to create insurance awareness.

Television Campaign: IRDAI has undertaken a pan Indian campaign where Television Commercials cautioning the public on Spurious Callers were telecast on Doordarshan and Private Television channels.

Also Read: Air India lost 19 ground staff to COVID-19 during Vande Bharat Mission

Also Read: 30 km a day! Highway construction races towards record high in FY21

Also Read: Centre made Rs 100 crore by sharing vehicle data with private companies: Nitin Gadkari
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A family and community are in mourning in the Midalands after news of the death of a young boy following an accident with a quad.

The boy aged 10 suffered injuries after an accident on a quad bike on his family's land in Ballyroan in Laois.

It is understood that he may have been trapped under the quad for a period of time before he was found.

The child was airlifted by ambulance helicopter from Ballyroan GAA grounds, and taken straight to Temple Street children's hospital in Dublin, on Wednesday, February 10.

Sadly he lost his fight for life and passed away on Thursday evening.

The family are originally from Lithuania and have established a successful log cabin business in Ireland.

The chairman of Ballyroan Abbey GAA club Pat Whelan has expressed condolences to the family.

"On behalf of Ballyroan Abbey GAA club I offer our condolences to the family of this young boy who has tragically died, our thoughts are with them," he said.

Fr Paddy Byrne is Parish Priest for the area.

"The whole area is numbed and shocked by this tragic accident. Our hearts go out to his loving family, and this tragic loss of life is mourned by the entire Parish," Fr Byrne said.
Members of Italy's 5-Star Movement voted on Thursday to back Prime Minister designate Mario Draghi, opening the way for the former European Central Bank chief to take office at the head of a broad government of national unity. In an online ballot, 59.3% of 5-Star supporters heeded a call from party leaders to support the new administration, despite the fact it includes some of their arch foes and will be headed by the sort of technocrat they have previously decried. After coalition infighting brought down the last government, President Sergio Mattarella called on ...
New Delhi: The Bollywood stunner and fashion queen, Urvashi Rautela, was recently spotted at the airport in classy black shades by Versace that costs Rs 60,000. The actress, who is known for her stylish outings was seen in Virgin Bhanupriya and Mr. Airavata and music videos Love Dose, Woh Chaand Kaha Se Laogi, and very recently Ek Diamond Da Haar, which collected millions of views on YouTube.

Urvashi Rautela recently stepped out in a fiery red shirt with flap pockets and pants with white sneakers on. The most interesting piece of the attire was the shades she was wearing, it was black Versace shades that are worth Rs 60K.

And needless to say, priced at a staggering Rs 60,000, this can actually cost you more than your iPhone 11. (You can check the official Apple website and get the Rs 16000 off with Apple trade-in) Therefore, taking the price under Rs 60,000.

One interesting thing about the shade is that even Kylie Jenner was seen wearing a similar shade, now you be the judge of who looked better in the luxurious Versace shades. The shade was going along perfectly with the red rig-out that Urvashi Rautela donned. This is not the first time Urvashi Rautela has surprised us with her extravagant fashion ideas, last week she slayed the look in a cerulean blue backless dress, in which she looked elegant.



On the work front, Urvashi Rautela has completed shooting the first schedule of her upcoming web series Inspector Avinash alongside Randeep Hooda. She will also be seen in a bilingual thriller Black Rose which will release in Hindi and Telugu. A glimpse was shared of the Hindi remake of Thiruttu Payale 2. The actress will be soon seen in an international project opposite Egyptian superstar Mohamed Ramadan, also Urvashi Rautela has signed three-film deals with the Jio Studios.



Dalit labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur has been granted bail in connection with an extortion case registered against her here. However, the 23-year-old activist will have to remain in the jail as her bail plea in another case was rejected on January 12.

ALSO READ | Jailed Dalit Labour Activist Nodeep Kaur Sexually Assaulted by Cops in Custody, Allege Kin, to Move HC

Kaur is currently lodged at a Karnal jail. She was granted bail by a court here on Thursday in the case registered against her at the Kundli police station on December 28 last year, a counsel said on Friday.

Kaur, a member of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, is facing three cases, including charges of attempt to murder and extortion. She was arrested for allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit and demanding money from the company in Sonipat, the Haryana Police had said.

Her family has also claimed that she has been sexually assaulted by police personnel in custody. Nodeep joined the (farmers) protest at Singhu in November. She was also fighting for labourers who didnt get wages regularly. On January 12, she was protesting near a factory in Kundli when police picked her up I met her and she told me cops assaulted her in custody, her sister Rajvir told The Indian Express.

Nodeeps lawyer, Jitendar Kumar had said that a medical examination was sought after the Haryana Police arrested her. The medical report revealed wounds on her body and private parts. This points to the fact that Nodeep was sexually assaulted in police custody, Kumar previously alleged.

On Thursday, Punjab minister Aruna Chaudhary had urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to intervene and ensure the release of Nodeep Kaur. Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Aruna Chaudhary appealed to the NCW that the Punjab government through the state women's commission will lend legal assistance to Kaur. The Haryana government should be directed to arrange a meeting of a delegation of the commission with the labour rights activist, the minister had said.

The Punjab State Commission for Women had sought a status report from the Sonipat Senior Superintendent of Police by February 15 in Kaur's matter. The chairperson of the Punjab panel, Manisha Gulati, said Kaur, a resident of Giadarh village of Muktsar district in Punjab, was arrested from the Kundli border.

She said through a written communique, the Sonipat SSP has been directed to get the case of Kaur investigated by a senior officer. On February 8, the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes had asked an additional chief secretary in the state to intervene in the matter and ensure relief to her at the earliest.

(With inputs from PTI)
The Indian Air Force and government have reached a compromise on the dispute over using the locally made Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft). The government will get its way and approved a $6.5 billion purchase of the last 83 Tejas fighters to be built. The air force will accept them, mainly because the government admitted that air force criticisms of the Tejas were accurate and agreed to have an improved Tejas 1A model developed and to address some of the most serious deficiencies of the original Tejas 1. The order will be the last for the original Tejas as a new Tejas 2 is being developed that is supposed to address all of the air force problems with Tejas 1 and is to be ready for service as the last of the Tejas 1As are delivered in the mid-2020s. Because the Tejas 1 was such a well-publicized failure Tejas 2 will receive a new name before it begins production.

The struggle over Tejas 1 came to a head in 2017 when the air force publicly criticized the LCA project and did so using very blunt comparisons with comparable foreign fighters after having an opportunity to try out LCA against two foreign competitors. For example, the LCA has endurance of 59 minutes per sortie versus two hours for the Swedish Gripen Jas-39 or the U.S. F-16. The payload of LCA is three tons versus six tons for Gripen and seven tons for the F-16. Worst of all LCA was found to be less reliable and required twenty hours of maintenance for each flight hour versus six hours for the Gripen and 3.5 hours for the F-16.

The Indian Air Force also noted that only four of 123 production models of the LCA already on order had been delivered and it would be years, if ever, for the all these problems to be fixed. The Gripen and F-16 were being offered as cheaper and more effective substitutes for the LCA. The Indian Air Force backed the foreign fighters but the Indian defense procurement bureaucracy insisted on the LCA and had the backing of the Indian political establishment, which gains votes and legal fund-raising opportunities via this Buy Indian No Matter What policy. The politicians seem to feel that as long as Indian maintains its nuclear deterrent (ballistic missiles that can hit Pakistani or Chinese cities with nuclear warheads), backing less effective locally made weapons is worth the ill-will from the military. The air force implied that this policy means that the government is justifying the needless loss of pilots and aircraft because the enemy has superior aircraft. Pakistan, for example, uses the American F-16 while China is buying or building modern fighter designs from Russia and is now developing its own.

The Tejas tragedy is not an isolated case. The army has been forced to use inferior locally made assault weapons and helicopters. Billions are regularly spent on locally developing new missile and ship technologies that dont work and even if they did, would be less effective and more expensive than foreign designs the army and navy deem essential for Indias defense needs.

A major part of the problem with LCA was the Indian developed Kaveri jet engine. This is another procurement disaster all by itself. The continued delays in delivering Kaveri meant foreign engines had to be obtained. In early 2017 India was once more forced to buy more (99) American F414 jet engines for $8.1 million each. These were for the LCAs on order. The Swedish Gripen also uses the F414. Eventually, most of the LCAs built will be powered by the Kaveri but in the meantime the Indian engine is stuck in development hell. The F414s will substitute only until the Kaveri is ready, which means using the F414 will used for all the LCAs because the Kaveri never seems to be ready. This is a big problem and the Indian Air Force does not want to suffer perpetual shortages of modern fighters because of it. In 2008 the Kaveri was dropped as a necessity for Tejas and in 2010 the Tejas design underwent a major design change with a joint development deal made with a French engine manufacturer. In effect, the French agreed to sell India engine tech for designs already in production in another effort to save Kaveri. India made a similar deal with a British engine manufacturer for the next generation Indian engine and, for the moment, is abandoning the goal of developing all that tech in India. This new Anglo-Indian engine is to be used in Tejas 2. The politicians find expensive imported tech more acceptable than saving money to just import the items it needs and cannot produce yet.

The F414 is not the first effort to get foreign help for the Kaveri mess. Back in 2015 India made arrangements with French engine manufacturer Snecma to provide technical assistance in fixing the Kaveri. That did not work out and more recently another French engine maker, Safran offered to help. Critics in the Indian air force asserted that help from Snecma would not save the ill-fated Kaveri engine program. But the government apparently believes that it is necessary for India to acquire the ability to design and build world class jet engines, whatever the cost. Only a few nations can do this, and India wants to be one of them by any means necessary. Despite decades of effort the Kaveri is still far from ready for production. It is not politically correct to admit that it is political decisions that cause the problems.

When work began on the Kaveri, in the mid-1980s, it was believed that the LCA would be ready for flight testing by 1990. A long list of technical delays put off that first flight until 2001. Corners had to be cut to make this happen, for the LCA was originally designed to use the Indian built Kaveri engine and the engine was not ready. For a jet fighter the engine is the most complex component and the Kaveri made that painfully obvious. Fortunately, there was an American engine, the GE F404 that fit the LCA, and could be used as a stop-gap. Initially India bought 30 of the F404s just to keep the LCA going. The F414 is a more recent model of the F404 and has 15 percent more thrust and was used for the latest version of LCA, which was supposed to get an improved Kaveri engine.

It wasnt until 2017 that LCA was ready, or declared ready, to enter mass production. At that point six prototypes and sixteen pre-production models were flying. Mass production of at least 20 aircraft a year was to begin, no matter what, in 2017. Or at least that was the plan. The reality was that the Indian firm (HAL) manufacturing LCA could only produce eight a year and when that became a public scandal it was announced that other Indian firms were being brought in to help out. But even with a second plant, annual production would only be 16 aircraft a year by 2019. Meanwhile the air force pointed out that they had received development and production models of the LCA over the years and none of them performed as promised while the Gripen and especially the F-16 had extensive success with users, including neighboring Pakistan.

The Indian effort to design, develop, and manufacture its own "lightweight fighter" turned into a major and persistent disaster. It was a valuable and very expensive learning experience. Meanwhile, the 1970s era American F-16 had become the premier "lightweight fighter" in service and began joining squadrons about the time India came up with the LCA project. Both the earlier models of the F-16 and the LCA weigh about 12-13 tons. But the F-16 is a high-performance aircraft, with a proven combat record, while the LCA is sort of an improved Mirage/MiG-21 type design. LCA is, on paper, not too shabby and cheap, at about half the cost of an F-16. Also, for all this time, money, and grief India has made its aviation industry a bit more capable and mature. But not yet competitive with Western or Chinese firms.

For all this, India only planned to buy 200-300 LCA 1s, mainly to replace its aging MiG-21s, plus more if the navy could be persuaded to make the LCA works on carriers. Export prospects were dim, given all the competition out there, especially with all the cheap, second-hand F-16s on the market. The delays led the air force to look around for a hundred or so new aircraft, or even used F-16s, to fill the gap between elderly MiG-21s falling apart and the arrival of the new LCAs. The air force did believe that, in a decade or two a replacement for the LCA will probably be a more competitive, and timely, aircraft. That is what the LCA 2 is supposed to be.

The Indian Navy quickly (in 2014) rejected the LCA as a carrier-based aircraft. The navy bought some and they were a very obvious failure when tested on a carrier. The navy LCAs were to be navalized with stronger landing gear, a tail hook, and different cockpit electronics. That wasnt enough and the navy refused to take the Tejas under any conditions. The navy did agree to test the improved Tejas 1A and seriously consider the Tejas 2.

The Tejas 1A has better electronics, including an AESA radar and a modern glass cockpit. There are also better defensive electronics and the ability to carry an ECM (electronic countermeasures) pod. There is also a superior fire control system. Modifications were made to the airframe to improve maneuverability. Tejas 1A had inflight refueling to help with the short endurance of Tejas 1.

Tejas 2 is a 17.5-ton aircraft compared to 13.5 tons for Tejas 1. While Tejas 1 can carry 5.3 tons of weapons, Tejas two can carry 6.5 tons. Tejas 2 has a top speed of Mach 2 compared to Mach 1.6. Tejas 2 has three times the combat range and more than twice the endurance. Some basic changes in the airframe, compared to similar Tejas 1, make Tejas 2 more maneuverable. An effort is being made to reduce the maintenance times required for Tejas 2.
Top leaders greetings on the Year of the Buffalo

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong sent his best wishes to the entire nation and the community of overseas Vietnamese at the sacred moment when the Year of the Buffalo began.



Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong sends his best wishes to the entire nation and the community of overseas Vietnamese. (Photo: VNA)






(JNS)  The question now is not if the United States will return to negotiations over Irans nuclear program, but when. Notwithstanding reports that the Biden administration has too much on its plate right now to move up talks with Tehran as a priority, it certainly seems like that process is underway. That would send Washington back to the table for the first time since an agreement was concluded in 2015.

The Trump administration withdrew from the pact in May 2018, citing inherent weaknesses and loopholes on such issues as Irans ballistic-missile program, snap inspections of nu...
The Karnataka government was contemplating bringing in a law to keep a tab on online games and a draft bill was underway, State Home minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Bommai said the state government has initiated measures to put a tab on the online games.

According to him, various states have different provisions where they have classified these games as 'game of skill' and 'game of chance'. In some cases licences have also been given, while some others have been banned completely, he explained.

After studying the laws formulated by other states, the Karnataka government intended to bring in a bill. "The bill is in the draft stage. In the coming days the Law department will scrutinise it and present it before the cabinet," Bommai said.

To a question about illegal activities inside Karnataka prisons, Bommai said he had ordered a departmental inquiry and the report was now ready. He said he has instructed the Director General of Police to initiate action against those who have been named in the inquiry report.

On issues related to salaries of police officers, Bommai said discrepancies in the basic pay mentioned in the sixth pay commission has been rectified at every stage. Those at the stage of promotion will get the benefits after their elevation."We are taking measures to ensure that policemen do not face any difficulties," he added.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Worldwide jewelry manufacturer Novell Global is happy to announce a recent partnership with Saslows and Henebrys Diamond Jewelers.

Worldwide jewelry manufacturer Novell Global is happy to announce a recent partnership with Saslows and Henebrys Diamond Jewelers.

For over three generations, it has been the historic Southern jewelers privilege to help families in North Carolina and Virginia with lasting gifts of special meaning.

Their showcases feature over a dozen of Novells latest jewelry designs  many of which are being seen in the region for the first time. The collection includes an enticing selection of diamond styles set in lustrous 14kt white gold. All are meant to help guests celebrate the most important occasions that life has to offer and are available in other precious metals by special order.

Visit https://www.saslowshenebrys.com/ to see all the jewelry designs.

Saslows was founded by Barnet BG Saslow on Elm Street in downtown Greensboro in 1922. In 1948, after serving in World War II, his son Everett came to work for him. Grandson John is currently business owner and President.

In the late 1990s, Saslows was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to acquire the prestigious Henebrys Jewelers group - a venerable chain of fine jewelry stores with a proud reputation for quality and service. Having been in business in Virginia since 1900, they have been an important part of the Saslow's family of fine jewelers ever since.

With over fourteen locations throughout Virginia and North Carolina, Saslow's and Henebry's Jewelers is where the South Comes to Sparkle.

The company has also taken the time to acknowledge students within their communities who have achieved extraordinary things by putting in the extra time and effort in school.

The companys Outstanding Achievement Award was recently presented to six local high school graduates. Along with a certificate of award, each student received a beautiful wristwatch  a special timepiece that commemorates twelve years of hard work and the future that each of these students has in front of them.

More About Novell Global:

Novells resume boasts over thirty years of award winning and innovative jewelry design, pioneering with online-jewelry visionaries, and creating one of the most remarkable jewelry- making facilities in the Americas (North and South).

Thanks to a recent partnership with Continental Jewellery (MFG) Ltd., Novell is growing their portfolio dynamically. With tremendous international sourcing and expanded product offerings, Novells domestic manufacturing facility in New Jersey has diversified.

Find Novell Jewelry at the Following Locations:

Henebry's Christiansburg

748 New River Rd

Christiansburg, VA 24073

(540) 381-6008

Henebry's Danville

325 Piedmont Dr., #305

Danville, VA 24540

(434) 799-1224

Henebry's Lynchburg

3405 Candlers Mountain Rd.

Lynchburg, VA 24502

(434) 237-1670

Henebry's Roanoke

4802 Valley View Blvd. NW

Roanoke, VA 24012

(540) 366-8535

Henebry's Staunton

1028 Richmond Ave

Staunton, VA 24401

(540) 886-2613

Saslow's Boone

1180 Blowing Rock Rd., E6

Boone, NC 28607

(828) 264-2282

Saslow's Elizabeth City

409 W. Ehringhaus St., Space 27B

Elizabeth City, NC 27909

(252) 338-9032

Saslow's Fayetteville

419 Cross Creek Mall, Suite 337

Fayetteville, NC 28303-7271

(910) 867-3883

Saslow's Henderson

1445 Dabney Dr.

Henderson, NC 27536

(252) 438-4212

Saslow's Hendersonville

1800 Four Seasons Blvd, Unit 6

Hendersonville, NC 28792

(828) 693-5533

Saslow's Hickory

Valley Hills Mall, 1960 US Highway 70

Suite 168

Hickory, NC 28602-5097

(828) 569-1866

Saslow's Monroe

2115 W. Roosevelt Blvd., Ste. 712

Monroe, NC 28110

(704) 225-1515

Saslow's Norton

738 Commonwealth Dr.

Norton, VA 24273

(276) 679-2641

Saslow's Wilson

Heritage Crossing, 3401 Raleigh Road Pkwy W.

Ste 9D

Wilson, NC 27896-8222

(252) 291-7016
Due to many financial challenges and how communication among parishioners, clergy and others is provided, the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is making changes, including the publishing of The Way.

The archeparchy, led by Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys Gudziak, made the announcement Jan. 30. Gudziak is spiritual shepherd of all Ukrainian Catholics in the United States and the seventh metropolitan-archbishop for the archeparchy, which includes Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington, D.C. He was installed as archbishop on June 4, 2019, at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia.

The Way has been a part of the life of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia since 1939, the announcement reads. Originally published as a weekly newspaper, The Way has evolved over the years, moving from typeset layouts, physical printing and direct mailing to an online newsletter distributed via email and posted on the archeparchial website.

The announcement explains that in recent years, many Roman Catholic dioceses and several Eastern Catholic eparchies have transformed their communications and media strategy to adapt to the digital age in which society now lives. The goal remains to provide access to church news and information in ways that best reach the faithful. This requires us to continuously reassess our use of printed, audio, video, and social media formats, adapting and changing accordingly.

Significant financial challenges that the archeparchy faces have forced us to reevaluate all existing communications expenditures, processes, and operations, the announcement reads. Surveys conducted as part of that reevaluation have indicated that a vast majority of Ukrainian Catholics within the archeparchy do not access or utilize The Way in its present format and dissemination approach. Thus, a difficult and painful decision has been thrust upon us, and one that has not been taken lightly. And that decision is that as of the beginning of February, The Way will suspend publication as a biweekly edition.

The release acknowledges those who contributed to publication of The Way, particularly Teresa Siwak, who has served as editor; volunteers, such as the Rev. George Worschak; and many clergy, religious and laity. The Way has also continued the cultural aspects of the Ukrainian-Americans by publishing two editions  one in English and one in Ukrainian using the Cyrillic alphabet.

The Most Rev. Andriy Rabiy, auxiliary bishop, said other decisions will need to be made.

At this point we do not have a person appointed as director of communications and it will be a while before one is appointed, Rabiy said. News will be shared by email who subscribed to The Way and posts on Facebook. This is how it is at this point.

The communications director position is vacant due to the unexpected death of the Very Rev. Archpriest John M. Fields on Nov. 27, 2020. Before serving as communications director, he also served as pastor of his home parish, St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frackville, and neighboring St. John the Baptist parish in Maizeville, plus as protopresbyter (dean) of the South Anthracite Deanery.

As our communication strategy evolves, we will be assessing and evaluating the best approach to effectively communicate with our faithful, using the methods and technologies available to us, learning from the best practices of others who may be one step ahead of us, the release continued. In the interim, news will continue to be shared through the archeparchys social media channels and other electronic means, and we ask that our pastors keep our faithful informed of current church news and events to the best of their ability. We acknowledge and recognize that some of our faithful are without computers and connection to the Internet. We must not forget them with our communications.

As part of A Summary Report on the State of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia dated Jan. 30, 2021, the following was included:

In this rapidly changing world, the Church must be prepared to meet the challenges of our age, not adapting or surrendering to the world but, as the People of God, bearing faithful witness to the message of the Gospel and the authentic teaching of the Church. This is our common calling bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful, men and women, young and old. The task at hand requires true cleansing and conversion of all Gods children. Our guiding principles should be: the spirit of the Kingdom of God that is in our midst, a unity of heart and mind, special attention for our children, youth and their parents, deep spiritual reflection and discernment, Christian charity, especially for the marginalized among us, an authentic search for truth, and an appreciation of beauty as a reflection of the awesome, good and loving God.

The deanery includes 12 churches located in the counties of Schuylkill (Frackville, Maizeville, McAdoo, Middleport, Minersville, Saint Clair and Shenandoah); Luzerne (Hazleton); Northumberland (Marion Heights, Mount Carmel and Shamokin); and Columbia (Centralia).
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 46F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
The bill removes the requirement from existing legislation that has been used to revitalize development in Whiting that the redevelopment area contain an oil refinery and projects be funded in part by local, state or federal agencies. This paves the way for developers to funnel money into projects in the redevelopment district. Prince said the goal is encourage development of areas with restaurants, recreational activities and housing.
Betul: Congress workers have threatened to disrupt the shooting of Kangana Ranaut's upcoming movie 'Dhakad' if the actress does not apologise for her tweets on the ongoing farmers protest against the Centre's three farm laws.

According to reports, the Congress workers in Madhya Pradesh have submitted a memorandum to the Betul Superintendent of Police threatening that they will not allow Kangana Ranaut to shoot for Dhakad movie if she does not apologize to farmers over her tweets before Friday.

Sharing more information, a police official said, "Congress workers in Betul gave a memorandum to the SP, stating that they wont allow actor Kangana Ranaut to shoot for `Dhakad` if she does not apologize to farmers over her tweets.

They said they would protest against her on February 12 and 13," Nitesh Patel, Betul Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) said.

Madhya Pradesh: Congress workers in Betul y'day gave a memorandum to the SP, stating that they won't allow actor Kangana Ranaut to shoot for 'Dhakad' if she doesn't apologize to farmers over her tweets. "They said they would protest against her on Feb 12 & 13," Betul SDPO said. pic.twitter.com/1IqX88fqRH  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2021

Congress leader Samir Khan alleged that Kangana Ranaut has called farmers as ''terrorists and Chinese agents.''

"If she does not apologise or FIR is not registered against her, we will take out a rally to Sarni on Feb 13 and try not to let her shoot," he said. Shooting for Kangana Ranaut`s new film `Dhakad` is going on in Sarni area of Betul district.

Kangana Ranaut has called farmers as terrorists and Chinese agents. If she doesn't apologise or FIR is not registered against, we will take out a rally to Sarni on Feb 13 and try not to let her shoot: Congress leader Samir Khan in Betul (11.02) pic.twitter.com/XlMaob0E7A  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2021

Reacting to the threats given by Congress, Kangana Ranaut in a tweet said, "I have no interest in Netagiri .... but I think Congress will turn me as a leader."

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the state Congress chief Kamal Nath should dissuade his party workers from disrupting the shoot. He assured his full support to Kangana Ranaut and added that he has talked to Betul SP regarding the threats given by Congress leaders.

"I have spoken to the Betul SP regarding threats by Youth Congress workers of Chicholi. Congress` attempts to disturb peace will not be tolerated. We will ensure that `behen beti` Kangana doesn't face any problem," he added.

I have spoken to the Betul SP regarding threats by Youth Congress workers of Chicholi. Congress' attempts to disturb peace will not be tolerated. We will ensure that 'behen beti' Kangana doesn't face any problem: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra (11.02) pic.twitter.com/cbaD3cV69I  ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2021

Twitter had recently deleted some of Kangana Ranaut`s controversial tweets over the farmers` protest. Farmers have been protesting on the borders of Delhi since November 26 against new farm laws. Several rounds of talks have been held with farmers over their demand for the repeal of three new laws.

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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Embassy Office Parks REIT on Friday reported a 15 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 214.79 crore for the third quarter ended December and announced Rs 2,300 crore investment over the next three years to develop nearly 6 million sq ft of commercial space.

It also declared a distribution of Rs 431.29 crore to its unitholders for the quarter.

The net profit fell to Rs 214.79 crore in the third quarter of this fiscal from Rs 253.45 crore in the year-ago period. Total income, however, rose to Rs 595.94 crore from Rs 568.12 crore, according to a regulatory filing.

The net operating income for the third quarter increased by 3 per cent year-on-year to Rs 478 crore.

The declared distribution is Rs 4,31.29 crore/Rs 4.55 per unit for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, Embassy REIT said.

"As India's outlook steadily improves with a continued downward trend in active COVID-19 cases and the encouraging progress on vaccine roll-out, we remain optimistic that Indian office leasing demand will continue to increase as occupiers accelerate their return-to-work programs," said Michael Holland, Chief Executive Officer of Embassy REIT.

Additionally, he said, the recent successful Rs 9,780 crore acquisition of Embassy TechVillage in Bengaluru cements its position as a landlord of choice for the world's top companies.

Embassy REIT Deputy CEO and COO Vikaash Khdloya said the company will be investing Rs 2,300 crore over the next three years to develop 5.7 million sq ft of commercial space.

He said the company would also be looking at inorganic growth opportunities in cities like Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.

Embassy REIT is India's first publicly listed Real Estate Investment Trust.

It owns and operates a 42.4 million square feet portfolio of eight infrastructure-like office parks and four city-centre office buildings in India's best-performing office markets of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and the National Capital Region.

The portfolio comprises 32.3 million square feet completed operating area and is home to over 200 of the world's leading companies. The portfolio also comprises strategic amenities, including two operational business hotels, four under-construction hotels, and a 100 MW solar park supplying renewable energy to tenants.

Also Read: No change in Bharti Infratel's Q4 net amid merger with Indus Towers
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is appealing for humanitarian access to reach tens of thousands of people in dire need after they fled escalating violence, clashes, and military operations in the Central African Republic (CAR), a country where almost one-third of the population is now forcibly displaced
The Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) on Friday tightened the rules governing investments in non-bank lenders originating from countries that are not compliant with global standards on prevention of money laundering.

Investments in non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) from FATF non-compliant jurisdictions shall not be treated at par with that from the compliant jurisdictions," RBI said.

FATF, or the Financial Action Task Force, is the inter-governmental watchdog for global money laundering and terrorist financing. It periodically identifies jurisdictions with weak measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing in two of its publications: High-risk jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action, and jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring. Put together, they have identified 17 countries at present.

These rules, RBI said, will apply to new investors from or through such non-compliant jurisdictions, whether in existing non-bank lenders on in those seeking registrations.

New investors from or through non-compliant FATF jurisdictions, whether in existing NBFCs or in companies seeking certification of registration (COR), should not be allowed to directly or indirectly acquire significant influence in the investee," it said.

According to the new rules, fresh investors from non-compliant jurisdictions should hold less than the threshold of 20% of the voting power, including potential voting power in an NBFC.

The central bank pointed out that potential voting power could arise from instruments that are convertible into equity, other instruments with contingent voting rights, and contractual arrangements that grant investors voting rights in the future.

However, investors in existing NBFCs holding their investments prior to the classification of the source or intermediate jurisdiction as FATF non-compliant, will be able to continue with the investments or bring in additional investments.

Reports had surfaced last year about RBIs decision to not allow financial companies to be set up through funds from such nations.

According to a report in The Economic Times in October, the central bank said financial companies cannot be set up with foreign direct investment from Mauritius or other countries that are non-FATF compliant.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Tinka Resources Limited ("Tinka" or the "Company") (TSXV:TK)(BVL:TK)(OTC PINK:TKRFF) announces that its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the "AGM") will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2021, at 10:00 am PT, at Tinka's headquarters located at Suite 1305 - 1090 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. The Company's Notice of AGM, the accompanying management proxy circular and related meeting materials (the "Proxy Materials") have been sent out today to shareholders. The record date for the AGM is February 4, 2021. Copies of the Proxy Materials, as well as Tinka's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, are available for download on Tinka's website at www.tinkaresources.com or under Tinka's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

In light of the ongoing concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, and in order to mitigate the potential risks to the health and safety of all concerned, shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote their proxies in advance of the AGM by phone, email or online voting rather than attend the AGM in person.

We ask that all questions which shareholders wish to raise be submitted to info@tinkaresources.com in advance of the AGM.

On behalf of the Board, "Graham Carman" Dr. Graham Carman, President & CEO Investor Information:

www.tinkaresources.com

Rob Bruggeman 1.416.884.3556

rbruggeman@tinkaresources.com

Company Contact:

Mariana Bermudez 1.604.699.0202

info@tinkaresources.com

About Tinka Resources Limited

Tinka is an exploration and development company with its flagship property being the 100%-owned Ayawilca zinc-silver project in central Peru. The Ayawilca Zinc Zone has an estimated Indicated resource of 11.7 Mt grading 6.9% zinc, 15 g/t silver & 0.2% lead and an Inferred resource of 45.0 Mt grading 5.6% zinc, 17 g/t silver & 0.2% lead (dated November 26, 2018). The Colqui Silver Zone (oxide) has an estimated Indicated resource of 7.4 Mt grading 60 g/t silver, and an Inferred resource of 8.5 Mt grading 48 g/t silver occurring from surface (dated May 25, 2016). A Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Zinc Zone was released on July 2, 2019 (see release). Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO and, a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, has reviewed and verified the technical contents of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements: Certain information in this news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and expectations of Tinka as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Tinka's management. Such statements reflect the current risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to certain factors including, without limitations: timing of planned drill programs and results varying from expectations; delay in obtaining results; expectations regarding the Ayawilca Project PEA; the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the current coronavirus pandemic known as COVID-19 on the Company's business, operations and financial condition; changes in world metal markets; changes in equity markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions; imprecision in resource estimates or metal recoveries; success of future development initiatives; competition and operating performance; environmental and safety risks; delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from local authorities; community agreements and relations; and, other development and operating risks. Should any one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. Although Tinka believes that assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Tinka disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

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

SOURCE: Tinka Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629455/Tinka-Resources-To-Hold-Annual-General-Meeting-of-Shareholders-on-Thursday-March-11-2021
WebLinc Corp., one of the oldest Internet companies in Philadelphia, is being bought by VTEX, one of the hottest software companies in Latin America.

With its new staff of WebLinc engineers based at its Old City offices over the National Mechanics bar, Philly is the new center of gravity for us, says Amit Shah, VTEX chief strategy officer and general manager for the United States.

VTEX has been on a growth binge after it raised $360 million last year by selling about one-fifth of the company to Japans SoftBank and other tech investors.

Its great now to be part of a company thats worth nearly $2 billion, thats likely to go public and boost its value further, said Darren Hill, who founded WebLinc in 1994.

Sao Paulo, Brazil-based VTEX, founded in 1999, counts Sony, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Nestle as clients for its software, which manages online sales for its corporate users.

VTEX is bringing on Hill and his software engineering staff of 20, and its principal business, Workarea, the last of three units he has sold in the last two years.

Workarea is a software platform that its clients, from Heineken beer to Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters, the clothing and lifestyle chain, use to run sales orders and analyze sales data, similar to what VTEX does. Workareas platform quickly updates sales websites, tracks which items are selling and which customers are most likely to buy new products, and recommends supply and distribution routes. It also connects remote shoppers with store service people to speed orders.

Hill says he met VTEX founders Geraldo Thomaz and Mariano Gomide in the mid-2010s, when he tried to expand Workarea into Latin America, and found that they dominated that market, where they had far less competition than he faced back in the U.S.

David Hayne, chief technology officer at Urban and son of founder Richard Hayne, was among the first to call Hill when he heard WebLinc was selling. He wanted to know, Are you guys staying in Philadelphia? They have such city pride and like to deal with local suppliers, said Hill.

In 2017, WebLinc had grown to $150 million in revenues. And as recently as 2018, the company employed more than 150.

But in 2019, Hill sold its 85-worker IT staffing division to San Diego-based BVA, which moved the group to new offices on South Broad Street. And last year, Hill sold Orderbot Software, its 32-worker order-management company, with offices scattered in the U.S. and Canada. WebLinc alumni include Anthony Bucci, founder of RevZilla, the South Philly-based online motorcycle-gear seller.

Hill, 45, and his wife, Kate Swan, own the National Mechanics bar, on South Third Street, as well as the nearby Lucha Cartel cantina. Their employees in all the businesses are really loyal, Shah said. I look forward to hanging out there when its easier to just walk downstairs to the bar and eat your lunch and go back upstairs to work. And maybe go back down and have a drink at the end of the day.

Shah said it was getting tougher for small outfits such as WebLinc to compete against FUD  Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt  the questions the big boys are out raising about financing when youre small. With the merger, thats now off the table; they just look at our funding statement.

We compete with Darth Vader, Shah added. Oracle, SAP, Salesforce, their job is selling as much software and creating as much complexity as possible for the customer. Our approach is, you buy our platform, and we get paid [a percentage] when your customers buy from you, with less incentive to complicate transactions.

VTEX is buying out WebLincs owners, led by Radnor-based Safeguard Scientifics, at an undisclosed price. Safeguard invested $16 million into WebLinc, starting in 2014, and owned 40%. Safeguard chief financial officer Mark Herndon said his company is reviewing the deal, which of course we knew about in advance, and will disclose the price in its annual financial statement next month.

For now, Hill will work on introducing Workareas largest users to VTEX. Ive never worked for anyone else before, Hill said. It will be great, or terrible.

He said Philadelphia remains a good place to run a software company  theres relatively little competition for engineers, compared with New York or California  but they need to pay the teachers more. And improve the schools. Its commonplace, we pay young professionals six figures, but as soon as they reach the age where people have kids, they start splitting for the suburbs.

Steel deal

Graycliff Partners, a New York private-investments firm, has agreed to buy Ballymore, a 150-worker Coatesville company that makes rolling ladders and work platforms, for an undisclosed price, from Philadelphia-based Osage Partners. Fairmount Partners of Philadelphia advised Ballymore on the deal.

Ballymore was founded by welder and World War II veteran John Colgan in 1945, and makes ladder systems for banks, railroads, airlines and factories. Osage bought the company in 1998.The firm now focuses mostly on software and health-care firms.

Graycliffs other area investments include E&E, an IT contractor for Pennsylvania state government, and and wire-mesh maker Gerald Daniel Worldwide of Hanover, Pa.

Perfect isnt used often to describe Kelley Square. The first steps Albie Alvarez-Cote took inside her new restaurant, though, that word came to mind.

When I came in here, I knew this was the perfect spot, Alvarez-Cote said.

Che! Empanada opened at 19 Kelley Square last month between Kelley Square Pizza and Golden Pockets.

Fate led Alvarez-Cote and her business partner Roy Caceres to the location.

They were set to close on a space in Newton last March. The deal fell apart when the owners children returned from college and convinced them not to sell.

I feel like they saved me because it wouldnt have been a good situation in March to sign a new lease, Alvarez-Cote said. COVID kind of gave me the time to prepare and look for the perfect spot. "

Alvarez-Cotes husband turned her onto Worcester after living in the city for a decade.

I love it. My husband always told me about Worcester and how friendly people are, Alvarez-Cote said. And they really are.

Partners Roy Caceres and Alba Alvarez-Cote opened Che! Empanadas in Worcester within the Canal District at 19 Kelley Square.

Alvarez-Cote was born in Argentina and became a citizen of the United States 48 years ago. Caceres is also from Argentina and has lived in the U.S. for four years. The two met last year and shared their love of Argentinian food.

Its definitely a dream we both had. Im from Argentina and I wanted to bring a little Argentina to Massachusetts, Alvarez-Cote said. Ive always felt that I wanted to share my culture.

Alvarez-Cote, while managing the restaurant, will continue to work as a financial advisor and run the nonprofit Financial Education Institute, which offers financial advice to workplaces and colleges.

Caceres, who lives in Concord, New Hampshire, owned a restaurant in Argentina called La Miga. Caceres also has experience making Mexican cuisine, but opening Che! Empanada followed his passion for cooking.

Theyre my favorite, Caceres said

The recipe for the empanadas is passed down several generations to both from both Caceres and Alvarez-Cotes families

The restaurant feels right at home across the street from the Worcester Public Market, which also features an array of cuisines from around the world.

The growth within the Canal District caught Alvarez-Cotes attention when first toured the space in Worcester. The location already had plenty to offer, but with the ballpark opening in April, housing and hotels also in the works, she couldnt imagine a better spot to follow her dream.

Im super excited. A lot of people were a little hesitant, asking why Im doing this during COVID, Alvarez-Cote said. I said to them Right now Im doing something at the worst possible time. It can only get better. Its so exciting to know everything thats happening in Worcester, especially in this area.

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Researchers at a hospital in Washington D.C. found a new mutant strain of the virus in a neonatal patient with high viral loads. According to the authors, this strain could be spreading in the United States mid-Atlantic population and needs monitoring.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected over 107 million individuals worldwide and has caused more than 2.36 million deaths. However, many early reports suggested that most infected children were either asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms.

As more reports came in, it was seen that children were more susceptible to a new manifestation of the disease, multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). At the Childrens National Hospital in Washington, D. C., the number of pediatric and young adults seeking care has been similar to the general COVID-19 case trends in the United States (U.S.) East Coast. Although there were several hundred patients who were hospitalized, no children deaths occurred at the hospital.

COVID-19 patients were tested using commercial RT-PCR to confirm a diagnosis. Samples from some patients were also sent for genome sequencing. The researchers found a new virus variant from the sample of a neonatal patient who had high loads of viral RNA. This is probably one of the earliest virus variants identified in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region. The results are published in a research paper posted to the medRxiv* preprint server.

Viral genome sequencing of childrens samples

The authors analyzed the genome of 27 samples and found the strains in the children to be similar to those found in adults. Using the Phylogenetic Assignment of Named Global Outbreak LINeages (PANGOLIN) tool, they found that the virus in the children of the Washington metro area was likely of European origin of the G.H. clade.

About 92% of the viral genomes sequenced had the D614G spike protein variant. Five patients had identical viral genome sequences, with one showing MIS-C symptoms. These sequences had the S193I nucleoprotein variant and the T371I non-structural protein 2 variant, different from other sequences in the G.H. clade.

Even though the five patients had identical genome sequences, they had different disease outcomes, suggesting it is challenging to form correlations between the viral and human phenotypes. Other variables such as initial viral dose, environment, and genetics could play a role in disease progression and MIS-C.

In a neonatal patient admitted to the hospital in September 2020 with high viral load and fever, the team found a nonsynonymous amino acid substitution (alters amino acid sequence) on the spike protein N679S, next to the cleavage site at residue 681, a new variant of the virus. This sequence also had the D614G variant.

An initial search on the GISAID database revealed six sequences with this variant, all deposited by labs in Virginia and Maryland. By January 2021, more samples with the variant were seen from Australia, Japan, and Brazil, and from Delaware in the United States (U.S.). These sequences belonged to the G.R. clade but had different lineages. All the U.S. samples were of the same lineage.

Monitoring of the new variant is important

Observing this variant in the U.S. in a short time window without any known person-to-person transmission suggests more cases with this viral strain may be present in the mid-Atlantic region. As of January 12, there were about 828,000 cases in Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia, but only 0.36% of the viral genomes were sequenced, just above the national average of 0.3%, but much lower than the about 5% of the samples sequenced in the United Kingdom (U.K.).

The high level of genome sequencing in the U.K. indicates the importance of high throughput sequencing technologies and quick data sharing, which will allow more such discoveries that can be acted upon. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) plans to fund further sequencing, which will allow sequencing of about 0.4% of the cases.

The single observation of the N679S variant is not sufficient to demonstrate a relationship between the variant and high viral loads or infection in very young children. But, this strain will require continued monitoring as it is likely spreading in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region. Since the spike protein not only affects infectivity but is also a target for vaccines, testing this variant for vaccine efficacy is also important.

*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.
Mumbai, Feb 12 : Armaan Jain, the cousin of noted actor Kareena Kapoor Khan and grandson of Bollywood legend late Raj Kapoor, did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday in connection with its probe into a money laundering case involving TopsGrup.

An ED official related to the probe told IANS requesting anonymity, "Armaan Jain was supposed to appear before the agency today. But he did not appear. We will issue a fresh summon soon." The agency had sent a summon to Armaan Jain on Thursday, asking him to appear before it on Friday.

Armaan is is the son of Raj Kapoor's daughter Reema Jain.

An agency source had earlier said that the ED team also carried out searches at the residence of Jain on Tuesday, the day his uncle, actor Rajiv Kapoor, passed away. After conducting the searches, the ED had allowed Reema and Armaan to attend the funeral.

The source further revealed that the ED action was based on some chats shared between Armaan and Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik's son, Vihang.

The ED had carried out searches at the premises of the Shiv Sena MLA and his son in November last year. The ED had also summoned the MLA to appear before it.

The case is in connection with a complaint lodged in October last year against leading security services provider, TopsGrup of Mumbai, alleging that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had been siphoned off Rs 175 crore.
UB MBAs take third in international case competition

The competition challenged us to dig deeper on issues of equity and institutional racism. As a group, we were able to deliver on a strategy to engage more members of the community. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  A team of first-year MBA students from the University at Buffalo School of Management took third place in the Kogod Case Competition, hosted virtually by American University.

Connor Clinton of Kailua, Hawaii; Jack DeMarco of Rochester; Anu Patel of San Francisco, California; and Tyler Penberthy of Buffalo each collected $300 in prize money for their third-place finish.

Participating teams were tasked with evaluating the impact of the On the Table initiative, a civic engagement forum that brings residents from diverse backgrounds together to discuss critical issues, find tangible solutions and spark positive change. After reviewing data from past events and community surveys, teams proposed an outreach strategy for 2021 to expand the initiatives impact in the Greater Washington, D.C., region and ensure equity among its participants and stakeholders.

The competition challenged us to dig deeper on issues of equity and institutional racism, Patel says. As a group, we were able to deliver on a strategy to engage more members of the communityincluding the most vulnerablein sharing their experiences.

In the competitions preliminary round, 38 teams made video pitches before being narrowed down to finalists across three divisions. The UB team was one of five finalists in the graduate division.

For the final round, held virtually Feb. 4-6, teams delivered 15-minute presentations and fielded 10 minutes of questions from the judges.

Ultimately, the team from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, took first in the graduate division, followed by a squad from American University and the UB team in second and third, respectively.

Beyond the prize money and resume booster, the UB MBAs say they gained valuable skills from the experience as well.

The real-life application of the case was impactful, and I hope to use this experience in future nonprofit work, DeMarco says.

Penberthy agreed: I was proud of my teams ability to collaborate over Zoom and submit a quality presentation to address inequity. I strongly believe participating in this virtual competition has benefited my personal and professional skills, as remote teamwork and collaboration are key for future employment in a COVID world after graduation.
President Joseph R. Biden's pledge to get students back into classrooms during his first 100 days in office offered hope to parents and thousands of Capital Region teenagers who have been shut out of schools and cut off from friends since last March.

As it released on Friday a long-awaited blueprint for schools to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control cited evidence that schools can safely resume in-person learning using low-cost mitigation strategies like proper masking and social distancing before all teachers and staff are vaccinated.

We know that most clusters in the school setting have occurred when there are breaches in mask-wearing, the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told reporters Friday afternoon.

The plan will include a phased-in strategy, with color-coded zones  and a version of New York's microcluster strategy, which until recently was used to determine when to shut down schools and businesses.

The CDC classifications  blue, yellow, orange and red  factor in new cases per 100,000 people and the percentage of positive tests but rely on local officials to decide when community spread requires schools to reduce in-person learning.

Even in orange or red zones, which means a community's positivity rate is above 8 percent, the CDC recommends K-12 schools stay open. In high-risk situations, elementary school children can shift to hybrid learning but only older grades should go remote. Agency officials advise local governments to use all other disease mitigation strategies before closing schools.

The CDC doesn't have the authority to reopen schools and agency officials said they are not calling for a mandate for all U.S. schools to reopen.

The president is also under pressure from teachers unions that have pushed for greater protections before schools reopen, and some critics say the reopening guidance is not ambitious enough.

Biden administration officials had already lowered expectations, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying Wednesday the goal is to have more than half of American schools open at least one day per week by late April.

His goal that he set is to have the majority of schools  so, more than 50 percent  open by day 100 of his presidency. And that means some teaching in classrooms. So, at least one day a week, Psaki told reporters.

The guidance builds on a recent CDC report that found schools are not major drivers of COVID-19 spread in the larger community. In the Capital Region, surveillance testing at four local school districts in communities with high rates of infection has also turned up few positives.

But nearly a year of remote learning has taken a toll and some parents may be seeking more decisive action from government entities.

Most middle and high school students in the Albany and Schenectady school districts have not seen the inside of a classroom since last winter. As of December, roughly 200 middle and high school students at both districts had not logged onto a single virtual lesson despite efforts by teachers and administrators to connect.

The districts have shed hundreds of jobs and school leaders have been reluctant to rebuild programming without much-needed state and federal aid.

After the state Division of Budget promised to reimburse schools for state aid cut earlier in the year, Albany and Schenectady officials announced plans to transition older students back into the classroom this spring.

Lansingburgh schools, where grades 3-12 have been fully remote since September, began bringing students back to the classroom in December and hopes to have all buildings open for in-person learning by March 1.

Albany schools, where grades 7-12 have been fully remote since the start of the school year, will begin by bringing back students who are struggling academically or emotionally after next week's February break. For the final quarter, more students will return to the classroom on a hybrid schedule.

Albany Public School Teachers Association President Laura Franz said that the bargaining unit supports the district's gradual reopening plan.

"We are in favor of the district's slower plan  targeting students who are in the greatest need, students like our ENL (English as a new language) population and students that demonstrated that they are struggling with virtual learning  so we can further support them in person while ensuring a safe environment for teachers," Franz said.

The CDC mitigation strategy emphasizes correct mask-wearing, proper social distancing, and "hand hygiene" education. It outlines standards on cleaning and ventilating facilities, contact tracing, isolating and quarantining. The guidance doesn't require widespread testing, which local and national teachers unions have called for, but notes that "some schools may also elect to use screening testing as a strategy to identify cases and prevent secondary transmission."

New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) President Andy Pallotta has called for state and federal support to set up surveillance testing in schools similar to the rigorous COVID-19 screening systems set up on State University of New York campuses.

The teachers union surveyed members at New York's more-than 700 school districts and identified just 57 that are offering routine COVID-19 testing for the entire school population.

"That is fewer than 10 percent of the districts in New York State," Pallotta wrote in an opinion piece for Empire Report. "In most cases, the testing is of both adults and students, though in some districts its either students or staff."

The union is calling on state and federal governments to provide funding for testing in every school.
More than 90 militants have been killed in the last two days as Afghan forces have intensified airstrikes against the militant group amid stalled peace talks in Doha, officials said.

In the latest wave of airstrikes on Thursday, the fighter jets struck a hideout in Aqtepa area of Charbolak district in Balkh province, killing 11 insurgents including three local commanders, Xinhua news agency quoted a top army official as saying.

According to the official, the sorties were launched at 1.25 p.m. on Thursday.

On Wednesday, airstrikes in the same area left 31 insurgents dead, hei added.

Airstrikes were also conducted in Aqtepa's neighbouring Gortepa village earlier in the day, which killed 26 militants.

The airstrikes also targeted militants in Nawa, Nahr-e-Saraj and Garmsir districts of the Helmand province on Wednesday, killing 27 armed insurgents including two group commanders namely Hanzala and Barakat, said an army statement.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, without making comments on the claims made by the officials, said that militants are capable enough to defend their positions.

Fighting increases amid standstill in the peace talks between the Afghan government negotiating team and the Taliban representatives in Qatari capital Doha.

The second round of intra-Afghan talks, which resumed on January 5 in Doha, has stalled.

According to local media reports no meeting has been held over the past 25 days.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Lagos has called on the state government to urgently intervene in the fracas between it and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The Publicity Secretary of RTEAN, Abdulrahman Amusan, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

Some members of NURTW and RTEAN had on Thursday morning at Obalende Motor Park on Lagos Island, engaged in a free-for-all over control of the garage.

The police later restored normalcy.

We want the Lagos State Government to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the matter. We are for peace, we have been working in Obalende for many years without any problem.

We are owners, we are not touts, we love and cherish peace. We want our members to maintain peace and ensure law and order no matter the provocations, the RTEAN spokesman said.

He claimed that the fight occurred because members of NURTW attempted to dislodge RTEAN members from their area of operations at Obalende.

According to him, RTEAN members resisted the attempt and it resulted in the fight.

We have been working at Obalende for long. All of a sudden, on Monday, members of the NURTW encroached into the area of operations of RTEAN.

This morning when they came, they met with resistance from our members there, and that led to the fracas.

We had been co-existing for so many years, he told NAN.

Meanwhile, the state NURTW Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo), claimed that the fight occurred because members of RTEAN attacked NURTW members in a bid to take over the motor park. (NAN)
A Melbourne hotel quarantine worker has been photographed without any personal protective equipment, sparking fury as the city braces for a third strict lockdown.

Victoria is battling a fresh outbreak of Covid-19 after the disease spread from a returned traveller to hotel staff and guests at the Holiday Inn, near Melbourne Airport, earlier this week.

The cluster swelled to 13 on Friday after two new positive cases, both close contacts of previous cases, were identified overnight, putting the city on edge as authorities rush to contain the spread.

Five million residents could be plunged into lockdown over the weekend, under a plan backed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, which will be considered by Premier Daniel Andrew today in a state cabinet meeting.

A Melbourne hotel quarantine worker has been photographed (pictured) without any protective equipment

The nurse was spotted without gloves or a mask by a returned traveller staying at the Intercontinental Hotel on Collins Street (pictured)

Now Victoria's hotel quarantine system is again under scrutiny after a nurse at Intercontinental Hotel on Collins St, was photographed without protective gear on by returned traveller Jeff Dalton.

'There it was  no mask  and a nurse sitting in her little nurses station again not wearing a mask,' Mr Dalton told 9 News.

'It doesnt give me too much confidence.'

Quarantine Victoria said it was looking into the potential breach but it is possible the nurse might have been wearing a light pink surgical mask, which may not have been easily visible.

They are still reviewing CCTV and investigating the allegation.

Victoria's hotel quarantine system underwent a major overhaul after an inquiry found a series of failures contributed to the state's deadly second wave.

Since commencing the revamped program in December, there have continued to be a handful of outbreaks, including one linked to the Australian Open quarantine program.

However, Victorian officials have defended the scheme, saying there are strict protocols in place.

There are now 13 cases linked to the Holiday Inn (pictured) cluster after an infected returned traveller passed the virus on to staff and other guests

'Were operating this program under the highest strictest of standards,' Victorian Transport Minister Jacinta Allan told reporters on Thursday.

Victorias coronavirus testing chief commander Jeroen Weimar said he would be 'disappointed' if staff were ignoring the states stringent hotel quarantine protocols.

'Im sure if that were to be the case there would be very swift actions by my colleagues to deal with that,' he told reporters yesterday.

'There are very tight controls about who can come in and out of a hotel quarantine hotel.'

Six of the 13 cases from the Holiday Inn cluster have been confirmed by genomic sequencing as having the UK's highly contagious B117 strain.

Health officials are working on the theory the remaining cases also derive from the more infectious strain, which experts believe could be up to 70 per cent more transmissible.
Hand sanitizers are beached for visitors at Imjingak, a tourist spot in the inter-Korean border region of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Feb. 12, the Lunar New Year day. Yonhap



South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases retreated Friday, apparently due to fewer tests amid the Lunar New Year holiday, but health authorities are staying vigilant over a potential uptick after the traditional holiday.



The country reported 403 more COVID-19 cases, including 384 local infections, raising the total caseload to 82,837, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.



Friday's daily caseload was sharply down from 504 cases reported the previous day, when the number of new cases surged to a 15-day high.



The third wave of COVID-19 here reached its peak on Dec. 25, with the daily tally reaching 1,240, but has been showing a downward trend since.



Recently, the daily caseload has been moving in the 300-400 range due to continuing cluster infections from unauthorized religious education facilities in the central and southwestern regions.



Health authorities are trying to further slow down new infections after the Lunar New Year holiday, which kicked off Thursday for a four-day run including the weekend.



Many Koreans travel across the country to visit their relatives and families during the holiday, but this time, health authorities have urged people to stay at home.





Soldiers of Republic of Korea Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu play a smartphone game in their dormitory on Feb. 11 as they compete in a preliminary of e-sports competition held by the camp for soldiers to pass the Lunar New Year holiday with more fun. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing
Credit: NASA

To casual observers, landing a rover on Mars can seem kind of like old news, believe it or not, especially after all of NASA's successes. But many are likely not aware of the so-called "Mars Curse." The fact is, many of the spacecraft that attempt to land there fail and crash.

Next to run the gauntlet of the Mars curse is NASA's Perseverance rover. It'll attempt its long-awaited landing at Jezero Crater on February 18. The people at NASA have given the Perseverance rover some finely tuned tools to get it to the Martian surface safely and to beat the Mars curse.

The Perseverance rover is landing at Jezero Crater because NASA thinks they can do the best science there. The mission's goal is to seek signs of ancient life and collect samples for a potential return to Earth. Jezero Crater is an ancient, dried-up paleo-lakebed. It holds both preserved sediments and a delta. According to NASA, the crater is one of the "oldest and most scientifically interesting landscapes Mars has to offer." Scientists think that if there's any fossilized evidence of ancient life, they may find it at Jezero.

But it's also hazardous to land in.

"Jezero is 28 miles wide, but within that expanse, there are a lot of potential hazards the rover could encounter: hills, rock fields, dunes, the walls of the crater itself, to name just a few," said Andrew Johnson, principal robotics systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "So if you land on one of those hazards, it could be catastrophic to the whole mission."

Jezero Crater on Mars is the landing site for NASAs Mars 2020 rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

About 60% of all spacecraft sent to Mars fail. Perseverance will use what's known as terrain relative navigation (TRN), a technology first used in cruise missiles, to avoid that same failure. In broad terms, TRN consists of two elements: an onboard map of the landing area with elevations and hazards, and a navigation camera. As Perseverance approaches its landing ellipse, the camera compares its real-time images with the onboard map and commands the lander's rockets to direct the craft away from known hazards.

Overall, the rover's autonomous landing system is known as landing visions system, or LVS.

"For Mars 2020, LVS will use the position information to figure out where the rover is relative to safe spots between those hazards. And in one of those safe spots is where the rover will touch down," Johnson explained in a press release.

This type of system has been under development for some time now. NASA's OSIRIS-REx used one in its risky sample-collection maneuver at asteroid Bennu. That system was called Natural Feature Tracking (NFT) and it effectively guided the spacecraft down to Bennu's boulder-littered surface. OSIRIS-REx's mission was successful, and the samples should arrive on Earth in September 2023.

But a system like Perseverance's doesn't come without a lot of hard work and lead time. It's been in development for several years, and hopefully, all that development and testing will pay off.

Swati Mohan is the guidance, navigation, and control operations lead for Mars 2020 at JPL. The first two stages of testing were hardware and simulation, and they were both done in a lab. In the press release, Mohan said, "That's where we test every condition and variable we can. Vacuum, vibration, temperature, electrical compatibilitywe put the hardware through its paces."

Once the hardware has been subjected to all that scrutiny, it's time for simulations. "Then with simulation, we model various scenarios that the software algorithms may encounter on Marsa too-sunny day, very dark day, windy dayand we make sure the system behaves as expected regardless of those conditions," Mohan said.

After that, the system was ready for flight tests. But not autonomously. Instead, it was tested on a helicopter, where it was used to estimate the helicopter's altitude and position.

A prototype of the Lander Vision System for NASAs Mars 2020 project was tested in this Dec. 9, 2014, flight of a Masten Space Systems Xombie vehicle at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Credit: NASA/Tom Tschida

"That got us to a certain level of technical readiness because the system could monitor a wide range of terrain, but it didn't have the same kind of descent that Perseverance will have," said Johnson. "There was also a need to demonstrate LVS on a rocket."

The LVS system was tested repeatedly in the field on a rocket. That rocket, the Masten Space System Xombie, served as a test-bed for LVS starting in 2014. NASA's Flight Opportunities Program funded those tests.

This illustration shows Jezero Crater  the landing site of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover  as it may have looked billions of years ago on Mars when it was a lake. An inlet and outlet are also visible on either side of the lake. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

"Testing on the rocket laid pretty much all remaining doubts to rest and answered a critical question for the LVS operation affirmatively," said JPL's Nikolas Trawny, a payload and pointing control systems engineer who worked closely with Masten on the 2014 field tests. "It was then that we knew LVS would work during the high-speed vertical descent typical of Mars landings."

"The testing that Flight Opportunities is set up to provide was really unprecedented within NASA at the time," said Johnson. "But it's proven so valuable that it's now becoming expected to do these types of flight tests. For LVS, those rocket flights were the capstone of our technology development effort."

Credit: NASA

The LVS system is complex. Not only can it guide the Perseverance rover to the surface, but it can do so in the most fuel-efficient fashion. Fuel for the lander's rockets is limited, obviously, so there's really only one chance to get it right. Altogether, the system was tested successfully and is now only days away from the real deal: the landing at Jezero Crater.

But even with all of the thorough testing of the autonomous system, there can still be surprises. Real life is always different than simulations, and though NASA is confident in the system, they'll still be ready to respond and adapt to any problems or changing conditions.

"Real life can always throw you curve balls. So, we'll be monitoring everything during the cruise phase, checking power to the camera, making sure the data is flowing as expected," Mohan said. "And once we get that signal from the rover that says, "I've landed and I'm on stable ground," then we can celebrate."

Explore further Tricky terrain: Helping to assure a safe rover landing
Then, as before, the Chinese leader was careful not to publicly discuss the origins of the virus, opting for a message of unity against a common enemy in an attempt to rise above tumultuous multinational sparring over the past year. Marion Koopmans, a member of the WHO mission, said We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is indicated. Credit:AP But the day after, his Foreign Ministry was doing its best to recast China not just as a protector of developing countries but as the potential victim of a foreign virus itself. The ministry seized on the missions presentation. Despite leaning towards a Chinese-origin for the disease, the investigators did raise the possibility that it may have also been present elsewhere before the first cases were reported in Wuhan in December 2019. There have been more and more international reports that the virus and epidemics broke out in multiple places in the world in the latter half of the year 2019, said ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

He repeated the claim twice for emphasis. It was followed by a volley of scientific voices in Chinese state media. Any country that reported outbreaks in 2019 should be investigated, said Lu Hongzhou, co-director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre at Fudan University. Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, told the Global Times: Wuhan is just a stop for virus origin tracing, and those experts should not expect to find an answer here. Also, it is scientifically impossible, as there were cases found in other countries even before the outbreak in Wuhan was reported, he claimed. The Australian investigator on the WHO team, Dominic Dwyer, is not convinced. I think it started in China. The evidence for it starting elsewhere in the world is very limited, he said on Wednesday. A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology after the WHO team arrived. Credit:AP Dwyer praised the Chinese scientists and authorities for being hospitable hosts, but significant questions still remain over the level of access to data that Chinese authorities were actually willing to tolerate for the joint investigation.

Then on Thursday, the day after the WHO team left China, there were key developments. WHO investigators told The Wall Street Journal that up to 90 patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 symptoms near Wuhan in the two months prior to the Huanan market outbreak, but the team was told wastewater samples prior to December 2019 had been destroyed and access to blood donations in that period were restricted due to local laws. We also know the Chinese were reporting the people who went to hospital were really sick, said Dwyer. But we now know theres a lot of ordinary transmission going on between otherwise healthy people, so there mustve been many, many more cases in December than were identified. WHO mission member Peter Daszak rolls up a vendors layout map of Huanan Seafood market as he prepares to leave his hotel for the airport at the end of the probes trip to Wuhan. Credit:AP The revelations do not square neatly with claims by Liang Wannian, the China lead on the investigation, that there was no evidence of community transmission in Wuhan prior to December 2019.

There is no substantial unrecognised circulation of SARS-COV-2 in Wuhan during the latter part of 2019, he said at the joint-press conference alongside the WHO team members who a day after leaving the podium, raised concerns about their access to information. The WHO itself has also not been immune to claims of political compromise after it was widely criticised for its initial handling of the outbreak at the start of 2020, when it delayed declaring it a pandemic, urged countries not to shut their borders and then praised the handling of the crisis by China, one of its biggest financial backers. The problem is: its a bit like looking at your internal governance yourself, said Professor Marylouise McLaws, an epidemiologist and independent member of WHOs Readiness and Response to COVID-19 panel. It is disappointing that it wasnt completely independent without the badging of WHO. The questions over WHOs impartiality and the threats posed to independent research by Chinese conditions have driven a division with the United States that also threatens to overshadow some of its preliminary results.

Let me be clear, added Peter Daszak, a zoologist and member of the Wuhan team. Im disappointed that a statement came out that might undermine the veracity of this work even before the report is released. Loading Daszak believes it will be at least two years before any concrete findings are revealed. He has spent the days since the preliminary presentation emphasising what could be the most significant breakthrough of the field trip. There was a clear potential for a link from animals we know are susceptible into that market, he said. The unconfirmed link, once thought to be live pangolins, may actually be frozen carcasses of another obscure animal - ferret badgers.

We are talking about something very different right now than a packet of frozen fish from somewhere else in the world, he said. Loading The supply chains come from places in China where we know the SARS coronavirus - a related virus - in other words a direct link from the potential bat origins of this virus into Wuhan market. To many of us on the team it was a clear clue to what might have happened. It was one of the pathways that we thought was more likely than others for sure. The team of virologists, epidemiologists and scientists will now return to their home bases across Europe, the US and Asia before preparing their report on the preliminary findings. Koopmans has pushed for investigators to travel to Italy, where reports of detection of the virus in November have yet to be confirmed.
CAIRO  Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani has recently lashed out at Qatar for not adhering to Al-Ula Declaration, named after the Saudi city where Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt agreed to ease the boycott imposed on Doha since 2017.

In a statement during a virtual intergovernmental parliamentary meeting on Feb. 1, Zayani accused Qatar of ignoring the provisions stated in Al-Ula Declaration, thus preventing the start of a new phase of regional stability.

During the same meeting, the head of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and National Security Committee in the Bahraini parliament, Mohammed al-Buainain, stressed that Bahrain is still showing goodwill and is committed to the provisions of Al-Ula Declaration concluded in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a step to addressing pending issues with Qatar.

He noted, however, that Qatar has yet to show seriousness in implementing its obligations.

On the day of the signature of Al-Ula Declaration, on Jan. 5, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that the declaration aims to resolve the crisis with Qatar and comes as part of Egypts efforts to promote solidarity among the Arab Quartet. It is imperative to build on this important step to promote the path of Arab action and to support ties among sisterly Arab countries, stemming from relations based on goodwill and noninterference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, the statement continued.

Qatari Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani asserted Jan. 7 that there were no Egyptian preconditions for the declaration. He confirmed the agreement was reached based on the principles of the reconciliation with the boycotting countries, noting that bilateral rifts with Egypt will be resolved in correspondences between the two countries.

On Jan. 12, the Egyptian authorities announced the reopening of its airspace to Qatari flights.

On Jan. 20, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Cairo and Doha exchanged two official memoranda, whereby the two countries agreed to resume diplomatic relations by implementing the mutual obligations under Al-Ula Declaration.

Yet Bahraini officials believe Qatar has not shown any seriousness in implementing the main demands of the Arab Quartet in exchange for lifting the blockade, mainly noninterference in the affairs of Arab countries, the end of its support to the Muslim Brotherhood and the end of Qatari media incitement against these countries  Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Egypt shares the concerns of Bahrain over Qatars commitment to the declaration, although it did not make any official statement on the issue.

An Egyptian diplomatic source at the Foreign Affairs Ministry who preferred anonymity told Al-Monitor via phone that Egypts objective behind the reconciliation with Qatar mainly consists of ending the rift among Arabs. The source said, It also aims to test Qatars intentions and the measures it will take on the ground to change its policy toward Egypt, which was the subject of the dispute and the reason behind the yearlong estrangement between the two countries.

The source indicated that Egypt has undisclosed reservations on Qatars adherence to Al-Ula Declaration. Egypt will wait and assess the Qatari commitment in the coming months, he noted, adding that all Qatar has to do now is prove goodwill and fulfill its commitments.

The source believes Egypts signature of Al-Ula Declaration is a good opportunity to test Qatars will to change its hostile position against the Egyptian state over the past years.

Tarek Fahmy, a professor of political science at Cairo University, told Al-Monitor, Egypt has shown a lot of good intentions in signing Al-Ula Declaration. But three years of complete estrangement with Qatar will not be easy to overcome by the mere signature of this initial agreement. There are several points that must guarantee Qatar's commitment to several obligations after the agreement, but they have not been announced yet.

Fahmy indicated that coordination is ongoing between Egypt and Qatar on the diplomatic and security levels. Several coordination meetings will take place during the coming weeks between Egyptian and Qatari officials to follow up on the implementation of the provisions of the declaration, and to monitor the extent of Qatar's commitment to the general conditions agreed upon, he added. Yet no date has been announced for these meetings.

Fahmy said Egypt believes that the reconciliation agreement is good in general, but it is only a step in the right direction that depends on the Qatari sides commitment not to interfere in its internal affairs. Egypt agreed to sign Al-Ula Declaration, provided that coordination continues with Qatar to assess the extent of its commitment not to interfere in Egyptian affairs, he added.

Ayman Samir, an expert in international relations at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, explained that Egypt already has set its conditions for reconciliation with Qatar. Qatar must stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and the remnants of terrorist groups in the northern Sinai Peninsula. It must also end its support to Turkey's [actions] in Libya as well, he told Al-Monitor.

Samir pointed out that Egypt is keeping a close eye on Qatar, waiting for it to fulfill its pledges. Egypt has shown good faith since the beginning of the agreement, he said. It allowed Qatar to resume investment and economic projects in Egypt. On Jan. 9, the Qatari Diar company obtained the Egyptian governments approval to complete the City Gate project in New Cairo. Egypt also allowed Qatari Finance Minister Ali Shareef Al Emadi, on the day of the signature of the declaration, to participate in the inauguration of the St. Regis Hotel launched by Qatari Diar," he noted.

Yet, according to Samir, there is still no evidence that Qatar has significantly changed its policy toward Egypt, except for slight changes in the policy of Al Jazeera channel toward the political situation in Egypt. The success of reconciliation with Qatar depends on the latters actions over the coming period. It depends on Qatar refraining in the coming months from interfering in Egyptian affairs. The signature of the agreement will remain mere ink on paper if no action is taken on the ground, he concluded.
Just when you thought you explored all the ways to enjoy elote, TikTok gives you the ultimate recipe for these antojitos.

Elote, often called Mexican street corn, is a favorite snack for many Houstonians, and Farrah with spicednice on TikTok just showed us the perfect way to grill them up like ribs.

MORE TIKTOK STARS: Meet Alvin's Enkyboys and their epic TikTok videos

Just hearing the recipe had my mouth watering with all the ingredients she used to whip them up.

You can't go wrong with basting the corn ribs with chili powder, lemon pepper, black pepper, paprika and topping it off with a sprinkling of cotija cheese when they're done.

I loved her technique for cutting up the corn on the cob and using an air fryer for preparing them.

Her chipotle lime mayo sauce is the perfect condiment to add the finishing touch on top.

Whether you enjoy your elote in a cup, bowl, grilled with the husk hanging off it, there's sure to be a food truck or eatery around H-Town you will find that has it on the menu.

Houston's East End was famous for its elotero, Emilio Vargas, known as the "Elote Man." Vargas is a staple in the community selling his Mexican street corn.

TheCrazyGorilla probably explains it best what elotes mean when he said "You know you're Mexican if you get excited when hear that elotero horn."

In this case, you know you love elotes when you get excited about a new recipe. I agree with Farrahthese elote ribs just might be the next trend in how to eat this go-to-delicacy.

How do you enjoy your elotes? Where's your favorite spots to pick some up?
The entire film fraternity was left in a state of shock yesterday after the demise of veteran actor Rajiv Kapoor. The 58-year-old actor-director succumbed to a cardiac arrest on Tuesday, February 9, 2021. While a lot of celebrities are coming forward to pay their last respects to Rajiv Kapoor, actor Neil Nitin Mukesh also opened up about cancelling his wedding anniversary celebrations this year. Read on to know more about it.

Also Read | Rajiv Kapoor's Death: Recalling Actor's Last Media Appearance During Christmas

Neil Nitin Mukesh cancels his anniversary celebrations

Rajiv Kapoor's death has shocked people around the country, and his friends, family, and well-wishers are paying their last respects to the Ram Teri Ganga Maili actor. According to a report by Bollywood Life, Johnny Gaddar actor Neil Nitin Mukesh also expressed his shock and grief over Kapoor's passing away and talked about how there won't be any anniversary celebrations for him and his wife Rukmini this year. He stated that his family is in shock and there would be no celebrations this year and that Rajiv Kapoor was a dear family friend.

Also Read | 'Mine Forever': Neil Nitin Mukesh Celebrates '4 Years Of Togetherness' With Wife Rukmini

Neil Nitin Mukesh and his wife Rukmini had their fourth wedding anniversary yesterday, on February 9. The Saaho star took to his Instagram handle and shared a throwback picture with the late actors and brothers Rajiv and Rishi Kapoor from his wedding day. The wedding picture had Neil Nitin Mukesh's wife Rukmini, his father Nitin Mukesh, Rajiv Kapoor, and Rishi Kapoor and they could be seen having a gala time on stage while singing. Neil's caption read, "Such a big loss for our family. We lost our most beloved chimpu uncle today. You have left us with nothing but the most fond memories of you. I will truly miss you loads. Love you forever chimpu uncle . RIP" You can see his Instagram post here.

Also Read | Neil Nitin Mukesh Wishes 'darling Wife' Rukmini To Have A 'blessed Birthday'

Rajiv Kapoor's movies

The late actor made his debut with the 1983 film titled Ek Jaan Hain Hum, but the film that shot him to popularity was Ram Teri Ganga Maili, which released two years later, in 1985. He starred in the movie with actor Mandakini and it went on to become a blockbuster. He went on to act in films till the year 1990, after which he quit and took to direction and production. The movies he has acted in include Lover Boy, Zabardast, Aasmaan, and Hum To Chale Pardes.

Also Read | Neil Nitin Mukesh Lip-synching To Nurvi's 'Papa Chashmah Pehno' Chant Will Make Your Day

Image Credits: Neil Nitin Mukesh and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni Official Instagram Accounts

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
The number of new print magazines started in the U.S. fell by more than half in 2020 to 60, compared t
Mr. Nguyen Tan Hieu, 34, in Binh Thuy district, Can Tho city has acquired a collection of around 200 valuable vintage cassettes, radios, and over 100 old kerosene lamps.

The much-admired collection on display in every nook of Hieu's house.

The vast array of antiques captures the attention of passersby despite the house being located in a little alley on Bui Huu Nghia street (Binh Thuy district).

The majority of cassette players and radios here date back to a few decades ago, even more than half a century, but are still surprisingly new-looking and functional.

To demonstrate, Hieu even switched on VOV1 (Voice of Vietnam) channel from a radio produced in the 1950-1960s, and the sound was strikingly smooth and clear.

The quirky perennial machines originating in Japan, the US ... from big brands like National, Panasonic, and Sony were all manufactured between 1955 and 1975.

Many phonographs, vinyl records and other items. From all over the country also massively contribute to Hieus captivating collection which he has sweated blood for.

Mr. Hieu remarked that though modern electronic audio equipment is of very high quality, the retro style machines, particularly the signature sound produced from vintage cassette players, for ever has his heart.

Radio and cassette players obtained by the sweat of Hieu's brow.

I have been passionate about collecting cassettes since I was a school boy. Back then before the digital age took over, people listened to music via cassettes or radio stations, which I feel immensely nostalgic for. Even a simple dysfunction calling a halt to my contemplation could completely cast a shadow over my day, Hieu recalled.

The devotion he has to classical cassette players burgeons every passing day, so handsomely that it became a part of him, making him expend his energy and effort into seeking further and further.

"I was initially only choosing ones with clear sound and durability, but later on set the bar higher to items of rarity and colour/model variations, " he added.

Hieu prioritizes rare and even unused items.

Many machines in his home-based exhibition are original and neatly boxed. Some of them can be badly damaged, which may sometimes cost him the earth to get them overhauled.

Circuit error is the most common problem among the cassette players and radios when found.

Even when functional, maintenance, frequent cleaning, board waterproofing, and non exposure to direct sunlight are all indispensable for these items.

Inco Mica cassette radio manufactured between 1955 and 1963 is considered a one-off in Hieus collection.

This is the most special cassette player that I could find across the whole nation. It cost up to VND25 million and is fully intact and operational. Its model is among the most exclusive and elite up to this point in the world of vintage cassettes, Mr. Hieu said.

Hieu also owns more than 100 Kim Loi Hoa kerosene lamps. The lilac one is regarded as the rarest in the collection. Akai vinyl record players, old televisions, southern pottery ...are all intriguing.

Hieus Kim Loi Hoa oil lamps.

Mr. Huynh Dang (35 years old, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city): I am also a cassette player and radio maniac. Its undeniable how profoundly the collection left me bedazzled upon my first visit. It definitely is the finest in Can Tho.

Thien Chi

The special teacher of Vietnam's youngest associate professor: her mother Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha feels fortunate that she was led by many teachers on her journey of self-growth. And the first teacher was her mother.
(HealthDay)Many health care workers (HCWs) report they may delay getting the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a research letter published online Feb. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Adva Gadoth, Ph.D., from the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a survey (Sept. 24 to Oct. 16, 2020) to understand general vaccine acceptance and specific attitudes toward forthcoming COVID-19 vaccines among 540 HCWs (71.7 percent female; 57.0 percent White, 85.4 percent with direct patient contact).

The researchers found that distinct variation existed across job roles, with prescribing clinicians showing significantly higher average scores for the utility of the vaccine than nurses both for self-protection and the health of the community. Younger participants were more likely to agree on the importance of vaccination to community health. Compared with prescribing clinicians and accounting for demographic variables, other HCWs were about 20 to 30 percent more likely to delay or decline a vaccine. Immediate vaccine acceptance was less likely among participants identifying as Asian (23.9 percent) or Latino (26.2 percent), compared to other racial and ethnic groups. HCWs 50 years of age and older were more likely to accept vaccination right away, compared to younger coworkers.

"As the first recipients of coronavirus vaccines, their buy-in and participation in vaccination are critical in promoting uptake to a broader population," the authors write.

Explore further Hospitalized health care workers do not have worse COVID-19 outcomes

Copyright  2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
I think there was probably a big sigh of relief there, Mr. Nagle said. And we were very pleased to be able to confirm that the spacecraft was still talking to us.

The work got high marks from NASA officials in the United States.

The DSN folks in Canberra did a remarkable job under the pandemic conditions just to upgrade DSS 43, said Suzanne Dodd, the Voyager mission project manager and director of the Interplanetary Network Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Ive got 100 percent confidence in that antenna, that it will operate just fine for a few more decades. Long past when the Voyagers are done.

Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 hold the records for the farthest a spacecraft has ever traveled and for the longest operating mission. Voyager 2 has had a few hiccups over the years, but it is still feeling its way around in the dark, making discoveries about the boundaries that separate our solar system from the rest of the Milky Way galaxy.

Ive seen scientists whose backgrounds are in astrophysics now looking at Voyager data and trying to match that up with data they have from ground-based telescopes or other space-based telescopes, Ms. Dodd said. Thats kind of exciting to go from a planetary mission to the heliophysics mission and now, practically into an astrophysics mission.

While Voyager 2 keeps chugging along, Ms. Dodd and her colleagues are preparing to switch off the heater for one of its scientific sensors, the Low Energy Charged Particle instrument. Doing so will ensure that the spacecrafts limited power supply can keep its other systems, particularly its communications antenna, warm enough to function.

While Ms. Dodd thinks taking such steps could reduce the spacecrafts scientific output, the main goal now is longevity.

The challenge is not in the new technology, or the great discoveries, Ms. Dodd said. The challenge is in keeping it operating as long as possible, and returning the science data as long as possible.
The Guatemalan Congress is attempting to appoint an individual with serious allegations against him to be a constitutional court magistrate. The allegations include conspiracy to obstruct justice and evidence of past engagement with Gustavo Alejos, a former presidential aide whom the Department of State previously publicly designated for his involvement in significant corruption that undermined the rule of law in Guatemala. On February 1, as a result of a case filed by Guatemala's Public Ministry, a judge issued an arrest warrant for this potential constitutional court magistrate for obstruction of justice.

The connection with Gustavo Alejos is concerning. In 2020, the Guatemalan Special Prosecutors Office against Impunity exposed gross interference in the justice system. The investigation found that Gustavo Alejos, a Guatemalan businessman and former Chief of Staff to former President of Guatemala Alvaro Colom, who is currently in detention for corruption, had set up a scheme to influence the selection process for appellate and Supreme Court magistrates. According to press reports, Alejos had contact with at least 41 people involved in the judicial selection process; including 10 legislators, two of whom are part of the current leadership in Guatemala.

Accordingly, the U.S. State Department designated Alejos and his immediate family members as ineligible for entry into the United States in June 2020 for his involvement in significant corruption. In his official capacity as the Chief of Staff to former President of Guatemala Alvaro Colom, Alejos was involved in undermining the rule of law and the Guatemalan publics faith in their governments democratic institutions, officials, and public processes.

The Guatemalan Congress attempt to appoint to the Constitutional Court an individual closely associated with Alejos and who faces serious corruption allegations calls into question the integrity of Guatemalas highest court, thereby weakening the rule of law and undermining a key U.S. priority for cooperation with Guatemala to strengthen democratic governance, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement.

The United States is committed to supporting Guatemalas fight against endemic corruption and impunity  a necessary step toward the prosperous and secure future the people of Guatemala deserve. The fair and transparent selection of justices to the Constitutional Court is critical for the integrity of Guatemalas democratic institutions.
A woman holds a placard during a rally against the military coup in Myanmar. Photo: Reuters

Myanmars new junta leader has called on civil servants to return to work and urged people to stop mass gatherings to avoid spreading coronavirus, as a sixth day of protests against him and his coup spanned the Southeast Asian country.

As Washington moved a step closer to imposing sanctions on Min Aung Hlaing and his fellow generals, Britain said it was also considering measures it could apply to punish the February 1 takeover that halted an unsteady transition to democracy.

The coup and the detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi along with scores of others have prompted the biggest demonstrations since a 2007 Saffron Revolution that ultimately became a step towards democratic reforms.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing addressed the protests for the first time in public, blaming unscrupulous persons for work stoppages in a growing civil disobedience movement by medics, teachers, railway workers and many other government employees.

Those who are away from their duties are requested to return to their duties immediately for the interests of the country and people, he said.

Protesters gathered across Myanmar  also known as Burma  yesterday.

Hundreds of workers lined a road in the capital Naypyitaw, chanting anti-junta slogans and carrying placards supporting Suu Kyi. Thousands demonstrated in the main city of Yangon, some taking a humorous approach, such as men dressed in short skirts.

The military launched the coup after what it said was widespread fraud in a November election, won by Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) in a landslide. The electoral commission had rejected those claims.

Suu Kyi, who was swept to power following a historic election victory in 2015, faces charges of illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios.



The protests have revived memories of almost half a century of direct army rule, punctuated by bloody crackdowns, until the military began relinquishing some power in 2011.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved an executive order for new sanctions on those responsible for the coup.

The military must relinquish power it seized and demonstrate respect for the world and the people of Burma as expressed in their November 8 election, he said.

The United Nations top human rights body is to consider a resolution today, drafted by Britain and the European Union, condemning the coup and demanding urgent access for monitors.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 12 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday urged the Centre to withdraw the National Monuments Authority's (NMA) draft heritage bylaws for two temples in the state.

Patnaik said the central government should immediately withdraw the NMA's draft bylaws on Ananta Basudev and Brahmeswar temples of Ekamra Kshetra in Bhubaneswar.

The Chief Minister said it would have been appropriate for the Central agencies to take the state into confidence on sensitive religious issues.

"Central government should immediately withdraw the National Monuments Authority Draft Bylaws on Ananta Basudev & Brahmeswar Temple of #EkamraKshetra. It would have been appropriate for the Central agencies to take the State into confidence on sensitive religious issues," tweeted Patnaik.

He appealed to all the parliamentarians from Odisha to raise the sensitive matter with Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel as the rituals of Lord Lingaraj may be affected due to the heritage bylaws.

"I appeal to all the MPs from #Odisha to take up this sensitive matter with the Union Government & @prahladspatel, as it involves the sentiments of lakhs of devotees of #Odisha, lives and livelihood of sebayats, linked to the smooth conduct of Nitis of Lord Lingaraj," he further tweeted.

Notably, the draft bylaws prohibit construction works around the temples while the state government has taken up several initiatives for the beautification of Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar.

Meanwhile, by lighting up hundreds of diyas, the servitors of the Lingaraj temple on Friday protested against the proposed draft notification.

Earlier, the Commissioner of the Endowment, Odisha and Khurda district collector, who is also the president of Lord Lingaraj Temple Trust Board, urged the NMA to withdraw the notification immediately.

The Centre had withdrawn the notification of the draft bylaws for Jagannath Temple in Puri following widespread protest from various quarters.
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Alessandra Ambrosio continued to enjoy her Brazilian beach lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The supermodel posted four sizzling new images to her Instagram on Friday showing off her sizzling curves in another itsy-bitsy bikini.

The beauty - who will turn 40-years-old in April - reminded fans to 'enjoy the view' as she continued to take in the beaches of her home country while sheltering with friends and family.

Life is a beach: Alessandra Ambrosio continued to show off her amazing lockdown life on Instagram with another bikini photoshoot on the coast of Brazil on Friday

The stunner has been showing off pieces from her GAL Floripa line on social media throughout the pandemic.

This time, Alessandra went with a gold number that included a single strap top with a tie in the center. It also featured a revealing back with only the string tying everything together.

The hip-hugging bottoms accentuated her backside with double strings that tie up along the sides.

Golden goddess: The supermodel paraded her sizzling curves in this gold bikini from her GAL Floripa swimwear line

The Versace model accessorized the revealing suit with a few gold necklaces, but made sure to keep all focus on her incredible body.

Alessandra put her perfect beachy waves on full display, keeping them pulled behind her sculpted shoulders.

'STAND TALL AND PROUD,' she captioned the glamorous photos.

'Sink your roots into the earth. Go out on a limb. Be true to yourself. Drink plenty of water. Remember your roots. Enjoy the view,' she added.

Dream life: The beauty - who will turn 40-years-old in April - has been sheltering with her friends and family in her native Brazil where she is often seen unwinding on the beach

The star braved the coastal rocks for the shots, overlooking the cliffside view of the cove as she leaned on a tree to hit all the right poses.

Ambrosio's long limbs and flat belly made it difficult to pay any mind to the serene blue water in the background.

The continuous beach days being documented on her social media prove how the beauty retains her bronzed glow.

She has treated her Instagram fans to a bevy of photographs from the shore in recent months.

Abs of steel: The leggy beauty made sure to keep the focus on her long limbs and flat belly as she struck poses on neighboring cliffside rocks

Dreamy location: On Thursday the cover girl was pictured on the shore yet again as she said she was enjoying a mermaid's life while in a 'coral castle'

The siren was born on April 11, 1981 and has done a lot in her 39 years, including securing a career as an international model that has landed her on the cover of Vogue and given her a Victoria's Secret contract.

She has also welcomed two children and launched her own swimwear line, GAL Floripa.

For weeks she has been in Cachoeira Do Bom Jesus, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with her friends and family.

Family time: For weeks Alessandra has been in Cachoeira Do Bom Jesus, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with her friends and family

Must be nice: The Victoria's Secret star has treated her Instagram fans to a bevy of photographs from the shore in recent months

The leggy Brazilian recently celebrated the two year anniversary of her swimwear company, which she founded with sister Aline.

Alessandra donned a plunging white top and skirt for the fun, joined by smiling gal pals for the maskless celebration.

Although she's a proud Brazilian, Ambrosio also became an American recently, achieving citizenship status this summer.

The beauty has lived in the US for roughly 20 years, having kicked off her successful modeling career when she was 15.

She shares daughter Anja Louise, 12, and son Noah Phoenix, eight, with ex Jamie Mazur, 39, to whom she was engaged from 2008 to 2018, before calling it quits.
(TNS)  California's struggle to get unemployment benefits to jobless workers and combat fraud has been hampered by an exodus of some 1,590 staff and managers involved in the effort since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to state officials.The presidential appointment of California Labor Secretary Julie Su to a federal post on Wednesday, subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, would be just the latest departure of those in key roles responding to the unprecedented unemployment caused by the pandemic.Su oversees the state Labor and Workforce Development Agency, which already is missing its second in command, Stewart Knox, who departed as undersecretary in November after 18 months in the job. Knox was the agency's point person in overseeing the state Employment Development Department, and more than two months later, Gov. Gavin Newsom has not yet appointed a replacement.State lawmakers grilled Newsom administration officials on the attrition during a recent legislative hearing on problems at the EDD, which is part of Su's agency. Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D- Los Angeles) voiced concern about other management vacancies, including the EDD's deputy director in charge of its unemployment insurance branch, the EDD's third in command, who left recently with just three months on the job after replacing someone who had held the post for six months."How can we do our jobs when we don't have the people in place  or people will soon be moving on  to actually fix this problem?" Carrillo asked EDD officials during the legislative hearing.Carrillo, who is chairwoman of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration, added that "a department not having consistent leadership is a challenge during the pandemic. The inconsistency of leadership at EDD has led us to this incredible problem affecting millions of Californians, and a lack of transparency and accountability at the agency."The "fluctuation" of staffing has been an issue, acknowledged Rita Saenz, a former director of California government affairs at Xerox Corp. who took over as head of the EDD on Jan. 1, replacing Sharon Hilliard, who retired less than a year after she was appointed by Newsom."One of the things that is my experience working in the private sector is that you cannot expect innovation and modernization if your staff comes and goes," Saenz told lawmakers, "because what happens is people are learning the job, they are doing the job and they don't have the bandwidth to engage in modernization."A state audit this month confirmed that the EDD failed to properly plan and modernize its technology and operations to accommodate a possible future spike in unemployment, a misstep that delayed millions of claims for benefits during the pandemic.The economic turmoil caused by the pandemic and resulting state stay-at-home orders has led to more than 20 million claims for unemployment assistance since March of 2020, and the EDD has paid out $120 billion in jobless benefits.EDD employees have told lawmakers the workload is overwhelming, leaving them working nights and weekends and feeling stressed to the breaking point. Some talked of not getting enough training, and having to take breaks to cry after fielding calls and hearing desperate stories from Californians thrown out of work.Throughout the pandemic, unemployed Californians have complained about being unable to get through to the EDD by telephone and months-long delays in having many claims approved.To handle the increased demand, the EDD has hired 4,878 people since March 2020, said Loree Levy, a spokeswoman for the agency.However, 1,591 employees have left the EDD during that time, many taking with them significant experience in processing claims."Attrition was higher than usual because the EDD made so many limited-term hires to meet immediate needs," Levy said, adding that new hires are planned to keep up with demand.Rita Pitsikos, an unemployed San Bernardino-area resident, said that the people she has reached at the EDD call center don't have the knowledge or training to fix claims."They cannot help me," said Pitsikos, who lost work in sales when the pandemic hit. "They are not trained in dealing with all the issues and they do not have the training in getting claims resolved."Lawmakers told Saenz that they are concerned that it takes 13 weeks to fully train new employees to help claimants with problem applications. The director said new tools are being provided to workers so they can help resolve problems by searching keywords in a training manual.State Auditor Elaine Howle said in her report this month that poor planning and decisions on staffing contributed to widespread delays in approving claims."EDD's failure to promptly process both initial and continued claims was in part the result of its staffing decisions," the audit said. "Most notably, the strike team reported that EDD assigned its most experienced claims processors to help train newly hired claim-processing staff."The lack of staffing at EDD has been so bad that the state Senate dipped into its own budget this month to assign an additional field representative to each of the 40 Senate offices to help unemployed Californians get help with claims that are stuck in the process and who have been unable to find an EDD staffer to help.State Senator Dave Min (D- Irvine) is among those who have seen a flood of complaints from constituents about a lack of assistance from the EDD."The failures here are appalling and we must assure that there are structural reforms so this type of failure never happens again," Min said during a legislative hearing Feb. 8.The EDD has also been hit with what it estimates to be more than $11 billion in fraudulent claims. Agency officials acknowledge there have even been "a few" vacancies in its fraud office, leaving just 17 investigators.One sore spot is the understaffing of EDD call centers. The agency reported last month that it received 4.8 million phone calls from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, but only 8 percent of them were answered by staff."We have 3,000 people answering 3 to 4 million calls a week," Saenz told legislators. "That's not going work."She said the department is putting in more self-serve and call-back functions so claimants don't have to spend hours on the phone.EDD Chief Deputy Director Carol Williams told lawmakers that the agency is hiring an additional 900 workers starting this month through April."It is anticipation of vacancies and anticipation of the known attrition rate that we have, which is very high, that will keep us at a higher level to respond to claimants," Williams said.Sen. Dave Cortese (D- San Jose) told Saenz on Monday that the agency should find many of the 900 additional workers to step up processing claims by transferring staff from other state offices rather than taking potentially months to go through the hiring process."I think there is a better way," Cortese said.Problems caused by staffing shortages have been exacerbated by the agency's outdated computer systems.Many legislators were shocked anew this month when the EDD announced that about 184,000 claims for federal supplemental benefits expired in December and that the agency needs until March 7 to reprogram the EDD computers to allow additional payments."Our system needs updating to accept claims from people who had exhausted their eligibility," Saenz told lawmakers Monday.Some lawmakers, including Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R- Fresno), said such delays are not acceptable."The newest roadblock to getting money for people who need it desperately is the same old problem  dinosaur technology at the EDD," Patterson said. "They conveniently call it an issue with 'programming infrastructure,' but that's just a fancy way of saying our computers can't send the money out to people who need it."




Haiti - News : Zapping...





Judge Dabresil, released

Thursday Judge Yvickel Dabresil, accused by the Government of having participated in a coup plot on February 7, appeared before Investigating Judge Yvelt Petit-Blanc who declared himself incompetent to hear this case given the magistrate status at the Court of Cassation. In his order, the investigating judge ordered the release of Judge Dabresil, motivating his decision by the provisions of article 177 and 186 of the Constitution "He is currently at home with his family," confirmed his lawyer Me Marc Antoine Maisoneuve .



A PNH armored vehicle set on fire

Thursday February 11 at the Bicentennial, armed individuals, members of Gangs of the Village de Dieu set fire to an armored vehicle of the National Police of Haiti.



Banks closing

The Professional Association of Banks (APB) is warning the general public and bank customers in particular that the counters of commercial, savings and housing banks will be closed on Shrove Monday, i.e. February 15, 2021.



Brazil : message passport from the Embassy of Haiti

The Embassy of Haiti in Brazil informs of a first stock of passports for the year 2021 for those who must renew in July, August, September, these stocks of passports will be distributed in the following cities : Brasilia, Champ Grand, Cuiaba , Rio de Janeiro, White duck, Berre Mg, Saint-Paul, Curitiba, Xaxim. If you have changed your address and have not let us know you will not receive your passport from this stock



PNH : Creation of an electoral commission

Thursday, Mathias Pierre the Minister responsible for electoral matters and relations with political parties informed that an electoral commission had been created within the National Police of Haiti (PNH), whose mission is to ensure the monitoring and security of the upcoming elections.



EDH : Works monitoring

In two weeks, the major civil engineering works for the new 60 MW power station (2 GE turbines) at Carrefour will be completed. We'll start with the electromechanical work. Installation of the concrete platform to deposit the turbines and alternators.



In addition, construction work on the energy transmission network (laying high voltage cables) connecting the new Port-de-Paix power station and Blvd Trois Rivieres is progressing rapidly.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.

MONTVILLE  Human intervention was needed to free two hawks stuck together by their talons after one of the birds seemingly attacked the other, leaving him in rough shape, according to officials.

A trooper en route to his shift at Troop E in Montville around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday saw numerous vehicles parked on Cross Road in Waterford. As he approached the drivers, they told the trooper a good Samaritan had found two hawks stuck together by their talons.



Samajwadi Party president attacked the government in Uttar Pradesh on Friday over "corruption" and "lack of development", citing a ruling party MLA's statement and a news report.

"On one hand, without electricity, metres were handed over (to people) and on the other, a MLA is saying that policemen are running spurious liquor factories," Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

Yadav also tagged a news report in which women were seen holding electricity meters without electricity.

He alleged that there is corruption and lack of development in the state.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister referred to the statement of MLA Surendra Singh who on Thursday alleged that illicit liquor trade was going on in the Revati area of the Ballia district under the police patronage and he had complained about it to senior police officials but to no avail.

Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada had said Bairia MLA's allegations will be probed.

(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 psychological pressure on the mass media is already evident, Boris Navasardian, the chairman of the Yerevan Press Club (YPC), said on Friday. I think it has a very concrete purpose: to make the information environment much more favorable for Armenias ruling political force.

Naturally, that cannot be deemed acceptable, especially given the serious contradictions with international conventions and, I think, Armenias constitution, Navasardian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service.

One of the controversial bills calls for a fivefold increase in maximum legal fines set for defamation. The National Assembly passed it in the first reading on Thursday despite strong objections voiced by the YPC and several other press freedom groups.

Those groups have also expressed serious concern over another bill that was circulated by several pro-government lawmakers last week. It would ban broadcasters, newspapers and online publications from quoting websites and social media accounts belonging to unknown individuals.

In an explanatory note attached to the proposed amendments to an Armenian law on mass media, the lawmakers said that disseminating information from sources of unknown origin could endanger the countrys national security.

Ashot Melikian of the Yerevan-based Committee to Protect the Freedom of Speech dismissed the official rationale for the proposed ban, saying that it would not stop the spread of fake news and disinformation.

The proposed approach would instead damage quality journalism and create serious obstacles for investigative reporters, Melikian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service.

Armenias human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan echoed these concerns when he met with the heads of several media associations earlier this week.

Navasardian warned that the controversial bills, if enacted, will reverse positive trends in the Armenian media environment which he said were observed in 2018 and 2019.

Nigerians can sue Shell in English courts for damage to communities caused by oil spills in the Niger Delta, the UKs Supreme Court said on Friday, allowing the communities to bring their claims for compensation and clean-up in UK courts.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Ogale and Bille communities who have contended that Shell should be held liable for the oil spills under the supervision of its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC.

The UK Supreme Court overturned a split decision of the Court of Appeal and held that the two cases brought by the Ogale and Bille communities are arguable and can proceed in the English courts.

The Supreme Court ruling adds another precedent for oil companies who can be sued in their domicile for oil spills and other harm to communities in other countries.

Last month, The Hague Court of Appeal ordered Shell to compensate Nigerian farmers for two oil spills in the country 13 years ago, in the first lawsuit in which a company has been held liable in the Netherlands for its actions abroad.

Shell hasnt argued that the oil spills did not happen, but has always said that the spills happened in communities with rampant oil theft and infrastructure sabotage.

Regardless of the cause of a spill, SPDC cleans up and remediates. It also works hard to prevent these sabotage spills, by using technology, increasing surveillance and by promoting alternative livelihoods for those who might damage pipes and equipment. Unfortunately, such criminal acts remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta today, a spokesperson for Shell said, as carried by Sky News.

Persistent issues with theft and sabotage in the Niger Delta could prompt Shell to take a hard look at its operations onshore Nigeria, the supermajors chief executive Ben van Beurden said last week.

Daniel Leader, a partner with law firm Leigh Day representing the Nigerian communities, said, commenting on Fridays ruling:

This Supreme Court judgment gives real hope to the people of Ogale and Bille who have been asking Shell to clean up their oil for years. We hope that now, finally, Shell will act. But it also represents a watershed moment in the accountability of multinational companies.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The Mid-Michigan Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) invites the public to a special presentation.

The group is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all meeting attendees. In light of the impact of the coronavirus, all meetings will be held virtually until further notice. The next meeting will feature an address by Mary Beth Mulcahy, "Chemical Security: Protecting Chemicals from People," from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Chemical safety aims to prevent an accidental release of hazardous materials or energy, while chemical security addresses the prevention and control of threats that have the potential to result in unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, diversion or intentional release of hazardous materials or energy. Stated more simply, chemical safety aims to protect people from chemicals while chemical security aims to protect chemicals from people. Is this seminar, Mulcahy will provide a brief introduction to chemical weapons, introduce basic chemical security concepts, and examine a toxic release described in a U.S. Chemical Safety Board report through a chemical security lens.

Mulcahy is an R&D S&E, systems research and analysis professional in the Global Chemical and Biological Security (GCBS) program and a causal analyst with the Environmental Safety & Health (ES&H) Performance Assurance Occurrence Management team at Sandia National Laboratories. As part of GCBS, Mulcahy works with an interdisciplinary team to engage global partners for the identification and integration of technical solutions in chemical security and safety. Her work with ES&H includes performing casual analysis of safety incidents and near-misses to support Sandia's goal of continual safety learning.

In additional, Mulcahy serves as the editor-in-chief of the American Chemical Society's ACS Chemical Health & Safety journal which focuses on publishing high-quality articles of interest to scientists, EH&S professionals, and non-research personnel who manage or work in areas where chemicals are used or hazardous waste is generated.

Previously, Mulcahy worked for nine years as a chemical incident investigator with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent federal agency that determines the root causes of major chemical accidents in the United States. At the CSB, Mulcahy investigated accidents in a variety of settings; a five-worker fatality on an onshore oil rig blowout, a dust explosion at a corn milling facility in Wisconsin that killed five workers and injured 14 others, an 11-fatatilty offshore oil drilling rig (Deepwater Horizon), a 14-fatality ammonium nitrate explosion, a university laboratory, as well as explosions at a food and power plants.

Mulcahy earned her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Colorado in Boulder. After graduate school, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the National Science Foundation at the Instituto Balseiro in Bariloche, Argentina, and then spent time doing research for a biotechnology company before joining the CSB.

The lecture qualifies for one continuing education hour. CEH certificates are needed for licensed Professional Engineers to maintain their license and certificates will be provided to interested attendees.

For seminar call-in information, email Pranav Karanjkar at pranav.karanjkar@dow.com.
Newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken removes his face mask as he arrives to hold his first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, on Jan. 27, 2021. (Carlos Barria/Reuters/Pool/File Photo)

US Blacklisting of Yemens Houthis to Be Lifted on Feb. 16: Blinken

WASHINGTONU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday that he will revokeeffective Feb. 16designations of Yemens Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group.

The decision, reversing the former Trump administrations blacklisting of the Houthis, is part of a policy shift by U.S. President Joe Biden aimed at easing the worlds worst humanitarian crisis and intensifying diplomacy to end Yemens grueling civil war.

This decision is a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, Blinken said in a statement.

The war pits the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement against Yemens internationally recognized government backed by a Saudi-led military coalition.

The Biden administration, other governments, the United Nations, and aid organizations shared fears that the sanctions imposed on the Houthis under the designations could strangle food deliveries just as the threat of major famine is rising.

Blinken, however, appeared to signal limits to U.S. tolerance of the Houthi movement. He said three of its leadersAbdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Houthi, and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakimwill remain subject to U.S. sanctions.

He also said Washington would continue to closely monitor the activities of the movement and its leaders and is actively identifying new sanctions targets, especially those responsible for attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia.

The United States remains clear-eyed about Ansarallahs malign actions, Blinken said, using a term by which the Houthi movement also is known. Ansarallahs actions and intransigence prolong this conflict and exact serious humanitarian costs.

By Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11)  There will be "slight delays" in the delivery of 117,000 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, testing czar Vince Dizon said Thursday, even as he remains hopeful they will arrive within February.

During a Palace briefing, Dizon said the government is still processing some documents before the arrival of the vaccines from US drugmaker Pfizer and the United Kingdom's AstraZeneca.

Dizon refused to disclose further details, but noted the documents were being processed by the Department of Health, with the assistance of the World Health Organization and COVAX facility.

"We were assured na tinatapos na ito as we speak. May slight delays lang sa deliveries nung initial Pfizer [vaccine] na 117,000 [doses]," Dizon said. Officials earlier said that first batch of vaccines may be delivered around the middle of this month.

[Translation: We were assured that they are already finalizing it as we speak. There are slight delays in the delivery of the initial 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine.]

But Dizon said the government still expects to receive the initial batch "within February".

The initial batch of the Pfizer vaccines was supposed to arrive by mid-February.

For his part, WHO Country Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe said there is "no delay" but he admitted that the Philippines is still missing some requirements to schedule the vaccine shipment. He said Health Secretary Francisco Duque informed him that the papers will be sent to COVAX within the day.

"We must acknowledge that the Philippine government has been responding proactively and very fast," Abeyasinghe told CNN Philippines' News Night. "No sooner than these requirements are fulfilled, we believe that the COVAX can schedule a delivery date."

The WHO official said once the requirements are met and cleared, delivery could be "as early as next week."

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire is not worried the delay in Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shipment will affect the country's inoculation plan.

"Actually, it is a smart time to prepare for this rollout," she said in a briefing on Saturday.

"Ang gagawin na lang natin (what we are going to do) this week [is] we are going to finalize our plans with these hospitals identified to be eligible to receive these vaccines," the official added.

Late last month, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said at least 5.6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer and AstraZeneca, which may reach the country within the first quarter of 2021.

Galvez said the Philippine government secured 9.407 million vaccine doses against the COVID-19 from the two drugmakers.

The government is targeting to start the mass vaccination drive in the country this month. Under the government's immunization plan, health workers will be the first to get the shots.
They connected in 2016 on Facebook, and after getting to know each other online they decided to meet for coffee when Trenoski was in Macedonia. She visited again in 2017, and when she came back from that trip  in early 2018  she was diagnosed with cancer.
Lyonsville Congregational United Church of Christ, on the southeast corner of Joliet and Wolf roads in Indian Head Park, has a chapel, built in 1858, an administrative wing that was added in the 1940s and formerly used as a school, and a sanctuary that was built in 1960, according to a report by AltusWorks, an architectural firm the village hired to evaluate the property.
The secondary teachers union, ASTI, says a meeting with Education Minster Norma Foley over its withdrawal from talks on a compromise Leaving Cert was constructive.

Yesterday, the union pulled out of the exam discussions, describing the direction they were taking as not viable.

The ASTI later accepted an invitation to meet Ms Foley and her officials today.

Read More

More work is being done with a view to finding a resolution to the impasse. The ASTI will not be commenting further at this time the union stated.

Intensive discussions have been gong on for the past week on a twin track approach to the Leaving Cert, to take account of the ongoing disruption to education being caused by Covid.

The plans being explored involved both the provision of Leaving Certificate exam an non-exam process, likely to be a modified version of calculated grades.

Yesterdays move by the ASTI caused shock.

Explaining its decision, the union claimed the process being developed would see the Leaving Cert relegated to a secondary position with calculated grades the premier option.

The ASTI said that lack of data on students this year, on which to base an estimated mark, would make the delivery of a credible calculated grades process extremely challenging.

Separately, Ms Foley met the general secretary and president of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), Michael Gillespie and Martin Marjoram, respectively.

After the meetings she reaffirmed her strong belief that the process of confidential engagement with all stakeholders agreed last Friday remains the best forum to advance discussions.

Ms Foley extended an invitation to the ASTI to re-engage in the process, but the union has not accepted the invitation to date.

She expressed confidence that the collective wisdom of all stakeholders can ensure that a pathway forward can be found".

Discussions on the exams continued with all the other education partners today and will continue throughout the weekend.

Ms Foley said she was committed to providing clarity and certainty to students at the earliest possible time.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin today warned students must be put first in the Leaving Cert negotiations.

He called for the issue of summer examinations to be resolved as a priority.

If a traditional written exam is to be staged, students must be given classroom time, he said.

And he said was "surprised" at the stance taken by the ASTI in walking out of talks last week - and stressed that he wanted clarity on the Leaving Cert issue by next week.

"My general view is that we must put students first. Students have to be the number one priority," he said.

"They are going through a lot of anxiety and stress and strain right now. And all parties to this issue must do what we can to alleviate that stress and that means clarity fairly soon."

Mr Martin - speaking in Cork as he visited a vaccination hub in City Hall - said he hoped a reasonable agreement could be reached by both sides.

"The minister (Norma Foley) has invited the ASTI back into the talks.

We were surprised yesterday at the unilateral decision to leave the talks process and I think its very very important that we, over the next number of days, get this sorted in the interests of students."
Muzaffarnagar, Feb 12 : The communal divide that was created in the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013, is now filling up with the ongoing farmers' agitation.

Muslims, along with Jats and Gurjars, are slowly wiping off differences and joining hands for the ongoing farmers' agitation.

"The communal differences are now history. Farming is our profession and the problems we are facing, do not differentiate between communities. If we want a solution, we will have to remain united and sweep aside other differences," said Iqbal, who lost his brother in the 2013 riots.

"Apart from my brother, the family lost its house which was burnt down and also our savings. We have built back our lives in the past eight years but the situation, at present, demands that we look together towards the future. What happened in 2013 is in the past," he told IANS.

Muslims, according to sources, have been increasingly participating in the Kisan Panchayats being held across western Uttar Pradesh.

Mehru Zaman, a local lawyer, said, "Both communities have always shaped the politics of western UP. Together, we can solve our problems and create a vast vote base." In 2013, Muslim members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), led by founding member Ghulam Mohammad Jola, had walked out of the outfit after the Tikait brothers were booked for inciting communal violence.

Recently at a Kisan Mahapanchayat, Jola shared the stage with Naresh Tikait and embraced him. This was a day after Rakesh Tikait emotional outburst made it it to national headlines.

"Eight years have passed. Both Jats and Muslims have seen the losses that came with drifting apart, both politically and structurally. Now, we are together. The Muzaffarnagar Mahapanchayat was the beginning. I am hopeful that this camaraderie will endure and help build bridges among people," Jola said.

Sanjay Baliyan, a farmer, said, "It may seem an uneasy truce but it now one that is firm and strong. It is a good start. The matter is farmers' welfare, irrespective of faith." Haseeb Siddiqui, a veteran journalist and a political analyst, said, "This coming together of Jat, Gurjars and Muslims, will ultimately lead to a realignment of political forces, especially in western UP and any political party that supports their cause now will also get their support in the next assembly elections in the state.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
 Senators Durbin and Grassley re-introduce "COVID-19 Safer Detention Act" | Main | Litigation over clergy halts Alabama execution (and divides Justices in notable ways) 

I flagged a few weeks ago this great symposium taking place (on Zoom) next Friday, February 19, 2021. The Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law, together with the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, has put together a series of terrific panels for this event. Registration for this event is now available at this link, and here is how the event is described and organized:

The Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, is pleased to announce our live symposium for Spring 2021, Prosecutorial Elections: The New Frontline in Criminal Justice Reform. This virtual series is aimed at provoking thoughtful and well-rounded discussion surrounding the responsibility of the modern prosecutor in ushering in criminal justice reform and how that responsibility intersects with their role to uphold the law. The panelists, including both academics and practitioners, will explore these questions from a variety of perspectives. A schedule for the symposium can be found below.

Schedule:

10:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m.: Opening Remarks and Introduction

10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Prosecutor 2.0  How has the job changed since the emergence of the progressive prosecution movement and what impact has this had on campaigns?

12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Lunch break

1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.: Prosecutorial Biases as a Catalyst for Systemic Racism  The intersect between prosecutorial discretion, prosecutorial ethics, and racial inequity in criminal justice.

3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.:Prosecutorial Discretion and Drug Reform  The role of prosecutors in perpetuating the War on Drugs and the link to mass incarceration.

5:00 p.m.: Closing remarks

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The military has made fresh arrests on the members of the election sub-commission and leaders from the National League for Democracy (NLD) after previously releasing them since February 1, in attempts to verify voter fraud in November 2020 elections.

According to a source from the General Administration Department, the military government had arrested the chair and members of the Election Sub-Commission of Naypyitaw on Wednesday reported Times.

U Kyaw Tint Swe, who served as Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor was also arrested along with U Tun Tun Hein, deputy speaker for the lower house of the Parliament.

On February 8, the armed forces had placed U Myo Aung, chair of the Naypyitaw council and all chief ministers of states and regions under house arrest, confirmed sources.

The Times reported that the arrests had to do with the military investigation of the alleged poll fraud by the Union Election Commission (UEC) during the 2020 elections.

Critics say that the Tatmadaw (military) are looking for any kind of evidence that would indicate massive election fraud, which was the main reason for the

Police and military personnel on Wednesday raided the headquarters of the NLD in Yangon, where they destroyed property and confiscated Central Processing Units (CPUs), printers and scanners.

Meanwhile, the Karen Nation Union has called for all parties to unite towards the elimination of military dictatorship, reported Myanmar Times.

"Now is the time to eliminate dictatorship with unity," said Saw Mutu Say Poe, chair of an armed ethnic group.

Myanmar's military launched a on February 1 and detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint and other National League for Democracy (NLD) members.

The military also announced a one-year state of emergency in the country, vowing to "take action" against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election, which saw Suu Kyi's NLD party secure a resounding victory.

(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.)
Durban-based tech company, immedia has invested R10-million to help African media entrepreneurs to build sustainable community radio by using Fabrik (www.Fabrik.cloud), a set of cloud-enabled digital tools that empower media entities to live-stream shows, grow and engage with audiences around the world, and benefit financially by monetising their audiences.

The 25-year-old company, which has the backing of Microsoft and the Industrial Development Corporation, has been developing their Fabrik technology since 2017. Fabrik allows media entrepreneurs to upend the traditional notion of we broadcast and you receive, by creating a feedback loop that directly helps the stations and listeners that use it to leapfrog old technology, to become citizen journalists, and find their strategic space in a digitally transformed world. It is already being used by 15 commercial clients, including radio stations Gagasi FM, Smile 90.4FM and YFM.

As part of its Digital Leap programme (https://bit.ly/2Z8oQme), immedia will be giving its platform to qualifying media entrepreneurs across Africa for free for a year. This includes consultation, training and support to help monetize the technology, cumulatively valued at R10 million.

Phil Molefe, a veteran of broadcast radio in South Africa, Fabriks Head of Business Development & Strategy, says the programme was key to the companys vision to spearhead media transformation. He says the uptake of Fabrik by energetic entrepreneurs at community radio stations showed how empowering the suite of digital tools is. It enables them to deepen their relationship with their audience and monetise it sustainably because the quality of their engagement with listeners is meaningful.

Building stable, sustainable community radio across Africa

Molefe points out that while community media is often under-resourced and struggles to retain skills, the companys case studies have shown that it is more than possible for them to thrive  and that the Digital Leap programme is the kind of opportunity they need, and can succeed on. Fabrik helps media entrepreneurs by solving key challenges for them, including:

Providing them with a mobile application that allows community and campus radio stations to live-stream shows, as well host podcasts, allowing them to reach audiences well beyond the geographic constraints of their traditional radio broadcast signal.

By shifting to a cloud-based tool, radio stations get access to archival and backup that is compliant with BCCSA and ICASA regulations. This helps them to significantly cut down on time and resources required to manually back up radio content to on-site servers or even tape.

Messaging functionality, including push notifications, so that stations can better engage with their communities, publish written or multimedia content, and even promote active conversation between listeners. Push notifications help drive engagement by bringing attention to active competitions, surveys and polls, recently published content, and more.

By encouraging listeners to register as a member and provide some of their personal information, such as geographics and demographics, stations are able to build audience profiles for their listeners, and gain a better understanding of their needs and preferences.

These detailed analytics provided by Fabrik gives stations the data they need to convince advertisers and marketers of the value of promoting their products and services through the stations app, helping bring in much needed revenue.

Fabrik has a range of users, and about 60% of their listeners have an opt-in relationship with their broadcasters. By building and growing owned communities, stations then stand to benefit financially by serving highly relevant ads to their digital listeners. In addition, where sales conversions on social media are around 2%, Fabrik users enjoy 8%.

According to Tamie Mbombo, head of Marketing and PR at Izwi loMzansi, one of the largest community radio stations in South Africa, says that the platform has revolutionised the stations engagement with its listeners, and has led the digital charge with featured podcasts and integrated advertising campaigns on the Izwi mobile app. Community medias aim is to provide trusted information and expression, and Fabrik has helped do that, he says.

A change of mindset is required

The Fabrik team made some interesting observations based on the experiences of early adopters of the technology, including around community radio, where many advertisers and business decision makers are often dismissive of the audience. For example, one of our clients is a station with an audience in the LSM 4-6 range. That audience is typically regarded as too poor or too marginalised to go digital and yet our clients are proving that they are taking to it like ducks to water, Molefe says.

He says that the take up by media entrepreneurs, either regarded as on the fringes or as outliers, is the best showcase for Fabrik. They are doing what they do because nobody told them they couldnt  and it is proving to be a great leveller. Weve seen how powerful this platform is in the community media space, which is why we are looking at boosting the rate of transformation.

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52 countries around the world will send observers for Iraqi parliamentary elections slated for October, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has confirmed, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports.

71 Arab and foreign countries had received invitations from IHEC for the process.

Aside from the countries, a European Union delegation and a United Nations (UN) mission would provide full support for the commission, adding that the UN has sent a number of experts to support the commission in media, logistical and electoral aspects.

A team of experts according to the IHEC, will also aid the commission in administrative and technical procedures. As many as 27 electoral coalitions representing 235 parties have formalized their plans to run for seats in the legislature for the October 10 elections.
MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While businesses worldwide tighten hours, close locations and remove unnecessary services from their offering, many people have been left wondering how to access the essential services they need. As ongoing lockdowns put pressure on companies to limit interaction, there has been one standout industry that gives hope to many home and business owners that they won't be abandoned in their hours of need.

Plumber Melbourne

The trades industry has gone above and beyond to compensate for the changes in restrictions throughout Melbourne. NLK Plumbing, a locally owned plumber in Hoppers Crossing, has now announced that they will offer 24/7 service in the Melbourne area.

This commitment to service throughout the pandemic will allow many to access services for blocked drains in Hoppers Crossing and beyond. Offering these essential services, NLK Plumbing has devoted its tradespeople to turn up on the job whether it's a weekend, evening, or in the middle of the night.

For those who've suffered an inconveniently timed burst pipe, leaking toilet, water damage, or hot water repairs in Hoppers Crossing, this is critical work. Plumbing problems that go unsolved can result in costly long-term damage that can leave rot, mould or require extensive repairs.

Allowing 24/7 repairs for things like blocked drains in Hoppers Crossing and other Melbourne suburbs will allow peace of mind for home and business owners alike. With the option for immediate fixes, these seemingly large issues can become minor inconveniences. With companies like NLK Plumbing taking up the slack, locals no longer need to worry about handling their own surprise plumbing problems.

NLK Plumbing has been operating as a plumber in Melbourne for over 30 years. This business has stellar qualifications with a depth of experience and range of services not often seen in a standard plumbing company.

Whatever issue arises whether it's leaking faucets, a broken shower, or blocked drains in Melbourne, now you can have them fixed any time of day. For rapid response and emergency services, NLK Plumbing allows locals to sleep better knowing they're taken care of in the case of a midnight crisis.

Related Images

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Plumber Melbourne

Plumber Melbourne

Related Links

Plumber Hoppers Crossing

Blocked Drains Melbourne

SOURCE NLK Plumbing
Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:

We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.
Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.
The first of them is support for wallpapers, a feature that everybody knew was coming, only that nobody could precisely tell when exactly this was supposed to happen.Android Auto doesnt allow users to set a custom photo as a wallpaper, but they can choose from a total of 15 different images right from the head unit. Theres a new wallpaper option in the settings screen of Android Auto, and choosing a new one applies it immediately, without any other input required after that.In addition, it looks like Google has also re-enabled Google Assistant routines in Android Auto, though for the time being, this appears to be something related to a server-side switch, rather than part of the new version. This feature isnt yet available for me despite installing Android Auto 6.1, but others have managed to get it up and running in their cars.The new update also comes with major improvements under the hood; while an official changelog isnt available, a Ford spokesperson has recently told us Android Auto 6.1 resolves a major issue hitting the 2021 F-150 Beginning with this version, Android Auto wireless once again works correctly in the new F-150, as this feature has previously been broken down, with drivers told to turn to the wired version. Ford claims a full fix will be part of a software update coming in the spring, with more specifics to be shared closer to launch.The new Android Auto update is available from the Google Play Store, but if you dont yet see version 6.1, you can head over to this page to download the stand-alone APK installer and deploy the new version manually on your Android device.

ALTON  Psalm Theatrics will present a virtual musical showcase online at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, streamed from Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton.

The performance is a sneak peak of Psalm Theatrics Bible based musicals that will be hitting the stage in the area in the latter part of 2021.

Featuring a multi-ethnic and multi-talented cast from the Metro East and St. Louis area, the program includes excerpts from the new musicals The Runaway: Story of Jonah, Beautiful Star: Esther, Samson of Judges, Out of Darknes and Change To Passage.

The shows are all composed, written and directed by Illinois native Paul Herbert Pitts who recently was the theater and music teacher in the Alton School District. He now teaches in the Ladue/Clayton School District.

Tickets for the streamed performance are $12 and may be purchased in advance at www.jacobyartscenter.org/tickets.

Jacoby Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission it is to nurture and promote the practice and appreciation of the arts through education, exhibits, cultural programs and community outreach initiatives. The center is open Wednesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.jacobyartscenter.org or call 618-462-5222.
Wreaths Across American is known for its annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, their mission is to remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve and teach the next generation the value of freedom. In addition to the wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 2,500 locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.

"MISSION BBQ, through service and education, and in giving back to the communities in which their team lives and works, is a perfect example of all that is good in our country," said Karen Worcester, Executive Director, Wreaths Across America. "We could not be more proud to have them as a partner in supporting our mission throughout the country." Karen along with her husband Morrill Worcester, Wayne Hanson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and other members of the WAA family were present to receive the donation.

"We wouldn't have the freedoms we have today if it wasn't for our nation's veterans who stepped up for us time and time again," said Kraus and Steve Newton, founders of MISSION BBQ. "We are humbled by the wonderful support of our customers and all the good that will be done for our so deserving American Heroes in remembering their lives, their service and their sacrifices."

American Heroes Cups are available year-round, retailing at $3.99 with $2 of every cup purchase donated to a charity supporting national military charities and local first-responders. Customers are encouraged to bring back their American Heroes Cup on return visits to the restaurant and receive $.99 refills.

About MISSION BBQ:

MISSION BBQ opened its doors for business on September 11, 2011, 10 years after the world changed. We believe there is nothing more American than BBQ. And nobody more American than the brave men and women who have sworn to protect and serve Our Communities and Our Country. We do what we do for the love of our soldiers, firefighters, police officers, and first respondersall our loved ones in service. We set across this great land from Texas to Kansas City, the Carolinas to St. Louis...to discover the secrets of great BBQ. Every day we strive to serve you authentic BBQ made from the freshest, most delectable ingredients, and serve it to you in a patriotic dining room filled with tributes to those who've made Our Country great, given to us by the people who earned them. Stop by at 12 noon as we sing Our National Anthem. Everyday. For more information about MISSION BBQ: http://mission-bbq.com/

Follow MISSION BBQ on Facebook at @missionbbqtheamericanway

About Wreaths Across America:

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization's mission  Remember, Honor, Teach, -- is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies each December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. For more information, to sponsor wreaths or to sign up to volunteer, please visit www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Follow Wreaths Across America on Facebook at http://Facebook.com/WAAHQ and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WreathsAcross.

Press contacts:

Linda Dotterer

MISSION BBQ

(855) 552-7300

[email protected]

Amber Caron

Wreaths Across America

(207) 513-6457

[email protected]

SOURCE Wreaths Across America

Related Links

http://www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org


No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Recently you had a story where ChangeTN gave their recommendations for Chattanooga City Council. In this story, they endorsed a person charged with several crimes, Marie Mott, for District 8 councilperson.

This is appalling endorsement of an individual, who according to public record has been charged with driving on revoked or suspended license, obstruction of a highway or street, disorderly conduct, theft of property, vandalism, inciting to riot and reckless burning.

Not only did she admit to these but posted on her Facebook page, which was also aired on all three news channels. Is this the image of a City Council that we want to give to the people looking at Chattanooga for business, or a new home.

This is someone who has paraded around Chattanooga with a bullhorn attempting to bully the ordinary citizens. This would scare off anyone from wanting to be in Chattanooga. We want to portray the city as one of welcoming not constant turmoil or insurrection.

There are two other candidates running for City Council, DAndre Anderson and Anthony Byrd. Anderson is a respectable person working in Chattanooga and also serving his country in the Tennessee National Guard, but is new in the field.

Incumbent Anthony Byrd is the reasonable choice in this race as he has already served four years on the council and has experience in city government under his belt.

Byrd has learned a lot in the past few years of what the District 8 community wants and needs to move forward in Chattanooga. He is working hard on Police reform, balancing what is needed for reform but also keeping in mind that we need good police officers who can work with the community. He pushed for and established the Citizen Police Oversight Board. That is a work in progress that needs his leadership

Housing will be a key item that he will work on trying to obtain affordable housing for everyone, especially the homeless.

He is interested in getting trade schools started to assist our next generations coming up with getting the skills they need to meet a growing demand in the workforce in Chattanooga. He also wants more technical schools in the fields of computer technology such as robotics, coding and programming started.

Anthony Byrd lives in the district and is raising his family so he has concerns for the 8th District. So for the best choice for District 8 council weigh the options. Someone with a positive image an invested interest in the district and an outlook on future growth who can work with people to try to solve our problems in a fair and equitable way or someone who has fanned the flames of racial tensions, antagonizing everyone that comes in her path pushing people who would be willing to help to the wayside while she belligerently marches on.

Charles Riggs
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
A group of Republican senators met privately with Donald Trump's legal team representing the former president in his impeachment trial to discuss "strategy" ahead of the defence argument on Friday.

Senators have sworn an oath to "do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws" during the impeachment trial.

Following Thursday's closing arguments from House impeachment managers acting as prosecutors in the trial, Trump attorney David Schoen told reporters that his meeting with Republicans concerned "procedure" for Friday's hearing.

READ OUR IMPEACHMENT LIVE BLOG

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said the group discussed "legal strategy" and their thoughts on the trial. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Utah's Mike Lee also joined the meeting.

Asked by CNN's Manu Raju whether he believed it was appropriate to meet with jurors, Mr Schoen said: I think thats the practice of impeachment. Theres nothing about this thing that has any semblance of due process whatsoever.

Attorneys Schoen, Bruce Castor, Michael van der Veen and William Brennan are expected to address the Senate on Friday. The defence could close its presentation within the day, according to reports.

Only six GOP senators broke from the party to vote alongside Democrats to agree to the constitutionality of the trial, which would convict a president who is no longer in office. The former president was impeached in the House of Representatives on 13 January for inciting the riot at the Capitol a week earlier.

Over two days of arguments in the Senate this week, impeachment managers outlined the former president's history of encouraging violence, attempts to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election with a "big lie" of voter fraud that compelled rioters to the Capitol, and failure to call off the attack as his supporters explicitly said they launched the assault at his invitation.

Defence attorneys are expected to re-litigate the constitutionality of the trial and introduce videos of Black Lives Matter demonstrations they will attempt to connect to Democratic lawmakers.
Congress leader on Friday accused Prime Minister of trying to clear the path for his "friends" through the three new agri-marketing laws, saying he is threatening farmers when he cannot stand up to

Addressing farmer "mahapanchayats" in Pilibanga town of Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district, he claimed the laws will impact 40 per cent of Indians.

He also referred to the India- agreement on disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh, alleging that the Modi government ceded territory between fingers 3 and 4 on the banks of Pangong lake.

He would not stand before but threatens farmers. This is the reality of Narendra Modi, Gandhi charged.

He addressed another Congress-organised farmers' meeting in Sri Ganganagar's Padampur town on the first day of his two-day Rajasthan trip.

Instead of chairs, cots were placed on the dais for party leaders to sit upon in Hanumangarh. In Sri Ganganagar, there were rustic mudda chairs on the dais.

Gandhi said the new laws do not affect just the farmers, adding his party will ensure that they are withdrawn. Even the British couldn't stand before farmers, he said.

He said Modi should first withdraw the laws if he wants to talk to farmers.

Forty percent of people in the country who include farmers, traders and labourers will be hit by the implementation of the laws, the Congress leader claimed.

They are not just farmers; they are traders, labourers, traders, adhatiyas (middlemen). This is the business of Bharat Mata that feeds the nation, he said in Sri Ganganagar.

"The objective of the laws is to shift the business of 40 percent people to two or three people. What will happen to those who sell grain, fruit and vegetables on roads if only one company starts selling grain, fruit or vegetables of the entire country? he said.

Gandhi said the new farm laws are another blow to the people of the country after demonetisation and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Earlier, it was the demonetisation and I had said it was not a fight against black money, and the backbone of the country was being broken. But people didn't understand this at that time, Gandhi said.

After this, the GST was implemented, which was an attack on small and midsize businesses. wants to clear the way for his friends, Gandhi alleged, without naming anyone but apparently referring to big businesses.

The Congress leader claimed that with the implementation of the new laws, government mandis will shut down and big businessmen will monopolise the purchase of farm produce.

He claimed there will be hoarding."If a single person wants to purchase the country's entire grain, it can be done. What mandi system will remain then? he said.

The first law is meant to finish the mandi system. The second law is about unlimited hoarding. It means one person can control prices, he said.

The third law is about snatching the right of farmers to seek justice, he claimed.

says the laws were brought for farmers. But if this was so, why are the farmers disappointed and agitating and why 200 farmers died, he asked.

The Congress leader was referring to the thousands of farmers now camping at Delhi's borders for weeks, demanding the repeal of the new laws.

Several have died of various causes, including accidents and suicide in Punjab and Haryana during the protests. But the exact number is unverified.

Farmer unions and opposition parties say the new laws will weaken the minimum support price (MSP) system through which farmers sell their crops in mandis. They claim that the system benefits private businesses.

But the government says the laws give farmers the option to sell their produce anywhere, and they are still free to sell them at mandis at the MSP.

AICC general secretaries Ajay Maken and K C Venugopal, state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, former deputy CM Sachin Pilot and other party leaders attended the event.

Gandhi referred to the call he made during his Lok Sabha speech yesterday for two minutes of silence as a mark of respect to farmers who died during the agitation. He said it is shameful that no BJP MP stood up for 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.)
The owner of two New Jersey malls has sued Regal Cinemas, claiming the chain failed to pay more than $2 million in rent during the mandatory shutdown of theaters amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Regal has failed to pay rent for nearly a year for theaters at Moorestown Mall in Burlington County and at Cumberland Mall in Vineland, according to the suits, filed Wednesday in Superior Court of New Jersey.

Simply stated, (the) tenant, a corporation responsible for operating over 500 movie theaters in the United States  11 of which are in New Jersey  has occupied the subject premises, and continues to occupy the subject premises, without making a single payment to landlord (since) March 2020, the lawsuit states.

Regal Cinemas announced in October it was temporarily closing all of its U.S. movie theaters, including 11 in New Jersey. The remain closed.

The suits were filed by subsidiaries of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which filed for bankruptcy amid the pandemic. Named as defendants are Moorestown Mall LLC and Cumberland Mall Associates.

Regal stopped paying rent at both malls in April 2020, the suit says. The cinema company began leasing the theater at the Cumberland Mall in 1997 and the Moorestown Mall in 2011, the lawsuits state.

The mall company said in court papers it notified Regal on Oct. 26, 2020 that it was in default of the rent and demanded payments for $902,000 from Moorestown Mall and $484,000 from Cumberland Mall Associates.

The landlord is seeking more than $1.4 million in back rent from Regal Cinemas and another $764,000 in unpaid rent, the suits state.

Representatives for Regal Cinemas did not immediately respond to a request for comment left Friday with the media department.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed Executive Order 104 at the start of the pandemic, which forced the closures of movie theaters across New Jersey.

Regal, along with the National Association of Theatre Owners and other major theater operators took the state to court last summer over the issue of reopening. In September, the theater owners dropped their suits when Murphy allowed theaters to reopen on a limited basis.

Some theaters have begun to reopen but with occupancy limits and other strict mandates, outlined by the state.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Mumbai/Pune, Feb 12 : A potentially embarrassing situation developed for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra as a TikTok star's death in Pune has snowballed into a political row with the opposition BJP on Friday demanding an impartial probe into the incident.

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, has shot off a letter to Director-General of Police Hemant Nagrale along with some purported audio clips pointing to the alleged involvement of a minister in the incident.

The deceased - Pooja Chavan (22) - hailed from Beed district and had just come to Pune to attend an English-speaking course. She was living along with two youth, said to be her brother and his friend. On February 8, she allegedly committed suicide by jumping off a building named Heaven Park in the Wanawadi area of the city, sparking off a controversy.

The Wanawadi police have registered an accidental death case, ruling out anything suspicious about her death, while social media audio-messages have also been scanned.

However, the state BJP Women's Cell President Archana Patil met Pune Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta on Thursday and demanded a full probe into the matter, claiming that an MVA minister's name was allegedly linked to the girl.

BJP leader Chitra Wagh has urged Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to order a fair probe into the matter as her family was reportedly under pressure.

Deputy Chief Minister and the Guardian Minister for Pune district, Ajit Pawar, said that the police are probing the case and the truth will come out after the investigation is complete.

While Fadnavis pointed out that the Banjara community is disturbed after the incident, the Pune Police claimed that the girl's family has given a statement saying she died by suicide owing to some mental problems and no complaint has been lodged in connection with the case.

The matters came to a boil in the past couple of days after several purported audio clips on the incident went viral, leading to a political blame game by the opposition as the needle of suspicion allegedly pointed towards a state minister.
Willie B. Smith III, 51, had been scheduled for execution on Thursday night at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama for the 1991 murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham

An Alabama inmate on Thursday won a reprieve just hours before a scheduled lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court said the state must allow his personal pastor in the death chamber.

Willie B. Smith III, 51, had been scheduled for execution on Thursday night at William C. Holman Correctional Facility for the 1991 murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham.

The victim was the sister of a police detective.

The lethal injection was called off by Alabama after justices maintained an injunction issued by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying he could not be executed without his pastor present.

Alabama has maintained that non-prison staff should not be in the room for security reasons.

Department of Corrections spokeswoman Samantha Rose said the execution would not proceed given the ruling.

'Willie Smith is sentenced to death, and his last wish is to have his pastor with him as he dies,' Justice Elena Kagan wrote, claiming that the state could take 'any number of measures' to make sure that a clergy member will act responsibly during an execution.

The execution was stayed after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered that Smith's pastor must by allowed into the death chamber William C. Holman Correctional Facility, pictured

The U.S. Supreme Court (as pictured above) maintained an injunction issued by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying he could not be executed without his pastor present

'Alabama has not carried its burden of showing that the exclusion of all clergy members from the execution chamber is necessary to ensure prison security,' she added.

'So the State cannot now execute Smith without his pastor present, to ease what Smith calls the "transition between the worlds of the living and the dead".'

Kagan said Smith's request was protected under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

The exact voting result was not clear but least one conservative, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, joined the Supreme Court's three liberal judges in the opinion.

Justices Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts wrote the dissenting opinion.

The case was the latest in a series of legal fights over personal spiritual advisers at executions.

The court in 2019 halted the execution of a Texas inmate who claimed his religious freedom would be violated if his Buddhist spiritual adviser wasn't allowed to be in the death chamber with him.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested in a dissent at the time that states that want to avoid litigation on the issue 'should figure out a way to allow spiritual advisors into the execution room, as other states and the federal government have done'.

Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch did not disclose how they voted, but both would have had to side with Kavanaugh, John Roberts, and Clarence Thomas for the execution to proceed.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett (pictured) joined the Supreme Court's three liberal judges in the opinion to stay the execution

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall did not immediately comment on the decision to cancel the lethal injection.

After the execution was canceled Smith was taken from a holding cell by the execution chamber back to his cell on death row, a prison spokeswoman said.

Smith had sought to allow his spiritual adviser, Pastor Robert Wiley, in the execution chamber, something the state does not allow.

'Mr. Smith pled that he believes that the point of transition between life and death is important, and that having his spiritual advisor physically present at that moment is integral to his faith,' Smith's lawyers wrote in court documents.

In the past, Alabama routinely put a Christian prison chaplain, who was employed by the state, in the execution chamber to pray with an inmate if requested.

The state stopped that practice after Muslim inmate Domineque Ray asked to have an imam present in 2019.

The prison system, which did not have Muslim cleric on staff, said non-prison staff would not be allowed in the chamber.

That execution was allowed to proceed after a 5-4 ruling by the Supreme Court, citing concerns about the timeliness of the inmate's filings.

Justice Elena Kagan (second from left) wrote the opinion to stay the execution. Justices Brett Kavanaugh (right) and John Roberts (left) wrote the dissenting opinion

Prosecutors said Smith abducted Johnson, a white woman, at gunpoint from an ATM, stole $80 from her and then took her to a cemetery where he shot her in the back of the head.

'Over twenty-nine years ago, Smith gunned down a woman whose only crime was stopping to use the ATM,' attorneys for the state wrote in court documents seeking to let the lethal injection proceed.

Justices vacated another stay issued by the 11th Circuit related to Smiths intellectual capacity.

His lawyers argued the state failed to give the man, who has an IQ below 75, required assistance with forms affecting the timing of his execution and that it was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Smith had not had an in-person visit with any lawyer or been assessed by any expert witness to support his clemency since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Alabama attorney general's office in court filings disputed that Smith is disabled and called it a last-minute delaying maneuver.

Eric Rassbach of the conservative Becket Fund for Religious Liberty praised the decison on Smith's execution to WRCB.

'If Willie Smith has to leave this world, he shouldn't have to leave it all alone,' Rassbach said. 'Prisoners should be allowed to make peace with their Maker in their final moments.'

If the execution had gone forward, it would have been the first by a state in 2021 and one of the few at the state level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, no state has had an execution since last July 8.

During the Donald Trump administration, a 17-year moratorium on federal executions was lifted in July 2019.

By December the Trump White House had executed more people than the other states that still carry out federal executions combined.

There were 13 federal executions in total during his presidency, including three in the final two weeks of his administration.

It is unclear how Alabama will act next in Smith's execution.
Clout wonders: How many Philadelphians know that 91 judges will cast secret ballots next week to put two people on a little-known board that controls more than a half-billion dollars meant to be spent in the publics best interest?

Clout guesses: Not many.

The Philadelphia Common Pleas Board of Judges will meet in a closed-to-the-public session Thursday to consider 13 candidates for two vacancies on the board of directors of City Trusts.

The board, established by state law in 1869, manages $600 million in assets, from the well-known Girard College and Wills Eye Hospital to 117 smaller trusts that dole out scholarships, help people with housing and heating costs, and other charitable matters.

Its big money with zero flash.

The candidates are Register of Wills Tracey Gordon, former state House Speaker Bob ODonnell, State Rep. Donna Bullock, City Councilmember Derek Green, former City Controller candidate Brett Mandel, real estate broker Barbara Capozzi, nonprofit executive Omar Woodard, former Deputy City Commissioner Dennis Lee, real estate executive Jasmine Sessoms, railroad executive Rodney Oglesby, and attorneys Charles Gibbs, Ronald Marrero, and Angelina Williams.

Clout tried for a solid week to get someone from the board to talk about the mission and its importance. The board passed.

Common Pleas Court President Judge Idee C. Fox was more forthcoming, telling Clout that a committee of judges vetted the candidates. The board doesnt see a lot of turnover. Fox, an attorney for 18 years before first being elected in 1995, couldnt recall two vacancies at the same time.

 READ MORE: Should Philly use the Linc as mass vaccine site? Its now a political fight.

This time, one came when former Register of Wills Ron Donatucci died in November. The other is because former City Council President Anna Verna resigned.

The courts call for applicants notes the board meets 11 times per year and members must work no less than 12 hours a month. The job is unpaid. But making decisions about how to manage $600 million drew interest from plenty of applicants.

Gordon pitched herself to the judges last month in a two-page letter, vowing that she has the time and energy for the task.

The Register of Wills Office is running well, I manage a team of professional staff that allows me to spend the necessary time to be a real asset to this board, Gordon wrote.

Montcos starring role in Trumps impeachment

Montgomery County is playing an outsized role in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Rep. Madeleine Dean is a Democratic house manager prosecuting the case. Bruce Castor, a former district attorney and county commissioner, is defending Trump.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, another former Montgomery County commissioner, apparently wanted in on the action.

 READ MORE: The view from Trump lawyer Bruce Castors Montgomery County: Its embarrassing

Shapiro, the early Democratic front-runner for governor next year, filed an eight-page memorandum in the U.S. Senate, drawing a direct line from Trumps many failed election lawsuits to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

His litigation strategy in shambles, President Trump fixated on disrupting Congresss counting of Electoral College votes, and his supporters violently attempted to carry out his wishes, Shapiro wrote Wednesday.

Deans son, Pat Cunnane, took in her performance Wednesday and tweeted that she seems comfortable in the Senate. That obvious nod toward the 2022 Democratic primary for an open U.S. Senate seat may not have been the most politically astute move during a divisive impeachment trial.

Dean spokesperson Tim Mack said she is focused on the impeachment trial.

What many people saw in Pats multiple tweets was a son proud to see his mother on the Senate floor standing up and holding former President Trump accountable for inciting an insurrection on the Capitol on Jan. 6th, where five people lost their lives, Mack said.

There are worse looks. Dont believe us? Check out the reviews for Castors performance.

 READ MORE: Castor says widely panned impeachment opening was by design, while Dean presses case against Trump

Growing pains for Protect Our Police PAC

A group of retired Philadelphia cops bragged last year about the nearly $750,000 raised by their new political action committee, launched in part to defeat District Attorney Larry Krasners reelection bid this year.

They werent nearly as forthcoming in reporting where the money came from and how it was spent. Protect Our Police PAC missed last weeks deadline in Pennsylvania to file a campaign-finance report. Georgia says the group is also behind on three reports that should detail its 2020 efforts there.

Nick Gerace, the groups treasurer, told Clout it used several payment processing platforms and two types of software last year. Now the group is struggling to organize information about nearly 3,700 donors and spending in 12 states.

Gerace said he hopes to have all the reports submitted by next week. Theyll show about $600,000 in spending for 2020, he said.

Krasner made his reelection effort official Thursday with the low-key release of a video and this quote of his efforts at criminal justice reform:

When we entered office in 2018, we faced the daunting task of restoring community trust in an office that for decades had broken it. We have made enormous strides in achieving that goal, and establishing a justice system that respects victims, children, and the people who live in and love this city.

Krasner faces Carlos Vega, a career prosecutor he fired in 2018, in the Democratic primary. Defense attorney A. Charles Chuck Peruto announced his campaign Tuesday as a Republican.

Staff writer Jonathan Tamari contributed to this column.
The Prince William Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew is concerned with intensive care unit (ICU) vacancy rates in the Prairie Mountain Health region, as well as with the axing of four positions in the system.

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NDP Leader Wab Kinew is concerned with intensive care unit (ICU) vacancy rates in the Prairie Mountain Health region, as well as with the axing of four positions in the system.

The information passed on to The Brandon Sun, which shows two of six health-care aides and eight of 30 registered nurse vacancies, came by way of a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) request by the NDP.

Wab Kinew

Two care team manager positions, as well as the executive director for information services and capital planning and the director of primary care positions, were "deleted," according to the documents.

Kinew said going the FIPPA route was necessary because of the Pallister governments secrecy regarding the provinces health-care system, including information related to the pandemic.

"Typically, when we use the other avenues like question period, or committees, or even putting things into writing and requesting it that way, will either be outright denied or the government will give spin," said Kinew.

"FIPPA  its not perfect, stuff gets redacted. They avoid answering a lot of the time, but it is one research tool that we have to kind of consistently shed a light on whats happening in health care."

The documents also show that in the neonatal intensive care unit, one of 11 registered nurse positions was vacant.

Numbers are as of Nov. 2, 2020.

"The prerogative of the PC government really seems to be to reduce the amount of people working in the public sector. That seems to be what theyre doing everywhere, extended even beyond the health regions to all aspects of government," said Kinew.

"But I think the reason why thats so concerning is because we have this pandemic going on and weve seen what happens when our health-care system gets overburdened. If we dont have the necessary resources in health care, particularly in ICUs, then all of a sudden a problem in health care becomes a problem for the whole economy and the whole society."

He said the province shouldnt be cutting health care at any time, never mind during a pandemic when a sustainable health-care system is necessary to Manitobans.

PMH chief executive officer Penny Gilson, in an emailed response to the Sun, stated changes to improve and simplify the health system are underway as part of Manitobas health system transformation.

"Efforts to improve consistency and co-ordination across Manitobas health delivery organizations are referred to as service delivery organization realignment. This work involves shifts in leadership and oversight to focus organizations on the delivery of health-care services locally, with clearly defined portfolio areas to support acute care and community and continuing care," stated Gilson.

She added Prairie Mountain Healths ability to support or oversee operational responsibilities remains unchanged.

"There is no impact on the day-to-day work of front-line staff as a result of these changes," she said.

Gilson also noted the director of primary health care position was vacant, and the responsibilities associated with that position have been added to the director of health services, primary care portfolio.

"Having a loved one admitted to the ICU is one of the scariest things a family can endure. The last thing families need at this time is to worry whether or not their loved one is getting the direct care they need," Kinew stated in a news release prior to speaking with the Sun.

"Yet the PCs let ICUs in Prairie Mountain Health go understaffed at the peak of the second wave. This is completely irresponsible. They had time to hire more nurses and prepare for the second wave in Prairie Mountain Health, but they did nothing. Families deserve a government that does everything it can to ensure their loved ones get the best care when they need it most."

But Gilson noted that at any given point in time, there are staff vacancies in virtually any PMH program or service.

"Throughout the pandemic, the ICU beds in Brandon have been staffed," she stated.

Kinew, however, said the health-care system and ICUs were kept going through the fall and winters COVID-19 level red situation because of the will power and dedication of the people working in them.

"I dont think its sustainable the way that we got through the most intense periods of code red, which is basically just asking nurses and staff and physicians to work far and above their normal workload," he said.

Asked about possible solutions, Kinew said there are short-term and long-term possibilities. In the short-term category, he suggested staffing up and accelerating training, as well as fairly compensating individuals.

The longer-term solution is to involve college and universities and ensuring the right number of people are being trained.

"And so, certainly with BU (Brandon University) and ACC (Assiniboine Community College), I think looking at more seats for programs is part of the solution. Then, of course, ensuring once people graduate that there are jobs and that theyre hired to fill these positions rather than leaving them vacant."

NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara also weighed in.

"Health-care workers in ICUs are committed to providing the very best care to our loved ones in times of crisis," Asagwara stated.

"But this government made it harder for nurses and health-care workers to help patients recover by refusing to spend the money to hire more staff. These cuts and vacancies show, yet again, the PCs disrespect for nurses and health-care workers. Manitobans deserve a government that respects the dedication of our health-care workers and puts patient care first."

 mletourneau@brandonsun.com

 Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism.
Mrs Delese Darko, Chief Executive Officer, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has met with Mr Pedro Luis Despaigne Gonzalez, the Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, to discuss progress on the development of Cubas Covid-19 vaccine.



A statement issued by the FDA in Accra on Thursday, explained that the meeting followed an earlier one held in November 2020, where the Centre for State Control of Drugs and Medical Devices (CECMED) of the Ministry of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba (MINSAP), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the FDA, to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in the area of health promotion.



It said the present meeting, which was at the request of the Ambassador, was therefore to brief Ghanas FDA on the status of clinical trials being conducted in Cuba on four Covid-19 candidate vaccines, with each at different phases of clinical development.



According to Mr Gonzalez, the COVID-19 vaccine, Soberana 02, was Cubas most advanced candidate against the COVID-19 virus, which had currently passed Phase I trials in Cuba.



He indicated that Phase II trials had also been carried out on 910 patients, while Phase III trials would commence in February 2021.



Mr Gonzalez again said Cuba intended to offer the transfer of technology through an agreement with the Ghanaian Pharmaceutical Industry for the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredients for the formulation, production and packaging of the vaccine in Ghana.



According to the statement, Mr Gonzalez had stated that countries like India, Vietnam, Iran, Venezuela and Pakistan had also expressed interest in acquiring the Soberana 02 vaccine.



Mrs. Darko on her part had expressed gratitude to the people and Government of Cuba for their continued solidarity, and pledged the continued support of the FDA in the sharing of its experience as a Maturity Level three regulatory agency of the World Health Organization (WHO).



She further expressed her utmost appreciation for the intended technological transfer support from Cuba, stressing that the meeting presented an opportunity to render support, build capacity, further develop and challenge the local pharmaceutical industry (allopathic and herbal).



She said through the relationship, the pharmaceutical industry would make advances in promoting health, thus improving the health standards of the Ghanaian.



Present at the meeting were Mr. Seth Seneake, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Health Products and Technologies Division, Mrs Yvonne Nkrumah, the Deputy CEO for Corporate Services, and Mrs Mercy Mintah Gyampoh, the Pharmaceutical liaison for the Republic of Cuba in Ghana.

Source: GNA









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This week's statement by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that 'people shouldn't be booking holidays right now' has been slammed by the travel industry. And quite right too.

Travel company bosses have roundly criticised him for failing to point out that package holidays  involving flights and accommodation booked together  are protected against cancellation by the Package Travel Regulations. If your trip is cancelled, you get a refund in 14 days.

But on top of this, individual companies  recognising the snakes-and-ladders nature of Government travel policies  are offering more flexible terms than ever, Just about every respected travel provider now makes these clear on their websites. Flexible policies often allow customers to change trips even if they are simply nervous about going. Here is what leading travel firms are offering.

MAKE IT A BREAK IN MAJORCA: TUI

Tui is offering a week's self-catering at the TUI Blue Alcudia Pins hotel in Majorca in July from 638. Pictured is the bay of Pollensa on Majorca's north coast

On a pretty beach and with a big pool surrounded by palm trees, TUI Blue Alcudia Pins hotel on the north coast of Majorca is just the ticket. Rooms are smartly decorated, kids' clubs are included and there's a 'splash pool' with slides.

HOW FLEXIBLE? Fee-free holiday changes up to 28 days before departure for trips up to October 31.

HOW MUCH? A week's self-catering from 638 from Luton in July (tui.co.uk).

MALDIVIAN DREAM: TRAILFINDERS

Stay at the LUX* South Ari Atoll resort and villas and go snorkelling each day on the coral reef or relax on the white-sand beaches. There's an over-water spa so you can watch fish swimming by while having a massage.

HOW FLEXIBLE? Trailfinders has no fee for amendments to travel between March 26 and June 30. If the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is advising against travel, it allows you to get a full refund immediately or change to new dates or destination.

HOW MUCH? A week's B&B from 1,499pp with London flights and transfers this summer (trailfinders.com).

CHEAP IN GREECE: EASYJET HOLIDAYS

With easyJet Holidays, you can book a week's B&B at the Star Hotel close to the beach in Tigaki, pictured, on the Greek island of Kos for 391 in August

Stay at the charming Tigaki's Star Hotel on Kos, close to the beach, and enjoy a relaxing getaway with tavernas round the corner. There are plenty of historical sights to visit, too.

HOW FLEXIBLE? EasyJet Holidays offers full refunds if you decide not to travel up to 28 days before departure.

HOW MUCH? A week's B&B from 391 in August with Manchester flights (easyjet.com).

LUXURY ST LUCIA: DIAL-A-FLIGHT

The Piton mountains in St Lucia. Dial-a-Flight is offering a week's all-inclusive at the Rendezvous hotel on the Caribbean island for 1,565pp from mid-May to mid-July

Windsurfing, kayaking and sailing are among the activities included at the Rendezvous adults-only hotel in St Lucia. It is next to a two-mile beach.

HOW FLEXIBLE? 'If you book a package and within 14 days of departure there is government advice against travel or a quarantine, you can rebook or have a complete refund,' says Dial-a-Flight.

HOW MUCH? A week's all-inclusive trip from 1,565pp mid-May to mid-July with London flights (dialaflight.com).

CHARMING CROATIA: BA HOLIDAYS

Pretty and peaceful: Cavtat in Croatia, where a fortnight's B&B at Hotel Croatia Cavtat is from 1,372pp with British Airways Holidays

Enjoy the tranquillity of the bay at Cavtat in the south of Croatia.

HOW FLEXIBLE? BA Holidays allows customers to change bookings for free or cancel for a credit voucher up to 21 days before departure for travel before April 20, 2022.

HOW MUCH? Fortnight's B&B at Hotel Croatia Cavtat from 1,372pp (britishairways.com).

AHOY NORWAY: FRED OLSEN CRUISES

Sail from Liverpool to the Norwegian fjords for an eight-night adventure aboard the Borealis small ship, with a chance to see glaciers and waterfalls.

HOW FLEXIBLE? Fred Olsen's policy allows customers to amend bookings fee-free 90 days before travel or get a full refund.

HOW MUCH? Eight nights' full board from 1,299pp (fredolsencruises.com).

DOWN THE DANUBE: TITAN TRAVEL

Titan Travel is offering an eight-day cruise along the Danube with full board from 1,699pp in August. Pictured is the Danube flowing through Budapest

Float along the River Danube from Budapest in Hungary to Vienna in Austria on an eight-day cruise that includes tours in both cities.

HOW FLEXIBLE? Titan Travel has introduced a lower 'flexi-deposit' of 49pp, and amendments can be made to destination and dates fee-free 75 days before departure.

HOW MUCH? Full board from 1,699pp and Heathrow flights in August (titantravel.co.uk).

TURKISH SUNSHINE: VINTAGE TRAVEL

Stay in a smart villa with a pool overlooking the sea in Kalkan. There are labyrinthine lanes to explore, plus a beach near the harbour.

HOW FLEXIBLE? Postpone or opt for a refund within 14 days of travel if the FCDO advises against non-essential visits, the borders are closed or you need to quarantine on arrival.

HOW MUCH? From 1,148 per week for a two-bed villa in summer (vintagetravel.co.uk).
Record low birth rate worries officials

THAILAND: The countrys lowest ever total fertility rate (TFR) has prompted the Public Health Ministry to come up with activities aimed at promoting dating among singles and fertility health among married couples who still dont have any children.



By Bangkok Post

Friday 12 February 2021, 10:10AM

The government is now getting behind family planning promotions, the aim being to raise the countrys birth rate voluntarily. Photo: Bangkok Post.

The TFR is the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime.

Thailands birth rate last year dropped below 600,000 for the first time and took the countrys TFR down to 1.51, which is extremely low, said Dr Kamthorn Pruksananonda, chairman of a sub-committee on reproductive medicine at the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

The World Health Organization and World Bank have said that if a countrys TFR goes under 2.1, its proportion of elderly will surge and problems associated with migrant workers will rise.

These two problems are now clearly evident in Thailand, he said.

When Japans TFR hit 1.6, the Japanese leader at the time announced that a disaster was on the way if the country didnt do anything about it.

Thailands TFR used to be 5.1 and it has declined all the way down to 1.5. Worse still, the country has still not done anything about it and, without any intervention, the rate is forecast to fall further to 1.3 in less than a decade.

Aside from the alarmingly low birth rate, the number of health problems experienced by babies born to older-than-usual mothers, such as Down Syndrome, is also rising, said Prof Kamthorn.

In Japan and Europe, for instance, the average rate of women seeking medical assistance for infertility problems is 32, while in Thailand the average age of women when they first consult doctors about suspected infertility problems is 38, he said.

By that age it is rather late to start having babies and the risk of a baby being born with Down Syndrome is high, said Prof Kamthorn.

Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said the government was now getting behind family planning promotions, the aim being to raise the countrys birth rate voluntarily.

Families ready to have a baby will be provided with all the help they need in order to ensure the babys good health from birth to adulthood, he said.

The ministry has now launched two activities aimed at promoting dating among the singles and fertility health among married couples who want to have a baby, he said.

More information about these activities is available at www.wiwahproject.com. The registration is open until March 31.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday gave six weeks to the Centre to decide on the mercy plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh's assassination case, after the government said that the apex court should wait for President's decision on the issue.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde and comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian that Rajoana was involved in the assassination possibly due to Khalistan issue.

Mehta said that the government had already started the due process on Rajoana's plea, on which President Ram Nath Kovind will take a decision. He sought adjournment in the matter in the backdrop of the given circumstances.

When the bench asked if Mehta could give a time frame for a decision by the President, he replied that he can speak to the government and not the President.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on behalf of Rajoana, contended that his client's mercy petition has been pending for nearly nine years and insisted that the matter should not be adjourned beyond two weeks.

The court had earlier deferred hearing a number of times on the Centre's request. Last month, the Supreme Court gave "last chance" to the Centre to decide on Rajoana's mercy plea.

A bunch of mercy pleas have been filed on behalf of Rajoana, who contends that he has been on the death row for 10 years, which is sufficient to reduce his sentence to life term.

The top court had asked the Centre when it would send Rajoana's proposal to the President under Article 72 of the Constitution for commutation of his death sentence. This Article deals with the power of the President to grant pardon, suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases.

The top court had noted that on September 7 last year, a letter was sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Punjab Chief Secretary to intimate that a proposal would be sent to the President to commute Rajoana's death sentence.

The Chief Justice had cited this letter by the MHA, which said that the release of some prisoners was proposed, including Rajoana, to coincide with the celebrations regarding the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Biden and Xi Jinping Speak by Phone

Feb. 11 , 2021 (EIRNS)Only a few hours after he delivered a speech at the Pentagon in which he reported on a DOD anti-China task force, President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone. Biden affirmed his priorities of protecting the American peoples security, prosperity, health, and way of life, and preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific, reports the White House readout. President Biden underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijings coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan.

According to the Chinese side, as reported by Xinhuabut not the White HouseBiden also had some positive comments, including that China is a country with a long history and great civilization, and that the Chinese people are great people. The United States and China should avoid conflicts and can cooperate in a wide range of fields such as climate change.

The Chinese side provided a more detailed readout, in which it indicated that Xi had focused much more on the possibilities and potentials of U.S.-China cooperation. Xi pointed out that the restoration and growth of China-U.S. relations has been the most important development in international relations over the past half-century and more, reported Xinhua. The President continued, that despite various twists and difficulties, the relationship has on the whole kept moving forward and delivered enormous benefits to the Chinese and American peoples and contributed to global peace. Xi Jinping emphasized that facing the current international situation full of uncertainties, China and the United States, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, bear special international responsibilities and obligations.

Xi said that China and the United States both gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation; cooperation is the only right choice for both sides. When China and the United States work together, they can accomplish a great deal for the good of both countries and the world at large; confrontation between the two countries, however, will definitely be disastrous for both countries and the world.

You have said that America can be defined in one word: Possibilities. We hope the possibilities will now point toward an improvement of China-U.S. relations, Xi told Biden. The two countries should make joint efforts in the same direction, follow the spirit of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, focus on cooperation, manage their differences, and work for the sound and stable development of China-U.S. relations. In this way, they can deliver more tangible benefits to people in both countries, and make their due contribution to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting world economic recovery, and maintaining regional peace and stability, Xi declared.

President Xi also suggested a number of actions that the two sides could take to move forward. The foreign affairs departments of the two countries could have in-depth communications on wide-ranging matters in the bilateral relationship and major international and regional issues, and the economic, financial, law enforcement and military authorities of the two countries could also have more contacts.

The two sides should re-establish the various dialogue mechanisms, read each others policy intentions accurately, and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation, and Xi emphasized that it is important to manage differences where they exist and jointly pursue cooperation where it is desirable to do so.

The Taiwan question and issues relating to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, etc. are Chinas internal affairs and concern Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the U.S. side should respect Chinas core interests and act prudently, Xi stressed.
(JNS)  Defense officials in Israel believe Iran is behind Fridays bombing near the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi. The working assumption is that the attack was carried out by contractors as revenge for the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of the Iranian military nuclear program, near Tehran on Nov. 27.

Israeli and Indian officials are treating the incident as a terrorist attack despite its exceedingly amateurish nature. The explosive device was placed relatively far from the embassy and exploded on Friday at 5 p.m.  after Shabbat had already begun and after most of the em...
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

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Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

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Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

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Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

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US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

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Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

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15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

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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
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LONDON, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Zain Andani is excited to unveil plans for a future project to be carried out by his charitable organization, the Andani Foundation Trust. The foundation plans to build a full special needs school in India to be completed by 2022.

Zain Andani has a background in international finance and business and currently runs three companies alongside his family: Fatemah Nurseries, Fatemah Properties LTD, and Fatemah Investments LTD. Outside of work, he is a philanthropist who has dedicated his life to charity work and helping communities both within the United Kingdom and abroad.

The Andani Foundation Trust began building the new school in 2020. The school will be free to attend.

"Our aim is to provide support, diversity, and equality for children and young adults who have physical and mental impairments," shared Zain Andani.

This major project will include funding for equipment to aid the students as well as fully qualified and trained teachers.

Zain Andani has devoted himself to education in India for a long time. One of the first projects ever to be funded by the Andani Foundation Trust was in 2009, when Zain Andani and his father opened a high school for children in Vandhiya, Kachchh/Gujarat, India. They chose to do this after seeing that so many young children, both boys and girls, did not have a chance to receive education, which significantly limited their future prospects.

The school became known as Andani High School. Andani and his father sought nothing in return and provided everything to the students for free. Each child who attended the school was given clothing and a uniform, meals, water, school supplies, and of course, a free education.

The school teaches students from standard 8 up until standard 12. The superior quality of the high school has led to it being at maximum capacity (they have roughly 380 children currently enrolled and these children are divided up into a morning and an afternoon session).

Zain Andani notes with pride that since the beginning, Andani High School has maintained an extremely high success rate with many students graduating and going on to study at university. Overall, Zain Andani is proud of the difference that Andani High School has made to the children in Vandhiya, India. The success of the project has led him to focus on expanding the school in the years to come.

Lastly, Zain Andani notes that the new school is something he is funding himself, through his charitable organization. He will not be taking any money from the government, as he wants this to be a true act of philanthropy.

About Zain Andani

Zain Andani is a businessman and entrepreneur with a background in international finance and banking. He currently serves as the managing director of Fatemah Nurseries. Andani also manages Fatemah Nurseries' two sister companies alongside his father, Fatemah Properties LTD and Fatemah Investments LTD. These companies purchase assets, make investments, and aid in expansion processes. Andani currently resides in London, United Kingdom. In his spare time, Andani is a philanthropist who is very active in volunteering and charity working, helping his local community and other communities across the United Kingdom.

Contact:

Zain Andani

07869123480

00919712225555 (international number)

nursery@fatemah.org.uk

SOURCE: Zain Andani

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629474/Entrepreneur-and-Philanthropist-Zain-Andani-Unveils-Andani-Foundation-Trusts-Plans-for-Full-Special-Needs-School-in-India
The time just got clearer as to when the next stimulus checks will be sent out with President Joe Biden's fiscal stimulus plan. Democrats are moving ahead, and among the biggest winners are parents.

Here's a look at what it means and the update on the third round of stimulus checks' timing, based on a recent Pelosi forecast.

When will you receive another stimulus check?

The next stimulus checks of up to $1,400 are part of the $1.9 trillion COVID rescue package of President Biden, which is stirring through Congress using a framework that will allow simple majorities for it to push through. That means Democrats, with no Republicans on board, will get the job done.

Even so, Democrats believed that by tightening the income limit for receiving a check, they might attempt to gain any Republican support. House Democrats suggested Monday night that the latest stimulus checks will go on with the same income limits as before, ensuring that one who had a full payment last time will also get another in the third round.

According to Yahoo Finance, the Congressional leaders seem to be confident about immediately bringing the next stimulus checks out. House committees started to lock down final details of the legislation on Wednesday, and the work is scheduled to end on Friday.

Speaker Pelosi says the House can see the finish line. "We hope to have this all done by the end of February," Pelosi said during a news conference on Thursday, noting that a bill should be on the President's desk by the first part of March. You may expect the next stimulus checks under that timeline as soon as late March.

Democrats aim to support families with the next round of stimulus checks

Last month, the President rolled out a $1.9 trillion relief program intended to enhance the recovery of the U.S. economy from the coronavirus recession. The most-talked-about parts of the law include direct payments of $1,400 and an extension of federal unemployment benefits, but the program could also support American families.

Here's how, during the coronavirus recession, Biden and congressional Democrats hope to help parents, from an increased child tax credit to new child care provider support, as per the Business Insider:

$3,000 in direct annual payments

On Monday, Congressional Democrats suggested that the American Family Act form a crucial part of Biden's rescue plan. The child-tax-credit initiative will provide $3,600 per child 5 and under and grant $3,000 per child aged 6 and 17. For American families, that will be up to $300 in monthly cash benefits per child.

The proposal will be set up as a one-year federal emergency program. The IRS distributes monthly benefits starting July 1 to minimize childcare costs burdens and help families that lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic. But some experts claimed the timetable is ambitious, considering the tax season and the coronavirus pandemic.

The former head of the Taxpayer Advocate's Office, Nina Olson, noted that the IRS spent years building a framework for Obamacare's premium tax credit. Olson told Politico that it's fine to allow the payments, but at least 18 months lead time is needed. "Otherwise you just get something that is tacked on to mid-20th-century technology that is completely inflexible."

'Baby bonds'

Last week, Democrats announced a bill to build savings accounts of $1,000 for each American child that becomes accessible when they turn 18. The bill, supported by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, will contribute up to $2,000 annually to each child's account.

Pressley said that it would fight social and economic inequality and set Americans up for brighter futures by adopting this so-called baby bond as a birthright.

Child Care assistance

Childcare will constitute a $40 billion chunk of the package, with $25 billion budgeted by healthcare providers for an emergency stabilization fund. In July, a survey by the National Association for Young Children's Education showed that almost four in 10 providers said they planned to close permanently if the government did not offer funding.

The initiative further aims to include a tax credit for up to half of parents' childcare expenses for children under 13. For one child or $8,000 for two children, the credit could reach up to $4,000. For households with more than $125,000 a year, the full 50 percent rebate will continue to be phased out.

School aid

The administration calls for $130 billion to reopen and reconstruct K-12 schools and support an education system strained by the pandemic. Biden's website says these grants are intended to help keep schools a safe environment through the pandemic.

The plan outlines smaller class sizes, adjusted social distance rooms, better sanitation, personal protective equipment requirements, and expanded transportation to ensure buses' social distance.

In measures like increased learning time and counselors, some of the funds will be used to meet students' academic, social, and emotional needs.

Read also: IRS Could Start Sending Out the Third Stimulus Checks as Early as First Week of March

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The world's most admired group of birds, the parrots, are also the most threatened. A new study, published in Global Change Biology, warns that the current protected areas are not sufficient to save these birds from extinction. According to the study, habitat loss is the biggest threat to parrots, and the fate of these birds relies on changes in policymaking in specific countries where they occur.

Why Parrots?

Several factors contribute to making parrots vulnerable to anthropogenic activities. Many species of parrots have a small historical distribution (confined to islands). Being large-bodied, these birds have low population densities and also attract human hunters. They have long generation times. And, most importantly, forest parrots depend heavily on forest trees for their survival. Around 70% of parrot species are forest-dependent. They are usually cavity-nesters. Thus, the destruction of primary forests across their range negatively affects their reproductive success. Poaching for the pet trade is also rampant in many countries with significant parrot diversity.

Several parrot species like the blue parrot in the above image build their nests in the tree cavities. Loss of trees due to logging or other anthropogenic activities deprives these birds of their nesting sites.

Thus, nearly one-third of the existing species of parrots (398 species) are classified as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List. 18 species are critically endangered, 39 are endangered, and 55 are vulnerable.

What The New Study Reveals

Macaws, a group of New World parrots, in the Amazon rainforest of Peru.

The study was conducted by a team of parrot ecologists from The Australian National University (ANU) and spatial ecologists from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. The research team used available information on the distribution of parrots and protected areas, IUCN conservation status assessment of parrot species, and the various threats to parrots to analyze potential changes in the conservation status of these birds.

Their research identified four parrot conservation hotspots - two in the Neotropics (the northeastern Andes and the eastern Amazon Basin) and two in Oceania (southeastern Australia and the island of New Guinea). However, the extinction risk for parrots inhabiting these hotspots was considerably high with habitat loss due to agriculture and timber extraction being the top threats.

The study also highlighted that the current extent of protected areas overlaps with only 10% of the range of all parrot species and is not enough to ensure their long-term survival. Worse still, the most threatened parrot species have the least representation in these protected habitats.

The researchers suggest that the mitigation measures must focus on the sound management of the parrot conservation hotspots. Policymakers must use threatened parrots as flagship species to further conservation goals. Also, protected areas need to be created to enhance parrot protection in specific parrot conservation hotspots.
FCW Insider: Feb. 12

The Defense Department is still figuring out how to give contractors reciprocity with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program and similar certifications, but the end is close, officials say.

A provision from the House Oversight and Reform Committee would give feds 600 hours  or 15 weeks  of emergency paid leave to recover from COVID-19 or manage dependents whose care has been upended by the health crisis.

The lawmakers had sent a letter to the White House earlier this week urging President Joe Biden to select one official to oversee the federal governments response to the breach.

The Government Accountability Office wants the VA Secretary to postpone new installations of the Cerner electronic health record while the agency irons out the most serious system problems.

Quick Hits

*** The Chief Data Officers Council launched a new website and published a report to Congress on CDO activities. The CDO Council was mandated by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act.

*** With multiple winter weather events hitting in the National Capitol region this week, the Office of Personnel Management reminded agency heads about the importance of communicating emergency situations to employees even amid the current "maximum telework posture" required under the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Quinism Foundation is again calling on Congress to fund critical veteran-focused research into the chronic adverse neurological and psychiatric effects of mefloquine and related neurotoxic quinoline antimalarial drugs, nearly a year following release of a report by an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) [1]. The NASEM committee was charged by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with looking at long-term health effects of antimalarial medication, with special attention to possible long-term neurologic effects," and "long-term psychiatric effects."

On February 25, 2020, the NASEM committee publicly released its final report. It observed a disconnect between the level of concern raisedmillions of people have used the drugs, and there are many known concurrent events and case reports of adverse eventsand the systematic research that has been conducted, particularly in areas such as the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or psychiatric outcomes. The committee found there is a sharp contrast between the abundant amount of literature pertaining to concurrent adverse events that are experienced while a drug is being used or shortly following its cessation and the dearth of information, especially high-quality information, pertaining to adverse experiences after the use of that drug has ended." [1]

To address the critical research needs identified by NASEM, Congress should establish mefloquine neurotoxicity / chronic quinoline encephalopathy (quinism) as a perennial research topic under the Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) within the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP)," said Remington Nevin, MD, MPH, DrPH, executive director of The Quinism Foundation.

The Quinism Foundation identified five focus areas for future research, including conducting high-quality epidemiological studies related to persistent and latent health effects of antimalarial quinolines, particularly mefloquine.

"In a chapter titled 'Improving the Quality of Research on the Long-Term Health Effects of Antimalarial Drugs,'" Dr. Nevin said, "the committee noted the importance of epidemiological study designs that 'allow for the discovery of symptoms or diagnoses that covary. For example, if certain symptoms or diagnoses occur together in the same patients, there may be reason to consider a syndrome of "neuropsychiatric" symptoms that co-occur, rather than looking individually at separate neurologic or psychiatric experiences.' The committee also noted that a 'challenge when studying adverse events of drugs is that the occurrence of adverse events [e.g. prodromal psychiatric symptoms such as nightmares, insomnia, anxiety, depression, restlessness, and confusion during use of mefloquine (i.e., symptomatic exposure)] may cause an individual to decide to modify the dose, or even stop the drug completely, without consulting a health professional.'"

"This focus area should aim to fund epidemiological studies meeting the NASEM Committees criteria relative to persistent and latent health effects of antimalarial quinolines, particularly mefloquine  to include valid assessment of symptomatic quinoline exposure and particularly symptomatic mefloquine exposure, and subsequent covarying symptoms or diagnoses consistent with the described presentation of chronic quinoline encephalopathy," Dr. Nevin said.

Other focus areas identified in the white paper include defining persistent or latent central nervous system effects of antimalarial quinoline neurotoxicity, defining adverse neurophysiological effects of antimalarial quinolines, disentangling comorbid neuropsychiatric diagnoses confounded by antimalarial quinoline toxicity, and developing effective treatments.

Dr. Nevin said that, This latter focus area should aim to develop treatable targets and treatments for patients with putative chronic quinoline encephalopathy  including those diagnosed with PTSD or TBI  to improve their health and lives." Dr. Nevin said in this respect that, Although the committee wrote in its report that it held open sessions during their study to listen to individual veterans and others, such as spouses and advocates, who are concerned about aspects of health that may be related to use of these antimalarial drugs, the committee was prohibited from reviewing patient reports."

"If the committee had been allowed or directed to review the medical records of affected veterans, their unmet clinical needs would have been apparent," said Dr. Nevin.

About The Quinism Foundation

The Quinism Foundation, founded in January 2018, in White River Junction, Vermont, promotes and supports education and research on quinism, the medical disorder caused by exposure to quinoline drugs, including tafenoquine, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and mefloquine.

Dr. Nevin is a board-certified occupational medicine and preventive medicine physician and former U.S. Army medical officer and epidemiologist. He is author of more than 30 scientific publications on malaria and the quinoline antimalarials, including Screening for Symptomatic Mefloquine Exposure Among Veterans With Chronic Psychiatric Symptoms," published in the journal Federal Practitioner (https:// https://www.mdedge.com/fedprac/article/132560/mental-health/screening-symptomatic-mefloquine-exposure-among-veterans).

References

1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2020. Assessment of Long-Term Health Effects of Antimalarial Drugs When Used for Prophylaxis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25688.
The man shot by a Clark County sheriffs deputy last week during a traffic stop died early Friday as his familys lawyer questioned the description of a weapon that investigators indicated contributed to the deadly encounter.

Jenoah D. Donald, 30, died about 2 a.m. at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver after he was removed from life support Thursday, said Mark Lindquist, a lawyer for Donalds family. He had been shot in the head once, Lindquist said.

Donald, a Black man who lived in Clark County, had been stopped by deputies on Feb. 4 over a faulty taillight after they responded to a report of a suspected drug house and two cars circling the area in Hazel Dell, an unincorporated area of Clark County.

Investigators said Deputy Sean Boyle fired twice at Donald when he and another deputy tried to get him out of his Mercedes and Donald struggled against them. Donald pulled Boyle into the car by grabbing his ballistics vest and turned on the car, Vancouver police said this week in a brief statement. The police department is leading the investigation of the shooting.

Lindquist has questioned what danger Donald posed to the deputies. He was unarmed and didnt appear to reach for a drill in his car, Lindquist said.

Vancouver police said Clark County Sheriffs Deputy Holly Troupe reported seeing a ball-handled object with a three-to-four inch sharpened stake at the end. Troupe told investigators she was concerned Donald could quickly pick up the ball-handled object, according to the police account.

Lindquist said it appears the item spotted in the passenger seat of the car was a cordless drill.

The search warrant filed by Vancouver Detective Dustin Goudschaal notes that investigators looked for any ball-handled tool or implement with a sharpened end or any other sharp-edged tool in Donalds car.

The closest thing that could match that description on a list of evidence police recovered from the Mercedes appears to be a standard cordless drill from the front passenger seat.

There is never even a suggestion that he used it or reached for it, Lindquist said.

Vancouver police have declined to say whether the item Troupe saw was a drill. The agency has declined to answer questions about the item or release a photograph of the object.

The fatal encounter occurred less than a mile away from the Oct. 29 shooting of Kevin Peterson Jr., a 21-year-old Black man from Camas. Clark County deputies fatally shot Peterson as he ran from an undercover Xanax pill sting.

-- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
A drunk student who screamed homophobic abuse and assaulted hospital staff after drinking a bottle of tequila has been spared jail after the court was told she would be horrified if her gay friends found out.

Zofia Nowacka, 19, screamed: 'F***ing gay faggot, f***ing c***, motherf***er,' and violently pulled a female paramedic's hair; punched a security guard and slapped a policewoman across the face.

Wimbledon Magistrates Court heard she dialled 999, claiming she had overdosed on tablets, hoping the ambulance would take her to Charing Cross Hospital, where in her drunken state she convinced herself her boyfriend was.

Nowacka, of Morden, who studied Design and Applied Arts at Kingston College pleaded guilty to assaulting paramedic Elizabeth Keegan; St. George's Hospital security guard Parma Sharma and WPC Angela Clift.

She also admitted using threatening behaviour towards paramedic Matthew Morgan and causing a nuisance on NHS premises.

Prosecutor Trevor Green told the court it was 9.45pm on November 18, last year when Nowacka was taken to A&E.

Zofia Nowacka, 19, screamed: 'F***ing gay faggot, f***ing c***, motherf***er' during the row

She pleaded guilty to assaulting Elizabeth Keegan, Parma Sharma and WPC Angela Clift

He said: 'She asked what hospital she was at and when told she was at St. George's she became aggressive towards Ms Keegan and got into her personal space and squared up to Mr Morgan and uttered the homophobic abuse.'

The paramedics left in an attempt to 'de-escalate' the situation, with Nowacka shouting: 'Go f*** your mum,' at them.

Security guard Mr Sharma attempted to remove Nowacka from casualty. Mr Green added: 'When he tried to escort her away she started screaming and grabbed Ms Keegan's hair and it took all of them to get her off and remove her from the building.

'The defendant continued to be aggressive and punched Mr Sharma to the right cheek and continued hitting the security guard as attempts were made to get her handcuffed and she was taken to the ground.

'She was arrested and kept spitting in the police van on the way to Wandsworth Police Station, where there was further aggression directed towards the custody officer.

'Once in her cell she took off her top and put it around her neck and the officer, Angela Clift, tried to remove it and in doing that the defendant raised her hand and the officer received a blow to her cheek.'

Zofia Nowacka, 19, pictured leaving Wimbledon Magistrates Court with a friend yesterday

Afterwards Ms Keegan said: 'The incident left me distressed,' and PC Clift said: 'As I tried to remove the clothing she slapped me across the face.'

Mr Sharma said: 'I was not expecting the female to lash out at me. I don't come to work to be assaulted.'

Probation Officer Janet Barnes told the court Nowacka described herself as 'completely out of it,' after finishing the bottle of tequila and had no memory of the incident.

'She realises it is serious and is very, very sorry and has not intention of repeating such behaviour and apologises to the victims.'

The court heard Nowacka has booked herself into alcohol therapy and has been teetotal for three months.

Her lawyer Mr John Connolly said Nowacka has never been in trouble before. 'She would be horrified if her friends, many who are in the LGBTQ community, knew she behaved like this and used these words.

'Alcohol must have played some part in this. This is a one-off and there is genuine remorse.'

Nowacka was placed on a twelve-month community order, which includes a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to fifteen days.

She was ordered to pay 75 compensation to each of the four victims, plus 50 for the nuisance on NHS premises charge.

'This was a particularly unpleasant and prolonged incident against emergency workers on NHS premises during an on-going pandemic,' said magistrate Maria Stoney.

'It is a particularly nasty, prolonged event on people involved in public service during a difficult time.'
Kenneth Copeland doesnt believe coronavirus can kill televangelist friend Frederick KC Price

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After a weekslong bout with COVID-19 left famed televangelist Frederick K.C. Price hospitalized with a ravaged heart, lungs and kidneys, sparking a global call for prayers, fellow televangelist Kenneth Copeland said he doesnt believe the virus will kill his longtime friend.

For almost 50 years, Fred and Betty Price have been wonderful friends of our family. We have laughed together, cried together, and preached together. Weve stayed in each others homes and have watched each others children grow up! We have truly lived life together, Copeland said in a statement on Facebook urging prayers for Price Wednesday.

The first time I heard Fred Price in person was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He ran onto the platform and shouted, I am ready Freddy! What a man of God! What a man of faith and power! I dont believe this disease can kill him. We as a family, and ministry, are standing strong for Apostle Frederick Price! said Copeland, who leads the Texas-based Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

Price, 89, founded the 28,000-member Los Angeles-based Crenshaw Christian Center, which is led by his son, Fred Price Jr.

An announcement from Minister Baltimore Scott, the staff administrator for the center's New York operations, shared concerns about Prices health Sunday, along with a global call for prayer.

Today, I am calling on all members and friends of Crenshaw Christian Center New York and on everyone everywhere who has been touched by the teaching of Apostle Frederick K.C. Price to join in a worldwide prayer for the Apostle as he faces the health challenges posed by COVID-19. Specifically, we need to pray for the complete restoration of Apostles lungs, heart and kidneys and any other parts of his body that are now under attack as he remains in the hospital, Scott said in a statement on Facebook.

Since the statement released Sunday, Crenshaw Christian Center has not provided any additional updates on Prices condition and did not immediately respond to requests for further comment from The Christian Post.

Price, who is also well-known from his Ever Increasing Faith ministries broadcast, aired weekly on both television and radio, has been a force in Christian circles for decades. His church, also known as the Faithdome, was founded in 1973. And with a seating capacity of 10,000, the church building is recognized as one of the worlds largest houses of worship.

Price, who is a proponent of the prosperity gospel, was once described as a darling of white evangelical prosperity preachers and branded a religious Uncle Tom.

All that changed in 1992, after a group of black ministers gave him a recording of a controversial sermon on race preached by Kenneth Hagin Jr., the son of his mentor, Kenneth Hagin, who died in 2003.

On the recording, Hagin Jr. was caught telling his congregation that he did not believe in race-mixing, and had taught his daughter from her kindergarten years that she was not to date blacks.

That led Price to become more involved with development in the black community and he went teach a series on racism and published Race, Religion & Racism, Vol. 1: A Bold Encounter With Division in the Church in 1999.
She recently extended her time on the sunny shores of Tulum, Mexico, after insisting to her Instagram followers it is 'first and foremost a work trip'.

And Chloe Sims enjoyed some downtime from her busy work schedule on Thursday as she posed up a storm in a skimpy green bikini for sizzling new Instagram snaps.

The TOWIE star, 38, looked incredible in the busty two-piece as she confidently showcased her incredible figure in the photoshoot at the Mexican resort.

Strike a pose: Chloe Sims enjoyed some downtime from her busy work schedule on Thursday as she posed up a storm in a skimpy green bikini for sizzling new Instagram snaps

Chloe teamed her sizzling swimwear by PrettyLittleThing with a crisp white shirt wrapped around her waist, while she added a pair of fringed, tan sandals.

The beauty allowed her golden tresses to fall about her shoulders in loose waves, while she was sure to keep up the glam with a sleek palette of make-up.

Chloe looked in her element as she pouted away for the racy snaps, which she captioned: 'ITS JUST HIT ME.. IVE NEVER BEEN TROLLED BY ANYONE WHO IS PERFECT... Keep it cute.'

Work it: The TOWIE star, 38, looked incredible in the busty two-piece as she confidently showcased her incredible figure around the Mexican resort

Chloe has been keeping her fans updated with her travels and has shared several snaps of herself soaking up the sun amid her 'work' trip.

Just days previously, she looked enviably tanned and toned in a white bikini as she posed up a storm on the powdery white sand outside popular eatery Bagatelle.

It comes after Chloe revealed she had extended her 'work trip' to Mexico, while staying at a luxury hotel with her teen daughter Madison and cousin Frankie Essex.

Keeping busy: Chloe teamed her sizzling swimwear with a crisp white shirt wrapped around her waist, while she added a pair of fringed, tan sandals

Chloe's sister Demi Sims has also jetted to the country to be with her new girlfriend Francesca Farago, who even flew her dog over.

Celebrities and influencers have been flocking to Mexico's bars and beaches as it establishes itself as the latest COVID getaway destination.

The country, which is not yet on the UK's travel red-list, appears to be the new destination of choice for global jet-setters and could rocket in popularity after travel from influencer magnet Dubai was banned earlier this month.

Just another day at the office: Just days previously, she looked enviably tanned and toned in a white bikini as she posed up a storm on the powdery white sand outside popular eatery Bagatelle

Working hard: It comes after Chloe revealed she had extended her 'work trip' to Mexico amid the furore of influencers jetting abroad while the nation is in lockdown

Popstar Dua Lipa, and model Lottie Moss are among those that have been pictured in the Central American country in recent weeks.

Travel abroad is now banned from the UK without a legally permitted reason, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced last week, as she criticised influencers for 'showing off in sunny parts of the world'.

In addition, people coming from countries on the UK's 'red list' have been banned from entry, except for British and Irish nationals who are required to self-isolate in government-provided accommodation for 10 days upon their return.
President Joe Biden held his first call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on February 10, and it was about as contentious as could be.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Residents of Scheurer Hospitals long term care unit received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month. In celebration, residents and staff threw a crushing COVID one shot at a time party.

According to Lori Sweetman, director of nursing for Scheurers long term care, Walgreens assisted with the vaccination of residents as they celebrated the day with snacks and activities, highlighted by Orange Crush soda pop. Scheurers long term care residents, along with many others across the Thumb, are looking forward to life after the pandemic, when they can see their families once again.

Our residents' families are such a large part of our lives and we cant wait for them to see their loved ones once again, face-to-face, Sweetman said. Some of our residents have lived through pandemics similar to this and have helped us understand the challenges we all face.

Our top priority at Scheurer has always been the health and happiness of our residents and we take every step to attain that, she added.

Scheurers long term care residents, like many others across the rural United States, received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Scheurer began vaccinating its staff Dec. 28, after receiving 500 initial doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which was granted emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 18, is not required to be kept at ultra-frozen temperatures, allowing for longer transport times and distribution opportunities. A second shot is required 28 days after the initial dose is administered, and the vaccine is not considered to be fully effective until 14 days after the second dose.

Residents at Scheurer, having received their second dose on Feb. 3, would have received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the beginning of January.

We are so thrilled to have all of our Scheurer long term care residents receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, said Clark Ramsey, Scheurer Hospitals marketing and business development manager. The staff across the board, especially in long term care, have done a remarkable job of keeping our patients and residents safe.

Between our Scheurer team being vaccinated and now our three senior living communities, it has given us an extra boost of hope for our lives to return to whatever is considered normal sooner rather than later, he added. Some day we will look back on at 2020-21 and realize what great things society achieved through science, technology, and acts of kindness for one another.

Other long term care facilities across the Upper Thumb have administered the second COVID-19 vaccine dose as well. Staff and residents of the Huron County Medical Care Facility in Bad Axe were scheduled to receive their second dose Feb. 2, after their first doses were administered on Jan. 5.

Long term care workers and residents of Lakeview Extended Care in Harbor Beach would have received their second COVID-19 vaccination at the end of January, after their first dose was given on Dec. 29.
[February 12, 2021]

Windcom signs record deal with leading industry player for 2021 maintenance season

HOUSTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WindCom (Wind Composites Service Company, LLC), the leading US provider of Wind Blade Services, signs record deal with leading industry player for the 2021 maintenance season as blade O&M market demand is on track to outpace service provider availability for the coming season.

Building on years of industry experience, WindCom makes a step change in blade O&M contract commitment with the first signing of the innovative new TechLock structure. "We believe TechLock aligns the interests of our customers and WindCom to a higher degree than single-transaction deals by providing guaranteed availability and much higher budgetary cetainty," said Tim Hertel, CEO of WindCom. "If the trend we're seeing continues, WindCom is on pace to be fully committed by the end of March 2021." WindCom's TechLock program enables customers to lock in blade repair resources throughout the year at fixed rates, staffed at their discretion and supported by WindCom's strong engineering and operational team. Contact us today to find out how TechLock can work for you.







About Wind Composites Services Company

Wind Composites Services Company (WindCom) provides full-service wind blade maintenance including fast response, on-site FRP composite repairs and maintenance - including new sites, retrofits and inspections.

WindCom employs 100+ certified composite wind repair technicians. The company is based in Houston, TX. More information is available at www.windcomservices.com

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View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/windcom-signs-record-deal-with-leading-industry-player-for-2021-maintenance-season-301227628.html

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This Black History Month, Afropunk is announcing a new afropunk apocalyptic web series following black punks in a dystopian Seattle. In BAZZOOKA, members of real-life black-fronted bands The Black Tones, Danny Denial and The OBGMs star as fictional versions of themselves, facing off against a fascist mayor played by Twin Peaks' Andrea Hays. Learn more and watch the first two episodes behind the cut!

In the series, "a Seattle police state imposes a curfew at 6pm, courtesy a mayor whos married to a local tech CEO so a contingent of black punks take to the streets and resist. But everything here is a cognate: The mayor, played by Andrea Hays (Heidi from Twin Peaks), is not Jenny Durkan. The corporation is Tundra, not Amazon or Microsoft. And the yearif we still want to annually demarcate this temporal slurryis 2022."

The first two episodes of the crowd-funded web series are on Youtube now, with more to be released monthly!
Nashville, TN (February 12, 2021) - - Land of Color announces the release of their newest single, "Warriors." Written by Thomas Ewing, Gary Rea, Mike Donehey and Jeff Owen and produced by Geoff Duncan and Land of Color, "Warriors" marks their first release in 2021 ahead of a full album releasing later this year.



South Africa native Gary Rea and Colorado-born Thomas Ewing were both worship leaders and solo artists who felt like the Lord brought them together to create something unique, something greater than the sum of the parts. Their different cultural and musical backgrounds have resulted in a unique sound that is a blend of African rhythms, singable melodies and tight harmonies. Audiences all over have fallen in love with their unique sound and laid back vibe.



From those humble beginnings of two worship leaders and friends writing songs together, Land of Color burst onto the scene in 2018 when they were discovered by Tenth Avenue North and Sony/Provident. They quickly signed their first record deal with Remade Records (Tenth Avenues imprint label) and it was off to the races. They toured extensively in 2018 and 2019 as a support act to Tenth Avenue North, Rend Collective, Zach Williams, Unspoken and others. They were also invited to play at most of the major festivals around the country including Spirit West Coast, Fish Fest, Creation Fest, Kingdom Bound, Joyful Noise and more.



Their newest single, "Warriors" is not about being a "warrior" at all. If we want to follow Jesus we need to learn how to serve others and lay our lives down for them like He did. He has shown us a new way to fight, by being humble and by loving others the way He has loved us, unconditionally! This song is a good reminder that we dont have to have it "all together" to be effective for Gods Kingdom. Gary Rea said, "We dont have to portray this image that we have it all together. Its Jesus that has it all together, not us. In our brokenness and weakness, we can point to Jesus."



"Land of Color offers just what their name implies: music that paints the sadly often stagnant CCM landscape with a bold, vibrant palette that brings a sense of refreshed wonder and joy," said Chris Llewellyn, of Rend Collective. "The new single, Warriors is a brilliant example of drawing together brand new sounds in a way that feels at once totally accessible and feels good to the casual listener; while also raising a smile from the forward-thinking, cutting edge music critic."



This is a song that Thomas and Gary have had for quite a while. They started writing it but invited Mike Donehey and Jeff Owen  both members of Tenth Avenue North  to help them finish it.



"I cannot think of a more relevant message for todays audience," said Mike Donehey. "The way we fight in the Kingdom is upside down. We fight on our knees. Gods warriors are the peacemakers. What an incredible song and reminder for us all."



Jeff Owen said, "If you havent heard of Land of Color, they are a band with an honest and unique voice. 'Warriors' brings out their sincerity not only in sound but in the message. A genuine song like this is sure to find its way."



Land of Color feels like its a very proper time to release this song; in our current times, theres a need for a movement and a change in the culture. Instead of being militant and forceful, we can follow Jesus example of leadership and lead through love, kindness, forgiveness and humility. Theyre excited to be putting "Warriors" out in the world and have it be part of Land of Colors mission statement and vision for how they want to walk out their relationship with the Lord and with other people. They believe that serving, loving and listening is a pretty effective way to make a difference.



Additional information about Land of Color can be found on the Land of Color Website. You can stream or download their single on all major music platforms here.

About Land of Color: Thomas Ewing and Gary Rea are two friends who grew up on opposite ends of the earth. Gary was born and raised in South Africa and Thomas is from Colorado. In 2015, they met at a retreat in the mountains of Montana and have been close friends and writing songs together ever since. Land of Color was birthed out of community  in the early days of their friendship, it was during family gatherings that they would grab their guitars and start writing songs. Thomas said, "The songs came quickly and easily and they were simply an overflow of what the Lord was doing in our lives individually and as a community." In 2016, they decided to record an album of the songs they had been writing under the name HOLY MNTN and before long they were getting invites from all over the country to perform their music. In 2018, they changed their name to Land of Color and signed a record deal with Remade Records, an imprint label under Sony/Provident.

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A man convicted of sexual offences against children is back in custody awaiting sentencing on more charges after he started luring new victims within hours of being released on day parole.

A man convicted of sexual offences against children is back in custody awaiting sentencing on more charges after he started luring new victims within hours of being released on day parole.

David Thomas Pearson, 38, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of internet luring involving five girls between the ages of 12 and 16.

Pearson used several social media apps "designed to attract children," and posed as a 15-year-old boy. He communicated with more than 130 young girls and a handful of boys before he was arrested, Crown attorney Katie Dojack told court.

Pearson entered his guilty pleas  including one for possessing child pornography and another for breaching a court order that prohibits him from contacting children  before provincial court Judge Tim Killeen, the same judge who sentenced him in 2017 to nearly six years in prison for luring offences.

Court was told Pearson was released on day parole on March 6, 2019, and immediately bought a cellphone. Some time later, during a search of Pearsons room, a probation officer saw messages from young girls "popping up" on Pearsons cellphone. The phone was turned over to RCMP, who arrested Pearson last June.

Police were ultimately able to identify five girls  four from the U.S and one from Canada  who Pearson, over the course of three weeks, convinced to share intimate pictures and videos with him. Two of the victims told investigators they thought of Pearson as their boyfriend.

Pearson will be sentenced in June following the completion of a court-ordered pre-sentence report.

In 2011, Pearson was charged with luring for communicating with a 15-year-old Las Vegas girl he met online while pretending to be a 16-year-old boy. It wasnt until May 2016 that he was sentenced to two years in prison, by which time he had already been arrested for new luring offences involving six young girls.

At a 2017 sentencing hearing for those offences, Pearson told Killeen the lengthy delay in the 2011 case allowed him to reoffend.

Had his 2011 case been dealt with sooner, "I probably wouldnt be here before you today because I wouldve been incarcerated and I wouldve had the opportunity to reflect on what I have done as being negative, hearing the victim impact statements and learned from my wrongs," Pearson told Killeen.

"I can say before this all occurred, I wasnt aware of how the victims would be impacted by my actions," Pearson said.

Pearson was on bail awaiting sentencing for the 2011 offences when he bought a laptop and cellphone  a violation of conditions of his bail, and continued to pose as a boy on an instant-messaging app. He asked girls for nude photos.

His online communications only came to light after a parent noticed Pearson taking cellphone photos of children at Nutimik Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park in August 2015.

RCMP investigators seized his devices and found zoomed-in photos of childrens genitals while they were playing on the beach, court heard at the time.

Police couldnt access Pearsons password-protected Samsung smartphone, but while it was in police possession, messages from girls kept popping up.

Police discovered Pearson had been communicating with at least six girls in the United States between the ages of 13 and 16 from 2013 until his arrest in 2015.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca

A Forest City man harassed a Vandling woman beginning early last year, shared secretly recorded videos of her and broke into her home, police said.

Forest City police charged Brian Joseph Karwowski, 35, 1100 Lower Main St., with stalking, criminal trespass, unlawful dissemination of an intimate image and related counts.

According to a criminal complaint, the woman told police she and Karwowski broke up in February 2020 after dating for a few months. The Times-Tribune is not naming the woman because of details contained in the criminal complaint.

She said Karwowski recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her consent. He showed one to another person and attempted to show it to two others. He sent her the videos on Snapchat and threatened to post them on social media.

She also told police Karwowski broke into her home on numerous occasions. In one instance, she woke up in her bedroom to him staring at her, according to the complaint.

She accused Karwowski of trying to force her to engage in a sex act. He broke her thumbnail with his arm, used pliers to snap her middle fingernail and threatened to break the rest. On a different day, he swerved his vehicle at her while she was driving home, she told police.

Karwowski, who claimed to have people watching the woman, frequently drove by her home and workplace and spied on her at home, police said.

He stalked her as she worked, called and messaged her excessively on multiple platforms and threatened to spread a rumor about her mother, according to the complaint.

She received a temporary protection-from-abuse order against Karwowski in November, which he later violated, investigators said.

Karwowski remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 22 at 10:15 a.m.

Non-essential businesses - including bars and restaurants - will remain closed for at least one more week in Ronda, Canete la Real, Villanueva del Trabuco, Algatocin, Benaojan and Montejaque which all continue to exceed one thousand infections per hundred thousand inhabitants.

The small town of Serrato in the Serrania de Ronda, with just five cases, has been added to the list in Malaga province this Friday (12 February) because it also exceeds the limit set by the Junta de Andalucia to order the general closure of non-essential activities. Municipal borders will be closed too - except for justified reasons - when any area exceeds a cumulative incidence rate of 500.

The measures will remain in force until the data is reviewed again next Thursday when all municipal measures may be eased, toughened or remain the same - depending on the incidence rate - and take effect from the following Saturday.
Prime Minister Florin Citu on Friday had a meeting in Brussels with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the occasion of his visit to the European institutions, in which context he reiterated the importance of maintaining a coordinated approach at the EU level considering the current epidemiological situation at the European and international level and voiced confidence that new commitments made by the vaccine suppliers will be observed.

According to a press release of the Government, the two high officials had a detailed discussion on relevant aspects related to the European agenda, with an emphasis on the management of the crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic relaunch process and the objectives in fighting climate change and digital transition.

"With respect to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister reiterated the importance of maintaining a coordinated approach at the EU level in the context of the current epidemiological situation at the European and international level, especially considering the recent mutations of the virus, and hailed efforts made by the Commission, under the coordination of Ursula von der Leyen in this respect," reads the same press release.On the same occasion, the head of Executive presented the current stage of the vaccination campaign at the national level, which places Romania in a top spot among the member states, and voiced confidence that "the new commitments made by the vaccine suppliers will be observed," so that the vaccination campaigns will continue to go well.In her turn, the President of the Commission thanked Romania for its decision to donate 200,000 vaccines doses to the Republic of Moldova.In terms of the economic relaunch process, according to the same source, the Romanian PM presented the national efforts to complete the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), with an emphasis "on the importance of investments in infrastructure, including from the perspective of the country's contribution to the ecological and digital transition.""He thanked the Commission for the cooperation with the national institutions in charge with the drafting of the Plan, and he specified it will be submitted to the Commission within the agreed calendar," reads the press release.On the same topic, the President of the Commission hailed the close cooperation existing between the representatives of the Government and those of the Commission during this time on the topic of completing the PNRR.Moreover, PM Florin Citu mentioned that Romania takes the meeting of the recommendations by the European Commission in respect to the conclusion of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism as a priority and he recalled the constant dialogue and close cooperation between the Government and the Commission on this topic. He also reiterated that Romania's top priority is to enter the Schengen Zone."The President of the Commission also voiced her appreciation with respect to the determination showed by the Romanian Government in completing the CVM, as well as her strong support for Romania's accession to Schengen," said the same source.On Friday, PM Citu also had a meeting with Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for An Economy that Works for People.During this meeting, the Romanian high official showed that one of the key objectives of his Government, besides that of combating the pandemic, has to do with "the launch of the economic relaunch process and ensuring a fiscal-budgetary stability.""He also mentioned how important it is for Romania to complete the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as grounds for supporting these objectives, with the European Commissioner showing that the technical dialogue between the Romanian side and the Commission went very well," read the same press release.Moreover, the head of the Bucharest Executive made a presentation of the draft budget for 2021, as well as of the main reforms considered by the Government, which depend on the budget draft, in which context Commissioner Dombrovskis appreciated the efforts made by the Government in this regard.In this context, the Romanian PM showed that the use of such mechanisms in the fiscal field to encourage the ecological transition must take into account "the specific circumstances" of each member state, in order to avoid "an excessive budgetary impact" on some of these.
"Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." Not only is that a quote very similar to us but can be very relatable as well.

The Jewish Pavilion has solidified so many silver- and gold-type relationships. Volunteers spend many hours with seniors, many who are considered true friends. Whether it be at a Shabbat, a holiday, a one-on-one room visit, or even playing a few games of mahjong, the time spent is invaluable to all. Spending time at the communities also forges friendships with staff members.

The close friendship between volunteer Pat Rubenstein and activity d...
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Back in 1938, the first living coelacanth was caught off the coast of South Africa, roughly 65 million years after it was believed to have been become extinct. Needless to say, the discovery caused quite a stir. While the fish went on to earn the moniker 'living fossil' because of its anatomy that resembled fossilised records, researchers from the University of Toronto have now said that the genome of the ancient coelacanth tells a whole different story. According to a statement by the University of Toronto, the African coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae, gained 62 new genes through encounters with other species ten million years ago.

As per study authors, the sequences suggest that the new genes arose from transposons, also known as ;selfish genes' which are parasitic DNA elements whose sole purpose is to make more copies of themselves. The research highlights the dramatic effect the travelling trasposon DNA can have on creation of genes and also gives a glimpse into some of the forces that shaped the genome of the ancient creature.

Senior study author Tim Hughes stated that their findings provide a striking example of transposons contributing to the host genome, adding that while they do not know what the 62 genes are doing, but many of them encode DNA-binding proteins and probably have a role in gene regulation.

Lead study author Isaac Yellan stated that it was surprising to see coelacanths pop out among vertebrates since they have an undeserved reputation of being a living fossil.

"The coelacanth may have evolved a bit more slowly, but it is certainly not a fossil," Yellan added.

Study authors have deduced that the transposons came into various lineages at different times by being carried between species through what's known as horizontal gene transfer.

The study's findings were published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.
New Delhi: Elon Musk, the richest person in the world is one of the most ambitious men alive as he is working on multiple projects simultaneously such as electric cars, space exploration, faster and efficient public transport, including a brain-machine interface.

Last year, Elon Musk's company Neuralink which deals with brain-machine interface demonstrated pigs which had coin-sized wireless implants in their brains. These implants analyse and project brain signals to the system. This time, Musk's company is looking forward to bringing this technology to humans.

The implants have nano flexible threads which are 10 times smaller in comparison to human hair. This will be used in treating severe brain injuries. The technology is still in its primary phase but aspires to be a catalyst in connecting the human brain to artificial intelligence. The coin-sized implants will send real-time neural signals from the brain to the system. As of now, 19 species of animals have been tested with this model and the company has claimed a success rate of 87 per cent.

The concept of putting these implants in the human brain is still a bit new to us but Elon Musk is known to do the most difficult task successfully. There are illustrations of brain-computer interfaces on paralysed patients. The electrodes are implanted into the human brain which converts human thoughts to actions. The company has successfully tested brain signals experiments which includes online shopping, communication and using a prosthetic arm to drink beverages.

These implants have the power to observe, process and to improve human intentions in real life; which will help us to lead a better life. The human brain is an extremely complex organ, and any slight deformity in it can ruin a person's regular life. People with neural injuries will be benefitted by such technology.

Every coin has two sides and the technology is no exception to it. The question remains who will get access to the neural data and how can we trust them with such an important task. The human brain has all the possible secrets and information about the person, and it won't be too long for the technology to read human subconscious thoughts.

This has potential threats to human privacy. If a system with a guided algorithm can observe, process and even modify your intentions, there is nothing left. There has been a tendency to control the human mind and this will easily make it happen.

The technology is still evolving and yet to reach its zenith. But it will be exciting to see what lies ahead in future.
DORAVILLE, Ga. - Pickup trucks splattered with mud, cargo vans topped with aluminum ladders and trailers carrying lawn mowers are everywhere in this Atlanta suburb.

For Latino residents, who make up more than 55% of the population of 10,000, the trucks are a symbol of their hard work, rolling out before dawn and returning home after dark. But other residents of this industrial city that was once predominantly White want these trucks barred from parking on neighborhood streets, because they think they are "unsightly," road-clogging and a turnoff to home buyers.

The dispute landed in the hands of a city council that looks much more like the Doraville of a generation ago than the Doraville of today, as the mayor and five council members are White, one is Black and none are Latino.

"It simply comes down to one simple fact: What do you want the residential neighborhoods in the city of Doraville to look like?" Thom Abbott, a planning commission member at the time, said at a recent meeting.

"This is what Doraville looks like," Geovani Serrano, 25, an immigrant from Mexico, said in exasperation after the meeting, referring to the city's parade of trucks.

Like Serrano, nearly 8 in 10 Latino adults living in Doraville are not U.S. citizens - and cannot vote, receive federal stimulus payments, apply for driver's licenses or run for elective office. Many are also hesitant to speak up or get involved with anything political, even the policing of where they park.

President Joe Biden has proposed a broad citizenship bill that, if passed by Congress, could flip that dynamic in communities such as Doraville by allowing about 11 million undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship and making it easier for 9 million legal residents to take the test to become citizens. The effort would mark the first major push to integrate immigrants in more than three decades, opening a door to a greater role in running the communities where they have lived for years.

The legislation, which aides said could be introduced in Congress soon, faces steep odds. Democrats in the Senate would need to gain the support of at least 10 Republicans - a daunting task, given that similar attempts over the past two decades have failed and that GOP leaders already have deemed it too soft on immigration enforcement. Some Democratic lawmakers hope instead to use budget rules called "reconciliation," which require only a majority vote, to pass legislation that would legalize at least 5 million immigrants in the coming months.

Many of Doraville's undocumented residents have long lived in fear of being deported and are wary of civic engagement. Even some legal residents are hesitant to draw too much attention to themselves.

Barely half of Doraville's households filled out U.S. Census forms last year, a gap that the mayor said could cost the city "hundreds of thousands" of dollars in government money that is divided up by population. Because undocumented immigrants are ineligible for driver's licenses, many pay for taxis or walk most places - and Doraville has had one of the state's highest rates of crashes, injuries and deaths involving pedestrians.

Sweeping changes to the immigration system could build trust between immigrant communities and the government, said Mayor Joseph Geierman, D.

"I've been very concerned for the last four years about how people in our immigrant communities are faring," Geierman said. "I think there's been a lot of distrust of government generally, whether it's local, federal or state, because there's been such a push to deport people."

Since the 1990s, a steady flow of immigrants from Latin America and Asia have moved to Doraville, which is 15 miles northeast of Atlanta. The shift from a mostly White, blue-collar city to an international destination was rocky at first - a city councilor called Latino immigrants "freeloaders" in 2004 - but Doraville morphed into what some call a progressive oasis. The mayor is gay, and one council member is transgender. The city tilts Democrat in a state led by Gov. Brian Kemp, R, who ran a campaign ad in 2018 promising to round up undocumented immigrants arrested for crimes in his "big truck."

Biden's victory in Georgia in November gave immigrants in Doraville comfort and hope - which was then shaken by the city council's debate about the work trucks.

Sandy Chavarria, 29, said Trump's presidency traumatized many Latinos, even U.S. citizens like her. The year he was elected, she took a work trip to a mostly White rural county filled with Confederate flags. When her phone died and she needed to ask for directions, she had a panic attack.

"And I was born here. I have a license," she said. "I'm a U.S. citizen, speak English. So I can't even put into words what that means to people who are not born here."

Her parents are Mexican immigrants and became naturalized citizens after Republican President Ronald Reagan signed legislation in 1986 that legalized nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants. They now own two houses and sent three children to college, with another on the way. All six voted in the 2020 presidential election and celebrated Biden's win.

But the next month, Chavarria was fighting a city council measure that would send police officers to the homes of immigrants, possibly traumatizing them once again. She read testimony from residents who were too anxious to address the city council themselves, yet worried about where they would park their trucks.

They asked her to speak for them.

"How will I provide for my kids who are in school and planning to go to college?" she said, reading one father's thoughts to the council in December.

"I beg you not to place these ordinances, because they will affect my livelihood," said another, who said his jobs had been reduced by half amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"By placing these laws," he told her, "you are cutting my other leg off."

As Chavarria told the council that the ordinance would cause "a lot of harm and a lot of discrimination," the city clerk said she was out of time.

Supporters of the proposed rules said the trucks created safety concerns about narrow roads that often lack sidewalks, forcing walkers, children on bicycles and parents pushing strollers to move into the street. They said it is difficult for firetrucks and ambulances to squeeze by. And then there were aesthetic concerns, and some suggested requiring residents to remove tools and ladders from their trucks before parking in their own driveways.

Linda Rawlins, 73, said the beloved neighborhood where she has lived since 1969 was turning into a commercial zone.

"We are not trying to get rid of anybody," said Rawlins, who is White. "It is a safety factor to do with these trucks and trailers on the street and unsightly equipment that needs to be put somewhere out of sight."

In an interview after the meeting, Rawlins said she supported Trump but not all of his immigration positions, as she thinks immigrants should be allowed to apply for legal residency and citizenship so they can fully participate in civic life.

Abbott, the former planning commission member, said the measure wasn't discriminatory.

"We had numerous comments made this evening that this is simply a racial-motivated piece of legislation," he said at the December meeting. "And I am for this ordinance with the parking. I'm a White male. I'm not Hispanic, I'm not Asian, I'm not in any of these categories. And I voted to not allow my own personal vehicles to be parked in front of my own home."

He recently resigned from the commission. No Latino residents spoke in favor of the measure that night in December.

Gerald Evans, the lone Black city councilor, wondered whether they should ban all street parking so that Latino truck owners would not feel targeted. But others said the trucks were the problem. Councilor Stephe Koontz said the big trucks parked on her street made it difficult to get to her house. Others voiced similar concerns.

Councilor Rebekah Cohen Morris knew that many immigrants in Doraville would not challenge the city council. A former teacher now studying law, she told the council that there was no proof that parking trucks on the street lowered home values or presented a significant public safety risk.

The council approved the measure on a 5-to-1 vote in January, barring vehicles over 6,000 pounds from street parking. Cohen Morris cast the dissenting vote.

Sitting at home a few weeks later, she worried that the crackdown by a mostly White city council will create resentment and fear.

Cohen Morris lives next door to Ofelia Haro, 56, a formerly undocumented immigrant from Mexico who became a U.S. citizen and whose husband owns a truck. Haro is one of her children's godparents.

"Most of the children here are citizens," Cohen Morris said. "And they're going to grow up and they're going to remember all of this stuff that happened."

The mayor, who did not vote on the ordinance, stressed that the council listened to Latino community members. He noted that the panel scrapped plans to bar tools and ladders from trucks parked in driveways.

"The truth is that people did have a voice, and they were heard," he said.

The new rules are now in effect and will be enforced by the city's 54 police officers, seven of whom are Latino. After a six-month probationary period, the police will begin writing tickets. For now, written warnings will be issued in English and Spanish. And the police department has stressed that the issue is unrelated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In Doraville's winding, hilly neighborhoods on a recent day, work trucks were parked mostly in driveways, but a few remained on the streets. Many residents worried about the new ordinance, along with the message it sends.

"They tell you to go back to your country," said a Guatemalan father of four who is undocumented and owns a truck that was parked outside his tidy ranch house. "Most of us come [to the United States] to work."

Francisco, a 35-year-old tile layer from Guanajuato, Mexico, said sometimes his brother-in-law stays with his family, and they do not have enough room in the steep driveway for both men's trucks. One has to park on the street.

Because Francisco is undocumented, he did not feel safe revealing his last name, and he said it had not occurred to him that he could challenge the city council about the truck ordinance.

Although he and his family have lived in Doraville for many years, he is now thinking: "Maybe it would be better to move away from here."
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[February 12, 2021] Appili Therapeutics Reports Financial and Operational Results for Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2021

Appili Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: APLI; OTCQX: APLIF) (the Company or Appili), a biopharmaceutical company developing anti-infective drug candidates, today announced its financial and operational results for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2021, which ended December 31, 2020. Third quarter and recent operational highlights include: Signing a collaboration, development, and supply agreement to create a global consortium with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. (DRL) and Global Response Aid (GRA) for oral COVID-19 antiviral candidate favipiravir

Working with partner DRL to support the filing of an application under Health Canada's interim order for favipiravir oral tablets (REEQONUS in Canada) on behalf of the global consortium

Dosing the first participant and activating over 50% of the planned sites in the U.S. for its Phase 3 PRESECO study evaluating favipiravir for the early treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infections.

Receiving a 'No Objection Letter (NOL)' from Health Canada to initiate the Phase 3 PEPCO study evaluating favipiravir for the prevention of COVI-19 in exposed individuals in the community setting.

Appointing Don Cilla to the role of Chief Development Officer and veteran healthcare executive Rochelle Stenzler to its Board of Directors.



Dr. Armand Balboni, Chief Executive Officer of Appili Therapeutics. "We are committed to being part of this solution. Our team has made considerable progress, working with Health Canada, the US FDA, and our clinical and consortium partners to accelerate our favipiravir program. We look forward to continued progress, including an expected interim data readout from our PRESECO study in the coming months, in our mission to address this pandemic." Financial Results

The Company prepares its financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standard Board and Part I of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada Handbook -Accounting. All dollar figures are $CAN unless otherwise noted. The net loss and comprehensive loss of $9.34 million or $0.16 loss per share for the nine months ended December 30, 2020 was $5.21 million higher than the net loss and comprehensive loss of $4.13 million or $0.13 loss per share during the nine months ended December 30, 2019. This relates mainly to an increase in research and development expenses by $4.38 million, an increase in general and administration expenses by $1.15 million, an increase in accreted interest of $0.05 million. These increases were offset by a decrease of $0.41 million in business development expenses and an increase of government assistance of $0.09 million. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had cash and short-term investments of $20.29 million, compared to $10.54 million at March 31, 2020. As of February 12, 2021, the Company had 62,578,194 issued and outstanding Common Shares, 4,538,538 stock options and 14,879,919 warrants outstanding. This press release should be read in conjunction with the Company's unaudited interim condensed financial statements for December 31, 2020 and the related management discussion and analysis (MD&A), copies of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Appili Therapeutics Appili Therapeutics is an infectious disease biopharmaceutical company that is purposefully built, portfolio-driven, and people-focused to fulfill its mission of solving life-threatening infections. By systematically identifying urgent infections with unmet needs, Appili's goal is to strategically develop a pipeline of novel therapies to prevent deaths and improve lives. As part of a global consortium, Appili is sponsoring late-stage clinical trials evaluating the antiviral Avigan / REEQONUSTM (favipiravir) for the worldwide treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The Company is also advancing a diverse range of anti-infectives, including a broad-spectrum antifungal, a vaccine candidate to eliminate a serious biological weapon threat, and two novel antibiotic programs. Led by a proven management team, Appili is at the epicenter of the global fight against infection. For more information, visit www.AppiliTherapeutics.com. This news release contains "forward-looking statements", including with respect to the expected interim data readout timetable for the PRESECO study, which reflect the current expectations of the Company's management future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "potential for," and similar expressions have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation, those listed in the annual information form of the Company dated June 24, 2020 and the other filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedar.com). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors should be considered carefully, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain the COVID-19 (or SARS-2 coronavirus) at this time. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005534/en/

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Higher than expected production along with firm international gold prices helped the company record a free cash flow of $7.6 million last quarter from the Halls Creek Operations.

Halls Creek quarterly production of 10,143 ounces with AISC at $1,435 per ounce outperformed guidance.

Pantoro Ltd ( ) has set the stage for a key year in 2021 with strong ongoing production and robust economics from the Halls Creek Operations in Western Australias north providing cashflow for development of the transformational Norseman Gold Project in the states south.

The company this week released a new investor presentation outlining its near-future plan while detailing the progress made in 2020, despite the global pandemic.

Better than projected production along with firmer international gold prices helped the company record free cash flow of $7.6 million from Halls Creek Operations last quarter thus bringing total earnings from the project in the April-December period of 2020 to $16.4 million.

Higher earnings helped the company to close the year 2020 with a closing cash and gold balance of $64.9 million and it is debt-free.

Norseman work ramps up

Surplus cash supported by better-than-expected earnings has encouraged the company to ramp-up spending at Norseman, in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

Spending to date has totalled around $35 million and is being increased in the current quarter as Pantoro aims to meet sole expenditure of $50 million.

EPC contract

This month a Letter of Intent has been issued to GR Engineering Services ( ) for the award of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works for the processing facility.

The contract, worth about $57 million, includes the crushing circuit associated with the plant and will be awarded as a guaranteed maximum price contract.

Pantoro's portfolio includes the 100%-owned producing Halls Creek Gold Project in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia and the 50%-owned Norseman Gold Project acquired in July 2019.

The Halls Creek mineral resource now stands at 1.602 million tonnes at 6.6 g/t gold for 339,000 ounces, maintaining the inventory in line with the previous years result after mining depletion.

Hall Creek

Halls Creek has consistently reported resources in excess of 300,000 ounces of gold for the last four years while mine depletion has exceeded more than 200,000 ounces since the start of operations.

The company has successfully built operations from scratch after acquiring the project in 2014 and has been able to increase proven high-grade gold ore production uninterruptedly since September 2015.

Pantoro started operations at the project in February 2015 with an ore reserve of 435,000 tonnes at 6.17 g/t gold for 86,000 ounces and life of 2.5 years.

The project, which predominately has underground operations, has so far produced more than 200,000 ounces over 5.5 years of operations.

There are two underground mines  Nicolsons and Wagtail North producing 35,000 to 45,000 ounces.

The company is unhedged and has full exposure to the current gold prices along with more than three years of an underground mine that is being continuously expanded.

Strong performance

Halls Creek also has more than two years of open-pit mining when underground is completed, and the company is also undertaking maiden resource estimations at satellite deposits.

During the December quarter, the project recorded cashflow of $7.6 million with AISC of A$1,435 per ounce (exceeding guidance) with production of 10,143 ounces, which took the overall cumulative cash in April-December period to $16.4 million.

The company undertook regional exploration at the project during the quarter with short programs completed at Grants Creek, Mary River and reconnaissance drilling on shallow near-mine targets at Nicolsons.

READ: Pantoro drilling confirms ore-grade gold mineralisation at three new prospects

Besides recording an increase in overall revenue, the company has been able to reduce expenditure during the past 12 months.

Development at Norseman

Pantoro has a 50% interest in the Norseman Gold Project and is sole manager of the JV being responsible for the development and execution of all work programs.

The company is confident that the project represents a transformational opportunity through the current resource of 4.4 million ounces with strong potential for increases.

With more than 130,000 metres drilled to date, Pantoro has undertaken the first substantive development and exploration drilling at the project since divestment by Western Mining in 2001.

Work in the 18 months since acquisition culminated in Pantoro completing a DFS for Phase One of the project which demonstrated low capex and excellent project cashflow with an initial seven-year mine life now defined.

The company is finalising contracts for the construction of the operation with this process expected to begin in the current quarter. All contracts are between suppliers and Pantoros 100%-owned subsidiary.

Encouraged by the ongoing growth of Green Lantern Deposit at Scotia and additional high-grade results at Sailfish discovery, the company has chalked out a plan for the phase 2 drill program at Scotia Mining Centre, Mainfield and Lake Cowan during the coming months.
I watched an old Cliff Richard film the other afternoon and as I hummed along to the rather catchy titular tune i.e. Summer Holiday I felt somewhat depressed at the carefree nature of the film and its (then) young cast. Much has been said and written about the current Covid-19 situation whereupon a jail sentence might be waiting for anyone British brave enough to holiday abroad; but - I want to pass that situation by and just celebrate the concept of holidays and the holidaymaker. Remember them? Living on an island that practically invented modern tourism during the early 1960s it is rather sad to envisage, perhaps yet another year with hardly any overseas visitors to Mallorca. Fingers crossed that this doesnt happen - however, in this article today I want to concentrate upon the changing nature of tourism and tourists themselves, because whether we like it or not, nothing in life ever stands still and certainly not the concept of tourism and what the tourist expects from the country, island, or region that is hosting them. I tuned into a snippet of an ancient British television programme just the other day where Judith Chalmers was describing the delights of a summer holiday in a vast, concrete, seaside complex in Benidorm.

I suppose it would be easy to be snooty and to mock the attitudes of the tourists holidaying there in 1972 - but it was a fascinating reminder of how much things have changed in tourism over time - and on the other hand, just how much the basic tenets of tourism stay exactly the same as they were almost fifty years ago. Without becoming too subjective, then as now - most people visiting any part of Spain want the sun and the sea. However, at one time, thats all you did expect to get along with cheap booze and disconcertingly perhaps, something called olive-oil on your food.

More than fifty years on the social horizons of the average visitor to these shores has changed considerably. Nevertheless, it would be foolish to forget that Mr & Mrs Jones and their 2.4 children are still the mainstay of a Mallorcan summer season. Recently all manner of recognisable sub-groups have made Mallorca their holiday venue of choice - from middle-aged empty-nesters to young people seeking a good time in the sun and late nights in bars and clubs. I can remember when Mallorca was the escape venue for British pensioners during the long winter months in cheap and cheerful hotels. Not anymore it sees - as there arent as many cheap and cheerful hotels willing to stay open as they once were.

I think that it is fascinating to consider why so many people are so determined to holiday even within the confines of an international pandemic. I understand that given the uncertainties of travelling abroad, millions of Britons have been frantically booking staycation holidays within the UK - leading to huge increases in prices and marginalising availability. Understandable perhaps, but those of us who live here in Majorca and hardly ever visit the ole-country during the summer season - dare I say that the costs involved, both in terms of hotel, B&B or Airbnb would make the average Mallorcans eyes water. I know this, because every summer for the past five years we have rented a cottage in Cornwall for our extended family and believe me it costs a small fortune - as does everything you might want to buy. From a pint in a pub to a meal in a modest restaurant via visiting a waterpark for the day - compared to Mallorca it aint cheap, indeed it is verging on the criminally expensive. Whatever people might say - this island still offers serious value for money.

Latterly, before the dead hand of the pandemic changed everything - Mallorca and Palma in particular, had become a magnet for city break holidays, much loved by young professionals with not much time - but plenty of money. Similarly, agro-tourism in the form of so-called boutique hotels based in undiscovered parts of the island became hugely popular. Thinking about it - Mallorca has everything a visitor might seek on his or her holiday, but - frustratingly holidays at the moment just arent happening. You will be relieved to know that I am not going to express the usual banal expression of hope that things will return to normal soon - as yes, I think they will - but how soon? I really dont know - nor does anyone else. Nevertheless, those who are front and centre in the tourism industry are clearly struggling.

One thing that I do know though - is the overwhelming desire that people have to holiday in a place they know and love. We will all know friends, relatives, and acquaintances who are desperate to take a holiday sometime soon. Nor are not talking of those ghastly creatures pouting their way across social media from Dubai and calling themselves Influencers either. When I read the MDB online, I am amazed and heartened by just how many people living elsewhere in the world truly love and admire our island.

Maybe this pandemic has proven one thing regarding Mallorca - this being just how much visitors and tourists love this island. Could it only be just two years ago, or less, when agitprops and professional protesters of all descriptions would mock the concept of tourism and were vitriolic regarding all who sought holiday here? To go back to my original thought regarding holidays - whether it be Mallorca or Margate - Benidorm or Butlins, ordinary people need holidays. Not just the thrill of going away, or to do something out of the ordinary - but to plan it, look forward to it - talk about it and have your spirits lifted by the thought of it - thats what its about, always has been, always will be!
Cockroaches. (PC-AFP)

For certain cockroaches living inside rotten logs in Asia, nothing says I love you like some minor cannibalism.

Newly mated pairs of one species, Salganea taiwanensis, take turns chewing each others wings down to stubs after they move into the homes where they will jointly raise babies. Scientists say this unique behavior may have evolved because of the roaches truly monogamous bond.

A Big Relief for Woman Finally Free of Gorilla Glue in Her Hair

Haruka Osaki, who published the finding last month in Ethology, first happened upon some wingless roaches in 2014. She had been collecting insects from the woods as a hobby since becoming a biology student at Kyushu University in Japan the previous year. When I caught the wood-feeding cockroaches in the wild, I noticed that their wings were chewed by something, Osaki said.

When it was time to choose a topic for her doctoral research a couple of years later, Osaki thought of the roaches. She knew from others observations that the damage probably didnt come from predators, but from cockroaches eating each others wings. But she didnt know why. Her adviser, Eiiti Kasuya, encouraged her to dive in.

Osaki collects her study subjects, which as adults have dark, glossy bodies about 1 inch long, from the wild.

I walk into the Okinawan forest and search for rotten logs, she said. The cockroaches live in tunnels in rotten wood, so I destroy the wood with a hatchet and pick them up. She packs the roach colonies into containers, then flies with them back to her laboratory in Fukuoka.

After some of her young, wild-caught cockroaches matured into adults, Osaki paired them off in the lab, creating 24 couples. Then she recorded their behavior with video cameras for three days.

The videos revealed that the roaches ate each others wings in stages. One bug would climb on the others back and eat, while the other sat motionless. Then they took a break before they resumed, sometimes swapping positions.

At times, the cockroach being munched on gave a violent shudder, which seemed to encourage the muncher to take a break. But the cockroaches otherwise didnt seem to mind having their appendages gnawed off. Twelve of the couples ate each others wings completely.

Wood-eating cockroaches arent the only creatures that make a meal out of their mates, but their motivations may be unique.

Cannibalism is quite frequent in spiders, said Maria Jose Albo, an evolutionary biologist at the University of the Republic in Uruguay. Among sexually cannibalistic spiders and insects such as praying mantises, its usually a larger female who eats her mate. Although on the surface it seems like a bad outcome for the male, he may benefit by transferring more sperm while the female dines, Albo said.

On a less gruesome note, Albo added, some male insects and spiders give their mates a so-called nuptial gift: food thats sometimes made from the males own body. The gift may buy him more time to mate  or to escape.

All of these cases involve only one mate being fed, Albo said, which makes the cockroaches so unusual. If the mutual wing-eating has fitness benefits for both sexes, it will be the first case of mutual gift-feeding, she said.

Those benefits probably arent nutritional, Osaki and Kasuya wrote, because the cockroach wings arent fleshy. But the roaches probably do benefit from losing their wings, because wings are cumbersome when living in tight quarters. Wings can also collect mold or mites, the authors wrote.

It makes sense that theres an advantage to getting rid of your wings if youre not going to fly ever again, said Allen J. Moore, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Georgia. Some other insects that live underground or inside wood also shed their wings after mating, such as termites, close relatives that Moore called just fancy cockroaches.

But these insects have to lose their wings on their own. This mutual helping is just really unique, he said.

Moore agreed with the authors that the cockroaches cooperative behavior most likely stems from their monogamy.

Once theyre coupled, the roaches will never again leave their rotten log or encounter other potential mates. From an evolutionary standpoint, they share the same interests. They both want to stay alive and take care of their young. (The cockroaches have also been observed guarding their babies from predators and even feeding them fluids from their own mouthparts, as birds do.) The parents may as well cooperate  and they start by helping each other shed their wings.

Essentially, the cockroach partners may be scratching each others backs  with their mandibles.

If this is confirmed, it will be a rare example in nature of mates that truly want the same thing, Osaki said, adding, Sexual conflict has been always assumed.
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At least six people have been confirmed to have died in a massive car pile-up on Thursday night due to winter storms around the Dallas-Fort Worth district of Texas. According to Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes, more than 100 cars crashed on Interstate 35 West in Fort Worth on Thursday, leaving at least six people dead. The pile-up was confirmed about 6 A.M.

Massive Texas Interstate crash involved over 100 vehicles

The incident was one of many recorded in Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin during Thursday's dicey weather conditions that involved freezing rain and ice accumulation, as per CNN.

According to incident reports submitted to CNN by Dallas Police Department spokeswoman Tamika Dameron, there have been at least three deaths attributed to icy roads. According to an incident report, one person died at 11:15 P.M. Wednesday in an 18-vehicle accident on the Julius Schepps Highway when a man was pinned against a retaining wall after the pile-up.

Less than two hours before the massive car pile-up and 3 miles down the road, a man was "driving at a high rate of speed" on the same slippery highway when he lost control and struck the barrier. According to the report, the driver and passenger died at the scene, while a third person in the back seat was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Victims of Texas car crashes are not yet identified

Authorities did not identify the victims of the accidents in Dallas. According to Dameron, over 300 incidents were reported overnight, with 103 significant accidents, 133 major accidents on freeways, 86 minor accidents, four minor accidents of city equipment, two major city accidents equipment, and one major accident of city equipment on the highway.

According to Daily Mail, firefighters are now moving car to car around Interstate 35 near Fort Worth, seeking to find people who need to be rescued immediately following the collision.

It's unclear when it started, but the video shows a FedEx truck losing control and plowing into a barrier on a downhill section of the highway. Cars behind it immediately proceeded to crash into it.

Brutal icy pile up in Fort Worth, Texas 2/11/2021.



6 lives lost, sad.https://t.co/ZJIoObTY6q



Video of crash: pic.twitter.com/KjVYWbN3WK  Bill Haus (@bill_haus) February 12, 2021

Along the interstate, the collision scene spans 1.5 miles, and traffic is backed up for miles. Officials identify it as a 'mass casualty incident.' Cars trapped under 18-wheelers and pick-up trucks are included.

The number of people in critical condition is reportedly between 40-50. But it increases 'by the minute,' according to MedStar, an ambulance service on the field.

Thirty-six patients were admitted to the hospital by 1 P.M. Firefighters are also worrying that hypothermia in the 27 F cold may occur in stuck individuals.

It is the worst of the numerous crashes caused by the winter storm across Texas. On Wednesday night and Thursday morning, another person died in a Dallas accident, and two more were injured in other accidents.

The ice storm caused the Texas car pile-up

They posted a photo of firefighters trying to gain access to individuals stuck inside a cargo truck that had crashed into another vehicle. Since the road is now too snowy, firefighters are having trouble reaching the cars.

Cop Daniel Segura told CNN on Thursday morning, "We can confirm multiple vehicles and at least three fatalities."

In the crash, which was announced shortly after 6 A.M., sixty-five people were injured, police said. Thirty-six persons, including three in critical condition, were transferred from the scene, police said. Several victims were examined and released on the spot, police said, while others left the crash scene on their own but went to hospitals afterward.

According to ABC News, officials added that many of the on-scene assessed patients were adults. Policemen from Fort Worth said the ice was a cause. In the Fort Worth sector, freezing rain has caused slippery roads.

Read also: Cleveland Serial Killer who Murdered 11 Women Dies of Terminal Illness in Jail

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Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Gold79 Mines Ltd. (TSXV: AUU) ("Gold79" or the "Company") is pleased to announce changes to its board of directors with the appointment of Mr. Paul Carrelo as an independent director effective February 12, 2021. Mr. Derek Macpherson has stepped down as a director of the Company in order to focus on his new role as Senior Vice-President, Investment Banking at Red Cloud Securities Inc.

Mr. Carrelo brings extensive resource investment, mining and investment banking experience to the Gold79 Board of Directors. Mr. Carrelo was a senior investment professional with Resource Capital Funds ("RCF") based in both Denver and Santiago over the period from 2008 to 2020. Mr. Carrelo was instrumental in establishing RCF's Santiago office in 2014 to focus on building a greater presence in the Latin American region. In 2017, he returned to Denver with RCF as a senior member of a deal team focused on active portfolio management, investment strategy and leading transactions. Mr. Carrelo is an Executive MBA candidate at Said Business School, University of Oxford; has a M.Sc. Metals and Energy Finance from Imperial College London; and, a B.A. Hons. in Economics from Durham University.

Mr. Gary Thompson, Executive Chairman and CEO, stated, "I am pleased to welcome Paul to the Gold79 board of directors. His extensive experience in resource and mine finance positions him well to contribute significantly to the Gold79 board as we position the Company for growth and continue focus on our strategy to build gold ounces at our Southwestern USA projects. Additionally, I want to thank Derek Macpherson for his contributions to Gold79 and wish him well in his new role at Red Cloud Securities."

Additionally, the Company announces that its board of directors has approved a grant of options for 500,000 common shares to Mr. Carrelo in his role as director of the Company pursuant to the Company's 2020 Stock Option Plan. These stock options have an exercise price of $0.10 per share and expire on February 12, 2031. These stock options vest immediately. This stock option grant is subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Gold79 Mines Ltd.

Gold79 Mines Ltd. (formerly Aura Resources Inc.) is a TSX Venture listed company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal prospects in the Southwest USA. Gold79 holds 100% earn-in option and / or purchase agreements on three gold projects: the Jefferson Canyon Gold Project and the Tip Top Gold Project both located in Nevada, USA, and, the Gold Chain Project located in Arizona, USA. In addition, Gold79 holds two projects with minority interest being a 37.1% interest in the Greyhound Project, Nunavut, Canada under JV by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited and a 20% carried interest in the Taviche Project in Oaxaca, Mexico held by Minaurum Gold Inc. and now under option to Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

For further information regarding this press release contact: Gary Thompson, Executive Chairman, by email at GT@gold79mines.com. Gold79's website is located at www.gold79mines.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release may contain forward looking statements that are made as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions which involve risks and uncertainties associated with our business including any future private placement financings, the uncertainty as to whether further exploration will result in the target(s) being delineated as a mineral resource, capital expenditures, operating costs, mineral resources, recovery rates, grades and prices, estimated goals, expansion and growth of the business and operations, plans and references to the Company's future successes with its business and the economic environment in which the business operates. All such statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. Any statements contained herein that are statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution readers of this news release not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual results or conditions to differ materially from current expectations. Please refer to the risks set forth in the Company's most recent annual MD&A and the Company's continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Gold79 does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74328
India's exports of the COVID-19 vaccine stood at around Rs 338 crore till February 8, Commerce and Industry Minister said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

The exports include grant of the vaccine doses to friendly countries and commercial shipments.

Replying to supplementary questions in the House, Goyal said exports of the vaccine started in January.

India is taking care of the domestic vaccine requirement first and based on that "giving vaccines to friendly countries," he said.

"Total export is about Rs 338 crore worth of COVID vaccine," the minister said.

Giving details, Goyal said export of Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Insitute of India, Pune as Government of India grant stood at 62.7 lakh doses with FoB (free on board) value of about Rs 125.4 crore.

Paid exports of 1.05 crore doses were valued at about Rs 213.32 crore.

Goyal said the government has granted permission to the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech International Limited, Hyderabad for manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines.

Close coordination is being maintained through regular interaction between relevant departments of the Government of India and vaccine manufacturers to ensure adequate availability of COVID-19 vaccines for the national vaccination program, he added.

The minister further said the health ministry is working along with all states, and the Prime Minister is also interacting with all states.

Highest priority for vaccination has been given to healthcare and frontline workers by the government, Goyal 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.)
Covid-19 allowed for an experiment in US healthcare: what if doctors visits and hospitalizations didnt cost people money?

In response to the pandemic, major health insurers volunteered to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for their paying customers and the government introduced programs to make care more affordable. But a year after coronavirus was first identified in the US, those assurances havent played out as planned.

Related: US could have averted 40% of Covid deaths, says panel examining Trump's policies

A program to help the countrys 28.9 million uninsured has been riddled with problems, such as patients not knowing which healthcare providers are actually participating in the scheme. Undocumented immigrants have largely been excluded from aid. The complexities of long Covid, when people experience symptoms for months, have challenged patients and providers. And health insurers still control what gets covered and for how long.

To better understand these disparities, the Guardian spoke to six people about the financial cost of Covid-19.

Mellisa Arredondo Moncibaiz, 51, Texas: $633.32

Out-of-pocket costs: $572.32;. Premium: $61 (for one month)

Mellisa Arredondo Moncibaizs financial stress is tangled up with grief. Six of her friends and relatives have died from Covid-19  four of them in January. Its just horrible all around, she said.

The Wichita Falls, Texas, resident had Covid at the end of October and spent five days in the hospital, resulting in a $42,096 bill. The hospital billed for more than 200 different items  from an $11 zinc capsule to $1,080 for each day of heart monitoring.

She is grateful her health insurance will pay most of the $42,096 bill, but she still has many sleepless nights thinking about her debts. The $572.32 she owes for her coronavirus treatment is on top of the $3,689.81 she owes the hospital because she broke her tailbone in June.

I am just working to keep my head above water

Story continues

After insurance, its still $4,200, I dont make enough to pay that, said Moncibaiz, who works in housing. I just pay what I can, $20 there, $10 there. But now, I havent been able to pay that because I am worried about rent, utilities.

To have health insurance, Moncibaiz pays a $61 premium each month  only a few insurers included premium relief in their Covid assistance. Her deductible, what people must pay before the insurance kicks in, is $2,550. After hitting that, insurance covers 80% of her medical costs.

Moncibaiz said the debt is causing anxiety and depression, which she hasnt sought treatment for because of its price tag. She called the $600 stimulus checks the government sent in January a kick in the teeth. The things which have helped the most, she said, are her understanding landlord and the national pause on federal student loan payments.

I am just working to keep my head above water, she said.

Baldhead Phillips, 51, Georgia: $100,000

Uninsured

Atlanta-based comedian Baldhead Phillips was hospitalized with Covid-19 for two weeks in March, and each day watched as other patients were wheeled away on gurneys after succumbing to the illness.

Doctors sent him home with an order to use $200-a-month oxygen therapy, prescriptions for 11 drugs and new diagnoses of high blood pressure and heart failure.

I got home, got the exhaustion, got into bed and the first and last thought in my mind was I just spent a lot of money to buy this stuff, and this is not a cure, its just to let me live a little longer and see how its going to go, Phillips, 51, said.

Two days later, Phillips received a $15,000 bill from the hospital. More bills followed and Phillips said they have so far totaled more than $100,000.

Phillips doesnt have insurance and is on the hook for the entire bill.

He has been able to cover some of the costs with help from a GoFundMe online fundraiser and other contributions from fans and friends, but his income is a fraction of what it used to be.

He hasnt been able to work as a standup because of coronavirus restrictions and has stopped his second job as an Uber driver. Im so stressed out about that but at the same time my family is saying, dont worry about bills, worry about getting better, Phillips said.

Last spring, Phillips was skeptical about the seriousness of Covid. Now, he uses his public platform to warn about how grave it can be. Phillips said: I crack jokes for a living, but this is no joke at all.

Ellen, 66, Colorado: $1,600

Out-of-pocket costs: $100. Premiums: $1,500 (for 10 months)

The governments nationalized health insurance program for seniors, Medicare, has kept money at the back of Ellens mind while she struggles with long Covid. She pays $150 for the coverage each month and has spent less than $100 since she contracted Covid in April on prescription drugs.

But Ellen, who asked not to use her last name for privacy, has had Covid symptoms for 10 months  including 128 days of nonstop headaches.

I still have fatigue, right now I am laying down in bed, a shower will wipe me out, she said from her home in Littleton, Colorado. I still have brain fog, after we have this talk, I will be exhausted.

The 66-year-old has seen a battery of specialists to address the lingering symptoms, and with Medicare, a government health plan for people 65 and older, the appointments are covered.

Like most Medicare beneficiaries, Ellen has supplemental coverage which reduces costs of things like prescription drugs  she estimates she has spent under $100 on those since April. Its fantastic, she said.

Costs are higher for the 6 million Medicare beneficiaries who dont have supplementary coverage to cover prescriptions, co-pays for doctors visits and other medical care.

Adina Gerver, 41, New York City: $14,006

Out-of-pocket costs: $4,206. Premiums: $9,800 (11 months)

Adina Gervers March Covid infection has left her with lingering symptoms including debilitating fatigue, a nerve system condition and a blood clot in her right lung.

I am earning very little right now, because I am working very little, because I am tired all the time, said Gerver, who said shes relying on financial help from family.

The 41-year-old is being treated by specialists at the Mount Sinai Post Covid Care Center in New York City. She owes $279.87 of the centers $3,900 bill for some of the treatments and tests she had in the autumn and she has yet to receive bills for all the care shes received.

Gerver has Cobra, a government program which allows people to continue with the insurance they had at their previous employer. Since August, she has paid $1,000 a month in premiums. Before that, her premiums were about $800. Separately, once she hits her $3,250 deductible, her plan pays for 100% of her medical expenses.

I could not get it together to call them

Then there were the other costs, such as $20 for a pulse oximeter and spending more on ride-shares to get around the city. Friends and family also bought her a shower chair, bed desk and support pillow, which together are at least $100.

Gerver suspects a government marketplace health insurance plan would cost less than Cobra, but she doesnt know if the care she needs for long Covid would be covered.

The process of navigating health coverage in the US can be frustrating and time-consuming at the best of times  when coupled with severe fatigue, it was too much. I could not get it together to call them, Gerver said.

She was also too tired to fight a recent mystery bill - a months supply of the blood thinner she paid $35 for on 31 December, cost her $491.98 in January.

Yaquelin Valencia, 29, California: $2,000

Out-of-pocket costs: $2,000. Premium: $0 (for one month)

When Yaquelin Valencia had Covid in July, her biggest worry was how to continue supporting her undocumented family members, especially as the main provider for her parents.

I was concerned a little about my health, but I was more worried about my parents because I am their sole provider, said Valencia, who lives in Californias Bay Area.

The 29-year-old is a recipient of Daca, the temporary protection from deportation for people who were brought to the US as children without legal papers. Daca allowed her to collect unemployment when she was laid off in April and get health insurance when she got a new job in June as a community organizer in La Red, an immigrant rights campaign by the advocacy group Faith in Action.

I felt this sense of security that I know others dont have because of status, said Valencia.

In the past, if Valencia needed to see a doctor, she would have to go to the hospital because she didnt have insurance. She still owes hospitals thousands of dollars from the 18 years she didnt have health insurance.

Luckily, her Covid infection was mild. She saw a doctor online and treated her sore throat, fever, fatigue and loss of appetite with vitamins, sleep medication and other home remedies. She also spent extra money to stay in an Airbnb while her apartment was sanitized and to get food delivered for her and her parents, who she lives with,and are at high risk for severe Covid.

She estimates that extra spending and medicine set her back $2,000.

Catalina Morales, 29, Minnesota: $5,000

Out-of-pocket costs: $5,000

Catalina Morales has spent about $5,000 on Covid care, even though she never had it.

Late last year, she and her sister traveled from Minnesota to Chicago to care for five close family members who had severe Covid-19 infections. This includes her mom and another sister, who were hospitalized for more than a week.

Meanwhile, Moraless brother-in-law battled Covid at home and took care of the couples two children, without paid sick leave because he is undocumented. To help cover the familys rent and food, plus the sisters travel, Morales fundraised $5,000 by contacting people she knows.

Your regular undocumented immigrant doesnt know or doesnt have those relationships

Morales, a Daca recipient and manager for the La Red immigrant rights campaign, said the fundraising was only possible because she is an activist and is familiar with the networks she could tap to get help.

Your regular undocumented immigrant doesnt know or doesnt have those relationships, Morales said. If I didnt have that knowledge, my sister would not have paid her rent the last two months and my sister and I would have had to use credit cards to pay for all this.

Those initial costs arent the familys only financial concern.

Moraless mother had been living in the US undocumented until she received a visa for victims of crime, but the paperwork is being processed. The hospital, therefore, doesnt consider her a US resident, blocking her from qualifying for programs to help the uninsured.

The family will owe the hospital the full bill, and plans to negotiate to pay in installments. The average charge for an uninsured Covid-19 patients hospitalization is $73,300, according to the not-for-profit insurance database Fair Health.


A surgeon who caused a fatal motorway smash whilst distracted by her children watching YouTube in the back of her car is to keep her job after confessing she found it 'impossible' to live with the guilt of the tragedy.

Mother of two Dr Jane Maraka, 34, accidentally ploughed her Mercedes C260 into the back of another vehicle after apparently failing to spot it in front of her whilst driving along the M11 Southbound near Cambridge.

The crash on December 16, 2018 claimed the life of 22-year old Jessica Howe who was a passenger in the other car and who was on her way home from a Christmas event with work colleagues.

Maraka, who worked as a trainee consultant surgeon at Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, operating on children with severe burns or facial deformities was later convicted of causing death by careless driving and sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for a year and was banned from driving for two years.

She faced career ruin but has now been deemed fit to continue practising medicine by a tribunal after senior colleagues confirmed she had been wracked by guilt.

Dr Jane Maraka, who was found guilty of causing death by careless driving after she hit a car on the M11 killing its passenger Jessica Howe has been cleared to practice by the General Medical Council

She told police at the time: 'I had stopped for fuel, my son was watching YouTube on my phone in the back.

'One minute everything was fine and the next thing I knew I'd hit another car. I saw it rolling in front of me.'

This week at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, in Manchester Marak faced career ruin but was deemed fit to practise medicine after senior colleagues filed testimonials attesting to her being 'wracked with guilt' over the accident.

The tragedy occurred whilst Dr Maraka was nearing the end of a 250 mile journey from her home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Bishop Stortford.

Her children, then aged one and three, were watching YouTube clips and playing in the back seats when disaster struck at 1.50pm near junction 12 for Trumpington and Grantchester.

Her car clipped a slower moving Nissan Micra on the passenger side, causing it to overturn and hit a tree on the side of the carriageway. The Nissan driver Jasmine Harper, 22, and Miss Howe were taken to Addenbrooke's hospital with serious injuries but Miss Howe died the next day.

Traffic officers later said Maraka caused the crash because of 'driver distraction' due to 'use of a mobile phone in the minutes preceding the collision, the presence of young children within her vehicle and the effects of driver fatigue'. It was accepted the doctor was herself not using a mobile phone at the time and was not speeding.

Dr Maraka was a trainee consultant surgeon at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newscastle-upon-Tyne at the time of the accident. Police claimed she was distracted and fatigued when she hit the Nissan Micra

In January 2020, at Cambridge Crown Court, Maraka was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for a year and was banned from driving for two years.

In a statement read to the Manchester hearing she said of Miss Howe's family: 'The devastation and pain is something which has occupied my thoughts since the moment the accident happened and will go with me to my grave.'

Her lawyer Miranda Moore QC told the hearing Maraka undertaken charity work in Uganda and had worked for Australian charity helping children living in Manila in the Philippines. She said: 'What Dr Maraka has gone through has truly affected her. She has taken from the incident a degree of insight which shows maturity and professionalism.'

In deeming her fit for work, tribunal chairman Lindsay Irvine said: 'Dr Maraka has demonstrated strong insight into the broader harm that she had caused, and that insight had been consistent. It was obvious during the hearing that the facts of the event continue to cause her distress and she demonstrated genuine heartfelt remorse.

'Her actions caused the tragic loss of a young woman's life, however, the Tribunal recognised the efforts made by Dr Maraka in demonstrating insight into her actions to her colleagues in the time elapsed since the incident. It was impressed by substantial evidence of remorse and contrition.'
Left, Congress call for 12-hour shutdown to protest against police crackdown on Kolkata march

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Kolkata, Feb 12: In a recent development, left Front and associate parties on Friday called for a 12- hour West Bengal bandh from 6 am in protest against police crackdown on Kolkata march.

On Thursday, Left and Congress activists demanding jobs clashed with the police in central Kolkata's Esplanade area as they tried to break barricades on their way to state secretariat Nabanna, resulting in injuries to several participants and also the police.

Fake: Delhi High Court has not ordered release of farmers arrested by police

Slamming the brutal attacks on students and the youths by the "police force of the Trinamool Congress government", Left Front Chairman Biman Bose called for a 12- hour West Bengal bandh.

In a statement, Bose said, "The way police unleashed atrocities on the participants in the march to Nabanna, it created a situation somewhat akin to the historic Jallianwala Bagh incident."

The Left Front chairman claimed that more than 150 students and young men and women were injured in the police action while participating in the 'Nabanna abhiyan' programme of the student and youth wings of the Left and Congress demanding jobs and better education facilities.

Dense fog covers northwest India; No major change in temperature likely

Bose further said that the bandh call has been discussed with the Left Front constituents and the Congress party, with which it has formed an electoral alliance for the coming assembly elections in West Bengal. The Left-Congress allaince has come up to make the Bengal polls a triangular fight with the TMC and the BJP.

The march to Nabanna started at College Street but was stopped by the police on SN Banerjee Road in the Esplanade area. As the activists tried to head further by breaking the heavy metal barricades, police used water cannons. Amid slogans against the Mamata Banerjee government, the Left-wing youths and students tried to climb up the barricades, following which police began a baton-charge and also fired tear-gas shells.

Some police officials were also reported to be injured in the clashes. CPI(M) politburo member Mohammad Salim alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government is totally dependent on the police force to suppress protests and demands by the people.

CAA will be implemented after COVID vaccination ends: Shah

"Why is she afraid of receiving a memorandum from jobless youths," he asked in a press conference at the CPI(M) headquarters here after the incident.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

Condemning the attacks on the agitators, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya said that the Trinamool Congress government has lost the people's faith and violent suppression of protests is an indication of that.
When the Covid-19 pandemic, which started in Wuhan in China a year ago, broke out, even the most optimistic person could not imagine that the Vietnamese economy would stand firm.

With the world's most open economy (import and export equal to 200% of GDP), heavily dependent on the international market, the Vietnamese economy was projected to be risky and vulnerable.

However, toward the end of the year, the economy's import and export activities became more vibrant and reached numbers that satisfied the most skeptical economic analysts.

I am very happy to know that in difficult conditions in 2020, we have 31 export items worth over $1 billion, with nine items with export revenues of over $5 billion and six items with over $10 billion," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the total import and export turnover in 2020 reached nearly $544 billion, up 5.1% year on year; and trade surplus hit a record of $19.1 billion, much higher than $10.9 billion of the previous year.

Trade surplus in 2020 is higher than that of 2019 ($10.9 billion) and 2018 ($6.8 billion), nine times higher than 2017 ($2.1 billion) and nearly 11 times higher than 2016 ($1.8 billion).

Vietnam had trade surplus mainly with developed countries, which have strict quality requirements for imported goods such as the US (trade surplus of nearly $62.7 billion) and the EU (nearly $20.3 billion).

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized that Vietnam has become the 22nd largest export economy in the world, with the export growth rate 4 times higher than the world average.

According to the Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, Vietnam has participated in negotiation and signed 15 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), becoming an economy with large openness and having trade relations with over 230 markets in the world.

He said that the EU- Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has an economic scale of up to 30% of global GDP, and the economies in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have the same size. By joining these agreements, Vietnam has penetrated into an economic region which accounts for 60% of global GDP.

"With the commitment to cutting tariffs deeply under these agreements, Vietnam's products and services have an unprecedented opportunity to access foreign markets," he said.

Not only open the door with zero tariff rate, the new generation FTAs also include a multitude of behind-the-border reform commitments, in line with Vietnam's self-reform efforts.

Extensive reform

For example, according to the commitments in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and EVFTA, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) must be placed in a competitive environment in both the domestic market and the markets in the agreements. The State is not entitled to give incentives to, finance, offer debt write-offs or debt guarantees, or cross-offsetting for SOEs, including those operating in monopolistic sectors.

In terms of government procurement, public investment procured by state agencies will be implemented through bidding in member countries. Member countries also have to ensure transparency in bidding, setting up an electronic bidding system.

Workers also have the right to form trade unions at the grassroots level, the right to join trade unions, and unite trade unions.

In terms of e-commerce and telecommunications, regulations are very broad and open, and not just limited to buying and selling commercial goods, but all digital transactions.

The basic content is the freedom to circulate and store information without being controlled or prevented (content related to national defense, security, and ensuring social order and safety). No tax is imposed on cross-border e-transactions, and servers are not required to be located in a specified location, even within a country.

The commitment to internal reform and the unprecedented opportunity to reach the global market are all very good for Vietnam in all cases.

With the success in implementing the dual goal of anti-epidemic and economic development, the national brand value has increased by 29% compared to last year, to $319 billion. As a result, Vietnams position in the Top 100 most valuable national brands in the world has increased by nine spots to stand at 33rd.

This is thanks to the Government's efforts to reform the business investment environment, improve export and import performance, support the building of product and enterprise brands, and maintain macro stability and more positive forecasts on economic growth in the near future.

Tu Hoang

Two resolutions for reform The Government has issued Resolutions 01 and 02, showing the spirit of reform and steadfast effort over the years to remove barriers in the business environment, helping people and businesses to thrive.
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Washington:

The US on Tuesday announced fresh sanctions against Iran, targeting 18 individuals or entities for supporting the country's ballistic missile programme or militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that threaten Israel and stability in the Middle East.

The move came a day after the Trump administration told the Congress that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal signed two years ago with the US and other world powers, and as such would continue to be exempted from American sanctions.

However, the State Department said "Iran's other malign activities are serving to undercut whatever positive contributions to regional and international peace and security were intended to emerge" from the nuclear deal.

"In response to these continued Iranian threats, the Administration announces that it has designated 18 entities and individuals supporting Iran's ballistic missile programme and for supporting Iran's military procurement or Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as an Iran-based transnational criminal organisation and associated persons," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

Nauert also accused Iran of supporting militant group ssuch as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad "that threaten Israel and stability in the Middle East."

Iran continues to test and develop ballistic missiles indirect defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the spokesperson said.

On Monday, the State Department notified the Congress that the US continues to waive sanctions as required to continue implementing sanctions-lifting commitments in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"The US will continue to use sanctions to target those who lend support to Iran's destabilising behavior and above all, the US will never allow the regime in Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," the spokesperson said.

Nauert said the US remains deeply concerned about "Iran's malign activities" across the Middle East which under mine regional stability, security, and prosperity.

Alleging that Iran has maintained its stead fast support for the Assad regime, despite Assad's atrocities against his own people, the State Department said Tehran also continues to provide the Houthi rebels in Yemen with advanced weaponry that threatens freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, has been usedto attack Saudi Arabia, and is prolonging the Yemen conflict. In its report, the Trump administration told the Congress that Iran remains one of the most dangerous threats to US interests and to regional stability.

It also highlighted the range of malign activities by Iran that extend well beyond the nuclear realm.

"The President and the Secretary of State judge that these Iranian activities merely undermine the intent of the JCPOA, which was to contribute to regional and international peace and security.

"And as a result, the President, the Secretary of State, and the entire administration judge that Iran is unquestionably in default of the spirit of the JCPOA," said a senior administration official on anonymity.

"There have been a number of years of concessions to the Iranian regime, and the administration does not intend to over look those any further.

In previous years, US policy pertaining to Iran made the JCPOA the center piece of the US approach. And that narrow approach led us to overlook some ofthe broader, malign behaviors that the Iranian regime conducted, particularly in its region," the official said.

Moving forward, the administration intends to employ astrategy that will address the totality of Iran's malign behavior and not narrowly focus just on the Iranian nuclear agreement, the official added.

It has been a long standing complaint that the previous administration allowed the nuclear deal to be the "tail that wags the Iran policy dog", the official said, adding that the Trump administration is determined to not repeat that mistake. In the past, the official alleged, Iran had taken advantage of the previous administration's permissive view of the number of centrifuges that Iran is allowed to operate aspart of its research and development plan.

"In concert with our European allies, we have determined that we need to approach those things more stringently," the official added.

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Religion forms a large part of people's lives, it is through religion and ones faith that large sections of humanity derive meaning and purpose in their lives. Despite the ideological apathy that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) holds towards all religions, the CCP has employed a strategy of religious diplomacy to not only increase its control over domestic religious institutions but to also propagate a false narrative about Chinas religious policy.

China's religious diplomacy involves pervasive control of the CCP over every aspect of religion, from regular worship to conducting charity services, appointment and training of religious leaders to set several conditions on their activities. As per CCP ideology, Beijing has always pursued the idea of national unity based on Confucian values.

By promoting Confucianism, China intended to maintain a positive image internationally, despite being involved in the exploitation of various religions and religious groups. For several years, China has avoided criticism from the international community by censoring information about China's abhorrent treatment of religious minorities and by using various means such as threats and coercion to prevent its domestic policies of religious oppression from affecting its diplomatic ties with other countries.

Interestingly, the country which once used to be called a Buddhist Nation has now been involved in the oppression of Buddhists. The aggression against Buddhists gained momentum after the CCP introduced the ideology of Buddhism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the authoritarian President Xi Jinping. According to a 2012 demographic study undertaken by the Pew Research Centre, it is believed that approximately 244 million Buddhists are residing in China. This constitutes almost 50% of the worlds Buddhist population.

Chinese mainland houses the Buddhist Practitioners of Han ethnicity, who have been docile to CCPs moves to alter the very essence of Buddhism. As they remain in direct contact and monitoring of CCP and the designated agencies of the Party, it has been easier to silence them against the state oppression. The true character of Chinese intent to suppress and control Buddhism is reflected in the numerous stories from the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

After China forcefully annexed TAR in 1951, a popular uprising against China's religious oppression started brewing up and erupted in 1959 in form of protest against the Chinese agricultural reforms unilaterally imposed on TAR. The mass protest of Tibetan Buddhists was met with brutal repression by Chinese forces and their spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama was forced to flee from Tibet and take refuge in Dharamshala, India.

After the Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet, Beijing began to slander the spiritual leader and call him a wolf in monk's clothing. Since then, Chinese oppression of Tibetan Buddhism has increased in severity. The Chinese authorities also kidnapped the 11 Panchen Lama on May 17, 1995, Buddhisms second most important leader in Tibetan Buddhism. China has blatantly installed a dummy Panchen Lama and intends to use him in identifying the next Dalai Lama and ensuring that the CCP can gain control over him.

Over the years, the CCP has also increasingly implemented restrictive policies on Tibetan Buddhist institutions, practitioners and their practices. In the international context, China has demanded that states do not invite or allow the Dalai Lama into their country, or meet their officials. Beijing believes that allowing the Dalai Lama into ones country is akin to legitimizing His Holinesss calls for Tibetan autonomy. Mongolia in 2016 had experienced China's ire after it allowed the Dalai Lama to visit the predominantly Buddhist country. Following the visit, China used its economic pressure to devastating Mongolias economy.

The main goal behind the CCPs slandering of the spiritual leader was an attempt to gain more domestic control over the Buddhist community in Tibet and also to discourage any such attempts by other nations in the future.

One such example of China's continued oppression of the Buddhist religion and its practitioners can be ascertained from the arrests of Tibetan monks Dza Wompo Monastery in the Sichuan province in Tibet. On November 9, 2019, Chinese authorities detained a 19-year-old monk named Tenzin Nyima, along with six others for taking part in peaceful protests. Subsequently, Tenzin was released in May 2020 and then rearrested on 11 August 2020, after he shared details of his initial arrest online.

In early October, authorities contacted his next of kin to come to collect the young monk due to his deteriorating medical condition. According to Human Rights Watch, Tenzin was suffering from serious injuries due to beatings, malnourishment, and mistreatment in custody.

In another similar incident, Lobsang Thamkhe was arbitrarily arrested in 2018. After remaining in custody without any formal sentencing, he was finally sentenced to four years in prison on July 31, 2019. His crimes and his whereabouts have still not been disclosed by the Chinese authorities. Thamkhe was enrolled in Kirti Monastery and graduated from the monasterys Young Buddhist School. The monastery was later forcibly shut down by the Chinese authorities.

These are numerous such stories of Chinese atrocities against Buddhists, some told, some untold. With the intent of hiding these targeted abuses against the Buddhists and projecting itself in a positive light to the International Buddhist community, China has embarked on a major Buddhist charm strategy targeted at neighbouring Buddhist nations in South and Southeast Asia. Since 2005, China has begun to host the World Buddhist Forum.

This forum brings together clerics, practitioners and scholarly experts from across the world and using this platform the CCP has tried to put forward China's unique religious policy. The last forum took place in October 2018 at Fujian and attracted approximately a thousand participants from 55 different countries. China also undertakes efforts to invest in projects that enhance Buddhisms heritage in South Asia, such as the excavation of important Buddhist sites in Bangladesh and the restoration of the Lotus Sutra Tower in Sri Lanka. The intent behind such an investment is to align the host country with the ideology of Buddhism with Chinese characteristics.

In addition to this, the CCP also invites monks from foreign nations like Myanmar and Laos to take up residency in empty Buddhist temples in southern Yunnan. These foreign monks that are invited by the CCP are not subject to the same rigorous political education given to indigenous monks. These actions demonstrate to other nations that China is invested and supports the growth of religion. Through these actions, the CCP has managed to improve its image among the Buddhist community as well as covertly influence the spiritual leaders of other countries. The success of this strategy is evident from the fact that neighbouring Buddhist nation-states have not voiced their criticism of CCPs treatment of Buddhist religion and worshippers.

China, in its pursuit of national unity, has taken away the religious freedoms of its people. The CCP is so worried about challenges to its authority that it even views religions as a potential threat. Buddhism is not the only religion, whose practitioners have been hounded and repressed by the CCP. Christianity and Islam are also practised by a large number of people in China. Both these religions have had severe restrictions placed on them similar to the way to Buddhism. In the recent past, China under Xi Jinping has increased its anti-religion activities. The CCP views religion as a threat towards its monopoly on power and thus is anxious to take control of all religions. The international community must take immediate cognizance of CCPs obsession with power and a fitting response in unison to China's growing religious intolerance and bigotry is the need of the hour.
Pooja Bhatt on Thursday took to social media and spoke of indiscriminate waste disposal and unauthorised parking in the city's Bandra area. The actress-filmmaker feels simply blaming the municipal corporation is not a solution. Citizens need to be more concerned and conscious.

"Sorry to have to state this but Bandra is in an absolute mess. Only that much @mybmcWardHW can do. Citizens need to please be more concerned & conscious about how they dispose garbage. Apathy has replaced (love) for Bandra?," Pooja tweeted.

Sorry to have to state this but Bandra is in an absolute mess. Only that much @mybmcWardHW can do. Citizens need to please be more concerned & conscious about how they dispose garbage. Apathy has replaced  for Bandra? @BandraDataHub @CommunityBandra @BandraOnline @MNCDFbombay Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) February 11, 2021

In a separate tweet, she wrote: "If only every co-op society took responsibility for the lane/road outside their building with regards to indiscriminate garbage disposal and even unauthorised parking, life would be different."

Pooja was last seen in the digital film Sadak 2 directed by her father Mahesh Bhatt. The film stars Pooja's sister Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur in the lead.

Pooja is all set to return to the screen with the web series Bombay Begums. The Netflix show, created and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava of Lipstick Under My Burkha fame, casts Pooja Bhatt alongside Shahana Goswam, Amruta Subhash and Rahul Bose. It is slated to release on March 8, on the occasion of International Women's Day.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday reiterated that India and China have agreed to hold the 10th round of Corps Commander-level talks within 48 hours of the ongoing disengagement at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Addressing a press conference, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava added that the statement of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Parliament on Thursday "is self-explanatory".

"The two (India & China) sides have also agreed to convene 10th round of senior commanders meeting within 48 hours after complete disengagement in the Pangong lake area, to address the remaining issues. No date has been set so far for the WMCC," added Srivastava.

Speaking on the farmers' protests, the MEA Spokesperson said, "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commended efforts of the Government of India to choose the path of dialogue as befitting a democracy. He also acknowledged the responsibility of his govt in providing protection to Indian diplomatic personnel and premises in Canada."

Earlier, Trudeau had said that he held a "good discussion" with his PM Narendra Modi on many important issues, including on the two nations' commitment to democratic principles, recent protests, and the importance of resolving issues through dialogue. Trudeau made a telephone call to prime minister PM Modi on Wednesday.

Trudeau in December 2020 said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests, and had expressed concern over the situation, evoking a strong reaction from India. India later summoned Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel and told him that the comments made by Prime Minister Trudeau and others in his Cabinet on the farmers' protest constituted an "unacceptable interference" in the country''s internal affairs and these actions, if continued, will have a "seriously damaging" impact on the bilateral ties.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 2020, demanding the government to repeal the three farm laws and legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

On Tahawwur Rana, key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the MEA Spokesperson said, "We are keeping a close watch on the extradition of Tahawwur Rana. We are trying for his extradition as soon as possible. In an update, his court hearing will begin on April 22, 2021."

India has supplied a total of 229.7 lakh doses to the global community, he added. "Of these, 64.7 lakh doses have been supplied as a grant while 165 lakh doses have been supplied on a commercial basis," said Srivastava.

"Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Seychelles, Barbados have received the COVID-19 vaccines as a gift whereas it has been exported to Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa and Kuwait commercially," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 03:30:30|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Thursday announced a series of sanctions against multiple Myanmar's military leaders and entities.

The Department of the Treasury said in a statement that it designated 10 current and former military officials and blacklisted three entities related to military or security forces of Myanmar.

According to a fact sheet issued by the White House, the Department of Commerce also limited exports of sensitive goods to Myanmar's military and other entities.

In addition, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) would redirect 42.4 million U.S. dollars of assistance from programs that benefit the Myanmar government to programs that support and strengthen civil society and the private sector.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that his administration was taking steps to prevent Myanmar's generals from having access to 1 billion U.S. dollars of government funds held in the United States.

He also called on the Myanmar military to immediately release detainees, including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

A one-year state of emergency was declared in Myanmar after U Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on Feb. 1.

The military had demanded the postponement of new parliamentary sessions, alleging massive voting fraud in the November 2020 general elections, which saw the National League for Democracy win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament. Myanmar's Union Election Commission dismissed the allegation. Enditem

Adclick Africa, South Africa's leading performance marketing agency launches its new website in 2021. It boasts a more user-friendly experience with an always-on approach to communication.

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Adclick Africa, South Africa's leading performance marketing agency has been working tirelessly on refreshing their website in preparation for 2021 ( www.adclickafrica.com ). The new website boasts a more user-friendly experience with an always-on approach to communication and customer service. Data collection and automation are key features, with the site having been fully integrated with an in-house CRM platform and a variety of performance-driven digital marketing platforms.Using their in-house website development and graphic design team, and by applying technical SEO best standards, Adclick Africa is dedicated to the continued evolution of its website and online platforms."Our customers are at the centre of our business which is why we decided to upgrade our website. To reflect the superior customer service our clients' experience when they work with us, from their very first interaction with Adclick Africa online," said Velly Bosega, Adclick Africa's CEO. "It's about creating a seamless customer journey from the very first touchpoint."Adclick Africa's website is proudly built using the world-renowned open-source CMS platform, WordPress. "We selected WordPress as it is one of the most popular technologies used in South Africa, and across the World, for building customized e-commerce solutions. In 2020, WordPress powered 35% of the internet and over 400 million people visit WordPress sites each month. South Africa's e-commerce industry is ready to explode with possibilities and we believe that investing in technology is always a no-brainer," Marcio Quintal, creative marketing manager.Adclick Africa's internal REC methodology (Reach, Engage, Convert) is the driving force behind some of the new technology features added to their website. The key digital marketing tech stack enhancements include:Adclick Africa is at the forefront of delivering innovative communication technologies that help build better brand experiences. They help clients determine which digital marketing channels are best for their business. Offering a wide range of performance marketing digital services such as Paid Media, Google Ads, Programmatic Advertising, Media Strategy and Consulting, Marketing Automation, Analytics, SEO, Social Media, Copywriting, Campaign Management, Online Reputational Management, CRM platform integration and CRO.

The Unity Group of Chattanooga is issuing this synopsis in order to inform the community on what is one of the most pivotal aspects of our electoral and voting processes, Redistricting. According to the Tennessee Comptroller, Redistricting refers to the delineation of boundaries for political units, such as state legislative and county commission districts. It is paramount that ... (click for more)

I happen to know a big bunch of you are going to sleep in tomorrow, this because of Memorial Day when we celebrate our noble soldiers and Armed Forces women who gave up their tomorrows so that we might live a life each of the fallen dared for us. Tomorrow is not Veterans Day (Nov.11 this year) when we heartily salute those who have valiantly served our country, whereas Memorial ... (click for more)
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 January 30.

Their second session held on Friday took the form of a video conference. A Russian government statement said the three vice-premiers discussed the course of joint work stemming from the Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements. They approved a schedule for further work, the statement added without elaborating.

The Armenian government issued an identical statement on the video conference.

At their January 30 meeting, Deputy Prime Ministers Alexei Overchuk of Russia, Mher Grigorian of Armenia and Shahin Mustafayev of Azerbaijan decided to form two expert subgroups tasked with dealing with transport issues and border controls.

One of the subgroups held a video conference on February 6. According to the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, its members exchanged preliminary views on the state of regional road and railway networks.

The truce agreement 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.
Mr. Wallace said he knew he wanted to marry Ms. Ethridge after only a few hours of spending time with her, Especially when I opened up to her, he said and learned so much about her and discovered we had common life goals.

The same was true for Ms. Ethridge  although seeing him with her two children from her previous marriage was what really sealed the deal. I realized that Damon would be the one that I would marry when we first met and most definitely when he met my kids, and they connected so well. Mr. Wallace also has one child from a previous relationship.

He proposed eight months later, on Nov. 29, at the home of Ms. Ethridges mother, Shari Maiben-Ethridge.

That was when the couple chose March 5, 2021 as their wedding date. But those plans were soon thwarted when they learned of Ms. Ethridges due date. Lucky for them, fate stepped in while they were ring shopping at Kay Jewelers in Parkdale Mall in Beaumont, Texas.
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 --

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The Heads of Regional Governments are in receipt of a letter which appeals to them to settle the outstanding severance pay for LIAT workers.

Based on preliminary estimates, it is highly unlikely that any significant portion of the employees severance would potentially come from the sale of the LIAT estate, upon eventual liquidation.





This is according to Cleveland Seaforth, the Antigua and Barbuda court-approved Administrator who is charged with administering the affairs of LIAT during its current restructuring process.





Against that backdrop, Seaforth has written to Heads of Regional Governments appealing to them to look seriously into paying the EC$79 million in severance, owed to the 564 workers who have already been terminated.





Information received indicated that that letter went to Prime Ministers Mia Mottley of Barbados, Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada, Dr. Timothy Harris of St Kitts and Nevis, Allen Chastenet of St. Lucia; Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyanas President Mohamed Irfaan Ali.





Seaforth is reported to have informed the regional leaders that another 103 employees were set to be terminated, bringing the total number to whom the collapsed regional airline was liable to 667.





He also disclosed that as at April 30, 2020, the total unpaid entitlements to employees across the region amounted to EC$119,006,962, a figure that could well see some increase.





And in advancing his case for governments to settle the severance entitlements of LIAT workers, Seaforth told the leaders that it was, " most unfortunate, as over the years, notwithstanding the continued financial ill-health of the company, the employees committed themselves and continued to provide service to the company.





He stressed that in spite of financial challenges the airline faced, the staff believed they would not have experienced any hardship since LIAT was owned by regional governments; that they would never be abandoned by the respective governments.





The Administrator referenced the respective governments Letters of Comfort to the companys auditor to provide financial support for the continued operations of the company, as something on which the employees relied, and raised for the Heads attention that, "The letters of support as issued by the respective governments do [sic] in fact create a litigation exposure for the governments.





To date, only the Antigua and Barbuda Government has tended a proposal for how it would respond to settling with its workers; that included a maximum of 50 per cent of their severance either by cash, land or government bonds or a combination of the three.





Seaforth asked the regional heads whether the Antigua and Barbuda proposal could be something that they would want to consider.





The Administrator left the door open to discussing the issue of severance with the governments "in an effort to chart a way forward for the employees to receive some form of compensation for their legal severance entitlement. (Barbados Today, Antigua News Room)




(CNN) - Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca expects to increase global vaccine capacity to more than 200 million doses per month by April as the company works hard to improve productivity, it said during a media call on Thursday.

In the call, which followed its 2020 corporate results release, AstraZeneca said that along with its partners it currently produces more than 100 million doses per month.

Its supply chain partners are getting ready to supply more through the COVAX facility, the company added, with an estimated 336 million doses available to 145 countries in the first half of the year, almost two-thirds of which are going to low- and middle-income countries.

Responding to a question about the timeframe for the newly developed vaccines against new coronavirus variants, Mene Pangalos, AstraZeneca's executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development, reiterated that they expect these to be ready in time for next autumn or winter.

In collaboration with the University of Oxford, AstraZeneca is focused on adapting C19VAZ to new disease strains if required and hopes to reduce the time needed to reach production at scale to between six to nine months, by utilising existing clinical data and optimising its established supply chain, the company said in its earnings press release.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said that the development of new vaccines was much faster because the approval will be based on immunogenicity data.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday recommended the use of the current Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in countries where variants of the coronavirus are circulating. Preliminary analysis showed a slightly reduced efficacy against the variant first spotted in the UK, and another early analysis showed a marked reduction in effectiveness against mild or moderate disease from the variant first spotted in South Africa, it said.

However, that study was small and WHO officials noted theres indirect evidence the vaccine still protects against severe disease.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "AstraZeneca expects to increase vaccine capacity to more than 200 million doses per month by April"
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi's two-day visit to Rajasthan seemed to marred by poor arrangements by the faction-ridden ruling party as the 'Khat' on the dais, accommodating senior leaders such as former state chief Sachin Pilot, collapsed during the 'Kisan Mahapanchayat'.

The incident occurred at the mahapanchayat at Pilibanga in Hanumangarh district.

The opposition BJP immediately termed the gathering a "total failure".

State BJP President Satish Poonia said: "Today Rahul Gandhi left the people in Rajasthan disappointed as he did not entertain them. He spoke without basis on agricultural laws; misled people about China and made obnoxious remarks on the Prime Minister; and the khat also came down in the programme, meaning total failure."

The seating arrangements also underscored a rift in the ruling party, as Pilot was three seats away from Gandhi scion, who was flanked by Chief Minister Ashok Gehot on his right and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara on his left. State in charge Ajay Maken was sitting next to Dotasara and then was Pilot.

Earlier, Pilot used to sit next to Gandhi when he held the position of state chief and Deputy Chief Minister.

There were speculations earlier if Pilot would be on the dais at all as he neither holds any party position nor any ministry. However his presence underscored his calibre and political acumen for he managed to sit along with top leaders despite his differences with the Gehlot camp.

However, the differences were very much evident when the press note sent by state Congress did not mention Pilot's name. He also did not address the Pilibanga meet but spoke at the Kisan Mahapanchayat in Padampura for a few minutes.

There has also been a change in Gandhi's schedule on Saturday as two of his Kisaan Mahapanchayats in Ajmer's Sursura and Nagaur's Parbatsar have been cancelled and he will address only one gathering in Makrana.

Congress officials told IANS that Pilot has a strong hold in Sursura and Parbatsar and hence Gehlot camp has cancelled Gandhi's scheduled programmes in these places.

Parbatsar MLA Ramniwas Gavadia belongs to Pilot camp and had made comprehensive arrangements for Gandhi's visit, but the last minute cancellation of the programmes has again kindled speculation.
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San Francisco, 12 Feb 2021: The Report Digital Health Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Healthcare Analytics, mHealth), By Component (Software, Services), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

The global digital health market size is expected to reach USD 295.4 billion by 2028 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 15.1% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising smartphone penetration & integration of advanced technologies, such as the internet of things (IoT) & artificial intelligence (AI), and increasing implementation of mHealth technologies for self-management of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are some of the major factors driving the market. In addition, increasing demand for enhancing workflow efficiency in clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare centers is further boosting the demand for mHealth services thereby, aiding the market growth.

Moreover, ongoing technological advancements for developing advanced digital solutions coupled with a growing number of favorable initiatives by the government & private sectors are contributing to the overall market growth. For instance, as per the data published in 2017, researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a camera to improve the diagnostic features of smartphones. In 2020, the mHealth technology type segment accounted for the highest revenue share. A rise in the number of health apps has significantly contributed to the segment growth in recent years. As per the data published by the My Health Apps blog in May 2018, a total of 325,000 health, fitness, and medical apps were available in 2017.

Mobile operators are constantly leveraging mHealth technologies and solutions by supporting services, such as diagnosis, monitoring, and patient management. In addition, they are increasingly adopting strategies in the form of partnerships and agreements to enhance their product offerings, which, in turn, is contributing to the segment growth. For instance, in 2019, OneLife, a mobile medical software company, partnered with AT&T for the development of a health-tracking watch to monitor a patients heart rate, location, sleep, and movements. In 2020, the services component segment accounted for the highest revenue share.

System integration, training & education, maintenance & support, and consulting are among the few service offerings that are covered in this segment. Growing demand for continuous M2P data flows, to boost the efficiency of the medical systems, improve informed decision-making in real-time, and enhance security, is driving the segment growth. On the other hand, software is anticipated to register the fastest growth during the forecast period. The key factors that can be attributed to this growth are rising investments by the market participants to develop innovative connected solutions for the healthcare industry, technological advancements, and rising adoption of digital technologies & connected systems in the health centers.

Access Research Report of Digital Health Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/digital-health-market

Digital Health Market Report Highlights

The mHealth technology segment dominated the global market in 2020 owing to the increasing penetration of smartphones and rising number of strategic alliances among mobile operators & mHealth startups.

The services component segment accounted for the highest revenue share of the global market in 2020

North America was the leading regional market in 2020 owing to rise in the geriatric population and awareness regarding health & fitness among consumers

High internet and smartphones penetration along with growing usage of medical/health-related apps is one of the key factors responsible for the market growth in North America

However, APAC is expected to register the fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028 due to the rising usage of tablets, smartphones, and other mobile platforms

The rising geriatric population in countries, such as India and China, and the growing burden of chronic conditions are further boosting the demand for mHealth technologies in the region

List of Key Players of Digital Health Market

Cerner Corporation

Allscripts

Apple, Inc.

Telefonica S.A.

Mckesson Corporation

Epic Systems Corporation

QSI Management, LLC

AT&T

Vodafone Group

AirStrip Technologies

Google, Inc.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

HiMS

Orange

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Softserve

MQure

Computer Programs and Systems, Inc.

Vocera Communications

IBM Corporation

CISCO Systems, Inc.

Access Press Release of Digital Health Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-digital-health-market

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
One of Australia's most notorious gang rapists - Mohammed Skaf - has been seen for the first time in two decades as he pleads to be freed from prison.

A court artist sketched Skaf, as he appeared by video from Junee Correctional Centre in his latest attempt to get parole, 20 years after he and 11 other Lebanese youths terrorised seven young women in what became known as the Sydney gang rapes.

The 37-year-old has spent two decades in prison for participating in the terrifying series of rapes that were led by his older brother Bilal. Mohammed was the bait used to lure the women to the gang.

An artists's impression of how Mohammed Skaf looked when appearing at his adjourned parole hearing at Parramatta District Court as he attempted to secure release for the fourth time in three years

Mohammed Skaf (left) is seen trying to help lift a girl from the sand while Tayyab Sheik (right) is seen leaning over the other girl, shortly before both were arrested by police

Chilling photos taken in 2000 showed Mohammed and other members of the gang trying to lure two teenage girls off Bondi Beach just before police arrested them.

In the photos Mohammed Skaf is seen trying to lift a girl from the sand and Tayyab Sheik is pictured leaning over another girl on Sydney's most popular beach during a covert police surveillance.

SKAF GANG RAMPAGE: A TIMELINE August 10th, 2000: Two teenagers (one 17 and the other 18) were offered drugs. They were taken by car to the gang, who were waiting at Northcote Park in Greenacre. They were forced to perform sex acts on eight men. August 12th, 2000: Mohammed took a 16-year-old friend to his brother and friends. Bilal and another male raped the girl in front of 12 men. August 30th, 2000: Woman known only as Ms C was raped by Mohamed who told her he was going to 'f**k her Leb style'. She was taken to a separate location and raped and assaulted by 14 men for for six hours. September 4th, 2000: Two girls were attacked at a train station and taken to a home where they were assaulted by three men over a five hour period. Advertisement

The two unidentified women walked off and were never heard from by police.

In the years since Mohammed Skaf has continued to deny his responsibility for the heinous crimes he committed and has repeatedly fought for parole since he became eligible in 2018.

Despite the abundance of evidence heard during his trial he continues to blame his victims, New South Wales State Parole Authority chair David Frearson SC said.

'He remains a denier after all these years, he's done the [sex offenders] program, he's still a denier,' Mr Frearson told a parole review hearing on Friday.

'What's it going to take for him to acknowledge some responsibility?'

Mr Frearson stood the matter over until April for further submissions to establish whether Skaf is eligible for external leave.

No convicted sex offender who had taken part in such disturbing crimes, denied their part in the offending and was considered an above-average risk to the community has been granted status for leave, Mr Frearson said.

'Last November, the SPA formed an intention to refuse Skaf parole, accepting the recommendation of the Serious Offenders Review Council that release is not appropriate for the safety of the community' said a statement from the NSW State Parole Authority.

Skaf's full-term custody sentence of 23 years expires in January 2024.

Mohammed Skaf, Bilal's younger brother, acted as bait luring girls into situations where the gang - and he - preyed on them during the notorious Sydney gang rapes

Gang rapist Bilal Skaf in Australia's most secure prison, Supermax, in the visits room with his mother, Bari (right) who was banned by prison authorities after she smuggled letters from her son out of the jail

Authorities are hoping Skaf is granted gradual release under structured supervision into the community so he can effectively integrate with society after serving more than half his life in prison, AAP understands.

A looming concern is how to create a safe pathway for this to occur while his potential parole period dwindles.

Skaf has already been denied parole several times since 2018, when he first became eligible. He has been repeatedly denied by the SPA on the advice of SORC.

MOHAMMED SKAF'S PAROLE ATTEMPTS  February 2018 Parole refused  August 2019 Manifest Injustice application denied  February 2020 Parole refused  May 2020 Review application denied  November 2020 Intention to refuse parole decision  February 2021 Review hearing, adjourned to 30 April Source: NSW State Parole Authority Advertisement

He will need to be granted C3 minimum security classification status after assessment by the Serious Offenders Review Council for external leave to occur.

That classification could allow him to eligible for day release or external leave, which can involve attending TAFE or other activities in the community.

To get parole, Skaf would need to demonstrate exceptional circumstances after the Serious Offenders Review Council advised against his parole.

If this was not a viable option then the issue of parole would need to be reconsidered, Mr Frearson said.

At 17-years-old Skaf and other members of his gang would lure teenage girls away from public places with the promise of smoking marijuana.

Some were then detained and repeatedly sexually assaulted over hours and in various locations.

A Corrective Services report in October 2017 described his behaviour as manipulative and concerning, and said he had no victim empathy.

The two unidentified women walked off and were never heard of again after they resisted the men's attempts to lure them away on October 7, 2000

On Friday, his lawyer Ian McLachlan said he could make out 'exceptional circumstances' for Skaf after Mr Frearson cautioned him from doing so.

Skaf, who appeared via video link with his hair partly shaved and gelled, was asked by Mr Frearson if he understood what was happening.

'Yes your Honour,' he responded.

Mohammed Skaf's parole hearing has been adjourned until April 30.
ARTARMON, Australia, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Saluda Medical Pty Limited ("Saluda Medical"), the market leader in the development of novel closed-loop spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for the treatment of chronic pain, today announced the appointment of Jim Schuermann as President & Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Schuermann joined Saluda Medical as President in June 2020. The company also announced that founder and CEO John Parker, PhD, will take on the new role of Chief Scientific Officer, while remaining on the company's Board of Directors.

This realignment in leadership comes as Saluda Medical advances its pipeline of spinal cord stimulation innovation and continues toward global commercialization and pursuing FDA approval. Mr. Parker's vision for Saluda started 11 years ago when closed-loop SCS and evoked compound action potential (ECAP) measurements began as a concept. Today, that very novel approach is on track to be the next revolution of technology for impacting the lives of millions of patients living with chronic and debilitating pain.

"Under John's leadership, we were the first to develop transformational science leading to the first spinal cord stimulation therapy designed to measure and automatically optimize therapy in real time to provide life-changing results for patients with chronic pain," said Chris Beare, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Saluda Medical. "The board looks forward to building on John's vision and growing our global company to deliver this therapy to patients around the world."

"I am excited to step into the role of CEO with John focused on cutting-edge research and continuing Saluda's mission to continue to develop the unmatched technology in the field of pain management during this key chapter of the company evolution," said Jim Schuermann, President and CEO.

"I am very proud of the research and inventions we have created and the magnificent team we have built to help realize the mission of Saluda Medical," said Dr. John Parker, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer. "As we move forward during this pivotal time on the path to global commercialization, I've never been more energized and optimistic about the work we are doing to advance the field of SCS. I look forward to working to further the science and evidence supporting what we believe will be the new gold standard of chronic pain management."

Mr. Schuermann has more than 25 years of healthcare and medical device leadership experience. Prior to serving as President of Saluda, Mr. Schuermann held the role of Chief Business Officer at Avedro, which executed its initial public offering and then was acquired by Glaukos in 2019. Prior to his time at Avedro, he was Vice President and General Manager of Medtronic's Mechanical Circulatory Support, a newly formed business unit in the Cardiac & Vascular Group. Before Medtronic he was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at HeartWare and held a number of roles at Boston Scientific. Jim started his medical device career at Sherwood-Davis & Geck, a division of American Home Products. Mr. Schuermann holds an MBA degree from Golden Gate University and a BS from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

About Saluda Medical

Saluda Medical is a global neuromodulation company leading the development and commercialization of data-driven, personalized therapies for patients with chronic pain. The company's first product, Evoke, is a closed-loop spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system designed to treat chronic pain, a condition that affects more than 540 million people globally. SCS treats the condition by stimulating the spinal cord and altering the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Saluda's proprietary Evoke System is the only closed-loop SCS system designed to provide real-time customization of waveforms to each unique ECAP which can be updated more than 100 times a second, to deliver consistent therapy within a patient's individual therapeutic window. To learn more, visit www.saludamedical.com and connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/saluda-medical/ .

SOURCE Saluda Medical

Related Links

http://www.saludamedical.com



Seoul, Feb 12 : North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon has been elected as a member of the politburo of the ruling Workers' Party, an official media report said on Friday.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in the report that Ri was elected during a four-day plenary meeting of the party's eighth Central Committee that concluded on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Kim Song Nam, another party official, was also named an alternate member of the politburo, while O Su Yong was elected as director of the party's Department of Economic Affairs, Xinhua news agency quoted the KCNA report as saying.

North Korea held the plenary Central Committee meeting to discuss how to implement the first year's tasks of a five-year economic development plan set forth during last month's eighth party congress.

The country's leader Kim Jong-un watched a Lunar New Year performance on Thursday together with members of the party central leadership organ after the multi-day plenary meeting, the KCNA report added.
About 18,000 years ago, the Magdalenian occupants of Marsoulas Cave in what is now France transformed a shell of the predatory sea snail Charonia lampas into a wind instrument. A team of researchers in France has now released a recording of what the instrument would have sounded like.

The ancient seashell horn was discovered in 1931 at the entrance of the cave of Marsoulas, located in the French Pyrenean foothills.

Marsoulas was the first decorated cave to be discovered in this region in 1897 and has been studied from the end of the 19th century until the present day.

Although qualified as an exceptional discovery, the object was described by archaeologists as having no trace of human intervention and was interpreted as a loving cup.

But after looking at the shell with advanced imaging techniques, Dr. Carole Fritz of the Universite de Toulouse and colleagues revealed numerous clues of human modifications of it, which make it a possible musical instrument.

They determined that the Magdalenian hunter-gatherers had carefully modified the shell to install a mouthpiece.

The ancient people also removed the outermost edges of the shells labrum, the flared ridge that extends outward from the shells main opening, and adorned the exterior of the shell with ochre-red pigment designs that match the style of wall art found inside Marsoulas Cave.

It is one of the very rare examples, if not the only one for the Paleolithic period, of a musical instrument fashioned from a large shell, and the first conch shell of this use thus far discovered, the scientists said.

Using photogrammetry techniques to highlight exterior modifications not readily seen with the naked eye, they painstakingly characterized the traces of human intervention.

They noted the fingerprint-shaped, faded ochre markings, impact points along the modified labrum, and signs that the shells apex had been carefully and deliberately removed to create a second opening.

The authors also noted traces of a brown organic substance, likely a resin or wax, around the apex opening that may have been used as an adhesive to affix a mouthpiece.

They then used CT scans to visualize the shells interior, finding that two additional holes had been chipped away in the spiral layers directly beneath the shells apex, likely to accommodate the mouthpieces long tube extension.

The team then enlisted the help of a musicologist who specializes in wind instruments, who was able to reproduce the sound of the horn in three distinct notes that nearly matched the tones of C, D, and C sharp in modern musical nomenclature.

We already know that prehistoric people transformed many shells into portable ornaments and that they thus attributed substantial corporal symbolism to them, the researchers said.

This seashell horn, with its unique sonority, both deep and strong with an enduring reverberation, sheds light on a musical dimension until now unknown in the context of Upper Paleolithic societies.

The teams paper was published in the journal Science Advances.

_____

C. Fritz et al. 2021. First record of the sound produced by the oldest Upper Paleolithic seashell horn. Science Advances 7 (7): eabe9510; doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe9510

This article is based on press-releases provided by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and CNRS.
LONDON: Irrespective of territorial conflicts and blame game back home, the Indians and Pakistanis living in the UK have intensified their campaign to bring back the Punjabi language as the second most spoken language in the UK during the Census 2021 being held in England and Wales this year following the release of Census 2021 form by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Indian origin UK based Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar said that the forthcoming Census of England and Wales 2021 was the authoritative means through which Panjabi could be reinstated as the second most spoken language in England and Wales.

It is imperative that speakers of Panjabi tick this option in the languages section of the Census, Kaur said, adding that this was a golden opportunity for all Panjabis in England and Wales (regardless of faith or no faith) to be counted as having pride in their linguistic identity and heritage.

She further stated that The Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies at the University of Wolverhampton UK was working alongside the Panjabi Language Awareness Board UK to promote awareness around ticking the Panjabi box in section 18 of the forthcoming Census 2021.

While stating that it was heartening to see Punjabi unity across faiths to get the Punjabi language identified as UK's second-largest spoken language in census 2021 Pakistani origin Dr Iqtidar Cheema, Director Institute for Leadership & Community Development, UK, said it was very significant in view of ethnic and cultural diversity in the population and the government's commitment to multiculturalism in the UK.

All Punjabi families should proactively identify Punjabi as their mother language as Punjabi is a global language spoken across the world by approximately 115 million people, he said.

Iqtidar said that the Identification of language in the census was one of the key drivers of social exclusion, barriers to employment, education, and training, and inequity in access to services.

Harmeet Singh Bhakna, Director, Punjabi Language Awareness Board, UK, informed media that due to coronavirus induced lockdown it was not possible to hold personal meetings and canvass door to door or hold meetings at Gurdwaras, temples, and mosques so they had decided to go online and were carrying all of their activities on various platforms of social media.

The ONS had released three types of forms each for household, individual, and for communal establishments which would reach people in the first week of March.

According to Census 2001, the Punjabi language was the second most spoken language in the UK but in Census 2011 the Punjabi language lost to Polish language and slipped to third place.

According to the promoters of the Punjabi language in the UK, as many as 5.46 lakh Polish people had ticked Polish as their main language whereas only around 2.73 lakh Punjabis mentioned Punjabi as their main language.

Now the promoters are pinning their hopes on roughly 10 lakh Punjabis of India, Pakistan and UK backgrounds to tick Punjabi as their language which will once again make Punjabi the second most spoken language by leaving the Polish language behind with a big margin.

Live TV
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
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced a settlement with Rene Schena, the CEO of Sunnyvale lab company Arrayit, even as her husband, former company president Mark Schena, still faced criminal charges that the company engineered a scheme to offer fraudulent coronavirus testing and lied to investors about its balance sheets.

A judge must approve the settlement announced Thursday. If approved, the agreement would have Rene Schena pay a $50,000 penalty and be barred from holding an officer or director position at a company for three years, although she does not admit or deny the allegations in the complaint filed against her.

The case is notable both for its relationship to the ongoing pandemic, which has made coronavirus testing a substantial new business, and the involvement of a husband and wife in related cases.

Another SEC case against Mark Schena is still ongoing, as is a criminal fraud case. Rene Schena did not respond to an emailed request for comment, nor did a lawyer for Mark Schena. The SEC declined to comment beyond the announcement of the settlement.

Criminal and civil complaints allege that Mark Schena knowingly lied to investors, inflating the companys stock price with false promises about the companys coronavirus and allergy testing capabilities during the early days of the pandemic.

Mark Schena allegedly bribed health care providers, including doctors, to bundle the two tests without any medical necessity and to generate fraudulent payouts from the federal Medicare program and insurance companies.

That resulted in $69 million in fraudulent charges for allergy and coronavirus testing, $5.9 million of which were claims submitted to Medicare.

The Thursday settlement does not spell the end of trouble for the company, whose penny stock has flatlined since legal action started last year.

Typically a companys board would intervene in a similar situation, bringing in outside lawyers to determine what happened and if there is a future for the company, said Steve Diamond, a professor and corporate governance expert at the Santa Clara University School of Law.

Its not clear if that has happened. The Schenas make up two-thirds of the board, according to company filings, further complicating the issue.

Companies with shareholders and a functioning board can buy out officers who hold controlling shares in a company, as was the case with former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, Diamond said. Kalanick, ousted after a number of scandals at the company, sold $1.4 billion in shares when SoftBank invested in the San Francisco ride-hailing company.

With Arrayit stock near an all-time low, that may not be possible, Diamond said. Any remaining shareholders may also sue a company and potentially its board for a breach of fiduciary duty, he added.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Any outside investors probably have dumped their stock, and there may not be any shareholders left willing or able to sue, Diamond said.

While Rene Schena did not admit wrongdoing, Diamond said facing fines and a bar on holding company offices severely tarnish her reputation and make it highly unlikely that any company would work with her in a leadership position in the future.

The question of marital privilege where a husband or wife may refuse to testify against his or her defendant spouse as a witness in a criminal case could also come into play, Diamond said.

If there is a privilege that applies, it might explain why there are no criminal charges against her, he said, noting that its possible her agreement included a promise to testify against her husband.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice

MARIETTA, Ga., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TerraCap Management LLC, a privately held investment firm based out of Naples, Florida, announced today the sale of The Knolls and The Crossings. The two multifamily properties consist of a total of 692 units and are both located in the northwestern Atlanta suburb of Marietta.

TerraCap Management LLC

The Knolls and The Crossings were acquired in September 2017 as part of a four-property, 1,100-unit multifamily portfolio purchase. The two other properties in the portfolio, the Arbors and The Crossings at Holcomb Bridge, saw dispositions in December 2019 and September 2020 respectively.

Steve Hagenbuckle, Founder and Managing Partner of TerraCap, said, "Our Atlantic southeast asset management team led by Matt Stewart and Robert Witt executed our business plans for these assets with precision, and the outcomes highlight their capabilities and enthusiasm for delivering results to our investors. Our property management team First Communities and our sales team led by David Gutting of NGKF played critical roles for us from acquisition to disposition and added value to the outcomes."

After acquiring The Knolls and The Crossings in 2017, TerraCap implemented a strategy of capital investment into the properties coupled with the general organic rent growth that the surrounding area was achieving. TerraCap executed significant capital upgrades to the interiors, exteriors, and common grounds for both properties. "We saw strong potential with these assets when we acquired them," said Steve Good, Partner and National Director of Acquisitions for TerraCap. "Our team efficiently improved the properties and generated unit premiums," Good added. "We feel the location and quality of the properties themselves will provide continued upside for the buyer. We wish them the best."

David Gutting of NGKF represented TerraCap on the sale. First Communities Management represented TerraCap on property management.

About TerraCap Management LLC

TerraCap Management LLC considers thematic factors such as business formation, employment growth and population growth on a market-by-market basis, as most metros and submarkets have different economic-based industries and therefore move through their economic cycles differently. TerraCap makes moderate strategic overweighting or underweighting to markets, depending on the specific economic drivers influencing supply and demand.

The Investment Manager has been in operation since 2008 with its headquarters located in Naples, FL, the firm also has offices in Tampa, FL, Atlanta, GA, and Denver, CO. As operators, TerraCap believes it can make decisions more efficiently while leveraging expertise from property to property. The firm has over seven million square feet of commercial assets within its portfolio, with over one billion dollars of assets under management.

More information can be found at terracapmgmt.com.

For More Information, Contact:

Steve Good

239.898.4454

TerraCap Management LLC

[email protected]

SOURCE TerraCap Management

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Maharashtra's oxygen generation capacity 12,500 MT which was increased to 13,000 MT but daily requirement went up which was increased to 13,000 MT but daily requirement went up to 17,000 MT: Uddhav Thackeray.
Highlights Venus Optics has announced four new Laowa lenses.

The new Laowa lenses will support Fujifilm, Sony, Leica and Canon cameras.

The new Laowa optics are available to order in the United States.

Venus Optics is a well-known Chinese manufacturer of lenses. The company has announced four new Laowa lenses. These are two wide-angle lenses: the 4mm F2.8 Fisheye and the 9mm F2.8 Zero-D, and two macro lenses: the 25mm F2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro and the 24mm F14 2X Macro Probe.

All the new Laowa lenses will support Fuji X-mount, Sony E-mount, Leica L-mount, Canon EOS M-mount as well as Micro Four Thirds. Out of all the mentioned mount systems, the L-mount exists in two versions, an APS-C version and a full-frame version. This means that all the lenses have an ability to work across an APS-C sensor and 35mm full-frame sensor.

But as stated by Venus Optics, there is only one lens out of the four that works with both APS-C sensor and a full-frame one. This is kind of strange knowing that the majority of L-mount cameras available in the market are full-frame. The new lenses should be capable of supporting larger sensors.

4mm F2.8 Fisheye

The Laowa 4mm F2.8 Fisheye lens is designed to make a distorted circular fisheye perspective. The optic features a 210-degree angle of view on Micro Four Thirds cameras. As PetaPixel quotes, there is no statement given on the capability of the lens with L-mount full-frame.

9mm F2.8 Zero-D

The Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D is designed for astrophotography and low-light photography in particular. This is due to its fast F2.8 aperture provided in the lens as well as a 113-degree angle of view. The optic comprises two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements. Due to the internal structure of the lens, it can deliver close-to-zero distortion and edge-to-edge sharpness.

25mm F2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro

The Laowa 25mm F2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro is meant for macro shooting between 2.5x and 5x life-size. Venus says that the lens can work from a 45mm distance at 2.5x, and from a 40mm distance at 5x. The small lens barrel allows enough amount of light on the object to shoot without any difficulty.

24mm F14 2x Macro Probe

The Laowa 24mm F14 2x Macro Probe lens focuses from 2:1 macro to infinity and with a wide angle perspective. The lens is designed to capture product shots and macro wildlife photos. For low-light situations, the lens features an LED ring. The front of the probe barrel is water resistant. Also, this is a lens which Venus Optics claims to be covering both standard 35mm full-frame and APS-C sensors.

All the new Laowa optics are available to order in the United States. The company will probably start shipping the products in the first week of March. The price and availability of these lenses in India is not known.

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Mexican drug cartels are a male-dominated industry, which is also evident in films when males usually portray roles of the drug kingpin, and there is almost no sight of women. However, in real life, women also participate in the male-dominated business and participate in a crime. Recently, a 48-year-old woman was sentenced to eight years in prison after laundering money for a Mexican drug cartel.

According to Britannica, drug cartels are illicit group independent organizations formed to limit and control the competition to produce and distribute illegal drugs. It added that cartels are well-organized, well-financed, ruthless, and efficient.

Read also: Mexican Drug Cartels Show Off Lavish Lifestyle in TikTok to Recruit New Members

Former Store Owner Laundered the Funds for a Mexican Drug Cartel

10 News reported that the former owner of Bella's Tortilla and Meat Market, situated on A.L. Philpott Highway in Henry County, utilized the business to launder about $4.5 million for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

According to a The Roanoke Times report, the owner of the establishment, Ana Bella Sanchez-Rios, contracted with Intermex Wire Transfer LLC and admitted that between 2016 and 2018, she used her shop to launder the drug trafficking proceeds on behalf of the Mexican drug cartel.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said Sanchez-Rios was indicted in March 2019, along with 12 members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, on various federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

Sanchez-Rios has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating a business that transmitted criminally derived funds in June 2020, The News and Advance reported.

She reportedly received money from people working for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which she knew was drug trafficking proceeds, and then wired it to people in Mexico.

Sanchez-Rios sent the wire transfers in small amounts via Intermex from Bella's Tortilla & Meat Market and used fakes names and addresses when sending the money to avoid raising suspicions.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bubar said that individuals who launder money for a drug cartel play a vital role for the organization. By concealing and transferring illegally-obtained funds, Bubar said they stimulate the drug cartel's illegal activity, according to 10 News.

Bubar added that money laundering investigations could be difficult. Thus, he said he was proud of the hard work that the federal and state law partners showed.

The Department of Justice said Sanchez-Rios was able to transfer a total of $4,394,959 in the proceeds of drug trafficking between May 10, 2016, and Sept. 11, 2018.

Authorities on Jalisco New Generation Cartel

According to Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Washington Division, Mexican drug cartels like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel commit violence across the world and stimulate the spread of fatal drugs such as heroin and fentanyl.

In a statement, Forget said they are committed to working with their partners to shut down the area's criminal organizations by tracking their illicit proceeds.

"Today, these criminals' addiction to money and greed has met its consequence," Forget added.

Related article: Gruesome History of 5 Most Notorious Drug Cartels

( ) is set for a very busy three months ahead as it finalises its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Urbix Inc and moves ahead with its agreement with Luxcarbon GmbH - key milestones on a fast-track to development of its high-grade graphite properties in Madagascar.

The company has cash available for immediate exploration and project development needs following a successful capital raising exercise in October, raising $1.4 million via placement and $1.7 million through an SPP.

Newsflow catalysts

The newsflow catalysts for the next three months include:

Finalise arrangements with Urbix (up to 180 days);

Maniry graphite pilot plant update;

Exploration activities at Donnelly River (nickel-copper-platinum group elements (PGE);

Exploration results at Razafy NW high-grade area (Maniry Graphite Project);

Downstream value add product development works (graphite  coarse flake);

Continue Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) activities (graphite); and

Continue offtake arrangements/discussions (graphite).

Urbix MoU

BlackEarth signed a collaborative MoU in February 2021 with leading downstream graphite processor Urbix to initially supply its high-grade graphite concentrate to Urbixs downstream processing facility in the US, once the facility is completed.

The company will also source other high-grade graphite concentrate to supply to Urbix.

These parties also plan to develop an operational joint venture in the future  combining Urbixs technical excellence with BlackEarths substantial market, commercial and graphite operational experience.

They are proposing a joint venture plant that includes the potential development of a facility in Madagascar or Western Australia to produce a substantial supply of purified graphite for the growing battery and alternative energy (EV) markets.

BlackEarth executives have commenced the process of site selection and assessing the most efficient and cost-effective location for the proposed joint venture plant.

Urbix is one of the premier providers of refined graphite powders, pristine graphene, and specialty graphite products in the world.

The companys advanced technology includes environmentally and cost conscious purification methods and significant intellectual property developments in a wide range of applications, including proprietary li-ion battery cells, electrolyte, graphene products, cement, and other composites and energy storage materials.

Urbixs proprietary technology purifies graphite in an efficient and environmentally sustainable production method without the use of hydrofluoric acid or high-temperature ovens.

The company is building what will be one of the largest natural graphite purification facilities in North America, which on completion, can purify up to 24,000 metric tonnes annually.

The MoU is for a term of 180 days, which may be extended by the parties.

BlackEarth is in the process of concluding concentrate supply agreements to meet Urbixs intital demands and the proposed JVs initial production demands.

This includes offtake agreements for the supply of downstream products to a range of global buyers

Luxcarbon agreement

BlackEarth has also signed an agreement with German-based Luxcarbon for the procurement, supply and marketing of concentrate and downstream products, into the fast-growing European graphite market.

The deal further positions the company as a supplier of graphite concentrate and downstream graphite products to electric vehicles (EV) and alternative energy markets.

Luxcarbon is one of Germanys major suppliers of graphite and carbon products to top tier suppliers of Volkswagen, Mercedes, Ford and to major chemical corporations.

The supply arrangement will continue while BlackEarth fast-tracks the development of its own high-grade, large-scale graphite properties in Madagascar, which will then form a regular supply to its proposed downstream graphite operations.

This agreement also provides that BlackEarth will sell up to 25,000 tpa of downstream products from its operations and JV operations into the European market to meet the growing demand for high-quality graphite products.

Maniry Graphite Project

BlackEarth has successfully fast-tracked its flagship Maniry Graphite Project in southern Madagascar to the BFS stage in under two years for a total cost of less than $6 million, including full overheads.

Graphite from the Maniry Project has met specifications consistent with those required by Tier 1 end-users.

There is significant upside potential, with the focus of current BFS activities covering grade, optimising flake size distribution, recovery, resource size and power costs, among others.

Madagascar has over 100 years of graphite production history, being the largest supplier of graphite into China and the second-largest supplier into India. It is the top five supplier to the US.

Donnelly River Project

BlackEarth completed its first program of field exploration on the Donnelly River Project, about 240 kilometres south of Perth in Western Australia.

Encouraged by the results, it has decided to proceed to the next phase.

The Donnelly River Project adjoins the Thor and Odin Nickel-Copper-PGE prospects identified by ( ) ( ) and Venture Minerals Limited ( ) ( ) at their South West joint venture.

Demand for downstream products

Demand for energy storage and use is expected to surge over the next few decades and the production of critical commodities such as graphite will have to jump to unprecedented levels just to meet demand.

According to a new World Bank Report, just to meet the increasing demand from this segment, graphite output will need to jump by nearly 500% by 2050.

The marketing and sales components of this agreement allows BlackEarth to supply its refined product to meet this growing demand from EV manufacturers, as well as related industries that require expanded and purified graphite products.

Further, the BlackEarth executive team has extensive experience with developing supply and logistical networks in Europe and other markets, and the companys relationship with Luxcarbon is expected to assist in positioning the company as a preferred supplier in the early stages of the anticipated strong demand for downstream graphite products.

Expanding EV and battery markets

BlackEarths focus, with the help of Luxcarbon, will be to develop supply chain logistics and sales channels for the initial supply of downstream products for use in the rapidly expanding EV and battery market.

Europe has seen significant EV growth with sales increasing 44% in 2019 with Germany and the Netherlands contributing nearly half of overall EV-market growth in Europe.

In both countries, these strong EV sales resulted from increased demand for new models, the availability of existing models with larger battery sizes, and changed government incentives.

The strong regulatory tailwinds and high purchase incentives in several European countries could dampen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and further boost the EV market.

Notably, the EUs new emissions standard - 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre for passenger cars - could boost EV sales as 95% of the fleet must meet this standard in 2020 and 100% in 2021.
(JNS)  The Israeli Health Ministry on Wednesday announced that beginning on Thursday, COVID-19 vaccines would be available to all Israelis over the age of 16.

As of Wednesday morning, 3,237,163 people in Israel had received the first dose of Pfizers BioNTech vaccine and 1,855,785 had received two doses, according to Health Ministry data. However, despite the countrys aggressive vaccination campaign, which has been conducted during its third full lockdown since the crisis began in March, morbidity has dropped troublingly slowly, with 9.3 percent of the coronavirus tests conducted on...
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MET Eireann is warning of strong gale force winds in Limerick this weekend.

The forecaster has issued a Status Yellow wind warning for several counties including Limerick and those making essential journeys are being urged to exercise caution.

The 12-hour warning will come into effect at 6am on Sunday.

"Very with strong to gale force southerly winds veering southwesterly. Where winds are onshore there is a risk of coastal flooding around high tide. There is also a risk of more severe gusts for a time in parts of the west," it states.

Status Yellow - Wind warning for Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford

Met Eireann Weather Warninghttps://t.co/JAa97a0t2o pic.twitter.com/Xi38p5CxEr February 12, 2021

A number of separate weather warnings are currently in effect for several counties across the country including, Clare, Kerry and Cork.
One night in late January, parent Monica Zeitz stood before the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board and read a petition signed by 331 people asking to fully reopen the districts schools.

We will definitely begin that conversation, responded David Grande, the boards president, who announced earlier in the meeting that the district would consider a plan to bring elementary students back to school five days a week.

Since then, debate has erupted over the districts proposal. Parents circulated petitions calling on the board to delay a vote, alarmed by the prospect of adding more children to classrooms before vaccines are widely available. Teachers signed another. Heated posts made the rounds on social media. One woman said neighbors stopped her on the street, trying to change her opinion.

Zeitz, a physician, declined to speak with a reporter, though she reappeared before the school board Monday night. Ive been called immoral and despicable, she told the board.

While the Philadelphia School District struggles to bring some students back to classrooms for the first time since March, a different debate is playing out in the suburbs. Many schools already teaching students in-person part time are grappling with how, and when, to reopen fully  pushed by increasingly frustrated and vocal parents who say their children are languishing in front of laptop screens and could be in schools that have seen little spread of the coronavirus so far.

Others see the demands as premature, worried that reducing the social distancing requirement in classrooms could endanger teachers and community members vulnerable to the virus.

 READ MORE: Philly school superintendent says the time for reopening is now, and suggests some buildings could open while others stay closed

This has really become as political as the presidential election, said Beth Rosica, a West Chester parent who has been calling for her district to return to full-time in-person classes. Rosica has sought feedback from parents around the region on virtual instruction and has released data from public-records requests that have revealed more students are failing classes this year in her district.

(West Chester Superintendent Jim Scanlon said, Everybody is struggling with trying to catch kids up, and added that other parents had filed 37 records requests in the last five weeks  including for his personnel file  which have cost the district thousands to respond to.)

Parents like Lindsay Goldsmith-Markey in Wallingford-Swarthmore said some parents worries about their childrens academic progress and mental health shouldnt overshadow the voices of teachers and others concerned about a full return.

Many children in the district are actually having quite a number of their educational needs met, said Goldsmith-Markey, a doctoral student who works with Philadelphia teachers. There are so many problems that most people in this district, because of their privilege, are not experiencing.

A number of parents in favor of fuller reopenings said they were advocating not just for their children, but for more disadvantaged students who would benefit from returning to classrooms.

Critics look at us like a bunch of white suburban stay-at-home moms, that were annoyed that we cant go to the Y for our workout and get Starbucks in the middle of the day. That is not us, said Rosica, an education and human services consultant. She said lower-income parents would not necessarily have the luxury of working from home or time to lobby their school boards.

Evidence suggests many professional parents  those with bachelors degrees who are working full time and are disproportionately white  want a return to traditional instruction because they are struggling, even if they dont feel theyre allowed to admit it, said Jessica Calarco, an Indiana University sociologist. In a nationally representative survey of 2,000 parents, Calarco and her coauthors found professional parents were the most likely to report high levels of stress and frustration during the pandemic.

For these parents, traditional in-person schooling seems like the only way out of the pressure theyre facing right now, Calarco said. She noted that hybrid models  where students receive a mix of in-person and virtual school  had been particularly stressful for parents, and that families of all backgrounds were more likely to choose to send their children to schools with in-person instruction if the option to do so was full time.

Logan Ranalli, who recently started a Facebook group for fellow Tredyffrin/Easttown School District parents advocating for full in-person instruction, said: A lot of parents have now gotten to the point where they feel like, My kids are really struggling, and theres nothing I can do. As a parent, that feels horrible. District parents sent a letter last week to school officials that began: We are moms, dads, psychologists, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and more. And we are bipartisan, mask-wearing, socially distant TE constituents who want our schools fully open now.

 READ MORE: As schools seek to reopen, heres what local data say about in-person classes and COVID-19

Many area private schools have reopened fully, and a number of public school districts have also moved to bring students back full time.

But others are waiting. One major sticking point is social distancing. Local public schools generally have followed Pennsylvania and federal recommendations that students be spaced six feet apart. Many districts dont have the rooms or staff to teach far smaller class sizes than they had before the pandemic.

However, some have adopted less strict spacing measures to return more students to buildings  including in Bucks County, which has advised schools to set three feet, rather than six, as the minimum distance between students. Other area counties have not followed suit.

The states largest teachers union this week urged Chester Countys Health Department  which also serves Delaware County  not to relax its six-foot standard, arguing that doing so would be an unnecessary risk.

Public officials should not allow arguments about the impracticality of enforcing this standard in schools to justify diluting it, said Pennsylvania State Education Association president Rich Askey.

Chester County spokesperson Rebecca Brain said schools can consult with the Health Department about lesser spacing if evidence exists that indicates improvements in coronavirus cases and transmission. The county is awaiting updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before changing its own, Brain said.

Among the districts that have requested county feedback is Radnor, which has proposed bringing students back five days a week with in-class distances less than six feet. On Thursday, the district said it would begin full in-person instruction for its youngest students later this month. The districts teachers union had asked to delay a full return until its members are vaccinated.

Parents like Anna Moreland, who has been pressing for five-day in-person instruction in Radnor, said other local schools have already proven fuller reopenings can be done safely. Am I a heartless parent who wants to send people to the gulag? Of course not, she said. But we see the challenges our children face every day.

Quite frankly, if Radnor cant get our students back to school five days a week, I dont think anybody can, she said.

 READ MORE: A Philly private school got COVID-19 vaccines for its teachers. Then its clinic was canceled.

Schools are highly dependent on affluent, white families for their resources and reputations, Calarco said. In large cities like Philadelphia, the districts size increases the power of the teachers union and reduces the power of privileged parents who might push a return to in-person school.

In smaller districts, she said, those parents have a great deal of power  a dynamic magnified by the local nature of the school reopening debate.

In Wallingford-Swarthmore, where officials say they could return students close to full time by spacing them no less than three feet apart, residents have been intensely divided.

What is the science behind this sudden shift to three feet? said Frannie Reilly, a Wallingford-Swarthmore parent who circulated a petition signed by 650 cautioning against using district schools as a scientific experiment and arguing that our teachers deserve better.

The parent petition favoring a shift cited guidance from Harvard and Brown Universities and the New America Foundation, identifying three feet as the distancing standard for young students.

David Rubin, director of the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab, a research group advising area schools, told the Wallingford-Swarthmore board Monday that gauging the risk of spacing people with masks less than six feet apart was an unanswered question.

If a school is going to walk through that threshold, he said, it should increase other safety measures, like testing students and staff for the virus.

As the board heard from a long list of parents, Grande, the board president, said it would survey all parents before reaching a decision. After knowing how many would commit to fully in-person or fully virtual instruction, the board aims to consider the plan Feb. 22.

I personally dont want to make a decision based on dueling petitions and who can collect the most signatures, Grande said.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Beth Rosica filed public-records requests to the West Chester Area School District. Other parents filed the requests; Rosica publicized some of the results.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

Anti-retroviral drugs are a vital tool in the prevention and treatment of HIV. A new study of pregnant women in Tanzania shows that life-long antiviral treatment also seems to prevent viral transmission from mother to baby. The results of the study, which was conducted in part by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and published in Lancet HIV, make a promising contribution to the WHO's work with HIV prevention in low and middle-income countries.

Just over eight years ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued recommendations known as Option B+ for a simpler and more effective prevention and treatment for HIV during and beyond pregnancy in low and middle-income countries.

One arm of the Option B+ programme involved ensuring that pregnant women with HIV were started on a life-long regimen of antiviral drugs, ART, as early as possible during their pregnancy. Option B+ made an important breakthrough in the prevention of the mother-to-baby transmission of HIV.

Lifelong ART intervention can also provide effective protection against progression to more advanced HIV and early death, and prevent the further infection of partners and future children.

To date, however, research on how the treatment affects long-term viral levels in pregnant women with HIV in low and middle -income countries with a high HIV burden has been scant.

Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and Management and Development for Health, have examined the effectiveness over time of Option B+ intervention in Tanzania.

According to UNAIDS figures from 2019, 4.8 percent of the Tanzanian population between the ages of 15 and 49, that is 1.7 million people, live with HIV.

The study, which was conducted in Dar es Salaam - Tanzania's largest city - included patient data for 10,161 pregnant women with HIV who had begun antiviral treatment on the Option B+ programme to prevent viral transmission to their unborn babies.

At the time of data collection, 5.9 per cent of the city's pregnant women starting antenatal care were HIV-positive. About a third of the study participants had advanced HIV disease.

The researchers measured the level of HIV in the women's blood to gauge the effectiveness of the antiviral treatment over time. The data was collected between 2014 and 2016, and the women were monitored for up to four years.

The results showed that up to 90 percent of the women under study had suppressed viral levels up to four years after starting Option B+ care. In other words, it seems possible that the WHO goal of eliminating transmission from mother to baby can be achieved.

"Our study confirms the lasting health benefits of life-long ART for women who go on Option B+ during pregnancy and therefore for their babies, too," says Goodluck Lyatuu, doctor and doctoral student at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the study's first author. He continues:

"The results also point to some other important challenges when it comes to deriving the full long-term benefits of Option B+. To focus, for example, on some sub-groups of women, such as young mothers, mothers who start ante-natal care late during pregnancy and mothers with advanced HIV."

###

The study was financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). There are no reported conflicts of interest.

Publication: "Long-term virological outcomes in women who started option B+ care during pregnancy for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a cohort study", Goodluck W Lyatuu, Shally Z Mwashemele, Roseline Urrio, Helga Naburi, Nassir Kashmir, Lameck Machumi, Ayoub Kibao, Ziada Sellah, Nzovu Ulenga, Nicola Orsini, Gunnel Biberfeld, Charles Kilewo, Anna Mia Ekstrom. Lancet HIV, online 11 February 2021, doi: 10.1016/ S2352-3018(20)30308-8.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has assigned two crew members to launch on the agency's SpaceX Crew-4 mission  the fourth crew rotation flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-4 mission. Additional crew members will be assigned as mission specialists in the future by the agency's international partners.

The mission is expected to launch in 2022 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Lindgren, Hines, and the international crew members will join an expedition crew aboard the space station for a long-duration stay.

This will be Lindgren's second trip into space, following a 141-day stay at the space station in 2015 for Expeditions 44 and 45. Part of an Air Force family, he was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and spent a good part of his childhood living in England before finishing high school at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master's degree in cardiovascular physiology from Colorado State University, and a medical degree from the University of Colorado. Before being selected as an astronaut in 2009, he was a flight surgeon supporting space shuttle and space station missions. In December 2020, NASA named him as one of the Artemis Team of astronauts helping to pave the way for NASA's upcoming lunar missions.

Hines, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was selected as an astronaut in 2017 and will be making his first trip into space. He was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but considers Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to be his hometown. He graduated from Boston University with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and went on to earn a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He is also a graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot school. Before becoming an astronaut, he supported multiple military deployments in the Middle East, Africa and Europe; served as a flight test pilot for the Federal Aviation Administration; and flew as a research pilot at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA's Commercial Crew Program is working with the American aerospace industry as companies develop and operate a new generation of spacecraft and launch systems capable of carrying crews to low-Earth orbit and the space station. Commercial transportation to and from the station is providing expanded utility, additional research time, and broader opportunities for discovery on the orbital outpost.

For more than 20 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, 242 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries.

The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and developing a robust low-Earth orbit economy, NASA is free to focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.

Follow Lindgren on Twitter and Instagram.

Follow Hines on Twitter and Instagram.

Find more information on NASA's Commercial Crew Program at:

http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

SOURCE NASA

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"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" will release its 8th season soon, and it will be the series' last adventure.

The long-running sitcom will bid its goodbye to its viewers, as one of its cast members confirmed.

In an exclusive statement to LADbible, Joe Lo Truglio--who played the role of Charles Boyle--revealed that the writers had decided to end the show since "all the stories had been told" in the 153 episodes of the hit series.

For years since its first release in 2013, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" has been focusing on telling stories about serious social issues in the country while adding comedic takes.

Meanwhile, the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" episodes in the upcoming Season 8 will reportedly tell the stories of the Black Lives Matter movement. Police-related issues, including reform, will also be the focus.

"We've dipped out toe in the water with more serious issues - Terry's racial profiling, Rosa's bisexuality, sexism - so it made it easier for us to have that conversation about Black Lives Matter," Lo Truglio said.

The Italian-Irish actor also noted that the whole "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" cast successfully proved that they can do comedy.

At the same time, they can also take the serious road and send powerful messages to address social issues.

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Season 8 Update

The coronavirus pandemic also halted its filming. Despite that, the cast, crew and writers expressed their desire to make the final run a "victory lap."

In the same interview with LADbible, Lo Truglio said he will miss the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" family after its final season.

Season 7 will arrive on the platform on March 26. Meanwhile, the release of the next and final season is yet to be determined.

Aside from Lo Truglio, Andy Samberg (Jake Peralta), Melissa Fumero (Amy Santiago), Stephanie Beatriz (Rosa Diaz), Andre Braugher (Raymond Holt), and Terry Crews (Terry Jeffords) gave life to the series.

The actor's statement came after producer Dan Goor posted a statement on the series' official Twitter account.

"The way I see it, if this is to be our last ride then let us go out in a blaze of glory," the caption stated.

Meanwhile, Goor thanked NBC and Universal Television for giving him and his team a chance to give the cast members and the series' viewers the ending they deserve.

He also revealed that when he talked to Mike Schur about the pilot episode, they unanimously decided to end it at 153rd episode.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
The most stunning, but in many ways least surprising, data to emerge on small-business culture so far this year was collected within RateMyInvestor and Diversity VC's second "Diversity in U.S. Startups" report. A statement that accompanied its release explained its methodology, which involved scrutinizing and parsing through "the top 100 U.S. VC firms by deal activity (which accounted for $68B in funding), the 3,304 companies they invested in and the 7,705 founders at the helm of those companies" for the years 2018-2019 (the previous report spanned 2013-2017).

The upshot? "VC-backed startups are still significantly male (89.3%), white (71.6%), based in Silicon Valley (35.3%) and Ivy-educated (13.7%)," the study's authors summed up.

The good news? This is, believe it or not, an incremental improvement over the several years prior. The bad news? Well, it should be self-evident.

Image Credit: Aisling Carlson; Nick F. Nelson; Brad Ogbonna

But rather than dwell on the sobering statistics, we sought out three individuals intimately involved with amassing and publicizing the new report  Aisling Carlson, strategic advisor at RateMyInvestor; Sarah Millar, principal at City Light Capital and part of the Diversity VC team; and Shila Nieves Burney, founder and managing partner at Zane Ventures  for a virtual roundtable of sorts. The three women discussed what these numbers bear out, why they don't indicate greater gains in inclusion both in funding and hiring, and what everyone is missing out on when money (of which there is plenty) and opportunity aren't equitably spread around.

Related: Women and Minority Founders Still Vastly Underfunded, New Report Finds

How do we, as a culture, get these numbers to look more equitable in future reports?

Carlson: That is a good question. It's one thing to collect this data and to analyze it and to put it out into the world. There is value in that. It's important to track progress and to set meaningful goals. For companies that want to make meaningful change, publicly announcing and releasing their own internal stats around how they hire is a way to keep themselves accountable in the eyes of the world.

Nieves Burney: Seeing the data was heartbreaking, because we're doing all this work to show there is no talent problem, right? There is no pipeline problem, as much as people want to say that. Having this sort of data, we use it in our meetings with limited partners to say, "Hey, this is a problem, but you can help solve that." Until limited partners are [saying] to whoever they're funding, "Show me your diversity numbers. Tell me how you're going about making sure you have a really diverse portfolio," nothing's going to happen. Are you looking at all the opportunities out there? Are you still looking at one particular [type], which is the white male entrepreneur?

I'm talking to a financial institution now about funding. I'm a diverse woman, and they're saying to me, "We want to make sure you invest in diverse entrepreneurs." They didn't want us to split the pie any sort of way, but they wanted to make sure that that was top of mind for us. And if other institutions start saying this to funders, we'll definitely see a change.

Short of mandates around diversity and equity, what can be done so these efforts feel, essentially, mandatory?

Nieves Burney: That's why it's fundamental that folks like me get funded. I got one of my deals because one entrepreneur said he was looking for a diverse funder. I was on a panel, and someone said they had gotten some commits from some investors, but none of them were diverse, and they were looking for someone diverse. If all of these folks start getting funded and getting the best deals, I think there will be a change in narrative. We just got our first Black unicorn here in the Southeast. No one could fathom that in Atlanta. It was Calendly. And there's so much ripe talent here. Once people start seeing folks like Calendly roll out, they'll start to think, "Well, there is not a pipeline problem. Here's companies I can invest in led by Black and brown entrepreneurs."

Carlson: There's something very interesting around having diverse investors and the sort of virtuous circle that creates in terms of attracting more diverse founders.

Millar: Our job is as venture capitalists is to find the best entrepreneurs. The best entrepreneurs get to decide who their investors are. And so if they are the ones saying, to Sheila's point, that 50% of my cap table is going to be diverse managers, they get to demand that. None of the great venture capital funds are going to come in and say, "Well, forget it, then we're not investing in you." They want to give that person money. So if the best entrepreneurs start pushing for it, then it starts going in that direction.

In terms of not having a mandate, we have a Diversity VC standard that we are trying to make the standard for the industry. One of the interesting things about venture capital in particular is you brag about the companies that you're in. It's not like we're not transparent about who we've invested in. It's just the data isn't collected and reported on the diversity of those investments. If everybody did that, we would be probably in a different situation, but it's not like I can't go to your website and look at all of the founders of your companies and say, "Hmm. All of these things look like the others." And I'll be totally blunt: The Diversity VC standard is setting a low bar. It's do you have the right policies in place? And so if you can't even reach that, maybe somebody shouldn't be investing in you. It needs to be demanded from the LP community to say, "This is the line that we're drawing."

Does this mirror our body politic in a way, where some populations feel existentially threatened by the advances other populations are making? Are the traditional gatekeepers panicking that they'll be left out in the push for inclusion?

Nieves Burney: Why does anybody have to be ostracized? Just because one group has not had access to this particular asset class doesn't diminish others out there who can also have that. There's so much money in the market. We talk about like, "Well, the Black and brown entrepreneurs get funded and nobody else will. But that's not the case. Everybody can get funded if they wanted to, if we paid attention to it. I don't think one group being elevated diminishes the other, and that's not a narrative I ever want to play out. As a country right now, we're looking at a new majority entrepreneur. They just happen not to be white men. They're women, they're Black folks, they're Latin folks, they're Asian. We asked for a melting pot  we got it. So we talk about capital, we're not going to innovate around making sure other folks get capital. That's the law. We've been traditionally left out, and so once we were let in that doesn't mean other people can't stay there.

Carlson: Yeah, it's not about taking the pie from someone else. It's about how do you have a bigger pie?

Millar: To put it in terms of [venture capital], we look for massive markets. We're looking for people who are creating new markets; they're taking a slice of this [pie] and then making it into its own pie.

Related: Black Women Entrepreneurs, Not Banks, Helped Me Keep My Company Going During the Pandemic

Not to mention, your report makes it pretty clear that the dominant majority is still very much the dominant majority.

Carlson: Kenny, you're right. Right now, if the question is whether there is a threat to the college white-male graduate and his position of dominance in receiving funding, the answer from the data is no. He still continues to top the pyramid, but there has been change. It's definitely not at the pace that anyone thinks is acceptable.

Nieves Burney: It's about equitable opportunity. Give me that opportunity and let me see what I can do with it. But totally being shut out of it, not knowing what I could possibly do  that's the barrier we're trying to break. We're not saying, "Oh, everybody gets a check." To Sarah's point, we're looking for those who have a big market. We're looking for a whole lot of things before we make that investment into an entrepreneur, no matter who they are.

I'm not looking for an "only" team. I mean, I'll invest in an all-woman team. I'll invest in an all-Black team. But we're talking about true diversity, where white men are actually a part of that. If I have a deal coming out of the Midwest, it would be great to have someone from the Midwest speaking to them. That's what you call diversity of thought, diversity of lived experience. Diversity is not just about race and gender. LGBTQ is another important group, and they're white and black and all kind of colors. My thing is it's just about opportunity and access  true diversity.

Millar: I want to take a slightly more cynical view to that, because we could give everybody the same access tomorrow, like just as many meetings for Black entrepreneurs and white entrepreneurs or LGBTQ entrepreneurs. There is so much work to still be done on the part of VCs. The amount of code switching that has to go on for Black entrepreneurs when they walk into a white VC's office and the doubt that inherently exists in a white VC's mind about the size of a market for a Black consumer  there are still a lot of things that are going to prevent traditional VCs from writing checks to people who don't look like them and don't talk like them. And that's a misunderstanding on their part, because they're missing opportunities.

There are still a lot of lessons that have to be learned and probably have to be learned the hard way. Things like Calendly being a unicorn and people not going into that because they had some hesitation about it being in the Southeast and it being run by people who weren't white men from Stanford. Not to say people didn't invest because they were racist, but there's a lot of things that still have to be learned that don't have to do with access, and that happens from exposure.

It seems like anyone involved in funding entrepreneurs has nothing to lose and everything to gain by simply taking as many meetings with as many people as possible, period.

Millar: That's deal flow. That's our job.

Nieves Burney: Deal flow. Yep, that's right.

You mentioned all the different groups deserving of the proverbial seat at the table. How crucial is it for some of those groups to empower each other rather than strive for inclusion from separate silos?

Millar: It's like what Shila said before. Each silo, if that's what we call it, shouldn't think there's one slot for a diverse person, and it's either going to be a woman or a Black person or an Asian American. Be supportive of each other. It's not even that this is everybody against the white man, but everybody should be supportive of each other and recognize that if we do this as a cohort or coalition, we get a lot further than feeling competitive and feeling like, "If it's not me, then it can't be anybody else."

Carlson: To this point, one of the things for our future reports we might address in more detail is around intersectionality; how a person's social and political identities are sort of interweaved and can create different kinds of discrimination or different kinds of privilege. People understand this term intersectionality now in a way that I think even a few years ago, it wasn't common verbiage.

Nieves Burney: My venture partner is an old white man. He saw how diversity was rising up, and he decided he was going to pivot and start making some moves that way. He put his reputation on the line by coming on as my venture partner, but he's a venture partner because he has his own fund, and then the rest of our team are completely diverse. Folks who are leading organizations should look around, and if everybody is looking like you, you should understand you've got a problem. I'm a Black Latina, but I didn't grow up with a Latina experience, so I can't talk for a Latino or the Latinx community. I can only talk from Black woman's perspective and my lived experience. We're all in this together. I depend on my VC partners, because if they have a deal, I want to know about that and might want to get in on it. The firms that want to be collaborative with each other will be collaborative, and we will all invest in great deals and all have great returns.

Related:

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Why Consumers Care About Influencers, and Why You Should Too



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Haiti - Crisis : Ambassador Edmond calls on the international to support talks with the opposition





Thursday February 11, the Ambassador of Haiti in Washington DC called on the international community to support talks between the government of President Jovenel Moise and the opposition as the constitutional crisis worsens, but he rejected calls for resignation of Head of State.



Let us recall that this crisis was born of a dispute between President Jovenel Moise and the opposition on the date on which his mandate is supposed to end with regard to 2 contradictory articles in the Constitution : article 134.1 on which the Head of State https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32954-haiti-politic-16-political-parties-for-an-end-of-the-president-s-mandate-on-february-7-2022.html and article 134.2 invoked by the opposition.



Ambassador Edmond told reporters he did not believe there should be a situation where President Jovenel Moise leaves office before February 7, 2022, when his 5-year term expires.



"I believe that the international community, our international partners, should work with us and with the opposition parties to make sure that we come to some kind of dialogue or political agreement, so that we can have a better way of 'move forward "said Ambassador Edmond adding "We have a legitimate President. The international community must support it, accompany it, so that we can carry out the electoral process successfully."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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British commandos have been put through their paces as they underwent extreme survival training Norwegian woodland where temperatures can drop to -30C (-22F).

Pilots and aircrew from the Joint Helicopter Command were challenged during Exercise Clockwork, a cold weather warfare course at the Norwegian air base at Bardufoss.

Before taking to the skies over the Arctic Circle, the aviators of the UK's Joint Helicopter Command must complete the cold weather warfare course - a tradition which has been taking place for 52 years.

In line with an annual tradition, British commandos took part in Exercise Clockwork again this year - a intensive survival training exercise which takes place in Norway

Those taking part in the course are also put through their paces as they are made to jump into icy water to cope with cold shock at the Norwegian air base at Bardufoss

The group must also learn how to live off the land during the exercise, creating fires and learning survivals techniques for extreme weather conditions

Before taking to the skies over the Arctic Circle, the aviators of the UK's Joint Helicopter Command must complete the cold weather warfare course - a tradition which has been taking place for 52 years

The exercise gives them vital insight into surviving and fighting in one of the planet's most inhospitable environments, where the sun barely rises and temperatures can plummet to around -22F.

Specialist Royal Marines instructors of the Mountain Leader Cadre lead the fliers through this challenging training, which includes jumping into icy water to cope with cold shock and living out of survival shelters.

The group of military personnel are also challenged to move on skis and snowshoes on long distance marches.

The raw and insightful series of pictures reveal the tough conditions they face during the course in blistering cold and snowy conditions.

As well as being put through their paces with the ice-cold water dunking exercise, the troops must contend with just a few hours of sunshine and temperatures plummeting to around -22F

As part of the ice-cold water dunking exercise, the troops must climb out of the water unassisted with only two ski poles for help meanwhile keeping their backpacks on

The annual winter training deployment ensures troops are ready to support eachother on their operations all around the world. Pictured: Personnel taking part in the ice jump (left) and using their survival skills, chopping wood (right)

Specialist Royal Marines instructors of the Mountain Leader Cadre lead the fliers through this challenging training, which includes jumping into icy water to cope with cold shock and living out of survival shelters

Overcoming some of the harshest weather conditions, the commandos battle with only a few hours of daylight and freezing temperatures as they train to survive in dangerous conditions.

During the exercise, they take part in the infamous ice breaking drills which sees them stepping into freezing cold waters and submerging themselves.

The military personnel step into the hole cut out of a body of water covered in ice with their backpacks and must climb out unassisted with only ski poles to help them.

They also have to learn survival skills, building shelters in the snow covered woodland and living off the land around them. In the latest series of snaps, they can be seen huddling together around a fire they had made.

Once completed, the fliers are ready to take to the skies and carry out their own specialist training in Arctic flying, engineering and refuelling and providing aerial support to Royal Marines on the ground  and hunting and destroying enemy targets over the mountainous terrain.

Naval Airman Matt Vickers, an aircraft handler from 845 Naval Air Squadron of the Commando Helicopter Force, is living out of a brushwood shelter in the Arctic wilderness during the cold weather course.

The group of military personnel are also challenged to put their survival skills to the test, building shelters in the snow covered woodland and living off the land around them

This year's group creates two shelters in the snow-covered Norwegian wilderness which was soon covered in snow too

The group of military personnel are also challenged to move on skis and snowshoes on long distance marches and take part in shooting exercises

'We've just completed a shelter build using brushwood and larger chunks of wood for the structure. We've also built a fire pit to cook our food in and another to keep us warm,' he said.

'It's taken us four to five hours. It's important for that safety and warmth and the benefit of having something to cover you in conditions like this.

'It's been an experience. There are more highs than lows. This will be our fifth night out surviving.

'We're learning how to survive and fight out here and the basic combat skills the Royal Marines have shown us.'

Once he's finished the course, Matt will be refuelling helicopters on the flight line at the base in Bardufoss, Norway.

Helicopters from Joint Helicopter Command fly to Norway every year to carry out Exercise Clockwork, which is now in its 52nd year.

Once they have completed the exercise, the fliers are ready to take to the skies and carry out their own specialist training in Arctic flying, engineering and refuelling and providing aerial support to Royal Marines on the ground

Since it begin in 1969, thousands of troops have flown out to the Norway woodland to take part in the annual exercise

All deployed personnel have been through a rigorous quarantine period, with UK troops to conduct training in a bubble and in line with the Covid-19 guidelines of host nation, Norway

This time, Army Apaches from 656 Squadron have headed for the frozen high north to carry out exercises.

Training and flying in such extreme conditions is vital in ensuring that Joint Helicopter Command aircraft and people are ready to operate anywhere in the world at any time.

All deployed personnel have been through a rigorous quarantine period, with UK troops to conduct training in a bubble and in line with the Covid-19 guidelines of host nation, Norway.

The annual winter training deployment of Commando Helicopter Force, the wings of the Royal Marines, ensures naval aviators and attached ranks from Joint Helicopter Command are ready to support the marines on their operations all around the world.

Bardufoss air station is 200 miles (322km) within the Arctic Circle

Thousands of marines, sailors and airmen have undertaken the arduous training regime at Bardufoss since it was first held in 1969, where recruits are taught to fight, survive and operate in temperatures reaching as low as minus 30C (minus 22F).

The exercise involves the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF), which is made up of personnel taken mainly from the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, as well as some RAF and Army servicemen, who are brought over to Bardufoss.

Engineers undergo exercises on the flightline to keep aircraft functioning in the difficult conditions, while aircrew carry out night-time snow landings, mountain landings, and troop drills.

All personnel who head to Norway also complete a cold weather survival course.

It was 1969 when the first Westland Wessex helicopters (now CHF's 845 Naval Air Squadron) arrived in Scandinavia, living out of rudimentary shelters.

They conducted trials to show the UK's commitment to defend NATO's northern flank and see if they could support 3 Commando Brigade in the unforgiving environment.

Today, Exercise Clockwork is considered vital in readying Royal Marines and Royal Navy personnel.
The Dalton Police Department is asking for the publics help to locate runaway juvenile, Robin Gilbert, 16, who is suspected of stealing a dark blue Honda Civic. Ms. Gilbert ran away from DFCS custody on Feb. 9.



Ms. Gilbert has been reported at least three times in the past. This time, she was reported as a runaway from the area of West Bridge Road when the DFCS employee supervising her woke up and noticed that her dark blue 2017 Honda Civic was missing. The vehicle had Tennessee license plate 0C52K8, but Dalton investigators have since received information that Ms. Gilbert may have replaced the license plate. The vehicle is dark blue and can be perceived to be gray in color.



At the time she ran away, her hair was shoulder length and bleached blonde and she was wearing black sweat pants with the word Friends written down the side.

Anyone with information on Ms. Gilberts whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Brian Shirley at 706-278-9085, extension 9-189.


The geologist Herbert Thomas established in 1923 that the dolerite used to build Stonehenge came from an outcrop in the Preseli Hills of western Wales. In 2011, Dr. Parker Pearsons team discovered two megalithic quarries in that region and began to search nearby for ritual structures that might have supplied the bluestones and blueprint. Although several circular monuments were surveyed and excavated, none was found to be Neolithic. In an interview, Dr. Parker Pearson said his investigators had a terrible time trying to find evidence of a proto-Stonehenge.

The researchers were about to give up when they returned to a site named Waun Mawn, where a handful of toppled bluestones were seemingly placed in an arc. The arrangement was first recorded a century ago, Dr. Parker Pearson said. The theory by early archaeologists that it might be a circle was largely dismissed or simply ignored.

In 2011, his own magnetometer and earth-resistance surveys had failed to locate any geophysical anomalies that might yield evidence of a circle or monument. We concluded that since the instruments didnt show us anything, there couldnt be anything there, Dr. Parker Pearson recalled. A serious mistake.

During the summer of 2017, the archaeologists dug trenches at both ends of the arc of serving stones and discovered two holes that each had once held stones. When further surveys using earth resistance, ground-penetrating radar and electromagnetic induction came to naught, the team made what was literally a last-ditch effort beyond the arc and uncovered four distinctive socket-shaped pits from which standing monoliths had been removed.
A Bronx, New York, woman has been arrested and charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $200,000 worth of iPhones from an insurance company.

Rosanna Lucrecia Cruel Blanco, 39, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, from Dec. 17, 2017, to December 2020, Blanco and her conspirators devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain replacement cellular phones from an insurance company by assuming the identities of wireless customers and filing false claims under its handset insurance program. The handsets were predominantly iPhones with a value of approximately $700 to $1,000 per handset.

Blanco and her conspirators contacted the insurance company, posed as legitimate customers and submitted false claims for damage, theft or loss on hundreds of handsets owned by the legitimate customers.

Blanco and her conspirators provided the insurance company with false identification, typically in the form of a New York or New Jersey drivers license falsified to reflect the name of the legitimate customer. They also provided the company with new shipping contact names and addresses that were different from the actual customers. The new shipping addresses included locations in the Bronx, Yonkers, White Plains, Manhattan and various locations in New Jersey.

Based on the false claims and the fake identification, the insurance company shipped the replacement iPhones telephones via UPS or FedEx to the new contact names and addresses provided by Blanco and her conspirators. The iPhones were then picked up by Blanco and her conspirators and amounted to more than 100 replacement cellular telephones over the course of the scheme with total losses exceeding $200,000.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: United States Department of Justice

Topics Fraud New York
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Delhi Police has made its fifth arrest in the Mangolpuri murder case in which a 25-year-old man was stabbed to death.

Following an argument at a birthday party late on Wednesday night, Rinku Sharma was stabbed to death allegedly by a man known to him, and his three friends. The Delhi Police on Friday said the murder took place due to a business rivalry, and no communal angle should be attributed to it.

The clarification by the police has come after some organisations started giving communal overtones to the murder, and hashtag Justice for Rinku Sharma trended on Twitter.

Earlier, four persons -- Danish, Islam, Zahid and Mehtab, accused of being involved in the case, were arrested.

"We have made the fifth arrest in the murder case, We are ascertaining the role of Tajuddin. Further investigation is on," said S. Dhama, Additional DCP, Outer Delhi.

As political tempers ran high, and netizens on social media demanded justice for Rinku, many politicians and social activists visited the deceased's family. At the same time, the Delhi Police has categorically stated that the incident does not have any communal angle.

"So far, during investigation it has surfaced that quarrel started during a birthday party over shutting down of a restaurant. All persons are known to each other and they live in the same locality. Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong," said Dr A Koan, DCP Outer Delhi.




In remarks to Andina news agency , the expert indicated that based on the cases reported in Peru patients, who had a mild infection (fever and headache) in the first wave, were hospitalized for lack of oxygen during their reinfection.









Solari said that although medical science continues to analyze reinfection cases Peruvian specialists have perceived that for some reason many patients are not older adults but "minors" and also reach quickly a considerable severity level.









The physician mentioned the rainforest city of Iquitos as one of the points hosting the highest COVID-19 reinfection rate.









"We have seen crowded people on the streets of Iquitos without masks; in these circumstances, the amount of circulating virus is higher," she warned.









Likewise, it has been documented in various countries that after six months the amount of antibodies in the blood of people, who had coronavirus, decreases.





"That is why you see a first wave and then a second. Immunity decreases over the months and is not enough to block a reinfection," she added.





(END) RRC/MVB
The on Friday attacked the government over its agreement with China on disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh with party leader alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese.

His attack on the government came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament that India has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China and it will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken away by anyone.

The also termed the defence ministry's statement as "Operation cover-up to uncover the conspiratorial mask of a weak-kneed leadership of India", as it pointed out gaping holes in the version.

"Defence Minister's statement made yesterday and Defence Ministry's statement of today completely omit the fact that Modi Government has agreed to withdraw Indian armed forces from dominant positions in Kailash ranges (southern bank, Pangong Tso Lake area), where the Chinese are at a disadvantage, without any quid pro quo by China," leader Randeep Surjewala said in a statement.

"We urge the prime minister to not hide behind smokescreens and answer to the people," he said, alleging that the prime minister, the defence minister and the defence ministry are disrespecting and dishonouring the sacrifice of our soldiers in the Galwan Valley.

Addressing a press conference earlier, Gandhi questioned why the prime minister did not make a statement on the LAC situation, and said Singh "sheepishly" made a statement on the issue in both Houses of Parliament.

"Why has he asked the Defence Minister to make the statement, the Prime Minister should say - I have given Indian land to China, this is the truth," he alleged.

He said it has emerged that Indian troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3 at Pangong Tso lake.

"Finger-4 is our territory, that is where our post used to be. So, now we have moved from finger-4 to finger-3. Why has the Prime Minister Modi given up Indian Territory to the Chinese? This is the question that needs to be answered by him and by the Defence Minister," Gandhi said.

Why have Indian troops, after the hard work that they had done in capturing Kailash ranges, been asked to move back, the Congress leader asked.

What has India got in return for this? Most importantly, the more important strategic area, Depsang plains, why have the Chinese not moved back? These are the real questions. Why have they not moved from Gogra-Hot Springs, the former Congress chief asked.

"It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to protect the territory of the country. The Prime Minister has ceded Indian Territory to the Chinese. It is his responsibility to solve the problem," he alleged.

"GOI must explain - Why our forces are withdrawing from dominant positions in Kailash Ranges? Why we are ceding our territory & withdrawing from forward base at Finger 4 to Finger 3? Why has China not withdrawn from our territory in Depsang Plains & Gogra Hot Springs," he asked in a tweet.

Asked if India will lose its strategic advantage once status quo ante is restored, Gandhi said there was no strategic advantage as the Chinese were on our land in Depsang and Pangong.

"Our soldiers risked everything, they had, to go to Kailash ranges. That's where the strategic advantage, if any, arose. Now, the Prime Minister has given back the land. Status quo ante is irrelevant. Kailash has been given back and nothing has happened on the key area of which China wants, Depsang plains.

"This is absolute 100 per cent cowardice. This is nothing else. The Prime Minister is a coward who cannot stand up to the Chinese...He is betraying the sacrifice of our army," he charged, and added, that nobody in India should be allowed to do it, nobody in the rest of the world should be allowed to do it.

The Indian government's position at the beginning of this was status quo ante as in April 2020 that is what they were negotiating for, he asserted.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi, however, hit back at for his remarks against the prime minister.

"Perhaps Rahul is depressed that he could not become PM. He knows that even his shadow won't support him.

"The selective amnesia which Rahul often displays, seems a regular order," Joshi tweeted, asking why he was denigrating the efforts and sacrifices of security forces.

After Gandhi's attack, alleging that the government has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese and raised questions over the agreement, the Ministry of Defence issued a strongly-worded statement saying it has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement finalised with China for disengagement of troops in Pangong lake areas in eastern Ladakh.

It said effective safeguarding of country's interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the government reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces.

"Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them", the statement said.

The ministry also made certain clarifications in the statement, and said, "the assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962."



"Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China," the MoD said.

Surjewala said the Modi government's unpardonable, blatant and brazen compromise of security and India's territorial integrity stands exposed.

"Prime Minister and Defence Minister have undermined the astounding valor and insurmountable grit of our armed forces, who faced Chinese incursions and aggressions with indomitable courage and sacrifice," he alleged.

The Congress leader asked why Modi government has committed the "unpardonable compromise" with our security vis-a-vis our dominant positions in Kailash ranges.

Surjewala said on the northern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, India has always maintained control of Finger 4 with its 'forward base' at Finger 4 and India patrolled upto Finger 8 i.e. the LAC.

"Defence Minister's statement made yesterday and para 6 of Defence Ministry's statement of today seek to blatantly compromise India's Territorial Integrity by Modi Government agreeing to withdraw from Finger 4 to Finger 3," he alleged.

"Why is Modi Government undermining India's Territorial Integrity by withdrawing from Finger 4 to Finger 3 on the Northern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake Area," he said.

Surjewala said one of the most strategic and provocative incursions into the Indian territory by Chinese is in Depsang plains.

Defence Minister Singh had announced in Parliament on Thursday that India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to "cease" forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner.

Singh had shared the details of the pact to defuse the tense military face-off in eastern Ladakh that severely strained ties between the two Asian giants.

(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.)
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Minister of Tourism Abdulla Mausoom said the inoculation program could help boost the tourism sector, reports Xinhua news agency.

Male, Feb 12 (IANS) The Maldivian government has revised tourism arrival projections from 1 million to 1.5 million in 2021 due to the island nation's early Covid-19 vaccination programme, a Minister said.

Mausoom said that efforts were made to develop tourist facilities in the north and south of the country, including two new resorts in the island of Addu and the beginning of chartered flights to the Gan International Airport.

The Maldives has allowed 614 tourist facilities to resume operations under health protocols, representing a total bed capacity of over 43,000.

The tourism sector is one of the island nation's main source of income

It is also the country's biggest foreign currency earner and the single largest contributor to the GDP.

Maldives reopened its borders to foreign tourists on July 15, 2020, after it remained suspended for a few months in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Currently all arrivals other than Maldivian citizens are required to present proof of a negative Covid-19 test carried out within the 96 hours prior to departure.

Since the discovery of a new coronavirus variant in Britain late last year, all travellers arriving from the UK, including transiting ones, must undergo a 10-day quarantine.

However, this does not apply to other tourists.

The Maldives has so far reported a total of 17,201 coronavirus cases and 56 deaths.

--IANS

ksk/
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley signed two more subpoenas this week for documents dealing with FirstEnergys funding efforts to a group that sought to discredit Cleveland Public Power.

The subpoenas follow a demand for documents made a week ago to Consumers Against Deceptive Fees, a now defunct advocacy group that had publicly criticized the citys electric utility. Cleveland City Council is investigating funding the group received from FirstEnergy, via a non-profit pass-through. The so-called dark money organization does not have to publicly disclose its donors.

Records have shown that Consumers Against Deceptive Fees received $200,000 in 2019 from that pass through, Partners in Progress. It was part of a larger sum of money the pass through received from FirstEnergy.

The council is trying to confirm the source of $351,000 that Consumers Against Deceptive Fees received for 2018 and used in a leaflet campaign disparaging CPPs rates and service.

The new subpoenas will be sent to statutory agents of Generation Now Inc. in Delaware and Generation Now Ohio Inc. in Columbus.

Generation Now signed a guilty plea filed Feb. 5th admitting its part in the H.B 6 statehouse bribery scandal. The group pleaded guilty to a charge under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

We are waiting for information from Consumers Against Deceptive Fees, but we know that they received much more than the $200,000 that tracked back to another FirstEnergy dark money group, Kelley said. Generation Now seems to be the first stop for a huge amount of money that was then passed out. We want to know where it went and if it was used against the city of Cleveland and CPP.

More from Cleveland City Hall

U.S. Census delay means Cleveland wont get new ward boundaries until the 2025 election

Cleveland councilman to host online discussion with Clinic doctors to answer coronavirus vaccine questions

Cleveland working on plan to target support for mid-level neighborhoods before they decline

Clevelands charter grants City Council subpoena powers for investigations, but experts say that authority likely has limits

Be punctual. Wear a tie, the orders of the day as Cleveland City Council takes steps toward pre-coronavirus normalcy

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

With compassion and insight, Jess Montgomery weaves a gripping mystery and portrait of community in The Stills, the powerful third novel in the Kinship historical mysteries series.

Read an excerpt and pre-order here.

The Widows and The Hollows are the first two books in the series. Under her given name of Sharon Short, she is the Literary Life columnist for the Dayton Daily News. She also writes a new Writer's Digest magazine column, "Level Up Your Writing (Life)."

Based on early chapters of the first in the Kinship Series, The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artists grant for literary arts and named the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 destroy, to smash, are primitive pleasures, and when they are allied to an ideological purpose it's a pleasure of almost orgasmic intensity.

A mugshot of Alexandre Marius Jacob on

April 28, 1903. (Public Domain)

It's a matter of speculation how far a person's political opinions are determined by his temperament, his circumstances, and his ratiocination, but it's certainly true that many extremists make their choice young, burn their boats, and then can't return  at least for a very long time  to normal life.

For personal reasons unnecessary to go into, I was reading recently a biography of the French anarchist of the Belle Epoque, Alexandre Jacob (18791954). He was a very interesting person. He left school early and by the age of 14, he was planning explosions with dynamite. He became a very accomplished and prolific burglar of the houses of the wealthy, using the proceeds not to enrich himself but to fund anarchist organizations  rather a contradiction in terms, one might think.

Once, while burgling the house of someone whom he had thought to be a rich aristocrat, he discovered that the rich aristocrat was, in fact, poor, and he therefore took nothing from the house. But he wasn't always a model of chivalry, and was quite prepared to kill the police, whom he regarded as paid lackeys of the rich. During his eventual trial, his allies threatened the jurors, and (such was their sense of justice) their wives and children, with death if they passed too harsh a verdict against him.

Jacob was eventually sent to the prison in French Guiana for life, a kind of death penalty that dared not speak its name, since the average life expectancy there was 5 years  the number of deaths every year being more or less the same as of the new prisoners so that the prisoners never grew more numerous. Nearly 380 of the 500 prisoners who arrived with him died within six months of arrival.

While imprisoned, Jacob killed two people and tried to escape 17 times. But he was highly, even brilliantly, intelligent and calmed down with age. Eventually he was released and became a reasonably successful businessman in France until the German occupation ruined him (he refused to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the black market).

He never expressed regret for what he had done, but did express doubts about the wisdom of violent action. He committed suicide at the age of 75.

In his adolescence, Jacob, who hated the rich ex officio and almost denied them their humanity, was impressed by anarchist literature, with passages such as the following: "It is important to demolish all buildings that are a symbol of oppression. No vestige of the past shall be respected. All monuments that could serve as a rallying point for any authority whatever should be destroyed, without pity or remorse. Blow up churches, convents, barracks, prisons, town halls."

Then there is to be a bonfire of records of public debt and marriages, share certificates, mortgages, in fact, all documents relating to the present state of affairs.

Away with it as a vestige of the hated past!

The writer continues: "All this will seize your heart because you will say, 'Notre-Dame and the old Gothic cathedrals into which our ancestors put their soul are masterpieces.' But while they remain standing, the human mind will not be able to free itself of the prejudices of which they are the stone embodiment  the best would be to destroy the museums despite the protests against revolutionary vandalism and the curses of future archaeologists."

I don't suppose I have to point out the analogies with certain youthful political groups today. There have long been people who could look at the Taj Mahal, altogether miss its sublime beauty, and proceed at once to lament and reprehend the social injustice that must have been required to build it, at a time when most people were at, below, or barely above the subsistence level.

There is a certain kind of person who, while walking through Versailles, wonders first how they could ever have dusted it or kept it clean; this kind of person is now outnumbered by the kind who sees in every monument of the past the injustice of the society in which it was produced, as if it were injustice turned to stone.

And since justice is the only desideratum that they recognize, and by which they are obsessed, they wish to destroy all that was built or created in periods of injustice. If civilization itself was the work of periods of injustice, so much the worse for civilization.

Away with it as a vestige of the hated past!

It goes without saying that the justice with which the iconoclasts and vandals are obsessed is always of a very peculiar sort (it continues to surprise me how little protest there is against the very expression racial justice, than which few expressions could be more racist); but at any rate, they are always judging the past, as they judge the present, against an impossible standard of perfection  perfection, that is, according to their own conception of what the world ought to be.

If we take the Belle Epoque in which Jacob grew up, it goes without saying that there was very much wrong with it. The regime of the Third French Republic was less enlightened, and certainly more hypocritical, in its penal policy, than was that of the preceding Imperial regime of Louis Napoleon or, a fortiori, of the present day. However, that would hardly be a reason to pull down all of Paris that was erected during it, or to burn the books that were produced during it (including the many that were published exposing the cruelty of the prisons of French Guiana).

The destructive urge, said the anarchist Bakunin, is also a constructive urge. But the urge to destroy as such, that is to say irrespective of what is destroyed, is not at all constructive. On the contrary.

To destroy, to smash, are primitive pleasures, and when they are allied to an ideological purpose  the promotion of a religion, social justice, and so on  it's a pleasure of almost orgasmic intensity. Indeed, to throw a brick through a window in the name of the good of humanity  could any pleasure be greater?

India provided over 229 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to various countries out of which 64 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 165 lakh on commercial basis, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India will continue to take forward the global vaccine supply initiative and cover more countries in a phased manner.

"As of date, we have supplied a total of 229.7 lakh doses to the global community. Of these, 64.7 lakh doses have been supplied as grant while 165 lakh doses have been supplied on a commercial basis," he said at a media briefing. Srivastava said consignments of coronavirus vaccine doses were supplies as gifts to Bangladesh (20 lakh), Myanmar (17 lakh), Nepal (10 lakh), Bhutan (1.5 lakh), the Maldives (1 lakh), Mauritius (1 lakh), Seychelles (50,000), Sri Lanka (5 lakh), Bahrain (1 lakh), Oman (1 lakh), Afghanistan (5 Lakhs), Barbados (1 Lakh) and Dominica (70,000).

He said countries which received vaccines on commercial basis are Brazil (20 lakh), Morocco (60 lakh), Bangladesh (50 lakh), Myanmar (20 lakh), Egypt (50,000), Algeria (50,000), South Africa (10 lakh), Kuwait (2 lakh) and UAE (2 lakh). In the coming weeks, vaccines will be supplied to more countries in Africa, Latin America, CARICOM and the Pacific Island states, he said.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of 20 island nations which are home to approximately 16 million people. "Decisions on these supplies will, of course, be calibrated as per domestic production and the requirements of the national vaccination programme," Srivastava said.

He did not give a direct reply to a question on whether India is sending the vaccine doses to Canada. In a major announcement, India on January 19 said it will send COVID-19 vaccines under grant assistance to several countries. India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring anti-coronavirus vaccines.

Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey, meanwhile, informed the Lok Sabha that over 167 lakh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been supplied to 20 countries till February 9, and asserted that external supplies of the vaccine are being undertaken with due regard to domestic production and adequate availability for the national vaccination programme. "Supplies have been made of 167.7 lakh doses to 20 countries until 9 February 2021. This includes gift of 62.7 lakh doses to 13 countries and commercial procurement of 105 lakh doses by eight countries," Choubey said in a written reply .

India is a member of COVAX facility (created by Gavi Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunization, CEPI Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and WHO World Health Organisation) and is both a recipient of vaccines from the facility as well as a supplier of vaccines. In addition to COVAX facility, external supplies have been made bilaterally through gifts by the Government of India and commercial sales by the manufacturers.

On whether the supply of vaccines to other countries will have any adverse effect on controlling the disease in the country, Choubey said, "External supplies are being undertaken with due regard to domestic production and adequate availability for the national vaccination programme." .

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Over the past decade, Erin Wade has transformed a stretch of Central in west Downtown into her own personal restaurant row.

Wades breakfast and brunch spot, Modern General, shares space in a revitalized old Route 66 motor lodge with her rustic wine bar called the Feel Good. A hundred yards north of that is Vinaigrette, the place where Wade first planted her flag in the Albuquerque dining scene.

The Albuquerque Vinaigrette is one of three that Wade runs. The others are in and Austin, Texas, and Santa Fe. The latter location opened in 2008, and Wades expansion to the Duke City four years later had many locals wondering if people here would pay Santa Fe prices for salads and sandwiches. Almost 10 years later, the answer is a resounding yes.

The pandemic forced Wade to put Modern General and the Feel Good on hiatus, but Vinaigrette is still open six days a week for lunch and dinner. It was empty when I visited recently to dine on the patio during a weekday lunch hour.

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Vinaigrette has two patios: one by the entrance thats exposed to the elements and the street traffic and a second, more secluded spot on the other side of the restaurant. You have to walk through the restaurant to get to it, which gives you a chance to appreciate the dining room with its reclaimed wood floors and green-hued tile work around the bar.

The menu reads like a roster of superfoods, most of them locally sourced. Kale, avocado, nuts and black beans turns up numerous times. Lest it all sounds too stringent, there are a few comfort food indulgences, including macaroni and cheese and nachos.

Most of the space on the menu is taken up by an impressive roster of salads. There are 16, divided into four categories that can be paraphrased as zingy, savory, sweet and balanced. On paper, they all look appetizing, and the option of adding proteins such as ruby trout and flank steak that leaves you with enough choices to fill out an entire year.

La Pepita ($17) arrived as a generous mound of chopped green kale studded with spicy pumpkin seeds and black beans. Moist, shredded white chicken meat and creamy diced avocado give it some backbone, and crumbled cotija adds a little snap. The citronette dressing was unobtrusive, the lemon adding a hint of tang and the cumin evoking Middle Eastern cooking. Like Popeye with his spinach, you can feel yourself stronger as you eat it.

From the Snacks & Sides portion of the menu, Wades eponymous macaroni and cheese ($9) was served in a lime-green casserole dish with a side of sliced pears and apples and stalks of carrot and celery. The blend of cheddar, jack and Asiago cheeses was worked to a superior level of creaminess and added enough sharpness to keep it interesting.

Kale fritters ($6.50), cleverly presented in a wire basket with a shot glass full of sriracha aioli, offers up six crispy shelled nuggets yielding to a core of vivid green chopped kale. They were a terrific snack, with a falafel-like nuttiness and a big charge of heat from the aioli.

The five sandwiches on the menu are in the $17 range and include classics like the Reuben and the Cubano.

The hot turkey sandwich ($16.75) consisted of a good-sized pile of sliced turkey under a shroud of melted provolone with avocado bursting through the holes in the bread. It was a little disappointing not to find any of the gravy that usually turns up in a hot turkey sandwich, and the bread was overladen with clarified butter.

Sandwiches come with your choice of salad or soup. I chose the mushroom stew and got a bowl filled with forest, button and porcini mushrooms in a miso-based vegan broth. The whole thing was too soupy to be called a stew, but it worked as a showcase for the textures and flavors of the different mushrooms.

Drinks, listed on a separate menu, include a variety of wines ranging from $10 to $12 a glass, along with a few concoctions categorized as Tinctures & Tonics. The ginger turmeric tonic ($6.75) with carrot juice, lemon and seltzer, presents as a tall glass of neon orange. It was fizzy and bracing, the carrot juice taking a little of the edge off the potent ginger flavor.

Service was estimable. As for the prices, they partly reflect the restaurants move to a tipless system, meaning that the gratuity is included in the bill. While this system is well established in Europe, it has proved controversial in the United States. The idea behind eliminating tips is noble: Among other benefits, it provides higher wages for kitchen staff and protects servers from feeling compelled to pander to unpleasant or abusive customers.

Its not without risk, though, as customers who see the prices out of context might believe that restaurants are hiking prices out of greed.

That Erin Wade would be among the first in the city to move to tipless dining is no surprise. Shes never been afraid to challenge the status quo, as when she recently took on Grubhub over what she considered excessive fees for its services. The holistic view she brings to the restaurant business is a breath of fresh air.
Burnett is too smart to call them terrorists. But he can read his constituents. They want their children back in school. Im not calling CTU leaders terrorists either. I will, however, call them hostage-takers. Because thats what they are. CTU leadership still has hostages, about 104,000 of them, caught in the political battle between the district and the union.
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Finance Minister on Friday said in Rajya Sabha that Budget 2021 is "an instrument for Aatmanirbhar Bharat" and that it is aimed "at maintaining sustainable economic growth in medium term". While replying to a debate on Budget in Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said, "Budget 2021 clearly draws on the experience, the administrative capacities and also exposure that the PM had during his long elected tenure - both as CM of Gujarat and as PM of this country." Stimulus provision in Budget 2021, which was presented on Febuary 1, is for economic revival, reforms taken during coronavirus pandemic to revive growth, informed the union minister. "It is worth mentioning that 800 million people were provided free foodgrains, free cooking gas provided for 80 million people and cash was directly given to 400 million people, farmers, women, divyang and also the poor and needy," Sitharaman added. Infrastructure creation, continuing reforms, transparency of accounts are features of Budget 2021, said Sitharaman. Besides providing 'quick short term solutions', Sitharaman said that the government is also looking at "long term sustainable growth". "So post-pandemic and post-global contraction, economies have suffered across the world. And as I said in my budget speech the attempt made in this budget is to provide strong stimulus, to provide such a stimulus which can bring in a multiplier effect and therefore instead of finding quick short term solutions, even as we provide short term quick relief for those people who so desperately need it," the minister said. "We are looking at medium term, long term sustainable growth, which will keep India in that kind of growth trajectory which will maintain us as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world," she added. She also responded to Opposition's criticism of Budget 2021 over privatisation. On February 4, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the Union Budget 2021-22 as "crony centric", which "betrays" the employers of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). "Modi's crony centric budget means- Struggling MSMEs given no low-interest loans, no GST relief. The employers of India's largest workforce betrayed," Gandhi had tweeted. The Finance Minister attacked the Opposition over its claims that the Centre works for the benefit of 'crony capitalists'. Outlining several schemes including MGNREGA scheme and PMAY among others, she said that all these government initiatives were aimed at the poor rather than the rich. "A false narrative is being created," she said over accusations that the government was only for the rich and crony capitalists. "It has now become a sort of habit for some in the Opposition to constantly allege, in spite of what we are doing for the poor and the steps taken for helping the poor and needy of this country, a false narrative is created to accuse this government of working only for cronies," said Sitharaman. "Over 1.67 crore houses have been completed under PM Awas Yojana. Is it for rich? Over 2.67 crore households electrified under PM Saubhagya Yojana since October 2017. Total value of orders placed on government e-market is Rs 8,22,077 crore. Are they being given to big companies? They're being given to MSMEs," she added.

"Number of digital transactions via UPI from August 2016 till January 2020 were over 3.6 lakh crore. UPI is used by who? The rich? No. Middle class, smaller traders. Who are these people then? Is government creating UPI, facilitating digital transactions to benefit rich cronies? No," added Sitharaman.

Sitharaman lashed out at the Congress during her response to the Budget discussion in the Rajya Sabha and said the government schemes are meant only to benefit the poor and not meant for "some Damaad" (son-in-law in clear reference to Robert Vadra).

Although she did not take any name but the Finance Minister's jibe clearly agitated the Congress leaders even as she continued with her volleys at the Opposition benches.

Denying allegations of non-transparency in budgetary numbers, Union Finance Minister on Friday said that the Modi government's Budget was "clear and transparent", while indicating that numbers were doubtful during the UPA rule. Her statement came after Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that the major numbers in this year's Budget were "suspect". In her reply to the debate on the Union Budget 2021-22, Sitharaman said: "What you get as Budget is what you get in it. No pushing anything under the carpet..." She highlighted instances in the 2007-08 Budget, saying those numbers were "suspect". "I will give three concrete proofs of how accounts were suspect. I can give you clear proof of how data became suspect at times, which did not occur under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said, alluding to the UPA rule. Sitharaman suggested that 60 per cent jump in 2007-08 capex numbers also included Rs 40,000 crore financially neutral deal involving the RBI and SBI. She said that if the Rs 40,000 crore is removed, the actual capex growth that year would come to around 7 per cent. She stressed that 34.5 per cent growth in capex this year is the highest-ever.
Massachusetts health officials announced Friday a website where residents can search for available COVID-19 vaccine appointments based on where they live, following complaints that the existing website isnt user-friendly.

The new website shows whether each location has available appointments, how many open appointments exist on a given day and which vaccine is being offered, among other details.

State officials say the website will not replace the states scheduling website, known as PrepMod, or the scheduling websites run by providers such as Curative. Instead, the Vaxfinder website is meant to serve as a central search tool for eligible residents looking for a place to get their COVID-19 vaccine.

The site lets people look through the list of locations to select one thats listed as available or search by town name. People can also filter their searches by the type of site, such as local boards of health, retailers, local vaccination sites or hospital setting.

Once a location is selected, the website says how many vaccine appointments are available on each day. For example, the super vaccination site at Springfields Eastfield Mall has no appointments available on Saturday or Sunday. As of 10 a.m. Friday, the website shows the mall having 473 appointments available for Monday and another 1,033 available for Tuesday.

The state also shows availability for local boards of health. Some locations, like local CVS Pharmacies and hospitals, are shown as not having available appointments.

The website is mobile-friendly. The state relies on a Google translation widget to make it readable in multiple languages.

Vaxfinder shows available appointments at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield.Screenshot

State officials who worked on the website said they spent the last few days developing this tool for the public. The launch comes after scrutiny from residents about difficulties finding an available appointment after checking multiple websites. Olivia Adams, a software developer at Athenahealth, created her own website to help the public book their vaccine appointments while on maternity leave. State officials met with her before launching this site.

The websites look similar, but how much state developers took influence from Adams is unclear. State officials who showed reporters the website declined to discuss Adams website or anything other than the functionality of the new state website.

Massachusetts officials said more than 100,000 vaccine appointments would be available next week across the super vaccination sites, local pharmacies and community health centers. But several Massachusetts hospitals will not be receiving new shipments.

MassLive first reported Thursday plans by state officials to halt some shipments of COVID-19 vaccine doses to Massachusetts hospitals to prioritize the super vaccination sites. These hospitals will still receive shipments for previously scheduled appointments of people getting their first and second doses, but they will not be able to offer new appointments for patients who want the first dose of a vaccine. Impacted hospitals include Mass General Brigham, the largest hospital system in Massachusetts, to small, community hospitals in Western Massachusetts.

Lawmakers and hospital executives sounded the alarm as they worry shifting supplies away from hospital systems disenfranchises residents who cant easily get to the super vaccination sites. For Western Massachusetts, the Eastfield Mall is the sole super vaccination site.

The state and the provider for the Eastfield Mall site, Curative, came under scrutiny earlier this week after long lines left people ages 75 and up standing outside in the cold as they waited for a vaccine. The Massachusetts National Guard sent members to help staff the Springfield site.

A cursory look on the Vaxfinder website Friday morning showed Baystate Franklin Medical Center did not have appointments available on the website.

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Chandigarh, Feb 12 : Punjab State Women Commission Chairperson Manisha Gulati will meet Nodeep Kaur, a 23-year-old labour rights activist, in Karnal jail in Haryana on February 15, an official spokesperson said on Friday.

Gulati had taken up the matter with her Haryana counterpart and sought the latter's intervention.

Acting swiftly, the Haryana State Women Commission has issued written instructions to Director General Jails (Haryana) K. Selvaraj to ensure legal assistance to Nodeep, a resident of Sri Muktsar district of Punjab, besides ensuring her safety and security.

The spokesperson said the Director General will make all necessary arrangements for the meeting, scheduled at 12 noon on February 15.

The Director General has also been asked to submit the action taken report in this regard.

The Haryana government forcibly picked up Nodeep and others on January 12 while they were protesting during the farmers' agitation. She has been charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and extortion of the Indian Penal Code.
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Officers from Thailands Department of Special Investigation and other agencies inspect the home office of a suspect arrested with child pornography in Bangkok, Feb. 11, 2021.

Thai police said Thursday they had arrested a 28-year-old Thai man and seized more than half a million photographs of child sex abuse  the largest ever cache  as part of an investigation into an international child-porn ring.

Police charged the suspect, Danudej Saengkaew, who claimed to work as a child model agent, with multiple sexual offenses against minors, said Korawat Panprapakorn, director general, Department of Special Investigation.

It can be assumed that the archive of more than 500,000 obscene pictures of children are the biggest ever found  they showed sexual harassment of thousands of children, a police press release said.

DSI officials said Danudej faces charges of uploading obscene materials, attempted rape of a minor/rape of a minor, child molestation, and abduction of a minor. Of these charges, attempted rape of a minor/rape of a minor carries a sentence of life in prison.

Danudei was arrested following a raid at his Nene Modeling home office in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok, police said, adding that Australian Federal Police (AFP) had tipped off their Thai counterparts about the suspects location.

AFP previously gave Thai police information about an alleged associate of the suspect, Tagorn Attapathomchai, who was arrested in Bangkok last year.

Korawat said the suspect arrested on Thursday had been involved in the illicit business for about eight years.

Danudei initially denied any wrongdoing but officials confiscated evidence on his computers and other equipment, Korawat said.

He said he just took photos of children for his modelling business, to make them famous. We will take this evidence for analysis, Korawat told reporters, adding that there may be other associates who worked with the suspect.

The arrests of Daundei and Tagorn were a result of cooperation among AFP, New Zealand Police and two U.S. agencies, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the police statement said.

International and Thai NGOs including the California-based Operation Underground Railroad, A21 Foundation, Lift International, Alliance Anti Traffic, and the Legal Center for Human Rights will assist victims with rehabilitation, police said. These agencies could help the victims in filing possible lawsuits against Danudei and Tagorn.

Tip of an iceberg

A Thai childrens advocacy group expressed concern about the sexual violations against children, alleging that society is ignorant about such exploitation.

Thailand sees frequent sexual abuses and sexual exploitation of children, but society is not aware of that, Macha Porn-in, director of Yawachon Development Project, told BenarNews.

Todays news is just the tip of an iceberg. There are more out there.

Macha said the nation needs to do better job at sex education.

Thailand needs to have sex education that meets international standards so people are aware of the matter. People must learn to respect childrens bodies. Childrens bodies must not be touched, Macha said.

Since 2018, cooperation among DSI, Interpol, AFP and HSI has led to arrests of at least three Thai operators of separate child sex abuse websites that had a total subscriber base of more than 65,000 worldwide, a DSI report said.

All three were convicted and sentenced to prison terms of between 36 and 50 years, the report said.

In 2015, Thailands National Legislative Assembly amended the criminal code to make the possession, distribution and production of child pornography a crime.

This amendment to the Criminal Code is a recognition that children and youth need to be protected from exploitation, including on the internet where images are traded and distributed far too easily, said Jeremy Douglas, regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, in a statement at the time.

UNODC had assisted Thailand in amending its criminal code.

Stocks to watch today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Friday's trading session based on latest developments. Investors are also awaiting July- Sept quarter earnings that are scheduled to be released today. Companies set to announce their earnings are Grasim Industries, Bharat Forge, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Advanced Enzyme Technologies, among others.

Share Market Live: Sensex jumps 100 points to record high, Nifty at 15,170; Infosys, HCL Tech top gainers

SpiceJet, InterGlobe Aviation : DGCA raised minimum and maximum fare by 10-30 percent on domestic flights effective immediately - CNBC-TV18.

Sun Pharma : SEBI issued 8 settlement orders in the matter of Sun Pharma.

APL Apollo Tubes : CRISIL revised rating for company's long term bank facilities to AA from AA-, with stable outlook.

RITES : The company received major order for general consultancy work from Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation for Rs 61 crore.

VA Tech Wabag : The company reported consolidated profit at Rs 38.04 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 28.25 crore in Q3FY20, while its revenue increased to Rs 796.02 crore from Rs 679.44 crore YoY.

Oil India : The company reported consolidated profit at Rs 889.69 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 709.39 crore in Q3FY20. Its revenue fell to Rs 2,137.34 crore from Rs 2,957.19 crore YoY.

Prestige Estates Projects : The company reported lower consolidated profit at Rs 87.8 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 216.4 crore in Q3FY20. The revenue fell to Rs 1,847.6 crore from Rs 2,680.9 crore YoY.

Ashok Leyland : The company posted loss at Rs 19.4 crore in Q3FY21 against profit of Rs 27.7 crore in Q3FY20. Its revenue rose to Rs 4,813.5 crore from Rs 4,015.6 crore YoY.

Power Grid Corporation : The company reported consolidated profit at Rs 3,367.7 crore in Q3FY21 as against Rs 2,672 crore in Q3FY20. Its revenue increased to Rs 10,142.5 crore from Rs 9,364.4 crore YoY.

ACC : The company reported consolidated profit at Rs 472.4 crore in October-December quarter 2020 as against Rs 273.3 crore in October-December quarter 2019. Its revenue rose to Rs 4,144.7 crore from Rs 4,060.3 crore YoY.

Earnings Today: Grasim Industries, Bharat Forge, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Advanced Enzyme Technologies, Anant Raj, Apollo Micro Systems, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, Bharat Dynamics, Cochin Shipyard, Dilip Buildcon, Delta Corp, Embassy Office Parks REIT, Force Motors, GE T&D India, GIC Housing Finance, GMR Infrastructure, Godrej Industries, Hindustan Aeronautics, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Inox Wind, ITI, Lux Industries, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mishra Dhatu Nigam, MOIL, Motherson Sumi Systems, Nagarjuna Fertilizers, NALCO, The New India Assurance Company, PC Jeweller, PTC India, Siemens, Sobha, Sterling and Wilson Solar, Voltas and Zuari Agro Chemicals will announce their quarterly earnings.
These actions will enable 3M to operate more efficiently, simplify supply chains, leverage scale, and enhance customer support

3M continually assesses business operations to ensure the company is focused on the right opportunities to support strategic priorities, drive growth, and meet customers evolving needs.

3M has made the decision to consolidate its Pune plants into a single facility at Ranjangaon, Pune and discontinue production at its Pimpri facility during the quarter Oct-Dec 2021. These actions will enable 3M to operate more efficiently, simplify supply chains, leverage scale, and enhance customer support.

The company has taken care and consideration to offer employment to all workmen in Pimpri at the Ranjangaon plant. 3M will work closely with employees and all stakeholders for a smooth transition.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has confirmed to MyBroadband that it is in discussions with SpaceX regarding its satellite-based Starlink Internet service.

SpaceX this week opened pre-orders for its fast, low-latency satellite broadband service across the world, including in South Africa.

Those interested in signing up can put down a deposit of $99 to be prioritised when Starlink goes live in the country in 2022, putting them first in line to get the hardware required to connect to the Starlink network.

Many MyBroadband readers asked whether the company would require regulatory approval from ICASA before it can start operating in South Africa.

ICASA told MyBroadband that SpaceX will need to acquire an Individual Electronic Communications Network Service (I-ECNS) and Individual Electronics Communications Service license to provide its satellite-based broadband Internet locally.

Although it has not yet applied for these licences, it has spoken to ICASA on the matter.

ICASA had a brief meeting with SpaceX about the regulatory requirements last week. A further meeting will be held in due course on the same matter, the Authority stated.

Starlinks frequency spectrum

SpaceX will have to receive approval for using certain radio frequency spectrum to transmit signals that provide Internet communication over its network.

There are already several satellite-based Internet services in South Africa which currently occupy the 4-8GHz and 12-18 GHz bands to provide broadband connectivity.

According to regulatory filings with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, Starlink uses frequency spectrum in the 1218 GHz, 26.540 GHz, and 4075 GHz bands.

Elonx.nets Starlink Compendium provided a breakdown, of the exact spectrum chunks used in the specific parts of the service:

Transmissions from satellite to user terminals: 10.7-12.7 GHz and 37.5-42.5 GHz

10.7-12.7 GHz and 37.5-42.5 GHz Satellite to gateway transmissions : 17.8-18.6 GHz and 18.8-19.3 GHz and 37.5-42.5 GHz

: 17.8-18.6 GHz and 18.8-19.3 GHz and 37.5-42.5 GHz Transmissions from terminals to satellites: 14.0-14.5 GHz and 47.2-50.2 GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz

14.0-14.5 GHz and 47.2-50.2 GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz Transmissions from gateways to satellites: 27.5-29.1 GHz and 29.5  30.0 GHz and 47.2-50.2 GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz

27.5-29.1 GHz and 29.5  30.0 GHz and 47.2-50.2 GHz and 50.4-51.4 GHz Tracking, telemetry and control (downlink): 12.15-12.25 GHz and 18.55-18.60 GHz and 37.5-37.75 GHz

12.15-12.25 GHz and 18.55-18.60 GHz and 37.5-37.75 GHz Tracking, telemetry and control (uplink): 13.85-14.00 GHz and 47.2-47.45 GHz

It should be noted that none of these bands fall within the high-demand spectrum that is due to go on auction to mobile operators by the end of March 2021.

Interference with SKA

A possible hurdle for SpaceX to overcome in its application for regulatory approval will be the concerns raised by the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organisation.

The SKA radio telescope in the Northern Cape is used for highly-advanced astronomical observation that requires minimal interference from radio signals.

This is why it is built within a legally-protected Radio Quiet Zone in the 10.6-10.7GHz band that protects it from ground-generated radio signals such as cellphones or Wi-Fi.

Unfortunately, the Radio Quiet Zone does not hold jurisdiction over tens of thousands of small satellites rapidly orbiting and beaming signals back to Earth, and radio transmissions from satellite constellations use a frequency range which is immediately adjacent to this radio band.

Despite this, radio telescopes have been able to conduct observations in all these frequency ranges due to the small number of visible satellites and their mostly geostationary orbit.

However, since Starlink uses thousands of moving satellites in low-earth orbit, astronomers will be facing a much larger number of fast-moving radio sources in the sky.

In its analysis, the organisation said that strong interfering signals can saturate the receiver signals and drown out all other signals seen by the SKAs receivers.

This saturation is predicted to occur for a small percentage of the operation time for the initial phase of the Starlink constellation deployment (around 6,400 satellites), provided the satellites do not reflect light directly onto the SKA dishes.

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan together with the Director of the National Security Service of Armenia, Colonel Armen Abazyan and Commander of the Russian peacekeeping units in Artsakh, Lieutenant-General Rustam Muradov met with an Azerbaijani official representative in the territory controlled by the Russian peacekeepers on February 12, Lusine Avanesyan, spokesperson of the President of Artsakh, told ARMENPRESS.

Return of POWs, searches of missing in action and other humanitarian issues were discussed, Avanesyan said, adding that the sides also discussed the fates of those missing since the war in 1990s.
In a proactive move, India has made fresh overtures toward Iran, apparently sensing the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal is imminent.

Last week, JP Singh, the joint secretary for Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, paid a visit to Tehran.

Laying the groundwork for closer ties, he held political consultations with top officials and obtained updates on the progress at Chabahar, where New Delhi is funding a project to develop the port on the Gulf of Oman. The main purpose of this visit was to regain Indias lost foothold in the Iranian port project.

Then Singh also touched base with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, one of the main people involved these days in negotiations regarding the revival of the nuclear deal that is formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). New Delhi is seemingly awaiting the removal of sanctions on Iran before it engages in any large-scale projects or business activity in the country.

Indeed, there have been some positive indications in this direction from Washington. Encouragingly enough, Robert Malley, one of the main negotiators of the 2015 deal, has been appointed as envoy to Iran by the Biden administration. Likewise, the appointment of Wendy Sherman as deputy secretary of state also points toward a possible US-Iran rapprochement, as she had led the team that eventually clinch the deal.

Therefore, New Delhi is getting ready to formally resume involvement in the development of Chabahar port. Even though India was exempted from US sanctions for development work in Chabahar, it had held off purchasing equipment and slowed down supplies while financial arrangements to pay for the infrastructure projects at the port remained pending.

Consequently, after some time Tehran had dropped India from various projects, but the situation is changing very fast now. Indicating New Delhis steadfast commitment, the Indian delegation headed by Singh has now handed over two 140-tonne cranes to the Iranian government.

Sourced from Italy, these cranes were supplied under a previous bilateral contract between the two nations to equip and operationalize the port, and this delivery is the first part of a $25 million consignment of six Mobile Harbor Cranes.

According to the Indian Ministry of Shipping and Ports, providing these cranes highlights Indias commitment to the strategic connectivity of the Chabahar port project that will provide access to markets in Central Asia.

In the meantime, tweeting that recent international and regional developments attach particular importance to this round of general political dialogue, Iranian Foreign Ministry official Rasoul Mousavi also acknowledged the timely significance of these latest talks.

Then, just two days later, Indian delegates visited the port to discuss development strategies. The basic purpose of these consultations was to upgrade the port into a key gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia for New Delhi.

India and Iran also recently held their first trilateral talks with Uzbekistan to mull over ways to jointly use the port for trade. Ultimately, India would like to include Uzbekistan in the International North-South Transport Corridor project for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

Inviting Foreign Ministry officials from Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the Indian Foreign Ministry will soon be holding a quadrilateral meeting in New Delhi. Plans to fast-track regional integration, transit trade opportunities and the creation of a joint mechanism to handle Chabahar are to be discussed, and it is possible that more Central Asian countries would be included as observers.

Directly after Singhs return from Tehran, New Delhi hosted Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami. On his first visit to the Indian capital, Hatami had talks with his counterpart, Rajnath Singh, then left for Bangalore where he participated in the Aero-India 2021 and met the Indian army chief.

Optimistic about Indo-Iranian relations, Hatami said, Tehran and New Delhi have cultural and historical commonalities, common approaches toward many regional and international issues and geographical capacities, particularly in the Indian Ocean.

He said there was great potential for expanding ties, particularly in the defense and military sectors. Attending the first conclave of defense ministers of the Indian Ocean region , Hatami also pointed out that Iran has an important strategic location while India has a long coastline, and that both are major countries in the region that have managed to maintain stable ties.

Saying the link between the Indian Ocean and the North-South Corridor and connection with the Central Asian states and the Caucasus are the grounds for which we need to pursue broadened relations, Hatami added, These capacities can play a significant role in expanding the two countries relations, particularly in the defense and military sectors.

Already having a defense cooperation agreement between them since 2002, this trip by Hatami could give a further boost to Indo-Iranian strategic relations.

Since any change of direction by Iran is bound to have a regional impact, here are some of the likely scenarios:

First, if the nuclear deal is salvaged, there is more of the likelihood that Iran will stop looking East and maybe even decrease its tilt toward China. Instead, it would try to re-establish business with Western countries, as this is exactly what it had done in 2015 when the JCPOA was first implemented.

Second, as Iran and India already have a defense pact between them, an upgraded strategic role could have a negative impact on Sino-Pakistani projects in the region. Ever since China and Pakistan announced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, India cannot help but feel encircled. Moving in next door in Chabahar would be the ideal setup for New Delhi to keep an eye on developments in the Gwadar port and on Pakistans coastline.

Third, trying to break Chinese influence in the region, India would want to redirect Afghanistan and Central Asia toward its own routes. Having a pivotal role in advancing New Delhis ambitions, the port of Chabahar is center stage.

In case Iran does go ahead with the widely discussed 25-year strategic partnership with China, it could complicate matters, as Beijings prospective $400 billion deal includes access to all of Irans ports. In a recent television interview, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the China-Iran 25-year deal will be finalized soon and that the two countries are not far from reaching an agreement.

Apparently, Iran continues to keep all its options open where regional alliances are concerned.

Finally, for a few years, spats between India and China have become a regular feature at their mutual border in the Himalayan region. As India gets closer to Iran, tensions between Beijing and New Delhi will start one more front.

Due to the constant maritime competition between regional powers, the Indian Ocean region has become a key geostrategic space as it connects the oil-rich Middle East with economic markets in Asia. Enhancing ties with Tehran can be quite useful for New Delhi, as Iran is one of the largest states in this region with an extended presence in the northern part of the Indian Ocean.

However, to some extent the success of Indias regional strategy will depend on the resumption of the JCPOA for now, as Irans reintegration into the world economy is dependent on the lifting of US sanctions.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Empire Outlets mass vaccination site, which has not yet opened, is one of at least two Staten Island sites that recently received or will receive an ultra-cold storage freezer to properly store the Pfizer coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, several sources told the Advance/SILive.com.

The ultra-cold storage freezer shipment comes after an Advance/SILive.com report about the citys primary use of the Moderna vaccine over the Pfizer vaccine and how it could potentially be contributing to the vaccine supply shortages.

Moderna doesnt require the ultra-cold storage freezer -- which is in great demand and costs upwards of $20,0000 -- that is needed to properly store the Pfizer vaccine.

That makes all those sites without the freezer reliant on Moderna, and more susceptible to shortages when Moderna supply is impacted.

The Empire Outlet mass vaccination site has been retrofitted for use for weeks. The original plans did not include an ultra-cold storage freezer, a source with knowledge of the operation said. On Feb. 8, those plans changed to include the special storage and the freezer was delivered two days later.

At least one other Staten Island location is also scheduled to get ultra-cold storage in the coming weeks.

The mayor said Empire Outlets will be devoted to Staten Island residents, but has not yet set an opening date. It was originally scheduled to open on Jan. 22 but was postponed just days before along with sites at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. Yankee Stadium opened on Feb. 4 -- after a partnership with the state  and Citi Field opened on Feb. 10.

WHICH SITES ADMINISTER PFIZER, MODERNA?

Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city officials have talked generally about using both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, but when speaking about supply shortages and site-specific vaccines the mayor references only Moderna.

Additionally, all city vaccination sites  those run by the city Department of Health (DOH) and New York City Health + Hospitals  administer the Moderna vaccine, according to the citys COVID-19 Vaccine Finder website, with only a handful additionally administering Pfizer.

And when the city was forced to reschedule appointments in January due to lack of supply it primarily impacted DOH sites that exclusively use the Moderna vaccine.

Even so, the city has not been willing to say that a focus on increasing the ability to distribute Pfizer vaccine at more sites will help with the shortage challenges.

A Health + Hospitals spokesperson told the Advance/SILive.com it administers the Pfizer vaccine at Staten Islands only Health + Hospitals-run location -- and currently the only mass vaccination site on the borough, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- at the Gotham/Vanderbilt clinic in Clifton, when they receive Pfizer allocation.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Finder website currently only shows the Moderna vaccine is administered at the location.

Port Richmond High School and Staten Island tech High School both administer only the Moderna vaccine, a city DOH spokesperson said.

The city has repeatedly said it has sites that are equipped with ultra-cold storage, and more ultra-cold storage would not change out ability to vaccinate New Yorkers, when asked if an over-reliance on Moderna is contributing to supply shortages and subsequent appointment cancellations.

City Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said generally Moderna is administered at DOH-run sites and Pfizer is administered at Health + Hospitals sites.

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Its been one week since a little Birmingham boy was shot while lying on the couch with his mother and another sibling.

Major Turner, 2, would die hours later. Despite pleas from police and city officials, however, few tips have come in to help lead to the arrest of the person or people responsible for the slaying. Its frustrating,' said Majors godmother, Domonique Howard. We do want whoever did this to be caught so we have peace of mind.

Birmingham police homicide investigators held a news conference Thursday, again asking that anyone with information come forward.

Nows the time that we as a community step up and do the right thing,' said Det. Jonathan Ross. A 2-year-old cant speak anymore so we have to speak for him.

The shooting happened shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, on John Bryant Road in the Wenonah Community. The family had finished dinner and Major was on the couch with his mother and another sibling. Two other siblings were upstairs watching TV. It was then that gunfire erupted, pelting the apartment.

Neighbors reported hearing eight to 10 shots. There were at least 10 bullet holes in the window screens plus more in the apartments front door. It appears one or two bullets also struck the neighboring apartment, but no injuries were reported there.

Major was rushed to Childrens of Alabama where he was pronounced dead at 2:45 a.m. Friday. His mother was treated and released a short time later.

The boys death prompted vows from Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin that his killer or killers would be caught, and the mayor said the Birmingham community should rally around the boy as they have for other innocent children senselessly killed in the city in recent years.

I think its time as a community we fight for justice for him' Woodfin said on the day that Major died.

So, in my conversations with Chief Patrick Smith and (Jefferson County District Attorney) Danny Carr, they have been very clear, Woodfin said. The City of Birmingham has one priority and that is to bring the person or the people who shot into this home and killed this little boy to justice. They need to either turn themselves in or as a community anyone who knows or has information need to turn that information and share that info with the Birmingham Police Department and/or Crime Stoppers.

This is not the time to be silent. And for anybody who has information and is harboring the person or people who shot into the house, shame on you, Woodfin said. The person or people who did this are cowards, are punks. This is not a way to solve issues and when an innocent child is killed, do the right thing.

Investigators are not yet disclosing how many shots were fired and if there was more than one gun used. A motive has not been released, but Det. Christopher Martin said they have spoken with Majors mother and are following some leads that she has provided to them.

Were working every hour we possibly can, as many days as we possibly can,' Martin said.

The investigation has included canvassing neighbors and checking the area for surveillance footage. They did not say whether any footage has been found.

Less than a handful of tips have been received, according to police and Crime Stoppers. Martin said he was surprised at the lack of information coming in to police but added, It could be that some people dont know anything.

More than $7,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe for the family. Funeral arrangements for Major have not been publicly announced.

Howard, the boy was outgoing and very smart. He loved Baby Shark and he loved to jump. He never met a stranger. If you met him, youd think that you already knew him, she said. He was just so joyful. He always had a smile on his face.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
When police officers and firefighters were granted the opportunity to get their COVID-19 vaccines last month, Gulf Shores Police Chief Ed Delmore and Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber wanted to set an example. They made sure they got their shots early.

The only problem was the chiefs were in the minority within their own departments. Since being offered vaccinations on January 18, police agencies around Alabama are reporting that less than half of their officers have gotten vaccinated from the deadly novel coronavirus. Some departments, such as the Mobile Police Department, is reporting fewer than 25% vaccinated.

Weve sent out a variety of messages encouraging people to get it, said Delmore. Whats been interesting to me is that some of the people who were most concerned of getting (coronavirus) and some of the same people who would potentially have bad outcomes if they would catch the virus, were also the ones that were opting not to get the vaccine.

Alabamas response mirrors the hesitancy going on around the country, where first responders have been wary about rolling up their sleeves and offering their shoulders for either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. A survey by the website Police1 in December showed that out of 3,328 responses from law enforcement officers nationwide, 38% said they would get the vaccine while another 38% said they would not. Another 13% said they would be vaccinated only if mandated to do so, while 11% remained unsure.

In Spanish Fort, only a quarter of the police officers are vaccinated. Barber said hes had many one-on-one conversations with officers to encourage them to get vaccinated. He said hes had some successes, a few of his officers went ahead and got shots after their conversations with the chief.

But the conversations also revealed startling truths what he said was quite a bit of misinformation out there about the effectiveness of the vaccine and its potential side effects.

Indeed, misinformation spread by family and friends and, especially, on social media is viewed as a prime suspect behind the lack of those willing to get vaccinated. But police and firefighter officials also believe there is hesitancy within their ranks because they are among the first in line to get a vaccine that has broken records for the speed with which it was developed and authorized for use.

Other factors are at play. Scheduling is an issue as police officers and firefighters often work in shifts with hours that can prevent some from leaving their posts and getting immunized during daytime hours when shots are often administered.

Another factor, cited by the head of the Alabama Firefighters Association, is that a sizable number of first responders have been infected with the virus within the past 90 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending people who have gotten the virus to wait 90 days before getting vaccinated.

I would say the prevailing attitude is that they have already had it, so a vaccination is not an option right now, said Josh Bryant, president of the firefighters association. Its not necessarily a need if youre taking a vaccination to build antibodies against a virus you already have antibodies against.

High risk

The COVID-19 vaccines are engineered to detect and terminate the virus before it damages someones immune system. Both vaccines have proven their effectiveness in trials; Moderna is 94% effective at preventing COVID-19, after the second dose while the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective after both shots are administered.

Delmore said the efficacy of the vaccines underscore the minimized risks of getting one compared to forgoing it. He said the overall lack of trust in the vaccine, is unwarranted and he remains hopeful that the numbers will increase as more law enforcement officers get vaccinated in the months to come.

I think the science is pretty clear that there is, in my mind, less of a gamble in getting the vaccine than in getting the virus, he said. A lot of it is probably based on misinformation that has been put by a variety of sources. Its disappointing to me.

Other officials are also hopeful. In Tuscaloosa, where 50% of the citys police force is vaccinated, Mayor Walt Maddox said hes not concerned about first responders forgoing the shots.

I think well see those numbers continue to increase, he said. As the vaccine continues to roll out and there are more successes with it and people see its not detrimental, youll see more and more people become vaccinated.

Opelika Police Chief Shane Healey agrees. The citys police force was only one-quarter vaccinated last month, but Healey said hes seen the numbers grow.

My thoughts are that they were unsure initially if the shot was safe and/or effective, Healey said. Since the first group of us got the shot and had no major side effects, and as the information base has broadened about how people are reacting to the shot, I think we will continue to see a rise in participation.

Other agencies are also seeing soft numbers during the initial stages of the vaccine rollout. Montgomery County Sheriff Joe Cunningham said that 30% of his staff has been vaccinated, but he anticipates it rising to 50 to 70 percent soon. He said that many of his deputies and corrections officers were recently infected with the virus and were waiting for the CDCs recommended 90-day period to lapse before getting their first shot.

Baldwin County Sheriff Huey Hoss Mack said that 30% of his staff is vaccinated. Like Montgomery County, his agency has a host of personnel who were infected with the virus in recent months and who were waiting for the 90-day period to expire.

The Mobile County Sheriffs Department is reporting that 35% of its corrections officers are vaccinated, while close to half of the patrol division is vaccinated.

First responders were elevated on Alabamas priority list among professions deemed at risk for getting the virus and were prioritized for getting a vaccine first. The state placed first responders alongside healthcare workers and people age 75 and over as the top priorities for getting a COVID-19 vaccine last month, eliciting criticism from professional groups that represent workers who are also in frequent contact with the public, such as teachers.

Related content: Why police officers and firefighters are getting COVID-19 shots before Alabama teachers

While police and firefighters have been eligible for shots for about four weeks, others who work in high-risk jobs  teachers, grocery store workers, childcare workers, and public transit employees  were not eligible for vaccines until Monday.

Police officers and firefighters are considered among the most vulnerable to catching COVID-19. The nature of their jobs requires them to be in contact with the public and often without the ability to wear face coverings or face shields.

Everette Johnson, the state president with the Alabama Fraternal Order of Police, said there are more opportunities for teachers to do their work remotely and safely from the public and within controlled environments. He said its not feasible for law enforcement to seek similar security.

That said, Johnson said the responses hes hearing from his 8,100-member organization is mixed; some are hesitant and do not want the vaccine, while others are adamant about getting it.

It was just pushed through so quickly that they just have those concerns on what will be the reactions over time, said Johnson. That is probably the hesitancy.

He added, I think its important that if its offered, they should take advantage of it personally. But thats my personal opinion. These agencies are not mandating the officers to take it. Until its a mandate, they are not all going to take it.

Incentives and education

The coronavirus vaccine has been available to first responders since January 18, 2021. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com

Alabama does not have a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and there is no indication one is coming anytime soon. Legislation introduced in Montgomery such as HB278, would allow people to opt out of mandatory immunization programs if they have sincerely held personal beliefs against vaccines. Another bill, HB214, prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against an employee or prospective employee based on their immunization status.

Nationwide, there is little push to mandate the COVID-19 vaccines although some states have seen legislation introduced requiring the shots. In New York, legislation was introduced last year requiring the vaccine for those who can safely receive it.

Leading health experts are not pushing a mandate. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said recently that it was too early to consider a nationwide requirement for the vaccine. He has also said that by April, the public should be able to receive a vaccine if they want one.

Large fire departments have taken on incentive programs to encourage employees to get vaccinated. But those are showing spotty participation.

In Los Angeles, the fire chief is offering up to $1,000 to stations where every employee gets a shot. Media reports show that there are so few people interested that the chief is considering extending the deadline.

Delmore, in Gulf Shores, said he is exploring incentives absent any mandate that is not likely to surface.

I think most departments are doing what we are doing and that is suggesting it and encouraging it, and in some places, incentivizing but not mandating, said Delmore. From where I stand right now, that is not changing.

The Alabama Department of Public Health is aware that some professionals are more hesitant than others in getting vaccinated. They, too, believe that will change with time.

ADPH expects that, as more vaccine is administered among peers and colleagues, vaccine uptake will improve, said Dr. Karen Landers, assistant state health officer. Further, ADPH continues to message regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, along with promoting ongoing availability among risk groups within the allocation plan.

Dr. Mark Wilson, health officer in Jefferson County, said the number of people eligible to get the vaccine will start getting them soon once they see that the shots had minimal, if any, effect on their peers who have been vaccinated.

Wilson said he believes the numbers will rise.

But he is also wondering if public health officials need to expand their focus on vaccine marketing.

Our health department here and some of our partners like UAB are really focusing on a lot of effort toward our minority communities because that is where we have our greatest level of concern for vaccine hesitancy, said Wilson. Maybe we need to, at some point, reach out to the police chiefs and sheriffs to see, hey, would you like to co-host a Zoom call or something like that. It would involve an expert and would be about having a conversation.

He added, Were doing a lot of that, but have not reached out to law enforcement.
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.

Digitisation has brought with it blurring of cross border boundaries. Small towns have become a driving force for e-commerce companies, OTT platforms FMCG, telecom and more. Yet in the COVID world, brands and companies have been reticent in communicating with their stakeholders in these cities. In this episode of Mrigashira, we spoke to communication experts, working closely with brands in Tier 1 and 2 cities to find out if small towns are the future of PR in 2021.

Our guests are seasoned experts from the hinterland and include Alice Gurum, CEO of Media Pulse PR; Shailesh Goyal, Director, Simulations Public Affairs; and Shishir Somani, CEO of Archer communications.

Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/28sT1Bi60Q5KIwdvKaI5G2

PR in small towns is far beyond product launches, how has the communication landscape evolved in these last few years in smaller cities?

Alice Gurum: In the smaller cities, we have always tried to keep changing things and make ourselves suitable to the marketing environment. When I started the business, I remember having gone to various agencies and people saying  our consumers dont live there. We have now reached a stage where Mercedes sells the most in places like Punjab and Chandigarh. COVID-19 has really brought us to rethink and to really look at how we can make ourselves more suitable to the current environment when corporates dont have that kind of money to spend.

Shailesh Goyal: The interests of people in the smaller cities or towns are more of a hyperlocal nature. They are keen about whats happening around and how it impacts them immediately and directly. So, national affairs or national grants do not make much of a difference if not connected with some local historian or local farmers. So, thats where they would like to read about new brands  in local media, only if connected with the surroundings.

Shishir Somani: Well, smaller engagement media is getting important. Every new day is a better day as compared to the last one, because each and every brand is looking out to reach out to the final consumer, which is Tier 2 cities now. Tier 1 cities are mostly saturated. Now the focus is coming to cities like Indore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Pune, Raipur and the likes. I have been observing that these brands were mostly influenced by The Times of Indias and The Economic Times of the world, but then they realised that getting into the world of Dainik Bhaskars and Dainik Jagrans is equally important. Thus, in last two years it has been recognised that it is very important to reach out to regional and smaller media as well.

Are there enough opportunities with the New Age media?

Shailesh Goyal: While Print continues to rule the smaller towns, the addiction to the digital platforms also has grown significantly during the pandemic. But the consumption is still largely on the most convenient mediums like Whatsapp, SMS, as it is easy to forward. We need to see that the new age medium is used in a larger context as these platforms give better opportunities to consumer oriented brands.

Alice Gurum: We have really moved into getting onto the digital sphere of the print media. Papers like Ajit, Punjab Kesari, which are very important for us in our markets, have lowered their rates on the digital platform vis-a-vis print. Print is no longer as important as digital in this post COVID-19 area. We have to move to digital now, especially in our market, which is a more educated market, and which is a market which has a large computer influence. Getting a little snippet in a newspaper doesnt really hold that much importance anymore as much as if it is available on a digital platform. YouTube, Instagram and these kinds of social media platforms are really making a large dent.

National bloggers, Instagramers have redefined communication and specifically for fashion and beauty brands. Are local instagramers as influential in the smaller cities, or do people prefer to follow national Instagramers?

Alice Gurum: What is peculiar about Punjab and Chandigarh is the fact that we have a very educated and a very young audience. So, Instagramers, our local influencers are a very big chunk of what we are now working with for not only fashion and lifestyle, even food, restaurants, even five star hotels, or even TV. When it comes to travel and tourism, national Instagramers are really looked at.

Shailesh Goyal: Everybody will have an aspiration, such as what Deepika Padukone is using, which cosmetics she is promoting. But if anything is connected with the local influencers, the nature of the product should be such that it is not like a large cosmetic brand that local influencers are suddenly using; that will not create a connect with them. But if it is something which is farm oriented or, lets say, food grain or food service or for that matter even a salon service which is opening in the local market, services or products talked about by the local influencers, then we will probably value them more.

Historically, the PR industry has been dominated by women in the metros. This has not been the case in the Tier 1 and 2 cities. Any tips for more women to take the lead from these cities?

Alice Gurum: Honestly, if I even look at a lot of other agencies that have come in, there are hardly any women; you can count them on your fingertips. It is not as if to say that the media and the consumer do not accept you. I was welcomed with open arms 20 years back, I didnt know the language, I didnt know anything, I was really taught by the very people I was addressing, and also it is for women to be able to take up the challenge. The market is very welcoming. It is just that the remuneration is not commensurate to the effort that you put in.

Shailesh Goyal: The possibilities for both men and women are plenty in this industry. But yes, as you rightly said, traditionally, women have been more into the public relations industry and this can further penetrate down in the smaller and medium cities also. The opportunities are more because the local service centers, local products and local shops and super stores need these kinds of services. So, they can have 2-5 times the local clients and service them accordingly, providing them with good content. I have now seen that some of my ex-colleagues have started doing restaurants PR or lifestyle or healthcare PR. Thus, it helps them to focus and get expertise and specialisation in one particular domain.

Shishir Somani: When it comes to strategy, creating communication, even influencing people by means of stories, I feel female employees are good. In my team of nine people, there are three female employees and three female team members and most of them are working on strategy, communication strategy, they develop presentations, they develop SOPs questionnaires. However, mostly we dont encourage them to go in the field.

*Edited for length and clarity

(Mirgashira is a podcast for Indian PR and Communication professionals anchored by Radha Radhakrishnan and Charu Raizada. To listen to all episodes visit https://www.digitales.co.in/industry-insights/mrigashira-podcast/)
The country's first international bullion exchange is set to come up in 2021 with a single consortium of market infrastructure intermediaries (MIIs) operating it, said International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) chairman Injeti Srinivas on Friday.

Speaking at the bell ringing ceremony to mark the listing of Indian Railway Finance Corporation limited (IRFC)'s $750 million 10-year bond at India International Exchange (INX) in GIFT IFSC, Srinivas said that regulations for the bullion exchange had been notified.

"The exchange will operate on a delivery-based model for allocated and unallocated bullion. However, there will be underlying security backing the unallocated bullion," Srinivas added. Commenting on the development, India INX managing director and chief executive officer V Balasubramaniam added that a single entity owned by a consortium of MIIs will run the international bullion exchange.

"All MIIs including BSE, NSE, MCX, NSDL, CDSL together to own this consortium. In-principle we we have taken this call and we are in the process of finalising the framework," said Balasubramaniam while adding that BSE would look to make India INX a hub for participating in all the ventures within the IFSC.





ALSO READ: Industry's growth will be faster going forward: Milind Barve of HDFC MF

Elaborating on the listing of the recently concluded USD 750 million offshore bond issuances under the USD 4 billion global medium term notes (GMTN) programme, IRFC chairman and managing director Amitabh Banerjee said that this was the fourth bond series issued by IRFC under EMTN/GMTN programme which has been listed on INX.

"As usual, the bonds issuance have received overwhelming response from investors around the globe including diverse set of investors based out of Asia, Middle east, Europe and USA. The bonds were issued in a single tranche at a margin of 167.5 bps over 10-year treasury, pegging the fixed coupon rate at 2.80 per cent with a tenure of 10 years. The bonds issuance priced at 2.80 per cent is one of the tightest ones, achieved by an Indian CPSE in the 10 year segment in the recent times as compared to the recent issuances undertaken by the peer companies. The pricing advantage derived by IRFC is in the range of 55 to 60 bps," Banerjee added.

The bond issuance also carries a unique achievement of seeing a departure from the price convention accepted in the market. Instead of the bonds being priced at a premium over the secondary market yield, the bonds were priced 7 to 10 bps below the yield curve in the secondary market.

Elaborating on the benefit of listing the USD 750 million offshore bond issuances across multiple centres including London and Singapore apart from GIFT IFSC, Banerjee said that the move helped IRFC in becoming a "known commodity in international markets".

According to Banerjee, the current fiscal alone will see IRFC provide over Rs 1.13 trillion funding to Indian Railways, constituting more than 70 per cent of Indian Railways' capex outlay, being touted as a record to date. "This reflects IRFC's critical role in augmenting the planned funding needs of Indian Railways. IRFC's share in the rolling stock asset fleet of Indian Railways is more than 80 per cent. There has been a significant value addition by IRFC to Indian Railways, as competitive rates and terms at which IRFC demonstrated through the most mobilises funds from the financial markets," he added.

On his part, inviting public sector undertakings (PSUs) to take a cue from IRFC's bond listing, Srinivas said, "My appeal to PSUs who are raising large capital overseas is that this (GIFT IFSC) is overseas. IRFC should also consider sole listing from here." Srinivas further suggested that IRFC could look at aircraft leasing and even have a branch for the same at GIFT IFSC.

Meanwhile, Srinivas stated that a lot of streamlining of regulations and innovation is taking place to make GIFT IFSC a preferred destination for existing established international financial institutions and funds.

"We can look to have over 100 banks and over 500 fund management institutions of all sizes and then with the growth in the economy, other opportunities in reinsurance and retail insurance will grow too and they will feed into each other," Srinivas.
Dwayne Johnson aka Rock's childhood picture when he was 15-years-old was recently shared on Twitter by Jimmy Fallon of Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. And everyone, even as adults, looks a tiny creature when seen in comparison to the wrestling sensation. The picture shows Rock flaunt his biceps and his overall muscular build. The American-Canadian actor and former wrestler has been rocking it since a very young age, it seems.

The world of Twitter is surprised with how muscular and well-built Rock looked at 15. A lot of them have turned the camera to themselves and shared pictures of themselves when they were 15. No one is even close to where Rock stood then. This interesting thread has ample examples to appreciate Rock's fitness.

Fallon began the trend when he shared a combination photograph of Rock's picture at 15 and himself 15 where he almost looks nerdy.

Rock retweeted the photograph and wrote: "One had a full mustache and was getting arrested multiple times, while the other had a respectable job as everyones favorite grocery boy at the local market...love ya man!!"

Im belly laughing .....LOVE this. One had a full mustache and was getting arrested multiple times, while the other had a respectable job as everyones favorite grocery boy at the local market...love ya man!! https://t.co/LqeIqLs6XW Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 11, 2021

Here is how everyone else responded to the trend:

Me at 15. Pixelly and all. pic.twitter.com/swXfbXTOyE dovey95 (@dove95) February 11, 2021

Trying to be The Rock at 15. pic.twitter.com/MlcyuiEaVZ Bollywood Boyz (@BollywoodBoyz) February 11, 2021

Me at 15.  pic.twitter.com/EvWlhd3QWL Meredith Ann when I'm in trouble. Meri otherwise. (@dresserlook) February 11, 2021

me at 15 pic.twitter.com/usYOLXdT5p Angelena Anderson (@AngelenaMaurice) February 11, 2021

Dwayne aka Rock is busy promoting the new show 'Young Rock' that talks about his childhood for which he had featured on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. That is when is childhood picture was shared on the screens.
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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2021 / Achiko AG (SWX:ACHI)(ISIN CH0522213468) ("Achiko", the "Company") and PT Indonesia Farma Medis ("PIFM") have signed an agreement to establish the joint venture company PT Achiko Medika Indonesia ("PAMI") for the production, distribution and marketing of its testing platform developed from Project Gumnuts for Indonesia.

Khairudin Gustam, Chief Executive Officer of PIFM said: "As Covid-19 cases across Indonesia have surged past the one million mark and the contagiousness of the disease continues to severely disrupt the economy, the need for mass market testing becomes apparent. The economy needs to find a way to function, but given the size and population of Indonesia, reliance on PCR testing is not enough. Additional testing methods for Covid-19 are needed and we believe the Project Gumnuts technology is a key solution to help the country and the economy get back on their feet."

Indonesia is a country of over 270 million people spread across several thousand islands. It is currently recording the highest number of cases, rates of positivity and fatality rates in Southeast Asia.

Phase 1 testing for Project Gumnuts has been concluded recently, achieving preliminary values of 91% sensitivity and 85% specificity. Further optimisation studies are currently being conducted in Spain and Indonesia to meet the World Health Organisations' (WHO) standards.

"We are proud to be involved with Achiko's development and look forward to the availability of Gumnuts for Indonesians, as most low cost rapid tests are too expensive for daily testing. The price point and convenience that Gumnuts can offer will enable tens of millions of people the ability to test almost daily. This will be a powerful tool in stopping the spread and beating Covid-19 and other pathogens," said the Mayor of Pekanbaru in Indonesia, Dr. H. Firdaus S.T., M.T.

Achiko holds 50% of the PT Achiko Medika Indonesia joint venture registered today. PIFM and Achiko will jointly manufacture and assemble Project Gumnuts test kits for the Indonesian market, with PIFM tasked with the distribution and marketing, and Achiko earning a 10% licensing fee from gross sales. As new tests are developed, they will be similarly assembled and sold in the country.

Part of the joint venture is a contract with PT Mitra Asa Pratama ("Mitra") and a memorandum of understanding with PT Pharos Indonesia ("Pharos"), along with several other companies, which are all subject to regulatory approval. Mitra is a leading distributor of medical and diagnostic devices in Indonesia, with vast network reach into government, healthcare institutions and retail markets, and will help with further distribution and marketing. Pharos is one of Indonesia's largest pharmaceutical conglomerates with reach into two of the biggest pharmacy groups in the country, developing and marketing innovative products in Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia, with manufacturing facilities in Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. They will be responsible for assembly, distribution and marketing. The Company has also started to engage in several other commercial arrangements in Indonesia.

"We are excited to be part of the fight against Covid-19 and all its successors and look forward to working with Achiko and PIFM to get this platform to market in the first half of 2021 as soon as the approval from the Ministry of Health is secured," said Ida Nurtika, Director of Corporate Communication at PT Pharos Indonesia.

"The need for an effective and efficient diagnostic tool is increasing dramatically. We are proud to be able to use our expertise in healthcare distribution to help Achiko's team deliver on this very important initiative, to collectively help the people of Indonesia manage this pandemic," said Mitra's Chief Executive Officer, Victory Theodorus.



"This joint venture is a major milestone for Achiko and a precursor to an imminent filing for product registrations and approvals in Indonesia," said Steven Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Achiko. "Through PT Achiko Medika Indonesia, we have some of the best possible partners we can have to make a testing platform based on Projects Gumnuts, first with version 1.5 of our product and then many more to come. With comprehensive low-cost rapid and near universal testing, we can help Indonesia beat the Covid-19 pandemic."

Next steps see the completion of regulatory approvals, getting the technology into test kits and moving them into the market as soon as practicable.

About Achiko AG

We harness ground-breaking science with innovative technology to create solutions that provide a great user experience for patients, physicians and governing bodies alike, leading ultimately to the transformation of the healthcare industry.

The current development of our patent pending diagnostic testing for Covid-19 (Project Gumnuts) provides an easy and effective way that enables people to obtain the information they need and require. Complemented by our mobile check-in app (Teman Sehat), we empower users to manage their diagnostic experiences on their own terms, safeguard their privacy, share experiences, obtain passport verification and find community.

Achiko holds exclusive commercialisation rights to the technology underlying Project Gumnuts from Regenacellx.sl. It may be used to detect all types of Covid-19, but also many other pathogens. Achiko is looking forward to the completion of regulatory approval and getting the technology to market as quickly as possible, applying it in an array of test kits and other assay formats.

Headquartered in Zurich, we have offices in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Singapore and Seoul.

http://www.achiko.com

About PT Indonesia Farma Medis

PT Indonesia Farma Medis ("PIFM") is a medical device and pharmaceutical distribution company with a large network of relationships and distribution channels that includes hospitals, pharmacies and clinics across the main islands of Indonesia.

PIFM provides supply chain solutions for distributing medical products and helps companies seeking market entry navigate the complexities of the Indonesian market.

https://indofarmamedis.com

About PT Mitra Asa Pratama

Mitra Asa Pratama collaborates with various international medical device brands to bring innovations to market and has been improving the overall healthcare technology in Indonesia for more than 20 years. With an extensive distribution network built by working closely with our sub-distributor partners, we cover hospitals, clinics, public health centers and offices, medical professionals, as well as the retail market.

It has been a long-standing part of our strategic vision to be able to build a vertically integrated company, where every business unit shares the same dedication to customer service. We firmly believe that service levels must always exceed expectations so that our clients, the medical professionals, can concentrate on the very important business of caring for patients.

https://mitraasa.co.id/



About PT Pharos Indonesia

PT Pharos Indonesia is a major regional pharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative products in Indonesia and other countries in South-East Asia.

The company was established on 30 September 1971 by Dr. Eddie Lembong, a visionary entrepreneur who wanted to build a modern, efficient, high quality, Indonesian pharmaceutical company. Dr. Lembong's plan was realized early and today Pharos remains one of Indonesia's leading pharmaceutical companies.

On June 30, 1990 Pharos became the first Indonesian company to receive a certification of the local version of GMP (CPOB), confirming Pharos' 'no compromises' manufacturing standards.

Currently, Pharos and its subsidiaries employ more than 5,000 talents across Indonesia.

http://www.pharos.co.id/



Media contacts:



ACHIKO AG

Investor Relations

E: ir@achiko.com

Switzerland

Marcus Balogh

Farner Consulting Ltd.

E: achiko@farner.ch

T: +41 44 266 67 67



Germany and Austria

Axel Muhlhaus / Dr Sonke Knop

edicto GmbH

E: achiko@edicto.de

T: +49 69 90 55 05-51

Disclaimer

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Achiko AG and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Achiko AG to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Achiko AG is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Joe Biden officially ended on Thursday the 'national' emergency' put in place by Donald Trump during his administration to direct funds from the Pentagon to construction of his promised southern border wall.

Biden already ordered a pause on construction at the U.S.-Mexico border on his first day in office on January 20, making his end to the emergency declaration a formality.

The president sent a letter Thursday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi notifying Congress he had rescinded his predecessor's proclamation from February 2019.

In his letter, Biden said Trump's declaration was 'unwarranted' and that he had directed that 'no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall.'

He also ordered a review of all money spent on the project so far.

Trump used the emergency declaration as a way to immediately get massive amounts of funding  many billions, in fact  for construction from government money allocated for the Department of Defense.

Joe Biden officially ended this week Donald Trump's 'emergency order' declaration allowing funds to be diverted from the Pentagon to construct the southern border wall

On Day One, Biden ordered construction be paused and on Thursday sent a letter to Congress declaring 'no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall'

Donald Trump declared a 'national emergency' at the southern border claiming the wall would stop the flow of illegal immigration, crime and drug and sex trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border

The former president claimed there was an emergency at the southern border due to drug and human trafficking, illegal crossings and violence.

The U.S. has been building border walls for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Trump made the effort a centerpiece of his first presidential campaign, vowing to build a wall across the entire southern border and somehow get Mexico to pay for it.

The former president, during his time in office, took roughly $6 billion from military funds under the national emergency he declared after Congress refused his demands for wall funding, leading to the longest government shutdown in history.

The Supreme Court upheld a legal challenge to Trump's action in a 5-4 vote in July 2019.

By the end of his administration, the U.S. had completed more than 450 miles of new wall construction along the 2,000-mile border. Much of the construction was in areas where there had already been some form of barrier previously.

Trump administration officials said the border wall slowed down smugglers and people crossing the border illegally so they could be more easily apprehended.

In one of his last days in office, Trump visited the border to celebrate 400 miles completed in his four years, and he signed a document hung on the U.S. side of a new section of wall

Critics, however, claim there were more effective tools for enforcement and insist parts of the new construction damaged environmentally sensitive areas or were in places where a wall wasn't needed.

Private landholders who objected to having their property seized for the project also emerged in the process of construction.

As of January 15, the government had spent around $6 billion of the nearly $11 billion in work it signed contracts to have done.

It is still not clear if some contracts have already been agreed upon, meaning the government could lose out on some money if it cancels these projects.

In one of his last days as president, Trump visited the southern border wall to celebrate 400 miles completed in his four years. He even signed the wall.
MET Eireann is warning of strong gale force winds in Leitrim tonight.

The forecaster is predicting strong southeasterly winds tonight, with mean speeds of 50 to 60 km/h and gusts to 90 km/h. Where winds are onshore there is a risk of coastal flooding.

The wind warning has also been also issued for counties Wind warning for Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

It is valid from 21:00 on Friday 12/02/2021 to 09:00 on Saturday 13/02/2021.
WASHINGTON  Houthi rebels in Yemen will be stripped of a U.S. terrorist designation next week, the State Department said on Friday, despite a recent surge of violence that officials said may have been carried out with Irans help.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the designation would be formally revoked on Tuesday, in recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. It was imposed on Jan. 19, the day before President Donald J. Trump left office, in a final attempt to cut off funding, weapons and other support for Irans proxy fight against a Yemeni government backed by Saudi Arabia in a six-year civil war.

Mr. Blinken said the terrorist designation instead threatened to deepen the worlds worst humanitarian crisis by denying civilians food, fuel and other basic commodities, given its chilling effect on importers who would have faced criminal penalties should the goods fall into Houthi hands. Most of the food in Yemen is imported, and the Houthis control strategic ports as well as the countrys capital, Sana.

Yet in the week since the Biden administration signaled it would lift the designation, Mr. Blinken has had to condemn the rebels for an attack at an international airport in Abha, Saudi Arabia, that hit a civilian airliner on Wednesday.

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 company's Tent Mountain mine and Chinook project are located on Category 4 lands, which are areas in Alberta where surface mining is contemplated.

Drilling at Chinook is expected in the near-term.

Montem Resources Corp ( ) is advancing its two quality coking coal assets  Tent Mountain (60 million tonnes JORC) and Chinook (149 million tonnes JORC)  which both sit on Category 4 lands in Alberta, Canada.

According to Petra Capital, these projects are unaffected by the recent decision from the Government of Alberta to reinstate its coal policy which will see Category 2 lands prevented from developing open pit projects.

The broker said this is very positive for MR1s assets in the near term.

We highlight MR1s projects alongside Gina Rineharts Grassy Mountain project as the three projects closest to production in the region, noting all three currently sit on Category 4 lands and as a result remain unaffected by these policy changes.

Chinook scoping study

Petra said: MR1 have also completed a positive scoping study at Chinook, indicating the potential for an open cut mining opportunity based on the current 149,000 ounce resource.

We expect this project will have similar economics to Grassy Mountain, namely a 4-5 million tonnes per annum operation, with first quartile cash costs and moderate capex costs given its proximity to existing infrastructure.

We maintain our BUY and target price of A$0.49/share, noting the opportunity for MR1 to re-rate significantly as the company progresses its 2021 plans.

The scoping study identified multiple opportunities for open cut mining including low strip ratios targeting hard coking coal.

As a result, the company will progress its exploration plans in order to complete a pre-feasibility study at Chinook over the next 12 months.

The Chinook Project has the potential to produce multiple open-cut hard coking coal mines

Looking forwards

The Chinook scoping study showed that multiple open-cut hard coking coal mines were economically and technical viable, and the company plans to explore, define and develop these mines going forwards.

The Chinook drilling campaign is expected to be undertaken between the June and December quarters 2021.

MR1 completed a definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the Tent Mountain Mine in 2020 which is providing guidance for the re-start project, with the aim to be exporting coal in 2022.

A farmout of the Tent Mountain mine (20-30% interest) is expected during the second half of the year.
Bitcoin Mining Helps CleanSpark Realize 130% Revenue Improvement. Tweet this

Financial Highlights

CleanSpark more than doubled its comparable quarterly revenues, with quarterly revenue of $2.26 million , an increase of 130% from $0.98 million for the prior year.





, an increase of 130% from for the prior year. Gross Margin increased to 41% to $0.92 million compared to 10% and $0.10 million to the prior year.





compared to 10% and to the prior year. Loss from operations increased to $6.2 million compared to $3 million for the prior year.





compared to for the prior year. Net loss for the three months attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was $7.2 million or $(0.32) per basic and diluted earnings per share compared to a loss of $1.9 million or $(0.40) per basic and diluted earnings share for the same year-ago period, an improvement of $0.08 per share.





was or per basic and diluted earnings per share compared to a loss of or per basic and diluted earnings share for the same year-ago period, an improvement of per share. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP term, resulted in a non-GAAP net loss attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended December 31, 2020 of $591,975 or $(0.03) per basic and diluted earnings per share, compared to a loss of $1,765,826 or $(0.37) per basic and diluted earnings share for the same year-ago period, an improvement of $0.34 per share.





of or per basic and diluted earnings per share, compared to a loss of or per basic and diluted earnings share for the same year-ago period, an improvement of per share. The Company decreased its revenue concentration risk, for the three months ended December 31, 2020 37% of its revenues were derived from a single customer as compared to 91% in the same year-ago period.

Financial Summary



Revenues

The Company recognized $2.25 million in revenues during the three-months ended December 31, 2020, as compared with $0.98 million in revenues for the three-months ended December 31, 2019.

For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 our revenue was derived from three business segments:

Energy Segment  Consisting of our CleanSpark, LLC, CleanSpark Critical Power Systems, Inc. and GridFabric, LLC lines of business, this segment provides services, equipment and software to the energy industry. The income from our Energy Segment is the result of contracts to sell switchgear equipment, perform engineering and design services, and provide software for distributed energy and microgrid systems.

Digital Agency Segment  The Company's wholly owned subsidiary p2klabs, Inc. provides design, software development and other technology-based consulting services.

Digital Currency Mining Segment  Through ATL Data Centers, the Company mines Bitcoin

Our Energy business segment contributed $1.2 million or 54% of consolidated revenue in three-months ended December 31, 2020, compared to $0.93 million or 100% of consolidated revenue in the same year-ago period.

The Company's digital agency segment generated services revenue from our p2klabs subsidiary. This segment contributed $0.3 million or 13% of consolidated revenue in three-months ended December 31, 2020.

The Company's Bitcoin mining segment generated revenue from our ATL Data Center subsidiary. This segment contributed $0.73 million or 32% of consolidated revenue in three-months ended December 31, 2020.

Gross Profit

Our gross profit for the three-months ended December 31, 2020 was $0.92 million or 41% of revenue, as compared with gross profits of $0.09 million or 10% of revenue for the three-months ended December 31, 2019. The increase in gross margin was largely driven by increased high-margin revenues derived from our Bitcoin mining and related revenue.

Operating Expenses

Our operating expenses for the three-months ended December 31, 2020 increased to $7.1 million from $3.1 million for the same period in 2019. The increase in operating expenses was largely driven by increased non-cash compensation, payroll expenses, general or administrative expenses, and increased depreciation and amortization.

Other income/(expense)

The Company's total other income/(expenses) in the three-months ended December 31, 2020 totaled approximately $(1.0) million as compared to $1.1 million in 2019. The increase in other expenses was mainly due to non-cash cash items, specifically our derivative loss and unrealized loss on equity securities.

Earnings/(Loss) Per share

Net loss for the three months attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was $7.2 million or $(0.32) per basic and diluted earnings per share compared to a loss of $1.9 million or $(0.40) per basic and diluted earnings share for the same year-ago period, an improvement of $0.08 per share.

Non-GAAP figures

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP term, resulted in negative $0.6 million in three-months ended December 31, 2020, as compared to negative $1.7 million in three-months ended December 31, 2019.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP term, resulted in a non-GAAP net loss attributable to common shareholders for the three months ended December 31, 2020 of $591,975 or $(0.03) per basic and diluted earnings per share, compared to a loss of $1,765,826 or $(0.37) per basic and diluted earnings share for the same year-ago period, an improvement of $0.34 per share. (See details on Non-GAAP figures below)

Working capital

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $25.6 million as of December 31, 2020, as compared to $3.1 million on September 30, 2020, an increase of $22.5 million. We had working capital of $28.7 million as of December 31, 2020 compared to $2.9 million as of September 30, 2020. An increase of $25.8 million.

Fiscal Quarter December 31, 2020 Operational Highlights

On October 9, 2020 , the Company closed an underwritten offering and received gross proceeds of $40 million , before deducting underwriting expenses and fees.





, the Company closed an underwritten offering and received gross proceeds of , before deducting underwriting expenses and fees. We completed the acquisition of ATL Data Center in an all-stock transaction. The Company has contracted with the local municipality to bring 30MW of additional power to a property adjacent to ATL property to support additional CleanSpark Bitcoin mining operations. This will bring the total power available for mining and data centers for CleanSpark subsidiaries from 20MW to 50MW. The capacity increase is underway and is expected to be complete by mid-year 2021. In addition to the additional power to be delivered by the local utility, CleanSpark expects to subsequently add renewable energy generating assets and energy storage to the site, which will be operated by the Company's patented mPulse controls. The Company intends to use the renewable energy to further increase its total energy capacity to support additional ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) mining units and increase bitcoin mining revenues.





We entered into the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station market through a new initiative focused on providing OpenADR software solutions to aid in load management for EV charging stations and balancing the impact the increased power demand has on the traditional grid.





We implemented new sales and marketing initiatives resulting in increased revenues, contracted backlog, and proposal pipelines.





We received a large switchgear order from a Houston, Texas developer in support of microgrids to be built for the nation's largest retail chain.





developer in support of microgrids to be built for the nation's largest retail chain. CleanSpark's strong presence at virtual conferences included Platinum Sponsorship at Microgrid 2020 Global, Exhibition at the Solar Power International, and speaking engagement by Amanda Kabak , CleanSpark CTO on "The Benefits of Solar plus Storage".





, CleanSpark CTO on "The Benefits of Solar plus Storage". The CleanSpark team released a suite of usability enhancements to both their mPulse and mVSO products, including self-serve reporting of monthly and ad-hoc site telemetry as well as improvements in mVSO ease of use to allow developers to completed scenarios quickly and more efficiently. Updates to our mPulse forecasting and control algorithms ensures optimal site operation aligned with pre-determined targets. CleanSpark continues to grow its software team with specialists in web and cloud development.

Management-Commentary and Outlook

This was another record-breaking quarter for CleanSpark. As we had discussed in our prior shareholder letter, the Company expected the somewhat cyclical nature of our business to continue, specifically related to our energy business segments. In prior years we have recognized approximately 10% of our total annual revenues in the quarter ending December 31. This trend has continued to be reflected in the results of our most recent fiscal quarter. These trends are largely due to the annual holiday slowdown and winter weather as energy systems are more easily deployed in warm weather. We continue to expect to see the strongest revenues related to our energy segments in our third and fourth fiscal quarters. Our Bitcoin mining revenues contributed significant profitable revenue for the quarter, making up approximately 32% of our total quarterly revenues. This is especially meaningful considering our Bitcoin mining revenues consisted of only 21 full days of mining in December. We expect to recognize substantially more revenue from Bitcoin mining revenues in future quarters both as a result of recognizing revenues from the full period, but also due the expanded capacity expectations from approximately 200 PH/s in December to more than 315 PH/s in February 2021.

We continue to expect to generate in excess of $30 million in total revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. Our backlog as of today remains strong at approximately $7.3 million as of the date of this release, an increase of $0.8 million from December 2020. This increase is directly attributable to our newly expanded sales team. We expect our proposal closing rate to accelerate as COVID-19 vaccines begin to be made available to the public in the coming quarters. Our proposal pipeline remains strong at approximately $25.0 million as of the date of this release. We believe our increase in contracted backlog and proposal backlog demonstrates the pent-up demand for resilient, distributed energy solutions as the pandemic begins to improve.

We continue to work diligently to expand the Company's total energy capacity and Bitcoin mining capacity. We expect to reach more than 315 PH/s within the month of February. We also expect to have the initial power capacity increase completed over the next two quarters and anticipate bringing additional mining equipment online in parallel with the available power. We believe the improvements will add an additional 800 to 880 PH/s of processing capacity over the coming quarters. We expect this to bring the total capacity under CleanSpark's subsidiaries to between 1.0 to 1.3 EH/s by mid-summer. Given the current difficulty rates, this is expected to result in the production of 6-9 Bitcoins per day. At the current price of Bitcoin ($47,000) this would result in $115 to $150 million per year in Bitcoin mining revenue. As stated, our goal is to mine Bitcoins at the lowest rates nationwide and we expect to achieve greater than 80% gross profit margin on our Bitcoin mining activities.

We are also expanding our residential initiatives, including the launch of a new offering which we look forward to discussing in greater detail next week.

Our focus continues to be on increasing our sales in each of our segments, enhancing the features and functionality of our software products as well as our aggressive pursuit of additional accretive acquisitions.

We remain deeply grateful for the continued support of all stakeholders of CleanSpark, most importantly, the shareholders who have entrusted the Company with their investment dollars. On behalf of our entire organization, we provide this update and outlook with extreme optimism for the future.

With Warmest Regards,

Zachary Bradford, CleanSpark's President and Chief Executive Officer and

Matthew Schultz, CleanSpark's Executive Chairman.

Parties interested in learning more about CleanSpark products and services are encouraged to inquire by contacting the Company directly at [email protected] or visiting the Company's website at www.cleanspark.com.

Investors are encouraged to contact the Company at [email protected], or visiting the Company's website at https://ir.cleanspark.com/

About CleanSpark:

CleanSpark, Inc., a Nevada corporation, is in the business of providing advanced software and controls technology solutions to solve modern energy challenges. We have a suite of software solutions that provide end-to-end microgrid energy modeling, energy market communications, and energy management solutions. Our offerings consist of intelligent energy monitoring and controls, intelligent microgrid design software, middleware communications protocols for the energy industry, energy system engineering, and software consulting services.

Through its wholly owned subsidiary ATL Data Centers LLC, CleanSpark owns and operates a data center that provides customers with traditional on-site and cloud-based data center services. The Company also owns and operates a fleet of Bitcoin miners producing over 200 PH/s in mining capacity. Capacity is expected to increase to over 315 PH/s in mining capacity in early 2021. CleanSpark plans to apply its energy technologies to these divisions with a goal of mining bitcoins at the lowest energy prices in the United States. For more information, visit https://ATL-DATA.com

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Management believes that the use of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or adjusted EBITDA, is helpful for an investor to assess the performance of the company. The company defines adjusted EBITDA as income (loss) attributable to common stockholders before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, impairment of long-lived assets, financing costs, stock-based compensation expense, unrealized gains and losses on securities, non-cash amortization of right of use assets, other non-cash expenses, and expenses related to discontinued operations.

Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. Because of varying available valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of equity instruments that can impact a company's non-cash operating expenses, CLSK management believes that providing a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes non-cash and non-recurring expenses allows for meaningful comparisons between the company's core business operating results and those of other companies, as well as providing the company with an important tool for financial and operational decision making and for evaluating its own core business operating results over different periods of time.



The company's adjusted EBITDA measure may not provide information that is directly comparable to that provided by other companies in its industry, as other companies in its industry may calculate non-GAAP financial results differently, particularly related to non-recurring, unusual items. The company's adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance under GAAP, and should not be considered as an alternative to operating income or as an indication of operating performance or any other measure of performance derived in accordance with GAAP. CLSK management does not consider adjusted EBITDA to be a substitute for, or superior to, the information provided by GAAP financial results.





December 31,

2020

December 31,

2019 Net loss (US GAAP) $ (7,167,530) $ (1,916,254) Less: Depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items:







Depreciation and amortization

1,078,429

587,490 Software amortization

39,286

39,286 Stock based compensation

4,350,643

636,269 Interest, financing charges, non-cash amortization of debt discounts

1,339

1,560,315 Unrealized gain/(loss) on equity security

73,500

(368,868) Unrealized gain/(loss) on derivative security

1,020,494

(2,266,654) Non-cash amortization of right of use assets

11,864

10,731 Total: $ 6,575,555 $ 198,569









Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA (after elimination of stock based and other non-cash expenses) $ (591,975) $ (1,717,685)

Adjusted EPS excludes the impact of certain items and, therefore, has not been calculated in accordance with GAAP. CLSK management believes that exclusion of certain selected items assists in providing a more complete understanding of the company's underlying results and trends and allows for comparability with its peer company index and industry. CLSK management uses this measure along with the corresponding GAAP financial measures to manage its business and to evaluate the company's performance compared to prior periods and the marketplace. The company defines Non-GAAP (loss) income attributable to common stockholders as (loss) or income before amortization, stock-based compensation, expenses related to discontinued operations, impairment of long-lived assets and non-cash financing, unrealized gains and losses on securities, non-cash amortization of right of use assets and non-cash interest expense. Adjusted EPS expresses adjusted (loss) income on a per share basis using weighted average diluted shares outstanding.

Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information provided in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures may not be computed in the same manner as similarly titled measures used by other companies. The company expects to continue to incur expenses similar to the adjusted income from continuing operations and adjusted EPS financial adjustments described above, and investors should not infer from the company's presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures that these costs are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring.

The following table sets-forth non-GAAP net loss attributable to common stockholders and basic and diluted earnings per share:





December 31,

2020

December 31,

2019 Net loss (US GAAP) $ (7,167,530) $ (1,916,254) Less: Depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items:







Depreciation and amortization

1,078,429

587,490 Software amortization

39,286

39,286 Stock based compensation

4,350,643

636,269 Non-cash interest, financing charges, non-cash amortization of debt discounts

1,339

1,512,174 Unrealized gain/(loss) on equity security

73,500

(368,868) Unrealized gain/(loss) on derivative security

1,020,494

(2,266,654) Non-cash amortization of right of use assets

11,864

10,731 Total: $ 6,575,555 $ 150,428









Non-GAAP Adjusted Loss $ (591,975) $ (1,765,826)









Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic and diluted

22,146,992

4,781,075 Loss per common share - basic and diluted $ (0.03) $ (0.37)

Forward-Looking Statements:

CleanSpark cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on CleanSpark's current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by CleanSpark that any of our plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business, including, without limitation: the fitness of the product for a particular application or market, the expectations of future revenue growth may not be realized, timing of orders and deliveries, the successful and continued integration of acquired businesses, ongoing demand for its software products and related services, the price volatility of Bitcoin, the impact of global pandemics (including COVID-19) on the demand for its products and services; and other risks described in our prior press releases and in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Contact - Investor Relations:

CleanSpark Inc.

Investor Relations

(801)-244-4405

SOURCE CleanSpark, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cleanspark.com


The number of COVID-19 related deaths in Africa has spiked as the continent grapples with local transmission of highly contagious strains of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said the death toll from the pandemic increased by 40 percent in January, fuelled by a second wave of infections and new variants that have overwhelmed the continent's public health systems.

"The increasing deaths from COVID-19 we are seeing are tragic, but are also disturbing warning signs that health workers and health systems in Africa are dangerously overstretched," Moeti said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

She said that the death toll linked to the pandemic is expected to hit 100,000 by Sunday as the continent marks one year since the first positive case was confirmed in Egypt.

"This grim milestone must refocus everyone on stamping out the virus," said Moeti, adding that flattening the curve in Africa will take longer amid low vaccination rates combined with the emergence of new variants.

Statistics from WHO indicate that over 22,300 COVID-19 deaths were reported in Africa in the last 28 days, compared to nearly 16,000 in the previous 28 days.

The continent's fatality rate rose to 3.7 percent during the last 28 days compared to 2.4 percent in the previous 28 days and has so far surpassed the global average.

Moeti said that 32 African countries reported a rise in deaths in the last 28 days while 21 reported flat or declining rates, adding that the second wave that began in October 2020 and peaked in January is behind the spike in mortality.

She said that a survey from 21 countries conducted by WHO indicates that 66 percent reported inadequate critical care capacity while 24 percent reported burnout among health workers, hence worsening the risk of death from COVID-19.

Moeti said that 15 countries reported that oxygen production that is crucial to avert death of severely ill COVID-19 patients, was insufficient as they battled the second wave.

She said that a new variant that was first reported in South Africa has been detected in eight African countries, adding that speedy roll-out of vaccines is key to tame infection and fatalities.

"While a vaccine that protects against all forms of COVID-19 is our biggest hope, preventing severe cases which overwhelm hospitals is crucial," said Moeti.

"If cases remain mostly mild and moderate and do not require critical care, then we can save many lives," 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.)
1. Roads. The citys roads are a mess. Significant resources are needed to fix them.

2. Public safety. The crime rate is too high. Police pay and resources come first.

3. More city programs. The city must invest more in city programs and services.

4. Comprehensive plan. The city needs to focus on rebuilding and rebranding.

5. Cut city spending. City officials must get serious about trimming the budget.

Vote

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12. 2. 2021









Interwar Czechoslovakia was a reasonable country, Austria was fascist

Julia Maria Secklehner is an art historian and the author of a remarkable doctoral dissertation in which she analyses satirical magazines which came out in Austria and in Czechoslovakia in the interwar period. It follows from this thesis how little we know about the 20th century history of Austria. Did you know that married women were banned from working there? Jan Culik talks to Dr. Secklehner in this Britske listy Interview, which is broadcast by the Czech cable TV station Regionalnitelevize.cz from Friday 12th February 2021.









Julia Maria Secklehner je kunsthistoricka, autorka pozoruhodne doktorske dizertace, v niz analyzuje satiricke casopisy, ktere vychazely v Rakousku a v Ceskoslovensku v mezivalecnem obdobi. Z prace vyplyva, jak pozoruhodne malo vime v Ceske republice o moderni historii naseho jizniho souseda. O tom hovori s dr. Secklehnerovou Jan Culik. Rozhovor Britskych listu se vysila v Regionalni televizi, ktera je k dispozici satelitem, pozemnim vysilanim a na kabelu i na internetu, od patku 12. unora 2021.
Controlling COVID-19 is my only focus: Yediyurappa on speculation about attempts to unseat him

Karnataka BJP sends notice to its own MLA for critising CM Yediyurappa

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Bengaluru, Feb 12: In a recent development, BJP has served a show-cause notice to its own MLA for speaking against Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. The MLA had also targetted CM Yediyurappa and his son for alleged 'meddling' in politics.

BJP MP and state president Nalin Kumar Kateel had taken cognizance of the matter and a show-cause notice has now been served to the BJP MLA.

Fake: Election Commission of India has not declared the dates for the Assam polls

According to reports, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the MLA from Vijayapura has been attacking CM Yediyurappa and even alleged that the Karnataka strongman will be replaced as chief minister. He has reportedly been upset about not being given a Cabinet berth during the recent expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet.

In January, Yatnal had gone to the extent of hinting that Yediyurappa would be replaced as the Chief Minister by someone from 'North Karnataka'.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

"I will not go with open hands seeking a minister's post here onwards. I have said one of our own will come in place (of CM) who can give the minister's post. I have said that someone from north Karnataka will come.. it will happen...wait and watch," Yatnal had said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 15:19 [IST]

The three motions were filed by Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm representing Fox News in the matter. Smartmatic, a maker of technology used in election tabulation and voting, last week filed a lawsuit in Supreme Court in the State of New York, citing efforts made on Fox News programs to disparage the companys business. Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, two attorneys who had been working for President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election that resulted in victory for President Joe Biden, are also named in the suit. Fox News previously filed its own motion to dismiss.
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Top diplomats of South Korea and the United States held phone talks over issues on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual concern, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Friday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken exchanged opinions over the phone about issues of mutual concerns such as Seoul-Washington relations, the Korean Peninsula issues, and other regional and global issues.

Chung and Blinken stressed that they will closely cooperate for the complete denuclearization of the peninsula.

The top diplomats agreed to hold high-level consultations at an earliest possible date to discuss pending issues.

On Wednesday, South Korea's top nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk talked over the phone with acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Sung Kim over the Korean Peninsula issue.

Denuclearization talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States have been stalled since the second DPRK-U.S. summit ended without agreement at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in February 2019.
Maisie Lynch, an avid Facebook user, posted tips about how to secure a coronavirus vaccine appointment after successfully booking them for both her mother and herself. It didn't take long for people to begin reaching out to her for help.

She answered their calls. But it soon grew overwhelming.

"Can you help me?" Lynch, 47, texted a group of six friends, who are all teachers in the public schools of Montgomery County, Md., like she is. The response was a resounding yes.

The friends named themselves the Vaccine Hunters (in Spanish, it's Las Caza Vacunas, which translates as The Vaccine Hunt). They have since helped more than 350 elderly people, mostly in Montgomery County, get vaccinated.

A growing number of volunteer groups across the country also are using their free time to help get shots into arms. The George Washington University Hillel has worked to partner students and alumni with older adults to help them book appointments. Efforts have sprouted up in New York, including software developers working to simplify booking systems. High school students in Kentucky and community groups in California and New Jersey are also chipping away at the issue.

"We have had the elderly just crying on the phone," said Tanya Aguilar, 45, a Spanish teacher who is part of the Vaccine Hunters. She said she is doing the work in memory of her own mother, who died three years ago, and did not have Internet access or an email address.

"If she were alive today, and without me being an advocate for her, she would be completely lost," said Aguilar, who lives in Silver Spring. "Every time I call a senior, I'm thinking about my mom, and how she would need someone like me just advocating for her."

The Vaccine Hunters created a Google Voice number, which is a phone service attached to a Google account, for people who are eligible for vaccinations to call and request their services. They also posted a Google form online in both English and Spanish where applicants could submit their information.

Each of the Vaccine Hunters monitors a different vaccine appointment website for open slots - at Giant and Safeway grocery stores, for example, or county health clinics or hospitals. Once they see appointments, they race to sign up as many people on their list as possible.

"I feel so relieved, I feel wonderful. I'm so grateful to God, to these people, they are amazing," Maria Carbonell, 80, said after the Hunters snagged appointments for her and her husband. "We are not very techie."

Mindful of deep racial, socio-economic, and ethnic disparities in the vaccine rollout - and the fact that most of their submissions were from White, more affluent seniors - the Vaccine Hunters reached out to Spanish-language news organizations and Black and Latino churches to advertise their services.

But word spread on neighborhood listservs, including in Bethesda, Md., and other tony parts of the county. And before the group's equity efforts could bear fruit, their list grew so large that they decided to stop accepting new vaccine-seekers, at least temporarily.

"We didn't want to keep taking people on the form and basically giving people false hope," Aguilar said.

The group is encouraging the public to use their spreadsheet, which has information on where and how to book appointments. They are working through the remaining names on their list, prioritizing people older than 90. And they are talking with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services about whether they can be of additional help as officials try to match a huge number of eligible residents with a still-limited supply of the vaccine.

"It is such a testament to this really dedicated group of teachers, nonetheless, who already give so much to our community through their day jobs," said Montgomery County Council member Gabe Albornoz, D-At Large. "To continue to go above and beyond and assist our residents who are desperately in need right now is really fantastic, and impressive and greatly appreciated."

In their eagerness to find appointments, the Vaccine Hunters sometimes have used links provided to them by county residents who had registered with the health department and then were notified it was their turn to sign up.

Such links have been widely shared in Montgomery, to the frustration of health officials, who did not intend for anyone to use the links unless they received them directly from the county. Because of the link sharing, many people signed up for available appointments who were not yet eligible, or were eligible but had not yet reached the top of the county's list.

"There's nothing on there that says, 'You can only use this link if you are this person,' " said Lynch, noting that the group has only signed up eligible people.

The county is working with state officials to make the links unshareable, said Raymond Crowel, the director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. He said the county and the Vaccine Hunters are in the beginning stages of developing a formal partnership, where Lynch, Aguilar and the others can register people who do not have access to a computer or time to call, and people who show up at vaccination clinics without appointments.

"We have a system where people can call us, but it is also appropriate - and we have people who are doing that for us as well - for people to reach out to Vaccine Hunters to help with actually scheduling an appointment," said Crowel. "What we don't want to have happen is for [links] to just be shared and used randomly."

For people like the Carbonells, who live in Chevy Chase, Md., the help getting an appointment was - literally - a lifesaver.

Maria, a retired school psychologist, has high blood pressure, one of the medical conditions that increases risk of severe complications from covid-19. Nelson, also 80, a retired architect who was held captive in the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, has lost three friends to covid-19.

They registered with the county and other providers, but no one ever called them back.

"We did a lot of inquiries where we could get the vaccine," said Nelson, noting that Maria "even thought of going to Florida because we have children in Florida. They were giving vaccines in Florida. But then I said, 'No, this is crazy. You're not going to be on a plane to vaccinate, you're exposing yourself to problems.'"

Then one of their daughters, Cristina Willingham, 54, signed them up with the Vaccine Hunters.

The couple was at one of their other daughter's homes in Poolesville, helping their grandchildren with Zoom school, when Maria's cellphone rang around 1 p.m. on Jan. 26.

" 'Mom, you have to get moving,'" Maria remembers Cristina saying. Then a member of the Vaccine Hunters called, letting them know your appointment was at 4 p.m. at the White Oak Community Center, across the county.

Lynch, who lives in Olney, Md., went to the White Oak site two days later, wanting to make sure others the group had signed up actually arrived on time and received their vaccinations.

She realized some elderly people were coming to the clinic without appointments, and she texted their information to her fellow Hunters, who were able to secure spots for several of them.

Suddenly, it was time for class. Lynch, who teaches business skills at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Md., used her cellphone hot spot to get Internet on her computer and logged onto Zoom from inside her car.

Her phone rested in between the windshield and the dashboard, so she could message with other Hunters as needed, and her computer rested on the console in the middle of her car.

"Meanwhile, I'd have some elderly person come to my car, knocking on my window asking about getting the vaccine," Lynch said. "It was pretty hectic."

on Friday deployed a nuclear attack submarine in the South China Sea, in line with US President Joe Biden's call to mount a multilateral challenge to China, reported Asia Times.

In a tweet earlier this week, France's Defense Minister Florence Parly announced that the European power has deployed the nuclear attack submarine Emeraude along with naval support ship Seine to the maritime area to "affirm that law is the only rule that is valid, whatever the sea where we sail."

"This extraordinary patrol just completed its passage in the South China Sea," declared the French defense chief following its unprecedented military maneuvers in Asian waters this week.

"This is a striking proof of the capacity of our French Navy to deploy far away and for a long time, together with our Australian, American and Japanese strategic partners," she continued, emphasising that France's actions are part of a broader effort to uphold law in global sea lines of communications.

The move is the latest instance of French muscle-flexing in Asian waters, a move that is bound to spark China's ire. Back in 2019, the French frigate Vendemiaire conducted unprecedented freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan.

The move to deploy nuclear submarine in the contested waters of the South China Sea comes in the backdrop of US President Joe Biden's warning of a new era of "extreme competition" with China a few weeks earlier.

Biden emphasised the necessity for a joint response along with like-minded allies in Europe and Asia.

Richard Javad Heydarian, in an article in Asia Times, wrote that the growing involvement of international powers from the Indo-Pacific and beyond also belies Beijing's persistent claim that maritime tensions in Asia are caused solely by US overreach.

has consistently maintained that it's a "resident power" in the Indo-Pacific, as it has territorial as well as strategic interests in the region and is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

In its Indo-Pacific Strategy paper, titled "French Strategy in the Indo-Pacific for an inclusive Indo-Pacific", Paris calls for "a stable, multipolar order based on the rule of law and free movement, and fair and efficient multilateralism."

French President Emmanuel Macron has adopted proactive regional diplomacy by expanding defense and economic ties with like-minded powers such as Australia and India as part of a broader "Paris-Delhi-Canberra axis" vis-a-vis China.

The deployment of the French Navy coincides with the first dual-carrier freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS) in the South China Sea by the new US administration, signaling less than a month in office growing international cooperation to rein in Chinese ambitions in adjacent waters, reported Asia Times.

Earlier, the US had deployed Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group to the disputed waters - a first of its kind in almost six months, "to demonstrate the US Navy's ability to operate in challenging environments," according to a statement by the US Navy.

"Through operations like this, we ensure that we are tactically proficient to meet the challenge of maintaining peace and we are able to continue to show our partners and allies in the region that we are committed to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Rear Admiral Doug Verissimo, commander of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.

Other European powers such as the United Kingdom and Germany are also expected to deploy warships to the area in what increasingly looks like a concerted Western pushback against China's maritime ambitions, reported Asia Times.

European powers' growing involvement in regional geopolitics is consistent with the strategic priorities of the Biden administration, which has underscored its commitment to "working with our allies and partners" based "on the international rules of the road."

Moreover, according to the latest "The State of Southeast Asia" survey, annually conducted by the Singapore-based Institute for Southeast Asian Studies (ISEA), a think tank, European powers and Japan, "are the clear front-runners for ASEAN's most favored and trusted strategic partners in the hedging game against US-China rivalry."

What's increasingly clear is that Beijing is facing a concerted push back over its aggressive behaviour against smaller neighbours across international waters, opined Heydarian.

(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.)
New Delhi:

Monsoon Session of Parliament began on Tuesday on a stormy note. The Modi Government faced attacks from Opposition parties in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over atrocities on Dalits and mob lynching. While the continuous uproar forced Lok Sabha to adjourn for the day without any work, Rajya Sabha saw high octane drama as BSP chief Mayawati walked out and threatened to resign. The Upper House will resume work in a while.

Opposition parties, led by Congress, met on Monday to decide the strategy for a full offensive against Modi Government. Apart from several regional issues, the parties have agreed upon five main problems faced by the nation. To that effect, the Opposition has filed various adjournment notices seeking debates and discussions on the topics.

Here are the highlights:

#3:05 PM: Rajya Sabha adjourned till tomorrow



#12:10 PM: Lok Sabha adjourned till 11 am tomorrow

#11:28 AM: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 noon following slogans of 'Dalit virodhi sarkar nahi chalegi' by BSP leaders

#11:17 AM: BJP leader Naqvi says Mayawati has disrespected the House by walking out

#11:15 AM: Mayawati says she will resign if not allowed to speak on dalit issues. I have no business in Parliament if I cannot speak for dalits.

Read full story: Maywati announces resignation from Rajya Sabha

#11:10 AM: Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon following an uproar.

#11:10 AM : BSP supremo attacks Modi Govt on atrocities on dalit by mobs in Rajya Sabha

24 political killings happened in Karnataka but state govt not serious, also why was IPS D Roopa transferred abruptly: Shobha Karan, BJP MP pic.twitter.com/lXm15fFpXa  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

#10:40 AM: Trinamool Congress gives notice in Rajya Sabha on rise in mob lynching incidents.

#10:40 AM: Adjournment motion notice given by RJD leader JP Yadav in Lok Sabha against 'harassment of opposition leaders including Lalu Prasad Yadav'



#Delhi Opposition leaders' meeting underway in Parliament: GN Azad,D Raja,Sharad Yadav,Tariq Anwar,Derek O'Brien and others attend. pic.twitter.com/ETObUVfDnx  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

Delhi: Karnataka BJP leaders hold a protest in Parliament, protesting against transfer of IPS officer D Roopa pic.twitter.com/bKLA6mMhyM  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

Key issues likely to be raised in both Houses:

Farmers' demands and suicides:

The opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi on this issue, is expected to raise farm loan waiver, Minimum Support Price and Mandsaur killings in both houses of Parliament. Opposition plans to raise a hue and cry about agrarian crisis not just in Parliament but also outside it.

GST and unemployment

The Opposition parties will demand to hold discussion on the hasty implementation of Goods and Services Tax and the potential economic fallout form the move. The parties will also seek debate on the rising unemployment in India's IT sector.

Mob lynching

Rising incidents of attrocities on dalits, beef ban related violence and mob lynching is expected to cause ruckus in both Houses, as Opposition has taken a strong united stand against these problems in India.



Kashmir situation

In view of rising incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistan and Indian Army's massive cordon and search operation in Kashmir, Opposition parties are expected to seek discussion on the matter and demand explanation form the government on the ising tension in the Valley. Attack on Amarmnath Yatra pilgrims is also likely to be highlighted.



Sikkim standoff with China

Though the government reached out to the Opposition, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as well as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh tried to set the record straight on China standoff, the Opposition is in no mood to buy government side of story.



The matter will be raised in both houses and demand will be raised that NDA government should make a statement on the entire episode. Opposition will also ask as to what was discussed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The matter will be raised in the Parliament's standing committee on external affairs.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness is a great deal since it can imply safety and convince more people to be vaccinated or immunized against the notorious respiratory disease. Following President Joe Biden's announcement that the United States is getting more doses for the Americans, will the public still avail the vaccine even after incidents of ineffectiveness like a man from California contracting the virus weeks after his second dose?

As of February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that about 106,991,090 individuals tested positive for the COVID-19 across the globe. On the other hand, 2,347,015 deaths due to the coronavirus were recorded, which is alarming. Since the vaccine is still lacking in supply, different countries make their way to secure their constituents' doses.

Read also: COVID-19: Does Virus Mutation Weaken Vaccine Efficacy?

Biden and the 600 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

Denver Post reported that Biden announced that there would be a sufficient supply of the COVID-19 vaccine to allow the authorities and medical health workers to inoculate about 300 million Americans by the end of the summer. The report added that the United States is on the pace of exceeding Biden's goals of 100 million Americans administered with COVID-19 vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office.

According to The Oregonian, Biden also said the administration had secured contractual commitments from Pfizer and Moderna to deliver the 600 million doses of vaccine by the end of July.

The report added that vaccination's pace could further increase if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a third COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.

The Biden administration is working on accelerating getting shots into the Americans' arms and getting the COVID-19 vaccines to the communities.

Denver Post noted that the administration has already deployed troops in helping the mass vaccination sites in several states, and the groundwork will increase once the additional supply for the vaccine is available.

California Man and the COVID-19 Vaccine

Securing doses of vaccines is excellent news, but the decision to get vaccinated is still in every individual's hands.

Fox News reported that a man from Orange County contracted the coronavirus weeks after he was inoculated with his second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Gary Michael told CBS Los Angeles that three weeks after his second injection, he received a call from the Orange County Health Department saying he was positive for COVID-19.

Michael said they also asked him about his symptoms and discussed what he should do. Surprisingly, Dr. Tirso del Junco Jr., a chief medical officer from KPC Health, shared with The Mercury News that we will continue to see "more and more" incidents like Michael.

The report noted that cases similar to Michael are why doctors encouraged people to wear face masks even they have been vaccinated, especially now that new COVID-19 variants are spreading in the community.

Related article: Portuguese Health Worker Dies Two Days After Receiving Pfizer Vaccine, Autopsy Results Unknown

WATCH: Biden Announces Purchase of 200M More Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines from ABC News






News Summary:

Mitigates loss of metal-sensitive analytes to yield higher quality data with less time and effort

Novel MaxPeak High Performance Surface technology eliminates the need for system and column passivation and improves analytical sensitivity and assay-to-assay reproducibility

ACQUITY PREMIER system and column chemistries work together to provide enhanced analytical data quality and greater confidence in separation results

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) today introduced the Waters ACQUITY PREMIER Solution, the next generation in liquid chromatographs featuring Waters breakthrough MaxPeak High Performance Surface (HPS) technology. The solution leverages HPS to vastly improve analytical data quality and eliminate the need for time-consuming and costly passivation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210209006274/en/

The Waters ACQUITY PREMIER Solution combines the power of the ACQUITY PREMIER System with ACQUITY PREMIER Columns to improve detection sensitivity and assay-to-assay reproducibility for chromatographic separations of metal-sensitive analytes like organic acids, organophosphates, oligonucleotides, phosphopeptides, acidic glycans and phospholipids. (Photo: Business Wire)

ACQUITY PREMIER is a universal liquid chromatograph (LC) solution that combines the ACQUITY PREMIER System with ACQUITY PREMIER Columns with MaxPeak HPS technology. It is designed to alleviate the problem of analyte/metal surface interactions when analyzing organic acids, organophosphates, oligonucleotides, phosphopeptides, acidic glycans and phospholipids by reversed phase and hydrophilic interaction chromatography. For these analyses, the new ACQUITY PREMIER solution cuts the time from sample to results, improves analyte recovery and assay-to-assay reproducibility, to give separation scientists greater assurance in the integrity of their qualitative and quantitative analytical results.

The ACQUITY PREMIER Solution represents our biggest innovation in separation science since UPLC, said Ian King, Senior Vice President, Global Products, Waters Corporation. Chromatography has an immeasurable impact on the development of novel therapeutics and treatments for innumerable diseases. The result of decades of separations science know-how along with the combined efforts of our materials scientists, chemists and engineers, ACQUITY PREMIER addresses a long-standing problem that has held back scientific progress long enough. We firmly believe it will redefine the value that separations science brings to scientific achievement.

MaxPeak High Performance Surface Technology

MaxPeak HPS technology is a hybrid organic/inorganic surface technology that forms a barrier between the sample and the metal surfaces of both the system and column. By mitigating, or eliminating altogether, non-specific adsorption, the ACQUITY PREMIER Solution offers many benefits, among them:

increased analyte recovery with 10-100X improvement in detection i sensitivity for low-level phosphorylated and carboxylated analytes reducing the risk of unseen analytes going undetected

sensitivity for low-level phosphorylated and carboxylated analytes reducing the risk of unseen analytes going undetected sharper peak shapes and greater peak capacity for more accurate analyte identification and data interpretation

greater reproducibility for separations prone to adsorptive losses meaning less re-work or troubleshooting, and more confidence in results

no more system passivation to waste valuable sample material or tie up instrument cycles

eases the transfer of methods from site-to-site and from company-to-company

offers UPLC performance for the analysis of both metal-sensitive and non-metal-sensitive analytes making it a truly universal liquid chromatography solution

This approach solves a real problem with the analysis of some particularly troublesome analytes, said noted expert and consultant Prof. Ian Wilson, Faculty of Medicine, Dept. of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London. The improvements in peak shape and signal-to-noise ratio at low concentrations of analytes like phosphorylated drugs and lipids are obvious at a glance and very impressive, and it will make the lives of many analysts much easier.

The ACQUITY PREMIER System and ACQUITY PREMIER columns are now available worldwide from Waters.

Additional Resources

About Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT), the world's leading specialty measurement company, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials, and food sciences for more than 60 years. With more than 7,000 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in 35 countries, including 15 manufacturing facilities, and with products available in more than 100 countries.

Waters, ACQUITY and MaxPeak are trademarks of Waters Corporation.

i Typical results based on Waters lab tests of multiple compounds using both standard UPLC systems and columns compared with ACQUITY PREMIER system and columns featuring MaxPeak HPS. Detection sensitivity may vary depending on the analytes being measured.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210210005204/en/
Why dont nursing homes deliver better care for all of their residents? Why have poor performing facilities become a media staple ripe for investigation for so long? Years ago, I put that question to a nursing home advocate in Texas who replied that if I would have found poor staffing and poor care in day care centers, the state and the public would be screaming from the rafters demanding change and state regulators would listen. Its not the same with nursing homes, the Texan said. Nobody cares much about old people.
The Mercadona chain of supermarkets donated 3,327 tonnes of products to food banks, soup kitchens and other charities in Andalucia during 2020.

Equivalent to 55,450 shopping trolleys, it means that Mercadona has doubled its contributions of food and other staple items during the health and economic crisis compared to the previous year.

Throughout 2020, Mercadona has started to work with 19 new soup kitchens in Andalucia, adding to the existing 85 in the region.

In its commitment to help the most disadvantaged groups, the company has reinforced its donation process by implementing new measures that guarantee both the safety of people and the supply to these organisations.

Customers have also collaborated in the last year with the donation of 652 tonnes of food, mainly during the Great Collection in stores held from 16 to 22 November.

In Malaga province alone Mercadona donated 403 tonnes of staple products in 2020. The company collaborates with the Malaga Food Bank, the Malaga Red Cross and with soup kitchens and other charities.

Paco Rodriguez, director of External Relations at Mercadona in Malaga, said, The exceptional situation that we are experiencing requires agility in our decisions with a single objective: to do whatever is necessary to respond to the demands of the people most in need in this situation of extraordinary complexity.
After decades of conflict, sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan can only be achieved through civil society-led reconciliation, Georgi Vanyan, a Chairman of the Caucasus Center of Peace-Making Initiatives, writes in the article The key to lasting peace in the Caucasus is reconciliation for Al Jazeera. On January 30, the trilateral working group comprised of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which was formed in the wake of last years devastating 44-day conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh to oversee the re-establishment of transport links between the warring nations, held its first meeting in Moscow.

The meeting, co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of each country, was undoubtedly an important step towards resolving the decades-old dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. But such diplomatic efforts and technical arrangements, however important, cannot deliver a durable peace settlement on their own. Sustainable peace is achieved not through meetings held in far-away capitals, but reconciliation between communities.

As an Armenian and an Azerbaijani, we know that mistrust remains rife between our two nations. No political agreement on its own can convince two peoples divided by 30 years of conflict to trust each other and make peace. Armenian and Azerbaijani civil societies, however, can forge footholds upon which real peace can stand by launching initiatives that would bring the two communities together and allow them to understand each other.

Wars, whether they end in victory or defeat, fuel nationalism and this presents yet another obstacle to reconciliation. In Armenia, there are protestors in the streets of the capital calling for a new war to settle the score. In Azerbaijan, meanwhile, the victory against Armenia is being celebrated with military parades. For now, neither nation seems willing to leave the conflict behind and focus on building neighbourly relations.

While the post-war surge in nationalist sentiment will eventually subside, we cannot expect Armenians and Azerbaijanis to simply forget their prejudices about each other over time.

The two communities have had no real interaction since the end of the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in 1994. As they had no shared experiences in more than 20 years, each nation constructed an unrealistic, almost inhuman image of the enemy in their collective minds. Their perception of recent history has also split, with both seeing themselves as the victim and the other as the aggressor.

It was not the people who started the conflict  it was the opposing militaries and political leaders. Both Armenians and Azerbaijanis had their lives destroyed by this conflict, and they both have so much to gain from making peace.

Perhaps too much has happened since the 1990s for people to simply forget and return to the way things were before the start of this dispute. But they can try to forgive. And they can certainly strive to move on.

To do so, civil society should take steps to reconnect older Armenians and Azerbaijanis who once lived together in peace. If old friends and neighbours come together to remember their shared past and rebuild broken relationships, they can show their children that peaceful coexistence is possible. Old friends can have video calls and, once the pandemic is over, face-to-face meetings. They can visit their old neighbourhoods together.

Armenians and Azerbaijanis of all ages can also come together to celebrate Novruz  a Zoroastrian festival that regularly brought Christian and Muslim peoples of the region together in pre-war times. Or civil society can organise joint art festivals, concerts or other social events to present the two communities with opportunities to interact with each other.

What we should not do, however, is to attempt to convince the two communities to agree on a single version of history, for this is impossible. Instead, we should all recognise there is no right version of history. We cannot, and should not aspire to, convince either community that their perception of their nations recent history is flawed. But we can create opportunities for both Azerbaijanis and Armenians to recognise that there can be different, but equally legitimate, interpretations of historical events.

As British historian EH Carr opined, interpretation plays a necessary part in establishing the facts of history, and because no existing interpretation is wholly objective, one interpretation is as good as another. If each community can accept that its version of history, and understanding of it, is different to the other, they can finally stop focusing on proving themselves right, and instead start working on building a common future.

We can start our reconciliation efforts with a meeting in Tekali  a Georgian village near the intersection of the countrys borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Rebuilding the links that existed between members of our communities before everything was prised apart by war must be prioritised as our political leaders continue their efforts to secure a peace deal acceptable to both sides. This is the only way we can achieve sustainable peace.
[February 12, 2021] Harris Williams Advises Xirgo Technologies, LLC on its Pending Sale to Sensata Technologies, Inc.

Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it is advising Xirgo Technologies, LLC (Xirgo), a portfolio company of HKW, on its pending sale to Sensata Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:ST; Sensata). Xirgo is a leading provider of innovative, full-featured, application-specific wireless IoT communication devices for tracking, monitoring, and protecting remote assets and workers across an array of end markets. The transaction is being led by Giles Tucker, Eric Logue, Chris Toussaint and Nick Kron of the Harris Williams Industrials Group and Andy Leed of the firm's Technology Group. "Xirgo is a pioneer of wireless telematics and asset tracking devices for the IoT growth sector, and is recognized throughout the industry for its innovative solutions and extensive software and engineering capabilities," said Giles Tucker, a managing director at Harris Williams. "Xirgo's advanced asset tracking and telematics communication solutions, combined with Sensata's leading sensor portfolio, offer a compelling platform in the rapidly evolving smart and onnected IoT ecosystem. It was a pleasure working with the Xirgo and HKW teams on this transaction and we are excited to have found a partner that shares in management's strategic vision for the business."



"This transaction highlights the interest from corporate buyers in sectors such as industrial connectivity and data analytics, which offer significant growth potential and are early in the adoption curve," added Eric Logue, a managing director at Harris Williams. "Xirgo represents another marquee transaction for Harris Williams in the industrial technology sector, and we are thrilled to have advised the company and HKW." Xirgo is a leading global provider of innovative, full-featured, customizable wireless IoT communication devices and software solutions. An expansive product line facilitates best-in-class solutions for an array of end markets and applications. With comprehensive in-house engineering and software capabilities in all key development disciplines, Xirgo consistently delivers compelling solutions to companies searching for ways to become more competitive, improve operational efficiencies and unlock new revenue streams. In conjunction with its partners, Xirgo has provided competitive solutions in the realm of telematics, fleet management, heavy equipment, asset tracking, usage-based driving, high-risk vehicle finance, cold chain and rental applications.

HKW is a middle market private equity firm investing in companies with talented management teams in the U.S. and Canada. HKW targets companies in the business services, health and wellness, and technology sectors. Since 1982, HKW has sponsored 63 platform transactions of lower middle market companies throughout North America, as well as 70 add-on acquisitions. Sensata is a leading industrial technology company that develops sensors, sensor-based solutions, including controllers and software, and other mission-critical products to create valuable business insights for customers and end users. For more than 100 years, Sensata has provided a wide range of customized, sensor-rich solutions that address complex engineering requirements to help customers solve difficult challenges in the automotive, heavy vehicle and off-road, industrial, and aerospace industries. With more than 19,000 employees and operations in 13 countries, Sensata's solutions help to make products safer, cleaner, and more efficient, electrified and connected. Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC (News - Alert) Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). The Harris Williams Industrials Group has experience across a variety of sectors, including advanced manufacturing; building products; chemicals and specialty materials; industrial technology; and packaging. For more information on the firm's Industrials Group and other recent transactions, visit the Industrials Group's section of the Harris Williams website. The Harris Williams Technology Group advises leading private and public companies, founders, and private equity, growth equity and venture capital firms on mergers and acquisitions and capital-raising transactions worldwide. The Technology Group has deep domain expertise in software and technology-enabled services and dedicated focus areas across a variety of vertical software applications and end markets. For more information on the Technology Group and its recent transactions, visit the Technology Group's section of the Harris Williams website. Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: hwgermany@harriswilliams.com). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005309/en/

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Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expects that in 2021 it will be possible to revise the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union as soon as possible.

"Today we started the process of revising the Association Agreement and agreed on the next steps. We also submitted proposals to the European Union to start new areas of cooperation under the Agreement, and the EU confirmed its readiness to expand cooperation. Work on updating the Agreement will last for a year, and we hope to sign all necessary changes as soon as possible," Shmyhal wrote on his Facebook page.

He also said that in 2021 the European Union will allocate EUR 40 million for vaccination in the Eastern Partnership countries, in particular in Ukraine.

"The EU will allocate EUR 40 million for the vaccination process in Eastern Partnership countries this year, in particular for Ukraine. In addition, the European Commission will help Poland resell 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to Ukraine on a non-profit basis," the prime minister said.

According to Shmyhal, the first dialogue between Ukraine and the EU took place in direction of the European Green Deal implementation. "This is a clear signal that we have a common vision of the opportunities and challenges for a green energy transition and achieving climate neutrality," he said.

In addition, Ukraine and the EU plan to expand the free trade zone and have already launched a dialogue on updating the relevant parameters. "We are counting on significant progress this year in approaching the so-called 'industrial visa-free travel' and mutual recognition of electronic trust services," the prime minister said.

Shmyhal also said that Ukraine has fulfilled all the necessary conditions for signing an agreement on common aviation space with the European Union, which will have positive consequences for the air transportation market of both Ukraine and the European Union.
Detailed ventilation assessments were not completed at most of Victorias quarantine hotels when the state reopened its borders to coronavirus via returned travellers in December.

Advice supplied by the government reveals engineers examined fresh air exchange rates in rooms at the hot hotels  which deal with people infected with the virus  but did not look at cold hotels used to house returned travellers who have not tested positive.

The Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport has been closed for a terminal clean. Credit:Jason South

The information was provided to The Age in December last year, as it examined growing concerns that poor ventilation was contributing to coronavirus spread and posed a particular danger in hotels.

We always thought that the cold hotels would be properly audited, as well as the hot ones, said the Australian Medical Associations Victorian president Julian Rait.


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In January, when COVID-19 vaccines were first rolled out among US health care workers, news stories quickly surfaced with reports that large numbers of health care workers were refusing to be vaccinated.

In a press briefing on January 4, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that roughly 60 percent of the states nursing home workers refused the first round of vaccinations.

Nurses and physicians on a COVID-19 unit in Texas [Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr.]

Other areas reported a similar phenomenon. In Los Angeles County, between 20 and 40 percent of all health care workers refused the vaccine when first available, and 50 percent in neighboring Riverside County refused.

Dr. Jeremy Boal, the chief clinical officer at the Mount Sinai Hospital system in NYC, told the Gothamist in early January that across the eight hospitals in the system, vaccine acceptance ranged from 25 to 65 percent.

The trend of vaccine skepticism among health care workers is especially dangerous because these workers are in more frequent contact with both COVID-19 patients and patients who are more vulnerable to deadly COVID-19 complications. Health care workers also play a crucial role in influencing the general population to accept the vaccine.

Updated data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) COVID-19 vaccine monitor shows that compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine is increasing among health care workers as well as the general population. However, health care workers are still accepting vaccination at alarmingly low rates.

The KFF COVID-19 vaccine monitor is an ongoing research project that tracks the publics attitude toward the vaccine using a combination of qualitative research and surveys.

As of January 27, 32 percent of surveyed health care workers say they have received at least the first dose and 26 percent say they plan to receive it as soon as they can. Twenty-eight percent state they want to wait-and-see, while 9 percent say they will never get it. Of those refusing or delaying vaccination, 68 percent cited fear of long-term side effects as their primary concern.

According to the KFF vaccine monitor, despite high levels of vaccine hesitancy, health care workers are still vaccinated or plan to be vaccinated at higher rates than the general population. Fifty-eight percent of surveyed health care workers have been vaccinated or plan to become vaccinated as soon as possible compared to 47 percent of the surveyed general population.

Another survey by the non-profit group Surgo Ventures, focused solely on health care workers, allows for a more detailed analysis. The Surgo survey polled 2,500 health care workers between December 17 and 30. Respondents were split into three categories: health care professionals (nurses, physicians, dentists, pharmacists, physicians assistants), allied health professionals (phlebotomists, nurse assistants, EMTs, medical technicians) and support staff (environmental services, kitchen staff, patient transporters, etc.).

At the time of the survey, 50 percent of respondents had been offered the vaccine and, across all groups, an average of 15 percent had refused vaccination. The group most likely to refuse the vaccine were allied health professionals, with a refusal rate of 22 percent.

The Surgo data also showed that long-term care facility (i.e., nursing home) workers were most likely to refuse the vaccine, with 7.5 of 10 long-term care facility workers compliant with the vaccine compared to 8.1 out of 10 hospital health care workers.

According to the Surgo study, 31 percent of those who refused the vaccine stated they were concerned about lack of evidence and safety of the vaccine. Another 24 percent had concerns about long-term side effects of vaccination. Sixteen percent felt the process of vaccine research and rollout was too rushed, and 12 percent stated they wanted to wait to observe side effects or issues in others.

Health care workers also hold an immense influence on the rest of the populations opinion of vaccination for COVID-19. Eighty percent of non-health-care workers surveyed in the KFF survey stated that they would turn to a health care provider for more information if they were unsure about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, the Surgo survey found that 14 percent of physicians working in long-term care facilities stated they would advise a vaccine-hesitant patient to decline the COVID-19 vaccine compared to 3 percent of physicians working in hospitals.

Both surveys offer advice to fight this phenomenon. They suggest educational campaigns and styles of questions or types of information that are most likely to convince a vaccine-hesitant citizen. Public health research and strategies on ways to increase vaccination against COVID-19 are crucial in the fight against the spread of preventable disease and against the reactionary anti-vaccination movement.

However, neither survey addresses the political, social and historical context in which hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccinations among health care workers is taking place. There is no question that the inadequate, criminal, chaotic and disorganized response by the ruling class to the coronavirus pandemic has contributed to the reluctance of health care workers to embrace a safe and efficacious vaccine.

In April, then-President Trump urged Americans to inject themselves with disinfectant and insert ultraviolet lights into their bodies, measures that would kill those unfortunate enough to follow the presidents advice. He claimed that COVID-19 was no worse than the flu, pronounced that his gut instinct told him the pandemic would be over in April, and promoted use of hydroxychloroquine against the FDAs warnings. In September, Trump made false claims that the White House could overrule the FDA if the agency maintained its standards for approval of COVID-19 vaccines.

The constant barrage of brazen lies from the Trump administration on the fight against the coronavirus has led millions who hate Trump to distrust the COVID-19 vaccines and doubt their efficacy, against scientific evidence. To this must be added, of course, millions more who have been fooled by right-wing propagandainitially embraced by Trumpthat the coronavirus itself is a hoax, or no worse than the flu, and therefore a vaccine against it is not necessary. Health care workers are to be found in both these segments of the population.

Health care workers have also been frontline victims of the bipartisan homicidal herd-immunity strategy, which allowed the disease to run rampant against all medical and scientific advice. This has had a direct effect on the lives of all workers, especially health care workers who see and feel each surge and outbreak. Their backs hurt from proning more patients in the ICU. Their facial skin breaks down from more time wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Their brains are foggy from exhaustion after picking up more overtime shifts to make up for co-workers who have fallen ill or died. When offered a vaccine from the same ruling class that has put them through hell, some health care workers interpret this as another experiment, where they again are the lab rats.

Health care worker refusal of the vaccine has also likely been influenced by the continued campaign from the ruling class to minimize the severity of SARS-CoV-2 and normalize death. This outlook is rooted in the class interests of the ruling class, which prioritizes economic health over human life. The media, the political establishment, in both parties, and the financial oligarchs all embrace this outlook.

After taking office, Democratic President Joe Biden stated that there is nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months. This is a blatant lie, as blatant as any that has come out of Trumps mouth. This too contributes to the atmosphere of helplessness and fatalism that underlies the distrust of vaccination by those who are in the greatest need.

A patient approach to the reluctance of some health care workers to be vaccinated does not imply any conciliation with the reactionary anti-vaccination movement, cultivated in a small, privileged section of the upper middle class, based on a total rejection of modern science.

Famously flawed and fabricated studies, such as the Lancet publication by Andrew Wakefield that falsely linked the MMR vaccine with autism, continue to play a role in the misinformation peddled by the anti-vaccination movement.

Despite its small size, anti-vaccination efforts have had a significant and deleterious public health effect. Measles requires herd-immunity rates of 93 to 95 percent to create an umbrella of protection for the community. Levels even slightly below this have recently caused deadly measles outbreaks across the world. Last year, the US reported its highest measles caseload in 25 years, according to the WHO.

The longstanding anti-vaccination campaign is now being reinforced by a significant right-wing element mobilized by Trump in his efforts to build a fascist movement. On January 30, a mass vaccination site at Los Angeles Dodger stadium was shut down for about an hour by 50 demonstrators who blocked the entrance.

The demonstration was organized by the group Shop Mask Free Los Angeles, which stated that the protest would be staged to be against everything COVID, Vaccine, PCR Tests, Lockdowns, Masks, Fauci, Gates, Newsom, China, digital tracking, etc. This small group of far-right demonstrators were allowed to disrupt a major public health operation while the LAPD officers stood by and watched. The demonstration was promoted publicly on social media and was not unexpected. The LAPD was not caught off guard, but chose not to act, in line with the police response to previous anti-lockdown protests as well as the January 6 insurrection.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Information Affairs Minister and Board of Trustees Chairman of the Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIDP) Ali bin Mohammed Al-Romaihi has lauded the wide-ranging development achievements attained by the Kingdom of Bahrain since the inauguration of the National Action Charter (NAC) two decades ago.

He said that the National Action Charter was the fruitful outcome of a pioneering royal initiative and an unprecedented popular consensus in a historic referendum approved by an overwhelming majority of 98.4% of the citizens, adding that NAC endorsement was a defining moment and a bright phase that led to the establishment of the state of law and constitutional institutions that supports democratic work and responsible media freedoms.

The minister extended deepest congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the 20th anniversary of the National Action Charters endorsement, and the beginning of a new era of reforms, modernisation, sustainable development, as well as media and knowledge creativity, within a modern Constitutional Monarchy.

Al-Romaihi asserted that since the popular consensus on the National Action Charter, Bahrain has strengthened its status as a pioneering model for democratic transformation, and respect for human rights, as well as political and civil freedoms, on top of which are the press and media freedom and the freedom to express ones opinion, within the context of an integrated system to protect public freedoms.

This is supported by the presence of the Shura and Representatives Councils, a fair and independent judiciary and effective institutions to promote the human rights culture, the bases of enlightened democratic practices and the values of good citizenship, such as the Bahrain Institute for Political Development, the National Institutions for Human Rights and the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, he said.

The Information Minister affirmed that under the leadership of HM King Hamad, Bahrain is resolved to carry on enhancing its civilisational accomplishments following the Constitution and the National Action Charter, within the framework of the national medias commitment to undertaking its enlightening mission, the BIPDs continuous role in supporting the sustainable democratic and development march, and consolidating the values of tolerance and national unity, in addition to supporting the tireless efforts of Team Bahrain, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to continue delivering educational services remotely, and raising societal awareness on the precautionary measures to confront the novel coronavirus pandemic.
A 90-year old Los Angeles resident has taken out two quarter-page newspaper ads to tell AT&T's CEO that his internet service is too slow.

Aaron Epstein spent $10,000 for the two ads to be featured in two separate editions of The Wall Street Journal on February 3 - despite friends and family urging him to use social media to get his message out.

But Epstein - who has been an AT&T customer since 1960 - does not have Twitter or Facebook, and decided to take a more old fashioned approach in order to get the attention of the telecommunication company's boss, John T. Stankey.

Epstein settled on taking out an ad in the Dallas, Texas edition of The Wall Street Journal, where the company is based.

He also placed an ad in the New York City edition of the same publication, hoping it would attract the attention of investors.

Aaron Epstein spent $10,000 on two quarter-page newspaper ads telling AT&T's CEO that his internet service is too slow

Epstein's open letter (pictured above) was published in both the Dallas and New York editions of The Wall Street Journal on February 3

'Open Letter to Mr John T. Stankey CEO AT&T ,' Epstein's advertisement began.

'AT&T prides itself as a leader in electronic communications. Unfortunately for the people who live in North Hollywood 91607, AT&T is now a major disappointment,' the senior citizen subsequently declared.

'Although AT&T is advertising speeds of up to 100 MBS, the fasted now available to us from AT&T is only 3 MBS. ... Why is Why is AT&T, a leading communications company, treating us so shabbily in North Hollywood?'

Despite claims that social media may have been a cheaper and more effective way of garnering AT&T's attention, Epstein's advertisements quickly became the talk of the town.

He told KTLA on Thursday that he received a call from the company's executive offices the very same day the ads ran.

'[They told me] 'We're going to see what we can do for you',' Epstein told the news network, adding that the company may install new fiber optic cables in his area.

The letter was no doubt read by John T. Stankey (pictured), as it ran in two editions of The Wall Street Journal - attracting the attention of employees and investors

Epstein told KTLA that he could have used the $10,000 to take a vacation, but has no regrets about splashing the cash on the advertisements.

'With the response Im getting  its accomplishing my goal. The money we couldve spent for other luxuries is going to something thats also giving us pleasure,' he stated.

Epstein says if improvements aren't made soon he is prepared to take his business elsewhere, even after 61 years as a paying AT&T customer.

In a statement, the company told KTLA that they invested $3.1 billion in the Los Angeles area from 2017 to 2019, and are continually working to upgrade their services.
Cairo:

Indian Embassy in Egypt has come out with the 500th edition of the flagship Arabic magazine Sawtul-Hind.

The magazine, which acts as an interface between the two countries, is being published by the Indian Embassy in Egypt for the past six decades and its commemorative issue was celebrated at a ceremony here yesterday.

Organised by the Indian embassy, the commemoration ceremony held in Zamalek was attended by Indias ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya with Egyptian Minister of Culture Helmi el-Namnam being the Chief Guest, besides a large number of diplomats, thinkers, writers, university professors.

"Sawtul Hind devoted much effort in recording the deep connections at the social and popular level between the people of our two countries. It noted how our ancient civilisations grew around noble rivers far apart but were united by the seas. It observed how our relations swelled with trade, economic and scientific exchanges," Bhattacharyya said.

"It contributed profoundly to promotion of literary and artistic works and sharing joys of the present and dreams of the future as a participant in our vibrant cultural exchanges, especially the growing exchanges between people," he said.

Also Read: Removing salads from meals, fewer copies of in-flight magazine among cost-saving tips from Air India CMD

Sawtul Hind, whose first edition was published in 1952, is and continues to be an interface between India and Egypt and the Arab world at large, by collating information on both countries political cooperation, economic engagement and cultural ties.

"This year, as we celebrate India@70, marking 70 years of our independence and 70 years of diplomatic ties with friendly Egypt, we also commemorate the 500th edition of Sawtul Hind," Bhattacharyya said.

"It makes us proud that there is a cultural magazine published by an Embassy which is being published in Egypt for over 50 years on regular basis," Helmi said.

The Minister also said that the magazine was first established at a time when Egypt and India were experiencing political changes and has witnessed the strong relations between former Egyptian President Gamal Abel Naser and Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as well as former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat.

Also Read: Gulf Crisis | US officials claim UAE hacked Qatar Govt sites to induce regional tension: Report

"Sawtul Hind is a great magazine, one who follows its first issues will notice that some of its writers were Egyptian writes Tawfik el-Hakim, Abass Mahmoud el-Akad, Ahmed Kasem Goda and a number of big writes at that time," the Minister said.

A photo exhibition displaying various covers of the magazine was also organised as part of the commemoration.Oriental Music group from the Egyptian Ministry of Culture performed at the ceremony.

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File image: Brazil's Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello, Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, Communications Minister Fabio Faria and Indian ambassador Suresh Reddy prepare to receive two million doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccines from India at Sao Paulo International Airport, Brazil on January 22, 2021. (Image: Reuters/Amanda Perobelli)

India, the unmatched vaccine manufacturing power, is giving away millions of doses to neighbors friendly and estranged. It is trying to counter China, which has made doling out shots a central plank of its foreign relations. And the United Arab Emirates, drawing on its oil riches, is buying jabs on behalf of its allies.

The coronavirus vaccine  one of the worlds most in-demand commodities  has become a new currency for international diplomacy.

Countries with the means or the know-how are using the shots to curry favor or thaw frosty relations. India sent them to Nepal, a country that has fallen increasingly under Chinas influence. Sri Lanka, in the midst of a diplomatic tug of war between New Delhi and Beijing, is getting doses from both.

The strategy carries risks. India and China, both of which are making vaccines for the rest of the world, have vast populations of their own that they need to inoculate. Though there are few signs of grumbling in either country, that could change as the public watches doses get sold or donated abroad.

Indians are dying. Indians are still getting the disease, said Manoj Joshi, a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank. I could understand if our needs had been fulfilled and then you had given away the stuff. But I think there is a false moral superiority that you are trying to put across where you say we are giving away our stuff even before we use it ourselves.

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 donating countries are making their offerings at a time when the United States and other rich nations are scooping up the worlds supplies. Poorer countries are frantically trying to get their own, a disparity that the World Health Organization recently warned has put the world on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure.

With their health systems tested like never before, many countries are eager to take what they are offered  and the donors could reap some political good will in reward.

Instead of securing a country by sending troops, you can secure the country by saving lives, by saving their economy, by helping with their vaccination, said Dania Thafer, the executive director of the Gulf International Forum, a Washington-based think tank.

China was one of the first countries to make a diplomatic vaccine push, promising to help developing countries last year even before the nation had mass produced a vaccine that was proved to be effective. Just this week, it said it would donate 300,000 vaccine doses to Egypt.

But some of Chinas vaccine-diplomacy efforts have stumbled from supplies arriving late, a lack of disclosure about the efficacy of its vaccines and other issues. Chinese government officials have cited unexpectedly strong needs at home amid isolated outbreaks, a move that could blunt any domestic backlash.

Even as Chinese-made vaccines spread, India saw a chance to bolster its own image.

The Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest vaccine factory, churns out the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine at a daily rate of about 2.5 million doses. That pace has allowed India to begin to dole out doses free of charge to neighbors. To much fanfare, planeloads have arrived in Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles and Afghanistan.

Acting East. Acting fast, said S. Jaishankar, Indias foreign minister, announcing the arrival of 1.5 million doses in Myanmar, on Twitter.

The Indian government has tried to score publicity points for doses shipped to places like Brazil and Morocco, though those countries purchased theirs. The Serum Institute has also pledged 200 million doses to a global WHO pool called Covax that would go to poorer nations, while China recently pledged 10 million.

For now, the Indian government has room to donate abroad, even after months when cases soared and the economy was hobbled, and even as it has vaccinated just a tiny percent of its 1.3 billion people. Part of the reason for a lack of backlash: the Serum Institute is producing at a faster rate than Indias inoculation program can currently handle, leaving extras for donations and exports.

And some Indians are not in a rush to get vaccinated because of skepticism over a homegrown vaccine called Covaxin. The Indian government approved its emergency use without disclosing much data about it, leading some people to doubt its effectiveness. While the AstraZeneca-Oxford jab has faced less skepticism, those getting vaccinated dont have a choice of which vaccine they receive.

For India, its soft-power vaccine drive has given it a rejoinder to China, after years of watching the Chinese make political gains in its own backyard  in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Nepal and elsewhere. Beijing offered deep pockets and swift answers when it came to big investments that India, with a layered bureaucracy and slowing economy, has struggled to match.

Indias neighborhood has become more crowded, more competitive, said Constantino Xavier, who studies Indias relations with its neighbors at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, a New Delhi think tank. The vaccine push bolsters Indias credibility as a reliable crisis-responder and solutions provider to these neighboring countries.

One of Indias largest donations has been to Nepal, where Indias relationship has been at a historic low. Sandwiched between India and China, the tiny country is strategically significant to both.

Over the past five years, following border disputes and what some in Nepal criticize as a master-and-servant relationship with India, the government of K.P. Sharma Oli, the prime minister, began cozying up to China. Oli held workshops on Xi Jinping Thought, based on the strategies of Chinas top leader, and signed contracts for several projects as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijings infrastructure and development push.

But the prime minister started losing his grip on power last year. As both Chinese and Indian delegations arrived in Kathmandu to steer Nepals domestic political jockeying, the Nepali leader seems to have lowered the temperature with India.

After Oli sent his foreign minister for talks in New Delhi, India donated 1 million doses. Chinas Sinopharm has also applied for Nepals approval of its vaccine, but drug authorities there have not given it the go ahead.

The vaccine emerged as an opportunity to normalize ties between Nepal and India, said Tanka Karki, a former Nepali envoy to China.

Still, the strategy of using vaccines to win hearts and minds isnt always successful.

The United Arab Emirates, which is rolling out vaccines faster than any country except Israel, has begun donating Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccines it purchased to countries where it has strategic or commercial interests, including 50,000 doses each to the Seychelles, the island nation in the Indian Ocean, and Egypt, one of its Arab allies.

But in Egypt some doctors balked at using them, because they said they did not trust the data the UAE and the vaccines Chinese maker had released about trials. The government of Malaysia, one of the Emirates biggest trading partners, declined an offer of 500,000 doses, saying that regulators would have to independently approve the Sinopharm vaccine. After regulatory approval, Malaysia bought vaccines instead from Pfizer of the United States, the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and one made by another Chinese company, Sinovac.

Even accepted goodwill can be short-lived. Witness Sri Lanka, where India and China are in a battle for influence.

Since Gotabaya Rajapaksa took office as president in 2019, New Delhi has struggled to get his government to commit to a deal his predecessor signed to complete a terminal project at the Colombo port to be developed partly by India. While large Chinese projects continued, Rajapaksa opened the Indian deal for a review.

Hoping to stress the importance of the project, Jaishankar, the Indian foreign minister, visited last month. That same month, 500,000 vaccine doses arrived from India. Rajapaksa was at the airport to receive them. Sri Lanka has also placed a purchase order of 18 million doses from the Serum Institute, the health ministry in Colombo confirmed.

The Indian media treated both as a diplomatic victory, and it seems clear Sri Lanka will depend largely on India for vaccines. But on Jan. 27, Rajapaksa received another gift, from China: a pledge to donate 300,000 doses.

The dueling donations are just part of a much larger diplomatic dance. Still, a week later, Rajapaksas Cabinet decided that Sri Lanka was developing the Colombo terminal on its own, pushing India out of the project.

By Mujib Mashal and Vivian Yee. Bhadra Sharma, Elsie Chen, Aanya Piyari, Salman Masood and Zia ur-Rehman contributed reporting.

c.2021 The New York Times Company
Barrett-Jackson to Auction 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing VIN 001 and CT4-V Blackwing VIN 001 for Charity During Scottsdale Auction

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-Barrett-Jackson, The Worlds Greatest Collector Car Auctions, announced today that VIN 001 of a pair of new exciting high-performance cars, the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing (Lot #3002) and CT4-V Blackwing (Lot #3001), will be sold to benefit charity during the Scottsdale Auction at WestWorld of Scottsdale, March 20-27, 2021. One-hundred percent of the hammer price from both first-production performance sedans will benefit Black Ambition, a PolicyLink non-profit initiative launched by Pharrell Williams that provides a bridge to success for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs who are launching tech, design, healthcare and consumer products/services start-ups. To date, Barrett-Jackson has helped raise more than $127 million for more than 130 local and national charitable organizations.

The Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-V Blackwings have seen tremendous attention since their introduction just days ago, said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. These modern luxury performance sedans combine Cadillacs most powerful engines ever built with a spectacular suspension to set a new standard for comfort and performance. As the last in a line of Cadillacs with a factory 6-speed manual transmission, these two first-production vehicles are destined to be coveted collector cars for generations to come. It is an honor that GM chose to auction these performance sedans as part of the largest docket of VIN 001 and first production vehicles ever offered during one auction.

The 2022 CT5-V Blackwing VIN 001 (Lot #3002) is a track-capable, ultimate performance sedan. With a 6.2-liter twin-turbocharged, hand-built V8 engine capable, the CT5-V is capable of 668 horsepower, making it the most powerful Cadillac ever built. Its custom Launch Control with Line Lock delivers a 3.7-second 0 to 60 time, while the 6-speed manual transmission is the last planned manual for General Motors. Inside, the cockpit balances high-end luxury including carbon-fiber accents and ergonomic performance seats, as well as a high-performance steering wheel with fine leather, carbon-fiber trim and a unique serialized plate that has a laser-etched engraving of a portion of the VIN.

More than a century ago, Cadillac put the automotive world on notice with the first mass-produced V8 engine, said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. Today, the company has rewritten the rules for performance sedans with the introduction of the 2022 CT5-V and CT4-V Blackwings. Were honored to auction these two VIN 001s with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Black Ambitions efforts to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs.

The 2022 CT4-V Blackwing VIN 001 (Lot #3001) is powered by a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine capable of producing 472 horsepower for a 0 to 60 time of 3.8 seconds. The CT4-V is the only sedan in its segment to offer a factory 6-speed manual transmission. The nimble sedan comes to a halt using high-performance Brembo brakes. Inside, the driver-focused cockpit balances high-end luxury with high-adrenaline performance and features carbon-fiber accents and ergonomic performance seats.

The winning bidders will own the rights to the first-production 2022 CT5-V Blackwing, VIN 001, and 2022 CT-V Blackwing, VIN 001.

Black Ambitions long-term vision is for inclusive entrepreneurship to be the new normal. The startup non-profit initiative, a PolicyLink project, will be led by an all-star advisory team that includes Grammy Award-winning recording artist, producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Pharrell Williams, with support from The Bridgespan Group, a global nonprofit organization that advises mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, philanthropists and impact investors.

Click here to become a registered bidder at the Barrett-Jackson March 2021 Auction, or click here to consign a collector vehicle. To purchase tickets to the event (available online only), click here. Join Barrett-Jacksons online conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube #BarrettJackson

Barrett-Jackson Commitment to Guest Health and Safety

Barrett-Jackson is committed to the health and safety of all its guests, sponsors, vendors, partners and media during its in-person events. The company is closely following local, state and federal health and safety protocols. To help maintain physical distancing guidelines recommended for live events, the auction arena during Barrett-Jacksons 2021 Scottsdale Auction will be limited to bidders, consignors and their guests. Tickets to the event can be purchased by the general public online in advance only. Media credentials will also be limited to comply with physical distancing requirements. Enhanced live online and phone bidding options will be available for registered bidders. For safety protocols and information about the 2021 Scottsdale Auction, click here.

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company

Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson, The Worlds Greatest Collector Car Auctions, is the leader in collector car and automotive lifestyle events, which include authentic automobilia auctions and the sale of private collections. The company produces live auction across the country, as well as Online Only auctions throughout the year. With broadcast partners FYI and HISTORY, Barrett-Jackson will feature live television coverage in 2021, as well as all the cars, all the time via the live stream on Barrett-Jackson.com. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694.
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The ASTI has said that representatives had constructive engagement with the Minister for Education and her officials on the Leaving Certificate today.

The Association of Secondary School Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has said that work is being done with a view to finding a resolution to the current impasse.

Last night, the ASTI announced that it was withdrawing from discussions on the Leaving Cert 2021 pending a guarantee that the talks will focus on the Ministers stated objectives of planning for examinations and scoping out a corresponding measure.

Education Minister Norma Foley.

ASTI General Secretary Kieran Christie said it was unacceptable that a plan is being developed which will see students preparing for two versions of a Leaving Cert, with Calculated Grades being the dominant option, and the Leaving Cert exams filling in assessment gaps.

In a statment today, the Department of Education said that the Minister for Education Norma Foley TD had met with the President and General Secretary of the TUI, Martin Marjoram and Michael Gillespie today to discuss the progress being made in the ongoing discussions regarding the 2021 State examinations.

The Minister also met with the President and General Secretary of the ASTI, Ann Piggott and Kieran Christie.

"The Minister reaffirmed her strong belief that the process of confidential engagement with all stakeholders agreed last Friday remains the best forum to advance discussions. She extended an invitation to the ASTI to reengage in this process," the statement said.

The Minister said that discussions on the State Examinations will continue throughout the weekend and that she is committed to providing clarity and certainty to students at the earliest possible time.

A need for clarity

Sinn Fein TD for Cork South Central and Spokesperson on Education, Donnchadh O Laoghaire said that he hopes that things can now get back on track.

We want to be constructive on this, from Sinn Feins point of view. We want to see a solution, our focus is the Leaving cert students but for that to happen, we need everyone to get back around the table.

I think every effort should be made to try and deliver a solution and certainty, or at least clarity by Tuesday, he added.

Don O'Leary at the Cork Life Centre. Picture Dan Linehan

Cork Life Centre director Don OLeary said that clarity for students next week is vital, as many are struggling with the unknown.

Were the adults here. We have to be showing these kids some leadership and we have to be listening to what they are saying.

They should be at the centre and at the core of every decision because they are the ones that are going to have to live with it and they need clarity, and they need it now.
Yangon: Myanmars coup leader used the countrys Union Day holiday on Friday to call on protesters to work with the military if they wanted democracy, a request likely to be met with derision by those pushing for the release from detention of their countrys elected leaders.

I would seriously urge the entire nation to join hands with the Tatmadaw for the successful realisation of democracy, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said using the local name for the military. Historical lessons have taught us that only national unity can ensure the non-disintegration of the Union and the perpetuation of sovereignty, he added.

Protesters hold placards with images of their detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi outside the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) office in Yangon on Thursday. Credit:Getty Images

In addition to the military commanders message published in the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, the new junta also announced it would mark Union Day by releasing thousands of prisoners and reducing other inmates sentences.

Min Aung Hlaings February 1 coup ousted the civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and prevented recently elected politicians from opening a new session of Parliament. It reversed nearly a decade of progress towards democracy following 50 years of military rule and has led to rare widespread protests in cities around the country.
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Migrants rush past riot police at the foot of a bridge leading from the migrant camp to the El Chaparral pedestrian entrance at the San Ysidro border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 25, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Terror Threat Across Southern Border Elevated and Escalating, Expert Says

WASHINGTONAs the number of illegal border crossings increases, experts are warning that the sheer volume makes it easier for potential terrorists to slip through the cracks.

An average of about 3,000 people were arrested every day in January after crossing the southern border illegally, according to the latest statistics from Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

I think the threat may very well be elevated and escalating, said Todd Bensman, senior fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and author of Americas Covert Border War.

I believe that we are at the front end of another mass migration crisis on our southern border.

Bensman said attention should be focused on the current changes being made to the U.S. asylum system and any subsequent gaps that are created.

We should remember, most of the terrorists that infiltrated the European borders abused that asylum systemmade up fake names and fake storiesand got in [during] the crisis, he said during a panel discussion on Feb. 10.

It created a catastrophe from one end of that continent to another that has continued to this day.

Concerns mounted in Europe in 2015 and 2016, when terrorists began to infiltrate the massive refugee flows coming mostly out of Syria.

In a two-year span from the end of 2015, more than 300 people were killed and thousands more were injured in attacks inspired by the ISIS terrorist group, including those in Paris (mass shootings and suicide bombings), Brussels (two suicide bombings), Nice (truck attack), and Barcelona (van attack), and at the Berlin Christmas markets (truck attack), the Manchester Arena (suicide bomb), and the London Bridge (van and stabbings).

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an average of 10 known or suspected terrorists are prevented from entering the United States every day. These are individuals flagged on a U.S. terror watch list; most are encountered at airports or even while still overseas as they apply for a visa.

In addition, 3,000 special-interest aliens were apprehended at the southwest border in 2018, according to then-DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Special-interest aliens (SIAs) are labeled as such for their travel patterns and behavior. They hail from dozens of countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa, where terrorist groups operate.

Any citizens from those countries entering the U.S. illegally are considered SIAs and are subject to an enhanced level of screening.

Theyre showing up at the border without any identification very often, moving through South America, Latin America, using human smugglers, Bensman said.

11 Iranians

On Feb. 1, CBP arrested 11 Iranians who had crossed the border illegally near Yuma, Arizona.

Right now, things are sensitive because the Iranians have promised retaliation for the assassination of [Iranian commander Qassem] Soleimani, Bensman said. A U.S. drone strike killed Soleimani in January 2020.

The likelihood that these are bad guys is probably fairly low, he said, adding that its also possible some may be abdicators from the military or from an administrative department in the Iranian regime that might prove useful to the United States.

In general, terrorists have very long memories, said Norman Townsend, former FBI supervisory agent for the Laredo, Texas, joint terrorism taskforce.

Their mission could be years into the future, he said. Weve also had examples of people who have come here legally and then been radicalized later on.

Townsend said the heightened focus on the southern border over the northern border is critical because the Mexican government has ceded their border security, basically, to the cartels.

Smuggling Routes

A common pathway for SIAs is to fly to Latin America, then travel up through Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico to the U.S. border.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has teams in Latin America and beyond to identify and disrupt those smuggling pathways.

The seven- to 10-day walk through the inhospitable Darien jungle, which extends into Panama from Colombia, has become a common route for SIAs.

In 2011, there were four individuals from Pakistan who walked through that jungle. We looked at it and we said Whats going on here? Why would you do that? And so we started to pay attention to it, said Edward Dolan, a former HSI special agent.

He said in 2011, fewer than 1,000 migrants were walking through that jungle, but in the past few years, that has spiked to between 20,000 and 30,000 migrants.

None of them brought passports, but every one had a cell phone. And you would ask them, What happened to your passport? I lost my passport in the river. Yet they have their cell phone, Dolan said.

The governments of Panama and Costa Rica have a policy called controlled flow, which essentially helps the human smugglers push their cargo toward the U.S. border, Bensman said in a previous video.

The policy means the two governments provide migrants, including special-interest aliens, with accommodations, food, medical treatment, and transport northward to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexicowhere organized smugglers can take over again, Bensman said. The idea is to move the migrants out of their respective countries as quickly as possible.

He said their goal is to apply for asylum once they reach the United States.

Human smuggling organizations are very different from other criminal organizations such as drug cartels, said James Dinkins, former executive associate director of HSI, who oversaw Latin American efforts to dismantle the specialized long-haul smuggling networks.

Drug cartels, he said, are very territorial, and they fight among themselves, while smuggling organizations will share resources to move humans through the system in the most efficient way.

Theyre more decentralized organizations that will share resources amongst each other. If they have a way into a country  or its a vulnerability that they can exploit, or maybe through corruption, theyll use those services for multiple other organizations, Dinkins said.

Bensman heralds the programs in Latin and Central America as the reason that no terror attack has occurred in the United States from anyone who has crossed the southern border.

But he warned of the impact of the predicted upcoming mass migration to the U.S. southern border.

This collapses our border control systems and the border, Bensman said. The ability to vet people gets compromised when all systems collapse, and were unable and incapable of maintaining the connections and investigations and intelligence collection. I see that as happening at a very bad time right now.
yosemite park snow View Photo

A quick moving weather system will continue to bring accumulating snow to the Northern California mountains this morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the northern Sierra Nevada above 5,500 feet, through noon today.

The snow levels generally range between 5,000 to 5,500 feet.

The total snow accumulations above the 5,500 foot elevation, will range from five to ten inches.

Mountain travel is difficult, with chain controls and reduced visibility.

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.
Why has the Lankan MPs links to Kasargod come under the ambit of the Indian agencies

The year 2021 could see ISIS regain capacity to orchestrate attacks: UN official

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

United Nations, Feb 12: The threat posed by ISIS to international peace and security is on the rise again and the terror group could regain the capacity to orchestrate attacks in different parts of the world in 2021, the UN counter-terrorism chief has warned the Security Council.

In a briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov cautioned that the world must be prepared to disrupt such new attacks.

"The threat posed by ISIS to international peace and security is on the rise again. It is crucial that Member States remain focused and united to counter it, despite the strains and competing priorities brought by the Covid-19 pandemic," he said on the '12th Report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIS (Daesh) to international peace and security'.

NIA charges two for propagating violent Jihad in Kerala ISIS Omar Al Hindi case

Voronkov said while the dreaded terror group has not developed a purposeful strategy to exploit the pandemic, its efforts to regroup and to reinvigorate its activities gained further momentum in the second half of 2020.

"Its core in Iraq and Syria and its affiliates in other conflict zones have continued to take advantage of the disruption caused by the virus to step up their operations, with a number of high-profile attacks," he said, adding that ISIS fighters have maintained the ability to move and operate, including across unprotected borders.

As ISIS's regional affiliates entrench themselves and gain autonomy and strength, they could provide the group new capabilities and options to conduct external operations, he said.

"Member states warn that ISIS could regain the capacity to orchestrate attacks in different parts of the world in the course of 2021," Voronkov said, adding that ISIS's primary focus remains resurgence in Iraq and Syria, where the international community continues to grapple with the legacies of the group's so-called 'caliphate'.

Voronkov said that about 10,000 ISIS fighters, including foreign terrorist fighters in the low thousands, remain active in the region, the majority of them in Iraq, pursuing a protracted insurgency.

"These sizable remnants are assessed to pose a major, long-term and global threat. They are organised in small cells hiding in desert and rural areas and moving across the border between the two countries, waging attacks," he said.

The UN official underscored the need to end the "scourge of terrorism" by defeating ISIS in cyberspace, disrupting new attacks globally and tackling the threat posed by its regional affiliates, especially in Africa.

"We must urgently solve the protracted issue of ISIS members...lest our failure enables the group's resurgence," he said, assuring that through the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, the UN system will continue to "stand by Member States as they rise to these challenges".

According to a report, ISIS is currently assessed to have between 1,000 and 2,200 fighters in Afghanistan spread across several provinces and is expected to continue to target Kabul and provincial capitals in future attacks.

Shihab al-Muhajir, announced as the group's new leader in June 2020, reportedly heads ISIS operations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and states in Central Asia. He is said to have had an earlier affiliation with and to maintain familial ties to the Haqqani Network.

Turning to Asia, the UN official said ISIS's affiliate in Afghanistan is assessed to still have between 1000-2200 fighters spread across several provinces.

"Despite degraded military capabilities, it has continued to exploit difficulties in the Afghan peace process, and claimed a number of high-profile attacks," he said.

ISIS also remains resilient in South-East Asia, with a number of factions. The involvement of women in suicide bombings has continued, with two such attacks in the Philippines in August 2020.

Noting that 2021 is the 20th anniversary of resolution 1373, which the Security Council adopted on countering terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the US, Voronkov urged Member States to recommit themselves under UN auspices to "multilateral action against terrorism".

UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Director (CTED) Head Michele Coninsx updated on the Secretary-General's 12th strategic-level report along with the UN's work in addressing ISIS during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She pointed to the current "volatile and complex" security environment, which she maintained is highlighted by "generational challenges" from terror groups.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is the most urgent challenge," Coninsx said, noting that it has accelerated many underlying issues that are fuelling various threats and "leaving us in a precarious situation."

Among other things, it has diverted attention and resources away from combatting the spread of violence and extremism by terror groups and created obstacles for Member States to repatriate their nationals from Syria and Iraq, Coninsx said.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

The UN remains "deeply concerned at the dire situation" faced by mostly women and children in camps that have no access to medicine, hygiene or shelter, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic's restrictions on humanitarian aid," she said.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 9:00 [IST]
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China's broadcasting regulator on Thursday banned BBC World News, accusing it of flouting guidelines after a controversial report on its treatment of the country's Uighur minority.

The decision came just days after Britain's own regulator revoked the licence of Chinese broadcaster CGTN for breaking UK law on state-backed ownership, and provoked angry accusations of censorship from London.

The move will do little to improve relations between the two countries, which have been increasingly strained by China's introduction of a security law in Britain's former colony, Hong Kong.

Britain has also banned Chinese telecoms group Huawei from involvement in its 5G network after the United States raised spying fears.

In an overnight statement, Beijing's National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News reports about China were found to "seriously violate" broadcast guidelines.

That includes "the requirement that news should be truthful and fair" and not "harm China's national interests".

The administrator "does not permit the BBC to continue broadcasting in China, and does not accept its new annual application for broadcast", it added.

The BBC said it was "disappointed" with the move, which applies to mainland China, where the channel is already censored and restricted to international hotels. "The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour," a BBC spokeswoman said.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the ban "an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom".

"China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe, and this latest step will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world," he added.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price denounced the BBC ban and called on China to allow an "informed citizenry" that can freely exchange ideas. "We call on the PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the internet and media," Price told reporters, referring to the People's Republic of China.

British lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, a hawk on UK-China ties who has formed the China Research Group of like-minded MPs, criticised the move as "both regrettable and entirely unsurprising".

"While this is a largely symbolic tit-for-tat retaliatory move, the deteriorating environment for journalism in China is a concern for us all," he told AFP.

"The (Chinese Communist Party's) increasingly aggressive approach to foreign media, while promoting its own state media outlets across the globe, is an issue which deserves far more scrutiny."

The BBC has also aired a hard-hitting documentary accusing China of covering up the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic around the city of Wuhan in late 2019.

It aired its report detailing harrowing accounts of torture and sexual violence against Uighur women in Chinese camps on February 3.

The lengthy investigation based on witness testimonies reported claims of systematic rape, sexual abuse and torture of women detainees by police and guards in China's western region of Xinjiang.

The region is home to the mainly Muslim Uighur minority and has seen a sweeping security crackdown by Chinese forces in recent years in response to separatist unrest.

The report described torture by electric shock, including anal rape by guards using electrified sticks. Women were subject to gang rape and forced sterilisation, witnesses said. "The screams echoed throughout the building," one was quoted as saying.

Rights groups believe at least one million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims are incarcerated in camps in Xinjiang.

The Chinese foreign ministry has dismissed the BBC investigation as "false". Britain's government said it showed "clearly evil acts", and there was strong condemnation from the US State Department.

But London has resisted pressure to follow the current and former US administrations and call the treatment of the Uighurs "genocide".

China is accused of compelling Uighurs to parrot Communist propaganda and renounce Islam, forcibly sterilising women and imposing a regime of forced labour.

After initially denying the camps existed, China's government abruptly acknowledged them, saying they were vocational training centres aimed at combatting Islamic extremism.

China last week said British regulator Ofcom's decision to pull CGTN from the airwaves was based on "ideological prejudice and political reasons".

Ofcom said CGTN's licence holder, Star China Media Ltd, had failed to show it had editorial oversight over the network and that a proposed transfer to another media group would still keep it tied to the Chinese Communist Party.
This past 2020 election, Congressman Scott Perry and Republicans in the PA legislature were participating in Donald Trumps big lie. Trumps big lie was that Joe Bidens win in PA, GA and several other states was a fraud. And they continued to participate in the big lie after the election. Pennsylvania Republicans went so far as to try and swap out the electoral votes for Biden, selected by PA voters in a free and fair election.

They did this by trying to insert themselves into the process, by having the electoral votes be selected by the Republican controlled legislature.

Only hours after the horrifying Trump riot and insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Scott Perry objected to the US Congress certifying Joe Bidens Electoral College votes from Pennsylvania.

Both Scott Perry and Republicans in the PA legislature attempted to overturn Joe Bidens win in Pennsylvania. This is totally incredulous, given the fact that the Republicans in the same state and on the same ballots did very well.

Republicans already had control of both PA houses and actually picked up more seats in both chambers in the 2020 elections. Scott Perry won Pennsylvanias U.S. House District 10, in 2018 by 2.6%. In 2020, he won that same seat by 6.6%. How can these Republicans contest and try to overturn PAs election results for Biden/Harris at the top of the ticket, where in the same state and on the same ballots, they did very well down ballot?

Robert K. Bomberger, Lower Paxton Twp., Pa.
Smooth newts (Lissotriton vulgaris), also known as common newts, are found across Europe and western and central Asia, and are one of the UK's three newt species. For most of the year, males and females look quite alike, but in the breeding season, males develop a crest and their colours become more vivid.

To attract a female, a male newt has to first get her attention, so he places himself in front of her. If she doesn't swim away, the male folds his tail along his body in a U shape and waves it quickly. Although this may look like a fancy fan dance, this movement is actually used to waft pheromones toward the female behind him.

If the female newt is still engaged, the male spins around and backs up, depositing a spermatophore for the female to uptake to fertilise her eggs. If she isn't successful, however, the male newt has to perform his routine from the beginning.

Lesser florican
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

Kangana Ranaut had recently shared her look as Agent Agni from the film Dhaakad which had sent her fans into a frenzy. By the first glimpse of her look, it was clear that the actor will be pulling off some punches and kicks in the action film. Recently the actor shared a BTS picture from the sets of the film along with her director after shooting rigorously for 14 hours for the film.

Kangana Ranaut took to her social media handle to share a picture of herself wherein she can be seen sporting an intense glare. The actor can be seen with bloodstains, bruises and black paint smeared across her face. Kangana can be seen donning a black attire paired up with a bullet-proof vest jacket. She can be seen posing with the director of the film, Razneesh Ghai in the picture.

In the caption, Kangana Ranaut stated how she has done 10-night shifts while shooting for a high octane non-stop action sequence. Kangana further added how it has been 14 hours of shooting for her for the same. The Tanu Weds Manu actor further calls the attitude of her director to be "Tum mujhe khoon do main tumhe aazadi dunga" in her tweet. On a concluding note, Kangana says "Bring It On" hinting that the actor is ready to push for herself, even more, to do full justice to her role. Take a look at her tweet.

10th night shift non stop action, 14 hours shift night rolled in to morning but our chief @RazyGhai be like tum mujhe khoon do main tumhe aazadi dunga..

Well I am all yours ..... bring it on #Dhaakad pic.twitter.com/8aswVi7Lce  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 12, 2021

Kangana Ranaut has been prepping hard for the film and has also undergone extensive physical training. She will be seen essaying the role of a badass agent in the film. The movie will also be starring Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta in pivotal roles. Their looks from the same were also recently released by the makers. The movie will be helmed by Razneesh Ghai and will be bankrolled by Sohail Maklai Productions and Asylum Films. The film is slated to release on October 1, 2021. Apart from that, Kangana will also be seen in the much-awaited film Thalaivi. She had recently shared some stills of herself from the film on her social media handle.

Also Read: Malvi Malhotra On Not Getting Help From Kangana Ranaut: I Was Waiting For Her Help But Nothing Happened

Also Read: Dhaakad New Poster: Kangana Ranaut Slays It With Her Fierce Avatar; Film To Release On October 1, 2021
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Cherry Street Capital Inc. (TSXV: CHSC.P) (the "Company" or "Cherry Street") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an amalgamation agreement (the "Amalgamation Agreement") with Tribe Property Technologies Inc. (formerly, Bazinga Technologies Inc.) ("Tribe"). Pursuant to the terms of the Amalgamation Agreement, Cherry Street has agreed to acquire all of the securities of Tribe by way of a three-cornered amalgamation, subject to the terms and conditions of the Amalgamation Agreement (the "Business Combination"). Pursuant to the Business Combination, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, 1283534 B.C. Ltd. ("Subco"), will amalgamate with Tribe (the "Amalgamation") to complete Cherry Street's qualifying transaction in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. ("TSXV"). As a result of the Amalgamation, Tribe will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, to be renamed "Tribe Property Holdings Inc." The Company will be renamed "Tribe Property Technologies Inc."

The Company held a meeting of its shareholders on January 28, 2021 to approve the name change, share consolidation and a contingent board pending the completion of the Business Combination, all of which was approved by Cherry Street's shareholders.

ABOUT TRIBE

A one-stop-shop for residential community living, Tribe offers tech-enabled Community Management that is disrupting the traditional market. With the fastest growing tech-forward property management company in Canada, Tribe's integrated service-technology delivery model serves the needs of developers, condo/residential communities and owners/residents versus traditional property management. Tribe is empowering residential community living in cities.

For further information on Tribe, readers are encouraged to review the Company's news releases dated October 30, 2020 and December 10, 2020, and to visit: www.mybazinga.com. Additional information on Tribe, including current financial statements, will be filed and posted on SEDAR (www.sedar.com ) upon the completion of a filing statement that will be prepared in connection with the Business Combination.

Closing of the Business Combination remains subject to a number of conditions as described in the news release issued by the Company on December 10, 2020. There can be no assurance that the Business Combination will be completed as proposed or at all. Trading in the common shares of the Company will remain halted pending further filings with the TSXV.

For further information, contact Rudy Cheddie at rudy@soroc.com.

For further information from Tribe, contact Joseph Nakhla at joseph.nakhla@mybazinga.com.

On behalf of the Board,

Cherry Street Capital Inc.

Rudy Cheddie, Chief Executive Officer

Completion of the Business Combination is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance. The Business Combination cannot close until the required approvals are obtained, and the outstanding conditions satisfied. There can be no assurance that the Business Combination will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Business Combination, any information released or received with respect to the Business Combination may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the Business Combination and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws regarding the Company and Tribe and their respective businesses, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the filing of the filing statement, the completion of the Business Combination, the terms on which the Business Combination is intended to be completed, the ability to obtain regulatory and shareholder approvals and other factors. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to proposed financing activity, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third-party information and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's and Tribe's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements. The Company and Tribe do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"). The Company and Tribe have not registered and will not register the securities under the U.S. Securities Act. The Company and Tribe do not intend to engage in a public offering of their securities in the United States.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S. OR TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74374
Washington: Former president Donald Trump is set to be acquitted by the US Senate on Sunday (AEDT), allowing him to run for the White House again, after his lawyers speedily concluded their defence case in his impeachment trial.

Trumps lawyers described the Democrats push to convict Trump of inciting the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol as a blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance in their opening statements.

Trumps legal team only used three hours of the 16 hours available to them to make their case, signalling they were confident the Senate would find Trump not guilty when the impeachment charge comes up for a final vote.

Trumps lawyers said their client never urged his supporters to behave violently and had used rhetoric commonly deployed by politicians from both major parties by urging his supporters to fight like hell on the day of the riot.
(Newser)  Criminal charges have been dropped against two police officers seen on video last spring shoving 75-year-old protester Martin Gugino to the ground in Buffalo, New York, prosecutors said Thursday. A grand jury declined to indict Buffalo Officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski on felony assault charges, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said, ending a matter that drew national attention at the height of protests over the police killing of George Floyd, the AP reports. John Evans, president of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association, told the Buffalo News: "Obviously, we are ecstatic with their decision. These officers have been put through hell and I look forward to seeing them back on the job." Gugino, pushed backward, started bleeding after hitting his head on the pavement and spent about a month in the hospital with a fractured skull and brain injury.

story continues below

Flynn, echoing earlier statements, said he didn't necessarily feel that altercation rose to the level of a felony but that state law required prosecutors to bring such a charge when a victim is at least 65 and the suspected perpetrators are at least 10 years younger. Addressing criticism that he slow-played or "sandbagged" the case, Flynn said prosecutors made a thorough presentation to the grand jury but, citing secrecy rules, said he couldnt discuss what witnesses were called or what evidence was presented. The grand jury heard the case on a delayed basis because of coronavirus-related court closures, he said. The Buffalo Police Department will now begin an internal affairs investigation, a development that had been on hold because of the criminal case.

(Read more New York stories.)
In this Feb. 2, 2021, file photo, students wear masks as they work in a fourth-grade classroom, at Elk Ridge Elementary School in Buckley, Wash. Amid mounting tensions about school reopening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

The nation's top public health agency said Friday that in-person schooling can resume safely with masks, social distancing and other strategies, and vaccination of teachers, while important, is not a prerequisite for reopening.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its long-awaited road map for getting students back to classrooms in the middle of a pandemic that has killed nearly 480,000 people in the U.S. But the agency's guidance is just thatit cannot force schools to reopen, and CDC officials were careful to say they are not calling for a mandate that all U.S. schools be reopened.

Officials said there is strong evidence now that schools can reopen, especially at lower grade levels.

Recommended measures include hand washing, disinfection of school facilities, diagnostic testing and contact tracing to find new infections and separate infected people from others in a school. It's also more emphatic than past guidance on the need to wear masks in school.

"We know that most clusters in the school setting have occurred when there are breaches in mask wearing," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, said in a call with reporters.

The guidance was issued as President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to deliver on his promise to get the majority of K-8 schools back to in-person teaching by the end of his first 100 days in office. He acknowledged that the goal was ambitious, but added, "It is also a goal we can meet if we follow the science."

Biden said schools will need more money to meet the CDC's standards and called on Congress to pass his COVID-19 package quickly to get $130 billion in aid to schools.

In this Aug. 3, 2020, file photo, Paul Adamus, 7, waits at the bus stop for the first day of school in Dallas, Ga. Amid mounting tensions about school reopening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

"We have sacrificed so much in the last year," Biden said in a statement. "But science tells us that if we support our children, educators and communities with the resources they need, we can get kids back to school safely in more parts of the country sooner."

The new guidance includes many of the same measures previously backed by the CDC, but it suggests them more forcefully. It emphasizes that all of the recommendations must be implemented strictly and consistently to keep school safe. It also provides more detailed suggestions about what type of schooling should be offered given different levels of virus transmission, with differing advice for elementary, middle and high schools.

"We know that most clusters in the school setting have occurred when there are breaches in mask wearing," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, said in a call with reporters.

Vaccinating teachers can provide "an additional layer of protection," she said.

Asked how the guidance differed from that offered by the Trump administration, Walensky said, "We've used stronger languages than prior guidance. We've been much more prescriptive here as to putting some guardrails on what can and should be done to get to a safe reopening."

"And I can assure you that this is free from political meddling," she added.

There's wide agreement that learning in the classroom is more effective and that students can face isolation and learning setbacks at home. But teachers unions in some areas say schools have failed to make buildings safe enough to return.

In this Feb. 11, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, Feb. 12, is expected to release long-awaited guidance telling schools what measures are needed to teach in-person during the pandemic. Biden requested the updated guidance in response to complaints that the CDC's school guidelines under the Trump administration were unclear and inconsistent. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

The new guidance was embraced by both sides of the debate, with each saying it bolstered their position. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it's further evidence that schools are equipped to reopen now.

The new information "affirms what many of us, including students and parents, have known for months: It is critical for schools to open as safely and as soon as possible," he said.

Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, applauded the guidance but said schools are failing to meet it. Most still have outdated ventilation systems, she said, and few have the type of virus testing programs suggested by the CDC.

"CDC standards still aren't being met in too many of our schools," Pringle said. "We can and must provide students the opportunity to return to in-person learning, but we also must ensure that every school has the safety measures in place to keep students and educators safe."

In Florida, which ordered schools to reopen in August, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran called the new guidance "informative" but warned schools not to veer from their current plans. He said the state has shown in-person teaching is safe. But the state has dealt with school-related infections, including an outbreak at a high school wrestling tournament in December in which 38 attendees tested positive.

CDC officials emphasized that in-person learning has not been identified as a substantial driver of coronavirus spread in U.S. communities, and that transmission among students is now considered relatively rare.

The CDC also stressed that the safest way to open schools is by making sure there is as little disease in a community as possible. The agency urged local officials to assess whether a bad outbreak is occurring in a community when making decisions about sending adults and children in to schools.

In this Dec. 7, 2020, file photo, students enter P.S. 134 Henrietta Szold Elementary School in New York. Amid mounting tensions about school reopening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

The guidance included a color-coded chart, from blue to red, on assessing community spread, including rates of new cases per 100,000 people and the percentage of positive tests.

That said, high community transmission does not necessarily mean schools cannot be openespecially those at the elementary level. If school mitigation measures are strictly followed, the risk of spread in the schools should still be low, the guidance suggests.

The document suggests that when things get risky, elementary schools can go hybrid, providing in-person instruction at least on some days, but that middle and high schools might go virtual.

"The older children get ... the more they act like adults in terms of transmission and disease," Walensky explained. "So when we are in areas of high transmission, we have pushed more for elementary school hybrid learning.

Government officials estimate that about 60% of K-12 schools right now have some form of in-person learning going on, though in many cases it may be part-time.

Schools also can tighten up restrictions for the in-person learning that is going on. For example, the CDC continues to recommend that children be spaced 6 feet apart in school settings. But it should be required when there's a worrisome surge of new infections in the community, said Greta Massetti, a CDC official who led much of the work on the new guidance.

Biden has been caught between competing interests as he works to get students in the classroom without spurning the powerful teachers unions that helped get him elected. Critics say he has bowed to unions instead of taking more aggressive action on reopening.

In this Feb. 10, 2021, file photo, Lear Preston, 4, who attends Scott Joplin Elementary School, participates in her virtual classes as her mother, Brittany Preston, background, assists at their residence in Chicago's South Side. Amid mounting tensions about reopening schools, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned to release long-awaited guidance Friday, Feb. 12, on what measures are needed to get children back into the classroom during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar, File)

Unlike former President Donald Trump, who pressured schools to open and blasted the CDC for issuing guidance that he said was impractical, Biden has kept his distance from the CDC as it works on recommendations. Even after the CDC's director recently said that vaccinations are not a prerequisite for reopening, the White House declined to take a firm stance on the question.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that "no one on our senior staff" had seen the CDC guidelines ahead of their release. "I can assure you that the White House is not directing the CDC."

Biden's national strategy says the administration "will also work with states and local school districts to support screening testing in schools, including working with states to ensure an adequate supply of test kits."

But the CDC guidance stops short of recommending testing, saying "Some schools may also elect to use screening testing as a strategy to identify cases and prevent secondary transmission."

In the early days of the U.S. epidemic, some health experts worried that schools might become cauldrons of coronavirus infection, with kids infecting each other and then spreading it to family membersas seems to be the case during cold and flu season.

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.
Opalerosa Omnia Profumi: Opal or Rose?

Fragrance Reviews

The announcement of the new perfume of the Italian brand Omnia Profumi appeared on Fragrantica at a high point in the pandemic, in April 2020, when it became clear that Esxence-2020 would be postponed. Since then, there have been no exhibitions in Italy, no opportunity to smell the fragrance - and even its production stopped for a while.

But when the fragrance was ready, Fabrizio Tagliacarne, the owner and perfumer of the brand, traveled around Italy himself with presentations of the fragrance in niche boutiques in the country (by the way, an excellent example of how it works if all guests are wearing masks and their number does not exceed the recommended number). And finally, I had the opportunity to smell and wear Opalerosa Omnia Profumi.

The fragrance is dedicated to pink opal and therefore logically entered the Omnia Stones Collection. Without going into the mineralogical complexities associated with opals, and the magical properties of pink opals that interest the contemporary wizards among us, I want to note that the fragrance primarily embodies the color pink. The color of sunrise and hope, the color of tender youth and femininity.

Rose Opal, Peru

To make a fragrant incarnation of pink, Fabrizio mixed the sunset-red color of the rose with a lot of powdery white color (alpha isomethylionone is commonly referred to as violet in perfume pyramids). Sure, I'm oversimplifying the structure - because it's just impossible not to notice in Opalerosa the green and spicy facets of the rose, reminiscent of geraniums. Violet and rose is a classic combination, familiar to many by the old vintage Soir de Paris Bourjois and the new Misia Chanel, but here this accord works as the heart of the composition, which is oriental in spirit.

The sweet ambery accord of benzoin, patchouli and vanilla, enhanced with ethyl maltol to a gourmand level, does everything to hide the rosy freshness and powdery-cosmetic character in Opalerosa. All this impossible white-pink softness becomes a plump pink and cloudy sweetness - the fragrance does not at all look like a hard stone; it is pink fluff, angelic marshmallows and pastry cream; pink and airy. Roses made from the creamy vanilla pink cream on a soft cupcake. Think angels and cherubs from the paintings of the Renaissance.

There is also some woody smoke in this fluffy pink rose-amber scent; a light trickle of which undulates along the entire evolution of Opalerosa, setting off the rose, powder, and amber sweetness, and revealing itself more clearly in the vanilla-benzoin trail. This smoke can be called a shade of oud, if you wish, but I think of it as a specially prepared place ready for connection with the real oud oil. The scent is very warm, cozy, and soothing, creating a feeling of comfort and softness. And if someone would consider to acquire it, then do so for the calm and serene feeling it brings - and not for the sake of the oud note.

Opalerosa Omnia Profumi Eau de Parfum is available in 30 and 100 ml bottles for 72 and 149 EUR.

Opalerosa Omnia Profumi

Top notes: Bergamot and Mandarin;

Middle notes: Rose and Violet;

Base notes: Praline, Vanilla, Oud, Cedar and Patchouli.
The White House Press Secretary has declined to say if an invitation has been extended for Taoiseach Micheal Martin to visit new President Joe Biden.

Speaking at today's press briefing, Jen Psaki was asked by a US reporter on behalf of RTE correspondent Brian O'Donovan if the Taoiseach had been formally invited for the traditional St Patrick's Day event in the US capital.

Ms Psaki said that while she "had a special place in her heart for the Irish" she could not yet say if the invitation had been extended.

"Well, we certainly have limited, as you can all see and know public events. There has not been public events here. Im happy to check with our team on that, if theres any change as it relates to the traditional event that happens in March."

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said that discussions on the visit are underway between officials.

Earlier today the Taoiseach said that he has not yet been invited to Washington for the annual St Patrick's Day trip, but he will go if he is asked.

He believes he would have to be vaccinated to meet President Joe Biden.

"It's a very important relationship between Ireland and the United States, so in some shape or form, we're going to honour this obviously as we always do on Patrick's Day," he said.

"The economic relationship is key. There are a range of issues in terms of the undocumented Irish in the United States.

"I am conscious that we are in Covid times, there are huge challenges on the United States side, in terms of their battle against Covid and President Biden has made that his number one priority and I've spoken to him about that."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Two years ago, a Queens man helped pull off a gunpoint robbery in Mariners Harbor, making off with nearly $1,900, said police.

While his alleged accomplice remains at large, Shawn Bams wasnt as lucky.

Bams, 22, was busted about a month later, and now faces prison time after pleading guilty to attempted robbery to satisfy all charges against him.

The events unfolded around 2:55 p.m. on April 11, 2019, on the 100 block of Brabant Street, a criminal complaint said.

Bams and his buddy, who has not been identified, put what appeared to be a gun on the back of the 20-year-old victims neck, said the complaint.

Dont move, hell shoot, the complaint quotes them as ordering the man.

The pair then asked the victim what he had in his pockets and demanded he empty them, said the complaint.

Bams and the accomplice snatched $1,843 in cash from the victim, the complaint said.

Several days later, the Police Department sought the publics help in identifying the thieves.

Bams was arrested five weeks later on May 22, 2019, online court records show.

The defendant was later indicted on charges of robbery, grand larceny and petit larceny.

He pleaded guilty on Wednesday in state Supreme Court, St. George, to attempted second-degree robbery to resolve the case.

In exchange, hell be sentenced on Feb. 24 to 30 months in prison, plus a period of post-release supervision.

Defense lawyer Anthony Katchen declined comment on the case.

Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha on Friday charged that the Union Budget serves the interests of capitalists that will help the rich turn richer and has nothing for the common man, even as the BJP defended saying it has earmarked funds for all including strengthening of health sector.

Participating in the debate on the budget, leaders of parties like the Congress, BSP, AAP and Left launched an all-out attack on the BJP government for allegedly selling off the country''s assets and PSUs to big industrialists.

Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that the budget helped the rich capitalists and was asking the poor, the oppressed and the downtrodden to become ''atmanirbhar'' (self sufficient).

He alleged that the cess imposed by the government was an attempt by it to deprive the states of their share in taxes.

He alleged that PM Narendra Modi recently quoted his predecessor Manmohan Singh and Sharad Pawar selectively and out of context on the issue of farm reforms, and recalled that he, as Gujarat chief minister, had recommended a law to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) to farmers.

"The country is passing through a bad time due to decisions like demonetisation and the GST. The government is helping and supporting the big people and is asking the poor, the weaker and the downtrodden to become ''artmanirbhar''," Gohil alleged.

BJP leader and union minister Anurag Thakur attacked opposition parties, asking them not to use farmers for their political gains and asserted that the three new farm laws will help in doubling income of peasants.

He challenged the opposition leaders to show him if it is written anywhere in the three laws that the regime of mandis and MSP would come to an end due to the legislation. "We are committed to double the income of the farmers," Thakur said.

Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) lauded the government for providing over Rs 27.1 lakh crore, which is 13 per cent of GDP, under ''Atmanirbhar Bharat'' in three financial packages.

He also noted that the government is ready to talk to farmers on agri bills with an open heart and mind.

On the issue of privatisation, he quoted former Prime Minister Charan Singh, who in his book had talked about loss-making PSUs due to mismanagement and corruption.

Binoy Biswam (CPI) charged that in the name of ''atmanirbhar'', this budget is clearly helping capitalists.

"Is this the model of ''Atmanirbhar Bharat'' that you surrender everything to capitalists. This government can be called a government of FDI for capitalists. Don''t try to cheat people, as it is time they understood this," he alleged.

Biswam alleged that the government is selling everything from air to sea to land and even underground and is "blindly following" the capitalist model.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda (JDS) said the finance minister has provided for all that is required to deal with the pandemic in this budget.

He was of the view that privatization is not always good for all sectors as sometime it creates private monopoly also.

Ashok Siddharth (BSP) said there is nothing in this budget for the common man as it is trying to sell the country''s assets and PSUs.

"This government wants the rich to turn richer and the poor poorer," he charged, adding that it is not fair to give away the rights of poor, Dalits to industrialists.

The BSP member said the interests of SCs/STs and OBC are being hurt the most through privatisation and asked the government to bring a law to enforce reservation for SC/ST/OBC in the private sector.

Sanjay Singh (AAP) charged that the government was selling off everything to private companies and big industrialists.

Participating in the debate, Satish Chandra Misra of BSP asked the government to waive the customs duty on the import of radiation machines used for treatment of cancer patients.

India is recording 12 lakh new cases of cancer every year. Besides, the country is witnessing around 5.5 lakh death every year, which is even higher than the total mortality of 1.5 lakh from COVID-19 in India, on which the government has spent more than Rs 35,000 crore for vaccine only.

"Death by cancer is increasing every year and according to WHO report which is alarming, says every one among 15 people in India face the risk of cancer," he said adding.

According to Misra, all machines used for radiation therapy are either imported from Sweden or the USA.

Now in the budget, customs duty on radiation machines has been increased to 27.4 per cent

"Instead of encouraging, the government has increased the tax to 27.4 per cent from 20 per cent, which include customs duty, health cess, social welfare and GST," he said asking the government to look into this aspect as it would earn only Rs 120 crore.

Abdul Wahab of the IUML said the budget has failed to give any attention to farmers, students, migrant labourers, minorities and backward communities.

Wahab also raised the issue of allocation of funds for a campus of Aligarh Muslim University at Malappuram and difficulties faced by retired army personnel in getting One Rank One Pension (OROP), to which Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur assured to look into.

"OROP was pending for 30 to 40 years and the only person, who was able to implement it, is Narendra Modi. Thousands of crore rupees have been given to ex-servicemen," Thakur said.

Shiv Pratap Shukla of the BJP termed the budget as progressive.According to him during the pandemic, the Modi government gave priority to health and not to economic growth.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 12:13:01|Editor: huaxia

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JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for urgent actions to restore the country's pandemic-battered economy in his State of the Nation Address delivered on Thursday.

Over the past year, South Africa has experienced a sharp decline in growth and a significant increase in unemployment, Ramaphosa said while addressing the parliament.

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) has shrunk 6 percent between the third quarter of 2019 and that of 2020, while unemployment "now stands at a staggering 30.8 percent," with 1.7 million job losses last year, he noted.

The president said that the overriding priorities of 2021 are to defeat the pandemic, accelerate the country's economic recovery, implement economic reforms and fight corruption.

"As a result of the relief measures that we implemented and the phased reopening of the economy, we expect to see a strong recovery in employment by the end of 2020," he noted.

Ramaphosa said over 70 billion rands (4.79 billion U.S. dollars) in tax relief were extended to businesses in distress, while 18.9 billion rands (1.29 billion dollars) in loans have been approved for 13,000 businesses through a COVID-19 loan-guarantee scheme.

The administration has also focused on such measures as rolling out massive infrastructure, localizing production and boosting energy generation capacity, he said.

State-run, debt-ridden Eskom, the major electricity provider in the country, has been restructured to increase capacity and efficiency, according to the president.

As to agriculture, Ramaphosa said that the favorable weather conditions in 2020 and the beginning of 2021 mean that the sector is likely to grow in the near term.

Ramaphosa said South Africa will begin to harness the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which covers 54 of the 55 African Union members and came into operation on Jan. 1.

"The AfCFTA provides a platform for the South African businesses to expand into markets across the continent, and for South Africa to position itself as a gateway to the continent," he said. Enditem
Turkey on Thursday began the inoculation of the second doses of China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines for healthcare workers.

The nationwide vaccination rollout in Turkey started on January 14, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Nurettin Yiyit, chief physician of the Feriha Oz Emergency Hospital and Ilhan Varank Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, said Turkey decided to give a 28-day break between the two shots as phase studies have revealed that two doses of vaccination provide better protection against coronavirus.

"This period provided a good opportunity for us to observe the efficacy of the first dose," Yiyit told Xinhua, while supervising the inoculation process at Ilhan Varank Hospital.

A total of 4,500 people have received their first shots so far in the two hospitals, and no Covid-19 case has been observed among them, according to the chief physician.

"If the protection obtained after the second dose will disappear in a certain time, then we may need to give a reminder dose," he said.

Speaking of the new strains detected in countries such as Britain, Brazil and South Africa, Yiyit said Turkey's confidence in Sinovac's inactive vaccine is high, and the scientific information coming each day supports this.

Zeynep Koc, a nurse at Ilhan Varank Hospital, said that she has been taking care of Covid-19 patients since the start of the pandemic in Turkey in March last year, and she couldn't see her family because of the infection risk.

"The vaccine will certainly create antibodies after the second dose, and as soon as I will find out this, I will go and see my family," Koc said, noting vaccination is the only condition for the pandemic to end.

Tahir Katirlu, a hospital janitor, also said he is dealing with Covid-19 patients all the time.

"I encourage everyone to get their vaccines done. I hope we get through this pandemic," he said.

Turkish citizens over 70 also started to get their first doses from Thursday.

Over 2.8 million Turks have been vaccinated since the start of the vaccination program, according to the health ministry.

On Wednesday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that Turkey aims to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population.
Everly Landry, 4, tosses snow into the air during the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's annual Sneaux Day Wednesday, December 4, 2019, on the UL campus Lafayette, La. Attendees got to play in sneaux, check out various campus clubs and organizations and meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Father-in-law-son-in-law combo to new opposition leader; first session of 15th Kerala Assembly on May 24

Kerala to issue Covid vaccination certificates with passport number for people who plan to go abroad

PM Modi to visit poll-bound Kerala and Tamil Nadu on Feb 14

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Feb 12: Ahead of Kerala and Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the two poll-bound states on February 14, 2021. The Prime Minister's Office detailed his visit in a statement released on Friday.

PM Modi will inaugurate the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, completed at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore, and commission the passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar that will link North Chennai with the Airport and Central Railway Station.

He will inaugurate the fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu, the Railway Electrification of single line section in Villupuram-Cuddalore-Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur.

Modi will then travel to Kerala where in the afternoon he will lay the foundation stones of projects at Kochi. These include the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP) of BPCL, Ro-Ro Vessels at Willingdon Islands, the International Cruise Terminal "Sagarika" at Cochin Port, the Marine Engineering Training Institute, Vigyana Sagar, Cochin Shipyard Ltd. He will also lay the foundation stone of reconstruction of South Coal Berth at Cochin Port.

Modi will also hand over the state-of-the-art Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Indian Army. This tank has been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by CVRDE, DRDO along with 15 academic institutions, eight labs and several MSMEs.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 19:38 [IST]
The bitter US-China relations from the past two years and the resulting Huawei ban saga during the Trump administration left a significant dent in the smartphone world. More recently, Xiaomi was accused of being a Communist Chinese military company which prevents American companies from investing in it and could lead to more troubles for the Chinese smartphone maker down the road.

With the new US administration headlined by President Joe Biden hopes were high that we might see a change in tone from the US side. However, Reuters is reporting that the US government will look at adding new targeted restrictions on certain sensitive technology exports to China in cooperation with allies. The information was disclosed by an unnamed US senior official ahead of President Bidens first official call with Chinas leader Xi Jinping.



President Joe Biden (credit: WhiteHouse.gov)

According to the same report, the new US administration wont back down from its current trade tariffs on China imposed by the Trump administration and plans to conduct intense consultation and review with US allies. Furthermore, the Biden administration will ensure that it is not supplying highly sensitive technology that can advance Chinas military capabilities.

While too early to make any assumptions on the possible actions of the new US administration, it certainly seems we are still a long way ahead from any possible middle ground agreement for both sides in the US and China tech conflict.

Source
FIA believes engine 'balance of power' unnecessary

Red Bull's plans to operate its own Honda-based engine program look set to proceed, as Formula 1 has announced that a development 'freeze' will indeed go ahead for 2022.

The FIA confirmed the news after Thursday's video meeting of the F1 Commission.

Red Bull had warned that without a development freeze, the energy drink company may be unwilling to proceed in Formula 1 with customer engines in future, following Honda's departure later this year.

The FIA said the vote on a freeze was unanimous, which reflects "the unity and collaborative spirit between the FIA, Formula 1 and the teams".

It had been rumoured that F1 would bundle a potential 'balance of power' feature with the freeze in order to ensure competitive advantages or disadvantages are not locked in for years.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claimed on Thursday that any hierarchy-based mechanisms would only be to "protect manufacturers from embarrassment".

An FIA source described it as a "performance safety net", especially as the sport intends to switch to E10 fuel for 2022 which could shake up the order.

"From what we know about the engines, we expect them to all be within a very narrow performance range by 2022," said FIA engine boss Gilles Simon.

"Don't forget that we still have two chances for the engines to align naturally - this year and next. As of today, we don't believe we will have to intervene externally to adjust the performance," he added.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan condemned the desecration of the Holocaust and Armenian Genocide memorial and expressed hope that law enforcement agencies will act swiftly and hold those guilty accountable.

Today early in the morning we were notified that unknown villains desecrated the memorial to the victims of the genocides of the Armenian and Jewish peoples locate in the Yerevan Circular Park, the Mayor said in a statement. Such an encroachment against any memorial is an unequivocally unacceptable and condemnable act which should be ruled out from our city. Representatives of various nationalities have been living side by side in Yerevan for centuries, proudly bearing the honorable title of being a Yerevantsi together with their ethnicity, and no any motive can disrupt this solidarity. I hope that law enforcement agencies will give a swift and adequate response.

Yerevan Police said the downtown precinct has launched proceedings.

The memorial consists of two primary pillars, with To Live and Not Forget: To the Memory of the Victims of the Genocides of the Armenian and Jewish Peoples written in Armenian on the right pillar and Hebrew on the left pillar.

Vandals sprayed paint over the Hebrew writing.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
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Fidelity Investments Ireland yesterday announced it will further grow its national footprint by adding 90 new fulltime jobs within its technology team in Ireland with 60 positions based in the Galway office and the remainder 30 in Dublin.

Fidelity Investments have been invested here for 25 years with Ireland as its first global location.



Welcoming the announcement, An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar said, "I am very pleased that Fidelity Investments has announced the creation of 90 new jobs in its offices in Galway and Dublin. Ireland is a really attractive destination for technology companies, due in large part to our strong pool of talent and expertise in the sector. I wish Fidelity Investments and the team here continued success in Ireland."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
Michael Leroy Oberg is Distinguished Professor of History at SUNY Geneseo and the author of several books in Native American history. He tweets @NativeAmText

Education officials at a charter school in Utah briefly considered last week allowing parents to exempt their children from any materials or programming related to Black History Month, which began on Feb. 1. In Arkansas, schools that permit educators to include any insights from the New York Times important 1619 Project can have their funding reduced, according to a proposed bill, because some lawmakers there see the two-year-old discussion of slavery in the nations founding as a dangerous, racially divisive, and revisionist account of history that threatens the integrity of the Union by denying the true principles on which it was founded. Republican legislators in other states are introducing similar legislation. Though President Donald Trumps 1776 Commission, founded to teach our children about the miracle of American History and to honor the founding, has been disbanded, the Republicans war against an American history that is representative, well-researched and true continues. The last battle with the white supremacy of the Trump years did not take place in the Capitol building; it continues today in classrooms and in state legislatures across the country.

Frantic reactions to the teaching of history are commonplace. Teaching history is always political. Debate over what stories to include and what to exclude are fundamental to the very enterprise of history. It is impossible to include everything, so choices have to be made, and those choices can easily spark debate and discord. There always has existed a tension between history as civic education (aimed at the production of patriotic and law-abiding citizens) and history as an academic discipline (the critical study of continuity and change, measured across time and space, in peoples, institutions and cultures).

The Republican Partys positions have been consistent. Republicans argued against multiculturalism in the 1980s, against the National History Standards in the 1990s, and current efforts to write and teach a more inclusive history. Always, they stand opposed to discussions of slavery, violence and dispossession.

Cover of "The 1776 Report," issued by the Trump White House's 1776 Commission to teach our children about the miracle of American History and to honor the founding. (National Archives)National Archives

There is then nothing surprising in this latest chapter. From its fever-dream opposition to the 1619 Project, to its adoration of Columbus and denial of the hell on earth he helped create for Indigenous peoples, to its concern about the phantom of cancel culture, Republicans have lined up to oppose any discussion of the nations history that casts the United States in a critical light, or asks that those studying it confront the nations many demons. It is as if, in response to calls for a more comprehensive, inclusive and thorough history that discusses the lived experiences of enslaved and Indigenous peoples, Republicans say, No. All lives matter. Trump may have been defeated, but one of his stated goals for his second term  to teach American exceptionalism  remains a cause around which the political Right can rally.

As a result, if you argue, as nearly every historian does, that enslavement was central to the growth and development of the United States, that the Constitution as an instrument of governance protected the institution of slavery and hard-wired its governing institutions for control by slavers, you are anathema to todays Republican Party. If you assert that this country could not have developed in the way that it did without a systematic program of Native American dispossession, your loyalty is suspect. If anyone has ever told you that what you have written or said is politically correct, liberal or socialist, what they are really trying to do is dismiss the historians hard work without doing the heavy lifting required to counter the evidence upon which it was built.

Republicans have committed themselves to writing into textbooks and curricula the biggest lie in American history, a self-serving and propagandistic depiction of the nations history that, either out of ignorance or ideology, denies the role of slavery and dispossession of Indigenous peoples in its founding. They feel it is a winning issue, and they will try to silence anyone who suggests that for many Americans across its long history this has hardly been a land of freedom, equality and justice.

The vast majority of Republicans, for the past four years, have shown an aversion to telling or standing up for the truth. Their brazen corruption and their monumental incompetence did damage to millions of Americans. And now, they want to teach and preach that Columbus was brave and pure, that slavery was an aberrant flaw rather than the absolute foundation, and that this country was founded on principles of liberty and equality it has never managed to live up to.

Yet teaching Americans that their country was founded to a great degree on taking land from what Jefferson called in the Declaration of Independence the merciless Indian savages, and upon the backs of enslaved Africans, will harm nobody. Every semester students approach college professors in history classes across this country and express their frustration that they were never taught the truth about its past in middle and high school. White supremacy and racism lie at the heart of this nations story and, by rejecting that undeniable reality in its chosen depiction of American history, too many Republicans have shown exactly what they stand for.

Related: Black History Month in Upstate NY: Historical sites, monuments and more
A highly anticipated global inquiry, more than a dozen investigators, a fortnight of inspections at ground-zero of the virus that sent borders up around the world, and here we are.

After months of negotiations to get the inspectors into Wuhan, Tuesdays preliminary findings of the World Health Organisation-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease left the public little more enlightened than they were in March last year.

The WHO investigators said COVID-19 was likely to have been transmitted from bats to an intermediate animal host to humans. The virus was likely to have started in China, but may have also begun elsewhere. It could have begun in the Wuhan wet market, or it may have been circulating widely in the community in the weeks leading up to the first cluster.

Opting for a message of unity: Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:Getty Images

The only theory to have been effectively ruled out is that it sprang from a Wuhan laboratory leak.

The gap between scientific probability and certainty has never been wider for Chinas coronavirus diplomacy.

As the investigators were preparing to announce their findings in Wuhan on Tuesday night, Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a virtual meeting with a group of central and eastern European leaders.

The group of 18 was divided. Serbia, Hungary and Montenegro were among six countries who have enthusiastically taken up Chinas offer of vaccines to inoculate their populations against a disease that has killed more than 2 million people. But Estonia, Slovenia and Lithuania were among six others who are increasingly wary of Beijings vaccines, its promises of economic cooperation and its role in the coronavirus pandemic.

Xi urged the group to put their differences aside. In the face of such unprecedented challenges, countries must come together and respond with solidarity and coordination like never before, he said. These efforts will contribute to a global community of health for all.

Then, as before, the Chinese leader was careful not to publicly discuss the origins of the virus, opting for a message of unity against a common enemy in an attempt to rise above tumultuous multinational sparring over the past year.

Read the full article here.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Who killed Rajdev Ranjan, the correspondent of a Hindi newspaper, is a question that reverberates today throughout the public sphere of Bihar and fuels private anxieties of those living in Biharis. The more we know the more stridently we ask the question 'Who killed Rajdev Ranjan?' We know who did it. By asking the question we are merely trying to point the needle of suspicion away from our own guilty selves. The society as a whole killed Rajdev Ranjan.

The criminal element in our society has metastasized over the years and is now firmly lodged in its bone marrow of the body politic. Cancer evokes a feeling of helplessness, of resignation and an existentialist terror in those who are condemned to watch it take its toll of their loved ones. The civil society finds itself less and less able to count on its antibodies  the institutions, whether formal or informal, those whose duty it is to contain crime - have deserted or stand compromised.

Crime has now an overarching presence in our society. It is certainly not true for Bihar only; the entire country is afflicted by this malady, and we the masses- Lenins "useful idiots"- are mobilized by the various political parties which control our minds and our consciences to cite a more heinous crime committed in Jharkhand to play down the crime in Bihar, and vice versa. When Vyapam related murder in MP comes to be mentioned it is countered by some other scandal in Bengal. We merely displace the awareness of what afflicts our particular situation by seeking solace in the fact that others are worse off.

But even amidst the apathy, listlessness and an extraordinary passivity of society, the media is supposed to go on playing its role of alerting a comatose community to the various dangers that beset it. Consequently, a small town journalist infiltrates the territory of criminal warlords with the only resources that he can pit against the mighty- his courage and an unflinching commitment to his profession.

As one of the newspapers reported, Rajdev Ranjan had allegedly procured a photograph showing a minister of the government paying obeisance to the incarcerated 'leader' in Siwan jail which became viral. One must not jump the gun of the investigation in progress to establish the link but the act itself was fraught with great risk and the alleged photograph is of great public interest. Poor Rajdev believed that the mere awareness of such hobnobbing of the bigwigs would enrage the community to some form of radical reaction. But alas! Ours is not that kind of society; the people know it only too well how the system runs; who controls the levers of power; what territories are outlawed for the writ of law. And they are fine with it. Rajdev thought that he had prized out a precious gem; the society dismissed it as the merest piffle. The man who occupationally informed and educated public opinion was hopelessly out of touch with the latest news about the society he lived in!

Therein lies the tragedy of Rajdev (or any zealous police officer, civil servant, social activist and all those who still care for moral hygiene in public life) and our guilt by acquiescence, by indifference, by apathy. We profess a particular set of principles and live by quite another; the naive fall in the yawning gap between the pretence and the essence. Messengers of bad news are murdered; harbingers of good tidings rewarded is the new normal.

The post-modernist media has moved beyond the archaic morality related to content, impartiality, objectivity, balance etc. With new patterns of media ownership and control they have broken free and the earlier (self imposed) accountability on their relation to the political system no longer holds good. The very top of the pyramid now lines up for the privilege of washing the feet of the powerful and wealthy with soda water and unguents, whatever the provenance of such power or wealth. Prominent news anchors become single issue publicists, prime time celebrities double up as secret agents for corporate world and influential columnists become powerbrokers and pimps of politicians. They make hay while the poor, ill paid reporter on the beat dies for a lost cause. The media today is like a train in which the different compartments are headed for separate destinations. Rajdev boarded the wrong compartment. To that extent we, who knew it and did not warn him, are collectively the guilty party.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
A former care worker who went on the run after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting his 10-year-old neighbour has been jailed for three years.

The Central Criminal Court heard that on St Patricks Day 2000 the victim came to the man's house, who was her next-door neighbour, looking to borrow Sellotape to wrap some gifts.

The victim told gardai that the defendant, who was 30-years-old at the time, went upstairs to look for Sellotape whilst she was playing with his baby on the couch in the sitting room. When he came downstairs, he told her that he did not have Sellotape and pushed her off the couch.

In her complaint to gardai she said the man then took off his trousers, got on top of her and put his penis inside her vagina for five minutes.

In 2002 the man pleaded guilty to sexual assault but he failed to appear for his sentence hearing that year. He was located in the UK in 2019 and was extradited back to Ireland last year.

The defendant, who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, admitted sexually assaulting the young girl at his home in west Dublin on March 17, 2000.

After the attack the man asked the girl not to tell anyone about what had happened. However, the young girl returned to her house and told her sister and cousin, who alerted her aunt.

Detective Garda Conor Byrne told Kate Egan BL, prosecuting, that the accused went with his wife to the victim's house later that same day and asked for forgiveness for "the mistake" but denied the allegation.

When he was later arrested by gardai he admitted touching the victim in a sexual way but said he had not penetrated her. Det Gda Byrne agreed with Justin McQuade BL, defending, that there was no evidence consistent with penetration but it could not be ruled out.

Passing sentence on Wednesday, Mr Justice Michael White said that whilst this was a "once-off incident", it was "much more serious than touching" as the defendant had removed the child's clothing and ejaculated on her.

Mr McQuade said his client had previously trained as a care worker. He noted that his guilty plea in 2002 was "diluted by his behaviour" of absconding to the UK.

Sentencing the defendant, Mr Justice White said the defendant had visited the child's parents and asked for forgiveness but this was "tempered" by the "diminishing and blatant lack of respect" for the victim, because he had evaded justice for so long.

The judge said the main mitigating factors were his guilty plea, his admissions and the limited remorse he had shown. He backdated a three-year prison sentence to April 19, 2019.
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In search of evidence for the first settlements of Bantu speakers south of the Congo rainforest: archeological excavations in Mukila (Kwango Province, DR Congo) as part of the BantuFirst-project. Credit:  Dirk Seidensticker 2018

A new study published in the journal Science Advances shows that Bantu-speaking communities in the Congo rainforest underwent a major population collapse from 1600 to 1400 years ago, probably due to a prolonged disease epidemic, and that significant resettlement did not restart until around 1000 years ago. These findings revise the population history of no less than seven present-day African countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola) and challenges the commonly held belief that the settlement of Central Africa by Bantu-speaking communities was a continuous process from about 4000 years ago until the start of the transatlantic slave trade.

Ongoing debates about decolonization, restitution of African cultural heritage and antiracism have also renewed interest in the European colonization of Central Africa, even if it was a relatively short period in the long and eventful history of the region. Modern humans lived in the savannas of Central Africa several tens of thousands of years before they emerged in Europe. Also, in the Congo rainforest did our ancestors overcome many challenges long before the first European expedition traversed it, as shown again in this recently published study.

Unique interdisciplinary research method

As part of a cross-disciplinary research project examining the interconnections between human migration, language spread, climate change and early farming in pre-colonial Central Africa, the current study combines a comprehensive analysis of all available archeological radiocarbon dates as a proxy for human activity and demographic fluctuation with a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and distribution of pottery styles as a proxy for socio-economic development. These well-dated archeological records were further compared in this study with genetic and linguistic evidence to gain new insights into the ancient settlement history of Bantu-speaking populations in the Congo rainforest.

According to archeologist Dirk Seidensticker (UGent), one of the two lead authors, the multi-proxy approach developed in this study is unique both in terms of empirical evidence and scientific method, in that it uses 1149 radiocarbon dates linked to 115 pottery styles recovered from 726 sites throughout the Congo rainforest and adjacent areas: "We are the first to integrate these three types of archeological datasets on such a large scale and for such a long period and to demonstrate that throughout Central Africa two periods of more intense human activity (~800 BCE to 400 CE and ~1000 to 1900 CE) are separated by a widespread population collapse between 400 and 600 CE. Doing so, we could clearly delineate the periods commonly known as the Early Iron Age and Late Iron Age, each of them characterized by distinct pottery styles which first underwent a widespread expansion phase followed by a regionalization phase with many more local pottery styles. Pottery being one of the few material items of cultural heritage that has survived the ravages of time, this is an important step forward for the archeology of Central Africa."

New insights on the controversial Bantu Expansion

The initial spread of Bantu-speaking people from their homeland on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon towards eastern and southern Africa starting some 4000 years ago is unique in the world due to its magnitude, rapid pace, and adaptation to multiple ecozones. This spread had a momentous impact on the continent's linguistic, demographic, and cultural landscape. The Bantu languages constitute Africa's largest language family: about one out of three Africans speak one or several Bantu languages.

Historical linguist and Africanist Koen Bostoen (UGent) is excited about how these new insights that urge us to rethink the Bantu Expansion, one of the most controversial issues in African History: "Africa's colonization by Bantu speech communities is usually seen as a single, long-term and continuous macro-event. We tend to see today's Bantu speakers as direct descendants from those who originally settled the rainforest some 2700 years ago. Likewise, we think that current-day Bantu languages developed directly from the ancestral languages of those first settlers. However, our results show that this initial wave of Bantu-speaking Early Iron Age communities had largely vanished from the entire Congo rainforest region by 600 CE. The Bantu languages of this area may thus be almost 1000 years younger than previously thought. Scientifically speaking, this introduces new challenges for our use of linguistic data to reconstruct Africa's history. More generally, our study shows that African societies faced serious catastrophes long before the transatlantic slave trade and European colonization and had the resilience to overcome them. This is hopeful."

A prolonged epidemic as the cause of population collapse?

Paleobotanist and tropical forest ecologist Wannes Hubau (UGent & RMCA Tervuren), the other lead author, highlights that the drastic population collapse around 400-600 CE coincided with wetter climatic conditions across the region and may therefore have been promoted by a prolonged disease epidemic: "We note the broad coincidence between the sharp demographic decline in the Congo rainforest and the Justinian Plague (541-750 CE), which is regarded as one of the factors leading to the fall of both the Roman Empire and the Aksumite Empire in Ethiopia. It may have killed up to 100 million people in Asia, Europe, and Africa. We have no firm evidence that the population collapse observed in our archeological data is really due to a persistent vector-borne disease. However, the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which caused the Justinian Plague, has a long-standing presence in Central Africa. One particular strain, still found today in DRC, Zambia, Kenya and Uganda, has prevailed in Central Africa for at least 300 years and is the oldest living strain closely related to the lineage that caused the Black Death in 14th century Europe. We therefore consider a prolonged pandemic of plague to be a plausible hypothesis for the observed supra-regional population decline in 5th-6th century Central Africa."

Explore further Mixture and migration brought food production to sub-Saharan Africa

More information: D. Seidensticker el al., "Population collapse in Congo rainforest from 400 CE urges reassessment of the Bantu Expansion," Science Advances (2021). Journal information: Science Advances D. Seidensticker el al., "Population collapse in Congo rainforest from 400 CE urges reassessment of the Bantu Expansion,"(2021). advances.sciencemag.org/lookup  .1126/sciadv.abd8352
New Orleans shut down two more bars for violating coronavirus restrictions on Thursday night, the first establishments on Bourbon Street to be closed as part of a citywide crackdown ahead of Mardi Gras.

Bandstand and Drunken Fry/Studio 504 were both ordered to close by New Orleans Safety and Permits, according to a tweet from the city's account. Seven other bars throughout the city were shut down over the past week, none of which were in the French Quarter.

Last night, the City of New Orleans Safety & Permits team shut down two more clubs found to be in violation of the COVID safety precautions. Bandstand (441 Bourbon) and Drunken Fry/Studio 504 (530 Bourbon) were both shut down on the spot when found to be in violation. pic.twitter.com/aTHGocElUk  The City Of New Orleans (@CityOfNOLA) February 12, 2021

The city did not immediately provide details on what rules the two bars that were closed on Thursday were allegedly flouting.

"This year Mardi Gras is different and we have to take swift action to protect our people," according to another tweet from the city's account.

The renewed focus on enforcing coronavirus rules against bars has come in the week since Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced strict regulations that ban all bars from operating in the city from today through Fat Tuesday. The new rules are aimed at preventing crowds from turning Mardi Gras into a superspreader event for the second year in a row.

The city has also announced that pedestrians will be banned in Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street and Decatur Street at night unless they are headed to or from a home, hotel, restaurant or shop. The city also erected fencing around the neutral ground on N. Claiborne Avenue under Interstate 10, a popular Mardi Gras gathering spot.

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The New Orleans Police Department will be holding a press conference Friday morning to provide an update on their enforcement plans through the remaining days of Carnival.

+7 Three more New Orleans bars shuttered in pre-Mardi Gras enforcement of coronavirus rules New Orleans officials cracked down on bars flouting coronavirus rules and crews erected fences along North Claiborne Avenue over the weekend a

All New Orleans bars closed for Mardi Gras, access restricted to major streets under new rules Bars will be closed, people will have to pass through checkpoints to get to major Carnival gathering spots like Bourbon and Frenchman streets,

New Orleans Mardi Gras restrictions: Here's where you can't gather under new city rules Mardi Gras and the weekend leading up to it will look quite different in New Orleans this year amid the lingering coronavirus pandemic.
By Fabien Faivre in Ndu village, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. | 12 February 2021 | Espanol | Francais

Central African refugee Boris, 37, sits with his wife Christine and their two children outside their makeshift shelter in Ndu village, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  UNHCR/Fabien Faivre

Twice in his long life, 74-year-old Joseph had to flee conflict in the Central African Republic. When violence erupted ahead of the countrys elections in December, he knew it would be a third.

There was war, so we had to flee. It is the third time I am fleeing my country. I am tired. At my age, you can imagine that I am not only tired but I feel despair and anguish, says Joseph wearily.

He had previously fled his hometown of Bangassou, some 700 kilometres from the capital Bangui, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2013. He later returned home but had to flee again in 2018 because of conflict. And in January 2021, Joseph and his family had no choice but to escape again.

The insecurity and violence surrounding last Decembers elections have forced over 100,000 people like him to flee  some into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, the DRC and the Republic of the Congo, while around 100,000 people are displaced inside CAR.

It is the third time I am fleeing my country. I am tired.

Arrivals into the DRC have reached 92,000, according to local authorities. So far, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its government partner have registered over 22,000 people and will update the population figures based on actual registrations.

Over 200,000 people displaced in the Central African Republic in less than two months (Fabien Faivre, camera / Mary Theru, producer/ Joshua Werema, editor)

Joseph and thousands of others found safety in Ndu, a remote village located on the other side of the Mbomou river which borders CAR in Bas Uele Province, in northern DRC. Most of them arrived exhausted after crossing the border river, with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. UNHCR, has warned that tens of thousands face dire conditions, as many are without basic needs like food, water, medical assistance and shelter.

Makeshift shelters that offer little protection from rain, wind, and the scorching sun have mushroomed along the main road in Ndu. Some families have taken refuge in abandoned houses and the villages cramped school, while others have no option but to sleep out in the open.

Louise, 75, lives with a disability and can only walk with crutches. The journey to find safety was especially hard on her

I heard gun shots. I fled to protect myself and my loved ones, she says.

She now lives in a tiny shelter with 17 other family members. Tree branches and old pipes hold a plastic tarpaulin in place  this is where she stores the few belongings her family was able to carry in their hurry to leave.

Central African refugee, Joseph, 74, has escaped violence thrice in his life. He recently escaped to the village of Ndu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  UNHCR/Fabien Faivre

Central African refugee, Louise, 75, sits next to her makeshift shelter in the village of Ndu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  UNHCR

Central African refugee, Benitia, 23, holds her newborn baby girl as her daughter Safira stands next to her in the village of Ndu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  UNHCR/Fabien Faivre

A Central African refugee and her child walk in front of a shelter in the village of Ndu, Bas Uele province, Democratic Republic of Congo.  UNHCR/Fabien Faivre

While the local host community has shown generosity in welcoming the displaced, they have extremely limited resources and need support to cope with the enormous strain.

There is so much I need to think about that I havent even named my new born baby girl.

For many, the river is also their sole source of water for drinking, washing and cooking. Diseases like malaria, respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea have become common among the refugees, especially children.

These conditions are particularly stressful for women like Benitia, 23, who fled while pregnant, with her two-year-old daughter and her husband. Thankfully, she delivered her second child safely in Ndu. But she is afraid of her two children getting sick.

Our life has changed overnight. We are now refugees. There is so much I need to think about that I havent even named my new born baby girl, she says.

See also: UNHCR appeals for access as Central African displacement soars

Most refugee families have spontaneously settled along the border with CAR which remains unsafe. Although the security situation in Bangassou is now relatively calm, refugees on the DRC side have reported that they still hear gunshots from neighbouring areas on the CAR side. They say that they prefer to stay here in the hope that they will be able to return home soon.

It is a race against time as these roads will become impassable during the rainy season.

The vast distances and extremely poor road conditions mean that humanitarian assistance is taking a lot of time to reach people in need.

Refugees have found safety in very remote and hard to reach areas, where infrastructure can be very limited. It is a race against time as these roads will become impassable during the rainy season, says Madeleine Tchabi Moumouni, UNHCRs head of sub-office in Gbadolite, in North Ubangi province.

UNHCR is already distributing emergency supplies such as blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, tarpaulins and mosquito nets to the most vulnerable families and is pre-positioning supplies in key locations before vast areas become inaccessible by road.

Biometric registration is also ongoing, with up to 1,000 new arrivals registered per day, which enables the early identification of people with vulnerabilities.

However, funding vital to UNHCRs humanitarian response for the existing 173,000 refugees from CAR is already critically low and under severe pressure as the numbers continue to rise. The current influx is further exerting enormous strain on resources and urgent funding is needed to protect refugees from exposure to the elements during the upcoming rainy season.
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A former deputy chief medical officer has rejected calls for coronavirus vaccines to be made mandatory for healthcare workers, saying it is better to convince hospital and aged care staff to get the jab voluntarily.

Nick Coatsworth, who became one of the faces of the federal coronavirus response with daily televised briefings at the height of the pandemic and retains an advisory role with the government, said Australia had historically been good at vaccinating is population.

Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth wants Australia to prioritise voluntary vaccines. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Flu vaccines are required for most aged care and hospital workers under state public health orders introduced early in the pandemic and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has flagged public health authorities would consider similar measures for coronavirus vaccines.

Its not mandatory to work in an occupation, but it can be a requirement of an occupation for public health reasons that certain vaccinations are in place, the Prime Minister said at a press conference in Canberra last month.
Galveston, TX (77553)

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Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph..

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A Wyoming woman who was briefly hired as the Chattanooga city treasurer us suing the city.

Kate Farmer said she spent $21,000 moving to Chattanooga and then back to her previous home.

The City Council changed its mind after council members learned she had been involved in three federal lawsuits involving issues in her hometown.

Council members said Ms. Farmer should have made them aware of the past issues.

The suit says at no time did "the city of Chattanooga advise Mrs. Farmer that she failed a background check or that they located anything in her past which would create a conflict or problem with her employment."

It was noted that the city hired attorney Sam Elliott to look into Ms. Farmer's background and he concluded that "there should be little concern about her ability to proceed with her duties.

The breach of contract suit was filed in Chancery Court and later moved to Federal Court.
Sanaa, Feb 12 : Escalation of fighting between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi militia in the oil-rich province of Marib has displaced nearly 400 families in just three days, an official said.

"During the past three days around 400 families left their villages and residential houses due to the non-stop intense battles in the province," the official of Marib's local authority told Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

The displaced families left the district of Sirwah amid the exchange of indiscriminate artillery shelling.

"Many families are now threatened by a second displacement wave and they are seeking to flee again to find other safe areas away from fighting," the official added.

On Wednesday, two shells landed on a displacement camp housing about 225 families in Marib, causing no casualties.

Yemeni officials in charge of the internally displacement camps in the government-controlled province of Marib urged the international humanitarian organisations to pressure the Houthis to stop targeting the displaced people.

The Iran-allied Houthi rebels stepped up their military operations and launched an large offensive to seize the province of Marib controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

The Houthis' military escalation followed Washington's indication of removing the group from the terrorist list, which will reverse the decision by the administration of former US President Donald Trump.

Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government.

The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million others, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

Democratic prosecutors making the case that Donald Trump incited a deadly insurrection by encouraging his supporters to march on the US Capitol warned the Senate on Thursday that if it fails to convict the former president, he can do this again, Reuters reported.

The first three days of Trumps impeachment trial focused on his fiery words to supporters in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 attack, when he falsely claimed that his election defeat by Democrat Joe Biden was the result of fraud and that the crowd needed to fight and stop the steal.

The Democrats appear highly unlikely to secure a conviction and bar Trump from ever again holding public office given that only six Republicans voted with Democrats in the 100-seat chamber to proceed with the trial.

If he gets back into office and it happens again, well have no one to blame but ourselves, lead impeachment manager Representative Jamie Raskin told the Senate on Thursday, wrapping up the prosecution arguments.

Fellow Democratic Representative Ted Lieu told the senators he worries about what would happen if Trump runs in 2024 and loses.

Im not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years. Im afraid hes going to run again and lose, because he can do this again, Lieu said.

The nine House of Representatives impeachment managers have argued that Trump planted the seeds for the riot by encouraging violence and making false claims about widespread electoral fraud long before Jan. 6, and must be held accountable for what happened.

Five people including a police officer died in the riot. Two more police officers involved in the response died by suicide in the days afterward.

Although the prosecutors arguments were generally praised by both parties, some Republican senators said they were still not convinced.

During a break in the proceedings on Thursday, Senator James Lankford told reporters that the managers failed to connect the dots between Trump and the rioters.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has been tasked to investigate the circumstances that made its Commander deploy some armed soldiers to maintain order in the chamber of Parliament during the election of the Speaker, in the early hours of on January 7, 2021.



Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, the Minister-designate for National Security, said at his vetting by Parliament's Appointments Committee, on Wednesday.



Mr Kan-Dapaah stated that President Akufo-Addo and other government officials were not happy with the 'invasion' of Parliament by the soldiers and thus called for an investigation into the matter.



This is obviously a strange thing when you have soldiers going into the parliamentary chamber for whatever reason.



"When I saw it, I was also alarmed, my colleagues were alarmed, all of us in government were alarmed that something like that had happened. So I did take the trouble to find out how it happened.



Somebody, a commander, in his opinion, thought that things were getting out of hands in the chamber, and that they needed to go there to try to restore order.



I posed the question, what order? Did you think your presence there was going to frighten the members of Parliament? No!.... You were not going to be able to frighten them. Were you going to arrest them? No. You couldnt have arrested them.



So I asked, What was the motivation? I can only say that this is not something that should have happened. Going forward this is not something that we should encourage," Mr Kan-Dapaah stated.



The Minister-designate said after the investigations, the report would be made available to Parliament, adding that, appropriate sanctions would be applied should the inquiry turn out that the Commander had acted unprofessionally.



The election of the Speaker of Eight Parliament was characterised by chaos with the elected members on the political divide fighting over sitting on right side of the Speaker to indicate their majority in the House, kicking of voting booths and snatching of ballot papers, among others.



The unfortunate events were widely condemned by Ghanaians across the country.

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.

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According to a latest monthly update from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world oil demand is set to grow by 5.4 mb/d in 2021 to reach 96.4 mb/d, recovering around 60% of the volume lost to the pandemic in 2020. While oil demand is expected to fall by 1 mb/d in 1Q21 from already low 4Q20 levels, a more favourable economic outlook underpins stronger demand in the second half of the year. The incorporation of new data lowered the 2019 baseline by 330 kb/d.

Global oil supply rose 590 kb/d in January, to 93.6 mb/d, as OPEC+ cuts eased and non-OPEC+ pumped more. In February, global output is set to fall as Saudi Arabia implements a sizeable voluntary cut. The outlook is improving for countries outside the OPEC+ alliance, with an 830 kb/d gain expected in 2021 versus a 2020 loss of 1.3 mb/d.

Refinery throughputs declined by a modest 110 kb/d in December. 1Q21 runs are expected to fall by 1.8 mb/d y-o-y, but annual growth is set to resume from 2Q21 onwards. Most of the gains will come from the Atlantic Basin, where refinery activity is recovering from a lower base. In 2020, the Atlantic Basin refinery intake fell to 38.7 mb/d, the lowest in IEA records, which started in 1971.

Global implied stock draws accelerated from 1.56 mb/d in 3Q20 to 2.24 mb/d in 4Q20. In December, OECD industry stocks fell for the fifth consecutive month. A monthly decline of 44.6 mb (1.44 mb/d) left inventories at 3 063 mb, 138.3 mb above their five-year average. Products led the fall. OECD crude stocks were 62.8 mb below the May 2020 peak. January data show continued declines.

The rebalancing of the oil market remains fragile in the early part of 2021 as measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, with its more contagious variants, weigh heavily on the near-term recovery in global oil demand. But fresh support has been provided by a more positive economic outlook for the second half of the year, along with a pledge from OPEC+ to hasten the drawdown of surplus oil inventories.

Amid the uncertain outlook for oil demand, OPEC+ has reiterated its readiness to help eliminate the massive oil stock overhang that built up last year. Inventories have been steadily declining since 3Q20 but end-December OECD stocks were still 140 mb above their five-year average. The current production policy of the group calls for most members to hold supply steady through March, while Saudi Arabia has promised to cut an extra 1 mb/d this month and next. OPEC+ ministers are due to meet in early March to discuss policy for April.

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An Iranian official suspected of instigating the killing of an Iranian dissident in 2019 has been arrested in Turkey, Reuters has reported.

Quoting unnamed sources, Reuters said it had confirmed a report by Turkey's Sabah newspaper that Mohammad Reza Naserzadeh was detained earlier this week on suspicion of planning the shooting of Masud Molavi Vardanjani, a critic of Iran's political and military leadership.

Sabah reported that Naserzadeh worked at the civic registry department of the Iranian Consulate in Istanbul. Reuters said it could not independently confirm that information.



The incident could strain ties between regional powers Turkey and Iran. Iran's Foreign Ministry called the newspaper report "baseless."

Vardanjani, a former Iranian intelligence operative who exposed corruption involving Iranian officials, was shot and killed in Istanbul on November 14, 2019 -- a year after leaving the Islamic republic. He had been put under investigation by Iranian authorities.

A Turkish police report published in March 2020 said Vardanjani had an unusual profile. It said he had worked in cybersecurity at Irans Defense Ministry before becoming a vocal critic of the Iranian regime.

Two senior Turkish officials told Reuters in 2020 that Vardanjani's killing was instigated by intelligence officials at the Iranian Consulate in Istanbul.

At the time, one of the Turkish officials identified the two suspects by their initials. One set of initials matched Naserzadeh's.

A senior U.S. administration official said in April 2020 that Washington had grounds to believe that Iran's Intelligence and Security Ministry was directly involved in the killing of Vardanjani.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh denied that any consulate staff had been involved in Vardanjani's shooting death.

The Foreign Ministry's website said Iran was in talks with Turkish officials to shed light on the issue.



Last week, a Belgian court sentenced an Iranian diplomat to 20 years in prison on charges of planning an attack on an exiled opposition group.

It was the first trial of an Iranian official on terrorism charges in Europe since Iran's 1979 revolution.

With reporting by Reuters
Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister, Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, has extended deepest congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the 20th anniversary of the National Action Charter (NAC).

The minister affirmed that the National Action Charter was a milestone in the kingdoms modern history at the political, economic and social levels, noting that the popular endorsement of the NAC reflected the distinguished national cohesion between HM the King and the people of Bahrain.

He added that thanks to NAC adoption, Bahrain has made quantum leaps in the fields of democracy, and the state of law and institutions in a way that laid the foundations for sustainable development, enhanced political participation in the national decision-making process, and consolidated institutional work.

He affirmed that the NAC anniversary is an opportunity to draw lessons and carry on the nation-building and development march, under the wise leadership of HM King Hamad.

He pointed out that the National Action Charter has paved the way for innumerable pioneering achievements at all levels.

He highlighted the numerous projects implemented by the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning for the sake of ensuring decent life for the citizens and improving the quality of services delivered to them and the residents.
3D print of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19--in front of a 3D print of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle. The spike protein (foreground) enables the virus to enter and infect human cells. On the virus model, the virus surface (blue) is covered with spike proteins (red) that enable the virus to enter and infect human cells. Credit: NIH

Most countries introduced school closures during the spring of 2020 despite substantial uncertainty regarding the effectiveness in containing SARS-CoV-2. In Sweden, upper-secondary schools moved online while lower-secondary schools remained open. A comparison of parents with children in the final year of lower-secondary and first year of upper-secondary school shows that keeping the former open had limited consequences for the overall transmission of the virus. However, the infection rate doubled among lower-secondary teachers relative to upper-secondary ones. The infection rate among partners of lower-secondary teacher was 30 percent higher than among their upper-secondary counterparts.

On March 18, 2020, Swedish upper-secondary schools moved to online instruction while lower-secondary schools remained open. This facilitates a comparison of infections and disease between groups that are comparable in other regards. In the study, all PCR-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 and all healthcare registered cases of COVID-19 until the summer break are linked to register data on families and teachers in lower and upper-secondary schools.

Since the age of the student is likely to correlate with the severity of symptoms, student infectiousness and various types of risk behavior, it is crucial to compare parents to children close in age. According to the study, the risk of infection was 17 percent higher among parents whose youngest child studied at the final year of lower-secondary rather than the first year of upper-secondary school. Had lower-secondary schools moved online, the estimates correspond to 500 fewer detected cases among a total of 450 000 lower-secondary parents (4.5 percent of the population). This can be compared to 53,000 PCR-confirmed cases in the total population during until the summer break in mid-June.

When comparing lower to upper-secondary teachers, we find that the risk for both PCR-confirmed infection and healthcare treatment due to COVID-19 doubled by keeping schools open. Among 124 occupations, upper-secondary teachers had a median risk of infection while lower-secondary were the 7th most affected. This comparison excludes healthcare workers who had markedly different access to PCR-testing. By the end of June, 79 out of 39 500 lower-secondary teachers had been hospitalized due to COVID-19, one of whom deceased. According to the study, this number had been down to 46 if lower-secondary schools had closed.

It is well-known that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted within households. The study finds that the risk of a positive PCR-test was 30 percent higher among partners of lower-secondary teachers than among their upper-secondary counterparts. The estimates for more serious cases of COVID-19 are somewhat lower than for PCR-tests butjust as for parentsthese estimates are imprecise.

Closing the schools is a costly measure with potentially long-run detrimental effects for students. The results for parents are in line with theoretical models predicting a limited impact of school closures on the general transmission of SARS-CoV-2. In an international comparison, the precautionary measures undertaken in Swedish schools are best described as mild. Thus, strict measures within open schools cannot explain the relatively minor impact on the overall rate of transmission. The results for teachers suggest that further precautionary measures could be considered.

The study does not analyze the impact of school closures for virus transmission among students. We note, however, that there are few cases of serious illness among the young. In particular, zero deaths from COVID-19 had been recorded among 2-19 year olds in Sweden until mid-summer 2020.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Jonas Vlachos et al, The effects of school closures on SARS-CoV-2 among parents and teachers, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jonas Vlachos et al, The effects of school closures on SARS-CoV-2 among parents and teachers,(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020834118

A Moscow court has ordered the arrest of an exiled ally of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but Lithuania, where the associate lives, has rejected the demand to take him into custody.

The action against Leonid Volkov by the Basmanny District Court was seen as part of an effort by authorities to squash demonstrations demanding the release of Mr Navalny, a top Kremlin foe who was detained on January 17.

Mr Volkov, a chief strategist for Mr Navalny, was charged with encouraging minors to take part in unauthorised rallies, which could land him in jail for up to three years. He had already been put on an international wanted list.

Using international tools for politically motivated prosecution is a wrong practice Agne Bilotaite, Lithuanian interior minister

Mr Volkov, who has lived abroad since 2019, has rejected the charges, and Lithuanias government has refused to carry out the Russian courts order.

Using international tools for politically motivated prosecution is a wrong practice, Lithuanian interior minister Agne Bilotaite said.

This raises serious doubts about Russias membership in these organisations, she said, referring to the Russian arrest warrant sent through Interpol.

Mr Navalny, 44, an anti-corruption investigator who is Russian president Vladimir Putins most prominent critic, was arrested 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 accusation.

Protests across Russia drew tens of thousands of people to the streets for two consecutive weekends in January in the largest show of discontent in years.

Expand Close Police officers detain a Navalny supporter during a protest in St Petersburg earlier this month (Dmitri Lovetsky/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police officers detain a Navalny supporter during a protest in St Petersburg earlier this month (Dmitri Lovetsky/AP)

More protests rocked Moscow and St Petersburg after a Moscow court on February 2 sentenced Mr Navalny to two years and eight months in prison for violating the terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany.

That stems from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that Mr Navalny has rejected as fabricated and the European Court of Human Rights has ruled to be unlawful.

He described his new imprisonment as Putins personal revenge for surviving and exposing the assassination plot.

The authorities responded to protests with a sweeping crackdown, detaining about 11,000 people across Russia, many of whom were later fined or handed jail sentences ranging from seven to 15 days.

They also have moved to isolate key members of Mr Navalnys team, putting several of his top associates under house arrest for two months without access to the internet.

Expand Close Servicemen of the Russian National Guard gather at Red Square to prevent a protest rally in Moscow on February 2 (Pavel Golovkin/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Servicemen of the Russian National Guard gather at Red Square to prevent a protest rally in Moscow on February 2 (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

In a shift of strategy amid the crackdown, Mr Volkov said last week that the pro-Navalny demonstrations should pause until the spring, arguing that an attempt to maintain rallies each weekend would only lead to thousands more arrests and wear participants out.

But on Tuesday he announced a new form of protest, urging residents of big cities to briefly gather in residential courtyards on Sunday with their mobile phone torchlights turned on.

He argued that the new tactics  similar to ones used by anti-government protesters in neighbouring Belarus  would prevent Russian riot police from interfering and allow more people to participate without fearing repression.

The Belarus protests follow the re-election in August of the countrys long-time autocratic president Alexander Lukashenko in balloting widely seen as rigged.
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Singing River and Ocean Springs hospitals have been ranked number one in their market for patient safety and overall medical care by a leading evaluation group.

Singing River Health Systems hospitals have been ranked #1 in the Market in Patient Safety for Overall Medical Care by Quantros CareChex Awards  a resource used by consumers, providers, and purchasers to evaluate, measure, and compare the quality and safety of inpatient hospital care in the U.S.

Our team of skilled physicians and staff believe in providing comprehensive, high-quality healthcare every day to our guests and in every area across the system, said SRHS CEO Lee Bond. We are especially proud of this distinction because it speaks to Singing Rivers mission and upholds our second core value as fact: Quality is in our DNA.

In addition, SRHS was also listed as one of the regions best in U.S. News & World Reports annual rankings, earning a status among:

Best Hospitals for Heart Failure Treatment

Best Hospitals for COPD

Best Nursing Homes/Short-Term Rehabilitation

We have always worked hard to provide the cleanest and safest environment for our patients/guests, visitors, and staff, which has become particularly important in these challenging times, said Laurin St. Pe, Singing River Hospital administrator. Recent upgrades to our hospitals create a healthy and calming environment that enhances patient comfort and healing.

Woman charged in bus stop accident that injured Vancleave child

VANCLEAVE, Mississippi -- Jolie Bor of Vancleave has been charged with overtaking a school bus, a misdemeanor, in connection with an accident last week that left an 8-year-old child with a broken arm and leg.

At about 6:25 a.m. last Thursday (Feb. 4), the girl was crossing the westbound lane of Jim Ramsey Road in Vancleave to board her Jackson County school bus, which was stopped in the eastbound lane, when a Nissan Versa, driven by Bor, struck the child after failing to stop for the stopped school bus.

Ocean Springs man jailed in theft of catalytic converter

OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- An Ocean Springs man has been arrested and charged with felony possession of burglary tools in connection with the theft of a catalytic converter Feb. 4, said Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell.

Peter Albert Labrie Jr., 38, of Ocean Springs is accused of removing a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked in the Circle K parking lot near exit 50 along Interstate 10. Labrie was taken into custody at the scene.

As of Friday afternoon, Labrie remained in the Jackson County Adult Detention Center under a $5,000 bond.

Ezell noted catalytic converter thefts are on the rise and asked that anyone with information should call the sheriffs office at 228-769-3063.

St. Martin shelter now available to rent for special events

ST. MARTIN, Mississippi -- Jackson County residents can now rent the St. Martin Emergency Shelter on Walker Road for special events, county officials have announced.

The 6,831-square foot facility, with a capacity of 400, can be rented for $250 per day, which includes use of the full kitchen. A refundable $250 cleaning/damage deposit is also required.

We are happy to add this facility to the list of rentals the community can use, said Tammy Moore, Director of Community Centers and Fairgrounds. Its a wonderful place to host weddings, receptions corporate and civic events. The possibilities are endless.

Reservations for the St. Martin Emergency Shelter/Community Center can be made online through the county website at www.co.jackson.ms.us, or by calling 228-762-6043, ext. 4.

MGCCC, Memorial Hospital sign agreement for health care training

PERKINSTON, Mississippi -- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Memorial Hospital at Gulfport recently signed an agreement to create additional pathways to meet the need for trained healthcare professionals in the region.

We are excited to partner with Memorial and provide incredible opportunities for our students who are interested in the health sciences field, said MGCCC president Mary S. Graham. The apprenticeship offerings and our existing programs will allow Memorial Hospital to recruit new employees or provide training to existing employees who wish to advance their careers.

Memorial Hospital at Gulfport was one of the first hospitals in Mississippi to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for apprenticeship training. Partnering with MGCCC, Memorial will begin its first apprenticeship program later this year. The agreement also provides for internships, externships, grants and scholarships for a variety of health care programs at MGCCC.

Additional training programs and opportunities for Gulf Coast citizens and MGCCC students may be on the horizon as the demands for health care workers grows, according to the school.


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BUFFALO, Minn. - The man accused of shooting five people at a rural Minnesota health clinic also detonated three explosive devices inside the facility as he opened fire on medical staff and patients, authorities said Thursday, amid deepening questions over whether the suspect should have been more closely monitored by law enforcement agencies before his deadly rampage.

Gregory Paul Ulrich, 67, was formally charged Thursday with one count of second-degree murder four counts of attempted murder and one count each of carrying a pistol without a permit and "gross disregard for life and property" by utilizing an explosive device. Bail was set at $5 million.

"The behavior of Mr. Ulrich implicated the safety of the public in the highest regard," Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes said during a brief court hearing, conducted over Zoom. "He went to that clinic knowing he was going to shoot that clinic up. He went to that clinic knowing he was going to ignite those bombs, and that is just what he did."

Ulrich, who reportedly was battling an opioid addiction and was upset that a doctor who worked at the clinic had stopped issuing him prescriptions for the drug, did not speak during the hearing. His public defender declined to file a formal plea in the case, pending another hearing next month.

The shooting appears to be the latest in a long line of violent public attacks that occurred after ominous warnings and red flags by those later accused of carrying them out. But authorities struggled Thursday to answer questions about how Ulrich obtained the gun allegedly used during the attack and whether police should have known sooner that he could pose a threat to the clinic's staff.

According to charging documents, Ulrich stormed the reception area of Buffalo's Allina Medical Clinic, about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis, on Tuesday and shot five people, one of them fatally, with a 9mm pistol. Ulrich, who authorities and records show had a history of making threats against clinic staff, had packed black gunpowder into cylinder containers to construct at least four explosive devices.

Authorities say Ulrich detonated two of the devices in the clinic's lobby and another in a nearby hallway, causing explosions that ripped a hole in a metal door and shattered windows. A fourth unexploded device was found nearby, and authorities later discovered a pound of gunpowder at his previous residence.

Speaking at a news conference, Lutes said Ulrich did not have an extensive criminal record, although he was prosecuted on several charges of driving while intoxicated from 2004 to 2006.

Lutes also confirmed that a doctor who worked at the Allina Clinic filed a restraining order against Ulrich in 2018 because of threats.

Within a few months, Ulrich faced a misdemeanor charge of violating that order, which was handled by local prosecutors in Buffalo, Lutes said. But before that case could be heard, Ulrich was determined to be "incompetent," and under Minnesota law misdemeanors are to be dismissed under those circumstances, Lutes said.

Ulrich's brother, Richard, told The Washington Post earlier this week that Gregory Ulrich had worked in construction and became addicted to opioids a few years ago after he had back surgery for an old injury he had suffered on the job. He said his brother was angry and upset that doctors had stopped giving him prescriptions for the medication.

Still, a man who used to live with Ulrich told The Post that Ulrich was still able to obtain a permit to buy a Smith & Wesson handgun.

In Minnesota, permits for handguns are issued by county sheriffs or local police departments. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says on its website that permits can be denied by a sheriff "if there is a substantial likelihood that the applicant is a danger to himself/herself or others if issued a permit to carry." The five-page permit application includes two pages of things it says would disqualify a person from obtaining a permit, including being convicted of domestic violence or judicially committed to a mental health or drug treatment facility.

The weapons charge against Ulrich suggests he may not have had a permit to carry a gun in public.

But Lutes and Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer both declined to discuss whether Ulrich had legally obtained a permit to buy his firearm, citing Minnesota confidentiality laws involving the possession or transfer of firearms.

Lutes said that his office was working to get a court order signed by a judge to release those records, but the order was denied.

"We cannot make comments on that," Lutes said. 'The Minnesota government data is very private. This is private, not public data. And so we have to be very careful about what we release."

But in response to a reporter's question at a news conference, Deringer said it is not uncommon for Minnesota law enforcement agencies to mistakenly issue some permits, which he said can occur because of "human error."

"The flags are there in the systems that we have," Deringer said. "And that system is overlooked, or the flag is overlooked. The other thing is sometimes, and I've said this before, is you have to have a master's degree to read some of these criminal histories. They're not always clear . . . So sometimes they do slip through the cracks."

As related directly to Ulrich's alleged behaviors, Deringer said his office was aware that he has made"previous threats" but added none of those threats were made "in the past several months or even a year."

"Or we would have taken immediate action to try to circumvent or prevent what happened Tuesday," Deringer said. "If we are going to push blame, I ask people to push blame where blame is due, and that is on a suspect who decided to go into a Buffalo clinic and victimize people who are truly trying to help their communities."

Research has found that armed attackers who open fire in public places have often worried people around them and left red flags that littered their paths to violence. An FBI study of active shooters, released in 2018, found that attackers had behaved in concerning ways noticed by others beforehand.

These attackers did not just snap one day, the study's authors said. Most were fueled by "a grievance of some kind," the study found, often some sort of action taken against them beforehand. Even if these grievances were not "reasonable or even grounded in reality," the study said, they still helped give these attackers a sense of purpose.

The study examined dozens of attackers who opened fire in public places between 2000 and 2013. Most of them, the study noted, had obtained their guns legally.

"The notion that somebody impulsively walks down the street and randomly selects a facility is just not true," said Matthew Doherty, who used to run the Secret Service's Threat Assessment Center and is now a security consultant with Jensen Hughes. "They're planned in advance."

In Parkland, Fla., where 17 people were killed at a high school in 2018, law enforcement officials acknowledged later that they had received repeated warnings about the alleged shooter. After a gunman killed five people in Aurora, Ill., in 2019, prosecutors said that the day of the shooting, the attacker had told a co-worker he would kill people if he got fired hours before that scenario unfolded.

Some states have adopted "red flag" laws that can allow relatives or law enforcement officials to petition courts to restrict a person's access to guns. Minnesota does not have such a law, according to the Giffords Law Center.

The Minnesota shooting is yet another reminder that law enforcement officials need to "conduct threat management, as opposed to conducting a criminal investigation looking for a violation of the law," Doherty said.

A lot of people might make threats, Doherty said, but what's important is trying to determine whether they actually pose a threat. That includes examining their communications about possible plans, looking at attempts to purchase weapons and speaking to friends, family, neighbors or others who might have interacted with the person, he said.

"Obviously there were some red flags," Doherty said of the Buffalo shooting. "But the key is, were there management techniques employed? And at this point, I highly doubt it."

Minnesota has a strong justice system, but "it's a look-back system," said Joseph Tamburino, a criminal defense attorney in Minneapolis and a former public defender. "It's very difficult to be proactive. So yes, anytime you get a case like Mr. Ulrich's you can say, well, looking back, things should've happened. However, it's really difficult to say this was missed in some way."

- - -

Berman and Craig reported from Washington.

A man who was previously convicted of the shooting and stabbing murder of another man in Sydneys inner west will face a retrial after his conviction was quashed.

Diego Carbone, 29, was sentenced in 2018 to a maximum of 28 years behind bars after a jury found him guilty of taking part in a joint criminal enterprise to kill Bradley Dillon, 25, in a car park at Leichhardt.

On Friday, the NSW Supreme Court was told this conviction has been quashed. The judgment and reasons of the Court of Criminal Appeal are not publicly available.

Justice Robert Allan Hulme said he understands the reason for a new trial being ordered is due to difficulties with the directions given by the trial judge.

Mr Carbones barrister Rose Khalilizadeh indicated she will be making representations for the case to be no-billed, which is a request for the charges to be dropped and the case withdrawn.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The high-profile deaths of Eric Garner on Staten Island in 2014 and George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 at the hands of law enforcement officers prompted fervent calls for police reform, including efforts to improve diversity within departments in an effort to improve cops treatment of minorities.

A study published within the journal Science on Thursday provides support for that push with its massive analysis of police patrols and officer behavior.

The research homed in on almost three million Chicago Police Department patrol assignments of almost 7,000 officers between 2012 and 2015.

Its a system that very clearly needs reforming, University of Pennsylvania data scientist Dean Knox, a co-author of the study, told the Associated Press. We just havent had good data on what reforms work.

The study found that deploying Black officers instead of white officers  in the same patrol assignment, in the same month, on the same day of the week and at the same shift time  resulted in about 15 fewer stops and two fewer arrests.

Compared to white officers working in comparable places and times, Black officers also made fewer discretionary enforcement actions, according to the study. Black officers made almost six fewer stops per 100 shifts for suspicious behavior, which is a 31% reduction compared to the average white-officer volume.

The trends were noticed especially among stops made against Black people. Black officers made over 12 fewer stops of Black people per 100 shifts, the data showed, which represented a 39% reduction compared to the typical volume made by white officers.

Against white civilians, Black officers made only 1.31 fewer stops per 100 shits compared to white officers  a 17% reduction.

Black officers also deployed force against Black people 38% less often than white officers per 100 shifts and used force that resulted in injury 39% less than often white officers in those situations.

Female officers were also found to use force less than their male counterparts.

We see two groups of officers going out, and theyre treating the same group of civilians differently, Knox told the Associated Press. Its troubling.

The enforcement disparities were predominately focused on relatively minor crimes, the researchers said, not violent offenses  suggesting little trade-off in terms of public safety.

The researchers spent three years battling for the detailed data and some of their requests made it to the Illinois Attorney Generals Office.

The study has limitations, as its data is drawn from 2012 to 2015, before some police reforms took place. Additionally, the research is centered on the Chicago Police Department and cannot be generalized for all departments in the country.

In New York City, the NYPD has made significant improvements in recent decades in having its officers reflect the demographics of the five boroughs, but a report by The City found its upper ranks remain overwhelmingly white.

Currently, about half of the Chicago Police Department is comprised of officers of color.

On Staten Island, calls for police reform span back decades. In 1994, the death of 22-year-old Ernest Sayon at the hands of police prompted a march of residents to the St. George NYPD precinct.

Last spring, protestors gathered outside the Park Hill Apartments  at the tree where Sayon died more than 26 years ago  and retraced those same steps.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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The ongoing internet shopping penetration in consumers is sowing a series of innovation in the market of corrugated packaging. Trends within corrugated packaging markets have clear relevance towards the consumption of corrugated board. These are ranging from high demand for electrical goods to the slowing demand for paper products along with inclination towards light-weight boards which are expected to witness growth erosion in this sector of the corrugated packaging market.



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An Garda Siochana have issued a warning ahead of St Valentine's Day to warn members of the public to be aware of 'romance fraud'.

With Valentines Day fast approaching this Sunday, gardai are warning that romance scams are on the rise.

This particular fraud is enabled via online dating sites or other social media by fraudsters who will provide the victims with well-prepared stories designed to deceive. The victims develop online relationships with the fraudsters, who use fake identities, photographs and life stories.

Inevitably, the fraudster will ask their victim for money. The fraudster will continue to ask for money until the victim has no more money to give or realise they are being conned. This crime often leaves vulnerable people with a feeling of hurt and mistrust in addition to their financial loss.

The warning signs include:

 The fraudster asking the victim to communicate by instant messaging, text or phone calls rather than messaging through the dating website

 The fraudster will start asking for money for various reasons, starting with low amounts:

- to pay for travel to meet the victim

- to pay moving expenses (ship furniture and pay customs)

- to pay medical expenses for a sick child or relative

- to invest in a guaranteed business opportunity

- to pay a tax bill or other spurious reason

 No meetings in person take place. The fraudster will present reasons for not meeting, or may arrange to meet and then cancel

 The fraudster will avoid personal questions, but will ask plenty

 They will ask for money to be transferred to bank accounts abroad or via money transfer agencies to locations outside of Ireland

 Phone calls from Irish numbers or lodgements to Irish bank accounts should not be considered as evidence that the person is genuine.

Gardai have issued the following advice to the public:

 STOP AND THINK! ASK YOURSELF, IS THIS PERSON REAL? - If you are asked for money by a person with whom you are in an on-line relationship

 NEVER share personal or banking details with unknown persons online.

 NEVER receive money from, or send money to persons unknown.

 THINK twice before using a webcam (intimate images can be used for blackmail).

 TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS  if it sounds like it is too good to be true, it is probably not true.

 IF IN DOUBT, talk to a family member or a friend.

 If you have been the victim of this type of crime, please report it in confidence to your local Garda station.

Valentine's Day is coming this weekend.

And Charlotte Hawkins proved to be getting in the spirit with a love-themed ensemble as she headed to work in London.

The TV presenter, 45, donned a pink blouse covered in glossy pink and red lips as she headed to Global Radio studios on Friday.

Pink lady: Charlotte Hawkins, 45, proved to be getting in the Valentine's Day spirit with a love-themed ensemble as she headed to work in London on Friday

She donned a matching pink midi skirt with red panels down either side to add to her Valentine's inspired ensemble.

The mother-of-one added a waterfall collar ruby coat to tie the look together as she headed down the street.

Charlotte added height to her frame by adding a pair of white court heels to her look.

She styled her golden locks in loose curls that bounced around her shoulders as she walked.

Glamorous: The TV presenter donned a matching pink midi skirt with red panels down either side to add to her Valentine's inspired ensemble

She added a touch of glam to her stunning features with a light palette of makeup and tied her look together with a black handbag.

On Tuesday, Charlotte proved she was also a dancing queen as she twerked to the Good Morning Britain theme tune, leaving her GMB co-stars stunned.

The presenter wore a red checked baby-doll style dress as she busted her moves in the TV studio, live to the nation.

Introducing the show, Piers Morgan was visible unimpressed over Tik Tok videos circulating online, of people dancing to the theme.

Valentine's look: The mother-of-one added a waterfall collar ruby coat to tie the look together and added height to her petite frame by adding a pair of white court heels

'I don't think any video has excited the team more, or made something in me slightly die' said Piers.

'We got very excited by that,' insisted Susanna, while Charlotte insisted: 'We're going to do this! We're going to recreate this!'

And, as the GMB theme tune began playing, Piers could be heard gasping 'oh my god' as Charlotte confidently strolled onto the floor and started to dance.

'The things that people will do to try and get a bit more airtime... It's baffling why Brendan Cole got kicked off Strictly after that,' quipped Piers, in a nod to her turn on the BBC competition with the professional dancer in 2017.

Piers then added: 'Actually your dancing skills have improved a bit.'

But Charlotte was already ready for another go, which saw her attempting to twerk, which was met with audible approval from her co-stars.

Charlotte pointed out: 'And a twerk at the end!' while Piers yelled out: 'Work it baby, work it baby.'

The Democratic impeachment managers have wrapped their 12-hour opening argument against Donald Trump with a plea for senators to consider what their vote on impeachment means not for the present, but for the future.

My dear colleagues, is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he is ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way? lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin asked. Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that? Would you bet the safety of your family on that? Would you bet the future of your democracy on that?

In anticipation of this weeks trial  the second against Mr Trump in just the last 13 months  several Republicans openly dismissed the need for an impeachment trial, arguing that since Mr Trump does not presently hold office, convicting him is a moot point.

A complete waste of time, declared Senator Rick Scott of Florida.

Welcome to the stupidest week in the Senate, North Dakotas Kevin Cramer scoffed.

Over the last two days, the impeachment managers have dismantled that short-sighted argument (and several others) by pointing out the obvious: an impeachment conviction not only boots a current public servant from office, but also triggers a vote to disqualify him from ever holding it again.

For a former president whose last words before leaving Washington on 20 January included the phrase, Weve only just begun, and whose aides have insisted is eager to run again in 2024, that second point feels especially salient.

The impeachment trial of Mr Trump has never primarily been about protecting the US against the present danger posed by a former president watching the trial from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida (although he does still pose a threat, the managers argued).

The damage was already done, on 6 January, when five people died and the halls of the Capitol were desecrated.

No, the managers argued on Thursday, the impeachment trial is about safeguarding the US from that man ever reclaiming the presidency to inspire more violence and attacks.

Mr Raskin, whose 58 years on this earth have been a lifelong study of America's four-page founding document, used his closing remarks on Thursday to preemptively rebut Mr Trumps main line of defence  that putting a former president on trial for an impeachment is unconstitutional.

If a US president can incite a violent rebellion against a co-equal branch of government in the final days of his office and then simply vacate the White House to avoid any political consequences, what good does the Constitutions impeachment power serve?

If you don't find this a high crime and misdemeanor today you have set a new terrible standard for presidential misconduct in the United States of America, Mr Raskin said.

The precedent he has asked you to create, which would allow any future president to do precisely what he did, is self-evidently dangerous.  He must be convicted.

Mr Trumps counsel will have 16 hours over the next two days to defend the former presidents actions.

They are expected to lean heavily on two arguments:

First, that a former president cannot be tried on impeachment articles, a claim that has been roundly rejected by most constitutional scholars from across the political spectrum; and

Second, that Mr Trump was simply exercising his First Amendment right to free speech when he was questioning the results of the 2020 election.

Impeachment manager Joe Neguse panned that second argument as a distraction based on an alternative set of facts that doesnt accurately reflect the nature of Mr Trumps speech on 6 January and the context surrounding it (chiefly, his months-long crusade to undermine his supporters faith in the election).

Mr Raskin invoked a letter from more than 140 legal scholars, including several conservatives with deep ties to the GOP, dismissing the Trump teams First Amendment argument as legally frivolous.

Never mind that political speech inciting violence  which is what happened at the Capitol on 6 January, the managers have alleged  is not protected under the First Amendment, per a precedent set by the Supreme Court in the 1969 case Brandenburg v Ohio.

None of those free speech arguments even apply in a court of impeachment, where the very senators who sit as a jury decide for themselves the rules governing the process.

I mentioned the Brandenburg standard not because it applies here. Of course it doesn't, since this is an impeachment. It's not a criminal trial, Mr Raskin said. There's no risk of jail time, let's be clear about that. The President doesn't go to jail for one week, one day, one hour or one minute based on impeachment and conviction and disqualification from further office.

All that is to say, Mr Trump faces no imminent punishment from an impeachment conviction.

No one is coming to strip away his life, his liberty, his property.

No one is forcing him to run again for president.

There are hundreds of millions of citizens who can be president, Mr Raskin said.

Donald Trump has disqualified himself, and you must disqualify him.
A historic home where Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, spent a lot of her childhood is on the market. Although the exterior emits plenty of historic vibes, the home is a real fixer-upper.

The current interior is unfinished, and needs to be finished by the buyers, says the listing agent, Paul Hallenbeck.

The agent has high hopes for an enterprising buyer willing to take on this well-pedigreed property.

Its going to be incredibly grand, he says. I want to go back to the house when it is finished.

It may not be complete, but that doesn't mean that this prime piece of property on the Hudson River will come cheap. The 10,000-square-foot Second Empire-style home in Germantown, NY, is listed for $5.25 million.

Known as Oak Terrace, Eleanor Roosevelts grandparents built the home in 1865.

It was their summer house when they lived in New York City. Due to tragedies in her family, she eventually ended up living with [her grandparents] and spent summers there with them. Her bedroom is identified, so you can visit it, Hallenbeck explains.

Roosevelts memoirs say she spent time reading books under the shade of the trees on the estate.

The location and setting is hard to topfor reading or whatever leisure pursuit you choose.

It's directly on the Hudson River, with views of the river and the Catskill Mountains beyond. It's 25 acres and has total privacy there, Hallenbeck says.

Exterior Stephen Hallenbeck

Exterior Stephen Hallenbeck

Views Stephen Hallenbeck

Exterior Stephen Hallenbeck

Interior Stephen Hallenbeck

Veranda Stephen Hallenbeck

Veranda Stephen Hallenbeck

Veranda Stephen Hallenbeck

Those gorgeous views are visible from a wraparound veranda accessible from a number of spots in the house.

Inside, there are 18 rooms highlighted by a 700-square-foot great room with dramatic 16-foot ceilings. A grand staircase goes up 36 feet and is topped by a spectacular coved ceiling with skylights.

Each of the six bedrooms in the four-story house comes an attached bathroom, including what Hallenbeck says will be a marvelous master suite.

Staircase Stephen Hallenbeck

Interior Stephen Hallenbeck

Ceiling Stephen Hallenbeck

Ceiling Stephen Hallenbeck

Van Lamprou, a co-founder of Dolce Vita footwear, is the home's current owner. He bought the home in 2013, for $2.85 million.

In the years since, he has poured lots of money into unglamorous but necessary elements to bring the home into the 21st century.

The current owner has done an enormous amount of work, Hallenbeck says. He has redone the roof, drilled a new well, put in a new septic, installed modern heat and AC in the house, redone the fireplaces, and completely reinsulated the house."

In addition to that infrastructure work, the home's entire electrical and plumbing systems are also new.

Mechanicals Stephen Hallenbeck

Fireplace Stephen Hallenbeck

Interior Stephen Hallenbeck

Now that the crucial systems are in place, the next step is to finish off the interior.

The owner decided to move ahead with other projects, instead of finishing the interiorwhich I think is probably a very good idea when you have a house like this, Hallenbeck explains.

It will allow any buyers to customize to their personal taste the decor, finishes, and layout.

Hallenbeck estimates that the project will cost at least a million dollars.

Weve had quite a few people come with their architects and designers, trying to figure out how to finish it in the right way for them, he says.

Interior Stephen Hallenbeck

Interior Stephen Hallenbeck

The perfect buyer is likely to be a family looking for a private weekend retreat, he says.

When youre outside here, you see the river and the Catskill Mountains beyond, and if youre lucky, you see a boat or two on the river, he adds. But what you hear is nature, the wind. You dont hear motorcycles or traffic. There are very few places like that.

Interior Stephen Hallenbeck

The post Fixer-Upper With a Premium Pedigree: Eleanor Roosevelt's Childhood Home for Sale appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
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In a video released by Indian defence sources, Indian and Chinese military tanks were seen moving back. As both sides reached an agreement on disengagement on both the north and south bank of the Pangong Lake, months-long standoff in the area is over.

However, it is still unclear if the disengagement process will extend to other areas in Eastern Ladakh where Chinese forces have crossed the Line of Actual Control.

Both nations have agreed to pull back troops from the south bank of the contested lake area high in the western Himalayas, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.

Defence Minister told the parliament: "Our sustained talks with China have led to agreement on disengagement on the north and south banks of the Pangong Tso lake."

Also read: Galwan Heroes Martyred Fending Off Chinese Troops To Be Honoured With Gallantry Medals On R-Day

Chinese defence ministry said that frontline troops from both the countries had started to pull back from shores of the lake on Wednesday.

Ladakh De-escalation

The bitter standoff began in April last year when India said Chinese troops had intruded into its side of the Line of Actual Control or the de facto border in the Ladakh area in the western Himalayas.

However, China had denied the claim and said its troops were operating in its own area. The neighbouring country also accused Indian border guards of provocative actions.

Also read: 12-Hour Catch Up: Search For Missing In Tapovan Tunnel, China Bans BBC After UK Blocks CGTN

NDTV

Back in June last year, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred when both sides clashed with each other using iron rods and stones in the Galwan Valley. This was the first combat loss on the border in 45 years. The Chinese troops also suffered an unspecified number of casualties.



Ever since then, India and China had moved thousands of troops, tanks, artillery guns and combat jets closer to the border.

Mr Singh also said, "To ensure disengagement in friction points along the LAC, it was our view that troops of both sides, who are now in close proximity, should vacate the forward deployments made in 2020 and return to the permanent and accepted bases."

He added that both sides had agreed to dismantle defence strategies and structures they had built on the two sides of the lake - two-thirds of which is controlled by China.

"Once the disengagement has been completed at the lake, military commanders will meet within 48 hours to discuss pull back from other areas," Mr Singh said.



Business Standard (Mr Rajnath Singh)

Hopefully troop disengagement will continue and peace will prevail.

Also read: As India, China Agree On Breakthrough In Pangong Tso, Here Is A Timeline Of Events
House Democrats advanced a bill this week that includes $129 billion in education relief funding, which can be used for a variety of reopening measures such as repairing ventilation systems and reducing class sizes to allow students to socially distance. The measure includes a requirement that districts use 20 percent of their funding to mitigate pandemic-related lost learning through initiatives like summer school and extended days.

The bill also includes nearly $40 billion for colleges and universities, and requires half of schools allocated funding to go toward direct payments to financially struggling students.

The bills dollar figures are close to what elementary and secondary education advocates have been lobbying for, but fell short on what higher education officials had sought.

Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, which represents college and university presidents and higher education executives, said in a statement that at least $97 billion in critical needs were left unaddressed by the last pandemic relief bill. He added, The situation facing students and colleges and universities  public and private, small and large, urban and rural  continues to be a crisis of almost unimaginable magnitude.

A document detailing the proposed funding, part of a broader $1.9 trillion package that Mr. Biden is pushing for, is circulating through Congress. It calls for $60 billion to prevent teacher layoffs, $50 billion for more staff to reduce class sizes, $7 billion to help close the digital divide inhibiting virtual learning for low-income students and $6 billion to purchase personal protective equipment. It also includes billions of dollars for more counselors and custodial staff members, and to cover transportation costs.

But the requests have drawn scrutiny from Republican lawmakers who say they read like a union wish list for challenges that were neither created by nor relevant to the coronavirus crisis. A Republican aide noted that some of the requests were higher than those made by the sources for the estimates that the document cites  in some cases by billions of dollars. Those sources include the C.D.C. and the American Federation of Teachers. The document says the requests are to cover the current and next school year.

Last week, Mr. Bidens nominee for education secretary, Miguel A. Cardona, rejected the suggestion, made by Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, that the requests were gratuitous.
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Butte County Public Health (BCPH) is starting to roll out second doses of the coronavirus vaccine to those eligible.

Health officials say they will try to notify people when it's their turn but they can't get to everyone so it's up to each person to determine when they are eligible and make an appointment.

BCPH does not have email addresses for every person who has received the first dose but said they will attempt to notify as many people as they can.

Public health leaders said it's important for you to keep track of when you are eligible and go on the Butte County Covid-19 Website to schedule an appointment.

BCPH has already started the process to schedule appointments for those who qualify.

"Please note if you're not able to schedule your second dose exactly 28 days after your first dose, according to the CDC you can get your second dose up 42 days after that first dose," said Butte County Public Health Director, Danette York. "Choose the first available appointment and clinic day available and it can be anytime after that 28 days."

York said all appointments are first-come, first-serve.

People without internet access can call the vaccine scheduling hotline for assistance at (530) 552-3020.

This line will only help schedule appointments once a clinic is open.

It will not help you schedule appointments faster, health officials say scheduling online is the fastest way.

BCPH officials said that right now the only place offering first doses is Orchard Hospital for those 65 and older.

Orchard Hospital officials confirmed they are still looking to fill appointments. You can call (530) 797-3595 and they will return your call within 48 hours. You can also click here for more information.

BCPH asks that you only register for your second dose if you received your first dose during the indicated timeframe.

You will be turned away if your CDC Covid Vaccine Card does not indicate the correct date. If you misplaced your card, staff will be onsite with computer access to verify your first dose.

Click here to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine in your area.

Butte County remains among the top 10 counties in California for vaccine administration.
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Strides Pharma Science announced that its step-down wholly owned subsidiary, Strides Pharma Global, Singapore, has received approval for Prednisone Tablets USP, 10 mg and 20 mg from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA).

The product is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Deltasone Tablets, 10 mg and 20 mg, of Pharmacia and Upjohn Co. (Pharmacia).

According to IQVIA MAT December 2020 data, the US market for Prednisone Tablets USP, 10 mg and 20 mg is approximately US$ 60 Mn. The product will be manufactured at the company's facility at Bengaluru and will be marketed by Strides Pharma Inc. in the US market.

The company has 127 cumulative ANDA filings with USFDA of which 98 ANDAs have been approved and 29 are pending approval.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BUTTE AND GLENN COUNTIES, Calif. - Thursday, February 11th is National 211 Day, a time to celebrate the network of 211 providers who serve millions of Americans every year.

It's also about promoting awareness of the service, that helps people in need of health and human services.

When you call or text 2-1-1 you reach a Resource Specialist who can access your needs and help you find what you need.

Local non-profit Help Central operates the 2-1-1 Center that serves Butte and Glenn Counties. There are currently 15 employees, most with education and training in social work.

Executive Director Tara Sullivan-Hames told Action News Now at Noon that Butte 211 helped more than 34,000 Camp Fire and North Complex Fire survivors.

It also serves as a call center for the County's Homeless Coordinated Entry System, and the Help Me Grow program, a system of care coordination for families with young children.

COVID-19 public safety information and referrals also fall under the umbrella of what 211 does... responding to more than 5550 contacts from the public seeking information.

A resolution recognizing the work and dedication of the local program and staff will be presented at the February 23rd meeting of the Butte County Board of Supervisors.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 23:47:53|Editor: huaxia

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STOCKHOLM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Plagued by attacks with explosive devices, the Swedish government on Friday presented draft legislation to tighten control on the handling of explosive materials.

Last year, there were 107 such attacks, of which 32 in the capital Stockholm and another 40 in the country's southernmost police region. A further 209 attempted bombings were also recorded, according to official statistics.

"There were slightly fewer attacks in 2020 than in 2019, but it is still at an unacceptable level," said Stefan Hector of the Swedish Police's National Operations Department when the draft legislation was presented at a press conference.

"These are weapons used in conflicts between criminals, weapons that strike blindly against everyone in the vicinity," Hector said about the hand grenades and improvised explosive devices used.

The situation has significantly deteriorated in recent years, and to turn the tide, tougher jail sentences were recently introduced for those implicated in incidents involving explosive devices, but Minister for Home Affairs Mikael Damberg sees the need for other measures as well.

"Step by step, we improve our ability to get to criminals who use explosive materials. In December, penalties were tightened for crimes related to the handling and smuggling of explosives, and last year a national bomb data center was set up," he said.

However, further measures are also considered necessary to prevent criminals from using homemade explosive devices.

"Better control over who handles explosive goods is now an important step in the work, and the industry representatives' great commitment and clear will to develop has been of great importance for the proposals we are now presenting," Damberg said when announcing the draft legislation.

To stop unauthorized individuals from accessing explosive materials, the government now wants better checks when issuing licenses. To prevent theft, it also suggests tougher requirements on buildings and facilities where explosive materials are handled.

The amendments to the law are expected to enter into force on Aug. 1. Enditem


In context: Companies have vocally opposed Apple's recent App Store policy change requiring them to reveal how their apps collect data and with whom they share it. While users applaud the transparency, advertisers are afraid it will kill their revenue, especially once iOS 14 begins requiring apps to ask permission to collect data.

Apple began requiring its privacy "nutrition labels" in the App Store back on December 8. The rollout was (and still is) under soft enforcement. That is to say, developers are not required to update their apps with the labels immediately but are required to include them in their next patch.

Back in January, we noticed Google had not updated any of its iOS apps. Most of them had not seen a patch since December 7, the day before the privacy labeling deadline. We speculated that Google might have been taking advantage of soft enforcement to delay revealing its data collection policies to users for as long as possible. However, Google never responded to requests for comment.

Now we are a good two months into Apple's transparency policy, and Google still has not released updates to most of its apps. Ars Technica points out that YouTube is the only Google-owned app that has the privacy labels. It is also worth mentioning that YouTube is still operated independently from Google, headed up by YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, which could explain why it is the only one.

So much time has elapsed since the other apps have seen an update that Google's servers started flagging users, warning them that their apps were out-of-date. Presumably, the search giant had set an automatic warning to go out after users had not updated them for about two months. In this case, it was Google not giving users anything to download that set off the messages.

Admins have since reset the warning messages, but apps, including Gmail, Google Maps, Search, Chrome, Drive, Photos, Keep, and Duo, have yet to receive updates. The only thing we have heard on the issue from Google was in a blog post on privacy from January 12, stating that the labels were coming in future updates.

"As Google's iOS apps are updated with new features or to fix bugs, you'll see updates to our app page listings that include the new App Privacy Details," said Vice President of Product, Privacy Rahul Roy-Chowdhury. "These labels represent the maximum categories of data that could be collectedmeaning if you use every available feature and service in the app."

Nowhere else in the post does he mention when these "new features and bug fixes" will be coming. So we ask again: "How long can Google go without updating its iPhone apps?" My guess would be until there comes a severe security flaw, it cannot ignore, but I'm a pessimist.

TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Mountain Valley MD Holdings Inc. (the "Company" or "MVMD") (CSE: MVMD) (FRA: 20MP) is pleased to announce that effective February 16, 2021, it will graduate from the OTC Pink Sheets ("OTCPK") and commence trading on the OTCQB Venture Marketplace ("OTCQB") under the symbol "MVMDF".

The OTCQB is operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. ("OTC") out of New York City, NY. The OTC 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. Trading on the OTCQB Market enables companies to efficiently build broader investor awareness and provide U.S. investors with a seamless trading facility to more easily trade through the broker of their choice.

Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for MVMD on www.otcmarkets.com. The Company continues to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol "MVMD" and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "20MP".

"Trading on the OTCQB is an excellent advancement that will provide a large U.S. investor base with the opportunity to participate directly in Mountain Valley MD's growth," stated Dennis Hancock, President and CEO of Mountain Valley MD Holdings. "The OTC listing will contribute to our strategy to continue to enhance our share liquidity and broaden the reach and awareness of our global health and wellness innovations."

ABOUT OTC MARKET GROUP INC

OTC Markets Group Inc. operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, the company connects a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. OTC Markets enables investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and enable companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

The OTCQB Venture Market is the premiere marketplace for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies that are committed to providing a high-quality trading and information experience for their U.S. investors. The OTCQB quality standards provide a strong baseline of transparency as well as the technology and regulation to improve the information and trading experience for investors.

To learn more about how OTC Markets creates better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

ABOUT MOUNTAIN VALLEY MD HOLDINGS INC.

Mountain Valley MD is building a world-class biotech and life sciences company organization centered around the implementation of its patented Quicksome oral drug formulation and delivery technologies and its Quicksol solubilization technology for macrocyclic lactones, to innovate industry leading products that are sought out globally.

MVMD's proposition for delivering Quicksome formulations that have rapid onset, high bioavailability, low variability and precision dosing is core to the Company's success across key health and wellness categories. Consistent with its vision towards "Helping People Live Their Best Life", MVMD applies its Quicksome and Quicksol technologies to its ground-breaking work for advanced delivery of vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs as well as the development of products for pain management, weight loss, energy, focus, sleep, anxiety, and more.

The Company's patented Quicksome desiccation technology utilizes advanced liposomes and other stabilizing molecules to encapsulate and formulate active ingredients into highly efficient product formats that are consumed orally. The result is a new generation of product formulations that are capable of delivering vaccines, drugs and nutraceuticals into the body faster, with greater impact, efficiency and accuracy. The Company's patented Quicksol solubilization technology covers all highly solubilized macrocyclic lactones (including the drugs Ivermectin and Selamectin). MVMD's solubility technology applied to the Ivermectin drug is the only form in the world that only uses excipients that are currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making it a leading candidate for human injection and sublingual applications as well as significantly broader husbandry and companion animal treatments based on its low viscosity.

For more Company information and contact details, visit www.mountainvalleymd.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information.

The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company.

The Company is making forward-looking statements, including but not limited to with respect to its listing of common shares on the OTCQB and the implications thereof.

The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company 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 required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Mountain Valley MD Holdings Inc.

Related Links

https://www.mountainvalleymd.com/


Ghislaine Maxwell denied under oath ever giving her ex Jeffrey Epstein or anyone else a massage, according to newly unsealed testimony the British socialite had been fighting to keep sealed.

The 20-line testimony, which led to the 58-year-old being charged with perjury, was released late on Thursday after Epstein's alleged madam lost the legal fight to have it remain under seal.

The massage testimony was part of an excerpt from a July 2016 deposition in a long-settled defamation lawsuit brought against her by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.

In the excerpt, Giuffre's lawyer David Boies asked Maxwell whether she gave massages to anyone other than Epstein at any of the financier's properties.

'First of all, I never said I gave Mr Epstein a massage. I don't give massages,' Maxwell responded, prompting the exchange included in her indictment.

Ghislaine Maxwell denied under oath ever giving her ex Jeffrey Epstein or anyone else a massage, according to newly unsealed testimony the British socialite had been fighting to keep sealed

The attorney said: 'Let's just tie that down. It is your testimony that you've never given anybody a massage?'

'I have not given anyone a massage,' Maxwell responded.

'You never gave Mr Epstein a massage, is that your testimony?'

'That is my testimony.'

The excerpt is the basis for part of a perjury charge in a six-count indictment charging Maxwell with helping Epstein recruit three teenage girls for sex from 1994 to 1997.

The perjury charge, one of two in Maxwell's indictment, also covered Maxwell's denying knowledge of whether Epstein possessed sex toys, or had sex in the 1990s and 2000s with anyone other than herself and two other women.

Federal prosecutors have alleged that Maxwell lied about giving massages.

The excerpt is the basis for part of a perjury charge in a six-count indictment charging Maxwell with helping Epstein recruit three teenage girls for sex from 1994 to 1997. Maxwell (pictured in a court sketch) was arrested last year and her trial is scheduled to start in July

In addition to perjury, Maxwell is accused of procuring girls as young as 14 for Epstein to abuse and in some cases taking part in the assaults. She was arrested in July last year has pleaded not guilty to the charges

Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019 awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, groomed victims by asking them to give him massages.

Maxwell's lawyers had been fighting to keep her testimony under seal.

Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019 awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, groomed victims by asking them to give him massages.

They argued that prosecutors obtained the deposition illegally and that releasing the testimony would make getting it suppressed harder because prosecutors could claim it became public anyway.

US District Judge Loretta Preska, however, ruled on Monday that Maxwell had only a 'minimal' privacy interest in the 20-line excerpt and that she could discuss suppressing it with the Manhattan judge in the criminal case.

'It does not relate to private sexual activity of consenting adults, but only to massages,' Preska wrote in her ruling.

'Any private interest she has in sealing this portion of testimony does not outweigh the presumption of public access that attaches to it.'

In addition to perjury, Maxwell is accused of procuring girls as young as 14 for Epstein to abuse and in some cases taking part in the assaults.

She was arrested in July last year has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Maxwell, who remains in custody in New York, will stand trial in July.
I refuse to watch the impeachment trial as a matter of principle. To devote any attention to this charade would legitimize the corruption of our Constitution. Tuning in would be a tacit acceptance of the blizzard of BS that has buried the national discourse. At least since Donald Trumps election in 2016, Democrats and their media allies have demanded that we view their smears and lies as high-minded pursuits of the truth. Consider:

When they insisted that Trump was a Russian asset, we were told to believe they were safeguarding national security.

When they accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault and even gang rape, we were told to believe they were protecting the Supreme Court.

When in 2019 they made Trump only the third president in history to be impeached  and the only one not accused of committing a high crime or misdemeanor  we were told to believe they were defending the rule of law.

When scores of BLM protests turned violent last summer, they told us to believe that the gatherings were mostly peaceful.

When antifa thugs destroyed property, beat citizens and occupied public lands, they told us to believe that the group didnt even exist.

When some undefined, unaffiliated people online appeared to subscribe to crazy conspiracy theories involving Satan and pedophiles, they told us to believe it was a vast and highly organized group called QAnon that was intent on overthrowing the government.

When they argued that whiteness and white privilege are the underlying source of Americas problems, they told us to believe they were trying to heal the nation.

When they censored allegations of the Biden familys corruption, they told us to believe they were fighting disinformation.

When they allowed Twitter mobs to destroy people who had once said something they didnt agree with or like, they told us to believe that they were seeking justice.

And, when they demonize and silence the tens of millions of people who oppose their quest for domination, they tell us to believe they are seeking unity.

Those are just 10 examples; there are scores of others. From their position of power in Washington, Hollywood, Silicon Valley and academia, progressives continually manufacture false narratives that insult reason and decency and demand that we accept them as virtuous.

They are a most dangerous type  unserious people who are deadly serious. I refuse to submit.
The UK Supreme Court on Friday allowed a group of 42,500 Nigerian farmers and fishermen to sue Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) in English courts after years of oil spills in the Niger Delta contaminated land and groundwater.

Senior judges said there was an arguable case that UK-domiciled Shell, one of the world's biggest energy companies, is responsible, in the latest test of whether multinationals can be held to account for the acts of overseas subsidiaries.

Represented by law firm Leigh Day, the group of Nigerians have argued that the parent company Shell owed them a duty of care because it either had significant control of, and was responsible for, its subsidiary SPDC. Shell countered that the court had no jurisdiction to try the claims.

(The ruling) also represents a watershed moment in the accountability of multinational companies. Increasingly impoverished communities are seeking to hold powerful corporate actors to account and this judgment will significantly increase their ability to do so," Daniel Leader, partner at Leigh Day, said.

UK common law is also used in countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand so this is a very helpful precedent.

The decision comes almost two years after a seminal ruling by the Supreme Court in a case involving mining firm Vedanta. The judgment allowed nearly 2,000 Zambian villagers to sue Vedanta in England for alleged pollution in Africa.

That move was seen as a victory for rural communities seeking to hold parent companies accountable for environmental disasters. Vedanta ultimately settled out of court in January.

Nigeria's Ogale and Bille communities allege their lives and health have suffered because repeated oil spills have contaminated the land, swamps, groundwater and waterways and that there has been no adequate cleaning or remediation.

SPDC is the operator of oil pipelines in a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation which holds a 55% stake, Shell which holds 30%, France's Total with 10%, Italy's Eni with 5%.

A Shell spokesman said the decision was disappointing.

"Regardless of the cause of a spill, SPDC cleans up and remediates. It also works hard to prevent these sabotage spills, by using technology, increasing surveillance and by promoting alternative livelihoods for those who might damage pipes and equipment, Shell said.

Shell has blamed sabotage for oil spills. It said in its annual report published last March that SPDC, which produces around 1 million barrels of oil per day, saw crude oil spills caused by theft or pipeline sabotage surge by 41% in 2019.

Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said last week that the firm would take "another hard look at its onshore oil operations" in the west African country.

The ruling is the second judgement against Shell this year regarding claims against its Nigerian operations. In a landmark Dutch ruling two weeks ago, an appeals court held Shell responsible for multiple oil pipeline leaks in the Niger Delta and ordered it to pay unspecified damages to farmers, in a victory for environmentalists.

Leigh Day said that the amount of compensation sought would be quantified as the case enters the trial stage. Shell could however try to settle the matter out of court.

In 2015, Shell agreed to pay out 55 million pounds ($83.4 million) to the Bodo community in Nigeria in compensation for two oil spills, which was the largest ever out-of-court settlement relating to Nigerian oil spills.

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CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Cooler Box Market by Type (Disposable, Reusable), Raw Material (Polyurethane Foam, EPS, EPP, XPS, Others), End-Use Industry (Pharmaceuticals, Food & Beverages) and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets. the Cooler Box Market is projected to grow from USD 4.6 billion in 2020 to USD 8.1 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.1% during the forecast period. Growth in the pharmaceutical industry, ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drives, technological advancements in the cooler box industry for the transportation of processed and fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and other perishable food products are contributing to the growth of the Cooler Box Market.

PDF Download: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=214662409

Browse and in-depth TOC on "Cooler Box Market"

147 - Tables

44 - Figures

208 - Pages

View detailed Table of Content here - https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cooler-box-market-214662409.html

Based on type, reusable cooler box segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The reusable cooler box segment accounted for the larger share of the Cooler Box Market in 2019. Reusable cooler boxes available in the consumer market are becoming more robust in terms of their exterior, with hard shells being deployed in comparison to the cardboard and foam of disposable cooler boxes. These cooler boxes are primarily used in the pharmaceutical industry, wherein maintaining the temperature of products for a longer time is a critical factor.

PU Foam is expected to be the fastest-growing raw material segment of the Cooler Box Market.

PU foam segment accounted for the larger share of the Cooler Box Market in 2019. This raw material segment is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. PU foam has the lowest thermal conductivity among insulation materials, which enables space saving by using lower insulation thickness while achieving the same insulation efficiency as with other materials. This is especially important in space-limited cold chain logistics.

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Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing regional segment in the Cooler Box Market.

The Cooler Box Market in the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. China, Japan, South Korea, and India are the key countries contributing to the high demand for cooler boxes in the Asia Pacific region. Availability of cheap labor and raw materials has resulted in making Asia Pacific a preferred region for manufacturing facilities of cooler boxes. This makes Asia Pacific the fastest-growing region of the Cooler Box Market.

Some of the leading players operating in the Cooler Box Market include Sonoco ThermoSafe (US), B Medical Systems (Luxembourg), Blowkings (India), ISONOVA (Italy), Eurobox Logistics (Romania), Softbox Systems Ltd. (UK), va-Q-tec AG (Germany), Coldchain Technologies, Inc. (US), Sofrigam Group (France) and FEURER GmbH (Germany).

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Bag-in-Box Market by (Semi-liquid, Liquid), Capacity (<1 liter, 3-5 liters, 5-10 liters, 10-20 liters, >20 liters), Component (Bags, Boxes, Fitments), Tap (With tap, without tap), End-use Sector, Region - Global Forecast to 2024

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/bag-in-box-market-147350286.html

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Four more residents have died in a Kildare nursing home Covid-19 outbreak, bringing the total number of deaths there to 14.

A total of 40 members of staff and 40 residents were found to have tested positive for Covid-19 at Beechpark Nursing Home since mid-January, however almost all are out of isolation and 28 of the impacted staff are now back at work.

"We continue to liaise with the families of our residents on an ongoing basis and we are also maintaining daily telephone contact with staff members impacted by the virus," said a spokesperson.

The nursing home is located on the Rathangan road outside Kildare town.
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CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC), a leading manufacturer of sorbent minerals, doing business as Amlan International, today announced that the Korean Intellectual Property Office has issued Patent 28958.07.0042 entitled "Clay Product and Uses Thereof." The patent protects the unique and proprietary mineral-based technology of two of Amlan's natural feed additives, Varium for poultry and NeoPrime for swine, which help global producers meet consumer demands for high-quality antibiotic-free animal protein.

The patent provides a methodology for using a natural, mineral-based formulation to mitigate the effects of exposure to pathogenic bacteria and the disease-causing toxins they produce, which damage gut health and function. Amlan's mineral is specifically selected for its chemical composition to allow for optimal thermal activation, a proprietary process that is tailored to optimize the binding capacity of each product. Varium and NeoPrime are performance feed additives that promote intestinal health and function and can replace the need for in-feed antibiotic growth promoters.

Advancements in feed additive research and formulation are helping to transform animal protein production by providing proven and reliable alternatives to in-feed antibiotics used to promote growth and productivity. Last year, the United States and the EU issued similar patents for the formulation featured in Varium and NeoPrime. China issued a similar patent in 2018.

"Feedback on Varium from poultry integrators has been incredibly positive and recognized by many, including Fox Business Network's INNOVATION NATIONseries. Reports show poultry producers who incorporate Varium into their poultry production are able to improve the feed conversion rates and grow healthier birds that are less stressed and have increased the marketability of their products through improved skin, liver and feet quality," says Dan Jaffee, President and CEO, Oil-Dri Corporation of America. Jaffee now also serves as President and General Manager of Amlan. "The Korean patent is yet another example of Amlan's commitment to provide the global market with reliable mineral-based feed additives that can be a value-add to antibiotic-free production."

Mineral-Based Technology

Unlike antibiotics, which are designed to kill bacteria, the patented technology includes a synergistic formula of three ingredients with distinct modes of action: (1) a surface-activated mineral that facilitates chemical binding of pathogenic intestinal bacteria and the disease-causing toxins they produce, (2) an immunomodulator that stimulates an animal's innate immune system to naturally defend against disease and (3) an energy source for the replenishment of intestinal epithelial cells that is essential for healthy gut function. Upon inclusion of this patented technology in animal feed, current producers have effectively eliminated the use of antibiotics to promote growth and have experienced equivalent or better outcomes.

Company Information

Amlan International offers mineral-based feed additives to poultry and livestock producers. Amlan is the animal health business of Oil-Dri Corporation of America, leading global manufacturer and marketer of sorbent minerals. Oil-Dri leverages over 80 years of expertise in mineral science to selectively mine and process their unique mineral to remove impurities from fluids, including the processing of edible oils and purification of jet fuel. Oil-Dri Corporation of America doing business as "Amlan International" is a publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ODC). Amlan International sells feed additives across the world. Product availability may vary by country, associated claims do not constitute medical claims and may differ based on government requirements.

Category: Company News

Reagan Culbertson

Media Contact

press@amlan.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/efb9d85f-95c2-446e-a151-498ee10f5785


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.
[February 12, 2021] Tantalus Virtually Opens the Market

TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Peter Londa, President & Chief Executive Officer, Tantalus Systems Holding Inc. ("Tantalus" or the "Company") (TSXV: GRID), and his team joined Karoline Hunter, Head, Company Services, TMX Group, to celebrate the Company's new listing on TSX Venture Exchange and open the market. Tantalus is a smart grid technology company that transforms aging one-way grids into future-proofed multi-directional grids that improve the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of public power and electric cooperative utilties and the communities they serve. Our solutions are purpose-built to allow utilities to restore power quickly after major disruptions, adapt to rapidly shifting consumer expectations and population shifts, innovate new solutions based on the adoption of distributed energy resources and evolve their grid infrastructure at their own pace without needless cost or complexity. All this gives our user community the flexibility they need to get the most value from existing infrastructure investments while planning for future requirements. https://www.tantalus.com/



For Market Openings: Media may pick up a feed from the TOC (television operations centre) for all market open ceremonies. The feed is named TSX Transmit 1 (SD-SDI) and is produced at the TMX Broadcast Centre and sent live to the TOC. To pick up the feed via the Dejero network, please contact avservices@tmx.com . The client feature video will begin playing on the TMX media wall at approximately 9:27 a.m. ET and the markets will open with the sound of a siren at 9:30 a.m. ET.



SOURCE TMX Group Limited

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Teamsters commend the work of the House Ways & Means Committee, which today approved broad COVID-19 stimulus legislation that includes a provision granting relief to hundreds of faltering multiemployer pension plans, including many serving Teamster members.

As part of the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 language folded into the measure, more than 50 Teamster pension plans  including the Central States Pension Fund  will be eligible for support at the outset of the bill's enactment, with more of the union's plans becoming eligible in 2022.

"The Teamsters congratulate House Ways & Means Chairman Richard Neal and others on the panel who stood up for hardworking Americans and retirees who only want to receive the benefits they worked hard for by taking less in their weekly paycheck," Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said. "We must fulfill this pension promise."

Under the legislation, money to assist eligible plans would come directly from the U.S. Treasury Department in the form of grants which would not need to be repaid. Plan participants would receive 100 percent of their earned pension benefits.

The entire House of Representatives will take a vote on the pension language as part of the full COVID-19 stimulus package in the days ahead.

As a result of the greed on Wall Street, workers and retirees in multiemployer pension plans are in danger of seeing their retirement benefits cut by more than 65 percent if nothing is done to boost multiemployer pensions. That is unacceptable. When a worker is promised a pension benefit after a lifetime of work that promise must be kept.

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:

Galen Munroe, (202) 439-7427

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have approved Sputnik V.

Sputnik V is among top 3 coronavirus vaccines with most authorizations granted globally.

MOSCOW, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) announces the approval of Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus in Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In total, 26 countries have already authorized Sputnik V.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the first island nation of the Caribbean to register Sputnik V.

The vaccine was approved both in Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines under the emergency use authorization procedure without additional local clinical trials. Sputnik V is one of the world's top three coronavirus vaccines in terms of the number of approvals issued by government regulators.

The vaccine had been approved earlier in Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Bolivia, Serbia, Algeria, Palestine, Venezuela, Paraguay, Turkmenistan, Hungary, UAE, Iran, Republic of Guinea, Tunisia, Armenia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Republika Srpska (entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Mongolia and Bahrain.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said:

"By the end of the week Sputnik V has been approved in 26 countries in Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America exceeding the plan announced by RDIF earlier. Clinical trial data published in The Lancet medical journal demonstrated high efficacy and safety of the vaccine, which is also easy to distribute and affordable in price. Sputnik V is recognized globally as one of the key vaccines which will help protect the humankind and return to normal life."

Sputnik V has a number of key advantages:

Efficacy of Sputnik V is 91.6% as confirmed by the data published in the Lancet, one of the world's oldest and most respected medical journals; it is one of only three vaccines in the world with efficacy of over 90%; Sputnik V provides full protection against severe cases of COVID-19.

The Sputnik V vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors, which cause the common cold and have been around for thousands of years.

Sputnik V uses two different vectors for the two shots in a course of vaccination, providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines using the same delivery mechanism for both shots.

The safety, efficacy and lack of negative long-term effects of adenoviral vaccines have been proven by more than 250 clinical studies over two decades.

The developers of the Sputnik V vaccine are working collaboratively with AstraZeneca on a joint clinical trial to improve the efficacy of AstraZeneca vaccine.

There are no strong allergies caused by Sputnik V.

The storage temperature of Sputnik V at +2+8 C means it can be stored in a conventional refrigerator without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure.

The price of Sputnik V is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable around the world.

Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB2 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru

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WASHINGTON - Lawyers for Donald Trump argued Friday that his impeachment is "an unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance" as the Senate trial resumed. The former president's lawyers plan to present a relatively short defense. They are arguing that House managers failed to show that Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6 violent attack on the Capitol.

The defense lawyers have been allotted 16 hours but say they will use only a fraction of that time. After that, senators will get an opportunity to ask questions of both sides. The trial could wrap up as early as Saturday.

Attorney Michael van der Veen called the trial a "politically motivated witch hunt" in language that echoed the former president's criticism of the impeachment proceeding.

"This appalling abuse of the Constitution," van der Veen said, "further divides our nation when we should be trying to come together around shared priorities."

Van der Veen said Trump's Jan. 6 speech ahead of the attack on the Capitol had not encouraged the "lawless behavior," but instead centered on Trump's false claims about the 2020 presidential election he lost. Trump's lawyer incorrectly suggested that the rioters who breached the Capitol had been "extremists of different stripes and political persuasions." Many of the insurrectionists were draped in Trump flags and wearing Trump hats.

Trump's defense played video clips showing Trump on other occasions repeatedly encouraging "law and order." "To claim the president in any way encouraged lawless behavior is a preposterous and monstrous lie," van der Veen said.

Trump's team also showed a series of video clips of Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., trying unsuccessfully to challenge the results of the 2016 presidential election during the certification in January 2017 of Trump's victory.

In contrast to Trump, who has never conceded he lost to Biden, Hillary Clinton conceded the day after the election.

Meanwhile, David Schoen, another of Trump's defense lawyers, misrepresented remarks Vice President Kamala Harris made in support of peaceful protests last year.

During an appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," Harris had said that it was "critically important" for the Black Lives Matter protests to continue.

"Everyone beware. They're not going to stop before Election Day in November, and they're not going to stop after Election Day.  They're not going to let up, and they should not," Harris said.

Schoen mispronounced Harris's first name during his presentation Friday and incorrectly said that she was talking about "violent demonstrations." The then-vice presidential nominee was speaking about peaceful demonstrations.

Schoen also took aim at Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., for remarks during an interview on MSNBC last year. Schoen mispronounced Pressley's first name as well.

"You know, there needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as there's unrest in our lives," Pressley said in the MSNBC interview.

Pressley did not make any mention of violence, however. And Schoen did not include the sentence the Massachusetts Democrat said before her mention of unrest: "Make the phone calls, send the emails, show up," she said.

The impeachment charge against Trump alleges that he "willfully made statements that encouraged - and foreseeably resulted in - imminent lawless action at the Capitol."
West Bethlehem resident Hillary Kwiatek is running for one of four Bethlehem City Council seats up for grabs this year.

The Democrat made her campaign official with a formal announcement Thursday evening. Kwiateks called Bethlehem home for more than two decades and works for Lehigh University as a communications specialists. The mother of two has spent her career working in non-profit fundraising and communications.

There are four council terms up in 2022: Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith, council President Adam Waldron, Councilman Bryan Callahan and Councilwoman Olga Negron. Crampsie Smith was the first member of council to announce she is seeking another term. All are Democrats.

I am running for Bethlehems City Council to serve all of the people of the city that I have called home for more than 20 years, Kwiatek, 53, said in a news release. My husband and I have raised two children and built a fulfilling life here. I love Bethlehem, but I know theres so much more we can do to become a stronger community where all of our residents feel a sense of true belonging.

If elected, Kwiateks priorities will be recovering from the pandemic, reimagining public safety in Bethlehem, addressing racism and inequity in the city and creating a sustainable city for all.

Through an inclusive and progressive approach to public health and a focus on transparent economic development, Bethlehem can recover from the pandemic while also creating jobs with family-sustaining wages, she said. We must also increase the availability of quality, affordable housing. We will only emerge stronger on the other side of this crisis by ensuring that no one is left out of our recovery.

In the wake of George Floyds death at the hands of a former Minneapolis police officer, Bethlehem City Councils explored police reforms and hired its first female police Chief Michelle Kott, who is a major proponent for community policing. Council members have indicated they want to give Kott some time on the job before discussing internal changes.

Kwiatek believes the community would be best served by creating a strong partnership between the public health and police departments.

For example, health care workers and other professionals can be dispatched instead of police to respond to mental health, substance abuse, and other non-violent incidents, she said. This approach has been proven to create safer communities and better outcomes for people in crisis.

If elected, Kwiatek vowed to work toward increasing affordable housing and ending homelessness.

Bethlehem can be a thriving green city through implementation of the climate action plan, she said. Our neighborhoods should include well-maintained parks with activities for families. And I will work to support vibrant and diverse small businesses throughout the city.

Council must identify and eliminate racist and discriminator practices across all aspects of city government that have led to inequity for Black and Latino residents of Bethlehem, she said.

Black Lives Matter, Kwiatek said.

Her volunteer activities include serving as the president of the Friends of the Bethlehem Public Library, captaining a KaBoom! playground build in her neighborhood, serving on the citys Connect Bethlehem working group to improve communications and officer and precinct committee person on the Bethlehem City Democratic Committee.

She ran for Lehigh County Commissioner in 2009.

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Banks and schools need to do more to raise awareness amongst young people of the dangers of acting as money mules for criminals, a judge has said.

Judge Melanie Greally made her comments at the sentence hearing of a young man who allowed his bank account to be used to hold the proceeds of crime.

Daniel Flanagan (21) had just sat his applied Leaving Cert exam in 2018 when he agreed to give his bank card and details to a man he owed a drug debt to, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Thursday.

Garda Stephen Hughes said that in September 2018, gardai began investigating a number of Done Deal scams which involved people paying cash for car parts but never receiving their purchases.

He said that a woman from a Galway-based business located car parts on the classifieds websites and contacted the seller. Once she had paid the 650 to the bank account provided, the seller became uncontactable.

John Berry BL, prosecuting, said that four other victims were given the same account and that radio silence followed once the money was paid over. The bank account was found to belong to Flanagan, of Barrons Hall Grove, Balbriggan.

The total value of the monies found in Flanagan's account was 2,120. Flanagan pleaded guilty to recklessly holding the proceeds of crime on dates in September 2018, contrary to the Money Laundering Act 2010.

Anna Bazarchina BL, defending, told the court that her client was completing his applied Leaving Cert exams when he was arrested. He told gardai that he owed a drug debt to someone and gave his bank details to this person.

Flanagan said he was instructed to withdraw cash from an ATM up to four times and he only then became suspicious that the money might be the proceeds of crime, counsel told the court.

Ms Bazarchina said Flanagan was immature and susceptible to influence from others and was reckless as to where the monies had come from. It isn't alleged that Flanagan carried out the Done Deal deceptions, the court heard.

Judge Greally said this was the latest in a succession of cases where teenage boys have allowed their bank accounts to be used for the receipt of illicit, illegally obtained money.

She said while there is already an awareness campaign in place, she said that schools and colleges and banks themselves should be doing an awful lot more to highlight the lasting and far reaching consequences of allowing your bank account to be used in this way.

Even if you don't go to jail, you are going to have a very serious blot on your record. More needs to be done in spreading the message.

She said that providing a bank account is very valuable from the point of view of criminals.

She adjourned sentencing to February 2022 to give Flanagan time to make some effort to gather money together to pay back the victims.
Japan So Far Has No Response to Growing Chinese Threats to Japanese Islands

Commentary

Chinese decision-makers and national security experts must be delighted by Japans failure to respond in any meaningful way to the decision by the regime in Beijing to allow its Coast Guard to fire upon vessels around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Japans failure to come up with an answer to Chinas Coast Guard ships now in Japans territorial waters in the Senkaku Islands could well lead to Chinas occupation of all or part of the Senkakus.

If China, in fact, goes ahead and moves military and occupation forces into all or part of the Senkakus, it would replicate what it previously carried out in the South China Sea.

China claims sovereignty over the Senkakus, but as with its claims to the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, these claims arent recognized by any other state.

Under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between Japan and the United States, the parties agreed that the United States should maintain armed forces on its own in and about Japan so as to deter an armed attack upon Japan.

Thus, the United States can act in Japans stead, although the United States almost certainly wouldnt do that unless asked by Japan to do so.

Last November, the United States and Japan conducted exercise Keen Sword 21 throughout mainland Japan, Okinawa prefecture, and its surrounding waters. At the time, Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, the commander of U.S. forces based in Japan, said the allied force demonstrated the ability to move a few people around Japans southwestern islands, and this capability could be used to deploy combat troops to defend the Senkaku Islands.

However, any decision for U.S. forces to play a role in the Senkakus almost certainly would need Japans support.

China has been testing just how far it can go in promoting its Senkaku claim and avoiding a military confrontation with the United States.

Late last November, China made a proposal to ease tensions between Japan and China over the Senkaku, suggesting that neither Japanese nor Chinese fishermen be allowed to operate around the Senkakus.

China also proposed that only government ships be allowed to sail near the islands to make sure suspicious boats dont enter sensitive waters.

Japan rejected the Chinese proposal, making clear that Japanese fishing boats would continue to operate in Japans territorial waters and that Chinas proposal would have the effect of compromising Japans sovereignty claim.

Even before China decided to allow its Coast Guard ships to fire upon other vessels in the Senkakus, China had been sending its Coast Guard ships on a daily basis to patrol the waters Japan says are in its Exclusive Economic Zone. Chinese warships had previously chased away Japanese fishermen operating around Taisho Island in the Senkaku chain. The use of the Chinese Coast Guard instead of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy is intended to demonstrate Chinas claim of sovereignty.

Japan doesnt have any military bases in the Senkakus. But on nearby Yonaguni Island, Japan has built a radar and early warning station, which has been operational since 2016. Yonaguni is about 67 nautical miles from Taiwan. The Senkakus are roughly 80 nautical miles north-northeast of Yonaguni. Japan could have put the radar site on one of the southernmost Senkaku islands but decided not to do so, probably so as not to arouse the Chinese.

Japan faces a tough dilemma. Without any immediate means of protecting the Senkakus, all or some of those islands could be occupied by China, either by planting some small civilian population or by inserting military forces. The Senkakus arent inhabited islands, so China would also have to bring infrastructure, as they did successfully in the South China Sea.

Alternatively, China could use its Coast Guard to chase away Japanese fishermen, as China previously did with its navy.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government seems to be waiting for the other shoe to drop and appears unable to form any policy to respond to growing Chinese threats.

Stephen Bryen is regarded as a thought leader on technology security policy, twice being awarded the Defense Departments highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Medal. His most recent book is Technology Security and National Power: Winners and Losers.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Stand is the latest adaptation of Stephen Kings 1978 dystopian thriller. But unlike any before it, this version includes a new coda added by the author. King fans were anxious to see how the horror-guru would expand on Frannies story. But the final episode left many with mixed feelings.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of The Stand.]

Odessa Young as Frannie in The Stand | Paramount Plus/Youtube

Why Stephen King added the new coda

In Kings novel, Frannie and Stu move to Maine and stop by Mother Abigails home in Nebraska. But the book didnt give Frannie a stand of her own, which was something fans were hoping to see. Luckily, King was able to add Frannies new coda to CBSs The Stand. And in an interview with the New York Times, the author revealed how thrilled he is to share this final chapter with fans.

I always knew there was one more thing I had to say in that book, one more scene I wanted to write, and I finally did, he added. And Im happy with it.

RELATED: The Stand: How Stephen King Feels About the Changes Made for the New CBS Series

What happens in the new coda of The Stand

In the final episode of The Stand, The Circle Closes, Stu (James Marsden) and Frannie (Odessa Young) leave Boulder with their daughter, Abigail and Kojak. They stop at a house in Nebraska, which is likely Mother Abigails old home. Kojak is intrigued by the cornfields in the back of the house, where a young girl is seen calling on Jesus.

When Stu makes a supply run, Frannie falls down a well and gets seriously injured. Unconscious, she dreams of Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard). He offers to heal her in exchange for a kiss and the use of her consciousness. But Frannie rejects him, bites his lip, and runs away.

She ends up on a porch where Mother Abigail (Whoopi Goldberg) is waiting. Mother Abigail tells Frannie she will live a long life with five children and dozens of grandchildren. And when she tells her to be true and stand, Frannie opens her eyes.

RELATED: Why Stephen King Wishes Hulu Didnt Cancel Castle Rock

When Stu returns, he finds the young girl caring for baby Abigail. The girl then helps Stu pull Frannie out of the well, miraculously heals her, and disappears. Stu and Frannie make it to Maine, where Frannie repeats Mother Abigails inspirational words. Randall Flagg makes his way to a remote tribe and coaxes the natives to worship him.

How Stephen King fans feel about The Stand finale

For some fans, Kings new ending for The Stand provided much-needed closure to Frannie and Flaggs story. In one episode of king writing, it captured so much that was missing in the whole damn thing, one fan wrote on Reddit. Mother got to sound like book mother and Stu and Fran felt right.

RELATED: Both Alexander and Bill Skarsgard are Now Stephen King Villains

But others were less impressed. Many were disappointed that the show left out Stu and Toms journey from vegas to Boulder.

I dont really understand the point of the coda, another Redditor shared. I feel like they couldve used the time to add more character development and more stuff. It sucks that they cut out the entire Tom and Stu coming back to Boulder. There were [sic] definitely some things I liked about this show but overall it was a disappointment.
When it comes to iconic and legendary actors and actresses, Hollywood is of no short supply. Julianne Moore, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Denzel Washington are just a few to name. Jennifer Aniston is one of the classical actors ranked amongst the greats. From her ageless beauty to her seemingly flawless acting approach, Aniston has managed to land a tremendous amount of roles and gain even more fans along the way. Take a look back at Anistons acting journey and find out the details behind the stars superstitious pre-flight ritual.

Jennifer Aniston was destined for fame

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston Received a $12K Chanel Bicycle From a Friends Co-Star

In many ways, Aniston seemed destined for the spotlight. In 1969 Aniston was born in California to John Aniston and Nancy Dow. Both of her parents were actors, and it didnt take long for Aniston to begin following in their footsteps. Anistons father had Greek roots, and as a result, the family spent a year of her childhood in Greece.

Eventually, they would move to New York City where Anistons parents would divorce and her formal education in acting would begin. Shortly after her high school graduation Aniston appeared in Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checkers Grave.

Jennifer Anistons career in the spotlight

Jennifer Aniston | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston Admits Why She Almost Quit Friends Before Season 10  I Wanted It to End When People Still Loved Us

Aniston slowly but surely started shifting to on-screen performances. IMDb has carefully outlined the stars impressive journey.

In 1988, she appeared as an uncredited dancer in Mac and Me. The movie which clearly seemed like a spinoff of the popular film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ended up being a bust.

In 1990, Aniston played the role of Courtney Walker in a few episodes of Molloy. The same year the actress was cast as Jeannie Bueller in Ferris Bueller. Over the course of the next few years, Aniston would accept a few small roles here and there, but in 1994 she landed a role that would change her life and the trajectory of her career.

As many of Anistons fans and followers probably can guess, the actors big break was of course Friends. The NBC series revolved around a close-knit group of friends who lived in New York City. Monica Geller, Joey Tribbiani, Ross Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Chandler Bing, and, of course, Rachel Greene were the names of the series beloved main characters.

Aniston played the role of Rachel Greene. Rachels character was known for her good looks, wit, style, charm, and seemingly never-ending love story with Ross. The series successfully aired for 10 years before coming to an end in 2004.

After this chapter of Anistons life officially closed, she began accepting more roles in the film industry. Rumor Has It, The Break-Up, and Marley and Me are a few of the popular flicks the actress appeared in during the 2000s.

More recently the star has been receiving a lot of attention and praise for her performance as Alex Levy on The Morning Show. Figuratively speaking, it doesnt seem like the iconic actors plans on going anywhere anytime soon, but on a literal level, if this were the case, Aniston would be sure to be practicing her pre-flight rituals to stave off any unwanted superstitions.

Jennifer Anistons pre-flight ritual is superstitious

Theres no better surprise than Jennifer Aniston behind a couch. pic.twitter.com/uaRAyyOdpn  Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) December 7, 2020

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston on Brad Pitt: I Will Love Him for the Rest of Our Lives

Success as large as Anistons comes with many perks, and traveling is just one of them. The Travel has recapped some of Anistons favorite vacation spots. Bora Bora, Paris, and Lake Como were just a few of the beautiful and exotic destinations on the list.

However, some of these luxurious locations require Aniston to do some hefty traveling. Luckily, the famous celebrity has a pre-flight ritual that never lets her down. Daily Mail shared that Aniston first taps the aircraft for good luck before making sure to enter the plane right foot first.

If I walk onto an airplane, I always have to go on with my right foot first and tap the outside of the plane. I have always done it. For luck, she says, reports Yahoo. Someone told me to do it, and I dont remember when that was. But its kind of stuck.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Vrindavan : , Feb 12 (IANS) Ahead of the 'Kumbh Purva Vaishanav Baithak' here, PepsiCo India on Friday provided more than 45,000 masks along with sanitisers as part of hygiene kits to police personnel deployed in this holy town.

The event beginning on February 14 is expected to see massive participation, making it imperative for frontline warriors to safeguard themselves by wearing face masks and maintain the highest standards of hygiene during all times.

The hygiene kits comprise reusable masks, sanitisers and an information guide on best hygiene practices.

The initiative was announced in the presence of senior police and district officials.

According to a statement by PepsiCo, Mathura Senior Superintendent Of Police Gaurav Grover said: "In the present times, wearing masks and maintaining best hygiene practices are foremost measures to safeguard people from the pandemic. Police is out there in full force, working relentlessly and braving the coronavirus pandemic to ensure public safety. In these challenging times, support from corporates like PepsiCo India in providing hygiene kits to all corona warriors is immensely appreciable." Rahul Sharma, Associate Director, Public Policy and Government Affairs, PepsiCo India, said: "For everything that a frontline warrior in Vrindavan is doing to manage the 'Kumbh Purva Vaishanav Baithak', which also includes ensuring public safety, this is just a small gesture of gratitude from PepsiCo India during these testing times." PepsiCo India has been stepping up its community support initiates, that include giving more than 10 million meals to under-served communities and more than 35,000 Covid-19 test kits to government labs and hospitals.

PepsiCo India has partnered in these endeavours with leading NGOs like Akshaya Patra Foundation, Smile Foundation, CII Foundation, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). The entire programme was rolled out in 13 states across India, including Uttar Pradesh.
Dubai, Feb 12 : The Consulate General of India in Dubai has asked Indian expats not to visit the mission unless it was absolutely necessary in an effort to stop the spread of Covid-19.

In an advisory issued on Thursday, the mission said: "Members of the Indian community who wish to visit the Consulate for any consular services are advised to avoid such visits unless absolutely necessary. They should instead make use of the various electronic platforms offered by the Consulate without having to physically visit the office." The advisory noted that in the last few weeks, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has witnessed an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.

"Being the largest expatriate community, it is the responsibility of all Indian nationals residing in the UAE to strictly comply with Covid preventive measure and guidelines," the advisory added.

The Consulate provides services to more than 2.6 million Indians living in Dubai and the Northern Emirates including Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain.

The mission also houses the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK), a help centre for distressed Indians, that runs a 24x7 helpline.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 03:00:23|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The number of people who have received their first doses of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines topped 3 million on Friday across Turkey, Turkish Health Ministry announced. Meanwhile, Iran's COVID-19 cases exceed 1.5 million.

The Turkish Health Ministry also revealed that more than 300,000 health care workers have got their second shots since Thursday.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on his social media accounts that he also took his second dose.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca earlier stated that Turkey aims to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population. The nationwide vaccination rollout in the country started on Jan. 14.

Iran's health ministry reported 7,298 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, raising the total nationwide infections to 1,503,753.

The pandemic has so far claimed 58,809 lives in Iran, up by 58 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during her daily briefing.

A total of 1,285,014 people have recovered from the disease and been discharged from hospitals, while 3,729 remain in intensive care units, she added.

The Iranian health ministry started the COVID-19 vaccination in Iran on Tuesday using Russia-made vaccine Sputnik V. Iran's ambassador to Russia announced that the second batch of the vaccine would arrive in Iran on Friday.

The Iraqi Health Ministry reported 2,530 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily record in 2021, bringing the total tally in the country to 639,438.

The ministry also reported 13 new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 13,157, while the total recoveries climbed by 1,008 to 604,822.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Health spokesman Sayf al-Badr said in a statement that the ministry has a package of anti-virus health recommendations based on opinions of experts in public health, communicable and respiratory diseases, which will be presented to the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

"We are waiting for the next meeting of the Higher Committee to approve the recommendations," al-Badr said, without giving further details about the recommendations.

He also confirmed that the ministry has not received yet any report of infection with the new strain of coronavirus which is characterized by faster transmission.

Israel's Ministry of Health reported 4,690 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of confirmed cases in the country to 718,746.

The death toll from the COVID-19 in Israel reached 5,304 after 75 new fatalities were added, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 992 to 1,002, out of 1,534 hospitalized patients.

The total recoveries rose to 651,522, with 8,468 newly recovered cases, while the active cases decreased to 61,920.

The number of people vaccinated against the COVID-19 in Israel has surpassed 3.78 million, or 40.6 percent of the total population, since the vaccination campaign began on Dec. 20, 2020.

The ministry said Israel's COVID-19 reproduction number, also known as the R number, has dropped to 0.88, the lowest rate since Oct. 23, 2020.

The R number is an indicator used to determine how fast COVID-19 is spreading, as an R number below one means the spread of the pandemic has been curbed.

The Qatari health ministry announced 450 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 156,351.

Meanwhile, 212 more people recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 147,939, while the fatalities remained at 254 for the second day running, according to a ministry statement.

Kuwait reported 1,021 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 176,052.

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry also announced seven more deaths, taking the death toll to 992.

The tally of recoveries in Kuwait rose by 642 to 164,537, while 10,523 coronavirus patients were receiving treatment, it said. Enditem
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Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff wrote a letter Friday asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish a mass vaccination site in the San Antonio region.

Both officials applauded FEMAs efforts to ramp up availability of COVID-19 vaccines to underserved communities at three planned pilot sites in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas. But, they noted, the need in our region is just as great.

They also reported that the citys vaccination site at the Alamodome hasnt received any new doses of the shot in nearly three weeks  and said that without additional supplies, that site will have to close.

On ExpressNews.com: 'This virus has taken far too many lives': Officials report 22 more COVID-19 deaths

We urge you to make San Antonio the next community to host one of these sites and to set up the site as quickly as possible, Nirenberg and Wolff wrote in the letter to FEMA Regional Administrator Tony Robinson. If FEMA cannot or will not locate a site in our community at this time, please send us additional vaccine supply so we can establish the site ourselves.

We have the capacity, readiness and need to increase vaccination distribution and administration.

Bexar County has suffered more coronavirus deaths per capita than other large population centers in Texas, Nirenberg and Wolff noted.

They also reported Bexar County ranks first in the Centers for Disease Controls Social Vulnerability Index, which they said measures a communitys need for support to prepare and respond to events such as the current pandemic and considers poverty, access to transportation, housing, and healthcare.

We request your full consideration and expedient action in the establishment of a federally supported mass vaccination site in San Antonio, Nirenberg and Wolffs letter concludes.

In addition to the citys vaccination site at the Alamodome, University Health has been running a similar operation at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall, while WellMed has been giving vaccines to eligible recipients at two of its centers. But due to the limited vaccine supply, many people have had a hard time securing appointments.

pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: Peggy_OHare
In the maiden phone call with Xi, Joe Biden expressed concern on Beijings unfair economic practices, Hong Kong crackdown, human right abuses in Xinjiang and its increasing assertiveness in Taiwan. To which, Xi responded that these issues are China's internal affairs and pressed for improved relations between both countries.

President Joe Biden connected with the Chinese counterpart over a phone call on Thursday. In what is considered as the first phone call between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden after the latter becoming the 46th president of US, Biden expressed his concerns on issues related Beijings coercive and unfair economic practices, Hong Kong crackdown, human right abuses in Xinjiang and its increasing assertiveness in Taiwan.

The official statement released by the White House also mentions that the two leaders further shared views on countering the Covid-19 pandemic and dealing with the shared challenges of global health security, climate change, nuclear proliferation and the need to preserve a free and open Indo-pacific.

In response to the statement, the Chinese news agencies cited Xi Jinping as stating that the issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang are Chinas internal affairs. Furthermore, US should respect Chinas core interests and act prudently. Calling for improved relationship between US and China, he also expressed that both the countries gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. By working in close cooperation, they can accomplish a great deal for both the countries and world at large. Meanwhile, a confrontation would be disastrous for not only both the countries but the world at large.

After talks with Xi, Biden later shared with the reporters in US that he was in a phone call with Xi Jinping for two straight hours last night. He added that if US doesnt get moving on China policy, the Chinese are going to eat their lunch.
Five People You Need In Your Life: A Small Group Bible Study Guide to Establishing Healthy Christian Relationships: a gleaming light to the readers in this dark age, allowing them to realize how social media disconnects people from God. Five People You Need In Your Life: A Small Group Bible Study Guide to Establishing Healthy Christian Relationships is the creation of published author Dr. Oscar T. Moses, a Bible-believing, God-trusting, and God-fearing servant of the Lord who served as a pastor in Chicago, Illinois for eighteen years. He is the new pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Moses writes, Establishing Christian relationships within a congregation is important. As a pastor for eighteen years, I have had the experience of observing people, their trends, behaviors, and relationships. Ive learned that in many instances, people respond to God and life based on the relationships they have established. Its simple. The people you surround yourself with will impact you in one way or another. Who you are and where you are right now has been influenced by who you choose to be in relationships with. Our relationships can have good or bad consequences concerning our relationship with God. Lets be clear. You cannot choose your family, but you can choose your friends.

Establishing stronger Christian relationships within a congregation is vital to the overall health and mission of a church and the individual spiritual maturation of its congregants. Relationships are critical, and this book is critical for the church right now. In these perilous times, it becomes incumbent upon the church to take the responsibility of building stronger Christian lives with a biblical worldview of god and relationships to counter the culture of new age religion and relationships.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dr. Oscar T. Mosess new book is designed to help the struggling local church to turn the tide of declining membership and the disconnection of todays generation.

Through this book, the author hopes to help the readers to connect to those who matter and make a positive impact on their lives.

View a synopsis of Five People You Need In Your Life: A Small Group Bible Study Guide to Establishing Healthy Christian Relationships on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Five People You Need In Your Life: A Small Group Bible Study Guide to Establishing Healthy Christian Relationships at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Five People You Need In Your Life: A Small Group Bible Study Guide to Establishing Healthy Christian Relationships, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID

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A Eurasian reed warbler used in the study and then released. Credit: Florian Packmor

Birdwatchers get very excited when a 'rare' migratory bird makes landfall having been blown off-course and flown beyond its normal range. But these are rare for a reason; most birds that have made the journey before are able to correct for large displacements and find their final destination.

Now, new research by an international team shows for the first time, how birds displaced in this way are able to navigate back to their migratory route and gives us an insight into how they accomplish this feat.

Writing in Current Biology, the team from Bangor and Keele Universities describe how reed warblers can navigate from a 'magnetic position' beyond what they have experienced in their normal migration route, back towards that correct route.

Different parts of the Earth have a distinct 'geomagnetic signature' according to their location. This is a combination of the strength of the geomagnetic field, the magnetic inclination or the dip angle between magnetic field lines and the horizon and the magnetic declination, or the angle between directions to the geographic and magnetic North poles.

Adult birds already familiar with their migration route, and its general magnetic signatures, were held in captivity for a short period before being released back into the wild, and exposed to a simulation of the earth's magnetic signature at a location thousands of miles beyond the birds' natural migratory corridor.

Map: Eurasian reed warbler breeding range (green) in Europe and variation in the geomagnetic signature (total magnetic intensity, magnetic inclination and magnetic declination). The natural migratory direction from the study site (white dot) towards Africa during autumn is shown as black arrow. The expected compensatory direction from the simulated site (black star) is shown as white arrow.Circular diagrams: Left: orientation of birds experiencing the natural magnetic field at the study site in Austria. Right: orientation of birds experiencing the simulated magnetic field of a site in Russia while still being at the study site in Austria. Arrows depict the respective mean group direction. Black dots show the orientation of the individual birds tested. Credit: Paper authors

Despite remaining physically located at their capture site and experiencing all other sensory clues about their location, including starlight and the sights, smell and sounds of their actual location, the birds still showed the urge to begin their journey as though they were in the location suggested by the magnetic signal they were experiencing.

They oriented themselves to fly in a direction which would lead them 'back' to their migratory path from the location suggested to them by the magnetic signals they were experiencing.

This shows that the earth's magnetic field is the key factor in guiding reed warblers when they are blown off course.

"The overriding impulse was to respond to the magnetic information they were receiving," explained Richard Holland of Bangor University's School of Natural Sciences.

What our current work shows is that birds are able to sense that they are beyond the bounds of the magnetic fields that are familiar to them from their year-round movements, and are able to extrapolate their position sufficiently from the signals. This fascinating ability enables bird to navigate towards their normal migration route."

The magnetic set-up used in Austria to simulate a displacement of birds off-course by exposing them to the magnetic field of the Russian site. Credit: Florian Packmor

Dr. Dmitry Kishkinev of Keele University's School of Life Sciences explained:

"What these birds are achieving is "true navigation". In other words, they are able to return to a known goal after displacement to a completely unknown location without relying on familiar surroundings, cues that emanate from the destination, or information collected during the outward journey."

Florian Packmor of Bangor University added:"We have already shown that the reed warblers use the same magnetic cues experienced within their natural range, but this study shows that they can extrapolate what they understand about how the magnetic field varies in space far beyond any previous experience they have had."

But questions remain about whether the birds have an accurate 'map' or are just using a 'rule of thumb' measurement to judge the general direction of travel needed to get back on course.

The Eurasian reed warbler was selected for the research, but the findings could probably be applied to other migrating songbirds.

Explore further Magnetic contraption tricks migrating songbirds into changing direction

More information: "Navigation by extrapolation of geomagnetic cues in a migratory songbird" Current Biology, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.051 Journal information: Current Biology "Navigation by extrapolation of geomagnetic cues in a migratory songbird"
BKU leader warns farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, Feb 12: Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has said that the ongoing farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no planning regarding the duration yet.

Speaking to reporters. Tikait said. "Farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no plan currently. It might continue till October."

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait to address Kisan Mahapanchayat in Yavatmal on February 20

He said this in response to the statement of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Gurnam Singh Charni that the farmers' protest will continue till October.

Earlier, Tikait had warned the farmers' agitation will not conclude unless government repeals the three newly enacted agriculture laws and it may go on till October.

On Friday he mentioned that the farmers do a protest every year on October 2 at the Ghazipur border.

India welcomes efforts at reducing tension in Eastern Ukraine

"Tear shells and bullets were fired at the farmers on October 2, 2018, at the Ghazipur border. Every year we do a programme here at the Ghazipur border and will also do it this year," he said.

Asked about the debates in the Parliament on the farmers' issues, Tikait said it is good that the issue is being raised and debated in the Parliament.

"The entire nation's farmers are on streets protesting, there must be a reason to it. If the farm laws are not accepted by the farmers, then what is the compulsion of not repealing them?" Tikait asked.

He agreed with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remark of 'Hum do hamare do' as he believed that it truly seemed like only four people are running the country.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

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.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 14:11 [IST]
Jaipur, Feb 12 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived here on Friday for a two-day visit during which he will address several farmers' meetings to support their agitation against the farm laws.

He was received by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at the Suratgarh Airstrip and is scheduled to address three Kisan Mahapanchayats on day one of his tour.

Running behind schedule, Rahul's first meeting is in Pilibanga in Hanumangarh district where he will address the farmers.

Farmers and Congress workers were seen arriving in buses and tractors for the meeting in Pilibanga.

As per the official plan, the Kisan Mahapanchayat at Krishi Upaj Mandi, Pilibanga was supposed to start at 11 a.m., however, Rahul Gandhi had not reached the location till the filing of this report.

At 1 p.m., his reception was scheduled at Goluwala, District Hanumangarh while at 2 p.m. he has an address to the Kisan Mahapanchayat at Kisan Upaj Mandi, Padampur, District Sri Ganganagar, confirmed Congress officials.

Meanwhile, before the visit of Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan, the state BJP president Satish Poonia posted an interesting video where Rahul, in his pre-Assembly poll speech, is seen counting 1 to 10 and promising farmers that their loans will be waived off in 10 days soon after the Congress government is formed in Rajasthan.

As he counts the days, there is a flashback Bollywood song being played "Kya Hua tera wada, woh kasam woh irada".

Similarly, the video also has Madhura Dixit's popular song "Ek To Teen.." The title of the post says: "On the visit of Rahul Gandhi, here comes a present for him." Rahul Gandhi, in his pre-Assembly poll speech in 2018, had promised the farmers that their loans will be waived within 10 days of the Congress government formation in the desert state.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

U.S. Attorney John Milhiser speaks at a July 2019 news conference after Brendt Christensen of Champaign was sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and murder of visiting University of Illinois scholar Yingying Zhang. Milhiser announced Thursday he is resigning Feb. 28.
ARES Shipyard and Meteksan Defence, which had initiated Turkeys first indigenous Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (AUSV) program in October 2020, announced that the prototype vessel, ULAQ AUSV has been launched and sea trials have been started.

ARES Shipyard and Meteksan Defence, which had initiated Turkeys first indigenous Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle (AUSV) program in October 2020, announced that the prototype vessel, ULAQ AUSV has been launched and sea trials have been started.

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The prototype AUSVs missile systems are inclusive of 4 cells of Cirit and 2 of L-UMTAS (Picture source: Meteksan Defence Industry)

Utku Alanc, Chief Executive Officer of ARES Shipyard, and Selcuk K. Alparslan, General Manager of Meteksan Defence, stated: "In the field of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs); we would like to proudly announce that we have launched the first Armed Unmanned Surface Vehicle of ULAQ series, and have initiated the intensive sea trials period. From now on, our next short term target is to complete the sea trials successfully and carry out the guided missile firing tests. Since the very first announcement of ULAQ Unmanned Systems, we have encountered significant interest from our country and our allies. This interest and support has given us great incentive to design and build unique, state-of-the-art solutions. On this wise, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Turkish Ministry of National Defense, The Presidency of Defense Industries and Turkish Naval Forces and all our citizens who have provided full support since the very first launch of ULAQ program."

ULAQ has been built from advanced composites, has 400 km range, 65 km/h speed, day/night vision capabilities, encrypted communication infrastructure, which can be operated from mobile vehicles and headquarters or from sea platforms such as aircraft carriers or frigates, will be used for missions like intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, surface warfare, asymmetric warfare, escort missions, strategic infrastructure protection.

ULAQ AUSV (Picture source: Meteksan Defence Industry)

The prototype AUSVs missile systems are inclusive of 4 cells of Cirit and 2 of L-UMTAS, supplied by Turkish missile systems provider Roketsan, where the firing tests are planned in the end of Q1-2021.

Along with the missile systems, AUSV will be equipped with different variations of communication and intelligence systems like jamming and electronic warfare systems to correspond diverse operational needs. AUSV will be able to carry out joint operations with complementary forces such as UAVs, AUAVs and TUAVs. Furthermore, AUSV is not only a remotely controlled vehicle but also and more importantly an autonomous vehicle that hosts artificial intelligence.

It is stated by ARES Shipyard and Meteksan Defence that; after the first prototype vessel, other USVs for the operations like surveillance and intelligence, mine counter measures, anti-submarine warfare, fire-fighting, search and rescue missions, will be ready to manufacture accordingly.
A Perth family-owned hotel has been left in the lurch amid bickering over who will pick up the bill to temporarily house homeless people in the wake of the dismantling of Fremantles tent city.

Perth City Apartment owner Eddie Kamil said the hotel was more than $20,000 out of pocket and warned the business was running out of cash to continue housing and feeding the rough sleepers.

Perth City Apartment Hotel Eddie Kamil with some bread used to feed his guests.

Mr Kamil wants the state government to foot the bill like its doing with other Perth hotels but the Department of Communities refuses to pay, saying the rooms were booked by a private client.

Meanwhile, about 30 homeless people  including pregnant women, families with young children, and people with disabilities  are in limbo, unsure how long they will have a roof over their heads.
A third person has been charged with murder over the death of Ballarat mother Kobie Parfitt.

Ms Parfitt, 43, was last seen alive on April 28 last year at her home in Hickman Street, Ballarat.

Kobie Parfitt was last seen alive on April 28 last year. Credit:Victoria Police

After several appeals for information, police found what are believed to be her remains in a mine shaft in Snake Valley, about 27 kilometres west of Ballarat.

The discovery was made on December 22, more than six months after she went missing.
Guwahati, Feb 12 : To reach out to the people before the Assembly elections, the Congress in Assam on Friday launched the 'Bus Yatras' named 'Axom Basaon Ahok' (Let's Save Assam).

The party said the Yatra would criss-cross the state for two weeks, while meeting the people and discussing their grievances and other issues.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Ripun Bora said that through the four bus yatras, the party leaders would reach out to every family across the state to know their opinion, sufferings and hardships in the last five years of the BJP's "misrule".

The Axom Basaon Ahok's first bus yatra began from Bordowa Than, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva, the 15the century saint.

Lok Sabha MP and Congress Campaign Committee Chairman, Pradyut Bordoloi launched the Yatra from Bordowa Than in central Assam's Nagaon district.

Talking to the media, he said : "We will reach-out to every household through this yatra and appeal to every person to support Congress party to save Assam from being destroyed by the BJP and its cronies. We will interact with diverse sections of the society to understand their issues and problems." AICC General Secretary and party's Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh, Assam Congress President Ripun Bora, Congress Manifesto Committee Chairman Gaurav Gogoi, party's Publicity Committee Chairman Rakibul Hussain and former minister Gautam Bora flagged off the Yatra.

Singh said: "The aim of this Yatra is to listen to every section of the society -- women, youth, unemployed and people from every walk of life. Many sections of the society are coming forward to share their issues and concerns with the Congress party through this Yatra." The Congress leader said that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has failed on its 2016 electoral promise to protect the community, identity and honour of Assam.

State Congress chief Ripun Bora said that the Congress government under the leadership of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had worked really hard to bring stability and peace in Assam.

"The BJP wants to push Assam into turbulence through their divisive agenda but we will not let it happen," the APCC President stated.

"The people of Assam have been put to torture by the BJP government on economic, sociological and environment front. We would listen to everyone through this yatra and ensure every section of the society is taken along the path of peace and prosperity again," said Gaurav Gogoi, deputy leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha.

Congress Legislature party leader Debabrata Saikia also launched the second yatra from the eastern Assam's historic town of Sivasagar.

The Congress led by Tarun Gogoi governed Assam from 2001 to 2016 before the BJP came to power five years ago.
The accused is being sent forward for sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

A CONSTRUCTION worker has pleaded guilty to stealing 8,500 from bank machines in Dublin as he travelled around in a GoCar rental vehicle.

Elvis Chiriac (34) a Romanian national with an address at Erris Square, Blanchardstown, Dublin, was charged with 15 counts of theft of sums totalling 8,520 from ATMs on dates in January last year.

The thefts happened at AIB bank machines at Firhouse, Rathfarnham, Santry, Artane, Clonee, Carpenterstown, Crumlin, Killiney and Clonskeagh.

He appeared at Dublin District Court before Judge Treasa Kelly, who was told the Director of Public Prosecution has directed trial at Circuit Court level. It can impose lengthier sentences.

Defence solicitor Donal Quigley told the judge that his client had signed a plea of guilty which was lodged in court.

Judge Kelly told him he was being sent forward for sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on April 16.

The accused was remanded on continuing bail.

Earlier, Detective Garvan Lennon of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said it was alleged the accused was involved in 15 ATM transaction reverse frauds. Bank machines were manipulated and cash was forcibly removed, he said.

Det Gda Lennon said there was CCTV evidence and the accused had rented a GoCar vehicle, a 9-an-hour car sharing service.

He booked using his own driving licence and a selfie picture, the court heard.

Gardai have GPS maps of the movements of the car, the detective had said.

Defence solicitor Donal Quigley submitted that his client had an Irish PPS number and ID card.

The solicitor also provided the court with utility bills in his client's name to show he was not a flight risk. Bail was set in Mr Chiriacs own bond of 500, but required a 2,000 independent surety to be approved.

He has to sign on three times a week at Blanchardstown Garda station and must not apply for any travel documents.
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A metal monolith that was spotted in Sanliurfa province, southeast of Turkey by a farmer on Friday, February 5, has turned out to be a publicity gimmick right before a government event on Tuesday, February 9. The shiny metal block was found erected near the UNESCO World Heritage site named Gobekli Tepe. The structure appeared to be of megalithic origin, and had a message emblazoned in the old Turkey script that read: Look at the sky, see the moon. The three-meter-high metallic tower donned a complex structure form that seemed to strike resemblance from thousands of years past Stonehedge era archaeology during the 10th millennium BC.

Mystery monolith appears at worlds oldest temple - Gobeklitepe (dating back to the 11th8th millennium BCE) - in Turkey. Experts said the inscription on the slab was in the ancient Gokturk alphabet and meant Look at the sky if you want to see the Moon.'' pic.twitter.com/XqpHINBCqn       (@ceninvoncatlien) February 5, 2021

The mystery behind monolith

During the event, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a space program for the country. While the announcement was being made, an image of the monolith was projected on a screen. This was done when Erdogan presented Turkeys space program during a televised event. According to the reports by AP, he said, I now present to you Turkeys 10-year vision, strategy and aims and I say: look at the sky, you will see the moon.

Read: Turkey: Mysterious '10 Feet High' Monolith Pops Up Near World Heritage Site

Gendarmes were investigating CCTV footage and inspecting vehicles to determine who transported and installed the monolith, Turkish media said Monday. Turkish police officers were deployed to guard the structure that mysteriously appeared in an open field. The fields owner, Fuat Demirdil, was astonished by both its appearance and disappearance, reported the state-run Anadolu Agency. As per the agency reports he said that he did not know if it was placed on his field for marketing purposes or as an advertisement. He further added that the residents cannot solve the mystery of the metal block.

Read: Greece Expands Gulf Allies To Counter Tension With 'regional Rival' Turkey

Other mysterious monoliths have similarly appeared and some have disappeared in numerous countries in recent months. The unclaimed monolith first appeared in a Utah desert, then a Romanian mountainside, followed by Corona Heights Park, San Francisco, and the rest of the world, at strange locations. A metal monolith had also popped up outside a Pittsburgh candy store, which mysteriously disappeared. The business owner had then installed a replacement monolith in order to attract the worlds attention to support the struggling small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We rebuilt another, the store wrote in an online post, adding, We are honoured by the overwhelmingly positive response to the hundreds of people who drove to the Strip today to take a selfie and see our monolith. A similar structure was spotted on the Compton beach of the Isle of Wight by beach-goers.

Read: Turkish Health Workers Start Getting 2nd Anti-COVID-19 Shots

Also Read: US Maintains Firm Stance On Turkey's Purchase Of S-400 Russian Missile System

(Image Credits: AP)

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At 6Connex, events are always designed with attendee engagement top of mind, said Ruben Castano, 6Connex CEO.

6Connex, (http://www.6connex.com), today announced it will host a free webinar, 2021 Event Trends: All Things Hybrid. Held on March 4, 2021, the webinar will feature 6Connex Chief Product Officer Joakim Jonsson and spotlight emerging virtual environment technology and the role hybrid event formats play in a post-pandemic events landscape. The webinar will deliver a content-rich educational session with product expert insights.

While virtual events were the worlds only option during 2020, various event opportunities will emerge as the COVID-19 vaccine is rolled out and people can meet in-person again. One of these models is a hybrid format. A seamless combination of a physical and a virtual event, hybrid events gives attendees, presenters, and sponsors the opportunity to access and interact with content, participate in activities, and network with other attendees regardless of whether they are attending the event in person or virtually. Webinar attendees will learn how to successfully plan a hybrid event and receive best practices and examples of how some brands have successfully leveraged hybrid formats to increase attendee registrations and engagement and improve sponsorship value.

At 6Connex, events are always designed with attendee engagement top of mind, said Ruben Castano, 6Connex CEO. We provide event producers with a set of tools and functionalities that present equal opportunities for both virtual and physical attendees to engage with content and with one another. As we head into a post-pandemic world, our commitment to our customers is that we will continue to provide an engaging media experience for diverse audiences.

Interested participants can register for the webinar here.

Jonsson brings more than 20 years of experience in online environments to 6Connex, where he supports the company strategy, directing the product blueprint and roadmap. Prior to 6Connex, Jonsson led teams in Singapore and London for well-known players in the industry, including ON24 and Virtue Broadcasting.

About 6Connex

6Connex is the leading provider of custom virtual event solutions and media experiences. The secure, cloud-based platform expands audience reach and drives in-depth content engagement for marketing, sales, recruitment, training, and HR communities. For more information, visit 6Connex.com.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 05:42:55|Editor: huaxia

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QUITO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso on Thursday enjoyed a slight lead over his rival Yaku Perez, as the two vie for a chance to run against the frontrunner of Sunday's general elections in an April 11 runoff.

With 99.90 percent of the electoral records processed, according to preliminary official data the National Electoral Council (CNE) published on its website, Lasso had 19.69 percent of valid votes, while Perez got 19.47 percent.

The razor thin margin between the two is still subject to change as the process continues, generating a climate of uncertainty amid threats of protests by supporters of Perez, an indigenous activist.

Lasso, a former banker making his third run for the presidency, began to show a slight lead over Perez on Wednesday afternoon, after initially trailing closely behind, according to data released by the electoral body.

The conservative candidate immediately posted a video on social networks, telling backers "it has become clear that we will be in the runoff."

Perez, 51, has balked at the recent results, claiming alleged fraud, declaring "democracy is about to mourn" and demanding a recount in certain regions.

The candidate of the indigenous Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement announced he will ask the Comptroller's Office to audit the election results in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Los Rios, Manabi, El Oro and Esmeraldas, and in Pichincha, home to the capital Quito.

"In six provinces we suffered fraud," Perez told local media.

Whoever is determined the runner-up will go up against Andres Arauz, the progressive candidate of the left-leaning Union for Hope Alliance aligned with ex-president Rafael Correa's Citizen Revolution movement.

Arauz, a 36-year-old economist, led the first round with 32.62 percent of the votes, but fell short of the 40 percent he needed to forgo a runoff. Enditem
Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - In a statement, received Thursday by PANA, the Guinean Transparency Association (AGT) has slammed the increase in corruption in the country, as recently denounced by Transparency International, which ranks Guinea among "the most corrupt countries in Africa", fourth in West Africa and 32nd out of 54 on the continent
New Delhi:

Opposition parties Vice Presidential candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi filed his nomination on Tuesday. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had nominated his name.

Gandhi was accompanied by former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, TMC leader Derek O'Brien, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechuri.

Speaking to reporters after filing the papers, Gandhi said, Not here to oppose any person or party, here with all humility to place before electors, the aspirations of citizens.

He added, Even if I win, it won't be a great thing. Its not victory or defeat that matters. Im here to unite . . . divisive nature of today's polity.

I believe death penalty belongs to the medieval ages, Its wrong. My views are inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr.Ambedkar, added the former West Bengal governor.

Yes I had also written to Pakistan PM demanding that he should not hang Kulbhushan Jadhav, added Gandhi.

I am happy BJD supported my candidature, he added.

Last week 18 opposition parties had unanimously agreed to field Gandhi as their joint candidate for the vice presidential election. The Vice President election will be held on August 5 and the votes will be counted the same evening. Members of both the Houses of Parliament, including the nominated members, will be eligible to vote.

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Clients no longer have to flip through cellphones or read books while waiting for color to process or nails to dry at this East Side Allentown beauty bar.

Instead, they can become immersed in a Tim Burton flick, take a selfie with a movie prop, or view artwork paying homage to the famous Hollywood director. Its all in the works for Banks Beauty Bar, which opened this past August at 909 Sherman St.

Owner Ashley Banks of Allentown, a self-described movie buff, became fixated on such Burton films as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Beetlejuice in her youth. It was the story behind the characters that she always connected to, she said.

Edward Scissorhands was seen as a monster when he wasnt, Banks told lehighvalleylive.com. People typically see me as if Im one dimensional when Im not. Im not all that the eyes see.

Banks decided to incorporate her passion for film with her talent for hairdressing, specializing in styling Black hair. Clients will find vibrant colors filling the salons walls, such as neon green walls mixed with bright purple walls and trim, as well as track lighting, and black-and-white striped curtains, similar to Beetlejuices suit.

I knew if I opened a salon, Tim Burton films would be a piece a me, Banks said. Theres beautiful salons in the Valley but their aesthetic isnt for me.

Throughout, clients also will find artwork depicting the films on the walls, figurines, and she hopes to soon have televisions stationed to screen the films. Her favorite Burton quote: Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone elses dream?

The quote carries even more meaning for Banks because she didnt necessarily set out to own her salon. A 2008 Dieruff High School graduate, she initially focused on working at other area salons and went on to train at the Vision Beauty Academy in Allentown. But after a decade in the industry, Banks said she had a hard time finding area salons specializing in Black hair and found herself traveling back to her hometown of Newark, New Jersey or Philadelphia to fill the niche.

Its discouraging when I would walk into a salon and already feel that vibe they werent knowledgeable in Black hair care, Banks said. Ive sat in stylist chairs and left dissatisfied.

Eventually, I started to see a vision of what I wanted and it wasnt aligning (with what the area offered), she added. The Lehigh Valley needed a place for Black women to get their hair styled without having to travel so far.

At Banks Beauty Bar, Banks and her five full-time stylists specialize in protective hair styling, which runs the gamut from feed-in braids to knotless braids to crochet styles and faux locs. Theres natural hair styling, which includes silk press; highlights; wash and sets; locs, twists; and haircuts. Shes also savvy with extensions and wigs.

The pedicure station at Banks Beauty Bar, which opened this past August at 909 Sherman St. in Allentown.

Makeup application includes anything from natural to glam to dramatic. Theres also nail services, ranging from regular manicures to acrylic sets to pedicures. Banks has her own haircare line, including such products as Slicked By AB, which provides a sleek long last hold and shine; Banks Baking Mousse, which provides shine and hold; and Banks Botanical Brew, a natural light oil. Prices of products range from $6.99 to $16.

The salon offers multiple COVID-19 safety precautions, including mandated facial mask wearing; temperature checks of all clients upon entering; sanitizer offered prior to service; and thorough cleaning of stations in between appointments. Theres a 1:1 ratio between client and stylist and no one is permitted to enter the salon unless they are being serviced.

Banks was the first place winner of the 2018 MultiCultural Hair Show held in Allentown and hopes to compete again in 2021.

The beauty bars hours of operation are from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The interior of Banks Beauty Bar, which opened this past August at 909 Sherman St. in Allentown.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
Campus News

BLM co-founder Cullors discusses power of protest with UB audience

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM

I need every single person to understand that when Black people get free, we all get free. 

What does it mean when authorities in your own government call you a terrorist? What does that mean when youre a social activist, a co-founder of a movement that calls out the frank injustice of the long history of police violence against Black people and other Americans of color? And how is it that that movement, that has been so viciously targeted, has now been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize?

In a lively and engaging virtual talk Wednesday evening, Patrisse Cullors, artist, social activist, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, and author of the bestselling When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, discussed those and other questions with Raechele Pope, associate dean and faculty and student affairs and chief diversity officer in the Graduate School of Education.

Nearly 1,000 participants attended the event, UBs 45th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration keynote address and part of UBs Distinguished Speakers Series.

When they call you a terrorist, it means theyre out for blood, Cullors told her audience, theyre going to suppress you. The goal of those who attack Black Lives Matter, she said, is to create chaos in the movement.

The terrorist label meant that in the movements early days, other like-minded groups wouldnt work with BLM. We were too controversial, she said.

The label changed the way she and her colleagues live their lives. Its meant living with a lot of paranoia and fear, she said, adding that she and others in the movement have endured death threats, requiring 24/7 security protection.

But during the 7 years since BLM began, it has grown into a powerful, grassroots, global movement. Last month, Norwegian MP Petter Eide nominated it for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing its ability to mobilize not just Black people, but all sectors of society to push for human rights.

The dangers to Black lives and to the movement persist. Cullors made a point of noting that she was speaking to the UB audience on the second day of the (second) Trump impeachment trial about the incitement of the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

On Jan. 6, we witnessed a white supremacist mob that shocked so many, she said. But not everyone was shocked. As Black people, we know the impact of white supremacist violence.

It was the legacy of that violence that ignited the BLM movement, which took root during the July 2013 protests against the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of unarmed, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. It gained followers and grew stronger the following summer during the uprising against the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Cullors discussed what the power of protest means for communities that have been systematically marginalized and traumatized. When our states, cities and counties allow people to be murdered without any repercussion, we get to show up in the streets with our actual right to stop business as usual. Every set of protests Ive been at Ive recognized that there is a feeling of deep rage, but also of deep love, of coming together.

She said that during the social protests following the police killing last year of George Floyd in Minneapolis, that love was especially palpable.

We came together during a pandemic! she said, noting that organizers all over the country communicated that protesters must stay safe, that they should be masked, should not share water bottles and should practice hand hygiene, all of which worked to stave off what public health officials feared would promote the spread of COVID-19. It worked.

Our protests were not superspreader events, said Cullors. And when we show up for each other its an act of love and of grief.

She reminded the audience of the movement that Martin Luther King Jr. led and how it was about uprooting white supremacy to enable a world where Blackness is seen as centered in joy, love and dignity.

If MLK were here today, she said, he would be working to fight the prison industrial complex. MLK would challenge the system thats allowed 1 million Black people to be locked in a cage, she said.
Hitting out at the Congress for taking the credit for MGNREGA, the Union finance minister said, 'You may have given birth to the scheme but you left it in a mess.'

Taking a veiled dig at the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said that the policies of the Narendra Modi government were aimed at benefiting the poor and not the 'damads of this country'.

An uproar ensued in the Upper House after the finance minister made the statement alluding to Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra.

She also alleged that a "false narrative" was being created by the Opposition against the government that it works for "crony capitalists".

Follow LIVE Updates on Parliament here

"It has now become a sort of habit for some in the Opposition to constantly allege, in spite of what we are doing for the poor, that this government only works for the cronies," she said.

"More than 1.76 crore houses under PM Awas Yojana, 2.76 crore houses electrified - Are these for the rich?" the finance minister asked, adding that the Opposition, "is unthinkingly throwing allegations".

Responding to former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's allegation that "major numbers are suspect in the Budget", Sitharaman highlighted three instances in 2007-08 Budget, saying those numbers were suspect too.

She attacked the UPA government for what she alleged was a lack of transparency. "To conclude, I don't want competence to fudge. Narendra Modi doesn't believe in fudging," she said.

Sitharaman said this in reference to Chidambaram's speech in the Rajya Sabha where the former Union minister had said that three years of "incompetent" economic management had taken the country back by years.

"He (Chidambaram) believes he can say anything and get away with it. He said this is a Budget by the rich, of the rich, and by the rich. I have already explained that our budget was for the poorest of the poor," Sitharaman said.

'Congress created MGNREGA, but left it in a mess': Nirmala Sitharaman

Hitting out at the Congress for taking the credit for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), she said, "You may have given birth to the scheme but you left it in a mess."

She said the Opposition should engage in a "less emotional, but a more factual debate" on the scheme.

Claiming that it was under the Modi's leadership that MGNERGA scheme was effectively utilised, Sitharaman said, "Centre is responsible for removing all ills from MGNERGA."

"We have overseen the highest ever utilisation at Rs 90.469 crore of the rural employment scheme," Sitharaman added.

Budget 2021 provided an immediate post- COVID-19 package: Sitharaman

The finance minister said that a much-needed post COVID-19 relief was "distinctly and immediately" provided in the Union budget 2021.

Citing examples of the relief, she said, "It is worth mentioning that 800 million people were provided free food grains, free cooking gas was provided to 80 million people and cash was directly given to 400 million people, farmers, women, the divyang and also the poor and needy."

She also said that the 2021 financial statement was carefully thought after listening to views, suggestions and opinions from experts and economists around the country and the world.

Sitharaman said that "building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat actually represents the aspirations of 130 crore people of this country".

"Over two-thirds of this population are youth looking for opportunities," she said, adding "The Budget was aimed at not only giving relief packages but creating opportunities for employment."

The main features of Budget 2021 are infrastructure creation, continuing reforms, and ensuring transparency of accounts, said Sitharaman.

The finance minister said that through the Budget 2021, Centre is looking for medium and long-term growth. "Post-pandemic and post-global contraction, economies have suffered all over the world. The attempt that has been made in this Budget is to provide a strong stimulus to deal with the impact of the coronavirus crisis and have a multiplier effect," she added.

"The reforms that our government is introducing will bring is sustained growth. The relief and succor that was so required for the people was provided," the finance minister said.
Justrite's Poly Waste Container Bags Any company that is truly invested in the safety of its workers, the environment, and their surrounding community, need these bags.

Justrite Safety Group, a global leader in industrial safety products, announces the launch of a line of poly waste container bags that are designed to easily identify biohazard and infectious linen waste for their appropriate handling and disposal.

The bags are available in two colors: Red for biohazard material handling and yellow for infectious linen. Specially made to fit a range of Justrite Biohazard Cans and Eagle Poly Drums, the bags come in three sizes: 15, 33, and 60 gallons.

To make waste disposal even more secure, the safety warnings on each bag are in English, Spanish, and French and include internationally-recognized symbols identifying the enclosed materials.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made workplace safety a priority in all industries. Our poly bags help companies establish clear protocols for waste  especially waste that can cause great harm to public health, said Mark McElhinny, the President and CEO of the Justrite Safety Group.

Any company that is truly invested in the safety of its workers, the environment, and their surrounding community, need these bags.

The bags are leak-proof and meet or exceed ASTM D1709 and ASTM D1922 impact resistance standards. Their durability means they will avoid sudden punctures and tears, which further protects workers and their environments. Both bags are sold in quantities of 100.

We have taken great strides in our design and labeling to make sure our bags are the best on the market for ensuring the safe transport and disposal of dangerous waste, said McElhinny.

About the Justrite Safety Group:

The Justrite Safety Group is a growing family of industrial safety companies including NoTrax, Checkers, Eagle, and more. Justrite is a global leader in manufacturing a range of industrial safety products. Today, Justrite is recognized as one of the largest integrated manufacturers of industrial safety products in the world. Based in Deerfield, Illinois, Justrite manufactures its own products in ISO certified facilities and offers global distribution capabilities with distribution centers throughout the United States and in Europe.

https://www.justrite.com

###

(Natural News) According to reports submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Jan. 29, at least 501 people have died after receiving the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. These numbers were reflected in the reports filed between Dec. 14, 2020 and Jan. 29, 2021.

The data came from the CDCs Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a federal program that collects information regarding adverse events that occur after a person receives a vaccine.

According to the latest data, procured from VAERS on Jan. 29, 11,249 people have reported experiencing an adverse reaction to either the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccine. The Food and Drugs Administration has classified both vaccines as experimental and has only granted them emergency use authorizations, not full licenses.

Among the reported cases, 4,106 were classified as not serious, 1,066 resulted in hospitalizations, 383 were life-threatening, 156 resulted in a permanent disability and 501 resulted in the death of the recipient.

Some of the reported life-threatening events included 139 cases of Bells palsy-type symptoms  including facial asymmetry  and at least 13 miscarriages. (Related: Pfizer coronavirus vaccine warning: No breastfeeding or getting pregnant after being immunized it might damage the child.)

Fifty-three percent of the individuals who died were male, 43 percent were female and the remaining four percent of reported deaths did not include the gender of the deceased. The average age of the fatalities was 77 and the youngest reported death was from a 23-year-old.

The Pfizer vaccine accounted for 59 percent of the reported deaths while the remaining 41 percent of people who died took the Moderna vaccine.

The states where the most deaths came from are California, Ohio, New York, Kentucky and Florida. They accounted for 136 deaths or 27 percent of all the reported coronavirus vaccine fatalities.

While the VAERS database has recorded 501 deaths, according to the Department of Health and Human Services the actual number of people who have experienced adverse events due to taking the coronavirus vaccines is likely significantly higher. This is because VAERS is considered to be a passive surveillance system, which means that it does not go out and collect information and instead relies on people to submit reports to the database.

Alternative news outlet Waking Times also pointed out that, historically, less than one percent of adverse events were reported to VAERS.

White House tasks CDC with investigating how many have died after taking coronavirus vaccine

The White House COVID-19 Task Force has asked the CDC to conduct a comprehensive study on how many people have died after receiving the vaccine. The task force also asked the CDC to note down the circumstances that led to their death.

The White Houses task force wanted to understand if the people who died after receiving the vaccine did so as a result of an adverse reaction to the vaccine, because of a coronavirus-related condition or from something else entirely.

The CDC would have to gather the data from state health departments, which are already being overwhelmed by all of the data they are getting for other COVID-19-related efforts, including testing, case positivity, hospitalizations and vaccine distribution.

The CDC would also be helped out by the fact that healthcare workers are required by law to report any incident listed by VAERS and the vaccine manufacturer as an adverse event. Healthcare providers are also encouraged to report any adverse event that occurs after the administration of a vaccine, as well as all vaccine administration errors.

After collecting the data from VAERS, the CDC would begin its investigation before coming up with a definitive conclusion on whether a reported adverse event actually has a connection to the administration of a vaccine.

The request for this study came up as the administration of President Joe Biden wanted to update and reform the way the federal government is collecting COVID-19 data and presenting it to the public. Biden even signed an executive order on Jan. 21 supposedly to make sure that the administrations response to the coronavirus pandemic is guided by the best available science and data.

Learn more about all the deaths being reported as a result of taking the coronavirus vaccines by reading the articles at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

TheDailyBeast.com
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the fire at the Serum Institute of India campus on January 21 was no foul play. He said that the blaze was due to a short circuit. The fire at Adar Poonawalla-led Serum Institute led to the death of five people.

A major fire engulfed the fourth and fifth floors of an under-construction building at Serum Institute's 100-acre Manjari campus in the SEZ area in Pune. The five workers who were killed were carrying out welding and air-conditioning work at the building. Rescue operations involved 10 firefighters and over 70 personnel, including from the National Disaster Response Force.

The fire at Serum Institute did not affect the production of the coronavirus vaccine, Covishield.

The blaze reportedly gutted furniture, wiring and cabins on the fourth and fifth floor as well as on the sixth floor. CEO Poonawalla pegged the overall losses at Rs 1,000 crore. "Mainly loss is financial, which is over Rs 1,000 crore. Our new production line has been affected, not covid vaccines. Loss is to the bulk area and production filling line. No actual vaccine was being made where the fire took place. Loss is for the future manufacturing," he told media.

Soon after news of the loss of lives emerged, Poonawalla said, "We have just received some distressing updates; upon further investigation we have learnt that there has unfortunately been some loss of life at the incident. We are deeply saddened and offer our deepest condolences to the family members of the departed."

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray also visited the facility after the incident and said, "Covid vaccine is a ray of hope for the entire world. After hearing about the fire at the Serum facility, we all missed a heartbeat for a fraction of a second. After visiting the institute, I can assure you that vaccine manufacturing unit is not affected. It's unfortunate that five people lost their lives."

Also read: 5 workers killed in fire at Serum Institute; no loss of Covishield production

Also read: Fire breaks out at Serum Institute of India's plant in Pune, Covishield production not hit

Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Rain likely. High 46F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain. Low 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Dallas: A massive crash involving more than 130 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate left six people dead and dozens injured amid a winter storm that dropped freezing rain, sleet and snow on parts of the US.

At the scene of the crash on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth, a tangle of semi-trailers, cars and trucks had smashed into each other and had turned every which way, with some vehicles on top of others on Thursday, local time.

First responders work the scene of the fatal crash on I-35 near downtown Fort Worth. Credit:AP

There were multiple people that were trapped within the confines of their vehicles and requiring the use of hydraulic rescue equipment to successfully extricate them, said Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis.

At least 65 people were treated at hospitals, with 36 of them taken by ambulance from the crash site, including three with critical injuries, said Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for MedStar, which provides the ambulance service for the area. Numerous others were treated at the scene and released, he said.
In 1861, free institutions seemed poised to carry all before them. In Russia, Tsar Alexander II emancipated 22 million serfs. In Germany, lawmakers dedicated to free constitutional principles prepared to assert civilian control over Prussias feudal military caste. In America, Abraham Lincoln entered the White House pledged to a revolutionary policy of excluding human bondage from the nations territories.

The new machinery of freedom, though Anglo-American in design, was universal in scope. At its core was the idea, as yet imperfectly realized, that all human beings possess a fundamental dignity. This was a truth that, Abraham Lincoln believed, was applicable to all men and all times. In 1861, the faith that all men have a right to life, liberty, and the fruits of their industry was invoked as readily on the Rhine and the Neva as on the Potomac and the Thames.

But in the decade that followed, a reaction gathered momentum. Around the world, privilege rose up to defend its prerogatives. In Russia, in Germany, and in America, grandees with their backs against the wall met the challenge of liberty with a new philosophy of coercion.

It was founded on two ideas. The first: paternalism. Landowners in Russia and in the American South argued that their domestic institutions embodied the paternal principle: the bondsman had, in his master, a compassionate father to look after him, and thus was better off than the worker in the cruel world of free labor. In Germany, Prussian aristocrats sought to implement a paternal code designed to make the masses more subservient to the state. The paternalists, Lord Macaulay wrote disapprovingly, wanted to regulate the school, overlook the playground, fix the hours of labour and recreation, prescribe what ballads shall be sung, what tunes shall be played, what books shall be read, what physic shall be swallowed.

The second idea was militant nationalismthe right of certain (superior) peoples to impose their wills on other (inferior) peoples. Planters in the American South dreamed of enslaving Central America and the Caribbean. Germanys nationalists aspired to incorporate Danish, French, and Polish provinces into a new German Reich. In Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Panslav nationalists sought to rout the Ottoman Turks and impose Russias will on Byzantium.

Lincoln recognized that the West had reached a turning point. The decisive question of the epoch, he said, was whether free constitutions could survive and prosper in the world, or whether they possessed an inherent, and fatal weakness that doomed them to a premature degeneration. Could Americaor any nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equallong endure?

It was not improbable, Lincoln said, that if the new philosophy of coercion were permitted to advance, human bondage would become lawful in all the American States, old as well as newNorth as well as South. America would witness the total overthrow of free-state principles: it would become a country in which all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.

But it was not only in America that free institutions were threatened. Lincoln repeatedly characterized the struggle between freedom and servitude as a global one. The outcome of the American contest between the two philosophies would, he predicted, have a greatpossibly a decisiveinfluence on the future of liberty. Were the American Republic to shatter on the anvil of slavery, men and women around the world would suffer. If, on the contrary, the United States were saved on principles of freedom, millions of free happy people, the world over, Lincoln said, would rise up, and call us blessed, to the latest generations.

Scholars have criticized Lincoln for exaggerating the threat to liberty; but it is important to understand how formidable, in his day, the odds against free institutions seemed. The new philosophy of coercion was dangerous precisely because it went to the heart of the free-state ideal: it attacked the principle that all men were created equal. The definitions and axioms of free society were, Lincoln said,

denied, and evaded, with no small show of success. One dashingly calls them glittering generalities; another bluntly calls them self evident lies; and still others insidiously argue that they apply only to superior races. These expressions, differing in form, are identical in object and effectthe supplanting of the principles of free government, and restoring those of classification, caste, and legitimacy. They would delight a convocation of crowned heads, plotting against the people. They are the van-guardthe miners, and sappersof returning despotism. We must repulse them, or they will subjugate us.

In the fall of 1862, when Lincoln told Congress, We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last, best, hope of earth, the fate of liberty hung in the balance in three great nations: Russia, where Alexander II sought to promote liberal reform; Germany, where Otto von Bismarck applied his dark genius to the destruction of the Rechtsstaat (rule-of-law state); and America itself.

Those three powersRussia, Germany, and the United Stateswould go on to dominate the twentieth century. Only one did not become a slave empire. Had Lincoln not forced his revolution in 1861, American slavery might have survived into the twentieth century, deriving fresh strength from new weapons in the coercive arsenalscientific racism, social Darwinism, jingoistic imperialism, the ostensibly benevolent doctrines of paternalism. The coercive party in America, unbroken in spirit, might have realized its dream of a Caribbean slave empire. Cuba and the Philippines, after their conquest by the United States, might have become permanent slave colonies. Such a nation would have had little reason to resist Bismarcks Second Reich, Hitlers third one, or Russias Bolshevik empire.

The historical probabilities would have been no less grim had Lincoln, after initiating his revolution, failed to preserve the U.S. as a unitary free state. The Southern Republic, having gained its independence, would almost certainly have formed alliances with regimes grounded in its own coercive philosophy; the successors of Jefferson Davis would have had every incentive to link arms with the successors of Otto von Bismarck.

None of this came to pass. The virtue of Lincoln preserved the liberties of America. In the decades that followed, the nation that he saved played a decisive part in vindicating the freedom of peoples around the world.

Photo by Nicholas Shepherd/Getty Images
Rahim, though, has plenty of room to shine. The actor finds a way to infuse almost every scene with humor and humanity. We first meet Slahi at a wedding celebration in Mauritania, two months after 9/11. The police show up to question him about ties to al-Qaida. The Americans are going crazy, they say. He assures his mother hell be back soon  and asks her to save him some food. Its clear she fears she may never see him again (in fact, she didnt.)
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A program that subsidizes child care costs for low-income Michigan families would expand and see co-pays eliminated under a budget proposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week.

Michigans Child Development and Care subsidy program currently subsidizes child care for qualifying families making up to 150% of the poverty line ($39,750 for a family of four). Whitmers proposal would expand the program to qualifying families making up to 200% of the poverty line ($53,000 for a family of four) though Sept. 2022.

Her proposal would make an estimated 150,000 additional families eligible for the program. It would also eliminate co-pays for families and raise the rates paid to child care providers by 10%.

Im particularly proud of this piece, because of the impact its going to have on women and working mothers  people who have borne the brunt of the economic pain during the pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, women have been hit hardest by coronavirus layoffs, she told the Detroit Regional Chamber in a speech on Friday.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment in Michigan rose by 4.1% for men from 2019 to 2020, and rose by 4.7% for women over the same period.

Related: Pandemic taking disproportionate toll on moms

Her proposal spans two budget years and uses $292.1 million in federal dollars plus $78 million from the states general fund. In total, it would cost $370 million and run through Sept. 30, 2022. It has that end date because Whitmer proposed it as one-time funding, not an ongoing expenditure that would expand the state budget for years into the future.

She said in a roundtable with reporters on Thursday it was a recognition of the unique moment the state is in due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the one-time funding would help parents go back to work and help the state get its economy back on track.

So, would we like a long term solution in that space? Absolutely. Do we welcome partnership to design that? Absolutely as well, Whitmer said.

Eligibility for the Child Development and Care program isnt solely based on income. Those seeking child care must meet other criteria, like needing childcare because they are working or pursuing education. More information about the program in its current form is available here.

Whitmers proposal met with praise from advocates.

The price of quality child care is out of reach for many Michigan families and increasing access to more affordable child care is essential to sustaining our economic recovery, said Eboni Taylor, Michigan executive director for Mothering Justice, in a statement.

Michigan has one of the strictest family income limits in the country, so increasing the number of families who can qualify is a critical step to increasing access across the state.

Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Gilda Z. Jacobs said in a statement, Child care lays the foundation for childrens development and future education, but it is also a cornerstone of a solid workforce by enabling parents to work, and this funding is vital to help stabilize Michigan families and the child care industry as a whole.

A lot more still needs to be done to stabilize access to care for infants and toddlers, and the League will continue to work with parents, partners, and policymakers of all political persuasions to make sure child care continues to be rightfully prioritized and funded.

Whitmers proposal is just that -- a proposal. Its the first step in the states budget process and would need to be approved by the Republican-led legislature to make it to Whitmers desk and be signed into law.

More on MLive:

9 things you might have missed in Gov. Whitmers budget proposal

Gov. Whitmer proposes biggest-ever state budget at $67B, bolstered by federal dollars

Michigan Republicans worry Whitmers budget creates long-term costs, falls short on in-person school

Whitmer budget to include K-12 increase of up to $164 per pupil, more funding for higher education

More than 19K Michigan residents apply for tuition-free community college in first 24 hours

A prominent Derry republican has been fined for breaching notification requirements under the Counter Terrorism Act of 2008.

Thomas Ashe Mellon (45), who is a leading figure in Saoradh, widely believed to be the political wing of the New IRA, was found guilty and fined 300.

Two other men, 34-year-old William McDonnell, and 51-year-old Jason Cuelemans were also fined 300 each.

In November of last year Mellon was fined after being convicted of disorderly behaviour while in Strand Road police station in the city during registration under counterterrorism law procedures.

Read More

CCTV footage from inside the police station showed Mellon calling police officers "f*****g pricks" and batting the hand away of a police officer after the officer raised his arm.

Mellon was fined 250 on that occasion.

He had previously been fined 750 for taking part in an illegal dissident republican parade.

Speaking of the fines the three men received this week, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hamlin said: "All convicted terrorists are required to adhere to requirements set out in the Counter Terrorism Act 2008, and detectives from the terrorism investigation unit continue to actively investigate those who breach these requirements and bring them before the courts."
The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that staff at two of its biggest prison complexes have tested positive for Covid-19 n Laois and Dublin.

The services issued two statements this week confirming outbreaks at the Midlands Prison Portlaoise and Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. The Laois outbreak was confirmed on Thursday.

"The Irish Prison Service can confirm, that a number of staff in the Midlands Prison have tested positive for Covid-19 and contact tracing is continuing in this regard.

The Irish Prison Service can also confirm there are no positive cases amongst the prisoner population. The service is working closely with HSE Public Health where both Contact Tracing and Covid swabbing is ongoing. The positive staff cases relate to a small cluster in the prison and arrangements have now been made for all staff to be tested," it said.

In a message to families of prisoners, the service said the Midlands Prison Outbreak Control Team (OCT) continues to engage with Prison Management to oversee appropriate actions to mitigate against the further possible spread of the disease within the prison.

"The Irish Prison Service is working closely with HSE Public Health with regard to the management of the current outbreak including arrangements for the mass testing of all staff in the Midland Prison.

"To help prevent the further spread of infection a more restricted regime has been introduced which may impact on access to video visits and phone calls in the short term for prisoners in precautionary isolation however we are working to ensure that we can continue to facilitate family contact as far as possible," it said.

There wear 826 prisoners in the Laois jail on February 12.

Meanwhile, the outbreak at Mountjoy Prison was confirmed on Wednesday involving a number of the staff relating to the Progression Unit of the prison. It said arrangements have been made for all staff working in this area to be tested..

The IPS also confirmed there are no positive cases amongst the prisoner population but actions are being taken similar to Portlaoise to reduce the risk of infection. The service advised that there would be an impact on the families of prisoners.

"To help prevent the further spread of infection a more restricted regime has been introduced which may impact on access to video visits and phone calls in the short term for prisoners in precautionary isolation however we are working to ensure that we can continue to facilitate family contact as far as possible," it said.

There wear 703 prisoners in the Dubin jail on February 12.

Heretofore, the IPS would not confirm if there were outbreaks among staff however there have been staff outbreaks at both prisons. There was a small outbreak among prisoners in the Midlands during the second wave.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre delivers weekly outbreak reports on cases in prisons for NPHET and health service. The latest report says a total of 56 people have tested positive. Between 0 and 4 people were hospitalised or admitted to ICU. There was at least one death related to Irish Prisons according to the latest report.

The reports do not publish the exact number if there have between 1 and four cases, hospitalisations or deaths for confidentiality reasons.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.

A few months ago, the economic analyst Noah Smith observed that scientific advance is like mining ore. You find a vein you think is promising. You take a risk and invest heavily. You explore it until it taps out.

The problem has been that over the last few decades only a few veins have really been paying off and changing lives. Discoveries in information technology have obviously been massive  the internet and the smartphone. Thanks in part to public investment, clean energy innovation has been fast and plentiful. The price of solar modules has declined by 99.6 percent since 1976.

But life-altering breakthroughs, while still significant, are fewer than they once were. If you were born in 1900 and died in 1970, you lived from the age of the horse-drawn carriage to the era of a man on the moon. You saw the widespread use of electricity, air-conditioning, aviation, the automobile, penicillin, and so much else. But if you were born in 1960 and lived until today, the driving and flying experience would be safer, but otherwise the same, and your kitchen, aside from the microwave, is basically unchanged.

In 2011, the economist Tyler Cowen published a prescient book, The Great Stagnation, exploring why scientific advance was slowing down. Peter Thiel complained that we wanted flying cars, but we got Twitter.
The Police have dispatched teams of operatives along the Lekki corridor ahead of Saturdays End SARS protest at the toll gate. The R...

The Police have dispatched teams of operatives along the Lekki corridor ahead of Saturdays End SARS protest at the toll gate.

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command confirmed the deployment.

CSP Yinka Egbeyemi is presently leading a team of police officers on a show of force to Lekki Toll Gate (Admiralty Plaza) Obalende, Ikoyi, Jakande Roundabout, and other areas in Eti Osa, RRS tweeted Friday night.

The Police department said this was part of efforts to deter crime as well as boost the morale of his officers in the areas.

Two opposing camps  #OccupyLekkiTollGate and #DefendLagos  are planning separate protests on Saturday.

The call for Saturdays protest commenced after the 9-member of the Lagos Panel of Inquiry approved the reopening of the toll plaza.

The chairman, Justice Doris Okuwobi and four others ruled in favour of another application by the Lekki Concession Company (LCC).

Others were DIG Taiwo Lakanu (Police), Lucas Koyejo (National Human Rights Commission), Segun Awosanya (Segalink) and Oluwatoyin Odusanya (Citizens Right).

The opposers were Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), Patience Udoh (Civil society), Rinuola Oduala and Temitope Majekodunmi (Youths reps).

On Friday, Oduala stepped down from the panel. The young activist alleged cover up.
Students used to getting their lunches at schools will continue to have their nutritional needs met.





The Mustique Charitable Trust rounds off delivery of 330 packages to parents or guardians of children under the school feeding programme, today Friday February 11 on the Windward coast of mainland St. Vincent.





That followed delivery on the Leeward side Wednesday, and in Kingstown at the Thomas Saunders Secondary School yesterday Thursday.





The packages/hampers comprised a one-off donation.





Dularie Malcolm, MCTs Administration Director expressed satisfaction that the children will be supplied with food stuff for at least one month.





She outlined that some $80,000 was set aside to take care of the venture and indicated that the contents "mirror the basic needs list identified by the Welfare Department.





Malcolm praised home owners, guests and friends of Mustique for making the venture possible. She noted that the donors "are monitoring what is happening in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





The Mustique Charitable Trust has been in operation since 2008.





Mustique is one of the islands of the Grenadines, south of mainland St. Vincent. It is renowned for its pristine beauty and is the reputed stomping ground of some of the worlds rich and famous.
BATON ROUGE, La.The Disaster Recovery Center in Lake Charles will close permanently at 5 p.m.Tuesday, Feb. 16.The center is at:

The Lake Charles Civic Center

900 Lakeshore DriveLake Charles, LA 70601

In the place of the DRC, the state of Louisiana and FEMA will implement a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC), currently under development. The MARC will serve as an efficient way to deliver services to survivors affected by the 2020 hurricanes. The MARC will bring together multiple service providers in a single location and provide on-site assistance. To ask questions or submit information survivors can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585, visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA Mobile App at www.fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/app.For the latest information on Hurricane Laura, visit Louisiana Hurricane Laura (DR-4559-LA).For the latest information on Hurricane Delta, visit Louisiana Hurricane Delta (DR-4570-LA).Follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at www.twitter.com/FEMARegion6
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The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
An investigation is underway after an Etowah County Jail inmate was found dead Thursday morning.

Christopher Daniel Greene, a 47-year-old Attalla man, was discovered unresponsive during a routine security check. He was pronounced dead on the scene by the Etowah County Coroners Office. No foul play is suspected.

Greene was initially booked into the jail on Wednesday on unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. As is protocol, the sheriffs office has asked an outside agency to investigate the in-custody death and to request an autopsy.

Greene was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Teresa Giudice and her new boyfriend Luis Ruelas just seem to be getting better and better.

On Thursday the 48-year-old Real Housewives Of New Jersey diva shared another photo where the two were cuddling up at dinner as she called him 'my love' and added a red heart emoji.

This comes after the 46-year-old businessman gushed over his lady love in a long Instagram caption: 'Teresa, Thank you for the special joy you have added to my life, you have made my world better. You are kind loving and so thoughtful - I appreciate you babe .'

Heart you: Teresa Giudice and her new boyfriend Luis Ruelas just seem to be getting better and better. On Thursday the 48-year-old Real Housewives Of New Jersey diva shared another photo where the two were cuddling up at dinner as she called him 'my love' and added a red heart emoji

Hey babe: This comes after the 46-year-old businessman gushed over his lady love in a long Instagram caption: 'Teresa, Thank you for the special joy you have added to my life, you have made my world better. You are kind loving and so thoughtful - I appreciate you babe '

They were seen at dinner with their hands together as they beamed for the camera.

In another post he is seen hugging the ex wife of Joe Giudice. He is also planting a kiss on her as they are in an outdoor area.

'When I laid eyes on you you wrapped me up the color of love  Sade - Kiss Of Life,' he added.

In January they were seen on a white sand beach during yet another getaway.

Fans went wild for the image as Teresa posed in a bikini. And a few followers even asked if Luis might be planning a Valentine's Day proposal.

So much PDA: In another post he is seen hugging the ex wife of Joe Giudice. He is also planting a kiss on her as they are in an outdoor area

'You make my heart  smile @louiearuelas,' wrote the Bravo star in her caption.

The cookbook author was in a black bikini with an open fuchsia lace cover up and a hat with sunglasses. Her new love had on swim shorts and sunglasses as well.

Icookncreate_farmhouse_decor said, 'Valentine Ring maybe?' while beth72376 called them 'Ken and Barbie!'

Smiling again: 'You make my heart  smile @louiearuelas,' wrote the Bravo star in her caption in January

His thoughts: He shared a beach photo this week where Teresa was in a white and red bikini: 'Grateful 4 this amazing woman'

Her fellow Bravo stars approved of the post. Vicki Gunvaloson of RHOC said, 'So happy for you' and Tamra Judge gave her two fire emojis.

JWoww of Jersey Shore said, 'Beautiful.'

On Wednesday Luis professed his love for Teresa on Instagram: 'Everyone has a journey and a path in life and we all have to go thru the pain in order to find the JOY  JOY Is a constant feeling of happiness and thats what I feel when Im with you XO.'

And then he shared a beach photo where Teresa was in a white bikini: 'Grateful 4 this amazing woman.'

On Monday the stars were mask free as they were seen inside Mastro's Steakhouse in Los Angeles. 'Enjoying some LA vibes with my man @louiearuelas,' said the star as she added a red heart.

A match: On Wednesday Luis professed his love for Teresa on Instagram: 'Everyone has a journey and a path in life and we all have to go thru the pain in order to find the JOY  JOY Is a constant feeling of happiness and thats what I feel when Im with you XO'

There are several Mastro's in California with locations in Beverly Hills, Malibu and Thousand Oaks.

It's an unusual sight to see anyone inside a restaurant in California. California has been under strict lockdown for months.

Not only are residents not allowed to dine inside restaurants, they also have not been able to dine outside restaurants.

While a return to outdoor dining in Los Angeles will take place on Friday, even then diners have been asked to follow the usual coronavirus protocols such as not eating inside restaurants, socially distancing when outside and mask wearing when not eating.

Teresa and Luis were seen at the Los Angeles airport LAX on Monday.

It's love! Giudice with Ruelas at Mastro's in Los Angeles while on a trip to California last week

Close as can be: The pair on a hike: 'Hollywood with Boo' she told her 2M Instagram followers

Teresa and Luis seemed to have a ball while in Los Angeles.

On Sunday the lovebirds posed arm in arm in front of the famed Hollywood sign: 'Hollywood with Boo' she told her 2M Instagram followers.

The cookbook author also posed in the same location with two of her four daughters.

She had on a maroon bra top that flashed her toned tummy and added matching leggings with a dark jacket tied around her waist. The reality TV fixture added white sneakers and black ombre sunglasses.

Her partner was in a tank top and shirts with dark sneakers. He too had on sunglasses as the Hollywood sign was seen behind them.

They can't keep their hands off each other: Teresa then shared another photo where they were arm in arm while on a sidewalk in front of a wall of bright bougainvillea

Teresa then shared another photo where they were arm in arm while on a sidewalk in front of a wall of bright bougainvillea.

The lovebirds have been dating since the fall of 2020 and only went public in November.

They also spent the holidays together. They were side by side as they stood by a tall Christmas tree in the foyer of her New Jersey mansion which she once shared with ex-husband Joe Giudice.

The beauty had on a low-cut black dress with her raven hair down as she was glammed to the nines. Her new man was dapper in a dark suit as he put an arm around his lady love and held her hand.

In her caption she said, 'It's official.'

She also said Luis was 'the BEST thing that came out of 2020.'

In early November, the reality TV personality posted an image to her Facebook account to let her followers know that she was moving on and had met someone new; the caption for the post read: 'Excited to reveal my new boyfriend.'

It was made known that month that Giudice had begun a relationship with Ruelas.

Teresa was previously married to Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice from 1999 until this year.

The former couple were heavily featured on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey and share four daughters.

It's love: The reality TV personality shared this photo in December with her better half

They're serious! In her first photo to social media with Luis she looked just as happy. And she said in her caption, 'The BEST thing that came out of 2020'

In 2009, Joe and Teresa couple filed for bankruptcy, which set off a chain of legal battles culminating in the two being convicted for various forms of fraud.

Five years later, the two were handed prison sentences; Joe's status as an illegal immigrant was also brought into question, as he had never gained citizenship despite living in the United States since he was a year old.

At the end of his time being incarcerated, Joe went to live with his family in Italy to await the results of his deportation hearing and subsequent appeals.

The Giudices separated in December of 2019, months after Joe was released, and finalized their divorce in September.

The media personality's former husband is reportedly both aware and supportive of her new relationship.
Miami has voted to research paying its 3,500 staff in Bitcoin, as well as allowing residents to pay for city services and for their property taxes with the cryptocurrency.

The resolution was proposed on Thursday by Mayor Francis Suarez, who has claimed it is among the best ways to market Miami as a tech hub.

Suarez had wanted city commissioners to vote to use Bitcoin without hesitation but after several concerns were raised, they voted by 4-1 to carry out analysis and look into a vendor to process the transactions before any contract would be signed.

If a contract is eventually approved, the city's thousands of municipal workers would have the option of receiving all or part of their paycheck in Bitcoin.

One city commissioner has already voiced concern, however, and warned he 'can't drink the Kool-Aid on this one'.

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Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is leading a push for the city to use Bitcoin for its transactions

Miami is looking into offering the option for its 3,500 employees to receive their paychecks in cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Pictured, the City of Miami Emergency Operations Center

Joe Carollo was the only commissioner to vote against the resolution yet added that he believed the 'mayor has done a fabulous job with that, and his intentions are coming right from the heart'.

The number of people employed by Miami can vary by season but according to its website, it employs approximately 3,500 employees in a variety of occupations covering more than 500 classifications.

Mayor Suarez heralded the vote as he claimed that it was a step in the right direction for the city.

'It's wonderful to be a very "crypto-forward" city in the city of Miami, and I want to thank my commission colleagues for allowing that to happen,' he said in a video posted to social media.

'It directs the city manager, after analysis, to be able to procure a vendor to be able to get a percentage of their salaries in Bitcoin, allows our residents to pay for fees in Bitcoin and also would allow the city manager to cooperate with Miami-Dade county to allow for taxes to be paid in Bitcoin.'

'Also, at the request of the state legislature, the city of Miami supports efforts to make Bitcoin an acceptable currency for us to potentially invest in in the future.'

In the last month alone, Bitcoin fell below $30,000 and climbed over $48,000

City workers (pictured) could choose to receive all or part of their salary in Bitcoin

City Commissioner Joe Carollo voiced concern and said he 'can't drink the Kool-Aid on this one'

Miami is set to launch education campaigns in English, Spanish and Creole to provide further information to residents about the cryptocurrency, which has set new record highs in recent months after a rollercoaster ride over the past decade.

Suarez has insisted that he supports Bitcoin even as the volatile cryptocurrency continues to spike and drop and has a history of losing half its value in just a month's time.

WHAT IS BITCOIN AND HOW DOES IT WORK? What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency  an online type of money which is created using computer code. It was invented in 2009 by someone calling themselves Satoshi Nakamoto  a mysterious computer coder who has never been found or identified themselves. Bitcoins are created without using middlemen  which means no banks take a fee when they are exchanged. They are stored in what are called virtual wallets known as blockchains which keep track of your money. One of the selling points is that it can be used to buy things anonymously. However, this has left the currency open to criticism and calls for tighter regulation as terrorists and criminals have used to it traffic drugs and guns. How are they created? Bitcoin is created through a process known as 'mining' which involves computers solving difficult maths problems with a 64-digit solution. Every time a new maths problem is solved a fresh Bitcoin is produced. Some people create powerful computers for the sole purpose of creating Bitcoins. But the number which can be produced are limited  meaning the currency should maintain a certain level of value. Why are they popular? Some people value Bitcoin because it is a form of currency which cuts out banking middlemen and the Government  a form of peer to peer currency exchange. And all transactions are recorded publicly so it is very hard to counterfeit. Its value surged in 2017  beating the 'tulip mania' of the 17th Century and the dot com boom of the early 2000s to be the biggest bubble in history. Some shops and restaurants are accepting for purchases, but overall this is a tiny part of the market of the real economy. Advertisement

It is not clear if any other U.S. cities are looking into using Bitcoin to carry out their financial transactions yet in 2015, New York City Councilman Mark Levine did attempt to introduce it as a form of payment in the Big Apple for fines and fees.

Two U.S. cities - Riviera Beach, Florida; and Florence, Alabama  have previously been forced to pay a ransom in Bitcoin after being hacked.

The price of Bitcoin currently stands at $46,948, having dropped by 2 percent in the last 24 hours.

During that time, it dropped to a low of 46,286 and hit a high of 48,925.

In the past seven days, the value of Bitcoin has risen from below $38,000 and in the last month, it has dropped to $29,000 before climbing to its current record high.

Just one year ago, the price of one Bitcoin was only $10,000 and day-to-day, it can still see a rise and fall of thousands of dollars.

The record high of $48,000 came this week as Bitcoin gained more mainstream support.

On Monday, Tesla said that it had bought $1.5 billion in the cryptocurrency and would soon accept it in payment for its cars.

Bitcoin's price surged 10 percent immediately after the disclosure and has continued to climb all week.

It came just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is a well-known supporter of bitcoin, briefly changed the bio of his Twitter account, which has 46 million followers, to say '#bitcoin'.

After the Tesla announcement, US bank BNY Mellon on Thursday announced it will manage digital assets for clients.

The same day, Uber also announced it will consider accepting Bitcoin as payment.

Twitter said Wednesday it has thought about whether to hold bitcoin on its balance sheet.

Bitcoin has also drawn support from major financial institutions this year.

The world's biggest money manager Blackrock recently changed a handful of investment mandates to allow some of its funds to invest in the currency.

Central banks remain skeptical of digital currencies, but analysts say the more real world uses appear for bitcoin, the more attractive it will prove as a long-term store of value.

Much of the first major appeal in Bitcoin lay in the fact that it was different from traditional bank accounts and online wallets and would allow anyone in the world to open a digital bank account and store money.

Since late last year, it has been gaining traction with more mainstream investors who are increasingly convinced that it will be a long-lasting asset, and not a speculative bubble as some analysts and investors fear.

Yet at its worst, its value has dropped up to 19 percent in one day, as it did in January.

More than $200billion was wiped off the value of the global cryptocurrency market with the sudden crash.

The price of Bitcoin currently stands at $46k, having dropped by 2 percent in the last 24 hours

In the past seven days, the value has climbed from under $38,000 to more than $48,000

Strategists at the Bank of America last month warned that the rapidly rising price of bitcoin may be 'the mother of all bubbles', comparing it to the tech boom in the late 1990s.

Yet, many experts remain optimistic about the future of the digital currency that was invented in 2009 by an anonymous person or group known by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

On January 5 investment bank JP Morgan said that Bitcoin has emerged as a rival to gold and could trade as high as $146,000 if it becomes established as a safe-haven asset.
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With Republican positions hardening and President Bidens agenda slowed by the proceedings, Democratic senators began signaling that they had seen enough, too, and members of both parties were coalescing around a plan to bring a quick end to the trial with a vote on guilt or innocence as early as Saturday.

Confident of acquittal, Mr. Trump was spotted on a golf course in Florida while his defense team prepared a truncated presentation to offer on Friday rather than take the full two days for arguments permitted by trial rules.

After a much-panned preliminary appearance earlier this week, Mr. Trumps lawyers planned to argue that he was being prosecuted out of partisan enmity, never overtly called for violence and was not responsible for the actions of his supporters.

Republican senators exhibited little eagerness to defend Mr. Trumps actions, instead explaining their likely acquittal votes by maintaining that it is unconstitutional and unwise to put a former president on trial and accusing Democrats who sometimes use fiery speech themselves of holding a political foe to a double standard. The Senate rejected the constitutionality argument on Tuesday on a 56-to-44 vote, allowing the trial to proceed, but Republicans said they were not obliged to accept that judgment.

My view is unchanged as to whether or not we have the authority to do this, and Im certainly not bound by the fact that 56 people think we do, said Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri. I get to cast my vote, and my view is that you cant impeach a former president. And if the former president did things that were illegal, there is a process to go through for that.

Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, offered similar reasoning. What happened on Jan. 6  I said it the moment it started  was unpatriotic, un-American, treasonous, a crime, unacceptable, he said. The fundamental question for me, and I dont know about for everybody else, is whether an impeachment trial is appropriate for someone who is no longer in office. I dont believe that it is.
Ukraine cuts spending on coal imports in Jan

Ukraine spent US$159.89 million to buy coal abroad in the first month of 2021.

Reporting by UNIAN

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And, as an African American, I also was particularly appalled to see in viral video of the incident that the man who walked up behind the elderly victim, pushed him to the ground and kept on walking was a Black man. I didnt need to be reminded that racism is not a malady for whites only, but its the truth. The truth may not always set us free, but its the best place to start.
House impeachment managers concluded their case against Donald Trump on Thursday, urging the Senate over two days to convict the former President for inciting the insurrectionists that attacked the US Capitol, arguing Trump was responsible for the deadly January 6 riot, failed to stop the attackers and showed no remorse afterward.

The managers used their final day of arguments in the Senate impeachment trial to show how the insurrectionists who carried out the attack on the Capitol last month said they did it at Trump's direction. The managers focused on Trump's history of celebrating violence among his supporters leading up to the attack, and his claims that his conduct was "totally appropriate" as a warning he could try to do it again if given the chance.

Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, argued that Trump's response to the riots shows he would "undoubtedly cause future harm if allowed."

"I'm not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years," said Lieu, one of the impeachment managers. "I'm afraid he's going to run again and lose. Because he can do this again."

The Democrats' arguments Thursday were at a decidedly lower decibel than on Wednesday, when the entire Senate was at attention while violent videos were played showing the chaos at the Capitol and disturbing new revelations about just how close the rioters were to reaching lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence.

Thursday's session was intended to drive home the point that Trump not only was responsible for the insurrectionists descending on the Capitol, but also that he did nothing while the violence unfolded and failed to apologize for it or even acknowledge the damage that had been done.

Wrapping up the House's case, lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin of Maryland pleaded with senators to convict Trump, warning of the historical consequences if he is acquitted.

"If you don't find this a high crime and misdemeanor today, you have set a new terrible standard for presidential misconduct in the United States of America," Raskin said.

The Maryland Democrat and constitutional law scholar closed by citing Thomas Paine, who wrote the pamphlet "Common Sense" in 1776 advocating American independence.

"Let's not get caught up in a lot of outlandish lawyers' theories here," Raskin said. "Exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country."

Trump's lawyers get their turn to present to the Senate on Friday. They're expected to finish their presentation in a single day, according to two sources, and plan to argue that Democrats glorified violence in their presentation, that the trial is unconstitutional and that Trump's speech is protected by the First Amendment.

Senate GOP praise managers, but remain poised to acquit

Senate Republicans largely praised the Democratic managers' presentation, saying it was both compelling and disturbing. But that doesn't mean Republicans are changing course on the ultimate verdict, which is still unlikely to reach anywhere near the two-thirds vote needed for conviction, which would require at least 17 Republicans to vote that Trump is guilty.

Most Senate Republicans are still relying on the argument that the trial itself is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer president.

"I have to compliment the impeachment managers just in terms of their presentation preparation. I thought it was excellent," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of Senate GOP leadership. "I don't agree with everything. But I think they set the standard pretty high" for Trump's team.

But Cornyn still doesn't sound open to conviction. "The biggest concern I have is about the idea of impeaching a former officeholder without explicit authorization in the Constitution and what that means to exact retribution on political opponents," he said.

Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, praised Lieu's warning in particular about what Trump would do if he ran again and lost.

"I think that was a very powerful statement on his part. And I know I wrote that down," Rounds said, before returning to the constitutionality argument. "But once again, the issue for most of us is, are you asking us to do something that we simply don't have the capability of doing because the Constitution does not give us that tool with regard to a private citizen."

Six Republicans voted with Democrats that the trial was constitutional on Tuesday, which many Republicans say is the likely ceiling for the number of GOP conviction votes. No Republican has said yet they will vote to convict Trump. In Trump's first impeachment trial last year, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was the only Republican to find him guilty.

"Since I haven't heard the alternative -- the other side -- present its case yet, I really want to wait," said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican.

"But it's moving fast so you won't have to wait that much," Collins added, saying she hoped Trump's team would "be as specific as the House managers were -- who went through the evidence, provided legal arguments and gave a very thorough presentation."

'He struck a match'

The Democratic managers have pushed forward with their case trying to win over skeptical Republican jurors, arguing both to the Senate and the public that Trump was responsible for the riot and all of the consequences that have stemmed from it.

Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado began the House Democrats' second-day presentation by using the insurrectionists' own words before, during and after the storming of the Capitol to show that they believed they were acting at Trump's direction.

"They truly believed that the whole instruction was at the President's orders. And we know that, because they said so," DeGette said. "Many of them posed for pictures, bragging about it on social media. This was not a hidden crime. The President told them to be there, and so they actually believed they would face no punishment."

Never-before-seen Capitol security camera footage Democrats aired on their first day of arguments forced senators to relive the harrowing attack and confront chilling new details about the incredibly serious threat posed to everyone in the Capitol, including lawmakers.

In their second day, the Democrats took a step backward and showed how Trump has long embraced violence, from his response to White supremacists marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 to the armed protesters who jammed into the Michigan state Capitol last year. Raskin said the Michigan protests in April 2020 were a "preview of the coming insurrection."

"This Trump-inspired mob may indeed look familiar to you: Confederate battle flags, MAGA hats, weapons, camo Army gear, just like the insurrectionists who showed up and invaded this chamber," the Maryland Democrat said.

The managers focused on Trump's lack of remorse following the deadly January 6 attack and the harm it caused both inside and outside the building. That included the physical and mental toll on the more than 100 police officers who were injured along with the damage to America's standing in the world as a beacon of democracy, with Russia and China trying to take advantage of the chaos.

To close the day, Raskin and Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado argued Trump's claims that his speech was protected by the First Amendment did not pass muster, because he turned the rioters loose on the Capitol.

"He struck a match, and he aimed it straight at this building, at us," Neguse said.

Trump team gets its turn Friday

Trump's team will get its chance to respond to the House's case on Friday, where they plan to make a "short, tight and direct" presentation that wraps up in one day, according to a source close to the legal team.

The team plans to include video presentations showing Democratic leaders using similar language to Trump, including one clip of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer outside the US Supreme Court, saying, "I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions," referring to Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Those comments, of course, didn't lead to a violent attack or an attempt to overturn the results of an election.

Trump's lawyers will also make the case Senate Republicans are most eager to embrace -- that the trial is unconstitutional -- which the Senate already voted on earlier in the week.

"This trial never should have happened," Trump attorney David Schoen told Fox News in an interview conducted Thursday during the trial. Schoen said the goal was to make the trial "as short as possible."

Trump's lawyers on Thursday tried to deny the rioters were directly ordered by Trump to do what they did, though that's been a key part of the evidence Democrats have presented.

"Did someone say that they heard directly from President Trump?" defense attorney Bruce Castor responded to CNN when asked for his reaction to the videos played. "I don't believe that's what happened, no."

On Friday, Trump lawyers Schoen, Castor, Michael van der Veen and William Brennan are all expected to speak. Because the legal team is so disorganized, Trump's allies are apprehensive about how the defense will go. Trump erupted Tuesday as Castor made a meandering opening argument.

After Trump's team concludes, the Senate will have up to four hours to ask written questions of the legal teams, and then the House managers could seek a vote on hearing from witnesses. But it's not clear yet whether they plan to do so.

If there is no effort to seek testimony from witnesses, the trial is likely to wrap up with a vote on conviction sometime this weekend. Democratic senators said Thursday that they don't see a need for witnesses because the managers made their case -- another sign it's unlikely witnesses will be called.

"I think the case has been made," said Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. "I don't know what witnesses would add."

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments Thursday.
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BETHESDA, Md.  President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans.

Biden made the announcement at the sprawling National Institutes of Health complex just outside Washington as he visited some of the nations leading scientists on the frontlines of the fight against the disease. He toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries.

The U.S. is on pace to exceed Bidens goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks.

Thats just the floor, Biden said. Our end goal is beating COVID-19.

Biden announced on Thursday that the U.S. had secured contractual commitments from Moderna and Pfizer to deliver the 600 million doses of vaccine by the end of July  more than a month earlier than initially anticipated.

Were now on track to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July, he announced.

The pace of injections could increase further if a third coronavirus vaccine from drugmaker Johnson & Johnson receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Speaking with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious-disease specialist, Biden emphasized that his administration is doing everything possible to increase the vaccine supply and the countrys capacity to deliver injections into arms.

Its been a hell of a learning process, Biden said.

Biden, wearing a mask, used his remarks to criticize President Donald Trump, saying he inherited no plan to vaccinate most of the country.

It is no secret that the vaccination program was in much worse shape than my team and I anticipated, he said.

To date, the Biden administration has deployed active-duty troops to help stand up mass vaccination sites in several states, as it looks to lay the groundwork for increasing the rate of vaccinations once more supply is available.

The Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory is led by Dr. Barney Graham, whose team made critical discoveries years ago that laid the groundwork for rapid development of that and other COVID-19 vaccines. Before the pandemic erupted, one of Grahams research fellows, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, had been using those earlier findings to develop a vaccine for MERS, a cousin of COVID-19.

On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.

Armed with their prior research, Corbett and Graham had a head start when Chinese scientists shared the genetic map of the new coronavirus in January 2020. They already knew how to make spike proteins, which coat the surface of the new coronavirus and its MERS relative, that were stable enough to be used as a key vaccine ingredient.

Within days, the NIH had sent instructions to Moderna to brew up doses, and Corbett and her colleagues were setting up the key lab and animal tests that would eventually prove they were on the right track.

___

Zeke Miller and Jonathan Lemire of The Associated Press wrote this story. AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.
Mr Petersen-Crofts was 19 years old at the time and had been released from St John of God Hospital Midland on the morning of the killings. Teancum Petersen-Crofts. He had been held overnight because of a mental health episode which saw him go to a police station with no shirt on, claiming his neighbour was a serial killer. Mr Usher told the court how various neighbours had seen Mr Petersen-Crofts outside the familys house on Brixton Crescent in Ellenbrook the day before the killings, waving a stick around and saying things like, look at my eyes, my eyes are normal, my eyes are brown. Ms Petersen was scared of going home and tried to get police to take her son from the property, but when they arrived they did not find he was acting strangely. Mr Petersen-Crofts told them he had been shouting in the street earlier to vent because he had a drug debt.

When told by police what happened, Ms Petersen tried to get a mental health team to go to the house later that night, but Mr Petersen-Crofts was no longer there. Mr Petersen-Crofts went to the police station after 8pm that night, with the sergeant at the station deciding he should be detained under the Mental Health Act. He was taken into the St John of God emergency department in Midland about 9.45pm, where he told doctors his neighbour was a serial killer, his parents had raped him, and he was a warrior who protected everyone. Mr Petersen-Crofts was given medication and released the next day when hospital staff determined he had no thoughts of harming himself or others. Ms Petersen was concerned on a phone call with the hospital about the prospect of her son being released and told them she thought he had mental health issues not related to drug use.

Later that day, he was back at his mothers home prior to Ruas baptism. Mr Usher told the court how two friends of Ms Petersen remembered Mr Petersen-Crofts talking about gods and saying his mother was evil. After the baptism, neighbours heard shouting and screams for help in the evening. Mr Petersen-Crofts told police in a recorded interview on July 15 that his next-door neighbour was a serial killer who had tied him up and made him watch as he killed his family. I woke up and he came into the house and then he killed them and then my sister screamed outside and he killed her and he made me watch by tying me on a chair, he said.

Mr Petersen-Crofts also spoke to police about seeing colours and how big papa  in reference to Maori creation spirit Papatuanuku  had told him to save four billion people. He has got a grey face, hes got red eyes and hes got grey eyes, he said. Im not god, Im just a human god. Mr Usher told the court how Ms Petersen had tried for months to get help through the mental health system for her son, who had struggled at times with meth use and homelessness. Mr Petersen-Crofts had been admitted to St John of God one month before the deaths, where he told staff he had used meth two days earlier.

A social worker at the hospital spoke to Ms Petersen and told her Mr Petersen-Crofts would not be admitted and had deemed his presentation related to meth and cannabis use. Mr Usher told the court how Ms Petersen said to the social worker her son had mental health issues and she did not want him to come home because she had a 15-year-old and an eight-year-old to think of. Mr Petersen-Crofts sat with his arms crossed throughout Fridays hearing, putting his head in his right hand at times when listening to the facts being laid out by the prosecutor. Psychiatrist suggests schizophrenia State-ordered psychiatrist Daniel de Klerk told the court it was his opinion Mr Petersen-Crofts had treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Dr de Klerk conducted two interviews with Mr Petersen-Crofts in October and January, and told the court he was still psychotic at the second meeting. He was very anxious, he was very eager to inform me that he was not a bad person, [he] was a good person and he required repeated reassurances I was not there to judge him, he said. Mr Petersen-Crofts clearly did not like discussing information about the nature of his delusions. He was certainly very reluctant to discuss specific aspects about the alleged offending. Dr de Klerk said seeing material such as the police interview and CCTV footage from 7-Eleven reaffirmed his opinion of Mr Peterson-Crofts having schizophrenia.

The UK is just days away from starting its first experiment with Australia-style Covid border restrictions, with high-risk arrivals forced into 10-day hotel quarantines.

But already some are clamouring for the government to go further, insisting that only a full border shutdown will keep Britain safe from overseas Covid variants.

Enthusiasts point to Australia as a prime example of the benefits - 28,000 Covid cases, 900 deaths, an economy that has already started growing, and bars, restaurants and shops open for business.

But border closures have also been hugely disruptive Down Under - with tens of thousands of Australians stranded abroad, states plunged into lockdown every time cases escape quarantine, and still no plan for how the measures will be eased.

If the same system were brought to the UK it is likely those problems would not only be mirrored but magnified, since this country is far less isolated than Australia and far more reliant on its neighbours to function.

Meanwhile that same reliance means the system would be far less likely to protect the UK, meaning the costs - both economic and human - could end up far outweighing the benefits.

Here, MailOnline breaks down exactly what the system is, what it would look like if it was brought over here, and the key differences that make it less likely to work:

What is the Australian system?

Australia has completely shut its borders, meaning nobody is allowed into or out of the country unless they have an exemption - the most common being citizens returning from overseas and key workers carrying out essential business.

Australia has completely closed its borders to arrivals, and even those who are exempt from the travel ban must quarantine at hotels for 14 days on arrival

But even then, most of those allowed into the country are forced into a 14-day hotel quarantine which can be extended depending on the results of two mandatory PCR tests carried out during that period.

Some quarantine exemptions have been granted, for example to athletes visiting for the Australian Open, but this has caused huge public backlash.

How disruptive has it been?

Very. Because all incoming passengers have to quarantine in hotels, their numbers must be strictly controlled so they do not exceed hotel capacity.

For Sydney - the main port of arrival - this means only around 1,500 inbound tickets can be sold each week. For smaller states, it is less than 500.

That has meant 40,000 Australians have ended up getting stranded abroad, many on expired visas meaning they cannot get jobs in their host countries and are relying on money sent from home to survive.

Rationing tickets while demand is high has also forced the cost of flights up, with returnees also facing a $1,700 hotel bill for their time in mandatory quarantine, meaning that for some, returning home is no longer a possibility.

The system has left tens of thousands of Australians stranded overseas and has not stopped the need for lockdowns - with Victoria entering a five-day circuit-breaker today

Protesters in the state of Victoria confront police as a new lockdown is brought into force, despite all arrivals being quarantined

And the disruption has not just been limited to those overseas. Large sectors of Australia's economy are reliant on tourists - either for low-skilled labour or for holiday spending - meaning GDP has taken a hit.

In Q2 last year the economy contracted by a record 7 per cent, and while it has rebounded since, 2020 will likely be a year of stagnation for the country as a whole.

The disruption has also hit farms, with landowners reporting that crops have been left to rot in the fields due to a shortage of pickers, with the situation expected to get worse unless 26,000 workers can be found soon.

Meanwhile the state of Victoria has been forced into repeated circuit-breaker lockdowns because cases keep escaping quarantine hotels, with one last year lasting for 111 days.

The state entered another five-day shutdown just today after cases of the UK variant escaped from a quarantine hotel and caused 13 cases, sparking panic buying.

How bad would UK disruption be?

It would likely be far worse. The UK is more connected to its neighbours, receives more passengers each year, and is more reliant on imports to keep the economy running than Australia.

In 2018-19, the last year before the pandemic struck, the UK received some 145million arrivals including Britons returning from overseas, while Australia received just 21 million.

Even in 2020, as the pandemic shut down global travel, the UK saw some 26million arrivals from January to October - surpassing Australia's pre-pandemic level.

Around half of those arrivals were UK citizens returning home, the data reveals, meaning that Britain risks stranding millions of citizens overseas if it brings in the kind of ticket rationing required to make border shutdowns work.

UK border disruption would be extreme - Britain welcomes 120million more arrivals each year than Australia, meaning delays would hit harder

Such a move would divide families and loved ones, possibly for years. Australia has so-far been unable to say when its restrictions will end.

The Australia-style system would also prohibit those within the UK from flying abroad to see those who have been stranded.

Meanwhile the UK could be forced into knee-jerk lockdowns of the kind seen in Victoria every time cases escape quarantine, or risk defeating the point of the system.

While Australia is able to manage these lockdowns on a state-by-state basis, the UK is far smaller than most Australian states - meaning nationwide circuit-breaker lockdowns could come into effect even if only a handful of cases are detected.

Problems within UK farming would also be greater than those experienced in Australia, since Britain is thought to rely on foreign workers for 99 per cent of farm labour during harvest months.

The number of overseas workers needed to harvest UK crops is also estimated to be 40,000, roughly double the number Australia currently requires.

Many Britons would also face being stranded overseas, since the number of arrivals would be limited by the number of quarantine hotel rooms available

Would the system even work?

It's doubtful. Australia is a naturally-isolated country, is far larger than the UK, has more natural resources, and is therefore more self-sufficient that Britain.

Australia is a net exporter of goods - meaning it exports more than it imports each year - while the UK is a net importer - meaning we rely on goods coming into the country to keep our economy functioning.

The disparity is particularly obvious when it comes to food.

Australia is one of the most food-secure nations on earth: It produces far more food than its citizens can eat in a year, and exports around 70 per cent of its annual crop.

Meanwhile Britain only produces around 64 per cent of its food and needs to import vast quantities - especially from Europe - to keep supermarket shelves full.

Australia is a net exporter of goods, meaning it produces more than it needs to function each year and sells the surplus overseas

Meanwhile the UK is a net importer, meaning we are reliant on goods coming into the country to keep the economy running

The UK is also more reliant on medicine imports than Australia, buying some $9.2million-worth in 2019 while Australia bought just $3.5million-worth.

Since Britain could not function without these imports, exemptions would have to be granted for the workers involved in transporting them back and forth.

But, for every exemption granted, the UK pokes a hole in its safety net - allowing cases to sneak in the back door even while the front doors remain firmly closed.

Because the UK is far more reliant on imports than Australia, our safety net would have far more holes in it.

The UK government also hopes to use border shutdowns to stop new and potentially vaccine-busting Covid variants from arriving in the country, but even in Australia this has proved impossible.

The Victorian lockdown was sparked because the UK variant of the virus - thought to be 70 per cent more infectious and up to 30 per cent more deadly - escaped a quarantine hotel and began spreading among the local community.

New Zealand - another country held up as a Covid success story - also reported community spread of the South African variant in Auckland earlier this year, despite also using border shutdowns.

Exemptions would be granted for supply chain workers, but each exemption is a hole in the safety net - and the UK would have many more holes than Australia

How long would the system be in place for?

Nobody knows. While Australia has successfully reopened large parts of its economy, international travel is one area where plans have run badly aground.

Ministers said late last year that they hoped to have a quarantine-free 'travel corridor' set up with New Zealand by Christmas, but two months later they are nowhere close to achieving that.

Currently, the 'corridor' only operates one-way, allowing those in New Zealand to come to Australia but not the other way around.

Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand PM, is dragging her feet over whether to allow Australians into the country after ministers abruptly closed all travel down in January when cases of the South African variant were detected on her shores.

She has questioned whether New Zealand airlines would be willing to operate in an environment where closures can happen at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile plans to bring back overseas students, which was also due to happen before Christmas, have been scrapped.

Australia has refused to say when border measures will be eased, even with cases averaging just a handful per week

Plans to allow seasonal workers back into the country have been given the green light, but under very tight restrictions and amid warnings there could still be a labour shortage.

In terms of international travel, the government has yet to publish its plans but suggested last week that travel could be restarted using vaccine passports.

Tourism minister Dan Tehan said that passports will be issued to those who have had two doses of vaccine, and could provide blanket exemption from Covid lockdown rules - including border closures.

However, Australia's vaccination programme has yet to start and the government has already said that it is unlikely everyone will have vaccines until October this year.

Even then, health ministers have warned that international travel is unlikely to restart until 2022 at the earliest, even if everyone is vaccinated.

'I think that we'll go most of this year with still substantial border restrictions,' Department of Health Secretary Brendan Murphy said last month, adding that quarantine for travellers will likely continue 'for some time'.

As with lockdowns, border closures are also effective only so long as they are in place - as soon as they are lifted, the virus is free to move around again and potentially start infecting people.

While Australia is well-placed to shut its borders and keep them shut for some time, it cannot stay cut off forever and will have to reopen eventually.

It remains to be seen, even with vaccines, what effect that will have on the country.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

New York, NY, Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via NGO Wire) A wave of violence has broken out across the Central African Republic following disputed elections on December 27, 2020. Major supply routes have been closed, leading to food shortages and rising food prices. Experts estimate that 30,000 people have fled to neighboring countries and more than 60,000 have been internally displaced.

Prior to the current unrest, experts had predicted that one in nine people may be pushed to the brink of famine (IPC stage 4) by May 2021. More than half the population  2.3 million people  were expected to suffer acute food security, and now violence is worsening the situation. The conflict threatens to create a humanitarian disaster, particularly if conflict continues to restrict humanitarian access and leave vulnerable populations without essential aid.

Speaking from Bangui, Action Against Hungers Country Director in C.A.R., Mathilde Lambert said:

"People are fleeing their homes with just the clothes on their backs, and when they finally arrive at a place of relative safety, many cant feed their families. Food is becoming scarce and prices are rocketing. Meanwhile, hundreds of food trucks are sitting idly on the other side of the border in Cameroon, unable to reach people trapped by the violence in C.A.R.

Even before fighting broke out, the food security situation in C.A.R. had been deteriorating. This is a country where more than half the population is projected to be facing crisis levels of food insecurity in the coming months and one in nine will be pushed to the brink of famine (IPC 4). The needs on the ground are already overwhelming, and rising violence could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

NOTE TO EDITORS

For more information or to arrange an interview with Mathilde Lambert, please contact ebtyree@actionagainsthunger.org

Action Against Hunger has been taking place in CAR since 2006. In 2020, we supported more than 300,000 people with nutrition, health, water, sanitation, hygiene, food security, livelihoods, and mental health services.

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger is the worlds hunger specialist and leader in a global movement that aims to end life-threatening hunger for good within our lifetimes. For more than 40 years, the humanitarian and development organization has been on the front lines, treating and preventing hunger across nearly 50 countries. It served more than 17 million people in 2019 alone.

Contact:



Emily Bell Tyree

Action Against Hunger

ebtyree@actionagainsthunger.org






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The West African state of Ivory Coast on Friday reported that 17 people had died of coronavirus in 10 days, with the trend raising fears of an "explosion" of the disease.

The country has recorded 30,526 cases of COVID-19, of which 171 have been fatal17 from February 1 to 11, the health ministry said.

"The epidemic's rebound is characterised by active circulation (of the virus) in the community, which raises fears of an explosion," Health Minister Eugene Aka Aouele told a press conference.

He said there were "strong suspicions" that the UK variant of the virus, which is more contagious than the original strain in the COVID pandemic, was spreading.

He called on the public to step up efforts to keep the virus at bay by increasing social distancing measures, carrying out tests at schools, limiting movement and avoiding gatherings.

Unlike other African countries, Ivory Coast does not have a lockdown or curfew, and mask-wearing is required only in enclosed public spaces.

Shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs are open.

The country says it will start immunisation in mid-February despite a delay in deliveries of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which had been scheduled to arrive in late January.

The central West African state of Gabon, meanwhile, announced Friday it would bar people from moving between the capital Libreville and outside provinces in order to combat a "major and worrying rise" in coronavirus cases since December.

It also said it was bringing forward the start of its nightly 8pm-5am curfew to 6pm.

Gabon, a country of under two million people, has documented 12,171 cases, 71 of them fatal.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
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This is a big problem, Pfister said Friday. Lake County is now able to vaccinate many more people, but next week and the week after were going to be very limited with the number of first doses. We can do more if we have the vaccine.
DETROIT  A Detroit-area man convicted of murder was granted a new trial after a state prisoner claimed he pulled the trigger, the Michigan Court of Appeals said Thursday.

Thelonious Searcy, 41, has served more than 15 years of a life sentence for a 2004 fatal shooting, Ed White reports for The Associated Press. He has always insisted he was at a family barbeque and nowhere near the scene of the crime, but witnesses identified him as the shooter.

In a 3-0 decision, the appeals court said Searcy has a reasonably likely chance of acquittal if a jury hears the new evidence, which includes a confession letter from a state inmate with a history of killings. Evidence also shows that a bullet taken from the victim did not match a gun confiscated from Searcy, the report said.

Its a big day, isnt it? said Michael Dezsi, Searcys attorney. Its our hope that the Wayne County prosecutors office reads the decision and realizes hes been wrongly convicted and should be freed.

Searcy is serving a life sentence for the 2004 fatal shooting of a man sitting in a car near Detroit City Airport, the report said. In 2015, Vincent Smothers wrote a letter, telling Searcy that he had killed the victim during a robbery. Smothers, a self-described hit man, is serving a 52-year sentence for killing eight other people; this is not the first time hes intervened in a murder case from prison, the report said.

While a Wayne County judge was unconvinced by Smothers testimony, the appeals court found it credible because it had accurate details about the location and manner of the crimes, the report said.

Prosecutors are considering an appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court to potentially uphold Searcys conviction, the report said.

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Western Australia will open its border to all of New South Wales starting on Tuesday, as the nearly Covid-free state is finally classed as 'very low risk'.

But Victorian residents, about to enter a 'circuit breaker' five-day lockdown, will now be barred entry.

WA premier Mark McGowan confirmed the announcement on Friday afternoon, declaring a hard border with Victoria for 72 hours will be introduced from 6pm local time.

'We had to act quickly.... and it may well extend depending on what happens in Victoria,' Mr McGowan said.

Police officers (pictured above) are seen stopping drivers at an intrastate checkpoint on the Forrest Highway near the border of the Peel and South West regions, 110km south of Perth on Friday

Western Australian premier Mark McGowan (pictured above) confirmed a hard border with Victoria will be introduced from 6pm on Friday

'If they get it under control, it may be only in place for 72 hours...but if they don't, I'm sure the Chief Health Officer will provide updated health advice.'

There are now 13 coronavirus cases linked to Melbourne's Holiday Inn after five new cases were confirmed.

As a result, Victoria is now deemed a 'medium risk' state.

The border closure announcement means that only exempt travellers from Victoria will be allowed into WA.

And before entering, they must undergo a mandatory Covid test before beginning two weeks of hotel quarantine.

NSW has been reclassified as very low risk, finally allowing quarantine-free travel between the two states.

From Tuesday at 12.01am, travellers from NSW will be allowed to enter WA, pending no further outbreaks.

With WA on track to record 14 days of no cases this Sunday, McGowan feels it is the opportune time to return Perth to a 'normal' way of life.

Domestic arrivals in Perth (pictured above) from NSW are tipped to increase over the c=oming days, with NSW now considered a 'low risk' state

The official border sign welcoming guests and locals to Western Australia (pictured above)

'The Chief Health Officer has advised that full 14-day incubation period is on track to run its course with no indication of any community transmission,' he said.

'Based on the latest health advice, from midnight on Saturday night, the transitional restrictions will end.'

McGowan also declared as of Sunday morning, masks will no longer be compulsory for residents to wear, according to The West Australian.

States dont get much redder than Oklahoma.

Republicans have carried the Sooner State in every presidential election after 1964. No Democratic presidential nominee in the past 20 years has come within 30 percentage points of winning the state.

Nonetheless, last June the ultra-Republican voters of Oklahoma voted  albeit narrowly  to approve a major provision of the defining legislative achievement of former Democratic President Barack Obama.

Oklahomans agreed to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), a federal law that Republicans have spent the past 11 years trying to repeal.

They passed Medicaid expansion for the same reason that several other red states have done the same in recent years. As the partisan vitriol has faded, as the doomsday warnings about death panels have been debunked, what remains is a question about prudent governance:

Does it make sense for any state to reject a deal in which the federal government picks up 90 percent of the cost of expanding Medicaid eligibility for uninsured residents?

That question has acquired new urgency over the past year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has flooded our hospitals and forced millions of Americans onto the unemployment rolls.

State Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, made it to the Legislature a few months after the 2010 passage of the ACA. Like most Republicans, he opposed the law, viewing it as a dangerous government takeover of the health care system.

A decade later, Larson is championing the ACAs Medicaid expansion for Texas. On Tuesday, Larson filed a bill calling for a statewide election this November to allow voters to decide if they want to expand Medicaid to cover all persons who apply for that assistance and for whom federal matching money is available.

If your income is no more than 138 percent of the federal poverty level  which works out to $17,774 for individuals and $36,570 for a family of four  you would be eligible.

A 2020 study by Texas A&M Universitys Bush School of Government and Public Service estimated that 1.2 million Texans would gain Medicaid eligibility under this expansion.

For a state whose pre-COVID uninsured rate of 18.4 percent was the highest in the nation, Medicaid expansion seems like the most logical move in the world. Rejecting it at a time of such extreme suffering seems like an act of pure perversity.

Larson said he had an epiphany on Medicaid during the early months of the COVID crisis.

I started looking at all the numbers in the summer, and it just wasnt adding up, Larson told me Wednesday. Somewhere weve got to make business decisions, and COVID really exposed the vulnerabilities weve got in our health care delivery system, especially in rural areas.

Weve closed 28 hospitals in the last 10 years and all those folks are coming into the urban centers, seeking their health care. And a lot of them dont have insurance.

Larson is hardly a lone legislative voice on this issue.

Last April, a group of 12 Democratic state senators  including San Antonian Jose Menendez  sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, urging him to expand Medicaid. San Antonio state Rep. Diego Bernal recently filed a bill to accomplish it though legislative action rather than a referendum to amend the constitution.

But Larsons advocacy stands out because Republicans in this state have been more inclined to mount legal battles against the Affordable Care Act than to voluntarily adopt its provisions.

During his final term, then-Gov. Rick Perry fielded many requests from Texas Democrats to expand Medicaid. Perry refused, calling Medicaid a broken system and suggesting that expansion came with too many strings attached.

Larson now sees the folly in Perrys partisan obstinance.

All the things that Rick Perry talked about eight years ago never materialized, Larson said. So, do we continue to follow what past voices incorrectly stated the impact would be  or do we look at the facts?

Steve Allison, the only other Republican in San Antonios House delegation, said he would vote for Larsons bill if it made it to the House floor, but he worried that sending the issue to voters would cause the state to lose precious time.

Allison added that Texas needs to improve accessibility to hospitals and physicians, not merely reduce the rate of uninsured. He said the state, which has chronically starved its Medicaid system, will need to boost its reimbursement rates to coax more doctors into the program.

For Larson, it all comes down to lawmakers showing a willingness to take off the blue jerseys and the red jerseys and look at whats right for the state.

Take politics out of it, he said, and its a no-brainer.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470

New Delhi:

Two foreign funds acquired 4.5 per cent stake in Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group's mutual fund arm for USD 100 million, ahead of its estimated Rs 1,800 crore IPO in October, sources said.

The shares have been bought from US-based hedge fund firm Eton Park Capital Management. When contacted to Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management (RNAM), better known as Reliance Mutual Fund, with regard to the transaction, the company declined to comment.

According to sources, the US and Singapore based funds are the buyers of Eton Park's stake, which has been placed by JM Financial in the secondary market transaction.

This transaction has put Reliance Mutual Fund's valuation at Rs 15,000 crore. However, the company is expecting a valuation of around Rs 18,000 crore for the initial share-sale plan.

Last month, Reliance Capital announced plans to come out with an IPO for its mutual fund arm. The company is expected to raise Rs 1,800 crore through its IPO in October.

The company will use the funds raised from the IPO to grow the business as well as look for inorganic opportunities.

It could be the first initial public offering by a major asset management company (AMC) in India, though smaller rival UTI MF's IPO plans have been in the works for a long time.

Reliance MF is the third largest player in 42-member strong mutual fund industry. Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management has assets under management (AUM) of over Rs 3.6 lakh crore, including Rs 2.23 lakh crore for a mutual fund.

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They held their sons hands as he breathed his last By Kumudini Hettiarachchi A heartbroken father Dr. Danthanarayanage Saranathilake talks about Gayan, his loving son and popular and mulifaceted doctor, the first in the healthcare sector to die of COVID-19 View(s): View(s):

Emptiness stares them in the face wherever they cast their eyes, engulfing their very being.

They are back home in Ragama having bid goodbye to their beloved son, their only consolation that they were able to hold his hands as he breathed his last difficult breaths on Monday (February 1).

Very popular among his seniors, peers and juniors and adored by any patient who crossed his path, multifaceted Dr. Gayan Danthanarayana was the first in the healthcare sector to die of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.

For Dr. Danthanarayanage Saranathilake and his wife, Ramani, Gayan Putha who is no more was their precious third sonhopes shattered, for father and son had many plans for the future not only in the profession of medicine but also in their love of music.

To no avail was the agonized calls of the distraught couple (Thaththi and Ammi): Aney puthe nagitinna (Please, get up Putha), when they saw him in his final moments at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, having been moved there from the Colombo East (Mulleriyawa) Hospital.

Through a heartbreaking, more than two-hour phone interview with Dr. Saranathilake covering a brief but fruitful 31 years, the Sunday Times learned about the life of Gayan, as condolence messages flooded social media.

Gayan was the third of five siblings, two older brothers and younger twins (a girl and a boy). Originally from Polonnaruwa, his parents Dr. Saranathilake and Ramani had set up home in Ragama along with a GP practice, for he was a Family Physician.

The first family tragedy gripped them in 2002, when their eldest son who was about to enter the Medical Faculty died in a train accident when he was just 17 years old.

The family soldiered on amidst the sadness, with Gayan attending Stafford International School and in Grade 8 moving to Lyceum International School in Nugegoda.

Little snippets of his life come to the fore  how he would entrain at Ragama, get off at Colombo Fort and then catch Bus No. 138 to Nugegoda. He was an all-rounder, good in science, mathematics and also literature as well as heavily into drama and music, adept at playing guitar, piano and organ.

Five As including one for English Literature, Gayan secured, says Dr. Saranathilake, adding that he bagged the All-Island Best trophy from the Edexcel examination body.

Then it was off to Tianjin Medical University in China where he not only engaged in extracurricular activities such as music but was also known to help anyone who was in need with a kind word or even cash.

Back home with a medical degree, he got through the Act 16 Examination securing registration as a doctor, after which he served at the Chilaw and Ampara Hospitals before taking up a posting at the Colombo North (Ragama) Teaching Hospital, all the while being kind and caring, going beyond the call of duty, towards his patients and sharing his knowledge with his juniors whether it was taking a proper case history or more.

Consultant Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgeon Prof. Rohan Siriwardana, under whom Gayan served for five years, says that he was the best Senior House Officer he has had, reliable and dedicated. Patients would always come looking for him.

When Gayan got his Diploma in Family Medicine, he was under the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) but was re-attached to Ragama Hospital and was on rotation at various units.

Family-wise, he was very close to his Thaththi with whom he would have long conversations on medical topics, while he would hug his Ammi close, even making her shout to release her as it was too tight.

Gayan was a strapping young man, 62 in height, says Dr. Saranathilake, his voice breaking on the phone.

While Thaththi was involved in running the GP practice, with his patients always coming first, it was Ammi who attended to all matters concerning the children. But on weekends, the family would be out of home, having a meal at a cafe or visiting a park.

Gradually, the GP practice grew and their home and Suwa Sarana Hospital became established off Tewatte Road in Ragama, where Gayan too in his free time saw a few patients..a clever doctor with a human touch, says Dr. Saranathilake.

Having been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, Dr. Saranathilake who is in his 50s, had to undergo stenting as three of his heart valves were 99% blocked, at the end of last year. While he was recuperating back in his village in Bendi Wewa, it was Dr. Gayan who managed his patients on December 28, 29, 30 and 31, while attending lectures and training.

It was on January 2, that Thaththi and Ammi saw a healthy Gayan for the last time and while he chatted with the latter, father and son decided that as Dr. Saranathilake should not be under stress, he should do the morning stint and Gayan the evening stint at Suwa Sarana Hospital.

Gayan who was married to Dental Surgeon Dr. Harshini Yapa was living with his in-laws, away from his family home.

When Dr. Saranathilake called Gayan on January 3, there had been no answer. He had also got the nurses at his clinic to call him but still there was no answer. I was a little angry with him as to why he was not answering our calls, he sighs.

It was on January 12 that they got a call from a friend of Gayans with the chilling news: Doctor-uncle, Gayan is very sick and is in the Mulleriyawa Hospitals ICU. Suffering from COVID-19, he had been admitted to hospital on January 10.

Rushing there immediately, he had seen the critical condition Gayan was in, propped face-down to ease his breathing, on high pressure oxygen, for both his lungs were affected by severe pneumonia.

With Gayans condition deteriorating, all efforts to save his life had proved futile. Taken to the Karapitiya Hospital on January 28 for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) available only there for the whole of the country, he died around 10 a.m. on February 1. As his parents had got COVID-19 and recovered, they were able to be by his side on January 31 and hold his hand, unlike for others who die a lonely death.

After pansakula, their beloved son had been cremated the same day at the Dadella cemetery, amidst their tears.

What can we look forward to, asks Dr. Saranathilake.

What plans, what hopes..oft of an evening those days, while Thaththi treated patients on the first floor of Suwa Sarana Hospital, his Gayan Putha would usually be in his music studio on the second floor, strumming his guitar.

Putha had plans of putting out a CD and kept saying that I should sing, says, Dr. Saranathilake, murmuring that he is looking for the key to the studio.

In Gayans memory, his Ammi and Thaththi hope to set up a Trust Fund, when the heartache at the loss of a beloved son, eases just a little bit.

A plea from Gayans father Please go to hospital early and seek treatment if you are ill. Do not delay, is the earnest plea of bereaved Dr. Danthanarayanage Saranathilake. He cautions each and every one that COVID-19 is a very dangerous illness and once the condition deteriorates into pneumonia it may be too late. We were a good combo, says Gayans batch and room-mate Gayan and his red electric guitar were inseparable..like an extension of his body, says Dr. Kushan Atukorala who was his batch and room-mate at Tianjin. He recalls the day in 2005 how he got a call from his potential room-mate. The deep voice belied the person. He thought it would be a rugged, sporty-type, but Gayan was child-like, chubby and young. He was the youngest in their batch of 96. They were not only roommates but friends from then on. We were a good combo. Gayan would practise rock music into the wee hours of the morning, but I could sleep through. Many of the neighbours though did not take kindly to the loud noise, says Kushan. In their third year, along with another friend, Chamika, they formed a band  the first foreign rock band to be stationed in China, being invited to play on Mayors day in this third largest city in the country. Returning to Sri Lanka, Gayan was based at Chilaw and Kushan at Moneragala without leisure time to meet up, next moving to Ampara and Akkaraipattu respectively. Here Gayan became very popular not just in Ampara but in the whole of the Eastern Province as he was working at the Premature Baby Unit. Going beyond the call of duty, he looked after ill neonates being brought from rural areas, stabilizing them and later transferring them to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children, Colombo. Even amidst all his work, Gayan was part of Neurocracy, a heavy metal outfit, as its lead guitarist and composer. As the medical fraternity mourns for him, Kushans sentiments about his friend who is no more are echoed by many  Gayan was charismatic, humble and very skilled!
Wintry weather has arrived in Texas, causing issues including multi-vehicle collisions and delays throughout the state. Like many other sectors, Texas' vaccine distribution has also been impacted, with Laredo leaders announcing the delay of the arrival of sorely-needed COVID-19 vaccines this week to Gateway City.

Laredo fire chief and emergency management coordinator Guillermo Heard revealed the news to the public in the city's coronavirus update on Friday, saying as of noon, there's is not yet a definite delivery date for next's week allotment of the vaccine. As of the briefing, Heard said the vaccines had yet to even reach the state.

In recent weeks, Laredo had been receiving their shipment of vaccines for the following week early, allowing them to distribute the vaccines to the public in a quick manner. Just last week, Laredo was able to host a distribution clinic for nearly 5,000 doses of the vaccine on Saturday, after opening up appointments on Friday.

The delay in shipping could mean the next round of vaccine distribution might have to wait until next Wednesday, especially with the President's Day holiday expected to further complicate matters. However, Heard said the city continues to work on safely getting vaccines into the arms of locals.

"Once we get the vaccines, we will push them out in a safe and efficient way." Heard said.

In Friday's report, Laredo and Webb County officials confirmed 155 positives and two deaths due to COVID-19.

The two deaths recorded today mark the fifth consecutive day that the city has reported a death due to the virus. On Thursday, city leaders confirmed 22 deaths, the highest amount of deaths confirmed in single day since the emergence of the virus in the Gateway City in March.

855 people are considered actively infected with the virus, with 40,685 people estimated to have recovered from a previous infection.

The two deaths reported today occurred recently. On Wednesday, a man in his 50 died. On Thursday, a woman in her 60s died.

123 people are currently hospitalized in Laredo with COVID-19, with 56 patients under intensive care. Currently, four patients are under treatment at the alternate care site at the University of Texas Health-Science Center.

The number of patients continues to show a significant improvement, now reaching its lowest level since November 26, when 123 hospitalizations were reported. It's a drastic change from the start of the year, which on January 17 had reached a high of 249 people hospitalized.

The Texas Department of State Health Services data currently shows a COVID-19 hospitalization rate of 26.99% for the Laredo hospital region based on data from February 10. That rate is the lowest seen since November 26, when DSHS reported a rate of 26.74%.

However, the rate still leads the state, which no other Texas hospital region reporting a percentage above 20%. El Paso shows the second-highest rate in the state at 17.29%.

As of noon Friday, 292,719 tests for the coronavirus have been administered in the Laredo area. Since March, 42,257 people have tested positive for the virus and 717 deaths have been recorded.
Lao NA Chairwoman Pany Yathotou presents a basket of flowers to Deputy Commander of Army Corps 11 Col. Nguyen Chien to welcome the Year of the Buffalo (Photo: VNA)



On behalf of the Lao NA Standing Committee and the Steering Committee for the new NA House project, Lao NA Vice Chairman Somphanh Phengkhammy extended New Year wishes to all officers, soldiers and staff of Army Corps 11 involving in the building of the NA House.



He appreciated their efforts to overcome difficulties, particularly impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, to fulfill the political task assigned by the two Parties, States and peoples, thus contributing to consolidating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.



He also congratulated the success of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which, he said, set out new guidelines and plans for Vietnam to continue implementing its goal of becoming an industrialised and modernized country.



Pany Yathotou presented a basket of flowers to Deputy Commander of Army Corps Col. Nguyen Chien to welcome the Year of the Buffalo.



On behalf of officers and soldiers of Army Corps 11, from Hanoi, Commander Maj. Gen. Nguyen Quoc Dung expressed his thanks for the consideration of leaders of the Lao NA.



He affirmed that the army corps will ensure the quality of the Lao NA House to make it deserve to be a symbol of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos./.



Juba, Feb 12 : South Sudan said that it has sought support from the European Union (EU) to help lift the arms embargo and sanctions imposed by the US following the outbreak of a conflict in December 2013.

Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, Deng Dau Deng, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the government has urged the EU to support their effort in lifting the existing arms embargo and individual sanctions imposed by the UN and US, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This is why we have to talk to them (EU) to know that the reasons why sanctions were imposed was because of war and now the war has come to an end, we are implementing the peace agreement, those sanctions on individuals have no reason to remain," he added.

In 2017, the US imposed sanctions on senior South Sudanese officials including military officers from both the government and opposition on the pretext that they were obstructing the peace process.

The UN Security Council in July 2018 imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan due to renewed violence in July 2016 that violated the 2015 peace deal signed to end years of conflict.

Deng revealed that the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US were endorsed by the EU and for this reason that they are urging the latter's support to help lift them.

"We are very concerned about our government officials who have been sanctioned by the UN and US We have to speak to the international community for them to be able to review and support the call for lifting arms embargo and sanctions on individuals in South Sudan," he said.

The official disclosed that sanctions and existing arms embargo are the frustrating implementation of the 2018 revitalised peace deal.

The government has said failure to procure weapons overseas was delaying graduation of the unified forces made up of both government and opposition troops.

"We have to call for the lifting of arms embargo because South Sudan has the responsibility to provide security to restore its integrity. We have the responsibility to provide security across our borders and we have to provide security to our citizens," said Deng.

The parties to the 2018 peace deal formed the transitional unity government in February 2020 but are yet to conclude training and unification of the army to take charge of security during the ongoing three-year transitional period.

They have not also established the legislature, accountability and transitional justice institutions including passing of the amended permanent constitution.
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Rape has "without a doubt" taken place during the conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, a government minister said, corroborating eyewitness reports and warnings from the UN

The statement Thursday night from women's minister Filsan Abdullahi Ahmed marks the first official acknowledgement of crimes activists fear have been widespread.

A government taskforce "unfortunately established rape has taken place conclusively and without a doubt," Filsan said on Twitter.

Law enforcement officials "are currently processing the data in terms of numbers," she said, expressing hope that perpetrators will be "brought to justice".

Filsan did not say which forces were responsible for rapes documented by the government taskforce.

But multiple women have told AFP about being raped by Eritrean forces, whose presence in Tigray is widely documented but officially denied by Addis Ababa and Asmara.

Friday marked the 100th day of fighting pitting forces loyal to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government against troops supporting the ruling party of Tigray, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

Though Abiy declared victory in late November when the Ethiopian military entered the Tigrayan capital Mekele, the TPLF vowed to fight on, and aid workers say persistent insecurity is hampering the humanitarian response.

Thousands have died in the conflict, according to the International Crisis Group, and tens of thousands of refugees have streamed across the border into Sudan.

But humanitarian and media access restrictions have made it difficult to assess conditions on the ground.

The UN said last month it had received "disturbing" reports of sexual violence in Tigray, including of individuals forced to rape members of their own family.

A 'big' step

Sehin Teferra, founder of Ethiopian feminist organisation Setaweet Movement, told AFP it was "a big thing" that Filsan acknowledged rape had happened in Tigray.

"It's really, really hard to talk about in terms of numbers and to verify rape anywhere. All we know is it's happening on a large scale and we know that from firsthand reports," she said.

Some parents in Tigray are shaving their daughters' heads and dressing them "as boys" to protect them from rape, she said, adding that her organisation had received multiple accounts of rape committed by Eritrean soldiers.

It is important for the government to follow through on promises to investigate and provide support to victims, Sehin said.

She also called for authorities to investigate rape in other conflict zones in Ethiopia, including in the western zone of Metekel where inter-ethnic violence is intensifying.

"We really shouldn't forget about other active conflicts," she said.

"I know everybody's resources are stretched, but it's really important to acknowledge that rape happens everywhere."

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Lucknow, Feb 12 : Children registered with Anganwadi centres in Uttar Pradesh will now be served fresh and steaming hot food. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken this initiative to ensure proper nutrition and better health of the children in his state.

The centres from now on will also be provided with milk powder, curd and ghee under the scheme along with the usual cereals such as rice, wheat flour and pulses. The scheme will run parallel to the mid-day meal scheme.

The chief minister has directed the Child Development and Nutrition Department to serve children, aged between 3 and 6-year-old, fresh and hot food at all Anganwadi centres across the state, said a government spokesman.

The UP Government has also ordered reopening of Anganwadi centres with strict adherence to the Covid protocol.

It's noteworthy that there are altogether 1.89 lakh Anganwadi centres spread over all the 75 districts of the state.

Besides educating six-year-old children, the centres also cater to the needs of teenage girls, pregnant women and mothers.

Each Anganwadi centre has on an average 20 to 25 registered students. The scheme aims at ensuring proper nutrition for kids in the state.

According to the departmental officials, the scheme will run on the pattern of mid-day meal scheme with similar menu while the state government will supply all the necessary items to the Child Development and Nutrition Department every four months.

At village-level, funds for the expenses to be incurred under the scheme would be transferred to the joint account of the head of the Self-Help Group and the Anganwadi worker operating there. The food will be prepared by the same cook that prepares food for mid-day meal.
Melbourne MPs have been strongly advised to get on a plane or drive to Canberra before midnight to attend Parliament next week as the Victorian government weighs up a snap lockdown of Melbourne.

Federal MPs based in greater Melbourne were on Friday morning hurriedly booking seats on commercial flights to get to the nations capital ahead of the sitting fortnight of federal Parliament.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is awaiting announcement from the Victorian government. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

A note from the Usher of the Black Rod to senators on Friday advised them to get to Canberra before midnight.

Based on the evolving situation in Melbourne from the Holiday Inn COVID-19 outbreak, it is highly recommended that any senators who are in the Greater Melbourne area bring forward their travel plans to arrive in Canberra today, Friday 12 February 2021, the note said.
Australia will next week introduce landmark legislation to force Alphabet's Google and Facebook to pay publishers and broadcasters for content.

The controversial legislation, which Google says will be "unworkable", will make Australia the first country to require Facebook and Google to pay for news content.

"The bill will now be considered by the parliament from the week commencing 15 February 2021," said federal treasurer [finance minister] Josh Frydenberg in an emailed statement.

The legislation is being closely watched around the world. With bipartisan support, it could come into law this month despite the misgivings of Google, which says the law will force it to withdraw its search function.

The US search and social media giants have pressed Australia to soften the legislation, with senior executives from both companies holding talks with prime minister Scott Morrison and Mr Frydenberg.

Google last week launched a platform in Australia offering news it has paid for, striking its own content deals with publishers in a drive to show the proposed legislation is unnecessary.

Last month, Reuters said it had signed a deal with Google to be the first global news provider to Google News Showcase.

Google and a French publishers' lobby group also agreed in January to a copyright framework for the tech firm to pay news publishers for content online, a first for Europe.

Lucinda Longcroft, director of government affairs and public policy for Google in Australia and New Zealand, said the company had proposed amendments to a Senate enquiry, but they were rejected. Nevertheless, the company still hoped to discuss the law with members of parliament.

"We look forward to engaging with policymakers through the parliamentary process to address our concerns and achieve a code that works for everyone  publishers, digital platforms, and Australian businesses and users," Ms Longcroft said in an emailed statement.

Facebook did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Software giant Microsoft said it fully supported proposed new laws in Australia and was confident its search product Bing could fill the gap if Google withdrew its search function.

"While Microsoft is not subject to the legislation currently pending, we'd be willing to live by these rules if the government designates us," the software firm said in a statement.

"The code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses."

Google's search engine has 94% of the country's search market, according to industry data.

Microsoft in its statement said it would offer small firms a chance to transfer advertising business to Bing with no costs, and that it would invest further in the product to ensure it is competitive.

 Reuters
The Ministry of Economy has a budget of 6.6 billion lei for 2021, 92pct of which will go on 3 state aid schemes, namely the one for HoReCa, the arrears for Start-up Nation and the one intended for films, Minister Claudiu Nasui wrote on Facebook, on Friday.

"I have always wanted to see that the ministers understand and present their budget. That is why I want to present the budget of the Ministry of Economy 100pct transparently. The Ministry of Economy has a budget of 6.6 billion lei and 92pct of it will cover these 3 state aid schemes. The largest scheme is for SMEs in the COVID-19 context, i.e. the three measures (microgrants, working capital and investments), where we allocated 4.5 billion lei. Fortunately, the scheme is supported by 85pct of European funds. Only 15pct comes from the state budget, i.e. from taxpayers' money," Nasui wrote.

The second-largest expenditure of the Ministry is the scheme for Horeca. 1 billion lei was allocated for this industry. This time, the money is 100pct from the state budget, without European funds, says the minister."The third biggest expense is represented by the arrears for the Start-up Nation scheme. There are already statements of expenses for them. For this, 635 million lei have been allocated. Again, the money is 100pct from the state budget, from the money from taxes and fees. The fourth-largest scheme is for films. A scheme through which the state gives money to foreign studios to make films in Romania. 100 million lei were allocated there, also 100pct from the state budget," detailed the head of Economy.He added that each scheme will have to be evaluated to see if the goal has been achieved."Obviously, the Ministry of Economy has to do other things than give subsidies. Each of these schemes must be evaluated and seen if it has achieved its goal. The real economy, that of small entrepreneurs, who often do not know how to navigate the state bureaucracy in order to make money under these schemes, it needs more It needs debureaucratization and the reduction of the tax burden, especially on the labour force, and only in this way can we help the economy in the long run. easy and well-paid jobs," said Claudiu Nasui.The draft Law on the state budget for 2021 was launched on Thursday evening in public debate, on the website of the Ministry of Finance, which is configured on economic growth of 4.3pct.According to the draft, the state budget is established at revenues in the amount of 174.102 billion lei, and at expenditures in the amount of 318.456 billion lei commitment credits and in the amount of 261.451 billion lei budget credits, with a deficit of 87.350 billion lei.

SCHENECTADY  The night of the Feb. 8 massacre, two snowmen were the only guards at stockade walls unlocked gate. The wall was built to protect the tiny village from all the dangers of the wilderness held: outlaws, bears, wolves and enemy soldiers.

The British and French were in a de facto war over the lucrative fur trade. Mohawk leaders near Schenectady warned the settlers that French soldiers allied with factions of Algonquin and Mohawk warriors who were based near what is now the New York-Canada border.

Imagine how dark winter nights were in 1690. As almost 350 attackers moved toward the houses, the only light would be the moon and stars shimmering on snow, a few candles flickering in windows.

The pastor of whats now Schenectadys First Reformed Church celebrated at his engagement party that night. A few hours later he was dragged from his bed and murdered. Sixty settlers were murdered including civilian men, women and children. Eleven enslaved Black residents were among those slain.

This year, luminarias glowed along the sidewalks and snow drifts around First Reformed and the plaques marking events during the massacre. Church historian and veteran museum curator Laura Lee explains that First Reformed is honoring the dead and celebrating the resilience of the congregation and friendship with Mohawks who had become members and helped the community heal and rebuild.

Before the pandemic, Mohawks from a Fonda-area congregation that can trace its history to Schenectady would attend the annual memorials. This year, they joined virtually.

We call it polishing the silver chain, Lee said. The silver is our friendship with the Mohawks. Iron can rust and gold can break but silver is strong. Silver sparkles brighter with age.

Last weekend, luminarias glowed along the stockade sidewalks so people could visit plaques marking sites where the tragedy unfolded. The church installed four portraits of 17th century Mohawk and Mohican leaders who were members of the congregation.

In 1710, they sailed to England with Albany mayor Pieter Schuyler for discussions with Queen Anne. She commissioned a favorite artist to paint their portraits. The church had copies of those portraits made. Even across the centuries, the Mohawk leaders command respect. Their posture is flawless yet relaxed, their gazes calm and direct.

Lee and Schenectady city historian Chris Leonard say this rich history, including church records, was suppressed for centuries due to racism.

The settlers and Mohawks prayed in the same church, ran successful businesses together, intermarried, had children together and raised them, Lee said then added, referring to the latter: That was taboo.

Suppression may mean some records have been lost forever or remain hidden.

We dont know for sure how tall the stockade wall was, Leonard said. Some records say a man could jump over it. Other descriptions make it sound like a taller protective barrier. We dont know whether the people who wrote those records had political motivations, whether they were accurate.

Snowmen guarding the gate appear in many massacre stories but may have been an embellishment to highlight Schenectady as a civilian bastion rather than a military fortress.

A plaque marks the spot at the intersection of Cucumber Alley and Washington Avenue where some settlers, clad only in night shirts or robes, were able to scramble down a slope and run across the frozen river in their bare feel. Many froze to death before they could reach a safe farm or cabin. A plaque near First Reformeds current location pays tribute to settler Symon Schermerhoorn. Wounded but able to ride a horse, he got to Albany then known as Fort Orange.

Standing in sunshine, surrounded by historic homes painted in delicate hues of yellow, ivory and violet blue, Leonard is still able to conjure the image of the settlement in flames, residents screaming.

The attackers left Schenectady with 27 captives, pausing in Scotia to awaken a farmer who had good relationships with the French. They let the farmer point out his relatives and retrieve them from the captured. The farmer pushed the offer as far as he dared, claiming many of the captives as kin.

The traumatized survivors wanted to leave the New World. Lee credits their Mohawk friends with persuading them to stay.

They held two condolences ceremonies in Albany, she said. Its the story of resiliency.

There are still important stories from that era to be told. Enslaved Blacks were among the captured. Did any find new lives of happiness and freedom? How were Mohawk congregants and their descendants treated as the New World became America?

Lee likes to imagine clues hidden in an old family scrapbook languishing in some attic or records forgotten in storage.

The memorial reminds the faithful to search for the truth, learn from the past. When Leonard and Lee gave a tour Thursday, they found the Cucumber Alley plaque under three feet of snow. A Good Samaritan driving by stopped his truck and spent 20 minutes shoveling the plaque out. Passersby who had never noticed the bronze tablet read it as he cleared off the last bits of ice.

That man seemed like a metaphor for the First Reformed and Mohawk congregations determination to share their poignant history.

Valtech, a global digital agency focused on business transformation, today announced the acquisition of digital consulting agency eCapacity.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- eCapacity has established itself as one of the leading advisory agencies for data-driven digital strategies in Denmark and the wider Nordic region. Renowned for their ability to leverage data to enable businesses to grow and transform, their excellence within data-driven commerce has helped global clients such as Pandora, Velux and Danske Bank to master both the organizational and technical challenges of digital transformation.

With their highly experienced consultants and specialists, eCapacity adds additional expertise in predictive analytics, AI, Machine Learning capabilities and e-commerce strategies. They also bring clients such as Fortnum & Mason, Coop and Schneider Electric into the Valtech portfolio.

Through their expertise in data-driven strategies and their ability to deliver measurable commercial results, the acquisition of eCapacity further strengthens Valtech's positioning as a strategic digital partner for business transformation. It also reinforces Valtech's leadership in e-commerce, customer experience strategies and marketing, enabling them to further evolve and extend their client engagements.

"eCapacity's data-driven expertise is the perfect addition to our current service offering. Welcoming eCapacity enables us to broaden our scope with clients all over the world, adding some of the best capabilities in the business when it comes to data-insights and activation, going far beyond websites and into the entire digital and e-commerce ecosystem with transformative business strategies," says Olivier Padiou, Group Chief Operating Officer at Valtech.

"We see Valtech as the perfect partner to execute business transformation programs on top of our e-commerce strategy and data consultancy engagements, allowing us to guide our clients from acquired insight to accomplished growth. Today's transformation programs continue to produce ever-growing volumes of data traversing our global world. With Valtech as a global actor and accelerator, our combined strengths fit the future needs of businesses like a glove," says Per Rasmussen, Managing Director and Founder of eCapacity A/S.

About eCapacity

eCapacity is a prize-winning digital advisory helping leading brands and companies to realize ambitious growth across industries spanning finance, telecom, retail, media and B2B manufacturing.

Clients choose eCapacity because of our dedication to producing clear and measurable commercial results.

Our clients trust us to empower them to grow their digital business. We're there for them when they set the growth ambition and direction for their digital business and when they're in need of specialist competencies outside their own area of expertise. We help them fill the gaps in order for them to accelerate their own development, reach their required business goals and help them keep momentum once their digital transformation initiatives have been launched.

For more information, visit eCapacity.com

About Valtech

Valtech is a global business transformation agency delivering innovation with a purpose. We enable clients to anticipate tomorrow's trends and connect more directly with consumers across their digital and physical touch points while optimizing time-to-market and ROI.

We are a network of more than 3,500 innovators, design thinkers, marketers, creatives and developers spanning five continents with offices in 17 countries.

While our expertise is in experience design, technology and marketing, our passion is in addressing transformational business challenges for our clients. Challenges where we re-imagine the customer journey and build new connected experiences. Challenges where we make data work in this new era and help our clients transform the way they operate.

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A family and community are in mourning in Laois after news of the death of a young boy following an accident with a quad.

The boy aged 9 suffered injuries after an accident on a quad bike on his family's land, in Dooary, Ballyroan.

It is understood that he may have been trapped under the quad for a period of time before he was found.

The child was airlifted by ambulance helicopter from Ballyroan GAA grounds, and taken straight to Temple Street children's hospital in Dublin, on Wednesday, February 10.

Sadly he lost his fight for life and passed away on Thursday evening.

The family are originally from Lithuania and have established a successful log cabin business in Ireland.

The chairman of Ballyroan Abbey GAA club Pat Whelan has expressed condolences to the family.

"On behalf of Ballyroan Abbey GAA club I offer our condolences to the family of this young boy who has tragically died, our thoughts are with them," he said.

Fr Paddy Byrne is Parish Priest for the area.

"The whole area is numbed and shocked by this tragic accident. Our hearts go out to his loving family, and this tragic loss of life is mourned by the entire Parish," Fr Byrne said.
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Jackie 'O' Henderson did not hold back on Friday when a caller cruelly rejected his girlfriend during a live radio segment.

A woman named Lara called into the Kyle and Jackie O show to take part in Love Line, a segment in which the caller must say they love their partner and hope they reciprocate, in exchange for a free restaurant dinner for Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately things didn't go well for Lara after her boyfriend Ryan admitted that he was 'not in love' with her.

Not holding back! Jackie 'O' Henderson scolded a caller for being an 'a**hole' after he cruelly rejected his girlfriend and admitted he is 'not in love' with her on air

He claimed that their 12-month-long relationship was more about their physical attraction, before adding that he did not want to move in with Lara after the on-air stunt.

Jackie was very sympathetic to heartbroken Lara and apologised for the segment not working out.

Ryan was quick to assume that Jackie meant that the pair had broken up.

Not cool! A woman named Lara called into the Kyle and Jackie O show to take part in Love Line, a segment in which the caller must say they love their partner and hope they reciprocate, in exchange for a free restaurant dinner for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately things didn't go well for Lara after her boyfriend Ryan admitted that he was 'not in love' with her

But after Jackie clarified she was referring to the segment, Ryan tried to claim that the couple's relationship was over thanks to the radio stunt.

Jackie jumped to Lara's defence and said: 'Don't be like that Ryan, why are you being like that?'

'You're actually just being an a****le to be honest,' she said of the Ryan's blatant disregard for Lara's feelings.

Ready for love? The disastrous Love Line segment comes after Jackie turned down dates with five millionaires during a segment with Sydney's 'millionaire matchmaker' Trudy Gilbert

'I appreciate you're honesty, I do. But sometimes I think you just like sticking the knife in a little bit,' she added.

Meanwhile, Jackie turned down dates with five millionaires during a segment with Sydney's 'millionaire matchmaker' Trudy Gilbert this week.

The single mother, 46, was presented with some of Australia's most eligible men eager to take her out on a date.

Quality time: But Jackie made it clear she was not yet ready to date, saying she'd rather focus on raising her daughter Kitty, 10, than venture into the world of dating

But Jackie made it clear she was not yet ready to date, saying she'd rather focus on raising her daughter Kitty, 10, than venture into the world of dating.

'I think for me the reason why I haven't put myself out there is because I just want to spend my time with [Kitty] and make sure she's okay through this process,' she said.

Jackie shares custody of Kitty with her ex-husband Lee, who is now in a relationship with tattooed jujitsu instructor Gabriella Motta.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Cebu Province is preparing to open its borders to leisure and tourism travelers from across the country to jumpstart the recovery of the local economy.

This was decided during Thursday's meeting between Governor Gwen Garcia and the Cebu Provincial Tourism Task Force, which backed her call for the revival of the Cebu economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the meeting, Garcia noted the guidelines issued by the COVID-19 National Task Force for areas under modified general community quarantine and general community quarantine that allows movement across borders with minimum requirements.

READ: Cebu to focus on tourism reopening to boost coronavirus-hit economy

Specific guidelines will be completed in a week, while the date of opening will be announced after these are approved.

Initially, tourists who wish to stay in resorts and hotels will only need to show their pre-booked reservations upon travel. On the other hand, those who want to try tourism activities or visit sites will need to register ahead at the Capitol's tourism portal, discover.Cebu.Gov.PH.

Also present in the meeting were representatives from the Interior, Tourism, and Health departments.

The Task Force will again meet next week with tour operators, and shipping and airline companies.

Earlier, local authorities allowed the reopening of some tourist spots, but only to travelers within the province.
courtesy Plonka family

Polish Reserve Officer Czeslaw Plonka



Read:

Read: Part III - A New Life in a New Land  Aniela Plonkas Story



When we left off last week Aniela Plonka had arrived in England in January of 1944 and taken training as an RAF flight mechanic working on Lancaster bombers. They were the bombers that played such a critical role in subduing the German war machine. Aniela and Czeslaw (Chester) were married in England in February of 1945 and it was there, in Edinburgh, Scotland, that Aniela had the first of her six children. He was born July 30, 1945 and was named Jerzy Czeslaw Plonka, but we here in the Pass know him as George aka Doctor Cool.



In telling her story Aniela goes on to say, When the war was over, my husbands mother wrote us and told us not to come back home. Stay where you are. If you come back, you will be sent back to Siberia, she wrote. She also told us my mother was alive and had been ordered by the Russians to leave her home and go onto the Polish side of the border because her house was in newly acquired Russian territory. She also said in her letter that my brother was taken by the Russians, beaten and sent to a prison somewhere in Siberia. My two younger sisters were also taken to Germany for hard labour. When I heard the news I cried so much I thought my heart would break.



Authors Note: Anielas sisters were Stanislawa and Marcjanna were 18 and 16 when they were taken. And of course her older brother Jan, who was 21, was taken to Russian and never heard of again. Left behind with Anielas mother were a brother Tadeusz (12) and Helena (10). The heartache Aniela endured must have been unbearable.



Aniela stated, We knew it was too dangerous to return to Poland. When my husband had been in Canada for navigation school, he knew how it was there, so we decided to come and live in Canada. Read: Part I - Surviving the Gulags - Aniela Plonkas Story Read: Part II - Hardship and Release  Aniela Plonkas Story When we left off last week Aniela Plonka had arrived in England in January of 1944 and taken training as an RAF flight mechanic working on Lancaster bombers. They were the bombers that played such a critical role in subduing the German war machine. Aniela and Czeslaw (Chester) were married in England in February of 1945 and it was there, in Edinburgh, Scotland, that Aniela had the first of her six children. He was born July 30, 1945 and was named Jerzy Czeslaw Plonka, but we here in the Pass know him as George aka Doctor Cool.In telling her story Aniela goes on to say, When the war was over, my husbands mother wrote us and told us not to come back home. Stay where you are. If you come back, you will be sent back to Siberia, she wrote. She also told us my mother was alive and had been ordered by the Russians to leave her home and go onto the Polish side of the border because her house was in newly acquired Russian territory. She also said in her letter that my brother was taken by the Russians, beaten and sent to a prison somewhere in Siberia. My two younger sisters were also taken to Germany for hard labour. When I heard the news I cried so much I thought my heart would break.Authors Note: Anielas sisters were Stanislawa and Marcjanna were 18 and 16 when they were taken. And of course her older brother Jan, who was 21, was taken to Russian and never heard of again. Left behind with Anielas mother were a brother Tadeusz (12) and Helena (10). The heartache Aniela endured must have been unbearable.Aniela stated, We knew it was too dangerous to return to Poland. When my husband had been in Canada for navigation school, he knew how it was there, so we decided to come and live in Canada.

continued below ...

Before I unfold the family legacy lets back it up a bit and talk about Czeslaw or Chester as he was called in Canada. If you have been following the story you will know that Czeslaw was also taken to the gulags where he undoubtedly endured the same treatment and witnessed the same horrors as Aniela. According to daughter Anna he almost died before his release from the forced labour camp. Czeslaw was in the Polish Reserve and was a teacher when he was taken by the Russians. When he finally wound up in England he was sent to St. Catherines Ontario where he took training as a pilot and navigational officer. And as was mentioned flew in those remarkable twin engine de Havilland Mosquito fighter/bombers. I was stunned to learn they were made out of mostly wood, plywood in fact. They were used in all kinds of roles but for Czeslaw is was night time flying, (night fighters) attacking German bombers over England. I recall reading that when the Polish pilots in the RAF heard that Churchill and Roosevelt had sold Poland down the river they were in angry revolt. Imagine how Czeslaw felt at this second betrayal of his country. British officers disarmed the Polish pilots of their side arms for fear of an escalating protest.

It was Czeslaws parents who warned of their peril in coming back to Poland. In 1948 they then considered their options which were Australia, Africa or Canada. Having been to Ontario where he took his training he remembered he was quite taken with our country and so it was that Czeslaw, Aniela and a three year old Jerzy (George) boarded the Aquitania at Southampton, England. Their destination was a place where thousands of immigrants landed in Canada through several decades. Pier 21 in Halifax.

continued below ...

The ship they rode on had a remarkable history. The Aquitania was only one of 14, four stack ships built between 1897 and 1949. It served in both World Wars as a troop ship, hospital ship, and armed merchant cruiser. It hauled over 300,000 servicemen and had a capacity of 3,200 first, second and third class passengers. It made 443 voyages and logged over 3 million miles before it was scrapped in Faslane, Scotland in 1949. How appropriate that they sailed into Halifax on her.



From Halifax it was on to Toronto where they wanted Czeslaw to be a teacher of languages and arts but that was not for him. They made their way west to Vernon for a few months but shortly after that Aniela and Jerzy (George) followed Czeslaw to Fernie where he had begun work in the Coal Creek Mine He worked there for almost 10 years, eventually writing his fireboss ticket and his first class miners ticket at the same time, much to the surprise of his fellow workers. The racism was always there about the Polish. Too dumb to write the exam they said. George told me that Czeslaw even outscored a fellow by the name of C.L. Salvador who eventually had a school named after him. Top marks.



While in Vernon Aniela had her second son Stan in June of 1948. Aniela was expecting when she made the trip on the Aquitania. Through the next few years in Fernie Aniela gave birth to Tony in 1950, Alex in 1951, Anna in 1953 and Helena in 1956. Thus the family of six Plonkas came to be. They lived in West Fernie and struggled through with a bit of small time farming on the edge of town to get by.

continued below ...

In 1958 Coal Creek was shutting down and Czeslaw was working then to help seal up the entries and close down the mine. Work was only two days a week and money was scarce. Two years later Czeslaw said to George, You are a smart kid, you could go far but I cant afford to send you to university, it would take food off the table, so you need to find work. George was about to turn 17 and the mills and mines were not hiring. So George signed up in Calgary for the Air Force.



While all six of Anielas children have had rewarding and productive lives, space precludes me expanding on it all. Instead I will just lead you through a bit of the journey of her first son, our local handyman Dr. Cool. A two year stint down east in Quebec (basic training) and a trade was what followed. George got trained in electronics but they could not place him once he was done so other options were offered (Aero Engine, Aero Frame, or Munitions and Weapons) which he declined until he asked about recreation/physical training. He trained in that at Camp Borden until he got a royal run around from the military and left in disgust.



What followed then was a mixed bag of everything from unloading freight cars, to instructing on Kelvinator appliance repair in Nova Scotia and eventually returning to Fernie to work in the Elko and Galloway sawmills where he learned just about every job there was. Like mining, the logging/mill industry has its ups and downs and George even did a stint running dozer at Kaiser Resources. He eventually found his niche in appliance repair, something he has done for decades and understands completely.

continued below ...



What was offered was a pittance. Czeslaw did odd jobs like working as a handyman for the Catholic Church and priests manse. He struggled for years as did the family and he finally passed on December 7th, 1973 at the age of 62. His siblings all lived well into their 80s, testimony to the familys longevity, something he, a survivor of the gulags, was denied in the end. This broke my heart and angered me as a mining historian.



Aniela spent her last four years in Cranbrook with her son Stan and his wife Carol. She passed on January 21, 2009 at the age of 89. I have since learned that Anielas proper full name was Antonina Aniela (Pawliszak) Plonka. Has a lovely ring to it. Antonina. So Mumma and Tatus, as your children so affectionately called you, the world now knows what remarkable people you were and of the fine family legacy that has been carried forward because of your perseverance and will to survive. The legacy is 6 children, 15 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren. Aniela's youngest, Helen said of her: "You were a true mother and grandmother. There was never any doubt about her love for all of us kids. We always came first in your eyes."





Read:

Read:

Read: Part III - A New Life in a New Land  Aniela Plonkas Story



I wish I could tell you that all went well through to the end of Aniela and Czeslaws lives but there came a turning point in the early 1960s that changed their lives forever. When Czeslaw was working in the Michel Mine as a fireboss in the mid 1960s there was an incident in the return airway with a fire that exposed him and other workers to serious carbon monoxide poisoning. Czeslaw was never the same after that and the damage done to his lungs and heart was permanent. The company would not take him back, did not offer compensation or a pension. They turned their back on him. He was forced to go to welfare eventually who recommended he contact Veterans Affairs through the local legion.What was offered was a pittance. Czeslaw did odd jobs like working as a handyman for the Catholic Church and priests manse. He struggled for years as did the family and he finally passed on December 7th, 1973 at the age of 62. His siblings all lived well into their 80s, testimony to the familys longevity, something he, a survivor of the gulags, was denied in the end. This broke my heart and angered me as a mining historian.Aniela spent her last four years in Cranbrook with her son Stan and his wife Carol. She passed on January 21, 2009 at the age of 89. I have since learned that Anielas proper full name was Antonina Aniela (Pawliszak) Plonka. Has a lovely ring to it. Antonina. So Mumma and Tatus, as your children so affectionately called you, the world now knows what remarkable people you were and of the fine family legacy that has been carried forward because of your perseverance and will to survive. The legacy is 6 children, 15 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren. Aniela's youngest, Helen said of her: "You were a true mother and grandmother. There was never any doubt about her love for all of us kids. We always came first in your eyes."Read: Part I - Surviving the Gulags - Aniela Plonkas Story Read: Part II - Hardship and Release  Aniela Plonkas Story

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The Trump administration left the Iran Deal and turned up the pressure. However, that only got America close to another unnecessary shooting war. A war with Iran would have devastating consequences and would be more costly than Iraq or Afghanistan, The National Interest reports.

As long as this regime exists, no matter how constrained it is by bilateral and multilateral agreements, it will seek to undermine the stability of the established order in the Middle East through overt and covert military means. This position is held in the United States by figures such as Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and by policymakers such as Sen. Tom Cotton. The desire for regime change is also shared by some in the Middle East, including significant elements of the Israeli and Saudi national security states. To be fair, few of these voices have called for a military campaign to overthrow the Islamic Republic, and generally for good reason; there is little prospect for success and little appetite for paying the costs necessary to succeed. Still, its worth evaluating what a war for regime change might look like. The decision of the Bush administration to commit itself to regime change in Iraq undoubtedly helped lead to the war, even if war was not initially the intention.

Invasion?

Invading Iran and dictating terms to an occupied Tehran would be one way to achieve regime change. However, the United States would struggle to directly overthrow the Islamic Republic regime through force of arms. The United States lacks regional bases necessary to build up the forces that would be required to invade Iran, destroy its armed forces, displace the revolutionary regime in Tehran, and then control the country on behalf of a new, more amenable government. Conceivably, the U.S. military could deploy in Iraq, but this would likely require another war of regime change against the current Baghdad government. Alternatively, the U.S. could ameliorate some of the basing requirements by undertaking an amphibious forced entry into Iran. This would make U.S. forces particularly vulnerable to Tehrans arsenal of ballistic missiles, however, likely incurring very heavy casualties. Moreover, it would not resolve the problem of occupying the country post-conflict.

Strangulation

One of the core critiques of the JCPOA from regime change advocates is the argument that the sanctions regime installed by the United States could have, eventually, induced the collapse of the Islamic Republic. Consequently, any military campaign of regime change would likely concentrate on undercutting the economic stability of Iran, in the hopes of creating popular discontent and a counterrevolution. Instead of an invasion, the United States would probably try to induce regime collapse through a policy of military and economic strangulation, led by airstrikes, sea-launched cruise missile strikes and the vigorous employment of special operations forces.

An economic strangulation campaign would lean very heavily into the U.S. financial and trade toolkits in order to limit Irans commerce with the rest of the world. However, since few international partners are likely to be enthusiastic about the campaign, it would probably include some kinetic measures designed to prevent the transit of cargoes to and from Iran, especially of sensitive technical equipment.

The early stages of the campaign would target Irans existing military infrastructure, including air bases, naval bases and ballistic missile installations. These attacks would do significant damage, notwithstanding existing Iranian air defenses, which would also come under attack. Irans naval and air forces would suffer terribly, and widespread strikes would also exact a toll on Irans missile forces. Basing would presumably be provided by U.S. Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia, although the willingness of the Saudis to sponsor a long-term military campaign against Iran is in serious question.

While attacks on Iranian military and political infrastructure would inflict serious damage, the U.S. goal would be undermining domestic support for the Iranian government. To this end, the U.S. could target Irans economy, including oil installations and transport infrastructure. Such attacks could effectively destroy Irans oil industry, at least in the short term, and cause serious economic damage to the Islamic Republic (not to mention its trading partners). However, attacks against civilian industrial and economic targets would risk running afoul of U.S. policy and the Law of Armed Conflict. The U.S. could argue that Irans economic infrastructure represent a legitimate military target because of Iranian state control and the military utility of transport infrastructure, but this would be a hard sell, especially as civilian casualties mount. Still, the United States successfully targeted ISIS oil infrastructure during the recent air campaign. This allowed the destruction of ISIS oil facilities, as well as transportation assets such as tanker trucks.

This campaign would take place in concert with the aggressive support of Iranian anti-government groups, such as those associated with the People's Mujahedin of Iran. This would include the transfer of weapons, intelligence, and training to any available resistance forces, as well as the recruitment of new forces, possibly in Kurdistan. However, building a viable ground force would take a very long time. Without a significant ground force to compel Iranian army units to deploy and maneuver, it would be difficult for U.S. air attacks to significantly degrade Iranian ground capabilities. Moreover, many Iranian Army and Revolutionary Guard units would likely deploy in urban areas, both to undercut the prospects of domestic disturbance and to avoid attacks by intermingling with civilians.

Iranian reaction

Iran would enjoy a range of options to respond to the U,S. attacks. Iran could step up efforts to destabilize Iraq and Afghanistan through the use of proxies and arms shipments. Similarly, it could try to induce its proxies in the region to attack U.S. allies. Iran could use its extensive fleet of ballistic missiles to attack U.S. bases, ships, and the military and economic installations of U.S. allies, although this missile force would represent a depreciating asset as its numbers declined over time. Most likely, however, is that Iran could simply wait, under the logic that international opinion against the U.S. campaign would steadily build until Washington could no longer maintain its belligerence.

Conclusion

Regime change is unlikely to succeed, and is more likely to exacerbate the problems it was designed to solve.

First, any attack against Iran will likely trigger a nationalist backlash, making the public more supportive of the regime in the short term. An attack would also enable the regime to install more draconian social and economic controls. These controls might generate backlash over time, but counterrevolution is by no means certain.

Second, the United States lacks broad international support for a campaign of regime change. Even allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel would likely blanch at the long-term costs that the war would create. Neither Russia nor China would support the war at all, and both would likely intervene in ways designed to ease the pressure on Tehran. Europeans would react with heavy public disapproval, eventually forcing even sympathetic leaders in France and the U.K. to distance themselves from Washington.

Third, it is unclear how such a military intervention would end. The U.S. lacks the international support to undertake the sort of militarized containment that is used against Iraq during the 1990s. International sympathy for Iran would only increase over time, a fact that Irans leaders surely understand. If the Islamic Republic didnt not collapse, the U.S. would eventually have to either admit defeat or open the door to dangerous escalation.

On the upside, even if the campaign failed to dislodge the Tehran government, it could cause significant long-term damage to Irans military, economic and scientific infrastructure, setting back Tehrans military ambitions in the region. This outcome is probably most amenable to US allies in the Middle East, who dont worry overmuch about the prospect of committing the United States to an open-ended military conflict with Iran. Regime change might work, but theres little good reason to believe the chances of such are high. A war would incur serious costs on Iran, but would also commit the United States to the destruction of the Islamic Republic, a process that could take decades, if it succeeds at all.
Yoon Eun Hye surprised fans with her newest dance cover to BLACKPINK's "Lovesick Girls"!

Aside from doing various drama projects, Yoon Eun Hye is also making the best of her life by exploring and trying something new.

Yoon Eun Hye Flaunts Her Talent in Dancing

If fans were hype enough in fangirling about their favorite K-Pop groups, surely Korean artists are also feeling the same vibe. Through the years of fulfilling her career in acting, "Princess Hours" actress Yoon Eun Hye is currently feeling younger and looking good as she started to launch her official YouTube channel in August 2020. She spontaneously uploads videos about her current interest, such as traveling, fashion styling, makeup tutorials, and more.

On Feb 11, she just dropped a new video dancing to one of BLACKPINK's popular songs, "Lovesick Girls." Yoon Eun Hye showed her skills in dancing and wowed her fans as she perfectly finished the dance with grace and confidence.

Even in her previous Korean dramas and Korean variety shows, the 36-year-old actress has shown her versatility and has been known for being good at dancing. Recently she has been active in doing variety shows, and seeing her again on screen made the fans want her to do another series following her latest drama "Fluttering Warning" alongside actor Chun Jung Myung.

What are the Current Interests of Actress Yoon Eun Hye?

Yoon Eun Hye became one of the most loved Korean actresses in the Kdramaland for her amazing portrayal in her past projects. Her character as Shin Chae Kyung in the phenomenal Korean drama "Princess Hours" and Ko Eun Chan in the romantic comedy-drama "Coffee Prince" were just some of the most iconic characters she had played.

She also appeared in some of the popular shows in South Korea such as "Running Man," "Radio Star," "Stars Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant," and more. She is also a former member of the K-Pop girl group "Baby V.O.X."

On the other hand, Yoon Eun Hye has been active in her YouTube channel, where she can freely communicate with her fans and share some interesting topics about her daily life. If you want to see more of her YouTube content you can visit it here!

Aside from her YouTube account. The actress also loves to communicate with her fans through her official Instagram account. Sharing updates of her daily activities from work to her ordinary life.

Fans are already rooting for her comeback on the small screen!

Also Read: Top 5 Old but Gold Favorite Korean Dramas of All Time That are Worth Your Time

You can watch Yoon Eun Hye's "Lovesick Girls" dance cover below!



What can you say about Yoon Eun Hye's "Lovesick Girls" dance cover? Let us know in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins.
MI5 had intelligence the London Bridge terrorist was plotting an attack before his release from prison, a court has heard.

Convicted terrorist Usman Khan, 28, killed Cambridge University graduates Saskia Jones, 23, and Jack Merritt, 25, during a prisoner rehabilitation event near London Bridge on November 29 2019.

Khan, who was armed with two knives and wore a fake suicide vest, was tackled by members of the public then shot dead by police on London Bridge.

A full inquest, due to start on April 12, will examine how the tragedy happened, and if it could have been stopped.

On Friday, coroner Mark Lucraft QC heard arguments from the victims' families for individual MI5 officers to give evidence, rather than a single high ranking officer, known as Witness A.

Nick Armstrong, for the Merritt family, said: 'MI5 had intelligence before release he was planning a post-release attack.

Usman Khan, who was armed with two knives and wore a fake suicide vest, was tackled by members of the public then shot dead by police on London Bridge

'That is a matter of obviously great significance.'

There was also evidence he had been radicalising other inmates and encouraging violence, the court heard.

Terrorist Usman Khan, 28, killed Saskia Jones, 23, and Jack Merritt, 25, near London Bridge on November 29 last year

The lawyer added that Khan was suspected of 'false compliance' and was considering relocating to Pakistan and giving up his nationality.

Mr Armstrong added: 'We do not want an overarching narrative, we want the facts, the detailed facts.

'This is about the level of risk Mr Khan represented and the level of unknowns about the risk.

'And the decisions that were taken, despite those unknowns, to let him go to Fishmongers' Hall.

'The fact he was in a high-risk category A shortly before release is significant.

'He spent much of his detention in special units and went straight out into the community without proper scrutiny.

'It would not have taken much in the way of information-sharing or concern to have changed the outcome of this.'

In response, Jonathan Hough QC, counsel for the coroner, confirmed police and probation service officers would give evidence on the decision-making in Khan's case.

If there was information not disclosed to decision-makers then Witness A could talk about that, he said.

Mr Hough went on: 'Decision-makers can be asked what they would have done if that was brought to their attention.

Saskia Jones, 23, died following a terror attack at London Bridge after convicted terrorist Usman Khan went on a knife rampage

Jack Merritt, 25, who died following the terror attack during a prisoner rehabilitation event near London Bridge on November 29 last year

'MI5 had intelligence shortly before his release he might return to his old ways on the outside, ways of terrorist offending.'

That intelligence was not particular to security services and was in the records of other agencies, who could give evidence, Mr Hough said.

Khan's desire to return to Pakistan could also be explored by other witnesses, including Witness A, the court heard.

Mr Lucraft set a further pre-inquest hearing for March 25.

It is expected to include an application for some security service documents not to be made public in the interests of national security.
On-Screen Kisses That Were Never Supposed to Happen

11 Totally Unscripted Lip Locking Moments We Cant Get Over

You gotta hand it to an actor who can really lose themselves in a role. Its those moments that give us iconic scenes like Im walkin here from Midnight Cowboy, the jewelry box scene in Pretty Woman, and Heeeeeeeres Johnny from The Shining. Ring any bells? Well, we hope so. I-con-ic would be an understatement.

RELATED: Cringeworthy Cinematic Sexual Encounters to Avoid Watching With Mom and Dad

Along with producing otherwise action-packed and hilarious moments, improvisation can lead to romantic moments. Thats right, were talking pre-first base: the kiss. Most lip locks that happen on screen are scripted, a product of two characters told to do so as part of an advancing storyline. But sometimes, it just so happens that those on-screen kisses happen without much notice to the people involved.

Here are 11 of the steamiest, funniest, and most controversial on-screen kisses that you would swear were planned.

Steve Carell and Oscar Nunez - The Office

In one of the funniest scenes of the series  and thats saying a lot  Michael hugs Oscar after accidentally calling him a VERY mean gay slur that would get you canceled in 2021. I want you to burn this into your brain, says Michael as leans in for a very, very unwarranted kiss. Despite the excellent physical comedy and timing, the kiss was 100% unplanned and improvised by Carell. If you look hard, you can see the entire cast struggling to keep it together.

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannson - Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppolas Lost in Translation is a sweet, somber film that manages to turn a story about an emotional (and kinda physical) affair between a young woman and a much older man into a fun romp set in Japan. Its emotional ending is famous for a mysterious line Murray whispers to Johannson as well as the smooch the two actors share together. Turns out the kiss wasnt planned. Apparently, Coppola had only written "He tries to make her laugh, a note that inspired Murray to kiss the lips that every man has thought about at least one in their lives.

Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard - Jurassic World

Jurassic World may not have been perfect, but it gave fans exactly what they needed after the lackluster 2001 dinosaur movie, Jurassic Park III. The story goes it was the last day of filming when the spontaneous urge to kiss came over the actors, prompting a well-deserved and totally surprise kiss. It was funny because that day we were shooting there were 800 background artists, Bryce Dallas Howard told Out in a 2015 interview. We had shot the scene in the way that it was written  there was no kiss. And then on the last day, that happened  what you see in the movie. Howard goes on to say the kiss was met with applause and cheers from the extras on set.

Max Greenfield and Jake Johnson - New Girl

GettyImages / FOX

Boys: we just wanna have fun. Sometimes that source of fun is a surprise kiss with your sexy male co-star. A running gag throughout New Girl involved Schmidt (Greenfield) unexpectedly smooching his buddy, Nick (Greenfield), a joke that was inspired by their real surprise smooches as longtime pals. "I have been kissed the most by Max in two seasons than any girl I've ever dated," admitted Jake Johnson to On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Eventually, out-of-the-blue kisses made it into the characters lives, adding a very fun (though what would be considered COVID-unfriendly) element to their friendship.

Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle

American Hustle features Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams as Christian Bales sexy wife and mistress. When the two finally meet halfway through the film, Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld gives a powerful-yet-tender kiss to Amy Adams character. The scene plays out scripted, but it was actually Adams idea for the two characters to connect on a more personal level. I dont take credit for a lot of things, Adams told Vulture, but that was my idea. Maybe I just wanted to kiss Jennifer. Shes so cute! Good things happen when great actresses follow their gut.

Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

In what would end up being her final on-screen kiss, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill shared a tender moment as Luke kisses his sisters forehead. According to Hamill, the kiss just felt right at the time, lending itself to a touching scene thats taken on a completely different meaning since his co-stars untimely death.

Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin - Stranger Things

Netflix

Interestingly enough, then underage Sadie Sink was actually informed about the surprise kiss thatd be taking place between her and her co-star on set. Despite the actresss protests, the Duffer brothers pressure Sink into the kiss, causing some embarrassment for the young actress. Ross Duffer later told Sink in an interview that he was only joking, but was inspired to make her go through with the scene: You reacted so strongly to this  I was just joking  and you were so freaked out that I was like, Well, I gotta make her do it now. The kiss was met with controversy and criticism because why wouldnt it be? Welcome to 2021, where older men should feel shame for making underage girls kiss people against their will.

Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise - Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow has it all: aliens, time loops, Tom Cruise running... and a passionate kiss? Not only was this lip lock unplanned, but one of the screenwriters, Christopher McQuarrie, had made the decision early on to specifically avoid any unnecessary romance. It was actually actress Emily Blunt who decided to kiss her co-star, a moment the cast and crew instantly rallied behind. It just felt right, Blunt told Insider. It felt right and I did it. Careful there, Emily; the last person who touched those lips found themselves in a lifetime contract with Xenu.

Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay  Part 2

Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket are a match made in post-apocalyptic dystopian heaven. As Haymitch (Harrelson) prepares to leave the Capitol to take Katniss (Lawrence) back to District 12, a bleach blonde Woody Harrelson lays a fat kiss on Elizabeth Banks. The kiss wasnt scripted, but rather a joint effort by Banks and Harrelson. We planned that moment, Banks told HuffPost, Woody [Harrelson] and I went into that moment, that wasn't written, we improv'd that. Harrelson admitted that he had always wanted to kiss her, referring to Banks, and knew that scene was the place to make his dream come true.

Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis - Top Gun

GettyImages / Paramount Pictures

Despite a shirtless volleyball scene that still eludes time, space, and logic, Top Gun remains one of Tom Cruises most iconic roles. Its tough not to root for Maverick (Cruise) along the way; hes the classic bad boy who lives by one set of rules: his own. Also the Air Forces, too. So, why would we think twice about a kiss between Maverick and his love interest, Charlie (McGillis)? Well, stick this in your plane and fly it because that kiss was unplanned. Apparently Cruise forgot his next lines in a scene featuring Charlie telling Maverick she wants to keep her feelings for him a secret, and kissed her. If you look closely, you see Cruise doing some mental gymnastic trying to remember that damn line. Skip to 1:41 and relish his excellent Thetan levels.

Helena Bonham Carter and Julian Sands - A Room with a View

Imagine being Helena Bonham Carter opposite Julian Sands in the 1985 romantic drama, A Room with a View. Cast at the age of 18, Carter reveals how nervous she felt during one particularly romantic scene where a surprise kiss was sprung up on her and Sands. Carter opened up about the surprise kiss in a 2015 interview with Criterion: Its really hard to kiss someone when youre only eighteen and you havent done it that many times, too. So it was hard, that was hard. Carter goes on to say she had to lock lips with Daniel Day-Lewis with her mother and John Malkovich watching on set. If you can think of a worse audience for a kiss, wed like to hear it.

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A man has died following a gangland gun attack in north Dublin last night.

The man aged in his mid-40s was named locally as Paddy Pappy Lyons. He was shot in the Belclare area of Ballymun.

Detectives are now probing if the murder is linked to a local dispute, or if it may have been carried out by the Kinahan cartel.

Gardai were alerted to the shooting at around 9pm and rushed to the scene.

The victim was treated for gunshot wounds but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Pappy Lyons grew up not far from where he was shot, and locals today said that although he had his troubles they were shocked to learn of his murder.

He was often seen playing football on the street with his young son, and neighbours were saddened by his death.

Theres no way you would have thought he would end up being shot dead, said one neighbour.

Pappy was very well known in the area and wed see him out playing with his young lad. He didnt deserve what happened to him, said another.

The victim was an only child, and locals today said he was from a well respected family.

They are good people, and poor Pappy fell-in with the wrong crowd. We desperately feel for his parents, said one local man.

Lyonss mother was today being comforted by relatives.

At the scene of the shooting local TD Paul McAuliffe said the shooting was sad for the Lyons family and the people of Ballymun.

In the past, shootings like this have triggered other attacks, and we hope that will not be the case here, he said.

We want to try and keep things cooled down and ensure there is a garda presence on the ground, he added.

Detectives have set up an incident room at Ballymun garda station.

They are also appealing for witnesses, or anyone who has information in relation to the incident, to contact them.

Gardai were last night examining a motive for the first gun murder of the year.

A spokesperson said that gardai were investigating a fatal shooting incident that occurred in Belclare Terrace, Ballymun, Dublin, yesterday evening at 9pm.

Expand Close Gardai at the scene on Belclare Avenue in Ballymun where a man was shot dead. Photograph by Gerry Mooney / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gardai at the scene on Belclare Avenue in Ballymun where a man was shot dead. Photograph by Gerry Mooney

A male, aged in his mid-40s, received a number of gunshot wounds and has been pronounced dead at the scene.

The scene is currently preserved and a technical examination is to be carried out by the Garda Technical Bureau, the spokesperson said last night.

A Garda spokesperson said: Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident to come forward.

Gardai are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Belclare Terrace and Belclare Park areas yesterday between 8pm and 9.15pm.

Anyone who may have camera footage of the incident, including dash-cam and mobile phone footage, is asked to make it available to investigating gardai, the spokesperson said.

The scene was preserved last night for a technical examination. Anyone with any information should contact Ballymun garda station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
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China's National Radio and Television Administration have ironically banned BBC World News from airing in the country for spreading "fake news" on reports regarding its abuses, a local media outlet announced.

Xinhua News said BBC World News is taken off the air "for serious content violation." The National Radio Television Administration said the international media giant has "seriously violated" radio and television management regulations for its "China-related reports" overseas.

BBC World News, as per Xinhua News, "undermined China's national interests and ethnic solidarity" by going against the news reporting requirement to be "true and impartial."

"As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory. The NRTA will not accept the channel's broadcast application for the new year," the National Radio and Television Administration of China said in a statement as quoted by Xinhua News.

"BREAKING: BBC has been banned in China. The report said the BBC was responsible for a 'slew of falsified reporting' on issues including Xinjiang and China's handling of coronavirus. It went on to say that 'fake news' is not tolerated in China," BBC World News Anchor Yalda Hakim tweeted on Friday, prompting followers to ask if the move was in retaliation to the CGTV ban in the U.K..

BREAKING: BBC has been banned in China. The report said the BBC was responsible for a 'slew of falsified reporting' on issues including Xinjiang and China's handling of coronavirus. It went on to say that 'fake news' is not tolerated in China  Yalda Hakim (@BBCYaldaHakim) February 11, 2021

The Blaze said China's banning of BBC came a week after the U.K. media regulator Ofcom cancelled the broadcast license of CGTN, which is the China's broadcaster CCTV English language service. Ofcom found CGTN for violating its license agreements after discovering it is controlled by the Communist Party of China.

According to The Blaze, the content violation of BBC World News pertain to its reports on the Uighur genocide and the coronavirus failures that made China look bad. BBC ran several reports on the Uighur genocide, with the most recent being an expose on "systematic rape, sexual abuse, and torture of Uighur women in Chinese internment camps."

BBC World News reported during the said expose that "more than a million men and women have been detained in the sprawling network of camps, which China says exist for the 're-education' of the Uighurs and other minorities" ever since China President Xi Jinping ordered an "absolutely no mercy" attack on the Uighurs in 2014.

The Blaze cited reports from the New York Times that China denied the Uighur genocide that was acknowledged by the United States as "lies and absurd allegations."

While BBC's report on the coronavirus, The Blaze added, stressed that China's officials mishandled the situation when it broadcasted, "A year ago, the Chinese government locked down the city of Wuhan. For weeks beforehand officials had maintained that the outbreak was under control - just a few dozen cases linked to a live animal market. But in fact the virus had been spreading throughout the city and around China."

In a statement sent to Variety, BBC World News expressed "disappoint" for China's actions against them.

"We are disappointed that the Chinese authorities have decided to take this course of action. The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favor," BBC World News said.
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - UN independent human rights experts appealed on Thursday for authorities in Egypt to remove two activists from a terrorist list and to stop systemic use of terrorism powers
Covid-19 has pushed states to adopt unique approaches to protect their residents, but few have garnered as much scrutiny as South Dakota. Its governor, Kristi Noem, refused to enact a mask mandate or close any businesses. She argued these precautions were a matter of personal choice, even at large gatherings, such as a July 3 political event at Mount Rushmore and the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis that was connected to covid cases in Minnesota and other nearby states.

This story was produced in partnership with PolitiFact. It can be republished for free.

She sees success in the approach.

In a recent television interview, Fox News personality Laura Ingraham asked Noem, a Republican, why she believes news outlets criticize her handling of the pandemic. Her response: While her state sought to protect high-risk populations and keep hospitals from overflowing with patients, she said, it was done in a way that still allowed residents to earn a living.

That was a unique approach that, for our people, really worked well," she said in the segment. "We did have tragedies and we did have losses. But we also got through it better than virtually every other state.

That got us wondering. Are we really "through" the pandemic? And on what measures is this statement based?

We first reached out to Noem's office to ask these questions.

In an email, communications director Ian Fury didnt address the first question. On the second, Fury cited South Dakota's standing in these categories: vaccine distribution, unemployment, the number of people moving to the state and the state's budget surplus.

Fury dismissed using an apples-to-apples" comparison between South Dakota and other states on measures such as deaths and case counts, saying such assessments are flawed because the timing of surges and the metrics used can vary by state.

Expanding the lens on how South Dakota's doing

Several measures can offer clues as to how a state is managing the pandemic, experts said.

In the health category, the number of deaths per capita is one way to track the most severe covid cases, said Kumi Smith, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota.

This metric is not a real-time snapshot of how quickly the virus is spreading in a community, given the lag in reporting deaths. But, Smith said, it can provide "a much fuller picture of what's going on with the pandemic" than case counts alone. That's because case counts can wax and wane depending on other factors, such as the availability of coronavirus tests and which populations a state prioritizes for testing, she said.

In South Dakota, 1,815 lives have been lost to the pandemic, making its per capita death rate 205 deaths for every 100,000 residents as of Wednesday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state's death rate ranks among the top 10 in the nation.

Another key metric is positivity rates  or the percentage of people tested who have the virus. It can indicate whether a state is regularly testing enough residents, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases physician and senior scholar at the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University.

Positivity rates vary by how they are calculated. Data from the South Dakota Department of Health and the CDC shows the average weekly positivity rate peaked in the spring. Few tests were being done at the time, which means every positive result would have had a greater impact on the rate. Johns Hopkins covid tracker, which uses a different method, shows the state's rate peaked in November.

High positivity rates can indicate a lack of adequate testing that allowed the virus to spread unchecked, said Adalja. "Their death count may be even higher, he added, because some of those cases may not have been properly tested and identified as caused by covid.

Last week, the positivity rate hovered slightly under 7%, as reported by the state. Johns Hopkins researchers placed the figure closer to 20% as of Feb. 3. Both are above the 5% maximum rate recommended by the World Health Organization to reopen a community.

Hospitalization data  specifically, the number of intensive care unit beds occupied  can also help gauge how a state is handling the pandemic, public health experts said. By comparing the number of beds occupied in intensive care units during the pandemic with the year before, said Smith, the metric can show whether hospitals could keep up with the demand caused by the virus.

News reports indicate some South Dakota hospitals struggled to keep up with demand in the fall when the state's outbreak peaked. As of Wednesday, state data shows, about half of adult and pediatric ICU beds in the state were available.

Public health experts noted South Dakota has emerged as a national leader in distributing covid vaccines, ranking among the 10 states with the most residents vaccinated per capita. While the vaccines do offer a way out of the pandemic, "I do think that we are still at the very, very beginning of a very long end," said Smith.

And the economy?

Most of the metrics Noem's office highlighted related to South Dakota's economy. And, indeed, the state has the lowest unemployment rate in the country and ended the budget year with a $19 million surplus.

How did the state manage to pull that off during a pandemic?

Evert Van der Sluis, a professor of economics at South Dakota State University, said several factors helped. The state experienced less of an economic decline than initially projected at the start of the pandemic because of federal aid, conservative revenue projections and a multibillion-dollar investment in wind energy, he said.

South Dakota  where agriculture is the top industry  also benefited from billions of dollars in direct federal government payments to farmers, said Van der Sluis. While some of these payments were connected to the pandemic, others helped offset the financial losses caused by fallout from a U.S. trade dispute with China.

However, Van der Sluis said, these indicators don't capture the depth of the damage caused by the pandemic.

They also don't necessarily highlight how a state has done better than others because they don't take into account that variations in population density, tax revenue and industries all influence how a state manages an outbreak.

We can talk about economic well-being," he said, "but some of the enormous harm done by covid is not reflected, at least in the short run, by economic measures." It may become apparent in long-term measures like health care spending and lost productivity, he added.

While the lack of lockdowns also may have played a role in keeping South Dakota's economy afloat, said Lucy Dadayan, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, there are other states that raked in cash while implementing strong public health measures. Case in point: California.

As reported by Politico, California defied expectations of an economic downturn because of tax revenue from its wealthiest residents and their stock market gains. Ultimately, Dadayan said, a state's ability to stay financially afloat is dependent on a variety of factors  which makes it more difficult to draw comparisons between states and their economic performance during the pandemic.

It all matters," she said.

Our ruling

Both public health measures and fiscal stability represent important pieces to forming a full picture of how the state is handling the pandemic, experts said.

As Van der Sluis noted, these metrics are blunt instruments when measuring the damage done by the death of a loved one.

In addition, comparing states wholesale is difficult, given their differences and the dynamic nature of the pandemic, as various sources noted. And, though South Dakota is experiencing a decline in case counts, with 109,580 cases to date and growing concern nationwide about the virus's emerging variants, it's hard to say the state has "come through" the pandemic.

Noem's statement on South Dakota's performance cherry-picked the data, emphasizing the state's economy while giving less weight to the lives lost and the burden of disease its residents suffered. We rate it Mostly False.

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The brief itself was not immediately available. Filings in British court, unlike in the United States, are not public by default. Marc Raimondi, a Justice Department spokesman, said the American government was not permitted to distribute it, but confirmed its filing.

We are continuing to seek extradition, he said.

The case against Mr. Assange is complex and does not turn on whether he is a journalist, but rather on whether the journalistic activities of soliciting and publishing classified information can be treated as a crime in the United States. The charges center on his 2010 publication of diplomatic and military files leaked by Chelsea Manning, not his later publication of Democratic Party emails hacked by Russia during the 2016 election.

Prosecutors have separately accused him of participating in a hacking conspiracy, which is not a journalistic activity. The immediate issue at hand in the extradition case, however, is neither of those things, but rather whether American prison conditions are inhumane.

In January, a British judge, Vanessa Baraitser of the Westminster Magistrates Court, denied Mr. Assanges extradition  citing harsh conditions for security-related prisoners in American jails and the risk that Mr. Assange might be driven to commit suicide if held under them. She held that the mental condition of Mr. Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States.

In its new brief, the Justice Department was expected to defend how the federal Bureau of Prisons handles security inmates and to argue that such conditions were not a legitimate reason for the close American ally to block an otherwise valid extradition request.
Hong Kong: 24 COVID-19 cases identified

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 24 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 18 are locally transmitted.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said that among the local cases, nine have unknown sources of infection.

She said residents of the seven buildings where the patients live have to undergo compulsory virus testing.

Additionally, three buildings in Tung Chung, Pok Fu Lam and Kowloon City have been included in the compulsory testing notice.

Among the six imported cases, two arrived from Indonesia, two from the United Arab Emirates, while the remaining two came from the Philippines and India.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

#BoycottGaana was trending on Twitter as some people were enraged by a tweet a Gaana employee had posted regarding the recent killing of Rinku Sharma who was an activist of BJP's Yuva Morcha and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). The tweet by the Gaana employee was perceived as insensitive by some people who are calling for the employee to sacked from the music streaming service.

After #BoycottGaana started trending on Twitter, Gaana posted a tweet responding to the controversy. The music streaming service wrote, "We do not endorse the beliefs & views of our employees in their personal capacity. Gaana respects religious sentiments of every community in India. We have been apprised of the issue & will take necessary steps at the earliest based on our enquiries".

We do not endorse the beliefs & views of our employees in their personal capacity. Gaana respects religious sentiments of every community in India. We have been apprised of the issue & will take necessary steps at the earliest based on our enquiries. - @gaana (@gaana) February 12, 2021

People on Twitter have also unearthed some old tweets of the Gaana employee in which they are allegedly insulting Hindu gods and goddesses. Irate users urged others to uninstall Gaana app from their mobile phones.

Hey @gaana do you edorse this Anti hindu behaviour while doing business in a hindu majority country? Hey @gaana Uninstalled Ready For #BoycottGaanapic.twitter.com/EoBseHOp9A -   (@Bittu_Tufani) February 12, 2021

#BoycottGaana #TanzilaAnis tweets are unacceptable.. She must be taught a proper lesson. Till then keep trending this trend... pic.twitter.com/ijzFnoH8ZZ - SSharma (@devilqueen_87) February 12, 2021

Some gave the app negative reviews on Google Play Store.

I have also uninstalled @gaana with rating nd review and not interested in installing it again.. As there are other better option than this app. No one has given the right to hurt our religious sentiments neither to you nor to your employees.. #BoycottGaana #gaana  https://t.co/MkXkFHWfqhpic.twitter.com/bmhCP17ueA - Monika Singh (@iammonikasingh_) February 12, 2021

Rinku Sharma, 25, was stabbed to death allegedly by his neighbours in Delhi's Mangolpuri. The case was registered with Mangolpuri police station and five people have been arrested in connection with the case, namely Nasruddin, Islam, Zahid, Mehtab and Tasuddin. According to the police, Rinku Sharma was allegedly murdered following a heated argument and scuffle at a birthday party.

Also Read: SC notice to Centre, Twitter on plea seeking mechanism to check fake news
Even though a firm flight date remains elusive, Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum president John McNarry is still excited that his 1938 Fleet Finch is starting to take shape after years of hard work.

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Even though a firm flight date remains elusive, Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum president John McNarry is still excited that his 1938 Fleet Finch is starting to take shape after years of hard work.

On Wednesday, McNarry invited the Sun to view his progress on this ongoing restoration at the museums workshop, where the Second World War-era biplane is currently being housed.

A shot of what the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museums 1938 Fleet Finch looked like just over a year ago. (Submitted)

The aircraft is a far cry from the skeletal model that McNarry and his team were tinkering with just over a year ago, especially now that the engine has been attached and the fuselage is fully painted.

"The wings are done as far as theyve been repaired and painted and decalled and ready to be installed," he said the day before. "It will be a fun day when that happens."

Admittedly, McNarry revealed this is far from an ideal timeline, since he started 2020 believing that they would be able to get the Fleet Finch in the air by May.

McNarry adjusts the tail section of the museums 1938 Fleet Finch on Wednesday. This biplane was originally built to train pilots during the Second World War. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun)

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic scattered those plans to the wind, since fluctuating restrictions for indoor gatherings limited McNarrys ability to meet up with his volunteers and complete major steps in this restoration.

"Because a lot of it requires several people in close proximity to assemble it," he said.

One of the major players involved in this Fleet Finch restoration is Winnipeg-based pilot Jeff Bell, who started rebuilding the plane in his garage in 2017.

He told the Sun on Wednesday that he is very much looking forward to getting back to work with McNarry in person since Manitobas COVID restrictions are finally loosening up.

"Now that we can have the museum open again, we can at least get the wings on it, hopefully," he said.

Outside of personal gratification, Bell said a completed 1938 Fleet Finch will also do wonders for the museum as a rare historical artifact.

McNarry fits an air filter on the massive Kinner R-540 engine that is being used to power the Fleet Finch. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun)

Even though the Royal Canadian Air Force used these planes to train pilots during the Second World War, they were phased out of service once the conflict subsided, with a large quantity of them then being sold to the Mexican government.

"Of the Fleet Finch series, there was only 131 of them built, total," said Bell. "Of this particular model that was built in 1938  only 27 of them were made."

Luckily, some Fleet Finches found their way back to Canada in the subsequent decades, with a collector from Vancouver Island deciding to sell his model to the Brandon aviation museum in 2015.

After hauling it back to Westman, McNarry and his team eventually came to the realization that a simple restoration wouldnt do, with some prevailing safety issues forcing them to rebuild the plane entirely.

"It was reasonably close to what it should be, but there were too many things that just werent right," he said. "So we decided to disassemble it right down to the bare fuselage and redo the whole thing."

Of course, this process was a lot easier said than done, since the rarity of Fleet Finches made the process of finding spare parts akin to a cross-continent scavenger hunt.

A closer look at the 1938 Fleet Finch that is being built inside the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museums workshop area. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun)

Roughly two and a half years ago, Bell even travelled as far away as Missouri to get his hands on a treasure trove of parts that popped up on the museums radar.

"Jeff and another one of our volunteers drove down there specifically to buy the canopy," McNarry recalls. "But when (the dealer) realized what we were doing, he sold us the whole package, everything he had."

However, Bell revealed that getting their hands on these parts was only half the battle since putting them together requires a little research and a lot of improvisation.

"Unfortunately, the drawings and the specifications for things and a lot of the details are not well known," he said. "Fleet was also a very small manufacturer, so its not like they have very detailed parts descriptions and catalogues of parts available."

McNarry also noted that the team had to sacrifice some historical accuracy for the sake of safety, installing a modern radio in the aircrafts cockpit to make communication with the ground a little easier.

But overall, Bell said the rebuild is coming along quite nicely despite all the delays due to COVID.

Even though it remains an open question of whether the museum can take the Fleet Finch for a test flight in 2021 because of all the changing health restrictions, the pilot is confident that the aircraft will at least be ready for takeoff.

"We would like to get the wings on and have it rigged and weighted probably within the next month," he said.

"And then I would expect another couple weeks to get the systems commissioned on it. The engine hasnt run, for example, in a little while and itll have to be set up and pre-oiled to make sure everythings functioning properly."

Despite having sunk a couple thousand hours into this restoration already, Bell believes that all this time and effort will pay off in the end, especially when they finally get to take the 1938 Fleet Finch out for a skyward spin.

"It will probably be one of the best examples we have, in the world, of this particular airplane," he said. "So itll be nice to see it in the air."

Anyone who would like to help fund this project can do so by contacting Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum executive director Stephen Hayter at 204-727-2444 or airmuseum@inetlink.ca.

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @KyleDarbyson
The two ceramic figurines from an extremely odd market in China that inspired the name White Rabbit and now sit in Judith Neilsons private office. Credit:Elizabeth Farrelly White Rabbit went both deeper and broader. There youd see all genres of art intermingled  painting, photography, works on paper, sculpture, film, animation and ceramics. And what art it was; the kind that goes in and stays in. These were works of pathos, humour, wisdom, weirdness, political anger and existential angst, recording fury at repression and exhaustion at the pace of change. Such art, dangerous to its creators, was often unshowable in its native land. For middle-class Sydney, accustomed to the smiling propaganda of communist officialdom, it was mind-blowing. There was the tiny cupboard-sized abode where a person might live wedged into a crevice in the street; the meticulous pencil drawing of a womans plait, six or seven metres long, stretched down the wall and across the floor; the intricate city in gleaming white ceramic, three times the size of a dining table; the pulsating pneumatic panel van moulded in hyperreal latex; the near-naked selfies of a man with his ageing parents, steeped in loving melancholy. And the animated film showing children and butterflies playing in a field, where suddenly, without warning, soldiers pop up from the waist-high wheat and machine-gun the kids to oblivion. This was a China we hadnt known existed. In the decade since, Neilson has completed 10 more buildings, all but one in the Chippendale hood. These are, listed more-or-less chronologically with their architects:

Li Wei, Human Being, 2008, fibreglass, 108 x 40 x 26cm; one of thousands of pieces meticulously crated, stored, photographed, documented and archived in Judith Neilsons warehouse at Dangrove, Alexandria. Credit:Elizabeth Farrelly Neilsons own house, Indigo Slam - Smart Design Studio (William Smart)

Little Angel - Correa Design (Carlos Correa) Judith Neilson Family Office - Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (Tim Greer) Dangrove - Tzannes (Alec Tzannes) 11 Twice, a renovated warehouse for media and whathaveyou - Atelier Andy Carson (Andy Carson)

Little Wellington - Yannakis Building Design Phoenix Central Park (gallery) - John Wardle Architects (John Wardle)

the adjacent Phoenix Central Park (performance space) - Durbach Block Jaggers (Neil Durbach, Camilla Block) The Judith Neilson Institute of Journalism and Ideas - Tzannes (Alec Tzannes) Old Dick, a renovated butchery that provides uncrating and workshop facilities for White Rabbit - Atelier Andy Carson (Andy Carson) Eleven buildings in as many years. Is that it? Is she done now? Yes. Neilson nods. Thats it. She built what she needed for the job in hand. Now, on with that. What is it, her mission? People think Im living the dream, says Neilson. But its not that. Its a huge responsibility.

Inside Indigo Slam, Judith Neilsons home in Chippendale. To understand why, and what, we need to go back. Neilson grew up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She went to art school in Durban. But her grandmother was Australian, from a Riverina sheep-farming family. In the early 20th century, several local towns pooled funds to bring a doctor to the region. That young medic, from Trinity College Dublin, became Neilsons grandfather. Four years later he and his new wife emigrated to Africa; Neilsons mother was born in the Kalahari desert. But Neilson was raised on her grandmothers tales of the unruly Kelly boys of home and of the day a gentleman bushranger stole her great-grandmothers trousseau. People think Im living the dream. But its not that. Its a huge responsibility. Judith Neilson So when, at 34, Neilson came to Sydney to live, it was a kind of homecoming. A graphic designer by then, she was living in McMahons Point but found work in the HR department of Grace Brothers on Broadway. Thus began her romance with the industrial history of Chippendale. Neilsons home, Indigo Slam, dominates its Chippendale streetscape and was designed by William Smart.

A few years later, when her children started school, she and another mum - also an artist - formed a pact. Once a fortnight theyd spend the hours between drop-off and pick-up exploring the galleries of Sydney. For two years, she says, neither of us saw anything we wanted to take home. Then, one day, they visited Ray Hughes. It was the late 1990s. Hughes was beginning his dalliance with China. He was interested in talking to Neilsons friend but dismissive of her companion, leaving Neilson free to wander. And there, on a small storeroom floor, she saw the cut-out steel silhouette pieces that changed her life, and Sydneys. My god, I thought. Im seeing Dumile. Something completely fresh and unknown. (Zwelidumile Dumile Feni, 19421991, was a South African artist famous for his charming, often political line drawings of tribal life under apartheid.) The works were $3000 each. It was a lot. And we had no money, Neilson says, disarmingly. We were just mums. Without knowing even the artists name, Judith phoned her then husband, asset manager, Kerr Neilson to ask for the money. Its difficult to imagine Neilson now asking anyone for permission to buy. Still, as Neilson tells it, her husband said she could have two  and that purchase, says Neilson, is the slender thread connecting her with Ray Hughes legacy. A 2018 show inside White Rabbit Gallery. Credit:Quentin Jones That artist was Wang Zhiyuan. Miraculously, since he spoke no English and Neilson, even now, no Chinese  she managed to trace him in China, befriend him (largely via fax) and persuade him to work with her on commission, helping source the collection she suddenly knew she would make.

Everyone thought she was mad. Her only art-world supporter was the then-director of the Art Gallery of NSW Edmund Capon, a scholar of Chinese art and fluent in Mandarin. He helped crystallise a diversion into a vocation. I thought Id do it for 15 years then stop, says Neilson. And donate the collection to China, or to some American institution. Capon told her not to be stupid. If youre going to do it, she recalls him saying, take responsibility. It must be the contemporary Chinese art collection in the country. And thats the mission. Neilson insists that its not for pleasure. Its a privilege, yes, but also a vast amount of work. And of course, money. This investment has become a broadscale nurturer of talent. Even under the normal conditions of a repressive regime, but especially during COVID-19, White Rabbit keeps many, perhaps hundreds, of artists alive. Which is one reason, at least, why all my buildings are hundred-year buildings. True, she can afford to think this way. In Neilsons own words she was literally doing housework when Kerr Neilson floated Platinum Asset Management in 2007, skyrocketing her personal wealth to more than one billion dollars. Since their divorce in 2015, she has retained a significant shareholding in Platinum Asset Management. 2020 NSW Architecture Medallion winner, Phoenix Central Park, Durbach Block Jaggers and John Wardle Architects. Credit:Martin Mischkulnig Neilson tells me their older daughter Paris managed White Rabbit for its first two years, while she scoured China for interesting work. Her younger daughter Beau, meanwhile, is executive producer and creative director of the newest performance space, the Phoenix.

Neilson herself still focuses largely on the art. She never buys at auction; only from the artist directly or, if thats impossible, their agent. She doesnt haggle. Entering any room, she says, she knows at once what she likes and pays what she thinks the work is worth, even if thats more than the asking price. This is partly a response to cumulative distrust amongst Chinese artists, after years of being ripped off by Western dealers. That same distrust made Neilson reluctant to name the gallery for herself. The name White Rabbit came from two small ceramic figurines shed bought at an extremely odd market in China. Now in her office, near the 2016 Archibald portrait by Guo Jian of Neilson as Frida Kahlo, these two small smiling fat dudes each hold a long-eared rabbit. White Rabbit? Neilson aired the thought. Architect William Smart put it on the drawings and that, says Neilson, was that. Judith Neilson in her office with Guo Jians portrait of her Transform in the style of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Credit:James Brickwood Neilsons relationships with her architects are also unusually trusting. Architecture, she says, is a horrible job because everyone tells you what to do. Everyone except her. She spends up to a year meeting weekly with the architect, establishing a detailed brief, then leaves them to it. With her house, Indigo Slam, the brief included a dining table to seat 60, a separate guest apartment, the first geothermal heating in Sydney (deep into the rock) and a broad three-storey staircase up which she could take a horse. (No, she hasnt done it). It also has three-storey street walls of curled and fluted concrete, with custom-cast bronze window fittings and a street-front reflection pool.

Function aside, Neilsons brief, was for the best house in Sydney. Then, I said the best house in Australia. Then, she says, I thought bugger it. Make it the best house in the world. With the more recent Phoenix building, a few metres down the street, Neilson was more concise. My brief was, it had to be better than the opera house, she says with a laugh. Detail of the award-winning interior of Phoenix Central Park. Credit:Kien Van Young Giving architects free rein doesnt always yield their best work. But these buildings, diverse in character, are universally high quality. Certainly juries have been impressed, judging by the dozens of design awards theyve won. Theyre also high budget. Neilson shrugs off questions about the total expenditure, but its got to be upwards of $200 million. Unsurprisingly, the sheer lavishness of this causes some resentment amongst locals and charges of gentrification. But to my mind, nurturing talent is money well spent.

Unsurprisingly, the sheer lavishness of this causes some resentment amongst locals... But to my mind, nurturing talent is money well spent. In 2018 the philanthropist committed $100 million to the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas which, according to its website, reflects a desire to improve the quality of journalism that informs public debate and works with media and journalists across the world. The JNI also funds the Dalarinji project. Dalarinji (Gadigal for ours, yours, everyones) focuses on issues affecting Australias First Peoples and has funded two Indigenous journalists, Kamilaroi woman Ella Archibald-Binge and Palawa man photographer Rhett Wyman at the Sydney Morning Herald. Naturally, there is a host of other causes. Neilson is a patron of Two Good Co and Anti-Slavery Australia, and a major contributor to Oz Harvest (South Africa), Cape Town Opera, Amnesty International and Ampilatwatja Health Centre Aboriginal Corporation, 300 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs, amongst many others. iu Xi, Our God is Great, 2018-19, porcelain, 52 pieces, stored in Judith Neilsons Dangrove facility. Credit:Elizabeth Farrelly But its the Arts Wars were talking about here. Neilson funds two UNSW chairs, one in Architecture (Affordable Housing) and one in Contemporary Art. The Phoenix, during the first six months of COVID-19, hosted and filmed eight performances a week, sustaining scores of artists who might otherwise have hit the wall. And still the art collection grows.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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  Among the harrowing images presented during the impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump, one video stood out: a police officer sprinting toward a United States senator to warn of the angry mob nearby.

The senator, Mitt Romney, is shown turning on his heels and fleeing for safety.

I dont think my family or my wife understood that I was as close as I might have been to real danger, Mr. Romney told reporters on Thursday, one day after the video showed Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police officer already known for his bravery, aiding him. They were surprised and very, very appreciative of Officer Goodman, in his being there and directing me back to safety.

For Officer Goodman, it was the second time a video went viral displaying actions widely credited with saving members of Congress. The first, which showed him single-handedly luring a mob away from the entrance of the Senate toward an area with reinforcements, turned him into a hero. The second has added to his lore.

Both have catapulted Officer Goodman  a former Army infantryman who served in one of the most dangerous parts of Iraq during one of the most lethal times of the war  to fame he never sought.
The beleaguered N.J. vaccine hotline stopped making COVID vaccine appointments earlier this week after the Health Department reported problems with the system.

We discovered we needed to streamline the system on the agent end and also offer additional training for the agents, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said. We were finding that was not as easy as we thought it was going to be. It ended up with things like double-bookings, which is something we cant have.

In addition to the double-bookings, the states system, managed by Microsoft, has lost registrations, blocked users and has crashed for periods of five minutes to three days, according to a Bloomberg report that cited unnamed state officials.

We are working with the state of New Jersey to deliver vaccinations as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible, and that includes addressing some technical issues, a Microsoft spokesperson told Bloomberg.

Even as the technological problems get worked out, the company that manages staffing for the hotline, XTEND Healthcare, is hiring. The state says it has encouraged the company to hire people from New Jersey, which has seen more than 2 million people file for unemployment benefits since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

XTEND Healthcares job postings can be found here.

Some people who have called the hotline have reported being surprised to reach employees in Tennessee and Texas. XTEND is based in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and it has three service centers in Nashville, Tennessee, Irving, Texas and Muncie, Indiana, according to its website.

The Department of Health said since the call center opened three weeks ago, there are now a total of 1,026 New Jersey residents currently either working at the call center or in training to be agents. There are a total of 2,011 agents, spokeswoman Donna Leusner said Friday.

The Department requested that the company prioritize New Jersey residents to the extent possible, while also focusing on going live as fast as possible to meet the immediate need for call center communications, Leusner said. They are continuing to scale up agents to meet the demand of call volume and the Department is monitoring their hiring.

Gov. Phil Murphy said he wasnt aware that not all hotline employees were based in New Jersey when asked about it earlier this week.

We just want to make sure if thats the case that we know about it because we want them to be in Jersey serving Jersey people, Murphy said at his Wednesday coronavirus briefing.

Tell us your COVID-19 vaccination stories, send us a news tip or questions about the vaccination process on our tip form.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.
The Chinese New Year is celebrated on Friday 12 February 2021.

The festival sees typically members of the Chinese community across the world welcome the 2021 Year of the Ox, decorating their homes in the lucky colour red and attending parades as they wish for a happy and prosperous year ahead.

This year, however, celebrations will be different due to the pandemic.

Here is everything you need to know about the Chinese New Year and the meaning of the Year of the Ox:

When is the Chinese New Year and how is its date decided?

This year, the first day of the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar Near Year, falls on Saturday 25 January.

The day on which the celebration occurs on the Gregorian calendar varies on an annual basis, as its date is determined by the lunisolar Chinese calendar.

Recommended 8 delicious Chinese New Year meal kits for feasting at home

The festivities will last for just over a fortnight, culminating with the Lantern Festival on Saturday 8 February.

The Lantern Festival, otherwise known as the Spring Lantern Festival, begins on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

What is the significance of the Year of the Ox?

The arrival of the 2021 Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox.

The years on the Chinese calendar are divided into 12-year cycles, meaning that the next Year of the Ox will occur in 12 years time.

Last year marked the Year of the Rat, the first animal on the Chinese zodiac, while 2021 will signify the Year of the Ox, the second in the cycle.

Some view the ox as being symbolic of hardworking attitudes and reliability because of its role in agriculture.

According to the myth, the Jade Emperor organised a race for a group of animals on his birthday, the results of which determined the order of the Chinese zodiac.

Legend goes that the rat was able to hitch a ride on the back of the ox, jumping off at the finish line in order to win first place and be named the first animal in the cycle.

The Travel China Guide further illustrates that those born in the Year of the Ox are known for being diligent, persistent, and honest.

People whose birth dates occurred in the Year of the Ox include those born in 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, and 2009.

Famous individuals born in the Year of the Ox include Barack Obama, George Clooney, and Malala Yousafzai.

How is the Chinese New Year observed?

In addition to China, the Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries across the world, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Celebrations normally last for around two weeks from New Year's Eve up until the beginning of the Lantern Festival.

The festivities traditionally begin with a thorough cleaning of the home, with red paper lanterns and banners inscribed with poetic sayings hung as decorations.

Red is believed to bring good fortune, hence its prevalence during Chinese New Year and the reason why children are given "luck money" in red envelopes throughout the proceedings.

 Chinese New Year in London

A symbolic feast is usually eaten among family on New Year's Eve during the Nian Ye Fan family reunion dinner, following the world's largest mass migration undertaken by those who observe festival making their way home.

The Chinese New Year will also normally be observed with prayers recited in temples, New Year's Day fireworks displays and lavish parades.

This year, however, celebrations will be somewhat subdued due to the pandemic. While London would typically host a major parade, the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) is instead urging people to follow lockdown rules and stay at home.

The LCCA is organising a virtual celebration that families can enjoy from home and watch via its YouTube channel on 14 February.
Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi, who resigned from Rajya Sabha on Friday over "violence" in West Bengal, said the move has been guided by his inner voice as he expressed disapproval over the politics in the state.

"Certain things come from your inner voice and when it does there are no calculations in life. I have always been like that. I felt that the country is much larger than all of us together," Trivedi told CNN-News18 in his first interview after resigning.

The senior politician said he felt the principles of great leaders like Swami Vivekanand, Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose were not being followed. "What triggered me was that Bengal has some of the best brains in the world and when we talk about Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Rabindranath Tagore and we don't follow their ideology... we are just taking their names for the sake of it."

"I was not able to speak my mind before Mamata Banerjee. There was no forum on which I could express my grievances," he added.

Trivedi expressed displeasure over the politics being followed. "You don't need to abuse the prime minister every time. There is so much of gali galoch (swearing). You can convey whatever your mean to in a respectful manner," he said.

In his first interview after resigning from TMC @DinTri tells me- there was no forum on which I could express my grievances. He says everytime you (Mamata Banerjee) dont have to abuse the PM, you can communicate in a respectful manner @CNNnews18 https://t.co/FaIuEEuXM0 Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) February 12, 2021

On the question of joining BJP, Trivedi said, "At this moment, I am back to my own conscious self and I am relieved that I can at least talk my mind. When you are in a party you have to be within the boundaries, discipline of the party. However, I am grateful to the party."

While speaking on the Floor of the House earlier, Trivedi said, "We came from the land of Tagore but violence is upsetting. Today, my consciousness is asking me to resign against the misrule so that I can freely serve the people in my 'Janmabhoomi'."

In March 2012, Trivedi was made to resign as Union Railway Minister by Banerjee who was reportedly upset with him over train fare hikes announced in the Rail Budget. Trivedi had reportedly not consulted the party over the Budget.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Lobe Sciences Ltd. (CSE: LOBE) (OTC Pink: GTSIF) ("Lobe" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has retained Jolt Communications LLC ("Jolt") to lead its investor relations efforts.

Philip Young, CEO of Lobe, states, "We are pleased to work with Jolt in an effort to bolster our communications with the investment community. We have a compelling story at Lobe and look forward to sharing it with the investment community at large."

Jolt is a leader in investor relations, financial media, and research for microcap and small-cap stocks. Headquartered in New York City, Jolt has worked with dozens of companies assisting their communication efforts.

The program is designed to increase market awareness and provide improved visibility of the Company. The Company entered into a three (3) month engagement with Jolt, with an effective date of February 1, 2021 for US $250,000. Jolt does not have any interest, directly or indirectly in the Company or its securities, or any right to acquire such an interest.

About Lobe Sciences Ltd.

Lobe Sciences is a life sciences company focused on psychedelic medicines. The Company, through collaborations with industry leading partners, is engaged in drug research and development using psychedelic compounds and the development of innovative devices and delivery mechanisms to improve mental health and wellness.

For further information please contact:

Lobe Sciences Ltd.

Philip J Young, CEO

info@lobesciences.com

Tel: (949) 505-5623

THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Disclaimer for Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company, the effect of the marketing program on increasing market awareness and improved visibility, the pursuit of M&A initiatives, research and development using psychedelic compounds, the development of innovative devices and delivery mechanisms to improve mental health and wellness and growth of the business, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of the forward-looking statements 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 changes to the regulatory environment; and that the current Board and management may not be able to attain the Company's corporate goals and objectives. As a result, the Company cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and the Company does not intend to update any of the included forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable Canadian securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74332
Canada has been dragged into the EU's vaccine chaos with Pfizer and Moderna both cutting back deliveries from Europe while Brussels goes to war on jab exports to rescue its own stumbling vaccine roll-out.

With no home-grown vaccines in Canada and no jabs being shipped from the United States, the country is reliant on factories in Europe to supply the doses.

But Moderna's next shipment will be one-third smaller than expected - with only 168,000 jabs arriving instead of 250,000 - while Pfizer deliveries have seen a month-long slowdown because of delays at a manufacturing plant in Belgium.

A Canadian government source told the Toronto Star that the EU's new checks had hampered the delivery of Moderna supplies to countries such as Canada.

Only 3.1 jabs per 100 people have been handed out in Canada so far, even lower than the EU's figure of 4.2 and far below America on 13.5 or Britain on 20.0.

With Brussels now haranguing manufacturers and snooping on exports from the bloc, Canadians fear that supplies will be restricted further - with Justin Trudeau's government under pressure for failing to get written promises from the EU.

The pace of Canada's vaccine programme has been even slower than the much-criticised roll-out in the EU, with both languishing far behind Britain and the United States

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, pictured, has come under pressure over a slow vaccine roll-out and for failing to get firm guarantees from Brussels that the EU will not hold up shipments

While Canadian trade minister Mary Ng said the government had received verbal reassurances from Brussels, the lack of a formal guarantee has caused concern.

Canada is not one of the countries exempted from the EU's export ban, a list which includes some developed countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Israel.

The EU has approved at least one shipment to Canada since bringing in the controversial checks on January 29, but deliveries are still smaller than expected.

Asked about possible vaccine delays, German MEP Peter Liese told CBC last night that the Canadian government should 'pick [up] the phone and call Joe Biden'.

'Trump made the export ban, and Biden is not Trump. Biden wants co-operation and we need co-operation,' he said.

Brussels imposed the crackdown last month after feuding with AstraZeneca over delayed supplies to Europe while Britain was still getting its full quota of doses.

AstraZeneca pointed to the UK's swifter action in signing a contract with the firm - after the EU also lagged behind Britain and America in agreeing a deal with Pfizer.

While the UK and US have made strong starts to their vaccine programmes, the EU's has been widely pilloried and the pace of Canada's roll-out is even slower so far.

Only this month did Trudeau announce plans for vaccine production to begin in Canada, and the Novavax jab set to be manufactured has yet to be approved by regulators - with the factory not expected to be ready until July.

Canada is also set to tap into the global Covax scheme, drawing criticism for using a programme intended to help poorer countries.

Opposition parties and anti-poverty groups such as Oxfam blasted the government after Canada became the only G7 nation to buy into the scheme.

Through Covax, Canada is to receive 1.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, in addition to 20 million doses secured directly from the British-Swedish firm.

Care home resident Margaret Watson, 94, gets a shot of a coronavirus vaccine in Winnipeg

Canada's supplies from Europe have come under pressure just as the EU goes to war with manufacturers over deliveries to the bloc (pictured, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen)

Meanwhile, the province of Manitoba has bypassed Trudeau's government to order two million doses of a vaccine candidate that is currently in early trials.

Manitoba premier Brian Pallister said his government had agreed to buy the doses from Alberta-based Providence Therapeutics.

Pallister, a Progressive Conservative, has criticised Trudeau for the slow rollout - saying that 'I just want a Canadian home field advantage for us'.

Trudeau admitted last week that 'there is a lot of anxiety' over vaccine supplies, but insisted that 'we are very much on track'.

Vowing that all adults in the country of 37million will be able to get a vaccine by September, Trudeau said he still expects to get four million doses from Pfizer and two million from Moderna by the end of March.

Pfizer said last month that delays to its shipments to Canada would continue until mid-February because of changes being made at its Belgian plant.

Meanwhile, a Moderna vaccine shipment was due to arrive this week with only 78 per cent of the expected doses.

And the next shipment due to arrive in the week of February 22 will be 82,000 doses short of the promised 250,000, according to the National Post.

Like other countries, Canada is also set to start squeezing a sixth dose out of Pfizer vials which were originally labelled as containing five.

Changes at Pfizer's manufacturing plant in Belgium (pictured) have led to delays in vaccine supplies to the Canadian government

Trudeau has also spoken to Biden about a Pfizer plant in Michigan which Canada's health regulator has approved as a possible supplier for the country.

But the US government has an agreement with Pfizer in which the first 100million doses produced in America will be owned and distributed by the US government.

'We're focused on ensuring that the American people are vaccinated, that we are getting as many shots in the arms of Americans as possible,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last week.

Anita Anand, the Canadian federal procurement minister, has said the doses that are emerging from the Michigan plant are for distribution in the United States.

Canada has piled up 817,163 confirmed cases and 21,088 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

While infection numbers have steadily fallen since the start of the year, officials in Ontario fear that new variants could lead to a resurgence in the coming weeks.

As a result, aggressive vaccination and 'sticking with stay-at-home' will be needed to prevent a third wave, according to a panel of scientists in the province.

Ontario and other Canadian provinces have so far focused on vaccinating healthcare workers, long-term care residents and staff, and remote indigenous communities.
English Swedish

Period October - December

Order bookings increased by 1 percent to MSEK 189 (188).

Revenue increased by 1 percent to MSEK 173 (171).

Revenue adjusted for currency effects amounted to MSEK 194 (171), i.e. an underlying organic increase of 13 percent.

Operating profit amounted to MSEK 21.2 (11.6).

Profit for the period amounted to MSEK 14.5 (7.1).

Earnings per share amounted to SEK 1.28 (0.62).

Period January - December

Order bookings decreased by 13 percent and amounted to MSEK 653 (749).

Revenue decreased by 14 percent to MSEK 618 (715).

Revenue adjusted for currency effects amounted to MSEK 650 (715), i.e. an underlying organic decrease of 9 percent.

Operating profit amounted to MSEK 50.8 (66.2).

Profit for the period amounted to MSEK 33.5 (47.2).

Earnings per share amounted to SEK 2.94 (4.14).

Net cash excluding IFRS16 amounted to MSEK 24.8 (33.9)

Significant events during the quarter

Government contributions in Europe and Hong Kong for furlough amounts to MSEK 4.2

The result has been affected by write down of client-specific inventory and accounts receivables of MSEK 1.0

Significant events after the quarter

The Board of Directors has decided to propose to the Annual General Meeting a dividend of SEK 2.00 (0.00) per share, equivalent to MSEK 22.8 (0).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Krister Magnusson, President & CEO

Mobile: +46-704 85 21 14

E-mail: krister.magnusson@nilorn.com

This information is information that Nilorngruppen is under obligation to publish in accordance with the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information herein was provided by the contact person named below for publication at 08:00 a.m., 12 March 2021.

Attachment

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th February, 2021) The United States will not be able to obtain enough coronavirus vaccines by the end of summer, President Joe Biden said.

"It just not going to be by the end of this summer," Biden said during his visit to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on the issue of vaccines availability on Thursday.

The US president expressed regret that the Trump administration did not provide the Biden administration enough information about vaccines during transition period.

"We were led to believe that there were a lot more vaccines available," Biden said.

The access to vaccines is a giant logistical issue, Biden added.
A mum-of-two has shown off her incredibly organised under the kitchen sink cupboard, and revealed how giving it a 'refresh' has streamlined all of her daily and weekly chores.

Corinne May, from Queensland, shared the photos on Facebook and explained she has a designated section for everything from washing up products to wipes, sponges, multi-purpose sprays and bathroom items.

Corinne has even installed a pull-out bin on the right hand side of the cupboard from Kmart:

'I finally have a place for the bin in our kitchen!' Corinne wrote. 'Giving the cupboard under-the-sink a refresh has been such a help at home.'

A mum has shown off her incredibly organised under the kitchen sink cupboard, and revealed how giving it a 'refresh' has streamlined all of her daily and weekly chores (cupboard pictured)

Corinne May, from Queensland, shared the photos on Facebook and explained she has a designated section for everything from washing up products to wipes and her bin (pictured)

Thousands who saw Corinne's under the sink snap were impressed and said she has their 'absolute dream cupboards'.

'That looks amazing, can you come and do mine,' one commenter wrote.

'I am so inspired to get organised after seeing your home,' another added.

And it's not just her kitchen sink cupboard area that is worthy of a magazine shoot, as the rest of Corinne's house is similarly labelled and organised.

In her linen closet, Corinne has labelled baskets for everything from beach towels to dressing up clothes, while in the pantry all the food is separated by type into tins, oils, sauces, sugar, coffee, flour and more.

It's not just the under the sink cupboard that is organised, but also Corinne's linen closet (pictured) that has been divided into labelled sections

'De-cluttering is key to having an organised home,' Corinne posted - and she recommends you start anywhere (her pantry pictured)

On her Instagram profile, Corinne said she uses a lot of Kmart items to organise her home.

'De-cluttering is key to having an organised home,' Corinne posted.

'Where do you start when you're drowning in clutter? I've found it helps to just start. Somewhere. Anywhere.

'Even small spaces can trigger significant momentum.'

Recently, Corinne said she tackled one specific junk drawer in her house and got it organised, and it only took her 10 minutes (pantry and drawer pictured)

'So often, we wait for the condition to be just right, or the job seems too big or too overwhelming so we just put it off together,' Corinne said (area pictured)

Corinne said she recently picked a single junk drawer to start with, and it took her less than 10 minutes to sort.

'So often, we wait for the condition to be just right, or the job seems too big or too overwhelming so we just put it off together,' she said.

Instead, you just need to get started and then the rest will follow.
A 42-year-old British woman has been held for 'faking' ovarian cancer to raise funds worth 71,754.54 USD . The money was given by generous well-wishers who believed that she was actually sick, while in reality she wanted to use the money for her lavish lifestyle.

The woman has been sent to jail with term of two years and nine months, the DailyMail reported. The woman has been identified as Elkabbas and had claimed to the donors that she needed funds to pat for her cancer treatment and set up a charitable GoFundMe website before transferring donations into her own bank account.

However, she was never diagnosed with cancer and instead used the money to fund her gambling addiction, clear her mounting debts and spend it on her 'expensive lifestyle'. This included a 3,592 luxury box to watch a single Tottenham Hotspur match.

Elkabbas used a convincing GoFundMe page to con kind-hearted people who believed her story as she shared her picture of lying on a hospital bed.

She was recently photographed outside Canterbury Crown Court in Kent after she was being taken away for immediate imprisonment. Elkabbas had been convicted at a trial at the same court in November last year.

The court found her guilty of a fraud where she falsely claimed to have ovarian cancer to receive money for treatment between February and August 2018. She wasalso found guilty of possession of criminal property in relation to the charitable donations which were subsequently transferred into her bank account.

"All the while you were gambling, enjoying shopping trips and luxuries in Italy and Spain at their expense," the judge told her as he called her cunning and manipulative.

"It has a wider impact on the community. There are many real cases of those who desperately need crowdfunding or charitable donations for themselves or for their relatives at times of acute anguish," the judge was quoted as saying.
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The story of Laocoon, the Trojan priest who was attacked and killed along with his two sons by giant serpents for attempting to expose the ruse of the Trojan Horse, is well-known in Greek mythology. Laocoons tragic tale has been retold by numerous Greek poets such as Apollodorus and Quintus Smyrnaeus. The latter gave a detailed description of Laocoon's grisly fate in his epic poem Posthomerica. Laocoon was also mentioned by the famous Greek tragedian Sophocles, and by the Roman poet Virgil, whose account is one of the most famous to survive from the Hellenistic period.

Laocoon and His Sons in Vatican Museums, Vatican City. Photo: LivioAndronico/Wikimedia Commons

An even more tangible depiction of Laocoons gruesome end, from the same period, is the much-admired marble statue titled Laocoon and His Sons that now stands in Romes Vatican Museums. Historians believe that it is the same statue that was praised by Pliny in Natural History. According to this ancient historian and philosopher, the the group of statues were sculpted from a single block of marble (this was later proved to be wrong) by three talented artists. At the center of the sculpture stands the imposing figure of Laocoon; his muscular body straining against the hold of two serpents that have wrapped around his legs and arms. With his left arm the priest has grabbed hold of one serpent, but his efforts to keep the reptile away is in vain. The head of the serpent is poised just over Laocoons hips ready to give him a fatal bite. The right arm is bent behind his back, compressed by the coils of the same serpent.

To his right, is his younger son completely enwrapped by the coils of the second serpent. Hes trying to push the head of the serpent away from his body, but the poisonous bite has already been delivered. Under the effect of the toxin that is coursing through his veins, the boy is barely able to stand. His elder brother, on the left, watches in horror and despair as he tries to free his ankle from the tail of the second.

Photo: Sarah/Flickr

When Laocoon and His Sons was discovered in a vineyard under the remains of the Baths of Titus in 1506, Pope Julius II, at once, sent for Michelangelo and the Florentine architect Giuliano da Sangallo to inspect the find. Giuliano da Sangallo immediately identified the statues as the ones lauded by Pliny. While Pliny was right about the magnificence of the execution, the statues were not carved from a single block of marble. However, through the centuries few scholars have doubted that the Laocoon statue group is the same one reported by Pliny.

As with many archeological finds, the Laocoon and His Sons wasnt found intact. It was missing a few pieces, such as the left arm of the younger son, the older son's right hand, as well as some of the snake's coils. But the most significant missing piece that would lead to much speculation was the priest's right arm.

Pope Julius II wanted to have the missing pieces restored and gave the project to the Vatican architect Donato Bramante, who in turn held a contest to see who could come up with the best version of the arm restoration. Michelangelo suggested that Laocoons missing arm should be bent back as if the Trojan priest was trying to rip the serpent off his back. Italian painter and architect, Raphael, who was a distant relative of Bramante, favored an extended arm. In the end, Jacopo Sansovino was declared the winner, whose version with an outstretched arm aligned with Raphaels own vision of how the statue should look like.

A version of Laocoon and His Sons with an outstretched arm. This copy was made by Baccio Bandinelli of Florence in 1520 to be gifted to Francis I, King of France. It was sent from Rome to Florence in 1531 and put into the courtyard of the Palazzo Medici on Via Larga. It was later moved to the Casino of S. Marco and probably set up in its present position in the Uffizi in 1671. Photo: The Digital Sculpture Project

The statue was eventually repaired in 1532, some two decades later, by Giovanni Antonio Montorsoli, a pupil of Michelangelo, who attached to the statue an even straighter version of Laocoon's outstretched arm. This became the standard version of the sculpture until the twentieth century when, in a strange twist of fate, an antique backward-bent arm was discovered in a Roman workshop in 1906, a few hundred meters from where the statue group had been found four hundred earlier. Ludwig Pollak, the archeologist who found the arm, noted a similarity in the artistic style with the Laocoon group, and suspecting that it was one of the sculpture's lost pieces, presented the broken arm to the Vatican Museums.

The curator tossed the arm into the museums storeroom and promptly forgot about it, until it was rediscovered half a century later. The drill holes in the dismembered arm aligned perfectly with its corresponding holes on the statue, leaving no doubt as to where the fragment originally belonged. In 1957, the museum removed Montorsoli's restoration and affixed the bent arm just as Michelangelo had suggested, vindicating the great Italian sculptors argument long after he was gone.

References:

# Bernard Frischer, An Annotated Chronology of the Laocoon Statue Group, The Digital Sculpture Project

# Stacy Conradt, Why the Laocoon Sculpture Had the Wrong Arm for Four Centuries, Mental Floss

# Monique Webber, Who Says Michelangelo Was Right? Conflicting Visions of the Past in Early Modern Prints, Public Domain Review
The logos of mobile apps Facebook and Google on a tablet in Lille, France, on Oct. 1, 2019. (Denis Charlet/AFP/Getty Images)

Canada Pushing Legislation That Would Make Tech Giants Pay for News Content: Guilbeault

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said the federal government will continue to push for legislation that would make major tech companies pay news outlets for posting content on their platform, even in cases of voluntary agreements like Googles News Showcase.

News Showcase provides a licensing program that pays publishers to curate content on story panels that appear on Googles services. In February, Google launched the program in Australia and the UK.

If Google wants to enter into business agreements with newspapers, its totally legitimate for them to do that and vice versa, Guilbeault told the National Post.

However, the Liberal government wants to establish a blanket compensation system that covers as much of the media sector as possible, rather than just the companies that voluntarily enter into deals with tech giants.

Guilbeault said while some companies have partnered with News Showcase, those same media entities are calling on me to act and table legislation.

They too believe we should have a robust system that is not contingent on what Google may or may not want to do, he said.

In October 2020, Google announced it would pay $1 billion to publishers for curating content for News Showcase, which included a partnership with Canadian publisher Narcity Media and Village Media.

Google spokesperson Lauren Skelly told the National Post that News Showcase is not currently live in Canada, but the company is in active conversations with other Canadian publishers.

Daniel Bernhard, executive director for the advocacy group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, told the National Post that he believes Google is clearly trying to pre-empt rules that would require them to pay a higher, fairer price to more people.

He noted the News Showcase program is also predicted on content that keeps the user inside the Google ecosystem, where they can continue to generate data for Google.

Canada can look to France and Australia, on the path to develop its own model for news compensation. In France, the approach is based on copyright law, while Australia has proposed legislation that would force both Google and Facebook to pay publishers for content posted on their services. Both Google and Facebook have threatened to pull part of its services from Australia if the bill becomes law.

No matter how appealing the French to some or the Australian to others models may seem, we have our own sets of laws, regulations, institutions, practices that are different, so we cant just import a model, Guilbeault said.

He noted that the Australian system is based on a regulator that doesnt exist in Canada, while the French approach would have to account for Canadian copyright laws and international agreements like the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement.

The legislation for compensating news outlets is only a part of the Liberal governments multi-pronged plan to regulate tech giants. In November 2020, Guilbeault introduced Bill C-10 which established the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to enforce Canadian content and contribution rules on streaming services. He has also promised a new legislation to curb online hate speech.

The government also expects to bring in more than $4.5 billion in new taxes on tech giants, and will impose sales tax on foreign digital services starting on July 1, 2021. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated Wednesday that measure will bring in $1.34 billion over five years, reported the National Post.

However, rights groups are growingly concerned about the legislations encroach on Canadians freedom of speech on the internet.

With files from Jack Phillips and Daniel Y. Teng
Billy Calzada, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

Last Chance Ministries, a local religious group, will open the doors of the West Side church to welcome unsheltered people in for a warm night's rest during the upcoming wintry weather.

Jimmy Robles, the pastor and founder of the ministry outreach group, shared the information on Facebook Thursday. He said the building at 1311 N. Zarzamora will be open, starting at 7 p.m., for anyone needing shelter from the weather, which is expected to include up to 2 inches of snow on Monday.
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The number of prisoners in custody in Victoria has flatlined, raising questions about the state governments $1.8 billion jail building and refurbishment program.

In December 2020 there were 7082 prisoners in Victorian jails, the lowest number since April 2017 when the prison population dropped to 7042. Prison numbers peaked in January 2019 with 8216 in custody.

The Olearia Unit at Barwon Prison is the highest-security unit in Victoria. Credit:Jason South

The governments pre-COVID projections envisaged prisoner numbers reaching 11,000 by 2023, and it has committed to building the Chisholm Road maximum security prison near Barwon Prison, which has capacity for more than 1200 inmates. The state is also expanding five jails, including a $134 million upgrade at Barwon.

Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council chair Arie Freiberg questioned the need for the Chisholm Road jail, asking do we need this facility in the long term?
Daniel Andrews looked as if hed been hit between the eyes with a crowbar and the rest of us in Victoria knew what that felt like.

Back to lockdown. Stage four.

The memories of that dire period last year, the restrictions on any form of normal life, the isolation within homes, the search for any of the four reasons to be outside, our world shrinking to a five- kilometre radius, income evaporating ...

It would, said the Premier, be short and sharp. Five tough days. But the truth is, there could be no guarantees.

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BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th February, 2021) Kyrgyzstan is planning to hold a referendum on the new constitution that will see the Central Asian nation return to the presidential system of government on April 11, President Sadyr Japarov has said.

"If lawmakers support the draft, we will decide on the new constitution on April 11," he told state media in an interview.

The draft of the new constitution was published on the Kyrgyz parliament's website on Tuesday. The document offers to create the People's Kurultai (council), an advisory body that will make recommendations on social development priorities.

The reform overhauls the presidency and the institution of the government. The President will be responsible for the formation and work of the cabinet, which will be headed by the presidential office chief.

The initiative also seeks to cut the number of members of parliament from 120 to 90. The proposals pave the way for a return from the existing parliamentary-presidential system to a presidential form of government, which was backed by 80 percent of voters in the January 10 referendum.

Kyrgyzstan went to the polls on January to vote both in the referendum and the snap presidential election after the October post-election unrest ousted the previous leader.

The race was won by Japarov, who rose to power amid the October turmoil by taking over as both president and prime minister.
KENAI, Alaska (AP)  An Alaska city plans to outsource engineering services in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a project to stabilize bluffs along the Kenai River.

Kenai plans to use the Kenai Bluffs Stabilization Project to help maintain an area along the north shore of the river, the Peninsula Clarion reported Tuesday.

The project, which has been in the works for decades, aims to stabilize about 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) of the steep terrain beginning at the mouth of the waterway southwest of Anchorage.

A March 2019 feasibility study conducted by the Corps recommended a protective berm at one end of the bluff. Other options included relocating the river mouth and moving threatened structures.

The city opened a request for proposals for professional engineering services. Kenai Public Works Director Scott Curtin spoke to several potential bidders and extended the submission deadline to March 4.

Requested services include site surveys, geotechnical work, engineering studies and draft plans.

Interested bidders were asked to focus mainly on the construction of a berm at the base of the bluff, which would prevent flood tide water from washing away material collecting at the bottom of the bluff and protect the lower portion from storm damage.

Continued erosion is expected to move soil to the bottom of the bluff that will accumulate between the face and the berm, developing a more stable slope. The increased soil is expected to encourage vegetation growth that would provide further stabilization.

The Corps estimated the project would have benefits of about $824,000 and average costs of $1.62 million, resulting in a loss of about $796,000 each year.

The cost of not acting could be greater. The Corps estimated leaving the bluff unchanged would result in $39,000 in land damages, $359,000 in structure and nonstructural improvement damages and $66,000 in public infrastructure damages annually.

The damages would be in addition to an estimated annual loss of $624,000 in recreation value.

The Corps said not taking action would also likely result in 31 properties with 34 structures and 23 nonstructural improvements eventually being condemned.

Kenai City Manager Paul Ostrander said the final project cost is expected to be lower than the Corps estimate.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This article is part of the Free Speech Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech.

As Indias historically massive farmers protests continue, as participants keep up their demands for agricultural-industry regulation, the government has been cracking down, both on the streets and in the digital realm. On Jan. 26, Indias Republic Day, some protesters deviated from their mostly peaceful methods, broke through the barricades set up around Delhis borders, and encroached upon Delhis historic Red Fort. In response, the already-brutal police violence against rallygoers reached new extremes, with mass arrests, beatdowns, and shootings. On Feb. 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration requested that Twitter block Indian users from accessing hundreds of accounts that had spoken out against the government and the police, especially targeting tweets that employed the infamous, popular hashtag #modiplanningfarmersgenocide. The social network complied, obscuring 250 accounts for various prominent publications, writers, activists, and politicians from Indians eyes for 12 hours before reversing, citing free speech concerns.

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Then, on Wednesday, Twitter again suspended more than 500 accountsincluding many of the originally blocked accounts, some now permanently bannedand said it would restrict certain terms from appearing in Twitter Indias Trends section. Among the accounts blocked again were those flagged by the Indian government on suspicion of being foreign influence operations or of having links with the Khalistan separatist movement. However, Twitter Safety wrote in a blog post that because we do not believe that the actions we have been directed to take are consistent with Indian law  we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians. Thus, some of the accounts restricted the first time, like those for the investigative news outlet the Caravan, celebrities like actor Sushant Singh, and local politicians representing Delhi (the very epicenter of these protests), should still be available to Indian users. But on Thursday, Twitter seemed to already go back on this policy by restricting the account of a member of Parliament who represents Uttar Pradesh.* As with the last mass suspension, the accounts and terms Twitter policed remain available to everyone outside India.

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Indias rulers remain dissatisfied. Theyd originally demanded that 1,100 accounts and posts be removed along with posts that they alleged spread misinformation. Indias Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology sent out a press release shortly after Twitters latest action, noting that the IT secretary met virtually with Twitter executives, where he expressed strong displeasure at its decisions, particularly to allow the continued use of #modiplanningfarmersgenocide. He also noted what he considered a double standard between Twitters banning of Donald Trump following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Twitters seeming lenient stance on the protesting farmers even after the Republic Day clashes.

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Its commendable that Twitter didnt fully capitulate to Indias demands, even after the governments threat of imprisonment of the companys local employees. But the Modi administrations actions, and their ultimate result, should still be of concern to those worried about the state of free speech, press freedom, and an open internet in India.

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Even in pre-Modi times, it was not uncommon for Indian politicians to interfere with both individual journalists and media outlets, especially those that exposed rampant corruption scandals across the country. But the Modi regime has taken a far harsher and, unfortunately, more effective approach to censorship. India continues to lead the world in internet shutdowns; while it finally restored wider broadband access in Jammu and Kashmir after 18 months of de facto martial law within the region, it also recently shut down networks around Delhi to prohibit the spread of messages in support of the farmers protests. Reports of governmental intrusion and pressure on media outlets reporting on the current administration are far too common, and other pundits and media ventures have fully pivoted to Fox Newslike propaganda. Indias ranking in the World Press Freedom Index keeps falling. The still-ongoing TikTok ban was touted as nationalistic resistance against a hostile Chinese military, but it likely was also an attempt to tamp down on grassroots dissent that organically spread through the platform, as well as expressions of gender-nonconformity, sexuality, and adherence to other religions, all of which right-wing Hindu fundamentalists consider obscene. And on Thursday, Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad sent a verbal warning to Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, demanding that they follow the Constitution of India or face consequences.

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But some international internet companies are also happy to bow down on their own. Popular streaming services, looking to cash in on Indias massive, tech-savvy, film-enthusiastic population, have self-regulated to try to avoid broadcasting content that may offend the Hindu nationalist governmentwhich anyway passed an order late last year mandating state regulation over all online platforms. This builds on highly restrictive internet censorship rules that India proposed just a couple of years ago, which were compared to those of Russia and China.

It remains to be seen whether India will actually attempt to sue Twitter or demand even more action from the platform. But even though Twitters standoff against the Indian government isnt overand neither are the farmers proteststhe message is clear: Any tech company that wants to do business in India will have to answer to the right-wing, Hindu supremacist government first. Already, conservative lawmakers are asking their constituents and followers to switch over to an app called Koo, an India-based Twitter rival that could sidestep the governance standards of more popular platforms (and which, incidentally, has been recently accused of leaking users information). Meanwhile, activists and journalists are still interred by police and government and are relentlessly sued. The continued pressure that Narendra Modis India is imposing on massive social networks and their users is yet another grim sign of the deterioration of the subcontinents democracy.

Correction, Feb. 12, 2021: This piece incorrectly implied that Delhi is located within the state of Uttar Pradesh. Delhi is its own union territory; Uttar Pradesh is a neighboring state.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
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In his telephonic talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commended the Indian government's efforts to choose the path of dialogue in dealing with the farmer protests and described it as "befitting in democracy", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. The two leaders spoke over telephone on Wednesday, covering a range of issues including the coronavirus crisis.

"On the farmers' protests, Prime Minister Trudeau commended efforts of the government of India to choose the path of dialogue as befitting in democracy," MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava replied to a question at a media briefing. "He (Trudeau) also acknowledged the responsibility of his government in providing protection to Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in Canada,"."

A readout issued by Trudeau's office on the telephonic talks mentioned that the farmer protests figured in the discussions though the Indian statement on the same had not mentioned it.

"The leaders discussed Canada and India's commitment to democratic principles, recent protests, and the importance of resolving issues through dialogue," the Canadian readout said, mentioning other issues discussed by the two prime ministers.

Tens of thousands of farmers have been protesting at three border points on the outskirts of Delhi demanding repeal of the three contentious farm laws. The talks between the farmers and the government are deadlocked as the farmers are insisting on complete repeal of the laws. In early December, Trudeau, backing the agitating farmers in India, had said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protests and had expressed concern over the situation.

Last week, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said Trudeau had made a comment on the issues related to the farmers and it was conveyed to Canada that such remarks pertaining to the internal affairs of India are "unwarranted" and "unacceptable".

Tamil Nadu on Friday reported 483 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 8,44,173 while the toll increased to 12,408 with six more deaths.The active cases stood at 4,285 after 486 patients got discharged from several hospitals and cumulatively 8,27,480 people have recovered.



Of the fresh cases, as many as 142 were from Chennai and the remainder includes one from Bangladesh, four from West Bengal and the rest was scattered in several other regions, a health department bulletin said.The overall tally included 2,33,046 cases from the city, which also accounted for 4,121 deaths.As many as 55,290 samples were tested and in total 1,66,55,151 specimens have been examined in 254 labs of the state.The dead included four with co-morbidities.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The CDC's new guideline that fully vaccinated people do not have to quarantine after direct exposure to the coronavirus was met with praise Thursday by Bay Area health experts.

The new guideline will replace the former 10-day quarantine guidance for people who were exposed to the coronavirus, and it applies for three months after inoculation. State and local jurisdictions issue their own health restrictions, and Californias rules do not yet reflect an exception for vaccinated people.

But in places where the new guidelines are adopted, experts say the move has major implications for fully vaccinated people who work in essential sectors such as the health care industry, where mandatory quarantines can cause major disruptions for people who need to work.

The data for natural infection suggests that people who were sick will likely be protected for at least three months. But now, data is accumulating that suggests the protection from the vaccine is at least as good as natural infection, and perhaps even better, said John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley.

He and other Bay Area experts said they were pleased with the new guideline.

I think from the workforce standpoint, its going to make a difference, said Swartzberg. For other people, its going to be convenient, and make life a little less bitter.

Beyond the economic relief, the new guideline highlights the efficacy of both vaccines currently available in the U.S. The Moderna and Pfizer versions are both about 90%-95% effective, and the new rule makes the message feel even clearer: Getting vaccinated provides significant and tangible benefits.

We (have been) reluctant to give some optimistic messaging about the vaccine, said Robert Siegel, a professor of immunology at Stanford. But good news should be celebrated where its due.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Experts did offer a few notes of caution. One involves the risk that people might interpret the public-health message to mean that pandemic conditions arent so serious right now  which isnt the case. California is still in a day-to-day race to vaccinate as many people as possible before new variants become more widespread, and still faces the potential of another surge, the states top health official Dr. Mark Ghaly said last week.

Most of the Bay Area is still vaccinating only health care workers and those 65 years and older, and two instances of the South Africa variant  which is believed to be less responsive to the vaccine  have already been found in the region. California also has its own set of variants, whose relative transmissibility is still unknown to scientists.

Much is also unknown about transmission among fully vaccinated people. Most information so far suggests that the chances of the virus infecting a fully vaccinated person, multiplying and then being transmitted are not very likely. But there isnt enough good science yet to show that fully vaccinated people will not be asymptomatic carriers of the virus. That is why the CDC, state and county officials continue to ask that people wear masks and practice social distancing to reduce the risk of spread.

But even so, the three month detail within the guideline may also be erring on the more conservative side, said Dr. George Rutherford, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. Other experts agreed, saying that immunity is more likely to offer protection for at least six months. It remains to be seen whether the CDC will revise that guideline in the future.

The new set of guidelines did not address travel. States mandate their own travel guidelines but the protocol nationally remains to quarantine after returning from travel, especially by plane.

That is not expected to change for fully vaccinated people. But Rutherford thinks that by the same logic, it very well could and should, unless people are traveling from a very high risk area.

Mandatory 10-day travel quarantines imposed in December for people traveling from outside the Bay Area to San Francisco and Santa Clara counties remain in effect, according to the counties websites.

Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain

Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.
While case 903s encounter with the deadly coronavirus sparked an extraordinary new chapter in WAs fight against COVID-19, his life is typical of the tens of thousands of international students seeking a better future in Australia.

Not only do they have to study hard, they are often burdened with heavy obligations to family back home and a high cost of living that forces them to take employment in COVID coalface positions such as security or cleaning.

Now migration experts say case 903, the first case of WA community transmission in nearly 10 months, has highlighted the need for lawmakers to recognise the plight of international students if they want to avoid the future spread of the virus.

International students carry a heavy burden. Credit:Andrew Quilty

Who was case 903?


Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will be given a plane by the Uttarakhand government to return to Mumbai if he desires so, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Friday. The statement came a day after the governor was forced to deboard a Maharashtra government aircraft at the Mumbai airport.

Terming the treatment meted out to Koshyari at the Mumbai airport by the Maharashtra government as "misuse of power", Rawat said,"A governor is not an individual but the constitutional head of a state and representative of the President. Respect should be shown to his office as per the conventions in a democracy. "He (Koshyari) will be given a state plane by the Uttarakhand government to return to Mumbai if he asks for it," Rawat said.

Koshyari had to deboard a Maharashtra government aircraft after sitting in it for about 20 minutes on Thursday when he was told there was no permission for the flight. He was coming to Dehradun on way to Mussoorie to attend an official function.

Subsequently, Koshyari, a former chief minister of Uttarakhand and one of the senior most BJP leaders from the state, came to Dehradun in a scheduled commercial flight. Condemning the way Koshyari was treated by the Maharashtra government, state BJP president Bansidhar Bhagat said, "It was shameful on part of the Maharashtra government to treat him like this. It shows how little it cares for democratic norms."

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Cloncurry will be home to the next season of Australian Survivor, due to screen later in 2021.

But if Queensland is home to further season in 2022 nobody is prepared to comment just yet.

This week the federal government announced $3.9m funding under the Location Incentive Program for the Endemol Shine Australia series.

The Location Incentive is available for footloose productions, defined as those that would not be expected to film in Australia in the absence of funding support. Filming in coming months, the production is expected to inject more than $29 million into regional Australia.

A show the size of Australian Survivor also entails significant set-up costs. Previous seasons in Fiji (the first for ESA was in Samoa) employs some 300 locals and attracts a government incentive.

Host Jonathan LaPaglia last year said, Not only do we have Australians that we transport over to Fiji, but we also have an equal amount of local hire on transportation, construction. catering, security. Theyre involved in everything.

Moving to Australia those labour costs send budgets high -but costs can be amortised through a strategy of back to back seasons.

In order to access the Location Offset, production companies must meet requirements and obtain approval from Minister for the Arts, Paul Fletcher. There is also a Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure of $15m budget and at least $1 million per hour. There are rules around how many seasons are eligible for the incentive. Each season of a series is treated as a different film under the Location Offset and requires a separate application.

After it eclipsed 65 episodes, Wentworth received funding under the same scheme by cleverly filming 2 x 10 episodes effectively as one block (hence Season 8 Part A 2020 / Part B 2021).

Endemol Shine Australia would only confirm Season 6 for Australian Survivor in Queensland, declining to comment further.

In a statement announcing the series CEO, Peter Newman said, We are delighted to be bringing Survivor home onto Australian soil with the help of the Australian Governments Location Incentive Program. We look forward to working with the local community of Cloncurry to bring their unique and stunning landscape to Australian and international audiences. This is an exciting new chapter for the Australian format.

He added, Importantly, the production acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land, the Mitakoodi People, and are consulting with the local Aboriginal community to gain a deeper understanding of the country on which the series will be filmed.

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Dallas: A massive crash involving more than 130 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate left six people dead and dozens injured amid a winter storm that dropped freezing rain, sleet and snow on parts of the US.

At the scene of the crash on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth, a tangle of semi-trailers, cars and trucks had smashed into each other and had turned every which way, with some vehicles on top of others on Thursday, local time.

First responders work the scene of the fatal crash on I-35 near downtown Fort Worth. Credit:AP

There were multiple people that were trapped within the confines of their vehicles and requiring the use of hydraulic rescue equipment to successfully extricate them, said Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis.

At least 65 people were treated at hospitals, with 36 of them taken by ambulance from the crash site, including three with critical injuries, said Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for MedStar, which provides the ambulance service for the area. Numerous others were treated at the scene and released, he said.
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Netflix Original, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at Cecil Hotel, if you dont know the story already, is the stuff of nightmares. True crime fans were already familiar with Elisa Lam and the Cecil Hotel crime scene photos that have made the rounds on the internet since Lams bizarre 2013 disappearance and death. What some might now know, is that The Cecil Hotels dark history stretches back decades. Lam isnt the only person who has met an untimely end at the Los Angeles landmark.

Elisa Lams mysterious death haunts true crime fans

Lam checked into the Cecil Hotel, then known as Stay on Main, on January 26, 2013. Lam, traveling alone from Vancouver, had planned to tour the West Coast. LA was one of her stops. She vanished on January 31, 2013. Lam, 21, had been in contact with her parents each day during her travels. When she failed to check in with them on Feb. 1, they alerted authorities. Shortly after that, they flew in from Canada to help with the search.

The Cecil Hotel | Netflix  2021

Lams body was discovered in a rooftop water tank on Feb. 19. The death was ruled an accidental drowning. Internet sleuths quickly picked up the case, questioning how Lam could have ended up in the rooftop water tank, an area of the building that only employees were supposed to have access, too. They also questioned a baffling surveillance video that showed Lam pushing every button in the elevator and making unusual movements. Some armchair detectives argued that the tape had been tampered with.

The Cecil Hotel saw a string of murders and suicide starting around the time it opened in the 1920s

While Lams mysterious disappearance and death is the most well-known case at the establishment now, it was far from the first. The Cecil Hotel opened its doors in 1924. From the first years of operation, it was shrouded in darkness. The first death came in 1927 when a man shot himself inside a private room in the hotel. In 1931, a second man was found dead in his room after ingesting poison. The Cecil Hotel would see four more suicides in the 1930s.

The Cecil Hotel | Netflix  2021

RELATED: Who Is Elisa Lam and What Is Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel About?

In the 1940s things got worse. In 1944, a 19-year-old woman killed her child after giving birth in the room she shared with a much older man. Two more suicides were recorded that decade. In the 1960s, a retiree was found beaten, raped, and stabbed inside the hotel. A former manager told USA Today that she knew about 80 deaths and thousands of 911 calls and injuries recorded in a decade of working at the location.

The Cecil Hotel housed two serial killers before Lams death

Not only did many people die at the Cecil Hotel, but the famed property also housed two different serial killers. In 1985, Richard Ramirez chose the hotel as one of his haunts. Ramirez, better known as The Night Stalker, lived in the hotel during his summer killing spree. Ramirez was eventually caught and convicted of 13 murders and a litany of other crimes. Ramirez died in prison in 2013.

The Cecil Hotel room key | Netflix  2021

After Ramirez, Jack Unterweger called the hotel home while on a writing assignment. Unterweger was first convicted of murder in 1974 in Austria, but after much lobbying, the parole board released him. Shortly after his 1990 release, his killing spree began. Experts believe Unterweger is responsible for at least seven deaths in Austria before a magazine sent him to the United States to cover a story. During his time at the Cecil Hotel, Unterweger murdered three sex workers before returning to Europe. He was arrested again in 1992. Unterweger died in 1994. His death came on the same night that he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Camillo Gonsalves, Finance Minister, in disclosing governments decision to increase the Customs Service Charge, said that government was cautious about imposing tax measures at this time.

There will be a one percent increase on the Customs Service Charge this year, with the revenue generated expected to assist in the financing of regional organizations such as the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).





This moves the tariff from 5 to 6 percent.





"While we have been cautious not to impose tax measures at this time, and, indeed postponed many of the fees and measures passed in last years budget, it is precisely the nature of the times and challenges that demand our decisive response today, Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Finance said in the 2021 Budget address.





He explained that the challenges that St Vincent and the Grenadines presently faced have highlighted the role played by these regional organizations.





"Our responses to the pandemic to date would have been impossible without the support and technical experience of the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the Pan-American Health Organization and the Regional Security Service (RSS), Gonsalves said.





The situation was similar with those regional entities that were engaged in the monitoring and analysis of date as it relates to activities at the volcano, La Soufriere.





The organizations involved in that process included the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Caribbean Meteorological Services and The UWI, Seismic Research Centre.





"These agencies, and more, constitute an extension of the local functions of our government, the Finance Minister said.





It was unfortunate that the functioning of these organizations was hampered by irregular and insufficient funding, Gonsalves posited.





According to the Finance Minister, governments were among those in the region that have been guilty at one time or the other, of racking up arrears to these organizations.





And it was in light of that reality, that government had taken the decision to pass legislation that will guarantee automaticity of financing to some of these regional entities, Gonsalves assured.
(Natural News) Consider this information from Time magazine:

(Article republished from NCRenegade.com)

They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it. And they believe the public needs to understand the systems fragility in order to ensure that democracy in America endures.

Times admission that the election was fraudulent was also confirmed in DNI Ratcliffes report:

DNI Ratcliffe writes, from my unique vantage point as the individual who consumes all of the U.S. governments most sensitive intelligence on the Peoples Republic of China, I do not believe the majority view expressed by Intelligence Community (IC) analysts fully and accurately reflects the scope of the Chinese governments efforts to influence the 2020 federal elections..

I am not trying to make an argument on whether the election was stolen: that is a fact. What I want you to consider are the consequences of supporting the coup. Anyone in this government or military who is accepting this overthrow is guilty of treason or is a collaborator. They know it.

Too many people think we can vote our way out of this. IF a fair election was held in the future, these traitors would be tried and executed. That is why we will never have fair elections again. I also know that this 2020 election was not the first one that was stolen. We are now Venezuela and our options are as clear as the traitors options who overthrew the Republic. Anyone whom the government declares to be a domestic violent extremist is someone who is willing to fight and die against this evil.

David DeGerolamo

Read more at: NCRenegade.com and Rigged.news.
Scottish government must deliver a policy roadmap to help secure a profitable and sustainable farming industry amid a 'transformational decade', NFU Scotland's President has said.

Addressing the unions virtual AGM on Thursday, Andrew McCornick said Scottish farming and crofting stood on the edge of the most significant change in generations.

Brexit, the impact of Covid-19, the challenge of climate change and significant changes in agricultural policy from 2025 would be the drivers of change.

But the outgoing NFU Scotland President said while the 'ambition is great, the how is sorely missing and time is short'.

We could bemoan the fact we have left Europe, or we can look for the opportunities for the global country we have now become," he said.

"Stepping away from half a century under the CAP allows us to move to a smarter way of delivering for our industry, supporting the environment, climate change and delivering our high standards of food production.

Stepping away from having to meet the bureaucratic requirements of a CAP formulated as a compromise from the Artic Circle to the Mediterranean to a future policy that delivers on actively farmed and managed land in Scotland for Scotland.

NFU Scotland has been crystal clear: our industry is one that can change, and will change, to meet public aspirations with an upbeat forward-looking mindset."

He said the outlook would empower farmers toward the 'holy grail' of sustainable profit, done in parallel with tackling climate change and delivering affordable healthy food.

"We can deliver on so many fronts provided policy, support and opportunities are formulated coherently and speedily, especially when you consider that the stretching 2030 targets for our food and drink industry and emission reduction are already set in stone," he added.

He called on the Scottish government to issue a policy roadmap now, so producers could build a path to deliver profitable and sustainable crofting and farming while meeting all the targets.

And while continuing to trade with the EU on a tariff and quota free basis was important, but Mr McCornick said the UK internal market was the most critical and important market for Scottish producers.

At the event, Mr McCornick joined the presidents of the three other UK farming unions on a virtual panel to debate future trade and agricultural policies across devolved nations.

He said that any divergence in standards within the UK could cause upheaval, and that it was crucial that they operated within each devolved region on an agreed baseline.

If standards are formulated intelligently, they could help to safeguard the high-quality reputation and integrity of Scottish agri-foods.

NFU Scotland's three day AGM continues on Friday (12 February), with an address from Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing.
A man is due before a sitting of Cork District Court this morning after his arrest in an operation carried out by the Cork Divisional Drugs Unit in Rochestown during the week.

The man in his 40s was arrested by Gardai in Cork following the seizure of 80,000 worth of suspected cannabis on the morning of February 10.

At approximately 10.35am that morning, a car was stopped and searched under Misuse of Drugs legislation at Rochestown, Cork.

The search was carried out by members of the Cork Divisional Drugs Unit who were targeting the activities of an organised criminal group that is suspected of being involved in the sale and supply of drugs and related crime in Cork City.

During the course of the search four kilos of suspected cannabis was recovered with an estimated value of 80,000. A number of mobile phones were also seized.

The driver of the car was arrested and brought to Togher Garda Station.

Gardai said: A man in his 40s arrested in the course of an operation by the Cork Divisional Drugs Unit in Rochestown, Co. Cork, on the morning of the 10th February 2021 has been charged.

He is expected to appear before a sitting of Cork District Court No.1 this morning, 12th of February 2021 at 10.30am.
A 7-year-old girl acting out sexually at school led to the investigation of a Perry County man, now accused of abusing the girl for years.

Barry Allen Bostwick, 58, is accused of assaulting the girl while she was staying with him at his Duncannon home when she was 4 years old, according to the affidavit filed by Tpr. Amy Kocher.

In a forensic interview, the girl said the night she stayed over, Bostwick sexually assaulted her both by sexually touching her and making her touch him, Kocher wrote.

She also said he showed her pornography on a phone and how to find porn through online search engines, according to Kocher.

The girl told investigators that the assaults happened at least twice during the same visit, the affidavit states.

The incident at school involved the girl trying to act out sexually with boys in her class, Kocher wrote. When she was asked where she learned the behaviors, she identified Bostwick.

When police spoke with the girls mother, the mother said Bostwick was someone trusted in their lives, who babysat the girl from July 2018 until May 2020.

The mother also told Kocher that she realized the girl had been using Google to search for sexual content, which she said she had learned from Bostwick.

Bostwick is now charged with 30 counts of sexual abuse and child endangerment charges, according to online court dockets.

Bostwick was arrested on Jan. 29 and denied bail because he is a flight risk, according to the dockets. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 22.

Read more on PennLive:
Worcester eateries Chashu Ramen + Izayaka and Glazy Susan at REIGNcafe will be celebrating the Lunar New Year with lion dance ceremonies and specials.

Tam Le, co-owner, along with Son Vo, of Chashu and REIGNcafe, says the Lunar New Year, which marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, is a festive time to pay respects to ancestors and bring good fortune for the new year.

This upcoming year is the Year of the Ox, said Le. The Lunar Year is a really festive time for us...Its a really joyous time where we get out families together. Its almost like a Thanksgiving.

Le says both Chashu and the cafe will be hosting lion dancing ceremonies to honor a longstanding tradition within the Chinese and Vietnamese cultures.

Thats a tradition that goes back a very long time with both the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures, Le said. And we bring them into our business so that we can both pay respects to everyone that helped to get us where we are today. And also, to wish our business and staff good luck with the new year.

Chashu will host a lion dancing ceremony on the day of the Lunar New Year, Friday Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. Another lion dancing ceremony will take place at REIGNcafe on Saturday Jan. 13 at 11:30 a.m.

Both ceremonies will be conducted by the Worcester South East Asian Coalition.

And with Valentines day coming up, Le says Chashu will be offering a special fixed price menu over the weekend and a performance from the Jazzed Up Trio featuring Mauro DePasquale on Sunday.

Glazy Susan, Worcesters specialty doughnut shop located at REIGNcafe, will be offering several special treats this year in recognition of the Lunar New Year.

The doughnut shop recently debuted its Mochy by Glazy brand and mochi doughnuts, which it describes as Japanese style doughnuts made with chewy mochi dough and they are a connected circle of eight balls.

For Lunar New Year, we are doing a red cherry-glazed mochy with 24k edible gold foil, the doughnut shop says. This special doughnut is intended to mimic the color scheme of the red envelopes that are traditionally given as gifts for lunar new year in Asian cultures. This mochy flavor is available this Friday through Sunday only.

Glazy Susan will be offering a red cherry glazed mochi doughnut with 24k edible gold foil to celebrate the Lunar New Year. (Submitted photo)

Continuing on that theme, Glazy Susan will also have a have a strawberry hibiscus jasmine tea with edible gold luster dust, made with its house made strawberry jam, which will also be available Friday through Sunday only.

The doughnut shop will also be selling a limited edition T-shirt to commemorate the year of the golden ox.

The shirt is designed by Worcester native Kevin La of LaLa Design Studios. It is a red shirt with an illustration of Moochy the ox holding a golden mochy doughnut, the doughnut shop says.

Related Content:

The UKs coronavirus-ravaged economy shrank 9.9pc in 2020, the biggest annual fall in output since modern records began, but it avoided heading back towards recession at the end of last year, official figures showed on Friday.

Britain's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.0pc between October and December, the Office for National Statistics said, at the top end of the range of forecasts by economists in a Reuters poll.

This makes it unlikely that the UK will see two straight quarters of contraction - the standard definition of recession in Europe - even though the economy is set to shrink sharply in early 2021 due to the effects of a third Covid lockdown.

Britain's economy grew 1.2pc in December alone, after a 2.3pc fall in output in November when there was a partial lockdown, leaving output 6.3pc lower than in February before the start of the pandemic.

Read More

However the Bank of England forecasts the economy will shrink by 4pc in the first three months of 2021 due to a new lockdown and Brexit disruption, and take until early 2022 before it regains its pre-Covid size, assuming vaccination continues to smoothly.

Many economists think the rebound will be slower.

"Today's figures show that the economy has experienced a serious shock as a result of the pandemic, which has been felt by countries around the world," finance minister Rishi Sunak said.

Last year's fall in output was the biggest since modern official records began after World War Two, and longer-running historical data hosted by the Bank of England suggest it was the biggest drop since 1709.

The fall is also steeper than almost any other big economy, though Spain - also hard-hit by the virus - suffered an 11pc decline.

the UK has reported Europe's highest death toll from Covid-19 and is among the world's highest in terms of deaths per head.

Some of the damage also reflects how the UKs economy relied more on face-to-face consumer services than other countries, as well as disruption to schooling and routine healthcare which few other countries factored in to GDP.

However, the UK has vaccinated many more people than other European countries so far, raising the prospect of a bounce-back for its economy later this year.
A small business lobby group is warning of a fresh wave of insolvencies when the state governments COVID-19 Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme ends in late March.

The schemes helpline for small business owners hit by the COVID-19 crisis, or their landlords, has received more than 300 calls a week on average in the 11 months it has been running.

Victorian small businesses are doing it tough in 2021. Credit:Tamara Voninski

As businesses brace for the end of the relief scheme, which expires two days before the JobKeeper wage subsidy comes to an end, the states Small Business Commissioner said the program had kept thousands of rental disputes out of the courts and tribunals and was still receiving a steady flow of inquiries.

The commission said it has helped to settle more than 2160 disputes over unpaid rent and other alleged breaches of lease conditions since the scheme was introduced, and fewer than 230 matters had been given the green light to proceed to VCAT after landlords and tenants were unable to reach an agreement.
Read what is in the news today:

Politics

-- Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong sent his best wishes to all of the Vietnamese people, both inside and outside the country, as the traditional Lunar New Year is due.

-- Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly (NA) Pany Yathotou paid a visit on Thursday to officers and soldiers of Army Corps 11 of the Vietnam Peoples Army who are working on the construction of the Lao NA House, on the occasion of the Lunar New Year festival.

Society

-- Vietnam reported no new case of COVID-19 on Friday morning. The national tally stood at 2,140 patients, with 1,531 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths.

-- Authorities in Ward 8, District 8 of Ho Chi Minh City on late Thursday evening issued an urgent notification to look for visitors to Quang Trung Hotel at 1118 Quang Trung Street from 11:00 pm January 30 to 9:00 am January 31 and 11:00 pm February 5 to 9:00 am February 6 as COVID-19 patient No. 2,018 stayed there during these time periods.

-- Lockdowns were lifted from the Circle K store at 16 Ap Bac Street and the Co.op Food store at 12A Tran Van Danh Street in Ward 13, Tan Binh District and the 'Giac mo sua Viet' store at 114A Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Ward 12 in the same district on Thursday, according to the Ho Chi Minh Center for Disease Control.

-- Ho Chi Minh City police officers on Thursday said that they had seized more than 200kg of firecrackers of all kinds and prosecuted eight related people on charges of storing, transporting, buying and selling, and using illegal firecrackers during the ongoing Lunar New Year, or Tet holiday.

-- Prohibited firecrackers were blatantly set off across many localities in Vietnam during this Tet, especially on Lunar New Years Eve.

Business

-- Vietnams Bamboo Airways announced its pre-tax profit of over VND400 billion (US$17.38 million) in 2020, up 34 percent year-on-year.

-- Honda Vietnam reported year-on-year surges of four percent and 57.4 percent in motorbike and automobile sales in January.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
In the days before the reopening of St. Felix Hollywood, employees scrambled to yank plywood boards from windows, pry congealed syrup from clogged soda machines, scour dusty cooking equipment and scrub the kitchen floor.

The last 24 hours have been insane," co-owner John Arakaki said as he sifted through dozens of new safety rules and negotiated with his linen company, produce supplier and other vendors.

St. Felix welcomed customers back Feb. 5. It marked the fourth time in the last year that the restaurateur and a dozen or so of his employees scurried to reopen the Hollywood location and a sister restaurant in West Hollywood due mostly to local pandemic restrictions. Mr. Arakaki estimated it cost about $30,000 each time.

Nearly a year into the U.S. spread of Covid-19, multiple closings and reopenings are now almost commonplace for owners of restaurants, bars, gyms, beauty salons and other establishments grappling with shifting government directives as well as employee illnesses tied to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The uncertainty adds to the challenges facing small businesses, which often have limited cash cushions and big drops in sales due to the coronavirus. Eighty-eight percent of small firms said sales had not returned to normal, according to a survey fielded in September and October and released this month by the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks.

Nearly 39,000 businesses tracked by Yelp closed and then reopened more than once between March 1 and the end of last year, and more than 17,700 reopened three times or more. The Los Angeles metro area had the highest number of multiple closings, nearly 7,000 in all. The New York metro area, by comparison, had nearly 4,000 businesses reopen more than once.

Repeated closings and reopenings make it tough for small businesses to retain customers and employees. They are particularly painful for restaurants and brewpubs that must give away or toss out unused inventory and then restock. The latest U.S. government tally, released Feb. 5, showed that restaurants and bars have lost nearly 2.4 million jobs since the pandemic hit.

Businesses are not getting used to it," said Genevieve Morrill, chief executive of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Opening and closing. Opening and closing. This is a killer."

Always on standby

Few areas of the country are being tested like southern California, where intensive-care unit capacity hit 0% in December. Since last March, Los Angeles and state officials have issued two orders prohibiting in-person dining and 16 other directives tied to Covid-19, according to The Hollywood Partnership, which manages the local business improvement district. Some restaurants also had to close because of Covid-19 cases among their workers. The 7-day testing positivity rate in Los Angeles County was 7.1% as of Feb. 10, down from a peak of more than 20% in early January.

Restaurant and small-business owners in the area say officials imposed restrictions with little warning and set rules that arent based on science. The California Restaurant Association sued Los Angeles County over a ban on outdoor dining imposed just before Thanksgiving. A judge said county officials failed to weigh the benefits of an outdoor dining restriction against its costs."

In late January, Los Angeles County health officials allowed restaurants to resume outdoor dining with new restrictions. The latest order increased minimum space between tables to 8 feet from 6 feet and instructed restaurants to tell customers that everyone sharing a table must be from the same household. It also prohibited televisions and other broadcast equipment, normally a big draw on Super Bowl Sunday.

Restaurant owners say the rules simply drive more people to gather at home, at underground parties or other places that dont follow the safety regulations. They worry Covid-19 cases will climb again following last weeks Super Bowl gatherings, which could trigger yet another round of rule tightenings or shutdowns.

You are almost on standby all the time," said Mr. Arakaki, who shut down his two restaurants three times in response to Covid-19 directives and once, last summer, because of civil unrest. During the periods you are allowed to open, you jump at the chance. You serve for three weeks and then shut down."

Local officials defended their actions. Restaurant industry guidelines are designed to lower the risk of Covid-19 exposure to restaurant workers and patrons" and must shift with varying levels of Covid-19 transmission, cases and hospitalizations, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public health said.

A California official said case rates, ICU admissions and other indicators are trending downward as a result of state actions and the commitment of residents. When transmission rates rise, we have to reduce opportunities for transmission by closing down activities," the spokesman for the California Health and Human Services Agency said. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature in late November announced that $500 million would be made available to small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic.

View Full Image Pantry of a restaurant

In survival mode

Some restaurants remained shut in the face of uncertainty, while others pivoted to avoid closing down or become more cautious with each new directive. In Hollywood, 27% of restaurants and bars were closed in each of the past two quarters, according to The Hollywood Partnership. The group isnt sure how many of them will reopen.

Wood & Vine, a New American restaurant and cocktail bar, did a bustling pre-theater business before the pandemic. The Hollywood restaurant has remained closed since Mr. Newsom issued a stay-at-home order in mid-March.

General manager Wally Moran came close to reopening three times, emailing staff their schedules. In June, he even put himself and four other furloughed workers back on payroll.

Each time, the situation on the ground changed and we saw surges" in Covid-19 cases, said Mr. Moran, adding that his top priority is the safety of his staff and guests. We are a place where you go to forget your troubles, to have a celebration," he said. If we can, I would like to open when our guests feel more comfortable coming."

Takeout and delivery doesnt make financial sense for the decade-old restaurant, said Mr. Moran, who now expects to reopen sometime in the next two months. He still drops by Wood & Vine two or three times most weeks to check the premises, read the mail and recertify himself and his staff for unemployment benefits.

Roughly half of Wood & Vines 31-person staff left Los Angeles, said Mr. Moran, with many returning home to live with their parents to save money. Others have found new jobs or continue to collect unemployment benefits.

Kristian Proano worked at Wood & Vine as an expediter before the shutdown, overseeing the flow of orders from kitchen to table. Mr. Proano nearly took a position at another restaurant several times, but decided not to because he fears that another restaurant closure would force him to reapply for unemployment benefits.

It feels like you are gambling with your money," he said.

At some restaurants, workers toggle between roles as tasks shift in response to changing directives. Mr. Proanos wife, Tory LeClair, worked as a server for most of the past decade. In the last year, she bagged groceries and delivered them to cars, trained other employees, answered phones, helped customers order online and served patrons at indoor and outdoor tables. Some weeks she worked five days; others, not at all.

Whatever they threw at me, I was willing to learn it as quickly as possible," she said. I was truly in a survival mode."

The cost of closing

Some restaurant owners found creative ways to remain open. In March, Francesco Zimone, owner of Lantica Pizzeria da Michele in Los Angeles, turned his restaurant into a grocery, cooked meals for local hospitals and offered to-go pizza kits and pizza-making lessons on Zoom with his chef. The restaurant closed for one day, in June, in response to civil unrest.

After the second Covid-related ban on in-person dining was announced in late November, Mr. Zimone spent $4,000 on a projector, lights and big screen and turned his parking lot into a drive-in showing independent films at no charge to customers picking up pizza or groceries. He continues to operate the drive-in even after reopening for outdoor dining on two patios that currently seat 80.

Adding movies didnt bring the restaurant even close to break even," said Mr. Zimone, 47, who cashed in his 401(k) retirement account to open the pizzeria in 2019. It just saves the day a little bit," he said. The cost of closing is higher than the cost of staying open."

Restaurant owners complain they get little advance warning of closures, making it difficult to prepare. When Blue Palms Brewhouse closed in March and again in November, owner Brian Lenzo gave away roughly $8,000 of perishable food and invited employees to stop by once a week to fill up growlers, milk jugs or other containers with craft beer that would otherwise go bad.

Mr. Lenzo experimented with carryout, but said it wasnt profitable. He pulled the plug on outdoor dining after witnessing a knife fight between two homeless people about 20 feet from his Hollywood restaurant while dining with his wife and children on a summer Saturday.

Were not opening again until there is indoor dining," said Mr. Lenzo, who found some employees jobs at three other breweries where he is a partner.

Karim Megji, owner of The Gallery Restaurant and Wood & Water, both in Los Angeles, gave away thousands of dollars of food to employees and friends in March and tossed out hundreds of oysters that couldnt keep. Determined not to have a repeat, he began promoting a Thanksgiving dine-at-home menu after hearing rumblings that another ban on in-person dining might be issued in late November. When that ban came through just before the holiday, the restaurants quickly offered customers with reservations the option of a takeout turkey or prime rib dinner.

The 50 turkeys we bought dont go into the freezer," Mr. Megli said.

A Rubiks Cube

The options can vary with the type of restaurant and its location. Cary Mosier shut all seven of his restaurants in April and reopened them in June. When Los Angeles County halted outdoor dining in November, he refocused his five casual Cafe Gratitude locations on takeout and delivery and added cookie kits and other products he could ship.

Mr. Mosier tried unsuccessfully to keep open his more upscale Gracias Madre location in West Hollywood, offering a happy hour special with discounted food and beverage delivery, but shut it down after a few weeks. A second Gracias Madre location in Orange County remained open because that county had fewer restrictions.

Running restaurants is now a bit of a Rubiks Cube," said Mr. Mosier, who reopened his casual cafes in late January. The currently closed Gracias Madre location, on the other hand, wont reopen until March 1. Its chef is in the Midwest; the general manager is in Florida.

Right now, my kitchens are turned off," said Mr. Mosier. I have to find the bartender, take inventory and negotiate with suppliers about putting us on C.O.D."

Mr. Mosier said he is in less of a hurry to reopen this time and is bracing for additional changes in Covid policies. The rug has been pulled out from under us in terms of shifting laws," he said. I dont know if it will get better or worse, but they are going to change."

At the reopened St. Felix, menu offerings are more limited and lean heavily to comfort food. Macaroni and cheese, blackened chicken fettuccine and American Wagyu beef sliders made the cut. Wild-caught salmon, another popular menu item, remains off the menu because it is too costly to toss if there is another sudden shutdown.

St. Felix sold out the Friday and Saturday it reopened, but served just a handful of diners on Super Bowl Sunday, as local residents gathered in their homes rather than at restaurants without television screens.

Mr. Arakaki, the co-owner, remains nervous and cautious about the pace of reopening. We will keep it tight and then expand as we get more confidence closer to the summer," he said. I dont trust or have faith that there is not going to be another shutdown."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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LONDON: From cat food to cannabis, its boom time for quirky ETFs offering the chance to punt on niche themes in fast-growth sectors, but their huge gains are unnerving some who see them as another price-inflated asset that may threaten market stability.

While Reddit gamestonks" have grabbed recent headlines, retail investors are also credited with large flows into exchange-traded funds - basically a tradable basket of shares - swelling their assets by more than $1 trillion last year, according to Refinitiv.

And growth has been especially notable in ETFs that aim to harness returns from themes that capitalise on societal and economic trends, from space travel to pet care, and marijuana to medical tech.

Such ETFs, which are bought and sold like shares, more than doubled their assets under management last year to $140 billion, Citi analyst Scott Chronert says, describing inflows as having gone nearly parabolic".

Thematic ETFs in EMEA alone have received $4 billion so far this year, according to the bank, a figure Chronert said would grow as investors continue to demand more precise positioning".

The prominent ARK Innovation ETF, containing business disruptors Tesla, payments firm Square and genome editor Crispr Therapeutics, is up 350% since last March, while the Procure Space and ProShares Pet Care ETFs have also seen scintillating price gains.

The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF has risen 275% meanwhile, and cannabis-themed ETFs have enjoyed a bumper ride on a view the new U.S. administration will decriminalise the drug.

eToro said it had seen an increase of over 400% in the opening of ETF positions globally on its platform last year, part of an overall trend of tremendous growth" in retail investing.

It is easier to invest in themes than particular stocks or broader indices and so tech disruptors, gaming, biotech, have become very popular with retail investors," said Deborah Fuhr, co-founder of consultancy ETFGI.

Thats despite higher fees  filings show the Ark Innovation ETF charges 0.75% versus 0.04% at Blackrocks core S&P 500 index ETF.

Thematic ETFs are still a tiny part of the $8 trillion Exchange Traded Products industry. So why are some investors warning of stability risks?

Some of it is down to what short-seller Carson Block, founder of Muddy Waters Capital, calls the autopilot" model of passive investing - buying more of a stock as its price rises and its index weight grows.

But when outflows hit, the ETF provider must sell shares to meet redemptions, potentially setting off a chain reaction as the share price falls. That passive selling could quickly overwhelm the market" Block warned in an FT column this week.

The risk may be magnified in thematic ETFs which focus on just a handful of names. ARK Invest, which owns the Ark Innovation ETF, for instance owns more than 10% of outstanding shares in some companies, particularly biotech, Saxo Bank analysts note.

Ark Invest was not immediately available to comment.

Sebastien Lemaire, head of ETF Research at Societe Generale also says the pace of inflows could be concerning.

Some of these ETFs which have seen record inflows are quite concentrated on a relatively limited number of constituents."

Any reversal, caused by ETFs tweaking holdings due to investor outflows or index rebalancing, could hammer the share price of smaller constituents with lower trading volumes.

Within the ARK Innovation ETF, daily January trading volumes in streaming platform Roku Inc and virtual healthcare provider Teladoc averaged roughly three million shares and 500,000 shares respectively, well below the eight million units for the underlying ETF.

And holdings also overlap across funds. Tesla features in no less than 27 thematic ETFs, Citi notes, while chipmaker Nvidia turns up in 45.

Thematic ETFs continue to mushroom, with 17 launched in Europe last year, while U.S. ETF specialist Global X launched six worldwide, focusing on sectors from gaming to telemedicine according to fund research firm Morningstar.

The concentration of risk may be even more extreme in three times long, three times short" exchange traded strategies, where gains  or losses  can be three times the share performance.

UK-based Graniteshares, which offers 3x long, 3x short exposure to 10 U.S. tech stocks and 10 UK blue chips, says $40,000 invested in its Tesla 3x long exchange traded product at its July 2020 launch would now be worth $1 million.

Morningstar, while acknowledging recent dazzling returns, said its research shows thematic funds have historically struggled to survive and outperform global equity benchmarks over longer periods of time".

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 Guardia Civil have arrested 12 people in raids in the south of Spain in a major operation to dismantle an alleged international cocaine trafficking network this Thursday (11 February).

Sources told SUR that simultaneous raids were carried out in locations along the Costa del Sol, including Malaga, Marbella, Mijas, Alhaurin de la Torre and Alhaurin el Grande - as well as other towns in Cadiz and Seville.

The operation resulted in a dozen people being detained across three provinces. However, the investigation remains open, and it has not been ruled out that there could be new searches and arrests in the coming days.

The early-morning raids on Thursday, involving a large number of Guardia Civil officers, caused a great stir as around 20 property searches were made.

In Malaga province, the Palma-Palmilla district of the city was the focus of the police operation. Luxury homes in Marbella, as well as in Mijas and rural properties in Alhaurin de la Torre and Alhaurin el Grande were also searched according to SUR sources. In other raids the Guardia Civil targeted Algeciras and Los Barrios in Cadiz province, as well as the town of Arahal in Seville.

Around 300 officers  including members of the Guardia Civils elite Rapid Action Group - took part in the major anti-drug trafficking operation.
Mumbai: Congress leader Nana Patole took charge as the Maharashtra Congress party Chief on Friday. He formally accepted the post from outgoing state party chief Balasaheb Thorat.

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aslam Shaikh, who was present at the venue told ANI, "The Congress party workers are happy. Bala ji worked very well during his tenure and we hope to continue with the trend. We all are very enthusiastic."



After Nana Patole stepped down as Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker, he was appointed the President of Maharashtra Congress Pradesh Committee on February 5.

The 57-year-old four-term MLA from Sakoli in Bhandara district replaces Balasaheb Thorat, who helmed state Congress for 18 months and is presently Maharashtra's revenue minister.

The party had also announced the names of six working presidents and 10 vice presidents for Maharashtra.

Congress in a release had said former ministers Shivajirao Moghe, Chandrakant Handore, Arif Naseem Khan, Basavraj Patil and young MLAs Kunal Rohidas Patil and Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde are appointed as the new working presidents of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC).
Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday that by April, anyone in the United States who wants a COVID-19 vaccination should be able to get one.

In an interview with the NBC morning television program "Today," Fauci, who also is the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said projections indicate top priority groups, such as U.S. frontline workers and the elderly, should have received their vaccinations by April.

Fauci said after that, it would be "open season, namely, virtually everybody and anybody, in any category, could start to get vaccinated." From there, he said, given logistics, it likely would take several more months to get vaccines to all who want them.


Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle claimed a victory over moral exploitation yesterday after winning her High Court privacy case against The Mail on Sunday.

As a judge ruled that the publication of extracts of a private letter she sent to her father was manifestly excessive and unlawful, she declared: We have all won.

Ms Markle hailed a comprehensive win on both privacy and copyright, saying: We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to profit from peoples pain.

Read More

She sued Associated Newspapers for breach of privacy and copyright relating to the publication of five articles  two on MailOnline and three in The Mail on Sunday  in February 2019. Despite being advised against it, her strategy to pursue legal action was vindicated as she successfully applied for a summary judgment, a legal step that will now see the bulk of the case resolved in her favour without trial.

However, media experts described it as a bad day for press freedom, acknowledging that the case was widely expected to go to trial so the evidence could be tested.

The ruling means the testimony of four Buckingham Palace aides who said they could shed light on the issues at stake, as well as that of five of Ms Markles friends who spoke about her to People magazine, will not be heard.



One media law expert, who declined to be named, said the costs of the case were likely to be in the region of 5m (5.7m). The lawyer said damages for the breach of privacy could be as high as 300,000 (340,000).



Despite the ruling, the judge published previously unseen extracts of the letter in his 53-page judgment, insisting it was necessary to explain his conclusions.

The Duchess also berated her father for his obsession with tabloid media and said his fascination had turned into paranoia about how he was portrayed.

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
(Newser)  We're not yet sure what President Biden got Dr. Jill Biden for Feb. 14, but we know what she got for the rest of us. America woke up Friday to see what the first lady's press secretary calls "surprise Valentine messages," in the form of giant red, pink, and white hearts scattered across the White House's North Lawn. Each heartnoted by the Hill to be modeled after those tiny sweet "conversation" confections we snack on around Valentine's Dayfeatured an inspirational word, such as "strength," "love," "unity," "family," "kindness," and, perhaps most important this year, "healing." Dr. Biden signed that last heart on the bottom with a simple "Love, Jill." The office of the first ladywho also tweeted out a message with the same words of positivity Friday morningsaid in a statement that the hearts are meant to recall "the days of sharing candy hearts between friends and family."

story continues below

The statement goes on to note that Biden "is known for her sense of humor, love of surprises, and celebrating traditions, especially with her family. Valentine's Day has always been one of her favorite holidays. Sending messages of healing, unity, hope, and compassion, this is her Valentine to the country." Reporters shadowed her and the president (and their dogs Major and Champ) as they strolled among the hearts, the commander in chief in casual Friday jeans and holding a beverage, with one reporter calling out: "What inspired you to do this?" Dr. Biden replied, "I just wanted some ... joy. ... With the pandemic, just everybody's feeling a little down. So, it's just a little joy. A little hope. That's all." A reporter also tried to pressure President Biden into revealing what he got for his wife for the holiday, only to be met with: "It's not Valentine's Day, I'm not telling you." (Read more Valentine's Day stories.)
NEW DELHI: With an eye on China , India has been speeding up infrastructure project construction in the strategic northeastern region of the country, which include 1,819 km of roads completed over the last two years.

The other important projects completed over the last two years in the region include, Pakyong Airport in Sikkim, Rupsi Airport in Assam, 300 MW Kameng and 110 MW Pare hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh, said Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) minister Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Also Read | India speeds up vaccination drive

India and China have sparred over hydropower projects in Arunachal, a state that borders China and has the highest potential for hydropower generation in the country. This comes in the backdrop of Chinas ambitious $62 billion south-north water diversion scheme of the rivers that feed downstream into the Brahmaputra, known in China as the Yarlung Tsangpo.

As part of Indian governments strategy of accelerating infrastructure development along the countrys frontier and strengthening intra-state transmission and distribution electricity links, the strategic North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project is also being expedited.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that infrastructure projects taken up in the North Eastern Region inter alia include projects of road and rail connectivity; modernization and development of new airports," according to a 11 February statement from Ministry of Development of North-East Region.

The development of infrastructure in India's northeast is key to the nations so-called Look East policy, focusing on southeast Asia. India has been working on a raft of road and bridge projects to improve connectivity with Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar.

This comes in the backdrop of Japan partnering with India to aggressively develop infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, in an attempt to contain China's influence. Mint first reported about an India-Japan Coordination Forum for Development of North East being set up to focus on strategic projects such as connectivity and road network development, electricity and disaster management.

Under North Eastern States Roads Investment Programme (Externally Aided Project), construction/upgradation of three roads (Kalitakuchi to Barpeta-58.5 km, Tamulpur to Paneri-43 km and Paneri to Udalgiri-18.4 km) along with five major bridges in Assam and one road (Garobada to Dalu-93.4 km) in Meghalaya have been completed," the statement added.

Japan partnership holds special importance for India, given that several multilateral lending agencies have been unwilling to fund projects in the so-called disputed border states in Indias northeast - seen as sensitive, as parts of the region are claimed by China.

The projects completed in Tripura include Agartala - Sabroom new Rail line project (112 km); 2-laning with paved shoulder of Udaipur- Sabroom Section of NH-44 from km 55.00 to km 128.712; and strengthening and widening works of NH-8 (old NH-44) from km. 284 to km 318; Waterway on river Gomati (Tripura)," the statement added.

With hydropower set to play a key role in the development and integration of Indias northeast region with the mainland, the Union government has been trying to pull out all stops for projects in Arunachal Pradesh to pre-empt threats caused by Chinese plans, by establishing its prior use claim over the waters.

As part of this playbook, India is working on a North East Water Management Authority (NEWMA) to evolve a consolidated strategy for management of the regions water resources. The apex authority for developing all projects related to hydropower, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, flood control, inland water transport, forestry, fishery, and eco-tourism in the region will spearhead Indias efforts to establish prior user rights on water from the rivers that originate in China.

Of the 2,880km length of the river Brahmaputra, 1,625km is in Tibet, 918km in India, and 337km in Bangladesh. Of the eight river basins in Arunachal Pradesh, Subansiri, Lohit, and Siang are of strategic importance as they are closer to the border with China.

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Samples Return up to 8.60% Total Critical Rare Earth Oxides, Located 3.2 Miles from MP Material's Mountain Pass Mine

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Ely Gold Royalties Inc. (TSXV: ELY), (OTCQX: ELYGF) ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report nine assayed samples of total rare earth oxides ("REO") at its El Campo Project ("El Campo") located in San Bernardino County, California. El Campo encompasses five contiguous unpatented mining claims that are surrounded by mining claims held by MP Materials which make up the Mountain Pass Mine Property ("Mountain Pass"). Mountain Pass is the only operating rare earth mine in the Western Hemisphere.. El Campo is located along strike and 3.2 miles southeast of Mountain Pass (see Figure #1). Ely Gold Acquired El Campo through staking.

Since acquiring El Campo, Ely Gold has collected and analyzed a total of nine bedrock samples which returned up to 8.60% total Rare Earth Oxides ("REO"), similar in grade to Mountain Pass ore. The REO mineralization is hosted by syenite and shokonite dikes. The mineralized zones sampled are carbonatite composed of calcite and or dolomite, barite and bastnasite and are up to 20 feet wide at surface.

El Campo's REO content is made up of heavy rare earth elements Nd, Pr, La, Ce & Sm. The elevated higher-value elements, Neodymium-Praseodymium ("NdPr") are important for producing permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines while the Samarium ("Sm") is important for defense applications such as drones and cruise missles. All nine of the samples, which returned REO values of 4% or greater, are summarized in the table below:

El Campo Project Sampling Program Highlights

Occurrence Sample # La

ppm Ce

ppm Nd

ppm Pr

ppm Sm

ppm Total REO

(%) Goulder 12265 21,500 38,000 13,500 2,650 1,050 7.93 Windy Group 12277 13,000 27,500 13,000 2,500 2,000 6.05 Windy Group 12278 8,300 18,500 10,500 1,950 1,650 4.25 Windy Group EC 2005 14,500 25,000 9,100 3,000 1,150 5.57 Windy Group EC 2050 12,000 20,000 7,750 2,650 1,100 4.61 Goulder EC 1600 24,000 38,000 13,000 4,850 1,550 8.62 Goulder 07782 16,000 28,000 11,000 not analyzed not analyzed 5.50 Goulder 07783 26,000 44,000 15,000 not analyzed not analyzed 8.50 Goulder 07785 25,000 45,000 16,000 not analyzed not analyzed 8.60

Trey Wasser, President and CEO commented; "We are excited with the impressive grades from our initial sampling that suggest the potential to outline a high-grade rare earth deposit at our El Campo Project. The proximity to the high-grade Mountain Pass Mine, North America's only operating rare earth mine, makes this a very exciting project. El Campo will be placed in our "properties available for sale" portfolio, The sale of El Campo will generate Ely Gold's first rare earth royalty."

Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4181/74376_7e34e3db242cea6a_001full.jpg

Qualified Person

Stephen Kenwood, P. Geo, is director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Kenwood has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

About Ely Gold Royalties Inc.

Ely Gold Royalties Inc. is a Nevada focused gold royalty company. Its current portfolio includes royalties at Jerritt Canyon, Goldstrike and Marigold, three of Nevada's largest gold mines, as well as the Fenelon mine in Quebec, operated by Wallbridge Mining. The Company continues to actively seek opportunities to purchase producing or near-term producing royalties. Ely Gold also generates development royalties through property sales on projects that are located at or near producing mines. Management believes that due to the Company's ability to locate and purchase third-party royalties, its strategy of organically creating royalties and its gold focus, Ely Gold offers shareholders a favourable leverage to gold prices and low-cost access to long-term gold royalties in safe mining jurisdictions.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Signed "Trey Wasser"

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

trey@elygoldinc.com

972-803-3087

Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer

jjobin@elygoldinc.com

647-964-0292

FORWARD-LOOKING CAUTIONS: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, statements regarding completion of the Transaction. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they 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, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the Company's inability to control whether the buy-down right will ever be exercised, and whether the right of first refusal will ever be triggered, uncertainty as to whether any mining will occur on the property covered by the Probe Royalty such that the Company will receive any payment therefrom, and the general risks and uncertainties relating to the mineral exploration, development and production business. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effect.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74376
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 18:36:51|Editor: huaxia

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Workers make dumplings during a break at Xilingol 800-Kilovolt convertor station of the State Grid at Xilingol grassland in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Feb. 11, 2021. All 59 workers of the convertor station chose to stay put to celebrate this year's Spring Festival at the grassland. On the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, about 20 employees stuck to their posts, while those who took a break made dumplings and decorated the convertor station with paper-cutting decorations and couplets. (Xinhua/Liu Lei)

(Natural News) With the criminal tech giants now maliciously de-platforming James OKeefe (Project Veritas), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Childrens Health Defense), Wayne Allen Root and anyone else who questions the false narratives of the totalitarian Left, weve entered a new, dark era where corporations now consider the American people to be their enemies.

This also happens to be the same posture of the Biden regime, which also sees the American people as the enemy, since most Americans didnt vote for Biden and know the election was rigged.

Pushing the envelope of criminal journo-terrorism, CNNs Drew Griffin is now engaged in crimes of cyber stalking and harassment in his attacks on Charlene and Ty Bollinger (see video below), doxing their home address while attempting to incite radical left-wing lunatics into committing violence against the Bollingers. While Twitter deplatformed James OKeefe by claiming he interviewed a Facebook executive in front of his house, Twitter isnt deplatforming CNN for doxing the Bollingers (because the tech terrorists and media terrorists all work together, of course).

Now, Bank of America is also engaged in terror-minded financial crimes against its own customers, surreptitiously scanning credit card transaction records to determine who bought air tickets or made hotel reservations in the D.C. area for January 6th, the day of the false flag capitol riot. In utter violation of federal law and the Fourth Amendment, Bank of America turned over these records  without any warrant ever being issued  to the FBI, another terror-linked organization that now operates as the law enforcement branch of Antifa / BLM to terrorize American conservatives and Trump supporters with politically-motivated investigations.

Meanwhile, Disney fired Gina Carano for a tweet where she warned that Leftists in America today were following in the footsteps of the Nazi-linked Germans who vilified Jews during the cancel culture of the Third Reich. For pointing out this powerful truth, Gina was fired by Disney, a corporation with a long history of child exploitation and globalist brainwashing.

Hundreds of U.S. corporations gave millions of dollars to Black Lives Matter in 2020, directly funding domestic terrorism of the Left. But those same corporations claim conservatives are the enemy, and they are now weaponizing their customer records, employment offices and merchant platforms to punish all conservatives, Christians and White people for their very existence.

The ultimate goal of this radical, dangerous, authoritarian Left is the mass execution of all conservatives and Christians in America. All they need now is a false flag mass shooting directed at their own people in order to whip up the national call for gun confiscation and the criminalization of conservative beliefs.

Trust me, that day is coming they are putting together the plans for it right now. You havent even begun to see the mass mental illness that will be embraced Left-wing lunatics when they roll out their next false flag operation. It will make Sandy Hook look like a picnic.

Listen to todays Situation Update  also sub-titled, Thats Insane!  for full details:

Brighteon.com/150812a0-3572-45d5-97ea-060f49ee8441

Hear each days new podcast at:

https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport

Also read LeftCult.com for daily reporting on the dangerous, mentally ill cult of the radical Left.
Kandy rates payments window extended By L.B.Senaratne View(s): View(s):

Residents of Kandy are being given at least a month more to pay their rates.

The Kandy Municipal Council at a special general meeting on Friday, under the deputy mayor, Illhai Abdeen, unanimously decided to extend the payment period to 28 February, from 31 January. Surcharges will not be levied.

Taxes would be on the assessment made in 2012 and not on current rates.

This decision was taken as the municipality could not distribute tax notices before December 2020.

Councillor Vipula Ranasinghe moved a resolution for the extension.

Opposition leader Sena Dissanayake said that the secretary to the governor has misled the governor on the assessment issue although there is a decision by the central government to give redress to ratepayers.

Mr Abdeen told The Sunday Times that the taxes would be worked out based on the 2012 assessment.

(Natural News) Officials within the administration of Democrat President Joe Biden are considering requiring negative Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) test results before being able to board domestic flights.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed that the administration is engaged in an active conversation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in regards to require negative test results for domestic air travel.

What I can tell you is, its going to be guided by data, by science, by medicine and by the input of the people who are actually going to have to carry this out, said Buttigieg.

What we know is that its the appropriate measure for international travel, people traveling into the U.S. given some of those considerations, said Buttigieg on Monday, Feb. 8, in an interview on Axios on HBO. You know, Id say the domestic picture is very different, but you know the CDC is always evaluating what can best be done to keep Americans safe.

But heres the thing, he added, the safer we can make air travel, in terms of perception as well as reality, the more people are going to be ready to get back in the air.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky defended the possible new rule on the same day during a virtual briefing with reporters. She argued that the country would be able to detect more cases if more screening is done.

And certainly, theres more gathering that happens in airports. And so, to the extent that we have available tests to be able to do testing, she said. First and foremost, I would really encourage people to not travel. But if we are traveling, this would be yet another mitigation measure to try and decrease the spread.

The United States currently requires negative COVID-19 tests from all airline passengers who want to enter the country from a foreign nation. This includes citizens and legal permanent residents whore flying back from abroad.

Airline groups slam idea to require tests for domestic flights

Airlines and other industry groups have strongly criticized the proposal to require negative tests for domestic air travel.

During a hearing with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Sara Nelson, union leader and international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said that this mandate could bankrupt the entire airline industry. Many airlines are already trying to scrape by during a global pandemic that has damaged the industrys profits due to the significantly reduced air travel.

The Transportation Security Administration reported that on Monday, they only screened 864,000 passengers compared to the 2.1 million passengers screened on the same day last year. (Related: United Airlines CEO wants to force his employees to get the coronavirus vaccine.)

Nelson also questioned why the federal government was seemingly singling out the airline industry. She noted that oher sectors of the economy could just as easily cause a coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Isolating the airline industry and not doing the same thing for mass transit or doing this at grocery stores or restaurants doesnt make any sense, she said.

Two senior Beoing executives have agreed. They have warned the White House that a testing mandate could pose significant economic harm.

Imposing such a burden on the already financially beleaguered airline industry has the potential for severe unintended consequences that will ripple across the economy, said Boeing Chief Aerospace Safety Officer Michael Delaney and Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive Stan Deal in an open letter.

Echoing Nelsons concerns, Delaney and Deals letter questioned why the CDC was focusing on the airline industry. They also said that, if the Biden administration really wants to mandate testing, then the White House should cover all of the costs.

Ed Bastian, Chief Executive Officer of Delta Air Lines, had harsher words for the Biden administrations proposal.

I think itd be a horrible idea for a lot of reasons, he said on Tuesday during an interview with CNN.

Bastian argued that there was no evidence that testing will make domestic flights safer. Instead, what it will do is set back the travel industrys recovery by at least another year. When the CDC announced that negative tests were mandatory for international flights to the U.S., Bastian said airlines saw cancellations spike.

In addition, Bastian argued that requiring tests for domestic travelers would divert around 10 percent of the countrys testing resources. This is based on data showing that airlines carry around one million passengers a day on average.

Taking tests away from those who truly need it would be a very terrible decision, he said, and given the considerable delays there are in processing results, it would be a logistical nightmare.

Bastians comments came after a coalition of influential travel industry personalities, major pilot unions and travel industry associations released a statement urging the Biden administration to not institute mandatory testing.

The group argued that studies showed the risk of COVID-19 transmission during air travel is significantly low. The group also argued that it would be discriminatory and unwarranted, to mandate testing only for the airline industry. This hinted at the coalitions willingness to sue the federal government if it proceeds with this policy.

A testing mandate for domestic air travel would require extraordinary resources, set unachievable standards for protecting public health and do little to further curb COVID-19 transmission, said the coalition.

The group is arguing that the current safety measures airlines have implemented are already sufficient. In fact, they argue that their measures were only made stronger thanks to previous federal policies, including mandating face masks on planes. The coalition proceeds to argue that the government should focus on the vaccine rollout as opposed to testing a very safe mode of travel.

Learn more about how the Biden administration is attempting to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by reading the latest articles at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

USAToday.com

Reuters.com
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Engulfed in the crush of rioters storming the Capitol, D.C. police officer Jeffrey Smith sent his wife a text that spoke to the futility and fears of his mission.

"London has fallen," the 35-year-old tapped on his phone at 2:38 p.m. on Jan. 6, knowing his wife would understand he was referencing a movie by that name about a plan to assassinate world leaders attending a funeral in Britain.

The text confirmed the frightening images Erin Smith was watching on live stream from the couple's home in Virginia: The Capitol had been overrun.

Six minutes after Smith sent that text, a Capitol Police officer inside the building shot and killed a woman as she climbed through a smashed window next to the House chamber.

Smith, also inside the Capitol, didn't hear the gunshot, but he did hear the frantic "shots fired" call over his police radio. He later told Erin he panicked, afraid rioters had opened fire on police, and wondered whether he would die.

Around 5:35 p.m., Smith was still fighting to defend the building when a metal pole thrown by rioters struck his helmet and face shield. After working into the night, he visited the police medical clinic, was put on sick leave and, according to his wife, was sent home with pain medication.

In the days that followed, Erin said, her husband seemed in constant pain, unable to turn his head. He did not leave the house, even to walk their dog. He refused to talk to other people or watch television. She sometimes woke during the night to find him sitting up in bed or pacing.

He wasnt the same Jeff that left on the sixth  I just tried to comfort him and let him know that I loved him, she said. I told him Id be there if he needed anything, that no matter what well get through it. I tried to do the best I could.

Smith returned to the police clinic for a follow-up appointment Jan. 14 and was ordered back to work, a decision his wife now questions. After a sleepless night, he set off the next afternoon for an overnight shift, taking the ham-and-turkey sandwiches, trail mix and cookies Erin had packed.

On his way to the District, Smith shot himself in the head.

Police found him in his cherished Ford Mustang, which had rolled over and down an embankment along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, near a scenic overlook on the Potomac River.

He was the second police officer who had been at the riot to take his own life.

The pain of Jan. 6

For days, Smith's wife in Virginia and his family in Illinois grieved privately.

That changed Jan. 26, when acting D.C. police chief Robert J. Contee III testified behind closed doors to a congressional committee, telling lawmakers about the "service and sacrifices" of officers who died after having been at the siege.

Contee named three officers. One was Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who collapsed after engaging rioters and later died. Another was Howard Liebengood, 51, a Capitol officer who took his own life three days after the riot.

The third was Smith.

That two police officers had died by suicide after confronting rioters thrust the most private of acts into the national spotlight and made clear that the pain of Jan. 6 continued long after the day's events had concluded, its impact reverberating through the lives removed from the Capitol grounds.

Now, families of both Smith and Liebengood  who were buried in private ceremonies lacking the pageantry that accompanied Sicknick's memorial service in the Capitol Rotunda  want the deaths of their loved ones recognized as "line of duty" deaths.

The suicides have also renewed attention on another troubling and often hidden issue: Police officers die by their own hands at rates greater than people in other occupations, according to a report compiled by the Police Executive Research Forum in 2019, after at least nine New York City police officers died by suicide that year. That report said officer suicides outpace deaths of law enforcement members killed in shootings and vehicular crashes.

Since George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis and the sometimes volatile demonstrations that followed in cities across the country, "the occupation has been under tremendous scrutiny by the public," said John Violanti, a research professor at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions.

"I think that officers are suffering from this," said Violanti, who studies suicides by police officers. "There's a feeling of a huge lack of support, not only from the public but from administrations."

Even before the Capitol riot, police officers in the District were exhausted after months of sustained demonstrations for racial, social and political justice, some of which turned violent. Later, there were more violent confrontations when right-wing extremists came to rally in support of President Donald Trump.

 READ MORE: Trump team begins defense in impeachment trial after Democrats visceral presentation

About 850 D.C. police officers  nearly a quarter of the force  responded to the Capitol riot, and 65 were injured in hours of hand-to-hand combat. More than 70 Capitol Police officers were hurt.

Newly released audio from D.C. police at the riot shows how police were overwhelmed. "Multiple Capitol injuries, multiple Capitol injuries," one officer screamed over his radio. Later an officer shouted, "We're still taking rocks, bottles and pieces of flag and metal pole." And an officer pleaded for help: "We lost the line. We've lost the line. All MPD, pull back to the upper deck, ASAP."

Officers were struck with poles, dragged down stairs and sprayed with bear spray. One suffered a heart attack. Another lost a finger, D.C. police said.

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., one of the House managers, said Thursday at Trump's impeachment trial that rioters questioned officers' patriotism and loyalty, calling them Nazis, traitors and un-American "for protecting us."

"Several Capitol police officers have reportedly threatened self-harm in the days following the riot," Cicilline said during the trial. "And in one case, an officer voluntarily turned in her gun because she was afraid of what might happen."

Contee knew the emotional toll would be devastating. One officer, he had recalled, told him the siege was scarier than two tours as a soldier in Iraq.

The chief, who said he planned to make officer mental health a focus of his leadership, called on department counselors to hold group sessions, thinking officers would be seen quickly and that sharing their experiences might ease any concerns about getting help. More than 30 meetings were held, with individual follow-ups for some.

"We wanted to get to the most people in the least amount of time," Contee said.

Smith's family attorney said the officer did not attend any counseling sessions while he was on sick leave. He also said no one from the department reached out to Smith about attending.

A love of cars

Smith, a car enthusiast who grew up in Illinois, moved to the D.C. area 12 years ago after graduating college with a degree in sociology, having spotted openings on the District's police force.

He spent his career in the Second District, his latest beat roughly 40 square blocks east of the White House.

He met Erin, who works for an executive search firm, several years ago on the Internet; they shared a love for cars, a topic that dominated their initial conversations.

They married in 2019 and settled in Virginia.

He took careful care of his prized black 2015 Mustang and his Rottweiler-lab mix, which predated Erin. "We always joked," she said, "it was the car, the dog and me." Feb. 2 would have been their second anniversary.

He typically worked night shifts, and on Sundays Erin made it a ritual to drive into the District and share dinner with Smith on a bench on the Mall. Smith, in his uniform, never hesitated to give tourists directions, and he once sent Erin to her car to fetch jumper cables so he could restart a woman's dead battery with his police cruiser.

Smith had worked many of the demonstrations that began over the summer, telling his wife a chunk of concrete thrown at officers once only narrowly missed his head. She said he talked about one of his friends injured on a protest line who felt he didn't get adequate care.

But he mostly shielded his wife from the intimate and sometimes scary parts of his job.

"There were events that I'm sure happened that bothered him," Erin said, but he didn't want her to worry.

Hours after the siege at the Capitol had ended, Smith later told his wife, he found himself with other officers outside a hotel where insurgents were believed to be staying. Their orders were to arrest any who came outside, at that point breaking a citywide curfew imposed by the mayor to restore order.

At 9 p.m., he told two supervisors he was in pain from being hit by the pole, and he was sent to the Police & Fire Clinic in Northeast Washington, run by a contractor and the first step for nearly every officer injured on the job.

He checked in at the clinic at 10:15 p.m., according to records shared by his family.

On his police injury form, he wrote: "Hit with flying object in face shield and helmet." He added that he "began feeling pain in my neck and face."

He checked out 1:31 a.m. on Jan. 7, his status listed as "sick," though no diagnosis is noted. Erin does not know if he told the staff about any emotional issues.

"He told me it was chaos," she said of the clinic. "There were so many people there."

In an interview, Contee said 16 officers injured in the riot went to the clinic Jan. 6, and he believes Smith was seen more quickly there than he would have at a hospital emergency room. Officers who were severely injured that night, including the one who suffered a heart attack, were taken directly to hospitals; others went to the clinic in the days that followed the riot.

The chief described care given to officers as "adequate" but noted, "We can always do better."

Erin has questions about her husband's care at the Police & Fire Clinic. She said he told her he was seen for only about 10 minutes when he returned Jan. 14 and was approved to return to work the following day.

She wonders whether there were indications of a serious head injury or signs of emotional distress, and she is seeking his complete medical file. Police officials would not comment on specifics of Smith's visit, citing privacy laws. Representatives for PFC Associates, which runs the clinic, did not respond to an interview request.

Smith didn't talk much about the details of what he experienced during his hours at the Capitol, Erin said. She didn't press, but even from the little she learned, she thinks the images she saw on live stream did not fully capture what police experienced. Before the riot, the family's lawyer said, Smith had not been diagnosed with or exhibited signs of depression.

Erin is convinced the trauma of Jan. 6 made the thought of returning to policing unbearable for him.

"If he didn't go to work that day," Erin said, "he would still be alive."

Some acknowledgments

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., invoked Smith and Liebengood's names during Sicknick's memorial at the Capitol, and acting Capitol Police chief Yogananda D. Pittman included a mention of Liebengood along with Sicknick in a videotaped statement released last week. She said that many officers are "understandably struggling" and that the officers' deaths "will not be in vain."

On Tuesday, the lead manager at Trump's impeachment trial, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), recited injuries officers suffered and said that "two officers have taken their own lives." The Capitol siege occurred the day after Raskin's son was buried after taking his own life New Year's Eve.

Liebengood's family did not wish to speak publicly. Their attorney, Barry Pollack, said the family believes Liebengood's suicide should be treated no differently than the death of an officer in a shooting or traffic accident. "But for his service to the country, they believe he would be alive today," Pollack said.

But classifying Smith and Liebengood's deaths as "in the line of duty" could be difficult.

Experts caution suicide is not typically due to a singular event, even a traumatic one, and precise reasons are generally rooted in a wide variety of factors that are often never fully understood.

And in many jurisdictions, including the District, rules or laws governing pensions exclude extra payouts in suicides. D.C. law says the fatality must be "the sole and direct" result of an on-duty injury and one not caused by an "intention to bring about his own death."

The chairman of the D.C. police union, Greggory Pemberton, said he would support a "thorough investigation" into the reasons behind Smith's suicide, but he stressed a line-of-duty designation for Smith at this time would be "premature." The head of the union for the Capitol Police did not respond to questions about Liebengood.

In the interview, Contee sidestepped whether he would support such a request for Smith. A spokeswoman for Capitol Police did not return a request for comment.

The attorney for Smith's family, David P. Weber, has enlisted the help of two members of Congress from Virginia, where the two officers lived. A representative for Sen. Tim Kaine, D, said he supports the family's efforts.

Rep. Don Beyer, D, who represents the district where Smith lived, said the officer died "pretty much as a direct result" of the riot. "We need to recognize that his death also was tragic, and his actions also were heroic."

Erin had watched as President Joe Biden and other luminaries visited the Rotunda to pay respects to Sicknick as he lay in honor, his remains taken by police escort to Arlington National Cemetery. Officers who die in the line of duty are also remembered on memorial walls and in annual ceremonies.

She believes her husband also deserves a place among the heroes who battled at the Capitol that day.

"It is time the District recognized that some of the greatest risks police officers face lead to silent injuries," Weber said. "Why do we say that one person is honored and another person is forgotten? They all faced the exact same circumstances."

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It takes several laps of Noosas main drag, Hastings Street, to find a carpark and nearly every table is occupied at the string of sidewalk cafes by 9am. It is a weekday and a vastly different scene than in the far north Queensland city of Cairns where near-empty tour boats are floating around the Great Barrier Reef. Queenslands multibillion-dollar tourism industry has been knee-capped by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Tourism Industry Council chief Daniel Gschwind estimating at least $12 billion has been ripped from the sector in the past year alone. Aroma Cafe at Noosa has been busy. Credit:Attila Csaszar But some pockets of the state - particularly the string of coastal communities along the Sunshine Coast - have managed to thrive despite border closures, lockdowns and interstate tourists hesitation to book a Queensland sojourn in case there is a coronavirus outbreak and borders are closed at short notice. With international travel off the cards indefinitely and the interstate travel downturn, south-east Queensland tourism operators have been doubling down on the local drive market. Noosa, the upmarket coastal town where Australias business elite go to unwind, has been really, really busy despite losing the Sydneysiders and Melburnians that account for about two-thirds of the market.

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Holiday Homes @ Noosa owner Glenn McClellan manages about 70 properties on the northern stretch of the Sunshine Coast. The accommodation, which ranges from $150 per night two-bedroom unit to a $55,000 per week home, have all been pretty much booked out since June. The guests coming to stay here are very different to normal, because usually 70 per cent of our guests from interstate and 30 per cent from Queensland but now that has reversed, he said. When they opened up the borders in December, we only had about six houses left so within a few days they were all gone. When we opened up to Sydney in mid-January, there was a bit of a response, but not an overwhelming flood. People from Victoria and New South Wales are really reluctant to commit, I think they do not want to take the risk of having to quarantine for two weeks when they get back home. Despite losing out on cashed-up families from NSW and Victoria, February is shaping up as one of the busiest months on record for some operators. February is usually dead because it is after the school holidays and the parents are going back to work, McClellan said.

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Sunshine Coast chef Angus Megson says it had been a busy summer. Credit:Lydia Lynch I usually say to owners you just have to take what you can get in February because otherwise, the houses sit empty. But at this point, Im looking at our booking calendar, and its sitting at about 75 or 80 per cent occupancy, which is well above what my expectation. After a bumper summer and a lot of accommodation already booked out for Easter, Mr McClellan should be fist-pumping but he is waiting for the other shoe to drop amid the pandemic uncertainty. It is a very nerve-racking time for the industry at the moment. Even though the sun seems to be shining, it is not like you are enjoying it because there is that constant pressure that things could go wrong at any time, he said. I have a knot in the pit of my stomach all of the time. Just weeks after Brisbanes snap three-day lockdown which forced millions of dollars worth of booking cancellations, Noosa is bustling again.

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Retired Formula One driver Mark Webber, Sydney celebrity accountant Anthony Bell and Bettys Burgers founders David and Louise Hales all own houses at Noosa Heads and Noosaville. Hastings Street is still dotted with women wearing designer activewear as they walk fluffy dogs and men in boat shoes clutching coffees, with blue and white striped towels draped over their shoulders. But there has been a shift in the clientele escaping to the luxury coastal town. Noosas famous main beach was closed in November after a Schoolies rave left behind broken glass, used condoms and cigarette butts on the sand. Interstate surgeons and socialites who normally book two-week holidays to Noosa have been replaced with younger crowds of Brisbane residents looking to stay a few nights away to let off steam. Mr McClellan said in the past three months, he had responded to four noise complaints in the middle of the night. And in the past 10 years, I have only had four of them, he said.

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So it is a little bit different but at the same time, beggars cant be choosers. Further down the coast, Mooloolaba and Caloundra cater more for the family market. The expansion of Sunshine Coast Airport, 14 kilometres from Mooloolaba Beach, is expected to boost interstate visitors in the next few years. It is the fastest-growing airport in Australia, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, and welcomed 1.27 million domestic travellers in 2019. Angus Megson, who works as a chef at Beachfront Seafoods, a takeaway fish-and-chip shop on the Mooloolaba esplanade, said the summer had been even busier than the previous year. Sea Life Sunshine Coast General Manager Quinn Clarke says the aquarium was busier in 2020 than the previous two years. Credit:Lydia Lynch Over the school holidays it was really busy, he said. I feel like opening the borders has already started to make a difference, there were definitely a lot more people here from Melbourne and Sydney and down those ways.

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Detectives believe an aspiring lawyer who was stabbed to death as he went to buy a bagel was subjected to an 'unprovoked attack' by a group of six young men.

A 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of murdering 22-year-old Sven Badzak in Kilburn, north-west London, last Saturday have been released on bail.

Mr Badzak, who was working for his father's construction company and hoped to do a law conversion course, was waiting outside a bagel shop with his 16-year-old friend when the pair were attacked.

His mother, Jasna Badzak, a former Conservative Party activist, said she believes her son was killed in a random attack.

Detectives do not believe the victims knew their attackers and have no information to suggest it was a robbery.

Sven Badzak, 22, (pictured) was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack on Willesden Lane in Kilburn at 5.30pm Saturday

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Wrigley said on Friday: 'At the moment we have no other information than that. It was an unprovoked attack, certainly.

'It happened very, very quickly and Sven and his young friend were attacked for no reason that we know of at this time.

'There were six who attacked the two young men. The two who have been arrested have now been released on bail.

'We are still conducting our inquiries to confirm the identity of all of those who took part.

'This group of young men came to that area and moved together as a group before the offence.

'The offence took place, I believe they left initially in a group together as well, so I believe they acted together.

Mr Badzak's mother, Jasna Badzak (pictured) a former Conservative Party activist, called on the Prime Minister to help ensure her son's killers are caught

'The group of males have been described as a mixture of white males and black males and that's the descriptions varying from different witnesses at the moment.'

Ms Badzak said her son, who was privately educated at Wetherby and Portland Place schools before attending Roehampton University, had gone to a shop to get orange juice and then to a bagel shop when he was attacked.

As he and his friend were chased at around 5.30pm, they became separated and Mr Badzak, from Maida Hill, west London, fell to the ground and was stabbed repeatedly.

The 16-year-old also suffered multiple stab injuries but managed to escape into a shop in Willesden Lane. He is currently in a stable condition in hospital.

Making a fresh appeal for witnesses, Mr Wrigley said: 'We're approaching a week since the offence took place. We have arrested two people, but we still need some more information about who was there that evening and what took place.

'We know there were a lot of people out on foot who may have witnessed this on the evening of the offence, but also people were passing in vehicles.

'I'm seeking information from those people and would ask them to come forward.'

Knife crime victim Sven Badzak met Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a child (pictured)

Ms Badzak said her son, who had a degree in sociology but wanted to become a lawyer, had met Boris Johnson and other well-known Conservative politicians when he was younger through her campaigning work with the party.

The Prime Minister said 'absolutely everything' is being done to tackle violent crime after Ms Badzak, a consultant and financial analyst, called on him to help ensure her son's killers are caught.

Meanwhile, an 18-year-old man was stabbed to death in a fight near Parsons Green Tube station in south-west London on Thursday evening.

Mr Wrigley said there will be extra patrols in areas where violent attacks have been carried out.

'We are doing everything we can in terms of dealing with young people who think it's okay to go out on the street with knives,' he said.

'Statistically, if you carry a knife, you are more likely to be a victim and obviously you're more likely to use it, so don't do it.'

Witnesses to the attack on Mr Badzak are urged to call 101 or contact Crimestoppers.
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), one of the largest aircraft leasing companies in the world, has posted a revenue of $1.300.3 billion for 2020, as against $1.439.5 billion in the previous year, a decrease of 9.65%.



Profit before tax reached $250.2 million (2019: $413.6 million), while pre-tax profit margin was recorded at 19.2% (2019: 29.1%)



Operating highlights:



 Number of new underwriting aircraft purchase commitments: 55 (owned: 38; managed: 17)

 Number of aircraft acquired: 38 (owned: 23; managed: 15)

 Number of aircraft sold: 28 (owned: 14; managed: 14)

 Lease agreements and extensions signed: 125 (owned: 109; managed: 16)

 Fleet Utilization: 98.2% (Year-end 2019: 100%)



Firoz Tarapore, Chief Executive Officer of DAE, said: 2020 was an extraordinary year with the pandemic impacting air traffic demand and airlines need for aircraft. In this difficult environment, DAE demonstrated the power of its franchise by (a) using our liquidity position to assist customers, as warranted, with rent deferral agreements, (b) making underwriting commitments for 55 aircraft, and taking delivery of 38 in 2020, and (c) further strengthening the liquidity and capital position of the company.



DAE has always maintained one of the most diversified aircraft portfolios of any major lessor, with approximately three aircraft on lease to a customer on average. This stellar diversification along with our capital strength and focused underwriting allowed us to deal with airline events in an orderly manner and avoid asset impairments in 2020. All aircraft at year-end 2020 were subject to an agreement or letter of intent to lease or sell. Disciplined underwriting has been the hallmark of our franchise for a very long time, and 2020 was the year in which the benefits of this discipline became more starkly evident.







Our Engineering division stayed open for most of 2020, balancing the health and safety of our employees with the requirements of our customers. During 2020, we acquired the authorization to perform work on the Boeing 777 and welcomed our first Boeing 777 customer. During the year, we added five new airline customers, and we began 2021 with a hangar full of aircraft.



As we look to 2021, we remain optimistic about a snapback in air travel demand starting in summer 2021 resulting from ramped up deployment of existing vaccines, development of new vaccines and the favourable impact of measures currently in place in impacted areas to contain the spread. Longer term, we remain very bullish that air traffic demand will revert to its historic trajectory of growing at twice the rate of GDP growth, he added.  TradeArabia News Service




India is actually a red-hot investment opportunity for its transition, top US official said on Thursday as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his commitment to addressing the challenge posed by climate change which the Biden Administration believes poses an existential threat to humanity.

Kerry, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, said he intends to work "very, very closely with" with Indian leadership including Prime Minister Modi and External Minister S Jaishankar.

"We believe India can be one of the most critical transitional countries in this entire endeavour. I am confident that just as we have worked very closely on any number of issues in these last years, our two nations -- the world's two biggest democracies -- have a great deal to gain from joining hands in our global leadership and confronting the climate crisis to meet this moment," he said.

"India is actually a red-hot investment opportunity for its transition," Kerry, the first official on climate to be inside the US National Security Council, said in his address to the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021.

Looking forward to visiting India soon, Kerry said that the prime minister has made a very important contribution to this dialogue. Needless to say, India is deeply committed to this challenge and it has been for a considerable number of years, he said.

"You are indisputably a world leader in the deployment of renewable energy and your leadership of the International Solar Alliance, which Minister Jaishankar referred to, is absolutely critical for not just India, but for other dynamic, growing economies in the world, Kerry said.

Prime Minister Modi's announcement of a target of 450 gigawatts of renewables by 2030 is a strong, terrific example of how to power a growing economy with clean energy, and it's going to be one of the most important contributions because India today is already the third largest emitter in the world behind the United States and China, he said.

Referring to a latest report of the International Energy Agency, he said India's down payment on the transition puts it on pace to become the global market leader in solar and storage by 2040. "And thanks to your rapid scale-up, it's already cheaper to build solar in India than anywhere else in the world. That kind of urgency is exactly what we need in order to confront the crisis that we confront today," he said.

After coming to power, the Biden Administration has quickly established contacts with the Indian leadership. The leadership of the two countries at the top level have known each other for long and have put the relationship on fast-track. In a recent interview, India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, had identified climate change as one of the key pillars of collaboration between the two countries.

It was one of the topics of discussion between Prime Minister Modi and President Joe Biden earlier this week and also when they spoke in November soon after the US election results were announced.

In his speech, Kerry made it clear that India is a key partner of the US under the Biden Administration and would take it over from where the relationship was left by the previous Trump Administration.

On climate change, Kerry said that he knows that Prime Minister Modi is committed to this and seized by it, and so are Indian businesses.

"I was also very heartened to see the recent government budget focussed heavily on clean energy and propose a very specific hydrogen energy mission, he said.

By 2030, the International Energy Agency forecasts that if India drives even more aggressively towards this clean energy transition, it will create half a million additional jobs than business as usual would create. Indian industry is obviously already stepping up and showing leadership. I was very pleased to hear that dozens of India's biggest companies recently signed a declaration on climate change, pledging to go carbon neutral," Kerry 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.)
New Delhi:

World Emoji Day: Apple has announced collection of new emoji characters coming to iOS, macOS and watchOS this year. Apple has also teased new emoji which includes bearded person and breastfeeding, and food items such as sandwich and coconut.

More animals and mythical creatures like T rex, zebra, zombie and elf are a fun way to describe situations and new Star-Struck and Exploding Head smiley faces make any message more fun, the company said.

While there are thousand of emoji available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac to add personality to every message. New emoji include Woman with Headscarf, Bearded Person and Breastfeeding, and food items such as Sandwich and Coconut.

The most popular emojis with users are always the smileys and gestures, Burge said, speaking from a car on the way to the Empire State Building, which will be lit up yellow to celebrate the day. These regularly top Emojipedia stats and platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Emojipedia requests show a redhead emoji dominating requests for future additions, he said. Redhead is now a candidate for 2018, as well as curly hair and a bald headed person.

Theres been a lot of demand for a hand heart emoji, Burge said, which looks like two hands making a heart shaped gesture. Hearts are always very well used on social and messaging platforms, so it makes sense that people want more variety in how they do that.

Burge said he was pretty chuffed for Apple to acknowledge World Emoji Day for the first time, as their calendar emoji design showing July 17 is the reason I made World Emoji Day today in the first place. It makes sense that they might want to be involved on a day they unwittingly helped create.

Also, App Store will highlight apps to create or do fun things with emoji, and iTunes Movies is featuring emoji in place of select movie titles to marks World Emoji Day.




Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Banco Santander-ChileGlobal Credit Research - 11 Feb 2021New York, February 11, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Banco Santander-Chile and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review discussion held on 10 February 2021 in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.Key rating considerations are summarized below.Banco Santander-Chile's (Santander) A1 long-term deposit and debt ratings are based on the bank's baa1 baseline credit assessment (BCA) and Moody's assessment of a very high probability of government support in a situation of financial stress, because of Santander's large deposit franchise and its systemic importance. The ratings benefit from three notches of uplift from its BCA.Santander' BCA incorporates its solid risk management and loan underwriting policies, and a diversified loan mix that support consistently adequate asset quality. The bank's pricing power, revenue diversification and cost controls ensure that its profitability remains generally strong, also benefiting from ample core deposit funding. Moreover, Santander's various digital initiatives have boosted its traditionally low fee income and new client acquisition. The bank's reliance on market funds is relatively high, which may expose it to refinancing risks, but debt issuances primarily finance its long-term mortgage book. Santander's capitalization is adequate to support future growth but remains relatively moderate by global standards.This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.The principal methodology used for this review was Banks Methodology published in November 2019. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.This announcement applies only to EU rated, UK rated, EU endorsed and UK endorsed ratings. Non EU rated, non UK rated, non EU endorsed and non UK endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history. Felipe Carvallo VP - Senior Credit Officer Financial Institutions Group Moody's de Mexico S.A. de C.V Ave. Paseo de las Palmas No. 405 - 502 Col. Lomas de Chapultepec Mexico, DF 11000 Mexico JOURNALISTS: 1 888 779 5833 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 M. Celina Vansetti-Hutchins MD - Banking Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653  2021 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. MOODYS DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT OR IMPAIRMENT. SEE APPLICABLE MOODYS RATING SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS PUBLICATION FOR INFORMATION ON THE TYPES OF CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ADDRESSED BY MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS. CREDIT RATINGS DO NOT ADDRESS ANY OTHER RISK, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: LIQUIDITY RISK, MARKET VALUE RISK, OR PRICE VOLATILITY. CREDIT RATINGS, NON-CREDIT ASSESSMENTS (ASSESSMENTS), AND OTHER OPINIONS INCLUDED IN MOODYS PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF CURRENT OR HISTORICAL FACT. 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When Bruce Beresford was a boy, years before he first dabbled in movie making, his weekend highlight was to visit one of Parramattas three movie palaces.

Now only the Roxy survives among the citys rising skyscrapers, tired and empty, caught in a standoff between the owner who intends to turn it into a premier bar, restaurant and function centre, and community campaigners who wish to bring it back to life as a live theatre and music venue.

Filmmaker Bruce Beresford and Roxy Theatre Action Groups Robert Fox say the Roxy could serve as Parramattas new live theatre and music venue. Credit:Brook Mitchell

Beresford, the Australian director who helped craft the nations unique cinematic voice, has lent his weight to the Roxys revival and says it would be criminal not to save the 1930s space.

For the occasion of the theatres 91st birthday, Beresford has been named campaign patron, and Barry Humphries, whom he brought to the screen in The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, has also come on board.
Late on Thursday night, the Supreme Court blocked Willie Smiths execution in a surprising and somewhat puzzling decision that divided the court along unusual lines: Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the courts three liberals to hold that Alabama must let Smith, a devout Christian, bring his pastor into the execution chamber when he is killed. The decision suggests that Barrett may apply principles of religious liberty more consistently than some of her conservative colleagues, even when doing so leads to a result favored by progressives and opposed by conservatives. There is, however, a mystery at the heart of the courts order: Because it is a shadow docket decision, we do not actually know who cast the fifth vote to halt Smiths execution.

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Dunn v. Smith is the latest in a line of cases that ask whether the government may forbid death row inmates from bringing a religious counselor into the execution chamber. In 2019s notorious Dunn v. Ray, the court allowed Alabama to exclude a Muslim inmates imam from the chamber by a 54 vote. All four liberals dissented. They accused Alabama of religious discrimination in violation of the First Amendment because it let prisoners bring a Christian chaplain to accompany their final moments, but not an imam. Less than two months later, the court seemed to reverse course: By a 63 vote, it prohibited Texas from executing a Buddhist inmate without the presence of his spiritual adviser. This time, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, noted that Texas allowed Christian chaplains to accompany prisoners in their final moments; if the state lets religious figures of one faith into the death chamber, Kavanaugh concluded, it must let those of other faiths into the chamber as well.

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In response to these decisions, Alabama simply barred all religious counselors from accompanying inmates as they are put to death. Willie Smith, yet another inmate on Alabamas death row, attacked this new rule under a federal law called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA. The statute bars prisons from placing a substantial burden on an inmates religious exercise unless that burden satisfies strict scrutiny. To meet that standard, the prisons restriction on religion must constitute the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interestan exceptionally demanding standard. Smiths claim under RLUIPA is thus broader than previous prisoners claims under the First Amendment. He is not required to prove that Alabama has favored other religions over his, only that the states total ban on religious figures in the death chamber is not the least restrictive means of maintaining prison security.

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Justice Elena Kaganjoined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, and Barrettendorsed Smiths argument on Thursday night. Security, Kagan wrote, is surely a compelling governmental interest. But past practice, in Alabama and elsewhere, shows that a prison may ensure security without barring all clergy members from the execution chamber. Alabama argued that it cannot trust clergy members who are not affiliated with the state or the prison to enter the chamberbut that, Kagan wrote, is untrue. She pointed out that many states, as well as the federal government, have allowed clergy members with no connection to the government to attend an inmates execution without disruption.

Either Alito or Gorsuch (or both) must have voted with Barrett and the liberal justices.

Nowhere, as far as I can tell, has the presence of a clergy member (whether state-appointed or independent) disturbed an execution, Kagan explained. Alabama can take any number of measures to ensure that a clergy member will act responsibly during an execution, including a background check, an interview, and a penalty-backed pledge that hell follow the rules. What the State cannot do, she concluded, consistent with strict scrutiny, is simply presume that every clergy member will be untrustworthyor otherwise said, that only the harshest restriction can work.

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Kavanaugh, joined by Roberts, dissented. Because the States policy is non-discriminatory and, in my view, serves the States compelling interests in ensuring the safety, security, and solemnity of the execution room, he wrote, he wouldve allowed the execution to move forward. Justice Clarence Thomas also noted his dissent. That leaves us with one big, unanswered question: Who cast the fifth vote to block Smiths execution? By process of elimination, we know it was either Samuel Alito or Neil Gorsuch. But in 2019, in an opinion joined by Gorsuch, Alito expressed skepticism toward the argument that RLUIPA requires prisons to let inmates bring spiritual advisers into the death chamber. Alito gave credence to the states claim that it could not trust an outside spiritual adviser to behave appropriately during the execution. And he speculated that allowing members of the clergy and spiritual advisers other than official chaplains to enter the execution room could set an unworkable precedent.

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Obviously, either Alito or Gorsuch (or both) changed his mind between then and now, because someone cast the decisive vote with Kagan, Sotomayor, Breyer, and Barrett to stop Alabama from killing Willie Smith. But in a shadow docket decision like this one, issued without full briefing or arguments, the justices are not required to note their votes. Thus, the Supreme Court has altered the law of religious freedom and the death penalty without providing a majority opinion for the lower courts to followand without telling the public which justice provided the crucial vote to safeguard Smiths rights. (Smith will still be killed, albeit with the presence of a pastor who, in Smiths words, will relieve his struggle as he passes and help him properly express to God his repentance.)

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Aside from this puzzle, the most notable aspect of the courts decision in Dunn v. Smith is probably Barretts alliance with the remaining liberal justices. There is no doubt that Barrett is very conservative, but her few votes so far do signal that she may distinguish herself from the courts more nihilistic and partisan far-right justices. We know the justice believes deeply in religious freedom. But all the justices purport to hold this view, and not all of them apply it consistentlyespecially when it clashes with other conservative priorities like facilitating speedy executions. Barrett, it bears noting, has voted to let other executions move forward over the liberals dissents. But she drew the line at Alabamas extreme policy. With this court, progressives must take any victory they can get. And Dunn v. Smith is a small but meaningful triumph for a principled application of genuine religious liberty.
Former Gov. Chris Christie, a long-time friend and adviser to Donald Trump, had a bit part in the former presidents unprecedented second impeachment trial on Thursday.

One of the impeachment managers, Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., played clips of several Republicans telling Trump to call off the hordes who had stormed the Capitol.

Current and former officials immediately recognized that the president had incited the crowd, that he alone was capable of stopping the violence, that he did this and he had to call it off because he was the only one who could, Neguse said.

To buttress his point, Neguse then played videos of Christie and several other Republicans, including Reps. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, imploring Trump to act.

Its pretty simple, Christie said in a video of his comments on ABC News. The president caused this protest to occur. Hes the only one who can make this stop. The president has to come out and tell his supporters to leave the Capitol grounds and to allow the Congress to do their business peacefully. Anything short of that is an abrogation of his responsibility.

Also on the program, Christie said he had been trying to reach Trump for 25 minutes without success. Later that day, he told ABC that he was just absolutely sickened by what I saw.

He said the following weekend on ABC that he believed that Trump committed an impeachable offense. If inciting to insurrection isnt, then I dont really know what is, Christie said

Neguse said Trump could have ended the violence had he chosen to, before five people were killed.

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When President Trump wants to stop something, he does so simply, easily, quickly, but aside from four tweets and a short clip during the over five-hour-long attack, he did nothing, Neguse said. He reacted exactly the way someone would react if they were delighted and exactly unlike how a person would react if they were angry at how their followers were acting.

Trump did tell his supporters to go home with love and in peace and remember this way forever, in the same tweet after he first said, These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly and unfairly treated for so long.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.

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International communications firm Infinite Global has appointed Patrick Tooher as Director and head of its UK Financial Services practice.

Patrick has held a number of senior corporate communications roles both in-house and agency-side following a 16-year career in business journalism, latterly as City Editor of the Mail on Sunday.

He was head of media relations for KPMG in the UK and head of PR at The Co-operative Bank during its banking and governance crisis. More recently, he has also been a director at two leading PR agencies in the UK.

Infinite Global has advised a number of leading financial services organisations, including major players in the insurance, pensions, and wealth and asset management sectors. Patrick will oversee the continued growth of the firm's FS offering in the UK.

Patrick will divide his time between Infinite Global's head office in London and his home city of Manchester, where he will have direct access to its flourishing financial services and fintech ecosystem, while also developing Infinite Global's national and regional profile.

Patrick's appointment comes as Infinite Global was named B2B PR Agency of the Year at the 2020 B2B Marketing Awards.

ENDS

About Infinite Global

Infinite Global is an award-winning international communications firm advising complex businesses which need to engage with sophisticated audiences. Specialising in PR, Content Campaigns, and Crisis Litigation, the firm provides the experience, skills and insight to drive brands forward or defend them from reputational risk. Infinite Global has offices in London, New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005168/en/

Contacts:

Ryan McSharry Helen Scott

Infinite Global

020 7269 1430
Police in different districts in the north-central province of Ha Tinh arrested a total of 58 people for setting off prohibited types of fireworks on Lunar New Years Eve on Thursday.

Forty-one arrestees in 55 detected cases come from Huong Son District.

The confiscated items include two 36-piece boxes of fireworks, two nine-piece boxes of fireworks, 169 ball-shaped firecrackers, seven buzz firecrackers, one handmade firecracker, and 20 firework shells of all kinds.

In Nghi Xuan District, 12 people were detained for setting off illegal fireworks.

In Vu Quang District, police officers apprehended five people for using prohibited fireworks, seizing five 36-piece boxes of fireworks.

The majority of the violators are teenagers, according to local police.

Vietnamese law prohibits all activities in association with the production, trading, transportation, import, export, storage, and use of firecrackers and fireworks and materials thereof, except for some specific cases.

Apart from that, prohibited acts include illegally producing, trading, importing, exporting, transporting, storing, and using fireworks and firework materials.

Prohibited fireworks explode in the sky in Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam on 2021 Lunar New Year's Eve. Photo: Ngoc Thang / Tuoi Tre

The government recently amended a decree, which took effect on January 11, allowing all Vietnamese to light up fireworks for some special events such as Lunar New Year festivals, birthdays, wedding ceremonies, conferences, grand openings, anniversaries, and cultural activities.

However, the fireworks allowed are the kinds that do not explode and are produced or imported by the Ministry of National Defense or authorized organizations.

Meanwhile, the fireworks detected in the aforementioned cases in Ha Tinh Province are low- and high-altitude ones of unknown origin that emit loud explosions and long-lasting brightness.

Many local people have been startled and annoyed by the unexpected noise and unpleasant smell produced by the prohibited fireworks during the Lunar New Year holiday.

They expect the authorities to beef up measures against the acts of storing, trading, and using illegal fireworks to ensure public security and social order.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 03:47:56|Editor: huaxia

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ALGIERS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Friday reported 254 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the North African country to 110,303.

The death toll from the virus in Algeria rose to 2,932 after two new fatalities were added, said the Algerian Ministry of Health in a statement.

Meanwhile, 195 more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 75,688, the ministry statement added.

General Director of Algeria's National Pharmaceuticals Agency Kamel Mansouri said the negotiation is underway between Algeria and Russia on locally producing the COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, TSA news website reported on Friday.

China and Algeria have offered mutual help in the fight against the pandemic. In February 2020, Algeria sent medical donations to help China combat the coronavirus. In return, China has sent several batches of medical aid to Algeria.

In addition, a Chinese team of medical experts arrived in Algeria on May 14, 2020, for a 15-day mission to help fight the coronavirus, by sharing China's experience in curbing the spread of the contagious disease. Enditem
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CLEVELAND, Ohio  Ohio Health Director Stephanie McCloud signed an amended order reopening self-service food stations in restaurants, bars, banquet and catering facilities with certain conditions.

The order  which goes into effect at 11:59 tonight  Feb. 11  includes responsibilities for both businesses as well as customers as a way to stem the spread of coronavirus. It stipulates the following:

 Customers must wear facial coverings while using, or in line for, self-service food stations. Those unable to wear a covering must be served by an employee.

 Buffet tables / salad bars must be at least six feet from customer seating, and lines must not extend into seating areas.

 Directional signage will map one-directional flow for customers, who must maintain social distancing.

 Customers must use hand sanitizer, which will be positioned at the beginning and end of the line. Signage instructing customers to do this must be posted.

 Employees must monitor social distancing between seated customers and those in line.

 Serving utensils must be replaced or sanitized at least hourly. It is recommended operators make available disposable napkins or tissues for customers to use when handling serving utensils. A trash receptacle should be located conveniently.

 Staff trained in food safety must continually monitor self-serve areas.

 Food must be protected from contamination, including maintaining sneeze guards on self-serve equipment.

Some of the standards have been in place since restaurants reopened last year. Use of individually packaged condiments is recommended. Commonly touched surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized frequently.

I am on cleveland.coms life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, heres a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for Beer with Bona and Much, Much More with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler.

Get a jumpstart on the weekend and sign up for Cleveland.coms weekly In the CLE email newsletter, your essential guide to the top things to in Greater Cleveland. It will arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings - an exclusive to-do list, focusing on the best of the weekend fun. Restaurants, music, movies, performing arts, family fun and more. Just click here to subscribe. All cleveland.com newsletters are free.
Like a line server at Cleburnes Cafeteria, Gov. Greg Abbott offered up an array of emergency items last week appealing to a range of legislative appetites. For the red-meat lovers, he recommended that lawmakers consider two highly seasoned items: protecting election integrity (read: making it harder to vote) and punishing cities inclined to defund the police (read: Austins reallocation of civilian duties). Both issues are actually spoiled meat. Neither are good for the body politic.

To his credit, the governors menu also includes a healthier choice, one that has the potential to break down barriers between rural and urban Texas, revive small towns and provide education, economic and health care opportunities to thousands of Texans who prefer to live in Fort Davis and not Fort Worth, Hallettsville instead of Houston.

Expanding access to high-speed internet will provide opportunities and improve the quality of life for all Texans, especially those in rural and low-income communities, Gov. Abbott wrote.

Hes right about that, as both Democratic and Republican lawmakers agree. In fact, investing in broadband initiatives would seem to be one of the few proposals the Legislature will consider this session that qualifies as bipartisan. If we have learned anything during the enforced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that all Texans  rural and urban, old and young, red and blue  benefit when they are connected.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Abbott's call for universal broadband access creates opportunity for bipartisan action

According to a November report of the Governors Broadband Development Council, more than 900,000 Texans dont have access to broadband at home. Maps from Connected Nation Texas show that, of that number, the vast majority are rural Texans, living in areas where broadband is either expensive or unavailable. Without high-speed internet, they wont be conferring with their doctor online. Without high-speed internet, kids out of school because of the pandemic wont be going to class online. Without high-speed internet, their parents wont be starting a home-based business to replace the job they lost to the pandemic.

The digital divide in Texas and across the nation is not unlike the electricity divide in the 1930s, when power companies had no incentive to build lines into sparsely populated areas. Then as now, infrastructure gets built in the cities and suburbs, not in small towns and rural areas.

For a state that ranks 38th out of 50 in broadband adoption, not only is adequate access an economic issue but so is the ability to purchase and use it. Think of all those hollowed-out little towns off the interstate. Town squares that in decades past were busy and prosperous are now deserted. Once-sturdy brick buildings that housed pharmacies, cafes, hardware stores and other local businesses are now empty, their show windows layered with dust.

The pandemic has underscored both the problem and the potential of broadband. We are beginning to see that little towns dont have to molder away. Businesses dont have to relocate to the big city. Employees dont have to be in an office; they can work from home. Texans who want to enjoy the atmosphere of a small town can do so, while farmers and ranchers can take advantage of new markets and best practices. If they are connected.

Getting all of Texas connected wont be easy, in part because it costs money, but also because it requires long-range planning. At the moment, Texas is one of six states that doesnt have a statewide plan or an office overseeing the effort.

The most promising vehicle for bringing the state up to speed is Senate Bill 506, legislation co-sponsored by state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and state Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin. Their bill would create a Broadband Development Office, within the state comptrollers office; create a Broadband Development Program, funded by the newly established Broadband Development Account; establish a Broadband Development Map, updated regularly; and develop a statewide broadband plan within a year of the bill becoming law.

Jennifer Harris, state program director for Connected Nation Texas, told the editorial board that the Nichols-Ashby bill is only a first step but a vital one, because it lays out a plan to find out what Texas actually needs. Without a plan similar to states further along  Harris mentioned Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee  theres no way to know how much money its going to take to bridge the digital divide.

In the 1930s, rural Texans finally got electricity  almost a half century after their city cousins  thanks to FDRs Rural Electrification Administration (REA). Fortunately, the Biden administration seems to understand that the broadband need these days is nearly as urgent.

As a candidate, Biden promised to commit $20 billion to constructing broadband infrastructure for small towns and rural areas. He also committed to tripling the amount of money available to local governments, organizations, corporations and other entities as an incentive to wire rural areas. If the new administration is able to follow through on its commitment, and if Texas lawmakers respond with similar urgency, the state will begin to bridge its debilitating digital divide.

In an interview with Texas Public Radio aired Sept. 2019, the CEO of Bandera Electric Cooperative on the western edge of the Hill Country explained why his organization was expanding internet access for its customers. Youre not doing this to make money, Bill Hetherington said. Youre doing this to allow your communities to survive and be here 20 years from now.

Hetherington could be speaking for every small town in Texas. If they were connected.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 21:54:52|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Friday he would review the current lockdown measures next week.

Zimbabwe first imposed a 30-day nationwide lockdown on Jan. 5, 2021 following a spike in COVID-19 cases, and further extended it to Feb. 15, as the nation battled to contain the second wave of the pandemic.

"In the coming week, I will be announcing how we are proceeding with regards to the lockdown," he said during a virtual meeting with members of the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD). "This will be informed by scientific data and recommendations from our health experts."

POLAD comprises the ruling ZANU-PF party and other smaller political parties and individuals that participated in the 2018 presidential elections and is aimed at finding solutions to economic and political problems afflicting the country.

Mnangagwa said the number of new infections and deaths had been receding over the past two weeks, adding that the pandemic has dealt a major blow to the government which has to date lost five ministers and several other senior officials to the disease.

The country has to date recorded 34,949 COVID-19 cases, with 1,382 deaths.

More than half of the total number of infections and deaths were recorded in January alone.

Mnangagwa said as the nation waits to receive the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from China next Monday, it must not lower its guard against the disease.

"In spite of this development, we should never drop our guard. The December 2020 to mid-January 2021 infection spikes taught us that we must remain vigilant and alert for our own safety and that of others," he said.

The Zimbabwean government has said that it will prioritize frontline health care workers, the elderly and those with underlying conditions for vaccination, and is targeting to inoculate at least 60 percent of the population. Enditem

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Produced in Chengdu, China, even though Polestar is the performance division of a Swedish automaker, the halo model packs two electric motors on the rear axle, an integrated starter-generator unit at the front of the car, and a 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine. Based on the Scalable Product Architecture that debuted in 2014 with the second-generation XC90, the 1 utilizes an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 34-battery for the longestrange of anyThat would be 124 kilometersand 60 miles EPA, to be more precise, which is very impressive given the performance youre offered and the vehicles curb weight. More to the point, Polestar quotes 609 horsepower, 737 pound-feet (1,000 Nm) of torque, and 5,180 pounds (2,350 kilograms) before options.Dressed to impress in carbon fiber, the 1 blends long-distance comfort with an engaging driving experience thanks to go-faster bits and bobs that include Akebono six-piston brake calipers, Ohlins Dual Flow Valve dampers, a torque-vectoring rear differential, e-controlled suspension, and Pirelli P-Zero summer-only performance tires wrapped around 21 wheels.Described as a car unlike any Volvo you have ever seen before by Doug DeMuro , the 1 isnt going to receive a successor, at least not in the near future. Polestar is currently doing its best to get the 2 all-electric fastback to customers, and in the background, the Precept Concept will morph into a series-production vehicle that will be probably named wait for it the 3.Expected to be manufactured at a facility in China, the Precept-based 3 should feature a seriously large battery thanks to a 3.1-meter (122-inch) wheelbase. The Sino-Swedish brand hasnt mentioned the number of motors, but just like its predecessors, the newcomer is likely to feature e-
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is a striking personality and politician, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Soloviev LIVE YouTube channel.

The minister added that he is "following with astonishment" the Trump impeachment proceedings.

"He is a striking personality. I remember two meetings with him, when I was paying visits to Washington, and his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin which I attended. Trump is a striking politician," TASS cited Lavrov as saying.
CLARK COUNTY, Ill. (WTHI) -- Vaccines continue to roll out across the country and the world. In Illinois, more than one million people have been given the shot

"Illinois is setting new records in our vaccine rollout," J.B. Pritzker, Illinois' Governor said.

But in the Wabash Valley people in some rural counties feel they aren't getting enough doses. For example, Clark County has a population of about 16,000. According to the Illinois Department of Health website, only 216 people have been fully vaccinated. That's only 1.38% of the population.

Meanwhile, Wabash County has a population of a little more than 11,000. 344 people have been fully vaccinated. About 3% of the population.

We reached out to Governor Pritzker's office. We wanted to know what the qualifications were when they decide how many vaccines each county gets.

His representative said doses are administered based on population and equity factors. They said if you add the current allocation to the doses already administered it's a significant portion of the county's population.

Governor Pritzker didn't comment on this situation specifically, but he says things are looking good for Illinois.

"We have a long way to go there's no doubt to get everyone vaccinated but things are really moving in a very very positive direction," he said.

We did reach out to the Clark County Health Department. They were not immediately available for comment.

The Governor announced Wednesday, the state would expand to phase 1B later this month. That includes people who have comorbidities and underlying conditions getting the COVID-19 vaccine and they will also prioritize anyone with disabilities.
LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP, Ohio  A 34-year-old Medina man was killed Thursday when his car collided head-on with a tractor-trailer, according to the State Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred at about 12:28 p.m. on Ohio 162 near Ryan Road, troopers say. A 2006 Ford Fusion driven by Curtis Perkins was heading east on Ohio 162 when it went left of center, hitting a 2020 Kenworth tractor-trailer.

Perkins was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Highway Patrol. The driver of the Kenworth, a 55-year-old man from Hyndman, Pennsylvania, was treated for minor injuries at Cleveland Clinic-Medina Hospital.

The crash remains under investigation.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 09:39:17|Editor: huaxia

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WARSAW, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) offers an opportunity for cooperation between the two sides to proceed in the right direction, Tomasz Grzelak, CEO of Polish logistics company Hatrans, has said.

Tuesday's virtual summit hosted talks between leaders or high-level representatives of CEECs, including Polish President Andrzej Duda, about business and investment relations between China and CEECs.

In an interview with Xinhua after the summit, Grzelak voiced hope that the summit will boost joint infrastructure investment to expand the unprecedented economic opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the New Eurasian Land Bridge for the CEECs.

The China-proposed BRI plays a crucial role in overland trade between Europe and Asia, with rail being one of the primary modes of transport, he said.

"We need new bridges, new railways. China could be brought in to help invest in that, maybe in the form of loans under favorable terms, because today's infrastructure is simply not ready for the future needs of the Belt and Road Initiative," Grzelak said.

"There should also be one standardized inspection system used by all parties," he said. "We need digital solutions, instead of today's paper documents that travel with each train. The times have changed."

"The digitization of the New Eurasian Land Bridge should be a priority, as it contributes to the waiting lines we see at the borders," Grzelak stressed.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the year 2020 saw further growth of rail transport volumes between Europe and China. With 12,406 trains running in the year, the China Railway Express broke the mark of 10,000 trips for the first time.

"It's testament to the great success of the whole idea," Grzelak said, adding that "the growth last year has been incredible, but we have seen similar growth in other modes of transport between China and Europe."

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, Grzelak said, rail transport suffered from a lack of trust when it came to regularity, punctuality and long-term contracts. But last year it brought in goods fairly quickly.

"The type of goods that need such timely delivery were ordered more often than before. The rise of e-commerce has also played an important role in this, with more goods being ordered from Chinese online platforms," Grzelak added.

Hatrans Logistics is the operator of the China Railway Express (Chengdu-Lodz) freight train in Lodz. Chengdu is the capital of the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan while Lodz, located in central Poland, is the third largest city in the country. Enditem
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New Delhi, Feb 12 : Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi on Friday resigned from the party, saying he feels "suffocated and helpless".

"I am resigning from the party as there is violence in my state, I am grateful to my party that it sent me here. I am feeling suffocated that we are not able to do anything over violence in the state," said Trivedi, while making the announcement on the floor of the Upper House.

"I will continue to serve the people of Bengal but my soul tells me that if you can't do anything sitting here, then resign," said Trivedi.

Reacting to the resignation, Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Shekhar Ray said that now a grassroots worker can be sent to the Rajya Sabha.

An old associate of West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, Trivedi was once regarded as her right hand man.

The former Union Railway Minister was instrumental in Mamata's initial days when she split from the Congress and formed her own party.

He was a regular and popular face of the party in Delhi. But as the clout of the state leaders grew, he was gradually marginalised. In the Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien was named the party's leader of the House, despite Trivedi being the senior.

In the 2019 General Election, Trivedi lost the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat to the BJP, but was sent to the Rajya Sabha by Mamata.

The BJP said that Trivedi will be welcomed if he joins the party to defeat Mamata Banejee. Speculation is rife that he may be sent to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP from Gujarat.
MEIZHOU, China and BANGKOK, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On the evening of February 12 [GMT +8:00], the first day of the new year 2021 according to Chinese lunar calendar, the video program of the Hakka Spring Festival Gala at its main venue in Meizhou city, Guangdong, China, and branch venue in Bangkok, Thailand, premiered on the "Comprehensive Channel" of the Meizhou Radio and Television Station, sending to Hakka folks around the world the best wishes for the new year.

The gala features performances with Hakka characteristics, such as folk songs, pop songs, crosstalk and sketches in Hakka, Guangdong Hanchu opera, Hakka intangible cultural heritage and children's art. The gala, with the cordial Hakka local accent, tells stories of Hakka, Guangdong and China.

The "Hakka Spring Festival Gala 2021 - Thailand (Bangkok) Night" event was guided by the Information Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province and that of Meizhou Municipality, and co-hosted by the Meizhou Radio and Television Station, the Meizhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Thailand Asia-Thailand Economic Exchange General Chamber of Commerce.

The Hakka Spring Festival Gala has been held for 7 consecutive years. It has been held successfully in Indonesia and Malaysia, successively, in 2019 and 2020, welcomed and praised by overseas Hakka folks. The Thailand (Bangkok) Night of the gala this year was presented via video link, connecting Meizhou and Bangkok, spreading the Hakka culture to countries and regions along the "Belt and Road" and around the world, enhancing the bonding of Hakka folks at home and abroad.

The Hakka Spring Festival Gala has gradually developed from a regional Gala to a large event that goes beyond China, spreads Hakka culture and tells Chinese stories to the world. According to the staff, the Gala this year incorporates the wonderful theatrical performances in the Hakka region, many of which have won awards at the Guangdong Art Festival. It showcases successful practices of Meizhou's fight against the epidemic, while shaking off poverty and securing a decisive victory in finishing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in the past year.

Image Attachments Link:



Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=383958

Caption: At the site of the Hakka Spring Festival Gala 2021 - Thailand (Bangkok) Night

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1434528/Hakka_Spring_Festival_Gala_2021.jpg
Douglas Shaw is the co-owner of Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort, a long-standing and beloved resort set on a forested hillside just 23 miles from the parks Arch Rock entrance.

When the announcement came that Yosemite National Park would reinstate its day-use reservation system, he hit a breaking point.

We are letting go of very good employees now. And we are going broke, wrote Shaw in an open letter to Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon. Reasonable COVID precautions should be heeded for safety  but has Yosemite National Park gone too far?

Read more:

Three back-to-back storms headed to Tahoe this weekend. So plan your weekend travels to Tahoe wisely. Read more.

This Northern California national forest is selling wild horses for $1 each. Gallop, don't walk. Read more.

Berkeley students are occupying People's Park, slated for destruction. People's Park, which was created during the Free Speech Movement of the late 1960s, is slated to be turned into a student housing complex. Read more.

Greed, murder and eyeless goldfish: This is one of Tahoe's oldest myths. There are countless myths and rumors about the things beneath Lake Tahoes surface, many rooted in bits of truth. Read more.

California Parklands is curated by Jasmine Garnett and California Parks editor Ashley Harrell. Contact Garnett at Jasmine.Garnett@sfgate.com or Harrell at Ashley.Harrell@sfgate.com.
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Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
Rachel Lindsay doesn't want anything more to do with Bachelor Nation following a disastrous interview with Bachelor host Chris Harrison over racist behavior from contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.

The 35-year-old Extra correspondent announced Thursday on her podcast Higher Learning With Van Lathan And Rachel Lindsay that she would be cutting ties with the organization as soon as her contract was over.

She previously made history as the first Black Bachelorette in 2017.

She's done: Former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, 35, said she'll be parting ways with Bachelor Nation once her contract is up Thursday on her Higher Learning podcast; seen in 2018

Lindsay got into a heated round of questions with Harrison earlier this week when she quizzed him about Kirkconnell's racist actions.

The contestant, who's considered a frontrunner on The Bachelor, attended a sorority event held at a plantation in 2018, despite many Black people taking offense at white people celebrating at former sites of their enslavement.

She also alleged like several offensive social media posts featuring Confederate flags, racist costumes and friends wearing Make America Great Again hats favored by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

'I cant take it anymore,' Lindsay said on her podcast, via Just Jared. 'Im contractually bound in some ways, but when its up, I am, too. I cant. I cant do it anymore.'

In hot water: Lindsay had a heated interview this week with Bachelor host Chris Harrison, who defended racist actions of Bachelor front-runner Rachael Kirkconnell

Not well received: Harrison apologized a day later after his dismissal of Kirkconnell's behavior was widely lambasted

She continued: 'When I finished that interview with Chris Harrison, he had no problems with it. He was fine. He texted me after. He appreciated the conversation.  He was like, Yeah, Ill probably get a little flack, but thought it was great that we could disagree but do it in a civil way.

'It wasnt until the backlash came the next day, it wasnt until people start talking, people start demanding and calling for different things, that he then apologized to me and then apologized publicly,' she said.

Rachel sounded particularly upset about the delay in Harrison's apology and the about-face in his tone.

'Im trying to reason  well, which one is it? Because to me, Tuesday was your truth and Wednesday is after the fact. Wednesday was a response to the backlash,' she said.

Fed up: 'I cant take it anymore,' Lindsay said on her podcast, via Just Jared . 'Im contractually bound in some ways, but when its up, I am, too. I cant. I cant do it anymore'

She also accused the Bachelor host of talking over her and dismissing her perspective.

'He wasnt trying to hear it, he was just trying to be heard,' she said.

'And Im not saying that he cant be apologetic, Im not saying that he cant learn and be better from it, like he said in his statement,' she added. 'But youll have to give me some space, and youll have to give me some compassion and some grace to take the time to really reason and accept that. Because that was a lot.'

As Lindsay considered Harrison the 'spokesperson' for Bachelor Nation, she though exposed a willingness to excuse racism within the Bachelor shows.

'[Chris] said, "I promise to do better." I need people to stop making these statements. What does that look like? What does doing better look like? How are you going to be better? That is what I want to know. You putting out a statement and disappearing for a few days, weeks, that aint better. How is Chris Harrison going to be better?' she wondered.

Not listening: Lindsay accused the Bachelor host of talking over her and dismissing her perspective. 'He wasnt trying to hear it, he was just trying to be heard'

Conflicted: Lindsay said she was lucky to meet husband Bryan Abasolo on The Bachelorette, but she 'wanted the franchise to be better,' adding she has a 'love-hate relationship with it'

The reality star also reiterated how she wanted to be finished with the Bachelor franchise

'As far as me, Im f***ing tired. Im exhausted. I have truly had enough,' she said. My entire reason for doing The Bachelorette  and I was lucky it worked out for me in the most beautiful way, in finding [husband] Bryan [Abasolo]  is that I wanted to be representative as a Black woman to this audience. And I wanted to pave the way for more people to have this opportunity.

'In some ways, that has happened. I wanted the franchise to be better. I have a love-hate relationship with it. Im connected to it.'

She added: 'How much more do I want to be affiliated with this? How much more can I take of things like this? I said I was going to leave if they didnt have leads of color. Okay, they did that, and they made some other changes. They hired a diversity consultant.  Did Chris Harrison not sit through that?'

Solidarity: Nearly all the current Bachelor contestants, including Kirkconnell, posted a message to social media defending Lindsay and expressing their disappointment with Harrison

Following Harrison's contentious interview with Lindsay, nearly every contestant from the current Bachelor season shared the same message to their social media accounts standing in solidarity with Lindsay.

'We are the women of Bachelor Season 25. Twenty-five women who identify as BIPOC were cast on this historic season that was meant to represent change,' the statement began.

'We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism,' it continued. 'Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals. These experiences are not to be exploited or tokenized.

'Rachel Lindsay continues to advocate with "grace" for individuals who identify as BIPOC within this franchise,' the women concluded. 'Just because she is speaking the loudest, doesnt mean she is alone. We stand with her, we hear her, and we advocate for change alongside her.'

Supportive: 'Rachel Lindsay continues to advocate with "grace" for individuals who identify as BIPOC within this franchise,' the women concluded; seen in 2019 in Westlake Village, Calif.

Notably, Kirkconnell also shared the statement in support of Lindsay.

On Thursday, the current contestant shared an apology on social media.

'At one point, I didnt recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesnt excuse them,' she wrote. 'My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.'
Water-filled gold prospecting pits in the Amazon can be seen glistening in the sunlight in a shot taken from the International Space Station.

Taken by an astronaut crewing NASA's Expedition 64 from onboard the orbiting laboratory, the photo captures a view of the pits in south-eastern Peru, alongside the Inambari River.

Ordinarily, the gold pits are hidden from view from the ISS, either by cloud cover or by not being in the right position relative to the station to catch the sun's glint.

The image was captured on December 24 last year with a Nikon D5 digital camera and a 400 millimetre lens.

Rushing rivers and water-filled gold prospecting pits in the Amazon can be seen glistening in the sunlight in a shot taken from the International Space Station. Pictured: the view over Eastern Peru, showing the meandering Inambari River (right) and the gold pits (left). The tract of deforestation and mining shown in the centre of the image is some 10 miles (15 km) long

Ordinarily, the gold pits are hidden from view from the ISS  either by cloud cover or by not being in the right position relative to the station to catch the sun's glint. Pictured: an aerial view of a dismantled gold mine in the Madre de Dios department of south-eastern Peru

In the wet climate of the Amazon rainforest, the gold prospecting pits appear in the images as hundreds of closely packed, water-filled basins dotting the landscape.

Typically dug by independent miners known as 'garimperos', each pit surrounded by areas of muddy spoil where the rainforest has been ripped up.

These tracts of deforestation and mining follow the courses of ancient, now dried-up rivers which deposited sediments along their path - including precious gold.

Peru is the sixth largest producer of gold in the world, and its south-eastern department of Madre de Dios plays host to one of the globe's largest independent gold mining industries.

Tens of thousands of people are though to earn their living from the unregistered mining activities in this region.

However, mining is also the main driver of deforestation in the region, and comes with the risk of mercury pollution as a by-product of the gold-extraction process.

In the wet climate of the Amazon rainforest, the gold prospecting pits appear in the images as hundreds of closely packed, water-filled basins dotting the landscape. Also visible in the image is the small town of Nueva Arequipa (centre) on the Southern Interoceanic Highway and the protected area of the Tambopata National Reserve (top right)

Tens of thousands of people are though to earn their living from the unregistered mining activities in south-east Peru. Mining is also the main driver of deforestation (pictured) in the region  and comes with the risk of mercury pollution via the gold-extraction process

The image was captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (pictured) on December 24 last year with a Nikon D5 digital camera and a 400 millimetre lens

In the image, the small town of Nueva Arequipa can be seen nestled between two vast mining tracts to its northeast and southwest.

The town lies on the Southern Interoceanic Highway  the only road that connects Peru with neighbouring Brazil.

Opened in 2011, the route was intended to help stimulate trade and tourism along its path, but its appears to have served more to facilitate surface mining, with increased deforestation potentially its lasting legacy.

Taken by an astronaut crewing NASA's Expedition 64 from onboard the orbiting laboratory, the shot captures a view of south-eastern Peru and its department of Madre de Dios
Think theres still time to secure a Valentines Day dinner reservation? Last-minute Romeos, you might be out of luck or in the doghouse.

Of all years, this is not the one to procrastinate.

Several Harrisburg-area restaurants report they are completely booked on Feb. 14, one of the biggest holidays for the industry next to New Years Eve and Mothers Day. The phones are ringing off the hook at some establishments.

Thats all I have are these desperate men calling, said owner Char Magaro, owner of Chars at Tracy Mansion in Harrisburg.

Unfortunately, she doesnt have much to offer them. The reservation books at the riverfront mansion are filled from Feb. 13 through Feb. 15.

This year, restaurants like Chars are having to rethink how they celebrate the romantic holiday as the coronavirus pandemic forces them to follow restrictions such as limited seating and social distancing. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered food establishments to operate at 50% indoor occupancy with no bar seating and an 11 p.m. booze sales cutoff.

Magaro said instead of the usual five-course Valentines dinners served with chocolates and Champagne, diners will be ordering off the regular menu with several specials. Doing so will deter diners from lingering and give staff time to turn over tables for the next guests.

Pre-pandemic, Valentines Day was the second busiest occasion of the year for the restaurant industry, Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association, told Today. Its often a chance for restaurants to innovate special offerings and promotions. This year, however, restaurant holiday specials will reflect consumers altered lifestyles.

That means some restaurants are advertising packaged meal kits, virtual dinners, takeout and curbside pickup for romance on the go.

Stocks on 2nd in Harrisburg is selling meals-to go by preorder, with options for pork tenderloin with bourbon molasses glaze, beef short ribs and jumbo lump crab cakes.

Iron Hill Brewery is offering a Sweetheart Menu for dine in or takeout from Feb. 12-14, including pizza craft kits for kids. The Hilton Harrisburg is promoting a deluxe date night with hotel room and gourmet meal delivered from 1700 Degree Steakhouse to guests rooms.

For those looking for in-person dining, restaurants such as the Progress Grill in Susquehanna Township are limiting seating in accordance with Pennsylvanias 50% occupancy restrictions. The restaurant will have 22 tables open.

Its a good holiday, but right now with this one its not going to be like the other years. It will be alright but nothing exciting, said Nick Karagiannis, co-owner.

He noted the biggest problem is everyone wants a reservation between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. So the restaurant is stretching out the holiday by opening on Sunday and steering diners to alternate dates on Feb. 13 or 12.

Always a popular Valentines Day spot, Mangia Qui and Rubican restaurants in Harrisburg are offering three-course prix fix dinners and Sunday brunch with plenty of room for social distancing. Co-owner Qui Qui Musarra said they are setting reasonable time limits for how long diners can stay in order to turn over tables and seat more guests.

You definitely have less availability for seating, and hopefully we wont have a snow storm, Musarra said.

At Theas in Lower Allen Township, owner AnnMarie Nelms said 20 outdoor bubble tents and dining room are booked. She has maxed out the restaurants space, even adding a table inside a coat room.

It has been crazy, Nelms said. We have over 200 [people on Feb. 14] and we are booked. I wont even be able to do takeout.

She said Theas has some wiggle room on Feb. 13 after 8:45 p.m. In addition, there is some availability for a Feb. 14 brunch hosted by Sophias at Walden in Silver Spring Township. (Sophias is owned by AnnMaries mother, Sophia Nelms.)

Otherwise, Theas is serving a limited menu with entrees such as peanut dusted pan seared scallops, bone-in Duroc pork chops, chicken and crab Florentine and eggplant rollatini. Several homemade desserts including gluten-free brownies, tiramisu and chocolate-covered strawberries round out the offerings.

We went all out for the Valentines Day desserts. We have some fun stuff, she said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  The Bureau of Customs said they will implement advance processing of documents of COVID-19 vaccines for their faster processing once they arrive in the country.

BOC Spokesperson Vincent Maronilla told CNN Philippines' News.PH that they already asked manufacturers to submit documents for their initial checking. Once supplies arrive, files will just have to be double-checked while these are being pulled out of the aircraft, he added.

He also noted that this will not go through clearance procedures, like x-ray examination, since radiation may affect the vials. Processing on the part of the BOC will take less than 30 minutes, he said.

To ensure security, delivery to storage facilities will be escorted by Customs Police, Maronilla said. He added that regions are prepared for the arrival of vaccines in their areas.

A simulation exercise was conducted earlier this week to determine how the logistics process will be done, and to identify possible issues that may arise once the vaccines arrive.

The Philippines is expecting to receive the first batch of vaccines from the COVAX facility, an initiative led by the World Health Organization, anytime this month that will be administered to medical frontliners.
HAMPTON, Va., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Entry, descent and landing (EDL) experts from NASA's Langley Research Center will participate in a virtual roundtable and be available for questions from media 9:30 a.m. Feb. 17, one day ahead of the landing of NASA's 2020 Mars Perseverance rover mission.

Perseverance is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet on Thursday, Feb. 18 at approximately 3:55 p.m. EST.

Experts will include:

Michelle Munk , NASA EDL capability lead

, NASA EDL capability lead Henry Wright , MEDLI2 project manager

, MEDLI2 project manager David Way , Mars 2020 flight mechanics and simulation lead

, Mars 2020 flight mechanics and simulation lead Carlie Zumwalt , flight mechanics engineer

To receive an invite to the roundtable, contact Kristyn Damadeo (757-755-0366, [email protected]), or Joe Atkinson (757-755-5375, [email protected]).

Engineers and researchers at Langley have had key roles in the Perseverance mission. They led development of the aerodynamics and aeroheating databases and characterization of the parachute system. The center's flight mechanics simulation team has run approximately 10 million performance simulations and is supporting the landing. The Mars EDL Instrumentation 2 (MEDLI2) project is led by Langley in partnership with NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. There, researchers developed an instrumentation system including sensors, harnessing and electronics that are installed on the aeroshell of the entry vehicle.

Perseverance will land in Mars' Jezero Crater and collect and store rock and soil samples for return to Earth by a future mission. Once those samples are brought to Earth, scientists will use a variety of sophisticated instruments to help answer the question of whether there was ancient microbial life on Mars.

NASA will host multiple televised briefings on Perseverance before, during and after the landing, including a mission status briefing 1 p.m. EST Feb. 17 that will include Langley MEDLI2 team member Kaitlin Liles. To see the full schedule, watch the briefings and live coverage of the landing on Feb. 18 beginning at 2:15 p.m. EST, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

For more information about Perseverance, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/perseverance

and

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/landing/

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov



Greek tennis player Michail Pervolarakis says he has tested positive for coronavirus upon arrival in South Africa, after flying there from Australia.

Pervolarakis - who did not play in the Australian Open but did play in the ATP Cup as late as February 5  posted to his Instagram story at 9pm to let his followers know of the news.

Michail Pervolarakis of Greece greets fans during day four of the 2021 ATP Cup on February 5 in Melbourne. Credit:Getty

The ATP Cup was held at Melbourne Park. His movements since are unknown.

Hi everyone. After a 24 hour+ travel day from Australia to South Africa I have been diagnosed positive to COVID-19, he wrote on Instagram.

I am completely asymptomatic at the moment and will have to quarantine in an isolation facility in Potchefstroom.

I am not a person that complains but I feel that I need to express my disappointment at the conditions we are in.

A Tennis Australia spokeswoman said Pervolarakis flew out of Melbourne on February 9 and returned a negative test on that day. It is not know where he flew to from Melbourne.

Michail Pervolarakis of Greece plays a forehand in his Group B singles match at the 2021 ATP Cup in Melbourne on February 5. Credit:Getty

The entirety of Terminal 4 at Melbourne Airport between 4.45am and 2pm on February 9 has been declared a tier one coronavirus exposure site by Victorias health department.

Anyone there at that time has to get a test and isolate for 14 days. It is not clear if Pervolarakis was in Terminal 4 at this time.

It is unknown where he caught the virus or what type of test he received upon arrival in South Africa.

The player and Victorias health department have been contacted for comment.

The Australian Open is going ahead without crowds despite Melbournes lockdown.
Ethan Lejano/Courtesy of the Daily Californian

UC Berkeley students are occupying the city's most famous park as a project to redevelop the area with a 16-story building goes forward.

People's Park, which was created in the late 1960s, is slated to be turned into a student housing complex. As part of the environmental review, the university is currently taking soil samples around the park. In late January, that prompted about 100 people to gather in the park, with some protesters tearing down the fences put up by the university and taking them away.
New Delhi:

A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court will commence hearing from Wednesday to decide if the contentious issue of right to privacy is a fundamental right under the Constitution.

Hours after referring the matter to a larger bench, the apex court on Tuesday set up the nine-judge bench to be headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar.

It will also comprise Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde, R K Agrawal, Rohinton Fali Nariman, Abhay Manohar Sapre, D Y Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and S Abdul Nazeer.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by the CJI, which was to deal with pleas challenging the validity of the Aadhaar scheme and the right to privacy attached to it, was faced with the two past verdicts, delivered in 1950 and 1962 by larger benches, holding that the privacy right was not a fundamental right.

The apex court said the nine-judge bench would deal with the limited issue of right to privacy and the correctness of the two judgements. The matter challenging the Aadhaar scheme would be then referred back to a smaller bench, it said.

During the course of the hearing today, it seems that it has become essential for us to determine whether there is any fundamental right of privacy under the Indian Constitution, the bench, also comprising Justices J Chelameswar, S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud and S Abdul Nazeer, said.

The determination of this question will essentially entail whether the decision recorded by this court in M P Sharma and Ors vs. Satish Chandra, District Magistrate, Delhi and Ors. (of 1950) by an eight-judge Constitution bench, and also, in Kharak Singh vs. the State of UP and Ors. (of 1962) by a six-judge Constitution bench, that there is no such fundamental right, is the correct expression of the constitutional position, it said in its order.

The court asked Attorney General K K Venugopal, representing the Centre, and other senior advocates, including Arvind Datar, Shyam Divan, Gopal Subramanium and Anand Grover, who appeared for petitioners opposed to the Aadhaar scheme, to submit their written briefs in the meantime.

At the outset, Venugopal reiterated the arguments of his predecessor Mukul Rohatgi that there have been inconsistent views so far as judicial pronouncements on right to privacy was concerned.

He said the apex court in M P Sharma and Kharak Singh cases have held that right to privacy was not a fundamental right and later, the smaller benches have said that it was a fundamental right.

Venugopal also said that the right to privacy is not a fundamental right and rather it is common law right which is not recognised by the Constitution.

One of the counsel for petitioners termed as regressive the stand of the Centre that the right to privacy was common law right and not a part of fundamental right under the Constitution.

The apex court, initially, referred to the 1978 judgement in the Maneka Gandhi case and said that there was no need to revisit the judgements in Kharak Singh and M P Sharma cases on right to privacy.

A three-judge bench had in 2015 referred to a larger bench a batch of pleas, including the one filed by Justice (retd) K S Puttaswamy, challenging the validity of the Aadhaar scheme and the aspect of right to privacy attached to it.

The apex court had agreed to set up a bench on July 12 to deal with the Aadhaar-related matters after the attorney general and senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for petitioners, had jointly mentioned the matter.

The petitioners had claimed that collection and sharing of biometric information, as required under the scheme, was a breach of the fundamental right to privacy.

Allowing the Centres plea, the court had framed various questions, including as to whether right to privacy was a fundamental right, to be decided by a Constitution bench.

If yes, then what would be contours of right to privacy, the bench had said while referring the matter to the then CJI for setting up a larger bench.

At an earlier hearing, then AG Rohatgi, while backing the Aadhaar card scheme, had contended that right to privacy was not a fundamental right.

No judgment explicitly cites right to privacy as a fundamental right. It is not there under the letters of Article 21 either. If this court feels that there must be clarity on this subject, only a Constitution bench can decide, Rohatgi had said.

He had cited the two judgements, pronounced by six and eight-judge benches, which had held that right to privacy was not a fundamental right.

Subsequently, smaller benches had held a contrary view and, hence the matter needed to be decided by a larger bench, he had said.

Whether right to privacy is a fundamental right guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution of India, in the light of express ratio to the contrary by an eight-judge bench in M P Sharma case and also by a six-judge bench of this court in Kharak Singhs case has to be decided, Rohtagi had said.

Also read: Aadhaar card controversy: SC sets up 9-judge constitutional bench to decide whether privacy is a fundamental right

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Mary Barnett is one of about a dozen seniors who got a covid vaccine on a recent morning at Neighborhood Health, a clinic tucked in a sprawling public housing development on the south side of downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

"Is my time up, baby? Barnett, 74, asked a nurse, after she'd waited 15 minutes to make sure she didn't have an allergic reaction. Barnett, who uses a wheelchair, wasnt in any particular rush. But her nephew was waiting outside, and he needed to get to work.

"Uber, I'm ready, she joked, calling him on the phone. Come on.

Seniors of color like Barnett are lagging in covid vaccinations, and the Biden administration plans to redirect doses to community clinics as soon as next week to help make up for the emerging disparity. Tennessee is one of a few states allocating vaccines to the network of clinics known as FQHCs, or federally qualified health centers.

In most of the states reporting racial and ethnic data, a KHN analysis found that white residents are getting vaccinated at more than twice the rate of Black residents. The gap is even larger in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Mississippi.

Equity is our North Star here, Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith said at a briefing Tuesday, announcing vaccine shipments to the federally funded clinics. This effort that focuses on direct allocation to community health centers really is about connecting with those hard-to-reach populations across the country.

Nunez-Smith, who leads the administrations health equity task force, said federally funded clinics  at least one in every state  will divvy up a million doses to start with, enough for 500,000 patients to get both doses. Eventually, 250 sites will participate.

The administration said roughly two-thirds of those served by FQHCs live at or below the poverty line, and more than half are racial or ethnic minorities.

Seeking people out

In Nashville, more than a third of eligible white residents have gotten their first shot, compared with a quarter of Hispanic residents and fewer than one-fifth of Black Nashvillians.

Unlike many local health departments, Neighborhood Health is not fending off crowds. Theyre seeking people out. And its slow work compared with the mass vaccination campaigns by many public health workers and health systems.

Barnett lives in a public housing complex that gathered names of people interested in getting the vaccine. She was lucky to have her nephew's help to get to her appointment; transportation is a challenge for many seniors. Some patients cancel at the last minute because a ride falls through. Often, the clinic offers to pick up patients.

Aside from logistical challenges, Barnett said, many of her neighbors are in no rush to get their dose anyway. "I tell them about taking it, they say, 'Oh no, I'm not going to take it. I say, what's the reasoning?"

Usually, Barnett said, they dont offer much of a reason. Her own motivation is a sister with kidney disease who died of covid in July.

"You either die with it or die without it, her brother told her in support of getting the vaccine. So if the shot helps, take the shot.

Same story, next chapter

People of color have made up an outsize share of the cases and deaths from covid nationwide. And, predictably, the same factors at play driving those trends are also complicating the vaccine rollout.

Rose Marie Becerra received an invitation to get the vaccine through Conexion Americas, a Tennessee immigrant advocacy nonprofit. A U.S. citizen originally from Colombia, she's concerned about those without legal immigration status.

"The people who don't have documents here are nervous about what could happen," she said, adding they worry that providing personal information could result in immigration authorities tracking them down.

And unauthorized immigrants are among those at the highest risk of covid complications.

Even with 1,300 total community health centers around the country, Neighborhood Health CEO Brian Haile said his 11 clinics in the Nashville area cant balance out a massive health system that tends to favor white patients with means.

Haile said everyone giving vaccines  from hospitals to health departments  must focus more on equity.

"We know what's required in terms of the labor-intensive effort to focus on the populations and vaccinate the populations at the highest risk, Haile said. What we have to do as a community is say, 'Were all going to make this happen.'

This story is from a partnership that includes NPR, Nashville Public Radio and KHN.
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China's broadcasting regulator says it has taken the BBC World News off the air for what it called "serious content violations."

The decision comes one week after Britain's broadcasting regulator, the Office of Communications, revoked the license of the state-owned China Global Television Network. The office said the Chinese Communist Party oversees the network's editorial policy, a violation of a British law forbidding political bodies from controlling broadcast license holders.

On Thursday, the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said the BBC "was found to have seriously violated regulations on radio and television management" in its China-related reports, and "undermined China's national interests and ethnic solidarity."


Salman Khan is at his dapper best in new social media post. Looking dashing in a black blazer the actor treated his fans with a rugged look and thanked for their love and support. The post comes after the court dismissed two pleas filed by the Rajasthan government against the Bollywood actor in a poaching case.

"To all my fans.. thank u for your love support n concern. Khayal rakho apna n parivaar ka. God bless n loveee u," he captioned the post.

An emotional Salman Khan on Thursday thanked the judge after receiving a breather from the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court, which dismissed two pleas filed by the Rajasthan government against the Bollywood actor in a case related to submitting a false affidavit in the court in 2003.

As soon as the court of Raghavendra Kachwal said that the pleas against him stood dismissed in the case, an emotional Khan, who attended the proceedings virtually, said, "Thank you sir".

Had the actor been proven guilty, a case under Section 193 of the Indian Penal Code would have been filed against him, which entails a provision of seven-year imprisonment, his lawyer Hastimal Saraswat told IANS.

In 1998, Khan was arrested for hunting two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain". At that time, a case under Arms Act was registered against the actor and the court had asked him to submit his arms licence.

Khan submitted an affidavit in the court in 2003, saying that he had lost the licence. He also lodged an FIR at the Bandra police station in Mumbai in this connection. However, the court later came to know that Khan's arm licence was not lost, but had been submitted for renewal.

Public prosecutor Bhavani Singh Bhati had then demanded that a case of misleading the court be filed against the actor. However, on Thursday, the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court judge Raghavendra Kachwal dismissed the pleas filed against Khan.
Council considers commercial advertising on bins

Placing commercial advertising on litter bins is being considered in a bid to make Douglas more easy on the eye.

Some councillors in the capital believe it could improve the look of the town and raise money in the process.

However, issues with planning applications and administration still need to be overcome.

The Environmental Services Committee has been urged to look again at the possibility of advertising on litter bins in the town, after an initial report rejected the proposal.

A number of councillors have expressed their support for the idea.

Murrays Ward member John Skinner told the chamber he believes the authority has missed a trick, addingsome of the bins are an absolute disgrace.

Meanwhile, Derby Ward representative Samuel Hamer said advertising on litter bins could be a way of generating income.

Ian Clague, who serves Victoria Ward, said despite being opposed to commercial advertising on municipal property in the past, things move at pace and it maybe worth a trial.

Council Leader David Christian believes a common sense approach to planning applications should be pursued.

He said one planning application for one area which would, for instance, include 25 bins be more logical.

Committee chairman Ritchie McNicholl told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the council would need to obtain planning permission for every single bin they advertise on  at a cost of 170 per receptacle:

Media

McNicholl Bins Clip

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 00:54:23|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday wished the Chinese people a Happy New Year.

"A Happy New Year to the government and the people of China. May this year bring health, happiness, prosperity and success to our friends in China, to the people of Zimbabwe and to humanity as a whole," Mnangagwa said.

The Chinese New Year 2021 falls on Feb. 12 and in terms of the Chinese lunar calendar, it is the year of the ox.

Mnangagwa observed that the New Year in China is famously celebrated with elaborate fireworks, light and lanterns, signifying light and positivity for the future.

"May we all look forward to the light of positivity this New Year will bring us," he said.

Mnangagwa also took the opportunity to thank the Chinese government and its people for their generous donation of COVID-19 vaccines to Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe will on next Monday receive 200,000 doses of vaccine that were donated by China, the first vaccine it has received as it steps up efforts to procure more jabs to inoculate at least 60 percent of the population.

"Our dear friends of China, these vaccines are certainly providing a new light of positivity for the people of Zimbabwe in these tough times. A light at the end of a dark tunnel. We are most grateful for this lifesaving gesture," Mnangagwa said.

He said it was befitting that this year was the year of the ox as it truly represents China's traits of being a dependable, reliable and loyal partner to Zimbabwe.

"Like the ox in the field - we must knuckle down and work hard. Work with humility, modesty and drive.

"In the spirit of our unique friendship, and in the spirit of the New Year, I once again wish you all a Happy Chinese New Year - one of strength, positivity and light for all," Mnangagwa said. Enditem
Vicky Phelan took to social media on Thursday night to thank 'people power' and in particular Michaela O'Shaughnessy - an Irish woman living in New York - for helping to recover her Instagram account.

Earlier this week, Phelan fell victim to a hacker, receiving a 'beyond disgusting message' from a person claiming to be holding her Instagram account hostage.

This 

People power did this 

THANK YOU to all my tweeps for all your help, suggestions, support and just having my back 



A special thank you to @lifeofaladybear who got my account back  pic.twitter.com/UWIkSbseoD  Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) February 12, 2021

The activist is currently in Maryland taking part in a clinical trial. She has been updating her followers along the way, tweeting on Tuesday, I finally got the wonder drug, M7824 (it's Pembro 2.0).

Here's hoping that this drug does for me what Pembro has achieved - a quality of life that has allowed me to really live my life and make memories.

And it's going in....Today, I finally got the wonder drug, M7824 (it's Pembro 2.0)



Here's hoping that this drug does for me what Pembro has achieved - a quality of life that has allowed me to really live my life and make memories 



Thank you to EVERYONE for your well wishes pic.twitter.com/k139l4ZUVW  Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) February 9, 2021

The following day, Phelan received a message from a hacker, which said "I am expert [sic] in this field, I can use your account maliciously if I want, or I can take you away from your friends, but my goal is not to harm you."

This 

See below msg I just received from the person who hacked my Instagram account



Now I am angry  pic.twitter.com/8u4LsxFJ5y  Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) February 10, 2021

Thanks to the help of her followers, Vicky has had her original account reinstated, though she says she will not use it again as it is tainted.

She has asked that people who wish to follow her, head to her new Instagram account, where she will continue to document her journey.


YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent congratulatory letters to Chinas President Xi Jinping and Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang on the Chinese New Year  the Spring Festival, the Armenian PMs Office told Armenpress.

The letter addressed to the Chinese President reads:

Your Excellency,

On behalf of the Armenian people and myself personally I address my warm congratulations and wishes to you and the good people of China on the occasion of the Chinese New Year  the Spring Festival. I wish that the Spring Festival brings peace and welfare to all families.

Armenia attaches great importance to the consistent development and strengthening of the traditional friendly relations with China.

Your Excellency, please accept my best wishes of good health and success.

The Armenian PMs letter addressed to the Premier of the State Council of China reads:

Your Excellency,

On behalf of the Armenian government I address my warm congratulations and wishes to you and the State Council of China on the Chinese New Year  the Spring Festival. Let the Spring Festival bring peace, welfare and fulfillment of the set goals.

Armenia highlights the consistent development of the traditional friendly relations and practical cooperation with China.

I wish you and your family good health and all the best.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Controversial: Mark Sykes is arrested after a memorial event on the Ormeau Road last week

The DUP and Sinn Fein have repeated contrasting claims of policing bias in Northern Ireland, following a controversial arrest on the Ormeau Road last week.

First Minister Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein's Finance Minister Conor Murphy were asked yesterday about how both sides could question police impartiality.

Mrs Foster said incidents like the policing of veteran republican Bobby Storey's funeral last year had raised serious questions from the unionist community.

Mr Murphy said there had been a sharp contrast between the arrest of a Troubles survivor last Friday at a memorial event on the Ormeau Road compared to an apparent show of strength from the UVF in east Belfast.

Mrs Foster said she supported the police but it was right to scrutinise operational decisions.

"I think there has been a huge concern from the unionist community in particular about some of the policing of republican funerals," she said.

"I think it's right that we voice those concerns to the Chief Constable...I'm also concerned about some of the conduct in relation to what happened to the two young officers on the Ormeau Road." A Police Ombudsman investigation is currently underway after a survivor of the 1992 loyalist murder of five people at the Sean Graham bookmakers shop, Mark Sykes, was arrested.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne has been criticised for apologising for their conduct before the Ombudsman investigation is concluded.

One officer has been suspended while the other has been repositioned.

Mr Murphy commented: "Clearly when you set...the incident on the Ormeau Road against the very recent incident before that in east Belfast where the UVF marched masked up essentially in very strong numbers.

"Not on any lawful exercise, but on an exercise that was involved in intimidation and breaking the law.

"If you characterise and analyse the two incidents side by side it's very hard to draw any other conclusion that there was a different approach to policing up on the Ormeau Road."

Meanwhile, members of the Policing Board have stated a joint commitment to work with Chief Constable Simon Byrne to address the challenges of policing during the pandemic going forward.

A statement agreed by all members was issued by Policing Board chair Doug Garrett who said the discussion had focused on the Ormeau Road incident and wider concerns around recent events.

Mr Garrett said board members were in agreement that the policing of Covid regulations had been "challenging".

"The different perspectives and views around policing style, approach and community relationships will need further consideration by the board," he said, adding there was a consensus and commitment to work with the Chief Constable.
Investigations editor

Larry Parnass, investigations editor, joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant and CommonWealth Magazine.
MP Dinesh Trivedi did not discuss the issues plaguing him with Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee before his resignation in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the party's official spokesperson and former RS MP Vivek Gupta said.

Gupta also said Trivedi's resignation was not a setback for the and will not affect the party's poll campaign in the state.

We are all trying to speak to him but instead he is busy talking to others. This is the first time that we have heard that he is feeling suffocated or claustrophobic or he is affected by the violence," Gupta said.

"In his constituency which is Barrackpore from where he lost the last election, it is BJP's Arjun Singh who won. So, if he is really affected by the violence then is his indication towards the violence perpetrated by the BJP?, Gupta said while addressing a press briefing.

The leader further said from 2010-2019, violence, specially political violence was absent from the state.

By nature we Bengalis are peace loving. We believe in fighting with brains and not physically. We have no tradition of wrestling or contact sports. We are into arts culture and we have a creative spirit. We are shocked at Dinesh Trivedi's statement.

He is one of the founder members of the party, a four-time RS member and (former) railway minister. Mamata Banerjee has given him respect... Last year, after he lost the election, he was nominated as Rajya Sabha member by the party. So I don't think he has any reason to be upset with the party, he said.

Gupta also said maybe during the last year when people had to wear masks, Trivedi had found a "more suitable mask.

His resignation is not a setback for the party, maybe personal loss for people like me who have worked closely with him or have learnt from him. Our campaign will go on as usual. Someone else will take his place," he said.

Gupta further said, I do not think he has discussed his issues or resignation with (Mamata) didi. Before taking such a stand he should have discussed with the party leader. Maybe he was driven by some other agenda or he took an emotional decision.

(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.)
Wikimedia Commons / Blair Heagarty

Beyond the fact that ruddy-faced, beer-swilling Erwin Kreuz wandered around a town in Maine for three days believing it was San Francisco, kissed a seal and became an international celebrity, what really made me want to write about him was how the world embraced him.

San Francisco was in pretty rough shape in 1977. The city was in the midst of a crime wave for the ages, still reeling from the police killings of the Zebra murders and Patty Hearsts kidnapping. Jim Jones was gathering his doomed flock on Geary Street and the Zodiac was still on the loose.
Leader of the Opposition Erin O'Toole rises to question the government during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Feb. 2, 2021. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

OToole Calls on Liberals to Stand Up to Beijing Following CCPs Ban on BBC in China

Conservative Leader Erin OToole called on the federal government to finally stand up to China after Beijing announced Thursday it was banning the BBC World News from airing in China.

Today, Communist China banned BBC World News. This comes as no surprise when we saw a record 17 foreign journalists expelled from China early last year, said OToole in a statement. Clearly, the suppression of the press continues to grow.

This comes at a time when Canada depends on reporting for updates on illegally-detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, Chinas crackdown on the 300,000 Canadians in Hong Kong, and the genocide of Uyghurs, he added.

Beijing recently criticized the BBC for their reports on the COVID-19 situation in China and on allegations of forced labor and sexual abuse in the Xinjiang region, home to the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethic groups.

Then on Thursday, Chinas broadcasting regulator, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), announced that BBC World News was found to have seriously violated regulations on radio and television management and on overseas satellite television channel management in its China-related reports.

The BBCs China coverage went against the requirements that news reporting must be true and impartial, and undermined Chinas national interests and ethnic solidarity, state-run media Xinhua quoted the NRTA as saying.

The BBC said it was disappointed by Beijings decision.

People arrive and depart from Broadcasting House, the headquarters of the BBC in London, Britain, on July 2, 2015. (Paul Hackett/Reuters)

OToole said the CCP poses threats to Canadians values and interests and called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to start by finally calling the atrocities committed against Uyghur Muslims by the Peoples Republic of China what they area genocide.

Beijings move was also condemned by UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who described the CCPs decision as an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom, adding in the Twitter statement that it will only damage Chinas reputation in the eyes of the world.

The regimes retaliation comes a week after UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom revoked the licence of CGTN, or China Global Television Network, an international English-language satellite news channel owned by the Chinese regime and directly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Feb. 4.

Ofcom has banned CGTN on grounds that the station is controlled by a body which is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. UK broadcasting laws do not allow licences for media controlled by political bodies.

Ofcom found CGTN guilty in July 2020 of serious violations of British broadcasting regulations for airing a forced confession extracted from British citizen Peter Humphrey in 2013.

Humphrey ran a corporate due diligence firm in China that the Chinese regime alleged had bought and sold personal data, charges that Humphrey said are false.

In his submission to Ofcom, Humphrey said he was drugged, secured to a metal chair, and then placed inside a small cage.

CCTV journalists then aimed their cameras at me and recorded me reading out the answers already prepared for me by the police. No questions were asked, he said.

Alexander Zhang, John Smithies, and The Canadian Press contributed to this article
Capital Region Stands Up has opened a new public pressure campaign aimed at U.S. Rep. Scott Perry.

The group dedicated to nurturing a grassroots progressive movement in the Harrisburg area has put up billboards on the East and West Shores calling for the five-term Congressman to resign, motivated by his reported role in support of one of former President Donald J. Trumps more outlandish attempts to invalidate the result of the 2020 presidential election.

Perry was among a number of Pennsylvania Republican elected officials who raised issues with the Wolf Administrations oversight of the election, and condemned state Supreme Court decisions that they felt usurped legislative authority. He also was a lead objector to the final certification of Pennsylvanias 20 Electoral College votes for Joseph R. Biden Jr.

And the New York Times reported last month that Perry was a central participant in a scheme with a then-acting Assistant Attorney General, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, to try to use the U.S. Department of Justice in an 11th-hour ploy to get Georgia legislators to decertify Bidens win there.

Perry has acknowledged introducing Clark to Trump. He also has said he believed every conversation he had with the man was part of a fair airing of concerns about the legitimacy of the election. Hes refused multiple requests to answer other questions about his role.

He also did not respond to messages Friday seeking comment on the Capital Region Stands Up campaign. After initial calls for his resignation following the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks, Perry made clear he would not resign.

Capital Region Stands Up endorsed Democrat Eugene DePasquale, Perrys opponent in the 2020 10th House District campaign, so its opposition to Perry is not new.

The billboards are part of a larger campaign by the group to, in its view, hold Perry accountable for attacks on the democracy he is supposed to represent. That campaign includes weekly protests at Perrys district offices, and a campaign to pressure his largest corporate donors to end their support.

In a news release announcing the billboards, member Mike Alsher said Perry is unfit to represent us. We deserve leaders who demonstrate the courage of real convictions and an absolute allegiance to uphold our freedoms and our rights.

Various local and state Democratic Party organizations and labor groups have also called for Perry to step down this winter, as have editorial boards of The York Dispatch and PennLive.

Perry, a Republican from Carroll Township, York County, was re-elected in November to a fifth term in Congress from the 10th District, which comprises all of Dauphin and parts of Cumberland and York counties. He defeated Depasquale, winning 53.3 percent of the vote to DePasquales 46.7 percent.

New Delhi/Sydney, Feb 12 : Slamming Google and Facebook over their approach to the new News Media Bargaining Code in Australia, Microsoft President Brad Smith has said that the Unites States and its tech sector should not object to a creative proposal that strengthens democracy by requiring tech companies to support a free press.

The US should copy the new media code instead, Smith said, stressing that he and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reached out to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and explained that "even if Google wanted to leave Australia, we would stay".

Late last month, Google threatened to pull its Search engine from Australia if the proposed media bargaining code, that directs Google and other tech giants to pay news publishers for using their content, goes into effect.

Facebook similarly said that if the proposal is adopted, it would stop Australian users from sharing news on its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

Microsoft instead committed that its Bing search service would remain in Australia and that it is prepared to share revenue with news organisations under the rules that Google and Facebook are rejecting.

"Our endorsement of Australia's approach has had immediate impact. Within 24 hours, Google was on the phone with the Prime Minister, saying they didn't really want to leave the country after all. And the link on Google's search page with its threat to leave? It disappeared overnight," Smith informed.

"Apparently, competition does make a difference," he said in a blog post on Thursday.

Microsoft's Bing search service has less than 5 per cent market share in Australia, substantially smaller than other countries like the US, Canada and the UK.

"But, with a realistic prospect of gaining usage share, we are confident we can build the service Australians want and need. And, unlike Google, if we can grow, we are prepared to sign up for the new law's obligations, including sharing revenue as proposed with news organisations," Microsoft President emphasised.

Smith argued that this proposal is needed as since 2000, newsroom revenue in the US has fallen by 70 per cent and employment has been cut in half.

"More than 2,000 newspapers have closed entirely. In many places, local news has been decimated. News deserts - communities with no local paper at all - have spread across the country, with terrible effects," he noted.

Democracy has always started at the local level. Today, far too many local communities must nurture democracy without a Fourth Estate.

News content generates significant indirect value for search and social media sites - as much as $4.7 billion annually for Google, according to a recent study - even though people often do not click through to the original story.

"Dominant tech properties like Facebook and Google will need to invest in transparency, including by explaining how they display news content," said Smith.
My wife and I have been married for 17 years and have known one another for more than half our lives. I would say that pre-pandemic we knew one another very well, but now, after nearly a year together, no breaks, there arent any mysteries. I know, for example, what she has for every meal, because I am the one who prepares it; she has the grace to eat whatever it is Ive made without complaint.

We both miss going to restaurants a lot. I miss eating food cooked by someone else, and she probably misses being relieved of dish duty. The other day I was dreaming of dan dan noodles, thinking of all the orders Ive consumed in my life. Ive had these noodles more times than I can count, always prepared by someone else, in restaurants in New York and San Francisco and other parts of the country, sometimes from take-out containers stained orange, but Ive never prepared them myself.

I miss those noodles, and all the places I ate them. (If you miss favorite dishes like dan dan noodles, see Soleil Hos list of Top Chinese Restaurants in the Bay Area.) And while theres not much I can do about the latter, the former is in my hands: I made the noodles.

If you have not had dan dan, heres what to expect: wheat noodles with a very complex, spicy sauce that contains chiles in two ways (oil and pepper flakes) and the numbing thrum of Sichuan peppercorns, which contribute the essential mala sensation, a defining feature of Sichuanese cooking. The heat is balanced by the addition of peanut butter (or, usually, sesame paste), the flavor amped up by ginger and garlic and black vinegar.

The versions I like best have a bit of ground pork and some pickled mustard greens, a foil for the noodles richness. The versions I like best wake up your taste buds, cause your nose to run, make you crave another serving. The recipe is not difficult, and if you are looking to literally (and figuratively) spice up a February night  dare I say a Valentines night?  in pandemic times, they are just the thing to make.

The first time I made the recipe at home some weeks back, basing my recipe on memories of restaurant meals past and a survey of Chinese cookbooks I own, I mounded a pile of the noodles in a bowl, spooned on some sauce and ground pork, and set the dish in front of my wife. She lifted them to her mouth with chopsticks, eyes going wide. What are these? she asked. I dont think Ive ever had them before.

I thought of all the bowlfuls Id scarfed down in the two decades weve known one another; somehow shed never been with me when I ate them. You think you know someone, but after all this time, there are still mysteries and surprises, the spice that keeps us coming back for more.

Jessica Battilana is a freelance writer and the author of Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need. Instagram: Email: food@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jbattilana

Dan Dan Noodles With Pork

Serves 2 as a generous main course; 4 with other sides

If you want to make these noodles vegetarian, omit the pork topping and use water in place of the chicken stock in the sauce. Baked tofu is a nice topping, but the noodles are satisfying even without the added protein. The sauce can be made up to two days in advance and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature and whisk vigorously before using. If you like a spicier sauce, increase the red pepper flakes amount to 1 teaspoon (or more!).

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

8 ounces ground pork

4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (from one 2-inch piece), divided

 cup chicken stock or water

3 tablespoons chili oil

1 tablespoon black vinegar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

 teaspoon red pepper flakes

5 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter

12 ounces fresh, frozen or dried wheat noodles, such as lo mein

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

2 Persian cucumbers, cut into matchsticks

 cup finely chopped pickled mustard greens (zha cai)

6 scallions, sliced on the diagonal

Put the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until a whiff of smoke rises from the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, or crush beneath a heavy frying pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground pork, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of the ginger and mix together to incorporate.

In a second medium bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, chili oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, the vinegar, the remaining 2 tablespoons ginger, the garlic, ground Sichuan pepper corns , sugar and red pepper flakes. Whisk in the peanut butter until combined.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water boils, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, breaking up the chunks with a wooden spoon, until the pork is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue cooking, pressing the meat against the pan to encourage browning, until crispy and browned, 4 minutes more. Set aside. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until tender. Drain, rinse quickly with hot water and drain again; transfer to a bowl and toss with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil.

To serve, portion some of the noodles into a bowl and spoon the peanut sauce over the noodles. Top with some of the ground pork and garnish with the cilantro, cucumber, pickled mustard greens and scallions.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attends the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich - LR1ED1H14SATY

India is actually a red-hot investment opportunity for its clean energy transition, top US official John Kerry said on Thursday as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his commitment to addressing the challenge posed by climate change which the Biden Administration believes poses an existential threat to humanity.

Kerry, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, said he intends to work "very, very closely with" with Indian leadership including Prime Minister Modi and External Minister S Jaishankar.

"We believe India can be one of the most critical transitional countries in this entire endeavour. I am confident that just as we have worked very closely on any number of issues in these last years, our two nations -- the world's two biggest democracies -- have a great deal to gain from joining hands in our global leadership and confronting the climate crisis to meet this moment," he said.

"India is actually a red-hot investment opportunity for its clean energy transition," Kerry, the first official on climate to be inside the US National Security Council, said in his address to the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021.

Looking forward to visiting India soon, Kerry said that the prime minister has made a very important contribution to this dialogue. Needless to say, India is deeply committed to this challenge and it has been for a considerable number of years, he said.

"You are indisputably a world leader in the deployment of renewable energy and your leadership of the International Solar Alliance, which Minister Jaishankar referred to, is absolutely critical for not just India, but for other dynamic, growing economies in the world, Kerry said.

Prime Minister Modi's announcement of a target of 450 gigawatts of renewables by 2030 is a strong, terrific example of how to power a growing economy with clean energy, and it's going to be one of the most important contributions because India today is already the third largest emitter in the world behind the United States and China, he said.

Referring to a latest report of the International Energy Agency, he said India's down payment on the clean energy transition puts it on pace to become the global market leader in solar and storage by 2040. "And thanks to your rapid scale-up, it's already cheaper to build solar in India than anywhere else in the world. That kind of urgency is exactly what we need in order to confront the crisis that we confront today," he said.

After coming to power, the Biden Administration has quickly established contacts with the Indian leadership. The leadership of the two countries at the top level have known each other for long and have put the relationship on fast-track. In a recent interview, India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, had identified climate change as one of the key pillars of collaboration between the two countries.

It was one of the topics of discussion between Prime Minister Modi and President Joe Biden earlier this week and also when they spoke in November soon after the US election results were announced.

In his speech, Kerry made it clear that India is a key partner of the US under the Biden Administration and would take it over from where the relationship was left by the previous Trump Administration.

On climate change, Kerry said that he knows that Prime Minister Modi is committed to this and seized by it, and so are Indian businesses.

"I was also very heartened to see the recent government budget focussed heavily on clean energy and propose a very specific hydrogen energy mission, he said.

By 2030, the International Energy Agency forecasts that if India drives even more aggressively towards this clean energy transition, it will create half a million additional jobs than business as usual would create. Indian industry is obviously already stepping up and showing leadership. I was very pleased to hear that dozens of India's biggest companies recently signed a declaration on climate change, pledging to go carbon neutral," Kerry said.
United Nations World Oceans Day 8, June 2021

February 12,2021 | Source: UN

The United Nations celebrates World Oceans Day every year on 8 June. This year's United Nations World Oceans Day virtual event will take place on Tuesday, 8 June 2021, in celebration of the theme "The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods". The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity and every other organism on earth. The ocean produces at least 50% of the planets oxygen (Nature), it is home to most of earths biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world. The ocean is also key to the global economy with an estimated 40 million people being directly employed by ocean-based industries by 2030 (OECD). Humanity has defined itself through its relations with the ocean culturally, socially and economically. The ocean has become central to maintaining life and livelihoods in every respect.



Nevertheless, we have yet to understand our impacts on this life source or to discover our true interconnectedness. What we do know is that the ocean is now in need of our support. With over 30% of the worlds marine fishery resources overexploited or depleted (FAO), and 70-90% of coral reefs threatened by 1.5C (IPCC), we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. To protect and preserve the ocean and all it sustains, we must create a new balance, rooted in true understanding of the ocean and how humanity relates to it. We must build a connection to the ocean that is inclusive, innovative, and informed by lessons from the past. UNWOD 2021 will feature keynotes, panel discussions, presentations and performances that spotlight biodiversity, latest oceanic discoveries, the interconnectivity between the ocean and human wellbeing, and more. It will celebrate and support the life and livelihood that the ocean sustains, and help us all understand our role in protecting and preserving the ocean's abundance for generations to come. Learn more about UN World Oceans Day at www.UNworldoceansday.org.

Theme(s): Landing Centres, Fisheries Resources, Fisheries Development and Aquaculture, Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods, Post Harvest Technology and Trade, Communities and Organisations, Others, Coastal Ecosystems and Threats, Freshwater ecosystems and threats.
In one of his first acts in office, President Biden said he wants farmers and ranchers to tell him how to fight climate change.

If he wants to hear from agricultural businesses already on the front lines of combating global warming, the Bay Area might be a good place to start.

On Albert Straus organic dairy farm in Marin County, an electric truck powered by cow manure feeds his 280 cows. Since 2004, hes been using a methane digester, which captures methane from manure and converts it into enough electricity to power the whole farm. Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farms in Capay Valley (Yolo County), which sells at farmers markets all over the Bay Area, works with universities to implement sustainable practices such as reduced tillage.

Agriculture accounts for one-tenth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, well behind transportation (28%) and electricity production (27%). But the sector is uniquely positioned in the climate crisis: Farms can do more than just reduce emissions. They can pull the excess carbon that causes global warming out of the atmosphere and put it back into the ground, a process known as sequestration.

Not a lot of people understand how important agriculture is if we want to reach our climate and greenhouse gas reduction goals, Redmond said. Her farms tillage practices are one way to keep carbon in the soil.

Straus Dairy Farm was the first in California to implement a carbon farm plan, with the help of the Marin Carbon Project, to reduce emissions and sequester more carbon.

Im creating a farming and food model that can be sustainable for the land, for the animals and for rural communities, and at the same time is providing high-quality food for our local communities, Straus said. Livestock has an essential role in reversing climate change.

The presidential request for help, laid out in a Jan. 27 executive order, illustrates the Biden administrations belief in this potential. Involving the Department of Agriculture in climate policy means more incentives for farmers to adopt emissions-reducing practices that could even boost their earnings  always a concern with the industrys often-tight profit margins.

We think renewable energy, we see farmers, making American agriculture first in the world to achieve net zero emissions and gaining new sources of income in the process, Biden said.

Bidens order borrows language from a climate-focused executive order signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October, which asked California farmers to work to store and remove carbon from the atmosphere as well as preserve the states biodiversity.

California was the top agricultural state in 2019, according to the USDA, producing more than 400 commodities, including over a third of the nations vegetables and two-thirds of the nations fruits and nuts.

The science is clear that, in our existential fight against climate change, we must build on our historic efforts in energy and emissions and focus on our lands as well, Newsom said in a press release. Californias beautiful natural and working lands are an important tool to help slow and avert catastrophic climate change.

Californias farms are smaller on average at 328 acres than the nationwide average of 434 acres. But climate-smart practices can be scaled up  things like no-till and cover crops are applicable to larger farms. Many conventional dairy farms in the Central Valley are installing digesters to reduce emissions and generate energy.

Farmers like Straus and Redmond want to push the conversation forward.

Straus, whose farm was the first 100% organic certified dairy west of the Mississippi River in 1994, is now working on a pilot project in collaboration with BMW Group for a small, tank-based methane digester. The revenue from the project would help cover the typically high costs of installing a digester. Once installed, farmers could actually profit by selling the energy to power electric vehicles through the partnership while reducing on-farm emissions.

The idea is to make it an asset, not a liability, for farmers, and to make it easily expandable, he said.

Straus also serves on the advisory board for the new Clean Economy Employment Now, or CLEEN Project, which seeks to provide federal leaders with job creation ideas.

Redmond and her co-founders have been dedicated to organic, regenerative farm practices that have been proven to effectively reduce the climate impact of agriculture, since they opened Full Belly in 1985, she said. That includes things like using cover crops to restore nutrients in the soil, using compost to fertilize fields and working with researchers to evaluate the impact of newer practices, like no-till.

Some practices have clear upsides, like producing better quality food, Redmond explained. But other times, its really just about being at the forefront of new ideas.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

You ask, Well, how does (participating in research) benefit you? And I cant exactly answer that, except that were very interested in sustainability and the future of agriculture in California, and it just sort of makes sense, she said.

Still, implementing these practices can be time-consuming and expensive, and both climate advocates and farmers stress the need for government funding and collaboration among the industry, climate scientists, advocates and public officials  especially since climate-smart practices look different on different types and sizes of farms.

As early adopters will tell you, every opportunity has challenges, Jamie Johansson, president of the California Farm Bureau, wrote in a message to members. Theres no such thing as a free lunch. The goal of working lands should be to keep them working. For farms and ranches to meet their conservation goals, they must first meet their economic goals. Thats true sustainability.

The California government has had several grant programs for climate-smart agriculture, which generated a lot more interest in switching over to these practices, said Renata Brillinger, executive director of advocacy group California Climate and Agriculture Network. In her ideal world, there would be even more grant programs to keep that momentum going.

Farmers will move in that direction as long as it makes economic sense to do so, as long as they can stay in business while sequestering carbon and improving air and water quality, Brillinger said. Newsom promised to keep investing in these programs in his latest proposed state budget.

Straus agrees. His big, hairy, audacious goal is for his dairy farm to be carbon-neutral by the end of 2021. By the end of the decade, he wants to expand that model to the 11 other family farms that supply organic milk to Straus Dairy Farm. He thinks he can do it.

On my farm, I test a lot of the technology and the practices, because farmers are very hesitant to change, are very cautious, and want to make sure that its proven out, he said. But if youre successful, they are willing to join you.

Danielle Echeverria, a Palo Alto writer, was the 2020 San Francisco Chronicle Rebele intern. Email: business@sfchronicle.com
by Melani Manel Perera

In case the local justice fails, the prelate wants the International Criminal Court in The Hague to intervene. The Sri Lankan government is already under UN pressure over its handling of the conflict with Tamil separatists. Victims families back the cardinals initiative.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Card Malcolm Ranjith yesterday called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

On 21 April two years ago, suicide bombers targeted three churches  two Catholic and one Protestant  and three hotels in different parts of the country. The blasts killed 280 people, including 45 foreigners, and wounded almost 600.

The responsibility for the attacks has not yet been determined. Then President Maithripala Sirisena first blamed Islamic extremists, then international drug traffickers trying to retaliate against his government for its actions against the drug trade.

The only thing that is certain is that the authorities had intelligence information before the attacks, but ignored it.

The findings from the official government investigation were handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 1 February.

Card Ranjith, who has not yet seen the document, has called for the International Criminal Court to intervene should the local justice system fail. The families of the victims, he says, want the truth.

The Archbishop of Colombo believes that the authorities will do everything possible to avoid the involvement of international justice, noting that the government is already in the crosshair of the UN Human Rights Council over its actions during the civil war with Tamil separatists.

The families affected by the tragedy support the prelates initiative. This is crucial if we do not get justice from our authorities, Geetha Appuhamy told AsiaNews.

A Katuwapitiya resident, the mother of three lost her husband in the 2019 attacks and faces serious economic problems. If our loved ones were still alive, our life would be happy; instead, we have to bear the burden of their loss, she said.

The victims families suspect the government is trying to hide the investigations findings, so they want an international court to intervene.

Eva Antoinette lost a sister, a granddaughter and a brother-in-law in the attacks. She wants the culprits found and punished. Like Geetha, Eva explains that only Gods love can make her live with the pain and trauma caused by the Easter Sunday tragedy.
While calling Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) a land mafia, Pakistans prominent Hindu leader Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has alleged that ETPB has recruited Sikh and Hindu leaders on its payroll to issue statements that suit its interests to siphon off government funds and give religious properties of minority communities on lease to make money.

While talking to Zee News, Vankwani who is also Member National Assembly (MNA) of Pakistan PM Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party alleged that ETPB was knee-deep in corruption and had given several Gurdwara and temples on lease to private parties in return for the huge amount which, he alleged, was being divided among the ETPB officials.

He claimed that there were 1,822 Hindu temples and 588 gurdwaras in Pakistan out of which only 31 were functional while the majority from the rest of them had been given on lease by ETPB officials. He wondered why the Pakistan government didnt appoint a Hindu as Chairman of ETPB who would have a better understanding of the issues.

Earlier I had recommended that late acting chief justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan Rana Bhagwan Das should be appointed but Mian Nawaz Sharif decided to appoint Saddiq-ul-Farooq and not the PTI, then Hindu community was expecting that Vishwa Raja Kavi would be appointed as ETPB chairman but PTI government picked up Aamar Ahmad," he said.

He alleged that to usurp properties of both Hindu and Sikh communities, ETPB had a few Hindu and Sikh leaders recruited on its payroll who gives statements as directed by ETPB. Even the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is a nonexistent body and has no significance of its own, even a few Hindu leaders who issue statements are on the payroll of ETPB, he alleged adding that these were the leaders who even issued statements against him allegedly on the instigation of ETPB officials.

Earlier PSGPC leaders including its president Satwant Singh, former president Bishan Singh, Hindu leader Munawar Chand, etc had blamed Vankwani for allegedly maligning the image of ETPB and PSGPC. However, they had hailed the role played by ETPB for carrying out unprecedented development of temples and Gurdwaras and protecting their properties from land mafias.

Reportedly PSGPC president Satwant Singh had also blamed Vankwani for creating a division among Hindus and Sikhs and had cautioned the minorities to be aware of his designs.
3 game-changing technologies from Fonterra preserve milk quality View(s):

Milk collection and cold chain infrastructure are often perceived as the most challenging link in the dairy farming supply chain. In this context, Fonterra has pioneered three cutting-edge technologies to drive sustainable improvement in milk quality from rapid chilling technology to instantly preserve milk, milk fingerprinting screening that ensures milk supplied is of the highest quality, to the companys own end-to-end traceability system that makes the entire journey of raw milk to finished product completely transparent.

In a media release, Fonterra said that a key challenge faced by milk collectors is milking-to-chilling time. Fonterra installed rapid chilling technology, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka to reduce the risk of quality deterioration. This allows the instant chilling of milk to 4C in seconds  a safe way to preserve milk faster and closer to the farmers who supply it.

The Milk Collection Centres play a critical role in terms of quality testing and screening of milk. Fonterra pioneered the use of milk fingerprinting technology in Sri Lanka across all its milk chilling centres to ensure that the quality and integrity of milk supplied is intact. This equipment is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world and is Sri Lankas most stringent form of raw milk screening in use today.

While firm steps are taken to ensure milk is of the highest quality, Fonterra says it is vital to have complete visibility of milk back to its source. The company introduced a world-class electronic traceability system in Sri Lanka which can track milk used for its Anchor and Anchor Newdale fresh dairy products, with 100 per cent documented traceability to the farmer. This provides Fonterras on-farm support team the opportunity to work with farmers to further uplift their on-farm quality practices.

Such advanced supply chain technologies help us ensure that the best milk is supplied from our farmers and made into the highest quality dairy products for our consumers, the release said.

 said Managing Director of Fonterra Brands Lanka, Ms. Vidya Sivaraja. These efforts are reviewed by a New Zealand milk quality team through an annual audit conducted on-ground, to ensure that we meet globally acceptable standards in everything we do.


The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost.
Mountainhome, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Net Savings Link, Inc. (OTC Pink: NSAV), a cryptocurrency and digital asset technology company, today announced the identity of its latest equity acquisition, VirtuaBroker Ltd. (https://virtuabroker.com), a Swiss Cryptocurrency Trading Platform with offices in London and Barcelona. VirtuaBroker, whose platform is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), offers a full range of trading services, such as portfolio management, price search function, and much more. Their platform supports nearly all the major cryptocurrency exchanges, including Coinbase ($2 billion Revenue in 2019), Binance ($4.2 billion Crypto Assets), Bitfinex ($404 million Net Profits in 2018) and Kraken ($1.25 billion estimated Annual Revenues). With the recent announcements of Tesla and Mastercard joining the Crypto revolution, the management of NSAV believes that this will be a major step in fulfilling the Company's ambition of being a leading player in the over $200 billion annual cryptocurrency market. The Company plans to Roll Out the Global Launch of VirtuaBroker at the end of March.

VirtuaBroker's AI Cryptocurrency Trading Platform is your 24/7 account manager. Customers will save time and be provided with an optimal trading experience. The AI Platform allows users to optimize the trades that they require according to their selected objectives and allows them to make decisions based on market sentiment data. VirtuaBroker's security policy is its pillar and is based on a five-tiered security stack, including Fraud Protection, Privacy Protection, Encryption and Network Defenses, VirtuaBroker Security ID and Security Alerts.

The agreement between NSAV and VirtuaBroker was signed Wednesday by the directors of the respective companies. Closing is set for February 28, 2021.

Earlier this month, NSAV announced that the Company has finalized an amendment to its Articles of Incorporation, which would prevent NSAV from enacting a reverse stock split. The amended articles are now on file with the state of Colorado and can be viewed by the public at the Colorado Secretary of State's website.

James Tilton, president of NSAV stated, "We are thrilled to be able to finally introduce VirtuaBroker to our loyal NSAV shareholders. I can assure you that this is only the first of several planned ventures in the cryptocurrency and digital asset arena. We sincerely hope that all of our shareholders can join us in our excitement and we thank all of you for your continued support."

NSAV's vision is the establishment of a fully integrated technology company that provides turnkey technological solutions to the cryptocurrency and digital asset industries. Over time, the Company plans to provide a wide range of services such as software solutions, e-commerce, advisory services, financial services, patents and trademarks and information technology.

For further information please contact NSAV at info@nsavholdinginc.com

The NSAV corporate website can be accessed at http://nsavholdinginc.com

The NSAV Twitter account can be accessed at https://twitter.com/nsavtech

This press release contains certain 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, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Net Savings Link, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Net Savings Link, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward- looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Net Savings Link, Inc. or any other person.

Contact

Net Savings Link, Inc.

info@nsavholdinginc.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74365
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Transcript: Cuomo's secretary Melissa DeRosa remarks

The following transcript was provided by Gov. Cuomo's office and appears unedited.



Senator Skoufis: Commissioner, I'm speaking more generally that just that one question. The Senate letter that we sent had, I think 17 questions. I think there was an Assembly letter with as many questions. So, yes, there is a question of what the data and the audit and you're not going to convince me that you could not have done this audit faster than 6 months time. I believe you started the audit a few weeks ago when this all started to bubble over.

I'm speaking more generally than just the nursing home death numbers.

Melissa DeRosa: Senator, I can take this question. I don't know that this is going to satisfy you, but it's the truth and the truth works almost every time. The letter comes in at the end of August and right around the same time, President Trump turns this into a giant political football. He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes, he starts going after Murphy, starts going after Newsome, starts going after Gretchen Whitmer.

He directs the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us. He finds one person at DOJ who since has been fired because this person is now known to be a political hack who sends letters out to all of these different governors. Basically, we froze because then we were in a position where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice or what we give to you guys and what we start saying was going to be used against us and we weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation.

That played a very large role into this. We went to the leaders and we said to the leaders, can we please pause on getting back to everybody until we get through this period and we know what's what with the DOJ? We since have come through that period. All signs point to they are not looking at this. They dropped it. They never formally opened an investigation. They sent a letter asking a number of questions and then we satisfied those questions and it appears that they're gone. That was how it was happening back in August.

In the intervening period, the second wave happened. The vaccine rollout started and all of our attention shifted elsewhere. I know that's not the answer you want to hear and you guys should be the only priority that we have as we're moving through this -

Senator Skoufis: I'm not so sure that you're ---

Melissa DeRosa: No, no, no - I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to be snarky. I'm saying this sincerely and I've communicated this to Shontell and Louann. I want to make you guys more of a partnership. I want to answer your questions on a rolling basis. I've offered to do something weekly or bi-weekly with you guys to get questions and more often times we can have candid conversations where it doesn't feel like everyone is sniping at each other through the press and it isn't really about the policy and it isn't really about the information, it's about this political back and forth.

That is what happened. On the audit, now that I am knee deep in this and I understand all of this. On April 17, and we don't need to get too far on a tangent, but just so you guys understand part of all this. On April 17, DOH sent out a notification to all of the nursing homes it regulates and says [retro]spectively, tell us anyone that died in the facility, anyone you think died of COVID in the facility - like presumed has a medical context and definition - but just saying presumed in the nursing home [inaudible] I'm going to look backward and guess essentially that you believe was confirmed COVID in a hospital and that you think was presumed in a hospital.

All of a sudden, at the end of April, you get a massive data dump from 600 nursing homes where they're reporting back to January and saying presumed COVID. DOH, in the middle of what was still the height of the pandemic, when we were scrambling on a daily basis to make sure that hospitals weren't overwhelmed and collapsing. When we were trying to make sure that people were getting the care that they needed. We were still making major decisions about what sectors of the economy would be safe to reopen or close, when there was still massive PPE shortages and while we were being shot at on a daily basis from Donald Trump - that we needed to go through these reams of data. 14,000 people. Then it wasn't 14,000, it was like 6,000 or whatever the number was.

None of it was reliable. It was based on initials. It was based on the data that they thought they died in the hospital because they didn't know for sure. It was based on co-morbidities that the list of the co-morbidities are pneumonia, cancer, HIV/AIDS - and they're guessing that because it was around that time, maybe it was COVID. This was a massive undertaking and it was happening while we were still at the height of the pandemic. That's when that data dump happened.

I'm just asking for a little bit of appreciation of the context. Your point is very well taken, Senator, and we are going to do better and you have my promise that we're going to try to do better on a rolling basis to answer you guys if it means Shontell or Louannarrange one-offs and Zooms and phonecalls or weekly meetings, or whatever - I'm open to it.

We do apologize. I do understand the position that you were put in. I know that it is not fair. It was not our intent to put you in that political position with the Republicans.

Senator Skoufis: Okay. Thank you.

Assembly Member Gottfried: We don't have enough time today to explain all the reasons why I don't give that any credit at all.

Senator May: I'd like to jump in here too because and just follow up to James and I, I'm not sure about anyone else in our colleagues here, but also the other thing going on that we were in difficult re-election campaigns and getting hammered about this every single day and apparently my worthwhile opponent who [inaudible] today attacking me on this issue too.

The issue for me, the biggest issue of all, is feeling like I needed to defend or at least not attack an administration that was appearing to be covering something up. In a pandemic when you want the public to trust the public health officials and there is clear feeling that they're not being forthcoming with you, that is really hard. It remains difficult. I think I want to ask you to figure out how do you do this messaging in a way that makes it clear to people - I mean, if you could explain some of these things to people in real time instead of just feeling like you're not telling people the real story that would make it easier on you and easier on us at the same time.

Assembly Member McDonald: Can I just chime in? Secretary, I appreciate your summary of what happened the last few months. So just to summarize and get back on the agenda, just to simplify what's been said, it sounds like there's been multiple data points that had to be matched if that's what I'm hearing. There was a number of extenuating things that were occurring at the same time that prevented the nursing home data to be matched with the hospital data. Whatever. Where are we now? Can we just get to this point? Did we resolve all the data matching? Have we resolved it?

Melissa DeRosa: I'm happy to take this, Assemblyman. Sorry, doctor, if it's okay. I was briefed from the data team right before we came in. So, on page - I actually don't know which page it is - but the upshot is, yes and no. Yes, meaning the confirmed in-hospital we believe is resolved. They're going to go back and audit it again to make sure and they're going to line it up with death certificates once this is all over. That number we believe is firmly resolved. There was the category of probable out of facility. Either in a hospice or a hospital. The nursing home people at DOH went back to the nursing homes and said what did you base this on? Their answer was we based it on what we thought retrospectively.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A man who shot five staff members at a Minnesota health clinic this week shot two of them in the reception area before heading back to where patients are treated and shooting three others, including a medical assistant and mother of two who died of her wounds, authorities say in the criminal charges filed Thursday.

Gregory Paul Ulrich, 67, also allegedly set off two explosive devices during Tuesdays attack at an Allina clinic in Buffalo, a city of about 15,000 people roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis. He was charged Thursday with one count of second-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, one count of possessing an explosive device and one count of carrying a pistol without a permit.

Ulrich was due to make an initial court appearance Thursday morning.

According to the criminal charges, when Ulrich entered the clinic, staff asked if they could help him. In response, he pulled out a 9 mm handgun and threatened them before he opened fire, shooting one staff member in the back and another in the abdomen. He then went into the clinics interior and continued firing on victims, shooting a third person twice in the upper leg as that person was trying to flee and a fourth person six times, including in the chest, abdomen and back.

His fifth victim, who died from her wounds, was shot once in the abdomen and the bullet passed through her liver and spine before exiting through her back, according to the charges. Allina identified her as Lindsay Overbay, a 37-year-old medical assistant who had two young children, according to family and friends.

Three of the victims remained hospitalized Wednesday, with one in critical condition, one in fair condition and the other in good condition. The fourth surviving victim was discharged hours after the attack.

During the attack, Ulrich detonated two improvised explosive devices _ one at the clinics entrance and the other near a desk in the clinics interior. When it the attack was over, Ulrich called 911 and said he would surrender if officers backed away, according to the charges. Officers entered the clinic using a squad car as a shield and found Ulrich lying in the entryway with his arms outstretched.

He had several rounds of ammunition on him when he was arrested, including two loaded 9 mm magazines, one with 13 rounds of ammunition and the other with seven. He also had 29 additional rounds of ammunition in a plastic bag. Authorities also searched a mobile home where Ulrich lived and found gunpowder similar to the material used in the improvised explosive devices that detonated at the clinic. They found an empty box of 9 mm ammunition in a nearby motel where he had been staying.

A preliminary examination of Ulrichs cellphone revealed a rambling video he made that alluded to an incident at the clinic, the charges state. Buffalos police chief, Pat Budke, said Tuesday that Ulrich had a long history of conflict with medical clinics in the area and was unhappy with the care hed received.

According to a prior police report, Ulrich threatened to carry out a mass shooting at the clinic on Oct. 13, 2018, with a doctor telling investigators that Ulrich had talked about shooting, blowing things up, and practicing different scenarios of how to get revenge. The doctor said Ulrich told him he dreamed about exacting revenge on the people who tortured him, referring to issues he had with back surgeries and the medication he was prescribed.

About the photo: Law enforcement personnel walk toward the Allina Health clinic, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, Minn. Authorities say multiple people were shot at the Minnesota health clinic on Tuesday and someone was taken into custody afterward. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
KABUL  The sixth round of consensus-building meetings for peace in Afghanistan was held with the participation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar, high-ranking government officials, ambassadors and representatives of Asian and European countries, and Afghanistan's regional and international partners at the Storai Palace of MoFA.

At the outset, the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed the participants about the challenges of the second round of peace talks, Taliban's regional trips and the group's failure to live up to its commitments, the Islamic world's solidarity in condemning war and supporting peace, and the importance of regional and international consensus for the success of the Afghan peace process.

Minister Atmar thanked Afghanistan's regional and international partners for sharing the Government's viewpoints and concerns on the Taliban's non-compliance with their commitments. Mr. Atmar noted that reducing violence, severing ties with terrorists, advancing sincere and meaningful negotiations, and preventing the released Taliban prisoners from returning to the battlefield were four major commitments that the Taliban failed to fulfill. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also referred to the reports of the Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team and other credible international reports in this regard.

Minister Atmar also welcomed the new U.S. administration's decision to review the Taliban's compliance with their commitments based on the U.S.-Taliban agreements, calling it an essential step for advancing the Afghan peace process.

Mr. Mohammad Qasim Halimi, Minister of Hajj and Endowments, discussed the formation of a broad consensus in the Islamic world for ending bloodshed and realizing peace in Afghanistan. Minister Halimi added that Islamic countries, reputable institutions, and organizations (like OIC & MWL), well-known personalities and Muftis of the Islamic world (like Sheikh Qarzawi) have consistently disapproved of the war in Afghanistan and have reiterated that attacking schools and universities, destroying infrastructures, and killing innocent civilians were in stark violation of the principles and teachings of the holy religion of Islam.

Mr. Sayed Saadat Mansour Naderi, Minister of State for Peace, and Mr. Mustafa Mastoor, Senior Advisor to the High Council for National Reconciliation, also discussed the progress in the peace process and drew the attention of regional countries and the international community to the challenges facing the second round of peace talks.

Ambassadors and representatives of regional and international countries and organizations, while expressing their deep concern over the escalation of violence and targeted killings of civilians, reiterated their support for the continuation of peace negotiations and advancing the Afghan-led Afghan-owned peace process. They also welcomed and supported the efforts and principled stance of the Afghan Government towards the fulfillment of the commitments by all involved parties, the establishment of a ceasefire, and achieving a comprehensive political solution commensurate with the will of the Afghan people.
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One of a series of virtual Community-Based Planning (CBP) sessions organised by the Speaker of Council has heard demands by residents of Region D in Soweto for the municipality to adopt a stricter approach to bylaw enforcement in the area.



Scores of people who logged on to the digital meeting on Thursday, 11 February 2021 called for answers on service delivery issues affecting their community, which they claim had been raised in previous engagements with the City.

The online meeting was convened by Council Speaker, Cllr Nonceba Molwele to afford residents of Johannesburg a platform to air views about how the City can deal with backlogs in the delivery of municipal services. This is part of Cllr Molweles citywide virtual expedition for ideas that can determine the substance and character of the municipalitys Integrated Development Plan (IDP).



Residents urge the City to take stern action against rampant lawlessness in Soweto, including illegal dumping, public drinking, illegal taxi ranks, the theft of public infrastructure and land invasions.



Salome Mogotsi, the Regional Director for Region D concurs with sentiments from residents of Soweto that the area is plagued by lawlessness. She confirms there are regular grievances about the mushrooming of illegal backyard mechanics, renovations being undertaken without council approval and inadequate public housing.

Mogotsi says at least 100 JMPD officers will be deployed to the region to bolster by-law enforcement.



I want to assure residents that law enforcement is a top priority particularly in Region D. With the City having re-introduced the JMPDs Joburg10Plus and additional resources in the region, we should start to see people getting fines on the spot for by-law infringements, she adds.



Esther Maema, a resident of Sowetos suburb of Naledi says Rea Vaya routes need to be extended to cover all areas of the township.



Currently, residents of Naledi have to walk long distances or take a taxi to Protea North to catch a Rea Vaya bus. We request that the route be extended to include all areas of Soweto, Maema says.



She notes that there also needs to be paved sidewalks and parks in every ward, and each state-subsidised household needs to have a tittle-deed.



Mokgotsi acknowledges backlogs in the delivery of municipal services, however, she explains that significant work is being undertaken on key projects to improve the quality of life in the region.

Some of the key infrastructure projects include the installation of street lights and an emergency water pipe in Protea Glen; the construction of phase 1 of the broad-range Lufhereng Housing Development, and phase 1 and 2 of the Slovoville roads upgrade by the JRA, with phase 3 of the project expected to commence next month.



Cllr Loyiso Masuku, the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Corporate and Shared Services says all public comments are crucial to ensure a legitimate public consultation process as provided for in prescripts of municipal governance.



The legislature led CBP outreach sessions are scheduled to run on digital platforms until Friday, 5 March 2021 and serve as a forerunner to the IDP process, designed to produce service delivery policies for each ward in all of the Citys seven regions.



Cllr Masuku encourages residents to use the CBP process to hold municipal officials accountable for the slow pace of service delivery.



The CBP process is designed to ensure all citizens are included in future planning arrangements for the City; as a result, the process is citizen-focused and empowering, she says.



All engagements are streamed live on the Citys social media pages, including Twitter and Facebook. Residents may also join the meeting by logging onto the Citys website, www.joburg.org.za; click on Notices, then select CBP meeting.



Inputs may be submitted to cbpinputs@joburg.org.za or online by clicking on this link: https://share.hsforms.com/1-W81Bz_gS6yf20an7wB-uQ469tl. Written comments can be submitted through suggestion boxes available at each regional office. Telephone Yusuf Lachporia on 011 407-6310 or Yusufl@joburg.org.za for any enquiries.

Written by Nkosana Lekotjolo
Dyson is a graduate of Tusculum College, the UVA School of Banking, and the LSU School of Banking. He has been in banking for seventeen years and joined First Bank and Trust Company as Vice President and Branch Manager of the East Abingdon office in 2016. Prior to his appointment, Dyson assisted William Houston "Hugh" Ferguson, III, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager of the northeast Tennessee market, in the management of the southwest Virginia market.

Dyson, a southwest Virginia native, developed a passion for banking at an early age. He comes from a family of career bankers, and to him, banking is not about transactions; it's about fostering relationships and helping people. "I'm proud of the work we are doing and all that we are able to offer here in Southwest Virginia. I look forward to continuing to meet and work with local businesses and individuals to provide the very best credit, investment and deposit options available," stated Dyson regarding his new role.

First Bank & Trust Company continues to invest in Southwest Virginia, having finalized the new branch and headquarters in Abingdon, Virginia and nearing completion of its Pinnacle location in Bristol, Tennessee. Dyson's transition into senior management will play a pivotal role in supporting the bank's growth.

"As First Bank and Trust continues to grow, it remains of utmost importance that we have senior management in place to provide adequate support for both the northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia markets," stated W. Mark Nelson, President & CEO for First Bank and Trust Company. "That's what community banking is all about to us; supporting the local economies of the communities we serve while keeping the decision-making local. Brent values community and will be an excellent asset to our associates and customers in Southwest Virginia."

About First Bank & Trust Company

First Bank & Trust Company, one of the top community banks in the United States, is a diversified financial services firm with office locations in southwest Virginia, northeast Tennessee, and New River and Shenandoah Valleys. Financial objectives are addressed by offering free checking products for personal and business accounts, and assessing lending solutions managed by mortgage, agricultural and commercial lending divisions. Comprehensive financial solutions are available through trust and brokerage service representatives.

For more information, visit www.firstbank.com or contact Kaitlyn Widner at [email protected]

SOURCE First Bank & Trust Company

Related Links

https://www.FirstBank.com


The European Parliament voiced serious concerns over the safety of the Ostrovets nuclear plant in Belarus and demanded that its commercial launch be suspended.

In a resolution adopted with 642 votes to 29, with 21 abstentions, Parliament criticises the hasty commissioning of the Ostrovets nuclear plant and the continued lack of transparency and official communication regarding the frequent emergency shutdowns of the reactor and equipment failure.

Despite outstanding safety concerns, the plant started to generate electricity on 3 November 2020 without fully implementing recommendations made in the 2018 EU peer review and by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), MEPs say, expressing their discontent with the rush to start commercial operation of the plant in March 2021.

They call on the Commission to work closely with the Belarusian authorities to delay launching the plant until all EU stress test recommendations are fully implemented and all the necessary safety improvements are in place.

MEPs also urge Belarus to fully comply with international nuclear and environmental safety standards, and to cooperate with international authorities in a transparent manner.

The Ostrovets nuclear plant, built by the Russian group Rosatom, is located 50km from Vilnius (Lithuania) and in close proximity to other EU countries such as Poland, Latvia and Estonia.

Electricity stopped being traded between Belarus and the EU on 3 November when the Ostrovets plant was connected to the electricity grid. This followed the August 2020 joint decision of the Baltic States to cease commercial exchanges of electricity with Belarus once the Ostrovets plant started operating. However, MEPs note that electricity from Belarus can still enter the EU market via the Russian grid.
Blancpain celebrates Chinese New Year with a limited series of 50 watches dedicated to this tradition and its festivities. The Year of the Metal Ox begins on February 12th 2021 and ends on January 31st 2022. Housed in a precious platinum case, the Traditional Chinese Calendar bearing the effigy of the ox features an exclusive complication appearing on an elegant Grand Feu enamel dial.

Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar  Blancpain

Forged in noble platinum, the 50-piece limited-edition Traditional Chinese Calendar watch pays homage to the age-old culture of the Middle Kingdom. The Grand Feu enamel dial of this timepiece reveals the complexity of a display combining Chinese calendar indications with those of the Gregorian calendar and moon phases  all specialities of the Manufacture Blancpain.



Unlike the Gregorian calendar, whose unit of measurement is based on the solar day, the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle as well as exact astronomical observations of the suns longitude. Thus, in addition to the hours and minutes, date and moon phases, Blancpain's Traditional Chinese Calendar watch offers the main indications of the traditional Chinese calendar: double hours, days, months and leap months, zodiac signs, five elements and ten heavenly stems. The latter, combined with the 12 earthly branches  symbolised by the animals of the zodiac  produce 60 different pairs forming the sexagesimal cycle of the Chinese time measurement system.

Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar  Blancpain

Despite their complex combination, these functions are clearly displayed on a dial with Roman gold numerals and hollowed-out sage leaf-shaped hands. The ox, the animal of the year 2021, appears in an aperture at 12 o'clock above the double-hour counter. Symmetrically positioned at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock, two subdials respectively indicate the celestial stems and the five elements, as well as pointer-type month and date indications and leap months through a round aperture. In a manner typical of Blancpain's Complete Calendar watches, the moon phases that determine the months of the Chinese calendar can be read off at 6 o'clock, while a blued serpentine hand sweeps over the date numerals around the dial circumference.

Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar  Blancpain

This innovative complication, a genuine mechanical challenge whose development required five full years to master, is incorporated into the self-winding 3638 calibre. Endowed with a seven-day power reserve, this Haute Horlogerie movement is housed in a 45 mm case featuring a crown set with a cabochon-cut ruby. It is equipped with Blancpain's patented under-lug corrector system allowing easy function adjustments. The sapphire crystal case back enables one to admire the finishing of the movement and its white gold oscillating weight, engraved with the Chinese zodiac sign of the year.



Blancpain's Traditional Chinese Calendar is also available in a non-limited version in red gold with a finely guilloche oscillating weight.

A torrential rainstorm in Yuma County that resulted in the killing of 379 fish was the subject of a Colorado Supreme Court oral argument on Wednesday, centered around the question of whether the feedlot whose containment pond overflowed was responsible for the taking of wildlife.
The head of the NSW gambling regulator says it could limit James Packers voting rights to reduce his influence on Crown Resorts, warning that the billionaires decision to cut ties with the board may not be enough to loosen his iron grip on the casino giant.

Crown this week began a sweeping management overhaul after a damning report found it is unfit to run its new $2.2 billion Sydney casino, with three directors resigning and its chief executive Ken Barton expected to follow.

James Packer giving evidence to the NSW casino inquiry in October. Credit:

Two of Mr Packers board nominees, Michael Johnston and Guy Jalland, resigned on Wednesday while a third, John Poynton, will no longer represent him, which his private company Consolidated Press Holdings said gave Crown clear air to work on its reform agenda.

Former Supreme Court judge Patricia Bergin found in her report that Mr Packers influence has had disastrous consequences for the company.
New Delhi, Feb 13 : People from different districts of Haryana, especially those staying near the national capital, are helping the farmers protesting against the three Central farm laws at the Singhu border in ways more than one.

Many protesting farmers at the Singhu border are receiving supplies of daily need items from the neighbouring villages of Haryana. For instance, milk, ghee, vegetables, fruits and many other food items are being supplied by the villagers to run the langars at the protest site.

"We can not come empty-handed. Each trolley from Haryana comes with vegetables, milk, ghee, fruits, pulses or whatever we have," said Manish Kumar, a farmer from Mahendragarh district in Haryana.

Kumar also told IANS that the khap panchayats in the villages of Haryana have been supporting the farmers' protest since the beginning.

"The khap panchayats have instructed that each house should contribute to the farmers'cause with foodgrain or money," he said.

People from the nearby districts of Haryana have started joining the protest in more numbers. Every morning, men and women in tractor trolleys would reach the Singhu border and head back home by the evening.

"Each village panachayat has been allotted a fixed date to send people to join the protest. We have come here to strengthen the protest and would return home in the evening. Tomorrow morning another trolley from my village would come here," said Satpal, who is leading a group of around 40 people who came to Singhu border from a village in Jind district.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed


STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The transit workers who have kept New York moving through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are calling on state legislators to better protect them from what they describe as one of the most vile and disgusting forms of abuse imaginable.

On Friday, leaders from eight transit unions representing MTA workers, including ATU Local 726 on Staten Island, gathered outside City Hall to demand that lawmakers support and approve a proposed amendment that would increase penalties for those found guilty of spitting on transit workers.

We need the legislators, the people who go in front of all of you and say that transit workers are heroes, said TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano. Well, you know what, if were heroes, then do the right thing and pass this legislation.

The proposed amendment, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo has included in his preliminary state budget proposal, would upgrade spitting on a transit worker from a violation, punishable only by fine, to a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison.

Additionally, the legislation would expand the list of protected transit workers from train and bus operators, signal persons and terminal cleaners to also include customer assistance personnel, signal system repairers, track cleaners and supervisors.

Cuomo had included a similar amendment in last years budget proposal, but it did not make its way through the negotiation phase, which was cut short by the emergence of the novel coronavirus.

Transit unions have garnered the support of the district attorneys in all five boroughs, including Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.

Expanding protections for these everyday heroes will help my office to better prosecute those who attack these hardworking and essential public servants. Our fellow New Yorkers whom we depend on every day to transport us and our loved ones safely deserve a workplace free of violence and harassment. I therefore whole-heartedly support this legislation, McMahon said.

Spitting on transit workers occurs far more frequently than some may realize, with union leaders claiming that workers were spit at nearly 200 times in 2020 and over 200 times in 2019.

Think about that. Roughly four times a week someone walks up to conductor or a bus operator or cleaner -- and spits on them. Why? Because there are no real consequences or deterrent for this disgusting behavior, union leaders wrote in a letter addressed to New York State lawmakers.

Existing concerns regarding spitting incidents have been exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic, with the unhygienic act now posing additional health and safety concerns.

Its even more harrowing and traumatizing because of the pandemic and the risk of being infected with COVID-19, stated the letter.
American crude inventories fell by 6.5 million barrels this week at a time where the market was expecting an increase

In Friday trading, Brent crude was still holding above US$60 with West Texas intermediate (WTI) above US$57 a barrel

The oil market has seen a rally in the last couple of weeks supported by the global vaccine drive and OPECs curtailed oil supply.

American crude inventories fell by 6.5 million barrels this week at a time where the market was expecting an increase.

In Friday trading, Brent crude was still holding above US$60 with West Texas intermediate (WTI) above US$57 a barrel.

Brent crude hits 13-month high

Brent crude hit a 13-month high above US$61 a barrel midweek with WTI not far behind.

Analysts will be carefully watching this rally, and a report from Rystad energy said "the current prices are healthier than the markets," as producers wait for demand to return.

The CEO of CMarkits Dr. Yousef Alshammari said the recent price rally should present good news for OPEC+, but reminded us to look carefully at the speed of the increase.

"Prices have recovered much faster than demand and I think there is a good reason for OPEC+ to remain cautious in their upcoming meeting."

Demand continues to be 6-7% below pre-crisis levels, especially in aviation which is 60% below its level in 2019".

Many analysts think OPEC and friends will leave production as is, with the possibility that Saudi Arabia might suggest reinstating its one million barrel temporary reduction later in the year.

OPEC monitoring meeting in March

The OPEC ministerial monitoring committee will meet the first week in March.

A note from says it expects less oil from Saudi Arabia and Libya for February, and "this should deepen the global market deficit and support prices".

The International Energy Agency and OPEC both issued their monthly oil market reports this week, with OPEC observing, "major physical crude benchmarks increased about 10-percent month-on-month on improving market fundamentals, particularly the prospect of tighter crude supply and the declining trend in global oil stocks."

Improved performance in the global economy in the second half of 2020 gave OPEC optimism to look towards recovery in economic activity as witnessed in some Asian economies.

Global oil demand is estimated to have declined by 9.7 million barrels a day in 2020 to average 90.3 million barrels a day.

According to the February oil market report, OPEC expects oil demand for 2021 to increase by 5.8 million barrels a day, revised down slightly from last months projection, to average 96.1 million barrels a day.

The IEA says the market remains over-supplied and warns that the re-balancing of the oil market remains fragile given the ongoing pandemic fallout and weak demand.

The IEA cut its forecast for global oil demand for 2021 by 200,000 barrels a day mainly due to lack of travel and subdued economic activity.

Slow vaccine rollout in Europe

The IEA is concerned about new lockdowns and mobility restrictions and a rather slow vaccine rollout in Europe have delayed the anticipated rebound".

Looking outside of OPEC production, the IEA says it expects an increase of 400,000 barrels from non-OPEC producers as the stronger price and economic recovery could boost investment.

Despite a shift in mood for the oil sector from the Biden administration, the IEA says it expects shale players "to take advantage of higher prices to increase spending".

The wider global commodity markets have all been performing well in recent weeks with some suggesting the time for a super cycle.

Despite stagnant demand, oil continues to find strength, but we need to remember that supply remains more than plentiful and any addition production could tip the balance in the fundamentals with great speed.
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Stunning mountainous European landscapes tend not to be associated with Germany - but these jaw-dropping photographs might help to change that.

They show the country's stunning Bavarian Alps region and its crystal clear lakes, jagged peaks, mesmerising meadows and a fairy-tale castle said to have inspired Disney's Cinderella Castle design.

The amazing images have been snapped by photographer Christine Madeux, an American living in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, south of Munich, with her husband Scott. She says the Bavarian Alps has 'no shortage of hidden gems to explore'.

Christine, who is also full-time wedding photographer, told MailOnline Travel: 'I think a lot of people imagine visiting Switzerland or France when they picture a trip to the Alps, but Germany is absolutely stunning too.

'Something that makes the German Alps really stand out is that it is so green here. The mountains are full of high alpine meadows that stay blooming with wildflowers for a solid three months of the summertime. Theres also plenty of craggy peaks too though and the contrast between lush fields and tall, rocky summits is really spectacular.'

Scroll down and behold the beautiful Bavarian landscape...

This breathtaking image shows a spring evening at Eibsee, a crystal-clear lake in Garmisch-Patenkirchen, around an hour south of Munich. The lake sits at the foot of Zugspitze - Germany's highest mountain at 9,718ft (2,962m)

A stunning shot taken by Christine at sunrise above the Ammer Valley in the Ammergau Alps, a mountain range in the Bavarian Alps that runs through Bavaria and into Tyrol in Austria

Christine says: 'Something that makes the German Alps really stand out is that it is so green. The mountains are full of high alpine meadows that stay blooming with wildflowers for a solid three months of the summertime.' Pictured is a spring sunset at the Geroldsee lake, which lies between the towns of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald. In the background is the Karwendel Mountains. The range spans Bavaria and Tyrol in Austria

A breathtaking image of the Ammergau Alps with its largest mountain, the Daniel (7,677ft/2,340m), which actually sits in Austria, in the background. Christine snapped this photo while hiking with her husband Scott on the German/Austrian border near Garmisch-Partenkirchen

The last rays of sun peek from behind the Zugspitze mountain on to the town of Garmisch-Parternkirchen. Christine says: 'I think a lot of people imagine visiting Switzerland or France when they picture a trip to the Alps, but Germany is absolutely stunning too'

On a clear day, those who reach the summit of Zugspitze, pictured, are rewarded with views of four countries - Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy

The Milky Way shines above the Zugspitze on a late spring night. A cable car can take visitors from Eibsee, the lake at the foot of the mountain, to the peak of the mountain in around 10 minutes

This spectacular shot shows the incredible view from the Hollentalangerhutte, a popular shelter for hikers next to the Zugspitze. Christine says many stop off at it before heading for the summit

An amazing shot taken from the summit of Zugspitze looking down on the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. In 2020, Christine and Scott reached the peak of more than 50 different mountains in the Alps, the majority of them in Bavaria

A mesmerising cloud inversion near Walchensee - one of the largest Alpine lakes in Germany at 6.3 square miles - which is nestled close to the town of Kochel am See. Inversions occur when cold, moist air is trapped below warm, dry air, causing low-level clouds

A clearer view of Walchensee lake pictured at first light. On the left of the image is the lake's heart-shaped forested island

To take her stunning images, Christine often hikes with Scott very early in the morning or late into the night. This beautiful shot was taken at sunrise and shows the view into Austria from the 6,321ft (1,924m) high Grosse Klammspitze mountain, which lies in the Ammergau Alps

Christine says that the contrast between lush fields and tall, rocky summits in the German landscape is 'really spectacular'. Pictured is an epic part of the Karwendel Mountains. The highest peak in this range is the Birkkarspitze (9.019ft/2,749m) - located across the border in Austria

An incredible image showing a starry night sky above the Reintal, also known as the Rein Valley, close to Zugspitze. During the summer months, Christine says she and her husband find themselves out on hiking trails four to five days a week

The picturesque Konigshaus am Schachen, a villa in the Wetterstein mountains in the Bavarian Alps, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It was built by Ludwig II, the king of Bavaria, between 1869 and 1872 and sits at an altitude of 6,122ft (1,866m). It is only accessible by foot and is usually open for hikers to visit in the summer months

The mighty Alpspitze, pictured, is an 8,622ft (2,628m) peak in the Wetterstein Mountains in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Christine says: 'For anyone thinking about coming to Germany post-lockdown, just do it!'

This amazing image shows the famous Schloss Neuschwanstein - a 19th-century castle built by Ludwig II near the village of Schwangau. It is said to be the main inspiration for the design of Disney's Cinderella's Castle. According to the castle's website, 'every year 1.4million people visit "the castle of the fairy-tale king"'

Christine's husband, Scott, hikes along a ridge in the Ammergau Alps. Christine says: 'My husband and I love exploring the Ammergau Alps, a small range located right where we live. There are endless trails to hike ranging from easy walks to more difficult scrambles just ten minutes from our door'

The incredible view of a cloud inversion taken from Mount Wank (yes, really) - a 5,840ft (1,780m) high peak in the Ester Mountains, a small range in the Bavarian Alps

Christine and Scott hiking along a ridge in the Ammergau Alps at sunrise. Christine was able to snap the jaw-dropping picture using a tripod and a self-timer on her camera. She explained: 'It was a really surreal morning watching the mountains bathed in blue, purple, and then an orange glow as the sun came up'

Scott watches a stunning sunset from a peak in the breathtaking Ammergau Alps. Christine says she and her husband have 'been able to find a lot of solitude throughout these mountains'

This serene sunrise scene was captured by Christine from the summit of Obere Wettersteinspitze, a 4,429ft (1,350m) peak that towers over the town of Mittenwald in the very south of Germany. The town is famous for its violin-making heritage - the instruments have been manufactured there since the 17th century

Christine says that the valleys among the Bavarian Alps are dotted with these huts, known in German as Heustadel, which were traditionally used to store hay. This is one of many located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

This mesmerising shot of a purple-hued sunset shows the view from a ridge in the Ammergau Alps, just outside of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, towards Reutte, a market town across the border in Austria

Photographer Christine and her husband Scott. The pair are both from the United States but moved to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria in 2019
Nashville  Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III is advising consumers to look out for hidden charges on their credit card transactions that may be appearing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Merchants must not mislead customers, such as by falsely advertising a lower price than they actually charge or hiding any differences between credit card, debit card, and cash prices. A merchants failing to clearly and prominently disclosebefore a consumer pays or seeks to pay for an itemwhat it will charge for the item, including any additional fees, may violate Tennessee law prohibiting deceptive or false advertising.

Consumers deserve to know exactly how much they are paying for a product or a service, said General Slatery. Any credit card surcharges need to be communicated clearly and in advance.

WHAT TO DO:

Check the receipt to make sure the price charged matches the advertised or posted price of an item (plus tax, if applicable).

Look for the seller to display the full price (excluding tax) using each method of payment accepted. For example, the merchant should display the full price if the customer pays by credit card and separately the full price if the customer pays in cash.

Be wary of a credit card surcharge that exceeds the actual incremental cost of the operating expense which is typically around 1%-1.5%.

Look out for credit card surcharges characterized as cash discounting. Discounting occurs only when the consumer is invited to pay less than the full posted price.

If you think a seller is improperly charging customers, failing to disclose what it is charging, or otherwise engaging in false or misleading sales practices, you can file a complaint with the Tennessee Attorney General's Office here: tn.gov/consumer or contact your credit card company.

###

#21-07: AG Slatery Warns against Deceptive Credit Card Surcharges
ITC fell 2.58% to Rs 220.60 after the company's net profit declined 11.6% to Rs 3,663 crore on 0.05% decline in net sales to Rs 11,698.60 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20.

EBITDA declined by 7.2% to Rs 4,281 crore in Q3 December 2020 from Rs 4,613 crore in Q3 December 2019. Profit before tax in Q3 FY21 stood at Rs 4,848 crore, down by 3.7% from Rs 5,036 crore in Q3 FY20. Current tax outgo rose by 4.7% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 1125.72 crore in Q3 FY21.

Total FMCG segment revenue rose 5.1% to Rs 9060 crore during the period under review. In the FMCG segment, cigarettes revenue increased by 3.5% YoY to Rs 5498 crore while the revenue from other FMCG segment improved by 7.5% YoY to Rs 3562 crore during the quarter.

Hotel business revenue stood at Rs 235 crore (down 57.4% YoY), agri-business revenue was at Rs 2482 crore (up 18.5% YoY) and paperboards, paper & packaging revenues were at Rs 1478 crore (down 5% YoY) in the third quarter.

ITC said that the operating environment remained challenging even as economic activity picked up pace progressively during the quarter with the easing of restrictions and increased mobility.

With respect to the cigarettes business, the company said that the volumes and revenue witnessed strong sequential recovery led mainly by metros and large town markets on the back of progressive easing of restrictions and enhanced mobility. It strengthened direct reach in target markets across all traditional trade channels and also augmented the stockist network to service rural/semi-urban markets more efficiently.

However, the 13% tax hike with effect from 1 February 2020 continued to weigh on Legal Industry volumes

"Wide availability of smuggled cigarettes continues despite deterrent actions and heightened levels of seizures by concerned authorities; remains a key challenge for the legal cigarette industry which has witnessed significant reduction in volumes in recent years, it added.

With respect to the FMCG Others category, ITC said that the significant surge in demand for staples and convenience foods witnessed during the lockdown phase ebbed during the quarter with consumers broadening their purchase assortment and lower 'at-home' consumption on the back of increased mobility. Demand for health & hygiene products remained elevated even as the pace of growth moderated as compared to the first half of the year.

Discretionary or 'out-of-home' consumption products witnessed smart recovery buoyed by pent-up demand and increased availability across channels. Heightened concerns on hygiene and safety continued to manifest in consumers' preference for trusted brands, it further said.

With respect to the hotels business, the company informed that wedding business, staycations/motorable getaways were the key drivers besides healthcare/quarantine related business. Revenue per available room improved across business locations, but remains below pre-Covid levels. Aggressive cost reduction measures, the company said, led to approximately 44% reduction in controllable cash fixed costs.

The paperboards and specialty papers business recorded strong recovery in volumes with exports continuing to grow at a rapid pace. However, softer realisations weighed on revenue growth.

Consumer offtake continued to improve across most major end user segments in paperboards barring publication, notebooks and wedding cards. Specialty papers witnessed strong growth driven by pharma and dor segments.

In the agri business segment, revenue growth was driven by higher wheat supplies for Aashirvaad atta and trading opportunities in rice, soya and wheat exports. The company leveraged the e-Choupal network to enhance direct procurement amidst challenging operating conditions. In the value-added portfolio, export of spices to food safe markets continued to gain strong traction.

The cigarette major's board recommended an interim dividend of Rs 5 per share for the financial year ending 31 March 2021.

ITC is engaged in the marketing of fast-moving consumer goods (FMGC). The firm operates through four segments: FMCG; hotels; paperboards, paper and packaging, and agri business. ITC is the market leader in cigarettes in India. The company also has presence in branded packaged foods, personal care, education and stationery, agarbattis & safety matches, lifestyle retailing, hotels, paperboards & specialty papers, packaging, agri-business & IT.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The brief itself was not immediately available. Filings in British court, unlike in the United States, are not public by default. Marc Raimondi, a Justice Department spokesman, said the American government was not permitted to distribute it, but confirmed its filing.

We are continuing to seek extradition, he said.

The case against Mr. Assange is complex and does not turn on whether he is a journalist, but rather on whether the journalistic activities of soliciting and publishing classified information can be treated as a crime in the United States. The charges center on his 2010 publication of diplomatic and military files leaked by Chelsea Manning, not his later publication of Democratic Party emails hacked by Russia during the 2016 election.

Prosecutors have separately accused him of participating in a hacking conspiracy, which is not a journalistic activity. The immediate issue at hand in the extradition case, however, is neither of those things, but rather whether American prison conditions are inhumane.

In January, a British judge, Vanessa Baraitser of the Westminster Magistrates Court, denied Mr. Assanges extradition  citing harsh conditions for security-related prisoners in American jails and the risk that Mr. Assange might be driven to commit suicide if held under them. She held that the mental condition of Mr. Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States.

In its new brief, the Justice Department was expected to defend how the federal Bureau of Prisons handles security inmates and to argue that such conditions were not a legitimate reason for the close American ally to block an otherwise valid extradition request.
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 8 March with Chairman Venkaiah Naidu saying that the Upper House clocked 99 percent productivity during the two-week-long sitting of the two-phased Budget session

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused the Opposition of creating a "false narrative" about the Centre favouring businessmen and industrialists, in her reply to the debate on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha passed the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 with a voice vote.

Additionally, BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha moved a privilege motion against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for observing a two-minute tribute to farmers who have lost their lives during the sustained protest against the farm laws.

The former Congress chief had led MPs of the Congress, DMK, and TMC in observing a tribute to the farmers on Thursday. On Friday, BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal moved a privilege motion notice against Rahul, citing a "serious breach of privilege and contempt of the House" The Hindu reported. Another BJP MP Rakesh Singh was quoted as saying that Gandhi should have taken permission to observe a two-minute silence.

Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 8 March, when it will begin the second leg of its session on the Budget. PTI quoted Chairman Venkaiah Naidu as saying that the Upper House clocked 99 percent productivity during the two-week-long sitting of the dual-phase Budget session.

Sitharaman replies to debate on Budget in Rajya Sabha

The Union Finance Minister said that the Union Budget 2021 "fiscal has provided stimulus to the economy for a sustainable high growth rate".

She also took on former finance minister P Chidambaram for questioning the numbers in her Budget, and said that unlike the UPA regime when an "artificial" increase in capital spending was shown to project growth and subsidy, the Budget for 2021-22 "brings transparency" by bringing all spending on book.

She added that spending on the defence sector for the fiscal beginning 1 April, has been increased both on revenue and capital side, and there is a decline only in provision for pensions as the previous year's spending included payment of arrears for the one-rank-one-pension (OROP) scheme.

"A false narrative is created to accuse that this government works only for cronies," the finance minister said as she reeled out statistics to show the government's pro-poor policies.

Taking on Chidambaram, who in his speech had called the numbers in the Budget "suspect", Sitharaman said the former finance minister during his term in 2007-08 showed Rs 40,000 crore fiscally neutral transaction of acquiring the RBI's stake in SBI under capital expenditure to show a 62 percent growth in spending.

If this is taken out, "growth rate was only 9 percent", she said, asking if that was not "suspect".

She said her Budget for 2021-22 has provided the highest capex growth of 34.4 percent by providing more money to railways, roads and defence, and not Chidambaram's.

"That was the wrong statement to make. We have not done fiscal routing," she said.

"Also, during the UPA era, oil companies, fertiliser units and the Food Corporation of India were issued special bonds to clear their subsidy dues and these bonds did not reflect in the government budget."

"False narratives were created," she said.

"Prime Minister Modi does not depend on fudging," she said adding there was a lot of "grudge" in the former finance minister's speech.

"Grudge not to recognise how Prime Minister handled corona crisis", that results in fewer deaths per million and lower active cases when countries have seen wave after wave, she said.

Sitharaman further said the benefit of rural roads, free gas and electricity connection, and direct benefit transfer does not go to the rich.

More than 1.67 crore houses for the poor were constructed under the PM Awas Yojana, 2.67 crore households provided electricity connections, 8 crore rural women households given free cooking gas LPG connection and 9 crores got scholarships, the finance minister told the Upper House.

"Is that for the rich?" she said.

She said that as much as 2.11 lakh kilometres of rural roads were built in the last six years, and asked if those villages were for the rich.

"It has now become sort of habit for some in Opposition to constantly allege (wrongdoing) in spite of steps taken to help the poor and needy in the country," she said. "Budgetary provisions are made for poor, Dalits, tribals and the students."

The Budget is an "instrument" to attain Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and provides an economy battered by pandemic a "strong stimulus" of a record capital spending on demand-creating infrastructure building that can bring "multiplier effect".

She also cited data to drill holes in Congress' claims for the rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA, saying actual spending from 2009-10 to 2014-15 was lower than budgeted.

TMC MP resigns from Rajya Sabha

Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi Friday resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat just a couple of months before the Assembly polls in West Bengal. He said he is "feeling suffocated" in a party that is "no longer in the hands of" its chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

His resignation came two days after he had endorsed Prime Minister Modi's speech in Lok Sabha in which he called for a key role of the private sector.

Trivedi, who represented West Bengal in Rajya Sabha for the third time and was a former railway minister, announced his resignation in the House during a debate on the Union Budget, saying he "cannot speak about the violence in his state".

He handed over his resignation to Naidu and it has been accepted. He explained to Naidu that he resigned of his own will and there is no pressure on him to do so.

Minutes after his resignation, BJP general secretary and party's West Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya said Trivedi is welcome in the party. Assembly election in West Bengal is due in April-May.

Mallikarjun Kharge likely to be Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to be the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, succeeding Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose tenure will come to an end on Monday.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for appointing Kharge to the post as Azad is retiring.

Azad was elected to the Upper House from Jammu and Kashmir, which does not have an Assembly currently after it was made a Union Territory with the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

Kharge, a Dalit leader from Karnataka, was the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019. The party could not get the leader of Opposition's post in the previous and the current Lok Sabha as its numbers were less than the mandated 10 per cent of the total number of seats in the Lower House.

Kharge will be the 17th Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha since December, 1969.

Lok Sabha

The Lower House of the Parliament began today's sitting at 4 pm. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Harsh Vardhan were questioned during the Question Hour on the Centre's steps to combat climate change and air pollution, and the progress in setting up AIIMS facilities all over the country, respectively.

In the time allotted for the Private Members' Bill, the House also discussed increasing welfare measures for aanganwadi workers and helpers. MPs pitched for higher wages for the aanganwadi employees.

On Saturday, the Lower House will hear Sitharaman's reply on the Budget debate at 10 am.

The BJP has also issued a whip to all its members in the Lok Sabha, asking them to be present in the House all day on Saturday.

Citing "very important legislative business" which is scheduled to be taken up, the whip said, "All BJP members in Lok Sabha are hereby informed that some very important Legislative Business will be taken up for discussion and passing in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, 13 February, 2021. All members of BJP in Lok Sabha are, therefore, requested to be positively present in the House throughout the day from 10 am onwards on Saturday and support the governments stand."

Lok Sabha passes Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021

The Lok Sabha on Friday passed a bill to amend the arbitration law with Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying foreign arbitrators are welcome in India.

The bill, officially named 'Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021', seeks to ensure that all stakeholders get an opportunity to seek an unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards where the agreement or contract is "induced by fraud or corruption".

Prasad said the bill seeks to check fly-by-night operators who take advantage of the law to get favourable award by fraud. The bill intends to replace an ordinance issued on 4 November, 2020.

Responding to a debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha, the minister said he would like to make it clear that foreign arbitrators are welcome in India.

"India welcomes arbitrators from any nationality," he said.

The bill was passed by a voice vote and statutory resolution opposing the ordinance was rejected by the House.

Among other things, the bill, which amends the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, seeks to do away with the 8th Schedule of the Act which contained the necessary qualifications for accreditation of arbitrators.

The qualifications for accreditation of arbitrators, as per the bill, is proposed to be prescribed by regulations to be framed by an arbitration council to be set up.

Till recently, an arbitration award was enforceable even if an appeal was filed against it in the court under Section 36 of the law. But the court could grant a stay on the award on conditions as it deemed fit.

As per the proposed amendment, if the award is being given on the basis of an agreement based on fraud or corruption, then the court will not impose a condition to stay the award and grant an unconditional stay during the pendency of the appeal if it has been challenged under Section 34 of the arbitration law.

The bill, according to the statement of objects and reasons, provides for "unconditional stay of enforcement of arbitral awards, where the underlying arbitration agreement, contracts or arbitral award is induced by fraud or corruption".

With inputs from PTI
WASHINGTON: In a first phone call after the US rejoined the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization (WHO), Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during which they discussed wide-ranging issues.

According to Price, Blinken and Guterres also discussed other issues, including the Syrian conflict and the crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

"HIghlighting President Biden's focus on bringing the pandemic under control, the Secretary praised the central role the UN and UN agencies play in coordinating our global response, highlighted the US re-engagement with the World Health Organization, and expressed our deepened focus on promoting health and advancing global health security," The Hill news website quoted Price as saying.

Taking to Twitter following the call on Thursday, Blinken said: "On a productive call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, we discussed US-UN cooperation to address many global challenges, from Covid-19 to climate change. UN is the anchor of the multilateral system, and the US is back." Since President Joe Biden's administration came to power on January 20, the US has rejoined the Paris Climate Accords, the WHO, has also said that it was "ready to re-engage" with the UN Human Rights Council.

Speaking about the call at a press briefing on Thursday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that while Blinken praised the world body for its numerous efforts and ongoing work, he also expressed the Washington "interest in close coordination" to resolve global issues.

"On Ethiopia, both reconfirmed their commitment to support Ethiopia's efforts to respond to the crisis in Tigray," the Department spokesman added.

Australian state enters snap lockdown due to Covid cluster

UN Envoy John Kerry admires Modi for his endeavors to provide clean energy

Mauritius rolls out Covid-19 vaccination drive ahead of its safely reopen borders to tourism
An app created in Manitoba will help residents of remote Indigenous communities connect with local health officials, and each other, for health and wellness services.

An app created in Manitoba will help residents of remote Indigenous communities connect with local health officials, and each other, for health and wellness services.

The COVID-19 Indigenous app, developed by a team of researchers at the University of Manitoba, will allow community health directors to develop questionnaires and collect real-time responses to better understand residents' needs for their mental, spiritual, physical and emotional health.

"The app is geared to help health directors gauge the health and well-being of community members," said Evan Chamakese of Pelican Lake First Nation, in Saskatchewan, who is the digital health outreach co-ordinator for the app.

"In times of isolation where were not actually able to meet face-to-face, it provides that opportunity for front-line workers to meet with the members."

The app is intended to be customized by each community, and all data shared with local leaders will stay within the community unless express permission is granted to share it.

For remote communities with unreliable access to the internet, the team has developed a web app and a local area network that community health leaders can use to connect their devices.

Chamakese said the app is designed to give isolated communities a way to express their unique health needs to their leaders, and elders. The app includes a platform in which community members can share stories of hope and resilience with one another as they weather the pandemic.

"Theres been a huge shift in how we live our day-to-day lives, especially in Indigenous communities where were highly impacted by the pandemic. Theres been a shift towards technology and doing things online this is another way to reach out to the community members," Chamaseke said.

"I feel theres definitely a need to hear the concerns and issues people may be experiencing in these difficult times."

The app, which was developed as part of the wider Kitatipithitamak Mithwayawin research project for Indigenous-led health initiatives, will be launched on Feb. 18. Though it was designed for Canada's Indigenous communities, Chamaseke said it can be expanded to those in the United States and other countries.

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers
KYODO NEWS - Feb 12, 2021 - 22:23 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

TOKYO - A health ministry panel on Friday greenlit Pfizer Inc.'s coronavirus vaccine for use in Japan, with health minister Norihisa Tamura saying it could become the first to receive formal approval from the country as early as Sunday.

The government aims to start vaccinations mid-next week for around 20,000 doctors and nurses who have consented to receive the shots, Tamura said.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters he would ensure the vaccines reach the public "as soon as possible."

On Friday, the first batch of some 400,000 doses arrived at Narita airport to the east of Tokyo at around 10:20 a.m. on an All Nippon Airways Co. flight from Brussels.

It had been widely reported that the first doses would arrive from Belgium, where they were manufactured, on Sunday, while the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry had initially planned to move ahead with formal approval on Monday.

"We've long known that vaccines would play a large role in fighting the novel coronavirus. This approval is very significant for that battle going forward, for safeguarding the health of the people," Tamura told reporters.

The health ministry panel gave the go-ahead considering the urgency of the ongoing pandemic and the fact that the vaccine, jointly developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech SE, has already been administered in several countries, including the United States.

The roughly 20,000 doctors and nurses from 100 hospitals across the country getting the first shots are set to participate in a study aimed at tracking potential side effects and the frequency with which they occur.

An additional 3.7 million frontline health workers will begin being inoculated in mid-March, followed by people aged 65 and older from April at the earliest. People with pre-existing conditions and those working at elderly care facilities will be next, then finally the general population.

Pfizer and its German partner have conducted clinical trials on approximately 43,000 people abroad and found its vaccine is 95 percent effective. In Japan, it conducted a trial involving about 160 people.

The government has agreements in place with Pfizer, AstraZeneca Plc and Moderna Inc. to receive more than enough doses to cover Japan's population of 126 million.

But tightening export controls by the European Union of Pfizer vaccines produced in the bloc make it unclear when and in what amount Japan will receive subsequent batches. Tokyo aims to secure needed supplies through negotiations with the union.

About 20,000 ultracold freezers are slated to be set up at medical facilities across Japan to store the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be kept at a temperature of about minus 75 C. The AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored at 2 to 8 C, making it easier to handle, but it is only around 70 percent effective.
Today Show anchor and forever New Orleanian Hoda Kotb talked with NOLA.com's Doug MacCash on Thursday about what she loves about Carnival and why she's excited for "Mardi Gras for All Y'all."

In an emotional interview, Kotb shared some favorite Carnival memories, saying she "knows what it means to miss New Orleans." She said she hopes "Mardi Gras for All Y'all" will provide people across the globe a glimpse into the beloved traditions of Carnival in south Louisiana.

Watch a replay of the interview below. Can't see the video? Click here.

Be sure to tune in starting Friday at 8 p.m. CT on NOLA.com, Facebook or YouTube to watch the show. And join us Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. CT for new shows each night.

+12 Hardy: 'Mardi Gras for All Y'all,' house floats and Floats in the Oaks keep traditions For the first time since 1945, Carnival will be without parades. The biggest take-away from the most unusual year in Mardi Gras history is thi
A California couple was arrested and charged with murder for allegedly beating their five-week-old son to death, according to authorities.

Contra Costa County prosecutors on Tuesday charged Ray Ray Darn, 35, and Marilyn Northington, 28, with murder, felony child abuse, and felony child assault after the infant died last week, WPXI News reported.

Richmond police said officers responded to a Feb. 4 call from a Marriott Courtyard Hotel employee. The employee said two guests were rushing out of the hotel to take a baby to a nearby hospital because he had stopped breathing.

Authorities said the emergency room doctors pronounced the infant dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office said the baby appeared to have burn wounds and seemed malnourished.

Examiners also noted that the child had several injuries, including facial scars, a broken femur, bruises on his thigh, burns on his nose, cheek, and lower body. The five-week-old baby also had fractured ribs and skull. The child was also malnourished and dehydrated, the autopsy report revealed.

"A circular mark was present on the baby's leg where the burn injury occurred," the District Attorney's Office said in a release, according to a People report.

Richmond Police Sgt. Aaron Pomeroy said in a press release that the baby had apparent signs of abuse.

The Richmond Police Department went to the hotel where the couple was staying, armed with a search warrant. In there, they said they found drug paraphernalia, a meth pipe, and two butane lighters.

The parents are both being held on a $2.2 million bail each. They have yet to enter a plea. However, it is unclear whether they have retained lawyers who can speak on their behalf.

Their two other children are now in the care of Child Protective Services. The Marriott Courtyard, where the family had been staying, is being used to house homeless people amid the pandemic.

Darn's Facebook page showed that he had been employed as a line cook at a fast-food restaurant. His girlfriend has worked as a security guard, according to a Daily Mail report.

Related story: Las Vegas Mom Charged With Killing Her 2 Babies Said Organs 'Worth a Lot of Money'

California State Law

Under the state of California's law, the couple can be held without charges for three business days from the time of their arrest, which would be around noon Wednesday, according to a Mercury News report.

Both Darn and Northington were interviewed before their arrests, according to police. Officials are also asking anyone who may have any information related to this incident to contact Homicide Detective Brian Hoffman at (510) 621-1755 or email him at bhoffman@richmondpd.net. They can also contact Richmond's anonymous tip line at (510) 307-T1PS (8177).

Child Abuse in the U.S.

Child abuse reports in the U.S. involved 7.8 million children, with 91.7 percent of victims being maltreated by one or both parents, according to an American SPCC report.

The report noted that only 3.3 million of these children received prevention and post-response services. It added that the highest rate of child abuse in children is those under age one.

Read also: Police Arrest Parents After Their Infant Son Was Found Dead in a Bucket of Tar




Inter-caste marriages will possibly reduce caste and community tensions, the has said while noting that the educated younger boys and girls are now a days choosing their life partners which is a departure from earlier societal norms.

The top court said that youngsters face threats from the elders and the courts have been coming to the aid of these youngsters.

It said the way forward to the police authorities is to counsel the Investigating Officers (IO) and lay down some guidelines and training programmes on how to handle such socially sensitive cases.

The remarks came by a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy which quashed an FIR lodged by the parents of the girl, who had married a boy of her choice against the wishes of elders, at Belgavai district of Karnataka.

The top court in its recent verdict said that it hopes that the parents of the girl will have a better sense to accept the marriage and re-establish social interaction not only with her but even with her husband.

That, in our view, is the only way forward. Under the garb of caste and community to alienate the child and the son-in-law will hardly be a desirable social exercise, the bench told the parents of the girl, who has sought quashing of the FIR lodged against her.

The top court said, Educated younger boys and girls are choosing their life partners which, in turn is a departure from the earlier norms of society where caste and community play a major role. Possibly, this is the way forward where caste and community tensions will reduce by such inter marriage but in the meantime these youngsters face threats from the elders and the Courts have been coming to the aid of these youngsters.

Referring to earlier verdicts of the top courts, the bench said it has been held that the consent of the family or the community or the clan is not necessary once the two adult individuals agree to enter into wedlock and that their consent has to be piously given primacy.

The bench said it has been held in the 2017 verdict of the top court that the choice of an individual is an inextricable part of dignity, for dignity cannot be thought of where there is erosion of choice.

Intimacies of marriage lie within a core zone of privacy, which is inviolable and even matters of faith would have the least effect on them. The right to marry a person of choice was held to be integral to Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the bench noted, while referring to Hadiya case verdict of 2018.

Justice Kaul, who penned down the verdict on behalf of the bench, said that the intervention of this Court would really not have been required in the given facts of the case, if the investigating officer had conducted himself more responsibly in closing the complaint.

if the investigating officer really wanted to record the statement of the petitioner No.1 (girl), should have informed that he would visit her and recorded the statement instead of putting her under threat of action against petitioner No.2 (boy) to come to the police station, the bench said.

The bench said that it does not reflect very well on the police authorities or the IO of the case as the marriage certificate having been received by him and the conversation already been held with the girl, where she clearly stated that she was married to the boy, and that she was feeling threatened and apprehensive of coming to the police station.

If the IO could have visited the residence of petitioner No.2 (boy), he could very well have recorded the statement of petitioner No.1(girl) at the place where the petitioners were residing rather than insisting and calling upon the petitioners to come to the local police station at Karnataka, it said.

The bench said that the IO undoubtedly sought to compel the girl to come and record the statement at police station on the threat of possibility of a false case being registered by her parents against the boy and the consequent action of the police which would result in his arrest.

We strongly deprecate the conduct of the IO in adopting these tactics and the officer must be sent for counselling as to how to manage such cases, the bench said.

It said that the way forward to the police authorities is to not only counsel the current IOs but devise a training programme to deal with such cases for the benefit of the police personnel.

"We expect the police authorities to take action on this behalf in the next eight weeks to lay down some guidelines and training programmes on how to handle such socially sensitive cases," the bench said.

The bench noted that both the petitioners are well educated and the boy is an M.Tech from NIT, Tiruchirapalli and got a placement as an Assistant Professor in Jain College of Engineering, Belagavi, while his wife is an MA B.Ed and was a Lecturer in a College.

It noted that there was resistance from the parents of the girl, though the parents of the boy were willing for the matrimony of both the well qualified petitioners who are majors and Hindu by religion.

(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.)
MDOT virtual public meeting to discuss I-475 improvements through Rebuilding Michigan bond funding Feb. 17

Jocelyn Hall, MDOT Office of Communications, 989-245-7117 Transportation

WHAT:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) invites the public to attend a virtual public meeting regarding the upcoming improvements along the I-475 corridor in Genesee County. This project is being made possible through funding provided by Gov. Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program.

During this virtual public meeting, a brief presentation will be shared, including the projected financial investment in the corridor and potential design plans. Questions can be submitted during the meeting using the chat tool.

WHO:

MDOT staff

Community stakeholders

Local businesses

Interested residents

WHEN:

Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021

6 p.m.

How:

Click here to join the Teams Live Event

To join by phone without using Internet, call 248-509-0316.

Conference ID: 710 360 409#

Accommodations can be made for persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking ability. Large print materials, auxiliary aids or the services of interpreters, signers, or readers are available upon request. To make a request, please send it at least seven days prior to the event to:

Orlando T. Curry

425 W. Ottawa St.

Lansing, MI 48909

Phone: 517-241-7462

Fax: 517-335-0945

TTY: 844-578-6563

CurryO@Michigan.gov

BACKGROUND:

MDOT will invest $300 million to rebuild the I-475 corridor from Bristol Road to Carpenter Road with work planned to begin in spring 2023. Work includes rebuilding the roadway. MDOT is requesting public input regarding the removal of bridges, realignment of some roadways, and work near existing parks and trails. This meeting will be the first of several to share project highlights and addressing public inquiries.

COMMENT FORM:

Public input is being sought to help MDOT recognize and address any concerns that may result from the project. Please provide comments and questions using the online comment form for Rebuilding Michigan Corridors, or by mail or e-mail to MDOT Public Involvement and Hearings Officer Monica Monsma at MonsmaM@Michigan.gov or:

Monica Monsma

MDOT Environmental Services Section

P.O. Box 30050

Lansing, MI 48909

517-335-4381
Ukraine is interested in further cooperation with Luxembourg in the field of innovative technologies.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal stated this during a meeting with Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel on February 12, the Government portal reports.

"Luxembourg is one of the leaders in the development of IT technologies, and in this context, Ukraine seeks to establish bilateral cooperation in this area," said the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Denys Shmyhal noted that Luxembourg uses innovative approaches to the development of national space activities. In particular, in November 2020, in partnership with the European Space Agency, the European Space Resources Innovation Center was established.

"Ukraine stands ready to establish stable cooperation with the Luxembourg Space Agency. We are interested in bilateral cooperation in the field of space exploration and use of space resources, including within the framework of the Artemis international project, which our country joined in November last year," said the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

He added that Ukraine has a long history of space activities and valuable experience in implementing international space projects, a developed scientific and technical school and technological opportunities for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Denys Shmyhal called on Xavier Bettel to consider signing a Memorandum of Understanding between Ukraine and Luxembourg on cooperation in space in order to exchange experiences and information.

He also stressed that Ukraine highly appreciates the firm position of Luxembourg on Ukraines territorial integrity and thanked for the support of economic sanctions against the Russian Federation over the occupation of Crimea.

In addition, Denys Shmyhal invited Luxembourg to join the Ukrainian diplomatic initiative "Crimean Platform". He also invited the Lux-Development (Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation) to join the project to restore infrastructure as well as humanitarian programs for Donbas.
Gods provision can come in unexpected ways. I have been in situations where I have experienced Gods favour and abundance, and I have been in situations where I have experienced lack.

However, Ive only been in one situation where Gods provision was precise and perfect.

This happened a few years ago when I was booked to go on a mission trip to Turkey with a group from WEC (World Evangelism for Christ).

Many of the people in our tour group were students with limited funds, so we had to come up with a fundraising idea to raise enough money so everybody could travel.

Despite selecting the cheapest travel routes, we each had to find $3k to fund our three-week tour. This was a considerable amount of money for the 15 students wanting to go.

Fortunately I was in full time work and able to fund the cost of the trip myself. However, I was keen to help as many students as possible so they could make the trip too.

Raising funds

To raise funds we designed a tee shirt and each one of us was expected to sell these for $25 each through our networks.

For three weeks I touted tee shirts at my local church and had sold over 20. With one week to go before the funding deadline, I was a bit reluctant to get up in front of my church again.

I thought that people would be getting sick of me by now but decided to give this one last push.

On the last Sunday, to my surprise, I managed to sell almost double what I had sold previously.

One person who had just become a Christian, wanted a tee shirt but did not have any cash on him, so promised to drop a cheque around to my house that afternoon.

With some joy I reported the success back to my friend Caleb in Hamilton who was managing the fundraising for the trip.

As we talked on the phone, he told me that we were still $2,150 short of the overall fundraising target, and unfortunately one student would miss out on the trip.

I felt disappointed in this but there was nothing else I could do.

Provision

An hour or so later there was a knock on my door and the new Christian who had wanted a tee shirt arrived with his cheque in a sealed envelope.

I thanked him for his support and gave him his tee-shirt.

After he had left I thought I better open the envelope and get the cheque ready for banking on Monday.

As I opened the envelope I was stunned. Immediately, I phoned my friend in Hamilton.

Hey Caleb, guess what? Everybody will be able to go on the trip.

He was startled. What do you mean?

Someone has just handed me a cheque for $2,150 for one tee shirt, I explained.

Caleb could not believe it, was over the moon with excitement and could not wait to tell the others.

Later that afternoon I phoned the new Christian who had given me the cheque.

I said to him, Did you realise that you have just given me a cheque for $2,150 for one tee-shirt?

Yes, he replied.

That is what God told me to do.

Well, I said, It just so happens that this was the exact amount we needed to fund the trip for every student. Not a penny more or a penny less.

The new Christian was amazed.

I thanked him once again for his gallant generosity and wished him all the best.

I imagine as a new believer this was a big moment for him in his faith journey. He had clearly heard from God.

I still find it incredible today that God could orchestrate such a precise provision on the 11th hour.

But I guess that He is a God in control, holding everything together in His hand.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (1 Colossians chapter 1, verse 17).

It just so happened that we had a wonderful time on our trip to Turkey and there was a plan and purpose for everyone.

Gods perfect will prevailed.
Buying limits have been swiftly reinstated on almost all major food products along with toilet paper and face masks as Victorian retailers and supermarkets reel from the states snap lockdown.

Major supermarket chains Woolworths and Coles were quick to act as shoppers flocked to their outlets on Friday afternoon, announcing the changes just hours after Premier Daniel Andrews announcement that the state would re-enter stage four lockdown.

Shoppers stock up at Costco in Docklands, Melbourne before the five-day lockdown in Victoria. Credit:Jason South

A two-item per customer limit was placed by both companies on nearly every food product in-store in an effort to curb panic buying. Coles shoppers will only be able to purchase one pack of toilet paper, however, where Woolworths shoppers can purchase two.

Significant shortages on items are unlikely as the companies both assured shoppers their distribution centres are well-stocked. Matt Swindells, Coles chief operating officer, told The Age the company had kept extra stock in its warehouses as a preparation for a third lockdown.
Richardson has a long history of impersonating the police, beginning when he was 14. In that incident, in 2009, he was so convincing that he was assigned a radio and went on patrol with a real officer for more than five hours on the South Side, driving a squad car and even making an arrest before police caught on.
Responding to the explosion of interest from the mental health community, the new training program will equip participants to help clients using legal psychedelic-assisted therapy

CALGARY, AB, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - ATMA Journey Centers Inc. ("ATMA"), an Alberta-based company focused on delivering innovative psychedelic-assisted therapies internationally, announced today the launch of an innovative professional training program in conjunction with Wayfound Mental Health Group Inc. ("Wayfound") that will equip mental health professionals with the knowledge and insight to work with psychedelic medicines as they become accessible and legalized in Canada.

Starting in March 2021, ATMA and Wayfound will present the Psychedelic Therapy Training Program for Mental Health Professionals, which will take place through remote training as well as on-site at ATMA's Calgary Journey Center. The training allows participants to apply for an exemption from Health Canada to experience legal psychedelic-assisted therapy using psilocybin, one of the active compounds found in 'magic mushrooms'. Incorporating hands-on experience with psychedelics for therapists in a legal setting is a first for the mental health community in Canada.

David Harder, Co-CEO of ATMA, said: "While Health Canada continues to increase access to legal psychedelic-assisted therapy for patients through their recent Section 56 Exemptions, there is a growing need in the mental health industry for therapists to have the appropriate training and knowledge to facilitate this important work."

Each participant of the professional training program will also be assisted in obtaining their own exemption from Health Canada so that they may personally undergo psychedelic-assisted therapy. This unique element of the training will provide each professional the personal perspective to truly understand and experience how psychedelics can benefit their patients.

Health Canada has recently been taking steps to increase access to psychedelic medicine through its ongoing approvals of exemptions under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), the legislation that governs controlled substances in Canada such as psychedelics. ATMA was the first private company in Canada to conduct legal psychedelic-assisted therapy using psilocybin on behalf of a palliative client who had been granted a Section 56 exemption.

Health Canada also recently completed a public consultation period regarding the Special Access Program (SAP), with a view to reversing certain regulatory changes made in 2013 that prohibited access to restricted drugs (such as psychedelics) through the SAP.

Added Harder: "We believe that Health Canada has recognized the need to consider increased access to psychedelic medicine for Canadians, and that a key element of this will be ensuring that there are professionals prepared and trained to support patients who undergo this innovative treatment."

The Psychedelic Therapy Training Program will commence in March and will feature a world-class faculty of instructors and practitioners that represent many of the leaders in the global psychedelic medicine community. Confirmed instructors include Dr. Rick Doblin, Founder and Executive Director of MAPS, a U.S. based organization widely considered to be the most influential player in the growing psychedelics renaissance.

Harder noted: "We've seen extraordinary interest and response in this initial program, and we anticipate that this will be the first of many trainings we offer in the coming months. Our first group is almost at capacity already, so we're working hard to expand our programming calendar to respond to the need."

ABOUT ATMA JOURNEY CENTERS INC.

ATMA is a Canadian company focused on delivering effective and innovative healing and transformative experiences that leverage the potential of psychedelic medicine to awaken the inner healer and allow a deeper connection with self, with others and with the beauty of our world. ATMA was the first private company in Canada to conduct legal psychedelic-assisted therapy with psilocybin, one of the active hallucinogens found in 'magic mushrooms'. For more information, visit www.atmajourney.com.

SOURCE ATMA Journey Centers Inc

For further information: MEDIA CONTACT: Greg Habstritt, President, ATMA Journey Centers Inc., greg {at} atmajourney.com, (403) 215-7510, David Harder, Co-CEO, ATMA Journey Centers Inc., david {at} atmajourney.com

Related Links

https://www.atmajourney.com


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Chinese authorities repeatedly detain a Christian man in Hunan for sharing the gospel on the streets.

The Chinese Christian identified as Chen Wensheng from the district of Hengyan has been detained for more than three weeks for his continued street evangelism, China Aid (in Chinese) via the International Christian Concern reported.

With a passion to share the Gospel, Chen took to sharing the Word of God to passersby for months now. It was not the first time that he was arrested for openly proclaiming his faith in the communist ruled country.

In the past four months, Chen had been arrested four times for doing street evangelism.

According to the report, Chen's latest detention lasted for 25 days in total. Since the beginning of this year, he was already arrested four times for going to the streets to share the Good News about Jesus Christ.

On New Year's Day, he got detained for sharing the Gospel and was released 10 days after.

Instead of stopping, Chen went back to the streets to continue his evangelism, but this time his mother, who is already 84 years old, went with him. This made the police detain Chen once again together with his mother. However, with his mother's old age, the police released her by 11 p.m. while he stayed another 15 days in the police station.

On Jan. 29 this year, Chen was released from the police station. Two days after his release, local authorities visited the persistent Christian in his home to convince him to stop evangelizing on the street. There were staffs from different sectors of security including the United Front Work Department, state security bureau, public security bureau, urban management force, and his community who stayed at his house to persuade him until midnight.

Chen saw the visit as the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel to the security staff and tell them about his faith. During the conversation, one of the public officials got curious and even asked about the Bible.

Chen's tenacity may not be understood by everyone. But as a former drug addict, getting to know God and knowing about Jesus has truly transformed his life.

Now, Chen is very much determined to let other people know about the power of God by sharing the Gospel even on the streets where he lives. Prison has not stopped Chen from sharing the Good News. Even in detention, Chen has always found a way to share the good news and evangelize the people despite all the threats and repeated warnings for his unashamed declaration of faith.

As a Christian in a country where there is much persecution to those who are considered believers, Chen's courage and boldness is reminiscent of Paul's tenacity to spread the Good News of Christ when Jesus encountered him in the road of Damascus and changed his life. Just like Paul, Chen did not allow persecution to stop him from declaring the Gospel wherever he is. Truly, God's Word cannot be imprisoned (2 Timothy 2:9) no matter the situation. Chen's life is a testimony of that.

Brokerage and financial advisory firm, Databank Group, has withdrawn as transactional advisor from the Gold Royalties Monetisation Transaction arrangement, popularly referred to as the Agyapa deal.



This was made known in a letter signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Databank, Mr Kojo Addae-Mensah.



The letter, dated December 10, 2020, was addressed to Tom Gaffney, a Director of Imara Tara Holdings, one of the foreign firms acting as transactional advisors for the deal.



Databank was a local partner with Imara Tara Holdings.



Hard-won reputation



In the letter, Databank said although it engaged in the Agyapa deal with a sense of patriotism, it decided to withdraw due to what it described as an attempt by some political actors to tarnish its reputation.



We approached our mandate confidently as, arguably, the most experienced investment banking and brokerage firm in Ghana and we did so, particularly, with patriotic enthusiasm and pride as a Ghanaian company.



However, the Board of Directors of Databank has observed with deep concerns persistent attempts by political actors, during the political season leading up to the general election of December 2020, to tarnish our hard-won reputation painstakingly built over the last 30 years, by unfairly exploiting our participation and involvement in the Transaction as one of the Transaction advisors. We believe this is principally due to the Minister of Finances association with Databank as its co-founder, the letter added.



Databank added that although it was convinced about the ultimate benefit of the Agyapa deal, the brouhaha over its (Databank) involvement, coupled with insinuation and aspersions cast on its reputation had compromised its ability to execute such a market-sensitive and novel transaction and also has the tendency to severely damage the invaluable business reputation of Databank



Criticisms



The Agyapa deal was an instrument by the government of Ghana to leverage the gold resources of the country to list shares on the London Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange in order to raise an initial amount of about $1billion.



It, however, faced huge backlash and criticisms from some groups, including the Minority in Parliament, which alleged that the deal smacks of traces of corruption.



In November last year, the then Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu, came out with a corruption risk assessment on the deal in which he concluded that it was not transparent and could give rise to corruption.



This was refuted by the then Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori Atta, who responded and said the Agyapa deal was done in the best interest of the country, with due process and was very transparent from the onset.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo later directed the Finance Minister to send the Agyapa deal back to Parliament for broader consultations.



Background



The government passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act, 2018 (MIIF Act 978) with the key objective of maximising the countys mineral wealth for the benefit of Ghanaians while ensuring that receiving royalties from gold mining companies was sustainable.



The law was amended to enable it to incorporate subsidiaries and use it as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to do business across the world.



The main subsidiary of the MIIF and holding company, Agyapa Royalties Investment Ltd, will be listed on the LSE, while its subsidiary, ARG Royalties Ltd, will be quoted on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), both through IPOs.



The company will be responsible for managing 75.6 per cent of the countrys royalty inflow from the 12 gold mining companies that currently operate in Ghana, with four more expected to come on stream.



That will enable the country to raise about $1 billion to finance mining concessions in Ghana and across Africa.









Source: graphiconline.com









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Mumbai, Feb 12 : Automobile major Tata Motors on Friday announced that experienced automotive executive, Marc Llistosella, has been appointed as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director from July 1, 2021.

Llistosella was most recently the President and CEO of Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks in Asia.

He was earlier the MD and CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd.

Llistosella succeeds Guenter Butschek, who has informed his desire to relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons.

Tata Motors Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said: "Marc is an experienced automotive business leader with deep knowledge and expertise in Commercial Vehicles over his illustrious career and has extensive operational experience in India." "Marc will bring this experience to take the Tata Motors Indian business to even greater heights."

-- Syndicated from IANS
Integration into EU digital market to accelerate Ukraine's GDP growth  Deputy PM

The digital single market is an EU policy to remove regulatory barriers and create a pan-European structure.

Reporting by UNIAN

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BALTIMORE, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA , announced today that Jill RachBeisel, MD , Associate Professor of Psychiatry, has been appointed to serve as the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, effective immediately. Dr. RachBeisel has served as the Department's Interim Chair for the past two years and was previously Acting Chair and Vice Chair of the Department. A prominent leader at UMSOM, she has garnered tremendous support among faculty and staff for her efforts to forge partnerships among various entities in an effort to strengthen mental health services provided to patients and the community at large. Dr. RachBeisel will be named The Dr. Irving J. Taylor Endowed Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, when she is invested March 18.

The appointment of Dr. RachBeisel was recommended by a Dean-appointed Review Committee led by Peter B. Crino, MD, PhD , Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, and Rodney J. Taylor, MD, MPH , Professor and Chair, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. After extensive review, the committee unanimously recommended to Dean Reece that she be considered for the permanent chair position.

For more than 20 years, Dr. RachBeisel has played an increasing role in leading the Department's clinical and academic activities, and in leading the integration of the UMSOM's Department's academic programs with the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), as well as with the State of Maryland and City of Baltimore.

"Dr. RachBeisel is a tremendous leader and has had an enormous impact on the department during her terms as Interim Chair, Acting Chair, and Vice Chair. She has built lasting bridges between UMSOM and UMMS/UMMC, as well as bridges between UMSOM and the community at large which have benefitted greatly from her efforts to expand mental health services to those in need, " said Dean Reece, who is also Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor. "She is highly respected across our academic community and has demonstrated unwavering and effective leadership throughout the years. Her gift for building partnerships between researchers and clinicians to create innovative and highly successful initiatives is remarkable and highly desirable."

Under her leadership as Interim Chair, Dr. RachBeisel has focused on building vital and lasting collaborations to strengthen the Department's infrastructure to support faculty growth and development, and the fusion of research and clinical agendas.

"Dr. RachBeisel is a phenomenally talented clinician, educator and mentor to our medical trainees and behavioral health specialists," said Bert W. O'Malley, Jr., MD , President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). "She has been a guiding light and inspiration to our hospital staff during this stressful time of the global pandemic. Her passion for designing programs that span a spectrum of settings and for partnering with colleagues to provide integrated behavioral care expertise is invaluable."

The Department of Psychiatry received research and service grants totaling $43 million for fiscal year 2020 from the National Institutes of Health and elsewhere. Dr. RachBeisel worked with Dean Reece to establish the Vice Chair of Research and appointed Gloria Reeves, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, to serve in this role. Other successful efforts include the establishment of the "Foundation Academy" to assist faculty in learning the intricacies of working effectively and successfully with non-profit foundations and to help prepare successful grant submissions. A newly established and formalized Mentoring Program for all new and mid-level faculty was also implemented to enhance faculty growth, professional development, and promotion leading to enhanced clinical and research success.

Dr. RachBeisel is the first woman to chair the UMSOM Department of Psychiatry. Immediately after assuming the interim chair position, Dr. RachBeisel established the Department of Psychiatry's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, chaired by Anique Forrester, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. The committee has focused on developing a training curriculum and diversifying the hiring of faculty and staff. They also have collaborated on efforts to retain new hires and maintain momentum to facilitate change. With support from a highly engaged faculty and resident group, Dr. RachBeisel also created a DEI lecture series that began last fall and will run through FY21.

"I am proud and honored to be taking the permanent helm of this department with its devoted faculty and staff," said Dr. RachBeisel. "Together we have risen to the challenges of the past year and have worked as a united team to sustain our programs and meet the increased needs of our patients and the campus workforce during the pandemic and the movement against racial injustice."

Heralded for her clinical achievements, Dr. RachBeisel helped spearhead the 2019 opening of two new state-of-the-art units-an adult inpatient behavioral health unit and the adult day hospital program at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus (MTC). The programs, designed to optimize patient experience and safety, are led by Stephanie Knight, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Chief of Psychiatry at MTC. They are staffed by nurses, social workers, occupational and recreational therapists, addiction, counselors, and clinical nurse educators.

Dr. RachBeisel has also played a key role in developing a new partnership with other Baltimore area hospitals to strengthen and expand the crisis response infrastructure and community-based services to Baltimore City and its three surrounding counties. The Greater Baltimore Regional Integrated Crisis System (GBRICS) Partnership will enable UMMC to expand its Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) programs for adults and children, statewide tele-mental health program, and extensive addictions care program.

"Dr. RachBeisel has been instrumental in helping us develop and implement robust and evidence-based programs to provide expert, compassionate, team-based care for our community, including the citizens of West Baltimore, the City of Baltimore, and the region," said Alison Brown, MPH, President, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus. "We are so excited to have her continue permanently in this leadership role."

Serving as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry since 1989, Dr. RachBeisel began her career in the field of acute psychiatric care, emergency psychiatric interventions, and quality management in the hospital setting. She received her BS Degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Carlow College in Pittsburgh, PA, and her RN Certification from the Western Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She then went on to complete her medical degree in 1985 from Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine. She completed her Psychiatric Residency Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center in 1989, serving as chief resident during her fourth year.

During her tenure at the UMSOM, Dr. RachBeisel has held numerous leadership positions at the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and served as the Division Director for Community Psychiatry at the University of Maryland Medical Center, overseeing 200 staff and physicians and providing a range of community mental health services. Through collaborations with the Division of Psychiatric Services Research, she became focused on the study of implementation of evidenced-based care for persons with a serious mental illness. In addition to her Division responsibilities, Dr. RachBeisel has been Chief of Clinical Services for the Department of Psychiatry since 2014, providing oversight of program development, performance improvement, and collaboration with the research divisions within the Department.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $563 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

About the University of Maryland Medical Center

The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) is comprised of two hospital campuses in Baltimore: the 800-bed flagship institution of the 14-hospital University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) -- and the 200-bed UMMC Midtown Campus, both academic medical centers training physicians and health professionals and pursuing research and innovation to improve health. UMMC's downtown campus is a national and regional referral center for trauma, cancer care, neurosciences, advanced cardiovascular care, women's and children's health, and has one of the largest solid organ transplant programs in the country. All physicians on staff at the downtown campus are clinical faculty physicians of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The UMMC Midtown Campus medical staff is predominately faculty physicians specializing in diabetes, chronic diseases, behavioral health, long term acute care and an array of outpatient primary care and specialty services. UMMC Midtown has been a teaching hospital for 140 years and is located one mile away from the downtown campus. For more information, visit www.umm.edu .

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com





SOURCE University of Maryland School of Medicine
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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

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Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

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The proposal prompted an immediate reaction from Beijing, demanding the resolution be tabled.

Lawmakers in Belgiums Chamber of Representatives have submitted a resolution calling on their government to designate abuses in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) as genocide, prompting an immediate protest from Beijing demanding that the proposal be tabled.

On Thursday, Samuel Cogolati and Wouter de Vriendt, both members of the Ecolo-Groen grouping, put forth the proposal based on mounting evidence of Chinas policies of mass sterilization and forced abortions that they called part of a coercive birth repression campaign, as well as the transfer of large numbers of children whose parents are detained in the regions internment camps into state orphanages.

Authorities in the XUAR are believed to have held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a vast camp network as part of a campaign of mass extralegal incarceration since early 2017. Chinese officials have said the camps are centers for vocational training, but reporting by RFA and other media outlets shows that detainees are mostly held against their will in cramped and unsanitary conditions, where they are forced to endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination.

The resolution, which was co-written with representatives of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC) exile group, also calls for Belgium to introduce mandatory due diligence legislation to address concerns over forced labor in the XUAR and will be debated in coming months.

If successful, Belgium would become the first EU country to label the situation in the region as genocide, following the U.S., which did so on Jan. 20. A Canadian Parliamentary Committee has also designated Chinas abuses in the region as genocide.

In a statement on Thursday, Cogolati, who is also the co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) that has called on democratic countries to take a tougher stance on Beijing, said that Belgium should block approval of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment that the EU and China concluded in December amid a growing number of reports of atrocities in the XUAR.

We cannot continue to do business as usual with China while mounting evidence documents the most horrific state perpetrated human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other groups in the Xinjiang region, he said.

It is unacceptable that the EU has caved on human rights to seal its investment deal with China. The message from Belgium and across Europe must be clear: no deal without Chinas ratification of international forced labour standards.

The WUC welcomed the resolution on Thursday, with president Dolkun Isa expressing hope that Belgiums government will act upon its demands by formally recognizing the Uyghur genocide and taking concrete action to put an end to it.

Heavy reactions from Beijing

Chinas Foreign Ministry had yet to issue a formal statement in response to the resolution as of Friday.

But speaking to RFAs Uyghur Service, Cogolati said the proposal quickly provoked a huge wave of reactions, especially and not surprisingly, heavy reactions from the Chinese Embassy in Belgium.

The Chinese Embassy wrote to the parliament and to the parliamentary leaderto the speaker of the Housesaying that we should not discuss this resolution that we should not even talk and debate this proposal, he said.

So I must admit I was a bit shocked from that reaction. It's extremely, extremely rare that you have a third country, even like China, intervening and saying, in a democratic model and in a parliament, what we should or should not discuss."

China has gone on the propaganda warpath against its critics in recent months but has been forced to play whack-a-mole as new and damning reports continue to emerge about the situation in the XUAR.

Last week, a report by the BBC included interviews with four women who claimed they were systematically raped, sexually abused, and tortured while held in the internment camp system, which Chinas Foreign Ministry and state media quickly dismissed as lies, repeating claims that there are no camps in the region and attacking the credibility of the women profiled in the piece.

On Thursday, the National Radio and Television Administration announced that BBC World News would no longer be permitted to broadcast within China and that it would not accept the channels broadcast application for the new year. Strict controls meant the service was not widely available to the public in China.

Cogolati acknowledged that any vote to fully adopt the resolution will not be easy because of the pressure and said significant advocacy will be required to convince his colleagues and other stakeholders of the need to do so.

But he said that he remains hopeful the resolution will pass because of growing opposition to Chinas policies within civil society and among the public.

Not only Uyghur people, but many people are concerned and feel that we must change and that we must act and that we must dare to say things clearly regarding what is happening now in Xinjiang and for the Uyghur people in China and all around the world, he said.

And so I keep faith that one day, and hopefully and the sooner the better, we may adopt this resolution formally and formally recognize the atrocities committed by China as being a crime of genocide.

Reported by Nuriman Abdurashid for RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.


German carmaker Volkswagen has teamed up with U.S. technology company Microsoft to accelerate the development of automated driving, the two companies announced on Thursday.

The aim is to jointly build a cloud-based Automated Driving Platform (ADP) to develop driver assistance systems and automated driving functions more efficiently, according to their joint statement.

"By combining our comprehensive expertise in the development of connected driving solutions with Microsoft's cloud and software engineering know-how, we will accelerate the delivery of safe and comfortable mobility services," said Dirk Hilgenberg, chief executive officer (CEO) of Volkswagen's software company Car.Software Organization, in a statement.

Volkswagen and Microsoft have already been working together on the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud (VW.AC) since 2018. The VW.AC engineering team in Seattle, United States, has already implemented data exchange between vehicles and the cloud via Azure edge services.

The cloud connection would also enable Volkswagen to provide updates and new features independently of the vehicle hardware in the future, according to the statement.

Volkswagen is planning to invest around 27 billion euros (32.8 billion U.S. dollars) in digitization by 2025 and increase its own share of software development in cars from ten percent to 60 percent.

On Wednesday, the German government approved a bill to bring autonomous driving into regular operation in defined operating areas in the country. The Ministry of Transport (BMVI) noted that the goal was to allow autonomous driving functions in traffic by 2022.
A WOMAN regained consciousness after being headbutted by a man in a hotel room to find her attacker "choking" her, a court has been told.

Christopher Fox (31) is alleged to have assaulted and injured the woman when his "demeanour changed" hours after they checked in together.

He is facing trial after a judge ruled the charge was too serious to be dealt with at district court level.

Judge David McHugh adjourned the case at Blanchardstown District Court for the further consideration of the DPP.

Mr Fox, of Beechwood Lawn, Killiney, is charged with assaulting the woman, causing her harm.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan said the DPP had directed summary disposal of the case at district court level if the judge accepted jurisdiction to deal with it.

At an earlier hearing, the court had heard a summary of the proposed prosecution evidence, but the judge had requested more information before deciding on jurisdiction.

Outlining the allegations again, Sgt Callaghan said it was the prosecution's case that the accused and the woman checked in to the hotel on the night of April 7, 2019, and at 2am the accused's "demeanour changed" and he became aggressive toward her.

It was alleged Mr Fox headbutted the woman on the fore- head, causing her to lose consciousness.

Sgt Callaghan said that when the woman regained consciousness, the accused "had his hands around her neck and he was choking her".

The alleged victim had bruising to her forehead and neck after the incident, the court heard.

A medical report and photos of the woman's injuries were submitted and viewed by the judge.

"One must also consider, not only what has been alleged in the photos and text, but the alleged psychological damage," Judge McHugh said.

He said that, having considered the matter, he was refusing jurisdiction and "sending it forward".

He said he required the DPP's consent to a return for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court as he "did not have the authority" to send the case forward otherwise.

The accused, who has not yet indicated a plea, was remanded on continuing bail.
Tributes have been paid to a serving soldier, Private Mark Mahon (26), who sadly passed away having fallen ill while at work in Stephens Barracks, Kilkenny.

The soldier was found in an unresponsive state by his colleagues. A nurse and doctor were called on-scene and administered CPR, he was then transferred to St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny.

Despite the best efforts of the medical staff he passed away. The Defence Forces are providing a liaison officer to offer any assistance to his family during this difficult time.

Paying tribute to Private Mahon, Officer Commanding 3rd Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Declan Crummey said:

As Officer Commanding, and on behalf of all members of the 3 Infantry Battalion and Oglaigh na hEireann, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family, loved ones and many friends of Private Mark Mahon. Mark was an integral part of the 3 Infantry Battalion where he served with distinction both at home and overseas. He will sorely missed by all of his friends, comrades and colleagues serving in Stephens Barracks Kilkenny. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.

Private Mahon is survived by his parents Rachel and Mark, younger sister Megan, long-term girlfriend Katie, Grandmother, Grandad, Aunties, Uncles and Cousins. He was an integral part of the 3 Infantry Battalion and will sorely missed by all friends, comrades and colleagues serving Stephens Barracks Kilkenny.


Israels fast vaccination effort is providing important information about drug company Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine.

Reporters with the Reuters news agency spoke to leading scientists in Israel and other places, Israeli health officials, hospital heads and two of the countrys largest healthcare providers. The aim was to find the latest information about the countrys especially fast vaccination campaign.

About 3.5 million Israelis have been fully or partly vaccinated. That is more than half of people who are in groups that are supposed to be vaccinated first. These groups are showing a sharp drop in infections.



Eran Segal is a data scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. He said there was a 53 percent reduction in new cases in the first fully vaccinated group. In addition, there were 39 percent fewer hospitalizations and a 31 percent drop in severe illnesses from the middle of January until February 6, Segal said.

More information will be known in two weeks, as teams study the vaccines effectiveness in younger groups of Israelis and people with certain conditions.

We need to have enough variety of people in that subgroup and enough follow-up time so you can make the right conclusions, and we are getting to that point, said Ran Balicer. He is an official with the Israeli health services provider Clalit.

Pfizer is watching the Israeli effort each week to understand more about the vaccine and how it is working.

Israels campaign provides Pfizer and its partner, Germanys BioNTech, with an unusual chance. The small country has healthcare for all its citizens, and the ability to gather and study data. Israel also has quickly provided the vaccine to its citizens.

Israel still faces struggles in its effort to fight the virus. The countrys third national lockdown has not slowed the spread of COVID-19. A fast-spreading variant of the virus that was first found in Britain is now spreading in Israel. So far, the Pfizer/BioNTech shot appears to be effective against it.

Weve so far identified the same 90 percent to 95 percent efficacy against the British strain, said Hezi Levi. He is a director-general of the Israeli Health Ministry.

The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, or shots, to be effective. For this reason, Levi said it is too early to know about levels of protection because many people only received the second dose in the last week. He added that it is still too early to know whether the vaccine is effective against another fast-spreading virus variant that began in South Africa.



Good results so far

Israel began its vaccination program on December 19. It paid a high price for supplies of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Four days later, the fast-spreading British variant was found in four people in Israel.

After that, Israel decided to begin giving shots to people over the age of 60. Over time, it has opened the program to the rest of the population.

Information gathered by Israeli healthcare provider Maccabi shows that only six out of every 10,000 people got infected with COVID-19 one week after receiving their second Pfizer dose. By 22 days after full vaccination, no infections were recorded.

Pfizer says its vaccines effectiveness starts one week after the second dose is given.

One important question is whether vaccines can end the pandemic. Michal Linial is a professor of molecular biology and bioinformatics at Jerusalems Hebrew University. She said data from the past suggests that viruses become endemic and seasonal.

She predicted the coronavirus would become far less aggressive, possibly requiring an additional shot within three years.

She added, The virus is not going anywhere.

Im Mario Ritter Jr.

Maayan Lubell and Ari Rabinovitch reported this story for Reuters. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

variety n. a number or collection of different things or people

conclusion n. a final opinion or judgement

strain n. a group of closely related living things

dose n. the amount of medicine or vaccine needed to cure or help a condition

contagious adj. able to be passed from one person or animal to another

endemic n. common to a place

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(TNS)  A state-run software issue caused Black Hawk County, Iowa, COVID-19 vaccine providers to miss collection of key demographic data, said Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye, local health department director.Demographic data would indicate which groups are getting the vaccine, broken down by race, ethnicity, sex, age, geographic location and possibly other factors. The county health department publicly shares this information about COVID-19 infections, but has not yet provided demographic information about vaccinations.Egbuonye said she is working to locate data for a field labeled "unknown" by the state database. She said she is unsure which ethnic group the field represents. Health care providers, pharmacies and other entities that give COVID-19 vaccines are instructed to enter data into the state software program.Some fields from the software program are not showing up for providers to fill in, Egbuonye said. She said the system appears to have "two faces" with different pages showing up for different users. "I'm trying to figure out how to address the 'unknown,'" Egbuonye said. "I'm still behind the scenes looking at that so it would make sense to the community."She is trying to figure out how to collect missing demographic data. It could include the state getting contact information for patients and calling them back for information, she said.The statewide system, called the Immunization Registry Information System, is managed by the Iowa Department of Public Health. An IDPH spokesperson did not immediately respond for comment Thursday.Egbuonye said the Black Hawk County Health Department did not get any training or resources about IRIS from state officials."We have not had any conversations that I'm aware of in regards to that," Egbuonye said.Local health officials were mostly expected to figure it out on their own, she said."We know that this system  it hasn't been the best. That's known," Egbuonye said. "So for us, our biggest thing is to be able to share the data that we think that the community should be aware of. So we're going to try to do our best, but we want to make sure that it's something that is meaningful."Comprehensive demographic data could help the county health department identify potential disparities in vaccine distribution. Data from other states unveiled disproportionate allocations of the vaccine.Federal and local data show that Black people are disproportionately infected with and dying from COVID-19. The county health department website does not publicly show data about Latino residents, but federal data shows that these residents are similarly affected by COVID-19 more than white residents.Experts say the effects of systemic racism place Black and Latino people in circumstances that further expose them to COVID-19. Social, economic and environmental factors contribute to the disparities.Black Hawk County Health Department officials are reviewing the partial demographic data available to them, Egbuonye said. She said she aims to share the data publicly online."I do internally look at that number to make sure that also it's pretty proportionate to what our population is, and so as of right now, I can say I'm pretty confident that it is," Egbuonye said.The health department expects to get 1,950 additional vaccine doses weekly in February. Egbuonye said she expects to begin offering vaccines to K-12 teachers next week. The group falls into the state's next recommended priority group.All of the county's first responders were vaccinated if they wanted to be. Next in line will be child care workers and early childhood education workers, Egbuonye said.The state moved to the next recommended priority group in February, but Egbuonye said there were about 300 people in the first priority group who had yet to be vaccinated. She said the health department gave them vaccinations that were allocated last week.People from the first priority group who were not yet vaccinated can call the health department at (319) 292-2360."We are trying our best to move as fast as we can given what we have been allocated," Egbuonye said. "And I know that it's been a hard journey ... when their time is up, they're going to be called, and they're going to get their vaccines."The state allocates vaccines to counties based on how quickly counties administer doses. Egbuonye said Black Hawk County met the state's requirement to use 80 percent of doses allocated to keep getting full vaccine shipments. She did not provide the specific percentage of doses being used locally.
Zimbabwe's often-arrested anti-corruption journalist Hopewell Chin'ono has turned to protest music and a song he released on social media is going viral. The song, "Dem Loot," has also been covered by other artists and linked in numerous posts, but some are warning Chinono may be arrested for it. VOA Khmer's Leakhena Sreng narrates.
(Photo : VisualPing) (Photo : VisualPing)

COVID-19 has overextended its stay on the global stage and, with the arrival of vaccines from Pfizer, BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna, it will soon be defeated by human immunity.

Alongside vaccine centers providing online scheduling systems to administer doses, website monitoring tools, like Visualping, that can monitor web pages for available slots for you. When appointments become available, Visualping detects the page change and sends you an email alert, notifying you of open slots for you and your loved ones to snag.

Visualping can also monitor other pressing vaccine updates, like changes to your area's current priority groups.

Think of Visualping as that nifty college roommate who always knew when the exam grades were posted, or that friend who always told you when the price dropped for that hot product you've had your eye on.

Not just for vaccine slot tracking, Visualping also monitors page changes for back in stock products, fresh eBay and Craigslist posts, social media updates, news pages, competitors' websites, law and regulation changes and your own website for defacement security and quality assurance. The list goes on.

Read Also: China Deploys COVID-19 Anal Swabs for Testing, Says Virus Survives 'Longer in the Anus'

Sign Up for COVID-19 Vaccine Alerts with Visualping

While Visualping is not intended for global pandemics alone, it can be smartly wielded to track updates for vaccine slot availability.

For those who do not want to sit in front of their computer, desperately relying on the refresh button and scanning a dizzying array of vaccine pages for hours, Visualping is a strategic resource to help ease some of the stress of booking vaccine slots. When page changes occur, Visualping sends users an email alert with a screenshot of the changes.

In the U.S., for example, it is difficult to snag vaccine slots before they vanish seconds after opening. Priority groups also vary from state to state -- sometimes, even county to county -- making it challenging to know when it is your turn for vaccination.

The U.S.'s chaotic vaccine rollout likely partially explains why over 10,000 people in the U.S. are using Visualping to monitor vaccine pages. In fact, Visualping posted a list of the most popular pages their users are monitoring to sign-up for COVID-19 vaccine slots. Visualping crowdsourced the data from its database to help people know where to start in their online vaccine search.

Check out Visualping's list of pages for your state/county and, if the sign-up slots are full, or if you want to be alerted of new priority group updates for your area, use Visualping to monitor these pages. Of course, you could always sign up for your pharmacy, clinic or state/county's vaccine newsletter for updates in your area.

But downsides include the risk of being notified too late, when supply is nearly depleted; a flock of other locals have likely signed up, increasing the fierce competition to snag a coveted slot. Visualping provides users with a sharper competitive edge.

Vaccine Slots Near Me: How to Sign Up for Alerts

Visualping offers a variety of website monitoring features. You can monitor changes to page pixels (with Visual-compare), text (with Text-compare) or HTML code (with Element-compare). You can set up a % trigger ("only alert me when 10% of the page changes"), to help reduce false alerts, and even identify changes to particular keywords, with the keyword alerts feature.

Visualping's blog narrates how to use the tool to be alerted of COVID-19 vaccine availability in your area, such as in your local pharmacy. Here's the summary of how to use Visualping to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine alerts near me:

Step 1 : To start, copy and paste the URL of the COVID-19 vaccine page into the search bar on Visualping's homepage. Click GO.

: To start, copy and paste the URL of the COVID-19 vaccine page into the search bar on Visualping's homepage. Click GO. Step 2 : Give your monitor a name (for example, "Open COVID-19 Vaccine Slots in Manhattan -- Broadway St.")

: Give your monitor a name (for example, "Open COVID-19 Vaccine Slots in Manhattan -- Broadway St.") Step 3 : In the Advanced tab, choose Visual-compare to monitor pixel changes (Visualping recommends Visual-compare for tracking vaccine updates). .

: In the Advanced tab, choose Visual-compare to monitor pixel changes (Visualping recommends Visual-compare for tracking vaccine updates). . Step 4 : Choose the frequency Visualping is to monitor the page (ranging from every 5 mins., hourly, daily, weekly, etc.).

: Choose the frequency Visualping is to monitor the page (ranging from every 5 mins., hourly, daily, weekly, etc.). Step 5: Enter your email address the alerts are to be sent to, and then verify the address by confirming the email Visualping sends you. Follow the prompt to set up a password for your Visualping account, and you're done!.

To monitor a password-protected page (such as from your pharmacy account):

Step 1: Repeat the steps above: copy and paste the URL in Visualping's search bar, and click GO.

Step 2: Click Perform actions. In the dropdown, select Click. Then, click the element selector (white arrow), and use it to click the page's username box up above, in the viewport. Step 3: Next, click +Add action, and, this time, select Type in the dropdown. Type your username, or the email address you normally use to login to the page, in the form that reads Word to Type.

Click Perform actions. In the dropdown, select Click. Then, click the element selector (white arrow), and use it to click the page's username box up above, in the viewport. Step 3: Next, click +Add action, and, this time, select Type in the dropdown. Type your username, or the email address you normally use to login to the page, in the form that reads Word to Type. Step 4: Click +Add action again. In the dropdown, select Click. Click the element selector and use it to click the password box up above in the viewport, where you normally type your password.

Click +Add action again. In the dropdown, select Click. Click the element selector and use it to click the password box up above in the viewport, where you normally type your password. Step 5: Then, select Type in the dropdown and input your password in the Words to Type form.

Then, select Type in the dropdown and input your password in the Words to Type form. Step 6: Click +Add action for the last time. Use the element selector to click Enter, Submit, or the Login button, up above in the viewport.

Click +Add action for the last time. Use the element selector to click Enter, Submit, or the Login button, up above in the viewport. Step 7: Lastly, click Go, and Visualping will login to the page, indicating this action will be completed every time it goes to monitor the page.

Continue to set up your monitor as normal: customize the frequency of checks, the monitoring feature, and the email address you want the alerts to be sent to.

Vaccines are serving as critical weapons in the world's mission to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And, with the help of website monitoring tools like Visualping, you can sign up to be alerted of your area's current priority groups and available vaccine slots.

Related Article: COVID-19 Can Cause Sperm Damage, Infertility, Study Says

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 21:31:04|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to lay out a "road map" out of the COVID-19 lockdown in 10 days' time, a British minister told Sky News on Friday.

British Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said Johnson would tell lawmakers in the House of Commons, lower house of the British parliament, on Feb. 22 how the restrictions will start to be eased.

She stopped short of confirming schools will definitely re-open on March 8, though she made clear this is the aim but it is dependent on data on COVID-19 cases and vaccinations.

"On Feb. 22, the prime minister will make a statement to the House of Commons where he will set out our road map to ease lockdown," she told Sky News.

She emphasized that next week would be "critical" as scientists and ministers gather all of the data on the pandemic in Britain, as well as getting information from aboard including on vaccination programs.

Her statement came as the number of coronavirus cases confirmed in Britain rose to nearly four million. On Thursday, another 13,494 cases were recorded, bringing the country's total since the outbreak began to 3,998,655.

Meanwhile, the hotel quarantine scheme is under fire after travelers were unable to book rooms on its website. Those returning to England from 33 nations will be required to spend 10 days in a government-designated hotel from Monday next week, according to the London-based Evening Standard newspaper.

The prime minister has come under pressure from his Conservative Party lawmakers in recent days to commit to a timetable for easing lockdown measures, despite warnings from scientists about the dangers, the newspaper said.

The British government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) scientists have said it was not sensible to set out a road map at all at the moment.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since 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. Enditem
KALAMAZOO, MI  A civil rights complaint filed against Kalamazoo alleges city zoning practices amount to discrimination.

Former Kalamazoo resident Brandi Crawford-Johnson, who is white, said she made the complaint on behalf of herself and her husband, who is Black.

The complaint alleges the city did not rezone the part of town where they lived because of the the makeup of the neighborhood is mostly African Americans. It further alleges the city knew Crawford-Johnson was disabled, and that she also faced discrimination due to having a disability.

At the center of the complaint are concerns about whether health issues among residents are tied to odor and air quality issues at the Graphic Packaging International facility located near the neighborhood where Crawford-Johnson and her husband lived in Kalamazoo.

Related: Odor violations mount at Kalamazoo paper mill seeking major tax break

In wake of the complaints filing with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights in November, the city of Kalamazoo said in a statement sent to MLive that it remains committed to following civil rights laws.

Crawford-Johnson shared with MLive the notice of formal complaint she received from the State of Michigan Department of Civil Rights Grand Rapids office, after she submitted a complaint to the agency. The department confirmed the document detailed an active complaint it is currently investigating.

Crawford-Johnson said she previously tried to bring air quality issues forward during an Environmental Concerns Committee meeting in 2018 in Kalamazoo, and has spoken about her concerns during a City Commission meeting as well. She believes officials did not take sufficient action, so she said she decided to pursue legal options instead.

A view of Graphic Packaging International in Kalamazoo on April 2, 2020. (Garret Ellison | MLive)Garret Ellison | MLive

Crawford-Johnsons complaint references that, in September, the city approved a tax break for Graphic Packaging International, which she calls a hazardous facility, near her former home at 1625 N. Church St., where she lived temporarily beginning in May 2020.

Related: Paper mill causing rotten stink gets tax break approval with conditions

The complaint also alleges that city zoning changes approved by city leaders in November 2020 happened in areas with primarily white families and business owners. While the city made changes elsewhere in the city, they did not include her neighborhood, Crawford-Johnson said.

I believe that the respondent purposely did not rezone our neighborhood due to racial makeup of the community which is primarily African American residents, she said of her former home in Kalamazoos Northside neighborhood.

The November changes amended the zoning code and zoning map for downtown and adjacent blocks, according to the packet presented to the Kalamazoo City Commission for its Nov. 2 meeting. The re-zoning focused on property in the citys core downtown, dividing downtown Kalamazoos single, large zoning district into three smaller districts.

The downtown area rezoned did not extend north of Willard Street, which is nearly a mile south of Crawford-Johnsons home.

Related: Kalamazoo seeks community input on downtown zoning changes

Crawford-Johnson said the city excluded her part of town in the zoning changes, despite having knowledge that the location of Graphic Packaging International (GPI) is near homes and schools, the complaint alleges. GPI is one of the largest manufacturers of paperboard and paper-based packaging, according to the company.

The Atlanta-based company, which employs 18,000 people at 70-plus plants worldwide, said it has about 625 employees based at its Kalamazoo location including the mill. The company said it expected to bring another 1,000 jobs to the community as part of a $600 million investment to expand local operations onto a brownfield site next to GPIs existing facility. Local and state tax breaks totaling $21 million were approved to help support the project.

The minutes of the Nov. 2 City Commission meeting show Crawford-Johnson made a comment about how Northside and Eastside residents should not be forced to live next to industrial properties. Crawford-Johnson said people in the neighborhood are being sacrificed and are suffering because officials are more concerned about money than people.

Instead of addressing the issue -- people have burning eyes, burning lungs, including myself and other community members -- the city has ignored our comments, and they have done nothing, Crawford-Johnson said.

There is data that shows gaps in health outcomes between different areas and communities in Kalamazoo. A 2019 Kalamazoo County Community Health Needs Assessment published by Bronson HealthCare acknowledges inequities that have hurt Black residents over the years.

Decades of social and institutional inequities in the neighborhoods surrounding Kalamazoos urban center have led to significant racial and economic segregation as well as a concentration of generational poverty. As a result, we see a similar negative impact on health and health outcomes in people of color throughout the county, the document states.

The document explains how the governments restriction on homeownership in 1937, through a policy known as redlining, prevented black families from receiving government-backed home loans for over 30 years. Today, those same areas on the map are also the areas with the lowest estimated life expectancies in Kalamazoo County, the document states.

An investigation is now underway of whether air quality may be harming residents in the area.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said in December it would review air quality monitoring data collected this year in residential and commercial areas around the Graphic Packaging International mill in Kalamazoo. Officials will review if volatile organic compounds in the air pose a danger to people.

Related: Toxicologists probing Kalamazoo odors for possible health risks

The letter from the civil rights department confirming the investigation of Crawford-Johnsons complaint is signed by a civil rights investigator, and a copy was sent to the city of Kalamazoo. The department declined to release documents in the case, saying it was an active complaint still under investigation. But the department confirmed that the document provided to MLive is the official document from a pending investigation.

City of Kalamazoo spokesman Ryan Bridges said the city is aware of the complaint and has filed a response with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

The City of Kalamazoo is strongly committed to adhering to all civil rights laws and does not comment on pending legal matters, Bridges said.

The civil rights complaint is one of the strategies Crawford-Johnson is pursuing in efforts to hold leaders accountable. She is also a party to a federal complaint against GPI that alleges the stink from GPI, described as rotten cabbage and other foul descriptors, is impacting property owners.

Related: Lawsuit claims Michigan paper mill is stinking out its neighbors

As well as being a topic during public discussions, Kalamazoo city officials have talked about the odor issue during closed-door meetings in the past, according to meeting agendas MLive obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

GPI contends that an Odor Investigation Study conducted by RK & Associates and completed on Nov. 3 concludes that GPI does not emit nuisance odors in the community.

GPI said previously it plans to continue to work with neighbors and the city to address odor concerns in Kalamazoo.

An odor task force that includes city officials was formed in an attempt to address some of the issues brought forward by residents.

Crawford-Johnson said she has spoken to others in her neighborhood who also say they have been impacted, and has encouraged them to file their own complaints with the states civil rights department.

Graphic Packaging sent MLive a statement when asked about the civil rights complaint.

Graphic Packaging is not a party to this complaint and has not been given a copy of the document, the company said Thursday, Feb. 11, in an email message. In general, we do not comment on pending litigation or similar proceedings  especially when we are not a named party  and cannot comment on a filing we havent seen.

Read the notice of formal complaint below:

Read more:

Michigan paper mill plans 221 percent boost in greenhouse gas emissions

Biden EPA dumps PFAS assessment over political interference

Gunman who pointed firearm is disarmed, subdued by customer

Graphic Packaging International to permanently close White Pigeon mill

Last decree by outgoing Conte government.

Italy has extended the travel ban between regions until 25 February as part of nationwide measures to curb covid-19.

The decree - the last by the outgoing government of Giuseppe Conte - follows calls from regional governors to extend the ban amid concerns over the potential spread of covid-19 variants from hotspots around the country.

The extension, announced after a cabinet meeting this afternoon, comes before the existing ban expires on 15 February.

It was widely expected that the ban would be extended until 5 March however in the end Conte's outgoing government opted for a 10-day extension instead, as Italy awaits the formation of Mario Draghi's new government.

The measure applies to all regions and autonomous provinces in Italy, with travel only permitted for urgent or necessary reasons such as health or work.

The extended ban will mean that people will not be able to travel - initially at least - to ski slopes in other (yellow zone) regions once they reopen for business on 15 February.

Photo credit: faboi / Shutterstock.com.
Milton, Pa.  A note found in the pocket of a model whose body was found along Interstate 80 in western Union County led police to charge a Texas man in her death Wednesday.

Tracy Ray Rollins Jr., 28, an over-the-road truck driver from Dallas, Texas, has been charged with homicide and abuse of corpse in the death of Rebecca Landrith, 47, a native of Virginia who worked as a model in New York City. He was arrested in Connecticut.

Landriths body was found just before 7 a.m. Sunday by a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) worker on the I-80 eastbound exit ramp at the Mile Run interchange near Loganton.

Eighteen bullets were removed from Landriths body during an autopsy, the arrest affidavit states.

She sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her face, neck and chest area plus two on a hand that state police called defensive.

Were relieved, her brother, George Landrith, said about the arrest. It doesnt ease the sense of loss.

There was concern whether there would be an arrest because she was found in the middle of nowhere, he said speaking for the family. The interchange is void of businesses and surrounded by state forestland.

Her family loved her dearly, her brother said. None of this brings her back. It is important she receives justice.

Tracy Ray Rollins Jr., 28, an over-the-road truck driver from Dallas, Texas, has been charged with homicide and abuse of corpse in the death of Rebecca Landrith, 47, a native of Virginia who worked as a model in New York City. (photo courtesy of Connecticut State Police)

It took old-fashioned police work, was the response of county District Attorney D. Peter Johnson when asked how an arrest was made so quickly.

Neither he nor state police would disclose what they believe was the motive for the shooting or if a weapon was recovered. No gun was found with the body, police said.

The arrest affidavit reveals investigators got a break when they found in a pocket of Landriths leather jacket a note that had Tracy Rollins name, a phone number and an email address.

Using that information, receipts found on her pockets and Rollins cell phone records, officials said they traced his travel from Wisconsin to Maine with a stop at the Mile Run interchange from 11:48 p.m. Saturday until 12:10 a.m. Sunday.

Landrith apparently was shot inside the cab of the truck, because according to the affidavit, investigators observed:

Flesh and brain-like matter on the bottom bunk mattress behind the passenger seat and flesh-like matter beneath the exterior top stair gate.

Powder applied as a cleaning agent on the front seat covering signs of blood, six 9mm shell casings on the front floorboard and on the floorboard behind the passenger seat.

Bullet strikes in the rear wall behind the passenger seat and above the bottom bunk, they said.

Rollins was tracked to Mildale, Connecticut, and was taken into custody about 11:50 p.m. Wednesday when state police stopped his rig after it left a truck stop.

Looking into the cab, police said they observed in plain view what appeared to be bleach/cleaning solution covering a large portion of the passenger seat and floor.

According to the affidavit, Rollins told investigators he had been driving rigs for three years, did not know Landrith or recognize her from a picture but that a woman named Leslie he had met at a truck stop near Milford, Conn., had been traveling with him.

Information was obtained from Milford police that Landrith had made hotel reservations in December under the name Leslie Myers, the document states.

According to Rollins, Leslie accompanied him to Maine, back to Connecticut, then Brooklyn, N.Y., and Wisconsin where he picked up a load to be delivered in Maine.

The affidavit provides this additional information:

When asked questions pertaining to his travels, Rollins replied: I hate to start lying to you cause this is a murder investigation.

At that point Rollins had not been advised or presented any information that this was a murder investigation.

By tracing a receipt found in Landriths pocket and viewing security video it was determined Rollins had made the purchase at a Popeyes in Howe, Ind., on Feb. 7.

Data obtained by court order tracked Rollins cell phone east of I-80 to the Mile Run interchange and then to Pittston and into Maine. He appeared in security video at a truck stop in Baileyville, Maine.

There was no identification on the body and Landrith was not wearing any socks or shoes. Her identification was confirmed by fingerprints.

According to Landriths biography she was born in Alexandria, Va., the youngest of five children.

She had been a professional model in New York City, a finalist for Miss Manhattan in 2014, an accomplished violinist and a champion for numerous charities.

She had appeared in numerous product advertisements, video commercials and in multiple runway shows including Fashion Week.

READ MORE: Former model found dead at I-80 interchange in Pa. was shot multiple times in the head: coroner

In Psalm 10:4, the psalmist says, In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Pride was the root of wicked Pharaohs problem in the book of Exodusa sin that hardened his heart over time, but the Bible tells us God also hardened Pharaohs heart. What can we learn from this Egyptian rulers downward spiral into destruction?

What Role Did Pharaoh Play in the Story of Moses and the Israelites in Egypt?

The Pharaoh who oppressed Israel was not the ruler Joseph knew (Exodus 1:8). Some believe this new Pharaoh was Ramesesalso spelled Ramses or Ramesses. Rameses is the name of a city during the exodus (1:11). But the Bible does not give us this rulers name. Archaeology gives some clues, but ancient Egyptian history is confusing and unreliable. Egyptian records include contradictions and sometimes leave out historical eventsespecially if they shed a bad light on a particular Pharaoh.

It appears the Pharaoh who ruled in the early chapters of Exodus was dead by the time Moses sought to free Israel (Exodus 2:23; 3:7-9). Rameses II may have been the early oppressor of Gods people, and his son, Merneptah, would have ruled during the exodus. But Amenhotep II is also identified as the exodus Pharaoh by many biblical interpretersthe most popular choice. However, if dates of Egyptian dynasties are shifted in Egyptian chronologywhich is often inaccurateNeferhotep I may also be a possibility or even Tutankhamun. There simply isnt enough detail to positively identify the correct Pharaoh.

What can be known is this: The Pharaoh of the exodus was incredibly resistant to letting the Israelites leave Egypt! The pharaohs had enslaved the Israelitesthe number of which is disputed by Bible scholarsfor 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41) before the exodus. Ancient Pharaohs were considered gods, which contributed to their arrogance. The pharaoh of the exodus was an evil, totalitarian dictatorcruel and vindictive, brutally abusing and oppressing the Israelites (Exodus 1:9-16; 2:23; 3:9; 6:5).

What Is a Hardened Heartand Can it Get Harder?

The writer of Hebrews warned, Do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:8) for good reason. A hardened, obstinate, and calloused heart dulls a persons ability to understand truth (Mark 8:17-18). It can cause people to resist and disobey God. This was certainly Pharaohs issue, seated in his willful sin and lack of repentance. A deeply hardened heart is like the seared conscience in 1 Timothy 4:1-2. God gives such people over to their sinful desires, emanating from a debased, reprobate mind (Romans 1:18-24, 28). Pride and arrogance certainly can deceive and harden a heart (Obadiah 1:3-4; Daniel 5:20-21).

The Bible speaks both of Pharaoh hardening his own heart and God hardening Pharaohs heart. Before we deal with those two seemingly contrary truths, its helpful to understand what the word harden means and how a heart hardens. In Gods Hand and the Pharaohs Heart, Pastor Joe Rigney writes about three words for harden in the Hebrew language. These words indicate a progression.

First, Rigney says, harden can mean to stiffen. This happened long before Moses met with Pharaoh. The ruler was already stiff-necked and cruel. Second, harden means to strengthen. This word occurs numerous times in the storyline. Sometimes it is ambiguous as to who is causing the strengthening, and sometimes God actively does it. This strengthening is a reinforcement in the direction a person is already moving. Third, harden means to make heavy; to deaden.

In other words, Pharaoh was already stiff-necked and rebellious. He continued to dig in, doubling down in arrogance, and God strengthened or reinforced that direction. Finally, all ambiguity disappeared. Pharaoh crossed the line, refusing to repent even when his servants urged him not to ruin Egypt (10:7), Rigney said. The kings heart was set like stone against God, so God deadened it.

Did Pharaoh Harden His Own Heart?

Pharaohs pride and arrogance caused rebellion against the Word of God spoken through Moses. When Moses tried to give him a proper, humble view of God, Pharaoh refused to consider his words. In Danger in Pride, Jamie Wood wrote, Pride beckons you to buy into a lie that you are something you are not.  Pride is a rebellion against God because it attributes to self the glory and honor of God alone. But also, she said, Humility forges the way for wisdom. Pharaoh was far from being humble. He wanted all the glory, honor, and authority in his kingdom, so he made the foolish choice to defy the God of Israel.

Pharaoh selfishly put his own reputation above the Egyptians welfare. When his leaders and magicians understood the terrible plagues were from the God of the Israelitesthe leaders and people highly regarded Mosesthe king ignored their concerns (8:19; 10:7; 11:3). His authority would not be challenged, and his glory would not be shared.

In the first five and the seventh plagues God sent on Egypt, the hardening seems to come through Pharaohs will, or the source is ambiguous. After the plague of the blood, his heart became hard (7:22). After frogs covered the land, he hardened his own heart (8:15). When Egypt was infested with gnats, his heart was hard (8:19). When the flies came, Pharaoh hardened his own heart (8:32). When the Egyptians livestock died, Pharaohs heart was hard (9:7). When the heavy hail came, Pharaoh hardened his own heart and it was hardened (9:34-35). In When Pharaohs Heart Grew Harder, Tim Mackie wrote, God called Pharaoh to humble himself and acknowledge that God is his authority and that he cannot redefine good and evil on Egyptian terms. Pharaoh refused.

Why Did God Also Harden Pharaohs Heart?

Suddenly, the pattern changes. With the plagues of the boils (9:8-12), locusts (10:13-20), darkness (10:21-27), and death of the firstborn (11:1-10), the Scriptures say God hardened Pharaohs heart. That hardening continued even as he pursued the Israelites leaving Egypt (14:4-8). God hardened Pharaohs heart because 1) Pharaoh was ungodly, not innocent; 2) he was already hardening his own heart; and 3) God sovereignly purposed to demonstrate His power and glory even through Pharaohs hardening (Romans 9:17-18).

God predicted Pharaohs resistance in Exodus 3:19: I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. Early on, Pharaoh rejected God (Exodus 5:2). God extended mercy with warnings throughout the plaguesgiving Pharaoh opportunities to humble himself, repent, and change his evil waysbut with increasing rebellion, Pharaoh chose to bring more judgment on himself and Egypt.

Some might ask, If God hardened Pharaohs heart, how can Pharaoh be morally responsible? Can both Gods sovereign choice and mans responsibility be true? In Why Did God Harden Pharaohs Heart?, Daryl E. Witmer referenced Romans 9: God is in such total control that He can and does sovereignly elect to show mercy to some people while hardening the hearts of others. And He is just in doing so.

In the same article, Dr. John Piper wrote, There is a genuine inclination in Gods heart to spare those who have committed treason against His kingdom. But his motivation is complex, and not every true element in it rises to the level of effective choice. There are holy and just reasons for why the affections of Gods heart have the nature and intensity and proportion that they do. Gods hardening of Pharaoh was not capricious or manipulative. Neither did it mitigate Pharaohs culpability. People are fully responsible and accountable for their actions and choices.

Erik Raymond wrote in Why and How Did God Harden Pharaohs Heart? that God hardened Pharaohs heart as He simply revealed himself. He revealed his power, supremacy, love for his people, hatred of sin, etc. through the signs and wonders of the plagues, Raymond said. It is a biblical axiom that revelation devoid of illuminating grace hardens sinful hearts (see John 8:45). God does not desire anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He gave Pharaoh numerous opportunities to repent, but his depraved, unbelieving heart bucked against the knowledge of God and suppressed the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-19). God judges all people justly; and neither Moses nor Paul suggest God was unjust or immoral in his dealings with Pharaoh (Exodus 9:16; Romans 3:5-8). At some point, God hardens, leaving the reprobate to pursue their sinful, rebellious ways.

What Lessons Can We Learn from the Story of Pharaoh?

Both good and evil begin in the heart (Luke 6:43-45). Pharaohs responses teach us much about a hardened heart.

Consider the cause. Pharaohs heart didnt just happen. Jesus told His disciples hardness of heart comes from a sinful, unrepentant heart (Mark 8:17-19). Sins build up and can cause an inability to distinguish between right and wrong. The conscience can be desensitized or seared (1 Timothy 4:1-2). Just as King Nebuchadnezzar was deposed because of arrogance and a heart hardened with pride (Daniel 5:20-21); those sins were at the root of Pharaohs hard heart. God detests and opposes pride, and Christians must guard against it (Proverbs 16:5, 18; James 4:6-7).

Consider the consequences. A hard heart can dull the senses so people cannot see or understand truth. Dr. Charles Stanley wrote in The Danger of a Hardening Heart that Pharaoh chose to ignore the obvious even as his magicians came to their senses and acknowledged Gods workThis is the finger of God (Exodus 8:19). The desensitized consciencedebased and immoral (Romans 1:18-24)is not trustworthy for making wise choices, because it ignores or rejects Gods wisdom. God warns believers not to be wise in their own eyes, but to fear God and turn from evil (Proverbs 3:7).

Consider Gods solution. Sadly, Pharaoh continually rejected Jehovahs remedy for his hard heart, failing to recognize his prideful spiritual condition. God knew this wicked rulers heartthat he would reject His mercy. Unlike David, who prayed for God to search and know his heart (Psalm 139:23-24), Pharaoh spurned correction. He refused to repent. Christians know the Lord offers life and hope through confession of sin and obedience to His Word so they will not develop a hard heart (1 John 1:9; Psalm 119:9-11; 2 Timothy 3:16).

If those developing a hard heart would only come to God, He would pour out His love and offer mercy and hope. In When Does God Harden a Sinners Heart? John Piper wrote, there is no hardness in the human heart against God, either from Gods decree or from human depravity, which is so hard that God himself cannot overcome it and save the hardest sinner (Ezekiel 11:19; Jeremiah 32:17). The writer of Hebrews appeals to us: Today do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:7-8). Regarding that, in The Danger of Unbelief, Dr. Robert Jeffress wrote, To delay trusting God when you are tested, to delay obeying God when you are ordered, is to risk developing a hard heart and falling away from the living God. When it comes to dealing with a hard heart, tomorrow is a deceiving, dangerous word!

Resources

GotQuestions.org, Who Was the Pharaoh of the Exodus? Why Did God Harden Pharaohs Heart? & "What Are the Causes and Solutions for a Hardened Heart?

AnswersInGenesis.org, How Long Were the Israelites in Egypt?

DiscoveringTruthMinistries.org, Danger in Pride

TheGospelCoalition.org, The Hardening of Pharaohs Heart & Why and How Did God Harden Pharaohs Heart?

Crosswalk.com, Does God Harden Hearts?

DesiringGod.org, When Does God Harden a Sinners Heart?

ChristianAnswers.net, Why Did God Harden Pharaohs Heart?

Equip.org, How Could Pharaoh Be Morally Responsible if God Hardened His Heart?

Photo credit: GettyImages/ 

Dawn Wilson and her husband Bob live in Southern California. They have two married sons and three granddaughters. Dawn assists author and radio host Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth with research and works with various departments at Revive Our Hearts. She is the founder and director of Heart Choices Today, publishes Upgrade with Dawn, and writes for Crosswalk.com and Christianity.com. Dawn also travels with her husband in ministry with Pacesetter Global Outreach.

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(Natural News) It was not long ago that scientists had casually and derisively dismissed chemtrails as a mere hoax. Yet as more talks of so-called climate change and space colonization come to the fore, its becoming increasingly apparent why geoengineering practices like aerosol spraying might really be a distinct possibility.

Writing for Space.com, biologist Mike Wall talks about terraforming Earth to pave the way for terraforming Mars  that is, transforming it from a hostile, alien environment to one suitable for human life. The idea originates from his interviewee, San Francisco-based conceptual artist Jonathan Keats, who claims that rewilding Earth  letting other life forms reclaim the space occupied by humanity  can help scientists sort out the complexities of making other worlds hospitable.

How do we terraform Mars? We can get ideas from re-terraforming Earth, Keats said.

Re-terraforming Earth via lichens

Keats, who tackles space-related themes in his art, has led a new initiative called Pioneers of the Greater Holocene. The initiatives main objective is to reduce the environmental impact of humans on Earth to stave off the Anthropocene  an epoch capping off the Holocene, which started more than 11 thousand years ago, at the end of the last ice age. The proposed start of the Anthropocene is during the early 1950s, but geologists are still deliberating whether to formally declare the epoch as part of the geologic history of Earth.

Im not trying to bring back the Holocene; Im trying to stay in the Holocene, said Keats.

The initiative is a grassroots attempt to achieve Keats vision, and the group already has a slate of active measures in store for the San Francisco Bay Area. One of these is to grow lichens  complex life forms that thrive off the symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an alga. Some species of lichens are toxic, such as the wolf lichen and ground lichen, the latter of which caused the death of around 300 elk in Wyoming in 2004, as per the Department of Agricultures Forest Service. (Related: First it was a conspiracy theory, now the mainstream media says geoengineering will fix global warming.)

Through such efforts, Keats believes that We can make the Anthropocene not an epoch or even an age, but a monument to a near-death experience that we overcame.

Wall concluded that a Holocene revival might also be beneficial for future plans of colonizing space, ushering a shift in thinking that informs our eventual settlement of Mars.

Mars terraforming methods recall chemtrails

Terraforming Mars has been discussed energetically within the scientific community. Even scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have some ideas on approaching the Red Planet.

Planetary scientist Christopher McKay of NASAs Ames Research Center said that the most feasible terraforming method is to release enormous amounts of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the Martian atmosphere. These greenhouse gases were once widely used as refrigerants, propellants and solvents until they were found to cause massive damage to the ozone layer and were consequently banned.

But CFCs can benefit Mars, whose chilly temperatures and thin atmosphere are hostile to liquid water. According to ZME Science, CFC spraying will both increase Mars atmospheric pressure and boost the global retention of infrared radiation. These effects are enough to trigger a chain reaction that will transform Mars into something similar to Earth, ZME Science reported.

Another Mars terraforming method is spraying ammonia into the Martian atmosphere, which could also induce similar results as CFC spraying. But ammonia, a greenhouse gas nearly as potent as CFC, has the added benefit of enriching the Martian atmosphere with nitrogen gas, which is abundant in Earths atmosphere.

All told, both geoengineering methods are founded upon the idea of aerosol spraying, and its concerning how well they harken back to chemtrails.

Read more articles about geoengineering Earth and chemtrails at ChemtrailsNews.com.

Sources include:

Space.com

FS.Fed.us

ZMEScience.com

UniverseToday.com
on Friday quashed "misinformed and misleading comments being amplified in the media and on social media" regarding the disengagement currently underway at Pangong Tso.

"At the outset, reiterates that the factual position has already been clearly communicated by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his statements to both Houses of the Parliament. However, it is necessary to set the record straight and counter certain instances of wrongly understood information being amplified in media and social media," clarified the ministry in a statement.



"The assertion that Indian territory is upto Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962. Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China," the ministry added.

MoD said permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8. "The current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts," the ministry said.





Under the India-China agreement on the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese army will pull back its troops to east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong lake, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on Thursday, in what is seen as a significant step to dial down tensions in the key face-off site.



Reciprocally, the defence minister said, Indian troops will be based at their permanent location at Dhan Singh Thapa post near Finger 3 areas.



Singh's statement clearly implied that the areas between the Indian position in Finger 3 and Finger 8 will effectively become a no patrolling zone till a resolution on future deployment is reached, defence experts said.

"India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo. Rajnath Singhs statement also made clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hrs of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement," the ministry further said.

The effective safeguarding of India's interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the Government has reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them, said MoD.

The Chinese military built several bunkers and other structures in the areas between Finger 4 and 8 and had blocked all Indian patrols beyond Finger 4, triggering strong reaction from the Indian Army.



In the nine rounds of military talks, India was specifically insisting on withdrawal of Chinese troops from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the North bank of Pangong Lake. The mountain spurs in the area are referred to as Fingers.



In his address in Rajya Sabha, the defence minister said similar action would be taken in the South bank of the Pangong lake areas by both sides.



Around five months ago, Indian troops occupied a number of strategic heights in the Mukhpari, Rechin La and Magar hill areas around the southern bank of the Pangong lake after the Chinese military attempted to intimidate them in the area.



"A similar action would be taken in the South bank area by both sides. These are mutual and reciprocal steps and any structures that had been built by both sides since April 2020 in both North and South bank areas will be removed and the landforms will be restored," the defence minister said.



He said it was also agreed to have a temporary moratorium on military activities by both sides in the North bank of Pangong lake including patrolling to the traditional areas.



"Patrolling will be resumed only when both sides reach an agreement in diplomatic and military talks that would be held subsequently.The implementation of this agreement started yesterday in the North and South Bank of the Pangong Lake," he said.



Singh said it was also agreed to hold the next meeting of Senior Commanders of the two armies within 48 hours after complete disengagement in Pangong lake areas to resolve any remaining issues.
Agricultural reform is a domestic policy issue for India but the UK government will continue to follow the farmers' protest closely in India, Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, informed the British Parliament.

"We will continue to champion human rights globally, and having the chairmanship of the UN Security Council this month is a part of that," he said.

Rees-Mogg was responding to assertions of Punjab-origin British Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who on Thursday was pushing for a debate in Parliament on the safety of the farmer protesters and on press freedom in India.

In the Business Questions, Dhesi asked: "Currently, the largest protest on the planet, the peaceful farmers' protest in India has been ongoing for months now.

"Given our serious anxieties, more than 100 honourable Members signed a letter to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention. Well over 1,00,000 constituents, incredibly, from every single one of the 650 UK constituencies, have signed an online petition, including more than 3,000 from my Slough constituency.

"Given those facts, and given the arrest of journalists, peaceful protesters and human rights activists such as Nodeep Kaur, who, it is alleged, has been tortured and endured sexual assault while in police custody, will the Leader of the House please facilitate a debate on this important matter at the earliest opportunity, just as we debated a petition in this Chamber last week?"

At this Rees-Mogg replied by saying, "The honourable gentleman raises something that is a matter of concern across the House and across constituencies.

"The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental one, along with freedom of speech and internet freedom. India is a very proud democracy and a country with which we have the strongest possible relations. I happen to think that over the next century our relationship with India may well be our most important relationship with any country in the world."

He said, "As India is our friend, it is only right that we make representations when we think that things are happening that are not in the interests of the reputation of the country of which we are a friend. The Foreign Secretary discussed the farmers' protest with his Indian counterpart in December.

"The UK government will continue to follow the farmers' protest closely. Agricultural reform is a domestic policy issue for India. We will continue to champion human rights globally, and having the chairmanship of the UN Security Council this month is a part of that."

Nodeep Kaur, a 23-year-old labour rights activist, was picked up by the police along with others on January 12 while protesting during the farmers' agitation.

She has been charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and extortion.

--IANS

vg/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.)
Pho Hien (Hien Street), Chua Chuong (Chuong Pagoda), and Den tho Chu Dong Tu (Chu Dong Tu Temple) are all associated with mysterious legends imbued with the cultural colors of ancient times.

Chu Dong TuTien Dung Love Festival

A group of women in beautiful pink dresses holds a dragon palanquin, where there is a jar inside. The procession moves slowly from the sacred temple towards the Red River.

Da Trach Temple

It is a long dancing dragon created by 30 young men, which leads the procession, followed by thousands of people from five communes in Khoai Chau district in Hung Yen province.

When reaching the river bank, the people go onto a boat. In the middle of the river, two older men drop two circles into the river. Another older man used a red-lacquered dipper to scoop water out of the river into the jar.

The water jar is carried ashore. Only when the water jar is put on the altar can the organization board open the Chu Dong Tu Festival - one of the 16 biggest festivals in Vietnam.

Da Trach Temple

Chu Dong Tu Festival is organized for three days from the 10th to the 12th day of the second lunar month.

This unique ritual is derived from the immortal love between the poor fisherman Chu Dong Tu and Princess Tien Dung.

In the place where they met in ancient times, people set up the Da Hoa Temple in Binh Minh commune in Khoai Chau district, and Da Trach Temple in Da Trach commune in the same district.Chu Dong Tu is one of the four immortals in traditional mythology of Vietnam, who is in charge of teaching people how to do business, and how to fish and weave.

Like any other temple in Vietnam, the Chu Dong Tu Temples courtyard is covered with white plumeria flower. It is so peaceful inside the temple that even when women sit and talk on the yard, they wont disturb the tranquility of the space.

Le Xuan Cu, the temple janitor, said the temple is special because it contains a hat and a stick of the Saint. Visitors to the temple not only enjoy the landscape, but also pray for good luck and good business.

The land attracts visitors with green river, green longan growing area and white sand alluvial ranges. The trees of the temple, the ancient ones, were selected to affirm human immortality.

Nom Pagoda, which keeps the ancient look of thousands of generations

Like other temples and pagodas in Vietnam, the history of the Nom pagoda, also known as "Linh Thong Co Tu", one of the most famous pagodas in the North, begins with a legend.

On a night of heavy rain and storm in Van Lam district, in Hung Yen province, there was a raft of ironwood floating on the river that eventually landed on the riverbank.

Nom Pagoda

In Nom village









Pho Hien (Hien Street), Chua Chuong (Chuong Pagoda), and Den tho Chu Dong Tu (Chu Dong Tu Temple) are all associated with mysterious legends imbued with the cultural colors of ancient times.

Early the next morning, fishermen tried to push the raft of ironwood away but it returned. Local people belived that it was a happy omen and picked the wood up, and used it to build a sacred pagoda.

Nom pagoda attracts visitors with its ancient beauty and statues with typical characteristic of the ancient sculpture.

Monk Thich Truc Hien of Nom Pagoda affirmed that the 9-step stone bridge over the Nguyet Duc River was built by ancient people by hand. It is considered an enlightened bridge, which connects people with Buddhism.

Researchers believe that the bridge at Nom Pagoda is one of a few ancient stone bridges dating back to the 18th century in Vietnam.

The pagoda still has many antiques, including more than 100 ancient statues and many other artifacts such as stone steles, bronze bells and other valuable materials. Monk Thich Truc Hien said the precious ancient statures are made of soil, but it is unclear about the structure inside. The strange thing is that they have stayed safe and have been preserved intact despite floods, with no termites or damage.

Chuong Pagoda  beautiful landscape of Pho Hien

According to Venerable Thich Thanh Khue, no one knows the real age of the pagoda, but it is estimated that the pagoda dates back to about the 3rd century AD.

There is a legend about the establishment of the pagoda. While the objects that came to Nom pagoda were precious wood pieces, the treasure to build Chuong (Bell) pagoda was a bell.

One day, when there was a heavy flood, the ferocious current brought a wooden raft with a beautiful golden bell on it. It was a surprise that only the old men in Nhan Duc hamlet could bring the bell ashore. Therefore, Nhan Ducs people decided to upgrade the existing pagoda and hang the bell.

Chuong pagoda still preserves many precious relics, including a stone bridge built in 1702, stone stele from 1711, and statues of Buddha. The diverse statures are put on the peak of the sanctuary, which reflects the Buddhisms philosophy of impermanence.

Spiritual tourism in Hung Yen

Ranked third in the country in number of ranked vestiges, Hung Yen province has great potential to develop tourism.

A representative from a travel firm specializing in serving Korean tourists said Hung Yen is an ideal destination for tourists who want to travel during the day because of its geographical position close to major cities.

Ngo Hoai Chung, deputy general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), thinks humanitarian resources should be the nucleus for tourism development in the province, saying that cultural and spiritual tourism products need to be diversified.

A report showed that 900,000 travelers came to Hung Yen in 2018, and 670,000 came in the first half of 2019, including 14,500 foreign travelers.

In 2018, the provincial authorities approved the master plan on tourism development, which says that tourism will become a key industry in the locality by 2025.

Nguyen Thao - Ngoc Trang

The beauty of Tram Pagoda Tram Pagoda was built in the 16th century, with many old trees radiating shade, bringing freshness and coolness all year round to the holy space.
Multi-model approach could help farmers prepare for, contain PEDV outbreaks

Researchers from North Carolina State University used a three-model approach to trace the between-farm spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), as well as to analyze the efficacy of different control strategies in these scenarios. The approach may enable farmers to be more proactive in preventing the spread of PEDV and to optimize their efforts to control the disease.

PEDV is a virus that causes high mortality rates in preweaned piglets. The virus emerged in the U.S. in 2013 and by 2014 had infected approximately 50 percent of breeding herds. PEDV is transmitted by contact with contaminated fecal matter.

"We wanted to compare three different models by using actual outbreak data in order to test their efficacy," says Gustavo Machado, assistant professor of population health and pathobiology at NC State and corresponding author of a paper describing the work. "Then we could use the data to determine the best intervention strategy in each case."

The team compared three models. One was PigSpread, a novel epidemiological modelling framework developed by coauthor Jason Galvis specifically to model disease spread in swine populations. The other two models were SimInf (a commercial disease spread simulator) and PoPS, which was developed by NC State's Center for Geospatial Analytics to model the spread of pests or pathogens within fields and forests.

"There are mainly two ways PEDV can spread - either between the pigs on the same farm, or when pigs are moved from one farm to another," Machado says. "Each of the models we picked had a different strength: PigSpread looks at the number of pigs per farm and differences in numbers to make predictions, SimInf looks at disease in the environment, and PoPS uses both differences in numbers and environmental factors like temperature and precipitation."

Using data from recorded PEDV outbreaks from three separate companies, the team calibrated the models weekly and looked at which one performed best in each given week.

"While PoPS was the most accurate overall, each model had its own advantages or disadvantages," Machado says. "What we're doing here is similar to the way meteorologists model weather data, using different models with different strengths to give us more flexibility. We calibrate the models each week and predictively, we would use the model that performed best on the most recent data."

The team analyzed the predictive capability of the models in conjunction with disease control strategies such as herd closure, vaccination and biosecurity measures. They estimate that by combining modeling and control protocols farms could see a 76% to 89% reduction in outbreaks in sow farms and a 33% to 61% outbreak reduction among gilt farms.

"This is a flexible way to keep farmers up to date during an outbreak and enable them to make decisions," Galvis says. "We hope to be able to provide farmers with potential hot spot maps prior to an outbreak so that they can increase surveillance and preempt the spread of disease. Our next steps will be to look more closely at how the infection responds to specific interventions."

###

The research appears in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases and was supported by the Swine Health Information Center under project #19-211. Galvis, a postdoctoral researcher at NC State in the Machado Laboratory, is first author. Chris Jones, a research scholar in NC State's Center for Geospatial Analytics, led the development of the PoPS model. Joaquin Prada from the University of Surrey, U.K., and Cesar Corzo from the University of Minnesota also contributed to the work.

Note to editors: An abstract follows.

"The between-farm transmission dynamics of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus: A short-term forecast modeling comparison and the effectiveness of control strategies"

DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13997

Authors: Jason Galvis, Chris Jones, Gustavo Machado, North Carolina State University; Joaquin Prada, University of Surrey, U.K.; Cesar Corzo, University of Minnesota

Published: Online in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

Abstract: A limited understanding of the transmission dynamics of swine disease is a significant obstacle to prevent and control disease spread. Therefore, understanding between-farm transmission dynamics is crucial to developing disease forecasting systems to predict outbreaks that would allow the swine industry to tailor control strategies. Our objective was to forecast weekly Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDV) outbreaks by generating high-resolution maps to identify current and future PEDV high-risk areas, and simulating the impact of control measures. Three epidemiological transmission models were developed and compared: a novel epidemiological modelling framework was developed specifically to model disease spread in swine populations, PigSpread, and two models built on previously developed ecosystems; SimInf (a stochastic disease spread simulations) and PoPS (Pest or Pathogen Spread). The models were calibrated on true weekly PEDV outbreaks from three spatially related swine production companies. Prediction accuracy across models was compared using the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC). Model outputs had a general agreement with observed outbreaks throughout the study period. PoPS had an AUC of 0.80, followed by PigSpread with 0.71, and SimInf had the lowest at 0.59. Our analysis estimates that the combined strategies of herd closure, controlled exposure of gilts to live viruses (feedback) and on-farm biosecurity reinforcement reduced the number of outbreaks. On average, 76% to 89% reduction was seen in sow farms, while in gilt development units (GDU) was between 33% to 61% when deployed to sow and GDU farms located in probabilistic high-risk areas. Our multi-model forecasting approach can be used to prioritize surveillance and intervention strategies for PEDV and other diseases potentially leading to more resilient and healthier pig production systems.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Hungary will on Friday become the first EU nation to start using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, the country's chief medical officer said.

"Today we are beginning to vaccinate with the Sputnik V vaccine, this is taking place in the designated vaccination stations," Cecilia Muller told a daily press briefing.

Family doctors in Budapest could choose five persons each to send for the jab at four hospitals in the capital, Muller said, as part of an initial round of inoculations using the first batch of 2,800 doses sent from Russia.

Hungary broke ranks with the EU last month by becoming the first bloc member to approve Sputnik V, ordering two million doses to be delivered over three months, enough to vaccinate one million people.

Russia registered Sputnik Vnamed after the Soviet-era satellitein August, months ahead of Western competitors but before the start of large-scale clinical trials, which left some experts wary.

However, the vaccine is 91.6 percent effective against COVID-19, according to results published in The Lancet journal on Tuesday that the experts said allayed transparency concerns over the jab.

Budapest has often clashed with Brussels, especially on migration, and has repeatedly criticised what it says is the slow pace of vaccine approval and procurement by EU authorities.

"Each day we spend waiting around for Brussels, we would lose one hundred Hungarian lives," said Prime Minister Viktor Orban on state radio Friday.

Last month Hungary also approved the Chinese-made Sinopharm coronavirus vaccineagain the first in the EU to do soand said it had ordered five million doses.

"If Hungary begins using the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine in the near future, more than 2.5 million people can be inoculated by Easter" or around one in four Hungarians, said Orban.

"By the end of May, compared to another country of similar size, Hungary would be able to administer the jab to 3.5 million more citizens," he said.

Responding to critics who say Hungary should use only use jabs approved by the EU's EMA regulator, Orban said Hungarian experts are "world-class".

"Why would we think that (the EMA) are better than us?" he said.

On Friday, Hungary reported 99 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country's overall death toll to 13,543, while the number of infections and coronavirus patients in hospitals has begun rising sharply in February.

Hungarians are among the least willing to get the shots in the EU, but the rate has been rising in recent months.

In surveys the most popular choices of vaccines were the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines, with the Russian and Chinese jabs least popular.

 2021 AFP
Nay Pyi Taw, Feb 12 : Amid widespread protests against the February military coup in Myanmar, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Friday urged citizens to safeguard the Constitution.

In his message on the 74th Union Day, Min Aung Hlaing said that non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty are the three main national causes and also the most important task of the democratization process, reports Xinhua news agency.

He stressed that the main duty of the military is the task of safeguarding the three causes as all the sectors of the state duty have already been transferred to the military.

The Commander-in-Chief also urged the entire nation to join forces with the military for the successful realization of democracy while adhering to the three Main National Causes.

The historical Panglong Conference was held in Panglong, Shan state, with the Panglong Agreement signed on February 12, 1947, which was designated as Union Day, and Myanmar regained independence on January 4, 1948.

Min Aung Hlaing pledged to alleviate the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on society and the economy and to ensure a quick socio-economic recovery during the post-pandemic period with the well-organised and united strength of the entire nation.

The Myanmar military took over the country on February 1 over the disputed results of the November 8, 2020, parliamentary elections.

Besides the coup, the military also declared a year-long state of emergency and handed over the state power to the Commander-in-Chief.

Ahead of taking control, former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, former President U Win Myint and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party were detained.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
NASAs Perseverance rover is set to reach Mars in less than a week, but before it touches down on the Martian surface it will endure a harrowing seven minutes of terror.

Radio signals sent from NASA and vice versa travel take 10 minutes for either party to make contact, so after the ground team tells Perseverance to descend, the rover takes over and will make the epic journey completely alone.

The spacecraft will shoot through Mars atmosphere moving at 12,000 miles per hour, but then must slow down to zero miles per hour seven minutes later in order to land safely on the surface.

It is not guaranteed that we will be successful, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement.

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NASAs Perseverance rover is set to reach Mars in less than a week, but before it touches down on the Martian surface it will endure a harrowing seven minutes of terror'

NASA launched Perseverance July 30 from Cape Canaveral Florida aboard a United Launch Alliances Atlas V rocket.

The six-wheeled vehicle, which is the same size as a large car, is also accompanied by an autonomous four pound (1.8kg) helicopter called Ingenuity which will study Mars's atmosphere.

The rover is due to land on February 18, 2021 at the base of an 820-foot-deep (250 meters) crater called Jezero, a former lake which was home to water 3.5 billion years ago.

It will drill into Mars and collect geological specimens that will be cached across the planet and retrieved by a follow up mission around 2031.

Radio signals sent from NASA and vice versa travel take 10 minutes for either party to make contact, so after the ground team tells Perseverance to descend, the rover takes over and will make the epic journey completely alone

The spacecraft will shoot through Mars atmosphere moving at 12,000 miles per hour, but then must slow down to zero miles per hour seven minutes later in order to land safely on the surface

However, all of this is only possible if Perseverance survives the seven minutes of terror.

The journey begins 10 minutes before whizzing through Mars atmosphere.

The cargo capsule carrying Perseverance will separate and the rover prepares for a guided entry using small thursters on the aeroshell.

As it descends, the craft will endure a peak heating of 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit just 75 seconds after entering the atmosphere.

A parachute is deployed once it hits an altitude of seven miles, about four minutes into the decent.

NASA launched Perseverance July 30 from Cape Canaveral Florida aboard a United Launch Alliances Atlas V rocket (pictured)

The six-wheeled vehicle, which is the same size as a large car, is also accompanied by an autonomous four pound (1.8kg) helicopter called Ingenuity which will study Mars's atmosphere

Once the heat shield is discarded the back shell and parachute separate

The back shell and parachute separate after the heat shield is discarded when the spacecraft is 1.3 miles above the surface.

Landing engines, which consists of eight retrorockets, ignite to slow the craft down from 190 miles per hour to a mere 1.7 miles per hour.

The craft will then attempt the same maneuver for landing as the Curiosity did in 2012 using the sky crane.

Nylon cords will lower Perseverance 25 feet below and after it touches down on the Martian surface, the cords will detach and the sky crane will fly away.

And that is when Perseverance will embark on its two-year mission to search for biosignatures.

The journey begins 10 minutes before whizzing through Mars atmosphere. As it descends, the craft will endure a peak heating of 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit just 75 seconds after entering the atmosphere

A parachute is deployed once it hits an altitude of seven miles, about four minutes into the decent

The craft will then attempt the same maneuver for landing as the Curiosity did in 2012 using the sky crane. Nylon cords will lower Perseverance 25 feet below and after it touches down on the Martian surface, the cords will detach and the sky crane will fly away

Before the rover ventures off alone, it will release the Ingenuity helicopter for its own test flights, which will be the first aerial vehicle to conduct such a mission.

The copter will fly at an altitude that is similar to 100,000 feet on Earth, allowing it to gather geology data in areas the rover is unable to travel.

NASA is comparing this mission to the Wright brothers moment, as it will be the first time in history an aerial vehicle has flown on another world.

Perseverance stands seven feet tall, is nine feet wide, weighs 2,260 pounds.

It was fashioned from on Curiosity's blueprint but has been tailored to be adept at collecting geological samples.

It is powered by a nuclear battery which consists of 10.6 pounds of plutonium in a container roughly the size of a bucket.

The plutonium provides 2,000 watts of thermal power and will last for around 14 years.

Before the rover ventures off alone, it will release the Ingenuity helicopter for its own test flights, which will be the first aerial vehicle to conduct such a mission. The copter will fly at an altitude that is similar to 100,000 feet on Earth, allowing it to gather geology data in areas the rover is unable to travel

Perseverance will hunt for 'biosignatures' of past microbial life and the rock samples will be picked up by another mission in 2026.

The rover will drill into the dusty surface and gather material into titanium, germ free tubes that will be placed in the vehicle's belly  there are a total of 43 tubes to fill.

NASA aims to gather at least 20 samples with a variety of material that can be brought back to Earth for further analysis.

NASA has teamed up with the European Space Agency for the follow up mission that would send two or more spacecraft in 2026.

'In 2026, we're going to launch a mission from Earth to Mars to go pick up those samples and bring them back to Earth,' Bridenstine said.

'For the first time in history, we're doing a Mars sample return mission.'

To do this, a secondary goal of Perseverance is to investigate if materials found on Mars can be utilized to facilitate return missions.
EP Global Opportunities Trust plc (the "Company")

Total Voting Rights

As a result of the purchase of 50,000 Ordinary 1p shares placed into Treasury on 11 February 2021 and in conformity with Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1A, the issued share capital and voting rights of the Company are as follows:

Class of share Total number of shares in circulation Number of voting rights attached to each share Total number of voting rights of shares in circulation Number of shares held in treasury (carrying no voting rights attached until issued) Total number of shares in issue Ordinary 1p Shares 38,317,725 1 38,317,725 26,191,917 64,509,642

The above total voting rights figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine whether they are required to notify their interest in EP Global Opportunities Trust plc under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

12 February 2021

LEI: 2138005T5CT5ITZ7ZX58

Enquiries:

Kenneth Greig

Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited

Tel: 0131 270 3800

The Company's registered office address is:

27-31 Melville Street

Edinburgh

EH3 7JF


Beijing:

China needs to prepare for the standoff with India near the Sikkim sector becoming a long-term situation, an article in a state-run Chinese daily said on Wednesday, warning that more such conflicts can trigger an all out confrontation along the entire Line of Actual Control.

The Op-ed article in the Global Times claimed that the Indian action to stop Chinese troops from building a road near the Doklam plateau was a blatant infringement on Chinas sovereignty.

The road is near the trijunction with Bhutan.

India has expressed concern over the road construction, fearing it may allow Chinese troops to cut Indias access to its northeastern states. It has conveyed to China that the road construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India.

The Chinese action has led to a month-long military standoff.

The article said that if India stirs up conflicts in several spots, it must face the consequence of an all-out confrontation with China along the entire LAC (Line of Actual Control).

Of the 3,488-km-long border India shares with China from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

The article in the tabloid daily, which is a part of the ruling Communist Party of China media group, said: As the confrontation goes on, China needs to get ready for the face-off becoming a long-term situation and at the same time, needs to maintain a sense of rationality.

China doesnt advocate and tries hard to avoid a military clash with India, but China doesnt fear going to war to safeguard sovereignty either, and will make itself ready for a long-term confrontation, it said.

It said that there are voices within China that call for the Indian troops to be expelled immediately, while Indian public opinion is clamouring for war with China.

However, the two sides need to exercise restraint and avoid the current conflict spiralling out of control, it said.

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With the provincial elections coming up on February 13, political parties are prioritizing immigration

Newfoundland and Labrador needs more immigrants With the provincial elections coming up on February 13, political parties are prioritizing immigration

Newfoundland and Labrador needs more immigrants With the provincial elections coming up on February 13, political parties are prioritizing immigration

Newfoundland and Labrador needs more immigrants With the provincial elections coming up on February 13, political parties are prioritizing immigration Mohanad Moetaz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Newfoundland and Labrador are looking to attract and retain new immigrants to address its aging and declining population.

The province may not typically be an immigrants first choice when immigrating to Canada. That is reserved for the more popular provinces such as Ontario and B.C.

As a consequence, the province is looking to boost its immigration efforts. Immigration has become a priority among political party campaigns as we approach the provincial election date on February 13.

The Liberal Party in the province is promising that they will welcome triple the number of newcomers in the next five years. The Progressive Conservatives also promised to have high immigration targets.

Immigrants in the province are arguably the best placed to offer ideas to address the immigration problem. CBCs Here & Now, a television news program based in the province, held an immigration-focused panel.

Those who appeared on the panel suggested that the lack of job opportunities in the province plays a huge role as to why people may be discouraged from immigrating to the Newfoundland and Labrador.

In addition, it was suggested that it is not only up to the province to help newcomers integrate, but it should also be the peoples responsibility. One person said that the province needs a long-term retention plan, and that the province needs to educate students in schools and universities about racism, oppression and cultural sensitivity.

How to immigrate to Newfoundland and Labrador?

If you wish to make Newfoundland and Labrador your new home, you have two main options:

The NLPNP has categories for skilled workers, international graduates, entrepreneurs and international graduate entrepreneurs.

Skilled workers who have valid Express Entry profiles need to have a full-time job or job offer from an employer in the province, meet the minimum education and work experience requirements, and have enough money to support themselves and their families.

If they do not have a valid Express Entry profile, skilled workers will also need to prove their language proficiency in English or French.

International graduates need to have completed at least half of their studies in Canada and must have graduated from an eligible college or university. They must also have a full-time job offer from an eligible employer, meet language requirements and have enough money to support themselves.

The AIPP is a fast-track program that helps employers in Canadas Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island) to hire foreign workers. Employers do not need to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) under the AIPP.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Andhra Pradesh government to respond to a plea by the Odisha government seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against its top officers, following the notification of panchayat polls in three "disputed area" villages.

A bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Aniruddha Bose declined to pass an immediate order in the issue, and instead sought Andhra Pradesh government's reply on February 19.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the Odisha government, said Andhra Pradesh is conducting the panchayat elections in the area under their administration. The top court asked advocate Mahfooz A. Nazki, standing counsel for Andhra Pradesh, to file response on the plea, and posted the matter for further hearing on next Friday.

The villages under dispute are part of Pottangi taluka in Odisha's Koraput district. There are 21 villages in the Kotia group, which are entangled in dispute. In 1968, the status quo order was passed by the top court and the same order is holding till date, the Odisha government said.

"Administratively and otherwise as well, the state of Odisha has been in control of these villages throughout. However, of late, clandestinely the contemnors (Andhra Pradesh government) have entered into the impugned act of contempt by which the order of this court has been violated," said the Odisha government in its plea.

On March 5, 2020, the Andhra Pradesh government issued a notification roping in three villages from the Kotia group of villages into its Vizianagaram district for the local body elections.

"Tactfully the contemnors converted these three villages of one gram panchayat falling under territory of Odisha to three different gram panchayats. The said three-gram panchayat created by the contemnor were made part of the Salur Mandal (of Vizianagaram)," the plea, filed through advocate Sibo Sankar Mishra, added.

The Odisha government cited that the top court in its final hearing in 2006, recorded the status quo undertaking given by both states while disposing of the suit. "Over the years, the petitioner state has taken many development initiatives in the said three villages and has built infrastructure like schools, police stations, roads, bridges etc. for the people of these villages," it argued.

New Delhi, Feb 12 : A protest was staged by a group of Jharkhand locals outside the DLF Promenade Mall here against international popstar Rihanna's cosmetic brand, Fenty Beauty.

The agitators alleged that the brand, which is marketed by a French multinational Sephora, is involved in child abuse since it uses mica, which is mined in Jharkhand and involves lakhs of children to extract it.

The protesters claimed that they belonged to two voluntary organisation which work for the welfare of children, especially child labour.

Javed Malik, Chairman, Seva Sanskar Foundation, said that they will submit a memorandum to the National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) requesting action on the beauty line.

"Such brands like Rihanna's are making their childhood ugly just to mint money through make others look attractive," he said.

Malik was also displeased with Rihanna's tweet and called it an anti-national act.

Sanjay Mishra from the Jharkhand Bal Swecchik Manch said: "Such multinationals are snatching away childhood of Jharkhand children." Meanwhile, the police arrived on the spot and asked the participants to produce a permission to protest which they failed to furnish.

However, they were let off with a warning.

"Section 144 is in force in which assembly of more than four people is prohibited. Besides, they should have informed the police before holding sny such assembly. We don't have any correspondence from them," said Surendar Kumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Vasant Kunj Police Station.

Rihanna's brand is under the scanner of the NCPCR for allegedly using mica from Indian mines where child labourers, who work in dire conditions.

The NCPCR has received a complaint from the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) NGO against the beauty brand, seeking an investigation into mica sourcing.

The complaint came after Rihanna made news when she tweeted about farmers' protest in India.

A few other international personalities such as climate change activist Greta Thunberg also expressed support for the farmers' protests.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 00:11:03|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Friday decided against an early lifting of the state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic in place for Tokyo and nine other prefectures this week, due to medical facilities continuing to be overburdened with patients and concerns over new variants of the virus.

The government declared a second state of emergency for the Greater Tokyo area on Jan. 7, before expanding it to Tochigi, Gifu, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures on Jan. 13.

The emergency period, first scheduled to end on Feb. 7, was then extended by one month for all but one of the prefectures.

Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is also in charge of Japan's response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, said Friday that the emergency period would be kept in place for the time being.

His remarks came at a meeting of a panel of experts who advise the government on its coronavirus policy.

While the number of new daily infections has been on a downtrend recently, the healthcare system remains overly strained and the number of deaths remains high, the experts said.

Vice President of the Tokyo Medical Association Masataka Inokuchi said Friday that the strain on the medical system has been prolonged and the high numbers of elderly people contracting the virus must be reduced.

Elderly people are more susceptible to developing serious symptoms after contracting the virus that require hospitalization and often intensive care.

Japan on Friday confirmed 1,300 new daily COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's cumulative total of infections since the outbreak of the virus to 413,931.

The death toll increased by 63 to total 6,880 people, according to official statistics released late Friday evening.

The Tokyo metropolitan government, for its part, on Friday reported 307 new daily COVID-19 cases on Friday, with the daily tally remaining below the 500-mark for the sixth straight day.

The cumulative total of infections in the city of 14 million since the outbreak of the pandemic now stands at a total of 105,765 people, the local government said.

Health officials said Friday, however, that 102 people are designated as being in a "serious condition" in the capital.

Also of major concern to the experts is variations of the virus appearing in Japan, contributing to the the government's decision, in light of the overall situation, to maintain the state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka, and eight other prefectures.

The head of the panel of experts, Shigeru Omi, on Friday expressed his concern about the virus variants first identified in Britain and South Africa.

These variants are thought to be highly transmissible and Omi has called for swift testing in areas that might be of high risk and has urged that potential asymptomatic carriers must also be tested.

By February 10, 108 cases of people testing positive across Japan for one of the virus variants had been confirmed by the health ministry, with the majority testing positive for the variant first detected in Britain.

It was also decided Friday at the meeting of the panel of experts that anti-coronavirus guidelines reflecting recent legal revisions that allow the government to punish those thwarting anti-virus measures would be updated.

From Saturday, people and businesses breaking anti-virus rules could be legally subjected to hefty fines. Enditem
The EU is set to give Turkey more time to adhere to its commitments on tax evasion, sources said on Friday, raising concerns that Ankara is being spared the bloc's blacklist for political reasons.

Ties between the EU and Turkey have been fraught, especially after Ankara pushed gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean last year, infuriating Cyprus and Greece.

However, the tensions have eased in recent weeks with the diplomacy of Germany, which is sensitive to keep Turkey compliant with a migration pact that keeps a tight control on the Turkish border with the EU.

According to several sources, the EU's 27 member states will next week accept to once again delay the blacklisting of Turkey, which was already given a break a year ago.

Turkey is accused of failing to comply with international standards on the automatic exchange of tax information, a problem in particular for EU countries with a big Turkish diaspora.

The delay, however, could come with an understanding that putting off the decision any further will no longer be tolerated, with a deadline set for later this year.

"It is important to be rigorous and to ensure that countries, where difficulties have been identified, make commitments and fulfil them," one EU diplomat said.

In this case, "it would have been logical, as it has been in comparable situations in the past", for Turkey to be added to the list.

The deadline for Turkey was still under negotiation among the 27 member states on Friday, diplomats said, with hopes that it would not have to be argued over by EU finance ministers at talks next week.

The main concern for some member states is that the EU's blacklist will become politicised, when its criteria was expected to be objective and free of diplomatic considerations.

The blacklist was first drawn up in 2017 in the wake of several scandals, including the Panama Papers and LuxLeaks, which pushed Brussels into doing more to fight tax evasion by multinationals and the rich.

EU member countries cannot be on the list and blacklisted countries face only limited sanctions, consisting of freezing them out of European aid or development funding.

The previous diplomatic dust-up came in 2019 over the inclusion of the United Arab Emirates, which Italy resisted. The UAE was added, but was later removed.

The list currently holds: Anguilla, American Samoa, Barbados, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, the US Virgin Islands and Vanuatu.

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Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Puration, Inc. (OTC Pink: PURA) today announced publishing a multimedia presentation detailing the Company's plans to construct a 70-acre facility designed to provide interactive, demonstrable education on the potential of hemp to provide environmentally sustainable alternatives to over $1 trillion in existing industrial products and services currently damaging the environment.



PURA Logo



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6696/74355_c2325c3eb4289963_001full.jpg

PURA's Farmersville Hemp Brand strategy is positioned to contribute to, and benefit from President Biden's overall environmental initiative.

The presentation today includes details on PURA's partnerships with PAO Group, Inc. (OTC Pink: PAOG), Alkame Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: ALKM), and North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: USMJ).

Follow the links below to view the presentation published today in conjunction with PURA's recently announced plans to break ground this summer on a 70-acre property in Farmersville, Texas as a cornerstone component of the company's Farmersville Hemp Brand strategy.

To view the presentation on Flipbook:

The PURA Farmersville Hemp Brand Strategy And Cornerstone Construction Plans

To view the presentation on Video:

The PURA Farmersville Hemp Brand Strategy And Cornerstone Construction Plans





Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNd6b7pWFLM

For more information on Puration, visit http://www.purationinc.com

Contact:

Puration, Inc.

Brian Shibley,

info@aciconglomerated.com

(800) 861-1350

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that Alkame will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the Company's contracts, the Company's liquidity position, the Company's ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74355
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Judge Denies Prosecutors Motion to Issue New Arrest and Raise Bail for Kyle Rittenhouse

A Wisconsin judge on Feb. 11 denied two motions from prosecutors to issue a new arrest warrant and raise the bail for Kyle Rittenhouse, the teen from Illinois who is accused of fatally shooting two people during a riot in Wisconsin last August.

Judge Bruce Schroeder rejected the request from Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger to increase Rittenhouses $2 million bond by $200,000 and issue an arrest warrant for him after a prosecutor argued that he had violated conditions of his release.

Prosecutors accused the 18-year-old of violating his bond terms by failing to report to the court the address of a safe house to which hes moved into in November.

But Rittenhouses attorneys argued that death threats to him and his family safety prompted him to conceal his whereabouts.

Most people out on bond, we dont know where they are, Judge Schroeder said in a hearing which took place over Zoom.

Judge Bruce Schroeder speaks in Kenosha County Court in Kenosha, Wis., during an arrest warrant hearing for Kyle Rittenhouse on Feb. 11, 2021. (Kenosha County Court via AP)

To issue a warrant now for a defendant who has appeared at every hearing, that would be breaking the law, and Im not going to do it, he added.

Schroeder did require Rittenhouse to register his current address with the court, but it will be kept under seal and only he and the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department would have access to it.

Binger asked the judge to allow his office access to Rittenhouses address, to which Schroeder responded with, it has nothing to do with you.

Rittenhouse had traveled with a weapon on Aug. 25, 2020, from his home in nearby Antioch, Illinois, to racially charged protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, prompted by the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

He is accused of murdering Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz with an AR-15-style rifle.

He has been charged in Kenosha County with first-degree homicide and five other criminal counts related to the shootings, however, Rittenhouses legal team has said their client feared for his life when he fired his semi-automatic rifle, and have indicated they plan to argue self-defense.

Rittenhouse was extradited in late October to Kenosha to face the charges.

Rittenhouses next scheduled court appearance is March 10, WISN reported.

No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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

Democrats make final plea to convict Trump

Donald Trump's defence lawyers say the former president cannot be held personally responsible for the storming of Congress. File photo: Reuters

House prosecutors wrapped up their impeachment case against Donald Trump on Thursday with an impassioned appeal to the Senate to convict the former president of inciting the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol and bar him from holding office again.



"We humbly, humbly ask you to convict President Trump for the crime (of) which he is overwhelmingly guilty," said Democratic Representative Joe Neguse, one of the nine impeachment managers from the House of Representatives.



"Because if you don't, if we pretend this didn't happen -- or worse, if we let it go unanswered -- who's to say it won't happen again?"



The House impeachment managers rested their case after two days of arguments that included Trump's own words and hours of graphic video from the assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters who were seeking to halt certification of Democrat Joe Biden's November 3 election victory.



Trump's lawyers will begin their defence later on Friday, arguing that the former president cannot be held personally responsible for the storming of Congress.



They have also argued that the trial itself is unconstitutional because Trump is now out of office, although the Senate rejected that argument earlier this week.



Jamie Raskin, the lead House manager, reminded the 100 senators who are sitting as jurors of their oath to render "impartial justice."



"Exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country," Raskin said, noting that Trump stood by doing nothing for two hours as his supporters rampaged through Congress.



"Why did President Trump not tell his supporters to stop the attack on the Capitol as soon as he learned about it?" Raskin asked. "As our constitutional commander in chief, why did he do nothing to send help?"



Earlier, Biden said the video evidence against his 74-year-old predecessor presented at the Senate trial may change "some minds."



But despite what even some Republicans have said was a strong prosecution case, Trump retains an unshakeable grip on the party, making conviction highly unlikely.



It would take a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join the chamber's 50 Democrats.



The mayhem on January 6 erupted after Trump held a large rally near the White House, insisting falsely, as he had done since losing to Biden in November, that he was cheated.



Instructed by Trump to march on Congress, where lawmakers were at that moment certifying Biden's election, the crowd smashed through police lines, then went on a rampage.



The chaos left five people dead, including one woman shot after she invaded the Capitol and one policeman killed by the crowd.



Video footage played by impeachment managers showed the mob hunting down opponents of Trump, as well as senior figures, including then vice president Mike Pence, having to flee to safety.



The defence will stress that Trump did not expressly tell his supporters to commit violence, but Raskin pointed out that the Republican president had been stoking anger and encouraging extremism since Election Day -- and even before.



"This pro-Trump insurrection did not spring out of thin air," Raskin said. "This was not the first time Donald Trump had inflamed and incited a mob."



Raskin said it was imperative the Senate convict Trump and bar him from running for the White House again in 2024.



"Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he's ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way?" Raskin asked. "Would you bet the future of your democracy on that?"



Raskin also dismissed claims by Trump's lawyers that the president did not incite the riot but was just exercising his free speech rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution.



Calling this a "smokescreen," Raskin said that "nobody can incite a riot."



"First Amendment doesn't protect it," he said. "Nobody in America would be protected by the First Amendment if they did all the things that Donald Trump did."



Biden said he did not watch any of the trial live but had seen news coverage of Wednesday's wrenching video footage.



"My guess is some minds may be changed," Biden told reporters in the White House.



Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden, who has been trying to stop the trial from overshadowing his push for a huge economic stimulus package and the fight against Covid-19, was not intending to predict the outcome.



Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said video footage shown by House managers on Wednesday was "powerful," but "how that influences final decisions remains to be seen."



Other Republican senators have clearly already made up their minds and do not intend to break with Trump, who has threatened to derail their careers.



Senator Marco Rubio of Florida insisted the Senate cannot try a former president.



"What happened on Jan. 6 - I said it the moment it started - was unpatriotic, un-American, treasonous, a crime, unacceptable," he said.



"The fundamental question for me, and I don't know about for everybody else, is whether an impeachment trial is appropriate for someone who is no longer in office. I don't believe that it is," said Rubio. (AFP)
Failed presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has introduced legislation that would strip the Second Amendment rights of any individual who was simply investigated for domestic terrorism, even if they were not charged or convicted for committing an actual crime.

(Natural News) (Article by Tom Pappert republished from NationalFile.com)

On February 2, Rubio reintroduced the bill he has been pushing since the Orlando Pulse radical Islamic terrorist attack in 2016. The bill calls for stripping individuals under investigation for domestic terrorism of their ability to own or purchase firearms, a move Rubio somehow suggests would also provide more authority for law enforcement agencies to go after suspected terrorists, while safeguarding law-abiding citizens Second Amendment and due process rights.

According to Rubios website, the bill would When an individual who was the subject of a federal terrorism investigation within the last 10 years tries to obtain a firearm, allow the U.S. Attorney General to delay the purchase or transfer for up to ten business days and file an emergency petition in court to prevent the transfer. If the court finds probable cause that the individual is or has been engaged in terrorism, the Attorney General may arrest the individual.

Under the Biden regime, the current Attorney General is Merrick Garland, who has fantasized about taking guns from American citizens since the early 2000s.

Rubio reentered the bill during the hysteria following the Capitol Hill protest on January 6, during which the only death by a firearm was Ashli Babbitt, who was slain by a D.C. police officer. The officer will face no punishment.

This comes as past intelligence officials who are friendly to the Joe Biden regime essentially classify the overwhelming majority of Republicans as domestic terrorists.

As National File recently reported, former CIA Counterterrorism Center director Robert Grenier compared American citizens to violent Muslim insurgents, writing in the New York Times, As a former overseas operative who has struggled both on the side of insurgents and against them, the past few days have brought a jarring realization: We may be witnessing the dawn of a sustained wave of violent insurgency within our own country, perpetrated by our own countrymen.

Meanwhile, the Washington Examiner ran an op-ed by Kevin Carroll, former CIA officer and counselor to a House committee and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in which Carroll compared the protesters to al Qaeda, National File reported.

This also comes as the federal government has truly bungled its attempts to locate individuals involved in trespassing or breaking and entering the U.S. Capitol on January 6, including one man who was interrogated by the FBI after the agencys facial recognition software falsely identified him as one of the protesters.

The FBI also went to the home of a pro-Trump Republican political consultant, Noel Fritsch, to question his location on January 6. The FBI was greeted by his pregnant wife, who was home alone with their four children. According to Fritsch, the FBI told his wife that they would keep returning to his home until they spoke to Fritsch.

Fritsch was nowhere near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, he told The Gateway Pundits Cassandra Fairbanks, but could ostensibly fall into this anomalous group of individuals Rubio would strip of their Second Amendment rights.

It is unclear if Rubios plan will receive broad enough support in the Democrat controlled Congress to make it to Joe Bidens desk.

Read more at: NationalFile.com and SecondAmendment.news.
DUBLIN, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed the Company that it is deferring action (pending a site inspection) on the Stratatech Biologics License Application (BLA) for StrataGraft, an investigational allogeneic cellularized scaffold product in development for the treatment of adult patients with deep partial-thickness burns. This is due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, which are delaying a required manufacturing site inspection.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has provided funding and technical support for the continued development of StrataGraft under Project BioShield Contract No. HHSO100201500027C.

"We are confident in the efficacy and safety of StrataGraft for the treatment of deep partial-thickness burns based on our pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial results," said Steven Romano, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Mallinckrodt. "We plan to work closely with the FDA to complete the review and schedule its site inspection. We remain committed to the burn care community, with a goal of ultimately providing this patient population with a new treatment option that could reduce the need for autografting of healthy skin."

The FDA granted the BLA for StrataGraft priority review. Previously, the FDA granted StrataGraft orphan drug status, and it was among the first products designated by the agency as a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) under the provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act.

About StrataGraft

StrataGraft is an investigational treatment being developed to reduce autograft in patients with severe thermal burns. An engineered, bilayer construct, StrataGraft is designed to mimic natural human skin with both inner dermis-like and outer epidermis-like layers. StrataGraft can be sutured, stapled or secured with an adhesive. StrataGraft is cryopreserved in order to deliver viable cells upon application.

Mallinckrodt is currently conducting a StrataGraft continued access clinical trial (StrataCAT, NCT04123548) under an Expanded Access Program (EAP). The trial sites involved in the pivotal Phase 3 trial (STRATA2016, NCT03005106) have the opportunity to participate in this multicenter, open-label study. The company is planning to evaluate StrataGraft for the treatment of adults with full-thickness burns (also referred to as third-degree burns). Additionally, Mallinckrodt plans to conduct a study evaluating StrataGraft in the treatment of pediatric populations.

StrataGraft is an investigational product, and its safety and effectiveness have not yet been established by the FDA.

The continued development of StrataGraft, including the pivotal Phase 3 clinical study (STRATA2016), and the BLA process for StrataGraft in the United States, is being supported through a partnership with BARDA. These efforts are part of BARDA's strategy to build emergency preparedness in response to mass casualty events involving trauma and thermal burns by developing novel medical countermeasures for adult and at-risk populations. In the case of a mass casualty thermal burn event, the Government Accountability Office estimates that more than 10,000 patients might require thermal burn care.1 The limited number of specialized burn centers and related medical infrastructure in the United States creates a public health need for therapies that could be deployed quickly for use in these and other care sites.

About Deep Partial-Thickness Thermal Burns

Deep partial-thickness thermal burns are complex skin injuries in which the damage extends through the entire epidermis (outermost layer of skin) and into the lower part of the dermis (innermost layer of skin).

Autograft is considered to be a standard of care by many for deep partial-thickness thermal burns. It involves the surgical harvesting of healthy skin tissue from an uninjured site on the patient and transplanting the skin graft to the injury. While this process can be effective in providing closure of the original wound, it has significant limitations related to the donor site wounds created during surgical removal of the skin tissue for grafting. Donor site wounds are painful and can create risks of additional scarring and infection. In addition, the amount of healthy skin available for harvesting is frequently limited in those patients with large burns, necessitating sequential re-harvesting of available donor sites. As a result, there is a need for alternatives to donor site harvesting for the treatment of severe burns.

About Mallinckrodt

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

Cautionary Statements Related to Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements concerning StrataGraft, including the regulatory review process, its potential impact on patients and anticipated benefits associated with its use, and future clinical trial plans. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; changes in laws and regulations; issues with product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; and other risks identified and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC, all of which are available on its website. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTACTS

For Trade Media Inquiries

Sheryl Seapy

W2O

213-262-9390

[email protected]

For Financial/Dailies Media Inquiries

Ron Bartlett

H+K Strategies

Senior Vice President

M: +1 813 545 2399

[email protected]

Investor Relations

Daniel J. Speciale

Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations Officer

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners.

2021 Mallinckrodt. US-2001742 02/21.

1 United States Government Accountability Office. National Preparedness: Countermeasures for Thermal Burns. https://www.gao.gov/assets/590/588738.pdf. Accessed February 4, 2021.

SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc

Related Links

http://www.mallinckrodt.com



The COVID-19 pandemic has commanded our time, attention and varying measures of sacrifice for nearly a year. Businesses have closed or scaled back. We have been unable to visit loved ones in nursing homes. Many churches still are not meeting in person. People have lost jobs. Since March, there have been more than 842,000 unemployment claims in South Carolina. Nearly 130,000 continue to receive benefits. And, most tragic of all, too many people have died.

In the midst of all of this, it is easy to overlook those who have suffered perhaps the biggest blow: our children.

Despite our teachers best efforts, the 2019-20 academic year effectively ended nine weeks early when schools closed in March. Students did not see a classroom for more than five months, and the consequences were dire. In that five-month absence, students fell behind by a full year in math and lost more than six months of literacy skills.

Teachers are working harder than ever to make up for lost instruction time. Those efforts have allowed many students to regain ground, but too many children have made little or no progress. And theres a clear reason for the difference between the children who are progressing and the ones who are not: in-person classroom time with their teachers.

There are tens of thousands of South Carolina children who have not been in a classroom in 11 months. Today, roughly half of our schools are fully remote or operate on a hybrid schedule.

That has to change. We have to get kids back in school, in front of their teachers, five days per week.

So why arent all schools open?

One reason is fear. Many school employees are concerned about catching or spreading the virus through daily interactions with hundreds of children and adults. That fear is especially prevalent in high-poverty areas where the virus has been more aggressive  and deadly  in its attack on our minority communities.

But the reality is that schools have proven to be remarkably safe. DHECs chief epidemiologist, Dr. Linda Bell, repeatedly has said there is little evidence of virus spread in our schools. Studies from MUSC and the CDC have confirmed those conclusions.

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

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Schools have proven to be safer than the community because they have received millions of dollars for daily cleaning and sanitizing. Schools have purchased plexiglass dividers to separate students, and they require students to distance more than normal. They also make students and teachers wear masks.

But theres another significant reason for school safety: quarantines. DHEC requires teachers and staff to quarantine after close contact with someone who has COVID. That aggressive quarantine process helps keep the virus out of schools, but it also keeps teachers out of classrooms for up to two weeks and makes it difficult to staff schools. Schools have little choice but to go remote or offer only hybrid instruction.

Too many students are on the verge of losing the school year. Those students are already behind. They were behind before COVID. Not being in the classroom five days per week has put them further behind. Historical evidence is clear that many students, especially those in elementary school, will not recover if they get too far behind in reading and math. We have to get them in the classroom as soon as possible. And the only realistic way to do that is to offer the vaccine to teachers now.

On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to speed up teacher vaccinations. It also requires every school to offer five-day, in-person instruction after spring break. That would put students in classrooms for at least six weeks and give teachers time to better prepare students for the next school year.

Gov. Henry McMaster claims the Senates action would jeopardize seniors. Thats a ridiculous scare tactic. In fact, 25 states and Washington have already begun vaccinating teachers. South Carolina should too.

We can protect seniors and vaccinate teachers. We can give our children a chance. But it requires leadership and a commitment to make government work for its citizens. The Senate stepped up. I hope the House of Representatives and the governor will step up as well.

Sen. Shane Massey, an Edgefield attorney, is the S.C. Senate Republican leader.

President Joe Biden will not immediately drop the tariffs on China that were applied by former president Donald Trump and has told Chinese President Xi Jinping that the US will seek to counter Chinese military expansionism and human rights abuses, White House officials said.

Mr Biden does not intend to maintain Trumps trade war with China indefinitely, but will hold the tariffs on several categories of Chinese goods as leverage while assembling a larger strategy.

A White House statement on Mr Bidens first conversation with Mr Xi since taking office said the president affirmed his priorities of protecting the American peoples security, prosperity, health, and way of life, and preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific, and did not mention tariffs or trade policy.

President Biden underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijings coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan, the White House statement said.

Mr Biden tweeted he had told Mr Xi the US would also work with China when doing so suits American interests.

Two White House officials had earlier provided a preview of the call and sketched a policy of confronting China over its polices at home and abroad.

We have maintained the tariffs that were laid down over the course of the past few years, not because we think that trade war was particularly successful, one official said.

Meanwhile, in Jerusalem Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been waiting for the traditional courtesy call from the Oval Office since Mr Biden took office.

After all, both Donald Trump and Barack Obama reached the prime minister within days of taking their oaths of office.

However, three weeks into his term, as Mr Biden has worked deep into his Rolodex of world leaders without ringing Mr Netanyahus Balfour Street office, much of Israels political class is ready to declare a full-blown diplomatic snub.

In Mr Bidens thundering silence, some see a long-feared frosty tumble from the warm embrace Mr Netanyahu enjoyed with Mr Trump.

Biden and his aides aim to tell Netanyahu, youre nothing special, security analyst Yossi Melman said. The personal connection and chemistry you had with Donald Trump not only fails to advance your standing in Washington, theyre an obstacle.

Officials in both capitals have dismissed the idea that Mr Bidens call log carries any coded rebuke of Israel or its head of state. The White House says Mr Biden is calling region by region and the Middle East is coming up.

Read More

 Washington Post
ROME, FEB 12 - Outgoing Premier Giuseppe Conte's cabinet is meeting on Friday to extend a ban on travel between Italy's regions as part of the measures to prevent COVID-19 contagion. The ban, which was set to expire on February 15, is expected to be extended until March 5. The governors of Italy's regions had called for the measure to be extended on Thursday. The ban does not apply to travel for work or health reasons or other situations of necessity. (ANSA).
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

The global Industrial Microwave Heating Equipment Market size is expected to reach USD 1.57 billion by 2027 according to a new study by Polaris Market Research The market is expected to grow at a substantial rate over the forecast period. Government regulations aimed at reducing energy usage, efforts taken by companies to achieve sustainable goals, coupled with rising industrialization across the globe especially in Asia Pacific region is expected to benefit the overall industry growth. Inherent advantages of industrial microwave heating systems such as low energy requirement, better control over the process and ability to offer customized services have resulted in wide applicability of these systems in a spectrum of end-use industries thus further driving the market growth.

The market is characterized by frequent mergers, acquisition, as well as other strategic initiatives by leading market participants. In August 2020, Meyer Burger Technology, a Swiss based conglomerate sold its subsidiary business Muegge, to Germany based equity firm HQ Equita. Muegge is involved in providing industrial microwave heating systems in addition to plasma equipment to a host of application industries.

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Industrial Microwave Heating Equipment is finding widespread applications in food & beverage industry and is used for microwave food drying, pasteurization, sterilization, tempering, heating, among others. The usage of microwave equipment ensure that all these processes are ensured with high efficiency, retention of original nutritional content, and in less cost. This scenario is further driving the penetration of these equipment in the food & beverage industry. This trend has resulted in a rise in demand for industrial microwave heating equipment for applications in food & beverage industries thus resulting in overall market growth.

China occupies a majority of market share in the Asia Pacific region. The country is highly industrialized and has emerged as a major manufacturing hub in the world. These trends have benefitted the overall market growth. The country effectively curbed the coronavirus outbreak and hence, did not suffer as much as other European countries. This ensured that the manufacturing in the country to be operational, thus benefitting the overall market growth.

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Industries, in the recent past paid special attention to development and modification of Industrial Microwave Heating Equipment technology to exactly match the process needs of their clients. Different application needs have different process requirements and it is imperative that these heating systems have the ability to modify parameters such as Working Frequency, Working Temperature, Working Temperature, Control Method, Conveyor Speed, Drying Temperature, among others. Continuous R&D has enabled participants to achieve the same and this trend is a major contributor to the generalization of Industrial Microwave Heating Equipment in various application industries.

Some of the key market participants that operate in the industry include Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd., Muegge GmbH, Teledyne e2v Limited, Industrial Microwave Systems Ltd., CoberMuegge LLC, Communications & Power Industries LLC (CPI), L3 Technologies, Inc., Richardson Electronics, Ltd., MDP Components, STT International Limited, Panasonic Corporation, and Toshiba International Corporation among others

Read More : https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industrial-microwave-heating-equipment-market-size-worth-1-57-billion-by-2027--cagr-4-3-polaris-market-research-301179670.html
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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has asked the European Union and member states to adopt urgent measures to end violence on migrants and refugees, including minors, at the external borders of the EU.



"The excessive use of force and violence on civilians are unjustified", said Eugenio Ambrosi, the director general of IOM, as reported by Serbian media. The fundamental freedoms and rights of all people must be respected at all time, he added. In a statement, the organization said it receives regular reports and witness accounts on the violation of human rights and international conventions, including the European convention on human rights.


Manitoba lovebirds might get lucky with loosened restrictions this weekend, but good luck snagging any last-minute roses before Valentines Day.

Manitoba lovebirds might get lucky with loosened restrictions this weekend, but good luck snagging any last-minute roses before Valentines Day.

A mix of pandemic-fuelled supply chain issues and a significant rise in demand for flowers means a bouquet of red roses is probably out of the question, especially for those hoping to purchase the classic gift at the 11th hour.

Forget the red  several Winnipeg florists told the Free Press even pink, yellow, white and orange roses are out of stock, days earlier than ever before.

But exactly why this shortage has occurred is open to speculation.

Given that Canadas roses are mostly imported from South-American countries, the temporary or permanent closures of many local and international farms amid COVID-19 has been cited as one reason for the lagging supply by industry insiders. Other factors like transportation could also be contributing to the shortage, with a drop in commercial flights and truck shipments that are typically used to haul flowers.

"The pandemic can be blamed for a lot of these things," said leading supply chain expert Sylvain Charlebois in an interview.

"At the same time though," he said Thursday, "its quite the human-induced problem as well  certainly wouldnt be happening if people werent going unexpectedly crazy for roses, causing orders to be backlogged."

Charlebois said theres been a "considerably consistent disconnect throughout COVID-19" between storefronts and customers, particularly when it comes to planning for demand.

"This is exactly what happened with Christmas trees," he said. "The industry thought people werent ready, so they planned for less. And when the actual demand came around, it was mostly the opposite  people started buying things weeks in advance."

At Floral Fixx in Winnipeg, owner Julie Myers said she ordered the same number of flowers this year as she usually would. "I didnt expect the shop would be open in time, so I wasnt planning for anything bigger than normal," she said.

"Definitely not the demand like this."

Deb Woloshyn and Gloria Sawatzky, who co-own Beyond Flowers on Corydon Avenue, said thats something their stores been experiencing as well. The two ordered their roses in November, but ran out of them almost a week before Feb. 14.

"That rarely  if ever  happens at all," said Woloshyn. "Its why were telling everyone to wait it out or recommending other beautiful selections that might fit the bill for their Valentines purchase."

Woloshyn said theyve been avoiding international sourcing as much as possible. "Were trying to get things locally and even there, you have limited supplies and costs shooting through the roof," she said.

Irene Seaman, whos owned Academy Florist in Winnipeg since 1980, said shes never seen availability problems like this before. Its also been harder to manage because of fewer staff and a crunch on resources, she added.

"Demand aside, were all working with less  from florists, farmers to everyone," she said. "At my store, weve had to let people go because of the pandemic. And while weve hired some of them back, its pretty hard hiring someone and telling them its just for a week and we wont be needing you after that."

Woloshyn said, while these are difficult problems to manage during an already uncertain time, theyre good problems to have.

"For better or for worse, but mostly just better, flower sales havent stopped," she said. "Our customers have shown up to support us and were so glad they have."

Twitter: @temurdur

Temur.Durrani@freepress.mb.ca
Promoting strength, will of nation: Top leader says in interview to VNA

VNA/VNP

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong has granted an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the Lunar New Year  2021.The top leader expressed his joy at the success of the 13th National Party Congress, which has defined the orientation and tasks for national development in the next five years, goals to 2030 (when the Party marks its centenary anniversary) and a vision to 2045 (when the country celebrates its 100th founding anniversary.The congress also elected a new Party Central Committee with members representing the entire Party in qualification, capacity, prestige and the will to take the country into a new phase of development, he said.The Party leader stressed that the result of the congress reflects a high consensus and the crystalisation of the wisdom, dedication, responsibility and will of the entire Party, people and armed forces with a resolve to achieve stronger development in the next period.According to him, the atmosphere at the congress demonstrated the spirit of democracy, discipline, solidarity and renewal.Trong said the congresss success is firstly attributable to a meticulous preparation process and detailed plans that combined skillfully theory and reality, firmness and renewal, inheritance and development on the basis of widespread democracy.The success also inherits the outcomes of previous tenures on the firm foundation of the outstanding achievements of the 12th tenure and historical accomplishments of the 35-year Doi Moi (renewal) cause, the Party and State leader said, emphasizing that Vietnam has never had such a great fortune, potential, and international stature and prestige like it has at present.Policies and decisions made at the 13th Congress inherit and develop the sound guidelines of leadership of the Party through tenures, which suit the specific situation in Vietnam in the new period, create a firm foundation for the country to develop faster and more sustainable towards the goal of becoming a developed country with modern industry by the 100th anniversary of the Party (2030) and a high-income developed country by the 100th anniversary of the country (2045), he said.The Party General Secretary stated that in its history of more than 90 years, the Party has always paid attention to Party building and rectification work, considering this the key task and the decisive factor for every success of the cause of national construction and defence.He noted that personnel work is the key of the key, saying that we must focus on building a contingent of cadres, especially those at strategic level, who have sufficient qualification, capability, prestige on a par with their mission, and uphold the responsibility of setting example of cadres and Party members.In the new period of the revolution, the situation is increasingly complicated and the tasks become heavier, it is a must to build a contingent of cadres who have both virtue and talent, with virtue being the basis, Trong said.He went on to say that corruption prevention and control is one of the extremely important tasks in Party building and rectification work, adding that during the past term, the anti-corruption work has made strong progress, earning approval and appreciation of officials, Party members and people.However, this is a fierce and complex fight which does not allow subjectivity, complacency and hesitation, he said, stressing the need to continue to press ahead with the work in a synchronous, drastic, regular and continuous manner with higher resolve and better efficiency.With a high political determination, and the active and synchronous engagement of the whole political system and society, the anti-corruption work in the new term is sure to make stronger, more drastic and more efficient progress, the leader said.He affirmed that corruption will surely be stopped and driven back, contributing to building a more transparent and stronger Party and State which meet the requirements of the revolutionary cause and peoples trust.The Party leader made clear that the cornerstone guiding ideology for the entire Party, people and army is to stay steadfast with and apply and develop Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thoughts; remain steadfast with the goal of national independence and socialism, and in Party building principles; and ensure the highest national interests on the basis of basic principles of international law, equality and win-win cooperation in order to build and firmly safeguard the country.This is a matter of principle which is of vital significance to the countrys regime and is the firm foundation of the Party that no one is allowed to sway from, he said.The Party and State leader went on to say that in the countrys development strategy, the Party has defined the task of continuing to step up the renewal cause in a comprehensive and synchronous manner.Every policy must really base on the wish, legitimate rights and interests of the people, take the peoples happiness and sufficiency as the goal, rely on the people to build the Party, tighten the close bonds between the Party and people, strengthen and enhance peoples trust in the Party, State and the socialist regime, he said.The Party General Secretary described the 13th tenure as an important milestone and turning point which serves as a prerequisite for the next terms to successfully realize the countrys strategic development goals to 2030, with a vision to 2045.To that end, the 13th National Party Congress put forth 12 strategic orientations for national development, with the new highlights including developing human comprehensively, building an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity; creating a breakthrough in fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training, developing high-quality human resources, and attracting and well using talents.The Congress defined that the important driving force and resources of national development are to strongly inspire patriotism, the will of national self-reliance, the strength of great national solidarity and the will and determination to build a prosperous and happy country, Trong said.He noted the need to utilize the combined strength of the entire political system and the Vietnamese culture and people, make the best use of internal resources and mobilise external resources, of which internal resources, particularly human resources, are the most important.On the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, the top leader extended wishes of good health and happiness to all people and soldiers nationwide.He expressed a belief that with correct orientations, the strength of the national unity bloc, the strong will to rise and high political resolve, the entire Party, people and army of Vietnam will create new development miracles towards the goal of rich people, a strong country and a democratic, equitable and civilized society, firmly advancing to socialism and successfully realizing the wish of the great President Ho Chi Minh and the aspiration of the entire nation./
Ashley Judd is currently recovering in the ICU at a South African hospital after suffering a shattered leg.

The actress, 52, revealed the news during an Instagram Live with Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, via People.

Ashley said the accident occurred after a faulty head lamp made it hard for her to see during an excursion in the Congo.

She said she then tripped over a tree that fell, causing her to break her leg.

Ashley Judd is currently recovering in the ICU at a South African hospital after suffering a shattered leg in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nicholas Kristof, of The New York Times, via People, shared a picture of Ashley on a stretcher

Ashley said that she was 'in an ICU trauma unit in beautiful South Africa, which has taken me in from the Congo: a country I deeply love which is not, unfortunately, equipped to deal with massive catastrophic injuries like I had.'

Adding: 'And the difference between a Congolese person and me is disaster insurance that allowed me 55 hours after my accident to get to an operating table in South Africa.'

The actress said many people from the Congo don't have access to even something as simple as a pain killer let alone if they shattered their leg in four places and have nerve damage, stressing her privilege.

Ashley also shared a picture of a Bonobo on Instagram and described how the chimpanzees are 'endangered' with her and a team having a small research camp in the Congo.

The actress described how she 'nearly lost her leg' during the excursion, adding: 'I am accustomed to being there. I am a woman of the wilderness, as you know.

'Accidents do happen. I struck something in the dark and fell.'

Ashley also shared a picture of a Bonobo on Instagram and described how the chimpanzees are 'endangered' with her and a team having a small research camp in the Congo

Traumatizing: Ashley said the accident occurred after a faulty head lamp made it hard for her to see during an excursion in the Congo; pictured March 4, 2018 at the 90th Academy Awards

The latest: The actress, 52, revealed the news during an Instagram Live with Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, via People

Ashley said after the accident, the next 55 hours were 'harrowing' as she 'started with five hours of lying on the forest floor.'

She was with a colleague like that until she was able to be evacuated, the star explained.

'With his leg under my badly misshapen leg, biting my stick. Howling like a wild animal,' as she held up the stick on the Live, per the outlet.

At the end of the fifth hour, someone came to reset her bones while she was 'going into shock' and 'passing out' because of the pain, according to People.

Afterwards, she spent 'an hour and a half in hammock, being carried out of the rainforest by my Congolese brothers, who were doing it barefoot, up and over hills, through the river' in order to return to the camp.

The next step in the journey had Ashley on a motorcycle for six hours with someone holding her leg up and someone driving.

The actress (pictured in 2014) said many people from the Congo don't have access to even something as simple as a pain killer let alone if they shattered their leg in four places

Speaking out: She said she then tripped over a tree that fell, causing her to break her leg

Ashley also said she recognized her 'privilege' in being able to pay someone to take her.

Then, she spent the night in a hut in Jolu and then being flown into the capital of Kinshasa for a day before getting to South Africa to the ICU, per People.

Of her whole ordeal, she said: 'I'm in a lot of love. I'm in a lot of compassion and I'm in a lot of gratitude. I thank everyone for their thoughts and their prayers and their support,' according to People.

Harrowing tale: Ashley said that she was 'in an ICU trauma unit in beautiful South Africa, which has taken me in from the Congo: a country I deeply love which is not, unfortunately, equipped to deal with massive catastrophic injuries like I had'

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  The country's COVID-19 task force has relaxed restrictions in places of worship in areas under general community quarantine, allowing them to fill up churches from 30% to 50% of their capacity.

Inter-Agency Task Force spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday said churches can accept more faithfuls starting Feb. 15.

Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo is one of those who requested for an expanded church capacity. He noted that church services are needed today because it can help people cope with the pandemic.

In an interview with CNN Philippines' News Night, Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said they welcome the IATF's decision, while also emphasizing the importance of church services to the people especially during this time of the pandemic.

He added that adjustments may now be made in church activities, like weddings and baptisms, while still making sure that health protocols are still being followed.

As for the upcoming Ash Wednesday on Feb. 17, Pantin said dry ash will still be sprinkled on top of the faithfuls head to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus. For those who would want to have this on their forehead, it is suggested that ministers use cotton for each individual, while sachets of ashes may also be distributed to those who cannot physically attend masses, he noted.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Gene Solante said he supports the increase in allowed capacity for churches in GCQ areas, as long as health protocols are observed.

"Most of our churches have high ceiling and usually have big doors and windows. What is crucial here is the number of people that will be inside at that point of time and as long as they're implementing strictly physical distancing and wearing of face masks and face shields," Solante told CNN Philippines' The Final Word on Friday.

The IATF also allowed the operation of driving schools, cinemas, video arcades, museums, and the like in areas under GCQ.

Meanwhile, Pantin said church buildings can be used as additional vaccination sites, but this will still depend on the request of local government units.
The Centre is looking to start regulating social media and OTT streaming services after it prepared draft rules for platforms including news-related sites. The list includes major OTT services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and others. The new move comes after the government asked social media website Twitter to ban and remove some accounts that were tweeting with dissent against the Centre and in support of the farmers protest.

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According to a report by NDTV , the new rules will include a code of ethics and need for a chief compliance officer who will respond on a 24X7 basis to any complaints from law enforcement agencies. The officer will also be required to submit regular reports on compliance and there will also be a grievance redressal mechanism portal and an oversight mechanism to coordinate adherence to Code of Ethics by publishers and self-regulating bodies.



In case of emergencies, a Secretary-rank officer will be able to take action and will also need to place it before a committee within 48 hours. Websites, OTT services and social media platforms will also be required to remove flagged content within 36 hours.

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Twitter was recently under fire by the Indian Government after the Centre asked for the removal of accounts and content in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India. Twitter did initially deactivate accounts but overturned its decision and restored the accounts after the social media giant was met with uproar from free speech advocates. Twitter finally blocked some 700 accounts in India but did not act on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians.



Yesterday, the Central Government warned Twitter of severe consequences for failure to crack down on flagged and inflammatory content.

 Reuters

Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad replied to a question regarding the matter in Rajya Sabha that social media companies cannot give differential treatment while handling problems on Capitol Hill and the Red Fort. Please dont spread enmity, violence and misinformation. Please follow the Constitution of India and the law of the land (otherwise we will be very strict), he added.



What do you think about the Centre regulating social media, OTT platforms and other websites? Do you think this move is required or does it hurt free speech in the country? Let us know in the comments what you think.

Source: NDTV

AKRON, Ohio  A longtime Akron police officer died Friday morning after a prolonged battle with coronavirus-related complications, the department announced.

Edward Stew Stewart, 60, left an indelible mark on the department and community throughout his 27-year career, Acting Chief of Police Mike Caprez said in a news release.

Stew was known to many for his unique thirst for knowledge, and an equal desire to share that with everyone throughout the department, regardless of rank, Caprez said. Stew was equally known as a humble, community oriented, public servant, who was always genuinely kind to everyone he met. One of Stews many gifts was his photographic memory, one he would routinely utilize to help enhance public safety.

Stewart began his career as a civilian employee of the police department in 1993 and enrolled in the police academy in December 1994, the release states.

After graduating from the academy, Stewart was assigned to Platoon 3  a shift from about 2:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.  and worked as a transport wagon officer, where he remained, by choice, for his entire career, Caprez said.

When needed, Stew was always one of the first to respond to assist his fellow officers, even in the most critical moments, Caprez said.
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Male, Feb 12 : The Maldivian government has revised tourism arrival projections from 1 million to 1.5 million in 2021 due to the island nation's early Covid-19 vaccination programme, a Minister said.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Minister of Tourism Abdulla Mausoom said the inoculation program could help boost the tourism sector, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mausoom said that efforts were made to develop tourist facilities in the north and south of the country, including two new resorts in the island of Addu and the beginning of chartered flights to the Gan International Airport.

The Maldives has allowed 614 tourist facilities to resume operations under health protocols, representing a total bed capacity of over 43,000.

The tourism sector is one of the island nation's main source of income It is also the country's biggest foreign currency earner and the single largest contributor to the GDP.

Maldives reopened its borders to foreign tourists on July 15, 2020, after it remained suspended for a few months in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Currently all arrivals other than Maldivian citizens are required to present proof of a negative Covid-19 test carried out within the 96 hours prior to departure.

Since the discovery of a new coronavirus variant in Britain late last year, all travellers arriving from the UK, including transiting ones, must undergo a 10-day quarantine.

However, this does not apply to other tourists.

The Maldives has so far reported a total of 17,201 coronavirus cases and 56 deaths.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Critical step at beginning of long road in Libya

Much attention this week has been focused on the Biden administrations jump-start to diplomacy to end the war in Yemen, which the UN has tagged the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, as we report here.

But there is perhaps even better news in the regions other major conflict zone, Libya.

Having been ripped apart by civil war for nearly 10 years since a NATO-backed uprising overthrew former dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, the country seemed fated to be a perpetual failed state.

Now, thanks to UN-mediated diplomacy, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, with 75 representatives from the countrys warring political factions, agreed last week on a "unified executive authority" and new interim president and prime minister.

The main protagonists in the conflict are the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), based in the capital, Tripoli, and the Libyan National Army (LNA), based in the countrys west and led by retired Libyan Gen. Khalifa Hifter  and both sides are on board with the agreement.

A joint statement by France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States praised the agreement as a "critical step," while noting a "long road ahead." The unified executive authority will now have to "implement the cease-fire agreement, provide essential public services to the Libyan people, initiate a program for meaningful reconciliation, address critical national budget needs and organize national elections" scheduled for December.

That to-do list for interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah would be daunting for the most stable of governments, let alone one that is just coming together following a decadelong conflict.

Libyas success will depend on the buy-in of those outside powers who have backed one side or the other for the UN-brokered process, including Turkey and Russia (see below). Otherwise, Libya doesnt stand a chance.

Egypt, GCC agreement should help Libya

The change for Libya began in October 2020 when Stephanie Williams, Acting UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), an American, brokered a cease-fire that eluded her predecessors (Jan Kubis replaced Williams as UNSMIL head on Feb. 5).

The cease-fire depended then, as now, on the buy-in of outside powers who have taken sides in the conflict  including and especially Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Russia.

The GNA, which has a Muslim Brotherhood-friendly bent, has been backed by Turkey and Qatar; Hifter had the support of Egypt, France, the United Arab Emirates and Russia. The United States has not really taken sides and has instead been a champion of Williams diplomacy.

The key outside powers, although surprised by the names on the winning slate, have been encouraging. The roster for the interim government had something for all parties.

Egypt has been a strong proponent of the UN cease-fire and negotiations, as Motaz Zahran, Egypts ambassador to the US, told Al-Monitor this month. The GCC summit in January, which began the process of reconciliation with Qatar, will likely have a positive spillover effect on Libya as it edges the GCC toward coordination rather than conflict in regional affairs.

US, Russia, and Turkey: shifting fault lines

Russia and Turkey supported opposite sides in the war and want to retain influence not only during the interim process but in the government that is formed after elections in December. And both want permanent bases in Libya.

The signs are promising so far, but an early test will be whether Turkey and Russia will draw down their proxy forces, including veteran jihadists from the Syria war (flown in by Turkey in support of the GNA) and Russian Wagner Group paramilitary forces (backing the LNA).

On Jan. 28, Richard Mills, acting permanent representative of the United States to the UN, called on "Russia, Turkey and the UAE to respect Libyan sovereignty and immediately cease all military intervention in Libya," and then he singled out "Turkey and Russia to immediately initiate the withdrawal of their forces from the country and the removal of the foreign mercenaries and military proxies."

Turkey, like Russia, is so far content with the unified executive authority. Dbeibah is "an entrepreneur with business ties in Turkey dating back to the Gadhafi era," writes Fehim Tastekin. In his first statement to Turkeys Anatolia news agency, he pledged "great solidarity with the Turkish people and state" and described Turkey as "our real partner."

Mustafa Fetouri also recalls that the GNAs decision in 2019 to recognize Turkeys claims in a boundary demarcation dispute with Egypt, France and the European Union is "vital for Turkeys strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean," adding that "Ankara would reject any new executive authority in Libya if it sensed that such a new government might annul its security memorandum and maritime deals that were previously signed with the GNA."

But there are also reasons for Ankara to hedge. Dbeibah and those in the interim authority are in the end only placeholders. "In other words," explains Tastekin, "Turkeys rivals in Libya are gradually repositioning themselves in a bid to gain influence over Tripoli. The cease-fire line may be drawn at Sirte and al-Jufra, but the political front lines are now moving to Tripoli, meaning that Turkeys coordination of its already sparring partners there will become even more difficult. Meanwhile, neither Turkeys allies nor their eastern opponents appear ready to forfeit their foreign backers. Eventually, both sides might refrain from pushing for the withdrawal of foreign forces as the Oct. 23 cease-fire deal requires."

Similarly, "It cannot be ruled out that Russia would like to create its own permanent military bases in Libya, primarily where Russian mercenaries are already present," writes Kirill Semenov. "A naval base could be created in Sirte, or an air force installation in Jufra. The problem is that Sirte is named as the city planned to house the new authorities  the GNA and the Presidential Council  and the city itself should be demilitarized. The withdrawal of mercenaries is the first stage of this process. "

"A possible option  could be the deployment of an official Russian mission of the Ministry of Defense at these bases, which could assist the new Libyan authorities in creating a unified armed force, and Russian mercenaries could be withdrawn from the country," adds Semenov.

Despite their differences, "Russia and Turkey could probably reach a mutual understanding," Semenov concludes, in opposition to US interests to keep foreign forces out of Libya.

Picking up the pieces of a broken state

As many as 43,000 have been killed since the start of the civil war, but thats just the start of the damage to Libya over the past decade. In the World Bank classification of states in fragile and conflict-affected situations, Libya falls into the top, high "intensity" conflict category, meaning those with the greatest likelihood to experience chronic poverty (the other states in this group include Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen).

Of Libyas 7 million people, 392,000 are displaced and 1 million are in need of assistance. Over 2,100 have so far died from COVID-19 in a country whose health system is in disrepair and where water and electricity are sometimes unavailable for up to 18 hours a day, according to the UN.

The uptick in the war in 2019 slowed and reversed the prospects for economic growth, a crisis compounded by COVID-19 and low oil prices. The gross domestic product fell by 66.7% in 2020, according to the International Monetary Fund. The good news is that Libya has the most oil reserves in Africa. And since the cease-fire in October, production has been inching back up to about 1.2 million bpd (substantially higher than last year, but below the pre-2011 production of 1.5-1.6 million bpd).

The crucial point today, however, is that Libya stands a chance. The interim Libyan authorities have their hands full, but there is a process, a new start and some real hope for the beginning of the long road to ending a war.
Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae has set up a new company to control his property portfolio.

MI Healy Rae Properties Limited was registered as a new firm with the Company Registration Office before Christmas for the management of real estate on a fee or contract basis.

Last year it emerged Mr Healy-Raes portfolio now extends to 21 different properties, including houses, farmland, a service station, a former pub, and student accommodation.

In the Dails Register of Members Interests, the Kerry TD states that 12 of these properties are rented.

Mr Healy-Rae is the biggest landlord in the Dail with more rental properties than any other TD.

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His rental properties are in his home town Kilgarvan, Killarney, Tralee and Kenmare and he also owns 100 acres of farmland and forestry.

Mr Healy-Raes son Kevin is also listed as a director of the new property company.

Yesterday Mr Healy-Rae refused to discuss the new company he established, saying not in a million years would he talk about his private business interests.

Theres politics and theres work and thats work, but Im happy to talk about politics, he said.

Along with his rental properties, Mr Healy-Rae owns a plant-hire business and a petrol station with a Mace shop on the premise.

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His company, Plant Hire Limited, recorded profits of 174,657 in 2019, while his petrol station and shop recorded an 81,000 profit for the same year.

In 2018, the Sunday Independent Political Rich List estimated his assets, including his Dail pension, to be worth more than 6m, while his brother Danny was estimated to be worth 1.5m.

Danny also owns a successful plant hire business and has had contracts with Kerry County Council and Irish Water worth millions of euro.

It was previously reported he had earned around 8m from State contracts between 1999 and 2017.

The two politicians clashed this week with Labour Party TD Duncan Smith, who accused them of pretending to be working class.

The Healy-Rae brothers accused the Labour Party of letting down working people.
An IQM Quantum Computers led consortium awarded  12.4 Million by the German Ministry of Education and Research to commercialize application-specific quantum processors.

ESPOO, Finland, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A project consortium which includes startups, industry, research centers, supercomputing centers and academia has come together to accelerate Europe's Quantum leadership efforts. IQM Quantum Computers will bring the members of this project consortium together and lead this project as a system integrator.

Europe has always been excellent in academic research, but over the past few decades commercializing research projects has been slow compared to international competition. This is starting to change with quantum technologies. As one of the largest efforts in Europe and worldwide, Germany announced  2 Billion funding into quantum programs in June 2020, from which 120 Million are invested in this current round of research grants.

Today, IQM announced a Quantum project consortium that includes Europe's leading startups (ParityQC, IQM), industry leaders (Infineon Technologies), research centers (Forschungszentrum Julich), supercomputing centers (Leibniz Supercomputing Centre), and academia (Freie Universitat Berlin) has been awarded  12.4 Million from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (Announcement in German).

The scope of the project is to accelerate commercialization through an innovative co-design concept. This project focuses on application-specific quantum processors, which have the potential to create a fastlane to quantum advantage. The digital-analog concept used to operate the processors will further lay the foundation for commercially viable quantum computers. This project will run for four years and aims to develop a 54-qubit quantum processor.

The project is intended to support the European FET Flagship project EU OpenSuperQ, announced in 2018 which is aimed at designing, building, and operating a quantum information processing system of up to 100 qubits. Deploying digital-analog quantum computing, this consortium adds a new angle to the OpenSuperQ project and widens its scope. With efforts from Munich, Berlin and Julich, as well as Parity QC from Austria, the project builds bridges and seamlessly integrates into the European quantum landscape.

"The grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany is a huge recognition of our unique co-design approach for quantum computers. Last year when we established our office in Munich, this was one of our key objectives. The concept allows us to become a system integrator for full-stack quantum computers by bringing together all the relevant players. As Europe's leading startup in quantum technologies, this gives us confidence to further invest in Germany and other European countries" said Dr. Jan Goetz, CEO of IQM Quantum Computers.

As European technology leader, Germany is taking several steps to lead the quantum technology race. An important role of such leadership is to bring together the European startups, industry, research and academic partners. This project will give the quantum landscape in Germany an accelerated push and will create a vibrant quantum ecosystem in the region for the future.

Additional Quotes:

"DAQC is an important project for Germany and Europe. It enables us to take a leading role in the area of quantum technologies. It also allows us to bring quantum computing into one of the prime academic supercomputing centres to more effectively work on the important integration of high-performance computing and quantum computing. We are looking forward to a successful collaboration," said Prof. Dr Martin Schulz, Member of the Board of Directors, Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ).

"The path towards scalable and fully programmable quantum computing will be the parallelizability of gates and building with reduced complexity in order to ensure manageable qubit control. Our ParityQC architecture is the blueprint for a fully parallelizable quantum computer, which comes with the associated ParityOS operating system. With the team of extraordinary members of the DAQC consortium this will allow us to tackle the most pressing and complex industry-relevant optimization problems." said Magdalena Hauser & Wolfgang Lechner, CEOs & Co-founder ParityQC

"We are looking forward to exploring and realizing a tight connection between hardware and applications, and having DAQC quantum computers as a compatible alternative within the OpenSuperQ laboratory. Collaborations like this across different states, and including both public and private partners, have the right momentum to move quantum computing in Germany forward." said Prof. Frank Wilhelm-Mauch, Director, Institute for Quantum Computing Analytics, Forschungszentrum Julich

"At Infineon, we are looking forward to collaborating with top-class scientists and leading start-ups in the field of quantum computing in Europe. We must act now if we in Germany and Europe do not want to become solely dependent on American or Asian know-how in this future technology area. We are very glad to be part of this highly innovative project and happy to contribute with our expertise in scaling and manufacturing processes." said Dr. Sebastian Luber, Senior Director Technology & Innovation, Infineon Technologies AG

"This is a hugely exciting project. It is a chance of Europe and Germany to catch up in the development of superconducting quantum computers. I am looking forward to adventures on understanding how such machines can be certified in their precise functioning." said Prof. Jens Eisert, Professor of Quantum Physics, Freie Universitat Berlin

About IQM Quantum Computers:

IQM is the European leader in superconducting quantum computers, headquartered in Espoo, Finland. Since its inception in 2018, IQM has grown to 80+ employees and has also established a subsidiary in Munich, Germany, to lead the co-design approach. IQM delivers on-premises quantum computers for research laboratories and supercomputing centers and provides complete access to its hardware. For industrial customers, IQM delivers quantum advantage through a unique application-specific co-design approach. IQM has raised  71 Million from VCs firms and also public grants and is also building Finland's first quantum computer.

For more information, visit www.meetiqm.com.

Registered offices:

IQM Finland Oy

Keilaranta 19

02150 Espoo

FINLAND

www.meetiqm.com IQM GERMANY GmbH

Nymphenburgerstr. 86

80636 Munchen

Germany

IQM: Facts and Figures

IQM offices: Espoo, Finland , and Munich, Germany .

, and . Number of employees currently ( February 2021 ): 80+ employees

): 80+ employees Funding: Over  71 Million from private investors and public grants.

Founding Year: 2018

Founders:

Dr. Jan Goetz , CEO, Co-founder of IQM

, CEO, Co-founder of IQM Dr. Kuan Yen Tan , CTO, Co-founder of IQM

, CTO, Co-founder of IQM Prof. Mikko Mottonen, Chief scientist, Co-founder of IQM

Dr. Juha Vartiainen , COO, Co-founder of IQM

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1437806/IQM_Quantum_Computers_Founders.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1437807/IQM_Quantum_computer_design.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1121497/IQM_Logo.jpg

Media Contact: Raghunath Koduvayur, Head of Marketing and Communications, Raghunath@meetiqm.com, +358504876509
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Thirteen Massachusetts lawmakers are calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to end the exemption for self-described companions to get a COVID-19 vaccine when they drive a person age 75 or older to the vaccine appointment.

The loose definition of a companion or caregiver that would be eligible for a shot, even if below the age of 75, could have unintended consequences, the lawmakers wrote in a letter dated Thursday.

While we recognize that mass vaccination sites will play a role in addressing the vaccination needs of the general public, yesterdays announcement of the companion system fails to fully address the persistent barriers that current eligible residents are facing in accessing the larger vaccination sites, the letter states.

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A dozen of my colleagues and I urge @MassGovernor to halt his companion system for vaccinations in MA. The strategy allows healthy, younger residents to get vaccinated ahead of seniors, essential workers, and others most at-risk of death/illness. #MApoli #healthcare pic.twitter.com/P40TRiQ9CJ  Dr. Tami Gouveia (@TamiGouveiaMA) February 11, 2021

Rep. Tami L. Gouveia, an Acton Democrat, signed the letter with a dozen others, including Rep. Mike Connolly, a Cambridge Democrat, and Rep. Steve Owens, a Watertown Democrat.

The state legislators also raised concerns about the lack of options for the COVID-19 vaccine beyond a handful of super vaccination sites that typically require a car to reach.

The states over-reliance on private, for-profit entities to manage mass vaccination sites is hurting our ability to vaccinate and protect our seniors throughout the commonwealth, the letter states. Your administration has chosen to stand up six mass vaccination sites that are managed by private laboratory science corporations and other organizations.

State officials announced on Wednesday that caregivers or other trusted companions of residents ages 75 and up could get a vaccine. The state made the exception for one caregiver or companion for each resident who is at least 75 years old. People in that age group are the only ones in Phase 2 cleared to get the COVID-19 vaccine, except for essential workers and others who were prioritized in Phase 1.

The announcement led to a flood of online posts advertising rides or money for people ages 75 and up in exchange for a vaccine as a companion. The buddy system gained criticism from Connolly, Owens and Baker.

If youre contacted by somebody soliciting to take you to a site, please report it to the authorities, the Republican governor said.

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Ahmednagar : , Feb 12 (IANS) At a time when Maharashtra witnessed a fracas between the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and the Raj Bhavan over the use of a state government aircraft for the Governor, a small village sarpanch on Friday shot to attention for different reasons.

The newly-elected Sarpanch of the Ambi-Dumala village in Ahmednagar district hired a helicopter to fly down to take charge of his new post.

Jalinder Gagare, 50, a homegrown entrepreneur having a major factory in Pune and a BJP sympathiser, was elected to the top village post in the elections held last month.

Along with him, his entire 9-member panel - which made a clean sweep in the polls - also arrived this afternoon with flair to assume office.

From his Pune home, Gagare flew down in a chopper and landed in a village square where hundreds of frenzied villagers greeted him with garlands, showered him with flowers, danced, sang and shouted slogans in his favour.

Even the elaborate take-over ceremony rivaled that of a Chief Minister, as after he landed, he was greeted with a victory 'tilak' and taken in a procession of 12 bullock carts from the helipad to the village panchayat office.

Gagare, who hails from the village but lives in Pune, has not severed links with his native village and keeps a close connect with its residents.

Last month, he contested the Gram Panchayat elections for the first time on the promise of "overall development of the village", modernisation, better infrastructure and other local issues.

It seemed to have struck a chord with the electorate and the villagers elected Gagare and his entire 9-strong panel to head and direct the village development with full vigour.

Besides the Sarpanch, the Deputy Sarpanch and the members took the solemn oath before the villagers and resolved to work for the progress of the small village.

"Mahatma Gandhi had said - 'Go to the villages'.... I have followed his ideals and I have come back to my village... I wanted to make this a memorable event in the village's history," Gagare said.

He reiterated his election promise and vowed to work for the all-round development and progress of his community, help transform the village with government assistance and even his own contributions if required.

New Gram Panchayat member Rohini Narwade gushed over the celebratory mood in the village, terming it as "an advance Diwali" with Gagare proving to be a savior for the villagers.

"We are happy to have a young, dynamic and committed Sarpanch who is so concerned about our progress and well-being... If all educated entrepreneurs from all villages in the state adhere to Gagare's ideals, each village can prosper and step forward," she said.

Lauding Gagare, she said that he has truly set an example for the youth of the state and will inspire all youngsters to educate themselves, work for their own well-being and contribute to their villages.

On his part, Gagare has given employment to scores of youth from Ambi-Dumala and surroundings in his factory manufacturing automobile spare parts in Pune.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
COLUMBIA  South Carolina still has no official plan for distributing limited COVID-19 vaccines statewide after the public health agency's governing board punted making a decision on Feb. 11.

It may be next month before the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control board acts. But by then the Legislature will mandate its own method.

Meanwhile, shipping delays caused by wintry weather in parts of the South and Midwest are temporarily exacerbating the state's vaccine supply shortage. More people are being booted from their appointments to get shots and providers are having trouble scheduling future ones, not knowing when shipments will arrive.

Hundreds of hospitals, pharmacies, doctors' offices and other providers across South Carolina are setting appointments based on assumptions of how many doses they'll receive in future shipments and what days they'll show up. And while they are getting their full allotment this week, according to DHEC, even a day or two's difference in when they arrive can require rescheduling.

Prisma Health, for example, is expecting 37,500 total doses this week but less than half of that had arrived by Feb. 10, sending the state's largest hospital system scrambling to adjust reservations as demand surged in the first week 65- to 69-year-olds could get a shot.

"This pandemic has challenged everyone to be ready to adjust to a changing environment almost every moment, hour and day," said Dr. Saria Saccocio, co-chair of the Prisma Health Vaccine Task Force.

The delays prompted the Medical University of South Carolina to postpone a clinic set for Feb. 12 at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant.

It will take eight more weeks before all eligible South Carolinians who want a shot, including those 65 and older, can get one, said Nick Davidson, DHEC's deputy director for public health.

"There's still incredible demand in the current phase. People are really looking hard to get it," he said, noting people are traveling to wherever they can get an appointment.

This week's back-to-back shipping issues  amid severe weather near Pfizer's plant in Michigan, then at vaccine shipping hubs in Memphis and Louisville  are beyond the control of DHEC, which places orders though the federal government that ship directly to providers. And they affected states beyond South Carolina's borders.

But where DHEC can help providers tremendously is by deciding how to split the state's total allotment, giving them some stability on what's coming, board members recognized Feb. 11, while hearing a second presentation on how to potentially do so.

That predictability was the argument for allocating doses to counties based strictly on how many people live there  the scenario board members tentatively agreed on two weeks ago, when they asked staff to figure out the logistics.

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However, after a lengthy presentation and closed-door session, the board asked staff to come back with another presentation at its next meeting laying out the details for instead distributing doses on a regional basis  essentially, the Legislature's plan. They'll make a decision then, which won't be until March 11, unless a special meeting is called earlier.

That's likely a recognition the Legislature's going to make the call anyway.

Both the House and Senate have approved a measure requiring DHEC to allocate doses by population in multicounty regions, while factoring in demographics such as age and poverty. Now it's a matter of working out differences between the two versions  primarily, whether each of the four regions (Upstate, Midlands, Pee Dee and Lowcountry) should have its own vaccine advisory board.

The proposal, expected to be finalized next week, was a direct result of legislators' frustration with DHEC.

"We're 2 months into the vaccination process and they still havent made that decision," House Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, said after the DHEC board meeting.

"Citizens expect for us to have a plan and implement a plan," he said. "We cant control vaccination supplies, but theres no reason at this point not to have the infrastructure in place to get them to citizens as quickly as possible."

At the end of its board meeting, DHEC officials said they like the idea of a regional distribution plan since it provides "more flexibility" in reaching rural areas.

"There are so many regional providers (like large hospital networks) that have a fair amount of horsepower to get vaccine out in the communities," Davidson said. "There could be a fair amount of cooperation existing between those counties and that would assist in making sure that vaccine gets out to the communities that need it most."

The federal government is currently allocating 76,400 doses to South Carolina weekly for first shots.

But the demand is far greater. Providers are collectively asking DHEC to order three to four times that, Davidson said.

"Everybody gets less than they request because, otherwise, thered be nowhere near enough," he said, noting providers learn on Fridays what they'll receive the following week. "We want to give everybody as much as they can use. ... Thats an ongoing challenge until we have plenty of vaccine on hand."

In all, 1.3 million South Carolinians are on the eligibility list, including health care workers, long-term care residents and, as of Feb. 8, anyone 65 and older. As of Feb. 11, 460,000 residents had received at least their first of two shots, and more than 435,000 doses were reserved by appointments, some a month out, according to DHEC.

Jessica Holdman contributed from Columbia.
LUDLOW  Public school students here will return to a mix of classroom and remote education on March 1 following what was described as a steady downward trend in percent positive (COVID-19) tests and the decline in number of cases in our town.

Hours after a favorable vote by Ludlow Education Association members, Superintendent of Schools Todd H. Gazda announced the return of hybrid education in a letter to the community Thursday night.

On March 1, in-person hybrid instruction returns to what it was right before we went fully remote after Thanksgiving, Gazda stated. Cohort A students will return to in-person instruction on Monday, March 1 and Cohort B students will return on Thursday, March 4. Those students who were previously identified as High Needs under state guidelines will come in four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) beginning on Monday, March 1 as well.

More detailed information will be made available during the week of Feb. 22, he added.

The positive case rate in Ludlow has been declining in recent weeks and stood at 6.94% as of Thursday, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The World Health Organization had recommended in May that the percent positive remain below 5% for at least two weeks before businesses reopen.

We are hopeful that with the steady downward trend in cases we will soon be below the 5% positive tests threshold for the Town of Ludlow, Gazda stated. We are hopeful that we have seen the peak of the surge we expected after the holidays and that cases will continue to trend downwards so that we keep our kids in school.

Principals will be surveying parents to determine which parents of current hybrid Cohort A and B students now wish for their children to remain fully remote, Gazda said. Principals will also ask parents of current fully remote students if they would like to return for in-person instruction.

The Ludlow Public Schools will likely be able to accommodate the transition of fully remote middle and high school students to hybrid in-person learning much more quickly than those at the elementary level, he stated.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 18:55:23|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Feb. 12, 2021 shows a stone Buddha head of a statue in Cave 8 of the Tianlongshan Grottoes during an exhibition at Luxun Museum in Beijing, capital of China. A stone Buddha head that was stolen from China almost a century ago and recently retrieved has appeared at an exhibition at Beijing Luxun Museum starting from Friday, which is the Chinese Lunar New Year. The Buddha head belongs to one of the many stone statues in north China's Tianlongshan Grottoes, in the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province. It was the 100th relic retrieved by China from overseas in 2020 and the first Buddha sculpture from the grottoes to be brought back from Japan in almost a century, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A stone Buddha head that was stolen from China almost a century ago and recently retrieved has appeared at an exhibition at Beijing Luxun Museum starting from Friday, which is the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The Buddha head belongs to one of the many stone statues in north China's Tianlongshan Grottoes, in the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province.

It was the 100th relic retrieved by China from overseas in 2020 and the first Buddha sculpture from the grottoes to be brought back from Japan in almost a century, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

Construction of the Tianlongshan Grottoes began around the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550) and continued until the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The site features 25 caves and over 500 Buddha statues, reflecting the sophisticated carving skills and grotto art of the time.

Examinations and evaluations conducted by experts after the Buddha head arrived in Beijing found that the relic was stolen from a statue in Cave 8 of the grottoes in around 1924.

The exhibition, to be continued until March 14, provides an introduction to Cave 8 and the lost relics from the grottoes, and makes use of digital imaging to show how the grottoes once looked. Enditem
Hyderabad, Feb 12 : With another election coming up in Telangana, the ruling TRS and opposition BJP and Congress are gearing up to battle it out for two seats of state Legislative Council.

Graduate voters will cast their votes on March 14 to choose their representatives for upper house of the state Legislature. However, the entry of prominent academics in the fray could upset the calculations of the main parties.

The Election Commission on Thursday announced the schedule for the elections to Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad and Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda graduate constituencies.

The poll body will issue the notification on February 21. The last date for filing of nominations is February 23. Polling would be held on March 14 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The counting of votes would be taken up on March 17.

The term of office of two MLCs (Members of Legislative Council) from graduate constituencies in would expire on March 29. Those retiring are Bharatiya Janata Party's N. Ramachandra Rao from Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad graduates constituency and Telangana Rashtra Samithi's Palla Rajeshwar Reddy from Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda graduates constituency.

The TRS has already indicated that Rajeshwar Reddy will contest again from Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda while the BJP is likely to re-nominate Ramachandra Rao from Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad. The parties are in the process of finalising candidates for other constituencies.

Major political parties and even those who plan to contest as independent candidates have been campaigning for the last couple of months.

The emergence of the BJP as the main opposition party following its victory in the Dubbak Assembly by-elections and impressive performance in the recent polls to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has made the poll battle interesting. Claiming to enjoy considerable support among the urban electorate, the saffron party will be posing another challenge to the TRS.

The ruling party is also going all out to retain one seat and wrest the other from the BJP. TRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his son and party working president K.T. Rama Rao are devising strategies for MLC polls to check the saffron surge. Ministers E. Dayakar Rao and Satyavathi Rathod have been appointed as election incharges.

As part of the preparations, Chandrasekhar Rao addressed a public meeting in Nalgonda district this week. The meeting was also held with an eye on upcoming by-election to Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly constituency.

There is a feeling among TRS leaders that overconfidence proved costly for the party in Dubbak and the GHMC polls. Hence the leadership is not taking any chances. Chandrasekhar Rao had not campaigned for TRS in Dubbak and had addressed only one election meeting in Hyderabad.

Suffering a series of electoral setbacks, the Congress is also looking to bounce back with the MLC elections. Its leaders are hopeful of party regaining the lost ground with support from graduates.

Both the constituencies saw enrollment of graduate voters over last couple of months. There are around five lakh voters in each constituency.

However, the entry of eminent academics is giving jitters to the major parties. Former Osmania University professor and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) founder M. Kodandaram has already announced that he will contest for the council from Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda. He hopes to get support of Congress, the Left parties, students, youth and people's organisations.

The Congress will be looking for support from TJS, Left and other groups to its candidate in Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency.

Professor K. Nageshwar will contest from Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency as an independent candidate. He was elected twice to the Council in the past and is believed to enjoy good support among the electorate, comprising graduates, including government and private employees and teachers. He is also likely to get support of the Left and various student and youth groups.

Another educationist and social activist Professor Anwar Khan has already started campaigning as an independent in Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad constituency. Khan claimed to be getting good support from graduates. He and his supporters played an active role in the voter enrollment campaign.
Richard Garriott will traverse the depths of the Mariana Trench later this month, making him the first Briton to go into both space and the deepest part of the ocean.

The entrepreneur, 59, has already been to the North and South poles and the RMS Titanic's wreck and will one of a select number to go to the bottom of the trench.

Some 1,580 miles long, the Mariana Trench reaches down to 6.825 miles below the ocean's surface at its deepest point, which is known as 'Challenger Deep'.

Ocean conditions permitting, the dive is planned for February 28.

Mr Garriott visited the International Space Station back in 2008, travelling up with the Soyuz TMA-13 mission and returning to Earth 12 days later.

During his trip, he filmed 'Apogee of Fear', the first sci-fi movie completely shot in space, which was released on DVD with a documentary about his space flight.

He also smuggled into orbit laminated cards containing part of the ashes of James Doohan, the actor who portrayed engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott in Star Trek.

More of Mr Doohan's ashes would later be carried in space aboard a SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket in the May of 2012.

Astronaut Richard Garriott, pictured, is about to traverse the depths of the Mariana Trench  making him the first Briton to go into both space and the deepest part of the ocean

The explorer, 59  who has also been to the North and South poles and the wreck of the Titanic  will be only the 14th person alive to go to the bottom of the trench. Pictured: the submersible that entrepreneur Richard Garriott will travel in to the deepest part of the ocean

Some 1,580 miles long, the Marianas Trench reaches down to 6.825 miles below the ocean's surface at its deepest point, which is known as 'Challenger Deep'

MARIANA TRENCH The Mariana Trench, located in the Western Pacific, is the deepest ocean trench in the world. It is some 1,580 miles long and at its deepest point, 'Challenger Deep' stretches down 6.825 miles. It is 1.2 miles deeper than Mount Everest is tall  and the bottom is pitch black. Nevertheless, flat fish, crustaceans, snailfish and giant amoebas have been found living there. The feature formed as the Pacific Ocean plate subducts beneath the smaller Mariana plate to its West. The US Navy bathysphere Trieste was the first manned craft to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench on January 23, 1960. On board were two oceanographers  Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard. In 2012, the Canadian filmmaker James Cameron made the fourth manned trip to the bottom of the trench, diving to a depth of 35,787 feet (10,908 metres) in his vessel Deepsea Challenger. Advertisement

'Later this month I'm going to the deepest part of the planet and I'm very excited about it,' Mr Garriott told the Mirror.

'It's going to be pretty hard to beat space. The view of the earth from space is truly life changing.'

'There is something called the overview effect which is literally a life-changing experience most people who orbit the earth have had  and I have that too.'

'While the view from a port-hole viewport from the submersible will only be as far as the lighting will provide you.'

'It will be like looking at the moon but when you're only ten feet above the surface of it just looking at the rocks and bumps and dust.'

'It's going to be a very different kind of experience,' the British entrepreneur concluded.

Mr Garriott's deep-sea voyage will last around 12 hours in total, with the descent and return journey to the surface together taking eight hours, leaving four hours for research at the bottom of the ocean.

On his voyage into the deep, the former-astronaut has said that he intends to wear the same suit that he wore into space  one which features both the union jack and the American stars and strips on the front.

The submersible Mr Garriott will travel in was designed and built by the US company Triton at the behest of Caladan Oceanic, a firm which is undertaking a multi-million pound project to explore and study the depths of the world's oceans.

Two Devon-based Britons, John Ramsay, 40, and Tom Blades, 37, are the principal engineers at Triton and designed the submersible.

'This particular submersible was not just designed to take someone to the bottom of the ocean and set a world record,' Mr Ramsay told the Mirror.

'The idea was to make a submersible that wasn't an experiment  this would have a legacy going on for years completing science and exploring the ocean.'

'We had a two year build programme to make this certified full ocean depth diving two passenger submersible.'

'It had never been done before.'

'There is a huge amount of British involvement in this project,' he added.

'What I am always staggered at is how incredibly capable British people and companies are when it comes to doing something different or out of the ordinary.'

'Working with British companies is always such a pleasure. I love it.'

The Mariana Trench, located in the Western Pacific, is the deepest ocean trench in the world. It is some 1,580 miles long and at its deepest point, 'Challenger Deep' stretches down 6.825 miles. Pictured, an image taken of a rover exploring some 3.7 miles down into the trench

In 2012, the Canadian filmmaker James Cameron made the fourth manned trip to the bottom of the trench, diving to a depth of 35,787 feet in his vessel Deepsea Challenger, as depicted

The submersible Mr Garriott (pictured here being loaded into the ocean) will travel in was designed and built by the US company Triton at the behest of Caladan Oceanic, a firm undertaking a multi-million pound project to explore the depths of the world's oceans

Mr Garriott's deep-sea voyage will last around 12 hours in total  with the descent and return journey to the surface together taking eight hours, leaving four hours for research at the bottom of the ocean. On his voyage into the deep, the former-astronaut has said that he intends to wear the same suit that he wore into space  one which features both the union jack and the American stars and strips on the front, as pictured

'We are hoping, indeed expecting, to bring unique microbes and fish and other species to the world which have never been seen before,' said Mr Garriott.

The entrepreneur said that all the data collected during the dive will be placed into the public domain.

'It will be a gift to the world,' he said.
European police agency Europol have hailed the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) in their investigation into a family based gang who have been described as a mini Rathkeale Rovers crew.

This week it was revealed that the mob have made massive money from tarmac scams across Europe, the USA and Canada and have been laundering the cash as well as significant money for one of the biggest drug dealings mobs based in the South East region.

Gardai announced that CAB had frozen 16 bank accounts containing 540,000 in total, following a search operation in Tipperary and Kilkenny.

The CAB raids were part of a wider international policing investigation which has identified that the mob have laundered 4m.

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In a statement today, Europol said: Fund transfers in excess of 4m were identified from other jurisdictions to Irish bank accounts linked to members of this criminal network. The gang is believed to have made this money from illegal activity across Europe.

The search operation in the cities (sic) of Tipperary and Kilkenny involved searches of 4 residential properties and 1 business premises, as a result of which 100 000 in cash and a car worth 75 000 were seized. A total of 16 bank accounts linked to members of the crime group were also frozen.

The accounts contained cumulative funds of 540,000.

It said such results were made possible thanks to the model of non-conviction based forfeiture operated by the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau.

Sources said the links that the targeted Traveller gang have with one of the most prolific drugs trafficking networks in the South East is particularly concerning with the tarmac crew suspected of now engaging in wide scale money laundering for them.

Investigations have established that there are around 20 core members aged from their early 20s to late 60s and sources said there will be more arrests and searches as part of this probe.

In the operation, CAB officers targeted four residential properties and a business premises where they seized a 201 Volvo XC90 and financial documents.

International cooperation is essential for the successful recovery of assets hidden abroad. Europols position at the heart of the European security architecture helps facilitate such a mechanism, the police agencys statement said.

In this case, Europols European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) pieced together the intelligence provided by different countries on this one same criminal network and put all the involved countries around one table.

The partners have since worked closely together on this case to uncover the actual magnitude of the criminal activity of this gang and to establish a joint strategy for the final phase of the investigation, the statement read.

It was revealed this week a number of suspected main players in the gang are facing money laundering charges in Sweden.

It is not just Sweden wherethis gang have their tentacles, intelligence indicates that they are also known to law enforcement in the United States and Canada as well as a number of EU states, the source said.

The gang operates nationwide and overseas by posing as tradesmen and quoting a "good price" for jobs ranging from laying tarmac to cleaning gutters.

Because of their international tarmac scams, the crew whose base is a Co Tipperary town have been compared to the infamous Rathkeale Rovers mob but gardai say that there are no major links between them and the Limerick gang.

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IMDEA Networks is the project coordinator for the Network intelligence for aDAptive and sElf-Learning MObile Networks (DAEMON) project, financed under the European Union H2020-ICT-2020-2 call on Information and Communication Technology. From January 2021 to December 2023, the team of researchers will work on the application of Network Intelligence (NI) to 6G systems so as to fully automate network management, with a substantial participation of industry players, including world-leading manufacturers such as Nokia and NEC Corporation, top operators like Telefonica and OTE, as well as innovative SMEs like SRS, ADLINK or WINGS ICT.

6G shall run entirely diverse classes of services, and do so with outstanding performance: near-zero latency, apparent infinite capacity, and 100% reliability and availability will make the communication infrastructure fully transparent to the applications. Meeting this ambitious goal requires growing the already substantial complexity of mobile network architectures to instantly orchestrate physical resources and Virtual Network Functions (VNF) across different network domains, in concertation with time-varying demands and multi-tenancy requirements. Zero-touch technologies that fully automate the network operation will become the standard, and the success of 6G will vastly depend on the quality of the Network Intelligence (NI) that will run at schedulers, controllers, and orchestrators across network domains, and de-facto manage the infrastructure.

Though Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are commonly regarded as the cornerstone for NI design, they are not the best solution for every NI task. Parting from the current practice, DAEMON will set forth a pragmatic approach to NI design, by identifying network functionalities for which AI is (not) a suitable tool, and designing tailored machine learning models that respond to the specific needs of such functionalities. Building on these models, DAEMON will design an end-to-end NI-native architecture for 6G that fully coordinates NI-assisted network functionalities.

Efficiency and sustainability

The advances will be applied in practical network settings, and will enable extremely high performance while making an efficient use of the underlying radio and computational resources. In addition, the project solutions target reducing the energy footprint of mobile networks, and boost their reliability. Concretely, DAEMON will design practical algorithms for eight practical NI-assisted functionalities, and the performance of the algorithms will be evaluated in real-world conditions via four experimental sites, as well as at scale with data-driven approaches based on two nationwide traffic measurement datasets, against nine ambitious yet feasible KPI targets.

The results above will be achieved by developing machine learning solutions that are suitably customized for and integrated into network environments, via three technical objectives:

Understanding the limits of AI for mobile networks: DAEMON will carry out the first systematic, critical analysis of which NI problems can be appropriately solved with AI models rather than other techniques.

Designing practical NI algorithms empowered by highly customized AI techniques: for NI problems where AI is an appropriate solution, the project will design tailored AI models that respond to the specific needs of network management functionalities.

Designing an end-to-end NI-native architecture: it will be defined a NI-native network architecture that, stemming from current standardization trends, enables the coordination of the many and varied NI instances deployed in the network, and goes beyond centralized orchestration to provide NI directly at VNF level.

Dr. Marco Fiore, Project Coordinator and Research Associate Professor at IMDEA Networks, highlights the significance of this development, granted with an amount close to five million euros: "DAEMON sets forth an innovative, controversial and potentially disruptive approach to the automated management of 6G networks. While current efforts at integrating NI in mobile networks aim at tweaking machine learning solutions so that they fit networking environments, DAEMON upends the approach, and seeks to update the network architecture so that it natively supports NI operations. The project questions the current mindset of considering fashionable but complex Artificial Intelligence models such as deep neural networks as the 'silver bullet' to all network management problems; instead, it fosters the tailoring of such AI models to the networking context, as well as their combination with statistical, analytical or hybrid approaches whenever relevant".

A disruptive vision that can revolutionize the way in which AI will be integrated into future-generation mobile network architectures, and play a key role in helping 6G to meet its very high expectations: "DAEMON - Dr. Fiore remarks - is an especially important project for IMDEA Networks, as it is one of the two EU-funded ICT projects up to date where the institute acts as overall coordinator, and the first in the context of the H2020 ICT work programme. Furthermore, it is the first project under the 5G PPP umbrella (https:/ / 5g-ppp. eu/ ) that is coordinated by the Institute".

###

(*) Consortium

IMDEA Networks Institute (Spain), NEC Laboratories Europe GmbH (Germany), Telefonica I+D (Spain), OTE (Greece), Nokia Bell Labs (Belgium), Software Radio Systems (Ireland), WINGS ICT (Greece), ADLINK Technology (France), Universidad de Malaga (Spain), IMEC (Belgium), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain), TU Delft (Netherlands).
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: Venue Plus continues In Case You Didnt Know, a weekly feature with fun tidbits about New Mexicans and their projects.

Natalie Voelker enjoys pushing boundaries.

Its why she often thinks big.

The Albuquerque-based artist has kept busy over the past year, often testing her limits within art.

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................................................................

One of those challenges was presented to Voelker when she was chosen to paint a mural at Sunport Pool in the Southeast Heights.

That was a h

uge project, she says. It was 78 feet long. I painted a bunch of different people in it. There are 12 total.

Voelker was excited to tackle a project that represented community.

I love the pool because its a space for everybody, she says. I grew up in Wisconsin, and we would go to Lake Michigan, and every walk of life was there. I feel like public pools are just like that.

Voelker was also able to work in the space sans people because of the pandemic.

Yet one of the challenges was getting real people to pose as the subjects.

I did a photo shoot with some friends, and they pretended to splash each other, she says. One of my other friends had her mother-in-law put on goggles and pretended to swim. It was really fun, and they all enjoyed the ridiculousness of it all.

Voelker was used to spending time out in public, where she would study human movement.

Keeping herself busy during the pandemic was important.

Harwood closed all of our studios, and I live in a very small house, she says. I began working on these little paintings every single day. I usually like to paint big. It was a challenge, and I was doing this in the dining room.

Since moving back into her studio, Voelker began work on a painting of her sister.

Back in college, I did paintings of her. Shes been a recurring theme for me, she says. I couldnt see her in person, and she lives in Wisconsin. We were doing Zoom calls, and I was trying to direct a photo shoot so I can get a reference for what I want.

Voelker says shes looking forward to her two-month artist residency at the Helen Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos in June.

Heres five things you didnt know about her:

1 I constantly find myself staring at people because Im obsessed with the uniqueness of faces.

2 I secretly like country music.

3 I happened to be living in Berlin in 1989 when the Berlin Wall came down.

4 Two of my all-time favorite books are A Patchwork Planet and Saint Maybe, both by Anne Tyler. Theyre both about seemingly ordinary people that actually have rich, complex and deeply moving inner lives. I find ordinary people fascinating, and most of my artwork is about the sublime found within the ordinary.

5 My portrait painting of Davetta Wilson, an Albuquerque local, was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in 2019 as part of the international BP Portrait Award Exhibition. A group of students from a British High School for the Arts wrote a song in response to the painting, and I was very touched that my artwork had inspired more art in the form of music.
Burma Doctors in Civil Disobedience Movement Put Pressure on Myanmar Military Regime

Civilian medics and staff from the Ministry of Health and Sports join an anti-coup protest in Naypyitaw on Friday. / The Irrawaddy

YANGONOne hundred and seventy-two years after Henry David Thoreau said people should not let their government overrule their conscience and must refuse to allow their government to turn them into agents of injustice, a military coup leader in Myanmar has begun to feel the heat.

Since early last week, in the wake of a military takeover of the countrys democratically elected government, medical staff members at Myanmar hospitals have followed what Thoreau spelled out in his 1849 essay popularly known as Civil Disobedience after ousted leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi urged people to resist the coup.

They insisted that they will not return to work until the military regime has released their leaders, President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

They rejected the rule of men in uniform.

Out in the streets across the country, hundreds of thousands of people from every walk of life have joined anti-coup protests.

Inspired by their counterparts in the countrys health sector, government staff from other ministries left their desks to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) by refusing to work for the regime. Major private banks have found it hard to operate as their staff joined the movement.

Among them so far, the CDM by medical staff was a serious blow to the junta, especially because it mostly came from doctors at government-run hospitals that played a major role in public health care. Since the ousted National League for Democracy government came to power in 2016, those hospitals have provided a lifeline for ill people especially at the grassroots level.

More importantly, the expertise of medical staff is still essential during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people in Myanmar so far.

Coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has been tightlipped about the protests since their onset, broke his silence on Thursday. During his second public speech since the coup, he specifically told medical staff to go back to work.

I want to urge (government) medics to carry out public healthcare at your hospitals as soon as possible, he said.

He was right to be concerned because most of the public hospitals across the country have barely been functioning since last week.

In Ayeyarwady Region in the country delta, the regional Pathein General Hospital has been virtually shut down since last week as the majority of the hospitals 300-strong staff has been on strike, a senior doctor on duty told The Irrawaddy on Friday.

We no longer accept new admissions as we are now under manned. We have referred new cases to military hospitals, the senior doctor said, adding that the 500-bed hospital is now deserted.

We are only able to give treatment to 11 existing COVID-19 patients, three kidney dialysis patients and some cancer patients. All are in serious condition, he continued.

Hospitals in the regions other areas like Phyapon and Myaung Mya have also halted their operations due to the CDM, the doctor said. The same reportedly goes for hospitals in other regions as well.

Shortly after the CDM was launched by the medics, the military opened its hospitals doors to the public.

However, the senior generals recent request that civilian doctors to go back to work suggests the medics in uniform may not be able to cope with the overwhelming need for public healthcare, probably due to their limited facilities

Ironically, while the military is urging doctors to return, it has also been hunting down the medics who joined and supported the CDM across the country. Hours before his request to the doctors was aired, warnings were published in state-run newspapers that those who put pressure on other dutiful civil servants to join the CDM will be seriously punished legally.

Dr Win Ko Ko Thein, a deputy director from Ministry of Health who has been a part of the CDM since last week, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the arrests and the coup leaders request simply showed how effective the movement was.

The deputy director, who has been under police surveillance and is now in hiding, said the civilian medical staff on the strike didnt seem to turning back. He pointed out the march of medical staff from government hospitals in Naypyitaw on Friday despite the recent crackdowns on their fellow doctors.

If they (the regime) put more pressure on them, people will be more responsive, he said.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmars Coup Leaders Name a New Union Election Commission

Power Grab Brings Myanmar to Standstill

Myanmar Coup Means Huge Losses for Thailands Border Trade

A Monday hearing to sentence Stephanie Nomis for her part in the embezzlement of Green River Fire Department Foundation funds was continued after Nomis said she did not recall receiving a copy of her pre-sentence investigation.

A new hearing date was not set as of press time.

The hearing took place before District Court Judge Suzannah Robinson Monday morning and progressed until the judge asked if Nomis received a copy of her pre-sentence investigation.

She said she didnt remember receiving it. According to her attorney, Gary Arnell, records showed the report was sent to the Nomis hous...
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Sienna Miller has praised her late 21 Bridges co-star Chadwick Boseman for his 'grace and dignity'.

In an interview set to air on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, the actress, 39, reflected on the actor's decision to donate his own money to boost her salary on the cop drama, which was released in 2019.

The Black Panther actor, who tragically died from colon cancer aged 43 in August, supplemented the star's pay cheque after her figure was turned down by the studio.

Sweet: Sienna Miller praised her late 21 Bridges co-star Chadwick Boseman for his 'grace and dignity' on Friday's forthcoming episode of The Graham Norton Show

Looking back, she said: 'He did an amazing thing for me  he donated some of his salary to get me to the number I had originally asked for.

'We became close friends and I didnt really want to bring it up, so I wrote him a letter to thank him. He said, "You got paid what you deserve and what you are worth."

'That was so validating from a man I respected so much. Its that kind of behaviour that moves the needle  there is a lot of talk but not much action.

'He had grace and dignity  it wasnt flashy, he did it because it was fair.'

Kind gesture: The Black Panther actor, who tragically died from colon cancer aged 43 in August, supplemented the star's pay cheque after her figure was turned down by the studio

Praise: Sienna said: 'We became close friends and I didnt really want to bring it up, so I wrote him a letter to thank him. He said, "You got paid what you deserve and what you are worth"'

In September last year, Sienna told how she was 'hesitant' to return to filming before being cast in 21 Bridges but was keen to work with Chadwick.

Speaking to Empire, she said: 'This was a pretty big budget film, and I know that everybody understands about the pay disparity in Hollywood, but I asked for a number that the studio wouldn't get to.

'And because I was hesitant to go back to work and my daughter was starting school and it was an inconvenient time, I said: "I'll do it if I'm compensated in the right way."'

She added: 'And Chadwick ended up donating some of his salary to get me to the number that I had asked for. He said that that was what I deserved to be paid.'

Grateful: Sienna reflected, 'That was so validating from a man I respected so much... He had grace and dignity  it wasnt flashy, he did it because it was fair'

The American Sniper actress described how the gesture was a 'testament' to Chadwick's character and explained how there was 'no showiness' to the offer.

Chadwick, who was a producer on 21 Bridges, approached Sienna to star in the film and told her he was a 'fan' of her work which she said was 'reciprocated, tenfold'.

However Sienna revealed how she had been 'working non-stop' and was 'exhausted'. after starring in films such as American Woman and The Catcher Was a Spy.

Decision: In September last year, Sienna described the gesture as 'the most astounding thing' and told how she could not 'imagine' another man 'behaving that graciously' (pictured in 2019)

The British-American actress later requested a 'number' which was turned down by the film bosses prompting Chadwick to step in to get Sienna on-board.

The Edge of Love star described the gesture as 'the most astounding thing' and told how she could not 'imagine' another man 'in that town' 'behaving that graciously or respectfully'.

In the action movie Chadwick stars as the embattled NYPD detective, Andre Davis, who joins a citywide manhunt for two cop killers.

Thankful: The American Sniper actress claimed it was a 'testament' to Chadwick's character and explained how there was 'no showiness' to the offer

As the night unfolds, he uncovers a massive conspiracy that links his fellow police officers to a criminal empire and he becomes unsure of who to pursue and who's after him.

When the search intensifies, authorities take the extreme measure of closing all of Manhattan's 21 bridges to prevent the suspects from escaping.

Sienna plays Frankie Burns - a detective working with Andre while Taylor Kitsch, who plays Ray Jackson, and Stephan James, who stars as Michael Trujillo, are the two suspects on the run.

Chadwick is survived by his wife Taylor Simone Ledward and a parent, and had no children.
(CNN) -- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has won a privacy claim in her case against a tabloid newspaper that published a handwritten letter to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.

The judge in the case issued a summary judgement, which will avoid a full trial.

Markle sued newspaper publisher Associated Newspapers Limited after the group's tabloid, the Mail on Sunday, printed portions of a handwritten letter that she had sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in 2018.

The judge ruled that "the disclosures were manifestly excessive and hence unlawful," and that there would be "no prospect that a different judgment would be reached after a trial."

"She enjoyed a reasonable expectation that the contents would remain private and not be published to the world at large by a national newspaper; the defendant's conduct in publishing the contents of the letter was a misuse of her private information," Justice Mark Warby wrote.

The Mail on Sunday and Associated Newspapers previously said they stood by the decision to publish excerpts from the letter and would defend the case vigorously.

Meghan welcomed the ruling in a statement that was scathingly critical of the tabloid. "After two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and The Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanizing practices," she said.

"These tactics (and those of their sister publications MailOnline and the Daily Mail) are not new; in fact, they've been going on for far too long without consequence.

"For these outlets, it's a game. For me and so many others, it's real life, real relationships, and very real sadness. The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep," Meghan said.

Meghan thanked her legal team, family and supporters, adding: "We all lose when misinformation sells more than truth, when moral exploitation sells more than decency, and when companies create their business model to profit from people's pain. But for today, with this comprehensive win on both privacy and copyright, we have all won."

Although Markle claimed a wide-ranging victory, some issues pertaining to the copyright case and damages for that case are still expected to go to trial later this year. Another hearing to decide matters related to the case and outline next steps will take place on March 2, but the summary judgment means the privacy aspects of the case have been decided and will not be put to trial.

The case centers on the paper's publication of a handwritten letter from Meghan to her father, sent shortly after she and Prince Harry got married in May 2018.

According to that publication, Meghan had complained to her father that he had ignored many of her attempts to make contact, telling him his actions had "broken my heart into a million pieces."

The original article in the Mail on Sunday also included claims from Thomas Markle that he had reached out "multiple times" in an attempt to patch things up.

Documents filed on behalf of the duchess as part of the case showed that her husband, Prince Harry, pleaded with his soon-to-be father-in-law to stop speaking to the press before the wedding.

Meghan is seeking damages for misuse of private information, copyright infringement, and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Along with Prince Harry, Meghan has long been critical of the British tabloid media. Earlier this month Prince Harry settled a separate legal dispute with the Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline, accepting what his legal team called "significant damages" over an article alleging he had turned his back on the Royal Marines.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wins privacy claim against newspaper over letter to her father"
'Incredible' opportunity to reimagine learning for what comes next: Sundar Pichai

UP cops file case against Google's Sundar Pichai, then drops his name

India

oi-Deepika S

Varanasi, Feb 12: Police in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi had charged Google CEO Sundar Pichai and 17 others last week over a video that allegedly defamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi but later removed the tech giant officials' names from the FIR, police officials said today.

The names of Sundar Pichai and three other top officials of Google were removed after they were found not involved in the case, a police official privy to the probe told news agency Press Trust of India over the phone.

The First Information Report or FIR was filed following a complaint by a local resident who claimed that he got over 8,500 threat calls on his mobile phone after he objected to the video that he first came across in a WhatsApp group and later on YouTube, where it has over five lakh views, the officials said.

Besides Sundar Pichai, others named in the FIR are three Google India officials including Sanjay Kumar Gupta, according to the case filed at UP's Bhelupur police station on February 6.

Google's response over the case is awaited.

Among the rest named in the FIR are Ghazipur district-based musicians who allegedly made the video song, a recording studio and a local music label company.

The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 500 (defamation), 120B (party to a criminal conspiracy).

Charges under the Information Technology Act's section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material) have also been invoked against the accused, according to the FIR, which has been accessed by news agency Press Trust of India.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

The names of Google officials were removed from the FIR the same day as it turned out that they were not involved in the case. Investigation on other points is underway, an official from the local Bhelupur police station told news agency PTI.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 15:26 [IST]
Ciesla, who voted in favor of the plan, said she wants to finish up the plan in her term by establishing how the Housing Fund  fees paid by developers in lieu of providing affordable housing  will be used. She hopes to partner with a nonprofit or other agency that would look for projects and administer those funds.
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A recent market study published by Future Market Insights  Peptide Therapeutics Market: Global Industry Analysis & Opportunity Assessment, 20152025 consists a comprehensive assessment of the most important market dynamics. The report provides analysis of peptide therapeutics for 2014 and forecast of the market over 20152025. The report provides emerging trends and opportunities in the global market, which can help market players.to design their manufacturing, product or business strategies and exploit the maximum growth potential in the global peptide therapeutics market. The report provides analysis on market dynamics in the most comprehensive way for better understanding of readers.

Application

Cancer

Cardiovascular Diseases

Central Nervous Systems

Metabolic Disorders

Infections

Hematological Disorders

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Dermatology

Respiratory Disorders

Acromegaly

Other Applications

Route of Administration

Parenteral Route

Mucosal Route

Oral Route

Transdermal Route

Marketing

Branded

Generic

Region

North America

Latin America

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Asia Pacific Excluding Japan

MEA

Japan

Request a Sample of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1038

Section 1  Executive Summary

In the opening section of the global report on peptide therapeutics market executive summary of the report is provided, which includes the global market overview and key findings. The section also includes market value (US$ Mn) estimates for key segments of the global peptide therapeutics market.

Section 2  Market Introduction

This section provides detailed taxonomy and definition of each segment of global peptide therapeutics market. The section helps readers to understand scope of the report, inclusion and exclusion criteria for different products & applications within the scope etc. This section also provides the analysis of global peptide therapeutics market based on optimistic, likely and conservative scenario.

Section 3  Market Dynamics

This section provides readers with information about the most important macroeconomic and microeconomic factors that are instrumental in shaping the peptide therapeutics market. It helps readers to understand the critical market dynamics such as drivers, market restraints, trends, and growth opportunities for market players in peptide therapeutics market.

Section 4  Global Peptide Therapeutics Market Drug Pipelines & Key Regulations

This section provides overview on clinical development pipeline of peptide therapeutics for major companies. The section provides analysis by phase and therapeutic indications. The section also describes important regulatory pathways in three main markets of U.S., Europe and Japan through which peptide therapeutics are approved for commercial applications.

Section 5  Global Peptide Therapeutics Market By Application Type, 20152025

Based on applications of peptide therapeutics, this section elaborates market value analysis for individual applications including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, CNS disorders, metabolic disorders, infections, hematological disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, dermatology, respiratory disorders, acromegaly and other applications. The section explains comparative trend analysis and market attractiveness analysis for each application of peptide therapeutics. The section also provides absolute $ opportunity analysis, which helps reader to identify growth potential for every year.

Section 6  Global Peptide Therapeutics Market By Route of Administration, 20152025

This section provides market size analysis of peptide therapeutics available for administration through different routes including parenteral route, oral route, mucosal route and transdermal route Market attractiveness analysis by route of administration is provided to understand effects of approvals for different forms of peptide therapeutics.

Section 7  Global Peptide Therapeutics Market, by Drug Type, 20152025

Drug type analysis provides analysis on usage and prescription pattern of peptide therapeutics for branded vs. generic/biosimilar drugs. Market attractive analysis by drug type is also discussed to fathom relative lucrativeness of different product types of peptide therapeutics.

Section 8  Global Peptide Therapeutics Market By Region, 20152025

With the geographical perspective, global peptide therapeutics market is analysed on a total of seven regions viz. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Historical trends in peptide therapeutics market and their effects on global market performance is discussed in this chapter.

Get Full Report Buy Now @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/1038

Section 9  North America Peptide Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast 20152025

Readers can find detailed information about factors such as recent market developments, pricing analysis, and regional trends that are impacting the growth of the North America peptide therapeutics market. This section also includes the growth prospects of peptide therapeutics market in countries such as the U.S., and Canada.

Section 10  Latin America Peptide Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast 20152025

The market performance of peptide therapeutics in Latin America is discussed on a country level (Brazil, Mexico & rest of Latin America) in this section. The section also provides insights on regional market trends in Latin America peptide therapeutics market.

Section 11  Western Europe Peptide Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast 20152025

This section provides country wise analysis of peptide therapeutics market in Western Europe. Countries covered in this section are Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, BENELUX and rest of Western Europe. Market attractiveness analysis by country is provided to identify potential of growth for key players in the market. The section highlights regional market trends and pricing analysis for peptide therapeutics.

Section 12  Eastern Europe Peptide Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast 20152025

This chapter of the report introduces peptide therapeutics market in Russia, Poland and rest of Eastern Europe by providing detailed information about the growth avenues for market players in the region and growth prospects of the market based on its leading segments.

Section 13  APEJ Peptide Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast 20152025

China, India, ASEAN, and Australia & New Zealand are the leading countries in the APEJ region that are the prime subject of assessment to obtain growth prospects of the APEJ peptide therapeutics market in this chapter. Readers can find thorough information about the growth parameters of the APEJ peptide therapeutics market during the period 20152025.

Section 14  Japan Peptide Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast 20152025

Readers can find important factors that can make a huge impact on the growth of peptide therapeutics market in Japan This chapter provides the overview of pricing, drivers, restraints, and trends in the Japan peptide therapeutics market.

Section 15  MEA Peptide Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast 20152025

This chapter provides information on how peptide therapeutics market will grow in the major countries in MEA region, such as GCC Countries, South Africa, and rest of MEA during the period 2015-2025.

Request for Report Ask A Question @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-1038

Section 16  Competition Landscape, Company Share and Company Profiles

This section provides a dashboard review of competition in global peptide therapeutics market. It details the comparative assessment of key products specific to market segments and competitive position of key players in the global market.

Readers can find a comprehensive profiles of key players in peptide therapeutics market, including company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments, SWOT analysis etc. Market players featured in the report include Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca plc, Merck & Co., Inc., Ipsen S.A, Novo Nordisk A/S, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. etc. and several contract manufacturing organisations such as CordenPharma International GmbH, PolyPeptide Group, Bachem AG etc.

Section 17  Assumptions and Acronyms

This section includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provide a base to the information and statistics included in the report. The section also enlists forecast assumptions and forecast factors considered while estimating the market size.

Section 18  Research Methodology

This section helps readers to understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions, important qualitative information, and quantitative information about peptide therapeutics market.
As a prosperous farmer in Fort Bend County in the early 1950s, Willie Melton enjoyed a good life in many ways, but he was keenly aware of what he didnt enjoy: the right to take part in the political process.

Melton, who was Black, was not allowed to vote in closed primaries held by an all-white group, the Jaybird Democratic Association. The winner generally went on to win the Democratic primary  the county and state were dominated by the Democratic Party then  and the general election. The tactic essentially disenfranchised Black voters, denying them an opportunity to vote for candidates who looked like them or have a say in their elected leadership.

Melton decided it was time for a change.

He just felt like it needed to end, said Veronica Harris, his granddaughter, in a recent interview. God sent him here for that purpose to help us get where we are today.

Melton and a small group of Black residents  including wealthy seamstress Arizona Fleming  embarked on a journey that would eventually take them to the U.S. Supreme Court and end the system of whites-only primaries in Fort Bend. As the nation celebrates Black History Month, the legal campaign of Melton and others is remembered as a courageous one in a segregated state and an important turning point in voting rights.

The court victory, which came a decade before Freedom Riders were beaten in the Deep South and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, is appreciated today by Black officeholders such as Fort Bend District Attorney Brian Middleton, who was elected in 2018.

Mr. Melton could have been content with his own financial success; however, Willie Melton used his wealth to save humanity, Middleton, a Democrat, said in a written statement. He waged a battle against bigotry and won. Mr. Meltons actions were courageous and altruistic. Mr. Meltons benevolence made it possible for me to be elected to serve as Fort Bend County District Attorney.

The leadership of the diverse county of more than 810,000 is resembling its demographics in other ways. K.P. George became the first Indian-American county judge two years ago, and Eric Fagan was sworn in last month as the countys first Black sheriff since Reconstruction.

Local advocates, meanwhile, recently persuaded the city of Richmond to relocate a monument honoring Jaybirds who died in a violent clash in 1889 that ended biracial governance in Fort Bend County.

Gentle farmer helped others

Melton was born in 1900 in Kendleton, one of the freedmens towns in Texas settled by previously enslaved people who were emancipated after the Civil War.

He and his wife, Carrie, raised turkeys, chickens and watermelons on their farm. Harris recalled that when she lived with her grandparents as a child, she would brush her grandfathers hair when he would come home from work at the end of the day.

I would look at my backyard like now and all you would see (for miles) is all these chickens and turkeys, said Harris, now 63. Thats what we were surrounded with.

Melton was known as the watermelon king  an agriculture worker, landowner and entrepreneur.

Harris and her cousin Estonia Adams described Melton as a gentle man who didnt raise his voice. He also was a dedicated activist who sought to help others in the community.

What I liked about Uncle Willie, as a little kid, he would sit down and explain things to you, said Adams, 63, his niece.

Papa Willie being the activist he was, he was always concerned about people, Harris said. He was always gone because he was always doing something that was going to help somebody.

Blacks disenfranchised

The system of whites-only primaries was put in place after a bitter clash in the county known as the Jaybird-Woodpecker War. The Woodpeckers were a political group that, with support from freed slaves in majority-black Fort Bend, captured top political offices during Reconstruction. The Jaybirds included wealthy white residents who sought to wrest control of county offices from the Woodpeckers. Acrimony arising from the 1888 election and killings of members on both sides culminated in the so-called Battle of Richmond in front of the courthouse on Aug. 16, 1889. Several people were killed, including the sheriff, who had opposed the Jaybirds efforts to seize power by force. Martial law was imposed, and Woodpeckers who held office resigned or were removed from office.

The whites-only Jaybird Democratic Association emerged and went on to control who could nominate and run in Democratic primaries for decades. African Americans, Hispanics and Jews were excluded from the process, according to the Handbook of Texas.

The Jaybirds held unofficial straw elections to pick Democratic nominees for local elections, according to a historical marker that details the Supreme Court case.

This practice wasnt unique to Fort Bend County. So-called white primaries were held across Texas until the U.S. Supreme Court, in a case brought by Houston dentist Lonnie Smith and backed by the NAACP, overturned them in a 1944 ruling, Smith v. Allwright.

Still, the Jaybirds continued to refuse to open up their primaries in Fort Bend County.

Melton met with his friend Sid Hilliard, a Harris County NAACP leader, who advised him to write the Jaybird Democratic Association and request that Black people be allowed to vote in primaries, according to the book The Jaybirds of Fort Bend County by Pauline Yelderman. The pair met in Dallas with W.J. Durham, who served as legal counsel for the NAACP in Texas. He penned a Jan. 19, 1950, letter formalizing the request.

In the meantime, Melton gathered around 100 signatures from Black voters to petition the Jaybirds to let them vote in the primary. The following month, Ben Ramsey, from a Houston law firm, made the same request.

The Jaybirds convened a meeting and ultimately decided the petition and all letters be disregarded at this time and that the association hold its traditional separate primaries.

The news did not sit well with Melton.

Melton said that ignoring the letters and petition and throwing them in the wastebasket was the last straw, according to Yelderman.

They can no longer hurt me

While Melton was determined to challenge the Jaybirds practice in court, many Black residents were fearful of speaking out, Yelderman said.

Some feared retribution or that that another political feud would break out.

Meltons own brothers even asked him to stop, noting that he would be killed.

Still, Melton persisted. He connected with Arizona Fleming, a Black woman who owned the Fort Bend Fraternal Undertaking Co. She wholeheartedly supported the effort.

Melton and his group eventually sought legal representation from a Houston law firm.

Their attorney, J. Edwin Smith, told them they would need to identify plaintiffs for the case. Smith and Fleming began to search for Black residents in the county who would be willing to put their names on the lawsuit.

John Terry, a 77-year-old man from Beasley, reportedly said, I am an old man, use my name, they can no longer hurt me, according to Yelderman.

Smith ultimately filed suit on behalf of five Black men, contending that their rights under the 14th and 15th Amendments  which guaranteed citizenship and equal rights to Black Americans as well as the right to vote  had been violated.

After a hearing in Houston, a judge ruled in May 1950 that Black residents should be allowed to vote in the coming Jaybird primaries, set for May 6 and June 3 of that year.

Melton and his group were overjoyed. Both Melton and Fleming had worked hard to raise money for the legal fight. They next focused on getting other Black people in the county to turn out for the primary, which was just days away.

They were successful: About 400 of the 550 eligible Black voters turned out to vote in the May primary.

One of them was Meltons wife, Carrie, who said years later, I didnt believe in the Movement and I was afraid, and I had always wanted to live out my natural life, but I was determined to vote, according to Yelderman.

High court hears case

However, the fight was not over. The Jaybirds prevailed on appeal in 1952.

Melton organized a meeting attended by about 100 Black residents and argued for taking the case to the Supreme Court unless, he said, they wanted to give up and accept their second-rate citizenship forever, Yelderman wrote.

It would be a costly fight, Melton told them, with a legal tab as high as $4,000. Those at the meeting backed Meltons and Flemings efforts.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Jan. 23, 1953. Melton and Fleming attended, as did professors and students from Howard University and NAACP Washington members.

Smith was joined by a lawyer from Howard University, James Nabrit Jr., for the oral argument.

On May 4, 1953, the high court ruled 8-1 against the Jaybirds, finding that the political group had violated the 15th Amendment. One justice wrote that the groups practices had the effect of stripping Blacks of every vestige of influence in selecting county officials.

After the Supreme Court decision, Melton and hundreds of Black Texans celebrated on the Southern Pacific picnic grounds in Kendleton, according to Yelderman.

Melton died in 1969. Fleming died seven years later. The court fight had reportedly left both with financial losses, but, Yelderman wrote, both said they would do it all over again.

Meltons legacy

On a recent February day, Harris, her cousin Adams and former Kendleton Mayor Carolyn Jones gathered around Harris kitchen table reflecting on the important voting rights battle waged in Fort Bend seven decades earlier.

Harris said she takes her right to vote seriously because of her grandfathers fight and passes the message on to her children. A historical marker near the post office in Kendleton includes details on the Supreme Court case.

I think Kendleton has a big hand of people going out, doing well and being established because of Mr. Meltons effort, Jones said.

Fagan, the first Black sheriff in more than 150 years, also noted the line between what Melton achieved and his own public service.

I wouldnt be in the office now without what he did back then, Fagan said. I stand on his shoulders, as well as a lot of people.

brooke.lewis@chron.com

twitter.com/brookelewisa
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  The Philadelphia prosecutors office has refiled charges against a city police officer who was accused of striking a protester in the head with a metal baton during a racial injustice demonstration.

The filing Thursday came about a month after a judge dismissed the charges against Police Inspector Joseph Bologna, finding that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to establish that Bolognas use of his baton amounted to a crime.

Bologna, 54, was suspended after a video showed him hitting the protester in June. Bologna is charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and possession of an instrument of crime.

Philadelphians demand evenhanded justice and we are trying our very best to give them exactly that, District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement issued Thursday.

Bolognas lawyers declined to comment. John McNesby, president of the police union, said the decision was not based on facts or evidence, but was a political decision by Krasner, who is in the midst of a reelection campaign.

Bologna, a 31-year member of the force, had been suspended with intent to dismiss, but when the charges were dismissed Jan. 15, his attorneys said he had the option to seek full reinstatement. It wasnt clear Friday if he has made a decision.

Bolognas attorney have said his actions were justified because the protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis had turned violent.

Video that circulated widely on social media showed Bologna hitting a 21-year-old Temple University student in the head and neck area with a baton during a June protest. The student was knocked to the ground, and another officer put a knee on him to keep him down.

Authorities have said the protesters injuries required staples and stitches. He was arrested but was later released, and charges against him were dropped.

More:

Man grabbed hospital employee, injured security guard who stepped in to help: police

Capitol rioters acted on Trumps order, impeachment prosecutors insist in trial
The Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the company in charge of the Lekki toll plaza, has appealed to Nigerian youth to refrain from the planned #occupyLekkitollgate protest and the #DefendLagos counter-protest slated to hold at the Lekki Tollgate.

In a statement released by the company on Friday, Yomi Omomuwasan, the managing director of LCC urged leaders of movements planning a protest at its destroyed Admiralty Circle Toll Plaza to give peace a chance.

He added that LCC not returning to full operations within the shortest possible time would result in loss of jobs for the LCCs over 500 direct staff and thousands of others across its business value chain.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how youth, using the #occupyLekkitollgate, plan to hold a protest at Lekki Tollgate on Saturday, to express their displeasure over the reopening of the toll plaza.

In response to the call for protest, a counter-protest tagged #DefendLagos surfaced on social media to counter the former.

Several parties, including the Lagos State government and the Nigeria Police have appealed to protesters not to go ahead with the protests.

Speaking on the planned protests, Mr Omomuwasan said LCC was distressed by the reactions as there is need to halt further losses being incurred by the company as an aftermath of the October 20, 2020 incident.

Last weekends decision by the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry to return the Tollgate to the LCC had generated strong reactions from youth movements with a group threatening to occupy it and another pledging to defend it.

We are distressed by the reactions the decision of the Panel has elicited from some members of the public and their resolve to again forcefully take over the already destroyed Plaza on Saturday 13, January 2021.

It was in a bid to halt further losses, especially given our subsisting financial commitments to local and foreign lenders, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), that we approached the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry for permission to repossess our facilities,  Mr Omomuwasan said.

He added that the company approached the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry to return the Tollgate to it in good faith and stem its losses.

Mr Omomuwasa said the company refrained from making comments since the Lekki shooting incident of October 20, 2020, because of the heightened temper.

The director, who referred to the shooting incident as an unfortunate event, said the LCC was also a victim of the unfortunate circumstance.

The Lekki Tollgate not has been operational since the night of October 20, 2020, following the shooting of unarmed protesters by officers of the Nigerian Army.

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry, last Saturday, however, returned the control of the toll plaza to the LCC despite that the reports of forensic examination of the event scene are yet to be out.

The ruling to reopen the Lekki toll plaza, which was dissented to by some members of the panel, has generated controversies among Nigerian youth, with protest and counter-protest slated to hold at the Lekki toll gate on Saturday.

Mr Omomuwasan, who described the LCC as a peace-loving organisation empathised with individuals and businesses that suffered losses, adding that the LCC is an institutional victim in the October 20, 2020 event.

To set the records straight, LCC never prevented the protesting Nigerian youths from occupying our plaza before the unfortunate incident of Tuesday, October 20, 2020, even as we incurred huge losses from the forced closure of the facility by the protesters who chose to make our facility their protest ground.

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LCC had nothing to do with the protest against police brutality, which was the central point of the youth agitation. As an organisation, we were unlucky to have been caught in the web, he said.

Mr Omomuwasan appealed to well-meaning Nigerians from across the divide to sheath their swords and give peace a chance.

We appeal to the leaders of the protest movement to cooperate with us as we gradually restore and commence operations. To every sored heart and scared body, we at LCC ask for divine comfort and speedy healing. As we grieve together, let us find warmth in the embrace of one another with a common resolve to rebuild a better Lagos upon the ashes of our yesterday, he said

Despite pleas from the Lagos State government, the Lagos police and other quarters, some youth have insisted on going ahead with the planned protests on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a police truck, police vehicles and several police officers have been positioned at the Lekki toll gate as of Friday morning.
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - A meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement resulting from the Algiers Process (CSA), was held Thursday in the northern city of Kidal with a government delegation, signatory groups, and international mediators in attendance, PANA learned from official sources

LINDON, Utah, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Laser Systems, a privately held U.S.-based medical device company specializing in photomedicine, announced today that it was recently named to be a Space Certification Partner by the Space Foundation, a nonprofit advocate organization. The Space Foundation also announced this selection on their website .

Space Foundation

The Space Certication Program awards a "seal of approval" to commercial companies that demonstrate products and services in technology, data, education and creative markets that originate from space technology and are a source of inspiration for discoveries and innovations in the global space ecosystem. Aspen Laser Systems has adapted a technology originally developed for NASA into a method of delivering noninvasive and painless light-based photobiomodulation (PBMT) therapy treatment for conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, and acute joint or muscle injuries. A list of technology companies that includes Aspen Laser are listed on the Space Foundation Website .

Aspen Laser President Charles Vorwaller commented on the partnership saying, "Aspen Laser is extremely proud of our new relationship with Space Foundation. Our company and products will benefit greatly from this unique recognition, and we firmly believe that our consistent use of the Space Certification Program and official seals will expand the awareness of photobiomodulation."

Carah Barbarick, space awareness programs manager at Space Foundation, also shared, "Aspen Laser Systems is an exciting addition to our Space Certification partners. We have added a profile page on our website with more information about Aspen Laser and its products.

With a focus on raising the standards in medical care, they are using space technology to improve the lives of patients, both human and animal."

According to Vorwaller, "We became aware of the research that NASA was doing in the early 1990s initially using LED low level light therapy. Today, the Aspen Laser products are the result of an evolution from this early technology. Over time, we increased the power level of the diodes, added additional infrared wavelengths, and concentrated the light output, resulting in targeted laser therapy that provides a higher concentration of light energy into an area of the body that requires it, due to localized pain or injury."

Learn more about the company and its products at www.aspenlaser.com and www.aspenlaseru.com .

About Aspen Laser Systems, LLC:

Aspen Laser Systems, LLC is a medical device company and emerging global leader in innovative photomedicine technology with a focus on photobiomodulation. Representing management with over 33 years of experience, the company provides expertise in design, manufacturing, production, and regulatory compliance. In 2020, the company ranked on the INC 5000 list for the first time and was the only medical laser company listed.

About Space Foundation

Space Foundation is a nonprofit advocate organization founded in 1983, offering a gateway to education, information and collaboration for space exploration and space-inspired industries that drive the global space ecosystem. Visit Space Foundation at www.SpaceFoundation.org .

MEDIA CONTACT :

Aspen Laser Systems, LLC

Dontrell Morrow

[email protected]

559-462-0468

SOURCE Aspen Laser Systems

Related Links

http://www.aspenlaser.com



First, a somber memory ...

Jan. 27 was "Holocaust Remembrance Day." That brings to mind the late former Congressman from California, Tom Lantos, who passed some years ago from cancer. For those of you who aren't familiar with him, I will try to fill you in:

Tamas (Thomas) Peter Lantos was born in Bupapest, Hungary, to a Jewish family that was very educated with teachers, professors, etc.

Of course, during World War II, they were sent to concentration camps. When Tom was 16 years old he was beaten by Nazis and doing hard labor in a forced labor camp. Thank goodness he survived and grew up in...
An Offaly teacher and other Macra members have shared their experiences of working from home.

Covid-19 has changed the way we approach our workday with many commutes being eliminated, allowing for that time to be used differently.

In the recent Macra na Feirme Rural Youth Survey, those working in rural Ireland outside of farming were asked a series of questions concerning their work/life balance and the impact of Covid-19 on their lives.

53% of all young rural people surveyed responded that yes, they would like to work from home or from a remote working hub in the future, with 34% of respondents answering that no, they would not like to work from home or from a remote work hub in the future.

We have already seen that young people have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic, not just in terms of loss of jobs but socially too. Thankfully, we have also seen some benefits emerging such as more time with family and new skills learned," said Macra na Feirme national president Thomas Duffy.

Over 47% of those surveyed were happy with their current work life balance. Of that cohort, 30% shared that their workload has decreased since Covid-19 and 70% commented that their workload remained the same.

53% of those surveyed were unhappy with their current work life balance. Within that group, 57% stated their workload has increased since Covid-19, with 43% identifying that their workload has stayed the same.

59% of those surveyed identified spending more time with their families as a positive to Covid-19, with 48% of respondents believed that there had been an increase in spending in the local economy. Other positives identified included learning new skills, greater care towards the environment and more community spirit.

Macra asked some of its members to share with their experiences of working from home during the pandemic.

Sarah Kelly  Teacher, Offaly

It wasnt long until the frustration and a longing to be back to my work environment kicked in.

Thankfully, most of my communicating with my class and parents is done through the class dojo app so I can rely on my data coverage for that.

The internet in place is not suited for remote learning as I often lag or get cut off from Soom meetings. While there are some upsides to remote learning, I think the downsides outweigh them and the teaching profession is one that is not suited to it.

The social interaction between both the staff and pupils is definitely missed and theres a constant worry to whether Im doing enough to support the pupils learning and the familys wellbeing also. Fortunately, this is only a temporary set up and I, like most teachers, am looking forward to getting back into the classroom again.

Claire Gough - Civil Service, Meath

At the start I found it difficult to get used to. I found myself getting jealous of my family who were frontline workers and got to see people outside the home.

However, I have begun to love it. I was commuting from Athboy in Meath to Dublin City Centre every day with about four hours in a car, so now I have a lot more free time to myself in the mornings and evenings.

I have a quite strong internet connection at home, but my phone coverage can be shocking at times so I communicate a lot by email rather than phone, which can take time to get replies and can delay projects moving on. I hope I can continue working from home for the foreseeable future with possibly one or two days per week.

Helen Hayes  Marketing Manager, North Tipperary

I've worked remotely for the last seven years. The pandemic has changed the way I work in that it has become more remote than usual. My work usually takes me out of the country once a month, but as of last March I've been grounded.

I've had to adapt and work within the limits of the restrictions. Internet is crucial for me to be able to work.

Physical meetings/conferences have been replaced with phone calls, emails and Zoom.

I recently moved to a new house, and I am currently in a rural area that is awaiting broadband and will most likely be still waiting for quite some time. We have had to opt for mobile broadband which I'm grateful for, but we had to do quite a bit of research to get and even as is, it's not the strongest.

I'm hopeful that when we eventually get high-fibre broadband it will lessen the chance of the freezing of my friends on WhatsApp calls and being able to converse more on Zoom without having to resort to the chat box or worrying about signal interference.

Gavin Treacy - Quantity Surveyor, Galway

I work as a Quantity Surveyor with a construction company. Pre-Covid times my role and job would be 90% office based with a visit to site once or twice a week.

However, since last March I have been working from home due to Government restrictions. It has its ups and downs for many reasons. Some of which I will touch on here. At first it seemed a nice change as the weather was good and there was a sense of freedom to working from home.

But that soon wore off when the issue of poor rural internet had a big effect on the speed at which I was able to do my work compared to the high-speed broadband that I was so used to having in the company office in town.

There is also the social aspect to is - you meet nobody and everyone is virtual nowadays with Zoom meetings. It just doesn't have the real feel to it.
3 1 of 3 Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





NEW HAVEN  The U.S. Marshals Thursday announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Qinxuan Pan, the Massachusetts man wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of the 26-year-old Yale graduate student last Saturday.

New Haven police had announced Wednesday that Pan, 29, was a person of interest in the investigation of the slaying of Kevin Jiang, 26.
All does not seem to be going quite well with the shooting of Sunny Leone starrer web show Anamika. According to a recent report by The Times of India, Vikram Bhatt, the director of the show had to reschedule a shoot apparently after some members of the Fighters' Association invaded the set. This happened after Abbas Ali Moghul had approached them regarding a previous payment issue from Bhatt's end. The Anamika director also claimed that he was compelled to pay Abbas a sum of Rs 13 - 14 lakhs after the incident. However, when the incident happened, the association had demanded Rs 38 lakhs for Abbas. The money demanded was for eight shows in which Abbas had given his services.

Furthermore, Bhatt also claimed that on the day of the shoot, some 3-4 people came on the sets and said that they would come in front of the camera to obstruct the shooting. While all of this was happening, Bhatt also asserted that his first reaction was to ensure Sunnys safety. Therefore, he somehow managed to take the actress to her vanity so that no harm was done to her. On being asked as to how the incident occurred, he clearly mentioned that he had no idea that the members of the Fighters Association were going to land on the set. In fact, he went on to say that he too was shocked by the series of events that happened.

Ejaz Gulab, general secretary of the Fighters Association, has clearly stated that they will not back off. He also went on to reveal that the person who has been taken as a replacement of Abbas for the project also backed off from it and was in support of them.

At present, Bhatt has sent a legal notice to Abbas which states that he is going to start criminal proceedings against him for extortion. In reply to it, Gulab has stated that there was no extortion and the claims made are false.
By 2030, according to a new state plan, Californians will be able to ride high-speed trains  but only between Merced and Bakersfield.

The High-Speed Rail Authoritys updated business plan, released Tuesday clearly reflects the much-lowered expectations laid out by Gov. Gavin Newsom after he succeeded bullet train enthusiast Jerry Brown two years ago.

In his first State of the State address, Newsom implied that he wanted to cancel the project altogether, saying, The project, as currently planned, would cost too much and take too long. Theres been too little oversight and not enough transparency.

Quickly, however, Newsom declared that he wanted to concentrate on completing a 119-mile segment in the Central Valley, from Madera to an orchard near Shafter, then extend it to Merced on the north and Bakersfield on the south before beginning service on the full 171-mile stretch.

A Merced-Bakersfield bullet train ostensibly would be connected on both ends with train and/or bus services to allow someone to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles, albeit with multiple changes of venue.

The new revision embodies that concept, but still faces potential roadblocks, particularly financial.

It raises the cost of the 119-mile segment to $13.8 billion and says the extensions to Merced and Bakersfield would add nearly $10 billion to that figure. The plan proposes to tap the remainder of the $9.95 billion in state bonds that voters authorized in 2008, hopes that the projects revenues from the states cap-and-trade auctions of greenhouse gas emission permits will stabilize, and suggests borrowing money against those auction proceeds.

The plan also assumes that with Joe Biden succeeding Donald Trump in the White House, nearly a billion dollars in federal bullet train funds frozen by the Trump administration after Newsoms somewhat confusing 2019 speech will be released and California might even see more money from Washington.

We have commenced conversations with the Biden Administration on these matters, the projects boss, Brian Kelly, says in a preamble to the new plan. Because the project is advancing ... we believe we can work with our federal partner on our revised schedule and restore federal investment in this program.

Lets assume that the new plan becomes reality. The 119-mile section now under construction becomes a test bed, its extended to 171 miles (with only a single track) and the state then leases it to a private or quasi-private operator so that passenger service can begin.

Is that worth the $20-plus billion that such a limited system would cost? Would it even attract enough passengers to cover its operating costs without the subsidies that the 2008 ballot measure banned?

The new plan smacks of wanting desperately to give a skeptical public something that actually functions, even its just a curiosity that some folks might ride a few times just for the experience.

It seems far-fetched that many would get on and off at least four different conveyances to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles in, at best, perhaps five hours when planes make the trip frequently in about an hour.

In theory, the initial operating segment would eventually be part of a statewide system offering L.A.-to-S.F. travel in two hours and 40 minutes, but the hurdles to achieve that, both financial and logistical, are daunting. It would require at least $60 billion more in construction money and extensive tunneling through mountain ranges that ring the Central Valley.

The scaled-down Merced-Bakersfield version now being pursued isnt exactly a train to nowhere, but it falls far short of the futuristic bullet train its supporters promised.

Dan Walters is a columnist for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters.
American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR) (formerly Broken Hill Prospecting Ltd) (ASX:BPL) is focussed on the La Paz Rare Earth Project in Arizona, U.S.

American Rare Earths 'in good position in the US market, according to Taylor Collison

American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR) (FRA:1BHA) is poised and ready to take advantage of recent legislation in the US to promote domestic upstream and downstream production of rare earths, including the provision of US$800 million for research & development.

Adelaide broker Taylor Collison Limited is confident the company is strategically placed in the US market, with the re-joining of the Paris Accord by the Biden administration also expected to drive US domestic growth in the take-up of green technologies - key users of the targeted metals.

The broker said: "This presents an ideal opportunity for companies to move into the rare earth space in the US, both in mining/processing and in taking part in R & D in processing technologies.

"American Rare Earths has recognised this, setting up operations in the US."



La Paz resource

The company's La Paz Rare Earths and Scandium Project in Arizona has an indicated and inferred mineral resource estimate of 128.2 million tonnes at 0.037% total rare earth elements (TREE)

The Laramie Rare Earths Project in Central Wyoming is in process of being acquired from Zenith Minerals Ltd (ASX:ZNC) (FRA:ZCB) and the company has also identified another project in Nevada, 30 kilometres from Mountain Pass, the only operating rare earths mine in the US.

Samples have been collected for assaying and petrographic analysis in preparation for staking and claim filing.
A large fire has broken out at Eskoms coal-fired Kendal Power Station in Ogies, Mpumalanga.

Multiple videos posted on Twitter on Friday morning claimed to show a part of the station in flames.

Kendal power station reportedly on fire, mere hours after @CyrilRamaphosa promised better power supply in his #SONA2021, Pretoria FM journalist Anton Meijer tweeted.

Meijer shared a video of smoke rising from around a large yellow building.

@Eskom_SA Kendal power station reportedly on fire, mere hours after @CyrilRamaphosa promised better power supply in his #SONA2021  pic.twitter.com/2Lxy2Wfl44  Alt-Anton (@antonnies) February 12, 2021

Another Twitter user shared a video which appeared to be closer to the fire, revealing flames and smoke engulfing a structure in front of the building.

Conveyer belt caught fire

Eskom confirmed that a fire broke out on one of the conveyor belts taking the ash out of the Kendal Power Station on Friday morning.

The fire was extinguished and there were no injuries, the utility stated.

It added that the incident has had no effect on the generation of electricity and the belt would be replaced today.

The station continues to operate as normal, Eskom said.

Ramaphosa reveals plans for Eskom

This mornings fire comes hours after President Cyril Ramaphosas State of the Nation Address, in which he outlined plans to restore Eskom to operational and financial health, as well as to accelerate its restructuring process.

Ramaphosa said the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy will soon announce the successful bids for 2,000MW of emergency power to help curb load-shedding.

In addition, the government will procure a further 11,800MW of power from renewable energy, natural gas, battery storage and coal, he said.

Despite these and other measures there will be an electricity supply shortfall of between 4,000 and 6,000 megawatts over the next 5 years, as old coal-fired power stations reach their end of life.

Ramaphosa added this will be addressed by a request for proposals for 2,600MW from wind and solar energy that will be issued in the coming weeks.

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
The committee formed to look into the matter submitted its report last June and it was circulated to all the ministries concerned and their comments have been received, the Union Education Minister said

New Delhi: The government has not taken any decision yet on a panel's recommendations that the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) should be exempted from reservations in faculty appointments, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

The committee submitted its report last June and it was circulated to all the ministries concerned and their comments have been received, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

"The government has not yet taken a decision on the recommendations of the committee," Pokhriyal said.

An eight-member committee comprising IIT directors was asked to suggest measures on effective implementation of reservation policies not only in the recruitment but also for admissions.

In a report submitted to the government in June, the panel said that the IITs should be exempted from reservations because they were "institutes of national importance and are involved in research".

The committee had also noted that the expectations on the faculty from the IITs were very high due to the quality and standards of education, and rather than specific quotas, diversity issues should be addressed through outreach campaigns and targeted recruitment of faculty.
If you wanted to visit a museum in France this week, you were out of luck. On Monday, all  from the Louvre in Paris, to hundreds of local museums  were shut, as they had been since Oct. 30, when the government ordered them closed in the face of rising coronavirus cases.

They remained shut despite a rising clamor from museum directors, who have begged the government to let them open their doors.

For an hour, for a day, for a week or a month, let us reopen, wrote the leaders of some of the countrys most prominent art institutions in an open letter published in the newspaper Le Monde earlier this month. Art can contribute to cure the soul, as medicine does, the letter added.

Their efforts fell on deaf ears.

But then an unlikely savior came to the rescue  for museums in the city of Perpignan, in southern France, at least. Louis Aliot, Perpignans mayor, is a member of National Rally, the far-right political party associated more with a hard line on immigration than with support for the arts. He became the unlikely champion of culture when he defied the national government and passed a decree allowing the citys four museums to welcome visitors for the first time in over three months.
New Delhi:

Protests against the ONGCs oil exploration project continued in Kathiramangalam village in the district on Tuesday. People observed fast demanding the release of those arrested in connection with the violence on June 30.



Around 150 local residents of the village sat on fast on Monday evening in front of the Ayyanar temple. In order to persuade protestors, government officials rushed to the spot and held talks with them to call off their fast.



Refusing to budge, the protestors sought the release of 10 persons arrested on June 30. The villagers have been up in arms against crude oil exploration by ONGC and a protest by them had turned violent on June 30, leading to use of minimum force by police, which was criticised by opposition parties in the state.



Also, shops remained shut for several days in the village to express solidarity with the protesting residents.



With PTI inputs.

ALSO READ: Air India, BSNL, SAIL worst performers, Coal India, ONGC emerge star performers PSU

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
TICKERS: NFG

Source: David H. Smith for Streetwise Reports (2/11/21)

David H. Smith, senior analyst for The Morgan Report, reviews Bob Moriarty's new book, "What Became of the Crow?: The Inside Story of the Greatest Gold Discovery in History," a real-life "epic geological detective thriller."



Bob Moriarty's newest book, partially titled "What Became of the Crow," is likely to be his Magnum Opusand if it isn't, it should be! Like a great symphony that starts out slow, builds up subtly but relentlessly and finally "bursts forth" with an energy that leaves the reader wondering, "My god, to think that I almost didn't get a chance to read about this!" The next thought is, OMG, it's a publicly traded company and I don't even have any shares!" Or if he/she does, "Is my position 'of size'"?

The short form on this is that Quinton Hennigh, arguably one of the most insightful geologists of the day, has put together and test-driven a theoryat first mocked by "professionals" and average folks alikethat Western Australia (WA) having in the dim past been physically connected to South Africa, and therefore having certain geologic similarities in time and formation to an area known as "the Wits"very likely held similar kinds of gold deposits. It was no ordinary deposit either. After its discovery in 1886, Witwatersrand proceeded to give up around 40% of all the gold ever mined anywhere in recorded history! Can you spell hundreds of millions of ounces?

Gold in the Wits tends to be found in layered reefs in conglomerate deposits. In WA it's also found in loose particles, from micro-sized, invisible to the naked eye (like much of what's in Nevada, the world's fourth largest producer), to hold-in-your hand flakes and nuggets.

Not only did Quinton persevere against the beliefs of others in how that gold got therestated oversimplified, as having been precipitated toward the surface by a geothermal process, then through the eons, precipitating out of salt water to be distributed into conglomerate reef deposits. But there's more. Some of it indeed is in hard rock, but it's also found in weathered and alluvial sections, or pretty much lying on the ground in nugget form, often coved by shallow rocky-sandy soil overburden.

Genius has been defined different ways, but this one by Yehuda Lindell, CEO of Unbound Tech, probably fits Quinton as well as any other: "Genius isn't necessarily coming up with everything from scratch, it's knowing how to take some existing ideas and use them in a radically different way to get something that's very, very new. And a critical adjunct of "genius" is the willingness to act on that understanding. Mega-check by Quinton's name.

Bob's writes narrative-style, salty, and iconoclasticjust like the conglomerate-hosted gold nuggets in Western Australia's Pilbara where Novo Resources Corp. (NVO:TSX.V; NSRPF:OTCQX) is getting ready to go into production, perhaps bringing a new and compelling chapter to the ongoing story, proven time and time again throughout history, that "There's no rush like a gold rush"!

I've been with Bob Moriarty on a few of his many mining tour sorties, and I can tell you that whether he's speaking with management to tease the truth out of them about their "highly prospective" property (never forget the maxim that "The definition of a gold mine is a hole in the ground with a liar standing next to it.") or chipping away with his prospector's pick (ore hammer), then looking at the retrieved specimen up close and personal with a loupe (jeweler's magnifier), he quickly "becomes at one with the ore body." Heck, he's so tough that when he's crawling around on the ground in a mine shaft, or on a reef in bone-dry Western Australia, he doesn't even use knee pads! But what would you expect from a guy who once flew a single engine plane through the Eiffel Tower!

Anyway, I've just finished reading this book and by the time I got to the end of it, I was more than a bit amped up about whatand howhe's been able to bring this story to the public in a way that is at once entertaining, informative, and reality-shifting, especially for anyone willing to question what they think they know about how gold has to be deposited, where it can be foundand retrieved.

Yes, gold can be, and is commonly found in hard rock veins, plus anywhere from stony outcroppings, down through layers in the earth's crust known as epithermal and mesothermal. It can be deposited in a variety of waysand placesduring and after intrusions toward the surface in hot fluids like molten oreor water via "smokers," hydrothermal vents that eject jets of particle-laden fluids and later form mineral-rich chimneys. It can be precipitated out of solution, ending up in various surface formations. Even today, there's gold to be found in seawater, though no one has yet figured out how to process it.

Novo's varied property holdings demand several different "approaches" in order to maximize gold retrieval, minimize environmental disruption, and successfully correlate with the needs and sensibilities of the locals. Exploratory and follow-on work done at nugget-rich Egina demonstrates all of the above. As Bob discusses:

First you strip off the thin layer of overburden. Novo intends to literally slide a steel plate under a section of overburden and move it off to the side. Then process the meter or two of gold-bearing gravel. The loose gravel is run through either a Steinert or a Tomra sorter and put right back where it just came fromminus the gold picked up by the machine, which is fed into a container of its own, never to be touched by human hands. At the end of the process, the overburden and vegetation is put back in place on top of the gravel.

Bob is an autodidact, a generalist, and a darned-good observer of both the human condition and that of how the earth's crust has formed geologically, not to mention what's actually in it, and where the good stuff (i.e., the gold) is located. He's THE man qualified to write about this story and the rogue's gallery of personalities that have walked across the stage to build it out over the last few decades. He and Dr. Keith Barron (who himself discovered one of the largest gold deposits of the last 25 years in Ecuador), elevated in no small way the back and forth discussion, on-site research and planning that helped build a world view which fit what was actually going on in The Pilbara. For well over a century, until now, everyone else has missed its true significance. Not to mention the legions of prospectors, business men, iron ore producers, criminals and other assorted social flotsam that always washes up on the beach in these narratives, none of whom who could put together, then successfully act upon what in some cases they dimly understood.

Bob knows how to look at rocks and he knows how to evaluate people. Here are a few quotes from WBOTC:

The rail crew need only to notice that the pit they had opened up for fifty truckloads of gravel contained gold, in order to transfer 300 ounces of it into their pockets over two days. That information told Quinton that he needed to get busy staking, before the whole world realized the potential of the conglomerates. If one pit about two meters deep and perhaps a hundred meters across can generate $500,000 worth of gold in a weekend, how much more gold is still around there? (They) had seen gold nuggets in the gravel, quickly spent $10,000 on a metal detector and returned to the gravel pit on the weekend. Bob concludes, "That weekend was worth a quick 300 ounces of gold. I'm certain it was reported to the government and all taxes were paid on it."

Bob talks about the large numbers of geologists he's met and spoken with over the years, contrasting those "who cast no shadow" with "the greats" who "are interested in everything, have a wide range of knowledge about just about anything, and are constantly trying to piece things together.

"It is safe to say that over the years, 100,000 miners of one sort or another have trodden on the Pilbara in search of minerals (Yet) It took that rail crew from Rio Tinto, Johathon Campbell, and Quinton to put it all together."

"In mining I have found that some management types mine rocks, and some that mine shareholders."

"Quinton was convinced that the key to the gold jewelry box was in the conglomerates. (Others had targeted gold in hard rock veins.). The validity of such a "conglomerate focus" had already been borne out in the Eastern Pilbara and Beaton's Creeklending credence to the probability that the Western Pilbara was this way too.

Running a production company is a whole different kettle of fish than operating a junior resource exploration company. As an exploration company, you can never fail. You can always whine that all you need is a few more bucks for another drill program which is sure to hit this time. As a production company, it's either deliver or get fired. It's a lot like the difference between ham and eggs. Now the chicken, she's involved. But the pig, he's committed. (Bob's comment after Quinton bought the unused mill and some of the surrounding property for $65 million.)

When mining explorers look for gold, silver or other precious metals' deposits they sometimes collect "grab samples" they run across as they walk the surface, hammer outcrops, and look for places to prospect. These samples can be informative or wildly off the mark when it comes to what's actually underfoot. So maybe that's what my review of this book is like. I'll tell you a few things for sure though. There's a lot more to this story than I've mentioned. More twists and turns, lost opportunities and seized ones than there are kinds of venomous snakes, spiders, lizards, salt water crocodiles and snails in all of Australia.

Through it all, Quinton missed some opportunities that could have moved him even faster to where he got on February 3, 2021 when Novo Resources put out this header on a news release, to wit: "Novo Receives Final Regulatory Approvals and Provides an Operational Update from Beatons Creek." Nevertheless he looks to be within shouting distance of "First Pour"the initial yield from a $100 million mill that another company built to process the wrong kind of ore, and lost to Novo because they couldn't turn a profit. If the coup of buying that mill didn't save them at least two years of getting into production and one heck of a lot of share dilution raising the money to build one, then I'll take a bite out of my prospector's hat. (Actually, according to Bob, the mill, which Quinton got for $60 million "would have taken 5 years to permit and cost well over $100 million."

Some "new found gold." Quinton's eclectic and inquisitive nature has drawn him to become involved in several other ventures around the globe, as a shareholder and/or in advisory capacity. But he's highly selective. He's on the hunt for projects (and management) that hold the potential for new, big gold and silver discoveries, any one of which (including Novo) could move the resource sector interest and investment cycle needle in a big way.

One of these is New Found Gold Corp. (NFG:TSX.V) in Newfoundland. In March 2020, Novo exchanged almost 7 million of its shares for 15 million in pre-publicly traded New Found Gold shares. As Bob notes, Novo's shares are now worth about $16 million, while the ones they hold of New Founds' tip the scales at over $60 million!

There will be doubters...On cue, a lot of peoplesome who know too much about geology and others who know nothing about itwill see fit to denigrate the process by which Quinton, Bob and others reached their conclusions. The grades. The amount of available gold. The all-in cost of producing it. They, the marketplace itselfand you the readerwill ultimately offer a verdict. But the reader might want to give some thought to what Bob Moriarty, who in some sense has been observing, thinking about, and being open to and able to process data on this topic since back in the mid-1970s. He says (prefaced with the fact in official reports that Western Australia contains 29% of the world's iron reserves.):

"...when Quinton started talking to me about how he believed the source of the gold in the Witwatersrand was its precipitation in the presence of oxygen produced by single-cell bacterial colonies, I became a believer. If the iron precipitated out of salt water in the presence of oxygen, and the gold precipitated out of salt water in the presence of oxygen, you cannot have one without the other.

Fifty years from now, after tens of millions of ounces of gold have been produced from the Pilbara, it will be as obvious to everyone as it was to me in 2008.

I'm tempted to bet a one-ounce Australian four-nines purity gold coin with a Kangaroo on it that by the time you've finished this book, you'll have become shot through with gold fever just like so many others have. I recommend reading it at least twice, and while you're at it you might want to buy a second copy just to mark up all the important details.

The Morgan Report has profiled some important new discoveries and approaches in resource sector mining plays, but nothing quite like this potential paradigm-shift saga. Back in September while Bob was writing his book, our readers were being informed about what was going on in The Pilbara. (New TMR subs can get a free copy of the breakout report here: https://www.themorganreport.com/novo-resources.) A month later, our top line readers had front row seats to an interview with Quinton Hennigh himself. So there.

Whether you're an arm-chair prospector, an honest to goodness rock-kicker or a person who just wants to read a TRUE story so compelling that you're shaking your head long after you've finished, you owe it to yourself to find a place for this book title on your shelf. Amaze your friends by asking them if they've read, "What Became of the Crow?" Or "Hey, I just finished reading WBOTC!"

Then relax and maybe have a "Barbie" with a "stubbie" or two (Aussie-speak respectively for a barbeque and a bottle of beer...Because maybe you couldn't put the book down until you'd finished reading itor you're feeling like you spent too much time in the boiling sun of the Outback?

See if you don't agree with Bob Moriarty, and Jay Taylor, one of the first analysts to write about this epic geological detective thriller, now that you've been informed big time as to what really took place "Inside The Greatest Gold Discovery in History."

David H. Smith is senior analyst for The Morgan Report, and a ghostwriter. Smith has visited and written about properties in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Bolivia, China, Canada and the U.S. He is an investment conference/workshop presenter at gatherings/workshops both in attendance and virtually in Canada and the U.S. He is co-author, along with David Morgan, of Second Chance: How to Make and Keep Big Money from the Coming Gold and Silver Shock Wave. Along with Mr. Morgan, he is an advisor to the LODE Cryptographic Silver Project. His work for subscribers can be found on The Morgan Report and for the general public at Silverguru.

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) David H. Smith: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Novo Resources and New Found Gold Corp., both purchased in the open market. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: None. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard 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.

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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.


And thats a wrap for day four of the Trump impeachment trial.

I think its fair to say that despite both Republican and Democrat senators getting to grill lawyers on both sides, no-one landed a killer blow or raised a question serious enough to significantly alter the likely outcome.

You can read US correspondent Matthew Knotts news story about the days proceedings here.

Join Latika Bourke early tomorrow morning for the final session and possibly the vote, which is all but expected to acquit the former president.

See you then.
At least 11 workers were killed while 34 injured after several explosions at a private fireworks factory in Tamil Nadu, police said on February 12.

The explosion happened when some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks, the police said.

Initial reports quoting fire service personnel said about 10 people were injured in the explosion, reported news agency PTI.

Those injured in the blasts at the factory in Tamil Nadu state's Virudhunagar district were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, police officer Raj Narayanan told Associated Press.



Fire at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu is saddening. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover soon. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected: PM @narendramodi

 PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 12, 2021

Expressing grief at the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia each for the family of those killed in the fire. Modi also announced Rs 50,000 for those injured.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also offered his condolences. Heartfelt condolences to the victims of the firecracker factory fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. Its heart wrenching to think of those still trapped inside. I appeal to the state government to provide immediate rescue, support and relief, Gandhi



Heartfelt condolences to the victims of the firecracker factory fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu.

Its heart wrenching to think of those still trapped inside. I appeal to the state government to provide immediate rescue, support & relief. February 12, 2021



" target="_blank">tweeted

.

With inputs from agencies
A European honeybee (Apis mellifera) flying to a squash flower. Both managed honeybee colonies and wild native bees pollinate Michigan winter squash flowers. Honeybees were found at all 14 farms included in the University of Michigan study, along with a diverse array of native bees. Credit: Michelle Fearon

Photos

A new analysis of thousands of native and nonnative Michigan bees shows that the most diverse bee communities have the lowest levels of three common viral pathogens.

University of Michigan researchers netted and trapped more than 4,000 bees from 60 species. The bees were collected at winter squash farms across Michigan, where both managed honeybee colonies and wild native bees pollinate the squash flowers.

All but one speciesApis mellifera, the common European honeybeeare native bees. The number of bee species found at each farm ranged from seven to 49.

Consistently, lower virus levels were strongly linked to greater species richness among the local bee communities. The study was published online Feb. 11 in the journal Ecology.

"This result is exciting because it suggests that promoting diverse bee communities may be a win-win strategy to simultaneously reduce viral infections in managed honeybee colonies while helping to maintain native bee biodiversity," said study lead author Michelle Fearon, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Michigan Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

"In light of recent global pollinator population declines that are due in part to the spread of pathogens, these results offer hope that conservation efforts could also broadly benefit pollinator health," said Fearon, who conducted the study for her doctoral dissertation. She is now pursuing a follow-up study that explores how natural areas keep pollinator communities healthy.

The Ecology study is the first to show that high levels of biodiversity within bee communities can help dilute the harmful effects of viral pathogens. Support for this "dilution effect" has been reported in other hostpathogen systemssuch as tick-borne Lyme diseasebut this is the first time it's been seen with pollinator viruses. The idea of a dilution effect remains controversial among ecologists, however.

Fearon and her colleagues collected 4,349 bees at 14 Michigan winter squash farms over two summers. Michigan winter squashes include acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash and pumpkins.

Honeybees were found at all of the sites, and a diverse array of native bees were also present in the squash fields and along field edges. In fact, native pollinators were much more common visitors to the squash flowers than honeybees at most locations.

Four types of beesthe European honeybee, the eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens), the squash bee (Eucera pruinosa) and several species of sweat bee (genus Lasioglossum)were the most consistently abundant species among the bee communities that were sampled.

Those four groups were tested for the presence of three viruses that commonly infect managed honeybee colonies: deformed wing virus, black queen cell virus and sacbrood virus.

These pathogens contribute to high rates of colony loss among honeybees, and there are no widely available treatments that beekeepers can use to control them. Previous studies suggested that native bees are less commonly infected and may be less likely to transmit the pathogens to other bees.

The viruses spread as bees move from flower to flower, gathering pollen and nectar and pollinating the plants in the process. Consumption of virus-contaminated pollen is believed to be a primary mode of transmission.

For each of the four target bee groups in the U-M study, researchers found that lower viral prevalence was strongly linked to greater biodiversity of the local bee community: the more bee species present, the lower the percentage of bees infected.

Species-rich communities included many native bee species, which apparently helped to dilute the impact of the pathogens.

"Native bees likely reduce the viral prevalence in pollinator communities because they are poorer viral hosts than honeybees. This means that some native bees don't get as sick as honeybees and are less likely to spread the virus to other bees," said study co-author Elizabeth Tibbetts, a professor in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology who was Fearon's dissertation adviser.

"So, bees from pollinator communities with lots of species are less likely to get sick because they are sharing flowers with many bee species that are less likely to spread the virus, while bees from communities dominated by honeybees are more likely to share flowers with honeybees that are good at spreading the virus," Tibbetts said.

Bees are indispensable pollinators, supporting both agricultural productivity and the diversity of flowering plants worldwide. In recent decades, both native bees and managed honeybee colonies have seen population declines blamed on multiple interacting factors including habitat loss, parasites and disease, and pesticide use.

"We found encouraging evidence that pollinator conservation efforts can broadly benefit the health of both managed honeybee colonies and native bees," Fearon said. "This management strategy could be especially crucial in agricultural areas where crop flowers are visited by both honeybees and native beesplaces that may be hot spots for viral transmission among bee species."

Explore further More flowers and pollinator diversity could help protect bees from parasites

More information: Michelle L. Fearon et al. Pollinator community species richness dilutes prevalence of multiple viruses within multiple host species, Ecology (2021). Journal information: Ecology Michelle L. Fearon et al. Pollinator community species richness dilutes prevalence of multiple viruses within multiple host species,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3305

Controversial former mayor Sam Aziz has agreed to forfeit more than $200,000 after a legal bid by authorities to stop the sale of his house because of concerns it was tainted by corruption.

The civil case brought by Victorias Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission was due to go to trial next week in the County Court, but documents filed with the court show that Mr Aziz agreed that net proceeds from the sale of his Berwick house could be seized. The trial will now not go ahead.

Allegedly corrupt former Casey mayor Sam Aziz at IBAC

IBAC applied to confiscate the sale proceeds, arguing they were tainted by alleged criminal activity. Court documents cited accusations of Mr Aziz receiving bribes, engaging in misconduct in public office and dealing with the proceeds of crime as part of his role in the Casey land scandal. Mr Aziz has not been charged with any offences.

Mr Aziz is a central figure in the Casey land scandal involving developer and planner John Woodman.
Members of Winnipegs Bahai community have welcomed an open letter from 45 former Canadian judges, justice ministers, and lawyers decrying human rights abuses in Iran.

Members of Winnipegs Bahai community have welcomed an open letter from 45 former Canadian judges, justice ministers, and lawyers decrying human rights abuses in Iran.

"Anytime we see a gesture like this, it makes a huge difference for us," said Payam Towfigh, a member of the local Bahai assembly.

The letter  signed by people such as Irwin Cotler, Allan Rock and Jody Wilson-Raybould (all former ministers of justice), and former Supreme Court of Canada justices Ian Binnie, Frank Iacobucci and Louis LeBel  was sent earlier this month to Iranian chief justice Ebrahim Raisi.

The message states they are "deeply concerned about new and intense violations of the basic human rights of the Bahai religious minority of Iran."

Although members of the Bahai faith have been persecuted in Iran for more than a century, under the current government it has intensified through "home raids, attacks on properties, confiscation of possessions, dismissals from employment, denial of access to higher education, imprisonment, and execution," the letter says.

The letter highlights a case last year in the village of Ivel, where two courts issued judgments declaring ownership of lands by 27 Bahais in the community to be illegitimate on the basis of their religious belief.

The ruling "establishes a dangerous constitutional precedent of judicially sanctioned confiscation that nullifies legitimate property interests based only on the owners religious affiliation, thus departing not only from international human rights standards but also from the text and intent of the Iranian constitution itself," the letter states.

"History is filled with examples of unjust and oppressive governments arbitrarily deciding that the race, gender, religion, or beliefs of an individual determines whether or not they can own land and participate in the public and economic life of society."

Do you appreciate the extensive faith coverage by the Free Press? Become a supporter of the Religion in the News project! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more can help us keep offering trusted coverage of faith in Manitoba. Become a supporter Click here to learn more about the project.

The letter concludes by calling for an end to the overall persecution, and a "swift restoration of the rights of the Bahais of Ivel."

If not, it could provide "solid grounds for prosecution of Irans authorities before international criminal courts and other international institutions."

Towfigh, who came to Canada in the mid-1980s, after fleeing Iran as a teenager, realizes the letter "wont make a huge difference on the government of Iran. But it gives hope to Bahais in that country: telling them they arent forgotten."

At the same time, it serves notice to the Iranian government "the world is watching... They can say they dont care what the world thinks, but their public image is in front of the world."

The Bahai faith was founded in the mid-1880s in Iran. There are about six million members in the world, including about 300 in Winnipeg.

faith@freepress.mb.ca
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- State data is confirming what many elected officials and community members already knew to be true -- Black New Yorkers are being vaccinated for coronavirus (COVID-19) at a slower rate than white New Yorkers, likely due to a mix of hesitancy and access.

According to data released by Gov. Andrew Cuomos office, of all the New Yorkers who were vaccinated as part of Phase 1a, 10% identified as Hispanic or Latino, 10% were Black, 63% were white, and 16% Asian. Health care workers and staff or residents of long-term care facilities are covered in group 1a.

For comparison, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 19% of New York state residents are Hispanic; 14% of the population is Black; 56% is white non-Hispanic; 8% is Asian non-Hispanic; and less than 2% of each Native Hawaiian, American Indian, or two or more races that are non-Hispanic.

The vaccination rate for Black New Yorkers in group 1b -- first responders, education workers, public transit workers, residents aged 65 and older -- who began getting the shot on Jan. 11, is even lower than group 1a.

Only 5% of those New Yorkers vaccinated in Phase 1b are Black. In the same group, 74% of those vaccinated are white, according to the data.

Data for those aged 65 and older, some of the states most vulnerable, is lower still: only 4% of senior residents who have been vaccinated are Black.

Hispanic and Latino New Yorkers have also been vaccinated at a lower rate than their white counterparts, while Asian residents have been vaccinated at a relatively high rate.

HISTORICAL MISTRUST

Although concerning, the data isnt surprising to state officials  mistrust within Black and brown communities of the government and healthcare establishment is deeply rooted in American history.

Conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and the United States Public Health Service, the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male was conducted between 1932 and 1972.

Black males were told they were being treated for bad blood and incentivized with the promise of free healthcare to participate. Instead, the men received no treatment, were given experimental medications and procedures and were prevented from receiving additional medical care. Nearly half of the participants died.

Cuomo said access and acceptance and/or hesitancy are the two challenges in reaching the Black community.

The hesitancy must be directly addressed with facts and validation. Yes, theres reason for the cynicism. Go back to the Tuskegee experiment. Yes, there are bona fide reasons for distrust of the system. I get that, Cuomo said.

ARE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS ENOUGH?

Both the state and city have launched education campaigns, as well as formed partnerships with local faith leaders and community-based organizations to gain the trust of the community, but as the data shows, either enough isnt being done or it isnt working as planned.

We expected it, we talked about it early on. We are addressing it, but it still exists. But you can never do enough, he continued.

Maritza Santiago previously told the Advance/SILive.com its going to take a lot more than pamphlets for Black and brown community members to trust what theyre being told.

The city is going to have to do a lot more than hand out some papers and tell us its safe [to get vaccinated]. The history of Black and brown communities being used as test subjects and altogether overlooked runs deep, Santiago said.

Sanitago, a West Brighton resident, said she saw first-hand how the coronavirus (COVID-19) impacted her community. While she said shes appreciative of efforts being made by the government to use facts, not scare tactics, to encourage vaccination in the Black community, the efforts are a bit late.

Vaccinations first began the week of Christmas, but the city and state just recently began their respective education campaigns.

A City Hall spokesman told the Advance/SILive.com in January that its still very early in the process of creating these partnerships.

The de Blasio administration has been scrutinized for its slow roll out of the vaccine, with many critics saying the logistics of vaccination sites should have been taken care of before doses were received.

Community members are saying the same about the education campaigns.

Cuomo said the state is making special efforts to reach the community and make the vaccine accessible in Black communities, starting an advertising campaign working with validators who are leaders in the Black community, including pastors and community groups.

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Avanti Srinivas said the MPs representing the YSRC, TD, CPI, CPM, AAP and the LJP would seek an appointment to meet PM Modi and explain to him how the steel plant was important to the people of AP. (Photo:PTI)

Visakhapatnam: Tourism minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao (Avanti) alleged that the Odisha government had conspired to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

He said VSPs owner Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) had paid Rs 360 crore to Odisha Mining Corporation 10 years ago for purchasing iron ore and subsequently it paid another Rs 1,000 crore as a penalty but till date neither did OMC supply the ore nor did it return the funds.

Stating that YSRC was strongly opposed to the privatisation of VSP, Avanti Srinivas said the MPs representing the YSRC, TD, CPI, CPM, AAP and the LJP would seek an appointment to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and explain to him how the steel plant was important to the people of Andhra Pradesh. As a prelude to this meeting, all the YSRCP MPs would meet home minister Amit Shah on Friday and submit a memorandum.

He said another delegation comprising top union leaders would meet Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy soon to discuss the privatisation issue.

The YSRC government was not aware of the MoU entered between RINL and POSCO. The state government was completely put in the dark, he said and appealed to the Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the leaders of the BJP and the Jana Sena not to politicise the issue under these circumstances.

The YSRC is opposing the privatisation of VSP tooth and nail and we are quite clear about it, the minister said.

Explaining the dangers of privatisation, the minister said around 4,500 employees belonging to SC, ST and other weaker sections would lose their jobs if the steel plant was privatised.

CITU state president Ch Naringa Rao appealed to the state government to explore the possibility of exploiting iron ore mines at Obulapuram, Ongole and West Godavari districts.

He said POSCO runs a fully-automated plant with just 4,000 employees producing 4.1 crore tonnes while RINL employs more than 20,000 people.

He also said that per capita income in Gajuwaka was the highest in the state because of the steel plant.
A New Zealand dairy producer has urged British farmers to put themselves first before their farm after speaking candidly about his battles with mental health.

Wayne Langford, a sixth-generation farmer from Golden Bay, has explained how he used to put his farm first, but his priorities now were with his family.

Better known as the man behind the You Only Live Once (YOLO) Farmer Blog, he said he decided to do something about his depression on his 34th birthday in 2017.

Then, four years ago, he got to the point where he had stopped making decisions and was becoming angry and irritable.

Speaking during the Dairy-Tech Mental Health Awareness seminar on Thursday (11 February), Wayne said: My kids said I was no fun anymore, which was a real killer for me.

After a week or so mostly in bed, I had an out-of-body experience on my 34th birthday which made me realise I was fit, healthy and had a family.

I got out of bed and took my family to the beach that day, sparking the idea we should challenge ourselves to do something different every day."

That is when Wayne and his wife Tyler set a challenge for a year of doing one thing each day to show that they had lived that day, recording it on his YOLO blog and in doing so, changed their lives completely.

Wayne said one of the hardest things was reaching out for help: I remember thinking I would be locked up and put in a straight jacket. It could not be further from the truth.

To use a farming metaphor, Wayne said his brain had 'cooked itself like a tractor engine': My engine needed to be cooled down and the damage repaired before it could achieve great things again.

For two years I felt like the lame cow in the herd holding everything back. No cow wants to be the lame cow, and while they will try and not be a straggler, all it takes is a bit of treatment and love from the farmer to help them improve.

Mental health is a growing issue in agriculture: in 2019, 102 suicides were registered in England and Wales in those working in farming and agricultural related trades.

Stephanie Berkeley from the Farm Safety Foundation said the industry was facing some very unique pressures at the moment, with Covid, Brexit and more.

"Whilst farmers are renowned for the attention they give to their livestock, crop and machinery it appears they do not have such a good track record when it comes to taking care of themselves and their own wellbeing.

She said it was important to start having genuine conversations with people about their mental health and start normalising conversations around the subject.

If you are worried about someone ask if they are okay and if they dont respond ask again. It is an opportunity to open up a conversation.

"While it is not your job to diagnose, you can show you care by having these conversations, she said.

Next week (15-19 February) the Farm safety Foundation is running the fourth annual Mind Your Head campaign to raise awareness about mental health issues in agriculture.
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Teachers and police officers could start getting Covid vaccines by April, with them expected to be first in line once the over-50s have been jabbed.

Britain is on course to have offered first doses to all 15million in the top four priority groups  over-70s, care home residents and staff, NHS workers, and the seriously ill  by next Monday.

The roll-out will then be expanded to 65 to 69-year-olds, before working down the age groups until as many vulnerable Britons are covered as possible. No10 hopes to have offered jabs to all 32million in the top nine priority groups by the end of April.

There is currently no recommendation for who should be prioritised once the over-50s are vaccinated.

But the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI), which designed the UK's priority list, is expected to say Britons in frontline roles will be next in line, Whitehall sources told The Telegraph.

It is thought the decision will be officially announced in the week starting February 22, when Boris Johnson is set to unveil his lockdown-easing plan.

The move comes as police officers have been told they can get the Covid-19 jab at health centres with spare capacity but must wear plain clothes in order not to draw attention to themselves.

Force leaders were said to have felt 'betrayed' when Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced this week that frontline officers may have to wait months for jabs. But the Mail has learnt of an arrangement with the NHS that lets police receive a vaccine if there is spare capacity at a centre and the jab would otherwise go to waste.

There are mounting fears that the UK's vaccination drive has slowed, after Francis Crick Institute head Sir Paul Nurse revealed 90 per cent of appointments at their London-based clinic had not been filled for two weeks.

The vaccination hub at Taunton Racecourse, Somerset, has also had to cut its opening times by five hours and temporarily stand down some staff. It had the capacity to reach 900 Britons a day.

Teachers and police could start receiving their coronavirus vaccines in April, after everyone over 50 has got their first dose. Police officers have been told they can get vaccinated at health centres with spare capacity  but must wear plain clothes and not their uniforms so as not to draw attention to themselves

The Covid vaccination centre at Taunton Racecourse in Somerset, pictured, has also cut its opening times by five hours. It could give out 900 shots a day

Sir Paul Nurse, the head of the Francis Crick Institute in London, has said their vaccination centre has had 90 per cent of its appointments going unused for two weeks. It comes amid mounting concern of a mass slowdown in the drive

STUNNING 90% OF APPOINTMENTS GOING SPARE AT LONDON COVID JABS HUB, SAYS TOP SCIENTIST More than 90 per cent of coronavirus vaccine appointments at a centre in London are not being filled, a top scientist has revealed. Sir Paul Nurse, the head of the Francis Crick Institute where a jabs centre is based, said they had the capacity to give 1,000 doses a day, but in the last two weeks have given less than 100 every 24 hours. He added that on one day they barely managed to fill 30 appointments, despite more than 500 volunteers being available. Their centre is now having to close at weekends due to the few bookings. Sir Nurse called on ministers to sort out the problem today to get the national rollout moving, saying ministers must use every second they have available. 'The NHS vaccination program has gone very well but there does seem to be a problem showing itself in empty slots appearing in the national booking system,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'We did raise it with the Minister for Vaccination, I contacted him two weeks ago. 'He spoke to me graciously earlier this week, so they are aware of the problem, and he said he expects or hopes that this problem will go away in the next few days. 'And we really do need it to go away in the next few days because any delay in the vaccination program in the long-run costs lives and livelihoods.' He added it was unclear why the issue was occurring, but it may be linked to a shortage of doses, to avoid criticism by not vaccinating all those in higher categories, or down to a postcode lottery in distribution. 'But there is something amiss. We need to find out what it is and then correct it and find out what's going wrong, and fix it.' A vaccination centre in Telford has also reported few of its available appointments are being filled. And the hub at Taunton Racecourse in Somerset has cut its opening times by five hours and told some staff they are temporarily not needed amid the slowdown. Advertisement

Revealing that teachers and other key workers were going to be next in line behind over-50s, a source told the newspaper there was a 'clear focus' on giving early priority to key workers, which also includes bus drivers and deliverymen.

'The JCVI will need to see the latest data on transmission before they make their recommendations,' they said.

'But we have been clear that there are two things: Firstly, protecting those most at risk of hospitalisation overall, largely as a result of age, which is what the first cohort covers; and then looking at those whose roles increase their risk.

'The transmission data will inform the exact recommendations but it is clear that teachers and police will be given early priority.'

Police officers have already been given the green light to get Covid jabs if there are leftover stocks, providing they are in plain clothes and not in official vehicles so as not to draw attention to themselves.

In an internal memo, staff are advised that they cannot be seen to receive preferential treatment that would contradict the Government's decision not to prioritise police.

It also emerged that some officers have sidestepped even this discreet arrangement by booking jabs through services meant for NHS staff.

Scotland Yard said last month that five Met officers had died with Covid in little more than a fortnight. A custody sergeant, three constables and a traffic police community officer died between January 11 and January 26.

Met Police bosses circulated the jabs memo after officers shared a link on WhatsApp that allowed them to ignore the agreed protocols and book in for vaccinations at Hillingdon Hospital in west London, via a link originally intended for health workers.

Officers were urged not to use the link but if they had already booked an appointment then they should 'still attend but in plainclothes or a plainclothes jacket and not in marked vehicles'.

There are 15million people in the top four priority groups, who are all set to have their first dose by mid-February, and 17million between 69 and 50 years old.

Providing 345,000 jabs are administered daily from February 15, all those over 50 should be covered by April 7, according to a MailOnline analysis.

But ministers are already giving out 434,301 jabs a day on average, the latest figures show, suggesting they could cover all those over-50 even earlier.

The rollout could also be slowed by the need to start administering second doses once the 12-week gap is up, which will reduce the capacity to give out first doses.

Experts have already raised fears that the operation is not going fast enough, and cautioned ministers are so focussed on getting jabs to the top four priority groups that the rollout is being slowed in areas where this target has been reached.

Sir Nurse warned today that although they had 500 volunteers and could vaccinate 1,000 patients a day, they had been seeing fewer than 100 for the past fortnight and sometimes only 30 in a day.

'The NHS vaccination program has gone very well but there does seem to be a problem showing itself in empty slots appearing in the national booking system,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'Weve also had to close the centre at weekends.'

'I know theres similar problems elsewhere. The BBC reported a similar problem in Telford, for example. So why are only five to 10 per cent of the booking slots being filled? Thats the concern to us.'

He added he didn't know the reasons for the low number of appointments being filled, but urged ministers to 'correct' the issue.

The NHS England statistics, which go up to February 7, show Somerset had given at least one dose to 93.4 per cent of all of its over-70s. Derbyshire was second, with 92.5 per cent of people above that age having received their first shot of either Pfizer's of Oxford University's vaccine

'It could be because of vaccine shortage, it could be to avoid criticism, as youve implied, in the media about not vaccinating those in a higher category before lower categories. It could be around the country, so called postcode lottery. It may be that people dont like to go to the vaccination centres and prefer GP surgeries.

'But there is something amiss. We need to find out what it is and then correct it and find out whats going wrong, fix it. Because science has provided us with the tools to move forward and we need to use them as rapidly as possible, we do need to vaccinate faster.'

IS YOUR AREA WINNING IN THE VACCINES ROLLOUT? Parts of England have already dished out Covid vaccines to nearly 95 per cent of their over-70s, official figures revealed today as the NHS races toward its goal of jabbing the top four priority groups by Monday. The NHS England statistics, which go up to February 7, show Somerset had given at least one dose to 93.4 per cent of all of its over-70s. Derbyshire was second, with 92.5 per cent of people above that age having received their first shot of either Pfizer's of Oxford University's vaccine. The figures, which split England up into 40 areas where local NHS divisions operate, found another five areas had given the injection to more than nine in 10 of over-70s. They are: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Lancashire and South Cumbria; Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire; Coventry and Warwickshire; and Herefordshire and Worcestershire. But the figures suggest the roll-out has been somewhat of a postcode lottery, with just 76.3 per cent of the age bracket in east London being given their first dose, for example. In the North of the capital, uptake was not much higher at 78.2 per cent and in North West London it was similarly low, at 78.4 per cent. Advertisement

Staff at the Taunton Racecourse vaccination hub have also revealed they were sent home at 3pm on Thursday, five hours early, after running out of 'eligible' patients from the four top priority groups.

The hub has been running from 8am to 8pm, vaccinating up to 900 people a day, since it was opened last month. But several people working at the centre have been told they will not now be needed for the next two weeks.

One health worker at the site blasted the early closure, which they said was because the centre had to wait for other parts of the country to catch up with their vaccinations.

This is all political and deeply shocking, they told MailOnline. Theyve decided the 70-plus cohort needs to be completed nationwide before Taunton can move to the 65-70 group.

They are worried about people in other areas of the country asking, how come the 65s in Somerset are getting vaccinated and we are not?

Matt Hancock is missing the point here. The idea should be to get as many people vaccinated as possible - not to worry about the postcodes they are in. They could say to the over-65s in Somerset, Book yourself in and come today but they are not doing that.

They have spare capacity and they are choosing to close early instead. Its just shocking and it doesnt make any sense.

Taunton Racecourse was one of ten new sites added last month to seven already existing hubs in a bid to get 15 million vaccinated nationwide by February 15.

Early traffic at the racecourse was described as 'bumper to bumper' with people travelling from a 45-mile radius to get their first dose.

Yesterday a spokesperson for Somersets Covid-19 vaccination programme said they had temporarily limited opening times because their goal to vaccinate the four priority groups would be achieved by Sunday.

Our large vaccination centres, like the one at Taunton Racecourse, are designed to see between 450 and 900 people a day. As we come close to vaccinating all those in the first four priority groups in Somerset, the bookings at our large vaccination centres have temporarily reduced in line with demand.

We have at times therefore temporarily limited opening times at these centres but we remain ready to extend them again as we need to, when vaccinations open to those in the next priority groups identified by the JCVI.

We are hugely grateful to all the support that we have had from our volunteers and health and care teams who have been working around the clock to run these services. We are continuously reviewing the planned bookings at all our centres and will adjust services when required, to support larger or smaller numbers of vaccination appointments depending on demand.


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The British governments post-Brexit deregulation agenda is accelerating. The closing of the freeport (free trade zone) bidding process and the governments recent recalibration of its plans for workers employment rights, followed quickly by an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement, signals an intensified class war policy.

Margaret Thatchers former Chancellor Nigel Lawson spelled out the post-Brexit agenda in 2016. Her economic transformation, he wrote, was done by a thoroughgoing programme of supply side reform, of which judicious deregulation was a critically important part, but this was now bound by a growing corpus of [European Union] regulation.

Brexit was an opportunity to address this, i.e., rip up any regulation standing in the way of super-exploitation, and finish the job that Margaret Thatcher started.

After taking office in 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out to finish the Thatcher Revolution. He personally asked 250 business executives for ideas to cut regulatory and legislative burdens.

This week the application window closed for the first 10 freeports. These are low tax, cheap labour, free trade zones, where goods can be imported, manufactured and re-exported without facing standard tariffs or requiring normal customs checks. Companies pay lower VAT and employment tax and receive tax relief on land purchases. They were described by right-wing author and journalist Paul Johnson in 1980 as a dagger aimed at the heart of socialism.

Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (centre) with Frances OGrady, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (left) and (right) Dame Carolyn Julie Fairbairn, Director General of the CBI, London, September 24, 2020 [Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein]

Some 35 organisations are known to have expressed an interest in bidding for freeport status. Freeports are a favoured policy of Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Johnson recently tasked Sunak with driving an ambitious programme of regulatory reform, and new global trade deals. Sunak had called for freeports in a 2016 paper, The Free Ports Opportunity, for the Centre for Policy Studies, a Thatcherite thinktank.

Freeports are not restricted to coastal areas. The latest bid was submitted by Londons Heathrow airport based on facilitating Britains position as an independent trading nation. Its application said having freeport status would ensure that the unique role of the UKs only hub airport and the biggest port by value is fully maximisedallowing the UKs businesses, customers, and supply chains to capitalise on the international connections and routes available, whilst reducing administrative burdens and controls.

Britain had seven freeports while in the EU. It closed the last five in 2012 to focus on other enterprise zones.

The new proposals will add other inducements for business not permitted by the EU. Bloomberg noted last year that whatever gains could be made would depend on the governments tax breaks and other inducements.

This follows the government cancelling a post-Brexit review of workers employment rights it previously denied was taking place. The review, instigated by former Business Secretary Alok Sharma with Johnsons encouragement, covered the whole body of EU law.

Withdrawing the review, current Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the government was not looking to diminish its provisions, but this is a recalibration, not a retreat. It underlines how far the existing legislation existed solely for the benefit of big business. Even the right-wing Daily Telegraph said the EU Working Time Directive was not seen as particularly burdensome as many companies just ask workers to opt out of the rules if needs be.

The ministers now in charge of ensuring that the UK attracts inward investment from corporations seeking higher returns have long been explicit about their intentions. Most striking was their 2012 book, Britannia Unchained: Global Lessons for Growth and Prosperity, a 1collection of articles by Brexiteer MPs in the Thatcherite Free Enterprise Group. Four of the five authors are now in leading government positionsDominic Raab (Foreign Minister), Priti Patel (Home Secretary), Liz Truss (Department for International Trade), and Kwarteng.

It attacked the UKs bloated state, high taxes and excessive regulation, calling for deregulation of trade, tax cuts and demolishing any legal obstacles to increasing the exploitation of the working class. Kwarteng wrote that Britains employment law discourages small business from taking a risk, and Britain should do whatever we can to cut the burden of employment regulation.

British workers, they wrote, are among the worst idlers in the world. We work among the lowest hours, we retire early and our productivity is poor. This informs his view of Brexit as a unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Kwarteng told the Telegraph, A lot of the Brexit debate centred around low wages. As a result, the idea that we would secure Brexit and then have a race to the bottom has always been preposterous to me.

The Telegraph described him as over-correcting in playing down his libertarian credentials, but this is PR gloss. The race to the bottom is already underway.

Sharmas review targeted specific EU employment provisions, including the legal requirement to provide a written statement of pay and conditions within 28 days of taking on a worker. This already excludes zero-hours contracts, which do not require employers to specify the number of hours to be worked.

Media focus centred on the EUs Working Time Directive, which sets a 48-hour limit on the working week, protecting the working hours of 750,000 workers in Britain. The directive contains sufficient get-out clauses not to impinge on profits. EU member states were authorised to negotiate opt-out clauses for individual companies and employees.

The review also looked at legislation on rest breaks. Presently, workers must have rest breaks during their working hours if they are on duty for six hours or longer. They are entitled to 11 hours rest for every 24 hours worked, and a further 24 hours uninterrupted rest over seven days.

The other main threat identified was over holiday pay. The EU directive introduced statutory holiday pay of at least four weeks. Ministers were reportedly not planning to scrap the holiday pay provision altogether but aiming to derail a recent ruling put in place by the European Court of Justice that insisted holiday pay calculations include commission payments and compulsory overtime.

Sharmas review has been shelved for the present, but the ruling elites direction of travel is clear. As the Spectators Ross Clark commented, There wouldnt have been much point in Brexit at all unless a UK government was prepared to vary from the EU--either by deregulating or changing regulation in some other way.

Employers have seized on the coronavirus pandemic to declare open season on workers. A Trades Union Congress (TUC) poll published January 25 showed that in the last year nine percent of workers in Britain had been faced with reapplying for their jobs on worse terms and conditions or be sackedfire and rehire ultimatums. Nearly a quarter of workers reported having seen their hours or pay cut back since last March, rising to 30 percent of low-paid workers earning less than 15,000 a year.

The City of London parasites are specialists in all manner of financial skullduggery and corporate plunder. This is to be ramped up, as Kwarteng, like Johnson, seeks to establish a Singapore-on-Thames low-tax economy. In 2012, Kwarteng included Singapore among the places where a combination of private enterprise and effective government policy has enabled economic growth rates which we can only dream about in the west.

Britains application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership means it will be the first new member since the US withdrew in 2017. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, a senior fellow at the London School of Economics, said the trade bloc offered a bridge to Asian markets.

This points to the volatility of inter-imperialist relations. One former British diplomat suggested the political implications of the move were more significant than the trade volumes.

The CPTPP was originally founded by former US President Barack Obama as an anti-China trade bloc. China has now expressed an interest in joining, as have South Korea and Thailand. Johnson last year declared himself pro-China and very enthusiastic about Chinese President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiativea massive infrastructure scheme aimed at linking China throughout Eurasia and enhancing Chinas global position, though his government is now singing from a US-dictated anti-China hymn-sheet.

Still, Freeports are to play a major role in the CPTPP. Announcing the CPTPP application, Truss noted lower tariffs for car manufacturers was a major factor, as vehicles make up 27 percent of UK exports to CPTPP countries.

When Kwarteng withdrew the legislation review, TUC General Secretary Frances OGrady welcomed this as good news if true, before presenting Johnson as a prime minister who could be pressured into defending workers rights. He had promised voters he would enhance protections at work, she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 23:48:03|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday sent his greetings in a video to people celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year this weekend, wishing them "a happy and prosperous" Year of the Ox.

In the one-minute video posted to his twitter account, Johnson first sent his new year wishes and thanked the British Chinese community "for the incredible contribution you make to our country, consistently achieving so much in everything from education to business and medicine".

"Unfortunately this year's celebrations can not include the usual dragon dances and other fantastic festivities, because of our battle against the COVID. But I hope all of us can take heart from this Year of the Ox," said the prime minister.

"And just as that mighty beast (Ox) demonstrates strength and determination, as it forges ahead to make progress, so too, I believe, we will win our struggle against the pandemic," he added.

Looking ahead to the Chinese New Year, he noted that Britain and China "have many shared challenges" from defeating COVID-19 to tackling climate change and supporting a worldwide economic recovery.

"I wish you, and all those celebrating across the globe, a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year. Gung Hay Fat Choy (a Cantonese phrase delivers a wish for prosperity)," he concluded.

Chinese New Year celebrations have been holding across Britain. London's Trafalgar Square has been lit up red since Wednesday night for the Chinese Lunar New Year, which begins on Friday.

The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important festival in China. Celebrations begin about a week in advance and end with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the new year. Enditem
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Mumbai, Feb 12 : Actress Sonakshi Sinha feels nature itself can be a cool filter, and shared a picture to prove her point.

On Thursday, Sonakshi took to her Instagram to share a sun-kissed picture of herself, writing: "Nature needs no filters but can be a cool filter." In the image, the actress is seen posing in the daylight by some red flowers, with the shadow of the flowers falling on her face.

Earlier this week, Sonakshi extended support to the ongoing farmers' protest. Sonakshi posted a poem on Instagram, which she has recited and dedicated to the hands that feed us.

The Hindi poem is titled "Kyun" (Why) "Nazarein milake khud se poochho- kyun? A tribute to the hands that feed us... a beautiful poem written by @varadbhatnagar. Shot and conceptualized by @gursanjam.s.puri and narrated by me. #farmersprotest," the actress wrote on Instagram.

The Hindi poem "Kyun" tries to explore the reasons behind why farmers have left the fields and taken to the streets, and why the protesters are being tagged as rioters.

On the work front, the actress is gearing up for her next release, Bhuj: The Pride Of India, co-starring Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk, Pranitha Subhash and Nora Fatehi. The film is set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

Russian police conducted a late-night search of the headquarters for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose arrest last month set off nationwide protests.

The search by a dozen police ended about 1 am. It was not immediately clear if the police took away items as potential evidence, but photos posted by Navalny's staff on social media showed them bagging material including a coffee mug.

There was no statement from police about the reason for the search; the Mediazona news website that focuses on political repressions and human rights abuses cited a Navalny staff member as saying that police said they had received a report that pornography was being published at the office.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 when he returned to from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

He later was ordered to serve 2 1/2 years in prison on the grounds that his time in Germany violated a suspended sentence he was handed in a money-laundering and fraud conviction.

The arrest sparked protests throughout the county on two weekends in January, in which a total of about 10,000 people reportedly were arrested.

(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.)
According to CNBC, chipmaker Qualcomm has quietly objected to NVIDIA's proposed $40 billion acquisition of ARM. The company reportedly told the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as its regulatory counterparts in the UK, EU and China, it has concerns about the impending takeover. Specifically, Qualcomm is said to oppose the purchase because it believes NVIDIA would prevent ARM from licensing its processor architecture designs to other companies. ARM currently allows more than 500 companies, including Qualcomm, to use its tech.

"As we proceed through the review process, we're confident that both regulators and customers will see the benefits of our plan to continue ARM's open licensing model and ensure a transparent, collaborative relationship with ARM's licensees," an NVIDIA spokesperson told CNBC. "Our vision for ARM will help all ARM licensees grow their businesses and expand into new markets." Weve reached out to Qualcomm for comment.

According to CNBC, the FTC recently asked ARM, current owner SoftBank and NVIDIA to provide additional information and documentation, a process that could take months. It's also talking to companies that may have insight that could inform an eventual decision. "You're looking at a very thorough, a very painful, and a very long investigation," a source told the network.

Ultimately, NVIDIA's intentions for ARM may not play as important a role in the decisions regulators make as the company's current business model. ARM is unlike almost any other entity in tech. Its licensing model allows companies like Qualcomm, Apple and Samsung to use its processor architecture designs and build chips that are all more or less competitive with one another.

Politics could just as quickly scuttle the acquisition. In the US, there's support on both sides of the political spectrum to rein in big tech. It was only earlier this month that Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced legislation that would make it more difficult for companies like NVIDIA to acquire smaller firms if it were to pass. Even if the FTC were to approve the deal, it would still need to pass even more difficult regulatory hurdles in China. All signs point to the country opposing the acquisition on the grounds that it would hand control of a company that is critical to the competitiveness of homegrown tech giants like Huawei to a US firm, thereby including it in the ongoing trade war between the two countries.
Warning of more reduction of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) commitments, Irans Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif talked of developing nuclear program and reducing cooperation with IAEA inspectors if US and E3 do not comply with their JCPOA commitments, Mehr reported.

Zarif said that the Iranian nation had had a long way more than 100 years before the revolution to achieve the right to self-determination, saying that developing indigenous scientific-technical industry is the key achievements the Iranians have made since the revolution despite being under heavy sanctions.

In an apparent reference to the Iranian Parliaments deadline for Washington to lift the sanctions, the foreign minister further warned the new US administration that the window of opportunity was closing fast to make up for the past mistakes the previous Trump administration had made in dealing with the Iranian nation.

He said that Tehran would have to take further steps to reduce its JCPOA commitments in the case of continuing non-compliance with the nuclear accord by the US and the European signatories on February 20.

Zarif said the Parliaments legislation is in accordance with the nuclear deal and Tehran will reduce the cooperation with IAEA inspectors and further develop its nuclear program on February.

At the end of his message on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, Zarif said that Iran, as it has repeatedly said in the past, is ready to cooperate with its neighbors in line with the common goals shared with the neighbors.

He said that on the occasion of the revolution anniversary, Tehran once again calls for ending hostility towards the Iranian nation.
Another tragic loss for Mike Epps and his family.

The 50-year-old actor and comedian took to Instagram on Thursday night, February 11, to mourn the death of his father, Tommie Epps Sr.

The family's heartbreaking loss comes just six weeks after Epps' beloved mother passed away.

RIP: Comedian Mike Epps, 50, paid tribute to his father on Instagram following his death

The Hangover star posted a photo of himself with his right arm wrapped around his father's shoulders as the two flash glowing smiles on their faces.

'Big RIP to my DaD TOMMIE L EPPS SR. Thank you for life and all the great memories and lessons,' he began in the caption.

'He was a Hard worker, Good father, and God believers,' he continued, 'fly High king, kiss mama for me.'

However, he did not reveal the reason for his father's death.

Midwest upbringing: The actor and comedian was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana

The stand-up comedian also shared an emotional tribute to his mother, Mary Reed, following her passing a few days before Christmas.

'Rest in paradise mama thank you for all the lessons and life it's self you fought hard baby... because of you I will never stop fighting in this thing called life,' he wrote along with a sweet snap of mother and son snuggled up in a photo.

'She loved her kids and family and we had good times with her this is not a good bye its a We will see you later #MARYJERICE #HOMECOMMING #LETSREJOYCE #GODISGREAT.'

Emotional: The actor and comedian also mourned the death of his mother in December 2020

The Indiana, Indianapolis native first gained prominence when he played Day-Day Jones in the comedy film Next Friday (2000).

His resume also includes the sequel Friday After Next (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), The Hangover (2009), The Hangover III (2013), and more recently, Dolemite Is My Name (2019).

Epps is married to OWN Network executive and Iyanla: Fix My Life producer Kyra Robinson. The couple, who married since June 2019, welcomed their first child together, a daughter Indiana Rose, last March
Press Release

12 February 2021

With leading events' organiser Bench and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance on board, a beneficial partnership has been created for all parties involved in the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge. This collaboration is about pushing the boundaries of innovation to create value-added solutions for a more sustainable world.

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The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) is a Hotelschool The Hague initiative that aims to enhance the evolution of sustainable hospitality. Launched 6 years ago as the 'Genio Worldwide Innovation Summit', the challenge has now moved to a new direction embracing sustainability as the recurring theme. SHC addresses the urgency of the climate crisis and the direct impact it has on travel and tourism - an impact that has engaged all participants to contribute with innovative solutions. Today, more than 60 students from 30 global top-tier hospitality business schools share their ideas for a better Planet!

The stage is set with international hotel school students being invited to develop sustainable solutions in the fields of Future Brand, Future Real Estate and Hospitality of Tomorrow, which they pitch to a prominent jury of senior industry leadership and hospitality CEOs.

The idea behind the SHC initiative was to elevate the student journey and put innovation at the forefront of the industry ecosystem. Paul Griep, Director of Industry Relations at Hotelschool The Hague and the driving force behind the challenge said; "This is the largest student sustainability challenge in our industry. Our mission is similar to the World Solar Challenge where ideas and solutions presented by the students are adapted and used in the real world."

Now an exciting new partnership between Bench will bring a new dimension to the challenge. "We are honoured to partner with such a global industry events organiser that will showcase innovative talents and will introduce a new edge to this challenge", Griep said. "This initiative presents a unique opportunity for the next generation of hospitality leaders to build sustainable solutions with a global outreach and outcome."

On occasion of this partnership, Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench, said "Showcasing an international pool of talent, eager to present innovative ideas on a global stage is the most rewarding part of the alliance. Bringing together a generation of creative change-makers and the investment community will shape the cradle of innovation and will lead us to a more sustainable world. We can do this only when collaborating and listening to the new generation."

A leading supporter of the challenge is Wolfgang M. Neumann, chairman of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance - a global forum of industry CEOs who are committed to a resilient and sustainable future - who is also chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hotelschool The Hague. He said: "Responsible travel recovery, impactful leadership and resilience in all planet-affecting initiatives are critical for the industry and the planet. All decision-makers need to collectively ensure that together we support the future leaders in building sustainable growth."

Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality who is also a Co-Chair of SHC, believes that the student challenge has been created by the students and for the students. "Multiple inventions have evolved as a result of a challenge and our industry is no stranger to experiencing fast-forward progress only by connecting the business world with Generation Z that pioneers the most innovative ideas. New concepts need to be visible to the business and investment communities - a vital role that not only leads to opportunities for many but accelerates the speed of development in our industry and supports a mindset-reset towards a more sustainable world."

To qualify for the SHC, all teams delivered their first report describing their innovative ideas in November 2020. Previews of some of those reports can be found on thestudentchallenge.com website. The quarter-final and semi-final will take place online on 31 March 2021, leaving just three teams in the final which will take place at the Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference (AHIC) later this year. Top tier industry CEOs will be judging and awarding the winning team. If you want to follow the students' journey this year, connect on LinkedIn, follow them on Instagram and tune in to the website: www.thestudentchallenge.com.

Sustainable Hospitality Challenge  Photo: Hotelschool The Hague

Bench

Over the past 25 years, Bench has established a legacy for transforming the way businesses connect. Known for delivering premium business forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America - the company has recently built a global reputation for delivering immersive virtual events and creative B2B solutions. Bench focuses on providing the right connections, knowledge, strategies, and digital platforms to help their customers in today's business environment.

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance brings together engaged hospitality companies and uses the collective power of the industry to deliver impact locally and on a global scale. They work with leading hospitality companies and strategic partners to address key challenges affecting our planet and its people, and develop free practical resources and programmes to enable the wider industry to operate responsibly and grow sustainably. Their members make up 25% of the global hotel industry by rooms and include 14 world-leading hotel companies with a combined reach of over 30,000 properties and 4.5 million rooms.

FLINT, MI -- A 44-year-old Flint man has been arraigned and released on bond on charges of aggravated stalking and being a habitual offender in relation to threatening telephone calls made to Flint City Councilman Maurice Davis.

Quamon King appeared Friday, Feb. 12, before Genesee District Court Magistrate Cora Gregory, telling her he would not attempt to contact Davis, who represents the citys 2nd Ward.

I never met the victims, but I didnt plan on doing anything to them, King told Gregory Friday.

King, a lifelong resident of Genesee County, was to be released on a personal recognizance bond Friday, and is scheduled to appear before District Judge Mark McCabe on Feb. 25.

Through attorney Neil Szabo, King said he is unemployed and is requesting a public defender to represent him in the case.

Davis announced Monday, Feb. 8, that he was receiving repeated telephone calls from a man who threatened his life and the life of his wife. The man made reference to City Council business, including the need to support a transfer of money to the city Police Departments budget.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach Davis for comment on Kings arraignment Friday.

Davis is a first-term councilman who gained national attention for his strong support of former President Donald Trump in the last presidential election.

He has said that support resulted in his being called a traitor by some.

I like a lot about Trump, Davis said in the days leading up to the election. He dont give a damn (about what other people think). Thats close to my personality. Hes his own person. Hes not scared to say what he wants to do.

Flint Councilman Maurice Davis says his life has been threatened, police investigating

Flint man in custody, charged with making death threats against Councilman Maurice Davis

Man accused of threatening Flint councilman faces charge of aggravated stalking
The existence of a womans intimate images was of little concern to the Brandon Police Service during a 2016 hiring competition, but the appearance of dishonesty was, a Brandon court heard on Thursday.

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The existence of a womans intimate images was of little concern to the Brandon Police Service during a 2016 hiring competition, but the appearance of dishonesty was, a Brandon court heard on Thursday.

Brandon police deputy chief Randy Lewis testified on the fourth day of Brittany Roques civil lawsuit against Terry Lynn Peters for sharing her intimate images without her consent.

The City of Brandon is a third party in the lawsuit, which is being heard by Justice Sandra Zinchuk in the Court of Queens Bench.

Peters shared the intimate images of Roque with Brandon police executive after she found them in the private email of her then-partner, Ryan Friesen, who is also a Brandon police officer. The court heard on Monday that Roque and Ryan Friesen had a brief affair in 2015.

At the time the images were shared, Roque was in the middle of a hiring competition to become a Brandon police officer.

During questioning from City of Brandon lawyer Annika Friesen, Lewis testified the police service was contacted by Peters saying she had information about Roque that could be of interest to Brandon police.

Lewis first called her during a drive back from Winnipeg, he said, and she told him she had found images on Ryan Friesens email.

A few days later, Lewis went to Peters' house, where she showed him the images, which were of Roque and other women in various stages of undress.

He testified he had to put them on a USB stick, rather than just looking at them there, so they could be further analyzed. Lewis also argued the public good and public interest aspect of Manitobas Intimate Images Act and the Criminal Code of Canada allowed him to investigate the information further.

"(The laws) gave me the authority to take copies of the photographs so I could further analyze them or at least determine the content more thoroughly in order that they could be analyzed to determine their significance or insignificant in the hiring of Ms. Roque," he said.

He said he also needed copies of the images to assess their recency, which is also an important factor in police hiring decisions.

Lewis also testified under cross-examination from Peters' lawyer, Rhea Majewski, that the existence of the images alone did not have a significant impact on the police services decision to remove Roque from the hiring competition.

Rather, it was several "red flags" that came up and inconsistencies in answers in interviews and with a psychologist. The court heard Wednesday that Roque didnt disclose the affair with Ryan Friesen and intimate images until after an initial questionnaire and interview.

"I can say the images in and of themselves had little to no bearing on Ms. Roque being removed from the police competition," Lewis said.

Once Roque was officially out of the hiring competition, Lewis smashed the USB with the intimate images on it with a hammer while current Brandon police Chief Wayne Balcaen observed. The pieces were put into three different garbage cans.

Lewis also permanently deleted the images from his email account.

The steps were taken as the Brandon Police Service had no need of them any longer and had no legal authority to keep them, Lewis testified.

The incident around Roque and her images changed how the Brandon Police Service handles hiring competition, Lewis said. Neither Brandon police nor the City of Brandon had dealt with intimate images in hiring up to that point.

"Were learning as we go through this process," he testified.

"The needle is always moving in regards to social issues and practices. Legally speaking, everything that was done was done well within the legal parameters."

Closing arguments in the trial are set for Tuesday.

 dmay@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @DrewMay_
She married millionaire Richard Lavender on New Year's Eve in a quaint ceremony which was kept secret until the eleventh hour.

And six weeks after her wedding, Sunrise host Sam Armytage enjoyed a 'reverse' hens party with her friends at Magic Mike Live in Sydney.

The TV presenter, 44, was joined by socialite Skye Leckie - at whose party she first met Richard in 2019 - as well as Channel Seven journalist Adene Cassidy and producer Sarah Stinson.

Oh, what a night! Six weeks after her wedding to Richard Lavender, Sunrise host Sam Armytage (far right) enjoyed a 'reverse' hens party with her friends at Magic Mike Live in Sydney. She was joined by socialite Skye Leckie - at whose party she first met Richard in 2019 - as well as Channel Seven journalist Adene Cassidy and producer Sarah Stinson

In footage shared by Sam on Instagram, half-naked men flaunted their rippling muscles while grinding on the table in front of the flustered ladies.

She described the event as 'the most fun night ever', then uploaded several more videos of the dancers gyrating on stage.

'Here's a taste, just to make your Friday morning a bit more interesting, ladies...' Sam captioned the footage.

In another clip shared by Adene, Sam, who wore a leopard-print skirt and black top, laughed hysterically as her pals tossed fake money at the male performers.

Squirming: As one long-haired dancer hopped onto the group's table, Sam and her pals couldn't help but squeal with excitement

She's loving it! 'Here's a taste, just to make your Friday morning a bit more interesting, ladies...' Sam captioned footage of the dancers on Instagram

Night out: Before the steamy performance, the ladies appeared relaxed as they gathered to celebrate Sam's marriage

As one long-haired dancer hopped onto the group's table, Sam and her pals couldn't help but squeal with excitement.

Created and co-directed by actor Channing Tatum in 2016, Magic Mike Live has already been a success in Las Vegas and London.

The stage extravaganza will play in Sydney until April.

Sam later revealed she had bumped into one of the dancers in the car park after the show, and said he'd instantly recognised her from Sunrise.

Saucy: Sam laughed hysterically as her friends tossed fake money at the shirtless dancers

'That was sweet!' Sam later revealed she had bumped into one of the dancers in the car park after the show, and said he'd instantly recognised her from Sunrise

'Afterwards, one of the dancers wanted a selfie with me at the car park ticket pay machine. So that was sweet!' she said.

Sam married Richard, 66, at his 40-hectare property in the picturesque Southern Highlands on New Year's Eve, with just close friends and family as their guests.

The pair tied the knot at his home at about midday, then moved to a luncheon at the Centennial Vineyards Restaurant in Bowral.

Wild: Created and co-directed by actor Channing Tatum in 2016, Magic Mike Live has already been a success in Las Vegas and London. The stage extravaganza will play in Sydney until April

Just married! Sam married Richard Lavender, 66, at his 40-hectare property in the picturesque Southern Highlands on New Year's Eve, with just close friends and family as their guests

A source told Daily Mail Australia of the nuptials: 'Champagne was flowing, and at one point they had several waiters attending to their every need.

'However, they didn't get any VIP treatment, and while they were away from other guests, they were sitting among locals and tourists.'

A local from Burradoo said it was 'pretty much a "slap-on" lunch', adding that Sam looked relaxed as she 'rubbed Richard's back, chatting to guests'.

The newlyweds had arrived at the reception in a local taxi.

The popular host only announced her engagement to Richard in late June, and they walked down the aisle just six months later.
UP eases covid restrictions: Shops allowed to open on weekdays in districts with less than 600 active cases

Coronavirus cases: India reports 9,309 new COVID-19 cases, 87 related deaths in last 24 hours

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, Feb 12: Union health ministry on Friday said that India reported less than 10,000 new cases of the coronavirus cases for the third time this month, as 9,309 new infections, reported in the preceding 24 hours. For the sixth time in the month, there were less than 100 daily fatalities, with 87 fresh COVID-19 related deaths taking the death toll to 155,447 or 1.43 per cent of the national tally.

It can be seen that on February 2 and 9, there were 8,635 and 9,110 new cases, respectively.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait to address Kisan Mahapanchayat in Yavatmal on February 20

After witnessing a marginal spike in the last daily count, the number of active cases once again saw a sharp decline, with a dip of 6,636 infections taking the tally to 135,926 or 1.31 per cent of the total cases, as per the dashboard.

Meanwhile, recoveries continued to rise, as 15,858 more patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking total recovered cases to 10,589,230 and the national recovery rate to 97.26 per cent.

Left, Congress call for 12-hour shutdown to protest against police crackdown on Kolkata march

According to Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR), India's latest new positive cases are from 765,944 samples tested by it on February 11. The agency has said that it has tested 204,789,784 samples for the disease thus far, including those from February 11.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

India is the second-highest globally after that of the United States, has been praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for its handling of the pandemic. While India has seen a sharp decline in its daily new cases, the pandemic is still very much active in the US.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 10:39 [IST]
A grand jury in New York has dismissed felony assault charges against two police officers in Buffalo who shoved a 75-year-old protester so hard he was left lying on the sidewalk with blood pouring from his ear.

John Flynn, the Erie County district attorney, said on Thursday that charges had been dropped against Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe.

The two officers were seen shoving protester Martin Gugino, 75, on June 4, during a George Floyd demonstration.

Gugino suffered a fractured skull in the fall, and spent four weeks in hospital.

Martin Gugino, 75, was pushed to the floor in front of City Hall in Buffalo on June 4

The two officers shoved Gugino out of the way after he approached them during a protest

Officers walked past as the 75-year-old lay on the ground, visibly bleeding from his ear

Buffalo police initially said in a statement that a person 'was injured when he tripped and fell,' but following an outcry Captain Jeff Rinaldo later announced that an internal affairs investigation was opened.

Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood suspended the two officers, who were without pay for 30 days, as per their contract.

Flynn told a press conference on Thursday that he provided all relevant information and evidence to the grand jury, which ultimately decided not to prosecute.

'The reality here is that no one is ever going to know, I'll be honest the grand jury proceedings are secret, they're sealed and no one is ever going to know what happened in that grand jury,' he said.

'So, you really only have my word that I didn't sandbag anything.

'I put all relevant information and evidence into that grand jury and I presented it all to that grand jury and they made a decision.'

Torgalski and McCabe are still suspended, pending an internal inquiry, WIVB reported, although they are now back on the pay roll.

Gugino, who suffered a fractured skull, said in October that he was fine, although he was left with permanent damage to his ear.

'Look, I'm up, got a cane, no problem. I'm good,' he said. 'The city is not good.

'These were not two especially bad officers. The whole system is wrong.

Aaron Torgalski (left) and Robert McCabe were cleared by a grand jury on Thursday

'The curfew is wrong. Mayor [Byron] Brown needs to be taught what the First Amendment means. The chief of police, whatever training he gave these guys is not right.

'You are allowed to protest on the sidewalk. Protest is the American way.'

Gugino was asked if he saw the video of the incident.

'I didn't see it until a few days later. I thought, 'Wow. That's not good,'' he recalled.

He said there was no justification for what happened to him.

'Fall down, hit your head, blood comes out of your ear, carted off unconscious - there's no reason for that,' he said.

Martin Gugino, 75, suffered a fractured skull when he was shoved by two police on June 4

John Evans, president of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association, said they were pleased at the decision, and argued Torgalski and McCabe were simply following orders.

'The Buffalo Police Benevolent Association is extremely pleased with today's decision by a grand jury to dismiss charges against Buffalo Police Officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski,' he said.

'As we have stated all along, Officers McCabe and Torgalski were simply following departmental procedures and the directives of their superiors to clear Niagara Square despite working under extremely challenging circumstances.'
A paramedic has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after he raped a patient in her home and sexually assaulted another in the back of an ambulance.

Andrew Wheeler, 46, was described as a manipulative sexual predator by the judge, while prosecutors said the former emergency worker abused the privilege and trust that wearing an NHS uniform brings.

Wheeler, of Warboys in Cambridgeshire, was found guilty of six sexual offences at Peterborough Crown Court. Cambridgeshire Constabulary have said it possible is there are further victims who have not yet come forward.

Police also believe Wheelers career path was influenced by the access ... to potentially vulnerable members of the public.

The jury found him guilty of the rape and sexual assault of two women, and two counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, who was not a patient.

Wheeler was working for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) at the time of the offences.

His crimes came to light after he raped and sexually assaulted a patient in 2018.

The court heard how Wheeler was on shift as a single-crew paramedic responding to a call to help the woman, who was intoxicated and had collapsed at a friends house.

When two other paramedics arrived, he sent them away, saying he had it under control. He then took the woman to her home and raped and sexually assaulted her.

Noel Casey, prosecuting, said the woman was extremely intoxicated and was unable to properly respond or even resist what he did to her, and he did these things while she was alone in her own home, the defendant having taken her there.

The woman reported the attack to the police and Wheeler was arrested later that day.

The woman said in a victim impact statement read to the court: I have no faith in the NHS and Ive avoided seeing a paramedic and attending the hospital just because of what happened.

She said she has flashbacks, adding: I couldnt handle dealing with life. I became a recluse.

Another victim then came forward and told police the paramedic had her raped when she was not a patient in 2009 and sexually assaulted in the back of an ambulance in 2010.

He was also convicted of two counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13, not related to his work as a paramedic, in 2013 and 2014.

DCI Sherrie Nash, from the forces Protecting Vulnerable People department, encouraged anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence, and not previously felt able to report it to contact the force on 101 or via webchat on the website.

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Brunning said: Andrew Wheeler is a predatory individual whose offending has spanned nearly a decade. We believe his decision to become a paramedic was influenced by the access it would give him to potentially vulnerable members of the public and this breach of trust makes his appalling offences all the more deplorable.

He commended Wheelers victims for their bravery in coming forward, adding: I cant imagine what they have gone through but I hope todays sentencing allows them to continue rebuilding their lives knowing that justice has been done.

Wheeler was acquitted of seven other charges and the jury could not reach a verdict on a further five charges of rape.

The Rape Crisis freephone helpline number is 0808 802 9999 for England and Wales.

Rape Crisis Scotlands freephone helpline is available at 08088 01 03 02.

The Rape Crisis phone number for Northern Ireland is 0800 0246 991.
There were no passenger death due to train accident in last 22 months: Railways minister Piyush Goyal

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, Feb 12: Railways minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said that there has been no passenger death due to train accidents in the last 22 months as the last passenger death took place on March 22, 2019. The Railways minister's response in the Rajya Sabha came to Trinamul MP Dinesh Trivedi's question on railways safety.

"Safety became a casualty of inadequate budget and misdirection of budget allocation. In the last six years, we have focussed more and more amount to safety. The last passenger death due to train accidents took place on March 22, 2019," the minister said.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait to address Kisan Mahapanchayat in Yavatmal on February 20

As members in the Rajya Sabha created an uproar claiming that train services have been curtailed owing to the pandemic, the minister said, "Some member don't remember that the trains were running before March in 2020 and then services were resumed from April and are now 70% of their pre-pandemic services. But some members in the House have a short memory."

When asked whether the ministry is thinking of deploying modern equipment to increase overall safety and especially the bridges, the minister said, "There are 34,665 bridged in India which are over 100 years old. But the ministry has a robust inspection system - before the monsoon season and after."

Coronavirus cases: India reports 9,309 new COVID-19 cases, 87 related deaths in last 24 hours

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

On a question whether the railways is taking the help of drones to monitor these bridges, the Goyal said, "Drones will not be the right approach to monitor bridge condition. It should rather involve sensors, checking the tensile pressure etc. But I welcome the member's suggestion."

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 11:12 [IST]
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BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Switzerland's consumer prices continued to decline in January, albeit at a softer pace, data from the Federal Statistical Office showed on Friday. The consumer price index decreased 0.5 percent year-on-year in January, following a 0.8 percent fall in December. Economists had expected a 0.6 percent fall. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.1 percent in January, reversing a 0.1 percent decline in the preceding month. Prices for hotels, fuels and used cars grew in January. Meanwhile, prices for air transport, and clothing and footwear declined. The core CPI remained unchanged annually in January and declined 0.2 percent from the previous month. 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.
Gandhinagar, Feb 12 : Real estate developers and contractors in Gujarat on Friday participated in the one-day nationwide strike to protest against the 'exorbitant' and 'unacceptable' price hike of cement and steel.

Construction work on more than 22,000 sites came to a standstill opposing the artificial price hike by the cement and steel companies. The associations on strike also demanded that the government should constitute a cement regulatory authority for price regulation.

The Builders' Association of India (BAI), Gujarat Contractors Association (GCA), CREDAI Gujarat, GIHED and the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India) supported the strike call on Friday, opposing the exhorbitant price hike by the cement and steel manufacturers.

"The price of cement has been hiked exhorbitantly and unexpectedly by about 200 to 300 per cent without any valid reason. As per RERA regulations, one cannot hike the prices which have been committed to the customers. We have been requesting the government to resolve this matter, but till date nothing has been done. The government should regulate the prices," said Jaxay Shah, Chairman, Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Gujarat.

Work was stalled on at least 22,000 construction sites across the state, impacting more than 40 lakh daily-wage labourers, according to the construction industry.

"Today's strike received a fantastic response, not only in Gujarat but across the country. In every town and city, the real estate developers approached the district authorities and handed over a memorandum of our demands," added Shah.

Meanwhile, CREDAI Gujarat President Ashish Patel said, "After the lockdown, the construction activity in the state has increased by 35 to 40 per cent. The cement and steel industry wants to cash in on the situation. Because of the artificial price hike, there has been a minimum of 15 to 20 per cent rise in construction costs. The government projects are also impacted.

"We were assured by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari that the issue will be resolved. However, over a month has passed by, but the situation still remains the same. The government should form a regulatory body to govern steel and cement prices." "Turnover of Rs 5,000 crore has been affected due to the strike. We will be paying the skilled and unskilled labourers who supported us in the strike which itself will cost us Rs 5,000 crore. We hope that today's strike will have a positive impact on the government and hopefully our issues will be resolved," said Patel.
A teaching union has urged the Executive to follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer when it comes to deciding when schools should reopen.

The NASUWT's Justin McCamphill said that must be the top priority when Stormont ministers meet to discuss the current Covid lockdown next week.

He was speaking after Dr Michael McBride again urged caution around the relaxation of measures currently in place to drive down infection rates.

He warned that any return of pupils to the classroom could result in the R number increasing by as much as 50%.

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"In drawing up plans the Executive must listen to what the Chief Medical Officer is saying," said Mr McCamphill.

"Priority has to be given to his advice.

Expand Close Dr Michael McBride PA / Facebook

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"Schools should only be opened again when it is safe to do so.

"If the advice is that there will be a rise in infections when the Executive sits down to decide next week, then there should be no other choice.

"We have said that all along. Schools should be open to pupils when it's safe to do so, and when they do there needs to be a guarantee that all necessary measures to protect teachers and pupils are in place."

Speaking at the Stormont health committee yesterday, Dr McBride said the new variant poses a particular challenge given how infectious it is.

He was responding to a question from committee deputy chair Pam Cameron as to whether the ongoing closure of schools is worth the potential harm being caused to at-risk children.

It comes after the Department of Health revealed this week that child protection referrals have dropped by more than a third since the beginning of the latest lockdown.

Stressing that child protection services are still operating, Dr McBride said: "In terms of the impact on children, I think that we all recognise that this pandemic has had a very significant impact on children, children's education, on children's health and children's mental health and wellbeing, and the emotional impact of that.

"At all stages the Executive has faced very difficult choices in terms of the risks associated with more interactions versus the benefits of restricting some of those social interactions, including the mixing that goes on within schools and the potential to drive the pandemic. As our experience of this virus has grown and as the evidence has accumulated, we know now that schools and mixing in schools does drive infections in the community, and particularly in contacts with families.

"And, particularly in the context of the new variant, the reopening of schools will certainly add significant upward pressure to 'R', there's no doubt about that.

"That could be up as high as, it could be between 10 and 50%, and it just depends to what extent schools are opened, when schools are opened and the degree of mitigations that are in place. Clearly, the longer we delay the relaxation of restrictions, the more we suppress levels of community transmission, the more people we get vaccinated and protected, and then that gradual easing of restrictions allows us to ensure we prioritise those things that matter most, and the Executive has been very clear, the education of our children matters most, and then in a phased and careful way... look at other easements and the other restrictions."

Addressing the Education Committee earlier this week, Education Minister Peter Weir said he was expecting schools to be preparing for a planned reopening on March 8, but added that any decision would be down to the Executive.

"I will not do a solo run on schools and the Executive has to take a wider position on a range of the issues on February 18," he said.

"Schools should get a notice of a week-and-a-half with regards to reopening, but I do not see that becoming a major problem.

"There is nothing definitive at this point as no decisions have been taken."
CANTON, Ohio, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Media Group announced today it is polling real estate agents, brokers, and Multiple Listing Services decision-makers if they would use a new, independent showing service.

Delta Media, one of the most established and largest real estate broker technology solutions providers, offers a limited showing platform that has been in existence for 20 years as part of its all-in-one CRM, web, and digital marketing solution.

Delta Media Group announced today it is polling real estate agents, brokers, and Multiple Listing Services decision-makers if they would use a new, independent showing service. The poll is at www.deltamediagroup.com/poll.

Delta is polling the real estate industry to gauge the level of interest in a new, full-featured, independent showing platform. The link for taking the online poll for a new showing service is at deltamediagroup.com/poll.

"Our current showing platform is 90% of the way to being a full-featured system," said Michael Minard, CEO and owner of Delta Media. "We are ready to make a significant investment of dollars and resources to finish that last mile if we are certain there is enough market demand to warrant the effort," he added.

Delta Media's Minard shared that, over the past 10 years, Delta has considered bringing the showing platform to the market, which includes creating a robust calendar interface and full management of the showing experience, but "we had decided to not launch our product because of the market share that other platforms had, but I believe that changes with yesterday's announcement."

Delta Media currently works with 95% of the MLSs in the U.S., developing over the last two decades a reputation as a trustworthy partner by delivering the highest level of reliability, including system performance in 2020 with 99.999% uptime.

Minard added that Delta is reaching out to MLSs, large firms, teams, and agents that use its platform, "but also want to hear from other folks throughout the real estate industry."

About Delta Media Group

Delta Media Group, Inc., located in Canton, Ohio, is a leading and trusted technology partner for many of real estate's top brands. Creator of the DeltaNET 6 CRM platform, Delta offers real estate's most advanced all-in-one digital marketing, back office, and website platform. Delta Media Group is real estate's only family-owned and operated technology innovator with no outside investors or VC funding. Delta Media Group is renowned for saving clients money while reducing the frustration of managing multiple online technologies. Established in 1994, Delta Media Group remains a top real estate technology innovator. Discover more at deltamediagroup.com.

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Delta Media Group announced today it is polling real estate agents, brokers, and Multiple Listing Services decision-makers if they would use a new, independent showing service. The poll is at www.deltamediagroup.com/poll.

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UP eases covid restrictions: Shops allowed to open on weekdays in districts with less than 600 active cases

India's Covaxin vaccine not finding international buyers

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Feb 12: Even as India makes its mark in the world with its vaccine diplomacy amid the Covid crisis, there are few international takers for its homemade vaccine Covaxin.

Covaxin is yet to complete its phase III trials is evidently a sore point. Bharat Biotech had started phase III trials for Covaxin in November 2020, enrolling 25,800 volunteers across India.

India's first indigenous vaccine against Covid-19 was to be sent pro bono to Myanmar, Mongolia, Oman, Bahrain, the Philipines, Maldives and Mauritius as a goodwill gesture.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting on January 18, at the health ministry between the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and MoS Pharmaceuticals Mansukh Mandaviya.

Before that, manufacturer Bharat Biotech International Limited was informed through an office memorandum dated January 15 that 8.1 lakh doses of Covaxin would be procured by the Minister of External affairs directly from them. The memorandum said that the procurement would start by January 22.

The developers of the vaccine have accepted that generating the data with regard to efficacy can take time and it is a process that needs to be respected.

Of the 64.7 lakh doses that have gone out pro bono, only 2 lakh are doses of India's Covaxin. The rest are doses of Serum Institute's Covishield, developed by Oxford University.

A month on, there have been few takers for Covaxin. A source within the company told India Today TV that the decision to procure the vaccine lies with individual governments. "The fact that Myanmar has given the vaccine to its forces shows that they have faith in our vaccine," he said on condition of anonymity.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 23:07 [IST]
Amaravati, Feb 12 : At least eight people, including women and children, were killed when a tourist bus fell into a valley near Damuku in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district on Friday, police said.

"The bus was travelling from Araku to Visakhapatnam city. It is a tourist bus and it fell into the valley near Damuku, within Ananthagiri police station limits," Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police B. Krishna Rao told IANS.

While he put the number of deaths at four, including two women and a child, a state government statement later updated the toll to eight.

"Remaining persons are being rescued. Police have reached the spot and are shifting them to the hospital," he said, adding that the tourists were mostly from Telangana as the bus bore the neighbouring state's vehicle registration details.

Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan expressed his deep sorrow over the accident and requested officials to immediately provide better treatment to all the injured tourists, an official statement said.
Married at First Sight Australia 'virgin' Matt Bennett has admitted intimacy is no longer an issue and he's finally comfortable showing affection, thanks to girlfriend Bella Jameson.

The videographer, 32, fell in love with Bella  who's originally from the UK  just months after filming for the series finished in 2018.

After losing his virginity aged 29 to ex-wife Lauren Huntriss, 32, Matt still felt incapable of showing his feelings towards the opposite sex, until he met Bella and everything changed for the better.

'It's just a part of life': MAFS Australia 'virgin' Matt Bennett has admitted intimacy is no longer an issue and he's finally comfortable showing affection thanks to girlfriend Bella Jameson

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, he said: 'I wasn't ever capable of saying 'I love you' to someone before my girlfriend.

'Now I constantly say it all the time and tell her how gorgeous she is and it's not something I remember before.

'It was quite hard and everything felt awkward or forced and it didn't feel natural but now for me intimacy is just not an issue. It's just a part of life now.'

Matt also credits Bella for his personal transformation that has seen him gain confidence, travel and enjoy life in ways he didn't appreciate before.

He said: 'I was fortunate enough that I met my now girlfriend a couple of months after the show had filmed but just before it aired.

'The relationship with her is the best thing': The videographer fell in love with Bella - who's originally from the UK - just months after filming for the Aussie series finished in 2018

'Honestly the relationship with her is the best thing that has happened to me.

'I don't think I would have been able to grow and change and become the person I am now who actually has a personality and hobbies and integrity he sticks to and I can actually say no to people now without her.'

The pair met at a wrestling school during a try out day, after Matt decided to pursue his childhood dreams of a career in the profession.

While a knee injury left him unable to compete, Matt believes attending the event and meeting Bella was an act of fate.

'It was meant to be': Matt believes meeting Bella was an act of fate after they both attended a try out day for a professional wrestling school and instantly connected

He said: 'There was a professional wrestling school on the Sunshine Coast where I was living and I went to their try out day and so did my girlfriend Bella.

'The point of me going there was to meet her, it was meant to be.

'She had never even heard of Married at First Sight, she's originally from the UK and didn't really watch a lot of TV.

'We've been living together now for a while and things are going really, really well.'

When Matt joined the cast of Married at First Sight Australia and wed ex Lauren, he didn't even have an Instagram profile.

After being encouraged to sign up to the platform by producers, he suddenly gained 80K followers overnight, which he said was the 'validation' he needed after years of being bullied at school  but it came with dangerous side effects.

He explained: 'When the show came out I suddenly became quite famous and really popular and as someone that has never been popular growing up and bullied in high school and never a popular kid that was quite weird for me, it was a bit of an addiction.

'Growing up my self worth has always been external and then I had this influx of external validation it was inflating and I thought "maybe I am worth something?"

'So when that died down I had withdrawals and I had to reevaluate "what are my values and who am I as a person?" Relying on these external factors it's like building a house on quick sand.'

'It was an addiction': Matt said signing up to Instagram and gaining 80K followers gave him the 'validation' he needed after years of being bullied  but it came with dangerous side effects

Despite the influx of new followers from the UK, Matt insists he will continue to work as a videographer and won't be promoting any products on his page, like the rest of the Married at First Sight cast.

He said: 'I find the term 'influencer' sickening. I don't like it at all.

'Some people from my season have been pitching sex toys and anal bleach and it's like come on guys? Where's their integrity?

'I remember speaking to most of them and I was the only person that didn't have a product or a business or a service that they were trying to flog.

'Even the person I was matched with told me she went on the show to get more business for her makeup company, which was another bit of evidence that showed me she wasn't in the experience for the right reasons.'
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed petitions challenging the e-vote held in December for winding up six schemes of Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, thus allowing investors to start receiving payouts from next week. The six schemes were frozen on 23 April, when they had a total size of around 26,000 crore. They had accumulated cash of 9,122 crore as of 15 January, which will now be paid out to investors.

SBI Funds Management Pvt. Ltd was tasked by the Supreme Court to supervise the distribution. Payment will be made by extinguishing proportionate units in the scheme at the prevailing net asset value on the date of processing.

We are pleased that the Honble Supreme Court, in its order dated 12 February 2021 has upheld the results of the e-voting under 18(15)(c) held in December 2020 and confirmed the winding up of 6 schemes," said a Franklin Templeton MF spokesperson.

The Honble Supreme Court has appointed SBI Funds Management Pvt. Ltd. as the authorized person under regulation 41 to take next steps on monetization. Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund will provide all assistance to SBI Funds Management to monetize assets."

All KYC-compliant investors will receive money in proportion to the cash holding in their scheme. However, investors in schemes with higher cash levels will receive bigger payouts. For instance, investors of Franklin Income Opportunities Fund will not receive any money as the fund still has borrowings to pay off. On the other hand, the cash holding in Franklin Ultra Short Bond Fund is around half its assets, allowing its investors get about half their money back.

Investors can request a calculation of capital gains through the website or call centre of the FT fund house or by emailing the fund house from registered email addresses. The capital gains tax is at slab rate for holding periods of less than 3 years and 20% with indexation for longer holding periods. NRI investors will get payments with the applicable tax deducted at source.

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CASPER  The Wyoming Republican Partys state central committee voted by a resounding margin Saturday to censure Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney for her vote to impeach then-President Donald Trump, making her the third person to be censured by the party in less than a year.

The voice vote came after just 11 minutes of debate, marking the partys ultimate rebuke of Cheney after weeks of escalating anger from conservative activists across Wyoming. Fewer than 10 members voted against the censure.

Joe McGinley  chairman of the Natrona County Republican Party  was one of just th...

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Elsa Hosk has welcomed her first child with partner of five years Tom Daly.

The Swedish supermodel, 32, took to Instagram on Friday to share the news as she posted a candid picture of her newborn laying on her beau's chest.

Elsa revealed they had welcomed a baby girl and had sweetly named her after 'two strong women' in the family, calling their daughter Tuulikki Joan.

Oh baby! Elsa Hosk has welcomed her first child with partner of five years Tom Daly, a little girl called Tuulikki Joan

In a heartfelt statement she penned: 'Happiest day of my life meeting you. Proudest moment in my life giving birth to you.

'Named after two strong women, my mom and my grandma-in-law, you came into this world like super-woman with your fist next to your face.

'We will love you forever, baby Tuuli'

It follows fellow Victoria's Secret Angels Romee Strijd, who recently welcomed a baby girl with husband Laurens van Leeuwen, and Gigi Hadid who welcomed a daughter with partner Zayn Malik in September.

Elsa was quick to be congratulated by her fellow supermodels who flocked to the comments section to share their well-wishes to the new family-of-three.

So sweet: The model sweetly revealed that her daughter is named after 'two strong women' in the family (pictured in December)

'Happiest day of my life meeting you': Elsa said giving birth to little Tuulikki was the 'proudest moment of her life'

Iskra Lawrence penned: 'So happy for u my love.. enjoy all the snuggles'.

While angels including Romee and Candice Swanepoel both left lines of love hearts under Elsa's adorable first family snap.

The supermodel announced she was pregnant in September as she posted a stunning photoshoot by photographer Sante D'Orazio, where she went nude and displayed her growing baby bump with a fur coat draped over her.

Elsa revealed that she was already 'halfway there' with her pregnancy, she penned: 'Been keeping this angel in my belly a secret for a while...

Congratulations! Several of Elsa's model pals shared their excitement in the comments and sent lots of well wishes to the family

'Feeling beyond excited and lucky to be having a baby and begin the next chapter of life with the man of my dreams!!!! Half way there @tomtomdaly .'

Elsa has been dating partner Tom since 2015 after he first shared a photo of the couple together during Halloween that year. They were friends beforehand.

The duo appear to be a perfect match as they both share a love for the arts with Elsa a supermodel and Danish entrepreneur, Tom, the founder of District Vision, a company that focuses on holistic-inspired products for runners.

Smitten: The Swedish supermodel, 32, took to Instagram to share the news as she posted a sweet picture of her newborn (pictured with Tom Daly in February)

Baby fever: It follows fellow Victoria's Secret Angels Romee Strijd, who recently welcomed a baby girl with husband Laurens van Leeuwen, and Gigi Hadid who welcomed a daughter with partner Zayn Malik in September (pictured recently)

Recently, Elsa hosted an Instagram 'ask me something' session, in which she opened up about her struggle with anxiety that left her 'crying all day' amid her baby joy.

The supermodel also spoke about her 'stronger and beautiful' changing pregnancy body and joked that she currently does zero training to maintain her model figure.

Taking to her Instagram, Elsa asked her fans to ask her anything, with her 6.4M followers enquiring about a variety of subjects including her pregnancy, her haircare regime and modelling career.

She penned: 'I know, so many of us are, It's been such a hard and strange year.

Glowing: The supermodel announced she was pregnant in September as she posted a stunning photoshoot by photographer Sante D'Orazio, where she went nude and displayed her growing baby bump with a fur coat draped over her (pictured in a behind-the-scenes snap)

Sweet: Elsa revealed that she was already 'halfway there' with her pregnancy, she penned: 'Been keeping this angel in my belly a secret for a while...'

'I struggle at times too... the other day I felt so sad I cried all day. Then I was back to normal.

'I think knowing you are not alone and actively taking steps to get out of your head is one of the most effective ways to feel better.

'Some days it's super hard but some days you have the power to swing your mood around and taking action by doing the opposite of what your head is telling you.'

Among the questions asked was how the model coped with controlling her anxiety, with the follower adding that they were struggling at the moment.

She added: 'Feeling beyond excited and lucky to be having a baby and begin the next chapter of life with the man of my dreams!!!! Half way there @tomtomdaly .'

Elsa compassionately responded with a long, heartfelt reply in which she opened up about her own struggles.

She continued: 'Opposite action!! Like if my head tells me not to get up from bed cause I feel overwhelmed, get up and get out of the house anyway! My head tells me to isolate - Call and meet up with someone and tell them how u feel!

'My head tells me I'm not good enough - prove the voice wrong!'

Elsa has also previously detailed how although it's been a tough year, she feels fortunate to have been able to enjoy her pregnancy without the added stress of work, as runway shows were shut down amid lockdown restrictions.

She said: 'It's been a tough year for so many to find something positive in this year. For me personally it's been being able to be pregnant without working like I used to.

Beautiful: The supermodel also spoke about her 'stronger and beautiful' changing pregnancy body and joked that she currently does zero training to maintain her model figure

'Not traveling at all has given us a chance to spend so much quality time together as a family and allows me to feel less stress about not missing work because of the pregnancy. So that's been wonderful.'

Meanwhile, the star opened up about the pregnancy body after one fan asked: 'Do you have doubts about the pregnancy thinking your body would get ruined?'

Alongside a stunning black and white snap of her growing baby bump, Elsa said: 'I don't believe the body gets ruined by pregnancy. I believe it gets stronger and more beautiful. It's carried life!'

During the Q&A, the model also admitted she does 'zero training' to maintain her figure, joking the only exercise she gets is daily walks to the coffee shop.
(Newser)  Kyle Rittenhouse doesn't need to be arrested again, his bail doesn't need to be increased, and he doesn't have to publicly disclose his whereabouts, a judge in Wisconsin decided Thursday. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder rejected prosecutors' request to issue an arrest warrant for the 18-year-old, who is charged with killing two men and injuring a third during protests in Kenosha last year, NPR reports. Prosecutors said Rittenhouse, who was freed in November after posting $2 million bail, violated bond conditions by failing to inform the court of a change in address. The teen's lawyers said he withheld his new address out of safety concerns. They submitted an anonymous email warning that Rittenhouse would be raped in prison. Schroeder agreed that there were legitimate concerns for Rittenhouse's safety.

story continues below

Schroeder said the violation wasn't enough reason to arrest Rittenhouse. The judge declined the request to raise bail by $200,000, but told Rittenhouse's lawyers to submit his new address to the court, which would keep it sealed. The judge said he didn't want to risk further unrest. "After what this town has been through in the last six months I dont want any more problems," Schroeder said, per Reuters. "I've got two broken windows here, right here in this courtroom, the doors are all still covered with plywood, a good share of the community is still boarded up after millions of dollars of damage." CNN reports that John Huber, father of one of the men allegedly shot by Rittenhouse, asked for bail to be increased to $4 million. "From the moment he became a killer he thought he was above the law," Huber said. (Rittenhouse's bail conditions were changed after he was seen drinking with Proud Boys.)
Select Walmart and Sams Clubs locations across Alabama began offering COVID vaccines today.

Seventy-four Walmart and Sams Club locations  about half of those in the state - are offering coronavirus vaccines through the U.S. Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, a partnership with the federal government. The allotment of vaccines is coming through a federal program and not the amount supplied to the state.

State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said the Alabama Department of Public Health has heard from many people wanting to know why their local Walmart isnt offering vaccines.

The answer is we dont know, Harris said, adding the decisions were made by Walmart working with federal officials and not with the state. Stores in underserved areas in places with high COVID transmission were prioritized, he said.

Cities included in the current program include Attalla, Auburn, Brent, Brewton, Demopolis, Dothan, Enterprise, Fayette, Florence, Gadsden, Haleyville, Hamilton, Huntsville, Jackson, Jacksonville, Jasper, Madison, Mobile, Monroeville, Montgomery, Muscle Shoals, Northport, Opelika, Oxford, Ozark, Phenix City, Roanoke, Russellville, Saraland, Selma, Semmes, Sylacauga, Talladega, Theodore, Troy, Tuscaloosa, Valley and Winfield.

None of the locations are in Birmingham, the states largest city.

In the statement announcing the vaccine rollout, Walmart also emphasized serving areas identified by the Health Resources and Services Administrations list of Medically Underserved Areas.

Ninety percent of the country lives within 10 miles of a Walmart. Were at the heart of many rural and underserved communities, and we are committed to providing access to vaccines as groups become eligible, said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Walmarts Executive Vice President, Health & Wellness. Vaccinations to achieve widespread immunity are important for re-opening across the country.

Stores in Alabama are currently receiving about 14,800 doses a week, roughly 200 per store.

Walmarts intention, Harris said, is to eventually expand the program to every store in the state once vaccine availability increases.

Certainly, we hope they will be able to expand, Harris said.

The chain is following state guidelines and is offering vaccines to those 65 and older, healthcare, food and agriculture workers; U.S. Postal Service workers; manufacturing, grocery store and public transit workers; teachers and those who work in the education sector; childcare workers; judiciary; and clergy and ministers.

For a complete list of Alabama Walmart and Sams Clubs locations that are offering a vaccine go here.

You can go here to check for available appointments at Walmart and Sams Club.
Burma Myanmar Student Unions Call on China Not to Recognize Military Regime

Protesters stand in front of Kandawgyi Park in Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar, on Thursday. / The Irrawaddy

YANGONStudent unions from 18 universities in Myanmar urged Chinese President Xi Jinping not to recognize Myanmars military regime and to stand with the people of the country, amid a wave of anti-China sentimentincluding boycotts on Chinese productsled by young people across the country following the military takeover.

An increasingly large crowd of anti-coup protesters have gathered daily in front of the Chinese Embassy in Yangon throughout this week, demanding that Beijing end its support for the military regime and stand with the tens of thousands of protesters in the country in their demand for a restoration of civilian rule.

The student unions said that if the Chinese government wants to act as a good neighbor, it must make clear that it does not recognize the military regime, which they said had unjustly detained the leaders of the legitimate government elected by the people of Myanmar.

They warned that supporting the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) would do serious damage to the reputation of China.

China has been the Myanmar militarys closest ally for a long time and is a major supplier of military aid and cooperation. So far, Beijing has refrained from criticizing the coup; recently, it refused to condemn the military at the United Nations Security Council. Western nations, meanwhile, have strongly condemned the military for seizing power and detaining national civilian leader Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The unions urged that China not cooperate with the military, as a sign that it respects the Myanmar peoples will.

Anti-Chinese sentiment has spread rapidly following Beijings failure to denounce the takeover, which at one point it described as a major cabinet reshuffle. As a result, social media campaigns against made in China products and Chinese brands have circulated widely among users of Facebook and Twitter in Myanmar.

In the latest social media campaigns against China, thousands of social media users on Facebook and Twitter have joined a boycott of Huawei products, accusing the company of helping the military to install IT systems to limit digital rights in the country.

Thousands of social media users on Facebook and Twitter posted the message Huawei is an enemy of the Democracy and Freedom of expression, urging people to stop using its products. Huawei has not responded to the accusations so far.

Rumors have also swirled that China is helping the military to build an internet firewall to limit the freedom of speech and access to information in Myanmar by blocking social media, popular search engines including Google, and virtual private networks (VPNs).

A facility that forms part of the China-Myanmar twin oil-and-gas pipeline in Thaungtha Township in Mandalay was heavily guarded by local police on Friday morning after nearly 2,000 social media users shared a status notice threatening to destroy a segment of the pipeline if the military regime cut internet access again.

On Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy denied the reports that China had dispatched IT technicians to Myanmar help the Tatmadaw build a firewall.

You may also like these stories:

NLD Prepares to Sue Myanmars Military for Illegal Arrests

High-Profile Ethnic Rakhine Political Prisoners Among Those Freed to Mark Myanmar Union Day

In addition, The Q India continues to dominate its youth-focused channel peer group in Time Spent Viewing (TSV) with 69 minutes as compared to its closest competitor, MTV India, with an average TSV of 44 minutes. The Q India has achieved this growth to date with less than 50% of the total distribution footprint of these other youth channels, indicating the strongest performance of all youth channels on a per household basis. The company anticipates increasing the size of its distribution footprint throughout 2021.

Krishna Menon, Chief Revenue Officer of Q India commented, "We continue to move closer to our goal of becoming the leading youth media brand in India. It is clear that the social video driven programming and digital content creators we feature on The Q India is striking a chord with our Young India following. We are gratified with our spectacular engagement metrics and increasingly loyal and returning viewers".

The company also provided a series of new announcements across its television, digital and mobile operations :

Q India Channel: The Q India announced that following the successful pilot launch of its new series format, KYA INSTA BOLTA, a humorous take on all the crazy happenings on Instagram in India, it is launching the first of 7 new episodes on Valentine's Day, February 14th.

SNAP India: The company announced it is launching a new Bollywood oriented series on SNAP India in February from popular online gossip site SpotBoyE. This follows the previously announced and ongoing success of its series on SNAP, Bolly2Box, produced by The Q India and Nirvana Digital. Bolly2Box announced in November 2020 the launch of its 100th episode that had achieved over 350M views at that time.

Chingari: The "@theqofficial" channel on the Chingari mobile app is expected to cross 100M views this weekend with an equally rapid expansion to over 180,000 subscribers to the channel. In less than a month the channel has added nearly 70,000 new subscribers viewing clips over 55 million times.

The Q India is an advertiser and influencer marketing supported Hindi language content brand, channel and VOD provider delivering hit digital programming from social media stars and leading digital video creators targeting Young Indian audiences. With a growing library of over 850 programs, it now reaches an audience of over 660 million via 50 million television homes with partners including TATA Sky, Airtel DTH & SitiNetworks; 380 million OTT users via platforms including ShemarooMe, MX Player, ZEE5, and Dish Watcho; and 230 million users on mobile and digital platforms including Snap, JioTV, Airtel Xstream, Amazon Fire TV and Chingari.

About QYOU Media

QYOU Media operates in India and the United States producing and distributing content created by social media stars and digital content creators. In India, we curate, produce and distribute premium content including television networks and VOD for cable and satellite television, OTT and mobile platforms. In the United States, we manage influencer marketing campaigns for major film studios and brands. Founded and created by industry veterans from Lionsgate, MTV, Disney and Sony, QYOU Media's millennial and Gen Z-focused content reaches more than 650 million consumers around the world. Experience our work at www.qyoumedia.com and www.theq.tv

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CLEVELAND, Ohio  The lifting of Ohios curfew will have little effect on the Ohio Investigative Unit agents who patrol bars and restaurants for potential violations. Their job will continue as usual.

And that job is a big one for the OIC officers, who fall under the domain of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Fewer than 70 enforcement agents canvas the states bars and restaurants, said Eric Wolf, enforcement commander with the OIC. Since the beginning of the pandemic, agents have made 28,793 visits. Of those, 362 administrative citations have been issued.

So basically one and a quarter percent of the time is when were issuing these permit violations, he said. Thats a concern that some people think we are just hammering these permit establishments and trying to write every single violation notice we can when in fact the vast majority of locations are doing everything theyre supposed to. And even then, there are some locations our enforcement agents will visit that are trying to do the right thing, but there might be an area of concern.

Some places have been cited several times, which doesnt faze Wolf.

Unfortunately, were not surprised by it, he said. There are those locations that have basically told us Yes we understand what the rules are, but we have no plans on complying with them. We dont feel this is appropriate. Our liquor license allows us to operate until 2:30 in the morning so were just going to stay open and operate as normal. With that being said were not surprised when those places come back up on complaint.

Second, third and fourth violations are rare, but were not total surprised by it, he said.

The curfews goal was to stop the spread of coronavirus. Gov. Mike DeWine announced the curfew would expire Thursday as a result of hospitalizations decreasing in the state. The initial curfew was put in place for 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning Nov. 19. It was shortened from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Jan. 28.

Wolf said the only change for agents is the hours, since bars can stay open later again.

Its just kind of changed some of the things the Ohio Investigative Unit has looked for. Were still out there looking for the same things.

That means underage drinking, overserved patrons, drugs, gambling and human trafficking. And thats in addition to Department of Health violations regarding overcrowding, social-distancing and mask wearing.

The OIC is allowed latitude, and in some cases they can issue a warning to an owner. In fact, the unit issued 203 warnings to places that can take corrective action, Wolf said.

The judicial process then moves to the Ohio Liquor Control Commission, which has the ability to assess whatever penalties deemed appropriate.

Establishments could be found not in violation, in violation but with no penalties assessed, in violation with monetary forfeiture, suspension or loss of liquor license.

With the curfew announcement, The hours may change, but a lot of those health orders remain in effect, Wolf said, encouraging people to take their mask with them for shopping, bars and restaurants, and to continue to wear masks, maintain social distance and keep washing their hands.

Everything weve been talking about since last March, he said. Take that personal responsibility to ensure your own safety.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 01:59:19|Editor: huaxia

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Zimbabwean Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa speaks during an interview in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Feb. 11, 2021. Zimbabwe has primed itself to attract more foreign direct investment from China, after implementing robust economic reforms over the past few years, Mutsvangwa said Thursday. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

HARARE, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe has primed itself to attract more foreign direct investment from China, after implementing robust economic reforms over the past few years, Zimbabwean Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Thursday.

She told Xinhua that under the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwean government had implemented various reforms to improve the investment climate.

The country also boasted of rich agricultural, mining and tourist resources, in addition to possessing an educated and disciplined workforce, she said.

"A strong governance system has ensured sustained political stability. Under President Mnangagwa, financial reforms have engendered stability, investment incentives are being enacted," she said.

"Most importantly, bureaucracy and red tape are being done away with. Recently he (Mnangagwa) launched the One-Stop Zimbabwe Investment Development Authority to expedite business decisions and speed up the commitment of investment funds. This will be a boon to both the Chinese risky capital and huge consumption markets," the minister said.

She said Zimbabwe was strategically positioned in the recently launched African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and noted that Chinese investors should seize the opportunity to increase investment in the southern African country.

"A new and exciting chapter is the prospect of engagement by the Chinese private sector. Under the mantra 'Zimbabwe Is Open for Business', more FDI is anticipated from the new and growing business class of China and its crop of global billionaires," she said.

"Zimbabwe is best placed in the new Africa Free Trade Zone. It is determined to offer itself as the FDI destination of choice to Chinese entrepreneurs," Mutsvangwa said.

China had already cemented its ranking as the top investor in Zimbabwe's tobacco sector, where it has invested millions of U.S. dollars over the past decade, she said.

"The economic cooperation saw China Tobacco invest in the revival and expansion of the 1.6 billion U.S. dollars annual turnover leaf tobacco production," she said.

"Each year since 2005, Zimbabwe has benefited in this domain to the delight of many small and medium tobacco farmers. This is courtesy of the contract tobacco farming which established a direct link between the grower and the investor," Mutsvangwa said.

After plunging to a low of 48 million kg of tobacco leaf in 2008, Zimbabwe's tobacco output rose to a record 238 million kg in 2019, mainly through support and investment from China.

Mutsvangwa observed that China had also steadily invested in Zimbabwe's energy sector over the years, pouring nearly 2 billion U.S. dollars to expand the country's two major power plants, Hwange Thermal Power Station and Kariba South Power Station by a combined 950 MW.

While the 300 MW Kariba power station expansion project was completed in 2018, the expansion of Hwange by 650 MW is still ongoing and scheduled to be completed next year.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

Gypsum Board Market Growth & Trends

The global gypsum board market size is expected to reach USD 109.95 billion by 2028 registering a CAGR of 11.8%, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc. Increasing utilization of gypsum boards in decorative and partitioning applications in residential constructions is anticipated to drive the market over the forecast period. Rise in the construction industry across the globe is likely to provide growth opportunities to the market. The product demand is also driven by the residential sector, wherein, it is widely used for room partitioning.

These products are available in the form of wallboards, ceiling boards, pre-decorated boards, etc., which also boosts their demand in the construction application. Moreover, high durability and low weight of the product coupled with easy handling measures have propelled its demand in commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities for impact & mold resistance, exterior sheathing, and shaft wall constructions. Moreover, the availability of decorative designs on the boards is likely to support the growth over the forecast period. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) Gypsum as a substitute to mined gypsum for the production of wallboards.

Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Gypsum Board Market Report

Gypsum Board Market Report Highlights

The wallboard segment led the global market in 2020 and will expand at a steady CAGR over the projected period owing to the wide utilization of wallboards in partitioning and decorative applications, majorly in multi-family residential constructions

In 2020, the residential application segment dominated the global market with a share of over 47% and is projected to ascend at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period

The residential application segment growth can be attributed to the rising need for the construction of multi-family houses in regions, such as Asia Pacific and North America

North America accounted for the largest market share of over 42% in 2020 on account of the well-established construction industry and quick adoption of advanced construction materials

Saint-Gobain was the leading market player with gypsum solutions offered under brands, such as CertainTeed, British Gypsum, Gyproc, Rigips, and Placo

Gypsum Board Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global gypsum board market on the basis of product, application, and region:

Gypsum Board Product Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Wallboard

Ceiling Board

Pre-decorated Board

Others

Gypsum Board Application Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Pre-engineered Buildings

Residential

Industrial

Commercial

Institutional

Gypsum Board Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

North America US. Canada Mexico

Europe Germany UK. Russia

Asia Pacific China India Japan South Korea

Central & South America Brazil

Middle East & Africa Bahrain Kuwait Qatar Oman Saudi Arabia UAE Jordan Iraq Iran Egypt Syria Turkey Libya Sudan



List of Key Players of Gypsum Board Market

Saint-Gobain Gyproc

Knauf Gips KG

Gulf Gypsum Co.

USG Corp.

National Gypsum Company

LafargeHolcim Ltd.

Georgia-Pacific LLC

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.
On Thursday, a Wisconsin circuit court judge denied a request by Kenosha prosecutors for a warrant to rearrest and increase the bail of the fascist killer Kyle Rittenhouse by $200,000. The motion was filed after it was revealed that the teenage shooter had violated his release agreement by concealing his whereabouts from the court.

Judge Bruce E. Schroeder abruptly shut down the virtual hearing after he sided with Rittenhouse and his attorney Mark Richards and repeatedly interrupted Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Thomas Bingers attempt to explain that the accused murderer was thumbing his nose at the terms of his bond.

Rittenhouse displays a white supremacist hand gesture while meeting with members of the Proud Boys

The judge also blocked attempts by Bingeras well as others attending the virtual hearingto establish the connection between Rittenhouse and his attorney with far-right political groups who have promoted the killer as a hero and raised the $2 million needed for him to post bond.

Participating in the virtual hearing was John Huber, the father of Anthony Huber who was shot and killed, Kimberly Motley, attorney for the family of Joseph Rosenbaum who was shot and killed, and Gaige Grosskreutz, who was shot and survived.

During his time to speak, John Huber said of Rittenhouse, From the moment he became a killer, he thought he was above the law. And he has no remorse for what hes done, and he is enjoying this media circus and the support from these hate groups and militia members that have posted this bond. Its not like his mom and dad put up the family house to get him out. He has nothing to lose if he runs.  he should be remanded to custody.  We dont know where he is. You dont know where he is. Nobody in that court knows where he lives.

Although Judge Schroeder permitted Rittenhouses victims to speak, it became clear in the course of the hearing that he had absolutely no intention of ruling in favor of the ADAs motion against the right-wing shooter.

In the noteworthy conclusion to his ruling, Judge Schroeder acknowledged that Rittenhouse was in violation of the court order regarding his whereabouts and demanded that the residence of the accused shooter be disclosed. However, Judge Schroeder ruled that this information was only to be provided to himself and the Kenosha County Sheriffs office. It was to be kept concealed from ADA Binger, unless you offer good reason to have it, the judge said.

In justifying this extraordinary decision, Schroeder expressed his hostility to the protesters against police violence that Rittenhouse has been charged with firing upon, wounding and killing. Claiming he wanted to keep everyone safe, Schroeder went on a diatribe, saying, You remember what went on six months ago here? Ive got two broken windows right here in this courtroom. The doors are all still covered with plywood. A good share of the community is still boarded up after millions of dollars of property damage in this ghastly event.

Given that a survivor of Rittenhouses shooting spree of death and permanent injury was in the hearing, these were very revealing statements as to the political sympathies of Judge Schroeder.

Responding to Judge Schroeders decision to conceal the whereabouts of Rittenhouse from prosecutors, ADA Binger protested, This is standard procedure in all criminal cases that everybody knows where the defendant is. This is highly unusual for this to be withheld under seal. The court has ruled that it can be sealed from the public, but we are not the public.

We are the prosecuting agency; we are the prosecutors on this case, and we have a very important right to know this information as the prosecuting agency in Kenosha County. I have never heard of a situation where this information has been withheld from our office.  Our office is headed up by the elected DA, the chief law enforcement officer in this community. This is a murder case, and we are entitled to this information.  This is highly irregular.  We cannot do our job without this information.

To these arguments, Judge Schroeder said, The hearing is over. Thank you.

Attorney Mark Richards and fascist shooter Kyle Rittenhouse attending a visual hearing in Kenosha Circuit Court on Thursday [Credit: Kenosha Circuit Court Livestream].

It is also significant that the hearing did not address the reports earlier this week that a Kenosha Police Department officer advised attorneys representing Rittenhouse to falsify information regarding his residence at the time of his release on bail in November.

Rittenhouse faces charges for multiple offensesincluding first degree intentional homicide in the death of Huber, first degree reckless homicide in the death of Rosenbaum and first degree attempted intentional homicide in the shooting of Grosskreutz on August 25 during protests against police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Rittenhouse, 17 years old at the time of the shootings, traveled to Kenosha from his hometown of Antioch, Illinois, to join a group of fascist militiamen for the purpose of threatening protesters and engaging them in provocations.

During several confrontations that evening with demonstratorswho were demanding justice for Jacob Blake who had been shot in the back seven times by a Kenosha police officer two days earlierRittenhouse fired his AR-15 style assault rifle numerous times, killing two and wounding at least one other.

Following the shootings, Rittenhouse was permitted by police to flee the scene unimpeded and he traveled back to Antioch where he turned himself in to police early the next morning. After photos and video of the confrontations Rittenhouse had with protesters began circulating on social media, far-right and fascist individuals and organizations came to his defense and embraced him as a hero.

The motion for Rittenhouse to be rearrested and his bond increased also followed revelations that the shooter had posing with members of the fascist Proud Boys organization and flashed a white power hand gesture shortly after he pleaded not guilty to charges against him in a remote court hearing on January 5.

In another significant exchange during the hearing, when ADA Binger referred to the fact that Rittenhouses behavior was alarming, that he had flashed white supremacist signs and that protesters in Kenosha had called for his bond to be revoked, Judge Schroeder went into another tirade, I dont want to hear about protests. I dont want to deal with media reports.  I want everybody to act in a way that maximizes the possibility of fairness in this case, fairness to everyone who is involved. This case is not going to be decided by demonstrators of one type or another and frankly its not going to affect anything I do.  I dont want to hear about a demonstration last weekend.
After a year-plus saga, limited Muni Metro service is scheduled to head back into the citys subway tunnels starting in May.

Service is expected to resume on the N Judah and T Third to West Portal on an unspecified date in May, the Municipal Transportation Agency confirmed Friday.

Resuming service on the two lines would bring the agency a step closer to restoring Muni Metro service after COVID-19 cuts shuttered light-rail service in March 2020 and trouble with power cables over the summer extended the shutdown, frustrating riders and angering city officials.

The N Judahs status as Muni Metros busiest rail line made it a logical choice to be one of the first to return to the rehabilitated subway, said Erica Kato, a Muni spokeswoman. The T Third, which has run between Sunnydale and the Embarcadero station since February, was included in the subway restart as part of Munis efforts to improve equity in service to transit-dependent neighborhoods. Buses have been running in place of the lines.

Its about time for the subway to reopen, said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who sharply criticized Muni after the botched August reopening. The cables that power Muni Metro trains in the subway have long been in need of repair, he said, and after failing twice, he anticipates theyve been successfully fixed.

Im very hopeful that the third time will be a charm, he said.

Cat Carter of the San Francisco Transit Riders Union welcomed the return of subway service and is hopeful the subterranean repairs will make Muni Metro run more smoothly.

Every step of reopening is exciting to see, she said. Were so far cut back on service that every step forward to bring back service to the city is a sign of hope and brings access back to people whove been missing it.

Carter said the return of rail service to the subway would also benefit the rest of the Muni system by freeing up more buses, possibly enabling Muni to restore more routes.

It means more flexibility, more efficiency, more ability to bring access back to people whove been missing it, she said.

Like Peskin, she said she hopes the return of Metro trains to the subway will go smoothly, and that the improvements to the power system will help eliminate the chronic delays and frequent meltdowns that have plagued the system.

We may end up with better subway service than we had in March 2020, she said.

The road to partially reopening has been bumpy. An attempt to reopen Muni Metro in August ended two days later following equipment failures and an employee in the transit systems control center testing positive for the coronavirus.

At the time, SFMTA chief Jeffrey Tumlin blamed the equipment failure on a supplier. Two new overhead wire splices broke in the span of a few days, despite months of preparations to reopen the subway and a focus on fixing a backlog of deferred maintenance. Problems with overhead wires are nothing new for Muni. A similar breakdown ground the subway to a halt for 13 hours in 2019, prompting Tumlins predecessor, Ed Reiskin, to step down.

At the time of the summer meltdown, many riders expressed frustration with the extended shutdown and public officials criticized the SFMTA over the difficulties.

This is inexcusable, and I am despondent over that, Peskin said in August. It is a sordid tale that The City That Knows How bungled this. Its miserable  and I hate saying that.

SFMTA director Steve Heminger called the situation a significant failure in September and said weve got some amends to make, I think, with a lot of stakeholders.

The SFMTA kept the subway closed through the end of 2020 to replace the faulty equipment that caused the failure. Then the agency discovered that the Twin Peaks Tunnel  a $50 million project completed two years ago  needed to be redone, shuttering underground service until at least February.

SFMTA did not respond to questions about the total costs of the repairs.

The SFMTA resumed some light-rail service on the streets in December and more in January, but the subway has remained closed for maintenance.

Muni officials released a few details about the projected reopening in a Transit Performance Update report that is slated to be presented at an SFMTA board meeting on Tuesday.

When Munis other Metro lines  the J Church, K Ingleside, L Taraval and M Oceanview return to the subway depends on a number of factors, Kato said, including training enough rail operators, completing work on the L Taraval line and future public health orders that may limit capacity. Until then, those lines will continue to be served by buses that follow the subway routes as closely as possible.

Before it was shut down by the pandemic, Muni Metro carried about 164,000 passengers a day, according to the agencys website.

We know many San Franciscans rely on our light rail service and we apologize for the inconvenience the continued closure of our rail system has caused, Kato said in an email to The Chronicle. We are working hard to bring rail service back in better shape for a more comfortable and reliable ride.

Mallory Moench and Michael Cabanatuan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench, @ctuan
Washington, Feb 12 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan discussed an attack on an airport in the Kingdom carried out by the Houthi militia in Yemen.

On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced that the Houthis attacked the Abha International Airport, about 120 km north of the Yemen border, with explosive drones, leaving a passenger plane ablaze, Xinhua news agency reported.

There were no casualties or injuries, the coalition confirmed.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday following the call with the Foreign Minister, Blinken said: "Saudi Arabia is an important security partner. We won't stand by while the Houthis attack Saudi Arabia.

"We remain committed to bolstering Saudi Arabia's defenses and finding a political settlement to the conflict in Yemen." The airport has been attacked by the Houthi militia several times in the past.

In 2019, it was attacked three times in three weeks.

Thursday's call was the second between the Saudi Minister and Blinken since the latter took office last month.

During their first conversation on February 6, Blinken outlined a series of measures of the new US administration aimed at ending the war in Yemen.

The two top officials also discussed regional security, counterterrorism, and cooperation to deter and defend against attacks on the Kingdom.

The call came a day after the new administration announced that it would revoke the designation of the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization.
Myanmars military regime braced for a seventh straight day of street protests on Friday after Washington announced sanctions on leaders of the coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

A torrent of anger and defiance has brought tens of thousands of people out in nationwide rallies demanding the countrys generals relinquish power.

Demonstrations have so far largely been peaceful, but police have used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets on protesterswith isolated reporters of live rounds being fired at crowds.

With teachers, bureaucrats and air traffic controllers among the government employees walking off the job to demand an end to junta rule, the countrys new military leader Min Aung Hlaing told striking workers to return to work.

Those who are away from their duties are requested to return to their duties immediately for the interests of the country and people without focusing on the emotion, he said, in a speech reported by state media.

The new U.S. sanctions target Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals after President Joe Biden announced his administration was cutting off the militarys access to $1 billion in funds.

Further measures would be imposed if the military deploys more violence against protesters, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

With another day of mass rallies underway, state media announced the release of more than 23,000 inmates as part of a prison amnesty.

Mass amnesties

Friday was a public holiday in Myanmar and mass amnesties to empty the countrys overcrowded prison system is common on significant local dates.

More than 260 people have been detained in the days since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group, but there was no indication that Suu Kyi or any of her allies were among those set for release.

There is a serious concern that the sudden release is to clear space for the detention of political prisoners, the AAPP said.

Protesters in Myeik were among the first to hit the streets on Friday, with hundreds of teachers marching through the southern port city urging people to stay home from their offices and join their strike.

Widespread dissent

The coup has united disparate strands of society in opposition, with some reports of police officers breaking ranks to join demonstrations alongside celebrities, students and garment workers.

They have called for the junta to respect the results of Novembers elections, which saw Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party win in a massive landslide.

The military justified its takeover with claims of widespread voter fraud, though local and international monitors said there were no major issues with the election that could have changed the outcome of the poll.

Min Aung Hlaings regime has moved quickly to stack courts and political offices with loyalists after bringing the countrys decade-old democracy to a sudden end.

Live rounds were fired at a rally in Naypyidaw this week, critically wounding two peopleincluding a woman who was shot in the head.

Concerns are growing over a draft cybersecurity bill that grants the regime power to order internet blackouts and website bans.

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The junta has already ordered telecoms to block Twitter and Facebook and imposed a temporary nationwide internet shutdown over the weekend.

Suu Kyi has not been seen since she was detained on February 1, the same day a new parliament was due to convene, but NLD officials have said the Nobel laureate was in good health.

The military regime has weathered a chorus of condemnation from the U.S., European Union and former colonial power Britain since it took power.

The international community will not accept the coup in Myanmar and we will hold those responsible to account, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Thursday.

(AFP)

France 24 is Prremium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish.

By SA Commercial Prop News

Tijs van den Brink believes that we should be making cities smart, rather than building new smart cities.



COVID-19 has highlighted underlying vulnerabilities that undermine South African citizens quality of life.

These include growing inequality, limited and/or aging infrastructure, and a shortage of public resources to address these challenges  but applying smart city principles to all cities, and not only flagship projects, can help address some of these vulnerabilities.

Responding to last nights SONA 2021 speech by President Cyril Ramaphosa, announcing that new Smart Cities are on the way, Tijs van den Brink, Advisory Group Director at Royal HaskoningDHV believes that we should be making cities smart, rather than building new smart cities.

Exclusive by design



Smart cities put people and the environment at the heart of high-tech developments that use data and technology (digital transformation) to drive service delivery and quality-of-life improvements for residents.



But to support these efficiencies, flagship smart cities often put the technology at the centre and want to implement all innovations at once, which comes with high upfront capital investments that are recovered through higher property values and rentals.



This immediately excludes the majority of the population from ever being able to afford to live in a smart city. And, in a country with one of the greatest inequality gaps, everything possible needs to be done to guard against deepening the chasm between lower and higher income groups.



The ability to earn a return on high smart city investments depends on external factors, like economic downturns and requirements to include social housing. These factors can make smart city flagship projects unviable, as was the case with the shelved Chinese-led development in Gauteng.



Whats more, flagship smart cities are not always replicable  technologies piloted in new-build projects cant always be retrofitted to existing infrastructure.



However, there is immense opportunity  that is both scalable and replicable  in making existing cities smarter, more people-centric, and better able to address some of the vulnerabilities mentioned earlier.



So how can South African cities be made smarter? By following these three steps:



Step 1: Gather data



Data is the foundation of everything in a smart city, because knowing exactly what is going on within the city, and what the implications of those events are, helps authorities make better decisions, faster.



Ideally, data should be gathered in (near) real-time from a wide range of sources and sensors. Insights should be presented in a way that allows decision-makers to act as events unfold and helps them to understand how patterns evolve over time. Using this data and technology layer as a foundation, cities can build digital twins and other applications for public use.



That said, accessing accurate, relevant, and real-time data is a challenge in South Africa. When it comes to infrastructure, authorities often dont know exactly what exists, what state its in, or what its being used for.



That means that South African cities must start gathering information to paint a true picture of what they have to work with. Only then can their managers plan how to make cities more liveable and better maintained.



Step 2: Experiment rapidly



Rapid experimentation is the only cost-effective way to quickly learn which technologies work in the local context, prior to larger scale rollouts.



To make this happen systemically, clear plans that prioritise what experiments will be conducted in which cities are needed, to form a solid business case for both the current setting and how the experiments will be replicated and scaled to future applications.



Remember, these experiments can fail  and its okay if they do, as long as theyre stopped immediately and that the lessons learnt are shared widely to prevent future misallocations of funding.



An interesting example when it comes to smart experimenting is the Count Dropula smart water meter launched during the peak of Cape Towns water crisis in 2018. Developed by a University of Stellenbosch associate professor, the meter helped schools rapidly address water leaks by notifying them immediately of consumption spikes. Once installed at 350 schools, Count Dropula saved almost 550 million litres in 17 months.



Step 3: Partner broadly



Learning from and partnering with the private sector has additional benefits. A 2018 MGI report found that more than half of the initial investment that needs to be made [in service and infrastructure systems] by the public sector would generate a positive financial return, which opens the door to partnerships.



This is particularly relevant for a government that is fiscally constrained as it responds to an unprecedented pandemic, as South Africas government is. A broad partnership with the private sector, academia, and NGOs also allows for more creative and diverse uses of available data.



On a broader scale, it requires connecting urban development with public-sector initiatives, like the Presidential Commission for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Johannesburgs Tshimologong Precinct, and Ekurhulenis Drone Accelerator Programme.



Ultimately, making our cities smarter is a sustainable and impactful way to improve quality of life within urban areas. Although often associated with wealthy areas, the smart city concept can be applied to lower-income areas, to unlock the transformative impact that technology can have on peoples quality of life.
The elements that work for Churuli make it all the more maddening that director Lijo Jose Pellissery chose to say what he wants to say with such intentional vagueness

Churuli is a modern-day bow to the Book of Revelation from the New Testament, a fascinating fantastical text that remains a subject of multiple, vastly contrasting interpretations even 2,000 years after it was written.

Director Lijo Jose Pellissery has evidently drawn inspiration from this final volume in the Bible for his eerie, frustratingly abstract horror fantasy based on a screenplay by S. Hareesh that in turn was adapted from a story by Vinoy Thomas. Although quotes from the Old Testaments prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah bookend Pellisserys narrative, what primarily reverberates through it is the tumultuous, exasperatingly obscure yet never-less-than-intriguing Revelation  both at a philosophical and literal level, with two instances in the film of characters actually reading passages from the book out loud.

Churulis opening sets it up as a saga from a mystical, mythical realm. Text on screen informs us that the inhabitants of Churuli speak a scriptless language known as Shurulmozhi or Shurulalam. An apocalyptic Biblical extract follows. Then comes a womans voice addressing someone called Shajivan as she narrates a fable of a Brahmin and Perumadan  a phantom who leads everyone astray  with her words set to animated illustrations. It is a curious tale of an upper-caste man who patronisingly humours his seemingly innocuous, apparently lowly companion, not realising that he has been bested and is being taken for a ride.

Cut to reality in spectacular Kerala, where two policemen are en route to an undercover operation, on a bus winding its way through treacherous terrain in a densely forested, high-altitude region. Calling themselves Antony (Chemban Vinod Jose) and Shajivan (Vinay Forrt), they are on a quest to nab a criminal. The duo encounter a bunch of locals from their destination  a polite, diffident, almost deferential lot, until they cross a bridge into what seems like a netherworld whence they metamorphose into aggressive, abusive creatures, lashing out at the outsiders.

By now the air is thick with foreboding. Soon, the question of whether the law enforcers will catch their outlaw is overshadowed by the mystery over what this place is and who is the Perumadan among the array of characters around. The answer, when it does finally stare us in the face, still leaves too many loose threads hanging.

Churuli is an exacting film that demands every iota of attention. Any shot or word missed could mean a layer perhaps missed, especially since Pellissery is infuriatingly oblique about the point/s he wishes to make. Barring the graphics with the closing credits though, it is hard to dismiss the rest as pretentious because it feels like a sincere game of guess what Im trying to say that the director genuinely hopes will be fun for his viewer. Truth: initially it is; after a while, it is not.

(Minor spoilers in this paragraph) When Antony tells his junior that Shajivan is a good alias for him because Shaji is the official name of scoundrels, I keeled over with laughter. You will understand why if you follow online political protests by Malayalis and know who they have nicknamed after Malayalam cinemas famous Alavalathi Shaji. As the plot progresses though, it turns out that no deeper meaning can be attributed to that joke.

(Minor spoilers in this paragraph) But the rechristening exercise does leave a question mark hanging over Shajivan. Unlike Antony, he feels he has been here for a while almost as soon as he lands in Churuli, and one person after another tells him that he looks familiar. It is left to the audience to decide whether Shajivan actually sees what he thinks he sees or is viewing his surroundings through the lens of a folktale long buried in his psyche.

(Minor spoilers in this paragraph) The inhabitants of Churuli are a double-faced lot, one moment vicious and ferocious, the next moment friendly and warm. Pellissery appears to suggest that this may not be what they are as much as it is the interlopers image of these people living on the margins of society.

(Minor spoilers in this paragraph) This point is diluted, however, when even the Churulians describe themselves as crooks. Irrespective of their opinion, what Churuli is for sure is a vision of what may lie in store for socially dominant groups of today if power equations were to be reversed  in this story, an individual with clout chatters confidently with an inarticulate group of the rural poor but is later dumbstruck when his listeners suddenly explode into an inexplicable rage; when an otherwise physically strong man is incapacitated, he tells a woman right before a potential sexual encounter, Please try not to hurt me, Sister; and a subordinate is transformed into a protector. (Spoiler alert ends)

For the record, like too many films of the otherwise-rightfully-acclaimed Malayalam New New Wave, this one too revolves around men, and features women characters who, while being significant to the proceedings, nevertheless operate on the sidelines.

The spotlight first fell on Pellissery in Kerala a decade back. Since 2017, he has been a darling of pan-India cinephiles after gaining national attention with Angamaly Diaries. He followed up that delightful black comedy with the culturally insightful and wonderfully funny Ee.Ma.Yau (2018), and a wacko interpretation of machoism and socio-political supremacy in Jallikattu (2019).

Churulis pluses begin with its packaging. It is exquisitely shot by DoP Madhu Neelakandan and well-acted by everyone, especially Vinay Forrt who has been so lovely in the likes of Premam, Kismath and Thamaasha and is again in top form here. Sreerag Sajis original score is ghostly and complements the atmospherics of the narrative. And Renganaath Ravees sound design is meticulous.

Besides, it is clear that there is a lot Pellissery wishes to say with Churuli. The elements that work make it all the more maddening that he chose to say it with such intentional vagueness.

Rating: **1/2

Churuli had its world premiere at the ongoing 25th International Film Festival of Kerala. For further screenings, check the schedule: https://iffk.in/ schedule-2021/
The show Brooklyn Nine-Nine is set to wrap up after its eighth season set to air later this year.

NBC has ordered 10 episodes of the police comedy, starring Andy Samberg, set to hit screens for the 2021-2022 season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The series will not air as part of the Peacock Network's midseason programming, nor will it appear later in the summer.

The latest: Brooklyn Nine-Nine is set to wrap up after its eighth season set to air later this year; Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero and Andy Samberg are pictured in a shot from the show

The delay in broadcasting is so the show can properly put together its final slate, as well as potential promotional opportunities with the Olympics on the horizon.

Creative challenges have loomed as to how the series will be written after a year marked by unrest related to racial inequality and police brutality following the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Star and executive producer Samberg, speaking with People last year, said that the show's writer's were 'all rethinking how were going to move forward' and 'make a comedy show about police right now' amid the time of social change.

'And if we can find a way of doing that that we all feel morally OK about?' Samberg said. 'I know that well figure it out, but its definitely a challenge.'

NBC has ordered 10 episodes of the police comedy, starring Andy Samberg, set to hit screens for the 2021-2022 season

Andre Braugher and Terry Crews are seen in a clip from the police comedy

Last June, the show's Terry Crews told Access Daily that four scripts for the upcoming season were discarded amid the social sea change.

'Weve had a lot of somber talks about it and deep conversations, and we hope through this, were going to make something that will be truly groundbreaking this year,' Crews said. 'We have an opportunity, and we plan to use it in the best way possible.'

NBC picked up the show for its past three seasons after it was canceled by Fox in 2018.

The series co-creator Dan Goor told THR, 'Im so thankful to NBC and Universal Television for allowing us to give these characters and our fans the ending they deserve ... I feel lucky that we have had the best fans in the world. Fans who literally saved us from cancellation.

'Fans who fill us with joy. Ending the show was a difficult decision, but ultimately, we felt it was the best way to honor the characters, the story and our viewers.'
DUBLIN, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market: Focus on Manufacturing Technique, Component, and End User - Analysis and Forecast, 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global radiation-hardened electronics industry analysis by BIS Research projects the market to have growth with CAGR of 3.90% based on the values during the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. The North America region is expected to dominate the market by 2025 with a share of 33.15%. The North America region includes the U.S. and Canada, but the U.S. is expected to acquire a major share in 2025 due to the increase in the investment of companies in the country.

The radiation-hardened electronics market has gained huge importance in the past few years. This is due to the rising demand for commercial COTS applications of rad-hard components. Several agencies and research organizations and industry players are engaged in developing software-defined rad-hard components.

Scope of the Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market

The global radiation-hardened electronics market research provides the market information for segmentation such as the manufacturing technique, component, and end user. The market is also divided depending upon the end-user as space, military, nuclear power plants, aerospace, and other (healthcare and mining) where space is sub-segmented in satellite and launch vehicle and the military is sub-segmented as missiles, defense vehicle, and munitions. The market analysis examines the radiation hardened electronics market outlook in terms of the trends, driving forces, opportunities, technological advancements, and competitive benchmarking, among others.

The report further takes into consideration the market and business dynamics, along with the detailed product contribution of the key players operating in the market.

Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market Segmentation

The report constitutes an extensive study of the radiation-hardened electronics industry. The report largely focuses on providing market information for radiation hardened electronics covering various segments, manufacturing techniques, components, end-user, and regions. The manufacturing technique included rad-hard by design (RHBD), rad-hard by process (RHBP), and rad-hard by software (RHBS). the component type was classified into microprocessors and controllers, sensors, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), memory, power sources, discrete semiconductors, analog and mixed signals, others (optoelectronics, rectifiers, and fets). The market is further segmented into five end-use, namely space, military, nuclear power plants, aerospace, other (healthcare and mining).

The radiation-hardened electronics is segregated by region under four major regions, namely North America, Europe, APAC, and Rest-of-the-World. Data for each of these regions (by country) is provided.

Key Companies in the Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Industry

The key players in the global radiation-hardened electronics market include Analog Devices Inc., BAE System, Cobham PLc, Honeywell, IBM, Infineon, Microchip, Renesas, ST Microelectronics, Texas, Boeing, Xilinx Inc., Maxwell, Psemi Corporation, Teledyne E2v Semiconductors, 3d Plus, Micropac Industries, Inc, Anaren Inc, Tt Electronics Plc, Data Device Corporation (Transdigm), and Solid-State Devices, Inc. (SSDI).

Key Questions Answered in this Report:



What are the trends in the global radiation hardened electronics market across different regions? What are the major driving forces expected to increase the demand for radiation hardened electronics during the forecast period 2020-2025? What are the major challenges inhibiting the growth of the radiation hardened electronics market? What was the revenue generated in the global radiation hardened electronics market by various segments in 2019, and what are the estimates by 2025? Which end-user of the radiation hardened electronics market (Space, Military, Nuclear Power Plants, Aerospace, Other (Healthcare and Mining)) is expected to dominate the market in the coming years? What is the estimated revenue to be generated by the global radiation hardened electronics market across different regions ( North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and Rest-of-the-World) during the forecast period? Who are the key players in the global radiation hardened electronics market, and what are the new strategies that are being adopted by them to make a mark in the industry? What major opportunities do the radiation hardened electronics market companies foresee in the next ten years? What is the impact of COVID-19 on the electronics and manufacturing value chain in upstream, midstream, and downstream parts? What is the competitive strength of the key leading players in the radiation hardened electronics market?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Market Dynamics

1.1 Drivers

1.1.1 Rising Satellite Launches and Deep Space Activities

1.1.2 Establishment of Autonomous Military Operations in Hostile Environment

1.1.3 Growing Demand for Radiation-Hardened Electronics in Nuclear and Healthcare Industry

1.2 Market Restraints

1.2.1 High Initial Investment

1.2.2 Difficulties in Creating Real Testing Environment

1.3 Opportunities

1.3.1 Increasing Demand for COTS Radiation-Hardened Electronics in Different Verticals

1.3.2 Rising Requirement for Reconfigurable Radiation-Hardened Electronics

2 Competitive Insights

2.1 Key Market Strategies and Development

2.1.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, Contracts, and M&A

2.1.2 New Product Launches and Other Developments

2.2 Competitive Benchmarking

2.3 Market Share Analysis

3 Industry Analysis

3.1 Industry Overview

3.2 Comparison of Radiation-Hardened Products Standard Requirements and Regulations (by End User)

3.3 Impact of New Technologies on Radiation-Hardened Electronics in New Space

3.4 Radiation-Hardened Electronics Manufacturers and Certifications

3.5 Patent Analysis

3.6 Supply Chain Analysis

3.7 Impact of COVID-19 On Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market

3.7.1 COVID-19 Effect on Manufacturing Sector

4 Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market, 2020 to 2025

4.1 Assumptions and Limitations

4.2 Market Overview

5 Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market (by Manufacturing Technique)

5.1 Market Overview (by Manufacturing Technique)

5.1.1 Rad-Hard by Design (RHBD)

5.1.2 Rad-Hard by Process (RHBP)

5.1.3 Rad-Hard by Software (RHBS)

6 Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market (by Component)

6.1 Market Overview

6.1.1 Microprocessors and Controllers

6.1.2 Discrete Semiconductors

6.1.3 Power Sources

6.1.4 Memory

6.1.5 Field-Programmable Gate Array

6.1.6 Analog and Mixed Signals

6.1.7 Sensors

6.1.8 Application-Specific Integrated Circuit

6.1.9 Others

7 Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market (by End User)

7.1 Market Overview

7.2 Space

7.2.1 Satellite

7.2.2 Launch Vehicles

7.3 Military

7.3.1 Missiles

7.3.2 Defense vehicle

7.3.3 Munitions

7.4 Nuclear Power Plant

7.5 Aerospace

7.6 Others

8 Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market (by Region)

8.1 Market Overview

8.2 North America

8.3 Europe

8.4 Asia-Pacific

8.5 Rest-of-the-World



9 Company Profiles

9.1 3D Plus (HEICO Corporation)

9.1.1 Company Overview

9.1.2 Financial Overview

9.1.3 Product Portfolio

9.1.4 Strategic Overview

9.1.5 SWOT Analysis of 3D Plus (HEICO Corporation)

9.2 Analog Devices Inc.

9.2.1 Company Overview

9.2.2 Financial Overview

9.2.3 Product Portfolio

9.2.4 Strategic Overview

9.2.4.1 Conferences and Expo

9.2.4.2 Business Collaboration

9.2.5 SWOT Analysis of Analog Devices

9.3 Anaren Inc. (TTM Technologies)

9.3.1 Company Overview

9.3.2 Financial Overview

9.3.3 Product Portfolio

9.3.4 SWOT Analysis: Anaren Inc. (TTM Technologies)

9.4 BAE Systems

9.4.1 Company Overview

9.4.2 Product Portfolio

9.4.3 Financial Overview

9.4.4 Strategic Overview

9.4.4.1 New Product Launch

9.4.5 SWOT Analysis of BAE Systems

9.5 Cobham plc

9.5.1 Company Overview

9.5.2 Financial Overview

9.5.3 Product Portfolio

9.5.4 Business Strategies

9.5.5 SWOT Analysis of Cobham PLC

9.6 Data Device Corporation

9.6.1 Company Overview

9.6.2 Product Portfolio

9.6.3 Business Strategies

9.6.4 SWOT Analysis: Data Device Corporation

9.7 Honeywell International Inc.

9.7.1 Company Overview

9.7.2 Financial Overview

9.7.3 Product Portfolio

9.7.4 Corporate Strategies

9.7.4.1 Contract

9.7.5 SWOT Analysis: Honeywell

9.8 IBM Corporation

9.8.1 Company Overview

9.8.2 Financial Overview

9.8.3 Product Portfolio

9.8.4 SWOT: IBM Corporation

9.9 Infineon Technologies Inc.

9.9.1 Company Overview

9.9.2 Financial Overview

9.9.3 Product Portfolio

9.9.4 Business Strategies

9.9.5 SWOT: Infineon Technologies Inc

9.10 Microchip Technology Inc.

9.10.1 Company Overview

9.10.2 Financial Overview

9.10.3 Product Portfolio

9.10.4 Business Strategies

9.10.5 SWOT: Microchip Technology Inc

9.11 Micropac Industries Inc.

9.11.1 Company Overview

9.11.2 Product Portfolio

9.11.3 Strength and Weakness of Micropac Industries Inc.

9.12 Renesas Electronics Corporation

9.12.1 Company Overview

9.12.2 Financial Overview: Renesas Electronics Corporation

9.12.3 Product Portfolio

9.12.4 Business Strategies

9.12.5 SWOT: Renesas Electronics Corporation

9.13 Solid State Devices Inc.

9.13.1 Company Overview

9.13.2 Product Portfolio

9.13.3 Business Strategies

9.13.3.1 New Product Launch

9.13.4 SWOT: Solid State Devices

9.14 STMicroelectronics N.V

9.14.1 Company Overview

9.14.2 Financial Overview

9.14.3 Product Portfolio

9.14.4 Business Strategies

9.14.5 SWOT: STMicroelectronics N.V.

9.15 Texas Instruments Inc

9.15.1 Company Overview

9.15.2 Financial Overview

9.15.3 Product Portfolio

9.15.4 Business Strategies

9.15.5 SWOT: Texas Instruments Inc.

9.16 Teledyne Technologies Incorporated.

9.16.1 Company Overview

9.16.2 Financial Overview

9.16.3 Product Portfolio

9.16.4 Business Strategies

9.16.5 SWOT: Teledyne Technologies

9.17 The Boeing Company

9.17.1 Company Overview

9.17.2 Financial Overview

9.17.3 Product Portfolio

9.17.4 Business Strategies

9.17.5 SWOT: The Boeing Company.

9.18 Xilinx Inc.

9.18.1 Company Overview

9.18.2 Financial Overview

9.18.3 Product Portfolio

9.18.4 Business Strategies

9.18.5 SWOT: Xilinx Inc

9.19 Other Key Players

9.19.1 AIS Tech Space

9.19.2 Hiber Global

9.19.3 Hera Systems

9.19.4 Helios Wire

9.19.5 Kepler Communications

9.19.6 Swarm Technology

9.19.7 Sen

9.19.8 Unseen Labs

10 Research Scope and BIS Methodology

10.1 Scope of the Report

10.2 Global Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market Research Methodology

11 Appendix

11.1 Related Reports

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5o0wee



Media Contact:

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 05:19:12|Editor: huaxia

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NICOSIA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus is ready to enhance further its "excellent cooperation" with China, said Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday while sending his greetings to China for the Lunar New Year.

"On the auspicious occasion of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the year of the Ox, I would like to extend on behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of Cyprus our most heart-felt wishes for good health and happiness to all of you and to the friendly people of the People's Republic of China," he said in a video message.

He also said that the two countries share long-standing and historical ties of friendship based on solidarity, fundamental values and mutual respect.

Anastasiades said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and China, and he was pleased to witness the steady progress of bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.

"Allow me, dear friends, to take this opportunity to convey our readiness to expand our dialogue at all levels in the years ahead as well as to explore the potential of enhancing further our excellent cooperation with China," Anastasiades said.

This year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 12, and according to the Chinese calendar, it is the year of the Ox.

The Year of the Ox is the second zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle. The Chinese Zodiac is represented by 12 animals to record the years and reflect people's attributes, namely the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Enditem
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Smartphone maker Motorola is set to enter the rugged smartphone market through a new long-term partnership with Bullitt Group.

Motorola has signed an exclusive brand partnership with the UK-based company to develop and market Moto-branded drop-proof and shockproof phones globally.

"This is a unique strategic alliance, as it allows Bullitt to apply its expertise to the Motorola portfolio of products. Motorola invented the mobile phone and remains one of the most iconic brands in the world. To be entrusted by Motorola to create a portfolio of Motorola branded rugged phones, bears testament to the exceptional business we have built at Bullitt over the last 11 years," Dave Floyd, Bullitt Group's co-founder, said in a statement.

Bullitt entered the rugged smartphone sector back in 2009 and has since designed, manufactured, and distributed several of its Cat and Land Rover-branded smartphones in over 50 markets worldwide.

Motorola and Bullitt are teaming up in what is described as a 'global strategic brand partnership' for Motorola-branded rugged phones.

Motorola had its own go at drop-resistant phones and shatterproof screens with the Moto Z Force and Moto Z2 Force back in 2016-17.

The company even launched its rugged phone ia the Motorola Defy ia all the way back in 2010. It was one of the first mainstream Android smartphones to feature IP67 dust and water-resistance, and it also packed an impact-resistant screen.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
ASHGABAT -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has appointed his son Serdar to the posts of deputy prime minister and chairman of the Supreme Control Chamber, renewing speculation the 63-year-old autocrat is grooming his son to be his successor.

State media outlets reported on February 12 that according to the presidential decrees signed the day before, Serdar Berdymukhammedov also became a member of the State Security Council.

The promotions come a year after the younger Berdymukhammedov assumed the post of minister of industry and construction. A year before that, he was promoted to the post of provincial governor.

The rapid rise of Berdymukhammedov's son, whose political career started in late 2016 when he became a lawmaker, appears to lay the groundwork for the 39-year-old to eventually take over the tightly controlled Central Asian state.

Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has run the former Soviet republic since 2006, tolerating no dissent and becoming the center of an elaborate personality cult. Turkmens often refer to him as "Arkadag" (The Protector).

Serdar Berdymukhammedov is often referred to in state media as "the son of the nation," and his appearances in television reports along with his father are called "the symbol of generations' continuance."

In his new job, Serdar Berdymukhammedov will supervise activities related to digitalization and the introduction of innovative technologies to the state and social infrastructure, as well as the health-care, education, financial and economic sectors, his father said in a televised statement.

Government critics and human rights groups say Berdymukhammedov has suppressed dissent and made few changes in the secretive country since he came to power after the death of autocrat Saparmurat Niyazov.

Like his late predecessor, Berdymukhammedov has relied on subsidized prices for basic goods and utilities to help maintain his grip on power.

According to Human Rights Watch, Berdymukhammedov, "his relatives, and their associates control all aspects of public life, and the authorities encroach on private life."
By Astrid Casimire

Bay City News Foundation

Workers of the Burlingame Skilled Nursing Facility went on an unfair labor practice strike Thursday, after months of bargaining for increased wages, better health insurance and more staffing.

Workers say they have been overworked and still have not reached an agreement with management for better wages and benefits.

The Burlingame nursing facility, located at 1100 Trousdale Dr., is managed by Brius, LLC, a large for-profit company that manages over 80 facilities in California.

Reynafe Mosquera, a licensed vocational nurse who has been working at the facility since 2013, said that since the pandemic began, workers have had to take long shifts and are in frequent contact with COVID-positive patients.

"In December and January, it was too much. Almost everyday someone had to die and it scared us," Mosquera said.

As of Thursday, 207 residents at the facility had contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began, with 34 patients succumbing to the virus, according to state data. In addition, 65 workers have gotten the virus and had to quarantine due to exposure.

Mosquera said she knew of a registered nurse who resigned, then wound up testing positive for COVID-19 afterwards.

"We don't want to wait until we get intubated," Mosquera said.

It's not just the fact that workers have to take more shifts. They say management did not let them know that their hours and wages had changed. Such unilateral decision-making is one of the reasons for the strike.

Mosquera used to work 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but now she is forced to work until 7 p.m. unless she finds someone to replace her on her shifts.

But, replacements are hard to come by, and that leaves Mosquera and other workers with a tough schedule and no way out accept to bargain for better conditions.

The facilities workers are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 829. AFSCME Union Representative Gaelan Ash said the strike is not an economic strike, but an unfair labor practice strike. Some of these unfair practices include changing hours and wages without notifying employees.

"They also have been intimidating workers about the strike," Ash said. "They have attempted to bribe workers across the picket line, offering people $500 to cross the picket line, all of which are illegal."

The group on strike is just a fraction of the workers at the facility, which includes 150 to 175 people in total. Some people were afraid to strike out of fear.

Bargaining began last August, Ash said.

Workers requested a 3.5 percent pay increase from this July. Instead, management offered a 2 percent increase.

Workers requested full health coverage and 90 percent coverage for children and spouses. Instead, management offered minimal coverage to workers who have been at the facility for 10 or more years.

Meanwhile, other workers are paying out of pocket for health insurance and using personal funds in place of sick leave.

Ash, who represents 5 bargaining units -- about 1,200 workers -- in San Mateo County, said that this employer is the worst he has had to deal with.

"Every other unit I had last spring, we managed to bargain. They agreed to sit down at the bargaining table," Ash said. "In this case, management has flat out refused to bargain."

Bay City News reached out to Burlingame Nursing Facility for comment. Management was not immediately available for an interview on Thursday.

Arnel Dolores, a licensed vocational nurse, said that since he started in September, the job has been overwhelming for him. He's had to manage 40 patients in one day and once worked a 20-hour shift because there was no one else to cover him.

He said they are so understaffed that it is difficult to give basic needs to patients.

"Every day you come into work fearing the worst just because we don't have enough bodies to check on the patients," Dolores said. "We've spread ourselves thin and it's unbearable."

Dolores said he joined Thursday's strike to advocate for the certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, who carry a large burden of the work.

"I'm just really here to fight for the nurses that have been here for years that deserve better benefits," Dolores said. "They're risking their lives and there's not enough compensation for the risk."

As for the strike, he hopes that if they keep fighting, things can get better.

The strike will continue Friday.

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.
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who reappeared in a court on Friday for a trial on defamation charges, mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticised the judge. Navalny, who is being tried for defaming a World War II veteran, backed his lawyer's request to replace the judge, saying she needs to enroll herself in a school to improve her knowledge of law. Navalny is accused of defaming the World War II veteran, who appeared in a video last year promoting a constitutional reform that extended Putin's term limit as President by 2 years.

Read: Russia Wants Navalny Ally Arrested Abroad; Lithuania Refuses

In a previous hearing, Navalny labelled the World War II veteran and others who appeared in the video as "traitors". Navalny had mocked the judge, President Putin, and prosecutors, slamming the case as political vendetta. However, the 94-year-old World War II veteran became unwell during the hearing, which led to the judge adjourning the case until February 12. Navalny came back to the court on Friday and criticised the judge once again, showing he will not be silenced by these cases.

Read: Navalny Team Announces New Protest, Kremlin Reax

On February 2, Navalny was jailed for two and a half years in a separate case of financial fraud, which led to widespread condemnation from the international community, who called for the immediate release of the Russian opposition leader. Navalny's arrest and sentencing led to widespread protests across Russia as tens of thousands of people stormed the streets of Moscow to demand his release.

Navalny's arrest

Navalny was arrested by the Russian authorities soon after returning from Germany last month, where he had been since August 2020 for treatment. Navalny was flown to Berlin from Russia last year after he fell ill during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. Upon landing in Germany, doctors concluded Navalny had been poisoned using Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. Navalny was in a medically-induced coma for almost a month following which he was kept in the hospital for recovery treatment.

Read: After Moscow Expels EU Diplomats, EU, UK And US To Convene Forum On Alexei Navalny

Russian prison authorities issued a summon against Navalny asking him to appear before them or face jail time for violating a 2014 suspended sentencing. Navalny was accused of violating the terms of suspended sentencing from 2014, of which he had already served 10 months under house arrest. In February, the court ordered Navalny to fulfill his remaining time in prison, pronouncing him guilty in the parole violation case.

Read: 'Russia Gas Pipeline Project To Continue': Angela Merkel Amid Ongoing Navalny Row



Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel.And Russia? President Vladimir Putins government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of the commodity. Authorities will use prisoners to help speed the work, reviving a reviled Soviet-era tradition.The project to modernize and expand railroads that run to Russias Far Eastern ports is part of a broader push to make the nation among the last standing in fossil fuel exports as other countries switch to greener alternatives. The government is betting that coal consumption will continue to rise in big Asian markets like China even as it dries up elsewhere.It's realistic to expect Asian demand for imported coal to increase if conditions are right,'' said Evgeniy Bragin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UMMC Holding, which owns a coal company in western Siberias Kuzbass region. We need to keep developing and expanding the rail infrastructure so that we have the opportunity to export coal.The latest 720 billion ruble ($9.8 billion) project to expand Russias two longest railroads  the Tsarist-era Trans-Siberian and Soviet Baikal-Amur Mainline that link western Russia with the Pacific Ocean will aim to boost cargo capacity for coal and other goods to 182 million tons a year by 2024. Capacity already more than doubled to 144 million tons under a 520 billion ruble modernization plan that began in 2013. Putin urged faster progress on the next leg at a meeting with coal miners in March.Russia is trying to monetize its coal reserves fast enough that coal will contribute to GDP rather than being stuck in the ground, said Madina Khrustaleva, an analyst who specializes in the region for TS Lombard in London.Putin is betting that his countrys land border with China and good relations with President Xi Jinping make it a natural candidate to dominate exports to the nation that consumes more than half of the worlds coal. His case is helped by the fact that Australia, currently the number one coal exporter, is facing trade restrictions from China amid a diplomatic dispute over the origins of the coronavirus.But the plan is fraught with risk, both for Russias economy and the planet. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends immediate phasing out of coal to avoid catastrophic global warming and the effects of climate change are expected to cost Russia billions in coming decades. Earlier this month the International Energy Agency went one step further and said no new fossil-fuel infrastructure should be built if the world wants to keep global warming will below 1.5 degrees Celsius. With all but one of the top 10 economies committed to reaching net-zero emissions within decades, the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap calls for phasing out all coal power plants without carbon capture as soon as 2040.Its also not a given that Asian coal demand will keep growing. Coal consumption in China is poised to reach a record this year and the country continues to build coal-fired power plants, but it also plans to start reducing consumption starting in 2026. At the same time it's increasing output from domestic mines, leaving less room for foreign supplies. Even in the IEA's least climate-friendly scenarios, global coal demand is expected to stay flat in 2040 compared to 2019.A coal strategy approved by the Russian government last year envisages a 10% increase in coal output from pre-pandemic levels by 2035 under the most conservative scenario, based on rising demand not just from China, but also India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and possibly Indonesia.The relatively low sulphur content of Russian coal might give it an edge in Korea, which has tightened pollution laws in recent years, but other Asian countries have struggled to secure funding for proposed plants and Indonesia said this week it wont approve any new coal-fired power plants. At a Group of Seven nations meeting, environment ministers agreed to phase out support for building coal power plants without carbon capture before the end of this year.For Putin there is more at stake than just money. At a video conference in March, he reminded government officials that the coal industry drives the local economies of several Russian regions that are home to about 11 million people. Unrest among coal miners helped put pressure on the government before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though the sector is now a much smaller and less influential part of the economy.We need to carefully assess all possible scenarios in order to guarantee that our coal mining regions are developed even if global demand decreases, Putin said. The countrys biggest coal producers are privately run, meaning they arent facing the kind of financing problems currently being encountered by listed companies elsewhere as banks pull back funding for dirty energy. Suek Plc, owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and Kuzbassrazrezugol OJSC, controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, are both planning to increase output. Russia also plans to boost coal production for steel making. A-Property, owned by Russian businessmen Albert Avdolyan, bought the Elga coal mine in Russias Far Eastern region of Yakutia last year and plans to invest 130 billion rubles to expand output to 45 million tons of coal from the current 5 million tons by 2023. A third stage of Russias railroad expansion project will focus on boosting infrastructure for shipping coal out of Yakutia, a Russian Railways official said last month.In 2021, many Asia Pacific states have seen their economies recover from the pandemic, said Oleg Korzhov, the CEO of Mechel PJSC, one of Russias biggest coal companies. We expect that demand for metallurgical coal in Asia Pacific will remain high in the next five years.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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Colin Norris, 45, was found guilty in 2008 by a majority for murdering the four patients by injecting them with lethal doses of insulin

The nurse who was jailed for life for murdering four patients and attempting to kill a fifth has had his case referred to the Court of Appeal.

Colin Norris, 45, who was dubbed the 'angel of death', was found guilty in 2008 by a majority for murdering the patients by injecting them with lethal doses of insulin at Leeds General Infirmary and the city's St James's Hospital.

The four women who died - Ethel Hall, Bridget Bourke, Doris Ludlam and Irene Crookes - and the fifth woman Vera Wilby were all elderly inpatients on orthopaedic wards in Leeds where he worked as a nurse.

However the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has now decided to refer all five convictions to the Court of Appeal after new expert evidence presented by Mr Norris's representatives.

In a statement the commission said: 'The CCRC considered new expert evidence presented by Mr Norris's representatives and instructed its own expert to provide a number of reports.

'This new expert evidence explored recent developments in a complex area where scientific understanding is still developing.

'As a result of the new expert evidence, the CCRC has concluded that there is a real possibility that the Court of Appeal will decide that Mr Norris's conviction for the murder/attempted murder of one or more of the four patients is unsafe.'

Norris - who was born in Glasgow - was found guilty of four counts of murder and a single count of attempted murder after a five-month trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

The prosecution said the women all died from hypoglycaemia, extreme low blood sugar, which causes the brain and other major organs to cease functioning.

Norris was convicted or murdering Bridget Bourke (left) and Doris Ludlam (right)

The nurse was jailed for the murder of Irene Crooks (left) and Ethel Hall (right)

The General Infirmary in Leeds, where Bridget Bourke and Doris Ludlam died

It was claimed this condition was triggered by injections of insulin and Norris was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years.

The case against him was wholly circumstantial and heavily reliant on expert opinion evidence on a number of complex medical and scientific issues.

Experts have now agreed that the hypoglycaemia in four of the women - other than Mrs Hall - may be accounted for by natural causes, according to the CCRC.

Norris was also jailed for the attempted murder of Vera Wilby

Mrs Hall developed severe hypoglycaemia while in hospital and died on December 11 2002 and the cause of her murder is not being questioned.

However, the CCRC considers this conviction depends on support from the other four cases and the prosecution's assertion that no-one other than Norris could have been responsible.

The CCRC said new evidence also highlighted several other relevant developments in the understanding of hypoglycaemia, including its prevalence in the elderly and frail.

This has cast further doubt on the expert opinion relied upon by the prosecution at trial.

The statement added: 'The CCRC considers that this conviction depends upon support from the other four cases and the prosecution's assertion that no-one other than Mr Norris could have been responsible.

'In light of the new expert evidence, the CCRC is satisfied that this assertion is now less secure and that, as a result, there is a real possibility that the Court of Appeal will quash this conviction too.'
Sales of marijuana concentrates increased 40.5% last year in the adult-use states of California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington as well as the recreational and medical markets in Oregon.

( ) stock has remained flat at 12 cents per share over the course of January 2021 compared to a 0.3% rise for the broader market as represented by the ASX 200.

However, the benchmark Alternative Harvest ETF has dramatically risen in January by about 33% from US$14.35 to US$18.97.

Thus far in February the ETF has moved up another 82% and closed at US$34.6 on February 11.

MMJ is witnessing significant follow through on the buying action that now appears to have come down cap into many of its investee companies as well.

Harvest One and WeedMD have seen significant gains over the last several weeks.

New federal legalisation bill

Furthering the progress in the US, key US Senate leaders from the Democratic party held a meeting with marijuana stakeholders on Friday, seeking input in creating a new federal legalisation bill.

The senators released a joint statement announcing the plan earlier this week that decried the failures of marijuana criminalisation and called for a federal policy change that prioritises repairing the harms of prohibition.

The senators did not go in-depth into the details of the forthcoming reform proposal, but one commitment from the start, according to attendees, is that the Senate bill will at a minimum de-schedule cannabis and seek to regulate it with a justice- and equity-focused approach.

Marijuana concentrates sales jump

According to MJBizdaily and Seattle-based data analytics firm Headset, sales of marijuana concentrates surged 40.5% last year in the adult-use states of California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington as well as the recreational and medical markets in Oregon as consumers become more comfortable with dabbing and associated technologies.

This bodes well for MMJs portfolio names such as Embark Health which recently shipped their first batch of concentrates to the provincial buyer of cannabis in British Columbia with the companys Hank brand available across the province.


Large swathes of the UK should prepare for more snow, the Met Office has said with weather warnings issued running into the weekend.

The wintry weather that has gripped the UK is set to continue after temperatures plunged to more than 20C below freezing early Thursday morning  the lowest reading recorded in the UK in more than two decades.

Braemar, Aberdeenshire saw the mercury fall to -23C, the coldest it has been since 1995.

The lowest temperature recorded in England and Wales was at Ravensworth, in north Yorkshire, which dropped to -13.1C.

Oli Claydon, a spokesman for the Met Office, said that some of the records had been broken by quite some way.

People sledging in a snow covered park in Whitley Bay (PA)

Usually youd expect records to be broken by point such-and-such of a degree but here were looking at big differences, he said.

The joint record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK is held by Braemar and Altnaharra, in the Scottish Highlands, which have recorded -27.2C on three separate occasions.

Yellow weather warnings have been issued for the eastern half of Scotland and England, Devon, and southwest Wales, with residents alerted that they could face travel disruption running into Saturday.

People enjoy the snow in Edinburgh (Getty)

However as the snow clears towards the east through the morning, it could become quite pleasant outside with the sunshine, although still bitterly cold in western areas, Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir told PA.

Despite promise of some sunshine the cold snap will continue, Ms Nasir said, warning that the weather on Friday and over the weekend is expected to turn quite hazardous as an area of cloud and rain combined with extremely cold air brings further risk of snow, and perhaps even of freezing rain.

And the snow could come back yet again towards the end of the month, with the Met Offices long range forecasts suggesting that a week of milder temperatures could give way to snow showers and unsettled weather across the country at the end of February and heading into March.

Local councils have warned residents to take extra care during the cold snap  with the Environment Agency issuing a total of 88 flood alerts, meaning that flooding is possible, across England for Friday, as well as nine warnings  where flooding is likely.

Ice melts in the sunshine after forming on Trafalgar Squares fountains (EPA)

Among those to be impacted by the ice brought in by the cold snap was Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt, who took part in a House of Commons debate wearing a sling hours after breaking his arm whilst jogging.

The chairman of the Health and Social Care Committee told MPs he had spent the morning at the Royal Surrey County Hospital after slipping in the icy conditions.

The NHS said that, despite the tough conditions, many vaccination centres have remained open, and any missed appointments will be rescheduled.

Meanwhile, Centrepoint, a charity for homeless youth, has urged people to get in touch with them or Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 if they notice people staying out in the cold.

Charities have also encouraged people to offer anyone they see sleeping rough a hot drink, a meal, blankets or clothing.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Following a surge in coronavirus cases at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that led officials to tighten restrictions, Northampton public health officials urged businesses that employ UMass students to allow them to stay home until the schools self-sequestration order is over.

In a message posted to Facebook on Thursday, Northampton Public Health Director Meredith OLeary urged business owners to make sure workers who are students at UMass are not allowed to come to work until the schools quarantine/stay-in-place order has been lifted. The aim is to protect the safety of employees and the community.

Officials are seeking to reduce the risk of people being exposed to the virus in workplaces in Northampton and the community at large, according to OLeary. She recognized that over the course of the past year, businesses in the city have had to make incredible sacrifices and adaptations to protect the health of residents.

We recognize that many of our local businesses rely on UMass students for staffing support, and the necessary quarantine of these students has a widespread impact that is felt outside of the university campus, OLeary wrote in her message to Northampton business owners. However, it is absolutely imperative at this time that UMass students follow these requirements and self-sequester until testing and contact tracing data indicate that high-alert measures are no longer necessary.

Important Message from Northampton Public Health Director to Northampton Business Owners Dear Northampton Business... Posted by Northampton Health Department on Thursday, February 11, 2021

As of Friday, there were 603 active COVID-19 cases at UMass, according to its coronavirus dashboard. The university has seen nearly 1,500 cumulative infections since the public health crisis started and has experience a sharp spike this month, prompting the school to be placed on high-alert status.

This risk designation means that students are only permitted to leave their residences for take out meals, urgent medical care and COVID-19 testing, OLeary explained. They are not permitted to leave their residences for any other reason, including work, and could face serious reprimands from the university if they violate this mandate.

In the wake of the risk designation change Sunday and amid critiques describing the new restrictions as financially painful, the university announced a grant program to support students who arent able to work. Awards of $300 are being offered per student.

We understand that the directive to self-sequester may present financial hardship for students who rely on income from their employment to support costs of attendance (tuition, housing, meals, textbooks, etc.), the school noted in a statement.

The universitys decision to elevate its risk level, order all students to self-sequester in their homes and make in-person classes remote came a day before UMass officials suspended a fraternity over reports it hosted multiple parties that flew in the face of public health guidelines.

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian first reported that Theta Chi fraternity held back-to-back parties Jan. 29 and 30, right before the start of the semester. According to the student news outlet, videos of the parties showed people standing on tables and dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with drinks in their hands.

The universitys recent surge in coronavirus cases also led the town of Amherst to issue an emergency order Monday morning that put in place a 9:30 p.m. curfew and other measures that aim to stave off the spread of the viral respiratory infection.

This is not the direction that we, as a town, nor our businesses, want to go, but it is imperative that the town take decisive action immediately to address this increase in cases, Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman said in the written statement.

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Plans for reopening second-level schools and a compromise Leaving Cert are now facing hardline resistance from the secondary teachers union.

In a shock move, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) has pulled out of talks on how to assess 63,000 Leaving Cert students this year, throwing the process into chaos.

That came less than 24 hours after it set itself apart from the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) by formally rejecting the broad plan to underpin the phased return of second-level schools in coming weeks.

The ASTI said the plan, which covers issues such as infection control measures and contact tracing and testing for school staff, was unacceptable but has not explained what additional measures it is seeking.

The twin moves by the union cast a dark shadow over hopes of getting 350,000 post primary students back into the classroom in coming weeks and providing exam certainty to Leaving Cert candidates.

Any setback to progress in reopening schools will cause widespread devastation.

Meanwhile, the Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU) said the ASTI withdrawal from Leaving Cert talks had caused stress, anxiety and worry to skyrocket amongst students.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty about school reopening, the National Womens Council (NWC) said it was being contacted on a daily basis by women at breaking point.

NWC director Orla OConnor said women across the country were struggling to provide full-time care to children at home while doing their paid work from home or on the frontline. She said it was critical the Government prioritise the full reopening of both primary and secondary schools.

Women are at the end of their tether as they continue to provide additional childcare and home schooling while closures remain in place, she said.

Read More

While schools remain closed, the loss of formal supports, such as support services for disabled people and loss of informal care supports previously provided by grandparents and others has compounded the pressure on women to manage childcare, Ms OConnor added.

The ASTI was engaged in discussions about the Leaving Cert yesterday and gave no clue that it was going to withdraw from the talks.

The Department of Education expressed shock and disappintment.

Later, Education Minister Norma Foley invited both the ASTI and the other second-level teachers union, the TUI, to separate meetings today. Both unions have accepted the invitations.

The ASTI said the proposal being worked on for the Leaving Cert was not viable.

ASTI general secretary Kieran Christie said it was unacceptable a plan was being developed that would effectively see students preparing for two versions of a Leaving Cert, with calculated grades being the dominant option, and the Leaving Cert exams filling in assessment gaps.

He said the process was being developed in a manner that would see the Leaving Cert relegated to a secondary position with Calculated Grades the premier option

We entered a process in good faith to explore the position whereby if the Leaving Certificate or elements of it do not go ahead, a fair and credible choice or option would be available to students,

It is clear to us that the approach being developed would not provide the meaningful Leaving Certificate experience this cohort of students deserve.

The TUI is staying in the Leaving Cert talks

TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said the union was keenly aware of the need for clarity as a matter of urgency in relation to all assessment elements of the Leaving Certificate programmes, including the written examinations and the additional components of assessment.

We are committed to allaying the anxiety currently being felt by students, their families and teachers.

Resolution of key issues is critical for students, teachers and the integrity of the process.

He said the union believed that engagement in these intensive negotiations is the best means of ensuring that the views of teachers are central to this process and its outcome.

The ISSU said this was a time when students needed cooperation between all stakeholders. Students have been through a horrendous year and now may face an uphill battle: We need to show them compassion, we need to provide clarity, and the ISSU position remains that students deserve a choice.
Connecticut residents and workers who are 65 and older can now schedule COVID vaccination appointments.

Gov. Ned Lamonts office announced that eligibility expanded this week to include this group. Some have already been vaccinated when empty slots had become available through the past several days.

The states Phase 1B of the vaccine rollout is expected include additional essential workers, those living or working in congregate settings, and people with medical conditions that put them at risk for COVID-19.

Other states, including New York, have begun vaccinating essential workers, including teachers.

So far, about 61 percent of the states population age 75 and older have received the vaccine, Lamont said Thursday. About 13 percent of those 65 and older have already received the shot  some of them in nursing homes.

Roughly 300,000 people remain eligible under the new category. This is gonna take a little more patience, the governor said during his afternoon press conference. The state has been receiving around 69,000 doses of vaccine a week.

As Connecticut expands its vaccine eligibility list, the states COVID-19 metrics continue a steady decline. On Thursday, the total number of people hospitalized for the disease declined by 39 patients, bringing the total to 731  the lowest its been since the second week of November.

An additional 1,003 cases out of 43,240 tests resulted in a one-day positivity rate of 2.32 percent, the lowest in more than three months.

Deaths still continue to mount, with another 28 fatalities attributed to the illness, bringing the death toll to 7,354, according to state officials.

The states COVID-19 hot spot map now shows 155 out of 169 municipalities throughout the state are still considered red zones, the most severe designation based on the number of new cases per 100,000 over the last 14 days.

Barkhamsted, Deep River, Kent, Redding and Salisbury are now in the orange level alert, while Bridgewater, Canaan, Cornwall, Hartland, Lyme, Norfolk, Scotland, Union and Warren are in the gray, the least severe designation.

Asked what could be driving the downward trend in infections, Lamont said it could be the result of a number of factors, including people who contracted and recovered from the virus and the vaccination of the states most at-risk populations.

And there seems to be a certain sine wave to this, the governor said. Maybe the northeast is all going through the same type of process, but it is on a downward trend not only in the northeast but most of the rest of the country, as well.

As of Thursday, 580,432 doses of vaccine have been administered in the state with 417,644 receiving a first shot, while 162,788 have received their second dose.

But its unclear exactly what group will next receive the vaccine. The governor said the state will likely rely on doctors to find those who become eligible based on a preexisting medical condition. But whether those people, essential workers, or both will be vaccinated next after those age 65 and older is unclear.

Connecticut has also begun vaccinating those in prison, starting with the oldest inmates, and residents of some shelters falling under the congregate settings tier of Phase 1B.

Josh Geballe, the states chief operating officer, said Connecticut is about halfway through vaccinating its correctional officers and about halfway through vaccinating inmates 65 and older.

Geballe said Angel Quiros, the commissioner of the state Department of Correction, told him all but four of the inmates age 65 or older accepted the vaccine.

Those in Phase 1A, a group that includes medical first responders and health care workers, have been receiving the two-dose vaccines for months. Residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are in the same phase, but were vaccinated through on-site clinics run by CVS and Walgreens.

The vaccine is open to anyone eligible under the states guidelines who live or work in Connecticut.

In a letter Thursday to Lamont, restaurant and events groups implored the governor to lift restrictions and allow events of up to 150 people, considering the states metrics have been trending downward. The letter noted New York plans to allow indoor events up to 150 people starting March 15, while New Jersey already permits these gatherings.

Lamont said he is considering the request, and would give more information next week.

We just figured we just had Super Bowl, were watching the variants, its been a week or two, he said.

Want to make an appointment to get a vaccine? We have a guide about the process and answers to common questions.
The story she weaves in exquisite language is as tragic and ugly as it is engrossing.

In life, the tiny girls hanging from the tree by their colorful scarves had been so inseparable that their families and tiny community elided their names and called them as one. Because of Indias rape laws, their names cant be published, so Faleiro uses the pseudonyms Padma and Lalli. Padma Lalli, as she calls them, were cousins, alike as two grains of rice, who spent all day in the fields before coming home to sleep in the compound of their extended family.

Their grandmother is whispers and bones in a widows white sari.

The girls are hard workers. Every morning, as the sun climbs in the sky, they rise to a day of chores: tending the family hearths, lighting dung cakes. They heat oil and knead dough and cook rotis, then trudge in noonday heat into the mint fields to feed family members. They come home and scrub dishes with soap made of wood ash. They go off with the goats and return to milk the buffalo. They pump water to fill buckets. They sweep the dusty courtyard over and over and over again.

Their mothers are also tireless laborers, caring for small children and the needs of men. The women sweated over fires and labored over small errands, Faleiro writes. There was a button to thread, a broken slipper to twist into a knot, nits to comb out, wicker fans to wipe clean. The men were out, smoking beedis and talking among themselves. The women pick up the slack. At night, they sleep on dirt while the men lounge in hammocks.

The MacGuffin in this mystery is the iPhone that one of the girls  an orphan living with relatives  has received as a gift. They hover over its alluring light in stolen moments between chores, using it to make plans for after dark, when they sneak off, with the excuse of having to relieve themselves (there are no toilets, so everyone squats in the fields). There in the mango orchard, the older one starts having sex with a lower-caste boy from a town across the field. These assignations are arranged by cellphone  including a cellphone that unbeknown to either of them is surreptitiously recording everything, per the orders of the younger girls father.

This story is at heart a tale of stymied sexuality and buried secrets. It will surprise no one that honor matters among this impoverished caste; nor will it surprise that there were watchers.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 14:58:20|Editor: huaxia

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A staff member displays New Year paper-cutting decoration at Chongqing North Railway Station in southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 1, 2021. Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Feb. 12, 2021 is the first day of the Year of the Ox. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

Kathmandu, February 12

The Ministry of Health and Population has informed that the countrys Covid-19 tally has reached 272,577 as of Friday afternoon.

The ministry says 127 new cases were confirmed in the country in the past 24 hours.

In this period, 4,000 swab samples were tested. So far, 2 million and 111,649 people have been tested in the country.

As of today, 1,707 cases are active.

Of the total cases so far, 268,796 people have achieved recovery whereas 2,054 died, according to the ministry. In the past 24 hours, 136 people have recovered whereas 2 deaths have been reported.

Over 50 people are quarantined across the country.
A community pharmacist in Northern Ireland has been physically assaulted for asking a customer to wear a mask, Health Minister Robin Swann has said.

Mr Swann described the incident as "appalling" and said the behaviour was totally unacceptable.

No information has been released about where the attack took place.

"I am appalled to hear that a community pharmacist has been physically assaulted for asking a customer to wear a mask," the UUP MLA said.

"Those who cannot wear a mask for a valid reason will always be respected by health and social care colleagues so it is completely unacceptable that anyone should face abuse for requesting that someone wears a mask.

"Pharmacists work at the very heart of our communities providing support and expertise daily. They deserve our utmost respect and anything less will not be tolerated."

Una O'Farrell, Pharmacists Defence Association (PDA) Regional Official For Northern Ireland, said there had been a rise in cases of aggression towards pharmacists during the pandemic.

"Working practices have changed there's an increased demand on the system and we've remained accessible our doors have been open," she said.

"We have seen an increase in reports of aggression or violence in pharmacies. We at the PDA are calling for the Department of Health, employers and all associated bodies to support our campaign of zero tolerance and to publicly state that.

"Regardless of circumstance I think violence or aggression is never an appropriate response in a healthcare setting."

Mrs O'Farrell said it was important that pharmacists were given protection when carrying out their work.

She noted that there had been incidents of pharmacists being stabbed in Northern Ireland in the past.

"It really is time that we had support for all of us to be working safely and without that threat hanging over us," Mrs O'Farrell said.

Alliance Party health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw said the attack on the pharmacist was "shocking and disappointing".

"This whole year for community pharmacists has been so stressful, they have been at the frontline providing service whenever other primary care providers have had to shut their doors," the South Belfast MLA said.

"This is a real insult to not just the person who has been assaulted, but the whole profession who have worked so hard to deliver and the serve the communities in which they're located.

"I genuinely was very saddened to see this happen."

Ms Bradshaw said it was important people showed respect to those carrying out key services during the pandemic.

"They are working in very, very difficult circumstances in this pandemic so I wouldn't like to see this repeated again at any time.

"They are so accessible, that is part of the benefit of having community pharmacists their door is open, you don't have to make an appointment you can turn up and have your queries answered. It's a really important service, especially for the elderly and those with long-term health conditions."

Pam Cameron, DUP health spokesperson, called for a full police investigation into the incident.

"From the very beginning of the this pandemic pharmacy has been the front line of our health service when people struggled to access their GP, they queued outside their local pharmacy, reliant on their services and advice," the South Antrim MLA said.

"Services provided by pharmacist s across NI are invaluable and should be respected and appreciated.

"This reported behaviour is unacceptable in any circumstance. An assault on a pharmacist who had asked that a mask be worn is completely unacceptable and I trust that this matter has been referred to the PSNI for investigation."

Under the current coronavirus regulations people are required to wear face masks in indoor settings to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

Masks must be worn in a number of settings including shops, shopping centres, public, private and school transport services, taxis, airplanes, public transport stations and airports, banks and some government offices.

However people with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing one are exempt.
WASHINGTON  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to New York's congressional Democrats Thursday asserting the state's deficit troubles have been "addressed," despite Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's repeated complaints that the latest coronavirus relief bill does not contain enough federal funding.

The unusual letter, obtained by the Times Union, is a rare rebuke considering the close political alliance of Pelosi and Cuomo. The congresswoman, in her letter, strongly rebuts the idea that New York is being shortchanged by the federal aid package she helped craft with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer.

In the two-page letter, Pelosi wrote: "Overall, New York state will receive over $50 billion in state and local funding, and more than $20 billion in additional funding to support families' health, financial security and well-being."

Pelosi's missive listed billions of dollars in allocations for New York, including money for local governments, Medicaid, transportation, education, homelessness, small businesses and state and local health departments.

"We sadly observe over 1.5 million coronavirus cases, nearly 45,000 deaths, and hundreds of thousands of job losses in New York," Pelosi wrote. "Please know that your concerns are being addressed in ways that you have advanced and with the enthusiastic advocacy of Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand."

Pelosi's letter was addressed to New York's House Democrats who on Tuesday sent a letter to Pelosi advocating for more funding to the state. Their letter was sent after Cuomo penned his own letter to the entire New York delegation last week demanding they deliver at least $15 billion in direct relief for state government and pushing them to route federal aid to schools and hospitals through the state  which would handle the distribution.

Cuomo is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House Friday to discuss the coronavirus bill, with other governors and mayors.

After legislative details emerged Wednesday showing New York would receive about $12.7 billion in direct aid to its state government, Cuomo reiterated he needed at least $15 billion.

"There is no distribution formula for that $350 billion that does not get the state of New York $15 billion which is fair, in my opinion," Cuomo said. "This state was ambushed by COVID; it came here for three months and no one told us because the federal government failed. We were subjected and victimized by federal negligence."

Cuomo regularly describes New York's budget gap as $15 billion, although other fiscal policy experts tack the deficit at about half that number.

In the forthcoming coronavirus bill, New York will receive the third most state and local government aid of any state, following California and Texas, according to totals obtained by the Times Union.

From previous coronavirus bill passed by Congress, over $13 billion flowed to New York state government and its agencies.

In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recently struck a deal with the state to pay New York $934 million to cover its vaccine distribution costs. It advanced half the funds to New York in January.

In response to a request for comment on Pelosi's letter, Cuomo's office sent a copy of a statement that Cuomo, as chairman of the National Governors Association, and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, vice chairman of the group, issued Friday following their meeting with Biden and Harris.

"Governors from across the country and the political spectrum have said for months that flexible and direct aid to state and local governments is essential for our continued front-line response to the COVID-19 crisis and our national economic recovery," the statement reads. "During our Oval Office meeting today with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and a bipartisan group of governors and mayors from across the country, the president and his team made clear that they recognize and appreciate how critical this targeted relief is for our ability to recover from this pandemic."
Trinamool Congress Friday called its MP Dinesh Trivedi "ungrateful" after he resigned from the Rajya Sabha, while a jubiliant BJP quickly extended its welcome to him to join the saffron camp. Trivedi's resignation came amidst the exodus from Mamata Banerjee's party ahead of the West Bengal assembly poll.

An angry TMC lashed back at Trivedi, who had been maintaining distance with the party for the last two months, saying he has betrayed the party leadership and the trust of the people. Trivedi, a former railway minister and two-time Lok Sabha MP, was sent to Rajya Sabha last year by TMC after losing the parliamentary polls in 2019. He is reported to have had some issues with a senior Rajya Sabha member of the party for the past few months.

ALSO READ | Tagore's Ideology Not Being Followed, Inner Voice Told Me to Take the Step: Dinesh Trivedi on Resigning from RS

Reacting to the development TMC Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said Trivedi is "ungrateful." "For the last so many years he (Trivedi) did not say anything. Now all of a sudden just months before the state assembly poll he has complaints. This shows his true colours," Roy said. "He is ungrateful and has betrayed the trust of the masses," Roy added.

Echoing him, party colleague and Lok Sabha MP Sougata Roy said "People like Trivedi enjoy power during their tenure and leave at the time of elections. If he had grievances, he could have aired it in the party." An elated BJP said "The beginning of the end of the TMC has already begun". Claiming that the party will disintegrate soon, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said "It is only a matter of time before TMC disintegrates. If Dinesh Trivedi wants to join us, we will welcome him".

BJP national general secretary and the party's Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya lauded Trivedi as a good leader who was feeling suffocated in a party like TMC. Trivedi is the fourth senior TMC leader to quit the ruling party in West Bengal in the last two months after Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, who had switched over to the BJP and Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who had expressed his desire to quit politics.

This wass not the first time that Trivedi had openly aired his grievances against the party. Earlier in March 2012, he had to step down as Railway Minister after Mamata Banerjee, who is also the TMC supremo, had opposed the railway budget placed by him. He was replaced with the then TMC general secretary Mukul Roy.

Trivedi was also suspended from the party but was later reinstated. Resigning from the Rajya Sabha, he had said "If you sit here quietly and cannot do anything, then it is better that you resign from here and go to the land of Bengal and be with people.

"What I mean to say is the way violence is taking place in our state. Sitting here, I am feeling perplexed as to what should I do," he had added.
When Facebook announced this week that it was widening its efforts to curb misinformation about vaccines, it seemed like a major shift for the company.

Under the changes, Facebook wont just remove erroneous posts about coronavirus vaccines, but more general misinformation about all vaccines. This includes claims that vaccines cause autism, or are full of toxins or are part of a government conspiracy. In other words: exactly the kind of misinformation thats been most pervasive and long vexed public health advocates.

Previously, the company committed only to removing a subset of false information about COVID-19 vaccines. But those rules didnt cover false claims about other vaccines, which have spread widely on Facebook and Instagram for years. Instead of removing content, the company has preferred to use fact-checking and algorithmic tweaks to make the content less prominent.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Facebook had only removed vaccine misinformation in two instances: in response to a deadly measles outbreak in Samoa and a polio resurgence in Pakistan. As recently as September, Mark Zuckerberg suggested Facebook wouldnt target anti-vaccine misinformation more broadly. If someone is pointing out a case where a vaccine caused harm or that they're worried about it  you know, that's a difficult thing to say from my perspective that you shouldn't be allowed to express at all," he told Axios.

So Mondays policy update was a notable change for the company. Today, we are expanding our efforts to remove false claims on Facebook and Instagram about COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general during the pandemic, Facebook wrote in an update. Much of the initial coverage focused on the fact that Facebook would now act on claims about vaccines in general. But those last three words  during the pandemic  are just as important because it leaves the door open for Facebook to walk back some of these changes once the pandemic is over.

On Thursday, Facebooks VP of content policy, Monika Bickert confirmed as much, saying that Facebook was looking at it through the lens of the pandemic and that after the pandemic is over, we will continue to talk to health authorities and make sure that we are striking the right approach going forward consistent with our misinformation, policies and principles.

Facebooks help center article on the topic is even more explicit (emphasis added). Similarly, for the duration of the COVID public health emergency, we remove content that repeats other false health information, primarily about vaccines, that are widely debunked by leading health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The goal of this policy is to combat misinformation about vaccinations and diseases, which if believed could result in reduced vaccinations and harm public health and safety.

Again, the thinking seems to be that once the pandemic ends, then the issue of vaccine misinformation may become less urgent. But that would be a mistake, says Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organization that has urged social media companies to crack down on vaccine misinformation.

Such a solution would be short-sighted at best, and utterly cynical and self serving in reality, Ahmed told Engadget. We have a crisis, and that crisis was caused by the contagion of misinformation. We've seen the perfect storm of what happens in an environment which social media, in its modern form, runs riot in a community that can't can't really talk to each other face to face.

To be clear, Facebooks current efforts could continue to have an impact long after the pandemic. The company has already banned Robert F, Kennedy Jr. from Instagram, for example. Kennedy has long been one of the most influential purveyors of anti-vaccine propaganda, with more than a million followers on social media, according to a recent report from the CCDH.

But Kennedys Facebook page remains active as do the Instagram accounts of other prominent anti-vaccine activists. (Facebook officials have said it will take time to fully enforce the new policies.)

Ahmed notes that Facebook has made similar promises in the past, only to fall short. The problem has never been which policies they have, the problem has been their will to act on those policies in a fair and consistent way. 2020 proved without dispute, when it comes to election misinformation, hate, COVID, or vaccines, that these things take lives.
Australian farmers are desperately searching for sheep shearers, with the average worker raking in $100,000 a year, without qualifications, for a four day work week.

Wool growers are desperate to attract young people to the lucrative industry with New Zealand workers unable to travel to Australia and more sheep needing to be shorn than usual.

However, a shearer of 32 years experience has warned it's a physically demanding job and which requires months spent away from home working in the hot summer heat.

Australian farmers want young people to consider a career in sheep shearing (pictured, Rachel Pritchard shearing a sheep in Dubbo, NSW earlier this week)

Wool growers are desperate to attract young people to the lucrative industry as face New Zealand workers are unable to travel to Australia

Michael Clout has been shearing for 32 years, spending 12 years in sheds and another 20 travelling around New South Wales working with sheep, goats and alpacas on hobby farms.

'It's a full on race every day against the clock and you're there to get as much done as you possibly can, because you're only getting paid by the animals,' he told Daily Mail Australia about working in shearing sheds.

'It's all about the money, all about how much you can get and at the end of the day, whoever earns the most money is the king of the shed.'

Dubbo wool grower and program manager at Australian Wool Innovation Craig French said a shearer without qualifications or experience can earn $1,000 gross per week.

Shearers are a minimum of $3.24 per sheep, with the best shearers getting through 200 a day and taking home $2,500 for a four-day week.

Women are also increasingly taking on the career, Mr French said.

'Good shearing is about technique, mental strength and stamina,' he said. 'There is plenty of work and the better you are the more you get paid.'

Shearers are paid per animal, making at minimum $3.24 per sheep and those getting through over 200 animals a day might take home over $2500 each four-day work week

'Good shearing is about technique, mental strength and stamina,' Dubbo wool grower Craig French said. 'There is plenty of work and the better you are the more you get paid.' Pictured: Shearers in Dubbo, NSW

Michael Clout (pictured) has been shearing for 32 years, spending 12 years in sheds and another 20 travelling around New South Wales working with sheep, goats and alpacas

'It's a full on race every day against the clock and you're there to get as much done as you possibly can, because you're only getting paid by the animals,' Mr Clout (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia about working in shearing sheds

The career requires spending months away from home travelling around the country, and often workers will make some money before setting up their own farm or business. Pictured: Mr Clout shearing an Alpaca

A work day goes from about 7.30am to 4pm and involves two hour runs with half hour breaks in between, plus a lunch break said Mr Clout.

The career requires spending months away from home travelling around the country, and often workers will make some money before setting up their own farm or business.

'Some guys spend six months away from home, going from shed to shed,' he said.

'The wives probably like that, I don't know.'

Shearers work in the hot summer heat and are at the mercy of the drought, when work can dry up quickly (stock)

Mr Clout also said while sheep are sheared all year round, work is itinerant and shearers have to be prepared to take on other work in rain or drought. Pictured: Young people learning to shear

Australian Wool Innovation offers training in shearing, including training videos and resources online

Shearers work in the hot summer heat and are at the mercy of the drought, when work can dry up quickly.

'If you dehydrate yourself, you cant work for the rest of the week so it's important to keep the water up. Temperatures can get pretty bad in the shed,' said Mr Clout.

He also said while sheep are sheared all year round, work is itinerant and shearers have to be prepared to take on other work in rain or drought.

'The guy who said save your penny's for a rainy day must've been a shearer because there's nothing slower than a wet week in the shearing season,' he warned.

'There's no holidays no long service leave, the banks don't want to deal with you because you're an itinerant worker.'
YES Bank share was trading marginally lower in Friday's session on BSE and NSE. The stock of the private lender opened at its previous close of Rs 16.50 and touched the day's high of Rs 16.6. Later, the stock erased gains and traded 0.9% lower at an intraday low of Rs 16.35.

YES Bank stock trades higher than 100-day moving averages but lower than 5, 20, 50 and 200-day moving averages.

The share has fallen 2.66% in one week, 8.8% in a month. Year-to-date, the stock is down 7.8%.

Market capitalisation of the lender rose to Rs 41,215.32 crore. The stock has touched a 52-week high of Rs 87.95 and a 52-week low of Rs 5.55. Share of the private lender, with Rs 2 face value has fallen 53% in one year.

Yesterday, YES Bank share rose 1% to settle at Rs 16.50 after the lender's CEO Prashant Kumar stated that he expects the bank's asset reconstruction company (ARC) business to operationalise within 6 six months and revealed that many foreign firms have shown interest in the bank's ARC business.

"There has been a lot of interest from foreign investors for our ARC business. We are likely to put in the initial capital of 10 billion rupees while the foreign investor will put in nearly 25 billion rupees," Prashant Kumar, CEO of Yes Bank, told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Brickwork Ratings (BWR) withdrew the ratings of Tier I Subordinated Perpetual Bonds (Basel II) of the lender. Brickwork had given a long-term rating at BWR BB+ with a stable outlook on instruments worth Rs 90 crore.

In terms of brokerage views, Emkay Research gave a 'Sell' rating to the stock and set a target price of Rs 11 for the share, given sub-par return ratios and unfavourable risk-reward with higher valuations.

"We believe that the transfer of NPAs to a separate ARC (somewhat similar to IDBI in 2003) probably means window dressing standalone bank B/sheet,but we need to see the extent of hair-cuts, structure of ARC and recovery record in the ARC, which is not inspiring in case of IDBI SASF," Emkay Research said in its report.

Similarly, ICICI Securities said in a recent note that YES Bank's December-quarter earnings have aggravated fears of its asset quality issues and gave a "hold" rating on the stock with a revised price target of Rs 16.

"The portfolio vulnerability becomes visible from, a spike in standstill non-performing loans or NPLs (from 1.5% to 5%), SMA-2 pool (from 2.4% to 4%), SMA-1 (from 1.6% to 7.3), and additional restructuring outside of this pool at 3.2% over and above the labelled non-performing assets at 22%," it added.

Brokerage house Geojit, as well as BNP Paribas, have a sell rating for the stock. The lender was placed under a moratorium by the central bank last year, after which consortium of lenders led by State Bank of India stepped in to infuse money into the bank and bail it out from deteriorating financial health to address systemic risk concerns.

Stocks in news: Sun Pharma, APL Apollo Tube, RITES, Oil India, Power Grid, ACC

Share Market Live: Sensex jumps 100 points to record high, Nifty at 15,170; Infosys, HCL Tech top gainers
Astrazeneca boss Pascal Soriot has defended his company's Covid-19 jab, insisting it is 'not perfect' but will save lives.

The two-dose shot, developed with Oxford University, has been backed by the World Health Organisation and hailed as a 'vaccine for the world' because of its low cost and ease of transport.

But Astra faced criticism over the way it published early clinical trial data, while the company also became embroiled in a high-profile spat with European Union chiefs over supply problems.

Astrazeneca boss Pascal Soriot (pictured) said he was proud of the company's work and its decision to provide the jab at no profit

There have also been fears in recent days that it may be less effective against emerging variants of the virus  but experts have said it should still prevent serious disease and hospitalisations.

And responding to the concerns yesterday, an upbeat Soriot said he was proud of Astra's work and its decision to provide the jab at no profit.

The 61-year-old Frenchman said: 'Scientific venture is always challenging. And the big picture today is that we have a vaccine that has been approved by several important regulators.

'Is it perfect? No it is not perfect. But it's great. Tell me who else is making 100m doses in February, and we can have a discussion.

'We are going to save thousands of lives and that is why we come to work every day as individuals.'

Astra said that revenues for 2020 had grown by 9 per cent to 19.3billion  with new medicines making up more than half of sales. Profits jumped from 1.1billion to 2.8billion.

Soriot said the company was in a promising position for the future. The firm's 28billion proposed takeover of US rare disease specialist Alexion would also add valuable scientific expertise to its arsenal.

But Astra warned of the impact of patients making fewer trips to the doctor, which could hurt sales of prescription medicines.
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He was a shy adult virgin who could barely look a woman in the eye when he appeared on Married At First Sight Australia two years ago.

But Matthew Bennett is now a bona fide hunk with an Adonis-like physique that would give Chris Hemsworth a run for his money.

The videographer, 32, shared a mirror selfie to Instagram on Friday as he posed shirtless in just a pair of skimpy boxer shorts.

Growing confidence: Married At First Sight's Matthew Bennett posted this shirtless selfie to Instagram on Friday. The videographer, 32, now boasts an Adonis-like physique, two years after entering the social experiment as a shy adult virgin

He wrote in the caption: 'Thirty-two feels pretty good... Now am I talking about: A) my age, B) my waist size, C) the number of cookies I can consume before explosive diarrhoea sets in. #pointlessselfie.'

Matthew's girlfriend, Annabel Jameson, left a cheeky comment referencing her clothes that were strewn across the floor in the background of the photo.

'You should tell your girlfriend to pick up her s**t,' she wrote.

Matthew's thirst-trap selfie comes after he spoke to MailOnline about his experience on Married At First Sight Australia in his first UK interview.

'You should tell your girlfriend to pick up her s**t': Matthew's girlfriend, Annabel Jameson (left), left a cheeky comment referencing her clothes that were strewn across the floor in the background of the photo

He claimed his ex-'wife' Lauren Huntriss had accused him of 'being gay' and asked him 'aggressive' questions about his sexuality after he balked at her X-rated fantasies about threesomes, swinging and 'being choked'.

Matt, who entered the social experiment as a virgin at the age of 29, felt a 'switch was flicked' after he finally had sex with Lauren, 32.

He now wishes he hadn't shared his first time with her, after needing two years of therapy to recover from the ordeal.

He told MailOnline: 'When my season aired in Australia, the person I was matched with decided to start these rumours that I was gay. I had a lot of people attacking me, calling me gay and using it as a slur.

'Unpleasant': Matt claims Lauren asked him 'aggressive' questions about his sexuality, and says she also confessed her various fantasies, including threesomes, swinging and 'being choked'

'Honestly, I had to cut contact with her quite a while ago and if I never see her again it will be too soon. There was a lot that happened behind the scenes and after the show that people just don't know about, which made my life unpleasant.

'The things she would say to me and the way she behaved was quite unpredictable. She asked me aggressive questions... knowing my inexperience, she would start to get quite sexual and not moving at the pace you'd expect with someone like myself.

'I started to get concerned and withdraw and she implied I was gay because I wasn't jumping all over her and throwing her on the bed.

'I remember her saying to me at one point, "Have you ever wanted to put a d**k in your mouth?" I was completely shocked and I asked her, "What kind of a question is that?" And she was like, "Some people do."'

'Shattering': Matt, who entered the social experiment as a virgin at the age of 29, felt a 'switch was flicked' after he finally had sex with Lauren, 32. He now regrets sleeping with her

On the Australian dating series, which first aired in 2019 and is now being broadcast on E4 in the UK, Lauren admitted on camera to previously having relationships with women and that she longed for Matt to be more adventurous in the bedroom.

Matt explained: 'The conversation where she said she used to be a lesbian, the producers had to have her do that on camera because the night before she blindsided me with all these really sexually explicit things that completely changed the tone of the relationship and who I thought she was.

'Behind the scenes she was saying she wanted to do swinging and threesomes and she wanted to be choked and I was completely blindsided. It was already a big deal for me getting as far as I had it was completely shattering.'

Matt had sex with Lauren on their honeymoon but claims she became a different person once they consummated their marriage  and he regrets going all the way.

Split: The couple were the first to leave the experiment after Matt confessed to not being 'attracted' to Lauren, while she discovered they were incompatible in the bedroom

He said: 'She was very good at putting on one face when the cameras were there and one when they weren't  it was a bit like Jekyll and Hyde.

'I went in there knowing physical attraction wasn't the be all and end all for me and it was more important to find someone with good values who's a nice person, and a good personality for me is attractive.

'I wasn't physically attracted to this person who I was matched with but the personality she was portraying was someone I was attracted to... those were the values I was looking for but when I lost my virginity that visage seemed to slip.

'Once I lost my virginity it was almost like a switch was flicked. Knowing what I know now, would I give it up again to her? No, definitely not.

'It's ridiculous!' To Matt's frustration, he became defined by his virginity by producers, who even referred to him as an 'ex-virgin' whenever he was on screen

'If I could go back I'd tell myself "Matt don't get caught up in the bubble that is the show."

'The producers are very good because they know how to play to each person's wants, so for me, someone who just wanted validation and approval when you've got a producer there saying "you're doing a great job Matt"  you're inclined to do whatever is going to make them happy.'

To Matt's frustration, he became defined by his virginity by producers, who even referred to him as 'ex virgin' whenever he was on screen.

He said: 'They hammer it! My caption was 'Matthew Bennett, 29-year-old virgin'  they played that as though it was my occupation or where I was from, it's ridiculous!

Regret: Matt claims Lauren's personality changed after they had sex and if he could go back he would tell himself to resist going all the way and finally giving up his virginity

'They said from the get-go, "We're going to really push the fact you're a virgin," and I was like, "Okay I get it," I grew up watching professional wrestling and every character needs a gimmick and that was mine.

'But I wasn't prepared for just how hard they were going to hit it. What is an ex virgin? Is everyone else technically an ex virgin? I don't understand, it is just ridiculous.'

Matt needed two years of therapy to cope with the impact of online trolls, and to understand the reactions he had towards Lauren during filming.

He said: 'One thing I have found out in therapy is that I have avoidant personality disorder, which is like a coping mechanism you develop as a child, when a situation is too stressful or overwhelming you escape at all costs and when you physically can't get out of there you mentally shut down.

'When things got too much for me I wouldn't know how to cope and would just go silent and basically completely implode.

'I couldn't function, I wouldn't know what to say or how to act and that's why there are shots of me sitting there just blinking.

'Because of how the show was cut and how overwhelmed I was I had a lot of people messaging me saying "you're autistic, you have autism" and that was quite hurtful and I started to think "maybe I do."

'I ended up doing the autism screening and I did it about three times and each time it came back negative. There are a lot of keyboard experts and keyboard warriors out there.'

The Metrock acquisition means Bezant now controls the Kanye Manganese Project, an area that has clear evidence of high manganese grades suitable for use in battery metals

( ), the copper-gold exploration and development company, said the acquisition of Metrock Resources, announced last month, has now completed.

The acquisition of Metrock brings with it ownership of the Kanye Manganese Project in Southern Botswana.

" We are excited regarding the completion of the acquisition of Metrock and its Kanye Manganese Project which is in an area which has clear evidence of high manganese grades suitable for use in battery metals. We have commenced planning an initial exploration programme involving reconnaissance fieldwork and trenching and drilling as appropriate, said Colin Bird, the executive chairman of Bezant.

The company also announced that the exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) 7170, which had been applied for by Virgo Resources before Bezant acquired the company, has now been granted and registered in the name of the group's 80% owned subsidiary Hope Namibia Mineral Exploration.

The licence will be valid until October 2023.

Bezant intends to undertake an airborne electromagnetic survey on the licence areas prospective belt in the first half of this year to identify previously unrecognised massive sulphide targets hidden beneath sand/overburden cover and at depth.

The acquisition of EPL 7170 is very exciting in that we now have a 130km tract in the Matchless Copper Belt which has not been explored and is highly prospective. The area will be helicopter flown in the first half of this year to expedite target generation and hopefully expand our copper-gold inventory in the area. This at a time when the medium-term price outlook for copper continues to increase with reports on scarcity of new projects and increasing demand due to the acceleration of EV [electric vehicle] global production, chairman Colin Bird said.

Bezants local partner will receive 15.76mln new Bezant shares at a deemed price of 0.27p a pop as a result of the transfer of the licence to Hope Namibia.

The company is also issuing 8.3mln shares to Breamline to settle AS$40,000 (roughly 22,400) owed to the Aussie company by a subsidiary of Bezant plus a further 11.4mln shares to Coreks Super to settle a A$55,000 loan (roughly 30,742).

The share issues take the number of Bezant shares in issue up to just over 3.81bn.
Shahjahanpur : , Feb 12 (IANS) Two sisters allegedly committed suicide here by consuming poison, following a financial dispute.

The incident took place in the Tilhar Police circle here.

Nisha, 22, and Gulafsha, 21, consumed a poisonous substance on Wednesday night and were rushed to a government hospital in Tilhar where their condition started deteriorating.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanjiv Bajpai said the sisters were later shifted to the medical college hospital, but died during treatment on Thursday.

According to the brother of the diseased, the sisters had fought with each other over financial problems, before they consumed poison.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and investigations are on, the ASP said.
As of Thursday, 27 states allow some or all teachers to be eligible for COVID vaccines, according to data from Education Week. But not Florida.

Data from Education Week, as of Thursday, reports that in 21 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, teachers are eligible to receive the COVID vaccines.

Another five states have prioritized teachers based on location within the state, where some areas are further along in their vaccination plans. These states are California, Nevada, Wyoming, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. West Virginia has prioritized teachers age 50 and over in their current COVID vaccination plans.

In total, the 27 states, as well as D.C. and Puerto Rico, are eligible for COVID vaccinations.

Florida is in one of 23 states that have not yet prioritized teachers.

The conversations about the safety of students and educators in brick-and-mortar classrooms during a pandemic is still hotly debated. Currently, some students are in physical classrooms, while others remain at home learning online, and some participate in a hybrid model of the two.

Florida schools are continuing their second semester in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state is expanding vaccine locations to more parts of Florida.

Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, thinks that giving teachers access to the COVID vaccine is a no-brainer.

It continues to confound me that Gov. DeSantis has emphasized repeatedly that having schools open and functioning is a top priority, but will not make teachers and school support staff eligible for the COVID vaccines, Spar said in a written statement to the Phoenix.

He continues: Dozens of states allow all teachers to get vaccinated, but not Florida. Just think of the illness and disruption that educators and students would be spared if school employees were allowed to get the vaccines. The CDC said just this week that people who have received both shots do not have to be quarantined  even if teachers and staff are exposed, they can potentially keep working with kids.

Spar is referring to updated CDC guidelines released Wednesday, which states: Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19.

Florida is one of four states that have ordered their school districts to offer brick-and-mortar instruction 5-days a week, according to Education Week. The other states are Texas, Arkansas, and Iowa  the latter two of which offer COVID vaccines to their teachers.

However, just because teachers are not yet prioritized for COVID vaccines in Florida, does not mean that some teachers are not getting them.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is focusing vaccination priority to Floridas aged 65 and up population, frontline-healthcare workers, and some people under 65 who have significant health risks.

Some of Floridas educators and staff do fall into those categories.

For the Education Week article, click here.

This report first appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee.
Japanese clothing and lifestyle brand Muji says it has stopped exporting cotton sourced in Xinjiang to the United States, but rights groups say the company has done little to remove Xinjiang cotton -- which has been linked forced labor by mostly ethnic Uyghur detainees who have committed no crime -- from its supply chain.



The company said in comments e-mailed to RFA that since the outgoing Trump administration had banned imports of cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang last month, it had stopped exporting items made with Xinjiang cotton there "to comply with U.S. laws and regulations."



The ban, which came after reports emerged that the mass incarceration camps in Xinjiang were increasingly linked to lucrative production processes using forced labor, allows customs officials to stop items they believe originate in Xinjiang from entering the U.S.



"We are no longer exporting any products containing Xinjiang cotton to the United States, since the order," the company's public relations team said by e-mail.



It said the company has other sources of cotton than China, including supply lines in India, Turkey and the U.S.



But it stopped short of saying it would stop using cotton from Xinjiang.



The U.K. and Canada also made coordinated announcements last month to help prevent British and Canadian businesses from being complicit in, or profiting from, human rights violations in Xinjiang, amid growing calls for governments around the world to respond to what rights groups say is systematic and escalating abuses in the region.



But the New York-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the moves weren't enough.



"The measures in the U.K. fall well short of those introduced by Canada and recently strengthened in the United States, namely the prohibition of goods produced wholly or in part by forced labor," the group said in a commentary last month.



Forced labor in cotton sector

The group cited "credible complaints of forced labor, against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, which supplies nearly a quarter of the worlds cotton."



Dina Nudabey, an ethnic Kazakh from Xinjiang's Ili prefecture and former detainee in China's vast network of internment camps, said Muji still needs to do more.



"This is unfair," Nudabey told RFA. "A lot of countries don't seem to be able to wean themselves off Chinese textiles, because they're so cheap."



"They are paying good money for cotton that was made by forced labor, by unpaid workers," she said. "They have been relying on [Xinjiang products] for so long that they can't seem to stop usin them."



She said trade and economic sanctions don't appear to have deterred the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from its policies in Xinjiang, so more efforts are needed.



"China doesn't really care what the U.S. does [in terms of sanctions], because they already have so many people locked up," she said.



Shih Chien-yu of the Taiwan Institute of Central Asia said businesses appear reluctant to act on Xinjiang forced labor, with huge vested interests both inside China and overseas.



"Xinjiang cotton is cheap, and [businesses] don't care about the camps; they only care about making a profit," Shih said. "There has yet to be a clear signal on how the world defines what is happening in Xinjiang, and on how that should be linked to trade behavior."



On the last day of the Trump administration, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a declaration that Beijing was committing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other minorities.



In the U.K., while legal experts have also said there is a credible case to support this view, the government has used procedural tactics to evade an attempt by ruling Conservative Party backbenchers in Parliament to bring a legislative amendment that would allow a court to rule on the situation in Xinjiang.



'They need a kick or a prod'

Lawyers at Essex Court Chambers in London cited reports that since 2017, authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have detained up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a vast network of internment camps as part of a de-extremification scheme, the rights group Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) said in a statement.



The opinion found that the crime of genocide is occurring, as there is evidence of an intent to destroy the Uyghur population as such, including through a pattern of Chinese state-mandated conduct.



Hundreds of thousands are also believed to be engaged in forced labor both inside and outside the camps, it said.



Campaigner Yang Zhengxian said companies like Muji are unlikely to act unilaterally, or without pressure from consumers and governments.



"They need a kick or a prod, because what they are doing right now is unacceptable," Yang said. "Muji is making it very clear that it doesn't care about the U.S. market, which isn't a surprise."



He said the company is likely trying to protect its access to the China market by being circumspect about its Xinjiang connection.



"This is partly because the Chinese government is so sensitive on the topic of Uyghurs, so they will make it clear, explicitly or implicitly, that companies that have a major stake in the China market need to show some restraint when it comes to criticizing Uyghur forced labor in public," Yang said.



Human rights activist Serekjan Bilash, who has been arrested for leading an international campaign against the Xinjiang camps, has previously told RFA that the forced labor textiles business is making some powerful people in the region very rich, including local government officials and police chiefs.



Rights groups estimate that one in five cotton garments sold globally contains cotton and/or yarn from Xinjiang.



Reported by Gigi Lee and Chan Yun Nam for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.


Dr. Romina Ghassemi has been featured on Cardinus Connect where she discusses prevention of work-related pain at home.

To check out the article click on the links below.

Cardinus Connect: www.cardinus.com/us/insights/press/adapting-to-a-changing-world-new-issue-of-cardinus-connect/
More AstraZeneca vaccines due in SL through COVAX By Kumudini Hettiarachchi, Ruqyyaha Deane & Meleeza Rathnayake UK finds that while vaccine provides protection it also causes break in transmission even after first dose View(s): View(s):

The first batch of vaccines from COVAX, around 1.7 million doses is expected in Sri Lanka towards the end of February, the Sunday Times understands.

Most probably it may be the AstraZeneca vaccine, as emergency use listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected next week, sources said, adding that this vaccine was first approved by the United Kingdoms Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), while now it has got the nod from the European Medicines Agency as well.

The vaccine developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is being produced as AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) in the UK and as COVISHIELD at the Serum Institute of India.

Sri Lankas National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has so far only approved COVISHIELD for emergency use and there is no change in the registration status, the Sunday Times understands, as the rollout among frontline health and security forces personnel continued from a donation of 500,000 COVISHIELD doses from India. As of Thursday (February 4), around 126,000 people had got the first jab of two-doses.

COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access), meanwhile, is a global initiative which works with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines once they are approved and licensed. It is co-led by GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) and the WHO.

Assuring that the Sri Lankan authorities, under the guidance of the Presidential Task Force on Vaccines headed by Advisor Lalith Weeratunga, with strict evaluation and approval by the NMRA would only bring into the country safe and efficacious vaccines after studying all clinical trial data, sources pointed out that the pursuit of science-based evidence has paid rich dividend.

Good protection &

break in transmission

An interim paper on the AstraZeneca vaccine has found that from the first dose there is 76% protection against COVID-19, lasting up to three months (12 weeks) and that if the booster is given at 12 weeks (earlier it was to be given at 4 weeks), there is over 80% protection, it is learnt.

A crucial fact uncovered by performing nasal swabs on those vaccinated in the UK with the AstraZeneca vaccine, is that in 65%, the transmission of COVID-19 was interrupted after the first dose. This means that there is a break in the chain of transmission, while also protecting the people who have got vaccinated, a source said, adding that it is not only safe but at around US$ 3 it is also cost-effective.

Looking at COVAXIN, the vaccine manufactured by Indias Bharat Biotech, another source pointed out that Phase 3 efficacy data are not available. This is while an interim report on the Russian vaccine Sputnik V developed by Gamaleya Institute, published in the Lancet looks encouraging. But more data are needed.

The Sunday Times understands that the NMRA has received applications for review of both Sputnik V and COVAXIN and the Expert Panel has evaluated them but finds that the efficacy evidence submitted at the moment is not adequate to approve them for emergency-use listing. More evidence has been requested regarding efficacy.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that papers with regard to Sinopharm, the Chinese vaccine have been sent yesterday to the NMRA while no documents have been received from Pfizer, the American vaccine so far.

Pfizer has said that if we show that we are interested only, that it would send the documents, a source added.

(Please see the statement of the Association of Medical Specialists)

SPC explains its role With regard to vaccines against COVID-19, the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) of Sri Lanka has explained its role and the current status of vaccines being considered for import, in a media release issued this week. The SPC has also assured transparency in the process. It states that the government has taken a policy decision for SPC to be the sole importer of the COVID-19 vaccines but even prior to this decision, the SPC was looking into registering a local representative for Russias Sputnik V, which had no representative. Now the application and relevant documents from the representative, Ceyoka, have beem submitted to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). With the governments decision not to allow private institutions but the SPC to import the vaccines against COVID-19, the SPC is looking at 5 types of globally-produced vaccines. The media release states: n Arrangements are being made to sign an agreement with Citi Health, the local agent for Indias Serum Institute and once the paperwork is completed it would be submitted to the NMRA. n SPC is in touch with Ceyoka to get Russias Sputnik V vaccine. n Arrangements are underway to establish an agreement between Indias Bharath Biotech and its Sri Lankan distributor, Ceyoka. n Ceyoka is in the process of finalizing the paperwork with regard to the distribution of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm. n The Pfizer vaccine which has been approved by the WHO will be made available in Sri Lanka through Hemas Pharmaceuticals and their representatives in India. n Hemas Pharmaceuticals, the agent for the AstraZeneca vaccine, has submitted an agreement which is to be signed with them. This has been sent to the Attorney General for perusal. Plans to vaccinate around 65% of population above 18 years of age The government is planning to buy 18 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which is equivalent to 9 million people being vaccinated. We have placed a request and are awaiting confirmation from the Government of India. We placed the order sometime last week, said Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, when asked by the Sunday Times. The plan is to vaccinate around 65% of the population who are above 18 years of age. Within that group, there will be some people who are ineligible to get the vaccine because of contraindications, it is learnt. According to Dr. Samaraweera the priority list includes frontline health workers, frontline armed forces personnel, those who are above 60 years of age and those below 60 who have comorbidities and also essential service workers such as those manning the airports and ports; petroleum facilities, power plants, telecommunications, etc. COVAX has promised Sri Lanka vaccine doses for 20% of its population, which means 8 million doses to cover 4 million people. Dr. Samaraweera confirmed that through COVAX, Sri Lanka will get around 1.9 million doses shortly of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 30-40% of that stock will be coming within the first quarter of the year, once this vaccine has got emergency use listing (EUL) from the WHO.
Hillside councilmembers missed a deadline to pay Mayor Dahlia Vertreese and the towns business administrator, and they still have yet to pay another three in her administration.

Now, the mayor is accusing the council of playing politics. Its the latest dispute between the mayor and council thats been marked by lawsuits against each other over who has the power to pay bills: two were filed in 2019 and another from 2020 is ongoing.

Its amazing to me that were targeting three employees who all help me, Vertreese told NJ Advance Media in an interview.

The seven-member council ultimately held a special meeting Monday to pay the mayor and business administrator for the next month. The amount of the paychecks that were lapsed was not immediately clear.

But there are still three in Vertreeses administration  David Cummings, Steeve Augustin and Imo Rice  who havent gotten approval to be paid, said the mayor and Councilwoman At-Large Nancy Mondella.

Those three havent received paychecks because the council has yet to get information about their job titles or duties from the administration, said Council President Gerald Pateesh Freedman Mondella, who chairs the councils finance committee.

Everyone was getting paid except for all these questionable people in administration, said Freedman, the council president, who accused the mayor of paying people who we did not authorize to pay.

Freedman said he asked the state comptroller to step in to review the towns finances. The comptroller conducts audits and investigations of government agencies in New Jersey.

Two council members say the lapse in payment to the mayor and business administrator was not retaliatory.

The Jan. 28 council meeting  where the bills were up to be approved  was canceled because there werent enough council members present to hold a quorum. The meeting was rescheduled to Feb. 2, but that one was canceled because town hall was closed due to inclement weather, some council members said.

Council meetings are conducted over Zoom and havent been held in town hall due to the coronavirus.

When town hall is closed, then all the auxiliary people dont have to be involved, said Freedman, adding that administrators would be unable to collect documents needed for the meetings when the building is closed.

Cummings is a Montclair councilman who has handled press inquiries from NJ Advance Media about Hillside in the past year. Vertreese said in an interview he handles public relations.

Its apparent the Council has decided to use the budget as a weapon to prevent the Mayor from having a complete staff, said Cummings, who added that he was not yet paid.

The mayor said Augustins former title was an administrative secretary - until the state Civil Service Commission ruled in 2019 that he did not meet the experience requirements for the position. Vertreese said he now helps her with COVID-19 outreach and sending mail. Attempts to reach Augustin were unsuccessful.

Freedman said the mayor made Augustin head of recreation and then moved him to the head of human resources, but his salary has remained the same. The mayor ended a phone interview with NJ Advance Media when asked if he held any other positions in the last year.

Rice also works with Cummings in public relations and communications, Vertreese said. He could not be reached for comment.

Vertreese said Augustin makes about $80,000 annually and the other two men make about $25,000 combined. Smiths salary is listed in pension records as $120,000, but the mayor said she recently gave her a $15,000 raise. Vertreeses salary was not immediately clear.

The council committee finance chair, Mondella, said the towns payroll was already approved in a temporary budget thats being used for the next few months. They didnt approve some line items in the administrations budget because the council wanted to keep a closer eye on them, she said.

So the only way that we can do that is to relegate monies monthly, said Mondella, adding that the rest of the townships employees are still being paid without monthly approval.

The mayor said the temporary budget is being used to control who is hired.

This is basically the way theyve controlled who was hired in the township and thats not how the government is supposed to be run, Vertreese said.

Who has the authority to truly do that is still being hashed out in Superior Court.

Freedman said he only forwarded information about Hillsides budget to the state comptroller after he was told the division of Local Government Services did not have the statutory power to intervene. The mayor, however, said she reached out two years ago to Local Government Services.

The state division of Local Government Services, which reviews and approves all municipal budgets in the state, did not respond to a request for comment.

Were not going to rat on ourselves if were pulling all kinds of illegalities, Freedman said.

Local journalism needs your support. Subscribe at nj.com/supporter.

Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com.

The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost.
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Note: This story has been revised to include updated information about funeral services.

R.C. Thor spent his professional life as a psychiatric nurse in the Army, but his passion was the stage.

Even after he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease more than a decade ago and could no longer physically manage a full show, he still sang in cabarets at the Woodlawn Theatre any time he felt strong enough.

Theater people are the bravest amongst the bravest people in the world, to get up there and put something up in front of people they dont know, Thor said in a 2015 interview with the Express-News. Its tough work sometimes. But its worth it.

Thor died Wednesday at the age of 83. He died at home, with husband Gary Ozuna as well his brother and other friends by his side.

The Parkinsons had taken a severe toll the past two years, eventually leaving him housebound and unable to stand for very long  a difficult fate for a man who once cartwheeled across the stage in a production of Oliver! when he was in his 50s.

He made a comment recently about Eartha Kitt, said Ozuna, who was with Thor for 18 years and who married him in 2012. It was a comment that Eartha Kitt made when she was dying. She said that she was going to kick and scream all the way to the end, and he said he was going to do that. And he kind of was until the last couple of days.

Thor was born Robert Charles Thorschmidt in 1937 to a musical family in New York. He grew up performing, finding satisfaction and acclaim in attention-getting smaller parts rather than leads.

Ive had supporting roles throughout my entire career in the theater, he recalled in an Express-News interview. Starting way back in high school, I was always the father, the grandfather, the older man, but I kind of liked that because it got attention, and so thats what Ive continued with all my life.

After he enlisted in the Army, he spent any free time he had seeking out opportunities to perform.

The Army brought him to San Antonio in 1964 to work with schizophrenic patients at a VA hospital. He struck up a friendship with fellow nurse Gertrude Baker, a force of nature who shared his love of theater.

I got a call one night from her, and she said, Bob, we need you. She went to Incarnate Word College (now the University of the Incarnate Word), where she was a double-major in religious studies and theater, Thor told The Express-News. They were doing the first musical at Incarnate Word, and that was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and they needed men in the chorus. And thats why she called me.

It was the first show he did in San Antonio; about 100 more followed.

Thor played Fagin in a few productions of Oliver!, but was probably best known for playing Daddy Warbucks, the wealthy industrialist who adopts the title character in Annie. He played the character in the first area staging of the musical in 1984, when Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels produced it. Four more Annie outings followed, including his final show, a staging of Annie Jr. at the Josephine Theatre.

People think its the only show I ever did, he said in an interview.

When the Woodlawn Theatre produced the musical in 2018, director Christopher Rodriguez invited Thor to come speak to the cast.

Daddy Warbucks in San Antonio is and always will be R.C. Thor, said Rodriguez, executive and artistic director of the Woodlawn. Hes iconic in that role, and had done it so many times.

He came to a dress rehearsal, so all our kids were gathered around and he talked about his experiences and what the show meant to him. I know a lot of kids, still today, talk about that, and how great it was meeting this well-known performer to give them words of wisdom before they did the show.

Encouraging young performers was important to him, Ozuna said. He went to shows at the North East School of the Arts and the young peoples shows at other theaters, and he made it point to chat with those in whom he saw something special. He sometimes brought them sheet music for songs in their range and pointed them to professional performers they might want to emulate. When they would ask how they could repay his kindness, he asked them to do the same thing for young performers when they grew up.

The couple established a scholarship fund in Thors name administered by the San Antonio Area Foundation that benefits students at the Woodlawn Academy, the education arm of the theater.

Actor Byrd Bonner, who appeared onstage with Thor in a number of shows, including a 1997 Jewish Community Center staging of Rags, spoke to him last weekend. Thor had noted that Parkinsons sometimes ravages sufferers minds, but that was not the case for him: I was amazed at how good his memory was and how quick his wit was, Bonner said.

He said that one of Thors defining characteristics was his generosity. He saw as much theater as he possibly could and made it a point to chat with actors afterward, praising their performances.

Through his scholarship fund, that generosity will continue to benefit young performers long after his name fades from memory, Ozuna said.

They might not know who he is in 20 or 30 years, he said. Its sad. But hes still going to help them.

Thor is survived by Ozuna; his brother and sister-in-law Charles R. and Elaine Thorschmidt; nephews Jonathan Thorschmidt and Charles Thorschmidt, Jr. ; and his nephews mother, Maggie Thorschmidt.

The funeral, which had been scheduled for Feb. 19, has been rescheduled becauase of this weeks severe weather. It will take place Feb. 26, with visitation from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. followed by a service at Mission Park Funeral Chapel, 3401 Cherry Ridge. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Parkinsons Foundation or to the R.C. Thor Scholarship. Donations to the scholarship can be made at woodlawntheatreacademy.org.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN

Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 61F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

A steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
By Christopher Woods

There has been a seismic change in the countrys public opinion toward the legalization of adult-use cannabis sales, including here in Pennsylvania. A Franklin & Marshall poll released last fall indicates that 58% of Pennsylvania voters support recreational legalization as a political reform whose time has come.

In his 2021 budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf is once again appealing to the General Assembly to update antiquated policies and legalize sales of adult-use cannabis. Lets explore why attitudes have changed and why Pennsylvania is in a prime position to build on the success of its experience with medical marijuana.

An Alternative to Raising Taxes

While its important to stress that marijuana is not meant to be the savior of state budgets, the governor rightly points out that additional tax revenue on legal marijuana sales will help the state fill its coffers, especially in light of COVID-driven deficits. This budget year, policymakers will need to bridge an estimated $2.5-3.5 billion budget gap. Considering the unpopularity of proposed tax increases, legalizing adult-use cannabis is a viable option to addressing economic realities.

New Jerseys vote on Nov. 3 to legalize recreational sales has doubled-down on the momentum for Pennsylvania to take action or else lose much-needed revenue to its neighbor. Forty percent of Pennsylvanians live within a convenient, 30-minute drive to New Jersey and can easily cross the state line to make purchases. Efforts to legalize adult-use sales in New York are just around the corner.

Building on a track record of responsibility and success

Pennsylvania passed medical marijuana reform in 2016. Strong oversight has enabled the industry to build an infrastructure of highly regulated medical marijuana growing and processing facilities along with about 100 dispensaries, and that number is growing. More than 9,000 full-time jobs have been created in less than five years. With many Pennsylvanians are out of work and seeking unemployment benefits, new job growth would help communities in the four corners of the state and every county in between.

Terrapin is proud to have received one of the original licenses to operate a medical marijuana facility just outside of Lock Haven. We employ more than 75 Pennsylvanians who grow, process and package medical marijuana here in rural Clinton County. This summer, we invested an additional $6 million in capital improvements in the facility, doubling our capacity and our workforce.

When faced with COVID-19 in the spring, every state with legal marijuana programs deemed cannabis essential during shutdowns. In Pennsylvania, medical marijuana has been helping Pennsylvanians cope with the anxiety caused by COVID, as well as continue to treat existing conditions. The industrys response during COVID has further legitimized it as a responsible industry.

Now Pennsylvania has the opportunity to move safely and quickly to expand into adult-use sales with experienced and socially responsible operators now doing business in the state. We know from other states that this logical next step delivers reliable results.

According to Meredith Buettner, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition (PCC), PCC members have the standard operating procedures in place to get the initial adult-use market up and running expeditiously while still prioritizing patients in the medical program. The additional job growth and community investment that accompany the creation of a well-regulated, adult-use market are crucial to the Commonwealth in a post COVID-19 environment.

Social responsibility is our calling call

At Terrapin, corporate responsibility drives our business model. We promote programs and policies that emphasize investment, access, and equal opportunity. As part of our efforts to drive social justice reform, Terrapin helped found the Cannabis Impact Fund, whose mission is to promote racial justice and support underserved communities by leveraging a conscious cannabis sector. Through the Cannabis Impact Fund, Terrapin is helping others learn how to address social equity in the workplace.

In Pennsylvania, Terrapin continues to demonstrate our commitment to veterans, women and minority businesses through our hiring practices, contracts for services and community support. We are helping to rehab Veterans Park in Lock Haven and, each year, we host an educational summit to introduce minority college students to entrepreneurial opportunities in Pennsylvanias medical marijuana industry.

Opening the door to collaboration

As we have in other recreational states, the cannabis industry is prepared to work with lawmakers to address legitimate concerns. Our experience has shown that some concerns are unfounded, while others can be mitigated through regulatory oversight.

Its only a matter of time until the disconnect between national and state laws is remedied. Under current federal law, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, which means it is viewed as highly addictive with no medical value. But medical marijuana is legal in 36 states and D.C. Another 16 states and D.C. have voted to legalize full, adult use marijuana.

At Terrapin, we are committed to socially responsible cannabis production. We are proud of our record of job creation and corporate citizenship. The time is overdue for a drug policy that modernizes outdated thinking and takes advantage of what we have learned to create well-regulated, adult-use programs that benefit all Pennsylvanians.

Christopher Woods was born in Bucks County and graduated with a biomedical engineering degree from Penn State in 2005. He is founder and CEO of Terrapin, one of the original recipients of a Pennsylvania medical cannabis grower/processor license.
MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Starpharma (ASX: SPL,OTCQX: SPHRY) today announced that is has signed a Research Agreement with MSD, the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth NJ USA. Under the agreement, MSD will conduct a preclinical research evaluation of dendrimer based Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) utilising Starpharma's proprietary DEP technology.

Dr Jackie Fairley, CEO of Starpharma commented: "MSD is a recognised leader in oncology, and we are delighted to have signed this new Research Agreement in such an innovative and valuable area."

DEP ADCs exploit the unique potential of Starpharma's DEP technology to provide enhanced characteristics to ADCs including greater homogeneity, site specific attachment, and higher drug antibody ratio (DAR), than conventional ADC approaches. DEP ADCs are the subject of internal and partnered programs.

Starpharma has previously demonstrated the significant advantages conveyed by DEP ADCs in multiple preclinical studies, including its DEP HER-2 ADC, which showed significant tumour regression and 100% survival, outperforming Herceptin & Kadcyla in a human ovarian cancer model. Starpharma's DEP technology has already yielded four clinical stage oncology products, including one under development by AstraZeneca.

Media: Sumit Media Grant Titmus Mob: +61 419 388 161 [email protected] Starpharma Holdings Limited Dr Jackie Fairley, Chief Executive Officer Nigel Baade, CFO and Company Secretary

+61 3 8532 2704 [email protected] 4-6 Southampton Crescent Abbotsford Vic 3067 Disclosure

This ASX Announcement was authorised for release by the Chairman, Mr Rob Thomas.

SOURCE Starpharma
Carbon County spent nearly $100,000 in state funding on COVID-19 measures for law enforcement, including testing at the county prison, Commissioner Rocky Ahner reported recently.

The county applied for and received more than $66,400 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency for emergency coronavirus measures for law enforcement. An additional $30,700 also was awarded, he said.

The first round of funding went toward the purchase of personal protective equipment such as masks, disinfectant wipes, disposable gowns, face shields, hand sanitizer and thermometers, Richmond Parsons, chief adult probation officer, said last week.

We also purchased five large misting machines and disinfectant, he said. One was placed in the sheriffs (office), one at the jail and three others were given to police departments.

The primary use is to disinfect vehicles after transports or other possible exposures.

Funds also went for COVID-19 testing of all inmates at the county prison, which was a crucial aspect of the grant, Ahner said.

The additional funds, which were applied for in the fall, went for additional PPE for law enforcement, he said.

The largest request from the police departments was nitrile gloves, Parsons said. These gloves protect against the virus as well as absorption of drugs (such as fentanyl). There is a shortage and price has jumped significantly.

This was probably the greatest need of law enforcement.

The county also purchased handheld misting machines, similar to the ones demonstrated at the courthouse in the summer, Parsons said. Each municipal police department in the county will receive one, as well as the magisterial district courts, he said.

Additional PPE was also purchased and will be distributed, Parsons said.

I am still awaiting some of the supplies, but I hope to start distributing the most recent supplies by the end of the month, he said. We also purchased handheld scanners for my department to improve our ability to work remotely.


New Delhi: While referring to the eastern Ladakh row with China, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane has warned that India's 'legacy challenges' have only grown in scale and intensity. The Army Chief added that while the Indian Army is preparing for future conflicts, the real and present dangers on the countrys borders cannot be ignored.

Gen MM Naravane made these remarks on Thursday while addressing a seminar organised by Centre for Land Warfare Studies, a leading military think-tank. He said the situation along the northern frontier highlighted the nature of ''threats facing India in preserving its territorial integrity and sovereignty.''

He said while the Indian Army will continue to prepare and adapt to the future challenges, the more "proximate, real and present dangers" on India's "active borders" cannot be ignored. For the last nine months, thousands of Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh that created severe strain in overall bilateral ties.

The warning from the Indian Army chief came on a day when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced in Parliament that both sides reached an agreement on disengagement of troops in the north and south bank of Pangong lake which is a major face-off site.

Gen Naravane said the ongoing developments along the northern borders should make the armed forces ponder over the nature of the unsettled borders and consequent challenges with regard to protecting the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"Without doubt, there are newer threats on the horizon, but the hard reality is that the legacy challenges have not quite gone away. In fact, they have only grown in scale and intensity," he said. "While the Indian Army will continue to prepare and adapt to the future, the more proximate, real and present dangers, on our active borders cannot be ignored," the Chief of Army Staff said, in an apparent reference to the nearly 3,500 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

He said the principal challenge before the Armed Forces today is that of the growing capability enhancements in an era of "finite budgets", adding the structures, inventories and human resources of the military will need to adapt and transform accordingly.

"The future lies in becoming agile, smart, fleet-footed and innovative in thought and action alike," he said. At the same time, he said the Indian Army is steadily consolidating its structures and capabilities towards winning "wars of the future".

Talking about changing contours of security challenges, Gen Naravane said when India focused on building core capacities in the spheres of land, sea and air, the country's adversaries took the battle to the newer domains of space, cyber, and informatics.

He said India's adversaries are investing in creating a formidable stand-off enterprise in the form of long-range precision fires, hypersonic vehicles and robust air defence capacities. "In order to win future wars, mere mastery of the traditional domains of land, sea and air will no longer suffice," Gen Naravane said. He said as the adversaries expand the "contest to the grey zone", there is a "dire" need for modern militaries to be as proficient in competition as in hardcore "kinetics".

"We need to shed the classical war and peace disposition and enhance cross-governmental fusion in order to win aggressively in the competitive space," he noted. The Army chief also broadly touched upon how the future wars could be fought with the use of highly maneuverable unmanned aerial vehicles, electromagnetic spectrum technology, swarm drones or use of low orbit systems.

He said considering the future threats, the Indian Army is also focusing on multi-domain operations (MDO).

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(With PTI inputs)
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Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
When I became an educator 13 years ago, my training didnt include the effects of trauma, and what they can have on the physical and mental development of children Mitchell said. I was 11 years into my teaching career before I had even been introduced to trauma and ACEs  adverse childhood experiences  and their impact on development. How much more effective would I have been if I had that from the beginning?
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Photo from Nexii [enlarge] The store was built near Fraser Highway in Abbotsford.





Starbucks' goal to cut its carbon, water and waste footprints in half by 2030 took a step forward three weeks ago, when it opened a sustainably constructed store north of the border in Abbotsford, British Columbia.





. . .
People arrive and depart from Broadcasting House, the headquarters of the BBC, in London Britain July 2, 2015. (Paul Hackett/File Photo/Reuters)

Hong Kong Public Broadcaster RTHK Drops BBC Programs After China Ban

Hong Kongs publicly funded broadcaster RTHK said on Friday it was suspending the relay of BBC radio programming, one day after the Chinese regime banned BBC World News from airing in the country.

In a statement, RTHK said: As the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) announced that BBC World News was not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory and it would not accept the BBCs broadcast application for the new year, RTHK will suspend the relay of BBC World Service and BBC News Weekly from 2300hr, 12 February 2021.

RTHK, or Radio Television Hong Kong, is a Hong Kong government agency but has a charter guaranteeing editorial independence.

RTHKs Radio 4 (R4) station had carried BBC World Service radio for eight hours each night and the R1 station had carried a one-hour BBC program once a week.

The European Commission said that RTHKs move had further added to the erosion of the rights and freedoms that is ongoing in Hong Kong following Beijings imposition of the National Security Law in June 2020.

This also illustrates the reduction of Hong Kongs autonomy within the One Country, Two Systems principle, the Commission said in a statement.

Riot police detain a man as they clear protesters taking part in a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on the 23rd anniversary of the citys handover from Britain to China on July 1, 2020. (Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinas broadcasting regulator NRTA announced on Thursday that it was pulling BBC World News off the air in China, in apparent retaliation against the UKs revocation of the licence of Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

Before this ban, the BBC World News TV channel was distributed only in certain hotels, apartment buildings, and venues licensed for use by foreigners. Even in those approved locations the BBC was censored, with screens routinely going dark as soon as reports about China began, said the Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) in a statement.

The regime seemed to be sending a warning to foreign media operating in China that they may face sanctions if their reporting does not follow the Chinese party line about Xinjiang and other ethnic minority regions, FCCC said.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the ban on BBC World News an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price also condemned the ban.

The PRC maintains one of the most controlled, most oppressive, least free information spaces in the world, he said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Its troubling that as the PRC restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China, Beijings leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation. We call on the PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the internet and media.

It comes a week after the UK broadcast regulator Ofcom revoked the licence of CGTN, or China Global Television Network, an international English-language satellite news channel owned by the Chinese regime.

Ofcom banned CGTN on the grounds that the station is controlled by a body which is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. UK broadcasting laws do not allow licences for media controlled by political bodies.

According to human rights NGO Safeguard Defenders, CGTN and its Chinese-language counterpart CCTV have, on numerous occasions, aired recordings of forced confessions from individuals held by the state under duress. The NGO said that broadcasting these materials amounts to known and intentional distortion of facts and clear lies, in violation of Ofcoms rules on impartiality and accuracy.

John Smithies and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Trapped, a feature debut directed by Egyptian filmmaker Manal Khaled, will have its world premiere during the upcoming 'South By Southwest Festival' which will take place between 16-20 March.

Usually taking place in Austin, Texas, this year - due to Covid-19 - the festival will be held online and will be streaming exclusively to 2000 viewers inside the USA.

"Directed and produced by Manal Khaled who co-scripted it with Rasha Azab, Trapped stars Caroline Khalil, Reem Higab, Osama Abo El Ata, Nema Mohsen, Mona Mokhtar, Tharaa Goubail, Rajwa Hamed, Zeina Mansour, Habiba Effat and Fadel El-Garhy," reveals a press release by MAD Solutions, a company that handles the films distribution across the Arab world.

"Trapped revolves around a number of women from different walks of life who are all under one siege," the brief reads. "As the story unfolds, their own personal stories reflect on a far bigger siege that depicts the constraints imposed on them by the male dominance in their lives be it a father, a husband, or the society and the government," it added.

Egyptian Filmmaker Manal Khaled is a graduate of the Philosophy department at Alexandria University.

She worked in Misr International Films as an assistant director cooperating with award-winning directors, such as Saad Hendawi, Kamla Abo Zekri, Hani Khalifa and Mohamed Ali.

Most recently, Khaled finished shooting her long documentary An Hour or So.

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

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He is in prison for calling for political reforms and defending various human rights activists. Sentenced to four years on charges of "inciting subversion". He was the defender of the well-known dissident Wang Quanzhang. His wife: the award will give courage to those who fight for human rights in China.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Yu Wensheng has been declared the winner of the Martin Ennals international human rights award. The Chinese lawyer has been in prison since January 2018 for publishing a letter calling for political reform. In a closed-door trial held last June, he was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of "inciting subversion".

A jury made up of representatives of 10 human rights organizations - including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch - announced the choice of the winner yesterday. The other candidates selected were Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who was released from prison on 10 February, and Turkmen journalist Soltan Achilova.

Yu defended several colleagues who fight for human rights, including the well-known activist Wang Quanzhang, released last spring after years of imprisonment.

Wang was one of the leading figures arrested by the authorities in a security operation called "709" (which began on July 9, 2015), targeting 300 other lawyers - including some Catholic and Protestant Christians.

Many of them were tried and then sentenced; several have "confessed" their guilt on video; others emerged from prison physically and psychologically shattered due to the torture they suffered.

For his defence of dissidents, Yu lost his professional license, a repressive measure that the Chinese regime continues to use against lawyers deemed uncomfortable.

His wife Xu Yan said that the recognition of the Ennals Award is a great honour - an encouragement to all Chinese activists to continue their efforts even in the face of adversity.
Ukraine will receive EUR 50 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to purchase vaccines for the population and modern refrigeration equipment for a network of vaccination centers, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

"We have just signed the relevant agreements with EIB President Werner Hoyer at the Bank's headquarters in Luxembourg. The funds will be allocated from the existing Ukraine Municipal Infrastructure Programme (UMIP)," Shmyhal wrote in his Telegram-channel on Friday.

In addition, the prime minister said that the EIB will also provide Ukraine with EUR 270 million for the modernization of the Boryspil international airport (Kyiv).

"The funds will be used to improve energy efficiency, aviation security and operational sustainability of the airport. Cooperation with the EIB will increase passenger traffic to 56 million people in 2040," he said.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
It will take an all-out national effort to dismantle the radicalization pipeline that has planted conspiracy theories in the heads of millions of Americans and inspired last month's attack on the Capitol, experts tell Axios.

Two key measures that could make a difference:

Keeping extremists out of the institutions where they could do the greatest damage  like the military, police departments and legislatures.

Providing help for those who have embraced dangerous ideologies.

Online platforms, meanwhile, must be unwavering in their commitment to root out conspiracy theories and lies that undermine faith in democracy, according to experts interviewed by Axios.

Radicalization and counterterrorism experts broadly applaud tech companies' efforts, now underway, to remove this material and the accounts that spread it off their platforms, despite heavy blowback from conservatives.

Twitter's decision to ban Donald Trump is seen on its own as a major asset in the fight to slow or reverse radicalization.

The U.S. needs a "Marshall Plan against domestic extremism," Daniel Koehler, director of the German Institute on Radicalization and De-radicalization Studies, told Axios.

"The spread of extremist conspiracy theories in the United States is the second most dangerous pandemic the country faces right now," he said. "The damage that's been to the U.S. in terms of community and social cohesion will be immense and will be lasting."

The radicalization is happening in a multitude of online spaces and right-wing media channels, pulling people into an alternate reality that posits, among a growing swarm of other false ideas, that the 2020 election was stolen.

When it comes to coordinated deradicalization efforts, the U.S. is behind most European countries by 2530 years, Koehler said.

The latest: Twitter's ongoing purge of far-right conspiracy theorists who have spread the lie that Trump won the 2020 election continued apace over the weekend, as the company suspended the account of Gateway Pundit founder Jim Hoft.

Facebook, meanwhile, plans to deprioritize all political content on its platform and is reportedly mulling a broader rethink of how Facebook groups work as it becomes clearer they served as a channel for organizing and executing the Capitol riot.

The efforts, however, will have to go well beyond the tech platforms.

A key part of breaking extremists' rising mainstream influence will be making it unacceptable for white nationalists, anti-government extremists and conspiracy theorists to serve in the military, in police forces or as lawmakers.

Experts worry that the GOP's tacit and sometimes explicit approval of extremists will hamper efforts to keep police forces and legislatures free of conspiracy theorists.

hamper efforts to keep police forces and legislatures free of conspiracy theorists. "At DOD, it will go well and they will quash it," said former FBI counterterrorism analyst Clint Watts. "It's a lot of sheriffs' departments that make me nervous, because they're elected. Politics means you go with party."

Yes, but: A purely punitive, security-minded approach alone is likely to prove ineffective and invasive at best, experts say. At worst, it will only fuel extremists' sense of persecution and push them closer to violence.

Instead, experts agree serious resources need to be mustered toward providing an offramp for people who have been drawn into extremist ideologies.

New federal programs would likely be doomed to fail, experts say, because distrust and hatred of the government is already a core tenet of far-right extremism.

Instead, private and public-private programs are more likely to be effective, particularly if they're able to get endorsement and funding from federal and state governments.

Those could include anti-extremism counseling programs and support groups; education programs that work with schools to identify risks and signs of incipient radicalization; and rehabilitation organizations that work with the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated.

One idea, courtesy of Christian Picciolini, a former neo-Nazi leader who founded the Free Radicals Project, which works to help people leave violent extremist groups: a "single entry point" akin to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline "that people recognize, that people trust, that people understand."

Something like a national hotline or online portal could steer people to local resources to help them or loved ones escape the radicalization pipeline, he said.

The bottom line: "Any sort of solution is going to have to be holistic and is going to have to have empathy at its core," said Jared Holt, a visiting research fellow with the Atlantic Council.
A draft cybersecurity law due to be implemented in has raised protests that it will be used to quash dissent rather than protect privacy.

Human rights advocates issued statements Friday urging the country's military leaders to drop the plan and end internet disruptions that have intensified since a Feb. 1

The draft law shows the military's intent to permanently undermine internet freedom in the country, said Matthew Bugher, head of the Asia program for the group Article 19, which issued a statement condemning the plan along with the Open Net Association and the Commission of Jurists.

Internet service providers and others were given until Monday, Feb. 15, to respond to the proposed law.

It is telling that controlling cyberspace is one of the top priorities of the military, which seized power through an illegitimate d'etat only last week, said Sam Zarifi, the Commission of Jurists' secretary general.

The military is used to having total power in Myanmar, but this time they have to face a population that has access to information and can communicate internally and externally, he said.

The military's seizure of power and arrest of national leader Aung San and other members of her National League for Democracy party have sparked massive peaceful protests across the country, despite efforts by authorities to enforce order by disrupting internet services.

That has put internet service providers and other telecommunications companies in a bind.

Jeff Paine, managing director of the Asia Internet Coalition, a group of leading global internet companies including Facebook and Google, said the bill would give the military unprecedented power to censor citizens and violate their privacy, contravening democratic norms and fundamental rights guaranteed under law."



He urged leaders to consider potentially devastating" impacts on the economy and people.

Norway's Telenor, a major mobile service provider, said it was facing several dilemmas."



Access to telecom services is essential for people to exercise their basic right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to gain information. These services are also critical in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and for economic opportunities," the company said in a statement posted on a section of its website devoted to the Myanmar crisis.

When following authority orders in these irregular times, we know it has negative impact on human rights in Myanmar. We are working to minimize this impact," it said.

The company said it was assessing each government order according to its legality, impact on human rights, necessity and transparency. It listed five active directives from the government since Feb. 1 to block IP addresses and said it was urging authorities to maintain an open internet.

But it also noted it needed to consider the safety of its own employees.

A group of 158 Myanmar nongovernmental organizations also has released a statement protesting the draft law.

Before the coup, the government had been working on a master plan for internet management and cybersecurity.

Among other requirements, opponents of the draft law said it calls for banning online anonymity, removing content the government deems unacceptable and punishing violations with criminal penalties.

The law demands the elimination of online comments considered to be misinformation or disinformation, that might cause hate" or disrupt stability, and any comment that might violate any existing law.

Its provisions call for a sentence of up to three years and/or a fine for any person convicted of creating misinformation and disinformation with the intent of causing public panic, loss of trust or social division in cyberspace.

The law also would require internet service providers to keep usernames, IP addresses and other personal data for up to three years. The data has to be kept in a place designated by the government.

The internet service providers could face maximum prison sentences of three years and a fine for failing to comply with the law's broad and vague provisions.

The proposal smacks of a legislative attempt to extend the powers the military had taken in an unlawful, anti-democratic coup, said Kyung Sin Park, executive director of the Open Net Association, whose founders spearheaded a successful constitutional challenge against a similar law in South Korea in 2012.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor James Dreyfus today slammed trans activists as 'misogynistic guys in skirts' for waging a war of hatred against Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

The Gimme, Gimme, Gimme star, 52, claimed those involved were 'angry, young, anarchist people' who harboured a deep hatred of women and 'what they represent'.

He also accused them of being behind an alleged campaign of threats to kill and rape women in order to 'put them back in their place'.

Dreyfus today told an 'In Discussion' Zoom meeting organised by the Campaign for Common Sense that society appeared to be 'going backwards'.

He said: 'These people speak for nobody but themselves. All my trans friends are as horrified and embarrassed as me. They want none of this having to label everything.

'Women are going "please listen to us" but the response is "No, we won't listen".'

Actor James Dreyfus (pictured) today slammed trans activists as 'misogynistic guys in skirts' for waging a campaign of hatred against Harry Potter author JK Rowling

A group of trans activists condemned Dreyfus last year when he was among 50 actors, writers and journalists to sign a letter in support of JK Rowling following backlash to her views on trans people.

The Harry Potter author hit headlines in June after she mocked an online article using the words 'people who menstruate' instead of 'women'.

She was hit by what she described as 'relentless attacks' after she wrote: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?'

The acclaimed novelist then penned a deeply personal essay to address the controversy, revealing she was sexually assaulted in her 20s and saying she still feels the scars of 'domestic violence' from her first marriage.

Dreyfus played Tom in the Nineties sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme alongside Kathy Burke

Harry Potter author JK Rowling hit headlines in June after she mocked an online article using the words 'people who menstruate' instead of 'women'

She was hit by what she described as 'relentless attacks' after she wrote: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?'

Rowling's remarks sparked backlash from a range of stars including actors Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Eddie Redmayne.

She has since been involved in several transphobia rows, including when she directed fans to a website selling badges and stickers saying 'transwomen are men' in September.

Critics branded the author a TERF - a slur meaning a trans exclusionary radical feminist - in response, while urging Rowling to 'understand the damage and hatefulness you have caused a group of people.'

Dreyfus said he had been 'cancelled' after showing support for the author in the letter as he criticised social media as 'a monster we have created'.

He said people used it as an 'echo chamber' of their views, adding: 'Silicon Valley has a lot to answer for.

'Everything has become so polarised. It is a big boil growing and growing. One day it will burst but I don't know when.'
In a landslide vote Thursday the Senate approved a budget resolution amendment making the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem permanent, so that it could not be moved out of Israel's capital in the future.

"Pleased the Senate overwhelmingly passed the amendment Senator Hagerty and I introduced to make sure the U.S. Embassy to Israel remains located in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel," tweeted the bill's co-sponsor, Republican Senator Jim Infofe of Oklahoma.

"I am proud to introduce legislation to protect the U.S. Embassy from relocation or being downgraded," Inhofe said "It was an honor to see the...
When a celebrity endorses a particular brand, it can either make or break it. So it's safe to say that when a Korean superstar is the face of that brand, surely their loyal fans wouldn't even think twice about purchasing items from that label.

These high-end brands carefully choose their ambassadors, and they would usually pick high-profile personalities to carry their brands. The process for selecting these endorsers is even more meticulous. It's a no-fail strategy in marketing their brand, especially when an actor or actress fits their brand identity perfectly. Famous fashion houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Gucci, to name a few, are proud of these celebrities who wear their products.

Here are some Korean drama celebs who are ambassadors of luxury brands.

IU as the face of GUCCI

If you're an IU avid fan, then surely you are aware of the celebrity's brand endorsement with GUCCI. If you are not aware, take a look at her official Instagram account, you will instantly notice numerous posts with the celebrity endorsing the Italian fashion label Gucci. She often receives gifts from the luxury brand as she is South Korea's brand ambassador for GUCCI along with other celebrities like EXO's Kai. Just by checking at her IG posts, we are in awe of her gorgeous Channel bags (and how much they cost)!

Yes. She's a certified GUCCI girl!

Park Seo Joon for Montblanc

Park Seo Joon is the perfect endorser for Montblanc! The actor is known for his versatility in acting and just the same as the German luxury brand, they cater a wide range of items from leather wallets, watches to fountain pens! Well, the brand is very flexible as it can be used in different styles. Similar to Seo Joon who can portray a respectable CEO to a casual boy-next-door character!

Ji Chang Wook for Calvin Klein

When we hear about the brand Calvin Klein, most of the time, "SEXY" is the word that enters our minds. And who's the best Korean actor to endorse the "SEXY" image of Calvin Klein? None other than, the handsome and sexy Ji Chang Wook! He is considered the first Korean actor to be a global ambassador for Calvin Klein. The brand expressed that the actor is perfect for their "young and modern" image. We definitely agree with this statement!

Nam Joo Hyuk for Dior

Nam Joo Hyuk is a certified head-turner with his Dior campaigns. His charisma is oozing as he poses for the luxury brand and it's just too much for us to take! Look at how he carries the brand, you will surely be tempted to purchase whatever he is wearing! His youthful appearance just comes with sophistication.

Lee Jong Suk as the endorser of PRADA

The charming actor is fresh from his military service and just recently appeared on the cover of Esquire Korea. In his photos, the actor is spotted gracing the luxury brand PRADA! We were all amazed by his appearance as he flaunts his long hair and seductive eyes! We just can't get enough of him!

You might be interested in: Fresh out of The Military: Lee Jong Suk Graces Esquire Magazine

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Liza Parker
The White House on Thursday stepped into the fragmented market for disposable virus-filtering N95 masks, moving to connect medical supply companies with mask manufacturers who say they are loaded with inventory but cant find buyers  even in the midst of a pandemic in which doctors and nurses are desperate for the protective gear.

President Bidens coronavirus response coordinator, Jeffrey D. Zients, intervened after reading about the mask manufacturers dilemma on Thursday in an article in The New York Times.

We will do all we can to get frontline workers the personal protective equipment they need, including breaking down barriers for N95 manufacturers, Mr. Zients said in a statement, adding that he had reached out to all of the major medical distributors to start connecting them with these new N95 mask manufacturers.

A senior administration official said members of Mr. Zients team had talked with three top medical suppliers: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson Corporation.
Yesterday, nearly 500 people died of coronavirus in the state of California, according to the Worldometer website, pushing the state's death toll to 45,971. While total infections and deaths in the state are down from their peak last month, daily infections are still averaging more than 10,000 every day.

In spite of the dangers, California Democrats, with the support of the teachers unions, are pressing ahead with plans to rapidly reopen schools in major cities throughout the state, in line with the nationwide campaign spearheaded by the Biden administration, which has described school reopenings as its top priority. On his second day in office, the Biden White House promised to have kindergarten through eighth grade students back to in-person learning by April 30.

Kindergarteners entering Greentree Elementary School in Irvine

The start of reopening yesterday of schools in Chicago, after the Chicago Teachers Union forced through a deadly and unpopular agreement with the school district, was only the beginning of a nationwide conflict pitting the ruling class, and above all the Democrats and their trade union lackeys, again teachers and the working class as a whole. One of the next major battlefields in the fight against the reopening of schools will be in California.

Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the country, has yet to announce its plans on reopening but is working behind the scenes with Governor Gavin Newsom to open the schools as state and local officials grow impatient with refusals to reopen campuses.

Cases and deaths in Los Angeles County are staggering and on the rise. Reported cases have reached 1.2 million with more than 18,000 deaths. Currently, there are only 330 free ICU beds available in the county, as LA COVID hospitalizations just barely dip below a record high.

In the poorer neighborhoods of Los Angeles, nearly 1 in 3 school-age children tested are recording positive for COVID-19. The reopening of schools would be catastrophic for the families of students and teachers, as tragically the deaths of school workers, and even young children, are becoming less rare.

Last week, the Los Angeles city council published a letter in the Los Angeles Times to demand that schools reopen, and filed a lawsuit against the LA Unified School District for not reopening. LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutnerwho fully agrees with the need to reopenargued the district cannot open immediately but only due to state restrictions. Beutner noted last week, We are ready to reopen and want nothing more than to welcome children back to classrooms safely but we cannot break state law to do so.

The United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), meanwhile, has only requested that teachers be vaccinated before returning to the classroom. The demand for vaccinations, too, is a false choice. Even in the far-off scenario that every teacher in the United States has received their two vaccinations against COVID-19, children are still not vaccinated, and teacher vaccination does not prevent the contraction and spread of the virus among children. Moreover, the continued unabated spread of the virus produces mutations that are already putting the efficacy of current vaccines in question.

There is tremendous opposition to reopening schools among educators and other workers. I am vehemently opposed to the reopening of LA schools and other school districts during a time when the pandemic surge has not totally subsided, Elizabeth, a registered nurse from Los Angeles, said. It is irresponsible and dangerous to place teachers, children and families at risk of contracting COVID-19, and more so now with the contagious UK variant taking hold in LA County and predicted to become the dominant variant by March.

Teachers, parents and other sectors of the working class must stand together and oppose the murderous policy of the ruling class that is only concerned with protecting the profits of Wall Street. They will not be safe until the virus is brought completely under control through a vigorous vaccination campaign. Teachers and other sectors of the working class must push back on the Democratic Party leaders and unions who are pushing for this murderous policy in the name of profits!

This week San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), the second largest district in the state, reached a deal with the San Diego Education Association (SDEA) to reopen in-person learning labs offered to students from low-income or immigrant families, homeless or foster students, or students with special needs. This plan allows more than 22,000 eligible students on campuses, of the districts estimated 97,000 student population. These learning labs, which will hold up to fourteen K-5 students and ten 612 students per classroom, are the initial phase of throwing teachers and students back into classrooms.

The citys schools are continuing with hybrid school returns, where select students are to be on-campus for a limited amount of time, and their teachers perform regular full day instruction. Currently, San Diego County has more than 35,800 students in full in-person instruction, 103,000 students in hybrid learning, and 34,200 employees on campus.

In a statement on the tentative agreement, SDUSD Board President Richard Barerra declared that once more teachers are able to get vaccinated, the district will begin requiring them to return to in-person instruction, even if the county case rate still remains in the purple tier. The major hospitals in the county currently remain near 100 percent ICU occupancy, as they have for most of the winter.

San Francisco is also pushing forward with reopening. Last week, the city filed a lawsuit, the first of its kind, against its own school district, San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), claiming the district had failed to offer classroom-based instruction whenever possible. On Tuesday, the city attorney, Dennis Herrera, amended the lawsuit claiming the district is violating the state constitution as well as state law by keeping students out of the classroom.

SFUSD had originally planned to reopen schools for the districts youngest as well as special education students under a hybrid model as early as January 25. Widespread opposition from teachers and parents effectively delayed reopening until March 25, as the district had not reached an agreement with the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) in December. Since December negotiations with the district, UESF has demanded only that teachers be vaccinated prior to returning to classrooms.

Rank-and-file teachers and school workers understand that schools cannot be reopened safely, in any capacity, while COVID-19 continues to spread unmitigated and the vaccine distribution remains stalled. Resources must be equitably devoted to assuring students and teachers have the resources necessary to facilitate effective online education, and schools and non-essential production must remain closed until the spread of COVID-19 has been contained.

This requires a struggle not only against school administrators but the Democratic Party and the trade unions, which are serving as their chief instrument in beating back the opposition of teachers.

The World Socialist Web Site urges all teachers and workers to join West Coast educators in the fight against reopening by joining rank-and-file safety committees in their area. For more information about joining or starting a rank-and-file safety committee, click here.
Scientists from Johns Hopkins, Columbia and other leading American universities moved with rare speed when a Chinese virologist, Li-Meng Yan, published an explosive paper in September claiming that China had created the deadly coronavirus in a research lab.

The paper, the American scientists concluded, was deeply flawed. And a new online journal from MIT Press - created specifically to vet claims related to covid-19 - reported Yan's claims were "at times baseless and are not supported by the data" just 10 days after she posted them.

But in an age when anyone can publish anything online with just a few clicks, this response was not fast enough to keep Yan's disputed allegations from going viral, reaching an audience in the millions on social media and Fox News. It was a development, say experts on misinformation, that underscored how systems built to advance scientific understanding can be used to spread politically charged claims dramatically at odds with scientific consensus.

Yan's work, which was posted to the scientific research repository Zenodo without any review on Sept. 14, exploded on Twitter, YouTube and far-right websites with the help of such conservative influencers as Republican strategist Stephen Bannon, who repeatedly pushed it on his online show "War Room: Pandemic," according to a report published Friday by Harvard researchers studying media manipulation. Yan expanded her claims, on Oct. 8, to blame the Chinese government explicitly for developing the coronavirus as a "bioweapon."

Online research repositories have become key forums for revelation and debate about the pandemic. Built to advance science more nimbly, they have been at the forefront of reporting discoveries about face masks, vaccines, new covid variants and more. But the sites lack protections inherent to the traditional - and much slower - world of peer-reviewed scientific journals, where articles are published only after they've been critiqued by other scientists. Research shows papers posted to online sites also can be hijacked to fuel conspiracy theories.

Yan's paper on Zenodo - despite several blistering scientific critiques and widespread news coverage of its alleged flaws - now has been viewed more than 1 million times, making it likely the most widely read research on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Harvard misinformation researchers. They concluded that online scientific sites are vulnerable to what they called "cloaked science," efforts to give dubious work "the veneer of scientific legitimacy."

"They're many years behind in realizing the capacity of this platform to be abused," said Joan Donovan, research director at the Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, which produced the report. "At this point, everything open will be exploited."

Yan, who previously was a post-doctoral fellow at Hong Kong University but fled to the United States in April, agreed in an interview with The Washington Post that online scientific sites are vulnerable to abuse, but she rejected the argument that her story is a case study in this problem.

Rather, Yan said, she is a dissident trying to warn the world about what she says is China's role in creating the coronavirus. She used Zenodo, with its ability to instantly publish information without restrictions, because she feared the Chinese government would obstruct publication of her work. Her academic critics, she argued, will be proven wrong.

"None of them can rebut from real, solid, scientific evidence," Yan said. "They can only attack me."

Zenodo acknowledged that the furor has prompted reforms, including the posting of a label Thursday above Yan's paper saying, "Caution: Potentially Misleading Contents" after The Washington Post asked whether Zenodo would remove it. The site also prominently features links to critiques from a Georgetown University virologist and the MIT Press.

"We take misinformation really seriously, so it is something that we want to address," said Anais Rassat, a spokeswoman for the European Organization for Nuclear Research, which operates Zenodoas a general purpose scientific site. "We don't think taking down the report is the best solution. We want it to stay and indicate why experts think it's wrong."

But mainstream researchers who watched Yan's claims race across the Internet far more quickly than they could counter them have been left troubled by the experience - newly convinced that the capacity for spreading misinformation goes far beyond the big-name social media sites. Any online platform without robust and potentially expensive safeguards is equally vulnerable.

"This is similar to the debate we're having with Facebook and Twitter. To what degree are we creating an instrument that speeds disinformation, and to what extent are you contributing to that?" said Stefano Bertozzi, editor in chief of the MIT Press online journal "Rapid Reviews: COVID- 19," which challenged Yan's claims.

Bertozzi added, "Most scientists have no interest in getting in a pissing match in cyberspace."

- - -

Online scientific sites have been growing for more than a decade, becoming a vital part of the ecosystem for making and vetting claims across numerous academic fields, but their growth has been supercharged by the urgency of disseminating new discoveries about a deadly pandemic.

Some of the best-known of these sites, such as medRvix and bioRvix, have systems for rapid evaluation intended to avoid publishing work that doesn't pass an initial sniff test of scientific credibility. They also reject papers that only review the work of others or that make such major claims that they shouldn't be publicized before peer review can be conducted, said Richard Sever, co-founder of medRxiv and bioRxiv.

"We want to create a hurdle that's high enough that people have to do some research," Sever said. "What we don't want to be is a place where there's a whole bunch of conspiracy theories."

Online publishing sites generally are called "preprint servers" because many researchers use them as a first step toward traditional peer review, giving the authors a way to make their work public - and available for possible news coverage - before more thorough analysis begins. Advocates of preprint servers tout their ability to create early visibility for important discoveries and also spark useful debate. They note that traditional peer-reviewed journals have their own history of occasionally publishing hoaxes and bad science.

"It's very funny that everyone is worrying about preprints given that, collectively, journals are not doing a great job of keeping misinformation out," Sever said.

He and other proponents, however, acknowledge risks.

While scientists debate - and sometimes refute - flawed claims by one another, non-scientists also scan preprint servers for data that might appear to bolster their pet conspiracy theories.

A research team led by computer scientist Jeremy Blackburn has tracked the appearance of links to preprints from social media sites, such as 4chan, popular with conspiracy theorists. Blackburn and a graduate student, Satrio Yudhoatmojo, found more than 4,000 references on 4chan to papers on major preprint servers between 2016 and 2020, with the leading subjects being biology, infectious disease and epidemiology. He said the uneven review process has "lent an air of credibility" to preprints that experts might quickly spot as flawed but ordinary people wouldn't.

"That's where the risk is," said Blackburn, an assistant professor at Binghamton University. "Papers from the preprint servers show up in a variety of conspiracy theories. . . and are misinterpreted wildly because these people aren't scientists."

Jessica Polka, executive director of ASAPbio, a nonprofit group that pushes for more transparency and wider use of preprint servers, said they rely on something akin to crowd-sourcing, in which comments from outside researchers quickly can identify flaws in work, but she acknowledged vulnerabilities based on the extent of review by server staff and advisers. A recent survey by ASAPbio found more than 50 preprint servers operating - and nearly as many review policies.

And, perhaps importantly, the survey didn't include Zenodo, which, Polka said, should not be considered a preprint server given its broader mission. Rather, she said, it's an online repository that happens to host some preprints, as well as conference slides, raw data and other "scientific objects" that anyone with an email address can simply upload. Zenodo has none of the vetting common to major preprint servers and isn't organized to easily surface critiques or conflicting research, Polka said.

"Without that kind of context, a preprint server is even more vulnerable to the spread of disinformation," Polka said. But she added, in general, "Preprint servers do not have the resources to be arbiters of whether something is true or not."

- - -

Yan said in her interview with The Post that Zenodo's openness is what drove her decision to use the site. She had initially submitted her paper to bioRxiv because, as a researcher whose work has appeared in Nature, the Lancet Infectious Diseases and other traditional publications, she knew that this preprint server would appear more legitimate to other scientists.

Yan has a medical degree from Xiangya Medical College of Central South University and a PhD in ophthalmology from Southern Medical University - both in China - and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hong Kong, she said. That university announced she was no longer affiliated with it in July, following an initial appearance on Fox News, saying in a statement that her claim about the origin of the coronavirus "has no scientific basis but resembles hearsay."

After she fled Hong Kong, she harbored deep suspicions about that government's potential to block publication of her work, she said. When she checked BioRxiv 48 hours after making her submission, the site appeared to have gone offline, Yan said. Fearing the worst, she withdrew the paper and uploaded it to Zenodo.

Sever, the bioRxiv co-founder, said he could not comment on an individual submission but said that, despite occasional glitches, he was aware of no "prolonged outage" on the site during mid-September and no sign that the Chinese, or anyone else, had hacked it.

For Yan's paper on Zenodo, she did not list an academic affiliation, as is customary for research. Instead she listed the Rule of Law Society and Rule of Law Foundation, which are New York-based nonprofit groups founded by exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, a close associate of Bannon, who in 2018 was announced as chairman of the Rule of Law Society. When Bannon was arrested on fraud charges in August, he was aboard Guo's 150-foot yacht, off the coast of Connecticut. (Last month, then-President Donald Trump pardoned Bannon, his former campaign chairman and White House chief strategist).

Yan said she listed the Rule of Law entities out of respect for what she said was their work helping dissidents in China, and that they paid for her flight from Hong Kong and provided a resettlement stipend while she largely lives off her savings. She said her work is independent, and she rejected notions that Bannon was helping her spread political claims.

"I didn't know he was so controversial when I was in Hong Kong," Yan told The Post.

On Sept. 15, the day after Yan's paper appeared on Zenodo, she was a guest on Fox's "Tucker Carlson Tonight," an appearance watched by 4.8 million broadcast viewers and 2.8 million on YouTube, and that also generated extensive engagement on Facebook and Twitter, according to the Harvard researchers. Bannon appeared on Carlson's show that same week and discussed Yan's claims. He also interviewed her on "War Room: Pandemic" 22 times last year, both before and after the Zenodo publication.

The political context was obvious in the midst of a hotly contested election in which President Trump was attacking his Democratic rival Joe Biden for supposedly being overly sympathetic to the Chinese government, dubbing him "Beijing Joe." Republicans, including White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, pushed Yan's paper along with the hashtag #CCPLiedPeopleDied, a reference to the Chinese Communist Party.

Archives showed the paper had more than 150,000 views on its first day on Zenodo - spectacular reach for a scientific paper, especially one that had not yet been reviewed by any independent experts.

But this surge of attention also generated backlash, including critical news reports by National Geographic and others, raising serious questions about Yan's claims.

In the academic world, the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins issued a point-by-point response one week after Yan's paper appeared on Zenodo, raising 39 individual issues in what it said was "objective analysis of details included in the report, as would be customary in a peer-review process."

A few days later, the new MIT Press online journal "Rapid Reviews: COVID- 19" featured four scathing reviews, including one from Robert Gallo, a renowned AIDS researcher and a titan within the field of virology.

He labeled Yan's work "misleading" and cited "questionable, spurious, and fraudulent claims." Most points were highly technical, but Gallo also questioned her logic regarding the alleged role in creating the coronavirus of the Chinese military, which Gallo noted would be vulnerable to covid-19.

"And how would the Chinese protect themselves?" Gallo asked in his review. "Well, according to the paper, the military knew it could be stopped by remdesivir," a drug later shown to have some benefit in treating covid 19 while not necessarily reducing the risk of death. "I would surely not want to be in the Chinese military if they were that naive."

- - -

The idea to recruit Gallo came from Bertozzi, the journal's editor and dean emeritus of the School of Public Health at University of California, Berkeley. Like Gallo, Bertozzi had worked extensively in AIDS research. After seeing Yan's appearance on Fox, he was eager to use the online journal founded only months earlier to correct the scientific record.

"I felt it needed to be quickly debunked by people with scientific credibility," he said Bertozzi.

He soon thought of Gallo.

"We need somebody of your stature to say this is garbage science," Bertozzi recalled telling him.

The reviews by Gallo and three other scientists also came with an editor's note raising questions about the preprint process itself, saying, "While pre-print servers offer a mechanism to disseminate world-changing scientific research at unprecedented speed, they are also a forum through which misleading information can instantaneously undermine the international scientific community's credibility, destabilize diplomatic relationships, and compromise global safety."

But these public rebukes from some of the biggest names in virology did not deter Yan. Nor did a detailed report on Oct. 21 by CNN quoting her critics and documenting flaws.

Yan declined to be interviewed for that story, she said, because CNN did not allow her to address the issues they unearthed, point by point, on live television.

Instead, she published her own response on Nov. 21, on Zenodo, titled, "CNN Used Lies and Misinformation to Muddle the Water on the Origin of SARS-CoV-2."

In her Post interview, Yan acknowledged - as CNN had reported - that her three co-authors on the original Sept. 14 paper were pseudonyms, used to protect what she said were other Chinese researchers whose families remain in peril back in China. Authors are typically discouraged from using false names in academic work.

Her claims suffered another blow this week, when a World Health Organization team sent to China to investigate the origins of the pandemic issued a statement saying it was "extremely unlikely" that the coronavirus came from a lab.

Yet Yan continues to double down on her claims and to attack her critics as spreading "lies." She still argues that the Chinese government intentionally created the coronavirus and continues to do everything it can to silence her.

Yan also offers no apologies for making common cause with Bannon and other Trump allies. As a dissident, she said, she doesn't necessarily get her choice of supporters.

"If China is going to do this crime, who can hold them accountable?. . . Trump was the one who was tough" against China, Yan said, adding that her claim "is about real fact. I don't want to mislead people."

Even now, she is preparing another paper, nearing 30 pages, that she hopes will refute her critics and bring fresh attention to her claims about China, covid-19 and what she says is an international coverup campaign.

Yan plans to publish it in a few weeks, she said - on Zenodo.
In 2017, Christy Sampson-Kelly was hired as the principal at Travis Hill School, New Orleans school for incarcerated youth, based on a sparkling resume that featured a Ph.D. and national acclaim in the field of special education.

Now Sampson-Kelly is known for her arrest in November on a warrant accusing her engaging in more than 700 extremely sexual and explicit phone calls with a 17-year-old inmate, according to report by an investigator with the Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office.

WWL television obtained partial transcripts of some of the conversations, most of which are too explicit to publish but can be described as sexually intimate and, at times, romantic.

In one segment, the juvenile describes an act of oral sex that he would like Sampson-Kelly to perform on him. She agrees to do so, according to the transcripts.

In another section, the juvenile says, I want to hear your sexy voice. She replies that she wants a part of his anatomy that is too graphic to repeat here.

In between talk about sex, the transcripts show less graphic conversation. They show that in one instance, the juvenile says, Tell me you want to marry me, to which the principal replies, I want to marry you.

In another, the transcript shows the inmate asking, How much you miss me? Sampson-Kelly responds, I miss you a lot.

When I heard what happened, I was furious, devastated, hurt, angry, the inmates mother said. She took advantage of my child.

Because the inmate is considered a crime victim, his name is withheld from this story. In an exclusive interview, WWL spoke with the young mans mother, whose name also is withheld here.

When he was back in Youth Study (Center), he mentioned something about a settler, the inmates mother said, referring to street slang used by young men to describe much older romantic partners, often women who are settled with families. My exact words to him were, That's not good. Don't. Don't.

Sampson-Kelly, 49, is married and has four children.

The inmates mother said she said is especially disturbed that her son's relationship with the educator started when he was at the juvenile lockup. When her son first disclosed it, she said, she did not know who the older woman was or the frequency and content of the phone calls. According to the affidavit for Sampson-Kellys arrest warrant, there were a total of 762 calls from January to November 2020.

Investigators also discovered that Sampson-Kelly made seven deposits totaling $370 into the inmate's jail account.

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She manipulated my son. Thats what it tells me, the inmates mother said.

The calls were made on the phone system at the Orleans Justice Center, where the teen was transferred after being held at the citys juvenile lockup. The inmate, who recently turned 18, is awaiting trial as an adult on charges of attempted murder and racketeering conspiracy.

Lon Burns, the young mans defense attorney, said the situation is even more alarming given his client's diagnosis of a learning disability. The inmates mother said her son has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Why would she do that to a child? Burns asked. Why would you misguide someone? You know why she did it? Because she has specialized training in knowing that he has a mental illness.

Sampson-Kellys biographical sketch, which has since been removed from the Travis Hill Schools website, stated that she received a masters degree from San Diego State University and her Ph.D. from University of Maryland. She has published a poetry book titled Remembering Mulatta and was a featured panelist at Harvard Law School in 2019.

The bio said she has a keen focus on helping schools improve how they teach and support students with special needs.

Sampson-Kellys attorney, Sarah Chervinsky, and she said she expects her client will be cleared of criminal conduct. She added: Dr. Sampson Kelly has devoted her nearly 30-year career in education to working with troubled youth, and she has earned a spotless record and a stellar national reputation as a compassionate teacher and dedicated advocate for juvenile criminal education reform.

Travis Hill School, which operates as a charter under the Orleans Parish public school system, said it is extremely saddened by the allegations against Dr. Kelly and all those impacted. An internal investigation is ongoing and nearing its completion. Additionally, the school is reviewing all policies and practices as a part of this investigation.

A spokesman for the school said Sampson-Kelly no longer works there and that Byron Goodwin has been appointed as interim director.

Burns said the teenagers relationship with Sampson-Kelly has complicated the attempted murder case, making his client reluctant to help in the defense.

Today he is an 18-year-old, scared, confused, now turning against his mother - a young man who at certain times does not now want to receive counsel from anybody, Burns said.

The teenager's mom said she recalls meeting Sampson-Kelly at an open house event at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center, as its now called, and thinking nothing of it. Her son was 17 at the time.

I thought she was just doing her job, she said. And here all the while it was otherwise. It breaks my heart.

Now, at the same time she is helping her son fight serious criminal charges, she is counting on the same system for justice in a case where she thinks her son was the victim.

I thought he was safe, she said. But he wasn't.
The Philadelphia School District struggled to keep students engaged in school before the pandemic. Nothing during the COVID-19 era indicates the problem has gotten any better. Things may even be worse, as the district and its teachers union keepers have agreed with city officials not to resume in-person instruction in a city where 37%  more than one in three  students were found to be chronically absent before COVID-19 set in.

Who knows how many students are chronically absent now? On the second day of the 2020-21 school year, Philadelphia Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said: We will not be counting students absent if there are extenuating circumstances, and it is an extenuating circumstance if in fact you could not log on because of the server or you did not have the technology.

As I explained for the Goldwater Institute recently, if 2021 is to be different from 2020 for your child in school, then policymakers, parents, and educators must have a conversation about bullying from education special-interest groups. Students and their education in the classroom should be made the priority. Families and policymakers alike should tire of teachers unions attempts to maintain power when they are not delivering for our students.

As students disappeared into the Wi-Fi, heres how Philadelphia families and district officials arrived at a standoff with the teachers union: The American Federation for Teachers (AFT) announced last summer that strikes could be used as a last resort if unions did not find reopening plans to be safe enough. They neednt have bothered. Like many other large school districts, Philadelphia school officials released a plan that said widespread face-to-face learning was not a feasible model to start the school year.

 READ MORE: Philly teachers dont report to school buildings for a second day; teacher vaccinations expected to start Feb. 22

With plans to reopen in person on hold, Working Educators Philadelphia, a caucus of Philadelphia Federation of Teacher members, joined with the Democratic Socialists of America and others to focus on political causes, some unrelated to K-12 schools. The group demands canceling rents and mortgages, a moratorium on evictions/foreclosures, providing direct cash assistance, and other critical social issues.

Meanwhile, private and Catholic schools in Philadelphia and beyond opened with in-person and hybrid plans for 2020-21. According to a recent report from Catholic Philly, around the country, more than 90% of Catholic schools have been open for in-person learning and working within sanctioned health guidelines.

On Feb. 5, Philadelphia district officials finally said pre-K through second grade teachers should report in-person on Feb. 8 with students to return Feb. 22.

 READ MORE: We are not ready to go into unsafe buildings: No word from mediator, but Philly teachers will still protest

Cue the strike. The same day as the district announcement, PFTs Jerry Jordan said teachers should stay home.

Labor advocates are careful with the term strike, couching their language to make it sound as if walkouts are just advisory. Lets use it for shorthand to save column inches  and because the same sequence of events between school districts and unions has played out elsewhere in cities such as Chicago.

Policymakers approved new spending to protect public classrooms, like the $4 million spent by Philadelphia schools to improve school ventilation systems; private and charter schools operated in-person with minimal infection rates; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations released statements saying it is safe to reopen schools; and unions dug in, telling teachers to stay home.

So far, city and district officials have blinked to end the standoffs. Chicago officials just agreed to teachers unions terms for reopening after weeks of striking union members. There is still no plan to have high school students back in classrooms. Most students will not return for another month, so its early yet to consider the matter settled.

The same story is unfolding in Philadelphia. As of last Monday, Mayor Jim Kenney said teachers do not have to go back in person. Jordan announced a third-party mediator is now involved.

 READ MORE: In public protest, thousands of Philly teachers pushed back against reopening schools

Educators and policymakers should note that todays drop in enrollment among kindergartners  down 10.5% in the region  signals increases in charter, homeschool, and private-school students tomorrow. A nationally representative survey finds that the share of parents who are very satisfied with private schools during the pandemic (55%) is more than double the rate for public schools. Charter-school parent satisfaction is 10 percentage points higher than traditional schools.

Remember the unions position now when it decries lean school budgets in the fall.

Jonathan Butcher is the Will Skillman Fellow in Education at the Heritage Foundation.
The police phone call to Margaret Nelson came one Monday morning around breakfast time. It was as unexpected as it was unwelcome.

An officer from Suffolk police was investigating an anonymous tip that the pensioner had committed a hate crime by posting on Twitter her personal view that you die the same sex as you are born.

The force later dropped their inquiries  apologising and saying they 'got it wrong'.

Yet controversy surrounding this 76-year-old former teacher did not end with that police call two years ago.

An officer from Suffolk police was investigating an anonymous tip that the pensioner had committed a hate crime by posting on Twitter her personal view that you die the same sex as you are born

She is at the centre of a fresh Twitter brouhaha because British soft drinks giant Innocent took umbrage over her tweets too.

The new complaint against Margaret originated from an anonymous person  just as the original one did: a Twitter user called only Andrew?, and using the tagline @leftist_rage. Andrew? had asked Innocent why it followed her account  she is something of a Twitter star with more than 9,000 followers  when it was run by a 'clear transphobe'.

Innocent, a company majority-owned by Coca-Cola, thanked Andrew? 'for the heads up', then made a public statement apologising. A formal announcement from the company under a headline 'We stand against discrimination' declared that Margaret's comments on trans people were out of line with 'our values on inclusivity and respect'.

Innocent said there was a duty 'on all of us' to make sure 'everyone can live happy, free lives in a world where that is a reality'. And who wouldn't dream of this utopia?

Andrew?  who has just 45 followers  later boasted on Twitter of persuading Innocent to castigate Margaret publicly: 'Hehe! I did that' said this shadowy character with obvious glee. This week he was back online wondering why Margaret wasn't banned from Twitter.

Yet others were less impressed with Innocent's dramatic response. Debbie Hayton, herself a trans woman, was incensed, writing in the Spectator magazine: 'This, it seems is how the internet works. A false accusation of transphobia is made. And a person, an ordinary pensioner in this case, is condemned.

'Non-entities on the internet make false accusations all the time: what's astonishing  at least where 'transphobia' is cited  is the way corporations react. You might be forgiven for thinking Innocent ignored the allegation, or maybe even challenged it. But you'd be wrong.'

An officer from Suffolk police was investigating an anonymous tip that the pensioner had committed a hate crime by posting on Twitter her personal view that you die the same sex as you are born [File photo]

Margaret Nelson normally tweets about far-from-controversial subjects: her quiet life in a Suffolk village where she lives in a neat bungalow, her two cats, how lockdown has treated her (she is rather enjoying the peace), and how milk used to be delivered to the doorstep in bottles with foil tops that birds would peck into to get at the cream. Her quaint views and memories have been increasingly popular during the pandemic.

But, occasionally, she taps out a post on more contentious issues. A self-avowed feminist, she is also a humanist celebrant who conducts funerals and is, therefore, she says, interested in death. Which is what led to her brush with the police.

In response to what she calls a 'transgender person's' tweet that 'Trans women ARE women fact', she reacted indignantly: 'These absurd beliefs are nonsensical and deny the evidence to the contrary.' In another post, she wrote: 'Death doesn't misgender. You die as you were born.' And then the police phoned her.

This week she told the Mail she had got off lightly. 'They [the police] act as conduits for complaints from trans activists who spend a lot of time trawling through the internet on the look-out for anything to complain about.'

As for being slapped down by Innocent, she brushed it off. 'I am not transphobic,' she said.

'But I do regard the transgenderism ideology as destructive, negatively affecting . . . women whose rights are being ignored and everyone else who is expected to walk on eggshells. I don't have to worry about losing my living over it as others have.'

If this seems like a Twitter storm in the proverbial teacup, think again. Such is the effect of the new culture war sweeping Britain  in which vigilantes like Andrew? scour people's every comment to deem whether or not they are offensive  a new service, Counterweight, has been launched to support people caught out by it.

Led by British author and self-confessed Left-leaning liberal Helen Pluckrose, Counterweight has been described as a citizens' advice bureau and anti-woke helpline.

The Oxford dictionary has described 'woke' as having an 'awareness of current social, cultural and political issues'. On the face of it, no bad thing. But Ms Pluckrose is worried that woke culture has become so pervasive it is now damaging or intruding on people everywhere.

The new complaint against Margaret originated from an anonymous person  just as the original one did: a Twitter user called only Andrew?, and using the tagline @leftist_rage. Andrew? had asked Innocent why it followed her account  she is something of a Twitter star with more than 9,000 followers  when it was run by a 'clear transphobe'

Her small team, based in London and the U.S., has advised 300 or more tripped up by the woke gospel.

'They come from every walk of life and it is happening to people every day.'

She tells of a BAME (black, Asian, minority and ethnic) man frustrated by emails from white colleagues at work in which they apologise to him for their 'privilege' and lamenting his 'oppression' as a person of colour.

Another worker, she says, faced disciplinary action from a firm after refusing to take part in a training course to root out 'unconscious bias'. She cites the story of a supermarket checkout assistant who found herself, unwittingly, in trouble with her employers as a suspected transphobe.

The woman made a mistake. She said 'Thank you, sir' to a customer who had transitioned to be a woman. 'Do I look like a man?' asked the customer angrily to which she answered, innocently, 'yes'.

This is a sensitive area. But the fact is that the woke credo is spreading like wildfire through British life.

Brian Leach, a 55-year-old disabled grandfather, was removed from his job at Asda for sharing a Billy Connolly video on his private Facebook page

Originally a slang term used in black America in the 1940s, a shorthand that warned people to 'stay awake' in the face of police brutality, racial injustice and unwarranted street attacks.

It was adopted by students in university campuses where it morphed into something that covers almost any perceived injustice, leading to people being humiliated, ostracised and censored through the so-called 'cancel culture' simply for expressing their views.

Now, it has moved into private companies, public bodies, the civil service and the Government's corridors of power. And critics such as Counterweight warn it is curbing freedom of speech in the street, at meeting places, on internet forums, even in High Street stores

Only this week in Melbourne, Australia, a bookshop apologised for hosting British writer Julie Bindel three years ago. Ms Bindel, who has spent much of her life campaigning against male violence, was one of the very first feminists to speak out against extreme transgender ideology. She says the bookshop issued a public apology because it had invited a transgender author to give a talk later this month.

But not all victims of the woke wars are high-profile campaigners like Ms Bindel. I have talked to council employees, shop workers, firefighters, teachers and successful businesspeople who have broken the woke rules and found their jobs threatened, their livelihoods at risk, and personal worlds turned upside down. Often after a word was uttered out of place and by mistake.

Increasingly, woke-aware employers are sacking workers after receiving a complaint about what they have said or written.

Brian Leach, a 55-year-old disabled grandfather, was removed from his job at Asda for sharing a Billy Connolly video on his private Facebook page.

In his filmed skit, Connolly made jokes about religion, including Christianity and Islam. A more senior Asian employee of Brian's informed the management and he was dismissed. Asda said the video had 'potential to bring the company into disrepute'.

Brian, who was reinstated after protests against Asda from his colleagues, told us from his home in West Yorkshire: 'I am not a racist, but I have been told not to say any more on this.' He has, effectively, been silenced  like many others.

Take 55-year-old school social worker Kate, whose identity we have changed at her request because she is terrified of a backlash. She nearly lost her job at her local authority near the Midlands.

Her crime? Last year she joined a debate, in her private time but using her own name, on an open internet forum where the rights and wrongs of Brexit, the impact of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) marches in London and other political issues were discussed.

Such is the effect of the new culture war sweeping Britain  in which vigilantes like Andrew? scour people's every comment to deem whether or not they are offensive  a new service, Counterweight, has been launched to support people caught out by it. Led by British author and self-confessed Left-leaning liberal Helen Pluckrose, above, Counterweight has been described as a citizens' advice bureau and anti-woke helpline

She posted a comment that Brexit might be a good thing and later queried if the BLM protests had become too violent.

These posts were spotted by a school colleague, who saw her name and reported Kate to her bosses.

After a gross misconduct hearing, she has been ordered to wipe her Facebook account and delete messages sent from it. She must now attend a diversity course to 'change her thinking'  a term used by her local authority.

She says: 'My husband says that most people would have 'gone under' after what happened to me. I am just relieved I have kept my job. I have been silenced because of the rise of woke. I now want to take early retirement.'

Another caught in the crossfire is entrepreneur Roger Tarrant. He was 'cancelled' as a national councillor of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) for his messages on its internal WhatsApp group.

His words, said the chairman, amounted to 'conduct likely to bring the FSB into disrepute'.

So what did this happily married 62-year-old, who runs a specialised care home in Cornwall for adults with learning disabilities, say that was so despicable?

In response to the London BLM protests last June, he pointed out on the WhatsApp group that disadvantaged white boys in England were less likely to go into further education than disadvantaged black boys.

He added that more white people had died in police custody over the previous ten years than black and other ethnicities. 'Does only BLM or should all lives matter?' Roger asked on the WhatsApp group.

'Are only white people racist?' It is a controversial statement. But is it really a sacking offence?

He was accused by another senior member of the federation on the WhatsApp group of being racist.

The middle-aged white man put in a formal complaint. It led to a request for Roger to resign from the council and, when he refused, he was shown the door.

Rightly or wrongly, Roger blames a 'woke cult' at the top of the federation. Approached by the Mail, the organisation refused to comment on his case.

As Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, which has helped hundreds of people caught out by the new woke world order, points out: 'They are punished for casual remarks they have made in the pub or on social media.

'We have one member who lost his job because of a WhatsApp message to his now ex-lover. The Big Brother that George Orwell warned about in 1984 is a reality. It is not the state watching everything you say, it's a troll-army of activists.

'This madness, which once only infected university campuses, is seeping into the human resources departments . . .

'Anyone who challenges the orthodoxy endangers a promotion and risks being fired.'

But what of so-called Andrew? who launched this particular woke wrecking ball? We know little about this troll beyond a claim on the Twitter account that Andrew? is bisexual, hails from Scotland, likes long walks, dogs, and is now getting bored during lockdown

A s for Margaret Nelson, Twitter was abuzz this week over her treatment by Innocent. Some supporters promised not to buy the company's products again.

Her Twitter critics accused her of horrendous behaviour. One troll put up a message saying: 'If only every other bigot was as close to death as you are Margaret we'd have a perfect world within a decade.'

But what of so-called Andrew? who launched this particular woke wrecking ball? We know little about this troll beyond a claim on the Twitter account that Andrew? is bisexual, hails from Scotland, likes long walks, dogs, and is now getting bored during lockdown.

However, this anonymous character seems satisfied. As the row broke, another Twitter user supporting Margaret asked if Andrew? was 'liking the attention'? 'Absolutely, I'm loving this,' was the response.

Innocent? Doesn't sound like it.

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Actor and theatre director Colin Carnegie has spoken publicly for the first time about his wife Roma Tomelty since her death 10 months ago, calling her an extraordinary woman who was an extraordinary part of my life for nearly 50 years.

Roma (75) was a member of one of Northern Irelands most famous acting dynasties headed by her playwright and film star father Joe Tomelty and which included her actress sister Frances, who was once married to rock star Sting.

Colin, who is preparing to appear in an online revival of three episodes of the popular 40s and 50s BBC radio show the McCooeys which was written by Romas father, said: There are hard days of course but I know Roma would want me to go on and Ive been trying to find my way through with the help of great friends and relations.

Former English public schoolboy Colin met his future wife while acting in the same Shakespeare play in Belfast. They were friends for a number of years before they became romantically involved and they were married for 45 years. Read More Colin and Roma ran the Centre Stage Theatre Company for more than 30 years not only producing major plays in Northern Ireland but also operating a summer school for aspiring actors and actresses, many of whom found work in the couples pantomimes. Colin, who appeared in an episode of Game of Thrones as Stevron Frey, said it was important to keep the Centre Stage flame burning. We have always tried to project a theatre which would otherwise be slightly neglected. Our platform has always been to rediscover the work of the Northern Irish writers and others who thrived in the 40s, 50s and 60s. He said the McCooeys revival which was being planned by Roma before her death was a tribute to his wife but represented more just than a memorial to her. Colin added: She wouldnt have wanted us to feel like we were stuck in the past. And we dont think that would have been doing justice to Roma. Expand Close Roma Tomelty / Facebook

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The Federal Operations Unit, Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 1,024 cartons of fake pharmaceutical products and other contraband goods worth over N869 million.

The Comptroller, Yusuf Lawal told reporters, Wednesday, in Owerri, Imo State, that the fake pharmaceutical products and other contraband were intercepted between January 1 and January 31.

Other items seized by the unit, Mr Lawal said, included 1,046 bags of foreign parboiled rice worth N31,380,000 and 62 jumbo bales of used clothing worth N7,800,000.

Also seized were 290 cartons of foreign Eva soap worth N4,176,000 and a Toyota Corolla 2018 model worth N7,354,345.

Mr Lawal said the pharmaceutical products, imported from India without NAFDAC certification, were intercepted on the Ofosu Benin Expressway and the cartons of soap on the Aba-Owerri Road.

He explained that soaps and detergents were still on the import prohibition list in line with schedule 3 of Common External Tariff.

Mr Lawal said that the bags of parboiled rice, suspected to be smuggled products, were stored in a warehouse on the Elelenwo Road, Port Harcourt.

According to him, the unit followed laid down rules of engagement, backed by sections 147 and 151 of Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 LFN 2004.

He assured that the importers of the unregistered Colcaps medicaments and their accomplices would be unravelled, adding that the negative effects of unlicensed drugs in the wrong hands could not be quantified.

Mr Lawal said the drugs would be handed over to authorities of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control for necessary checks.

The comptroller said the service would synergise with relevant authorities in India to tackle illegal export of drugs from India to Nigeria as part of efforts to protect Nigerias economy.

Our objective is to degrade the activities of smugglers through aggressive patrol of all flanks and flashpoints.

We will be very ruthless with these economic saboteurs because we have a responsibility to protect the nations economy in line with the expectations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, he said.

Mr Lawal, who warned smugglers to desist from the act, acknowledged other security agencies for their support.

(NAN)
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Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
Researchers studying an enzyme in fruit fly larvae have found that it plays an important role in waking up brain stem cells from their dormant 'quiescent' state, enabling them to proliferate and generate new neurons. Published in the journal EMBO Reports, the study by Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, could help clarify how some neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and microcephaly occur.

Quiescent neural stem cells in the fruit fly larval brainPr-set7 is an enzyme involved in maintaining genome stability, DNA repair and cell cycle regulation, as well as turning various genes on or off. This protein, which goes by a few different names, has remained largely unchanged as species have evolved. Professor Wang Hongyan, a professor and deputy director at Duke-NUS' Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, and her colleagues set out to understand the protein's function during brain development.

Genetic variants of the human version of Pr-set7 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, with typical symptoms including intellectual disability, seizures and developmental delay. Our study is the first to show that Pr-set7 promotes neural stem cell reactivation and, therefore, plays an important role in brain development." Professor Wang Hongyan, Professor and Deputy Director, Duke-NUS' Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme

Neural stem cells normally oscillate between states of quiescence and proliferation. Maintaining an equilibrium between the two is very important. Most neural stem cells are quiescent in adult mammalian brains. They are reactivated to generate new neurons in response to stimuli, such as injury, the presence of nutrients or exercise. However, neural stem cells gradually lose their capacity to proliferate with age and in response to stress, and anxiety.

Professor Wang and her colleagues studied what happened when the gene coding for Pr-set7 is turned off in larval fruit fly brains. They found it caused a delay in the reactivation of neural stem cells from their quiescent state. To reactivate neural stem cells, Pr-set7 needs to turn on at least two genes: cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (cdk1) and earthbound 1 (Ebd1). The scientists found that overexpressing the proteins coded by these genes led to the reactivation of neural stem cells even when the Pr-set7 gene was turned off. These findings show that Pr-set7 binds to the cdk1 and Ebd1 genes to activate a signalling pathway that reactivates neural stem cells from their quiescent state.

"Since Pr-set7 is conserved across species, our findings could contribute to the understanding of the roles of its mammalian counterpart in neural stem cell proliferation and its associated neurodevelopmental disorders," said Prof Wang.

Professor Patrick Casey, Senior Vice-Dean for Research at Duke-NUS, commented: "With this latest study, Professor Wang's fundamental research in neuroscience has yielded valuable insights into several neurodevelopmental disorders; insights that have the potential to improve the way we care for people with such disorders."

The scientists are now extrapolating this study to understand the roles of the mammalian and human forms of Pr-set7, called SETD8 and KMT5A respectively, in brain development.
The regards given to coffee in Turkey is expressed in the saying Bir fncan kahvenin krk yllk hatr vardr (One cup of coffee assures  and is worth  40 years of friendship).

The history of coffee

Coffee came to Turkey around the 10th century, brought from Ethiopia and Syria, but it didnt gain popularity for 500 years or so.

Istanbul was introduced to coffee in 1555 during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent by Ozdemir Pasha, the Ottoman Governor of Yemen, who had grown to love the drink while stationed in that country.

By the mid-16th century, coffee houses were well established in Istanbul and no party or banquet was complete without the delicious brew.

Various party-poopers tried to ban coffee and its brother-in-arms, tobacco, but both became such an entrenched part of Turkish life that prohibition attempts were abandoned.

In the Ottoman palace a new method of drinking coffee was discovered: the beans were roasted over a fire, finely ground and then slowly cooked with water on the ashes of a charcoal fire. With its new brewing method and aroma, coffees renown soon spread even further afield.

Coffee soon became a vital part of palace cuisine and was very popular in court. The position of Chief Coffee Maker (kahvecibas) was added to the roster of court functionaries. The Chief Coffee Makers duty was to brew the Sultans or his patrons coffee, and he was chosen for his loyalty and ability to keep secrets. The annals of Ottoman History record a number of Chief Coffee Makers who rose through the ranks to become Grand Viziers to the Sultan.

Coffee soon spread from the palace to grand mansions, and from grand mansions to the homes of the public. The people of Istanbul quickly became enamored with the beverage. Green coffee beans were purchased and then roasted at home on pans. The beans were then ground in mortars and brewed in coffeepots known as cezve.

Copper cezve on a stall at the Yesiluzumlu mushroom festival

Turkish coffee  from cezve to cup

Most of the general public became acquainted with coffee through the establishment of coffeehouses; the first coffeehouse (named Kiva Han) opened in the district of Tahtakale in 1475 and others rapidly cropped up all over the city.

Coffee was of such great importance then that Turkish law deemed it legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he failed to provide her with her daily cup!

Coffeehouses

This more modern KivaHan is named after the worlds first coffee shop that opened in Constantinople (Istanbul), in Turkey 1475.

Coffeehouses and coffee culture soon became an integral part of Istanbul social culture; people came here throughout the day to read books, play chess and backgammon and discuss poetry and literature.

Kraathane (reading rooms) were very popular in Istanbul in the 19th century, providing both coffee and newspapers for their all-male customers. Each kraathane had a distinct clientele; one was for actors, another for mechanics, another for lawyers. They were gathering places, meeting halls, dens of gossip and networking.

Today, the coffeehouses continue to be a place where men gather to socialize, talk politics, and play backgammon over cups of coffee or tea.

How to Cook Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee is prepared in a cezve, a special small pot with a long handle that is traditionally made of copper.

For one cup of Turkish coffee, combine one cup of water (the size of the coffee cup) and two full teaspoons of coffee. Since sugar is never added after the coffee is cooked you have to add sugar into the cezve (two sugar cubes for very sweet  sekerli, one for medium sweetness  orta, and none for the ones that like it bitter  sade). Once the coffee comes to a boil, let the foam rise and take it off the heat right before its about to spill, and this will guarantee that your coffee will have lots of foam. Traditionally, Turkish coffee without foam is simply unacceptable. Serving the coffee with a glass of water (and something sweet, preferably Turkish Delight) is also part of the ritual.

Heres a video showing you how to make Turkish coffee

Youll need:

Small demi-tasse coffee cups

a cezve  which is the Turkish coffee pot. These come in different sizes depending on how many coffees you want to make

Turkish coffee

Water

Sugar (to taste)

When youre out and about, youll still see Turkish coffee being cooked on hot sand.

Turkish coffee cooked on hot sand at the Tuesday market in Fethiye

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Turkish coffees special preparation, brewing techniques, and rich communal culture made it worthy of being inscribed in 2013 into UNESCOs Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

A final word 

Dont say no to an invitation to have coffee as it is considered rude to turn down the offer.

Bir fncan kahvenin krk yllk hatr vardr

Wherever you drink it, when you get a good strong Turkish coffee brewed with fresh grounds, its like imbibing energy and indulgence all at once.

In our next article, well take a look at FAL, the art of reading Turkish coffee grounds.

Sources: World Food Turkey/Culture Trip
Good morning, its Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, the day of the week I pass along quotations intended to be inspirational or thought-provoking. Todays comes from Americas greatest president, born this day in 1809 just outside the Kentucky hamlet of Hodgenville.

First, though, let me point you to RealClearPolitics front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion pieces spanning the political spectrum. Todays lineup includes Rory Cooper on Joe Bidens stance on reopening the nations public schools (National Review), Stacey Abrams and Lauren Groh-Wargo about how to turn red states blue (New York Times), and a column Times editors wouldnt publish from their own Bret Stephens. We also offer original material from our own reporters, columnists, and contributors, including the following:

* * *

A Monsoon of Manure. J. Peder Zane cites the reasons hes not watching the impeachment trial.

The Federalist Society Stood by the Law, Not Trump. Jonathan D. Urick responds to critics who have pounced on the conservative legal movement for its role in the Trump administration.

Time for Republicans to Tell Trump, Youre Fired. Jason Garshfield blames the 45th president for squandering a relatively strong position for the GOP following Novembers election.

Yes, I Do Believe the Stock Market Is Rigged. At RealClearMarkets, investor Ken Fisher explains why rigged is not a negative thing.

Five Facts on Pandemic Relief Spending. No Labels has this primer at RealClearPolicy.

A Boon for Charitable Giving Is Threatened by Congress. Also at RCPolicy, Howard Husock warns of unintended consequences from a bill that would rein in donor-advised funds (DAF) accounts.

There Is No Point in Extending U.S. Commitment to Afghanistan. At RealClearWorld, Daniel Davis argues that the problems in Afghanistan can only be resolved by the parties that must live with the results.

* * *

Joseph R. Biden Jr. inherited a divided country, of this there is no doubt. What also cannot be disputed is that Abraham Lincoln took national office at a time of far greater division.

Yes, the violent and frightening Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was staged by a mob trying to forestall the peaceful transition of power from one political party to another -- one ethos for another, as well. By the time Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, seven Southern states (Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and South Carolina -- the ringleader of secession) had already voted to leave the Union and were raising armies.

The galvanizing event in this precipitous rebellion was the election of Abraham Lincoln as the 16th president of the United States. And so, the very question before the nation was whether those states would and could remain united.

Lincoln did his rhetorical best in his inaugural address. Although he was unable to persuade Southern whites to use their better angels as a touchstone, Lincoln tried. Perhaps in the 21st century, we will be smarter and will heed his call.

Physically speaking, we cannot separate, Lincoln said after taking the oath of office. We cannot remove our respective sections from each other, nor build an impassable wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced, and go out of the presence, and beyond the reach of each other; but the different parts of our country cannot do this. They cannot but remain face to face; and intercourse, either amiable or hostile, must continue between them.

And thats our quote of the week.

Carl M. Cannon

Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics

@CarlCannon (Twitter)

ccannon@realclearpolitics.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.
Posted Thursday, February 11, 2021 3:27 pm

OLYMPIA  Relief is likely on the way soon to Washington families and businesses, pending Gov. Jay Inslee's signature, after the state Senate passed a $2.2 billion COVID-19 funding package Wednesday.

The package, which passed 47-2 in the Senate, will allocate $2.2 billion of the state's federal stimulus fund to schools, businesses, renters and others.

While the bill passed with bipartisan support, Republicans criticized the bill for not doing enough to provide relief. Republican Senators Mike Padden, of Spokane Valley, and Mark Schoesler, of Ritzville, voted against the bill. Democrats said the bill is the first of many and more relief will likely come throughout the session and in the final budget, to be passed by the Legislature in April.

"This bill is not going to solve all our problems," said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island. "It's a strategic first step."

What's in the package

?

Most of the money had allocation guidelines from the federal government and will go toward programs created with the first round of federal money last year. Here's how it breaks down:

* $714 million for school assistance, including $46 million for private schools

* $618 million for public health

* $365 million for housing, including rental assistance

* $240 million for business assistance

* $91 million for other income assistance, such as immigration services and food assistance

* $50 million for childcare grants

* $26 million for food assistance grants for hunger relief organizations

The funds for schools must be used for costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also requires school districts to submit updated reopening plans to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction by March 1, although it does not necessarily require that they must resume all in-person learning.

The public health allocation includes $68 million for vaccine distribution, $100 million for epidemiology and laboratory grants and $438 million for testing and contact tracing. This money will go into a newly recreated COVID-19 Public Health Response Account.

The bill appropriates $240 million for small business grants through the Department of Commerce's Working Washington Grant program. Of that, $150 million is specifically for businesses to continue their operations during the pandemic. To be eligible, businesses must have experienced a reduction in business income or activity due to the pandemic and agree to operate within public health guidance moving forward.

Most of the rental assistance will go toward landlords, who can use it to help renters who have applied for assistance grants through the Department of Commerce.

The remaining $90 million will help businesses that closed reopen. To be eligible, businesses have to demonstrate they temporarily closed as a result of the governor's stay home order.

For child care assistance, $28 million will go to grants for licensed providers who serve children under the age of 14 and accept state subsidies for care, while $6 million will go toward providers who do not accept subsidies. Four million of the child care allocation will be used to incentivize providers to take new subsidized slots. A small portion of the allocation, about $600,000, will also go toward providers that fall into the Family, Friends and Neighbors category, a growing group of providers that aren't licensed but provide child care in their communities.

The bill also appropriates $91 million for income assistance, including $65 million for immigration services, $12 million for disaster cash assistance, $9 million for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and $5 million for food assistance.

Lawmakers and Inslee made pandemic relief an early action priority this session. The Democrats' early action package also includes a bill that expands access to unemployment insurance and reduces taxes for businesses, which Inslee signed Monday. It also includes a bill that would waive liquor license fees for businesses, which passed in the Senate and is awaiting committee votes in the House, and a bill that would exempt certain federal funds from being subject to business and operation taxes. That bill passed the Senate on Wednesday and is now headed to the governor's desk.

Republicans push for amendments

Many Republicans had concerns that the bill wasn't doing enough and brought eight amendments to the floor, pushing for more money for schools, a quicker reopening of the state and adding certain stipulations for vaccine prioritization.

One idea Republicans had for providing more relief would have been using the state's Rainy Day Fund to provide more relief to Washington residents. Democrats have said they didn't use the Rainy Day Fund yet because there is still uncertainty surrounding the economy in the coming months. This bill is simply allocating federal money that the state has already received, Rolfes said.

In Wednesday's floor debate, Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Whatcom County, said there was so much more the Legislature could've done earlier.

"Today's action is not early," Ericksen said. "Early action would've been a special session in May."

Republicans attempted to attach an amendment to the bill that would have moved the entire state to Phase 2 of the governor's reopening plan, the latest of their push to move the state to Phase 2. Democrats argued it was not relevant to the bill and should not even be debated while Republicans said its intent, similar to the bill, was to provide recovery to Washington.

"We need one policy, one plan for Washington State that will let the people know we're looking out for their interests and not the interest of the governor," sponsor Ericksen said of the reopening plan.

Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro Wooley, said the amendment would have addressed the "root cause" of the economic problems the state is currently facing.

Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck decided Ericksen's amendment did not change the scope of the bill, so it did not get a vote. A separate bill in the Senate, proposed by Republicans, would move the entire state to Phase 2. It is currently still in committee.

Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, proposed an amendment that would have required schools to reopen to in-person learning before receiving the entirety of their appropriated funds. The bill would have incentivized schools to reopen sooner, she said.

Padden spoke out in support of the amendment, pointing to schools in his district that he said have reopened safely. In-person learning is superior to distance learning, he said, and that's what the state should be striving for.

"I just feel these students are getting cheated by not being able to have in-person learning," he said.

Other amendments would have appropriated money to other areas than what the bill defines, such as for contact tracing in schools. Rolfes said the language in the bill was deliberate to follow strict federal guidelines with how to use the money.

"I can't explain the federal formula that sent this money out, but I can explain that this is a federal formula that sends this money out," Rolfes said. Any state money to be allocated will be done so in the budget, which the Legislature must pass by the end of the session in April.

None of the amendments passed, meaning the bill will head to the governor's desk this week. Once he signs it, funds will begin to be allocated.
Just the two of us  the couples who put the art in partnership

To celebrate Valentines Day, heres our heartfelt tribute to 10 artistic couples from the 16th century to the present day

Christo and Jeanne-Claude Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon were both born on 13 June 1935, but separated by the 2,000 miles of land and sea between Bulgaria and Morocco. They met in Paris 23 years later, when Christo, a portraitist who had fled the communist regime of his home country, painted Jeanne-Claudes mother. At the time Jeanne-Claude was engaged, but when they realised they had been born within an hour of each other they considered it fate.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude during the installation of 42,390 Cubic Feet Package, Minneapolis, 1966. Photo: Carroll T. Hartwell.  Estate of Christo V. Javacheff

Together they experimented with wrapping bottles and cans, before scaling up their ambitions to the coastline of Australia, the Pont Neuf and the Reichstag. They never flew on the same plane so that in the event of an accident the other could carry on with their work. After Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, Christo continued to realise their grand plans until his own death in 2020. Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel In 1882, aged 42, Rodin met the 19-year-old sculptor Camille Claudel. Impressed by her precocity, he took her on as a studio assistant, entrusting her with complex tasks such as the hands and feet of his monumental figures  notably those in The Gates of Hell. Alongside her studio work, Claudel sought recognition as an independent artist, accepting commissions and exhibiting busts and portraits at the Salon. I showed her where she would find gold, Rodin once said of Claudels talent, but the gold she found is all hers. The two began a passionate and turbulent affair during which they influenced each others styles, with their works serving as declarations, criticisms or echoes of one another. Both enjoyed critical success, too: Claudels La valse and Rodins Eternel Printemps and Baiser are among the celebrated works that date from the peak of these years of passion and shared creation.

Claudel, however, met a tragic fate. They parted ways because of Rodins refusal to leave his long-time partner, Rose Beuret, and Claudel descended into madness. In 1913 she was committed to an asylum, where she remained until her death in 1943. It is terrible to be so abandoned, she wrote in 1915. I cant help but succumb to the grief that overwhelms me. After her death, Claudel and her work slipped into relative obscurity, only emerging from her lovers shadow in the late 20th century. Man Ray and Lee Miller Lee Miller was already a successful model when she moved to Paris in 1929 to work as an apprentice to the visionary photographer Man Ray. She had called upon him unannounced in a bar on the citys Left Bank. My name is Lee Miller and Im your new student, she told him. When he replied that he was leaving for a vacation in Biarritz the next day, she shot back: So am I.

Miller went on to become Man Rays lover, assistant and muse. She took several of the photographs credited to him and rediscovered solarisation, a technique that gave photographs a ghostly look and would become Man Rays trademark. They parted ways on bad terms in 1932, and Man Ray spent the next two years tirelessly painting Millers lips. They eventually reconciled: Miller pushed a frail Man Ray in his wheelchair around one of his final exhibitions. Gilbert & George We want an art that is in your face: aggressive, Gilbert Prousch told critic Jonathan Jones in 2017. We are confrontational. Freedom of speech, we call it. To say what we want. For more than 50 years, the dapper-suited artist duo Gilbert & George (Prousch and George Passmore) have addressed contemporary issues ranging from sex and religion to corruption and violence, in work spanning performance, film, sculpture and photomontage. Described by Jones as visceral documents of a changing Britain, their grotesque, glossy artworks reveal disconcerting truths about the human condition.

Gilbert & George in 2019. Photograph by Jooney Woodward

They met as students in 1967 at Saint Martins School of Art, forging an extraordinary friendship from the outset. Shortly after graduating, they rose to prominence with Singing Sculpture, a performance piece in which they walked the streets of London with their faces painted bronze, singing Underneath the Arches. Since then, they have lived and worked together in the citys East End, shaping their lives into one curated work of art. Of their professional and personal partnership they have said: Its not a collaboration We are two people, but one artist. Bharti Kher and Subodh Gupta When Bharti Kher travelled to India in 1993, she was only intending to stay for six months. Born to Indian parents in 1969, she had a middle-class upbringing in London before studying art at Middlesex Polytechnic, then at Newcastle. Just two weeks into her trip, however, she met her future husband, fellow conceptual artist Subodh Gupta  and she has remained in India ever since. The couples backgrounds are very different  Gupta had an impoverished upbringing in rural Bihar  but in their art they both draw on items and rituals that make up daily life in India.

Subodh Gupta and Bharti Kher in New Delhi, 2018

Kher is known for her use of the bindi in her multidisciplinary, transformative work; while Gutpta is famous for incorporating the everyday objects and materials he grew up with into imposing sculptures such as Very Hungry God (2006), a giant skull made from aluminium kitchen utensils, which was displayed outside Palazzo Grassi at the 2007 Venice Biennale. Now two of the best-known artists in India, Kher and Gupta live and work in Gurgaon, outside Delhi, with their two children. But recognition didnt come overnight, Kher has said: The first 10 or 15 years were very hard. But because we had each other, we really could support each other. Carl Larsson and Karin Bergoo The painter Carl Larsson met his future wife, the artist and designer Karin Bergoo, in 1882 in Grez-sur-Loing, a town 40 miles outside Paris, where he was a central figure in a Scandinavian artists colony.

Carl Larsson, Self-Portrait, 1906. Uffizi, Florence. Photo: Scala, Florence  courtesy of the Ministero Beni e Att. Culturali e del Turismo Carl Larsson, My Wife (Karin in the studio), 1912. Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour. 73.5 x 51.7 cm. Photo: Scala, Florence

Upon returning to their native Sweden, Karin channelled her creativity into design, remodelling their rural cottage in a new style that fused elements of Arts and Crafts with japonisme. Carl captured her radical interiors in his watercolours, and in 1909 they were published as a book that sold 40,000 copies in just three months. The house, which has left an indelible imprint on Scandinavian design, is still run by the descendants of their eight children. Caravaggio and Mario Minniti In the early 1590s, newly arrived in Rome, the young Sicilian painter Mario Minniti apprenticed with Caravaggio. The two became friends and collaborators, some say lovers, with Minniti serving as a model for many of Caravaggios pioneering early works, including Boy with a Basket of Fruit (1593-5), now housed in Romes Borghese Gallery, and the 1596 painting Lute Player, below right, now in the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Caravaggio, Self-Portrait as Bacchus (known as Sick Bacchus), 1591. Oil on canvas. 67 x 53 cm. Galleria Borghese, Rome. Photo: Luisa Ricciarini / Bridgeman Images



Caravaggio, Lute Player, 1595-1596 (detail). Oil on canvas. 94 x 119 cm. State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. Photo:  Fine Art Images / Bridgeman Images





Their collaborative years were short-lived, however: Minniti fled Rome for Sicily in around 1606 after his reputed involvement in the street brawl that resulted in the death of the young pimp Ranuccio Tomassoni at Caravaggios hands. Though his work has been criticised for lacking variety, his embrace of the Baroque style and use of chiaroscuro, a technique learned as an apprentice in Rome, has earned him the nickname the Sicilian Caravaggio. Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore When 15-year-old Lucy Schwob first met 17-year-old Suzanne Malherbe in Nantes in 1909, it was, said Schwob, a thunderbolt encounter. The pairs artistic collaboration, later carried out under the gender-neutral pseudonyms Claude Cahun (Schwob) and Marcel Moore (Malherbe), would endure for more than 40 years. In fact, eight years after that first encounter, Malherbes widowed mother married Schwobs divorced father, and the lovers also became step-sisters.

Marcel Moore (Suzanne Malherbe) and Claude Cahun (Lucy Schwob), Self-Portraits, 1920. Courtesy of the Jersey Heritage Collections





After 17 years in Paris, where they mixed in Surrealist circles, Cahun and Moore moved to the small island of Jersey, which would become the only part of Britain to be occupied by German forces during the Second World War. While both women produced poetry, Moore also worked as an illustrator, and collaborated with Cahun on her pioneering photographic self-portraits. Both women were sentenced to death in 1944 for disseminating demoralising propaganda among German troops. The liberation of the island by Allied forces saved them, but Cahuns health suffered during her imprisonment, and she died in 1954. Much of her art had been destroyed by the Germans. Moore committed suicide in 1972, and was buried in the same grave as her partner. Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla have been working together since 1995, when they met as art students in Florence. Originally from Philadelphia and Havana, they are now based in Puerto Rico, where they live with their daughter. Their practice is research-based and politically engaged, creating provocative juxtapositions in conceptual works that combine sculpture with performance and other media. One favourite subject is music and war, which they explored in their 2008 piece Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on Ode to Joy for a Prepared Piano, No.1, now in the collection of New Yorks MoMA.

Portrait of Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla. Photographer: Marion Vogel.  Allora & Calzadilla. Courtesy Lisson Gallery Allora & Calzadilla, Electromagnetic Field, March 11, 2020. (Meter Number 96215234, Fuel Charge Adj 2,300kWh x $0.1041444, Purchase Power Charge Adj 2,300kWh x $0.045942, Municipalities Adj 2,300kWh x $0.007246, Subsidies, Public Light & other Subv HH, 2,300kWh x $0.012414, Su), 2020. Iron filings on linen. 96 x 76 x 1 in (243.8 x 193 x 4.4 cm).  Allora & Calzadilla. Courtesy Lisson Gallery

Another is sport and the military: in Track and Field, part of the exhibition with which they represented the US at the Venice Biennale in 2011, an Olympic athlete ran on the treadmill of an upturned tank. Their latest work, Specters of Noon, uses the ancient notion of acedia  a state of torpor that besieged the soul at noon  to explore current human indifference to the wider world, in seven sculptural works conceived specifically for the Menil Collection in Houston. According to an interview in the The New York Times, the couple arrive at their outlandish concepts by throwing out ideas and free-associating. However, Allora admits that there is a downside to having two minds working on a project: they argue a lot.

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Jean Arp and Sophie Taeuber-Arp In November 1915, Jean Arp took part in an exhibition at Zurichs Galerie Tanner that he later described as the greatest event of my life. The French-German poet and artist had left Munich for Switzerland following the outbreak of war. At the Tanner he met Sophie Taeuber, a Swiss multidisciplinary artist and fellow adherent of Dada who performed at both the Cabaret Voltaire and Galerie Dada  dancing to poetry by Hugo Ball in a shamanic mask by Marcel Janco.
A new scientific partnership will develop an AI platform to meet demand from Bay of Plenty scientists for faster processing of complex research data.

The initiative, a marriage between the needs of PlantTech Research Institute in Tauranga and the expertise of New Zealand eScience Infrastructure, is accelerating innovative research, starting in the agritech sector.

The platform will remove computer processing bottlenecks that limit the ability for data scientists to train artificial intelligence models that learn from high volumes of complex and tightly coupled data.

It will also dramatically reduce the turnaround times for current AI research.

Horticulture and produce are among the first New Zealand industries to benefit from this faster AI computing infrastructure, with PlantTech scientists using it to explore new approaches to data-driven horticulture in key sectors, including kiwifruit.

NeSI director Nick Jones says the partnership with PlantTech provides NeSI with an opportunity to extend its national platform to be fit-for-purpose for data-intensive agritech workloads.

This is a special collaboration, enhancing the capabilities and support we offer to New Zealands agricultural research communities, particularly those working in emerging technologies, such as AI and deep learning.

It also gives us the opportunity to extend our reach, beyond the public research sector, to positively impact research in the horticulture industry, which is discovering that its pressing challenges can be solved by more precise technologies.

PlantTech chief executive Mark Begbie says having access to the latest generation of systems brings capabilities that will enable new approaches to highly complex data challenges.

That will deliver step-change benefits across productivity, profitability, sustainability, provenance, and biosecurity.

PlantTechs team works collaboratively to deliver data-driven solutions that build commercial success and competitive advantage for our regional primary industry companies. In 2021, this is more important than ever, particularly as the Government focuses on New Zealands economic recovery post-COVID-19 and executes the Agritech Industry Transformation Plan to build stronger and more productive horticulture and agriculture sectors.

In its first year, the research institute has trialled innovative solutions to various challenges affecting the kiwifruit industry, including crop estimation and fruit maturity testing.

Research director Ian Yule says NeSIs new world-class computing resource would turbocharge PlantTechs translational research capability.

We can achieve a lot with the computing systems currently available to us, as shown by the value we have rapidly delivered to partners already.

However, there are challenges that we simply cannot address without the step up to a true supercomputing architecture.

Through NeSI, we will be able to access the scale of processing and memory that we need to deliver the next generation of AI solutions, beyond the current state of the art. Through this strategic partnership, we will ensure New Zealand has the tools in the future to sustain the momentum.

Dr Georgina Rae, NeSIs science engagement manager, expects the new platform will act as a catalyst for boundary-breaking science in New Zealand.

Other countries have been exploring these capabilities for years, but having an indigenous, accessible platform in New Zealand will support the momentum were seeing build around technology and solutions that support data-driven decision-making on orchards and farms.
There have been many landmark dates on which the course of our nations history has changed. Sometimes, these events have been loud and visible, and at other times they have seemed to barely grab much of the publics attention. Whether anyone was paying attention, Jan. 8 was another landmark day.

Within just a few hours of each other on Jan. 8, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and Google censored President Donald Trump. Never mind that Twitter accounts linked to Irans supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, have been used to call for death to Americans, and even his own, peaceful Iranian protesters remain active. Big Tech decided that Trump had to go.

No one should be mistaken that the significance of Jan. 8 only consisted of Twitter exercising its right to ban Trump from its platform. Rather, in addition to the then-American president being banned from the largest social media platforms, other social media platforms that refused to take down conservative speech were made unavailable for download. Stripe Inc. decided to no longer process online payments for the Trump campaign and its supporters, and a former Facebook executive, Alex Stamos, went on CNN to advocate for the removal of all conservative influencers from the internet.

If people had more faith that the mainstream media would provide fair and unbiased news, then it could be argued that what Big Tech did last month isnt that big of a deal. But according to Gallups September polling, confidence in the mainstream media is at an all-time low, with only 40 percent of Americans having a great deal or a fair amount of trust that the media will report the news fully accurately and fairly and 60 percent of Americans saying they have not very much or no trust in the impartiality of the media. Among the political parties, 73 percent of Democrats have at least a fair amount of faith in the media, while the numbers drop to 10 percent among Republicans and 36 percent among independents.

What Big Tech and mainstream media dont understand is that one-sided reporting and censoring of conservatives will only serve to divide us further. Among the conservatives I have talked with  admittedly an unscientific sample  who every day watch cable news or read news websites or newspapers that do nothing but criticize a conservative president or conservative lawmakers no matter what they do, it is apparent that the perceived media bias causes distrust in the media to grow, our positions to harden and the animosity toward the other side to build. When these same conservatives then look to social media as another outlet to get the commentary of the day, only to then find that conservative speech is being censored, the problem is made worse.

So, what can be done?

At the outset it must be said that speech designed to incite violence should be prohibited. With that said, one path to consider is legislation  either at the federal or state level. An example can be seen in North Dakota, where state Rep. Tom Kading introduced a bill that would hold social media sites liable for any occasion on which the site was found to restrict, censor or suppress speech that was not obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing or otherwise objectionable. Antitrust laws apply to other big companies, so in this new world of social media, should laws be made to rein in Big Tech that are monopolizing the social media market?

Further, its time for conservatives to be proactive in creating new ways for our positions to be fairly presented. Creating new cable news stations that fairly report the facts, social media platforms where all sides of the argument are welcomed, and search engines that dont have a programmed bias  its time we move forward with these initiatives, and that we do so in a credible manner. In other words, no more one-sided, opinionated news where facts dont matter.

To be clear, this issue shouldnt be viewed just as a conservative problem, but rather a modern American problem. The unfortunate truth is that the mainstream media and social media sites have the power to shape political narratives. While currently this may favor Democrats, that may not always be the case. That is why the American Civil Liberties Union has stated that the unchecked power of companies like Facebook and Twitter should concern everyone.

For conservatives, however, this is a problem now, and its time to take action to level the playing the field.

Marc Whyte is an attorney and the San Antonio zoning commissioner for District 10.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Hungary on February 12 was on its way to become the first EU nation to use Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, breaking ranks with the rest of the 27-member bloc.

"Today we are beginning to vaccinate with the Sputnik V vaccine, this is taking place in the designated vaccination stations," Cecilia Muller, Hungary's chief medical officer, told a daily press briefing in Budapest.

Hungary last month gave emergency approval to the Russian vaccine, ordering 2 million doses to be delivered over three months, enough to inoculate 1 million people, rather than wait for a green light from the EU's European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Budapest also approved the Chinese-made Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine -- again the first in the EU to do so -- and said it had ordered 5 million doses.

Hungary has often come into conflict with Brussels, mainly on migration, and repeatedly criticized what it says is the slow pace of vaccine approval and procurement by the EU's health agencies.

"Each day we spend waiting around for Brussels, we would lose 100 Hungarian lives," Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during his weekly interview with state radio on February 12.

On February 12, Hungary reported 99 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country's overall death toll to 13,543, while the number of infections and coronavirus patients in hospitals has begun rising sharply this month.

Orban blamed the surge in infections on the probable spread of the variant of the disease first detected in Britain.

However, he said there was no need for further lockdown measures to curb the spread, as a planned acceleration of inoculations with Russian and Chinese vaccines could offset the rise in cases in coming weeks.

"If we start inoculations with the Chinese vaccine as well, by Easter we will be able to vaccinate all the [more than 2 million] people who have registered for vaccines," Orban said.



Russia registered Sputnik V in August 2020, months ahead of Western drugmakers but before the start of large-scale clinical trials, which prompted skepticism from experts.

However, results published in The Lancet medical journal last week showed that Sputnik V is 91.6 percent effective against the virus.

Just over 300,000 Hungarians -- health-care workers and the most vulnerable among the elderly -- in a population of almost 10 million have so far received at least one shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Hungary also started using the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine this week.

Hungary's tourism industry has been seriously hit by the pandemic, with restaurants and bars being closed since November 2020 and a curfew enforced from 8 p.m.



With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School first-grade teacher Ramona Palmer receives her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination from Geodee Fred, a nurse for the Urbana School District who currently works at the Early Childhood Center.
One Phuket launched to counter COVID poverty, failing food security

PHUKET: A small group of local residents have banded together to coalesce efforts to help those in dire need of assistance as the COVID economic crisis continues to batter Phuket.

COVID-19Coronaviruseconomicshealth

By The Phuket News

Friday 12 February 2021, 09:00AM

The group, numbering just over a handful, held their inaugural meeting on Tuesday (Feb 9) and now launched their One Phuket initiative in the hope of gaining support, and momentum, from more members joining.

With no definitive date for an end to this global pandemic, which is having a major impact on economies around the globe, our beautiful Island of Phuket continues to see many people struggling to survive, explained Andrea Edwards, an active member of the group.

We have witnessed our community rising to meet the challenge and we have many heroes and heroines doing so much to help those in need. But as the months turn into a year, funds are running dry, communities are left without help, people do not have enough food to eat, jobs are not coming back, and those on the ground, doing the work to help those most impacted, are getting exhausted, she added.

A small group of people gathered today to discuss the on-going crisis and its impact on people all over Phuket. This group consisted of charities and businesses who have not stopped working to help those in need get through this pandemic and its disastrous economic impact on our local economy, reported Andrea.

But the question we were seeking to answer is: are we doing enough? Are we reaching everyone? Can we make it through to the end of this crisis as we are? It became apparent that no, we cannot. It also became very apparent that those working hardest to help are running out of funds and/or getting exhausted, she added.

We will share more information on our plans soon, but our first job is making sure everyone who needs to be fed is being fed. We hope to share the number of people in need  on Phuket and the surrounding islands  by next week.

We will also be looking at other opportunities that result in job creation and hopefully, a more sustainable future for our beautiful corner of the world. There is already so much going on, and our goal is to bring us all together so we can be more successful, Andrea added

Phuket expat Gary Crause of Legend Music Recording Studio in Koh Kaew noted, The meeting on Tuesday went well as a starting meeting. It was attended by representatives of Class Act Media (Donna Toon), Prince of Songkla University, the Good Shepherd, Phuket Has Been Good To Us, Lean On Me and 5 Star Marine. It was chaired by a former UWCT board member.

The discussion revolved around quite a few of the current challenging situations facing the island, the largest being the unemployment problem leading to poverty and starvation, Gary explained.

Other topics covered briefly were the litter problems, mental health issues, sexual abuse of Burmese children in the worker camps and feeding the animals, namely soi dogs and elephants, he added.

The group has been broken into a few subgroups to focus on specific areas, with an urgency to put a map together to see if all areas are being covered and to ensure relief organisations are not feeding the same areas. A Facebook group [One Phuket] has been set up for people to join to offer volunteer services and to stay up to date with what is happening, Gary said.

CALL TO HELP

Andrea urged people of all walks of life to contact the group so the work to help those in need can continue.

For me personally, the commitment and dedication of people on this island is incredible. Truly incredible and I wont name them here, because they are not doing it for glory, they are doing it to help. Heroes and heroines all. Thank you.

To succeed and make One Phuket a meaningful community that makes a difference, we must work across multiple communities in Phuket, and our team will be working to bring everyone together., she explained

For now we ask you to join our community and together, well work out how to get through this crisis and make sure no one is left behind. Share your knowledge and insights too? Everyone is in a different part of the island and knows what is going on locally. Lets get the whole picture together.

We can do this, but we cant do it without you. Join One Phuket, and lets get to work to bring our beautiful Island home through this crisis, and out the other side, better than ever, Andrea added.

For more information or to join the group, visit the One Phuket Facebook page. (Click here.)

COME TOGETHER

Meanwhile, Gary Crause is spearheading another relief effort through music with a local release of the Phil Collins classic Another Day In Paradise.

Gary was one of the driving forces behind Phuket artists coming together in June last year to produce their own version of Lean on Me to boost food security efforts driven by the Help Phuket Today campaign, also created to help people in Phuket suffering without any form of income during the ongoing crisis.

A follow-up relief project by the Lean on Me artists saw a recording of Do They Know Its Christmas? performed by students and teachers from the Phuket Academy of Performing Arts, with more than 70 people involved in the effort, released late last year. (See video on Facebook and on YouTube.)

On Sunday the 21st of February at 10am at Blue Tree Phuket, we will be filming and recording part of a music video for a remake of the Phil Collins hit Another Day In Paradise, Gary told The Phuket News.

We would like to get as many people together as possible to be part of the filming. The song and video will be used to drive awareness and fundraising for the continued food-donation programs on the island.

Please show support by coming along on the day and singing along to the choruses of Another Day In Paradise, Gary urged.

Also, if you could share and invite and bring people along, that would be so awesome! he added.

We are recording and filming Another Day In Paradise to maintain our focus on the poverty situation in Phuket. We have invited as many people as we know from all areas of Phuket, to come along and be part of the filming. The more people that turn up, the wider the net is cast in highlighting the problem and the possible support/donation base should expand vastly, Gary explained

The song will actually be recorded this Saturday (Feb 13) by a team of musicians and music students to have a track ready for use for the masses to sing along to, he added.

Gary is also in discussion with Blue Tree about hosting the Lean On Me Live Fest, to be held at the Blue Tree Arena on March 20, from 3pm.

Lean On Me Live Fest will feature between 10 and 14 local bands. The concert is free and we will rely on donations from the patrons to raise money for the food charity drives, Gary explained.

A Facebook Event has been set up for this, but we will only start focusing on promoting the event after the Another Day In Paradise project has been filmed, he added.
CALGARY, AB, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Enbridge Inc. (TSX: ENB) (NYSE: ENB) has filed its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Enbridge has also filed its audited Consolidated Financial Statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2020, with Canadian securities regulatory authorities.

Copies of these documents are available electronically at www.sec.gov (U.S. filings) or www.sedar.com (Canadian filings) or the Company's website at http://www.enbridge.com/investment-center/reports-and-sec-filings/sec-filings and http://www.enbridge.com/investment-center/reports-and-sec-filings/investor-documents-and-filings. Printed copies of the Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis are available on request by calling 1-800-481-2804 or writing the Company's Investor Relations department at:

Enbridge Inc.

Investor Relations

Suite 200, 425 - 1st Street S.W.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3L8

Enbridge's Notice of Annual Meeting and Management Information Circular are expected to be mailed to Enbridge common shareholders at the end of March. Enbridge's Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held virtually via live audio webcast at 1:30 p.m. (MDT) on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.

About Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc. is a leading North American energy infrastructure company. We safely and reliably deliver the energy people need and want to fuel quality of life. Our core businesses include Liquids Pipelines, which transports approximately 25 percent of the crude oil produced in North America; Gas Transmission and Midstream, which transports approximately 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.; Gas Distribution and Storage, which serves approximately 3.8 million retail customers in Ontario and Quebec; and Renewable Power Generation, which generates approximately 1,750 MW of net renewable power in North America and Europe. The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit www.enbridge.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Media

Toll Free: (888) 992-0997

Email: [email protected]

Investment Community

Toll Free: (800) 481-2804

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Enbridge Inc.

Related Links

http://www.enbridge.com


Turkey may be forced to rethink its Syria strategy after the US commits to fight ISIS alongside Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Forces, reports Arab News.

The US announcement that it will focus on fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) remnants in Syria rather than guarding oil fields in the region could force Turkey to rethink its strategy in the war-wracked country, analysts believe.

In a break from the Trump-era policy, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that about 900 US military personnel and contractors had been disengaged from Syrian oil fields since last August.

The move follows a deal between a US firm, Delta Crescent Energy, and the US-allied Syrian Kurds to develop and export the vast crude oil reserves in northeast Syria.

US forces in the region are not authorized to provide assistance to any other private company seeking to develop oil resources in Syria, said Kirby, adding that the responsibility for the protection of civilians justifies the presence of US forces around the oil fields.

With Washingtons focus now on defeating ISIS, the main question is whether this policy shift under the Biden administration will push Turkey to redesign its Syria policy.

Navvar Saban, a military analyst from the Istanbul-based Omran Center for Strategic Studies, believes the US move will have wide-ranging implications.

The US is now there to secure the area against ISIS by supporting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). US support is limited to military backup for the SDF, he told Arab News.

In its latest quarterly report, released on Wednesday, the Pentagon said that clashes between Turkey and the SDF near Ayn Issa have undermined the forces fight against ISIS.

Coalition forces continued to advise the SDF on its independent operations against ISIS. However, the SDF, which has no air assets, relied on coalition air support, including for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and partnered with coalition forces during most of its operations, it said.

However, Ankara is critical of Washingtons cooperation with the SDF, which it considers a terrorist organization. Turkey also fears that further support may encourage the Syrian Kurds to seek greater autonomy and also inspire their supporters in Turkey.

According to Saban, strengthening the SDF will lead to Turkeys line of control being redrawn, and will eliminate joint patrols between the Russians and Turks in the east.

There have been a lot of statements from Turkey about their advance into the area because of the terror threat. Now, after the Pentagon statement, it is crystal clear that such an advance will no longer happen, he said.

According to Caroline Rose, senior analyst at the Center for Global Policy in Washington, the switch in US policy away from guarding Syrian oil fields is a sign that the Pentagon is adopting a new phase of force projection, narrowing its focus on combating ISIS enclaves in the northeast and cooperating with local forces such as the SDF.

This development is taking place parallel to the US draw-down in Iraq, where the Pentagon has withdrawn from eight bases and reduced its force to 2,500 personnel, she told Arab News.

While increased cooperation between the US and the SDF will be viewed unfavorably in Ankara, Rose believes it is unlikely Turkey will be compelled to launch a military campaign against SDF elements similar to Operation Peace Spring in 2019 or Operation Olive Branch in 2018.

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.
Around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, Rachelle Gallagher went into labor at the Burger King on Route 24 in Bridgewater.

Roughly 20 minutes later, with the help of three firefighters in the back of an ambulance, Gallaghers son, Gavin DeLon, was born. The newborn boy clocked in at 4 pounds and 4 ounces, according to the Bridgewater Fire Department.

Both mother and baby are said to be doing well, the department said in a statement Thursday.

The department is crediting Firefighters Jonathan Hart, Sean Peters and James Reidy with delivering baby Gavin in the back of Ambulance 5.

The call that Gallagher had gone into labor first came into the Bridgewater Fire Department through Massachusetts State Police. Ambulance 5 and Engine 1 were soon sent to the scene, according to the department.

The ambulance was en route to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton when the boy was born only a minute after noon to Gallagher and father Willy DeLeon, according to the department.

Its a boy!, the department said in a Facebook post Wednesday. We are happy to report that mother and baby are doing well! A job well done by FF Hart, FF Peters & FF Reidy.

Its a boy! We are happy to share that we had a special delivery this afternoon! Ambulance 5 and Engine 1 responded to... Posted by Bridgewater Fire Department on Wednesday, February 10, 2021

This is not the only sudden delivery first responders in Bridgewater have helped with in the past year.

Bridgewater Police Officers Michael Clark and Steven Kingsley helped deliver a baby in the back seat of a car at a Home Depot parking lot in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 26, 2020.

Herkins Xavier Francois Jr. was born to parents Latonia and Herkins Francois. His weight was 6 pounds and 13 ounces, police said. The couples two other children were also in the car when their newborn brother was brought into the world.

Related Content: Bridgewater police officers help deliver baby in car at Home Depot parking lot early Wednesday morning



Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held separate phone talks with Lao Party General Secretary and Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, and Cambodia Peoples Party President and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on February 11.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc holds phone talks with Lao, Cambodian leaders

During their talks, the sides expressed their joy at the fine cooperation outcomes over the past year as well as the efforts to further develop the Vietnam  Laos and Vietnam  Cambodia relations. The foreign leaders congratulated Vietnam on its achievements recorded in 2020 and the success of its recent 13th National Party Congress.

The three leaders are scheduled to have a joint online meeting in the first quarter of 2021 to discuss measures to bring relations of the three fraternal neighbours to a new height, for common development and prosperity.

On the occasion of the lunar new year, the year of the buffalo, the foreign leaders extended their greetings to the Vietnamese Party, State and people./.VNA
Yolanda Hadid has opened up about how her decade-long battle with Lyme disease had her wishing she would die, saying she wouldn't be here today if it weren't for her three children.

Speaking with British Vogue, the 57-year-old mom of models Gigi, Bella, and Anwar Hadid recalled how she suffered from severe fatigue, memory loss, swollen lymph nodes, and slight Bells palsy on her face, among other crippling symptoms that led to her being deeply depressed and contemplating suicide.

'I cant begin to describe the darkness, the pain and the hell I lived through every day. For some time, it didnt even feel like living at all. This disease brought me to my knees,' said Yolanda, who is currently in remission.

Love: Yolanda Hadid haas opened up about her battle with Lyme disease, saying she doesn't think she'd be here if it weren't for her children Gigi, Bella, and Anwar Hadid

Hard to handle: Yolanda, pictured after surgery in 2016, said she was deeply depressed and 'wished to die' during her decade-long battle with the disease

'Many nights I wished to die, and prayed I would just be free of the pain. If it werent for my children, I dont think I would be here today,' she admitted. 'Its so important we learn to listen to people, as many of us are suffering in silence. We should learn not to judge how somebody feels by the way they look on the outside.'

Yolanda, who has been public with her health struggles, revealed in 2015 that her youngest two children  Bella, 24, and Anwar 21  also suffer from chronic Lyme disease for which there is no known cure.

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks.

The most common early symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash called erythema migrans, which appears as a bullseye appearance around the bite area. The disease can typically be treated by several weeks of oral antibiotics.

Family fight: The former Real Housewife's two youngest children, Bella, 24, and Anwar, 21, also suffer from chronic Lyme disease for which there is no cure

Looking back: Yolanda said she isn't sure how she and her children contracted the disease, but she noted that they all spend a great deal of time outdoors and riding horses

However, doctors sometimes use the term 'chronic Lyme disease' to describe situations in which a confirmed case of Lyme disease is treated, but the patient still has non-specific symptoms, including persistent pain, joint and muscle aches, fatigue, impaired cognitive function, or unexplained numbness.

Yolanda has described Lyme disease as being an 'invisible disability' because sufferers appear to be healthy on the outside.

'Its much easier for us to have compassion for somebody with visible external symptoms,' she explained. 'Most people still dont seem to believe that chronic Lyme disease even exists. As the saying goes: you dont truly get it until you get it.'

The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star said she isn't sure how she and her children contracted the disease, but she noted that they all spend a great deal of time outdoors.

Horrible: Yolanda, pictured after cavitation surgery in 2017, suffered from severe fatigue and swollen lymph nodes, among other symptoms

Recovering: Yolanda, pictured with Bella during a treatment in 2016, has described Lyme disease as being an 'invisible disability' because sufferers appear to be healthy on the outside

Lessons learned: Yolanda said her 'decade-long journey was an absolute nightmare,' but it taught her valuable lessons about survival and loving her 'authentic self'

'My children grew up on a farm in Santa Barbara, California, riding horses and spending a lot of time in nature,' she said. 'We never noticed any ticks or bullseye rashes on us, but well never know for sure.'

The mother of three's health started deteriorating in 2010 as she struggled with mysterious symptoms, including muscle weakness, memory loss, and joint pain.

'My body sent me early warning signs, but my type-A personality didnt leave me much room to be vulnerable with myself,' she admitted. 'I fought tooth and nail to keep things together in front of my family and friends, but as things got progressively worse, there was no hiding from the truth anymore.'

A Belgium doctor diagnosed her with Lyme disease in 2012, but her recovery was an uphill battle. Yolanda told British Vogue that her 'decade-long journey was an absolute nightmare,' but it taught her valuable lessons about survival and loving her 'authentic self.'

Healthy: Yolanda, who is in remission, said she now keeps most of her chronic symptoms at bay by prioritizing sleep, eating organic foods, and practicing yoga and mediation

Lots of love: Yolanda became a grandma in September when her daughter Gigi had her first child. She also recently celebrated her two year anniversary with her boyfriend Joseph Jingoli

Centered: 'The emotional and spiritual part of healing is equally as important as the medical diagnosis,' Yolanda said

Yolanda said she now keeps most of her chronic symptoms at bay by prioritizing sleep, eating organic foods, and practicing yoga and mediation. She also sleeps with the Wave 1 frequency emitter by FREmedica.

'It communicates with your cells through LED light for wellness management,' she said of the $750 device.

Yolanda, who divorced her second husband, David Foster, in 2017, is in a happy relationship with her Joseph Jingoli, her boyfriend of two years. She also became a grandmother for the first time in September when Gigi and her boyfriend Zayn Malik welcomed their daughter Khai.

'The emotional and spiritual part of healing is equally as important as the medical diagnosis,' Yolanda said. 'My heart is very full. Life has blessed me with an extraordinary partner who has made me believe in love again.'
Schools in West Bengal reopened on Friday after a gap of 11 months for classes 9-12, with strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol.

The educational institutions were shut in March last year in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The administration has asked the school authorities to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines to prevent a surge in fresh cases.

Many schools have reopened only for classes 10 and 12, while some have restarted for all four classes.

Schools that have reopened for classes 10 and 12 will hold physical classes on a rotational basis every alternate day.

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

"Students of classes 9-12 will study in schools from today. The government has requested the school authorities to strictly follow the COVID-19 guidelines. I greet all the students and teachers on the occasion. We all have to be careful," Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

Pupils also seemed elated over attending physical classes which they missed for almost a year.

"We were waiting for this day. Even though the situation is not normal like pre-COVID times but we are happy to meet our friends and teachers. Besides, studies will be more interactive," a class 10 student said.

The school authorities said they are on alert to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines in the wake of reports of a surge in cases in Kerala after the reopening of educational institutions.

Renowned Kolkata schools like Ram Mohan Mission have reopened for all four classes, while some others like Delhi Public School, Haryana Vidya Mandir and Hindu School have restarted for the two classes, officials said.

The state government has given the flexibility to the schools to decide on holding physical classes with strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol.
Location Sciences tumbled 24 per cent to 0.5p this week after embarking on a business review after admitting Covid and the ensuing lockdowns were seriously hampering trading.

The data intelligence firm has based its business on location-based advertising within sectors that rely on people's movement, such as retail and fast food restaurants.

Its Verify platform helps clients assess the accuracy and quality of location data so they can better target their ads.

Location Sciences shares tumbled this week after it admitted Covid had hit its location-based advertising business

In a world where lockdowns are forcing consumers to stay home, media agencies are cutting budgets and certainly not investing in new technologies. As a result, Verify revenues dropped 36 per cent to 320,000 in 2020.

Total revenues dipped 12 per cent to 1million with an uptick in income from the data and insights side of the business partially mitigating Verifys decline.

Turning to the oilers, the crude price surge, which is back to pre-pandemic levels at $58 per barrel, looks to have buoyed confidence in the sector.

Europa Oil & Gas is planning to raise 2million for its projects in the UK and Morocco, while 88 Energy raised A$12million (6.7million) to support exploration in Alaska.

In the world of Covid-19 tests, Omega Diagnostics jumped 21 per cent to 84p after winning a government contract to manufacture flow antigen tests.

Competitor Yourgene Health was up only 5 per cent to 13p despite making 4million from coronavirus testing, including through the UK's Fit to Fly and Test to Release schemes.

Turning to the wider market, the AIM All-Share added 0.3 per cent to 1,216, hitting a 14-year high, though it underperformed the FTSE 100, which rose 0.6 per cent to 6,530.

Sticking to the risers, MediaZest rocketed 211 per cent to 0.1p after securing new business wins to generate over 350,000 in revenue with potential to grow further. Its a big deal for the audio-visual solutions provider, which creates installations for shops and offices, since its valued at just 1.7million.

Elsewhere, Directa Plus soared 49 per cent to 142p after new research validated the fire-retardant properties of its G+ graphene additive. It was tested on polymeric foams, which are found in many applications from roof insulation to furniture.

In the hospitality sector, Tasty and Nightcap climbed 49 per cent and 28 per cent to 5p and 28p respectively. But both issued statements saying they didnt know why their shares had moved.

Franco Manca owner Fulham Shore surged 31 per cent to 13p after unveiling plans for new openings in the summer, although revenues are currently running at around 46 per cent of normal trading levels due to restrictions.

Franco Manca owner Fulham Shore saw shares rise 31% this week after unveiling plans for new openings in the summer

Among the fallers, Bahamas Petroleum plunged 73 per cent to 0.5p after its exploration well offshore the Caribbean country found hydrocarbons but not in commercial volumes.

Miner AEX Gold lost 46 per cent of its shine to 29p after delaying the key Nalunaq project in Greenland because the local government has implemented a travel ban.

Travel group Jet2 slipped 19 per cent to 1,202p after raising 422million by placing 35million shares, or 20 per cent of its issued share capital, at a 9 per cent discount. The cash will replenish the coffers as it waits for the international travel sector to return to business as usual.

Meanwhile, housing regeneration specialist Inland Homes shed 16 per cent to 53p after annual sales and profits fell more sharply than expected as coronavirus affected costs and its contract income business.

Finally, lithium-ion battery cells manufacturer AMTE Power has announced plans to raise 7million in an IPO scheduled for March. As well as its purpose-built cell manufacturing facility in Scotland, AMTE is eyeing a second UK manufacturing facility with a capacity of around 2GWh per year.

To the editor:

And now the Impeachment! For the last two weeks the new administration has issued a frenzy of more than 40 executive orders over turning the past administration policies. The new administration condemns the policies of the past four years that are supported by half the electorate in the United States of America. The new administration even claims the supporters of the past administration may be domestic terrorists. The new administration is becoming the Condemnation Administration by these actions.

How can Make America Great Again (MAGA) be a divisive term and Make America Better (MAB) a unifying term? There are huge forces being hidden from the American electorate. The culture war of ideas has been engaged upon this nation. Let us all put forth our best efforts to defend these ideas in a transparent open civil debate, not one of silence (cancel) the opposition (enemy).

To quote President Abraham Lincoln, Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war." This is our American Way.

SIDNEY HANSEN

Beaverton
The unprecedented Arctic blast that has gripped the U.S. for much of the week has paralyzed natural gas pipelines, brought deadly ice storms to Houston and is about to get worse.

Nearly 300 new daily temperature records could be set, mainly across the Great Plains from Canada to Texas through Tuesday, said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. New York City will be dealing with ice and some snow showers from Saturday through Tuesday, with highs mostly hovering just above or below freezing.

As much as 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow could fall in Forth Worth, Texas, over the weekend, with temperatures possibly plunging into the single digits Fahrenheit on Monday. A 130-vehicle pileup on Thursday on an icy highway in the city left six dead and dozens injured.

The cold is also weighing on the states sprawling energy infrastructure. Natural gas pipes and processing plants are starting to shut, disrupting output of the heating fuel.

It is going to be a mess, said Jason Dunn, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth. This is extremely unusual. I would go as far to say that it could be a historic event.

Furthermore, a series of winter storms will ride along the leading edge of the cold from the Pacific Northwest to the East Coast. That could bring 6 to 12 inches of snow across western Washington and Oregon, including Seattle, while ice and sleet could touch Houston before coming up the East Coast early next week.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the states main power grid, warned of record power demand due to extreme temperatures. The average spot price for electricity in North Texas was $292.53 a megawatt-hour as of 10 a.m. local time, according to grid data complied by Bloomberg. That compares with an average of $17.83 so far this month.

Prices for gas, propane and heating oil, fuels used to heat homes, are also surging, and not just because of elevated demand. Temperatures are low enough to trigger so-called freeze-offs, when wells shut down because of liquids freezing inside pipelines. Texas facilities operated by pipeline companies DCP Midstream LP and Targa Resources Corp. were reported shut on Thursday due to the cold. Enbridge Inc. said it was limiting requests to transport gas on a pipeline stretching from Texas to New Jersey.

The impact on regional gas prices has been dramatic. The rate for next-day delivery at the Oneok hub, which hauls Oklahoma gas to networks serving the Midwest, closed at the highest since at least 1999 on Thursday. Gas futures climbed as much as 3.4% Friday.

Chenard said the country can expect a mix of ultra-cold lows, with high temperatures that struggle to be anything but frigid. What makes the outlook all the more remarkable is that its the dead of winter, so the air has to really chill to set new marks.

Also noteworthy is how far into Texas the cold will get, along with the potential of snow, sleet, and freezing rain reaching Houston late Sunday into Monday. In Lubbock, Texas, Mondays forecast high will be 14 degrees Fahrenheit, which will shatter the old record of 30 for the date. Usually, any snow that falls in the region quickly melts, but the cold air will keep it around for days. Dallas hasnt had a major winter storm since 2015.

You dont often see records being broken by that much, Chenard said.

The crash in Fort Worth highlights a major problem winter weather poses when it strikes across the South, Dunn said. Folks out there are just not used to it, he said. They are not used to driving on it and add in the bitter cold and they are just not prepared for it. The travel will become life threatening.

In addition, much of the areas infrastructure is exposed, or cities lack the plows to clear roads quickly, Dunn said. Even area airports may struggle to keep de-icing operations going to allow planes to take off safely.

While temperatures will chill along the East Coast, they wont be as extreme as what sweeps across the Great Plains and Midwest. It will be a parade of storms bringing ice and snow that may cause the most issues along the Atlantic coast.

With assistance from Brian Eckhouse, Naureen S. Malik, Sergio Chapa, Gerson Freitas Jr. and Michael Tobin.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
Government will be moving to clamp down on food establishments which have been trying to beat the COVID restrictions, by bringing out their staff to prepare meals, which are then put on sale at other locations.
A Dublin GP has set up a male-only clinic as part of a mission to change a masculine mindset of not going to the doctor.

Dr Gavin Keane says that men on average die younger than women, and often from illnesses that can be prevented or treated if detected early on.

Dr Keane, the founder of MensHealth.ie, based in Morehampton Clinic in Donnybrook, has now set up a male-only clinic as part of his efforts to encourage men to visit their doctor early and often.

"I see a lot of male patients - and a lot of these consults begin with the guys saying I never go to the doctor or I really dont like going to the doctor. Theres an in-built reluctance to going to the doctor in a lot of men.

The trouble is that men die from illnesses that are mostly preventable - or at least treatable - when discovered early on.

To discover them early, you have to get to your GP and get yourself checked. Thats the mission here: to get men to their GP early and often, and to change that statistic of men dying earlier than they have to."

On today's Newstalk Breakfast, Dr Keane said he hopes the new clinic will be a centre where men can feel comfortable talking about particular problems they might be experiencing.

He added: If you look at the reasons why men dont go to the doctors I think one of the main reasons is that men are conditioned from a very early age not to ask for help. Theyre conditioned by their friends, fathers, culture in every form that they have to be strong and sort out their problems.

That masculine mindset is really deeply-ingrained still, and that bleeds into when they have to access healthcare.

Dr Keane suggested women typically have more reasons to go to a doctor throughout their life, pointing to the likes of menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.

He said he now wants to do something to get men to visit their doctor regularly as well, and this new clinic is one step in trying to achieve that.
HOLLAND, MI  A judge upheld the suspension of a restauranteurs food license after she stayed open in violation of a state dine-in ban intended to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The owner of Marlenas Bistro & Pizzeria in Holland also failed to require workers and customers to wear masks and to socially distance, Administrative Law Judge Lauren Van Steel said in a written opinion Thursday, Feb. 11.

She rejected a request by restaurant owner Marlena Pavlos Hackney to dissolve the suspension.

The judge ruled after a hearing earlier this month in which Allegan County and state health officials testified the owner ignored their warnings, cease-and-desist orders and a summary suspension and continued to offer dine-in service at the restaurant at 909 Lincoln Ave., once known as the Salad Bowl.

The record evidence shows that for several months (Pavlos Hackney) knowingly has not complied with both local and state health department requirements that were established to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to employees, customers, and the community, Van Steel wrote in her opinion.

Michigan Food Law authorizes an emergency suspension based on an imminent threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, the judge wrote.

The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch. No one was at the restaurant after closing time Thursday. Pavlos Hackney later declined to comment.

She has defended her stance.

In a Jan. 25 post on the restaurants Facebook page, she wrote: Opening tomorrow morning at 6:00am. Thank you to everyone that supports me and Stand Up Michigan. Im simply exercising my constitutional rights.

Michigan banned dine-in service at restaurants on Nov. 18 in response to a wave of COVID-19 cases.

Beginning Feb. 1, restaurants could offer dine-in service but with strict limits, including seating at only 25 percent of normal capacity.

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, or MDARD, filed the petition alleging a violation of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services emergency orders. It based its findings on Allegan County Health Departments detailed and ongoing investigations regarding imminent threat to the public , the judge wrote.

In the Feb. 1 hearing, Pavlos Hackney acknowledged she offered indoor dining, did not require masks for customers or workers and did not enforce social distancing between groups of customers.

Instead of filing a corrective-action plan, she rejected the Health Departments authority, the judge said.

The judge said Pavlos Hackney responded to health officials with: Is it your intention to violate your oath of office and to knowingly and willingly coerce and intimidate me into surrendering my rights under duress?  By what authority do you have to trespass on my rights without due process of law?

A sign on the door of the restaurant said: Welcome. We are a Constitutionally Compliant Business. We are not infringing on anyones inalienable rights. By law, we do not follow any of the governors, mayors, health departments, or other government agency orders or suggestions pertaining to social distancing or mask wearing.

Your health is your responsibility.

Another note said government officials would be considered trespassers committing an act of domestic terrorism and subject to arrest and lawsuits.

Unlike at long-term care centers or schools, it is difficult to conduct contact tracing at restaurants  with customers coming and going - to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, health officials testified at the hearing.

Allegan County had a surge of cases in November and December though numbers have since declined. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that the virus spread can be reduced by 70 percent with properly worn masks.

Pavlos Hackney testified that she stopped indoor dining in March but resumed in July.

The state issued an emergency order, effective Nov. 18, prohibiting gatherings at restaurants like Marlenas. A local health official, acting on a complaint, talked to Pavlos Hackney that day after observing customers drinking coffee inside.

The Health Department received repeated complaints and documented multiple dates when the restaurant was open for indoor dining. The parking lot was often full.

On Jan. 20, The MDARD Director determined in the Emergency Summary Suspension Order that (Pavlos Hackneys) continued offering of indoor dining, failure to require social distancing and failure to require staff and customers to wear facial coverings creates an imminent threat to the public health, safety and welfare, the judge said.

The next day, the restaurant owner refused to accept a copy of the order. She was told her food license was suspended but the restaurant stayed open and did not comply with the Feb. 1 limit on customers, the judge said.

She said that Pavlos Hackney and her witness indicated in their testimony a view that the COVID-19 pandemic has not been proven to exist, that COVID-19 mitigation measures are a fraud, and that Petitioner MDARDs actions are unconstitutional.

Violations of Michigans food laws could result in a misdemeanor charge, punishable by fines of $250 to $2,500 and 90 days in jail. Holland police have not been asked to take enforcement action, a spokesman said.

Read more:

Violators of dine-in ban, mask mandate get food licenses suspended

Kent County renegotiating DeVos Place vaccine clinic lease following public backlash

Restaurants reopen today for indoor dining  here are Michigans new rules
A police chief has been sacked for using the term 'pikeys' in a WhatsApp message to a colleague.

Chief Special Officer Tom Haye was taken to a misconduct hearing and sacked for gross misconduct after he used the term which is derogatory for members of the Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers community.

The senior Hampshire Constabulary officer with 30 years experience - who disputed that it amounted to gross misconduct - had been in a conversation with a colleague who was house-sitting for him and when he said it 'keeps the pikeys out'.

Hampshire Constabulary sacked five officers last month after a whistleblower revealed details of the racist, sexist and homophobic language that was rife at one of its units.

Chief Special Officer Tom Haye was taken to a misconduct hearing and sacked for gross misconduct after he used the term

Mr Haye, who was the most senior Special officer in the force and in charge of more than 100 Specials, is a Dutch national and claims 'pikeys' is similar to an inoffensive word in his native tongue.

Following the hearing, Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, his line manager, sacked him and placed him on the police barred list but Mr Haye plans to appeal the 'disproportionate' dismissal.

It was heard the colleague, who was house sitting for him, asked about the officer's home on WhatsApp.

In one message the officer said 'of course not - it's your new home down south lol' and it was followed by a later message which said 'keeps the pikeys out'.

Mr Haye, who works in IT, said: 'I would like to apologise for any offence given by this term. It was said only once in a private conversation on WhatsApp with a friend.

'I am a bilingual Dutch national and, in haste, I used the term as a direct substitute for the Dutch word to steal - 'pikken' - without properly thinking through its derogatory meaning in English. I refute I meant it in any pejorative manner.

'At the time, there had been burglaries near where I lived.

The senior Hampshire Constabulary officer had been in a WhatsApp conversation with a colleague who was house-sitting for him. (Stock image)

'My friend was house sitting while I was away to deter any thieves and this was the context for the conversation.

'I will be appealing this decision, which I feel is wholly disproportionate to what I did, especially in relation to other much more serious recent offences in Hampshire where police officers were not dismissed.

Who are special constables and what do they do? Special constables are volunteer police who have the same police powers and equipment as regular Police Officers. The special officers take on the role on a voluntary basis and will often have other day jobs which they fit around their police duties. Officers will not get paid for their work but are reimbursed for any expenses. In order to become a special constable you must be a British, Commonwealth, European Economic Area (EEA) citizen, not have a criminal record and have resided in the UK for a continuous period of three years. You are also required to reach certain medical and fitness standards. Advertisement

'I also have serious reservations about how this case has been handled by Hampshire Constabulary as it has taken almost two years to come to a conclusion.

'Myself and my legal team also felt it was not appropriate the Chief Constable chaired the hearing following her recent involvement in those more serious misconduct offences. However, this objection was dismissed.

'I have an exemplary record as a senior special constable spanning 30 years, volunteering thousands of hours to keep the communities of Hampshire safe.

'Finally, I take comfort in the fact my friends and family know I am in no way prejudiced against anyone.'

A Hampshire Constabulary statement read: 'On May 8, 2018, during a WhatsApp conversation, CSO Haye used a term which is derogatory for members of the Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers (GRT) community.

'It was alleged that this was a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour for Equality and Diversity; Authority, Courtesy and Respect and Discreditable Conduct, which if proven would amount to Gross Misconduct.

'During the Special Case Hearing conducted by Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney, the breach of Authority, Respect and Courtesy was admitted and therefore the other breaches were put aside.

'It was found proven that CSO had breached the standard of Authority, Respect and Courtesy and committed Gross Misconduct. CSO Haye was dismissed without notice and placed on the Barred List.'

San Antonio International Airport could be in for a mammoth makeover that would include demolishing and replacing Terminal A  which is as cramped as it is nondescript  and building a third terminal.

Airport officials emerging plan also is expected to call for the renovation of Terminal B within the next two decades.

The potential price tag for a redone Terminal A and a new Terminal C: about $2 billion, which would make the airports redevelopment one of the biggest capital projects in the citys history.

We have ambitious plans and want to move as quickly as possible to build new terminals, said John Dickson, chairman of the mayor-appointed Airport System Development Committee.

Airport officials presented the proposed redesign at community meetings this week. Though still a work in progress, the plan represents the most detailed picture to date of what the second-tier airport could look like in the near future.

Aviation Director Jesus Saenz Jr. is expected to discuss the proposals with the City Council on March 3.

On ExpressNews.com: Wary Traveler: More airline fees disappear

The airport committee, which began its work in 2018, is looking to finish the plan by late summer or early fall and then present it to the council for approval.

Its unclear how long it would take to build the new terminals, but Dickson  tapped by Mayor Ron Nirenberg three years ago to lead the committee  said he hoped theyd be finished in less than five years.

Airport officials and consultants crafting the plan have yet to detail the costs or how to pay for the redevelopment. But consultants say replacing Terminal A would easily cost $1 billion and that building a third terminal would add another $1 billion.

Financing for the project likely would come from a combination of sources, such as bond issues, passenger fees, federal grants and contributions from airlines.

On ExpressNews.com: Wary Traveler: Dearth of travel guides reflects travel industry slump

While COVID-19 has cut passenger traffic at San Antonio International to about a third of 2019 levels, airline analysts expect the travel industry to bounce back by 2024.

We have an opportunity to design the first post-COVID terminals, with more open space and more customer-centric dining facilities interspersed between gates, said Dickson, co-owner of the cybersecurity firm Denim Group.

That would be a stark contrast to the current Terminal A.

The nearly 40-year-old facility is functionally obsolete, John van Woensel, lead consultant for the airport plan, said at meetings this week. The terminals narrow corridors dont meet the standards of todays passengers, and the terminal is marred by inadequate baggage claim areas and restrooms and by an aging electrical system, he said.

Before the pandemic slashed the number of passengers, if two planes arrived at once, baggage claim would be jam-packed for half an hour or more.

Its not an acceptable level of service, said van Woensel, a vice president at WSP USA, a New York consulting firm.

At their widest, the terminals corridors are 71 feet across, well below the modern standard of 110 feet for domestic gates and 140 feet for international gates.

Terminal A has 16 gates, and Terminal B  opened in late 2010  has an additional eight.

Terminal B likely would need renovations by 2040, officials said. The strategic plan encompasses the next two decades.

The new Terminal C would include 12 to 15 gates, addressing an expected shortage of 12 gates by 2040, based on an estimated increase of planes arriving and departing. Airport officials say their growth projection was based on 2019 levels.

They are currently studying the pandemics effect on airport operations to determine whether to adjust the estimated number of gates the facility will need.

One thing appears certain: The facilities would be built with a San Antonio flavor. A common complaint  among passengers and city officials  is that the terminals are bland.

Nirenberg has called the facilities antiseptic, saying the two existing terminals were built in an era of government penny-pinching.

At this weeks community meetings, Saenz said design principles for the new facilities will reflect San Antonios culture.

Its related to our commitment to bringing more of a sense of place to our terminals, he said.

Design consultants at the meetings said the new terminals would incorporate local art and history.

They also would incorporate more food options, which travelers filling out surveys at San Antonio International said they wanted.

Concessions, especially food, were really on peoples mind, van Woensel said. More options, bigger restaurants, more fast-casual.

The surveys also revealed that travelers were peeved that Terminals A and B arent connected beyond security checkpoints, limiting food and other concession choices.

randy.diamond@express-news.net
A struggling video gaming company based in Texas set off the fireworks in the new year, leaving mighty Wall Street hedge funds counting their losses.

The Reddit-fuelled trading frenzy in GameStop saw its shares surge from $20 to $483 in about two weeks in January, the Wall Street Journal said, squeezing hedge funds that had bet against the video-game retailer and other companies that were out of favour on Wall Street.

The surge in prices hit short-sellers or investors who bet on the price of a stock to fall.

To cut their losses, traders had to pay inflated prices to cover their short positions, fanning the rally further, which is known as a short squeeze in market parlance. Melvin Capital, a well-known hedge fund, took a huge hit in GameStop rally.

Not just GameStop, some other companies, too, were caught in the surge, which is now being investigated to find out if the rally was the outcome of market manipulation or criminal misconduct, WSJ has reported.

Ever since sanity has prevailed and GamesStop has fallen to around $50 even as the frenzy created wealth for some and destroyed it for many.

"At its highest point, GameStops share price was $483. On Friday, the stock was worth $63.77. The trading frenzy  powered by online hype over a rebellion against traditional Wall Street powershad created and then destroyed roughly $30 billion in on-paper wealth," The New York Times recently said.

Read more: GameStop: All you need to know about wallstreetbets on Reddit vs traders

Everything under the sun is discussed on social media and the stock market, which has seen a growing interest among retail investors in India and across the world in the lockdown months, too, is talked about on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook and even WhatsApp.

So, is GameStop a blip or a sign of things to come? Can a group of individual investors get together, or like some say cartelise, to influence share prices without looking at a companys fundamentals? What does it mean for the market at large and investors in particular? We spoke to some analysts and this what they have to say:

Is social media creating a bubble?

Stock prices are a reflection of both fundamentals and market sentiments.

"It is very common to see companies with strong fundamentals having discounted prices, while others with weak fundamentals surging just on the basis of sentiment," Angel BrokingCMO Prabhakar Tiwari, said.

Social media, the epicentre of social interactions, would likely influence stock prices. Stock prices not just get affected by fear-mongering on the same but also because of unfounded optimism. It goes both ways," Tiwari said.

In trading, it can cause huge gyrations as it can shape opinions and narratives, he said. Retail investors share reports, research and trading tips on Facebook and WhatsApp.

Read more: The hopes that rose and fell with GameStop

"I am not totally convinced that social media can have a huge impact. Yes, there could be short-term gyrations, a small part of which could be due to social media. I am not able to see if one idea on social media can influence a large population of people to follow the trend and hence create bubbles," said R Kalyanaraman, CEO of Espresso, a subsidiary of the brokerage firm Sharekhan.

Kalyanaraman, however, didnt discount the influence social media can wield.

"If I see new-to-the-market investor now vis-a-vis a new-to-the-market investor say 20 years ago, the current new-to-the-market investor is a lot savvy and has qualified information available at the click of the button. So while a part of the investor clan could potentially get influenced, I am not sure if there could be a large population who would follow the same trend," he said.

Shrikant Chouhan, Executive Vice President, Equity Technical Research at Kotak Securities, added a word of cautionsocial media was good for experienced people and extremely bad for new entrants is his analysis.

"We get all types of views on social media and then it depends upon respective trader or investor. Social media is unbiased and thats why it cannot create bubbles in the market," he said.

Is it fanning herd mentality?

Available for free and to everyone, social media platforms are dominated by amateurs and could fuel herd mentality, says some analysts.

"A big chunk of public and segments of investors keenly follow many such social media handles and are in their sphere of influence. This chunk of investors, mostly amateurs and novices, tend to sway the price action in the direction of their perception," said Prem Prakash, CEO at CapitalVia Global Research.

Read more: GameStop's 'Reddit rally' puts scrutiny on social media forums

But isnt that what close-knit groups such as traders and investors dofollow the herd? After all, it takes more than one person to drive up or down the price of a share or the market.

Any group behaviour depicts herd mentality, said Tiwari of Angel Broking. "For instance, a trusted trader shares insight about a stock within his close circle. It will cause a ripple effect that will traverse through close circles of everyone who gets to know that insight. Everyone who gets exposed to that 'trusted information' is likely to develop respective positions based on the same," said Tiwari.

Social media is potent enough to give a structure to the thoughts of the crowd and mould the perception, said Prakash of CapitalVia Global Research.

"The effect of social media is strong enough on its followers and thus people are ready to follow a particular person on social media without any rationale or research by self but just because the action was performed by the particular person or the group," Prakash said.

In India, chances of a GameStop-like fiasco playing out are fewer because it is difficult to create consensus among the wide spectrum of investors. And, the regulatory framework has measures like circuit filters to check any unusual movement in a counter.

"Governance is very strong here and that is why I would say it may not create a herd mentality. However, it depends on whom we are following on social media. If an investor follows, too, many people then it would be a highly risky venture," said Chouhan of Kotak Securities.

How to check losses?

But it is not all bad out there. Social media, if used judiciously, can be worked to our advantage. There is a lot of information out there.

If we agree with something or a nugget catches attention, verify the information and crosscheck it. While investing, it is always better to do your research.

Read more: Worried about a GameStop re-run in India? Shubham Agarwal tells you how to guard against it

"Social media accelerates the flow of information. It is very natural for human biases to reflect in such information and insights. Such behaviours should be avoided. Any position should be grounded with facts rather than hearsay," Tiwari said.

Social media can create a bubble as it disseminates information quickly but the validity of it can be questioned and checked.

"Social media is also capable of bursting the bubbles," Prakash said. It is how you play that matters.

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Minister Chagger and Minister Monsef announce funding for 76 LGBTQ2 community-led projects across Canada.

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 11, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to better supporting LGBTQ2 individuals in Canada and building a society where everyone has equal rights and opportunities to be their true, authentic selves. Along with LGBTQ2 communities across Canada, we are working to strengthen LGBTQ2 organizations and support the critical work they do to create an equitable and consciously more inclusive Canada. That's why Budget 2019 allocated funding for the first ever Government of Canada fund for LGBTQ2 organizations.

Today, the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, along with the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced approximately $15 million in funding for 76 LGBTQ2 community-led projects across Canada through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund.

Examples of these projects whose initiatives help strengthen LGBTQ2 communities and advance equity for LGBTQ2 people in Canada are:

Nurturing Wabanaki 2SLGBTQ+ Capacity through Indigenous-led, Cross-sectoral, Inter-Provincial Network Partnerships, led by the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance, to extend their supports for Two-Spirits in the Atlantic region;

led by the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance, to extend their supports for Two-Spirits in the Atlantic region; Enhancing Arrival Communities for LGBTQI Refugees in BC , led by the Rainbow Refugee Society, to strengthen partnerships for LGBTQI refugee housing collaboration;

, led by the Rainbow Refugee Society, to strengthen partnerships for LGBTQI refugee housing collaboration; LGBT YouthLine's Capacity Building Project , led by the Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line in Toronto , to build capacity, strengthen partnerships, and develop regional collaborative networks;

, led by the Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line in , to build capacity, strengthen partnerships, and develop regional collaborative networks; Towards a general assembly for the trans community in Quebec , led by Gender Euphoria - Trans Pride , to strengthen their capacity and establish a network of trans organizations in Quebec .

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all Canadians and disproportionately certain segments of the population, including LGBTQ2 communities. Through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund, the Government of Canada acknowledges that the work of these organizations is critical for improving social, health, and economic outcomes in LGBTQ2 communities, and that it merits targeted investments to ensure the renewal and sustainability of the sector, especially during these challenging times. See the full list of supported organizations.

Quotes

"The LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund helps advance equity for LGBTQ2 individuals in Canada by supporting the network of organizations across the country to build new tools, enhance collaboration, and strengthen organizational development at the local level. The Government of Canada is committed to working with and for all LGBTQ2 individuals in collaboration with community-led organizations to combat all forms of discrimination. Together we can build back an even better and consciously more inclusive Canada where everyone can be their true, authentic self."

The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth

"LGBTQ2 organizations from coast to coast to coast offer key services and do important work to create a more equal Canada, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated inequalities and created additional challenges for LGTBQ2 individuals. Today's announcement, the result of first-ever federal fund specifically dedicated to LGBTQ2 equality, will help LGBTQ2 organizations strengthen their operations, increase partnerships, share knowledge, and build stronger networks to support LGBTQ2 communities across Canada. Since 2015, WAGE has provided over $14 million in direct support to 64 LGBTQ2 organizations across the country to help support their vital work. We know there is a lot more work to do and we are proud to work together with them to help ensure an inclusive future and opportunities for everyoneregardless of who they love or how they identifyso that all Canadians have an equal and fair chance at success."

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development

"Well before COVID-19, we recognized that LGBTQ2 community organizations across the country, while resilient, needed a boost to strengthen their operations, renew and enhance their tools, and build new collaborations with other like-minded organizations. Funding is a big part of the solution, and we brought this to these community organizations through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund."

Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport)

"The Community Capacity Fund is a game changer for the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance because it provides much-needed resources to consolidate as the regional organization for Two-Spirits. As a result, the Alliance can properly advocate, deliver knowledge-sharing programs, and expand its partnerships with its sister 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations and service providers to extend their supports for Two-Spirits in the Atlantic region."

John R. Sylliboy, Interim Executive Director, Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance

"Rainbow Refugee and our partners in the Rainbow Coalition for Refuge form a critical safety net for refugees who have escaped sex- and gender-based persecution. The LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund strengthens our organizations' foundations, and helps us grow a more robust solidarity and support network. This investment in LGBTQ2 civil society signals a new level of commitment by Canadian government to realize equity and rights. This commitment needs to continue and grow until all members of our communities can live with safety, belonging and respect.

 Dr. Sharalyn Jordan, Chair, Rainbow Refugee Society

"With this fund, YouthLine will upgrade its internal structures to train and support more peer support volunteers to meet the increased demand for our HelpLine. We will also expand our provincial presence and reach through regional networks as well as better understand and meet the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ youth in rural and Northern Ontario who often have little to no supports."

 Berkha Gupta, Executive Director, Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line

"Trans people have been sidelined for far too long. These funds will finally make it possible to put trans people in the foreground and meet the glaring needs for consultation and the sharing of trans knowledge and expertise. Gender Euphoria will launch a broad consultation of trans people to take stock of the needs and concerns of trans communities."

 Maxime Faddoul, Coordinator, Gender Euphoria - Trans Pride

Quick Facts

The call for proposals under the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund began on March 5, 2020, and concluded on May 14, 2020.

As part of the COVID-19 response, the Government of Canada is investing $350 million in the Emergency Community Support Fund to support charities and non-profit organizations requiring financial assistance to address the pandemic.

In addition to the $20 million investment in Budget 2019 to support capacity building and community-level work of Canadian LGBTQ2 organizations, the Government of Canada has also made the following investments:

Global Affairs Canada has announced more than $30 million to improve socioeconomic outcomes for LGBTQ2 people in developing countries;

to improve socioeconomic outcomes for LGBTQ2 people in developing countries; The Federal Tourism Growth Strategy includes major investments in Pride events across Canada ;

; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has announced increased support for LGBTQI refugees fleeing violence and persecution through the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership;

Canadian Heritage has set aside $2 million over two years under the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program for Pride and LGBTQ2 events.

On November 27, 2020, the Government of Canada launched a national LGBTQ2 survey and engagement on Canada's first ever LGBTQ2 Action Plan to advance equity and improve the lives of LGBTQ2 people in Canada.

Associated Links

Backgrounder: LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund (see below)

LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/free-to-be-me.html

Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html

Human Rights of LGBTQ2I Persons https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/human_rights-droits_homme/rights_lgbti-droits_lgbti.aspx?lang=eng

LGBTQ2 Secretariat https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/free-to-be-me.html

LGBTQ2 Survey and Action Plan canada.ca/lgbtq2-action-plan

Backgrounder

February 11, 2021

Enabling the future of LGBTQ2 community-led organizations

LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund

The Government of Canada is committed to better supporting LGBTQ2 individuals in Canada and building a society where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed and be their true authentic selves.

Through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund, the Government of Canada continues to support the future of LGBTQ2 community-led organizations by investing approximately $15 million for 76 capacity-building projects.

List of supported organizations throughout Canada:

National

Organization: Centre Interligne inc

Title: Interligne: The Canada -wide beacon for LGBTQ+ people

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and network of Centre Interligne to advance LGBTQ2 equality. The project objectives will be achieved through the following activities: develop tools to increase governance, management (administrative, financial and human resources) and philanthropy effectiveness; establish partnerships to better reach and serve Canadian Francophone communities outside Quebec ; and improve current tools to better reach and serve Quebec's Anglophone communities.

Region: National

Funding amount: $362,185 Organization: Community-Based Research Centre Society

Title: Building Capacity to Mobilize Community-Based Research Skills and Knowledge

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Community-Based Research Centre Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources by conducting needs assessments and environmental scans; building managerial capacity with board governance and strategic planning; and strengthening collaboration among organizations by creating and sharing training series resources and materials.

Region: National

Funding amount: $363,671 Organization: Egale Canada Human Rights Trust

Title: Egale National LGBTQI2S Research Hub

Description: This project extension will fortify sector knowledge and access to data, strengthen networks, advance intersectionality, and build internal organizational human resource and strategic planning capacity. These objectives will be achieved by expanding and solidifying their National LGBTQI2S Academic Advisory Committee, conducting critical research into key issues, and addressing human resources and strategic planning needs within the organization.

Region: National

Funding amount: $400,000 Organization: Enfants Transgenres Canada - Gender Creative Kids Canada

Title: Building on our strengths to better support Canada's Trans youth

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity and networks of Gender Creative Kids Canada to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: support management capacity through three-year strategic planning, strategic consultations and the hiring of additional staff; and strengthen inter-organizational collaboration through a Canada -wide community networking campaign.

Region: National

Funding amount: $363,545 Organization: Fierte Canada Pride

Title: Capacity Building for Canadian Pride Organizations

Description: This project extension will allow for the continued expansion of the organization and provision of supports and services to Pride members, including micro-granting, a national conference and national Pride event, and fundraising and grant-writing workshops.

Region: National

Funding amount: $400,000 Organization: Fondation Emergence Inc.

Title: Fondation Emergence capacity-building project

Description: This project aims to build the capacity and network of Fondation Emergence to promote LGBTQ2 equality. The following activities will help achieve the objectives of the project: carry out a complete, major and in-depth review of the governance structure; evaluate the structure and mode of financing of the foundation; carry out strategic planning; update and produce new policies and guidelines; and produce and operationalize an action plan formalizing the pan-Canadian network.

Region: National

Funding amount: $195,000 Organization: Pan-Canada ILGA pan-canadien (PCIpc)

Title: PCIpc Capacity Development

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Pan-Canada ILGA pan canadien (PCIpc) to advance LGBTQ2 equality by developing an effective governance structure; building new and enhanced existing partnerships with LGBTIQ2 organizations to strengthen the not-for-profit LGBTIQ2 sector; expanding membership; and diversifying funding.

Region: National

Funding amount: $25,000 Organization: Rainbow Refugee Society

Details to follow Organization: The Enchante Network

Title: Building the Capacity of Enchante: a Network of 2SLGBTQ+ Centres of Canada

Description: This project extension will allow for the continued expansion of the organization by further strengthening its communication practices, mapping out, evaluating, and disseminating information on its member's capacity, providing micro-granting and supports services to its members, and fostering the networking and collaboration between LGBTQ2 service centres.

Region: National

Funding amount: $700,000 Organization: 2 Spirits in Motion Foundation

Title: Building Organizational Capacity of the 2 Spirits in Motion Foundation

Description: This project extension will allow the organization to expand its ability to undertake key activities through enhanced governance, networking, collaboration, and advocacy measures within the Two-Spirit community in Canada .

Region: National

Funding amount: $400,000





Atlantic Region

New Brunswick Organization: Le Rendez-vous de la fierte Acadie Love Inc.

Title: LGBTQ+ community visibility in rural Francophone New Brunswick

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity and networks of the Rendez-vous de la fierte Acadie Love Inc. organization to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: strengthen management capacity through strategic, operational, and financial planning; strengthen the capacity of the organization and its employees; strengthen collaboration between LGBTQ organizations in the region; increase the capacity of the LGBTQ2 sector; and raise awareness among Francophone populations about the presence and issues of LGBTQ2 communities in Francophone minority communities.

Region: New Brunswick

Funding amount: $243,886 Organization: Fierte Fredericton Pride Inc.

Title: ConneQT NB

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Fierte Fredericton Pride Inc. to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building internal capacity, strengthening collaboration among organizations by establishing a provincial network of LGBTQ2 organizations, and amplifying sector capacity at large by hosting events and workshops.

Region: New Brunswick

Funding amount: $161,604 Organization: Chroma

Title: LGBTQ2S+ Capacity building

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Chroma to advance LGBTQ2 equality by becoming a legally constituted organization; strengthening collaboration among organizations; and increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources. This will also be achieved by improving access to funding opportunities by developing knowledge and expertise in grant writing.

Region: Saint John, New Brunswick

Funding amount: $21,563





Newfoundland and Labrador Organization: Quadrangle LGBTQ Community Centre Inc.

Title: Quadrangle Capacity and NL Network Project

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Quadrangle LGBTQ Community Centre to advance LGBTQ2 equality by strengthening the organization's governance and human resources management; and by developing a strategic plan, an organizational financial health strategy, and a collaborative provincial network.

Region: Newfoundland and Labrador

Funding amount: $237,332 Organization: Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance

Title: Nurturing Wabanaki 2SLGBTQ+ Capacity through Indigenous-led, Cross-sectoral, Inter-provincial Network Partnerships

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance (W2SA) to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity; enhancing technical expertise and evidence-based approaches; increasing the cross-sectoral capacity of Indigenous and non-Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ organizations and First Nations communities; and strengthening collaboration among organizations through inter-provincial network development and resource sharing, regional advocacy planning, partnership initiatives including research, and cultural awareness training.

Region: Wabanaki homelands, which encompass the Northeast Atlantic region (Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqey, Passamaquoddy), including the state of Maine ( Penobscot , Abenaki), the Gaspe region of Quebec (Mi'kmaq, Abenaki), and Newfoundland and Labrador (Mi'kmaq, Innu, and Inuit).

Funding amount: $299,429





Nova Scotia Organization: The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Youth Project Society

Title: Resilient Passage: Developing Culturally Relevant Resources for Underrepresented 2SLGBTQ+ Youth

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Youth Project Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity within the organization and technical expertise of the sector through consultation and training; by increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources through community needs assessments; and by strengthening collaboration among community partners.

Region: Nova Scotia

Funding amount: $280,500 Organization: Truro Pride Society

Title: Foundation Building for the Truro Pride Society

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Truro Pride Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity and by strengthening collaboration among organizations through the development of partnerships, networks, and knowledge sharing.

Region: Truro, Nova Scotia

Funding amount: $17,204







Prince Edward Island Organization: PEERS Alliance Inc.

Title: Building Capacity to Better Serve Island Communities

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of PEERS Alliance to advance LGBTQ2 equality by developing skills and knowledge of the organization and the sector partners, and by developing a Strategic Plan, a Communication Plan and a Funds Diversification Plan.

Region: Prince Edward Island

Funding amount: $279,076





Northern Region

Northwest Territories Organization: Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife

Title: Growing Rainbow

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of the Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife to advance LGBTQ2 equality by developing a five-year strategic plan; enhancing board governance; building managerial capacity; ensuring long-term sustainability by developing workshops and training modules through a fee-for-service model; expanding and developing tools, materials, and an online resources hub; engaging and consulting with remote Indigenous communities; and improving access to funding opportunities by developing knowledge and expertise.

Region: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Funding amount: $304,925





Nunavut Organization: Positive Space Nunavut

Title: Capacity Building, 2LGBTQ Leadership & Resource Development in Nunavut

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Positive Space Nunavut to advance LGBTQ2 equality by strengthening collaboration among organizations and by establishing networks and resource sharing. The organization will increase access to information and knowledge sources.

Region: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Funding amount: $100,000







Yukon Organization: Queer Yukon Society

Title: Stronger Together: Building Capacity for Yukon's First Community Pride Centre

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Queer Yukon Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by developing strategic programming, increasing managerial and board capacity, developing clear organizational governance structures, ensuring long-term financial sustainability, strengthening collaboration and building networks among rural and national organizations, as well as developing bilingual capacity within a pride centre.

Region: Whitehorse , Yukon

Funding amount: $337,346



Ontario Region Organization: The Bridge

Title: Formalizing the Organizational Structure of the Bridge

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of The Bridge to advance LGBTQ2 equality by identifying and engaging with key stakeholders, conducting environmental scans, investigating incorporation, policies and bylaws, formalization and building capacity for strong organizational health.

Region: Brantford, Ontario

Funding amount: $24,250 Organization: Hamilton Trans Health Coalition Inc.

Title: Building the Community-Provider Partnership for Gender-Affirming Primary Care

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Hamilton Trans Health Coalition Inc. to advance LGBTQ2 equality by strengthening collaboration among coalition members and care providers (especially family physicians); increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources; developing a mentorship program for professionals in the health care system; amplifying sector capacity at large; advancing LGBTQ2 equality with an intersectional approach; providing health care professionals with the knowledge base needed to address trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary people's health needs; and ensuring long-term sustainability through formalized support, mentorship, and requisite learning.

Region: Hamilton, Ontario

Funding amount: $90,100 Organization: SPECTRUM Waterloo Region's Rainbow Community Space

Title: Increasing Organizational Capacity for SPECTRUM's Community Space

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of SPECTRUM Waterloo Region's Rainbow Community Space to advance LGBTQ2 equality by improving board governance; developing a strategic plan; and focusing on sustainability, succession, and financial planning. The project will also increase access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources by performing an environmental scan to assess community needs; and will build the capacity by offering skills training as well as sensitivity training opportunities.

Region: Kitchener, Ontario

Funding amount: $279,782 Organization: Generous Space Ministries

Title: Building Capacity to Support LGBTQ2+ Survivors of SOGIECE

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Generous Space Ministries to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity through strategic planning; improving access to funding opportunities by developing knowledge and expertise in grant writing and diversifying funding sources; amplifying sector capacity at large by enhancing organization's skill base; increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources by conducting community research; improving the human resources management capacity by establishing recruitment, training, and retention strategies; and strengthening collaboration among organizations.

Region: Mississauga, Ontario

Funding amount: $144,821 Organization: Capital Rainbow Refuge - Refuge arc-en-ciel de la capitale

Title: Building Capacity

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Capital Rainbow Refuge (CRR) to advance LGBTQ2 equality by growing its organizational and managerial capacity to become a stronger legal entity with a democratic governance.

Region: Ottawa, Ontario

Funding amount: $283,100 Organization: JusticeTrans

Title: Trans Access to Justice Knowledge Enhancement and Capacity Building

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of JusticeTrans to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity by establishing governance, strategic planning and enhancing technical expertise; improving access to funding opportunities by developing knowledge and expertise in grant writing; increasing access to evidence, data, information and knowledge sources to assess community needs; strengthening collaboration among organizations by sharing resources.

Region: Ottawa, Ontario

Funding amount: $338,716 Organization: Kind Space

Title: Safety Labs

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Kind Space to advance LGBTQ2 equality by conducting an environmental scan on existing safety needs, and increasing staff and volunteer capacity to address conflict, harms, and violence in LGBTQ2 communities through the use of holistic justice practices.

Region: Ottawa , Ontario

Funding amount: $99,087 Organization: Ottawa Gay Men's Wellness Initiative / Initiative pour le mieux-etre des hommes gais d' Ottawa (MAX Ottawa )

Title: Strengthening the capacity of MAX Ottawa (operating as the Ottawa Gay Men's Wellness Initiative) to implement their 20192022 strategic plan

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of the Ottawa Gay Men's Wellness Initiative (operating name MAX Ottawa ) to advance care for Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Two-Spirit guys in the National Capital Region by conducting an environmental scan of regional stakeholders and successful health interventions established in other urban centers that aim to increase the health outcomes of the priority population; developing a fund development and fundraising strategy, as well as strengthening partnerships and collaboration.

Region: Ottawa, Ontario

Funding amount: $220,410 Organization: Kemptville Pride

Title: Creation of Executive Director Position to Create Organizational Structure

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Kemptville Pride to advance LGBTQ2 equality by hiring an executive director who will be responsible for conducting an environmental scan and designing an organizational governance and strategic plan.

Region: Oxford Mills, Ontario

Funding amount: $93,471 Organization: Cercle de Jeunes Rainbow GTA

Title: Affirming our identity by developing our capacities

Description: This project aims to build the capacity of Cercle de Jeunes Rainbow to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: registering the organization as a non-profit organization, improving organizational governance and ensuring financial stability. The organization will recruit at least 15 LGBTQ2 youth to be part of their permanent staff.

Region: Pickering, Ontario

Funding amount: $24,770 Organization: Rainbow Klub

Title: Rainbow Klub Capacity and Governance Development

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Rainbow Klub to advance LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: board development, strategic planning, applying for non-profit status, and skills development.

Region: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Funding amount: $25,000 Organization: OUTniagara Community Network for Sexual and Gender Diversity

Title: Informed, Inclusive, Indivisible: Collectively Advancing 2SLGBTQ+ Equality in Niagara+

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of OUTniagara Community Network for Sexual and Gender Diversity to advance 2SLGBTQ+ equality by increasing access to evidence and knowledge of 2SLGBTQ+ challenges and barriers through a Community Strengths and Needs Assessment; building collective capacity through skills development; and building managerial capacity through governance, organizational, and strategic planning.

Region: St. Catharines, Ontario

Funding amount: $299,941 Organization: Senior Pride Network of Niagara

Title: Incorporation & Development of Infrastructure of SPNN

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Senior Pride Network of Niagara (SPNN) to advance LGBTQ2 equality by developing an effective leadership team; incorporating the organization; increasing outreach capacity through the creation of a website and communication platforms; and securing operational needs of the organization.

Region: St. Catharines, Ontario

Funding amount: $24,400 Organization: Thunder Pride Association

Title: Building Bridges - Thunder Pride Expansion & Evolution

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Thunder Pride Association to advance LGBTQ2 equality by recruiting and hiring program staff, designing a needs assessment and distributing it, creating training resources based on the data and delivering trainings, research and evaluation, and project advisory committee recruitment and support.

Region: Thunder Bay, Ontario

Funding amount: $20,265 Organization: Fierte Timmins Pride

Title: Capacity Building

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Fierte Timmins Pride to advance 2SLGBTQ+ equality by conducting a Needs Assessment to identify gaps in current community services in northeastern Ontario and thus advance LGBTQ2 equality with an intersectional approach, such as race, age, and official language.

Region: Timmins, Ontario

Funding amount: $125,000 Organization: 519 Church Street Community Centre o/a The 519

Title: We Are Everywhere: Building an Army of Lovers for Tomorrow

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of The 519 to advance LGBTQ2S equality by implementing an effective data management system (to track and analyze organizational data); developing an online "Army of Lovers" advocacy campaign (to support LGBTQ2S digital engagement across Ontario ); advancing and integrating an Anti-Racism and Equity Framework; developing and implementing a service mapping strategy; and by building and strengthening partnerships and collaborations.

Region: Toronto, Ontario

Funding amount: $300,000 Organization: Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention

Title: Connecting Canada to serve South Asian and Middle Eastern Communities

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention to advance LGBTQ2 equality by advancing LGBTQ2 equality with an intersectional approach; by increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources through environmental scans to access community needs; and by strengthening collaboration among organizations (establishing formalized networks, resource sharing).

Region: Toronto, Ontario

Funding amount: $156,000 Organization: Arc en ciel des jeunes ethnoculturels francophones

Title: A new beginning

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of Arc-en-Ciel des Jeunes Ethnoculturels Francophones to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: registration or incorporation of the organization; support for human resources management and organization governance capacities; long-term sustainability with the implementation of a funding strategy; and the development of knowledge about their target population to advance LGBTQ2 equality.

Region: Toronto, Ontario

Funding amount: $23,570 Organization: FrancoQueer

Title: FrancoQueer capacity building

Description: This project will strengthen FrancoQueer's capacity to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: develop continuous learning tools for governance and human resources; develop a strategic plan and communication tools; develop a strategy for diversifying funding sources; and ensure that best practices are shared to strengthen the sector.

Region: Toronto, Ontario

Funding amount: $228,506 Organization: Glad Day Lit

Title: Strategically Building Financial & Structural Capacity with Program Enhancements

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Glad Day Lit to advance LGBTQ2 equality by developing a strategic plan; consolidating Glad Day as a non-profit; expanding and diversifying revenue streams; improving financial planning and reporting; and adapting and improving Glad Day programming, services and community building in a post-COVID context.

Region: Toronto, Ontario

Funding amount: $65,099 Organization: Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line

Title: LGBT YouthLine's Capacity Building Project

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line to advance LGBTQ2 equality by developing clear and efficient Human Resource Management processes, policies and systems; building capacity to increase and diversify funding revenues; and strengthening partnerships and developing regional collaborative networks to include over 200 groups and organizations that have LGBTQ2-positive programs, including five regional collaborative networks for service providers/educators supporting LGBTQ2+ youth ( North-West Ontario , North-East Ontario, Trans Youth, Indigenous Youth, and Racialized Youth).

Region: Toronto, Ontario

Funding amount: $299,525 Organization: Toronto Trans Coalition Project

Title: Toronto Trans Coalition Project Research and Capacity Building

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of the Toronto Trans Coalition Project to advance LGBTQ2 equality by conducting a needs assessment across the GTA; researching employment barriers for trans and non-binary people across the GTA; strengthening Board cohesion and effectiveness; developing a new strategic plan; and developing an internal anti-racism and anti-oppression framework.

Region: Toronto, Ontario

Funding amount: $74,387 Organization: Windsor Pride Community

Title: Exploration of LGBTQ2 Inclusivity within WEC LTC and Retirement Homes

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Windsor Pride Community to advance LGBTQ2 equality by recruiting and hiring a researcher; preparing material and formation of consultation and focus groups; and developing data analysis and knowledge transfer products related to LGBTQ older adults in long-term care, rehabilitation, and retirement homes.

Region: Windsor, Ontario

Funding amount: $28,800



Pacific Region

British Columbia Organization: Fernie Pride Society

Title: Strengthening Community Capacity in the Elk Valley

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Fernie Pride Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by increasing evidence and knowledge of LGBTQ2 challenges and barriers, Advocacy planning, partnership development, collaboration and networking.

Region: Fernie, British Columbia

Funding amount: $57,139 Organization: Essies Place- a Society for people with diverse genders and sexualities

Title: To "start capacity" by learning about the LGBTQ2 Community

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Essies Place to advance LGBTQ2 equality by increasing evidence and knowledge of LGBTQ2 challenges and barriers; partnership development, collaboration, networking; supporting the ability to create opportunities for members of LGBTQ2 communities to gather, connect, network, share knowledge, and exist safely in a collaborative space.

Region: Sicamous, British Columbia

Funding amount: $100,000 Organization: Four Feathers Society

Title: 2 Spirits of BC Capacity Building Project

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Four Feathers Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building board capacity; strengthening collaboration among organizations; improving financial sustainability; increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources; and amplifying sector capacity at large in order to better support 2-Spirit persons in BC.

Region: Vancouver, British Columbia

Funding amount: $129,797 Organization: QMUNITY, BC's Queer, Trans and Two-Spirit Resource Centre

Title: Building QMUNITY: Reinforcing Foundations, Reimagining Futures

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of QMUNITY, BC's Queer, Trans and Two-Spirit Resource Centre to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity; increasing access to evaluation data, knowledge sources and social impact monitoring; and strengthening collaboration among organizations while amplifying sector capacity at large.

Region: Vancouver, British Columbia

Funding amount: $299,775 Organization: Rainbow Refugee Society

Title: Enhancing Arrival Communities for LGBTQI Refugees in BC

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Rainbow Refugee Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity through governance, organizational and strategic planning, human resources, communications plan, and IT systems; enhancing the organization's capacity to provide training across BC through skills development and a regional community of practice to strengthen partnerships for LGBTQI refugee housing collaboration.

Region: Vancouver, British Columbia

Funding amount: $248,505 Organization: Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health

Details to follow





Prairie Region

Alberta Organization: Calgary Outlink: Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity

Title: Community Capacity Coordinator

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Calgary Outlink to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity through the development of a program logic model and strategic and advocacy plans; enhancing technical expertise through research; a two-phase environmental scan; building collective capacity and strengthening collaboration and partnerships among organizations to share knowledge and identify barriers and resource gaps for sustainability.

Region: Calgary, Alberta

Funding amount: $78,279 Organization: Pride Calgary Planning Committee

Title: Calgary Pride: Policies, Procedures, Training & Quality Assurance

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Pride Calgary Planning Committee to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity, through governance framework, development of policies, procedures and training resources; improving access to funding opportunities.

Region: Calgary, Alberta

Funding amount: $100,000 Organization: Comite Francoqueer de l'Ouest

Title: Building inclusive capacity

Description: This project will strengthen FrancoQueer's capacity to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: develop continuous learning tools for governance and human resources; develop a strategic plan and communication tools; develop a strategy for diversifying funding sources; and ensure that best practices are shared to strengthen the sector.

Region: Edmonton, Alberta

Funding amount: $298,671 Organization: E2S - Edmonton 2 Spirit Society

Title: E2S - Edmonton 2 Spirit Society Capacity Development Project

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of E2S  Edmonton 2 Spirit Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by registering as an incorporation or a charitable organization; building managerial capacity through governance training, strategic planning, organizational policies and procedures; strengthening collaboration among organizations through community consultations, partnerships and network summits; ensuring long-term sustainability with a fundraising plan; advancing LGBTQ2 equality with an intersectional approach, such as race, age, official languages; and improving access to funding opportunities.

Region: Edmonton, Alberta

Funding amount: $279,931 Organization: Edmonton Men's Health Collective Society (EMHC)

Title: From the Roots Up: Community-Based Strategies for Health and Wellness

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Edmonton Men's Health Collective Society to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity through strategic plan, internal program review, and community and stakeholder consultations; increasing access to evidence, data and knowledge with literature review, research, and service mapping.

Region: Edmonton, Alberta

Funding amount: $93,885





Manitoba Organization: Collectif LGBTQ* du Manitoba

Title: Sharing and implementing the results of a needs assessment

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Collectif LGBTQ* du Manitoba to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity; strengthening collaboration among organizations; increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources; and advancing LGBTQ2 equality using an intersectional approach.

Region: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Funding amount: $21,060 Organization: Rainbow Resource Centre Inc.

Title: Imagine Canada Standards Accreditation Process

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Rainbow Resource Centre Inc. to advance LGBTQ2 equality by building managerial capacity and increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources.

Region: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Funding amount: $98,492 Organization: Two-Spirited People of Manitoba Inc.

Title: 2Spirits Building from Within

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of Two-Spirited People of Manitoba Inc. to advance LGBTQ2 equality by establishing an advisory committee, building managerial capacity, ensuring long-term financial sustainability, and engaging with the community.

Region: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Funding amount: $285,695





Saskatchewan Organization: TransSask Support Services Inc.

Title: Building Capacity of Trans Communities in Saskatchewan

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of TransSask Support Services Inc. to advance LGBTQ equality by building managerial capacity through a strategic plan, an advocacy strategy, an outreach plan, and board outreach and development events; increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources through a needs assessment, a provincial survey, and interviews; and strengthening collaboration among organizations and people by hosting two provincial meetings.

Region: Regina, Saskatchewan

Funding amount: $295,610 Organization: OUTSaskatoon Inc.

Title: A Place to Belong: Building Capacity for 2SLGBTQ Youth Housing

Description: This project will strengthen capacity and networks of OUTSaskatoon to advance LGBTQ2 equality by strengthening collaboration among organizations; enhancing technical expertise within organizations; and increasing access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources.

Region: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Funding amount: $239,330





Quebec Region Organization: Association LGBT Baie-des-Chaleurs

Title: Careful, LGBT+BDC are renovating!

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Association LGBT Baie-des-Chaleurs to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: support management capacity through strategic planning and the drafting of an organizational policy, ensure long-term viability through diversification of funding sources, and develop partnerships aimed at ensuring a sustained presence in the two RCMs and three cultural groups in its territory.

Region: Bonaventure, Quebec

Funding amount: $172,509 Organization: Fondation Massimadi

Title: Fondation Massimadi: strategic development plan

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Fondation Massimadi to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: support management capacity, strengthen collaboration among organizations, and ensure long-term sustainability.

Region: Dorval , Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $70,000 Organization: Divers-Gens

Title: Implementing a strategic action planDescription: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of Divers-Gens to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: supporting human resource management and organizational governance capacity; ensuring long-term sustainability through the development of a fundraising strategy; and developing knowledge about their target population to advance LGBTQ2 equality.

Region: Granby, Quebec

Funding amount: $100,000 Organization: AlterHeros

Title: AlterHeros 2.0: Internal capacity-building

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of AlterHeros to promote LGBTQ2 equality by supporting management capacity, governance by the board of directors, internal policy updates, strategic and organizational planning, and preparation of a financial plan.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $123,378 Organization: ARC - Aines et retraites de la communaute

Title: Building ARC's autonomy and sustainability

Description: This project aims to build the capacity of ARC - Aines et retraites in the community to promote LGBTQ equality with the following activities: support organizational governance management capacity, improve technical expertise within the organization, strengthen cooperation among organizations, and improve access to funding opportunities by improving knowledge and expertise in writing grant applications.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $88,611 Organization: Archives lesbiennes du Quebec

Title: Develop the ALQ's capacities

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Archives lesbiennes du Quebec to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: build management capacity internally and within the Board of Directors, develop a strategic plan, and increase record management skills.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $64,605 Organization: Coalition des familles LGBT

Title: Family diversity: the creation of a regional and intersectional network

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity and networks of the Coalition des familles LGBT to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: strengthen inter-organizational collaboration; promote LGBTQ2 equality through an intersectional transverse approach; and increase organizational communication capacity to improve dialogue and reflect the realities and needs of members.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $297,382 Organization: Conseil quebecois LGBT

Title: Our Members at the Heart of Our Actions: Towards a Concerted Strategic Reflection (Nos membres au cur de nos actions : vers une reflexion strategique concertee)

Description: The project extension will allow for the continued expansion of the organization by further strengthening its governance and communication practices and developing its programming. The organization will also implement an action plan derived from its strategic planning to build the capacity of its member organizations through the creation of an intra- and inter-regional mentoring program, explore new networking opportunities, develop a fundraising strategy, and organize a second provincial LGBTQ+ consultation meeting with member organizations.

Region: Quebec

Funding amount: $300,000 Organization: Gender Euphoria - Trans Pride

Title: Towards a general assembly for the trans community in Quebec

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of Gender Euphoria - Trans Pride to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: ensure the organization's continued financial stability by diversifying funding sources; improve collaboration among organizations; and establish a network of trans organizations led by trans people in Quebec.

Region: Quebec

Funding amount: $ 298,671 Organization: GRIS-Montreal

Title: Reinforcement components: research, gender identity, succession management

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of GRIS-Montreal to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: support human resource management capacity, conduct strategic planning, strengthen inter-organizational cooperation (especially by establishing official networks and sharing resources), make data and information more easily accessible (by producing various reports to evaluate the community's needs.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $300,000 Organization: Le Centre communautaire des gais et lesbiennes de Montreal (Centre communautaire LGBTQ+ de Montreal)

Title: A plan for a resilient and efficient Centre

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Centre communautaire des gais et lesbiennes de Montreal to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: support management capacity by evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the Board of Directors, strategic planning and the development of human resources tools and practices; ensure long-term sustainability, especially in philanthropic development planning; and increase organizational capacity in communications.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $99,984 Organization: Project 10

Title: Implementing leadership structures to increase Projet 10's capacity

Description: This project will strengthen the capacity of Project 10 to advance LGBTQ2 equality by: building managerial capacity through implementing an executive director model and a complimentary board and governance structure; ensuring long-term sustainability through the creation of sustainable fundraising structures; and improving technical expertise within the organization.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $100,000 Organization: REZO

Title: GBT men at the heart of REZO for 30 years

Description: The purpose of this project is to strengthen REZO's capacities to promote LGBTQ2 equality by ensuring long-term viability by diversifying funding sources through the development of a financial self-sufficiency strategy and the implementation of computer-based infrastructure for supporting fund management.

Region: Montreal, Quebec

Funding amount: $100,000 Organization: Divergenres

Title: Taking flight

Description: This project aims to strengthen the capacity of Divergenres to promote LGBTQ2 equality with the following activities: supporting management capacity (through board governance and strategic planning), ensuring long-term visibility, and improving access to funding opportunities.

Region: Quebec City, Quebec

Funding amount: $99,000 Organization: GRIS-Quebec

Title: Consolidate for sustainability

Description: This project will strengthen GRIS-Quebec's capacity to promote LGBTQ2 equality in the greater Capitale-Nationale region with the following activities: develop strategic planning, diversify and modernize its funding sources to ensure its long-term survival, and conduct a market study to implement the Maison de la diversite (a diversity centre) to make the rental expenses of user-organizations more affordable, and to improve inter-organizational cooperation and partnership.

Region: Quebec City, Quebec

Funding amount: $186,668 Organization: TransEstrie

Title: Overall capacity-building

Description: This project aims to strengthen TransEstrie's capacity to promote LGBTQ2 equality through the following activities: support human resource management capacity; conduct strategic planning; ensure long-term sustainability by improving effective financial skills; and strengthen inter-organizational collaboration, including formal networking and resource sharing.

Region: Sherbrooke, Quebec

Funding amount: $289,259

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For further information: For more information (media only), please contact: Emelyana Titarenko, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]; Marie-Pier Baril, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, 613-295-8123; Media Relations, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 1-855-969-9922

Related Links

www.pch.gc.ca



Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung

Vietnam has just accomplished the 5-year Socioeconomic Development Plan for the 2016-2020 period, as well as overcome the past 12 months with a lot of difficulties due to trade tensions among big economies, the depression of the world economy, and fighting against the pandemic and natural disasters.

However, 2020 can still be considered much more successful than 2019 in Vietnam, and even the most successful out of the five years of the mid-term plan, as numerous achievements were attained.

In 2021 there will continue to be challenges worldwide and locally. COVID-19 has yet to be controlled in many places, and no vaccine can completely eradicate the coronavirus. Trade wars could still intensify. And numerous countries are facing budget deficits and high public debt, which can contain a lot of risks related to financial crisis.

The position and power of our country has improved much, but we are still facing the middle-income trap, while competitiveness is not very high, especially in some key areas for future development. Some social troubles will impact development, such as population ageing, the rich-poor and development-level gap, exploitation and use of natural resources, and climate change.

Fresh mindset

However, we can still grasp onto strong prospects even in difficult times. Over a dozen new-generation free trade agreements have been signed and taken effect, Industry 4.0 is evolving, trade and investment are relocating, and Vietnams golden population period will remain for the next 10 years. This is a chance for Vietnam to upsurge thanks to the restructuring of global supply chains and the adjustment of the world order.

So if we want to go fast, we must choose the right way. This is a good moment for Vietnam to restructure the economy, embrace digital transformation, and change development models towards fast, sustainable, and inclusive growth. We will not stand beside, or behind, others one more time to watch new trends or new opportunities pass us by.

In order to maximise this potential, we have to create a new mindset, and a new way of doing things in all areas. For example, we are changing the mindset of management authorities to strengthen most business and investment activities and exercises. Besides this, we are restructuring the economy based on science, technology, and innovation to enhance productivity, quality, performance, autonomy, and competitiveness.

The legal framework for new business models and the digital economy is being perfected. Policies for piloting new services, new technologies, new business models like the sharing economy or night-time economy, innovation projects, and startups are being composed, as well as calling for some ventures to support in these regards.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam are being supported to carry out digital transformation, improve their competitiveness, and work with foreign-invested counterparts or join global supply chains.

Meanwhile, foreign-invested projects which apply high technologies, which are environmentally friendly, and which closely cooperate with and transfer technologies to local suppliers will be welcome, while those causing environmental pollution, engaging in transfer pricing, and using a lot of natural resources and outdated technologies will be denied.

The government has confirmed the determination of building digital infrastructure, smart connections, and synchronising data infrastructure of the country for the process of digital transformation. With that, the National Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution by 2030 is to be issued to fulfil the goals set in the Politburos Resolution No.52-NQ/TW released last September on a number of policies on the nations proactive involvement in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Accordingly, Vietnam is accelerating the development of infrastructure, databases, and human resources; building an e-government towards a digital government; enhancing national innovative capacity; and developing a number of priority technologies for active engagement in Industry 4.0 such as robotics, advanced materials, renewable energy, AI, the Internet of Things, big data, and blockchain.

The country will also expand international cooperation and integration in science and technology, particularly priority technologies. Vietnam is stepping up the development of high-speed internet services and secured digital infrastructure to meet the demand for big data connection and processing, the application of digital technology in the government, and delivery of public services in all areas as well as building a real-time information system to support the governments governance and administration.

By 2030, the digital economy will contribute around 30 per cent of the countrys GDP, and productivity will expand 7.5 per cent annually on average. There will be universal access to fibre-optic internet and 5G, the completion of digital government development, and establishment of smart cities in key economic zones across all regions, which will be connected with a regional and global network of smart cities.

The establishment and construction of the National Innovation Centre, along with the Vietnam International Expo (which is expected to become an annual event) and the evolvement of the Vietnam Innovation Network with the cooperation of many countries, is also expected to contribute to boost the digital transformation of the country, enabling it to catch up with trends and seize opportunities for outstanding growth in the new era.

Putting innovation at forefront of progress

A prosperous Vietnam

On the other hand, in order to realise a prosperous Vietnam, there needs to be a robust plan of developing the country as a world or regional financial centre. This will be the new driving force for further economic growth, wooing more international revenues and capital, and putting the country onto the global financial map.

Ho Chi Minh City has already provided financial services to neighbouring nations such as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Brunei, and is expected to reach the whole Asian market and beyond. Meanwhile, the central city of Danang has issued a plan to carry out the National Financial Inclusion Strategy until 2025 with a vision towards 2030.

Vietnam boasts favourable conditions, from geographical to population advantages, to become a leading jurisdiction for an international financial market. From Ho Chi Minh City, it takes only three hours by air to reach all of ASEAN and Northeast Asia. Vietnam also sits in a time zone that is different from 21 other international financial centres.

That is a very narrow doorway that presents a prime advantage.

So as to realise the dream of developing into a financial hub, plans should be put into the countrys Socioeconomic Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision towards 2045. The country also needs to ensure a better investment and business climate, attract and develop high-quality financial human resources, build world-class infrastructure, and develop a stronger brand and reputation.

Developing an international financial centre, which is expected to contribute billions of US dollars to the country and digitalising the economy, can push Vietnams economy to grow in a faster and more sustainable manner, and will be the major driving force for the nation to become a prosperous country, step by step.
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The PFI issued a statement on Friday accusing the ED of dragging the organisation's name into fabricated and politically motivated cases like the imaginary 'instigation of caste violence' at Hathras

New Delhi: The Popular Front of India (PFI) on Friday claimed that those named in a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate are not its members. A prosecution complaint (chargesheet) was filed by the central probe agency before a special court in Lucknow on Wednesday under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had said it has named five members of PFI and its student wing Campus Front of India in the complaint and the court has issued summons to them for an appearance on 18 March after taking cognisance of the chargesheet.

"Members/office bearers of other organisations are portrayed as Popular Front office bearers. This is not an innocent mistake at all," PFI general secretary Anis Ahmed claimed in a statement.

"Instead of proving its case through transparent investigations, ED continues to drag the name of Popular Front into fabricated and politically motivated case like the imaginary 'instigation of caste violence' at Hathras," the statement said.

Those charge-sheeted included PFI member and Campus Front of India (CFI) national general secretary KA Rauf Sherif, CFI national treasurer Atikur Rahman, Delhi CFI general secretary Masud Ahmed, a journalist "associated with PFI" Siddique Kappan, and Mohammed Alam, who is a member of the CFI and the PFI.

Rauf was arrested by the agency from an airport in Kerala in December last year while he was "trying to flee the country".

The rest four were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police in Mathura last year while they were on their way to Hathras after the alleged gangrape and murder of a Dalit woman in that district of Uttar Pradesh.

The ED, in a statement issued on Thursday, had claimed that those charge-sheeted wanted to "incite communal riots, disturb communal harmony and spread terror" in the aftermath of the Hathras incident.
Image: Twitter/@ShriRamTeerth

Over Rs 1,000 crore has so far been raised for the Ram temple in Ayodhya through the campaign started last month, a member of the trust overseeing the construction of the shrine said on Thursday.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra secretary Champat Rai said people from all communities have generously donated for the construction of the temple.

The accounts of the trust in three nationalised banks show an amount of over Rs 1,000 crore, he said.

Rai said nearly 1.50 lakh VHP activists are collecting funds for the Ram temple.

Thirty-seven activists have been deputed to deposit the donations in the bank accounts.

From remote villages, activists are bringing funds and depositing in the bank accounts, he said.

Rai said all communities are supporting the fund raising campaign that was started on January 15. The Ram temple trust has opened accounts in the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and the Bank of Baroda.
EDWARDSVILLE  An Alton man was charged Thursday with being a registered child sex offender in a school zone.

Jackie R. Moss, 62, of the 1700 block of Muny Vista Drive, Alton, was charged with unlawful presence in a school zone by a child sex offender, a Class 4 felony.

The case was presented by the Alton Police Department.

According to court documents, on Jan. 13 Moss allegedly was located near East Elementary School, 1035 Washington Ave. The school is approximately 3 miles from his home.

According to the Illinois State Police sex offender registry, Moss has convictions for aggravated criminal sexual abuse and failure to report a change of address/employment. The site notes he is considered a sexual predator, and that the victim was 16 and he was 46 at the time of the incident.

Bail was set at $15,000.

In an unrelated filing, a Granite City man was charged with multiple counts of fraud in a case originating in Highland.

John W. Grant, 44, was charged with six separate counts of fraud, all Class 4 felonies, dating from March 2 through March 23. The case was presented by the Highland Police Department.

Grant allegedly presented a series of checks from the same persons account to U.S. Bank. The amounts ranged from about $550 to more than $4,900.

Bail was set at $75,000.

Other felony charges filed Feb. 11 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Carnell C. Brown III, 46, of the 1700 bloc of Muny Vista Drive, Alton, was charged with domestic battery (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. On Feb. 8 Brown allegedly grabbed a household or family member by their hair and dragged her through the residence. It was noted he had a prior conviction for domestic battery out of Madison County in 2000. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Dillyn G. Riechmann, 30, of Brighton, was charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On Feb. 10 Riechmann allegedly was in possession of a stolen 2020 Nissan Sentra. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Brandon L. Yates, 35, of Alton, was charged with threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. On Feb. 3 Yates allegedly threatened to shoot an Alton police officer. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Mekayla J. Thomas, 22, of St. Louis, was charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Bethalto Police Department. On Jan. 4 Thomas allegedly was in possession of a stolen 2005 Lincoln LS. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Michael D. Skiff, 41, of East Alton, was charged with burglary, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Bethalto Police Department. On Nov. 14 Skiff allegedly broke into a storage locker at Storage Express, 715 S. Moreland Road, Bethalto, to commit theft. Bail was set at $50,000.

 John D. Downs Jr., 52, with a last known address in Collinsville, was charged with identity theft, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On Aug. 10, 2018 Downs allegedly used another persons ID to obtain credit valued at between $300 to $2,000. Bail was set at $20,000.


The Biden administration on Friday announced plans for tens of thousands of people who are seeking asylum and have been forced to wait in Mexico under a Trump-era policy to be allowed into the U.S. while their cases wind through immigration courts.

The first wave of an estimated 25,000 asylum-seekers with active cases in the 'Remain in Mexico' program will be allowed into the United States on February 19, authorities said.

On average, roughly 85 per cent of Central American asylum claims are rejected by U.S. courts.

They plan to start slowly, with two border crossings each processing up to 300 people a day and a third crossing taking fewer numbers.

Biden signs an executive order on immigration on February 2, as Alejandro Mayorkas looks on

Honduran migrants are seen voluntarily returning to their country on January 19

Migrants wait in line to get a meal in an encampment near the Gateway International Bridge in Matamoros, Mexico, in August 2019

President Joe Biden's administration declined to publicly identify the three crossings out of fear it may encourage a rush of people.

Representative Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, said officials told him that the three border crossings are Brownsville and El Paso in Texas, and San Diego's San Ysidro crossing.

The move is a major step toward dismantling one of former president Donald Trump's most consequential policies to deter asylum-seekers from coming to the U.S.

About 70,000 asylum-seekers were enrolled in the program officially called Migrant Protection Protocols since it was introduced in January 2019.

On Biden's first day in office, the Homeland Security Department suspended the policy for new arrivals.

Since then, some asylum-seekers picked up at the border have been released in the U.S. with notices to appear in court.

Biden is quickly making good on a campaign promise to end the policy, which the Trump administration said was critical to reversing a surge of asylum-seekers that peaked in 2019.

But the policy also exposed people to violence in Mexican border cities and made it extremely difficult for them to find lawyers and communicate with courts about their cases.

Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary, said Biden was keeping his promises

Biden has halted construction of Donald Trump's multi-billion-dollar border wall

'As President Biden has made clear, the U.S. government is committed to rebuilding a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system,' said Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary.

'This latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nation's values.'

Asylum-seekers will be released with notices to appear in court in cities close to or in their final destinations, typically with family, administration officials said.

Homeland Security said the move 'should not be interpreted as an opening for people to migrate irregularly to the United States.'

In January a caravan of nearly 8,000 Central Americans, mostly from Honduras, were stopped in Guatemala from illegally advancing toward the border with Mexico.

Administration officials say the vast majority of people who cross the border illegally are quickly expelled under a public health order that Trump put in place in March amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But some asylum-seeking families have been released in Texas and California, working against that messaging.

Biden announced at the beginning of February that he is planning to increase the admissions of refugees to 125,000 in the coming fiscal year, a more than eight-fold increase after Trump slashed levels to historic lows.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday that she was concerned limited releases in the U.S. may encourage others to cross illegally.

'We don't want people to put themselves in danger at a time where it is not the right time to come, because we have not had time to put in place a humane and moral system and process,' she said.

On Tuesday a dozen Guatemalan migrants were found hiding inside a pickup truck's flatbed during a traffic stop in the Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz.

The Mexican National Guard reportedly heard screams when they pulled over the driver for not wearing a seatbelt, at a checkpoint on the highway in the municipality of Los Choapas.

The migrants were shouting for help after suffering in the unbearable heat in the cramped interior.

'Noises were heard in the cargo area and some voices calling for help due to the extreme heat in the region,' the National Migration Institute said in a statement.

Soldiers found the immigrants sitting next to each other, in two rows, in the back of the pickup truck with sofas covering each side, and a tarp over the top.

The migrants were deported back Guatemala.

A Mexican National Guard member inspects a pickup truck that was stopped Tuesday in Veracruz with 12 Guatemalan migrants hidden inside. They were provided medical attention and then processed by the National Migration Institute before they were deported to Guatemala

The inspection of a pickup truck (pictured) led Mexico's National Guard to 12 Guatemala migrants hidden in the flatbed of the vehicle moments after the driver was pulled over on a highway in Las Choapas, Veracruz, for driving without a seatbelt

Court hearings for people enrolled in 'Remain in Mexico' have been suspended since June because of the pandemic.

Getting word to them about when to report to the border for release in the United States may prove a daunting job.

Homeland Security said it would soon announce a 'virtual registration process' online and by phone for people to learn where and when they should report.

It urged asylum-seekers not to report to the border unless instructed.

The International Organization for Migration will help with logistics and test asylum-seekers for COVID-19 before they enter the U.S., spokeswoman Liz Lizama said.

The U.N. migration agency's Mexico director, Dana Graber Ladek, said it will seek to inform asylum-seekers across the country about eligibility.

Honduran migrants are blocked by Guatemalan soldiers and police from advancing toward the US border, also affecting cargo trucks on the highway in Vado Hondo, Guatemala, on Jan 18

The announcement provides no relief to people whose cases were dismissed or denied, though administration officials did not rule out additional measures.

Advocates argue that communication problems, including lack of working addresses in Mexico, caused some people to miss hearings and lose their cases as a result.

Mexico agreed to take back more asylum-seekers in June 2019 to defuse Trump's threats of tariff increases.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador welcomed Biden's changes, saying at a news conference on Friday that it would be 'good' for the U.S. to host them instead while their cases wind through the system.

The Remain in Mexico releases will come as more people are getting stopped crossing the border illegally since Biden took office, challenging the administration in its early days.

Raul Ortiz, deputy chief of the Border Patrol, said Tuesday that more than 3,000 people had been stopped in each of the previous 10 days, compared with a daily average of 2,426 in January.

About 50 to 80 adults and children have been arriving daily since January 27 at Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, which temporarily houses people released by the Border Patrol, said Sister Norma Pimentel, the group's executive director.

The charity tests for COVID-19 and sends anyone who tests positive to a hotel for isolation.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego housed 191 asylum-seekers the first 10 days of February after they were released, up from 144 in January and 54 in December, said Eitan Peled, the group's border services advocate.

They are quarantined in hotels for 10 days.
South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong talks to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul's Jongno District, Friday. Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs



New Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed close bilateral cooperation for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during their first phone talks Friday, the foreign ministry said.



They also shared the view of the importance of their countries' trilateral cooperation with Japan in the conversation that took place three days after Chung, a former top security adviser to President Moon Jae-in, took office.



The talks came as Seoul seeks to strengthen policy coordination with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to resume stalled dialogue with Pyongyang and ensure that the North Korean nuclear issue remains among Washington's top foreign policy priorities.



"The minister and the secretary stressed that they will cooperate closely for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said in a press release.



"They also shared the understanding that it is important to continue cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan and shared concerns over the recent situation in Myanmar," it added.





In this file photo taken on Feb. 4, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to staff at the US State Department during the first visit of US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC. AFP-Yonhap
President Joe Biden will seek to close the prison on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay following a review process, resuming a project begun under the Obama administration, the White House said Friday.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it was the 'intention' of the Biden administration to close the detention facility, something President Barack Obama pledged to do within a year shortly after he took office in January 2009.

Psaki gave no timeline, telling reporters that the formal review would be 'robust' and would require the participation of officials from the Department of Defense, the Justice Department and other agencies who have not yet been appointed under the new administration.

'There are many players from different agencies who need to be part of this policy discussion about the steps forward,' she said.

Obama ran into intense domestic political opposition when he sought to close the detention center, a notorious symbol of the U.S. fight against terrorism.

Biden may have more leeway now that there are only 40 prisoners left and Guantanamo draws much less public attention, though his announcement did draw some immediate criticism.

How it is now: This is the current military prison at Guantanamo Bay where detainees from the war on terror are held

Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, who is the suspected architect behind the 9/11 attacks, is housed at Guantanamo Bay. He was captured in Pakistan in 2006 (right)

The U.S. opened the detention center in January 2002 to hold people suspected of ties to al Qaeda and the Taliban. It became a source of international criticism over the mistreatment of prisoners and the prolonged imprisonment of people without charge.

The announcement of the closure plan, first reported by Reuters, was not unexpected. Biden had said as a candidate he supported closing the detention center. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said so as well in written testimony for his Senate confirmation.

'Guantanamo has provided us the capability to conduct law of war detention in order to keep our enemies off the battlefield, but I believe it is time for the detention facility at Guantanamo to close,' Austin said.

'My understanding is that the Biden-Harris administration does not intend to bring new detainees to the facility and will seek to close it.'

Trump kept the offshore prison open during his four years in the White House - though he never loaded it up with 'bad dudes,' as he once vowed.

He allowed the release of one prisoner, a Saudi who had admitted being part of al Qaeda and who had been cleared for released by the Obama administration.

The most high-profile remaining prisoner is Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, who is the suspected mastermind of the September 11 terror attacks, and other al Qaeda atrocities.

There was outrage last month when a plan for him and other detainees to get vaccinated for COVID ahead of ordinary Americans, in an attempt to get his trial going. The Pentagon backed down on the move.

The 40 remaining prisoners at Guantanamo include five who were previously cleared for release through a intensive review process created under Obama as part of the effort to close the detention center and transfer the remaining prisoners to U.S. facilities.

At its peak in 2003, the detention center at the Navy base on the southeast tip of Cuba held nearly 680 prisoners. Amid the international outrage, President George W. Bush called it a 'a propaganda tool for our enemies and a distraction for our allies' and said he supported closing it but left it to his successor.

Under Bush, the U.S. began efforts to prosecute some of the prisoners for war crimes in special tribunals known as military commissions, but the government also released 532 prisoners.

The way it was: The first images of Guantanamo Bay's Camp X-Ray were released in January 2002 and became notorious worldwide. At its peak there were 800 inmates but there are now just 40

Move by Biden: His National Security Council is starting a process which could lead to a formal closure plan within weeks or months

Obama vowed to close the detention center, while keeping the larger Navy base, but ran into fierce political opposition over plans to prosecute and imprison men in the U.S. and concerns that returning others to their homeland would pose a security risk.

To some extent at least, that opposition remains. 'The Democrats' obsession with bringing terrorists into Americans' backyards is bizarre, misguided, and dangerous,' Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, said after the White House announcement Friday. 'Just like with President Obama, Republicans will fight it tooth and nail.'

Obama argued that keeping the detention center was not just a bad policy but a waste of money, costing more than $445 million per year in 2016.

Under his administration, 197 were repatriated or resettled in other countries.

That left 41 under Trump, who pledged at one point to 'load it up' with some 'bad dudes.' He never did and approved a single release, a Saudi prisoner who had reached a plea deal in his war crimes case.

Of those who remain at Guantanamo, there are 10 men facing trial by military commission. They include five men charged with planning and providing logistical support to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The case has been bogged down in pre-trial proceedings for years.

Human rights groups who have long championed the closure of Guantanamo welcomed Biden's announcement.

'For almost two decades, the United States has denied justice to the hundreds of men the government has kept detained at Guantanamo Bay indefinitely, without charge or trial,' said Daphne Eviatar, director of the Security with Human Rights Program at Amnesty International USA. 'Forty men remain there today. It is long past time to close it down.'
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Twenty-four pregnant women, 11 children have been rescued from a suspected baby factory in Calabar, Cross River State, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The rescue operation was carried out by a security outfit, Operation Akpakwu, set up by the Cross River State Government.

Two suspects were arrested in the operation.

The Officer Commanding 13 Brigade Provost, Stanley Ikepeme, on Wednesday, handed over the victims and the suspects, on behalf of the 13 Brigade Commander, Mohammed Abdullahi, a brigadier-general, to the officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Mr Ikepeme, a major, said the Nigerian Army would not relent in its task of ensuring peace and security in Cross River State.

A NAPTIP official, Oba Jacobs, who received the victims and suspects, said the suspects would be investigated and charged to court.

Mr Jacobs urged the public to keep an eye on their neighbours and report suspicious activities to the agency for proper action.

As an agency, we have the mandate to arrest and prosecute.

We also urge the public to assist us with useful information that would lead to the arrest of this category of people involved in this kind of racket, Mr Jacob said.

He said the agency has a facility in Calabar where suspects would be kept until an investigation is conducted and those found wanting made to face the law.

One of the suspects, who is alleged to be the owner of the baby factory, Fidelia Daniel, denied knowledge of the factory.

A teenager, Stella John, alleged to be five months pregnant, said she was introduced to the place by a friend, whose name she refused to mention.

She, however, disclosed she used to receive N2,000 weekly for her upkeep, while she was staying in the baby factory.

(NAN)

The Government of Canada is provided 18 months to extend access to medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to people experiencing mental illnesses. Senators on Tuesday voted 57-21 to amend Bill C-7. The bill prohibits MAiD for individuals whose mere medical condition is a mental illness.

Assisted Dying in Canada

The bill provides the federal government one year and six months to extend access to medical aid in dying to such individuals.

Bill C-7 proposes an explicit, blanket ban on assisted dying in cases involving mere mental illness. However, it would also expand access to other intolerably suffering people who are far from their natural lives' end, reported Yahoo News.

The Canadian government has no control over less-partisan, independent-minded senators who appear strongly in favor of amending the legislation.

Senators provided conflicting views on the bill's constitutionality, if it should be amended and even whether there's any real urgency to deal with it this week, and whether it does enough to protect people with disabilities, reported CBC.

The amendment would enable people suffering from mental illness to access medical assistance to end their lives.

The amendment sets a "sunset" time limit, which will revoke the mental illness exclusion clause 18 months following receiving Royal Assent for Bill C-7, reported The Epoch Times.

It imposes an 18-month time limit on the mental illness exclusion, with the intent to provide the federal government, alongside territories, provinces, and medical associations, time to think of suitable safeguards and guidelines.

Until the exclusion is lifted, senators also agreed to another amendment to spell out that it will not apply to people experiencing neurodegenerative disorders, including dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

In the House of Commons, the minority government faced postponement of tactics from a majority of Conservative MPs who ardently oppose expanding assisted dying to intolerably suffering people far from death.

However, with the Bloc Quebecois and NDP supporting the bill, its eventual passage on Thursday was ensured. The government did not have to make any major amendments. It also faced no political pressure to do more to provide assistance to Canadians to access MAiD.

According to Sen. Denise Batters, who voted against the amendment, one of the basic criteria to access assisted suicide is that one's condition or illness must be incurable. With the introduction of a sunset clause, the mental illness exclusion would automatically be removed when a certain time period draws to an end.

Batters stated, "The term sunset clause is just a euphemism for the sunsetting of vulnerable people's lives. This will mean that after a short period of time... mental illness will be grounds for being put to death."

Justice Minister David Lametti remarked it was not the government's intent to exclude the said disorders. The amendment to certify that was approved by senators through voice voting.

Sen. Chantal Petitclerc, who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, implored her colleagues on Monday to take Canadians who are suffering intolerably into consideration as they wait for the bill to be passed.

Related Article: Judge Postpones Execution of Only Woman on Federal Death Row

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Charger Blog

As part of its celebration of Black History Month, the University welcomed two leaders in the cybersecurity field to its Cyber Legends web series to discuss the importance of promoting diversity and encouraging individuals from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in the field. By Sarah Kispert '22

Timothy Youngblood and Devon Bryan discussed the importance of promoting diversity in cybersecurity.

The third installment of the Universitys Connecticut Institute of Technologys Cyber Legends series welcomed Timothy Youngblood, vice president and chief information security officer (CISO) for the McDonalds Corporation, and Devon Bryan, managing director and CISO of MUFG Union Bank, in honor of Black History Month.

Visiting campus virtually as part of the Universitys celebration of Black History Month, both leaders shared their advice on how to prepare for working in cybersecurity in a world that continues to go remote. They discussed how to inspire younger generations to get excited about cybersecurity and cyber careers. In the position of CISO, both Youngblood and Bryan are challenged to create a secure environment for a remote workforce that is larger than ever.

The disrupted norm that we all have to operate under is no different than what Tim or any other CISO faces, irrespective of the industry, said Bryan.

Joining the discussion was Destiny Ray 24, who asked the speakers how they became interested in a career in cybersecurity, especially since it is not a field that is as commonly discussed in the Black community.

For Youngblood, it was the movie Wargames that sparked his interest in the field, and for Bryan, it was another movie: Hackers. Both Youngblood and Bryan say the passion they saw from those in the field and wonder that came from working in the cyber world were instilled in them at an early age. Planting the seed at a young age, they said, is crucial to raising awareness and interest in the field of cybersecurity.

Without awareness were not going to be able to recruit more people to the field, said Bryan.

The Universitys Connecticut Institute of Technology recently hosted the third installment of its Cyber Legends web series.

Getting your foot in the door

In 2014, Bryan co-founded the International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP), whose primary focus is to help increase the number of students in the field from underrepresented groups, encouraging them to pursue paths in cybersecurity by funding scholarship opportunities. By creating these opportunities and providing mentoring opportunities, training, and other support, more diversity is being fostered across the field of cybersecurity.

One of the challenges to overcome for all groups that are underrepresented in the industry is getting your foot in the door, said Youngblood.

Making connections, getting involved in interest groups, and building relationships within the industry helped him begin his career in cybersecurity, he said.

Youngbloods final words of wisdom to students were to stay encouraged, stay hungry, and, ultimately, you control your own destiny.

Sarah Kispert '22 is a forensic science major at the University of New Haven and a cybersecurity marketing intern. She is the daughter of Karl Kispert, host of the Cyber Legends Series.
A 22-year-old man is expected to survive a Thursday afternoon shooting on Beaver Street in Lancaster, police said.

Police were alerted to the shooting around 12:50 p.m., when they said someone called 911 to report a man with a gunshot wound to his arm on the first block of West Orange Street. Before officers could arrive, the man got into a car to be driven to a hospital, police said.

The man met with police at the hospital and told them the shooting happened at a home on the 300 block of Beaver Street, police said. His injuries are not life-threatening.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact the Lancaster Bureau of Police at 717-735-3300, or Lancaster Crime Stoppers at 800-322-1913. Tips can also be anonymously submitted by texting LANCS along with your message to 847411.

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Massachusetts removed two regions to its list of high-risk states for COVID-19.

Starting Saturday, people traveling to-and-from Puerto Rico and North Dakota will no longer need to quarantine or get tested for coronavirus.

Previously, Hawaii was the only state or territory deemed lower risk by state health officials.

Gov. Charlie Baker enacted a travel order on August 1 mandating all visitors and residents entering Massachusetts following a high-risk area quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to arrival in Massachusetts.

Visitors are urged to obtain a negative result before traveling to Massachusetts.

Failure to comply with the order could result in a $500 fine per day.

Exemptions are allowed for travelers from lower-risk states, people commuting for work or school and patients seeking specialized medical care.

The current list of lower-risk states includes:

Hawaii

North Dakota

Puerto Rico

Massachusetts residents are urged to limit any out-of-state travel only to states designated as COVID-19 lower-risk areas.

Anyone arriving from an international destination must fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form and must quarantine for 14 days or meet the 72-hour testing rule.


Honor launched the V40 in China last month as its first device after it has separated from Huawei. The was just certified at the Eurasian Economic Commission, meaning it is inching closer to a global launch.

More interestingly the phone was accompanied by four more devices at the EEC.

The HJC-LX9C and NZA-LX9 could be the global variants of two phones that have been certified on TENAA but not yet officially announced - the HJC-AN00 and NZA-AN00. Our source claimed the first one is the Huawei nova 8 SE but with a Dimensity 800U chipset, while the latter does not have a name but will bring a basic 6.6 HD+ screen and triple cameras on the back.

The CHL-LX1 and NTN-LX1 are entirely new handsets that will arrive on the shelves of Eurasian countries like Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Armenia. There are zero specs known about these phones, but we hope well learn more in time.

Via
All hypotheses are still open in the World Health Organizations search for the origins of COVID-19, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Friday.

A WHO-led mission in China said this week that it was not looking further into the question of whether the virus escaped from a lab, which it considered highly unlikely. The United States has said it will review the missions findings.

Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded. Having spoken with some members of the team, I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and study, Tedros said.

Some of that work may lie outside the remit and scope of this mission. We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the COVID-19 virus, he said.

The mission has said its main hypotheses are that the virus originated in a bat, although there are several possible scenarios for how it passed to humans, possibly first by infecting another species of animal.

The former administration of US President Donald Trump, which left office last month, said it believed the virus may have escaped from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. China has strongly denied this, and says the Wuhan Institute of Virology was not studying related viruses.
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The charismatic community organizer enjoyed a meteoric rise that took him from campaigning for an integrated community pool and recreational center in his hometown, Maywood, Ill., to preaching to thousands as the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party.

In 1969, a few months after helping to found the partys Illinois chapter, the 20-year-old Hampton brokered an alliance he called the Rainbow Coalition, which united the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (Southern white leftists) and the Young Lords (a Puerto Rican civil and human rights organization) in an effort to combat poverty and racism in their Chicago communities.

Hamptons rapid ascent through the ranks of the Black Panther Party landed him in the cross hairs of a secret F.B.I. counterintelligence program, known as Cointelpro, that Hoover formed to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of Black nationalist, hate-type organizations. Targets included both the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Ku Klux Klan. Hoover declared in an internal memo that he sought to prevent the rise of a messiah who could unify and electrify the militant Black nationalist movement.

Under Cointelpro, the F.B.I. tried a number of tactics to sow discord within the Black Panther Party at the national and local levels, including sending bogus letters to two of its leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey P. Newton, which claimed that each sought to depose the other. Authorities also arrested Hampton and several other Panthers in an effort to publicly discredit the group. In the months before the raid on Hamptons apartment, the Panthers and the police also faced off in two gun battles: One in July 1969 at the partys West Side headquarters in which five police officers and three Panthers were injured, and a South Side fight that November that left two officers and one Panther dead.

Who was William ONeal?

At 17, ONeal (Lakeith Stanfield) already had a criminal record when the F.B.I. agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) tracked him down after he stole a car in 1966. But ONeal soon took on a new role: F.B.I. informant. Given the choice between facing felony charges or agreeing to infiltrate the Panthers, he opted for the latter: as a security captain in the Illinois Black Panther Party, he infiltrated Hamptons inner circle.

2020 Land Rover Defender 110 First Edition Review By Larry Nutson

2020 Land Rover Defender 110

First Edition

By Larry Nutson

Executive Editor and Bureau Chief

Chicago Bureau

The Auto Channel

The Land Rover brand was created from a drawing on a beach in 1947. Since that time Land Rover has been the choice of adventurers and expedition leaders around the world for more than 70 years.

Land Rover has now brought the world an entirely new Defender model. The previous-generation Defender first appeared in 1983 and was sold in the United States from 1993 to 1997.

Land Rovers are all about off-road capability. The Defender is the ultimate in off-road capability from Land Rover. Whether it be mud, snow, sand, rocks, water or whatever, the Defender is equipped with what you need to keep going. To wit: a height-adjustable air suspension, a Wade Sensing system that measures water depth, a power winch, a twin-speed transfer box, Configurable Terrain Response, Locking Center Differential, Active Rear and Locking Differential and low-speed crawl control.

The Defender is completely redesigned and features an all-new architecture with an aluminum unibody design and 4-wheel independent suspension. Gone is the traditional body-on-frame and solid axle setup. The new Defender is purposeful, rugged and unique in its style and design.

The Defender was introduced for 2020 in a 4-door version 110 trim with a 118 .9-inch wheelbase and seating for five. An optional third-row seat increases seating to seven. A front-seat center jump seat is optional to increase seating to six, but it cannot be had in combination with the third row seat.

For 2021 a 2-door version 90 trim with a 101.9-inch wheelbase and seating for six will also be available. The sixth seat is added with the center jump seat that allows three-abreast seating in the front.

trims are available: Defender, Defender S, Defender SE, Defender HSE, Defender X and Defender First Edition. Four accessory packages are also offered: Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban.

Two engines are available. The Defender and Defender S have a 296-hp turbocharged 2.0-L 4-cylinder. Defender SE, HSE, X and First Edition have a 395-hp conventional twin-scroll turbocharged and 48-volt electric supercharged 3.0-L inline six with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Both engines are mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic with a twin-speed transfer box and 4X4 permanent four-wheel drive.

A maximum payload of up to 1,984-lbs., static roof load of up to 661-lbs., dynamic roof load of 370-lbs., towing capacity of 8,201-lbs and wading depth of up to 35.4-inches plus 34.6 cu.ft. of rear cargo space combine to provide for lots of adventures.

The 21st Century has brought a lot of new technology and the new Defender has it all. A new PIVI Pro infotainment system features an intuitive interface, software over-the-air updates, 10-inch touchscreen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A full array of advanced driver-assist safety (ADAS) features is offered. A head-up display, rear camera mirror, 3D surround view camera, and 360-degree parking aid are also available.

2020 Defender pricing starts at $49,900 and climbs to $80,900 plus a $1,350 destination charge. Check out www.landroverusa.com

For my Chicago-based drive experience I drove the First Edition trim with a base price of $68,650. Options on this Defender included Explorer Pack ($4,800), third row seats ($1,200), three zone climate control ($1,075), tow hitch receiver ($650), off-road tires ($350), 60:40 load through rear seats with center arm rest ($100), cabin air ionization ($100), air quality sensor ($75), premium interior protection/storage pack ($700) and basic rear seat convenience pack ($140). All this brought the bottom line to $79,190 including destination charge.

The Explorer Pack includes mud flaps, matte black 110 hood decal, spare wheel cover, wheel arch protection, raised air intake, expedition roof rack and exterior side-mounted gear carrier.

My drive with the new Defender didnt take me on any off-road excursion. It was limited to some snow-covered Chicago streets and a road trip east to southeast Michigan and back. The Defender with its compact 187.3 in. exterior is easy to maneuver in a densely populated city. Note however the rear cargo door mounted spare wheel/tire assembly adds 10.3 in., for a total of 197.6 in.

The rear cargo door is side hinged which is easy to use out in the wide-open spaces. If you happen to be parallel parked there may be an issue with a vehicle parked to the rear.

There is plenty of good response and all around performance, better than expected, from the 3.0-L engine and 8-speed automatic. Zero to 60 mph is in 5.8 seconds.

EPA lab-test ratings for the 3.0-L are 19 combined mpg with 17 city mpg and 22 highway mpg. With the Defenders 23.8 gal. fuel tank theres, in theory, more than 500 miles of driving range.

I didnt quite get the fuel economy I anticipated in my trip across Michigan. I can attribute that, though, to the higher prevailing speeds on the interstate. The Defender averaged 16 mpg on that trip.

Ill note the First Edition I drove was equipped with a raised air intake, expedition roof rack and exterior side-mounted gear carrier as well as off-road tires. I think all of these had a negative impact on fuel consumption. I also noted a lot of wind noise which is also not surprising considering the roof rack and raised air intake mounted to the driver side A-pillar. On a positive note, the off-road tires were much more quiet than I would have guessed.

Overall the interior is comfortable with decent room in the front cabin and plenty of storage. The tall 8.5 in. ground clearance makes for a climb up---but well worth having if you are hitting the trails. The air suspension allows for an increase in ground clearance to 11.5 inches. The tall height makes for good forward visibility.

The Defender has a rugged look both in and out. Both my wife and adult daughter asked if I would own one. Under the right circumstances, yes. Perhaps I should become a gentleman farmer!

Noteworthy is the Land Rover Defender has been named the 2021 Motor Trend SUV of the Year.

 2021 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy
As election race is heating up Bengal, the Left Front chairman Biman Bose has called for 12-hour bandh in West Bengal today. Shah announced as soon as the Covid vaccination process ends, the process of granting citizenship under CAA will begin and section Hindu migrants and refugees will be granted citizenship.

As election race is heating up Bengal, the Left Front chairman Biman Bose has called for 12-hour bandh in West Bengal today. Left workers were allegedly beaten up during a march to Nabanna, the state secretariat in Kolkata on Thursday for demanding jobs. Left parties also took out a rally at 10 am today. Home Minister Amit Shah said that the BJP will win over 200 seats in West Bengal. Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, Shah said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has deprived the state of central schemes.

Shah stressed on making Bengal a Sonar Bangla and that this election fight is about bringing glory to eastern India again, eliminating poverty, safeguarding borders, keeping out infiltrators, providing citizenship to refugees, and taking Bengal to the top in various fields of industry, education, and patriotism. Elections for 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal are slated to take place this year. Ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah visit to West Bengal, TMC leaders planned to stage a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Shah announced in a public rally at Thakurnagar as soon as the Covid vaccination process ends, the process of granting citizenship under CAA will begin and section Hindu migrants and refugees will be granted citizenship. Earlier in the day, Shah flagged off the fourth Poriborton Yatra from Cooch Behar and said that this initiative is not about changing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but to build Sonar Bangla.

I am promising that till the time election ends Mamata didi will also say,'Jai Shri Ram': Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Coochbehar. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/kgnPkfomCm  ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2021

#WestBengal: Day-to-day activities in Birbhum district remain unaffected amid a 12-hour bandh call by Left Front in the state Members of Left parties & Congress protest on roads after workers of Left were allegedly beaten up during a march to Kolkata's Nabanna yesterday pic.twitter.com/N3OC80obUR  ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2021

Also Read: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau dials India for Covid-19 vaccine; India sets example with Vaccine Maitri initiative

Also Read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch

[February 12, 2021] TransPerfect Named One of the Largest Privately Held Companies by Crain's New York Business

TransPerfect, the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced that it has been recognized by Crain's New York Business as one of the largest privately owned companies in the New York area. The 2020 list ranks the top 150 privately held companies headquartered in New York City based on prior year annual revenues. TransPerfect came in at #42 in the rankings, which also include organizations like Bloomberg, Tory Burch, FreshDirect (News - Alert) , and Vice Media. This is the fifteenth consecutive year TransPerfect has been named to the list. Compiled by Crain's New York Business, the annual top privately held companies list is based on data reported by the companies and includes rankings estimated by Crain's reporting staff using market statistics, background knowledge, and insider contacts. TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe stated, "We are excited to once again be recognized by Crain's New York Business as one of the city's top companies. TransPerfect was founded in New York City in 1992, and has been fortunate to have grown top line revenue every year since. We are proud to employ over 800 full-time professionals in New York, and remain deeply committed to the city." The complete list of the largest privately held companies in the New York area can be found on the Crain's New York Business website.



About TransPerfect TransPerfect is the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 100 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 5,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink technology to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005453/en/

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The death of Leonard Leichter in 1980, of a heart attack brought on by the terror of a gunpoint carjacking, was a painful loss that still haunts his daughter, Nancy Leichter.

But when she realized that two young Black men were still in prison 40 years later for his death  even after the ringleader in the crime was paroled  that was a new source of pain.

They committed a terrible crime, but they dont deserve to die in prison, she said. I think people are more than the worst thing theyve ever done.

Leichter became a forceful advocate for clemency for the two men, brothers Reid and Wyatt Evans, urging the Board of Pardons to recommend them for commutation. The board did so.

On Thursday, with the stroke of a pen, Gov. Tom Wolf commuted their life sentences to lifetime parole, allowing for them to be released from prison, according to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman. Wolfs office did not immediately respond to a request for information Thursday afternoon.

The brothers were among 13 life-sentenced people granted clemency, Fetterman said. Others to be released include Philadelphia brothers Dennis and Lee Horton, who have long maintained their innocence in a robbery shooting, and Avis Lee, who was a teenager when she served as a lookout for a robbery that turned fatal. Lee Hortons wife, Joanna, said the day had been a rollercoaster: Lee told her that theyd been granted clemency, and that they had also both tested positive for the coronavirus.

I cried some. Ive been screaming, said Joanna, who works as a home health aide and was about to finish her shift. When I leave here, Im going to scream and Im going to run down the block.

Fetterman, who has pushed to expand access to clemency, called the releases a career highlight.

That theyre going to go home, its amazing. Between just the Evans and the Horton brothers, its almost 140 years of incarceration, almost all of it unnecessary, he said. Im so happy for their families. They get their husbands back. They get their brothers back. They get their fathers back.

When Reid and Wyatt Evans sister, Rita Faye Aidara, heard the news, she let out a joyful scream.

Oh lord, that is a beautiful thing, she said. God is good.

Fetterman advocated the release of the Evans brothers, as well as Francisco Mojica and a fourth man, George Trudel. He learned of their cases in an Inquirer article about how felony murder rules in Pennsylvania can leave even peripheral accomplices to serve decades longer than the perpetrator in murder cases.

Im proud to say that every person featured in that article is going home, said Fetterman. Trudel, who received clemency in 2019, now works for the Board of Pardons.

Mojicas wife, Lydia, expressed gratitude for his release, after decades of visiting him in prison and raising his children without help. As a volunteer hospice worker in the prison, Mojica was known for his caring bedside manner. He hopes to do similar work once hes released back to the community, and to care for his own family, including Lydia, who is on dialysis.

Its a very good moment, his sister Mariluz Mojica said. After all these years, were all happy that hes coming home.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Microsoft and Google, longtime peaceful competitors, have turned on each other in what has recently become a heated battle over the future of news.

Details: Google on Thursday clawed back at Microsoft, arguing that the Seattle tech giant's support of an upcoming Australian news law is flawed and self-serving.

"[O]f course they'd be eager to impose an unworkable levy on a rival and increase their market share," Google's SVP global affairs and chief legal officer Kent Walker said in a statement.

"[O]f course they'd be eager to impose an unworkable levy on a rival and increase their market share," Google's SVP global affairs and chief legal officer Kent Walker said in a statement. Earlier Thursday, Microsoft president Brad Smith told Axios: "I would be the first to acknowledge that we recognize that this is an opportunity to combine good business with a good cause."

Catch up quick: Australian regulators are close to passing a new law that would make it the first country to force both Google and Facebook to pay news publishers for their content or else be subject to hefty fines.

In a blow to Google, Microsoft has backed the law, suggesting it could help even the playing field in search and make Microsoft's Bing search engine a more viable competitor for Google.

Both Facebook and Google have said they can't run their businesses as usual if the law takes effect and warn that if Australia passes it as expected, they'll pull some of their services from the country.

Facebook says it would block users from being able share news links in Australia. Google says it would have to stop making Google Search available in the country.

Be smart: Microsoft has spent the past few years avoiding much of the drama that its other Big Tech peers have faced around news and content moderation. Now, it wants to use that positioning to leapfrog its biggest competitor in one of the biggest Western markets in the world.

The new bargaining code is expected to be delivered to Australian lawmakers as soon as this Friday, and passed within the next two weeks.

Driving the news: Smith on Thursday doubled down on Microsoft's position, telling Axios that the U.S. and other countries should consider adopting media rules like those Australia is poised to soon enact to force tech companies to pay publishers for content.

Smith noted that Microsoft, which has a revenue-sharing program with publishers through Microsoft News, would be able to bring more revenue to publishers in Australia if it had more market share.

"We can't share revenue unless we have revenue to share," he said.

The big picture: Both Google and Facebook have in recent months created new features that steer money to news outlets without having to totally reimagine their businesses.

Google has started to roll out its "Google News Showcase" product in the U.K. and Argentina. Facebook launched its Facebook News Tab last week in the U.K.

While those companies have committed over 1 billion dollars combined to paying news outlets, Microsoft has paid out $1 billion to news outlets since 2014, due to its market share size.

What to watch: News Corp, the global publishing giant run by Rupert Murdoch, has been aggressively lobbying for such reforms, as it owns a sizable portion of the newspaper market in Australia.

Smith said he hasn't himself spoken with anyone from the company after Microsoft came out in favor of the law last week, but that News Corp has since reached out to others at Microsoft.

The bottom line: "Sometimes it takes someone who has a powerful microphone to ensure that many voices are heard and that's not a bad thing," Smith argued.

Go deeper: Tech coughs up money for news as regulatory threats loom
The coalition advises task forces, like the new one in Porter County, on what it can do to help residents in its area, she said, adding that such task forces are badly needed in the state, which has had higher suicide rates than the national average for the last 18 years.
The Southern Railway on Friday said that students will now be allowed to travel in Chennai suburban trains. The services will start from February 15. With this permission in place, they will be allowed to travel even during the peak hours of Chennai suburban trains.

To use the facility, students will need to show a valid identity card issued by their educational institution at the time of purchasing the ticket or pass. Further, when the Travelling Ticket Examiner comes to check the ticket in the train, the student will have to produce both the ticket and the valid ID proof.

A press release issued by the Southern Railway clearly mentions that all students using this facility will have to abide by safety precautions against the novel coronavirus. It states that students must mandatorily wear a face mask and practice social distancing during the entire train journey.

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways, took to Twitter to share the press release. In a part of his tweet, he has also assured people that the Railways is making efforts in the direction of delivering safe and convenient travel experience to all passengers.

https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1360148757841641474?s=20

The services in the Chennai suburban trains were earlier only made available for women. Chennai suburban train services started from January 4 full fledgedly. Before this, only selected routes were being operated due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, currently, an additional 160 services -- which were available before the pandemic -- have also started.

In a previous statement that the Southern Railway released, it had said that the local train services daily from Chennai will be 660. The general public has been allowed to use the local train during the non-peak hours. The department has mentioned that the peak hours every day will be between 7 am and 9.30 am, and between 4.30 pm and 7 pm.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Archbishop John Barwa inaugurated the new extension of a middle school in Balliguda, one of the villages most affected by the 2008 anti-Christian violence. Let it be a beacon of light for everyone, said the prelate.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar yesterday inaugurated and blessed the extension of the St Johns English Middle School in Balliguda, Kandhamal district (Odisha), on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The new educational facility is located in one of the villages most affected by the anti-Christian pogrom carried out by Hindu extremists in 2008. Many survivors and relatives of the victims were present at the ceremony.

Our children in Kandhamal district are intelligent and deserve every opportunity to grow, Archbishop Barwa told AsiaNews. This school, he added, will be open to children of all faiths and castes without discrimination.

For the prelate, the facility will offer students opportunities to acquire for knowledge, but also a chance to explore their passions, create communities, preserve their identity, and empower themselves so that they can improve the quality of life of our people.

Many of the pupils at St John's Middle School come from families who were victims of violence, Archbishop Barwa explained.

In Balliguda church buildings were also destroyed, starting in December 2007. The same happened again in August 2008. Extremists also destroyed the presbytery, the convent, the hostel, and damaged other property, burnt homes and chapels, forcing people to flee into the forest to save their lives.

Before the inauguration, the Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar celebrated Mass in the schools chapel on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. This years celebration coincides with the tenth anniversary of his appointment as head of the Archdiocese of Orissa.

During the service, Mgr Barwa invoked Mary's maternal heart to provide living water that purifies and heals. This school, he said, is a beacon of light for everyone, dispelling the darkness of divisions and enmity to create a new society and a new future, a new Balliguda of tolerance, peace, harmony and coexistence.


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If you are a vendor and sell your wares online -- how could you not be tapping into e-commerce today? It's time to take a fresh look at your search engine optimization strategy. You might need to tweak your SEO process to drive more customer traffic to your website.

Once you broaden your understanding of SEO, you will be able to improve your search engine rankings. Software tools are available to provide data and alerts about the overall health and success of your website.

Using SEO tools can help uncover areas of opportunity and identify weaknesses or issues that prevent you from ranking and gain better visibility in search engine results pages, or SERPs.

These are how Google displays Internet users' search query results when they visit your web site. SERPs generally include organic search results, paid Google Ads results, Knowledge Graphs, featured snippets and video results. In today's continuing dominance of online shopping, some traditional marketing methods are becoming obsolete. But the effectiveness of your SEO ranking remains a vital part of your marketing strategy.

SEO for Marketing

Search engine optimization is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies you can apply. It becomes a magnet to attract consumers actively looking for your products and services online.

SEO is more important than ever. More consumers are leaning on the Internet for products and services they may have historically shopped for offline pre-pandemic, according to Steve Wiideman, president and CEO of Wiideman Consulting Group.

"Restaurants, in particular, have survived either by partnering with delivery services such as Doordash, Postmates, Uber Eats, Grubhub, or by developing keyword-rich pages on their websites. Keywords address off-premises searches customers use to find delivery, takeout, carside, curbside, or outdoor dining near them," he told the E-Commerce Times.

A case in point is Applebee's, which saw a 37 percent lift in organic visits in 2020 versus 2019 with over 167 percent lift in online orders. Even with traffic from Google Maps decreasing by 23 percent due to fewer customers needing directions, online orders from Maps and "3-Pack" map listings in organic results were up by over 27 percent, he noted.

"Customers have changed their buying habits, some indefinitely. These new online ordering customers have discovered the convenience of ordering online and will likely continue the new routine even after the pandemic comes to an end," said Wiideman.

The E-Commerce Times discussed with Steve Wiideman the essentials of how to build an SEO strategy for 2021. He is an SEO expert and has worked with brands that include Applebee's, Public Storage, IHOP, Skechers, Blake Pizza, Technicolor, Bosley, Belkin, Linksys, Homes.com, FIDM, Essentia Health, and Grand Seiko.

Steve Wiideman, President

Wiideman Consulting Group

Wiideman designed and teaches the Website Optimization and Strategic Search Engine Marketing online course for California State University Fullerton and the SEO Tools and Analytics course at University of California San Diego. He is an adjunct professor at the University of California San Diego, California State University Fullerton, and Fullerton College -- and recently was commissioned to write a textbook for a popular online learning service for colleges.

E-Commerce Times: Is SEO's impact more critical for commerce in general or e-commerce? Why?

Steve Wiideman: E-commerce is likely the most critical marketing tactic for businesses today for several reasons. It is much easier to track ROI on marketing efforts when a transaction can be tied to a specific medium, such as search, social, email, referral, or other marketing.

Secondly, many users save their information or register for an account when making a purchase, allowing advertisers to use remarketing strategies, newsletters, and loyalty programs, all of which reduce more expensive advertising mediums such as bidding on keywords in the Google Search Network.

What does successful SEO look like?

Wiideman: Successful SEO is measured through the use of simple key performance indicators, or KPI. The most important to many advertisers include the following:

a. YoY and MoM growth in revenue sourced from organic

b. YoY and MoM growth in revenue from maps and 3-Pack listings

Other KPI's that the various SEO team members might be monitoring, include:

a. Percentage improvement in technical site issues

b. Percentage improvement in mobile page speeds/load times

c. Average keyword position of keywords tracked and monitored (often segmented by category or business objectives)

d. Number of new inbound links earned through upper funnel/informational content (such as FAQ's)

A successful campaign will have initial KPI goals that are met and exceeded over the course of 12 months. Here is a link to a template we use with several of our restaurant chain clients. This template has evolved into a Google Data Studio dashboard over time but remains as relevant today as it ever did.

How can companies build an effective SEO strategy for 2021?

Wiideman: Companies can build an effective SEO strategy by dedicating one to three months toward research and planning, with the following deliverables from an experienced strategist:

a. Technical SEO Audit

b. Competitive "Baseline" Report

c. Link Audit and Strategy

d. Extensive Keyword Research (existing data and competitive insights)

e. Website Taxonomy and Information Architecture Plan (based on keyword research)

f. Local and/or E-commerce SEO Strategy

Once completed, the action items from the research are organized into a project management system such as Monday.com, Basecamp, Jira, or (our favorite) Smartsheets. Tasks are assigned, prioritized, and due dates are added to ensure accountability.

How has the COVID-19 global pandemic affected what and how people search the Internet?

Wiideman: The biggest shift we have seen in how users behave in search engines includes the use of the phrases "near me" and "online." With fewer shoppers going out to buy, online shopping is more important than ever. Having a mobile shopping experience built to require a visitor's thumb throughout the experience with no keyboard required is how businesses are maximizing visit-to-sale (conversion) rates.

As mentioned earlier, for the restaurant industry, addressing keywords by improving content can keep the kitchen lights on.

How can online merchants avoid SEO scams?

Wiideman: SEO today is starting to become more transparent. Business owners are not falling for the "we can rank you #1 in Google" spam calls as often. Instead, they are up late educating themselves as part of their survival strategy.

This is why we created our free SEO Masterclass to equip business owners with the education and training they need to manage SEO in-house and to prevent being taken advantage of by shrewd cold-callers.

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.


Its hard to tell how serious Graham Weston was three years ago when he proposed that the University of Texas at San Antonio sell its downtown campus to another higher ed institution, one that had gumption.

Maybe he was just spit-balling.

I think I was just trying to express that it seemed to us like it was without a champion and not focused on, loved or cared about, said the co-founder of the cloud-computing company Rackspace Technology. It didnt really seem like there was any real effort afoot to do the hard work to unlock its potential.

In my eyes, we had this community asset with almost unlimited potential for downtown and the West Side, and it was a shame that it was sitting there having no real impact.

He didnt make that point, or call for handing off the campus to another university, in a cranky Facebook post or tweet.

Weston, 56, went directly to UTSA President Taylor Eighmy.

Weston is rich. Hes a philanthropist. And his real estate development firm, Weston Urban, was busy assembling more than 20 acres of downtown property and building Frost Tower, a $142 million, 23-story marvel of mirror-like glass and slanted lines. Hes doing more than any other developer to remake the inner city.

So of course he got a meeting with Eighmy. University presidents have to be equal parts leader, administrator, politico and fundraiser. Making time to chat with somebody like Weston  they dont even have to think about it.

They met for the first time in late 2017, soon after Eighmy took the helm at UTSA, or early the following year. Westons notion to sell the downtown campus to another school  he says he didnt have any particular one in mind  obviously didnt go anywhere.

For his part, Eighmy doesnt recall that Weston suggested such a transfer.

He remembers the meeting including conversation about shared beliefs in the importance of education, work force development, the economic benefit to San Antonio, etc., UTSA spokesman Joe Izbrand said by email.

Despite Westons withering take on the downtown campus, the two men apparently hit it off  and kept talking. Within a few months, in September 2018, UTSA announced that Weston would donate $15 million for the universitys proposed School of Data Science.

The university described the school as a major component in UTSAs phased, 10-year approach to accelerating the development of its Downtown Campus as a destination for producing highly skilled professionals in big data and analytics, advancing economic development in the urban core and creating prosperity for San Antonio.

Precisely the kind of institution Weston was after.

By the way, his dealings with UTSA go beyond check-writing. In June, City Council agreed to sell Weston Urban the vacant Continental Hotel and its parking lot on West Commerce Street, just north of the planned data science school, for $4.7 million. The firm expected to spend $40.3 million to build 274 apartments for university students, professors and staff.

Last month, Weston praised the university during a virtual groundbreaking for a $90 million building at 506 Dolorosa St. that will house both the data science school and the National Security Collaboration Center, a partnership between universities, the federal government and private-sector cybersecurity firms.

Weston also talked about his original pitch to Eighmy, creating the events only awkward moment.

A little background is in order.

Before his first meeting with Eighmy, Weston had visited Cornell Tech on New York Citys Roosevelt Island. He was bewitched. A collaboration between Cornell University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, it trains engineers and tech entrepreneurs and workers. The two academic powerhouses built the school  which offers masters and doctoral programs  after winning a competition among top universities orchestrated by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2010.

The future presidential candidate wanted another technical training ground for his city.

It was transformational, Weston said. I thought that San Antonio could do the same. Cities that have active universities downtown have a great energy about them.

He was of like minds with Eighmy, though the UTSA presidents template was Arizona State Universitys campus in downtown Phoenix. He described it as a perfect model to emulate.

I had discussed the critical importance of the downtown campus to the trajectory of UTSA when I was interviewing for the job, Eighmy said. I had already begun conversations on campus about taking advantage of our downtown campus from a strategic perspective.

Before coming to San Antonio, he had served as chief research officer at the University of New Hampshire, Texas Tech University and, most recently, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

An environmental engineer by training, he replaced Ricardo Romo, a West Side native whod led the university for 18 years. Romo was forced out after an internal investigation found hed inappropriately touched female employees  too much hugging.

A big part of Romos mission had been to turn UTSA into a Tier One research university, a magnet for federal grants and wealthy corporations looking to partner with academics on research and development.

Based on Westons assessment of UTSAs downtown campus, we can guess what he thought of Romos progress toward that goal.

Take a moment to think about this.

Weston was disgruntled with UTSA, seeing what he considered its humdrum downtown campus as an obstacle to his vision for the inner city as a place swarming with students, professionals, tech entrepreneurs and their employees. But instead of organizing a group of like-minded business leaders to prod university officials, he went straight to the top.

Six months ago, Weston again acted on his impulse to just do it, creating the nonprofit Community Labs in partnership with the Tobin Endowment and the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation. He saw a void  a lack of rapid, repeated, mass testing for the coronavirus in schools and the workplace  and he filled it.

His post-Rackspace career has largely been about filling a much bigger void. Most of the movers and shakers who influenced San Antonios modern development  including USAAs Gen. Robert McDermott, H.B. Zachry and Tom Frost Jr.  have died. Others, such as auto magnate B.J. Red McCombs, are fading from the scene. And the citys chambers of commerce are enfeebled.

Weston is one of the very few whos taking their place.

Not to give him too much credit  its easy to overstate his power to make things happen. Take the School of Data Science.

In reality, the opportunity to develop the three parcels just east of the downtown campus involved parallel, extensive discussions with Graham as a philanthropic investor, the UT System and the Board of Regents, the city of San Antonio and Bexar County, Eighmy said. Each component had to come together for the idea to move forward.

Still, Weston is a breed of leader San Antonio hadnt seen before, molded by the tech industry  experimental, impatient with coalition-building and slow-moving government processes, and laser-focused on science and technology training, to the detriment of the liberal arts that make civil society civil.

These change agents are largely white men from middle- to upper-class families.

Is Westons vision of a glittering downtown bustling with creatives the right one for a blue-collar city with a majority Hispanic population?

Well, whats the alternative?

greg.jefferson@express-news.net
Pope Francis sends best wishes to Vatican Radio staff on milestone anniversary.

Vatican Radio celebrates its 90th anniversary today, 12 February, with Pope Francis encouraging its staff to continue the mission of carrying words to "the most distant places."

Praising the radio's staff members, who hail from 69 nations, the pontiff thanked them for the love they put into their work, reports Vatican News.

The radio's mission, and its enormous reach, has taken on new significance during the covid-19 pandemic, connecting people isolated by sickness and lockdowns.

Over the last year Vatican Radio also reached those being held against their will, including Father Luigi Maccalli, for two years a prisoner of jihadists between Niger and Mali.

The missionary managed to get his hands on a little radio with which he was able to listen to the Sunday Gospel and even the pope's Mass of Pentecost broadcast live, reports Vatican News.

The radio station was set up in Vatican City by the inventor of the radio himself, Guglielmo Marconi, and the first words heard in the inaugural broadcast were spoken in Latin by Pope Pius XI when he greeted the world on 12 February 1931.

For the last 50 years the pontifical broadcaster has based at Palazzo Pio, near St Peter's, in a building overlooking Castel S. Angelo.

Today its programmes are offered in 41 languages and are broadcast on short wave, DRM, medium wave, FM, satellite and via the internet.

Massimiliano Menichetti, the head of Vatican News, which incorporates Vatican News, spoke to Italian newspaper La Stampa about future plans for the "Pope's Radio."

"Today radio is audio, text, photos, video and is broadcast on the internet, satellite, digital terrestrial and waves, " said Menichetti.

"For the 90th we are also launching the challenge of Web radio, the debut will be on 12 February in Italian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Armenian, but soon around 30 live channels will be created. We will also launch a new web page entirely dedicated to audio."

Photo Vatican Media
Sales of foreign-made counterfeit N95 face masks in at least five states are being investigated by U.S. officials.

The fake 3M masks were sold to hospitals, medical facilities, and government agencies. Such counterfeit products could put health care workers at risk for coronavirus infection, the Associated Press reported. There have been already more than 1,250 raids by law enforcement that resulted in the seizure of 10 million counterfeit 3M masks alone.

Officials in Washington state examined their mask supply and discovered that 300,000 masks they had purchased for about $1.4 million were counterfeit. Officials are investigating.

Federal investigators say there has been an increase in phony websites purporting to sell vaccines as well as fake medicine produced overseas and scams involving personal protective equipment. The schemes deliver phony products, unlike fraud earlier in the pandemic that focused more on fleecing customers, the AP reported.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Associated Press Article

Copyright  2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRANFORD  Connecticut Hospice is doubling the number of visitors allowed per patient from two to four, according to President Barbara L. Pearce.

And on Sunday, Valentines Day, there will be no limit on visitors.
Finishing high school five years ago marked the beginning of a difficult transition period for Alec Lesmond. Youre trying to decide where to go next, youve had this community, and now youre being thrown into the open world and it feels like the rest of your life depends on the decision you make, he said.

He imagines it will be even more challenging for the Class of 2020, who are entering their adult lives without the same level of social interaction or certainty as the students before them. Its why Mr Lesmond has chosen to take on a facilitator role with a new Year 13 support program, run by the Banksia Project, to help year 12 students with their post-school adjustment.

Will Begg, a Year 13 student, with Alec Lesmond. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The program will be rolled out for new graduates of three Sydney private boys schools this year - Cranbrook, Saint Ignatius College Riverview and St Josephs in Hunters Hill - and offer recent graduates access to monthly virtual support sessions with former students, who will take them through modules designed by mental health clinicians.

Its one of several mental health initiatives being offered to students this year, as schools and services providers respond to concerns for young peoples wellbeing during the pandemic.

After years of demands from grassroots organizations in San Antonio, CPS Energy finally released its proposals for phasing out the use of coal at its polluting Spruce power plant at Calaveras Lake.

Its about time the secretive publicly owned utility produced some analysis. The Flexible Path Resource Plan confirms what many already knew: CPS Energy can close Spruce and replace it with 100 percent clean energy and battery storage by the end of the decade.

The utilitys newly disclosed plan lays out two possibilities for phasing out the burning of coal at the plant. The best option would be to replace the Spruce 1 and 2 generating units with wind and solar power, using high-tech batteries as backup. This would offer the greatest reduction in the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to the planets warming, while also curbing other air and water pollution that harms public health.

The second option, which many environmental and public health advocates oppose, is to close Spruce 1 and convert Spruce 2 to run on methane gas. This option would reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but it would introduce emissions of methane, a much more potent and destructive greenhouse gas. From the moment it is fracked to the refining process and transport, methane gas is spewed into the atmosphere, warming the planet and worsening the climate crisis. Once methane pollution is accounted for, there is little, if any benefit to the climate from switching from coal to natural gas.

CPS Energy CEO Paula Gold-Williams has resisted public pressure to close the coal plant by 2030. Now CPS Energy is arguing that shutting it down would necessitate rate hikes. Thats because even after the Spruce coal plant closes, CPS Energy will continue to owe money for the plants construction. If the utility chooses to speed up payments on the debt and collect that money from customers over just a few years instead of spreading it out over a decade or more, rates will increase.

But retiring the plant doesnt force CPS to accelerate those debt payments or collect more from customers right now. In fact, Austin Energy is retiring its coal plant early without a rate hike, even though the utility still owes on the plant.

CPS Energy has tools to adjust energy usage according to wind and solar availability. And it has had some success already with energy efficiency and demand response, which allows customers to reduce their electricity usage during periods of higher power prices.

Plenty of CPS Energy ratepayers  including 14,000 who signed a petition last fall  want the coal plant closed for the good of our planet and community. Most people understand that coal pollution triggers respiratory problems and damages our environment. We need CPS Energy leadership to focus on developing a strategy that phases out polluting fossil fuels and keeps bills affordable. It can be done. CPS should engage in a robust community dialogue that includes a range of voices.

The yet unformed Rate Advisory Committee could help. The committee  approved in early 2020 but only set in motion last month  can dig into the numbers and assumptions, and help the public fully understand the costs and benefits of clean energy. The CPS Energy board of trustees, including Mayor Ron Nirenberg, cant drag its feet on this. Trustees should initiate the effort immediately and decide by the end of the year, if not sooner.

Nirenberg and the San Antonio City Council have a responsibility to heed the publics calls for a transition to clean energy. They must demand more from CPS Energy and call for Spruce to be closed  not converted to run on methane gas  by 2030. Before council and the mayor even consider a rate hike request from CPS Energy there must be a transparent process that invites public participation.

Public Citizen and other environmental advocates want to work with CPS Energy to refine and improve this plan. The data show the utility can close Spruce and prioritize public health, but it must act quickly to protect from the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

DeeDee Belmares is Public Citizens climate justice organizer in San Antonio.
Leaving the State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on Thursday morning, his white hair peeking out below a prison-issue hat, Joe Ligon was accompanied by a dozen large file boxes. Thats about 10 more boxes than regulations normally permit.

Im a special guy, Ligon explained.

Its a privilege earned over 68 years, as the oldest and longest-serving juvenile lifer in the country. Hes been imprisoned since 1953, when he was just 15 years old.

I guess you accumulate a lot of stuff in 68 years, said Bradley Bridge, a lawyer with the Defender Association of Philadelphia whos represented Ligon since 2006. Having taken on the mission of getting Ligon home  first legally, then logistically  he had to scramble to fit the materials into his car, commandeering a reporters trunk for the overflow.

Ligon, now 82, received his life term for taking part in a spree of robbery and assaults in which two people died. Ligon admits participating in the crime with a group of drunk teens, but denies killing anyone.

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that automatic life terms for kids are cruel and unusual, he was one of more than 500 Pennsylvania prisoners all resentenced to terms contingent on lifetime parole.

But Ligon, resentenced to 35 years to life in 2017, rejected the very idea of parole after nearly seven decades in prison.

I like to be free, he said. With parole, you got to see the parole people every so often. You cant leave the city without permission from parole. Thats part of freedom for me.

Other prisoners tried to coax him out into the free world. John Pace, a former juvenile lifer and now a re-entry coordinator for the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP), recalled a fruitless visit to the prison with a group of other ex-lifers. If you want to fight, fight it when you get out, he counseled Ligon at the time.

But Ligon refused to apply for parole, let alone take any required programs.

So Bridge fought three more years to get him released with time served  and won a victory that has given hope to hundreds of other juvenile lifers still on parole.

In federal court, he argued that Ligons mandatory maximum sentence of life was unconstitutional.

The constitution requires that the entire sentence, both the minimum and maximum terms imposed on a juvenile, be individualized  and a one size fits all cannot pass constitutional muster, he wrote. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office agreed. And, on Nov. 13, 2020, Anita B. Brody, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, ordered Ligon resentenced or released within 90 days.

That was no sad day for me, Ligon said. He only wished his mother, his father, and his brother could have been there to see it.

The 90-day clock expired Thursday. So, for the first time, Ligon left behind prison walls and visited the public defenders Center City office, where files on his case take up an entire room. He seemed unfazed as he placed his face close to a high-tech temperature scanner, then cruised by elevator up to the eighth floor.

Peering out the window, he saw a city transformed.

Im looking at all the tall buildings, he said. This is all new to me. This never existed.

He found it unsettling that Eastern State Penitentiary, where he was once imprisoned, is now a museum and Halloween attraction. That dont suit my tastes, he said. He had declined to be included in an exhibit. He feared it would imply that Im such a dangerous man, which Im not.

He grew up in a different world: a farm in Alabama, where he abandoned school in the third or fourth grade  he said he couldnt stand being in big groups  much as he would reject educational offerings in prison.

Im just a stubborn type of person, Ligon said. I was born that way.

His parents enrolled him in school in Philadelphia when he was 13, but he couldnt keep up. He was still illiterate when he was arrested at age 15. He believes he was scapegoated as the new kid, the outsider.

A loner, he grew to pride himself on his janitorial skills. In Graterford prison, he learned to read and write. He trained as a boxer there, developing a military-style workout regimen he continues to this day, despite his arthritis.

He never applied for commutation, though he could have had a strong chance at clemency in the 1970s, when hundreds of Pennsylvania lifers were released. Instead, he put his faith in Bridge and waited for the day hed be released. To prepare himself for modern society, he watched world news on a small TV in his cell.

I like my chances, he said Thursday. I really like my chances in terms of surviving.

His road to release, though, was riddled with obstacles. After the U.S. Supreme Court banned mandatory life terms for minors in 2012, Pennsylvania refused to apply the ruling retroactively. Another ruling in 2016 ordered the state and others to do so.

Then, mitigation specialists had to prepare for his resentencing, tracking down school transcripts and prison records spanning more than half a century. Every infraction, every transfer, that was the way to put his [biography] together, said Billi Charron, who was tasked with compiling his history and a home plan.

Ligons aversion to parole kept him locked up for years after that, until the November ruling set the 90-day deadline for his release.

That left Ligons supporters scrambling to line up everything hed need to come home.

Charron, Pace and Eleanor Myers, a senior advisor at YSRP, volunteered to assist  a process that ultimately included support from 10 city agencies, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, and various nonprofit organizations. Philadelphias Reentry Coalition directed Myers to Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, which found Ligon a place in domiciliary care, a foster-care-like accommodation with a family in Philadelphia.

Then we had to figure out how to pay for it, said Myers. The Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services agreed to cover the first year, while a benefits specialist is helping to get Social Security lined up after that. A modest crowdfunding campaign helped cover incidentals.

We have this extraordinary community that has rallied to make this happen, Myers said.

Pace, meanwhile, picked out sweaters and socks he thought Ligon would like. He found a phone with no data plan, figuring Ligon wont need it. He drove around the neighborhood where Ligon will be staying, checking out the parks and other attractions so he can show Ligon around. And, he solicited advice from other long-serving former lifers. Just take it slow with Joe, they advised.

When Pace, 52, first came home nearly four years ago, he felt physically ill from the overstimulation  a sort of emotional equivalent of the bends. Lets say mine was on a two, his is going to be on a 10, Pace said. Hes been locked up so long, everything changed.

At the back of his mind, for now, is whether the legal victory in Ligons case could be his own pathway off of lifetime parole.

The ruling does not set binding precedent. Nonetheless, Bridge said hes already been contacted by numerous juvenile lifers hoping to challenge their lifetime parole terms as well. So far, he said, hes filed similar petitions for three juvenile lifers.

To Bridge, Ligons case is a powerful example of punishment taken to senseless extremes.

We waste peoples lives by over-incarcerating and we waste money by over-incarcerating. His case graphically demonstrates the absurdity of wasting each, Bridge said Thursday, before dropping Ligon off at his new home. Hopefully his release, and the release of the juvenile lifers in general, will cause a reevaluation of the way we incarcerate people.

___

(c)2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Libya finally has a prime minister and Presidential Council. Whether this will bring unity and peace to the divided, war-torn country is another matter.

Credit for this positive development goes to Stephanie Williams, acting United Nations envoy and head of its Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

During the marathon session in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 5, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) voted 39 to 34 to appoint Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, a businessman turned politician, to be prime minister while appointing little-known diplomat Mohamed Younis Menfi as head of the three-member Presidential Council, replacing the outgoing, dysfunctional nine-member council headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, who has been at the helm since 2015.

Dbeibah has three weeks to form his government before submitting it to the Tobruk-based parliament for approval. The Presidential Council, on the other hand, has fewer executive powers, and Menfi is likely to act as a ceremonial head of state in the interim period that should end, if all goes according to plan, with national elections envisioned for Dec. 24.

Dbeibah now has two main tasks: On the one hand, he will have to prepare for and organize general parliamentary and presidential elections. On the other hand, he must unify the countrys divided institutions.

Since the war began in August 2014, Libya has had two competing governments: the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli and recognized by the UN as the only legitimate government, and the Libyan government based in al-Bayda in the east, but unrecognized by other countries. Consequently, all government institutions in Tripoli have their counterparts in al-Bayda, including the Central Bank, the National Auditing Bureau, the army, police and ministries.

The conflict in Libya, which erupted after late leader Moammar Gadhafis government was toppled in October 2011 with NATO help, has been difficult to settle thanks to foreign inference and quarreling domestic politicians.

However, since October 2020, UNSMIL has been leading incrementally successful rounds of negotiations. It started with the cease-fire across Libya that was signed on Oct. 23 in Geneva by a 10-member military commission, equally representing the GNA and its rival, the Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Khalifa Hifter.

Williams has been successfully building on that breakthrough by pushing for political dialogue and creating the LPDF back in October, before launching negotiations in November.

If successful, the current executive setup is a win-win for Libya and its people after 10 years of perpetual war, chaos and division  but not everybody is happy.

Some local politicians, political parties and their foreign power backers see this development as a zero-sum game in which there are winners and losers.

This being said, the biggest winners and losers in Libya are not solemnly locals, but reach beyond the North African country.

Foreign losers include Turkey, a long-time strong supporter of the GNA, supplying it with mercenary fighters, army trainers and weapons, and launching hundreds of drone strikes against LNA forces throughout 2019 up to June 2020. At one point, the LNAs codenamed Decisive Battle offensive was a few kilometers away from the center of Tripoli. But thanks to Turkish support, they were repelled by the GNA.

Speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity for security reasons, an LPDF member said, Turkey has always been a serious problem. According to him, if Ankara is unhappy with the new executive setup, it could have the GNA and its supporting militias withdraw from the agreement, destroying it altogether.

However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed in a phone call to the new leaders on Feb. 7 the development, promising help for a democratic and peaceful Libya.

According to the source, to ease Turkeys worries about the new executive, the roadmap  adopted by the 75 delegates of the LPDF  bans any changes to Libyas foreign relations without naming any country. The roadmaps Paragraph 10 of Article 6 says the executive authority shall not consider any new or previous agreements that could harm Libyas foreign relations  implicitly referring to Turkey since it is the only country that has signed a controversial, long-term agreement with the GNA.

On Nov. 23, 2019, Ankara signed a sea boundary demarcation agreement with the GNA despite objections from Egypt, France and the European Union among others. In reaction to the agreement, Greece went as far as expelling the GNAs ambassador to Athens, Menfi, who is now the new head of the Presidential Council.

That particular agreement is vital for Turkeys strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean. Having Libya, a country with a long Mediterranean coastline, recognize Turkeys claims is crucial. Ankara would reject any new executive authority in Libya if it sensed such a new government might annul its security memorandum and maritime deals that were previously signed with the GNA.

Based on its own calculations, Egypt, which backs the LNA, perceives that the new government in Tripoli will not be as hostile as its predecessor was to Cairo. This belief has been emphasized by Menfis visit to Benghazi on Feb. 11 and his meeting with Hifter, Cairos ally.

Cairo has recently been reaching out to Tripoli. On Dec. 28, 2020, an Egyptian consular and security delegation held talks with GNA officials aimed at normalizing ties and reopening Egypts embassy in Tripoli, which has been closed since 2014.

Indeed, some in Cairo  particularly top Foreign Ministry officials who lately supported Aguila Saleh, speaker of the Tobruk-based parliament, alienating Hifter in the process  might feel at a loss since Saleh lost his bid for the Presidential Council presidency. However, Menfi appears reconciliatory toward both Saleh and Hifter, winning Cairos sympathy too.

A former Egyptian diplomat in Libya who did not want to be identified told Al-Monitor, Any new executive [authority] in Libya will be welcomed by Egypt. Both sides are better together than apart. The diplomat added, Egypt, if not a winner  is certainly not a loser in new Libya.

But Russia, the United Arab Emirates and France, having aligned themselves with Hifter, are obvious winners at the expense of Cairo. Hifter will become closer to Moscow and Abu Dhabi than Cairo. But he will not bypass it in any major moves he might be contemplating. He will always need Cairos support given its proximity to eastern Libya where he is in control, the Egyptian diplomat concluded.

Once the voting ended, Abdalla Othmane, a prominent LPDF member and university professor, warned the new executive body against relying on an international legitimacy instead of a domestic one.

Othmane is referring to the fact that the 75-member forum was not elected but was handpicked by UNSMIL and Williams, making it similar to the outgoing Presidential Council headed by Sarraj, which never got the vote of confidence by parliament as required by the Libyan Political Agreement of 2015. In fact, it ended up in power only because of the UN Security Council endorsement manifested in Resolution 2259, which recognized it (the Presidential Council) as the only legitimate government. But its political and legal legitimacy inside Libya was and still is questioned.

When it comes to domestic losers, there are a few. But they hardly represent any serious obstacles. The array of militias in western Libya in general, and Tripoli in particular, have generally welcomed the new executive body, not necessarily out of love but just because their No. 1 enemy, outgoing Minister of Interior Fathi Bashaga, lost his bid for prime minister. They also are not hostile to Menfi, who has no record of being anti-militia.

Hailing from eastern Libya, Menfi is seen in Tripoli as a GNA loyalist and as being militia-friendly, according to Aboubaker Agnona, who is closely associated with the Tripoli Brigade, one of the top militias in Tripoli. Unlike outgoing Bashaga, Menfi has never been openly hostile to armed groups in the capital and has never been on the record supporting the LNA, considered to be first and foremost an enemy to the armed groups in western Libya.

The biggest winner so far could turn out to be the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood that's well-rooted in western Libya, particularly in Misrata, Dbeibahs hometown.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the most sophisticated and shrewd political organization in the country, with a special talent for deal-making. Realizing they might lose the final stage of elections in Geneva, they withdrew their top nominee, chairman of the High Council of State Khaled al-Mishri. By doing so, they stayed amiable to all others. This will help their jockeying for influence in the formation of a new government, especially with Dbeibah hailing from Misrata, the Brotherhoods stronghold in Libya. Also, different local actors would now consider the Muslim Brotherhood as nice guys trying to help Libya, Agnona said.

Unless both foreign powers and their domestic proxies view the LPDFs outcome as a win-win situation, little is expected from the new interim executive authority, under pressure even before it takes office, by the looming Dec. 24 elections deadline.
Those receiving ashes on Feb. 17 may also have the option of having the ashes placed on their forehead with a non-plastic Q-tip or cotton ball, officials said. In normal times, ashes are applied by hand to worshippers foreheads in the shape of a cross as an outward expression of their faith.


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ROME, FEB 12 - Italy's nationwide COVID-19 Rt reproduction number has risen to 0.95, according to a draft of the latest weekly coronavirus monitoring report by the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS). That is up from an Rt of 0.84 in last week's report. It said seven regions/autonomous provinces had an Rt of over 1. It said the risk of contagion was high in Umbria and the autonomous province of Bolzano. It said that the risk was moderate in 10 regions/autonomous provinces, down from 11 last week, and nine were low risk. Only two regions, Sardinia and Valle d'Aosta, had an incidence of under 50 cases per 100,000 residents. (ANSA).
A new study has identified early risk factors that predicted heightened anxiety in young adults during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The findings from the study, supported by the National Institutes of Health and published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, could help predict who is at greatest risk of developing anxiety during stressful life events in early adulthood and inform prevention and intervention efforts.

The investigators examined data from 291 participants who had been followed from toddlerhood to young adulthood as part of a larger study on temperament and socioemotional development. The researchers found that participants who continued to show a temperament characteristic called behavioral inhibition in childhood were more likely to experience worry dysregulation in adolescence (age 15), which in turn predicted elevated anxiety during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic when the participants were in young adulthood (around age 18).

"People differ greatly in how they handle stress," said Daniel Pine, M.D., a study author and chief of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience. "This study shows that children's level of fearfulness predicts how much stress they experience later in life when they confront difficult circumstances, such as the pandemic."

Behavioral inhibition is a childhood temperament characterized by high levels of cautious, fearful, and avoidant responses to unfamiliar people, objects, and situations. Previous studies have established that children who display behavioral inhibition are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders later. However, less research has investigated the specific mechanisms by which a stable pattern of behavioral inhibition in childhood is linked to anxiety in young adulthood.

The authors of this study hypothesized that children who demonstrate a stable pattern of behavioral inhibition may be at greater risk for worry dysregulation in adolescence--that is, difficulties managing worry and displaying inappropriate expressions of worry--and this would put them at greater risk for later heightened anxiety during stressful events like the pandemic.

In the larger study, behavioral inhibition was measured at ages 2 and 3 using observations of children's responses to novel toys and interaction with unfamiliar adults. When the children were 7 years old, they were observed for social wariness during an unstructured free play task with an unfamiliar peer. Worry dysregulation was assessed at age 15 through a self-report survey. For the current study, the participants, at an average age of 18, were assessed for anxiety twice during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic after stay-at-home orders had been issued (first between April 20 and May 15 and approximately a month later).

At the first assessment, 20% of the participants reported moderate levels of anxiety symptoms considered to be in the clinical range. At the second assessment, 18.3% of participants reported clinical levels of anxiety. As expected, the researchers found that individuals with high behavioral inhibition in toddlerhood who continued to display high levels of social wariness in childhood reported experiencing dysregulated worry in adolescence, and this ultimately predicted increased anxiety in young adulthood during a critical stage of the pandemic. This developmental pathway was not significant for children who showed behavioral inhibition in toddlerhood but displayed low levels of social wariness later in childhood.

"This study provides further evidence of the continuing impact of early life temperament on the mental health of individuals," said Nathan A. Fox, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor and director of the Child Development Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an author of the study. "Young children with stable behavioral inhibition are at heightened risk for increased worry and anxiety, and the context of the pandemic only heightened these effects."

The findings suggest that targeting social wariness in childhood and worry dysregulation in adolescence may be a viable strategy for the prevention of anxiety disorders. The findings also suggest that targeting dysregulated worry in adolescence may be particularly important for identifying those who might be at risk for heightened anxiety during stressful life events like the COVID-19 pandemic and preventing that heightened anxiety.

###

Reference:

Zeytinoglu, S., Morales, S., Lorenzo, N., Chronis-Tuscano, A., Degnan, K. A., Almas, A. N., Henderson, H., Pine, D. S., Fox, N. A. (2021) A Developmental Pathway from Early Behavioral Inhibition to Young Adults' Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.01.021

About the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):

The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. For more information, visit the NIMH website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit the NIH website.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health
The delimitation followed Armenian troop withdrawals from border areas along Armenias southeastern Syunik province that began after a Russian-brokered ceasefire stopped the war on November 10.

Syunik borders the Zangelan and Kubatli districts southwest of Karabakh which were mostly recaptured by Azerbaijan during the six-week hostilities. Armenian army units and local militias completed in December their withdrawal from parts of the districts close to Syuniks capital Kapan and many other communities.

Some of those lands are located along the Soviet-era Armenian-Azerbaijani border which has never been demarcated due to the Karabakh conflict. Local government officials in Syunik and opposition figures in Yerevan have accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian of hastily and illegally ceding them to Baku. Pashinian has insisted that not a single inch of Armenias internationally recognized territory has been lost as a result of the troop withdrawal.

Earlier this week, opposition sources posted on Facebook a copy of what they described as a secret Armenian-Azerbaijani agreement reached after the ceasefire. The purported document specifies, among other things, a section of Syuniks main highway placed under Azerbaijani control.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian acknowledged on Wednesday that Yerevan and Baku reached an understanding on the highway passing through disputed territory. But he did not confirm or deny the veracity of the published document.

If you look at that document you will see provisions that have been effectively implemented, said Edmon Marukian, the leader of the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK). We therefore have reason to suspect that it is either the text of a verbal agreement or a signed document.

Another senior LHK member, Taron Simonian, said that the border agreement, if it was indeed signed, is null and void because it was not certified by Armenias Constitutional Court and ratified by the Armenian parliament.

Sisak Gabrielian, a lawmaker representing the ruling My Step bloc dismissed the document as a fraud.
New Delhi: Indian Air Force has invited applications for recruitment on various Group C posts in the South Western Air Command. Interested candidates will be required to submit a duly filled application offline to the designated address to participate in the recruitment process.

The various positions include Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), House Keeping Staff (HKS), Mess Staff, LDC, Clerk Hindi Typist, Stenographer Grade-II, Store (Superintendent), Store Keeper, Laundryman, Ayah/Ward Sahayika (only for female candidates), Carpenter, Painter, Vulcaniser, Civilian Mechanical Transport Driver (Ordinary Grade), Cook (Ordinary Grade), and Fireman.

The application submission window opened on February 11. The last date of submitting applications is March 13, 2021.

How to apply for Indian Air Force Recruitment 2021?

Interested candidates can submit applications to any of the Air Force Station for the post they are applying for. The format of the application is available on the official website at indianairforce.nic.in. The application can be filled in English or Hindi. Candidates will be required to paste recent passport size photograph on the form.

Pattern of exam for Indian Air Force Recruitment 2021:

Those candidates who fill the minimum eligibility criteria would be required to take the written test. The question paper will consist of four sections - (i) General Intelligence & Reasoning, (ii) Numerical Aptitude, (iii) General English (iv) General Awareness. The question paper will be in English and Hindi languages.

Important Dates:

Start Date: February 11, 2021

End Date: March 13, 2021

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Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate, made history when she recited her poem The Hill We Climb at the 2021 Inauguration. Many of us are now familiar with her poem in which she implores us to be brave enough to be the light. Ms. Gorman made history again by reciting a new poem, Chorus of the Captains, at the Super Bowl. She suggested we act with courage and compassion to do what is right and just.

I urge U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., to have the courage and compassion to act on climate change. There are many legislative solutions that will quickly reduce our carbon emissions and curb the worst effects of climate change without damaging the economy. One solution is to place a steadily increasing fee on fossil fuels at the source and return all revenue to households in a monthly dividend payment.

I urge Pennsylvanians to shine light on the problems and solutions of climate change. Talk to your colleagues, friends, and family about the growth of green energy jobs, increased availability of renewable sources of electricity, and the promising future of electric vehicles.

Lets be brave enough to be the light our Earth needs. In Ms. Gormans poem Earthrise, she urges all of us To make it your mission to conserve, to protect, to preserve that one and only home, our Earth.

Martha Christine

Bethlehem
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The Delta State Government on Friday said it was making plans to upgrade the Asaba International Airport to a category 9 Airport to enable it to receive bigger planes.

A Category 9 airport is one whose Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (RFFS) are capable of handling aircraft as large as the Airbus A330/A340 or Boeing B777.

Austin Ayemidejor, a special projects director of the airport, disclosed this to reporters shortly after the arrival of United Nigeria Airlines maiden flight to Asaba.

The airline, marked 5N-BWZ, which carried passengers from Lagos, touched down at the Asaba airport at 11.40a.m.

Mr Ayemidejor said as activities at the airport near peak, it becomes imperative to upgrade it to welcome bigger planes.

The state government has written to the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority to increase the operational hours to 11p.m.

We intend to upgrade the Airport to category 9 which will make it have the capacity to receive Boeing 737 and Boeing 777.

We have applied to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NAMA) for approval to enable us to operate beyond sunrise to sunset by extending operational hours to 11p.m.

Once that is done, there will be more activities and it is important to let you know that this is the fifth airline that is operating in the Asaba Airport.

Already, we have Air peace, AZMAN, Aero, and Arik. United Nigeria is the fifth airline that is coming in, he said

Mr Ayemidejor also disclosed that two other airlines, ValueJet and Ibom Air, would soon operate in the airport.

So the level of activities here is very encouraging because the market is large, its very huge and so we need more airlines to operate here.

We have lots of patronage from the eastern part of the country particularly the Onitsha area, and then the other cities around Delta for the purpose of patronage, Mr Ayemidejor said.

(NAN)

In this interview, News-Medical Life Sciences talks to Professor Antje Baeumner about the future of food and environmental monitoring, the subject of her Pittcon presentation. Thought Leaders Professor Antje Baeumner Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Biosensors University of Regensburg In this interview, News-Medical Life Sciences talks to Professor Antje Baeumner about the future of food and environmental monitoring, the subject of her Pittcon presentation.

What are some techniques used to monitor the environment and food?

A broad range of analytical chemical methods is used for environmental monitoring and food safety. Some of these are lab-based techniques, such as mass spectrometry, GC, HPLC and chromatography, while some are technologies that can also be used on-site.

These on-site technologies are typically dominated by portable, self-sustained sensors, either biosensors or chemosensors.

The scope of each of these techniques is quite different. Lab-based techniques require trained personnel, but these can reach very low limits of detection and can specifically detect various types of analytes.

In case of on-site analysis this is accomplished by sensors, but in general, the sensitivity of these techniques is slightly worse than that of the technologies used within the lab.

Every food supplier has their food checked regularly for pesticides, residues, or for contamination with harmful bacteria or chemicals. Image Credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock.com

How essential is research into environmental and food monitoring?

Without this research, we are not able to determine whether our environment is clean, safe and stable.

The same principle applies to our food. If we were not able to monitor our food  for example, regarding its ingredients and whether it is safe - we would have an extremely unsafe food production chain. This could potentially harm the consumers as well as our environment.

Monitoring environmental and food safety are generally routine processes. Every food supplier has their food checked regularly for pesticides, residues, or for contamination with harmful bacteria or chemicals. Without these routine checks, I do not think our society could survive.

What is the main message of the research you are presenting at Pittcon, titled The Future of Environmental and Food Monitoring?

The main message of my talk is that there is an ever-increasing demand for the ability to detect on-site, in-field and as a point-of-need application. This demand exists in food safety testing, sustainable agriculture, and ensuring that an environment is clean and safe.

These application areas can be serviced especially well by on-site testing, particularly through the use of bio- and chemosensors. In terms of food safety, food production from farm-to-fork is becoming increasingly global. There are more and more checkpoints at which we need to rapidly assess whether ingredients or entire foods/products are safe.

With this ever-increasing global trade, we need to have longer food storage times. We need to ensure that, even if food is not stored under proper conditions, it is still safe to eat.

Our research is focused on developing sensors that can serve exactly this purpose, enabling users to rapidly and inexpensively determine whether food is safe or whether an environment is clean and protected.

Taking samples and bringing them back to the lab is still a commonly used approach, but this is not sustainable given the increasingly complex and time-sensitive demands of analysis that we are seeing.

Analytical Methods in Environmental Monitoring & Food Safety Play

Antje Baeumner Interview 2 from AZoNetwork on Vimeo.

Throughout your career, you have focused much of your research on biosensors. What are biosensors and how do they act as a monitoring mechanism?

Biosensors are best understood by considering something that you may be familiar with - a glucose sensor. People with diabetes will use biosensors as a diagnostic device to measure their blood glucose levels on a regular basis.

Another very typical example is a home pregnancy test, which can quickly determine whether or not someone is pregnant.

A biosensor consists of a very simple readout device that can specifically and sensitively determine the signal that is produced by a biological recognition element such as an antibody, an enzyme, or a DNA molecule.

In the case of glucose, this would be an electrode that measures through electron transfer the reaction between the enzyme and glucose, while in the case of pregnancy tests, this is a visual readout caused by a signaling agent binding to the pregnancy hormone.

People with diabetes will use biosensors as a diagnostic device to measure their blood glucose levels on a regular basis. Image Credit: Arturs Budkevics / Shutterstock.com

The biosensors that we develop do the same thing, but rather than looking for glucose or a pregnancy hormone, we are looking for pathogens, allergens, environmental contaminants, pesticides, etc.

In all cases, we look for biological recognition elements that can specifically bind the analyte, such as salmonella in hamburger meat. We then employ a readout technology that allows us to do this at the farm, in the field, at home, or at the doctor's office, rather than only being able to do this in a centralized lab.

The power of this technology comes from combining these two different elements.

This approach works well because the biological molecule that we use for biorecognition is created within a complex environment. Enzymes, DNA molecules and antibodies all exist and work within our own body, in blood, in urine and saliva.

Pittcon 2021: March 8-12 Register for Pittcon 2021

Despite this complex environment, they can still recognize the analyte while being essentially blind to the molecules that are surrounding the analyte of interest. This superior ability to recognize the target analyte means that biosensors can be specific and powerful on-site detection devices.

What are some applications you envision for biosensor detection and monitoring technology?

We are typically looking for pathogenic organisms that are present in the environment or in food. In terms of analytes, we look for a pathogen either based on the pathogen itself being present, based on a specific toxin it produces or the nucleic acid that is contained within.

These pathogens can be present both in food and the environment, and our technologies cross feed from each other because we are looking for a similar analyte in two different settings.

Pathogenic organisms are clearly very important, but in food safety, we also need to identify food allergens. We need to detect residues that may have accumulated throughout the growing season, for example, pesticides, fertilizers or any type of contaminants that may have been introduced throughout the food processing chain.

In terms of environmental monitoring, the list of potential contaminants is almost endless. In our developed world, large numbers of chemicals used for manufacturing and agriculture enter the environment. Microplastics have replaced pesticides as the most talked-about target for analysis.

Microplastics have replaced pesticides as the most talked-about target for analysis in environmental monitoring. Image Credit: David Pereiras / Shutterstock.com

Your research also spans not just analytical chemistry but other subjects like biochemistry and molecular life sciences. How does drawing on various knowledge sources contribute to your work?

The field of biosensors is inherently interdisciplinary. We need to understand the life sciences, where our biorecognition elements come from.

We also need to understand the physical sciences, where our transducers come from, and the chemistry that is going to support the generation of those sensors, whether this is immobilization or the interaction of our biorecognition element and transducer with the outside world.

Finally, we need to understand specific interfaces in order to know what is happening in the bio-solution.

These areas must all work together in order to be able to develop new biosensors, to make them function, and to ensure that they are relevant to the application areas that we are interested in.

Sometimes we can manage these areas by ourselves, and sometimes we need to collaborate with experts in their respective fields, using the best technologies available to tackle a specific analytical challenge.

What is the difference between a biosensor and a chemosensor in the context of monitoring the environment and food?

A biosensor contains a biological recognition element, and a chemosensor contains a chemical recognition element. Both have different specificities, but both of these devices are used in environmental monitoring and food safety.

Chemical sensors can contain, for example, a molecular imprinted polymer that tries to bind to an analyte in the same way that an antibody would, or use small ionophores for ion-selective electrodes.

One advantage of a chemosensor is that it does not contain a fragile biological molecule. Rather, they contain chemically derived compounds that do not denature or lose their recognition ability under extreme conditions. However, the inherent advantage of biological recognition molecules is their specificity, and that can seldom be matched by a chemical mimic.

It is important to look into the specific analytical challenge and determine whether stability or specificity is more important or whether a certain analyte can only be recognized by a specific type of recognition molecule.

What does the future hold for you and your research on environmental and food monitoring?

We are preparing our sensors to be integrated and connected with a larger network of other sensors. The Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 are already buzzwords in many fields, especially in manufacturing and the chemical industry.

Many industries are ready to connect different systems without a human being involved in that connection, and sensors play a key role within this. If we are to make effective decisions, we need to be able to identify and determine what is happening on-site.

Part of our research is to look into sensing technologies that are ready for this connection to the broader network - the Internet of Things.

Sensors need to be more autonomous and able to connect wirelessly to satellites or data clouds. They also need to provide analytical data without human interaction.

We are looking for technologies that provide very high signal versus very low background noise because a clear distinction between signals makes an automated decision possible - it is not a judgment call.

As chemists and bioengineers, we can work on this part of the equation, and we can look for colleagues who can then make sure that our sensors can be connected to the global network.

Sensors need to be more autonomous and able to connect wirelessly to satellites or data clouds. Image Credit: metamorworks / Shutterstock.com

From eating habits to implications on the environment, our society and the natural world around us are heavily intertwined. Where do you see these fields headed in the future with application to our everyday lives?

When we talk about food safety, we also have to talk about food security and ensuring that there is enough food available for us to consume.

This is where biosensors or chemosensors can play an important role, helping us establish sustainable manufacturing of food products and avoiding food waste by allowing us to investigate whether food is safe for consumption and not spoiled, rather than just looking at contaminants or pathogens.

Pittcon 2021: March 8-12 Register for Pittcon 2021

We can also develop sensors for applications related to food production, ensuring that more food is available for the growing number of people living in our world and ensuring that we waste much less food.

One example involves sensors integrated into food packaging so that instead of estimating the date before which food is safe to consume, we actually have a direct readout that tells the consumer that the food is still safe to eat. The sensor could indicate when the package of food needs to be disposed of.

The implementation of these types of sensing capabilities could reduce food waste.

How does Pittcon influence the realm of environment and food science?

Pittcon has grown over the years to incorporate analytical chemistry technologies for environmental monitoring and food safety.

I think it is important to discuss environmental and food science among analytical chemical scientists, looking at where research is going in these areas, where there is a demand for new technologies and where there are hurdles that need to be overcome.

A conference like Pittcon provides a perfect environment for this because there are so many experts from so many different areas coming together. We need this level of collaboration if we are to address future challenges with environmental monitoring and food safety.

Why are events like Pittcon important  now more than ever for the scientific community?

In order to solve the complex problems our society faces, we need to address these from multiple points of view and bring together experts from many different areas because one field alone could not do this.

Pittcon gathers people from a variety of different backgrounds, facilitating information interchange, discourse and scientific discussion that helps us to think further and develop better ideas for future research.

About Professor Antje Bauemner

Since August 2013, Professor Antje J. Baeumner has been leading the Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Chemo- and Biosensors at the University of Regensburg in Germany. She came to Regensburg from Cornell University, where she still is an adjunct professor in the Dept. of Biological Engineering and a member of the graduate fields of Food Science and Technology, and of Biomedical Engineering.

She is President of the International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (IAEAC) and Editor of the Springer Nature journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, ABC

Science and engineering, research and teaching have always been at the center of her professional life as she enjoys working with, learning from and with the incredibly smart people in our broad scientific community. The development of analytical (micro)systems and biosensors that ameliorate the plethora of challenges faced in the fight against diseases and pollution is driving her scientific work. Together with her wonderful and energetic international research team she finds new strategies, new materials and new sensing concepts for the detection of pathogens, toxins and clinically relevant biomarkers, especially as food safety, environmental monitoring and clinical diagnostics in resource-limited settings need much of our attention today to enable healthy and sustainable societies.
Even as Los Angeles County officials were forced to temporarily close five mass vaccination sites, including Dodger Stadium, for lack of supply Thursday, other providers across the Bay Area prepared to ramp up coronavirus vaccine delivery.

CVS announced that it will offer free appointments starting Friday in more than a dozen cities locally for health care workers and residents 65 and older to receive their vaccine doses. The pharmacy pushed back its previously announced start date from Thursday to Friday to ensure in-store availability. Most available appointments were already booked by Thursday afternoon.

Officials confirmed that the Oakland Coliseum will open Tuesday as part of a federal program seeking to distribute the vaccine more equitably to parts of the nation hard hit by COVID-19. BART said it will offer a free ride home for anyone who gets a shot at the Coliseum.

Federal supply is ramping up.

President Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. had secured commitments from Moderna and Pfizer to deliver 600 million doses of vaccine  enough for 300 million Americans to have two shots  by the end of July, according to the Associated Press. Thats a month earlier than initially anticipated. A third vaccine, made by Johnson & Johnson, could win approval from the Food and Drug Administration in weeks, further increasing supply.

During an appearance Thursday on the Today show, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Bidens chief medical adviser, said he expects most Americans will be eligible to receive coronavirus vaccines by April.

That will be what I would call open season for vaccines, he said.

Still, he cautioned, even by then it will still probably take months to administer the vaccines. Children as young as entering first-graders may be cleared to receive the vaccine by September, Fauci told the publication ProPublica.

San Mateo County officials said Thursday they plan to expand vaccination eligibility on Feb. 22 to teachers, child care providers, first responders, and food and agricultural workers  including some grocery store workers  as supplies allow.

Marin County said that residents 65 and older can sign up for vaccines starting Monday.

The move expands the 75-and-up program already in place.

Standing in the rain surveying a vaccination clinic in San Rafael on Thursday, Dr. Matt Willis, the county public health officer, said Marin would further expand its vaccination criteria to include food workers, teachers, child care workers and emergency responders when at least two-thirds of those above 65 have been vaccinated, a threshold he anticipates reaching by the end of February.

The only limiting factor is supply, he said. Weve got the locations, the staff, the syringes, the laptops. We are just waiting for the doses.

At the clinic, Willis watched as elderly Marin residents lined up under a large tent in the courtyard to receive their shots in the rain. He said Marin had vaccinated about two-thirds of people in the 75-and-over age group.

In Santa Clara County, Supervisor Cindy Chavez said the goal is to get 85% of residents vaccinated.

Were going to be going door to door to make sure people get vaccinated, Chavez said.

The county and San Jose officials on Thursday outlined plans for pop-up vaccination sites to reach communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. No appointments will be required at the sites, which will serve eligible residents 65 and older, regardless of immigration status.

Solano County and local health providers also announced that they are holding a vaccination clinic at the Solano County Fairgrounds. Appointments for Friday and Saturday are available for eligible people  health care workers, first responders and people 75 and older  who live or work in the county.

But in Southern California, the vaccine rollout hit more snags.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city will exhaust its supply of Moderna first doses, forcing it to close large drive-through and walk-up vaccination sites Friday and Saturday.

They may not reopen until the city gets more supplies, perhaps Tuesday or Wednesday. Smaller mobile vaccination clinics will continue operating.

Los Angeles uses about 13,000 doses in a typical day but received only 16,000 this week, Garcetti said.

This is not where I want to be, he said. Its not where we deserve to be.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Nora Mishanec and Lauren Hernandez and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Aidin Vaziri and Jessica Flores are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com, jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MusicSF, @jesssmflores
Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 7:15 am

Hours after a new state law passed on Wednesday, Washington superintendent of public instruction Chris Reykdal told school districts that if they want their new federal COVID-19 relief money, they need to update and submit their reopening plans by March 1.

Their "academic and student well-being recovery plans," meant to help students recoup the school-based instruction they missed, will be due June 1. According to guidance Reykdal sent district leaders, these plans must at least "address learning loss among students."

Gov. Jay Inslee hasn't yet signed House Bill 1368, which is mostly funded by federal aid from relief packages approved by Congress and about $440 million from state budget reserves. A spokesperson from his office said early Wednesday that the Legislature hadn't yet formally sent it his way, but that he does plan to sign it next week.

The law itself includes the March and June deadlines. It does not say anything about conditioning the money on the plans, but it doesn't prohibit doing so, either. "There's nothing in there that conditions it, and there's nothing in there that prevents him from conditioning it," said Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, who helped write the legislation. The law does not give Inslee and Reykdal the authority to require that schools reopen; those are district decisions.

Some officials are considering allocating additional state funds to help school districts bolster students' academics after a year when they had less time with their teachers.

Rolfes said her goal is to find a way to hold districts harmless, to prevent this year's enrollment dips from wreaking havoc on school budgets and triggering layoffs. Beyond that, she said, she wants to cover the cost of academic remediation. One idea is to add a week to the school year, which, she said, would cost $300 million. She wants to know what districts are planning to do.

"Districts are going to need to assess each student. Some are going to be fine. Others aren't going to be," she said. "The sooner you get them in (to classrooms), the faster you can assess them and the less learning loss there will be."

In January, The Seattle Times reported on the limited information school districts were disseminating on student performance amid the pandemic. "There's a general feeling that some kids are missing from the school system entirely," Rolfes said. "Other kids are doing okay. There's not one story."

As of now, districts must proceed with their standardized testing plans, and "address student needs due to the school building closures and extended time in remote learning" in their recovery plans, the guidance states. Those plans will include data on districts' tests, learning gaps, supports for students who need extra help and additional instruction time for those who need to catch up.

The state is doubling down on its data collection, which has been limited. In the guidance, Reykdal said districts will be required to complete weekly surveys on how they're teaching students. Previously, the survey was voluntary, and a number of districts didn't complete it. Reykdal warned districts that the OSPI website will make it clear "which districts are out of compliance," and that failure to complete it "may result in a loss of state or federal funds."

Schools can only access their portion of $668 million in new federal money if they submit  and Reykdal's office approves  their reopening plans.

Districts can use that money for a broad range of expenditures, including satisfying federal education laws, coordinating COVID-19 preparedness and getting resources to principals. They can also use it for educational technology, mental health services, summer learning opportunities and exams. They can't use it for bonuses or merit pay, unless that pay is specifically related to COVID-19 closures. Districts also can't use the funds to subsidize executive salaries or union-related costs.

When districts submit their opening plans, they will be asked to use a specific state template that asks questions about health and safety practices, including that each school has a COVID-19 site supervisor who will monitor adherence to those practices. Districts will need to state that "all students are trained in a developmentally appropriate way and in the language they best understand" about COVID-19 prevention by the time they return.

Districts will have to tell the state how they track COVID-19 outbreaks. They'll also need to say how they communicate with families and on which topics they've solicited feedback, and how they follow up on that feedback.

The order for the reopening plans comes almost one year after the state shut down schools to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Since then, most students have been learning remotely. As of earlier this month, about 30% of students statewide were receiving any in-person instruction, according to state data.

But not everyone wants to go back. Across the country, in school districts that have reopened, white families are overrepresented among those who feel ready to return to school buildings. The reasons vary, but some families of color have said they distrust their school system's safety plans  after experiencing the brunt of COVID-19 deaths  and ability to curb racism.

In January, a Seattle Public Schools survey found that of families with kids in pre-K through first grades, 46.8% preferred in-person learning. Over half of white families wanted to return  but just one-third of Black, Asian and Pacific Islander families said they did. (12.3% of families did not return the survey.)

In December, Reykdal and Inslee made the state's recommended disease metrics for school reopening significantly less stringent. The new benchmarks were not legally binding, but they marked a dramatic shift: Ending broad recommendations for keeping students mostly remote, even when coronavirus transmission rates are high.

The decision was not based on a robust log of cases in local schools that pointed toward safety, but rather on limited scientific data, a handful of districts' experiences with reopening and a drive to get students back in class for academic and mental health reasons.

Since that decision, more districts, like Bellevue and Tacoma, have begun their return to school buildings.

Previous guidance urged districts to prioritize remote instruction if their county's infection rate was above 75 cases per 100,000. The new standards told schools to reopen fully if there were fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 residents; for those with over 350 cases per 100,000 residents, elementary school students could go back in groups of 15 or fewer. This guidance aligns with federal Centers for Disease Control recommendations.

Rolfes said legislators believe that districts already have the information the state is asking to be included in reopening plans. "The legislation does not say schools must reopen," she said. "It said, the reopening plans must be submitted. Our belief is ... most districts have reopening plans."

Representatives of the state teachers union said they were glad to see more money heading to schools. "We are relieved that these funds will target our lower-income area schools, where families are being disproportionately impacted by COVID," the Washington Education Association said in a statement about the money, which federal law dictates will be allocated through the Title I formula, a calculation that prioritizes high-poverty schools. "We will continue advocating for the additional funds necessary to meet safety requirements and provide sufficient mental, physical, social, and emotional supports."
In December, David Whitcomb and a friend were on the third floor of a commercial building he had just bought in Geneva, N.Y., when they noticed a water-stained drop ceiling.

Mr. Whitcomb, a lawyer who had bought the building to expand his practice, pushed an access panel out of the way and poked his head inside. He saw an attic with a vaulted ceiling and crawled in, thinking he might find a few items to sell at a flea market. What he discovered transported him back more than a century to an era when suffragists were campaigning for womens rights and photography portrait studios had started to crop up in American cities.

Two or three feet away from my face were these photo frames, Mr. Whitcomb, 43, recalled. Theyre gold and theyre shining in the darkness.

He looked down at his friend and said, I think we just found the Goonies treasure.

Mr. Whitcomb, who bought the building in Genevas historic downtown for $100,000, found hundreds of photographs in the attic dating to the early 20th century. Among them was a large gilded-framed photograph of Susan B. Anthony in profile, her head lowered over a book, and a broken plate-glass negative of another image of her.
11th February 2021

New device for scaling up quantum computers

Australian scientists have developed a new cryogenic computer system called Gooseberry which has potential for scaling up quantum computers from dozens to thousands of qubits.

Quantum computing  as opposed to traditional (or "classical") computing  has been around for many years now. This area of computer science involves the exploitation of physical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to perform calculations. Unlike the "bits" of classical computers, which are based on binary ones and zeros, quantum computer "qubits" can work with multiple values simultaneously. By combining qubits in this way, it quickly becomes possible to work with exponentially larger numbers, with potentially revolutionary applications. If fully realised, quantum computers could solve problems in fields as diverse as cryptography, medicine, finance, artificial intelligence and logistics.

However, qubits are difficult to create and require extreme stability to maintain their quantum effects. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, demonstrated the first working, two-bit quantum computer able to perform calculations in 1998. Munich's Technical University achieved five qubits in 2000 and the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico achieved seven qubits that same year.

Since then, further progress has occurred, with a ten-fold increase in qubit counts. Chinese researchers claimed "quantum supremacy" in December 2020 with a 76-qubit system, calculating at 100 trillion times the speed of classical supercomputers. IBM is planning a 1,000+ qubit machine for 2023 and has hinted at the possibility of million-qubit systems in the 2030s.

In order to create order of magnitude improvements in future systems, scientists around the world are researching better ways to link and control qubits, such as new materials and architectures. One such development is emerging from a partnership between Microsoft and the University of Sydney.

Professor David Reilly and his colleagues have invented a device that operates at just 100 millikelvin (mK), or 30 times colder than deep space. This has potential to be scaled up for directly controlling thousands of qubits, the building blocks of quantum technology.

"To realise the potential of quantum computing, machines will need to operate thousands if not millions of qubits," said Reilly, who holds a joint position with Microsoft and the University of Sydney. "The world's biggest quantum computers currently operate with just 50 or so qubits. This small scale is partly because of limits to the physical architecture that control the qubits. Our new chip puts an end to those limits."

Most quantum systems require qubits to operate at close to absolute zero (-273.15C), to prevent losing their 'quantumness', the character of matter or light needed to perform their specialised computations. In order for quantum devices to do anything useful, they need instructions. That means sending and receiving electronic signals to and from the qubits. With current quantum architecture, that involves a lot of wires.

"Current machines create a beautiful array of wires to control the signals; they look like an inverted gilded birds' nest or chandelier. They're pretty, but fundamentally impractical. It means we can't scale the machines up to perform useful calculations. There is a real input-output bottleneck," said Reilly, also a Chief Investigator at the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS).

"Our device does away with all those cables," said Dr Kushal Das, Microsoft Senior Hardware Engineer and co-inventor of the chip. "With just two wires carrying information as input, it can generate control signals for thousands of qubits. This changes everything for quantum computing."

"Through our partnership with Microsoft, we haven't just suggested a theoretical architecture to overcome the input-output bottleneck, we've built it," said Reilly. "We have demonstrated this by designing a custom silicon chip and coupling it to a quantum system. I'm confident to say this is the most advanced integrated circuit ever built to operate at deep cryogenic temperatures."

"Operating at such cold temperatures means we have an incredibly low power budget. If we try to put more power into the system, we overheat the whole thing," explained Dr Sebastian Pauka, whose doctoral research at the University of Sydney encompassed much of the work to interface quantum devices with the chip.

To get around this problem, they engineered a system that operates in close proximity to the qubits, but without disturbing their operations. A paper describing the new approach in more detail appears in the journal Nature Electronics.

"Current control systems for qubits are removed metres away from the action, so to speak. They exist mostly at room temperature," said Reilly. "In our system we don't have to come off the cryogenic platform. The chip is right there with the qubits. This means lower power and higher speeds. It's a real control system for quantum technology."

"Working out how to control these devices takes years of engineering development," he continued. "For this device, we started four years ago when the University of Sydney started its partnership with Microsoft, which represents the single biggest investment in quantum technology in Australia.

"We built lots of models and design libraries to capture the behaviour of transistors at deep cryogenic temperatures. Then we had to build devices, get them verified, characterised and finally connect them to qubits to see them work in practice.

"We are just getting started on this new wave of quantum innovation. The great thing about the partnership is we don't just publish a paper and move on. We can now continue with the blueprint to realise quantum technology at the industrial scale."

"This is going to be transformational in the next few years," said Prof. Andrew White, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, who wasn't involved with the study, but oversees quantum research in Australia. "If everyone [developing quantum computers] isn't using this chip, they will be using something inspired by it."

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Comments 
 Tweet of the day from my pal Rebeccah Heinrichs of the Hudson Institute:

Ill skip over how Biden is eating his own lunch these days.

 Spot the blooper here:

Allies? China?? Probably Andrea Mitchell again.

Chaser:

Pass the popcorn, someone. Im all out.

 Irony alert:

8-Year-Old Calls Out NPR For Lack Of Dinosaur Stories An 8-year-old from Minneapolis recently pointed out a big problem with NPRs oldest news show, All Things Considered. Leo Shidla wrote to his local NPR station: My name is Leo and I am 8 years old. I listen to All Things Considered in the car with mom. I listen a lot.
Families in a seaside resort have been left gagging over a foul stench - caused by four dead whales left to rot on their beach over a month ago.

Disgusted householders in Withernsea, east Yorkshire, say the vile reek is burning their nostrils for a one-mile radius and would repel any tourists should they ever be allowed to visit again.

The sea beasts' stink is also feared to be a health and safety disaster waiting to happen as dogwalkers have to go near them.

Seven of the whales washed up on Christmas Eve and became stranded and sadly could not be saved.

Contractors were able to remove one of them, two washed away, but four bodies still remain, two on land owned by the Crown Estate.

One of the whales left on the beach where dogwalkers take their pets for their daily stroll

Residents in the seaside resort have been clutching their noses as the whale whiff continues

Daniel Medforth lives in Withernsea and said whales rotting are 'accident waiting to happen'

Local man Daniel Medforth said: 'They got rid of one but there is still another four on the beach and they are horrendous.

'As far as I know there are no plans to get rid of them, they are causing a horrendous stench as there all rotting, it's an accident waiting to happen.

'The community thinks there's a huge risk to health too as there are still people and dogs walking daily near them.'

A spokesperson from The Crown Estate commented: 'Following the sad news of the deceased whales we have followed up with partners, including the Receiver of Wreck and the local authority.

'We understand that two of the whales are located on our foreshore but that they are located in areas with limited public access and where their removal would be practically very difficult.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue had sent a team of medics with rescue equipment to the scene to identify and monitor the situation

People gathered on the fragile cliffs to watch the scenes below and police were forced to issue a warning for people to stay away. Two of the stranded whales are spotted in the shallow water

Why do whales end up beached along Britain's coasts? It is uncertain why whales end up beached along British coasts, however there are multiple theories that could explain it. One such theory is navigational errors. Gently sloping coastlines and food rich ocean currents close to shores can confuse the animals. Another is toxic algae blooms which, along with viruses, can cause mass sickness in pods and which leave the animals too sick to swim. As well as this, shipping and military sonar interference can scare the animals and cause distress, sometimes decompression sickness, as they swim to the surface. Advertisement

'We would therefore echo the advice of the authorities that members of the public should continue to keep away from the whales.'

Members of the public first noticed some of the whales on the beach between Tunstall and Withernsea, East Yorkshire on Christmas Eve morning.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was called out along with coastguards and police after they were spotted.

But that night a spokeswoman said: 'Sadly we can confirm that the last of the 10 whales that were found stranded near Tunstall this morning passed away earlier this afternoon.'

She said reports of more whales a few miles further south at Spurn Point had been checked but nothing had been found.

The spokeswoman added: 'We can only hope that there are no more whales still in the area that might yet come ashore.'

The BDMLR said the North Sea was a difficult environment for sperm whales as the shallow water had few of the deep water squids they usually fed on, and they rarely survived beach strandings due to their size.

The spokeswoman said: 'Many of the animals involved today were in poor nutritional condition as a result and clearly would not have survived long if they had refloated alive on the tide.

'Due to the large size and weight of these animals, there are no safe methods for lifting and moving live animals of almost 20 metre length and up to 80 tonnes in weight, nor are there any safe and effective methods available for putting them to sleep either.'

She said photographs of the animals, believed to be a pod of juvenile males, would be shared with the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme - UK Strandings and it was now the responsibility of the council and beach owners to plan what happened to the bodies.

'We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all of our team involved on the ground and behind the scenes in this awful situation today, of all days for it to happen on, as well as our colleagues in the Maritime and Coastguard Agency who have been on scene all day dealing with these tragic and difficult circumstances', the spokeswoman added.

ANKARA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2021 ) :Turkish security forces have neutralized 33 PKK terrorists and destroyed more than 50 terror targets as part of its anti-terror operation in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The two senior members of the terror group were among the terrorists neutralized in the Gara region during the second phase of Operation Claw-Eagle 2, a statement by the ministry noted.

Turkey launched Operation Claw-Eagle 2 on Wednesday in line with its right to self-defense arising from international law to prevent the PKK/KCK's and other terror groups' efforts to re-establish their positions used to carry out terror attacks against Turkey. The operation is successfully going on, the ministry said.

With more than 40 jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, tanker air-crafts, and early warning and control air-crafts joining the operation, terrorists' ammunition depots, caves and bases in Gara were destroyed.

The ministry stressed that the operation was carried out in coordination with friendly and allied countries, the targets were carefully chosen, maximum care was paid for the protection of the life and property of the civilian population as well as the environment when the operation was planned and carried out.

Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured. PKK terrorists often use northern Iraq as a base to plan cross-border terrorist attacks on Turkey.

Turkey's operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were launched last June to ensure the safety of Turkish people and borders by neutralizing the threat of the PKK and other terrorist groups that often use northern Iraq to plan cross-border attacks.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK  listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU  has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
(JNS)  For more than a-year-and-a-half, StandWithUs has worked tirelessly together with concerned citizens and partners to remove anti-Semitism, anti-Israel bias and other destructive ideas from Californias draft Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. At the same time, we have pushed for the inclusion of positive education about anti-Semitism and the Jewish people. The stakes are extremely high because California public schools serve 6 million students, and the ESMC is likely to be used as a model in many other states as well.

As the ESMC receives increased national attention, we are prov...
VENICE, Fla., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ned Davis ResearchA (NDR) today announces its partnership with C8 Technologies, the first global marketplace for asset owners, funds, banks and index providers. NDR's comprehensive, historical data with C8's top-tier user experience platform disrupts the status quo of direct indexing by increasing access among investors to active, tradeable indices. "Over the past 5 years, we've seen growing demand among our clients globally to access our highly renowned models for direct investment," said Brian Sanborn, Senior Vice President of Wealth Management Solutions at Ned Davis Research. "This new partnership with C8 simplifies the implementation of NDR's insights, while giving investors the flexibility to tailor a solution specific to their portfolio's mandate." Using the C8 platform, investors can directly trade assets based on NDR's models gaining access to institutional-grade investment strategies at a lower cost. The client executes the trades through their existing broker or bank, as opposed to committing to a fund or structure and pass over custody of the capital. The strategy therefore offers investors greater transparency into their positions and an ability to customize their portfolio, crucial for ESG investing, without the costs associated with sub-allocating capital to external managers. There are significant tax-loss harvesting benefits, as well. Investors will gain access to NDR's proprietary models and research, including the NDR Dynamic Allocation Strategy, the Day Hagan/NDR Smart SectorTM with Catastrophic Stop Strategy, and the NDR Global Allocation Strategy. Mattias Eriksson, CEO of C8 Technologies, adds: "The simplification of direct indexing means that it is easier to act on NDR's research to stay ahead of the market. C8 streamlines regulatory concerns and ultimately democratizes advanced investment techniques, bringing them to a wider audience of investors." For both C8 and NDR, this partnership represents a dedication to providing the highest quality service and agility necessary to meet the evolving needs of their clients.A About Ned Davis Research (NDR)

See the Signals. Avoid Mistakes.a NDRA uses the weight of the evidence and a 360-degree approach to build up to market insights. When we say "evidence," we mean processing millions of data series to fuel a historical perspective, building proprietary indicators and models, and calming investors in a world full of bull/bear news hype and hysteria. We believe that no client is too big or too small to benefit fromA NDR's insights. In 1980, Ned Davis founded a new investment research group based on his fundamental belief that making money is more important than being right. Today, we are widely recognized for concise commentary and objective views.A NDRA is headquartered in Nokomis, Florida, with offices in New York, Montreal, London, Hong Kong, and Sydney. Media Contact: Becky Nye, Director, Montieth & Company,A bnye@montiethco.com About C8 Technologies C8 Technologies is a provider of strategic decision support tools and services for the global investment community. We create industry-leading, research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight and improved-transparency across their investment process. Utilizing over 20 years of expertise in index-research and trade-execution, C8 powers better investment decisions through Direct Investing, which enables clients to maintain full control of their own capital by trading the underlying assets. C8 was formed in 2017 and has offices in London, Shanghai, and New York. Media Contact: Ivo Forde, Director, Fin International, Ivo.Forde@fininternational.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/791249/Ned_Davis_Research_Group_Logo.jpg
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden. The writer here comments: There are signs that the next phase of the U.S.-India relations will be based more on substance and less on rhetoric, as India now is able to offer much more to the U.S., both in military, security, trade and technological terms. (IANS photos)
Two million vaccine jabs by April

BANGKOK: The Public Health Ministry on Thursday (Feb 11) revealed more details of the governments vaccine roll-out, predicting that more than 1.9 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be administered to more than 960,000 people in 10 provinces by April.

COVID-19Coronavirushealth

By Bangkok Post

Friday 12 February 2021, 09:06AM

Photo: Bangkok Post

Dr Sopon Mekthon, chairman of the governments sub-committee on COVID-19 vaccine management, said that since supplies of vaccines were still limited, the roll-out would first aim to cut severe infections and deaths among at-risk groups including people aged 60 and older, those with serious underlying health problems, plus health and medical personnel and officials involved in disease control.

Fiscal and monetary policies must work in step as the government tries to revive the tourism-reliant economy after the recent wave of coronavirus infections, the finance minister said on Thursday, reports the Bangkok Post.

In the second phase, by which time it is hoped vaccine supplies will be more plentiful, the goal of the programme will be to safeguard the economy and national security, create immunity among Thais and return the country to normality, he said.

Target groups in this phase will include medical personnel other than frontline staff, those in the tourism sector, plus workers in the industry sector and general people, said Dr Sopon.

The acting deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), Sopon Iamsirithaworn, said 2mn doses of two-jab vaccines would arrive this month.

Of those, 1,934,000 doses would be administered to 967,000 people by April in 10 provinces designated as strict and maximum control zones, maximum control zones and areas where the number of infections continues to increase.

The remaining 66,000 doses would be reserved for 33,000 people in provinces adjacent to the outbreak areas, said Mr Sopon.

The priority 10 provinces are as follows:

Samut Sakhon  820,000 doses will be administered to 410,000 healthcare staff, 8,000 disease control officials at risk of coming into contact with infected patients, 6,000 people with underlying health problems, 36,000 people aged 60 and older, 150,000 general people and 210,000 migrant workers.

Bangkok  800,000 doses will be given to 400,000 medical personnel, 32,000 at-risk disease control officials, 8,000 people with underlying health problems, 100,000 people aged 60 and older, 100,000 general people and 160,000 migrant workers.

Nonthaburi  26,000 doses will be administered to 13,000 medical personnel, 9,000 disease control officials, and 4,000 people with underlying health problems.

Pathum Thani  26,000 doses will be given to 13,000 medical personnel, 9,000 disease control officials and 4,000 with underlying health problems.

Samut Prakan  28,000 doses will be administered to 14,000 medical personnel, 9,000 disease control officials and 5,000 with underlying health problems.

Rayong  18,000 doses will be given to 9,000 medical personnel, 5,000 disease control officials and 4,000 with underlying health problems.

Chon Buri  people receiving 28,000 doses include 14,000 medical personnel, 10,000 disease control officials and 4,000 people with underlying health problems.

Chanthaburi  the 16,000 doses include 8,000 medical personnel, 6,000 at-risk disease control officials and 2,000 with underlying health problems.

Trat  12,000 doses will be administered to 6,000 medical personnel, 5,000 disease control officials and 1,000 with underlying health problems.

Tak  160,000 doses will be administered to 80,000 medical personnel, 8,000 at-risk disease control officials, 2,000 people with underlying health problems, 10,000 people aged 60 and older, 10,000 general people and 50,000 migrant workers.
Lucknow, Feb 12 : In an open letter to farmers agitating against the new farm laws, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president, Chaudhary Ajit Singh, has warned that attempts would be made the coming days to break the unity of farmers. He has asked farmers to beware of such attempts.

"Farmers are being referred to as terrorists and now 'andolanjivis' which is highly objectionable. Weed to keep our young generations informed and connected to the identity and history of farmers' movements. I and every worker of my party is with the farmers and will remain with you in the future too," he wrote.

In a highly emotional letter, Ajit Singh recalled his family's association with farmers, particularly, that of his father and farmer leader, Chaudhary Charan Singh, since the past several decades.

"It was you who gave me the flag of RLD and made me understand the problems of farmers. The padyatra of 1988 from Meerut to Lucknow is an important milestone in this journey. We have fought battles for farmers' welfare from the streets to the Parliament," he wrote.

Singh further reminded farmers that, as industry minister, he had sanctioned lowering the distance limit between sugar mills from 25 km to 15 km, to enable more sugar mills to be set up.

The RLD president said that farmers, today, were facing two problems. On one hand, the new farm laws are driving farmers to the brink of disaster and, on the other, efforts are being made to crush the democratic agitation the farmers.

Chaudhary Ajit Singh further pointed out that the principles of Chaudhary Charan Singh had become increasingly relevant in the present times and there was a pressing need to remain strong and united.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

Those in essential roles being offered regular Covid tests

The first rapid coronavirus testing centre for key workers has opened in West Berkshire.

The special testing centre, set up by West Berkshire Council, is based in the yet-to-open Highwood Copse Primary School in Newbury and welcomed the first people for tests at 7.30am on Monday.

A second centre is due to open at Thatcham Rugby Club on Monday, with additional sites also planned for the east and west of the district in the coming weeks.

Council leader Lynne Doherty (Con, Speen) said more than 50 people had had the lateral flow tests in the first two days.

She said there would be a limited number of booths available at first, but that the process would get quicker over time as the system gets up and running.

We really want to encourage key workers to make use of the testing centre, she said.

All the feedback I have received so far has been really positive.

It is one measure that will assist us in the fight against Covid and I see it as part and parcel of the way we combat coronavirus going forward.

The tests will be a useful guide, especially for asymptomatic people and because we are repeating the tests regularly it reduces the risk of a false negative.

The centres will offer a range of opening hours  both before and after work  as the council aims to offer as much flexibility as possible.

The lateral flow tests that are being used provide results in around 30 minutes.

The scheme is government-funded and aims to prevent essential workers, such as supermarket employees, from transmitting the virus without realising.

The council says it will contact those who are eligible for a test and offer them an appointment.

People will not be allowed to turn up for a test without an appointment.

Management of the testing centres has been contracted out to Berkshire company Solutions 4 Health, while military planners have also had a hand in the logistics of the operation.
Ni John Fru Ndi, SDF National Chairman Atia Azohnwi

Ni John Fru Ndi, National Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Front, SDF, has said he will no longer present himself for another mandate when the partys National Elective Convention takes place in the weeks ahead.

The lion-hearted founding chairman of the SDF gave the hint at a press dinner in Yaounde Thursday, February 11, 2021.

After failing to present himself as a candidate at the October 2018 presidential elections saying it was time for the youth to take up the challenge, Fru Ndi has once again said the future of the SDF is in the hands of the young vibrant people bubbling with new ideas.

"...it's time to hand over leadership to young vibrant people with new ideas on how to move on with the political party and Cameroon," Fru Ndi told journalists.

He said the SDF will continue the fight for change and the advancement of democracy in Cameroon, adding that he must not always be at the forefront for things to be done. He said he will stay committed to the party and continue to support the youth so they can succeed where he failed.

To those who consider him a failure because he failed to become President of the Republic, Fru Ndi said leadership is not all about becoming president of Cameroon. He said the SDF has stayed through to its mission. He said that were it not for the SDF, democracy in Cameroon would not be where it is today.

Born on July 7, 1941, Fru Ndi braved bullets to launch the SDF in Bamenda on May 26, 1990, in Bamenda. The birth of the party reintroduced multiparty democracy in Cameroon.

For the last 31 years as National Chairman of the SDF, Fru Ndi has presented himself as a candidate at the 1992, 2004, and 2011 presidential elections. It is widely believed that the incumbent stole his victory in 1992.

Fru Ndi failed to become a senator in 2013 when he led a list in the North West Region.

On June 28, 2019, armed separatists stormed Fru Ndis Ntarinkon residence, beat, and dragged him into captivity. This was the second abduction, coming after that of April 27, 2019, as he went to bury Hon. Joseph Banadzem.

After the incidents, Fru Ndi flew to the United States for medical attention and only returned at the close of 2020.

Cambodian labor rights officials on Friday called on their government to address challenges undocumented migrant workers in Thailand face obtaining legal employment on the eve of a registration deadline that could see tens of thousands deported or imprisoned after months being idled by coronavirus restrictions.

Thailands Ministry of Labor reported last week that nearly 120,000 Cambodian workers have registered to work for up to two years in the country since announcing the requirement on Jan. 15 and warned it would take action against any foreigners who fail to do so by Feb. 14. The ministry said the move is part of efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within Thailands borders.

Dy Thehoya, a migration program official with Cambodian labor watchdog Central, told RFAs Khmer Service Friday that more than 400,000 Cambodians are believed to be working illegally in Thailand and said around three-fourths of them could be thrown out of the country or detained after the registration deadline passes.

Thailand is calling on workers to register for a pink card, but it is complicated and costs a lot of money for them, he said, referring to the documentation needed to work legally in the country. This is a major problem for our Cambodian workers now.

In addition to the complexity and cost of applying for pink cards, Dy Thehoya said migrant workers are also susceptible to scams as they try to circumvent the normal registration process.

He called on Cambodias government to request that Bangkok extend the requirement to register and urged authorities in both countries to take action against brokers who exploit Cambodian workers by charging them higher prices to obtain pink cards. Without taking such measures, he said, tens of thousands of migrant workers will be forced to return home, while others will continue to live in Thailand without any legal status.

Challenges for the undocumented

Thailands strict immigration measures have already left many illegal Cambodian migrant workers unable to earn enough to feed or house their families.

Nuon Bon, a construction worker in Thailands Chonburi province, said he and his family had been living in the country for nearly 15 years, but had been unable to work for the last two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, forcing them to seek shelter at a local pagoda.

Nuon Bon told RFA that he can occasionally drum up a small amount of work, but not enough to pay for a pink card, which costs around 10,000 baht (U.S. $300). He said that because he doesnt understand the law, he asked local nongovernmental organizations for assistance in registering, but worries that he will be unable to afford any related fees.

We have not registered yet because we have no money, he said.

I am waiting to see if I can give some cash to my old boss so that he can get a card for me. If we dont have one, the authorities will arrest us and send us back to Cambodia.

A Bangkok-based sanitation worker named Hem Mom said her employer had docked the wages that she and her daughter receive in exchange for obtaining pink cards for them.

She said they were happy to do so to avoid falling prey to scammers that would have charged them much more money.

They cut 500 baht ($17) from our salaries over the course of one and a half months, she said. We are Khmer, and they have helped make us happy.

RFA was not immediately able to contact Cambodian embassy officials in Bangkok or Cambodian Ministry of Labor spokesman Heng Sour for comment on the workers concerns.

But Cambodian diplomatic officials in Bangkok have said the embassy is unable to help the migrant workers and suggested they register for legal employment.

There are about 1.8 million Cambodians working in Thailand, of which more than 400,000 labor illegallymostly for plantations, landscaping companies, and private homes.

Pandemic problems

Even those who are registered to work in Thailand say it has been difficult earning a living during the pandemic, as the economy struggles, and jobs have dried up.

Ngai Ngoc, 21, told RFA that since the first coronavirus infection was discovered in Thailand in January, he has been unable to find a full-time job and only earns around U.S. $10 a day.

Another worker named Phoan Sopha said she no longer has overtime hours and has dealt with salary delays.

Worker Sreang Kim Srong said that even though the job market has shrunk in Thailand, it is still better than Cambodia, where there is no work to be found.

He said he sends home the money he earns in Thailand so that his parents can pay off their debts to the bank.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translation by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
ALBANY  After months of pleading for funding, commissioners in charge of redrawing New York's legislative and congressional districts received word last week that a contract granting $1 million for their efforts had been approved.

But at their first meeting since then, Democratic and Republican commissioners on Friday agreed that the language providing the $1 million was so unacceptable they would refuse to take it. A bipartisan group of the eight commissioners unanimously passed a motion stating they would not participate in the contract created for them by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration.

Commissioner Jack Martins, a Republican former state senator, said every other state in the country with a redistricting commission had moved forward with its work, except New York. He laid the blame at the feet of the Cuomo administration and state Legislature.

We are stymied by our own elected officials, our own state officials in trying to do our job," Martins said. Its a disgrace; its an embarrassment.

Cuomo administration officials contend they were put in a difficult position by the state Legislature. Last April, the Legislature chose to fund the commission in a way that required legal gymnastics by the administration in order to provide the $1 million.

A problem with the contract, the commissioners said, is that the $1 million is in effect $650,000. Ten percent of the overall amount  $100,000  is being held back as an administrative fee for the SUNY Research Foundation, which is administering the grant that is funding the commission. Another $250,000 is being held back for potential legal costs. (The redistricting maps that are redrawn every 10 years often spark litigation.)

The co-executive directors of the commission, who have been volunteering without pay since their hiring in November, are supposed to make $145,000 salaries that were set months ago, plus fringe benefits.

After accounting for all the costs, plus the cost of workers compensation insurance, Theres no money left, said Commissioner Charles Nesbitt, a former assemblyman and an Assembly Republican appointee.

Weeks ago, the redistricting commission staff proposed its own budget to SUNY Research Foundation, but it was ignored, the commissioners said.

The problems began with last years state budget when money was allocated through a type of grant which usually funds local nonprofit initiatives. The money was then supposed to be released to the commission by the Department of State. But the Cuomo administration took the position that the money could not legally be released directly to the redistricting commission, because it is not a registered nonprofit.

Eventually, the state Division of Budget settled on having the Department of State sign the $1 million contract with the SUNY Research Foundation, a tax-exempt charity associated with the State University of New York that generally funds educational initiatives.

Under the contract, the redistricting commission must get approval from SUNY Research for its expenditures. Commissioners said this violates the 2014 constitutional amendment that created the bipartisan commission and stated its two executive directors would be in charge of hiring staff.

Were not independent at all under this contract," said former state Sen. George Winner, a Republican appointee to the commission. In fact, theyre taking $350,000 off the top from our money. Theres just nothing good about this thing from the beginning to the end.

The Cuomo administration says it has no desire to control the commission, which Cuomo pushed to create through the 2014 constitutional amendment.

The Legislature appropriated this funding to the Department of State, the executive has no role in appointing the commission, and we agree, it should be independent," said Division of Budget spokesman Freeman Klopott. "We have been working for months on a solution to make this funding available to the commission, including: proposing options to form a not-for-profit, which they rejected because they wanted to be state employees; and putting them on the legislative budget, which was rejected by the Legislature."

"The funding is available to the commission now through the SUNY Research Foundation, an idea at least one commissioner endorsed," Klopott added. "As it seems the commission is rejecting the solution offered, we would be happy to go along with whatever solution the Legislature can work out.

At Friday's meeting, commissioners cited another major issue: that the contract does not appear to indemnify them against the lawsuits regularly filed during fights over district lines. They voted to request an opinion from Attorney General Letitia James office as to whether they as commissioners could be held liable in any litigation.

Commissioner Ross Brady, an at-large pick to the commission who is a state Conservative Party official, encouraged anyone with standing to consider a lawsuit alleging the commission was being treated unconstitutionally.

At some point, this has to end up in front a federal judge, Brady said.

Other commissioners expressed hope that the state Legislature would create a new, direct funding stream for the commission in the new budget due April 1.

The bipartisan commission faces tight deadlines to finish its work, or else the line-drawing process could revert back to the state Legislature. An announcement on Friday will only make that task more difficult: The U.S. Census Bureau said it won't be delivering the data used for redrawing districts to states until the end of September.
INOLEX announced new appointments to its leadership team, naming Kevin Hrebenar VP of operations and Alanna Smith as site lead at Charlotte; and Ted Laarkamp as VP for the global supply chain. The company also appointed Olivier Khuu, director of INOLEX Provence, chairman of the UNITIS executive committee.

Related: Unitis Announces Personnel Changes

Hrebenar will lead strategic planning and operations for the company's flagship manufacturing in Charlotte, North Carolina. A key focus will be instilling best practices to build a safety culture throughout the company.

Hrebenar most recently served as VP operations, R&D, at Dooley Chemicals. Hrebenar will leverage his background in surface and colloid chemistry as well as business management to build the companys production platform for greater efficiency and sustainability.

Smith has been promoted to site lead, where she will report to Hrebenar. Smith will oversee the day-to-day production at the companys U.S. manufacturing facility, lead the local operations team, and ensure proficiency of the sites production capabilities. She brings extensive environmental health and safety (EHS) experience to INOLEX, having worked for more than a decade as an EHS leader at Dow Chemical.

Laarkamp will work across the organization to build out the global logistics network of the business. He will oversee the companys regional manufacturing in Brazil and Korea, and drive improvements in inventory management and warehousing, including logistics and shipping, across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

On the technology front, Laarkamp will further develop the companys material requirements planning (MRP) platform for global production optimization. He is charged with advancing the procurement of strategic and sustainable raw materials as well as bringing forth greater transparency on feedstock origins.

Khuu is currently director of INOLEX Provence, ieS Labo and, in his new role, will lead the organization in its mission to standardize and provide greater transparency to the toxicological assessment of cosmetic ingredients from natural origins. He is charged with overseeing the completion of the NCS TOX Project, a global research initiative to establish a predictive database on the toxicology of Natural Complex SubstancesPlant Extracts (NCS). The effort, which is slated for completion in 2022, will produce data on more than 25,000 molecules from one thousand plants.

David Plimpton, INOLEX's CEO, said, Bringing dedicated expertise to these areas is paramount as we continue to scale our global enterprise and ensure continuity of supply for our customers worldwide. These individuals are deeply knowledgeable and passionate about our manufacturing operations. Together they are a driving force in realizing our vision as both a world-class innovator and a manufacturer of plant-based, sustainable ingredients.

Khuu said, It is an honor to serve the association and its members in this leadership capacity. The NCS TOX Project is a significant effort to demonstrate ingredient safety and to promote innovation through access to standardized scientific data on plant-based materials used in cosmetics and nutraceutical products.
The family of a Columbia University student found dead in his dorm room five days after authorities refused to carry out a welfare check have told of their devastation as they fight for answers and call for changes to the school protocols that, they say, left them powerless in the face of tragedy.

Gage Bellitto was just 19 years old when, on December 27, 2017, he was found dead in his room in Columbia's Carlton Arms building on Manhattan's Upper West Side. He died of an accidental overdose.

That would be tragedy enough for any family. But for the Bellittos there was more anguish to come. Coroners put the time of death five days earlier, on December 22.

The finding was a hammer blow. Because that was the very day that, driven by a gut sense of dread, Gage's uncle, Doug Bellitto, had gone to his nephew's dorm and begged authorities to carry out a welfare check only to have his request repeatedly rebuffed.

Today, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Bellitto, 59, and his sister, Gage's aunt, Robin Stettnisch, 55, describe Gage's death, and the wall of silence with which their entreaties to Columbia have been met, 'soul shattering.'

Gage Bellitto, 19, was found dead in his room in Columbia's Carlton Arms building on Manhattan's Upper West Side on December 27, 2017

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Doug Bellitto, 59, and his sister Robin Stettnisch describe Gage's death, and the wall of silence by Columbia

Bellitto said, 'Gage was a bright, wonderful, hopeful young man, who was looking forward to building a life in New York City.

'He loved his family, his parents, his sister, his aunt and his uncle. He made some bad choices and he passed away from an accidental overdose in his dorm.

'But I don't know that I can ever get past the thought that he possibly could have been saved when I was there that afternoon and no compassionate or responsible attempt was made to help me.'

Handsome and popular Gage had recently transferred to Columbia where he was studying economics and in his sophomore year after completing his freshman year at Bates College, Maine. He had made Dean's list at Bates but Gage had Ivy League ambitions in keeping with the rest of his family.

His father, Glenn, and mother, Kyle Moran, both graduated from Harvard and his older sister, Dale, 25, was a student at Dartmouth.

According to his uncle, 'Gage was very excited to be in New York City at this Ivy League school and had hopes for a career in finance, on Wall Street and was doing everything he could to make that happen for himself.'

But, as hard as he worked, Bellitto admits, his nephew was not without his issues. His family was aware that he used drugs and worried about what they perceived to be a very real problem.

Gage had been prescribed several different medications to treat anxiety and attention deficit disorder. According to Bellitto the prescriptions he had been issued in his younger teenage years that led him to opioids and addiction.

He said, 'Unfortunately that turned into a need for other substances. He did have a drug problem and the whole family was involved in trying to help him, to do anything we could to get him the treatment he needed.'

The coroner ruled Gage died of an accidental overdose five days earlier - the same day his uncle Doug requested a welfare check but was denied by the school. His father, Glenn, and mother, Kyle Moran, both graduated from Harvard and his older sister, Dale, 25, was a student at Dartmouth

Doug, his brother Glen (sitting) and Gage are seen in a sweet snap from 2000. Glen died last year of Covid-19 after contracting it early in the pandemic

Gage trusted his uncle Doug Bellitto enough to open up to him about his drug use. He went with his uncle to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation outpatient center in Chelsea the summer before his death. They're pictured together in 2016

Gage was raised in Bronxville, a suburb of Westchester where his mother still lives. In a double tragedy his father, Glenn, a financier and Eastchester councilman, died last April of Covid-19 having contracted it early in the pandemic. He was 62 and according to his younger brother had no co-morbidities, his only 'vulnerability' Bellitto said, was his broken heart.

Gage trusted Bellitto enough to open up to him about his drug use. He went with his uncle to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation outpatient center in Chelsea the summer before his death.

Bellitto recalled, 'We went to this evaluation and Gage was very honest about his usage and the counselor told him he sounded like a casual college drug user and that their treatment program certainly wasn't appropriate for him.'

For Bellitto it was a view that minimized the problem. He said, 'To me any drug problem is potentially a huge problem. But Gage heard the message that he was just a casual college drug user and [took the attitude], 'So why is anyone worried about me?'

Over the next few months, the family watched Gage's health deteriorated as his drug use accelerated.

Bellitto said, 'In October [2017] he collapsed in his dorm suite and had to be rushed to hospital.'

Bellitto does not know the details of what Gage had taken and, as a 19-year-old, Gage did not have to share them with his family.

But, he said, 'I would have thought it certainly indicated [to Columbia] that this was a student who was having some kind of trouble.'

Under their worried eyes Gage became more distant from his family. He decided to spend the holidays in college instead of going home. It was a decision that wounded the family but, while he went off the radar as far as his parents were concerned, he maintained contact with his uncle in the city.

Bellitto explained, 'He was still keeping in touch with me because I lived in the city and he trusted me. So, in December I was making every effort to keep tabs on him, to keep in touch, to make sure he knew that I was a safe place for him to be. I'm also his godfather  we're a Sicilian family and that's an especially powerful bond.'

The only communications that the family have had have been from the Associate Dean of Family and Student Support who has expressed sympathy for their loss and directed them to log onto the school's website for student wellness

Gage was one of the very few students to remain in halls during the holidays, but he had agreed to spend Christmas Eve with his uncle.

Bellitto recalled, 'In the days leading up to Christmas Eve I was calling him and texting him trying to finalize our plan and I wasn't hearing back. And I just thought that was odd.

'I got really concerned about his non-responsiveness and on December 22 I went to his dorm myself.

'I just knew on a gut level that something had to be wrong.'

Today it is very difficult for Bellitto to recount the events of that day. He arrived at the Carlton Arms building at around 2.30pm.

He said, 'I approached the front desk and identified myself and told [the guard] that my nephew was a resident and I was very concerned for his safety because I hadn't heard from him.

'I told him he hadn't been responding to texts or voicemails as he normally did, and I asked if I could go and knock on his door.'

The guard said no and explained that Bellitto wasn't on any guest list and so could not enter.

Bellitto continued, 'Gage's door was actually feet from the front desk. So, I asked if he could possibly call Gage and tell him that his uncle was waiting for him in the lobby.'

Again, he was told no and that there were no direct lines to rooms. When Bellitto asked the guard if he would call Gage's cell, thinking perhaps Gage might answer a university number where he had not answered his, the guard once again refused.

He said, 'At this point I was getting more and more frustrated and distraught. So, I asked to speak to the dorm manager and after a few minutes he came out and escorted me to his office off the lobby.'

Bellitto explained his situation and his concerns. He again asked to knock on his nephew's door and was again told, no. He asked the dorm manager if he would knock and was told no.

Bellitto said, 'He said these kinds of requests have to go through campus security and when I asked where that was, he just said, 'It's on 116th street, just walk up there and ask a police officer where the office is.'

Bellitto was escorted back out. He stood outside his nephew's dorm house for roughly half an hour desperately dialing his cell, texting and leaving messages.

He said, 'I thought about walking to the security office but the dorm manager also said to me that I was ''just'' an uncle so it would be almost impossible to convince anyone to check on my nephew.

'He said, ''Frankly it would be even difficult for a parent to convince campus security to check on their child.'''

Today it is very difficult for Bellitto to recount the events of that day. He arrived at the Carlton Arms building (pictured) at around 2.30pm and was denied a welfare check

Bellitto recalled, 'In the days leading up to Christmas Eve I was calling him and texting him trying to finalize our plan and I wasn't hearing back. And I just thought that was odd.' This prompted him to go to the school and request a welfare check

Dejected and distraught, Bellitto started walking back to the subway but, he said, 'Halfway there I thought, ''No. I won't accept this.'''

He retraced his steps and appealed to the dorm manager once more  this time man to man.

He explained, 'I framed it kind of like, whatever the college protocols are around this, let's put that aside  please - and just as another human being could you go upstairs and knock on his door? And he said, 'No.' He said it was outside his 'jurisdiction.'

'And I just left, defeated. And that was the day that Gage died.'

Gage was last seen alive on surveillance footage at approximately 10.30pm on December 21 and did not leave his room again after that.

Five days after Bellitto's visit Gage's mother, Kyle, was forced to file a missing person's report to have a welfare check carried out on her son. She had gone to his dorm room and was outside when her son's body was found.

What's made it even more difficult to process, to move on from is that there has been no acknowledgment from Columbia administration at all that I was in the dorm asking for my nephew to be checked on the day he died. Doug Bellitto

Today the family is tormented both by the questions that Columbia cannot answer and the questions that they will not answer.

Bellitto said, 'Could he have been saved if someone had helped me? If someone had compassionately assisted me? And if he was already dead but someone had done that welfare check at least my sister-in-law would have been spared the agony, five days later, of finding her son's body in his dorm room.'

It is three years since that awful week. During that time Bellitto and his sister Robin have exchanged dozens of emails, amounting to thousands of words, with Columbia university's leadership.

They have received no direct response from school president Lee Bollinger and neither an acknowledgment nor an explanation as to what happened on December 22.

Nor have they received an answer to their repeated question of whether or not the same thing could happen again to another family.

Bellitto said, 'This was a soul shattering experience for the family, not just for me, and what's made it even more difficult to process, to accept, to move on from is that there has been no acknowledgment from Columbia administration at all that I was in the dorm asking for my nephew to be checked on the day he died.

'There's been no explanation for those horrific events. And there has been no follow-up explaining what protocols may have been changed since that day so that another student doesn't die unnecessarily, and family members have the ability to check or have a check done on their kids when there's a crisis situation.'

Bellitto and his sister returned to Gage's dorm on the first anniversary of his death. Bellitto thought, angry as he was, that the dorm manager might have some remorse or regret at his inaction that day. He wanted clarity and so he asked to speak to the man.

Bellitto recalled, 'I said to him, ''Now that we're a year forward would you have done anything different that day, knowing what the outcome was?'' And he said, ''No and I don't even know why we're discussing this.'' And at that point he turned his back and walked away.'

'I will go back to the dorm room every year on the anniversary of his death in remembrance of my guy and to be a thorn in the side of Columbia, reminding them that nothing was done to help me that day,' Bellitto said

In a double tragedy his father, Glenn, a financier and Eastchester councilman, died last April of Covid-19 having contracted it early in the pandemic. He was 62 and according to his younger brother had no co-morbidities, his only 'vulnerability' Bellitto said, was his broken heart

The only communications that the family have had have been from the Associate Dean of Family and Student Support who has expressed sympathy for their loss and directed them to log onto the school's website for student wellness.

Bellitto said, 'You know I'm sure these are very effective tools for kids who are struggling with mental illness or addiction, but they have nothing to do with the questions and concerns we have about the day Gage died.'

According to Gage's aunt, Robin, 'When Gage died Columbia had had a spate of student deaths: seven student deaths in the sixteen months before Gage  it made the news.

'My brother shows up and says he's worried about his nephew's life. And they do nothing. What have they learned from all those other deaths? Do they not matter?

'My beloved nephew died  what might have been done to save him?'

She explained, 'We want to make sure that Colombia has changed its policy so that if anybody is concerned for the life of a student there is an immediate check.

'And it's not just Columbia. Colleges everywhere need to have that policy. There's plenty of forms that parents and students fill out when they go to college. One of them should be something that says, if somebody fears for my life, I give you permission to check on me.'

For Gage's family there would be some comfort, however cold, in knowing that his death made a difference.

Until then, Bellitto said, 'I will go back to the dorm room every year on the anniversary of his death in remembrance of my guy and to be a thorn in the side of Columbia, reminding them that nothing was done to help me that day.'
English German

Basel, Switzerland, February 12, 2021

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announced today that data on the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitor derazantinib in combination with the PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab, in patients with advanced solid tumors from the phase 1b dose-finding cohort in the FIDES-02 study, were presented at the virtual American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU 2021), held from February 11 to 13, 2021.1

The derazantinib-atezolizumab combination was well tolerated and no dose-limiting toxicities were observed. The most commonly reported adverse events were fatigue/asthenia (weakness), nausea and diarrhea. The study demonstrated that derazantinib and atezolizumab can be safely combined at doses of 300 mg of daily oral derazantinib, which is the derazantinib monotherapy dose used in the phase 2 study FIDES-01, and 1200 mg atezolizumab, administered intravenously once every three weeks which was the maximum dose pre-specified in the protocol.2

Several patients are still receiving treatment with derazantinib and atezolizumab, including one patient with a bile duct cancer and FGFR2 gene fusion, who is ongoing in the study for more than nine months and was reported with a partial response with continued tumor shrinkage. The combination of derazantinib and atezolizumab is supported by preclinical data demonstrating derazantinibs strong inhibition of colony-stimulating-factor-1-receptor kinase (CSF1R). CSF1R inhibition may revert tumor-induced immunosuppression and thereby enhance the response to immune-checkpoint inhibition.

Dr. Marc Engelhardt, Chief Medical Officer, said: The recently announced clinical proof of concept for derazantinib as monotherapy in the FIDES-01 study in patients with FGFR2 gene fusion-positive intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and the efficacy signal obtained in the group of patients with advanced solid tumors in the FIDES-02 study are encouraging. Considering the manageable safety and tolerability profile and the rapidly evolving treatment landscape in urothelial cancer in patients both with and without FGFR genetic aberrations, we additionally plan to amend the FIDES-02 study protocol to explore a higher dose of derazantinib in two cohorts of this study. These cohorts would explore whether dosing derazantinib at its previously established maximum tolerated daily dose, which is about 30% higher than the current phase 2 dose, may provide additional benefits in monotherapy and combination to patients with FGFR-positive urothelial cancer.

The FIDES-02 study (Fibroblast growth factor Inhibition with DErazantinib in Solid tumors) is an ongoing multi-center, open-label phase 1/2 study evaluating once-daily orally administered derazantinib and atezolizumab in patients with inoperable or metastatic urothelial (bladder) cancer and confirmed FGFR genetic aberrations.

The following e-poster was presented at ASCO GU 2021: Abstract # Title 437 Derazantinib (DZB) in combination with atezolizumab (AZB) in patients with solid tumors: Results from the dose-finding phase Ib substudy of FIDES-02.



Authors: Raghad Karim, Arvind Chaudhry, Anna Patrikidou, Alejandro Falcon Gonzalez, Fabricio Racca, Yohann Loriot, Damien Pouessel, Jean-Laurent Deville, Shinkyo Yoon, Hyo Jin Lee, Frederique Cantero, Michalina Marszewska, Mikael Saulay, Stephan Braun, Rodryg Ramlau

For further information, please visit https://meetings.asco.org/gu/virtual-program

About derazantinib

Derazantinib is an investigational orally administered small-molecule FGFR inhibitor with strong activity against FGFR1, 2, and 3.3 FGFR kinases are key drivers of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. FGFR genetic aberrations, e.g. gene fusions, mutations or amplifications, have been identified as potentially important therapeutic targets for various cancers, including intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), urothelial, breast, gastric and lung cancers.4 In these cancers, FGFR genetic aberrations are found in a range of 5% to 30%.5

Derazantinib also inhibits the colony-stimulating-factor-1-receptor kinase (CSF1R).3, 6 CSF1R-mediated signaling is important for the maintenance of tumor-promoting macrophages and therefore has been identified as a potential target for anti-cancer drugs.7 Pre-clinical data has shown that tumor macrophage depletion through CSF1R blockade renders tumors more responsive to T-cell checkpoint immunotherapy, including approaches targeting PD-L1/PD-1.8, 9

Derazantinib has demonstrated initial antitumor activity and a manageable safety profile in a previous biomarker-driven phase 1/2 study in iCCA patients,10 and has received U.S. and EU orphan drug designation for iCCA. Basilea is currently conducting three clinical studies with derazantinib. The first study, FIDES-01, is a registrational phase 2 study in patients with inoperable or advanced iCCA. It comprises one cohort of patients with FGFR2 gene fusions and another cohort of patients with mutations or amplifications.2 Positive topline results for the FIDES-01 cohort with FGFR2 gene-fusion positive iCCA patients have just been reported. The second study, FIDES-02, is a phase 1/2 study evaluating derazantinib alone and in combination with Roche's PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, atezolizumab, in patients with advanced urothelial cancer, including metastatic, or recurrent surgically unresectable disease, expressing FGFR genetic aberrations.1 The third study, FIDES-03, is a phase 1/2 study evaluating derazantinib alone and in combination with Lillys anti-VEGFR2 antibody ramucirumab and paclitaxel or with Roches PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab in patients with advanced gastric cancer with FGFR genetic aberrations.11 Basilea in-licensed derazantinib from ArQule Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.

About Basilea

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on the development of products that address the medical challenges in the therapeutic areas of oncology and infectious diseases. With two commercialized drugs, the company is committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products to meet the medical needs of patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: BSLN). Additional information can be found at Basilea's website www.basilea.com.

Disclaimer

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as "believe", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "project", "may", "could", "might", "will" or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Derazantinib and its uses are investigational and have not been approved by a regulatory authority for any use. Efficacy and safety have not been established. The information presented should not be construed as a recommendation for use. The relevance of findings in nonclinical/preclinical studies to humans is currently being evaluated.

For further information, please contact:

Peer Nils Schroder, PhD



Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Phone +41 61 606 1102 E-mail media_relations@basilea.com

investor_relations@basilea.com

This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com.

References

FIDES-02: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04045613 FIDES-01: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03230318 T. G. Hall, Y. Yu, S. Eathiraj et al. Preclinical activity of ARQ 087, a novel inhibitor targeting FGFR dysregulation. PLoS ONE 2016, 11 (9), e0162594 R. Porta, R. Borea, A. Coelho et al. FGFR a promising druggable target in cancer: Molecular biology and new drugs. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 2017 (113), 256-267 T. Helsten, S. Elkin, E. Arthur et al. The FGFR landscape in cancer: Analysis of 4,853 tumors by next-generation sequencing. Clinical Cancer Research 2016 (22), 259-267 P. McSheehy, F. Bachmann, N. Forster-Gross et al. Derazantinib (DZB): A dual FGFR/CSF1R-inhibitor active in PDX-models of urothelial cancer. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2019 (18), 12 supplement, pp. LB-C12 M. A. Cannarile, M. Weisser, W. Jacob et al. Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitors in cancer therapy. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 2017, 5:53 Y. Zhu, B. L. Knolhoff, M. A. Meyer et al. CSF1/CSF1R Blockade reprograms tumor-infiltrating macrophages and improves response to T cell checkpoint immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer models. Cancer Research 2014 (74), 5057-5069 E. Peranzoni, J. Lemoine, L. Vimeux et al. Macrophages impede CD8 T cells from reaching tumor cells and limit the efficacy of antiPD-1 treatment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America 2018 (115), E4041-E4050 V. Mazzaferro, B. F. El-Rayes, M. Droz dit Busset et al. Derazantinib (ARQ 087) in advanced or inoperable FGFR2 gene fusion-positive intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. British Journal of Cancer 2019 (120), 165-171. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01752920 FIDES-03: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04604132

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NEW MILFORD  The district is planning to return students back to school for in-person learning in grades pre-K to five in March, Superintendent of Schools Alisha DiCorpo announced in a news release to parents.

The transition will take place with pre-K to second-grade students returning first on March 1, and then two weeks later, grades three to five on March 15, according to the announcement.

The decision was made to open schools up to in-person learning for PK-5 because we do not currently, and have not had, any known transmission of COVID-19 in our schools, DiCorpo told Hearst Connecticut Media. As a district, we felt it was paramount to plan for a safe return for students and staff and so we have been working with administration, our health director, as well as our district medical advisor and teachers to do just that.

DiCorpo said the district has learned a great deal since closing schools last March and wanted to take the time to review the plans and make necessary adjustments for a safe transition.

Additionally, she said during the planning period, the district sought approval from the Board of Education to purchase what was needed for students and staff to return safely. This includes partitions and air purification for the cafeterias.

According to DiCorpo, the dates provided to parents for schools to reopen will allow the schools to receive all materials theyve ordered, set up partitions, and receive survey data from parents on whether their child will return to school in person.

The time also affords us the opportunity to host parent evenings and to share specific information about each school with parents, she said, adding shell be able to walk the buildings prior to the reopening and during the reopening with the health director.

In the announcement, DiCorpo wrote students who wish to continue accessing their education remotely will still be allowed to do so.

According to the school reopening schedule, the Friday before each school is to reopen, both cohorts will be remote. For Hill and Plain Elementary School and Northville Elementary School, this will be Feb. 26, and for Sarah Noble Intermediate School, it will be March 12.

Its important to note that all reopen dates are subject to change, based upon COVID related factors. I will update families as we get closer to the dates if there are to be any changes, DiCorpo wrote.

For students who will be participating in person, the schedule will change to reflect in-person learning, Monday through Friday, with an accelerated early dismissal schedule followed on Wednesday, complete with grab and go lunch, DiCorpo said.

According to the announcement, administrators will work to define the Wednesday half-day schedules, which will include time for planning, as well as afford facilities the opportunity to provide deep cleaning. Administration will also begin working with support staff and teachers to create transition plans for individual students who experience anxiety or have had difficulty in the past with full in-person learning.

In addition to the pre-K to fifth-grade schools reopening, changes will be made to the middle school and high school schedules that will include a half-day of in-person learning for students on Wednesdays, with Cohort A and B rotating in. Cohort A will begin on March 17, according to the announcement.

Additionally, all pre-K to fifth-grade principals will hold virtual meetings with parents prior to students returning in person to describe the school day and provide a virtual tour of each building.

DiCorpo said she has been attending faculty meetings in each elementary school with members of the Central Office staff and building leadership.

The meetings are ongoing with school staff and principals so that we can continue to seek feedback and prepare to reopen fully based on our parent survey data, she wrote in the release.

DiCorpo said if parents have specific questions related to their childs school, they can reach out to the building administrator.
Kolkata: The Left Front has called for 12 hours Bandh in West Bengal on Friday to protest after its workers were allegedly beaten up during a march to Nabanna in Kolkata.

"The Left Front has called for 12 hours bandh in West Bengal to protest over the incident where left party workers were beaten up and water cannons were used against them by Police during a march to Nabanna in Kolkata," Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said.

The bandh will remain effective from 6 am in the morning to 6 pm in the evening, he added.

Siliguri: The Left Front has called for a 12-hour bandh in West Bengal today to protest after its workers were allegedly beaten up during a march to Nabanna in Kolkata yesterday pic.twitter.com/fHxFGnmOwt  ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2021

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal Government mandated the presence of all employees of the State Government at their offices on Friday.

"All-State Government offices, including those provided with Grants-in-Aid by the State Government, shall remain open and all employees shall report for duty.

No casual leave for absence or any leave shall be granted to any employee nor shall there be any exemption on the ground of shift allocation," read a circular.

"Absence will be treated as `dies-non` and no salary will be admissible unless covered by hospitalisation of the employee, bereavement in family, severe illness and absence continuing prior to February 11, employees on child care/maternity/medical leave sanctioned prior to February 11," it added.

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US Marshals, ICE Reevaluate Operations on Sex Offenders After Biden Deportation Freeze

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are working to reevaluate enforcement operations on sex offenders after a recent executive order issued by President Joe Biden.

According to our Sex Offender Investigations Branch chief, the USMS is working with ICE to reevaluate upcoming enforcement operations to ensure compliance with recent Executive Orders issued by the POTUS, the USMS told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), asserted in an article published Wednesday, ICE had been planning a nationwide operation in partnership with the U.S. Marshals targeting at-large sex offenders, but it was scuttled by the new directive.

Acting DHS Secretary David Pekoske had issued the new directive (pdf) on Jan. 20 in response to Bidens executive order, which revoked former President Donald Trumps Executive Order 13768 signed in 2017. Trumps executive order had, in part, ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, to prioritize the removal of illegal aliens who have been convicted of any criminal offense or charged with any criminal offense, where the charge has not been resolved.

The new DHS directive under the Biden administration had also imposed a 100-day pause on deportations starting Jan. 22 for certain illegal aliens who were ordered to leave, pending the completion of a review of immigration enforcement policies. A federal judge temporarily blocked the order for 14 days on Jan. 26a victory for Texas, whose attorney general sued the Biden administration over the executive order.

In the directive, the DHS said it would, during the deportation freeze, be prioritizing in part, Individuals incarcerated within federal, state, and local prisons and jails released on or after the issuance of this memorandum who have been convicted of an aggravated felony, as that term is defined in section 101(a) (43) of the Immigration and Nationality Act at the time of conviction, and are determined to pose a threat to public safety.

The new rules, according to Vaughan, only allow for a very narrow set of cases of aliens to be deportedin particular, only those classified as current aggravated felons, or the most serious criminals who are still in the custody of local authorities. Most prior convictions would not count, and are categorically excused if they happened 10 or more years ago, she wrote.

The strict conditions mean that only a rare few of the criminal aliens arrested throughout the country will be removable, and even many aliens who do have convictions for crimes of violence would be protected if the convictions occurred more than 10 years ago, she asserted.

An unnamed ICE source told Vaughan that most of the at-large illegal alien sex offenders that USMS and ICE are targeting do not clearly meet the new standards, especially in California, where sex offenders routinely get to plead down to far lesser charges, especially if it helps them avoid deportation, and where certain sex crimes, such as sex with a minor, are not classified as felonies as they are in other states.

Another ICE officer told me that they had more than two dozen deportable sex offender targets at large in his area who now will be free to re-offend, Vaughan wrote.

Thomas Homan, a former ICE acting director, told Fox News that the agency has canceled a national operation called Operation Talon that targets convicted sex offenders who are illegal aliens.

The White House and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Epoch Times.

Biden had signed multiple executive actions on the first day of his presidency that rescinded Trump administration policies that were working to reduce the flow of illegal immigration. The initiatives are part of Bidens plan to legalize about 11 million illegal aliens living in the United States, something he had vowed during his campaign.

More than 50 House Republicans on Tuesday in a letter called on President Joe Biden to take action to secure the border and warned him about a rising illegal immigration crisis starting at the southern border, citing increases in the number of immigrants just a few weeks into the new presidency.

Allen Zhong contributed to this report.
(TNS) - Florida residents under 65 with health conditions that make them at risk for severe COVID complications were given the option to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through Walmart this week.The move went against Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order, which gives only hospital providers the option to vaccinate anyone it considers "to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19," regardless of age.Now the big-box retailer says it made a mistake. But the company apparently plans to honor those appointments, with vaccinations for seniors and healthcare providers set to begin Friday.Walmart told the Miami Herald in an email late Thursday that the mix-up happened because its online scheduling program "defaulted to the criteria" listed on the Florida Department of Health's website. Florida is currently allowing people 65 and older, healthcare workers with direct patient contact and long-term care facility residents and staff to get vaccinated.The problem is that Walmart also listed an option for Florida residents "deemed to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers" in its online appointment scheduler.However, because of DeSantis' executive order, people under 65 with "at risk" health conditions should not be vaccinated at Walmart, said Samantha Bequer, a spokeswoman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which is tasked with the state's vaccine distribution plan.Because of the mix-up, "we encourage Walmart to work with local hospital providers regarding this matter," Bequer told the Miami Herald in an email.So, what happens now?Walmart spokeswoman Rebecca Thomason told the Miami Herald in an email late Thursday: "We are honoring all appointments that have been made to date in all categories listed in the Executive Order."It's unclear how many appointments Walmart mistakenly gave out and Thomason declined to give a figure. She also did not respond to an email requesting clarification on whether Walmart's commitment to honor "all appointments" also included those under 65 with "at risk" conditions.But Orlando state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith told the Orlando Sentinel he was assured by Jared Moskowtiz, Florida's emergency management director, that all appointments, including those made in error, would be honored.Walmart also says it's now working to align its scheduling system with "the specific populations the state has asked us to vaccinate under the federal retail pharmacy partnership."___(c)2021 Miami HeraldVisit Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The strict lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted various sectors, forcing companies to halt operations, make work from home arrangements for employees, adapt to new ways to conduct businesses, etc., and the manufacturing industry was no exception.

The manufacturing sector took some major hits last year as the pandemic disrupted procurement of raw materials, supply chain, buying behaviour, and much more.

That said, the organisations fought all odds and transformed into new-age manufacturing enterprises as they navigated through the pandemic efficiently. c

This impressive show further increased the faith in the strength of domestic manufacturing capability, which plays a strong role in improving India's geopolitical stability and international diplomacy. Just as the Y2K crisis worked as a fantastic boom-in-disguise for the country's IT sector, the COVID-19 pandemic propelled the manufacturing sector to upgrade and compete at the global level.

Anand Louie, Director, International Research Institute of Manufacturing (IRIM), believes the manufacturing sector will have to maintain agility in the new normal to keep the momentum on the growth trajectory.

It will be important for companies to upgrade manufacturing technologies and infrastructure to keep up with the changing times, build production capacities, develop and retain technical talent, and integrate manufacturing practices with the redefined IT infrastructure, he said.

With Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and other advanced technologies modifying industrial operations, the Indian manufacturing industry can leap from a manually-dependent sector to a technology-driven force.

Thus, to acknowledge the efforts, growth, and competitiveness of companies that set out excellent manufacturing practices by churning innovative methodologies and business strategies, IRIM is hosting its 7th edition of prestigious National Awards for Manufacturing Competitiveness (NAMC).

The professional body has been recognising manufacturers since eight years that set out differentiated manufacturing practices and demonstrated consistency in their growth and competitiveness in India.

This year, IRIM achieved a milestone of assessing 500 manufacturing units in the last eight years, most of them belonging to the Fortune 500 list or market leaders across different sectors including FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, PSUs, Refineries, Cements, Automotive and Metals & Mining.

The experienced professionals evaluate the participating companies based on IRIMs Ten indicators of manufacturing competitiveness. The assessment looks for an organizations ability to develop, implement and sustain a strong competitive strategy, and is customized for each facility by assigning unique weightage to each of these indicators based on organization's priorities.

Deepankar Shree Gyan, Consulting Head, IRIM, said, The key ingredient that will catalyze an organizations success in the future of manufacturing business ecosystem is the mostly ignored element called Element T which is nothing but Time elapsed in status quo. An organizations performance and future readiness will be linked to their speed of executing orders, implementing change, taking decisions and building capacities.

The NAMC awards have become a much-awaited event owing to its transparency and progressive approach. The ceremony will be telecasted on CNBC TV-18 on February 13, 6pm onwards, which will also have industry experts from diverse fields who will share their experiences and performance evaluations that helped them unlock new growth opportunities.

IRIM is a professional body that supports the manufacturing industry across the world through research, training and consulting services.

This is a partnered post.
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A shocking picture of the North Pole surrounded by melted sea ice has been awarded the top prize in the 2020 Science Photographer of the Year competition.

The competition, run by the Royal Photographic Society, celebrates the remarkable stories behind scientific exploration and application.

The winning image reveals the alarming rate of global warming as the world's most northerly tip is surrounded by water, not ice, due to soaring temperatures.

The winner for the 'General Science' category was a digital reconstruction of the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck, a British World War Two merchant ship that sunk in 1941 and is now at the bottom the the Red Sea.

The under-18 competition for the climate change category was won by a Chinese 11-year-old who snapped a stunning image of Apollo's Emissary, one of the largest solar power stations in western China.

A photo titled 'Rainbow Shadow Selfie' won the climate change competition for youngsters and reveals a spectrum of light streaked across the silhouette of the 12-year-old photographer's silhouette.

A shocking picture of the North Pole surrounded by melted ice has been awarded top prize in a photography competition for climate change images. Sue Flood's image of the North Pole won top prize because it hammers home the appalling impact carbon emissions are having on the world we live in. The image itself shows a small post signifying geographic north, at 90 latitude, surrounded by sea water, not ice, which would be expected at Earth's most northerly tip

The winner for the adult 'General Science' category was a digital reconstruction of the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck, a British World War Two merchant ship sunk in 1941 and now at the bottom the the Red Sea. Simon Brown is the photographer behind the 'general science' victor and says the reconstruction of the shipwreck took a total of 15,005 frames to create. Each was adjusted to give a straight down view, before being tagged with GPS data and merged with the others

The under-18 competition for the climate change category was won by Chinese 11-year-old Raymond Zhang who snapped a stunning image of Apollo's Emissary, one of the largest solar power stations in western China. The power station contains 12,000 mirrors which reflect sunlight toward a central tower to heat a sodium nitrate salt which in turn makes steam via a heat exchanger which turns turbines to power generators. The station is so effective at producing heat it can continue to pump out electricity throughout the night, saving up to 350,000 tonnes of CO2 emission per year

Katy Appleton, 12, won the Young Science Photographer of the Year in the general category which shows a spectrum of light cast on a wall after passing through a prism. It also overlaps with Katy's own shadow. 'I was very excited and surprised when I found out that my image had won,' Katy said

2020 ties with 2016 as the world's hottest year on record Last year tied 2016 as the hottest year ever recorded globally, according to official data gathered by the EU. In 2020, temperatures globally were an average of 1.25C (2.25F) higher than in pre-industrial times, climate agency Copernicus said last month. Data also shows 2020 was the hottest 12 months ever in Europe driven by an anomalously warm start to the year, with December 2019 to February 2020 beating the previous record for those months, set in 2016, by 1.4C. The 12-month average for Europe reveals it was a total of 0.4C (0.72F) warmer than in 2019, the previous record holder to 1.6C (2.88F) above the average temperature between 1981-2010. The Arctic is one region which was particularly badly affected with temperatures in some Arctic locations reaching more than 6C (11F) above the average temperature between 1850 and 1900. The grim records also confirm 2010-2020 as the hottest decade ever recorded. Global warming driven by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are the driving force behind the continued surge in annual temperatures. Advertisement

Sue Flood's image of the North Pole won the top climate change prize because it hammers home the appalling impact carbon emissions are having on the world we live in.

The image itself shows a small post signifying geographic north, at 90 latitude, surrounded by sea water, not ice, which would be expected at Earth's most northerly tip.

This year is the first time the competition has featured a climate change category as it is the leading theme of the Manchester Science Festival which the photography competition headlines.

Originally planned to be shown at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, the four winning images will be displayed alongside 75 other selected entries to the competition virtually. It is live today and will be viewable here until May 2.

The Royal Photographic Society's competition celebrates the remarkable stories behind scientific exploration and application.

Dr Michael Pritchard, a director at the Royal Photographic Society, said: 'This year's Science Photographer of the Year is more relevant than ever before in documenting how science and climate change are impacting all our lives.

'The selected images are striking and will make us think more about the world around us.'

The awards, which are weighted equally, aim to depict science's impact on our everyday lives and illustrate how photography helps record and explain global issues and scientific events.

Ms Flood said: 'I'm very proud that my photo has been selected. Climate change is real and polar ice is melting at an alarming rate, posing a serious threat to wildlife and humans worldwide.

'I hope that many people will see the photograph and that it helps convey the need for urgent action on climate change - by individuals, companies and governments.'

Pictured, an entry from Mateus Morbeck which shows a forest fire blazing on a mountain plateau in Brazil. The Amazonas and Pantanall regions of Brazil experienced 44,000 fires between January and August of 2020, destroying more than 6,000 square km  an area roughly the same size as the entire county of Devon

This photomicrograph from Jose Manuel Martinez Lopez captures a look at the tiny lenses which are inside a solar cell. Each cell is just 0.8mm across and their function is to focus rays of the light from the sun to increase its energy in a specific location to make more electricity. A photomicrograph is an image captured through a microscope

This beautiful photo by Don Komarechka captures the process of a soap bubble freezing. A soap bubble has a layer of water trapped between two filmy layers of soap. The water has a higher freezing point than the soap and therefore freezes sooner, leading to suspended crystallisation and perfect crystals forming between the soapy layers

Titled 'Hidden Pearl of Croatia', this image was taken by Bruno Fantulin provides a wonderful look at the night sky in the European country. It shows the Church of the Ascension of the Lord built in 1940 in the city of Cetina perched atop a hill. The water in the foreground is the River Cetina and the background is dominated by a stunning view of the Milky Way. Although the Milky Way is a spiral, it appears in the sky as a band because of Earth's position inside it

Simon Brown is the photographer behind the 'general science' victor and says the reconstruction of the shipwreck is a culmination of 15,005 frames.

Each was adjusted to give a straight down view, before being tagged with GPS data and merged with the others.

The ship is a well-known recreational dive site, and is slowly becoming part of the local coral reef.

Mr Brown said: 'Combining art with science is a perfect creative storm where data and visual interpretation come together and present a view of the world in a completely new way.

'When entering the competition I thought a single image derived from 15,000 separate frames might be interesting but never for one moment did I think winning was possible.

'To receive such good news was a very pleasant surprise indeed and the recognition is humbly yet gratefully welcomed.'

This photo by Dr Hakan Kvarnstrom captures a stunning view of a colony of toxic algae. These are formed when excess fertiliser from farmland drips into waterways such as rivers. The concentration of chemicals and warm temperatures of the water due to global warming leads to blooms forming. As well as being toxic if ingested by wildlife, they suck oxygen out of the water and therefore kill fish. Scientists are studying it because the algae is held together by oil which keeps it together and want to use this as fuel

This image of a polar bear, titled 'On thin ice', was taken by Sue Flood, whose other image of the north pole won the climate category. This photo shows the predator stranded on a small piece of sea ice. Normally, they use sea ice to hunt and feed, but with this dwindling they are forced to swim to the mainland, where they are less effective at hunting seals

This sunset photo of the Marcona wind farm in Peru captures a live look at what is possible humanity's greatest hope for ditching fossil fuels  wind power. This photo from David Martin huamani Bedoya shows the 11 turbines which were first built in 2011 and combined create 32 megawatts of electricity

Raymond Zhang, 11, from China was the only one of the four winners to live outside the UK and won the youth award in the climate change category for his snap of a huge solar power station in his native country.

The power station contains 12,000 mirrors which reflect sunlight towards a central tower to heat a sodium nitrate salt which in turn makes steam via a heat exchanger which turns turbines to power generators.

The station is so effective at producing heat it can continue to pump out electricity throughout the night, saving up to 350,000 tonnes of CO2 emission per year.

Raymond said of his victory: 'I am very excited about winning and hope that more young people like me can start to pay more attention to climate changes.'

Katy Appleton, 12, won the Young Science Photographer of the Year in the general category which shows a spectrum of light cast on a wall after passing through a prism. It also overlaps with Katy's own shadow.

'I was very excited and surprised when I found out that my image had won,' Katy said.

'It is a very simple image and I think that this shows that anyone can take part in science photography, no matter their age or how much equipment they have.'

This image from Jonathan Brett captures the moment world renowned surgeon Professor Robert MacLaren from UCL conducts pioneering surgery on a patient. A new scanner was used to guide the procedure to treat a form of incurable blindness and involved injecting a virus into a patient's eye which inserted a working copy of a faulty gene into the DNA of the patient
Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin who swindled banks, friends and New York hotels out of $275,000 has returned to Instagram after being released from prison early - prompting followers to say 'the Queen is back in NYC'.

Sorokin, who went by Anna Delvey, was sentenced to between four and 12 years in prison in 2019. She was given time served for the two years she served awaiting trial and was let out seven months early on Thursday for good behavior.

Immediately after her release, Sorokin set up a new Twitter account which she used first to troll Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who put her behind bars, and then to ask for money from followers. She later deleted the posts.

Shortly after she posted from her Instagram account, sharing a video of her returning to Manhattan from Albion Correctional Facility, a medium-security facility in upstate New York.

A subsequent photo shows Sorokin lounging on a bed with sunglasses. The accompanying caption reads: 'Prison is so exhausting, you wouldnt know.'

She also shared a photo of Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct with the caption: 'Pleading the fifth', and a letter to disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is in prison for sex assault.

'Dear Harvey, do you sometimes feel like the lead character in Harvey, Interrupted?' she wrote, before comparing herself to him and other 'famous criminals' Lori Loughlin and Bill Cosby.

'Being criminal and famous like we are (and a prolific emailer while CMC status like I am) isn't all fun and strangers sending you pounds of caviar.

'Isn't it the worst when clueless civilians make random assertions and act like they're in the loop? Don't you just hate listening to them ponder your life here'?' she said.

It isn't clear what 'CMC' status in her post refers to.

Sorokin posted this photo of Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct and captioned it 'pleading the fifth'. Stone's character in the movie is a murderess

Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin who swindled banks, friends and New York hotels out of $275,000 has returned to Instagram after being released from prison early - prompting followers to say 'the Queen is back in NYC'. Pictured, her first Instagram post

Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, was sentenced to between four and 12 years in prison in 2019. She was given time served for the two years she served awaiting trial and was let out seven months early on Thursday for good behavior. Pictured, being sentenced in 2019

Followers (she has almost 75,000 on Instagram) shared their delight at Sorokin's return, with one commenting: 'The Queen is free!' Another added: 'Queen came back to slay.'

Similar messages of support were shared on Twitter, with some of them being retweeted by Sorokin.

She also revealed plans to move to Brownsville, Brooklyn, and asked: 'Any tips?'

Her attorney - Audrey A. Thomas - confirmed to DailyMail.com yesterday that she'd been let out 'because of COVID' and that the Twitter account was hers.

During her spree, Sorokin, 30, also known as Anna Delvey, lived in luxury New York hotel rooms that she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses trip to Morocco and then left her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in her quest for a $22 million loan for a private arts club.

Sorokin, whose extraordinary life is being made into a Netflix series starring Ozark's Julia Garner, was convicted of multiple counts of attempted grand larceny, theft of services, and larceny in the second degree in April 2019.

Sorokin also wrote a letter to Harvey Weinstein where she compared herself to the disgraced movie mogul, calling them both 'famous criminals'

Immediately after her release, Sorokin set up a new Twitter account which used first to troll Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who put her behind bars, and then to ask for money from followers. She later deleted the post. Pictured, in a designer hoodie in the profile picture

Sorokin immediately started trolling Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. The posts have since been delated. On Twitter Sorokin revealed plans to move to Brooklyn

She was sentenced to serve 4 to 12 years in state prison, fined $24,000, and ordered to pay restitution of about $199,000.

Sorokin was granted parole in October last year.

The Netflix deal reportedly landed Sorokin $100,000, plus 'tens of thousands of dollars for 'consulting services' and royalty rights', according to AirMail.

It is being produced by Shonda Rhimes' production company Shondaland, which produced hit series Bridgerton.

However under the 'Son of Sam' law, which prevents convicted criminals profiting from the publicity their crimes create, Sorokin is being forced to use the money earned to pay back her victims.

Sorokin was born in Russia but is a German citizen, after her family moved there when she was a teenager.

Living the high life: During her spree, Sorokin, 30, also known as Anna Delvey, lived in luxury New York hotel rooms that she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses trip to Morocco and then left her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in her quest for a $22 million loan for a private arts club. Pictured, Sorokin in an Instagram snap

TV adaptation: Sorokin's extraordinary life is being made into a Netflix series starring Ozark's Julia Garner. Pictured, Garner on set of TV series Inventing Anna

Prosecutors portrayed Sorokin as a profligate con artist, while her lawyer insisted she was an aspiring businesswoman taken in by New York's extravagance.

Spodek, her defense attorney, insisted Sorokin had been 'buying time' and planned all along to settle her six-figure debts, portraying her as an entrepreneur who got in over her head.

He compared her at one point to Frank Sinatra, saying 'they both created their own opportunities' in New York.

'There's a little bit of Anna in all of us,' Spodek said. 'This is the life she chose to live.'

Sorokin had ambitious business plans to build a private arts club in New York and that she was 'persistent and she was determined to make her business a reality', according to her attorney.

She may have led an unethical and unorthodox lifestyle, he added, but Sorokin was 'enabled every step of the way by a system that favors people with money.'

In trying to prove Sorokin's intent, Assistant District Attorney Catherine McCaw said Sorokin told 'lie after lie' to prolong a life of luxury she couldn't afford, providing forged financial records and identifications to banks.

Friend, Rachel Deloache Williams, who wrote about her ordeal with Anna in Vanity Fair, went with Sorokin on the Morocco trip. When Sorokin's credit cards declined, Williams was forced to put the $62,000 trip on her work card

She lived out of ritzy hotels on an overdrawn account, dined at the finest restaurants and even hired a personal trainer who charged $300 a session, McCaw said.

Sorokin not only assumed a different identity for herself but created a team of 'imaginary' assistants, McCaw said, a ruse that lent credence to her efforts to expand her credit. There was, for instance, an accountant who didn't exist whom Sorokin blamed for delays in wire transfers.

'All of the defendant's wire transfers are merely a figment of her imagination,' McCaw said.

'These are not white lies. These are lies that help you understand that the defendant, in fact, had criminal intent in this case.'

Sorokin, who adopted the name Anna Delvey, deceived friends and financial institutions alike into believing she had a 60 million euro wealth overseas that would cover her lavish hotel stays and jet-setting lifestyle.

Many believed she was the German heiress she claimed to be given she traveled in celebrity circles and tossed around crisp $100 bills.

But behind the jet-setting lifestyle and expensive designer clothing, prosecutors said Sorokin was simply a fraudster just trying to get a taste of the high life.

Sorokin was born in Russia in 1991 and moved to Germany in 2007 when she was 16 with her younger brother and parents.

Her father had worked as a truck driver and later as an executive at a transport company until it became insolvent in 2013. He then opened a heating-and-cooling business specializing in energy-efficient devices.

HOW ANNA MANAGED TO SECURE MONEY: Sorokin sought a $22 million loan from Fortress Investment Group in 2017 to fund her arts club after showing the private equity firm fake documents claiming she had a 60 million euro fortune. They said they would consider it if she put up $100,000 for them to do due diligence, which is basically a background check of her financial records. She managed to get a $100,000 from a different bank, City National, by convincing them to give her an overdraft that she promised to repay within days. Sorokin then gave the $100,000 to Fortress. They spent $45,000 of it carrying out their financial review before Sorokin asked for $55,000 back, claiming she no longer needed their services. She never repaid City National. Instead, she managed to spend the entire $55,000 within a month to fund her lavish lifestyle. She also resorted to depositing bad checks and transferring funds out before they bounced - a process called check kiting. This is how she got the $30,000 to pay 11 Howard via a wire transfer. Between April 7 and April 11, she deposited $160,000 in bad checks into her Citibank account and transferred $70,000 out before they bounced. In August, she opened a different account with a different bank, Signature, deposited $15,000 in bad checks and withdrew $8,200 before they bounced. Advertisement

After moving to London to attend Central Saint Martins fashion school, Sorokin returned to Berlin and interned in the fashion department of a public relations firm.

She then relocated to Paris where she secured a coveted internship at the French fashion magazine Purple. It's believed to be around this time that she changed her name from Sorokin to Delvey.

Sorokin was already brushing shoulders with rich people in the years before she came to New York and started dazzling Manhattan's social elite.

Acquaintances say Sorokin had spent several years playing the part of an art-obsessed German heiress across the world.

She rubbed shoulders with the fashion elite at Paris Fashion Week as early as 2013 and was frequently spotted at London nightspots like the Chiltern Firehouse and Loulou's.

By the time Sorokin arrived in New York in early 2016, she seemingly had the social connections to make a name for herself, as well as a designer-clad wardrobe that exuded wealth.

At the time, she had 40,000 followers on Instagram and was regularly pictured at events and parties with well-to-do people.

She quickly went about proving herself to be an impossibly rich heiress who had plans to shake up New York's art world.

She made a show of proving she belonged and would regularly be decked out in her now signature Celine glasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker.

Sorokin rented a $400-a-night room for several months at Manhattan's expensive 11 Howard hotel and was often seen to pass out $100 tips to concierges and Uber drivers.

She would also splash out on shopping sprees in luxury boutiques, expensive personal training sessions and beautician appointments.

The socialite elite were drawn to her and she would regularly host large dinners for celebrities, artists, CEOs and the like at the lavish Le Coucou restaurant in SoHo.

Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse when she went looking for a $22 million loan to fund her new club in November 2016.

Her fall from grace seemingly began when she was kicked out of the 11 Howard hotel in New York in early 2017, after racking up $30,000 of charges and failing to provide a working credit card.

Around the same time she also chartered a private plane for a trip to Nebraska to try and meet billionaire Warren Buffet.

However, the $35,400 bill was never paid so the charter company cancelled the return leg of her journey.

Anna Delvey a.k.a. Anna Sorokin during her trip to Morocco. Prosecutors claim Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, conned friends, banks and hotels out of hundreds of thousands

Upon her return to New York, she was evicted from the 11 Howard hotel and moved to the Mercer hotel around the corner.

Many believed Anna was the German heiress she claimed to be given she traveled in celebrity circles and tossed around crisp $100 bill

She subsequently embarked on a $62,000 extravagant trip to Morocco. Her friend, a former Vanity Fair photo editor Rachel Deloache Williams paid for the flights on her work credit card with the assumption she would be reimbursed as promised by Sorokin.

They checked into a $7,000-a-night villa at the five star resort La Mamounia, which Williams also paid for, after Sorokin promised to pay her back when they returned to New York.

The six-day trip was without hiccups for several days until the hotel staff insisted on putting a credit card on file because Sorokin had booked their trip without a working one.

Williams, who said she had $410 in her checking account at the time said the $70,000 balance was more than she earned in a year.

After months of hassling her for the money, Williams reported Sorokin to police and then the New York district attorney's office.

Sorokin was then arrested in October 2017 for stealing $275,000 through multiple scams between November 2016 and August 2017.

At a parole board hearing in October 2019, Sorokin apologized for her crimes for the first time.

'I just want to say that I'm really ashamed and I'm really sorry for what I did,' she said according to the transcript of the hearing, the New York Post reported.

'I completely understand that a lot of people suffered when I thought I was not doing anything wrong.'
A probe from China's Tianwen-1 mission - which translates as 'Questions to Heaven' - is expected to touch down on Mars in May

China's space agency released video footage from its spacecraft circling Mars on Friday, two days after it successfully entered the planet's orbit in Beijing's latest ambitious space mission.

In the video, published by state broadcaster CCTV, the surface of the planet is seen coming into view out of a pitch black sky against the outside of the Tianwen-1, which entered the orbit of the Red Planet on Wednesday.

White craters are visible on the planet's surface, which fades from white to black through the video as the probe flies over the course of one Martian day, said official news agency Xinhua.

The five-tonne Tianwen-1which translates as "Questions to Heaven"includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a solar-powered rover and launched from southern China last July.

It is the latest step in Beijing's space programme, which aims to establish a crewed space station by 2022 and eventually put an astronaut on the moon, and has opened up a new, extraterrestrial arena for US-China competition.

Tianwen-1 launched around the same time as a rival US mission, and is expected to touch down on the surface of the planet in May.

Its success comes the same week as the United Arab Emirates' "Hope" probe also successfully entered Mars' orbitmaking history as the Arab world's first interplanetary mission.

Factfile on China's expedition to the Red Planet. Its probe entered the Martian orbit on February 10 according to state media

Chinese scientists hope to land a 240-kilogram (530-pound) rover in May in Utopia, a massive impact basin on Mars. Its orbiter will last for a Martian year.

For the three-month study of the planet's soil and atmosphere, the mission will take photos, chart maps and look for signs of past life.

The probe has already sent back its first image of Marsa black-and-white photo that showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface.

Mars has proved to be a challenging target, with most missions since 1960, sent by Russia, Europe, Japan and India, ending in failure.

NASA's Perseverance, which is set to touch down on the Red Planet on February 18, will become the fifth rover to complete the voyage since 1997and all so far have been American.

Explore further China's space probe sends back its first image of Mars

 2021 AFP

The Government of Ghana has awarded a contract to build a military base in Nzulezu in the Western region as part of measures to ensure adequate protection of the country's exclusive economic zone especially the oil fields in Takoradi.



The base when completed will enable the Armed Forces to reach the oil fields within a short time of about 25 minutes instead of four (4) hours currently.



The Minister-designate for Defence and MP for Bimbila, Dominic Nitiwul made this known when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament for vetting.



Dominic Nitiwul also said the Ghana Armed Forces is so disciplined and professional that it will not allow itself to be influenced to act illegally. He said he wasn't the one who ordered armed soldiers to enter Parliament on January 7, 2021 during the election of the Speaker of Parliament.



On recruitment of persons into the Ghana Armed Forces, Dominic Nitiwul said the process cannot be influenced and cautioned the public against people or individuals who pose as middlemen for recruitment of persons into the military.

Source: Emmanuel Akorli/Parliamentary Correspondent/Peace FM









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.

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Saving grace. Yolanda Hadid opened up about her ongoing battle with Lyme disease, saying her children, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid and Anwar Hadid, helped her though the roughest times.

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My decade-long journey was an absolute nightmare, but my diagnosis taught me a lot about life, Yolanda, 57, told Vogue UK on Thursday, February 11. About how much patience and dedication are needed in order to survive. My new normal is much slower and more in tune with who I am.

The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star said she has learned to love my authentic self with all my imperfections, adding that she is grateful for every moment I get to spend on this planet with family and friends.

Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

The Netherlands native, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, revealed that there were times where she wished she was dead in order to escape the suffering that the illness caused.

I cant begin to describe the darkness, the pain and the hell I lived through every day. For some time, it didnt even feel like living at all, she said. This disease brought me to my knees. Many nights I wished to die and prayed I would just be free of the pain.

Yolanda explained that she was a multitasking, single mother-of-three and social butterfly who, slowly started to lose her magical powers. Her symptoms included, severe fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, difficulty with word retrieval, anxiety, insomnia, which she said left her feeling depressed.

Read article

Her role as a mother, however, led her back into the light and made her fight to see another day.

If it werent for my children, I dont think I would be here today, Yolanda revealed. Its so important we learn to listen to people, as many of us are suffering in silence. We should learn not to judge how somebody feels by the way they look on the outside.

She added: Looking back, all those difficult times in my life were blessings in disguise.

The former model, who shares her kids with ex-husband Mohamed Hadid, explained that she has come a long way since she was first diagnosed.

My life is far from perfect, but I try to keep things in balance. I make sure to get enough sleep, eat organic food as much as possible, I practice yoga and meditate every day, she told the magazine. I also sleep with a wearable device called the Wave 1 by FREmedica. It communicates with your cells through LED light for wellness management. The combination of all these things has me currently living without most of my chronic symptoms.

Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

She continued: The emotional and spiritual part of healing is equally as important as the medical diagnosis. My heart is very full. Life has blessed me with an extraordinary partner [boyfriend Joseph Jingoli] who has made me believe in love again.

The Believe Me: My Battle With the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease author said that she is doing really well at the moment, explaining that there is not cure for chronic Lyme disease. So being in remission is a blessing I cherish every day, she added.

Read article

Two of Yolandas children, Bella, 24, and Anwar, 21, have also been diagnosed with the disease.

Bella, for her part, has been vocal about her battle for years, sharing photos of her journey via social media. Both women have chosen to tell their stories in hopes they can turn our mess into a message, Yolanda said.

Were both convinced that we shouldnt just use our platforms to post selfies. We also try to use them as amplifiers to give a voice to those who cant be heard, she added. By sharing the more uncomfortable parts of our lives, we have the power to raise awareness.

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Samsung rolled out its February 2021 security last week and now a fair number of Galaxy S21 users have complained about poor battery life. All customers complaining are the users that own the Exynos variant of the Galaxy S21. According to some users, the phone's battery drains at an accelerated rate on cellular connectivity and falls within normal parameters when switched to flight mode.

The complaint primarily pertains to the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy S21+ models. In general, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ battery life aren't really out of the world but the Galaxy S21 Ultra battery life is surprisingly good even when 120Hz is enabled.

Samsung is aware of this symptom that is affecting the Galaxy S21 series, post update. According to a Norwegian tech blog Tek.no, Samsung is working on a new firmware update that potentially might address the problem.

The company didn't reveal a particular timeframe but there is a possibility that the upcoming March 2021 security patch would be able to fix these newfound battery life issues. Meanwhile, it would be highly advisable for all the Samsung Galaxy S21 users to avoid downloading the February 2021 security patch, until the company officially clears up the update problem.

Note that the Samsung Galaxy S21 series in North American and South Korean markets are the ones with Snapdragon 888 CPU, while the rest of the world gets the Exynos 2100 variant.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Detectives have charged a longtime Albuquerque Public Schools teacher and kids yoga instructor in the sexual abuse of two elementary school students, and are looking for more possible victims, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office.

BCSO spokeswoman Jayme Fuller said 45-year-old Danny Aldaz, a second grade teacher at Valle Vista Elementary School, is jailed on nine counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and five counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor while in a position of authority. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

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Monica Armenta, an APS spokeswoman, said Aldaz was put on leave immediately when the district found out about the BCSO investigation in early January 2020. She said Aldaz started as a substitute teacher in 2004 and also worked at Edward Gonzales Elementary School and Helen Cordero Elementary School.

The charges against Aldaz involve two children and allegations of abuse that occurred years apart.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court:

The allegations first came to light in Jan. 2020 when an eight-year-old told detectives that Aldaz had taken her to a cordoned off area of the classroom and touched his genitals to her hand.

The second allegation came up in Oct. 2020 when a 14-year-old girl told detectives Aldaz had assaulted her at least eight times, from the age of seven to 11. The girl said it began when she was a second grader in Aldazs class and would get more and more each day.

Fuller said investigators are aware that Aldaz also teaches a childrens class at a local yoga studio and are asking any additional victims to come forward.

Blissful Spirits Hot Yoga website lists Aldaz as the Kids Yoga instructor at the Albuquerque studio since May 2015 and says his class won best Kids Class in Albuquerque the Magazine in 2017. The website also says Aldaz has been teaching various classes at Blissful Spirits since 2017 and calls him an ambassador for the annual International Kids Yoga Day.

Danny is committed to introducing yoga to children at an early age and bringing yoga to people that feel (they) might not have the time or (resources) to practice, the website says.

Melanie St. Georges, owner of Blissful Spirits, said she is floored by the allegations.

He was a wonderful father to a daughter with autism, she said. I was shocked. Im still shocked, I never would have guessed it.

St. Georges said Aldaz had asked to stop teaching kids yoga classes at the studio sometime ago but she never knew why.

Everybody loved him so much, she said.



Rugged Motorola smartphones that are drop-proof and shockproof are set to launch soon, under manufacturing licence with noted rugged device manufacturer, Bullitt. Under brand partnership between Bullitt and Motorola, the former will cash in on Motorolas history of rugged devices, which has included smartphones such as the first IP67-rated Android phone (the Motorola Defy), and of late, Motos ShatterShield technology with the Moto Z Force and Z2 Force. Bullitt has, in the past, manufactured rugged mobile phones for iconic (but non-smartphone) brands such as the engineering giant Cat and the off-roading pioneer Land Rover, among others.

In their media statement announcing the partnership, Dave Carroll, executive director of Motorolas strategic brand partnerships, said, Bullitt has distinguished itself as a leader in rugged mobile. These devices have broad appeal, from outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers to consumers who just want an ultra-durable phone. We look forward to working with Bullitt to rugged-ise our products, allowing the Motorola brand to be present in a new and growing segment of mobile phone users.

Device specific details, however, have not been announced yet, but should be revealed by March-end, the joint statement by Motorola and Bullitt says. Rugged smartphones have always been a niche breed, but theyve always carried a certain type of appeal. In a world of increasingly swanky screens and pristine glass/metal builds, rugged phones bring the sort of invincibility that drivers of the first generation Tata Safari would feel in a world of Premier Padminis. However, the added bulk of these rugged smartphones mean that they arent exactly universally appealing.

What would be interesting is to see if Bullitt and Motorola manage to find the right balance between looks, usability, performance, features and ruggedness. If they manage to do so, many users may even be willing to pay a slight premium for a smartphone that wont have the concern of breaking apart if it falls from the fourth floor of your balcony (accidentally, of course). Bullitt and Motorola have said that the two will combine expertise behind the smartphones, but further specifics will only come along later.
Gibraltar's Covid-19 restrictions are beginning to be eased, and chief minister Fabian Picardo explained at a press conference this Friday afternoon that this will be done one step at a time, with careful monitoring of the results of each change before others are implemented.

The number of active Covid-19 cases in Gibraltar is currently 78 and, sadly, another resident died from the virus on Thursday night, a man aged between 60 and 65. This brings the number of deaths to 84 since the pandemic began, of whom 53 were in Elderly Residential Services. Seventy-seven of these victims have died since 1 January this year. Looking tired and strained, Picardo expressed his sadness and condolences to their families.

The R rate in Gibraltar is still below 0.5. Gibraltar is to remain in Major Incident posture until 1 March, and over-70s will continue in lockdown for a week longer. Masks continue to be compulsory, at least for the rest of February, and the government will take advice from the WHO with regard to the need for them in March.

The current curfew from 10pm to 6am will continue for the time being, but the maximum number of people who can meet up together is now 12 instead of eight. Non-essential shops will be able to open at weekends again from 22 February, but catering establishments will have to wait until 1 March to be able to reopen.

At present, schools are still expected to open on 22 February. The chief minister said all teachers have had, or have been offered, their first vaccine and the second dose is due to be given this weekend.

As of Thursday night, 23,103 people in Gibraltar had been vaccinated: 15,436 have had their first dose and 7,667 the second. Picardo referred to the incredible support from the UK government, who have supplied the Rock with four consignments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine so far.
Representative image (PC- MoneyControl.Com)

The Budget 2021 has received an overwhelmingly positive response from almost everyonethe stock market, corporates, small and medium businesses, investors, both domestic and foreign, as well as the common man.

The cornerstone of the Budget is the emphasis on growth through huge capital spending (funded largely through borrowings), especially in infrastructure.

Another major reason for the wide acceptability of the Budget has been the stability in the tax regime (no major change in the tax rates) coupled with the initiatives to ease tax compliance and reduce harassment.

While the Budget has been by and large tax-neutral, it has made some changes that will have an impact on non-resident Indians (NRIs). Let us look at some of these measures:

Relief for returning NRIs

One of the major hardships faced by returning NRIs has been the possibility of double taxation of their retirement funds overseas. Many NRIs have been maintaining funds overseas in their retirement account even after they come back to India. The income earned from such funds is taxed in India on an accrual basis (usually every year), whereas it may be taxed overseas on a receipt basis when actually received).

For Instance, NRIs working in the US contribute funds to 401 Kaccount (a retirement fund like Employees Provident Fund in India) from their salary. The income in this account accrues on ongoing basis but is taxed in the US at the time of withdrawal or maturity.

When they return to India and continue to maintain such retirement account overseas, they are taxed in India on accrual basis. At the same time, they are liable to be taxed in US at the time of withdrawal. This creates a mismatch in the tax liability, especially since India has Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) with many countries whereby tax credit is available in one country for the tax paid in another country.

The government has taken cognisance of this problem and decided to frame rules to alleviate their hardship in this regard. Given the highly technical and complicated nature of this problem, it remains to be seen how effective these rules will be and how many people will benefit from the same.

NRIs can form one-person company

With a view to encourage entrepreneurship in general and make it easy from NRIs to set up business in India the government has made changes in the Companies Act to also allow NRIs to set up a one-person companies (OPCs).

An OPC is a corporation with only a single member (unlike a minimum of two members for a conventional corporation). The main advantage of OPC is segregation of personal liability from corporate liability, which means that the individual promoters personal assets are protected against any dues of the OPC.

Another advantage of an OPC is less stringent compliance requirement compared to a company or LLP. Now, with the change in the Budget, not only are NRIs allowed to form OPC but the residency rules have also been relaxed. They now need to spend only 120 days in India instead of 182 to qualify as NRIs for the incorporation of OPC.

Apart from this, to move more businesses into the formal sector by easing compliance requirement, the government has increased the threshold for businesses to qualify as OPC. The paid-up capital limit has been increased from Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 2 crore and the turnover from Rs 2 crore to Rs 20 crore.

Defining liable to tax

Another change for NRIs is the definition of liable to tax in the Income Tax Act.

Countries usually tax their residents based on the residence (the number of days they spend in the country) or domicile status. Many high net worth individuals (HNIs) have been planning their stay in countries in such a manner that they are not liable to tax in any country.

For Instance, an Indian citizen who is based in UAE and spends less than 120 days (182 days till last year) in India is liable to tax in India only on income from Indian source (lets say from property or investments in India) and not on the income arising outside India (lets say business or assets in UAE). Since there is no personal taxation in UAE, such individuals will not have to pay any tax on such income arising in Dubai.

Intending to bring such NRIs into the tax net, the government in 2020 introduced the concept of deemed resident. This new provision provides that an Indian citizen shall be deemed to be resident in India (if his total income, other than income from foreign sources exceeds Rs 15 lakh) when they are not liable to tax in any country or jurisdiction by reason of their domicile or residence or a similar criteria. A deemed resident, thus, is taxed in India on their Indian as well as global Income.

However, due to ambiguity in the wording of the law, this new provision could not be effectively implemented. This year, the government has decided to tighten this provision by clearly defining the term liable to tax, thereby plugging the loophole.

An offshoot of this provision has been that many NRIs are now looking at taking citizenship of other countries so that they are not hit by this provision.

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Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.
Highlights Motorola and Bullitt partner to bring rugged devices.

Motorola has launched a few rugged phones in the past.

Dave Floyd Bullitt co-founder said, "This is a unique strategic alliance".

The Lenovo owned device maker Motorola has partnered with Bullit to manufacture rugged phones. For those unaware, Bullit is the brand behind the CAT and Kodak smartphones that the world has seen so far. It has been manufacturing rugged phones since 2009, and this recent partnership with Motorola allows it to launch a new range of rugged phones that are shock-proof and drop-proof devices under the Motorola moniker.

"Bullitt Group, the global leader in award-winning, rugged mobile phones, has agreed to a long term, exclusive global strategic brand partnership to develop and market rugged mobile phones bearing the iconic Motorola brand," the company said in a statement.

In a statement regarding the partnership, Bullitt Group's co-founder, Dave Floyd, said, "This is a unique strategic alliance, as it allows Bullitt to apply its expertise to the Motorola portfolio of products. Motorola invented the mobile phone and remains one of the most iconic brands in the world. To be entrusted by Motorola to create a portfolio of Motorola branded rugged phones, bears testament to the exceptional business we have built at Bullitt over the last 11 years."

Motorola has a strong portfolio of smartphones spread over all the categories, be it entry-level, mid-range or flagship segment. And this upcoming partnership with Bullitt should further expand its portfolio and reach amongst the consumers.

Motorola devices offer a clean minimal user interface on the inside and good hardware to slice through the day to day apps. Add to that the ruggedness CAT like devices. The end result would not be enticing devices, but these will certainly appeal to huge masses.

Even Motorola has sold a few rugged phones, namely Motorola Defy. Motorola Droid and Motorola Z/Z2 Force, etc. Maybe the Chinese smartphone is looking to get back to those roots. However, this time around Motorola won't be producing them on its own.

It will be interesting to find out what this Motorola and Bullitt merger brings to the table. As of now, there's no information so as to when these devices will make it to the consumers.


Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane on Friday said China's rising footprints in India's neighbourhood and its attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along disputed borders have created an environment of "confrontation and mutual distrust". In an address at a seminar, he also said that "Sino-US" rivalry has created regional imbalances and instability.

He further observed that the regional security environment is characterised by the Chinese "belligerence" in the Indo-Pacific, its hostility towards weaker nations and its relentless drive to create regional dependencies through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative. "The rising footprints of China in India's neighbourhood and its attempts to unilaterally alter the status-quo along our disputed borders have created an environment of confrontation and mutual distrust," the Army chief said.

His comments came in the midst of the disengagement process between Indian and Chinese armies in Pangong Tso areas in eastern Ladakh where the two sides have been locked in a nine-month standoff. Referring to geo-political developments in the region, Gen Naravane talked about increasing Chinese investment in Nepal and the period of political volatility that the country was going through.

In his address, the Army chief also stressed on unleashing the potential of the Northeastern region as part of measures to balance the influence of China. "Regional and internal connectivity is acutely linked to security. It is central to unleashing the potential of the Northeast and balancing the influence of China. "With failure to deliver on promises, delivery deficit has plagued our efforts at improving regional connectivity. The Kaladan multimodal transport project and the trilateral highway have both seen cost and time overruns," he said. On the internal front, Gen Naravane said infrastructure development has been marred by numerous challenges, adding involvement of multiple agencies and varied sources of funds coupled with environmental factors remain a major stumbling block. "There is a need for an apex body to coordinate multi-agency efforts," he said.

The Army chief also said that there has been encouraging improvement in the internal security situation in the Northeast. "As you can see, the states of Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and large parts of Assam are practically free from insurgency. The violence levels have also significantly gone down over the years," he said. He said while "relentless operations" by the security forces and proactive policies by the government have laid the foundation, favourable external environment with Myanmar and Bangladesh has struck at the roots of the insurgent organisations. "A series of operations under Operation Sunrise with Myanmar Army have witnessed growing cooperation and synergy between the soldiers on ground with reasonable operational dividends," he said. Under Operation Sunrise, India and Myanmarese security forces had carried out offensives against militant outfits along the Indo-Myanmar border areas. "You would often hear the need to integrate the North East with mainland India. The perception that India is the mainland and the North East must align itself to the ways of the mainland, in itself is flawed and contemptuous," the Army Chief added.

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The challenge for Northern governors is not the easy one of announcing the end of open grazing, it is what they will do to improve the breed and over what time span. It is actually dangerous to announce the end of open grazing without a plan on how to end it.

The fastest way to create the greatest misery for the highest number of Nigerians is to try to break-up the country. For this reason, I always re-read the quote from one of the best historians we have ever had that:

There is no easy way to pull this country apart. The problems arising from such an exercise will be far bigger than the problem of trying to keep it going. The value of the size, the market, and the varieties of cultures etc. are important and should not be neglected.  Professor Ade Ajayi

We should always remember this. Nonetheless, there is always a risk that in spite of the potential advantages of staying together, the politics of brinkmanship that we play could one day throw us all into the abyss.

Following a number of eviction threats against pastoralists in the southern part of the country, the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) met this week to discuss the tension generated by the eviction orders. They correctly identified the current crisis as one that could do serious damage to the already fragile security situation in the country. If reprisal attacks occur, they would be followed by further re-reprisal attacks and the situation could get out of hand. According to the communique they released on Tuesday, they called for an urgent meeting of all the 36 state governors to meet under the platform of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to discuss the issue holistically, with a view to resolving all the areas of misunderstanding and conflicts arising from these threats and suspicion for the sake of national unity.

The communique called on political leaders to segregate between criminality and social groups in their domains, with a view to treating criminals as what they are. The 19 northern governors announced that the current system of herding, conducted mainly through open grazing, was no longer sustainable in view of growing urbanisation and populations, adding that they will aggressively sensitise herdsmen on the need to adopt new methods of herding through ranching or other acceptable modern methods. The governors, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to support states with grants to directly undertake pilot projects of modern livestock production that will serve as springboard and evidence for breaking resistance to the full implementation of new methods of livestock production. I agree with this statement. The reality, however, is that the transformation of livestock production was first announced by the Northern Regional Government in 1965, over 55 years ago, but the steps to implementing them have not yet been taken. It is easy to say, lets stop open-grazing; its another to provide the policy package, investments and support to make this a reality.

The Federal Government, working with governors, needs to develop a new comprehensive policy framework that actually spells out the steps that could lead to the modernisation of livestock production in the country. The framework must be designed to be mutually beneficial to pastoralists and farmers.

Pastoralism is the main livestock production system in much of Africa, whereby pastoralists live in semi-arid zones. It is a historically developed strategy to cope with the uncertainties associated with climate change, the build-up of parasites and other related challenges. It is above all an efficient way to produce livestock at relatively low prices through the use of non-commercial feeding stock. A pastoralist cow goes to market after four years of open-grazing and sells for N150,000 to N250,000. It produces between one and two litres of milk daily, while other African cows produce 15 to 20 litres daily. Its simple economics, our hardy all-suffering cows cannot be fed with commercial feed because the return on investment will simply not exist. To stop open grazing is possible, BUT only if we cultivate an improved breed that has much higher levels of productivity than we have today.

The challenge for Northern governors is not the easy one of announcing the end of open grazing, it is what they will do to improve the breed and over what time span. It is actually dangerous to announce the end of open grazing without a plan on how to end it. It is also dangerous not to seek a way out of open grazing because Nigerians from all sections of the country are associating the growing insecurity in the country to the pastoralists community and are taking measures against them. In other words, the most urgent task before the country is to develop policy measures that would address the issues that have arisen.

As violence between herdsmen and farmers has grown and developed into criminality, rural banditry and mass kidnapping for ransom, popular narratives creating meaning, context and (mis)understandings have emerged. The narratives in the media and popular discourse have become part of the drivers that are expanding conflicts in the country. The protagonists have been associated into ethno-religious categories that fuel conflicts between two distinct groups depicted as perpetrators and victims, respectively. The result is negative stereotyping between the one and the other that lead further to ethnic and religious bigotry, which fuel the hate process. We must get out of this hate trap.

The Federal Government, working with governors, needs to develop a new comprehensive policy framework that actually spells out the steps that could lead to the modernisation of livestock production in the country. The framework must be designed to be mutually beneficial to pastoralists and farmers. Any policy that does not take into consideration the welfare of both sides will most likely fail or meet resistance by either side. While it is clear that pastoralism is not sustainable in Nigeria over the long term due to a high population growth rate, the expansion of farming and loss of pasture and cattle routes, at the same time, pastoralism cannot end or be prohibited in the short term, as there are strong cultural and political economy reasons for its existence. It is important, therefore, to develop a plan for a transitional period during which new systems would be put in place.

Experts should be assembled to map out the duration, strategy and timelines for the transition plan. As there is no miracle model for solving the problems, the plan should simultaneously pursue a number of models including:

The commercial feeding of cattle requires developing sufficient capacity to produce high nutrient grasses in order to meet the feeding needs of the improved herds. Given the climate crisis, we need to develop alternative low water and drought resistant grasses to be used to sustain the new industry of the commercial feeding of the cattle.

Ranching in lower population densities, where it works best. Some people have suggested the Sambisa Game Reserve in the North East for this in jest, but why not? Defeat Boko Haram and transform it into a major meat and milk producing zone;

Pursuing semi-intensive systems of animal husbandry in concert with requisite investments in infrastructure, training, extension, marketing and animal health service delivery, in conjuncture with the private sector;

Continuing the traditional form of pastoralism for a period to be agreed upon with some improvements (in the form of coordinated mobility between wet and dry season grazing areas and effective management of farmers and pastoralists relations).

We need to evaluate our grazing reserves policy as most of them are located in forests that have today become ungoverned territory housing both pastoralists and armed bandits. There has to be a new approach to open up the forests, for easy access and surveillance, while developing the infrastructure that would allow for intensive livestock breeding. In so doing, we need to also think about our ecology and the importance of maintaining our green cover and actually growing the green belt in the Sahel.

The commercial feeding of cattle requires developing sufficient capacity to produce high nutrient grasses in order to meet the feeding needs of the improved herds. Given the climate crisis, we need to develop alternative low water and drought resistant grasses to be used to sustain the new industry of the commercial feeding of the cattle.

Finally, let us not forget that there are two narratives about pastoral-farmer relations in Africa. In some countries such as Nigeria, it has been left to deteriorate almost to the point of no return. In other countries such as Chad, Ethiopia and Niger, the pre-existing institutionalised and functional mechanisms for pre-empting and resolving conflicts between farmers and pastoralists have been maintained, thereby reducing serious conflict.

A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.

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Love can be found in all places, including the animal kingdom.

Since history immemorial, symbolisms for love and passion are shown in all forms, shapes, and sizes. People have been labeling things to commemorate the epitome of human affection.

Symbols of love come in many forms. These forms take the shape of animals in both domestic and the ones found in nature. Love, passion, and tenderness have been, and continue to be, strongly correlated with particular animals.

Related Article:

Some of these animals are: Weird Ways Animals Say 'I Love You' to Their Mate

Dolphin

Many considered this marine mammal a love-messenger. In addition to being linked with Delphi and Aphrodite (Goddess of Love in Greek Mythology), drawings of dolphins found on an anchor or on a trident symbolize a guiding force that helps people reach their true love safely.

The dolphin is a sign of safety for its presence in stories about rescuing drowned fishermen or other people in trouble at the sea. Many that sail the waters often see them as a sign of good luck, a great omen being a dolphin following the boats, whether it's the atmosphere you've got in mind or a nearby beach.

People whose significant other works in the sea often consider a dolphin's presence as their love guiding and protecting their loved ones.

Horse

The horse symbol is present in most parts of the world, from a simple omen to an emblem of war. But, they also symbolize love.

This is a symbol of practicality and love, as seen in the Chinese zodiac sign of the horse. Celts associated it with Horses also represents Epona (horse goddess), who is also attributed to love, fertility, and abundance. Mesopotamia legend told that a horse had drawn the sun and that the horse embodies love for the earth for its light and warmth give life to all creatures.

Ladybug

Known as a lucky charm and as a sign of affection, it is assumed that you will be its master when you capture a ladybug and then release it. The insect will whisper your name constantly in the ears of the person you love.

Farmers believed that ladybugs' presence symbolizes abundance and prosperity as it means that there's a thriving population of aphids hunters that will protect their crops.

According to the people who believe in spirituality, the ladybug's spots determine how long your lover's wish will be realized.

Swan

It is attributed to love, sincerity, and purity. Celts legend stated that swan was made into silver medallions for protection.

These birds are also known for being one of the most romantic bird species in the world. Swans are among the few animals who subscribe to the animal kingdom's version of monogamy. Most swans mate with a single partner for the rest of their lives.

There is a reason why many "romantic" park rides were designed after swans.

Dove

Doves symbolize both peach and love. They are pretty much the universal symbol for harmony.

The dove was singled out to represent passion because Greek mythology related the small, white bird to Aphrodite, the goddess of love (known in Roman mythology as Venus). With doves fluttering around her or lying on her hand, Aphrodite/Venus is frequently portrayed.

Due to their monogamous nature, doves also reflect monogamy and fidelity and are often present as a caricature or in actual being in weddings.

ALSO READ: 7 Animals That Prove 'Forever' is Real in Mating

For more news about the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
A Dublin mum has described how she had mixed emotions as her 12-year-old daughter Lauren finally got to go back to school after weeks of home schooling this week.

Up to 4,000 children with additional educational needs returned to class yesterday as special education schools throughout the country reopened their doors.

Under a plan agreed between the Department of Education and teacher and SNA trade unions, 124 special education schools opened their doors with 50% of students attending in turn on different days.

They were joined in their classrooms by up to 4,000 teachers and Special Needs Assistants.

While it was a fantastic day for Barbara Haydens family and daughter Lauren, it was also one tinged with anxiety for the future.

It was absolutely fantastic for her to get back yesterday, but unfortunately it's a short-lived feeling because she was only in for the one day, Barbara told the Sunday World.

The school is only operating at 50 per cent capacity so she won't be back in today. And then there is the mid- term all next week, so she technically isn't really going back until February 22.

Its very confusing for her, Barbara explained. Lauren is non-verbal so she can't tell me exactly how she's feeling but you can see from her that she was so excited going back yesterday.

She speaks with her eyes and her school is everything, literally, its part of her life, it's good for her mental health, its so important to her.

Barbara relayed how as a parent she struggled with home-schooling as she feels not good enough and you have this guilt on you all the time, did I do enough with her today but were not teachers.

Im completely crashed now. Its mentally and physically exhausting but you have to keep going. I'm up early with her and you have to do everything for her.

Lauren attends St Josephs School in Drumcondra where Barbara says, the teachers, the SNA and all the staff have done everything they possibly can.

But its not just academic learning for Lauren, she added. Its absolutely essential that she goes to school. And we were getting help from the school and there were Zoom calls and she could hear her teacher's voice, but that is not the solution. The solution is for her to be in an actual classroom.

Any child thrives on routine and if they dont have a routine, they dont know whats happening.

But with special needs children like Lauren, you cant explain what is going on. She doesnt understand and you cant explain it to her.

As a result her behaviour has gotten really bad, shes stressed out and she has had numerous seizures. Shes epileptic and thats part of the condition she has, a genetic condition.

But she has had stages where it can hit ten-fold. Like, anytime she's at home from school during lockdown or holidays, she'll always have a high level of seizures.

And then, when she goes back to school Ill say to the teacher, watch her, she's taken a lot of seizures. And at the end of the day, the teacher will say she didnt have any. So, its obviously something that we don't know about that's triggering the seizures. Its probably because she's not as active as she would be in school."

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Barbara said that during the first lockdown it was a little bit easier because the weather was nicer and you could get around a bit.

It was taking the pressure off myself, not to have to do all these sensory activities with her, and we could at least get out for a walk in the sunshine and smell the plants and the grass and the fresh air but the winter is just too cold to do that.

Barbara stressed that as Lauren is so vulnerable that they would not, under any circumstances, have sent her back to school if they thought it was not safe.

We know that school and they have the best of everything there for children like Lauren. And they can protect her as well as anyone can from Covid. And Im really confident that shes safe there. I mean they have big classrooms and every facility that we wouldn't have at home. And her world is just switched back on.

Our hopes were raised when they told us the school would be going back this week but to be told that they would be off today and then for midterm, its just so difficult. And for Lauren, shell be all happy today and then tomorrow she wont be allowed to go and she won't understand why. Its not fair.

Special classes in mainstream primary and secondary schools are due to reopen on Monday, February 22 following a deal between post-primary teacher unions, the ASTI and the TUI, and Forsa which represents SNAs.

More than 10,000 students with additional educational needs attend special classes at either primary or post-primary level.

The National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education said special schools were ready and keen to reopen.

However, some parents whose children have medical conditions that make them especially vulnerable have opted to keep them at home.

ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Health is working to respond to to health inequities across the state by looking to 'meet Minnesotans where they are' when it comes to getting vaccinated.

That means creating more vaccination sites in a bid to increase vaccine access as an important part of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out.

Commissioner Jan Malcolm explained, "We have are mobilizing health care systems, local pharmacies, our federally qualified community health centers, local hospitals, local public health and state run community vaccination sites all as part of a strong and reliable network that will meet all Minnesotans where they are."

Among those state run sites is one in Rochester's as MDH announced Mayo Civic Center will open on Sunday as a community vaccination site.

The site will serve roughly 1,500 Minnesotans age 65 and older. In a press call MDH said almost 30% of that age group has had its first dose of the vaccine across the state.

The hope is to continue expanding access to the hardest hit communities and minority groups who may not have it readily available.

She added, "This really means both getting the doses of vaccine out to the right places to reach people including people in the most hard hit communities. It also means having the right resources while encouraging and assisting people to get the shots when they are available."

The Civic Center community vaccination site won't be open for walk-in appointments. Those who are interested will have to wait for the state to reach out to schedule an appointment.
North-West lawmakers pose with junior MPs on Youth Day Doh Bertrand

Hon. Agho Oliver, Member of Parliament for Bafut-Tubah constituency has called on junior parliamentarian of the North West Region to be torchbearers of peace and development.

Addressing the 'junior parliamentarians' Thursday, February 11, 2021, at Hotel des Depute in Yaounde, the youngest Member of the National Assembly from the North West Region re-echoed President Paul Biya's message of hope to the youth.

The lawmaker preached the virtue of patience drawing inspiration from his days of humble beginnings. He said it is imperative for the youth to uphold values of patriotism and civic behavior among others.

I am where I am today because someone held my hands. I know what it means to relate. I have been mentored. As young people, if you don't learn manners, learn how to relate and how to function, you won't succeed, he said while advising them on the need to perfectly liaise with lawmakers from their area.

 The first thing to do is to identify with the MPs from your constituency. You have to respect them, consult them to find out their activities on the ground before embarking on anything, Hon. Agho recommended, adding that the young MPs must at all times seek advice from their lawmakers on public appearance.

He advised them to shun cocky behaviors once they return to their constituencies, remain respectful to all, and be role models for other young people. He urged them to liaise with municipal, regional, traditional and administrative authorities for the development of the region.

Agho advised them to see how to contribute to the return to peace and normalcy in their areas in their own little way as recommended by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya. He assured that their worries will be discussed with the Questor from the North-West so as to better see how they can meet with them and chart a way forward in Bamenda.

The reception which comes at the end of the 4th edition of the Youth Parliamentary session in Yaounde was attended by other NW MPs including Hon. Ngang Prodencia Awa of Momo East (Mbengwi), Hon. Kumase Simon Powoh of Mezam South (Santa) and Hon. Nestus Fru Manju of Mezam Center.

The lawmakers pledged to fully support the junior MPs in all their activities and to always liaise with them to ensure the return to peace in all the constituencies. They unanimously enjoined the junior MPs to preach peace to their peers and see how they can lure youth carrying arms in the bushes to surrender, give peace a chance, resume normal life and join in the reconstruction of the region.

On behalf of his peers, the President of the NW junior MPs, Ngafue Marcel Robwoh from Ngoketunjia North Constituency, saluted Hon. Agho Oliver for the wonderful initiative of receiving and providing them with operational directives and promised to extend the knowledge acquired to youth in the region.

We are going back to the region with a lot of knowledge acquired on different aspects especially moral values it is our duty as young MPs to contribute to nation-building as indicated by the President in his address to youth, Ngafue promised.
(Newser)  Last February, three months after Fred Farmer had last been seen, friends and family gathered at his favorite Indianapolis watering hole to plead for information on his disappearance. "I'm just waiting to find out who did something," Farmer's daughter, Christina, told WXIN from the venue. For a moment, the outlet's camera focused on her brother, Jeremy, who was sitting at a table "wide-eyed and silent," reports the Washington Post. "He didn't say a word," a family friend tells WXIN. "He didn't really act like he cared." A year later, the 35-year-old has been charged with his father's murder. Though a body has not been found, police say two people told them that Jeremy, arrested Wednesday, admitted to shooting his father twice in the head and stashing his body in a freezer.

story continues below

He's also accused of texting family members from his father's phone, assuring them the 58-year-old was fine but just "stuck in the woods"but the emojis and punctuation in them were uncharacteristic of Fred. Police say the phone, which remained active until January 2020, never left Indianapolis' west side. Police say they became suspicious upon learning Jeremy had allegedly been using his father's credit and debit cards, including for the purchase of a trash can, bleach, latex gloves, and plastic drop cloths. Fred Farmer, who never returned from what he said would be a hunting trip in November 2019, had told friends that he thought his son was stealing from him and would press charges if it happened again, per the Indianapolis Star. Bank officials told police that Fred previously suspected his son had stolen his credit card, and police say Fred's accounts were updated to use Jeremy's email address and phone number. (Read more murder stories.)
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The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has said the late Lateef Jakandes legacies as first civilian governor were impactful, outstanding and too numerous for the people to forget his contributions to the development of the state.

Mr Akiolu spoke in an interview with journalists after a condolence visit to the family of the deceased on Friday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Jakande, popularly called Baba Kekere of Lagos, died in the early hours of Thursday, and was buried on Friday evening after a pre-burial prayers.

The Oba, represented by Adesoji Ajayi-Bembe, Obanikoro of Lagos, who led some White Cap Chiefs to the deceased house, described the late Mr Jakande as a selfless leader.

Late Alhaji Jakande was our father, a very good father. We can see all he did in Lagos. I am a beneficiary of his low-cost housing.

A three-bedroom flat then was rented for N6,000. Do you know the value now? I rented my own out and I am getting N750,000 at the moment.

He has done a lot. We can see all he had done all over Lagos State. He was so fantastic.

He has done so well for the state. Whatever good thing people are doing in their lifetime will always follow them.

So, I sympathise with Lagos State and our Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, he said.

Mr Jakande, a former journalist, was Lagos State Governor between 1979 and 1983, and later served as Minister of Works, under the military government of Sani Abacha.

His administration as Lagos State governor left a legacy of massive infrastructure development during his four years in office.

His legacies include the several Jakande housing estates, built across the state, as well as his sterling investment in education.

(NAN)
Speeding up the vaccination campaign, attracting European funds and justice reforms were among the topics addressed on Thursday by Prime Minister Florin Citu, on a visit to Brussels, and the leader of the Renew Group in the European Parliament, Dacian Ciolos, according to AGERPRES.

"Prime Minister Florin Citu began his first official visit to Brussels with meetings at the European Parliament, where I welcomed him as president of the Renew Europe Group. We discussed these days' most important European topics and the opportunities open to Romania at European level. The speeding up of the vaccination campaign was another topic addressed, to which the Romanian MEPs also referred yesterday in the discussions with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen,", Dacian Ciolos wrote on Facebook.

The two also discussed accessing the funds made available through the Recovery and Resilience Facility, through which European states will receive 650 billion euros to counter the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We also discussed ways to get Romania to attract as much money as possible from European funds and the European economic recovery instrument adopted yesterday by the European Parliament, for health, for digitalization, for road and railway infrastructure and to cover as much as possible of the country's reform and investments needs. Another issue that was tackled was the completion of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) through rapid judicial reforms and a diplomatic offensive to which all of us who have an influence at European level can contribute," said Dacian Ciolos.

According to the Save Romania Union - Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (USR PLUS) alliance leader, the talks with Prime Minister Citu will continue on Monday, in Bucharest, from an internal political perspective, "in order to find the necessary reform solutions for Romania".

Prime Minister Florin Citu is paying a working visit to Brussels on Thursday and Friday, during which he has scheduled a series of meetings with senior EU officials, including the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, Charles Michel and, Ursula von der Leyen, respectively.

According to a government press release, the schedule also includes meetings with European Parliament President David Sassoli, as well as European Commission Executive Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans, Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis.

The head of the Executive also has scheduled official meetings with the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, and with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) -Black Mountain Gold USA Corp. (BMG: TSXV) ("BMG" or the "Company") announced on January 19, 2021 that it was engaging in a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of 10,000,000 units at a price of CDN $0.40 per unit, for gross proceeds of CDN $4,000,000. On January 22, 2021 the Company announced that, as a result of strong investor interest, the Company was increasing the Private Placement to 12,500,000 units (the "Units") at a price of CDN$0.40 per Unit for proceeds of CDN$5,000,000.

The Company wishes to announce that it has closed the Private Placement of the 12,500,000 Units for proceeds of CDN$5,000,000

Each of the 12,500,000 Units consisted of one common share and one-half share purchase warrant, each whole share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant") being exercisable for a period of two years until February 12, 2023 at a price of CDN$0.60 per share. The Warrants are subject to an accelerated expiry in the event the common shares of the Company trade on the Exchange at a price of CDN$1.00 or higher for 10 consecutive trading days.

A finder's fee of 8% cash was payable on a portion of the Private Placement for a total of CDN$120,880 paid.

The common shares comprising part of the Units and any common shares issued upon exercise of the Warrants are subject to a four month Exchange hold period expiring on June 13, 2021.

Proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to advance exploration of the Company's Mohave Gold Project and for general working capital purposes.

Graham Harris, CEO commented, "We are pleased to close this oversubscribed financing and look forward to ramping up our 2021 work program."

To find out more about Black Mountain Gold USA Corp. please contact Investor Relations at (604) 662-8184 or email info@blackmountaingoldusa.com.

BLACK MOUNTAIN GOLD USA CORP.

"Graham Harris"

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 release.

This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals including approvals of title and mining rights or licenses, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, changes in laws, rules and regulations in Arizona which may impact upon the Company or its properties or the commercial exploitation of those properties, currency risks including the exchange rate of USD$ for Cdn$, fluctuations in the market for gold/silver, changes in exploration costs and government royalties, export policies or taxes in Arizona and other factors or information. The Company's current plans, expectations and intentions with respect to development of its business and of the Mohave Gold Project may be impacted by economic uncertainties arising out of Covid-19 pandemic or by the impact of current financial and other market conditions on its ability to secure further financing or funding of the Mohave Gold Project. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74404

The Supreme Court-appointed committee on Friday held consultations with 12 farmer unions and peasants from eight states, including West Bengal, on the controversial farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.

This is the seventh meeting held by the panel so far. The three-member committee is holding consultations with stakeholders, both online and in person.

In a statement, the committee said it held its interactions through video conference with farmers, farmer unions and farmer producer organisations (FPOs).

Twelve farm unions and farmers from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal participated in the detailed deliberations with the committee members, it said.

"All the participating farmer unions, FPOs and farmers gave their detailed views and suggestions on the three farm laws," the committee added.

On January 12, the apex court had stayed the implementation of the three contentious farm laws for two months and asked the committee to submit a report within two months after consulting the stakeholders.

Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi's borders for over two months seeking repeal of the new legislations, introduced by the Centre last year, saying they are pro-corporate and can weaken the mandi system.

The 11 rounds of talks between the Centre and 41 protesting farmer unions have so far remained deadlocked, even though the ruling dispensation has offered concessions, including suspension of the legislations for 18 months, which the unions have rejected.

(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.)
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Visitors look near to a sand sculpture creating by sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik to spread message about China-India friendship on the International Friendship Day at the Bay of Bengal Seas eastern coast beach at Puri, August 6, 2017. /Getty

Editor's note: Keith Lamb is a University of Oxford graduate with an MSc degree in Contemporary Chinese Studies. His primary research interests are China's international relations and "socialism with Chinese characteristics." The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

After last year's standoffs on the Sino-Indian border that led to casualties on both sides, the news that Chinese and Indian troops, along the Southern and Northern sides of the Pangong Tso Lake, started a synchronized and organized disengagement on February 10 are positive.

It shows that even when tensions rise, the voice of reason can and will prevail. This is no small feat considering the corporate press in both the West and India are constantly whipping their populations into a vengeful frenzy with one-sided propaganda. This propaganda inevitably paints a picture of China as the aggressor and India as the victim.

Those who wish to craft this simplistic perception of reality do so by making claims that Chinese troops are constantly crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has persistently denied such claims.

Breaking ranks with this well-crafted perception are the recent comments made by the former army chief, General V. K. Singh, who is now the Indian Union Minister of State for State Transport and Highways.

In his candid remarks to the press on February 7, he hinted at the propaganda war against China by the Indian media which is not reciprocally engaged in by the Chinese media against India. He brought up the fact that while the Indian press was only too willing to report on Chinese transgressions of the LAC, Indians remained in the dark on how often India crossed the LAC.

Furthermore, he said the "Chinese media does not cover it" (Indian transgressions of the LAC), as such, the Chinese population is not filled with enmity for India. As a former general only too aware of how many times India has crossed the LAC, he said, "let me assure you, if China has transgressed 10 times, we must have done it at least 50 times."

Such truth that defies the biased reporting on Sino-Indian affairs rarely gets out. Singh is then a brave man for breaking ranks and it has landed him in trouble. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded Singh be sacked for his remarks which are "helping China make a case against India."

However, Singh should not be regarded as a traitor to India for speaking the truth. He has good reason for going against the simplistic propaganda that turns China into an aggressor and India into a victim.

Indian army convoy carrying reinforcements and supplies, drive towards Leh, on a highway bordering China, September 2, 2020. /Getty

India and China are giant neighbors who should one day take their positions as the two largest economies. Their relationship cannot be built on lies, exaggerations, and distortions disseminated by India's corporate media and their paid-for politicians who maintain cold-war mindsets. Indeed, these people that man the corporate media and these paid politicians owe their loyalty to profit over any regards to nation-building.

The truth when it comes to the Sino-Indian border dispute and the LAC is in fact highly complicated. Much of the border between India and China has been demarcated; still, both sides have their own perceptions of where it should be. As such, to imagine that Indian troops are not positioned in places that China perceives are on its side is simply nonsense.

Of course, this logic goes the other way too, which is all the more reason to sit down and talk rather than fight. This is precisely why Chinese and Indian military officials held their ninth round of corps commander-level talks in January when they agreed to promote the process of disengagement which we see taking place today.

Undoubtedly, as General Singh points out, the Indian military knows fine well that what the corporate media presents to Indians and the world does not reflect the real situation on the ground. This is why mutual disengagement has taken place. In this dispute, there are no bad guys except for the corporate media and their patrons which seek to disrupt good neighborly relations between the two most populous states.

Much of the Sino-China border has been carved up and defined by Britain, India's former imperial master, who subjugated both India and China. This tragic past still plays out today and while it eventually needs to be settled, this past must not be allowed to determine the overall comprehensive future relationship between India and China.

The breakdown of the Sino-Indian friendship cannot benefit either side as members of BRICS, as two countries with large populations, and as two countries with a shared dream of development are natural partners. In fact, fermenting discontent between the peoples of India, and state to state relations, can only benefit powers outside the Asian continent who seek to draw India into their Indo-Pacific gambit which they seek to use to thwart the rise of the developing world and maintain undemocratic unipolar dominance. This is what the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprising of Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. is about.

Make no mistake, if China will not be allowed to rise independently, then neither will India, the Arab world, Africa or South America. What is at stake is a democratic multipolar world order characterized by the rise of numerous civilizations which have hitherto been subject to Western unipolar domination.

The Indian military, with their nationalist sentiment, no doubt has a good grasp on this fact and this is why General Singh made his remarks. As a patriot, he fears India's corporate press along with Western states, who still maintain a pernicious influence on India's perceptions of itself and the world, would be all too willing to push India into an unnecessary conflict with China. That would be to the detriment of India's interests.
Going into Donald Trumps second impeachment trial, everyone thought they knew the evidence inside out already.

Well, we didnt know the half of it.

Democrat prosecutors caught everybody by surprise with a barrage of new information, mainly previously unseen footage from CCTV cameras inside the US Capitol.

The video was stunning. It showed Mike Pence and his family being rushed to safety as rioters, who wanted to hang him for treason, closed in.

Mitt Romney almost walked into a mob, as did Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate. Nancy Pelosis staff could be seen ducking into a room. Minutes later rioters arrived and tried to break the door down.

There was audio too, of desperate police officers screaming for back-up that didnt come.

Weve been flanked! Weve lost the line! they yelled, to no avail. New bodycam footage showed officers being pummelled with bats and flagpoles.

Democrat prosecutors argued not just that Mr Trump was reckless in directing his followers to the Capitol on January 6.

Read More

Riveted

Instead, they sought to show Trump cultivated a mob over a period of months, then deliberately aimed it at the seat of US democracy, with violent intent, to stop the certification of the election.

In other words, he knew what was going to happen.

The prosecution case was that all senators  Democrat and Republican alike  had been at risk.

Those same senators, who will decide Mr Trumps fate, sat silently and apparently riveted.

But the possibility of Mr Trump being convicted remains remote. It requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate, meaning 17 of the 50 Republicans would have to join the 50 Democrats.

John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said the prosecution was very effective and pretty compelling.

He added: I think theyve done a good job of connecting the dots.

But Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, a strong supporter of Mr Trump, said: Nothing new here for me at the end of the day.

Opinion

The Democrats know a conviction in the Senate is elusive and that their made-for-television presentation was also produced with the court of public opinion in mind.

They want to shock the American public  particularly Republican voters  so much that, even after an acquittal, Mr Trump cannot gather enough support to run for the presidency again.

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator and juror, suggested they may have succeeded.

She said: I dont see how after the American public sees the whole story laid out here, this whole scenario laid out before us..

"I dont see how Donald Trump could be re-elected to the presidency again.

Mr Trump is aware of the Democrat strategy and is furious with his own lawyers, who made a lacklustre start to the trial.

Peter Navarro, a former adviser to Mr Trump, said he had spoken to the ex-president by telephone and suggested he fire his lawyers, or risk losing support in the country.

Mr Navarro said: If he doesnt make a mid-course correction here, hes going to lose this Super Bowl.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Vice-President of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Ahmed Maitig, agreed with the UN Special Envoy, Jan Kubis, on the need for coordination of the three components of the Libyan dialogue -- politics, economics and security
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Panama has recently moved hundreds of migrants stranded within its borders to its Northern border with Costa Rica.

The small Central American country has continued to receive new waves of migrants who are encouraged to leave their homes, in part, because of the new administration in the US.

The migrants, many of them Haitians with young children, have been moved by buses from a camp in San Vicente, in the Darien province to the South, bordering Colombia, to another migrant reception post in Chiriqui province in the North, bordering Costa Rica.

The National Migration Service told The Associated Press that since January 29 some 551 migrants have left Darien and moved to the border with Costa Rica.

That route had been suspended after Panama reported the first cases of the coronavirus in March 2020 and closed its borders to contain the pandemic.

Meanwhile, many migrants in San Vicente - which opened its doors in September 2020 - had traversed the dangerous Darien jungle in the last few days or weeks.

Others in the San Vicente camp recently completed quarantine or were tested for COVID-19 in other camps.

As of Tuesday, there were 375 migrants in tents and housing units with drinking water which were set up with the help of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Some 1,000 people remain in Darien, 276 of whom arrived Monday night after the dangerous days-long journey.

According to local authorities and complaints from the migrants themselves, gangs of assailants, rapists, and human and drug traffickers operate freely inside the jungle.

"Thieves took my backpack with the passports here in Panama," said Wisnel Olly, a 41-year-old Haitian migrant who recently arrived in San Vicente with his wife Bien Aime, and their four-month-old twin boys Robens and Robenson, who were born in Chile, where the couple lived for two years.

Idiam Osorio, a technical specialist of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), feels one of the reasons pushing the flow of migrants northward is linked to the change of government in the United States.

She said they have to regularly move migrants between camps to prevent contagions.

Panama announced the reopening of its land borders on January 29, prompting hundreds of migrants to immediately cross the porous Colombian-Panamanian border.

Some 800 more migrants are expected to cross the Darien from Colombia in the coming days, according to Panama's National Border Service.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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

Such problems can be fixed, Census Bureau officials say, but doing so takes time. The location of millions of people is in play, and allotting or placing seats during reapportionment and redistricting can turn on the location of hundreds.

It remains unclear how serious the political repercussions of the delay will be, but early indications are that Democrats have more reason to worry.

By Mr. Lis calculation in a report issued on Thursday, Republicans will most likely draw the maps for 181 House seats and Democrats for 49 seats, possibly rising to 74 if the New York Legislature (which is controlled by Democrats) chooses to override the states new independent redistricting commission.

The map for the rest of the seats in the House will be drawn either in states where power is split between the parties or in states with nonpartisan redistricting commissions, which have mostly proliferated in blue states like California and Virginia and purple states like Michigan.

That means Republicans, who have already shown an appetite for extreme gerrymandering in states like North Carolina and Wisconsin, could benefit disproportionately if too little time exists to contest maps drawn by legislatures for 2022 and the rest of the decade.

The biggest targets for increasing one partys share of Congress are the fast-growing Southern states of Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, where Republicans oversee the drawing of maps through control of both houses of the legislature.

In Texas, Mr. Li expects Republicans to draw maps that would ensure Republican control of three new House seats that the state is expected to add because of population growth, and two existing seats now held by Democrats. The delay in receiving census data could be used in some states to game the redistricting process, by leaving less time for legal challenge, Mr. Li said.

Daniel Kaluuya as Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in the drama "Judas and the Black Messiah" at North Adams Movieplex 8 and streaming on HBO Max. The Chicago-based activist was 21 when he was killed by police in a 1969 raid.
In his ruling Thursday, Peterson threw out the federal trademark cancellation demand, along with Wisconsin law claims that the doll violates Walkowiczs right of privacy and that American Girl was negligent in supervising its employees by failing to prevent them from using Walkowiczs name and likeness.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been more than aware of criticism  by his rivals and admirers alike  that the more things change, the more they remain the same when it comes to our bureaucracy and the system.

Into his second term, he is not impervious to the talk that he is too dependent on an entrenched bureaucracy, and, as a result, he has not scored high on reforms despite big ideas.

With an unfulfilled human development agenda, Modi has been exasperated with bureaucrats from day one. But Modi now finds that his hopes of getting officials to be more proactive to make things work are shrinking. He needs to wield the stick more than the carrot if issues have to be dealt before they hit the ceiling.

Hence, Modis candid views in the Lok Sabha on February 10 underscored the urgency to undertake big-ticket changes may not have come as a surprise.

Defending the farm laws as much-needed reforms to boost Indias agriculture, Modi said this mindset of status quo has also played havoc in stopping Indias progress and the younger generation wouldnt wait long for change.

In October, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari called out NHAI officials for inordinate project delays and a culture of inefficiency. In October 2019, at a meeting to review the governments Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat programme Modi told the top bureaucrats that they had spoiled his first five-year tenure and he would not allow them to spoil his second term in office. In the name of acting as checks and balances, bureaucrats have ensured there are enough caveats in place to thwart any move to free the private sector.

Modi has often conveyed that the bureaucracy will be given full protection for its bona fide mistakes because he cannot forget the consequences of the policy paralysis that had gripped the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime. But many officials are yet to come out of the safety of their cocoons.

Over the last four years, the PMO has got many officials to step out of these cocoons. The department of personnel introduced a new concept of running a 360-degree scrutiny of a bureaucrats career before promotion to secretary to the Government of India, the highest level for a civil servant. New training modules such as Mission Karmayogi were introduced to break silos. Young IAS recruits were put through probationary stints even in the PMO.

Modi also paved the way for lateral entry into the top echelon of bureaucracy by recruiting nearly 40 officials at the level of joint secretary from the private sector. These officials were brought in to plug the talent deficit and encourage transformation in the work culture, which is usually hamstrung by red tape.

Knowing well that scepticism about the efficacy of such a move will trigger entropy, Modi seems fully determined to take this experiment to its logical end. Modi choosing to flag the attitude of the bureaucracy  by saying that IAS officers cannot run everything in the country  has to be understood in this context.

A government must not wait for a crisis to effect changes. That is why the Prime Minister also took pot-shots at those asking why the farm laws were introduced when farmers didnt ask for them. Modi is clear that the government should be sensitive towards the people and take decisions proactively for the good of the country.

Modis assertion means that he cannot let the mandates of 2014 and 2019 go waste. For this his political rivals are accusing him of siding with the private sector to drive the engine of the economy  for being a suit boot ki sarkar to Congress leader Rahul Gandhis latest jibe of the government running on the principle of hum doh hamare doh.

Modi has reasserted that he wishes to go down in history as the harbinger of change. The bureaucracy needs to align its focus with that of the governments agenda for change.

There is a political risk in such a move and the Prime Minister seems willing to take itbecause if he succeeds, the rewards are guaranteed for all stakeholders.
T

he post-Brexit future of the City of London, in relation to one of its largest markets, is in jeopardy.

The last-minute free trade deal between Brussels and London excluded any provisions over the ability of UK-based financial firms to sell services into the European Union after 31 December.

Billions of euros of daily share trading activity have already shifted from London to Amsterdam this year as a consequence.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Researchers in the United States have conducted a study demonstrating that personal assessment of whether respirators and face masks fit properly cannot be relied on in efforts to protect against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has threatened to overwhelm healthcare services in many countries across the globe.

The pandemic has meant well-fitting respirators and face masks have become crucial pieces of protective equipment among healthcare workers and the general public.

However, supply chain constraints have caused some organizations to replace traditional qualitative and quantitative fit testing with self-performed fit checks.

As reported in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers from Cambridge University in San Francisco and Northwestern University in Evanston have shown that a fit check performed according to UK National Health Service (NHS) self-assessment guidelines was unreliable in determining the fit of face coverings.

Most N95 respirators failed to fit participants adequately and fit check responses across all face coverings tested correlated poorly with quantitative fit factor scores.

N95 and KN95 respirators tested. Top row, from left to right: 3M 8511, 3M 8200, Aero Pro AP0028. Bottom row, from left to right: Makrite 9500, Xiantao Zong ZYB-11, Zhong Jian Le KN95. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245688.g002

The importance of well-fitting face masks

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted not only the importance of wearing face coverings but also the necessity to ensure a good fit that will reduce the spread of viral particles.

The importance of fit for N95 respirators has particular implications during the COVID-19 pandemic as these masks are generally reserved for clinicians at a time when hospitals are struggling to cope with the demand for conventional fit testing, says OKelly and colleagues. Even a small fit issue not detected by the wearer when performing a fit check can greatly decrease the protection offered by the N95 respirator.

However, constraints on the supply of face masks and fit testing during the pandemic has led many healthcare facilities to replace traditional quantitative and qualitative testing procedures with self-performed tests. Such tests involve the user checking for air leaks and assessing how the mask responds to heavy breathing.

The potential impact of replacing fit testing procedures with self-performed checks is not well understood.

In terms of settings outside of healthcare facilities, there is also a lack of literature exploring the effects of fit on the protection provided by face coverings.

What did the researchers do?

Seven individuals (median age 51 years) self-performed fit checks of N95 and KN95 respirators according to UK NHS guidelines.

Participants then underwent quantitative fit testing while wearing different types of N95 respirators, a KN95 respirator, different surgical masks, and a range of fabric face coverings. Quantitative fit testing involves the continuous measurement of particle concentration both inside and outside of the face-covering while it is being worn.

The researchers evaluated the level of fit and protection provided by each type of mask and how well self-performed checks predicted fit, compared with quantitative testing.

What did they find?

The results showed that a proper fit is essential to ensuring N95 respirators provide high levels of protection.

Fit is critical to the level of protection offered by respirators, says OKelly ad colleagues.

When N95 respirators were properly fitted, they filtered more than 95% of airborne particles, while poorly fitting respirators provided variable levels of protection that were sometimes similar to the levels provided by surgical and cloth masks.

The N95 respirators provided higher levels of protection than any other category of mask, but 4 out of 7 participants were unable to fit the respirators properly.

Participants were generally unable to reliably determine whether respirators fitted properly, with all of them making at least one incorrect determination of fit after performing a check.

Our results indicate that the method of fit check for N95 respirators, which is being used in many hospitals, is not reliable and has similar failure rates as previously tested self-assessment protocols, writes the team.

What about the other types of face-covering?

The study also found that KN95 respirators, surgical masks and fabric masks all achieved similarly low fit factor scores and did not significantly differ in the level of protection they provided.

For civilian protection, no one type of mask proved superior to another. This is likely due to poor fit in the civilian mask options, say the researchers. Participants were seen to achieve similar protection from a fabric face covering as from a KN95 respirator, whose material should perform similarly to an N95 respirator, they add.

What do the authors advise?

OKelly and colleagues say the findings suggest that traditional quantitative or qualitative fit testing for individuals is highly advisable for people in need of respiratory protection.

The high proportion of fit test failures, and the associated reduction in the effectiveness, has particular implications for healthcare facilities and other work-environments where fit testing may be abandoned during a pandemic, they write. Having a wide variety of mask models and sizes stockpiled is critical as one mask model cannot be assumed to protect the majority of wearers, advises the team.
Zoltan Berki usually wakes up before dawn, as his five small children sleep next door, to feed the old iron furnace that stands in a wall cavity to warm up both rooms. This is the only part of his house that he can afford to heat during winter. Come rain or shine, Berki, a stocky 28-year-old Roma man, cycles an hour to work to save on the bus fare, so he is up anyway. But he also has to burn some materials before daylight, to conceal the thick black smoke that billows from his chimney when he uses plastic or rubber. Such household pollution is illegal in Hungary, including in this town near the Slovakian border.

People do it anyway. On a foggy winter's day, dense smoke of different hues spews from nearly every chimney. It stays low in the air, gradually filling the narrow valleys. "Firewood is expensive," Berki said one recent afternoon, as his family played around him, crammed into a small room. "Either I buy wood or food. So I go to the forest, or the junkyard, and if we find plastic or rubber we burn that."

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled last week that Hungary had breached pollution limits for over a decade in the Sajo river valley, as well as other areas, which could be grounds for financial penalties unless reversed.

The ruling should be seen as "a wake-up call", European Commission spokeswoman Vivian Loonela said. The Hungarian government did not respond to a request for comment. Although Hungary has reduced its carbon emissions in the past decades and is not the worst offender in Europe, pockets of high pollution persist, and rules are rarely enforced, according to locals and environmental rights groups.

The capital Budapest and the southern city of Pecs suffer too, but the situation in the Sajo valley, where pollution and poverty go hand-in-hand, is especially severe. In Berki's home, the hand-sized doors of the furnace open with a creak. Berki starts the flames and throws in a wood plank or two to build heat. Then he burns whatever he can. Plastic bottles, cut-up tyres and window frames all work. An old shoe often suffices.

Scavenging for material https://reut.rs/3tKI0wD to burn is common for the poorest people in the small, run-down town of Sajonemeti and those nearby, among the most destitute communities in Europe since Communist-era heavy industry vanished 30 years ago, leaving thousands jobless.

Aware of the rules, Berki avoids burning some fuel by day. "The neighbours can see, and you can also smell it," he said. "We throw the rubber and the plastic bottles and such things on at night." The valley forms a dead end and prevents winds as cold air settles in, so heavy smog can linger for weeks. Several such areas exist in Hungary, together contributing to thousands of premature deaths every year, according to Europe's top court.

YEARS OF ALARM

Hungarian environmental groups have been raising the alarm for years. In 2020 Zsuzsanna F. Nagy, northeastern Hungary's foremost environmental activist, surveyed locals about their heating practices, and found that while some people burned rubbish, even those who tried to heat homes properly often burned lignite or other coal products that were unfit for home use. That echoed the assessment of the Clean Air Action Group, a Budapest-based green organisation, which said coal types can vary widely, and by using the wrong ones, households could erase gains made by a post-Communist cleanup of industry.

The gap between quality coal and low-grade alternatives can mean a 60-fold difference in particulate emissions, it said. In Hungary, a country of 10 million people, air pollution causes an annual 13,000 premature deaths, a million people fall sick and billions of euros are lost to economic damage, Clean Air project leader Judit Szego said.

According to the European Environmental Agency, Hungary ranks third in Europe behind Bulgaria and Poland in health damage, losing an annual 1,128 life years per 100,000 residents due to particulate pollution, or small flying dust, alone compared with about 500 in the UK or 250 in Sweden.

Air pollution can cause allergic reactions, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, the National Public Health Institute said in a 2017 study. Berki's five children all use inhalers because they suffer from asthma symptoms, he said. To his father, Zoltan Berki Sr, pollution means chest pain and coughs.

On Sunday, the elder Berki went to dig up leftover coal by hand a common sight in winter. The man-made mounds are littered with materials for burning, including logs from the old coal mine rail tracks which are infused with diesel. "Smokes like hell but burns nicely," he said as he piled up a few. "We collect what we find and take it home to burn. They heat up nicely, and we can't afford to buy anything."

EDWARDSVILLE  Indoor dining is back in Madison County, and local restaurants are gearing up for Valentines Day.

But like everything else, the official celebration of the holiday on Sunday will be a little different this year due to coronavirus restrictions.

For Valentines Day, we typically do a limited menu to ease the burden of how busy it is, but this year since we were just allowed to open for indoor dining, were going to have our regular menu along with a couple of chefs specials which we are finalizing right now, said Tom Guarino, minority owner and director of hospitality at Bella Milano.

We had some to-go stuff planned to make your own meals at home, but opening up last week changed all of that. We are doing the normal family feast to go, which is a very popular item.

Bella Milano, which also has restaurants in OFallon and Springfield, is prepared for a busy weekend, or at least as busy as it can be under the circumstances.

At our Springfield location, were open to 25 percent capacity due to guidelines, but down here, there is no percentage that we have to keep it to as long as tables are six feet apart and we follow all the other CDC guidelines, Guarino said. We will have fewer tables than in a normal year, so reservations are strongly suggested.

Mike Shannons Grill in Edwardsville, meanwhile, is running weeklong specials for Valentines Day, including:

 A 14-ounce strip steak, served over saffron seafood risotto and topped with two pieces of jumbo shrimp finished with a port wine reduction.

 A lobster pasta, which includes fettuccine served with corn and potatoes and a lobster broth, topped with a six-ounce baked lobster tail.

 A chocolate strawberry salad, featuring a spring mix with red onion, mozzarella pearls and candied prosciutto, topped with a chocolate balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

The special desserts include a cherry cheesecake topped with Amarena cherries as well as cranberry madeleine with two heart-shaped macaroons and a warm chocolate madeleine served with two macaroons.

For the actual Sunday night of Valentines Day, we are pretty much already booked up, but we are filling up for the rest of the week, especially on Saturday, manager John Brombolich said. In the past, it has been a lot busier because were working with a limited number of tables.

In previous Valentines Days, you could sit every single table and every single bar seat, but we can only seat so many at a time this year. Its going to be a little slower than normal because of that.

At Gulf Shores Restaurant & Grill in Edwardsville, the restaurant is offering a Romance on the Bayou dinner for two, which includes:

 Jumbo shrimp cocktail for each person.

 Choice of salad for each person.

 Homemade lobster and snow crab etouffee with sauteed asparagus to share.

You name it cocktail, martini or a glass of wine for each person.

 Choice of coffee, soda or tea for each person.

 Choice of homemade red velvet cheesecake to share.

 Two candles with holders.

The cost is $134.99, including tax and gratuity.

We have limited capacity, but we do offer curbside delivery for our normal menu, hostess Autumn West said. As far as indoor dining, we have been busy on the weekends with a waitlist and reservations for bigger parties of six or more. On the weekdays, we havent been too busy, but it depends on the day.

When they announced that Illinois can do indoor dining again, business picked up, but we still have our restrictions. In addition to limited capacity, everybody has to wear a mask when theyre away from their table. Were sanitizing all of the surfaces to keep everybody safe.

At Cleveland-Heath in Edwardsville, meanwhile, co-owner Keith McGinness is preparing for a busy weekend.

We have to be a little more spaced out than usual, but were happy to be back at it, McGinness said. Were happy were not doing Valentines takeout.

Were doing a few Valentines weekend specials Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including a half-dozen oysters on the half shell, seared halibut and a steak offering that were featuring. Were offering some wine pairings along with them and were offering our normal everyday full menu as well.

While Valentines Day is always a busy time for restaurants, Bella Milano is getting plenty of positive feedback from people that are happy to be dining indoors again, regardless of the occasion.

Its not just Valentines Day. Every time Im in a store, people are thanking me for being open and Im thanking them right back because they are the reason we are here, Guarino said. Through the pandemic, everybody was very supportive.

While Mike Shannons will also be open for business on Valentines Day, there are plenty of reminders that things are still not back to normal.

People used to come in on Valentines Day and dinner was the start of their night and they would go afterward to a movie or something like that, Brombolich said. There is kind of a lack of options this year and were expecting our guests to stay a little longer than they normally would, so we want to make it as special as possible for them.

In any case, the return of indoor dining is good news for the local economy, especially for restaurant owners and employees, and Bella Milano is no exception.

We were able to keep most of our staff on through to-go orders and very limited seating in our patio, but were bringing back as much staff as we can, Guarino said. The restaurant industry lost some personnel, so it has been a tough spot to get people hired back on as we reopen.

For a while, we were open and closed and you dont know if you have a job or you dont. People didnt want to be in this business anymore and I can understand that. The trouble a lot of restaurants are running into right now is filling those gaps again.

McGinness, likewise, welcomes the opportunity to visit with some longtime customers as well as some new customers at Cleveland-Heath as people get reaccustomed to indoor dining.

Some of our guests are still learning that restaurants have reopened, but the response has been really good, McGinness said. We were busy last weekend and were seeing the number of reservations grow day by day, especially for Saturday and Sunday.

We have been anxious to get open for financial reasons and getting our folks back to work. Hopefully, there will be no steps backward, but I think were closer to the end of the tunnel.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Some doctors refuse AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine at Rome airport hub, alleging they were promised Pfizer instead.

The Lazio region launched a major vaccination hub at Rome's Fiumicino airport yesterday and began administering covid-19 vaccines to 400 private-practice doctors and other healthcare professionals aged between 18 and 55.

However the massive, well-organised vaccination centre soon found itself at the centre of controversy, with multiple complaints from the doctors being vaccinated, some of whom walked away without receiving any vaccine.

The dispute centred around the type of vaccine being offered by the Lazio region, according to local media.

Doctors allege they were promised the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which reports about 90 per cent efficacy, as stated in the letter they received and the consent forms they signed.

When the doctors arrived at the vaccination hub yesterday, however, they discovered they were to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has a much lower efficacy rate.

"We understand that some private-practice doctors under 55 have communicated to the ASL health authority that they will not be vaccinated with AstraZeneca because they believe it is not suitable for the level of risk in their profession," the president of the Rome guild of doctors Antonio Magi told Italian news agency ANSA.

"So far 700 have been vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna, then the vaccination was suspended because there is a shortage of doses" - said Magi - "Now the AstraZeneca vaccines have arrived and the vaccination plan has changed: the under 55s will be vaccinated with that while the others will continue with Pfizer."

Doctors interviewed at the airport hub by Italian newspaper La Repubblica expressed doubts and unease about the situation.

One psychiatrist said it was "not correct from an ethical point of view," adding: "If we did this to our patients we would have problems. Some [doctors] have left and I understand them."

Another doctor, a gynecologist, told La Repubblica: "Today's vaccine is better than nothing, but it is not right, we were told it was Pfizer."

The Lazio regional health councillor Alessio D'Amato moved to assure those who doubted the effectiveness of AstraZeneca: "Even the Spallanzani Institute reassures sceptics about the efficacy of all vaccines available today in Italy, including that of AstraZeneca."

On 30 January Italys medicines regulator AIFA approved the covid-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, a day after its approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The AstraZeneca vaccine is the third approved for use in the EU after the ones produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

Photo La Repubblica
A man authorities say is a leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group and led other extremists in the attack on the U.S. Capitol discussed the possibility of getting a boat to ferry 'heavy weapons' across the Potomac River, prosecutors say.

Thomas Caldwell, 66, is charged with conspiracy to obstruct Congress alongside two other alleged members of the militia group, and court papers filed on Thursday provide chilling new evidence in the plot on Capitol Hill.

Prosecutors said Caldwell sent a text message to someone believed to be affiliated with the Three Percenters, an anti-government movement, on January 3 about the possibility of sending weapons across the river.

'How many people either in the militia or not (who are still supportive of our efforts to save the Republic) have a boat on a trailer that could handle a Potomac crossing?' Caldwell wrote, according to prosecutors.

'If we had someone standing by at a dock ramp (one near the Pentagon for sure) we could have our Quick Response Team with the heavy weapons standing by, quickly load them and ferry them across the river to our waiting arms.'

Prosecutors said Caldwell sent a text message to someone believed to be affiliated with the Three Percenters on January 3 about the possibility of sending weapons across the Potomac

Oath Keepers are seen using the 'ranger file' to move through the crowd on January 6

A map shows the proposed boat launch near the Pentagon that Caldwell allegedly proposed using to ferry a 'Quick Response Team with the heavy weapons' to the Capitol

Prosecutors revealed the evidence to make the case that Caldwell should remain locked up while he awaits trial.

Authorities also said that during a search of Caldwell's home, they also found a 'Death List' that included the name of an elected official from another state.

Investigators also found invoices for more than $750 worth of live ammunition and what appeared to be a gun designed to look like a cellphone, prosecutors said.

Caldwell's lawyer is urging the judge to release him, saying he denies being a member of the Oath Keepers or ever going into the Capitol building.

The details come days after Caldwell's lawyer said the man - who authorities said holds a leadership position in the extremist group - had a top-secret security clearance for decades and previously worked for the FBI.

The FBI has not answered questions about the lawyer's claim and Caldwell's lawyer has not responded to multiple messages.

'Caldwell planned with Donovan Crowl, Jessica Watkins, (pictured) and others known and unknown, to forcibly storm the U.S. Capitol,' an arrest affidavit says

Defense Attorney Thomas Thomas Plofchan said Caldwell has held a top-secret security clearance since 1979, which required multiple special background investigations. Caldwell also ran a consulting firm that did classified work for the U.S. government, the lawyer said.

The Virginia man is among more than 200 people charged with federal crimes so far in the deadly siege.

He was charged with conspiracy last month alongside two other accused members of the Oath Keepers, who are accused of planning in advance to carry out violence.

Authorities say Caldwell began plotting to undo President Joe Biden's victory as early as the days after the election.

Prosecutors said the Oath Keepers communicated during the attack about the location of lawmakers.

At one point during the siege, Caldwell received a message that said 'all members are in the tunnels under the capital,' according to court documents. 'Seal them in turn on gas,' it said.

Caldwell is charged alongside Jessica Marie Watkins, 38, and Donovan Ray Crowl, 50, of Ohio.

Jessica Watkins (left) and Donavan Crowl, both military veterans, were arrested in Ohio

Jessica Watkins, 38, a bartender from Ohio, participated in the mob that stormed the Capitol, federal prosecutors say

The trio, who are all US military veterans and affiliated with the extremist Oath Keepers group, are accused of conspiring to obstruct Congress and other counts, punishable up to 20 years in prison.

Watkins, who authorities say conspired with Caldwell, indicated as Biden's inauguration approached that she 'was awaiting direction from President Trump,' prosecutors said in another court filing Thursday.

'I am concerned this is an elaborate trap,' Watkins in a text message days after the election, according to the court papers. 'Unless the POTUS himself activates us, its not legit. The POTUS has the right to activate units too. If Trump asks me to come, I will.'

There was no attorney listed for Watkins in the court record.

According to an indictment, Watkins began tapping up potential recruits six days after the election for a training camp in Columbus, Ohio, to make people 'fighting fit' for Inauguration Day, telling them to prepare to 'kill and die for our rights'.

Crowl, a former Marine mechanic, allegedly attended a different training camp in North Carolina, in December, prosecutors said.

Members of the Oath Keepers militia group, including Jessica Marie Watkins (Far Left), stand among supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump at the Capitol on January 6

In the 15-page indictment unsealed last month, prosecutors said Watkins, Crowl and Caldwell all began plotting their incursion of the US Capitol in November 2020, and continued communications until January 19, when Caldwell was arrested.

Watkins, Crowl, and Caldwell are all reportedly affiliated with the anti-government extremist group Oath Keepers, while Watkins and Crowl are also members of the Ohio State Regular Militia.

Who Are the Oath Keepers? Founded by Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers is an American far-right anti-government militia organization composed of current and former military, police, and first responders who pledge to fulfill the oath that all military and police take in order to 'defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.' The group describes itself as non-partisan, though several organizations that monitor domestic terrorism and hate groups describe it as extremist or radical. Mark Pitcavage of the ADL describes the group as 'heavily armed extremists with a conspiratorial and anti-government mindset looking for potential showdowns with the government.' Advertisement

Their frequent exchanges varied in topics from a call to action to logistics, including lodging options, coordinating calls to discuss the plan, and joining forces with other Oath Keeper chapters, prosecutors say.

In their planning, prosecutors claim, the group said that they were working under the perceived directions of Donald Trump, embracing his claims of election fraud and readying themselves for bloodshed.

Federal authorities say that Caldwell also sent Facebook messages following the attack.

'Proud boys scuffled with cops and drove them inside to hide,' Caldwell's message said, according to court documents.

'Breached the doors. One guy made it all the way to the house floor, another to Pelosi's office. A good time.'

Authorities said Watkins and Crowl returned to Ohio, then went back to Virginia to stay with Caldwell at his Berryville home for three days through January 16.

The FBI complaint said Crowl and Watkins told police in Urbana, Ohio, they drove back to Ohio after hearing the FBI was looking for them.

All three are charged with federal counts including conspiracy, conspiracy to hurt an officer, violent entry, obstruction of official business and destruction of government property.

Caldwell has been detained in the Central Virginia Regional Correctional Facility in Orange, Virginia, since his arrest last month.

Covid, war and climate change causing an increase in poverty  World Bank

by Sylvana Debono

February 12,2021 | Source: New Book

The COVID-19 pandemic may push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty in 2020. Poverty reduction has suffered its worst setback in decades, after nearly a quarter-century of steady global declines in extreme poverty. These were the take-home phrases for the World Bank Groups annual analysis entitled Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020: Reversals of Fortune. The analysis, piloted by an international team of eminent researchers, provides new data on and analysis of the causes and consequences of this reversal and identifies policy principles that countries can use to counter it. The report presents new estimates of the impacts of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on global poverty and shared prosperity. According to updated estimates included in the report, COVID-19 is expected to push some 100 million people into extreme poverty during 2020 alone.



Major findings:

- pandemic-related job losses and deprivation worldwide are hitting already-poor and vulnerable people hard,

- pandemic is changing the profile of global poverty by creating millions of new poor.

- the new poor are more urban, better educated, and less likely to work in agriculture than those living in extreme poverty before COVID-19.

- the pandemic is deepening income inequality, threatening inclusive economic recovery and future growth.



Three riders of the apocalypse?



The report notes three factors whose convergence is driving the current crisis and will extend its impact into the future: a pandemic (COVID-19) and the associated global economic recession, which are reversing poverty abatement trends rapidly, armed conflict, whose effects have been steadily building in recent years, and climate change, a slowly accelerating risk that will potentially drive millions into poverty. COVID-19 and its associated economic crisis, compounded by the effects of armed conflict and climate change, are reversing hard-won gains in poverty reduction and shared prosperity emphasised the report backed by international data.



72 million of the projected new poor will be in middle-income countriesmore than four-fifths of the total new poor, World Bank report. The data in the report suggests that South Asia will be the region hardest hit, with anywhere between 49-57 million additional people pushed into extreme poverty. Sub-Saharan Africa would be the next most affected region, with between 26-40 million additional people predicted to be pushed into extreme poverty. The report says that, in the best-case scenario, some 72 million of the projected new poor will be in middle-income countriesmore than four-fifths of the total new poor. Women are overrepresented among the poor globally and also across most regions of the world, World Bank report



The face of the poor



The report gives a face to the poor: predominantly rural, young, and undereducated. Four of every five individuals living below the international poverty line reside in rural areas although the rural population accounts for only half of the global population. The profile of the global poor is also very young. In 2018, says the report, half of the poor were children younger than age 15, even though this age group accounted for only a quarter of the worlds population. Women are overrepresented among the poor globally and also across most regions of the world. Worldwide, 35% of poor adults in the 15-and-older age group in 2018 had no schooling.



Slow-down in poverty eradication



The Poverty and Shared Prosperity report presents new global poverty data showing that the sustained decline in extreme poverty that began in the 1990s continued through 2017. However, the report notes that that progress was stalling. Between 2015 and 2017, the number of people worldwide living below the international poverty line fell from 741 million to 689 million. Globally, extreme poverty dropped by an average of about 1 percentage point per year over the quarter-century from 1990 to 2015, but the rate of decline slowed from 2013 to 2015 to just 0.6 percentage point per year. Between 2015 and 2017, the rate slowed further. Given this decelerating trend, the report says that the goal of bringing global extreme poverty to less than 3 percent by 2030 was already at risk.



Why are the poor at risk?



The report notes that people in virtually all countries and at all levels of income are affected by the health and economic consequences of COVID-19. However, people who are currently poor or vulnerable are being hit especially hard, say the World Bank Group report. These people include those with lower levels of education and assets, those in insecure employment, and those in lower-skilled occupations, among others. One reason why the poor face greater risk, says the report, is that their jobs may be more easily disrupted or eliminated under recession conditions. Poorer people and those with lower levels of education and fewer skills are less likely to be able to work remotely. Businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and bars, along with the wholesale and retail trade, which typically employ less-educated workers, are rarely able to accommodate working from home.

Theme(s): Post Harvest Technology and Trade, Coastal Ecosystems and Threats, Communities and Organisations, Fisheries Resources, Fisheries Development and Aquaculture, Freshwater ecosystems and threats, Landing Centres, Others, Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.

[February 12, 2021] Intelsat Files Plan of Reorganization with the Support of Key Creditor Groups

Intelsat (News - Alert) S.A. (OTC: INTEQ), operator of the world's largest and most advanced satellite fleet and connectivity infrastructure, today announced that it has obtained the support of key creditor constituencies on the terms of a comprehensive financial restructuring that would reduce the Company's debt by more than half - from nearly $15 billion to $7 billion - and position the Company for long-term success. The Company is filing a proposed Plan of Reorganization in its Chapter 11 proceedings pending before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, accompanied by an explanatory Disclosure Statement. The Plan, which has been the subject of extensive negotiations with the Company's creditors and resolves a multitude of complex issues among them, has the support of holders of approximately $3.8 billion of the Company's funded debt. These supporting creditors have executed a Plan Support Agreement that binds their support for the Company's Plan. Intelsat looks forward to continuing to engage with all stakeholders to gain additional support for its Plan across the capital structure. The Company is requesting a hearing on March 17, 2021 to seek Court approval of the Disclosure Statement and establish procedures to solicit votes on the Plan. Intelsat announced on May 13, 2020 its decision to undertake a financial restructuring process to position the Company for long-term success and allow for the business to emerge with a strengthened balance sheet to complement its strong operating model already in place. Today's filings and the significant consensus already achieved on the Plan pave the way for the Company's emergence from the Chapter 11 proceedings in the second half of 2021. Additional Information Additional information regarding Intelsat's financial restructuring is available at Intelsatonward.com. Court filings are available at https://cases.stretto.com/intelsat, by calling the Company's claims agent, Stretto, at (855) 489-1434 (toll-free) or (949) 561-0347 (international), or by emailing intelsatinqiries@stretto.com.



Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel, PJT Partners is serving as financial advisor, and Alvarez & Marsal is serving as restructuring advisor to the Company. About Intelsat

As the foundational architects of satellite technology, Intelsat operates the world's largest and most advanced satellite fleet and connectivity infrastructure. We apply our unparalleled expertise and global scale to connect people, businesses and communities, no matter how difficult the challenge. Intelsat is uniquely positioned to help our customers turn possibilities into reality - transformation happens when businesses, governments, and communities use Intelsat's next-generation global network and managed services to build their connected future. Imagine here, with us, at www.intelsat.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contain words such as "expect," "anticipate," "could," "should," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "see," "may," "will," "would," or "target." Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, and estimates and may include, for example, statements regarding (i) the voluntary cases commenced by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries (the "Chapter 11 Cases") under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (the "Bankruptcy Code") in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the "Bankruptcy Court"), (ii) the Company's ability to obtain confirmation of the Plan, (iii) the Company's ability to complete the financial restructuring and to continue operating in the ordinary course while the Chapter 11 Cases are pending. These statements are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to successfully complete a reorganization process under Chapter 11, including: confirmation of the Plan; consummation of the financial restructuring; potential adverse effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company's liquidity and results of operations; the Company's ability to obtain timely approval by the Bankruptcy Court with respect to the motions filed in the Chapter 11 Cases; objections to the Company's financial restructuring, motions regarding net operating losses, or other pleadings filed that could protract the Chapter 11 Cases; employee attrition and the Company's ability to retain senior management and other key personnel due to the distractions and uncertainties; the Company's ability to comply with the restrictions imposed by the terms and conditions of the DIP financing and other financing arrangements; the Company's ability to maintain relationships with suppliers, customers, employees, and other third parties and regulatory authorities as a result of the filing of the Chapter 11 Cases, including the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (the " FCC (News - Alert) ") and compliance with FCC orders, such as the order associated with the C-band spectrum clearing mentioned above; the effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company and on the interests of various constituents, including holders of the Company's common stock; the Bankruptcy Court's rulings in the Chapter 11 Cases, including the terms and conditions of the financial restructuring, and the outcome of the Chapter 11 Cases generally; the length of time that the Company will operate under Chapter 11 protection and the continued availability of operating capital during the pendency of the Chapter 11 Cases; risks associated with third party motions in the Chapter 11 Cases, which may interfere with the Company's ability to consummate the financial restructuring or an alternative restructuring; increased administrative and legal costs related to the Chapter 11 process; potential delays in the Chapter 11 process due to the effects of the COVID-19 virus; and other litigation and inherent risks involved in a bankruptcy process. Forward-looking statements are also subject to the risk factors and cautionary language described from time to time in the reports the Company files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any updates thereto in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in such forward-looking statements. The Company has no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements and does not undertake to do so. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005290/en/

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BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Friday revealed plans by farmer leaders to hold meetings in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat and said protesters in Delhi will not return home until the Centre reaches an agreement with them. It was not immediately clear if the remark made at a "mahapanchayat" here was a climb down from Tikait's earlier assertion that there will be no ghar wapsi unless the laws are withdrawn. The government has been telling farmer unions to consider an option other than the complete repeal of the laws. He said the government will have to talk with the farmer unions' committee spearheading the agitation against the laws. This agitation will continue until the Government of India talks to the committee and arrives at an agreement. Till that time, farmers will not return home, he said addressing a mahapanchayat organised by the Dalal Khap 84 near the Tikri border. He also claimed the agitation is spread across the country and not limited to Punjab, Haryana or Uttar Pradesh as being projected by some.

More mahapanchayats will be held in coming days, he said, adding that they will go to Gujarat as well. Tikait alleged that farmers from Gujarat were being pressured not to lend support to the agitation.

If anyone from Gujarat wants to come here to support the agitation and if it is found they are coming, police are being send to their homes, he alleged. We will hold meetings in Gujarat and other states, he said.

Tikait also said the business on hunger will not be allowed and those wanting it will be driven out of the country. Hitting out at the farm laws, he claimed these will lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) and exploitation of farmers, from whom big companies will procure their produce at cheaper rates and then store it in godowns.

Big godowns will be built, which will be barricaded on similar lines like the ones near the protest sites at the Delhi borders, he said. Without naming anyone, he said attempts have been made to divide the farmers' stir.

"They tried to divide us on the lines of Punjab and Haryana, then small and big farmers, he said. We have said that the three laws are not acceptable to farmers and should be rolled back. But how will they take back these when godowns were built first and laws were framed later, he said.

They did business of temple, religion and feelings. Now, they want to do the business on hunger, Tikait alleged. The BKU leader from Uttar Pradesh has been camping at Ghazipur on the Delhi-UP border for over two months against the central laws enacted in September.

The Centre has been saying these laws will bring in new farming technologies and free the farmers from the clutches of middlemen. The farmers have been rejecting these claims, saying these laws will harm their interest.
Nay Pyi Taw, Feb 12 : Myanmar's new military-led State Administration Council on Friday announced the remittances of more than 23,000 prisoners, both local and foreigners, as protests against the February 1 coup continued for a seventh consecutive day.

Council chair Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing granted pardon to the inmates -- 23,314 local, 55 foreigners -- who received punishments for any offence before January 31, 2021, reports Xinhua news agency.

The move comes on the country's 74th Union Day, which marks the historical Panglong Conference held in Shan state, during which the Panglong Agreement was signed on February 12, 1947.

Myanmar regained independence on January 4, 1948.

The state pardon order reduced the death penalty to life imprisonment with no possibility of release, life imprisonment and with no possibility of release to 40 years, excluding those who have been pardoned from the death penalty to life imprisonment in the previous amnesty orders.

Terms for prisoners who have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the previous amnesty orders will be reduced to 50 years, punishment of more than 40 years of imprisonment will be reduced to 40 years while 40 years and under are cut one-fourth, the Council said.

The moves aim to turn the prisoners into decent citizens, to please the public and to create the humanitarian and compassionate grounds while establishing a new democratic state with peace, development and disciplines, it added.

Min Aung Hlaing said the remittances were part of an effort to build a "democratic country with disciplines".

According to a CNN report, mass prisoner releases are common on national holidays in Myanmar.

But this is the first such amnesty under the current rule of the military under Min Aung Hlaing, which seized power in a coup on February 1, ousting former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The military detained Suu Kyi, former President U Win Myint and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

Besides the coup, which was staged over the disputed results of the November 8, 2020, parliamentary elections, the military also declared a year-long state of emergency and handed over the state power to the Commander-in-Chief.

Despite a ban on gatherings in Myanmar, protests continued on Friday against the coup in major cities, including Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay and Yangon.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The CPI(M) on Friday claimed that the people of West Bengal have "positively" responded to the 12-hour strike call given by the Left Front in protest against alleged police atrocities on DYFI and SFI activists the day before. Senior CPI(M) leader Md Salim contended that the party "had decided not to enforce the strike" as that would have inconvenienced common people, but many have "voluntarily" supported the bandh.

"The police, however, arrested Leftwing activists who were preparing to take part in the protest march during the day. Several of them have been taken into custody and we demand their immediate release... Nonetheless, people of the state have supported the bandh," Salim told reporters. Activists of the Left Front and the Congress clashed with the police in central Kolkata on Thursday during their march to the state secretariat, demanding creation of jobs.

The Left leader also said that nearly 500 party members and supporters suffered injuries in the clash and that they were undergoing treatment in various hospitals. "I will say that the police, which have become inefficient and ineffective under the incumbent state government, carried out a pre-planned attack on the activists," the former MP claimed.

Salim said the party will take to "legal recourse to find out who directed police action on the Left activists, and what could be the possible reason behind it". "Don't people in this state have the right to take out a peaceful protest march?" he said.

Earlier in the day, Left activists were seen blocking railway tracks and roads in Malda, Barddhaman, Asansol, Raignaj, Dankuni, parts of Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. Protestors also burnt tyres in a few pockets, and offered roses to policemen in some areas.

Massive police presence was witnessed on the roads during the day to ensure that public transport functioned normally.
Why do American cities have zoning? For three reasons.The first is to curb externalities  essentially the bad unintended consequences of the development choices we make. Those include fouling of the air, unwanted noise and loss of outdoor light. A second reason is to reduce the burden that new development puts on public infrastructure. And the third is to prevent perceived changes to what we perceive as community character.The types of zoning normally used for all this are Euclidean codes, a regulatory concept from the 1920s that separates uses, often designating large sections of a city either residential, industrial or commercial. But Euclidean zoning is flawed.Economists Edward Glaeser and Cass Sunstein once proposed that the U.S. put all of its regulations through a cost-benefit analysis. What would we learn from that kind of analysis? Wed learn, among other things, that Euclidean zoning gives us sprawl by mandating single-family homes on large suburban lots from which driving is the only realistic option. Are the perceived benefits worth it?I doubt it. Reducing externalities is a coherent goal, but separation of uses is an inexact, high-cost solution for that. Popular alternatives to traditional zoning, such as zoning by building form or measuring performance, dont solve the problem either.So let's try a thought experiment, one we might call " Market Urbanism Zoning ."Suppose a city scraps its Euclidean code, allowing any development use on any parcel. How, then, would the city prevent the externalities and impacts that come from that development? It would do so by addressing them directly, rather than outlawing the development altogether. Market Urbanism zoning, above all, is less interested in what goes on a parcel, than how that usage affects city life beyond the parcel.Nearly all cities have laws on the books which limit nuisances like noise and runoff. In my hypothetical code, those laws would remain in effect, and it would be the responsibility of a building developer or manager to follow them. But as long as a building does that, its usage and other characteristics wont matter. That is because standard Euclidean aspects like height, aesthetics, setbacks, floor-area ratio, and dwelling units per acre arent externalities per se. It just depends, again, on whether those building characteristics affect the city beyond the lot.A Market Urbanism code would not rely solely on laws to handle externalities; it would first allow for negotiation. Suppose an entrepreneur wants to open a nightclub in a residential neighborhood with a tight noise ordinance. The prospective owner can offer the residents payments for the increased noise. If neighbors are willing to tolerate the noise in exchange for compensation, the nightclub can be allowed. Similarly, a farmer who wants to build a pigpen in a residential neighborhood could provide compensation if the neighbors agree to tolerate the smells. Or the pigpen owner could use enhanced insulation that internalizes the odors, rather than letting them reach the neighbors.This might sound like bribery. But its an efficient and voluntary way to settle disputes. Municipal governments could organize and enforce such negotiations. For example, the nightclub owner could purchase easements on affected properties, so that future tenants who move there willingly must tolerate the noise too - but will also receive payouts.The second big goal of Market Urbanism zoning is to mitigate broader impacts more intelligently. These, too, are often cited as reasons to oppose growth, since a given development will burden the school system, increase traffic and strain public utilities. A Market Urbanism code does not treat impacts as a basis for stopping projects; instead, it calls for cities to address the impacts through user fees.Suppose a high-rise, mixed-use building is proposed. It meets all the externality codes, but the community is concerned about impacts. So the city uses pricing to address these impacts on a case-by-case basis. If the buildings retail component increases on-street parking needs, the city can adjust curbside parking to prevent congestion and encourage a smoother flow of traffic. The impact on schools and water provision would likewise be handled through pricing: The users in this new project pay based on their usage levels of water and other elements of infrastructure. Fee revenues help to maintain or expand that infrastructure to meet increased demand.A Market Urbanist approach to zoning recognizes that growth is a net positive, and that individuals should be free to build, live and engage in commerce in any neighborhood, so long as they dont harm the community or environment. It uses regulation only to mitigate impacts and directly prevent externalities, encouraging developers either to internalize potential nuisances, or negotiate with residents. But its main point is to allow more development than is possible under normal Euclidean rules.That doesnt mean Market Urbanism zoning is a panacea. Introducing negotiation into the development process may complicate land deals. And of course, an approach that presumes growth as a positive wont satisfy people who dont want to see any change at all - a constituency which is often vocal and organized, if sometimes overstated in size.Nor is Market Urbanism zoning politically likely at this point. The goal of my thought experiment is just to highlight that cities are dynamic, ever-changing places, and the means of resolving resident-developer conflict should be dynamic as well, rather than being encoded into a complicated, inflexible set of regulations.If a community is worried about the mix of industrial and residential uses, must rigid use zoning apply to every lot? Or should noxious uses be addressed as they arise? If some businesses cause noise, do all businesses have to be separated from residential areas? Why cant the rules be enforced case-by-case? A Market Urbanism zoning code that targets specific problems using a light set of legal guidelines, rather than banning uses outright, would foster not only more permissive but also more successful cities.GoverningGoverning
In his message to the faithful, the primate speaks of reconciliation "through prayer and fasting". The mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ "the essence of our faith". The Chaldeans "people of Iraq" scattered all over the world. Reconciliation, peace and stability to protect life and citizens.

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, fasting is "an opportunity to find a space in which to move freely" and a time of "spiritual and social renewal" to reconcile "through prayer and fasting" with ourselves and the world around us, writes the Chaldean primate, Card. Louis Raphael Sako, in the message for Lent.

The period of preparation for Easter begins on February 15 for the Chaldeans, and the primates message was published on the website of the Chaldean patriarchate and shared with AsiaNews.

In a nation that awaits the imminent apostolic journey of Pope Francis, the cardinal emphasizes, the priority is "to put God in our life and focus on the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection", which represent "the essence of our faith".

Iraq, even recently, has experienced bloody attacks and sectarian violence that undermine the attempt at a fragile reconstruction, after years of war and the jihadist advance.

"The paschal mystery - he observes - moves us from the darkness of suffering, from the vulnerability of death to the light of resurrection and life". A light, he continues, "which we welcome with passion, follow with faith and bring to others with love and enthusiasm" as the pope reminded the Eastern Churches.

"Our Chaldean Church - emphasizes the patriarch - is the 'Church of the East', it has no external splendour and has never been in power, that is, the state religion. Its beauty lies in its spiritual and liturgical heritage, in its fidelity to the faith to the point of martyrdom. It is a story of martyrs and monks.

Today "our Church is spread all over the world" and although Iraq remains "our land on the historical level", of which "we are the people and not a community", there are representations in Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. We have begun to face new cultures and languages - explains Card. Sako - with the challenge of preserving our bond with our mother Church, its unity and the need for openness and diversity.

For the Cardinal "every Chaldean must feel that the Chaldean Church is his identity, his home and that he has special place in it" and be "inspired by the rich spiritual heritage of our fathers".

Hence the need to "support each other" and "work with team spirit" to "overcome difficulties and experience closely the joy of being Church, mystical body of Christ". In time of Lent, it is even more urgent for bishops and priests to "take care of the people of God", entrusted "with fidelity and impartiality" to "consolidate their faith and preserve their authenticity [...] by awakening hope in the heart.

"Our faith in the resurrection - he adds - fills us with joy and amazement and gives us the strength to purify our hearts" by emerging "from our closed minds, worries and fears, in order to live our painful conditions of life with hope, peace and tranquillity ".

Recalling the link between the Christian community and Iraq, the Chaldean patriarch underlines that "we are partners in building its future", because all citizens "have endured painful difficulties and pains due to the serious political, security, social and health ".

If the paschal mystery is "a movement towards God and towards the people", Christians have an important role "in the construction of a civil and modern democratic state", which applies the criteria of equality to every citizen regardless of "religious affiliation ".

Finally, the Chaldean primate recalls the popes imminent visit for which he asks all the faithful to pray so that "it becomes a tangible sign of the strengthening of the sense of community among Iraqis" and a reason for "fraternal solidarity". The goal, he concludes, is to achieve "national reconciliation, peace and stability to protect the life, rights and dignity of all citizens".

TVNZs One News reported on February 8 that Air New Zealand, the national airline, has been secretly helping the Saudi Arabian military despite it fuelling a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

For nearly eight weeks, the report stated, Air NZ refused to answer questions about its involvement with Saudi Arabia: First it ignored media queries then claimed it would never discuss its clients.

Yemens capital Sanaa following an airstrike on October 9, 2015 (Source: Wikipedia)

Finally, the airline issued a short statement admitting that Gas Turbines, a business unit of Air NZ, had worked on two engines and one power turbine module from vessels belonging to the Royal Saudi Navy. The $3 million contract was signed with a German company acting as a third party for the Saudis.

Since 2014, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, supported by the United States, have carried out a brutal war in Yemen, aimed at crushing the Houthi rebellion and installing a pro-Saudi regime. A naval and air blockade has prevented fuel, medicine and food from entering the country, resulting in mass starvation and a cholera epidemic that the World Health Organisation says has infected 500,000 people.

By 2018, an estimated 85,000 children had died of starvation. About 100,000 people have been killed, including through intensive bombing by Saudi warplanes. Three million people have been displaced by the war.

The revelation that Air NZ, which is 52 percent owned by the government, has been assisting the Saudi war effort, potentially making it complicit in war crimes, triggered a crisis for the airline and the Labour Party-Greens coalition government, which rushed to wash its hands of any culpability.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, the minister responsible for Air NZ, claimed the government had no knowledge of the deal until contacted by TVNZ. He said he was alarmed, adding: I think most New Zealanders would find it unacceptable to be doing that work. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the deal was inappropriate and has ramifications for New Zealand, its reputation.

Air NZ chief executive Greg Foran issued an apology, saying this is not the type of work that we should be engaging in. He said he did not know about the contract because it was not large enough to require his oversight. He refused to say who authorised the deal, telling the media there would be an internal review of how such contracts are approved.

When the contract was signed in May 2019, the airlines chief executive was Christopher Luxon, now a member of parliament in the opposition National Party. Luxon told the media he had no recollection of the deal, which he called an error in judgement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is investigating whether the contract was legal. Foran told a parliamentary committee hearing on Thursday that the ministry was not notified about the deal. Air NZ did not obtain any export permits for the engines it was sending to the Saudi navy.

The denials issued by Robertson, Foran and Luxon are not credible. It beggars belief that Air NZ is allowed to sign multi-million dollar contracts with foreign militaries, especially those actively engaged in war, without any scrutiny from the airlines leadership or government officials.

This is not the first time that Air NZ has been implicated in a criminal war in the Middle East. In August 2007, then-Labour Party government ministers feigned outrage after revelations that the airline had a contract to transport hundreds of Australian soldiers to join the US-led war in Iraq.

This further undermined then-Prime Minister Helen Clarks claims that her government was not supporting the war. In fact, the government had sent 61 army engineers to Iraq to support the occupation, and dispatched frigates to the Persian Gulf on rotating tours of duty. The Clark government, backed by its pseudo-left coalition partner, the Alliance, also sent special forces to join the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

The latest criticisms of Air NZ from the Ardern government, including its coalition partner the Greens, are similarly hypocritical.

Green Party spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said: We as a nation have an absolute legal and moral duty to investigate, and hold to account anyone in Air New Zealands leadership who may be found to have knowingly provided support and assistance to the atrocities committed in Yemen. New Zealand had to stand as an independent principled voice for peace.

But Foran told Radio NZ: It is not a secret that we have been doing work for navies, such as the US navy and the Australian navy, in terms of fixing engines This has been part of our business now for many years. This practice has not been opposed by the Greens, or anyone else in parliament, or by the Labour-affiliated E tu union, which has thousands of members at Air NZ. E tu has remained silent about the airlines Saudi contract.

The US is a participant in the war in Yemen; it has helped to enforce the Saudi blockade, provided intelligence and carried out air strikes against Houthi forces. Australia sells weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

At Thursdays parliamentary committee hearing, the Greens Ghahraman asked whether any other militaries had contracts with Air NZ. Foran replied, you need to give us a little bit of time to produce a complete list of military customers.

Far from being a voice for peace, the Labour Party-Greens coalition government, which from 2017 to 2020 also included the far-right NZ First, has increased military spending and recruitment and further strengthened the alliance with US imperialism. The government kept hundreds of troops in Iraq until mid-2020. A small number remain stationed there and in Afghanistan. Military personnel are also deployed in Japan as part of the encirclement of North Korea.

The Green Party sought to justify the governments military spend-up, including the purchase of new planes and naval vessels, by depicting it as necessary for humanitarian interventions. In fact, the Ardern governments 2018 defence strategy identified China and Russia as the main threats to the global order, in line with Washingtons preparations for war against China. New Zealand has boosted its military presence in the Pacific and welcomed the growing US militarisation of the region to push back against China and defend New Zealands own interests as a minor imperialist power.
Thanks to the pandemic, this was always going to be a subdued Lunar New Year in the San Francisco Bay Area. Instead of street fairs and packed crowds, mass gatherings are out of the question. Shops have been closing earlier and earlier in recent weeks, and police are being deployed to Chinatowns in the region in greater numbers. Everyone is on guardnot just against the coronavirus, but against violence.

A flurry of attacks against Asian Americans, primarily women and elderly people, has hit major U.S. cities over the last few weeks. In the most extreme case, an 84-year-old Thai man named Vicha Ratanapakdee died days after an assailant shoved him to the ground on Jan. 28 while he was taking a walk in San Francisco. Surveillance footage of the assault went viral, returning the national spotlight to the racism Asians have faced throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Another brutal attack occurred on Feb. 3 in Manhattan, when someone slashed a 61-year-old Filipino man named Noel Quintana across the face on the subway. Other incidents, many of which have also been caught on video, include assailants robbing Asian shopkeepers, customers, and pedestrians on the street.

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And this is another attack on an elderly Asian man just days after Ratanapakdee was killed.



This one caught on surveillance video is of a 91yo man, just walking on the sidewalk in Oaklands Chinatown.



He was taken to the hospital for his injuries. pic.twitter.com/7m0eUuijKg  Frances Wang (#FrannyInMiami) (@FrancesWangTV) February 7, 2021

Instances of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans were prevalent through 2020 as the coronavirus overtook the U.S. What we saw is that there was a clear surge at the beginning of the pandemic when people were more fearful and didnt know what was going on, said Russell Jeung, an Asian American studies professor at San Francisco State University who helped start a website called Stop AAPI Hate where people can report anti-Asian attacks and harassment. Stop AAPI Hate received 2,808 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian discrimination from March 19, 2020, when the site began tracking incidents, through the end of the year. These accounts include cases of being hit and spat on, and being told to go back to China.

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According to Stop AAPI Hates data, incidents would spike when then-President Donald Trump used racist terms like Chinese virus and kung flu during speeches, Jeung said. He said that 7.3 percent of the incidents came from people ages 60 or over, which he guesses understates that part of the problem. We dont normally expect Asian elderly to go online and complain about the racism they experienced, Jeung told me, explaining that they were more likely to face language and technology barriers. So that leads us to conclude these numbers are higher than the proportions in the broader community. A Pew Research study from July reported that 58 percent of Asians said it had become more common for people to express racist views against Asians since the onset of the pandemic, and 39 percent said that someone had personally acted uncomfortable around them because of their race during that time.

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While it would be reasonable to guess the latest attacks against Asians are an extension of this xenophobia due to the sheer number of incidents, its probably too soon to say whether they were directly motivated by the coronavirus. A number of alleged perpetrators are in custody, but authorities are still investigating the incidents and have released little information about motives. Some experts have noted that crime in Chinatowns tends to rise around the Lunar New Year, which is Friday, as more people with cash visit shops to purchase goods for celebrations. Leading up to Lunar New Year, there is a high level of crime targeting elders because theyre more vulnerable, said Cynthia Choi, another founder of Stop AAPI Hate and coexecutive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, a San Franciscobased civil rights group. Whatever the direct motivation behind these latest incidents, Jeung stressed that the prevailing xenophobia gripping the country has made such attacks more likely. I think theyre related in that there has been an overall anti-Asian climate that has given people license to attack Asians, he said. People feel freer to perceive Asian Americans as outsiders and disease-carrying, so theyre more likely to threaten and attack us.

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The San Francisco Bay Area has been a hot spot of these attacks. Asian American advocacy groups in the region have been holding Facebook Live conferences and are planning gatherings during the Lunar New Year weekend that will partly provide community members with an outlet to process the events of the past few weeks. There has always been crime and violence happening to our communities that just hasnt been covered and hasnt been talked about or swept under the rug, said Alvina Wong, field director for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, an organization based in Oakland. Were just seeing more visibility and compounded pressures of being blamed for the coronavirus.

San Francisco is sending more officers to its Chinatown this weekend, and at least one owner of a robbed shop has called for more police presence, citing concerns that customers are now afraid to frequent businesses. The activists I spoke to say this reaction is understandable, but that heavy policing wont address the root causes of the problem. Having the police presence may make you feel safe immediately, but its not a long-term solution, said Eddy Zheng, president of the New Breath Foundation, an Oakland group dedicated to aiding Asian Americans affected by violence. Is there a solution that will support everybody without having to be anti-Black, without having to build more prisons and lock people up? There are Asian American groups in the area that have encouraged people to simply be out and about in Chinatowns with an eye toward de-escalation. Chinatowns generally have been less busy as people are wary of venturing out during the pandemic, so theres a higher chance that an elder going shopping will be isolated and vulnerable. But having more people on the streets, the groups think, can help discourage attacks. What happens is when folks are walking by themselves alone and theres no one around witnessing, thats an opportunity, said Wong of APEN, which has an initiative to send people into neighborhoods to help clean public spaces and generally increase the number of bystanders.

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Can community mobilization hope to stem these attacks? The activists I spoke to said it wont be easy, because they fear that the pandemic, and the xenophobia stoked by Trump, has deepened anti-Asian racism in a profound way. They want to see more initiatives that bring different communities together, like widely available cultural events and performancescurrently difficult because of the pandemicas well as investment in programs that address scarcities in housing, food, mental health counseling, and other resources in order to address the underlying drivers of crime. This is long-term work, said Choi. These are not quick fixes and will take a generation really to start to turn the tide around.
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WASHINGTON, D.C.  Medium Rare Restaurant Group is coming to Seattle to open a new steak restaurant. The move is part of the Washington, D.C., chain's plan to expand to 26 cities.

The company says it's searching for urban properties in affluent, high-density residential neighborhoods. Specifically, it is looking for 2,700-3,000 square feet of existing restaurant space to convert into the Medium Rare format. The space should also have a large outdoor seating area. Medium Rare says converting existing space requires little time and less build-out costs and risks.





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Detailed ventilation assessments were not completed at most of Victorias quarantine hotels when the state reopened its borders to coronavirus via returned travellers in December.

Advice supplied by the government reveals engineers examined fresh air exchange rates in rooms at the hot hotels  which deal with people infected with the virus  but did not look at cold hotels used to house returned travellers who have not tested positive.

The Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport has been closed for a terminal clean. Credit:Jason South

The information was provided to The Age in December last year, as it examined growing concerns that poor ventilation was contributing to coronavirus spread and posed a particular danger in hotels.

We always thought that the cold hotels would be properly audited, as well as the hot ones, said the Australian Medical Associations Victorian president Julian Rait.
A North Carolina man has been charged with making threats to kill President Joe Biden through phone calls to the White House, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in court on Thursday. David Kyle Reeves was arrested on Feb. 5 after he called the White House switchboard several times with threats to kill Biden and others, Kiro 7 reported.

The 27-year-old suspect, who lives with his father in Gastonia, was charged with threatening the president of the United States. He appeared in court, before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler, on Thursday morning.

Prosecutors alleged David Kyle Reeves contacted the White House switchboard multiple times by phone and made threats against Biden and others between Jan. 28 and Feb. 1. In one call, Reeves allegedly said he was going to kill everyone and chop their heads off.

"I am going to (expletive) kill you all. (Expletive) the White House. I am going to chop your heads off," Reeves said in a recorded call.

Related story: Secret Service Arrests Man For Threatening to Kill, Kidnap Joe Biden and Kamala Harris



More Threats from David Kyle Reeves

Reeves also contacted the U.S. Capitol Police switchboard and communicated similar threats. He appeared to threaten to kill members of Congress in one of the calls, according to an affidavit.

David Kyle Reeves was also reported to have told the Secret Service to come pick him and bring him to the White House, "so he can punch the President in the face, sit in his chair, and stay there until he dies," WSOCTV reported.

The criminal complaint also claimed that on Feb. 1 a Secret Service agent contacted Reeves to discuss the threats. But Reeves allegedly called the Secret Service agent back several times throughout the day and repeated the threats of killing the President, the agent, and others because he owns "the planet."

David Kyle Reeves also told the Secret Service agent "that he had free speech and did nothing wrong," according to documents filed in court.

Realizing he would possibly get sentenced to a few years in prison, Reeves called the Secret Service agent again and said he would get out early because he will just read books, according to the affidavit.

The filed court documents added that Reeves said when he gets out of prison, he will call the Secret Service agent and kill him.

Judge Keesler ordered Reeves to remain in custody pending his next court date. The charge of making a threat against the U.S. president carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

David Kyle Reeves has a long list of past criminal charges, including family violence, assault on a law enforcement officer, violation of family violence order, resisting arrest, criminal trespass, and terroristic acts and threats.

Reeves' attorney, Kevin Tate, of the Federal Public Defender office for the Western District of North Carolina, told CNN that the suspect has pleaded not guilty and is now receiving appropriate mental health evaluations. The Secret Service continued to investigate the case.

David Kyle Reeves is the Second Charlotte-Area Suspect

Reeves was not the first suspect to make threats against Biden. In October, a 19-year-old man was taken into custody after he made threatening posts and conducting internet searches linked to killing Biden.

Alexander Hillel Treisman was arrested after investigators found an abandoned van at a Kannapolis bank with an AR-15 style rifle, a handgun, ammunition, and explosive materials, according to another WSOCTV report.

After investigators later searched the vehicle, they also found items such as $509,000 in cash, books about making bombs and improvised weapons, drawings of swastikas, and six more guns.

The van was towed after employees at the Fifth Third Bank on South Main Street asked the Kannapolis Police Department to pull the van. And then Treisman showed up at the bank in a car looking for the vehicle. Investigators later discovered his obsession with mass shootings, terrorism, and a post about "kill Joe Biden."

Read also: Election Officials Face Death Threats in Several Key Swing States





The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Imagine a world where Covid was completely wiped out, never to plague us any more. Wouldnt it be wonderful? Its a pipe-dream, of course.

Covid is here to stay. We must find ways to live with it, just as humanity has always done with countless other viruses, many of them much more deadly than Covid, which kills only a tiny proportion of those infected. Fortunately we now have vaccines to help us cope, and they are being administered at speed.

Yet there are a group of influential people who have chosen this moment, when were all desperate for normal life to return, to press for a so-called Zero Covid strategy. They claim that we can have that glorious Covid-free life. But only if we keep society closed off until the virus is completely eliminated.

A recent article by the writer Freddie Sayers gave a disturbing insight into the mindset of the Zero Covidians.

Sayers attended a three-day international conference, held online, called the Covid Community Action Summit.

Note the absence of the word zero in that title. The Zero Covidians have realised that they havent a hope in hell of persuading the public to their cause if they admit, straight up, that they want to keep us under lock and key until theres no more Covid.

This is why they now present themselves as anti-lockdown, arguing that eliminating the virus entirely is the only way to get out of the current cycle of restrictions.

Expand Close Opinions: Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride said this week it will be 2022 before life is back to some sort of normal / Facebook

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You have to be playing with the theory of mind of your audience, neuroscientist Tomas Ryan told the conference. Aoife McLysaght, a professor in molecular evolution, added: We were the merchants of doom for a while weve had to change our messaging. So we are now saying: you can have hugs again. You can go to music festivals. That kind of thing.

Hugs? Music festivals? Sounds heavenly.

But what the Zero Covid advocates do not want to talk about is the obscene cost of attempting to achieve their pie-in-the-sky paradise.

They are focused on the near-impossible goal of no Covid, but there are life-shattering harms involved, especially to the most vulnerable and impoverished.

Have you noticed how so many of these people are in comfortable, well-paid jobs? Is there any such thing as a poor Zero Covidian?

Look at what the restrictions are doing to ordinary people. Experts at Bristol University say that the lockdowns of 2020 will cost 560,000 lives in the UK, far more than those killed by Covid. The Governments own prediction is that more than 200,000 will die in the UK as a result of the first lockdown alone.

Childrens lives are being destroyed, suicides are rising, domestic abuse is soaring, deadly cancers are going undiagnosed, and millions are living lives of quiet despair.

And yet these Zero Covidians want to keep society shut off, in the vain hope that when Covid is eliminated the measures will no longer be needed.

Forget hugs and music festivals. Wed be sealed into our one-person-only underground bunkers, praying for Doomsday.

More and more people are getting on board with this strategy. Trade unions, independent SAGE, Labour MPs, the Tory former health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Certainly the quest for indefinite suppression, if not for full Zero Covid, has gone mainstream.

As CS Lewis observed: Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than omnipotent moral busybodies.

There will always be another reason to keep us locked down: new variants, new mutations, even the cock-eyed quest for the complete elimination of Covid.

We must recover our senses  and our democratic rights  before the damage is so great that it can never be undone.
BOSTON  The Baker administration on Thursday filed a $400 million bond bill to forge ahead with construction of a new Soldiers Home in Holyoke.

The bill, An Act Financing the Reconstruction of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke, is the first step in securing financing for a new building to replace the 70-year-old veterans care facility on Cherry Street.

The state-run nursing home was particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 76 veterans died at an alarming pace between March and June. Dozens more tested positive, along with more than 80 staff, some of whom have testified they were traumatized by trying to keep up with the death toll and care for the sick.

Top management at the Soldiers Home was gutted after Gov. Charlie Baker and his cabinet sent in an emergency team including the National Guard to take over the facility in late March. Former Superintendent Bennett Walsh and medical director Dr. David Clinton were forced to resign along with other clinical leaders. Walsh and Clinton have since been indicted for criminal neglect.

A grassroots coalition of former Soldiers Home administrators, families and veterans advocates embraced plans for a new home and lobbied lawmakers to make it happen.

Call it an out of the ashes moment.

When we came together, we only asked that we be part of the solution and to make things right for the families of the veterans who died from the COVID-19, right for the incredibly dedicated staff who had to work in unacceptable conditions during the pandemic and right for future generations of veterans who will need the Soldiers Home in Holyoke, John Paradis, former deputy superintendent and coalition leader, said after Bakers announcement.

We believe our efforts were instrumental in the states commitment to a new home and an adult day health care program, he added.

The proposal for a 235-bed facility with primarily private rooms, an adult day health component and other enhancements came after a battle among state officials, the board of trustees, coalition members and legislators who believed the states original plan for a seven-story, 192-bed facility was short-sighted.

The proposal was enhanced to an eight-floor facility with more than 40 additional beds.

We as coalition members remain concerned with the anticipated demand in our veteran community and the capacity at the new home to ensure every veteran gets the care they have earned and deserve. But today, to see the legislators, our coalition and trustees all supporting the same goal in getting as many beds and to meet federal deadlines this year is truly heartwarming and greatly appreciated, Paradis added.

The quest for a new home bolstered by federal funding is intensely deadline-oriented.

The capital project is on an expedited timeline, a spokeswoman for Bakers office said, noting an April 15 deadline to seek funds from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to secure 65% matching funds.

The bond bill must be enacted by the state Legislature by mid-March with a terms bill filed and enacted shortly after, Bakers office said.

Building a new, state-of-the-art long-term care facility at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke will ensure we can continue providing quality care for current veterans residing at the Home, as well as future residents, the governor said in a statement.

The design development phase must be complete by Aug. 1 to be eligible for this cycle of the federal grant program.

Out front on the initiative has been freshman state Sen. John Velis, a Westfield Democrat, who led a legislative effort to push back against a smaller facility. He argued the plan did not account for future wars and conflicts or the changing face of the veteran community. That includes more women and veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and head injuries.

Among other local legislators who applauded the bill was state Rep. Joseph Wagner, a Chicopee Democrat.

I have personally been engaged in an ongoing dialogue with a number of these stakeholders over a period for many months. I am pleased that these discussions have resulted in the Governor seeking an authorization which substantially exceeds the funding projections outlined in the Payette Rapid Response Report. I wish to thank Governor Baker, my colleagues and all of the stakeholders who worked so hard and played a role in bringing us to this point, Wagner said.

Wagner previously declined to join the push for a larger facility.

The state retained the Boston-based Payette architectural design group to execute a Rapid Planning Phase in August.

That firm engaged community members, families, veterans, coalition members and others to gauge top priorities for a new Soldiers Home expected to serve veterans for the next century.
For the local law enforcement, government and legal community, this is a significant and seismic shift.

Here's the latest note posted just moments ago . . .



U.S. Attorney Garrison Announces Resignation

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  United State Attorney Tim Garrison has submitted to President Biden his resignation as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Western District of Missouri, effective Feb. 28, 2021.



It has been the privilege of my career to lead the office where I began my service as a federal prosecutor 14 years ago, Garrison said in his letter. The lawyers and staff of my office accomplished a great deal for the people of Missouri in the last three years  The dedicated public servants in this office represent the United States in criminal and civil matters with excellence and integrity, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve alongside them.



Garrison was appointed as the interim U.S. Attorney on Jan. 3, 2018, and began serving as U.S. Attorney for the district following unanimous confirmation by the Senate on April 26, 2018. Prior to that, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the districts Springfield office. As a federal prosecutor, Garrison focused on large-scale interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and violent criminals. He also prosecuted firearms offenses, tax evasion, sex crimes, and illegal immigration.



Western Missouri is consistently a national leader among the 94 U.S. Attorneys Offices in combatting violent crime, child exploitation, and drug trafficking, Garrison said. I am particularly gratified by our work in Operation LeGend, in which we arrested more than 500 violent criminals in and around Kansas City and took hundreds of illegal firearms out of their hands, serving as a catalyst for similar state and federal collaboration in eight other American cities.



Garrison led several initiatives to target violent crime, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses:



Operation LeGend

OCDETF Strike Force

Operation Triple Beam

Additional Federal Prosecutors

Safer Streets Initiative

Operation LeGend brought an unprecedented surge of federal agents to Kansas City, Mo., to work collaboratively with the Kansas City Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in the city. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings.Operation LeGend, which became a model for eight more cities to follow, resulted in 518 arrests. During the 10 weeks from the announcement of Operation LeGend on July 8 through Sept. 16, homicides in Kansas City were down 22 percent, non-fatal shootings were down 24 percent, and aggravated assaults were down 44 percent, as compared to the 10 weeks before July 8. Among those arrests were 37 homicide cases (including a defendant charged in state court with the murder of LeGend Taliferro). In addition to the arrests, agents and officers seized 176 firearms, large quantities of illegal drugs, and several stolen vehicles during Operation LeGend.A new Kansas City Metro OCDETF Strike Force was launched in April 2019 to target drug traffickers and violent criminals on both sides of the state line. This new Strike Force presents a united front, with local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from Missouri and Kansas working under the same roof, armed with additional investigative resources, to combat drug trafficking and violent crime throughout the metropolitan area.Operation Triple Beam, an initiative led by the U.S. Marshals Service to track down some of the metropolitan areas most violent and persistent offenders, resulted in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of dozens of firearms and illegal drugs. Operation Triple Beam brought a laser focus by all levels of law enforcement  federal, state, and local  to combat violent crime by targeting the worst offenders. Armed and dangerous fugitives were located, arrested, and taken off the street to face justice in state and federal court. During Operation Triple Beam, which ran from May to August 2019, law enforcement officers made 355 state and federal arrests for outstanding warrants, violent crimes, and drugs. Many of the arrestees were among the most violent and active offenders in the Kansas City metropolitan area, and many of these fugitives had multiple outstanding warrants from more than one agency. Law enforcement officers seized 69 firearms, more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and 4.4 kilograms of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.In June 2018, the Department of Justice announced a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime and drug trafficking. In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice allocated 311 new Assistant U.S. Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Among the 190 violent crime prosecutors were three new prosecutors being added to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in the Western District of Missouri. A new federal prosecutor was added to the staff in each of the Kansas City, Springfield and Jefferson City offices.Additional state prosecutors from the office of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt have been designated as new Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Kansas City and Springfield to prosecute violent offenders in federal court.Alongside these initiatives, some of the significant cases prosecuted under Garrisons leadership in the Western District of Missouri included:In a case Garrison personally indicted prior to his appointment as United States Attorney, Yovanny Aroldo Mendivil-Balderama, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison without parole for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the murder of a co-conspirator. Co-defendant Brooke Danielle Beckley, of Nixa, Mo., was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Anthony Edward Donovan, of Springfield, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Nathaniel Austin Lee, of Seymour, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. They all pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Dallas County, Webster County and Christian County, Mo., from April 28, 2015, to April 26, 2016. They also pleaded guilty to using a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, resulting in the murder of Oscar Adan Martinez-Gaxiola on April 25, 2016, in Webster County.James Samuels, a former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department, was sentenced to six years in federal prison without parole for illegally selling dozens of firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons.

Raynal King, 27, and Howard R. Ross, III, both of Kansas City, Mo., were each sentenced to multiple life terms in federal prison for the kidnapping and murder of another man. King and Ross each were found guilty at trial of multiple counts related to the carjacking, kidnapping and murder of Jaime Patton.



Shannon R. Thomas of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to life in federal prison without parole, followed by a consecutive sentence of 72 years in federal prison without parole, for his role in a three-months-long conspiracy that included more than 27 armed robberies, culminating in the armed robbery of a Walgreens in Blue Springs, Mo., in which a suspect was fatally shot by law enforcement officers. Thomas was found guilty at trial of participating in the conspiracy as well as participating in 10 armed robberies. He was also found guilty of 10 counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The life sentence was imposed for Thomass conviction of brandishing a firearm during the Walgreens robbery that resulted in the death of Jermon Seals. Several co-defendants have also been convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms in this case.



Two Kansas City, Kansas, men were sentenced for a violent, hours-long crime spree in which they kidnapped, robbed, and terrorized three women. Anthony B. Williams was sentenced to four consecutive terms of life in federal prison without parole. Jamerl M. Wortham was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison without parole. Williams was sentenced as an armed career criminal and three strikes violent felon, due to his prior felony convictions for crimes of violence. Williams and Wortham were found guilty at trial of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, three counts of kidnapping, one count of carjacking, one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery, one count of distribution of PCP, three counts of possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime, one count of being felons in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun, and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.



Zaragoza-Navarrette of El Paso, Texas, and Jose Luis Armendariz-Rascon of Kansas City, Kan., were among nine co-defendants convicted of their roles in a conspiracy that distributed more than 720 kilograms of cocaine in the metropolitan area. The drug-trafficking organization transported cocaine to the Kansas City metropolitan area from Mexico. Armendariz-Rascon admitted that he distributed 360 kilograms of cocaine per year in 2015 and 2016.



Jorge A. Rodriguez-Gonzalez, of Kansas City, Missouri, was charged with drug trafficking after investigators seized 144 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in automobile wheels inside his shed.



Jovan J. Denson, of Springfield, Missouri, was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison without parole for leading a drug-trafficking organization that distributed as much as 10 kilograms of heroin in Greene County, Mo., over a 15-month time period.



Six Texas men were convicted and sentenced for stealing 654 firearms from United Parcel Service trailers in Springfield, Mo., en route to Bass Pro Shops. They admitted they stole 600 Beretta .380-caliber handguns and 54 Beretta 12-gauge shotguns from United Parcel Service (UPS) trailers in Springfield in October 2017. The cargo was being shipped across state lines, from Beretta USA in Maryland to the state of Missouri. Raynord Hunt was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole. Frank McChriston, Derrick White, Quinton Haywood, and Eric White were each sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison without parole. Keith Lowe was sentenced to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered each of the defendants to pay $206,132 in restitution, for which they are jointly and severally liable.



Lester Brown, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged with using a GPS tracking device to assist in the murder of a rival drug trafficker who was fatally shot in front of his 8-year-old daughter.



Paul Lloyd, of Joplin, Mo., was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison without parole for the armed robbery of Select Jewelers in Joplin and a carjacking. Lloyd pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines.



Derron D. Nevels, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged with the armed robbery of a female Z-Trip driver who was shot at least 20 times.



Tim Garrison



Garrison is an eighth generation Missourian, and grew up in Greene County. He graduated magna cum laude from Drury University with a degree in political science, and holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a law degree from the University of Missouri.



Garrison received his officers commission after graduating from Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in 2003, and served as a military prosecutor. His active duty military career took him to duty stations on the East Coast, West Coast, and Iraq.



In 2007, Garrison left active duty and returned with his family to Missouri, where he served as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Missouri. Garrisons efforts focused on large-scale interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and violent criminals, but also included firearms offenses, tax evasion, sex crimes, and illegal immigration. He served in the districts Springfield office until his appointment as United States Attorney.



Since leaving active duty, Garrison has continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves. In 2014, he deployed to Afghanistans Helmand Province as the Chief of Operational Law for an eight-nation multinational force. Upon his return to the United States, Garrison worked on military criminal justice legislation and policy at Marine Corps Headquarters, and then served as Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is currently Associate Deputy General Counsel for International Affairs at the Department of Defense. Garrison is a distinguished graduate of both the Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School and Command and Staff College. A lieutenant colonel, Garrisons personal decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, the Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal.



Garrison has received awards from the Army Judge Advocate Generals Legal Center and School for excellence in trial advocacy, and from the Missouri Bar Foundation for his appellate advocacy before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.



****************


Delhi-NCR and eight other states in India were taken by surprise when earthquake tremors hit the city on Friday evening. The earthquake originating in Tajikistan with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Reichter scale sent shockwaves that were felt in several states in North India.

Concerned citizens took to social media to share their experiences and find out what was going on in their neighbourhoods. Take a look at how netizens reacted to the tremors that shook several states in the nation:

The Nature is showing its anger. I hope everyone is safe and sound. #earthquake felt in delhi, punjab UP SSR Trusts SSRians  Priyanka (@prankya) February 12, 2021

We felt strong tremors in #Kashmir Apparently, people across North India have felt strong tremors. Thoughts and prayers with people who were at the epicentre of this. #Tajikistan #Earthquake  Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) February 12, 2021

People who were making plans for valentine right now:#earthquake pic.twitter.com/KgY0lBkOip  Perry |Teathwan stan acc| (@billebichud) February 12, 2021

While some were seriously concerned, others took the opportunity to express themself with memes regarding the situation.
Donald Trumps team of Philadelphia lawyers stepped to the fore of his impeachment trial Friday, delivering a short but incendiary defense that dismissed the proceedings as constitutional cancel culture and sought to rewrite his role in the deadly Capitol insurrection.

Confident they have enough Republican votes to secure the former presidents acquittal, with a vote likely on Saturday, attorneys Bruce L. Castor Jr. and Michael T. van der Veen channeled their clients own combative style. They leaned on partisan grievance to accuse Democrats of advancing a preposterous and monstrous lie.

This trial is about far more than President Trump, Castor said. It is about silencing the speech the majority does not agree with. It is about canceling 75 million Trump voters and criminalizing political viewpoints. (Trump received 74.2 million votes).

They largely ignored the argument Democrats put forth over the previous two days that Trumps words, false claims of a stolen election, and efforts to convince swing state officials to overturn the results over months were what whipped his supporters into a violent frenzy with deadly consequences.

Instead, they boiled the incitement charge down solely to remarks Trump delivered at the Washington rally that preceded the Jan. 6 attack. When he urged his supporters to fight like hell, they asserted, his words fell well short of incitement. They maintained he was only using the type of First Amendment-protected, pugnacious rhetoric that has been common in American politics for centuries.

To underscore that point, the lawyers showed video clip after clip  divorced from context and set to ominous music  of Democrats, including the senators in the room and Hillary Clinton, using the word fight in speeches and TV appearances.

This is not what-about-ism, van der Veen said. Im showing you this to make the point that all political speech must be protected.

 READ MORE: Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen once sued Trump, billed his firm as a bulwark against Trump election interference

The videos of Democrats, which were repeated several times throughout the roughly three-hour presentation, drew dismissive laughs from Democratic senators. Show me anytime that  our supporters pulled someone out of the crowd, beat the living crap out of them, and then we said, Thats great. Good for you. Youre a patriot,  Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.) said.

Many of the examples, Coons said, came from Democrats talking about fighting for policies. Trump was urging supporters to fight against a lawful election result.

It was just one way Trumps defense in his second Senate impeachment trial mirrored his style throughout four years in office. His lawyers accused Democrats of stoking hatred and urged them to cool temperatures after a term in which the former president reveled in raising them. They accused Democrats of trying to disenfranchise Trump voters, after the president spent months trying to throw out election results in Pennsylvania and other states.

Still, the defense presentation  which took up only three of its allotted 16 hours  appeared to accomplish its two main objectives. It gave Republican senators room to justify a vote to acquit and delivered a more forceful showing than the widely panned opening Tuesday that reportedly had Trump looking to sideline Castor.

They are putting on a good defense today, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) said.

Im glad the presidents lawyers pointed out the gross hypocrisy, Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) said. If theres incitement involved here, it started four years ago.

Senators in both parties anticipated a vote Saturday, with only a handful of Republicans likely to vote to convict. That would end the most rapid presidential impeachment in American history, and potentially close the book, for now, on Trumps tumultuous years in office  though some Democrats still held out hope for a censure resolution to impose some punishment for his actions.

That GOP praise for the defense was a stark reversal from the perplexed reaction many senators offered Tuesday, when Castor, the former Montgomery County commissioner and district attorney, delivered a rambling, 50-minute monologue complete with recitations of Greek history, reminiscences about his time as a suburban prosecutor, and compliments for the Democratic House impeachment managers case.

Tensions among Trump, his political advisers, and his defense attorneys  which also include area lawyers William J. Brennan, and Julianne Batemen  have been fraught since then, according to sources close to the team, and had stoked speculation he might bench Castor for the remainder of the trial.

He delivered a more focused, though not entirely gaffe-free performance Friday. At one point, he mistakenly referred to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger  who Trump tried to persuade to overturn the vote in his state  as Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Castor argued that when Trump urged the top Georgia elections official to find just enough votes for him to win, he wasnt trying to get him to manipulate the vote, but rather was instructing him to investigate possible fraud  a nod to the former presidents false conspiracy theory that fed his supporters rage.

As for the Capitol attack, Castor played videos of Trump repeatedly declaring himself the president of law and order and argued that since there is evidence some rioters planned their attack in advance, they could not have been inspired by Trumps words Jan. 6. He noted that Trump had urged the crowd to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.

We know that the president would never have wanted such a riot to occur, because his long-standing hatred for violent protesters and his love for law and order is on display, worn on his sleeve, every single day that he served in the White House, Castor said.

Castors focus on that one line from Trumps rally ignored the point raised by Democrats earlier in the proceedings: that in the nearly 11,000-word speech, Trump used words like fight or fighting roughly 20 times.

Stacey Plaskett, the Democratic delegate representing the Virgin Islands and one of the House impeachment managers, stressed that Trump had spent not just one day, but months fueling anger among his supporters  leading to those advance plans  and called them to Washington on a specific day, at a specific time for a specific purpose. Details in the indictments of numerous Capitol attackers have supported that.

Democrats also pointed to Trumps long history of cheering violence or threats from his supporters, including supportive tweets after a group surrounded a Biden campaign bus in Texas, and his jokes at a campaign rally over a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Castors remarks werent the only time the defense team resorted Friday to selectively responding to the case of House impeachment managers  or to downright falsehoods. At one point, van der Veen pointed to a Trump tweet calling for his supporters to stay peaceful, and asserted it was the first message Trump sent out once the insurrection had begun.

But Trump actually tweeted a video montage of the rally and then, in another post, angrily blamed Vice President Mike Pence for resisting his calls to block certification of the election  even as the Capitol was being overrun.

Van der Veen also falsely claimed that the first person charged for their role in the attack was the leader of antifa, a loosely affiliated group of far-left activists. That claim has circulated in right-wing circles, but there is no evidence to support it, and the Justice Department hasnt made that allegation.

And under questioning from senators later Friday, van der Veens posture grew surly. He bristled as Democrats asked if his client knew about the imminent danger Pence faced at the Capitol while Trump was attacking him on Twitter.

When Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) asked if the defense team acknowledged that Trump lost in a free and fair election, he snapped back: Its irrelevant!

It was a striking turn for van der Veen, an attorney who just three months ago sued Trump over changes at the U.S. Postal Service and argued there was no evidence to support Trumps false claims of fraud in mail voting. In marketing emails, he billed his firm as a bulwark against GOP voter suppression efforts, claiming in one: Donald Trump doesnt want you to be able to vote.

Under questioning Friday, he bemoaned that the trial had been the most miserable experience Ive had here down in Washington, D.C.

Jamie Raskin, the lead House impeachment manager, shot back: I guess for that were sorry. But, man, you should have been here on Jan. 6.
Police personnel equipped with batons and firearms are deployed around the area where the shooting is on, along with an inspector assigned to oversee Kangana Ranaut's safety, MP police said.

Madhya Pradesh police have put in place thick security cover around Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in the wake of a threat by some state Congress leaders that they would not allow her to shoot for a film if she did not apologise to farmers over her tweets, an official said on Friday.

Shooting for Dhaakad, Ranaut's new film, is going on in Sarni area of Betul district.

Talking to PTI over the phone, Sarni City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Abhay Ram Choudhary said, "Security has been tightened for the actress after MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra directed Betul Superintendent of Police Simala Prasad to do so."

Police personnel equipped with batons and firearms are deployed around the coal handling plant (CHL) near a power project, where the shooting is on, he added.

"Police will man gate numbers two and four of the CHL, from where actors usually enter the shooting venue," Choudhary said.

An inspector has been assigned to oversee Ranaut's safety at the resort, located around 45 km from Sarni town, where she is during for the shoot, he said.

"We will ensure that she does not face any disturbance during the shoot," the CSP added.

As per the film schedule, her shoot at Sarni would end on 17 February, the police officer said.

State Congress Sewa Dal secretary Manoj Arya and Chicholi Block Congress Committee president Nekram Yadav had on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to a tehsildar in Betul, in which they threatened that they would not allow Ranaut to shoot at Sarni if she does not apologise by Friday evening over her comments against the ongoing farmers' protest.

The Congress leaders had alleged that Ranaut had maligned farmers.

On Thursday, Narottam Mishra had said that the government will ensure that "behan-beti" Kangana faces no problem while shooting.

He had also urged state Congress chief Kamal Nath to dissuade his party workers from disrupting the shoot.

Twitter had recently deleted some of Ranaut's controversial tweets over the farmers' protest.
(Image: AP)

The United Nations warned Friday that any sanctions imposed over the coup in Myanmar must be "carefully targeted" against those responsible, to avoid harming vulnerable people.

Speaking before the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UN's deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif expressed concern after Washington announced sanctions on the generals behind last week's coup in Myanmar.

Other countries are considering similar moves.

"Any sanctions under consideration should be carefully targeted against specific individuals who are credibly alleged to have violated the people's rights," al-Nashif said.

"Leaders of this coup are an appropriate focus of such actions," she said, adding that "it is of critical importance that no harm should be inflicted on the most vulnerable people in the country."

She was addressing a special session of the council urgently called for by Britain and the European Union to address the situation in Myanmar after the military there seized control on February 1.

The new US sanctions target Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals, after President Joe Biden announced his administration was cutting off the military's access to $1 billion in funds.

'World is watching'

Huge crowds have for days thronged cities around Myanmar to demand the return of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and there has been concern over harsh police tactics in dispersing the largely peaceful crowds.

"The world is watching," al-Nashif warned.

"Draconian orders have been issued this week to prevent peaceful assembly and free expression, and police and military presence on the streets has grown progressively over the last several days.

"Let us be clear: the indiscriminate use of lethal or less-than-lethal weapons against peaceful protestors is unacceptable," she said.

During Friday's one-day session, diplomats will consider a draft resolution demanding the immediate release of Suu Kyi, who until the coup on February 1 was the country's de facto civilian leader.

She was detained with dozens of other members of her National League for Democracy party, including President Win Myint, ending a decade of civilian rule and triggering international condemnation.

The resolution text also demanded "the restoration of the democratically-elected government," and the "immediate and permanent lifting of restrictions on the internet, telecommunication and social media".

And it urged "full and unrestricted access" to the country by UN rights observers.

The draft meanwhile stopped short of calling for sanctions against the generals behind the coup.

Observers suggested stronger positions may have been avoided in the text to obtain broader support in the council, where consensus backing is preferred.

Tokyo: Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori said he was resigning on Friday over sexist comments, and his anointed successor has reportedly turned down the job after public criticism, less than six months before the troubled Games are scheduled to start.

Mori, a former Japanese prime minister, sparked a global outcry with sexist comments made during an Olympic committee meeting earlier this month that women talk too much.

If my presence causes trouble, our efforts so far have been brought to nothing, Mori told a meeting of senior officials of the Organising Committee.

Yoshiro Mori, left, president of Tokyo Olympic organising committee, and Saburo Kawabuchi, mayor of the Games. Credit:Kyodo News

Mori has apologised for his comments but had resisted growing calls for him to step down.

STAMFORD  Churches across the state are tweaking the way they observe Ash Wednesday this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of using a thumb to mark their parishioners foreheads with an ash cross, priests are expected to either sprinkle ashes on the top of their heads or use a cotton swab to make the shape of a cross on their brows.

The Archdiocese of Hartfords spokesperson David Elliott said while Ash Wednesday is considered an important celebration, receiving ashes isnt a requirement.

Still, Elliott said Hartford, like the Diocese of Bridgeport and the Diocese of Norwich, is taking its cues from Rome on how priests should distribute ashes amid the pandemic.

According to a January directive from the Vatican, a priest should bless the ashes with a prayer and sprinkle them with holy water. It is recommended the priest bless everyone present, rather than saying the words to each person as they receive the ashes. Then, the priest should wash his hands, put on a mask and sprinkle the ashes on each persons head  with either them coming to him or him going to them.

Sprinkling ashes on the head is the customary practice at the Vatican and in Italy, said Monsignor Tom Powers, the Diocese of Bridgeports vicar general, in a post on the diocese website this week.

Bridgeport Diocese priests, the post said, could alternatively place a cross on foreheads using a cotton swab or ball  and should use a new one for each individual. The priest could recite the usual words when a person approaches him, but they should be 6 feet apart when he speaks.

However churches choose to distribute the ashes, Powers advised pastors to explain the plan to their parishioners well before Ash Wednesday so as to avoid confusion, according to the dioceses post.

While many might choose to receive ashes during a traditional Mass, the Most Rev. Frank Caggiano, the bishop of Bridgeport, is allowing pastors to offer ashes outside of Mass in order to accommodate as many as possible in a safe and reverent manner, according to the post. It noted that people need to register ahead of time if they want to attend Mass on Ash Wednesday.

At St. Peter Catholic Church in Danbury, for example, churchgoers who register can receive ashes during Mass at 7:30 a.m. and noon as well as during a Liturgy of the Word at 9 a.m. Priests also will distribute ashes on a walk-in basis from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

I cannot calculate how many people will choose to participate in Ash Wednesday, but to make it possible for as many as want to, it seems to make sense to have a period of time when parishioners can walk in according to their schedule and not worry about contact with others and social distancing, the Rev. Gregg Mecca wrote in the churchs bulletin.

In Greenwich, the Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes opted for three one-hour slots for walk-ins. Parishioners will be able to receive ashes at St. Catherines Chapel from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will also be services at 7 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church and 5:15 p.m. at St. Agnes Church.

Unlike in years past, the Bridgeport Diocese has said they will not be doing any drive-by distributions of ashes such as at train stations or individual businesses.

Elliott said some parishes within the Archdiocese of Hartford may offer ashes via drive-thru, as they have for other services such as confession. But he doubted that many priests would distribute ashes at places other than churches this year.

Earlier this month, Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order loosening restrictions on religious gatherings. Indoor gatherings are now limited to no more than 50 percent of the venues capacity. Outdoor gatherings are limited to the number of people that can be accommodated safely by the venue or location.

Everyone in attendance at either kind of gathering must wear a mask unless speaking from designated safe locations. And all persons or groups not from the same household must stay 6 feet apart, the order states.
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio -- Long ago, America heard from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, then struggling with national and international crises, that, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, which strengthened Americas resolve. Roosevelt understood that fear, if not conquered, could be crippling and paralyze action. His words of wisdom can be a guidepost for Republicans in Congress who today function in fear of President Donald Trump and his ignominious base of followers.

As a child, I learned another tenet, that a small lie today becomes a bigger lie tomorrow, an even bigger lie the next day. Once started down this path, choosing whats wrong leads only to greater damage to ones character, in turn exemplified in behavior.

My great-great-grandfather, Henry Griffith Overstreet, was an example of following conscience, not ones own interest. At the end of the 19th century, he was a well-known Republican in Kentucky, a farmer and co-owner of a local coal mine, when a moral challenge presented itself.

It was rumored that the Republican Party was responsible for the 1900 assassination of William Goebel, a Democrat, before he was sworn in as the new Kentucky governor. The mortally wounded Goebel was sworn in anyway, but died soon after.

My forebear said that if his party, the Republican Party, was responsible for the death of Gov. Goebel, he would no longer be a Republican and would switch parties.

Elizabeth Overstreet Field is a retired educator and church minister.

After Goebel was murdered, Caleb Powers, then the Kentucky secretary of state, was convicted of complicity in the assassination, and W. S. Taylor, the Republican who had lost to Goebel, was also charged as an accessory but escaped to Indiana, where the governor refused to extradite him. (Powers went to prison but was later pardoned, as was Taylor).

Henry Griffith Overstreet, however, followed through on his pledge, switching parties and running successfully as a Democrat for the Kentucky legislature, serving one term in the House and two in the Senate.

I often heard it said the reason he won elections despite changing political parties was due to his integrity and honesty. Kentuckians trusted him.

With this as a part of my family heritage, I have a few questions for our Republican representatives in Congress who continue to support former President Trump and have failed to denounce his lies about the election:

Why do you continue to support Trump and ignore the aftereffects of his actions, supporting his insurrectionists? Why give Trump your fealty so as to lose any moral compass? Did you run for Congress to serve and protect the Constitution, democracy and the people? Does taking an oath before God have meaning to you?

Wise words from a president with discernment can be inspirational to Republicans today. On July 15, 1960, John F. Kennedy provided Americans with hope, a spirt of energy, a vision of possibility for then and now.

We are not here to curse the darkness, JFK said in accepting the Democratic nomination for president, but to light a candle that can guide us through the darkness to a safe and sure future. ... For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do. ... For the problems are not all solved and the battles are not all won -- and we stand today on the edge of a New Frontier ... a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats.

Now is the time for Republicans to take courage, stand for truth, and take a moral stance. Protect our democracy, national institutions and people. America depends upon you.

Elizabeth Overstreet Field is a retired educator and church minister who now lives in Willoughby.

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* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.
GEORGETOWN COUNTY  Georgetown County Council had a second hearing Tuesday night for Ordinance 21-05, which addresses how the remaining $7 million surplus from the 2014 Capital Project Sales Tax will be allocated to other capital projects.

In August 2014, Georgetown County Council voted unanimously to put the issue of a 1-cent Capital Project Sales Tax to help fund capital projects, including dredging at the Port of Georgetown, on the ballot for voters in a countywide referendum. This tax was voted in favor of, and therefore went into effect May 1, 2015, and ended April 30, 2019.

From this 1-cent tax, there was $12 million in surplus that had not been used in the four-year period, and in 2020, the county council passed an ordinance allocating $4 million of the surplus to more capital projects. On Tuesday night, the county council had a second hearing for what to do with the remainder of the surplus, or $7 million, which would go towards such as an emergency vehicle traffic control system, Waverly Road Multimodal Pathway and library improvements.

These capital projects are anticipated to be completed within the next 18 months, according to county administrator Angela Christian.

Council member Louis R. Morant said he believes this is sufficient enough time to get the allocated projects done, even if things are slowed down due to the pandemic.

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Morant also said the projects allocated in the ordinance are ones that county residents have been requesting get done for a long time, but the county did not have the funds to do so until now.

You have to look at what can be accomplished within the confines of the CPST ordinance that was passed back in 2014, that ordinance limited it to certain projects, Morant said Although there may be some need for other things, if it does not come within the confines of the ordinance then you cannot fund it with those proceeds.

A third hearing from the ordinance will be read at the next county council meeting on Feb. 23.

After the hearing, unless there is any objection that has yet to be raised, the ordinance will be officially approved.
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RED BLUFF, Calif. - Tehama County District Attorney spoke out about the suspect charged with dragging a man behind his motorcycle earlier this week.

District Attorney, Matt Rogers, said the suspect, Ray Cain Jr., knew the victim, now identified as Johnny Gregory of Red Bluff.

Red Bluff Police said Monday night they found Cain Jr., 37, on a motorcycle dragging a person behind him. Rogers would not say Thursday if Gregory was killed before the dragging or as a result of the dragging. But, he is shedding light on a possible motive.

RELATED: DISTRICT ATTORNEY IDENTIFIES VICTIM DRAGGED BEHIND MOTORCYCLE IN RED BLUFF

"We are looking at several theories, including some form of bad blood over a former love interest, a woman," said Rogers.

Rogers also said Cain Jr. has a serious criminal history. He's charged with murder and DUI in this case and having a prior strike and a prior serious or violent felony conviction in 2008 for attempted manslaughter, with great bodily injury in a bar stabbing. He is also convicted of assault with a deadly weapon that occurred in prison.

Cain Jr. was arraigned today and his bail is set at $3 million. He did not enter a plea and will be back in court for further arraignment on Feb. 17. Rogers says he hopes to release more information on the case in the coming weeks.


President Biden said on Thursday that some minds may be changed by Democratic House prosecutors at the impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump. But the comment, made off the cuff in a meeting with reporters, seemed to go against his administrations strategy of willfully ignoring the proceedings.

Just hours later, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said she believed Mr. Biden had actually said minds may be changed, or they may not. She described his remarks as a human reaction to watching harrowing trial footage that should not be confused for political analysis. But she dodged questions on whether the president had an obligation to opine on the possibility of a conviction of his predecessor.

Hes not in the jury; hes not in the Senate, Ms. Psaki said. His role is to be the president of the United States, and that is the role he currently plays.

Mr. Biden and his advisers have insisted for days that he is not paying close attention to the Senate trial of Mr. Trump. The president on Thursday hosted lawmakers for a discussion about infrastructure  and addressed the impeachment footage  and toured a laboratory at the National Institutes of Health.

The question now uppermost in the mind of the world observers is whether Biden would be successful in containing China effectively.

by N.S.Venkataraman

U S President Joe Biden has now said that his administration would take all necessary steps to contain China, which obviously mean containing Chinas expansionist policies, trade strategies etc . This also mean that Biden has virtually said that he would not permit China to overtake U S and emerge as super power of the world, pushing down USA to a second position.

The officials in the Biden administration have further clarified that the Biden administration would follow the same policy against China, as adopted by former President Trump. This indicates that Biden feels that Trumps approach towards China was correct. He has not cared to say this during the election campaign , when he bitterly accused Trump on various counts including his China policy. Certainly, Trump and his supporters would be laughing at their sleeve now.

In any case, it is now clear that the hostility between the US and China would continue , though one is not sure whether Biden would be able to maintain the level of intensity that Trump could do in his China policies.

The question now uppermost in the mind of the world observers is whether Biden would be successful in containing China effectively.

All said and done, the ground reality is that Biden and his administration and China baiters around the world have to necessarily recognize that China is now in a stronger position than the USA for all practical purposes on various fronts. In all likelihood, China is unlikely to change its approach and would not be cowed down by threat from Biden. China would try to act cleverly in a variety of ways, even without risking a major military confrontation with USA

If Biden were to be successful in confronting China, total support from West European countries is necessary, The economy of the West European countries have been severely affected by the COVID 19 crisis and these countries need strong trade relationships with China to prevent further deterioration in their economy and sustain their growth profile. . China is the largest market for European countries today and the US cannot replace China by offering equally widespread market outlet for trade to European countries.

Given the fact that the economy of the US is still in recession in contrast to that of Chinese economy which is now registering strong growth , the US is in no position today to challenge China on trade front to the level that would destabilize Chinese economy. If Biden would impose tariffs on Chinese products in the way that the Trump administration did, China would find Europe to be a favourable market outlet for it.

Further, there are substantial investments by US based companies in China and Biden may even face resistance to anti China policies by the US based business houses.

Today, the dependence of China on the US and other countries in the technology front is much less than what it was a decade or so back.

Given such circumstances, it remains to be seen whether Biden would be able to get the type of support from European Union that is required to effectively confront China.





One wonders whether President Biden has carried out his homework properly before expressing his determination to confront China.

To succeed in a war , whether trade war or military war, one needs to assess the weakness and limitations ,instead of straightaway jumping into the fray which amounts to taking a calculated risk.

China does not have the luxury of democratic conditions, and utmost secrecy would be maintained in China and people or media would not be allowed to criticise. On the other hand, Biden is leading a democratic country with a hostile opposition and media that more often than not indulge in criticism than praise, irrespective of the merit of the case, just to maintain the sensational effect and business interests . In all likelihood , the media which was hostile to Trump are unlikely to be less hostile to Biden, as hostility to the administration is the central focus of US media.

With lukewarm support from Britain and European Union, Biden needs to buy peace in the USA, to succeed in his confrontation with China. In such circumstances, it is surprising that Biden is maintaining an element of confrontation with Trump , which prevents the development of conducive domestic political climate , which is absolutely necessary for Biden at this stage. This raises suspicion whether Biden has a holistic strategy now.

The Macron governments bill strengthening respect of republican principles has been under debate before the National Assembly since February 1. The law drastically restricts the freedom of association and religious freedoms under the pretext of fighting against Islamic separatism. The debate on the law is taking place in an increasingly fascistic atmosphere. Under these conditions, the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) and Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France (LFI) have given their support to Macrons extreme-right law.

On Thursday, February 4, the Assembly voted on Article 4 of the bill, which creates the offence of separatism. The article criminalizes the use of threats, violence or intimidation aimed at obtaining total or partial exemption from, or different application of the rules governing a public service. Those convicted face five years imprisonment and a 75,000 fine. This sweeping definition will provide vast powers to state and police forces.

French President Emmanuel Macron (Image Credit: AP Photo/Francois Mori)

The bill was brought forward following the terrorist killing of high school teacher Samuel Paty on October 16. Paty had shown his class an offensive cartoon of Mohamed. The offence in the new law has been so vaguely defined that it could be applied even to pupils who insist on not eating pork at school. It paves the way for an intensified anti-Muslim atmosphere by the French ruling class. It is a profound attack on the principle of secularism.

Article 4 was adopted without a single vote against. The PCF parliamentary group voted for the article, and the LFI parliamentary group abstained. These parties are thus complicit in the increasingly fascistic legislative agenda unveiled by the Macron government since the beginning of the pandemic.

On January 5, the Assembly voted on Article 6, which creates a contract of republican commitment in the 1901 law on public associations. This is a flagship measure of Macrons bill. In the grotesque words of Marlene Schiappa, Macrons minister delegate in charge of citizenship, the contract will guarantee that there is not one euro of public money for the enemies of the Republic. Subsidies, therefore French money, must not finance organisations that are the breeding ground for terrorism.

These statements are not based on any tangible facts. Associations are already obliged to respect French law. The aim of this article of the law is to introduce major restrictions on the payment of subsidies to associations, adding criteria unrelated to the activities of the association.

The law will directly target the religious and political opinions of the leaders and members of associations, in order to withhold financial subsidies. The republican commitment is to be set out by government decree and can be tightened with each new wave of police-state laws. Associations that receive government subsidies will be forced to adhere to and collaborate with the governments security agenda.

However, provisions governing associations already exist. The Charter of Reciprocal Commitments between the state and associations was drawn up in 2001 on the centenary of the 1901 law, and then expanded in 2014 to include local authorities. It defines a general framework that must be respected by associations in order to receive subsidies. Since then, the link between Islamic separatism and the freedom of association has been concocted by the Macron government to justify its repressive law.

The report on the presentation of the law transmitted to the State Council states: The activities of associations, because of the wide freedoms they enjoy, are used very actively by separatist actors, especially in the social, cultural and extracurricular areas. The government clearly plans to deprive a large number of associations of funding. Moreover, it is not only aimed at supposed Muslim radicalism; the repressive measures will affect all kinds of associations.

Other provisions of the law contain even more far-reaching attacks. Article 8 considerably extends the grounds for dissolution of an association. Most significantly, it allows an association to be held responsible for the actions of any of its members. The article was discussed and adopted on February 8. It is a measure worthy of a fascist regime, which will allow mass dissolution of associations, including political parties and organisations formed under the 1901 law.

In this increasingly fascistic context, the establishment parties are seeking to outdo one another. The atmosphere has enabled the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen to table a counter-bill that goes even further.

The statements by the members of the Republican party (LR) often go even further than Le Pens party. Eric Ciotti, one of the Republicans speakers on the bill, said during the debates, [T]he [Muslim] veil is not a harmless garment, it is the banner of Islamism and its ideology.

As in any authoritarian regime, Macron is establishing close police control at every stage of the activities of associations and their formation. The abolition of such controls at the beginning of the 20th century, in favour of the freedom to create and manage associations, was a democratic conquest, as was the 1905 secularism law. These advances were the result of the struggle of the working class and the activities of its socialist representatives, who fought against the anti-Semitic and capitalist forces of reaction in the Dreyfus Affair.

The increasing turn toward fascism stems from the deep global crisis of capitalism. Death on a mass scale has become the new normal by the coronavirus pandemic and the policy of herd immunity pursued by governments in France and internationally. Enormous levels of social inequality, the increasingly parasitic character of the global financial system, the endless waging of neo-colonial wars over decades and the preparations for great-power conflicts are incompatible with democratic forms of rule. The ruling class around the world is turning to dictatorial forms of rule and promoting neo-fascist ideologies.

Macron intends to build the police state required to pursue his policy of enriching the financial oligarchy, which will require the crushing of popular opposition. The accumulation of police-state laws has become his priority for the end of his five-year term in 2022.

In this context, the major political parties, including LFI and the PCF, have made a political pact with the Macron government behind the scenes. The straw man of Islamic separatism is being held up to justify a front with outright neo-fascist forces under the banner of republicanism, as the means for strengthening the far-right.

This propaganda campaign has been meticulously prepared in the ruling class, in league with anti-Islamic intellectual circles. By claiming to defend the Republic, it is aimed at legitimizing continuous attacks on democratic rights. The defence of democratic rights cannot be carried out through appeals to the ruling elite, but only through the independent mobilisation of the working class.

The Socialist Equality Party calls for a relentless struggle against the shameless lies of the ruling class and media about Islamic separatism and for a reminder of the historical and contemporary issues at stake in the defence of the democratic rights contained in the 1901 and 1905 laws. We call on the working class to demand the full and immediate withdrawal of the law as part of its ongoing and future political and social struggles.

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The specialists of the International Mine Action Center of the Russian defense ministry continue demining works in the territory of Nagorno Karabakh, the Russian defense ministry reports.



The engineering units of the Russian peacekeeping forces have already cleared nearly 1343,3 hectares of land, 420,8 km long roads. 24,268 explosive devices were found and neutralized.

In the course of demining and clearing the territory of explosive objects in Nagorno Karabakh, Russian peacekeepers use modern robotic systems.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan






New partnership to train small firms to better protect critical network infrastructure, security & customer information. Tweet this

Through the new partnership, USTelecom will contribute cybersecurity subject matter experts and best practices to the SBDCs North Star CMM cyber and data protection awareness training to help small enterprises protect critical business and customer information. North Star CMM will be available to small and medium-sized business across the network's 4,000 advisors and nearly 1,000 local centers at no or low-cost. North Star CMM provides standards-based direction for businesses based on guidance by the Department of Defense.

Charles "Tee" Rowe, President and CEO of America's SBDCs said: "America's small businesses benefit from using the standards-based approaches of the North Star CMM to enhance their cybersecurity knowledge. This is vital. Businesses will be safer, our Nation will be more secure, and our economy will be stronger when efforts are coordinated to inform and train them."

Jonathan Spalter, President and CEO of USTelecom said: "The sad truth is that any business that relies on connectivity is also a potential target of cyber criminals seeking to infiltrate our networks and devices. Small businesses are uniquely vulnerable to these 21st century attacks. Our diverse membership  including local Main Street innovators and heartland cooperatives  are on the frontlines of this global war and have valuable insight and expertise to share with the small business community to protect infrastructure and personal information. We're excited to share what we know with SBDC's nationwide network of resource partners."

More information about the North Star CMM program is available here.

About America's SBDC and Small Business Development Centers

America's SBDC represents the Nation's 63 Small Business Development Centers, a national network of partnerships uniting higher education, state and local nonprofit economic development organizations, private enterprise and government. It is the Small Business Administration's largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their own businesses. Learn more at www.AmericasSBDC.org.

About USTelecom

USTelecom is the national trade association representing technology providers, innovators, suppliers, and manufacturers committed to connecting the world through the power of broadband. Visit us at www.ustelecom.org.

Press Contacts:

April Youngblut

America's SBDC

(703) 764-9850

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Now heres one from the cold comfort department: Brexits fallout will remain with us long after Covid-19 recedes dimly into the most unpleasant corners of our collective national memory.

The Irish border is once more back on the Brexit tightrope, with a renewed row over the Norths special EU trade status and its consequences for its links with England, Scotland and Wales.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons haste to get Brexit done on time for January 1 merely compounded the inbuilt conflicts.

In a post-Brexit world, one of three things has to give: 1. No return of a hard Border in Ireland; 2. Special EU trade status for the North; 3. No change in the Norths continuing trade links with Britain.

Over four-and-a-half years of chaotic and bad-tempered EU-UK divorce talks, the outline of a deal emerged.

It is important to note that points one and two cited above won out. Concessions were given on point number three  agreed by London many times  to allow some changes to the Norths trade with the other constituent parts of the United Kingdom.

But the inherent conflict in getting a political fix for point three is large. On the one hand both London and Belfast want minimal and smooth controls for trade with Britain and the North.

One the other hand the EU wants controls to be effective and credible. When internal member state border controls are abandoned, external EU controls have to be strong.

One of the largely ignored consequences of Brexit was that the benighted Irish Border became the EU single markets only de facto land border with the UK.

After conceding point three, Johnson then pretended it could never mean a border in the Irish Sea.

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Then when the going got rough, Johnson last September threatened to break international law by reneging on the EU-UK trade deal. As Brexit talks improved in tone, and inched their way to a belated deal, UK Brexit minister Michael Gove and EU Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, put the Norths special status back on track.

But amid all the Brexit hullabaloo of a Christmas Eve Brexit deal, Johnson did two things to compound the recurring mess around Northern Ireland.

He continually denied the Irish Sea border reality; and he hurtled towards a situation where ill-prepared business people across the four constituent parts of the UK faced a totally changed trading regime which they could not know.

When the European Commission grossly erred on January 29 and announced the emergency sealing of the Irish Border  to ensure no EU-made AstraZeneca vaccines did not breach an import ban via an Irish back-door to Britain  all hell broke loose. There was fury in Dublin, Belfast and London.

Mr Gove swung into action, demanding changes to the British-Northern Ireland trade rules.

He demanded a two-year extension to the April 1 deadline for full-on EU checks in the North. The irony is that London already turned down a two-year EU extension to Brexit negotiations to allow complex issues such as these be ironed out and prepared for.

Since then the rhetoric meter has been in overdrive, with both sides trading threats.

Word from Brussels is that certain member states, notably France, are running out of patience with the British stance. The EU is demanding real customs and product checks to protect the integrity of its single market.

Concession offers will be on practical and procedural matters to speed up and smooth those checks  not abolish them.

Brussels officials say the real fear is that Ireland could lose out. If London and Brussels cannot agree this  and the Democratic Unionist Party, whose Brexit stance contributed to this mess, do not accept reality  then things are headed for a very bad situation for all of Ireland.

Single market access could be called into doubt.

The wider Coleraine community has been in the devastating grip of paramilitaries as crime gangs try to take their battle onto the streets for control of the drugs black market.

It can come as no surprise that the commander of the Causeway Coast and Glens policing district, Superintendent Ian Magee, asked for the help of the paramilitary crime task force as deadly shooting attacks ramped up in the past year.

The task force was established in 2017 to help tackle organised crime by paramilitary groups in conjunction with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and HMRC, granting greater powers for seizures and arrests.

It is investigating a number of paramilitary crime groups across Northern Ireland.

However, former RUC and PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan has asked why paramilitaries are still allowed to operate after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Expand Close Police at the scene of a shooting at a house in the Bushmills Road area of Coleraine. / Facebook

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There were 14 recorded shooting incidents in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area last year, but none in 2019.

The area was only behind Belfast, which had 16 shootings in 2020.

It is understood the North Antrim UDA was behind the callous shooting of 61-year-old grandmother Sally Cummins in October in a dispute over drugs.

In July of last year, a number of shots were fired at a house in Willow Drive in Coleraine, while Ms Cummins was shot in the head in her home on the Bushmills Road.

Police confirmed that terrorist involvement was just one line of enquiry into the attack on Ms Cummins.

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Just one month later, Paul Flemings head injuries from a brazen shotgun attack at his home in Coleraine emerged on social media. His mother claimed he was targeted simply because he was a Celtic fan.

Locals have also been tormented with numerous security alerts after the discoveries of suspicious devices, including the hoaxes on Christmas Eve which forced residents in the Heights area of the town to evacuate their homes.

Meanwhile, three people escaped injury after another gun attack on a house in Laburnum Place just two weeks ago.

North Antrim MLA and Policing Board member Mervyn Storey said the community is living in fear, adding that those responsible believe they have the right to impose their terror for criminal gains.

Its only for financial gain and control. Its absolutely disgraceful. Mervyn Storey

The DUP politician explained that drugs seem to be the dominant element when he speaks to residents about why the shootings and bomb alerts have dramatically increased.

Its about trying to control drugs in the area, stated Mr Storey. Intelligence would lead us to believe that some organisations that are involved in [the shootings] are also involved in drugs. They cant have it both ways.

The conversations we have had with police locally over the last few months would indicate that there is influences being brought in from outside the area and that those influences are of a criminal nature in terms of that very issue - the control and supply of drugs.

Mr Storey added that drugs are not only destroying families and communities in the Coleraine area, but all over Northern Ireland.

Its a blight on our society and its disgraceful that those who are in these organisations - whatever banner they want to give themselves - would use that on their own community and see the consequences, he said.

Its only for financial gain and control. Its absolutely disgraceful.

It seems to be an accepted thing in some quarters that we just allow these groups to exist. Alan McQuillan

Meanwhile, Mr McQuillan said a recent report by the Independent Reporting Commission, which aims to bring an end to paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland, revealed there were appalling numbers of people involved in the gangs.

It seems to be an accepted thing in some quarters that we just allow these groups to exist," he said, "so why aren't we taking out the senior teams of these groups and why aren't we taking out these organisations collectively.

We know they're involved in murder, we know they're involved in the control of drugs alongside the dissidents, we know they control prostitution, they control some aspects of smuggling and they distort money from businesses.

They are a complete drain and blight on the community and they destroy the lives of young people but we allow them to continue.

He added that the criminal groups simply use the cloak of paramilitaries as protection for their illegal activities.

Why do we need a UVF or UDA? stated Mr McQuillan.

They have no function in unionism, unionist politics or anything else, and we should get rid of them.

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Former Justice Minister Claire Sugden said the perpetrators involved in the attacks in the Coleraine area are nothing more than criminal gangs and thugs.

They use intimidation, drug dealing, racketeering and money laundering to oppress the communities they claim to represent, continued the East Londonderry independent MLA.

People are scared and often afraid to speak out against these gangs.

This makes the job of the police even harder because unless there is evidence, both physical and from witness statements, the police cannot charge those responsible.
February 12 : Ranveer Singh is currently shooting for his upcoming film Cirkus. The actor has been sharing glimpses from the sets that clearly show that the actor and his co-actors Varun Sharma, Jacqueline Fernandez and Pooja Hegde have a field day on the sets along with their director Rohit Shetty.

Taking to his Instagram handle today, the Padmaavat actor shared a hilarious behind-the-scene video that will leave you in splits. While Ranveer makes the video of Rohit Shetty, the director is totally unaware of it. After the video was taken, Rohit is heard saying, Were you making a video?

The video opens by focussing on a small vintage car, which looks like a normal car. While Ranveer was heard saying, The most serious cast cum director of the country, Rohit Shetty was revealed in the video, wearing a red cap and a green shirt, sitting on the small car that now looks like a toy car. It seems that the car has been customised for the comedy-drama Circus. Rohit, who hardly fits in the small car, can be seen driving the car with attitude and after taking a small round returns to Ranveer, and suddenly realises that he has been making a video. Takes his job very seriously @itsrohitshetty, Ranveen captions the post.

Recently, Varun Sharma shared a picture on his Instagram profile, in which the cast of Cirkus along with Rohit Shetty and Varun Dhawan were seen laughing and having a blast. It was Varun Sharmas birthday and Varun Dhawan had visited him on the sets to wish him on his special day. Varun Sharma wrote on the post, My expression says it all. One of the Bestest Birthdays ever!...Its a blessing to be on a set which is all about togetherness, laughter, love and celebrating each other. This is the frame you get...

Cirkus is an adaptation of William Shakespeares play Comedy Of Errors. It was earlier remade into the comedy classic film Angoor in 1982 starring Sanjeev Kumar, Moushumi Chatterjee and Deven Varma. Ranveer and Varun will play double roles in the film. The film also features Johny Lever.
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.
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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has proposed legalizing marijuana and regulating and taxing it like the state does alcohol.

Evers made the proposal in his 2021-23 biennial budget, which estimates that legal marijuana would generate more than $165 million annually beginning in the second year of the biennium (Fiscal Year (FY) 23).

Under the proposal, Wisconsin would join 15 other states, including neighboring Michigan and Illinois, in legalizing recreational marijuana. The governors 21-23 budget proposal will increase revenue, create jobs, and reduce criminal justice system costs, while providing a pathway for those suffering from chronic or debilitating pain and illness to utilize the medicine they require.

Legalizing and taxing marijuana in Wisconsin  just like we do already with alcohol  ensures a controlled market and safe product are available for both recreational and medicinal users and can open the door for countless opportunities for us to reinvest in our communities and create a more equitable state, Evers said in a statement released by his office.

The governors announcement cited a 2019 Marquette University Law Poll showing that nearly 60% of Wisconsinites support the legalization of marijuana and 83% of Wisconsinites support the legalization of medical marijuana.

Evers previously called for medical marijuana legalization in his 2019-2021 biennial budget but Republicans in the Legislature rejected that proposal.

Under Evers current proposed budget, $80 million of the revenue generated by marijuana would be set aside to reinvest in communities across the state through a new Community Reinvestment Fund. Beginning in FY23, the Community Reinvestment Fund will fund $30 million in equity grants through the Department of Health Services, the Department of Administration, and the Department of Children and Families, respectively; $5 million to fund grants to underserved communities through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; and provide more than $34 million to support sparsity aid, which goes to small, rural school districts.

The remaining revenue would be deposited into the states general fund.

Marijuana would be taxed and regulated much like alcohol, and would be regulated by both the Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. The proposal would require the sale of marijuana for recreational use to be sold by a marijuana retailer holding a permit issued by the DOR. Individuals would need to be 21 years of age to purchase marijuana for recreational use. All sales of recreational marijuana to minors would be prohibited.

The plan also provides a path for medical marijuana users to access the product without paying retail taxes.

There are certain limits placed on the sale and possession of marijuana under the proposal. Wisconsin residents can possess no more than two ounces of marijuana and six plants for personal use. Nonresidents can possess no more than 0.25 ounces of marijuana. Under the proposal, no marijuana processor or microbusiness that operates as a marijuana processor may make usable marijuana using marijuana grown outside of Wisconsin.

Source: Wisconsins Governors Office

Topics Cannabis Wisconsin
Partners Paul Grinke, Arnold Shokouhi, Levi McCathern and Carl Evans These guys earned their place in our name. It wouldnt be right to continue on without acknowledging the time, talent and sacrifice each of them made to get us here," said Partner Levi McCathern

The Dallas-based law firm McCathern, PLLC is proud and excited to announce that it has adopted the new name McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans, Grinke, PLLC.

In 2012 partners Levi G. McCathern II, Carl L. Evans, Jr., Paul A. Grinke, and Arnold Shokouhi started a new partnership and named it McCathern, PLLC. The group wanted to continue the legacy of legal excellence that Mr. McCathern started in 1998 when he founded the original McCathern law firm and build upon that, with one new mantra: "Improving Peoples Lives".

Since that time, McCathern experienced unprecedented growth and success by adding offices in Houston, Los Angeles, and Frisco, Texas as well as multiple new practice areas. The firm charted a course to be a mid-size law firm with big law firm capabilities. It was successful in attracting some of the best and brightest minds in the profession by creating an inclusive work environment and unique management style. Clients ranging from small local businesses and individuals to large organizations and Fortune 500 companies have counted on the attorneys at the firm to not only zealously represent their interests, but to be their partners in ensuring their continued success.

The firms management agreed to rename the firm McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans, Grinke, PLLC in an effort to provide recognition for all of the hard work and effort that Mr. McCathern, Mr. Shokouhi, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Grinke have put into the partnership.

These guys earned their place in our name, said Founding Partner Levi McCathern. It wouldnt be right to continue on without acknowledging the time, talent and sacrifice each of them made to get us here, he added.

By adding our names, I think it is a recognition of all the hard work and commitment from the four of us to create such an amazing law firm, said Managing Partner Arnold Shokouhi. I could not be prouder to have my name on the wall with these men.

While the name of the firm has changed, the firms attorneys and staff, work product, and dedication to Improving Peoples Lives will remain the same. McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans, Grinke is looking forward to continuing its partnerships with its clients long into the future.

About McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans, Grinke, PLLC:

McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans, Grinke, PLLC is a law firm with offices in Dallas, Frisco, Houston, and Los Angeles as well as Of Counsel attorneys covering all fifty states. Full-service in scope, the firm has a broad range of practice group specializations led by experienced attorneys. Formed in 1998, McCathern has established a reputation of excellence in providing legal services. Its leaders bring large-firm experience and business acumen to a small-firm environment of agility and efficiency. The firm's track record has attracted an impressive and loyal clientele list, ranging from small companies and high-net-worth individuals to Fortune 500 corporations and high-profile organizations. Their philosophy of Improving Peoples Lives is applied every day by regarding clients as valued business partners, working together to resolve disputes, and closing transactions diligently and resourcefully. With Board Certified Trial attorneys, McCathern clients are represented by some of the best in the country.
Two priests have been let go. A pair of church vehicles sold. About 20 lay staff have been terminated. Its all the Rev. John Ardis can do to keep the lights on at Old St. Marys Cathedral, the first cathedral in California and once the tallest building in San Francisco.

It burned down a day after the 1906 earthquake in a fire so hot it melted the church bells and altar, and now the historic church on the edge of Chinatown faces yet another threat to its existence  the coronavirus pandemic. Donations have almost completely dried up, and the Paulist Fathers, a Roman Catholic order of priests who have run the cathedral for well over a century, owe $250,000 in insurance payments to the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

My friends, our beloved church is once again at the very edge of survival, Ardis wrote in a Christmas Day plea to the churchs dwindling number of parishioners. This time the adversary is not fire but finances. If Old Saint Marys is to continue to light the way for future generations, we who value it today must now become its front-line workers. We must find the resiliency and determination needed to help Californias oldest Cathedral survive these trying times.

It wont be easy.

Pre-pandemic, the parish received about $3,500 each weekend in donations, about half from tourists who sought out the 167-year-old church. That dropped to about $1,000 each of the eight weekends during the pandemic when Old St. Marys was able to open to reduced services. Donations all but dried up completely with the government-ordered shutdown of indoor worship.

The church will hold its first in-person Mass in months Saturday evening, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that such services could resume at 25% capacity. But Ardis is not confident the church can recoup the lost revenue or that its onetime regulars will return.

And Old St. Marys just might be the canary in the cathedral, as other priests warn of wider financial problems among the archdioceses nearly 100 parishes in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties.

Many of our parishes are failing and will probably close over the next 10 years, the Rev. Joseph Illo of Star of the Sea Church in the Inner Richmond District wrote in his parish newsletter Jan. 31. I think many of those who have stopped attending Mass during the pandemic will not return.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

The archdiocese told The Chronicle that parishes are no different from other businesses facing financial struggles because of the pandemic, but said there were no plans to close any church, including Old St Marys.

However, said spokesperson Jan Potts, several of the downtown parishes are experiencing a good deal of financial pain due to the absence of tourists and the local workforce that is now sheltering at home instead of coming into San Francisco.

Potts said the pandemic has caused many churches to lay off or furlough employees.

The way the church is structured, parishes are expected to be self-sufficient, she said. The archdiocese supports with centralized services such as payroll and (human resources), and does have ways to help parishes get through difficult times.

In the past, struggling parishes have been consolidated with others, keeping the physical churches open but saving money on reduced staffing.

The archdiocese appears healthy overall, with the central chancery reporting almost $288 million in assets last fiscal year versus about $111 million in liabilities. But donations at parishes plunged 20% for the last nine months of 2020 from the same period the year before, Potts said, and the archdiocese has cut the salaries of chancery staffers by a like amount.

For nearly a year, the archdiocese and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone have clashed with the city over COVID-19 restrictions stopping in-person religious services. But even with the favorable court decision opening places of worship, theres little optimism parishioners will return soon.

While the decision recognizes our right to return to in-person worship, the reality is that many people are not yet comfortable doing that, Potts said. Until COVID is under control we do not expect to see a restoration to pre-pandemic status, and we expect that will be quite some time yet.

In April, the archdiocese received $1.87 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program to help hit payroll at its parishes. Old St. Marys received some of that, which allowed it to pay employees through August, but then many were placed on furlough. That didnt last long.

Ive had to terminate most of the staff and cut back hours for others, Ardis said.

The church preschool, which once had 35 children, had just five by October when it closed. Thirteen people lost their jobs. A number of 12-step programs using the churchs meeting rooms shuttered, further cutting into revenue. Only a Chinese-language school continues, remotely.

This week, the gift and book shop slashed prices by 25% to try to boost sagging sales. The staff already was cut to just two people working reduced hours. The church has half as many Masses as before, and the internet connection is so poor the church has been recording services on Saturdays and streaming them online the next day.

Ardis came to Old St. Marys in July 2018. He created the first online donor option for the parish a year ago, but it hasnt taken with his flock of about 300, most of whom are over 70. The parish used to also get businesspeople filtering in from downtown who would often donate.

Will people ever be working again downtown like they used to do? Ardis asked. Im not sure.

The cathedral was built in 1854 at what is now the corner of California Street and Grant Avenue. The facade and bell tower survived the fire that destroyed the rest of the church the day after the 1906 quake, and services began again in 1910.

Its been 111 years since it was restored, and it needs lots and lots of ongoing capital improvements, Ardis said.

A donors recent gift was earmarked for the repair of a three-panel stained glass depicting the conversion of St. Paul. It likely will cost over $100,000. The church has 78 stained glass windows, many with holes and cracks from rocks and pellet guns.

Paint inside the church is peeling and chipped, and the moisture of the city has worn the brick facade and its mortar. Fixes can be expensive due to the buildings historical designation. When thieves stole the copper downspouts in 2018, the church needed to consult the citys Historic Preservation Commission for guidance on replacements. It took a year.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Ardis has been balancing financial concerns with the health of his staff. The six remaining priests range between ages 66 and 78. He cut short an interview to drive two of the oldest priests to the Moscone Center vaccine clinic to get their first coronavirus shots. An 86-year-old priest died of COVID-19 in October.

Now the pastor spends his days in an empty church, reminding his brothers to turn off lights when not in use. Hes not relying on a bailout from the archdiocese.

The hope is they dont want to see us close, he said. They ultimately expect each parish to raise money and operate on their own.

The Rev. Michael Evernden, who teaches a class for drifting B- Catholics, came to Old St. Marys from Portland, Ore. He loves being near Chinatown  the churchs full name is Old St. Marys Cathedral and Chinese Mission, and some Masses are said in both English and Cantonese.

Id like to just stay put right here, Evernden said. We hope to make it viable, but it might not be possible.

Ardis has reached out to the archdiocese. He hopes to find potential donors who are drawn to Old St. Marys for historical and spiritual reasons.

My hope is well have a long future here, he said.

Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni
Medical personnel are among the first to benefit from a new batch of Sputnik COVID-19 vaccines, writes Sowt Al-Asima.

Private sources revealed to Sowt al-Asimah that a batch of the Russian Sputnik Covid-19 vaccine had arrived in Syria.

The sources said that the Ministry of Health received nearly 100 thousand doses of the Russian vaccine, indicating that the vaccination process will include medical personnel in the governmental hospitals in Damascus and its countryside, and another in Lattakia and Homs, in addition to military hospitals throughout Syria.

The sources added that the Ministry of Health has completed scheduling the names of those eligible to receive the vaccine in the first stage, indicating that the plan provides for the use of only half of the quantity during this stage.

The sources confirmed that the Ministry of Health will receive other batches of the Russian vaccine later, after submitting reports on the medical results of the first phase, indicating that the agreed quantity was provided for free.

According to the sources, the negotiations process between the regime and COVAX organization stalled before reaching a final agreement between the two parties to obtain the vaccine.

Late last year, the director of the emergency system at the Ministry of Health, Tawfiq Hassaba, said that the COVAX platform, established by the World Health Organization, is supposed to provide the vaccine to 70 countries, including Syria, indicating that health has reserved a share with the organization.

The head of the Syrian Doctors Syndicate, Kamal Asad Amer, revealed the date of arrival of the Chinese and Russian vaccines next April, as part of a plan drawn up by the government team, aiming to draw two million doses of vaccines and give priority to receiving them in the first phase for doctors and medical personnel.

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.
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin is now unlikely to travel to the US next month with officials instead examining a virtual St Patricks Day meeting with US President Joe Biden, Independent.ie has learned.

The move follows contact between the White House and Irish diplomats in Washington DC in the last 24 hours. Both sides are understood to have accepted that due to Covid-19 the annual bilateral meeting at the White House will more than likely take place virtually.

A source familiar with the discussions said that this was mutually viewed as increasingly the best option considering the pandemic, although no final decision has been made.

Read More

A spokesman for the Taoiseach confirmed there are now plans for a series of virtual events.

"Irish and US officials are in ongoing contact about the arrangements for the traditional marking of St Patrick's Day and the close Ireland-US relations," he said.

"These arrangements will take full account of the challenges of Covid and we expect that on this occasion the tradition will be upheld via a programme of virtual events."

Mr Martin said earlier this week that he would be prepared to undergo vaccination against Covid-19 and travel to the White House if invited.

It is understood that the White House has provided assurances to Irish officials that a virtual event would be a one-off due to Covid-19 and would not set a precedent for future engagements between the Taoiseach and senior US politicians, including the President, around St Patricks Day.

Irish diplomats are understood to be seeking engagements with the President, vice-president Kamala Harris, as well as the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Friends of Ireland caucus in Congress - all of which would take place virtually.

A virtual shamrock ceremony where both the Taoiseach and President Biden deliver public remarks is also being discussed.

A government source in Dublin said there was now a "good chance" that there will be a virtual element to the annual St Patrick's Day engagements between the US and Ireland.

A spokesman for the Taoiseach was not able to comment when contacted on Friday afternoon.
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Stacey Holman faced a challenge.

She worked for months, with little sleep, and accomplished her goal.

Holman and her crew took 400 years of Black church history and whittled it down to four hours for the PBS series Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. The series premieres at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, on New Mexico PBS. The second two hours will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17.

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With all the information in front of her, Holman learned a lot.

I realized that I didnt know so much, she says. Wed gather information, and it would surprise me.

The four-hour, two-part series from executive producer, host and writer Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, traces the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, with its bedrock role as the site of African American survival and grace, organizing and resilience, thriving and testifying, autonomy and freedom, solidarity and speaking truth to power.

The documentary reveals how Black people have worshiped and, through their spiritual journeys, improvised ways to bring their faith traditions from Africa to the New World, while translating them into a form of Christianity that was not only truly their own, but a redemptive force for a nation whose original sin was found in their ancestors enslavement across the Middle Passage.

Renowned participants in the series include Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church, gospel legends Yolanda Adams, Pastor Shirley Caesar and BeBe Winans.

Holman says the great thing about doing a historical film is that there are scholars who know the entire history.

We had a group of advisers from about 10 different disciplines, Holman says. We also had a wealth of archive material to pull from. We had to carefully craft the series so that it flows. I encouraged our editors for each of the hours to look at each others work. This helped make all of the information flow.

For many, the Black church is their house of worship.

For some, it is ground zero for social justice.

For others, it is a place of transcendent cultural gifts exported to the world, from the soulful voices of preachers and congregants, to the sublime sounds of gospel music.

Holman says the documentary explores the changing nature of worship spaces and the men and women who shepherded them from the pulpit, the choir loft and church pews.

The churches are also a world within a world, where Black Americans could be themselves; and the center of the freedom struggle that revolutionized the United States across slavery and abolition, Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the Great Migration, and the civil rights movement.

Our series is a riveting and systematic exploration of the myriad ways in which African Americans have worshiped God in their own images and continue to do so today, from the plantation and prayer houses, to camp meetings and storefront structures, to mosques and megachurches, Gates says. This is the story and song our ancestors bequeathed to us, and it comes at a time in our country when the very things they struggled and died for  faith and freedom, justice and equality, democracy and grace  all are on the line. No social institution in the Black community is more central and important than the Black church.

Holman says there are many elements to the Black church.

As the documentary is about to premiere, she hopes that it serves as a bright spot after a year of turmoil.

I want people to feel encouraged and hopeful, she says. We are pulling up the rug of some of the issues of the Black church. People continue to believe and hope for a better day and a better justice system. I wanted to educate people with the documentary, because there is so much information.

on tv

Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song will begin broadcasting at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, on New Mexico PBS. The second part will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17.
NISKAYUNA  Black people were pulled over, arrested and subjected to the use of force at disproportionate levels to their percentage in both the town and the larger population, according to an audit of policies and practices related to racial issues involving the Niskayuna Police Department.

The overarching salient point that you can take from this report is that the Niskayuna Police Department arrests a disproportionate number of Black people compared to the percentage that they make up of Niskayunas population, Town Supervisor Yasmine Syed said Thursday.

While Black people make up about 2.3 percent of the towns total population, they accounted for about 30 percent of all arrests.

The report by the Virginia-based CNA Center for Justice Research and Innovation found similar disparities affecting Black people when it comes to police using force and stopping motor vehicles, though the Black motorists impacted were predominantly residents in the cities of Schenectady and Albany.

"While census data do not provide a good baseline for understanding disparities in use-of-force incidents, as was the case in the traffic stops and arrests data, the disparity here is striking, with Black individuals being involved in use-of-force incidents over 16 times more frequently than their presence in the Niskayuna community," the report's authors wrote. "It is possible that bias in policy, practice, or individual behavior plays a role in explaining this disparity."

While Syed acknowledged the data reflects complex issue with no easy answers  and noted that other municipalities in the region face similar dilemmas  she said the department needs a renewed commitment to training, particularly with the aim of reducing implicit bias.

Odo Butler, outgoing president of Schenectady's NAACP chapter, said the findings are "reflective of institutionalized racism" and that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's executive order requiring municipalities across the state to formulate police reform plans  a step Cuomo took in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis  has put the problem in the spotlight.

"I think what everyone that is interested in justice wants is that these (recommendations) become real changes in behavior within institutions that protect the rights of all people," Butler said.

Syed said residents will have a chance to weigh in on the report during at least one and possibly two public hearings this month.

She was hopeful that all 13 recommendations in the report would be implemented by the town's Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, the advisory panel looking at these issues.

CNA suggested the town collect more data on traffic stops to "help the department further understand its activity for all outcomes and why the activities may look different over time," and to consider equipping its officers with body-worn cameras.

The report also said the 29-member department should establish a clear written complaint process; craft a "discipline matrix" to ensure punishment is meted out fairly to all police officers; and come up with a formal recruitment plan to increase diversity on the force. The department should also do more community and proactive policing, the audit said.

On a positive note, the report's authors recognized the department's newly revised use-of-force policy for being "very clear and detailed."

John Carl D'Annibale

Niskayuna's racial justice and equity task force is currently reviewing the towns policies in a bid to identify racial disparities and come up with possible solutions. Dale Black-Pennington, who chairs that panel, did not return a call seeking comment.

Despite the data, the audit team also determined that the community overwhelmingly trusts the police and do not believe that officers are engaging in operations that disparately impact marginalized populations.

Acting Police Chief Frances Wall, who took over the department last summer, said in an email Thursday evening she was working on a statement. Syed stressed Wall has already made major changes on some of the issues addressed in the report, and has told Syed that she is on board with CNAs recommendations.

Town Board member John Della Ratta, a county public defender, said Thursday that the racial disparities detailed in the document are not surprising to him.

"This is something that really needed to be done years ago, but better late than never," Della Ratta said. "You can't argue that there isn't systemic racism and bias in the criminal justice system as a whole. You can't turn back the clock, so how you start to correct that? ... This at least starts to get us there."

The town paid CNA $25,000 for the report and could rehire the firm to help guide and track the department's progress over the next 18 months or so, Syed said.

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In Illinois, Walgreens, Marianos, Jewel-Osco and Walmart have been administering vaccine doses for weeks obtained through state and local health departments. Jewel-Osco is vaccinating at 143 of its stores, Marianos at 31 stores and Walmart at eight, according to the state health department. Costco is not yet vaccinating at its Illinois stores. Walgreens will be vaccinating at 520 stores, including 339 that will now be receiving doses through the federal government.
Fast and energy-efficient future data processing technologies are on the horizon after an international team of scientists successfully manipulated magnets at the atomic level.

Physicist Dr Rostislav Mikhaylovskiy from Lancaster University said: "With stalling efficiency trends of current technology, new scientific approaches are especially valuable. Our discovery of the atomically-driven ultrafast control of magnetism opens broad avenues for fast and energy-efficient future data processing technologies essential to keep up with our data hunger."

Magnetic materials are heavily used in modern life with applications ranging from fridge magnets to Google and Amazon's data centers used to store digital information.

These materials host trillions of mutually aligned elementary magnetic moments or "spins", whose alignment is largely governed by the arrangement of the atoms in the crystal lattice.

The spin can be seen as an elementary "needle of a compass", typically depicted as an arrow showing the direction from North to South poles. In magnets all spins are aligned along the same direction by the force called exchange interaction. The exchange interaction is one of the strongest quantum effects which is responsible for the very existence of magnetic materials.

The ever-growing demand for efficient magnetic data processing calls for novel means to manipulate the magnetic state and manipulating the exchange interaction would be the most efficient and ultimately fastest way to control magnetism.

To achieve this result, the researchers used the fastest and the strongest stimulus available: ultrashort laser pulse excitation. They used light to optically stimulate specific atomic vibrations of the magnet's crystal lattice which extensively disturbed and distorted the structure of the material.

The results of this study are published in the prestigious journal Nature Materials by the international team from Lancaster, Delft, Nijmegen, Liege and Kiev.

PhD student Jorrit Hortensius from the Technical University of Delft said: "We optically shake the lattice of a magnet that is made up of alternating up and down small magnetic moments and therefore does not have a net magnetization, unlike the familiar fridge magnets."

After shaking the crystal for a very short period of time, the researchers measured how the magnetic properties evolve directly in time. Following the shaking, the magnetic system of the antiferromagnet changes, such that a net magnetization appears: for a fraction of time the material becomes similar to the everyday fridge magnets.

This all occurs within an unprecedentedly short time of less than a few picoseconds (millionth of a millionth of a second). This time is not only orders of magnitude shorter than the recording time in modern computer hard drives, but also exactly matches the fundamental limit for the magnetization switching.

Dr Rostislav Mikhaylovskiy from Lancaster University explains: "It has long been thought that the control of magnetism by atomic vibrations is restricted to acoustic excitations (sound waves) and cannot be faster than nanoseconds. We have reduced the magnetic switching time by 1000 times that is a major milestone in itself."

Dr Dmytro Afanasiev from the Technical University of Delft adds: "We believe that our findings will stimulate further research into exploring and understanding the exact mechanisms governing the ultrafast lattice control of the magnetic state."

###
COLUMBIA  Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador who has become a star in the Republican Party, said she does not expect to see one specific GOP challenger in her likely 2024 White House bid: former President Donald Trump.

"Hes not going to run for federal office again," Haley told Politico in a lengthy story posted Feb. 12. "I dont think hes going to be in the picture. I dont think he can. Hes fallen so far."

Haley, a Trump critic during his 2016 White House bid who joined his administration after he won the election, has walked a tightrope with the bombastic president.

She supported his policies at the United Nations, wrote a column defending him from an anonymous administration critic and stumped for him during his reelection campaign. Still, privately she chastised him for his reaction to the deadly Charlottesville protests in 2017 and now is condemning Trump's response to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots where five people died.

"We need to acknowledge he let us down," Haley told Politico. "He went down a path he shouldnt have, and we shouldnt have followed him, and we shouldnt have listened to him. And we cant let that ever happen again."

Reminded that most Republican voters still give Trump high approval marks even after the riot that led to his second impeachment, Haley noted how she told Republican National Committee leaders in a Jan. 7 speech that the president "was badly wrong with his words yesterday" and "his actions since Election Day will be judged harshly by history.

Asked why she did not speak out until after the riots, Haley said she did not think Trump was dangerous.

"I didnt think that there was anything to fear about him," Haley said. "There was nothing to fear about him when I worked for him. I mean, he may have been brash. He may have been blunt. But he was someone who cared about the country."

Haley would add, "The person that I worked with is not the person that I have watched since the election.

Danielle Vinson, a political science professor at Furman University, said Haley's latest comments offer another example of her yearslong efforts to try to please both wings of the Republican Party: the Trump-loving base and the more traditional conservative establishment as she prepares for a 2024 presidential campaign.

"The thing with walking the middle ground is sometimes it works and you get some of both sides, but sometimes it fails spectacularly and you get neither side," Vinson said.

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As an example, Vinson pointed to Kamala Harris' unsuccessful efforts in the 2020 Democratic primary to win over both progressive and moderate voters. The primary's winner, Joe Biden, went on to pick Harris to be his running mate.

Pressed at how could she not see the damage caused by years of Trump's exaggerations, lies and harsh rhetoric until the 2020 election, Haley said it was not a fault of her leadership.

Thats not poor leadership," she said. "Thats sitting there looking at someone knowing the relationship that you had, knowing the good that he had, and watching someone fall apart, in awe, going, How did this happen?

Haley said she turned off the television during Trump's Jan. 6 speech that led to his impeachment on the charge that it helped incite the Capitol riot. She said it triggered memories of the 2015 mass shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston by a white supremacist when she was governor.

"Somebody is going to hear that, and bad things will happen," Haley said of the Trump speech.

Still, Haley did not want to antagonize voters who supported Trump, saying the president did good things for the country and the Republican Party while in office.

She told Politico the GOP should not return to pre-Trump days and use "the good that he built, leave the bad that he did, and get back to a place where we can be a good, valuable, effective party."

The 16,000-word profile further elevates Haley, already one of the most well-known Republican contenders expected to seek the presidency in four years. That high profile comes with the advantage of an early head start, but Vinson noted it also means opponents and critics will have more time to scrutinize her record.

"Everybody's assumed she would be one of the top tier candidates, but the challenge you face then is you've got to live up to expectations and everybody's gunning for you," Vinson said.

However, Vinson added, memory in national politics is increasingly short. The fact that Haley was able to join Trump's administration mere months after savaging him on the campaign trail is evidence of that.

By the time Haley launches her 2024 campaign, voters may be more focused on what she's saying in the moment than what she said years earlier, Vinson said.

"People will have pretty much forgotten about it," Vinson said. "But if the party hasn't made up its mind to depart from Donald Trump, she's going to have to make a choice because I don't think you can go through an entire primary on the Republican side walking that tightrope."
Atmos Offers Safety Tips as Bitter Cold Approaches

By West Kentucky Star Staff

OWENSBORO - A local gas utility is offering some safety tips as bitterly cold air gets ready to descend on our area.Atmos Energy says it is closely monitoring the weather and staging its employees across the system.The utility offered these safety tips to its customers:-Never use an oven or a gas stovetop to heat your home.-Protect natural gas meters. Natural gas meters are weather-proof; however, to ensure that the meter keeps -working smoothly, remove snow and ice from natural gas meters with a broom or brush. Never kick or chip snow and ice away with a hard object.-Safely remove snow from vents for dryers and other natural gas equipment. Blocked vents for dryers and other gas appliances can lead to a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide gas.-Minimize the risk of frozen pipes. Leave faucets running at a trickle, leave cabinet doors open, and close all doors and windows to keep heat inside.-If you think you smell gas, act fast! Leave the area immediately and from a safe distance call 911 and the Atmos Energy emergency number, 866-322-8667.Atmos Energy encourages customers needing solutions to keep up with their monthly natural gas expenses to contact Atmos Energys customer service team at 888-286-6700 or visit the account center at the link below.On the Net:
WASHINGTON - The 12-second video clip - aerial footage from a security camera just outside the Senate chamber - was harrowing: former vice president Mike Pence under physical threat, fleeing for his safety from an angry mob egged on by his boss, Donald Trump.

The footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol siege played by Democratic House impeachment managers this week portrays Pence as an American hero, under attack by Trump and his supporters simply for fulfilling his constitutional duties.

"Mike Pence is not a traitor to this country - he is a patriot," said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, one of the impeachment managers. "He and his family, who was with him that day, didn't deserve this, didn't deserve a president unleashing a mob on them. Especially because he was just doing his job."

But after four years of obedience as vice president, Pence has no plans to condemn Trump or to speak out during the Senate impeachment trial, people close to the former vice president said. He is still operating from a playbook of obsequiousness that has become second nature - never airing grievances publicly, and delivering his often rose-colored counsel to Trump only in private, one-on-one settings.

The two men have spoken several times since the Jan. 6 attack, including one conversation since Joe Biden was inaugurated, according to a person familiar with the conversations, who like others requested anonymity to share candid details of private episodes.

Five days after the attack, on Jan. 11, Trump and Pence also met in person in the Oval Office for a lengthy meeting that was officially dubbed "a good conversation" but privately described as stilted and uncomfortable, according to several people familiar with the meeting. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, at the time both senior White House advisers, acted as go-betweens, with Ivanka urging her father to reach out to Pence, two people familiar with the planning said.

Kushner later described the meeting as a difficult situation, jokingly likening it to his efforts at brokering peace in the Middle East, a person familiar with his comments said.

Nonetheless, in the days after the attack, as some Democrats publicly called for Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office - an idea privately discussed by some administration officials - Pence never entertained the suggestion, someone familiar with his thinking said.

But the rift that emerged between Trump and Pence - after Trump encouraged a frenzied mob that later chanted "Hang Mike Pence!" while storming through the Capitol, in search of the then-vice president - is unlikely to ever fully heal, people close to Pence said.

One ally described the former vice president as frustrated with what Trump did and said it would change his relationship with Trump forever. This person added, however, that Pence does not share the animus or fury that some his former aides have for the president. Pence told allies that Trump was getting bad advice from some of his senior staff, who allowed baseless claims about the election being stolen to reach his desk, a second Pence ally said.

This week's Senate impeachment trial revealed new details about Trump's treatment of his vice president as the Capitol was under attack and Pence was hustled off the Senate floor and, later, evacuated for his own safety.

In his noon speech to the crowd shortly before exhorting them to march to the Capitol, Trump repeatedly mentioned Pence, falsely claiming that Pence had the authority to overturn the election results. At roughly 2:05 p.m., about five minutes before rioters breached the Capitol itself, Trump connected by phone with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and the two spoke for about five to 10 minutes, according to a Deseret News interview with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, whose phone Trump had accidentally called before getting passed to Tuberville.

At 2:13 p.m., when security agents removed Pence from the Senate floor, Trump and Tuberville were still chatting. The senator told reporters Wednesday that he conveyed to Trump the threat to Pence in real time. "I said, 'Mr. President, they just took the vice president out, I've got to go,' " Tuberville said.

As a matter of protocol, the White House security team was frequently informed of any movement or incident involving the vice president that was not routine. A senior administration official said he finds it inconceivable that Trump and his senior team would not have been alerted that Pence was being evacuated from the Senate.

Just 11 minutes later, Trump sent out a tweet attacking his No. 2: "Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution," he wrote.

Trump never called Pence to check on his well-being after the attacks began on Jan. 6. Later in the day, Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, called Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, to say that Pence and his team were safe, and that once the Capitol was secure, they planned to forge ahead with certifying the election results. Meadows did not object.

On the day of the attack - and even during the insurrection - Trump kept on insisting that Pence had the power to overturn the will of the people and certify the election in favor of himself and Trump. But in fact, in the weeks leading up to the electoral certification, Pence and Short repeatedly explained to Trump and Meadows - "at least a dozen times, probably two dozen times," one official said - that not only did Pence not have the authority to overturn the election results, but that he planned to fulfill his duties to the Constitution, not his boss.

Trump's treatment of Pence was widely viewed within the former president's orbit as one of the more detestable acts of his presidency, and some aides who have defended Trump through other controversial episodes said they could not stomach how he turned on the vice president - or how he worked to turn the Republican Party on him, as well.

"Mike Pence is a statesman and a man of the highest integrity," said Alyssa Farah, Pence's former press secretary who later served as Trump's communications director. "There was really no question he was always going to follow the Constitution and do the right thing. Once tensions in our country cool, I think Republicans across the spectrum will recognize Pence did the right thing in a difficult moment and that he is an important unifying voice for conservatives going forward."

One person close to Pence's political operation said the former vice president is deliberately keeping a low profile for the next few months, cognizant that some Trump supporters are still angry with him, and wary of a situation in which he might get booed or receive an unwelcome reception. Another person close to Pence said that was not a concern.

A Pence official also said that the former vice president is likely to respect the unofficial practice of giving a new administration some time and space.

Pence is closely tracking his own news coverage, the first person said, and understands he has received some sharp criticism from Republicans, especially those loyal to Trump. He has told others that he had no choice but to certify the election results, and that he is hoping to reemerge more publicly in several months with a carefully planned rollout, this person added.

But Pence's team has also received some private polling, both from conservative groups and more mainstream Republican organizations, showing that his support among Republican voters has not taken a hit, one person familiar with the surveys said.

For now, Pence is still planning his post-vice-presidential life - with an eye on a possible 2024 run for the White House, allies say. Although he and his wife, Karen, plan to move back to Indiana, where he served as governor, at the end of the summer, they have also spent time house-hunting in the Northern Virginia suburbs and are likely to keep a residence in both places.

In late January, Pence vacationed in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where a local paper spotted him going out to dinner, wearing a black coronavirus mask.

Since leaving office, he also joined the Young America's Foundation as its Ronald Reagan presidential scholar and plans to put out a podcast with them. In 1974, the foundation helped Reagan, then the governor of California, launch a syndicated weekly radio show - and in 1998, when the Foundation purchased the Reagan Ranch, Short and his wife moved to Santa Barbara to manage the project.

In the 1990s, after losing two congressional races, Pence refashioned himself as a conservative talk-radio host, describing himself as "Rush Limbaugh on decaf." His podcast, which has not yet begun, is likely to offer a similar sensibility, with some political guests but also a broader emphasis on human interest stories, someone familiar with the show said.

Pence is also planning to write a book, this person said, in which he might weigh in on the attacks on the Capitol. He could, however, address the insurrection sooner, especially if asked about it in an interview, this person added.

Tim Miller, a former Republican strategist who was a frequent critic of the Trump administration, said that Pence's firsthand account of the horror on Jan. 6 could be compelling evidence in the impeachment trial underway and that he personally wishes Pence had been called to testify. The Democratic House impeachment managers sought Trump's testimony and were rebuffed; a final call on witnesses will be made in coming days.

Miller said that in their effort to persuade the Senate to convict Trump, the impeachment managers have been "unbelievably generous to Mike Pence," portraying him as a hapless victim of a bullying boss.

"They could have made a presentation that made Pence look complicit in the attack that almost led to his assassination, because he was complicit," Miller said.
The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 24 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 18 are locally transmitted.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said that among the local cases, nine have unknown sources of infection.

She said residents of the seven buildings where the patients live have to undergo compulsory virus testing.

Additionally, three buildings in Tung Chung, Pok Fu Lam and Kowloon City have been included in the compulsory testing notice.

The Government will set up mobile specimen collection stations at Shek Ku Lung Road Playground in Wong Tai Sin and Kwong Fuk Estate in Tai Po on February 13, while the service period of the mobile stations at Kwun Chung Sports Centre in Jordan and MacPherson Playground in Mong Kok will be extended to February 16.

People subject to compulsory testing can choose to go to mobile specimen collection stations or any of the community testing centres in all districts to receive testing free of charge.

Among the six imported cases, two arrived from Indonesia, two from the United Arab Emirates, while the remaining two came from the Philippines and India.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.
Expats are ditching their Tet travel plans and planning to stay on in Vietnam to celebrate the holiday with their Vietnamese friends.

In the five years that he has lived and worked in Vietnam, Daniel Woollacott has developed a tradition of "escaping" Tet, when shops and services are normally shut down and major cities become deserted for a few days.

But this year, he has decided to stay behind in Hanoi, dropping plans to go to Phu Quoc Island in the south.

His decision is influenced by the latest Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam.

"No one can be in the mood for vacationing now, so I will try to enjoy my first Tet in Hanoi," Woollacott said, adding that it would be exciting to see the capital become quiet on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The 31-year-old Brit is among a host of expats getting to celebrate the traditional Vietnamese holiday differently this year. Many have canceled or postponed their travel plans, not wanting to risk contracting the novel coronavirus.

Foreigners celebrate Lunar New Year in HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Tam Linh.

"I had planned to go to Hue, but seeing the surging number of Covid-19 cases, especially in airports, I decided to stay in Hanoi," said Ashley Jones, English teacher at an international school in Hanois Long Bien District.

"It is a pandemic, not a holiday," she said, adding she does not want to be infected by the virus and stay in hospitals for weeks instead of going to school and seeing her students.

In a 140,000-member Facebook group of expats living in Hanoi, many netizens who have had an earlier than scheduled start to their Tet outbreak are calling on others to be responsible with their planned trips.

Several have chosen to stay behind, meet friends in town or just stay at home and minimize infection risks.

Expats in Hanoi and Saigon know that the two cities become "ghost towns" for the festival as stores and services are shut, so they have stocked up on food.

Just three days before Tet, Monday evening, HCMC recorded 25 new Covid-19 cases, prompting authorities to close bars, karaoke parlors, cinemas and discotheques. They have also banned religious events starting Tuesday.

This is the second time the city has stopped all non-essential services, the first being last March.

In its latest outbreak, Vietnam has confirmed 553 Covid-19 cases in 13 cities and provinces since January 28.

"It is a relief after the usual hustle and bustle of Saigon with its incessant honking; the only drawback is that no restaurants and stores open," said Tim Edward, an HR consultant in HCMC.

The Canadian man spent the Lunar New Years Eve playing board games with housemates before taking a walk to "enjoy the silent city and beautiful festive decorations."

Many expats in Saigon said they were initially disappointed that the city shut down all bars and discotheques, but agreed that it was a necessary step.

"I will stay at home and binge Netflix until the holiday is over. All the food I need is in my fridge," Edward said.

Lets get traditional

Without a vacation for the "Tet escape," many expats are now excited to be part of local Lunar New Year traditions with their Vietnamese friends.

In Hanoi, Simon Stewart of the U.K. has been invited to become the first person to visit his colleagues house in the Lunar New Year, a tradition that is called "xong dat" in Vietnamese.

"I understand that xong dat is a crucial event and feel honored to be chosen to visit my colleagues house," he said.

He has been asked to wear colorful clothes and bring some li xi (lucky money) for the colleagues children.

"I was trying to find an ao dai but there was no suitable size, so I have opted for a brown suit," he said, adding he has asked a friend to get him some new notes to give li xi to the children.

"And theyve given me a banh chung that I'll have for my breakfast," he said, smiling.

Nguyen Hue flower street in District 1, one of the biggest annual draws in Vietnams southern metropolis to herald Tet. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Some expats are immersing themselves in the Tet culture, becoming part of local families.

"Because Tet is all about families," said Phillip Flanders, who will stay with his Vietnamese girlfriends family in Hanoi during the holiday.

For his first Tet in Hanoi after living in Vietnam for nearly three years, Flanders helped his girlfriend make boiled chicken and spring rolls.

"This is the first time I have seen the rituals of offering food and joss money to forefathers," he said.

He also helped his girlfriend clean up the house, buy a kumquat tree, and lent a hand in making banh chung.

But the expats are also imposing limits on themselves, given the Covid-19 situation.

In Hanoi, those visiting their friends families or eating outside are wearing masks. Stewart has rejected all gatherings with his colleagues, while Flanders refused to go to pagodas with his girlfriends family over Covid-19 fears.

Hanoi residents have been asked to stay home and limit travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday as a Covid-19 precaution.

In Saigon, Edward will visit the city's famous Nguyen Hue flower street in District 1 with a Vietnamese friend this weekend.

"I am worried about the spread of the virus, but I do not want to miss beautiful moments in Saigon, so I will wear a mask and maintain social distancing," he said.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company



COUNCIL planners have given conditional permission to a major expansion of Crooms Community Enterprise Centre.

In a move which looks set to deliver hundreds of jobs to the area, the plan is to construct two new two-storey office buildings, car parking and all ancillary works.

Mike Mangan, who chairs the facility, has previously said: It will be a significant expansion, somewhere in the region of six times the size of the current enterprise centre. It will be made of two office blocks, a total of 5,200 square metres. So its a big development and if we get planning, and grant money in that type of space, wed be looking to create a sizeable number of jobs.

Minister of State for Higher Education and Limerick TD Niall Collins has welcomed the decision.

He said: When this is developed, this will provide a huge opportunity and boost to the local Croom economy. This type of facility will attract a mix of employment and employers to the area. Croom has experienced significant government-backed investment in recent times, including the new Colaiste Chiarain school building, the new primary care centre, the major extension to Croom Orthopedic Hospital and significant funding of the Croom Voluntary Housing Association.

Mr Collins says he will be supporting the committees funding application for the new centre through the governments Rural Regeneration Fund.

In doing so, I have emphasised to the Taoiseach and Minister for Rural Development the importance of this project to Croom and the wider area, said the Fianna Fail TD.

The extension is coming about because the current facility is at full capacity.

Mr Mangan said: People were coming to look for office space even during the pandemic. We are trying to meet demand for the future. We want to try and bolster employment in the local area.

Council gave planning permission earlier this week.

There were no objections to the proposal to expand the centre, so its unlikely to be appealed to An Bord Pleanala, representing a major boost.
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Embassy Office Parks REIT on Friday reported a 15 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 214.79 crore for the third quarter ended December and announced Rs 2,300 crore investment over the next three years to develop nearly 6 million sq ft of commercial space.

It also declared a distribution of Rs 431.29 crore to its unitholders for the quarter.

The net profit fell to Rs 214.79 crore in the third quarter of this fiscal from Rs 253.45 crore in the year-ago period. Total income, however, rose to Rs 595.94 crore from Rs 568.12 crore, according to a regulatory filing.

The net operating income for the third quarter increased by 3 per cent year-on-year to Rs 478 crore.

The declared distribution is Rs 4,31.29 crore/Rs 4.55 per unit for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, said.

"As India's outlook steadily improves with a continued downward trend in active COVID-19 cases and the encouraging progress on vaccine roll-out, we remain optimistic that Indian office leasing demand will continue to increase as occupiers accelerate their return-to-work programs," said Michael Holland, Chief Executive Officer of

Additionally, he said, the recent successful Rs 9,780 crore acquisition of Embassy TechVillage in Bengaluru cements its position as a landlord of choice for the world's top

Deputy CEO and COO Vikaash Khdloya said the company will be investing Rs 2,300 crore over the next three years to develop 5.7 million sq ft of commercial space.

He said the company would also be looking at inorganic growth opportunities in cities like Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.

Embassy REIT is India's first publicly listed Investment Trust.

It owns and operates a 42.4 million square feet portfolio of eight infrastructure-like office parks and four city-centre office buildings in India's best-performing office markets of Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, and the National Capital Region.

The portfolio comprises 32.3 million square feet completed operating area and is home to over 200 of the world's leading The portfolio also comprises strategic amenities, including two operational business hotels, four under-construction hotels, and a 100 MW solar park supplying renewable energy to tenants.

(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.)
One of the most extraordinary bronzes Ive ever handled  the Luboshez gong

Specialist Margaret Gristina on a masterpiece of Chinese art: a lavishly decorated Shang-dynasty wine vessel in the form of a tiger and an owl, which comes to Christies on 18 March

Rituals were hugely important in China 3,000 years ago, when the Shang dynasty ruled over the middle and lower Yellow River valley: they were what brought society together. And often at the centre of those rituals were bronze vessels used for offerings of food or wine  a rare example of a wine vessel is to be offered at Christies in New York on 18 March. This is one of the most extraordinary archaic bronzes Ive ever handled, says Christies Chinese Works of Art specialist Margaret Gristina. The quality of the craftsmanship is so intricate and sophisticated. Its a type of lidded wine vessel known as a gong, which is among the rarest of all Shang-dynasty vessel shapes.

The front of the gong has been skilfully cast as a crouching tiger, ready to pounce. Its ferocious face forms one end of the lid. Experts think that the wine was served hot, so that steam would have poured out menacingly between the tigers fangs. The opposite end of the gong takes the form of an owl, with a rounded chest and complex, spiralling feather patterns detailed on its wings. Between the two animals, decorative dragons and other mythical beasts with beaks and rams horns are cast in low relief. When I first saw the Luboshez gong, I was amazed by the animation of the animals faces, as well as the wonderful details of the tigers curled forelegs and springing hind legs, says Gristina. The overall creativity and refinement are incredibly striking.

The owl and tiger forms that decorate the back and front of the gong

The exact intended use of the gong remains unclear, but we do know that this form of vessel was produced in limited quantities and for a relatively short period, between the 13th and 11th centuries BC. However, the Luboshez gong can be dated a bit more precisely thanks to some academic detective work. It belongs to a group of six known gong vessels that are nearly identical: one is in the Harvard Art Museum; two are in Japan; and two, found in the tomb of Lady Fu Hao in Anyang, Henan Province, in 1976, are in China. A principal wife of the Shang dynasty king Wu Ding, Lady Fu Hao was a powerful military leader, a priestess and mother to a prince. In her tomb, archaeologists discovered that she had been buried along with 2,000 objects to serve her every need in the afterlife  jades, bells, mirrors, shell currency and 468 ritual bronzes, including the two gong. The fact that Lady Fu Haos pair of gong are inscribed with her name leads us to believe that they were made around the time of her death, circa 1200 BC, explains Gristina. The similarities between those two examples and the Luboshez gong would suggest that they were made in the same region, around the same time, and perhaps by the same craftsmen.

The interior of the gong showing its inscription  four footprints around what has been interpreted as two hands holding an album or book

More can be deduced about the mysterious commissioner of the Luboshez gong. In its interior is a small inscription, possibly a clan sign, of four footprints around what has been interpreted as two hands holding an album or book. Efforts to identify the patron associated with these markings have so far proved fruitless, but the same pictogram can be seen on another bronze vessel type, known as a you, in the Musee Cernuschi in Paris. This suggests that our wealthy and important owner once had a large set of bronze vessel shapes, says the specialist. The production of bronze gong vessels declined around the middle of the 11th century BC, when the Shang (1600-1046 BC) fell to the neighbouring Zhou dynasty (1046-771 BC). The new Zhou rulers claimed that the Shangs taste for wine was decadent and not in keeping with the proper observance of sacred rituals. The ancestral spirits, they said, were more interested in sober offerings such as rice and grain.

Captain S.N. Ferris Luboshez was an astute connoisseur who was invited into the inner circles of Chinese collectors and scholars  Margaret Gristina

In more modern times, archaic bronzes have been highly prized and sought after in China. Between 1749 and 1755, the Qing emperor Qianlong, one of Chinas greatest art collectors, commissioned the Xiqing Gujian, a 40-volume catalogue of the 1,529 Chinese ritual bronzes in the imperial collection. The Luboshez gong is named after another esteemed collector, Captain S.N. Ferris Luboshez (1896-1984). At the outset of the Second World War, Luboshez  a lawyer and trained scientist  joined the US Navy and was eventually posted to Shanghai. There he developed a taste for Chinese art and purchased the gong at some point before 1949. He was a rare breed of collector: an astute connoisseur invited into the inner circles of Chinese collectors and scholars, who at the time did not always welcome foreigners, says Gristina.

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Thousands of silent refugees from South Asia affected by humanitarian crisis flee from conflict zones into India.

Kiran Chukkapalli, founder of Think Peace Organization and an avid social activist with an experience of working on socio-economic development of scheduled tribes, embarks on a 10,000+ km motorcycle ride across India to unveil their stories, understand their problems and inspire action.

I met a family that came to India on March 18th, 2020. All they have is a legitimate desire like you and me to live a good life, and they have a potential to fight the odds.

To know, understand and acknowledge the problem is the first step towards a change. Our goal is to focus on the refugees whos suffering rarely makes international headlines.

- Kiran Chukkapalli



stakeholders

The objective of RAP is to ensure that no one - individual, no group, no government, can take away the basic human right to live with dignity, freedom, equality, justice, and peace. We need to protect our women and children.

- Kiran Chukkapalli


A Czech gun maker announced an agreement to acquire the parent company of Colts Manufacturing, the iconic brand based in West Hartford whose revolver won the West in American lore.

Ceska Zbrojovka Group SE indicated plans to pay $220 million in cash and 1.1 million shares of its stock for Colt Holding Company LLC, with possible additional shares depending on Colts future profitability. The combined company would have $500 million in annual revenue and presents a real small arms powerhouse, in the words of CZGs chairman Lubomir Kovarik in a company press release.

On a visit to studios in which the much-loved BBC TV series Dixon Of Dock Green was filmed, the Queen told its star Jack Warner that she and her family watched it regularly and regarded it as something of a national institution.

The royals were not the only fans of the show, which ran between 1955 and 1976, drawing audiences of more than 14 million people.

But while its appeal lay in Warners portrayal of a reassuringly old-fashioned bobby on the beat, there was nothing conventional about Harry Daley, the sergeant said to have been the real-life inspiration for Dixon of Dock Green.

The first openly gay policeman in Britain, Daley made no secret of his sexuality from the moment he first joined the Metropolitan Police in 1925, almost 100 years ago.

This Small Cloud: A Personal Memoir of Harry Daley includes this image of Daley in uniform with a friend

If that seems astonishing in an era when homosexual acts between men was illegal, still more remarkable was this working-class policemans ability to bridge two very different worlds as he found himself drawn into the decadent clique of writers, artists and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group.

For some years, he was even the lover of celebrated author E.M. Forster but his story has come to the fore thanks to another member of that startlingly permissive set, the artist Duncan Grant.

This month, the Charleston Trust, a charity set up to restore the East Sussex farmhouse shared by Grant and fellow artist Vanessa Bell  one of his many lovers  is streaming a talk about a previously undiscovered tranche of his erotic gay paintings.

Made available as part of LGBTQ+ History month, it comes with a warning that it is suitable for adults only. But no amount of naked flesh can quite match the surprise of seeing another of Grants little-known paintings: a fully-clothed portrait of Harry Daley in his policemans uniform.

That Daleys superiors would have allowed one of their ranks to sit for one of the most controversial artists of the day seems extraordinary.

But this was far from his only experience of celebrity. In 1929, just four years after he joined the Met, the BBC invited him to give a series of radio talks about being a London policeman.

Harry Daley's story has come to the fore thanks to another member of that startlingly permissive set, the artist Duncan Grant.

In his book Fighting Proud: The Untold Story Of The Gay Men Who Served In Two World Wars, historian Stephen Bourne has suggested that these talks may have inspired writer Ted Willis to create the character of Dixon of Dock Green  but one can only wonder what the redoubtable fictitious policeman would have made of the real-life Dixons off-duty escapades.

In the days when gay officers had to conceal their sexuality, Daley was an exception, happily engaged in unlawful acts while upholding the law, writes Bourne.

The idea that his attraction to men should be an obstacle to his police career seems never to have occurred to Daley.

Born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, in 1901, he was one of five children in a close-knit working-class family which suffered two tragedies  the death of his fisherman father at sea in 1911, and that of his older brother Joseph, killed in action just a few days before the end of World War I.

Shortly before his brothers death, his mother had moved the family to Dorking in Surrey, where Daley worked as a delivery boy but dreamed of the bright lights of London, spending every weekend visiting the capitals cinemas, art galleries and theatres.

Described by Forsters biographer P. N. Furbank as plump, curly-headed, genial and rather cocky in manner, he remembered how big boys like myself were always advised that we should join the Police.

Those same officers also showed equanimity when Daley began his relationship with E. M. Forster and brought him to stay overnight in his cubicle

With a career decided upon, Daley was only ever going to opt for the Met. The move to London offered him a wider opportunity to explore the passions apparent in a recurring adolescent dream about being carried off by the local coal-man.

Neither of us wore a stitch of clothing and his hands were very warm, he said. It is possibly not everyones idea of romantic happiness to be kidnapped by a naked coal-man and in this case I ... inadvertently crossed the narrow dividing line between romanticism and something else.

Another regular dream, or rather nightmare, resulted from the well-meaning efforts of friends and family to push him in the direction of available young women.

Having just been married, I lead my beautiful bride to the church door. At this point, I cry out in despair, Oh what a bloody fool I am and I wake sweating  gradually realising that I have not really ruined two lives.

By contrast, his fellow recruits were under no illusion about his sexual preferences.

After a few months we began to poke out as individuals and I seemed to poke out more than most, he wrote. It was clear from leg-pulls, jokes and jibes that my companions knew I was homosexual.

In part, he ascribed this to his choice of off-duty clothing.

My critics were always sensibly clad in blue serge suits and black boots. Referring to the fact that I wore no hat and flannel trousers (now you can see what he is) they intimidated me by foretelling trouble when the Inspector saw me.

With rising anger I decided there and then to make friends openly with the people to whom I was attracted, irrespective of job, class or criminal record  and b****r the consequences.

Throughout his career, he suffered occasional homophobic bullying. Once someone daubed an obscene image on an office wall with the words Love from plus his badge number  written underneath, and he also described many malicious remarks, disguised as jokes.

In response, he drew inspiration from a story written by the Edwardian satirist Saki, in which a fox wasnt chased because he didnt run. He wished the hounds and the people on horseback would go away.

This they did, rather shamefacedly, not knowing what to do if the fox refused to run.

By similarly declining to react, Daley deflected much of the hostility from the same officers who delighted in mistreating the gay men they arrested, sometimes even planting evidence on them.

Now and then they brought in a Nancy-Boy, as they were then called, and treated him as though he were an inanimate object without feeling, he remembered.

They rubbed his face with toilet-paper to procure evidence of make-up, joked and laughed about him as if he was not present, and always found the same-sized tin of Vaseline in his pocket.

Daley never intervened, but neither did he make a pretence at being what he called normal: I could have taken to pipe and beard, as many do, but I decided to be natural and take my chance.

His affable personality helped win him friends among his colleagues and a promotion to sergeant  even though many of his flings were with the petty criminals on his beat. I often had to lock up my friends and acquaintances, not as upsetting as it sounds, he said.

They were from families where such things are no disgrace and had usually committed trivial offences, with the prospect of early bail and a small fine.

His preference was for normal men, older, rougher and stronger than myself. But while out patrolling the streets of Hammersmith one Sunday morning, he struck up conversation with a handsome 31-year-old man who lived in a flat beside the river.

He was J.R. Ackerley, author of The Prisoners Of War, a gay-themed play which had somehow made it past the censors to be a critical success in the West End.

It was thanks to Ackerley, who became a producer at the BBC, that Daley appeared on radio, and their friendship gave him an entree into the Bloomsbury Group.

Alongside aristocrats and heirs to great fortunes, among them Eddy Sackville-West who owned Knole, a vast Elizabethan country-house in Kent  its members included artists like Duncan Grant and writers such as Raymond Mortimer, a theatre critic whose flat was packed with Picassos.

As Daley recalled, his arrival sparked great envy of Ackerley.

Soon almost everyone had their policeman friend and other friends, too, in all sorts of uniforms, right down to bus conductors.

The sergeant in charge of his section house  the police equivalent of barracks  was unexpectedly tolerant of these exotic new acquaintances, encouraging Daley to entertain them in the mess-hall.

One evening he gave them a ham-and-egg supper before taking them off to the circus  an enjoyable night even if their loud chatter and Raymond Mortimers fur coat caused some restiveness among the policemen.

Those same officers also showed equanimity when Daley began his relationship with E. M. Forster and brought him to stay overnight in his cubicle, separated from his neighbours by a thin partition.

In the morning, the literary legend would join the other men for a fry-up in the mess-hall and sometimes he would walk Daleys late shift with him, through streets deserted except for a few costers barrows, delighting in their chats with the shadowy types who haunted the night.

As Forster had once confided in his locked journal, which he called his Sex Diary, he wanted to love a strong young man of the lower classes and be loved by him, but in Daley he also found a meeting of minds. They both loved opera and classical music, with Daley ecstatic about hearing Forster play a Mozart sonata on the piano.

It was a golden moment made especially memorable because, music lover that he was, Harry had never before heard a piano played live, explained Wendy Moffat, another Forster biographer.

Despite happy interludes, their six-year relationship foundered as Forster, terrified that his sexuality might be made public, realised Daley was wildly indiscreet.

In 1932, he turned instead to another, far more circumspect, policeman named Bob Buckingham  a galling choice given that it was Daley who had first introduced them.

For Daley, the break rankled and he began to sense, or imagine, hostility on the part of Forster and his friends  adding to his awareness of social tensions in their friendship. All this led to a cooling-off between the two men, and between Daley and the Bloomsbury set.

When he retired from the police in 1950, he joined the Merchant Navy, keen to see more of the world, but soon fell ill with diabetes and spent the years before his death in 1971 in Dorking. He shared the former family home with his brother David, who was also gay, and Davids long-term partner John.

Daley never seems to have found a relationship like that for himself and the closest he came may have been his affair with E. M. Forster.

They met again briefly in 1960 when J.R. Ackerley won a literary award and invited them both to a celebratory dinner at the Savoy. There, Daley told Forster that he was writing his memoirs but he was not to worry for he had become discreet in his old age, and Forster replied that he had become indiscreet in his old age, so Daley could write what he pleased.

In the event, Daley made no mention of any of the Bloomsbury set in the eye-poppingly frank autobiography, This Small Cloud, published 15 years after his death.

Today, the most tangible reminder of Daleys unlikely entanglement with the Bloomsbury Group is that painting by Grant, in Londons Guildhall Art Gallery.

Shown in his helmet and tunic, with gleaming buttons down the front, he seems the very picture of a traditional policeman of the interwar years  an image as far from the real Harry Daley as Dixon of Dock Green is from modern-day policing.
Guwahati/Aizawl, Feb 13 : The Assam Assembly on Friday discussed the Assam-Mizoram border disputes even as tension prevailed in the villages along the borders of the two northeastern states following the violent incidents on Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to the southern Assam's Hailakandi district officials, the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr Pc have been continued on Friday along the bordering areas, in addition to the deployment of a large contingent of security forces in the area.

In fresh trouble along the Assam-Mizoram borders, in a series of incidents at least 10 people were injured and around 20 houses were burnt down by 'unknown miscreants' at Kachurthal in Assam's Hailakandi district adjoining Bairabi in Mizoram's Kolasib district on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Over 100 people belonging to 20 affected families are staying in the relief camps after their houses were torched by the miscreants.

Additional Director General of Assam Police (border) Mukesh Agrawal and Superintendent of Police of Hailakandi district Pabindra Kumar Nath have been camping in the trouble-torn areas for the past three days.

In the second day of the three-day budget session of the Assam Assembly, raising the border issue Congress accused the BJP-led government for not protecting the state's territory being encroached by Mizoram.

Attacking the BJP government, Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said that the BJP came to power in the state in 2016 by promising to protect "jati" (community), "mati" (land) and "bheti" (foundation), but it entirely failed to keep its commitment though it is the time for the state government to take strong actions to save the state's territory.

"Taking advantage of Assam government's laxity, after encroaching state's territory, people of Mizoram had carried some constructions and hoist the flag of their studentsaA organisation," said Dey Purkayastha, who was supported by another legislator Sujam Uddin Laskar.

Both the MLAs are hailed from southern Assam Barak Valley region. Industry and Commerce Minister and government spokesman Chandra Mohan Patowary replying to the legislators' observations, said that the state government is fully aware of the border situation."Assam government doesn't want any confrontation but cooperation. We had several rounds of discussions earlier with the Mizoram government. We would discuss the matter again with the Mizoram government to resolve the issue cordially," the Minister said.

The Deputy Commissioner of Hailakandi district, Megh Nidhi Dahal, said that they are investigating all aspects of the incident. aceWe are providing relief and other assistance to the affected families.

Senior district and police officials are camping in the area since Tuesday," Dahal told IANS over phone from Hailakandi.

An Assam police official said that the fresh troubles began on Tuesday when some people from Mizoram objected and attacked the civilians on our side after the PWD department had undertaken repair work of a road in Kachurthal village along the Assam-Mizoram inter-state border.

Some miscreants burnt down at least 20 houses on Tuesday night, but fortunately the people inside managed to escape, the official said.A Mizoram police officer in Aizawl, however, said that two employees of Mizoram power and electricity department and a member of Bairabi village council were thrashed by the local people from Assam territory after they had gone for a survey in the bordering area.

Since October last year, several inter-state border skirmishes have taken place along the Assam-Mizoram borders and over 50 people were injured and more than 25 houses and shops had been set on fire on the Assam side.

Following the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, top Home Ministry officials and Chief Ministers of the two states, Central para-military troopers were deployed along the Assam-Mizoram inter-state borders to prevent fresh troubles after a series of clashes and blockades on the National Highway 306.

The National Highway (NH) 306, the lifeline of Mizoram, connects the mountainous northeastern state with the rest of the country via southern Assam.Three districts of Mizoram - Aizawl, Kolasib and Mamit - share a 164.6 km inter-state border with southern Assam's Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts.

The tension along the two northeastern states had intensified after a bomb blast at an Assam government school in October last year and the alleged abduction of 48-year-old Intyaz Ali from Lailapur and his subsequent death in the Mizoram government's custody on November 2, prompting the local residents to agitate.

While its not what Michiganders would call a snowstorm in February, Ann Arbor can expect a steady snow for a period on Saturday.

Light snow will develop Saturday morning and become steady Saturday afternoon. The steady snow will taper off Saturday night. By Sunday morning, an easy shoveling of our sidewalks will be necessary.

Heres the radar forecast for Saturday, showing the light snow growing in coverage through the day.

Radar forecast from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

The timeframe with widespread light snow most likely will be late Saturday afternoon, as evidenced by the radar forecast below.

Radar forecast at 4 p.m. Saturday, February 13, 2021

Heres the total snowfall expected this weekend.

Total snowfall forecast for Saturday, February 13, 2021

In the Ann Arbor area we can expect 1 inch of snow Saturday to maybe 2 inches of snow.

So its not a big snowstorm. It is a widespread accumulating snow. If you have to drive anywhere in Lower Michigan Saturday afternoon, you will need to slow down.
At least six workers of a private fireworks factory near Sattur in this district were killed in an explosion at the unit on Friday, police said.

The incident happened while some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks, police said.

Fire

Ten fire fighting units from various locations have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire in the factory at Acchankulam village.

Initial reports quoting fire service personnel said about 10 people were injured in the explosion.
Danish design brand HAY has become known for tweaking everyday objects and turning them into happy, attention-grabbing focal points for the home. Take the brands colorful folded Paper Paper Bins with their swirling design and pops of color that transform the humble wastebasket into a small object of beauty. Chicagos CB2 is another brand known for shining a spotlight on the small stuff, and the brands collaborations with outside design stars have resulted in some of the best examples of putting a spin on the everyday. In their hands, even a simple deck of playing cards is elevated to the exceptional.
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The UK Government is prioritising support for efforts to thwart terrorism in Northern Ireland.

It hailed the transformation of the security situation in the region over the last 20 years as a credit to the people of the region and security agencies.

However, it noted the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in 2019, a killing that shocked the world, as a reminder of a small number of dissident republicans who remain intent on killing.

Lyra McKee (PSNI)

The response came following a report from a Westminster committee which urged Stormont to consider an overhaul of Northern Irelands justice system to tackle terrorism.

The report by the Intelligence and Security Committee last October warned terrorism has not gone away, and dissident republicans remain capable of serious damage.

In its response published online on Thursday, the Government said it continues to prioritise support for efforts to ensure a safer Northern Ireland.

It said many of the levers to stem paramilitary recruitment sit with the devolved administration, adding that considerable work has been undertaken since the Fresh Start Agreement in 2015 to address vulnerabilities that can make people susceptible to involvement with paramilitaries.

A billboard for a government campaign against paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland (Rebecca Black/PA)

The UK Government has already provided 25m over five years to support the Northern Ireland Executives Tackling Paramilitarism, Criminality and Organised Crime Programme.

The programme uses methodology and delivery approaches that address Northern Irelands unique challenges as well as drawing on national and international best practice.

This is a cross-Executive programme involving at least seven departments, 22 statutory agencies and over 50 other partners.

That reflects the nature of the problem and where the levers and expertise sit to address them.

The committees report was also critical of the justice system.

The Government response said it is wholly supportive of important work that is being done by the devolved administrations to address the specific issue of delay in the justice system, including the introduction of relevant legislation.

It also welcomed the restoration of devolution and appointment of ministers in January 2020 to provide the political impetus for the programme.

Meanwhile, in response to the committees warning that post-Brexit infrastructure on the Irish border could be targeted by dissident republicans and used as a recruiting tool, the Government said the Northern Ireland Protocol meant that a hard border has been avoided.
Detecting multiple sepsis biomarkers from whole blood - made fast, accurate, and cheap

(BOSTON) -- Many life-threatening medical conditions, such as sepsis, which is triggered by blood-borne pathogens, cannot be detected accurately and quickly enough to initiate the right course of treatment. In patients that have been infected by an unknown pathogen and progress to overt sepsis, every additional hour that an effective antibiotic cannot be administered significantly increases the mortality rate, so time is of utmost essence.

The challenge with rapidly diagnosing sepsis stems from the fact that measuring only one biomarker often does not allow a clear-cut diagnosis. Engineers have struggled for decades to simultaneously quantify multiple biomarkers in whole blood with high specificity and sensitivity for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic applications as this would avoid time-consuming and costly blood processing steps in which informative biomarker molecules could potentially be lost.

Now, a multi-disciplinary team at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the University of Bath, UK, led by Wyss Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., and Wyss Senior Staff Scientist Pawan Jolly, Ph.D., has further developed the Institute's eRapid technology as an affinity-based, low-cost electrochemical diagnostic sensor platform for the multiplexed detection of clinically relevant biomarkers in whole blood. The device uses a novel graphene nanocomposite-based surface coating and was demonstrated to accurately detect three different sepsis biomarkers simultaneously. The findings are reported in Advanced Functional Materials.

"In this study, we have taken an important step towards deploying our electrochemical sensor platform in clinical settings for fast and sensitive detection of multiple analytes in human whole blood. As the nanocomposite coating we developed here is inexpensive, it has the potential to revolutionize point-of-care diagnostics not only to test for sepsis biomarkers, but a much broader range of biomarkers that can be multiplexed in sets to report on the states of many diseases and conditions," said Ingber, who also is a lead of the Wyss Institute's Bioinspired Therapeutics and Diagnostics platform, and the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS.

Ingber, Jolly and their Wyss team are currently also developing eRapid electrochemical sensors with the newly engineered graphene-based nanocomposite coating as a critical component of a point-of-care diagnostic for COVID, traumatic brain injury, myocardial infarction, and many other disorders.

By developing their electrochemical sepsis-sensing technology, Ingber's team built on earlier work published in Nature Nanotechnology, in which they had solved the problem of "biofouling" with electro-chemical sensing elements with their eRapid technology. In theory, electrochemical biosensors would be preferred for many clinical applications because of their ability to quantify the content of biological samples by directly converting the binding event of a biomarker to an electronic signal, their low power consumption and cost, and easy integration with diagnostic readers. However, especially when using whole blood, many blood components nonspecifically bind to the surface coatings of the sensors' electrodes and lead to their degradation, as well as electric noise in the form of false signals.

The team's eRapid technology uses a novel antifouling nanocomposite coating for electrodes to which binding reagents are attached that capture biomarker molecules from small quantities of blood and other complex biological fluids. Upon chemically detecting any one of these biomarker molecules with high sensitivity and selectivity, the eRapid platform generates an electrical signal at the electrodes that correlates in strength with the levels of target molecules that are detected. The initial nanocomposite coating allowed excellent conversion of chemical to electrical signals, and relied on tiny electrically conductive gold nanowires that were embedded in a matrix of a crosslinked protein known as bovine serum albumin. However, the high costs of the gold materials had been the major barrier to commercializing eRapid for clinical applications.

"In our advanced eRapid version, we replaced the coating's gold nanowires with graphene oxide nanoflakes that also have anti-fouling and electrochemical properties, but they are much less expensive and allow even more sensitive measurements. In fact, the costs of fabricating the nanocomposite were reduced to a fraction of its original cost, which together with the sensing technology's speed, efficiency, and versatility should enable the eRapid platform to have immediate commercial impact," said Jolly.

After optimizing and characterizing their nanocomposite coating in binding assays for the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6, the team applied it to the diagnosis of sepsis. Essentially, by attaching an antibody molecule to the coating that binds procalcitonin (PCT), and adding a second PCT-specific antibody to the complex that is linked to an enzyme, a precipitate is formed from a chemical substrate and deposited on the coating. This changes the current of electrons reaching the electrode, and helps register the PCT binding event as an electronic signal.

"We demonstrated that this electrochemical sensor element can detect PCT with high accuracy in whole blood, and validated it by quantifying PCT levels in 21 clinical samples, directly comparing it with a conventional ELISA assay - with excellent correlation," said first-author Uros Zupancic, who was a visiting scholar in Ingber's group from the University of Bath. Zupancic is a Ph.D. candidate mentored by the study's co-authors Despina Moschou, Ph.D., a Lecturer at the University of Bath, and Pedro Estrela, Ph.D., Associate professor and the head of the Centre for Biosensors, Bioelectronics and Biodevices at the University.

The team then extended their approach to simultaneously detecting multiple sepsis biomarkers by also designing sensor elements for C-reactive protein, another sepsis biomarker, and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The PAMP sensor element in particular leverages the Wyss Institute's broad-spectrum pathogen capture technology that uses a genetically engineered protein called FcMBL, which binds more than 100 different pathogens of all classes, as well as molecules on their surfaces that are released into blood when pathogens are killed (PAMPs) and act to trigger the sepsis cascade.

"Assembling three dedicated electrochemical sensor elements for biomarkers that can be present in blood at vastly different concentrations on a single chip posed a significant challenge. However, the three elements in the final sensor exhibited specific responses within the clinically significant range without interfering with each other, and they did so with a turnaround time of 51 minutes, which meets the clinical need of sepsis diagnosis within the first hour," said Zumpancic.

To make the current eRapid technology even more effective and useful for clinical sample analysis, the team integrated it with a microfluidic system that takes out the human element involved in handling the sensor in the laboratory, and enhances the number of biomarker binding events at its surface. This allows biomarker analysis with the system to be automated, and enabled the researchers to decrease the turnaround time for measuring PCT to 7 minutes.

###

The study was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under contract W911NF-16-C-0050, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, the Rosetrees Trust under project M681, and the U.S. Army Research Office.

PRESS CONTACTS

Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University

Benjamin Boettner,

benjamin.boettner@wyss.harvard.edu,

+1 617-432-8232

The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University uses Nature's design principles to develop bioinspired materials and devices that will transform medicine and create a more sustainable world. Wyss researchers are developing innovative new engineering solutions for healthcare, energy, architecture, robotics, and manufacturing that are translated into commercial products and therapies through collaborations with clinical investigators, corporate alliances, and formation of new startups. The Wyss Institute creates transformative technological breakthroughs by engaging in high risk research, and crosses disciplinary and institutional barriers, working as an alliance that includes Harvard's Schools of Medicine, Engineering, Arts & Sciences and Design, and in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston University, Tufts University, Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, University of Zurich and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Alleged killers of J.B. Danquah Adu, former Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North have finally been provided with a new lawyer.



On November 27, last year, Mr Augustine Obuor who had represented the suspects over the past few years withdrew his representation in the case.



Mr Obuor indicated that he had read and seen many videos of one of the suspects, Daniel Asiedu aka Sexy Dondon admitting the crime to the whole world and that it was going to be difficult for him to defend Asiedu.



However during Thursdays court sitting, the High Court presided over by Mrs. Justice Lydia Osei-Marfo, said that Mr Yaw Dankwa, a lawyer has agreed to defend Asiedu and Vincent Bossu, the two suspects.



The court said I have to put on record that My Yaw Dankwa has come into this case on behalf of the accused persons because of the courts intervention.



I had to plead with him to take up the matter of the accused persons when he appeared before me in another case and he gracefully agreed to do that, this being so, Mr Yaw Dankwa is formally the counsel for the accused persons in this case.



The Court therefore ordered him Mr Dankwa to contact the Legal Aid Office in Accra for the disclosure documents which had been in the custody of the previous counsel.



The previous counsel, the court said would be forwarding them to Legal Aid.



Ms Sefakor Batsa, a Principal State Attorney who led the Prosecution said she had contacted the lawyer who was formerly representing the accused persons in respect of handing over the disclosures to the new counsel who will take over the representation of the accused persons.



According to Ms. Batsa, Mr Obuor indicated to her that since he was appointed by the Legal Aid, he would prefer handing over the documents to Legal Aid.



She said Mr Obuor disclosed that, he had been contacted by an officer from Legal Aid who will be coming for the documents.



But before proceeding would end, Asiedu made allegations of being tortured by one of the prison officers.



The Court ordered the prison officers to investigate the matter and adjourned the matter to February 19.



The court held that at the next sitting, the plea of the accused persons would be taken and a jury empaneled.



Asiedu and Bossu are facing a charge of conspiracy.



Asiedu is additionally being held for murder.



The two are believed to be involved in the murder of the late legislature in his home at Shiashie, near East Legon in February 2016.



Accused persons plea have been preserved and they have been remanded into prison custody.

Source: GNA









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Hyderabad, Feb 12 : In a shocking case, a Class 10 student of a private school in Hyderabad died by suicide after her labourer parents could now clear her fee dues.

The school staff was allegedly pressurising Yashaswini, 15, to pay up Rs 3,000 dues.

The parents said she was depressed as she was unable to continue her studies. As the school staff was reportedly making her to call her father for fee, she stopped going to school.

Her parents told the police that when they returned home from work on Thursday evening, they found the house at Kakatiyanagar in Neredmet locked from inside. As there was no response to the repeated knocks, they broke the door latch to find her hanging by a rope.

On a complaint by the girl's family, Neredmet police station under Rachakonda police commissionerate registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances and took up investigation. Police said there was no suicide note.

"Due to financial problems the parents couldn't pay the fee. She apparently felt depressed and took the extreme step," said Neredmet Inspector A Narasimha Swamy. The police official, however, said the girl's parents have not complained of harassment by the school.

The girl's parents said they had paid Rs 15,000 as fee despite loss of earnings during lockdown and had promised to clear the dues later. They alleged that their daughter stopped going to school due to humiliation she was facing.

Schools in Hyderabad and rest of Telangana for Classes ninth and above reopened on February 1, after nearly 10 months due to Covid pandemic.
She adds in an email, you can know a bit about your date going into it. By knowing that their moon is in Scorpio, you may have more patience as they take their time opening up to you. Or by knowing your Venus is in Leo and so is their Sun, you both will have no problem making it Instagram official if and when that day arrives.
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A team of scientists from the United States has recently conducted a study using pericyte-like cell-containing brain cortical organoids as an experimental model to investigate the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the central nervous system.

The study reveals that SARS-CoV-2 can invade cortical organoids and establish infection when they are integrated with pericyte-like cells. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is an enveloped RNA virus that primarily affects both upper and lower respiratory tracts. However, in many COVID-19 cases, SARS-CoV-2 has been found to significantly impact other vital organs, including the heart, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and brain.

A significant proportion of critically ill COVID-19 patients have been found to present with severe neurological complications, including ischemic stroke, seizures, encephalopathy, encephalitis-meningitis, neuro-vasculopathy, and hemorrhages.

Because SARS-CoV-2 enters host cells through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), neural crest stem cell-derived pericytes that express considerably high levels of ACE2 are believed to be the primary brain entry point of SARS-CoV-2. Brain pericytes are perivascular cells that connect endothelial cells with astrocytic cells and regulate important functions of the central nervous system, such as neurogenesis and neuronal degeneration, neuroinflammation, and blood-brain barrier permeability.

In the current study, the scientists aim to explore whether brain pericytes are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SARS-CoV-2 productively infects pericyte-like-cells.

Study design

Using in vitro setups, the scientists generated pericyte-like cells from pluripotent stem cell-derived neural crest stem cells. They observed that the pericyte-like cells expressed a relatively high amount of ACE2 receptor. The next exposed pericyte-like cells with SARS-CoV-2 observed a gradual increase in viral RNA and viral nucleocapsid-positive cells up to 72 hours post-infection to explore the transmission dynamics. Moreover, they estimated that the production of infectious SARS-CoV-2 increased by almost 100-fold after 24 hours of infection.

Given these findings, the scientists investigated whether brain pericytes serve as an entry point for SARS-CoV-2 to the central nervous system. They integrated pericyte-like cells into mature cortical brain organoids, which are three-dimensional cultures of different brain cells that are used as an experimental model of developing the human cerebral cortex. By conducting a series of experiments, they confirmed that pericyte-like cells within cortical organoids were localized together with astrocytes and embedded within the basement membrane.

Upon exposing pericyte-like cell-containing cortical organoids to SARS-CoV-2, they observed significantly higher levels of nucleocapsid-positive cells and viral RNA. In contrast, no such robust infection was observed upon exposing only cortical organoids to SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, they observed that in pericyte-like cell-containing cortical organoids, nucleocapsid-positive cells were co-localized with pericyte-like cells and astrocytes, but not to neurons. Using confocal imaging, they observed that astrocytes were themselves infected by the virus and were localized adjacent to infected pericyte-like cells. These observations indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infects astrocytes via pericyte-like cells.

Regarding the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, they observed a significant induction of neuronal cell death in infected pericyte-like cell-containing cortical organoids. Moreover, transcriptional upregulation of several type I interferon-stimulated genes was observed, indicating a heightened type I interferon inflammatory response in SARS-CoV-2-infected pericyte-like cell-containing cortical organoids. \

PCCOs incorporate pericyte-like cells into cortical organoids.

Study significance

The study reveals that SARS-CoV-2 can potentially infect pericyte-like cells and that susceptibility of cortical organoids to viral infection can be significantly increased by integrating them with pericyte-like cells. The virus-infected pericyte-like cells can spread the infection to other types of brain cells, including astrocytes. Activation of type I interferon responses and the induction of neuronal cell death are vital pathogenic responses observed in SARS-CoV-2 infected pericyte-like cell-containing cortical organoids.

The scientists believe that the cortical organoid model they developed can be instrumental in studying the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in the central nervous system.

*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.
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Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on her way to a court appearance in Vancouver on Jan. 17, 2020. (Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

Huawei Seeks to Access HSBC Files in Bid to Prevent Meng Wanzhou Extradition

Chinese telecom giant Huawei has started legal action in the UK seeking access to internal documents of British-based bank HSBC, in a bid to prevent the extradition of its senior executive Meng Wanzhou from Canada to the United States.

Meng, 48, was arrested by Canadian police on a U.S. warrant in December 2018 while on a layover in Vancouver, bound for Mexico. The United States is charging her with bank fraud, accusing her of misleading HSBC about Huaweis business dealings in Iran, causing the bank to break U.S. sanctions.

A PowerPoint presentation that Meng gave to an HSBC banker in Hong Kong in 2013 has been cited by the United States as key evidence against her. Federal prosecutors allege Meng lied in the presentation about Huaweis relationship with Skycom Tech Co. Ltd., a firm that operated in Iran, which the United States said was in fact a subsidiary of Huawei.

Mengs Canadian lawyers are asserting that the U.S. extradition request was flawed because it omitted key evidence showing Meng did not lie to HSBC about Huaweis relationship with Skycom.

On Friday, Huawei filed an application in the British high court for access to HSBCs internal files, which it hopes will undermine the U.S. case against Meng.

Mengs lawyers are seeking to prove that HSBC knew the extent of Huaweis business dealings in Iran, which they say the United States did not accurately portray in its extradition request to Canada.

HSBC said that Huaweis application for disclosure in the UK is without merit.

HSBC is not a party to the underlying criminal case in the U.S. or the extradition proceeding in Canada. It would be inappropriate to comment further on an ongoing legal matter, an HSBC spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.

Mengs arrest in 2018 triggered a wave of retaliatory actions by the Chinese regime against Canada. Beijing arbitrarily arrested Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in China, later charging them with espionage.

People hold signs calling for China to release Canadian detainees Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig during an extradition hearing for Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada on March 6, 2019. (Lindsey Wasson/Reuters)

U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that Huawei, the worlds largest supplier of telecom gear, poses a security risk to countries that use its equipment for next-generation 5G wireless networks. Their concerns stem from the companys ties to the communist regime in Beijing, as well as Chinese law that compels companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies when asked.

Last July, under pressure from the Trump administration, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson banned Huawei from further input into the UKs telecoms infrastructure by the end of 2020, and set a deadline of 2027 for the stripping out of existing kit from the countrys 5G network.

HSBC, which makes most of its profits in Asia, has recently drawn fierce criticism from the U.S. and UK governments for supporting the Chinese regimes imposition of a draconian national security law on Hong Kong.

Last week, it was criticised by an international coalition of lawmakers for freezing accounts belonging to activists associated with Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement.

Justina Wheale, Isaac Teo, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Gruesome pictures show how coronavirus ravaged blood vessels of a womans fingers that had to be amputated. A 86-year-old Covid-infected womans three fingers had to be cut off after the disease attacked her blood vessels, turning them black.

The pictures were shared in a medical journal, European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, of the necrotic dead fingers which the doctors in Italy called a case of severe manifestation of coronavirus. Similar cases have been found in many coronavirus patient where it has caused severe damage to blood vessels, causing dangerous blockages known as blood clots.

The elderly Italian woman was said to have dry gangrene of the second, fourth and fifth fingers of the right hand but didnt show any symptoms of Covid-19, states the journal. Scientists believe that she suffered blood clots that cut off supply to her fingers.

Mirror reports that she has acute coronary syndrome in March in which blood flow to the heart is reduced suddenly and blood clots cut off supply to her fingers. Immune system can go into overdrive in the cykotine storm when healthy tissue can be damaged, and if blood vessels are damaged,there is a chance of them leaking, hence, blood pressure can drop and patients can have increased clots forming.

In March, the woman was prescribed blood-thinning drugs when doctors found a lack of flow into her heart. When she was tested for coronavirus by doctors in Fermo in Rome, the results came positive. With no symptoms of corona, a month later, the woman developed dry gangrene resulting in her fingers turning black.

Doctors found that she had low pressure in the digital arteries. The medical team had to amputate her three fingers, and after an examination of the dead tissue under a microscope, signs of intravascular thrombosis were found.

Grahan Cooke, Professor at National Institute for Health Research, said that Covid is a multi-system disease and one of its features that differs it from other viral diseases is this more hypercoagulable state, in which the blood clots more than necessary.

Doctors have claimed that they have noticed a large amount of Covid-19 patients with blood clotting issues.

Daily Mail reports that Professor Roopen Arya, from Kings College London, estimated that 30% of coronavirus patients had blood clots in May.

He added that it is clear that thrombosis is a major problem during COVID-19 infection.
In the aftermath of the election, critics have pounced on the conservative legal movement for its role in the Trump administration. But they miss the crucial role of those who boldly defended the rule of law.

President Trump notably selected many federal judges from the Federalist Society, the countrys leading association of conservative and libertarian lawyers. Even more society members joined his administration. These members faced significant pressure to ignore the facts and law, as Trump launched a months-long effort to overturn his election loss, culminating in the infamous assault on the U.S. Capitol.

But Trumps efforts resoundingly failed precisely because of Federalist Society members deep, abiding commitment to the rule of law. Unfortunately, this common commitment has been largely overlooked.

Respect for the rule of law is fundamental to the Federalist Society, as reflected in its statement of purpose. All members share this basic commitment, but they often disagree in good faith about how it applies. As a result, the Federalist Society is an incredibly big tent, home to a wide spectrum of views. Individual members do not define the society. Nor do its national and local-chapter leaders. The Federalist Society takes no official position on members behalf about any specific policy or legal questions.

The Federalist Society instead fosters vigorous, civil debate, including with those outside its ranks, on all sorts of legal questions with enormous implications for liberty and democracy. Challenging ideas sharpen members thinking, strengthening the organizations commitment to its fundamental principles. All agree, however, on two core principles: Every argument must be debated and ultimately judged according to the rule of law. And the laws content does not depend on politics or raw power.

Because of these shared principles, many Federalist Society members courageously rejected Trumps attempts to overturn the election. Across the country, dozens of Republican-appointed judges, including many of Trumps own appointees, dismissed meritless election lawsuits. Off the bench, former appellate Judge J. Michael Luttig, Vice President Pences attorney Greg Jacob, and Berkeley law professor John Yoo all advised Pence that he could not unilaterally reject duly certified electoral votes. Based on the Constitutions clear text, they convinced Pence that he had no such authority.

Senior Department of Justice leaders also resisted really intense pressure to support Trumps efforts to sue states directly in the Supreme Court and launching unfounded investigations against Georgia. Attorney General Bill Barr, his acting successor, Jeffrey Rosen, and acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall all refused because they saw no factual or legal basis for such actions. And they received strong support from other Federalist Society members, such as Assistant AG Steven Engel and White House counsel Pat Cipollone.

Recently, some observers have suggested that the Federalist Society is somehow complicit in Trumps efforts to overturn the election, pointing in particular to the actions of John Eastman. But Eastman was overwhelmingly the exception to the many other Federalist Society members who opposed those efforts.

On the Trump administrations way out of power, Federalist Society judges and lawyers followed the law neutrally and dispassionately, despite enormous political pressure. They assessed their legal duty based on the text of the Constitution and relevant statutes  regardless of the implications for conservative policy goals, the Republican Party, and Donald Trump. We are all textualists now, Justice Elena Kagan once observed, but it was not always so. That widespread consensus reflects the remarkable success of the Federalist Societys nearly 40-year effort to create and foster a legal culture dedicated to the proposition that law is not merely politics in disguise.

History will not kindly remember Donald Trumps meritless attempts to frustrate the peaceful transition of power, but ironically, his greatest legacy may be the very judges and lawyers he selected from the Federalist Society who rejected those efforts. Their principled courage ensured that our government remains one of laws rather than of men. It also demonstrated the strength of the conservative legal movement. Whatever threatens the rule of law, the Federalist Society has been and remains the answer  it is emphatically the solution, not the problem.
President Joe Biden has said that hes anxious to see how Senate Republicans will act in the impeachment trial and whether they will stand up, in rare comments as the President has been trying to stay out of the limelight during the trial.

Im just anxious to see what my Republican friends do, if they stand up, Mr Biden told CNN in his first statement on the trial since the Democratic House impeachment managers rested their case Thursday.

He added that he doesnt plan on talking to any of the Senators about the impeachment trial or about how they might vote.

While not explicit, the comments strongly indicate that Mr Biden believes his predecessor in the oval office is guilty and should be convicted of his offences.

A conviction is unlikely as the vast majority of Senate Republicans hold on to the argument that putting a former president on trial is unconstitutional in their haste to acquit Mr Trump.

Mr Biden briefly spoke to reporters on Friday morning as he visited a Valentines Day display set up by first lady Jill Biden on the north lawn of the White House.

Read more: Follow live updates on Mr Trumps second impeachment trial

The ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr Trump have been censured by their state parties. The only Senator who changed his vote on the constitutionality of the trial, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, was also censured by his state Republican Party.

The Louisiana GOP said in a statement that they were profoundly disappointed in Mr Cassidys vote in support of the constitutionality of the trial after the first day of arguments in the proceedings.

Mr Biden and his White House staff have been trying to avoid talking about the trial to focus on their own agenda. He told reporters Thursday that Im focused on my job, to deal with the promises I made. And we all know we have to move on.

My guess is some minds may be changed, Mr Biden added. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that he was not intending to give a projection or prediction.

Republican strategist Mike DuHaime told The New York Times Thursday: The longer Donald Trump stays central to the news, the better it is for Biden. The constant reminder of Trumps worst actions makes Biden look great by comparison, simply by acting sane.

Mr DuHaime added that as long as Mr Trump is in the news, it distracts attention from any controversial policy or personnel moves Biden is making during his first 100 days.
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Did India cede territory to China: Ask your grandfather Kishan Reddy tells Rahul Gandhi

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 12: Reacting sharply to Rahul Gandhi's statement on the India-China issue, Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy said that he must ask his grandfather (Jawaharlal Nehru) about who had given up India's territory to China.

He must ask his grandfather about who has given up India's territory to China and he will get his answer. Who is a patriot and who is not, the public knows it all, Reddy also said.

Union Minister, R K singh said that the government has shown the neighbouring countries that India will fight back if attacked. He added that Rahul Gandhi's statement is both immature and unparliamentary in nature. He neither understands anything, not does he put in an effort to understanding, Singh also said.

'Modi has given part of India's territory to China': Rahul Gandhi

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi said that the Indian position at the beginning of the situation in Eastern Ladakh was status quo-ante on April 2020. Now sheepishly, the Defence Minister makes a statement and we find that Indian troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3. Finger 4 is our territory. That is where our post used to be. Why has the Prime Minister given up Indian territory to the Chinese.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

The statement comes a day after Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh told Parliament that India would not allow an inch of our territory to be taken by anyone. The statement came after both sides agreed to disengage at Pangong Tso.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 13:00 [IST]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday maintained the government has been taking action on Chinese "incursions" in the West Philippine Sea, as it gave a rundown of the diplomatic protests filed by the Duterte administration against China.

In a statement, the DFA said a total of 60 diplomatic notes were lodged, 45 of which were issued under the term of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., whom President Rodrigo Duterte appointed in October 2018.

"The DFA, under Secretary Locsin's leadership, has been assiduously protesting any infringement on our territory and of our sovereign rights, as well as Chinese actions that amount to provocation, threats or coercion," the department said.

It noted, however, that out of 60 diplomatic protests, the Chinese government "has only addressed issues raised in 48 diplomatic notes."

The DFA did not mention which have not yet been addressed. The most recent diplomatic protest was filed in connection with Chinas new law allowing its Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels.

According to the Chinese military's news website, the legislation passed in January "empowers the Chinese Coast Guard to take action, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights or jurisdiction are being illegally infringed upon or threatened by foreign organizations or individuals at sea."

The measure also states the Chinese Coast Guard has the power to order foreign organizations and individuals to stop the construction of buildings and structures, and the deployment of floating devices in the waters and islands of China.

"For those who do not stop the illegal activities or refuse to make rectification within a time limit, the coast guard may forcibly dismantle [buildings and structures] in accordance with law," the law states, according to state-run China Global Television Network.

The DFA took note of Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilians remarks over CNN Philippines' The Source that there should be no "overinterpretation" of the law, and that "the China Coast Guard will not take any strong measure against any fishermen."

Meanwhile, retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the government should "wait for an actual case"  when China would use the law against the Philippines, and bring the matter to a tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. The DFA said there is no need for this, reiterating that the country already won the case it filed over the South China Sea dispute in 2016.

The arbitral ruling recognized Manilas sovereign rights to areas within its exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea that China contests. It effectively invalidated China's historic nine-dash line claim to the global waterway which includes parts of the West Philippine Sea.

There is no room for interpretation as there is no issue on the maritime rights and jurisdictions on the West Philippine Sea that demands the resort to an international court to resolve, the DFA said.

However, Beijing rejects the landmark decision and insists on owning almost the entire South China Sea.

Last year, the Philippines also protested several actions taken by Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, including the pointing of a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship; issuance of radio challenges at aircraft conducting regular maritime patrols; conduct of marine scientific research without Manilas consent; and the "presumptuous establishment" of two new districts which covered areas claimed by the Philippines.

The DFA said it continues to raise issues in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other fora, as well as through the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism with China, which resumes in March or April this year.
In the last 25 years, scientists have discovered over 4000 planets beyond the borders of our solar system.

From relatively small rock and water worlds to blisteringly hot gas giants, the planets display a remarkable variety. This variety is not unexpected. The sophisticated computer models, with which scientists study the formation of planets, also spawn very different planets. What the models have more difficulty to explain is the observed mass distribution of the planets discovered around other stars. The majority have fallen into the intermediate mass category - planets with masses of several Earth masses to around that of Neptune. Even in the context of the solar system, the formation of Uranus and Neptune remains a mystery. Scientists of the Universities of Zurich and Cambridge, associated with the Swiss NCCR PlanetS, have now proposed an alternative explanation backed up by comprehensive simulations. Their results were published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.

Two contrasting forces...

"When planets form from the so-called protoplanetary disk of gas and dust, gravitational instabilities could be the driving mechanism", Lucio Mayer, study co-author and Professor of Computational Astrophysics at the University of Zurich, and member of the NCCR PlanetS, explains. In this process, dust and gas in the disk clump together due to gravity and form dense spiral structures. These then grow into planetary building blocks and eventually planets.

The scale on which this process occurs is very large - spanning the scale of the protoplanetary disk. "But over shorter distances - the scale of single planets - another force dominates: That of magnetic fields developing alongside the planets", Mayer elaborates. These magnetic fields stir up the gas and dust of the disk and thus influence the formation of the planets. "To get a complete picture of the planetary formation process, it is therefore important to not only simulate the large scale spiral structure in the disk. The small scale magnetic fields around the growing planetary building blocks also have to be included", says lead-author of the study, former doctoral student of Mayer and now Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, Hongping Deng.

...that are difficult to grasp simultaneously

However, the differences in scale and nature of gravity and magnetism make the two forces very challenging to integrate into the same planetary formation model. So far, computer simulations that captured the effects of one of the forces well, usually did poorly with the other. To succeed, the team developed a new modelling technique. That required expertise in a number of different areas: First, they needed a deep theoretical understanding of both gravity and magnetism. Then, the researchers had to find a way to translate the understanding into a code that could efficiently compute these contrasting forces in unison. Finally, due to the immense number of necessary calculations, a powerful computer was required - like the "Piz Daint" at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). "Apart from the theoretical insights and the technical tools that we developed, we were therefore also dependent on the advancement of computing power", Lucio Mayer says.

A decades old puzzle solved?

Against the odds, everything came together at the right time and enabled a breakthrough. "With our model, we were able to show for the first time that the magnetic fields make it difficult for the growing planets to continue accumulating mass beyond a certain point. As a result, giant planets become rarer and intermediate-mass planets much more frequent - similar to what we observe in reality", Hongping Deng explains.

"These results are only a first step, but they clearly show the importance of accounting for more physical processes in planet formation simulations. Our study helps to understand potential pathways to the formation of intermediate-mass planets that are very common in our galaxy. It also helps us understand the protoplanetary disks in general", Ravit Helled, study co-author and Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Zurich and member of the NCCR PlanetS, concludes.

###

Publication details: Formation of intermediate-mass planets via magnetically controlled disk fragmentation, Hongping Deng, Lucio Mayer and Ravit Helled,

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-01297-6

DOI: 0.1038/s41550-020-01297-6

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Middle and high schools may open at any level of community spread if they conduct weekly coronavirus testing of students and staff members. The agency also recommended that at higher levels of community spread, all schools reduce attendance by having students come to class on different days or by having some groups of students learn virtually.

The guidelines say teacher vaccination, while important, should not be considered a prerequisite for reopening shuttered schools.

Will school districts be required to adopt them?

No, these are recommendations. A majority of the nations school districts are already operating at least partially in person, and the guidelines say that they may continue to do so, even when community transmission is high.

Is there a way to see if my school can safely open under the C.D.C. guidelines?

Sort of. You can look up your communitys test positivity rate and the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days (these numbers are often available on state or county websites, though you might need to do some math to get the rate per 100,000 people), then compare the agencys policy recommendations for that level of transmission with what your school is doing. But the guidelines acknowledge that some schools have been safely open at higher levels of community transmission than the recommendations advise.
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The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum is welcoming in-person visitors.

After months of being closed to the public, the museum opened to visitors Feb. 8.

We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to reopen the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, said Heather Reed, the museums executive director. While we have worked hard to stay connected to the public through our online offerings during the temporary closures, and will continue to do so, our staff also has worked hard behind the scenes to prepare for this reopening. We look forward to seeing everyone again, and providing our guests a safe environment to experience our states amazing history through our museum exhibits and livestock areas.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

According to officials, the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. More information can be found at nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.

As a member of the state Department of Tourisms New Mexico Safe Certified program, the museum offers plenty of room for social distancing on the 47-acre campus and 100,000-square-foot main building.

The capacity during this phase of reopening is 75 people, and face coverings are required (indoors and outdoors).

Home on the Range: From Ranches to Rockets is the current featured exhibit at Farm & Ranch.

The exhibit stretches through two galleries and tells the story of the dramatic transformation of the Tularosa Basin during World War II and beyond.

Reed says a new feature at the museum on display is the historic horse-drawn hearse that likely was used for the Western lawman Pat Garrett and other prominent Las Crucens during the early 20th century.

Other featured exhibits include Agricultural Beginnings, the New Mexico Colonial Home, Wheels & Gears, Home Sweet Home, Grist for the Mill, and The Cowboy Way: Western Drawings by Robert Shoofly Shufelt.

Visitors to museum can also take a walk to see the livestock, including seven breeds of beef cattle, horses, sheep and a donkey.

Reed says the indoor and outdoor play areas, the barns, cart tours, the greenhouse, pony rides, classrooms, the theater and demonstrations all will be closed to the public.

GET OUTSIDE

Seven of the states historic sites will be open to the public beginning Saturday, Feb. 13. The list of sites can be found at newmexicoculture.org or nmhistoricsites.org.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Samsung is geared up to launch its first quad-camera Galaxy A series smartphone of 2021 next week, that will be priced below Rs 15,000 in India, industry sources said on Friday.

The upcoming Galaxy A12 is likely to sport a large 6.5-inch HD+ display and a huge 5000mAh battery.

Sources told IANS that Galaxy A12 will come with a 'True' 48MP quad-camera setup. It will feature an ultra-wide, macro and depth camera.

This is the first time that Samsung is bringing a quad-camera setup on a Galaxy smartphone priced below Rs 15000 in the country.

Samsung's Galaxy A portfolio is popular among young Gen Z and millennial consumers, looking to buy affordable yet well-designed smartphones.

In the past few weeks, Samsung has launched two sub-Rs 10,000 smartphones in India to create a bigger impact in the affordable segment.

Earlier this month, Samsung launched Galaxy M02 with a large 5000mAh battery, good camera and large screen starting from Rs 6,999 (2GB+32GB variant).

The 3GB+32GB variant costs Rs 7,499 and is available on Amazon.in, Samsung.com and key retails stores.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text



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European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell is confident that the Open Skies Agreement will be signed immediately after the fact that Great Britain is no longer a signatory of this document is documented.

He said this on Thursday in Brussels after the meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council.

"I can assure you that the EU remains committed to the arrangement to sign this agreement (on a joint aviation space (open skies) as soon as possible. What does this mean? (This means that the Agreement will be signed) when it will be updated to reflect the fact that the UK is no longer a signatory to this agreement," Borrell said.
To the Editor:

Re Why the U.S. Needs the Romney Family Plan (column, Feb. 7):

Ross Douthat asserts that a fundamental goal of society is to reproduce itself, and hence that more babies are needed. I would assert that a much more important goal is preservation over the long term of the foundations that will permit sustained human society.

Our planet provides myriad ecosystem services to humanity and to the geobiosphere that supports us. If we persist in limiting ourselves to short-term, single-generational goals  maximizing our economic growth and continuing population increase  future generations are likely to suffer vastly greater declines than we can now barely imagine.

We humans are not good at maintaining such disparate contexts in our thinking. The many generations to come will surely judge us, marveling at our folly as they struggle to sustain what remains.

David Nygren

Arlington, Tex.

The writer is a professor of physics at the University of Texas at Arlington.
It is the start of the public sector budget season. This one may be unlike any we have seen.

For the City of Philadelphia, the economic and tax revenue problems created by the pandemic could develop into a full-blown financial crisis, as the citys massive dependence on the wage tax may no longer be feasible. How the city handles the revenue issues created by its tax structure will go a long way to determining its economic future.

That Philadelphias myriad of taxes is a horror show is hardly anything new. Nearly a decade ago, I wrote a column that ended: The citys tax structure must be changed, and the process should begin now. The more things change, the more ... .

And conditions did change  actually, twice  over the last eight years. First, baby-boomers and Millennials decided that high-density, amenity-rich locations, such as Philadelphia, were where they wanted to live. Population grew, so did property values, the city became a desirable place for businesses to locate, and tax revenues increased at a solid enough pace that the financial situation actually started to look good.

And then the pandemic hit and those helpful trends started reversing.

Density became a threat. Key demographics driving the citys renaissance, baby boomers and millennials, began to question whether they wanted to live near so many others.

At the same time, work-from-home was forced upon businesses. A surprising discovery was that the office was not the only place where business activity could be accomplished efficiently and productively.

And so, the citys tax revenues took a dive.

Although it isnt clear the extent to which the reversal in household and business locations will be sustained, Philadelphia has to be concerned that a significant portion of those changes will wind up becoming permanent. If that happens, given the way Philadelphia raises revenue, a major financial crisis is not unthinkable.

The problem is that the citys tax structure is weighted in all the wrong ways.

The largest source of income derives from the wage tax, which both residents and commuters pay. In fiscal year 2020, out of the $3.6 billion collected for the General Fund, $1.6 billion, or about 45%, came from taxing income.

The wage tax is now under attack from two directions. First, if density is out, household in-migration will slow and out-migration will accelerate. That could reverse the recent increases in population and resident taxpayers.

Second, if work-from-home is sustained, the number of commuters will drop. Although the city may try to limit the damage, if employees live and work outside the city, the tax revenue will disappear.

How much is at risk? Roughly 40% of the wage tax revenue, or about $650 million, comes from commuters.

It would not be surprising if at least 15% of the employees who had been commuting to the city wind up working outside Philadelphia. That would mean $100 million in revenue could be at risk  and that could be a low-ball estimate.

Going forward, the dependence on the wage tax is probably the greatest danger to the citys finances.

But there are many other tax concerns. The movement out of high-density work locations has enormous implications for microeconomies that exist only because of the concentration of activity created by the large number of firms and employees located in the city.

With lowered employment in the citys workplace centers, firms that cater to those companies could face significant declines in demand. There are estimates that a drop of 10% to 15% in traffic could drive many out of business and put their employees out of jobs, lowering wage taxes, sales taxes and property values.

Property tax revenues, which constitute nearly 10% of raised revenue, are also uncertain.

Businesses that reduced their city-based employment can shrink their real estate footprints. That reduces the demand for office space, lowering rents and property values. Look for owners of commercial real estate to file for lower valuations and reduced property taxes.

The potential property tax loss may not be large, as commercial property constitutes only about 20% of property tax revenues, but it will add to the looming financial shortfall.

Slower or negative population growth could damage residential property values. Both home price increases and new construction could slow, limiting the rise in tax revenues.

Where the real estate slide could really hurt is in the realty transfer tax. In the last fiscal year, it raised $320 million, or almost 9% of the general fund revenue. The reductions here could be especially hurtful.

The pandemic has altered, for the worse, key trends that had been powering Philadelphias growth. These are not temporary or cyclical changes.

Although almost every tax is impacted by the outward movement of households and businesses, the citys key source of revenue, the wage tax, is most vulnerable.

Just as vehicle fuel economies and electric vehicles led to the emptying of highway trust funds, the loss of density as an attractive force could drain much money from the citys coffers.

Philadelphias financial situation is already dire as revenues are down by double digits this fiscal year. If the next federal stimulus bill contains major funding for state and local governments, the city could skate through the rest of the year. But when households, businesses and governments have to stand on their own, the reliance upon the wage tax could be brought home.

Philadelphia is hardly alone in facing pandemic-generated financial issues. Either Philadelphia must find a way to diversify and modernize its tax structure or the nation must figure out a new way to help cities face this kind of challenge.

Joel L. Naroff is president and chief economist of Naroff Economics.

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[February 12, 2021] LimaCorporate and TechMah Medical Receive Regulatory Approvals For Smart SPACE Digital Platform

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LimaCorporate and TechMah Medical LLC announced today important strides in the development of their digital platform designed to assist surgeons in delivering improved outcomes with an accessible and sustainable economic model, following LimaCorporate's milestone-based acquisition of TechMah Medical. TechMah Medical was founded by Dr. Mohamed Mahfouz, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Michael Johnson, and Dr. Emam ElHak Abdel Fatah in 2014. On December 28, 2020 TechMah Medical LLC received 510-K clearance from the FDA for its proprietary Smart SPACE Humeral 3D Positioner for use in Total Shoulder Arthroplasty and on February 3, 2021 it received 510-K clearance for its Smart SPACE Cubit Guidance also for Total Shoulder Arthroplasty. In addition, on January 19, 2021, the CE Mark for the Apple Macintosh OS version of the Smart SPACE 3D Virtual Planner was obtained by LimaCorporate. Smart SPACE is LimaCorporate's digital platform and features novel orthopedic technology and a rich pipeline of landscape-changing applications. Smart SPACE is a new environment designed to further enable the surgeon and enhance the predictability of surgical outcomes providing peace-of-mind to the physician. The Humeral 3D Positioner and Shoulder Cubit Guidance are important and innovative cornerstones of the Smart SPACE ecosystem. This pioneering digital platform is intended to allow surgeons to develop a complete pre-operative plan, utilizing the Smart SPACE 3D Virtual Planner and execute the plan precisely using a combination of patient-customized 3D Positioners and the Cubit Guidance System with its proprietary sensor technology. Surgeons using the system receive real time feedback regarding instrument and implant positioning, all while maintaining their desired OR and patient set up. Smart SPACE Shoulder Planner is currently in a controlled release within the United States and Europe. LimaCorporate is planning to commence the commercial release of the Shoulder Planner later in Q1 2021 and will initiate surgeries with the Humeral 3D Positioner and Shoulder Cubit Guidancein Q2 2021. Smart SPACE was developed in collaboration with TechMah Medical LLC.



Luigi Ferrari, LimaCorporate CEO, stated: "Following with our tradition of innovation, we are planning a significant number of new product releases for 2021. We are thrilled that many of our new product releases in 2021 involve Smart SPACE, our contribution to transform orthopedics in 2021. I am very excited to see tangible progress on the release of Smart SPACE." About LimaCorporate

LimaCorporate is a global medical device company providing reconstructive orthopedic solutions to surgeons who face the challenges of improving the quality of life of their patients. Based in Italy, LimaCorporate is committed to the development of innovative products and procedures to enable surgeons to select the ideal solution for every individual patient. LimaCorporate's product range includes large joint revision and primary implants and complete extremities solutions including fixation.

About TechMah Medical

TechMah Medical is a technology company focused on delivering orthopedic solutions. We build innovative applications designed to improve patient and clinician experience throughout the joint replacement process. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, our team of scientists and engineers are driven to improve quality and efficiency through customization. About the Founders

Professor Mohamed R. Mahfouz

Dr. Mahfouz is a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. His research interest is in medical imaging and wireless sensors in the biomedical field. He has more than 150 journal articles published in upper tier distinguished international journals, more than 400 abstracts and short papers accepted for publication at international conferences and has given more than 50 guest lectureships worldwide. Dr. Mahfouz has also authored 14 book chapter. In addition, he has more than 90 issued patents in medical sensors, medical imaging, and surgical navigation systems. Dr. Mahfouz is the Principal Founder and President/CEO of TechMah Medical LLC. His primary focus is on moving research concepts into medical applications in the fields of medical imaging, orthopedic surgery, real-time positioning, electronic hardware, and many others. Dr. Mahfouz has over 30 years of experience in industry and academia. Dr. Michael Johnson

Dr. Johnson is a co-founder and Senior Vice President at TechMah Medical. After receiving his Biomedical Engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Johnson pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is focused on building the right teams, strategy, and infrastructure to take complex medical technology from concept to product. His previous experience includes positions of increasing responsibility in research, technical development, and management. Dr. Emam ElHak Abdel Fatah

Dr. Emam ElHak Abdel Fatah is the Vice President of Research and Development of TechMah Medical LLC and one of its co-founders. In addition, he serves as a research assistant professor at the University of Tennessee. During his two decades of experience in medical imaging, machine learning and orthopedics he has bridged the gap between academia and industry. With a deep passion for innovation, Dr. Abdel Fatah aids in building the strategic vision for technologies, evolving ideas into products and guiding multiple development teams as they bring products through regulatory approvals. For additional information on the companies, please visit: www.limacorporate.com

Limacorporate spa

Via Nazionale, 52

33038 Villanova di San Daniele

Udine  Italy

t: +39 0432 945511

e.: 291416@email4pr.com or www.techmahmedical.com

Dr. Mohamed R. Mahfouz

2099 Thunderhead Rd Ste 302

Knoxville TN 37922

+1 865 263 1500 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/limacorporate-and-techmah-medical-receive-regulatory-approvals-for-smart-space-digital-platform-301227580.html SOURCE TechMah Medical LLC

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Britains Supreme Court ruled on Friday that more than 40,000 people in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria can make pollution claims against Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell in English courts.

The ruling overturned a 2017 decision against the Ogale and Bille communities, who brought legal claims for clean-up and compensation following decades of repeated spills in the oil-rich region.

The claimants have argued for five years that their case against Shell and its subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), should be heard in London because they could not expect justice in a Nigerian court.

The UK decision comes two weeks after a court in the Netherlands ordered Shell to compensate Nigerian farmers for oil spills on land in two villages in the Niger Delta after 13 years of legal battles.

In their judgment, five judges at Britains highest court said the previous decision by the lower Court of Appeal was a material error of law and focused too narrowly on the relationship between Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary.

Shell had argued it could not be held legally responsible for the pollution in the region in southern Nigeria and so the cases should not be heard in England.

 Watershed moment 

This Supreme Court judgment gives real hope to the people of Ogale and Bille who have been asking Shell to clean up their oil for years, said Daniel Leader, from London law firm Leigh Day, which represents the claimants.

He said he hoped the decision would lead to action from Shell, and called the ruling a watershed moment to bring multinational companies to account.

Increasingly impoverished communities are seeking to hold powerful corporate actors to account and this judgment will significantly increase their ability to do so, he added.

Shell called the ruling disappointing and attributed the spills in the Niger Delta to criminal activity.

The spills at issue happened in communities that are heavily impacted by oil theft, illegal oil refining, and the sabotage of pipelines, it said in a statement.

Regardless of the cause of a spill, SPDC cleans up and remediates.

The Ogale and Bille villagers say they have suffered systematic and ongoing oil pollution for decades because of Shells operations in Nigeria, including the pollution of drinking water.

In 2011, the United Nations Environment Programme said spills in the Niger Delta would take 30 years to clean up.

Shell has faced other legal action linked to its operations in Nigeria in Dutch court.

The widows of four Nigerian activists executed by the military regime of General Sani Abacha in the 1990s have accused Shell of complicity in their deaths.

The men were hanged in 1995 alongside Ken Saro-Wiwa, who campaigned against Shell activities in the Ogoniland area of the delta because of health and environmental impacts.

Shell also faces a landmark legal bid to force it to meet emissions targets in the Paris climate accords, brought by several environmental groups in the Netherlands led by Friends of the Earth in 2019.

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 2021 AFP

RFI is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish.
New Delhi: Jharkhand High Court is all set to hear the bail plea of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in Ranchi on Friday (February 12). In two separate fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal from Dumka treasury, a CBI court had sentenced the RJD supremo to seven years imprisonment.

Lalu Prasad petitioned the High Court to grant him bail on the basis of deducting half the period of the sentence in the case. If Lalu Prasad gets bail today, he will come out of jail.

Notably, Lalu Prasad is being tried for five fodder scam cases, and he has been convicted in four cases. He has already got bail in three cases, while one case is currently underway in a CBI court. The petition on behalf of Lalu Prasad stated that the RJD chief has completed 42 months, 28 days of custody in jail.

On Thursday, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief's elder son and party MLA Tej Pratap Yadav sent 50,000 postcard letters to President Ram Nath Kovind requesting him to release the former Bihar Chief Minister from jail on humanitarian grounds. Calling the letter `Azadi Patra`, Tej Pratap Yadav said that the campaign will continue until his father is released.

Tej Pratap Yadav said told ANI in Patna, "We are collecting these letters written by followers of Lalu Ji from Bihar and India. This campaign will continue until he is released. I will request President to give time to meet me," adding "I am appealing to all to write the letter and submit it to us and we will send to the President of India."

Lalu Prasad Yadav was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi from the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on the advice of the State Medical Board. He reached Ranchi`s Birsa Munda Airport on Saturday evening from where he will be airlifted to Delhi.

Live TV

Last month, Dr Umesh Prasad, Lalu`s physician, had said that the RJD chief's kidney was functioning at 25 percent capacity and his situation could take a turn for the worse. Lalu Prasad Yadav, who had been in prison since December 2017, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2018 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and seven years under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the fodder scam case.

Both the sentences are being served consecutively. The case pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.5 crores from the Dumka treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996 when Yadav served as the State`s Chief Minister.

(With Agency Inputs)

KYODO NEWS - Feb 12, 2021 - 15:34 | All, Japan

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said Friday its probe has found four senior bureaucrats dined with one of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's three sons on a combined total of 12 occasions, beginning in 2016, and received gifts from him.

The ministry has been investigating the matter after a weekly magazine reported that the four had been taken to posh Tokyo restaurants and been given gifts by the son, who works at Tohokushinsha Film Corp., a satellite broadcasting company.

The four are Yasuhiko Taniwaki and Mabito Yoshida, both vice minister for policy coordination, Yoshinori Akimoto, director-general of the information and communications bureau, and Hironobu Yumoto, deputy director-general of the same bureau.

The National Public Service Ethics Law prohibits central government officials from receiving favors from stakeholders. The ministry is responsible for the broadcaster license issued to a unit of Tohokushinsha Film.

Suga's son became acquainted with some of the senior bureaucrats when he served as a secretary to his father, who was internal affairs and communications minister between 2006 and 2007, according to weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun.

Suga has said he was not aware of his son's attendance at the dinners in question.

Related coverage:

Senior bureaucrats' lavish dining with Suga's son under probe

Half-a-dozen long-stemmed red roses and a box of chocolates is the classic way to say I love you on Valentines Day but lockdown is not making things easy for sweethearts  or for florists.

For purveyors of flowers, its the biggest day of the year, along with Mothers Day and Christmas. But amid the pandemic, many business owners are worried their local customers may opt for the convenience of just grabbing a bunch from the supermarket, along with a sliced pan and a carton of milk. Florists are not allowed to offer a click-and-collect service.

Its actually soul-destroying. Youre walking through Lidl and youre wondering if you should even bother opening, said Carin OSullivan, of Strelitzias Floristry and Irish Craft Shop in Bantry, Co Cork.

I do feel that its grossly unfair that supermarkets are selling loads and loads of non-essential items like Valentines goodies.

Carin is originally from South Africa but after 20 years of living in the UK, moved to Bantry 18 months ago with her husband Dave, a maintenance manager at a hotel but currently on the Covid payment.

She is steadily building up her business but had to think outside the box in order to survive, striking a deal with a local garage to stock her flowers and Valentines Day packages such as balloons and teddy bears on their forecourt.

She has also agreed with a local organic farmer to stock his vegetable boxes at her shop. He was delighted because hes got a little baby and he had been trying to get into Bantry, she said.

Meanwhile, she has also recently begun to sell other items like hand-wash and face masks, saying: If the supermarkets can carry on selling on non-essential items, then Ill sell essential items.

My husband doesnt buy me flowers because I work with flowers. I get a nice card or perfume.

But if somebody was going to buy me flowers from the supermarket or from a florist, Id appreciate the florist more because it shows they made an effort.

Read More

Carin said the supermarkets were not competing fairly with florists, for whom the cost of a single rose from the Netherlands is around 2.78.

The supermarkets have a different arrangement  whatever they dont sell, they just send back.

Florists took to the airwaves during the week to vent their frustration on RTEs Liveline over how the Level 5 restrictions are severely affecting their business, while supermarkets are allowed to sell flowers at knockdown prices, with one supermarket offering 100 roses for 40.

At the Blue Rose Florist in Dublins Raheny, manager Marie Bradley thinks they have lost 30pc of their business due to the lack of passing trade.

Because they are not allowed to offer click and collect, she has had to decline business, probably turning down around 30 offers so far from people who said they just wanted to grab something from her shop.

The amount of people who ask me if they can get something delivered before 10am and I cant do that so were losing that sale.

Were OK because we have a good online presence but not everybody does and if youre based in a shopping centre, it must be really hard watching everyone come out of Dunnes and Tesco with their bunch of flowers.

We could be doing a lot better. Were basically having to say that 30pc of our business is gone because we dont have the passing trade.

Its not that we think were more important than any other business, like the pubs or restaurants. No, we dont. But its Mothers Day, Valentines and Christmas for us  it only happens three days of the year.

Meanwhile, she worries for her older male customers. Theyre not used to ordering online  theyre knocking on my shutter and asking if they can get their flowers. They dont want to buy with a card, they pay with cash.

"I dont know what theyre going to do. Im assuming their daughter will help them  if they have one.

While at Windmill Flowers in Drogheda, Co Louth, manager Niamh Gogarty said they too had lost about 25pc to 35pc of their business due to the lack of passing trade.

Click and collect would be better but the orders are coming in and were just trying to do our best.

The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Maryland legislature today delivered a resounding victory for kids and health by overriding the governor's veto and enacting a $1.75 per pack increase in the state cigarette tax. The cigarette tax increase is a win-win-win solution for Maryland  a health win that will reduce smoking and save lives, a financial win that will raise much-needed revenue and a political win that polls show is popular with voters. We applaud the legislative champions and local public health groups for their leadership in fighting tobacco use  still the No. 1 cause of preventable death. We hope this action provides momentum for Maryland to soon end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, which is another critical step to stop tobacco companies from targeting and addicting kids.

Cigarette smoking damages nearly every organ in the human body and greatly harms overall health, including by increasing risk of respiratory infections. Maryland's actions to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit could not be more timely. The evidence is clear that raising the price of cigarettes is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among kids. The $1.75 cigarette tax increase is projected to:

Prevent 15,300 Maryland kids from becoming smokers

kids from becoming smokers Spur 32,600 current adult smokers to quit

Save 12,700 Marylanders from premature, smoking-caused deaths

Save over $970 million in future health care costs.

In addition to increasing the cigarette tax, the new law also increases taxes on various other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping liquids. Importantly, lawmakers approved a significant increase in funding for the state's tobacco prevention and cessation program  from $10 million to $18.25 million annually. Such action is especially critical given the growing evidence about the impact of smoking and vaping on COVID-19.

We strongly urge the legislature to finish its work on flavored tobacco products and end the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes, flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes.

While Maryland has made great progress, tobacco use still claims 7,500 lives and costs the state more than $2.7 billion in health care bills each year. In Maryland, 12.7% of adults and 5% of high school students still smoke cigarettes, and 23% of Maryland high school students currently use e-cigarettes. By increasing tobacco taxes and its investment in tobacco prevention and cessation programs, Maryland can accelerate progress in reducing tobacco use and improve the state's health for generations to come. Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products is another critical action the state must take.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Related Links

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org


CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Journera, the real-time data exchange platform for creating more seamless travel, today introduced JourneyAware, an industry-first data offering that helps travel companies identify when their customers are planning to resume travel.

JourneyAware helps brands acquire new customers - using data not generally available - in a cost-efficient and privacy-compliant way. Additionally, JourneryAware provides critical data intelligence to help brands plan for guest arrivals and provide a better customer experience.

JourneyAware connects companies with customers at a time when many behavioral models and forecasts do not apply to the dramatically altered travel environment. The product uses Journera's industry leading real-time dataset and patented privacy and data security technology to alert travel companies when their customers are likely to resume travel. JourneyAware can often identify travelers even before they've searched for, or booked, a company's product. Armed with this new information, travel brands can engage customers at the perfect time with the right message.

"Recovery. Recovery. Recovery. These are the three guiding principles behind the development of JourneyAware," said Jeffrey Katz, CEO, Journera. "We developed JourneyAware to help travel brands access real-time data that spans across travel verticals to show when their customers are resuming travel. It allows brands to immediately engage the right travelers and maximize conversion."

By identifying customers who are about to travel - with existing reservations - JourneyAware helps travel companies increase marketing ROI, drive bookings and earn more revenue. Examples include:

Airlines  Companies can identify customers who are planning to travel but may be considering multiple transportation options, allowing them to engage customers with convenient flight options to complete their journey.

Lodging  Most travelers pick their flight or other means of transportation before they decide where to stay. JourneyAware gives lodging companies the analytics to reach out to their customers to lock in the perfect stay.

Car Rentals and Ground Transportation  Companies can understand travel recovery trends to better plan fleet inventory on a market-by-market basis. They can also gain insight into which individual customers will be traveling to ensure that marketing dollars are focused on capturing the most likely bookings.

Travel-Related Services (parking, luggage, and more)  Companies can identify when a customer has an upcoming trip, and re-engage with them on the products and services available at their points of departure and destination.

JourneyAware is available immediately and works on the Journera platform, which brings together data from throughout the travel journey to open up new possibilities for travelers and travel companies. The Journera platform not only helps identify potential customers who are planning to travel, but enables brands to better anticipate their needs throughout their whole journey, offer new services and experiences based on their real-time needs and create touchless experiences that enhance traveler safety.

Journera's commercial partners include United Airlines, American Airlines, Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and many others. Together, these travel companies account for nearly 50 percent of all travel in the U.S. For more information about Journera, visit www.journera.com.

About Journera

Journera is a technology company that provides a secure, real-time data exchange for creating more seamless travel journeys. Through its platform, Journera creates a complete view of the traveler's journey in real-time, enabling travel-related companies to create better travel experiences that drive increased loyalty and direct engagement with customers. For more information, visit www.journera.com.

Media Contact:

Journera Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Journera

Related Links

https://journera.com


House Democrats prosecuting Donald Trump's impeachment said Thursday the Capitol invaders believed they were acting on "the president's orders and reflected his violent rhetoric when they set out to storm the building and stop the joint session of Congress that was certifying Democrat Joe Biden's election.



The prosecutors were wrapping up their opening presentation, describing in stark, personal terms the horror they faced that day and unearthing the many public and explicit instructions Trump gave his supporters  both in the weeks before the Jan. 6 attack and at his midday rally that unleashed the mob on the Capitol.



Videos of rioters, some posted to social medial by themselves, talked about how they were doing it all for Trump.



We were invited here, said one. "Trump sent us, said another. He'll be happy. We're fighting for Trump. Five people died.

They truly believed that the whole intrusion was at the president's orders, said Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado. The president told them to be there. Trump's lawyers will launch their defense on Friday, and the trial could wrap by weekend.



At the White House, President Joe Biden said he believed some minds may be changed after senators saw chilling security video Wednesday of the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, including of rioters searching menacingly for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence.



Biden said he didn't watch any of the previous day's proceedings live but later saw news coverage.



This second impeachment trial, on the charge of incitement of insurrection, has echoes of last year's impeachment over the Ukraine matter, as prosecutors warn senators that left unchecked Trump poses a danger to the civic order. Even out of office, the former president holds influence over large swaths of voters.



The prosecutors on Thursday drew a direct line from his repeated comments condoning and even celebrating violence  praising both sides after the 2017 outbreak at the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and urging his rally crowd last month to go to the Capitol and fight for his presidency.



There's a pattern staring us in the face, said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead prosecutor.



When tells the crowd as he did on January 6 to fight like hell, or you won't have a country anymore. He meant for them to fight like hell. Trump lawyers will argue later this week that his words were protected by the Constitution's First Amendment and just a figure of speech.



Though most of the Senate jurors seem to have made up their minds, making Trump's acquittal likely, the never-before-seen audio and video released Wednesday is now a key exhibit in Trump's impeachment trial as lawmakers prosecuting the case argue Trump should be convicted of inciting the siege.



Senators sat riveted as the jarring video played in the chamber. Senators shook their heads, folded their arms and furrowed their brow. Screams from the audio and video filled the Senate chamber. Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma bent his head at one point, another GOP colleague putting his hand on his arm in comfort.



Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, saw himself in the footage, dashing down a hallway to avoid the mob. Romney said he hadn't realized that officer Eugene Goodman, who has been praised as a hero for luring rioters away from the Senate doors, had been the one to direct him to safety.



That was overwhelmingly distressing and emotional, he said.



Videos of the siege have been circulating since the day of the riot, but the graphic compilation shown to senators Wednesday amounted to a more complete narrative, a moment-by-moment retelling of one of the nation's most alarming days.



In addition to the evident chaos and danger, it offered fresh details on the attackers, scenes of police heroism and cries of distress. And it underscored how dangerously close the rioters came to the nation's leaders, shifting the focus of the trial from an academic debate about the Constitution to a raw retelling of the assault.



The footage showed the mob smashing into the building, rioters engaging in hand-to-hand combat with police and audio of Capitol police officers pleading for back-up. Rioters were seen roaming the halls chanting Hang Mike Pence, and eerily singing out Where's Nancy? in search for Pelosi.



Pence, who had been presiding over a session to certify Biden's election victory over Trump  thus earning Trump's censure  was shown being rushed to safety, where he sheltered in an office with his family just 100 feet from the rioters. Pelosi was seen being evacuated from the complex as her staff hid behind doors in her suite of offices.



President Trump put a target on their backs and his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down, said House prosecutor Stacey Plaskett, the Democratic delegate representing the Virgin Islands.



The goal of the presentation was to cast Trump not as an innocent bystander but rather as the inciter in chief who spent months spreading falsehoods about the election.



This attack never would have happened, but for Donald Trump, Rep. Madeleine Dean, one of the impeachment managers, said as she choked back emotion. And so they came, draped in Trump's flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and to bludgeon.


In Ukraine, 36% of respondents say they disagree with such limitations.

The Gallup International Association (GIA) has conducted a global survey on attitudes toward coronacrisis in late 2020.

The results of the study have been announced at a press conference: "Counteracting COVID-19 and vaccination: how the opinions of Ukrainians differ from those of residents of other countries" on Friday, February 12.

According to the results, Ukraine is among TOP 5 countries whose citizens tend to disagree with foreign travel restrictions imposed by governments to counter the spread of COVID-19.

Read alsoTourist flows to rebound no earlier than late 2023  forecastIn Ukraine, 36% of respondents do not agree with such limitations. The largest share of opponents of travel restrictions has been recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina (43%), Colombia (37%), Kenya (36%), Jordan (34%), as well as Kosovo and Palestine (31% each).

At the same time, the five countries that most support travel restrictions to stop the pandemic include: Vietnam (99%), Finland (93%), Australia (91%), Indonesia (88%), Republic of Korea (88%), and the UK (87%).

The support for travel restrictions between countries is quite high in Japan (85%), Germany (83%), and Poland (71%). In Russia, 68% are in favor of the restrictions, while 28% stand against them.

Some 44,796 people were interviewed in 47 countries. In each country, interviews were conducted on a representative sample of about 1,000 men and women, in October-December 2020. The margin of error varies from +3%-5% at the level of 95% confidence.

How COVID-19 affects tourism industry

Tourism has become one of the sectors of the economy most affected by the coronavirus pandemic since international travel has almost stopped due to quarantine curbs and closed borders. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the losses in tourism industry due to the reduction in the number of trips around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic in the first 10 months of 2020 amounted to US$935 billion. Thus, world tourism returned to the 1990 level.

The losses of air carriers turned out to be no lower. At the same time, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation has published three forecasts for the restoration of air traffic, according to which tourists will be able to fly to Europe as usual no earlier than 2024.

At the same time, most countries, as well as the EU, are in no hurry to reopen borders to foreign tourists, including from Ukraine.

There is increasing talk of vaccination passports being introduced that would allow tourists to resume travel. Some countries, like Israel, are already actively introducing them.

On February 12, 2021, the EU named the condition for the resumption of non-essential travel for tourists from Ukraine.

Reporting by UNIAN
The coronavirus variant first found in Kent could become the world's dominant strain, the head of the UK's genetic surveillance programme has predicted.



Prof Sharon Peacock told the BBC's Newscast podcast the new variant has "swept the country" and "it's going to sweep the world, in all probability".



She said her work sequencing variants of the virus could be required for at least 10 years.



The Kent variant has already been detected in more than 50 countries.



It was first detected in September 2020 in south-east England and its rapid spread over the following months was cited as the reason for the introduction of new lockdown rules across the UK in January.



Prof Peacock, director of the Covid-19 Genomics UK consortium, said: "What's really affected us at the moment is transmissibility."



She added: "Once we get on top of [the virus] or it mutates itself out of being virulent - causing disease - then we can stop worrying about it. But I think, looking in the future, we're going to be doing this for years. We're still going to be doing this 10 years down the line, in my view."



Current vaccines were designed around earlier versions of coronavirus, but scientists believe they should still work against the new ones, although perhaps not quite as well.



Prof Peacock said the vaccines approved for use in the UK appeared to work well against the existing variants of the virus in the country.



The Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium is a network of public health bodies and labs and currently analyses nearly 30,000 positive tests a day.



In recent weeks, it has been explained that about 5-10% of positive tests are selected randomly to be sent on for further genome analysis but the consortium says that it has an aim to genetically screen every positive coronavirus test.



Prof Peacock told Newscast that while it is normal to see variants only a very small number have "special features". These can make them more transmissible, avoid the immune response and affect vaccination, or have the potential to cause more severe disease.



"These are the things we are looking out for. I'd say it happens vanishingly rarely but we have to be on the look out for it," the expert, who was previously director of the government's National Infection Service, said.



It comes as the World Health Organization is recommending using the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine even in countries tackling new variants of coronavirus.



The Oxford jab has attracted controversy about its effectiveness against new variants, whether it should be used in the elderly and how far apart the doses should be given, due to a lack of data.



Early data from trials in South Africa - where a variant has acquired mutations that seem to help it evade immunity from vaccines and from previous infections - showed the vaccine was offering "minimal protection" against mild and moderate disease in young people.



But the WHO's director of immunisation, Dr Katherine O'Brien, said the South African study was "inconclusive" and it was "plausible" the vaccine would still prevent severe disease.



Oxford scientists still expect their vaccine to prevent people from becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 and needing hospital treatment.



Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged the two million people yet to take up their offer of a Covid jab to "come forward" this week.



The government is aiming to offer a first dose of a vaccine to 15 million people - those aged 70 and over, healthcare workers and people required to shield - by 15 February.



As of Tuesday 13,058,298 had received a first vaccine dose, a daily rise of 411,812.

Source: graphiconline.com









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ALBANY  The long-standing practice of state agencies to secretly use their administrative subpoena authority to sift the personal records of employees in internal investigations was struck down by a state Supreme Court justice in a ruling that found the State Police were not adhering to the provisions of Public Officers Law.

The ruling by state Supreme Court Justice Patrick J. McGrath was handed down in a case filed in December 2019 by the New York State Police Investigators Association, which challenged the State Police practice of using subpoenas to access the smartphone, personal email and other private records of employees  without their knowledge  during internal investigations.

But the practice is not unique to the State Police: Other agencies have for decades invoked broad statutory powers under Executive Law to use administrative subpoenas to gather information in non-criminal personnel investigations.

The State Police said its authority to issue the administrative subpoenas flows from New York Codes, Rules and Regulations as well as Executive Law. But they have any written policies governing their use of the subpoenas.

McGrath, in his ruling, said there is no evidence "and the court has not found any in its research" that the Legislature intended for the disciplinary powers granted to the State Police superintendent under Executive Law to "preempt" the requirements of Public Officers Law. Under the latter statute, state law requires the target of a subpoena to be notified of the action and have the ability to challenge it in a legal proceeding. The person whose records have been subpoenaed also would be entitled to review the information that is returned in response to the subpoena.

The petition filed in Albany 14 months ago on behalf of two unidentified State Police investigators  listed in the court filings as "John Doe" and "Jane Roe"  accused the agency of issuing administrative subpoenas without statutory authority and under a self-enacted regulation that does not require or allow the employees to be notified their private records have been accessed.

Through the years, state agencies have used the subpoenas  which are usually not linked to a court case or authorized by a judge or grand jury  to access records from banks, phone and internet companies, as well as outside employers.

The subpoenas are issued "in secret  without notifying the true parties of interest, or affording those parties the opportunity to challenge the factual basis, relevancy or scope of the subpoenas," the petition filed by the New York State Police Investigators Association had argued. It was filed against the State Police and its superintendent, Keith M. Corlett.

A spokesman for the State Police said the decision "is being reviewed."

Senior Investigator Timothy Dymond, president of the union representing 1,200 State Police investigators and senior investigators, said the court ruling affirms that the agency cannot use subpoenas in secret as it has been doing for years.

"Were not challenging the superintendents authority to issue subpoenas; we just want some checks and balances to ensure the subpoenas are proper and not overly broad," Dymond said.

In December 2019, the State Police were gathering data at the request of the Times Union on how many administrative subpoenas the agency issued since roughly January 2018. The subpoenas are public records. But after learning the lawsuit was filed by the union, the State Police rescinded the offer, claiming "we cannot provide information at this time."

McGrath's ruling resonated in other agencies, including the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, which oversees correction and parole officers who are often the targets of secret subpoenas used in disciplinary investigations.

New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, the union representing state correction officers, last year said its efforts to press for legislation that would clamp down on state use of subpoenas had failed to gain traction at the Capitol. The union cast the subpoenas used against its members and their families as "unwanted and unwarranted invasions of privacy" because the agency would not notify the targets of the subpoenas their personal information was being collected.

The use of administrative subpoenas to gather personal records of state employees dates back years, and in some instances state agencies have used the subpoenas to gather records on the spouses or other relatives of state employees in connection with personnel investigations.

The attorney general's office, which argued the case for the State Police, has said it has no oversight of the practice, and the comptroller's office said it has no record of auditing agencies' use of the subpoenas.

Verizon and other mobile-service providers promptly turn over records in response to administrative subpoenas without notifying customers.

The administrative subpoenas issued by the State Police typically include this statement: "Due to the sensitive nature of this investigation, the State Police requests that the subscriber not be notified of the issuance of this subpoena."

Because these subpoenas are not issued through a court, the records turned over by the private providers are usually limited to call records and the information that may appear in a person's monthly statement. Judicially authorized search warrants would be needed to obtain copies of texts or other stored data, such as photos.

Wayne Spence, a state parole officer and president of the Public Employees Federation, saw his wife's phone records secretly subpoenaed by the Division of Parole after he spoke at a 2006 legislative hearing in Albany that focused on internal problems at the agency.

Provided Photo

The state eventually agreed to pay Spence more than $50,000  plus several hundred thousand dollars in legal fees  to settle the federal civil rights lawsuit he had subsequently filed accusing officials of targeting him for termination as part of a witch hunt orchestrated in the wake of his public testimony. The subpoenas used to access Spence's personal information were issued when the Division of Parole was being run by Anthony G. Ellis II, a State Police colonel.

"I am ecstatic about this decision," Spence said Thursday in response to McGrath's ruling. "DOCCS currently use and abuse their use of subpoena power the same way as the State Police. Lets hope this decision puts an end to this. This is a very welcome decision for state workers who are abused by state managers with an ax to grind."

Despite what some state workers have alleged were civil rights violations in the use of the subpoenas, state lawmakers in Albany have not formally reviewed or questioned the state's use of administrative subpoenas by agencies conducting internal investigations of employees.

The subpoenas used by the State Police make clear they are not being issued as part of a criminal case, and the headers state they are a "Matter of an Administrative Investigation of the New York State Police." The subpoenas include a warning: "Failure to comply with this subpoena will subject you to all the penalties and damages provided for in Section 2308 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules of the state of New York."

But that section of state law only enables the issuer of a subpoena that is not issued by a court to petition a state Supreme Court justice to compel compliance. The maximum penalty for failure to comply with that type of subpoena is $50.

The civil complaint filed by the State Police investigators' union accused the agency of deploying an "unfettered use of secret administrative subpoenas that do not afford police professionals the basic procedural and substantive protections against unwarranted invasions of personal rights and privacy."
Unity at the Initiative, a sprawling exhibition of art and skateboarding  a seemingly incongruous pairing  was initially planned by the Asian Arts Initiative for spring of 2020.

The show was originally supposed to go up last spring, as a big skate event, said Anne Ishii, the imaginative leader of Asian Arts. It was going to be public art and public events, it was just like a very fun outdoor event for the LGBT queer community.

Jeffrey Cheung, a prolific Chinese American queer artist and skateboarder and founder of Unity Press and Unity Skateboard in Oakland, Calif., was the focus of the show. But, as with so much else, COVID-19 changed almost everything.

Because of the shutdown and the multiple conflicts of racism against Asians and racism against Black folks  the option was: Lets postpone the whole show until we can put it on exactly the way we wanted, said Ishii.

Now, a year later, Unity at the Initiative is at last up and rolling until sometime in May (the closing date hasnt been determined), and has taken over almost all of the Asian Arts complex on the north side of the 1200 block of Vine Street. Cheung is still an important element, but now Unity at the Initiative showcases new media, performance, and visual art by about two dozen of Philadelphias queer and trans artists of color.

There is even an indoor skatepark, complete with ramps and wheatpaste prints and street stickers.

That art and skateboarding are tied together is not all that unusual. Cheung has melded the two from a queer and trans perspective, making art another means of recognizing and communicating the bodys messages.

Ishii says that Cheung is fascinated by the how the body reveals itself through the jangle of riding a board.

Skateboarding isnt really about mastering these really technical tricks, she said. Its just that when youre riding on a skateboard you can feel your entire body, your skin vibrating and your body moving around. The actual beauty of skateboarding is when you fall and somebody picks you up. Thats why the representation of the body is so important, because I think, especially with younger queer people, your first introduction to your gender or to your sexual orientation is through your very own body. When the queer folks coming into their identities can meet in public in a place like a park and hold each other, and feel each others bodies in a very safe, platonic, beautiful way, you know that that is a manifestation of the kinetic energy and art.

By celebrating skating, the exhibition becomes another way we can honor the queer body during this time while were all separated, she said.

Though headquartered at Asian Arts on Vine Street, the show also involves art, prints, and stickers displayed at Giovannis Room bookstore, 12th and Pine; Attic Youth Center, South 16 Street; and Minas World, a cafe near Malcolm X Park on West 52d Street.

More art is included in 250 care packages, which have been compiled by FORTUNE, a group focused on printmaking, service, and related activities for the Asian American community, that are being distributed to queer and trans artists and skaters, and others who sign up for one. Each package contains a several pieces of art contributed by exhibition participants  everything from stickers to seeds to soundscape tracks.

(There are only 250 packages, but you may be able to get on the waiting list by signing up via asianartsinitiative.org/unity-initiative.)

Oakland comes to Philly

Cheung is still very much an exhibition focus, although the artist remains in California for the moment.

Not to worry. The Unity studio in Oakland has been reproduced in Philadelphia at the back of the Asian Arts complex facing tiny Pearl Street. The studio can be viewed at a social distance from outdoors through two enormous glass windows, giving the studio the aura of what Ishii calls a diorama of artwork and art making.

Various zines  Queer Azn Musicians, Everybodys SK8s Zine #2, Corrupt  are arrayed on a table. The walls are covered with fliers and stickers  Queer Skate Oakland! Unity Lower Grand Radio, Trans Rights Are Human Rights!!! Tables bear an old cassette recording machine, a mic, cans of spray paint, a paper cutter, a spool of ribbon.

Toward the back, a mock-up of a risograph, a machine for making digital prints, is nestled in a corner.

Hanging from the ceiling are a number of works by Cheung, some depicting bright swirling bodies and others brief messages, a kind of DIY branding: Unity Queer Skateboarding!!!

Much of the work in this show is transitory; it is meant for the moment and then the moment moves on. Cheung and Asian Arts have invited queer and trans skateboarders to offer their own art for inclusion on the studio walls  with the caveat that all is ephemeral and nothing will be returned. It is a gift for a particular place and a particular time, perhaps to be remembered, perhaps not.

At the front of Asian Arts, facing Vine Street, are four large monitors featuring innovative video art and performance by five Philadelphia artists: Moor Mother, Golden Collier, Wit Lopez, Shanel Edwards, and Icon Ebony Fierce. These can be seen and heard from the sidewalk on Vine Street.

Next door to the Asian Arts headquarters is a studio space recently vacated by the Mural Arts Program. Unity at the Initiative has repurposed the space as an indoor skate park featuring skate furniture provided by the city, and walls covered by wheatpaste prints.

Collier, a writer of zines, a printmaker, and operator of Diasporan Savant Press, does not skate, but believes in the importance of the exhibitions focus on trans, queer, and nonbinary skaters of color.

I dont skate but I know that the queer skate gatherings Unity puts on, which are free, all levels, and community-centered, are really crucial to making skater spaces more accessible to assigned female at birth people of all genders and QTBIPOC [Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous People of Color] people  the same community this show is meant to uplift, he said.

I think theres something really powerful about their mission to provide opportunities for people of color, for Black people, for Indigenous people, for queer and trans people, to highlight the brilliance of people in those categories, and to connect them within our differences, within those categories.

Artist Jeremiah Jordon, a self-taught chef and self-taught artist, is a former skater who is still a fan of the sport.

I can totally relate to skateboarding, he said It gave me some discipline in life, to be honest. Its a hard sport. And its a sport that requires a lot of repetition and discipline, and its a sport that you learn immediately how to overcome failure and challenge.

Jordon contributed four paintings to the show, each offering a brief window on what it has been like getting through the past year of national crisis.

I know how important it is to be supportive of different communities, he said. I come from this community where its important to recognize that and just respect each other.

Unity at the Initiative programming includes virtual and in-person events through May. Contact Asian Arts at asianartsinitiative.org or 215-557-0455 for times, dates, and details.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's 2021 State of the Nation Address (Sona) laid out the top four priorities for the future of the country, namely defeating Covid-19, accelerating the economy, implementing economic reforms to drive growth and jobs, and fighting corruption.

President Cyril Ramaphosa

President Ramaposa: This evening, we stand here not to make promises but to report on progress in the implementation of the recovery plan and the priority actions we must now take to restore growth and create jobs.#SONA2021  Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) February 11, 2021

Defeating Covid-19

President Ramaphosa: The first phase of our vaccination programme, which is targeted at health and other frontline workers, will now use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been shown to be effective against the 501Y.V2 variant. #SONA2021  Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) February 11, 2021

2. Accelerating the economy

President Ramaphosa: Our plans had to be adapted in response to a global emergency. Budgets had to be reprioritised and many programmes had to be deferred.

Over the past year, SA has experienced a sharp decline in growth and a significant increase in unemployment.#SONA2021  Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) February 11, 2021

3. Implementing economic reforms

President Ramaposa: This evening, we stand here not to make promises but to report on progress in the implementation of the recovery plan and the priority actions we must now take to restore growth and create jobs.#SONA2021  Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) February 11, 2021

4. Corruption

President Ramaphosa: Corruption is one of the greatest impediments to the countrys growth and development. The revelations from the Zondo Commission of Inquiry lay bare the extent of state capture and related corruption. #SONA2021  Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) February 11, 2021

This is no ordinary year, and this is no ordinary State of the Nation Address. I will therefore focus this evening on the foremost, overriding priorities of 2021," he said.He said fundamental to the nations recovery is an unrelenting and comprehensive response to overcome the coronavirus This means intensifying our prevention efforts and strengthening our health system. It also means that we must undertake a massive vaccination programme to save lives and dramatically and reduce infections across the population, he said.He added that Pfizer had committed to 20-million doses, the first batch of which will be delivered by the end of the first quarter of the year. "We are continuing our engagements with all the vaccine manufacturers to ensure that we secure sufficient quantities of vaccines that are suitable to our conditions. The health and safety of our people remains our paramount concern."Ramaphosa said that there were 1.7-million fewer people employed in the third quarter of 2020 than there were in the first quarter, before the pandemic struck. "Our unemployment rate now stands at a staggering 30.8%."To help ease the burden, Ramaphosa said the special Covid-19 grant of R350 has been extended by a further three months. This has proven to be an effective and efficient short-term measure to reduce the immediate impact on the livelihoods of poor South Africans."In addition, the Unemployment Insurance Funds Covid-19 the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters). benefit has been extended to 15 March 2021 - for those sectors that have not been able to operate. To date, more than R57bn in wage support has been paid to over 4.5-million workers through the scheme. But there has been major problems with Ters, due to technical issues as well as fraudulent payments."We have now developed an infrastructure investment project pipeline worth R340bn in network industries such as energy, water, transport and telecommunications. Construction has started and progress is being made on a number of projects," Ramaphosa said.This includes a draft masterplan for the Lanseria smart city  which will become home to between 350,000 to 500,000 people, several water infrastructure projects, rehabilitation of the country's major highways, student housing projects, and rolling out broadband to schools and other government facilities.Ramaphosa also addressed the scourge of corruption.He said the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy had begun, which lays the basis for a comprehensive and integrated society-wide response to corruption. "We will shortly be appointing the members of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, which is a multi-sectoral body that will oversee the initial implementation of the strategy and the establishment of an independent statutory anti-corruption body that reports to Parliament."The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) recently announced that 6,140 government officials face criminal liability after investigations found that they had dipped into the Ters to the tune of R41m.The office of the auditor-general has previously found that among those who benefited from the scheme were people beyond the legal age of employment, or were deceased, working in government, receiving social grants or students funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.To this effect, the government has opened 75 criminal cases that are currently under investigation.
The French Are Right to Say 'No Thanks' to U.S. Woke-ism

It's an American export that prudent Europeans want to keep out. They've paid close attention to the product's development in the United States, and they've determined that it's toxic.


He call himself a doctor? a fuming Sharon Lavigne said of U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy last week. What kind of doctor is he? A doctor to just let people die?

For the record, the senior senator from Louisiana is a gastroenterologist, a physician who diagnoses and treats disorders of the digestive system, but Lavigne, a leader of the environmental justice group Rise St. James, wasnt asking about Cassidys specialty. She was accusing him of a lack of concern unbecoming his profession.

Lavigne was worked up because Cassidy told The Advocate and The Times-Picayune that President Joe Biden using the phrase Cancer Alley as he pledged to prioritize environmental justice was a slam on the state. Cassidy also dismissed a link between the number of industrial plants between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and elevated rates of cancer.

We have a higher incidence of cigarette smoking, of obesity, of certain viral infections, and other things which increase the incidence of cancer in our state, Cassidy said. So whenever you speak of Cancer Alley  you have to do what is called a regression analysis to separate out those factors  and several others that could be an alternative, and a more typical explanation for why some folks may have cancer. When you do that, the amount of cancer which is left unexplained is pretty marginal.

Lavigne, a 68-year-old retired teacher whos been fighting to keep Formosa Plastics from building a $9.4 billion manufacturing complex about a mile from her house, doesnt consider the cancers in her community on the west bank of St. James Parish unexplained. We are not lying. This is fact. People are dying because of the pollution.

Formosa, according to its own permit application, would double the amount of air pollution in St. James.

Lavignes neighbors to her left and right both died of cancer, and the list of people she personally knows whove died of that disease is no less than 50, she said. Me and my brother was sitting down, and we were trying to name all the people we thought about. We couldnt stop naming. I said, Golly, I forgot that one had cancer.

Cassidy calls Cancer Alley an insult to Louisiana, but hes obviously conflating the chemical industry with the state itself. He claims to be defending Louisiana, but hes only parroting language that the chemical industry has been using for decades to defend itself.

In 1989, for example, a California lawmaker linked pollution caused by Louisiana chemical plants to elevated cancer rates in people who lived nearby. That lawmaker used that data to argue for an updated Clean Air Act. At the same time, the Louisiana Chemical Association blamed the states higher rates of cancer on cigarettes and the food eaten by people living near chemical plants.

Tell Cassidy were gonna call it Death Alley,  Lavigne said. That might sound like a rejoinder Lavigne came up with in the moment, but its not. When Rise St. James joined forces with Concerned Citizens of St. John and with additional allies in New Orleans, they called the combination of all of them Coalition Against Death Alley.

Its mostly cancer that worries them, Lavigne said, but its also higher rates of asthma and other respiratory diseases. Historically, people in the area have expressed concerns about what seems to them to be an unusually high frequency of miscarriages.

As hard as it might be to believe, calling it Death Alley was a compromise for Lavigne. At first I wanted to call it Death Row. 

Like the rest of Louisianas congressional delegation, Cassidy has only expressed concern about the death of jobs he says Biden will cause.

For Lavigne, it means a lot that the plight of Black people on the west bank of St. James has been acknowledged by the president of the United States. I really have hope, she said.

Her hope is no small thing. Lavigne said that there hadnt been a single elected official  Democrat or Republican  whod supported her communitys fight against Formosa. She suspects that politicians from the parish council level to Congress know theres more money to be had supporting the plants than opposing them.

Money cant save my life, she said.

She said she was asked:  Sharon, if they come and offer you a million dollars, would you take it? 

I said, Hell no. My life is more important. 

 What if they offered you $5 million?  

Five times hell no.
A war correspondent claims that the Capitol riots on Jan. 6 were instigated by Antifa and its agent provocateurs (APs).

Michael Yon, who has covered a lot of protests and even wars like the Iraq invasion, was outside the building when the incident took place and observed that the tactics used in the riots were styles being practiced by Antifa, The Epoch Times wrote.

He said that Antifa has different elements but what he saw in the Capitol was the "A-Team" of Antifa's special forces which is only being used to execute special actions, a different Antifa element seen in the Portland riots.

"They're well trained, they're well organized, they show up with the gear that they need. They've got the statements ready to say ... They come out, they make great statements for the camera, sound bites. These guys are professionals," he said.

Yon stated that Antifa makes use of the APs. The typical tactics of these agents include wearing the clothes and waving the flags of their enemy, as well as doing things called "false flag operations." They may come to an already arranged protest and harness the energy of the event or arrange a protest but using the flag of their enemy.

He noticed that after Trump delivered his speech and his supporters were making their way to the next rally at the Capitol Building, he saw some people guiding the crowd to come forward and go over the wall. Yon said that those people are APs.

He said that the APs helped the rally attendees set up some ladders to go over the wall by making use of the bike rack barriers. They were also waving flags that says, "This is your job. This is your chance. Stand up for your country."

"He who has the microphone has the power. Once people get riled up, they'll do it. Because we're humans and we will go with the herd," he continued.

He also saw some Trump supporters saying "there is Antifa here." They were saying that they were not the one who attacked the police but members of Antifa. The protesters were also telling Yon that the Antifa members who were with them in the rally were making them look bad.

He said that the actions of the two men in the video shown by the Epoch Times was an old technique used by the APs. In the video, a person with a Trump sticker on the helmet who was breaking the window was hugged by another person who appeared to be a Trump supporter and was grabbed back.

Yon also observed that when the protesters were being led into action and broke down the doors, Trump supporters were saying not to break or steal anything.

He further said that changing clothes is one of Antifa's tactics so they will not be tracked easily. He saw such action in Hong Kong wherein protesters were changing clothes under their umbrellas. During Capitol riots, he said that there were no umbrellas but he saw someone changing clothes under a flag. Also, the group usually wear the same shoes as identification for members belonging to the same Antifa cell. He said that Antifa learned this tactics from the protesters in Hong Kong.

But he stated that the Hong Kong protesters and Antifa are different from each other. The Hong Kong protesters have a logical reason for their protest which is to defend their freedom while the Antifa is just an extremist anarchist-communist group. Hong Kong protesters were not stealing or breaking people's properties unlike the Antifa who does otherwise, which he said are criminal elements.

In an interview with One America News Network, Yon also told this observations to Jack Posobiec saying that the Capitol riots was in fact incited by the Antifa and its APs.
Not long after Roger "Fred" Farmer left for a hunting trip in November 2019, his family started receiving texts from his phone, reassuring them that he would be home soon.

When he never returned, though, his relatives began to doubt that he'd actually sent the texts, which were full of punctuation and emoji that the 58-year-old Indianapolis man had never used before.

Now, more than a year later, Indianapolis police have arrested his 36-year-old son, Jeremy Farmer, in connection with his disappearance and probable death. Prosecutors charged him with murder on Wednesday. Although police have never found his father's body, they say Jeremy Farmer went on a spending spree with his credit cards after his disappearance and that witnesses claimed he'd boasted about shooting him in the head.

"I'm thankful that we have Jeremy behind bars, but my heart hurts for my mother, my heart hurts for my grandma, because it really ripped our family apart," Tricia Farmer, Fred Farmer's daughter, told WXIN on Wednesday.

Fred Farmer was a retired autoworker, and a creature of habit who took regular hunting trips with his dog and often enjoyed dollar beers at the American Legion Hall, according to his friends. But when he left for a hunting trip in November 2019, he oddly said he was going with people none of his friends or family recognized and left his dog at home, police said.

The family grew worried when he didn't return as quickly as usual. His daughter, Christina Farmer, recalled getting a message one morning that convinced her, for a short while, that her father was extending his trip in the Indiana countryside. The short message said, "Hey, I'm stuck in the woods, I'll be home in a week," she told WXIN last February. "It made us feel like he was OK."

But as more time passed, and her father failed to return home, the family noticed that the messages sounded odd. They used proper punctuation and even emoji, but Fred Farmer had been known for using his phone's talk-to-text feature and frequently sending long, run-on sentences.

"All of a sudden, it sunk in," Christina Farmer told WXIN last year. "We said, 'Those text messages don't really sound like dad.'"

Family members reported the father missing on Dec. 27, 2019, police said in a news release, about a month after he left for the trip.

In February 2020, dozens of Fred Farmer's friends and family members gathered at the local American Legion Hall, holding flickering candles and pleading for information to help find him. A news camera from WXIN panned across the room, stopping on his son, who sat at a table in the middle of the room, wide-eyed and silent.

Christina Farmer told the news station that she suspected someone close to Fred Farmer had played a role in his disappearance.

"Somebody knows my dad, and knows what happened," she said at the vigil. "I'm just waiting to find out who did something."

Over the next year, police focused their investigation on Jeremy Farmer and soon discovered some troubling details.

According to a police affidavit obtained by The Washington Post, Fred Farmer's cellphone was never in the woods. Instead, it remained in Wayne Township, on the west side of Indianapolis, until it shut off in January 2020.

Security footage also showed Jeremy Farmer visiting a local Lowes hardware store after his father went missing, police said, where he bought a 96-gallon trash can with wheels, germicidal bleach, latex gloves and extra-heavy plastic drop cloths. The items were allegedly paid for using Fred Farmer's debit card.

The bank also provided recordings to detectives that allegedly showed past instances where Jeremy Farmer had tried to steal money from his father. On one occasion, the father reported a credit card stolen and said he suspected his son had taken it, police said. In another instance, the son allegedly posed as his father to open a new account and seek a $200 cash advance.

After Fred Farmer disappeared, his credit cards continued to rack up charges at liquor stores, restaurants, and department stores in Carmel, Zionsville, Plainfield, and Indianapolis, police said. Someone spent more than $5,000 by mid-January, well after the father had gone missing. One card had been charged at Billy O'Neal's, an Indianapolis bar that Jeremy Farmer had visited. Police said the contact information on Fred Farmer's bank accounts had been changed to his son's cellphone and email address.

Then, police said two people told them Jeremy Farmer had boasted about shooting his father twice in the head and hiding his body inside a freezer.

When police interviewed Jeremy Farmer, he told them he'd last seen his father in early November 2019, just before he supposedly left on the hunting trip with his gear, including a crossbow and rifles, packed as if he was ready to leave. Police later found evidence that Jeremy Farmer had pawned a crossbow that belonged to his father in January 2020.

Police have not found Fred Farmer's body, but detectives believe he is dead, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release Thursday. According to the affidavit, the father and son had repeatedly quarreled about money shortly before the disappearance.

"Roger and Jeremy did not have a stable relationship and Jeremy still blamed his dad for the way he was treated as a child growing up," a witness told police.

A year after she first appealed for information about her father, Christina Farmer said she still believes someone knows more than they have said about what happened. And she alleged that others were involved in his disappearance.

"There is somebody else out there who knows what happened to my dad," she told WXIN. "I know that he will be watching this, and I'm going to tell you and him: He will personally be held accountable as well for being involved."
Lashing out at misinformed and misleading comments regarding the disengagement currently underway at Pangong Tso, the (MoD) issued a written statement on Friday, explaining precise details of the disengagement plan hammered out by senior military officers from India and China.

The MoDs five-point statement was issued just hours after Congress leader alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ceded Indian territory in Ladakh to the Chinese.

This is the first time during the ongoing crisis that the government has officially and publicly clarified details relating to deployment or disengagement.

Pointing out that Defence Minister had already communicated the factual position to Parliament, the MoD said it was nevertheless necessary to set the record straight and counter certain instances of wrongly understood information being amplified in media and social media.

First, the MoD statement made the academic, but important, point that Indias territorial claim extended well beyond Pangong Tso, and that our claimed border with China was distinct from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which was the result of Chinese aggression in 1962. India continues to exercise that claim.

The assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India, and includes more than 43,000 square kilometres currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962, stated the MoD.

Second, the MoD dealt with the alignment of the LAC, rejecting news reports that said it ran through Finger 4 to the Pangong Tso lake. Indian troops have always patrolled up to Finger 8 and the MoD clearly stated that it continued to assert that claim.





ALSO READ: LAC disengagement: Cong attacks govt, Rahul alleges PM 'ceded' territory

Even the Line of Actual Control, as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China, stated the MoD.

Third, the MoD made the distinction between "permanent posts" of India and China, in which troops were stationed for significant periods; and forward deployments, which were closer to the LAC and where patrols would camp for perhaps a night or two. The agreement allowed troops from both sides to continue occupying their permanent posts north of Pangong Tso, but not to proceed any closer to the LAC.

Permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8. The current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts, stated the MoD.

Fourth, the MoD statement addressed accusations from the Opposition that Indian troops had been barred from entering their own territory. India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo, the MoD statement said.

Fifth, and finally, the MoD rebutted accusations that it had made a deal with China in Pangong Tso, but ignored the far more worrying Chinese incursions in the Depsang sector; and in Gogra and Hot Springs.

Raksha Mantris statement also made clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra, and Depsang. The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hours of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement, said the MoD.

It is not clear whether the Chinese would respond after India took up the issues of Depsang, Gogra, and Hot Springs. So far, the Chinese negotiators have refused to discuss those.

The MoD statement was silent on why it had agreed to disengagement in the South Bank of the Pangong Tso, where Indian troops held dominating heights on the Kailash Range and, consequently, held a tactical advantage over the Chinese posts nearby. It has been argued that India should have held back on disengagement from the Kailash Range, using that as a trump card to force Chinese concessions in areas such as Depsang, where they hold the advantage.

Finally, the MoD statement played the nationalism card, accusing those who questioned the disengagement plan of disrespecting the sacrifice of our brave soldiers.

The effective safeguarding of our interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the government has reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them, said the MoD.
(Natural News) Dr. Sara Beltran Ponce, M.D., is making headlines after suffering a horrific miscarriage following her Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination.

A 2019 graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Ponce not too long ago completed her residency in Radiation Oncology. Her SheMD profile claims that she is passionate about medical education, public health, and mentorship, particularly for women interested in radiation.

Ponce is married with one daughter and was about to have another child when her China Virus vaccine changed her plans. Instead of delivering a second healthy baby, Ponce, who boasted on Twitter several weeks prior about being fully vaccinated, suffered what no expectant mother should have to suffer.

On Jan. 28, Ponce announced that she was 14 weeks pregnant and had chosen to get vaccinated for the WuFlu in order to protect myself, my baby, my family, my patients, and my community.

When its available to you, I encourage you to do the same! Ponce added.

Ponce tweeted several more times that same day, explaining that as a physician, she feels a responsibility to protect the cancer patients that I see on a daily basis, especially those who are immunocompromised from their therapies.

We should be examples of social distancing, masking, and vaccination, Ponce went on to virtue signal. But also as a human, we all have a responsibility to do what is best for our communities and for each other.

Ponce made sure to cite a number of virtue signaling hashtags like #VaccinesWork and #WeAreAllHereTogether, which presumably made her feel like she was advocating the right thing for everyone.

Ive always been open about my motherhood journey in medicine, and its with a heavy heart that I tell my #MedTwitter family that Ive suffered a miscarriage at 14 1/2 weeks, Ponce tweeted a few days later.

My husband and I are devastated, but blessed to have each other and our sweet Eva. Rest in Peace, angel.

Ponce then thanked her followers for their compassion and sympathies, expressing deep sadness that I didnt know was possible to feel, she wrote.

Pregnant women have no business getting vaccinated for coronavirus

While our hearts go out to Ponce for the pain she suffered, it would appear as though this could have been avoided had Ponce not been vaccinated for Chinese germs.

According to The Covid Blog, Ponce miscarried just three days after receiving either the first or second messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination from either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna  Ponce did not specify which she received.

In fact, Ponce made no mention at all about the vaccination she had just received when announcing her miscarriage on Twitter. Since that time, Ponce has locked down her Twitter account and made it private, probably because people started asking her whether or not she thought the vaccine was responsible.

Ponce has a duty, in the eyes of this writer, to warn those who listen to her that getting vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) may not be the best idea, especially for pregnant women.

As pointed out by a Covid Blog commenter, Covid-19 vaccine candidates lack efficacy data on pregnant women and children.

We wish Ponce the best in conceiving another child, and hope she will consider the widely known links between vaccines and miscarriage before subjecting another unborn child to the ravages of toxic, experimental medical interventions.

More of the latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine damage can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheCovidBlog.com

NaturalNews.com
President Joe Biden's racial equity agenda, launched with executive actions taken to address systemic racism and inequality in America, promises to end the use of private prisons. It is a first step toward reducing mass incarceration, an epidemic that disproportionately affects Black women.

For more than 150 years, Black women have experienced extreme rates of arrest, conviction and incarceration in jails and prisons in the United States. Starting in 1865, White authorities sought to imprison and deny citizenship rights to formerly enslaved people. They overpoliced and over-punished Black women - a practice that continues today. Today, Black women make up only 13% of women in the country but represent 30% of the women's prison population and 44% of women in jail. Black women continue to outnumber White women in rates of incarceration by two to one. Yet this reality is missing from public conversations about criminal justice reform and mass incarceration.

Emancipation marked the beginning of a new war on Black freedom. It started with the creation of Black Codes, a set of laws put in place to regulate and restrict the freedom of formerly enslaved people. This enabled White police, judges and lawmakers to lock up formerly enslaved people and their children for nonviolent, quality-of-life misdemeanor "crimes" such as stealing food, loitering, disorderly conduct, spitting in public or refusing to move off the sidewalk for a White person.

County judges then forced thousands of Black women and girls to do hard labor on chain gangs for being too poor to pay fines; for being unemployed; for selling sex; for bootlegging liquor; and for stealing baby dresses. On March 1, 1897, 18-year-old Lizzie Boatright was sentenced to six months hard labor on a Georgia chain gang after she was accused of taking $5 worth of garments. Her family could not afford to pay a $50 fine and court fees, so the county took temporary ownership of Lizzie's labor instead.

Between 1866 and 1928, every Southern state in the United States profited from a system known as convict leasing. It allowed private companies to lease prisoners with felony convictions, the majority of whom were Black, from the state for a fee. And it overwhelmingly impacted Black women, who made up more than 80% of the nation's female prison and jail population. In some states, such as Georgia, they made up roughly 99%.

Those convicted of felonies such as murder, manslaughter and arson - often resulting from self-defense - were put in prison, usually for life, and forced to work, ultimately becoming the labor that rebuilt the post-Civil War South.

Black women prisoners worked from sunup to sundown, grading surfaces for railroads, laying tracks, mining clay, firing bricks, digging ditches, smelting iron, building roads, chopping down trees, harvesting turpentine, plowing fields, hoeing weeds, washing clothes, cooking meals and picking crops.

In the course of their dizzying work routines, they also expended energy fighting off sexual predators and nursing their wounds. Women such as Ella Gamble, a wife and mother from Georgia, spent their days running from a whip or the sexual predator on the other end of that whip. Other young women, like Mattie Crawford, were beaten out of their skirts and forced to work in blacksmith shops. Black women lacked protection in Southern prison camps. The only time they were viewed as real women was when they were raped.

Convict leasing and chain gangs were banned in the 1920s and 1950s, respectively, to eliminate competition with free laborers, to open up job opportunities for unemployed White men during the Great Depression, and to avoid widespread public criticism over the systems' cruelties.

And yet the war on Black freedom continued through the mass imprisonment of civil rights protesters. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Black women and girls were arrested for standing on the steps of county courthouses, walking down the street, riding city buses, congregating in local parks, sitting in restaurants and standing in line at segregated movie theaters.

In July 1963 in Americus, Ga., 15 girls were jailed for attempting to enter the Martin Theater through the front entrance instead of the back alley. Officers attacked the 12- to 15-year-olds and locked them up in the Leesburg Stockade for 45 days. Such arrests stripped Black girls of their innocence; robbed Black women of their hard-earned income; and hurt entire communities. Even so, they continued to fight for their freedom.

In the 1970s, with segregation officially outlawed, the war on drugs became a new vehicle for the state to target Black freedom. Tough-on-crime rhetoric and drug-busting operations resulted in the mass incarceration of Black women once again. Those addicted to crack were criminalized and locked away in cages instead of being admitted to rehabilitation facilities.

What's more, while convict leasing and chain gangs were gone, similar structures to those underpinning these exploitative systems were reimagined through the prison industrial complex, a term used to describe the overlapping interests of government and industry that use surveillance, policing and imprisonment as lucrative solutions to economic, social and political problems.

Since 1980, prisons have become a growth industry in rural America. Declines in farming, mining and manufacturing have increased demand for prison construction in communities. Tough-on-crime laws with harsh penalties helped rebuild the economies of these White communities, with private prisons serving as key economic drivers. Structural racism anchored the rise of the private prison boom, and the prison-industrial complex has resulted in the mass removal of Black women from society into institutional captivity.

Why have Black women been ignored in conversations about mass incarceration if they have been a target for so long? There are multiple reasons. Their negligible numbers when compared with Black men punished by the carceral state have been used as an excuse to justify their erasure. This erasure has been exacerbated by the nation's emphasis on the plight of Black men killed at the hands of the police, a narrative that has been covered extensively in the media.

The recent focus on the opioid "crisis" that has shifted the conversation to White women - who are being mass incarcerated for the first time in American history for drug offenses - may cause us to lose sight of Black women altogether.

Ending private prisons may help promote racial equity, but it won't erase the silence around Black women's experiences. It's time to include Black women in the conversation about mass incarceration. Until we do, true justice cannot exist.

- - -

Talitha L. LeFlouria, an African-American studies professor at the University of Virginia, is the author of "Chained in Silence: Black Women and Convict Labor in the New South."
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RTHK: UN rights body demands Suu Kyi's release

The UN's top rights body demanded on Friday that Myanmar's military restore civilian rule and immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi.

In a resolution adopted without a vote, the 47-member Human Rights Council called for "the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arbitrarily detained," and "the restoration of the elected government".

Traditional allies of the Myanmar military, China and Russia, meanwhile disassociated themselves from the consensus, as did Venezuela, Bolivia and the Philippines.

During a relatively rare special session of the council on Friday, most UN officials and diplomats voiced alarm at the February 1 coup and the brutal response to some of the massive protests rocking the country.

The session, urgently requested earlier this week by Britain and the European Union, came as a torrent of anger and defiance sparked a seventh straight day of nationwide rallies demanding the country's generals relinquish power.

"The world is watching," the UN's deputy rights chief Nada al-Nashif stressed at the start of the session.

She decried the detention of Suu Kyi and the rest of Myanmar's elected leaders, and of more than 350 others, including officials, activists, journalists, monks and students.

In addition, she lamented, "draconian orders have been issued this week to prevent peaceful assembly and free expression".

"Let us be clear: the indiscriminate use of lethal or less-than-lethal weapons against peaceful protesters is unacceptable," said al-Nashif.

Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar's army, known as Tatmadaw, has justified his coup by alleging widespread voter fraud during November's election.

And Myanmar's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Myint Thu, insisted to the council on Friday that "in light of the post-election irregularities... Tatmadaw was compelled to take the state responsibilities".

He said the country looked "forward to receiving better understanding... and constructive engagement and cooperation from the international community". (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help

New Delhi: With Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut comparing herself with the likes of Hollywood stars Meryl Streep and Gal Gadot, Zee News conducted a poll to assess how many users actually supported her statement. Initially, out of 2,021 votes counted till 7 PM on Thursday, 61.5% agreed with the 'Dhaakad' star, whereas 31.8% disagreed and 6.8% were doubtful and failed to comment.

However, Twitterati support to Kangana Ranaut dwindled overnight as the majority of users voted in favour of Meryl Streep and 'Wonder Woman' star Gal Gadot.

As per the final poll results, only 32.6% supported Kangana, while a majority of (63.8%) them rallied behind Hollywood leading ladies - Meryl Streep and Gal Gadot - and 3.6% of respondents remained undecided.

The poll was conducted in the wake of Kangana Ranaut's tweet, in which she wrote that she has raw talent like Meryl Streep and boasted that she can do action sequences with glamour just like Gal Gadot does. She tweeted:

Massive transformation alert, The kind of range I display as a performer no other actress on this globe has that right now, I have raw talent like Meryl Streep for layered character depictions but I can also do skilled action and glamour like Gal Gadot #Thalaivi #Dhaakad pic.twitter.com/fnW3D20o6K  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 9, 2021

Her tweet left the Twitterati into splits. Several celebs, including television actors like Nakul Mehta and Karan Patel, trolled and made fun of Kangana's statement.

Notably, Meryl Streep has won several accolades, like Academy Awards and Golden Globe nominations, while Israeli actor Gal Gadot has garnered a huge fan following with Fast and Furious and Wonder Woman to her credit.

Kangana is also not far behind, as she has been bestowed with many national awards, including the most prestigious, Padma Bhushan.
NASA has revealed two astronauts that will launch on the agencys SpaceX Crew-4 mission.

Astronauts Kjell Lindgren, 48, and Bob Hines, 46, have been elected as spacecraft commander and pilot for the mission set to take off in 2022 about a Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station (ISS).

This will be Lindgrens second trip into space, following a 141-day stay at the space station in 2015 for Expeditions 44 and 45, and Hines will be making his first trip into space.

The team will follow the same path as its predecessors, specifically the two astronauts that pioneered the mission in May 2020  Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.

Scroll down for video

NASA has revealed two astronauts that will launch on the agencys SpaceX Crew-4 mission that will soar aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station

NASA teamed up with SpaceX last year with a goal of returning space flight back to American soil.

Prior to the first launch, astronauts heading to the ISS had to take a seat on a Russian rocket  but that all changed on May 30, 2020.

Behnken and Hurley successfully launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the ISS, paving the way for other Crew mission.

NASAs Commercial Crew Program is working with the American aerospace industry as companies develop and operate a new generation of spacecraft and launch systems capable of carrying crews to low-Earth orbit and the space station, the American space agency shared in a statement.

Kjell Lindgren, 48, is not a stranger to the final frontier. His last stay on the space ship lasted a total of 141 days in 2015 for Expeditions 44 and 35.

Commercial transportation to and from the station is providing expanded utility, additional research time, and broader opportunities for discovery on the orbital outpost.

Crew-3 is set for April of this year, but NASA is already thinking ahead for its 2022 mission.

Lindgren and Hines are the only two so far that the American space agency has revealed, but according to a press release Friday, more will join and some will be from other countries  all of which will board the orbiting laboratory for a long-duration stay.

Lindgren is not a stranger to the final frontier.

His last stay on the space ship lasted a total of 141 days in 2015 for Expeditions 44 and 35.

Bob Hines, 46, was selected as an astronaut in 2017 and will be making his first trip to space next year. Prior to becoming a NASA astronaut, he served in the US military

Lindgren joined NASA in 2009, but prior to that he earned a bachelors degree in biology from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a masters degree in cardiovascular physiology from Colorado State University, and a medical degree from the University of Colorado.

Part of an Air Force family, he was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and spent a good part of his childhood living in England before finishing high school at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia.

Lindgren was also named as one of the Artemis Team astronauts, which is the next mission to send Americans back to the moon.

Hines, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was selected as an astronaut in 2017.

He was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but considers Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to be his hometown.

Lindgren and Hines are the only two so far that the American space agency has revealed, but according to a press release Friday, more will join and some will be from other countries

Hines graduated from Boston University with a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering and went on to earn a masters degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

He is also a graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot school.

Before becoming an astronaut, Hines supported multiple military deployments in the Middle East, Africa and Europe; served as a flight test pilot for the Federal Aviation Administration; and flew as a research pilot at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Kanpur : , Feb 12 (IANS) Two weeks after she was set on fire by her own father, one-and-a-half-year-old Sitara succumbed to her burn injuries at the King George's Medical University (KGMU)in Lucknow.

She died on Thursday.

Earlier, the man's five-year-old daughter Chand Tara and seven-year-old, Moina, both undergoing treatment at the KGMU, had also succumbed to burn injuries.

It may be recalled that the father of the children, Gulfam, had set his family, including six children, ablaze before setting himself on fire on January 28 in an under-construction building in Musanagar Bangar area, following a dispute over graveyard land.

Police said Gulfam had accused one Vijay Soni of grabbing a major portion of the graveyard land and illegally raising a concrete structure on it.

Additional Superintendent of Police Ghanshyam said that while other members of the family are undergoing treatment for burn injuries, Sitara, Chand Tara and Moina have succumbed during treatment.

A policeman, who received burn injuries while trying to save the family, is also being treated in hospital.


An employee checks a gas valve at the Atamanskaya compressor station, part of Gazprom's Power Of Siberia gas pipeline outside the far eastern town of Svobodny, in Amur region, Russia November 29, 2019.

A little over a year after Russia opened its giant Power of Siberia pipeline to China, natural gas prices for the Chinese market have fallen below European rates.

In October and November, the prices charged by Russian monopoly Gazprom dropped to U.S. $126 (810 yuan) per thousand cubic meters from $144 per thousand cubic meters (tcm) in the third quarter, Interfax reported, citing Chinese customs data.

The decrease marked the first time that China's costs dropped below those for Europe since the 3,000-kilometer (1,864-mile) pipeline began deliveries in December 2019.

Gazprom was charging China more than twice as much as its prices for Europe in January and February 2020, according to earlier Interfax reports and rates cited by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko last April when demand slumped due to the COVID-19 crisis.

At the time, Russia was selling gas in Europe for "no more than $90 per thousand cubic meters," Lukashenko told the BelTA state news agency.

But by October, Russia's spot market prices in Europe had risen to $168 per tcm, while China's prices from the Power of Siberia line fell by some 38 percent, Interfax said.

The unexpected price break for China was the result of contract provisions that were negotiated over a decade and which Gazprom still regards as a "commercial secret."

The provisions of the 30-year deal include quarterly adjustments based on price changes for petroleum products with a nine-month delay, according to Interfax. The starting price for the changes has remained undisclosed.

In its first year of operation, the $55-billion pipeline and gas development project delivered about 4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to China, exceeding daily contractual supply obligations in December to meet China's cold weather demand.

The extra deliveries appear to have made up for China's attempt to suspend gas imports last February during the COVID lockdown by declaring force majeure, a legal exemption from contract commitments due to circumstances beyond a party's control.

The rocky start to the project's first year of operation has been followed by huge swings in gas prices that are likely to affect costs and benefits on both sides as Russia presses ahead with its plans for expansion.

Last year's supplies from the project accounted for less than 3 percent of China's combined imports of pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG). But plans call for volumes to reach 10 bcm in 2021, rising to 38 bcm per year with a possible increase to 44 bcm by 2025, Gazprom has said.

Pricy pipeline

As Russia's first gas pipeline to China, the Power of Siberia project has proved to be a costly investment with uncertain returns.

This year, Gazprom will more than triple its financing for the project from 55 billion rubles (U.S. $722 million) to 192 billion rubles this year with spending on pipeline connections between its Chayanda and Kovykta gas fields in Siberia.

Last year, China started construction of a 1,509-kilometer pipeline section from Yongqing in northern Hebei province to Shanghai as part of its 5,111-kilometer route from the Russian border to be completed in 2025, Reuters reported.

China has not disclosed its costs for the project, but Gazprom officials have said that the supply contract includes a "take-or-pay" provision covering 85 percent of the scheduled deliveries.

The complexities of the contract and the price changes make it hard to tell whether state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) or Gazprom is getting the better of the Power of Siberia deal.

The outcome is particularly uncertain in an unsettled energy market where Asian spot prices for LNG have swung from record lows to record highs in a matter of weeks.

In a commentary on Sino-Russian energy relations for the Carnegie Moscow Center, energy expert Edward Chow said the profitability and relative benefits of the Power of Siberia project have yet to be determined.

"It is too early to judge the commercial attractiveness of this 30-year gas deal. However, the Power of Siberia story does reveal the inherent risks in such deals," said Chow, a senior associate for energy and climate change at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"They take a long time to negotiate, finance and complete; project costs and financial risks are high, market conditions will change in a notoriously cyclical industry; and political guidance may make deals easier to conclude, but does not guarantee commercial success," Chow said.

The Power of Siberia project followed the relative success of Russia's first oil pipeline to China -- the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) project, which opened direct deliveries in 2011, paving the way for massive investments.

But unlike the investment in ESPO, Russia failed to secure any Chinese financing for the Power of Siberia project, leaving Gazprom to bear the risks on its own.

Moscow has been partially drawn to the opportunity of China's growing gas demand by the need to develop Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. But political pressures from the West have also played a part.

"The need for diversification became more urgent for Moscow in 2014, when Western economic sanctions were imposed over the conflict in Ukraine," Chow said in his commentary.

In an analysis last July, Interfax noted the timing of Russia's investment decision after years of trying to persuade China to accept a "western" pipeline route through Xinjiang instead.

"Russia needed a breakthrough in the East, and exactly two months passed from the signing of the decree on Crimea becoming part of Russia on March 21, 2014 and the signing of the contract to supply gas along the 'eastern route' on May 21," the news agency said.

Strange bedfellows

In his commentary, Chow compared Russia's energy relations with China to a less-than-perfect marriage.

"Sino-Russian relations may be a marriage of convenience arranged by oil and gas, but arranged marriages have a way of lasting," Chow said.

"Over time, the spouses get used to each other's annoying habits and understand the other person better," said Chow.

"It is particularly helpful if there is a common enemy, such as an overbearing West," he said.

Moscow now seems determined to double-down on its policy of increasing gas exports to China with a "Power of Siberia 2" pipeline crossing Mongolia to deliver another 50 bcm per year.

The plans appear to be forging ahead despite the risk that the pipeline could become a "stranded asset," unable to generate a return on investment, if China makes good on President Xi Jinping's pledge to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve "net zero" emissions before 2060.

In a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Jan. 19, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the company would submit a feasibility study for the Power of Siberia 2 project before the end of the first quarter.

"But already, according to the pre-feasibility study, it can be said for sure that this is a technically feasible and a cost-effective project," Miller said.

Miller seems to have made up his mind before determining whether the first Power of Siberia project will be cost- effective or not.

In an email message, Chow said it is difficult to draw conclusions by comparing the delivered gas prices for China and Europe because of the higher pipeline tariff costs of using new infrastructure over a longer distance through Siberia. The Interfax comparisons do not use "netback" figures that take transportation costs into account.

Even so, Russia has shown a predilection for mega-projects that would be more difficult to approve in a modern market economy with commercial considerations.

"National champion companies can make different choices for strategic considerations," Chow said.

"Nevertheless, even national champion companies have financial limits on how many strategic projects they can pre- invest in while anticipating improvement in market conditions," he said.
In this screenshot taken from a congress.gov webcast, defense attorney David Schoen speaks on the fourth day of former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Feb. 12, 2021. (congress.gov via Getty Images)

Trump Attorney: Impeachment Trial Is Constitutional Cancel Culture

One of the attorneys representing former President Donald Trump in the Senate trial accused the Democrats on Friday of using impeachment as a tool to disqualify their political opponents and warned that it sets a dangerous precedent for Congress taking control of which private citizens can run for office.

This would transform the solemn impeachment process into a mechanism for asserting Congressional control over which private citizens are and are not allowed to run for president, David Schoen, one of the three attorneys representing Trump, said. In short, this unprecedented effort is not about Democrats opposing political violence. It is about Democrats trying to disqualify their political opposition. It is Constitutional cancel culture.

Schoen made the remarks during the first hour of the presentation by Trumps defense team. The former presidents attorneys are expected to complete their argument in roughly four hours before taking questions from the senators.

Trump attorney Bruce Castor opened the presentation by lambasting the arguments made by the impeachment managers over the course of the two preceding days. Castor said the core allegation that Trump incited the mob which attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 is disproved by the plain text of the transcript of the presidents speech.

The defense teams main presentation is focused on outlining how the president was deprived of due process during the rushed House impeachment proceeding and why his speech on Jan. 6 is protected by the first amendment.

As expected, Castor during his opening remarks played a compilation of video clips of prominent Democrats using rhetoric that could be interpreted as inciting violence. Clips of Trump praising law and order were interspersed with those of the Democrats. The lawmakers whose comments appeared in the video reacted with smiles and remarks to their colleagues.

Ahead of the hearing, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said the video wouldnt help with the defenses case but would be useful to demonstrate the double standard in play.

Well I think its effective, but I am not sure that it bears a lot on this case, Thune said. I think it does draw out the double standard that sometimes is used because certainly there are a lot of examples of sometimes where liberal crowds got out of hand, and still are examples of that.

Castor also showed Twitter messages by Trump which the Democrats left out of their presentation, including a message in which Trump told followers to support the police and stay peaceful.

A question still remains on whether either side would call witnesses. Some Democrat senators have already said they dont need to hear from witnesses. The defense team is expected to use about a quarter of the total time allotted for the presentation, suggesting there is little interest in calling up witnesses.

Ahead of the trial, the defense declined a request from the impeachment managers for Trump to testify during the trial.
As searing as they were one month ago, the images continue to bruise our psyche and wound our sensibility.

They show an America at war with itself and the tenets of democracy under assault as the Capitol is overrun by thousands of thugs masquerading as patriots, many using the U.S. flag as a weapon.

Five people were killed, including a police officer, and hundreds were injured, including about 140 officers, according to the Capitol Police Officers Union.

Former President Donald Trump depicted American carnage during his inaugural address in 2017.

It was hyperbole then; it is hyperbole no longer. This was his American carnage.

Democrats opened the impeachment trial this week with those images  a 13-minute video that showed Americans battling Americans, a grotesque display one officer termed medieval.

There was a sound I will never forget, the sound of pounding on the door like a battering ram, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead impeachment manager, said. The most haunting sound I ever heard, and I will never forget it.

The riot occurred one week after the death of Raskins son, Tommy, and his daughter, Tabitha, was with him in the Capitol.

I promised her that it would not be like this again the next time she came back to the Capitol, he recounted. And you know what she said? Dad, I dont want to come back.

Raskin broke down, overcome by memories of the horrors he and his colleagues faced on Jan. 6, as they cowered under tables, desks and chairs.

Undiluted by the passage of time, those memories are rendered more vivid because the siege was carried out in the same building where senators now sit in judgment of Trump.

The former president, impeached for the second time, is accused of inciting the insurrection, both through his words at a rally that morning and through his previous allegations of voter fraud, the Big Lie that persists.

The Senate voted, 56-44, to proceed with the trial, rejecting the GOP argument it is unconstitutional because Trump is out of office. One of the Republicans who voted in favor of the trial was Sen. Bill Cassidy, R- La. He was swayed, astoundingly, by defense lawyers.

President Trumps team were disorganized, Cassidy told CNN. They did everything they could but talk about the question at hand, and when they talked about it, they kind of glided over, almost as if they were embarrassed of their arguments.

On Wednesday, the second day of the trial, Democrats showed chilling new footage of the attack. It showed how close the rioters came to confronting two objects of their ire  Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. One rioter roamed the corridors, chanting Nancy, Nancy in a sing-song voice.

The chamber went quiet. Some senators shook their heads. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., laid her hands on her chest, as if taking a deep breath.

It tears at your heart and brings tears to your eyes, said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who had his own close call with the mob.

The impeachment managers rejected the argument the ex-president was exercising his First Amendment rights during the rally that morning.

This case is much worse than someone who falsely shouts fire in a crowded theater, Rankin said. Its more like a case where the town fire chief  sends a mob not to yell fire in a crowded theater, but to actually set the theater on fire.

Impeachment managers need 17 Republican votes to convict the former president, which seems next to impossible. This isnt about vengeance, but accountability. To acquiesce is to invite more lies and violence. The insurrection was fueled by Trump. It occurred while he was president. Impeachment and conviction is not just about what happened on Jan. 6, but what could happen in the future if the person responsible for the insurrection is not held accountable now.
In this file photo, gold bars are stacked in a vault at the United States Mint, in West Point, N.Y.

North Korea has begun a crackdown on illegal gold mining after three people died last month when an abandoned mine collapsed, sources in the country told RFA.

Sneaking into spent mines to find leftover ore is dangerous and illegal, but with the North Korean economy struggling under the weight of coronavirus-related border closures, more and more are willing to take the risk.

At the end of January, residents secretly went to mine gold in an old abandoned mine in Sonchon county, but a tunnel collapsed, and three people died, a source in North Pyongan province, in the countrys northwest told RFAs Korean Service Monday.

Increasing numbers of people are sneaking into the gold mines that have stopped operating to dig for the gold illegally. The authorities are now coming up with countermeasures, said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The source said the Central Committee ordered judicial organizations to crack down on illegal mining, so the police and the prosecution have organized joint inspection teams. According to an investigation, the people who died in Januarys accident had been from other regions of the country and traveled to North Pyongan to dig for gold.

These mines have been abandoned or shut down for a long time. Since there are no safety measures at all, there is a constant risk of not knowing when the tunnel will collapse. We have no way of knowing when an accident will happen, the source said.

A few of these illegal miners are former professional grave robbers. They are able to dig up a large amount of gold ore and smelt it manually, then sell it as pure gold. But most of these people have no experience as miners. They recklessly dig away because they are hungry and want to use the gold to buy food, and then accidents occur.

The source said after receiving reports of abandoned mine accidents, the Central Committee ordered a strict crackdown and sent notice that gold mines, including the abandoned ones, are important national facilities.

Collecting gold illegally is therefore an anti-party and anti-state act, the source said.

Another source, in nearby South Pyongan province, confirmed to RFA that there was an illegal mining boom there as well.

Its very unsafe, but these are people whose livelihoods are becoming more difficult day by day, said the second source, who requested anonymity for safety reasons.

Since illegal mining is on the upswing, more and more merchants are visiting the old mines to buy gold on site. They are able to buy it at a low price from the illegal miners, and they can sell it for much higher elsewhere. They move the gold in their vehicles, so there are more security checks on the major roads these days, said the second source.

In addition to the unorganized groups of amateurs who mine illegally, local military units have received approval to get in on the action in South Pyongan, according to the second source.

Soldiers, however, have no mining experience, so the same types of accidents happen to them. These innocent soldiers are victims, the second source said.

In mid-January, seven or eight soldiers working in a gold mine in Hoechang county were buried alive after the tunnel collapsed. The military authorities kept everything secret, and they have not disclosed whether the victims were rescued or not, the second source said.

In that incident, military leaders ignored safety and ordered the soldiers to collect as much gold ore as possible to earn foreign currency, according to the second source.

There are many merchants in Hoechang county who buy the ore collected by the soldiers at a low price, then after smelting it into pure gold, they can sell it at a higher price, the second source said.

The authorities are cracking down on the people who risk their lives to try to make ends meet. They say these are anti-state criminals, but they turn a blind eye to the merchants that make excessive profits by buying the gold from the soldiers at such low prices, said the second source.

Many of the illegal miners take the day off from their government assigned jobs at factories.

They either claim they were sick, or they bribe officials so they can do 8.3 work, said the second source, referring to a 1984 economic policy, named for the month and day that it went into effect, which stipulates that in certain cases people can leave work on personal business if they pay a set fee to their employers.

There will be a limit to the crackdown by the authorities because the people are suffering from severe hardship due to U.S. economic sanctions, the coronavirus, and natural disasters. They have found a way to make a living that may be illegal, but it is better than doing nothing and starving to death.

RFA reported several incidents of gold smuggling into China last year, especially as prices broke records over the summer. In July several party officials were implicated in a failed plot to sell large quantities of gold and platinum to Chinese buyers, with the smugglers not only violating the border closure, but also dealing in a substance strictly controlled by the state.

As of Thursday evening, the price of gold stood at U.S. $1,825 per troy ounce according to Business Insider.

Reported by Myungchul Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
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India's interest to participate in the Colombo port project is a long standing one as most of the goods handled at the facility are from and to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

Sri Lanka has cancelled an agreement it had signed with India and Japan for development of the east container terminal (ECT) in the Colombo Port.

"India's interest for participation in the Colombo port is a long standing one since most goods handled there are from and to India," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing.

"We had, in principle, agreement from the Sri Lankan government in this regard," he said evading a reply to a question whether Sri Lanka offered India a project to develop the western container terminal project in Colombo port instead of the ECT.

Srivastava further said: "Current government has, however, expressed a preference in engaging investors directly. I understand discussions are still underway." India, Japan and Sri Lanka had signed an agreement in 2019 on development of ECT in Colombo port.

But the Sri Lankan government last week decided to hand over the project to a state-run company following an agitation against the venture involving India and Japan.

India considered the terminal project to be an important one and issues relating to it had figured during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Colombo last month.

According to reports, Sri Lanka decided to hand over the project to the Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA). PTI MPB ZMN

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Feds, States Warn About Romance Scams Ahead of Valentines Day

With Valentines day fast approaching, federal and state authorities are cautioning the public to stay vigilant about romance scams, which reached a record of $304 million in losses reported to the federal government in 2020.

Romance scams, also known as confidence fraud, involve fraudsters preying upon victims who look for companionship on online dating apps and social networking sites. The goal of these scammers is to gain access to victims financial or personal identifying information, according to the FBI.

Victims are usually asked to send money via wire transfers or through reload cards like MoneyPak or gift cards, officials say.

In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission received over 32,000 reports of romance scams, which totaled to a loss of about $304 million, reported to the agency. This figure amounted close to a 50 percent increase from 2019.

The agency said that the median amount sent to scammers in 2020 was $2,500, with people 70 and older reporting the highest individual median losses at $9,475.

In a separate database maintained by the FBI, almost 23,768 complaints were logged nationwide with the bureau in 2020, which totaled to about $605 million in losses.

The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable, the FBI Washington field office said in a prerecorded video.

Be wary of people you only meet online who are quick to establish a relationship and gain your trust. They may ask for money for an emergency or unexpected expense, and may even ask you to pay for their travel to visit you.

The Texas Attorney General office released a video on Feb. 11 to warn about the scam, saying that victims are particularly vulnerable due to the isolation caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.

A similar trend in romance fraud is also being observed overseas, which has also been attributed to the pandemic. Data from UK Finance shows that there was a 20 percent increase in bank transfer romance fraud between January and November in 2020 compared to 2019 in the United Kingdom.

Similarly, in Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warned that there had been an influx of scams in the country. A woman from Queensland who believed she had fallen for a U.S. Army official she met online resulted in her unintentionally laundering $116,152 (AUD$150,000) to an organized crime gang.

The FBI recommends that when dating someone you have met online to consider the following tips:

 Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.

 Research the persons photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.

 Go slowly and ask lots of questions.

 Beware if the individual seems too perfect, or quickly asks you to communicate offline.

 Beware if the individual attempts to isolate you from friends and family.

 Beware if the individual claims to be working and living far away, whether its on the other side of the country or overseas.

 Beware if the individual promises to meet in person, but then always cancels because of some emergency.

 Beware if youre asked to send inappropriate photos or financial information that could later be used to extort you.

 Never send money to anyone you dont know personally.

 Never help anyone move money through your own account or someone elses. You could become an unwitting money mule for the perpetrator helping to carry out other theft and fraud scheme
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 03:14:50|Editor: huaxia

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A man registers for the upcoming general elections in Gaza City, Feb. 11, 2021. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

by Sanaa Kamal

RAMALLAH/GAZA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have expressed their happiness with the historic outcome of the meeting among Palestinian factions held in Egypt's capital Cairo over the mechanisms for the upcoming general elections in the Palestinian territories.

On Tuesday evening, the Palestinian factions declared in a press joint statement that they are committed to the timetable for holding the general elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, vowing to respect the outcome of the elections.

A day later, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission opened its election registration offices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

"Now, we can say we walk our first step toward our democratic life that will ensure a better future for us, as well as our Palestinian issue," Mohammed al-Salhi from the West Bank city of Ramallah told Xinhua.

Sami al-Salmi, a resident from Ramallah city, said he expected positive results from the factions' meeting, since all Palestinians, whether in the West Bank, Jerusalem, or the West Bank, have been affected by the division.

Because of the division, no faction has achieved any political, economic, or social achievements, he added.

In a decree issued last month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the legislative elections will be held on May 22, the presidential elections on July 31, and the Palestinian National Council elections on Aug. 31.

The last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories were held in late 2006 when Hamas won a majority. Abbas was elected as the president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005.

The internal Palestinian division between Hamas and Fatah began in 2007 when Hamas forcibly took over the Gaza Strip from Fatah. Since then, the Palestinian territories have been split into a Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and a Fatah-dominated West Bank.

Saif Abu Sidou, a resident from Gaza city, said he will elect neither Fatah nor Hamas given the deteriorating life in the coastal enclave since 2007.

Palestinians need jobs that would keep their families afloat, he noted.

Zahir Ashour, also from Gaza city, said the residents can change the current reality through the ballot boxes.

"I hope this time that the Palestinian factions will not back off what they agreed in Cairo," Ashour said, adding all the Palestinians are looking forward to the real and concrete steps out of the factions' meeting.
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In the spring of 2012, the writing on the wall was clear. The then Union Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi, despite delivering a budget that was touted as visionary by many had not been able to strike a chord with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who called the policies anti-poor. Trivedi had to quit as the Railway Minister, a position he had held close to his heart.

ALSO READ: TMC's Dinesh Trivedi Resigns from Rajya Sabha Before Bengal Elections, Sources Say He's Likely to Join BJP

Nine years later, the differences between Trivedi and Banerjee has resulted in the former quitting from Rajya Sabha months ahead of crucial West Bengal assembly elections. He announced his resignation on Friday in the Upper House while participating in the debate on Union Budget 2021 as he felt "suffocated".

Back then, the political drama had begun minutes after the then Railway Minister Trivedi, hiked passenger fares in his budget reportedly without Mamata Banerjee's consent. Within a week, Banerjee had reached Delhi to preside over a meeting of the Trinamool parliamentary party where the decision to pull out Trivedi from the ministerial position was taken.

"Her instructions were very clear. It is the party which has decided (his resignation) and like a soldier I must obey party discipline. That is the way I have been trained," Trivedi had said in March 2012.

Mamata Banerjee had later revealed that she had asked the then prime minister Manmohan Singh to remove her party nominee Dinesh Trivedi from the post of Railway Minister. "Yes, I have written to the Prime Minister seeking his replacement with Mukul Roy, another union minister," Banerjee had said then.

The Trinamool Congress, which had been toeing a populist line on issues like petrol price hike, asked him to rollback the increase and put him on notice that it would suggest another name to the Prime Minister as his replacement in the Railway Ministry.

The party had also threatened to move cut motions on the issue and had decided to meet the Prime Minister to press for rollback.
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If you're looking to retire soon, the pivotal question is: Where you should you live?

GET OFF THE GRID: The top cheap places to travel in spring 2021
Here's a sobering statistic to think about this heart month: Every 40 seconds in the United States, someone has a heart attack. One of the most serious complications is a condition called cardiogenic shock, where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Now, the world's tiniest heart pump with Smart Assist is helping doctors save and strengthen a patient's own heart.

The videos are graphic and shocking.

In January, a local television station showed footage of a young man sprinting toward, then violently shoving to the ground, a man identified as Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, who had been out for a morning walk in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco. He later died.

Another video shows a 91-year-old man in Oaklands Chinatown neighborhood being pushed facedown into the sidewalk cement from behind in an apparently unprovoked attack.

The attacks quickly reinvigorated simmering outrage, fear and hurt over a wave of anti-Asian violence and harassment that community leaders say was spurred earlier in the pandemic by the rhetoric of former President Donald J. Trump, who insisted on calling the coronavirus the China virus or the Kung Flu.

Carl Chan, the president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, has tallied more than 20 assaults over the past two weeks in Oaklands Chinatown alone. Many of them were not reported, Mr. Chan said, partly because it can take hours for the police to arrive at the scene.
Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.
Public health officials could have some explaining to do if inmates in provincial jails and residents of homeless shelters receive COVID-19 vaccines before elderly Manitobans.

Public health officials could have some explaining to do if inmates in provincial jails and residents of homeless shelters receive COVID-19 vaccines before elderly Manitobans.

As shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine begin to ramp up again next week following a global supply disruption, decisions about who is next in line for the life-saving jabs will move further into the spotlight.

Manitoba has, for the most part, been following recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization by vaccinating health-care workers and seniors in long-term care facilities first. The province also shipped thousands of doses to First Nations to ensure adult Indigenous people in remote communities (identified by NACI as high risk) are part of the first-stage rollout.

However, Manitoba has deviated from NACI recommendations in one key area: when to start vaccinating people over the age of 80 who do not live in congregate settings, such as nursing homes.

CP Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead on the Vaccine Implementation Task Force, injects Taisa Koberstein with her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as nurse Jervine Ramos assists at Meadowood Manor in Winnipeg. (John Woods / Canadian Press files)

Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead with Manitobas COVID-19 vaccine implementation task force, said vaccine priority will be based on "science," including who is at highest risk of dying from the disease. Age is by far the most important determinant, she said. People over 70 have eight times the risk of serious illness compared with younger people. About one in five people over 70 who contract COVID-19 die from it.

"We dont see those high numbers in other groups," said Reimer.

Despite that, Manitobas vaccine rollout plan could see lower-risk people in congregate settings, such as provincial jails and homeless shelters, get vaccinated before the elderly.

NACI recommends provinces start immunizing the general population over 80 during the first stage of vaccinations. Manitoba rejected that recommendation. Under its plan, that group wont get shots until Stage 2, expected to begin in April. Thats the same time frame in which people in jails and shelters are scheduled to be immunized.

Manitobans over 70 outside congregate settings arent expected to be vaccinated until the third stage.

That doesnt jibe with the "science" Reimer spoke about.

NACI recommends provinces start immunizing the general population over 80 during the first stage of vaccinations. Manitoba rejected that recommendation. Under its plan, that group wont get shots until Stage 2, expected to begin in April.

She said corrections facilities also have a high percentage of Indigenous inmates, who are at greater risk of severe outcomes from the disease. That's why they've been deemed a higher priority. However, there is no evidence that group is at greater risk than people over 70.

Reimer reminded Manitobans that public-health officials do not make value judgments about people when deciding who gets immunized first. Inmates and people living in homeless shelters are no less deserving of life-saving medical intervention, she said.

It was an important message, given the potential to politicize the immunization process. Federal Conservative leader Erin O'Toole and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both criticized the federal government last month for inoculating a small percentage of high-risk federal inmates, suggesting "criminals" should not get priority access.

Discussions around vaccine priority should be based on scientific evidence and the principles set out by NACI. After preserving health-care capacity, protecting those at highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should be the top priority, no matter who they are or where they live.

The general population in provincial jails and shelters do not fit that criteria. That's not a moral judgment, it's a scientific reality.

Teachers, jail guards and other essential workers  many of whom have been lobbying for priority access to vaccines  dont fall into the highest-risk category, either.

That does not reflect the value of their profession, or their risk of contracting the disease. It simply means as a group, they are not at the highest risk of dying from COVID-19; the elderly are.

Manitoba has not done a good job of protecting seniors during the pandemic. We have the second-highest COVID-19 deaths per capita in the country. Lets not make it worse with a misguided immunization program.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
Dehradun, Feb 12 : Amid growing fears, the Uttarakhand government on Friday sent a team to find whether a lake has been formed in the catchment area of the Rishiganga river, which had caused a deluge on February 7.

The team comprising NDRF and SDRF personnel will trek the tough terrains to collect first hand information of the lake formation in the higher altitudes of the Himalayas. "This team will trek to see exact location of the lake, if any, and submit a report in this regard," said DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne, who is also the spokesman of the state police.

Some satellite images of the area have also indicated the formation of the lake, top government officials said.

The government has also asked scientists of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology here to depute a separate team to the Rishiganga valley to make a detailed report on the lake formation.

Reports pouring in from different areas of Chamoli district said the flow of Rishiganga has abruptly increased since Thursday afternoon that has also forced the authorities to suspend the search operation inside the disaster-hit tunnel of NTPC's 520 Mw Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project. Rishiganga is a tributary of Dhauliganga river on which the Tapovan project is being built.

Since Thursday morning, villagers around Rishganga project, which was destroyed in the heavy floods, had been complaining to the district administration about the formation of the lake. "The people in our Reni village are very scared ever since they heard about this lake. We hope the administration will take necessary steps in this regard," said Bhagwan Singh, village pradhan of Reni. "We are having sleepless nights," said Ashish Rawat of Saldhar village which lies on the sliding zone of the Rishiganga village.

The village pradhan said some people in Reni, which was badly affected by the disaster, are so terrified that they are not going to their homes and are passing the cold winter nights in the higher areas.

Congress General Secretary Harish Rawat has also asked the government to take prompt steps on the lake formation issue.

Over 200 people went missing after the Sunday morning deluge that had hit the two hydel projects in Chamoli district.


Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, says that he manages to get by on six hours of sleep each night while juggling his portfolio of multi-billion dollar businesses like Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company.

I work a lot, Musk told podcaster Joe Rogan on Thursdays edition of The Joe Rogan Experience, which streams on Spotify.

Normally, Ill be in meetings at work until 1 or 2 in the morning. Saturday [and] Sunday, usually not, but sometimes.

In addition to electric car maker Tesla and the aerospace firm SpaceX, Musk also runs The Boring Company, which seeks to solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic by creating low-cost, transportation, utility, and freight tunnels.

As of Thursday, Bloomberg pegged Musk's net worth at $194billion - some $3billion richer than soon-to-be-former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Musk is also co-founder of Neuralink, a neurotechnology company that seeks to develop microchips that can be implanted into the brain in the hopes that one day they will be able to cure paralysis, blindness, and other disabilities.

Rogan seemed surprised that Musk manages six hours of sleep given his many responsibilities.

I tried sleeping less, but then total productivity decreases, he said.

Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, says that he manages to function on just six hours of sleep per night. Musk appeared on Thursday's edition of The Joe Rogan Experience

Musk is the founder and CEO of electric car maker Tesla. The image above shows a Tesla Model 3 at an exhibition in Shanghai, China in November

Musk told Rogan that he believes SpaceX will begin shuttling humans into space on regularly scheduled flights in just two years. The image above shows the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifting off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida in February 2018

ELON MUSK COMMENTS ABOUT SLEEP START AT 5:54

I dont find myself wanting more sleep than six [hours].

Musk has developed a reputation as a workaholic. In 2018, Tesla employees told Business Insider that they would frequently see their boss asleep while curled under tables, desks, and even on the factory floor.

Hes here all the time, Miguel Carrera, a manufacturing tech lead, told Business Insider.

I know people have seen him sleeping on the floor under a desk.

All of a sudden, everybody's all walking out and you look around and someone is curled up under the desk, come to find out it's Elon.

In November 2018, he told the Recode Decode podcast that during Teslas efforts to ramp up production of its Model 3 sedan, he found himself constantly working.

There were times when, some weeks ... I havent counted exactly, but I would just sort of sleep for a few hours, work, sleep for a few hours, work, seven days a week, he said.

Some of those [weeks] must have been 120 hours or something nutty.

Musk acknowledged that his crazy work schedule had burnt out a bunch of neurons.

In 2018, he told Axios: No one should put this many hours into your work.

[Its] not recommended for anyone. Youre gonna go a little bonkers if you work 120 hours a week.

During his appearance on Rogans podcast on Thursday, Musk said he believes that SpaceX rockets will begin transporting humans into space on a regular basis sometime in 2023.

Musk also told Rogan that he wants the new Tesla supercar to be fitted with jets so it can hover three feet off the ground.

Tesla first announced the next-generation Roadster in 2017, claiming a list of impressive specifications including 0-60 MPH in 1.9 seconds, and a battery range of 620 miles, which is notable for an electric car.

But one specification was not mentioned during the initial launch - rocket jets.

Musk previously said that the supercar would offer a 'SpaceX package' that would include cold air thrusters to increase the car's performance even more.

Musk told Rogan that he wanted the new Tesla supercar, the Semi (pictured above) to come equipped with jets so that it can hover 3ft off the ground

This package would include '10 small rocket thrusters', Musk said in 2018, as reported by Electric, a news website that covers electric vehicles.

But in an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast released on Thursday, Musk said that Tesla is looking at implementing technology to make the car hover.

'We are going to throw some rocket technology in that car,' he said. 'I want it to hover. We got to figure out how to make it hover without killing people.'

However, Musk - who is currently the world's richest man - acknowledged there would be a few challenges to overcome and some restrictions required in order to make his aspiration a reality.

'I thought maybe we could make it hover but not too high. You make it hover like a meter above the ground or something like that,' he said.

'Something where if you plummet, you blow the suspension, but you are not going to die. Maybe 6 feet. You probably just put a height limit on.'

Rogan then asked whether Musk envisaged the car being able to move while it was hovering above the ground.

'You'd go pretty fast, but you are going to be time-limited. It's going to use a super high-pressure air bottle,' he said.

Musk also runs The Boring Company, which seeks to solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic by creating low-cost, transportation, utility, and freight tunnels. The image above shows a Boring tunnel that was unveiled in Las Vegas this past December

'The standard version will have a back row with two small seats, like child seats in a Porsche or something, or if you get the SpaceX option package then in that place where those two seats is a high-pressure carbon overwrapped pressure vessel, something at around 10,000 psi, and a bunch of thrusters.'

Musk then reiterated a recent announcement that the electric car company is finishing its engineering on the new Tesla Roadster for production in 2022.

The entrepreneur has a reputation for being somewhat of a trend setter.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Musk launched a pair of potential game-changing shifts for bitcoin after Tesla announced it had invested $1.5 billion and said it will start accepting the cryptocurrency as payment for its cars in the near future.

Last week, SpaceXs second full test flight of its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship ended in another fiery crash landing.

Musks company launched its latest Starship prototype from the south-eastern tip of Texas, two months after the previous test ended in an equally explosive belly flop.

The full-scale stainless steel rocket reached its intended altitude of 6.2 miles, slightly lower than the last one.

Musk is also co-founder of Neuralink, a neurotechnology company that seeks to develop microchips that can be implanted into the brain in the hopes that one day they will be able to cure paralysis, blindness, and other disabilities (pictured is an image of Neuralink's chip)

All seemed on schedule as the 160-foot Starship flipped on its side and began its descent. But it did not manage to straighten itself back up in time for a landing and slammed into the ground.

'Weve just got to work on that landing a little bit,' said SpaceX launch commentator John Insprucker.

'Reminder - this is a test flight.'

The next Starship stood nearby at the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, during last Tuesdays test, which lasted six-and-a-half minutes.

Musk is developing Starship to carry people to Mars, perhaps in as little as several years.

Its the upper stage of his intended moon and Mars ships, meant to launch atop a mega rocket called Super Heavy that is still being developed.

SpaceX tried to launch Starship last month, but failed to secure the necessary approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, prompting a Twitter outburst from Musk.
Broadvoice, MicroCorp Form Strategic Partnership for Cloud Communications Solutions

By Luke Bellos - Editor, Virtual PBX

Unified communications provider Broadvoice has announced a new partnership with MicroCorp, the telecommunications and cloud service company, to combine resources and bring a wide range of customer service solutions to MicroCorps call center team.

The two companies have agreed to provide MicroCorps national sales agents with a variety of solutions from Broadvoices business suite. Customer service agents will now have access to features such as cloud PBX, UC, collaboration, virtual call center, SIP trunking and business texting.

"MicroCorp is a leading master agency, and we're thrilled to offer our suite of communications solutions through its sales agent partners," said Kim McLachlan, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Broadvoice. "MicroCorp's extensive partner relationships, particularly in the Southeast United States, enable us to expand our reach and growth opportunities. We look forward to growing our businesses together."

The partnership between Broadvoice and MicroCorp hopes to bring new growth opportunities and expand capabilities for both companies' southwest territory.

"Broadvoice's exclusive focus on helping partners serve their customers aligns perfectly with MicroCorp's Ultimate Partner Experience," said Michael Gottwalt, Vice President of Strategic Relationships at Broadvoice. "We have invested heavily in our platform and our customer experience, boosting our CSAT scores to industry-leading levels and improving revenue retention for our partners."
Mom will probably die before I get out of prison. Her Parkinsons has advanced over the years, so she cant visit. Until recently, Id accepted that Id never see her again. But lately, shes been sending me 30-second videos: Mom and Magic, her fat, one-eyed black cat, showing me love through the seven-inch screen of a tablet made by a service provider called JPay. It costs her about a dollar to send each message; to me, they are priceless.

In 2019, JPay, which is owned by the prison communications firm Securus Technologies, gave more than 40,000 prisoners in New York State correctional facilities free tablets. The company also installed kiosks where we sync our devices to send and receive emails (and videos) and download purchased music, games and movies. The tablets were free, but we have to pay fees, sometimes steep ones, to access content and communicate on them. They brought us into the 21st century. But now Securus is facing challenges.

On Dec. 20, 2020, Worth Rises, an advocacy group, ran a full-page ad in The New York Times calling on Tom Gores, a businessman whose private equity firm owns Securus, to divest from the company. Beyond JPay, Securus owns phone contracts for many state prisons and county jails across the country. Charges can go as high as $14 for a 15-minute call. Worth Rises opposes any private companies that seek to profit from incarceration. If Black Lives Matter, what are you doing about Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores? the ad asked, calling him a prison profiteer.

Several years ago, I interviewed Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises, about her work campaigning against commercial interests in prisons. I appreciated her passion. I reached out to her again recently and told her that the JPay technology was pretty life-changing in here. No one but JPay was stepping up to provide us this access to technology, I said. Ms. Tylek told me that it was all pretty complicated. Theres no doubt that theres a technology gap in prisons and jails, she said, But the travesty here is that government agencies are allowing corporations with a long history of predation to fill this gap, largely because they get a cut of the profit and access to data.
Thousands of hours of CCTV footage may hold the key to finding out what happened to a missing mum allegedly killed by her boyfriend, a court has heard.

Ju 'Kelly' Zhang, 33, was last seen barefoot and wearing pink pyjamas at her home on Winchester Avenue in Epping, in Melbourne's north, at 5.30pm on February 1.

Ms Zhang's partner Joon 'Sam' Seong Tan, 35, was on Thursday charged with one count of murder, after he was arrested on Wednesday night at the airport allegedly trying to leave the state.

Ju 'Kelly' Zhang, 33, was last seen at her home in Epping, in Melbourne's north, at 5.30pm on February 1

Tan appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday where police prosecutor Michael Roper asked for more time to prepare a brief of evidence, the Herald Sun reported.

'There's some 3500 hours of CCTV footage,' Mr Roper said.

He also informed the court that several text messages needed to be translated from Mandarin before the case can proceed.

Tan appeared via video link wearing a grey sweater, black glasses and a blue face mask.

Lawyer Greg Hughan told the court his client, who has never been to prison before, can only speak 'limited' English.

Ms Zhang's partner Joon 'Sam' Seong Tan, 35, was on Thursday charged with one count of murder

AfterTan's arrest police searched an area of Darebin Creek Reserve as part of their investigation on Thursday.

Police scoured the area combing through rugged bushland but it remains unclear whether any evidence was located.

Tan previously told detectives Ms Zhang left her eight-year-old son at home when she went for a walk with no shoes on.

'At the time the 33-year-old went missing, she was believed to be wearing a pink nightgown and possibly pink slippers,' Victoria Police said.

Tan told police he was with Ms Zhang and her son on the day she disappeared, and claimed she went for a walk and didn't come back.

'The information we have is that she would not have left her son by himself with someone who is not a family member.'

After Tan's arrest police searched an area of Darebin Creek Reserve (pictured) as part of their investigation on Thursday

Police urged neighbours to check their CCTV footage from the afternoon she disappeared.

They are specifically looking for footage of a white Toyota Land Cruiser and a black 2008 Mazda CX9 station wagon, with registration WKE 850.

Both vehicles are believed to have travelled near Ms Zhang's home sometime between 4pm last Monday and 8am last Tuesday.

Investigators said Ms Zhang's disappearance was 'extremely out of character'.

Just hours before she disappeared, Ms Zhang made a post on social media that included a video of her cooking with her eight-year-old son.

Tan was remanded to reappear in court for a committal mention on July 16.
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(TNS)  California's largest law enforcement union on Thursday announced its support for a bill that seeks to modernize training for officers and diversify police departments by creating new recruitment channels.The bill's author state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, said Senate Bill 387, known as the Law Enforcement Academic and Recruitment Next Act, would lead to increased recruitment of potential peace officers from under-represented populations."Community policing is more complex than ever, and we need officers that reflect our diverse communities and adapt to their values," Portantino said in a statement.He announced his bill with backing from the Peace Officers Research Association of California which lobbies for California police unions  and from the California Police Chiefs Association. The bill would create law enforcement "outreach teams" who would be asked to share their experiences with diverse communities. That's one way police departments can diversify job candidate pools without violating the state's 1996 ban on affirmative action policies that prohibits race-based considerations in hiring."We must do more to show the value of a career in law enforcement as an honorable profession worthy of pursuing for all of California's youth, regardless of their background, race, gender or financial status," said Brian Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, in a statement.The bill also calls for the state to begin planning for the creation of a law enforcement degree that reflects "a multi-discipline approach to capture all the various skill-set requirements necessary of the modern police officer."The bill would create a fund for potential and current peace officers to pursue a college education to help them pursue higher education or training, aiming to open the door for more candidates from varying socioeconomic backgrounds.Additionally, it would increase coursework for prospective officers during their training and feature classes on mental health, psychology, social services, communication and other subjects."The basic functions and duties of an officer have changed immensely over the years, but the recruitment strategies, pre-requisite training and types of education we expect our officers to have needs updating," Portantino said.After the killing of George Floyd, a Black Minnesotan who died in law enforcement custody in May after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes, police reform advocates have called for police departments to reflect their diverse communities. Others have called for more de-escalation courses for police officers to use during mental health crises, as well as racial bias training.As of December 2020, white officers remain over-represented in the California Highway Patrol's force, accounting for 63.6 percent of uninformed officers, according to the department's figures.One 2021 report released by the state's Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board showed that Black Californians were more likely to be stopped by officers for "reasonable suspicion" than Latinos or whites, despite accounting for 6 percent of the state population. The study also found that Black individuals were also more likely to be searched, detained, handcuffed and removed from their cars by officers than whites.In Sacramento, about 65 percent of Sacramento Police Department employees are white, followed by Hispanics, 15 percent, Asian Americans, 9 percent, and Blacks, 5 percent, according to a 2020 gender and racial diversity audit of city employees. Census data shows whites account for 46 percent of Sacramento's population, followed by Hispanics, 29 percent, Asian Americans, 19 percent and Blacks, 13 percent.Eric Nunez, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said training requirements for California officers remain among the most rigorous in the nation."We want to continue to lead and raise the bar not only for our in-service personnel, but our entry-level recruits, as well," Nunez said. "It has become clear that the 685-hour police academy mandated training required by the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (POST) is not sufficient."
[February 12, 2021] Groundbreaking Talenya Research Highlights Underrepresentation of Skills on Resumes from Minorities and Women When Compared to Majority Counterparts

Talenya, the world's most advanced, AI-powered talent sourcing and diversity solution - released the findings from a groundbreaking study entitled Exploring The Recruitment Pipeline Fallacy: Resume Skill Gaps Bury Underrepresented Minorities. Analyzing over 10 million candidate profiles, Talenya's researchers found that minorities and women tend to share significantly less skills on their resumes when compared to their white and male counterparts. It is the first study of its kind to show that the so-called "diversity pipeline problem," is a fallacy - in fact, there has never been a more talented, diverse population of recruitable talent when considering both race and gender. The problem is that the tools and search processes recruiters are using are based on an antiquated technology that is ill-equipped to find and surface these qualified, diverse candidates. To help fix this problem, today Talenya is launching its proprietary Diversity AI tool - built to empower recruiting teams to uncover and engage with significantly more qualified and diverse talent. Talenya levels the playing field for all talent, regardless of race, gender, gender identity, age or disability - allowing them to be visible in the pipeline. "All great talent deserves to shine. The groundbreaking Exploring The Recruitment Pipeline Fallacy survey shows we are at a place in our society where people - especially women and minorities - are missing life-changing opportunities simply because a keyword is missing from their profile," said Gal Almog, Co-Founder and CEO of Talenya. "This skill discrepancy is not necessarily a fair representation of talent capabilities. Talenya revolutionizes the job search for both candidates and hiring managers by adding wisdom to the search. We're putting the benefits of true AI in the hands of recruiters to give all talent the opportunity to be discovered based on merit, and empowering talent acquisition teams to uncover and engage with significantly more qualified and diverse talent compared to any other tool. Most importantly, we're hoping to change the behavior and perceptions of both candidates and hiring managers long-term." Talenya instituted the study to fgure out why current recruiting systems weren't surfacing qualified, diverse candidates to the hundreds of thousands of recruiters who are actively searching for them. Talenya's researchers scrubbed millions of public candidate profiles across LinkedIn (News - Alert) , GitHub and other major professional networking platforms. Researchers found quantifiable skill deficits in public profiles of diverse talent vis a vis their white/male counterparts, specifically:



White males list, on average, 77 skills on their public profiles, compared to 68 for Asian, 63 for women, 47 for Black/African American and 37 for Hispanic candidates.

Women also tend to write less text describing their career and achievements on their profiles. The Talenya researchers found that women write, on average, 34.2% less text on their public profiles on social sites like LinkedIn. (Recruiters are likely to consider sparse text on a profile as a reason to overlook or simply ignore candidates.)

Black/African American candidate profiles have 26% less photos than their White counterparts (People without photos on their profiles are significantly less likely to be viewed and contacted by recruiters.) The findings were shown to be consistent across industries and job seniority - meaning the discrepancy is not necessarily a fair representation of talent capabilities, but instead a reflection of the way diverse talent describe themselves. Bringing Underrepresented Talent to the Forefront of Job Searches

To help address the issues of underrepresentation, Talenya announced the launch of its proprietary Diversity AI product, which empowers talent acquisition teams with a robust way to uncover and engage with three times more qualified and diverse talent, as well as two times more female talent, compared to any other tool - ultimately reducing time and money spent filling open roles. Rooted in deep machine learning, Talenya's Diversity AI removes intrinsic biases automatically in a way that Boolean searches and traditional tools cannot. This includes automatically creating thousands of permutations of any job search and recommending minor changes that maximize diverse talent representation in the search results. The result: AI "removing" latent biases and thus providing diverse talent a much greater chance to be found, typically increasing pipeline diversity by 2-3X. Talenya employs statistical models to integrate online sources and leverage more than 900 million profiles to determine skills that applicants actually have, versus what they say they have. The results are clear; female candidates realize a 10% increase in skills based on the derived skills added by Talenya, compared with the skills they say they have on their public profiles. Black/African American candidates experience a 17% increase, followed by Asian with 15% and Hispanic candidates, who see a 14% increase. Enhancing the Hiring Process to Yield Increased Workforce Diversity Talenya's Diversity AI software interacts with recruiters to learn from their preferences, rather than relying on a one-sided search. The technology aims to remove friction from the hiring process by collecting fresh data from hundreds of sources to build rich, updated talent profiles. Organizations employing Diversity AI can also track improvements in workforce diversity through access to a real-time dashboard demonstrating the increase in the percentage of diverse talent across all jobs, recruiters and stages of the sourcing funnel. "Part of our diversity, inclusion and belonging strategy focuses on having a diverse pipeline to ensure incoming talent better reflects the markets and communities we serve. To accelerate our progress, we started using Talenya's AI-software in 2020 to help increase the candidate pool of women and people of color. Within a few months, we have improved candidate representation of Female, Black/African American and Veterans in our hiring pipeline," said Suzan Morno-Wade, EVP and chief human resources officer at Xerox, a workplace technology company. Appointing New DEI Talent to the Talenya Advisory Board Talenya is pleased to announce Tamika Curry Smith will join the Talenya Advisory Board effective immediately. Curry Smith, President of The TCS Group, Inc., an HR and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consulting firm, brings decades of experience leading global brands' diversity and inclusion initiatives. She most recently served as Vice President of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Nike, Inc. and has had previous DEI roles working with brands such as Mercedes Benz USA, Target (News - Alert) Corporation, and Deloitte. She brings firsthand experience with the issues organizations face when looking to hire diverse talent, including the discrepancy between the intent to hire more diverse candidates and the lack of solutions available to help them fulfill this vision. "I got involved with Talenya because I see the potential for its technology to truly be a game changer. CEOs, senior leaders, hiring managers, and recruiters need to rethink the way they view talent and where they look for talent. Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not," said Tamika Curry Smith. "There are plenty of qualified women and people of color in the pipeline. But the systems recruiters currently use tend to find and accept candidates who write resumes and professional bios in a certain way - the 'standard' way, which typically reflects the majority profile (male and white). This often results in diverse talent getting a lower prioritization on keyword-based search results. Talenya addresses this issue by using artificial intelligence to find diverse talent that otherwise might be missed by recruiters using traditional methods." About Talenya: Founded in 2017 by Gal Almog and Doron Segal, Talenya developed the world's most advanced, diverse talent sourcing solution, enabling talent acquisition teams to uncover and engage with 3X more diverse talent than any other tool. Talenya's Diversity AI collects fresh data from hundreds of sources to build rich, updated talent profiles. It uses AI and Machine Learning technologies to eliminate old school keyword search and to intelligently prioritize talent by their quality and by their propensity to change jobs. Talenya's Diversity AI helps recruiters eliminate bias and increase the participation of diverse talent in the recruitment process. Talenya's solution is used by the world's leading employers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005236/en/

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(Alliance News) - The first day of the latest round of strikes by engineers at Centrica PLC-owned British Gas has been suspended as efforts continue to resolve the long-running dispute over pay and conditions.

Thousands of members of the GMB union were due to take their 17th day of strike action on Friday.

Three more walkouts from Saturday are still set to go ahead, unless there is a breakthrough in the row.

A further eight days of strikes are planned in the coming weeks and the union has warned industrial action could continue until the middle of April.

A GMB spokesman said: "After talks with (conciliation service) Acas, GMB members voted to support a temporary cessation of hostilities.

"The company has suspended its actions against our members and in turn the strike has been suspended for today. This will allow a small negotiating team to meet and talk.

"Our members are angry and resolute. GMB is committed to getting a deal but it won't be a deal at any price.

"The ball is in the company's court. We need meaningful negotiations and an end to the threat to sack our members en masse.

"We hope we can make progress today. Thousands of families are without heat and hot water and our members just want to do what they do best, keeping customers warm and safe."

The GMB claims the action has caused a backlog of more than 200,000 appointments for repairs and servicing, figures which British Gas disputes.

Shares in Centrica were down 0.8% at 52.82 pence in London on Friday morning.

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Senator Eric Abetz in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10, 2014; and Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, June 15, 2020. (Graham Denholm/Getty Images) (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

We Should Thank God Young People Are Confronting the CCP: Aussie Senators Speak Out After Inquiry

An Australian Senate inquirys report on issues facing diaspora communities has recommended that the government consider increasing awareness of the National Security Hotline as a means of reporting foreign interference, particularly from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

While delivering the report to the Senate, the committees chair, Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching, said foreign interference proved to be a key issue for the inquiry.

Unfortunately, some witnesses did not feel safe enough to give evidence in public, she told Parliament. We heard in-camera evidence from some because either they were frightened from past experiences with the regimes in their countries of origin or they feared for their families, whether those families be here or in their country of origin.

The Labor senator said naming the regime of the country from which witnesses felt threatened was unavoidable.

The regime there, is the Chinese Communist Party, she said.

A security guard gestures outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the second day of the National Peoples Congress on March 6. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images)

Kitching lamented that trade with China has led to silence on some of the worst atrocities committed by the CCP, but expressed hope in the next generation standing up against it.

Our silence about these things, and the views of some that trade is more important than decency, are something young people are confronting and denouncing with an ever louder voice, she said. I say this in a literal sense, We should thank God they are.'

She added: I pray they get louder and louder and louder.

The Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade committee inquiry was disturbed by evidence concerning reports of foreign interference targeting whole communities, individuals, and some media organisations, like The Epoch Times, which also gave evidence to the committee inquiry.

Liberal Senator Eric Abetz told The Epoch Times that having Australians afraid to give evidence to a Parliamentary inquiry demonstrated the urgent need to raise awareness of the National Security Hotline to protect Australias diaspora communities and bring light to the activities of foreign interference.

Enacting this recommendation is fundamental to increasing transparency and helping diaspora communities counter interference by foreign governments, he said.

He said transparency is the best solution to exposing the CCP and its foreign interference.

Chinese People Are Not Synonymous With the CCP

Abetz said there needs to be greater understanding by the public that criticism of the regime and its activities can result in accusations of false racism and xenophobia.

This is employed as a deliberate tactic by the CCP and its operatives to silence opposition, he said.

No matter how much the CCP falsely asserts it, the distinction must be made that the Chinese people, culture, and history are not synonymous with the CCP, he said.

Senator Eric Abetz during Senate question time on July 7, 2014 in Canberra, Australia. (Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

During the inquiry, accusations of racism were levelled at Abetz who asked three witnesses from think tanks and the political sphere whether they were willing to condemn the CCP.

As he expected, they accused Abetz of racism for asking them the question because they were of Chinese heritage. However, as Abetz told Parliament, he was testing a prediction made by academic and author Prof. Clive Hamilton.

You ask thought leaders and self-described experts to condemn the brutal dictatorship, and what do apologists do? As Professor Clive Hamilton predicted in his book, they immediately condemn you as racist and then offer sufficient criticism of the regime to retain credibility, but they will never condemn it, Abetz said.

He added: That might be one of the reasons why I invited some people to actually condemn the regime, and they failed to do so.

Abetz asserted that the groups of people being persecuted by the CCP would have wanted those witnesses to stand in solidarity with them by condemning the CCP.

I know what the Uighurs would have wanted them to do. I know what the Falun Gong practitioners would have wanted them to do. I know what the house Christians would have wanted them to do. The women that are being forcibly sterilised and raped as we speak would be wanting us in Australia to stand in solidarity with them, Abetz said.
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New Delhi, Jan 20 (UNI) The consignments of India-made vaccines reached the island nation of Maldives and the Himalayan nation of Bhutan on Wednesday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to micro-blogging site Twitter, to share this development. He said that Indian vaccines reaching Maldives at this juncture was a reflection of the special Bond the two Nations shared.

'Indian vaccines reach Maldives, reflects our special friendship,' he said.

In another tweet, the Minister emphasised the vaccine delivery to Bhutan to be another example of India's neighbourhood first policy.

'VaccineMaitribegins. Consignment arrives in Bhutan. Another example of #NeighbourhoodFirst,' he added.

On January 16, India started the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The first wave of vaccinations, intended for health care and essential workers, is expected to cover some 30 million people.

The second wave, inoculating people over the age of 50, may cover some 270 million.

UNI XC RKM RJ 2108
100 years ago  1921

On Friday evening, the members of the Steward Bible class of the First M.E. Church held its regular monthly business meeting in the assembly room of the church.

75 years ago  1946

Mayor Lord announced today some changes in the parking and traffic regulations for a trial period of a month, in an effort to speed up traffic and also create more parking space.

50 years ago  1971

William R. Davidson, principal of Pottsville Area High School, has announced that a meeting will be held for the parents of next school years freshmen (present eighth graders) who will be entering Pottsville Area High School in September.

25 years ago  1996

LAKE WYNONAH  Parents want Blue Mountain school buses to pass through the gate of this private development to pick up their 92 school children. Our kids are in danger at this bus stop, a shivering Tracey Fisher said at the door-less shelter by the Lake Wynonah gate at Route 183. Youve got cars that do not stop. Sixty elementary school pupils and 32 middle or high school students from Blue Mountain live in the development. There are a lot of kids that live pretty far away from the bus shack, said Chris Line, 12, son of Barry G. and Paula Line. Ive walked in rain and snow. Blue Mountain Superintendent Raymond S. Froling said the issues will be discussed at the school boards next meeting: 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at the middle school in Orwigsburg. I can surely appreciate the concerns of the parents, he said. We are re-examining it. Board President W. Geoffrey MacLaughlin Jr. has left open the possibility of changing the policy, which he said arose from concerns about road maintenance, possible liability for an accident on private property and difficult areas for a bus to travel.

At least 60 teachers at a California school district are taking a leave of absence after a requirement by the district to return to in-person learning.

The Orange County Register reports that the Huntington Beach Union High School District required that all staff return to in-person instruction for its spring semester due to mental health concerns for its students.

Student mental health has become a key issue among proponents for school reopening, including in San Francisco, where the city has expanded its lawsuit against its own schools for failing to reopen. City Attorney Dennis Herrera cited a "mental health crisis among school-aged children" as a motivating factor.

The teachers, according to the Daily Pilot, had the option of choosing between paid sick leave, paid disability or unpaid leave.

Those who have opted to take a leave of absence represent nearly a tenth of the district's educators  a total of about 690. They will be replaced with substitutes.

Were so worried about the mental health of our students, but making sure that our staff stays healthy is a priority," Carolee Ogata, a deputy superintendent at the district, told the Register.

Theres no replacement for the teacher in the classroom," she added.

According to the district's dashboard, there have been a total of 39 student and teacher cases within the past two weeks.

The Pilot reports that a majority of students have opted against an in-person, hybrid model; only 40% of students in the district are in classes. One teacher said that between three periods of class, he only had a total of four students.

"It's nothing short of devastating to have to leave my students," Shannon Atkins, a teacher who is on leave, told the Daily Pilot. "... When I talked to my students about it, every Zoom call, I cried. I don't want to leave them."

Atkins told the paper that she is at risk for contracting COVID-19 due to an unnamed health condition.

The number of teachers returning to on-campus instruction may increase once the vaccine rollout for teachers starts; that said, the process will take at least a couple of weeks to begin, the Register reported. Per the Orange County Health Care Agency, educators are in Phase 1B of vaccine rollouts, which will begin sometime in February.

On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance on how schools can reopen, even without vaccinations, with an emphasis on younger students.
For Democrats, their impeachment and trial of President Trump is a bust.

All their their pious -- "democracy is an extremely rare and fragile and precarious and transitory thing" flapdoodle --- and hopes for a grande finale Getting Trump ... isn't drawing an audience. It's a dud. A re-run. And almost nobody's watching.

Voice of America, citing Nielsen, noted how bad it was, citing the House-side 3-million viewer fiasco:

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senates impeachment trial of President Donald Trump couldnt have higher stakes, but as an historic two-week-long televised event, it has been something of a ratings bust. The third impeachment trial in the history of the United States Senate hasnt come close to toppling viewership records, according to the Nielsen rating agency. So far, the live coverage of President Trumps Senate impeachment hearings has garnered fewer television viewers than the audiences that tuned in to see other historic congressional hearings, including appearances by James Comey, Brett Kavanaugh, Michael Cohen and Robert Mueller.

The Senate trial isn't much better. Day one drew 12 million viewers, with the bulk concentrated on left-wing CNN and MSNBC. Fox News roped in just 1.4 million.

In contrast, James Comey in 2017 drew 19.5 million viewers. Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 packed in 21 million. A non-entity, Michael Cohen, in 2019 got 13.8 million watchers.

These guys? 12 million at best. For sure it's a bust. Even Joe Biden is trying to distance himself from this bloviating crap, claiming: "I have a job."

The lack of public interest is a bad sign for Democrats, who against all common sense as a new administration comes in, wanted this as their apex moment.

One expert, cited by Voice of America, said it was likely because the public already knew the outcome it.

It's a tired old re-run.

Which is true enough. But it's like the sheer dishonesty displayed is a turn-off, too. Members of the public have told the press it's coming off as a Democrat informercial.

Who the hell would want to watch a trial, with, for-starters, a judge-and-jury combo presided over by Rep. Tim Leahy? This guy, whose nickname is "the nastiest Democrat" is a judge who can be impartial? The only reason he's there is because Democrats couldn't get a real judge, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for a second run at the gavel and podium. Roberts wanted no part of this.

But the substance of the trial itself is showing dishonesty, too, amazing dishonesty, really, from people supposedly sworn to tell 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth' and forget about the 'God' part. Democrats are the party that boos God.

Some have compared it to a Democrat infomercial.

Look at how many factual issues have come to the fore, to start:

Number one, the deceptively edited video, where Trump's words to his crowd were that they demonstrate peacefully. That part was cut out, just as is done in a sleazy campaign ad. Who the heck wants to watch a trial with that?

Two, the lies so bad they had to be struck from the record.

Democrats made up out of thin air a supporting argument that President Trump had tried to persuade a senator to delay the electoral process. According to Fox News:

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, succeeded Wednesday in having a Democrats statements about him withdrawn from the record during the second day of former President Trumps Senate impeachment trial. Lee objected to claims from Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., that Lee said former President Donald Trump was trying to convince Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to delay the certification of the presidential election on Jan. 6 as a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. Lee previously said that Trump called him asking for Tuberville and that he handed his phone to Tuberville for a conversation with the former president. But Lee has not said what the conversation between Trump and Tuberville was about. "They are contrary to fact," Lee said, disputing Cicillines remarks, during the trial. "I am the only witness." "Tonight the House impeachment managers made false statements mischaracterizing Sen. Lees account of a phone conversation between President Trump and Senator Tuberville," a Lee spokesman told Fox News. "Sen. Lee objected and asked that the false statements be stricken from the record. The House managers agreed to withdraw those statements."

The whole thing is disgusting. And it's far from an anomaly, here's another one, from John Solomon's JustTheNews:

The author of a tweet introduced by Democrats at the Senate impeachment trial said Thursday her statement "we are bringing the Calvary" was a clear reference to a prayer vigil organized by churchgoers supporting Trump and not a call for military-like violence at the Capitol riot as portrayed by Rep. Eric Swalwell. Jennifer Lynn Lawrence also said she believes the California Democrat and House impeachment manager falsified her tweet, adding a blue check mark to the version he introduced at the trial suggesting she was a verified Twitter user with more clout when in fact her Twitter account never had a blue check and has never been verified. "I noticed when they put my tweet on the screen that all of a sudden my tweet had a blue checkmark next to it," she said during an interview on the John Solomon Reports podcast. "... This way, if he entered that into congressional testimony, it's a verified account, and it has, it could be applicable in law. Secondly, he wanted to show that my Twitter account had more gravitas than it actually did. He wanted to show that the president was trying to use me to bring in the cavalry."

Just makin' it up about Trump and his supporters, once again.

This is low-grade lies, easily found out, and completely disgusting to see in a supposed trial of any sort. This is the kind of thing dirty political operatives pull on their opposition. Free? Fair? Not at this trial.

Another issue is witnesses -- some have claimed to the press that Trump himself incited them to riot, just as the impeachment charges claim. Such as him but there are others. It wouldn't have anything to do with their calls to pardons from Trump went ignored, would it? Or more specifically, the fact that they are facing long jailtimes and willing to say anything to get out of it, now, would it? Somehow the press is incurious, oblivious, and credulous about them, but normal people can see the obvious motive.

Which must be at least one reason why, at this Roberts-less Senate trial, there also are to be no witnesses. If there were, supposedly supporting the Democrats' dirty false claims, the GOP would be able to call in the FBI to testify about the pre-planning of some of the rioters, as Sen. Lindsey Graham noted. "opening a can of worms." How could Trump incite a riot when the business started the day before? Democrats have begun moving the goal-posts, by claiming Trump incited riots all through his presidency now, which is rather expanding the scope of the claims. Yet for Democrats, the fear of real live witnesses is far stronger than the pleasure of bringing in desperate, jailtime-facing rioters and watching them point the finger at Trump.

Bottom line here is that this is one helluva low-grade trial. It's not fair, it's completely rigged, pretty much like the 2020 election, which Trump complained so bitterly about. It's very likely to backfire, too, but for now, it ought to concentrate their hate-filled minds that voters are tuning them out, bored at their re-run, and not interested in listening to selectively edited, invented and presented rounds of spin and lies.

Photo illustration by Monica Showalter, with use of image by Tom Childers, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 and public domain image.

An 18-year-old woman was reportedly carjacked at knifepoint at USA High School in Sebewaing Thursday night.

According to a press release from Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson, the sheriffs office and Sebewaing Village Police responded to the carjacking that took place Feb. 11.

The woman was the only occupant of a 2015 maroon Chevrolet Equinox and was waiting for a family member to come out of the high school when an unknown male walked up to her, got into the passenger seat uninvited, and produced a knife, causing the female to flee, the release read.

The male immediately took the vehicle and fled westbound on Wilder Road, with another resident who was in the parking lot pursuing the vehicle into Tuscola County before losing it coming into Unionville on M-25 from the west.

Back at the scene at USA High School, officers found a stolen 2001 Chevrolet pickup from Mason County in the school parking lot. They contacted deputies with the Mason County Sheriffs Office in Ludington and learned the vehicle had been reported stolen earlier that morning by a known Mason County male in his 20s.

It was believed he was heading to Florida and was likely under the influence of drugs. It is further believed that the man had no ties to Huron County and it is not known how long he was in the area.

Hanson said judging by the circumstances, officers determined that the suspect likely ended up southbound in Tuscola County and may have continued to flee toward Florida.

An activity report from the Mason County Sheriffs Department showed that on Thursday morning in Logan Township, a male reported his vehicle stolen by an unknown male thought to be under the influence or having mental issues.

The male who called said the suspect left the residence in his truck, which was later found in Huron County that evening.

Hanson confirmed that this is the same suspect as in the carjacking.

This investigation is also related to an armed robbery that occurred Friday morning at a Comfort Inn in Whitehall in Muskegon County. The Muskegon County Sheriffs Office said a bald white male robbed a clerk and truck driver there at knife point and drove a red Chevrolet Equinox.

Hanson said the Huron County Sheriffs Office was then contacted by Indiana State Police on Friday morning, as they had stopped the stolen Chevrolet Equinox in Jasper County, Indiana. The driver was reportedly being suicidal with a knife.

The suspect is now in custody and the sheriffs office is awaiting further information.

Huron County Prosecutor Tim Rutkowski has authorized two felony charges against the suspect  one count of carjacking and one count of armed robbery. Rutkowski said both counts are life offenses if convicted.

Starting March 15, two groups of younger, high-risk Californians  people with disabilities and people with severe underlying conditions  will be able to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, California officials said Friday.

These groups include 4 million to 6 million people between the ages of 16 and 64, said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. That is expected to bring the number of Californians eligible for vaccines to 17 million to 19 million by around March 15.

The underlying conditions that will result in vaccine eligibility on March 15 include cancer, chronic kidney disease at stage four or above, chronic pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, a weakened immune system from a solid organ transplant, sickle cell disease, pregnancy, heart conditions, severe obesity  defined as a body mass index at or over 40  and Type 2 diabetes.

The state did not specify which disabilities would qualify people to be included in this next group. Broadly speaking, it applies to anyone who as a result of a developmental or other severe high-risk disability is likely to develop life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19, or who would be limited in receiving care vital to their survival if they got COVID-19.

People will have to show some verification for their condition, but officials are still determining what exactly that will entail.

I think its great, its an appropriate group for us to get in the queue, said Dr. George Rutherford of UCSF.

Age is a major risk factor in developing severe COVID-19 illness or death, but it is not the only one. Adults of any age with those underlying conditions are at increased risk of severe illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I want the disability community to know, weve heard you, and were going to do more and better to provide access, even with the scarcity, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday when he visited the mass vaccination site at San Franciscos Moscone Center.

Ghaly said the reason the two newly eligible groups are not getting access immediately is because there is still very limited vaccine supply, and because it will take some time to iron out details such as how verification for medical conditions will work. There is already not enough vaccine coming to the state to immunize everyone currently eligible according to state guidelines  about 13 million health care workers, nursing home residents and workers, people 65 and over, and workers in education, food and agriculture, and emergency services. Some counties are not even vaccinating all eligible groups due to supply constraints.

I am grateful that they committed to a time frame, and if they are estimating the number to be that big (4 million to 6 million more) that is a very good sign, said Andrew Imparato, who serves on a state vaccine advisory committee and is executive director of Disability Rights California.

However, Imparato questioned the decision to wait until March 15.

If we can move that date up as vaccine supplies ramp up, that would be my preference, he said. But todays announcement is a huge step forward from where the state was on February 2.

As of Friday, about 5.5 million doses of vaccine had been administered to Californians, a figure that includes first and second doses, according to state data. Both vaccines currently available in the United States, by Pfizer and Moderna, require two shots, either three or four weeks apart.

The state on Friday also released statewide demographic data on who has been vaccinated so far by age, gender, and race or ethnicity. It shows that 54% of people who have gotten at least one shot are 65 or over, followed by 29% who are between 18 and 49, and 17% who are between 50 and 64.

More shots have been administered to women than men, 59% compared to 41%.

The data indicates white, Asian and multiracial residents are getting vaccinated at higher rates than Black and Latino residents, when taking into account the states overall racial and ethnic makeup.

White residents represent about 33% of vaccinations and 37% of the states population, according to state and Census data, respectively. Multiracial residents represent 14% of vaccinations and 4% of the population. Asian residents represent 13% of vaccinations, and 16% of the population.

Vaccination rates are lower among Latino and Black residents. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 16% of vaccinations, despite accounting for 39% of the population. Black residents make up 3% of vaccinations, but account for 7% of the population.

We have work to do as a state to do more and do better to reach out to our diverse communities, Newsom said.

At least four Bay Area counties released vaccination demographic data ahead of the state  Contra Costa, San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Clara. The local data similarly shows that so far, white and Asian residents are getting vaccinated in significantly higher numbers than Black and Latino residents. Part of that is because the groups that have been vaccinated so far  health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, and people 65 and older  are disproportionately white and Asian, local health officials have said.

Officials and community advocates are working to make vaccines more accessible for people in regions hardest hit by the virus, which tend to be low-income neighborhoods. San Francisco, for instance, recently opened two drop-in vaccination clinics for residents in five ZIP codes in the southeast portion of the city.

Richard Herron, a 72-year-old Black man who lives in San Franciscos Bayview-Hunters Point area, had been trying to get the coronavirus vaccine for weeks, but to no avail.

The websites were just so confusing. Going on different websites and trying to sign up over here and over there and the waiting, that brings a lot of anxiety, he said.

But he was able to get vaccinated at the Southeast Health Center in Bayview on Friday  which left Herron, a longtime music teacher at Alamo Elementary School, bursting with joy.

Im glad it was in the neighborhood because it was very accessible to the community and a lot of elderly people dont have transportation, and its hitting the minority community very hard, and its giving a lot of anxiety, he said.

Rickey Fairley, a Black man who lives in the Bayview-Hunters Point area and works as a security guard at the de Young Museum, said he had also been puzzled as to how to get the vaccine.

Then, Friday morning, a day before his 68th birthday, Fairley unexpectedly received an email saying he could come get vaccinated for free just a few blocks from his house.

He said he jumped out of bed and rushed over to the Southeast Health Center  which so far has vaccinated 854 people of Asian heritage, 587 Black people, 231 white people and 214 people who identify as Hispanic or Latino.

I feel a lot better. Im still going to wear my mask, but I feel a little more comfortable, Fairley said.

Chronicle staff writers Nanette Asimov and Michael Williams contributed to this report.

Catherine Ho and Meghan Bobrowsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com meghan.bobrowsky@sfchronicle.com
A senior Russian diplomat has warned that Syrians are living through the most challenging times yet, writes Al-Watan.

The Russian ambassador to Damascus, Alexander Yefimov, has said that Syria is currently living in the most difficult social and economic situation since the beginning of the crisis in the country, due to the pressure of sanctions against it by a number of countries.

The social and economic situation in Syria today is very difficult, Livimov told Russian Sputnik agency.

It is perhaps the most difficult of the years of conflict. The consequences of the war are here more and more often every year, he added. The general drain on the Syrian economy is clear. It can be seen how exhausted people are themselves, who have, moreover, been infected by the Coronavirus pandemic  with known restrictions and additional material losses. 

Providing multi-faceted material aid to Syria is an important issue of a strategic nature, Yefimov said. We are, in fact, talking about the possibility of further strengthening our military efforts in combating terrorism, and adding an irreversible character to the process of returning Syria to a peaceful life, and thus contributing to achieving stability in the long term.

Yefimov noted that the issue of allocating funds for support is not very easy. Our country itself today is under the influence of sanctions, and is suffering from an economic recession due to the pandemic  all of this, of course, must be taken into account, he said.

The Russian ambassador indicated that Moscow is making efforts to support friendly Syria not only in the bilateral channel, but also through the United Nations, saying: At the moment, he explained, from the funds provided by Russia, which total about 40 million dollars, humanitarian projects are being implemented in Syria. Through the World Food Program, the UNDP, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Mine Action Service.

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.
Will the holy dip by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the Sangam help the Congress sail through in the critical state elections coming up in Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka is the state incharge and she faces a challenge to not just deliver in Uttar Pradesh which offers a tough challenge but also project herself as a politician who can deliver.

The point is that despite her charisma and campaigns the Congress has just one MP from the state, Sonia Gandhi. The biggest loss of faith came with brother Rahul Gandhis constituency Amethi which Priyanka too has been nurturing for long. Before the dubki at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati river on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, Priyanka made two stops. Both loaded with political messaging. One was the visit to the Shaktipeeth temple in Saharanpur on Wednesday. This to wade into the Hindutva turf of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The second was her visit to Anand Bhavan, in Allahabad, with her daughter Mirayaa. Priyanka paid homage to her great grandfather, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who has been the target of the Bharatiya Janata Party's attacks. She wanted to send this message to the BJP that Nehru would be a part of the Congress's legacy, and proudly so.

But here is the problem. Is Priyanka, through her Hindutva push, getting caught in the BJP's trap? There is no denying that in Uttar Pradesh the Hindutva agenda is complete. Ram Mandir is bound to play a critical role in the assembly elections in 2022. In the state, the polarisation is near complete and the 'minority appeasement' tag on the Congress has not helped the party in UP which has been reduced to a fringe player.

The Congress has been slowly distancing itself from this label and, hence, not just Priyanka but even Rahul Gandhi's temple runs. It didnt help the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but Priyanka hopes that her charisma and this Hindutva push could work for the party. However, its a tough competition with the BJP on the Hindutva issue. The construction of Ram Mandir is bound to be an electoral trump card for the BJP. The Congress stayed away from the bhoomi pujan and this is something which could come back to haunt it. And no matter how much the Congress wants to put on the Hindutva garb, it can never match up to the BJP's image as the true Hinduwadi party.

And this is where the trap is for Priyanka. Some within the Congress feel that as a woman, Priyanka could score as she could turn the incidents of rape like in Hathras and Unnao into ammunition against the UP government. One senior leader from the state said, "We think she could have travelled across the country and state mentioning how women are unsafe."

But the party says her snan at the Sangam is a fulfilment of her old promise. Anand Bhavan is associated with her childhood and family and hence the visit. But in politics everything has a connotation. The challenges ahead are huge. Can Priyanka swim across to the other side and offer a challenge to the BJP? Or will this dive hit rock bottom?
MANZINI - Street evangelists are defying warnings to desist from their trade despite warnings that it contributes to the spread of the coronavirus.

The preachers continue to preach in buses and at street corners, arguing that they do not spread the virus in any way.

They also say the restrictions are contrary to the spiritual mandate they have, to spread the gospel everywhere.

Organisations

The warning from the faith based organisations, the Council of Swaziland Churches, Swaziland Conference of Churches and League of Swaziland Churches, was that when evangelists minister in buses they do not wear masks appropriately and that they were bound to come in contact with commuters, defying the social distancing regulations. The church leaders further warned that the preachers must desist from preaching along the streets because they would cause people to gather in groups and eventually spread the virus.

Warning

Pastor Ntokozo Lukhele said ever since the warning was issued, most bus operators no longer allow him to preach in the public vehicles. However, he said where operators open their doors; he continues to use the opportunity.

He said whenever he spots a group of people, either in a queue or just waiting for service he springs to action.

Lukhele said he always wears a face mask and observes a safe social distance to those he preaches to.

Asked if he was not scared of being arrested, he said: Im not the type of person who is easily frightened when confronted.

Even if I can get arrested, Im not afraid because Jesus warned us that we would be arrested and subjected to abuse for the gospel, he said.

Archdeacon Bheki Magongo of the Council of Churches said some bus rank preachers had been spotted not properly wearing masks. Also, the movement in between people does endanger passengers, those around you and yourself and inturn, places your family and their families at risk, he said.

Pity

The archdeacon said it was a pity that all this was happening in the name of preaching the word of God.

God expects us to be responsible and protect life not endanger life. Those marshalling ranks and public transport operators have a duty to protect customers, they must therefore apply the COVID-19 Regulations and follow Health Protocols, he said. Archdeacon Magongo said law enforcement agencies were positioned to see to it that the law is followed to the later.

We condemn such behaviour which is done in the name of God that puts Gods people at risk. We plead with those pastors or evangelists to desist from such behaviour until things are declared normal by government at the advice of the Ministry of Health, Rev Magongo said.

Meanwhile, Police Deputy Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni said the police cannot arrest the pastors if they are not convinced that they have broken any law.

If the pastors are wearing face masks and are preaching in the street, we see nothing that can make us arrest them, unless they start breaking the law, he said.
Goodluck Lyatuu, doctor and doctoral student at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet. Credit: Karolinska Institutet.

Anti-retroviral drugs are a vital tool in the prevention and treatment of HIV. A new study of pregnant women in Tanzania shows that life-long antiviral treatment also seems to prevent viral transmission from mother to baby. The results of the study, which was conducted in part by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and published in Lancet HIV, make a promising contribution to the WHO's work with HIV prevention in low and middle-income countries.

Just over eight years ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued recommendations known as Option B+ for a simpler and more effective prevention and treatment for HIV during and beyond pregnancy in low and middle-income countries.

One arm of the Option B+ program involved ensuring that pregnant women with HIV were started on a life-long regimen of antiviral drugs, ART, as early as possible during their pregnancy. Option B+ made an important breakthrough in the prevention of the mother-to-baby transmission of HIV.

Lifelong ART intervention can also provide effective protection against progression to more advanced HIV and early death, and prevent the further infection of partners and future children.

To date, however, research on how the treatment affects long-term viral levels in pregnant women with HIV in low and middle -income countries with a high HIV burden has been scant.

Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and Management and Development for Health, have examined the effectiveness over time of Option B+ intervention in Tanzania.

According to UNAIDS figures from 2019, 4.8 percent of the Tanzanian population between the ages of 15 and 49, that is 1.7 million people, live with HIV.

The study, which was conducted in Dar es SalaamTanzania's largest cityincluded patient data for 10,161 pregnant women with HIV who had begun antiviral treatment on the Option B+ program to prevent viral transmission to their unborn babies.

At the time of data collection, 5.9 per cent of the city's pregnant women starting antenatal care were HIV-positive. About a third of the study participants had advanced HIV disease.

The researchers measured the level of HIV in the women's blood to gauge the effectiveness of the antiviral treatment over time. The data was collected between 2014 and 2016, and the women were monitored for up to four years.

The results showed that up to 90 percent of the women under study had suppressed viral levels up to four years after starting Option B+ care. In other words, it seems possible that the WHO goal of eliminating transmission from mother to baby can be achieved.

"Our study confirms the lasting health benefits of life-long ART for women who go on Option B+ during pregnancy and therefore for their babies, too," says Goodluck Lyatuu, doctor and doctoral student at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the study's first author. He continues:

"The results also point to some other important challenges when it comes to deriving the full long-term benefits of Option B+. To focus, for example, on some sub-groups of women, such as young mothers, mothers who start ante-natal care late during pregnancy and mothers with advanced HIV."

Explore further Anti-viral treatment during pregnancy reduces HBV transmission from mother to child

More information: "Long-term virological outcomes in women who started option B+ care during pregnancy for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a cohort study", Lancet HIV, DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3018(20)30308-8 "Long-term virological outcomes in women who started option B+ care during pregnancy for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a cohort study",
WASHINGTON - Lawyers for Donald Trump argued Friday that his impeachment is "an unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance" as the Senate trial resumed. The former president's lawyers plan to present a relatively short defense. They are arguing that House managers failed to show that Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6 violent attack on the Capitol.

The defense lawyers have been allotted 16 hours but say they will use only a fraction of that time. After that, senators will get an opportunity to ask questions of both sides. The trial could wrap up as early as Saturday.

Attorney Michael van der Veen called the trial a "politically motivated witch hunt" in language that echoed the former president's criticism of the impeachment proceeding.

"This appalling abuse of the Constitution," van der Veen said, "further divides our nation when we should be trying to come together around shared priorities."

Van der Veen said Trump's Jan. 6 speech ahead of the attack on the Capitol had not encouraged the "lawless behavior," but instead centered on Trump's false claims about the 2020 presidential election he lost. Trump's lawyer incorrectly suggested that the rioters who breached the Capitol had been "extremists of different stripes and political persuasions." Many of the insurrectionists were draped in Trump flags and wearing Trump hats.

Trump's defense played video clips showing Trump on other occasions repeatedly encouraging "law and order." "To claim the president in any way encouraged lawless behavior is a preposterous and monstrous lie," van der Veen said.

Trump's team also showed a series of video clips of Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., trying unsuccessfully to challenge the results of the 2016 presidential election during the certification in January 2017 of Trump's victory.

In contrast to Trump, who has never conceded he lost to Biden, Hillary Clinton conceded the day after the election.

Meanwhile, David Schoen, another of Trump's defense lawyers, misrepresented remarks Vice President Kamala Harris made in support of peaceful protests last year.

During an appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," Harris had said that it was "critically important" for the Black Lives Matter protests to continue.

"Everyone beware. They're not going to stop before Election Day in November, and they're not going to stop after Election Day.  They're not going to let up, and they should not," Harris said.

Schoen mispronounced Harris's first name during his presentation Friday and incorrectly said that she was talking about "violent demonstrations." The then-vice presidential nominee was speaking about peaceful demonstrations.

Schoen also took aim at Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., for remarks during an interview on MSNBC last year. Schoen mispronounced Pressley's first name as well.

"You know, there needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as there's unrest in our lives," Pressley said in the MSNBC interview.

Pressley did not make any mention of violence, however. And Schoen did not include the sentence the Massachusetts Democrat said before her mention of unrest: "Make the phone calls, send the emails, show up," she said.

The impeachment charge against Trump alleges that he "willfully made statements that encouraged - and foreseeably resulted in - imminent lawless action at the Capitol."
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The major advanced economies have each gone about combating fallout from the pandemic in different ways.

The UK directed the larger part of its resources at preserving jobs through the prodigiously expensive furlough scheme, costing 4billion a month, with a parallel plan for the self-employed.

People have fallen through the gaps but it means that the unemployment rate, for the moment, has been held at 5 per cent of the workforce, which is remarkable when one considers the dire forecasts made when the virus arrived.

America, which runs its economy on similar free-market principles as our own, took a different route.

Planning ahead: Chancellor Rishi Sunak says he will use the Budget to set out the next stage of his Plan for Jobs

It has supported businesses and chosen directly to help consumers with 'helicopter' money in the shape of cheques. President Biden and the Democrats are pressing for another round of payouts soon.

Across Europe there has been an emphasis on getting consumers to spend  in restaurants if they are open, and in shops by cutting rates of VAT and offering businesses payment deferrals.

The numbers around this are striking. In Britain, according to the latest official data, household spending in the final quarter of 2020 was 8.4 per cent below the same period of 2019. That compares with a drop of just 2.6 per cent in the US (where there is a more cavalier approach to lockdowns) and 6.8 per cent in France.

The UK workforce also has found it easier to transfer to home working because of the larger services sector.

There will be no shortage of twitterati ready to pounce on the preliminary 9.9 per cent drop in output for 2020 and draw erroneous comparisons with the 'Great Frost' of 1709.

The reality is that in spite of some gleeful predictions of a double dip recession  that is two successive quarters of negative growth  it is now not going to happen in the UK.

That is, unless there is some ghastly new variant of coronavirus which keeps us under lock and key until June.

The laudable way in which the UK measures GDP, including output in the public sector, has a distorting effect. School closures and the cessation of non-urgent medical procedures wiped as much as four percentage points off output in 2020.

Look more carefully: The laudable way in which the UK measures GDP, including output in the public sector, has a distorting effect

If taken into account, this would more or less place the UK around the median among the advanced G7 economies.

Explanations aside, what does this tell us about the strategy for the Budget, just a couple of weeks away on March 3.

It will come as no surprise if the Chancellor Rishi Sunak were to try to repair the public finances by freezing tax allowances. Those of us lucky enough to be in full-time work can afford sacrifice.

Sunak says he will use the occasion to set out the next stage of his Plan for Jobs, which presumably means weaning the workforce off furlough.

But he should also look at the evidence from overseas and take the opportunity for an across the board VAT cut for consumption. There may be no better way of unleashing the 125billion and rising stock of savings built up by better-off households in the pandemic.

The Chancellor should also loosen the purse strings of business through targeted tax breaks for R&D, investment in green projects and IT. He must also try to get the 18 to 24-year-olds who have been brutalised by the pandemic into the workforce.

Sunak has a chance to put some oomph behind recovery: he should go for it.

Scapa subsides

A regular gripe of these pages is the speed with which pusillanimous boards roll-over as soon as they hear the rustle of bank notes from overseas and private equity bidders.

Occasionally they hold out for a higher price, as is currently the case in competing bids for the world's largest security firm G4S. But the endgame, even after an auction conducted by the City referee the Takeover Panel, will be the same.

Among recent bids is an offer of 403million from US rival Schweitzer-Mauduit International for Aim-quoted healthcare and industrial outfit Scapa.

The British-firm is known for its innovative wound care treatments and has a heritage in Ashton-under-Lyne dating back to 1927. Newish chairman Chris Brinsmead caved in so quickly that other stakeholders might be forgiven for thinking he knows something they don't.

Key investors, headed by Blackmore Investment Partners, are taking up the cudgels against flaccid board which wants to take the money and run.
In 2020, the business environment for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) continued to be very harsh due to the duration and severity of the coronavirus crisis. Fortunately, despite the severe deterioration of business performance, the number of corporate bankruptcies has remained stable thanks to strong governmental support and financing. For example, according to Tokyo Shoko Research, the number of corporate bankruptcies totaled 6,646 in January-October 2020, down slightly (a drop of 4.4%) from the same period of last year (Note 1).

On the other hand, the number of temporary and permanent business closures and dissolutions across the nation in January-October 2020 surged 21.5% from the same period of last year to 43,802. At this pace, the number of temporary and permanent business closures and dissolutions in the whole of 2020 is set to be much higher than the level in 2018 (46,724), which was the highest since 2000, according to Tokyo Shoko Research. While the number of temporary and permanent business closures and dissolutions has been on an uptrend in recent years, there are concerns that the number of SMEs that decide to dissolve the business rather than attempt to continue operations because of the coronavirus crisis may increase in the future.

Let's examine the results of the "Daido Life Insurance Survey: Business Succession and Fostering of Successors," which was conducted by Daido Life Insurance in September, and to which around 13,000 companies across the nation responded (Note 2). First, the percentage of companies that indicated a desire to implement business succession was 58%, down as much as 15 percentage points from the number in the same survey in January 2019 (73%) (Note 3). As much as 16% replied that the coronavirus crisis changed their mind concerning business succession. On a sector-by-sector basis, the percentage of companies with that reply was particularly high, in the accommodation and food and beverage service sector, which has been severely disrupted by the coronavirus crisis, at 24%.

Of the companies that changed their plans in such a manner, 32% expressed a desire to postpone the timing of business succession. Meanwhile, as much as 8% expressed a new desire for a permanent business closure. On a sector-by-sector basis, in the accommodation and food and beverage service sector, 48% expressed a desire to postpone the timing of business succession, and 10% expressed a desire for a permanent business closure. These results suggest that the coronavirus crisis encourage the postponement of business succession and increase permanent business closures.

In the case of companies that have decided on successors and have been exploring the timing of succession, a temporary decline in corporate value may encourage business succession because it is easier to pass on shares to the successors because of a decrease in the value of the stock. However, the reality appears to be that concerns over implementing successions in this time of deteriorating business performance and unclear future prospects are discouraging more companies from undertaking business successions. In Japan, where the aging of the owner-manager population is ongoing, postponing the timing of business succession increases the risk of losing such an opportunity, ultimately leading to a permanent business closure.

Two men are in custody and facing federal charges of kidnapping and murder in the Christmastime killing of Francisco Roman of Chicopee.

John H. Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, announced Friday that Brandon Batiste, 33, of Springfield, and Calvin Roberson, 38, of Waterbury, Connecticut, were each taken into custody in connection with Romans homicide.

Batiste was arrested in Athens, Georgia, while Roberson was taken into custody in Waterbury.

Batiste and Roberson are each charged with kidnapping resulting in death, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and causing the death of another through the use of a firearm. Both are being held without bail pending their arraignment in U.S. District Court in New Haven.

The charges could result in life in prison  or, if the government pursues it, the death penalty.

Roman, 28, was found dead Dec. 26 in Hartford inside a burning car.

He had been reported missing days earlier and police put out an advisory with a description of Roman and his car hours before the body was found.

He was last seen alive on Christmas Eve.

The car was found on fire on Shultas Place in Hartford. Firefighters responded and put out the flames but found a body and called police.

An autopsy determined the victim was Roman, and that he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Roman, who was known mostly by the nickname Paco, grew up in Springfield and attended the High School of Commerce. He leaves behind three young children, a family friend said.

Roberson, prior to residing in Waterbury, lived in Springfield. He has a long history with police. In 2018, he was arrested on firearms charges and assault and battery on police after a shooting on Greenleaf Street in the Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield. A passenger in his car was shot to death by an unknown suspect.

He was charged with murder in 2006 in connection with the shooting death of a Springfield merchant during a robbery on St. James Avenue. The charges were eventually dropped by the district attorney.

The arrests of Batiste and Roberson were the result of an investigation involving the FBIs gang task forces for Northern Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts State Police, the Hampden district attorney, and the police departments for Springfield, Chicopee, Waterbury and Hartford.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni issued a statement that said I would like to thank the FBI, the Connecticut United States Attorneys Office, and our own Massachusetts State Police, Chicopee Police Department, and Assistant District Attorney Max Bennett, who seamlessly collaborated through a complex investigation to arrest two violent offenders accused of a brutal murder. Their hard work has made this region safer and now affords the victims family a measure of justice for their loved one.

Related content:
Protest challenges small biz joint venture's structure

Ascension Island is practically in the middle of nowhere.

Long under British control, the island sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean below the equator: 1,000 miles from the coast of Africa and 1,400 miles from the coast of Brazil.

Discovered in 1501, it was barren and populated by seabirds and turtles. The Portuguese introduced goats as a food source for mariners who would stop at the island.

The circle marks the location of Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean.

During World War II, it served as an airbase for American and British planes crossing the ocean. The island's military and government usage has continued since. The British used it during the Falklands War and the airstrip was an emergency landing strip for the Space Shuttle.

Today, the U.S. Energy Department operates a climate research facility there. The island is home to one of four ground antennas dedicated to GPS systems. NASA and the Air Force have a telescope conducting deep space surveillance to track orbiting debris.

There is enough infrastructure there that the Air Force needs $113 million contract to maintain and operate facilities. This includes air traffic control, air crew support, public health, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and operating radar and telemetry facilities.

The Chugach Range and Facilities Services Joint Venture LLC is the incumbent and won the recompete, which has drawn fire from other competitors.

Yang Enterprises and Akima Range Readiness Operations both filed protests challenging the award to Chugach.

Yang is a small business headquartered in Oviedo, Florida. They filed a pair of early protests after Chugach first won the recompete last year. That protest resulted in a corrective action, but then Chugach again won the contract.

Yang and Akima (an Alaska Native Corporation like Chugach) are arguing that the evaluation wasnt done properly. If it had been, they would have won.

But Yang is also protesting Chugach's selection as a small business. Yang isn't challenging Chugachs status as a small business, but rather the composition of the joint venture that in Yangs opinion disqualifies the JV from bidding as a small business.

The joint venture is comprised of two Chugach companies -- Chugach Consolidated Solutions, which owns 51 percent of the JV, and Wolf Creek Federal Services, which owns the rest, according to a Chugach spokeswoman.

As remote as Ascension Island is, the issue of joint ventures and small businesses hits much closer to home.

Joint ventures have become popular in recent years as small businesses team with others like them. They create JVs to pursue larger contracts but still qualify as small businesses. I wont pretend to know the ins and outs of the rules that govern JVs, but certainly know JVs are important to small businesses.

This protest might be one to watch to see how the challenge to the JV works out and what the implications might be.

The Yang and Akima protests were filed Feb. 9 and a decision from the Government Accountability is due May 20.



STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Coronavirus-related funeral expenses for some Americans will be reimbursable after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocated a $2 billion fund for the unexpected expenses.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on FEMA in April 2020 to help ease the burden of funerals by providing Disaster Funeral Assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schumer and Ocasio-Cortez initially argued that FEMA paid funeral and burial costs following Hurricane Sandy.

The unexpected funeral costs for some, especially those who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, could be a hardship for many families wanting to give their loved ones a proper burial.

In New York state, the average cost of a funeral ranges from $10,000 to $13,000.

If you are a family who couldnt afford or had to just stretch, went without rent or went without food or anything else so you might give your loved one a decent funeral and burial, you can get reimbursed up to $7,000 from FEMA, Schumer said Monday.

FEMA said the money will only be available for funeral expenses that were incurred between Jan. 20, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020.

Schumer said New York will receive approximately $200 million of the total pot for funeral reimbursement. Each family can receive up to $7,000, depending on FEMAs assessment of eligibility.

A FEMA spokesperson told Newsweek, We are working to streamline the delivery of this program to make it easier for people who lost loved ones to apply for a receive assistance. Its taking some time to develop the right process and tools to make this program easy, efficient and effective for everyone.

Although the agency isnt currently taking applications  it said it plans to later this year  people are encouraged to begin collecting expense documentation now, as well as death certificates.

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Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.
Husband and wife founders of Miami megachurch spar over possible $120M estate in messy divorce

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Pastor Guillermo Maldonado and prophetess Ana Maldonado, the husband and wife team that birthed the Miami-based King Jesus International Ministry, one of the nations largest and fastest-growing Hispanic churches, are now sparring over an estate that court papers say could be worth as much as $120 million.

Ana Maldonado filed for divorce from her husband, who was also an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, after 32 years of marriage last year. In the initial filing, she alleged that he was emotionally and verbally abusive to her. She also alleged that she has reason to believe he is illegally profiting from the megachurch.

According to Ana Maldonados financial affidavit cited by the Miami Herald, they own a home in southwest Miami-Dade, a property in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, and another in Treasure Cay in The Bahamas. They also own property in Opa-locka and Hialeah along with a 2020 Mercedes, a Lexus LX, plus a Falcon 50 business jet registered in Florida under the churchs name. The plane alone, according to Evojets, can range in price from $4.5-$6.5 million.

While she claims to know little about the family finances, Ana Maldonado claims in a preliminary financial affidavit that she and her husband own a possible boat, valued at an unknown amount. She also thinks there might be assets in Italy, Honduras and Colombia that attorneys said could amount to as much as $120 million.

Ana Maldonado is asking the court to award her the main marital home, attorneys fees and an equitable distribution of their assets.

She argues that she was pressured by her husband to sign financial documents but he kept financial information hidden from her, removed her from marital funds and prevented her from speaking to their two adult sons.

Guillermo Maldonados lawyers have denied the allegations, however, noting that the disputed properties were transferred to the estranged couples son, Ronald Maldonado, in January 2020 and he is now the owner of the marital home.

She bizarrely and falsely alleges in her amended petition that she is estranged from both of her sons, and that Ronald is unaware of these transfers being in his own name, Kathleen Phang, Guillermo Maldonados lawyer, wrote in a court filing, according to the Miami Herald. However, she and Ronald currently live together under the same roof, so she could simply ask Ronald about the transfers, but she does not do so.

At the center of the dispute is whether the church might have violated the Inurement Prohibition, which is an IRS rule that forbids board members, trustees and other key employees at 501(c)(3) organizations from directly profiting from a charity.

[W]hether [the church] is compliant with the law... is exactly what Wife is asking this court to adjudicate, Christina Echeverri, one of Ana Maldonados lawyers, wrote in a court filing. Ana Maldonado, she notes, has reason to believe that the church is misusing funds.

The church, however, denies any claims it violated the Inurement rule.

Any accusations that it has knowingly engaged in private inurement transactions are false and irresponsible, King Jesus International Ministry said in a statement to the Miami Herald. In 2020, alone, it gave away over 21 million pounds of food, almost 92,000 meals and over $780,000 in direct financial assistance to over 64,000 households and 53 churches and organizations.

Ana Maldonado now has her own competing church she calls Tabernaculo de su Presencia a las Naciones, which meets online and at the DoubleTree by Hilton Convention Center.

King Jesus International Ministry International did not immediately respond to calls from The Christian Post Thursday.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Air travel has tanked nationwide during the pandemic, but local officials say Albuquerques airport has had bigger drops than most.

About 3.6 million fewer passengers went through the Albuquerque International Sunport in 2020 than in 2019, according to city data. That marks a 66% falloff.

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Sunport officials say U.S. Transportation Security Administration checkpoint data routinely show that Albuquerques pandemic declines are higher than the national average.

Thursday, for example, 64% fewer people went through TSA checkpoints around the U.S. than the same date late year.

But the Sunport  New Mexicos largest airport  was down 74%, according to spokesperson Stephanie Kitts. She said it is a common disparity.

What were seeing pretty consistently, no matter which day of the week you choose, whatever the nationwide decline is year over year, were seeing about 10% more at ABQ versus the nationwide average, Kitts said.

In August, an analysis of TSA data by the trade group Airlines for America found that New Mexico had one of the countrys 10 most pronounced air passenger declines.

Albuquerque Aviation Director Nyika Allen attributed the Sunports steeper-than-average losses in part to New Mexicos COVID-19-related restrictions. In an effort to curb the virus spread, the state has imposed some of the countrys strictest public health measures. And, until this week, those included requiring nearly all out-of-state travelers to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

States including Texas and Florida have not had the kind of air traveler declines as states such as New Mexico and California that have imposed more restrictions, Allen said.

People here were very committed to staying home, which was very important, and were happy that happened, Allen said during a media briefing with Mayor Tim Keller Thursday. But it was detrimental to the airport.

Allen also said markets known more as leisure destinations are faring better. Business travel, she said, is essentially nonexistent right now.

Kitts said as airlines  which dramatically reduced flights during the pandemic  decide how to allocate resources to meet leisure demand, Albuquerque is likely not top of mind.

The Sunport, in fact, has fewer than half as many flights scheduled this month as it did last February.

When airlines are looking at leisure, theyre thinking things like beaches and states that are widely open and that sort of thing, Kitts said.

A Senate employee who was last in the State House on Monday has tested positive for COVID-19, the Senate presidents office told senators and staff late Wednesday night.

The email, from Senate President Karen Spilkas chief of staff Mary Anne Padien, said that the employee was not in close contact with any other person while they were in the state house.

The State House has been closed to the public since mid-March, though it still hosts legislative sessions and some of Gov. Charlie Bakers press conferences, both attracting fewer in-person participants than in pre-pandemic times.

Padien reminded senators and staffers Wednesday night that all Senate employees should be working remotely and that senators are strongly encouraged to participate in Senate sessions remotely as well.

In December, the Senate held a session in Room 428 while the Senate Chamber underwent environmental cleaning following a positive test result from an employee who had been in the chamber.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Rain likely. High 46F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain. Low 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday launched the country's first tractor retrofitted with bio-CNG kit in a move aimed at reducing the fuel cost for farmers and said that he will write to states to incentivise them once they are scaled up.

Showcasing the first such retrofitted tractor in New Delhi, Gadkari said that he will write to all chief ministers urging them to grant relief to such initiatives by providing them relief on registration and other taxes. The technology is yet to be scaled up commercially.

Launching the tractor Gadkari said, "Tractors retrofitted with bio CNG will help reduce the cost for farmers by at least up to Rs 2 lakh annually. Use of bio-CNG in the farming equipment will also help address the problem of air pollution in cities like New Delhi, which has become a major health hazard."

Gadkari added that 35 million tonnes of post-harvest residue is burnt by the farmers every year. "If the same is purchased from the farmer for the purpose of conversion into bio-CNG, it will fetch them at least Rs 2,000 per tonne. It can become a source of rural revenue stream. The fuel will also help the farmers save at least half the cost as per day cost of diesel is Rs 1,800, while that of the bio-CNG is Rs 940."

The minister also said that while this was a pilot project, the technology will be scaled up in the coming future. Right now only two companies are involved in the retrofitting the old tractors. The conversion of old vehicles are jointly done by Rawmatt Techno Solutions and Tomasetto Achille India.

ALSO READ: How Frontier Markets all-woman salesforce enables last mile delivery in rural India

ALSO READ: Q3FY21 earnings: Growth momentum continues with impressive show so far
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 4:16 pm

Parts of Centralia, Rochester and Tenino received 6 inches of snow Thursday night, while most of Lewis County received anywhere from 1 to 5 inches, as a February snowstorm blanketed the county for the first time this winter.

The bulk of the snowstorm was expected to happen Friday night through Saturday morning, when the Interstate 5 corridor was predicted to see up to 5 additional inches of snow, said Jeff Michalski, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Thats the period with the highest snowfall totals across the area, Michalski said. Its a major storm for the region.

The Hood Canal area is expected to see the highest total snowfall in Western Washington during this weather system.

Lewis County residents will likely see the snowfall begin to taper off by Saturday afternoon with a slight break in the system. However, there will be lingering impacts of the snow on the ground heading into Sunday, as temperatures are expected to remain below freezing Saturday night and Sunday. There wont be any significant melting during that time, Michalski said, and roads will likely still be very icy.

The next weather system moves in Sunday night into Monday, a pattern that will bring some warmer air inland from the Pacific Ocean. Snow levels will rise, but there will be a transition from snow back over to rain during that time period, Michalski said.

Depending on how much snow is on the ground, its going to take a little bit for all that to melt, Michalski said.

Temperatures are expected to moderate further into next week, which will bring warmer temperatures and rainfall.
Govt may soon come out with definition of essential supplies by e-tailers

Nirmala Sitharaman responds to Mamata Banerjee over letter to PM Modi for GST exemption

GST Council to meet on May 28 amid COVID crisis: What to expect

Fiscal deficit will be brought down without hurting growth: FM Sitharaman

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Feb 12: In her reply to the Budget discussions in the Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will bring down India's fiscal deficit without creating hurdles for growth.

Sitharaman added that the government has not "hurried" while announcing any fiscal deficit number.

During the Budget presentation, Sitharaman pegged the fiscal deficit for 2020-21 at 9.5 per cent of GDP and 2021-22 at 6.8 per cent.

The FM said post-pandemic economies have suffered all over the world and the Union Budget 2021 was an attempt to provide a "strong stimulus" to deal with this situation.

In doing so, she says, not only quick short term solutions were created, but "we also looked at medium, long term and sustainable growth that will help us remain one of the fastest-growing economies."

Sitharaman highlighted the swift response in providing a relief package post covid. She also said that " building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat actually represents the aspirations of 130 crore people of this country."

"Over two thirds of this population are youth looking for opportunities," Sitharaman highlighted. "The Budget was aimed at not only giving relief packages but creating opportunities for employment," she added.

She further said that Prime Minister Modi is responsible for removing all ills from MNERGA and it was under the BJP that the scheme was effectively utilised.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

"We have overseen the highest ever utilisation at Rs 90.469 crore of the rural employment scheme."

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 16:37 [IST]
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Zahid Khan, above, fled to Dubai in 2018 after being convicted of a car registration scam

A convicted fraudster who fled to Dubai to avoid prison is suing police for crushing his 200,000 Ferrari.

Zahid Khan, who ripped off motorists in an elaborate private number plate scam, had his Ferrari 458 Spider seized by police who believed the uninsured supercar was stolen after he was pulled over in Birmingham.

In May 2017 the conman appeared in court to try to prove he had bought the vehicle legally, only to be told that it had been destroyed a month before.

At the time Khan and two of his brothers were being investigated by detectives over a 500,000 number plate scam. The brothers would register existing plates with the DVLA under their own names to sell them on..

But before he was convicted in 2018 of conspiracy to commit fraud, perverting the course of justice and concealing and converting criminal property, Khan fled the country to Dubai, where he has been hiding out ever since.

He is staying out of the clutches of British police in a penthouse apartment and partying with celebs like Busta Rhymes and Floyd Mayweather.

From his hideout at a penthouse in Dubai, Khan is suing West Midlands Police after they seized and crushed his 200,000 Ferrari 248 Spider (pictured outside Birmingham Crown Court)

Since he fled the UK, playboy Khan, from Birmingham, has been pictured with a host of celebrities in the UAE like here where he is posing with YouTube sensation Lana Rose

Speaking from Dubai, Khan, 35, said: 'I have now started proceedings against West Midlands Police for their unlawful conduct in relation to my Ferrari 458 spider worth 200k.

'The police had no right to destroy a high valuable asset, to cover up their lies they made numerous different reasons to why they destroyed it but noting can justify the fact it was a lot of wasted money.'

he filmed himself flying a plane over Dubai and stroking his pet Siberian tiger cub

'The police could have sold the car via a police auction or even sold the car in parts, the car was worth more in parts. To give an example a used engine for a Ferrari costs more than 30,000, so you can just imagine what all the parts would have come to if sold.

'It's so upsetting that we live in a country where every road we drive on has pot holes and we also have police complaining there is not enough money so they are cutting down on officers,

'This Ferrari could have been sold to fund the police or even pay towards getting the pot holes fixed, there was so much the police could have done with the money instead they go a crush my Ferrari

'Why could they not give this money to a charity or even the NHS? To do something good? The police acted in bad faith and were totally out of order by doing what they did, their actions were deliberate.

Khan poses with Floyd Mayweather while on the run from police over the 500,000 scam

'I am so glad after four long years since the car was unlawfully destroyed a case has been filed in the civil courts for damages and disclosure, the police are now being sued for their unlawful actions.'

Khan notoriously revels in his playboy lifestyle.

Just a month before the Ferrari was destroyed he had parked the car on the pavement by the steps of Birmingham Crown Court to contest an earlier conviction.

Shortly after leaving the UK, Khan thumbed his nose at the British justice system by posting a video appearing to show him smash up a 30,000 gold Rolex.

He lives the high-life in Dubai, boasting of being chauffeured in a Rolls Royce to attend a celebrity belly dancing party with boxer Mayweather. He also attended a glitzy Christmas bash with rapper Rhymes.

Khan filmed himself apparently smashing a Rolex watch worth 30,000 to prove his wealth

And just last year  despite the police breathing down his neck  he filmed himself flying a plane over Dubai and stroking his pet Siberian tiger cub.

British police believe they have tracked down his bolthole and he now faces extradition back to the UK.

He has also been hit with a confiscation order totalling 116,319 under the Proceeds of Crime Act and must serve an extra 14 months in prison if he does not comply with the order.

With his time as a fugitive now seemingly running out, Khan lodged his extraordinary claim against West Midlands Police for the unlawful destruction of his Ferrari.

During his time on the run, Khan posted this picture of himself in another car on Instagram

Khan, in designer sunglasses, poses on what appears to be the steps leading to a private jet

A Notice of Issue was sent to the force on February 4 and the case is now with London County Court.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: 'Zahid Khan has previously lodged a letter of claim directly with the force which has already been denied. We have now received notification he has issued proceedings before the court, we will respond to the claim via the court process in due course.'
An Aurora, Colorado, cop has been fired after bodycam footage showed him repeatedly punching and tasering a suspect who he was arresting for trespassing in a grocery store.

Officer Robert Rosen was called in as back-up by another cop on August 10, 2020, at a supermarket in Aurora, Colorado.

The suspect has not been named. The police were called by the store because he was 'trespassing' there which suggests he'd been banned for some reason.

The other cop encountered the man in the aisle, told him to stop and yelled: 'I am giving you a lawful command'.

Scroll down for video

Officer Robert Rosen was called in as back-up by another cop on August 10, 2020, at a supermarket in Aurora, Colorado. He is shown holding his Taser, after using it five times on the suspect, who is lying on the floor in the frames above

The suspect ran away and the other cop eventually caught up to him and put him on the ground.

That's when he called Rosen in. Rosen arrived and immediately started punching the suspect in his side.

He then ordered him to produce his hands - which he was lying on. The suspect refused and Rosen Tasered him.

He Tasered him five times in total before the two cops got the suspect onto his feet and walked him out of the store.

The other officer's bodycam caught all of Rosen's actions. He did not activate his own camera.

The suspect (shown before Rosen arrived) was trespassing in the store which suggests he had been banned. Another cop got there first then called on Rosen to help him

Rosen arrived and immediately started punching the suspect. He then Tasered him five times

Rosen Tasered the suspect while yelling at him to move his hands out from under his stomach

He also failed to give any explanations for why he used excessive force.

In a statement, the Aurora Police Department said: 'During the arrest Officer Rosen never attempted any lesser means of force nor did he make any attempts to deescalate the situation in accordance with Aurora Police training'.

In her letter to Rosen firing him, Police Chief Vanessa Wilson wrote: 'Upon arrival at the scene, you did not attempt to deescalate the situation and did not attempt to use lesser means of force throughout the contact.

'In fact, you further escalated the situation by quickly going hands on with the subject prior to providing any verbal commands.'.

Rosen has not made any public comments about the incident. He had worked with the force since 2017.
Gang rapist Mohammed Skafs continued denial of his guilt in disturbing sex crimes is complicating his latest bid for parole and his pathway for a safe return to the community.

Skaf, 17 at the time of the gang rapes of at least six schoolgirls in Sydney alongside his brother Bilal Skaf and 14 other men, has been behind bars since he was arrested in 2000 and is making his fourth bid for parole since becoming eligible three years ago.

Mohammed Skaf was convicted for his role, as a 17-year-old, in a series of disturbing gang rapes. Credit:NSW Police

Deliberations on his latest application have been delayed as the State Parole Authority wrestles with concerns about how to safely reintegrate the man into the community as the expiry of his sentence nears in January 2024.

Now 37, Skaf appeared by videolink from Junee Correctional Centre on Friday for a hearing but did not have a chance to speak about his application.
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The Police in Osun on Thursday arraigned a 35-year-old, Adeyeni Adeyeye, before an Ile-Ife Magistrates Court for allegedly assaulting, Sanusi Ademola, the principal of Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife where the son attends.

According to the prosecutor, Abdullahi Emmanuel, the defendant committed the offence on February 1, 2021 around 10:30 a.m in the school premises.

Mr Adeyeye was also accused of stealing, wilful damage, assault and conduct likely to cause breach of peace during the unlawful assault on the principal.

He was said to have punched Mr Ademola and his sons class teacher, Awoyeye Olajide.

The police further said while carrying out the assault, the defendant allegedly stole a car key, an office key and a purse containing a cash sum of N50,000.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened sections 249(d), 351, 383, 390(9), 451 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 32, Laws of Osun, 2002.

When asked to take a plea, Mr Adeyeye pleaded not guilty to the charges.

His counsel, Oluwatosin Ademola, pleaded for the bail of the defendant in most liberal terms after assuring the court that he would provide reliable sureties.

In his verdict, the Magistrate, A. A. Adebayo, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1 million with one surety in like sum.

Mr Adebayo said the surety must swear to an affidavit of means, reside within the court jurisdiction and must be a civil servant of grade level 12.

In addition, the magistrate noted that the surety must present a letter of appointment with his last promotion letter, three years tax clearance certificate, valid identification card as well as produce three recent passport photographs.

The matter was later adjourned till March 3, for hearing.
At meeting held on 12 February 2021

The Board of Sterling Tools at its meeting held on 12 February 2021 has transacted the following:

Approved the proposal for investment of Rs 10 crore in one or more tranches, in the shares or optional convertible debentures or in both of Sterling Gtake E-Mobility, a subsidiary company.

Further, the fund infusion by the Chinese partner Jiangsu Gtake Electric Company (GTAKE) in Sterling Gtake E-mobility is not received yet because of the changed FDI guidelines issued by Government of India requiring approval of DPIIT, New Delhi, for which an application has already been moved on by the Sterling Gtake E-mobility.

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The Houston area gets several hard freezes a year, and as a major winter storm approaches, you dont want to be caught off-guard by biting wind chill.

But its not as simple as dressing in more layers  you need to prepare for the impact of cold weather on your home. Even though Houston is unlikely to end up as cold as our friends in New England, it doesnt take much to wreak havoc on Southeast Texas.

Texans should gear up for the winter weather, said Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas. You dont want to be caught off-guard and dont want to be out of town when a freak cold snap comes through.

While northern transplants might snort at the idea of folks freaking out when temperatures hover around 32 degrees, Houstonians arent accustomed to regular bouts of temperatures in the low 30s, a forecast were facing this week. Get ready for the worst of the winter season by protecting your home and loved ones from cold weather.

Protect your pipes

What is this? I'm Gwendolyn Wu, and I'm writing "Houston How To," a series on how to navigate the city and its complexities. Humans have an innate drive to improve themselves, and we're always striving to live better, smarter and more efficiently by throwing countless dollars and hours at our problems. The Houston Chronicle wants to simplify that for you. As a reporter, I usually ask the questions, but I can't be the only one wondering how something works. What are things you need to know how to do, Houston? You can find me on Twitter at @gwendolynawu or by email at gwendolyn.wu@chron.com. See More Collapse

Water turns to ice when temperatures dip below 32 degrees for a lengthy period of time, typically 24 hours  although it can happen faster if it gets much colder. Expanding liquid puts a lot of pressure on pipes, according to the American Red Cross. But you might not see the damage until the ice starts thawing and the cracks become apparent. Experts recommend insulating outdoor pipes and those that are exposed in any part to the elements, such as those in unheated attics.

FREEZING TEMPERATURES: Cold front could plunge Houston area into wintry weather

A do-it-yourself approach is fine. You can wrap pipes in newspaper, foam or rags and secure them with strong tape or rope.

If it gets really cold and you expect to be out of town for a longer period of time, consider cutting off the water and draining the pipes.

Insured losses and home damages from burst pipes usually run in the tens of millions of dollars annually in Texas, Hanna said. But when theres a long period between cold snaps, people get complacent and may not think to take precautions, putting aging pipes at risk.

Its been decades since weve had a really bad, long spell of freezing weather so it could reach $100 million, Hanna said.

Make sure your home is warm

You might want to run your heater before the first cold nights come. Accumulated dust will burn off and with a smoky smell, which experts say is concerning only if it lingers or keeps returning when you turn your heater on later. Thats a sign that you need to call in technicians to inspect your heater if you dont already do an annual check.

If your house has a chimney, make sure that the shaft isnt blocked and clean out the chimney annually. You dont want to be caught off-guard by smoke and fumes filling your home.

If your home is equipped for heat but you cant afford the payments, consult Texas Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program. The program aids low-income households with making energy-efficient home repairs and utility payments. To qualify, households must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, with priority given to elderly, persons with disabilities and families with young children, or individuals with high energy cost burdens, said Kristina Tirloni, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

From November 2018 to February 2019, 3,223 households in Harris County used CEAP to pay utility bills or prevent utility cutoff, according to the housing agency.

Another 165 households used the program, administered by Baker Ripley, to weatherize their home  insulating, repairing and/or replacing fixtures in the building to make it more energy efficient in 2018, Tirloni said.

Insulation is particularly important for keeping energy costs down. Make sure your attic insulation is effective. And think about whats below it as well. Many area homes are built on pier and beam foundations, allowing cold air to invade the crawlspace under a house, resulting in cold floors.

Researchers at Louisiana State University found that properly sealed, rigid foam insulation installed underneath the floor joists or closed cell spray foam will keep your pier-and-beam home insulated without promoting the growth of mold and fungi. (Both are DIY-able.)

Check in on people, pets and plants

Cold weather significantly impacts death rates in Texas, according to research from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

In metropolitan areas along the Gulf Coast, including the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land region, the risk of mortality increased significantly when temperatures dropped. Annually, an estimated 1,105 deaths can be attributed to excessive cold in the area, researchers found.

If you know you have a neighbor going on vacation soon and a cold front is looming, ask if they want someone to come in and drip water from some of the faucets in their home to prevent still water from icing over, Hanna said.

And if you have friends or family who are physically impaired and/or unable to prepare their homes, check in on them as well.

PREPARE YOUR PLANTS: Here's what you need to do to minimize damage in the garden

Pets and plants need protection from freezing temperatures. For foliage, if the cold spell isnt expected to last long, you can drape a drop cloth or plastic sheets over stakes and over the plant to protect ice crystals from forming, researchers said. You can also bring potted plants in during frosty weather.

While some animals are hardy, you should make sure they have warm, insulated places to sleep  especially young animals that havent developed their winter coats.

A 2007 law passed in the Texas Legislature makes it illegal to tether dogs outside in extreme weather conditions, including if the actual or effective temperature outside is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Owners must provide adequate shelter protecting the dog from frigid weather conditions. (Advocates said no one has been prosecuted under the law, although warnings can be issued.)

gwendolyn.wu@chron.com
A robot server delivers food to a customer at No Brand Burger in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, Feb. 2. Korea Times photo by Park Ji-won

A robot conveyer cooks buns for hamburgers at No Brand Burger in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, Feb. 2. Korea Times photo by Park Ji-won



By Park Ji-won



At the entrance of No Brand Burger, a fast food chain affiliate of Shinsegae Foods, people wait in line to order meals and pay at kiosks. Once the orders and payment are done, automated food machines start to cook buns and patties, and workers assemble and prepare them for the customers. When the food orders are ready, staff put them on a robot server while the order numbers pop up on a screen to notify customers their meals are ready. Workers are still needed to do some chores such as cleaning and maintaining the machines, but customers can get their food without having any contact with a person.



Even a few years ago, such a scene was unthinkable at least in the real world, although robot cooks and servers were depicted in science fiction movies. Automated cooks are still uncommon in restaurants in Korea, but, as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, more restaurants are looking to automated kitchens as an option to avoid infections and cut costs.





Robot chef gettyimagesbank



Woowa Brothers, one of Korea's leading delivery companies, has introduced 241 serving robots or "Deliplate" in 186 restaurants nationwide as of October last year. The rental product introduced in November 2019 costs some 1 million won ($892) per month but more restaurants went for them over the last year.



"It's very interesting to see robots carrying food plates. Still, I need to call servers to order something, but it's good for both servers and customers in doing some simple tasks such as delivering additional side dishes. In this pandemic, it's also good to reduce contacts between people," said a customer surnamed Ryu in a restaurant using the robot in Seoul.



KT, Hyundai Robotics and Monthly Kitchen, a startup company running a shared kitchen business, have signed an agreement in November to automate the shared kitchen business.





An automated wok cooks food at Gongdori Kitchen in Shinsa-dong, Seoul, in August. Courtesy of Shin Starr presents
Of 462 student COVID-19 cases reported within the last week, Braintree had the most with 25, according to a report from state education officials.

There were 212 staff cases of the coronavirus in addition to the 462 student cases, for a total of 674 cases reported from Feb. 4 to Feb. 10, according to the weekly report put out by the Department of Elementary Education.

This weeks report shows a significant decrease from last week, when the state reported 894 cases split between 571 students and 323 staff members. Statewide, coronavirus metrics have been trending downward.

Following Braintree, Andover reported 20 student COVID cases. Staff cases were the highest at the Boston Higashi School, an approved special education school that reported nine cases. Lynn had eight staff cases, the highest number among districts.

DESE estimates there are 450,000 students and 75,000 staff members in public school buildings during the pandemic. The department releases a COVID case report each Thursday that includes cases of student or staff members who tested positive within seven days of being inside a school building.

Find numbers for your district or school in this searchable database. If youre having trouble accessing the database, click here.

Massachusetts is in Phase 2 of its vaccination plan, which includes K-12 employees. But a specific plan for educators to get vaccinated has not been revealed yet. On Wednesday, a group of unions proposed to the state a rapid COVID vaccination plan for school employees, particularly in high-need districts that have been hit hard by the pandemic.

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Catherine Lewis La Torre, who was appointed chief executive of the British Business Bank (BBB) in September, is at the heart of the struggle to keep companies afloat in the pandemic.

The BBB administers the emergency loans offered to businesses to help them weather the crisis.

It is also behind the Future Fund, which is aimed at helping start-up firms with loans that can be converted into equity.

Banking on the women: Lewis La Torre was appointed chief executive of the British Business Bank in September

'We all know how important small and medium firms are for the economy and how important they will be going into the recovery,' Lewis La Torre says.

The BBB, a state-owned economic development bank, was set up by the Government in 2014, with the aim of increasing the supply of credit to small and medium firms to help them grow.

It is sometimes seen as the UK's answer to Germany's highly successful KfW, the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau, which was set up to fund recovery after the war.

The BBB mainly targets its assistance to companies with a turnover of up to 25million and it doesn't lend directly to firms, but works through the banks. The idea is that it expands access to funding to firms that might otherwise slip through the net of the commercial lenders.

Until last year, however, the BBB hovered largely below the radar.

'The profile has been raised in the past year because of the response to the Covid crisis,' says Lewis La Torre.

'Our balance sheet has increased almost tenfold. We had a balance sheet of 75billion, which is an amazing number compared with where we started the financial year with about 8billion.

'The expansion is largely due to the Covid lending, and the Future Fund, which targets high growth tech businesses.'

The fund, now closed to applications, was announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April.

It offered loans from 125,000 to 5million, subject to matched funding from private investors. She rejects criticism that the UK response was slow compared to other countries.

Alison Rose, left, became chief exec of Natwest in November 2019 while Debbie Crosbie, right, took over at TSB in May 2019

'We were able to do it quite quickly. Maybe we could have done it quicker but now there are 65billion of government guaranteed loans to more than 1.5m small and medium firms, so I think a lot of those concerns in the early days have gone away.'

There has also been alarm over high levels of suspected fraud among applicants for the loans, with stories of crooks setting up bogus firms to apply for debt they have no intention of repaying.

'There is an element of fraud. There has always been fraud and there will always be bad actors. There was a trade-off between rolling out schemes rapidly and putting in controls against fraudulent use,' she says.

'And we need to distinguish between fraud and companies that took out loans in good faith but are unable to repay.'

Lewis La Torre joined the BBB after a 25-year career in private equity. She was born in the Rhondda Valley and still has a slight Welsh lilt, despite having moved to Leicester aged 11.

She studied economics at the LSE, and 'accidentally' moved into venture capital when her first ambition, journalism, didn't work out.

Life took a different turn when, whilst working in Brussels, she met and married a 'very lovely man' in the Italian Military Police. The couple moved to Rome, which 'meant a whole change in my carefully mapped career. I didn't speak Italian and had to learn very quickly.'

She eventually got a job with the private equity division of Italian bank Unicredit, developing activities internationally. The next move was setting up a fund management business in Helsinki 'with a bunch of Finns and Scandis.'

It was there that she had her daughter Vanessa, now aged 16. 'The business was growing very quickly and we decided it was the right time to have children.

'My colleagues at the time were perfectly fine with that, it was the culture of the firm.'

Welsh tech entrepreneur Anne Boden is the founder and CEO of fintech bank Starling

Lewis La Torre is very keen on helping the Prime Minister's agenda of levelling up poorer regions of the country, and getting funding to businesses in areas that have in the past missed out.

'We have set up a number of regional funds in the North, Midlands and South West. They provide microfinance, loans and equity and can structure finance for individual companies.'

She is also conscious that firms led by women sometimes struggle to raise the finance they need to grow, as do those run by BAME founders.

Does it make a difference that there are a number of female chief executives of British banks  herself, Alison Rose at Natwest, Debbie Crosbie at TSB and Anne Boden at fintech bank Starling?

'It is very important that a group of women have made their way to the top, as we are role models. As women too often we are inclined to say it is difficult, we can't do it  but yes you can.

'We are doing research at the BBB into why it is so difficult for women to raise venture capital. There are lots of reasons and no one solution. Entrepreneurs from BAME backgrounds, particularly black entrepreneurs, also find it harder to raise capital.

'Of course it is a huge loss of talent to the economy and a waste. If every entrepreneur with a good idea had the finance they need, what would that mean in terms of jobs and growth? It would be enormous.

With women and with BAME entrepreneurs we are looking at a huge wasted opportunity, huge economic waste.'

Many of the businesses of the future, she says, will be tech-based and will not require large amounts of capital to get off the ground.

'One thing that is positive about the crisis is that it has accelerated tech trends, including virtual working. We can understand more what the future looks like.

'We can't rely on old solutions, the economy has changed and won't look like the past.'

One change is that private debt  lending by non-banks such as venture capital funds or other providers of finance  is likely to be an increasingly important source of funding for firms post-Covid.

A BBB report has found 18.4billion of private debt in 2018 and 2019, the vast bulk of it outside London. She is excited about Sunak's plan to set up a national infrastructure bank.

'Infrastructure is a big part of the building back greener agenda. There is a role we can play in helping small and medium businesses transition to greener business models.,' she says.

Small and medium firms will, she says, fire up the recovery.

'I am an optimist. There is a lot of pent-up demand that will drive the economy. It is our role to make sure the finance for small and medium enterprises is there.

'This has been brutal for many people's lives and livelihoods but we will see a bounce back and heave a collective sigh of relief.'
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Mostly cloudy. High 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 47F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

As a child, visits to my maternal grandfather and grandmother (of Italian and Polish heritage, respectively) involved eating a lot pasta and pierogi. Dessert, in turn, was sometimes cannoli and poppyseed roll, but often a platter of Stella D'Oro cookies - assorted dainty corrugated rings and logs of buttery dough with almond undertones. My grandfather had developed a taste for them early in his youth as an immigrant from Genoa, and my grandparents' pantry was never without at least one package. Truth be told, my juvenile palate found the cookies too bland (i.e.: insufficiently sugary), but...

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Buzzi Unicem reports stable 2020 volumes in spite of pandemic

12 February 2021

This week, Buzzi Unicem released its FY20 preliminary results. The Italian-based cement producer announced cement volumes of 29.3Mt, a YoY rise of 0.4 per cent despite the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecendented recession in the first half of 2020. The extraordinary economic policy packages taken out helped cushion the impact from the contraction of international trade, while the loosening of restrictive measures by the second half helped deliver a stronger than expected global economic recovery. However, the pandemic had a resurgence in the European Union and the USA in 4Q20 which resulted in a new slowdown.

In FY20, Buzzi Unicem reported ready-mix concrete volumes of 11.7Mm3, down 3.1 per cent on 2019. Consolidated net sales reached EUR3222.4m, in line with the EUR3221.4m recorded in 2019, but a 1.8 per cent increase on a like-for-like (LfL) basis. Net debt at the end of 2020 totalled EUR242m, down from EUR568m in 2019.

Regional performances

Italy

The group's hydraulic binders and clinker volumes, after a sharp decline in the first half, maintained a positive trend in the second part of the year. Average selling prices, for the whole of the year, showed a positive development. The ready-mix concrete sector posted a more evident contraction, despite a meaningful rebound occurring during the second half, with prices also improving. Overall net sales in Italy stood at EUR501.1m, down 0.7 per cent compared to 2019 (LfL: -2.1 per cent).

Central Europe

In Germany the groups shipments of hydraulic binders showed good development in the second half of the year, after a slight decline in the first part of 2020. The ready-mix concrete sector showed an increase in production compared to 2019. Consequently, at year-end 2020, overall net sales came in at EUR717m, up 5.5 per cent compared to EUR679.6m in 2019 (LfL: +4.7 per cent).

In Luxembourg and the Netherlands, overall net sales of 2020 amounted to EUR191.7m, down 0.4 per cent compared to EUR192.5m of the previous year.

Eastern Europe

In Poland cement volumes sold by the group closed 2020 below levels reached in the previous year, despite an overall positive second half, which allowed a partial recovery. Ready-mix concrete output recorded a more evident decline. Following these market dynamics, net sales amounted to EUR117.8m, down 4.8 per cent compared to EUR123.8m in 2019.

In the Czech Republic, cement sales, contracted sharply during the second half, closing below the levels reached at the end of 2019. Consolidated net sales amounted to EUR159.5m, down 5.2 per cent compared to 2019.

Cement sales in Ukraine closed 2020 with a sharp decline compared to the levels reached the previous year, penalised by the pandemic emergency and by the increase in imports from Turkey. Ready-mix concrete output showed more pronounced weakness. Net sales stood at EUR116.1m, down from EUR131.9m recorded in 2019 (-12 per cent).

In Russia cement sales in the 2H20 showed a positive trend. In 2020 net sales stood at EUR195.8m, down 8.7 per cent compared to EUR214.5m of the previous year.

USA

In the USA sales of hydraulic binders advanced positively, thanks to generally favourable weather conditions, particularly in the winter months, and to the soundness of demand during the second half of the year. Selling prices, in local currency, only slightly improved in the year as a whole.



Ready-mix concrete output, mainly located in Texas, showed some weakness in the 2H, which was already noted during the first six months, closing the year down compared to 2019. Overall net sales amounted to EUR1260.6m, up 1.5 per cent compared to EUR1242.5m in 2019. At constant exchange rates net sales would have increased by 3.5 per cent.

Mexico (valued by the equity method)

Sales of the associate Corporacion Moctezuma recorded a clear strengthening in the second half of the year, thanks to the significant recovery in public works activity. Ready-mix concrete sales, on the other hand, confirmed the weakness already recorded in the first half, closing the year in clear decline compared to 2019, with prices in local currency down. With reference to 100 per cent of the associate, in 2020 net sales came in at EUR573.8m, down 3.3 per cent on the previous year.

Brazil (valued by the equity method)

In the 2H20 cement shipments of Buzzi's joint venture confirmed the positive momentum already recorded in the first six months, closing the year with a marked increase compared to the levels reached in 2019, with selling prices, in local currency, clearly improving. With reference to 100 per cent of the associate, net sales amounted to EUR139.1m, slightly progressing (+3.2 per cent) compared to EUR134.7m of the previous year.

Outlook

The weather conditions of the last quarter were favourable overall. In the October-December period, Buzzi Unicem sales volumes exceeded the level of the previous year, particularly in the USA, Russia and Italy. The price level remained sound and the rise in energy factors had, for the moment, a limited adverse impact on production costs.

Based on the preliminary information available, Buzzi Unicem expects the consolidated financial statements for FY20 to close with a recurring EBITDA of about EUR780m.

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Ted Cruz has leapt to the defence of the Mandalorian actor fired for comparing Jews in Nazi Germany to modern American conservatives.

Gina Carano was fired from her role as mercenary fighter Cara Dune in the Star Wars spinoff by Disneys Lucasfilm and dropped by her talent agency UTA.

Her Instagram post, in which she compared Republicans to Jewish people persecuted in the Holocaust, has since been deleted.

Mr Cruz, the Republican Senator from Texas, took to Twitter to defend the actress, who hails from the Lone Star state.

"Texan Gina Carano broke barriers in the Star Wars universe: not a princess, not a victim, not some emotionally tortured Jedi," Mr Cruz tweeted.

"She played a woman who kicked ass & who girls looked up to.

"She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her.

An estimated six million European Jews were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Carano caused a storm when she wrote on Instagram that, Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors  even by children.

"Because history is edited, most people today don't realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews.

"How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?"

President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens at right. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans.

Biden made the announcement at the sprawling National Institutes of Health complex just outside Washington as he visited some of the nation's leading scientists on the frontlines of the fight against the disease. He toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries.

The U.S. is on pace to exceed Biden's goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks.

"That's just the floor," Biden said. "Our end goal is beating COVID-19."

Biden announced on Thursday that the U.S. had secured contractual commitments from Moderna and Pfizer to deliver the 600 million doses of vaccine by the end of Julymore than a month earlier than initially anticipated.

"We're now on track to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July," he announced.

The pace of injections could increase further if a third coronavirus vaccine from drugmaker Johnson & Johnson receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

President Joe Biden speaks during a visit at the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and NIH Director Francis Collins listen. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Speaking with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease specialist, Biden emphasized that his administration is doing everything possible to increase the vaccine supply and the country's capacity to deliver injections into arms.

"It's been a hell of a learning process," Biden said.

Biden, wearing a mask, used his remarks to criticize President Donald Trump, saying he inherited "no plan to vaccinate most of the country."

"It is no secret that the vaccination program was in much worse shape than my team and I anticipated," he said.

To date, the Biden administration has deployed active-duty troops to help stand up mass vaccination sites in several states, as it looks to lay the groundwork for increasing the rate of vaccinations once more supply is available.

The Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory is led by Dr. Barney Graham, whose team made critical discoveries years ago that laid the groundwork for rapid development of that and other COVID-19 vaccines. Before the pandemic erupted, one of Graham's research fellows, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, had been using those earlier findings to develop a vaccine for MERS, a cousin of COVID-19.

With a model of the Covid-19 virus displayed, President Joe Biden listens as Dr. Barney Graham, left, speaks during a visit at the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist with the Vaccine Research Center at the NIH listens at right. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden greets Barney Graham, left, as he visits the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. From left, Graham, Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist with the Vaccine Research Center at the NIH. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden greets Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during a visit at the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the NIH Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden listens as Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the NIH, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. From left, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Biden, Francis Collins, NIH Director and Corbett. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden listens as Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the NIH, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. From left, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Biden, Francis Collins, NIH Director and Corbett. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks as Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health looks on during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the NIH, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.

Armed with their prior research, Corbett and Graham had a head start when Chinese scientists shared the genetic map of the new coronavirus in January 2020. They already knew how to make spike proteins, which coat the surface of the new coronavirus and its MERS relative, that were stable enough to be used as a key vaccine ingredient.

Within days, the NIH had sent instructions to Moderna to brew up doses, and Corbett and her colleagues were setting up the key lab and animal tests that would eventually prove they were on the right track.

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.

For years, the practice has been that artists in the other regions would have to move to Accra if they want to make inroads into the music industry.



So artists such as Fancy Gadam, Maccasio, and others have had to come to the capital to stage concerts and other promotional activities to get recognition. Although not everyone is happy with it, they havent had much choice, it seems.



However, the Kumerica wave from last year has encouraged artists in the Ashanti Region including rapper Flowking Stone who has said he does not have to move to Accra to promote his songs if the trend is able to stand the test of time.



It looks like if you want to make it in the music industry, you need to reside in Accra, the reason most of the A-list musicians are in Accra. But I believe when Kumerica is able to stand the test of time, we the Kumasi-based musicians wont have to move to Accra just to get the attention we need.



With the likes of Kofi Jamar, Kweku Flick, Yaw Tog, and Phrimpong all from Kumasi getting attention in Accra and almost every part of Ghana, I hope and pray this Kumerica thing stays forever.



Adjust to change or die - SkrewFaze to colleagues



Kofi Jamars Ekorso and Kweku Flicks Money are currently two of the biggest songs in Ghana but they didnt have to come to Accra to promote the songs.



This shows that if we believe in what we have and sell it to Ghanaians, they will definitely buy into them. I believe in this Kumerica thing so much that I would do whatever within my power to help it survive, he told Graphic Showbiz recently.



According to Flowking Stone, he is prepared to work with the young men fronting the Kumerica movement because they have a great future. I am already in talks with some of the Kumerica guys for a possible collaboration and better ways of promoting it.



We must not let it die. We should be able to sell it to the outside world. So far, Kofi Jamar has featured Ice Prince from Nigeria and Khaligraph Jones from Kenya and that is a good start.



Read more: Afro Hip-Hop sensation KFT laments bad work ethic in Ghanas music industry



Recently, Yaw Tog featured Stormzy from the UK on his Sore remix and that is so huge. We are gradually getting there but we need every Ghanaian to support this, he said.



Flowking Stone said the Kumerica movement started as a joke but has now grown into something very big. I first got to know about Kumerica as a term when young Tafo boys took pictures of themselves in Kumasi looking like they were Americans and Ghanaians started ridiculing people from Kumasi.



Most of the natives of Kumasi started referring to themselves as Kumericans and today look at where we are. The trend has thrown the spotlight on talented artistes in Kumasi which we have been fighting for, for years now, he said.



Currently in London, Flowking Stone, who is known for songs such as Blow My Mind, Fire Bon Dem, Mekyeakyea, Go Low among others said he is coming out with great tunes this year.





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.

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There was a scare on Thursday when a Kenyan member of parliament said colleagues were unsafe during proceedings because one member was armed.



The MP, Elisha Odhiambo, informed the speaker that he had seen what looked like a gun behind the coat of his colleague, Mohamed Ali.



Speaker Justin Muturi asked Mr Ali to confirm if he was carrying a gun.



"My apologies, I forgot to leave my things outside. I am a human being," he said.



Speaker Muturi asked Mr Ali to confirm if he was carrying a gun.



"Mr Speaker, allow me to surrender," Mr Ali said as the parliamentary broadcasting unit panned the camera away.



He was asked to deposit it outside with the sergeant-at-arms as required by law.



The speaker urged the sergeant to be vigilant and enforce the rules branding it a "terrible oversight".



Mr Ali lashed out at his colleague for publicising the matter and said it was politically motivated, as both support different parties.



Another MP Millie Odhiambo said the country was politically volatile and urged more security measures enforced.



Kenyan legislators have been divided by ongoing calls for proposed constitutional amendments. The president and his deputy are on different sides in the referendum push.

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.

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Pippa Middletons billionaire husband James Matthews and his Made in Chelsea star brother Spencer have both been claiming taxpayers money to furlough staff, MailOnline has learned.

Hedge fund boss James, 45, is believed to have been using the government handouts to pay the six employees of his Scottish shooting estate, Glen Affric.

Younger brother Spencer, 32, worth an estimated 3m, has also furloughed staff at his start-up low alcohol drinks firm, The Clean Liquor Co, established in June 2020.

The state-funded Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme (CJRS), running since the first lockdown almost a year ago, is designed to help cash-strapped employers survive the lean months of the pandemic, but eyebrows will be raised at two such high net worth individuals taking advantage of the public money.

Pippa Middletons billionaire husband James Matthews (the couple together in St Barts in 2019) and his Made in Chelsea star brother Spencer have both been claiming taxpayers money to furlough staff, MailOnline has learned

Younger brother Spencer, 32, worth an estimated 3m, has also furloughed staff at his start-up low alcohol drinks firm, The Clean Liquor Co, established in June 2020 (pictured promoting his company with wife Vogue Williams)

Hedge fund boss James, 45, is believed to have been using the government handouts to pay the six employees of his Scottish shooting estate, Glen Affric (pictured in promotional material above with James Middleton, Pippa's brother, on the bonnet)

Both companies appear on the governments published list of firms which made use of the furlough scheme during December, but previous months have not been made public.

Under the CJRS, furloughed workers receive 80% of their wages, up to 2,500 per month. The government website did not reveal what staff at both Matthews companies earn.

The Clean Liquor Co. Ltd lists Spencer as its only director and was only incorporated in June 2020. However, before setting up the limited company he received an investment from a US venture capital firm for 1.45m.

Old Etonian Spencer, who became famous on the upmarket reality show MIC, recently became teetotal, and set up his firm to produce low and no-alcohol rum and gin as a healthy alternative to traditional spirits.

Spencer is also a director of the Eden Rocks gems business, with jeweller Neil Duttson, which he launched in 2019 after helping design an engagement ring for his Irish model wife Vogue Williams.

They got married at Glen Affric in 2018, have two children and have spent lockdown in London.

No accounts are publicly available for the Clean Liquor Co. yet due to its recent incorporation.

Racing driver-turned city trader James, who was privately educated at Uppingham School, married the Duchess of Cambridges younger sister Pippa in 2017, having proposed with a 3.5 carat 200,000 diamond ring the previous year.

James, who has also spent lockdown in the capital with his wife, is set to inherit the Scottish courtesy title of Laird of Glen Affric which came with the 10,000-acre estate of the same name near Inverness that his father bought in 2008. James is listed as managing director of Beaufort Glen Affric.

Both companies appear on the governments published list of firms which made use of the furlough scheme during December, but previous months have not been made public. Under the CJRS, furloughed workers receive 80% of their wages, up to 2,500 per month

Old Etonian Spencer, who became famous on the upmarket reality show MIC, recently became teetotal, and set up his firm to produce low and no-alcohol rum and gin as a healthy alternative to traditional spirits

Spencer and Vogue married in 2018 and have two children and have spent lockdown in London. No accounts are publicly available for the Clean Liquor Co. yet due to its recent incorporation

The estates website lists six employees at Glen Affric, and it is believed they are the furloughed workers, as due to the lockdown, paying guests would no longer be able to hire the impressive mansion for shooting parties or other occasions.

One of James smaller companies, Beaufort Glen Affric Ltd, based in Inverness, was in the red to the tune of 9.95m, according to the latest published accounts in 2019. It is this company, believed to handle the running of the Glen Affric Estate, which has claimed under the CJRS.

Having launched his own hedge fund company, Eden Rock Capital Management Group  named after his father Davids exclusive 1,000-a-night hotel in St Barths - in 2017, James was estimated to be close to to being a billionaire by founder of the Wealth Quotient website, David Friedman. More recent estimates of his wealth have put it at up to 2bn.

He owns a 3m private jet and bought a six-bedroomed, 17m house in 2014, which boasts a car-stacking garage in the basement, along with an underground home cinema and a lift.

The CJRS scheme was launched on March 20, 2020, initially for three months, then extended several times and will now run until the end of April 2021.

Initially the scheme was only for those workers who were on their company's payroll on or before 28 February 2020; this was later changed to 19 March 2020, making 200,000 additional workers eligible. On the first day of operation 140,000 companies applied to use the scheme and its cost has been estimated at 14 billion a month to run.

Spencer dropped out of a degree in Film and Television at the University of Southern California and went on to dabble in nightclub promotion for London clubs such as Prince Harrys favourite, Boujiis, before going to work as a foreign exchange broker.

Racing driver-turned city trader James, who was privately educated at Uppingham School, married the Duchess of Cambridges younger sister Pippa in 2017, having proposed with a 3.5 carat 200,000 diamond ring the previous year

James, who has also spent lockdown in the capital with his wife, is set to inherit the Scottish courtesy title of Laird of Glen Affric which came with the 10,000-acre estate of the same name near Inverness that his father bought in 2008. Pictured: Spencer at Glen Affric

Spencer and James brother Michael died at the age of 22 when descending Mt Everest. Both the brothers are directors of the Michael Matthews Foundation, a charity in his memory which supports education projects in Asia and Africa.

A spokesperson for James Matthews and Spencer Matthews declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance warned that the public have long memories about those who failed to help the national effort during the lockdown.

He said: Lockdown has had a massive impact upon the economy and now every penny really does count. Some businesses have repaid the support offered to them by taxpayers.

They should serve as an example for other firms that have come through the past year in rude health. Taxpayers have long memories of those that helped in the national effort and those that didnt.

Tory MP Tom Hunt agreed, saying: It doesnt help the situation if people claim who might not need to.

I fully support the furlough scheme, but I would hope that wealthy individuals who are claiming from the scheme do bear in mind that this is public money for those who really need it and that its for the public good.

The estates website lists six employees at Glen Affric, and it is believed they are the furloughed workers, as due to the lockdown, paying guests would no longer be able to hire the impressive mansion for shooting parties or other occasions

A spokesperson for James Matthews and Spencer Matthews declined to comment. John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance warned that the public have long memories about those who failed to help the national effort during the lockdown.

When Victoria Beckham was revealed to have been using the furlough scheme for 30 staff at her fashion company last year, she swiftly performed a U-turn and handed back the cash.

Victoria whose combined 335m fortune with husband David, is a fraction of that of James Matthews wealth, was said to be devastated by the public reaction to her using the scheme.

Earlier this week, former rugby star Mike Tindall, 42, married to the Queens grand-daughter Zara Phillips, was criticised for using the govt furlough scheme, apparently to pay himself, through his company which handles his income from public speaking.
Authorities are investigating what they described as an apparent murder-suicide after a married couple in their 70s was found dead in their Lowell home Thursday afternoon.

Police responded around 5 p.m. to a 911 call about a death at a home on Featherston Avenue, according to a statement from Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Lowell Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson.

According to the statement, when officers arrived, they found a 76-year-old man shot dead and a 79-year-old woman with a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The individuals were husband and wife and were located together in their bedroom, the statement said.

The apparent murder-suicide was an isolated incident, and there is no threat to public safety, the district attorney and police superintendent noted.

Officials have yet to publicly identify the couple. No additional information was released as of late Thursday.

The incident remains under investigation by Massachusetts State Police detectives and the Lowell Police Department.
We first got to know each other in a group, Ms. Mink said. So we could kind of observe each other and see how we were with other people.

Ms. Mink noticed that Mr. Ewing had a relaxed, unflappable personality. She was drawn to his dry sense of humor  which, she lovingly pointed out, didnt always land the way he intended. Mr. Ewing admired Ms. Mink for the way she added ballast to the group. When somebody is having a rough day, they naturally go to her, he said.

For weeks, they kept their mutual admiration to themselves. Then, on the night before they were to split up for their individual assignments on different islands, Ms. Mink and Mr. Ewing went out celebrating with their fellow volunteers in Suva. It was a typical late-night bar scene  lights, music, sticky floors  with a conspicuous group of interlopers.

It was all of us newly-minted Peace Corps volunteers and then the regular crowd at this Irish pub in downtown Suva, Ms. Mink said.

She asked Mr. Ewing to dance. They took to the floor.

That could have been the beginning and the end of their romance. Mr. Ewing left for his assignment the next morning; Ms. Mink departed for hers shortly thereafter. But in the days that followed, as Mr. Ewing stood in the kitchen of his new home in a village in the mountains of Viti Levu, he thought of a way to keep the conversation going. Ms. Mink had once mentioned, in passing, a tip for making fried rice: use day-old rice. Mr. Ewing decided he would try out Ms. Minks method, and then call her to tell her about it. Having grown up on deep-fried Southern cooking, though, Mr. Ewing had a slight misconception about how to prepare that dish.
Pig producers have urged Tesco and Asda to up the quantity of British pork on their shelves after a survey found a large proportion was imported.

According to a recent shelf-watch survey by NFU Scotland, less than half of the fresh pork on sale in the two retailers was British.

The union said the statistic was 'shocking' for the pork sector, as both supermarket chains had a 'strong commitment to source other meats from the UK'.

It comes as the UK pork sector continues to face disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while exports have been made more challenging because of Brexit.

Prices have fallen below the cost of production, exacerbated by cheaper supplies being sourced from Europe.

NFU Scotland said both farmers and consumers deserved reassurances that British and Scottish pork would be readily available on every shop shelf.

Industry intelligence by the union suggests that there is a significant disparity between supermarkets on their commitment to home-produced pork.

While some supermarkets are 100% committed to British pork, Tesco and Asda are 'falling well short' of what farmers and consumers would expect.

NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick said some retailers needed to step up to the plate during these challenging times for the sector.

In the case of the Co-op, all fresh pork, as well as bacon and sausages are sourced from the UK, while Morrisons, Sainsburys, M&S, Lidl and Aldi are also coming across as very strong supporters of domestic production.

In stark contrast, the display of pork in the Tesco and Asda stores that were examined was poor. Less than half of the fresh pork on sale was British or Scottish and that is a shocking statistic.

"Both these stores have a strong public commitment to source other meats from the UK. They must show the same commitment to pork."

The union said it would be requesting new industry intelligence on the availability of British pork next month.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new COVID-19 measure would go into effect next week.

Coronavirus test required for travellers crossing Canada-U.S. land border Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new COVID-19 measure would go into effect next week.

Coronavirus test required for travellers crossing Canada-U.S. land border Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new COVID-19 measure would go into effect next week.

Coronavirus test required for travellers crossing Canada-U.S. land border Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new COVID-19 measure would go into effect next week. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canada is extending the requirement for travellers to provide a COVID-19 test to land border crossers as early as Feb. 15.

Canadas prime minister, Justin Trudeau, told Canadians that the test must have been done within 72 hours, and it must be a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

Travellers who come to the border without showing proof of a COVID-19 test could be refused entry or face fines of up to $3,000.

These measures are similar to the mandatory testing that was put in place for air travellers in January.

Get help coming to Canada. Contact an immigration lawyer.

Travellers coming by plane will also need to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival, and will need to stay in a hotel for three days while awaiting results. Trudeau previously said that this would cost travellers an estimated $2,000. Hotels will be required to provide transportation to and from the airport and deliver food to the travellers room, according to instructions for hotels participating in the new measure on the government website. The starting date for this new measure has not yet been released.

These tests are in addition to the mandatory 14-day quarantine order on all incoming travellers. This two week period is inclusive of the three days air travellers are required to spend in a hotel. Travellers to Canada also need to download the ArriveCAN app.

Only four Canadian airports are accepting international travellers: Vancouver International Airport, Calgary International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. Canadian airlines have also cut services to Mexico and the Caribbean.

International travel was only responsible for 2 per cent of coronavirus cases in Canada thanks in part due to travel restrictions, Trudeau said previously. Travel has been significantly reduced to Canada, both by land and air. As of January 31, there was a year-over-year decrease of roughly 88 per cent in the number of land border crossings, and a 92 per cent decrease in air travel crossings, according to Canadian Border Services Agency travel statistics.

Foreign nationals are only allowed to enter Canada for essential reasons, or to reunite with family. Canadas travel restrictions are currently in place until February 21, and are expected to be renewed. Canadas borders have been subject to travel restrictions since March 2020.

Get help coming to Canada. Contact an immigration lawyer.

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
This story is frequently updated as new school closures are reported in San Antonio.

As San Antonio and the surrounding area endured subfreezing temperatures and rolling blackouts, local schools adjusted class days. Now all but a few districts and colleges have resumed lessons starting Monday Feb. 22.





RELATED: San Antonio forecast to see up to 2 inches of snow



These are the school districts and university campuses that have already announced changes do to inclement weather.

HIGHER ED

St. Mary's University: Now open

Texas A&M San Antonio: Normal classes were expected to resume Saturday Feb. 20

Alamo Colleges: All classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

OLLU: Our Lady of the Lake resumed classes Monday Feb. 22

UIW: The University of the Incarnate Word has asked employees to work remotely until Wednesday Feb. 24 and regular classes will resume Wednesday Feb. 24.

Trinity University: Campus was set to reopen Feb. 22.

UTSA: All online and in-person classes and meetings are canceled until 7 a.m. Monday, February 22.

SAN ANTONIO AND SURROUNDING

SAISD: San Antonio ISD expectexd to reopen Monday Feb. 22.

Northside ISD: Most campuses open Monday Feb. 22. However, Mora Elementary and Harlan High School will conduct all-virtual learning on Monday, Feb. 22, due to ongoing repairs.

Comal ISD: Monday Feb. 22 is being considered a student holiday and early dismissal planned for Wednesday Feb. 24 has been canceled.

Cuero ISD: JH Track Meet scheduled for Mon., Feb. 22, has been canceled.

Brooks Academies: On Tuesday February 23, 25% of students will return in person and the remainder of the students will attend remotely. Students who attended in person on February 13 will come back to on-campus learning.

Edgewood ISD: Classes expected to resume Feb. 22.

Boerne ISD: Schools and offices reopened Monday Feb. 22.

Medina Valley ISD: Campuses reopened Monday Feb. 22.

Northeast ISD: Northeast ISD resumed regular schedule Feb. 22.

Alamo Heights ISD: Campuses were expected to reopen Monday Feb. 22.

Blanco ISD: Classes canceled Monday and Tuesday Feb. 23.

Judson ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

Bandera ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22. Multiple school events are canceled.

Kerrville ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22. They are regularly posting updates on their social media.

Fort Sam Houston ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

South San ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

East Central ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

Harlandale ISD: District schools, classes and office buildings will be closed through Friday, February 19.

Randolph Field ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

Schertz/Cibolo/Universal City ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

Somerset ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

Southwest ISD: Classes resumed Monday Feb. 22.

IDEA Public Schools: Families will be notified via text or campus social media pages.
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At least 16 workers were killed in a blaze at a fireworks factory in southern India on Friday, police said.

As many as 32 other workers were injured in the accident in a village in Tamil Nadu states Virudhunagar district.

While most of the victims succumbed to burn injuries on the scene, others died at the hospital, local police officer Raj Narayanan said on phone.

There were a series of explosions followed by the fire which engulfed the unit. Several cracker-making sheds were completely gutted, Narayanan said.

The blasts continued for a long time making it difficult for fire and rescue services personnel to enter the unit, he said, adding the firefighters were eventually successful in controlling the blaze.

The death toll could rise as several of the injured were said to be in critical condition.

Footage on domestic channels showed dense black plumes emerging from the factory as crowds of villagers gathered at the accident site.

Police said the plant was operating with the necessary licences but said they were trying to determine the cause of the accident and probe whether the unit was using permitted explosives and materials.

Friction during mixing of chemicals appears to have caused the explosion, an officer from the local fire department told broadcaster NDTV.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences for the lives lost in the accident even as state authorities announced a compensation for the families of the victims.

Firework factories in India often do not follow safety regulations and accidental explosions are reported from time to time.

Twenty-three people were killed in a similar accident in northern India in September 2019 .

(NAN)
WASHINGTON: The Biden administration has launched a formal review of the future of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, reviving the Obama-era goal of closing the controversial facility, a White House official said on Friday.

Aides involved in internal discussions are considering an executive action to be signed by President Joe Biden in coming weeks or months, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, signaling a new effort to remove what human rights advocates have called a stain on Americas global image.

Such an initiative, however, is unlikely to bring down the curtain anytime soon on the high-security prison located at the Guantanamo Naval Station, due largely to the steep political and legal obstacles that the new administration faces.

Set up to house foreign suspects following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, the offshore jail came to symbolize the excesses of the U.S. war on terror because of harsh interrogation methods that critics say amounted to torture.

We are undertaking an NSC process to assess the current state of play that the Biden administration has inherited from the previous administration, in line with our broader goal of closing Guantanamo," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne told Reuters.

The NSC will work closely with the Departments of Defense, State, and Justice to make progress toward closing the GTMO facility, and also in close consultation with Congress," she added.

The immediate impact of a new approach could be to reinstate, in some form, the Guantanamo closure policy of Bidens old boss, former President Barack Obama, which was reversed by Donald Trump as soon as he took office in 2017.

Trump kept the prison open during his four years in the White House - though he never loaded it up with bad dudes, as he once vowed. Now, 40 prisoners remain, most held for nearly two decades without being charged or tried.

Bidens campaign said during the 2020 race that he continued to support closing the detention center but did not say how he would do it.

It is also unclear how specific Bidens coming executive action might be about his plans for the prison, which holds suspects in the Sept. 11 attacks among its detainee population.

FILLING OUT BIDENS GUANTANAMO TEAM

Signaling that the process is still at an early stage, Horne said a number of key policy roles still need to be filled within the interagency, including confirming sub-Cabinet policy roles at the Defense, State, and Justice Departments."

We need to have the right people seated to do this important work," she said.

Biden, who was Obamas vice president, can expect to face many of the same hurdles that frustrated his former boss.

Opened under President George W. Bush, the prisons population grew to a peak of about 800 inmates before it started to shrink. Obama whittled down the number further but his effort to close the prison was stymied largely by Republican opposition in Congress.

The federal government is still barred by law from transferring any inmates to prisons on the U.S. mainland. Even with his own Democratic party now controlling Congress, their majorities are so slim that Biden would face a tough challenge securing legislative changes because some Democrats might also oppose them.

A revived Guantanamo strategy is expected to focus initially on further decreasing the number of prisoners by repatriating them or finding other countries to accept them, according to the people familiar with the matter.

This could also mean re-establishing a State Department post of Guantanamo closure envoy, created by Obama but eliminated by Trump, to resume negotiations with other governments on detainee transfers, the sources said.

In addition, the Pentagon could restart a parole-style review process of prisoners cases to determine whether they still posed a threat, the sources said.

Still, any closure plan could initially be hampered by the coronavirus pandemic, which would make moving prisoners unlikely for now.

The Biden administration has not made Guantanamo one of its top early priorities as it grapples with the pandemic and its economic fallout. Obama made the closing of Guantanamo one of his first executive orders in 2009 but failed to achieve that goal by the end of his second term.

Shutting the facility has been a longtime demand of progressive Democrats whose support helped Biden win the White House.

The prisons continued existence, critics say, is a reminder of harsh detention practices that opened the United States to accusations of torture.

More than a hundred human rights organizations signed a Feb. 2 letter to Biden calling on him to close the prison and end indefinite detention of suspects held there, saying it was long past time for a meaningful reckoning with the full scope of damage that the post-9/11 approach has caused.

Even Trump once expressed dismay over the hundreds of millions of dollars a year it cost to keep the prison open.

Privately, however, administration officials express skepticism about getting the support they will need from Congress.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins statement during his January Senate confirmation hearing that the new administration would seek Guantanamos closure drew a letter of rebuke signed by seven Republican House members, all military veterans.

If we release these GITMO detainees, theyll become rockstars in the Islamist Extremist world, posing an even greater threat to America and the world," tweeted U.S. Representative Mike Waltz, one of the signatories.

Of the prisoners who remain, nine have been charged or convicted by military commissions. The most notorious is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused Sept. 11 mastermind. About two dozen have not been charged but have been deemed too dangerous to release.

Six inmates have previously been cleared for release by a government panel yet remain jailed with no arrangements for transfer.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Yes, Theyre Open is a web series highlighting local bars and restaurants that are open for takeout, delivery, pickup or dining during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Live streams from the featured restaurants are broadcast on the Advance Facebook page every weekday around 3 p.m.

On Friday, the Advance/SILive.com visited Giovannis Trattoria at 3800 Richmond Ave., which is open for pickup, delivery and indoor dining from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday, from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It is closed on Monday. For more information, visit Giovannis.NYC.

YES, THEYRE OPEN: Giovannis Trattoria is open for pickup, delivery and indoor dining at 3800 Richmond Ave. Hours are Sunday 1 to 9 p.m.; closed Monday, Tuesday through Thursday noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday noon to 11 p.m. Visit Giovannis.NYC for more information. Michael Farace gives us a demonstration of the restaurants new menu addition! (Emilio's Cucina) Posted by Staten Island Advance on Friday, February 12, 2021

Staten Island restaurant owners: If you would like your establishment featured for free as part of Yes, Theyre Open, email reporter Victoria Priola at vpriola@siadvance.com.

WANT MORE YES, THEYRE OPEN?

Check out the listings below or check out all of our previous coverage here.

Il Forno Pizzeria, 6382 Amboy Road

Vodega Deli & Grocery, 829 Castleton Ave.

Dolce Fantasia, 1210 Forest Ave.

Applebees Bricktown Way, 2720 Veterans Road West

Dear reader,

Welcome to Gandhara's weekly newsletter. This briefing brings you the best of our reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

If youre new to the newsletter or havent subscribed yet, you can do so here.

The ghost of Durand haunts border region

My colleagues Frud Bezhan and Daud Khattak took a closer look at the fence along the nearly 2,700 kilometers of border between Afghanistan and Pakistan that is scheduled to be finished by June.

Pakistan claims its vast construction effort has already dramatically reduced attacks by Pakistani militants sheltering across the border.

Others see different motives. You can be flexible with a fence, said Ayesha Siddiqa, an expert on the Pakistani military. You can allow your friends to cross over but not allow others who are your enemies.

The border, often called the Durand Line, has long been a matter of dispute, and the fence hinders the free movement of millions of Pashtuns whose clans live on both sides. If there is a funeral or a marriage ceremony, we cannot join them, Zohaib Wazir, said of being separated from his kin.

Whats in the pipeline for Turkmenistan and the Taliban?

My colleague Bruce Pannier and I delved into the mystery surrounding a recent trip by a Taliban delegation to Turkmenistan in which the emissaries reiterated support for a quarter-century-old proposal for a pipeline connecting Turkmen gas fields to consumers in India and Pakistan.

The pipeline might not be the full story. Perhaps one of the main topics of discussion between the Taliban delegation and the Turkmen government was not gas but electricity. Turkmenistan is looking to export electricity through Afghanistan to Pakistan after the construction of a proposed major power transmission line.

Fuel smuggling fuels livelihoods in Balochistan

Smuggling cheap fuel from Iran provides a dangerous livelihood for thousands of men who have few other options in Balochistan, one of the most underdeveloped parts of Pakistan. My father was a good smuggler," one such trader told us. I am a diesel smuggler, and my child will be a smuggler, too.

It is not clear how much Iranian fuel is smuggled into Pakistan, but a 2015 estimate suggested it could be some 700,000 liters daily. Last year, Iranian officials estimated up to 11 million liters of fuel is smuggled out of their oil-rich country each day.

Pakistani universities ban fashion

No earrings, no jeans, no shorts  and thats just the men. Students at some public universities in northwestern Pakistan are speaking out against increasingly restrictive dress codes.

Two of my colleagues found exasperation among the students and lecturers they talked to in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. They ban debates and attempt to police our thinking, then they discuss such petty issues [as what people wear], said Noreen Naseer, a politics lecturer.

Pakistan rolls out vaccination campaign

Faisal Sultan, the special adviser on national health services to Pakistans prime minister, was optimistic in an interview this week with Radio Mashaal after the country started its vaccination drive earlier this month.

Our intention is to have enough vaccines available in the country over the next year or so to allow coverage of about two-thirds or 70 percent of the eligible population, he said, citing Chinese manufacturers and AstraZeneca as major vaccine suppliers.

Legal precedents in Pakistan

Pakistans Supreme Court took steps to better protect the rights of some of the countrys most marginalized communities. It commuted the death sentence of two mentally ill convicts and ordered the provincial government to rebuild a Hindu temple in Karak.

Islamabad, however, still has a long way to go. Scores of disabled Pakistanis rallied at a border crossing in South Waziristan this week to demand jobs, free health care, and education for their children.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks newsletter, and I encourage you to share it with colleagues who might find it useful. If you havent subscribed yet, you can do so here.

I also encourage you to visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

You can also reach us directly at gandhara@rferl.org.

Yours,

Abubakar Siddique

Editor


Lucy Boynton and her co-star Joe Cole were spotted filming a new six-part adaptation of The Ipcress File for the first time in Liverpool on Thursday.

The Bohemian Rhapsody actress, 27, and Peaky Blinders star, 32, were pictured in a vintage car in the city centre as filming continued into the evening.

Lucy oozed 1960s glamour as she wore her blonde hair swept into a chic up do and sported a yellow chiffon scarf while at the wheel of an Austin Cambridge A60.

First look! Lucy Boynton and her co-star Joe Cole were spotted filming a new six-part adaptation of The Ipcress File for the first time in Liverpool on Thursday

Meanwhile, Joe was wearing a black turtle neck and jacket teamed with a pair of smart grey trousers and thick black framed glasses for his role.

The Gangs Of London star is playing Harry Palmer, who is a working-class British sergeant in Berlin as the Cold War rages in the sixties.

Joe's character is slated as being 'sharp and savvy' with a series of side-hustles that could potentially land him in hot water with the law.

Night shoot: Gangs Of London star Joe, 32, looked effortlessly suave as he rested against a phone box during the shoot and Lucy watched on from the vintage car

Mirror image: Role: Joe is playing Harry Palmer, who is a working-class British sergeant in Berlin as the Cold War rages in the sixties (originally played by Michael Caine left)

Filming: The Bohemian Rhapsody actress, 27, and Peaky Blinders star were pictured in an Austin Cambridge A60 in the city centre as filming continued into the evening

However an intelligence officer notices his abilities and offers him a way to dodge jail by becoming a spy for the British government.

Palmer undertakes his first case known as The Ipcress File, which involves using his links to a man believed to have kidnapped a British nuclear scientist.

It appears that Lucy will play the glamorous Jean Courtney, originally played by Sue Lloyd.

The protagonist is assigned an assistant, Jean, a beautiful young woman towards whom he begins to develop romantic feelings.

Filming took place this week on Exchange Street West, close to Liverpool Town Hall, which had been transformed into 1960s London.

Glam: Lucy oozed 1960s glamour as she wore her blonde hair swept into a chic up do and sported a yellow chiffon scarf while at the wheel of an Austin Cambridge A60

Character: Meanwhile, Joe was wearing a black turtle neck and jacket teamed with a pair of smart grey trousers and thick black framed glasses for his role

Jean? Although it is yet to be officially announced it seems Lucy has been enlisted to play Jean

Character: It appears that Lucy will play the glamorous Jean Courtney, originally played by Sue Lloyd (pictured)

Len Deighton's novel, which was previously a 1965 Michael Caine film, is being adapted into a six part series for by ITV productions.

While most of the film is being filmed in Liverpool, shooting will move to Croatia later this year to continue filming.

The series has been written by Trainspotting writer John Hodge and the all-star cast also includes The Night Manager's Tom Hollander.

It has been reported by Deadline that the production is being produced by The Crown's Andrew Eaton and directed by Black Mirror's James Watkins.

Original: The original espionage film and its following sequels were a deliberately downbeat alternative to the hugely successful James Bond films

Bond? Despite this, one of the early Bond producers, Harry Saltzman and others were brought into work on the Palmer series

The original Ipcress File was awarded three BAFTAs and the novel has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

It also kicked off a series of seven other books, meaning there is scope for further series if this one proves a ratings hit.

Writer Hodge told the publication: 'This is a wonderful opportunity to inhabit a time when the post-war world was morphing into the way we live now, when social mobility, civil rights, and modern feminism were forcing their way into public consciousness, and all of it happening with the world divided in two and both halves threatening to blow the whole thing sky high.'

In production: Len Deighton's novel, which was previously a 1965 Michael Caine film, is being adapted into a six part series for by ITV productions

Plot: Palmer undertakes his first case known as The Ipcress File, which involves using his links to a man believed to have kidnapped a British nuclear scientist

Palmer: Cole's character bares a striking likeness to Caine's Palmer (left)

The original espionage film and its following sequels were a deliberately downbeat alternative to the hugely successful James Bond films.

Despite this, one of the early Bond producers, Harry Saltzman and others were brought into work on the Palmer series.

Palmer is a contrast to Bond's privileged private school upbringing and lives and works in a 'gloomy' London, where he resides in a Notting Hill bedsit.

The original film was produced at Pinewood studios while also being shot on location around London.

It is now included on the British Film Institute's list of 100 of the best British films of the 20th century, ranking at number 59.
NEW HAVEN  Qinxuan Pan, named as a person of interest in the investigation of the Feb. 6 slaying of Kevin Jiang, 26, remained at large Friday after last being seen in Georgia, authorities said.

Connecticut District Deputy U.S. Marshal Supervisor Matthew Duffy said Friday that the search for Pan intensified in Georgia after an interview with family led investigators south. He declined to say where investigators think Pan is headed or how he got to Georgia.

Duffy said the U.S. Marshals Service will not rest until Pan is captured.

We dont stop. We leave no stone unturned, Duffy said. We are going to catch him. This is what we do.

Rather than continue to evade authorities, Duffy said he would like Pan to walk in to the nearest police department and turn himself in.

Police Chief Otoniel Reyes, asked this week about the MIT connection to Jiangs fiancee, Zion Perry, who graduated from the institution, said we are exploring every angle related to this investigation and every person involved. They were not ruling out a prior relationship between Perry and Pan, Reyes said at the time. Perry could not be reached for comment Friday.

Meanwhile, photos have surfaced online that reportedly show Pan and Perry, pictured together with a third person at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lindy Hop Societys Bread & Bones dance on March 4, 2020. The photos have been posted on Facebook. The event is also seen separately in a YouTube video.

New Haven police also revealed Friday that they believe Pan visited car dealerships prior to the homicide looking to purchase a small model SUV.

While at the dealerships, Pan asked to test drive vehicles and bring the vehicles to his mechanic for inspection, police said in an email. If any car dealerships have had any contact with Quinxuan Pan in recent months, please contact the New Haven Police Department immediately at (203) 946-6304 or the New Haven Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 1-866-888-8477.

Spotted in Georgia

Duffy said as soon as Connecticut investigators learned Pan was in Georgia, he reached out to the supervisor of the violent fugitive task force in the southeast region of Georgia to get local U.S. marshals in on the search.

Duffy and the supervisor in Georgia are in constant communication.

On Friday, Duffy was at New Haven police headquarters, serving as a go-between for local law enforcement in New Haven and U.S. marshals in Georgia. He said he sends along any tips to the Georgia supervisor.

From the interview with the family, it was learned Pan was seen walking by himself and acting strange, Duffy said, adding that the family could not really describe it but said Pan was not his self.

Duffy said Pan still should be considered armed and dangerous.

I think he could be a threat to anyone, Duffy said.

The U.S. Marshals Service Thursday had announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Pan, a Massachusetts man wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of Jiang, a Yale graduate student, last Saturday.

The announcement said Pan, 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds with a medium complexion and short, black hair, could possibly be staying with friends or family in the Duluth or Brookhaven areas of Georgia.

Attempts to reach Pans family in Georgia were unsuccessful Friday.

Pan was last seen on foot carrying a black backpack, between about midnight and early morning Thursday, Duffy said.

The marshals service asked anyone with information to contact them by calling 1-877-926-8332.

They said Pan is currently charged with one count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and interstate theft of a vehicle stemming from the alleged crime on Feb. 6.

Officer Ted Sadowski, public information officer for the Duluth police, said Friday the department had been notified about the search for Pan Thursday evening. The department has no active cases concerning Pan at this time, he said, and had not been involved in the search to date.

Lt. David Snively of the Brookhaven Police Department said the marshals office had not directly enlisted the help of the department, but officers have been given an alert and are looking for Pan. To his knowledge, no Brookhaven officer has interacted with Pan, he said.

New Haven police had planned to hold a media briefing on the case Friday morning, but canceled that event. Capt. Anthony Duff said there had been no significant developments in the case overnight.

Police believe Pan was in the area at the time Jiang was killed, Reyes said previously. The department considers Pan a person of interest; at this time, he is not officially suspected of committing the shooting.

City officers searched behind the Arbys on Washington Avenue in North Haven Thursday, next to where Pan reportedly last was seen.

The police, dressed in plainclothes and accompanied by dogs, searched an area behind a snowbank in the rear of the fast-food restaurant site.

MIT Wednesday confirmed Pan has been enrolled as a graduate student in the institutions Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science since 2014.

He is listed as a graduate student with MITs Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, which researches artificial intelligence, robotics, human-computer interaction and other areas.

Perry, Jiangs fiancee, also attended MIT, the school confirmed Wednesday. She graduated in 2020 with a degree in Biological Engineering. She did not respond to messages seeking comment Thursday and Friday.

Pan reportedly checked into the Best Western Plus Hotel on Washington Avenue roughly two hours after Jiang was killed. The shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. Saturday near Lawrence, Nicholl and Nash streets.

Residents in the area reported hearing multiple gunshots.

I heard the shots and then we saw through our window, Lawrence Street resident Zeenie Malik said Thursday.

North Haven police came into contact with Mr. Pan sometime after our homicide, Reyes said. North Haven police were unaware at that time that a killing had taken place, he said.

North Haven Police Chief Kevin Glenn declined to comment on the matter Thursday, saying all information on the case would come from New Haven police.

He said in an Friday email that Pan was found behind the wheel of a vehicle with a flat tire in the parking lot of Sims Metals, a junkyard on Universal Drive. There was no report of erratic driving ahead of time, Glenn said.

Pan had a valid license and the vehicle was found to be properly registered; it was reported stolen by a Massachusetts police department later in the evening. The vehicle was towed from the scene, he said.

A Massachusetts police department later called us stating they were entering the vehicle as stolen and saw that we ran the vehicle earlier in the evening, Glenn reportedly said.

New Haven police said previously that anyone who knows of Pans whereabouts should use extreme caution and is asked to call the department at 203-946-6304.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Stonehenge was originally built in Wales, before the stone circle was dismantled and rebuilt 175 miles away in Wiltshire, researchers claim.

It is already established that the 5,000-year-old monument in Salisbury contains bluestones brought from a Welsh hillside.

However, new research suggests that they were recycled from a dismantled circle called Waun Mawn in the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire.

Analysis of Waun Mawn reveals that it may be the oldest known stone circle in Britain, dating from about 3400BC, and that it was also one of the largest, with up to 50 standing stones.

University of St Andrews experts uncovered the remains of Waun Mawn while filming for an upcoming BBC documentary, fronted by Professor Alice Roberts, who quipped that the discovery suggests Stonehenge 'is a second-hand monument'.

If it were still intact today, the Waun Mawn stone circle would be the third largest in Britain after Avebury in Wiltshire and Stanton Drew in Somerset.

Analysis of Waun Mawn reveals that it may be the oldest known stone circle in Britain, dating from about 3400BC, and that it was also one of the largest, with up to 50 standing stones. The remaining stones are circled

The Welsh circle has a diameter of 360ft (110m), the same as the ditch that encloses Stonehenge. Both are aligned on the midsummer solstice sunrise

Archaeological investigations as part of the 'Stones of Stonehenge' research project, led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson of University College London, previously excavated two bluestone quarries in the Preseli Hills

LINKS BETWEEN STONEHENGE AND WAUN MAWN There were significant links between the neolithic sites of Stonehenge and Waun Mawn that led researchers to conclude a link between them. The Welsh site was likely disassembled, moved to Wiltshire and used in the building of Stonehenge. The Welsh circle has a diameter of 360ft (110m), the same as the ditch that encloses Stonehenge. Both are aligned on the midsummer solstice sunrise. Several of the monoliths at the World Heritage Site on Salisbury Plain are of the same rock type as those that still remain at the Welsh site. And one of the bluestones at Stonehenge has an unusual cross-section which matches one of the holes left at Waun Mawn. This suggests the monolith began its life as part of the stone circle in the Preseli Hills before being moved. Advertisement

The long-dismantled stone circle was found in the area where the smaller 'bluestones' found at Stonehenge are known to have come from.

The team behind the discovery said there are key elements linking Stonehenge to the Welsh monument, one of the biggest stone circles ever found in Britain.

They suggest its bluestones could have been moved as the ancient people of the Preseli region migrated, even taking their monuments with them, as a sign of their ancestral identity, and re-erecting them at Stonehenge, 175 miles away.

And it could explain why the bluestones, thought to be the first monoliths erected at Stonehenge, were brought from so far away, while most circles are constructed within a short distance of their quarries, the experts said.

Archaeological investigations as part of the 'Stones of Stonehenge' research project, led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson of University College London, previously excavated two bluestone quarries in the Preseli Hills.

The team used a technique called optically-stimulated luminescence dating to determine the age of the Welsh stone circles.

One of the empty stone sockets at Waun Mawn has an unusual cross-section which matches one of the bluestones at Stonehenge, and chippings in that hole are of the same rock type as the Stonehenge stone, said Dr Kinnaird study co-author.

Researchers were able to date the soils that infill the dismantled stone sockets with surprising results and found the stones were removed immediately prior to the known date of construction of Stonehenge 1 - at around 3000 BC.

'It is the hidden information preserved in the soils that provides the chronology for the construction,' said Kinnaird.

They then looked at the dismantlement of the Waun Mawn stone circle and its date - which happened just before similar stones were put up at Stonehenge.

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an ancient stone circle in Wales which they believe could have been dismantled and rebuilt as Stonehenge

University of St Andrews experts uncovered the remains of Waun Mawn while filming for an upcoming BBC documentary, fronted by Professor Alice Roberts (pictured), who quipped that the discovery suggests Stonehenge 'is a second-hand monument'

They suggest its bluestones could have been moved as the ancient people of the Preseli region migrated, even taking their monuments with them, as a sign of their ancestral identity, and re-erecting them at Stonehenge, 175 miles away

Professor Roberts' show, Stonehenge: The Lost Circle Revealed, follows archaeologists over years of digs and a decade of research.

She said throughout the efforts the archaeologists 'were always up against it' and that they suffered a terrible time trying to find evidence of a stone circle.

'They were almost on the brink of giving up and then they looked at this particular place called Waun Mawn,' said Roberts.

The site had previously been described as 'doubtful and insignificant' by previous research teams, so it was a last ditch effort after years of failure.

But 'they decided that they were going to dig anyway and just see if they can find anything, and they found these ghosts of stone holes,' said Roberts.

She added: 'And they were exactly the same diameter as the outer circle at Stonehenge. It's just unbelievable stuff, unbelievable archaeology.'

Their discovery that the bluestones had been extracted before the first stage of Stonehenge was built prompted the team to re-investigate the nearby Waun Mawn stones to see if it was the site of a stone circle supplied by the quarry and moved.

The 5,000-year-old monument in Salisbury, Wiltshire (pictured), contains bluestones brought from a Welsh hillside and new research suggests an existing monument may have been recycled from a dismantled circle called Waun Mawn in the Preseli Hills

Scottish researchers believe the first phase of Stonehenge - built around 3100 BC with bluestone - was made using stones taken from the Waun Mawn circle

One of the empty stone sockets at Waun Mawn has an unusual cross-section which matches one of the bluestones at Stonehenge, and chippings in that hole are of the same rock type as the Stonehenge stone, said Dr Kinnaird study co-author

Only four monoliths remain at the site, but an archaeological dig in 2018 revealed holes where stones would have stood, showing the remaining stones are part of a wider circle of 30-50 stones.

The research also found that Waun Mawn has an identical diameter to the ditch surrounding Stonehenge, of 360 feet, and that it is also aligned on the midsummer solstice sunrise.

'This led us to conclude that Waun Mawn was likely dismantled and became the source of many of the bluestones used at Stonehenge,' said Kinnaird.

Findings of the discovery, published in the journal Antiquity, show significant links between Stonehenge and Waun Mawn.

Only four monoliths remain at the site, but an archaeological dig in 2018 revealed holes where stones would have stood, showing the remaining stones are part of a wider circle of 30-50 stones

Waun Mawn is the third biggest stone circle in Britain and one of the earliest, and confirms that the region was an important and densely settled area in Neolithic times until 3000 BC when activity seems to have ceased.

Prof Parker Pearson said: 'It's as if they just vanished. Maybe most of the people migrated, taking their stones - their ancestral identities - with them.'

Analysis of the remains of people buried at Stonehenge at the time the bluestones were erected there would seem to back up the theory, as it shows some of them were from western Britain, possibly Wales.

With only a few of the Stonehenge stones directly linked to Waun Mawn, the archaeologists also believe monoliths from other stone circles could have been taken from Wales to form part of the new monument.

Parker Pearson said: 'With an estimated 80 bluestones put up on Salisbury Plain at Stonehenge and nearby Bluestonehenge, my guess is that Waun Mawn was not the only stone circle that contributed to Stonehenge.

'Maybe there are more in Preseli waiting to be found. Who knows? Someone will be lucky enough to find them.'

Archaeologists used 3D scanning techniques, traditional field archaeology, and laboratory analysis to discover when and where the stones for Stonehenge were quarried and where they first stood.

Prof Roberts said: 'There were some days when they (the archaeologists) all went home tearing their hair out.

Experts believe that "they may have recovered the true origins of Britain's most famous monument". Details are being revealed on a BBC documentary presented by Professor Alice Roberts (pictured) on February 11

Professor Alice Roberts and Mike Parker Pearson will appear on the new BBC Two documentary to reveal details of the Welsh stone circle that led to Stonehenge

'So many programmes about discoveries on television are filmed after the discovery... (with) sometimes a bit of drama reconstruction to try and capture the excitement of the dig.

'But this production company... were so convinced that Mike Parker Pearson was going to find something exciting.

'So they've been following his story and him and his team on this trail for nearly 10 years. That's in the programme.

'For a long time, it honestly didn't look as though they were going to find anything...

'But to end up with this astonishing breakthrough and to have a production company there filming the whole thing over the years is just amazing.'

Stonehenge: The Lost Circle Revealed will be broadcast on BBC Two at 9pm on Friday February 12.

The findings have been published in the journal Antiquity.
A snake catcher has captured the terrifying moment a massive carpet python was found lurking beneath an outdoor pool deck.

Luke Huntley, owner of Snake Catcher Noosa, was called to relocate the reptile from a home at Tewantin in Noosa Shire, Queensland on Monday.

The two-foot snake was found hiding under a wooden pool deck in terrifying footage posted on Facebook.

Snake Catcher Luke Huntley removed a carpet python from under a pool deck in Tewantin, Noosa Shire on Monday

'After removing a couple of planks I was able to get my hand in and grab him out', Mr Huntley said.

Once the python emerged from under the deck, the snake catcher grabbed the reptile firmly by the head.

Residents of the Tewantin property were left in shock as Mr Huntley pulled the snake out from the deck and into a snake handler's bag.

'Hooley dooley, how'd he get in here?,' a female resident said.

The snake catcher removed some planks from the deck to grab the carpet python lurking beneath

Mr Huntly said the snake slithered in from underneath a gap in the neighbouring fence and the escape route was to lift up the deck.

'Remember to check under your pool decks everyone', he said.

Viewers were quick to praise the Noosa Snake Catcher.

'Hey Luke, can you come and take a red belly black snake from my house now?', one said.

'What a magnificent snake, he's only a little one', another said.

Residents of the Tewantin property were left in shock as Mr Huntley pulled the snake out from the deck and into a snake handler's bag


Maharashtra's oxygen generation capacity 12,500 MT which was increased to 13,000 MT but daily requirement went up which was increased to 13,000 MT but daily requirement went up to 17,000 MT: Uddhav Thackeray.
Thousands of employees have recently heard the difficult news that they will be made redundant, after former retail giant Arcadia collapsed.

Asos acquired the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge labels  however, it has only taken on the brands and not the physical stores or the staff.

Its fellow online fashion giant Boohoo then took over the rest of Sir Philip Green's empire, buying Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis  but again, it will not be keeping stores open.

This has left just a fraction of Arcadia's 13,000 employees with a job, and the rest have been made redundant.

Nearly all Arcadia staff members are being made redundant after it collapsed due to Covid-19

They join hundreds of thousands of others who have lost their jobs since the start of the pandemic, which has resulted in a wave of business closures.

Many will have been left with questions about how redundancy works, what money they can expect to receive and how they can move forward.

This is Money, with the help of Donna Seferta, an employment lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, and Hayat Rafique-Fayez, an employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon, have addressed some of the most common problems.

1) Why would a company make someone redundant?

Redundancy is a form of dismissal from your job. It happens when employers need to reduce their workforce.

In the case of Arcadia, the vast majority of staff were made redundant because their roles in stores no longer existed.

Many of the redundancies that have happened in recent times are a direct response to the ongoing pandemic and businesses closing permanently or moving online, meaning less staff are needed.

But if an employer is only letting some staff go and keeping others on, it must select them in a fair way  for example based upon their level of experience or capability to do the job.

You cannot be selected because of age, gender, or if you're disabled or pregnant. If you are, this could be classed as an unfair dismissal.

2) For what reasons can you be made redundant?

There are a number of grounds for redundancy. These include the employer changing location, the employer closing part or all of its business and a change in what the employer does.

A change in how the employer carries out its work, such as the use of technology or machinery instead of people, is another factor that can lead to redundancy.

The criteria an employer is allowed to use to select employees for redundancy includes a workers skills, qualifications, capabilities or conduct, as well as the nature of the work that will be done by remaining staff.

Your redundancy pay will depend on how long you have worked for the company

3) How will you be told you are being made redundant?

Employers should follow a process where staff are warned about being at risk of redundancy as part of a 'consultation'.

They should advise you of the reason for the redundancies, the number of redundancies they intend to make, the selection procedure they intend to use, how they will carry out the redundancies and how they will work out redundancy payments.

After the consultation has concluded, your redundancy should be confirmed in writing.

You must be given a notice period before your employment ends. You should be given at least one week's notice if you were employed at the company for between one month and two years, one week's notice for each year if employed between two and 12 years, and 12 weeks' notice if employed for 12 years or more.

Your employer may give you more than the statutory minimum, but they cannot give you less.

However, your employment can be ended without notice if 'payment in lieu of notice' is included in your contract. Your employer will pay you instead of giving you a notice period.

You get all of the basic pay you would have received during the notice period.

4) What redundancy pay are you entitled to?

You will normally be entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you are an employee and have been working for your current employer for two years or more, according to Government legislation.

You will get half a week's pay for each full year you worked there and were aged under 22; one week's pay for each full year you were 22 or older, but under 41; and one and a half week's pay for each full year you were 41 or older. Length of service is capped at 20 years.

During the coronavirus pandemic, you have the same redundancy rights, including redundancy pay.

If you have not been employed for two years or more, then you are not entitled to statutory redundancy payment.

You should also check your contract of employment and your employer's policies, as they may offer a redundancy payment even if you have not been employed for the minimum period.

Some employers offer 'enhanced' redundancy packages which contractually entitle employees to a higher sum than the statutory redundancy payment.

5) What happens if your employer cannot pay?

If your employer cannot pay but is still solvent, then you will have to pursue a claim in the Employment Tribunal.

Whilst this does not mean you will definitely receive the money, once you have an Employment Tribunal judgment, there are other steps that can be taken to try and get hold of the redundancy payment.

If your employer is insolvent and makes you redundant, you can apply for the redundancy payment through the Government's Redundancy Payments Service.

Dorothy Perkins and Burton has been bought by Boohoo from Arcadia as an online only brand

6) What happens to your pension?

You will need to check the specific rules for your pension, but generally the rules for pensions if you are made redundant are the same as if your employment ended for any other reason.

You can keep your pension benefits where they are and you could continue contributing to the scheme yourself, or you may transfer your pension pot into a new scheme. You may also be able to use the redundancy payment to make additional pension contributions.

Some employees reach an agreement with their employer to 'give up' some of their redundancy pay and instead the employer makes an additional contribution to the employee's pension.

This is known as a 'redundancy sacrifice'. Not all employers are willing to do this, however.

7) What are your rights?

A redundancy is a type of dismissal. If you are legally considered an employee and have been employed for two years or more, you have the right to be 'fairly dismissed'.

In a redundancy context, that means that there has to be a genuine redundancy situation and the process and decision to make you redundant should be fair.

You also have the right not to be discriminated against or penalised for being a 'whistleblower' - in other words, speaking out in public about your grievances with the company.

You therefore should not be made redundant for a discriminatory reason or because you have blown the whistle.

8) What should you ensure is in your redundancy package?

You might be entitled to a few things as part of your redundancy package and these include redundancy pay, notice pay, enhanced redundancy payment, outstanding holiday and outstanding bonus or commission.

Your employer may also provide support from a third party to help you get a new job.

Job hunting: Many ex-employees will be looking for a new job after being made redundant

9) Will you be given an allowance to get legal advice in the package?

You are not entitled to an allowance for legal advice if you are made redundant. However, if your employer wants you to sign a settlement agreement  a legally binding agreement which settles claims that the employee may have against their employer  then they should offer you a sum to cover legal advice.

This is because a settlement agreement must be reviewed with you and signed by a relevant person, which is usually a lawyer.

10) What else should those being made redundant be aware of?

If you are being made redundant due to the Coronavirus pandemic, you can ask your employer to instead retain you through the furlough scheme.

Unfortunately there is no right to be retained and furloughed  but some employers may consider it.

There may also be tax issues to be aware of. Statutory redundancy payments are tax-free, but if you have received an 'enhanced' redundancy payment of more than 30,000, you will liable for tax on some part of the payment.

What do I do after being made redundant?

Firstly, start looking for a new job. This might be challenging at the moment, given the country is still in lockdown, but there are still positions out there.

However, whilst you are looking you can sign up to Universal Credit which is a payment to help you with your living costs if you are out of work or on a low income.

How much you are paid will depend on your earnings.
Hollywood film producer Joel Silver is set to learn whether he will face trial over the death of his assistant at Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's honeymoon celebration in Bora Bora.

Silver, 68, is being sued by the family of Carmel Musgrove, who drowned in a private lagoon at the exclusive French Polynesian resort in August 2015.

The 28-year-old had joined Silver on his trip to the island where Aniston and Theroux were celebrating their ill-fated marriage with a star-studded bash.

The family believes Carmel had been plied with booze and drugs which contributed to her death on the trip.

In a court hearing that came just one day before Aniston's 52nd birthday on Thursday, Judge Dennis J. Landin heard arguments regarding a motion for summary judgment presented by Silver's lawyers.

Die Hard producer Joel Silver (right) is being sued by the family of his personal assistant, Carmel Musgrove (left) who died during actress Jennifer Aniston's Bora Bora honeymoon party in 2015

If the case against Silver goes to trial, Aniston and Theroux, who split in 2017, could potentially be called as witnesses

The couple (pictured during their honeymoon) had already left their honeymoon celebration in Bora Bora - attended by A-list guests such as Courtney Cox, Tobey Maguire and Jimmy Kimmel - when Carmel was found dead

If granted, the motion would prevent the claims against Silver from being taken to trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court. The judge will consider both sides' arguments before making his decision public at a later date.

It means that Aniston's nightmare scenario  that she could be dragged into court to give evidence  will continue to hang over her well into 2021.

Carmel's parents Ronnie and Ann Musgrove brought the wrongful death lawsuit against the Die Hard producer and his personal chef and Carmel's alleged lover Martin Herold in August 2017.

They also sued Silver Pictures and Silver-Katz Holdings but settled that part of the suit in January 2020.

Silver is no longer with Silver Pictures, a production company which he founded and produced such hits as Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and The Matrix with.

Carmel's body was found following more than a day's search 'floating nude on the banks of a lagoon' after she was at the Bora Bora Four Seasons resort for her work with Silver from August 4 to August 19, 2015.

A French police investigation at the time found her death was the result of overconsumption of alcohol, consumption of cocaine, fatigue caused by overwork, heatstroke after a fishing trip and a midnight swim during unfavorable weather conditions.

Carmel, 28, was found 'floating nude on the banks of a lagoon' after attending the celebration at the Bora Bora Four Seasons resort with Silver

Carmel's parents Ronnie and Ann Musgrove (pictured in San Diego in 2019) filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing Silver and his personal chef Martin Herold of contributing to her death by plying her with drugs and alcohol

Insiders have previously told how the Musgroves are prepared to fight 'tooth and nail' to hold those they blame for their daughter's death to account

Herold (right) was one of the last people to see Carmel alive when she exchanged flirty texts with him and visited his room the night before she was found dead. Silver has denies having liability for Herold's alleged actions regarding Carmel

Following an independent investigation by forensic expert Michael Baden, the Musgroves' lawsuit claims the first four factors are 'traceable to conduct involving the defendants'.

Insiders have previously told how the Musgroves are prepared to fight 'tooth and nail' to hold those they blame for their daughter's death to account.

Aniston, 52, and Theroux, 49, had already left the honeymoon vacation in Bora Bora -attended by guests such as Courtney Cox, Tobey Maguire and Jimmy Kimmel - before Carmel died.

But the Musgrove family are said to believe that the couple's behavior following the tragedy was 'bizarre'.

The judge will consider both sides' arguments before making his decision public at a later date

A French police investigation at the time found Carmel's death was the result of overconsumption of alcohol, consumption of cocaine, fatigue caused by overwork, heatstroke after a fishing trip and a midnight swim during unfavorable weather conditions

Legal experts say the former couple should be ready for heavy questioning over the tragedy if they are called to testify.

Despite claims of a 'gentle separation', the pair are unlikely to relish the prospect of reliving their honeymoon in court following their divorce in February 2018.

Herold, who was reported to be in a romantic relationship with Carmel, is reported to have admitted to Silver giving her alcohol and that he too provided her with drugs and booze on the night she went missing.

Herold was one of the last people to see Carmel alive when she exchanged flirty texts with him and visited his room the night before she was found dead.

The Musgroves' lawsuit has suggested that he may have been 'far more involved in Carmel's death than he disclosed to police'.

It has also claimed that he created 'some amount of suspicion' when he suddenly left the tropical island the day after Carmel was found by paying cash for a flight out.

Silver denies having liability for Herold's alleged actions regarding Carmel.
OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is taking a multilayered approach to detecting and addressing variants of concern in Canada. To this end, the government developed a monitoring program with provinces and territories to identify new COVID-19 virus variants in Canada, such as the ones originating in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351) and Brazil (P.1). Today, the Government of Canada is increasing our capacity to find and track these variants in the country by investing $53 million in an integrated Variants of Concern Strategy. This will help rapidly scale up our surveillance, sequencing and research efforts.

The Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories and the Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) to rapidly scale up sequencing and scientific efforts to detect known and potentially emerging COVID-19 virus variants of concern. This national strategy brings together public health and genomic sequencing along with epidemiology, immunology, virology, and mathematical modelling. Through this partnership, we are leveraging existing laboratories and expertise to drive public health investigations and take public health action rapidly.

This partnership involves the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) National Microbiology Laboratory (NML), Health Canada, Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). To implement the Strategy, PHAC's NML is providing $20 million and CanCOGeN is providing $8 million to increase genomic sequencing and real-time data sharing capacity. CIHR is providing up to $25 million to scale up Canadian research to increase our understanding of emerging variants and provide decision makers with rapid guidance for drug therapy, vaccine effectiveness, and other public health strategies.

Funding will expand upon existing public health networks to establish regional clinical and public health teams to quickly identify and characterize variants of concern. Through the Strategy, we will also standardize data sharing across Canada and facilitate the access of information on the variants from national and international databases. This rapid sharing of information with researchers is imperative to an effective international response to the variants of concern. The funding will also create a research network to complement surveillance efforts and public health actions as part of an integrated team, and provide key information on the biological relevance of the variants to inform public health decisions.

The Variants of Concern Strategy is part of our science and evidence based response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 virus variants of concern continue to emerge, Canada will be prepared to detect, track, and treat these new cases.

To keep each other safe, Canadians should continue to practice public health measures, and should get tested if they experience symptoms.

Quotes

"We will always act to protect the health of Canadians. These new investments in research and genome sequencing will allow public health officials to rapidly gather further evidence to inform public health measures and reduce the spread of these COVID-19 virus variants of concern."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health

"Given the increasing presence of known variants in Canada, it is vital that we mobilize the research community to assess these emerging variants and inform decision-making related to therapeutic and public health strategies. With the launch of this rapid research response, CIHR is contributing to our national efforts to keep Canadians safe and our international efforts to stop the spread of these SARS-CoV-2 variants."

Dr. Michael Strong, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

"Genomics is at the heart of tracking new and emerging variants of concern of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Genome Canada is proud to lead the Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCOGeN), a network of federal, provincial and regional public health labs, industry partners, hospitals, research institutions and large-scale sequencing centres dedicated to genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Together we are generating data to inform regional and national public health and policy decision-making and contributing to global efforts to track viral evolution and spread. Our genomic surveillance efforts will help reduce the spread of variants of concern and positively impact the health of Canadians and others around the world."

Dr. Rob Annan, President and CEO, Genome Canada

Quick Facts

The NML has been leading the implementation of whole genome sequencing in Canada along with provincial public health laboratories.

along with provincial public health laboratories. These new investments are in addition to the $40 million the Government of Canada contributed to support the creation of CanCOGeN in April 2020 , to help understand the genetic variations of the virus as it evolves.

the Government of contributed to support the creation of CanCOGeN in , to help understand the genetic variations of the virus as it evolves. Currently, there are three main well-defined COVID-19 virus variants of concern that are circulating globally, including the:

B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the United Kingdom ,

,

B.1.351 variant originating in South Africa , and

, and

P.1 variant originating in Brazil .

. These variants seem to make the virus more infectious, allowing it to spread more easily.

The NML is providing critical scientific leadership for Canada's response to COVID-19. NML scientists are world leaders in genomics and its use as a surveillance tool. The work done by NML and its partners informs the priorities for sequencing in Canada to quickly identify variants and inform public health measures, such as travel restrictions, that help mitigate their introduction and spread.

response to COVID-19. NML scientists are world leaders in genomics and its use as a surveillance tool. The work done by NML and its partners informs the priorities for sequencing in to quickly identify variants and inform public health measures, such as travel restrictions, that help mitigate their introduction and spread. Canadians are advised to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada and avoid all cruise ship travel until further notice. Canada's official global advisory, cruise ship advisory and pandemic COVID-19 travel health notice are still in effect.

and avoid all cruise ship travel until further notice. official global advisory, cruise ship advisory and pandemic COVID-19 travel health notice are still in effect. On January 29, 2021 , the Government of Canada announced new border measures, flight restrictions and enhanced testing and quarantine measures, to reduce the risk of importation of the new virus variants related to international travel.

, the Government of announced new border measures, flight restrictions and enhanced testing and quarantine measures, to reduce the risk of importation of the new virus variants related to international travel. The Government of Canada is providing $4.28 billion to support provinces and territories with the costs of increasing their capacity to conduct testing, perform contact tracing and share public health data that will help fight the pandemic.

is providing to support provinces and territories with the costs of increasing their capacity to conduct testing, perform contact tracing and share public health data that will help fight the pandemic. On April 23, 2020 , the Government of Canada announced more than $1 billion in support of a national medical research strategy to fight COVID-19 that includes vaccine development, the production of treatments, and tracking of the virus. This new funding builds on the $275 million investment for coronavirus research and medical countermeasures announced in March 2020 .

, the Government of announced more than in support of a national medical research strategy to fight COVID-19 that includes vaccine development, the production of treatments, and tracking of the virus. This new funding builds on the investment for coronavirus research and medical countermeasures announced in . On January 29, 2021 , CIHR announced three research initiatives to address the COVID-19 virus variants. CIHR will provide supplementary funding for CIHR-funded COVID-19 researchers studying variants to accelerate research and lead the formation of a variant network to coordinate and align efforts in this field.

Associated Links

COVID-19 variants

CanCOGeN

Travel Information

ArriveCan

SARS-CoV-2 Variants Supplement: COVID-19 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity

Operating Grant: CIHR Network for Emerging Variants Research

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

For further information: Cole Davidson, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709
A former Calumet City alderman, Jones has been in the General Assembly since 2011. He represents the 29th District, which extends from Chicagos Pullman neighborhood south through Dolton, South Holland, Thornton, Glenwood, Ford Heights, Steger, Crete and Monee. He ran unopposed last November for another term.
During the impeachment trial, defense attorney David Schoen stated that Democrats are failing to link Trump to the Capitol breach. He added they are making poor attempts that will fail. Schoen commented on the DEMS, and the charges that they are doing as lousy job proving the ex-President is guilty.

Democrats are making a movie

Last Thursday, the attorney in a presscon told reporters that charges are not proving Trump caused the Capitol breach. According to The Epoch Times, everything they have been doing is "making a movie," and all the proof they have is lacking.

Many GOP and constitutionalists call the impeachment trial irrelevant and unlawful with a flawed basis. Worse is they are trying an ex-president by redefining what is legal or illegal. Most see that the Democrats are aiming a loaded weapon at the U.S. Constitution too.

Defense attorney David Schoen repeated that the DEMS are just not making anything concrete to prove their "biased" insurrection charge. He added that it is offensive and not conducive to their claims of healing. By showing they are willing to convict an ex-president is a tragedy, saying that the Americans should not be subjected to such a disunifying process.

When the defense team decided to make a statement to the press, reporters asked why a live shoot. Schoen said the DEMS are just playing the same video, again and again. He stressed that they are not even making a point. They are wasting time and effort for nothing.

Also read: Trump Reveals New Attorneys to Represent Him in the Senate Impeachment Case

GOP goes on the offensive, DEMS foul play

Last Wednesday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) talked to Fox and made statements calling the Democrats playing foul. He said the DEMS video was edited and highlighted "Fight like hell" many times. That part of the speech when he told the protestors "peacefully and patriotically" was edited out.

Then-President Trump was documented saying "peacefully and patriotically" clearly on Jan 6. Jordan said that it should have been in the video but was edited out. GOPS are not happy with how the DEMS are twisting the U.S. Constitution.

Bruce Castor makes a relevant point

One more lawyer in the Trump defense for the impeachment trial is Bruce Castor. He expressed that House Democrats have nothing worth as news against Donald Trump. It was a useless trial that lasts almost 8-hours on Wednesday. Otherwise, it was a monumental waste of effort for those involved in the impeachment.

He remarked that nothing about the Capitol Breach was argued and contested. Another is the DEMS did not question or go after Trump harder. No attempt to show new evidence was made. Instead, they watched eight hours of video that DEMS are saying it's Trump's fault. He told reporters after the session.

House Democrats just sat and watched the same video evidence multiple times. Castor added that the legal defense team would stay on track regarding the strategy. Last Wednesday was nothing new. Along with defense attorney David Schoen, he said the DEMS aren't showing anything new at all.

Related article: Trump Lawyer Says Video of Rep. Maxine Waters Inciting Violence to Be Used

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A guide to scholarships in the US for international students

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(Photo : pexels)

If you are planning to travel to the United States to study, there is plenty of financial support available from a wide variety of sources.

The US has the world's largest international student population, with more one million students heading there to further their education.

In the majority of cases, they will have been asked by their chosen academic institution to provide proof of funding for their entire planned period of study.

Scholarships can be an invaluable help towards supporting your academic pursuits, although there are usually plenty of hoops to jump through to obtain these.

Read on as we take a closer look at scholarships in the US including how to find them, why you should study there, how to apply and more.

Finding a scholarship

Searching for a scholarship may seem like a daunting task, but there are plenty of excellent online resources available to help you with the task.

These provide a plethora of resources that will help you make the right choices and give you the tools you need to thrive academically in the US.

There are numerous decisions to make including choosing the right course, picking the right educational establishment and understanding where these can take you.

However, perhaps the most important consideration is how you will finance your studies in the US and scholarships are an excellent route to pursue.

While there are lots of different schemes for US citizens, scholarships for international students may be a little more difficult to obtain.

Using reputable websites is a great way to find out what is available, and will also provide you with broader insights into studying in the US education system.

It can also be useful to speak to your current school or college, as these may have details regarding scholarships they are aware of or that previous students have obtained.

Why study in the USA?

Studying abroad has become something of a global phenomenon in the 21st century, with students criss-crossing the world in search of the best possible education.

One of the biggest attractions of studying abroad is the challenge it presents, taking students out of their comfort zone into a different environment.

Experiencing a different culture is another benefit, while studies have shown that career prospects are often improved amongst graduates who have international experience on their CV.

With regards to the US, it is a hugely attractive proposition for international students, providing them with the opportunity to experience one of the best countries in the world.

Esther Brimmer, Executive Director and CEO of the Association of International Educators, believes that the US provides international students with unique learning opportunities.

"Bright students around the world know they can come here and get a great education," she said. "And perhaps one of the most exciting things is the dynamism of the American classroom.

"That is very rare, that idea of having an interactive classroom where students and professors are talking to each other, where the learning is shared, it's not just the professor lecturing.

"I'll tell you as someone who was a former professor, I love that environment. It's something where we even put out a publication on introduction to the American classroom to help students get used to the idea that they will have to defend their ideas."

Am I eligible for a scholarship?

There is no hard-and-fast rule regarding the eligibility criteria for scholarships - it can vary between academic institutions and the type of scholarship you apply for.

Some scholarships require students to have a TOEFL score above a pre-determined level, while others may be limited towards applicants from certain countries.

Grade point averages can also come into play, so it makes sense to spend time researching different scholarships to see which one best suits your circumstances.

It can be confusing, but there are some fantastic online resources on colleges that you can access which provide all the information you need.

College admissions officers and education finance experts are also excellent sources of knowledge and will help to point you in the right direction.

Make sure that you have more than one option available, as putting all your eggs in one basket can be a recipe for disaster.

Don't be afraid to submit an application even if you don't quite meet all the criteria - some institutions may be prepared to be flexible if they are short of students for a particular course.

What to take into consideration

Rankings are often a start point for students when it comes to choosing their academic route, but they don't always tell the full story.

How subjects are taught, location, the campus, environment and social scene are other important factors to consider.

Many suppliers of rankings apply different criteria to produce their lists, so what may look excellent on one list may bomb badly on another.

Dennis Nyanyo, an international student from Ghana, went to Cornell for his undergraduate studies with full financial aid before progressing to Harvard Medical School.

He says that he used academic rankings as a starting point to determine which path to take, but admits that other elements also came into play.

"I think rankings play a huge role and they certainly did for me," he said. "Just because, I left Ghana to find the best opportunities I could find for myself to achieve the goals that I had.

"And I guess the rankings of the universities were one of the proxies that I used to determine that.

"But, as much as university rankings play into prestige, the quality of the education that you get there, I think, plays a much stronger role in the outcome for you as a person.

"And I had a very good experience at Cornell, but I think that's something that people need to consider more."

How do I apply for a scholarship ?

Much like eligibility, rules on how to apply for scholarships can vary. Some may just require an application form, while others may need to be supported by additional work.

Once you have found the scholarship you are interested in, the application criteria is generally published alongside this information.

This will detail everything you need to do to submit your application. If you are fortunate enough to be admitted one of the main things you will need to obtain is an f1 student visa.

This does not allow you to remain in the United States permanently, nor does it permit you to work for income with some exceptions while you're in the US.

It is a temporary visa that allows you to visit the US to study and comprehensive details about this can be found on the US Department of State website.

See Now: Facebook will use AI to detect users with suicidal thoughts and prevent suicide

 2017 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
GOUVERNEUR, N.Y., Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gouverneur Bancorp, Inc. (OTCPink: GOVB) (the Company) and its subsidiary, Gouverneur Savings and Loan Association (the Bank), today announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Charles C. Van Vleet Jr., will retire effective May 28, 2021. Mr. Van Vleets retirement was accepted at the 2020 Bancorp Annual Meeting held February 8, 2021.



At the meeting, Mr. Chad Soper, Chairman of the Board of Directors acknowledged Mr. Van Vleets pivotal role in the strategic planning and direction of both the Bank and the Corporation. His extensive experience and knowledge in banking have been a great asset to the organization, he stated.

Mr. Soper noted that Mr. Faye C. Waterman has been appointed Chief Executive Officer while Mr. Van Vleet retains his title as President until his retirement in May, adding, We have been planning for Chucks retirement for many months, realigning responsibilities to accommodate the transition. The Board of Directors looks forward to working with Faye in continuing the strong traditional values and culture of Gouverneur Savings & Loan to ensure that its objectives, goals, and strategic plans are met. Mr. Waterman has been with the Bank since November 2018 serving as Executive Vice President, Senior Lender and Commercial Loan Officer. Prior to joining Gouverneur Savings & Loan, Mr. Waterman held the position of President and CEO with Citizens Bank of Cape Vincent from 2006 to 2018 and Citizens National Bank of Hammond from 1998 to 2006.

Mr. Van Vleet joined the Bank in 1996 as an Assistant Vice President and held the same position with the Company from its inception until February 2001. From February 2001 until August 2005 he was a Vice President with the Bank and the Company. In August 2005 Mr. Van Vleet was named Senior Vice President for the Bank and the Company and was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Bank in July 2009. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2010. He served as Secretary of the Bank and Company from 1999 to 2010 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2010. He will continue to serve on the Board following his retirement from the Bank and the Company. Mr. Van Vleet has held numerous offices in the community as a member of the Gouverneur Rotary Club, Kiwanis, and Lions Club.

Mr. Soper further acknowledged Mr. Van Vleets retirement by saying, On behalf of the shareholders, employees, and board of directors, I extend our deepest appreciation to Chuck for his dedication to the Bank and the Corporation for nearly twenty-five years. The Companys success is an acknowledgement of Chucks strategic thinking and leadership while maintaining the traditional values of Gouverneur Savings & Loan. We are pleased that Chuck has agreed to continue to serve in an advisory capacity for a period of time as we complete this transition phase. Further, we wish Chuck the very best in his retirement.

About the Company

The Company, which is headquartered in Gouverneur, New York, is the holding company for Gouverneur Savings and Loan Association. Founded in 1892, the Bank is a New York State chartered savings and loan association offering a variety of banking products and services to individuals and businesses in its primary market area in St. Lawrence, Lewis and Jefferson Counties in New York State.

What does it mean when a film's most intriguing thread is a high school jock born after Y2K insisting his disinterested girlfriend listen to the band Oasis? Maybe that the viewer choosing to fixate on this detail isn't the intended audience. By its third installment, the once-clever "To All the Boys" franchise can only hope to pique the interest of bored teenagers.

This wouldn't be an unusual assessment for most of the high school rom-coms Netflix dumps onto its platform, except that 2018s "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" set the expectations for its sequels sky-high. The film became a sensation, serving as a launchpad for stars Lana Condor and especially Noah Centineo, the heartthrob who earned comparisons to a young Mark Ruffalo.

Their chemistry remains intact with "To All the Boys: Always and Forever," the final film of the trilogy based on Jenny Han's novels. The rest falls limp. Whereas the first movie freshened up genre tropes - the plot centered on bookworm Lara Jean Covey (Condor) pretending to date sensitive lax bro Peter Kavinsky (Centineo) for mutual gain - the third feels stale.

It picks up with the three Covey daughters honoring their late mother's memory by visiting South Korea over spring break with their father (John Corbett) and his soon-to-be fiancee (Sarayu Blue), whose romance is one of few aspects from the second movie to remain relevant. Awaiting Lara Jean at home are the stresses of college acceptance season as well as her boyfriend, Peter, with whom she plans to attend Stanford. The catch, of course, is that she doesn't actually get in - and while on a class trip across the country, she falls deeply in love with New York University instead.

Will their relationship survive the distance? Should they just break up now and get it over with? Both are real questions high-schoolers face at this point in their lives, but that doesn't amount to engaging conflict here thanks to a dull screenplay. Though Condor and Centineo bring their best assets to the table - sincerity and charm, respectively - the film doesn't give them much to do. (It does try to jam in a "Spectacular Now"-lite reconciliation story line between Peter and his father, which feels a bit out of the blue.)

The franchise traded hands after the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," with cinematographer Michael Fimognari grabbing the directing reins from Susan Johnson for the latter two films. The tonal shift is palpable, an upbeat rom-com swapped for movies going through the motions. "P.S. I Love You" and "Always and Forever" are perfectly inoffensive Netflix rom-coms - and yes, the opposite sort exists - but, unfortunately for fans who had high hopes for them, that's all the films wind up being.

Regardless of whether Lara Jean and Peter have outgrown each other, it seems their audience (and the actors, given the more dynamic roles coming their way) have outgrown them. A fitting goodbye.

Siddhant Chaturvedi Back To Mumbai To Shoot Portions Bunty Aur Babli 2 After Shooting For 'Phone Bhoot' In Udaipur

Siddhant Chaturvedi's Udaipur chronicles for his upcoming film, 'Phone Bhoot', have concluded for now, as he returned to the Mumbai on Monday afternoon. He will now, reportedly shoot for the film in the city.

A source close to the actor revealed, "Siddhant had been shooting in Udaipur for 'Phone Booth' for a while. He had a ball of a time with Katrina and Ishaan. Now he is back in Mumbai to finish off some loose ends for Bunty aur Babli 2, and for some other work things lined up."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Siddhant Chaturvedi (@siddhantchaturvedi)

The source further added, "After finishing off the schedule for Shakun Batra's next in Mumbai, Siddhant was shooting in Mumbai only for Phone Bhoot. The shoot schedule then flew him to Udaipur, after which he has come back now."

The shutterbugs too spotted the actor making his way out of the International airport of Mumbai. While waving to the paparazzi, the actor looked dapper, sporting a bomber jacket with olive green pants.

Apart from the abovementioned films, Siddhant also has finished off shooting a major chunk of Shakun Batra's next with Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday.
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Notwithstanding the colorful chyrons and bold headlines proclaiming the "Second Trial of Donald J. Trump," the proceedings we are witnessing are nothing of the sort. Instead, in the dock stand the United States Constitution; its Bill of Rights; and, particularly, its first and most important amendment. Thus, there can be no greater time than this to re-consider our fighting tactics to determine if they're up to the task for these vitally important battles.

Conservatives by nature seek to conserve but often seem to confuse outcome with process. We desire to protect and defend what is just and righteous in this world, but we need not always be "on the defensive" to do so. Cliched as it may be, offense truly is the best defense.

In a world where the vaunted "narrative" is in the left's hands, it is natural to fight with our backs to the wall and to push back on the left's ceaseless attacks. But what if there's another way? What if we defined our own "narrative" and made leftists defend theirs?

Take the current Senate spectacle (it's not an impeachment trial since it does not seek to remove anyone from office). The left accuses President Trump of having "incited" violence. Conservatives, rightfully outraged at this preposterous accusation, proclaim the president innocent of any such thing.

Notice, however, where the action is taking place: it's on the enemy's turf. Once again, we are in the left's "conservative circle of hell." They accuse, we deny, and round and round she goes. They scream, "Sedition!" We respond, "No sedition!" They yelp, "Insurrection!" We holler back, "No insurrection!"

The left loves this, since leftists are in a no-lose situation, no matter how outrageous their claims are. Should their accusations stick, great. If not, back to square one, and on to the next ridiculous charge. It's not as though they pay a price for losing, do they?

It need not be this way. Conservative principles are rock-solid and have withstood the test of time. We should stop "defending" them and start "celebrating" them. Case in point: President Trump's January 6 speech was not only constitutional, legal, and ethical, but democracy in action, the epitome of the First Amendment.

The Constitution doesn't simply "allow" free speech; it explicitly encourages it. The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech ... or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

In plain English: Do you dislike what your government is doing? Are you feeling angered or "aggrieved" at your elected representatives' behavior? Don't just sit there. Go out, gather some like-minded people, and make some noise! Make a stink, demand they hear you out, and make sure they put things right.

Notice what the First Amendment does not say. It does not say, "Bottle up your grievances until the next election when you can vote the bums out." Nor does it say, "Do not gather to protest when feeling 'aggrieved' because it may lead to violence." It also doesn't say to make sure you're telling the "truth" and not spreading "misinformation."

The only criteria are that you gather peaceably and that you do not explicitly incite violence. That's all. It takes a leftist to take the word "peaceably" and redefine it to mean "inciting violence."

Having met the constitutional and legal requirements, you're good to go. Now let it rip. Let them know exactly what you think of them. You're a free citizen, and they work for you. Do not be afraid. Remember, these are inalienable, God-given rights that no politician or "expert" can take from you. Let freedom ring!

This is just one example among many. If the left has taught conservatives anything, it's that words matter. Henceforth, when fighting the good fight, let's do so on our terms. Let the left stumble for words, trying to explain why Trump's speech is not a "celebration of the First Amendment" instead of us scrambling to explain why it's not incitement and sedition.

The pro-life movement, as its name implies, has done this well, and we should expand the tactic to all areas of the fight. We are not anti-immigration (or even antiillegal immigration); instead, we are pro-worker. We aren't against raising the minimum wage; we are prosmall business. We are not anti-transgender; we are pro-women.

Let's hear it for President Donald John Trump, who kept his cool when confronted with his worst nightmare, an election brazenly stolen in broad daylight. He did not invoke martial law or the Insurrection Act and did not call for unrest in the streets or the hounding, harassing, or de-platforming of his opponents. Instead, he called for the people to peaceably assemble and petition their government for a redress of grievances. The Founders would be proud. We should be, too.

Image: Peaceable Trump-supporters, November 2020. YouTube screen grab.
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OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the Vietnamese New Year, also known as Tet Nguyen an:

"This week, Vietnamese communities in Canada and around the world will celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Buffalo.

"Tet is a time to reflect on the past year's successes and challenges, and celebrate new beginnings. Family and friends usually join together to honour their ancestors, enjoy a special meal, and share best wishes for the year to come. Even though the celebrations will be different this year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, we can still be inspired by what the Buffalo represents, an animal that symbolizes hard work, strength, and persistence.

"Since the start of the pandemic, Vietnamese Canadians have contributed to the collective effort in many ways including donating personal protective equipment, helping neighbours, and following public health guidelines. To everyone: thank you for all your efforts to keep us safe and healthy.

"Tet is also an opportunity to celebrate the important contributions Vietnamese communities have made  and continue to make  across the country. As we celebrate, we must also remember that we need to continue to fight anti-Asian racism that still exists today. By eliminating racism and discrimination in all its forms, we can build a Canada that is stronger, fairer, and more equitable for everyone.

"On behalf of our family, Sophie and I wish health, happiness, and good fortune to everyone celebrating.

"Chuc mung nam moi."

"Ch-ook moo-n na moy."

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: [email protected]

Related Links

http://pm.gc.ca/


Boris Johnson needs a fool. Indeed, all prime ministers need one  and lets have no cheap cracks from those who suspect his problem is not an absence of fools but a surplus of them.

Nor, God forbid, should we heed the sharp-tongued friend of mine who observed: All Johnson has to do if hes in search of a fool is look in the mirror! Most unfair.

And anyway Im talking about a special kind of fool, otherwise known as a court jester.

The last of them disappeared a few centuries ago but they performed a valuable function apart from making the monarch laugh.

Boris Johnson needs a fool. Indeed, all prime ministers need one  and lets have no cheap cracks from those who suspect his problem is not an absence of fools but a surplus of them

They told the King things that no one else would have dared mention without risking an appointment with the executioner.

Will Somer was a famous jester at the court of Henry VIII. Historic England tells us one of his most pointed jokes went like this: As please your Grace, you have so many frauditers and so many deceivers to get up your money that they get all to themselves.

In modern language, the King was being royally ripped off. In modern times its the taxpayer who gets ripped off all too often.

One example: the scandalous waste of money at the start of the pandemic when contracts worth many millions were awarded to companies for vital kit such as PPE even though they had virtually no experience of providing it. What they did have was the right contacts in high places.

Sometimes, even ministers themselves admit theyve been stupid. The Transport Secretary Grant Shapps did it the other day. He told a committee of MPs that smart motorways were anything but smart.

Boris Johnson thought he would be able to bypass the sclerotic nature of the Number 10 machine by making the maverick Dominic Cummings its boss. That went well, didnt it?

Death traps was the phrase used by a coroner recently. Just this week, Highways England was referred to prosecutors and may face a corporate manslaughter charge after yet another death.

Anyone whos ever driven on a motorway knows that hard shoulders are there for a reason. But the policy went through anyway.

What was lacking was a bit of that undervalued and often derided commodity: common sense.

Another example: Can you imagine anyone in this country being sentenced to jail for ten years because they told officials at Heathrow theyd just come from Spain when theyd actually been in Portugal?

Of course you cant, even if Portugal is on the so-called red list of 33 countries where Covid may be a greater risk than it is here.

Ten years for raping a child? Certainly. Ten years for failing to fill in a form? It will never happen and everyone knows it will never happen.

So why did Matt Hancock threaten it this week? Perhaps he really believed it would act as a deterrent to any would-be rule breaker. But deterrents work only if they are credible. This one isnt.

Common sense was jettisoned on Thursday, too. The Government announced it is reforming the NHS. Again. These reforms will reverse the last reforms of ten years ago. Maybe they will work and maybe they wont, but one certainty is they will, once again, cause massive disruption.

Did anyone in Whitehall point out that we are in the middle of the greatest health crisis in living memory? I bet the over-rewarded management consultants didnt.

They earn their considerable fees by peddling change. In the last reforms a doctor friend, making polite conversation with one such consultant who was telling him how his hospital should be run, gently enquired which previous hospitals hed worked in. Oh, this is the first, he replied. I was in a biscuit factory last month.

Its not that governments never get it right. We are reaping the benefits of a brilliant vaccination programme as I write. But lets remember its the scientists and researchers who made it possible.

And lets also remember what the Government got horrendously wrong.

Last month, we recorded the highest Covid death rate in the world. Thats in spite of one lockdown after another and measures that have crippled our economy for years to come and blighted the future of countless children.

Some policies have been unthinking and inhuman: effectively killing old people by turfing them out of hospitals into nursing homes, so denying vast numbers even the comfort of a dying hug with their loved ones.

Some have been simply barking. Eat out to help out was nothing but a cheap gimmick  except that it wasnt cheap. We are paying for it still.

And what about the nation being endlessly ordered to protect the NHS? A meaningless and even harmful notion. The NHS is there to protect us. It would have been more honest had it read: protect the NHS for Covid victims.

We shall probably never know how many people with other illnesses have suffered or even died because they were afraid to trouble their GP or hospital. They wanted to protect the NHS and, as a result, vital tests and examinations were delayed.

Figures released yesterday show nearly 225,000 have waited more than 12 months for routine hospital treatment. Thats the highest number since 2008.

I could continue this litany of government failures and misjudgments but it is not, of course, just this Government. The problem is endemic.

My proposal to bring back the court jester may be flippant, but there is a great vacuum in government where common sense should sit. Most prime ministers have recognised this at some level. Most have failed to correct it.

Boris Johnson thought he would be able to bypass the sclerotic nature of the Number 10 machine by making the maverick Dominic Cummings its boss. That went well, didnt it?

Until fairly recently, the role of the wise fool was often filled by unambitious backbench MPs. On the Tory side they might have been the knights of the shires, not necessarily the sharpest knives in the box but with an ear to the ground for what their constituents thought made sense. They spotted Margaret Thatchers poll tax for the nonsense it was.

On Labours side, they were often elderly trade unionists, the famous horny-handed sons of toil rewarded for a lifetimes dedication to the Labour movement with a safe seat for a few years and equally attentive to what their own grassroots were thinking.

Sometimes, even ministers themselves admit theyve been stupid. The Transport Secretary Grant Shapps did it the other day. He told a committee of MPs that smart motorways were anything but smart

What linked both groups was that they brought experience and, yes, a bit of common sense to the affairs of state. Crucially, they were no longer chasing promotion, anxious to tell prime ministers only what they wanted to hear.

Both breeds are now largely extinct, supplanted by young career politicians. They are smart for sure, but too often out of touch with the people who gave them their jobs. The voters.

Its not as if there arent plenty of sensible, public spirited, decent people out there who dont want political power but do want to get involved at some level. Theyre the sort who become lay magistrates or school governors or volunteers in the Covid crisis.

Theyre the sort who arent afraid to say what they think. People like Jackie Weaver, who won the nations respect by standing up to the bully boys on Handforth Parish Council.

Ms Weaver is no court jester but Boris Johnson could do worse than tap into the common sense of her and many more like her.

Painkiller that's all in my mind

Ever heard of the gate control effect in medicine? I hadnt either until I crashed my bike the other day and fractured my elbow. Boy, did it hurt.

The pain started to subside after a few days and thats when my other injuries  hands and hip started to kick in. I joked to my doctor that my brain had been kind and blanked out the lesser pains so I could deal with the bigger one. No joke, he told me. Apparently, special nerves that do not transmit pain signals are activated and they close a gate to the other sources of pain.

I asked him what lesson I should take from this. His answer? Cycle more carefully.

Now theres a man blessed with common sense.
Yes, its possible to be a doctor and play one on TV. Just look at the career of Dr. David Langer, who is the chairman of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, which also provides the backdrop for Lenox Hill, a Netflix documentary series. The show follows four doctors  including Dr. Langer  and their patients, at the hospital.

Dr. Langer had early dreams of becoming a cardiologist, but when he was 22, his father had a serious stroke, which left him partly paralyzed. It was worse than death for him, recalled Dr. Langer, who turned his interests to the nervous system around that time. I think psychologically, I was trying to save him, he said. Then you end up in a Netflix show. Its the sliding door and randomness of life thats incredibly humbling.

Dr. Langer, 57, lives with his wife, Dr. Nancy Lipsitz, 57, who is an anesthesiologist at Carnegie Hill Endoscopy, their daughter, Molly Langer, 17, and their Goldendoodles, Cooper and Stark, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Often, Dr. Lipsitzs daughters from a previous marriage, Sydney and Rachel Lipsitz, both 25, will drop by for a visit, or Dr. Langers son, Ben Langer, 22, will be home from college.

BED, DOGS, BED A pawing on my shoulder from Cooper wakes me at 6. I throw on a T-shirt and sweats, which are pseudo pajamas, and take the dogs out  theres a closed street with a small park on 91st Street  so they can do what they need to. Im back in bed by 6:30. I dont fall sleep, but I love to read. Every Sunday since Covid Ive been getting an email from Farnam Street, a website offering content on life, leadership and happiness, curated by Shane Parrish. I look forward to this every week. Then I read The New York Times.
Jammu and Kashmir: Kashmirs Trout fishery in troubled waters

by Riyaz Wani

February 12,2021 | Source: Earth Island Journal

Naristan is a 49 kilometer-long, meandering snow-fed trout stream in the Indian administered part of Kashmir Valley. In April last year, the regional government approved a gravel and boulder-mining project on 2.69 hectare block of the stream that is a critical part of the local trout habitat. Naristan isnt the only stream in the Kashmir Valley being threatened by development and extraction activities. Other major trout streams in the valley, like Lidder, Bringhi, and Arin, where such mining projects have been approved as well, face similar fates. This threatens the survival of the valleys thriving trout fishery that relies heavily on fish that were brought to Kashmir over a century ago from Scotland by the then-ruler Maharaja Hari Singh. Today, Kashmirs trout fishery is a key part of the local economy. The two imported varieties  rainbow and brown trout  found a perfect home in the Kashmir Valleys cold fresh water streams. The rainbow trout was reared in government farms and brown trout was stocked in the wild, in the streams like Naristan and Bringhi. Now 40 streams in Kashmir with a total length of 500 km teem with these trout. Similarly 12 high-altitude lakes located at 8,000 feet to 12,000 feet above the sea level are home to the fish as well. Additionally, the regions fisheries department has 59 trout rearing units and hatcheries. Kashmir is now the largest producer of trout in India, with an annual turnover of 600 tons of the fish. In recent years, the local government has been encouraging small-scale trout farming projects. Kashmir now has 533 privately-owned trout-rearing units.



The fishery was thriving until August 5, 2019, when India withdrew Article 370 of its constitution that granted Kashmir a semi-autonomous status. The extension of rules for mining of minor minerals for India that replaced the stricter Kashmiri laws offer no special protection to trout streams. The rules have for the first time thrown open the mining contracts in Kashmir to outsiders. In fact, over the past year, the majority of mining contracts for minor minerals in the regions streams and rivers have been cornered by out-of-area companies and individuals, depriving thousands of local miners of their livelihood and breeding in its wake a deep resentment at the new state of affairs. At the same time, theres a growing public concern over the impact these new mining rules will have on the environment. And extraction of boulders and gravel from the trout streams has, in a sense, come to symbolize this exploitation. Already, the Indian government has issued a spate of permits allowing the establishment of stone-crushing units along many of Kashmirs streams. According to the Kashmir fisheries department data, no-objection certificates (NOC) have been issued to 130 such crushers over the past few months. This enables the certificate holders to not only set up the units close to streams but also extract boulders from the streambeds.



Such extraction leads to erosion of the streambed and banks, increase in streams slope and the consequent change in its morphology, said a senior official at the regions department of fisheries who didnt want to be identified fearing a government reprisal. The official said that not only survival of trout is threatened but also that of other aquatic life in the snow-fed streams, including catfish and the five remaining indigenous snow trout species, which have already been in steady decline over the past century due to the introduction of nonnative rainbow and brown trout as well as common carp. (When Austrian biologist Jakob Heckel catalogued 12 species of snow trout.). The extraction of boulders and gravel will destroy the feeding and breeding ground of trout and the other local fish, says Dr Feroz Ahmad Bhat, senior assistant professor at Faculty of Fisheries at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir. Trout build a nest, also called redd, in the gravel of the freshwater stream. A female trout lays her eggs in these nests which are fertilized by a male, Feroz explains. Similarly, trout feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, snails, and worms which thrive in the small cave-like spaces created by the by boulders. Some of this food is available on the boulders. So, imagine what will happen once more and more gravel and boulder is extracted?.



Over the past few months, the Indian government has also issued three new laws that threaten to irreversibly damage the regions renowned natural beauty. They are Control of Buildings Operations Act, Development Act, and Minor Minerals Concession, Storage, Transportation and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules. Under the first two acts, any area within Kashmir can be notified as a strategic area where the Indian Army can carry out unhindered construction and the other related activities. There are 600,000 Army personnel stationed in Kashmir to fight the ongoing separatist insurgency that is aided in part by neighboring Pakistan, which claims the region as its own. The Army camps are already present all over Kashmir, including at famous tourist spots, ecologically fragile places, even on the path to a major Hindu pilgrimage, Amarnath. The new laws now give the military a carte blanche to take over any area it wishes, without having to go through the rigmarole of seeking permission from the Kashmir government. In September 2019, a month after the August 5 move, the Indian government diverted 243 hectares of forest land for use by the Army. According to a government estimate, Indian armed forces are already in occupation of 53,353 hectares of land in Kashmir. Now, under Control of Buildings Operations Act and Development Act Army is free to grab more land. Similarly, the new minor minerals rule has made mining, extraction of minerals easier, removing essential environmental safeguards like not allowing stone-crushing operations near streams and forbidding mechanized mining. There is now a relaxed environmental regime. The miners who have received contracts have been largely operating without otherwise mandatory environmental clearances. At Ranbiara stream is south Kashmir, excavators can be seen in action on the banks daily, loading boulders on to the waiting trailers.



Under the circumstances, there is little that can be done. Kashmir currently is being directly ruled from the Indian capital, New Delhi. Democratic rule that is in operation in other parts of India has been suspended in this region. The Indian administration is thus not amenable to local grievances. The local political parties have no say, nor do the local civil society organizations. Going by the manner they are being implemented, the new rules betray a sinister political agenda, says Khurram Parvez, a noted human rights defender in Kashmir. They are primarily designed to promote the control of the local resources by the outsiders. Theres thus no concern for the local environment. The mining permissions to outsiders and the Indian Armys freedom to occupy more land, including in fragile high-altitude areas like along the route to Amarnath, lend credence to these fears. The pilgrimage located at 12,000 feet above sea level has two routes: one through the famous tourist resort of Pahalgam in Southern Kashmir and another through Sonamarg, also a tourist spot, in central Kashmir. Both routes fall along snow-bound hills that are home to many of Kashmirs glaciers that feed its water bodies including the trout streams. Recent years have witnessed a conspicuous receding of these glaciers including Kolahai, the largest of them all.



According to a recent study, glaciers in Kashmir are receding at a significant rate due to climate change and human intrusion into these high-altitude areas, especially interventions like the annual Amarnath pilgrimage that attracts a million people from across India. Some of the biggest glaciers like Kolahai have shrunk by 23 percent in the past six years. This is reducing the freshwater discharge into the regions rivers and streams and that further threatens local fish habitats and impacts the regions agriculture too. Climate change and human activity are the gravest threats to the valleys waterbodies, says Dr Shakil Ramshoo, the head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Kashmir. This calls for striking a balance between development and environment. But this time we are making everything subservient to development. For now, trout and other aquatic life, and Kashmirs trout-based industry seem to be the first victims at the receiving end of this approach. This only compounds the challenges to the survival of this exotic fish already reeling from ecological degradation in its habitat. A study by the agriculture university in 2016 had blamed the the use of biocides (pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc) and other chemicals in the horticulture and agriculture activities for contamination of Kashmirs water resources including trout streams. The study had also listed the heavy deforestation, construction of houses along the trout streams that together has led to the flow of sewage and sedimentation in the streams.
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aimed at sustainable economic growth in medium term: FM in RS

Finance Minister on Friday said in Rajya Sabha that is "an instrument for Aatmanirbhar Bharat" and that it is aimed "at maintaining sustainable economic growth in medium term". While replying to a debate on Budget in Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said, " clearly draws on the experience, the administrative capacities and also exposure that the PM had during his long elected tenure - both as CM of Gujarat and as PM of this country." Stimulus provision in Budget 2021, which was presented on Febuary 1, is for economic revival, reforms taken during coronavirus pandemic to revive growth, informed the union minister. Read more

Franklin Templeton: SC upholds validity of e-voting for winding up 6 MFs

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the validity of e-voting process for winding up of six of Franklin Templeton, and said disbursal of funds to unit holders will continue. A bench of justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, while rejecting the opposition by some unit holders to the e-voting process, said disbursal of funds has to be done as per the earlier order of the apex court. The top court had on February 2 ordered that Rs 9,122 crore be disbursed within three weeks to the unit holders of Franklin Templeton's six which are proposed to be wound up. Read more

Mumbai court grants bail to Chanda Kochhar, asks her not to leave country

A secial PMLA court in Mumbai on Friday granted bail to former MD & CEO of ICICI Bank on a bond of Rs 5 lakh and asked her not to leave the country without the permission of the court. Kochhar appeared before the court on Friday in connection with the ICICI Bank-Videocon money laundering case. The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had on January 30 summoned Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, Videocon Group promoter Venugopal Dhoot and other accused in the case after taking cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) charge sheet. Read more

Govt, get SC notice on plea for mechanism to regulate hate content

The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the and India on a plea seeking a mechanism for regulating content and advertisements spreading hatred through fake news and instigative messages via bogus accounts. A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued notice to the and Communication India Pvt Ltd on the plea filed by one Vinit Goenka, which said there are hundreds of fake Twitter handles and bogus Facebook accounts in the name of eminent people and high dignitaries. Read more

Bumble's 31-year-old CEO Wolfe Herd becomes a rare female billionaire

A company catering to women and led by women has made its 31-year-old female founder a billionaire. Inc., the owner of the dating app where women make the first move, sold shares in its upcoming trading debut at $43, valuing Chief Executive Officer Whitney Wolfe Herds stake at more than $900 million and lifting her overall fortune above $1 billion. The listing caps a saga thats both inspiration and cautionary tale for women tech founders. Wolfe Herd capitalized on an underserved market and built a multibillion-dollar company that was in a sense born from one of the most vexing obstacles to women entrepreneurs: sexual harassment. Read more
SALEM, Ore.  An Oregon mink farm that was placed on quarantine due to a coronavirus outbreak is now out of lockdown, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said on Thursday.

State officials have been quiet about the name or location of the farm, saying that it is a small facility and naming it would violate the operators' health privacy rights. The particular farm in question has been under quarantine, with no animals or animal products allowed to leave the area, since November 24.

"ODA believes that the COVID status of an identified person is considered personal information that should not be disclosed to the public and would be an unreasonable invasion of privacy," the agency said in a statement. "Therefore, ODA is declining to release this information. According to the USDA, controlling the virus in people is ultimately the best way to mitigate the virus from spreading to animals."

Mink are a species of mustelid  the family of carnivorous mammals that includes weasels, otters, and ferrets  often farmed for their fur. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, mink farms have been particularly prone to outbreaks of the virus. Humans can transmit the virus to the animals, causing it to quickly spread among the mink themselves and potentially pass it back to humans.

In Denmark, an outbreak prompted farmers to cull millions of mink using a gas, causing the macabre episode of mink rising again from their graves  an apparent side-effect of the gas used.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture said that ten mink at the farm initially tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the quarantine. Officials from the Oregon Health Authority believe that the mink contracted the virus from caretakers.

OHA asked the farm workers to self-isolate and trained them on use of "enhanced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)."

Over the course of the quarantine, Oregon officials conducted five rounds of testing at the farm. The last two rounds showed no positive cases, consistent with federal guidance for lifting the quarantine.

Getting to this result involved a big group of hard-working people from several agencies both state and federal, not to mention the cooperation of the farmer," said Dr. Ryan Scholz, state veterinarian for ODA. "We followed the guidance provided by USDA and CDC, the farmer cooperated throughout the entire process, the virus was not detected in nearby wildlife, and sequencing showed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus on this farm did not mutate. This is a best-case scenario, and we are sharing what we have learned with others."
At least 12 people were killed in a fire at a firecracker factory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Friday, police said.

Raja Narayanan, a regional police official, said an investigation was under way into what caused the blaze at a factory in the village of Achankulam in the Virudhunagar district.

"Twelve people have died and 26 have been hospitalized following the accident at the factory this afternoon," he said.

The Virudhunagar district is India's firecrackers capital, and hundreds of thousands of people in the region are dependent on the pyrotechnics industry for a living. Accidents are common.

At least 11 people were killed in two separate incidents in the region just before nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns were enforced in March. Fires in firecracker factories in 2009 and 2012 killed nearly 40 people each.

Short link:




A veteran teacher at a top prep school has won more than 140,000 in an age discrimination case after she was unfairly sacked by the new headteacher following complaints by pushy parents that she wasn't qualified because she had no university degree.

Sue Allington, 60, from Kent, had worked for almost two decades at the 16,000-a-year establishment but was fired when her boss Emma Neville became concerned about the 'fierce competition' it faced from other schools.

A tribunal heard Rose Hill School in Tunbridge Wells - which sends its 13-year-old leavers to some of the UK's best known private schools - was struggling to retain and attract new pupils due to the 'difficult economic climate'.

Emma Neville, who joined the school as its first female headteacher in 2017, was brought in to improve the situation in the face of 'ever-increasing levels of parental expectation', the hearing was told, eventually sacking Mrs Allington after pressure from three parents who complained to her in 2018.

Ms Neville had told Mrs Allington she had to study an undergraduate course to become qualified or face a demotion to teaching assistant, the tribunal heard, and accept a 40 per cent pay cut from 30,723 to 19,095-a-year.

But the experienced teacher, who taught PE and maths and was five years from retirement, sued the prep school for unfair dismissal and age discrimination and today it was revealed the tribunal judge ruled in her favour and awarded her 141,334.

The 60-year-old taught Year Two pupils twice a week at the school in Kent, and, although she only had A levels rather than a degree, the tribunal was told she was considered an 'excellent teacher' and 'the best person for the job'.

Sue Allington, 60, from Tunbridge Wells, (left) had worked for almost two decades at the 16,000-a-year establishment but was fired when the new head teacher Emma Neville (right) after complaints from snooty parents that she didn't have a degree

Rose Hill School (pictured) - which sends its 13-year-old leavers to some of the UK's best private schools - was struggling to retain and attract new pupils due to a 'difficult economic climate'

But three parents had voiced concerns about her lack of formal training, Ms Neville decided it was 'essential' all teachers at the school have Level 6 NVQ qualifications or their equivalent degree.

Michelin-starred chef wins unfair dismissal case after he was sacked for letting children play FOOTBALL during private party he hosted in restaurant of 4,500-a-night five-star Westbury hotel in Mayfair Award-winning Alyn Williams, pictured in 2019, was fired after hosting a private party in which he set up an improvised pitch, complete with goals and a net, in the fine dining establishment A Michelin-starred chef who was sacked after he let children play a 'silly' game of football in the restaurant of a five star Mayfair hotel has won an unfair dismissal case. Award-winning Alyn Williams was fired after hosting a private party in which he set up an improvised pitch, complete with goals and a net, in the fine dining establishment. Two young boys were filmed on CCTV kicking a ball around, wrestling each other, and jumping, diving and performing headstands on the furniture of the hotel, where rooms cost up to 4,500 a night. They were also recorded drinking straight from a sauce bottle and taking sugar lumps from bowls laid out for guests. An employment tribunal heard Mr Williams - a former winner of National Chef of the Year - was suspended by his bosses at the hotel for gross misconduct and eventually fired. However, a judge has now ruled he was unfairly dismissed as he had been allowed to hold private parties at the restaurant before - and had done so on 61 occasions previously. The father of two boys is now in line to receive compensation. Advertisement

The head claimed that government rules suggested only qualified teachers can teach but the tribunal ruled 'there was no government directive applicable.. that required schools to employ only qualified teachers'.

Ruling that Ms Neville suffered age discrimination, an employment judge said she could not be expected to take on an undergraduate course at her age because she planned to retire at 65.

Now Mrs Allington has won 141,334 after successfully suing for unfair dismissal and age discrimination.

The London South employment tribunal was told that Mrs Allington started work at Rose Hill in 2002 as a games teacher.

In 2012 she started teaching academic subjects including Maths to Year 2 classes.

However, in 2018 several parents, named only as 'Mrs P' and 'Mr and Mrs M' raised concerns about her lack of qualifications.

The tribunal heard that despite their worries, the parents would go on to have no issues with her teaching and even send Ms Allington 'thank you' notes.

But Ms Neville took drastic action as a result and in June of that year demanded that she retrain.

A tribunal report said: 'As a result of these conversations, Ms Neville formed the view that it was essential that, going forward, in order to improve pupil retention and admission rates, the [school's] strategy would be that all of its teaching staff.. must be qualified teachers.'

It added: 'At the time of [Ms Neville's] appointment, [the school] was operating in a difficult economic climate and was struggling to attract new pupils and retain existing pupils.

'A large part of her remit as the new head teacher was to explore new ways in which the [school] could improve its pupil admission and retention rates.

'There are a number of other independent prep schools nearby...and, in light of this, the competition for pupils is fierce.

'In addition, there is competition with the state grammar system in Kent for students over the age of 11 years.'

Ms Allington resisted Ms Neville's insistence she study to become qualified or face demotion and was sacked in August 2019.

The school claimed that her sacking was justified because it had to 'maintain its competitive edge to meet ever-increasing levels of parental expectation'.

It added that the government had directed that teachers should be properly qualified.

However, Judge Ian Truscott QC ruled 'there was no need for Ms Allington to be dismissed'.

He said: 'Ms Allington was put at a disadvantage compared to others [because] she would not enjoy the benefit of the new qualification until close to retirement if not after.

'It seemed obvious that people between 60-65 are less likely to enrol in undergraduate courses compared to younger age groups.'

He added: 'There is no obligation on the school for teachers to have qualified teacher status or equivalent.

'The school did not show that it had undertaken even the basic research to conclude that having all qualified teachers would maintain a competitive edge or that it would meet ever-increasing parental expectation.

'The school did not show any parents left the school due to unqualified teachers, or that pupils left in Year 2 as a result of Ms Allington being an unqualified teacher, or evidence of prospective pupils going elsewhere due to the presence of two unqualified teachers out of 77 teachers.

'Ms Neville accepted that despite terminating Ms Allington's employment in order to further this objective, the school does not market the fact that they only have qualified teachers teaching.'

Rose Hill teaches pupils aged three to 13 and boasts an academic record of sending students to top schools including Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Brighton College.
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Tamil Nadu: Local fishers refuse to give up hope

by SV Krishna Chaitanya

February 12,2021 | Source: The New Indian Express

Muthupet forest is the only place in the country where a unique canal fishing is practised, that serves the dual purpose of providing livelihood for local fishers and keep mangroves in good health. There are about 120 natural canals and 79 man-made fishing canals, each measuring 500 metres to 4 km. These were dug about a couple hundred years ago. M Shankar (50), a fourth-generation fisherman and the president of Village Forest Council in Maravakkadu, said that out of these 200 canals, only 15 to 20 were functional currently, and that all others had filled up with silt.



Gaja cyclone turned the entire Muthupet forest into a graveyard. Besides uprooting trees, the storm covered all the canals with 3-foot-deep silt. To revive the forest, these 200 canals have to be desilted and we will not let our forest die, said Shankar. For the past 25 years, Shankar has been mobilising his community to carry out mangrove plantation on 5,000 hectares, with the help of the forest department. Shankar and his community have so far dug 3,000 feeder canals, which bring water into the degraded areas and help regeneration of mangroves. In Palanjur and Thamarankottai reserve forest, there is still healthy mangrove-cover, thanks to his efforts. Now, these canals are also covered in silt. A Madurai-based NGO, Dhan Foundation, has come forward to desilt at least 50 canals. T Asaithampi, coordinator of Coastal Conservation and Livlihood Development Programme, said the foundation has plans to pump in Rs 5 crore for canal desilting.



Lack of funds delaying restoration work. Its been nearly 18 months since the Tamil Nadu forest department has submitted a proposal seeking funds under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change, from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). We are still awaiting a nod from the ministry, Syed Muzammil Abbas, Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) of Tamil Nadu told Express. The delay is attributed to the Covid pandemic and the department is yet to get even the annual Budget for mangrove restoration, for the year 2020-21, sources said.As per the detailed project report, a sum of Rs 25 crore has been sought from the ministry for Muthupet mangrove forest restoration. The project has eight components. Primarily, the funds will be utilised for removal of invasive prosopis juliflora from the mangrove area, regeneration of mangrove biodiversity on 2,500 hectares of degraded area in Muthupet forest range, and desilting old canals to maintain the existing mangrove plantation.

 newindianexpress.com 2021
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Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 46F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.

Lana Condor & Noah Centineo Chemistry Has Been Highly Appreciated By Fans

For most of the first half, Lara Jean is busy trying to get into Stanford, or at least a college which keeps her close to Peter. But when she travels to New York City for the school trip, she realises there might be more to college than just earning a degree. Lara Jean falls in love with the New York University (NYU), the streets and the people, but she can't leave Peter 3000 miles away for the next four years of college.

To All The Boys Always And Forever Is The Third Instalment

While the story is a cliche high school romance drama, and the film recreates the magic from all romantic films with great locations, good music and a talented cast. The makers have also made an effort to incorporate as much as the story possible, without having to sacrifice the main character's story from the books. The film feels very fast-paced as the cast jumps between several locations, but the meaning isn't lost.

To All The Boys Always And Forever Is Streaming On Netflix

Lara Jean's struggle is still real, as much as Peter's efforts to hold on to their love. Lana Condor has several magic moments in the film, where she gets a chance to show off her acting range. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long. Similarly, Noah Centineo is too comfortable as Peter and hopefully, he will be seen in a different role sometime soon.

To All The Boys: Always And Forever can be watched with friends and family, in comfort knowing that nothing truly bad can happen that will keep Peter and Lara Jean apart.
Editor: Former President Trump will get to finish the job that adviser Steve Bannon got him to start  fire all the GOP incumbents who opposed his agenda during the primary process.

He will then have people who owe him when he returns to the White House in 2024.

People may think this is far-fetched. But there are reasons for optimism. Lets assume the Democrats basic premise is true, that Trump lost fair and square. Trumps loss wasnt terrible, a couple thousand votes short in swing states that decide the White House. This occurred in the face of two outlier events  a mass casualty pandemic and the resultant economic depression representing the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

Democrats expected a complete sweep, at the White House and congressional levels. Trump lost by 7 million votes; thats a Biden popular vote margin of 4%.

Thats why theyre trying to prevent Trump from running again. Democrats arent afraid Trump will get the 2024 GOP nomination and lose in the general election. They worry that one hiccup or another will send Trump back to the White House with commanding GOP majorities, but this time cleansed of never-Trumpers who gave him so much trouble in his first term.

If Trump runs again, the interval from now until presidential season should involve the installation of Republicans who support Trumps agenda in the midterms and the removal of those who dont. Bannons quest to populate elected offices with Trump supporters needs to resume, so that if Trump re-enters the White House, his agenda will be ready to go from day one.

RICHARD OTIS LENAHAN

CLARKS SUMMIT

Editor: J.P. Durkin (Infernal Alliance, Jan. 27) epitomizes the nonsense of people who want to believe the 45th president was good for the country.

First, Durkin lied about immigrants bringing COVID-19 into the country. As a believer of the 45th, he would probably fall for right-wing conspiracy theories.

He states that Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson  winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2009  said there should be a deprogramming of the former presidents supporters. Robinson was correct.

Durkin states that white people are still a majority in this country but white people never fight back. Has he already forgotten the Jan. 6 attempted takeover of our Capitol by white, angry, insurrectionist supporters of the ex-president? As the leader of the insurrection on Jan. 6 the former president should be charged with treason and sedition. He fired up the terrorists and that resulted in the deaths of five people.

According to the Washington Post on Jan., 20, former President Trump issued 30,500 false or misleading claims and lies in office. The biggest lie is that he won the election. Its ironic that his supporters believe Democrats would cheat to get Joe Biden elected president, but not bother to get Democratic senators and congressmen elected.

MIKE PIDICH

OLYPHANT

Editor: In the wake of former President Trumps drive to pardon his enablers and cronies, I could not help but wonder if the Founding Fathers possibly could have foreseen the unethical use of the pardon clause of the Constitution.

That doesnt even address the transactional and monetary components of how Trump did business as president. I urge U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania to look into the possibility that this privilege could be removed from the Constitution because it is wide open to abuse.

Additionally, there is precedent for changing this. The 18th Amendment installed Prohibition in 1919. The 21st Amendment repealed it in 1933. Mind you, this abuse does not only fall on Trump but also on Presidents Clinton and Obama as well.

Half the time, it seems that outgoing presidents dont even know a lot of the people they pardon. But lawyers and lobbyists, for a handsome fee from the applicants, intervene to get their guy or girl a pardon or commutation. In state and federal politics, money equals access: I can help you out with this but I need a favor.

It is past time to rid this country of one of the most damaging and abused of the many presidential powers

JAMES MICHAEL FITZPATRICK

DALTON

Editor: Renaming Wyoming Avenue in honor of President Biden would be another burden on residents of Scranton.

A city councilman suggested this to honor our new president. A committee was formed to look into this folly. Take into mind all that would have to be changed, starting with property deeds, mortgages and utility bills. Then theres credit cards, bank cards, business letterheads, return envelopes, billing statements, phone books, maps and internet locators.

Of course it would affect all residents living on Wyoming Avenue and all magazine subscriptions.

Council should get a committee to find ways to lower taxes and improve the city in other ways. Want to honor Biden? Put a historical marker on Courthouse Square. It would not only be cheaper but more reasonable to city residents.

RICHARD BYRON

DICKSON CITY

Editor: Now that Democrats have control of both houses of Congress, some citizens expect they will do what is necessary to solve the many crises we face.

To avoid the mistake from Barack Obamas presidency, the filibuster must be ended.

If the 60% supermajority filibuster remains, Republicans will assure gridlock. Democrats must not make the mistake of playing defense and worry about what happens if Republicans regain control of the Senate in 2022 without the filibuster in place. They have a majority; now is the time to play offense.

Majority rule is 50% plus one; 60% is flat-out undemocratic. Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 22 that a supermajority is poison. Rather than encourage cooperation, the filibuster substitutes the pleasure, caprice or artifices of a minority for the deliberations and decisions of a respectable majority.

BRUCE JOFFE

PIEDMONT, CALIFORNIA

Jailed Chinese Lawyer Yu Wensheng Wins Human Rights Award

GENEVAA jailed Chinese lawyer who defended other human rights lawyers arrested in a sweeping crackdown against activism has won an international human rights award, the jury said on Thursday.

Yu Wensheng was arrested in Jan. 2018, a day after publishing an open letter calling for reforms. He is serving a four-year sentence announced in June 2020 after being convicted at a secret trial of inciting subversion.

The Martin Ennals Award, named for a former secretary-general of Amnesty International, has been awarded annually since 1994. The winner is selected by a jury of 10 global human rights organizations, including Amnesty and Human Rights Watch.

Xu Yan, wife of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng, holds a piece of paper that reads, I want to request a meeting with Judge Liu Mingwei and a picture of her husband outside the Xuzhou Intermediate Peoples Court in Xuzhou, China, on Oct. 31, 2019. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Loujain al-Hathloul, a prominent womens rights activist released on Wednesday after nearly three years in Saudi prison, and Soltan Achilova, a journalist documenting violations in her native Turkmenistan, were the other finalists.

The jury praised them as outstanding human rights defenders despite the many attempts to silence them by their authoritarian governments.

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, we hope this recognition of Yu Wenshengs work will shine a light on his achievements and help him regain the freedom he has lost, said Philippe Currat, president of the board of the Martin Ennals Foundation which oversees the award.

(2nd L-2nd R) Chinese human rights lawyers Zhang Zanning, Chang Boyang, Yu Wensheng, and Zhang Keke pose with the mothers of Falun Gong practitioners Zhou Xiangyang and Li Shanshan outside Tianjin Dongli Peoples Court in China, on Sept. 13, 2016. (The Epoch Times)

Yu had defended jailed prominent rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang before being stripped of his license and arrested.

It is an honor for my husband, but also an encouragement to all Chinese human rights defenders to pursue their work despite the hardships, his wife Xu Yan said on his nomination.

Phil Lynch, executive director of the International Service for Human Rights, one of the groups on the jury, said the award showed that unjustly imprisoning Yu Wensheng and other human rights defenders will not go ignored.

By Stephanie Nebehay
Greece: draft law on police in universities approved Despite month-long students' protest

(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, FEB 12 - The Greek parliament approved on Thursday night a draft law on universities which provides for, among other things, the creation of a special police force in universities. The legislation was voted in spite of students' protests that have been going on for a month now and that have turned violent at times.



Lawmakers with the ruling majority of the right-wing New Democracy and those of nationalist party Elliniki Lyssi have voted in favor of this draft law, for a total of 166 yes votes against 132.



During the debate, about 1,000 people, according to police, demonstrated in front of Parliament, slamming the measure as "antidemocratic". According to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on the contrary, the legislation would be a "way to close the door to violence and open the road to freedom".



According to Greek news agency Ana, incidents were reported in Thessaloniki between demonstrators and the police. Some 5,000 people on Wednesday marched in Athens during the largest demonstration of the past few weeks, during which clashes were reported.



Opposition lawmakers - from the center-left Kinal, left-wing Syriza and Communist party KKE, voted against the draft law, which provides for the creation of a special corps of some 1,000 agents without firearms but with batons and anesthetic gas with the role of patrolling universities, as well as changes to the admissions system in universities. (ANSAmed).




Labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur has been granted bail in connection with an registered against her here.

However, the 23-year-old activist will have to remain in the jail as her bail plea in another case was rejected on January 12.

Kaur is currently lodged at a Karnal jail.

She was granted bail by a court here on Thursday in the case registered against her at the Kundli police station on December 28 last year, a counsel said on Friday.

Kaur, a member of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, is facing three cases, including charges of attempt to murder and extortion.

She was arrested for allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit and demanding money from the company in Sonipat, the Haryana Police had said.

On Thursday, Punjab minister Aruna Chaudhary had urged the Commission for Women (NCW) to intervene and ensure the release of Nodeep Kaur.

Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Aruna Chaudhary appealed to the NCW that the Punjab government through the state women's commission will lend legal assistance to Kaur.

The Haryana government should be directed to arrange a meeting of a delegation of the commission with the labour rights activist, the minister had said.

The Punjab State Commission for Women had sought a status report from the Sonipat Senior Superintendent of Police by February 15 in Kaur's matter.

The chairperson of the Punjab panel, Manisha Gulati, said Kaur, a resident of Giadarh village of Muktsar district in Punjab, was arrested from the Kundli border.

She said through a written communiqu, the Sonipat SSP has been directed to get the case of Kaur investigated by a senior officer.

On February 8, the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes had asked an additional chief secretary in the state to intervene in the matter and ensure relief to her at the earliest.

(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 informative safety post from The Pulse details handy advice by AAA to reduce winter road mishaps this season. Since icy roads and snowy conditions can lead to brutal vehicular accidents, it's extremely important for drivers to have access to knowledge that can keep others along with themselves prepared and safe.

Top Four Winter Driving Tips

While all drivers should remain highly alert and cautious in adverse weather, here are four tips to help you feel more confident driving in risky conditions, such as snow:

1. Understand the exact conditions of your route before venturing to your destination. AAA recommends that you be mindful of any weather forecasts and news reports about major roads and routes. Make sure to leave with ample time before embarking towards a destination to avoid sudden roadblocks or other unforeseen issues.

2. Practice Proper Vehicle Maintenance. Make sure that there are no issues with your car internally or externally that could cause a mishap such as a flat tire or malfunctioning engine. Also, keep an emergency kit that is easily accessible containing water, first aid, blankets, etc just in case the unexpected happens.

3. Drive responsibly. Follow the speed limits and adhere to all traffic signs and rules. You should never try to speed to a destination when the roads are icy or take dangerous driving actions such as trying to cut in front of another driver or driving aggressively.

4. Always wear a seatbelt! Studies from the CDC and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both demonstrate that in the event of a crash, seatbelts can save lives.

Annual United States Crash Statistics

Information compiled by the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT):

 More than 38,000 people die every year in crashes on U.S. roadways. The U.S. traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

 An additional 4.4 million are injured seriously enough to require medical attention.

 Road crashes are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for people aged 1-54.

 The economic and societal impact of road crashes costs U.S. citizens $871 billion.

 Road crashes cost the U.S. more than $380 million in direct medical costs.

 The U.S. suffers the most road crash deaths of any high-income country, about 50% higher than similar countries in Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

 Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities continue to rise in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more pedestrians and cyclists were killed in 2018 than in any year since 1990.

Contact an Experienced Texas Car Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry Law. Our experienced car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.

Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Austin serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review  attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.

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No10's scientific advisers claim there may need to be a debate on whether to allow coronavirus to rip through the country once the most vulnerable Britons have been vaccinated.

Boris Johnson will reveal his roadmap out of lockdown on February 22, which could allow aspects of life and the economy to resume by the summer.

Leading experts have warned there needs to be a national discussion about the level of risk allowed in society, once the mammoth inoculation drive has targeted the 32m most vulnerable residents.

A key member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) told the Financial Times: 'There will be a massive debate about whether we should allow a big wave of infection once we've vaccinated all the over 50s.

'Are we going to aim for low prevalence or accept high prevalence for a period?'

Government scientific advisers have called for a debate on whether to allow a 'big wave of infection' through the country once all over-50s have been vaccinated against Covid. Pictured: 69 year old John Loch from Glasgow receives his Covid-19 vaccination from vaccinator Nicole Clark at the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital in Glasgow

Many scientists say a rise in infections in under-50s would have little effect on NHS hospitals because they are not at risk of falling severely ill or dying.

Mike Tildesley, an academic at the University of Warwick and also a member of SPI-M said: 'Its possible you could run hot in terms of cases, and low in terms of number of hospitalisations and deaths.'

He said having a high R number would not necessarily be a bad thing, so long as the current crop of vaccines keep hospitalisations remain low.

Top scientists insist the current vaccines should work at blocking severe illness even against troublesome new variants.

Mike Tildesley, an academic at the University of Warwick and member of the government's Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), said having a high R number would not necessarily be a bad thing if hospitalisations remain low because over-50s have been vaccinated

But not every over-50 will accept a jab, meaning they are still at risk. Vaccines are also not 100 per cent effective at preventing illness, so some inoculated patients will still be hospitalised.

And under-50s are not completely safe when it comes to infection, with tens of thousands having been admitted with Covid since the pandemic began.

Younger people could be left with long Covid, which sees people plagued with fatigue, 'brain fog' or feeling unwell after attempting minor physical exercise up to six months.

Fears over vaccines being ineffective were raised last week when an alarming study suggested the Oxford jab does not stop people falling ill with the South African variant.

But No10's top advisers believe they should still provide enough immunity to stop people falling severely ill, which is their main purpose. In theory, the vaccines should mean the disease only triggers a bad cold.

More than 200 cases of the South Africa variant have been spotted in the UK since December.

It contains a mutation called E484K, which studies have suggested can help the virus partially evade both natural and vaccine-triggered immunity.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, has tried to put concerns to bed by saying he does not expect it to spread widely because it is not more infectious than the Kent variant, which is the dominant strain in the UK.

The scientists' call for a debate comes amid mounting evidence that shows the worst of the second wave is over. Even the gloomiest scientists believe this could be the last ever lockdown.

There are now six variants of coronavirus being investigated by Public Health England, five of which have already been found in the UK

Office for National Statistics data released today estimated there has been a 31 per cent drop in Covid infections in England over the last fortnight.

And SAGE today claimed Britain's Covid R rate has fallen below one for the first time since July.

The call for a debate on letting the virus rip also comes after NHS bosses said people aged 65 to 69 can now have a Covid vaccine, if GPs have done all they can to reach those at higher risk.

Some parts of England have already begun vaccinating the over-65s with their first dose after they reached everyone in the top four priority groups  including the over-70s and care home residents  who wanted a jab.

Once over-65s have been vaccinated, they will then be followed by all those over-16s with underlying health conditions (group six), then the over-60s, the over-55s and the over-50s.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is due to recommend which groups should then follow, with pressure for teachers and other frontline workers such as police officers to be on the list.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford said some over-50s there have already begun to be contacted and offered a vaccination.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said it was still proactively contacting anyone in groups one to four 'who may have changed their minds or may have been ill or may have, for some reason, not been able to take up the appointment'.

Meanwhile, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she expects many in the 65-69 age group to have had their first vaccine by the middle of this month.

And in Northern Ireland, people aged 65-69 have been able to book a Covid-19 vaccine at seven regional centres since the end of January.
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The tourism sector in Wales could start to reopen by Easter if cases keep falling, Mark Drakeford said today.

The First Minister struck the optimistic tone as he revealed that the nation has completed its vaccine rollout to the four most vulnerable groups.

The comments will increase pressure for Boris Johnson's 'roadmap' on February 22 to spell out how the summer holiday season could be saved.

Ministers have been warning Britons not to book any foreign or domestic breaks yet, saying it is too early to be sure whether they will be possible.

At his daily briefing, Mr Drakeford said the Welsh Government was speaking to the tourism and hospitality industries in Wales about 'what might be possible'.

But he also warned that any reopening will depend on infection levels, the impact on the health service and the success of the vaccination programme.

The tourism sector in Wales could start to reopen by Easter if cases keep falling, Mark Drakeford said today

Location such as Tenby (pictured in 2019) are very popular with holidaymakers, who are critical for the economy in the area

Top scientific advisers yesterday warned there must be no more than 10,000 Britons infected on any given day  the equivalent of fewer than 1,000 daily cases  before Mr Johnson should start easing measures. To dip below the 1,000 mark, cases must drop by at least 15-fold as official data shows around 15,000 Britons are testing positive each day.

Cases and deaths continue to fall across the UK Covid cases and deaths are continuing to plummet across Britain, official data revealed today as Number 10's top scientists claimed the R rate has fallen below the crucial level of one and admitted they believe this could be the final lockdown. Department of Health bosses declared another 15,144 coronavirus infections  down almost 21 per cent in a week, meaning 4million Britons have tested positive since the pandemic began. Another 758 fatalities were also added to the official toll  a drop of 25 per cent on last Friday's toll. And in yet another glimmer of hope that the UK could be freed from draconian restrictions soon, 14million people have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson  a NERVTAG adviser and Imperial College London epidemiologist whose grim modelling spooked ministers into the first shutdown last spring  claimed Britons could be allowed to meet friends in pubs and restaurants from May. He also revealed he believes this will be the 'final lockdown'. And one of the nation's most prominent SAGE experts  who wished to remain anonymous  today said he hopes the lockdown will be the last of its kind because the mammoth vaccination drive should keep coronavirus under control. But he admitted the route back to normality will be slow and isn't just a case of pressing a button. No10's advisory panel today revealed the R rate  the average number of people each Covid patients passes the disease to  in the UK has dropped to between 0.7-0.9. Last week it warned the figure could be as high as one. In another sign that the second wave is firmly in retreat, SAGE claimed the number of new infections is halving every fortnight. Advertisement

Figures released by Public Health Wales show the incidence rate of coronavirus in the country, which was above 650 cases per 100,000 people before Christmas, has dropped to 102 cases per 100,000 people.

The test positivity rate - another key marker - has also fallen to 8.7 per cent, while the number of people in hospital is also beginning to reduce.

Mr Drakeford said: 'If that is the path that we are on, then a pattern in Wales as we move towards the spring and Easter will be one in which we will be able to slowly and cautiously lift the restrictions that are currently in place.

'That will include the tourism industry and it'll include those aspects of family life which are denied to us all at the moment, but that is a path that depends upon continued success.

'We've learnt so often over the last 12 months that coronavirus continues to have very unpleasant surprises up its sleeve. We're by no means guaranteed to have a smooth passage into the future.'

Lockdown measures in Wales, which have been in place since December 20, are formally reviewed every three weeks. The next review will take place by February 19.

Under the restrictions, all non-essential shops, hospitality businesses, visitor attractions, events and holiday accommodation are closed.

Mr Drakeford said any opening of the tourism industry would have to be careful, cautious and reflect the public health context at the time.

When asked what he would say to people booking a holiday in Wales, Mr Drakeford replied: 'They should do it knowing the uncertain world we are living in. There are no guarantees in this.

'When we reopened tourism last year, we didn't go from nothing to everything in one go.

'Our first steps were to reopen self-contained accommodation, where people had all their own facilities and that self-contained accommodation was occupied by people in your own family group.

'I hear everything that the tourism industry says to us in Wales and want to recognise how important the Easter period is to them.

'I'm trying to give an indication today that if everything continues to improve, we will do what we can to respond to their wish to be able to resume trading again over the Easter period.'

Mr Drakeford said he would not predict what life would be like in Wales in years to come as it was 'difficult enough' to do so for the next three weeks.

'What I would like us to be able to get back to in Wales, and more quickly than we were able to last year, is the way things were last summer,' he told the press conference.

'Last summer, we were still social distancing, we were still being asked to wear masks on public transport and in crowded places but we were able to travel, restaurants were open, people could go on holiday.

The comments will increase pressure for Boris Johnson (pictured this week) to spell out how the summer holiday season could be saved

'Coronavirus is going to be with us for months to come. Even when it is in the rearview mirror, we will need to go on being careful about the way we live our lives.'

Mr Drakeford said he believed people would notice a 'significant' difference in their lives if Wales was able to return to the level of restrictions seen in July and August of 2020.

Scientists in Wales are concerned about how the Kent variant would respond if restrictions are eased, given it is more transmissible than the original version.

'We don't know how this new variant will react, whether even a small uptick in the number of infections might accelerate away from us even more quickly than would have been the case last year,' Mr Drakeford said.

'That's why they urge caution on us.'

The return of foundation phase school pupils in Wales, due to begin from February 22, will be monitored closely to see whether the new variant gives cause for concern, he added.

He insisted the Welsh Government would not 'throw away' the efforts made by people since lockdown measures were imposed in December.

'We will look to restore freedoms in a way that continues to secure our safety against coronavirus and its latest developments,' Mr Drakeford said.
Ukraine will receive EUR 50 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the purchase of vaccines and refrigeration equipment for the network of vaccination centers.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote about this on his Telegram channel.

"Ukraine will receive EUR 50 million from the European Investment Bank for the purchase of vaccines for the population and modern refrigeration equipment for the network of vaccination centers. We have just signed the relevant agreements with EIB President Werner Hoyer at the Bank's Headquarters in Luxembourg," Shmyhal wrote.

He added that the funds will be allocated under the current project "Program for the Development of Municipal Infrastructure of Ukraine".

As reported, Ukraine will receive 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine within the framework of the COVAX Facility, in particular 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and from 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine during the first and second quarters.

The Ministry of Health plans to start a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in February 2021. The ministry plans to vaccinate 50% of the population of Ukraine in 2021-2022.

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WICHITA, Kan., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: SPR] (the "Company") announced today that it has given notice of its intention to redeem in full the outstanding $300 million principal amount of its Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2021 (CUSIP Number 85205T AH3) (the "Notes") on February 24, 2021 (the "Redemption Date"). The Notes will be redeemed at a redemption price of 100.000% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

The Company has instructed The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as the trustee for the Notes, to distribute a notice of redemption to all registered holders of the Notes on February 12, 2021.

About Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.

Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defense platforms, and business/regional jets. With expertise in aluminum and advanced composite manufacturing solutions, the company's core products include fuselages, integrated wings and wing components, pylons, and nacelles. Also, Spirit serves the aftermarket for commercial and business/regional jets. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit has facilities in the U.S., U.K., France, Malaysia and Morocco. More information is available at www.spiritaero.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that may involve many risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "forecast," "intend," "may," "might," "objective," "outlook," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would," and other similar words, or phrases, or the negative thereof, unless the context requires otherwise. These statements reflect management's current views with respect to future events based on current expectations and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable when made, and are subject to risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown. Our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements and that should be considered in evaluating our outlook include, but are not limited to, the following: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations, including on the demand for our and our customers' products and services, on trade and transport restrictions, on the global aerospace supply chain, on our ability to retain the skilled work force necessary for production and development, and generally on our ability to effectively manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business operations; demand for our products and services and the general effect of economic or geopolitical conditions, or other events, such as pandemics, in the industries and markets in which we operate in the U.S. and globally; the timing and conditions surrounding regulatory approvals for the B737 MAX, future demand for the aircraft, and any residual impacts of the B737 MAX grounding on production rates for the aircraft; our reliance on Boeing and Airbus for a significant portion of our revenues; the business condition and liquidity of our customers and their ability to satisfy their contractual obligations to the Company; the certainty of our backlog, including the ability of customers to cancel or delay orders prior to shipment; our ability to accurately estimate and manage performance, cost, margins, and revenue under our contracts, and the potential for additional forward losses on new and maturing programs; our accounting estimates for revenue and costs for our contracts and potential changes to those estimates; our ability to continue to grow and diversity our business, execute our growth strategy, and secure replacement programs, including our ability to enter into profitable supply arrangements with additional customers; the outcome of product warranty or defective product claims and the impact settlement of such claims may have on our accounting assumptions; our dependence on our suppliers, as well as the cost and availability of raw materials and purchased components; our ability and our suppliers' ability to meet stringent delivery (including quality and timeliness) standards and accommodate changes in the build rates of aircraft; our ability to maintain continuing, uninterrupted production at our manufacturing facilities and our suppliers' facilities; competitive conditions in the markets in which we operate, including in-sourcing by commercial aerospace original equipment manufacturers; our ability to successfully negotiate, or re-negotiate, future pricing under our supply agreements with Boeing, Airbus and other customers; our ability to effectively integrate the acquisition of select assets of Bombardier along with other acquisitions that we pursue, and generate synergies and other cost savings therefrom, while avoiding unexpected costs, charges, expenses, and adverse changes to business relationships and business disruptions; the possibility that our cash flows may not be adequate for our additional capital needs; any reduction in our credit ratings; our ability to access the capital markets to fund our liquidity needs, and the costs and terms of any additional financing; our ability to avoid or recover from cyber-based or other security attacks and other operations disruptions; legislative or regulatory actions, both domestic and foreign, impacting our operations, including the effect of changes in tax laws and rates and our ability to accurately calculate and estimate the effect of such changes; our ability to recruit and retain a critical mass of highly skilled employees; our relationships with the unions representing many of our employees, including our ability to avoid labor disputes and work stoppages with respect to our union employees; spending by the U.S. and other governments on defense; pension plan assumptions and future contributions; the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting; the outcome or impact of ongoing or future litigation, claims, and regulatory actions or investigations, including our exposure to potential product liability and warranty claims; adequacy of our insurance coverage; our ability to continue selling certain receivables through our supplier financing programs; and the risks of doing business internationally, including fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, impositions of tariffs or embargoes, trade restrictions, compliance with foreign laws, and domestic and foreign government policies.

Further information concerning these and other factors can be found in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These factors are not exhaustive and it is not possible for us to predict all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. These factors speak only as of the date hereof, and new factors may emerge or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact our business. As with any projection or forecast, these statements are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Except to the extent required by law, we undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems

Related Links

https://www.spiritaero.com


Gutierrez said this about his book: "Why does primary hyperhidrosis remain so silent on the part of patients and underestimated by health systems when it is much more frequent than is believed and so limits those who suffer from it? Under the title Cuando las Manos Sudan en Exceso , the author wanted to answer this question, making public the experience gathered from sixteen years of professional work in this field. From the same side of the patient, understanding his limitations and the frustrations of not having the answers, this book is developed. Primary palmar hyperhidrosis is no less important than any other disease, just as it is no more. Like all the others, it requires its precise evaluation for each patient individually, as it happens with all other medical conditions.

Palmar hyperhidrosis is definitely a disease in itself, and not simply 'a particular condition of excessive sweating in some people, probably as a result of stress' as many think. The frustrations that patients suffer in their sociopersonal development and the variable degree of mental illness that can accompany them qualify the behavior of these patients with a tendency to hide the symptoms and not to seek help. All of the above and general recommendations at the end are developed throughout the work."

Published by Page Publishing, Jose Manuel Hernandez Gutierrez's new book Cuando las Manos Sudan en Exceso illuminates the impact of hyperhidrosis in patients that reveal the state of their physical welfare.

Consumers who wish to read and understand in-depth research on hyperhidrosis can purchase Cuando las Manos Sudan en Exceso online at Apple iTunes, Amazon.com, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries, you can contact Page Publishing, through the following number: 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors' books, including distribution in the world's largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex, and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at www.pagepublishing.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1437493/Jos__Manuel_Hern_ndez_Guti_rrez.jpg

SOURCE Page Publishing

Related Links

https://www.pagepublishing.com


Mallikarjun Kharge to replace Ghulam Nabi as Leader of Opposition

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 12: Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to be the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha replacing another veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad. Congress has informed the Rajya Sabha chairman on the appointment.

The Congress has written to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for appointing Kharge to the post of Leader of Opposition after Azad's retirement, they told news agency Press Trust of India.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

The post will fall vacant after Azad's tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ends on February 15. Azad is a member of the Upper House from Jammu and Kashmir, which does not have an Assembly currently after it was made a Union Territory with the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

Kharge, a Dalit leader from Karnataka, was the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019. The grand old party could not get the leader of opposition's post in the previous and the current Lok Sabha as its numbers were less than the mandated 10 per cent of the total number of seats in the Lower House for claiming the post.
Chief Supreme Court Justice Kim Meong-su arrives at the Supreme Court in Seoul's Seocho District on Feb. 9. Yonhap



The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday stepped up its pressure on the chief justice to step down for his alleged role in the parliamentary impeachment of a judge, threatening to file a criminal complaint against him if he refuses to resign.



"(The PPP) has a stance that it will lodge a complaint against Chief Supreme Court Justice Kim Meong-su with the prosecution if he does not step down," Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, who heads the party's campaign against the chief justice, told Yonhap News Agency. The complaint, in that case, will be filed early next week, he added.



Kim has been under growing pressure to step down since Feb. 4 when he was found to have lied about refusing, for a political reason, to accept the judge's offer to resign. He apologized for the untrue denial but has been keeping silent on the pressure to step down.



PPP lawmakers have also raised suspicions that Kim instructed former and sitting judges to lobby opposition lawmakers they personally know so parliament could vote to approve his appointment as chief justice in September 2017.





Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon of the main opposition People Power Party, left, in front of the Supreme Court in Seoul's Seocho District on Feb. 5, calls for Chief Supreme Court Justice Kim Meong-su to step down for his charge of partaking in a recent parliamentary impeachment of a judge. Yonhap
Attendees included: Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; Board of County Commissioners Chairman Jose "Pepe" Diaz; Lester Sola, MIA Director and CEO; David Clark, JetBlue Vice President of Sales and Revenue Management; and Bill Talbert, President and CEO, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"JetBlue's historic launch into Miami-Dade County is great news for our families, tourism industry, and business community, as we work to help our economy rebound from the pandemic," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. "I proudly welcome JetBlue to Miami-Dade. And I'm pleased to see them taking important steps to keep passengers and employees safe and healthy."

JetBlue's Miami launch includes service to four U.S. cities: Boston (up to four times daily); Los Angeles (up to twice daily); New York-JFK (up to four times daily); and Newark (up to four times daily). The 14 daily flights will make JetBlue one of MIA's busiest passenger airlines. The Miami-Los Angeles route will feature JetBlue Mint, the airline's premium travel experience. MIA estimates that JetBlue's new service will generate 1.4 million passengers, nearly $915 million in business revenue and 7,300 jobs into the local economy annually.

"Welcoming JetBlue, one of the world's leading low-cost carriers and busiest airlines overall, to our network is truly a landmark event in our airport's history, and we thank them for making this substantial commitment to MIA and Miami-Dade County," said Lester Sola, MIA Director and CEO. "Today also would not be possible without the ongoing support of Mayor Levine Cava, our Board of County Commissioners, and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. We look forward to receiving JetBlue's 14 daily flights and the sizable economic impact that they bring to our community."

Headquartered in New York and trademarked as New York's Hometown Airline, JetBlue serves nearly 100 domestic and international BlueCities  now also including the Magic City.

"Florida has always played a key role in JetBlue's success story and that continues today  on our 21st anniversary  as we introduce our low fares and award-winning service to Miami," said Andrea Lusso, vice president network planning, JetBlue. "With our newest destination we can offer customers more choices, diversify our flying and enhance JetBlue's broader presence in South Florida."

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SOURCE Miami International Airport
NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On 2/11/21, the Armor US Equity Index ETF (NYSE:ARMR) celebrated its one year anniversary. Launched on 2/11/20, the fund has returned 8.25% since its inception through 1/31/21 (on a total return basis).

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Returns less than one year are not annualized. Performance current to the most recent month end may be obtained by visiting https://armoretfs.com/armr.

The fund was launched with the aim of providing investors with exposure to the US equity market when stocks are advancing and to provide downside risk management when stocks are declining.

"We believe that with equity markets trading near all-time highs, equity valuations well above their historical averages, and much economic uncertainty given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, now is an opportune time for individuals to consider an investment in ARMR," noted Jim Colquitt, Armor Index, Inc. founder.

ARMR seeks to provide investment returns that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of the Armor US Equity Index. The index provides exposure to those sectors of the US economy that score the highest using Armor's proprietary market performance indicator (MPI), which identifies the sectors best positioned to offer strong, long-term performance potential with lower expected downside risk.

Evaluated on a daily basis, only the sectors that score well by the MPI are included in the index. Sector allocations are represented by using highly liquid sector ETFs. If no sector appears attractive based on the MPI's results, the index can shift to US Treasuries or cash.

On January 4, 2021, changes were made to the index methodology to evaluate sectors on a daily basis rather than a monthly basis as was the case when the fund was launched. Additionally, the index methodology was amended to allow for a broader selection of US Treasury maturities, as well as the option to hold cash if the model does not find any US Treasury maturity baskets attractive. We believe that these changes will allow us to react in a more timely manner to market conditions and events.

Mr. Colquitt founded Armor Index, Inc. after spending close to 20 years in the asset management business holding a variety of senior positions, including Portfolio Manager and Senior Analyst, covering asset classes from investment grade to high yield credit.

"We are proud of our partnership with Armor Index and Jim Colquitt over the past year," said J. Garrett Stevens, CEO of Exchange Traded Concepts (ETC) and advisor to the fund. "We believe that ARMR is an attractive option for investors seeking equity exposure, but may want a measure of downside risk management," added Mr. Stevens.

About Armor Index, Inc.

Armor Index, Inc. is the creator of multiple indices designed to provide exposure to various markets while protecting investors against downside risk. Armor Index, Inc. believes that by using a quantitative, rules-based approach to investing, investors can eliminate decisions made out of fear or greed which can lead to better long-term results.

About Exchange Traded Concepts

Exchange Traded Concepts is a private-label ETF advisor with passive and active exemptive relief from the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 to launch custom domestic and international equity and fixed income exchange traded funds through a complete turnkey solution. ETC's ETF-In-A-Box Solution provides an efficient and cost-effective method to bring exchange-traded funds to market with the operational and regulatory experience necessary to manage the complexities of launching and managing an ETF. By developing strategic partnerships with veteran ETF service providers, ETC assists investment managers, independent advisors, foreign asset managers, research and index providers and others in navigating the exchange-traded fund launch and ongoing management process with the time-sensitivity and professional guidance essential for maintaining regulatory compliance. Additional information can be found on the Exchange Traded Concepts' website at www.exchangetradedconcepts.com .

Disclosures

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call (844) 880-3837 or visit our website at www.armoretfs.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

The Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. The Fund's return may not match or achieve a high degree of correlation with the return of the Index. To the extent the Fund's investments are concentrated in or have significant exposure to a particular issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class, the Fund may be more vulnerable to adverse events affecting such issuer, industry or group of industries, or asset class than if the Fund's investments were more broadly diversified. Issuer-specific events, including changes in the financial condition of an issuer, can have a negative impact on the value of the Fund.

Shares of the Funds may be sold throughout the day on the exchange through any brokerage account. However, shares are not individually redeemable, and may only be redeemed directly from the Fund by Authorized Participants, in very large creation/redemption units. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares of an ETF will develop or be maintained. Shares may trade above or below NAV.

A new or smaller fund is subject to the risk that its performance may not represent how the fund is expected to or may perform in the long term. In addition, new funds have limited operating histories for investors to evaluate and new and smaller funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment and trading efficiencies.

SOURCE Armor Index, Inc.

Related Links

https://armoretfs.com/armr


As with all cases, since that date of arrest, an investigation continued and was pursued, Mr. Flynn said at a news conference. There was a felony charge and, therefore, it was a matter that was going to go to the grand jury. Lets be clear here, OK? This really wasnt a complex case.

The video that was taken speaks for itself, Mr. Flynn added.

But the grand jury voted to no-bill the case, which means that they dismissed the case, he said. Because grand jury proceedings are held in secret, Mr. Flynn said he could not reveal the witnesses who had spoken to the grand jury, the evidence that was presented or the questions that might have led to the decision.

I want to tell you what occurred in the grand jury so this can be explained in more detail, he said. But, unfortunately, I cant.

Anticipating criticism that he had sandbagged the case, Mr. Flynn said: You really only have my word that I didnt sandbag anything  that I put all relevant information and evidence into that grand jury. I presented it all to the grand jury, and they made a decision.

On Friday, Kelly Zarcone, a lawyer for Mr. Gugino, responded to the grand jury's decision.

The district attorney saw the June 4 incident and concluded, we think correctly, that it deserved serious scrutiny, she said in a statement. We thank the grand jurors for their service. Our position remains that the governments use of unnecessary physical force against peaceful protesters is patently wrong and un-American.

The Buffalo Police Department said the officers remained suspended pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.

John Evans, the president of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association, said he welcomed the outcome.
During a Thursday press conference, Gov. Greg Abbott said that more announcements are likely coming soon about relaxing COVID-19 restrictions in Texas as cases and hospitalizations continue to drop.

Abbott spoke at a roundtable discussion in Dallas with small business owners about the states role in supporting small businesses during the pandemic. As more Texans continue to get vaccinated and COVID-19 hospitalizations trend downward, Abbott said, he plans to lift statewide restrictions if trends continue.

DOUBLING DOWN: Houston doc explains why double masking could be new norm

We know there are businesses that need to get back to work. There are employees that have bills to pay. There are jobs that must be opened, Abbott said. I was visiting with the people around the table today to expect that things economically will be picking up very rapidly.

On Thursday, 8,933 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Texas  the first time the number has dropped below 9,000 since December, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The state also reported 9,936 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,332 new probable cases.

We want to make sure that the numbers do continue along the same trend, Abbott said. And if they do continue on the same trend, we are already evaluating ways that we can begin to lift restrictions.

While average new COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases are trending downward, the numbers are higher than when Abbott initially announced restrictions on businesses.

VACCINE 101: 8 dos and don'ts when receiving the COVID-19 vaccine

Under an October order from Abbott, bars are allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity and businesses like movie theaters can operate at 75 percent capacity. However, if the percentage of COVID-19 patients exceeds 15 percent of hospital capacity in a region for a week, restaurant occupancy must be reduced to 50 percent and bars must be shut down. On Oct. 14, the day the order took effect, the state reported 4,131 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

An Abbott spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about which restrictions would be lifted if trends continue or what threshold would prompt reopenings.

As of Tuesday, 3.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in Texas, and 3.1 percent of Texas population is fully vaccinated.

When Abbott initially closed bars and restaurants on March 19, there were 161 confirmed coronavirus cases and three reported deaths in the state. He allowed businesses to reopen in a limited capacity in April, but later closed bars and scaled restaurant capacity down in late June after the state reported 5,102 hospitalizations, which was a record at the time, and 5,707 daily confirmed cases.

Reported by Megan Menchaca, The Texas Tribune
Three Emmanuel AME Church trustees are taking their pastor and presiding elder to court in an effort to stop a land sale that would bring a halfway house to the Dellcrest neighborhood on the East Side.

The trustees  Otis Spears, Oscar Minor and Bruce ONeal  filed suit against Rev. Carl E. Garmon, Elder W. Raymond Bryant and Crosspoint Inc., the nonprofit seeking to purchase church property at 1600 Semlinger Road to build the Womens Wellness Campus.

Crosspoints attorney Richard Sommer said his client was very surprised by this lawsuit because it has had many conversations about the planned facility with both the church and community leaders.

The proposed facility is a partnership between Crosspoint and UT Health San Antonio that already has the support of the majority of City Council.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio nonprofit, UT Health seek rezoning approval to build Women's Wellness Campus

This week, state District Judge John D. Gabriel extended a restraining order preventing any transaction between the parties until the case can be heard. It was extended until Feb. 26 to allow the church, Garmon and Bryant to get legal representation.

Only District 2 Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan voted against a rezoning request in December that allows for the construction of the 40-bed home for mothers and babies recovering from substance abuse.

The project supporting vulnerable women and their children has also received at least $3.8 million in grants.

Attorney Kenneth Grubbs, who represents the three trustees and other members of the congregation, said a board majority voted against the 3.3-acre property sale, but negotiations between Crosspoint and the churchs pastor and elder continued.

Grubbs says his clients wanted to discontinue the discussion of selling the land until the church was reopened but their objections were ignored.

The churchs in-person services are on hold under the city and county mandates prohibiting large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Services are conducted online and led by Garmon.

The trustees allege in court documents that Bryant has a conflict of interest in the deal because he sits on Crosspoints board of directors and was tasked with finding land for the facility.

On ExpressNews.com: East Side getting new transitional home over some neighbors' objections, San Antonio City Council decides

Crosspoints attorney on Friday provided a different version of events that started with a majority of Emmanuel AME Church's Board of Trustees voting to recommend the approval of the land sale on April 22.

Sommer said church members overwhelmingly approved the sale and embraced the planned campus development during a full congregational meeting on July 27.

After approval at a quarterly conference in August, the regional AME Church leadership approved the sale and project on Aug. 7, noting they believe it will be a tremendous blessing to the East Side of San Antonio.

At a previous public meeting, Crosspoint CEO Kevin Downey told city leaders that all of the homeowners within 200 feet of the property now support the facility after they revised an entry point for the property.

Church leaders couldnt be reached for comment Friday.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel.And Russia? President Vladimir Putins government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of the commodity. Authorities will use prisoners to help speed the work, reviving a reviled Soviet-era tradition.The project to modernize and expand railroads that run to Russias Far Eastern ports is part of a broader push to make the nation among the last standing in fossil fuel exports as other countries switch to greener alternatives. The government is betting that coal consumption will continue to rise in big Asian markets like China even as it dries up elsewhere.It's realistic to expect Asian demand for imported coal to increase if conditions are right,'' said Evgeniy Bragin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UMMC Holding, which owns a coal company in western Siberias Kuzbass region. We need to keep developing and expanding the rail infrastructure so that we have the opportunity to export coal.The latest 720 billion ruble ($9.8 billion) project to expand Russias two longest railroads  the Tsarist-era Trans-Siberian and Soviet Baikal-Amur Mainline that link western Russia with the Pacific Ocean will aim to boost cargo capacity for coal and other goods to 182 million tons a year by 2024. Capacity already more than doubled to 144 million tons under a 520 billion ruble modernization plan that began in 2013. Putin urged faster progress on the next leg at a meeting with coal miners in March.Russia is trying to monetize its coal reserves fast enough that coal will contribute to GDP rather than being stuck in the ground, said Madina Khrustaleva, an analyst who specializes in the region for TS Lombard in London.Putin is betting that his countrys land border with China and good relations with President Xi Jinping make it a natural candidate to dominate exports to the nation that consumes more than half of the worlds coal. His case is helped by the fact that Australia, currently the number one coal exporter, is facing trade restrictions from China amid a diplomatic dispute over the origins of the coronavirus.But the plan is fraught with risk, both for Russias economy and the planet. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends immediate phasing out of coal to avoid catastrophic global warming and the effects of climate change are expected to cost Russia billions in coming decades. Earlier this month the International Energy Agency went one step further and said no new fossil-fuel infrastructure should be built if the world wants to keep global warming will below 1.5 degrees Celsius. With all but one of the top 10 economies committed to reaching net-zero emissions within decades, the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap calls for phasing out all coal power plants without carbon capture as soon as 2040.Its also not a given that Asian coal demand will keep growing. Coal consumption in China is poised to reach a record this year and the country continues to build coal-fired power plants, but it also plans to start reducing consumption starting in 2026. At the same time it's increasing output from domestic mines, leaving less room for foreign supplies. Even in the IEA's least climate-friendly scenarios, global coal demand is expected to stay flat in 2040 compared to 2019.A coal strategy approved by the Russian government last year envisages a 10% increase in coal output from pre-pandemic levels by 2035 under the most conservative scenario, based on rising demand not just from China, but also India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and possibly Indonesia.The relatively low sulphur content of Russian coal might give it an edge in Korea, which has tightened pollution laws in recent years, but other Asian countries have struggled to secure funding for proposed plants and Indonesia said this week it wont approve any new coal-fired power plants. At a Group of Seven nations meeting, environment ministers agreed to phase out support for building coal power plants without carbon capture before the end of this year.For Putin there is more at stake than just money. At a video conference in March, he reminded government officials that the coal industry drives the local economies of several Russian regions that are home to about 11 million people. Unrest among coal miners helped put pressure on the government before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though the sector is now a much smaller and less influential part of the economy.We need to carefully assess all possible scenarios in order to guarantee that our coal mining regions are developed even if global demand decreases, Putin said. The countrys biggest coal producers are privately run, meaning they arent facing the kind of financing problems currently being encountered by listed companies elsewhere as banks pull back funding for dirty energy. Suek Plc, owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and Kuzbassrazrezugol OJSC, controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, are both planning to increase output. Russia also plans to boost coal production for steel making. A-Property, owned by Russian businessmen Albert Avdolyan, bought the Elga coal mine in Russias Far Eastern region of Yakutia last year and plans to invest 130 billion rubles to expand output to 45 million tons of coal from the current 5 million tons by 2023. A third stage of Russias railroad expansion project will focus on boosting infrastructure for shipping coal out of Yakutia, a Russian Railways official said last month.In 2021, many Asia Pacific states have seen their economies recover from the pandemic, said Oleg Korzhov, the CEO of Mechel PJSC, one of Russias biggest coal companies. We expect that demand for metallurgical coal in Asia Pacific will remain high in the next five years.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 full extent of the financial misery faced by millions of families amid the pandemic has been laid bare in a devastating report by the City watchdog.

A quarter of households fear they will struggle to make ends meet, while one in three expect their income to fall.

The numbers with low financial resilience which means they are battling with debt, have low levels of savings or erratic earnings  have risen from 10.7million to 14.2million.

A new report has revealed a quarter of households fear they will struggle to make ends meet

This means a quarter of the UK population would struggle to cope with even a small financial shock such seeing a 50 drop in their monthly income.

There are also now 27.7million adults who are considered vulnerable because of poor health, low financial resilience or events such as redundancy.

Experts described the figures as harrowing and startling. And the Financial Conduct Authority warned it is likely that the picture has got even worse since it conducted the survey of more than 22,000 individuals in October.

To cope with the hardship, a third said they expected to cut back on essentials, one in ten intended to use a food bank and one in six planned to take on more debt, according to the report.

One in six, or 3.2million homeowners, said they had taken a mortgage holiday.

The FCA also said the pain is not being shared equally, with younger adults and those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds worst-hit.

Financial Conduct Authority warned it is likely the picture, which experts called 'harrowing', has got even worse since it conducted the survey of more than 22,000 individuals in October

However, nearly half of those questioned said they had not been financially affected by Covid, with one in seven actually better off, according to the report.

They have been able to pile up extra savings after not being able to go on holiday or socialise during lockdown.

Nisha Arora of the FCA, said: While there are some positives in the data, many of the findings are worrying.

Tom Selby, senior analyst at AJ Bell, said the report laid bare the profound and harrowing impact coronavirus has had.

Kevin Pratt, personal finance expert at Forbes Adviser UK, said: These are stark and startling figures, and they serve as an important reminder of how Covid-19 is ravaging the finances of millions of people.

Sarah Coles, of Hargreaves Lansdown, said: One of the cruellest aspects of the pandemic is the way it has devastated some peoples income while leaving others better off.
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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



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 Detailed overview of COVID-19 Outbreak- Smart Demand Response 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- Smart Demand Response market

 Strategies of key players and product offerings

 Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth

 A neutral perspective towards COVID-19 Outbreak- Smart Demand Response market performance

 Market players information to sustain and enhance their footprint



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1.1 COVID-19 Outbreak- Smart Demand Response Industry

1.1.1 Overview

1.1.2 Products of Major Companies

1.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Smart Demand Response Market Segment

1.2.1 Industry Chain

1.2.2 Consumer Distribution

1.3 Price & Cost Overview



Chapter Two: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Smart Demand Response Market Demand

2.1 Segment Overview

2.1.1 APPLICATION 1

2.1.2 APPLICATION 2

2.1.3 Other

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2.3 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Smart Demand Response Market Forecast by Demand



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3.1 By Type

3.1.1 TYPE 1

3.1.2 TYPE 2

3.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Smart Demand Response Market Size by Type

3.3 COVID-19 Outbreak- Smart Demand Response Market Forecast by Type



Chapter Four: Major Region of COVID-19 Outbreak- Smart Demand Response Market

4.1 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Smart Demand Response Sales

4.2 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Smart Demand Response Revenue & market share



Chapter Five: Major Companies List



Chapter Six: Conclusion



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New Delhi: A 25-year-old worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing was allegedly stabbed to death following a heated argument at a birthday party. The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Delhi's Mangolpuri area. Rinku Sharma was rushed to the hospital after the brawl where he succumbed to his injuries.

The police have identified all the four alleged assailants- Mohammad Danish (36), Mohammad Islam (45), Zahid (26) and Mohammad Mehtab (20).

According to the police, Sharma and Danish resided in the same neighborhood and knew each other. They went to a birthday party in the locality where they had a heated argument.

Rinku allegedly slapped Danish after the party following which the latter along with his three friends stabbed him and fled.

"It was found that Rinku and Danish lived in the same neighborhood and knew each other. All four have been arrested and none of them has any previous criminal record," Additional deputy commissioner of police (outer) Sudhanshu Dhama was quoted as saying by India TV.

Sharma worked as a technician at a private hospital and lived in Mangolpuri with his family. The police said that Danish and Islam work as tailors, while Zahid is a college student and Mehtab is a Class 12 student.

Live TV
The facts arent yet in as far as the Allentown School District is concerned, but community members had a message Thursday night for the school board: Fire Jason Moorehead.

Moorehead is the Raub Middle School teacher who was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, and whose presence there was enough for the district to announce -- without naming him -- that hed been suspended Jan. 7.

During a lengthy, impassioned period of public comment at Thursday nights Allentown School Board meeting, speakers equated being in D.C. that day with supporting and even taking part in the insurrectionist riot that defiled the U.S. Capitol as Congress was in session, with five people left dead and around 200 people facing criminal charges.

Moorehead has spoken out publicly, stressing he was there to hear then-President Donald Trump speak at a Stop the Steal rally but never took part in the riot. The district seized on social media postings from Moorehead in deciding to suspend him with pay as an investigation was opened into his actions that day, when Trump exhorted his followers to march to the Capitol and fight like hell. Many of them present broke into the Capitol and disrupted Congress certification of the Electoral College victory for President Joe Biden, which Trump disputed.

The U.S. Senate is currently debating whether to convict Trump for incitement of an insurrection on which the U.S. House of Representatives impeached Trump for a second time.

In a letter to Mooreheads attorney, Allentown schools Solicitor John Freund III wrote Jan. 25: The reaction fomented by your clients photographs and postings was formidable, making temporary reassignment entirely justifiable.

Freund on Thursday sought to block residents from making defamatory statements about Moorehead as the investigation is continuing, and drew rebukes from the public for his interruptions.

School board member Lisa Conover was presiding over that portion of Thursdays meeting during an initial public comment period, through her role on the boards policy committee, and let the comments continue uncensored.

Some came to Mooreheads defense, as they did during a previous school board meeting.

Most who spoke during a public comment period lasting about 75 minutes Thursday called for him to be fired. Pas Simpson told the board hes helped to collect over 600 signatures in a week showing the displeasure of members of the community over Mooreheads capital visit on that day.

He said he was exercising his right, but what about the right to, you know, be a teacher and make sure that hes not putting himself in a position to be guilty by association? asked LaTarsha Brown. We often teach our children that: Dont run with the wrong crowds because you will be characterized as in the same category as what theyre doing.

Moorehead, 44, in an interview last month with The Associated Press, said he is a conservative who traveled to Washington by bus because I thought President Trump has done a pretty decent job as president. It may have been the last time he was going to have a big rally publicly, and I wanted to experience firsthand what he had to say.

He said he did not go trying to promote a lie or a falsehood that (Trump) had the election stolen.

After the rally, Moorehead said he milled about the Washington Monument and drifted toward the White House in search of a bathroom. At one point, Moorehead posted a selfie of himself on Facebook in a Make America Great Again cap and carrying a Revolutionary War-era flag, captioning it: Doing my civic duty!

Moorehead also shared a post that said: Dont worry everyone; the capitol is insured, appending his own one-word comment: This.

Moorehead said he did not know at the time of the post that a mob of Trump supporters had stormed the Capitol. He said he viewed it as a commentary on the double standard that exists in the media, the hypocrisy ... when some protests are supported and explained away and others are not. He said rioters should be prosecuted.

In a third post, he shared a jokey meme featuring a photo of the bare-chested Arizona man who climbed on the Senate dais wearing face paint and a furry hat with horns: Wrong on so many levels, but hilarious none the less, Moorehead wrote.

Allentown schools Superintendent Thomas Parker, in a Jan. 7 statement, said: We understand that many members of our community are upset by the image. At the same time, the district has an obligation to respect the First Amendment rights of our staff and students.

Because of the emotion and controversy stirred by the events of January 6, 2021, the teacher has been temporarily relieved of his teaching duties until the School District can complete a formal investigation of his involvement, Parker continued.

Residents who spoke out Thursday night called Moorehead unfit for the classroom. Many seized on the racial makeup of the Allentown School District as predominantly Black or Latino, and pointed to the racist paraphernalia exhibited by those in the Jan. 6 riot: antisemitic messages on shirts and Confederate flags among them.

Enid Santiago, who last year ran for state representative for Allentown, called it a liability to keep Moorehead on as a teacher.

I fight for the rights that everybody has the right to speak their mind and that they can protest over whatever issue that they want to, said Rodney Bushe, going on to say the ideals demonstrated by the insurrectionists are incompatible with those of a teacher.

John McNamara questioned the board on how, in Mooreheads 17 years with the school district, hes never shown cause for concern but all of a sudden hes being lumped in with racists and white supremacists.

Hes been charged with no crime, McNamara said, and Im not sure where the push is to kind of try him in the public court and terminate his career when there doesnt seem to be any historical evidence that he was espousing these views for years.

Nicholas Maxell also came to Mooreheads defense, arguing that equating him with white supremacists in Washington that day is slander and the kind of dehumanizing tactics used by Nazis. You have no right to spend our taxpayers money on your crusade, Maxell told the school board.

There was no action item before the school board Thursday related to Mooreheads future.

All the facts are not in, said Freund, the districts attorney. We have not come to any conclusions. The investigation we are involved in is not over. We have not established the total facts of his involvement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
The US on Thursday slapped sanctions on 10 current and former military officers and three entities in who led the recent against the democratically elected government and detained its leaders and Win Myint.

Six of the individuals are part of the National Defense and Security Council and were directly involved in the -- Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese military forces Min Aung Hlaing, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, First Vice President and retired Lieutenant General Myint Swe, Lieutenant General Sein Win, Lieutenant General Soe Htut, and Lieutenant General Ye Aung.

The four others slapped with sanctions are General Mya Tun Oo who was appointed Minister of Defense, Admiral Tin Aung San who was appointed Minister for Transport and Communications, Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo who was appointed Joint Secretary of the State Administration Council (SAC), and Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe who was appointed Secretary of the SAC.

In addition, three Burmese entities, Ruby Enterprise, Imperial Jade Co and Cancri (Gems and Jewellery), are being slapped with American sanctions.

"These designations specifically target current or former members of the military who played a leading role in the overthrow of Burma's democratically elected government. They do not target the economy or people of Burma, and we have gone to great lengths to ensure we do not add to the humanitarian plight of the Burmese people," US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said.

On February 1, prior to the scheduled seating of Burma's newly elected Parliament, the military detained a broad cross-section of civilian government leadership, including State Counsellor and President Win Myint, civil society leaders, journalists, and human right activists.

"We have been clear: this was a coup, and we will not sit idly by. This attempts to reject the will of the people of Burma as expressed during the November 2020 election. Since February 1, the people of Burma have shown their commitment to democracy through peaceful protest and civil disobedience. The United States stands with them, Blinken said.

Additionally, as the President announced, the US government has also taken steps to prevent the generals from improperly accessing more than USD1 billion in Burmese government funds held in the United States, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.

The Department of Commerce is also taking immediate action to limit exports of sensitive goods to the Burmese military and other entities associated with the recent coup, she said.

"In addition, we're freezing US assistance that benefits the Burmese government, while maintaining our support for healthcare, civil society groups, and other areas that benefit the Burmese people directly. We will also continue our support for the Rohingya and other vulnerable populations," Psaki said.

The White House in a separate statement said that the sanctions announced by it need not be permanent. Burma's military should immediately restore power to the democratically elected government, end the state of emergency, release all those unjustly detained, and ensure peaceful protesters are not met with violence.

The results of Burma's November 8 elections must be respected, and Parliament should be convened at the earliest opportunity, it asserted.

"The United States will continue to work with our allies, partners, and organisations as we condemn the actions of the Burmese military, and call for the immediate restoration of democracy. We view this coup as a direct assault on the country's transition to democracy, the White House said.

The White House said President Joe Biden has also spoken about Burma directly with leaders in the region, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping from China. We remain in close contact with like-minded nations, and welcome statements from the G7, ASEAN and several of Burma's neighbours that have strongly condemned the actions of the Burmese military, it said.

"We are also prepared to take additional action should Burma's military not change course. If there is more violence against peaceful protesters, the Burmese military will find that today's sanctions are just the first," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said that effective immediately, it will apply a presumption of denial for items requiring a licence for export and re-export to these select Burmese government departments and agencies.

"The military coup in Burma is a direct assault on Burma's transition to democracy and the rule of law. By taking immediate action to prevent the Burmese military from benefiting from access to sensitive US technology, we are sending a direct message that the United States stands with the people of Burma and their lawful democratic institutions," the Department of Commerce said.

USAID said that it is immediately redirecting USD 42.4 million of assistance away from work that would have benefited the Government of Burma. "Rather than supporting the military, we will redirect these funds to support and strengthen civil society, said USAID Acting Director Gloria Steele.

In a joint statement, a bipartisan group of influential Senators Marco Rubio, Ed Markey, Jim Risch and Ben Cardin applaud the Biden administration's decision to impose targeted sanctions against Burma's military leaders.

(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.)
Tucked into Gov. Tom Wolfs 2021-22 budget plan is a proposal for Pennsylvania to pay people who were wrongly convicted $50,000 for each year that they were held behind bars.

Under Wolfs plan, the funds would go to exonerees who have had convictions overturned on the grounds that they were innocent of the crime accused. The new program could apply, for example, to inmates who have seen convictions overturned and subsequently had charges dropped, or those who were acquitted in a new trial.

Its one of several measures Wolf intends to push as part of a larger criminal justice reform effort in his last two years in office. And, for the tiny group of Pennsylvania exonerees, it could be life-changing.

Larry Trent Roberts, a Harrisburg man who was released in 2019 after a second jury found him not guilty of a homicide for which he had already served 13 years in state prisons, said his mind swims with the possibilities of what could happen with that kind of hand up.

He could pay off a lien on his home - caused by his inability to keep up with loan payments after his arrest. He could explore reopening the used car business that he had at the time of his 2005 arrest. He could explore entry into the real estate field.

I just think that itd be just a life-changing event right now, Roberts said this week. It would just help me in life, man. Just putting my life back together. I wouldnt have to worry as much about money and what Im going to do the next day.

Pennsylvania, it can be argued, is already behind the eight-ball on this issue.

Thirty-five states, and the federal government, currently have some form of base compensation in place for exonerees, including all of our neighboring states except Delaware.

Under the governors still-emerging proposal, exonerees would be able to go to court to seek an affirmation of their innocence. If successful, they would be made eligible for the payment, as well as access to a variety of re-entry services ranging from counseling and tuition-free education to start-up housing and medical assistance.

To some, struggling through the pandemic recession, this may sound a little bit like someone else hitting the lottery.

But this is no lottery that anyone would want to play.

Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf, in his $37.8 billion budget proposal, included a plan to pay anyone who was wrongly convicted compensation for time spent in prison. Screenshot from Commonwealth Media Services video

All the money in the world cant replace time, Roberts said. As a result of my wrongful conviction, a lot of relationships were severed. I cant bring my grandmom and my great-grandmom back. I would give all the money in the world to get them back, but I cant.

Until somebody can go in there and have to deal with... waking up every day trying to dust yourself off, trying to keep a smile on your face, trying to stay positive, trying to stay, you know, out of trouble in there and be a model citizen... and then have to just get on the phone and call home and listen to the deaths, listen to how your family is hemorrhaging.

If they want to go through all that for five or six hundred thousand dollars, man, its not worth it, Roberts said. You can have that lottery.

Pennsylvania exonerees get nothing but their freedom back under current law, which, say supporters of the compensation proposal, is actually less than ex-convicts leaving the prison on parole.

It is a pretty small club, though it has grown a lot in the last two years as Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has made good on the creation of an aggressive Convictions Integrity Unit to re-examine troubled cases on a complaint basis. Krasners office alone has exonerated 17 men in his first term.

Overall, the Wolf Administration believes there are about 70 people who could qualify for wrongful conviction payments in Pennsylvania: Thats 95 exonerees, as counted by the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, minus those who have died or who have already won post-release civil judgments that would exceed the proposed state payment.

Important point, here, though:

While the civil courts can work for some exonerees, they dont work for all.

Philadelphia civil attorney Gerald Williams, who has handled about 12 such cases in his career, noted that exonoree plaintiffs have to prove civil rights violations in federal court, and as long as police or prosecutors can make a credible defense that they were acting in good faith throughout their prosecution, thats impossible to do.

Because sometimes, in fact, these wrongful arrests and convictions are just that - the mistakes of a human-run system.

If there has been provable misconduct, Williams said he has seen cases where the employing agency has terminated the offending employees and refused to extend liability coverage for their actions because they acted outside policy and regulation. That leaves plaintiffs seeking damages from shallow pockets.

Only about 20 of Pennsylvanias exonerees had received civil settlements through 2017. And while the settlements often bring bigger dollar amounts, these lawsuits also often take years to resolve, meaning exonerees arent getting any financial assistance when they need it the most.

Its very far from a slam dunk for the exonerees, Williams said. Thats why these statutes are kind of important.

Still, supporters of state compensation dont want to limit exonerees ability to sue. That, they argue, is an important way to shine a light on rogue actors in the criminal justice system, and they note that the law can contain an off-set provision requiring a reimbursement of state payments if a larger judgment is paid through the courts.

The Wolf proposal will have to go through the Republican-controlled state legislature.

The good news for Pennsylvanias exonerees is that there has been some momentum in recent sessions for criminal justice reforms, especially those aimed at helping ex-convicts build productive post-sentence lives. Wolfs staffers see the compensation plan as a logical extension of that work.

And, at least as a discussion point, the states district attorneys association  which wields a lot of clout on crime and punishment issues in Harrisburg  says it is not opposed to the concept.

The DAs want to be sure that the compensatory payments go only to cases where the original conviction has been overturned on the basis of the defendants innocence, and that finding has won the stamp of approval from an independent arbiter, like a judge.

(A compensation bill sponsored by former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Stewart Greenleaf in the 2017-18 session had such claims going to Pennsylvanias Commonwealth Court for review. Greenleafs bill never was considered by his committee. Freshman Rep. Regina Young, D-Philadelphia, is seeking co-sponsors for a new compensation bill this year.)

When youre looking at somebody who is truly innocent, that is different than somebody who may have participated in it (the crime), but for whatever reason the conviction was overturned on other grounds, said Greg Rowe, executive director of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association.

We want to avoid that situation and look at the much, much, much, much smaller universe of cases where, again, the facts simply dont support the case.

Supporters of the compensation movement generally agree with that limitation  which is also in most of the state laws in effect around the country  though all sides agree the structure of the affirmative proof of innocence requirement still needs to be worked out in the coming legislation.

Nan Feyler, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Innocence Project is optimistic about Pennsylvanias ability to play catch-up on the compensation issue in this legislative session.

We hope we wont run into too much opposition from different legislators or groups because we really think its a matter of equity and it does resonate with a lot of people I think, Feyler told PennLive this week. What I think were up against most is the budget shortfalls. And so the question is when can this happen. Not if.

Theres no question in her mind that it is the right thing to do, and she thinks that wont be a tremendously hard sell to most lawmakers.

I think its really the states responsibility. I think its the equitable and moral and the financially fair thing to do for somebody whos spent decades in prison for something they didnt do, oftentimes because of police misconduct or sometimes for misuse of jailhouse informants or misidentification, Feyler said.

Most of them have been incarcerated at young ages so they missed all of their earning potential, their career, their paying into Social Security. So theyre really disadvantaged, not only emotionally but I think financially, too, she said.

There is a racial justice component to this as well.

Fifty-six percent of the exonerees in Pennsylvania since 1989 are Black, and according to a study by the National Registry of Exonerations, innocent African Americans are about seven times more likely to be convicted than innocent white people.

Roberts, now 50, has seen a lot taken from him since he was arrested in 2005.

Hes lost his business, the former Swatara Auto Sales. The woman he was in a relationship with at the time has married another person. He missed 13 years of each of his four kids lives. Older relatives died.

None of those things will come back.

And now hes trying to get back on his feet during a pandemic.

Living with an aunt, Roberts said he worked a warehouse job through a temp agency for starters, then landed a job with a local car dealership until the pandemic forced all the salesmen to work fully on commission.

It is like one hurdle to the next, he said. Im trying to reinvent myself. Im trying to find out what I really want to do.

Compensation will never bring back the time or the losses resulting from Roberts interrupted life.

But it could certainly ease his re-start, he said.

I could do a lot of things with that money. I could do a lot of positive things with that money. Not just for me, but for other people, because I provided jobs for other people when I had my business. So it wouldnt just help me, Roberts said. It could help the community.
Every powerful person wants us to forget their past, because if their full truth became known, every one of them would be in that secret U.N. moon prison. But politicians also want us to forget their past because the past is hilarious, and every night, they remember the embarrassment and wince. Well, prepare to wince harder, powers that be, because we are dredging up your dumbest scandals again.

5 Mitt Romney And The Doggie Doo Road Trip

The tale concerns the Romneys' dog, an Irish Setter who -- and we realize this part is confusing for those not well versed in American politics -- was not named "Mitt." "Mitt" is the name of the dad in this story, while the dog is named "Seamus." The Romneys were about to drive 12 hours for a lake trip to Canada in 1983, so five kids piled into the back of the station wagon, while Mitt stuck Seamus into a kennel strapped to the roof. That fact alone turned this into a scandal in later years, with people picturing a dog mistakenly left on top of speeding car, but the way Mitt describes it, he had built a windshield for the kennel so Shamus got fresh air but was spared 60 miles-per-hour winds.

via Wiki Commons Pictured: Seamus, in a later moment of bipartisanship

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Then, well into the trip and some time away from the next scheduled stop, young Tagg Romney noticed brown liquid snaking down the car's rear window. Seamus had let loose some doggy diarrhea. So Mitt pulled over at a gas station and did exactly what you'd expect a millionaire businessman to do: He borrowed a hose and washed Seamus and the vehicle himself. Then he ... put the dog back into the carrier and continued the trip.

Mitt's decision to stick Seamus back into the carrier, after receiving some semi-solid evidence that this mode of travel wasn't nearly as comfortable on the dog as he had hoped, reveals something about Mitt Romney's inability to adapt his views to account for new information. Either that or he realized that the dog was a loose stool time bomb, so it was now more important than ever that Seamus be kept out of the station wagon's interior. Either way, this added up to the second-cringiest Mitt Romney Dog Incident, the cringiest being the following 2008 campaign stop:
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Digital Editor
President Biden, I want to thank you very much for saving our farmers land and the Native American lands for the oil pipeline. You dont know how much I appreciate someone who cares about our environment.

Pottsville



Unbelievable. In Plains Township, Wilkes-Barre, a shooting over snow shoveling? What is wrong with some people?

Pottsville



The column with Steve Roberts in your paper, a picture of the pope hangs behind Biden in the office. He is surrounding himself with all these religious people and his favorite quote is, What you have done to the least of my brothers, you have done to me. Give me a break. This man is pro-abortion up until the time the baby is delivered.

Port Carbon



To all the Republicans that seem to be under Donald Trumps spell, time to break the tide and be your own person. If you cant win an election on your own merit, values, desire to honor our Constitution and uphold our democracy, you shouldnt be in office in the first place. Think for yourself and do what is right for our country. You need to be accountable for what happens in our country in the future. You need not only face the people in our country but your family, friends and yourself.

Orwigsburg



I am calling about the Heights hill. Whoever the engineer that did that roadwork should be fired. That road is horrendous. Are you going to have a salt truck there every day? Let them be there at 6 oclock in the morning when the buses come through with kids. You should be ashamed of yourself. I would make that company redo that. That is horrible. That ice dam coming down that hill is treacherous. Somebody is going to get killed.

Shenandoah



The Wall Street Journal suggests that the Democrats move on from Trump. Of course, the right-wing Wall Street Journal would request that. They want us to look the other way when crimes are committed. Thats how they get away with stuff on Wall Street. The Democrats should move on after this man is not able to run for office again. It is a shame that we cant put handcuffs on him. As a Democrat, I would like to see that happen.

Pottsville



I would like to say that the Pottsville City Streets Department and Parks Department did an outstanding job clearing the roadways in the city of Pottsville during their recent mega snowstorm.

Pottsville



A big thank you to the carrier for continuing to deliver during this most recent snowstorm.

Lykens



Both Democrats and Republicans are wrong on the abortion issue. Birth control is the only safe and humane method to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Mahanoy City



Port Carbon Borough Council needs to take action against the Trump fanatic who has an offensive, obnoxious and vulgar display to his hero. They say they cant do anything because it is on his own property. How about corruption of minors who pass by his property every day going to and from school? The property owner should be ashamed of himself.

Palo Alto



President Trump only signed four executive actions. Biden had over 40. What is trying to do? Write a book? This is all he knows what do is overturn all President Trumps already passed. To be honest, whatever he is signing it looks like blank pages. I give him six months until people wake up.

Girardville



Mahanoy City, it wasnt enough to hear the mob yell, Hang Pence. Kohls will not miss a person of your mentality. Stores did not drop the MyPillow sales just because of the Trump support. The MyPillow guy was spreading QAnon conspiracies that call for violence, such as beheading and hanging people and politicians. You say you care about freedom. He kept pushing for Trump to use martial law. That would destroy your freedom. Know what you are talking about when you lend support to the cult insanity of QAnon and the MyPillow guy. Seltzer, dont cash your Social Security check.

Mahanoy City



What is job-killing Biden and his band of idiots going to do next? Stay tuned.

Minersville



Biden said his priority is jobs. I guess he means jobs for the 15 million refugees, not for the 10 million Americans out of work. Bring them in, Joe, during a pandemic. Good job.

Minersville



Everyone talking about Trump supporters are missing the real problem. That problem is no one has faith in our electoral process. We must have voter ID. I think about 99% of the voters use some form of ID now. Everyone else should submit one signature to be used for a comparison on all their future votes and absentee ballots should be by request only.

Shenandoah



Thank you, Shenandoah Valley School District, for taking the legal action against the Borough of Shenandoah. Now, legal action should be taken against the former borough manager for accountability regarding the funds.

Shenandoah



I like the ad on TV that states wearing a mask is not a political statement, it is an IQ test.

Minersville



To all the Skooks complaining about closing the XL pipeline with one swipe of the pen, do your research. The XL pipeline was going to take the tar sands from Canada down to Texas where they were going to export all the oil. It had nothing to do with our energy independence.

Pottsville



Lisa, you watch too much fake news. Joe promised unity over and over. Well, look where that got us. The first day he killed the pipeline, which six studies under Obama showed it was safe, alienated millions of voters, even Democrats just for hatred of Trump and payback Warren Buffet for his generous campaign donation. Back in the swamp we go.

Gordon



For two days during the snowstorm we didnt get any mail, yet our faithful carrier of this newspaper delivered both days through thick and thin. Thank you, Lisa Degregor.

Shenandoah



To New Boston, as was reported by the Republican Herald, ABC, CBS and NBC news from Jan. 1 to today the facts are, Trump tried to bully Georgia officials into changing their election results, which they didnt, and that he incited a riot in an attempt to overthrow our government. If you dont believe this, well then God have mercy on your soul.

Palo Alto



To the caller who saw the fella eating the grapes at Walmart in Saint Clair, I was behind him and was going to buy some grapes, but I wont buy grapes there again. I did make a comment that that is disgusting.

Palo Alto



I think social media companies are calling on Mr. Biden to start a new department in government called a Reality Czar to fact-check what people are saying on social media.

Pine Grove



I applaud the integrity of the Republican members of the U.S. House and Senate who have stood up for the truth and the U.S. Constitution, especially our own Sen. Pat Toomey. Donald Trump needs to be convicted. His treasonous crimes can not be excused with a slap on the wrist censure because some Republicans are afraid of Trumps followers. We must remain a nation of laws and no one is above the law.

Schuylkill Haven



I am Republican and I voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 but if he would have kept his nose out of Georgia and not tried to bribe the secretary of state down there, the Republicans would have won those two Senate seats and it would have been sweet revenge for him against the Democrats. Now, he put this country in a cesspool.

Frackville



Auburn says that 93% of Black Lives Matter were peaceful protesters. From what I saw, it looked like 50% were involved in looting and a lot more of them were involved in arson. Ninety-three percent? Where did you get that number from? Dont just throw figures out there, throw out facts.

Frackville
It is suspected the use of the nebuliser, which turns liquid medications into a fine mist that can be inhaled, caused fine aerosolised particles carrying coronavirus to be suspended in the air and spread the virus throughout the hotel. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald verified the mans identity after viewing hospital admission documents, including his transfer papers from hotel quarantine. A senior health source, who was not authorised to speak to the media, also independently confirmed the mans identity. On Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews defended the states hotel quarantine program after questions were again raised over how the nebuliser, not permitted in hotel quarantine, made its way into the Holiday Inn undetected. At a press conference, the Premier was adamant the nebuliser was never declared by the returned traveller. Short of barging into peoples rooms multiple times a day  which, again, I think might well produce a pretty big infection control risk itself  you have got to rely on peoples judgment, Mr Andrews said.

Those machines are not allowed, that was clearly communicated, but if you are inviting me to have a crack at a bloke who is on a machine to breathe at the moment in an ICU Im just not doing that. Youre not allowed to have them, you shouldnt be using them, theres an interview where that is clearly communicated. Its happened. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The man, who is slowly recovering from the virus, maintains he was given permission by staff to use the nebuliser at both the initial quarantine hotel and the medi-hotel to which he was moved. After testing positive to the virus at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, the man and his family were taken to the Holiday Inn medical hotel in Flinders Lane.

I came in and again declared the nebuliser and I said, I need to use it, because I was struggling to breathe, and they said, Look, no problem. You just need to tell us, because we cant come into the room for an hour after you use it. He said that four hours later staff at the hotel called him and told him that following a consultation with infectious diseases experts at Alfred Health, the use of a nebuliser was not permitted inside the hotel. Alfred Health staff support COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, which runs quarantine, by providing medical care in hotels set up for people who have tested positive to the virus. They suggested that I used [an asthmatic] spacer instead and provided me with one, he said. That helped me a lot before I was taken to hospital. Vaporiser machines, including sleep apnoea machines, are banned from standard quarantine hotels. The medical device is also believed to have fuelled serious coronavirus outbreaks in Victorian hospitals during the second wave. In the wake of the outbreak, all returned travellers will have their bags thoroughly searched upon arrival in Melbourne. Since the case emerged, authorities say they have introduced clear signage at Melbourne Airport and employed nurse spotters working with Australian Border Force to identify any aerosol-generating devices with incoming travellers.

A spokeswoman for COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria said an investigation on February 5 found no record of the nebuliser being declared. This audit shows the use of the nebuliser only emerged during a formal case interview on Friday, February 5, once the man had tested positive and been moved to the health hotel, she said. Each resident undergoes an initial health screening at the airport prior to entering quarantine and a more comprehensive review within 12 hours of arrival and the records do not mention the nebuliser. Our healthcare providers have audited medical records and provided assurances about their contents, while we have reviewed CCTV of any staff interactions. The man, who frequently had to pause during the interview when he became breathless, said he used the nebuliser on day five and six of his quarantine inside his hotel room after returning a negative test on day three. He said he first began to show signs of respiratory illness an hour after arriving at the Holiday Inn on January 23 and blamed a faulty evaporative airconditioning system that continually fluctuated in temperature for aggravating his asthma.

What was more disturbing is we found hairs on the floor and some crumbs on the couch and table that had not been cleaned up, he said. The room did not feel like it had been deep cleaned after the last person stayed there. It was really dirty in general. COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria responded directly to this claim by saying complaints about cleanliness were investigated and dealt with immediately. Loading CQV has no record of a complaint. During their stay, residents can request cleaning supplies given staff cannot attend the room to clean due to infection prevention and control measures. This is a standard procedure. The man said his respiratory symptoms worsened each day, and he requested another test on day six of quarantine, but this request was refused. The entire family tested positive to the virus on their 11th day in quarantine.
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The global telecom analytics market size is projected to reach USD 10.7 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 14.5% during the forecast period, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Telecom analytics offers business intelligence solutions to the evolving telecommunications sector and also aids in identifying the present situation of the company with respect to its market opposition by identifying progressive trends and predicted parameters.

Increasing use of descriptive and diagnostic analytics to enhance business functions is one of the major factors fueling the growth of the market globally. Big data has become a ubiquitous part of telecom industry because of the huge amount of data being generated every minute through the connected world. About 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is created every day. The enhanced networks coupled with the proliferation of smart devices has facilitated the telecom operators to gain access to a multitude of information about their customers preferences and behavior. This, in turn is expected to bolster market growth over the forecast period.

Telecom analytics possesses an ability to formulate strategies associated with cross-sell and up-sell and service and solution plans, thereby helping companies in the sector to obtain value from network resources. In addition, systematic computational analysis of data in the industry is also being leveraged to discover new routes of innovation and build better investor relations. Additionally, systematic computational analysis of data in the telecom industry brings importance in decision making, provides more accurate and actionable insights, ensures competitive benefits to the companies involved, and enable them to plan more efficient cost structure. A massive amount of unstructured data is formed from connected and communication devices, and social media. When this data is converted into a structured data, telecom service providers take out insights about their customer preferences and choices which in turn help them to figure out a customer profile and produce more targeted offers.

Browse Details of Report @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/telecom-analytics-market

Accordingly, the ability of enterprises to capitalize on the potential of systematic computational analysis of data for the industry is expected to drive the growth of the market. While data analytics companies are experiencing growth, there is a massive shortage of talent. The telecom industry requires skilled data scientists who can understand the technology as well as the business objective of a telecom operator. Data scientists and analytics experts are highly in demand. Hiring new experts or training the existing workforce can cost the organization considerably, and the process of acquiring skills related to systematic computational analysis of data takes significant amount of time, which thereby pose a huge challenge. As a result, this very reason is one of the major factors expected to hinder the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Telecom Analytics Market Report Highlights

 The cloud segment is expected to witness a CAGR exceeding 15.0% over the forecast period. Owing to low investment cost, scalability, and agility offered by cloud deployment model, the segment is expected to witness significant growth

 The solution accounted for over 65.0% of the global market share in 2019, and the segment is expected to witness considerable growth over the coming years. Moreover, the segment is anticipated to continue its dominance as the fastest growing segment during the forecast period

 Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a fastest pace expanding at a CAGR exceeding 15.0% over the forecast period, which is accredited to the increasing investments in advanced technologies such as IoT and Big Data in the developing countries including India, and China.
TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurania Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ARU) (OTCQB: AUIAF) (Frankfurt: 20Q) ("Aurania" or the "Company") announces that Dr. Richard Spencer, President, will present live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com on February 18, 2021. Aurania invites individual and institutional investors, shareholders, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend real-time, interactive presentations on www.VirtualInvestorConferences.com.

Aurania's Virtual Presentation Details

DATE: Thursday, February 18th, 2021

TIME: 12:00pm ET

LINK: https://bit.ly/3cd9PaB

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.

About Aurania

Aurania is a mineral exploration company engaged in the identification, evaluation, acquisition and exploration of mineral property interests, with a focus on precious metals and copper in South America. Its flagship asset, The Lost Cities  Cutucu Project, is located in the Jurassic Metallogenic Belt in the eastern foothills of the Andes mountain range of southeastern Ecuador.

Aurania's current focus is on exploration for gold, silver and copper in Ecuador in an area that hasn't been explored since Spanish colonial times. Aurania's large, concession block is in the Cordillera de Cutucu which lies along trend of the mineral belt which hosts Ecuador's two modern mines - Fruta del Norte and Mirador. Aurania has identified multiple, drill-ready targets and has been drilling high priority targets since September 2020. The Company will continue scout drilling throughout 2021, directing its efforts on making a gold, silver or copper discovery in those areas.

Information on Aurania and technical reports are available at www.aurania.com and www.sedar.com, as well as on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/auranialtd/, Twitter at https://twitter.com/auranialtd, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurania-resources-ltd-.

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.

SOURCE VirtualInvestorConferences.com
Yves here. This post provides an in-depth account of how Amazon has been using every trick it can to defeat the union vote that just started for its Bessemer, Alabama warehouse workers. I assume readers know that Amazon warehouses are modern-day sweatshops, with workers intensively monitored for the speed of execution of their tasks. For instance, from the New York Post, hardly a left-leaning publication:

Maureen Donnelly took a job with Amazon when the retail goliath opened a fulfillment center on Staten Island in September 2018. The 46-year-old Staten Islander quit after just one month. Last week, more than 100 workers and their supporters gathered outside the same 855,000-square-foot packing plant to protest working conditions and spotlight newly released data showing the rate of worker injury there was three times higher than the national average for similar warehouse work. Im not afraid of hard work. Ive been a waitress, a newsroom clerk, an EMT and spent summers on a dairy farm in Ireland. At every job Ive ever had, there was a sense it was a team effort. But when I walked into that Amazon warehouse, there wasnt a team anything. It was just, Do your job! I soon learned that only difference between an Amazon warehouse and a third-world sweatshop were the robots. At Amazon, you were surrounded by bots, and they were treated better than the humans. In the beginning, I was pumped.I ended up with a 5 p.m. to 4:45 a.m. shift, Sunday through Wednesday. We did not get paid for lunch, which was a half-hour. The job was mind-numbing. The same thing every hour. Every day. Lather, rinse, repeat. I had projections. I had to stock at least 12 items a minute. I was not even close. Its physically impossible. You were constantly like, I gotta get this done. The computer constantly showed you how far off you from making the quota. I wasnt disciplined because I was a newbie, and I quit before I could find out the punishment. In one story in The Verge, Amazon lawyers confirmed the automated system tracks every second of a workers day. When too much time has been spent off task, warnings are auto-generated. If a worker receives six warnings within a 12-month period, the employee receives an automatically generated termination notice. Amazon says that supervisors are able to override the automatic firings. The job crushed my spirit  and crippled my body. I would spent nearly 12 hours a day with with no one to talk to for more than five minutes. I wasnt sleeping well. I was getting cranky with family. My knees were killing me. My back and shoulders constantly hurt. My left hip throbbed. After every shift, Id ice my swollen ankles, which were triple the normal size. By the second week, I just wanted out. I stayed as long as I did because of my father. I wanted him to be happy that I had a job. Id give little pep talks to myself to get through the shift. Id say, You can do this! Someone got hurt on a ladder. They never explained what happened but the rookies were retrained on ladders. Then they told me that with the holidays coming I would have to work more mandatory overtime. That was the last straw.

The Internet is full of accounts like this, as well as data confirming short average tenures at Amazon warehouses. Weve featured many over time.

As this article mentions in passing, even major shareholders to Amazons thuggish anti-union tactics. From the Financial Times, Amazon must not interfere with US union effort, say investors:

The Amazon investors, led by the Swedish groups Folksam and Ohman Fonder, collectively control more than $20bn in shares and also include the comptrollers for both New York State and New York City, Legal and General Investment Management, BMO Global Asset Management and the Church of England Pensions Board. In a letter, they called upon Amazon to end its union-busting and remain neutral. They added that Amazon appeared to be going against the tenor of its own Global Human Rights Principles, published on the companys website, which state it respected employees right to join, form, or not to join a labor union or other lawful organisation of their own selection, without fear of reprisal, intimidation, or harassment.

You may have noticed the absence of CalPERS, which likes to wrap itself in the ESG mantle, from this list. For a state agency that managed the funds of state and municipal workers, nearly all of whom are/were union members, to be nowhere to be found when it comes to labor organizing, is not a good look. We e-mailed CalPERS spokesman Brad Pacheco as to whether CalPERS would be signing the Amazon letter and got no reply.

By Sonali Kolhatka, the founder, host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. She is a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute

Thousands of warehouse workers at an Amazon plant in Bessemer, Alabama, are at the center of a potentially game-changing union vote taking place right now. On February 8, the warehouse workers were sent ballots by mail to decide over the next seven weeks if they want to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union(RWDSU). Just getting to this point was a major victory considering the aggressive union busting by the worlds largest retailer and the fact that employees are working during a pandemic. If workers vote affirmatively, they would have the first unionized Amazon workplace in the United States.

Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the RWDSU, described to me in an interview the shocking details of what he calls the most aggressive anti-union effort Ive ever seen, aimed at the 5,800-strong workforce. They are doing everything they possibly can, he said. The company has been bombarding people with propaganda throughout the warehouse. There are signs and banners and posters everywhere, even in the bathroom stalls.

According to Appelbaum, the company is also texting its workers throughout the course of the day urging a no vote and pulling people into captive-audience meetings. Unsurprisingly, Amazon is resorting to the most commonly told lie about unions: that it will cost workers more money to be in a union than not. One posterpasted on the wall of the warehouse claims, you already know the union would charge you almost $500 a year in dues. But Alabama is a right-to-work state where workers cannot be compelled to join a union if they are hired into a union shop, nor can they be required to pay dues.

Complementing its heavy-handed in-person union-busting efforts is a slick website that the company created, DoItWithoutDues.com, where photos of happy workers giving thumbs-up signs create a veneer of contentment at the company. On its site, Amazon innocently offers its version of facts about a union that include scare-mongering reminders of how joining a union would give no guarantee of job security or better wages and benefitswith no mention of how Amazon certainly does not guarantee those things either.

On the companys own list of Global Human Rights Principles, Amazon states, We respect freedom of association and our employees right to join, form, or not to join a labor union or other lawful organization of their own selection, without fear of reprisal, intimidation, or harassment.

But in a page out of Donald Trump and the Republicans playbook, the company tried to insist that even in the middle of a deadly pandemic, the union vote must be conducted manually, in-person, making it easy for associates to verify and cast their vote in close proximity to their workplace. The National Labor Relations Board rejected Amazons appeal for a one-day physical election.

Ballots were mailed out to workers on February 8, and the union and its advocates are shrewdly using the seven-week-long voting period to campaign and encourage workers to vote yes. But Amazon is also continuing its efforts at countering the RWDSU. Organizers in Bessemer had taken to engaging the workers while they stopped at a red light upon leaving the Amazon warehouse. But the company, according to Appelbaum, had the city change the traffic light so our organizers wouldnt be able to speak to them. (A statement from Bessemer city denies the claim.)

So aggressive are Amazons anti-union tactics that 50 members of Congress sent the company a warning lettersaying, We ask that you stop these strong-arm tactics immediately and allow your employees freely to exercise their right to organize a union. Even the companys own investors are so shocked by the tactics that more than 70 of them signed on to a letter urging Amazon to remain neutral in the vote.

The path to this union vote was paved by staggeringly high inequality that worsened during the pandemic as workers were stripped of their insultingly low hazard-bonus of $2 an hour while the company reaped massive gains over the past year. CEO and soon-to-be Executive Chair of Amazon, Jeff Bezos is the worlds second-richest man. He is now worth a mind-boggling $188 billion and saw his wealth increase by $75 billion, over the past year alonethe same time period that about 20,000 of his workers tested positive for the coronavirus.

Bezos announcement that he was moving into a new role at the company came on the same day that the Federal Trade Commission announced Amazon had stolen nearly $62 million in tips from drivers working for its Flex program. Appelbaum speculated that what Bezos was trying to do was to create a distraction just like Trump would do, and that instead of focusing on the $62 million they stole from their drivers, people would talk about the fact that Bezos was getting a new title.

Appelbaum sees the historic union vote in Bessemer as more than just a labor struggle. Eighty-five percent of the people who work at the facility are African American. We see this being as much a civil rights struggle as a labor struggle, he said. Indeed, conditions at the warehouse are so shocking that they sound like a modern-day, technologically enabled incarnation of slavery. People were being dehumanized and mistreated by Amazon, said the union president. He explained, people get their assignments from a robot, theyre disciplined by an app on their phone, and theyre fired by text message. Every motion they make is being surveilled.

Union advocates are countering Amazons combative anti-union efforts with their own information war. In addition to organizers talking to the warehouse workers in Bessemer every chance they get, an informational website Bamazonunion.org shares data from various studies about the dangerous working conditions in Amazon facilities. The site reminds workers that unions are able to win contracts where workers can only be fired for just cause and not on the whim of managers; that complaints against the company can be filed via formal grievances; and that wages and benefits are negotiated collectively.

As a proud union member of SAG-AFTRA, my colleagues and I at KPFK Pacifica Radio have benefited regularly from such protections even against a small nonprofit public radio station struggling to make ends meet. When faced with a ruthless for-profit corporation that has built its empire on the backs of a nonunionized workforce, Amazons workers are on the front lines of those who most need the protections a union can provide.

This election is the most important union election in many, many years because its not just about this one Amazon facility in Alabama, said Appelbaum. This election is really about the future of work, what the world is going to look like going forward. Amazon is transforming industry after industry, and theyre also transforming the nature of work, he said. Indeed, the level to which Amazon has fought against unionization at just one warehouse in Alabama is an indication of how important it is to the company that its workers remain powerless.
Arcadia Share & Stock Brokers Trading Rights Withdrawn by NSE on Shortfall in Client Securities

The National Stock Exchange (NSE), being first-line of regulator, continues to act against brokers for violations of regulatory norms. The latest is Mumbai-based Arcadia Share & Stock Brokers Pvt Ltd, whose trading rights are withdrawn by NSE for failing to adhere to its regulatory provisions. However, according to a newspaper report, the brokerage has shortfall in clients securities of over Rs24 crore.

In a notice last week, NSE says, "The Exchange has withdrawn the trading rights of Arcadia Share & Stock Brokers in all the segments of the Exchange, on account of non-adherence to the regulatory provisions of the Exchange w.e.f. 8 February 2021, till further notice."

Quoting NSE, a report from Economic Times says , "Arcadia had shortfall of funds of Rs37.92 crore to meet the client payables as on 31 December 2020, which had subsequently increased to Rs41.89 crore as on 1 February 2021. The brokerage has a shortfall of clients securities to the tune of Rs24.06 crore."

The NSE order alleged Arcadia Share & Stock Brokers was engaged in borrowing of securities from its clients through outside the framework of lending and borrowing set up by market regulator and not through the security lending and borrowing mechanism (SLBM) platform of the Exchange.

It says, "Arcadia Share & Stock Brokers has misused clients funds and securities which tantamount to unprofessional conduct by Arcadia and clear disregard of the SEBI and Exchange guidelines."

Antony Sequeira, who was chief executive of M/s Uday S Kotak, now known as Kotak Securities, is founder-promoter of Arcadia Share & Stock Brokers. Set up in 1995, Arcadia has offices over 250 locations across India.
CHARDON, Ohio -- The fundamental assumptions of American representative democracy are under siege. Insurrection, pandemic, disunity and hatred comprise the four horsemen of our apocalypse. No need to elaborate, if one has been awake and woke.

This Idiots Guide seeks to repair our democracy with a focused citizen action plan. Roadblocks abound: congressional hearings; party brinksmanship; talking heads; trolling; corporate ads selling democracy to stall democracy; and book releases from aspiring presidential candidates.

The Idiots Guide

Chapter 1. Privacy

Corporations have taken the confidential details of our lives as if they were theirs to take. The authentic citizen is not permitted the reverse luxury of data-mining the corporations files and preferences.

Solution: A 28th Amendment on privacy. Congress shall make no law rescinding the privacy of the citizen without that citizens written, informed consent. No regulatory, facial, fingerprint, geolocation, biometric, genetic identification or communication marker shall be collected without the citizens written, informed consent.

Inspiration: In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.-- Thomas Jefferson, 1798.

Chapter 2. Corporate citizens

In the 19th century, corporations were made legal citizens. Corporations have morphed into citizens on steroids, manhandling the real citizen through legislative lobbying and hidden political contributions. Corporate citizens write and influence much of our regulatory standards and legislation. Real citizens have become three-fifths citizens much like slaves were classified prior to the Civil War.

Solution: Corporate dethroning. 1. Legislators and staff shall write the plurality of legislation; interest groups may consult. 2. Legislatively dethrone corporations as citizens by revoking their status as legal citizens. 3. All political contributions are made public, limited and reported.

Inspiration: Influence is no government. -- George Washington, 1786.

Sheldon Firem is a retired educator.

Chapter 3. Militias and mayhem

The authoritarian impulse is in the air, accompanied by its twin, mob rule. Untethered politicians have sounded a pseudo-shofar to call their violent followers to insurrection. Their shofar plays hit tunes like Carnage, Charlottesville, Stolen Election, and Punch Him in the Face. Locust-like, the insurrectionists emerged from their underground, online homes to descend on the Capitol of the United States.

Solution: Accountable governance. Elect political leaders who respect the Constitution and the legal process over authoritarian ambitions; who heed the warnings of intelligence agencies; and who vigorously address domestic terrorism.

Inspiration: Woody Guthries This Land is Your Land, 1940.

Chapter 4. Elections as malleable clay

Gerrymandering is the self-serving tool of political parties, manipulated by the party in power. However, other factors interfere with our duty to vote: consumerism; online distractions; corporate manipulation of the publics opinions; and the suffocating silos of political parties. We turn to these distractions repeatedly, failing to vote intentionally.

Solutions: Reform, and voting. State legislatures establish independent committees to redistrict voting populations using an equal number of independents, Republicans and Democrats. Free, fair and open elections, divorced from old-time Jim Crow but wary of the new James Crow -- voter roll purges; reduced voting hours; baseless fraud allegations; voter suppression; court stacking; and voter intimidation. Ultimate solution: Vote!

Inspiration: There are men, in all ages, who  mean to govern well; but they mean to govern. They promise to be kind masters; but they mean to be masters . -- Daniel Webster, 1837.

This Idiots Guide will elicit excoriating howls from political parties, corporations and lobbying groups, but the authentic citizen must keep an eye on the prize -- representative democracy.

In repairing our democracy, we cannot rely on nor can we be distracted by the well-worn signs and wonders of this online political age. To fully reclaim our constitutional status as free, authentic citizens, we need to take action, reaffirming the citizens centrality in our democracy by proclaiming the opening words of the Constitution, We the People of the United States .

The primacy of the authentic citizen in our representative democracy is at stake. We all must vote, loudly.

Sheldon Firem is a retired educator in Geauga County.

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* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The NYPD is seeking the publics assistance in locating a missing 61-year-old New Springville man.

Robert Fitzpatrick, a resident of Elmwood Park Drive, was last seen leaving his residence on Dec. 27, 2020, at around 11 p.m., according to a written statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

Fitzpatrick is described by police as standing 5-feet, 11-inches tall, and weighing around 220 pounds. He was last seen wearing a grey jacket, blue jeans and black shoes, according to the NYPD statement.

The department provided a photo of Fitzpatrick.

Anyone with information in regard to this missing person is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are kept strictly confidential.
MILFORD, Ohio  A teachers aide at a high school in southwest Ohio is facing criminal charges after she reportedly had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student.

Denise Nagle, 44, an aide at Milford High School, is facing charges of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and sexual battery, Fox 19 reports. Nagle has been placed on administrative leave by the school during the investigation, Local 12 reports.

WLWT Channel 5 reports that police say the incidents involving the teen did not occur on school grounds. Police did not say when the reported encounters occurred.

Nagle has been arrested and is being held at the Clermont County Jail, WLWT reports.

The Miami Township Police Department will hold a news conference this morning in regard to the investigation, reports say.
[February 12, 2021] Transact and Southeast Missouri State University to Share Insights During University Business Web Seminar, 'Campus Digital Transformation: Digital Payments and Commerce for Virtual Learning Environments and Beyond'

Transact and Southeast Missouri State University will share their experience and insights on digital payments and commerce for virtual learning environments during a University Business Web Seminar titled, "Campus Digital Transformation: Digital Payments and Commerce for Virtual Learning Environments and Beyond." The free discussion will be held on Feb. 17, 2021 at 2 p.m. EST. Those interested may register for the free discussion to learn how to model the steps the university took pre-pandemic that positioned them to successfully serve various campus departments' needs. With an increasing number of schools adopting online learning and hybrid teaching models, many are still searching for ways to improve virtual learning logistics. Flexible payment expeiences help institutions retain learners and support their growth. Modern, innovative payment and commerce technologies are becoming equally important to help support students, families, and institutions.



In this webinar, a member of the leadership team at Southeast Missouri State University will share how the institution pivoted to provide a mixture of in-person and virtual classes, diverse payment solutions, and enhanced business practices to support their students' needs. In addition, the discussion will review steps the institution took pre-pandemic that positioned them to successfully serve various campus departments' needs. Attendees will gain valuable insights and learn how these steps can be modeled by schools today. To register, click here.

For more information, visit www.transactcampus.com. About Transact Transact is the leader in innovative payment solutions for a connected campus. Its highly configurable, mobile-centric campus technology ecosystem simplifies the student experience across the full spectrum of student life. Transact's offerings include integrated solutions for tuition and other student expense payments, multi-purpose campus IDs, and campus commerce. With a long-standing reputation of serving the higher education community, Transact proudly assists millions of students each year with its innovative products and solutions. For more information, visit www.transactcampus.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005361/en/

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Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Asia-Pacific to drive growth in overall private equity AUM over the next five years expects Preqin. "We forecast a CAGR of 28.2%2, taking AUM from $1.26tn in 2020 to $4.36tn in 2025,"- said the report.

Asia-Pacific's pull on private equity investors is strong. Within the region, fund managers surveyed by Preqin feel Southeast Asia presents the best opportunities for 2021 (50% of respondents), followed by China (38%) and India (35%).

Private equity investors had a different order of preference, with China in the lead (55%), followed by Southeast Asia (37%) and India (25%), but the same three were preferred over other emerging markets.

The report also said that Asia-based investors have been aggressively deploying capital; the median allocation rose from 3.6% to 5.0% over 2020.

"As the world's economic center shifts eastwards, the alternatives landscape is changing with it. The percentage of private equity AUM in Asia moved into double figures in 2011 and has climbed steadily since to a record 28% in 2020," the report added.

Asia's share of capital coming into the asset class has increased rapidly, from 8% in 2016 to 15% in 2020. Negative cash flow to investors from Asia-based funds may slow growth over the next few years, but the long-term drivers will prevail.

In many respects, Asia is private equity's 'promised land.' The strengthening of intraregional trade following the signing of......................

To view our full article Click here
New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday waived the condition of a letter from Pakistans Foreign Adviser Sartaj Aziz for an ailing PoK resident to get a visa and said he would be allowed to come here as Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir was an integral part of India.



Osama Ali, a 24-year old resident of Rawalkot in PoK, has been diagnosed with a tumour in his liver and wants to seek treatment in Delhi.



POK is an integral part of India. Pakistan has illegally occupied it. We are giving him visa. No letter required, Swaraj tweeted.



Alis family has appealed to Swaraj to revoke the requirement of a letter from Aziz for a medical emergency visa.



On July 10, Swaraj had reiterated the need for a letter by Aziz and expressed dismay over the lack of courtesy shown by her Pakistani counterpart, who she said had not even acknowledged her personal letter requesting for a Pakistani visa for Kulbhushan Jadhavs mother.



However, she assured Aziz that any Pakistani national seeking a medical visa to travel to India with his recommendation would be given one immediately.



In a series of tweets, Swaraj had said, I have my sympathies for all Pakistan nationals seeking medical visa for their treatment in India. All that we require is his recommendation for the grant of medical visa to Pakistan nationals.



She said a visa application was pending for Indian national Avantika Jadhav who wants to meet her son in Pakistan.



I wrote a personal letter to Mr Sartaj Aziz for the grant of her visa to Pakistan. However, Mr Aziz has not shown the courtesy even to acknowledge my letter, she had tweeted.



Jadhav, 46, was allegedly arrested by Pakistan in the restive Balochistan province last year. He has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Campus censorship being driven by students, not administrators: experts

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Threats to free speech on public college campuses are increasingly being driven more by students than administrators, a panel of experts who spoke at a virtual Baylor University event said Wednesday.

The world's largest Baptist university hosted a webinar titled Free Speech on Campus: Is it in Danger? featuring conservative evangelical writer and former attorney David French, openly gay scholar and author Jonathan Rauch and other advocates for free speech.

The event was held in coordination with the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University and the Initiative on Faith & Public Life at the American Enterprise Institute.

Notable conservative evangelical writer and former attorney David French, one of the experts on the panel, said he believed there was a recent shift from free speech threats originating from administrators to the threats originating from students.

French recounted how the speech codes of many public universities that limited student rights began to melt away as they were legally challenged in the 1990s and early 2000s.

A lot of university censorship was top-down. It was a dean stepping in; it was an administrator stepping in, explained French. Around 2014, 2015 you began to see students much more stepping up to demand censorship.

French went on to state that while he believed there were strong formal, legal protections for free speech on campus, the culture of free speech is less secure than its been in a long time.

People are more apt to call for your firing, theyre more apt to call for sanctioning, he continued. Theyre more apt to use the power of social media to swamp you in allegations of racism, sexism, transphobia, etc.

Rauch, the author of several books and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, agreed, saying he believed we have shifted from an environment where we have a lot of top-down pressure on freedom of speech to a situation where  the administration is defending free speech, often from students who are attacking it.

The problem has morphed from legal culture and speech codes to civic culture and peer pressure of students on each other, continued Rauch, who noted that several polls have shown that most students feel inhibited from giving their opinions.

One example was a 2019 report by the Knight Foundation that found 68% of Generation Z students felt that campus climate prevented them from safely expressing their views. In December, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education released a study of over 478 colleges that found 88% have policies that restrict free speech in some form.

Rauch attributed this shift to many factors, among them the rise of emotional safety among students, the reasoning being that if you are hurt by words this causes pain, it causes suffering in your brain, the circuits that light up are similar to the circuits that light up if youre subject to physical violence, and thats a form of abuse.

Another factor described by Rauch was the belief that restricting hate speech can make hate go away, when he believed thats never how it has worked.

People like me have relied on free speech to defend and promote our rights, down through history, explained Rauch, author of the 2004 book Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America.

Unfortunately, a lot of people, on and off campus, now think that free speech and minority rights are opposed values instead of mutually reinforcing values.

Other members of the panel included Kristina Arriaga, a former member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Thomas Chatterton Williams, a writer and visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

An alternative to censoring different views on campus championed by both Arriaga and Williams was the idea of engaging in dialogue with those who think differently.

Arriaga, a native of Cuba, gave the example of when she was in college and called a racial slur by another student. In response, she opted to talk to the student directly.

So I walked down the hallway, knocked on the door, and talked to the young woman who had called me this nickname, recalled Arriaga. Turns out, I was the first Hispanic she had ever met.

We had this great conversation. We didnt become best friends, but had I canceled her, I would have betrayed what my family believed when they left Cuba and that is that were not wimpy people simply because were minorities.

Near the end of the event, French added that "Christians should be among the most confident advocates for free speech in the entire United States."

"If you're a Christian," stated French, "you should welcome a marketplace of ideas. That should be your playpen because in that circumstance, you're coming into that marketplace of ideas with a position of confidence that you are seeking truth and that you are advocating for truth."

"What I have found in an awful lot of Christian universities is exactly that kind of confidence in the marketplace of ideas," he added. "I have seen it and it even goes all the way back to my own education."
The Indian diaspora which celebrates its 176th Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago is not an abstract entity, but one that flowers the socio-economic and cultural growth and development of our peoples.

It remains a proud moment for all of uspoliticians, sociologists, economists, civic, religious and cultural leadersin world history.
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WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday that he has selected four people, including a former Marine Corps commandant and a retired four-star Navy admiral, to join a congressionally mandated commission that will consider how to rename U.S. military installations that recognize Confederate military officers.

Retired Marine Gen. Robert Neller, who led the Marine Corps from September 2015 to July 2019, will be joined by retired Adm. Michelle Howard, who became the first African American and woman to become the Navy's vice chief of naval operations and recently served on the Biden transition team at the Pentagon.

The other two selections are Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and retired Army Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, a history professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., who has advocated changing installation names.

"Each of these individuals possesses unique and relevant experience, in and out of government, that I know will inform this important effort," Austin said in a statement. "I am enormously grateful for their willingness to serve the nation again, and I thank them in advance for the wise counsel I am confident they will provide."

The Biden administration announced the selections after Austin blocked selections that the Trump administration had made for the positions. Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller's selections in January included Joshua Whitehouse, who had overseen the dismissal of numerous appointees to nonpartisan Pentagon advisory boards as the Trump administration sought to install loyalists instead.

The Trump administration's other blocked selections include former White House officials Earl Matthews and Sean McLean and Ann Johnston, a Pentagon official in the Trump administration.

Neller said in a phone interview Friday that he had expressed interest in the commission's work in recent days, and was asked to join the commission Thursday. The son of a soldier, he said he was born at Camp Polk, La., which is now Fort Polk and one of the installations eyed for renaming.

"I don't have any concerns about renaming, but I have some concerns with all of the divisiveness in the nation and how it's going to be perceived, and the second- and third-order effects," Neller said Friday.

Last summer, he wrote in an essay that he will regret failing to ban the Confederate battle flag at Marine Corps installations during his tenure as commandant, and supported the decision of his successor, Gen. David Berger, to do so. Berger's announcement came in April, before the police killing of George Floyd prompted a nationwide discussion about racial justice.

Schake, a Republican, said she is excited to be involved in the process.

"My view is that it's work long overdue, and there are so many Americans we can and should be celebrating instead of Confederates who made war on our Union," she said.

The commission was formed by Congress in defiance of Trump, who threatened to veto the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act if it included any effort to rename bases that recognize Confederates. He did so in December, but Congress overrode the veto.

The legislation states that the commission much launch its effort by March and mandates the removal of Confederate names from Defense Department property. That will include not only installation names, but also names on buildings, streets and other facilities.

The chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees each will appoint a member to the commission.

The installations, all constructed in the Jim Crow-era between World Wars I and II, were established in former Confederate states. Some of the names were floated by segregationists and influential groups and approved by Army officials looking to keep local power brokers happy, Seidule told The Washington Post last year.

"It's another way to support white supremacy," he said of the names.

Efforts to rename some of the installations, which the Army typically refers to as posts, go back decades.

In 1944, two years after Camp Hood was named after Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood, a senior commander pushed the War Department to rename it after Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, who was killed by friendly fire in France. The Army denied the campaign, citing fear of "undesirable popular and political repercussions" in Texas, according to an Army history account of the base names.

The most prominent candidate for the renaming is Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez, a Special Forces soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for a daring rescue of trapped and wounded comrades in Cambodia in 1968. Others include Gen. Roscoe Robinson Jr., the first African American to become a four-star general in the Army, and Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, an Iraq War hero who is Black and expected to posthumously receive the Medal of Honor this year.

"Who we honor should represent our values," Seidule said. "I don't want to be like John Bell Hood. I want to be like Roy Benavidez."

- - -

The Washington Post's Alex Horton contributed to this report.
This photo provided by Laurel County Corrections shows Kentucky State Rep. Robert Goforth. Goforth, who challenged the states governor in last years Republican primary was arrested on strangulation and assault charges. Goforth was arrested by the Laurel County sheriffs office in his hometown of East Bernstadt, according to the Laurel County jail. (Laurel County Corrections via AP) PHOTO:Laurel County Corrections via AP

Impeachment Petition Against KY Lawmaker Dismissed

By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - A petition seeking a Kentucky lawmakers impeachment has been dismissed.A House panel took the action Thursday night.The bipartisan panel dismissed the petition against Republican Rep. Robert Goforth.The vote came after two law professors testified that the impeachment process doesn't apply to legislators under the state's constitution.Rep. Jason Nemes, the committee chairman, says the panel will submit a report offering reasons for the dismissal.Goforth is a former gubernatorial candidate.He was indicted last year for allegedly trying to strangle a woman and has pleaded not guilty.Goforth says the panel followed the law in its decision.

MORRIS - The Morris Beach & Recreation department is partnering with the Morris Fire Company to present a special family event on the Morris town green from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 14, to celebrate Valentine's Day with family and friends.

All are welcome to the fire pond in Memorial Park. Attendees must bring their own skates and cloth face coverings, and skate at their own risk, according to a statement. There will be hot chocolate for everyone and Valentine's treat bags for children.

Nearby parking is available in the rear of James Morris School, and the skating rink is located across from the parking area.

Morris Fire Company President Michael Lauretano said, We are absolutely delighted to team up with the Beach & Rec Department again to put something on that the town enjoys. The skating event is one of our personal favorites and is always a hit. We are proud to be a part of it.

First Selectman Tom Weik, who plans to attend the skating event, agreed. Its always great when town departments work together to bring some fun and excitement to the town during these challenging times.

Autism webinar for children, adults Feb. 24

TORRINGTON  Many children with autism are afraid of having their hair cut, having their fingernails clipped, going to the dentist as well as other common activities required to keep them healthy. There is help available. Children and adults can learn to tolerate activities without the process being traumatic, according to a statement.

Families are invited to attend a free webinar, presented by LARCs Autism Resource Center, at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 24, using the GoToMeeting program. Beth Lambert, BCBA,LBA will discuss the techniques available to teach a child to tolerate having his/her hair cut and teeth brushed. These include materials needed to practice; where to practice; how to prevent distress; how to react if the child becomes distressed; and reinforcement for toleration

Lambert discusses, and shows videos of techniques being used. There is no fee for this webinar. To RSVP and receive the webinar link, email Kathy Riberdy, kriberdy@litchfieldarc.org.

LARC's Autism Resource Center provides free webinars on topics that are helpful to families with children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. The center will be open in the summer of 2021, when programs and services will be available. The goal of the center is to help families enable their children and young adults with autism to live full lives in the community.

LARC serves more than 200 individuals with disabilities throughout Northwest Connecticut. Services include residential group homes, in-home supports, transportation, day and employment programs. LARCs Social Enrichment program provides critical respite and recreational opportunities such as group outings, social gatherings, and Special Olympics. LARCs Camp MOE program provides an integrated day camp setting for children to develop friendships, leadership skills, responsibility for self, and respect for others.

Free virtual memory screenings available

HARTFORD  Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging is offering free virtual memory screenings that can be scheduled at a persons convenience. Confidential memory screenings average 20 minutes and consist of five questions to assess memory. These screenings are not a diagnosis but can indicate if someone should follow up with a full medical exam.

Memory screenings can be the first step to diagnosis for anyone concerned about memory loss or experiencing warning signs of dementia; whose family and friends have noticed changes in them; who believe they are at risk due to a family history of dementia; or who want to see how their memory is now and for future comparisons. Early detection of memory loss can help physicians more effectively treat cognitive impairment and possibly slow down changes in the brain.

For more information or to schedule a virtual memory screening, call Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, 877-424-4641.

THS seeks alumnus award nominations

TORRINGTON  The Torrington High School Distinguished Alumnus Award acknowledges and honors a THS graduate who exhibits integrity in his/her adult life and has made significant contributions to the community, state or nation through educational achievements, professional practice, or public service. Nominations are now sought for the award, and are due by April 1.

To be eligible, the nominee must have graduated from THS at least 10 years ago. The nominee may not be a current employee of the Torrington Board of Education, and may not be a Torrington elected or appointed official who is directly or indirectly involved in the selection process; and the nominee must be able to be present to receive the award at the THS Scholarship Awards Ceremony in June.

The nomination form must be completed and submitted to the Superintendents Office by April 1, Late submissions will not be considered for this year but will be put in the file for review next year. Nomination forms (see information below) may be submitted via email to lsolianicroci@torrington.org or by mail to Torrington Board of Education, Attention: Superintendent's Office, 355 Migeon Avenue, Torrington, CT 06790.

The Board of Educations School Improvement and Community Relations Committee will review and select a recipient, who will be contacted by May 1. The award will be presented on THS Scholarship Awards Night on June 3. To be considered, the candidate must be available to attend this event.

Nominations that are not awarded will remain under consideration for the next 3 award cycles following their submission.

To Nominate an alumnus, send your name, address, phone number and email.

Provide the nominees name, address, phone number and email.

1. What honors has the Nominee received or what achievements has the Nominee accomplished since graduating Torrington High School? (for example: awards, degrees, artistic works, military status, public recognition, etc.)

2. How has the nominee utilized his/her skills, abilities or accomplishments to benefit or positively improve the community, state, or nation?

3. Are there any other reasons that this Nominee should be considered?
Home > 2021 > Dismantling Public Sector and Subverting Welfare State | D Raja

by D Raja

Politics and economics can never be separated. It is political economy which decides and reveals the nature and character of the state of any Nation. The Constitution of our country defines Indian state as a secular state and as a welfare state. The BJP-RSS combine has been aggressively making efforts to subvert the secular state into a theocratic fascist state. The present regime headed by Modi has been subverting the welfare state by dismantling public sector after the dismantling of the Planning Commission.

The distinguishing feature of Modis governance since 2014 has been the steep decline of economy and the weakening of its foundation beyond measure. This process has been exacerbated by suicidal policy of privatization of economy and dismantling of very resilient and profit-making public enterprises, both strategic and non-strategic, which have a sterling record of immensely contributing to the emergence of self-reliant India. Paradoxically the prime minister who talks of Atmanirbhar Bharat is doing exactly the opposite in striking at its very root by privatising the public sector enterprises and pursuing neo- liberal policies which would make India critically dependent on international finance capital.

The announcement of the finance minister that the government will work with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for execution of the bank privatisation plan announced in the Union Budget 2021 constitutes yet another resolve of the government to hand over the public sector banks to private hands. This would take India to pre-bank nationalization era and deepen inequality, poverty and concentration of wealth and means of production in a few hands. Such measures to strengthen private and corporate sectors at the cost of public sector are disastrous. The adverse consequences of such policies on economy and society are already felt acutely. Such fatal economic policies are contrary to the Constitutional vision of India which aims at progressive reduction of inequality and poverty and realization, in practice, of justice and equality.

Dr B R Ambedkar while participating in the discussion in the Constituent Assembly on Objectives Resolutions on 17th December 1946 presciently said: I do not understand how it could be possible for any future government which believes in doing justice socially, economically and politically, unless its economy is a socialistic economy. The constitutional vision of social and economic justice for citizens of India has been gravely jeopardized by providing more space to market forces, private sector and corporates. The aggressive privatisation process of Modi regime affecting railways, banks, public sector enterprises which include navaratna companies is seriously compromising the social and economic justice enshrined in the Constitution.

The Directive Principles of State Policy is clear that the ownership and control of the material resources are so distributed as best to subserve the common good and that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment. One economist has commented that what is particularly worrying in Indias case is that economic inequality is being added to a society that is already fractured along the lines of caste, religion, region and gender.

Privatisation is direct attack on the policy of reservation. It deprives the access to the employment and education in the public sector for the SC/STs, OBCs and also differently-abled persons. There is no law to provide reservation in private sector. This is an attempt to put an end to all affirmative actions and to put an end to social justice. The economic process based on privatisation is generating crises aggravating the existing fault lines and structured forms of inequality such as caste, patriarchy and gender.

Dr Manmohan Singh who in the context of the financial crisis of 2008 originating in the USA had said that India could withstand it because of resilience of public sector enterprises and public sector banks. So if our country was kept relatively immune from a financial crisis of global proportions then it is entirely due to the public sector enterprises and public sector banks. By privatising the public sector enterprises and banks the Modi regime is making India more vulnerable to multiple crises of national and global dimensions. It would make India susceptible to manipulation by those who have monopoly over international finance. It aggravates crises at multiple levels of economy, society and polity and makes India an easy target for control by the global powers. India will lose its economic leverage and vast masses of people would slip into more poverty and deprivation at a faster pace.

Internationally renowned economist Joseph Stiglitz is on record in saying that the regulatory mechanisms controlling public sector banks of India had the salutary effects of keeping the country free from several crises which overwhelmed some of the developed countries. The Modi regime is deliberately ignoring such sane observations and going ahead with policy measures which has crippled Indian economy and is bound to result in devastating consequences for the people and the society as a whole.

The world over it has been deeply realised by the policy makers that during the COVID pandemic it is the organisations in public sector including public sector hospitals and health sector which came to the rescue of the people at a highly affordable cost. Even in a country like Britain its Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on record in saying that his life was saved because of the public sector National Health Service. The COVID crisis has underlined the point that it is the public sector which can rise to the challenge and save people and society from the dangers threatening their life, livelihood, safety and security. Such renewed emphasis on public sector at the global level to save humanity should awaken the Modi regime.

Our own public sector has played a key role in nation building. Instead of strengthening public sector the Modi regime is committing the egregious blunder of dismantling it. It will prove fatal for the country as a whole.

The working people both rural and urban must put up a strong resistance to the continuance of Modi regime and save Indian State to continue as a welfare state ensuring economic and social justice. The political parties which have the ideological political commitment to save the Constitution and the Nation must come together and build popular movements across the country.

(Author: D Raja, is General Secretary, of the Communist Party of India (CPI) )
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ALTON  Extremely dangerous wind chills of 15 to 30 below zero are expected in the Riverbend at times from Saturday into early Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service in St. Charles, Missouri.

That will mean people attending the Mardi Gras-fton parade at 2 p.m. Saturday should layer up to fight off the cold. Despite the forecast, organizers of the Bangin Noise Parade in Grafton plan to start the event at Drifters, 1515 W. Main St. (Illinois 100). Participants are encouraged to bring pots and pans to beat on during the parade.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Women and Child Development Ministry in association with Ministry of Education, MyGov and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched an online campaign to celebrate women in Science.

This campaign celebrates women who have carved a niche for themselves in the field of Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It also encourages young girls who aspire to excel in STEM and contribute towards nation building.

The campaign honours young girls from across the country who have performed well in Maths and Science.

As part of the campaign, citizens can congratulate a young STEM star from their state/district through a personalised card and encourage them to pursue these subjects. More than 700 such STEM stars have been featured on MyGov platform.
A compound found in green tea stabilizes an anti-cancer protein known as the "guardian of the genome." Credit: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

An antioxidant found in green tea may increase levels of p53, a natural anti-cancer protein, known as the "guardian of the genome" for its ability to repair DNA damage or destroy cancerous cells. Published today in Nature Communications, a study of the direct interaction between p53 and the green tea compound, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), points to a new target for cancer drug discovery.

"Both p53 and EGCG molecules are extremely interesting. Mutations in p53 are found in over 50% of human cancer, while EGCG is the major anti-oxidant in green tea, a popular beverage worldwide," said Chunyu Wang, corresponding author and a professor of biological sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "Now we find that there is a previously unknown, direct interaction between the two, which points to a new path for developing anti-cancer drugs. Our work helps to explain how EGCG is able to boost p53's anti-cancer activity, opening the door to developing drugs with EGCG-like compounds."

Wang, a member of the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, is an expert in using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study specific mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and cancer, including p53, which he described as "arguably the most important protein in human cancer."

P53 has several well-known anti-cancer functions, including halting cell growth to allow for DNA repair, activating DNA repair, and initiating programmed cell deathcalled apoptosisif DNA damage cannot be repaired. One end of the protein, known as the N-terminal domain, has a flexible shape, and therefore, can potentially serve several functions depending on its interaction with multiple molecules.

EGCG is a natural antioxidant, which means it helps to undo the near constant damage caused by using oxygen metabolism. Found in abundance in green tea, EGCG is also packaged as an herbal supplement.

Wang's team found that the interaction between EGCG and p53 preserves the protein from degradation. Typically, after being produced within the body, p53 is quickly degraded when the N-terminal domain interacts with a protein called MDM2. This regular cycle of production and degradation holds p53 levels at a low constant.

"Both EGCG and MDM2 bind at the same place on p53, the N-terminal domain, so EGCG competes with MDM2," said Wang. "When EGCG binds with p53, the protein is not being degraded through MDM2, so the level of p53 will increase with the direct interaction with EGCG, and that means there is more p53 for anti-cancer function. This is a very important interaction."

"EGCG Binds Intrinsically Disordered N-Terminal Domain of p53 and Disrupts p53-MDM2 Interaction" was published with support from multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health. At Rensselaer, Wang was joined in the research by Lauren Gandy, Weihua Jin, Lufeng Yan, Xinyue Liu, and Yuanyuan Xiao. First author Jing Zhao is a former member of Wang's lab, now on the faculty at China Agricultural University in Beijing, China. Co-first author Alan Blaney is an M.D.-Ph.D. student at Upstate Medical University. Researchers also contributed from SUNY Upstate Medical Center; the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; New York University; the State University of New York at Binghamton; NYU Shanghai; and Merck Research Laboratories.

Explore further Green tea ingredient may target protein to kill oral cancer cells
MONTREALDillon Diaz, the newly crowned Brand Ambassador for gay all-male studio Noir Male, will be hosting a virtual Valentines weekend event, during which fans will be offered the chance to #DateDillon live through Noir Males social media. The event will culminate in an IGTV live date, beginning at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET on Valentines Day, with a special guest double-date.

Commenting on his Noir Male #DateDillon Virtual Valentine Weekend, Dillon Diaz stated, Im very excited to host this event for mine and Noir Males fans. Just because we are in lockdown doesnt mean we cant take time to enjoy some virtual romance and have some fun. This is my second time hosting a live IGTV event with Noir Male and it promises to be the best," he continued. "I cant wait to interact with everyone that logs in. Plus, I have a very hot mystery man joining us. It will be a date to remember this Valentines Day.

Diaz's #DateDillon Virtual Valentine Weekend begins Saturday, Feb. 13, with his takeover of Noir Males Twitter and will continue throughout Valentines Day. Diaz will interact with followers and live tweet exclusive videos and photos, to get everyone in the romantic mood.

Sunday, Valentines Day, in an IGTV live date on Noir Male Instagram, Diaz will host thousands of viewers and a special double-date with a mystery guest. Viewers will have unfiltered access to the two men.

As Noir Males Brand Ambassador, Diaz's new role ushers in his directorial debut, offering him expanded duties in front of and behind the camera, enhancing the brand, while writing and starring in scenes to be released in the new year. Diaz will lend his voice and perspective to the studio, engaging with the Noir Male audience, to represent men of color and their fantasies.

Diaz's directorial debut will release in March 2021 on Noir Male.com. His soon-to-release scene with newly crowned GayVN 2021 Performer of the Year DeAngelo Jackson is slated for release Feb. 26, with more to follow.

For the latest information, exclusives and BTS previews, follow Noir Male on Twitter and Instagram @OfficialNoirMale.

Diaz can be found on Twitter @dillondiaz11 and IG @diazdillon11.
CAIRO  It seems the Egyptian authorities have been promoting the participation of both Muslims and Copts in the building of houses of worship as a standard to achieve peaceful coexistence in the country since the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood regime on July 3, 2013. In this context, politicians and media outlets hailed the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of Qenas Feb. 7 decision to donate funds for the completion of Al-Numani Mosques construction works.

Despite the political and social praise of the churchs donation to the construction of the mosque, fatwas and calls to include Muslims in the construction of churches, through donations or construction work, continue to raise controversy.

That is what happened on Feb. 3, when parliament Undersecretary Mohamed Abul Enein called, in a speech before the minister of religious endowments in parliament, for raising awareness among Egyptians to accept Muslims taking part in the construction of churches, and Christians of mosques.

Abul Eneins statement came days after Grand Mufti of Egypt Shawki Allam issued a fatwa Jan. 24, allowing Muslims to work and take part in the construction of a church in return for a salary.

Most of the activists welcomed Allams fatwa, however, it sparked angry reactions on social media. Mohammad Fouad left a comment on Facebook, saying, It is an anomalous fatwa ruling  the Almighty Allah said, Help ye not one another in sin and rancour. Christianity is blasphemous, and blasphemy is the greatest of all sins for Allah. How could I help them in that by building a church, be it for a fee or for free?!

Menna Mahmoud wrote, It is better for him [Muslim] to serve his mosque.  Oh Allah, lead us not into the humiliation of serving the churches, but give us the honor of serving only your mosques.

Former parliament member Amr Hamroush told Al-Monitor that social media activists are not religious scholars, and some of them are basing their negative take on Allams fatwa on previous extremist fatwas issued by some Salafist currents, organizations and websites.

Islam Way, one of the most prominent sites focusing on Arab Muslim fatwas, includes many fatwas forbidding Muslims from working in or building churches. A fatwa issued in 2013 stated that building churches is not permissible under Sharia. It explained that an important guideline for permissible work in Islam is that it should not be linked to any non-Muslim doctrines, such as working in building churches or religious schools teaching their faith or printing and selling their religious books.

Hamroush said that the draft law on fatwa regulations, which bans the issuance of fatwa rulings by any irrelevant parties such as Salafist groups and their websites, was supposed to put an end to such extremist fatwas. However, he indicated that the coronavirus crisis had preoccupied the former parliament with urgent laws and decisions designed to manage the crisis, thus delaying the final approval of the draft law on fatwa regulations. He expressed hope that the current parliament prioritizes this draft law.

Members of parliament, including Hamroush, had submitted a request to pass a law regulating fatwas and limiting them to those who have jurisdiction, i.e., Al-Azhar and Dar al-Ifta, in May 2017. The former parliamentary Committee on Religious Affairs drafted a preliminary bill in October 2017. Yet it was delayed due to the amendments suggested by the Ministry of Religious Endowments, Al-Azhar and Dar al-Ifta.

Following the three parties consent, the coronavirus crisis delayed the discussions in parliament of the draft law in the last legislative session in 2020.

Al-Monitor contacted the official spokesman for the Salafist Call organization, Abdul Moneim al-Shahat, but he did not answer his phone. A source within the organization who declined to be named told Al-Monitor that the Salafist Call has not issued any official fatwa prohibiting Muslims from having a job in churches. He noted that the organization does not issue fatwas, unless in response to a question asked.

The source indicated that in case he, as a sheikh, or any other sheikh at the organization were asked a question, the answer must be based on fatwas issued by Salafist scholars who unanimously prohibited Muslims from taking part in building churches. He stated as examples the fatwas by Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya.

Ahmad Shahin, a researcher of Islamic jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, told Al-Monitor that it is a false claim to say that the Salafist scholars unanimously banned the Muslims work in churches. He explained that Imam Malik ibn Anas did not issue a fatwa in this regard, while Imam Abu Hanifa permitted that, even though some of his followers disagreed with him. Work in churches was also permitted by some Hanbalis (followers of Ahmad ibn Hanbal), such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, in his explanation of Sahih al-Bukhari (The Authentic Collection), and some of Shafiis followers, such as Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi, he added.

Dar al-Ifta based its fatwa allowing Muslims to work in churches on a fatwa by Imam Abu Hanifa, in which he stated that work in itself is permissible and is an obligation, unless it involves a humiliation of the Muslim or it requires him to consent to what contradicts the Islamic theology.

Shahin said it is false to assume that building churches is a sin that Muslims should not be engaged in and this assumption is contrary to true religion, he said. He added, If the presence of churches was a sin, neither the Prophet Muhammad nor Umar [the second Muslim caliph who ruled after the Prophet Muhammad' death] would have pledged to protect the churches in the Ashtiname of Muhammad and Umar's Assurance. It is impossible for the prophet and Umar to protect a sin.

Late Mohamed Sayed Tantawy, former Al-Azhar Grand Imam, gave a fatwa in 2009 that Muslims are allowed to participate in building churches, and this fatwa caused controversies at this time.

A preacher in the Ministry of Religious Endowments, who wishes to remain anonymous, agrees with Shahin. He told Al-Monitor that the Wahhabi movements, or those calling themselves Salafist movements, encourage their followers to lash out online at Dar al-Ifta, the Ministry of Endowments and sometimes Al-Azhar. The renewal of the religious discourse to promote citizenship, national unity and peaceful coexistence of people of different religions can only be brought about through concerted efforts deployed by these three parties, he said.

In December 2020, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb also came under a fierce campaign for criticizing old fatwas judging impermissible to greet Christians on Christmas and labeling them as the people of the covenant, i.e., those who live under the protection of Muslims, but do not have the same rights and obligations as Muslims. Tayeb stressed that the expression the people of the covenant has become irrelevant and obsolete and that Christians are Egyptian citizens with full rights and responsibilities just as Muslims.
FILE -- A Bloomberg terminal machine at a trader's home in New York, Dec. 9, 2011. Bloomberg News, the giant financial news company founded by the billionaire Michael Bloomberg, will lay off dozens of employees as it restructures its newsroom. (Marcus Yam/The New York Times)

Katie Robertson

Bloomberg News, the giant financial news company founded by billionaire Michael Bloomberg, will lay off dozens of employees as it restructures its newsroom.

Bloombergs editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, announced the changes in a memo sent to staff Thursday, saying that the newsroom had lost stories because we moved too slowly and needed to have more accountability. The memo was reviewed by The New York Times.

Teams waited for somebody to back-read a piece or ignored the requests from the News Desk to get a blast out quickly, he said, referring to the newsrooms term for copy editing an article or a news flash. Managers spent too much time setting up conference calls when they should just have been writing.

Micklethwait wrote that the reorganization of the newsroom would include layoffs. The company will cut about 90 newsroom positions globally, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Most of those to lose their jobs will be editors, the person said, asking not to be identified because the information was not public.

This was not a step that we took lightly, Micklethwait wrote. But we have always sought to make the newsroom better  to make us more nimble, to improve our content, and to help us chronicle capitalism in an even more comprehensive way.

He said that the new system would mean most editors would now report to managing editors, who would allocate them to individual stories, and would also get rid of unnecessary back-reading or reediting.

Micklethwait said that despite the layoffs, the company was looking to hire in priority areas like data journalism and was aiming to end the year with as many journalists as it had before the pandemic.

Bloomberg News has more than 3,100 editorial and research employees, making it one of the largest news organizations in the world. It has largely avoided the mass layoffs that have plagued the media industry in the past year. Bloomberg LP, its parent company, has about 20,000 employees.

Bloomberg LP makes the majority of its money from expensive subscriptions to its terminal business, but Axios reported this week that Bloomberg Media expected to bring in a minimum of $100 million this year from consumer digital subscription revenue.

c.2021 The New York Times Company
Canada's travel landscape could soon change after the federal government approved Air Canada's $190-million purchase of Transat A.T., after COVID-19 diminished the deal's value.

Tails of Air Transat and an Air Canada aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, in Montreal, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Canada's travel landscape could soon change after the federal government approved Air Canada's $190-million purchase of Transat A.T., after COVID-19 diminished the deal's value.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced the approval Thursday evening just days before the deal's Feb. 15 deadline, saying the government concluded the purchase is in the public interest.

He said it considered a range of factors, including level of service, wider social and economic implications, the financial health of the air transportation sector, and competition.

Given the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the air industry, the proposed purchase of Transat A.T. by Air Canada will bring greater stability to Canadas air transport market," he said in a statement.

The pandemic was also cited as a factor when Montreal-based Transat noted it may not be able to continue on its own because of the significant financial challenges.

The government said the acquisition is the best outcome for workers, Canadians travellers and other industries that rely on air transport.

Transat shareholders in December approved the revised deal, equal to $5 per share and a significant decrease from an earlier $720 million or $18 per share.

Air Canada won support from Transat's largest shareholder, Letko Brosseau, after sweetening the deal in August 2019 from its initial offer of $520 million or $13 per share a few months earlier.

Alghabra said approval is subject to "strict conditions which will support future international competition, connectivity and protect jobs.

"We are confident these measures will be beneficial to travellers and the industry as a whole, he added.

Air Canada must ensure that Transat A.T. provides communications and public services in both official languages.

The country's largest airline must also preserve the Transat head office and brand in Quebec, maintain 1,500 employees for Transat's leisure travel business, conduct aircraft maintenance in Canada while prioritizing contracts in Quebec, have a price monitoring mechanism and launch new destinations within the first five years.

It wasn't immediately clear when the deal will close. It still requires approval by European regulators.

Transat reconfirmed its unanimous support for the sale to Air Canada in January after receiving an unsolicited proposal on Dec. 22.

Telecom owner Pierre Karl Peladeau's investment company Gestion MTRHP Inc. had made an offer valued at $5 per share if Ottawa and regulatory authorities rejected Air Canada's takeover.

Transat was co-founded in 1986 by several Quebec businessmen, including current CEO Jean-Marc Eustache and Francois Legault, the province's premier. Legault left in 1997.

The travel industry has changed wildly since those early days and even in the 19 months since the initial deal was first announced.

Transat, a tour operator that operates Air Transat, has completely has completely paused operations until April 30 and furloughed about 450 employees.

Air Canada, Rouge, WestJet, Swoop and Sunwing had agreed to suspend service to Mexico and the Caribbean at the request of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help fight the pandemic's exposure.

The moves resulted in the temporary layoffs of thousands of airline workers.

Air Canada announced on Tuesday that it will temporarily lay off 1,500 unionized employees and an unspecified number of management staff as it cuts 17 more routes to the U.S. and international destinations.

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

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:AC, TSX:TRZ)

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version incorrectly referred to the share price of Air Canada's original offer for Transat.

Now Open

12 February 2021

Five-star Movenpickhotel by an acclaimed international chain Accor officially began operations in October at the center of the capital at Zemlyanoy Val 70. It became the one and only international brand hotel that was open in Moscow in 2020. The structure was designed by a Russian architectural bureau Front Architecture, which has a long history of successfully delivering projects for large international hotel chains. Hotel Movenpick Moscow Taganskaya is first of its kind under Movenpick brand in Moscow.

Front Architecture architects have designed a modern, upscale hotel that meets the high standards of the Movenpick brand. The design is contemporary with the use of traditional elements and art structures. The Movenpick Moscow Taganskaya lobby conveys the mood of a theatre foyer or contemporary art center with striking pillars, a large spotlight above the reception desk and brass mesh panels contrasting with the graphite ceiling. The dominant feature of the lobby is the bar counter, framed by a spectacular metal installation made of brass as was designed by the architects, where guests can check-in or check-out from the hotel.

"Rich culture and history of the Tagansky district of Moscow and the Swiss quality of the Movenpick brand are embodied in the interiors of the new hotel. By using classical elements, such as handicraft motifs in the flooring with ceramic tiles, we have retained a sense of the identity of Old Moscow. The functional solutions that were used for the interiors of the rooms emphasize style, clarity and attention to detail - everything that Movenpick guests all over the world love and appreciate", says architect Vladislav Spitsyn, Managing Partner of Front Architecture.

All rooms have minimalistic and functional design and are equipped with a smart home system that allows guests to control curtains, lighting, air conditioning and heating in the room.

The hotel has 154 rooms, a restaurant, a SPA-zone with a swimming pool, hammam, sauna and fitness room. On the second floor there is a conference area with two meeting rooms and a large conference hall, from the 3rd to the 8th floor are guest rooms.
The Georgia state House has voted in favor of extending by one year a law that protects businesses from being sued by a person that blames them for contracting COVID-19.

The protection is currently set to expire on July 14. But House Bill 112, which passed the House Tuesday by a vote of 99-68, would extend it to July 14, 2022.

The vote was largely split along party lines, with Republicans in favor of the extension and Democrats opposed.

The law sets a high bar for lawsuits against businesses, health care providers and other protected entities. They would have to display gross negligence, willful and wanton misconduct or reckless or intentional infliction of harm to lose in court.

Hospitals and medical professionals are already exempt from legal liability under an executive order signed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, but those protections end when Kemps emergency powers run out.

Republican lawmakers argued that the protections have allowed businesses to stay open during a time of great economic upheaval.

We know that our businesses continue to struggle to stay open. We know that our hospitals and our medical community continue to struggle to take care of the Georgians that are our constituents, said Rep. Trey Kelley, a Republican from Cedartown. At a time when theyre being attacked by this horrible virus, what we dont need is for them to be attacked by frivolous lawsuits.

Rep. Kasey Carpenter, a Republican from Dalton, said the extension will help shield small businesses from lawsuits that could sink a business and put workers out of a job.

Carpenter said the bill will protect employers who simply want to operate their businesses, to keep their communities going and to keep their employees working.

But Democrats argued that the law gives cover to businesses even when they act irresponsibly.

Rep. Bee Nguyen, an Atlanta Democrat, said lawmakers should not shield businesses that violate CDC guidelines, dont provide adequate personal protective equipment and neglect the safety of their employees.

This bill does nothing but enables bad businesses to get away with endangering the health and safety of their workforce, she said.

Rep. Matthew Wilson, a Democrat from Brookhaven, referenced a meat processing plant in Iowa where managers bet on how many workers would test positive for the virus, while arguing against the bill.

Thats the kind of abhorrent and abject disregard for human life that this kind of liability shield has allowed to infiltrate our society this past year, Wilson said.

The bill will now go to the state Senate for more debate. Senators had sought even stronger protections for businesses during last years legislative session but ended up agreeing to the House version.

___

Associated Press writer Jeff Amy contributed to this report.

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

Topics COVID-19 Lawsuits Legislation Georgia

FLORENCE, Italy  One recent afternoon, the architect Gian Piero Frassinelli, 81, stopped on a walk through a piazza near his home, and pointed at a fresco high above on a buildings facade.

The illustration depicts an entourage of local luminaries, including Dante, the poet, and the painters Leonardo da Vinci and Giotto. Many would view the scene as a tribute to Florences historic golden age. For Frassinelli, however, it represents the citys disrespect for its creative sons.

Until after their deaths, this citys artists are destined to be rejected, he said.

As the last surviving core member of Superstudio, Frassinelli should know. That radical architecture collective galvanized the design world during a MoMA exhibition in 1972, and its futuristic vision zigzagged the globe. Although Superstudio built very few actual buildings, its witty photo collages and designs, presented in exhibitions and glossy magazine spreads, opened up new possibilities for what architecture and urban planning could be.
(Newser)  Dismissing the appearance of conflictand again demonstrating that an impeachment trial is unlike any otherPresident Trump's lawyers met with three of his jurors Thursday afternoon to plan strategy. The meeting was "just very nice," said David Schoen, one of the lawyers, the Washington Post reports. Trump supporters and Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee, and Ted Cruz huddled in a room in the Capitol with the lawyers after the trial adjourned for the day. Calling the senators "friendly guys," Schoen said the group was "talking about procedure." Republicans have been critical of the Trump lawyers' performance so far. Schoen said the senators didn't tell him what questions they'll ask during the trial. The discussion was about "just how this format goes, you know, the question-and-answer period, all that," he said.

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On the other hand, Cruz said after the meeting that they were "discussing their legal strategy and sharing our thoughts." Few senators of either party appear to be undecided, but when they're sworn in as jurors, they vow to administer "impartial justice" in the case. The three senators were following the example of their leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell, who had promised Senate Republicans' "total cooperation" with the defense team during Trump's first impeachment trial. Schoen said the meeting Thursday was appropriate, per CNN. "I think it's the best practice here in impeachment," he said, suggesting the bar is low. "There's nothing about this thing that has any semblance of due process whatsoever." Cruz said: "I think the end result of this impeachment trial is crystal clear to everybody. Donald Trump will be acquitted." (Read more Trump impeachment stories.)
Government to enact renewed regulations promoting foreign exchange inflows By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Government is now set to introduce renewed regulations with the aim of promoting foreign exchange activities in the market despite disruptions of Covid-19 and current geopolitical trends.

These regulations will be enacted in parliament soon under the Foreign Exchange Act (FEA) further facilitating and simplifying foreign exchange transactions while preserving foreign reserves, official sources divulged.

This will also prevent any out flow of foreign exchange through illicit means and any depletion of domestic reserves owing to speculative measures by individuals or establishments.

In the long run, the foreign exchange management structure will be reviewed in order to streamline foreign exchange transactions, a senior official told the Business Times.

With a view of upgrading Sri Lanka as a hub for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region the government attracts investors with 100 per cent foreign ownership in most sectors and grants them identical status with local investments, he said. The government has taken measures to preserve the foreign currency reserve position of the country while facilitating the foreign currency inflow via FDIs and remittances

It will amend certain existing regulations while introducing regulations under the Foreign Exchange Act with the approval of the Cabinet to achieve this objective, State Minister for Finance Nivard Cabraal said.

Sri Lanka was planning incentives to attract overseas investors into local bonds in a bid to reduce the nations reliance on foreign debt, he said.

He added that the reviewing of regulations is necessary to permit more investment/infusion of funds in to the country.

Sri Lanka will be changing several orders and regulations, involving capital transactions of residents, non-residents and maintaining accounts.

Any person resident outside Sri Lanka including country funds, regional funds, investment funds and mutual funds established outside the country will be facilitated with easing of some restrictions in capital transactions in foreign exchange.

They will be allowed to remit foreign exchange into Sri Lanka in terms of the general permission granted by the Government without restrictions, official sources said.

Permission will be granted for investments to be financed out of a foreign currency loan obtained by the investor from a person resident outside Sri Lanka under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Act.
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New Delhi: A 25-year-old worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing was allegedly stabbed to death following a heated argument at a birthday party. The incident occurred on Wednesday night in Delhi's Mangolpuri area. Rinku Sharma was rushed to the hospital after the brawl where he succumbed to his injuries.

The police have identified all the four alleged assailants- Mohammad Danish (36), Mohammad Islam (45), Zahid (26) and Mohammad Mehtab (20).

According to the police, Sharma and Danish resided in the same neighborhood and knew each other. They went to a birthday party in the locality where they had a heated argument.

Rinku allegedly slapped Danish after the party following which the latter along with his three friends stabbed him and fled.

"It was found that Rinku and Danish lived in the same neighborhood and knew each other. All four have been arrested and none of them has any previous criminal record," Additional deputy commissioner of police (outer) Sudhanshu Dhama was quoted as saying by India TV.

Sharma worked as a technician at a private hospital and lived in Mangolpuri with his family. The police said that Danish and Islam work as tailors, while Zahid is a college student and Mehtab is a Class 12 student.

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Representative image: Maiden test launch of the Akash-NG Missile (Image: Twitter/@DRDO_India)

A contractual photographer for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been sentenced to life by a court in Odisha for sharing sensitive photographs of the integrated missile test range in Chandipur with Pakistans intelligence agency ISI, the Hindustan Times reported.

Ishwar Behera, 41, worked as a contractual photographer at the CCTV station of DRDO's missile test range facility at Chandipur, Odisha.

It was found that Behera would go close to the missile testing sites to take videos and later leave for Kolkata on the pretext of getting his camera repaired. However, in Kolkata, he used to hand over the videos and other sensitive information to ISI agents.

The news report cited the prosecution as claiming during the trial that Behera was in touch with his Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handler over the phone and had met him at least 10 times. It was also found that money had been transferred to his bank account from Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Meerut, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar, among other places.

Behera was under the Intelligence Bureau (IB)s surveillance before his arrest.

According to the news report, Behera was convicted under Sections 121A (espionage) and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and sentenced to life by the court.

Judge Girija Prasad Mohapatra likened the convicts act to that of terrorism, the report added. "The terrorist groups collect information from people of India like the present convict by providing them money. A group of these people of India is regularly supplying information to the enemies. People like Behera, [who] are putting the safety and security of the Union of India in the hands of the terrorists, are also terrorists. They are the active participants against the sovereignty of India. Whoever goes against the sovereignty of India would put India and its citizens in dangerous situations. They are required to be punished with the utmost severity," the judge said.

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - A week after another U.S. federal court filing implicated him in drug trafficking, the president of Honduras was in a helicopter zipping over a remote mountain range, scrolling through Twitter.

It was mid-January, and Juan Orlando Hernandez was trying to calculate what Washington's political transition meant for his country - and for himself. He flicked past news of Donald Trump's impeachment, past a Nikki Haley tweet about "liberal elites," past a preview of Joe Biden's inauguration.

For four years, Hernandez had built his governing program around the demands of the Trump administration, which in turn had stayed out of Honduran domestic affairs. Now that arrangement was ending. Hernandez, like heads of state around the world, was preparing for an extreme change in American foreign policy - and trying to figure out how to refashion himself from a Trump ally into a Biden one.

The stakes are higher for Hernandez than perhaps any other world leader. Not only are the political and economic fortunes of his country inextricably linked to the United States, but Hernandez himself is one of few sitting presidents ever to be implicated in drug trafficking by the U.S. Justice Department.

He has not been charged, but prosecutors have described evidence against him in multiple indictments, including one against his brother, Tony, a former congressman in Honduras who was convicted in Manhattan federal court in 2019 of cocaine trafficking. In that case, the Justice Department said Tony Hernandez had delivered a $1 million bribe from Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to Juan Orlando Hernandez in 2013. The president denies that allegation and any other alleged ties to drug trafficking.

If he were charged, he could face extradition when his term ends next year - or, if the U.S.-Honduras relationship sours, sooner. But Hernandez, who describes Biden as an old colleague, is hopeful.

"We will have to sit down, talk and see the progress that has been made," in Honduras, he told The Washington Post. "I always felt that Biden was more pragmatic" than Trump, "and always very courteous."

In November, Hernandez tweeted a photo of him with Biden in 2015, Biden's arm clutching Hernandez's biceps. "I hope we can work together," he wrote, "like in the past."

Hernandez and his aides have tried to charm Democratic lawmakers, fired their lobbying firm, welcomed a new U.N. office focusing on drugs and crime and revived talking points on climate change. The controversial asylum pact Hernandez signed with Trump? Now he described Trump's approach as "aggressive." Hernandez, by his own account, was ready to move on.

But in the middle of that effort, the Justice Department released a new indictment. In their case against alleged drug trafficker Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, prosecutors quoted Hernandez as saying he "wanted to shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos" by using Fuentes's cocaine laboratory to increase production.

"Ridiculous," Hernandez said. (Fuentes, arrested in Florida in March, has pleaded not guilty.)

It is now another issue to resolve with the new administration, one less likely to look the other way. Hondurans will be watching closely. Given the fragility of the country's judicial system, Hernandez's many critics believe their only shot at justice is in the United States. "Fuera la narcodictadura" - "Get the narcodictatorship out" - has become a rallying cry.

"Hernandez thinks he can get out of the Department of Justice noose," said one senior U.S. official. "So he's signaling every willingness to work with the new administration."

- - -

Hernandez, floating over the country's verdant countryside in the presidential helicopter, rattled off the connections between the two countries evident in the landscape below.

He pointed out a U.S. military base, the only one in Central America. A new Nike factory. Puerto Cortes, from which tankers loaded with Honduran products sail for the United States. In the distance lay San Pedro Sula, where at that moment a caravan of thousands of Honduran migrants was hours away from leaving for the U.S. border.

There is another connection: Every year, thousands of pounds of cocaine transit through Honduras on the way to the United States. According to the Justice Department, some of that cargo is trafficked by Honduran officials - an allegation the Trump administration mostly ignored while officials praised Hernandez's counternarcotics and anti-migration efforts.

"It was all about migration for Trump. It was purely transactional, and Hernandez knew how to give Trump what he wanted," said the senior U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the subject and commented on the condition of anonymity. "When we tried to push other issues, like anti-corruption issues, we didn't get any traction at the highest levels."

Honduran officials quickly recognized that the Trump administration was not interested in pressing Hernandez on the accusations.

"In my 30 meetings with various actors in Washington, the allegations against him never came up," Foreign Minister Lisandro Rosales said.

The Trump State Department said in a January statement that the United States uses its "diplomatic engagement with the Government of Honduras to support the rule of law and the fight against corruption and impunity."

"We take any allegations of criminal activity very seriously," the statement said. "Department officials engage with a wide variety of Honduran government officials, in all branches of government, political parties, civil society actors, and the private sector to achieve our objectives."

Trump's focus was on blocking Hondurans from getting to the U.S. border, or from applying for asylum once they arrived. But analysts say it is poor governance in Honduras - one of the most violent nations in Latin America, and one of the most corrupt in the world, according to Transparency International - that prompts migration to the United States.

Biden has outlined those issues in his Central America policy plan, a document read by Hernandez's team with interest and concern. Elements include "revoking visas to the United States and freezing assets of corrupt individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras."

In all three countries, Biden will inherit relationships transformed by the Trump administration. Trump praised El Salvador and Guatemala for their policies to slow migration but took no action when Guatemala dissolved its U.N.-backed anti-corruption agency or when critics accused El Salvador's president of encouraging excessive force to fight gang violence.

Whatever Biden does to restore accountability to U.S. foreign policy, it is likely Hernandez who has the most to lose. For more than a decade, he has navigated changes in U.S. policy, shape-shifting as necessary to insulate himself. But it is the extradition treaty with the United States that he pushed to implement when he was president of the Honduran Congress that now might pose the biggest threat to him.

"President Hernandez, like many foreign leaders, has been very skillful at telling people in Washington what they want to hear," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. "But the reality is that democracy and human rights are under assault in Honduras, and corruption permeates the government."

Hernandez has studied U.S. politics since his stint in a master's program at the State University of New York at Albany. He grew up on a small coffee farm in the city of Gracias, near the Salvadoran border, one of 17 children. As he came of age politically, he came to believe that winning over the United States was a necessary survival skill.

In 2003, while a member of Congress, he loaned his office to State Department officials, who used it to rally Honduran lawmakers to support the Iraq War. U.S. diplomats presented him with a pair of George W. Bush cuff links, U.S. officials said. When Barack Obama was president, Hernandez championed a program aimed at stemming migration by increasing security and employment.

With Trump in office, Hernandez's administration agreed to block Central American migrants from seeking asylum in the United States. After the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Hernandez announced Honduras would move its embassy there as well.

"Hernandez has always known which U.S. priorities to support to maintain the relationship," said Adriana Beltran of the Washington Office on Latin America.

Meanwhile, the allegations have piled up. They include the claim by U.S. prosecutors that the Mexican drug lord Guzman had given Tony Hernandez $1 million for his brother's presidential campaign. Tony Hernandez's attorneys argued during his federal trial that there was no evidence to prove the claim. Prosecutors also claim Juan Orlando Hernandez had agreed "to facilitate the use of Honduran armed forces personnel as security" for drug traffickers.

Hernandez said he called his brother personally and told him, "If you did something wrong and they detain you, it's your responsibility." He told his mother he supported his brother's extradition. She was furious, he said.

"I have two roles," he said, "the role of a brother and the role as head of state."

Hernandez calls the accusations against him absurd, arguing that they come from alleged criminals who are trying to reduce their prison sentences.

"It is a very strange situation," he said. "In other justice systems around the world, this would not be considered a valid testimony."

Trump backed Hernandez when he won reelection, despite fraud allegations, in 2017. The United States did not stop Honduras from quashing an anti-corruption agency last year. Officials continued to work with Hernandez, formalizing an agreement last year that allows the United States to send non-Honduran asylum seekers to Honduras to file their claims there.

"President Hernandez is working with the United States very closely," Trump said in December 2019. "You know what's going on on our southern border. And we're winning after years and years of losing."

Hernandez's administration seized upon the recognition.

"These are really the words of a friend," Rosales, the foreign minister, said at the time.

Two days before Tony Hernandez was convicted, the U.S. Embassy in Honduras tweeted that "our governments cooperate on a wide range of issues including migration, security, the fight against narcotics, and economic development."

U.S. diplomats and Honduran activists recoiled.

"We watched the Honduran government grow more corrupt, more abusive, and the only check on those problems - the United States - had vanished," said Gabriela Castellanos, the head of the National Anticorruption Council, which for years has received support from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Trump State Department defended its role.

"Embassy officials meet regularly with the Honduran government to address specific human rights cases, advocate for improving human rights and anti-corruption efforts, and work to improve prosperity and security in Honduras," it said in January.

But since Biden's election, those in Hernandez's inner circle have grown concerned. They worry that Democratic critics such as Leahy and Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., will have a stronger role in crafting policy.

In recent months, State Department officials created an internal policy of avoiding photos with Hernandez, according to a U.S. official. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and a group of Democratic members of Congress refused to meet with him when they visited Honduras in 2019.

"I don't think he fully understands the change that is about to come," said Torres, who was on that trip. "My hope is that we will find a way to undo the great damage his government has done while the Trump administration looked away."

Senior Honduran officials sent four requests to meet with Torres as they tried to endear themselves to a Democratic administration. She did not respond.

"From Rep. Torres's perspective, there is no point for a lawmaker to sit down with the representative of any foreign government, and particularly a narco state, ahead of the new administration," said her spokesman, Dan Lindner.

It is rare for the United States to indict a head of state. But Hernandez's term ends next January. Analysts worry he will try to cling to power - he says he won't - or undo the country's extradition treaty before he steps down. Honduran officials say Hernandez has no plans to change the extradition law, a process that would require approval by two consecutive legislatures.

For now, at least publicly, it appears his strategy is the same as it has always been: Win over a new U.S. president.

- - -

At the edge of Honduras's desolate Mosquito Coast, Luis Suazo, the country's ambassador to the United States, stood next to the wreckage of an airplane that had crash-landed, weighed down by thousands of pounds of cocaine. On the wing, someone had emblazoned a fake U.N. insignia, in an apparent attempt to fool the Honduran military.

Suazo, a former security minister, has been tasked with winning over the Biden administration. Now he was highlighting the country's progress against gangs and drug traffickers.

In 2011, Honduras was the largest cocaine transshipment country in the world, according to the State Department. By 2019, the department reported, only 4 percent of shipments that reached the United States made a first stop here.

"I want to congratulate the Government of Honduras for its excellent work," Adm. Craig S. Faller, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, said when he visited Hernandez in December.

It was praise that Hernandez and his staff circulated widely: Why would a president involved in drug trafficking crack down on drug trafficking?

"It doesn't make any sense," Suazo said. "We've been willing partners in the fight against drug trafficking, and the numbers bear that out."

Behind him, a unit of Honduran soldiers buried dynamite near the decomposing plane. They were here to destroy the clandestine runway on which it had attempted to land - and had invited a Washington Post correspondent to watch. It was yet another part of Hernandez's new messaging campaign.

After Hernandez was elected in 2014, he sponsored a "purification" of the country's police, backed and funded by the United States, which led to the dismissal of half the force. He helped legalize extradition from Honduras to the United States.

Current and former U.S. officials said there were rumors that Hernandez was complicit in drug trafficking during the early years of his presidency, but there was never any explicit intelligence implicating him. The officials say they have been able to back counternarcotics efforts in a country known for institutional corruption by partnering with military and police units that have passed polygraph tests.

"The DEA works hand in hand with these vetted units through shared intel and bilateral investigations to support Honduran operations," the Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement.

Biden has proposed spending $4 billion in Central America to improve security and develop the economy. It is unclear what role Hernandez would have. When Biden led development efforts in Central America in 2015 aimed at deterring migration, Hernandez toured Washington think tanks to promote the strategy, called the "Alliance for Prosperity." It seems unlikely that he will play a similar role this time. But he has already begun to try.

"It's vintage Juan Orlando," said a former U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomatic affairs. "He's asking himself, 'What can I do today to show the Biden people that I'm a strong partner?' "

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Despite the cancellation of the 2021 St. Patricks Day Parade in Bethlehem due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, city promoters are coming up with some alternative ways to celebrate the holiday, both new and old.

Starting March 13, the Downtown Bethlehem Association and the Celtic Cultural Alliance are partnering to launch three different socially distanced St. Paddys Day activities for residents to participate in: the Beth-Lum Go Bragh Cocktail To-Go Trail, the Clever Clover Scavenger Hunt and the return of the Irish Elves in Bethlehem.

The Cocktail To-Go Trail will run on two separate weekends, March 13-14 and March 20-21. There will only be 245 tickets available each day, and cocktail pickup will be scheduled ahead of time to ensure social distancing between groups of participants. There will be four trails in all, each with different participating restaurants and bars. The participating merchants can be found on the Downtown Bethlehem Associations website. Tickets for the trail will go on sale starting Feb. 15 at 8 a.m.

The Clever Clover Scavenger Hunt will require players to download a game card from the DBAs website, and theyll then be tasked with finding various items that can be shared with the DBAs Facebook or Instagram accounts to win prizes. The hunt starts on March 13 before wrapping up on March 21.

The Irish Elves in Bethlehem, back by popular demand, will work similarly to the scavenger hunt. From March 13 to March 21, limericks listed on the DBAs website will reveal clues as to where the nominal elves are hidden around Bethlehem. Snapping a selfie with an elf and sharing it with the associations social media pages could net you a $100 Downtown Bethlehem gift card.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
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The European Union supports Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and as far as the Minsk agreements are not being fulfilled, the normalisation of the relations between the European Union and Russia will not happen.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated this at a press conference following the seventh meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels, when asked by an Ukrinform correspondent about the situation in Donbas, in particular on the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements, mainly on the desire from the Russian side to fulfill them.

I spent hours yesterday in the European Parliament talking about it. During my meetings with Minister [of Foreign Affairs of Russian, Sergei] Lavrov it was clear that we [the European Union] defend Ukrainian sovereignty, [its] territorial integrity; that we talked about the human rights violations on the Crimean peninsula; and clear, we requested the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements, which is a strong condition in the relationship between the European Union and Russia. This was high in the agenda, we discussed a lot. I am not going to go into the details, but as far as the Minsk agreements are not being fulfilled, the normalisation of the relations between the European Union and Russia will not happen, Borrell said.

The diplomat noted that at a meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, he reassured of the European Unions unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

This is a message that I also passed in my meeting last week to Foreign Minister Lavrov, including the need to fulfil and implement the Minsk agreements. You know very well that the European Union does not recognise Russias illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol. We will continue to fully support the diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Borrell also stressed that the EU would continue to support the efforts in the Normandy format, the Trilateral Contact Group and in the OSCE format. According to Borrell, the duration of EU economic sanctions against Russia remains linked to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian government delegation led by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal paid a three-day working visit to Brussels from February 9 to February 11. Government representatives met with the leadership of the European Union and NATO.

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Photo taken on Feb. 10, 2021 shows the Oculus shining in red and gold for the Chinese Lunar New Year, in New York, the United States. A number of landmarks in and around New York have lit up in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

A number of landmarks in New York City have been lit up in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox.

The Empire State Building on Wednesday held a virtual lighting ceremony, which allowed viewers around the world to witness the "flip of the switch" that turned the building's famous tower red.

The top of the iconic building is set to shine in red from sunset on Wednesday to 2 a.m. Thursday.

"We are proud that this lighting continues to celebrate not only the Lunar New Year, but also the ongoing partnership between the Empire State Building, the Chinese people, people with Chinese descent all around the world to celebrate this significant holiday," Anthony Malkin, CEO of the Empire State Realty Trust, said at the ceremony.

"May the Year of the Ox bring us more opportunities to expand our partnership and cooperation," Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping, said at the virtual event, adding he expects the Empire State Building, "a splendid must see in New York," will draw lots of Chinese visitors after the pandemic.

Soaring 1,454 feet (443 meters) above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building has maintained a tradition of changing color to recognize various occasions and organizations since 1976.

It marks the 21st year in a row for the icon of New York City to light up red for the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Meanwhile, a window display on the Chinese Zodiac has been installed in the building's lobby windows on the Fifth Avenue.

Elsewhere, One World Trade Center's spire is set to shine in red and gold on Feb. 10-12.

Other iconic facilities including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Goethals Bridge and Bayonne Bridge have also been lit up in honor of Lunar New Year.

The Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important holiday for Chinese around the world. This year's Spring Festival falls on Friday.

Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
Mitt Romney sprints away from the mob on January 6. Photo: Senate Television

It has been obvious throughout Donald Trumps second impeachment trial that the House managers have been appealing to the personal experience of senators on the terrifying day of the MAGA assault on the Capitol. In some respects, they are appealing to congressional pride and self-respect. The mob Trump incited wasnt going after antifa or self-identified socialists or some Midwestern governor. When the managers again and again noted that Trump had been indifferent to the fear and suffering of members of Congress and their staff experienced on January 6, they likely wanted to inspire shame in his Republican enablers for failing to stand up for their own institution.

But in a broader sense, any presidential impeachment is likely to represent a last-gasp act of self-defense for the legislative branch to counteract the presidents immunity from prosecution and and his vast abilities to circumvent Congress. The Constitution endows Congress with the power of impeachment and removal (and a ban on future office-holding, as in this case) as a way to police the separation of powers without which presidents could easily become tyrants. In the impeachment case where a president came closest to conviction, Andrew Johnson had defied not only the Tenure of Office Act aimed at keeping him from firing Abraham Lincolns secretary of war, but acted relentlessly to subvert the entire congressional Reconstruction project which was in turn essential to vindicating the vast sacrifices made during the Civil War.

In the more than a century-and-a-half since Johnsons impeachment, the relative power of the executive branch at has steadily increased at the national legislatures expense, to regular laments from members of Congress from both parties and every persuasion. Impeachment as a potential instrument of congressional self-defense has accordingly become more significant.

Even before 2020, Trump was notorious for thumbing his nose at any effort by coordinate branches of the federal government to rein in his policies or conduct (I have an Article II that says I can do whatever I want, he famously said). Part of the reason he was impeached the first time around was his serial defiance of congressional subpoenas for documents and administration testimony on subjects squarely within Congresss jurisdiction.

More to the point, in the runup to the events of January 6, Trump systematically tried to usurp a process set out in the Constitution and in the Electoral Count Act of 1887 whereby the states certified election results, the Electoral College cast votes, and then Congress confirmed them (so long as the states certified them and resolved judicial challenges, which all 50 of them had this cycle).

Most dramatically, Trump personally tried to convince Vice President Mike Pence to abuse his authority as Senate president under the Electoral Count Act to completely subvert the routine tabulation and confirmation of the results on January 6. And knowing infallibly that the challenge he insisted on was going to fail, Trump expressed his ultimate contempt for Congress by dispatching his followers down Pennsylvania Avenue on January 6.

Presented with such effrontery, Congress has literally no recourse other than impeachment and conviction. Yes, Senate Republicans can hide behind the minority view that an ex-president is immune from the constitutional remedy of a ban on holding future office. But self-respect should demand that they make it clear they would convict Trump if they could. Otherwise their fear of the man and the very mob he sent their way ought to be permanently emblazoned on their records like a red badge of cowardice. And after Trumps acquittal, Democrats are very likely to do just that on future campaign trails.
(JNS)  It took less than a week for the Biden administration to return to the Obama-Biden policy of moral equivalency, or what I prefer to call immoral equivalency  the policy of viewing Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and their respective actions, as being on the same moral plane.

On Jan. 26, just six days after the inauguration, President Joe Bidens acting representative at the United Nations, Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills, announced that the administration supports creating a Palestinian state. In practical terms, that means making Israel nine miles wide again, as it was...
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

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With the imminent arrival of the monsoon and strong winds blowing across the coastline on Monday, a private lifeguard agency appointed by the state government to man Goa's beaches has banned swimming and all water sports activity till the end of Sept Image Source: IANS News

Panaji, Feb 12 : A record 1.5 crore tourists arrived in Goa by the time coronavirus pandemic struck the country, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Friday.

Ajgaonkar said that the figure was arrived at following a survey by global consultancy firm KPMG engaged by the Goa government for the formulation of a tourism master plan.

"KPMG survey said that 1.5 crore tourists came to Goa, both national and international," Ajgaonkar told a press conference in Panaji.

According to government records, Goa's population is around 1.5 million.

The Minister said that Tourism Department records initially recorded around 88 lakh tourist footfalls. But a subsequent survey revealed additional tourists staying put in unregistered hotels, guesthouses and other lodgings operated by app-based aggregators.

"Many of these hotels are unregistered. They should not be taking bookings without registering with the Tourism Department," Ajgaonkar said, adding that such bookings were illegal because it did not bring the government any revenue.

"The Tourism Department did not earn from these bookings. But people earned money. This is illegal," Ajgaonkar said.

Last month, the Goa Assembly had debated the tourist figures put forth by the state, especially after the pandemic waned and travel restrictions were gradually lifted.

While Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said that 40-45 lakh tourists had arrived in Goa after the lifting of travel restrictions, Ajgaonkar said in a written reply tabled during the session that only 9.71 lakh tourists had arrived in the state.

Goa is regarded as one of the leading beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country.

 Flash

A fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy on Thursday set off for Pakistan to attend a multilateral joint naval exercise at the invitation of the Pakistani navy, China's Ministry of National Defense said.

The drill, code-named "Peace-21," is set to be conducted in waters near the city of Karachi, the ministry said in a statement.

It is the eighth time for a Chinese naval fleet to participate in such exercises organized by the Pakistani navy, which are aimed at strengthening exchanges and friendly interactions with navies of relevant countries, said the statement.
In early February 2020 people held their breath, waiting to see how far and quickly COVID would spread in the United States. By the first week of February, HSHS Medical Group had recorded nearly 700 positive flu cases across central and southern Illinois. By the end of April, HSHS Medical Group had reached more than 2,000 cases.

This winter, however, is drastically different. Flu cases are at an all-time low, with less than 50 positive cases in HSHS Medical Group clinics since the beginning of September.

Our efforts to help curb the spread of COVID are also helping to curb the spread of influenza, said Dr. Valerie Thompson, primary care physician at HSHS Medical Group Medicare Clinic in Springfield, Illinois. It seems that masking, hand washing, social distancing and decreased gatherings have all contributed to an extremely mild flu season.

If these precautions have worked so well to lower our flu cases, why havent we always done this in the United States?

Many countries around the world, including multiple countries in Asia and Europe, have been masking for other infections including influenza for a number of years, Thompson said. In those countries, any time a person is sick, its a societal norm to mask to prevent the spread. Some even wear masks on public transits even if they arent sick.

Now that we have numbers in front of us and can show that weve made a huge dent in the spread of influenza, it should be something the United States tries to recommend in the future, Thompson said. Many of Thompsons patients at the Medicare clinic are considered at risk for complications due to influenza. Even after COVID is no longer a major concern, Thompson will start recommending her higher risk patients mask, wash hands frequently and take other precautions during the winter months.

There could be some explanation as we were stressing the flu vaccine even more than usual because our hospitals were so overburdened with COVID patients, says Thompson. The CDC has not yet released information on the effectiveness of this seasons flu vaccine, and since the cases are so low, it may not be easy to evaluate how well the vaccine actually worked.

There is still potential for flu cases to increase this winter as the COVID vaccine is distributed and people stop following current precautions. Thompson said she still recommends the flu vaccine this year. This is especially important to protect those at high risk for flu complications, such as the elderly.

HSHS Medical Group primary care offices have flu vaccines available for their patients. Thompson recommends that anyone with the COVID vaccine scheduled should wait two weeks between their COVID vaccination and flu vaccination. Patients should prioritize the COVID vaccination and get that first if it is available to them.

Influenza isnt the only illness curtailed by COVID precautions. Pediatricians are also seeing a decrease in strep pharyngitis (strep throat). Dr. Brock Phillips, pediatrician with HSHS Medical Group, says strep likely spreads due to close contact, as the bacteria is spread by respiratory secretions from someone who is infected. Infections usually occur in school age children, peaking around age seven.

Last winter, HSHS Medical Group had nearly 700 cases of strep throat by early February. This winter, strep cases are nearly half that.

I do believe good hygiene such as frequent hand washing, avoid touching nose/eyes, wearing masks, and social distancing precautions implemented against COVID has decreased the incidence of strep pharyngitis as well, Phillips said.

As children return to school and other activities, Phillips still recommends precautions to keep families healthy: Strep is still out there in the community, so continuing proper hand hygiene and staying home when sick is important to limit the spread.
Joe Biden spoke for the first time as US president with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday and signalled immediately that defence of human rights will be a cornerstone of his foreign policy.

Mr Biden raised Chinas oppression of Uighur Muslims and its crackdown on Hong Kongs democracy. That followed several similar statements in the past week expressing concern about the military coup in Myanmar and the heavy prison sentences for protests in support of Russian anti-corruption politician Alexey Navalny.

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It would not be worth mentioning that a US president is talking about human rights abuses except of course that his predecessor rarely did.

Donald Trump reportedly once told Xi privately that building concentration camps in Xinjiang was the right thing to do and he paraded his friendship with the likes of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

A Somalian double rapist has been allowed to stay in the UK on human rights grounds after a judge said he would face 'degrading' treatment in his home country due to his mental health.

The 49-year-old arrived in Britain in 2004 and claimed asylum, but the Home Office sought to deport him after he amassed eight convictions in the space of six years.

Robbery, trying to pervert the course of justice, and raping two different women were among his offences.

He used a knife during one rape and had been jailed for more than seven years before being in immigration detention.

A tribunal has heard he was 'aggressive and unacceptable,' while detained in prison.

An unnamed Somalian asylum seeker has been allowed to stay in the UK over concerns for his mental health, despite committing two rape offences and behaving in an 'aggressive and unacceptable,' manor while detained at HMP Stafford (pictured)

But concerns over the quality of mental health provisions in Somalia mean he will be able to stay in the UK.

An immigration tribunal judgment heard: 'While at HMP Stafford he was not able always to behave appropriately.

'On several occasions after January 2017 he was placed in segregation, his attitude and behaviour being aggressive and unacceptable.'

He was assessed as posing a 'high risk of serious harm' to the public.

But the man had been diagnosed with long-standing mental health issues which had improved with medication and counselling in custody.

An immigration judge accepted mental healthcare was 'extremely poor' in Somalia 'and that those with mental health issues, particularly those who are aggressive, were often stigmatised, considered 'possessed', and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment within both society and families, including stoning and chaining.'

An Upper Tribunal judge has now upheld the decision of a first-tier immigration judge.

Rejecting a Home Office appeal, Judge Judith Gleeson said: 'The making of the previous decision involved the making of no error on a point of law.'

Last month protesters who stormed Stansted Airport to ground a flight deporting 25 criminals to Africa saw their convictions overturned.

Court of Appeal judges overruled the so-called 'Stansted 15,' convictions, stating they were wrongly charged as terrorists.

The group cut through the Essex airport's perimeter fence in March 2017 and took smiling selfies as they locked themselves together around a Boeing 767 jet chartered by the Home Office to transport people from UK detention centres for repatriation.

Thousands were delayed as airport security and police needed more than an hour to remove them before they were arrested.

Flights to Stansted had to be diverted including arrivals from Ibiza, Warsaw, Belfast, Bilbao, Murcia, Dublin and Berlin.

60 people were taken off the repatriation flight heading to Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, including 25 criminals who had been imprisoned in the UK for offences including murder, child rape and grievous bodily harm.
The so-called E3 European powers have urged Iran to reverse its decision to violate a landmark nuclear deal by producing uranium metal and avoid "noncompliant" steps before it's too late.

Britain, France, and Germany issued the plea on February 12 following a call the previous day by Russia's deputy foreign minister for Iran to "show restraint" as a new U.S. administration weighs possible paths to rejoining the multilateral Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action (JCPOA) from 2015.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi informed member states on February 10 that the UN atomic watchdog's inspectors had confirmed this week that 3.6 grams of uranium metal had been produced at an Iranian nuclear facility in Isfahan.

"We strongly urge Iran to halt these activities without delay and not to take any new noncompliant steps on its nuclear program," the E3 said in a statement. "In escalating its noncompliance, Iran is undermining the opportunity for renewed diplomacy to fully realize the objectives of the JCPOA."

Ex-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States in 2018 from the agreement and reimposed punishing sanctions against Iran, but President Joe Biden campaigned ahead of the U.S. elections in November 2020 on seeking a way to revisit that move.

The Biden administration has insisted that Iran move to full compliance with the JCPOA before Washington will return to the deal, but Tehran has rejected any preconditions.

U.S. and other intelligence sources have suggested Iran could be just months away from nuclear bomb-making if it chose to pursue such a weapon, given its return to some sensitive nuclear activities since Trump's withdrawal.

Tehran has resolutely insisted it wants nuclear technology for a civilian energy program and not a weapon, although the IAEA and some Western governments point to a history of obfuscation and deceit by Iranian officials in the face of past concerns.

"We reiterate that Iran has no credible civilian justification for these activities, which are a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon," the statement by the E3 repeated.

The nuclear agreement, which exchanged sanctions relief for curbs on technology, put a 15-year ban on Iran "producing or acquiring plutonium or uranium metals or their alloys."

Russia -- which along with the E3 and China is a signatory to the JCPOA -- has sought to keep diplomatic channels open to Tehran as it cooperates on Syria, Libya, and on other problems in the region.

"We understand the logic of their actions and the reasons prompting Iran," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said of Tehran on February 11. "Despite this, it is necessary to show restraint and a responsible approach."

The nuclear agreement -- reached by Iran, the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain -- put a 15-year ban on Iran "producing or acquiring plutonium or uranium metals or their alloys."

Tehran has gradually breached the deal since the U.S. pullout by building up its stockpile of low-enriched uranium, refining uranium to a higher level of purity, and using advanced centrifuges for enrichment.

After the assassination in Iran of a top nuclear scientist in December 2020 that Tehran blames on Israel, Iranian officials signaled their intention to research uranium metal production.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Varanasi, Feb 12 : February is emerging as a month of fruit and vegetable festivals in Uttar Pradesh. After festivals of strawberry, sweet potato and dragon fruit, the Yogi Adityanath government is hosting 'Tomato Festival' in Varanasi to promote the consumption of tomato, its dishes, drinks and varied products.

According to the government spokesman, the date for the 'Tomato festival' will be finalized soon.

The famous 'Banarasi Tamatar chaat' will be the main attraction of the event.

Divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal said, "Preparations are being done for holding tomato festival. The venue and dates of the fest will be declared soon. District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma has held meetings for assigning roles of agriculture, horticulture, culture, tourism departments, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi Municipal Corporation and Varanasi Development Authority in the event. We will rope in hotels, restaurants, chefs and housewives." The fest, aims at increasing tomato consumption in hospitality sector besides attracting agro and food processing industries, which will be a boon for farmers who struggle due to massive fluctuation in prices every year.

District horticulture officer, Sandeep Kumar Gupta, said, "Tomato and onion are two vegetable that witness massive price fluctuation. When the prices start rising, there is massive hue and cry. But, mostly the price of tomato does not rise and farmers are compelled to sell it for Rs 3-Rs 10 per kg. Risk for tomato growers is also high as it is perishable and cannot be stored for long." As per rough estimates, tomato is cultivated in over 5,000 hectare in Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Naugarh belt of Chandauli, Ghazipur and Varanasi, and on an average 350 quintal of hybrid tomato is produced per hectare, said Gupta.

"It is a good move of the government and will help increasing local and industrial consumption of tomato which will ensure good price for farmers," he added.

The fest will help farmers understand the requirements of hospitality and industrial sectors and the varieties of tomatoes best suited for them.

Gaurav Garg, the chief executive officer of the event management company assigned this fest, said, "It will be a unique event. Housewives and master chefs will be participating and cooking their own dishes, while hotels, restaurants and vendors will also showcase their tomato-based food, drink and dessert items. The event will focus on attracting agro industries."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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Creek and the Cave, the popular New York City comedy club, is slated to make a comeback after shuttering its doors earlier in the pandemic, according to The Interrobang, an online site for comedy news.

Although the New York City club closed this past fall, the new Creek & The Cave will welcome back fans on April 1, 2021 at its new location on 611 E. 7th Street in Downtown Austin. The new location with feature the marquis from its sister club in the big apple.
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van der Veenspeech&debate

The entire Democratic Party and national news media spent the last four years repeating, without any evidence, that the 2016 election had been hacked, and falsely and absurdly claimed the president of the United States was a Russian spy. Speaker Pelosi herself said that the 2016 election was hijacked, and that Congress has a duty to protect our democracy. She also called the president an imposter, and a traitor, and recently referred to our colleagues in the House as the enemy within. Moreover many Democrat politicians endorsed and encourage the riots that destroyed vast swaths of American cities last summer. When violent left-wing anarchists conducted a sustained assault on a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, Speaker Pelosi did not call it an insurrection. Instead she called the federal law enforcement officers protecting the building stormtroopers.

more details or full transcript can be found here

some user comments can be found here

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EV

kWh

After the December 2020 introduction of the ACE Coupe , a very interesting retro-futuristic take on the quintessential urban electric vehicle set to transform zero emission mobility, the company quickly relapsed in January with the Performance Edition.We liked the quirky blend of retro and futuristic lines all wrapped in a tight and compact package from the very beginning, but it was only with the arrival of the enhanced version that our lights started blinking. That's because the Performance Edition is a nice little dual-motor AWD EV capable of shooting to 60 mph (96 kph) in 4.6 seconds and still run for around 220 miles (354 km) before running out of juice.Now the company teases us with something potentially even better  the JAX crossover derivative. It clearly shares thearchitecture with the ACE along with certain styling cues, but its also something else, as it combines versatile all road performance, durability, and clean power.The Alpha JAX (which actually stands for Junior All-terrain Crossover) has both front- and four-wheel-drive versions, it seats four, tows up to 839 kg (1850 lbs), and will sprint from zero to 60 mph (96 kph) in 6.5 seconds. It also comes with an increased footprint: 4,560 mm (180 in) in length, 1,930 mm (76 in) in width, and 1,634 mm (64 in) in height.Thus, theres room for a sizeable battery of 75, so range anxiety shouldnt kick in too soon and spoil the dune-blasting fun, as the pack should hold enough juice for around 250 miles (402 km). Pricing is also a bit steeper compared to the standard ACE Coupe ($32-$39k), with Alpha asking between $38 and $48k for its JAX CUV.
MBABANE  Could Eswatini be wrong to dump the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine?

Both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised Eswatini and 43 other African countries to take the vaccine.

The countries that have been given a go ahead to continue the roll-out of the vaccine are those that have not reported any new variant of COVID-19.

Efficacy

Last week South Africa announced that the astrazenecas efficacy rate declined with the new variant of COVID-19 as opposed to the 75 per cent efficacy with the initial variant of the pandemic.

Early in the week Eswatini announced the decision to suspend the process of administering the vaccine based on SAs findings.

Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi announced that the country would consider other candidate vaccines such as the Pfizer and the Johnson and Johnson. Africa CDC Director Dr John Nkengasong basis of the advice was that the AstraZeneca vaccine was still safe and would work perfectly well in countries that have not reported new variants.

For now only 11 African countries have reported new variants and these are Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Gambia and Nigeria with the 501YV1 variant and Botswana, Ghana, Comoros, Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya and Zambia with 501YV2 variant.

Situation

Dr Nkengasong was speaking during the weekly press briefing on the coronavirus situation on Thursday.

The health expert boasting decades experience in virology said even if a country were to detect a couple of cases of the new variant, they should still continue taking the AstraZeneca vaccine because having a few cases of a new variant did not mean the variant was dominant in that country.

Dr Kevin Makadzange shared similar sentiments.

The WHO Health Promotion Officer for Eswatini said, A variant is considered dominant if it is detected in about 90 per cent of the tested population.

Dr Makadzange said they were still advising countries including Eswatini to go for the AstraZeneca vaccine but also do a proper risk assessment.

He said even the CDC will not discard the over 100 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine which it has.

We will be distributing it and we are targeting countries that do not have the new variants.

We are left with a lot more countries that have not reported new variants, so in the next two weeks we will be distributing the vaccines to them, he said.

Another reason that was presented by Dr Nkengasong was that almost all the other vaccines that were readily available passed clinical trials based on the initial variant just like the astrazeneca vaccine.

We do not yet have a vaccine that has gone through trial against the new variants because they were not there when the vaccines were manufactured and tested, he said.

Results

By this he was highlighting the fact that countries may opt for other vaccines that could yield results similar to those of the AstraZeneca when faced with new variants.

Dr Makadzange said they have made countries aware that even the other vaccines still required to be tested against the new variants.

The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane was asked if Eswatini would heed the expert advice on the vaccine and he said, We are concluding consultations after which the minister will advise the nation.

The Africa CDC on the other hand said countries were afforded an opportunity to use regional laboratories to conduct genome sequencing so that they could tell if they had new variants or not.

This is through the Africa CDC Pathogen Genomic Institute.

Countries should take their samples to those laboratory and results should be out in less than two weeks, he said.

The WHO facilitates transportation of samples to these labs, according to Dr Makadzange.

He said there are about 11 laboratories that offer genome sequencing in Africa.

Countries that have the capacity to conduct genomic sequencing in Africa are Senegal, Gabon, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Uganda.

According to www.healthline.com. Genome sequencing refers to sequencing the entire genome of an organism.  Many high throughput sequencing and data handling technologies have been developed.  Major genome sequencing methods are the clone-by-clone method and the whole genome shotgun sequencing.

Question and Answer Session

Q: Does Africa CDC anticipate a delay in vaccination due to uncertainty caused by the findings made by South Africa?

A: No. Delays should not occur. We should be distributing the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine we purchased in two weeks. We also have the other doses bought by MTN. We are also in talks with Johnson and Johnson.

Q: Has the number of African countries who have ordered the vaccine through the COVAX platform increased?

A: Yes. Last week we had 16 countries, today we have 20 countries that have placed orders. The number is still growing.

Q: What is the CDC doing to improve vaccine confidence?

A: These vaccines are safe. Let us not confuse safety with efficacy, which has changed due to new variants. We also have companies that are developing new vaccines.

Q: What does South Africas switch from AstraZeneca mean to other countries?

A: Countries should have evidence that the new variant is predominant; otherwise there is absolutely no reason why this vaccine should not be used in countries without the new variants. Also, having report one or two cases does not mean the new variant has dominated.

Q: Are there any new vaccines that are being tested against new variants?

A: We are working on that as a collective. More needs to be done to get more insight, so we need to develop protocols to deal with this issue.

Q: What is the timeline for COVID-19 vaccine expiry dates?

A: Vaccines, in general, should allow at least a couple of months before expiration date.

Q: Are there any countries that have told the CDC they will not roll out the AstraZeneca vaccine?

A: No. We have not received any concerns and no member state has expressed lack of interest in using the AstraZeneca vaccine. The WHO has issued guidelines and assured countries that they may continue with the vaccine.
More than 300,000 people have now been vaccinated in Northern Ireland (PA)

Northern Ireland is carrying out vaccinations on average at a rate of five times more jab doses per day than the Republic.

Latest figures released by the Department of Health show that a total of 381,894 vaccines have now been administered  353,757 first doses and 28,137 second doses.

In the Republic, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has said 243,353 vaccines had been administered by February 8.

The disparity in rates means that around 26% of all adults have been vaccinated in Northern Ireland compared to 5% of the population in the Republic.

On Monday 2,866 vaccines were administered across the whole of the Republic, while on the same day, 14,254 vaccines were administered in Northern Ireland.

The development comes as people here who have received a shielding letter because they have been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to Covid-19 will be able to book their vaccination appointments from next week.

The DoH announced on Friday the appointments will be available at the seven regional vaccination centres across the province.

Telephone booking will be available from next week. Some slots for the weekend are already available for online booking, however, production of the shielding letters will be required at the centres to confirm eligibility.

Northern Irelands vaccination programme is rolling out through a twin track approach involving the regional vaccination centres and GP practices.

GPs are vaccinating those aged 70 plus, while the vaccination centres are also vaccinating 65 to 69-year-olds.

Health Minister Robin Swann said: I am sure this news will be very welcome to all those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and have been looking forward to getting vaccinated.

A start has already been made on the CEV category and offering booked appointments will help to accelerate this."

He added: I would again appeal to everyone to be patient  whether thats waiting on the line to book your vaccination appointment by telephone or waiting your turn in the vaccination programme.

We will get to everyone  the programme is steadily advancing and is making good progress.
MUSKEGON, MI  Muskegon area residents between the ages of 65 and 75 who are still looking to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will find their best bet is registering with Meijer.

Thats because in Muskegon County, Meijer is the primary provider currently vaccinating that age group.

Mercy Health and the Muskegon County health department also are providing vaccinations, and are focusing on older adults, essential workers and at-risk populations.

In order to receive a vaccine, residents must have their name on a waiting list from which providers are making appointments. Residents have been advised to sign onto multiple lists.

Most lists can be accessed at one website: vaccinatewestmi.com/register. The Meijer waiting list is available by visiting www.meijer.com.

The Norton Shores Meijer store, 700 W. Norton Ave., is among those in Michigan chosen to administer the vaccine, said Kathy Moore, public health director for Muskegon County.

Related: Meijer announces push to administer 25K COVID-19 vaccine doses this week

The Muskegon County health department currently is focusing on vaccinating individuals ages 85 and older as well as teachers and municipal first responders, Moore said. Mercy is targeting people ages 75 to 84, Moore said.

Those who receive the vaccination are asked to alert list providers when they get the vaccine so their names can be removed.

Employers in essential industries are asked to register the number of employees they have who need vaccinations. Employer forms are at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EssentialEmployerVaccinationIntakeForm.

Those who are age 65 and older are eligible for the vaccine. In addition, eligible essential workers include employees working in law enforcement, fire departments, jails and corrections, childcare, K-12 schools, adult and child protective services, homeless shelters and juvenile facilities.

Following are links to specific waiting lists for the vaccine:

--Muskegon County health department and Mercy Health Muskegon, https://lfforms.healthwest.net/Forms/muskegonvaccinereq. Call 231-724-8856 for assistance.

--Ottawa County health department, https://ottawacounty.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NX1bJKKwiiIMMl. Call 2-1-1 for help.

--North Ottawa Community Health System, https://hipaa.jotform.com/210114456466047. Call 2-1-1 for help.

--Spectrum Health, https://www.spectrumhealth.org/covid19/covid-19-vaccine. Those needing help can call 833-755-0696.

--Metro Health, https://metrohealth.net/about/covid-19-updates/vaccination/vaccine-distribution. The help number is 616-252-6161.

--Meijer, https://clinic.meijer.com. Registration also can be made by texting COVID to 75049, or by visiting a Meijer pharmacy.

Also on MLive:

New COVID cases drop, hospitalizations dont as vaccine trickles out in Muskegon County

Mobile dental unit launched to provide care at Muskegon-area schools

Muskegons 2021 St. Patricks Day parade is canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
COMPANIES

How these 3 companies are looking ahead to 2021

One publicly-traded blue chip defense company and two others with significant footprints in the federal market reported their financial results for 2020 and spoke to investors this week.

All in the name of putting a period to the paragraph on last year and looking ahead to whatever 2021 presents.

Here are snapshots of what these contractors said to investors in conference calls Thursday and Wednesday.

Huntington Ingalls Industries

The shipbuilding giants CEO began the call Thursday by summing 2020 up as a year that will be remembered as one of the most challenging business environments that we've ever had to navigate.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made decisions that are focused on the safety and well-being of our employees and I could not be more proud of the way our team responded to the challenges, Mike Petters added in his opening remarks.

For all of 2020, Huntington Ingalls reported revenue growth of around 5 percent to $9.4 billion and a 27-percent increase in net income to $696 million. HII Technical Solutions -- the government services segment -- saw sales climb 2 percent to $1.3 billion. The company sees services revenue as holding around $1 billion this year.

Unmanned opportunities remain in the center of HIIs services strategy whether that's a technology capture or portfolio expansion, Petters said, adding were just keeping our eyes open on how to do that organically or through acquisitions like last years deal for Hydroid.

One certainty HII sees for that particular business is its unique fabric and characteristics versus the shipbuilding segments.

Were keeping the unmanned business separate from shipbuilding unmanned customers are very different than the shipbuilding customers, Petters said. So we want to have customer facing organizations that respond appropriately and so that's been very successful for every business inside of TS, including unmanned.

HII is also watching the cyber and IT arena for potential deals, though Petters cautioned thats a pretty dynamic space right now and valuations are kind of challenging.

ECS Federal

For just shy of three years, ECS has operated as the government technology services segment of ASGN and used that backing to push for $1 billion in annual revenue by 2021.

Goal set and goal met one year early right on the nose, as ECS on Wednesday reported $1 billion in sales for 2020 -- up 25.8 percent from the prior year. ECS represented one-fourth of ASGNs overall revenue in 2020.

ASGN made three acquisitions last year and one in 2019 of other businesses to roll into ECS. But CEO Ted Hanson told investors Wednesday ECS recorded higher organic growth than growth through M&A.

That shows up in ECS $2.65 billion backlog as of last years end, or roughly 2.6 times revenue. ECS also sits on a 1.0 book-to-bill ratio for the last 12 months to measure backlog growth versus drawdowns to book revenue.

ASGN Chief Financial Officer Ed Pierce said is ECS expected to be up double-digits year-over-year.

The Biden administrations initial focus on IT modernization and cybersecurity is giving ECS optimism for this and future years, including the Defense Departments in-the-works Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification standard for industry.

We are excited about whats going to be going on with the federal government and CMMC, ECS President George Wilson told analysts. We do see it as a growth area for us.

Cerner

Federal has increased in importance for Cerner ever since the health IT company partnered with Leidos to clinch the Defense Departments Genesis electronic health record contract in 2015.

Cerner was chosen for the Veterans Affairs Departments similar EHR effort three years later and the roles are reversed, where Leidos is the subcontractor.

On Wednesday, Cerner pegged its federal revenue at around $1 billion for last year. That accounts for roughly 18 percent of the companys total revenue for 2020. That number appears poised to increase even further as more DOD, VA and Coast Guard sites enter the go-live for the Cerner EHR.

Cerners lead executive for federal who recently took on an additional senior role at the company indicated to analysts they are also thinking beyond just the EHR efforts that mean both the same record and new joint information exchange.

I see potential with the work that we're doing and strategic growth to go do work with them on the network side, said Travis Dalton, president of Cerners government services business and also now chief client and services officer.

Federal continues to be an opportunity for us and I think we'll become more and more efficient in that business as time goes by particularly in how we deliver service, how we behave as a prime contractor, and also prior to use of third-party resources.

The immediate future means more deployments at additional sites. Dalton also highlighted Cerners mass vaccination solution being included at the DOD and Coast Guard live sites to fight COVID-19.

Access the Experts: Robin Gandhi In this installment, Gandhi answers: How does one protect their identity online?

In This Installment of Access the Experts Robin Gandhi, Ph.D, director of the UNO School of Interdisciplinary Informatics, answers the question: How does one protect their identity online? About Gandhi An expert in information and software assurance, Gandhi teaches courses that include information security and secure system engineering, and holds research interests in areas that include risk assessment and regulatory requirements modeling and analysis.

Access the Experts

Access the Experts is an innovative partnership between the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and News Channel Nebraska (NCN), where viewers submit their questions to be answered by UNO faculty members.

New segments of Access the Experts air every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:46 A.M. and 6:46 P.M. If youre not sure how to tune in, visit News Channel Nebraskas website to view their coverage areas.

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Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : CHINA OUTBOUND TOURISM MARKET 2021  2026 Industry: Vacations

New year, new updates! Our reports have been revised for market size, forecasts, and strategies to take on 2021 after the COVID-19 impact:



(TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - February 12th, 2021 - China outbound tourism market to reveal momentous growth by 2026, and the markets growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 32% during the forecast period. Download Free Sample Report @ https://dpiresearch.com/request-a-free-sample-report This report on the China outbound tourism market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as countries analysis covering around 26 nations. The report uses data and analysis to discuss potential lucrative opportunities, current and future trends related to Chinas outbound tourism flow, spending, the purpose of visits, and main destination markets. The report provides a clear insight into current and future tourism developments of the China outbound tourism market. Furthermore, this report uses a country-focused analysis to explore the China outbound tourism market. A detailed country-wise analysis of the market is provided, covering a total of 26 nations. Drivers and the restraints are studied in detail to better understand the market and to understand the future growth opportunity of the market. Report Scope: An Insightful Analysis of the China Outbound Tourism Market and Forecast (2015  2026)

China Outbound Tourism Market Share and Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2015  2026

Detailed Assessment of the Total China Outbound Tourists Volume and Forecast to 2027

Detailed Assessment of the Total China Outbound Tourists Spending and Forecast to 2027

Delivers a Complete Insights on Number of Outbound Visitor Departures from China to Major 26 Countries with Five Years Forecasts

Analyses China Outbound Tourism Expenditure to the Major 26 Countries with Five Years Forecast

Breakdown of Historical and Forecast Data (2015  2026) of Chinese Outbound Tourism in Europe

Breakdown of Historical and Forecast Data (2015  2026) of Chinese Outbound Tourism in Asia

Breakdown of Historical and Forecast Data (2015  2026) of Chinese Outbound Tourism in North America Breakdown of Historical and Forecast Data (2015  2026) of Chinese Outbound Tourism in Oceania

Breakdown of Historical and Forecast Data (2015  2026) of Chinese Outbound Tourism in Other Major Countries

Breakdown of Historical and Forecast Data (2015  2026) between Leisure, Visits Friends and Relatives (VFR), Business and Other Segments

Delivers an In-Depth Analysis of Evolving Market Trends, Drivers and Restraints of the China Outbound Tourism Market Enquire for customization in Report @: https://dpiresearch.com/services/ The Report Analyses the Market Based on Countries and Presents the Forecast in Terms of Value and Volume for the Next Five Years. Countries Covered in the Report Include: The United States Canada Dubai Hong Kong Macau Philippines Thailand Vietnam Malaysia Indonesia Japan Singapore Cambodia Korea Taiwan India Spain France Germany Italy Turkey The United Kingdom Australia New Zealand Nepal Sri Lanka Key Questions Addressed by the Report: What is the current size of the overall China outbound tourism market?

How much Chinese tourists spent while traveling abroad?

To what extent did Covid-19 impact Chinas outbound tourism market in 2020?

Which countries have the most Chinese tourists?

Which European country has the most Chinese tourists?

In which country do Chinese tourists spend the most money?

How the rise of Chinese tourism will change the face of the World travel industry?

What are the main drivers and restraints in the China outbound tourism market?

How is the China outbound tourism market anticipated to evolve during the forecast period 2021  2026? For More Information@ https://dpiresearch.com/ The report is readily available and can be dispatched immediately after payment confirmation. Would like to place an order or any question, please feel free to contact at sales@dpiresearch.com Customization of the Report: DPI Research provides customization of the report as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities. About Us: DPI Research is a leading market research publisher which offer bespoke market research reports, custom research and consulting services across multi geographies and industry verticals. We deliver a wide range of cutting-edge research solutions that help organizations in making better decisions of the business to business needs. DPI Research provides a high standard of business research reports to the clients across industry verticals comprising Life Sciences, Information Technology, Telecom & Internet, Food Beverages & Agriculture, Travel & Tourism, Consumer Goods & Retail, Education and Social Sciences. We are committed to using advanced analytical tools and methodologies to help clients with crucial industry information for decision making. DPI Research approaches for business research led by a team of dynamic industry experts. DPI Research provides real insight for effective decisions to help business with the help of current source and accurate data available in the market. DPI Research reaches across the globe with global standards from established markets in North America and Europe to emerging markets in South America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa to provide the best business solutions. Contact Information: Maria Rai Website: https://dpiresearch.com/ Phone: +91-7667648693 Email: slaes@dpiresearch.com ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release :



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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 10:54:37|Editor: huaxia

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BISSAU, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Former Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau Aristides Gomes is authorized to leave the country for medical treatment, Guinea-Bissau's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities said Thursday.

The Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed the news in a press release, saying that "citizen Aristides Gomes is authorized to leave the country because of his state of health."

According to the release, the decision to grant permission to the former prime minister to leave the country results from an agreement with the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS).

The former prime minister has taken refuge on the premises of UNIOGBIS for 10 months, because he feared for his safety after receiving threats from the army the day after President Umaro Sissoco Embalo took office.

Rosine Sori-Coulibaly, representative of the UN secretary-general in Guinea-Bissau, called Gomes' situation "worrying."

The country's foreign ministry also said in the release that "the intervention of President Embalo facilitated the negotiations which led to the authorization of the former Prime Minister to leave the country for medical care." Enditem
Scotland Yard launched an extraordinary spin operation to ensure the Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick was not 'pulled into' the scandal over its VIP abuse probe.

The Mail today reveals bombshell emails detailing how Dame Cressida was shielded by her colleagues.

The messages also reveal that Britain's top police officer reacted with fury after Home Secretary Priti Patel ordered an independent review of the Met, following criticism over the disastrous Operation Midland.

Miss Patel repeatedly refused to publicly back Dame Cressida yesterday. Today's revelations will pile further pressure on the beleaguered Commissioner.

Emails detailed how the Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick (pictured with Priti Patel and Boris Johnson) was shielded by her colleagues

Earlier this week, Lady Brittan  whose homes were raided during Operation Midland as she grieved for her late husband  condemned a 'culture of cover-up' at the country's largest force.

Last night Dame Cressida's deputy Sir Stephen House issued a statement claiming there was 'no cover-up and nor has there been one'.

However, documents obtained by the Mail under Freedom of Information laws show how the Met scrambled to limit criticism before the publication of former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques's review into the Midland shambles in 2019.

It can now be disclosed that detectives continued their notorious investigation for three months after senior prosecutors suggested it should be abandoned.

Their advice was based on a leading psychologist's evaluation of their star witness, 'Nick'  later revealed to be serial liar Carl Beech, since jailed for perverting the course of justice.

The expert had cast 'serious doubt' on Beech's claims  and the Crown Prosecution Service told three senior detectives in December 2015 that the psychologist's testimony meant the investigation had been 'fatally undermined'.

Despite this, the probe into innocent high-profile figures, including the late Lord Brittan and former MP Harvey Proctor, continued until the following March.D-Day hero Lord Bramall was cleared a month after police received the CPS's damning indictment of Beech's claims.

Operation Midland bosses, including former deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse, now face calls to explain why their investigation continued in the face of such damning advice. Dame Cressida, who sanctioned the creation of Operation Midland in November 2014, had moved to a job at the Foreign Office by the time of the CPS intervention.

Deputy commissioner's email aimed to protect his boss after the report by 'H' - Sir Richard Henriques

Rather than welcoming a planned investigation into the Met, revealed by the Mail, Dame Cressida calls it 'very irritating'

Email from head of Crown Prosecution Service refers to meeting where Operation Midland was described as being 'fatally undermined' - but it wasn't shut down for a further three months

The emails obtained by the Mail span the days prior to the Met's planned release of an unredacted version of Sir Richard's report on October 4, 2019.

On October 2, senior officers and the Met's media team were discussing lines to issue to the Press alongside the report.

Dame Cressida's deputy Sir Stephen  brought to the Met as troubleshooter-in-chief after retiring from Police Scotland following a number of controversies  asked Matt Horne, head of professional standards, whether a 'call between Cress and H [Sir Richard] should now go ahead'.

Astonishingly, Mr Horne was appointed by the Met after being found guilty of misconduct in his former role as deputy chief constable of Essex Police.

He had pushed a chief superintendent into a desk during a disagreement and later hurled a stress ball at his throat. 'My concern,' Sir Stephen wrote, 'is that it is crucial that Cress is not pulled into this and a heated phone call may frustrate that imperative.'

The next day, the Mail revealed that the Home Secretary was ordering a review of the Met's conduct by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

In an email to senior officers and media advisers that morning, Dame Cressida described the move as 'very irritating'.

She insisted she welcomed an 'independent' view of the force  but reiterated that officers could not be investigated again after they were cleared by the policing watchdog.

In an email to senior officers, Dame Cressida insisted she welcomed an 'independent' view of the force  but reiterated that officers could not be investigated again after they were cleared by the policing watchdog

The investigation ordered by Miss Patel, completed last March, found that Scotland Yard's bosses were more concerned with 'restricting access' to Sir Richard's report than learning lessons from it. It added that the Met had 'initially not done enough to learn the lessons from the Henriques report'.

Earlier, as the force braced itself before Sir Richard's report was published, Sir Stephen was sent a note from Rebecca Lawrence, chief executive of the CPS, regarding advice on Operation Midland.

A summary of a December 2015 meeting between three Scotland Yard detectives and CPS lawyer Sally Walsh in London, the note referenced the report of psychologist Bernice Andrews, an expert in historic child abuse, who had interviewed Nick.

Professor Andrews' report had only been commissioned by the Met eight months after raids on the homes of Lord Brittan, Lord Bramall and Harvey Proctor.

The meeting summary said: 'We commenced by discussing the 'elephant in the room', namely Professor Andrews' report to the effect that, in the absence of corroboration, 'there must be serious doubt about the reliability of Nick's memories'.'

The note added: 'The police felt this was helpful in that it showed that we would be unable to rely on Nick's account alone in any prosecution but [name redacted] and Sally [Walsh] were clear that this report has fatally undermined the enquiry. We suggested that it should now be abandoned.'

Last night Mr Proctor, who lost his home and job as a result of the botched investigation, said: 'This cover-up of the faults and misconduct within Operation Midland from 2014 to 2016 amongst the most senior officers at the Met is despicable.

'Rather than allocate blame they have conspired to protect the very officers responsible for criminality and ineptitude by shielding them from media observation and from the very justice system they have taken oaths to uphold.

'Had the Met done what the CPS told them to do in December 2015, Field Marshal Lord Bramall would not have had to suffer a further month of torture before he was finally no further actioned and I would not have had to suffer for a further three months.'

Other emails show how the Met tried to gain support from the Mayor of London and the CPS when drafting information to issue to the public. In one email to Mr Horne, he was asked whether Sadiq Khan or his deputy 'would be prepared to say publicly that they believe we have struck a good balance'.

The Metropolitan Police last night issued a lengthy statement  from Sir Stephen House, rather than Dame Cressida  addressing recent criticism.

The deputy commissioner said: 'There have been calls for further inquiries or investigations to take place. However, Operation Midland is without doubt one of the most scrutinised investigations in policing history. There is no cover-up and nor has there been one.

'I want to say clearly that [the Met] is truly sorry for the harm caused by the mistakes made... and we fully understand why many of those people directly affected by the lies of Carl Beech and the investigation which followed remain deeply unhappy.

'The Commissioner and I have met Lord Bramall and Lady Brittan which has allowed us to apologise in person and to better understand how they feel.

'I want to reassure you that the lessons that have been learnt, are being acted upon and that we are absolutely determined to keep making progress in implementing those lessons.'

...but Priti refuses to back her three times

Dame Cressida's future at Scotland Yard was plunged into doubt yesterday after Priti Patel refused three times to publicly back her.

Hours after a former judge urged the Home Secretary to open a criminal inquiry into Operation Midland, Miss Patel was quizzed on live radio about the Met Commissioner's future.

Asked by LBC host Nick Ferrari if she had confidence in Dame Cressida, Miss Patel said: 'I'm working with the Commissioner, absolutely, on some of the measures and reforms they have been tasked with in terms of their own standards and performance.'

Home Secretary Priti Patel refused three times to publicly back Dame Cressida

Mr Ferrari interrupted: 'I'm going to say you don't have confidence in the Commissioner?' Miss Patel replied: 'No, I work with the Commissioner.'

Mr Ferrari continued: 'You work with a lot of people, I work with a lot but I don't have confidence with everyone I work with.'

Miss Patel responded: 'She [Dame Cressida] has done a lot of great work. She oversees the largest police force in the country.'

Of retired judge Sir Richard Henriques's open letter calling for an independent investigation into Operation Midland, published in yesterday's Mail, Miss Patel said: 'There are still questions. Rightly so, some have been put to me today, actually, very publicly in newspapers.

'The police are not above the law and there are many questions that still need looking at and [investigating]. I've seen the letter this morning and it is absolutely my responsibility to go back and look at some of these questions that are being posed.'

Dame Cressida oversaw the creation in 2014 of Operation Midland, led by former Met deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse. She has been keen to distance herself from the subsequent shambles.

A spokesman said Boris Johnson and Miss Patel have 'absolute confidence' in the Met chief

Following the LBC interview, which appeared to leave a question mark hanging over the Commissioner's future, a spokesman for Miss Patel said: 'As the Home Secretary said, she works with Cressida Dick everyday. The Home Secretary has full confidence in her to do her job.'

Downing Street also moved to avoid Dame Cressida being seen as a lame duck. A spokesman said Boris Johnson and Miss Patel have 'absolute confidence' in the Met chief.

Of the force's bungled abuse probe, which saw former home secretary Lord Brittan's homes raided following his death, a No 10 spokesman said: 'This was a deeply concerning case and the PM's thoughts are with Lady Brittan, her late husband and others affected.

The Prime Minister has complete confidence in the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, as does the Home Secretary.

'They are working together to reduce crime and protect the public from the threats posed by serious criminals, terrorism and the coronavirus pandemic. Both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have absolute confidence in her as we work together with the police to make our streets safer.'

Thunderstorms and snow moved through southwestern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, covering roads and mountains in the Abha region in white.

Snow landed in the town of Tabab in the afternoon and was accompanied by cold winds, the Saudi national meteorological authority said.

In Abha, the summers are long, warm, arid, and partly cloudy, while the winters are short, cool, dry, and mostly clear.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)

For more than two months, a 73-year-old cancer patient fought COVID-19 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

His doctors did genomic sequencing on blood and respiratory samples collected as he got better and then, suddenly, worse. They chronicled the emergence of a slew of coronavirus mutations  including an ominous one that is part of strains from the United Kingdom and South Africa now sweeping around the globe, threatening the effectiveness of new vaccines.

The thing is, the UPMC researchers did the sequencing after the patient died, months before those countries identified the variants and sounded alarms in December.

Similar reports of patients who succumbed or barely survived worrisome new coronavirus strains  months before scientists were on the lookout for those particular strains  have been published by researchers in Boston and London, and at the National Institutes of Health.

These patients all had severely weakened immune systems, long-running COVID-19 infections, and treatments intended to boost their immune response. For the virus, they were the perfect hosts for speeding up natural evolution and accumulating escape mutations  DNA changes that would give the microbe a survival advantage and enable it to outcompete other variants if it started spreading in the community.

What this suggests, researchers say, is that mutations that make the virus more transmissible and more intractable are arising repeatedly, spontaneously, independently  and largely undetected  around the world. Scientists call it convergent evolution.

Its pretty remarkable that many of the mutations that characterize the U.K. and South African variants actually first emerged in the spring and summer of 2020, months before news reports of these new variants began to circulate, said Ghady Haidar, a transplant infectious disease physician at UPMC and senior author of a case report on the 73-year-old cancer patient. This is exactly what happened with our patient: We discovered all these mutations and were stunned at how quickly the virus evolved, but it wasnt until the winter of 2020 that we realized that these are the same mutations that the U.K. is reporting.

This phenomenon has implications for treating immune-compromised patients, for new waves of the pandemic, and, most of all, for vaccinating our way out of it.

A variant grows dominant

Viruses invade cells, hijack the cells molecular machinery, replicate, then break out and infect more cells.

The novel coronavirus uses its thorn-like spike protein to bind to a receptor called ACE2 on the surface of cells and then break in.

Cells lining the nose and lungs are particularly laden with ACE2.

As the virus copies itself, it occasionally makes errors in its genetic code  a typo here, a deleted letter there. Most mistakes are harmful or insignificant to the virus, but a few are beneficial.

The British variant, known as B.1.1.7, has a collection of mutations, including eight that make the spike protein bind more tightly to ACE2. As a result, the virus infects more cells, the viral load grows, and transmission increases. The British variant is now in 60 countries, including the U.S., where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts it will become dominant next month.

The South African strain and a similar one that emerged independently in Brazil are potentially even more threatening. Not only do they attach to airway cells efficiently, but they also block the action of certain disease-fighting antibodies  including some antibodies marshaled by the new COVID-19 vaccines.

Mutant strains are also developing ways to elude the hard-won arsenal of COVID-19 treatments, as the Pittsburgh patients chronic infection showed.

First cancer, then COVID-19

The patient had been controlling his multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable blood cancer, until 2018, when he relapsed and underwent a stem cell transplant. The procedure is drastic, basically destroying and then rebuilding the immune system to get rid of the part making diseased blood cells.

Even that gave him only a respite from the cancer. In early 2020, as the pandemic hit, his UPMC specialists recommended an experimental but promising approach that would involve bioengineering his own immune system T cells to target and kill his malignant cells.

T-cell therapy had produced near-miraculous cures in other types of blood cancer, but at the cost of short-term and permanent immune system damage. Healthy B cells, a key part of protective immunity, are collateral victims of T-cell therapy, so patients need lifelong shots of antibodies to compensate for the loss.

Thirteen days after his T-cell infusion, the patient went home, his cancer on the wane.

But 12 days later, he was back in intensive care, coughing and struggling to breathe. He had COVID-19.

Besides oxygen, he received blood plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient, and a five-day course of the antiviral remdesivir. Both were only marginally effective in clinical trials, but at that point, no other COVID-19 treatment was approved.

And no one understood yet that certain therapies might make things worse for immune-compromised patients, and better for the virus.

The virus evolves and thrives

Two major evolutionary forces are driving changes in the spike protein, as Wired magazine explains: Interacting with ACE2, and getting clobbered by neutralizing antibodies.

Since humans dont evolve fast enough to alter the ACE2 receptor to foil the spike protein, that leaves the job to antibodies  and later on, the cellular immunity conferred by T cells and B cells.

For a century, various diseases had been treated with a low-tech therapy: antibody-laden blood plasma donated by recovered patients.

In the early, stab-in-the-dark days of the pandemic, hospitals embraced convalescent plasma for COVID-19. Plasma remains controversial, and early this month, the Food and Drug Administration restricted its use, because updated data show benefit only if the plasma has very high antibody levels, and only in newly hospitalized recipients with impaired antibody immunity.

The Pittsburgh patient  who had no B cells and depleted T cells because of cancer treatment  received two infusions of plasma, the last one three days before his death of respiratory failure. He also received the steroid dexamethasone, which tamps down life-threatening inflammation  by inhibiting normal immune response.

Nonetheless, he kept testing positive for COVID-19. At the time, experts believed that such lingering positivity did not mean the patient was still infectious. The Pitt researchers data indicated otherwise.

Our findings suggest that certain severely immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 may require isolation longer than the 20-day period currently proposed by the CDC, they wrote.

Equally chilling, the patient eventually had no antibodies, despite the plasma therapy. The virus, meanwhile, evolved to have numerous mutations in the spike protein, including the one that tightly binds it to the ACE2 receptor. The researchers concluded that the patient, with practically no biological defense, had uncontrolled viral replication and overwhelming [COVID-19] pneumonia.

They also urged caution in use of convalescent plasma in patients with immune suppression of both T cell and B cell arms, and suggested plasma should be limited to studies that follow such patients outcomes.

They are the victims

So far, no one has traced transmission of a mutant coronavirus strain from an immune-compromised patient to a close contact  say, a hospital worker or family member  and then into the community. But it is plausible, considering the vast pool of immune-weakened people, including those with HIV infections, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplants.

Paul Duprex, a coauthor of the UPMC case report, hastened to say such patients should not be subjected to a horrible side effect of the pandemic: prejudice.

We have to remember not to see them as the people who are generating these new viruses, said Duprex, a molecular geneticist and director of Pitts Center for Vaccine Research. They are the victims. They already have trouble clearing infections, so they are doubly vulnerable. Variants are also arising in normal individuals.

There is evidence that the latest immune-boosting COVID-19 therapies, synthetic monoclonal antibodies, may also supercharge viral evolution in immunocompromised patients. Lab experiments, published in the journal Cell by researchers in Scotland, showed that a coronavirus variant evaded monoclonal antibodies.

What about the new Pfizer and Moderna vaccines? These and other COVID-19 immunizations are the linchpin of global hopes for building enough immunity in enough people that transmission is stopped, snuffing out the pandemic. But these inoculations work primarily by generating a torrent of antibodies that variously disable the spike protein. Immune-suppressed people were excluded from clinical trials, so how well the vaccines work in them is not clear.

So far, lab experiments show Pfizer and Moderna remain potent against the worrisome variants, although the South African strain reduced Modernas antibody levels sixfold. Moderna announced it is developing a booster shot, just in case its needed.

And it might be. The virus is ever-evolving. While that Darwinian process appears to be foreshortened in immune-compromised people, it may also be abetted by other factors: repeated resurgence in community transmission. People who reject precautions such as masking. Inept vaccine rollouts. A lack of rollouts in some poor countries.

I am quite convinced that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of variants with similar mutations emerging around the world right now, Tulio de Oliveira, a geneticist and bioinformatician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, told Wired magazine.
More than 390,000 volunteers devoted themselves to the country's fight against COVID-19 in 2020, the Red Cross Society of China said.



The volunteers carried out health monitoring and screening at communities and offered help to people in need, rendering more than 71 million hours of service to over 7.5 million people in 2020.

It was the largest volunteer service campaign ever organized and mobilized by the red cross society in China, the organization said.
Cryptocurrencies offer Nigeria an opportunity to cement its place as a knowledge-based economy and attract the investment needed to stimulate growth. The CBNs ban threatens Nigerias competitive positioning in the global technology industry and sends a negative signal to foreign investors who provide Nigerian technology companies with much needed capital.

An Overview of Cryptocurrency

A blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated across a network of computer systems. Cryptocurrencies are digital payment systems that rely on blockchain technology to verify transactions. They can be used as a medium of exchange for goods and services, and do not require a central authority, as governance is performed through a distributed consensus of the currencys users.

Over the past few years, global attention has shifted to cryptocurrencies due to their potentials to enable fast and cheap transactions, while opening up possibilities for innovation in sectors such as telecommunications and finance. This interest has led to a large influx of capital into the cryptocurrency market, which is now valued at over one trillion United States dollars.

The Utility of Digital Assets

Bitcoin is currently the worlds largest cryptocurrency. It enables peer-to-peer transactions between users, which can be settled in a matter of minutes, regardless of the physical distance or difference in the banking/financial systems of their users countries of domicile. Currently, one of the most considerable barriers to commerce and trade is the movement of money due to the high cost and complicated processes involved when making payments through banks and other traditional financial institutions. For instance, international transactions are settled mainly through the SWIFT protocol, which provides an interface for banks worldwide to transfer money in various currencies. However, this can be done far more efficiently through cryptocurrency due to the potential for globally available, uniform methods of exchange.

To give context, most banks charge between 1-2.5 per cent for international transfers. For a $500 million transfer, bank charges may go up to $5 million. A Bitcoin transfer of the same amount will not exceed $500.

Cryptocurrency In Nigeria

Globally, technology has created a nexus of opportunities that have enabled economic growth, wealth creation, and poverty reduction. Nigerias large youth population, coupled with rising internet adoption and smartphone penetration, have made it a force to be reckoned with in the technology space. We currently stand at a crossroads in terms of technology adoption, and many have suggested that in the present internet age, technology holds the potential to propel Nigeria to sustained growth and development.

Nigerians caught on to the cryptocurrency trend early on, and many have been able to create opportunities for themselves and the country through cryptocurrency trading and service provision. Research has shown that in 2020 alone, over $400,000,000 (N190 billion) worth of cryptocurrency was traded by Nigerians; a large amount of this volume was processed by Nigerian exchanges. For instance, Buycoins, an indigenous cryptocurrency exchange, had $141,395,605 traded on its platform in 2020 alone. The company had previously raised $1.2 million from foreign investors to expand its operations. Indigenous exchanges provide value to the country through tax revenues, as well as the added benefit of making Nigeria a stakeholder and avid competitor in the one trillion-dollar cryptocurrency market.

The CBN Ban

The Central Bank of Nigeria recently instructed banks to identify and close the accounts of cryptocurrency transacting entities. CBNs decision is based on its understandable concerns that: By creating an unregulated person to person financial system that often guarantees anonymity, cryptocurrencies can facilitate criminal activities; that many other countries and at least one well known investor have made pronouncements warning against the use of cryptocurrency; and that cryptocurrencies neither have intrinsic value nor do they create value

The CBNs decision will have a number of repercussions on cryptocurrency trading in Nigeria and the economy as a whole, with some of these issues discussed below.

The CBN argued that many other countries have prohibited cryptocurrencies and that at least one notable investor has warned against their use. This is only partially so. The whole truth is that a majority of countries have allowed trading in cryptocurrencies and put legislation in place to ensure investor protection.

Nigerias Position In the Global Technology Industry

Prior to the ban, Nigerian companies had begun gaining a foothold in the cryptocurrency industry and putting up stiff competition to foreign service providers. In effect, the CBN ban has made the operation of these companies illegal, thereby removing them from the one trillion-dollar market where they had thus far created value. The immediate effect of this will be the loss of millions of dollars of revenue to foreign competitors. Furthermore, cryptocurrency exchanges, like many other custodial services, operate on the basis of trust, which many may have difficulty recovering due to the abrupt nature of the halt in trading services. The decision may also affect the inflow of foreign capital to the Nigerian technology industry due to a perception of unfriendly and inconsistent policies.

The Potential For Facilitation of Crimes

While it is true that the relative anonymity offered by certain cryptocurrencies could be used for unlawful activity, the reality is that illegal transactions occur mainly through privacy coins, which allow senders and receivers to remain anonymous with different levels of dsicreteness, such as hidden wallet addresses and transaction balances. These were not mentioned or addressed in CBNs releases on this issue. It is important to note that the majority of cryptocurrencies exist on public blockchains as transparency underpins their utility, which makes them a poor choice for illegal activities. National enforcement agencies can easily perform forensic audits of blockchains to reveal the identities of anonymous users committing illegal acts. Several countries have used this and similar methods to track down individuals who conduct illegal activities through the cryptocurrency.

Recently, privacy coins have been a major focus of regulation in countries around the world. For instance, in South Korea and Japan, the trading of privacy coins has been banned. This resulted in exchanges domiciled within these countries delisting these coins and not permitting further trading in them. A similar action in Nigeria would have gone a long way to curb illicit transactions, as indigenous exchanges are under the control of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and could have been restricted from dealing in privacy coins. As earlier noted, since the ban was placed, exchange traded volume has fallen, while peer-to-peer volume, which the regulatory authorities have no control over, has risen exponentially.

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Addressing Concerns Raised by the CBN

The CBN argued that many other countries have prohibited cryptocurrencies and that at least one notable investor has warned against their use. This is only partially so. The whole truth is that a majority of countries have allowed trading in cryptocurrencies and put legislation in place to ensure investor protection.

Also cited in the CBNs report was a remark from Warren Buffet that the cryptocurrency is a gambling device and a mirage because many buy it not as a means of payment, but in the hope that they can sell it for higher than they bought it. Again, this presents a largely one-sided argument. Institutional interest in the cryptocurrency has never been higher.

Elon Musk has fiercely advocated for cryptocurrency usage; his company (Tesla) recently bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoins and has said that the currency will be accepted as a payment method for their products.

Deutsche Bank recently said that while only a decade old, digital currencies have already been shown to have the potential to radically change payments, banking, central banking and the balance of economic power.

Bill Gates also holds the view that, Transforming the underlying economics of financial systems through digital currency will help those in poverty directly, and it will also support a host of other development activities, including health and agriculture.

If the SEC noticed fraudulent transactions being passed through an exchange, it could easily place a ban on the exchange and investigate the source of funds, which would have either been deposited or withdrawn through a bank as part of a particular transaction or set of transactions.

Grayscale, a publicly traded investment management firm, launched cryptocurrency trusts, which enable institutional investors to gain exposure to digital assets. The company currently has over $30 billion of cryptocurrency assets under management, primarily owned by companies and high net-worth individuals.

The CBN argued that cryptocurrencies have no intrinsic value and neither do they create value.

Fiat currencies such as the naira and dollar are believed to have value due to the backing by respective governments and the trust individuals have in these governments. A statement by the US Federal Reserve of St. Louis stated that: Bitcoin is not the only currency that has no intrinsic value. State monopoly currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, the euro, and the Swiss franc, have no intrinsic value either. They are fiat currencies created by government decree. The history of state monopoly currencies is a history of wild price swings and failures. This is why decentralised cryptocurrencies are a welcome addition to the existing currency system.

Paper currency replaced trade by barter because it was a more efficient medium of exchange and addressed problems of trust and reciprocity. Cryptocurrencies are a more efficient medium of exchange due to the transparency, speed and lower transaction fees which they provide. In any event, the decentralised nature of cryptocurrencies makes it almost impossible to stop their usage. Even though Nigeria has banned cryptocurrencies, there is no way to stop the movement of digital assets within the country, as there is no central authority that issues these currencies. Instead, there is a decentralised network that operates through millions of servers spread around the world. For Nigeria to stop cryptocurrency trading within the country, it would need to shut down every server around the world that processes cryptocurrencies. In the few days since the ban, Nigeria has risen to the country with the second-largest volume of peer-to-peer bitcoin transactions in the world. Before the ban, most of this volume was traded through indigenous exchanges that paid tax in Nigeria and were being monitored and regulated by the SEC.

So, the question is whether more robust regulation could not at least save the baby from the rejected bath water? Other jurisdictions have approached the issues in this more preservatory way.

The United States has taken a two-pronged approach to cryptocurrencies. First, cryptocurrencies are allowed to be traded within the country; this is guided by a regulatory framework for currencies and exchanges. Secondly, the countrys securities and exchange commission created a cyber unit that prevents misconduct and enforces sanctions on erring players in the industry. The U.S. SECs oversight has built confidence and created a relatively safe operating environment where consumers and service providers are adequately protected, while improprieties are closely monitored. This resulted in an influx of capital to cryptocurrencies and service providers domiciled within the United States. ICE, the New York Stock Exchanges parent company, launched Bakkt in 2015; the enables futures trading of bitcoin and allows institutional players access to the market. In 2020, over $12 billion worth of bitcoin was traded through bakkt.

The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission had previously released guidelines for service providers within the cryptocurrency space. The operation of Nigerian exchanges allowed a level of oversight of digital assets traded within the country. If the SEC noticed fraudulent transactions being passed through an exchange, it could easily place a ban on the exchange and investigate the source of funds, which would have either been deposited or withdrawn through a bank as part of a particular transaction or set of transactions.

Conclusion

Cryptocurrencies offer Nigeria an opportunity to cement its place as a knowledge-based economy and attract the investment needed to stimulate growth. The CBNs ban threatens Nigerias competitive positioning in the global technology industry and sends a negative signal to foreign investors who provide Nigerian technology companies with much needed capital. Rather than being banned, cryptocurrencies should be allowed and closely regulated to curb illicit activities.

Fiyin Osinbajo wrote from the United Kingdom.
South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed close bilateral cooperation for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during their first phone talks on Friday, said the South Korean foreign ministry, reported Yonhap News Agency.

"The minister and the secretary stressed that they will cooperate closely for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," said the press release of the foreign ministry.

The move comes against the backdrop of stalled talks between Pyongyang and Trump's administration. Seoul seeks to strengthen policy coordination with the administration of US President Joe Biden to resume the dialogue and ensure that the North Korean nuclear issue remains among Washington's top foreign policy priorities.

The leaders also shared the importance of their countries' cooperation with Japan in the conversation.

In Washington, the State Department said Blinken pledged "full partnership" to strengthen the alliance.

"The secretary ... pledged full partnership to enhance the strength of the US-ROK Alliance (Republic of Korea), which is the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity for Northeast Asia, a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and across the world," read the US State Department statement.

"Secretary Blinken highlighted the importance of continued US-ROK-Japan cooperation, underscored the need for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," added the statement.

The South Korean release stated, "They also shared the understanding that it is important to continue cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan and shared concerns over the recent situation in Myanmar."

The two sides also reaffirmed that the South Korea-US alliance is a "linchpin" of peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and the entire world, and agreed to continue to develop the alliance to contribute to responding to pending global challenges and promoting shared values, said the South Korean ministry.

In addition, both leaders agreed to hold high-level consultations as soon as possible to discuss pending bilateral issues.

The ministry did not elaborate on the bilateral issues, but they are expected to include coordination on a strategy to bring Pyongyang back to dialogue and other issues such as protracted negotiations on the sharing of the cost for stationing American troops here, reported Yonhap News Agency.

(ANI)

Also Read: US secures 200 more doses of Moderna, Pfizer vaccines

Recall and referendum may sound like perfectly sound ideas, so that ordinary citizens can launch grassroots efforts to remove an elected official, pass or repeal a law, or change the state constitution.

But an idea that may have seemed like progressive populism when it first emerged in the U.S. over a century ago is a bad idea today. In advancing the proposal, state Republicans are really making a desperate play as an out-of-power party that has been co-opted by sycophants of Donald Trump  pushing a notion that could turn New Yorks electoral system into a chaotic Trumpian mess of never-ending grievance campaigns based on personal attack politics and disinformation.

Consider how they unveiled this idea, describing it as a New Process to Remove Cuomo. State GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy portrayed Gov. Andrew Cuomo as wildly unpopular, suggesting that a poll found voters would like to get rid of him right now. In fact, Mr. Langworthy cherry-picked results from a Zogby poll that asked voters about electing the governor to a fourth term in 2022, not removing him today. And both that poll and a recent Siena survey found Mr. Cuomo with strong favorability and job approval ratings, in the 55-57 percent range.

What Mr. Langworthy and his fellow Republicans are sore about is that Mr. Cuomo is the governor at all, and that after years of Republicans blocking legislation to improve womens rights, criminal justice, and state elections, voters handed the legislative majorities entirely to Democrats.

The proposal by Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, would allow people to petition to call a vote to recall statewide elected officials, legislators and judges, change laws, or amend the state constitution. Varying numbers of signatures would be required  300,000 to put a law on the ballot, or about 730,000 to recall the governor. So just 12 percent of the people who voted in 2018 and merely a third of those who voted for the GOPs losing candidate  could force a recall vote.

Weve seen the problems this has caused in states like California, where action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor in 2003 with only a plurality of the vote on the recall of Gov. Gray Davis, and where an anti-immigrant measure passed by voters was overturned by courts.

Its even more risky today with the demonstrated ability of bad players to use social media to rile the public with false information, whether its the lie of a stolen election or an ongoing crusade to amend the Constitution to make members Congress subject to the laws they pass  as in fact they already are. New York has enough challenges without having to drop everything whenever someone hits on some nutty but viral idea or gets enough sore losers to sign a petition.

Both our federal and state governments are republican systems  with a small r  not purely democratic ones  with a small d. Republics are based on representative government, in which we elect people to thoughtfully craft and deliberate on laws that we can all live with  and that serve the people, not a political party that cant get over the last election.

If New York Republicans want to come back from the political wilderness, the way to do that is with ideas that appeal to a majority of voters, not schemes to do end runs around them.
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A fascinating photo album that highlights the perilous nature of landing fighter planes on aircraft carriers at the start of the Second World War has been unearthed.

The black and white snaps were taken in 1939 and show Royal Naval biplanes coming a cropper while practising take-offs and landings on HMS Courageous, a converted battlecruiser.

Commodore Edwin Whittle, the owner of the album, photographed the dramatic moment a Fairey Swordfish biplane crashed during take-off and plummeted into the sea.

The wreckage of the aircraft can then be seen being lifted out of the water with a crane.

A fascinating photo album that highlights the perilous nature of landing fighter planes on aircraft carriers at the start of the Second World War has been unearthed

The black and white snaps were taken in 1939 and show Royal Naval biplanes coming a cropper while practising take-offs and landings on HMS Courageous, a converted battlecruiser. The HMS Courageous was the leading ship in the Courageous-class of cruisers built during the First World War. It was converted into an aircraft carrier in the 1920s

Commodore Edwin Whittle, the owner of the album, photographed the dramatic moment a Fairey Swordfish biplane crashed during take-off and plummeted into the sea. The Fairey Swordfish was a biplane torpedo bomber which operated throughout the war despite its dated design

What was the Fairey Swordfish? The Fairey Swordfish was a biplane torpedo bomber which was operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The plane was introduced in 1936 and its design was reminiscent of rudimentary biplanes flown during the First World War. Even though other nations, including main adversary Germany, had long been producing all-metal monoplane aircraft, the Swordfish was the navy's only effective torpedo, bombing and anti-submarine aircraft. The plane's greatest achievement came early in the war in 1940 when a fleet of the planes was launched against Italian naval ships. Three enemy battleships, plus a cruiser and several destroyers, were torpedoed. Only two planes were lost. Torpedoes fired from the planes also sank the German battleship the Bismarck. Overall, 2,391 Swordfish were manufactured. Later in the war, the planes were used to hunt for German submarines in the North Sea late at night. Advertisement

HMS Courageous was converted from a cruiser into an aircraft carrier to take advantage of the evolution of aviation as a weapon in naval warfare, enabling attacks to be launched at sea.

Images in Commodore Whittle's album also show the vessel in dry dock being fitted and members of the Navy training to use gas masks.

British aircraft from the RAF's 811 and 822 Squadron were launched off the vessel in the early days of World War Two to find and destroy German U-Boats in home waters.

But its importance did not escape the Germans and the 735ft-long vessel was torpedoed and sunk in September 1939, killing more than 500 of the crew.

Commodore Whittle also served on board the heavy cruiser HMS Sussex and light cruiser HMS Arethusa, with his photos documenting life at sea.

One photo features him meeting King George VI who travelled across in the English Channel on HMS Arethusa en route to Normandy in June 1944.

There are pictures of divers about to do maintenance work under the vessel and men on land training in gas masks.

However, the crew also enjoyed some downtime and the camaraderie is plain to see as they have a laugh together on a little dinghy.

Commodore Whittle's time on HMS Arethusa included stop-offs to places like Alexandria in Egypt while part of the 15th Cruiser Squadron with the Mediterranean Fleet.

The album, containing 250 photos, was acquired several years ago by a collector, possibly at a car boot or country sale.

It is now going under the hammer with Claydon Auctioneers, of Buckingham.

Commodore Edwin Whittle's photographic archive documents stricken aircraft being recovered from the sea. The Swordfish was introduced in 1936 and its design was reminiscent of rudimentary biplanes flown during the First World War

Images from the album also show members of the navy on dry land training to use gas masks. The men are seen in stark waterproof clothing, complete with hats and boots

British aircraft from the RAF's 811 and 822 Squadron were launched off the vessel in the early days of World War Two to find and destroy German U-Boats in home waters. Pictured: A plane attempting to land on the ship's deck. Even though other nations, including main adversary Germany, had long been producing all-metal monoplane aircraft, the Swordfish was the navy's only effective torpedo, bombing and anti-submarine aircraft

This pilot had a lucky escape, stopping just before his aircraft slipped over the side of the carrier and into the sea. The plane's greatest achievement came early in the war in 1940 when a fleet of the planes was launched against Italian naval ships

Crew members are seen lining up on deck for a group photo in their smart navy uniforms

The wreckage of an aircraft which crashed during take-off was pictured by Commodore Whittle being lifted from the sea by a crane

Another warship is seen above with a biplane lashed to its side. The plane had earlier crashed into the sea

Commodore Whittle also served on board the heavy cruiser HMS Sussex and light cruiser HMS Arethusa, with his photos documenting life at sea

This image, taken on board one of the ships which Commodore Whittle served on, shows crew members in the bowels of the ship

A diver takes to the water for essential maintenance work on one of the ships which Commodore Whittle served on during the Second World War

Images in Commodore Whittle's album also show the vessel in dry dock being fitted and members of the Navy training to use gas masks

The evolution of aircraft carriers Early versions of aircraft carriers were produced towards the end of the First World War. Initially, the ships were converted from their original functions so that they could accommodate plans. This was the case for the HMS Courageous. However, by the mid-1920s, dedicated carriers had been designed and ordered. HMS Argus, which was commissioned in 1924, was the world's first ship to be designed as an aircraft carrier. When World War Two broke out, Britain only had rudimentary seven aircraft carriers. Only one of them, the HMS Ark Royal, was modern, having been commissioned in 1938. The Illustrious class of aircraft carriers were introduced in 1939. They included the eponymous HMS Illustrious, as well as HMS Formidable, Victorious and Indomitable. Later in the war, the Implacable class of two carriers - the Indefatigable and the Implacable - were introduced. Advertisement

Louise Gostelow, auctioneer at Claydon, said: 'The vendor is a collector who likes to explore car boot and country sales for interesting items.

'He was taken by this album which was put together by Commodore Whittle and decided to do more research into him.

'There is a real mixture of photos which provide a fascinating snapshot of life at sea.

'He visited exotic locations including Alexandria and also enjoyed downtime with the crew.

'The pictures of the biplane crash are quite dramatic and there is a photo of George VI.

'This album is a lovely piece of history.'

The sale of the photos, which are expected to fetch 300, takes place on February 18.

The HMS Courageous was the leading ship in the Courageous-class of cruisers built during the First World War.

It was completed in 1916 and was very lightly armoured with only a few heavy guns.

It was decommissioned after the war ended but was then rebuilt as an aircraft carrier during the 1920s.

The reconstruction was completed in February 1928 before being based in Malta.

The ship briefly became a training carrier but reverted to its normal role shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.

It was sunk in September 1939 after being hit by two torpedoes.

The incident led to the loss of life of 519 crew, including the captain.

This image shows crew members enjoying some down time as their ship sailed through the water. One sailor could be seen with a pipe in his mouth while another read next to him

Two crew members wear heavy-duty diving suits as they prepare to undertake maintenance work under the vessel

Pictured: Gas mask training on land. The sale of the photos, which are expected to fetch 300, takes place on February 18
CHENNAI : More than 1,200 Indian garment workers who were fired by a H&M supplier in southern India during coronavirus lockdown last year are set to be rehired in a rare win for labour unions.

Garment manufacturer Gokaldas Exports Limited has agreed to re-employ 1,257 workers - mostly women - who were laid off when it closed a factory near Mysuru in Karnataka state in June, said two Indian unions and global federation IndustriALL.

The organisations said an agreement signed this month with Gokaldas - which has not yet been made public - would also allow the Garment and Textile Workers' Union (GATWU) to negotiate in any factory where at least 20% of the workers were members.

Gokaldas could not be reached for comment. On its website, the company says it is India's largest manufacturer and exporter of clothing, and hires more than 25,000 people at 20 factories.

Swedish retailer H&M - Gokaldas' biggest buyer - said it was "positive that an agreement has finally been reached" but could not give further details as it was not a signatory to the pact.

Jayaram K Ramaiah, legal advisor for Bangalore-based GATWU, said the agreement could set an example for other manufacturers.

"This is not just any win for workers, it is historic," he said, praising the workers for protesting for several weeks.

"We want to take this beyond the present victory ... to create a model factory and a harassment-free environment for all workers," Ramaiah told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone. "This is just the beginning."

Under the agreement, the laid-off workers will be rehired in other Gokaldas factories by August, according to the unions.

India's multi-million-dollar garment industry, which employs at least 12 million people, has faced scrutiny for labour rights abuses and advocates fear the COVID-19 pandemic could put more pressure on suppliers and lead to greater worker exploitation.

UNION-BUSTING

The Gokaldas factory in question was the only one among more than 20 facilities which was unionised, IndustriALL said.

Gokaldas said in June that H&M order cancellations led to the factory's closure yet the brand denied this and stated that it had paid for all products as agreed, according to the union, which criticised the Indian manufacturer for "union-busting".

In several garment-producing countries - from India to Cambodia and Myanmar - activists say factory bosses have used the economic fallout from the pandemic as an excuse to target and fire union members while keeping on non-unionised workers.

In response to questions about the Gokaldas factory, a spokeswoman for H&M said the retailer would continue to strengthen freedom of association in its supply chain.

"We recognise there is a continuous need to address these issues," she said.

The lay-offs were illegal under Indian federal labour law because Gokaldas' management had not engaged with the state government before closing the factory, according to a report in December by the Alternative Law Forum - a legal research group.

Hundreds of workers at the factory protested for about 50 days after the mass firing, and continued to do so despite threats from bosses at Gokaldas, the three unions said.

One of them, 50-year-old Padma - a GATWU member who had worked at the factory for a decade - described the protests as "very tough ... the most difficult I have ever been part of".

"But now that our union is being recognised, I hope any future issues will be settled faster and through talks," the widow and mother of two - who only uses one name - said by phone. "It should not have to take such a long protest again."

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On Thursday, about 3,200 pre-K and special education cluster students were expected to return to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) buildings, along with teachers and staff. An estimated 67,000 K-8 students and thousands of teachers and staff are scheduled to return to classrooms in stages between now and March 8.

The return to in-person learning is the result of an agreement between the Democratic administration of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, CPS CEO Janice Jackson and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU).

Chicago mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, left, speaks Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, during a news conference at the William H. Brown Elementary School as Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice K. Jackson, listens. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar,Pool)

The CTU announced the ratification of the agreement Wednesday morning, the result of a deeply undemocratic procedure. It passed with a vote of 13,681, or 54 percent, accepting the deal, while 6,585, or 26 percent, turned it down. More than 5,000, or 20 percent, did not cast a ballot. The agreement itself was the result of scores of secret negotiations taking place over a period of months, in which the lives and health of CPS staff were being negotiated. Multiple problems were reported during the one-day window to vote.

On the same day Lightfoot returned students and teachers to school buildings, the more infectious B.1.351 variant of COVID-19, originally detected in South Africa, was found in Rock Island, Illinois, near the state border with Iowa. Twenty-three cases of the UK variant, B.1.1.7, have also been reported in the state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike issued a statement, We expected to see more cases of variants detected in Illinois, including the B.1.351 strain. These variants seem to spread more rapidly, which can lead to more cases of COVID-19 and even another surge.

Also on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the central domestic policy of the Biden administration, stating, The president will not rest until all schools are open five days a week. That is our goal. That is what we want to achieve.

The agreement between CPS and CTU has set the bar for the Biden administration, which is working closely with the teachers unions, above all, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, as it reopens other districts in this most dangerous phase of the pandemic. Chalkbeat published comments from University of Las Vegas education policy Professor Brad Marianno on the deal. This is the most comprehensive agreement for reopening schools that we have seen around the country. Its really setting a new standard for other districts.

Regardless of the cosmetic measures put in place by CPS and agreed to by the CTU, the reopening of schools will be a complete disaster. Schools will become major vectors for the spread of COVID-19 throughout the city and the surrounding metro regions, and explosive struggles will unfold as infections and deaths begin to mount.

As Biden seeks to implement this homicidal policy nationwide, struggles over school reopenings will spread across the country. Coinciding with the reopening of Chicago schools, on Thursday 2,000 teachers in Philadelphia defied orders to return for a fourth day this week.

Internationally, opposition to in-person learning is building everywhere. In Sao Paulo 60,000 educators went on strike Thursday against school reopening. They linked up their struggle with tens of thousands of their colleagues in the state network, who walked out earlier in the week, after city leaders ordered them to return to schools before students are set to return on February 15.

The struggle is far from over in the Chicago Public Schools or the wider region. Reports from teachers indicate the first day back in weeks was chaotic, and individual schools have been left to figure out what the CPS-CTU agreement means and how to implement it.

One teacher told the WSWS that administrators in her school were asking teachers to explain certain aspects of the reopening agreement to them. In a Facebook post that was screenshot and went viral on other platforms, one teacher noted that there was no air purifier in sight in his classroom, but the box the device came in had been stuffed with a plastic bag for a makeshift trash receptacle.

Many teachers who did not get their accommodation requests approved described having to negotiate a process of applying for unpaid leaves of absence. Some are grappling with the decision to quit their jobs entirely rather than risk their own lives and health and those of their family.

Though the vast majority of CPS students will remain remote, CPS CEO Janice Jackson declared that no improvements would be made to remote learning in terms of class time, class size or technology, which she falsely stated are as strong as it can get.

All of this underscores that the sordid events of the last several weeksthe aggressive propaganda campaign against teachers, the lockouts and wage theft by the district, and the CTUs insistence that the deal represented an advance and indeed the best teachers could getwere simply aimed at getting bodies back into the buildings, and have nothing to do with safety or educational outcomes.

Teachers and families in CPS and in districts across the US who are being forced back to in-person learning face serious dangers and will be pressed again to fight for life and health. The fight against school reopenings is a political question: Which class will decide how to respond to the pandemic?

There are two fundamentally opposed programs for addressing the pandemic: that of the capitalist class, whose profit-seeking has caused mass death from COVID-19; and that of the working class, whose fight for life and health demands the expropriation of the pandemic profiteers and the reinvestment of their trillions to provide for the social needs of the working class.

Just as in the vote of February 8, where the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee voiced the needs and interests of teachers fighting for the life and health of the region, the fight for a science-based pandemic policy in the schools in the next phase of the struggle in Chicago will be led by this committee as well. Join and help build the committee today!
A 17-year-old from Allentown is charged with attempted homicide in a shooting Thursday afternoon in the 700 block of South Eighth Street, city police report.

Police responded at 2:30 p.m. and found a man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his leg, a news release said. The man was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Working off a description of a vehicle involved in the shooting, a brief chase led to several people being detained near North 11th and West Chew streets, police said. A gun was found, police said.

Jahiem Valentine, of the 100 block of South 12th Street, was arraigned later Thursday night before District Judge David M. Howells Jr,. on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a minor and recklessly endangering another person, records show. He was housed in Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail pending a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled noon Feb. 19 before Howells, records show.

Jahiem Samaje Smalley, 18, of Orlando, also faces charges in the incident, police said. He was also arraigned late Thursday night before Howells on charges of fleeing or eluding police, reckless driving and driving without a license, records show. He was housed in Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail pending a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled noon Feb. 19 before Howells, records show.

Court papers did not list an attorney for either person.

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 York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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.


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President Joe Biden speaks alongside staff members of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, on Feb. 11, 2021. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Biden Says US Will Have Enough Vaccine for 300 Million People by End of July

President Joe Biden said Thursday that federal authorities have purchased additional doses of Pfizers and Modernas COVID-19 vaccines, putting the government on track to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by summertime.

Biden made the remarks at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, on Thursday, where he spoke about the nations vaccine stockpile, a fraught topic amid reports that demand is far outstripping supply.

Just this afternoon, we signed a final contract for 100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines, with an expected delivery date around the end of July, Biden said.

Both companies also agreed to expedite delivery of 100 million doses by the end of May, about a month ahead of schedule.

Thats a month faster. That means lives will be saved. That means were now on track to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July, Biden said.

Pfizer spokeswoman Sharon Castillo confirmed that it and BioNTech had reached a deal with the U.S. government.

We will deliver 100 million doses by the end of March, a total of 200 million doses by the end of May, and the full 300 million doses by the end of July, she said.

The new vaccine orders, in addition to 400 million doses previously contracted, would allow the United States to vaccinate a total of 300 million people by July 31 using doses from the two vaccines authorized. That would be enough to vaccinate most people in the 331 million population who want it, given that the two vaccines are not authorized for children and that many people have said they dont want shots.

With Americans struggling to get appointments for their inoculations, Biden complained that former President Donald Trump did not do enough on vaccine distribution.

While scientists did their job in discovering vaccines in record time, my predecessorIll be very blunt about itdid not do his job in getting ready for the massive challenge of vaccinating hundreds of millions, Biden said.

Brian Morgenstern, a former White House official involved with the COVID-19 effort, said the Trump administrations Operation Warp Speed program had prepared plans well in advance, aided by many career officials still serving in government.

That is why the new Administrations goals were being surpassed before they even came into office. Enough with the lies, excuses & political potshots. Time to lead, he said.

Trump has expressed pride in the speed of the vaccine development on his watch, with Operation Warp Speed helping to surge vaccine rollout in a historically unprecedented time.

Biden said the U.S. coronavirus death toll is likely to reach 500,000 next month. He urged Americans to wear masks to prevent the spread.

I have been calling on governors, Republican and Democrat, mayors, Republican and Democrat, and local officials to institute mask mandates within their jurisdictions. We need everyone to do their part for themselves, for their loved ones, and yes for their country. Mask up America, Biden said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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A police officer in Essex County has sued the Borough of Roseland and its now-retired police chief for a second time, claiming his civil rights were violated after he won a $50,000 settlement resulting from an earlier lawsuit.

Glenn Carnevale, a 14-year veteran of the Roseland Police Department, claims Chief Richard J. McDonough was angry when Carnevale and other officers settled a lawsuit against the chief and the borough in 2018.

The settlement Carnevale received was for $50,000, which outwardly outraged, annoyed and irritated McDonough, states the suit, filed Tuesday in Superior Court of Essex County.

Carnevale and five other officers sued the borough in October 2014, claiming that McDonough, who retired last year, ran the department like a megalomaniacal despot.

The suit, which eventually was settled for $325,000 divided among the six officers, alleged that McDonough used police cars to run personal errands, manipulated crime statistics, covered up accidents and used the Internal Affairs process as a tool of terror.

Carnevales new lawsuit alleges the police chief developed an insidious and illegal plot to avenge the earlier lawsuit.

McDonough swore revenge upon Carnevale, both inwardly and outwardly to several of his minions within the Roseland Police Department, the lawsuit alleges.

On April 5, 2020, a Roseland resident called McDonough to file a preposterous and completely untrue internal affairs complaint against Carnevale, the suit states.

The chief should have referred the call to Internal Affairs investigators but instead took the complaint himself, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit claims McDonough ignored rules set by the New Jersey Attorney General, stating the complaint should have been handled by Internal Affairs.

By taking the complaint himself and doling out punishments to Carnevale, McDonough violated the officers civil rights the suit states. Carnevale should have been provided with the opportunity to present witnesses and testify in his own defense, the lawsuit states.

Based on the residents complaint, McDonough authorized a finding of guilty, stripped Carnevale of his service weapon and relegated him to desk duty, the lawsuit states.

The action McDonough took against the officer ruined Carnevales future career opportunities with the police department, diminished his earnings and left him humiliated, the suit claims.

In addition to McDonough, the lawsuit names as defendants borough officials, claiming they stood by and did nothing as McDonough allegedly exacted revenge for the earlier suit.

McDonough retired from the police department last fall after 42 years of service, according to the boroughs website. He did not immediately return a message on a cell phone listed in his name and borough officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
WKTV - Thursday night, members of the College-Community Partnership for Racial Justice, which includes all six colleges in Oneida and herkimer counties, held a live and interactive broadcast on WKTV CBS-Utica and community4justice.org to present results from local public opinion surveys on criminal justice and discussed law enforcement reforms in order to help police agencies come up with the final versions on refrom plans to present to the state.

The racial justice movement has given us a chance to improve public safety for everyone in the Mohawk valley. The Partnership and the Levitt Center at Hamilton College are working with local governments to provide evidence-based solutions to problems of equity and effective law enforcement, said Frank Anechiarico, Hamilton College Professor of Government in a press release.

Too many people, too many people of color especially in the black community across New York State and across this country do not feel that they are treated fairly by law enforcement officers, said Patrick Johnson, Director of Safe Streets.

This Town Hall, a result of nationwide civil unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, WI in May, 2020 which was followed by an Executive Order by Governor Cuomo for every locality to adopt a plan for police reform.

The college-community partnership created and received results from 3 different samples of a survey with diversity amongst race, gender, education and income about community wellness, interactions with police and thoughts on alternative forms of policing:

Levitt Center at Hamilton College commissioned by Zogby Strategies, Oneida and Herkimer County adult residents  500 respondents. Gender: 50% female, 50% male; Race: 87% White, 13% Non-White; Education: 31% Bachelors Degree of higher, 44% some college or Associates Degree; Income: 65% $60,000 or less. 211 texting option publicized by the United Way, Oneida County Sherriffs Department and public platforms  150 respondents. Gender: 64% female, 36% male; Race: 85% White, 8% Non-White, 7% declined to answer; Education: 55% Bachelors Degree or higher, 39% some college or Associates Degree; Income: 66% $60,000 or more. Paper survey option (door to door, passerby) in Cornhill Region of Utica  94 respondents. Gender: 47% female, 51% Male, 2% Non-binary/Other; Race: 84% Non-White, 8% White, 8% declined to answer; Education: 3% Bachelors Degree, 36% some college or Associates Degree; Income: 34% between $10,000 and $40,000, 52% $10,000 or less.

Such as, the question of if one has ever been treated inappropriately by the police. 18% of the Zogby sample and 21% of the 211 survey asserted that they have been inappropriately treated, while 56% of Cornhill residents affirm the same.

There was some response fall-off because if you really haven't had interactions with the police you may not respond to this question but of those who responded a majority of Corn Hill residents responded affirmatively that they have been inappropriately treated by the police, said Gbemende Johnson, Hamilton College Professor.

There was a lot of agreement across these survey samples even though there was a great deal of disparity on racial/ethnic identity, on education and on income in many cases and that theres a substantial agreement across the survey samples that racism and ethnic bias are problems in our area in general as well as in the police treatment and court systems, said Veronica Tichenor, SUNY Poly Professor. And that there's a great deal of support for trying to find other ways to deal with problems in the neighborhood like domestic violence, misbehavior due to mental illness and that would suggest that we should be showing some attention on those areas.

Community residency also discussed in community and police relations.

Our community, is 41% non-white and yet our law-enforcement agencies locally are 6% non-white and that creates an issue and that tells us that there is an issue with diversifying the police agencies that serve our community, said Bernard Hyman, Utica College Professor.

Hiring solutions discussed were cluster hires, as hiring a group that more adequately reflect the community its serving along with conviction best practices.

There are many good police officers I will say that again there are many good police officers don't and date them all because you had a bad experience with some, said Patrick Johnson.

Localities must adopt a plan for police reform and submit it to the state by April 1. Oneida County presented its proposed plan for public review, the panel added that the City of Utica, along with several other towns plan to do so in the coming days.

What should we as citizens look for in the police reform plans that are proposed? asks Anechiarico. He then goes on to list: transparency, oversight, racial justice, community orientation and coordination.
In October 2018, Bloomberg posted a controversial report titled "The Big Hack," that was about how China used a tiny chip to infiltrate America's top companies like Apple and Amazon. Apple wasted no time in denying that they were hacked. Apple had even released a full press response wherein they noted that over the course of the past year, Bloomberg had contacted them multiple times with claims, sometimes vague and sometimes elaborate, of an alleged security incident at Apple. Each time, Apple conducted rigorous internal investigations based on Bloomberg's inquiries and each time they had found absolutely no evidence to support any of them. Apple had repeatedly and consistently offered factual responses, on the record, refuting virtually every aspect of Bloomberg's story relating to Apple.

Twenty-eight months later and Bloomberg is back with a follow-up report titled "The Long Hack: How China Exploited a U.S. Tech Supplier." This time the report expands on their original report with a much wider view of their investigation up to 2018, without new evidence.

In context with the streaming wars now in progress, perhaps Bloomberg is trying to get a documentary deal with Netflix or other major streamer, excluding Apple TV+ due to Apple vehemently denying the story in 2018. It could be as or more popular than the recently released documentary on Apple TV titled "The Dissident." Who doesn't like to learn about international spy agencies? There's always deniability and then discovery of half-truths and facts supporting a conspiracy. Most of these documentaries are full of holes but the storylines are always fascinatingly stitched together to produce a big question mark in your mind.

Bloomberg's follow-up report weaves such a compelling story with a mishmash of corporate and former government agency personnel testimony. And of course, some of the big targets in the report like Super Micro have lashed out at Bloomberg's report like any good villain would do in light of a powerful conspiracy theory.

(Click on image to Enlarge)

In an email response by Super Micro that stated the following: "Bloombergs story, as they have characterized it to us, is a mishmash of disparate and inaccurate allegations that date back many years. It draws farfetched conclusions that once again dont withstand scrutiny. Despite Bloombergs allegations about supposed cyber or national security investigations that date back 10 years, Supermicro has never been contacted by the U.S. government, or by any of our partners or customers, about these alleged investigations. Bloomberg has produced no conclusions from these alleged investigations. Nor could Bloomberg confirm to us if any alleged investigation was even ongoing.

To the contrary, several of the U.S. government agencies Bloomberg claims had initiated investigations continue to use our products and have done so for years. Because we recognize that security threats are constantly evolving, we are vigilant and address issues as soon as we become aware of them. For example, years ago, Intel raised a question that we were not able to verify, but out of an abundance of caution, we promptly took steps to address. We have always valued our close partnership with Intel, which has always been strong. Bloomberg continues to attempt to revive its false and widely discredited 2018 story.

In response to those allegations, we have never found any malicious chips, even after engaging a third-party security firm to conduct an independent investigation on our products. Nor have we been informed by any customer or government agency that such chips have ever been found. In 2018, several public and private sector officials rebutted the story on the record.

Then-Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said we "do not have any evidence that supports the article," then-Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated that "weve seen no evidence" of manipulation of Supermicro products, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray warned officials to "be careful what you read" about the 2018 Bloomberg claims, and Apple CEO Tim Cook said "it is 100 percent a lie, there is no truth to it" and urged Bloomberg to "do the right thing" and "retract their story."

Bloomberg's report then noted that "The Supermicro saga demonstrates a widespread risk in global supply chains, said Jay Tabb, a former senior FBI official who agreed to speak generally about Chinas interference with the companys products.

(Click on image to Enlarge)

Tabb, who was the executive assistant director of the FBIs national security branch from 2018 until he retired in January 2020 told Bloomberg that "Supermicro is the perfect illustration of how susceptible American companies are to potential nefarious tampering of any products they choose to have manufactured in China. Its an example of the worst-case scenario if you dont have complete supervision over where your devices are manufactured."

Tabb declined to address specifics of the FBIs probe. However in general he noted that "The Chinese government has been doing this for a long time, and companies need to be aware that China is doing this. And Silicon Valley in particular needs to quit pretending that this isnt happening."

Customized Code

In another chapter of the story, Bloomberg notes that "As military experts investigated the Pentagon breach, they determined that the malicious instructions guiding the Pentagons servers were hidden in the machines basic input-output system, or BIOS, part of any computer that tells it what to do at startup.

Two people with direct knowledge said the manipulation combined two pieces of code: The first was embedded in instructions that manage the order of the startup and cant be easily erased or updated. That code fetched additional instructions that were tucked into the BIOS chips unused memory, where they were unlikely to be found even by security-conscious customers. When the server was turned on, the implant would load into the machines main memory, where it kept sending out data periodically.

Manufacturers like Supermicro typically license most of their BIOS code from third parties. But government experts determined that part of the implant resided in code customized by workers associated with Supermicro, according to six former U.S. officials briefed on the findings.

Investigators examined the BIOS code in Defense Department servers made by other vendors and found no similar issues. And they discovered the same unusual code in Supermicro servers made by different factories at different times, suggesting the implant was introduced in the design phase.

Overall, the findings pointed to infiltration of Supermicros BIOS engineering by Chinas intelligence agencies, the six officials said.

Small batches of motherboards with the added chips were detected over time, and many Supermicro products didnt include them, two of the officials said.

Alarmed by the devices sophistication, officials opted to warn a small number of potential targets in briefings that identified Supermicro by name. Executives from 10 companies and one large municipal utility told Bloomberg News that theyd received such warnings. While most executives asked not to be named to discuss sensitive cybersecurity matters, some agreed to go on the record."

"This was espionage on the board itself," said Mukul Kumar, who said he received one such warning during an unclassified briefing in 2015 when he was the chief security officer for Altera Corp., a chip designer in San Jose. "There was a chip on the board that was not supposed to be there that was calling homenot to Supermicro but to China."

After his in-person briefing, Kumar said, he learned that peers at two other Silicon Valley semiconductor companies had already received the same FBI warning.

"The agents said it was not a one-off case; they said this was impacting thousands of servers," Kumar said of his own discussion with FBI agents.

Frank Figliuzzi, who was the FBIs assistant director for counterintelligence until 2012 told Bloomberg that "Supermicros tale of woe is a chilling wake-up call for the industry." While declining to address specifics, Figliuzzi agreed to speak publicly about the implications of Super Micros history with Chinese tampering.

"If you think this story has been about only one company, youre missing the point," he said. "This is a dont let this happen to you moment for anyone in the tech sector supply chain."

For the full story, read the updated Bloomberg report titled The Long Hack. As I stated earlier, don't be surprised if this story becomes a documentary designed for the streaming market in the next year or two. I personally think it would be a hit, no matter what the truth is.
Schools have done everything that they physically can to protect against Covid-19 with community transmission driving issues

This article is old - Published: Friday, Feb 12th, 2021

Councillors have been told ongoing transmission in the wider Wrexham community has affected schools in the area, rather than schools themselves driving an increase in cases.

The Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Committee met virtually yesterday to discuss a wide ranging update report into the impact of the Covid pandemic on education services locally.

The issue is highly topical with it announced late Wednesday afternoon that Wrexham will deviate from Welsh Government desires to reopen schools from the 22nd, with a more cautious approach being taken locally (more here).

The report itself contains a narrative of work taken, with a range of supporting documentation.





The data before councillors included several tables showing dated snapshots of how many schools had positive cases, how many class based bubbles were closed, how many schools were closed  as well as the numbers of staff and pupils positive.

The report told councillors: Due to the impact of community transmission, a number of schools were required to close contact bubbles as pupils and staff were required to self isolate.

Several schools closed for a short period of time to enable a deep clean to take place to provide further reassurance that all measures to ensure the safety of the school environment were being taken.

In total, there were 185 bubble closures across 60 schools from the start of term to the end of term.

Speaking about the data, Llay councillor Rob Walsh, said: One thing that alarmed me was the number of staff who tested positive for covid, compared with the ratio of the pupils.

Cllr Walsh pondered the reason for the stats and wanted to discover the reason for transmission, adding: Now, there could be a reason because most most pupils are asymptomatic.

Many would have had the virus and not been tested. But, what I want to know and I think its important going forward for schools is, those staff which have contracted Covid, did they contract it from the school environments, or was it from outside?

We do need to know that if we can successfully reopen schools.

Council officer Dafydd Ifans told the meeting: I think its fair to say that what weve seen in schools has largely mirrored what weve seen in terms of the community transmission rates across Wrexham.

We saw a fairly steady picture pre fire break, that increased just slightly before the fire break, and then again just as we saw in the community, the transmission rates lowered, and then they steadily rose.

We saw an enormous spike really going into the Christmas period. That continued to rise after schools have closed. So the last piece of data youve got is on the 18th of December.

Weve carried on monitoring that all the way through to January. So even when schools came back in January, but didnt come back, the the numbers were still very high at that point.

In general Cllr Walsh, we would say that it has been generally community transmission that we have experienced and manifesting itself in schools.

There have been one or two cases where we believe that the transmission has come from the community into the school, and then being transmitted quite quickly through through the school.

In those cases as well weve worked very, very closely with our colleagues in TTP, and with our health and safety colleagues, and then weve taken the decision to close whole schools or quite large sections of schools. Weve gone in and had a look at the arrangements in terms of health and safety.

What we found in all cases, the schools have done everything that they physically can, its not that theyve done something wrong, its just with all the mitigations that got in place, its still impossible.

For example, in one case the number of staff toilets were insufficient. So quite a few members of staff were using the same toilet, and all the regimes you put in place, you cant completely clean a toilet down every time somebody uses it.

It has been really difficult for some of our schools, but in general has been about community transmission coming in.

Mr Ifans added: Going into the situation, after half term, one change that we will have is that we are as a country offering lateral flow device tests to all education staff.

So that will be available on a twice weekly basis to all teachers, teaching assistants, and those working in education settings.

That will probably give us a a fairly good picture of the impact of bringing schools back because as Ive tried to point out, its been quite difficult to separate the community from the in-school transmission.

Thousands of hours of CCTV footage is being analysed and text messages are being translated by police investigating the disappearance of Epping mother Ju Zhang after her boyfriend was charged with her murder.

Joon Seong Tan, 35, faced court via video link from custody on Friday after he was charged on Thursday night with murdering the 33-year-old mother.

Ju Zhang was last seen on February 1 at her Epping home. Credit:Victoria Police

Wearing a grey long-sleeved top, black-rimmed glasses and a blue face mask, Mr Tan required the assistance of a Mandarin interpreter during the short filing hearing.

Prosecutor Michael Roper requested a longer than normal period to prepare the brief of evidence as he said police need time to go through 3500 hours of CCTV footage and to translate a number of text messages from Mandarin to English. This was granted by magistrate Donna Bakos.
Hungary announced on Thursday it expects to receive 500,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine next week and will begin administering them as soon as possible.

Gergely Gulyas, the Head of the Hungarian Prime Minister's Office, said the Sinopharm vaccine would undergo assessment by Hungary's National Public Health Center before being put into circulation.

According to Gulyas, China's Sinopharm is the safest vaccine given it "has already been administered to more than 30 million people in the world".

Hungary, which has been critical of the European Union's sluggish vaccine rollout, also expects 200,000 doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V to arrive this month.

Doctors in Budapest were instructed this week to choose patients under the age of 75 with no chronic health conditions to receive the first round of Sputnik V jabs.

Gulyas said that Hungary's government would introduce a document certifying individuals that have either received two doses of a vaccine or have recovered from the virus.

Those who can produce COVID-19 antibody tests will also be eligible for the document.

Gulyas did not give details on what additional rights might be extended to document holders.

In the past 24 hours 1,852 new coronavirus infections were detected in Hungarian citizens, bringing the number of infected people to 81,297.

Some 3,799 patients with coronavirus have been hospitalised in Hungary - 299 of whom are on ventilators.

Officials said 97 patients died in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of deaths related to coronavirus to 13,444.

According to officials, so far in Hungary, 294,624 people have been vaccinated, of which 117,368 have already received their second dose.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
West Virginia has seen its share of disasters over the last decade, and so it has a ton of experience in the logistical operations that go along with finding vulnerable populations and ensuring the safety of all citizens.The state has dealt with Hurricane Sandy, a derecho that knocked out power to 53 of its 55 counties, endured a thousand-year flood and hosted the National Scout Jamboree.That experience is one of the reasons the state has excelled in vaccinating the masses . Its ranked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the nations top states in getting COVID-19 vaccinations into the arms of citizens.Responding to disasters requires multiple agencies to work together on logistics, and for logistical operations to work relatively efficiently, they have to include input from a lot of different entities and agencies in a coordinated, practiced fashion.Recognizing this, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice created an interagency task force to respond to the multiple disasters, and that task force was deployed as soon as it was apparent the nation was facing a pandemic The interagency task force, I tell people three things about it, said Retired Major Gen. James Hoyer, who leads the task force. It communicates, it coordinates and it synchronizes.So imagine a 10,000-square-foot drill hall at our National Guard headquarters building with 60 work stations, extra ventilation and appropriate barriers and the IT pieces you need in place, and a backup generator, Hoyer said in describing the task force work environment.Thats where the 55 counties are served by local health departments, emergency management agencies, local FEMA, the states hospital and long-term care facility representatives, and the departments of agriculture and education, among others.When the pandemic became evident, the task force, at the behest of Gov. Justice, began strategizing. Among the goals: reduce death rates and hospitalizations; impact the most vulnerable populations, in this case the elderly; and maintain critical services.With a multitude of agencies, including local health departments, contributing data, the task force was able to target which populations would get the vaccines first. The data showed that 50 percent of the deaths were coming from nursing homes and 77.5 percent were people over the age of 70.So you sit down with the governor and you say, OK, were going to go hard and fast at nursing homes, the assisted living facilities, Hoyer said.And the state took a bit of a different tack than other states, eschewing the federal governments first phase of the federal pharmacy program and instead employing the National Guard to deliver vaccines to hospitals and health departments and using independent pharmacies.Also, when the Biden administration took over and FEMA was setting up mass vaccination sites in the states, West Virginia declined.Weve got our 55 networks set up across 55 counties, Hoyer said. Our largest city, Charleston, is only 50,000 people, but that county has a robust health department, a robust emergency management structure and a very robust emergency medical services structure and theyre running a large-scale clinic.The state has vaccinated all nursing home residents and first responders as well as more than 800 employees in two different school districts.Well, on the 28th of January, when [everyone else] was in that week of finishing up first doses through the federal pharmacy program, we finished up our [nursing home] facilities in their second doses, Hoyer said.So we go back to the month of January and our death rates dropped by 46 percent, Hoyer said. Our hospitalizations have gone way down and we have [as of Wednesday] 364 people in all of our state hospitals.Also as of Wednesday, the state had administered all of the vaccines it had.In addressing using an approach that differs from other states, Andrea Lannom, public information officer for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau of Public Health, wrote in an email that 54 percent of the states pharmacies are not chain-affiliated and, if we only opted into the federal program, we felt we would be limiting our ability to distribute and administer the vaccine to the population in need.She added that the state has not opted out of the second phase federal pharmacy partnership and that the only thing holding it back is getting vaccines fast enough.
Pham Duy Khuong, managing director of ASL LAW

How would you evaluate the current investment environment in Vietnam, and which moves by the government and ministries have made important contributions to attracting foreign investors?

Vietnam is one of the few countries in Asia to record positive GDP growth in 2020, and the governments efforts to control and limit the spread of COVID-19 have made the nation a safe destination for foreign investors.

The participation in bi- and multilateral agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, and most recently the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, have showcased Vietnams efforts to improve investment policy, raising expectations of imminent new investments from Europe, along with a shift in investment flows and production bases of many multinational corporations located in China.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are considered an effective tool to help foreign investors access and invest in the Vietnamese market at a cheaper cost and tap on the available advantages to avoid difficulties when adapting to the new business culture and environment.

The government has recently improved the legal framework, with the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) also taking decisive actions to amend and introduce very specific policies. For example, the past concept of conditional business lines for foreign investors was a very general concept, but now the ministry offers a far more compact list, facilitating foreign investment.

Although the investment environment has improved, some foreign investors seem to be hesitant to invest in Vietnam. What could be standing in their way?

Some investment sectors only accept domestic investors, and there is a list of sectors restricted for foreign investments. Although the amended Law on Enterprises removed some sectors from this list, there are still some with limitations in finance and banking. Actors performing M&As in this field are required to operate in the finance and banking sector, which forces many investors to acquire banks, which does not come without certain difficulties.

In addition, some unclear provisions of the Law on Competition have become a barrier to implementing M&A deals in Vietnam. In particular, the Vietnam Competition and Consumer Authority (VCCA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade must be notified of a transaction if the combined market share in the relevant market falls between 30-50 per cent. Transactions that result in a combined market share of more than 50 per cent will be prohibited, except in certain cases.

However, what a relevant market is remains unclear. Although a relevant market is defined in the Law on Competition with two conditions, in practice, it is difficult to determine these, while the decisions of the authorities are still very subjective, causing investors to bear many potential risks in M&A deals.

When the amended laws on Investment and Enterprises took effect in January, what benefits came with them and would these be enough to overcome the above barriers?

The provisions of the amended Law on Enterprises are now relatively open. While the clauses on M&A encouragement, attraction of foreign investors to Vietnam, the elimination of conditional business lines, and institutional and policy clarification are very clear, I believe the main issues will arise during enforcement. For example, the licensing of a business registration takes only 5-7 days on paper but many foreign investors share that it is usually prolonged to several months.

On the other hand, the requirements for documents and procedures in the dossier are too cumbersome compared to other countries in the region, such as Singapore, where one only needs to submit a copy of the dossier via email. Vietnam requires notarisation, consular legalisation, notarisation of translated documents, which all take about a month to complete. Practical problems arising have little to do with the law, but still make investing in Vietnam cumbersome.

What sectors will attract foreign investors in the coming time?

Retail will probably retain its potential, and edutech and fintech will also continue to attract the attention of foreign investors as the pandemic has caused sudden growth in non-cash and online payments, as well as new consumer habits.

Other hot sectors include pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and real estate. There are now many investors waiting for opportunities to buy back real estate projects with great potential despite facing financial difficulties.

What is your assessment of the current investment trends of Vietnamese businesses?

We often forget that many Vietnamese investors are now looking for M&A projects abroad. Vietnamese investors tend to choose enterprises with European or American factories to inherit certificates of origin and certain incentives, based on provisions relating to bilateral agreements, especially regarding the origin and taxation.

In addition, a number of Vietnamese businesses also have franchises in the United States, Australia, and South Korea, proving that this customer segment has the potential to expand.

What factors should Vietnamese businesses consider when investing abroad?

Firstly, they must consider the legal framework of the country in which they intend to invest in, as well as tax incentives, human resources, and local supporting policies. In addition, Vietnamese investors should also conduct a legal appraisal of the project.

If they conduct M&A, they must pay more attention to employee factors, existing non-contractual issues with employees, intellectual property assets (trademark, patent and copyright), credit debt, and tax issues behind the deal. If Vietnamese investors pay full attention to those factors, finding the right projects in a safe investment environment will be more likely.

In particular, under COVID 19 investors should understand about the policies of immigration and visa of the countries where they are going to invest.

With the legal improvements as well as the emergence of new trends, what do you expect the investment environment in Vietnam to look like in the future?

According to statistics from market research firm Euromonitor International based in London, Vietnam can retain its position in the top 20 countries with the highest M&A index in 2021. Along with the successful development of a vaccine, travelling between countries may be easier in the next half year, and I expect investment flows to shift towards Vietnam through new establishments, share repurchases, and M&A activities.

In addition, I also expect the M&A playground to see more Vietnamese businesses. In the past, 90 per cent of all small and medium transactions (under $6-7 million) in Vietnam were carried out by Vietnamese companies, while larger projects have only been tackled by foreign investors.

Hopefully, we will see bigger deals coming from Vietnamese companies this year, which would not only create great resonance but also show that the financial capacity of Vietnamese investors is not inferior to foreign ones.
FP Trending

A group of astronomers have discovered the existence of a planetoid that has become the farthest away object to resides in our solar system. Named informally Farfarout, the planetoid is the most distant object ever observed. The team consisted of the scientists from the University of Hawaii, Carnegie Institution for Science and Northern Arizona University. They have been studying the outer solar system beyond Pluto for years as part of a survey and were responsible for finding the celestial object Farout in 2018 which was the record holder for being the most distant planetoid. And now its record has been broken by Farfarout.

According to a statement released by the University of Hawaii, Farfarout was also first detected in 2018 but researchers were able to pin down its orbit and hence its distance only now. Farfarouts current distance from the Sun is 132 astronomical units (au), where 1 au is the distance between the Earth and Sun.

It is to be mentioned here that Pluto is only 34 au away from the Sun, making Farfarout four times distant from the Sun. it was discovered at Subaru 8-meter telescope located atop Maunakea in Hawaii. As per the statement, the planetoid will be officially given a name once studies are conducted in the years to come to better understand its orbit.

As far as it is understood now, the object has a very elongated orbit thus taking it to 175 au when it is the farthest away. Also, the orbit goes inside the orbit of Neptune, when it is closest to the Sun. This is around 27 au away. One revolution for Farfarout will take about a thousand years.

The shape and elongation of its orbit has to deal with the forces it experiences while crossing by Neptune. Tholen said, Because of this long orbital period, [Farfarout] moves very slowly across the sky, requiring several years of observations to precisely determine its trajectory.

Scientists think an object is an ice-rich object and quite small in size. It is believed to one of the smaller dwarf planets with a size of 400 km across.
STEMOs (Stroke-Einsatz-Mobile) have been serving Berlin for ten years. The specialized stroke emergency response vehicles allow physicians to start treating stroke patients before they reach hospital. For the first time, a team of researchers from Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin has been able to show that the dispatch of mobile stroke units is linked to improved clinical outcomes. The researchers' findings, which show that patients for whom STEMOs were dispatched were more likely to survive without long-term disability, have been published in JAMA.

The phrase 'time is brain' emphasizes a fundamental principle from emergency medicine, namely that after stroke, every minute counts. Without treatment, the brain will lose two million brain cells every minute. When dealing with stroke caused by an arterial blockage in the brain, prompt dissolution of the blood clot - known as thrombolysis - is essential.

Ten years ago, a team led by Prof. Dr. Heinrich Audebert (Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB) and Charite's Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology) set itself the aim of further reducing time to treatment by bringing the necessary diagnostic and treatment procedures to the patient rather than the other way around.

They did so with great success: Berlin's first purpose-built mobile stroke unit, developed in conjunction with the Berlin Fire Department and MEYTEC GmbH, was launched in February 2011. Following years of research, the team was able to confirm that STEMO-based stroke treatment is safe and, more importantly, reduces time to treatment.

Today, the Berlin Fire Department operates three STEMO vehicles. As part of a collaboration between Charite, Vivantes - Netzwerk fur Gesundheit GmbH and Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, these vehicles cover most of the Berlin area. Data from the now-published B_PROUD study show that dispatch of STEMO mobile stroke units is associated with improved outcomes in patients with stroke.

In our study, dispatch of a mobile stroke unit was linked to increased survival and reduced risk of disability. The relative odds of these patients having significant disabilities three months after stroke was 29 percent lower than in patients cared for by the conventional emergency medical services. STEMO dispatch therefore results in significantly more stroke patients returning to an independent life after stroke." Prof. Dr. Heinrich Audebert, Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB) and Charite's Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology

A selection of voices and opinions on the STEMO initiative - from Michael Muller (Governing Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Higher Education and Research), Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer (Chief Executive Officer of Charite), as well as the initiative's partners and other supporters - can be found here.

Under the leadership of Prof. Audebert and the study's first author, Prof. Dr. Dr. Martin Ebinger (Medical Director of the Medical Park Humboldtmuhle Rehabilitation Hospital), the team studied cases of stroke emergencies which occurred in Berlin between February 2017 and May 2019. Whether a STEMO mobile stroke unit was dispatched was effectively decided by chance: if one was available within the relevant area, it was dispatched at the same time as the conventional ambulance, enabling the patient to receive treatment before their arrival in hospital.

A STEMO mobile stroke unit was dispatched in 749 of a total of 1,543 cases analyzed as part of the study (49 percent). If no STEMO was available at the time of the emergency call, only a conventional ambulance was dispatched to ensure transport to a specialist hospital. In 794 cases (51 percent), patients were cared for within the conventional emergency medical system. Using a standardized protocol, the researchers then determined survival at three months post-stroke and the extent of any neurological impairment affecting the patients.

Results from their comparison of the STEMO and control groups were unequivocal. Not only did a greater number of STEMO patients receive thrombolysis (60 percent vs 48 percent in the control group), they received this treatment on average 20 minutes earlier than controls. After three months, approximately 7 percent of patients in the STEMO dispatch group had died. This figure compared with 9 percent in the conventional ambulance group.

Similarly, while approximately 51 percent of patients in the STEMO group reported no stroke-related impairments in day-to-day functioning, the corresponding figure in the control group was only 42 percent. Patients in the STEMO group also scored significantly better on quality-of-life measures.


Black people are underrepresented in at least 77 of 100 N.C. counties.

Such disparities even appear in six counties where Black people comprise the majority of the population: Bertie, Hertford, Edgecombe, Northampton, Halifax and Warren.

White people were most over-represented in the vaccine rollout compared with the overall population in Swain, Mecklenburg, Guilford and Durham counties.

Hispanic residents are underrepresented in at least 93 of 100 counties.

And in the 27 counties where Hispanics account for 10 percent or more of the population, they are underrepresented in 26 counties, including Cabarrus, Catawba, Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Mecklenburg and Union.

New Data, Big Concerns

The Government Should 'Step It Up'

Disparities in Charlotte and the Triangle

In Mecklenburg County, Black residents account for 31 percent of the population, but just 16 percent of the vaccinations. Meanwhile, white residents are 47 percent of the population and received 72 percent of the vaccines so far.

Hispanic people in Mecklenburg, who comprise 13 percent of the population, received 4 percent of the vaccinations.

Union County is 11 percent Hispanic, but just 4 percent of the vaccines have gone to Hispanic people there.

In Wake County, Black people make up 20 percent of the population, and 12 percent of those receiving the vaccine. White people are 60 percent of the residents, and account for 76 percent of those getting the vaccine.

Durham County is 36 percent Black, and so far, 21 percent of the vaccines went to Black people there.

Working to Ease Tensions

Mistrust and Access

Looking for Fairness

(TNS)  Minority communities in all corners of North Carolina continue to be under-represented, in some cases at alarming rates, when it comes to getting coronavirus vaccines, ananalysis of new state data found.At issue is the rate at which people of different races and ethnicities are getting the COVID-19 vaccine compared with their overall population in a given county. The's analysis of state data released last Friday found significant racial and ethnic disparities in urban, suburban and rural counties, and from the coast to the mountains.Among the findings:What's more, Black and Latino communities also have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts say. State leaders have bemoaned the racial and ethnic disparity for weeks now, while vowing to continue to combat it. There are a number of factors that could be causing the disparity, experts say, including: unequal access to transportation to, or information about, large vaccination events; vaccine hesitancy among minority communities; and a potentially higher rate of white people included in groups now eligible for vaccines.At a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper said Black people accounted for 18 percent of those vaccinated in North Carolina last week, up from 11 percent four weeks ago."This is an improvement, but there is more work to be done when North Carolina's population is 22 percent Black," Cooper said. "We're working to address those inequities. We can start by making sure every community has access to these vaccines."And while new cases statewide have moved down from post-holiday peaks, North Carolina just passed a grim milestone, reporting more than 10,000 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic first hit the state last March.North Carolina was one of the first states to release demographic data for vaccinations, DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said Tuesday. The state began releasing that data at a county level on Friday.For its analysis, thereviewed first-dose vaccination rates by race and ethnicity for all 100 counties, in data reported to the state as of Feb. 4.(In some cases, the state did not have data for every race or ethnicity category per county, either because the population size is so small there were privacy concerns or not enough demographic information was provided to the state. But based on the population and reported vaccination rates of other races, thewas able to estimate if there appeared to be an under-representation of a minority group in some of those counties.)The details offer a snapshot in time for vaccination rates by race and ethnicity at the county level, in the midst of the vaccine rollout.Asian residents represent a small slice of the state's total population. But in counties with the highest Asian population rate  Orange, Wake, Mecklenburg and Guilford  all were under-represented in vaccine participation.Or consider Duplin County, north of Wilmington, about an hour from the coast. It had the greatest disparity of any county when it came to the rate in which Hispanics were getting vaccinated. Hispanic people comprise 22 percent of the population there but just 2 percent of those vaccinated so far. Meanwhile, white residents account for about half the population and three-fourths of the people vaccinated in Duplin.Duplin County Health Services officials were not available to comment.Hector Vaca, organizing director for Action NC, isn't surprised to hear that Black and Latinx people are underrepresented in the vaccine rollout."It's terrible," Vaca said of the disparities. "It has a lot to do with the system and the way it's designed. Certain more affluent communities get the news a lot easier and have access to this."Vaca said "the system" was designed to prioritize white people, leaving marginalized communities as "an afterthought."That echoes the thoughts of local Black leaders. Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP President Corine Mack and the Rev. Willie Keaton told thelast week they weren't surprised there was a disparity in vaccine access at the state level.Keaton called the disparity a "manifestation of institutional racism.""We have a divide when it comes to access," Keaton said. "We shouldn't be surprised. It's just reality."In Charlotte, Vaca said, local entities like hospital system Novant Health have been working to address the inequities. But the state and federal government need to make a greater effort to address the issue, he said.That should include broadcasting state news conferences live in Spanish, along with the currently broadcast English and sign language, Vaca said."We're always an afterthought, especially immigrants," he said. "...We need our government to step it up."Strong race and ethnicity disparities also are found in the state's biggest urban centers around Charlotte and Raleigh, the's analysis found. For instance:The state is now asking local providers to prioritize equity in vaccine distribution by ensuring vaccines go to marginalized communities at rates that meet or exceed the county's population estimates for those groups, Cohen said.And the state is setting aside a portion of weekly vaccine allocations to go to events focusing on under-served communities, she said.In Charlotte, hospital systems Atrium Health and Novant Health have both launched initiatives targeting vaccines to marginalized communities.Atrium's mobile vaccine effort has vaccinated more than 1,800 people  61 percent of those people were Black and 10 percent were Latinx, Cohen said. And Novant hosted a vaccination event at the Park Expo & Conference Center last week, partnering with the Park Church, one of Charlotte's largest African-American churches.Mecklenburg County Public Health is also working to get more vaccines to marginalized communities through community vaccine clinics, Deputy Health Director Raynard Washington said in a statement."Public Health and our local vaccine partners are committed to equitably distributing COVID-19 vaccines in our community, including among our Hispanic residents," Washington said. Later this week, the county will hold a vaccine clinic in partnership with the Camino Community Center, targeting the Latinx community, he said.In the Triangle, 16 Raleigh churches held mass vaccine events recently to whittle away at the disparity in vaccine distribution.The partnership between WakeMed and Wake County Public Health provided 1,700 vaccinations at the churches and a community center in Southeast Raleigh, the (Raleigh)reported."By placing it in the community, in the care of trusted community partners such as churches and other community partners, it eases the tensions and the concerns of the community," Pastor Joe Stevenson of Macedonia New Life Church told the paper.There are a number of potential reasons for vaccine disparity among marginalized communities, Novant Health infectious disease expert Dr. David Priest told reporters Tuesday.Access to transportation can be an issue, Priest said. And some people in marginalized communities may not have had access to health care resources in the past, or don't have a regular primary care physician.Novant Health is targeting vaccines to marginalized communities by making sure materials are translated into Spanish, and setting up community vaccination events."The state and all the health care systems are working on that," Priest said. "... I think that's going to get better, but it certainly is a part of everyone's strategy."And some may be hesitant to take the vaccine due to mistrust, Charles Evans, president of the N.C. Association of Black County Officials, said at a state health news conference this week."Some Black and brown citizens may mistrust the vaccine," Evans said. "And I understand why, based on long-standing and continuing racial and ethnic injustice in our health care system. I trust the vaccines because they have been tested  they are safe and effective."If we are going to gain control of our lives, we need to get vaccinated," he added.But Vaca said that while some people may be hesitant to get a vaccine, that is not the only reason for inequity in distribution. In fact, most people Vaca hears from say they want the vaccine."What I've been hearing (from the Latinx community) is they want to get vaccinated," Vaca said. "They want to be able to go back to work, they want to have their families be safe."Some health experts say the way groups are prioritized for vaccines could be a reason for the disparity.Right now, the state is offering vaccines to health care workers, residents and staff at long-term care facilities, and anyone age 65 and up. People in those groups in North Carolina may be predominantly white, UNC School of Medicine professor of social medicine Rebecca Walker told theThe makeup of eligible groups also could explain a disparity in vaccine distribution in Cabarrus County, Cabarrus Chief Community Health Officer Marcella Beam told thein a statement.Approximately 10 percent of the county population is Hispanic, census estimates show, placing it among 27 counties with a Hispanic population of 10 percent or more. But only 3 percent of people getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Cabarrus have been Hispanic, according to state data.Meanwhile, whites make up 66 percent of the population, and have had 83 percent of the vaccines in the county.Cabarrus Health Alliance community partners have reported that most people in the Latino community in Cabarrus are not over the age of 65  so they are not yet eligible for shots, Beam said."We anticipate having a larger opportunity for vaccine administration when we hit (the next eligible group), but we have to start education and engagement now," Beam said.That next group will include front-line essential workers. Black and Latinx workers are much more likely to work in those roles, according to a community survey by advocacy group Action NC on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latinx, Black and immigrant communities.But access limitations will still remain, Vaca said. That's why the state's initiatives to increase equity will be so important in the coming weeks."Once they have access to it, we start seeing more equity," he said. "We start seeing more fairness."

ALBANY  The Iroquois Healthcare Association Workforce Investment Organization will host a Caring Gene Career Fair from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 as.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17 for the Capital Region. The Virtual Recruitment and Training Expo will offer candidates career positions including personal care assistant, home health aide, certified nurse aide, or support staff.

Registration: caringgene.org/careerfair

CINCINNATI, Ohio  A deputy is southwest Ohio has been placed on leave and is being investigated by his sheriffs department after he reportedly posted a flag from a radical militia group on his Facebook profile page.

Hamilton County Deputy Michael Stemmerding kept the flag of the Three Percenters on his personal Facebook page for nearly six weeks, WCPO Channel 9 reports. Three Percenters have been described by the FBI as people who ascribe to extreme anti-government, pro-gun beliefs, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Stemmerding tells WCPO he is not allowed to comment on the investigation. But Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey called the use of the flag by the deputy very concerning, very serious.

I asked the professional standards division (of the sheriffs office) to make this a priority so that we can get the information as quickly as we can, McGuffey said.

The Anti-Defamation League also describes the Three Percenters as anti-government extremists, directing their ire at other perceived foes, including leftists/antifa, Muslims and immigrants. The Southern Poverty Law Center says the name comes from the dubious claim that only 3 percent of colonists actually fought in the war for independence against the British.

Symbols used by people calling themselves Three Percenters were seen on the clothing of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Several law-enforcement members were arrested in connection with the attack on the Capitol. This has led to concerns about anti-government and racist extremism growing in both law enforcement and the military.

This is not the first time Stemmerdings social media posts have raised controversy. In 2015, posted anti-Muslim and anti-Islam statements on Instagram, WCPO reports. In the post, he said he would kill any Muslim who entered his front yard, WCPO reports.

Stemmerding apologized for the post and was suspended for one day by then-Sheriff Jim Neil, but was allowed to use a vacation day so he would not lose any pay, according to WCPO.
BATON ROUGE, La.  The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana, in partnership with The Historic New Orleans Collection, will celebrate Black History Month with a virtual presentation, A Monumental Task: How Brian K. Mitchell Unearthed the Story of His Famous Ancestor Oscar Dunn, Americas First Black Lieutenant Governor. The pre-recorded presentation will be available on YouTube and Facebook on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, beginning at 12:00 p.m.

Brian K. Mitchell, the author of Monumental: Oscar Dunns Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana, and The Historic New Orleans Collections Nick Weldon, the books editor, discuss the origins of the project and Mitchells personal connection to Dunn. Mitchell and Weldon will discuss the book further at THNOCs 2021 symposium, Recovered Voices: Black Activism in New Orleans from Reconstruction to the Present Day March 57.

Monumental: Oscar Dunn and His Radical Fight in Reconstruction Louisiana reveals in graphic-novel format the incredible life story of Louisianasand Americasfirst Black lieutenant governor and acting governor. The book is the culmination of decades of research by one of Dunns own descendants, the author himself, who, with illustrator Barrington S. Edwards and editing by Weldon, brings to light an essential piece of American history buried for far too long.

This partnership between the State Library and THNOC gives Louisianans and others the opportunity to learn of my predecessors rise from being born enslaved and emancipated at a young age to becoming Louisianas first Black lieutenant governor," said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.

Not only is Dunns journey remarkable, but so is Mitchells perseverance, notes State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton. After learning about his famous relative from his great-grandmother as a child, he was embarrassed in class when his second-grade teacher refuted his claim that Dunn served as Louisianas lieutenant governor. Yet Mitchell went on to pursue a career in history and made Dunn the subject of his University of New Orleans dissertation, which formed the foundation of the outstanding Monumental.

Monumental will be published by THNOC on March 5 and is available for preorder now from The Historic New Orleans Collection or Cavalier House Books, the Louisiana Book Festivals bookseller.
Fire Flood Plague collects the thoughts of Australian writers on climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Upturn: A Better Normal, edited by Tanya Plibersek, offers views and vision statements from former Labor politicians, community and industry leaders and policy wonks about Australias challenges in every significant area of public life, using the calamity of 2020 as an inflection point.

Commissioned, composed and compiled to the unforgiving deadline of history unfolding, these two books of Australian essays address the rolling emergencies confronting the world through 2020.

Anyone who became mildly addicted to doomscrolling last year might be best advised to pick through the first book at leisure, rather than risk an overdose by reading from cover to cover.

Upturn: A Better Normal After COVID-19, edited by Tanya Plibersek.

Relentless descriptions of last summers megafires over many essays  lurid invocations of incinerated wildlife, charred expanses of bushland, smoke clouds enwreathing the globe and so on  can read collectively like an environmental version of misery porn.

We dont have the luxury of looking away. Of course we dont. And its both heartening and disheartening that many essays make the same obvious points: fires and pandemics are both linked to climate change; the community solidarity and decisive political action that marked our pandemic response should be deployed also to stop drastic and deleterious environmental change.

Yet the threnody of writers all singing from the same songbook risks desensitising the reader; the law of diminishing returns applies to literature as much as anything. Perhaps the most irritating verbal repetition in these volumes, though  and its one to which editor Sophie Cunningham succumbs in her introduction  is the misuse of unprecedented. The tic surfaced so often that I couldnt help thinking of the Book of Ecclesiastes, with its warning against vanity, and vanity of vanities; its reminder there is nothing new under the sun.

Its telling that First Nations contributors  custodians, after all, of a culture much older than the Old Testament  never use the word.
The refrigerator (right) and the freezer that now adorn the office of the CID/RSVGPF.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the main investigative arm of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), was recently the recipient of a refrigerator and freezer compliments Fred Dare and Company Limited.





During a brief handover ceremony held at the Police Headquarters, Kingstown on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, Supervisor at the Company, Ms. Sharmin Mc Dowald, thanked the staff of CID for their exemplary service to the citizens and the country as a whole, and encouraged them to continue their good work in this regard.





On receiving the donation, Head of CID Superintendent of Police Mr. Clauston Francis expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of his staff.





He, in particular, thanked Mrs. Mona Dare, Director of Fred Dare and Company Limited, for her support and the kind donation at this critical time.





Supt. Francis pointed out that Mrs. Dare has been partnering with the Department for several decades in various ways, and this recent donation was another demonstration of her ongoing generosity.





Also delivering brief remarks was Commissioner of Police Mr. Colin John, who also thanked Mrs. Dare for her very important contribution to the CID Department and by extension the RSVGPF. He proffered that the donation will ensure that the members of staff are happy with the additional amenities at their disposal.





The Commissioner took the opportunity to emphasize that crime fighting is a joint effort and when members of the organization are happy, job productivity will naturally increase.
Supply is clearly still the No. 1 issue with coronavirus vaccines. But that, like other challenges, is expected to be fixed with time.

A panel of experts from one of the Lehigh Valley hospital groups, St. Lukes University Health Network, spoke in a virtual forum Thursday afternoon about vaccine topics ranging from side effects, safety and unfounded but persistent myths.

Meanwhile, the other local hospital group, Lehigh Valley Health Network, which held its own town hall last week, was wrestling with supply-side issues of its own.

Vaccine supply

LVHN received word that it will not get its anticipated vaccine shipment for next week, potentially imperiling appointments scheduled for doses, WLVR reported on Thursday morning after interviewing Robert Murphy, the hospital networks chief physician executive.

By Thursday afternoon, LVHN said it should be able to fulfill its appointments. Discussions are ongoing with the state and other partners and current supplies are being tightly managed, LVHN spokesperson Brian Downs told lehighvalleylive.com.

Changes in the supply chain worsen the biggest problem both health networks have cited about vaccine distribution so far: There just is not enough supply to meet demand.

We wanted to reassure everyone that we are getting vaccines into arms as quickly as we receive them.  Really, the supply chain is what limits us, Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, St. Lukes University Health Networks vice president of medical and academic affairs, said during Thursdays virtual forum.

But other St. Lukes panelists, including Dr. Kara Mascitti, the networks director of epidemiology and infection prevention, said that more vaccines are being made and others soon will enter the market. Johnson & Johnsons is expected to join Pfizer and Moderna as soon as next month.

But with some 10 million adults in Pennsylvania and vaccines requiring two doses, it will take some time before anyone can get a dose, Mascitti said.

National infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on NBCs Today show on Thursday said that by April he expects enough doses available to widely open vaccinations.

Who can (and should) get a vaccine?

With Pennsylvania for now still in Phase 1A of vaccine distribution, shots are available to frontline health-care workers and people with certain health conditions that make them most vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The vaccine is also considered safe for pregnant women and, in most cases, people with compromised immune systems, the panel said. Seniors can get it but should avoid doing so in conjunction with other shots.

In any case, anyone concerned should consult their doctor.

Why arent COVID-19 vaccines available to children? Dr. Jennifer Janco, St. Lukes pediatrics chief, says the studies were primarily geared toward adults, the primary carriers of the coronavirus.

That doesnt mean it is unsafe but that its efficiency in children is less understood, she said. Eventually, it will be important to get children vaccinated as well.

COVID vaccine myths and side effects

Janco addressed the obvious: No, the vaccine does not install a tracking device in your body. No, it does not alter your DNA. No, it does not contain toxic ingredients or fetal cells.

And yes, it went through all standard steps for study and review.

People feel that it just came out too quickly, Janco said. We did not skip any steps when making this vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine works with technology used now for more than a decade, injecting some genetic material that has cells make a protein to which the body reacts, teaching it how to defend itself against a real virus, said Dr. Peter Ender, St. Lukes chief of infectious disease. The Johnson & Johnson version will work largely the same way, triggered by a weakened virus, he said.

In either case, all components of the vaccine quickly break down.

And as for long-term negative effects: any safety issues with vaccines will typically be seen within the first several weeks of rollout, Mascitti said, not months or years later because thats not what we really see with other vaccines.

The side effects that have been seen, she and Janco said, are typical to any vaccine. Soreness or flu-like symptoms for a day or so are most likely. Dr. Alaa-Eldin Mira, St. Lukes chief of geriatrics, said most side effects in seniors have been mild and less frequent than in younger adults.

Overall, severe reactions have been seen at a rate of about five per every million people, Mascitti said.

So far in Pennsylvania, about 1.1 million people have received one or two doses. The CDC reports almost 35 million people with at least one dose nationwide. And Bloomberg news reports more than 152 million shots provided worldwide.

(Cant see the map? Click here.)

Vaccine effectiveness

How long is the vaccine effective? At least for several months, but possibly at least a year. I think there is optimism to expect that, Ender said.

Full protection is achieved about two weeks after getting the second shot, Ender said. The CDC recently update its guidance to say that two weeks after that second shot, fully protected people no longer have to quarantine if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Mascitti said the vaccine may provide better immunity than actually getting infected with COVID-19. But because its long-term effectiveness is not fully known, its possible it may become an annual immunization like the flu shot. Its not unusual to make an adjustment and require booster shots after real-world observation, Janco said.

But the vaccine will be most effective if enough people get it. Viruses dont get rid of themselves, Janco said.

It only works if the majority of the community has immunity, she said, which can only be achieved two ways  vaccination or infection, the latter of which risks hospitalization or death. The vaccine I take not only protects me but it also protects you. ... We all need to stand together to protect ourselves, our families and our community.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR A VACCINE

To preregister for a vaccine, you can sign up with St. Lukes here and LVHN here.

Pennsylvanias Your Turn website is not a registry, but it can tell you if youre eligible and can help locate a vaccine provider near you.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Myanmar's acting president and several other military officers and warned the generals there could be more economic punishment as Washington responds to the military coup. The US Treasury Department said it targeted eight people, including the defense minister, three companies in the jade and gems sector, and updated sanctions on the top two military officials, accusing them of playing a leading role in overthrowing Myanmar's democratically-elected government. But Washington stopped short of including the entire ...
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) plans to continue bringing the Ukrainian banking legislation in line with the EU legislation and introducing best world practices.

NBU Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko wrote about this on Facebook.

The NBU welcomes the European Parliaments resolution on the Implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine. This resolution was passed by a vast majority of the European Parliament. The resolution highlights the success with which the Association Agreement has been implemented and the European Parliaments strong support for the efforts to further deepen Ukraines integration with the EU, he wrote.

The resolution says that Ukraine has made significant progress in meeting its commitments under the Association Agreement and in terms of EU integration, including the banking sector.

The National Banks is grateful to Ukraines European partners for high evaluation of the NBUs efforts. Shevchenko stressed that the regulator takes needed steps to defend the legitimacy of the decisions to nationalize PrivatBank and preserve financial stability, and will not allow taxpayer money to be lost.

The NBU plans to continue to help align Ukrainian banking laws with EU laws and promote the implementation of global best practices in banking. We have recently submitted for the Ukrainian Parliaments consideration a draft law on improving corporate governance in banks, which has been endorsed by IMF experts. The adoption of this law will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the NBU and its independence. The law will increase the responsibility of bank management bodies for decision they make, and will improve the transparency and stability of individual banks and the entire banking system. The document enhances the effectiveness of the internal control system at Ukrainian banks, including risk management. The proposed rules will set updated requirements for capital structure and capital adequacy ratios, in line with the EUs CRD IV/CRR Directive, he wrote.

The NBU governor also assured that nothing threatens the central banks independence.

As reported by Ukrinform, on February 11, 2021, the European Parliament adopted a report on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, a draft of which was prepared by MEP Michael Gahler (EPP).

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Former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Adebisi Akande, has described the death of the first civilian...





Former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Adebisi Akande, has described the death of the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande as a big loss to the progressive fold.

The former governor of Osun State, Akande in a condolence message yesterday, said Jakande was an adherent of Chief Obafemi Awolowos school of politics and ideology.

He said: The sudden passing of Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, is a big loss to the progressives political family, to Lagos State and to Nigeria as a polity. In his lifetime, either as a journalist or as a politician, he struggled for democracy, true federalism and the enforcement of the rule of law as a major system of government in Nigeria.

As a faithful adherent of Awolowo school of politics, Alhaji Jakande, like other governors elected on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in 1979, faithfully implemented the people-oriented four cardinal programmes of Free Education at all levels, Free Health Services for all, Rural Integration and Full gainful employment of our Youths in Lagos state during his tenure.

Akande prayed for the repose of the soul of Jakande and asked God to grant him Aljanat fridaous.

He also prayed to God to grant his wife, Alhaja Abimbola, all the children and his entire family the fortitude to bear the loss of the great man.
(@FahadShabbir)

HELSINKI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2021 ) :An automatic emergency shutdown of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in southwestern Finland on Dec. 10 was caused by a human operation error, not any technological fault or equipment breakdown, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) reported on Friday.

This was the first emergency shutdown of a nuclear plant in Finland, since the start of using nuclear energy in the national power grid in the mid-1970s.

STUK explained that during maintenance a pump had been stopped, and when it was restarted improperly water had started going in the wrong direction, causing erroneous entry of hot water to the reactor cooling system.

STUK Deputy Director Tomi Routamo elaborated on Wednesday that this error had resulted in the development of highly radiating isotope 16 in the system. Then radiation levels in the circulation of steam increased three- or fourfold, triggering the emergency shutdown.

Initially, a much more serious fuel leak was suspected.

Routamo said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had also reacted upon a Finnish notification while the seriousness of the situation was still uncertain. Finland also notified neighboring countries. Olkiluoto is operated by the Finnish energy company Teollisuuden Voima.

After the incident, STUK had admitted in a statement that informing the public about the shutdown was too slow. The municipality of Eurajoki, in the immediate vicinity of the plant, was not informed until several hours after the incident, national broadcaster Yle said in an online article dated Dec. 17.

The relatively slow information about the incident was criticized at the time. In a survey by the Finnish National Rescue Association published on Wednesday, half of the respondents were dissatisfied with the communications about the incident.
The 340sq m building, with rooftop courtyard and views to the CBD, is on a 177sq m site near the corner of Dorcas and Clarendon streets. Mr Bourke said enquiry came from owner-occupiers looking for standalone accommodation and potential home/office options. The COVID-19 period has prompted a reassessment of working arrangements. Many businesses are looking to move to city fringe and inner suburban locations to be closer to their home, Mr Bourke said. On the other side of the city, a long-empty bank building on the corner of Johnston and Hoddle streets sold in the high $1 million range within two days of hitting the market in a deal negotiated by CRS Property agent Ross Mercorillo. 217 Johnston Street, Abbotsford. Credit:

Records show local inner-north investor and McDonalds franchisee Heath Fitzgerald slapped a caveat on 217 Johnston Street Abbotsford in late January. The vacant 70s era brown brick 355sq m property, near the Victoria Park railway station, was an ANZ bank branch until the early 1990s. Mr Mercorillo, who declined to comment on the buyer, said enquiry was strong from owner-occupiers and investors. Supermarket sells A neighbourhood shopping centre deep in Melbournes south-eastern suburbs has sold before it has even been built.

Sandhurst Retail snapped up the Botanic Ridge shopping centre for around $14 million. The 6000sq m centre is on a 2.5 hectare site with a 12-year lease to Coles and Liquorland occupying 3770sq m of the space. Its part of Peets Acacia housing development, 55km from the city and construction starts next month. Colliers International agents Tim McIntosh, Mike Crittenden and James Wilson negotiated the deal which reflects heightened investor interest in the basic booze and food offered in neighbourhood centres. Last month, the Woolies Torquay Central fetched $25.1 million on a very skinny 3.97 per cent yield.

Stonebridge, who did that deal, is also marketing the Woodend Coles which returns $1.43 million a year. Quiet deals Just one of many quiet deals during 2020 was the sale of the Northcote Business Park. The 1.25ha property on the banks of the Merri Creek, opposite Ceres park, sold to Sydney developer Metro Homes for $23.25 million. Demolition is underway at the 1990s-era business park at 198 Beavers Road, which was most recently owned by the family of the late convicted tobacco smuggler Nabil Grege.

Metro, through its subsidiary Creation Homes, is developing 74 three-storey townhouses designed by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architecture. Once a bus depot, the property was sold off during the Kennett governments reign of asset disposals. Mr Grege paid $2.5 million and ran his nut importing and roasting business on the riverside property. He died last year, leaving his family squabbling over a $52 million estate. Shop around One of the sites that collapsed developer Stellar couldnt get off the ground sold for a price believed to be more than $8 million over the summer.

The shops cover a 1,358sqm footprint. Credit: Fitzroys agents Mark Talbot and Shawn Luo sold 466-476 Hampton Street, a row of shops in the Hampton Hill precinct. They declined to comment. The shops cover a 1358sq m footprint. Stellar owned half the site but sold it in 2019 as the company was coming apart. In St Kilda, an old block of flats at 92-96 Carlisle Street with a permit for a six-level 32-unit residential project has fetched around $4.16 million. Colliers Internationals Jozef Dickinson, Joe Kairouz and James Wu sold the property for the Linara Property Group.

The 866sq m site is on the corner of St Kilda Road next to a park. We had a lot of interest from the market, which included a number of different uses for the site, Mr Kairouz said. Meanwhile, the Chinese owners of 125-127 Alexandra Avenue, overlooking the Yarra, have put the 596sq m development site on the market. Teska Carson agents Luke Bisset and Matthew Feld are handling expressions of interest which close on March 3 and are expecting around $5 million. The duplex which once sat on the hilly block has been demolished. The vendor, Grand Galaxy, had paid $4.8 million in 2016, just as the market was ramping up to its peak.

Also in the south-east, Gross Waddell agents Danny Clark and Andrew Waddell sold 99-121 Carinish Road in Clayton for $11.2 million. The Ouson Group had secured a permit for the 9330sq m site for a nine-level retail childcare and office project. Firms merge There are more changes afoot at Gross Waddell, which has merged with ICR Property Group to become Gross Waddell ICR. ICR managing director Raff De Luise is a significant equity holder in the new business along with stalwarts Michael Gross and Andrew Waddell. Barry Novy remains as executive chairman.
Theres a global chip shortage right now, and considering the fact that anything that uses electricity has a semiconductor inside, thats a big deal. But, according to Qualcomms incoming CEO, Cristiano Amon, the Huawei ban could help with that shortage. As it would add some much needed capacity to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., or TSMC.

Because the US export rule change that took place in September, Huawei cannot get its chipset designs manufactured by foundries. This rule basically made it so any foundry in the world that uses US tech to manufacturer semiconductors, could not deliver them to Huawei, without consent from the Commerce Department. Basically meaning that Huawei cannot get its chipsets made. Considering how big of a company Huawei is, that is a big deal for capacity at TSMC.

Huawei was TSMCs second-largest customer

Just how big of a deal is this? Well, Huawei was the second-largest customer of TSMC. Which is the worlds largest contract foundry. That opens up some impressive capacity for TSMC, and as Amon stated, that could help alleviate the chip shortage.

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The chip shortage has been a big deal for a few months already, this is why many products released last year, have not been on the shelf. The Sonos Arc is a good example. Since it was announced last year, it has rarely been seen in stock in any store, including Sonos own website.

But now the chip shortage is starting to garner more attention as automakers start to complain about the shortage. Without semiconductors, automakers cannot build vehicles. As they rely on semiconductors for the vehicle to work.

A semiconductor is the brain of any product that uses tech. Whether that is a car, smartphone, a light bulb, or even the light switch on the wall. So its a very popular component. And now, President Biden is stepping in to help with this shortage.
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Coronavirus cases will tumble to around 3,000 a day when schools are set to re-open  the lowest levels since June, a symptom-tracking app has predicted.

The ZOE Covid-19 Symptom Study estimates that there will be 85,000 Brits infected on March 8  or one in 780 people. Experts behind the huge surveillance project believe those levels would allow children to safely return to school and would pave the way for people to meet their friends and family outdoors again.

In yet another firm sign the second wave is in retreat, separate Covid data from the Office for National Statistics today also estimated there were 695,400 infections in England by February 6, down 31 per cent from a fortnight ago. This equates to one in eighty people being infected.

And No10's scientific advisory panel today claimed Britain's Covid R rate has fallen below one for the first time since July, fuelling hopes that the UK will never need to enter another draconian lockdown once this one ends.

Even the gloomiest scientists advising the Government today admitted they believe the UK can soon begin its route back to normality.

'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson  whose grim modelling spooked ministers into the first shutdown last spring  claimed Britons could be allowed to meet friends in pubs and restaurants from May.

And one of the nation's top experts  who wished to remain anonymous  said he hopes the lockdown will be the last of its kind because the mammoth vaccination drive should keep coronavirus under control. But they admitted the route back to normality will be 'slow' and isn't just a case of pressing a button.

Pressure is growing on Boris Johnson and senior ministers to agree to easing lockdown significantly on February 22, when the Prime Minister will unveil his roadmap back to normal life. Critics say the UK's mammoth vaccination drive is pointless unless restrictions are relaxed soon.

Last night the PM was forced to insist he would stick to a deadline of March 8 for schools to re-open, following demands from lockdown-sceptic Tory MPs for the promise to be 'signed in blood'.

The above graph shows the estimated fall in coronavirus cases in the UK over time, based on the ZOE Covid Symptom Study apps figures. The epidemiologists behind the app have predicted there will be 3,373 cases a day - or one in 780 infections - by March 8, the date when schools are set to re-open. SAGE says cases must get to 10,000 - or the equivalent of one in 5,598 in England having the virus - before any re-opening can be considered

The app also predicted there are currently 14,818 new Covid-19 cases in the UK each day, a 27 per cent fall from last week and a 79 per cent fall from the peak when there were an estimated 69,000 new infections daily. They also said the R rate had fallen to 0.8, in another sure sign the UK's second wave is firmly in retreat

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report today suggested suggested there were 695,400 Covid-19 cases in England alone by February 6, down 31 per cent from a fortnight ago in yet another firm sign the second wave is in retreat. This equates to one in eighty people having the virus

They also said Covid-19 cases were continuing to fall in all age groups, although the highest rates were still among those aged 20 to 29. The app generates estimates based on the reports of more than a million users in the UK on whether they are suffering symptoms from the disease and whether they have tested positive

 Slide me  Goodbye Covid?: Above is the estimated prevalence of the virus - the total number of people infected at any given point - in the week ending February 10 (left) and the week before (right)

ONS figures show infections continued to plummet in every region except Yorkshire and the Humber, where estimates suggest they have plateaued

The ONS also found that Covid-19 infections are still falling in every age group in England as the nation endures lockdown

R rate drops below one in the UK for first time since July, SAGE says Britain's Covid R rate has fallen below one for the first time since July, it was revealed today. SAGE said the reproduction rate in the UK had dropped below the crucial level of one, showing the second wave is firmly in retreat, after last week saying the figure was one. No10's advisory panel said the estimates are based on the latest data, including hospital admissions and deaths, as well as symptomatic testing and prevalence studies. It said the estimates of the R value are below 1 in all NHS regions of England  for the first time since SAGE began estimating the figure last June. But the group warned: 'However, prevalence of the virus remains high, so it remains important that everyone continues to stay at home in order to keep the R value down, protect the NHS and help save lives.' Advertisement

TEACHERS AND POLICE OFFICERS 'WILL BE FIRST IN LINE FOR VACCINES AFTER OVER-50S' Teachers and police officers could start getting Covid vaccines by April, with them expected to be first in line once the over-50s have been jabbed. Britain is on course to have offered first doses to all 15million in the top four priority groups  over-70s, care home residents and staff, NHS workers, and the seriously ill  by next Monday. The roll-out will then be expanded to 65 to 69-year-olds, before working down the age groups until as many vulnerable Britons are covered as possible. No10 hopes to have offered jabs to all 32million in the top nine priority groups by the end of April. There is currently no recommendation for who should be prioritised once the over-50s are vaccinated. But the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI), which designed the UK's priority list, is expected to say Britons in frontline roles will be next in line, Whitehall sources told The Telegraph. It is thought the decision will be officially announced in the week starting February 22, when Boris Johnson is set to unveil his lockdown-easing plan. The move comes as police officers have been told they can get the Covid-19 jab at health centres with spare capacity but must wear plain clothes in order not to draw attention to themselves. Force leaders were said to have felt 'betrayed' when Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced this week that frontline officers may have to wait months for jabs. But the Mail has learnt of an arrangement with the NHS that lets police receive a vaccine if there is spare capacity at a centre and the jab would otherwise go to waste. Advertisement

ZOE's estimates, which are carried out alongside King's College London researchers, are based on more than one million weekly reports from Britons, who enter daily reports on whether they have any Covid symptoms.

But these figures rely solely on symptomatic cases in the community, and do not capture anyone who has escaped any of the tell-tale signs of the illness. Around a third of all cases are estimated to be asymptomatic.

The ONS figures are considered gold-standard and are watched closely by ministers because they are based on random swabbing of more than 150,000 Britons over the last two weeks, meaning they can pick up asymptomatic cases which aren't identified by the Test and Trace system.

Unveiling the Covid Symptom Study's estimates for cases when schools re-open, lead author Professor Tim Spector said infections should be low enough by March 8 to allow children to go back to school.

'By March 8 we should have less than one in 740 people with symptoms, allowing us to get kids back into the classrooms and starting to allow people to exercise and meet, at least outdoors, where the risk of transmission is much lower,' he said.

'Until then its important to keep following the guidelines, even if you have had a vaccine, and keep reporting symptoms and getting tested even if your symptoms are not typical.'

He added: 'Based on the ZOE data and our predictions we are soon to be in the same place we were in early June, with the advantage of having a large proportion of the population vaccinated which could mean good news in terms of lifting some restrictions sooner rather than later.'

Their estimates also showed there were 14,818 new daily infections by February 6, marking a 27 per cent drop in a week. And it has fallen by almost 80 per cent since the peak of 69,000 daily cases in January.

They added the R value was at 0.8, remaining below the critical threshold of one  offering yet more proof that the worst of UK's second wave of the Covid pandemic has passed.

Symptomatic infections are falling in every region of the UK and in every age group, they said.

The app also suggested Birmingham is now the UK's hotspot, with an estimated one in 135 residents having symptoms. It was followed by London (one in 152) and Peterborough (one in 160).

Doom-mongering Sage scientists yesterday warned prevalence of Covid must fall to 10,000 before the Prime Minister can dare to consider re-opening society, which would mean one in 5,600 people being infected.

For comparison, the figure  the estimated number of people who would test positive on any given day  never dipped below 14,000 during the summer.

The ONS today estimated 695,400 currently have the virus, or 69 times more people than Sir Jeremy Farrar said should be infected before any measures are eased.

London remained the nation's hotspot during the week ending February 6, with 2.02 per cent of people swabbed testing positive. It was followed by the North West, at 1.78 per cent, and the West Midlands, at 1.75 per cent.

The South West had the lowest positivity rate at 1 per cent, and the North East had the second lowest rate at 1.2 per cent.

Despite the brutal lockdown measures, the ONS report also suggested cases have stopped falling in Yorkshire and the Humber over the last two weeks. The positivity rate for the week to January 23 was 1.23 per cent for the region, but by the following week it had crept up to 1.24 per cent.

There also appears to be a plateauing in the fall in infections in the East Midlands and the South West.

The report also showed the percentage of people testing positive for all variants of the virus in England, including the Kent strain which is dominant in the nation and the recently identified South African strain, continued to fall in the most recent week.

It comes after Boris Johnson last night insisted schools will start to re-open from March 8, and mounting fears today that social distancing rules could stay in place for almost a year.

A Government 'roadmap' out of lockdown being frantically thrashed out behind the scenes is believed to envisage Britons continuing to wear face masks and remain apart until at least the Autumn - with scientists urging it to be even longer.

The blueprint could allow other aspects of life and the economy to resume more quickly, but would raise the prospect of grandparents still being unable to hug their grandchildren, potentially until next year.

The grim picture emerged as the PM scrambled to quell Tory fury over signs the timetable for easing restrictions is slipping.

No10 and ministers sparked alarm by saying the roadmap will be unveiled 'in the week of February 22', rather than on that exact date as Mr Johnson himself had indicated on several occasion. As ministers have pledged to give parents and schools two weeks' notice before reopening, it appeared to put the March 8 schedule for starting to get children back in classrooms in doubt.

After Education Committee chair Robert Halfon led calls for the commitment to be 'signed in blood', however, Downing Street sources finally moved to quell the anxiety saying there is 'categorically no change' to the PM's schools plan.

Mr Johnson is also now set to unveil the roadmap on February 22, after the idea of pushing the date back closer to the Budget on March 3 was shelved. In a round of interviews this morning, Home Office minister Victoria Atkins confirmed that the proposals for easing will come on the Monday.

But scientists are still pushing for the government to take an ultra-cautious approach.

'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson, the Imperial College London epidemiologist whose grim modelling spooked No10 into the first lockdown last March, said cases are falling faster than expected and there is 'some bandwidth' for opening schools. But he added that even by the summer, restrictions in the UK should only be back where they were in October.

He told Politico that Mr Johnson should be changing a single element, then waiting for 'a minimum of three weeks' to see what impact it has. Despite calling for caution, Professor Ferguson hopes that Britain won't ever need another lockdown to fight Covid once the toughest measures are finally eased and hopes the UK may be 'basically back to normal' this time next year.

Dr Susan Hopkins, a senior Public Health England official, today also said that coronavirus restrictions should last until all adults have been vaccinated. She told Sky News that some social distancing measures may have to stay in place even longer before 'we can release everything and get back to life as it was'.

The NHS gave the vaccination drive another boost today, saying that over-65s living in areas winning the race can now be inoculated.

NHS England announced regions could move on to the next cohort if every effort had been made to get hold of everyone in groups one to four - the over-70s, NHS workers, care home residents and staff and seriously ill adults.

The move opens the door to another 3million vulnerable adults getting their jabs.

Nottinghamshire, Shropshire and Coventry are among the parts of England that are already dishing out vaccines to this age group.

It comes amid fears the vaccination drive had slowed after Francis Crick Institute head Sir Paul Nurse warned today their centre had had 90 per cent of appointments going spare for the last two weeks.

He said that although they had 500 volunteers at the London-based clinic and could vaccinate 1,000 patients a day, they had been seeing fewer than 100 for the past fortnight and sometimes only 30 in a day.

'The NHS vaccination program has gone very well but there does seem to be a problem showing itself in empty slots appearing in the national booking system,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'Weve also had to close the centre at weekends.'

'I know theres similar problems elsewhere. The BBC reported a similar problem in Telford, for example. So why are only five to 10 per cent of the booking slots being filled? Thats the concern to us.'

He added he didn't know the reasons for the low number of appointments being filled, but urged ministers to 'correct' the issue.

'It could be because of vaccine shortage, it could be to avoid criticism, as youve implied, in the media about not vaccinating those in a higher category before lower categories. It could be around the country, so called postcode lottery. It may be that people dont like to go to the vaccination centres and prefer GP surgeries.

'But there is something amiss. We need to find out what it is and then correct it and find out whats going wrong, fix it. Because science has provided us with the tools to move forward and we need to use them as rapidly as possible, we do need to vaccinate faster.'

Staff at the Taunton Racecourse vaccination hub have also revealed they were sent home at 3pm on Thursday, five hours early, after running out of 'eligible' patients from the four top priority groups.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called for the protection of fundamental human rights, job security, and other occupational privileges for domestic workers to improve their general wellbeing and secure their future.



According to Mr Eric Amoadu Boateng, the Head of Organizing Department of TUC, the nations informal sector including; domestic workers employed about 71 percent of the countrys labour force, and the sector contributed significantly to the economic development of the nation.



Therefore protecting their general welfare remains paramount to the holistic economic augmentation, he added.



Mr Boateng was speaking at a domestic workers sensitization forum organized by Action Aid Ghana, an NGO, at Sunyani for traders, artisans, market women, caterers, Porters, spare parts dealers, street vendors, and househelps.



He regretted that most often, domestic workers were denied mandatory annual leave, pensions, social security and medical care, a situation flouted labour laws.



It is sad some domestic workers are made to work more than the stipulated working hours, and have no resting periods and earn meagre monthly wages. Occupational health and safety standards are either non-existent or poorly enforced in the informal sector, Mr Boateng noted.



He therefore called for strong unionization of the informal sector workers to strengthen the sector and give it a strong voice.



Mr Boateng said trade unions played a key role in promoting decent jobs for vulnerable groups including; persons with disability.



He underscored the need for an effective collaboration between TUC and National Union of Workers with Disability, Ghana Federation of Disability Organization (GFD) and the Centre for Employment of Persons with Disability (CEPD) to promote and protect the fundamental rights of PWDs.

Source: GNA









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Century-old personal ads reveal how single people in the 1900s tried to find love  decades before dating apps like Tinder and Bumble made it possible for men and women to seek a partner in just one swipe.

Before the age of digital dating, many people used local newspaper ads, which could be placed anonymously in by singles hoping to find love, companionship, or even marriage.

While the first printed personal ads appeared in newspapers as far back as the 1700s and were still common in the 1990s, a new collection of them curated by MyHeritage.com shows just what singletons were looking at the turn of the twentieth century, and revealing that, surprisingly, not a whole lot has changed.

Pre-Tinder days: Decades before online dating apps were launched, singles could post personal ads in newspapers to find love (stock image from 1890)

Flashback: MyHeritage has unearthed several of these old ads, including this sentimental one from a widow with her 'own home' that ran in the St. Louis Post-Despatch in 1989

Seeking matches: Posting in the Atlanta Constitution in 1898, one wealthy 30-year-old woman said she 'sacrificed her youth' but was now looking for a 'husband and true companion'

Much like Tinder and Bumble profiles, these personal ads often included a bit of pertinent information about the poster, like their age, job, and desires for potential partners. They did not, however, include photos.

Interested parties could either send mail to an address provided, or get in touch with the newspaper for more information.

Ultimately, in the late 1800 and early 1900s, these ad-posters were looking for marriage.

Some ads were flowery and romantic.

'MATRIMONY,' reads one add placed by a woman in the St. Louis Post-Despatch in 1899. 'Widow, 44, Southerner, stranger, own home, West End, would like the hearthstone of her heart swept, and the cobwebs brushed away; matrimony.'

Others were a bit more practical.

A New York City woman placed this ad in the Atlanta Constitution in 1898: 'Am 30, wealthy, lost mother, for whom I sacrificed youth, dread a lonely future, seek husband and true companion. Orphan.'

Meanwhile, the July 17, 1921 issue of The Pittsburgh Press included this ad: 'Brunette lady, 38, desires hear from good natured gentleman owning automobile; object matrimony.'

Must have a car! The July 17, 1921 issue of The Pittsburgh Press included this ad: 'Brunette lady, 38, desires hear from good natured gentleman owning automobile; object matrimony'

Jilted: In 1904, a man posted this ad in the The Minneapolis Tribune after he returned from the mines and discovered that his 'old sweetheart' had married someone else

What a catch! A 27-year-old government employee promised to make 'some poor working girl ... a good husband' in The Pittsburgh Press in 1921

Men placed ads too, and theirs appear to have run the gamut from practical to demanding.

'An old bachelor returning from the mines finds his old sweetheart married and old acquaintances scattered, desires lady acquaintance; object, marriage,' read one ad in the The Minneapolis Tribune on January 31, 1904.

Another, which ran in The Pittsburgh Press on September 11, 1921, included a few more specifications.

'I am 27, employed by the government, have small but reasonable salary, will make some poor working girl, from 18 to 25, a good husband and a happy home; must be Protestant; no dancers, flirts, or streetwalkers need answer, object matrimony,' it read.

One especially particular man spared no expense on his ad in The Pittsburgh Press on September 11, 1921, going on for several lines explaining exactly what he desired in a wife  and, apparently, an assistant.

'A business gentleman, true American, industrious and of ambition, age 47, height 5'9", weight 150 lbs, Christian, believes in God, of good health and clean habits, lover of home, good character, business and college education, of some means and refinement,' he wrote.

'Desires to meet a single or widow lady of some means and of refinement and Christian, age 33 to 43, weight 125 to 145 lbs, height 5'4" to 5'7", stylish and of neat appearance but plain.'

Oh, is that all? A particularly demanding bachelor who had cash enough to pay for this length ad asked for a woman with a specific age, height, and weight  who could also be his secretary

That's not all. He went on: 'Loves music and can play a little, who knows something about the essentials of home making enough for two, to whom has had experience in business routine, stenographer and typist and bookkeeper, good [unintelligible] in general insurance and brokerage business preferred, to form a home in near future where happiness and love is bound to reign; object matrimony: triflers ignored.'

While it was popular for individuals to place ads, they might also seek the help of a marriage agency  who, in turn, might place an ad for several of their clients.

One, in a July 17, 1904 edition of the Anaconda Standard, read: 'We seek husband for maiden lady, age 23, worth $8,500; bachelor girl, age 31, worth $28,000; widow, age 42, no children, worth $90,000, and for many others.'

Of course, people could also meet in more organic ways, like through family or friends  but just like today, that didn't always result in a match.

MyHeritage researcher Elisabeth Zetland told DailyMail.com that personal ads could be particularly helpful for newly-arrived immigrants, or Americans who had moved within the US who didn't have established social circles.

As the ads above show, they could also open up more options for older singles, widows, and widowers.

They might also be used by farmers in rural areas who wanted to find husbands for their daughters, as well as aristocratic gentlemen looking for similarly 'high-class' brides.

A little help: Marriage agencies also placed ads likes this 1904 one for multiple clients  which even included how much money the women had

'What we discovered when uncovering these adverts in the MyHeritage records collection is that they were popular among a wide spectrum of the population and across different classes and groups,' Zetland said.

'Particularly interesting is the use of these "Tinder" adverts among immigrant communities, arriving to the "land of opportunity" to live the American dream,' she added.

Unfortunately, another newspaper clip reveals that sometimes, singles fell victim to fraudsters looking to exploit their vulnerability.

A story that ran in the Meriden Daily Journal on October 22, 1901 reported that a New York man named Christian Gloesner and his wife had conducted a 'matrimonial swindle' of 300 people.

'[The] scheme was to clip matrimonial papers and answer them. BY the means of handsome pictures they allured the man who wanted a "blonde" or "brunette" wife,' the story read.

'They asked for railroad fare that they might come to Nebraska, or wherever the man wished a wife or the woman husband.'

One victim said he'd sent $40 to a fictional 'Mrs. Steadman' so she could meet him in Nebraska, but he got no reply.

Swindled! Some scammers used personal ads to target lonely people, from whom they'd request 'travel expenses' to come see them

While these examples are all from the turn of the twentieth century, personal ads in the United States can be traced all the way back to the mid-1700s.

According to Francesca Beauman's 2020 book Matrimony Inc., one of the earliest documented personal ads in the US ran in the Boston Evening Post in 1759. The ad asked for 'any young lady, between the age of 18 and 23, of middling stature; brown hair; regular features, and with a lively brisk eye.'

They were still quite rare when a A.B., a 22-year-old, placed his own ad in New York's Impartial Gazetteer in July of 1778, describing himself as 'a young gentleman of fame and fortune, not above two and twenty, tall, stout and esteemed in his person.'

He wrote that he was seeking a 'maid or widow  under 40, not deformed, and in possession of at least one thousand pounds.'

Ads grew more commonplace in the 1800s, with entire newspaper sections dedicated to them.

Some ad-posters found success. According to the New York Daily News, Sara Baines, 22, placed an ad for a husband in an 1869 newspaper and spent a year receiving letters.

The Louisiana native eventually traveled to meet Jay Hemsley, 46, in Wyoming, and the couple married the next day  and stayed married for 51 years.

Meanwhile, a a 43-year-old Norwegian immigrant named Ole Ruud found a wife after placing his own ad in 1892, which was answered by Swedish immigrant Augusta Larson, 28.

Over time, ads seeking marriage were joined by those seeking 'fun.'

The existence of personal ads continued into the twentieth century, and they saw a surge in popularity in the 1960s and '70s  though by that point, some were just plainly seeking sex.

Ads continued to run into the new millennium, spilling over onto sites like Craigslist before largely being replaced by online dating and then dating apps.
The time has come for the state Legislature to give serious consideration to Sen. Harvey Peelers proposed legislation calling for the restructuring of the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

DHEC simply can no longer handle all that is required to oversee and monitor both health and environmental regulatory issues our state is facing in the 21st century.

By no means am I throwing DHEC under the bus.

Simply put, for years DHEC has been underfunded and understaffed as well as endured a revolving door of leadership that led to a lack of direction and clear mission plans to address both parts of its responsibilities.

South Carolina would be among the last states to create separate health and environmental regulatory agencies. As a result, both have been neglected.

DHECS issues and obvious inability to fully concentrate on handling the COVID-19 virus from the beginning doesnt need to be rehashed.

Instead, attention should be paid to the numerous environmental disasters that have occurred as a result, such as the Jasper County fire dump, the Berkeley County tire hazard as well as the failure to monitor and update the pollution permits for the states three largest coal plants polluting our waterways.

North Carolina and Georgia have successfully restructured and created separate health and environmental agencies, and theres no reason we cant do the same.

Now is the time to get this done. Peoples lives and our states precious natural resources are at stake.

LARRY LADUE

Wespanee Drive

Charleston

Remembering Clark

I read with interest the article about Septima Clark in the Feb. 7 Post and Courier.

She used to bring a boy who needed help to get fitted with special shoes to my brothers shoe store, Kassis Brothers, where I worked.

We used to chat but never about civil rights. Little did I know then the significant role she played in it.

As I watched her with that boy, she impressed me so much with her thoughtfulness and caring.

I purchased the new commemorative coin as a souvenir and remembrance of a great lady.

I am honored to say that I knew her.

RENEE KASSIS KADLECIK

Windsor Drive

Charleston

Impeachment trial

What truly concerns me is that if the Senate does not impeach or at the least censure the former president, it gives an acceptance to the rhetoric that the election was fraudulent and that violence (fight like hell) is freedom of speech.

This happened after numerous court cases, overseen by several Trump-appointed judges, found no sufficient proof of fraud that would change the results of the election.

Does the Republican Party truly want to be represented by candidates who promote, and in essence, subscribe to such actions as seen on Jan. 6?

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Will they still be able to call themselves the party of Lincoln and of Reagan?

SUSAN HANSZ

Reedy Place

Bluffton

Bidens low politics

After watching the petty politics of President Joe Biden, the unconstitutional impeachment of Donald Trump and the elimination of thousands of temporary jobs on the Keystone XL pipeline, I have learned one thing. There is no limit to how low this new administration is taking the American public.

If liberals can accuse Trump supporters of attacking their country, then it justifiable for me to say: Liberals are attacking the American people with their job destruction and needless politics.

The administration tells pipeline workers there are jobs in the solar industry. But there are unanswered questions about where the work is, how far they will have to move or how much these jobs will pay.

The Biden team is setting the example for coal miners and gas workers who happen to be union workers.

It appears that Democrats are willing to work only with union management, not the union workers.

I will say this: 2022 is coming and this attitude will not be forgotten. Remember in 22 will be a reminder to not forget mistreated workers.

NOEL ISON

Chamblee Road

Walterboro

Pedal power?

I recently read that General Motors is going to undertake a massive effort to produce zero-emissions vehicles in the future.

Im wondering if this is going to include pedal cars.

ROBERT ERMER

Serotina Court

Mount Pleasant

Not a shining city

As a person connected by accident of birth to Boston founder John Winthrop, the man who made the city upon a hill speech, I know that he was attempting to create a moral framework for the first settlers.

At present, we are not a shining city upon a hill or an example for the rest of the world.

JOHN WINTHROP

North Adgers Wharf

Charleston

Conservative activists will gather at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) annual convention on February 2528. This year's event will be held in Orlando, Florida. This is the first time in 50 years that CPAC's annual meeting was not in the Washington, D.C. area. This is because of strict coronavirus guidelines in Maryland and D.C.

Here is a list of CPAC speakers to date. At this point, neither Donald Trump nor Mike Pence is scheduled to speak, but it is hard to think they won't be there. One shouldn't count Eric Trump out, either.

This year's meeting will be an important indication of which way the Republican Party is headed. Will it be a MAGA party or one in the Bush/McCain/Romney mold? The fact that none of the big-name Trump antagonists like Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Mitch McConnell, and Liz Cheney will be there to make their case is telling.

The liberal media will try to bury what comes out of CPAC. When they're not doing that, they'll be twisting things to look as unfavorable as possible. Any hiccup will be magnified, and conservative activists will be painted as near domestic terrorists for questioning the 2020 election steal. Silicon Valley is doing its part also to tamp down enthusiasm at CPAC. The Washington Examiner reports that CPAC "is likely to offer its own streaming app now that YouTube has moved to bar videos questioning the 2020 election." This is censorship by the geeks, which has become the new norm.

Whatever else, CPAC 2021 will be barometer of the future of not just the GOP, but the country itself.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
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42% of Americans say churches are 'too segregated': study

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A new survey from Lifeway Research found that less than half of Americans believe the nations churches are too segregated, yet most believe religious leaders play a "positive role" in improving race relations.

The survey of 1,200 Americans released Tuesday found that 42% of U.S. adults believe churches in America are too segregated, while 36% disagree and 22% arent sure.

Americans are evenly split on the question of whether the nation has come so far on racial relations, with 46% agreeing and 46% disagreeing. However, white Americans are the most likely to say weve made significant progress (51%), while African Americans are the most likely to disagree (66%).

Overall, 38% of white Americans and 52% of black Americans believe churches are too segregated. When thinking about how to improve race relations, most Americans (57%) say religious leaders play a positive role.

In 2014, 74% of Americans agreed the nation has come so far on racial relations. The newest survey found a 28-point decline on that question.

With a change in methodology from telephone in 2014 to online, we cannot say definitively if this decreased optimism is an actual change in sentiment or increased forthrightness, said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. Regardless, optimism on race relations is lower than we previously thought.

Most Americans (58%) say race relations grew more strained after former President Donald Trump was elected in 2016. Eighteen percent say race relations stayed the same, while 11 percent say they improved.

Nearly seven in 10 Americans (69%) say racial diversity is good for the country, while just one-quarter (23%) say it is not.

This seems to be an area where pastors are influencing those who are in the pews, McConnell said. In the 2017 Lifeway Research study, 93 percent of Protestant pastors said every church should strive to achieve racial diversity. Those that attend more frequently are more likely to see diversity as a benefit to our country.

In a previous report,LifeWay Research found that fewer pastors, particularly white congregation leaders, said they are willing to preach sermons on race compared to 2020.

Similarly, a Barna report released in September 2020 found that white, self-identified Christians in the U.S. have become less motivated to address racial issues and are less likely to believe that the country has a race problem compared to 2019.

In a 2020 sermon, Village Church Pastor Matt Chandler criticized churches and pastors who dont want to get involved when it comes to issues of race but would rather preach the Gospel to that. He said he finds such responses hypocritical.

You dont just preach the Gospel on sex trafficking. You dont just preach the Gospel on the issue of life and abortion. No, you act, he said as he got riled up. Its like this brain-broke disjoint thats got us acting absurd and then critiquing this movement as being evil and dark when we have given up our inheritance!

Chandler challenged those who want to point out all the flaws in this current movement while you have abandoned the place that we were meant to play!

You cannot point out all the well, this means this, and this believes this, and thats this, and thats this, and ignore the sorrow and lament of 12 to 13 million image-bearers in our country! Chandler exclaimed. You cant do that!

We mourn with those who mourn. And yes, there are demonic and evil ideologies at play, he continued. But thats where the people of God are meant to run with light and the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not to sit back and snipe via social media.

In 2018, Chandler, who also leads the Acts 29 church planting network, said that he would often be accused of being a Marxist or being influenced by liberal media if he preached on issues of race, but would be praised for addressing issues like abortion.
Victorias bid to cut weekly hotel quarantine arrivals from thousands to just hundreds has set up a clash with the Morrison government, which believes the system can cope with the threat from new strains of the coronavirus without dropping numbers.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed talk of overhauling the system in a growing debate over federal and state responsibilities for border control and whether new facilities are needed to quarantine travellers.

Daniel Andrews will come up against national cabinet on quarantine intakes after pausing all international flights into Victoria from Saturday. Credit:Getty

Were not going to be running it, Mr Morrison said of the hotel quarantine system on Friday.

One week after national cabinet raised the cap on international arrivals to about 6500 per week and said the new level should last to the end of April, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews paused all international flights into Victoria from Saturday.

A year ago next week, under President Trump, the State Department designated five Chinese media outletsofficial mouthpieces of their country, with bureaus in the United Statesas missions of a foreign government. The next day, China responded by kicking out three reporters for the Wall Street Journal, a move that doubled as retaliation for an opinion headline in the Journal declaring China the real sick man of Asia. The Trump administration then forced out some sixty journalists working for Chinese state media. China, in turn, ejected almost every American working for the Journal, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, and designated those outletsas well as Voice of America and Timeforeign missions. As Shen Lu reported for CJR, at least six Chinese citizens working as researchers at US outlets also lost their jobs. The tit-for-tat continued in May, when the US placed stringent time limits on Chinese reporters visas, which had previously been open-ended. In September, China declined to renew the press cards of foreign reporters working for CNN, the Journal, Bloomberg News, and Getty Images. Journalists in both countries remain in limbo.

In recent days, a series of developments have reminded us that media-related tensions with China arent an exclusively American phenomenon. Last Thursday, a journalism-adjacent spat between China and the United Kingdom burst into the open when the Telegraph, a British newspaper, reported that the British government quietly expelled three Chinese media workers last year, after concluding that they were using their journalistic positions as cover to spy for Beijing. Also last Thursday, Ofcom, Britains media regulator, revoked the operating license of China Global Television Network, a Chinese state broadcaster; Ofcom ruled, following a long-term investigation, that CGTN is controlled by the Chinese government in breach of British rules around editorial independence, and had failed to take steps to disentangle itself despite being given significant time to do so. Chinese officials described the ruling as political bullying and threatened to retaliate. Yesterday, they followed through by banning BBC World News from broadcasting inside China; the BBC had not been widely available before (its distribution was limited mostly to hotels and diplomatic compounds), but the ban also curtailed its footprint in Hong Kong, where RTHK, a public broadcaster, had disseminated BBC World Service radio. Targeting the BBC seemed an obvious choice: Chinese officials had recently reacted furiously to a BBC investigation that unearthed claims of an organized system of mass rape, sexual abuse, and torture inside detention camps in Xinjiang, a Chinese province where authorities have been persecuting the Muslim Uighur population. The officials accused the BBC of undermining Chinese ethnic unity.

New from CJR: Cable news networks copy each other all day, and that has costs

Australian journalists, too, have faced intensifying repression at the hands of the Chinese government. Yang Hengjun, an Australian writer who stands accused of espionage, has been in pre-trial detention in China for more than two years. Last August, Cheng Lei, an Australian citizen who worked as an anchor for CGTN in China, disappeared; CGTN scrubbed its website of her work, and officials later confirmed that she had been detained on national-security grounds. A few weeks later, police interrogated two other Australian journalistsBill Birtles, of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Mike Smith, of the Australian Financial Reviewabout Cheng, even though neither man knew her well. Fearing that they, too, would be detained, both Birtles and Smith fled; according to the New York Times, they were the last two correspondents working in China for Australian news outlets. In December, Chinese authorities arrested Haze Fan, a Bloomberg reporter who is not Australian but is a close friend of Chengs. On Monday, China converted Chengs detention into an official arrest, and accused her, with no specifics, of leaking state secrets. Australian officials have expressed concern about her treatment and condition; Chengs family has called for her release, noting that she is a single mother with two young children based in Melbourne.

The mistreatment of foreign reporters has taken place against a backdrop of worsening conditions for Chinese journalists generally. China was already one of the worlds top jailers of journalists when, early last year, following a brief, surprising window of press freedom, authorities cracked down on independent journalism about the emerging coronavirus pandemic. Police silenced Li Wenliang, a doctor who raised the alarm about COVID-19 before dying of the disease, a year ago this week. Censors scrubbed critical stories from the internet, and four citizen journalists in WuhanChen Qiushi, Li Zehua, Fang Bin, and Zhang Zhandisappeared. In December, Zhang was sentenced to four years in prison; Fangs whereabouts are still unknown. Officials also detained Cai Wei, Chen Mei, and a woman named Tang who worked for Terminus 2049, a project aimed at preserving censored information, and arrested two filmmakers, Chen Jiaping and Du Bin. Early this year, the government announced that going forward, all journalists (including citizen journalists) must register for official accreditation. According to Fabian Kretschmer, of Deutsche Welle, authorities will start reviewing journalists professional and personal social-media histories as part of the accreditation processa seemingly small change that will likely have lasting consequences since newsrooms and independent journalists alike have used social media as a way of circumventing the official censorship apparatus.

Chinas anti-press menace has also projected outward from the mainland. Last year, the government imposed a draconian new security law in Hong Kong, which has traditionally been an oasis for independent reporting; officials have since used the law to arrest journalists including the pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai, raid newsrooms, and limit online speech. And, as the Committee to Protect Journalists has observed, Chinese diplomats overseas have increasingly engaged in so-called wolf-warrior diplomacy, a practice that has included making harsh public statements about their host countries news outlets; last year, for instance, the Chinese consulate in Sydney wrote to an Australian newspaper demanding that it praise Chinas handling of the pandemic. A similar thing happened again just last week, when a senior Chinese diplomat in the UK scolded an executive from the BBC for baselessly smearing and vilifying Chinas national image in its reporting from Xinjiang. Going forward, journalists are sure to keep getting trapped in Chinas claws during geopolitical disputes. We can also expect that, at home and abroad, they will continue to be targeted for their work in its own right.

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Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Amanda Richardson talks the path to nonprofit news in New Jersey

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Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
Like a line server at Cleburnes Cafeteria, Gov. Greg Abbott offered up an array of emergency items last week appealing to a range of legislative appetites. For the red-meat lovers, he recommended that lawmakers consider two highly seasoned items: protecting election integrity (read: making it harder to vote) and punishing cities inclined to defund the police (read: Austins reallocation of civilian duties). Both issues are actually spoiled meat. Neither are good for the body politic.

To his credit, the governors menu also includes a healthier choice, one that has the potential to break down barriers between rural and urban Texas, revive small towns and provide education, economic and health care opportunities to thousands of Texans who prefer to live in Fort Davis and not Fort Worth, Hallettsville instead of Houston.

Expanding access to high-speed internet will provide opportunities and improve the quality of life for all Texans, especially those in rural and low-income communities, Gov. Abbott wrote.

Hes right about that, as both Democratic and Republican lawmakers agree. In fact, investing in broadband initiatives would seem to be one of the few proposals the Legislature will consider this session that qualifies as bipartisan. If we have learned anything during the enforced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that all Texans  rural and urban, old and young, red and blue  benefit when they are connected.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Abbott's call for universal broadband access creates opportunity for bipartisan action

According to a November report of the Governors Broadband Development Council, more than 900,000 Texans dont have access to broadband at home. Maps from Connected Nation Texas show that, of that number, the vast majority are rural Texans, living in areas where broadband is either expensive or unavailable. Without high-speed internet, they wont be conferring with their doctor online. Without high-speed internet, kids out of school because of the pandemic wont be going to class online. Without high-speed internet, their parents wont be starting a home-based business to replace the job they lost to the pandemic.

The digital divide in Texas and across the nation is not unlike the electricity divide in the 1930s, when power companies had no incentive to build lines into sparsely populated areas. Then as now, infrastructure gets built in the cities and suburbs, not in small towns and rural areas.

For a state that ranks 38th out of 50 in broadband adoption, not only is adequate access an economic issue but so is the ability to purchase and use it. Think of all those hollowed-out little towns off the interstate. Town squares that in decades past were busy and prosperous are now deserted. Once-sturdy brick buildings that housed pharmacies, cafes, hardware stores and other local businesses are now empty, their show windows layered with dust.

The pandemic has underscored both the problem and the potential of broadband. We are beginning to see that little towns dont have to molder away. Businesses dont have to relocate to the big city. Employees dont have to be in an office; they can work from home. Texans who want to enjoy the atmosphere of a small town can do so, while farmers and ranchers can take advantage of new markets and best practices. If they are connected.

Getting all of Texas connected wont be easy, in part because it costs money, but also because it requires long-range planning. At the moment, Texas is one of six states that doesnt have a statewide plan or an office overseeing the effort.

The most promising vehicle for bringing the state up to speed is Senate Bill 506, legislation co-sponsored by state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and state Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin. Their bill would create a Broadband Development Office, within the state comptrollers office; create a Broadband Development Program, funded by the newly established Broadband Development Account; establish a Broadband Development Map, updated regularly; and develop a statewide broadband plan within a year of the bill becoming law.

Jennifer Harris, state program director for Connected Nation Texas, told the editorial board that the Nichols-Ashby bill is only a first step but a vital one, because it lays out a plan to find out what Texas actually needs. Without a plan similar to states further along  Harris mentioned Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee  theres no way to know how much money its going to take to bridge the digital divide.

In the 1930s, rural Texans finally got electricity  almost a half century after their city cousins  thanks to FDRs Rural Electrification Administration (REA). Fortunately, the Biden administration seems to understand that the broadband need these days is nearly as urgent.

As a candidate, Biden promised to commit $20 billion to constructing broadband infrastructure for small towns and rural areas. He also committed to tripling the amount of money available to local governments, organizations, corporations and other entities as an incentive to wire rural areas. If the new administration is able to follow through on its commitment, and if Texas lawmakers respond with similar urgency, the state will begin to bridge its debilitating digital divide.

In an interview with Texas Public Radio aired Sept. 2019, the CEO of Bandera Electric Cooperative on the western edge of the Hill Country explained why his organization was expanding internet access for its customers. Youre not doing this to make money, Bill Hetherington said. Youre doing this to allow your communities to survive and be here 20 years from now.

Hetherington could be speaking for every small town in Texas. If they were connected.


Shortly afterwards, the same thing happens. He wakes up to find that theres a nine-month-old baby in the nursery and although there are plenty of photographs showing father and daughter have spent happy times together, he has no memory of them. Worse, these time slips continue. No, hes not caught up in some fiendishly convoluted psychological thriller. The movie is a romcom  the kind where everybodys motives and actions are designed expressly to sustain the joke. And never mind about plausibility.

In Long Story Short, Teddy (Rafe Spall) wakes up one morning thinking its the day after his wedding only to discover that a year has passed and he remembers none of it, including the fact his wife is pregnant.

So Teddys wife, Leanne (Zahra Newman) does not insist that her husband go straight to a neurologist and demand a brain scan. She dismisses his peculiar behaviour with an exasperated look and carries on, expecting him to get over whatever it is hes on about and do the same.

Set among the most scenic bits of Sydneys eastern suburbs around Bronte and the neighbouring beaches, the film is by Australian writer, director and actor Josh Lawson, whose last film, The Little Death (2014) took a similarly prescriptive line on its characters. Their personalities were shaped by the nature of their sexual fantasies and whether or not they were willing to reveal them to their partners, a situation that made for a few laughs, but not enough  although the Spanish took to it and produced a slightly raunchier re-make in their own language.

Zahra Newman (Leanne) and Rafe Spall (Teddy) in Long Story Short. Credit:Brook Rushton

Teddy is usually feeling too anxious for sex. Played by Rafe Spall, son of Timothy Spall, one of the most adaptable of British character actors, hes a jumpy motormouth whose tendency to talk first and think later is at odds with his friends view of him as a chronic procrastinator. Even more disconcerting, he sometimes sounds like Ricky Gervais.

It doesnt leave his co-stars much to work with. Malaysian comedian Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians) is cast as his best friend and confidant, which means he has to content himself with playing his straight man. And after being allowed a few carefree scenes at the start, Newman is condemned to being perpetually long-suffering as well as strangely incurious until she gives up altogether and leaves him.
(Natural News) Conservative journalist Tucker Carlson criticized President Joe Biden for releasing illegal immigrants without testing them for the Wuhan coronavirus. The Fox News host accused the Biden administration of punishing Americans and endangering their lives with the move. Carlson also commented that migrants entering the U.S. illegally are not subjected to COVID-19 tests.

The Tucker Carlson Tonight host opened the Feb. 9 episode of his show by saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) required air travelers to get a COVID-19 test before entering. He then remarked how illegal immigrants are seemingly exempted from the rules. Tonight, we learned that the Biden administration is releasing thousands of foreign nationals living here illegally into American neighborhoods without bothering to test them for the coronavirus, he said.

Carlson then played a clip from a Feb. 5 White House news conference, where Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the policy of releasing untested immigrants. In the clip, Fox News correspondent Kristin Fisher asked the press secretary regarding COVID-19 testing for migrants. Her question came as Customs and Border Protection remarked having to catch and release migrants in the community without testing them.

Psaki appeared confused by Fishers question, clarifying if she insinuated that migrants were indeed released without being tested. The correspondent answered: Theyre being released  because of the executive order that the president signed earlier this week. At the end of the clip, the press secretary then challenged Fisher to cite which order mandated it.

Carlson then said: COVID-infected illegal aliens released into the U.S.  its not like theres a pandemic. The press secretary didnt care enough to answer the question. He insisted the governments refusal to test illegal immigrants was a method of punishing legal Americans.

When we release people that break our laws without bothering to test them for the [Wuhan coronavirus]  what were saying in the clearest possible terms [is] we dont like you. This isnt a policy [but] an act of aggression  designed to humiliate you and demoralize you. Reckless, non-destructive immigration policy is the penalty  for your white supremacy, Carlson commented.

Illegal immigrants released without coronavirus testing can cause irreparable harm

Carlson cited two law enforcement officials who confirmed that illegal immigrants were indeed released without being tested. National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd told the host: So were releasing people without knowing [if theyre infected], which puts the public at risk. Yuma County, Arizona Sheriff Leon Wilmos, who also appeared in the show, seconded Judds statement.

The journalist then welcomed Jackson County, Texas Sheriff A.J. Louderback. He asked the sheriff: Is it true in the state of Texas that people who have been detained because theyre not here legally  are being released without a coronavirus test?

Louderback replied in the affirmative, saying that it was absolutely true. He added that he received a memo that went along the lines of defunding Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is a particularly devastating document for Texans and Americans. The message has been sent. Its a message to the world that you can come here illegally, commit crimes here and remain here illegally, the sheriff commented. (Related: Biden floods America with illegal aliens as part of Build Back Better agenda.)

When asked why illegal aliens were not tested for the coronavirus, Louderback said he was sure testing was not a forgotten item. He continued by criticizing the Biden administrations haste in rolling back the immigration policies of former President Donald Trump.

The sheriff pointed out that COVID-19 issue is conveniently overlooked during this time and predicted that the policy of not testing illegal immigrants will cause irreparable harm. Louderback warned: Every peace officer in the U.S. should be extremely concerned about the attitude, the lawlessness [and] the complete, abject removal of law. We have a nullification of the law going on here. Were not going to enforce anything.

Back in October 2020, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) released a report that the federal government was not testing illegal immigrants for the coronavirus. Senior CIS researcher and study author Nayla Rush called the refusal to test immigrants puzzling as the law orders that refugees and other immigrants must undergo medical examinations for communicable diseases of public health significance. (Related: Spike in coronavirus cases worsened by infected illegal aliens flooding into U.S. hospitals.)

According to medical guidelines released by the CDC, communicable diseases of public health significance included tuberculosis, leprosy and sexually-transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis. Anyone found with these illnesses can be denied entry to the U.S., the report said.

OpenBorders.news has more about the risks of freeing illegal immigrants without being tested for the Wuhan coronavirus.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

FoxNews.com

CIS.org

CDC.gov
Home > 2021 > The Lady and The Generals | Jonathan Head

[Listen to BBCs From Our Own Correspondent - the report from Jonathan Head on Feb 6, 2021]

BBC Radio, Feb 6, 2021

TEXT OF TRANSCRIPT: THE LADY AND THE GENERAL

BBC Correspondent Jonathan Head reports from Yangon, Myanmar:

Aung San Suu Kyi, a leader was once idolised as the champion of freedom, but who, in defending the generals against charges of genocide, was then denounced as a fallen angel.

Myanmar is a fearfully complicated country with a history that is traumatic even by southeast Asias turbulent standards. Yet, the rest of the world is unable to see it this way because of the overpowering draw of a woman who is veiled in a mythical aura combining fragile femininity with steely resolve, magnetic charm, with imperious detachment. She was the stuff of fairy tales, holding out alone against an anti-diluvian and brutal military, and eventually cajoling them into giving the Burmese people free election. And in huge numbers, they chose her.

That narrative, however, has been hard to square with the woman who also appeared callously insensitive to the horrors endured by the Rohingya Muslim refugees on her watch. So, many people turned away from Myanmar, appalled that such terrible things were happening in what was supposed to be a story of democratic renewal.

Now we are being asked to re-engage with Aung San Suu Kyi in military custody once more, as she was for so many years. I see mighty debates amongst Burma-watchers whether she should be supported again as the symbol of her peoples democratic aspirations or not, because of the many undemocratic impulses she showed as the countrys de facto leader.

How did we get so focused on this one person in a country of 55 million and in a region where there are so many wilful tales of injustice that deserve our attention?

Partly, it is about timing. When Aung San Suu Kyi first emerged as a political figure in 1988 on what was supposed to be a short trip from Britain, where was living with her British husband and two sons, Burma, as it was then called, was little known, trapped in military-imposed isolation. The terrible repression of the protest movement she led and the start of her long incarceration coincided with the collapse of communism in Europe and the rise of a new world order in which it was felt that western or UN interventions could right many of the worlds wrongs. She was awarded the Nobel peace Prize in 1991, just the year of the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and it was shard not to see similarities in their dignity and fortitude.

Like Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyis long period of isolation under house arrest meant that few got to know her well and the world instead projected an idealised version onto a complex and difficult personality. She came to embody the optimistic belief that the arc of history, the memorable phrase used by President Obama, whose visit to Myanmar was the high point of Aung San Suu Kyis reputation, was bending inevitably towards democracy and freedom.

Fast forward to this year and all that optimism has long since dissolved. In the disappointments in Afghanistan and Iraq, in a global financial crash, in bitterly polarised politics and now in the middle of a pandemic, few believe anymore in the kind of miracle that Myanmars transition to democracy was once thought to be. The United Nations Security Council, the embryonic world government that it never was, has mustered a statement of concern over Myanmar which failed even to mention the coup, the illegal overthrow of an elected government.

Aung San Suu Kyi is now being charged with the laughable offence of possessing illegal walkie talkies. That will be enough for the junta, though, to disqualify her from the new election it is promising to hold eventually. They have done this to her before.

But she is now 75 years old. If she manages another political incarnation, the generals are betting that she will no longer be the resolute figure theyve been unable to beat for so long.

And, perhaps, it is time for all of us, including the party she founded and has dominated for more than 3 decades, to let go of the woman they still call Mother Suu and The Lady, and to seek younger personalities who can chart Myanmars future.


Officials said the government has given job cards to 9 lakh wage-seekers in the district but only 2.60 lakh are utilising them regularly.  PTI

KURNOOL: Amid the gram panchayat elections, a majority of villages in Adoni and Kurnool divisions are seeing people migrating to the cities. Though poll candidates are requesting them to stay on till the completion of the polls, the workers are not showing any interest.

At least 15,000 families from the district have left to Guntur, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and other cities. Some of the aspirants even offered money and other benefits to the workers to keep them back but in vain.

Veeramma, a worker from Nelakosigi, said that their livelihood was more important than the elections. Even though the entire family goes for work locally, they cannot earn even Rs 400 in a day, she stated. In cities like Guntur, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and other places, each person gets more than Rs 800 per head.

Her family including her husband and two children go to Guntur in every season. If the government provides ample employment, there is no need to go to any other place, Veeramma said.

Sai Prasad, a sarpanch candidate at Kowthalam mandal, said that in small villages with less than 1,000 population migrant workers form a big force. If they dont stay here, there will be no election atmosphere, he said. So we are requesting them to stay here still the elections are over but many of them are not listening to us, he added.

The number of people moving out of villages would double in the next couple of weeks, right when the third and fourth phase of elections in Kurnool and Adoni divisions are held.

Officials said the government has given job cards to 9 lakh wage-seekers in the district but only 2.60 lakh are utilising them regularly. The rest were were mostly interested to go to other cities to search for livelihood every season.

The amount was not paid on a daily basis and there are many stipulations. More people have moved out from Kurnool district in the recent past, from Kosigi, Nandavaram, Aspari, Holagunda, Alur, Pathikonda, Devanakonda, Dhone, Yemmiganur, Kodumuru, Adoni, Krishnagiri and Mantralayam mandals.

A total 970 sarpanchs and 9,984 ward members will be elected in the elections which will end on February 21.

With the poll dates for the last two phases approaching, aspirants are busy striking deals to ensure that elections are avoided. Some candidates were said to be using political and caste equations and financial clout to get their rivals to withdraw. Polling will be conducted on February 13 for second phase, February 17 for third phase and February 21 for the final phase.
A woman wearing a protective mask prays at the Thean Hou Temple during first day of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. The movement control order (MCO) currently enforced across the country to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, has been extended to Feb. 18, effectively covering the Chinese New Year festival that falls on Feb. 12 this year. (AP Photo)
BRASILIA: Medical teams working to immunize Brazils remote indigenous villages against the coronavirus have encountered fierce resistance in some communities where evangelical missionaries are stoking fears of the vaccine, say tribal leaders and advocates.

On the Sao Francisco reservation in the state of Amazonas, Jamamadi villagers sent health workers packing with bows and arrows when they visited by helicopter this month, said Claudemir da Silva, an Apurina leader representing indigenous communities on the Purus river, a tributary of the Amazon.

Its not happening in all villages, just in those that have missionaries or evangelical chapels where pastors are convincing the people not to receive the vaccine, that they will turn into an alligator and other crazy ideas," he said by phone.

That has added to fears that COVID-19 could roar through Brazils more than 800,000 indigenous people, whose communal living and often precarious healthcare make them a priority in the national immunization program.

Tribal leaders blame Brazils far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and some of his avid supporters in the evangelical community for stoking skepticism about coronavirus vaccines, despite a national death toll that lags only the United States.

Religious fundamentalists and evangelical missionaries are preaching against the vaccine," said Dinamam Tuxa, a leader of APIB, Brazils largest indigenous organization.

The Association of Brazilian Anthropologists denounced unspecified religious groups in a statement on Tuesday for spreading false conspiracy theories to sabotage" the vaccination of indigenous people.

Many pastors of Brazils urban evangelical megachurches are urging followers to get vaccinated, but they say missionaries in remote territories have not gotten the message.

Unfortunately, some pastors who lack wisdom are spreading misinformation to our indigenous brethren," said Pastor Mario Jorge Conceicao of the Assembly of God Traditional Church in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state.

The governments indigenous health agency Sesai told Reuters in a statement that it was working to raise awareness of the importance of coronavirus immunization.

Bolsonaro has played down the severity of the virus and refused to take a vaccine himself. He has aimed special derision at the countrys most widely available shot, made by Chinas Sinovac Biotech, citing doubts about its origins."

At an event in December, the president ridiculed vaccine maker Pfizer because he said the company had refused to assume liability for collateral effects in talks with his government.

If you take the vaccine and turn into an alligator, its your problem. If you turn into Superman or women grow beards, I have nothing to do with that," Bolsonaro said sarcastically.

Pfizer has said it proposed standard contractual guarantees to the Brazilian government that other countries accepted before using its vaccine.

Access to social media even in remote corners of Brazil has fanned false rumors about the coronavirus vaccines.

For instance, 56-year-old tribal chief Fernando Katukina, of the Noke Koi people near the Peru border, died Feb. 1 of cardiac arrest related to diabetes and congestive heart failure. Word spread rapidly on social media and radio that the COVID-19 vaccine he received in January had caused his death.

The Butantan biomedical center, which is producing and distributing the Sinovac vaccine, scrambled to convince indigenous people that was not the case.

The social media messages saying that Fernando Katukina died after taking a COVID-19 vaccine are fake news," Butantan wrote in a tweet.

COVID-19 has killed at least 957 indigenous people, according to APIB, out of some 48,071 confirmed infections among half of Brazils 300 native ethnic groups. The numbers could be much higher, because health agency Sesai only monitors indigenous people living on reservations.

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As dusk fell on a chilly evening last October, a group of about 15 people converged in the parking lot of Oaklands Flax Art Supply. Spaced 6 feet apart, silhouetted by portable floodlights with rapper Yxng Bane blasting from Bluetooth speakers, they began to dance, moving with a fluid swagger that could make an audience forget they were wearing masks.

Normally, hip-hop dance company Groove Against the Machine would have been working together in a downtown Oakland dance studio. Normally, they would have enormous mirrors to help them master choreography and a surround sound system keeping them on the beat. But, like just about everything else, the coronavirus pandemic had disrupted the groups routine. Their twice-weekly rehearsals had moved outside into the cold.

We all have a constant desire to keep dancing, says Groove co-director Daniel Kang. So were adapting to whats happening and not giving up.

Groove is one of many modern hip-hop dance companies in the Bay Area. Ranging from crews of five to battalions of 50, dance team members work day jobs as doctors, developers, waiters or students, and live a second life as dancers, rehearsing for hours each week in tight-knit groups that become like family. They perform and compete across the country or internationally, each group evolving its own specific style melding genres from popping and locking to contemporary and ballet into a dance DNA as unique as a fingerprint.

When the first COVID-19 lockdown rippled across the Bay Area last March, the dance community reeled. Countless hours spent mastering choreography for dance competitions or performances were suddenly down the drain. But as the pandemic unfolded, the crews adapted: leveraging technology to rehearse remotely, dancing outdoors and performing via YouTube or Instagram as live events disappeared. Over the last year, theyve found ways to keep dancing together, strengthening their community and confronting social justice issues in the process.

Photos by Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

Hip-hops family tree

Watch a few videos of hip-hop dance groups, and eventually youll focus on the feet. Dozens of them, moving together with almost military precision. The choreography built onto that footwork  the aggressively graceful movements, the swagger, the sassy, sometimes sexy attitude  is what makes this type of dance so popular today. But the history of hip-hop dance (and the numerous styles often grouped under the umbrella term modern hip-hop) goes back decades.

The Bay Areas modern hip-hop dance culture traces its lineage back to both the Bronx in New York, where the style was born in the 1970s, and to Oaklands Boogaloo street dance movement of the 1960s. Many of the techniques and movements that are part of current hip-hop dance vocabulary can be mapped back even further, to dances of the African diaspora.

Its almost like a secret society that is a part of ancient African rituals when you dance, says Traci Bartlow, a Bay Area dancer, activist, educator and entrepreneur. Its part of this authentic style that has morphed into so many other forms of hip-hop dance.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Hip-hop styles first made their way into Northern California dance studios in the 1980s. From the loosely organized crews that danced together at cyphers (freestyle dance circles) or participated in battles, teams and companies began to form, often based out of studios. A parallel movement was growing simultaneously in Southern California, and car show organizers hosted the first few dance group showcases in the 1990s to draw crowds to their events.

Members of the dance community soon began producing their own shows and competitions focused on hip-hop styles, including events like Vibe, Prelude, Body Rock and Fusion. They drew dancers and teams from across the country and, eventually, from around the world.

Micaya (who goes by a single name) is one of the Bay Areas best known dance mammas, and founded San Franciscos International Hip Hop DanceFest in 1999. I realized that there was this huge talent pool that a lot of people didnt know about, she says. I wanted to bring a higher respect to these dance forms, and see if people will come sit down in a theater to watch this type of dance like they would watch the ballet or a play.

Her event began in San Franciscos Theater Artaud, a space with capacity for 350. Before the pandemic, it had grown into a high-energy, multiday showcase that attracted dancers and groups from around the world and boasted more than 3,000 spectators annually. I call these dance groups companies because its an art form, Micaya says. You would never say ballet team.

For many local dancers, joining a dance company felt like coming home. Rocko Luciano, co-director of INQ dance company, had that experience with Funkanometry SF, a local group that has since disbanded. Im a queer person of color with all these weird ideas, and I always felt kind of on the outside. Finding Funkanometry SF, seeing queer people dancing alongside masculine B-boys, learning from each other and encouraging each other, was such a formative experience for me.

Many of the leaders in todays hip-hop dance scene can trace their family tree back to one of three groups formed in the late 1990s and early 2000s: Gen 2.0, Mind Over Matter and Culture Shock. In the early days, dancers floated among groups, often performing and competing with more than one. Tarik Rollerson, the founder and director of Oaklands 1Up Crew, says, When I was dancing back in the mid- to late 2000s, everyone danced together on multiple teams. Now its different, more professionalized, and most groups ask their members to sign a contract to dance only with them.

Those contracts, offered after a dancer has auditioned and been accepted into the group, demonstrate the hard work and dedication expected. Agreements often require members to pay for dues (sometimes as much as $200 a month), performance costumes and competition registration fees, and to pay a penalty if they show up late. The time commitment is intense, too: Some crews work together for 10 hours or more per week. If dancers dont meet their obligations, they cant compete or perform.

But the time spent moving and sweating together creates the glue that binds these groups. On Groove, we rehearse together until the wee hours of the morning and travel to do shows and competitions together. When you get a group that has a common bond like that, you become almost like family, says Leslie Panitchpakdi, co-director of Groove Against the Machine. When people audition, its not just about if they fit in dance-wise, its about if they fit in energy- and personality-wise.

Courtesy Groove Against the Machine

Finding a COVID rhythm

When the pandemic halted Grooves twice-weekly rehearsals last March, the 25-member team tried to continue rehearsing over Zoom. But for dancers used to learning choreography live with the visual cues of a studio mirror and the people around them, working virtually is tough.

A lot of what we do as dancers is based on each others energy, Panitchpakdi says, whether or not we knew that when COVID hit, we know that now.

After a few attempts at teaching routines online, the group put things on hold until September, when they were able to hold masked rehearsals outdoors, a much-needed outlet. Being on Groove during COVID has been a lifesaving thing, says artistic director James Wilkes. Everything was taken away from us, so when we started dancing together again, it was such a sigh of relief.

Other Bay Area companies have leveraged technology to continue working together. INQ co-directors Luciano and Alli Fritz have started using PowerPoint and PDFs to help their 20-member dance company learn new choreography and formations. They still host virtual rehearsals, but INQ has shifted from mandatory attendance to using it as an opportunity to check in on dancers.

Since competitions and performances are on hold indefinitely, INQ has started creating choreography for video projects  rehearsing the formations and perfecting the moves remotely, then filming with masks on. Their most recent film, Lost Time, was released in October. Its plot featured a government-directed drone stalking dancers across the Bay Area.

INQ has been a big provider of comfort for all of us, says Fritz. If you asked me a year ago if I would be excited about dancing outside in the cold in a duct-taped square, I would have said heck no. But dance is truly one of the most important things to me. Its my therapy, but Ive never had to use it like I have during COVID.

Tarik Rollersons 1Up Crew followed a similar trajectory. Right before COVID they threw Double or Nothing, a five-on-five crew battle. We had over 300 people there; some came from L.A. or Vegas. And then we went from that high to doing nothing overnight, Rollerson says. So we started doing check-ins about mental health to see how everyone was dealing with things.

They also shifted to teaching choreography over Zoom with occasional outdoor masked rehearsals and launched a film project called Unfollowed, a dance-based horror series. In the weeks approaching Halloween, they released a full episode each Friday on social media.

Movement for social justice

On a warm Monday afternoon in June, less than two weeks after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, roughly 80 masked dancers converged flash-mob style on Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland. As rapper Lil Mos hip-hop anthem 4Ever blasted from portable speakers and onlookers cheered, dancers from the Groove community executed a crisp hip-hop routine as a peaceful protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The event, organized by Groove co-director Kang, raised $800 to support local Black-owned businesses. Another dance protest and rally from 1Up Crew raised $1,500 for the Black Lives Matter organization.

Over the summer, Groove also hosted several Zoom roundtables to give dancers from different teams a chance to talk about their experiences and work through trauma. We opened up this conversation so our team members could talk about things that were impacting them, like sexual harassment or Black Lives Matter or safety, and a lot of people shared their stories, says Groove artistic director Wilkes. Life is a different experience when youre afraid to walk home with a hood on your head if youre brown or Black.

Event organizers are also engaged in the conversation. Mi Le is a dancer with the Main Stacks dance team and executive producer of Prelude, a major national dance competition held in Northern California. This past year, with all the social justice issues coming up, Prelude took a step back to analyze our mission and our core values, she says. And the organizers of major dance events, like Body Rock and Vibe, have all been talking about what our next steps are and how to help the dance community move forward.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

In November, Main Stacks and Prelude NorCal hosted a multiday virtual event titled Can the Front Half Sit Down, focused on the appropriation of hip-hop dance styles. The sessions covered everything from the evolution of hip-hop dance and how to honor dance culture, to anti-racism strategies and inclusive dance communities. Dancer and activist Traci Bartlow was one of the featured speakers. Knowing that these dance styles are something that came out of the Black experience and that the non-Black dancers that just live for dance are committed to doing anti-racist work is so important, she says.

The forced pause of COVID and the Black Lives Matter movement has also triggered internal reflection around terminology. Urban dance, once used as a catchall term for many different dance styles, is being eliminated because of its negative connotations. The community is still searching for the right words to replace it.

Over the past 10 years, as these dance forms became popularized, no one was thinking about where these labels came from, says Bay Area dancer and event producer Bibi Khalili. Urban dance was used as a loose description, but to be candid, it was how other cultures appropriated these dance styles more than anything else. Its been a crucial conversation.

And that conversation is ongoing.

As pandemic whiplash continues, vaccine distribution widens and dancers look forward to getting back into the studio, how the dance community will move forward is still hazy.

The Bay Area dance team community is relatively new, and I think everyone is taking this time to think about what our purpose is, says INQs Luciano. This is a huge moment to reconsider our practices around how we interact with these dance forms, how we support the communities they come from and engage in social justice. Thats going to encourage a reframing of what we do. Why is there a dance showcase? Why is there a competition? Clear purpose will become an expectation.

One thing is already clear: The families formed over years of rehearsals and showtime jitters will persist, and the joy of dancing together as a cohesive group, hitting the beat as one, is more vital than ever. Im so thankful that I have this built-in community thats in the same mindset that Im in, says Panitchpakdi. Theres so much looming right now that its nice to tune it all out and dance with people that love you.

Samantha Nobles-Block is a Bay Area freelance writer. Email: culture@sfchronicle.com

In an interview with Hraparak Armenian newspaper, leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan answered a question about the opposition not achieving its goals yet, stating that the goal is to save the country.

We have gathered and hold discussions, and its not like we all agree on everything. Decisions are made by majority of votes. The question of our concern is the countrys salvation. If the government hasnt done anything for the past three years, it must step down, Tsarukyan said.

According to the opposition party leader, Nikol Pashinyans roadmap wont change the course of action of the opposition.

The government of national accord was possible after I made an announcement about the 100% resignation of the government in July. In that case, there wouldnt be a war and casualties. The situation will worsen. The government hasnt carried out any program over the past three months. Our people are hard-working people, and everything needs to be planned the right way. Armenia needs to restore its friendly ties with Russia through actions, not words. We Armenians saw that Russia is truly concerned about the Armenian people and has a heartfelt attitude towards them, he stated.
Were the four guys who came up with a Jan. 6 event, he said, adding that it was meant to change the minds of members of Congress who saw everyone outside and said, I cant be on the other side of that mob. (Brooks, who spoke at the rally, and Biggs, who blamed antifa for some of the mayhem, have denied working with Alexander.) As The Intercepts Ryan Grim reported, Gosar said, at an Arizona rally promoting the Jan. 6 demonstration: You get to sit and go back home once we conquer the Hill. Donald Trump is returned to being president.

Its easy enough to understand why the impeachment managers are working so hard to separate Trump from the Republican Party: They still hold out hope of persuading some Republican jurors.

When they played that clip, for example, of the insurrectionists chanting against the G.O.P., it was a powerful way to make the point that these people dont represent you, senators, they represent Donald Trump and how disruptive an influence hes been, said Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor on Trumps first impeachment trial.

If Republicans were ready to move on from Trump, the impeachment managers would be giving them a gift. By convicting him, Republicans could, after reaping four years of rewards for their complicity, wash their hands of a leader many are said to privately disdain. Those who want to run for president themselves could clear the decks of a competitor. And, of course, they could ratify the narrative that Trump was aberrant, and that they bear no responsibility for his attempt to overthrow the democracy they purport to revere.

Last month The New York Times reported that McConnell was pleased about this impeachment, believing Trump deserved it and that it would make it easier to purge him from the party. House managers sometimes seem to be speaking directly to him.

Yet because much of the G.O.P.s base appears to sympathize with the insurgents, the Republican jurors cant accept what Democrats are offering. According to a new survey by a project of the American Enterprise Institute, 66 percent of Republicans believe that Bidens victory was illegitimate. Thirty-nine percent of Republicans agree with the statement, If elected leaders will not protect America, the people must do it themselves even if it requires taking violent actions.

War of Shadows

By Gershom Gorenberg

PublicAffairs. 474 pp. $34

- - -

More than a half-century after the Allied victory in World War II, Normandy and Stalingrad tend to overshadow the people and events that gave the war its global reach. But there were many other battlefields and modes of combat, one of which was the crucial intelligence campaign carried out by mostly forgotten men and women in the Middle East. That's the story Gershom Gorenberg restores to memory and esteem in "War of Shadows," a masterpiece of scholarship and synthesis that also reads like a thriller.

The story opens in 1942, when the Axis appeared to be winning the war and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's army was so close to Cairo that the British General Headquarters was burning its archives. "The flames were too hot," Gorenberg observes, "and half-burnt secrets floated out over the city." A young cipher clerk named June Watkins, serving in Britain'sWomen's Auxiliary Air Force, was armed with a revolver while she worked: "Among other things, they learned how to shoot themselves," the author explains. "Women who knew the ciphers were not to fall into enemy hands."

"War of Shadows" is based on meticulous and exhaustive research that ranged from "archives in places from Tel Aviv to Palo Alto to the homes of the children and grandchildren of people whose names have been forgotten though they changed the direction of history." One reason, as Gorenberg reveals, is that the spies and spymasters who made history were told, "Now history must have no memory of you." Yet the book also flashes and sparkles with the kind of observed detail that we are accustomed to finding only in spy fiction. The highest praise that can be bestowed on his book is that it will remind readers of a cloak-and-dagger tale by John Le Carre with an armature of fascinating historical annotation.

Gorenberg is a veteran journalist and historian based in Jerusalem, the author of three previous books about aspects of the Middle East ("The Unmaking of Israel," "The Accidental Empire" and "The End of Days"), a contributing columnist for The Washington Post, and a longtime contributor to the New York Times Magazine, the New York Review of Books, the Atlantic and Haaretz.

Facts on the ground in North Africa figure prominently in "War of Shadows," but equally important is the work that was conducted in an English country house called Bletchley Park, where the secret messages that passed between Berlin and its battlefield commanders were decoded and selectively shared with Allied counterparts. But the deciding factor was Winston Churchill's conviction that the decision to defend British primacy in the Middle East was "at once awful and right." According to Gorenberg, "It was a wager that changed the shape of the war, and of the Middle East then and after."

Indeed, Gorenberg allows us to see that a Middle Eastern version of the Great Game was conducted in parallel with armed combat. Nazi plotters imagined that Egyptian dissidents could be persuaded to "switch to the German side." The same sentiment can be detected in the recollections of Anwar Sadat, then a young officer in an Egyptian artillery brigade that was serving with the British army in the campaign against Benito Mussolini's expeditionary force. "Our enemy was primarily, if not solely, Great Britain," Sadat later explained.

The code-breakers at Bletchley Park confirmed the strategic ambitions of the Axis in the Middle East. Bombers, fighters and transport planes were being sent from German-occupied Greece, "with Iraq markings or no markings at all," for service against the Allies. After all, as Gorenberg points out, "both Iraq and the Vichy-ruled territories of Syria and Lebanon were fully aligned with the Axis."

Palestine, then ruled by Britain under a mandate from the League of Nations, was also at stake. When Italian bombers attacked Haifa and Tel Aviv, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem sent his congratulations to Mussolini. By contrast, the Jewish leadership in Palestine urged Jews to enlist in the British army, and an elite unit known as the Palmach shared its soldiers with the Special Operations Executive. Meir Yaari, a leader of the kibbutz movement, observed that "these days no fear is an exaggeration." Yet Gorenberg also notices that Moshe Shertok, a future prime minister of Israel, saw a distinction in the early years of the war between the Nazi invasion of Poland that had already happened and the Nazi invasion of Palestine that was feared in the future: "It's possible that there will be atrocities here," Shertok said.

"On that," Gorenberg writes in a heartbreaking side, "intelligence was entirely lacking."

One tool for measuring the depth of Gorenberg's book is the dramatis personae that appear at the outset, ranging from world historical figures like Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler to a young naval intelligence officer named Ian Fleming, whose wartime experiences inspired him to create the most famous spy of all. Above all, Gorenberg restores to the historical record various men and woman who have been mostly overlooked and always undervalued, including the remarkable Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly, an English aristocrat who served a consequential role in the Special Operations Executive.

Countess Hermione is an example of exactly what makes "War of Shadows" such a colorful and compelling book of history. She was met with skepticism when she first volunteered for the war effort: "You can't expect me to believe that a countess can type," said one brigadier. As it turned out, she was stationed in an office that was stocked with guns, ammunition and gold, and she directed the efforts of commandos in a shooting war.

"We sent little boats up the Danube to lay mines," she wrote of her wartime efforts. "We sent gentlemen forth with wirelesses in suitcases and instructions to blow up certain bridges."

Once in action, however, the Countess demonstrated one facility that her male comrades-in-arms lacked; she carried a Colt revolver in her girdle and smuggled secret papers in her bra.

- - -

Kirsch, an author and publishing attorney, is the book editor of the Jewish Journal.
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Thunder Bay Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2021) - Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSXV: MEK) (the "Corporation") announces a stock option grant to officers, directors, employees and consultants of the Company, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval, for up to a total of 2,600,000 common shares of the Company. These stock options are exercisable at CDN $0.13 per stock option and vesting in accordance with the corporations stock option plan.

About Metals Creek Resources Corp.

Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration Corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property from Newmont Corporation, including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 km south of Timmins, Ontario and has an 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF). In addition, Metals Creek has signed an agreement with Newmont Corporation, where Metals Creek can earn a 100% interest in the past producing Dona Lake Gold Project in the Pickle Lake Mining District of Ontario.

Metals Creek also has multiple quality projects available for option in Ontario and Newfoundland which can be viewed on the Corporation's website. Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact the Corporation at the number below.

Additional information concerning the Corporation is contained in documents filed by the Corporation with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Alexander (Sandy) Stares, President and CEO

Metals Creek Resources Corp

telephone: (709)-256-6060

fax: (709)-256-6061

email: astares@metalscreek.com

www.MetalsCreek.com

Twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes

Facebook.com/MetalsCreek

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74318
The local leader of a national group of survivors of molestation by Catholic clergy parted ways with the organization Friday, a day after the Archdiocese of New Orleans announced it would pay him to train and consult with a new counseling team the church is forming.

Kevin Bourgeois, who had been leading the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests New Orleans chapter, said he had accepted a contract from the archdiocese to provide in-service training to a team of victims assistance counselors so that he could have a direct hand in improving the local churchs treatment of abuse claimants.

Bourgeois said he cleared the arrangement with national SNAP leadership. But SNAP President Zach Hiner issued a statement Friday saying the paid arrangement with the archdiocese created a conflict of interest, and Bourgeois "had agreed to resign" from his volunteer post with the survivors group.

+3 New Orleans archdiocese announces changes to how it will respond to clerical abuse claims Weeks after pledging to collaborate with a group of clergy sex abuse survivors, the Archdiocese of New Orleans on Thursday announced changes t

As an independent self-help and advocacy group for survivors of religious and institutional abuse, it is important that there be clear separations between SNAP leaders and church officials, Hiners statement said. The conflict of interest in this case is enough to warrant a change in New Orleans and as such Kevin Bourgeois will no longer be acting as a volunteer SNAP leader.

We are grateful for the work that Kevin has done in advocating for and supporting survivors in New Orleans and hope that his work will continue in Louisiana, he added.

Bourgeois on Friday said he did not resign but was forced out by SNAPs board of directors. He said a vocal minority of SNAP members with ties to New Orleans had undermined his standing.

He had already come under fire from other members of the local SNAP chapter after announcing in January that he had reached a detente with Archbishop Gregory Aymond.

A licensed social worker who said he was abused by a priest as a teen in the 1980s, Bourgeois leveled 18 months of withering criticism at Aymond and the archdiocese, especially its decision to file for bankruptcy last May. But in December, Bourgeois said, another survivor invited him to come along to a meeting with Aymond as moral support. Bourgeois said he and Aymond ended up discussing ways they could collaborate to help victims of the church's clergy abuse scandal.

+2 Archbishop Aymond and his fiercest critic make peace, pledge to collaborate on priest abuse crisis New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond and one of the local Catholic Churchs most vocal critics announced a detente Wednesday, pledging to ens

Bourgeois said SNAPs top leaders agreed with him that a conciliatory approach might help victims more than simply aiming harsh criticism at Aymond and the archdiocese.

But there were SNAP members and supporters who said they were uncomfortable that one of their own would so closely associate with an archdiocese that employed their abusers and then waited years to unmask them as predators.

Their criticism reached a fever pitch Thursday, when the archdiocese announced it would pay Bourgeois to train a new clergy abuse complaint intake team and consult it as needed.

SNAP members sent emails to the groups national brass arguing that it was a glaring conflict of interest for an organization leader such as Bourgeois to receive archdiocesan money.

Richard Windmann, a New Orleans native who now belongs to SNAPs Dallas chapter, said members had trusted Bourgeois with information about their interactions with their lawyers.

He knows all of our business, said Windmann, who's spoken publicly about being abused as an underage boy by a priest in the 1970s.

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Windmann said he and others demanded Bourgeois resign from his SNAP post or reject the archdiocese's contract.

Ultimately, Bourgeois agreed to resign, SNAP's statement said.

Bourgeois said he has never revealed anyone's confidential information to anyone. He said he would never even contemplate betraying fellow survivors confidences.

I take my code of ethics as a social worker seriously, Bourgeois said. People who know me and respect me reached out to me and offered their support. They also expressed their disbelief that I would be accused of doing anything untoward.

Bourgeois had led SNAPs New Orleans chapter since speaking out about being abused as a teen by the late priest Carl Davidson. Bourgeois said he was prompted to come forward by Davidsons inclusion on a list of more than 70 priests and deacons who are credibly accused of being child sexual predators. Aymond first released that roster in November 2018, and Bourgeois criticized it as late and incomplete.

Mike Brandner Sr., who believes his brother was sexually abused by a priest before committing suicide, said Bourgeois help was instrumental in getting his brothers alleged abuser, Brian Highfill, added to Aymonds list of pedophile priests. And he was outraged by Bourgeois' ouster.

+6 After years of accusations, this retired New Orleans priest is now on a clergy abuse list When the Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a list two years ago that included dozens of clergymen credibly accused of sexual abuse, Mike Brand

Without question, there is no doubt where his heart lies and the victims are No. 1, Brandner said. Anything Kevin is doing is to benefit past, present and future victims.

Bourgeois also helped numerous living clerical molestation survivors to come forward with their stories and explore their legal options.

Aymond announced Thursday that he was replacing the archdioceses liaison to clergy abuse claimants, who had been roundly criticized by survivors as ineffectual.

The archbishop appointed Joey Pistorius, the director of the archdioceses mental health counseling service, to take over the position of victims assistance coordinator beginning April 1.

Pistorius is replacing Marist Brother Stephen Synan.

Bourgeois took credit for persuading the church to replace Synan, though the archdiocese defended Synan's work.

Pistorius will work with a team of counselors who respond to disclosures of trauma, and the archdiocese extended Bourgeois a contract to provide in-service training and additional help on an as-needed basis.
For almost two decades, a 44-year-old man hailing from Dong Thap Province, located in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, has never enjoyed a Lunar New Year holiday at home with his family, but in the hospital, due to his kidney illness.

The 2021 Lunar New Year, or Tet, is another festival that Nguyen Ngoc Em, with his body weakened and disabled by his kidney disease over time, has nobody but a wheelchair by his side.

Em is unmarried and has been an inpatient at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City for 17 years.

He has to undergo kidney dialysis thrice a week.

For the rest of the week, Em moves his wheelchair around the hospital to sell lottery tickets to earn a living and pay for his hospital fees.

Regarding his health and financial conditions, returning to his hometown in Dong Thap for Tet celebration is a luxury.

Nguyen Ngoc Em smiles as he talks to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Hoang Loc / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Ngoc Em sells lottery tickets to a customer at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

For many years, I have never thought of returning to my hometown, but had Tet alone in the hospital, Em said.

But it does not mean that Em is unable to find happiness in his situation.

It's sad, but I already got used to it, he added.

For Em, happiness is as simple as that he still can feel healthy enough to go for a sightseeing trip around the flower street, which is specially set up for inpatients, at the hospital during this Lunar New Year festival.

The man also feels blessed to be able to spend his every day with the sick people in the same situation and doing the same lottery job.

A staff member talks to Nguyen Ngoc Em at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Ngoc Em has a right finger amputated due to his kidney illness. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Ngoc Em is pictured at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Ngoc Em moves his wheelchair along a corridor at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Ngoc Em lies on his bed placed by the corridor at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

A nurse tends to Nguyen Ngoc Em at his bed in Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

A woman gifts a can of milk powder to Nguyen Ngoc Em at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Hoang Loc / Tuoi Tre

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Beijing police detained a human rights defender for allegedly "subverting state power," which is a false accusation.

Li Qiaochu, Chinese human rights defender, was detained by the Beijing police on the night of Feb. 6 due to allegations of "subversion of state power," China Aid reported.

Security personnel from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) escorted Li from Beijing to the district of Linyi in Shandong Province.

The 31-year old labor issues researcher has been a champion and regular advocate for prisoners of conscience and their families. She was also one of the founders of the New Citizens' Movement, an activist group in China pushing for civil and political rights.

Before her arrest due to false allegations, Li took to Twitter to share the hardship and suffering that her boyfriend and New Citizens' Movement's co-founder, Xu Zhiyong, endured at the hands of communist authorities.

"I am crying while I write this update. For more than a week, CCP agents had tied Dr. Xu to an iron chair for ten hours a day. They deprived him of water and food. When escorting him back to his cell, guards covered his head with a black material beneath a heavy helmet."

According to reports, the CCP transferred Xu to an undisclosed location under residential surveillance of the Shandong Yantai authorities.

Christianity Daily reported that an unidentified attorney testified to the truth of the torture happening to detained human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi. Both are reported to be deprived of sleep, food and water, and are continuously interrogated for seven days all day long by several people.

Li recounted that in November 2019, CCP officials asked to "speak" with her. It turned out to be an interrogation that lasted overnight and for more than 10 hours. After that, Li expressed having a "lingering fear" of having another meeting with the officials.

Before her detention, Li was able to share that she requested a subpoena to protect herself "according to legal procedures" and that she agreed to a meeting with a Beijing officer.

She then shared how Officer Guo, the Beijing Haidian officer she was talking to only smiled and said that they would go "according to legal proceedings."

But instead of meeting for just an hour, CCP officials kept on delaying the meeting until a wife of another human rights activist got worried and called Officer Guo when she did not hear from Li in over four hours.

Luo Shengchun, wife of Ding Jiaxi, asked friends to pray for Li's safety.

"Before she met with Officer Guo, every time I heard about the meeting, I felt a tug at my heart. Pray for her safety. Also, pray that God will give civil servants like Officer Guo, a heart that knows shame."

On the same night, Luo received the news that Li was now detained and was escorted by CCP officials to Linyi City. The authorities then summoned Li's parents to the police station to sign the criminal detention notice saying that "Li Qiaochu was suspected of subversion."

Believers are urged to pray for the safety and release of the Christians and human rights workers the CCP imprisoned.

No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Editor,

After the presidential election many Americans are confused and upset with the outcome. Some even consider it a total disaster. Sadly, in many ways, it was.

Foolishly many believe that when political disaster strikes, everything is lost and that political leaders are the only solution for our problems.

Unfortunately, without supernatural insights, we easily fall into despair; what most Americans lack is a providential vision of history.

Our problem is that we suffer from a naturalistic vision of life inherited from Enlightenment thinkers. This vision denies events have any supernatural meaning; science is deemed sufficient to account for all phenomena. Some scientists interpret events as random sequences of actions without looking to God as the reason.

Superficial scientists, because of a lack of deep study, will always deny the existence of God to others. As the illustrious scientist Louis Pasteur states, A little science estranges man from God, but much science leads them back to Him.

Our scientific, naturalistic culture also teaches us that God is largely absent from the complex interplay of individuals and activities. At best, he is the absent clockmaker who wound up the universe and left it to run on its own.

The general election must be seen from the perspective of Gods providence. There was a reason why it turned out the way it did.

Those who think America did not deserve this chaotic outcome need only reflect on how sinful our nation was even before the election.

Morally, we have become complacent with good and evil coexisting in society, undermining the natural laws of God. So in His justice, God delivered us over to the corrupt politicians and evils of the times, and no amount of excuses can change the reality of the outcome  or our culpability.

Church history teaches us that in many other epochs of history, God, in His mercy, chastised mankind, hoping the sufferings He sent would awaken them.

As always the real solution that wasnt considered with this election and the many others before was the Message of Fatima.

In 1917, the Blessed Mother provided a blueprint for efficacious action that was largely ignored by mankind for over a century. As Our Lady insisted at Fatima: Men must amend their lives, and ask pardon for their sins. ... They must no longer offend Our Lord, Who is already so much offended.

Fatima was not just an appeal for three shepherd children to do penance. The appeal was directed at the whole world. Mankind, like the prodigal son in the Gospel, must convert in a strong expiatory and reparatory way and return to the Fathers house.

Its quite simple: either we cooperate with the request of the Blessed Mother at Fatima or God, as a punishment, will allow the errors of Russia, socialism, to bring about the demise of not only our country, but the whole world as well.

Walter Camier

Hazle Twp.
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will present its proposal for changes to public land duck hunting to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission for consideration during its Feb. 18-19 meeting. The meeting will be held in Franklin at the Marriott of Cool Springs.

The first day of the meeting on Thursday will have a special start time of 10 a.m. The Friday meeting will begin at 9 a.m.

TWRA will be presenting some rule changes for Commission vote in regard to public land duck hunting. These changes are a significant effort to increase the number of duck hunters who get drawn to hunt TWRA public wildlife management areas (WMAs) each season. These changes increase access while retaining tradition by continuing to issue season-long permits and changing other sites into quota hunt locations. For more details visit https://www.tn.gov/twra/proposed-duck-hunting-changes.html.

Other agenda items include a presentation on new research efforts getting underway on wild turkeys to better evaluate implications of harvest and recent regulations changes. The goal is to gain information for future management decisions.

A review will be given of the Agencys communications and outreach successes from 2020 that assisted in creating a record year for new license buyers and for getting more people involved in outdoors activities. The review will feature some of the tactics that have been successful which includes the CWD campaign, boat ramp geofencing, and targeted social media ads.

The commission has established a Legacy Award. The inaugural winner will be announced at the meeting. The award was established to show appreciation for service and dedication to the people and wildlife in Tennessee.

The TFWC will elect its new officers for 2021-22. The meeting will also be the final meeting for five commissioners. Chairman Kurt Holbert (Decaturville), Dennis Gardner (Lebanon), Connie King (Clarksville), Tony Sanders (Hixson), and James Stroud (Dyersburg) will be concluding their appointments.

---TWRA---
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Vanderpump Rules vets Lala Kent and Brittany Cartwright are experiencing all aspects of pregnancy together.

On Thursday the tight knit friends showed off their baby bumps in Los Angeles after getting a joint in-home 4D ultrasound experience at Brittany's home.

Flashing their burgeoning bellies as they countdown to motherhood, they caught a glimpse at the 'future besties,' just weeks away from their due dates.

'Future besties!': Brittany Cartwright, 32, and Lala Kent, 31, flash their very pregnant bellies after a joint in-home ultrasound experience in Los Angeles, as they countdown to welcoming their first babies ; Brittany seen with husband Jax Taylor

Joined by husband Jax Taylor, Cartwright stood outside her Valley Village home in a pair of black leggings and a checkered blouse tied up above her stomach.

She looked in good spirits as she laughed through her cheetah printed face mask after the ladies from Spotlight Baby 4D, gave her a close up look at her 'handsome boy,' as she said, 'I'm gonna cry. Look how cute he is!'

Kent came ready for her scan as she strolled to her car afterwards in a pair of nude bike shorts and a black crewneck sweatshirt.

She made her way to her Mercedes G-Wagon with a goody bag, flying solo for the outing as fiance Randall Emmett is currently on the set of his new film Wash Me In The River in Puerto Rico.

Flying solo: Kent flashed her slim legs in a pair of nude bike shorts, flying solo for the outing as fiance Emmett is on set filming his new movie in Puerto Rico

Oh baby!: The ladies posed for some selfies as they clasped their bellies and gushed about their kids being 'future besties'

Lala and Brittany posed for some masked-up selfies as they clasped their bellies before taking getting their ultrasounds.

Both ladies revealed their pregnancy news just a week apart from each other in September, with Cartwright expecting a boy and Kent expecting a baby girl in April.

They have opened up about the tribulations of pregnancy on social media, as Kent said she feels like she has been pregnant 'forever,' even making an Instagram account in preparation called GiveThemLalaBaby.

'Everything's growing': Cartwright has spoken openly about the noticeable changes to her body and face, even hitting back at plastic surgery rumors sharing that her enlarged lips were just one symptom of her pregnancy

Up close: 'I'm gonna cry. Look how cute he is!,' Cartwright said on Instagram as she and Jax saw a 4D video of their baby

Baby boy: She gushed over her 'handsome boy' despite revealing that pregnancy has caused her to feel 'extremely exhausted' and often annoyed

Brittany shared that her face and body would not stop 'growing' and that she often feels 'extremely exhausted and extremely annoyed,' during this homestretch.

The mamas-to-be have taken to Instagram to ask for advice on everything from the best breast pumps to diapers for their babies, navigating the journey with help from their fans and friends.

In true reality show fashion castmates Stassi Schroeder and Scheana Shay also shared in the baby bliss, with Schroeder welcoming her first daughter Hartford in early January, and Scheana expecting in April.

April babies: Both are welcoming their children in April, alongside castmate Shay

Rainbow baby: Shay experienced a miscarriage over the summer but is expecting her first child alongside Cartwright and Kent

Schroder - who will not be returning to the upcoming season of Vanderpump Rules along with Brittany and Jax - has said that after giving birth her 'belly is all deflated and loose.'

Additionally she shared that Hartford 'has major baby dinosaur vibes, ESP when she cries, whines or tries to poop,' as she and husband Beau Clark have given her the nickname 'Velo' for velociraptor.

Cartwright paid a visit to them and their baby, sharing a photo holding her and writing, 'I'm so in love and she makes me even more excited to be a Momma! I cannot wait to see our babies play together I'm crying just thinking about it!'
Michigan residents have multiple options for vaccine sign-up

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 12, 2021

CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich.  Recognizing that residents have varying degrees of technology access and understanding, particularly seniors 65 and older who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is collaborating with community partners to ensure that anyone can sign up to get a vaccine when its available to them.

Our goal is to ensure that every eligible Michigander who wants a vaccine will get one, said Elizabeth Hertel, director of the MDHHS. We know that residents across Michigan have different needs when it comes to access, so were partnering with groups like local health departments, hospitals, pharmacies, and 2-1-1 to provide multiple access points for signing up for a vaccine.

All residents are encouraged to visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine for the most up-to-date information about vaccine eligibility, safety information, and clinic locations. Residents who dont have access to the internet or who struggle to use a computer can also call the COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136, which is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Local health departments and hospitals across the state have created sign ups, interest forms and waitlists, based on eligibility per the Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and will contact residents to schedule appointments as supply allows. Residents may also contact additional vaccination sites as they start to come online, such as local pharmacies like Meijer and others.

For residents that do not have reliable internet access, 2-1-1 has also partnered with MDHHS to help direct local residents to vaccination clinics. This builds upon the existing partnership between MDHHS and 2-1-1 for assisting residents with connecting to local testing sites. 2-1-1 is a free, confidential service that connects residents to local community-based organizations across the state offering thousands of different programs and services for people seeking answers. Seven regional 211 contact centers manage Michigans most uptodate and comprehensive database of health and human services with over 7,000 agencies offering over 36,000 services across the state.

Just as many other local, state, and federal systems have adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2-1-1 has been working collaboratively with the State of Michigan to help residents across the state with testing, emotional support, and now the vaccine rollout, said Hassan Hammoud, executive director of 2-1-1. We recognize that residents, especially seniors, need additional supports so that we can safely return to normalcy  and were proud to play a part in making a future without COVID-19 a reality for Michigan.

Beyond scheduling appointments, MDHHS recently announced its partnership with the national education technology company GetSetUp. Through this partnership, the MDHHS Aging & Adult Services Agency is offering a series of sessions to walk older Michiganders through the Michigan COVID-19 vaccine website. The goal is to help older residents who are eligible for the vaccine find their local health department to register online for a vaccine appointment or to be added to the waitlist.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.

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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

The sun was shining in Albuquerque and birds were chirping earlier this week. New Mexicans soaked up the warmth in short sleeves and sunglasses, and winter seemed like a distant memory.

But now New Mexico is preparing for a weather whiplash forecast to start Friday.

A polar vortex that is already affecting the central U.S. will bring three powerful winter storms to New Mexico. Much of the state will experience extreme wind chills, icy roads and blowing snow.

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Daniel Porter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said this weekend and early next week could be the coldest period of time New Mexico has experienced since 2011.

The very poor visibility may not reach blizzard warning criteria, Porter said, but it will certainly feel like a blizzard across eastern New Mexico.

Three storm systems

The first storm will roll in Friday. Mountainous areas in northern New Mexico have the best chance of snow during that storm.

Light rain and snow is possible in the rest of the state on Friday.

It appears that the second storm system, particularly on Sunday, is probably going to be the most impactful across our region, Porter said.

A third storm could approach New Mexico on Monday night, with a chance of snow and rain.

Cold and windy

Many New Mexico towns could see temperatures 20 to 40 degrees below normal this weekend, meteorologist Alyssa Clements said.

On Sunday, Albuquerque has a forecast high of 35 degrees and low of 26.

It will feel even colder than that, with our very strong winds and wind chills on Sunday, Clements said. Were looking at two to four days in this area where temperatures stay below 32 degrees.

Wind speeds in central New Mexico could reach 40 to 45 mph on Sunday.

The wind chill temperature is expected to be zero degrees in the metro area on Sunday night and Monday morning.

Monday will be bitterly cold in Albuquerque, with a low of 8 degrees and high of 31 forecast.

New Mexicos eastern plains will bear the brunt of low temperatures this weekend and early next week.

Roswell has an expected low of -1 degrees and high of 19 on Monday. Clovis is expected to hit a high of 14 degrees and dip to -7 degrees.

Snow and freezing rain

Freezing fog and drizzle will affect eastern New Mexico for the next several days.

Northern New Mexico will likely receive the most snow from the weekend storm. Chama could get 8 to 12 inches of snow.

Albuquerque has a 90% chance of precipitation on Sunday. Two to 3 inches of snow is expected in the city.

Tucumcari, Fort Sumner and Clovis could all receive 4 to 6 inches of snow by Sunday night.

Icy, snowpacked roads

Kerry Jones, meteorologist in charge at the NWS Albuquerque office, said the abrupt change in weather this weekend could make for difficult driving.

This is some serious cold, Jones said. I have yet to see arctic air move into eastern New Mexico that has not delivered that freezing precipitation. It only takes a glaze of ice on I-40, on U.S. 285, and we could be in for some real nasty travel.

People who must travel this weekend should have an emergency kit in their cars, with warm clothes, water and snacks.

Road conditions and closures are updated on nmroads.com.

Protect pets and pipes

New Mexicans should secure shelter for their pets and livestock as the temperatures plummet.

Exposed pipes are also at risk of bursting in the extreme cold.

Were going to have an extended period of subfreezing temps and dangerous wind chills, Porter said. That introduces the risk for frostbite, which can occur within only a few minutes, especially if you have exposed skin.

National impacts

The arctic air mass will span the Great Plains to the Great Lakes in the coming days, according to a National Weather Service warning.

Wind gusts could make it feel as cold as 50 degrees below zero in some northern states.

Icy highways caused a 100-vehicle pileup in the Fort Worth, Texas, area on Thursday morning. The Fort Worth Police Department said at least six people were killed in the incident on Interstate 35. At least 36 people were taken to hospitals, some with critical injuries.

The winter storm has also caused power outages in Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia, the Weather Service said.
Almost a third of the nearly 11,000 people who have died in the custody of Texas police, jails and prisons since 2005 succumbed at least in part to a pre-existing medical condition  an alarming number suggesting police and prisons need to dramatically improve screenings before someone is handcuffed or locked in a cell, says the director of a new criminal justice think tank.

The finding is part of a detailed examination of in-custody deaths performed by the Institute for Predictive Analytics in Criminal Justice, a new Texas A&M University System center led by Alex del Carmen, a criminal justice professor at Tarleton State University.

Following last years police killing of former Houston resident George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Houston Chronicle revealed how Texas laws designed to identify racial profiling were failing because the state wasnt even collecting the information necessary to know where it was occurring. In response, the A&M System created the institute to perform the sort of data collection and analysis that Texas couldnt  or wasnt  doing itself.

Its first report  a survey of who died while in the legal custody of law enforcement or corrections officers, and how  was released this week. Its not the first, or even most detailed, dissection of the states custodial death numbers. But del Carmen said he expects it to be the first of many the institute will tackle, both retrospectively as well as in real time for legislators who could use the data-crunching to inform new laws and policies.

The Chronicles reporting focused on information that police by law were supposed to gather during traffic stops but didnt.

IN-DEPTH: Texas was supposed to collect racial-profiling data. It left out most of the racial part

In 2017, state legislators responding to the death of Sandra Bland  a Black woman who was arrested following a traffic stop that escalated into a confrontation with a white trooper and was found hanged days later in the Waller County jail, a death that was ruled a suicide  passed a law requiring police to collect data that would allow departments to analyze in depth how their officers treated minority and white motorists. Such information is crucial for administrators and policymakers striving for more equitable enforcement. Studies across the country have shown that police stop, search, arrest, use force on and kill Black people in numbers disproportionate to their population representation.

On paper, the new law identified important details such as why each stop was made, whether the driver was searched and what if anything was found  all separated out by the race of the driver. But when it came time to actually gather the information, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement neglected to include the race part.

While some departments collected the race data on their own, others didnt, leaving a patchwork of often useless data points among the states 2,000 law enforcement agencies  a crime against public records requests, according to one racial-profiling expert. Soon after, the commission ordered policing agencies to include the racial details starting next year.

The Institute for Predictive Analytics focus, however, extends beyond racial profiling, del Carmen said. For its first project, the institute decided to tackle a pile of numbers the state had been collecting for years but had not analyzed in a meaningful way.

The inaugural project produced a flurry of revealing birds-eye view information about the states custodial deaths. African-American custodial deaths, for example, occurred at a rate more than double their demographic representation.

GANG ENFORCEMENT: Texas bikers say cops have unfairly labeled them as gang members

Some of the data points also hinted at individual tragedies, raising disturbing questions unanswered by the report. The youngest person to die in custody was 11 years old, it found.

Del Carmen said other statistics pointed toward the need for even deeper, more precise study. Just under half of all the custodial deaths occurred in a medical facility. But, he pointed out, the men (fewer than 6 percent of all custodial fatalities were women) could have sustained injuries or been subjected to negligent medical care elsewhere before being moved to a hospital to die.

In a report last year, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards said it was aware of several local jails that had transferred mortally injured or ill people out of their facilities to a hospital, where they died soon afterward. By doing so, jail administrators can avoid the scrutiny that comes with an in-custody death.

The institutes researchers also ran into the same problems the Chronicle uncovered in its analysis of racial profiling data  that no matter legislators good intent in requiring agencies to compile numbers to shed light on a problem, the effort can be thwarted by bad data collection.

For example, it concluded that 12 percent of custodial deaths between 2005 and 2020 were homicides, caused by police or guards, a startling number, del Carmen said. Yet Texas law enforcement agencies and lockups had reported the manner of death in only one-third of all fatalities, rendering any conclusions incomplete at best.

The research group next hopes to tackle the racial profiling data that inspired its founding. The Sandra Bland Act mandates that police report other granular traffic stop information, as well, such as how many stops result in arrests for minor Class C violations, a question criminal justice reformers have already started digging into.

The deadline for law enforcement agencies to report last years numbers to the state arrives in less than a month.

Del Carmen said hell be waiting.

Were incredibly excited, he said.

eric.dexheimer@chron.com

twitter.com/dexinvestigates

Best-selling author Jason Kasper just released his newest book series, Shadow Strike. Enemies of My Country is his tenth book in four years since walking away from the Army to pursue writing.

In 2016 Kasper released his first book, Greatest Enemy. Despite his relative success since beginning a new journey and his quite obvious talent for story-telling, he didnt set out to be an author. The military was always it for him. He was the young boy playing GI Joes and then a 17-year-old signing up for the Army before hed even graduated high school.

I enlisted in a ranger contract and went to basic and infantry training. It was towards the end of our infantry training for a job qualifier that 9/11 happened, Kasper shared. He described a quiet and somber scene where recruits whos families worked in the World Trade Center or lived in New York City were pulled out and then everyone else was told of the attack.

After those events, there was no slowing down. Kasper attended Airborne school and was picked up for the Ranger Regiment and assigned to 3rd Ranger Battalion. Hed deploy to Afghanistan in 2002 and took part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Then, he was picked up for West Point. It was a dream realized.

He completed his four years and became an Infantry Officer. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne for three years and did another deployment to Afghanistan. Not long after that, he found himself in Special Forces Selection and eventually became a Green Beret, assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg. There were many deployments and he found himself leading a team.

Jason Kasper (courtesy photo)

That was the high water mark of my career. I had the perfect storm of guys and missions, it couldnt have gotten any better, Kasper shared. Despite his happiness and success, he walked away from it all. I got out and made the full-time transition to writing.

Leaving after all of those years of active duty service was easier for him than youd think, he said. But he didnt always want to do it, it just happened. I found it by accident at West Point where I sort of went into war withdrawal. I went from being a ranger to a rigid academic environment, Kasper explained. To make up for what he was missing, he went all in on adrenaline sports. Skydiving and base jumping, which wasnt legal. He started writing about his experiences.

Those descriptions became longer and longer and I began to relieve those experiences of standing at the edge of a building and looking down. I was reliving the rush as I was writing. Thats where I kind of wanted more of that, he said.

Jason Kasper (courtesy photo)

Jason Kasper developed a protagonist and wrote the first scene. After that, I was completely jacked. Adrenaline was flowing and I was like Man, I want more of this. After that, I was a closet writer for about 10 years, he said with a smile. He had one book ready to go when he began his terminal leave in November of 2016. That day, I hit publish on Amazon.

Despite how good it was, he was pretty terrified when it was go-time. It was pretty daunting, I am not going to lie  I committed fully and there was no backing out, Kasper said. The only people who said I was crazy were people whod never been in the military themselves Everyone I went to war with and my command, they were and are incredibly supportive.

The publishing house he writes for is a veteran-owned business, making the fit even smoother for Kasper. The founder is an author and Navy veteran and he built the company from the ground up by hiring both veterans and military spouses as employees, he explained. Severn River Publishing has a great portfolio of mystery and thriller authors, many of which served in the armed forces or law enforcement prior to starting their writing careers.

Four years in, hes found his grove. His tenth book and new series starter, Enemies of My Country, is riveting, from start to finish. Kasper truly has a talent for weaving words that come alive off the page. Reviews for his new book are stellar, one on his website saying this book slaps you with a weapon, helmet, and body armor, and screams Youre coming with me! Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

So, whats it about? David Rivers is an elite-level assassin. Hes an expert in the art of violence. Honing his skill first as a Ranger, then as a mercenary, and now as a CIA contractor conducting covert action around the world, Kasper explained. But in his secluded mountain home in Virginia, David Rivers lives a double life. There, Rivers is known as a caring husband to his new wife, and the doting father to his young daughter.

It isnt long before the character discovers a sinister plot, this time against his own country, hometown and his much-loved family. The Enemies of My Country kicks off a ten-book series outline that will take David to the worlds most dangerous corners, as he uncovers a sinister conspiracy with global implications. The second book is in the works now, and will be released later this year, Kasper said.

From the start of his writing and still today, Kasper gives a portion of all of his sales to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. For the new series, he matched every dollar for preorders. We ended up getting a little over $4,000 prior to the launch, he shared.

Although there are still those who cant believe this Green Beret walked away with only nine years left until full retirement benefits, hes never looked back. I am a pretty domesticated suburban dad right now, Kasper said with a laugh. He shared his happiness at home with his wife, child, new baby coming and his two cats. Its about as manly as it gets. I kind of took a hard right from the military but its been great.

Despite leaving the thrill and excitement of serving, Kasper has found his new purpose and that same rush he once craved. Writing one page at a time.

To learn more about Jason Kasper and his thrillers, click here.

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New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has written to heads of schools affiliated to the board recommending that the new academic session be started from April 1, 2021.

However, the board added that it should be done to the extent it is feasible and in accordance with the guidelines of respective state governments.

"It would be appropriate to start the academic session 2021-2022 from April 1, 2021 to the extent feasible subject to instructions of the State Government, read the letter signed by Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bharadwaj.

The letter said that the schools should take steps to identify and remedy the learning gaps for students of classes IX and XI and conduct examinations adhering to the COVID-19 norms laid down by the government.

"This exam will also help in identifying learning gaps which could be addressed by the schools in new academic session, at the beginning of classes, by having a bridge course specially designed to address learning gaps," the letter read.

Bharadwaj noted that in many states schools have opened as the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country has improved. He advised the schools to gear up for welcoming students for regular classroom teaching.

Schools across the country had shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. In several states, some schools had opened from October, although in many places they remained shut.

Live TV
An organization that advocates for a more efficient U.S. justice system has released a set of protocols that aims to guide discovery and speed resolution of litigation arising from business-interruption claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System developed the protocols in only six months, with members of a committee of defense and plaintiff attorneys holding a series of monthly virtual meetings to develop the document, said IAALS Senior Director Brittany Kauffman. She said the committee announced the effort last May because of the unprecedented number of lawsuits filed in both state and federal courts in all 50 states.

We absolutely identified the need to move quickly, Kauffman said. Historically, developing these kinds of protocols and working with a committee like this has taken a year or two. This is the fastest that we have ever done this.

This is the fourth set of discovery protocols developed by the IAALS, which is housed at the University of Denver. In February 2019, the institute announced the release of protocols to expedite recovery in disaster cases. The protocols are voluntary, but judges can choose to insist on their use during proceedings.

Kauffman said discovery tends to the most expensive part of litigation. Attorneys have to decide what information is relevant and which documents to share. That process takes a lot of work and takes a lot of time, she said.

A litigation tracker maintained by the Hunton Andrews Kurth law firm says 1,556 lawsuits have been filed concerning COVID-19 insurance disputes as of Jan. 28. A separate tracker maintained by the University of Pennsylvania law school says that as of Thursday, insurers have won 157 motions to dismiss or for summary judgment, while policyholders have won 32 cases in early rounds.

Defense attorneys have said that generally, insurers never intended to cover business income lost because of a pandemic even with so-called all risk commercial property insurance policies. If viruses are not excluded from coverage, as they usually are, no coverage is owed without a tangible physical alternation to the property, they say.

Kauffman said the protocols committee addressed that potential point of controversy by including a statement in the protocols that the courts may decide that no coverage is owed so discovery may be put aside.

The protocols lay out ground rules for the discovery process. For example, any documents withheld as a privileged work product must be described briefly by category or type.

Separate sections identify documents that must be produced by insurers and insureds. Some are obvious, such as the address of the property and a description of the insureds ownership or other interest.

Other requirements are more particular to business-interruption claims. The protocols require policyholders to disclose any payments that were applied to any part of the claimed loss, such as government relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or under a Small Business Administration loan program.

Insurers are required to explain the factual basis for a claim denial. They must also disclose the individuals who made the claim decision and any experts who were relied on to make that decision.

Steven Badger, an insurance defense attorney for the Zelle law firm in Dallas who served on the IAALSs protocols committee, said the discovery protocols may not see widespread use because the number of claims so far has been less than initially anticipated. Badger said more than 200 cases have been voluntarily dismissed in federal court after 80% of early decisions went in favor of insurers.

Nevertheless, he said now that the protocols are written, they can be used as needed in the future. Badger said it makes good sense to have a handy discovery guidebook for pandemic-related business-interruption lawsuits.

So much time and money is wasted fighting over the same predictable discovery disputes early in the litigation process, Badger said in an email. Lawyers predictably overreach with their discovery requests. Judges loathe discovery disputes. The protocols are intended to avoid these disputes by limiting initial discovery to a reasonable set of documents and information  the types of things that are really needed to evaluate a case early in the litigation.
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel.And Russia? President Vladimir Putins government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of the commodity. Authorities will use prisoners to help speed the work, reviving a reviled Soviet-era tradition.The project to modernize and expand railroads that run to Russias Far Eastern ports is part of a broader push to make the nation among the last standing in fossil fuel exports as other countries switch to greener alternatives. The government is betting that coal consumption will continue to rise in big Asian markets like China even as it dries up elsewhere.It's realistic to expect Asian demand for imported coal to increase if conditions are right,'' said Evgeniy Bragin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UMMC Holding, which owns a coal company in western Siberias Kuzbass region. We need to keep developing and expanding the rail infrastructure so that we have the opportunity to export coal.The latest 720 billion ruble ($9.8 billion) project to expand Russias two longest railroads  the Tsarist-era Trans-Siberian and Soviet Baikal-Amur Mainline that link western Russia with the Pacific Ocean will aim to boost cargo capacity for coal and other goods to 182 million tons a year by 2024. Capacity already more than doubled to 144 million tons under a 520 billion ruble modernization plan that began in 2013. Putin urged faster progress on the next leg at a meeting with coal miners in March.Russia is trying to monetize its coal reserves fast enough that coal will contribute to GDP rather than being stuck in the ground, said Madina Khrustaleva, an analyst who specializes in the region for TS Lombard in London.Putin is betting that his countrys land border with China and good relations with President Xi Jinping make it a natural candidate to dominate exports to the nation that consumes more than half of the worlds coal. His case is helped by the fact that Australia, currently the number one coal exporter, is facing trade restrictions from China amid a diplomatic dispute over the origins of the coronavirus.But the plan is fraught with risk, both for Russias economy and the planet. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends immediate phasing out of coal to avoid catastrophic global warming and the effects of climate change are expected to cost Russia billions in coming decades. Earlier this month the International Energy Agency went one step further and said no new fossil-fuel infrastructure should be built if the world wants to keep global warming will below 1.5 degrees Celsius. With all but one of the top 10 economies committed to reaching net-zero emissions within decades, the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap calls for phasing out all coal power plants without carbon capture as soon as 2040.Its also not a given that Asian coal demand will keep growing. Coal consumption in China is poised to reach a record this year and the country continues to build coal-fired power plants, but it also plans to start reducing consumption starting in 2026. At the same time it's increasing output from domestic mines, leaving less room for foreign supplies. Even in the IEA's least climate-friendly scenarios, global coal demand is expected to stay flat in 2040 compared to 2019.A coal strategy approved by the Russian government last year envisages a 10% increase in coal output from pre-pandemic levels by 2035 under the most conservative scenario, based on rising demand not just from China, but also India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and possibly Indonesia.The relatively low sulphur content of Russian coal might give it an edge in Korea, which has tightened pollution laws in recent years, but other Asian countries have struggled to secure funding for proposed plants and Indonesia said this week it wont approve any new coal-fired power plants. At a Group of Seven nations meeting, environment ministers agreed to phase out support for building coal power plants without carbon capture before the end of this year.For Putin there is more at stake than just money. At a video conference in March, he reminded government officials that the coal industry drives the local economies of several Russian regions that are home to about 11 million people. Unrest among coal miners helped put pressure on the government before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though the sector is now a much smaller and less influential part of the economy.We need to carefully assess all possible scenarios in order to guarantee that our coal mining regions are developed even if global demand decreases, Putin said. The countrys biggest coal producers are privately run, meaning they arent facing the kind of financing problems currently being encountered by listed companies elsewhere as banks pull back funding for dirty energy. Suek Plc, owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and Kuzbassrazrezugol OJSC, controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, are both planning to increase output. Russia also plans to boost coal production for steel making. A-Property, owned by Russian businessmen Albert Avdolyan, bought the Elga coal mine in Russias Far Eastern region of Yakutia last year and plans to invest 130 billion rubles to expand output to 45 million tons of coal from the current 5 million tons by 2023. A third stage of Russias railroad expansion project will focus on boosting infrastructure for shipping coal out of Yakutia, a Russian Railways official said last month.In 2021, many Asia Pacific states have seen their economies recover from the pandemic, said Oleg Korzhov, the CEO of Mechel PJSC, one of Russias biggest coal companies. We expect that demand for metallurgical coal in Asia Pacific will remain high in the next five years.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said he worked hard not to become bitter after his father was killed by the IRA.

The senior officers father Alwyn, a Superintendent in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), died in a car bomb attack in 1989.

Mr Harris had also been an officer in the RUC at the time.

He remained in the force when it became the Police Service of Northern Ireland and rose to the rank of Deputy Chief Constable before taking on the top job at the Garda in 2018.

It takes a long time to come to terms with something as difficult, as traumatic and as awful in your life, and you carry it with you every day, he told RTEs The Late Late Show.

Every day I would think about my father, but in terms of me as a police officer and now the Garda Commissioner, what it means to me is I think I have an empathy for those who have been the victim of serious crime.

In lots of ways it has had a profound effect on my outlook at to what policing should be  and what we should do for those who are without a voice or might be marginalised in society.

He said he has worked hard at not being bitter.

In these things you have perhaps a choice, I was married to Jane, we had our first son and then we had another three children after that, and you have a choice in terms of the household your children are going to grow up into, and so I worked hard at not being bitter, he said.

I dont mean to be smart or clever, or shine a halo when I say that, because it was very difficult and it took a long time to get to that point, but at the same time you have your own life to live and nobody would be more upset than my father if he though I was just living an embittered life.

Asked if he felt the need to forgive the killers, Mr Harris said he was neutral on that.

They have never sought atonement, and forgiveness is a two-way street, he said.
A surfer still has all his limbs intact despite stepping on top of a shark.

An aerial drone captured the remarkable incident at Bondi Beach, in Sydney's east, recently.

In the vision, the surfer and a shark can be seen virtually side by side just a few metres past the iconic break.

The surfer (pictured above) jumped off his board in the surf at Bondi before stepping on a shark (circled in red)

The startled shark (pictured circled in red) then swum away following the unexpected encounter

Suddenly, the surfer leaps off his board into the ocean, virtually on top of the grey nurse.

The shark then swum away, seemingly rattled by the incredible close encounter.

'He seemed to hop off his board right on top of the shark and I jumped a little bit, I did wince,' drone photographer @sunrise_searcher told 7News.

'I would love to chat with the surfer... it would be great to see if he knew it was a shark that he stepped on.'

Grey nurse sharks, which can be dangerous if provoked, are an endangered species in NSW.

Marine Scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta described the species as generally a 'placid animal'.

She also wasn't surprised to see the shark quickly swim away following the encounter with the surfer.

According to the International Shark File, there were eight fatalities in Australian waters in 2020, up from none in 2019.

The much-feared great white sharks were responsible for at least 16 global attacks in 2020, including four fatalities in Australia.

Grey nurse sharks (pictured) are generally placid, but they can be dangerous if provoked
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Sales of marijuana concentrates increased 40.5% last year in the adult-use states of California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington as well as the recreational and medical markets in Oregon.

( ) stock has remained flat at 12 cents per share over the course of January 2021 compared to a 0.3% rise for the broader market as represented by the ASX 200.

However, the benchmark Alternative Harvest ETF has dramatically risen in January by about 33% from US$14.35 to US$18.97.

Thus far in February the ETF has moved up another 82% and closed at US$34.6 on February 11.

MMJ is witnessing significant follow through on the buying action that now appears to have come down cap into many of its investee companies as well.

Harvest One and WeedMD have seen significant gains over the last several weeks.

New federal legalisation bill

Furthering the progress in the US, key US Senate leaders from the Democratic party held a meeting with marijuana stakeholders on Friday, seeking input in creating a new federal legalisation bill.

The senators released a joint statement announcing the plan earlier this week that decried the failures of marijuana criminalisation and called for a federal policy change that prioritises repairing the harms of prohibition.

The senators did not go in-depth into the details of the forthcoming reform proposal, but one commitment from the start, according to attendees, is that the Senate bill will at a minimum de-schedule cannabis and seek to regulate it with a justice- and equity-focused approach.

Marijuana concentrates sales jump

According to MJBizdaily and Seattle-based data analytics firm Headset, sales of marijuana concentrates surged 40.5% last year in the adult-use states of California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington as well as the recreational and medical markets in Oregon as consumers become more comfortable with dabbing and associated technologies.

This bodes well for MMJs portfolio names such as Embark Health which recently shipped their first batch of concentrates to the provincial buyer of cannabis in British Columbia with the companys Hank brand available across the province.
india_South Africa

India is among the countries South Africa is looking to as it seeks to import skills and boost tourism in the wake of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation address on Thursday evening.

"Work is underway with the relevant departments to reform our visa and immigration regime to attract skills and grow the tourism sector.

"As international travel starts to recover in the wake of COVID-19, we will undertake a full roll-out of e-visas to visitors from China, India, Nigeria, Kenya and 10 other countries," Ramaphosa said.

"The revised list of critical skills will be published for public comment by the Department of Home Affairs within one week to ensure that the final version reflects the skills needed by the economy," the president added.

Over 150 Indian companies with a presence in South Africa have already been contributing in skill development in a wide range of areas. Among the leaders in the area of skill transfer have been the Tata Group and automotive manufacturer Mahindra.

Skill exchange has also been on the agenda consistently during mutual visits by government ministers of both countries.

In terms of tourism, India has evolved to become one of the countries with large numbers of tourists visiting South Africa.

Ramaphosa''s address also covered a wide range of issues that included the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccination programme; growing international investor interest in South Africa; addressing the persistent shortage of electricity in the country; fighting crime, especially gender-based violence; and the establishment of a National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council which will report directly to Parliament.

Defeating the COVID-19 pandemic is the top priority for South Africa, he said.

The president gave details of the first phase of South Africa''s vaccination programme which is targeted at healthcare and other frontline workers.

"We will now use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which has been shown to be effective against the 501Y.V2 variant. We have secured 9 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine," Ramaphosa said, without referring to the controversy created by the announcement earlier in the weak that a million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which were delivered by the Serum Institute last week have been found to have limited efficacy.

These vaccines were to have started the phase one vaccination campaign this week.

"The health and safety of our people remains our paramount concern. We will continue to use the science-driven approach that has served us well since the earliest days of the pandemic," the president asserted.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP)  At least five people were killed Thursday in a massive crash involving 75 to 100 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate, police said, as a winter storm dropped freezing rain, sleet and snow on parts of the U.S.

The number of injured was still unknown as police were still at working the accident on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth, police said. Police set up a reunification center for family members at a community center.

Farther south, in Austin, more than two dozen vehicles were involved in a pileup on an icy road, and one person was injured, emergency officials said.

Elsewhere, ice storm warnings were in effect from Arkansas to Kentucky, while another winter storm was predicted to bring snow to Mid-Atlantic states, the National Weather Service said.

More than 125,000 homes and businesses were without electricity Thursday morning, largely in Kentucky and West Virginia, according to the website poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.

Meanwhile, officials in central Kentucky were urging people to stay home due to icy conditions.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said state offices would be closed due to the weather. He declared a state of emergency, which he said would free up funding and help agencies coordinate as they respond to reports of slick roads and downed power lines.

Crews were responding to numerous calls of downed icy tree limbs and power lines, Lexington police said in a tweet that urged people not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

The cold snap also contributed to several accidents on Mississippi roads, WLBT Digital in Vicksburg reported. One crash temporarily shut down US 61 South near the entrance ramp to US 20 West, the television station said.

Also near Atlanta, a fiery fatal wreck that involved more than a dozen vehicles and left lanes of I-75 in Cobb County closed for hours has been cleared, 11 Alive reported. Cobb County Police said the crash may close the Interstate highway for up to six hours.

About the photo: Vehicles are piled up after a fatal crash on Interstate 35 near Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. The massive crash involving 75 to 100 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate killed some and injured others, police said, as a winter storm dropped freezing rain, sleet and snow on parts of the U.S. (Lawrence Jenkins/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

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Phnom Penh, Feb 13 : Cambodia officially approved the emergency use of China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, the country's Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on Friday.

"Taking into account of the pandemic of Covid-19, with a view to protecting life and health of Cambodian people, the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia has decided to grant Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in Cambodia, he said in a statement.

Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine has been used safely in China and other countries, the minister was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.

The EUA of the vaccine will take into effect immediately, he said.

On February 4, Cambodia also approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, saying that it is used safely in China and other countries.

The Southeast Asian nation kicked off an anti-Covid-19 inoculation drive on February 10, days after receiving the first batch of Sinopharm vaccine from China.

Cambodia has seen remarkable success in containing the spread of Covid-19. The kingdom has so far registered a total of 479 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with zero deaths and 463 recoveries, according to the Ministry of Health

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
FILE PHOTO: People arrive and depart from Broadcasting House, the headquarters of the BBC, in London Britain July 2, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

At exactly 12 am on Friday, the first day of the Year of the Ox on the Chinese lunar calendar, the National Radio and Television Administration announced on its official website BBC World News was barred from airing in China.

It also said that any application from BBC for renewing its license will not be accepted for one year.

Good penalty. Browsing BBC's records for the past year shows its "reports" about China are full of lies based on ideological biases.

On July 17, the BBC program Newsnight quoted a Uygur female as saying she was "forced to be sterilized" in an education and training center in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Later, it was found that the female never entered any education and training center; her other tales also were proved wrong by her relatives.

On Dec 14, the BBC released a video about "forced labor" in Xinjiang. Yet China Daily reporters visited the factory where the BBC claimed this was happening and later, it was found to be a total lie. When asked why she came to work in the factory, a female worker said, "We come because we want to come. My husband is ill and so is my mother-in-law, so I work here to make money."

The BBC has continued lying into this year. On Jan 19, it released another video, The Road Back to Wuhan. They made mistakes everywhere in this video. They not only habitually missed placing Taiwan and part of the Tibet autonomous region on the Chinese map, but also marked Central China's Hubei province in the wrong place on it.

Anybody asking a Grade 5 pupil in China will get the correct answer, not this mistake.

More importantly, the BBC published a video clip claiming to show police violence against people. However, in the video there were clear signs, shown in both Chinese and English, that what was being shown was an anti-terrorism exercise.

In one word, the BBC not only lacks professionalism in its reports about China, but also lacks the most basic ethics in journalism. These deeds won't be tolerated in any modern country with rule of law, and the BBC is making itself a political tool to badmouth China and not behaving as a media outlet.

The BBC has aroused anger even in its own homeland. According to a report from the UK-based Daily Express, in a poll of 1,700 people by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, 47 percent said the BBC had failed to be impartial in its news coverage in recent years, while fewer than 28 percent thought it had succeeded.

About 33 percent agreed with the statement, "The BBC is not impartial and balanced, and there is need for another news channel to offer a different perspective."

That report carries the headline, "BBC failures". The BBC should learn a lesson from its failure, not only from that in China, but also from that of the world.
MANZINI  There is a vacuum in government as COVID-19 has claimed lives of many people in leadership.

This was said by Reverend Absalom Muntu Dlamini during the funeral service of deceased High Commissioner to South Africa, Dumisile Sukati. She died on February 4, 2021, shortly after the death of the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Makhosi Vilakati, who was the third member of the Executive to die due to the coronavirus related illnesses. The first to die was the Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini; who was followed by Minister of Public Service Christian Ntshangase.

Condolences

Reverend Dlamini, who is a former Minister of Economic Planning and Development, forwarded his condolences to the bereaved relatives of the deceased diplomat and noted that Sukati was a servant of the country assigned by the monarch in various portfolios.

This is a great loss caused by the virus. The virus these days has weakened government, leaving a vacuum in the positions held by the departed, Dlamini said. This was before he delivered a message from the King, whom he spoke on behalf of thereafter. He said the monarch had lost an asset as Sukatis demise was immediate. He said sick people prepared those who were their next-of-kin; however, Sukatis death shocked them as it was sudden. She was not a pensioner, Dlamini said, but was working for the country. He implored the citizenry to have faith in God and be comforted while being respectful.

Those who are Christians know that whoever dies in Christ shall rise to be with God; so, lets have faith, he said.

His address was listened by those who had come to bid the departed diplomat farewell. Among them was her husband Professor Walter Sukati, her daughters, son-in-law, Manzini North Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Macford Sibandze and her acquaintances.

Meanwhile, the Kings virtual address, delivered through Dlamini, preceded that of former Secretary to Cabinet Mbuso Dlamini, who was the deceased diplomats principal secretary in her tenure as minister. This, he affirmed, while also acknowledging that Sukati was his aunt. He acknowledged that given the assignments that were bestowed upon Sukati in her lifetime, it was apparent that they had done exceptionally well.

Mbuso said it was saddening to bid farewell to an exceptional and outstanding woman. He said it was exciting though that she was among the women who assumed leadership positions in the country. Government is saddened by her demise as she was part of the people making sure we achieve the women empowerment agenda, he said.

He said they had hoped that the deceased would carry the torch and pass the baton through empowering young aspirant female leaders. He also extended condolences to the Thuli Dladla-led Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He said they lost a mother, perfectionist and a result driven diplomat. Before leaving the podium, he shared a Bible scripture  Job 1: 21. Naked I came from my mothers womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.

Questioned

Meanwhile, when Government Spokesperson Sabelo Dlamini was questioned if the former secretary to Cabinet was back in the civil service as he represented government and whether it was a norm for former civil servants to be assigned to represent government in such events or there was a specific reason; he said: Government can assign any liSwati as a representative in such matters, this not being the first nor last time. He said he was not aware of any regulation that restricted such representation to only civil servants.

Mbuso Dlamini is a veteran of the civil service and, though retired, he possesses a well of experience and knowledge of government. He has also served as a PS under the late high commissioner when she was a minister, he said.
SYDNEY, Feb. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UserTesting , a leading on-demand Human Insight platform, conducted a survey capturing the responses of Australian men and women around Valentine's 2021. Study revealed that a majority of women in Australia have made peace with the unprecedented times, choosing to stay indoors on this day. Women also expressed that they would like to spend a quiet evening watching movies, exchanging gifts, and cooking meals with their partners. Whereas a majority of men are looking for romantic getaways on the beaches and planning hiking/other outdoor activities.

Other findings from the study were:

Men are more excited about Valentine's Day than women in 2021

In the past year, couples have experienced unexpected restrictions on usual dating activities while following stay-at-home norms, social distancing and working from home. So, when respondents were asked how excited they are to, ranging from Not Excited to Extremely (scale of 1-5), a majority of women (70%) were only somewhat excited (3 ratings) while a majority of males (70%) were considerably excited (4 ratings).

Bottle of wine, champagne, spirits - popular gift choices in women

The survey showed a wide gap in genders' perspectives regarding their gift expectations. 70% of women expressed their likeness for flowers and beverages including bottle of wine, champagne, spirits etc. as their perfect valentine gift. While remaining said Jewelry (necklace, ring, watch) and candles/home accessories. However, with men, there weren't any popular choices. Chocolates/candies, flowers/plants, gift cards, and beverages were 25% each.

Over-the-top fairy tale romantic ideas to surprise your partner is a faded concept

The survey found that 70% of men said that planning a valentine's date is a mutual affair with their significant other compared to only 40% of women who said the same. Another 40% of women and 20% of men stated that they were solely responsible for planning activities and 10% of men stated activities were planned solely by their partner.

Cupid arrowing retail over romance?

The survey revealed that romance is losing its sheen to retail as the majority (60%) of women wanted to shop on the holiday and (40%) of men shared the same thoughts. While (30%) of men & women still believe in celebrating love. Remaining (10%) of women and (30%) of men admitted they only celebrate it to make their partner happy.

Visit UserTesting

For more details;

Archit

archit@wizikey.com
SUNDERLAND  The state has awarded more than $13.2 million in grants to address urgent food insecurity resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding is part of the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, created following recommendations from the state COVID-19 Command Centers Food Security Task Force, which promotes ongoing efforts to ensure everyone has access to healthy, local food.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides visited Riverland Farm in Sunderland on Thursday to announce the grants.

By announcing these grants at a local farm today, I want to highlight the critical work Massachusetts farmers, fishers and food producers are doing to connect their nutritious products with the residents who need it most, even as these businesses have faced challenges during the pandemic, Theoharides said.

Riverland Farm in Sunderland will receive $109,076 to purchase farm equipment in an effort to expand the farming season to bring additional produce to the market.

More than 175 food pantries, farms and nonprofits across the state were awarded funds, including $130,000 for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to purchase a vehicle for its emergency food distribution efforts.

2/11/2021 - Organic vegetables from Riverland Farm in Sunderland. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

I am proud of the legislatures role in expanding access to local, healthy, fresh food throughout the Commonwealth, said state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland. The tremendous response to the program shows the need for continued investment.

The Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program was announced in May 2020 as part of a $56 million funding proposal to combat urgent food insecurity for some Massachusetts families and individuals during the pandemic.

Food security infrastructure grants have brought critically-needed funds to Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester farms, food business, and non-profits that are working to fight hunger, said state Sen. Joanne M. Comerford, D-Northampton. These grants have strengthened our food system, enabling these organizations to expand their work at a time when food insecurity rates were spiking.

Related Content:

Matt Hancock was accused of dilly-dallying over vital social care reform yesterday as he confirmed Boris Johnson's long-awaited plans would not be published until later in the year.

The Health Secretary unveiled a White Paper on the greater integration of NHS and social care in England.

But proposals on the funding of care  promised by the Prime Minister more than 18 months ago  were not included, amid indications they would not be revealed until the autumn at the earliest.

Last night Sir Andrew Dilnot, the economist who a decade ago came up with the idea of a cap on the amount people have to pay for their care, said he was disappointed ministers had put off reforms yet again.

Matt Hancock was accused of dilly-dallying over vital social care reform yesterday as he confirmed Boris Johnson's long-awaited plans would not be published until later in the year

'It's absolutely clear what we should do. We've been dilly-dallying for far too long about this,' he said.

Tory former care minister Sir Alistair Burt demanded billions to pay care workers better, saying the pandemic had shown the money could be found.

Mr Hancock unveiled new powers to block unpopular hospital closures, combat obesity and tackle red tape in the NHS.

The White Paper includes moves to integrate health and social care to make it easier to discharge elderly people from hospital and to support them living at home.

Mr Hancock told the Commons: 'Given an ageing population with more complex needs, these proposals will make it easier for clinicians, carers and public health experts to achieve what they already work hard to do: operate seamlessly across health and care, without being split into artificial silos that keep them apart.'

But shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said: 'We need a sustainable social care plan. We were promised one on the steps of Downing Street and we still do not have one.'

The Health Secretary unveiled a White Paper on the greater integration of NHS and social care in England. But proposals on the funding of care  promised by the Prime Minister more than 18 months ago  were not included, amid indications they would not be revealed until the autumn at the earliest

Asked when the full reforms would be, Mr Hancock said that 'the Prime Minister has committed to bring those forward this calendar year'.

The delay was criticised by Sir Andrew, who in 2011 proposed a cap on the cost of social care, which he believes should now be 45,000, that no one should pay above.

'This has been going on for too long. We need action and we need it now,' he said. 'It's all too easy for social care to slip back into the shadows once the most acute phase of the Covid crisis is over.

'We need to recognise that the social care system that we have at the moment, despite the wonderful work done by our carers, is not adequate.

'It's not something that we, as a nation, can be proud of, because we're not putting enough resources into it. We all need to make as much noise as we possibly can.'
The U.S. Army is evaluating a new version of its gender-neutral Army Combat Fitness Test, one that would likely create "gender-specific" evaluation categories for men and women when it comes time for promotion.

The move would back away from the Army's original plan to have the new six-event test be gender-neutral in all aspects. It's in recognition of data showing that physiological differences between men and women cause individual scores to differ by 100 points on average by gender, according to an Army official familiar with the effort.

The new approach to the ACFT, comes after lawmakers, concerned about fairness, directed the service to conduct an independent review of the test, set to replace the current Army Physical Fitness Test.

Read Next: Coast Guard to Enact Sweeping Safety Reforms in Wake of Deadly Conception Boat Fire

Task and Purpose first reported this story.

The ACFT 3.0 will likely eliminate the three separate scoring categories for military occupational specialties and move to a single scoring standard for all soldiers, the Army official said.

"To serve in the Army, every soldier will have to meet the same standard," the Army official said.

But instead of judging men and women's raw scores against the same rubric, the Army is proposing separate percentile bands for men and women that would be gender-blind when soldiers go before a promotion board.

"We are not going to artificially inflate the raw score for women, but we have to figure out a way to make it fair to both genders," the Army official said. "We need a fair way that accounts for physiological differences."

The proposed solution involves the creation of "gender-specific" percentile bands broken into levels such as Top 1%, Top 10%, Top 25% and Top 50%, according to an Army briefing slide circulating on social media.

To maintain fairness, promotion boards would only see a gender-blind percentile band rating, the Army official said.

"All they are going to see for evaluation is which percentile the soldier falls into," the Army official said. "The gender identity will not be included in that information. If anything, it's a more gender-neutral assessment process because it doesn't show the raw scores."

All soldiers in the active-duty, National Guard and Reserve force have been authorized to take the six-event ACFT since Oct. 1, 2020, but test scores will not count against soldiers until March 2022.

Army leaders announced in January that the service would conduct an independent review of the ACFT as directed by the Fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

Congress called for the review after lawmakers and advocacy groups began to question the fairness of the ACFT for specific groups.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., raised concerns in mid-October about whether the test was fair to both men and women, and whether it sets unrealistic requirements for those serving in fields with few physical demands, such as medical personnel, judge advocates or cyber specialists.

The Service Women's Action Network, or SWAN, in mid-November said it is unclear whether the ACFT, which was designed to be gender-neutral, is fair to female soldiers, arguing that fewer than 50% of women passed the ACFT in the third quarter of 2020. That was partly due to the methodology the Army used to standardize the test, called the Baseline Soldier Physical Readiness Requirements Study.

Sgt. Major of the Army Michael Grinston said that the review would likely be complete by the end of the year.

Like the ACFT 2.0, the new 3.0 would still be age-neutral and consist of six events: the maximum deadlift; standing power throw; hand-release push-ups; sprint, drag and carry; leg tuck; and two-mile run.

The 3.0 would add a 1-100 point scale to the alternate plank event for soldiers who struggle to perform the minimum requirement of one leg tuck. The 3.0 would allow soldiers to choose between the plank and the leg tuck, a change from ACFT 2.0 which required them to attempt the leg tuck first.

The Army official stressed that the proposed ACFT 3.0 is still a concept that will have to be evaluated before it's approved.

"Soldiers don't need to worry about the percentile bands right now," the Army official said. "The Army needs soldiers to take the test, so it can see if the concept is valid for all soldiers."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: SMA Reveals Timeline for Army's Independent Review of ACFT
Credit Suisse | Representative Image

Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse paid $600 million to financial guarantee insurer MBIA to settle long-running litigation connected to the US subprime mortgage crisis, MBIA announced Thursday.

The agreement follows a ruling by a New York judge in favor of MBIA in the case concerning Credit Suisse's representations to the company, which provided insurance for residential-backed securities ahead of the 2008 financial crisis.

Jubilant Foodworks share price jumps 7% post Q3 earning; Credit Suisse neutral on stock

MBIA said the court dismissed the suit following the settlement. The original case was filed in 2009.

Credit Suisse on January 8 announced it was increasing by $850 million the provisions set aside for the MBIA case and others involving mortgage backed securities, leading to an expected fourth-quarter loss.
The United States on Thursday (local time) condemned for banning the broadcasting of World News for reporting on issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang and the country's handling of COVID-19.

"We absolutely condemn the People Republic of China's (PRC) decision to ban World News. The PRC maintains one of the most controlled, most oppressive, least free information spaces in the world. It is troubling that the PRC restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China," said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price during a press briefing.

He further added: "Beijing's leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation. We call on PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the internet and media."

Price asserted that media freedom is an important right and is key to ensuring that an informed citizenry can share their ideas freely among themselves and their leaders.

This comes after the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) of barred the broadcasting of World News on the mainland claiming that it has done a "slew of falsified" reporting on issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang based on interviews of victims surviving "re-education camps."

Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party government's mouthpiece, said that the broadcaster is responsible "for falsified reporting" on China's handling of the coronavirus in the country.

The move came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that "BBC has made some false reports" on human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang after the British broadcaster reported systematic rape in so-called re-education camps.

has been rebuked globally for cracking down on Uyghur Muslims by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and sending members of the community to undergo some form of forcible re-education or indoctrination, although the country has been vehemently denying allegations of massive human rights violations.

On January 27, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had stated that his opinions on the genocide committed against the Uyghurs by China have not changed.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado on Friday said the downpayment limit for the COVID-19 vaccine purchase must be increased, as the 15 percent limitation may dampen the Philippines' inoculation drive.

In a statement, Avisado stressed there was a need to raise the 15 percent limitation on advance payments to "ensure the timely and efficient implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination plan. "

He further claimed that the limitation was hindering the Philippine government to swiftly secure deals with drugmakers, with wealthy countries getting the first claim on vaccines against the virus.

Currently, pwede ka lang magbayad o mag-advance payment hanggang 15 percent... Ang gusto ng mga pharmaceutical industries, bayaran mo na... ia-advance mo na ang payment bago mai-deliver In other words, talagang tatalunin tayo ng mga mayayamang bansa, the official was quoted as saying in the statement.

[Translation: Currently, you are only allowed to pay or offer an advance payment of up to 15 percent...But pharmaceutical firms are demanding full payment before the delivery...for you to advance the payment before they can deliver...In other words, rich countries will really have the advantage.]

Avisado also asked the public to be more patient as the government cannot disclose every detail of its deals with vaccine manufacturers, including prices and the manners of delivery, given the non-disclosure agreement.

He assured that "all of the transactions made by the government remain legitimate and honest."

The government is in discussion with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Novavax, Sinovac, Gamaleya, and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceutica).

This February, the government expects to receive the first batch of vaccines from Pfizer and Sinovac.

The government official also said the fund allotted for vaccines amounting to 82.5 billion is "now ready for release."

"'Wag po tayong mag-worry. Nakikipagtulungan ang mga local government units natin at sila din ay handa na bumili sa abot ng kanilang makakaya," he said.

[Translation: Let's not worry. We're working with our local government units and they themselves are ready to procure vaccines as much as they can afford them.]

WASHINGTON - As the Biden administration promises to jump-start the clean-energy economy, it faces an uphill climb: The United States has fallen behind Asia and Europe in the race to produce the central technology - the high-tech batteries that power electric cars and store solar and wind energy.

China dominates battery production today, with 93 "gigafactories" that manufacture lithium-ion battery cells, vs. only four in the United States, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a prominent data provider. If current trends continue, China is projected to have 140 gigafactories by 2030, while Europe will have 17 and the United States, just 10.

That would leave the United States dependent on China and other trading partners for much of its battery supply, a risky proposition not just for the auto industry but for the military, which is planning to electrify more of its vehicles and gear. It would also mean missing out on much of the jobs boom the sector is expected to bring.

"This could be a game changer when it comes to jobs, but we have to find a way to ensure we keep the technology in the U.S. and incentivize companies to produce it in the U.S.," said Venkat Srinivasan, a top battery expert at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Ill.

That will happen, say U.S. companies and clean-energy supporters, only if the federal government helps coordinate and finance an aggressive push to boost domestic manufacturing of batteries and their raw materials, as governments in China, Korea and Europe are doing.

"We're naive to pretend this will happen without government dynamism and action," says Danny Kennedy, CEO of New Energy Nexus, a nonprofit in Oakland, Calif., that funds and advises startups.

The calls are part of a renewed embrace of industrial policy to help the United States keep its technological edge in an increasingly competitive global economy. Backers of federal action say that without it, the United States risks losing out on another major technology boom - as it did with solar panels and 5G mobile network equipment.

Thanks to its federally funded universities and national labs, the United States has some of the best early-stage battery research in the world. It also has Tesla, an electric-car leader with big plans for domestic battery production. But other countries are doing far more to support their battery industries and ensure that production jobs stay local.

China is bolstering its battery and electric-vehicle companies with tens of billions of dollars of state support, including research and developmentfunding, subsidies for manufacturers and financing for battery-charging stations. It has also driven demand by subsidizing consumer purchases of electric vehicles, and by making buyers of gasoline-fueled cars wait much longer for a license plate.

The European Union is also closely involved in supporting its battery sector, having established a European Battery Alliance in 2017 that set sweeping goals for manufacturing, charging infrastructure and electric-car uptake. Germany is requiring all gas stations to offer electric-car charging. And last month, the European Commission said it would spend $3.5 billion to subsidize Tesla, BMW and other companies to produce more batteries in Europe and help cut imports from China.

Under the Obama administration, the United States offered federal loan guarantees to support clean-energy companies including Tesla, which is now one of the world's most valuable auto companies. It also introduced a $7,500 tax credit for electric-car purchases, but the perk was limited to 200,000 cars per manufacturer, which Tesla and GM have already exhausted.

Some of this federal support dried up during the Trump administration, under withering criticism from conservatives, who dismissed clean energy as a liberal priority.

Aside from California, which has adopted many incentives and regulations to boost electric vehicles and renewable energy, the United States has largely left the sector to the free market.

President Joe Biden has said he will "use all the levers of the federal government, from purchasing power, R&D, tax, trade, and investment policies" to "position America to be the global leader in the manufacture of electric vehicles and their input materials."

He took a first step by signing an executive order calling on government agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service, to start converting their fleets to electric vehicles. He's also pledged to build 500,000 charging stations, revise and extend tax credits for buyers and tighten fuel economy standards for gas-powered vehicles, which the Trump administration relaxed.

And his Cabinet members and nominees have stressed the need to act quickly to create clean-energy jobs.

"We'd better believe China is in this game. They are competing aggressively," former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, Biden's nominee for energy secretary, told a Senate hearing on Jan. 27. "Without a federal partner to make sure we can get these jobs in America then we will be losing globally."

In a meeting with senators Thursday to discuss infrastructure investment, Biden warned about the need to compete more effectively with China. "If we don't get moving, they're going to eat our lunch," he said. Also Thursday, the Department of Energy announced up to $100 million of new funding for clean-energy research.

Republicans have long expressed skepticism about government involvement in the economy and heaped criticism on the Obama administration when a solar-panel company failed after receiving a federal loan guarantee. But some have started to support more government intervention as necessary for competing with China.

Doug Campbell, co-founder of battery startup Solid Power in Louisville, Colo., said the United States should boost tax breaks and other financial support for companies building manufacturing plants.

"One thing we do great here is innovate," said Campbell, whose company was spun out of the University of Colorado. "But where there is a chasm is when it gets to manufacturing scale. That is where other nations step in and provide some of that capital before a bank is willing to lean in."

He added, "We can choose to step in and entice industry and growth, or we cannot and run the risk that we are ceding all of this overseas." Solid Power so far has established a limited manufacturing line to produce thousands of cells a year, which automakers including Ford and BMW are testing.

Lithium-ion batteries grew out of research that won the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry. The powerful, rechargeable batteries first appeared in Sony camcorders in the early 1990s and are now used in everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles.

They are also crucial for harnessing renewable energy, allowing power companies to store solar- and wind-energy for use when the sun goes down and the wind stops blowing. Cars, buses and power companies use large battery packs containing thousands of individual battery cells.

The Pentagon is "very interested in electrifying" as a means to lower its fuel costs, said Sam Jaffe, a battery expert at Cairn Energy Research Advisors in Boulder, Colo. Drones and other electronic gear are already battery powered, and in the future ships and aircraft may be, too, he said.

That heightens the need for strong domestic production, said William Acker, executive director of NY-BEST, a nonprofit promoting the battery sector in New York.

"If all of our batteries are coming from Asia and you need them to conduct military operations, that's a very concerning situation," Acker said.

Tesla and its Japanese partner, Panasonic, manufacture lithium-ion battery cells at a giant factory in Nevada. At Tesla's "Battery Day" presentation in September, CEO Elon Musk said the company was preparing to build a new battery-cell factory that would dramatically increase output and cut costs.

Musk didn't say where the plant would be located, but in January Tesla tweeted job postings for battery production at Giga Texas, the new auto factory Tesla is building near Austin.

Musk also said Tesla would begin extracting lithium from a deposit in Nevada to supply the new battery factory. He said the mining would involve using salt to extract lithium from heaps of dirt, and then returning the dirt to its original place, a process he called "environmentally friendly."

Tesla's goal is to exert control over the whole battery supply chain, from base battery materials to the building of battery cells, to their installation directly into Tesla's cars, Musk and other Tesla executives said at Battery Day.

General Motors and its partner, South Korea's LG Chem, began building a battery-cell plant in Lordstown, Ohio, last summer that will eventually create 1,100 jobs. The factory is part of GM's big push to stop selling gas-powered cars and switch to electric by 2035, which the automaker promoted with a Super Bowl ad starring Will Ferrell.

The Chinese company Envision Group gained control of a lithium-ion battery plant in Smyrna, Tenn., after acquiring the battery business of Japan's Nissan in 2019. The factory makes batteries for a nearby Nissan Leaf plant.

And South Korea's SK Innovation is building two lithium-ion battery factories in Commerce, Ga.

To maximize job creation and to ensure the United States has a secure supply of batteries, it needs to develop the industries that mine and refine the materials needed for production, including lithium, says Kennedy, the head of New Energy Nexus. At the moment, China dominates much of the trade of these materials.

The United Nations warned in a report last year that some battery-related mining has caused environmental damage. Much of the world's current lithium supply comes from Latin America, where some mining has caused groundwater depletion, soil contamination and other forms of environmental degradation, the report said.

The U.N. called the global boom in electric vehicles "great news" for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but said industry should invest in greener mining techniques and better ways to recycle materials from spent batteries.

Kennedy and others point to a fledgling project in Southern California called Lithium Valley, which seeks to extract the mineral from the Salton Sea.

Supporters of the project say the lithium could be extracted in an environmentally friendly manner, as a byproduct of geothermal energy production already underway in the area. The California Energy Commission has expressed interest in the idea, and has given grants for further study of the project. California also set up a commission to study the environmental impact.

California is the largest market in the United States for electric vehicles and energy-storage batteries for power grids, "and now we'd like to do more manufacturing of the intermediate steps," David Hochschild, chair of the California Energy Commission, said in an interview. "We have the end use of electric vehicles and energy storage, and we have the raw materials, so the vision of Lithium Valley is to get the full supply chain."

Europe is also pursuing development of its own lithium mines, to reduce its reliance on imports.

NEW YORK, NY , Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, with a proprietary line of CBD & CBG infused Supplement chewing gums (Flavors: Pomegranate, Blood Orange, Peach-Lemon, Pear Bellini, Mint, Black Currant) as well as an ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative, today announced that it has commenced development of its 1st full spectrum Cannabidiol (CBD) infused edibles product line. The Company plans to develop this above referenced product line, with the following attributes: Kosher Certified, Halal Certified, Vegan Formulation, Dairy-Free, Infused with Full Spectrum Hemp Extract (Full Spectrum), All-Natural Flavors, Sugar Free/Diabetic Friendly Version(s), and Full Adherence to U.S. Federal Laws & Regulations. The Company expects to provide concrete details about this proposed full spectrum product line within the near term.

ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC.

Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives. The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Edibles market segment. The main product line, branded as Tauri-Gum, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is Kosher certified, Halal certified, and Vegan Formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomegranate), (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Peach-Lemon, Black Currant) & (Vitamin C + Zinc Immune Booster Flavor: Pear Bellini). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com

Complementary to the Companys retail business, is its ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative. This relates to the development of a proposed Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed for the following indication: Patients Subjected to Ongoing Chemotherapy Treatment). On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it had filed a provisional U.S. patent application covering its pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. On December 18, 2020 the Company disclosed that it had entered into a Master Services Agreement with CSTI to lead the Company's clinical development efforts.

On October 6, 2020, the Company announced that it has been approved to operate as a U.S. Government Vendor (CAGE CODE # 8QXV4)

The Company is headquartered in Wappingers Falls, New York. In addition, the Company operates a full time E-Commerce fulfillment center located in LaGrangeville, New York.

DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Tauriga Sciences, Inc.

4 Nancy Court, Suite 4

Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Seth M. Shaw

Email: sshaw@tauriga.com

cell # (917) 796 9926

Company Instagram: @taurigum

Personal Instagram: @sethsms47

Twitter: @SethMShaw

Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com

E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com


By now, the Sisters of St. Joseph would normally be sending out brochures to members of the order announcing spring, summer, and fall retreats at the more-than-a-century-old oceanfront, 138-bedroom building in Cape May Point.

But the Chestnut Hill-based Roman Catholic order of nuns cant hold the retreats due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, they are permanently closing the three-story, 38,000-square-foot retreat house, Saint Mary by-the-Sea, with its commanding view of the Atlantic Ocean and its confluence with the Delaware Bay.

The sisters had planned to close the U-shaped facility on Lehigh Avenue after the 2022 retreat season; the pandemic only hastened things.

The order has hired an attorney who specializes in conservation deals, said spokesperson Cecilia Rupell. According to an announcement last week, the order hopes to return this land to nature rather than use it for further development.

The sisters do not have plans to raze the landmark retreat facility, located a block from the historic Cape May Lighthouse. But the future of the building could be in the hands of whomever acquires it.

Oh, its beyond sad. Its beyond sad, Rupell said of the early, and final, closure. It was a difficult and heartbreaking decision. The history has been a very long one.

The sisters first announced plans to close the retreat house in 2016. It is assessed at $4.1 million, according to property records  though that is not necessarily an indicator of present market value.

The retreat house is currently tax exempt and is located in a low-density residential zone. No plans to develop the property have been submitted to Cape May Point, according to municipal clerk Elaine Wallace.

Saint Mary by-the-Sea has a storied history, and stands on the location of what was originally the Shoreham Hotel, built in 1889, according to stmarybythesea.org, a website devoted to the retreat houses history. The hotel had 1,200 linear feet of porches and a 200-foot lawn that spilled onto the beach.

The hotel went bust after a decade in business, and was sold in 1898. It became the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People, which also failed.

In 1909, the Sisters of St. Joseph, aided by the Rev. Daniel I. McDermott, pastor of St. Marys Church in Philadelphia, bought the property for $9,000. The sisters added crosses to the roof. The ballroom became the chapel. The rest of the property became a retreat and vacation home for the sisters.

During World War II, retreats were halted while the sisters leased the property to the federal government for $1 a year for use as a barracks. When the sisters returned after the war, the property was a shambles and needed a complete renovation, the website states. And, because the ocean had been scattered with mines, the sisters could not swim there until 1966.

In later years, the retreat house was threatened by beach erosion.

Rupell said the house has been maintained over the years, but has no heat or air conditioning, so the sisters only use it in the spring, summer, and fall.

The sisters will still retain two adjacent properties, one known as Queen of the Sea, and the Saint Joseph House, a convent.
Depending on who you talk to, Elon Musk is either one of the worlds foremost business magnates, engineers, futurists and industrial designers, or one of the worlds most prevalent, insufferable and contrarian online trolls. The truth is hes both, and now hes back in the news for yet another divisive decision that mixes his online persona with his extremely influential businesses.

Who is he?

The richest person in the world as of last month, Elon Musk, 49, co-founded a company in 1999 that would eventually become PayPal, and has since 2002 become founder and/or chief executive of a whole string of companies with lofty goals they have for the most part achieved.

Elon Musks every word to his more than 45 million Twitter users has the potential to move markets. Credit:Getty

Tesla is a pioneering manufacturer of electric cars and home solar batteries. SpaceX is the leading private extraplanetary transportation firm with an eventual goal of colonising Mars. Neuralink explores ways to connect the human brain to machines. The Boring Company wants to build huge tunnels under cities to support the futuristic Hyperloop transport system, which was also Musks idea.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 12.02.2021 - On 22 January 2021, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis appointed the 12 members of the Swiss delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (hereafter the Congress) for the period 202126. The candidatures were proposed by the Conference of Cantonal Governments, the Swiss Union of Cities and the Association of Swiss Communes. Following formal validation by the Congress Bureau on 12 February 2021, the new delegation can now begin its work in preparation for the renewal session from 23 to 25 March.

Created in its present form in 1994, the Congress is the body responsible for strengthening local and regional democracy in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. As a consultative body, it acts as the voice of Europe's regions and municipalities. It is composed of two chambers: the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions.

The Congress's activities include monitoring the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (ratified by Switzerland on 17 February 2005), observation of local and regional elections and various thematic activities. The Congress's 324 members and 324 substitutes meet in sessions twice a year at the Council of Europe's headquarters in Strasbourg.

Switzerland is represented at the Congress by six members and six substitutes, six of whom are elected cantonal representatives and six are elected representatives of communes and cities. For the new legislative period of 202126, in accordance with the official appointment procedure, the Conference of Cantonal Governments, the Swiss Union of Cities and the Association of Swiss Communes were entitled to nominate candidates. The Swiss delegation was then appointed by the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Today, 12 February, the Congress Bureau formally validated the composition of the new delegation.

The Swiss delegation for the period 202126 is composed of the following representatives:

For the cantons:

- Mr David Eray, Minister, State Councillor of the Canton of Jura, head of delegation (representative)

- Ms Cornelia Komposch, State Councillor of the Canton of Thurgau (representative)

- Mr Paul Winiker, State Councillor of the Canton of Lucerne (representative)

- Ms Jacqueline Fehr, Councillor of State of the Canton of Zurich (substitute)

- Mr Philippe Leuba, State Councillor of the Canton of Vaud (substitute)

- Mr Didier Castella, State Councillor of the Canton of Fribourg (substitute)

For the communes and cities:

- Mrs Franziska Stadelmann-Meyer, Communal President of Muttenz BL (representative)

- Mr Laurent Wehrli, Communal President of Montreux VD and National Councillor (representative)

- Mr Beat Hirs, Communal President of Rorschacherberg SG (representative)

- Mr Erich Fehr, Mayor of the City of Biel-Bienne BE (substitute)

- Ms Christine Chevalley, Communal President of Veytaux VD (substitute)

- Mr Matthias Gysin, Member of the Communal Parliament of Duggingen BL (substitute)

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




Gov. John Bel Edwards disagrees with President Joe Bidens targeting of fossil fuel industries and wants the White House to reconsider its decision to pause new oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico, the Louisiana governors administration said.

Bidens approach to oil and gas strikes at one of Louisianas economic engines and an industry that is a chief financial backer of the states coastal restoration work, putting the Democratic governor at odds with a president within his own party.

The governors top lawyer, coastal adviser and natural resources secretary told state lawmakers that Edwards thinks Bidens moratorium on new oil and gas drilling leases on federal land and waters is the wrong approach to combat climate change.

Environmental groups have lauded Bidens approach, arguing that it is the kind of bold, urgent action needed to slow climate change, which has been linked to droughts, devastating wildfires and a rising number of hurricanes that have pummeled the region.

Edwards this week, however, voiced concerns about the moratorium to Bidens energy secretary pick, Jennifer Granholm, according to Louisiana Natural Resources Secretary Thomas Harris.

I know hes arguing. Hes working it every day. Hes constantly calling me looking for new ammunition to make his case to the Biden administration, Harris said.

But lawmakers on the state House and Senate natural resources committees pushed Edwards to make a direct appeal to Biden, noting that as the only Democratic governor in the Deep South he could have more sway with the president.

Weve got to do something, talk to somebody and make some moves, said Sen. Mike Fesi, a Houma Republican who owns an oil and gas pipeline construction and maintenance company.

While the Edwards administration talked of trying to negotiate with the White House, Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry intends more direct challenges to the Biden administrations regulatory and executive actions.

In cases where we can, we will litigate, said Bill Stiles, Landrys chief deputy.

States have little control or say in the management of federal lands and waters, however, leaving political pressure, appeals to Congress and suggestions for alternate policies among their options to reverse Bidens policies.

Edwards has regularly refused to air his grievances with presidents, Republican or Democrat, publicly. Harris said the governor will continue that approach in this disagreement with the Biden administration.

I think the best thing we can do is make the coherent argument that what theyre proposing is not the appropriate path forward, Harris said.

Biden wants to shift the nations focus from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives, such as wind and solar energy, with a goal of eliminating pollution from fossil fuel in the power sector by 2035 and from the U.S. economy overall by 2050. The president suggests his directives will create jobs in renewable energy and other sectors that can offset the lost employment in oil and natural gas.

But Louisiana officials and industry representatives say Bidens actions will cause massive job losses across the Gulf Coast, crater economic activity in the region and strip millions of dollars that Louisiana uses from offshore drilling to pay for coastal restoration projects.

Wednesdays hearing at the Louisiana Capitol outlined those fears, with Republican members of the states congressional delegation, leaders of coastal parishes and oil and gas representatives predicting widespread damaging impacts.

The Biden administration wasted no time launching a full scale assault on oil and gas that will send production overseas and further injure the economy, said Republican U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins.

Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. Extracting and burning those fuels generates the equivalent of almost 550 million tons (500 metric tons) of greenhouse gases annually, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2018 study.

Leading a state where tens of thousands of jobs are tied to fossil fuels, Edwards has argued the oil and gas industry should be involved in technological improvements and energy advancements that curtail greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the impacts of climate change.

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

Topics Louisiana Energy Oil Gas Politics
The Republic of Mauritius has commenced the vaccination of employees in the tourism industry in the preparation of resuming its borders later in 2021.

Notably, Mauritius is the first country in the world to classify staff who work in the tourism sector as frontline to ensure they are fully protected when travel restrictions are lifted. The roll-out of the vaccination drive for tourism employees includes hotel staff, Air Mauritius and Airports of Mauritius staff and other front line tourism staff.

With the vaccine now being distributed across the country to health care warriors and citizens with underlying health conditions which began last week, the government is giving priority to the tourism sector so as to enable Mauritius to get a safe and secure reopening of the border for international visitors.

The Government is monitoring the rollout of the vaccine and working with public health professionals, scientists and tourism stakeholders with a view to amending arrival protocols as soon as possible to welcome further international tourism arrivals.

The chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Agency (MTPA), Nilen Vencadasmy said: Mauritius is looking forward to welcoming back visitors to our Indian Ocean paradise island safe in the knowledge that we are a luxury Covid secure destination. Mauritius is vaccinating front-line tourism staff as they are essential to the safe reopening of our borders. 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone within the tourism sector and we are working closely with operators, airlines, hotels and other stakeholders at home and internationally to ensure that we can reopen safely and securely in 2021.

The first batch of 100,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, produced by the Serum Institute of India, arrived from Mumbai on 22 January and were a donation from the government of India.

The first vaccination on the island was administered on 26 January 2021. Initially, 50,000 people are being vaccinated with two doses throughout January and February 2021 with two weeks between the first dose and the second dose. Further vaccinations will be delivered from March onwards.

Trip to this castle in Romania: Bran Dracula Castle

Vaal Dam brimming over: sluices opened as capacity tops 100 percent

Lufthansa has lays off 103 India-based flight attendants
Snow, sleet and freezing temperatures moved into the Portland area overnight, resulting in icy roadways and a host of closures. And forecasters said the region could see another healthy dose of precipitation heading into the weekend.

Most locations around the metro area got between an inch and 2 inches of snow overnight, with higher amounts closer to the Columbia River Gorge and lesser accumulation to the south and west of downtown Portland. Snow continued to fall throughout Friday.

Meanwhile, a winter storm warning, set to expire at noon, was extended through Saturday night, cautioning residents about a barrage of wintry precipitation, high winds and ice.

The National Weather Service said conditions could grow more severe Friday night, with an additional 4 to 8 inches of snow in the Portland area and another foot in the Cascades through Saturday. Areas to the south and west of Portland could see precipitation fall as freezing rain with a quarter to a half inch of ice in Salem and along the coast.

Icy road conditions were reported in many spots throughout the Portland area beginning late Thursday, with crashes closing roads and delaying travel. Transportation officials have warned of more possible road closures, and law enforcement agencies have urged people not to drive if they dont have to.

Precipitation is expected to increase Friday and Saturday. The weather service said snow was all but guaranteed in northern and eastern parts of Portland, but south and west of downtown, the precipitation could come as rain, snow, sleet, hail or some frigid mixture of all of the above.

Heres the latest on the Portland areas winter weather:

ROAD CONDITIONS AND PUBLIC TRANSIT

Roads were slick Friday with snow and ice in many areas.

TriMet announced that 10 of its bus routes had been canceled for the day and at least another 20 were detoured Friday morning. The transit agency said later in the day that all of its buses were using chains.

TriMet cautioned that route changes would likely continue throughout the day and said riders best bet is to check the agencys website. Riders might not be able to board the first bus that comes along, the agency said, due to COVID distancing restriction, so people should bundle up and be prepared to wait.

MAX trains were running with no weather-related delays.

In Vancouver, C-TRAN announced a number of cancellations, delays and detours, but those were likely to shift throughout the day. The agencys Twitter account was providing updates.

Around 1:15 p.m., the Oregon Department of Transportation reported that a crash involving multiple vehicles had closed all eastbound lanes of Interstate 84 near Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. It was unclear if weather played a role in the crash, officials said.

About 3:45 p.m., transportation department spokesman Don Hamilton said the highway was back open but remained dangerous. He advised drivers to avoid the freeway if possible.

CLOSURES

Many government offices have closed for business Friday, and some school districts have canceled classes, even those meeting virtually. Check out The Oregonian/OregonLives full list of closures. Both of the Portland areas coronavirus mass vaccination sites announced closures -- the Oregon Convention Center site for Friday and Saturday and the Portland International Airport site for Saturday and Sunday with more than 12,000 hard-to-get appointments canceled.

POWER OUTAGES

Only a smattering of customers lost power overnight in the Portland area, and most were restored by Friday afternoon. Portland General Electric and Pacific Power reported fewer than 100 outages in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties as of 4:10 p.m.

FORECAST

Northwest Oregon saw steady precipitation for much of Friday morning, but another storm system was expected to move into the area Friday evening. The second storm is expected to be stronger than the first, according to the National Weather Service, with high potential of more snow through much of the metro area, up to 8 inches worth, and significant ice accumulations south and west of the city.

The heaviest ice accumulations will be to the west and south of downtown Portland, with heaviest snowfall to the east and north. Up a half inch of ice could be on tap for Salem and the coast. Easterly winds may gust as high as 40-50 mph overnight especially in the West Hills and eastern portions of the metro area.

 The Oregonian/OregonLive
[February 11, 2021] Shareholders of People's Bank and Willamette Community Bank Approve Merger

People's Bank of Commerce (OTCPK: PBCO) ("PBCO" or the "Company"), and Willamette Community Bank (OTCPK: WMCB), announced today that, at special meetings of shareholders held on February 11, 2021, the shareholders of both PBCO and WMCB respectively, approved the proposed merger, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger and subsequent amendment (the "Merger Agreement"). Subject to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Willamette Community Bank will merge with and into People's Bank of Commerce, with People's Bank of Commerce surviving the merger. The consummation of the proposed merger remains subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. Ken Trautman, CEO of People's Bank of Commerce, commented, "We are pleased with the progression of closing the transaction and look forward to the enhanced synergies with merging the two companies." About People's Bank of Commerce Founded in 1998, People's Bank of Commerce is the only locally owned and managed community bank in Southern Oregon. People's Bank of Commerce is a full service bank headquartered in Medford, Oregon with branches in Medford, Ashland, Central Point, Grants Pass and Klamath Falls. People's Bank of Commerce's stock trades on the over-the-counter market under the symbol PBCO. Additional information about the Bank i available in the investor section of the bank's website at: www.peoplesbank.bank.



About Willamette Community Bank Founded in 2003, Willamette Community Bank is a full service bank headquartered in Albany, Oregon and serves customers from three offices located in Albany, Lebanon, and Salem. Willamette Community Bank's stock trades on the over-the-counter market under the symbol WMCB. More information can be found at www.willamettecommunitybank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements." Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, particularly including but without limitation the risk that one or both parties may experience difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approval or stockholder approval, or in satisfying other conditions to closing the merger, and there can be no assurance that the merger will be consummated at the time or on the terms currently expected, or at all. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210211005966/en/

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Bringing a welcome change from endless, repetitive Covid headlines, the Luis Barcenas trial kicked off in Spain's High Court on Monday. As yet, there's no proof to support the former Popular Party (PP) treasurer's claim that its then-leader and prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, knew about parallel bookkeeping and cash donations; but, in a way, that's beside the point. Rajoy is damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

What if the dour Galician, prime minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, did know about the party-wide slush fund and kept it quiet? If so, he's arguably just as culpable, if not more so, as the other PP figures serving time for corruption during his stint at the helm. And if he really didn't know what was going on - if, as he said when testifying in 2017 in the linked Gurtel case, he "ran the politics, not the accounting" - then he'll be criticised for not having a handle on his own party while in charge. It's his word against Barcenas', and one of them is lying.

Barcenas' sudden desire to confess everything is apparently an act of revenge on the PP, which failed to keep the former treasurer's wife out of prison in return for his silence (Rosalia Iglesias began a twelve-year sentence last November in connection with the Gurtel case). In a sense, he has nothing to lose: he's already serving a lengthy jail term for this role in the Gurtel scandal and, as such, is a dangerous entity for the PP. Barcenas claims that Rajoy was "perfectly aware" of the dodgy finances and that he shredded papers to destroy evidence, unfortunately not realising that his diligent accountant kept copies.

If what Barcenas alleges is true, then Rajoy's lying to protect his reputation. The former Conservative premier always played on the image of being the bumbling Grandad-figure, the kind of guy you'd have over for tea and a natter, and it's actually quite difficult to imagine him taking kickbacks and cash bonuses. But it's not impossible: he was, after all, a Spanish politician. It's a pity that former spymaster Jose Villarejo - also now in prison for fraud - wasn't lurking in Rajoy's office with his trusty tape recorder. Then we'd know who's telling the truth.

All these scandals ultimately reduce to two things: getting richer and doing favours for your mates, who in turn do you favours. It seems to be a method of operating that's deeply ingrained in Spanish politics, regardless of party affiliation (the Socialists are by no means squeaky clean in this respect, either). Pablo Casado, who took over as PP leader in 2018, said in a radio interview this week that the party of Barcenas and Rajoy "no longer exists"; but changing the figurehead doesn't necessarily cleanse the party, and it certainly doesn't transform a culture.
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There's always time for feel-good love stories, but this year makes them even better. After almost a year of isolating lockdowns, virtual schooling, limited vacations, and news cycles filled with violence and hate, it's nice to see love prevail. And Valentine's Day seems the perfect time to share this particular story.

Dennis Reynolds met Diane Dubelbeiss when they were 13 and attending Sun Valley Junior High in Los Angeles. They became high school sweethearts and married right after graduation. Four years and two sons later, they divorced and, while still connected through their children, went their separate ways. Both remarried.

Dennis, a Vietnam War veteran, served in the Army after the two divorced.

In the beginning, their sons kept them connected; they'd see each other when Dennis picked up the kids for a weekend. But they lost one son to AIDS and the other following multiple surgeries for injuries sustained during a military mission. Diane's daughters from her second marriage interacted frequently with Dennis on Facebook. And then they were connected through their grandchildren.

"When our sons passed away, we saw each other then. When our granddaughter got married, Diane came to my home. That wedding was at my house in Arizona," Dennis said.

Their story of reconnecting in person isn't glamorous. Diane ended up in the hospital after falling, and Dennis sent her flowers.

"When I got home, I said, 'I feel kind of weird about this,' and my daughter says, 'Mom, he's not asking you to marry him, he's just sending you flowers.' And I said, 'OK.' So, I calmed down a little bit at that time. Who would have guessed that? That's when it would have happened," Diane said.

Those flowers, combined with a visit to see the daughter who lived near Dennis, seemed to do the trick. They spent time getting to know each other again, then remarried on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2020, 59 years to the day after their first wedding.

As a wedding gift, Dennis decided to build Diane's dream home in Las Vegas.

Their story has touched many people, including their loan officer.

"It was during our phone call that Dennis told me about how he's building a home for his soon-to-be wife and how they're getting married soon. I was excited for him and his fiancee, and he went on to say that if I liked that, wait until I hear the rest of the story!" said Chris Lunn from Veterans United Home Loans.

Like all couples who weather the stormy parts of relationships, Dennis and Diane are stronger going forward together.

"Things happen in your life where you get irritated with one another. Leave them alone, give them their space and, you know, just a short period of time," said Dennis. "With Diane and I, everything is back to normal, and she has given me big hugs and a kiss and stuff like that, but we are human beings. You got to be patient and give love a chance to work."

This true love story may have been interrupted, but it's nice to see it all come together again in the end.

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The option of providing Ukraine with vaccines through a sharing mechanism at the level of the European Union is being considered.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell says that ways of providing Ukraine with vaccines against COVID-19 through the EU member states are being considered.

He announced this at a joint press conference with European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal after an EU-Ukraine Association Council meeting on February 11, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

Read alsoChief Medical Officer discloses who to be first to get COVID-19 vaccinated in Ukraine

Borrell pointed out to the EU's solidarity with the Ukrainian people during the coronavirus pandemic. "And we are already helping Ukraine gain access to vaccines through COVAX and are exploring ways to further support Ukraine through a vaccine sharing mechanism at the European Union level," he said.

His words were confirmed by Commissioner Varhelyi. "We are looking also at other ways how to help Ukraine in obtaining further vaccines through the vaccine-sharing mechanism we are establishing together with our Member States," he said.

COVID-19 vaccine for Ukraine

Ukraine plans to launch a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the middle of February 2021. The first stage is expected to take about 20 days when healthcare workers who have contacts with COVID-19 patients will get vaccinated.

On December 30, 2020, Ukraine signed a contract for the supply of 1.9 million doses of China's Sinovac vaccine.

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.

On February 5, Health Minister Stepanov said shipments of 12 million doses of vaccines produced by AstraZeneca and Novavax to Ukraine had been confirmed.

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.

Reporting by UNIAN
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The seven-day average of new cases in U.S. dropped to its lowest point in three months on Thursday at 101,520. With 105,353 new coronavirus cases reported in the U.S. in past 24 hours, the total number of cases in the country has reached 27.39 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 3,877 new deaths were reported, taking the total number of deaths to 475,444. Texas reported the highest number of new cases during the period at 12,176; followed by California 10,577; New York 10,011; Florida 8,525 and North Carolina 4,568. Meanwhile, COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decline, and reached the lowest level in three nearly months. According to the Covid Tracking Project, nearly 74,225 people have been hospitalized across the U.S., with more than 15,190 patients in the ICU, while nearly 4,970 are on a ventilator. US President Joe Biden while speaking at the sprawling National Institutes of Health complex said that the Trump administration failed to act over the pandemic. Biden said that the U.S. will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans. Biden administration has inked deals to acquire '100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines'. Meanwhile, Biden will meet with a bipartisan group of mayors and governors on Friday as he continues to push for approval of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan to strengthen the economy and help millions of unemployed workers. 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.


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar climbed against its major counterparts in the Asian session on Friday, as most Asian stock markets fell in thin holiday trading amid U.S.-China tensions and the outbreak of the coronavirus in Japan and Australia.



Several markets in the region, including China, Hong Kong and South Korea, are closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.



Overnight data showed that U.S. weekly unemployment claims fell less than expected in the week ended February 6, tempering the optimism about the economy.



U.S-China tensions remain in focus as U.S. President Joe Biden warned the senators that China will 'eat our lunch' if America doesn't 'step up' its infrastructure spending.



Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria will enter a five-day stage four lockdown from today midnight to contain the latest outbreak of the virus variant.



The restrictions include barring visitors to the home, wearing masks everywhere and allowing only takeaway service in restaurants.



The greenback firmed to 3-day highs of 1.3786 against the pound and 104.89 against the yen, after dropping to 1.3817 and 104.68, respectively in prior deals. The next likely resistance for the greenback is seen around 1.34 against the pound and 108.00 against the yen.



The greenback reversed from its early lows of 0.7757 against the aussie and 0.7233 against the kiwi, gaining to 0.7735 and 0.7209, respectively. The greenback is likely to challenge resistance around 0.75 against the aussie and 0.70 against the kiwi.



The U.S. currency touched 0.8908 against the franc, climbing from a low of 0.8893 seen at 5:00 pm ET. If the greenback rises further, 0.92 is likely seen as its next resistance level.



The greenback appreciated to a 3-day high of 1.2730 against the loonie, following a low of 1.2693 set at 5:00 pm ET. On the upside, 1.29 is possibly seen as its next resistance level.



The greenback was up against the euro, at a 2-day high of 1.2112. The greenback is poised to find resistance around the 1.20 level.



Looking ahead, Canada wholesale sales for December and and University of Michigan's preliminary U.S. consumer sentiment index for February will be featured in the New York session.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Well-known Pembrokeshire dairy farmer and founder of the Daioni Organic milk business, Laurence Harris, is the winner of this year's Idris Davies Memorial Trust Award.

The annual award is presented every year by NFU Cymru to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to agriculture in Pembrokeshire.

Laurence Harris, of Ffosyficer Farm, Abercych began farming in 1970, from 150 acres back then to over 3,500 acres today.

The business operates three dairy herds totalling over 1,000 milking cows as well as a sheep flock of 1,200 breeding ewes, a small pedigree Hereford suckler herd and a large arable farming enterprise.

Over 20 years ago he and his son Tom, who had returned home to farm, made the decision to convert to organic farming.

The business is now an example of a successful organic farming enterprise and one of the largest organic farming businesses in Wales.

Laurence is also the driving force behind the successful Daioni Organic milk brand, which was established in 2002.

It initially distributed organic milk in South West Wales, Mid Wales and parts of North Wales before being developed into the Daioni organic flavoured milk range.

This was supplied to local schools before quickly becoming available through the Welsh regional supermarkets and convenience stores.

Since 2013 Daioni Organic milk products have also been exported into global markets: their Organic long-life milk was the first British dairy product to be certified for sale in China.

Daioni milk products can now be found throughout the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific region with a sales and marketing office now in Hong Kong.

NFU Cymru said Laurence was a proud ambassador for Welsh agriculture and a great example of rural entrepreneurship at its best.

Jeff Evans, Chairman of the award's management committee said: Laurence has made an outstanding contribution to the agricultural community in Pembrokeshire.

"He is an extremely worthy recipient of the Idris Davies Memorial Trust Award. He joins some illustrious company.
DUBLIN, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market by Area of Application, Device Class, End-Users, and by Key Geographical Regions: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report features an extensive study of the current market landscape, offering an informed opinion on the likely adoption of such compact diagnostic devices, over the next decade. The report features an in-depth analysis, highlighting the capabilities of various stakeholders engaged in this domain.

Since the discovery of X-rays, the field of medical imaging has evolved significantly, offering a non-invasive means for physicians to accurately visualize almost all major organ systems for diagnostic purposes. However, conventional medical imaging solutions are severely limited in terms of mobility, and throughput, and are usually dependent on stationary power sources.

As a result, they are impractical in situations characterized by low physician/pathologist to patient ratios, such as during an epidemic or pandemic. There is, therefore, an urgent need for solutions that can increase diagnosis efficiency in order to relieve the overly burdened global healthcare system. Handheld X-ray imaging devices are lightweight, mobile or portable devices, which are designed for routine diagnostic applications. The applications of handheld imaging devices in modern healthcare are vast, spanning almost all major medical disciplines, from dentistry to cardiology, covering several internal organs in various parts the body, such as the chest, and abdomen/gastrointestinal tract. In this context, it is worth mentioning that over the past couple of months, multiple studies have described the use of handheld X-ray devices in diagnosing individuals (by conducting chest X-rays) having contracted the novel coronavirus. Considering the limited access to molecular testing kits for the diagnosis of COVID-19, these devices have proven useful in the initial screening process. ,

Presently, there are a number of handheld X-ray imaging devices available in the market, and several device developers are engaged in efforts to further improve their products. However, a significant proportion of medical professionals have limited, or no, access to such medical imaging devices. This, coupled to the fact that nearly 50% of legacy X-ray equipment, in resource-limited countries, are reportedly not fully functional, is an impediment to quality healthcare. It is also important to note that the cost of handheld/portable devices is significantly lower than their counterparts. In future, such devices are anticipated to become more popular and eventually replace bulky, traditional medical imaging machines. In fact, the increasing interest in point-of-care diagnostics is anticipated to create lucrative opportunities for stakeholders engaged in this field.

In addition to other elements, the study includes:

An overview of the current market landscape of the handheld X-ray imaging devices, providing information on the status of development (developed and under development), area of application (dental, orthopedic and others), weight of device, size of focal spot, tube voltage, type of battery used (lithium ion and lithium polymer), battery voltage, exposure time, battery efficiency and cost of the device. In addition, it presents details of the device developers, highlighting their respective year of establishment, company size, type of business model used (B2B and B2C), target market (domestic and domestic and international) and location of headquarters.

An in-depth analysis of the contemporary market trends, presented using four schematic representations, including [A] a grid representation, illustrating the distribution of devices based on weight of the device, area of application and size of the company, [B] an insightful heat map representation, highlighting the distribution of devices on the basis of weight and cost of the device, [C] a treemap representation, featuring the distribution of handheld X-ray imaging devices based on battery efficiency and exposure time, and [D] a world map representation, highlighting the regional distribution of developer companies.

A detailed product competitiveness analysis of handheld X-ray imaging devices, taking into consideration several relevant parameters, such as the supplier power (based on year of establishment of the developer) and key device-related specifications, including device weight, size of focal spot, type of battery, battery efficiency, minimum exposure time and product price.

Elaborate profiles of mid-sized/large companies (based on a proprietary shortlisting criteria) that are engaged in the development of handheld X-ray imaging devices. Each profile features a brief overview of the company (with information on year of establishment, number of employees, location of headquarters and key members of the executive team), details of their respective product portfolio, recent developments and an informed future outlook.

A detailed brand positioning analysis of key industry players (based on a proprietary shortlisting criteria), highlighting the current perceptions regarding their proprietary brands by taking into consideration several relevant aspects, such as strength of product portfolio, diversity in battery efficiency, diversity in exposure time, cost of the device and supplier power of each company.

An insightful analysis highlighting the cost saving potential associated with the use of handheld X-ray imaging devices, based on the information from over 30 countries, taking into consideration various parameters, such as total number of radiologists, annual salary, number of X-ray scans performed and increase in efficiency by adoption of these handheld X-ray imaging devices.

A review of the product distribution strategies adopted by different end-users and market attractiveness for handheld X-ray imaging devices across different types of end-users, including ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic imaging centers, hospitals, specialty clinics and others.

A discussion on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the overall handheld X-ray imaging devices market, and the key initiatives undertaken by the companies in this domain.

An informative analysis of contemporary Google Trends in the time period between 2015 and 2020 (till October) and insights from recent news articles related to handheld X-ray imaging devices, indicating the increasing popularity of this domain.

Key Questions Answered

Who are the leading developers of handheld X-ray imaging devices?

What are the key area of applications for handheld X-ray imaging devices?

What is the potential usability of handheld X-ray devices for chest scanning in COVID-19 patients?

What is the likely cost saving potential associated with the use of handheld X-ray imaging devices?

What are the key factors influencing the adoption of handheld X-ray imaging scanners, among different end-users?

How is the current and future opportunity likely to be distributed across key market segments?

What is the impact of COVID-19 on the market opportunities for handheld X-ray imaging devices?

Key Topics Covered:



1. PREFACE

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3. INTRODUCTION

3.1. Chapter Overview

3.2. Introduction to X-Ray Imaging

3.3. Historical Evolution of X-Ray Imaging

3.4. Key Challenges Associated with Conventional X-Ray Imaging Devices

3.5. Portable X-Ray Imaging Devices

3.5.1. Device Classification

3.5.1.1. Cart based / Mobile X-Ray Imaging Devices

3.5.1.2. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices

3.5.2. Key Areas of Application

3.5.3. Key Advantages and Limitations

3.6. Prevalent Trends Related to Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices

3.6.1. Emerging Focus Areas

3.6.2. Key Historical Trends

3.6.3. Geographical Activity

4. MARKET LANDSCAPE

4.1. Chapter Overview

4.2. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices: Overall Market Landscape

4.3. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices: Information on Affiliated Technologies

4.4. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices: Developer Landscape

4.5. Grid Representation: Analysis by Area of Application, Weight of Device and Company Size

4.6. Heat Map Representation: Analysis by Weight and Cost of Device

4.7. Treemap Representation: Analysis by Battery Efficiency and Exposure Time

4.8 . World Map Representation: Regional Activity

5. PRODUCT COMPETITIVENESS ANALYSIS

5.1. Chapter Overview

5.2. Methodology

5.3. Assumptions / Key Parameters

5.4. Product Competitiveness Analysis



6. COMPANY PROFILES

6.1. Chapter Overview

6.2. Dexcowin

6.2.1. Company Overview

6.2.2. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Device Portfolio

6.2.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

6.3. Elidental Technology

6.4. Fujifilm

6.5. Genoray

6.6. KaVo Kerr

6.7. VATECH



7. BRAND POSITIONING ANALYSIS OF KEY PLAYERS

7.1. Chapter Overview

7.2. Key Parameters and Methodology

7.3. Brand Positioning Matrix: Dexcowin

7.4. Brand Positioning Matrix: Elidental Technology

7.5. Brand Positioning Matrix: Fujifilm

7.6. Brand Positioning Matrix: Genoray

7.7. Brand Positioning Matrix: KaVo Kerr

7.8. Brand Positioning Matrix: VATECH

8. COST SAVING ANALYSIS

8.1. Chapter Overview

8.2. Key Assumptions and Methodology

8.3. Key Parameters Influencing the Cost of Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices

8.4. Overall Cost Saving Potential of Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices, 2020-2030

8.5. Cost Saving Potential of Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices: Analysis by Geography

8.5.1. Cost Saving Potential of Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices in North America, 2020-2030

8.5.2. Cost Saving Potential of Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices in Europe, 2020-2030

8.5.3. Cost Saving Potential of Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices in Asia-Pacific, 2020-2030

8.6. Cost Saving Potential of Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices: Analysis by Economic Strength

8.7. Concluding Remarks: Cost Saving Scenarios

9. MARKET FORECAST

9.1. Chapter Overview

9.2. Forecast Methodology and Key Assumptions

9.3. Overall Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market, 2020-2030

9.3.1. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market: Distribution by Area of Application

9.3.2. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market: Distribution by Device Class

9.3.3. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market: Distribution by End-Users

9.3.4. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market: Distribution by Key Geographical Regions

9.3.4.1. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market in North America, 2020-2030

9.3.4.2. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market in Europe, 2020-2030

9.3.4.3. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market in Asia-Pacific, 2020-2030

9.3.4.4. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market in Middle-East and North Africa, 2020-2030

9.3.4.5. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market in Latin America, 2020-2030

9.3.4.6. Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices Market in Rest of the World, 2020-2030

10. MARKET OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS (END-USERS PERSPECTIVE)

10.1. Chapter Overview

10.2. Methodology

10.3. Distribution / Marketing Strategies Adopted by Device Developers

10.4. Market Attractiveness Analysis



11. CASE STUDY: IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

11.1. Chapter Overview

11.2. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Diagnostic Imaging

11.2.1. Impact on Future Market Opportunity for Handheld X-Ray Imaging Devices

11.3. Recuperative Strategies for Developer Business

11.3.1. Strategies for Implementation in Short / Mid-Term

11.3.2. Strategies for Implementation in the Long-Term

12. CONCLUSION

13. APPENDIX I: TABULATED DATA

14. APPENDIX II: LIST OF COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

15. APPENDIX III: LIST OF DISTRIBUTORS / SUPPLIERS



Companies Mentioned



Alerio X Ray

Aribex

Aspenstate

Best Dent Equipment

Changsha Easyinsmile Medical Instrument

Claudent Care

Denterprise

Dexcowin

Digimed

Digital Doc

Dongguan Houjie Huabao Electronic Technology

Edlen Imaging

Elidental Technology

Euroteck Systems

Extreme Medical Solutions

Foshan Aike Medical Equipment

Foshan HONGKE Medical Instrument Factory

Foshan SCS Medical Instrument

Foshan Yayida Dental Medical

Fujifilm

Genoray

Guangzhou GT Health Industry

Guangzhou Maya Medical Equipment

Guangzhou MeCan Medical Limited

Guangzhou Medsinglong Medical Equipment

Guangzhou Yueshen Medical Equipment

And Many More Companies!

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

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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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
COVID-19 vaccination in India (Representative Image: Reuters)

A total of 75,05,010 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for COVID-19 through 1,54,370 sessions held till 8 am on February 12, the 28th day of the immunisation drive, according to a provisional report of the Union Health Ministry.

On February 11, 4,87,896 beneficiaries were vaccinated till evening through 11,314 vaccination sessions, the ministry said. Of these, 1,09,748 were healthcare workers, while the other 3,78,148 beneficiaries were frontline workers. Forty-seven cases of adverse effects following immunisation (AEFI) have been reported till 7 pm on the 27th day of the vaccination drive.

According to the health ministry, India is the fastest country to cross the 70 lakh (7 million) vaccination mark.

Follow our LIVE blog on the coronavirus pandemic here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the vaccination drive with healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs on January 16.

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

Indias drug regulator has approved two vaccines - Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) - for emergency use in the country.

According to the government, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities.

Here are all developments related to the COVID-19 vaccine in India:

>> Arunachal Pradesh State Immunisation Officer (SIO) Dimong Padung said 21,122 health and frontline workers have so far received the vaccine shots. Seven cases of adverse events following immunisation have been reported.

>> The total number of beneficiaries vaccinated in Assam so far has reached 117,232. Meanwhile, 6,630 health workers were administered the COVID-19 vaccine during the day, the NHM bulletin said.

>> Mizoram State immunisation officer Dr. Lalzawmi said 11,046 health workers have been administered the COVID-19 vaccine. According to the official, 27,000 frontline workers have registered their names for the vaccination, and the government will soon commence the inoculation drive for them.

>> In Uttar Pradesh, out of the 207,382 beneficiaries targeted for COVID-19 vaccination nearly 49 percent were inoculated, officials said. The government has appealed to all frontline workers to come for vaccination. "On Thursday 1721 vaccination sessions were organised during which Covishield and Covaxin were administered. Till 9 pm 1,01,454 personnel were vaccinated which is 48.9 percent of the target of 2,07,382," an official statement issued here said. The next session for vaccination will be held on February 12 and 18 in all districts, it said.

>> In Mumbai, according to a BMC official, 5,707 beneficiaries - 1,989 healthcare professionals and 3,718 frontline workers - were administered COVID-19 vaccines at 23 centres in the city on Thursday. With this, the number of beneficiaries rose to 101,364.

Check here for the latest updates on all COVID-19 vaccines

S. No. State/UT Beneficiaries vaccinated 1 A & N Islands 3,454 2 Andhra Pradesh 3,43,813 3 Arunachal Pradesh 14,322 4 Assam 1,17,607 5 Bihar 4,48,903 6 Chandigarh 7,374 7 Chhattisgarh 2,33,126 8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 2,698 9 Daman & Diu 1,030 10 Delhi 1,62,596 11 Goa 11,391 12 Gujarat 6,45,439 13 Haryana 1,90,390 14 Himachal Pradesh 72,191 15 Jammu & Kashmir 93,570 16 Jharkhand 1,74,080 17 Karnataka 4,77,005 18 Kerala 3,33,560 19 Ladakh 2,761 20 Lakshadweep 920 21 Madhya Pradesh 4,87,271 22 Maharashtra 6,08,573 23 Manipur 15,944 24 Meghalaya 11,642 25 Mizoram 11,046 26 Nagaland 8,371 27 Odisha 3,83,023 28 Puducherry 4,780 29 Punjab 97,668 30 Rajasthan 5,90,990 31 Sikkim 8,316 32 Tamil Nadu 2,11,762 33 Telangana 2,70,615 34 Tripura 59,438 35 Uttar Pradesh 7,63,421 36 Uttarakhand 97,618 37 West Bengal 4,53,303 38 Miscellaneous 84,999 Total 75,05,010

Follow our full COVID-19 coverage here

(With inputs from PTI)

The STARSHIP URSA of Marshall Island (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Vietnam welcomed two foreign commercial vessels, STARSHIP URSA of Marshall Island and CMA CGM J. ADAMS of Malta, to ports in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Ba Ria  Vung Tau on February 12, the first day of the Lunar New Year, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VINAMARINE).

A representative from the authority said in the first months of 2021, the maritime industry has recorded strong growth.

Despite difficulties posed by the COVID -19 pandemic, Vietnam still recorded impressive growth in trade, especially exports to Europe and America, because of the high demand from these markets.

The increasingly modern and comprehensive seaport infrastructure and transport system have also created a momentum for the maritime industrys development.

The operation of deep-water seaports will promptly replenish container berth infrastructure to serve the growing demand of customs clearance

In order to meet the increasing cargo transportation demand in recent times, VINAMARINE has directed sea port authorities to coordinate with State management agencies to speed up the processing of administrative procedures for ships.

It has also worked with management agencies of ports and shipping companies to develop marine safety plans to allow port calls by large ships.
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Two officers with the Port Authority Police Department are being credited with saving the life of a woman who suffered a brain aneurism last month at Newark Liberty International Airport.

On Jan. 16, an employee at Terminal C noticed a woman suffering a medical episode and called police, according to a press release issued by the PAPD.

Officers Mark Burkhardt and Jason Nielsen were the first to arrive and thought the woman, later identified as Lisa Kirby of Indiana, was having a stroke or seizure because she was shaking violently, the left side of her face was drooping and she could not speak.

The officers monitored her vitals and communicated with her to help the woman with her breathing as they waited for paramedics to arrive, police said.

Kirby was taken to University Hospital for evaluation.

The officers didnt know the severity of her case until her husband, Michael, reached out to the department recently to thank the officers. He reported that his wife had suffered a brain aneurism and that a paramedic indicated she had a 20% chance of surviving.

She underwent surgery, was in the ICU for more than three weeks and is expected to make a full recovery.

The Kirbys had arrived at the airport from Indiana and were waiting for their connecting flight to Aruba when the woman fell ill.

Everything was in place that day to save Lisas life, her husband said. If there was one missing link, my wife wouldnt have been here today.

Shell be released from the hospital Saturday and Michael Kirby has asked to meet everyone who saved his wifes life before they fly back home to Indiana on Sunday.

Our primary goal is to save lives, Nielsen said in a statement. This is an example of what police officers do on a daily basis at the Port Authority. Everyone came together and did their part that morning.

Its very rewarding knowing I contributed, Burkhardt added. As a police officer, I always want to help save lives and I did what any other officer would have done in my position. We all worked together to save her life.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
NEW HAVEN  Qinxuan Pan, named as a person of interest in the investigation of the Feb. 6 slaying of Kevin Jiang, 26, remained at large Friday after last being seen in Georgia, authorities said.

Connecticut District Deputy U.S. Marshal Supervisor Matthew Duffy said Friday that the search for Pan intensified in Georgia after an interview with family led investigators south. He declined to say where investigators think Pan is headed or how he got to Georgia.

Duffy said the U.S. Marshals Service will not rest until Pan is captured.

We dont stop. We leave no stone unturned, Duffy said. We are going to catch him. This is what we do.

Rather than continue to evade authorities, Duffy said he would like Pan to walk in to the nearest police department and turn himself in.

Police Chief Otoniel Reyes, asked this week about the MIT connection to Jiangs fiancee, Zion Perry, who graduated from the institution, said we are exploring every angle related to this investigation and every person involved. They were not ruling out a prior relationship between Perry and Pan, Reyes said at the time. Perry could not be reached for comment Friday.

Meanwhile, photos have surfaced online that reportedly show Pan and Perry, pictured together with a third person at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lindy Hop Societys Bread & Bones dance on March 4, 2020. The photos have been posted on Facebook. The event is also seen separately in a YouTube video.

New Haven police also revealed Friday that they believe Pan visited car dealerships prior to the homicide looking to purchase a small model SUV.

While at the dealerships, Pan asked to test drive vehicles and bring the vehicles to his mechanic for inspection, police said in an email. If any car dealerships have had any contact with Quinxuan Pan in recent months, please contact the New Haven Police Department immediately at (203) 946-6304 or the New Haven Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 1-866-888-8477.

Spotted in Georgia

Duffy said as soon as Connecticut investigators learned Pan was in Georgia, he reached out to the supervisor of the violent fugitive task force in the southeast region of Georgia to get local U.S. marshals in on the search.

Duffy and the supervisor in Georgia are in constant communication.

On Friday, Duffy was at New Haven police headquarters, serving as a go-between for local law enforcement in New Haven and U.S. marshals in Georgia. He said he sends along any tips to the Georgia supervisor.

From the interview with the family, it was learned Pan was seen walking by himself and acting strange, Duffy said, adding that the family could not really describe it but said Pan was not his self.

Duffy said Pan still should be considered armed and dangerous.

I think he could be a threat to anyone, Duffy said.

The U.S. Marshals Service Thursday had announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Pan, a Massachusetts man wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of Jiang, a Yale graduate student, last Saturday.

The announcement said Pan, 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds with a medium complexion and short, black hair, could possibly be staying with friends or family in the Duluth or Brookhaven areas of Georgia.

Attempts to reach Pans family in Georgia were unsuccessful Friday.

Pan was last seen on foot carrying a black backpack, between about midnight and early morning Thursday, Duffy said.

The marshals service asked anyone with information to contact them by calling 1-877-926-8332.

They said Pan is currently charged with one count of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and interstate theft of a vehicle stemming from the alleged crime on Feb. 6.

Officer Ted Sadowski, public information officer for the Duluth police, said Friday the department had been notified about the search for Pan Thursday evening. The department has no active cases concerning Pan at this time, he said, and had not been involved in the search to date.

Lt. David Snively of the Brookhaven Police Department said the marshals office had not directly enlisted the help of the department, but officers have been given an alert and are looking for Pan. To his knowledge, no Brookhaven officer has interacted with Pan, he said.

New Haven police had planned to hold a media briefing on the case Friday morning, but canceled that event. Capt. Anthony Duff said there had been no significant developments in the case overnight.

Police believe Pan was in the area at the time Jiang was killed, Reyes said previously. The department considers Pan a person of interest; at this time, he is not officially suspected of committing the shooting.

City officers searched behind the Arbys on Washington Avenue in North Haven Thursday, next to where Pan reportedly last was seen.

The police, dressed in plainclothes and accompanied by dogs, searched an area behind a snowbank in the rear of the fast-food restaurant site.

MIT Wednesday confirmed Pan has been enrolled as a graduate student in the institutions Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science since 2014.

He is listed as a graduate student with MITs Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, which researches artificial intelligence, robotics, human-computer interaction and other areas.

Perry, Jiangs fiancee, also attended MIT, the school confirmed Wednesday. She graduated in 2020 with a degree in Biological Engineering. She did not respond to messages seeking comment Thursday and Friday.

Pan reportedly checked into the Best Western Plus Hotel on Washington Avenue roughly two hours after Jiang was killed. The shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. Saturday near Lawrence, Nicholl and Nash streets.

Residents in the area reported hearing multiple gunshots.

I heard the shots and then we saw through our window, Lawrence Street resident Zeenie Malik said Thursday.

North Haven police came into contact with Mr. Pan sometime after our homicide, Reyes said. North Haven police were unaware at that time that a killing had taken place, he said.

North Haven Police Chief Kevin Glenn declined to comment on the matter Thursday, saying all information on the case would come from New Haven police.

He said in an Friday email that Pan was found behind the wheel of a vehicle with a flat tire in the parking lot of Sims Metals, a junkyard on Universal Drive. There was no report of erratic driving ahead of time, Glenn said.

Pan had a valid license and the vehicle was found to be properly registered; it was reported stolen by a Massachusetts police department later in the evening. The vehicle was towed from the scene, he said.

A Massachusetts police department later called us stating they were entering the vehicle as stolen and saw that we ran the vehicle earlier in the evening, Glenn reportedly said.

New Haven police said previously that anyone who knows of Pans whereabouts should use extreme caution and is asked to call the department at 203-946-6304.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
President Joe Biden has terminated on Thursday the controversial "emergency" declaration that former President Donald Trump used to divert funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Biden had earlier said that his administration would not spend any more taxpayer funds on the southern border wall.

"The declaration of an emergency on our southern border was unwarranted. No more funds will be used to construct a border wall on our border with Mexico," Biden said in a statement to Congress.

After taking office, New York Daily News reported that Biden has swiftly undone most of Trump's immigration and border security policies.

He has also created a task force to reunite immigrant children separated from their parents during Trump's border crackdown. Biden has also promised to change the immigration policies and system in the country.

Related story: ICE Cancels Operations Targeting Illegal Immigrants with Sex Crime Cases



Biden's Proclamation to End the Emergency Declaration for the Border Wall Construction



Biden has issued a proclamation to rescind the national emergency declaration that the Trump administration issued for the U.S.-Mexico border as part of its effort to fund the border wall construction.

The White House formally notified Congress of the proclamation this week, saying that the president issued the directive in January upon taking office.

Biden said the country has a right and duty to protect its people and its borders against any threat. However, he noted that building a massive wall covering the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution, according to an Independent report.

Biden added that it is a waste of money that diverts attention from genuine threats to homeland security. The said proclamation calls for a pause in the construction and funding of the border wall. It also directs the secretaries of defense and homeland security to assess the legality of the contracting and funding methods.

For his part, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said many migrants believed that the doors are open to the United States after Biden won in the election. Lopez Obrador cautioned that it was not true and urged migrants not to believe traffickers who tell them they can immediately get legal status.

He also mentioned the recent massacre in Mexico, which involved 19 people, to justify his policy of stopping migrants at Mexico's southern border. Of those 19 victims, 14 were Guatemalan migrants.

Lopez Obrador said the massacre is proof that it was too dangerous to allow migrants to travel through the drug-cartel territory in northern Mexico.

"If they enter Mexico and spread out, we cannot keep an eye on them or protect them, and they wind up in the hands of organized crime, they are in danger," Lopez Obrador said in the report.

Trump's Emergency Declaration on the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

Trump declared the emergency in February 2019 as his last effort to divert billions of dollars in government funding for a border wall without Congress' approval, Time reported.

Around $6 billion was taken from the military funds under the national emergency after Congress refused Trump's demands for wall funding, leading to a 35-day government shutdown, the longest in history.

Some opponents even sued Trump to block him, but the Supreme Court upheld a legal challenge to Trump's act in a 5-4 vote in July 2019. By the end of the Trump administration, more than 450 miles of new border wall construction along the 2,000-mile border have been completed.

Meanwhile, about 3,600 service members deployed along the 2,000-mile-long southwest border will likely remain in place until the mission ends on Sept. 30, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. Many of those troops deployed were members of the National Guard.

The military mission started in late 2018 when Trump ordered the Pentagon to support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to protect the country against what he called "an invasion" by a caravan of Central American migrants traveling north through Mexico.

Read also: ICE Will No Longer Deport Illegal Immigrants Who Commit Less Serious Crimes, Psaki Says

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 13:22:29|Editor: huaxia

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A container of the active substance needed to make a COVID-19 vaccine is seen at the Mexico City International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, Feb. 11, 2021. The first shipment of the active substance needed to make a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm CanSino Biologics arrived here on Thursday by air, Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced. (Xinhua)

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The first shipment of the active substance needed to make a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm CanSino Biologics arrived here on Thursday by air, Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry announced.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said via Twitter that Mexico acknowledges the support of the Chinese government and thanks CanSino for "the timely shipment of the active substance" to be packaged in the country.

According to Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs Martha Delgado, the shipment is headed to a laboratory in the central state of Queretaro, where it will be used to make vaccines for use in Mexico.

"This will allow wide sectors of the population to be vaccinated," Delgado tweeted.

Mexico's government on Wednesday announced emergency approval of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firms Sinovac Biotech and CanSino Biologics.

Mexico's vaccination campaign began in December 2020 and is expected to end in March 2022. Enditem
Cities are built around jobs, and the nations inequality reflects that. In a trend that has been exhaustively documented by economists and journalists, over the past four decades the U.S. economy has bifurcated into high-paying jobs in fields like tech and finance and low-paying jobs in retail and personal services. It could be described as two separate societies, but in U.S. metropolitan areas these societies are intertwined.

This is as true in Boise as it is in San Francisco. Some work has to be done in person. No matter how high housing costs get, there is not, as of yet, a way to telecommute to a cleaning job. So unless the hordes of expatriate Californians flocking to cheaper cities expect their children to be in remote school forever, to never again eat at a restaurant, to always tidy their own homes  and unless companies leaving California expect to do without the services of janitors and security guards  the underlying problem will persist in every next city that has the misfortune of becoming desirable.

Scholars started documenting Californias affordable housing crisis in the mid-1970s, and since then liberal and conservative economists have identified stringent zoning regulations and not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) politics as leading causes of the nations housing problem. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have taken up the NIMBY issue. Jack Kemp, the secretary of housing and urban development for the first President George Bush, convened a housing advisory commission whose 1991 report was called Not in My Back Yard: Removing Barriers to Affordable Housing.

President Barack Obama spoke against rules that stand in the way of building new housing in a speech in 2016, and President Donald J. Trump, echoing Mr. Bush, signed an executive order in 2019 establishing a White House council on affordable housing. (Mr. Trump reversed course a year later, ending an Obama-era program intended to combat racial segregation in the suburbs.)

The problem is that opposition to new housing also has bipartisan agreement. Blue cities full of people who say they want a more equitable society consistently vote to push housing costs onto others. They will vote for higher taxes to fund social programs, but also make sure that whatever affordable housing does get built is built far away from them. Red suburbs full of people who say regulation should be minimal and property rights protected insist that their local governments legislate a million little rules that dictate what can be built where. What does it mean to respect property rights? In zoning fights, it gets fuzzy.

Normally we think of ownership as determining who has a right to use a piece of property in a certain way, said Emily Hamilton, an economist and director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. But when a city tries to add density, she said, its common to see this framed as harming the property rights of people who could experience changes in their neighborhood.

Its a distant memory now, but in the weeks before the pandemic shut down the economy, housing policy was having a minor political moment. The field of Democratic presidential candidates, including President Biden, had released a flurry of federal housing proposals that varied in their particulars but revolved around a series of tax breaks, affordable housing funds and promises to encourage intransigent local governments to make it easier to build.
( ) has set itself up for a transformative 2021, following a $5 million capital raise to fund exploration at its flagship Kouri and Kada gold projects in West Africa.

The Kouri Gold Project, in northeast Burkina Faso, has an indicated and inferred mineral resource of 50 million tonnes at 1.3 g/t gold for two million ounces.

The project covers 325 square kilometres of highly prospective Birimian greenstones - major sources of gold and diamonds, stretching across Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Cote dIvoire.

Golden Rim has discovered significant additional gold mineralisation, including a high-grade gold shoot, and the gold inventory at Kouri is expected to continue to grow.

Second project

Meanwhile, the company has secured a second highly promising gold project, Kada, in eastern Guinea.

Samples gathered from the Kada project.

Guinea is one of the most under-explored countries in West Africa and Kada was previously explored by Newmont who completed 39 kilometres of drilling and defined a non-JORC gold resource.

Golden Rim is targeting a maiden mineral resource this year and believes there is considerable upside for the discovery of additional gold mineralisation, as much of the 300 square kilometre area has been poorly explored.

To fund work at the projects - in the short-term a scoping study at Kouri and exploration at Kada - Golden Rim recently secured $5 million through a placement to institutional, professional and sophisticated investors.

Kouri - Golden Rims flagship

Managing director Craig Mackay told Proactive the companys experience and local knowledge would bring the most out of the Kouri project.

It is our second discovery in Burkina Faso, weve operated happily there for a decade, he said.

Our resource update last October showed that, for a company like ours, its a very sizable resource, and weve only explored about 30 per cent of our licensed area.

As COVID hit, we made some high-grade intercepts - in Burkina Faso you get these high-grade shoots, and now we are going back and simply drilling to find out what is down there.

Mackay said Golden Rim expected to complete a scoping study at Kouri in the second half of the year, with infill drilling expected to increase the indicated resource estimate, and this will be preceded by a raft of drilling results in the short-term.

Kada  Golden Rims new discovery

Mackay said Golden Rim was confident it would make good on drilling conducted by Newmont several years ago at Kada in Guinea, saying the project will only add to the companys value.

Were pretty confident we will have a sizable maiden mineral resource estimate in the second half of the year, he told Proactive.

With infill drilling, we will confirm what is down there, and we will fill the gaps left by Newmont.

Even more exciting is that the licence package weve built up has so much unexplored potential - Newmont only drilled about two per cent of what we own, the rest is unexplored.

Guinea is really going to take off, being one of the most unexplored areas in West Africa, and we have airborne geophysics, auger drilling of regional targets and infill drilling all planned for the coming months.

What sets Golden Rim apart

Golden Rim worked hard throughout 2020, making significant progress despite a global pandemic, and Mackay said it was the companys knowledge and experience in West Africa that set it apart from other ASX-listed gold explorers.

Our low value is pretty compelling, he said, when you look at other companies with similar assets to us.

Weve been exploring uninterrupted in West Africa for 10 years and we have a local team, we dont fly expats in and out.

The company also has a silver-lead-zinc-copper project in northern Chile, which Mackay said was on the table.

It is a non-core asset for us but it is sizable in itself, with a measured, indicated and inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.4 million tonnes at 88 g/t silver, 5.0% zinc and 1.4% lead for 6.8 million ounces of silver, 265 million pounds of zinc and 74 million pounds of lead.

It is totally forgotten in our market cap, but it certainly has great potential and is something were looking to divest.

- Daniel Paproth
The car was heading north on the Stevenson when it hit a concrete wall on the northbound side of the expressway, then went over a concrete median, according to preliminary information released by Trooper Omoayena Williams, a state police spokesman. The car then fell off the interstate and hit a light pole before stopping at Archer Avenue and Robinson Street.
Marc Llistosella. (PC-AFP)

Tata Motors on February 12 announced that they have appointed Marc Llistosella to the role of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the firm. The new replacement will be effective from July 1, 2021, the company informed in its BSE filing.

Marc Llistosella will replace current CEO of Tata Motors Guenter Butschek, who had expressed his desire to to relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons. Butschek has accepted the request of the board of Tata Motors to continue as the MD & CEO until June 30, 2021.

Tata Motors total sales up 25% at 59,959 units in January

Prior to being appointed as CEO of Tata Motors, Llistosella had joined Einrides board of directors. He was also associated with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation as CEO between 2015-2018 and Daimler Trucks Asia as its head between 2008-2014.

Marc is an experienced automotive executive with a long track record in greenfield projects, turnaround management and leading organizations as CEO and managing director. He passionately believes in mobility by data analytics, the importance of electrification and renewable energies.

Llisotsella has extensive experience in leading business and running sales, marketing and network management as well as strategic planning.He finished his university education from the University of Cologne and is an accomplished automotive executive.

"I am delighted to welcome Marc to Tata Motors. Marc is an experienced automotive business leader with deep knowledge and expertise in Commercial Vehicles over his illustrious career and has extensive operational experience in India. Marc will bring this experience to take the Tata Motors Indian business to even greater heights," Tata Motors Chairman N Chandrasekaran said. He also thanked Guenter Butschek for leading Tata Motors successfully over the last 5 years.

Commenting on his appointment as Tata Motors CEO, Llistosella said, "I am delighted to become a part of the unique Tata family. Having been bonded to India for so many years, a new exciting chapter is now opened. We would jointly awaken the potential of Tata Motors."
(JNS)  Officials in the Biden administration and the Palestinian Authority held a discussion on Monday in what appears to be the first formal contact between the United States and Palestinians in several years.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr spoke with Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Commission chairman Hussein al-Sheikh on Monday with the two men agreeing to future dialogue.

Bilateral relations were discussed, and the political situation and the latest current developments. It was a constructive conversation and further commu...
Syracuse, NY  A man convicted of masterminding a 2016 Syracuse murder will get a new trial after an appellate court ruled that his jury delivered an impossible verdict.

There was enough evidence to convict Jermaine Jennings of ordering Iric Greens murder, the appellate judges said. But only if the jury also convicted Jennings co-defendant, Devar Williams, of being the actual shooter.

Instead, the jury found there was enough evidence to convict Jennings as the mastermind, but not enough to find Williams guilty of the shooting itself.

That wouldnt have necessarily been a problem were it not for the fine print in the district attorneys office indictment against both men: The indictment states that Jennings directed Williams to commit the murder.

The entire theory of the crime has to be proven -- including Williams as the gunman -- to convict Jennings, the appellate court ruled.

That led the Rochester appellate court to overturn the 25-year-to-life conviction against Jennings.

But prosecutors will get another crack: they can re-indict Jennings on a murder charge, taking out the references to the acquitted co-defendant Williams.

Thats what prosecutors plan to do so, Onondaga County First Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio said. Jennings remains jailed for now, giving prosecutors time to restart the case.

The joint murder trial in 2017 relied heavily on Jennings ex-girlfriend, who was the only witness to the murder.

The jury apparently believed her testimony that Jennings wanted the victim, Green, dead. But her testimony about the actual shooter was less convincing: she saw the gunman from 60 feet away, and hadnt initially identified Williams to authorities when questioned.

That apparently didnt convince the jury that authorities had the right gunman. Williams was acquitted by a jury and cannot be retried.

Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070.
A janitor who worked in an Essex County school district was arrested and charged with four counts of child pornography, authorities said.

Christopher M. Lucas, 30, allegedly emailed himself about 133 photos and video files of child sexual abuse, according to the Passaic County Prosecutors Office.

The images recovered were not of identified child victims known to the defendant but were images of children obtained via the internet, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said in a statement.

Lucas, who lives in Clifton, has worked for the North Caldwell Public School System since September 2020, according to Valdes.

School officials on Friday were not immediately available to comment on his job status with the district.

Lucas was charged with second-degree distribution of child pornography, second-degree maintaining child pornography in a file-sharing program, and two counts of third-degree possession of child pornography.

If convicted, Lucas faces a possible sentence of 25 years in prison, parole supervision for life and registration as a sex offender under Megans Law.

Lucas was held at the Passaic County Jail pending a court hearing, prosecutors said.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

LA JOLLA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2021 / WestPac Wealth Partners is a privately-held wealth management firm that started 13 years ago in Hawaii. Now, WestPac has eight offices across six different states along the West Coast, servicing 30,000 clients, and received many awards and recognitions. Last year alone, Fortune 500 recognized WestPac as one of the best places to work, and Inc. recognized them as one of the fastest-growing companies.

Every day WestPac and its employees work hard to reach their ultimate goal-to help their clients have the confidence to take control of their lives and guide them to build a clear path to their financial future.

Introducing Wealth Management Advisor, Luka Vujovich, from WestPac. Luka provides a unique perspective on wealth management, as he's been on both sides of finance.

"I grew up in a small, family restaurant business. My parents are both immigrants from former Yugoslavia. They escaped a Communist country, and it was their dream to start their own business in America. My dad ran the kitchen, and my mom did the books and made the hires. We lived in that business. It was the only topic of conversation at the dinner table, and it was our only source of income. It was our everything!" says Luka.

Now, Luka's focus and passion is geared towards working with business owners, and based on his past, it naturally makes sense.

"Thanks to my upbringing, I became really interested in studying business and finance in college. I knew I didn't want to work a big corporate job. Instead, I wanted to help individuals with their personal wealth. But everywhere I interned or interviewed, I knew something was missing. It turns out it was the working with small business owners piece. That's the main reason I started working with WestPac. They're a financial firm created to work with those types of individuals," explains Luka.

With knowledge and experience on both sides of finance, Luka brings a unique perspective to his work and helping clients.

Story continues

"It was natural for me to fall into this world. When you look at the financial services industry, it's really split into two groups. On one hand, there are a lot of firms that focus on group type benefits for the business, for example, 401K's and various insurances. On the other, there are many firms that do extremely well with individual wealth management, people who sell products to manage personal wealth.

For a small closely held family business, it is difficult to know where the business balance sheet ends, and where the Individual's balance sheet begins. This creates a large 'grey area,' and my team lives in that space. For example, how do you use the business balance sheet to grow your personal balance sheet without paying an arm and a leg in taxes? Those are the issues that I love to help solve."

Luka wants you to understand your needs as a business owner to ensure your success.

"A business owner isn't necessarily interested in the rate of return of a mutual fund the way an average investor would be. That's because they know they are more likely to get a higher return re-investing into their own business."

"I think it's important to continually review and evolve the financial plan for both the owner and the business. A lot of what we see are these businesses growing at a rapid pace, with more and more needs, but they still have the same bare bones planning in place as when they were just starting out." says Luka.

If you're looking for help to protect, grow, and eventually exit your business, then reach out to Luka and the WestPac team today.

Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). OSJ: 4275 Executive Square #800 La Jolla, CA 92037 619.684.6400. Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. WestPac Wealth Partners, LLC is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. Insurance products offered through WestPac Wealth Partners and Insurance Services, LLC, a DBA of WestPac Wealth Partners, LLC. CA Insurance License #0M95564 | Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation. | 2021-115672 Exp. 01/23

Contact:

Contact Name: Luka Vujovich

Business Name: WestPac Wealth Partners

Address: 4275 Executive Square Ste 800, La Jolla, CA 92037

Website Link: https://www.westpacwealth.com/team/luka-vujovich

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SOURCE: Luka Vujovich





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A Rogersville business owner arrested for violating the state's Safer at Home Order back in May is appealing his case to the circuit court.

According to a 10-page complaint, Aric Butler is a local chiropractor whose office is also connected to a gym he owns in Rogersville, called Docs Gym. The complaint states Butler refused to close his gym during the state's Safer at Home Order despite numerous warnings from police. The order closed non-essential businesses, like gyms, for a little over a month due to the coronavirus in May 2020.

In the court document, a Rogersville police officer goes through his entire interaction with Butler. The officer said after several warnings, they went to Docs Gym on May 1, where there were cars out front. They went to speak with Butler and brought up social media posts saying the gym was open.

The officer then asked Butler to please comply with the order and close his gym. Butler told the officer that if he closed his gym, he couldn't collect monthly memberships from people and said, "He was staying open trying to survive and support his family."

The officer then asked Butler again to close the gym and comply with the order and even tried to show Butler a copy of the state's Safer at Home Order, which he refused to look at. The officer told Butler he did not want to write him a fine and asked him to comply again.

Butler then said to the officer, "Write all the tickets I wanted to and he would just pay the $500 fine because that would be cheaper than staying closed." Once the officer wrote Butler the ticket, he refused to sign the citation. The officer said he was left with no other options than to arrest him for violating the order.

At one point, Butler asked the officer if he agreed with the state's Safer at Home Order that was put in place to protect people from coronavirus. The officer said there were parts of the order he didn't agree with but he had a job to uphold the law.

Butler did apologize to officers after his arrest. He has a court date set on April 12, 2021 for a jury trial after he and his attorney appealed the case to the Circuit Court.

Butler and his attorney did not comment on the pending case, and Rogersville police couldn't speak on the case either because it's not resolved.
It was #NationalRoastDay on Thursday and fast food chain Wendy's had a field day roasting people and brands on twitter for fun.

One particularly savage now-deleted tweet raised a few eyebrows when the burger joint founded by Dave Thomas poked fun at actor Armie Hammer's recent alleged cannibalism fantasies.

To add insult to injury, the Hammer 'roast' tweet was in response to film studio Lionsgate who is producing rom-com Shotgun Wedding, the film the actor recently quit in the wake of the scandal.

Savage: Fast food chain Wendy's roasted Armie Hammer and film studio Lionsgate in a now-deleted tweet about his recent alleged cannibalism fantasies on #NationalRoastday on Thursday

Wendy's social media team was already well known for their hysterical, witty and, occasionally, line-crossing tweets when the invited followers to be roasted this week.

The initial post read: 'Time for everybody's favorite made up social media holiday. It's #NationalRoastDay, like right now. Drop a 'Roast Me' below and feel the burn.'

The company had some fun with Oreos, Coca-Cola and Velveeta among others but it was their response to Lionsgate that drew major attention.

'Ok I'll play ... roast me,' the studio tweeted.

'We'd give you a hand but we're afraid one of your actors might eat it,' Wendy's responded to Lionsgate in a tweet in apparent reference to leaked social media messages about cannibalism purported to have been authored by Hammer; the tweet was later deleted

'We'd give you a hand but we're afraid one of your actors might eat it,' Wendy's responded. The tweet was later deleted.

Last month Armie backed out of an upcoming Lionsgate film with Jennifer Lopez following a controversial leak of lurid social media messages alleged to be from the oil heir/actor.

In the texts, the writer graphically spoke about BDSM, cannibalism and excessive drug use.

It was followed by a leak of private Instagram where Hammer was seen bragging about passing a drug-test despite having DMT in his system, and also flashing an image of a lingerie-clad woman on all fours.

Too soon? Last month Armie backed out of an upcoming Lionsgate film with Jennifer Lopez following a controversial leak of lurid social media messages alleged to be from the oil heir/actor

Armie addressed the allegations on January 14th, sharing: 'Im not responding to these b*****t claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for 4 months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic.

'Lionsgate is supporting me in this, and Im grateful to them for that.'

Lionsgate offered their own statement that day, announcing: 'Given the imminent start date of Shotgun Wedding, Armie has requested to step away from the film, and we support him in his decision.'

Josh Duhamel was later cast to replace the disgraced actor and is currently in negotiations to fill his role, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Source: Reuters

US President Joe Biden will meet with a bipartisan group of mayors and governors on Friday as he continues to push for approval of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan to bolster economic growth and help millions of unemployed workers.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will also receive an economic briefing from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, shortly after she takes part in the first meeting of the Group of Seven rich economies since the new US administration took office.

Biden's proposed spending package, coming on top of $4 trillion enacted by his predecessor Donald Trump, will have important consequences for the global economy which is slowly recovering - but very unevenly - after last year suffering its worst downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Taking part in the Oval Office meeting will be Republican and Democratic elected officials whose states and cities have been hammered by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. Many have seen tax revenues fall and costs soar as they race to vaccinate their citizens.

The group includes four governors, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, and five mayors, including Jeff Williams of Arlington, Texas, a Republican.

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

Williams, who met with Yellen virtually last week, said his city urgently needed the federal aid earmarked for state and local governments in Biden's rescue plan. He said cities were crushed when Congress removed similar aid from a previous relief bill that passed in December.

"We've been crippled. We haven't gotten help," Williams told Reuters. "Our property taxes are down and costs are way up. It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican, this is the right solution so we can achieve economic growth much faster."

Arlington, which is home to the largest General Motors plant in the world, is bracing for a 10 percent drop in the appraised value of its commercial properties, which would cut revenues by some $30 million after an $18 million loss last year, Williams said.

More than 400 mayors wrote to leaders in Congress earlier this month to urge them to pass Biden's relief package, but Republicans are backing a far less ambitious plan.

Biden on Thursday said the US coronavirus death toll was likely to reach 500,000 next month, but said the United States was on track to have enough vaccine for 300 million Americans by the end of July.

Yellen, a former Federal Reserve Board Chair, will have a mixed message when she briefs Biden on the economy. While economic growth is picking up, unemployment remains high and many communities of color are not expected to recover for years.

Hyderabad: Sarpanches in Telangana state are authorised to engage shooters from a list of 30 empanelled hunters to cull wild boars destroying crops in their village limits.

However, the expensive hunting safaris some of the hunters embark on is likely to come undone.

A group from among the 30 listed hunters, on Thursday, submitted a representation to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and Chief Wildlife Warden R. Shobha declaring that they would hunt the wild boar for free.

This group, according to a news release from the forest department, has informed the PCCF that it had come to their notice that some shooters were demanding money for shooting wild boars. We are willing to take part in the culling, spending our own money and on a voluntary basis.

In a signed letter to the PCCF, this group said where possible, they will take up culling within 48 hours of a request from a sarpanch. They informed the department that they were not party to the decision wherein a certain shooter has requested money for culling of wild-pigs in farmers fields.

This move, according to some hunters, opens up the possibility of we will hunt for free group using its voluntary participation to not to act with the responsibility required for this culling.

Culling of wild boar requires discipline and a proper plan. It is not a weekend outing to the fringes of forest armed with a powerful gun and ammunition, Pervaram Santhaji, one of the hunters said.

A senior forest department official said when the idea was first mooted and the hunters came on board, they gave an undertaking that their participation will be voluntary without any expectations of remuneration.

On fears that some of the wealthy hunters will end up treating the wild boar culling as a sport, as they do while on a African wildlife hunting safaris, the official said, Just because our orders permit culling by private individuals, it does not mean they will have a free run. The orders can be rescinded anytime. And if any hunter violates any provision of the Wildlife Protection Act (such as hunting other wildlife under the guise of culling wild boar) they will face the full force of the Act.

One of the empanelled hunters, Amit Sanghi said: We are doing this because the government has asked us to. Also, we are doing it to put an end to the hardships that farmers are facing because of the vermin (wild boar).

Erraballi Pradeep Kumar Rao said he is in possession of a gun that is licensed. He said he is taking this up as a responsibility to serve farmers by culling marauding wild boar. The sarpanch of the gram panchayat has been given the powers to ask hunters to shoot the pigs. So, if the farmers take us to the spot, we will kill the pigs. We do not have the power to shoot anywhere and everywhere,he said.
There shouldnt be a vineyard in Point Reyes Station, at least by conventional measurements. The climate out there ought to be too extreme for wine grapes, with chilly conditions and whipping winds. Those stretches of western Marin County are dairy country, not Wine Country. Its cows, not Cabernet, that dot the rolling green pastures.

Yet a vineyard does exist there, and has for 30 years. Along Highway 1, peeking out beyond the southernmost tip of Tomales Bay, is Point Reyes Vineyards, where sloping rows of Champagne grapes overlook a homey, Tuscan-farmhouse-style tasting room and a small inn.

Now, the improbable vineyard is on the market. On Feb. 25, the propertys 83 acres of land, 7 acres of grapevines, tasting room, winery and four-bedroom house will be offered in a live and online auction through Harcourt. The bidding will start at $4.2 million, though owner Steve Doughty is hoping for $6 million.

Hell need to find a buyer whos willing to take on coastal Marin viticulture. Its a daunting enterprise: The tasting room and winery would need complicated permitting and renovations, not to mention the fact that Point Reyes wine doesnt exactly have the cachet of Napa or Sonoma.

But Doughty is betting on one unexpected element making his property more appealing: the weather. As rising temperatures, erratic weather and wildfires threaten wine growing in Californias inland regions, hes banking on some of those vintners fleeing toward the chilly coasts. However dubious  and however self-serving the theory is for a man who is eager to retire  its not an impossible notion that a place like Point Reyes might be one of California wines last stands against climate change.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

When Doughty says we are geared up for global warming, hes obliquely referring to the fact that climate change stands to transform many of Californias wine regions, especially those not on the coast. According to some estimates, for example, certain areas of Napa Valley may move into a temperature band within the next few decades that is too hot for Cabernet Sauvignon, its star grape variety, to be grown at a high quality.

Its an apples-and-oranges comparison to pit Napa Cabernet, Americas most prestigious wine, against the Champagne-style grapes that Doughty grows by Tomales Bay. Yet the basic idea that high-quality grape growing will migrate to some extent from warmer inland regions to cooler coastal regions is sound. In fact, its already happened: Coastal Sonoma County, especially the ridges near Fort Ross, were long assumed to be too cold for high-quality wine growing. Now, they are considered among Californias best sites for grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Climate change alone doesnt account for the wildfires that have ravaged California wine regions in recent years, but experts agree that it has played an important role. Hotter weather and lower precipitation, for example, have led to extended periods of high fire danger.

Whether established vintners are ready to invest millions of dollars into that idea is another question.

Two high-profile Napa Valley vintners who saw their wineries damaged in 2020s Glass Fire, Doughty says, have expressed interest in his property. One of them, Dario Sattui, confirms that he was interested but says it wasnt to plant a vineyard. He wants a dairy farm. Its been a dream of mine to make triple cream cheese and good butter, says Sattui, who owns Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga. He dismissed the idea that Point Reyes would become a wine mecca anytime soon. (For now, Sattui is investing in an existing dairy, Valley Ford Creamery.)

The Napa Valley winery with possibly the strongest foothold in Marin County  where total grapevine acreage is just 166 acres, as opposed to Sonoma Countys 59,000 acres  is Schramsberg, a specialist in sparkling wine. Schramsberg uses fruit from four different Marin vineyards including Skywalker Vineyard, owned by George Lucas.

Its the coolness of Marin that makes it so appealing for sparkling wine, says Schramsberg winemaker Hugh Davies. It can result in beautiful Pinot Noir that retains its crisp acidity while expressing full flavors. But it comes with a price. Its expensive to farm out there, he says. The cold air, the fog, the sea breeze  the grapes are very late ripening, and the yields are really low.

Davies is skeptical of Doughtys prediction that climate change could force a mass exodus. It may change what grapes we grow in a place like Napa, he says. Its not going to change overnight. The potential for it to be a little milder out toward the coast, supporting some of the heartier red wine varietals into the future  maybe. I still think its extreme.

Extreme is an apt description for Point Reyes Vineyards. Doughty has never done things conventionally by Wine Country standards.

He never intended to get into the wine business. The 79-year-old is a private investigator by profession; he ended up in Point Reyes Station because in 1987 he married into a long lineage of West Marin dairy farmers. He and his late wife, Sharon Mendoza Doughty, ran a dairy on the 765-acre parcel that she had purchased during the decade prior.

In the late 1980s, Doughty heard that the Point Reyes National Seashore, which owns neighboring land, might be interested in buying more. They were offering $2,500 an acre for grassland, or $25,000 an acre for grape land, he says. So to collect the higher sum, he decided to make his land into grape land. The plan was to sell to the park and then move to Hawaii.

He consulted a friend, who said his property was too cold to support anything other than the grapes used in Frances frigid Champagne region  Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. He planted them with intention of making Champagne-method sparkling wine, a time- and labor-intensive process.

Whereas sparkling wine grapes in Napa and Sonoma are typically harvested in August, the Point Reyes Vineyards grapes often arent ready until November. Doughty ages his wines in bottle for about a decade before selling them, because he likes the way this type of extended-tirage sparkling wine tastes.

The Hawaii plan did not materialize. The National Seashore never came calling, and Doughty found himself, unintentionally, with a business on his hands.

In 1997, he bought an adjacent 10-acre parcel that had once belonged to Alfred Bianchi, a well-known Marin dairyman (and uncle-in-law to Nancy Pelosi), so that they could open the tasting room and the three-room inn. Apart from a few local restaurants, that tasting room remains the main sales channel for Doughtys sparkling wines, plus the 2,000 annual cases of wine he and longtime employee Federico Garcia make from purchased fruit.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Its not your typical tasting room. The wines on offer here are often 20 years or older, and many convey a musty, austere quality. The sparkling wines in particular have the customary nutty, yeasty flavors that accompany age, in some cases recalling mushrooms and soy. Many of the visitors are oyster tourists, bringing a haul from nearby Tomales Bay Oyster Co. to shuck in the tasting rooms courtyard while drinking bottles of sparkling wine.

And unlike the sleek tasting rooms of neighboring counties, Point Reyes Vineyards presents as a little disheveled. In front of a wall of merchandise, two vintage bicycles stand with price tags attached. Ive been telling people the wine industry is so bad that were in the used bicycle business, he jokes. An old Detroit model could be yours for $500.

The place needs a face-lift, which may be one reason why Point Reyes Vineyards has been on the market for over a year now, says real estate agent Michael Milano. If someones going to spend $6 million, theyre expecting not to lift a finger, he says. Most people in that price point arent trying to buy projects. They want a trophy showpiece.

That $6 million asking price is a reduction from the original $8 million, and Doughty will offer the buyer the chance to buy all of the unsold wine inventory, which he values at $2 million, and to take over his lease on a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in San Rafael, planted in the 1960s.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

By some standards, it might seem like a deal. Milano and his partner George De Salvo recently sold a nearby 3,000-square-foot home on just 6.5 acres for $3.3 million.

In Petaluma, just across the county line, a ranch of this size would easily command $5 million or more, real estate agents say. Good Sonoma County vineyard land can generate $50,000 or more per acre. But then, this is not Sonoma County.

Doughty is hopeful that the auction will work as a final attempt to generate buzz. I think weve done pretty well for a no-name winery started by some people who didnt know what they were doing, he says. But Im through making wine.

Like many California winemakers, he lost his entire 2020 crop to wildfire smoke, so 2019 will be the final vintage of Point Reyes Vineyards wines. Hes given up on the bed-and-breakfast business, which has dried up as Airbnb has proliferated in the area.

Hes tired. Hes almost 80. Hes ready to finally make that trip to Hawaii.

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley
COLUMBUS, OhioOhio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kimberly Henderson faced pointed questions from state lawmakers Thursday about ongoing delays and fraud within the states unemployment benefits system.

Henderson, who testified for almost two hours before the legislatures Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council, offered explanations  and, in many cases, apologies  for the ongoing problems faced by the states unemployment office, which has come under unprecedented stress during the 11-month-long coronavirus crisis.

State Rep. Mark Fraizer, a Newark Republican, said it was troubling that, as of December, 40.4% of Ohioans applying for unemployment benefits waited more than 70 days to get them.

Henderson said those numbers dont reflect the complexity of the claims, suggesting that the delays were due in part to people providing incorrect information.

She added that 1% of claims filed last March, at the start of the coronavirus crisis, have still not been processed  meaning they have not yet been approved or denied. Henderson said those outstanding benefits claims from March are not simple ones to address, though she said the number of those claims is still too high.

Henderson also said the average wait time for the unemployment systems call center right now is 34 minutes. While thats better than wait times last summer, state Rep. Derek Merrin, a Toledo-area Republican, expressed disappointment.

If this system is truly working, it should be less than 34 minutes, Merrin said.

When Henderson said that, regrettably, the states unemployment office hasnt yet responded to every email sent to it, Merrin replied: I think it would bother most everyone on this council to think that potentially someone in Ohio sent an email to a state agency in April, and theyre not even sure its been read or received by, you know, February the next year.

Henderson said that many Ohioans who filed for benefits under the new federal coronavirus relief package, passed last December, are now getting paid, which should reduce call volume. However, Henderson added that she anticipates the number of calls will go up again in March, when the latest round of federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments is set to end.

Henderson said when the pandemic arose in Ohio, her office didnt even have a call center  the same people who answered the phone also processed the claims. In addition, she said, staffing levels were comparatively low at the beginning of the pandemic because the economy was doing so well.

Unlike past recessions, Henderson said, the coronavirus crisis hit almost overnight, giving her agency very little time to expand drastically to handle the volume of claims.

The public-health crisis also forced state officials to find different ways of reaching out to laid-off workers, she said. In the past, she said, if General Motors closed a plant, ODJFS would send rapid-response teams to the factory to help people in person.

The virtual unemployment office was not a model that existed, she said.

Henderson fielded similar questions from lawmakers last May about why tens of thousands of Ohioans thrown out of work because of the coronavirus crisis faced delays getting benefits.

Another issue is that the states unemployment office uses a computer system that dates back to 2004. Henderson said a years-long effort to replace those computers with a cloud-based system is expected to be completed in November 2022.

Lawmakers also questioned Henderson about the large amount of fraudulent unemployment claims being filed in Ohio. Last year, Ohio paid out at least $331 million in fraudulent PUA claims; last week, scammers filed tens of thousands of traditional unemployment claims.

State Sen. Bill Reineke, a Tiffin Republican, said he was really perplexed why the state paid so much money in bogus claims.

Henderson replied that there was a leaning, both at the federal and state level, to prioritize issuing benefits as quickly as possible during the coronavirus crisis over taking the time to carefully scrutinize each claim.

Its a competing balancing of interests, Henderson said, adding that her agency is examining its review process.

Port Grande, a prospective multi-phase logistics park in the heart of the largest inland port in the country, is soon to become a reality as the company and the city finalize a deal for a 30-year tax increment reinvestment zone.

Majestic Realty Co., the countrys largest privately-held industrial and portfolio developer, plans to make the project the epicenter of South Texas trade and even the epicenter of all North American trade as they expect for Mexicos dominance in various industries like manufacturing to grow in the coming years and decades. The 2,000-acre project would be the largest construction project by the company in terms of acreage.

This prospective partnership comes after years of negotiations between the company and city.

Majestic Realty has had a presence in Laredo for over 20 years. Six years ago the company purchased the former Mercedes Benz testing track off mile marker 13 and went on to build phase 1 of the Port Grande project.

Tom Simmons, a development partner and vice president at Majestic Realty, said Port Grande was a new challenge for the company.

Majestic has been focused on cross-border real estate for the past decade after seeing the shift in investment patterns from Asia-Pacific to the United States and Mexico after seeing the new USMCA and NAFTA 2.0, he said

According to Simmons, most of all their negotiations have centered on the City of Laredo, but they are also talking with Webb County. City Council has preliminarily approved of the tax deal, but nothing has been presented to the Commissioners Court yet.

The proposed logistic park falls under the City of Laredos District VI, represented by Councilmember Dr. Marte Martinez, who was one of the main proponents of the project.

Martinez noted that this is an industry-sponsored project. The company came to the city and proposed this partnership, where the city would put aside a portion of the developers taxes over the term of the agreement in order to reinvest into the infrastructure and public improvements needed in the development process.

The project will allow the City of Laredo to finally compete with their true direct competitors, Martinez said.

Competitively speaking, we wanted to compete with the Los Angeles, the Houstons and the New Yorks, which are the ports that we actually compete with. So these are the kind of deals that they actually do, Martinez said. The negotiations were done through a team of management, the economic department director along with our legal department and directly with the leaders of Majestic that are in charge of the project.

The project will expand the warehousing space in Laredo for all the goods that come into the largest inland port in the country. Majestic plans to attract new businesses to the area and to create both direct and indirect jobs with the project.

According to Simmons, the project will help bring many of the multinational and Fortune 500 companies that have yet not arrived to Laredo. Since Majestic Realty already has many of these companies in their portfolio, Simmons expects for these new companies to come to the area. They will also work in marketing the Laredo area heavily to make this happen, he said.

We have been there in Laredo for 20 years and the projects that we began are already still ongoing, Simmons said. We have happy tenants there and businesses that have been creating jobs and tax revenues ... for decades, and we will continue to do that. The market will tell us how fast we can get it done. I think we will be pleasantly surprised with the increase of Mexico trade in the coming decades.

In total, 10,000 permanent jobs are expected to be created by the time the project is fully completed in 30 years, according to a company hired by Majestic to estimate potential job creation. Simmons states that these 10,000 jobs do not include the temporary construction jobs that will be created.

Martinez believes this project will help Laredos economy recover and grow following the pandemic. Because international trade has done well following the initial COVID-19 shutdowns last year, Laredos leaders have been reminded of this industrys importance to the area. That and job creation are why Martinez and other council members have supported the project.

Teclo Garcia, the citys economic development director, notes that there will be secondary job creation as well  perhaps in the form of more restaurants, hotels or a diesel mechanic facility.

Those people then earning those paychecks, then will spend their money in town or maybe buy a home or buy appliances for their place or maybe even buy a vehicle. You never know, but this is all induced activity that this project will help get going, Garcia said.

Ultimately, Simmons, Martinez and Garcia agree that Laredo is one of the most important ports in the North American region and that this project will only cement that reality and finally showcase the might of Laredos footprint in the trade industry.

Martinez states that one of the biggest legacies that he wants to leave behind whenever he finishes his time on council is to leave the distinction that Laredo is a premier port area.

Laredo needs to understand who it really and what we really represent. Lets think big and make big decisions that put us strategically on the map, he said.

Simmons agrees that Laredo is worthy of more notoriety.

I think that even Laredo often does not realize how big of a deal it is, Simmons said. We feel strongly that as this project really starts taking hold that Laredo will kind of start to receive and understand, and the larger trade community will also get to understand as well, that Laredo is a great logistic and distribution market.

Laredo City Council reached an agreement for the tax deal for the 2,000-acre logistics park to be created off mile 13 that will cost approximately $1 billion when finalized. The final agreement for the project will be discussed at their meeting on Feb. 16 and then public hearings will be held to discuss the further development of the project as well.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com / 512-214-1792
Bengaluru, Feb 12 : In a bid to take on Google Maps, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and digital mapping and location-based deep-tech company MapmyIndia on Friday announced a new initiative to offer a fully indigenous, mapping portal and geospatial services.

The services will combining the power of MapmyIndia's digital maps and technologies with ISRO's catalogue of satellite imagery and earth observation data.

Through the combined partnership with ISRO, MapmyIndia's end user maps, apps and services would be a much better, more detailed and comprehensive, as well as privacy-centric, hyper local and indigenous mapping solution for Indians, compared to foreign map apps and solutions, the company said.

"This partnership with ISRO heralds a new dawn of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the strategic area of maps and geospatial technologies," Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director, MapmyIndia, said in a statement.

"You don't need Google Maps/Earth any longer", Verma said in the headline in an article on LinkedIn.

Users will also benefit hugely from the various map-based analytics and insights about weather, pollution, agricultural output, land use changes, flood and landslide disasters, among others, the company said.

MapmyIndia said its maps and APIs (application programming interfaces) will enrich ISRO's geoportals.

It will empower Indian scientists, academia, researchers and government organisations with the best of India's satellite imagery, earth observation data and digital map data and advanced geospatial technologies, all combined together in a fully indigenous ISRO-MapmyIndia platform, the company added.
Domestic demand for electronic motherboards is expected to grow by over six-fold to USD 81.5 billion by 2025-26, according to a report released by IT makers body MAIT on Friday.

The size of domestic electronic motherboards, technically called printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), was around USD 15 billion in 2019-20, Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology said.

"It is expected that India's domestic PCBA market demand will touch USD 81.5 billion by 2025-26. The planned capacity investments by EMS companies are not only anticipated to address the domestic demand but position India as a competitive player in the global market too.

"Between 2020-21 and 2025-26, India will generate cumulative export revenues of USD 101 billion," the report said.

The report was released by Meity joint secretary Saurabh Gaur at a virtual event organised by MAIT.

"PCBA is a major segment for future manufacturing and in terms of exports. Out of all the electronics imports, PCBA still accounts for almost 15 per cent. MAIT's report is a great collation to look over further policy actions," Gaur was quoted in a statement issued by MAIT.

The report recommended the government to consider a disability incentive of 4 to 6 per cent through an incremental production and turnover scheme such as PLI.

"India must overcome the cost disability compared to its closest competitor Vietnam and other Asian countries. Government support to negate the cost disability should be viewed as enabling a critical industry segment for exports," MAIT president Nitin Kunkolienker said.

The report has also suggested the need to address the absence of a local component supply base and India should facilitate smooth processes at ports and ensure unhindered and time-bound components availability for PCBA manufacturing.

"To achieve the domestic and export potential India's PCBA manufacturing would require a cumulative capital investment of USD 25 to 30 billion by 2024-25. This investment will lead to the generation of 1 million to 1.2 million direct and indirect jobs," the report said.

The report calls for covering both existing units engaged in manufacturing PCBAs and new units in production linked incentive schemes.

While it is vital to incentivise new investments for PCBA capacities, it is equally important to recognise the value of existing PCBA units.

"We started our operations in 2001, and currently, we have over 17,000 employees working in seven facilities across India with a total footprint of over 1M square feet. There are massive opportunities that lie in the Indian electronics manufacturing industry," Flex senior vice president Richard Hopkins 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.)
Some thirty motorhomes and camper vans have been moved on from an unauthorised site in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol.

The town councillor responsible for security, Antonio Ruiz, together with the Local Police Chief Inspector, Jose Miguel Avila, reported the eviction of some 30 vehicles that had camped in an area of Los Alamos, which it is claimed presented a health risk.

The councillor stressed that regulations must be complied with saying, "We respect the right of anyone to sleep in their motorhome but we cannot allow populated camps to be created in an irregular manner."

It is a danger to health. The permitted areas must have proper facilities for the supply of water, among other things, the councillor added.

The eviction action had been demanded by the residents and businesses in the area.

The Local Police intervention was of an informative nature and the people who were in the motorhomes, vans and even a trailer were not fined.

The town council has now started conversations with groups and private companies interested in providing spaces in the town that comply with the regulations and allow people to camp within the law.

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster for Tessica Brown, the Louisiana woman who used Gorilla Glue instead of hair spray one day in January.

She catapulted to internet fame last week after posting a video on TikTok in which she called the decision to use the adhesive spray a bad, bad, bad idea. More than 30 million people have viewed it there, along with countless more on Instagram and Twitter. They have clamored for updates and flooded her posts with words of encouragement (and criticism), all while piling on suggestions for how to help. But nothing worked.

Finally, more than a month after her mishap, Ms. Brown had the glue removed from her hair, thanks to a Los Angeles plastic surgeon who spent hours on Wednesday using a homemade solvent to get the job done.

It went from scary to terrifying to pretty much being tortured, Ms. Brown, 40, said in an interview on Thursday. And at this point, a big relief.
Huawei Technologies Ltd.'s chief financial officer is seeking bank records from HSBC Holdings in a bid to prove she didn't trick lenders into processing transactions that violated U.S. sanctions targeting Iran.

Meng Wanzhou, who's fighting extradition to the U.S. from Canada, asked London's High Court to grant an order to obtain the records, which she says will show what the bank knew about Huawei's ties to Iran-linked company Skycom that sparked the extradition request.

The 48-year-old Chinese executive was arrested in Canada on a U.S. handover request in December 2018 and later released on C$10 million bail ($7.9 million). U.S. authorities are seeking Meng, the eldest daughter of Huawei's billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, to face fraud charges, alleging that she misled banks into handling transactions that violated American sanctions.

At the heart of the case lies a Powerpoint presentation Meng gave to HSBC in Hong Kong in 2013. Meng says the presentation made clear that Skycom was a business partner of Huawei and worked with the firm in sales and services in Iran, her lawyer James Lewis said in a court filing made public Friday.

U.S. prosecutors and HSBC contest this. They say the presentation was misleading because Meng failed to state that Huawei controlled Skycom's operations in Iran. The U.S. alleges that because of this, HSBC continued to provide banking services to Huawei, including clearing U.S. dollar transactions related to Skycom's commerce in Iran, Lewis said.

Meng's alleged deceit is said to have placed HSBC's economic interests at risk, by exposing it to the potential violation of U.S. sanctions, he said. Meng denies any wrongdoing.

A spokesman for HSBC said the disclosure application is without merit. The bank is not a party to the criminal case in the U.S. or the Canadian extradition proceedings, he said.

The bank's lawyer Rupert Allen argued at Friday's hearing that Meng has no jurisdiction in London to bring the disclosure application.

A spokeswoman for Huawei declined to comment. Meng's extradition proceedings are due to start in March.

She hopes to use the bank's records in "in support of her abuse of process and evidential sufficiency arguments in the extradition proceedings," Lewis said.
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden said Thursday his administration had finalized deals for another 200 million doses of the two coronavirus vaccines authorized in the United States, securing sufficient shots to cover everyone currently eligible for inoculation by the end of July.

In remarks capping an afternoon tour of the National Institutes of Health, Biden said the federal government had purchased 100 million more doses from Pfizer and German company BioNTech, as well as 100 million more from Moderna, using options built into existing contracts with those companies.

The announcement was the centerpiece of an emotional address from Biden, who made a point of speaking through his mask as he called it a "patriotic responsibility" to wear one.

"We remain in the teeth of this pandemic," he said, observing that January was the deadliest month of the pandemic, in which "we lost over 100,000 of our fellow citizens." Mutations of the virus posenew challenges, he said, even as infections and hospitalizations begin to decline.

Recalling a conversation with a nurse staffing an Arizona vaccination site, Biden said she described inoculating people against covid-19 as "like administering a dose of hope."

"We're going to get those doses of hope out," Biden promised.

The new deals don't immediately expand access to shots, which remain in short supply throughout much of the country. They primarily serve to prevent a shortfall later in the year by increasing supply by 50%, bringing the total to 600 million doses.

Because both products are two-dose regimens, that will be enough to fully vaccinate 300 million people. An estimated 260 million people in the United States are currently considered eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine, though trials involving children as young as 12 could widen the pool.

Together, Pfizer and Moderna had already agreed to provide 400 million doses to the United States. Biden said some of those doses would be delivered sooner than anticipated, guaranteeing enough supply by the end of May to vaccinate 200 million people under the two-dose protocols. Pfizer had already expedited its delivery schedule for those doses, and a Moderna spokesman confirmed Thursday the Cambridge-based company could do the same.

Moderna issued a statement confirming the purchase and saying it was "working with its domestic manufacturing partners," as well as federal regulators, to "explore ways to accelerate delivery, with the goal of providing this new order of 100 million doses before the end of July 2021." Pfizer spokeswoman Amy Rose confirmed the purchase as well as the timeline Biden outlined.

In securing the additional doses, the government used options built into contracts negotiated last year by the Trump administration. Biden said last month he would seek the additional doses, part of a strategy to double down on the two vaccines that have already won federal clearance and not count on candidates from other companies becoming available.

With his vow that the additional doses would be available by the end of July, the president noted the delivery would be "faster than we expected." His advisers had previously indicated that a summer delivery was anticipated, and Trump administration officials said they were operating under the assumption of a quarterly schedule, with an additional tranche possible by August or September.

Biden administration officials have been telling partners that their recent move to expand Pfizer's priority rating under the Defense Production Act would help the pharmaceutical giant obtain needed equipment to produce the additional doses sooner than anticipated, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Asked last week about the action under the Korean War-era law, Rose did not address it directly but said, "Our teams continue to work closely on our production as our commercial ramp-up progresses." A Pfizer executive said in a recent interview with USA Today that the company expects to halve its production time as it gains familiarity with the process, expediting the availability of its product globally.

As the country seeks to stay ahead of the spread of the more transmissible and possibly more lethal variants, top health officials have expressed confidence that widespread inoculation would soon be possible because of a steady ramp-up in manufacturing.

"By the time we get to April, that will be what I would call, for better wording, 'open season,' namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated," Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious-disease expert, said Thursday on NBC's "Today" show.

The Biden administration has already increased weekly state allocations by nearly 30%, though shortages remain pronounced in many areas. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday the city would temporarily close a mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium, along with several other locations, because there weren't enough doses.

Additional doses are also expected to come from Johnson & Johnson, which submitted its application for a single-shot coronavirus vaccine to U.S. regulators earlier this month. If approved, the easy-to-store vaccine would further augment supply, though production setbacks are expected to limit availability until the spring. It's also possible that vaccine experts may only recommend the vaccine for people in certain age groups.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine showed strong protection against severe disease from the variant first discovered in South Africa, but offered less-robust protection against moderate illness. Evidence from laboratory tests suggests the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work against variants, but the ability of the immune response to block the South African variant is diminished.

As more vaccine becomes available, new challenges, including staffing, will arise. But health officials say they're preparing themselves.

"We're strategizing around that now and the good thing is we've had a couple of months of experience doing this that we can learn from," said Kevin Litten, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Health.

- - -

The Washington Post's Carolyn Y. Johnson and Amy Goldstein contributed to this report.
Posted Thursday, February 11, 2021 4:42 pm

The summer months are coming to an end, children are heading back to school, but they are experiencing summer learning loss and now require remedial education.

Every year, teachers across the U.S. say the first month of school after summer break usually is spent discovering what students have retained and reviewing what theyve forgotten.

This learning loss disproportionately affects students from lower income backgrounds, according to a 2016 American Education Research Association study.

Substitute SB 5147 proposes a pilot program for four consecutive years at the start of the 2022 academic calendar to combat this issue.

The program would keep the 180-day instructional calendar, but would spread it over at least 11 months of the year, replacing the traditional summer break for shorter, more consistent breaks throughout.

School districts, up to 30 in total, can apply for the program on a first come, first served basis through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

For districts to be eligible, during the 2019-20 school year they must have had between 500 and 10,000 enrolled students and at least half of their students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

During the bills first public hearing on Jan. 18, concerns were raised about the loss students would experience from a lack of summer activities like camp.

Summer camp promotes skills like communication, cross-cultural connection, and perseverance, Paul Sheridan, director of Four Winds camp, said. The solution to (disproportionate learning loss amongst lower income students) isnt year-round schooling, its universal summer camp.

According to a Brookings article, a large contributor to summer learning loss is supplemental education, like camps, during the summer, which higher-income families are more able to afford.

Other challenges that year round schooling brings include scheduling difficulties for students who want or need a summer internship or job, vacation timing, air conditioning costs and childcare during the more consistent week-long breaks.

A 2015 study from the University of Texas, showed students in year-round education pulled ahead during the summer, but that traditionally scheduled students catch up and pull ahead during the rest of the year.

In the Senate fiscal meeting for the bill Feb. 9, legislators heard similar testimony to the bills January meeting, with minimal pushback from any party.

The Legislature already establishes hours and days for instruction, Katherine Mahoney, assistant director for OSPI, said. This seems like the natural third leg of that stool to ensure  that were mitigating that learning loss.

However, regardless of stance on the issue, the consensus amongst all parties was that learning loss with all students is an issue that needs to be addressed.

The bill has not yet been scheduled for further committee hearings. Additional information can be found on leg.wa.gov.



The Washington State Journal is a non-profit news website managed by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. Learn more at wastatejournal.org.
WARSAW, Ind., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rather than hosting its annual non-profit appreciation luncheon amid COVID-19 concerns, 212 Media Studios celebrated Kosciusko County organizations at a virtual event on February 12, 2021, which culminated in Ends of the Earth Outreach (EOE) receiving the 2021 Non-Profit Community Impact Award. As the winner, EOE is entitled to a year of free marketing services from 212.

"Our local organizations have been a constant in our community even through the challenges of the past year, and we didn't want the pandemic to keep us from hosting this event or awarding the annual prize," says 212 Chief Marketing Officer David Phelps. "We're excited to work with Ends of the Earth to share their mission with the community and maximize their donor engagement."

The Non-Profit Community Impact Award is given to an organization in Kosciusko County that exemplifies visionary leadership, exceptional collaboration, innovative creativity and excellent client services. The award announcement is the culmination of the Non-Profit Appreciation Event that 212 hosts every February. In addition to Ends of the Earth Outreach, this year's top finalists were the SWCC Foundation and Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice.

The event, entitled "New Year, New Gear: Shifting Priorities in 2021," provided short, virtual seminars to give local non-profit leaders tools for increasing productivity in both work and life. Andy Bautz, executive director at Turning Point Counseling Center, hosted a main session on investing in mental health for personal growth, and guests also got the option to attend several breakout sessions hosted by 212's team.

212 Media Studios is a team of strategic thinkers and visionary creators based in Warsaw, Indiana. Through research, branding and inbound marketing, 212 creates comprehensive, personalized strategies that meet the business needs of clients in industries like technology, healthcare, higher education and non-profit. To learn more about 212 Media Studios' services and offerings, visit 212mediastudios.com.

Contact: Bailey Gerber

Phone: 574-269-0720

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE 212 Media Studios

Related Links

www.212mediastudios.com


FEBRUARY 11, 2021 PRIVATE PLACEMENT FULLY SUBSCRIBED

NEW CFO APPOINTED

CRYPTO TREND INDICATOR APP NEARING LAUNCH

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / DigiCrypts Blockchain Solutions Inc. o/a DIGIMAX GLOBAL SOLUTIONS (the "Company" or "DigiMax") (CSE:DIGI) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, DataNavee, has formed an Advisory Board comprised of highly experienced individuals in the public safety sector in North America.

The purpose of the Advisory Board will be to assist the company in further developing its PPI applications to provide highly specialized personality prediction information for both potential and existing employees in the police and security sectors.

Members of the Board will include:

Andrew Ellis - Andrew is the former Assistant Director of Operations with the Canadian security Intelligence Service (CSIS). In that capacity Mr. Ellis was responsible for the strategic leadership of all of the operational programs of the Service including Counter Terrorism, Counter Espionage, Cyber operations and the acquisition of intelligence relating to the procurement of Weapons of Mass Destruction by hostile states. Since retiring, Mr. Ellis has leant his expertise to a wide range of corporate enterprises on a global basis.

Eric Joliffe - Eric Jolliffe was a police leader and innovator in the areas of executive leadership, organizational culture, risk and technical innovation. Having completed a police career that spanned over 40 years having led a large leading edge police service as Chief of Police for 10 years. Eric has a Master Degree in Leadership from Royal Roads, Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Criminology from York University and holds the designation, Officer of the Order of Merit.

Matt Torigian - Matt Torigian is a leader in policing and public administration with a career that has spanned over 35 years and touched on many aspects of justice and public safety. He has served as Ontario's Deputy Solicitor General and chief of police for a large police service. He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a designated Subject Matter Expert with the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Arija Birze - Dr Arija Birze is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. She received her PhD from the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences stream at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto and was a Currie Fellowship award recipient while at the Wilson Centre, University Health Network. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research concerns the gendered organization of work as a social determinant of health and explores occupational stress and trauma in the public safety sphere.

February 11, 2021 Private Placement

The Private Placement announced the evening of February 11, 2021 is fully subscribed and a closing is expected within the next 7 days.

New CFO

DigiMax is also pleased to announce the appointment of David Bhumgara as the Chief Financial Officer of the company. David will replace Kyle Appleby who has agreed to remain available through the completion of the January 31 year-end audit.

David is a CPA, CA with over 25 years of senior management and capital markets experience across various industries including Cannabis, Resources, and Technology. David's most recent experience was with Xanthic Biopharma Inc. which was acquired by way of a reverse takeover by Green Growth Brands out of Columbus, Ohio and previously listed on CSE and OTC markets.

Crypto Trend Indicator App Update

The Company is currently targeting the week of February 22, 2021 to launch the public availability of the Crypto Price Trend App. Following a very successful private trial, the first public version will be available on a subscription basis to any user around the world with a free 7-day free trial. While the App is complete, the developers are now completing the subscriber and banking interfaces and expect to have that completed and ready within 10 days from now.

About DigiMax

DigiMax is based in Toronto and is the first company in the Digital Security space to be both publicly listed (listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange-symbol: DIGI) and own a registered Dealer. Canada, DigiMax Capital Corp is an 'Exempt Market Dealer registered in Ontario.

The Company has a highly qualified management team with extensive experience in global financial and capital markets, combined with a rapidly expanding global presence through collaborative partnerships in the USA, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, England, Singapore, Korea and Malta.

DigiMax has expanded its financial services base to utilize Predictive Analytics powered by Artificial Intelligence both in its own efforts, and to provide such expertise to both corporations and individuals through a series of SaaS-based Applications currently being introduced into the marketplace.

Contacts DigiMax:

Chris Carl

President & CEO

416-312-9698

ccarl@digimax-global.com

Edward Murphy

Chairman

416-720-0456

emurphy@digimax-global.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE, NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

This press release contains "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements we make regarding a second closing.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: shareholders approving the change of name to DigiMax, the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings, the availability of future financing and/or credit, and other conditions which may affect our ability to expand the App Platform described herein, the level of demand and financial performance of the cryptocurrency industry, developments and changes in laws and regulations, including increased regulation of the cryptocurrency industry through legislative action and revised rules and standards applied by the Canadian Securities Administrators, Ontario Securities Commission, and/or other similar regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions, disruptions to our technology network including computer systems, software and cloud data, or other disruptions of our operating systems, structures or equipment, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in disclosure documents filed by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE: DigiMax Global Solutions

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629483/DataNavee-Launches-Advisory-Board-Comprising-Key-Industry-Leaders
On the sixth day of the rescue operations in Uttarakhand's Tapovan tunnel, 2 persons have been found alive, 36 dead, and 204 people are still suspected to be missing.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Army are conducting round the clock searches in the area in the hope of finding more people alive.

Also Read | India speeds up vaccination drive

PK Tiwary NDRF Commandant said, "At Tapovan tunnel in Chamoli district, said: Our teams are continuously searching for bodies. A team has also been deployed to search for bodies along the river. All agencies involved in rescue operation are working round the clock."

Meanwhile, posting pictures from inside the tunnel while conducting drilling operations to remove the slush, ITBP tweeted: Inside the tunnel where machines are operating at present to take out slush. Rescue operations to continue the whole night.

Inside the tunnel where machines are operating at present to take out slush. Rescue operations to continue the whole night.#UttarakhandGlacialBurst #TapovanTunnel #Himveers pic.twitter.com/JTM09ENdk6  ITBP (@ITBP_official) February 11, 2021

In another tweet it said, ITBP teams searching for missing along river bed towards Joshimath to Helung earlier today.

ITBP teams searching for missing along river bed towards Joshimath to Helung earlier today.#UttarakhandGlacialBurst #TapovanTunnel#Himveers pic.twitter.com/3pOSIlY47N  ITBP (@ITBP_official) February 11, 2021

It is suspected that as many as 30 people are trapped inside the tunnel.

The Chamoli Police also informed that the water level in the Rishiganga is rising and the people living in nearby areas are being alerted. The police have requested people to be on alert and not to panic.

Yesterday, the rescue operations were halted for some time as the water level rose in the area.

A glacier broke in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand on Sunday, which led to massive flooding in Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers and damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.













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Gregory Paul Ulrich is arrested following a shooting at a health clinic in Buffalo, Minn., on Feb. 9, 2021. (Wright County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Minnesota Clinic Shooting Suspect Charged on 7 Counts

Gregory Paul Ulrich, the suspect of the shooting at a clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota, that killed one and injured four has been officially charged.

Ulrich is facing seven counts of charges, including one count of second-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, one count of possession of an explosive device, and one count of possession of a pistol without a permit.

Police were initially called at 10:54 a.m. on Feb. 9 to the Allina Health Clinic on the report of an active shooting.

A few minutes later, Ulrich called the 911 dispatcher and said he would surrender to officers. Officers approached the building using a squad car as a shield and found Ulrich lying down with his arms out. When officers searched Ulrich, they found Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol ammunition and two marijuana cigarettes on his body, local media outlet KSTP reported.

According to the complaint, officers responding to the scene of the shooting saw victims screaming for help and multiple areas of the clinic damaged from apparent ammunition rounds and explosions. They also found an undetonated improvised explosive device near a briefcase that had been carried into the hospital by Ulrich, Fox News reported.

Ulrich opened fire in the clinic after he walked in and was greeted by staff. He once fired two rounds into the leg of a victim who was trying to run away, and detonated two explosive devices during the chaos.

Police had previously said they believe Ulrich was unhappy with health care he had received at the center obtained, although they have yet to announce a motive for the attack. People who know Ulrich him told media outlets on Wednesday that hes been complaining of not getting enough pain killers from the doctors, Fox reported.

Fox said that investigators found gunpowder at his latest address consistent with what was found inside the explosives at the crime scene. They also found an empty box of ammunition at a motel he might have used to stage the attack.

The deceased victim has been identified as 37-year-old medical assistant Lindsey Overbay. She suffered a gunshot to her abdomen, which ripped through her liver and spine before exiting her body, Fox reported.

With overwhelming sadness, we can confirm that Lindsay Overbay lost her life to this senseless act of violence, the health provider said in a statement Wednesday. Lindsay was a medical assistant who worked for Allina Health since November of 2018. The loss of Lindsay is traumatic for all who knew and loved her. Our entire Allina Health family extends our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and co-workers.

Overbay leaves behind her husband and two childrenboth under 10 years old, Fox reported.

If convicted, Ulrichs second-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, while the other charges carry fines and sentences of up to $100,000 and 20 years.

His bail has been set at $10 million and he is due back in court in late March.
Nearly 3.5 million of Israels eligible citizens, those 16 years or overhave received at least one shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, at 60 percent the highest rate in the world.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, which operates an apartheid regime as the human rights organization Btselem recently acknowledged, is refusing to make similar arrangements for the five million Palestinians living under its military rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Even as the pandemic ravages the Occupied TerritoriesWest Bank has reported 1,557 deaths and Gaza 531decimating the already inadequate Palestinian health care system, Israel has sent just 2,000 doses of a promised 5,000 to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for frontline healthcare workers, with 300-500 doses to be sent to Gaza.

COVID-19 vaccine (Stock image credit: Envato)

Vaccines, which the PA has ordered from Russia, are unlikely to be delivered in any number for many weeks, while vaccines from AstraZenica are supposed to arrive later this month. In the meantime, the PA is seeking additional supplies via the World Health Organisations COVAX initiative. Even so they will at best be sufficient for less than 10 percent of the population.

Netanyahu is staking his political survival on Israels successful vaccination rollout, paying premium prices for the vaccine andin breach of privacy lawshanding over the anonymized but detailed data collected by its health-care network over to the company. He is aiming for 90 percent of those over 50 years of age to be vaccinated by the end of this month and promised Israelis they would be COVID-free by late March.

He wants to be seen as the man who banished the virus in the elections on March 23, the fourth in less than two years, under conditions where unemployment is soaring, the average standard of living based on income fell by 22.7 percent in 2020 and the economy is staring into the abyss. Facing years in jail if convicted of bribery and corruption to secure favourable news coverage, his freedom depends on retaining the premiership with a sufficient majority to pass legislation that will allow him to evade trial.

His refusal to supply the Palestinians with the vaccine is a violation of Israels responsibilities under the 1949 Geneva Convention for the health of the Palestinians living in the areas it controls, including the obligation to ensure medical supplies and preventative measures to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics.

Furthermore, while Israel agreed under the Oslo Accords to co-operate on issues involving healthcare and epidemics, it in practice reneged on its obligations to the extent that the Palestinians have long endured problems importing medical equipmentwith Israels opaque security permit system making it difficult for those in need of life-saving medical care to seek treatment in Israel or abroad.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein arrogantly declared, It is our interest, not our legal obligation, but it is our interest to make sure that Palestinians get the vaccine, that we dont have Covid-19 spreading and said that first of all we can also look into the so-called Oslo agreements, where it says loud and clear that Palestinians have to take care of their own health.

Israelis receive a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from medical professionals at a coronavirus vaccination center set up on a shopping mall parking lot in Givataim, Israel, during a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, Thursday, February 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Describing the Palestinians as Israels neighbours, Edelstein turned truth on its head, telling Sky News, I think that weve been helping our Palestinian neighbours from the very early stages of this crisis, including medical equipment, including medicine, including advice, including supplies. He added, I dont think that theres anyone in this country, whatever his or her views might be, that can imagine that I would be taking a vaccine from the Israeli citizen and, with all the goodwill, give it to our neighbours.

Israel refused to vaccinate the 4,400 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, in crowded conditions with poor hygiene and a lack of fresh air that made social distancing and basic hygiene impossible. According to a Palestinian report, 189 prisoners have tested positive for the virus, but received deplorable treatment. It was only after President Reuvin Rivlin intervened that Edelstein reversed the policy.

UN human rights experts have called on Israel as the occupying power to ensure swift and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for the Palestinian people. Morally and legally, this differential access to necessary health care in the midst of the worst global health crisis in a century is unacceptable, they said.

The UNs Human Rights Council, set to convene February 22, is expected to issue a resolution condemning Israels failure to vaccinate Palestinians.

Irrespective of Netanyahus hoopla over his vaccination programme, with Israel reporting more than 706,000 cases of the infectionmore than 70,000 of which are currently activeand 5,233 deaths, there are several factors that have begun to lower expectations that it will emerge quickly from the pandemic. Not least, the failure to eradicate the disease among the Palestinians in the occupied territories, many of whom travel into Israel and the settlements to work, will ensure its continued transmission.

While the number of hospitalisations has begun to decline from the peak in January following the implementation of the countrys third limited lockdown, this is still around the level of the September peak and double the peak in April.

The decline is largely within the over-60 population, most of whom have been vaccinated. According to a government study, 44 percent of cases diagnosed in Israel last week were among those younger than 19, with just 6.2 percent in those aged 60 and older. The result was that hospital beds freed up by older patients were being filled by those under 50 and ever younger patients. This increase is being attributed to the emergence of new and more virulent strains, including the variants discovered in the UK and South Africa.

The incidence among children is particularly worrying, as those under the age of 16 are excluded from vaccine trials and cannot be inoculated until further research is conducted.

Although vaccines are now being offered to everyone over the age of 16, the pace of inoculations has slowed dramatically, a senior official in Clalit, one of countrys largest health providers, said, accusing social media of fake news and promoting vaccine skepticism.

Israels Palestinian citizens and the Haredim, the ultra-orthodox community, who make up some 20 percent and 12 percent of the population, have been vaccinated. The Haredim have been hit hard by the coronavirus, not least due to their impoverished and overcrowded living conditionsalmost half of whom study full-time while their wives work in low-paid jobs and look after their large familiesand refusal to implement social distancing measures that conflict with their religious beliefs and practices.

The ultra-orthodox communities, whose religious leaders are a key component of Netanyahus right-wing government, have received various exemptions from the lockdown restrictions, including permission to keep their schools open that have increased tensions between the secular and religious communities. The city of Bnei Brak and other towns with large ultra-orthodox communities recently witnessed violent clashes with police trying to enforce lockdown and social distancing measures in the face of large gatherings for prayers, weddings, and funerals.

Irrespective of the rate of inoculation, Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, who heads the Health Ministrys public health services explained, Since there are 2.5 million children [of Israels 8.7 million population] who cannot be vaccinated, we likely will not reach herd immunity, even if the entire rest of the population gets vaccinated.

The situation is set to deteriorate further as the Netanyahu government puts profits before lives. It began lifting its third partial lockdown on Sunday even as its hospitals were struggling to cope with 1,144 coronavirus patients in serious condition, compared to 949 serious cases at the start of the third lockdown. The third lockdown, which began with a rate of positive tests at 4.9 percent, ended with a positive test rate of 9.4 percent, the second began with 9.4 percent and ended with 4.5 percent and the first with 3.7 percent and ending with just 1.7 percent.
Starting March 15, two groups of younger, high-risk Californians  people with disabilities and people with severe underlying conditions  will be able to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, California officials said Friday.

These groups include 4 million to 6 million people between the ages of 16 and 64, said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. That is expected to bring the number of Californians eligible for vaccines to 17 million to 19 million by around March 15.

The underlying conditions that will result in vaccine eligibility on March 15 include cancer, chronic kidney disease at stage four or above, chronic pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, a weakened immune system from a solid organ transplant, sickle cell disease, pregnancy, heart conditions, severe obesity  defined as a body mass index at or over 40  and Type 2 diabetes.

The state did not specify which disabilities would qualify people to be included in this next group. Broadly speaking, it applies to anyone who as a result of a developmental or other severe high-risk disability is likely to develop life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19, or who would be limited in receiving care vital to their survival if they got COVID-19.

People will have to show some verification for their condition, but officials are still determining what exactly that will entail.

I think its great, its an appropriate group for us to get in the queue, said Dr. George Rutherford of UCSF.

Age is a major risk factor in developing severe COVID-19 illness or death, but it is not the only one. Adults of any age with those underlying conditions are at increased risk of severe illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I want the disability community to know, weve heard you, and were going to do more and better to provide access, even with the scarcity, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday when he visited the mass vaccination site at San Franciscos Moscone Center.

Ghaly said the reason the two newly eligible groups are not getting access immediately is because there is still very limited vaccine supply, and because it will take some time to iron out details such as how verification for medical conditions will work. There is already not enough vaccine coming to the state to immunize everyone currently eligible according to state guidelines  about 13 million health care workers, nursing home residents and workers, people 65 and over, and workers in education, food and agriculture, and emergency services. Some counties are not even vaccinating all eligible groups due to supply constraints.

I am grateful that they committed to a time frame, and if they are estimating the number to be that big (4 million to 6 million more) that is a very good sign, said Andrew Imparato, who serves on a state vaccine advisory committee and is executive director of Disability Rights California.

However, Imparato questioned the decision to wait until March 15.

If we can move that date up as vaccine supplies ramp up, that would be my preference, he said. But todays announcement is a huge step forward from where the state was on February 2.

As of Friday, about 5.5 million doses of vaccine had been administered to Californians, a figure that includes first and second doses, according to state data. Both vaccines currently available in the United States, by Pfizer and Moderna, require two shots, either three or four weeks apart.

The state on Friday also released statewide demographic data on who has been vaccinated so far by age, gender, and race or ethnicity. It shows that 54% of people who have gotten at least one shot are 65 or over, followed by 29% who are between 18 and 49, and 17% who are between 50 and 64.

More shots have been administered to women than men, 59% compared to 41%.

The data indicates white, Asian and multiracial residents are getting vaccinated at higher rates than Black and Latino residents, when taking into account the states overall racial and ethnic makeup.

White residents represent about 33% of vaccinations and 37% of the states population, according to state and Census data, respectively. Multiracial residents represent 14% of vaccinations and 4% of the population. Asian residents represent 13% of vaccinations, and 16% of the population.

Vaccination rates are lower among Latino and Black residents. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 16% of vaccinations, despite accounting for 39% of the population. Black residents make up 3% of vaccinations, but account for 7% of the population.

We have work to do as a state to do more and do better to reach out to our diverse communities, Newsom said.

At least four Bay Area counties released vaccination demographic data ahead of the state  Contra Costa, San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Clara. The local data similarly shows that so far, white and Asian residents are getting vaccinated in significantly higher numbers than Black and Latino residents. Part of that is because the groups that have been vaccinated so far  health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, and people 65 and older  are disproportionately white and Asian, local health officials have said.

Officials and community advocates are working to make vaccines more accessible for people in regions hardest hit by the virus, which tend to be low-income neighborhoods. San Francisco, for instance, recently opened two drop-in vaccination clinics for residents in five ZIP codes in the southeast portion of the city.

Richard Herron, a 72-year-old Black man who lives in San Franciscos Bayview-Hunters Point area, had been trying to get the coronavirus vaccine for weeks, but to no avail.

The websites were just so confusing. Going on different websites and trying to sign up over here and over there and the waiting, that brings a lot of anxiety, he said.

But he was able to get vaccinated at the Southeast Health Center in Bayview on Friday  which left Herron, a longtime music teacher at Alamo Elementary School, bursting with joy.

Im glad it was in the neighborhood because it was very accessible to the community and a lot of elderly people dont have transportation, and its hitting the minority community very hard, and its giving a lot of anxiety, he said.

Rickey Fairley, a Black man who lives in the Bayview-Hunters Point area and works as a security guard at the de Young Museum, said he had also been puzzled as to how to get the vaccine.

Then, Friday morning, a day before his 68th birthday, Fairley unexpectedly received an email saying he could come get vaccinated for free just a few blocks from his house.

He said he jumped out of bed and rushed over to the Southeast Health Center  which so far has vaccinated 854 people of Asian heritage, 587 Black people, 231 white people and 214 people who identify as Hispanic or Latino.

I feel a lot better. Im still going to wear my mask, but I feel a little more comfortable, Fairley said.

Chronicle staff writers Nanette Asimov and Michael Williams contributed to this report.

Catherine Ho and Meghan Bobrowsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com meghan.bobrowsky@sfchronicle.com
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(CNN)  Christine Lloyd-Jones was at work when the first call came: One of her friends, Annette, 62, had died of coronavirus. The following day, as she ate breakfast, her phone flashed again. This time it was news of another friend, Lloyd, dead at 58. The next day, another call. Her friend Haydon, 51, was in the hospital. He died the following day. In the space of just five days, Lloyd-Jones lost three loved ones to COVID-19.

One month on, the social care manager, who lives in London, has become a one-woman publicity machine for members of the Black community, encouraging everyone she knows to get vaccinated, so she won't have to say goodbye to another friend or family member.

"I have been agonizing about writing this message but have decided that this is what I have to do as a 59-year-old Black woman," read the message she sent to everyone in her WhatsApp contact book. "I now believe we must do something to halt the devastation and loss.

"I have decided to have the Covid-19 vaccine," she wrote. "This was one of the hardest decisions I have made in my life."

Lloyd-Jones's uncle died from coronavirus four days after the UK locked down last March, and the twin sister of her friend Annette, called Paulette, also lost her life in 2020. The twins are buried together. Yet Lloyd-Jones is far from being the only member of Britain's Black community or other ethnic minorities to feel unsure about taking a COVID-19 shot.

A report released by the UK Household Longitudinal Study earlier this year found that 72% of Black British respondents said they were unlikely or very unlikely to get a coronavirus vaccine.

According to the same survey, those from Britain's Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities were also hesitant, with 42% saying they were unlikely or very unlikely to get vaccinated.

The data the report was based on was carried out in November, prior to any vaccines being approved, and those numbers are likely to have dipped in recent weeks, as the shots are rolled out with few, if any, reports of serious side effects.

But Black people and those from minority groups are still thought to be less willing to get vaccinated than their White counterparts  a factor which concerns health authorities and community leaders alike.

According to data from OpenSAFELY  an electronic platform from the UK's National Health Service that documents coronavirus vaccine uptake  Black people over 80 were around half as likely to be vaccinated as their White counterparts, as of January 27.

Skepticism fueled by injustice

From the outset, it has been clear that people from ethnic minority backgrounds have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

According to the latest report from the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS), from October, Black men in England and Wales had the highest rate of death involving COVID-19, which was 2.7 times higher than White men. Women of Black Caribbean background had a death rate that was twice that of White women in England and Wales. Additionally, the ONS found that all ethnic minority groups, other than Chinese, were dying from COVID-19 at a disproportionately higher rate than the White population.

Kamlesh Khunti, an expert in Black and minority healthcare at the UK's University of Leicester, believes that  despite higher death rates  vaccine hesitancy in Black, Asian and other minority communities was predictable.

"We should have prepared for this, since we have seen low uptakes in flu vaccinations among minority communities," he told CNN. "People are concerned about the contents of the vaccine because of religious and cultural concerns."

Khunti said part of the problem was a lack of deliberate effort to reach out to people from minorities: "We don't see the messaging coming down to the channels that most ethnic minorities listen to, especially in the languages they speak."

Other experts say skepticism around vaccines is down to a lack of trust in medical and governmental institutions  the roots of which can be traced back to colonialism and slavery.

"People can't disentangle where we are, in terms of medicine today, from the experimentation on colonized and indigenous people," said Dr. Annabel Sowemimo, founder of the organization Decolonising Contraception, and author of the upcoming book "Decolonising Healthcare."

"People think that these behaviors in minority communities are irrational or erratic, but amongst the community it is well known that these things have happened," Sowemimo said.

For 40 years, from 1932 until 1972, the US Public Health Service conducted tests on hundreds of Black men with syphilis in Alabama. The men, many of whom were faculty and staff from Tuskegee Institute, were deliberately untreated to assess the progress of the disease.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the study became unethical in the 1940s when penicillin was recognized as the recommended drug for syphilis treatment. Penicillin was not offered to the subjects of the decades-long study.

Ever since this incident researchers must get informed consent from all persons taking part in studies.

In another case, the US-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer paid compensation to the families of 11 children who died, and dozens more who were harmed, in Kano State, Nigeria, after some were given an experimental anti-meningitis drug, Trovan, during trials in 1996.

The suit alleged that the drug company did not obtain parental consent and did not explain that the proposed treatment was experimental. The Nigerian government said the drug caused deaths and deformities among children and had been used without approval from Nigerian regulatory agencies. Pfizer maintained that the trial was conducted with the approval of the Nigerian government and consent of the participants' parents or guardians.

And there has been at least one suggestion to experiment on Black people during the current pandemic too.

In April 2020, two French doctors  Dr. Jean-Paul Mira, head of ICU services at the Cochin hospital in Paris, and Camille Locht, research director at France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research  suggested during a TV debate that COVID-19 vaccines should be tested in Africa. The pair later apologized after WHO's Director-General condemned the remarks, calling them a "hangover from a colonial mentality."

'Health inequalities have been ignored'

These historical and modern injustices have fueled mistrust among some in Britain's Black and minority communities.

A lack of trust in public health providers was shown in a report by the UK's Joint Committee on Human Rights, which found that more than 60% of Black people in the UK do not believe their health is as equally protected by the country's National Health Service (NHS) compared to White people. Women (78%) are much more likely than men (47%) to feel that their health was not equally protected by the NHS compared to the White population, according to the research.

"Health inequalities have been ignored for a significant amount of time and that breeds resentment," Sowemimo said. "It appears to members of minority communities that the only reason they want to address it now is because a failure to take the vaccine impacts everyone."

The speed of the vaccination's development has also fueled misinformation about the coronavirus vaccine.

"We need to counter misinformation with the facts as we know them in the various ways of communication at our disposal," Dr. Tom Kenyon, chief health officer at the Project HOPE organization, told CNN. "Eventually, the facts will prevail and increased vaccination uptake will result."

The British government has offered local councils in England more than 23 million ($31 million) to help fight misinformation around vaccines and encourage those from high-risk communities to take the shot.

But many believe that vaccine hesitancy must be fought by empowering local and community voices.

"I have people that I know who are suffering," Lloyd-Jones told CNN. "The fact is, if we want things to move on in terms of how the vaccine is seen and received, the more people from Black and minority communities take the vaccine, the more it will spur others on to do it."

Empowering community leaders

In more than 100 mosques across the UK, imams are delivering sermons aiming to reassure worshippers about the safety and legitimacy of COVID-19 vaccines, part of an initiative from the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (Minab).

In his mosque in Leeds, northern England, imam and Minab chair Qari Asim told CNN he is working to spread the message because he doesn't want to lose another community member to the virus.

"We all have to play our part in this pandemic ... I have attended so many funeral prayers and I see the trauma, pain [and] suffering that all of us have gone through. Now we see light in the darkest of moments and that light is the vaccine," he said.

Asim believes that the messenger is just as important as the message. He told CNN that due to a lack of trust in public institutions among the Muslim community, the information needs to come from trusted local experts, such as faith leaders or doctors.

The imam says that misinformation is common and has found it is often younger generations that urge older relatives not to get a shot.

"Among young people it's a serious concern that they don't trust the vaccine," Asim explained. "With the elder generations, sometimes we feel there is a language or a culture barrier and the only source of information they have is their own family members."

The Minab initiative uses experts from varied scientific fields  from nanochip experts to fertility experts  from within the Muslim community. They address everything from common concerns, such as vaccine side-effects, to conspiracy theories around the shot.

"In this pandemic, what has really come to the fore is love, compassion and being there for each other, so as an imam I feel I need to be there for my community to help them make the right choice," Asim said.

Better representation to encourage uptake

Vaccine hesitancy is not unique to minority communities in Britain.

A survey released on February 4 by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found that more than half of Black adults in the United States remain hesitant to get a Covid-19 shot. The research found that only 49% of Black adults plan to get the vaccine with 19% of those people saying they will get it right away and 31% preferring to wait.

The survey, which was conducted in December 2020, showed that older Black adults and men are more willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine than respondents in other groups.

For example, 68% of adults age 60 and older said they planned to get the shot, while only 38% of Black adults age 18-44 planned to take it. Many of the younger respondents expressed distrust in the health care system saying it treats people unfairly based on race and ethnic background, according to the survey findings.

On both sides of the Atlantic, experts say that authorities must work with community leaders to help build confidence in coronavirus vaccines.

The Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Britain's first Black female bishop and an ambassador for the Your Neighbour campaign, a UK Church response to the pandemic, believes better representation is one of the best ways to encourage vaccine uptake in Black, Asian and other minority communities.

"If they can begin showing Black people and Black people of note, Muslim people of note, taking the vaccine  as well as the ongoing message that we can keep one another safe  that would go a long way," Hudson-Wilkin said.

"There also has to be some recognition that in the past things have not been right and there has been a level of distrust," she added.

"But, as a people, if we are not showing any sense of care and responsibility for our own well-being, why should anyone else? We need to play our part, that is why it's imperative we see people like us taking the vaccine."

Salma Abdelaziz and Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou contributed to this report.

This story was first published on CNN.com "From sermons to WhatsApp messages, these Britons are trying to dispel Covid-19 myths in minority communities"
The surviving sites and monuments of ancient Egypt have always been a source of fascination for European and other visitors to Egypt. They are physically more impressive than the remains of most of the other cultures that once flourished in the Middle East or around the Mediterranean  think of the Giza Pyramids  and they seem to occupy an intriguing space that is at one close to us and almost immeasurably distant.



Individuals from ancient Egypt sometimes emerge from the surrounding haze in remarkably sharp focus, and surviving depictions of figures like the pharaohs Akhenaten and Tutankhamun seem to escape from the prevailing stylization of ancient Egyptian art. The Ptolemaic ruler Cleopatra was a fascinating celebrity figure for many even in ancient times.



Whatever the reason, many Europeans have been convinced that the physical remains of ancient Egypt must hold secrets that are just waiting to be revealed, with the physical and other difficulties of unearthing them being perhaps part of the attraction. As British author Toby Wilkinson explains in his new book A World Beneath the Sands: The Golden Age of Egyptology, while there was always a powerful interest among Europeans in ancient Egypt, it was only from the early decades of the 19th century onwards that visiting the modern country became a viable proposition.



The mystique of ancient Egypt attracted at first a trickle, and later a flood, of European visitors to Egypt, some of them pursuing dreams of unlocking ancient secrets, some drawn by the fortunes to be made discovering and selling on antiquities, and some simply abandoning careers that had not taken off or had stalled elsewhere.



The deciphering of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs by Frenchman Jean-Francois Champollion in the 1820s must have led to some disappointment when it was discovered that those intriguing rows of pictures on temple walls sometimes yielded little more than the names of the kings that had erected them. But that possibly only heightened the attraction, as the mysteries of ancient Egypt could be seen to be yielding up their secrets to scientific investigation.



As Wilkinson reveals, the general pattern was for the many European rogues and adventurers who had piled into Egypt in the early decades of the 19th century gradually to give way to others having more respectable motivations. Amateurs were replaced by professionals, and Egyptology as a field of study gradually established itself. Successive discoveries in the field and careful study back home established the outlines of ancient Egyptian history, at first chronology and then an ever-richer picture of politics and society.



By the final decades of the 19th century, and with the outlines of ancient Egyptian history established along with proper archaeological procedures in the field, there was little space left for the kind of adventurers who had thrived in the earlier period of heroic exploration, when every year seemed to bring some new discovery and even many of the largest monuments still lay undisturbed beneath the sand. Even so, there were still many tales to be told of these earlier adventurers, and even later 19th-century professionals could have a louche side.



Among the earliest of the adventurer type of Egyptologist was Giovanni Battista Belzoni, originally an Italian circus strongman, who wound up in Egypt by chance in 1815. He was taken on by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, living in Cairo under the name of sheikh Ibrahim Ibn Abdullah, and he eventually turned himself into an Egyptological entrepreneur. In 1821, Belzoni opened an exhibition of some of his finds, together with a scale model of the tomb of Seti I, recently discovered on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, in the appropriate surroundings of the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly in London, Wilkinson writes. It attracted 1,900 visitors on its first day and ran for a year.



Some later visitors who had a more genuinely scholarly interest in ancient Egyptian remains were also not averse to taking shocking liberties. The Englishman Richard Vyse, for example, arriving in Egypt in 1835 on a mission to explore the Giza Pyramids, was resolved to leave no stone unturned, Wilkinson says, in his case by blasting them open with gunpowder. Despite such brutal methods, Vyses work at the Pyramids was the most important undertaken in Giza during the 19th century, and the resulting publication remained a standard work well into the 20th, he comments.



This part of Wilkinsons book describes many important discoveries, as well as often melancholy descriptions of resulting damage and considerable losses. Egypt was being stripped of its ancient heritage even as early as the 1820s, with the government of then Egyptian ruler Mohamed Ali being content to play off one individual or country against another in the general scramble for antiquities.



In the quarter century following the Napoleonic Expedition, the Young Memnon [a statue found at Thebes] and the sarcophagus of Seti I had been shipped to London, the Philae obelisk to Kingston Lacey [in England], and the Dendera zodiac to Paris, Wilkinson writes. Great quantities of smaller objects had been ruthlessly collected, then sold at a tidy profit, by European consuls and adventurers.



Many of the antiquities that remained in Egypt fared even worse. At Aswan, the pillared chapel on the island of Elephantine was dismantled in 1822 to build barracks and warehouses; other monuments were demolished to feed lime kilns [and] between 1810 and 1828, 13 whole temples were lost, he comments.







Professionalisation: The second half of the 19th century saw renewed competition between European collectors for a share of Egypts antiquities, often with the support of their respective governments, as well as a new awareness both of the need for conservation and for proper methods of excavation and research.



An important step was the arrival of German Egyptologists in the shape of a Prussian-government funded expedition led by Karl Richard Lepsius in 1842 that Wilkinson describes as the greatest and best-prepared scientific expedition to Egypt that had ever been attempted. Competition between France and Britain for Egyptological finds to place in the British Museum in London or the Louvre in Paris had been a feature of earlier decades, and now Prussia was entering the fight in order to build collections in the Berlin museums.



Modern Egypt, meanwhile, was also becoming better known, notably as a result of the British Arabist Edward Lanes Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, published in London in 1836, and Cairo and Alexandria were becoming burgeoning tourist destinations. What had been a relatively small community [of resident Europeans] of around 3,000 in 1836 had grown to a sizeable population of 50,000 by the end of the 1840s, Wilkinson comments. Cairos tourist infrastructure was undergoing something of a transformation to accommodate the flux of visitors, with the Hotel dOrient being one of the first in a long line of hotels that culminated in the famous Shepherds on Opera Square later in the century.



Lepsius, however, was not interested in Egypt as a leisure destination, and he made major contributions to Egyptologys growing professionalisation. Later in the century, British Egyptologists Flanders Petrie and Ernest Budge made similar contributions, with Petrie in particular establishing modern excavation standards in the field.



The Frenchman Auguste Mariette was appointed the director of the Antiquities Service after the government of the khedive Said decided that more should be done to protect the countrys ancient heritage. While British and German Egyptologists might grumble at the French monopoly over heritage appointments, they also benefitted from arrangements that allowed foreign expeditions to keep half of any finds while lodging the rest at the Egyptian Museum under its director the Frenchman Gaston Maspero.



In an echo of the Prussian entry into Egyptology half a century before, in the final decades of the 19th century American Egyptologists started to arrive in Egypt, sometimes with the intention of stocking US museums with ancient Egyptian antiquities. In addition to new competitors for what by then was a shrinking pie, the Americans also brought money with them. Funding for European excavations had been a problem for years, with British Egyptologists in particular having to rely on scarce private funds.



Rockefeller funding allowed US teams to begin excavating in Egypt, for example under the auspices of the University of Chicago Oriental Institute and its Chicago House in Luxor that still exists today. But private individuals could still be granted excavation rights if they were willing to meet the costs themselves. British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, one of the last of the big private funders, thus acquired the right to excavate in the Valley of the Kings in his search for the tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun. The rest, as they say, is history.



Wilkinson has a sure touch when describing such developments, but he is on shakier ground when he describes what successive Egyptian governments made of all this largely foreign Egyptological activity, restricting his comments to a few generalisations.



There are some howlers, such as his claim that the newspaper Al-Ahram was set up by Mohamed Ali in the early 19th century, contradicted later on when he says it was established by the khedive Ismail as a government publication. None of this is true. He quotes from Egyptian sheikh Abdel Rahman el-Djebarty when describing the French Expedition to Egypt in 1799 and then from professor at Al-Azhar Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti, apparently without noticing that these two figures are in fact the same. There are also other examples.



But these do not spoil the matter of Wilkinsons book, which is the history of European Egyptology in Egypt. He writes throughout with verve and fluency, managing to make what could have been a rather dry subject continuously interesting, and he draws attention to primary documents including the writings of the Egyptologists of the period, humanising their authors and probably making readers want to look up these materials themselves.







Toby Wilkinson, A World Beneath the Sands: The Golden Age of Egyptology, New York: Norton, 2020, pp509

*A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Litter along roadsides in the Palmetto State has gotten far worse during the coronavirus pandemic, South Carolina's top transportation official said.

The problem, she and other officials said, is not just an increase in food containers for take-home meals or personal protective equipment, but the fact that the typical labor force that cleans up this refuse has evaporated.

Speaking at a conference of beach advocates on Feb. 8, S.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Christy Hall said the trash issue has compounded in part because more people are using drive-thru restaurants and then discarding the containers improperly.

"We're seeing an epidemic of litter all across the highways, and we can't keep up with it," said Hall, who manages the fourth-largest state-owned road system in the country.

In an additional statement to The Post and Courier, Hall stressed that the trash is an eyesore and that it causes other problems, like clogged drains and a contaminated environment. SCDOT hired contractors to help with cleanup for the first time last year, paying $668,000 for collections of more than 272 tons of rubbish, and regular employees of the agency have been tasked with cleanups as well.

Sarah Lyles, executive director of Palmetto Pride, agreed that there's more litter alongside major roads and that more disposable masks and gloves have stressed an "already overloaded" waste stream.

Palmetto Pride, a quasi-state agency, coordinates volunteer cleanup efforts and saw a dip in participation last spring, Lyles said. There were about 55,000 litter-cleanup volunteers for the group in 2020. Typically, there are roughly 70,000 in an average year, she said.

There are problems elsewhere in cleanup efforts, too. Crews of incarcerated people from state prisons and county jails aren't going out to pick up trash, as they have in the past.

"We're missing a link in the labor chain right now," Lyles said. "We love our state because we have low taxes, but that also means certain programs aren't funded, like litter crews that clean up every road."

S.C. Department of Corrections spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said work crews, including litter-collection groups, were paused last March as the pandemic became a global concern. None of those programs have resumed.

"I think a lot of people are now understanding how much of the highways we maintain," Shain said.

In 2019, about 220 incarcerated individuals helped clean more than 15,000 miles of roadways, the majority of which were on interstates, Shain said. Workers on these crews receive credits for their labor that can help shorten their sentences, and work five days a week all year, except during inclement weather.

There is some good news in the volunteer world, however. Lyles said many people have come back to Palmetto Pride's programs, activities that lend themselves to social distancing because they already happen outside. About 500 people showed up to a cleanup earlier in February in the Francis Marion National Forest.
ACC | Company announced the commissioning of new cement production facility at the company's existing Sindri Grinding Unit in Jharkhand.

Real-estate developers and contractors in Gujarat on Friday joined the day-long nationwide strike to protest against the "exorbitant hike" in prices of cement and steel.

Work has been stalled at 20,000 construction sites across the state, hitting 20 lakh daily-wage labourers, said Arvind Patel, chairman of Gujarat Contractors Association.

All major organisations associated with the real estate and construction sector, including Gujarat chapters of Builders'' Association of India and Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) have joined the nationwide strike.

There is an average 40 per cent hike in the prices of all key construction materials, mainly cement and steel, Patel said, adding that diesel and bitumen prices have also risen significantly.

"The hike in prices will ultimately affect customers, who will have to shell out more money, as the construction costs will also shoot up," he said.

The rise in cost of materials will adversely affect the nation''s growth trajectory, he said.

"Steel and cement are some of the major construction materials used in all segments of the industry. Since contractors mostly work on fixed rate-fixed time basis, the frequent rise in prices will make it difficult for them to survive," Patel said.

Meanwhile, CREDAI Gujarat president Ashish Patel said although there are five cement manufacturing plants in Gujarat, prices here are higher than in Bihar, which does not have a single plant.

"In Gujarat, the price of one cement bag is around Rs 300, while in Bihar it costs Rs 240. Such a high price increases the construction cost. This open loot must end. The government should form a regulatory body to govern steel and cement prices," he said.

As against the ideal price of Rs 37,000 per tonne, steel prices have skyrocketed to Rs 60,000 a few months ago.

"After we made a representation, it came down to around Rs 50,000 per tonne recently. However, this rate is still high. Ideally, it should be around Rs 37,000. Though these companies were fined in the past for such trade practices, nothing has changed," Patel said.

World Economic Forum founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab speaks during a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Missing From the WEFs Great Reset: A Moral Compass

Commentary

Globalization has afforded non-governmental organizations, the ultra wealthy, and Big Tech power and influence on a global scale once reserved for the worlds superpower states.

The World Economic Forum, which describes itself as an international organization for public-private co-operation, has proposed a Great Reset initiative to rework global economics to address the challenges of the post-pandemic world. The WEF paints a picture of a 2030 in which America will lose its place as the preeminent superpower, a billion people will be displaced by climate change, carbon will be taxed globally, and you will own nothing and be happy.

The WEF frames the afflictions of the world primarily in economic and climate terms while advocating that individual property rights can be discarded, privacy can be sacrificed, and national sovereignty can be dissolvedall for the greater good of addressing these two so-called existential threats. That it has the means to further this agenda is undeniable, as it is backed by world leaders, tech oligarchs, and the ultra wealthy who are seemingly eager to implement these changes on behalf of the rest of us.

But for all the proposals put forth by the WEF, there is little talk of principle. In line with other NGOs like the United Nations, the Great Reset adopts a value neutrality model, where moral relativism hinders any adoption of moral principle to guide policy and action.

Value neutrality, however, is not a sufficient doctrine to regulate global organizations who seek power and permission to change the world. There must be founding principles as cornerstones to ensure a consistently virtuous course of action. To this end, a robust conversation around guiding moral principles is imperative from those who seek to shape our future.

Evolution of Ethics

Mankinds great civilizations prospered under a moral foundation, but crumbled under its demise. Ethics were not transient, but rather the cornerstone of society from which prosperity naturally arose. History has shown that sustainable economic success is necessarily tied to a stable moral currency.

Flourishing trade and economic growth stemmed from an environment where virtues like integrity, truth, and industriousness spurred invention, fostered mutually beneficial trade, and invigorated the endeavours of the populace.

In the East, China sustained 5,000 years of dynastic rule where Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism encouraged transcendental and ethical thought. The five virtues of Confucianismbenevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelityfortified Chinas ingenuity and rich culture, resulting in such pivotal inventions as the compass, gunpowder, paper, and the abacus.

The ancient Greeks established the foundations for modern fields of study such as mathematics, biology, engineering, and linguistics, among others, while establishing democracy and the modern justice system. From Socrates to Aristotle to Plato, a vigorous debate around ethical principles was a key feature of Grecian life.

America combined the Athenian foundation with Judeo-Christian ethics to create the most prosperous nation in modern history. Its core virtues were embedded in the Constitution and the establishment of one nation under God, and a belief that a moral foundation would result in net benefits on an individual and national level.

It may be tempting to take solace in the idea that a capable group of global elites is hard at work solving the existential crises of our day, but this is not the time to abdicate our say in the future.

The WEF will need to sell its vision, not through compulsion but through adopting concrete ethics and principles sufficient to convince people that the self-restraint and sacrifice it is demanding will indeed serve the greater good. The only other way to impose such a reworking of the world economic structure is through force, as a global ruling body will inevitably erode liberty, freedom, and self-determination. The last century has shown that centralized power always ends in totalitarianism sustained by violence.

Every nation that has adopted this model of amoral governance has ended in poverty, tyranny, or both. Think the Soviet Union, Cambodia, China, and Cuba. There are no exceptions. If the WEF does away with prescriptive moral principles, the results will be no different.

Ryan Moffatt is a journalist based in Vancouver.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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The high-profile, Christian minister Ravi Zacharias led a double life in which he sexually abused massage therapists, according to a scathing, in-depth report from a law firm hired by the ministry.

The Indian-American evangelist died aged 74 in May last year from cancer, after denying the allegations first made public in 2017 by a former follower, Lori Anne Thompson and her husband.

The celebrity favorite's books and radio programs have been a staple of evangelical Christian media for decades and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) operates in 15 countries with 300 staff.

Then-Vice President Mike Pence spoke at his memorial service, lauding him as a great evangelist 'armed with intellect, girded with truth and love.'

But today Atlanta-based law firm, Miller and Martin, hired by RZIM, released a report where they claimed that he lied in 2017 when he claimed 'I have never engaged in any inappropriate behavior of any kind.'

The report found that five massage therapists had claimed he touched them inappropriately, and one said she was raped.

Ravi Zacharias, pictured in 2009, was found to have had 200 photos of women on his phone, including nude ones, following the four month investigation by the law firm hired by his ministry

Former follower Lori Anne Thompson, pictured in an undated photo handout, first accused Zacharias of abuse in 2017, which he denied. She claimed she had been 'groomed' by him into texting him nude photos. Today his ministry apologized to her

The law firm Miller and Martin have released a scathing report on their four-month investigation of alleged sexual misconduct by Zacharias, who founded a global Christian ministry that bears his name. Pictured is his memorial at Passion City Church in Atlanta

Investigators searching Zacharias' mobile devices said they found more than 200 photographs of younger women, including nude images of a salon employee in Malaysia, as reported by AP.

The RZIM board issued a four-page response where they apologized to staff who had questioned Zacharias and were rebuffed or punished, and to the Thompsons for the years that 'they were slandered and their suffering was greatly prolonged and intensified.'

As recently as the fall, the board had issued statements minimizing new allegations that Zacharias sexually harassed spa workers.

Coinciding with the reports release on Thursday, the board of directors of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries issued a statement of 'corporate repentance.'

The board apologized for earlier statements that belittled accusers and pledged steps to support victims, combat abuse and harassment, and reassess the management structure, which is overseen by Zacharias eldest daughter, ministry CEO Sarah Davis.

'We are devastated by what the investigation has shown and are filled with sorrow for the women who were hurt by this terrible abuse,' the board said.

Zacharias was a widely popular author and speaker, with many celebrities and prominent Christian leaders among his admirers.

Zacharias founded his international ministry, known as RZIM, in 1984, with a mission to engage in 'Christian apologetics' - defending Christianity with powerful intellectual arguments. Based in suburban Atlanta, RZIM has operations in about 15 countries and a roster of scores of traveling speakers.

In recent months, the organization has been plunged into crisis, precipitated by a September 29 article in the evangelical publication Christianity Today.

The article asserted that over a period of about five years, Zacharias sexually harassed three women who worked as massage therapists at two day spas he co-owned in an Atlanta suburb.

RZIMs leadership initially challenged the claims, asserting that the allegations 'do not in any way comport with the man we knew for decades - we believe them to be false.'

A report today found that high-profile evangelist Ravi Zacharias, pictured in 2016 at the Society of World Changers induction ceremony at Indiana Wesleyan University, sexually abused multiple women

The board apologized for earlier statements that belittled accusers and pledged steps to support victims, combat abuse and harassment, and reassess the management structure, which is overseen by Zacharias eldest daughter, ministry CEO Sarah Davis (pictured in an undated photo)

However, it hired Martin & Miller in October, which in turn engaged the services of a private investigation firm comprising former federal law enforcement officers.

The law firm said more than 50 people, including more than a dozen massage therapists, were interviewed, and investigators were able to access data from four mobile devices used by Zacharias.

According to Martin & Miller, the data included amorous communications with numerous women, and more than 200 photographs of women.

Among the photos were six of Lori Anne Thompson - a Canadian woman who has contended that Zacharias 'groomed' her into engaging in sexually explicit online conversations and eventually sending indecent photos.

In 2017, Thompson and her husband sent Zacharias a letter demanding $5 million in exchange for a release of claims against him and the ministry.

In response, Zacharias sued the Thompsons for extortion, but he soon dropped that lawsuit and the parties eventually reached a private settlement.

Martin & Miller said Thompsons allegations of being exploited were strengthened by the findings on Zacharias communications with other women, as well as his evasive and angry responses when asked about his phone records at the time of the extortion lawsuit.

'We interviewed witnesses within RZIM who were not satisfied with Mr. Zacharias explanations, and some reported their belief that they were marginalized for raising questions,' the report said.

The RZIM board, which previously derided Thompsons allegations, apologized to her on Thursday.

The RZIM board pledged to do several things going forward including hiring victims advocate Rachel Denhollander (pictured in an undated photo from Twitter)

'We believe Lori Anne Thompson has told the truth about the nature of her relationship with Ravi Zacharias,' the board said.

'It is with profound grief that we recognize that because we did not believe the Thompsons and both privately and publicly perpetuated a false narrative, they were slandered for years and their suffering was greatly prolonged and intensified.'

'This leaves us heartbroken and ashamed,' the statement added.

Thompson, in a message to The Associated Press, said she and her husband 'are deeply indebted to every victim and whistleblower who spoke for not only themselves, but also for us.'

The law firm report and board statement are 'an initial step in what we anticipate will be long and arduous journey towards institutional accountability,' she added.

The board outlined several steps 'to make sure nothing like this happens again', including hiring prominent victim advocate Rachael Denhollander to 'educate and advise' the board and serve as a confidential liaison with survivors of abuse and harassment.

They will also hire a consulting firm, Guidepost Solutions, to evaluate RZIMs structure, culture, policies and finances.

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) Ravi Zacharias was born in India in 1946 before emigrating first to Canada and then the US as a young man. He founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RVIM) in 1984 in Toronto, Canada, to 'pursue his calling as a classical evangelist in the arena of the intellectually resistant.' Today its headquarters are located in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. It operates in 15 countries around the world and has 300 staff. Its CEO is his eldest daughter Sarah Davis. Over the years he published 30 books and became a staple on TV, and had many celebrity followers like former vice-president Mike Pence, who spoke at his memorial in 2017 after he died aged 74 from cancer. Advertisement

Several radio stations dropped RZIM programs, booksellers pulled Zacharias books from their offerings, and a network of student-led mission teams operating on British university campuses asked RZIM-affiliated speakers to withdraw from upcoming events.

Last month, RZIMs affiliate in Canada announced it was halting fundraising for three months, and some of its staff resigned.

Dan Paterson, formerly a speaker for RZIM in Australia, used Twitter to express his dismay.

'I feel disappointed in myself and others who could have pushed harder against the tides of submissive loyalty to demand better answers earlier,' he tweeted.

'There is no part of the evangelical creed that honors cowardice or sacrifices conscience.'
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ripped into the performance of his Cabinet and fired a senior economic official he appointed a month ago, saying they'd failed to come up with new ideas to salvage an economy in decay.

The report by state media on Friday comes during the toughest period of Kim's nine-year rule. The diplomacy he had hoped would lift US-led sanctions over his nuclear program is stalemated, and pandemic border closures and crop-killing natural disasters last year deepened the damage to an economy broken by decades of policy failures, including a crippling famine in the 1990s.

The border closure caused trade volume with China, the main source of support for North Korea's economy, to drop by 75% in the first 10 months of the year. Raw materials shortages caused factory output to plunge to its lowest level since Kim took power in 2011, and prices of imported foods like sugar quadrupled, according to South Korea's spy agency.

Some analysts say the current challenges may set up conditions for an economic perfect storm in the North that destabilizes markets and triggers public panic and unrest.

The current challenges have forced Kim to publicly admit that past economic plans hadn't succeeded. A new five-year plan to develop the economy was issued during the ruling Workers' Party congress in January, but Kim's comments during the party's Central Committee meeting that ended Thursday were rich with frustration over how the plans have been executed so far.

During Thursday's session, Kim lamented that the Cabinet was failing in its role as the key institution managing the economy, saying it was producing unworkable plans while displaying "no innovative viewpoint and clear tactics."

He said the Cabinet's targets for agricultural production this year were set unrealistically high, considering limited supplies of farming materials and other unfavorable conditions. Targets for electricity production were set too low, he said, showing a lack of urgency when shortages could stall work at coal mines and other industries.

"The Cabinet failed to play a leading role in mapping out plans of key economic fields and almost mechanically brought together the numbers drafted by the ministries," the KCNA paraphrased Kim as saying.

The KCNA also said that O Su Yong was named as the new director of the Central Committee's Department of Economic Affairs during this week's meeting, replacing Kim Tu II who was appointed in January.

During the January party congress, Kim Jong Un called for reasserting greater state control over the economy, boosting harvests and prioritizing the development of chemicals and metal industries. He also vowed all-out efforts to bolster his nuclear weapons program in comments that were seen as an attempt to pressure the new Biden administration.

To truly revive the economy, analysts say, the country needs to invest heavily in modern factory equipment and technology, and to either import more food or improve farm productivity: a UN assessment in 2019 found that 10.1 million people, or 40% of the population, were food insecure and in urgent need of assistance. The border closure has hindered updates on the situation, but output of staple grains had plateaued since surging a few years ago, when farmers were allowed to retain more of their harvests instead of handing them entirely over to the government.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that nearly half of North Koreans are undernourished.The metal and chemical industries are crucial for revitalizing stalling manufacturing, which has been decimated by UN sanctions and disrupted imports of factory materials amid the pandemic.

However, most experts agree that North Korea's new development plans aren't meaningfully different from its previous ones that lacked in substance.

South Korean intelligence officials say there are also signs that the North is taking dramatic steps to strengthen government control over markets, including suppressing the use of US dollars and other foreign currencies.

Such efforts might compel people to exchange their foreign currency savings for the North Korean won. They demonstrate the government's sense of urgency over its depleting foreign currency reserves, analysts say.

Also read: ISIS could regain capacity to orchestrate attacks in 2021: UN official

Also read: China bans BBC World News broadcasts in alleged retaliatory move
Bengaluru, Feb 13 : Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) Director M.R. Dinesh on Friday said that the institute was able to reach out to as many as 16.3 lakh farmers through online and off-line mediums.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the valedictory ceremony of the five-day National Horticulture Fair here, Dinesh observed that it was tremendous success in terms of reaching out to farmers across the country.

"We had our own doubts when we thought of organising events in both mediums - virtual as well as offline mode. We had the expertise of handling people offline, as in the past that is how, we used to do it," he said.

The Director added that farmers across the country virtually got connected through 160 Art of Living centres, 744 Krishi Vigyan Kendra and 900 farmers associations and training centres participated enthusiastically.

He also added that several scientists who spoke different languages virtually came in handy to spread the message to farmers in a much bigger way. "Reaching out to farmers in their own respective regional languages help new technologies to reach remote villages," he explained.

While, NHF Organising Secretary M.V. Dhananjaya said that as many as seven agreements were signed with private companies to exchange technologies to improve horticulture produce during the fest.

According to him, the Udupi-based Annapoorna Plant Tech signed agreement with IIHR for the transfer of Embryogenic Cell suspensions for mass multiplication of Banana, while Kerala-based Home Grown Nursery signed to manufacture solid liquid formulation and Bengaluru-based Easy Krishi has signed to produce neem pellets formulation.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Heat transfer manufacturing company to create 45 jobs in Lawrence County

Company plans to expand current facility and relocate product lines from Missouri and Rhode Island

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Modine Manufacturing Company officials announced today that the company will expand its plant in Lawrenceburg, investing $1.2 million and creating 45 jobs.

The project is a relocation of three product lines from Missouri and Rhode Island to its Lawrenceburg plant.

Modine will retrofit and expand its current facility for the new lines being added. The Tennessee plant is currently primarily an aluminum fabrication plant and the new lines have significant stainless-steel content.

Modine manufactures heat transfer products for a wide range of markets including stationary power generation, mining, agriculture, construction, automotive and building HVAC. The company has had a manufacturing presence in Tennessee for over 30 years and currently employs more than 500 people across the state.

Over the last five years, TNECD has supported 65 economic development projects in Southern Middle Tennessee, resulting in approximately 8,500 job commitments and $3.7 billion in capital investment.

QUOTES

I appreciate Modines decision to expand its operations in Lawrenceburg. As we get our economy back on track, investments like this are crucial for our state. I look forward to seeing this company continue to succeed in Southern Middle Tennessee.  Gov. Bill Lee

Modine has created manufacturing jobs in Tennessee for over 30 years, and were pleased to welcome this expansion and creation of 45 new jobs. Modines decision to relocate facilities from other states to Tennessee is a testament to our reputation as a top choice for manufacturing.  TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe

We are fortunate in light of our current competitive environment to have the opportunity to once again expand our operations in Lawrenceburg. We are excited about the addition of our new heat transfer products that we will supply to the mass transit and stationary power markets. I appreciate all of the extra work and support provided by Governor Lee, TNECD, and our local chamber to help secure this new business.  David Killen, plant manager, Modine Lawrenceburg

As our largest manufacturer, Modine betters our community by providing high-quality job opportunities for our citizens. On behalf of Lawrence County, I want to congratulate Modine Manufacturing Companys on its latest investment and the positive impact it brings our community.  Lawrence County Executive T.R. Williams

This investment is a vote of confidence in Lawrenceburgs business climate, workforce, and quality of life. I am proud of our citys longstanding partnership with Modine Manufacturing Company and the growth this new expansion brings.  Lawrenceburg City Mayor Blake Lay

TVA and Lawrenceburg Utility Systems congratulate Modine Manufacturing Company on its decision to expand operations in Lawrence County. Helping to foster job opportunities and investment is fundamental to TVAs mission of service and we are proud to partner with the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission and support Modines continued business success in the Valley.  John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development

Modine Manufacturing Companys decision to expand their facility is great news for Lawrenceburg and a significant win for our growing economy. We have a dedicated workforce that gets the job done right. I look forward to this companys continued growth and success. I also appreciate the work done by our local officials, our Department of Economic and Community Development, and Governor Lee to bring new job opportunities to Lawrence County. It is a pleasure to work with them as we make job creation a top priority.  Sen. Joey Hensley (RHohenwald)

Modine Manufacturings commitment to Lawrence County speaks to our favorable business climate and our ability to provide the talented workforce they need. I thank them for their continued investment in our community and wish them success for many more years to come.  Rep. Clay Doggett (RPulaski)

TNECD Media Contact

Molly Hair

Public Information Officer

(615) 878-0063

molly.hair@tn.gov

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Developments mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.

###
MORE than 10% of all fines issued for breaches of Covid-19 regulations have been issued in Limerick, new figures have revealed.

Since the Fixed Charged Penalty regime was introduced late last year a total 614 fines have been issued by gardai in the Limerick division - the highest number of fines for any division in the country.

As of January 11, a total of 5,784 fines had been issued and processed nationwide.

4,911 for leaving home without a reasonable excuse

116 for organising an unauthorised event/gathering (including house parties)

498 for attending unauthorised event/gathering (including house parties)

127 for the non-wearing of face coverings

132 for non-essential travel to airports or ports

According to An Garda Siochana almost half of all fines, issued to date, related to breaches which were detected at weekends (23% on Saturdays and 23% on Sundays) with 75% of all fines being issued to men.

Just over half (53%) of all fines have been issued to individuals aged between 18 and 25 and, to date, just 13% have been paid.

In a statement, issued this Friday evening, gardai say they have attended breaches of health regulations by licensed premises, restaurants, retail outlets, hair and beauty salons amongst other business premises in recent days.

In all instances, files will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Read also: Fines issued at Limerick burial over Covid breaches this week

Following consultation with the DPP, three prosecutions are being taken against retail premises. A further 95 prosecutions of licensed premises have been directed with 44 of these having court dates. It has not been disclosed if any of the prosecutions relate to breaches in Limerick.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, John Twomey said: "The vast majority of people are doing the right things. They are staying home. Making only essential journeys. Limiting their contacts. We know it is hard. We know it has meant huge sacrifices. We thank them for this and ask people to continue to do the right things," he said.

"Unfortunately, there are still people in this society who are prepared to put themselves, their families, their friends and their colleagues at risk of getting COVID-19. Everybody in this society has an individual and collective responsibility to play their part in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Everybody in this society has an individual and collective responsibility to play their part in saving lives and reducing serious illness. It is long past time for those who are not playing their part to do so, he added.

Gardai are warning that checkpoints and high visibility patrols at public amenities in Limerick and across the country will continue this weekend in support of public health regulations.

Earlier this evening, 48 additional cases of Covid-19 were reported in Limerick.
When you see what happened at the Capitol (on Jan. 6), you look at the things we can do to show that people of all colors and genders deserve respect. The only way we get to that is to tell the stories that havent been told.

South Africa: Government's commitment to economic stabilisation welcomed

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) CEO, Mikel Mabasa, has welcomed governments commitment to economic stabilisation and the investment drive in the country.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening during a hybrid Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.

Since the start of [the COVID-19 pandemic], the President has announced over R800 billion fiscal and monetary intervention; the COVID-19 social relief of distress has been extended by three months, and R57 billion in wages through the special Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (TERS) scheme amongst other stimulus relief made available by government, Mabasa said on Friday.

Naamsa said the Presidents reference to the ongoing announcements of significant investments in the countrys automotive industry underscores the confidence in the country by the automotive industry and all its multinational corporations partners.

During his SONA speech, the President said by the end of 2020, the sector had recovered around 70% of its normal annual production under challenging circumstances.

The automotive sector's recent investment announcements prove that the industry is committed to the country's economic recovery and growth prospects. Ford Motor Company announced a R16 billion investment to expand its manufacturing facility in Tshwane for the next-generation Ford Ranger bakkie.

This investment will support the growth of around 12 small and medium enterprises in the automotive component manufacturing. The Tshwane Special Economic Zone procurement spend on construction amounting to R1.7 billion will be allocated for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise Businesses (SMMEs), President Ramaphosa said.

Toyota has invested in their KwaZulu-Natal facility to start production of the first generation of hybrid electric vehicles to come off a South African assembly line.

This follows investment announcements by Nissan, Mercedes Benz and Isuzu in expanded production facilities, all of which cement South Africas position as a global player in auto manufacturing, the President said.

Naamsa said in addition, the R6 billion Automotive Industry Transformation Fund industry-wide initiative -- earmarked to transform the industry by broadening and deepening the participation of black and historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs -- is now fully operational.

The South African automotive industry remains the most dynamic manufacturing sector in the South African economy and is a significant driver of economic growth and development for the country, Naamsa said.

The automotive industry contributes 6.4% to gross domestic product (GDP) [4.0% manufacturing and 2.4% retail] and in 2019, the total automotive revenue in South Africa amounted to R500 billion.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):

8 p.m.

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama is standing by his account that he told then-President Donald Trump that Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Senate during the Capitol riot.

The conversation is of interest to Democrats because Trump sent a tweet at 2:24 p.m. on Jan. 6 saying that Pence didnt have the courage to challenge the election results. If Tubervilles account is correct, then Trump would likely have known before sending the tweet that Pence had been evacuated and was in danger. At the time, the insurrectionists had already broken into the Capitol, some of them calling for Pences death.

Tuberville recounted the phone conversation to reporters on Friday, saying, I said, Mr. President, theyve taken the vice president out. They want me to get off the phone, I gotta go.

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who has indicated he is open to convicting Trump, asked Trumps lawyers and the House impeachment managers about the call during Fridays question-and-answer session.

In response, Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen called Tubervilles account hearsay, comparing it to something someone had heard the night before at a bar somewhere.

___

HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:

7:05 p.m.

The Senate has voted to give the Congressional Gold Medal to Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police officer who led a violent mob away from the Senate doors on Jan. 6 as they hunted for lawmakers during the presidential electoral count.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the vote at the end of the days impeachment proceedings, noting Goodmans foresight in the midst of chaos, and his willingness to make himself a target of the mobs rage so that others might reach safety.

The Senate voted to award Goodman the medal -- the highest honor Congress can bestow -- by unanimous consent, meaning there were no objections. Goodman was in the Senate chamber as Schumer spoke, and the entire Senate stood and turned toward him, giving him a standing ovation. He put his hand on his heart.

Goodman has been in the chamber for much of the impeachment trial, in which House Democrats are charging that former President Donald Trump incited the Jan. 6 insurrection. New evidence introduced in the trial this week showed additional video of Goodman leading Republican Sen. Mitt Romney to safety as he unknowingly headed toward a location where the mob had gathered.

The trial wrapped up for the day Friday night and will resume Saturday.

___

5:40 p.m.

The lead House prosecutor in Donald Trumps impeachment trial appears to have had enough of the defense argument that the former president wasnt responsible for inciting the deadly Capitol siege.

Get real, said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland.

The defense lawyers have been arguing that Trump didnt mean it when he told a rally to go to Congress and fight like hell for his presidency as lawmakers were certifying Joe Bidens election.

How gullible do you think we are? Raskin said Friday. We saw this happen.

The defense has tried to compare his words to those used by other Democratic politicians fighting for health care or other priorities. The argument is drawing eyerolls from the senators on the Democratic side of the aisle.

Senators are posing questions to the lawyer as the trial heads toward a vote on whether to convict or acquit the former president on the charge of incitement of insurrection.

___

5 p.m.

A House impeachment manager says she questions why lawyers for former President Donald Trump played multiple video clips of people of color or women talking about fighting in a political context.

Del. Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands told senators Friday that she noted a particular focus in the lawyers presentation on Black women like myself who are sick and tired of being sick and tired for our children, your children, our children.

Trumps lawyers have argued that his words exhorting his supporters to fight the election are protected by the First Amendment. They repeatedly showed clips on Friday of Rep. Maxine Waters of California, who is Black.

Democratic impeachment managers say Trumps Jan. 6 speech was the culmination of a monthslong campaign to sow doubt about his election loss to President Joe Biden and that he should be found guilty of inciting the riot.

The former presidents counsel also used a video montage that created a false equivalency between the Capitol riot and Black Lives Matter protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May, invoking race in arguments for the presidents innocence.

Plaskett told senators Friday: I thought we were past that. I think maybe were not.

___

4:30 p.m.

Senators are submitting written questions to the prosecution and the defense in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

One of the first questions came from Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who have been critical of Trumps actions. They asked Trumps lawyers to lay out in detail what Trump did to stop the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and when Trump first learned the building had been breached.

Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen did not answer directly, instead accusing Democrats of denying Trump due process during the impeachment process.

The House managers did zero investigation and the American people deserve a lot better than that, he said.

Trumps defense wrapped up their opening arguments earlier Friday, telling senators the impeachment is unconstitutional and politically motivated.

Senators will have up to four hours to submit their questions.

___

3:20 p.m.

The defense attorneys for Donald Trump have wrapped up their presentation in the former presidents impeachment trial.

Lawyers argued for three hours Friday that Trump didnt incite the Jan. 6 rally crowd to riot at the U.S. Capitol and that his words were merely figures of speech. They say the case against Trump was a political witch hunt by Democrats and was not valid because he is no longer in office.

Their truncated defense barely used the full time allotted, 16 hours over two days. Many senators minds appear already made up.

Trump is accused of incitement of insurrection in the mob siege at the Capitol. Five people died. Senators will next be able to ask the lawyers and House impeachment managers questions when the trial resumes.

___

3 p.m.

Democrats in the Senate chamber chuckled and whispered among themselves as Donald Trumps defense team played videos of them saying fight over and over again at the former presidents impeachment trial -- an effort to counter Trumps call to his supporters to fight like hell before they laid siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Arguing that Trump did not incite the insurrection, as the House has charged, the lawyers played videos of Democrats saying the word fight without any context, calling for protests after Black men and women were killed by police officers and challenging the results of the presidential elections that Republicans won. At a break in the proceedings, Democrats said it was a distraction and a false equivalence with their own behavior.

Donald Trump was warned, if you dont stop talking about a stolen election, people will be killed, said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine. He was specifically warned that. He kept talking about it, and a violent mob attacked the Capitol and seven people are dead who would be alive today, had he just followed their advice. Thats what I thought about those videos.

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennett said it felt like the lawyers were erecting straw men to then take them down rather than deal with the facts and the events of Jan. 6.

Republicans watched intently as the Trump lawyers presented. Some praised them afterward, including Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has been harshly critical of Trumps role in the riots and panned the lawyers previous arguments on Tuesday.

They are putting on a good defense today, Murkowski said, adding that the first two hours were well put together.

___

1:15 p.m.

Donald Trumps lawyers are arguing that his words to his supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol  to fight like hell  are common political rhetoric, using a video montage to show almost every single Senate Democrat using the word fight in political speeches.

The lengthy video featured Vice President Kamala Harris, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and countless other Democrats using the word fight, without context. The video also featured most of the Democratic impeachment managers who are prosecuting the case that Trump incited the violent insurrection.

Once the video finished, lawyer David Schoen pointed at both the senators and the impeachment managers and told them to stop the hypocrisy. The Democratic prosecutors have argued that Trumps supporters were primed for violence on Jan. 6, the day of the attack, and that he egged them on with obvious intent before they interrupted the electoral count of votes. Five people died in the chaos.

The lawyers followed that with additional videos of Democrats praising protests after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota last year and also challenging the elections of previous Republican presidents. Trumps supporters attacked the Capitol after he falsely said for months that the presidential election was stolen.

___

12:40 p.m.

Donald Trumps lawyers have opened their arguments in the former presidents impeachment trial with a direct attack on Democrats.

Arguing that Trump did not incite the Jan. 6 insurrection of his supporters at the U.S. Capitol, lawyer Michael van der Veen said that the trial is constitutional cancel culture by Democrats trying to retain power. He played a video of Democrats calling for protests after Black men and women were killed by police officers and objecting to Trumps election in 2017.

Trumps supporters violently attacked the Capitol last month after he falsely claimed the presidential election was stolen from him for months and then told them to fight like hell as Congress counted the votes.

The lawyers are arguing that the trial is unconstitutional, that Trump is protected by freedom of speech and that he did not intend to incite the deadly riot.

Van der Veen said the case poses a serious threat to freedom of speech for political leaders of both parties at every level of government.

___

12:05 p.m.

Defense lawyers have begun their opening arguments in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump as the case speeds to an expected conclusion this weekend.

The Trump legal team is expected to argue that the former president did not incite the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and that his speech was protected by the First Amendment. The lawyers have also raised questions about the trials constitutionality because Trump is no longer in office.

Trumps lawyers are not expected to use anywhere close to their allotted time and will wrap up their arguments later Friday. After that, senators who are serving as jurors will have an opportunity to ask questions of lawyers for both sides, followed by closing arguments.

The case is likely to conclude as soon as Saturday.

___

8:35 a.m.

Now its the Trump teams time.

House prosecutors at former President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial relied on emotion and violent images on video to make their case in arguments over the past two days.

The Senate trial is shifting to Trumps defense lawyers on Friday, and theyre prepared to acknowledge that the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was every bit as traumatic, unacceptable and illegal as Democrats say.

But Trumps lawyers plan to say Trump had nothing to do with it. They want to pivot to what they see as the core and more winnable issue of the trial: whether Trump can be held responsible for inciting the deadly riot.

The argument is likely to appeal to Republican senators who themselves want to be seen as condemning the violence without convicting the former president.

___

7:45 a.m.

Donald Trumps lawyers have a simple objective as they open their defense at the former presidents impeachment trial: Dont lose any Republican votes.

Most Republican senators have indicated they'll vote to acquit Trump on the House charge of incitement of insurrection. They say the trial is unconstitutional and that Trump didnt incite supporters to lay siege on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 when he told them to fight like hell against the certification of Joe Bidens White House victory.

If Republicans hold the line, Democrats will fall well short of the two-thirds of the Senate needed for conviction.

Trumps two top lawyers, Bruce Castor and David Schoen, risked losing one Republican vote on Tuesday after Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said they did a terrible job arguing that the trial is unconstitutional.

Cassidy, who had voted with his party two weeks earlier to stop the trial, switched his vote to side with Democrats.

___

7:30 a.m.

Bruce Castor, is a onetime rising-star prosecutor from suburban Philadelphia, had burned bridges with much of the Republican establishment after a series of election losses. And he'd pretty much stayed out of sight.

But he's made a comeback as one of Donald Trump's lawyers at the former president's impeachment trial.

Castors moment in the national glare on Tuesday was seen as a rambling and at times aimless hourlong presentation in search of a point.

He's getting a chance to make a different impression when he begins to present Trumps defense on Friday.
The two had been gathering sensitive information about the location of Ukrainian military.

Two residents of Zaporizhia region recruited by Russia's FSB have been detained in Donetsk region.

Security operatives found that the two residents of Enerhodar, Zaporizhia region, had since September 2020 been cooperating with the Russian special services, via a chat messenger. The individuals acted on instructions of their handlers to gather intelligence on the location of military personnel, as reported by press office of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office.

"Fulfilling yet another task, the culprits tried to lure an assistant intelligence chief of one of military units in Donetsk region into handing over classified data, promising a US$1,000 reward for information on the use by Ukraine's Army units of military equipment during the Anti-Terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operation. The perpetrators, in turn, had been offered US$4,000 for their act of treason," the report says.

The assistant intelligence chief, approached by Russian affiliates, immediately reported the incident to security officials.

Read alsoRussia's FSB digging up dirt on Ukraine's intelligence chief (Wiretap records)In a sting raid on February 11, the suspects were arrested upon the handover of the reward.

The investigation is underway. The suspects are set to be charged with high treason.

SBU: Other reports

Reporting by UNIAN
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Global Liquid & Bulk Transportation Vessels Market is valued approximately USD 783.3 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 3.00 % over the forecast period 2020-2027. Liquid & Bulk Transportation Vessels are responsible for transporting the different types of liquid bulk in their deposits or tanks subject to stringent safety measures. These vessels are built with double hulls to increase the strength of their structures, to the detriment of the single hull type that was more common in times past. These vessels can withstand a deadweight of over 400000 tons.



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The regional analysis of global Liquid & Bulk Transportation Vessels market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific is the leading/significant region due to the significant investments in the shipping industry, rise in urbanization and globalization. Whereas Asia-Pacific is also anticipated to exhibit highest growth rate / CAGR over the forecast period 2020-2027.



Major market player included in this report are:

Stolt-Nielsen

IINO KAIUN KAISHA, LTD.

MISC Berhad

MOL Chemical Tankers Europe A/S

UPT United Product Tankers GmbH & Co. KG

Stena Bulk

Team Tankers International Ltd.

Nordic Tankers

DAL/JTE

SEATRANS AS

The objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players.



The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:

By Vessel Type:

Dry Cargo Vessel

Liquid Vessel,

Specialized Vessel

By Transportation Type:

Inland Tankers

Short Sea Tankers

Deep Sea Tankers

By Application:

Natural Gas & Crude Oil

Chemical,

Industrial,

Others

By Region:

North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe

UK

Germany

France

Spain

Italy

ROE

Asia Pacific

China

India

Japan

Australia

South Korea

RoAPAC

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of the World

Furthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:

Historical year  2017, 2018

Base year  2019

Forecast period  2020 to 2027

Target Audience of the Global Liquid & Bulk Transportation Vessels Market in Market Study:

Key Consulting Companies & Advisors

Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises

Venture capitalists

Value-Added Resellers (VARs)

Third-party knowledge providers

Investment bankers

Investors

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Air travelers to Canada will quarantine in a hotel starting on Feb. 22 as they await the result of a coronavirus test, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.

Trudeau previously announced stricter restrictions would be imposed on nonessential air travelers in response to new, likely more contagious variants.

Government officials confirmed thatwith limited exceptionsnonessential air travelers will be required to reserve a three-night stay in a government-authorized hotel at their own expense before they depart for Canada,

Those who cross the U.S. border by land won't have to isolate at a hotel, but will have to show a negative test taken within three days before arrival and be tested on arrival as well as toward the end of a 14-day quarantine at home or elsewhere.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said less than 5% of those who cross the land border are nonessential, one reason why the hotel stay is not required for those who enter by land.

The measures especially affect Canadian "snowbirds" who winter abroad and return home in the spring.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu said vaccinated Canadians will not be exempt because research is still not clear on whether those vaccinated can still transmit the virus to others.

Some Canadian "snowbirds" are getting vaccinated in Florida and Arizona.

Trudeau said it could take up to three days for test results to be available and he previously said the cost of a hotel stay for air travelers could be $2,000 Canadian (US$1,576.). The steep cost for the hotel stay includes the cost for security, food and measures hotels will have to take to keep their workers safe.

Travelers would then isolate at home or elsewhere if the test is negative. Canada already requires those entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days and bans nonessential travel to the country.

The Canadian Snowbird Association has said cost of the hotel stay poses financial hardship for many and travelers who test negative should be able to quarantine in their homes.

Some snowbirds are flying back before a hotel stay is mandatory. Dr. Morley Rubinoff, 71, said he left his condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, about six weeks early this year to avoid what he called "hotel hell." The semiretired dental specialist said he arrived in Mexico on Dec. 31 and had planned to stay until mid-March before returning to Toronto.

Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said Friday there have been more than 429 cases of a worrying variant first identified in the U.K., and 28 cases of the variant first identified in South Africa reported across eight provinces. So far, there has only been one report of the variant first found in Brazil .

While Canada has contracted for far more vaccines than it needs to cover its population, they have been slow to arrive, frustrating many who see a faster rollout in the neighboring U.S.

Canadian officials have said Trudeau spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden about the possibility of getting getting Pfizer vaccines from a plant in nearby Michigan, whose first 100 million doses are already contracted for by the U.S. government.

"I think the president has been clear publicly and certainly privately when the conversation comes up that his focus now is on ensuring that the American people are vaccinated," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about Canada on Friday.

Canada, which does not have domestic production, has been contracting for vaccines from Europe and elsewhere.

Trudeau said he spoke to the chief executive Pfizer and said he confirmed Canada will get 4 million doses from that company before the end of March, as well as 10.8 million doses in April, May and Junemore than previously announced.

Trudeau also said Canada is buying another 4 million Moderna vaccines and is looking at the possibility of getting vaccines from India.

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.
Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.
Washington, Feb 12 : The United States' Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry on Thursday applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for effectively addressing climate change concerns of the world.

Addressing the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021, Kerry commended Modi for setting a target to generate 450 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. "This is a strong, terrific example of how to power a growing economy with clean energy, and it's going to be one of the most important contributions," he said.

By 2030, the International Energy Agency forecasts that if India drives even more aggressively towards this clean energy transition, it will create half a million additional jobs than business as usual would create, he said. "Indian industry is obviously already stepping up and showing leadership," Kerry said while showering profuse praise on Prime Minister Modi.

Kerry added that he was heartened to see that India's 2021 budget focused heavily on clean energy sources. India today, he said, is "actually a red-hot investment opportunity for its clean energy transition." After the United States and China, India today is the largest emitter of carbon in the world.

"We believe India can be one of the most critical transitional countries in this entire endeavour," Kerry said adding that he was confident that just as the US and India have worked very closely on any number of issues in these last years, the two nations - the world's two biggest democracies - have a great deal to gain from joining hands in global leadership and confronting the climate crisis to meet this moment. Kerry said he intends to work very, very closely with India to address climate change challenges.

In a complete contrast to the Trump administration's policy on climate change, the Joe Biden presidential campaign strongly advocated Paris Climate Agreement.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
"Mrs. Wright" a painting by John Colin Forbes, is displayed with other artwork at the Community Fine Arts Center in Rock Springs. The collection, under the ownership of Sweetwater County School District No. 1, features works from both well-known and local artists.

(Publisher's note: the following column was written for our annual 'Things We Love' section.)

It's hard to believe one of the best art collections in the Western United States actually exists in our backyard. Yet, it's true and is easily viewable at its home in Rock Springs.

The Community Fine Arts Center in Rock Springs displays hundreds of pieces owned by Sweetwater County School District No. 1. Both the collection and the CFAC itself owe their existence to a man and his desire to share his appreciation for art.

The school district's collection dates back to 1939 when a science teacher...
Real estate agent Karl Howard (pictured) has been charged with attempted murder over an alleged attack on two women on Monday

A top Sydney real estate agent skipped around the house singing 'I'm going to kill her' before attempting to murder his love interest's friend by slashing her with a samurai sword, a court has heard.

Extraordinary detail can be revealed of Karl Adon Howard's horrific alleged attack on a 27-year-old woman he met online and her 29-year-old friend between 4.40am and 5.20am on Monday.

Sydney Magistrate Glenn Bartley read the police version of events onto the court record on Friday during a hearing about a non-publication order concerning the alleged victims.

According to the magistrate's remarks, the 'extremely traumatic' evening began when the 29-year-old friend - who can only be referred to as 'Victim 2' - arrived at Howard's Annandale property about 7.15pm on Sunday.

After chatting, Victim 2 noticed both Howard, 44, and her mate, appeared disoriented, were talking quickly and weren't making much sense, the court heard.

'Have you taken something?' Victim 2 reportedly asked.

Howard ran around the property, saying 'I want to keep drinking, I don't want to go to sleep,' the court heard.

Victim 2 would later learn Howard had taken four cialis pills (a brand of Viagra), snorted cocaine and wouldn't disclose if he had consumed anything else.

Blood can be seen on the footpath directly opposite Howard's home, where his love interest and a friend ran for help after the alleged attack

Later that night he became paranoid, thinking the two women were talking about him, the court heard.

Victim 2 attempted to calm Howard, before he allegedly announced: 'I have to f***ing kill her', the court heard.

'At some stage following this, the accused began skipping around the house signing "I'm going to kill her" and gesturing at (Victim 1),' the court heard.

Howard then allegedly pushed Victim 1 into some kitchen barstools, causing her to cry.

The court was told Howard then went and grabbed a pair of scissors from a kitchen drawer and made violent gestures - before dumping them in the kitchen sink.

Then he threw a kitchen drawer across the room, slamming it into a wall, the court heard.

Victim 2 began removing knives from a drawer to hide the potential weapons from Howard, the court heard.

'I love you,' Howard then allegedly told Victim 1. 'Don't leave me.'

He then allegedly struck her, with his elbow, to the top right of her forehead.

Victim 2 tried to calm Howard before grabbing her purse as Victim 1 cried: 'I can't believe what I've seen.'

Howard then allegedly put his hand around the throat of one of Victim 1, before attempting to kiss her with an open mouth.

He then punched her, with a closed fist, to the head - causing her to fall to the ground.

In the chaos, as Victim 2 tried to order an Uber and the friends planned to escape, Howard then went downstairs, the court heard.

He allegedly returned upstairs carrying a metre-and-a-half long samurai sword, and removed it from its sheath.

The court heard that Howard went downstairs and then came back up holding a samurai sword

He then swung the sword at his date's friend - knocking her to the ground and slashing her deeply - while his love interest ran from the property to get help.

'After Victim 1 had exited the property, the accused began singing to Victim 2: 'I'm going to kill you,' the magistrate read to the court.

Howard allegedly continued to slash her, hitting her wrist and knocking her again to the ground where she bled profusely.

Victim 2 still managed to flee the property, with Howard slipping over as she ran away, the court heard.

A witness let the bloodied woman into her property, hiding her and rendering assistance, the document said.

Meanwhile, shocked neighbours watched Howard run backwards and forward up the street, yelling the names of his victims, the court heard.

He was then seen examining his allegedly bloodied hands and attempted to get into his garaged BMW, before exiting the vehicle.

Emergency services arrived and began helping Victim 2 - who had suffered severe blood loss - and Victim 1, who suffered bruising.

Howard was seen running south where he allegedly hid in a skip bin about 60m from the crime scene for 'an unknown period of time', the court heard.

Police tape remains wrapped around a skip bin at a building site on Ferris Street - just some 50 metres from the scene of the alleged attack - where Howard's wallet and phone were allegedly found

After allegedly leaving his bloodied phone and wallet in the bin, Howard allegedly ran along the street and attempted to hide underneath the cover of a ute, parked at an intersection in Annandale. Eventually, he was arrested.

The assault was 'extremely traumatic and terrifying,' Magistrate Bartley told the court in summary, before deciding to approve a non-publication order on the identities of the women. Both women were taken to hospital.

Victim 2 suffered a fractured cheek bone, a broken arm, a 15 to 20cm cut to her right forearm, nerve damage, a cut through bone, a cut to her left wrist and bruising to the back of her head.

Victim 1 suffered bruising and swelling to her right forehead and a concussion. Howard had a dislocated elbow.

Howard's case was mentioned at Newtown Local Court on Friday evening

Howard has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Victim 1, his love interest, and wound or cause grievous bodily harm with intent to murder Victim 2.

Howard has been remanded in custody and hasn't applied for bail. He has been stood down by his employer, Ray White, pending the proceedings.

The case returns to court in April.

The real estate agent's lawyer John Sutton fronted court on his behalf earlier this week.

Outside court Mr Sutton told reporters his client's situation was 'very unfortunate'.

'He's got various physical injuries of his own, he's undergone surgery and we're just awaiting outcomes to understand what the doctors say,' Mr Sutton said.

Howard was eventually arrested on the above street and suffered an injury to his elbow

Neighbours on the normally quiet street described the incident as 'shocking'.

'I got woken up early yesterday morning and saw the flashing lights from the police car, but didn't realise just what had happened until I saw the news,'

'It's a really nice, quiet, leafy street. You don't expect something so shocking to happen here.'
The FBI is investigating allegations Lincoln Project co-founder John Weaver sexually harassed young men and interns - as six former staffers are demanding to be released from non-disclosure agreements they signed so they can publicly talk about the claims.

The Lincoln Project announced plans late on Thursday to launch an external investigation to probe claims they knew about sexual misconduct allegations against Weaver before he left the anti-Trump organization.

The 61-year-old co-founder left last month after it was publicly alleged he offered young men professional support in exchange for sex.

Federal agents have now reached out to at least two people to ask if Weaver sexually harassed them when they were underage, reporter Yashar Ali revealed on Friday.

Those two people said the FBI asked them if Weaver had ever touched them when they were minors, or if he had asked or sent them sexually explicit content.

It is not yet clear if Weaver is the target of a federal investigation or how wide the scope of the probe is.

The FBI is reportedly investigating allegations Lincoln Project co-founder John Weaver, 61, sexually harassed young men and interns

Meanwhile, six unnamed former staffers are demanding they be released from NDAs they signed so they can talk about Weaver and disclose information 'relevant to the public interest', according to the New York Times.

The organization had said in a statement on Thursday night that anyone bound by a nondisclosure should contact the Lincoln Project 'for a release'.

The six staffers, however, said in an open letter they weren't comfortable doing so.

'Expecting victims and those close to victims to contact and engage the people and organization accused of protecting the very predator at issue is absurd, unreasonable and insensitive,' they said.

The Lincoln Project's announcement that they were bringing in an internal investigator came just hours after The Associated Press reported that members of the organization's leadership were informed in writing and in subsequent phone calls of at least 10 specific allegations of sexual harassment against Weaver.

It raised questions about the organization's statement last month that it was 'shocked' when the accusations surfaced publicly this year.

It came on the same day the New York magazine published explosive interviews with two of Weaver's alleged victims, both of whom were college students when he allegedly first contacted them.

Alex Johnson was a senior at the University of Texas Austin when he first heard from Weaver back in 2018. He claims Weaver then sent him a message last April asking whether he was interested in interning at the Lincoln Project.

'Would like to put you in touch with some of our folks,' Weaver allegedly messaged.

He added minutes later: 'On [your] walk, think about worshipping a big c**k and having yours worshipped and you r****d till you beg!'

The Lincoln Project announced plans late on Thursday to launch an external investigation to probe claims they knew about sexual misconduct allegations against Weaver (above in 2016) before he left the anti-Trump organization

The organization released a statement on Thursday night announcing that its board has decided to retain 'a best-in-class outside professional' to review Weaver's tenure 'to establish both accountability and best practices going forward for The Lincoln Project'

Weaver also allegedly called Johnson and it would 'quickly segue into what felt like an attempt at phone sex.'

'We were talking about the Lincoln Project, and maybe getting me involved... and then he asked me: 'When's the last time you j**ked off?''

Johnson said he accepted the internship because of the organization's prestige but claimed the sexual harassment continued.

'Are you top, bottom, versa?' Weaver allegedly wrote in one message shortly after Johnson started.

Johnson claimed: 'His messages never stopped. And I would play along, just to be nice. Because I knew, I mean, he's important. Like he has the strings. And we operate in the same kind of political culture of being 'Never Trumpers'.

Another young man, 19-year-old Louisiana State University student Charlie Stephens, says he was contacted by Weaver last June about interning at The Lincoln Project.

'You are a f**king stud!' Weaver allegedly wrote to Stephens.

Stephens replied that it was 'quite the compliment,' before Weaver reportedly responded: 'Take it! Hell, you may very well be ;).'

Weaver - who has been married to his wife since 2007 - admitted last month that he was gay and apologized to the men he made 'uncomfortable' with his messages.

'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,' he said in an interview with Axios.

'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.'

The Lincoln Project launched in November 2019 as a super PAC that allowed its leaders to raise and spend unlimited sums of money. Since its creation, the Lincoln Project has raised $90 million

Co-founder George Conway denied having any knowledge of Weaver's alleged sexual harassment

The revelations of the outside probe threatens the stature of not just the Lincoln Project but also the broader coalition of establishment-oriented Republican groups working to excise Trump from the party.

Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt insisted on Wednesday night that he and the rest of the group's leadership were not aware of any internal allegations of wrongdoing involving Weaver.

The Associated Press, however, reported that members of the organization's leadership were allegedly informed in writing and in subsequent phone calls in June 2020 of at least 10 specific allegations of harassment against Weaver.

It included two Lincoln Project employees.

In the wake of those claims, the organization released a statement on Thursday night announcing that its board has decided to retain 'a best-in-class outside professional' to review Weaver's tenure 'to establish both accountability and best practices going forward for The Lincoln Project.'

There is no evidence that the Lincoln Project buried the allegations against Weaver for business reasons.

But taken together, the harassment allegations and new revelations about spending practices raise significant questions about the management of one of the highest-profile antagonists of Trump.

Schmidt has insisted that he and the rest of the group's leadership were not aware of any internal allegations of wrongdoing involving Weaver.

'No Lincoln Project employee, intern, or contractors ever made an allegation of inappropriate communication about John Weaver that would have triggered an investigation by HR or by an outside employment counsel,' Schmidt said. 'In other words, no human being ever made an allegation about any inappropriate sexualized communications about John Weaver ever.'

The Lincoln Project launched in November 2019 as a super PAC that allowed its leaders to raise and spend unlimited sums of money.

Since its creation, the Lincoln Project has raised $90 million - more than $50 million of which has gone to firms controlled by the group's leaders.

Its founders represent a who's who of prominent Republican strategists on cable television, including Schmidt and Reed Galen, both former advisers to John McCain; conservative attorney George Conway; former New Hampshire GOP chair Jennifer Horn; Florida-based veteran political ad maker Rick Wilson; and Weaver, who has long advised former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Backed by its founders' commanding social media presence, the organization quickly attracted a massive following of Trump critics in both parties that exceeded even its own founders' expectations.


AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of Valentine's Day this Sunday, Alfa Romeo today announced Passione, an interactive e-book that chronicles the heritage, influences and exploration of the brand's passion for impactful and iconic Italian design over the last 110 years.

Created in partnership with Centro Stile Alfa Romeo in Turin, Italy, Passione examines the brand's unparalleled history and significance in global automotive design, and includes exclusive renderings and sketches from the designers at Centro Stile.
Ukraine expects a common aviation area agreement with the European Union to be signed in the near future, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

He said this at a joint press conference with representatives of the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday, February 11, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We expect an agreement on a common aviation area between Ukraine and the EU to be signed in the near future," Shmyhal said.

He added that Ukraine had been waiting for this agreement for many years.

The Ukrainian President's Office reported on February 3 that the signing of the common aviation area agreement between Ukraine and the EU had been postponed due to bureaucratic reasons. The President's Office said that now "it is necessary to look for opportunities" to sign the agreement in March.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the 22nd EU-Ukraine summit in October last year that the common aviation area agreement with the EU could be signed in 2021.

As Ukrinform reported, a government delegation led by Prime Minister Denis Shmygal is on a working visit to Brussels on Tuesday, February 9. The CMU has already met with the leadership of the European Union and NATO. Prime Minister Schmigal discussed a number of important issues with European Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. A number of other important measures have been taken. On February 11, government officials took part in the seventh meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels.

Photo: Kabmin_UA, Twitter
In a sharp reaction to the recent scuffle between the Centre and the micro-blogging site, the Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that some microblogging sites treated Red Fort attack differently from Capitol riots in the US. However, he did not name the company directly.

Posting a clip from his Lok Sabha speech earlier in the day, the law minster said: When Capitol Hill in Washington was ransacked and police administration took action, some micro blogging companies stood in support of them. But when the iconic Red Fort in Delhi was attacked, they behaved differently.

Also Read | India speeds up vaccination drive

Such a double standard is unacceptable.

Speaking about how this government has always encouraged the existence of free media, he also tweeted: This government is led by leaders who have fought for the freedom of individuals, freedom of media and independence of judiciary particularly during emergency days.

Our commitment for freedom of media, rights of individuals and independence of judiciary is complete and total.

We have immense respect for social media as it has empowered the citizens but today I want to clearly state that be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or WhatsApp they are free to work in India but they need to abide by the Constitution of India and laws of India, he said in another tweet.

Earlier this week, the Centre had conveyed to Twitter officials that the manner in which the social media giant officially allows fake, unverified, and automated bot accounts to be operated on its platform, raises doubts about its commitment to transparency and healthy conversation on the platform.

This meeting took place in view of the order issued by the Centre directing Twitter to remove tweets and accounts using hashtag related to "farmer genocide" and accounts supported by Khalistan sympathisers and backed by Pakistan and blog post issued by Twitter.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in a press release revealed that the Ministry's Secretary, in a virtual interaction with Twitter officials, expressed his deep disappointment to Twitter leadership about the manner in which it has unwillingly, grudgingly and with great delay complied with the substantial parts of the order.

He reminded Twitter that in India, its Constitution and laws are supreme. It is expected that responsible entities not only reaffirm but remain committed to compliance to the law of land, he said.

This comes after Twitter on Wednesday took multiple enforcement actions for violations of its rules, in response to the ''legal requests'' from the Indian government.

"Separate to our enforcement under the Twitter Rules, over the course of the last 10 days, Twitter has been served with several separate blocking orders by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act," the social media giant said in a statement.









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She had stumbled after a decade of recovery from a Vicodin addiction, drinking and resuming her opioid use. Depressed and scarcely able to function, she lost her job and had to turn over guardianship of her granddaughter. In 2016, police caught her driving under the influence of alcohol, an offense that was only recently resolved with a guilty plea and a sentence of 30 days in the DuPage County Jail.
This is a national issue. Farmers in Zamfara, Kaduna (the Northwest), Benue and other parts of the North-Central have been confronting this issue for some time. It is time to work together. Working together on this issue is a means to an end  to ensure security Engage with reasonable governors and other leaders who are determined to end the crises.

I am deeply troubled by the activities of criminal Fulani herders and pervasive insecurity in Nigeria. Despite various messages from friends, colleagues and readers, I resisted writing on the issue because of the tendency in Nigerias toxic political ecology to construe every analysis  right from the name of the writer  as unfair or nonobjective. How does one intervene without sounding like an ethnic bigot?

President Muhammadu Buhari and his government seem intent on taking Nigeria on the direct path to Rwanda of 1994  ethnic conflict and genocide. President Buhari told a Benue State delegation after the New Year Day massacre in 2018: I ask you in the name of God to accommodate your country men. You can also be assured that I am just as worried, and concerned with the situation. The presidents comments to the grieving and long-suffering Benue people amounted to an MRI on his heart. Fulani militants masquerading as herders were ranked the fourth most lethal terrorist group in the world in 2015  behind only Boko Haram, ISIS and al-Shabaab. If the president was truly worried about the situation in 2018, there is no sign he has done anything to address the issue. Buharis presidency has been quick to condemn anti-open-grazing laws and anything, including mosquito bites, affecting Fulani herders and the anachronistic practice of transhumance. Through his and the governments utterances and criminal silence, Muhammadu Buhari appears to construe himself as herder-in-chief rather than commander-in-chief, and the president of the Fulani people. Other Nigerian ethnic groups and law-abiding Fulani people can no longer claim they have a president.

The farm of a friend, a retired General, was mercilessly invaded by Fulani herders on multiple occasions. Cattle ate his crops and herders cut root tubers to feed their flock. He lost millions of naira. Other farmers nearby were also affected. They urged the General to intervene. The General visited the police headquarters in the State. The police commissioner told him he had also lost his crops to herdsmen. He said his hands were tied; he could not arrest the herders. He informed the General that the state command had on two occasions arrested herdsmen caught feeding cattle on citizens farms but he received orders from the Presidency to release the suspects.

To be clear, the Buhari government did not ask herdsmen to destroy peoples farms. However, inaction of security agents, deployment of soldiers to beat villagers to accommodate herders and the fear within security agencies that arresting criminal herders could mean the end of their careers indicate culpability at best and at worst a sinister intentionality at the highest levels of government. President Buhari has done a major disservice to his beloved ethnic group. The failure to check the excesses of the herdsmen has led to more brazen conduct of the herdsmen  rape, kidnapping and gruesome killings  and negative perception and stigma across Nigeria. The Sultan of Sokoto has argued that seven or eight out of 10 kidnappers in Nigeria are Fulani. The term Fulani herdsmen is fast becoming a criminal franchise  some non-Fulanis are capitalising on the negative social evaluation and identity to commit crimes.

An eye-for-an-eye makes everybody blind, as they say. All communities affected by kidnapping and other crimes perpetrated by criminal Fulani herders must avoid the dangerous temptation of reprisal attacks. It is the road to self-destruction. There are Fulanis who have settled across Nigeria for decades.

What practical steps can the leaders and peoples of affected areas take to protect themselves from marauding herders and other criminals?

Strengthen Regional Security Agencies

The Nigeria Police Force is both incapacitated and compromised. The military is over-stretched. As of 2016, the military was deployed in 30 of Nigerias 36 states. No one has prosecuted or definitively contradicted former Defence minister, General T.Y. Danjuma, who stated in March 2018 that, You must rise to protect yourselves from these people. If you depend on the armed forces to protect you, you will die. Perhaps General Danjuma exaggerated the facts. It is better to not find out in the grave. No part of Nigeria needs the permission of the Federal Government to protect the people. Every state requires capable personnel, training and equipment for its security unit. Amotekun and other regional security outfits should Amotekun retired armed forces or police personnel for training. There is a need to use cutting-edge technology. Drones can be used for reconnaissance missions in forests and other hideouts of criminal herders and kidnappers. The movement of herders in forests can be tracked in real time through aerial surveillance. Field control centres can be set up for effective deployment of regional security outfits. Body-worn cameras are now low-end tools. The activities of field operatives can be viewed by officials in real time. Security is not rocket science.

Avoid Reprisal Attacks

An eye-for-an-eye makes everybody blind, as they say. All communities affected by kidnapping and other crimes perpetrated by criminal Fulani herders must avoid the dangerous temptation of reprisal attacks. It is the road to self-destruction. There are Fulanis who have settled across Nigeria for decades. Every human jurisdiction recognises the right to self defence in law and morality. However, it is against the principles of natural justice to destroy the homes and livelihoods of innocent Fulanis in an attempt to seek vengeance.

Communal Efforts

Community leaders should organise groups of young people to protect their homes. Work on farms can be rotated as was common in previous eras. Relatively large groups of farmers can take turns to work collaboratively on individual members farms in order to protect one another from criminal herders.

Nature abhors a vacuum. For instance, Sunday Igbohos ascendance in the South-West is testament that state governors have not handled the security issue appropriately. There is a need for each state governor to engage with their constituents, including Fulanis, to stop the criminal attacks and reprisals.

State Governors Must Lead the Way

Nature abhors a vacuum. For instance, Sunday Igbohos ascendance in the South-West is testament that state governors have not handled the security issue appropriately. There is a need for each state governor to engage with their constituents, including Fulanis, to stop the criminal attacks and reprisals. Paying off criminals is an unreasonable approach, as Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai recently noted. You need to restore law and order by apprehending criminal elements, so the people can live in peace. Herding does not require possessing AK47. Make effective use of your security vote. Ensure enforcement of laws regarding ban on open-grazing and prosecute offenders through the courts. No constitutional amendment is required to do that.

Drop Individual Ambitions For Restructuring

I appreciate that people have the right to aspire for political office. However, you cannot be president over dead people. Southern Nigerian leaders must recognize that now is not the time to focus on 2023 electoral permutations. President Buhari is working hard  whether or not he realises it  to be the last president of Nigeria. 2023 electoral calculations are predicated on the idea that there will be a country to govern by then. Sadly, we can no longer take that for granted. The key issue is to ensure a political arrangement that works for all Nigerians. That starts with reforming the security architecture.

Collaborate With Other Affected Regions

This is a national issue. Farmers in Zamfara, Kaduna (the Northwest), Benue and other parts of the North-Central have been confronting this issue for some time. It is time to work together. Working together on this issue is a means to an end  to ensure security. Any state government that is intent on playing politics with human lives or feels that cows are more important than human lives should be avoided. Engage with reasonable governors and other leaders who are determined to end the crises.

ADVERTISEMENT

In conclusion, there has never been a better time to finally reconfigure Nigeria. The Fulani herder issue has brought out long-standing simmering tensions in the polity. The underlying human capital (or lack thereof) issue will not go away any time soon. It took decades of neglect to get there. However, do not allow this government to turn you into a bigot or un-hired assassin. There will be life after this administration.

Tope Oriola teaches criminology and terrorism studies at the University of Alberta, Canada. He is joint editor-in-chief of African Security. Follow Oriola on Twitter: @topeoriola
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned the government over its agreement with China on disengagement in eastern Ladakh, and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese.

His attack on the government came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament that India has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China and it will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken away by anyone.

Rahul Gandhi

Addressing a press conference, Gandhi said Singh "sheepishly" made a statement on the LAC situation in both Houses of Parliament and it emerged that Indian troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3.

"Finger 4 is our territory, that is where our post used to be. Now we have moved from Finger 4 to Finger 3. Why has Prime Minister Modi given up Indian territory to the Chinese. This is the question that needs to be answered by him and the Defence minister," Gandhi said.

Why have Indian troops, after the hard work that they had done in capturing Kailash ranges, been asked to move back, Gandhi asked.

Rajnath Singh

What has India got in return for this? Most importantly, the more important strategic area, Depsang plains, why have the Chinese not moved back? These are the real questions. Why have they not moved from Gogra-Hot Springs, the former Congress chief asked.

"It is the responsibility of the prime minister to protect the territory of the country. The prime minister has ceded Indian territory to the Chinese," he alleged.

The Indian government's position at the beginning of this was status quo ante as in April 2020 that is what they were negotiating for, he asserted.
Restaurants will no longer be allowed to sell pre-packaged meals through arrangements with supermarkets and other outlets, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley definitively closed this loophole yesterday.

Rowley said this would not be allowed to continue, as it defeats the purpose of the public health regulations. Restaurants and street food vendors were among those businesses ordered to close to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of Covid-19.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 10:40:35|Editor: huaxia

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In every corner of China, the Han people and some other ethnic groups extend good wishes when they celebrate the Spring Festival. The Tibetan people do the same when they mark the Tibetan New Year. This year, the Spring Festival and the Tibetan New Year fall on the same day, January 12.
Mumbai, Feb 12 : Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor is lending support to 100 cancer couples. He says the pandemic has taught him the importance of helping others.

"The pandemic has taught all of us the importance of helping one another and spreading love whenever we can. We all look forward to celebrating Valentine's month in February, to make our loved ones feel special. But I have decided to do something different, this time," said the actor.

Arjun, whose mother Mona Shouri passed away due to cancer, has teamed up with the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) for the initiative.

"Along with Cancer Patients Aid Association, I am supporting medical treatment for 100 underprivileged couples who are impacted by cancer, which means one partner is battling this deadly disease as the other one is supportive in every step of this fight," he added.

"Cancer severely impacts one's immunity, making them extremely vulnerable to the Coronavirus. The previous year has been very painful for these couples. Not only were they fighting a hard battle, but they were also confined to their homes facing the severe threat of Covid-19. Many of them did not even have the source of income to buy food and essential medicines," he added.

The actor appeals people to come forward and support these vulnerable couples.

"By supporting their yearly medical treatment worth Rs 1 lakh per patient that takes care of expenses for chemotherapy and radiotherapies, surgeries and medicines, we can save them from draining out financially," he said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A 19-year-old man charged with murder in the death of 77-year-old Sun Cha Park Allen will undergo a forensic evaluation to determine if his case can go to trial in the Superior Court of Guam.

Jeremy Janell Alvarez appeared before Judge Vernon Perez on Thursday where the court granted defense attorney Douglas Moylans request for the evaluation.

Alvarez is scheduled to appear back in court on March 11.

He has since pleaded not guilty to murder as a first-degree felony, aggravated murder as a first-degree felony and aggravated assault as a second-degree felony. Each charge includes a special allegation of possession or use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

Alvarez allegedly told Guam Police Department officers that he hit Allen with a hammer "five to 10 times" after she touched his genital area on Dec. 8, 2020.

The defendant has told investigators that he asked Allen for Xanax and that's when she touched him, the prosecution stated in court documents.

Allen was in critical condition at Guam Regional Medical City and died a few days after the attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 20:45:02|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Days ahead of the Spring Festival, workers of the Kunming Hasfarm Flowers Co., Ltd. were busy harvesting carnations, which will be transported to foreign markets after sorting and packaging.

"Our major export destinations are Japan and Vietnam, where flowers are often among a household's daily purchases," said Tim Scalongne from the Netherlands, managing director of the company in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Yunnan has a diverse climate and a superior ecological environment for growing flowers. It is the second largest fresh-cut flower trading center in the world.

The company's imports of flower seedlings were impacted by COVID-19 for some time, as the suspension of international airlines cut off the industry's traditional logistics chain.

The Kunming Customs extended a helping hand good in time. It took advantage of the cooperation platform of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor to facilitate imports of flower bulbs and seedlings by Yunnan.

The corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by Singapore and provincial-level regions of western China, and is seen as an important bridge for China-ASEAN trade and economic cooperation.

"Thanks to their help in coordinating with other customs, our overall production and operations have not been affected," said Scalongne.

Kunming Customs data shows that in 2020, Yunnan exported 17,000 tonnes of fresh-cut flowers, with a total value of 500 million yuan (about 77.45 million U.S. dollars), up by 33.4 percent and 19 percent, respectively, year on year.

Besides flowers, Yunnan is also famous for vegetables and fruits that grow in the plateau environment. In 2020, the province's export volume of unique agricultural products hit around 3.24 million tonnes, registering a year-on-year growth of 16.4 percent, while the total export value of 36.07 billion yuan showed year-on-year growth of 8.9 percent.

In recent years, a number of mango varieties have gained popularity in the city of Baoshan due to their shiny golden appearance, pleasant fragrance and high degree of fruity sweetness.

"In 2019, several Russian purchasers came here and fell in love with our mangoes at the first bite. They instantly proposed becoming our business partner," said Xian Guangwen, head of an agricultural production cooperative in Baoshan.

Since the cooperative had been rooted in the domestic market and had no experience in international trade, Xian had no idea what procedures to go through regarding exports.

After inquiring online, Xian got in touch with Tengchong Customs through a service hotline, which sent staff to help him the next day.

The customs then helped Xian build its export channel by contacting export-trade enterprises and strengthening supervision of fruit planting and packaging in accordance with Russia's quarantine requirements, said Xian.

When COVID-19 disturbed Xian's export plan in early 2020, the Tengchong Customs assisted the cooperative in connecting road transport and China-Europe freight-train shipment. The first batch of nearly 20 tonnes of "Ivory Mango" reached Moscow by freight train in July last year.

According to Xian, many farmers nearby have expressed their desire to join the cooperative. "Besides mangoes, our Russian partners are also very interested in Baoshan's watermelons, tomatoes and other fruit and vegetable products," he said.

The cooperative will make plans for additional planting with a view to expanding exports, he added. Enditem
The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while replying to Budget 2021 discussions in Rajya Sabha on Friday said the opposition is creating a false narrative by accusing that the government works only for cronies.

"It has now become a sort of a habit for some in opposition to constantly allege whatever this Government is doing - despite what we are doing for the poor, and more needs to be done, that is not denied at all. A false narrative is created to accuse, saying this government works only for cronies," she said.

The finance minister said the budget draws on the experience, administrative capacities and exposure that PM Modi had during his long elected tenure -- both as CM and as PM of this country.

The finance minister said the budget is envisioned to make India 'Aatmanirbhar', at a time world economies had suffered due to Covid-19 pandemic.

She also attacked the opposition parties, especially the Congress, for creating a "false narrative" around her budget that it's just for rich and corporates.

The FM said the BJP-led government has attempted in the budget to provide a strong stimulus to bring about a multiplier effect.

She said instead of taking short cuts, her government has looked at medium and long term sustainable growth. "This will keep India in that kind of growth trajectory, which will maintain us as one of those fastest-growing economies in the world," she said.

"Houses completed under PM Awas Yojana stands at more than 1.67 crore, while households, which have been electrified under Saubhagya scheme since October 2017, is more than 2.67 crore," she said.

The FM said about 800 million people were provided free foodgrains during the lockdowns and pandemic. "Free cooking gas was provided for 80 million people and around 400 million people -- farmers, women, divyang and poor -- got cash," said the FM.

She said the Centre has made sure poor, dalits and tribals -- all got something. The Modi government also removed ills from MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), which was launched by the erstwhile UPA government, by effectively utilising allocated funds, she said.

Also read: 'It's motivating, there is no doubt': FM Sitharaman on positive reaction to Budget 2021

A Louisiana school teacher had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old foreign exchange student in front of her husband, according to local police.

Kimberly Wellman-Rich, 34, and her husband, Jeffery Rich, 36, are also alleged to have supplied the teen with marijuana and alcohol.

Wellman-Rich works for the Lafayette Parish School System, which comprises nine separate districts that run 16 schools ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Authorities have not specified which school Wellman-Rich employs her as a teacher.

She has been charged with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile, indecent behavior with a juvenile, encouraging or contributing to child delinquency and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Her bond was set at $72,500.

Kimberly Wellman-Rich (left), 34, a Louisiana school teacher, is alleged to have had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male foreign exchange student. She and her husband, Jeffery Rich (right), 36, are also alleged to have supplied the teen with marijuana and alcohol

Her husband, Jeffery Paul Rich, was booked on charges of accessory after the fact to felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. His bond was set at $10,000.

Both have been freed on bond.

The teenager was removed the home once the investigation began last month, police told KFLY-TV.

The legal age of consent in Louisiana is 17. The legal drinking age in the state is 21.

Louisiana law also forbids recreational use of cannabis, though medical marijuana is legal.

On January 22, an anonymous tipster told police that Wellman-Rich was hosting a juvenile foreign exchange student in her home and having sex with him.

Police said they interviewed witnesses and gathered evidence which led them to believe that Wellman-Richs husband had first-hand knowledge of the alleged abuse.

Investigators also said they learned that the couple allowed the teen to smoke marijuana and drink alcoholic beverages in their home.

LPSS administrators and Pan Atlantic, the company in charge of placing foreign exchange students with host families in the United States both worked to remove the boy from the Rich home, according to police.

The school system released a statement to KATC-TV, saying: 'The Lafayette Parish School System is aware of the allegations of inappropriate conduct by one of our employees.

Police said they interviewed witnesses and gathered evidence which led them to believe that Wellman-Richs husband had first-hand knowledge of the alleged abuse

'Allegations of this nature will continue to be taken very seriously and will be thoroughly investigated.

'Never will alleged inappropriate conduct of an employee be taken lightly.

'LPSS is fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation. Because this is a personnel matter, no further information will be provided.'

Pan Atlantic released a statement which read: 'We are aware of the allegations and have been providing information to the local and regulatory authorities.

'We have been working with the student, the students natural family and all stakeholders to ensure the students safety, and the privacy of all concerned.

'Pan Atlantic is a mission-driven organization that has a strong commitment to ensure the safety of all persons who participate in these highly regulated programs.

'Because we have an obligation to protect the privacy of those who participate in these programs, no further information will be provided.'

Abraham Lincoln stands not only as Americas greatest president but also as its greatest lawyer. At the time of his election to the presidency in 1860 he was the most prominent practicing lawyer in the state of Illinois. As a politician and as president, Lincoln was a profound student of the Constitution and constitutional history.

Perhaps most important, Lincoln was Americas indispensable teacher of the moral ground of political freedom at the exact moment when the country was on the threshold of abandoning what he called its ancient faith that all men are created equal. How can it be that lawyers know so little of the giant of their profession?

Former federal judge Herbert Stern is himself a prominent practicing attorney who has found much to learn from Lincolns legal career. As a teacher of practice skills to trial lawyers he frequently asks a rhetorical question: would you rather have an edge in the facts of a case, an edge in the law of a case, or Abraham Lincoln for your lawyer? In his view, the practitioner who can learn to emulate Lincoln as a lawyer holds the key to greatness in the profession.

But Lincoln is such an imposing figure that his stature obscures the man. As we view him historically, from the end of his life to the beginning of his career, he remains a figure whose greatness makes him difficult to know or understand. If we can follow him as a young man, as he finds his vocation and his calling, he may become a more familiar and accessible if no less admirable man.

The young Lincoln

In 1831 Lincoln left home at age 22 to strike out on his own in the struggling frontier town of New Salem, Illinois. He had no trade and few prospects. The single most striking fact about him as a young man is his genius for friendship. As one of his New Salem contemporaries recalled (as recorded in the interview notes of William Herndon quoted by David Herbert Donald), Lincoln had nothing[,] only plenty of friends. He was obviously one of the most likable men who ever lived, a man who radiated decency. Moreover, the better his acquaintances got to know him, the more they liked him. Those who got to know him best, such as the acquaintances with whom he shared boarding rooms as an impoverished young man, became lifelong friends. The student of Lincoln who can see him through the eyes of these friends will have a similar experience.

His genius for friendship manifested itself in memorable ways. As a young man, for example, Lincolns physical stature and strength made him a formidable wrestler. He made friends by wrestling, although this was not the kind of wrestling that is a branch of show business or in which the outcome of the match is agreed upon by the contestants in advance.

Upon his arrival in New Salem, he was challenged to a match by Jack Armstrong, the leader of a gang called Clarys Grove Boys. The match is famous in the annals of Lincoln lore and was examined in extraordinary detail by Lincoln scholar Douglas Wilson in the first chapter of his book Honors Voice. Although several conflicting eyewitness accounts of the match exist, the accounts generally agree that Armstrong narrowly escaped losing to Lincoln by some sort of sharp practice. The match ended in rancor, but Lincoln and Armstrong immediately became fast friends. Their friendship had momentous consequences in Lincolns legal career.

Lincoln joined the Illinois militia to fight in the Black Hawk War in 1832. He later claimed only to have been bloodied in the course of his service by a few mosquitoes. In his militia company, Lincoln apparently made friends by wrestling and was elected the captain of the company (the first election he ever won). Armstrong served as a sergeant in Lincolns company.

Candidate for office

Discharged later in the year, Lincoln returned to New Salem and ran for the state legislature at age 23. He lost the race while receiving an enormous vote of confidence from his fellow townsmen who knew him best. In the town of New Salem, Lincoln won an astounding 92 percent of the vote, receiving 277 of the 300 votes cast.

It was the only direct election that Lincoln ever lost. Lincoln proceeded to win every succeeding election (eight in all, including two for president) in which he stood for office before the public. The only races he lost (closely) were those for the Senate in 1854 and 1858, in which he sought election by the state legislature.

Following his 1832 loss, Lincoln ran again for the state legislature in 1834 and won. He was reelected in 1836, 1838, 1840 and 1854. In the legislature Lincoln was a ferociously partisan Whig who quickly became a skilled debater and party leader. During his service in the legislature, Lincoln studied law and became a lawyer. Upon leaving the legislature in 1842, Lincoln devoted himself to legal practice full time and rapidly became recognized as an accomplished practitioner.

While practicing law he remained active in politics. In 1846 he was elected to Congress. Although Lincoln wanted to run for reelection to Congress, he did not do so. He felt bound to honor an informal agreement among the Whigs in his district to serve only one term and he therefore stood down.

In 1854, Lincoln reentered politics to oppose the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the handiwork of Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas. Lincoln denounced the Kansas-Nebraska Act in his great Peoria Speech of 1854, making a comprehensive case against the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the expansion of slavery into the territories. He resigned the seat in the state legislature that he won that fall to seek Illinois open Senate seat, but narrowly lost to anti-Nebraska Act Democrat Lyman Trumbull when Lincoln threw his support to Trumbull in the last round of balloting.

Friend in need

Lincolns law practice grew apace with the national political crisis of the 1850s. In 1857, immediately prior to Lincolns ascent to the national political stage by virtue of his epic battle with Senator Stephen Douglas in the senate race the following year, Lincolns friendship with his former wrestling foe Jack Armstrong led to the most famous trial of Lincolns legal career.

On the evening of August 29, 1857, in a moonlit grove in central Illinois, two assailants beat James Metzger in what seems to have been a drunken brawl. He died two days later and his attackers  James Norris and William Duff Armstrong  were charged with murder. According to the charge, Norris and Armstrong had assaulted Metzger in concert and inflicted fatal blows to the head, Norris from behind with a wooden piece of a wagon frame and Armstrong from the front or the side with a slung-shot (a lead ball encased in leather with a cord attached for swinging).

Following the indictment Armstrongs lawyer moved for a change of venue while Norriss unaccountably did not. Armstrongs motion was granted and venue was transferred from Mason to Cass County.

Tried first, on November 7, 1857, Norris was promptly convicted of manslaughter after a one-day trial. Four eyewitnesses at the trial placed the time of the attack at 11:00 p.m. and claimed to have observed the attack under the light of a bright moon high in the sky. Medical testimony established that the blow to the back of the head by Norris had been fatal.

Armstrongs father  Lincolns old friend Jack Armstrong  died shortly thereafter. It was said to have been his dying wish that his wife Hannah do whatever was necessary, including selling the family farm, to secure their son a defense.

Hannah Armstrong wrote Lincoln, now practicing in Springfield and the most prominent lawyer in the state. She sought his representation in the defense of Duff Armstrong. Lincoln immediately undertook the defense as a token of his old friendship and declined all offers of compensation.

Friend in deed

When the case was called for trial in Cass Countys courthouse in Beardstown, Illinois, Lincoln made his first courtroom appearance for Armstrong. The prosecution moved for a continuance. This motion too was granted and the case was not called for trial again until May 1858.

Historian John Evangelist Walsh has now gathered virtually every scrap of evidence regarding the trial in his book Moonlight: Abraham Lincoln and the Almanac Trial. The book wildly charges that Lincoln committed misconduct in connection with the trial. Perhaps because of the familiarity of the trial story Walsh felt compelled to wring a new charge of scandal out of evidence that simply does not support it.

More notably, however, reliable evidence also provided by Walsh on the contrary demonstrates Lincolns utter probity as a trial lawyer. Immediately before the trial, for example, Armstrongs brothers arranged for the disappearance of Charles Allen, the prosecutions critical eyewitness; Lincoln promptly ascertained the circumstances of Allens disappearance together with his whereabouts and assured his attendance at the trial.

Walsh also establishes Lincolns sheer doggedness in the preparation of Armstrongs defense. Following his retention, and with the time afforded by the continuance until May, Lincoln carefully investigated the case the prosecution had introduced against Norris and calculated how best to use it to his advantage.

He procured expert medical testimony establishing that Norriss blows to the back of Metzgers head by themselves could account for all Metzgers traumatic injuries. He interviewed witnesses including the owner of the weapon with which Armstrong had allegedly attacked Metzger. In what seems to constitute a fine piece of detective work, he ascertained that the owner would testify that the weapon remained in his possession at the time of the murder. He found eyewitnesses who would testify that, although Armstrong had attacked Metzger, he had done so harmlessly with his bare hands. And Lincoln did not rest in his efforts until he discovered how he could raise reasonable doubts about the credibility of the critical eyewitness testimony of Charles Allen.

Moonset

At trial the prosecution introduced eyewitness and medical testimony supporting the charge against Armstrong, climaxing in Allens testimony. As the closest observer of the assault, Allen was the star witness in the prosecutions case. Allen testified that in the moonlight overhead he had seen Armstrong attack Metzger frontally with the slung-shot and in the conclusion of the direct examination dramatically demonstrated the manner of Armstrongs attack.

In Armstrongs defense Lincoln introduced the eyewitness and medical testimony of the witnesses he had found to rebut the prosecutions case. He called the owner of the alleged murder weapon to testify that the weapon had been in his possession at the time of the murder. In unorthodox fashion Lincoln concluded his defense of Armstrong by recalling Charles Allen, the prosecutions star witness, for cross examination.

Lincolns cross examination of Allen is the stuff of legend. Lincoln elicited Allens distance from the assault  50 to 60 feet or upwards  and focused on Allens ability to see what he had described, questioning him repeatedly about the location of the moon at the time of the attack. Allen steadfastly responded that the moon was bright and just past its highest point overhead at the time of the attack.

With Allen emphatically committed to the location of the moon at the time of the attack, Lincoln pulled a copy of the Jaynes Medical Almanac for 1857 from his briefcase showing the time of moonset in central Illinois on August 29, 1857. Lincoln showed that according to the almanac moonset that evening had occurred at 12:03 a.m., just one hour after the time Allen testified he had seen the assault under a high moon.

Courtroom observers exploded in laughter. As Allen was reduced to a laughingstock, Lincoln passed the almanac to the jurors. (Walsh includes a copy of the relevant almanac page in the books illustrations.) The jury concluded its deliberations in an hour with a verdict of acquittal. (Lincoln sat for the photograph at the top immediately after the jury returned its verdict. It is the only photograph of Lincoln wearing a white coat.)

Into history

The following month Lincoln returned to politics. On June 16 he stood before the state Republican convention in Springfield and accepted its nomination to run for the Senate against Stephen Douglas. In his famous speech accepting the nomination, Lincoln electrified the convention, asserting that the institution of slavery had made the United States a house divided against itself. Slavery would either be extirpated or become lawful nationwide, Lincoln predicted, provocatively quoting scriptural authority to the effect that a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Having fulfilled the offices of friendship as an attorney in the trial of Duff Armstrong, Lincoln stepped straight into history as the hero of Americas freedom and the martyr of its ancient faith.

(First published in slightly different form in the September 2000 issue of Bench & Bar of Minnesota. Posted annually in honor of Lincolns birthday.)
New Delhi, Feb 12 : India's domestic Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) market demand is set to touch $81.5 billion by 2025-26, while the global PCBA demand is expected to grow to $330 billion by the same time, said a new report on Friday.

At the same time, India can export PCBAs up to $100 billion on the back of good incentives to overcome the cost disabilities, said the report by Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT).

The growth of the electronics industry in Asia has been marked by the growth of PCBA manufacturing.

The PCBA industry's establishment will likely herald an improved ecosystem development for greater local product manufacturing and exports, MAIT said.

"PCBA is a major segment for future manufacturing and in terms of exports. Out of all the electronics imports, PCBA still accounts for almost 15 per cent," Saurabh Gaur, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said in a statement.

The report "PCBA - Developing India's Leadership in Printed Circuit Board Assembly" highlights that scale in PCBA manufacturing is a tipping point towards becoming a global electronics manufacturing hub.

However, to achieve the domestic and export potential India's PCBA manufacturing would require high investments and output of $100 billion by 2024-25, it added.

PCBA manufacturing can lead to a generation of 1 million to 1.2 million direct and indirect jobs, according to MAIT.

"India must overcome the cost disability compared to its closest competitor Vietnam and other Asian countries. Government support to negate the cost disability should be viewed as enabling a critical industry segment for exports," said Nitin Kunkolienker, President, MAIT.

As per the Budget proposals announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, duty on inputs or parts for manufacture of PCBA of cellular mobile phone has been increased from nil to 2.5 per cent from April 1.
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden met with a bipartisan group of governors and mayors at the White House on Friday as part of his push to give financial relief from the coronavirus pandemic to state and local governments a clear source of division with Republican lawmakers who view the spending as wasteful.

As part of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, Biden wants to send $350 billion to state and local governments and tribal governments. While Republicans in Congress have largely objected to this initiative, Bidens push has some GOP support among governors and mayors.

You folks are all on the front lines and dealing with the crisis since day one, Biden said at the start of the Oval Office meeting. Theyve been working on their own in many cases.

Republican lawmakers have stressed that some past aid to state and local governments remains unspent and revenues have rebounded after slumping when the coronavirus first hit. But state governments have shed 332,000 jobs since the outbreak began to spread last February, and local governments have cut nearly 1 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Republican Govs. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Larry Hogan of Maryland attended the Friday meeting, along with Democratic governors, including New Yorks Andrew Cuomo and New Mexicos Michelle Lujan Grisham. The mayors of Atlanta, Detroit, Miami and Arlington, Texas, also were at the meeting. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was set to attend, but she could not due to White House health screening and safety protocols, according to her press secretary.

Under the relief package being crafted in House committees this week, every state and the District of Columbia would get at least $500 million, but most of the money going to states would be distributed based on their share of unemployed workers nationally.

Local governments would also get $130.2 billion and tribal governments would get $20 billion.

The money could be used to cover costs incurred because of the pandemic and lost revenue and to address the negative economic impacts of the disease.

Congress provided $150 billion in direct assistance to state and local governments in an earlier relief package signed into law last March.

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the lead Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said that tens of billions of dollars from that legislation has yet to be spent and that the rush to bail out locked-down states that shuttered small businesses, schools, and churches is government waste, pure and simple.

The committee was to take up its portion of the COVID relief bill on Friday.

Before Congress even considers giving states and local governments another dime, funds already available to them must be used, Comer said in a statement prior to the hearing.

___

Boak reported from Baltimore.

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 Brexit trade deal will swipe around 45bn over two years from the UK economy, a Brussels analysis says  after Boris Johnson refused to carry out his own study.

And the economic damage will be more than four times greater than that suffered by the EU, from the putting up of daunting new barriers to cross-Channel trade.

The Christmas Eve agreement  hailed as fantastic by the prime minister  will cut UK output by about 2.25 per cent by the end of 2022 compared with EU membership, the analysis has found.

With annual gross domestic product (GDP) standing at around 2 trillion, such a loss would be equivalent to around 45bn over the next two years.

Although the hard exit terms will also hit the EU economy, that loss is estimated to be only about 0.5 per cent over the same period.

The European Commission said avoiding the threatened no-deal outcome before the New Years Day deadline improves the situation.

But, its winter economic forecast added: It cannot come close to matching the benefits of the trading relations provided by EU membership.

The figures are the first appearing to back up the overwhelming verdict of economists that the skeleton deal  leaving the single market and customs union  will hurt the UK economy.

The government has repeatedly refused to carry out its own analysis, trade secretary Liz Truss telling MPs last month that it was time to move forward.

However, assessments have been released for much less significant rolled over deals with tiny economies such as Moldova and North Macedonia  and for trade targets including the US, Australia and New Zealand.

All analysis had showed that, whatever future deals are signed, they cannot come close to compensating for ending frictionless trade with the UKs biggest market.

The Treasury has been asked to respond to the Brussels verdict, which comes amid mounting business fury over the blizzard of new red tape hitting trade.

The last-gasp agreement maintained zero-tariffs on the sale of goods crossing the Channel  but only if firms meet rules of origin on products.

And new paperwork, customs checks and confusion over the new system have slowed up deliveries, forcing some firms to give up on EU trade altogether.

The Commission said the shock from these so-called non-tariff barriers amounted to the equivalent of a tax on imports worth 10.9 per cent for the EU and 8.5 per cent for the UK.

And the absence of any specific agreement for services, which form 80 per cent of the British economy, would further hurt the UK and some EU nations.

However, avoiding a crash-out Brexit  and moving onto World Trade Organisation terms  had reduced the further damage for the UK by a quarter.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials urged states to send K-12 students back to in-person school on Friday.

Some schools scattered across the country are already open, while teachers in some states have protested being sent back to school unvaccinated, despite strong evidence that schools are not a major source of COVID-19 spread.

About 60 percent of schools are already doing some form of in-person learning, CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky estimated, though she noted that most of those are using a 'hybrid' model of in-person and online classes.

Now, the CDC is also states to make teachers and school staff eligible for coronavirus vaccinations.

The public health agency also provided a roadmap for reopening schools in the middle of a pandemic, emphasizing mask wearing and social distancing and saying vaccination of teachers is important but not a prerequisite for reopening.

CDC made a 'strong recommendation,' but it cannot force schools to reopen, and agency officials were careful to say they are not calling for a mandate that all U.S. schools be reopened.

The public health agency also provided a roadmap for reopening schools in the middle of a pandemic, emphasizing mask wearing and social distancing

They said there is strong evidence now that in-person schooling can be done safely, especially at lower grade levels, and the guidance is targeted at schools that teach kindergarten up to 12th grade.

The agency also emphasized hand washing, disinfection of school facilities, diagnostic testing and contact tracing to find new infections and separate infected people from others in a school.

The guidance was issued as President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure to deliver on his promise to get the majority of schools back to in-person teaching by the end of his first 100 days in office. The White House said this week that a national strategy would be guided by science.

There's wide agreement that learning in the classroom is more effective and that students can face isolation and learning setbacks at home. But teachers unions in some areas say schools have failed to make buildings safe enough to return.

CDC officials emphasized that in-person learning has not been identified as a substantial driver of coronavirus spread in US communities, and that transmission among students is now considered relatively rare.

The CDC also stressed that the safest way to open schools is by making sure there is as little disease in a community as possible.

The agency urged local officials to assess whether a bad outbreak is occurring in a community when making decisions about sending adults and children in to schools.

The guidance included a color-coded chart, from blue to red, on assessing community spread, including rates of new cases per 100,000 people and the percentage of positive tests.

That said, high community transmission does not necessarily mean schools cannot be open - especially those at the elementary level. If school mitigation measures are strictly followed, the risk of spread in the schools should still be low, the guidance suggests.

The document suggests that when things get risky, elementary schools can go hybrid, providing in-person instruction at least on some days, but that middle and high schools might go virtual.

Biden has been caught between competing interests as he works to get students in the classroom without spurning the powerful teachers unions that helped get him elected. Critics say he has bowed to unions instead of taking more aggressive action on reopening.

Unlike former President Donald Trump, who pressured schools to open and blasted the CDC for issuing guidance that he said was impractical, Biden has kept his distance from the CDC as it works on recommendations. Even after the CDCs director recently said that vaccinations are not a prerequisite for reopening, the White House declined to take a firm stance on the question.

Getting students back in the classroom is seen as a key to getting parents back to work. As part of Biden's coronavirus relief package, he's calling for $130 billion to help schools update buildings, buy protective gear and enact other recommended safety measures.

Bidens national strategy says the administration "will also work with states and local school districts to support screening testing in schools, including working with states to ensure an adequate supply of test kits."

But the CDC guidance stops short of recommending testing, saying "Some schools may also elect to use screening testing as a strategy to identify cases and prevent secondary transmission."

Existing CDC guidelines encourage a variety of measures to fight COVID-19 in schools, including the use of masks in certain settings, along with social distancing, hand washing and regular cleaning.

Schools in some places, like New York (picture) are open for hybrid or fully in-person learning already

Some education leaders, however, said that CDC guidance provided under Trump did not go far enough and that information issued to schools was inconsistent. On masks, for example, it says face coverings are recommended if students cannot be spaced 6 feet apart, but with social distancing, it says masks "may be considered."

In the early days of the U.S. epidemic, some health experts worried that schools might become cauldrons of coronavirus infection, with kids infecting each other and then spreading it to family members - as seems to be the case during cold and flu season.

Those concerns were stoked by reports of an explosive outbreak in May at a high school in Israel, shortly after schools in that country reopened after a lockdown.

But with the economy reeling after lockdowns of schools and businesses last spring, the Trump administration pushed hard for schools to reopen.

In July, Trump accused the CDC of "asking schools to do very impractical things" in order to reopen. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos incorrectly said research showed there is no danger "in any way" if kids are in school, and Vice President Mike Pence promised that the CDC would issue new guidance.

The CDC did post revised documents late that month that kept many of its earlier recommendations. But in response to reporters questions, CDC officials said that the decision on whether to send kids back to school really rested with parents. The agency also posted an introductory document - written by government officials outside the CDC - that stressed the potential risks of children not attending school.
Natalia Bryant is living out her Harry Potter dreams with help from mom Vanessa Bryant.

On Thursday the 18-year-old daughter of the late Kobe Bryant posted a photo in a monogram sweater with her initial 'N' on it as she playfully wrote, 'Does this make me a Weasley now?'

A lover of J.K. Rowlings' fantasy series, she thanked her mom for the gift before adding, 'Happy Christmas Harry,' referencing a memorable sweater scene in 2001's Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone.

Natalia Weasley?: Natalia Bryant, 18, lives out her Harry Potter dreams in a monogram sweater gifted to her by mom Vanessa Bryant as she playfully jokes 'Does this make me a Weasley now?' while taking a mirror selfie

Snapping a mirror selfie in the maroon and gold sweater, she looked elated to be one step closer to her wizarding fantasies.

In the film Ron receives a sweater with an 'R' logo on it as a Christmas gift, as Harry asks, 'What are you wearing?' to which Weasley sheepishly responds, 'Oh mum made it.'

Natalia posted the scene to her Instagram for all the 'muggles' - the term for a person who lacks any sort of magical ability in the series - as she provided clarity on the reference to her 2.3M followers.

Only turning 18 on January 19, she has received a bounty of birthday blessings including some exciting college related news.

Wizarding fantasies: The daughter of Kobe tried to clear up any confusion surrounding the reference as she shared a clip from the 2001 Harry Potter film for all her 'muggle' followers

On Wednesday it was revealed that she had been accepted into the University of Oregon - just one of many colleges vying for her attendance.

Vanessa shared an acceptance letter from the school, after previously posting photos of Natalia in recent weeks rocking an NYU shirt and a USC crew neck.

Alluding to Bryant's many collegiate options, the widow of Kobe wrote:

'@nataliabryant chose not to apply ED (early decision) to her top 5 schools. I will do my best to keep her in Cali just like I kept her daddy here.'

In demand: Bryant has been accepted into NYU, USC, and University of Oregon as Vanessa revealed she did not apply early decision to any of her top five schools; January 13

Keep her close: Vanessa joked 'I will do my best to keep her in Cali just like I kept her daddy here,' alluding to her preference to have her daughter attend USC; February 10

With the good news continuing to come Natalia's way, on Monday she announced that she was launching her modeling career backed by powerhouse agency IMG.

She took to Instagram to share the news with a black and white headshot and a statement that read:

'I have always been interested in fashion since a very young age. I have a love for the industry and ever since I can remember I wanted to model. There is a lot to learn but I feel this is a great opportunity for me to learn and express myself creatively.'

Model moment: With the good news continuing to come Natalia's way, on Monday she announced that she was launching her modeling career backed by powerhouse agency IMG

She continued to say that she was 'beyond thrilled and honored,' for the opportunity.

A little over a year and change since losing her legendary father and sister Gianna in a tragic helicopter accident, the teen continues to build a powerful legacy with her accomplishments.

On her birthday Vanessa gushed over their first born, 'You have displayed so much strength and grace throughout the most difficult year of our lives. Thank you for stepping in to help me with your little sisters. You're such an incredible big sister and a beautiful role model to so many people.'

A panel of experts at Japan's health ministry has given the green light to a coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech.

The expert panel made the decision at a meeting on Thursday evening after they examined findings on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

Sources say the decision was partly based on a clinical trial held in Japan with Japanese subjects that showed an increase in neutralizing antibodies.

Health minister Tamura Norihisa is expected to formally approve the vaccine likely on Sunday as the country's first coronavirus vaccine.

The Japanese government plans to start giving shots to medical workers in the middle of next week.

Under a contract with the government, Pfizer is due to supply Japan with enough doses for 72 million people by the end of the year.
Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink: ALYI) today released an update from its Finance Partner, RevoltTOKEN. The update comes directly from the CEO of RevoltTOKEN, Mr. Henryk Dabrowski, and is included in its entirety below.

RevoltTOKEN Update - ICO Imminent

The update today is brief, and the overall message is succinct. The launch of the ICO is imminent. We anticipate releasing the RevoltTOKEN, a cryptocurrency currently partitioned on the Ethereum Blockchain, for sale within the next two weeks.

The funds generated from our sale of RevoltTOKENs are intended to fund the growth and expansion of the ALYI electric vehicle ecosystem.

The RevoltTOKEN is designed as a utility token ultimately intended to represent participation in the ALYI electric vehicle ecosystem. Please visit the RevoltTOKEN website (http://www.revolttoken.com/) for complete details on RevoltTOKEN.

We have admittedly taken longer than anticipated getting to our ICO launch. The launch timeline has been extended as we have taken particular care to take every measure, we could foresee in an effort to launch RevoltTOKEN fairly, democratically, and within all market rules and guidelines.

Funds from the RevoltTOKEN ICO are intended to be invested in ALYI by way of an equity investment anticipated to result in a change of control.

Please check back regularly on the RevoltTOKEN website (http://www.revolttoken.com/) for the latest information and disclosures, and for notice on the final ICO date. We plan to announce the date at least 48 hours in advance. We plan to email everyone that has signed up on the RevoltTOKEN website as soon as we have finalized a date. You can still sign up on the RevoltTOKEN website.

Thank you for your interest in RevoltTOKEN and the ALYI electric vehicle ecosystem.

Henryk Dabrowksi

CEO RevoltTOKEN

To learn more about RevoltToken, visit http://www.revolttoken.com/

For the latest on ALYI's electric vehicle ecosystem strategy visit:

Flipbook - The Global Democratized Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Collaboration Strategy

or

Video - The Global Democratized Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Collaboration Strategy





Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgMsSPysVTI

For more information and to stay up to date on ALYI's overall latest developments, please visit www.alternetsystemsinc.com.

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur.

Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact:

Randell Torno

info@lithiumip.com

+1-800-713-0297

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74361
A PSNI district commander has called in the Paramilitary Crime Task Force after 14 shootings were recorded in Causeway Coast and Glens policing district during 2020.

Superintendent Ian Magee said he has requested the team to tackle the issue and reduce the level of shootings.

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Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, he said it was an extremely worrying development, noting that two shootings have already taken place this year.

It was also revealed that no shootings were recorded in the area during 2019.

The majority of shootings have taken place in the Coleraine area, however, we have [also seen shootings] in Bushmills, Dungiven and Rasharkin, so it is right across the whole of the district, he explained.

He revealed that teams were actively following loyalist paramilitaries and to a lesser degree republican groups, adding the issues underlining the problem were control of communities, money and intimidation.

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Im committed to protect the community from all types of violence.. what I need the community to do is set aside any assumptions that you might have around the people are carrying out the attacks, but also the victims of these shootings, and consider the people behind the guns," he explained.

Guns and bullets are unpredictable and all you need is one ricochet to hit someone in the vicinity.

He acknowledged that people will be afraid to speak out against the perpetrators, but urged communities to come forward and notify the police.

Former Justice Minister and Independent MLA Claire Sugden described the situation as "very disturbing", adding those involved were "thugs".

Ultimately this is an issue that is problem right across Northern Ireland and it is a paramilitary scourge we have been unable to address. In most cases it is criminal activity, its control, its drugs, its intimidation," she told the programme.

Communities are being kept down by this type of behaviour and I think the Executive needs to try to do more to give them confidence and support, so this type of activity can no longer take place.

She added in the absence of Stormont during the impasse a 2016 action plan had failed to materialise which subsequently had helped to created a vacuum which had been filled by paramilitarism.

"I think these criminal gangs, these thugs need to know there is attention on their behaviour, there is a real focus on what they are doing and if police can gather enough information, enough evidence, there will be charges," she insisted.

"It's sad that up to this point there hasn't been any, but that's perhaps because there hasn't been enough information, and we need people to come forward if they have any.

"Police, in conversations with them locally, are doing what they can to eradicate them, but it also requires people to come forward if they know anything."

She accepted this was easier said than done, adding: "People are scared, they are intimidated, it's the nature of these gangs and what they do... but again what we have to do is say to the government 'you need to give back confidence back to these communities'."
The online travel agent Lastminute.com has been given a week to refund 1.3m owed to package customers or face legal action.

Ten weeks ago the company committed to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to pay out over 7m to more than 9,000 customers whose holidays were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The firm agreed to make the refunds by the end of January.

But the CMA says that Lastminute.com still owes over 1m to 2,600 customers.

The company is still sending out the same responses to customers that it issued last summer, reading: If you are contacting us for more information about your refunds status, we can confirm that it is currently being processed, and that you will receive an email with the details soon.

In addition, Lastminute.com told some package-holiday customers to go directly to their airline to get the cost of their flight back  which the CMA says is against its obligations under the Package Travel Regulations.

Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said: It is wholly unacceptable that thousands of Lastminute.com customers are still waiting for full refunds for package holidays despite the commitments the company signed with us.

We take breaches of commitments extremely seriously. If lastminute.com does not comply with the law and pay people their outstanding refunds quickly, we will take the company to court.

Lastminute.com says that almost 50,000 package holiday customers have already been refunded more than 40m and only 1.3m is pending. It blames the third lockdown for delaying the repayments.

The managing director, Andrea Bertoli, said: We sincerely apologise to all customers still waiting for their package holiday refunds and we are making every effort to resolve any remaining delays customers are facing.

Despite all our efforts and commitment, we did not meet the CMA undertakings deadline for this small proportion of customers because of the impact of the unforeseen third lockdown and Ryanair disrupting the refund process.

We had already outlined to the CMA a detailed action plan to manage all pending cases and continue to work to get all customers repaid.

Lastminute.com, which is based in the Netherlands and Switzerland, has seen its share price has halved in the past year.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 6, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images)

WHO Chief Suggests Wuhan Lab Virus Leak Theory Needs Further Study

The head of the U.N.s World Health Organization (WHO) said that some origin theories about the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, need to be further investigated, coming after the leader of a WHO team in Wuhan, China, dismissed the need for more investigation about whether the virus leaked from a laboratory.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday issued a statement on the theory and teams investigation in Wuhan. Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, the head of the team, earlier this week claimed the lab leak theory was unlikely and didnt require more investigation.

But Tedros appeared to dispute Embareks comments, saying more investigation is warranted.

The independent expert team to study the origins of the COVID-19 virus has completed its trip to China  The expert team is still working on its final report, and we look forward to receiving both the report and a full briefing, Tedros remarked, while adding that the investigation has been a very important scientific exercise in very difficult circumstances.

He went on to say: Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded. I want to clarify that all hypotheses remain open and require further study. Tedros did not elaborate.

A security personnel stands guard as members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the COVID-19, make a visit to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, in Chinas central Hubei Province on Feb. 3, 2021. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Embarek earlier this week implied the virus was introduced into Wuhan from elsewhere, saying there was no evidence showing the novel coronavirus had spread in Wuhan prior to December 2019, despite some studies saying otherwise.

The teams visit to China was heavily controlled by the CCP, with journalists kept well away and the absence of a publicly available full itinerary.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) accused the WHO of repeating CCP talking points by saying the virus didnt originate in a laboratory in Wuhan.

Shameful. At the outset of the pandemic, the WHO acted as a propagandist for communist China, echoing the CCPs lies, the Texas Republican wrote on Twitter on Feb. 10. Now, the WHO concludes that the virus did not accidentally escape from a Wuhan govt lab becausethe CCP told them it didnt.

Gordon Chang, author of The Coming Collapse of China and noted China critic, told The Epoch Times that the mission was designed to fail.

This is a parroting of a Beijing narrative, Chang told The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders program. This just shows you that the WHO mission is completely worthlessactually is worse than worthless because its throwing people off the trail.

According to a report from The Associated Press, the CCP has controlled scientific research connected to the virus outbreak and barred researchers from talking to news outlets. And, it noted, state-run media outlets essentially ran disinformation campaigns about the origins of the virus.

The clampdown comes from the top, the AP article stated, referring to bosses in the ruling communist party.

Theres so much speculation around the origins of this virus, Jonna Mazet, a founding executive director of the UC Davis One Health Institute, said of the lack of cooperation on behalf of the CCP, noting that American scientists were not able to conduct investigations inside China. We need to step backand let scientists get the real answer without the finger-pointing.


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CHESTER - Fuss & ONeill Senior Vice President Virgil Lloyd, PE, a Chester resident, has been named the 2021 President of the New England Water Environment Association, according to a statement.

Lloyd has more than four decades in wastewater systems engineering, and has been with Fuss & ONeill for 20 years. He has served as past chair of NEWEAs CSO/Wet Weather Issues Committee and is an active board member of the Connecticut Water Pollution Abatement Association. As president of NEWEA, he has identified a theme of focusing on inclusion, diversity, and equity, according to the statement.

Lets not be afraid of change, but embrace it, Lloyd said in a recent speech. There has been progress, but it is slow. Lets work together to navigate NEWEA through the tides of change, to work together to foster diversity and to be leaders of change - in NEWEA, as well as in our own organizations and our individual lives. By making NEWEA an organization where everyone feels empowered, valued, respected, and safe, we will bring more people into the discussion, with diverse backgrounds and points of view. This will make us a stronger, more creative, more innovative, and more dynamic organization. This is how we will build a self-sustaining formula for success.

Lloyd says he intends to work with the executive committee and the senior management team to support and promote new activities, outreach programs, and educational opportunities in the coming months. For more information about Lloyd, visit www.fando.com/author/vlloyd/. For more information about NEWEA, visit www.newea.org.

Womens club offering scholarships

The Central CT Community Women's Club has been very busy planning some events this year.

The club is offering two $500 scholarships to graduating seniors continuing their education, who are residents of Berlin, Cromwell, Middletown, Middlefield, Newington, Rocky Hill and Wethersfield. Applications have been sent to the guidance offices at each town's high school and are also available or can be submitted online at centralctcommunitywomensclub.com/scholarship. The due date is April 1.

Club holding clothing collection drive

CROMWELL  The Central CT Community Women's Club is sponsoring a Community Clothing Collection through April.

Members are collecting any size and style of gently used clothing for men, women, and children (no undergarments or bathing suits). Donations will be used to benefit a town-wide clothing sale planned for April 24.

Donation bins are located at The Cage, 14 Alcap Ridge and FOUND Apparel, Willowbrook Plaza, both in Cromwell. CCCWC is a charitable non-profit organization, dedicated to community service and to promote common interests in education, philanthropy, public health, civic and fine arts. For more information, see Upcoming Events at centralctcommunitywomensclub.com

Nominations sought for Woman of the Year

CROMWELL  Nominations from the general public are being accepted for the Cromwell Woman of the Year Award, presented by the Central CT Community Womens Club.

This award is intended to recognize a female citizen of Cromwell who has distinguished herself through contributions to the community. Nominees should display characteristics that include but are not limited to: supporting and leading community projects, aiding those persons less fortunate, and living in a manner that inspires respect and admiration. Nominees cannot currently be serving as an elected official. In the spirit of acknowledging service to the Cromwell community, the club reinstated the award in 1982. Nominations are scored on leadership, community impact, developing others, presence, and dedication to the community. Online forms are available at centralctcommunitywomensclub.com

Library holding Bid for Brainerd auction

HADDAM  A wide variety of items ranging from antiques to jewelry to gift cards will be available during Brainerd Memorial Librarys online auction, Bid for Brainerd, located on Bidding Owl.com, starting March 19.

The 10-day-long nonprofit event will raise funds for adult and childrens programs at the library, which is undergoing a physical renovation during Covid.

More than 150 items will be available, and bidders will be able to track the status of each item. During the bidding period there will be opportunities to view items at Haddam Elementary School.

Items that have been donated for the auction include jewelry, wine, furniture, getaways, antiques, gift cards for goods and services and gift baskets.

The Taste Of Middlesex County starts Monday

MIDDLETOWN  The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce announced that the sixth annual Taste of Middlesex County is here! Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the chamber is reinventing the Taste of Middlesex County in order to meet Connecticut Safety Guidelines and to help support our local restaurants by offering two tasty weeks in 2021: Feb. 15-21 and June 21-27.

These restaurant weeks are designed to highlight the numerous and diverse dining experiences within the greater Middlesex region. Participating restaurants have come up with ideas such as a fixed price menu ($20.21 or $30.21), meals for two, family meals, or dine-in/carry-out options.

Participating restaurants so far include: 1741 Pub & Grill in Middlefield, Eli Cannons Tap Room in Middletown, Fire at the Ridge & Ridgeside Tavern in Middlefield, Scotch Plains Tavern in Essex, and Water's Edge Resort & Spa in Westbrook.

If you love gourmet meals and scoring a bargain, the Middlesex Chamber encourages community members to save your appetite for these particular weeks!

To learn more or to register your restaurant to participate, please visit https://www.middlesexchamber.com/pages/taste-of-middlesex-county, or follow updates on social media by searching the hashtag #TasteOfMiddlesex.
Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 1:00 am

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  Jesus (Luke 10:2)

A couple years ago, my wife and I took some youth from our community to a gathering where they were able to meet missionaries from around the world.

One was a graduate of my first undergraduate seminary, Ozark Christian College. His story is remarkably fascinating. It is said he likely impacted millions of people around the world, yet sacrificed a potentially huge business/political career in the U.S., preferring to return to his home country to share Jesus with destitute and impoverished people.

His sacrifice and service is worth noting, especially now.

Etienne "Stephen" Prophete stood out on the stage as he spoke with passion and wisdom. Our youth were motivated by him, as were all adults in the room. Afterwards, he spoke with me and asked if the next time I was in the Dominican Republic I could go down to Haiti and do some lectures for his church and school leaders. I told him I would look into it and look forward to the possibilities.

Understand that my first experience in the Dominican Republic was a shock to me. I had been to other developing countries -- the politically incorrect term being "third-world countries" -- but this one was more disturbing.

The poverty, the danger, the crimes, the corruption, the traffic, the lack of infrastructure, the overall sense of hopelessness, the extreme contrast between the wealthy and resorts and the average people, etc. -- theres just so much negativity. Even so, I was continually reminded Haiti is far worse.

Both countries are on the same island, and both are so impoverished and way behind other countries.

Stephen, the missionary, graduated Ozark Christian College in 1974. Turning down huge offers of nearly guaranteed financial success in the United States, he followed the call of Christ, which meant a lifelong vow of poverty in a developing country. His clear impact on at least 100,000 Haitians has had a ripple effect, likely reaching millions around the world. This one man has made a difference. One person, heeding the call of Jesus, can impact many.

On Feb. 5, 2021, God called Stephen home. His mission will continue under the leadership of his son. Still, when we lose such a servant-leader on earth, the pain is very real. A hole is left for sure. Who will God raise up next to be a world-changer? Who will hear the call of Christ and make a difference?

Do you hear Gods call? Do you realize God can change many people for the better if more will follow and lead as He calls. Will you go wherever He leads?

One can make a difference. You can make a difference. The need is great, but who will rise up?

ETIENNE STEPHEN PROPHETE

December 27, 1939- February 5, 2021 (81)



Pastor Jeff Adams is a professional Christian counselor who travels the world teaching but serves our community. His column appears weekly. He can be reached by email at jeffreydadams@hotmail.com.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell assures that the European Union is unwavering in its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and intends to continue to apply economic sanctions against Russia until the Minsk agreements are implemented.

"I reassure the Prime Minister [of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal] with European Union's unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine's independency, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. This is a message that I also pass in my meeting last week to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov including the need to fulfill and implement the Minsk Agreements," Borrell said following the meeting of the seventh EU-Ukraine Association Council, which took place on Thursday in Brussels.

He recalled that the EU does not recognize Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.

"We will continue to fully support the diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will continue to support the efforts in the Normandy Four format, the Trilateral Contact Group and the OSCE format. The duration of our economic sanctions against Russia remains linked to the complete implementation of the Minsk Agreements," the High Representative of the European Union said.

Borrell noted that the partnership with Ukraine for the EU "is strategically important" and "is very significant to us."

"It reflects the wide range of areas of our cooperation as well as frequency of our exchanges. The Association Agreement is more wide reaching than any other Agreement the European Union has with any of our other partners. And it has delivered much for Ukrainian citizens and also for us. Today, we have reaffirmed our mutual commitments to strengthening the political association and the economic integration. In our exchanges, I underlined the European Union's solidarity with Ukrainian people in face of the coronavirus [COVID-19] pandemic," he said.

At the same time, he recalled that the European Union has already provided the significant overall financial assistance to Ukraine. "We are talking about EUR 16 billion since 2014, and we are already helping Ukraine to gain access to vaccine through COVAX. And we are also exploring ways to further support Ukraine through a vaccine mechanism at the European Union level," the High Representative of the European Union said.
Multiple body parts have been found across crime scenes in Philadelphia, according to local authorities looking to see if the cases are possibly linked.

Officers with the Philadelphia Police Department found a dismembered body in a trash bag in the back of a U-Haul truck during a traffic stop on Thursday at around 9am on the 1000 block of Sanibel Street in the Somerton area of the city.

Someone had called 911 for a burglary in progress, telling authorities that the U-Haul truck had been seen leaving the scene, investigators told ABC 6.

Scroll down for video.

Officers with the Philadelphia Police Department found a dismembered body in a trash bag in the back of a U-Haul truck during a traffic stop

Someone had called 911 for a burglary in progress, telling authorities that the U-Haul truck had been seen leaving the scene

The driver and the passenger inside the rental vehicle did not try to run when the U-Haul was pulled over by police.

According to police spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp, the driver was extremely forthcoming about the contents of the vehicle.

'The vehicle pulled over, and as soon as the officers got out of the car the driver of the U-Haul just came right out the door and said, "I don't want anything to do with this," and "There's a body in the back,'" Gripp said.

Both the driver and the passenger were taken into custody. Authorities also found a weapon in the back of the truck.

Both the driver and the passenger were taken into custody

Officers discovered a leg and a hand on Thursday night, in a dumpster behind a Wawa convenience store at Kelvin Street and Bustleton Avenue

So far, the two men taken into custody have not been charged with a crime.

Meanwhile, officers discovered a leg and a hand later that day, on Thursday night, in a dumpster behind a Wawa convenience store at Kelvin Street and Bustleton Avenue.

The scene was less than a third of a mile away from where the dismembered body had been found.

Police said that the body parts could belong to the same person.

On the previous day, Sgt. Gripp said police had conducted a welfare check on the Sanibel Street home of Peter Gerold Wednesday after a neighbor called.

While police found nothing unusual when they arrived, neighbors did tell them that Gerold car's had been missing for a week.

Sgt. Gripp said police conducted a welfare check on the Sanibel Street home of Peter Gerold Wednesday after a neighbor called

Pieces of body parts were found in an unattached garage behind Gerold's home

Later, pieces of body parts were found in an unattached garage behind Gerold's home, police shared. They also said it appeared someone tried to burn a body.

Police have not indicated whether the body found has been identified as Gerold - known for operating a Kneading You Therapy massage practice out of his home.

One neighbor told ABC-6 that Gerold was known for offering people work around his house and that he might have been too trusting.

Neighbors said that Gerold was friendly with the community, delivering honey he grew to their homes and known for his love for his exotic pets.

'He was always willing to help people no matter what; it's so sad,' said next door neighbor Tiffany McLean said.

Gerold was also known for lending a helping hand to people and may have been too trusting, said neighbor Linda Xander.

'We figured he was always helping them do something, you know...I guess this is his payback for doing something nice,' said Xander.
Each year, over 400,000 personal injury cases are filed across the United States. From medical malpractice to car accidents, personal injury attorneys handle situations where negligent behavior is suspected from one or more parties. With over 93,000 accident attorneys in the United States, it is important that you seek expertise from a firm you can trust, like Hasbrook. These specialists are known for seeking justice for their client base. In this article, we will outline the various situations that may solicit the assistance of a personal injury lawyer.

1. Car Accident

In most cases, car accidents are caused by a driver who is being dismissive or negligent. Many accidents result in massive injuries or fatalities. With the time and money that is required to recover from a life-altering accident, victims commonly want to seek assistance for the damages that they incurred. Lawyers help seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses that are needed to reconcile the full scope of the damage. When you work with a professional, you can trust that they will get the job done. In addition, these attorneys know the adequate steps that need to be taken to fairly compensate the victim.

2. Medical Malpractice

In medical malpractice cases, individuals suffer unwarranted injuries based on the behavior of another party. Whether a surgeon botched a procedure or a doctor prescribed a harmful medicine, you can seek justice and be compensated for the damage that was done. In most cases, no amount of money can make up for the life-altering challenges that the victim will face. Attorneys will help victims identify the wrongful behavior and prove that there was gross negligence that caused the harm.

3. Slip and Fall

If you slip and fall on someone else's property, your case can be argued with an attorney. In many cases, slips happen at restaurants or in the public vicinity. Typically, slip and fall cases are filed for facilities that have torn carpet, bad lighting, or slippery flooring. It is important that businesses are held responsible for these damages so that they can ensure that a similar accident does not happen again in the future.

4. Defective Products

If you purchase a product that is defective and it harms you, you may be qualified to pursue a suit against the manufacturer. In many cases, defective components are found in products such as medical devices, vehicle parts, baby toys, or foods. When put in the wrong hands, these defective items can cause lifelong damages to the user. Especially with baby accessories, harmful products or ingredients can have major impacts on lifelong development.

Summary

There are many types of cases that can be filed with personal injury attorneys. With hundreds of thousands of cases being filed each year, it is important that you find a specialist that has the capacity to prioritize your case and fight for justice. Look for attorneys that have experience working with the specific type of case that you are filing. When you work with an experienced professional, you can ensure that the individual is well-versed and knowledgeable in the field.
Pope tells a delegation from the European Institute for International Studies that an integrated approach to defending and promoting the rights of all is incumbent upon both political and religious leaders, for it is precisely a culture of encounter that can provide a basis to a more united and reconciled world.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis met today with a delegation from the European Institute for International Studies, led by Card Anders Arborelius, O.C.D., Bishop of Stockholm.

In his address, the pontiff stressed that culture of encounter that can provide a basis to a more united and reconciled world. For this to happen, political and religious leaders must promote a culture in which minds and hearts need to be in harmony in pursuing the universal common good and seek the integral development of every man and woman, with no exception or unjust discrimination  .

The continued global health crisis has painfully highlighted the urgent need to promote a culture of encounter for the whole human family, and for all men and women to be passionate about meeting others, seeking points of contact, building bridges, planning a project that includes everyone (Fratelli Tutti, 216). In this context, I especially welcome the efforts being made to respond to the opportunities and challenges that this poses for the worlds religions.

As academics and diplomats from different countries, you and your colleagues have an important role in promoting such a culture. By its very nature, your contribution must be grounded both in reasoned analysis and an orientation to practical and relational applications and outcomes, with particular concern for the rights of the poorest and most marginalized.

In our day, such an integrated approach to defending and promoting the rights of all is incumbent upon both political and religious leaders, for it is precisely a culture of encounter that can provide a basis to a more united and reconciled world. Only this culture, moreover, can lead to sustainable justice and peace for all, as well as genuine care for our common home.

As mankind continues to face the uncertainties and challenges of the present, I encourage you to remain committed to the search for new and creative paths leading to the growth of this culture of encounter, for the sake also of the concord and wellbeing of future generations.
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Finishing high school five years ago marked the beginning of a difficult transition period for Alec Lesmond. Youre trying to decide where to go next, youve had this community, and now youre being thrown into the open world and it feels like the rest of your life depends on the decision you make, he said.

He imagines it will be even more challenging for the Class of 2020, who are entering their adult lives without the same level of social interaction or certainty as the students before them. Its why Mr Lesmond has chosen to take on a facilitator role with a new Year 13 support program, run by the Banksia Project, to help year 12 students with their post-school adjustment.

Will Begg, a Year 13 student, with Alec Lesmond. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The program will be rolled out for new graduates of three Sydney private boys schools this year - Cranbrook, Saint Ignatius College Riverview and St Josephs in Hunters Hill - and offer recent graduates access to monthly virtual support sessions with former students, who will take them through modules designed by mental health clinicians.

Its one of several mental health initiatives being offered to students this year, as schools and services providers respond to concerns for young peoples wellbeing during the pandemic.
(Natural News) One of the most dystopian claims made by the so-called mainstream media in the age of President Donald Trump is that he is a liar and that the conservative and independent, non-corporate media are fake news that spread tinfoil hat conspiracies.

In reality, the only reality reported during Trumps four-year term came from the independent and right-leaning media. Mainstream outlets routinely published whatever lies, garbage and fake news was belched to them by the deep state. Time and time again.

The Russian collusion hoax is a textbook example. For years, literally, outlets like The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, the L.A. Times, MSNBC, and the networks pushed the narrative that Trump was a Manchurian candidate  a Russian dupe doing the bidding of Vladimir Putin, even as he rebuilt the U.S. military (not in Moscows best interests) and chided our NATO allies to boost their own military spending to protect the continent from Russian armies.

There were a multitude of other, albeit lesser, lies and fake news stories, all of which were designed to undermine Trump at every turn and destroy his ability to carry out his America First, Swamp Last agenda.

Along the way, the very same media began to adopt a fundamentally anti-First Amendment stance towards outlets that did not toe the Democratic Party line, especially after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol Building, which mainstream journos falsely blamed on Trump while falsely labeling it an insurrection.

Mainstream outlets featured guests and analysts who not only cheered on the censorship of conservatives and Trump supporters on social media, but they called for more of it, on the basis of curbing disinformation  when in fact, they are the purveyors of disinformation.

Now, some protectors of free speech, a free press, and free expression are punching back.

A new app allows Twitter users to automatically block around 800 New York Times reporters and journalists, giving them a taste of the same online cancel culture they support against their ideological rivals.

Its time to block, says an introductory tweet from @blocknyt (www.blocknyt.com). Twitter users have begun mass-blocking New York Times-linked accounts to control the flood of corporate disinformation online.

For a limited time, block 800 NYT reporters for the low price of $0, the post notes further.

It's time to block. Twitter users have begun mass-blocking New York Times-linked accounts to control the flood of corporate disinformation online. Now, a new app automates the process. For a limited time, block 800 NYT reporters for the low price of $0. https://t.co/P0MuarxDRJ  Block the New York Times (@blocknyt) February 8, 2021

On the apps website, visitors are greeted with several mock Times stories including one major headline that reads, NYT BLOCKED: Blocks Take The Lead In Fight Against Disinformation; New App Blocks 800 NYT Reporters In Seconds.

Below that headline is a link to download the app.

Many of the mock articles contain details about the papers regular failings.

The New York Times Company now faces an economic and reputational reckoning. Employees are revolting, traffic is plummeting, colleagues are scathing, and readers are blocking, another teasing headline says.

Cade Metz and Pui-Wing Tam, senior employees of the New York Times Company, set out to intentionally reveal the identity of a private citizen against his will. An outcry ensued, and the paper backed down, but the damage was done, another story notes.

After downloading the app, it instructs users that they can also uninstall it.

But once the notice was posted on Twitter, several users immediately asked if whoever developed the Times blocker could also develop additional blockers for more mainstream outlets.

Now, there is a catch: To install the app, you have to agree to several permissions that some may find objectionable, suspicious, or just weird. Also, there is no telling who is actually behind its development.

But its a fun concept, nevertheless: Blocking those who cheer for others who dont agree with them to be blocked.

See more reporting like this at Disinfo.news.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
The logo of Google is seen in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan 20, 2020. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

Australia Report Says Make Google and Facebook Pay for News

CANBERRA, AustraliaAustralias Parliament will debate making Google and Facebook pay for news after a Senate committee on Friday recommended no changes to drafts of the worlds first such laws.

The Senate Economics Legislation Committee has been scrutinizing the bill since it was introduced in Parliament in December.

The senators rejected Facebook and Googles arguments that the so-called media bargaining code, which would force the digital giants to negotiate payment to Australian news media for the news content to which the platforms link, was unworkable.

But the committee also recognized that the legislation carried risks and should be reviewed after a year.

The committee accepts that there remains the possibility that not all risks have been taken into account, and that further refinement may be needed to the arbitration mechanism and other parts of the code so that they work in an optimum manner, the report said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said his department would review the law a year after it took effect to ensure it is delivering outcomes that are consistent with the governments policy intent.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down the updated economic and fiscal outlook in Canberra, Australia, on Dec 17, 2020. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

The government expects all parties to continue to work constructively towards reaching commercial agreements in the spirit of collaboration and good faith encouraged by the code, he added.

Parliament is scheduled to consider the bill on Tuesday and the conservative government hopes it will be approved during the next two-week sitting.

The bills passage is guaranteed in the House of Representatives where the government holds a majority of seats, unlike in the Senate.

Google continues to hold out hope for amendments.

We look forward to engaging with policymakers through the parliamentary process to address our concerns and achieve a code that works for everyonepublishers, digital platforms, and Australian businesses and users, Google Director Lucinda Longcroft said.

Google has ramped up its campaign against the proposed law, telling the committee last month that the platform would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the code were introduced.

Google has not responded to a request from The Associated Press for an explanation of how it would go about excluding Australia from its search function.

Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, on Oct. 23, 2019. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

Facebook has threatened to prevent its users from sharing Australian news.

Facebook said Friday it hoped Australia would legislate a workable solution that truly protects the long-term sustainability of the news industry.

Former President Donald Trumps administration had also opposed the model and requested Australia suspend any plans to finalize the law.

The U.S. government is concerned that any attempt, through legislation, to regulate the competitive positions of specific players in a fast-evolving digital market, to the clear detriment of two U.S. firms, may result in harmful outcomes, Assistant U.S. Trade Representatives Daniel Bahar and Karl Ehlers wrote in a submission to the committee dated Jan. 15 under the letterhead Executive Office of the President.

But Google rival Microsoft supports the law. Microsoft President Brad Smith on Friday called for the United States to consider adopting similar laws.

A sign of Microsoft Corps Bing search engine is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 21, 2018. (Reuters/Stringer)

Google accused Microsoft, whose search engine Bing is the second most popular in Australia, of making false claims.

Microsofts take on Australias proposed law is unsurprisingof course theyd be eager to impose an unworkable levy on a rival and increase their market share, Google Senior Vice President Kent Walker said.

Australias proposed code aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants source 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.

Google announced last week that it had begun paying seven Australian news websites under its own model, Google News Showcase. Google is paying participating publishers to provide paywalled content to News Showcase users through the model that it launched in October.

Google has reached pay deals with more than 450 publications globally through News Showcase.

By Rod McGuirk
Two missions to Mars successfully entered orbit around the fourth planet in the solar system this week: the Hope spacecraft built by the United Arab Emirates and launched by Japan from the Tanegashima Space Center, on February 9, and the Tianwen-1 (heavenly questions) launched by China from the countrys Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, on February 10.

Artists conception of the Tianwen-1 rover getting ready to deploy across the surface of Mars. Credit: China New Service/Wikimedia Commons

A third mission will reach Mars next Thursday, the Mars 2020 rover and helicopter pair, named Perseverance and Ingenuity, respectively, launched by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

All three missions took advantage of the favorable conjunction between Earth and Mars, which occurs about every 26 months, when the two planets reach their closest approach to each other. The launch window varies slightly depending on the exact path taken to get to Mars, but it allowed all three spacecraft to arrive a mere seven months after launch, after a relatively short journey of about 493 million kilometers.

Once the spacecraft arrive in the vicinity of Mars, they must undertake an orbital insertion maneuver, one of the most difficult operations in space exploration. Spacecraft travel to Mars (and the other planets) at speeds of tens of kilometers per second, and must brake sharply and precisely to be captured by the planets gravity and enter orbit. The gravitational attraction of Mars is also much weaker, about 62 percent less than Earths. Moreover, the 22-minute round-trip required for radio signals between Earth and Mars means the entire process must be automated.

These challenges have meant that, since the Soviet Union first exploited this launch window 61 years ago, more than half of the 49 Mars missions have failed. Only in the last 25 years have successes overtaken failures.

Of course, many lessons on space travel have been learned in this arduous process. The Hope mission, in close collaboration with NASA, is the second time a countrys first mission to Mars safely entered orbit, following the success of Indias Mangalyaan probe in 2014. Tianwen-1 is only Chinas second attempt to reach Mars, and the first time the country built and launched the spacecraft mostly on its own (a previous joint mission with Russia failed to escape Earth orbit).

A rendering of the UAE Hope orbiter. Credit: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre/Wikimedia Commons

Satellites deployed in earlier missions are also informing the scientific objectives of each craft. Hope is designed to study the daily and seasonal weather cycles on Mars, and is slated to carefully analyze the red planets atmosphere for a full Martian year (about two Earth years). The primary mission is to understand why Mars lost so much of its atmosphere to space, a process that still continues today. Secondary objectives include mapping out a more complete picture of the more inclement weather cycles, such as the planets many dust storms.

Hope has three instruments in addition to its communications suite. The Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI) is a high-resolution camera designed to image water, ice, dust and aerosols in the Martian atmosphere at six different wavelengths. The Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS) will study the temperature characteristics of ice, water vapor and dust. The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) will use ultraviolet light to provide a better understanding of Mars thermosphere, as well as the planets oxygen and hydrogen content.

While these instruments are relatively commonplace, they will be filling a gap in the understanding of the Martian atmosphere, which has never been analyzed in such a complete manner. The mission objectives were decided in consultation with the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group, a NASA-led international team which coordinates Mars missions from multiple countries.

The Hope team also received assistance in designing and making the spacecraft and its instruments from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, Arizona State University, and the University of California, Berkeley. They received further aid from the Indian Space Research Organization, which shared its experiences with the Mangalyaan mission.

Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, deputy project manager for the mission, commented to CNNs Becky Anderson on the success of the orbital insertion that, I am grateful for the performance of the spacecraft, and what has made this mission remarkable, Becky, it is not only the 200 Emiratis working on this, but it is the 450 people from different continents, and from different backgrounds and beliefs. This is truly an international endeavor, and this is what science needs to be. This is what exploration is all about.

Tianwen-1 is a more sophisticated spacecraft, which includes a Mars orbiter, lander and rover. The lander and rover are set to deploy in May or June of this year after a close approach of the orbiter of about 265 kilometers to map the landing site in Utopia Planitia. The high resolution camera on board Tianwen-1 is capable of achieving a resolution of better than two meters at that height.

If the rover successfully lands, China will be the third country to achieve a soft landing on Mars, following the Soviet Union and the United States.

Other instruments on board the Tianwen-1 orbiter include a medium resolution camera, a magnetometer, a spectrometer, a subsurface radar, and two different particle analyzers. One of the particle analyzers, the Mars Energetic Particle Analyzer, has been operating since six days after the spacecrafts launch last July to study the environment between Earth and Mars, and how that changes in Martian orbit. This is similar to the role of the Radiation Assessment Detector on board NASAs Curiosity rover.

The rover has its own suite of instruments, including ground-penetrating radar, another magnetic field detector, a weather station, a navigation camera and two tools to study planetary geology. The solar panel-powered rover is slated to use these platforms to chemically analyze the Martian soil, looking for potential signs of past and (less likely) present life. It will add to the growing body of knowledge about the past and potential habitability of the red planet.

As part of its scheduled 90-day mission, the rover will also cache rock and soil samples for a future sample-return mission, which China has slated for the 2030s. If this 90-day mission is anything like the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, the rover will still be taking data and doing science even then.

Even if the rover does not land, both the Tianwen-1 and Hope are already successes, joining the constellation of satellites that have been studying Mars continuously for the past 20 years. These include the still operational Mars Odyssey and Mars Express, launched in 2001 and 2003 respectively, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mangalyaan, MAVEN and ExoMars.

If the rover does make it to the surface, it will be joining the Curiosity rover and InSight lander as part of the ongoing surface exploration of the planet, which has been ongoing since 2004. The whole mission is being supported by teams in Argentina, France and Austria.

Of course, the international collaboration necessary for each mission has not stopped a spate of nationalism from the governments of both China and the UAE. In contrast to the comments from Al Amiri, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, proclaimed that the Hope mission was solely a triumph for Arab civilization.

Moreover, this spacecraft as a whole was designed to reach Mars around the time of the countrys 50th anniversary. And the success was projected onto the side of the Burj Khalifa, the skyscraper which is a symbol of the crushing social and economic inequality in the region and around the world, and which had construction costs more than seven times higher than the paltry $200 million expended on the Hope mission.

Similar comments were issued at the time of Tianwen-1s launch by Chinese officials. Bao Weimin, a senior director at the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation declared that the exploration of Mars by China is a manifestation of the countrys scientific and technological strength.

It is also a measure of Chinas military capacity, which think tanks and the Pentagon in the US are painfully aware of. If a country can thread a spacecraft to orbit Mars and even land on it, it is more than capable of launching missiles with pinpoint accuracy against targets on its own planet. A great scientific achievement at the same time exacerbates international rivalries and extends them into outer space.

Such rivalries also limited the Chinese mission. There is no reason that a second rover on the scale of Perseverance, which is many times the mass and complexity of the Tianwen-1 rover, could not have been sent on the rocket launched from Wenchang, except that NASA workers are barred from such close collaboration with their Chinese counterparts. It has meant that, both for its Moon and Mars rovers, China has had to literally reinvent wheels to drive on those other worlds.

That the UAE launched spacecraft with the support of the United States and Japan is another indication of international tensions, this time US aggression against Iran. The UAE has traditionally been used by Iran, a few miles across the Strait of Hormuz, to send and receive goods that have been embargoed by other nations, usually the US. The close collaboration between the United States and UAE is no doubt concerning for Iranian ruling circles, further encircling the already isolated country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled the progress of the country's infrastructure plan to stimulate the economy and promote growth during his State of the Nation Address (Sona), which includes smart cities.

Lanseria smart city

Water projects and roads

President Ramaphosa: Resources have been committed from the fiscus to support the construction and rehabilitation of the major N1, N2, and N3 highways. #SONA2021  Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) February 11, 2021

"Two years ago I spoke about the dream of building new cities that will enable us to make a break with apartheids spatial development," he said."Since the announcement of the Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, we have launched two major human settlements projects that will provide homes to almost 68,000 households in the Gauteng province."The Lanseria Smart City, the first new city to be built in a democratic South Africa, is now a reality in the making. The draft masterplan for this smart city  which will become home to between 350,000 to 500,000 people within the next decade  was completed in November 2020 and is now out for public comment," he said.Similar human settlements projects are planned in other provinces.Progress is being made on several major water infrastructure projects, he said. These include Phase 2A of the Mokolo and Crocodile River project, and the uMkhomazi Water Project.The Infrastructure Investment Plan identifies roads projects worth R19bn covering the spine of the South African road network.These infrastructure projects will lead to the revival of the construction industry and the creation of much-needed jobs, Ramaphosa said.The R100bn Infrastructure Fund is now in full operation will blend resources from the fiscus with financing from the private sector and development institutions. This includes In addition, Its approved project pipeline for 2021 is varied and includes the Student Housing Infrastructure Programme, which aims to provide 300,000 student beds.
Vedanta Resources Executive Chairman Anil Agarwal on Friday said he has partnered with London-based global investment firm Centricus for creating a $10 billion fund that will invest in stake sale of public sector companies by the Indian government.

Earlier, Agarwal had praised the Budget's focus on disinvestment. In a tweet, he announced his tie up with Centricus.

Teamed up with London-based firm Centricus to create a $10 bn fund that will invest in stake sale of public sector companies. We are excited with the Union Budget's strong focus on disinvestment and would like to participate in the exercise. - Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) February 12, 2021

Also read: BPCL sale: Anil Agarwal's Vedanta in talks with banks to raise $8 billion

Agarwal said Hindustan Zinc and Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd, former public sector companies which were taken over by Vednata, show the group's record in turning around companies post disinvestment.

.@Hindustan_Zinc & @Balco_India exemplify our track record of turning around companies post disinvestment without retrenching a single employee.@VedantaLimited #DeshKiZarooratonKeLiye - Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) February 12, 2021

Vedanta has also put in bids for government's stake sale in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

In her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had promised continuation of the disinvestment agenda, and also gave the highlights of the strategic disinvestment policy for central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) approved by the government.

"In strategic sectors, there will be bare minimum presence of the public sector enterprises. The remaining CPSEs in the strategic sector will be privatised or merged or subsidiarised with other CPSEs or closed," as per the policy. Besides, CPSEs in non-strategic sectors will also be privatised or closed.

The government has set a target of raising Rs 1.75 lakh crore from disinvestment in 2021-22.

Also read: Restarting stalled mines can help achieve $5 trillion economy target: Anil Agarwal

Also read: Privatisation spree: Govt may bring down number of PSUs to 24

(JNS)  International Holocaust Remembrance Day is meant to serve two purposes: to memorialize the victims of the Nazi genocide and help prevent future genocides. Last week, on Jan. 27, the day designated by the U.N. General Assembly for this annual commemoration, both purposes were insufficiently served.

Ill give credit where its due. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made an appropriate statement: Today, we honor the memory of the 6 million Jews and millions of others who were systematically murdered in the Holocaust by the Nazis and their collaborators.

He added a fa...


The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

Support to Turkish fishermen for the maintenance of their boats

February 12,2021 | Source: Railly News

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality provides material support to small-scale fishermen affiliated with fisheries cooperatives for the maintenance of their boats. The Metropolitan Municipality has approached the end of the field study where the demands were evaluated. The project has been welcomed by fishermen who are having a difficult time economically.



Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is working to provide small-scale fishermen operating in aquaculture cooperatives with materials such as paint and paste that they need for boat maintenance. Approaching the end of the field work where the demands are evaluated, Metropolitan will begin the distribution of protective paints and putties after completing the material purchase.



Fishermen who own a licensed fishing boat of less than 11 meters and who are partners in the cooperative will be able to benefit from the project, which was approved by the Council decision dated 2021 January 12 and will last for three years. The project, in which approximately 25 cooperatives in the Peninsula were supported this year, will be extended to the fishermen in the Gediz and Bakrcay basins for the other two years. The Metropolitan aims to support small-scale fishermen who have economically difficult times with the support of boat maintenance equipment, one of the biggest expense items of the fishermen, to support the continuity of the traditional fishing profession, the protection of biodiversity, and the strengthening of cooperatives and organization.



Besides the metropolitan fisheries cooperatives



The project, to find solutions to the reflection in Izmir global fishing crisis in order voicing started Izmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunc Soyer, "12 meters and is defined fishing boats at the bottom of it as a small-scale fish and despite the small size of more than 90 percent of fishing boats in Turkey they only meet 10 percent of the supply. This ratio actually tells us the situation of small-scale fisheries. However, we are hopeful that; The United Nations says it is possible to sustain small-scale fishing by giving more space to small-scale fishing in the fishing sector. We will do our part in this regard. Just as the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is next to small producers and producer cooperatives in agricultural production, it is also beside small-scale fisheries and aquaculture cooperatives. "



"Cooperative means unity, togetherness"



Buyuksehir's paint and paste support project was welcomed by fishermen. Metin Karan, President of Izmir Region Fisheries Cooperatives Union, thanked Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for the project and said, Small-scale fishermen need support. Most fishermen have debts to the bank. Fishermen are in a very difficult situation, especially due to the pandemic. Restaurants are closed on weekends, fish prices have dropped, he said. Pointing out that a small-scale fishing boat has a maintenance cost of 8-10 thousand lira every year, Metin Karan said, Generally, we do everything ourselves. But if we hire a master, it is necessary to give him 5 thousand liras. In this case, there is a cost of 15 thousand liras, he said. Emphasizing that only the fishermen who are the cooperative partners will benefit from the project, Karan said, "Cooperative means unity, solidarity."

Theme(s): Freshwater ecosystems and threats, Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods, Landing Centres, Others, Communities and Organisations, Coastal Ecosystems and Threats, Fisheries Resources, Fisheries Development and Aquaculture, Post Harvest Technology and Trade.

After that, who can say exactly what happened? Did Vice President Mike Pence and his family get rushed off the Senate floor and come shockingly close to people who were chanting, HANG MIKE PENCE? Yes, thats true if you believe in proximity and words. But like myself, Im sure Pence would respond to that by saying: It was truly the honor of my life to be almost murdered by the great patriot-tourists invited to our nations Capitol by my good friend, President Donald Trump.
Brasilia: A coronavirus variant identified in the Brazilian Amazon may be three times more contagious but early analysis suggests vaccines are still effective against it, the countrys health minister said, without providing evidence for the claims.

Under pressure as the variant hammers the states capital city Manaus with a devastating second wave of infections, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello sought to reassure Congress members that the surge of recent months was unexpected but coming under control.

He also told a Senate hearing that Brazil would vaccinate half its eligible population by June and the rest by the end of the year  an ambitious target as the country has barely guaranteed doses for half its population of more than 213 million.

A health worker gives a shot of Chinas Sinovac CoronaVac during a priority COVID-19 vaccination program for the elderly at a drive-thru site in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Credit:AP

It began immunisations with vaccines made by Chinas Sinovac Biotech and Britains AstraZeneca about three weeks ago. Pazuello did not explain how their effectiveness against the Manaus variant was analysed.
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Wellington, Feb 12 : New Zealand's first batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is set to arrive next week subject to transportation plans and quality temperature control, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday.

"We have been working behind the scenes to secure the timely arrival of vaccines for our border workers and their families and it's great they will arrive well within our scheduled timeframes," Ardern told a press conference.

"Government representatives have been in conversations with Pfizer on a constant basis for the last few weeks. We appreciate the effort the company has gone to deliver the first instalment earlier than originally anticipated.

"Last year we indicated the vaccine would arrive in quarter two, and earlier this year we updated that to quarter one. It's pleasing to be receiving doses this early in quarter one," Xinhua news agency quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

She said the arrival of the first batch of doses is an important milestone in New Zealand's fight against Covid-19, adding the country anticipates further deliveries through quarter one from Pfizer.

"Our first priority is our border workers, who we expect to vaccinate within two to three weeks followed by their household contacts. Health care and essential workers and those most at risk from Covid-19 will follow in quarter two, before vaccination of the wider population in the second half of the year," Ardern said.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the first vaccinations to border workers were on track to be administered in the same week as the vaccine's arrival in New Zealand.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine requires two doses and must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius.

"Systems and processes are in place for the first vaccinations to start once final checks have been completed," Hipkins said, adding the vaccine must be independently tested for quality assurance on arrival, which is another important safety check.

The vaccine will be offered to border and managed isolation workers on February 20, with the first jabs administered to those working in the Auckland region, he said.

As of Friday, New Zealand's registered coronavirus cases and deaths stood at 2,326 and 25, respectively.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
CHEYENNE  With lawmakers expected to weigh state budget cuts totaling tens of millions of dollars when they meet in Cheyenne next month, a poll of residents found that Wyomingites were most concerned over the possibility of cuts to the states K-12 education system, as well as potential tax increases.

The poll, which was spearheaded by Power Wyoming, an interdisciplinary group tasked with analyzing the states economic future, was presented to the Legislatures House Education Committee during a meeting Friday. The poll focused on five non-exclusive options before the state: raisin...
LADERA RANCH, Calif., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. ("SmartStop" or the "Company") today announced that the Company's operating brand SmartStop Self Storage was awarded Newsweek's Best Customer Service 2021 among Storage Center companies. SmartStop topped the list which was presented by Newsweek and Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data.

The results were determined by an independent survey of more than 25,000 U.S. customers and criteria which include quality of communication, professional competence, range of services, customer focus and accessibility. The complete list of winners and methodology can be found on Newsweek.

"The recognition by Newsweek is a reaffirmation of what we already know at SmartStopwe have the best customer service and employees in the self storage industry," said H. Michael Schwartz, Executive Chairman of SmartStop. "During a year when customer service was even more important to our business given the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to thank all of our employees for doing a tremendous job in working with our customers and earning this prestigious honor."

Schwartz continued, "We 'Think National and Act Local' across all aspects of our business, and we look forward to continually delivering exceptional customer service moving forward and improving the customer value proposition in the future."

About SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (SmartStop)

SmartStop is a self-managed REIT with a fully integrated operations team of approximately 390 self storage professionals focused on growing the SmartStop Self Storage brand. SmartStop, through its indirect subsidiary SmartStop REIT Advisors, LLC, also sponsors other self storage programs, including Strategic Storage Trust IV, Inc., a public non-traded REIT, and other private programs. SmartStop is the tenth-largest self storage company in the U.S., with approximately $1.7 billion of real estate assets under management, including an owned and managed portfolio of 150 properties in 19 states and Toronto, Canada and comprising approximately 101,000 units and 11.5 million rentable square feet. Additional information regarding SmartStop is available at www.smartstopselfstorage.com.



Contact:

David Corak

VP of Corporate Finance

SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc.

949-429-6600

[email protected]

SOURCE SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc.

Related Links

https://smartstopselfstorage.com


Registered patients previously barred from using medical marijuana while on probation may now light up, the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

This opinion says the law is the law, said Komorm, who represented the appellant in the case, and were going to make the ruling that the Medical Marijuana Act and the card associated with the patient protect them from ... penalty of any kind.

Its taken 13 years, but Michigan courts are finally fully recognizing the rights instilled by the 2008 voter-passed Medical Marijuana Act, said Farmington Hills-based defense attorney.

In Komorns opinion, although the ruling doesnt address the issue, the precedent should also apply to parolees or defendants on bond with release conditions that prohibit legal medical marijuana use.

The unanimous ruling issued in writing Thursday by Court of Appeals judges Mark J. Kavanaugh, Deborah A. Servitto and Thomas C. Cameron determined Medical marijuana law supersedes contradicting laws empowering judges to limit a wide array legal activity, such as alcohol consumption.

And thats because of specific language in the ballot initiative voters passed prohibits any penalty for compliant use of medical marijuana, Komorn said. Despite that, Komorn said judges frequently, especially in Grand Traverse County where the case arose, impose marijuana probation restrictions on registered pattients.

While arguing the medical marijuana probation condition in a lower court, Komorn said an opposing attorney said allowing medical marijuana use by his client was akin to letting people drink who are on probation for drunk driving.

Really, Komorn said was his incredulous response. Since when has there been a medical alcohol law?

The appellate case stems from a June 2019 road-rage incident involving 39-year-old Michael Thue, who eventually pleaded guilty to assault and battery for his role the incident.

His sentence includes a year of probation with a condition that he not use medical marijuana, even though he was a state-registered patient allowed to do so.

Thue fought the bond condition and initially lost. Komorn took the case to the Court of Appeals.

Michael E. Thue of Center for Compassion in Traverse City, shows off tattoos displaying THC and CBD molecules, which are one in the same.

Komorn said he didnt represent Thue during his criminal case and wouldnt disclose further details about the initial crime. Thue, who has the molecular structure of cannabis THC and CBD tattooed on his forearms, owns a Traverse City company that produces hemp-derived CBD products for therapeutic use.

Bottom line is that the court speaks through its opinions and judges are expected to keep up to date on developments like this case, said Michigan courts spokesman John Nevin, when asked how this will impact existing or future probation conditions. However, in addition, the Michigan Judicial Institute (the education arm of state Court Administration Office) sends judges regular updates on topics like this. And the State Bar of Michigan provides regular briefings for attorneys.

Nevin declined to comment on how the opinion might impact bond or parole conditions of a similar nature.

Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg said there would need to be changes made by the Legislature in order for the appellate ruling to apply to parolees or those free on bond.

There are no plans to appeal, Moeggenberg told MLive by email Friday evening. While the result is problematic, the reasoning of the court is sound.

For those who are currently on probation and have a current and valid Medical marijuana card, probation cannot be revoked if they are using in compliance with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.

The full opinion:

More on MLive:

New taxes, stock market proposed to boost minority investment

Michigan to increase access to marijuana market

Michigan businesses licensed tow grow over 500,000 plants

Marijuana thrives in market changed by the coronavirus

Spouses of licensees may be able to work for government

A prior marijuana conviction could be a good thing
[February 12, 2021] Achiko Establishes Joint Venture with PT Indonesia Farma Medis for Production and Distribution of its Test Platform for Covid-19 in Indonesia

Achiko Signs Agreement with PT Indonesia Farma Medis to Establish a New Joint Venture, including a Contract with PT Mitra Asa Pratama and a Memorandum of Understanding with PT Pharos Indonesia, Completion Subject to Formal Approvals





Test Kits Will Be Integrated with Achikos Teman Sehat (Health Buddy) Mobile App to Address Growing Demand for Covid-19 Testing in Indonesia





The Joint Venture and the Contracts are a Precursor to Product Registration, Currently Planned to be Filed in the Next Few Weeks

ZURICH, Switzerland, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achiko AG (SWX: ACHI, ISIN CH0522213468) (Achiko, the Company) and PT Indonesia Farma Medis (PIFM) have signed an agreement to establish the joint venture company PT Achiko Medika Indonesia (PAMI) for the production, distribution and marketing of its testing platform developed from Project Gumnuts for Indonesia. Khairudin Gustam, Chief Executive Officer of PIFM said: As Covid-19 cases across Indonesia have surged past the one million mark and the contagiousness of the disease continues to severely disrupt the economy, the need for mass market testing becomes apparent. The economy needs to find a way to function, but given the size and population of Indonesia, reliance on PCR testing is not enough. Additional testing methods for Covid-19 are needed and we believe the Project Gumnuts technology is a key solution to help the country and the economy get back on their feet. Indonesia is a country of over 270 million people spread across several thousand islands. It is currently recording the highest number of cases, rates of positivity and fatality rates in Southeast Asia. Phase 1 testing for Project Gumnuts has been concluded recently, achieving preliminary values of 91% sensitivity and 85% specificity. Further optimization studies are currently being conducted in Spain and Indonesia to meet the World Health Organizations (WHO) standards. We are proud to be involved with Achikos development and look forward to the availability of Gumnuts for Indonesians, as most low-cost rapid tests are too expensive for daily testing. The price point and convenience that Gumnuts can offer will enable tens of millions of people the ability to test almost daily. This will be a powerful tool in stopping the spread and beating Covid-19 and other pathogens, said the Mayor of Pekanbaru in Indonesia, Dr. H. Firdaus S.T., M.T. Achiko holds 50% of the PT Achiko Medika Indonesia joint venture registered today. PIFM and Achiko will jointly manufacture and assemble Project Gumnuts test kits for the Indonesian market, with PIFM tasked with the distribution and marketing, and Achiko earning a 10% licensing fee from gross sales. As new tests are developed, they will be similarly assembled and sold in the country. Part of the joint venture is a contract with PT Mitra Asa Pratama (Mitra) and a memorandum of understanding with PT Pharos Indonesia (Pharos), along with several other companies, which are all subject to regulatory approval. Mitra is a leading distributor of medical and diagnostic devices in Indonesia, with vast network reach into government, healthcare institutions and retail markets, and will help with further distribution and marketing. Pharos is one of Indonesias largest pharmaceutical conglomerates with reach into two of the biggest pharmacy groups in the country, developing and marketing innovative products in Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia, with manufacturing facilitie in Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam. They will be responsible for assembly, distribution, and marketing. The Company has also started to engage in several other commercial arrangements in Indonesia.



We are excited to be part of the fight against Covid-19 and all its successors and look forward to working with Achiko and PIFM to get this platform to market in the first half of 2021 as soon as the approval from the Ministry of Health is secured, said Ida Nurtika, Director of Corporate Communication at PT Pharos Indonesia. The need for an effective and efficient diagnostic tool is increasing dramatically. We are proud to be able to use our expertise in healthcare distribution to help Achikos team deliver on this very important initiative, to collectively help the people of Indonesia manage this pandemic, said Mitras Chief Executive Officer, Victory Theodorus.





This joint venture is a major milestone for Achiko and a precursor to an imminent filing for product registrations and approvals in Indonesia, said Steven Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Achiko. Through PT Achiko Medika Indonesia, we have some of the best possible partners we can have to make a testing platform based on Projects Gumnuts, first with version 1.5 of our product and then many more to come. With comprehensive low-cost rapid and near universal testing, we can help Indonesia beat the Covid-19 pandemic. Next steps see the completion of regulatory approvals, getting the technology into test kits and moving them into the market as soon as practicable. ABOUT ACHIKO AG

We harness ground-breaking science with innovative technology to create solutions that provide a great user experience for patients, physicians, and governing bodies alike, leading ultimately to the transformation of the healthcare industry. The current development of our patent pending diagnostic testing for Covid-19 (Project Gumnuts) provides an easy and effective way that enables people to obtain the information they need and require. Complemented by our mobile check-in app (Teman Sehat), we empower users to manage their diagnostic experiences on their own terms, safeguard their privacy, share experiences, obtain passport verification and find community. Achiko holds exclusive commercialisation rights to the technology underlying Project Gumnuts from Regenacellx.sl. It may be used to detect all types of Covid-19, but also many other pathogens. Achiko is looking forward to the completion of regulatory approval and getting the technology to market as quickly as possible, applying it in an array of test kits and other assay formats. Headquartered in Zurich, we have offices in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Singapore, and Seoul. For more information, visit www.achiko.com ABOUT PT INDONESIA FARMA MEDIS

PT Indonesia Farma Medis ("PIFM") is a medical device and pharmaceutical distribution company with a large network of relationships and distribution channels that includes hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics across the main islands of Indonesia. PIFM provides supply chain solutions for distributing medical products and helps companies seeking market entry navigate the complexities of the Indonesian market. For more information, visit: https://indofarmamedis.com ABOUT PT MITRA ASA PRATAMA

Mitra Asa Pratama collaborates with various international medical device brands to bring innovations to market and has been improving the overall healthcare technology in Indonesia for more than 20 years. With an extensive distribution network built by working closely with our sub-distributor partners, we cover hospitals, clinics, public health centers and offices, medical professionals, as well as the retail market. It has been a long-standing part of our strategic vision to be able to build a vertically integrated company, where every business unit shares the same dedication to customer service. We firmly believe that service levels must always exceed expectations so that our clients, the medical professionals, can concentrate on the very important business of caring for patients. For more information, visit: https://mitraasa.co.id/ ABOUT PT PHAROS INDONESIA

PT Pharos Indonesia is a major regional pharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative products in Indonesia and other countries in South-East Asia. The company was established on September 30, 1971 by Dr. Eddie Lembong, a visionary entrepreneur who wanted to build a modern, efficient, high quality, Indonesian pharmaceutical company. Dr. Lembongs plan was realized early and today Pharos remains one of Indonesias leading pharmaceutical companies. On June 30, 1990 Pharos became the first Indonesian company to receive a certification of the local version of GMP (CPOB), confirming Pharos no compromises manufacturing standards. Currently, Pharos and its subsidiaries employ more than 5,000 talents across Indonesia. For more information, visit: http://www.pharos.co.id/ MEDIA CONTACTS: ACHIKO AG

Investor Relations

E: ir@achiko.com Switzerland

Marcus Balogh

Farner Consulting Ltd.

E: achiko@farner.ch

T: +41 44 266 67 67 Germany and Austria

Axel Muhlhaus / Dr Sonke Knop

edicto GmbH

E: achiko@edicto.de

T: +49 69 90 55 05-51 DISCLAIMER

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Achiko AG and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Achiko AG to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Achiko AG is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



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Kildare Defence Forces troops from 117th Infantry Battalion deployed with the UN in South Lebanon have sent home Valentine's messages to their loved ones. The 117th Infantry Battalion deployed to Lebanon last November. Some 340 Irish and 11 Maltese personnel are serving with the battalion, including 36 Kildare soldiers.

According to the Defence Forces, they cannot have their normal three weeks of leave during their six-month tours, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Having been away from their families for Christmas, the troops are now celebrating a virtual Valentine's Day.

Company Sergeant Billy Coffey from Newbridge (pictured above)

Happy Valentines Day and 32nd wedding anniversary to my lovely wife Rose Coffey. I cant wait to see you in May.

Private Padraig Murphy, Kildare

Happy Valentines Day to my girlfriend Michelle, love Padraig



Trooper Conor Nolan-Kelly, Leixlip



Just want to wish a Happy Valentine's to my partner Rachel. Missing you so much Rach, dying to get home to you and the family, you know how much you all mean to me and how special you are. Love you so so much! xxx

Lieutenant Andrew Dawson, Mullingar

Wishing his girlfriend Brianna Byrne from Clane, Co Kildare, a great Valentines Day in 2021.

The Defence Forces currently have 585 soldiers deployed on 14 overseas missions around the globe. The 117th Infantry Battalion deployed with UNIFIL comprises of 340 Defence Forces personnel and 11 personnel from the Armed Forces of Malta.

UNIFIL is the Defence Forces largest overseas deployment. The lead home unit for the 117th Irish contingent is the 28th Infantry Battalion based in Finner Camp, Co. Donegal. The unit has troops from all 32 counties, Co. Dublin being the largest contributor with 59 representatives, followed by Co. Donegal (44), Co. Cork (38) and Co. Kildare (36).
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed charge sheet against former Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department junior engineer and his wife in connection with its probe into the sexual abuse case of clildren.

A CBI official here said that the agency filed a charge sheet against Rambhawan and his wife Durgawati, who were arrested last year in connection with the case, before a court in Uttar Pradesh's Banda district.

Rambhawan was arrested on the charge of sexually exploiting around 50 minors in 10 years and selling video clips and photographs of his sexual acts on the dark net to paedophiles across the globe.

According to the CBI, the matter was brought to the notice of the agency sometime last year.

He was arrested from UP's Banda district and the CBI team during searches had recovered eight mobile phones, around Rs 8 lakh in cash, sex toys, laptop, and other digital evidence carrying huge quantity of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

A case was then registered against unidentified persons suspected of sexually abusing minors in Banda, Chitrakoot and Hamirpur districts.

The CBI in a statement had said: "It was further alleged that these photographs and video films containing child sexual abuse material were published and transmitted by the accused using the facility of internet. It was also alleged that the accused used the dark web for sale, transmission and sharing of such CSAM content with other individuals." The CBI on December 29 last year also arrested his wife Durgawati from Banda for trying to influence and manipulate the prime witnesses in the case against her husband.

The official said that the "scrutiny of his emails had revealed that he was allegedly in constant touch with several individuals (both Indian and foreign nationals) for the purpose of sharing child sexual abuse material".

The official claimed that the accused had allegedly created and shared huge quantity of child sexual abusive material, over the years, through the internet using various social media platforms and websites over darknet etc.

The official said that after investigation including statements of male victims aged between 4 to 22 years and medical and forensic examination of victims and accused and other digital evidences, a charge sheet was filed against the accused.

The CBI, along with a team of doctors from AIIMS which included two women doctors, had visited Chitrakoot, which is the native place of the junior engineer.
The Delhi Police on Friday clarified that the murder of a 25-year-old man in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri area was due to a business rivalry, and no communal angle should be attributed to it.

Rinku Sharma was stabbed to death allegedly by a man known to him, and his three friends, following an argument at a birthday party late on Wednesday night.

The clarification by the police has come after some organisations started giving communal overtones to the murder, and hashtag Justice for Rinku Sharma trended on Twitter.

Four persons -- Danish, Islam, Zahid and Mehtab, accused of being involved in the case, have been arrested.

"So far, during investigation, it has surfaced that the quarrel started during a birthday party over shutting down of a restaurant. All persons are known to each other and live in the same locality. Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong," said A Koan, DCP, Outer Delhi.
LEBANON, Ore.  A protest planned in Lebanon aims to get students back in the classroom.

Some parents in the Lebanon school district will be gathering starting at 5:30 p.m. ahead of a school board meeting at 6 p.m.

A participant told KEZI 9 News that parents dont feel like theyre being heard and want more involvement in the decision.

Teachers who opted in have had their first dose of the vaccine, the parent said. And Oregon Health Authority guidelines allows schools to reopen when districts choose to do so, as long as they follow COVID-19 restrictions.

Stay with KEZI 9 News for updates.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and his wife Eloise took the Sputnik 5 vaccine at the Levi Latham Health Complex in Mesopotamia, last Tuesday.





This to demonstrate faith in the Russian vaccine and as encouragement to all residents to avail themselves of a vaccine, when it is rolled out here in larger numbers,





But even as the Prime Minister and his wife set the stage, there were subsequent reports of further COVID-19 related deaths here.





The Health Services Sub-Committee disclosed on Tuesday, February 9, that an 87-year-old Hypertensive man and a 54-year-old female with Hypertension and uncontrolled Diabetes, had died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to six (6).





The man is reported to have died on Monday, February 8, and the woman the following day.





Following news of these recent deaths, Prime Minister Gonsalves took to Radio 705 to make yet another appeal to persons with pre-existing conditions, especially the elderly, to make every effort to protect themselves from contracting the (Novel) Coronavirus.





And as per the most recent information received by the VINCENTIAN last Wednesday, the Health Services Sub-Committee informed that there were one thousand, three hundred and seventy (1370) cases of COVID-19 reported in SVG since March 2020.





One thousand, two hundred and nineteen (1219) of these were described as local cases.





Thirteen (13) persons were cleared bringing the number of total recoveries to four hundred and sixty-seven (467).

Eight hundred and ninety-seven (897) cases remain active.





The public is advised that the use of masks in public spaces and private spaces to which the public has access, is now mandatory under the Public Health Act 2020.
Nicholas Johnson, 27, who is in police custody after he was arrested on outstanding warrants in unrelated cases, is a 'person of interest' in the disappearance of his parents, police in Portage, Michigan said

A Michigan man has been named a person of interest in the case of his missing parents who police believe were murdered - three years after they asked a court for a protective order against him.

Nicholas Johnson, 27, is in custody after he was arrested on outstanding warrants in unrelated cases, according to police in Portage, Michigan, just outside of Kalamazoo.

When officers took him into custody on Tuesday about a mile from his parents' home, he was armed with a pistol and a spare magazine.

Police say evidence collected inside the home of his parents, Gary, 64, and Laura Johnson, 65, indicate that violence may have been the cause of their disappearance.

On Tuesday morning just after 9am, police arrived at the Johnsons' home on Romence Road in Portage in order to do a welfare check.

Police say evidence collected inside the home of his parents, Gary (left), 64, and Laura Johnson (right), 65, indicate that violence may have been the cause of their disappearance

According to police, investigators discovered a 12-inch deep hole in the backyard that appeared to be freshly dug, though nothing was found inside the hole. Police are seen above at the home of Gary and Laura Johnson in Portage, Michigan, on Tuesday

Officers responded to the home after they were told that Gary Johnson had not reported to work in close to a week, according to MLive.com.

Portage Public Safety Chief Nick Armold said that officers have remained at the home since.

While investigating inside the home, police found signs that the missing couple fell victim to violence.

According to Armold, investigators discovered a 12-inch deep hole in the backyard that appeared to be freshly dug. He said nothing was found inside the hole.

Were going to be there as long as we think we need to be there to make sure that weve uncovered everything that we can find, he said.

Police said that evidence found inside the home in Portage indicates that the Johnsons fell victim to violence

Police arrived at the home on Tuesday morning after Gary failed to report to work for nearly a week

We certainly hope that we are wrong, but things are leading us to believe that this is a homicide, Portage Public Safety Chief Nick Armold said

It looks like well be there for a couple more days.

Armold declined to specify other pieces of evidence found inside the home, though he said that investigators have determined the couple was likely murdered.

We certainly hope that we are wrong, but things are leading us to believe that this is a homicide, Armold said.

While I cant go into the specific evidence, the obvious piece of the puzzle is that the Johnsons are still missing.

We have all of their vehicles. We have their cell phones. There is no reasonable explanation as to why they are gone.

Garys car was found at the couples home, according to Armold. Lauras vehicle was located at Milham Meadows Apartment Complex about a mile north of the house, where they also found Nicholas.

Nicholas, who was reported to have been hiding in a storage unit inside the complex, was wanted on felony and misdemeanor bench warrants. He was arraigned on Wednesday on charges of weapons possession.

Police found ammunition inside the storage unit, Fox 17 TV reported.

Nicholas also had two outstanding warrants including a felony home invasion - third degree stemming from a 2019 incident, according to MLive.com.

Police allege Nicholas broke into his parents home on September 7, 2019 in violation of a no-contact order.

Kalamazoo County District Judge Richard Santoni issued separate $100,000 cash bonds on each of the two active felony cases, citing the risk that Nicholas could attempt to flee.

According to court records, Gary and Laura Johnson (pictured) obtained a personal protection order against their son in 2018 after he allegedly assaulted them on multiple occasions

I have reviewed, somewhere in the range of, about a half dozen search warrants that deal with the ongoing issue, Santoni said of the investigation into the disappearance of Nicholas parents. I cant ignore that.

I cant with any kind of certainty indicate what happened, what the defendants level of involvement might be, but I cant ignore it.

It creates a cloud, essentially, over all these proceedings, and If I were to ignore it, I would simply be ignoring reality and Im not going to do that.

In March 2018, Nicholas parents submitted a request for a personal protection order against their son.

Gary and I are concerned for our safety and others safety. I need him to stay away from us for a while and he needs to seek mental health help, Laura wrote in the application obtained by WMMT-TV.

The request was made after two incidents in February 2018. Laura claimed that Nicholas assaulted her and her husband, damaged property, and refused to leave their home.

According to court records, Nicholas was charged with domestic violence and malicious destruction of property.

The parents claimed Nicholas assaulted them on multiple occasions.

On one occasion on February 21, 2018, Nicholas who was upset his girlfriend broke up with him, pushed his mother backwards, injuring her head and causing bruising, it was alleged.

In March 2018, Laura filed an application for a personal protection order. The request was made after two incidents in February 2018. Laura claimed that Nicholas assaulted her and her husband, damaged property, and refused to leave their home

On one occasion on February 21, 2018, Nicholas who was upset his girlfriend broke up with him, pushed his mother backwards, injuring her head and causing bruising, it was alleged

He was told not to come back to our house at that point. He has previously pushed my husband, threatened us, Laura wrote in her application.

A week later, Nicholas allegedly crawled into the basement window and entered his parents home.

He then refused to leave and broke three windows with his fist, according to documents.

Laura also wrote in her application that Nicholas refused to seek treatment for mental illness and also refused offers of housing.

He is now homeless, Laura wrote.

At this point, Gary and I are concerned for our safety and others safety. We are done with allowing him to keep destroying our house and property.

Anyone with information related to the investigation was asked to contact the Portage Department of Public Safety at 269-329-4567 or Silent Observer online or at 269-343-2100.
Myanmar's leader used the country's Union Day holiday on Friday to call on people to work with the military if they want democracy, a request likely to be met with derision by protesters who are pushing for the release from detention of their country's elected leaders.

I would seriously urge the entire nation to join hands with the Tatmadaw for the successful realization of democracy, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said using the local term for the military.

Historical lessons have taught us that only national unity can ensure the non-disintegration of the Union and the perpetuation of sovereignty, he added.

In addition to the military commander's message published Friday in the Global New Light of newspaper, the new junta also announced it would mark Union Day by releasing thousands of prisoners and reducing other inmates' sentences.

Min Aung Hlaing's February 1 ousted the civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and prevented recently elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament. It reversed nearly a decade of progress toward following 50 years of military rule and has led to widespread protests in cities around the country.

The military has said it was forced to step in because Suu Kyi's government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in November elections, though the election commission has said there is no evidence to support those claims.

The rallies against the now daily occurrences in Myanmar's two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay have drawn people from all walks of life, despite an official ban on gatherings of more than five people. Factory workers and civil servants, students and teachers, medical personnel and people from LGBTQ communities, Buddhist monks and Catholic clergy have all come out in force.

On Thursday, people from Myanmar's ethnic minority groups, who are concentrated in far-flung, border states, joined in a striking show of unity in a country where some groups have resented the Burman majority's control and have also had their differences with Suu Kyi. But their deep mistrust of the military, which has brutally repressed their armed struggles for more autonomy, has made them uneasy allies with her party.

The protesters are unlikely to be swayed by Min Aung Hlaing's call for unity, which come on Union Day, a national holiday celebrating the date in 1947 that Myanmar, then known as Burma, when many of the country's ethnic groups agreed to unify following decades of British colonial rule.

The junta's pardon orders published Friday in government-run media said that 23,314 prisoners would be freed, along with 55 foreign inmates. The orders also commuted some death-penalty sentences to life imprisonment and reduced the terms of other prison sentences.

It is also unlikely to win over the community, which has widely condemned the coup as well as the use of police force such as water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse some of the protests.

During Mynamar's previous decades of military rule, Western governments put sanctions in place, but they were eased when elections in 2010 and 2015 showed the country's tentative steps toward

The U.S. government announced Thursday that new sanctions will target the country's top military officials who ordered the coup.

The sanctions named Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy Soe Win, as well as four members of the State Administration Council. An executive order signed by US President Joe Biden also allows the Treasury Department to target the spouses and adult children of those being sanctioned.

The move will prevent the generals from accessing more than USD 1 billion in government funds held in the United States.

It remains to be seen what, if any, impact the US action will have on Myanmar's military regime. Many of the military leaders are already under sanctions because of attacks against the Muslim Rohingya minority.

(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 you've been consuming and producing political commentary for many years, you get used to certain recurring themes. One is the imminent disappearance or relegation to permanent minority status of the Republican Party.

This was widely predicted after the Barry Goldwater defeat in 1964, after Watergate in the 1970s, after the elections of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in 1992 and 2008, respectively, with considerably larger Democratic congressional majorities (a 57-43 Senate majority and 259-176 House majority for Clinton, and 58-41 and 257-178 majorities for Obama) than President Joe Biden now enjoys (51-50 and 222-213).

Those predictions didn't pan out then, and I suspect they won't pan out now.

The Republicans do face some difficulties. Donald Trump gave them a presidential victory they didn't expect, and some policy victories and new support from modest-income constituencies such as those in Appalachia and Hispanics.

But nothing is free in politics; there is only some question about when you pay the price. Trump's idiosyncratic approach to COVID-19 and his refusal to propitiate hostile constituencies produced defeat by an even narrower margin (42,918 votes in three states) than his victory in 2016 (77,736 votes in three states).

His delusional insistence that he had won by a "landslide" and his recklessness in urging supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6, plus the subsequent disruption of the constitutional process of reporting the Electoral College results, produced his second impeachment by the House, this one on nonfrivolous grounds.

Democrats hope impeachment will split Republicans and provoke continuing fights between pro- and anti-Trump factions that will undercut Republican nominees and discourage Republican turnout, as in the two Georgia Senate races on Jan. 5.

Maybe, maybe not. Only 10 House Republicans voted for impeachment. But attempts to oust one of them, Rep. Liz Cheney, from her leadership position was rejected by a 145-61 vote. And freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was persuaded to renounce her bizarre conspiracy-minded tweets in the process.

The Senate trial looks likely to be desultory. Trump can't be removed from office, because he's not in office, and the votes aren't there to disqualify him from office in the future. The Constitution is ambiguous on whether former officeholders can be impeached, and there are good arguments on both sides. That gives Democrats a reasonable basis to vote for conviction and Republicans a reasonable basis to vote against, as apparently all but five or six will do.

Similarly, there were plausible arguments for convicting Bill Clinton (he lied in federal court and thus didn't faithfully execute the laws) and against (the lie was about personal, not professional, misconduct). Then all but a few members voted with their party and impeachment had no perceptible electoral effect in 1998 or 2000. I don't expect it to have much effect in 2022 or 2024.

But heavy majorities of Republican members against impeachment and conviction as he was leaving or had just left office don't mean that Republican politicians and voters will remain as unanimously supportive of him as they were when he was in office.

There are signs already that that support is diminishing. Polls conducted for the Republican consulting firm Echelon Insights in October, during the campaign, showed 59% of Republican voters supporting Trump primarily and only 30% supporting the Republican Party. After the election, November and December polls showed them evenly split. In January, after the assault on the Capitol, only 38% primarily supported Trump, and 48% primarily supported the party.

That polling showed the share voting for Trump in 2024 falling from 65% in December to 45% in January, with 21% of Republicans saying the Senate should vote for conviction and 30% saying he should be barred from federal office. Those findings are corroborated by a January Pew poll showing Trump job approval declining significantly among Republicans.

Perhaps they had noticed that Trump's delusional claims that his "landslide" was "stolen" by crooked voting machinery cost the party the two Georgia Senate elections and its Senate majority.

That's in line with historic perspective. Democrats, perhaps because their party has always been a coalition of out-groups, have tended to celebrate their presidents as philosopher-kings. Republicans, confident that their party is centered on a core constituency of people regarded by themselves and others as typical Americans, have tended to be less starry-eyed. They have regarded their presidents as utilitarian appliances, to be disposed of or upgraded as necessary. Or, as columnist Joseph Alsop said during the Watergate years, "Politicians are like toilet fixtures: they need only serve the intended purpose; they need not be beautiful."

In that spirit, 2020s Republicans may decide that Donald Trump has served his purpose and focus on emerging issues and new leaders, as they did with considerable success after 1964, 1976, 1992 and 2008.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
Covid: Turkey, vaccinations start for population over 65 3 million doses inoculated

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, FEB 12 - An increasing size of the population is being vaccinated for Covid-19 in Turkey.



Inoculations began on Friday morning for citizens aged 65 to 75, in addition to older members of the population, healthcare professionals and operators of assisted facilities. Spouses over 60 years of age are included in the list of people who have currently access to a vaccine.



The new phase is starting in parallel with second doses, which are given 28 days after the first inoculation, according to indications of use of the vaccine produced by Chinese pharmaceutical company SinoVac.



In a month, Ankara has given the fist dose of the vaccine to over 3 million people. The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also announced that it wants to immunize teachers as a priority to enable students to go back to school in March.



Overall, 15 million of doses have been received from China so far.



Since the start of the pandemic, Turkey has registered over 2.5 million cases and 27,000 victims. (ANSAmed).




The Upper West Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) says it has firmed up measures to ensure that illegal migration into and out of Ghana is dwarfed if not completely ended.



It said as part of the measures, the Command, led by its Commander, Chief Superintendent William Peter Andoh, has established an inland checkpoint at Ga in the Wa West District.

This was contained in a statement signed by Assistant Inspector Ibn Yussif Duranah Abdul-Mumin Seidu, Upper West Regional Public Affairs Officer of the Service, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Wa.



"We therefore urge the general public that it will be impossible to evade the vigilant Immigration Officials even when you successfully sneak into Ghana through the porous borders," the statement noted.



It said aside ensuring strict enforcement of the President's directive on border closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the GIS would not relent on its efforts to live its mandate of regulating migration to and fro the country.



The GIS therefore warned persons engaged in facilitating the activities of irregular migration through the borders of the country to desist from the act or face the wrath of the law when apprehended.



According to the statement, the Upper West Regional GIS, on Tuesday, arrested 20 ECOWAS nationals entering Ghana through unapproved routes.



The illegal migrants included a Malian and 19 Burkinabe nationals who entered the country through the porous borders at the Hamile Sector Command in the Lambussie District, Upper West Region.



It said irregular migrants who comprised 18 males and two females were aged between Seven and 47 years.



The statement said the illegal migrants were busted at the Babile Inland Checkpoint in the Lawra Municipality at about 1154 HRS onboard a VIP Bus with Registration Number AS 1614 - 20 travelling from Hamile to other parts of the country to engage in economic and other activities.



"It was further revealed that they were journeying to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Sampa in the Bono Region, Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region and Bole in the Savannah Region.



"They were taken through the health screening process by personnel from the Ghana Health Service before being escorted to the Hamile Border Post, where they were handed over to the Burkina Faso authorities on the other side of the border at about 1002HRS," the statement said.

Source: GNA









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San Franciscos teachers union is negotiating with the district over the number of hours and days students would return to school for live instruction.

The United Educators of San Francisco this week informed their 6,000 members, including teachers, counselors, aides and others, that they have proposed a limited schedule for a return to in-person instruction, which is still under negotiation.

The update also included a survey offering teachers two scenarios for a return, both of which included students only returning two partial days per week.

Reopening public schools in the city hinges on the district and union reaching an agreement on what the school day would look like for teachers, including the number of students in a classroom and how often and how long they would be there.

District and union officials declined to release any additional details regarding ongoing negotiations.

The district is aiming to maximize in-person instruction time, taking into account the combination of students who choose to return to in person and the site capacity once physical distancing has been achieved, said district spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. At this time bargaining related to the instructional plan is focused on the current school year.

District officials are also looking at ways to expand summer school opportunities, Blythe said.

Many families are desperate for students to return to school as theyve watched their children struggle academically and psychologically while parents have worried about how to juggle distance learning and their jobs.

Its still unclear if or when the districts schools will reopen.

I dont think its possible to underrate how dire the situation is in the city, said parent Adam Keats, who has two children at Flynn Elementary. This is a system in collapse.

I dont think weve ever tried to raise children in isolation like this, he said. Its not an evolutionary natural thing to do.

Several parents and teachers from across the state who spoke at a press conference Friday organized by the California Teachers Association, said they didnt trust the schools or system to keep them safe, given new variants of the virus emerging and ongoing outbreaks, especially in communities of color.

When you talk about reopening schools for instruction, parents get very nervous about that, said Oakland parent Pecolia Manigo. Theres just not a lot of faith in our elected officials, not a lot of faith in public health and not a lot of faith in our community. I think thats something thats been unheard.

Public health experts have said for months that its safe to reopen schools if safety protocols are followed, but unions have been hesitant to return. The Centers for Disease Control reiterated that on Friday and released a road map for reopening, saying transmission among students is considered fairly rare.

On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the launch of Californias Safe Schools Reopening Map, an online tool that gives a statewide snapshot of the status of school reopenings.

In San Francisco, the district announced a tentative agreement with labor unions earlier this month on health and safety standards, which includes frequent testing of teachers and students, as well as when vaccinations of staff would be required, based on COVID-19 case counts.

The school board is expected to vote on the tentative agreement on health and safety requirements Tuesday.

If passed, it would remain in effect until July 2022, with a renegotiation later this summer over the frequency of staff testing required.

Its still unclear what a return to school in the fall will look like in San Francisco or other school districts across the state, and it likely depends on the availability of vaccinations and local coronavirus case counts.

Based on that agreement, the schools could only start reopening once the city is in the states red tier, the second-most restrictive level, and only if staff have access to vaccine. Schools could reopen under the less-restrictive orange tier without vaccinations.

State and federal health officials have said schools can reopen safely without vaccinating teachers and staff.

Currently, San Francisco is in the most restrictive purple tier, which allows K-12 schools to reopen with a waiver from local health officials.

District officials have said it will take at least five weeks to reopen after they reach a separate educational agreement with the teachers, a ramping-up time to notify families and create students schedules, get staff vaccinated if necessary, and implement testing protocols.

Officials said the goal is to give students six weeks of in-person instruction before the school year ends June 2.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story and headline mischaracterized the San Francisco teachers union communication about a return to in-person instruction.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Similarly to what happened with the Galaxy S10 One UI 3.0 update last month, users across the globe are saying that the One UI 3.1 update meant for the Galaxy S20 FE is no longer available.

There's no official statement on the matter from Samsung but people think that it might be due to the various performance issues some owners are experiencing after updating. Battery drain, unreliable SMS notifications and general slow-downs have been mentioned on various online boards.

So far, the update has been distributed to the majority of European countries but, of course, it's now no longer available for download. We hope that Samsung addresses the issue as swiftly as it did with the Galaxy S10 update.

Via

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.
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Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
She's modelled for the likes of Victoria's Secret, Miu Miu, DKNY, Prada and Seafolly.

So when Georgia Fowler pulled out all the stops for a photoshoot on Friday, it was unsurprising.

The 28-year-old sizzled as she posed in a bikini for a swimwear label at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

Hottie! Georgia Fowler (pictured), 28, turned up the heat at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Friday as she posed in a bikini for a swimwear label photoshoot

The leggy brunette was spotted turning up the heat while emerging from the surf in a yellow bikini top, pink G-string bottoms and pin-stripe shirt.

Her hair was drenched with seawater and her makeup appeared to be minimal.

Georgia completed her look with a dainty multi-coloured necklace, matching anklet and silver earrings for the occasion.

After emerging from the water, she posed back on a white outdoor chair along the water's edge.

Georgia appeared at peace as she lifted her arms above her head and closed her eyes while positioning her legs to accentuate them.

She was then seen walking along the shore for the photoshoot moments later.

Hot day: After emerging from the water, she posed back on a white outdoor chair along the water's edge

Her sizzling day out among the waves follows Georgia strutting her stuff for the cover of Stella magazine on Sunday, where she was labelled as the next Elle 'The Body' Macpherson as she flaunted her frame in a bikini.

The New Zealander - whose father, Peter Fowler, is Australian - said it remained contentious in her own family about publications referring to her as being from Down Under.

'It depends on if you ask my mum or dad,' she told the publication, when asked about what her family think about her 'new' nationality.

'My Kiwi family are a bit like, ''Huh?'' every time I'm [referred to as an Aussie], but my dad is Australian and I've always had such deep ties here... So, yeah, I'll say you guys [Australia] can take me!'
Facebook has detailed how its handling the political situation Myanmar in a new post, where it has revealed that its limiting the distribution of all content posted by the countrys military. According to the social network, the Tatmadaw, the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar, is using the platform to spread misinformation. As such, its enforcing company policy on repeat offenders of misinformation, which will affect the Tatmadaw Information Teams Facebook Page, Tatmadaw spokesperson Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tuns Facebook account, among other military-owned accounts.

In addition, the company has suspended Myanmar government agencies ability to ask Facebook for content removal through channels reserved for authorities. Its also proactively removing hate speech and reducing distribution of content that explicitly praises or supports the coup. The website is deleting misinformation that there was widespread fraud or foreign interference in Myanmars November elections, as well, along with content that calls for people to bring weapons to any location across the country.

Myanmars military, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, detained the countrys elected leader (Aung San Suu Kyi) in the beginning of February. Suu Kyis party won last Novembers election by a landslide, but its opponent has the backing of the military and is claiming election fraud. Activists are now staging protests across the country to oppose the militarys actions and to call for Suu Kyi to be freed.

Both the military and activists opposing its actions are using Facebook to reach more people in the country, where the social network is widely used. In fact, local telecom operators blocked the website after orders from the military, which claims Facebook has been contributing to instability in the country.
ROME, FEB 12 - Health Minister Roberto Speranza on Friday signed an order making Abruzzo, Liguria, Tuscany and the province of Trento COVID-19 "orange zone" as of Sunday, sources said. They join Umbria and the autonomous province of Bolzano in the second-highest level of Italy's tiered system of coronavirus restrictions. In medium-high-risk orange zones, shops can do business but bars and restaurants can only provide takeaway services. In moderate-risk yellow zones, bars and restaurants can serve customers until 6pm. Abruzzo Governor Marco Marsilio, meanwhile, is set to sign an order making the provinces of Chieti and Pescara red zones because of an upswing in COVID cases. In high-risk red zones, all non-essential shops are closed. (ANSA).
During a Thursday press conference, Gov. Greg Abbott said that more announcements are likely coming soon about relaxing COVID-19 restrictions in Texas as cases and hospitalizations continue to drop.

Abbott spoke at a roundtable discussion in Dallas with small business owners about the states role in supporting small businesses during the pandemic. As more Texans continue to get vaccinated and COVID-19 hospitalizations trend downward, Abbott said, he plans to lift statewide restrictions if trends continue.

DOUBLING DOWN: Houston doc explains why double masking could be new norm

We know there are businesses that need to get back to work. There are employees that have bills to pay. There are jobs that must be opened, Abbott said. I was visiting with the people around the table today to expect that things economically will be picking up very rapidly.

On Thursday, 8,933 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Texas  the first time the number has dropped below 9,000 since December, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The state also reported 9,936 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,332 new probable cases.

We want to make sure that the numbers do continue along the same trend, Abbott said. And if they do continue on the same trend, we are already evaluating ways that we can begin to lift restrictions.

While average new COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases are trending downward, the numbers are higher than when Abbott initially announced restrictions on businesses.

VACCINE 101: 8 dos and don'ts when receiving the COVID-19 vaccine

Under an October order from Abbott, bars are allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity and businesses like movie theaters can operate at 75 percent capacity. However, if the percentage of COVID-19 patients exceeds 15 percent of hospital capacity in a region for a week, restaurant occupancy must be reduced to 50 percent and bars must be shut down. On Oct. 14, the day the order took effect, the state reported 4,131 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

An Abbott spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about which restrictions would be lifted if trends continue or what threshold would prompt reopenings.

As of Tuesday, 3.5 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in Texas, and 3.1 percent of Texas population is fully vaccinated.

When Abbott initially closed bars and restaurants on March 19, there were 161 confirmed coronavirus cases and three reported deaths in the state. He allowed businesses to reopen in a limited capacity in April, but later closed bars and scaled restaurant capacity down in late June after the state reported 5,102 hospitalizations, which was a record at the time, and 5,707 daily confirmed cases.

Reported by Megan Menchaca, The Texas Tribune
Congress local leaders and workers, who were protesting against Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut near a venue where she is shooting for an upcoming film in Madhya Pradesh's Betul, were on Friday evening allegedly caned by police for trying to reach the shooting site. The police has sprayed water on the protestors to disperse them.

Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Police had deployed heavy security in Sarni area after some local Congress leaders like Manoj Arya and Nekram Yadav had two days ago submitted a memorandum to a tehsildar in Betul and threatened that they would not allow Ranaut to shoot if she did not apologize, by Friday evening, over her tweets against the farmers protesting at Delhi borders.

Over 100 protesters gathered near gate numbers 2 and 4 of the coal handling plant of a power station, near where the shooting of the film 'Dhaakad' underway. Protesters were dispersed by using water jets from fire brigade vehicles, said Sarni City Superintendent of Police Abhay Ram Choudhary. "Security has been tightened for the actress after MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra directed Betul Superintendent of Police Simala Prasad to do so," he said.

To express their anger against police for using force on them, Congress leaders sat on dharna at the same coal handling plant. However, Choudhary denied local Congress units allegation that batons were used against protesters, including women.

Ranaut, who was scheduled to appear late in the evening, was not present when the protesters gathered at the spot.

On Thursday, Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said he had asked police to ensure that the shooting was not disrupted. Police personnel carrying batons and even firearms were deployed around the site, while an inspector was assigned to oversee Ranauts safety at a resort 45 km away where she is staying, the official said, adding Ranauts shoot is to end on February 17.

Twitter had deleted some of Ranauts controversial tweets on the ongoing protests.

On Thursday, home minister Mishra had said the BJP government in the state will ensure that behan-beti" (sister-daughter) Kangana" faced no problem while shooting.

(with inputs from PTI)
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
It is a new year and during this time many people make resolutions to start or continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behaviour, accomplish a personal goal, or simply try to improve their life in one way or another. Usually, people start out very well but after a while falter and soon their resolution list is left behind. Other times, people will make a list but never once attempt the things on it; they keep putting it off for tomorrow and before you know it another year comes around and it is not done. Unfortunately, I have been the main lead in both scenarios before and many times I failed to complete these tasks not because I do not have the time but most often because I do not exercise the discipline needed to complete them.

Self-discipline is the ability to focus intently on a task or goal with the purpose of achieving a certain result (Indeed.com). An important part of discipline is doing what you intended to, even when you dont feel like doing it or when you are tempted to do something else. Discipline, even though hard to master, is a powerful trait to develop and exert because it will help you to achieve your goals in different areas of your life over time. More importantly, every believer must exercise discipline over his life so that there can be victory over temptation and sin.

Have a vision

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Wont you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? (Luke chapter 14 verse 28)

To develop discipline, you must have a plan; you must know what you are working for and what to do to get there. If not, you will find yourself all over the place, doing a lot of random things, with no endgame in sight. Consider the 100 metres sprint athlete. In preparing for an event, he or she does not spend time learning to bat and bowl. He or she will train by focusing on exercises and routines that will build speed, power, and resistance. Likewise, your goals and the steps you need to take to get there must be specific, obtainable, and relevant. Also, depending on the goal, they must have a timeline.

Once you have your goals outlined clearly, discipline becomes easier because you now know what you are working towards. This will help you to move forward because when you are no longer motivated to get the job done, knowing your goal, and remembering why you are doing it, will push you to do it even when you dont want to. It will build your discipline.

Self-discipline is like a muscle, the more you exercise it the stronger it gets (Daniel Goldstein)

Count the cost

The Apostle Paul expresses that every athlete in training submits to strict discipline. (1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24). Christianstoo must submit to a life of discipline, not for earthly rewards as in the case of athletes but for an eternal one. In an interview, Olympian and World Record Holder Usain Bolt once stated that Dreams are free, but goals have a cost. While you can daydream for free, goals dont come without a price. Time, effort, sacrifice and sweat. How will you pay for your goals?

Discipline often requires sacrifice. The athlete may give up certain food and drink to keep the body in shape; the believer may deny himself certain pleasures that may lead to lust, greed, and immorality. As we set our hearts on spiritual things and exercise discipline, we put to death the deeds and desires of the flesh, and as we do the Holy Spirit produces within us the fruit of Spirit. We then begin to learn that what we lose compared to what we gain is worth it and understand what Paul meant when he declared I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ (Philippians chapter 3 verse 8).

Consistency is key

Failure or a setback of any kind can be discouraging and may make you want to throw in the towel. Whatever your goal is, spiritually or otherwise, dont give up. Use that failure or setback as a lesson and move on. While you are doing that, be aware of anything that can become a roadblock or a distraction and find ways around it.

Be consistent with what you are doing by prioritizing the things that you need to do and just do it, whether or not you want to. Paul urges that whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians chapter 3 verse 23) and while this may not always be easy, it is not impossible. Your tasks will become easier to complete as you extend discipline and consistency to them, but dont lose sight of your goal. Remember, therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you...because you know that your labour is not in vain (First Corinthians chapter 15 verse 58).

YouTube Permanently Suspends LifeSiteNews Channel

YouTube has completely removed LifeSite News from its video-sharing platform, permanently suspending the groups channel and removing all videos from the channel without warning or explanation, according to the pro-life group.

YouTube just completely removed the LifeSiteNews YouTube channel. This isnt a temporary ban; every single one of our videos is completely gone, the group announced on its website on Feb. 10. Thankfully, we have backups of all our videos, but this means hundreds of thousands of people have lost access to our truth-telling content.

LifeSite News about page says its website is a non-profit Internet service dedicated to issues of culture, life, and family. The pro-life group, based in Toronto, said it had some 300,000 followers on its channel before it was de-platformed. The group is redirecting its readers to its alternate video channel on Rumble and its email alerts for new videos. It is also asking for donations to help build its alternative platforms.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a YouTube spokesperson said, In accordance with our long standing strikes system, we terminated the channel LifeSite News Media for repeatedly violating our COVID-19 misinformation policy, which prohibits content that promotes prevention methods that contradict local health authorities or WHO [World Health Organization].

Any channel that violates our COVID-19 misinformation policy will receive a strike, which temporarily restricts uploading or live-streaming. Channels that receive three strikes in the same 90-day period will be permanently removed from YouTube.

LifeSite News said that it had been facing increasing censorship from YouTube over the past three months, with its videos on COVID-19 vaccines being flagged by the Google-owned streaming service as violations of its policies, according to a statement obtained by CBN News.

As a result, we were given two strikes and suspended for multiple weeks, unable to post any new content. We were informed at that time that if another violation occurred within 90 days, we would be removed permanently, the statement reads.

Doug Mainwaring, a journalist for LifeSite News, wrote in an blog post published on the groups website: This is no longer a game of trying to play by the Tech Titans arbitrary, leftist, virtue-signaling rules. We are in a war waged by left-wing liberals seeking to annihilate all conservative voices.

Its crystal clear: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the others have now fully weaponized their platforms against conservatives in general and orthodox Christians in particular, he wrote. Emboldened by the advent of the Biden-Harris regimes takeover of the White House, social media has ramped up its fascist silencing tactics.

If you are a conservative Christian, the tech giants hate you and want to eradicate you. They clearly think that you shouldnt exist. You are being driven out of the modern public square, the internet, where only liberal voices are permitted to speak, he added.

YouTube has in recent months moved to demonetize and temporarily or permanently suspended accounts. In a high-profile case, YouTube suspended President Donald Trump, citing violation of its policies for inciting violence. Earlier this week, it confirmed that Trumps channel will remain suspended.

Previously, YouTube demonetized and temporarily suspended One America News Network over an unlisted video for violating its COVID-19 misinformation policy, which prohibits content claiming theres a guaranteed cure. The video by OAN had, according to the news outlet, reported on a number of therapeutics that people have credited for saving their lives, including hydroxychloroquine.

In another event, YouTube, along with video-sharing website Vimeo, recently removed a viral video called Absolute Proof alleging fraud in the 2020 presidential election released by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a supporter of Trump.

Recently, YouTube demonetized The Epoch Times account without prior warning or specific explanation as to why. The Epoch Times said in a statement that it is confident that its independent content met YouTubes criteria and will work with the platform to resolve any issues.

The Epoch Times added that it is concerned about YouTubes direction in recent months, which appears to be to increasingly limit freedom of speech and expression.

The recent censorship by big tech companies in the United States has shocked the world. The image of our country as a leader in freedom is at stake. We hope that a leading company such as YouTube does not fail the expectations of the worlds people who look up to America for its freedom.

Update: This article has been updated with a statement from YouTube.
Albany, N.Y.  Youre only sorry that you all got caught. This is criminal. How is it not Trump like?

And those are just the Democrats.

Reaction is pouring in this morning to new disclosures in a New York Post report on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his administrations response to Covid-19 in the states nursing homes. According to the Post, Melissa DeRosa, one of Cuomos top aides, admitted in a meeting with legislators earlier this week that the state hid data on nursing home deaths so President Donald Trumps administration couldnt use it against New York.

During the meeting, DeRosa apologized for putting Democratic lawmakers in a difficult position. State Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, was in the meeting and ripped DeRosa at the time, according to the Post.

And the issue for me, the biggest issue of all is feeling like I needed to defend  or at least not attack  an administration that was appearing to be covering something up, she said.

And in a, in a pandemic, when you want the public to trust the public-health officials, and there is this clear feeling that theyre not coming, being forthcoming with you, that is really hard and it remains difficult.

Other lawmakers in the meeting were angry as well, the Post said.

Cuomo, a Democrat, has faced criticism for months over the states response to the pandemic in nursing homes. A report in January from the state attorney general prompted his administration to release the actual count of nursing home resident deaths due to Covid after months of requests from reporters, lawmakers and advocates.

Cuomos numbers showed 43% more nursing home residents died due to the illness than previously reported.

After the Post story on DeRosas comments broke, Democrats across the state reacted harshly.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams compared Cuomos behavior to Trumps. State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, who represents a New York City district, called the administrations actions criminal.

Assemblyman Phillip Steck, whose district includes parts of Albany and Schenectady counties, said its ridiculous for Cuomo to claim he hid data due to fear of Trump when he gained substantial political capital from criticizing the federal government.

To continual defenders of @NYGovCuomo how is this ok?



How is it not #Trump like?



And when FORCED into admission, the most you get is a sorry we got caught...and not even directly from him or to the families



All while asking NYers to trust your decisionshttps://t.co/ONET6vNRBa  Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) February 12, 2021

Youre only sorry that you all got caught.



Because of your decisions, thousands of people died who did not have to die.



Were not offended, Melissa, were furious - with extremely good reason.

https://t.co/wjT5ppJJyn  Alessandra Biaggi (@Biaggi4NY) February 12, 2021

This is criminal.



Cuomo aide admits they hid nursing home data from feds https://t.co/T3OhohU0JJ  Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) February 12, 2021

Why be afraid of data being weaponized if theres no criminal liability? Cant wait to learn more. https://t.co/xcnsLYutH2  Jessica Ramos (@jessicaramos) February 12, 2021

Govs claim that he did not release nursing home data because of fear of Trump is beyond ridiculous. No one has gained more political capital in this very blue state by blaming Trump for all manner of things, including nursing home issues, than this Gov.  Phil Steck (@PhilSteck) February 12, 2021

Ive seen enough. We need real accountability for this. https://t.co/AICEkOJ57P  Julia Salazar (@JuliaCarmel__) February 12, 2021

This is a betrayal of the public trust.



There needs to be full accountability for what happened, and the legislature needs to reconsider its broad grant of emergency powers to the governor. https://t.co/xmCZCygW7K  Andrew Gounardes (@agounardes) February 12, 2021

Republicans have been calling regularly for subpoenas and investigations, including by the federal Justice Department.

Frequent Cuomo foils U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, and Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin both called Cuomo corrupt. State Republican Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy said discussions on impeachment and prosecution should begin immediately.

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, said Cuomos office hid the truth from the public, press and families. He said its painfully obvious that subpoenas and public hearings are needed.

DOJ needs to immediately open an Obstruction of Justice investigation into Gov Cuomo & his admin. It's now being reported there has been a direct admission of their nursing home coverup. The families of thousands of dead NY seniors deserve accountability.https://t.co/YAHhdORKnN  Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) February 12, 2021

Cuomos office hid the truth from the public, press, lawmakers & thousands of families.



THIS IS WHY CLOSED-DOOR CONVERSATIONS WONT CUT IT.



If this doesn't make it painfully obvious that we need subpoenas & public hearings, I don't know what will. https://t.co/ARCMa5N4DS  Will Barclay (@WillABarclay) February 12, 2021

My full statement on @nypost's recent report on the Cuomo Administration's handling of New York nursing homes during COVID-19: pic.twitter.com/qboXmbKuPc  Andrew Garbarino (@RepGarbarino) February 12, 2021

The top aide to @NYGovCuomo has admitted to the premeditated & willful violation of state laws, clearly amounting to federal obstruction of justice. He has abused his power & destroyed the trust placed in his office. Impeachment and prosecution discussions must begin right away.  Nick Langworthy (@NickLangworthy) February 12, 2021

It's now time for a CRIMINAL grand jury. No more pussy footing around seeking legislative subpoenas that the complicit @NYSenateDems have refused to issue. Based on their statement last night after being presented with that stunning admission they clearly are complicit. https://t.co/jWjdkBhOoy  Tom O'Mara (@SenatorOMara) February 12, 2021

 My Statement on the bombshell @nypost reporting on Cuomos cover-up  pic.twitter.com/brOrGZjeBo  Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) February 12, 2021





Ive said it all along: This is a CRIMINAL coverup corruption scandal.



The Department of Justice must investigate and prosecute these corrupt criminals.



https://t.co/Gxhhnwl3yx  Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) February 12, 2021

Governor Cuomo and his administration must be investigated from top to bottom and he must be stripped of his emergency powers.



Justice needs to be brought for the grieving families who have been ignored to protect Governor Cuomo and his Democrat allies in the Legislature. pic.twitter.com/N4B2c77u3w  Rob Ortt (@SenatorOrtt) February 12, 2021

Notice that de Rosa was more concerned about the inconvenience that they lying and corrupt Cuomo crime family caused them and not the horror of the actual death numbers of seniors. https://t.co/SYwHvqY45B via @nypmetro  Steve McLaughlin (@SteveMcNY) February 12, 2021

Cuomo aide Rich Azzopardi tweeted a response to the Post story. He said Cuomos office prioritized federal requests for documents as the Trump administration was in the midst of a politically motivated effort to blame Democratic states for Covid deaths.

Now, Cuomos office can address state Legislature requests, he said.

Azzopardi also tweet a statement from DeRosa.

She said her comments during the meeting were intended to explain that Cuomos office temporarily set aside Legislature requests for data to deal with federal requests. The administration then shifted to focus on a second wave of Covid cases and the vaccine rollout.

While the administration couldnt fulfill legislators requests as quickly as it wanted, officials are committed to being better partners going forward, DeRosa said in the statement.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

A few Central NY districts bringing more students back into classrooms: Will others follow?

Large stadiums, arenas in NY can reopen to fans: Live sports, music, shows can return

In pandemic, NYC families discover homes in CNY: I couldnt imagine a more magical place to live

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
Amendment reflects increasing bondholder support of 92%

Conversion price of new notes set at high end of collar at $3.00, protecting shareholder equity

HOUSTON, Feb. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ION Geophysical Corporation (NYSE: IO) today announced an amendment to the Restructuring Support Agreement that, together with a separate support agreement with Mr. James Lapeyre, reflects increasing bondholder support to 92%, from 84% at the time of the initial announcement, and includes finalized pricing terms. Based on the 20 trading day VWAP since the initial announcement, the price to purchase new shares of stock through the rights offering was set at $2.57 and the conversion price of the new 8% Senior Secured Second Priority Notes due 2025 (the New Notes) was set at the high end of the collar at $3.00.

The Company also entered into a support agreement with the lender of its credit facility, PNC Bank (PNC), which will permit the Company to consummate and implement the bond restructuring transactions.

We are pleased to have obtained the support of 92% of our bondholders and PNC, and continue to make progress on our strategic restructuring plan, said Chris Usher, IONs President and Chief Executive Officer. The conversion price of the New Notes was set at the high end of the collar, protecting shareholder equity. We are on track to complete the transactions by the end of March, which will improve the Companys platform to continue execution of our refreshed strategy.

About ION

Leveraging innovative technologies, ION delivers powerful data-driven decision-making to offshore energy, ports and defense industries, enabling clients to optimize operations and deliver superior returns. Learn more at iongeo.com.

Contacts

ION (Investor relations)

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Mike Morrison, +1 281.879.3615

mike.morrison@iongeo.com

ION (Media relations)

Vice President, Communications

Rachel White, +1 281.781.1168

rachel.white@iongeo.com

Registration statements relating to the securities to be offered in the exchange offer and the rights offering in connection with the restructuring transactions have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but have not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statements become effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. The exchange offer and the rights offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of each such prospectus, when they become available, will be distributed, as applicable, to our bondholders and shareholders and may also be obtained free of charge at the website maintained by the SEC at or by contacting the appropriate agent for the offerings. Contact information for such agents will be provided when available.

The information herein contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include information and other statements that are not of historical fact. Actual results may vary materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the risks associated with the timing and development of ION Geophysical Corporation's products and services; pricing pressure; decreased demand; changes in oil prices; agreements made or adhered to by members of OPEC and other oil producing countries to maintain production levels; the COVID-19 pandemic; our ability to complete the Restructuring Transactions and other related matters in a timely manner, if at all; and political, execution, regulatory, and currency risks. For additional information regarding these various risks and uncertainties, see our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed on February 6, 2020, and our Forms S-1 and S-4, filed on January 29, 2021. Additional risk factors, which could affect actual results, are disclosed by the Company in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks filed during the year. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements.





Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has said DkIT students having their exam results withheld due to industrial action at the college is entirely unacceptable.

The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) Branch at Dundalk Institute of Technology  which represent lecturers and researchers  said the action has been taken due to the institutes executive failing to honour commitments made last year, including the improvement of management bodies and progress in pursuing Technological University status.

Minister Harris, who met with Dundalk Senator John McGahon and DkIT Student Union President Taidgh Kavanagh via zoom to discuss the issue of students exam result being withheld, said exams result should be provided as soon as possible.

Minister Harris said: I believe the situation of students not being provided with their exam results is entirely unacceptable.

Students have been through enough as a result of Covid and I really hope that common sense prevails, and students are provided with their exam results as soon as possible. 

DKIT SU President Taidgh Kavanagh has told how students have been left stressed about not receiving their exam results and have been caught in the crossfire.

Minister Harris spent thirty minutes on a Zoom call listening and understanding our real concerns about the withholding of exam results, he said.

Overall, the meeting was a great success.

Minister Harris said he wanted to see the situation resolved as soon as possible and recognised the great difficulties that students have endured over the past year.

The TUI responded to Minister Harris saying they are willing to return to talks at the Workplace Relations Committee but claimed DkIT President Michael Mulvey refuses to return to talks.

TUI remain ready and willing to return to talks at the WRC, as we always have, a spokesman said.

Unfortunately, the DkIT President is refusing to and there can't be a solution if only one side is willing to talk and reach a compromise.

We hope for everyone's sake he reconsiders and returns to negotiations.

A DkIT spokesman said in a statement: The Institute recognises that the industrial action by the TUI is having a direct impact on students and DkIT's focus is to find an appropriate and immediate resolution so not as to further compound the impact on students.

DkIT has called upon the TUI to resume engagement with the industrial relations machinery of the State and the President has asked TUI members to agree to a referral to the Labour Court which would mean the industrial action could be lifted with immediate effect.

Management remain hopeful that this resolution will be agreed upon shortly.

The Institutes priority at this time, as always remains ensuring the welfare and continued support of our students and ensuring that DkITs teaching and learning and wider operations can continue without further disruption.

The Institute is doing everything in its power to ensure that students will receive their results in due course.

While continuing to exercise maximum effort to find a swift and fair resolution to the industrial action by the TUI, the Institute is actively putting contingency measures in place to ensure that results can be issued in the meantime.

We recognise that this has been an extremely challenging year for our student community and we are committed to ensuring that no DkIT student will be disadvantaged by the delay in issuing results.

The spokesman continued that it is incorrect to state that Mr Mulvey refused to return to talks with the TUI saying the Institute has fully engaged with the industrial relations machinery of the State.

Senator McGahon said I really hope the situation is resolved as soon as possible, the TUI are willing to talk and engage and I really think that a compromise must be reached where everyone is satisfied and most importantly where students get their exam results.
COVID-19 Cases Drop as Vaccine Efforts Ramp Up

New COVID-19 cases have fallen 52 percent in Orange County during the past two weeks, according to data from the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA).

As of Feb. 11, the 14-day average of new daily cases was 11,242, while two weeks ago it reached 23,846.

The daily COVID positive cases recorded Feb. 11 was 799, bringing the total cumulative cases to 240,999 cases throughout the county.

There were 42 deaths reported Feb. 11; a total of 3,493 people in Orange County are reported to have died from the virus since the pandemic began. According to the OCHCA, 890 of the cumulative deaths were from skilled nursing facilities. Another 386 deaths were from assisted living facilities.

There were 965 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Feb. 11, the first time hospitalizations have been below 1,000 since the beginning of last December. There were 298 patients in intensive care units.

There have been 209,270 people who have recovered from the virus as of Feb. 11.

The new daily numbers come as the county is looking for new ways to increase vaccine inoculations to those currently eligible.

A number of CVS pharmacies began offering inoculations on Feb. 11. Stores that offered the service include locations in Aliso Viejo, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, and Yorba Linda.

University of CaliforniaIrvine (UCI) health sciences assistant clinical professor Keri Hurley-Kim said the rate of vaccinations will start picking up as more sites are added.

Its really important to keep in mind the complexity of this process and all of these steps that have to be coordinated in order to get the vaccine to people, Kim said during a Feb. 11 COVID-19 panel. The seminar was hosted by UCIs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

I do feel optimistic that our processes are improving, and as long as our supply continues to increase, well start to see the rate and the pace of vaccination continue to increase as well.

Kim also discussed what goes into deciding which parts of the population receive the vaccines first.

There are also a lot of decision-making processes that go into figuring out whos going to get vaccinated first, she said. The factors that are considered here at the most basic level are maximizing benefit and minimizing harm so this means reducing, to the greatest degree that we can, the most deaths and reducing hospitalizations. So this is why we prioritize our older adults and also those with high-risk conditions.
The City of Midland is encouraging residents to follow safety and health guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, Midland City Council issued a proclamation, which was presented by Mask Up Midland County on Jan. 25. The proclamation encourages residents to follow state guidelines as well as supports the volunteer groups local efforts.

Specifically, it encourages residents to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community by actively supporting the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordons emergency order regarding the wearing of masks and social distancing as well as the Midland County Health Department recommendations.

The proclamation, in part, reads, Midland City Council desires to do what it can to keep residents, visitors, business owners and front-line workers safe from the effects of COVID-19 and play a part in slowing the spread of this disease while supporting a safe return to economic stability.

Thank you on behalf of all of us for reminding us about how important it is to pay attention to whats going on out there, said Mayor Maureen Donker. I have a son with autism and he always says to me, Mom, this virus is perfectly awful' and I think if we all pay attention and do what we can to prevent the spread of it and to help get through this time  its wonderful.

Founding Mask Up member Kathy Curell said this was a step in the right direction.

Having leaders in the community amplify the message to follow health guidelines will help diminish the chokehold this deadly virus has on our lives and our economy, she said. As members of a community we all make choices every day. If we can encourage each other to keep wearing a mask, staying socially distant, getting vaccinated when it is available, we can all be proud of our efforts.

The volunteer group has worked to encourage compliance in a number of ways. In January, they asked the Midland County Board of Commissioners to uphold the same resolution; however, it did not pass with a 3-3 vote.

Tamil Nadu: Fishing hamlet residents seek permanent jobs

February 12,2021 | Source: The New Indian Express

Residents of Kattupalli fishing hamlet on Thursday staged a protest in front of facilities formerly owned by L&T, demanding that the company make jobs of 140 persons from the village permanent, as per agreement. The residents, who were allegedly evicted for construction of the port, said that they were promised permanent jobs within a year to 18 months of appointment; 10 years have passed and nothing has been done. The villagers blocked traffic to the port early on Thursday morning. By around 11 am, revenue department officials reached the spot and held talks with the protesters. A spokesperson from Larsen & Toubro told Express that the land where the company was, has been sold to another private organisation and said that the responsibility of providing permanent jobs was also shifted.

 newindianexpress.com 2021


Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 16:34:47|Editor: huaxia

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by Jamila Najmuddin

COLOMBO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has helped Sri Lanka in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the island country now looks forward to furthering its ties with China in order to recover from the pandemic, Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Colombage said 2021 will be a very challenging year for countries including Sri Lanka due to the fight against the pandemic, and Sri Lanka now needs the support of its friends more than in any other years in history.

China has already assisted Sri Lanka since the first local COVID-19 patient was detected in March last year. Since then, China has sent medical assistance such as surgical masks, personal protective equipment, and surgical gloves in large quantities to the country's health authorities, Colombage said.

"This has helped Sri Lanka in its battle against the pandemic."

Colombage said China has fought the virus very effectively as it has begun producing vaccines in large quantities and is helping other countries by donating vaccines.

"China is going to give us a large number of vaccines and arrangements are being made. I was told these vaccines will arrive here soon. That is a really great gesture. We need more support in this battle against the COVID-19," Colombage said.

The foreign secretary said the COVID-19 has shattered the country's economic hope and development progress.

"We now really need to catch up," Colombage said.

"I think China, being one of the leading economies in the world, and the number one development partner of Sri Lanka, can help us," Colombage added.

Attracting more investments from China will create more job opportunities for locals, said the official, adding that reaping the benefits from China's Belt and Road Initiative will be a priority.

Sri Lanka will also look to boost local production in order to join the global supply chain, Colombage said.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, Sri Lanka closed its borders in March last year in order to prevent a further spread.

Since then, its tourism industry has suffered severe setbacks with a halt in tourist arrivals.

In order to revive the economy, Colombage said, Sri Lanka will pay more attention to the ocean as he believed that Sri Lanka has the great potential to be a maritime hub in the Indian Ocean.

"In that, I see the Belt and Road Initiative as a great prospect for Sri Lanka to be more connected to the global supply chain."

Sri Lanka has three deepwater ports, which are viewed by Colombage as the country's biggest assets.

"So we need to benefit from that. We need to benefit economically from the Belt and Road Initiative. We need to develop our maritime-related infrastructure," he said. Enditem
Snow falls at the US Capitol on the third day of senate impeachment hearings against former US president Donald Trump in Washington yesterday. Photo: Erin Scott/Reuters

A group of former Republican officials considering a new center-right political party to counter former President Donald Trumps influence would face steep challenges in shaking up a U.S. political system that has favored two-party rule throughout its history.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that more than 120 Republicans - including former elected officials, along with former administrators under Trump and former presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush - met virtually on Feb. 5 to discuss forming a third party or a new center-right faction.

Two of the most prominent anti-Trump Republicans in Congress - Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois - rejected the idea of a breakaway party in statements to Reuters on Thursday. Other Republican critics of Trump expressed similar skepticism - arguing a third party would accomplish little beyond splitting the votes of conservatives and helping Democrats get elected.

The resistance to a third party among some of Trumps toughest Republican critics underscores the extreme difficulty of such a political revolt. Such an effort would require walking away from the Republican Partys massive political infrastructure - staff, money, connections and data on donors and voters - that would take years if not decades to build from scratch.

Read More

An upstart party would also have little chance of succeeding without a charismatic leader who could capture the loyalties of millions of disaffected voters, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who was a senior advisor to the Republican primary campaign of Marco Rubio, a Senator from Florida, in 2016.

If somebody was going to start a third party that was going to gain some traction, it would be Trump and not his opponents, said Conant.

Kinzinger joined the Feb. 5 video conference of the anti-Trump group and spoke for about five minutes, a spokeswoman told Reuters. But the congressman wants to reform the party from within, she said. He has recently formed a new political action committee to support Republican primary challengers running against pro-Trump House Republicans such as Matt Gaetz, of Florida, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia.

A spokesman for Cheney told Reuters in a statement that she opposes any effort to split the party, saying it would only make it easier for Democrats to enact policies that conservatives oppose.

Both Cheney and Kinzinger were among just 10 House Republicans, a small minority, who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

A more likely outcome of an anti-Trump movement would be for centrist Republicans to try to purge Trumpism from within its own ranks, said David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida who recently quit the party in protest of Trump and declared himself an independent.

A party of center-right conservatives could never create a broad enough coalition to win national elections, Jolly said. And Trump has effectively undercut his more moderate opponents among Republican voters, he said, by ridiculing them as Never Trumpers and RINOs (Republicans in Name Only).

Its just impossible to escape the never Trump label, he said.

Others argue it would be much harder to wrest power over the Republican Party from Trump.

Lets not kid ourselves; we are not going to change this party, said Jim Glassman, a former undersecretary of state under George W. Bush.

Glassman gave a five-minute presentation on the Feb. 5 call advocating for a new party. Any effort to reclaim the party would be a soul-deadening slog, he told participants.

He told Reuters on Thursday that he sees the Republican Party as now thoroughly in thrall to Trump - and beyond repair.

I thought, if Trump lost by 7 million votes, there may have been a chance to do that, he said in an interview. But events since the election have made clear thats not going to happen.

Asked on Wednesday about the discussions for a third party, Jason Miller, a Trump spokesman, said: These losers left the Republican Party when they voted for Joe Biden.
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Aee.gov.ly scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 9 Apr 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

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PAGE TITLE    | The Libyan Atomic Energy Establishment DESCRIPTION    -       ,The Libyan Atomic Energy Establishment - the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS microsoft, microsoft dynamics, microsoft dynamics ax, microsoft, microsoft dynamics, microsoft dynamics ax, microsoft



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Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for aee.gov.ly by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

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NEW YORK  More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients in New York state were released from hospitals into nursing homes early in the pandemic under a controversial directive that was scrapped amid criticism it accelerated outbreaks, according to new records obtained by The Associated Press.

The new number of 9,056 recovering patients sent to hundreds of nursing homes is more than 40% higher than what the state health department previously released. And it raises new questions as to whether a March 25 directive from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration helped spread sickness and death among residents, a charge the state disputes.

"The lack of transparency and the meting out of bits of important data has undermined our ability to both recognize the scope and severity of what's going on" and address it, said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a residents advocacy group.

The new figures come as the Cuomo administration has been forced in recent weeks to acknowledge that the overall number of COVID-19 deaths among long-term care residents is nearly 15,000, up from the 8,500 previously disclosed.
A top Cuban official said on Thursday that declassified US documents pointing out deficiencies in the response to health issues reported by American diplomats on the island show some of the falsehoods the Trump administration used to impose measures against

Johana Tablada, deputy director for US affairs at Cuba's Foreign Ministry, said the new US government should consider reversing measures imposed by Trump against the island after tensions increased because of the health incidents and other issues.

Between late 2016 and May 2018, several US and Canadian diplomats in Havana complained of health problems from an unknown cause. Trump's administration officials suggested that may have been behind the incidents or allowed alleged sonic attacks against the diplomats, something the island has always denied.

A declassified assessment by the State Department, made public on Wednesday by the nonprofit National Security Archive, indicated there was a poor response to the incidents and a lack of coordination. The report was completed in 2018, but not released publicly, and it's not conclusive about what caused the reported health problems.

The Cuban government is interpreting the document to mean there were no actual attacks against the diplomats.

"If there was no attack, the US consulate in Havana should not be closed, Cuban families should not be prevented from assisting loved ones in Florida and vice versa, bilateral agreements should not be affected, Tablada said.

Former President Barack Obama's administration eased or lifted sanctions after restoring full diplomatic relations with in 2015. Trump later reversed many of his predecessor's decisions.

President Joe Biden's government has promised to renew relations with Cuba.

(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.)
OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Seagen Inc. (SGEN) said Friday that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Tukysa or tucatinib in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine for the treatment of adult patients with HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have received at least two prior anti-HER2 treatment regimens. TUKYSA is an oral, small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of HER2, a protein that contributes to cancer cell growth. The approval of Tukysa is valid in all countries of the European Union, as well as Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Northern Ireland. The company noted that Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients who received TUKYSA. Serious adverse reactions in ?2% of patients who received TUKYSA were diarrhea (4%), vomiting (2.5%), nausea (2%), abdominal pain (2%), and seizure (2%). Adverse reactions led to treatment discontinuation in 6% of patients who received TUKYSA; those occurring in ?1% of patients were hepatotoxicity (1.5%) and diarrhea (1%). 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.
Bitcoin surged to a record on Tuesday above $48,000 after Tesla announced a $1.5bn (1.25bn) investment. That capped Elon Musk's years-long flirtation with cryptocurrencies, which has mostly played out in Twitter memes  some of them market-moving.

Tesla's decision to accept Bitcoin as payment for its electric cars may help bring the virtual currency into the mainstream of global finance.

Yet its famed volatility has led to warnings from regulators that investors could be wiped out.

Here are some choice moments in the Tesla chief executive officer's enthusiasm for all things crypto:

November 2017

For many observers it started when a blog post shared on digital-currency sites suggests Musk is Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious cryptocurrency founder. The billionaire rejects the claim and says he forgot where he put his Bitcoin.

July 2020

Mr Musk's Twitter page is among a handful of accounts that were apparently hacked to promote a crypto scam. Investors were duped into giving away at least $120,000 worth of Bitcoin, said to be spirited away by the hackers. A 17-year-old Florida high school graduate and two others were charged by US authorities in relation to the alleged hack.

The billionaire tweets that month, "Excuse me, I only sell Doge!" That's seen as a reference to Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency started as a joke in 2013 that features a Shiba Inu dog as a mascot.

Read More

December 2020

Mr Musk asks about converting "large transactions" of Tesla's balance sheet into Bitcoin during a Twitter conversation with Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy. "Are such large transactions even possible?" Musk tweeted at the time.

January 2021

Dogecoin becomes a retail-trader obsession thanks in part to a Mr Musk tweet showing a "Dogue" magazine cover. Though no explanation was given, many users take that as another reference to Dogecoin.

January 29, 2021

Mr Musk adds "#bitcoin" to his Twitter profile page. Within minutes, Bitcoin jumps as much as 15pc, surging above $38,000, amid speculation that he might be a Bitcoin investor.

February 1, 2021

Speaking on the social audio app Clubhouse, Mr Musk declares: "Bitcoin is a good thing," he said, adding that he was "late to the party" and should have bought the cryptocurrency eight years ago.

February 4, 2021

Mr Musk breaks his self-imposed Twitter hiatus and sends a series of tweets about Dogecoin. "No highs, no lows, only Doge," he posted.

February, 2021

Dogecoin briefly touches a record after Mr Musk as well as fellow celebrities Snoop Dogg and Gene Simmons tweet about it.

February. 8, 2021

Tesla announces a $1.5bn investment in Bitcoin and a plan to accept digital currency as payment for electric cars. Bitcoin's price gains more than 20pc from its level before the announcement.

Dogecoin's market value now sits at about $10bn, making it the tenth-biggest among cryptocurrencies, according to CoinMarketCap.

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ROCHESTER, Minn. - Experts are stressing the importance of learning to administer Naloxone as concern grows over opioid misuse and fentanyl-laced street drugs.

This week the Rochester Police Department seized approximately 6,000 oxycodone pills they say could be related to recent overdose deaths in Olmsted County. RPD says the pills are being tested to determine whether they are laced with fentanyl, a potent and often deadly opioid.

Naloxone, commonly referred to as Narcan, has been used to treat overdose in emergency situations since the 1970's. It is one of first responders' greatest tools in preventing deaths from opioids, but has to be administered quickly in order to be effective.

"You only have about six minutes when somebody stops breathing to give them a medication to prevent organ damage, including your brain," said Dr. Casey Clements, an emergency physician with Mayo Clinic. "So having Naloxone on hand in the home for people who are on higher doses of opioids, or for family and friends of people who have opioid use disorder is really important."

Dr. Clements says Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service administered 137 doses of Naloxone in our community last year, and 855 doses across the Midwest. He adds while federal data on opioid misuse and overdose during 2020 has yet to be released, researchers believe use of opioids and other drugs has increased significantly during the pandemic.

"2019 was actually one of the first years that we saw a little bit of potential improvement within this epidemic. It was like the first glimmer of hope in at least 15 years, and then the pandemic came along, and now there's published articles that are showing that the rate of opioid use is going up," Clements told KIMT.

Dr. Clements says a widespread coalition of experts and community members are working diligently to make Naloxone readily available.

"Mayo Clinic, as well as multiple community organizations, as well as the board of pharmacy in Minnesota, are doing everything that they can to make Naloxone easily available to have on hand," Dr. Clements said.

Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam of Rochester, MN, along with other community partners, held a Narcan education and distribution event Thursday. Organizers say they plan on continuing to do so monthly through May.
Former First Minister Peter Robinson has told unionists calling for the scrapping of Protocol 16 to either "suck it up" or resist and bring down Stormont.

He also took aim at the DUP's five-point plan suggesting, a tougher approach was needed.

"One lesson learned after decades of dealing with governments is that they dont yield unless life has become uncomfortable," he wrote.

"Statements and speeches will not turn them nor, frankly, will petitions and debates (though I do not dismiss their worth as part of a campaign.)

"But if this is all that is on offer, then unionists should sue for the best improvements they can get."

The ex-DUP leader hit out at the Irish government and EU's insistence that no changes will be made to the protocol, telling unionists they could not oppose it at the same time as being part of an administration that implements it.

The UK Government has also reiterated its commitment to the protocol.

In an article for the News Letter on Friday, Mr Robinson said only decisive action by unionists was likely to extract any significant changes to the protocol.

He set out that unionists effectively face two options: learning to live with the new arrangements or collapsing Stormont's power-sharing institutions.

His comments have been welcomed by TUV leader Jim Allister who said the DUP needs to heed Mr Robinson's advice, adding that "destabilising Stormont and its north/south institutions is a necessary and legitimate tactic."

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and the European Commission's vice president have reiterated their "full commitment" to the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol following crisis talks in London on Thursday evening.

The protocol requires regulatory and customs checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but it has caused disruption to trade since it came into force on January 1, with various grace periods in operation.

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Unionist have called on the UK to trigger a mechanism within the protocol - Article 16 - which enables the Government to unilaterally suspend aspects it deems are causing economic, societal or environmental problems.

First Minister Arlene Foster restated her demand for the instrument to be ditched after the UK and EU reiterated their "full commitment" to the new arrangements.

"Northern Ireland needs freed from the protocol," she tweeted.

"We must have unfettered trade between GB & NI. It's time for the Government to step up & protect this part of the United Kingdom with permanent solutions, not sticking plasters. EU must recognise the absence of unionist support."

Unionist demands for Article 16 to be activated intensified since the EU indicated it was to trigger the mechanism - though it swiftly backtracked - amid its efforts to restrict the export of Covid vaccines out of the bloc.

Mr Robinson said it was "becoming obvious to those who are trying to operate within the new Brexit arrangement is that they are not working and are not satisfactory. Change for operational reasons alone is needed."

"Yet, for unionists it is the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol on our constitutional position that cries out for change," he added.

Highlighting the problems on trade between GB and Northern Ireland, he said "we are increasingly being treated as separate and distinct from the rest of the kingdom, the more unionist discontent will grow".

"At present only the pandemic is suppressing the outpouring of frustration and the protests that accompany that dissatisfaction," he added.

"How infuriating it is to hear people, some of whom should know better, recite the mantra that a land border on the island of Ireland would have been a breach of the Belfast Agreement.

"While they struggle to show where in the agreement such a stipulation exists, they, at most, rely on the scrawny defence that it is contrary to the spirit of the agreement."

He added: "Naturally they ignore the equally valid truth that a border in the Irish Sea is contrary to the spirit of the agreement."

Referring to emergency powers granted to Garda which enables Irish police officers to fine motorists crossing the border in breach of Covid restrictions, Mr Robinson insisted it was "laughable" about all the "faux-anxiety and posturing about not having a border on the island now appears".

Outlining the options open to unionists, he continued: "Its quite simple really either suck it up in its present or minimally changed form or resist it".

Insisting a "longer grace period" will not "soothe the tension within unionism", he added: "If there is the stomach for defiance then, in truth, you cannot try to ditch the protocol and administer it at the same time.

"How comfortable are unionists with that and the consequences that may flow from it?

Pointing out the potential consequences of bringing down power sharing, which he said, is a "choice [that] may have to be made", he asked: "Is the scrapping of the protocol more important than the continued operation of the Assembly?

"How would the collapse of the Executive impact on the fight against Covid and its plethora of variants and mutations?

"Alternatively, can those opposed to the Northern Ireland Protocol gain a majority in the Assembly and withhold the democratic consent required under Article 18?

Acknowledging that an outbreak of violence linked to a campaign to ditch the protocol "would be hugely damaging", he insisted what is needed is a "pan-unionist response that all unionist parties can support. The inclination to out-do or criticise others who have the same objective must be overcome".

"But the greatest danger is allowing drift and dither to become the strategy," he added.

On Thursday, Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin said both sides "need to dial down the rhetoric" on the protocol and said there were bound to be teething issues.

However, Mr Allister said in a statement that the protocol "still remains a direct assault on our position in the UK", stressing that those with the "position of governmental power in unionism have, sadly, been administrating the protocol while claiming it oppose it".

"That is an untenable position which cannot be taken remotely seriously... As Peter Robinson said you cannot credibly urge the ditching of the Protocol while administering it at the same time. A choice must be made."

He added: "Our East/West relations have been trashed by a calculated assault on our constitutional position as part of the United Kingdom. 60% of the laws governing our economy are made not in London or Belfast but in Brussels. This transfer of sovereignty is a constitutional issue of immense significance.

This is an intolerable situation but Unionist concerns will only ever be taken seriously if there is a threat to something which matters more to London than the Protocol. What is that, if it is not Stormont? So destabilising Stormont and its north/south institutions is a necessary and legitimate tactic.

The TUV leader continued: Yes, it may well be a choice between Stormont and the Protocol, as Peter Robison has put it. We must make the PM face that choice. I believe many grassroots Unionists have recognised the threat which the creation of an all-Ireland economy and the sea border between us and the rest of the nation is to our position in the United Kingdom.

"Preserving our Britishness and the integrity of the UK should matter more to Unionist politicians than Stormont, if operating the Protocol is its price. Now, is the time to act in defence of the Union.

The Centre on Friday said it has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement finalised with China for disengagement of troops in Pangong lake areas in eastern Ladakh. Hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese and raised questions over the agreement, the Ministry of Defence issued a strongly-worded statement.

READ | India-China disengagement at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh: 10 key points, what's next

It said the effective safeguarding of the country's national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the government reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces.

First photos of Indian and Chinese troops, tanks disengaging near Pangong Lake area in eastern Ladakh

The ministry also made certain clarifications in the statement, and said, "the assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962."

Exclusive: First video of Indian and Chinese tanks disengaging at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh; WATCH

Addressing a press conference, Gandhi questioned why the Prime Minister did not make a statement on the LAC situation and claimed that Singh "sheepishly" made a statement on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. "Why has he asked the Defence Minister to make the statement, the Prime Minister should say - I have given Indian land to China, this is the truth," he alleged.

READ | Disengagement pact mandates China to move troops to Finger 8 near Pangong Lake, Indian forces near Finger 3: Rajnath Singh

Here are the points:

* Ministry of Defence has taken note of some misinformed and misleading comments being amplified in the media and on social media regarding the disengagement currently underway at Pangong Tso.

* At the outset, Ministry of Defence reiterates that the factual position has already been clearly communicated by the Raksha Mantri in his statements to both Houses of the Parliament.

* However, it is necessary to set the record straight and counter certain instances of wrongly understood information being amplified in media and social media.

* The assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962.

* Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China.

* Permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8. The current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts.

* India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo.

* Raksha Mantris statement also made clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hrs of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement.

* The effective safeguarding of our national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the Government has reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told Parliament that as per provision of the agreement, China will pull back its troops to the east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong lake while the Indian personnel will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region.
Finance Minister on Friday tore into the Opposition for creating a false narrative of the Budget being pro-rich. The governments priority and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys ideology are to take care of the people at the bottom of the pyramid and, at the same time, respect wealth creators and taxpayers, she said while replying to the general debate on the Budget 2021-22 in the

Listing a series of measures the government has taken for the poor over the past few years, Sitharaman said she believed entrepreneurs in India should also be respected rather than constrict them through all kinds of regulations and licensing requirements.

Though the minister didnt name the Congress, the hint was clear as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had taken a dig at the government policy of promoting crony capitalism and termed it hum do humare do.

Sitharaman said the Union Budget 2021-22 was the instrument through which Atmanirbhar Bharat was to be attained, and asserted that the government was also looking at long-term sustainable growth. Instead of finding quick short-term solutions...we are looking at medium- to long-term sustainable growth, which will keep India in that kind of growth trajectory that will maintain us as one of those fastest-growing economies in the world, she said.

Amid protests by farmers over the controversial farm laws, Sitharaman said the government had improved the balance sheet of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which would help in minimum support price-based procurements by repaying loans that were due to the National Small Savings Fund. The FCIs outstanding loans from the NSSF are estimated to have reduced from Rs 3.39 trillion to Rs 1.19 trillion by March-end, and Rs 58,000 crore by the end of the next financial year, she said.





ALSO READ: 'Misinformed, misleading': Ministry of Defence hits back at Rahul Gandhi

The government has also additionally provided Rs 2,500 crore for capital infusion into the FCI, keeping it healthy to continue with its procurement and storage operations, she said.

The government should be accountable for the money it gets as tax, and therefore it has decided to make the Budget more transparent. Onboarding the food subsidy is a classic case of that, she said. What you get as a Budget is what is there in it; no pushing things under the carpet.

Responding to some former finance ministers who have called Budget numbers suspect, Sitharaman said there was an artificial increase in capital expenditure growth shown in 2007-08.

An increase of 62 per cent was shown in capex, which involved a fiscally neutral transaction of the government acquiring Rs 40,000 crore stake held by the Reserve Bank of India in State Bank of India.

The government has admitted a high fiscal deficit number and has given a glide path to lower the deficit without affecting or creating hurdles in the path to growth, Sitharaman said. The Centre's fiscal deficit would rise to 9.5 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in the current financial year, according to revised estimates against 3.5 per cent pegged in the budget estimates. The deficit is slated to come down to 6.8 per cent next financial year.



ALSO READ: SC notice to govt, Twitter to check fake news, hate speech on platform

She also said that giving stimulus for capital creating expenditure is one of the main features of the Budget coming after the pandemic. The stimulus is for revival, and systemic reforms which going to sustain Indias growth, ease of doing business, and sustain India as the leader in terms of entrepreneurial skills.

Pandemic relief measures

The government has provided Rs 2,567 crore, which has been credited into accounts for employee and employer contribution for those drawing salary up to Rs 15,000 per month. The amount was given to 3.9 million eligible employees accounts in 263,000 establishments, Sitharaman said. The governments initiative of paying employee contribution of if companies hire the employees who lost their jobs due to the pandemic has also received a good response. About 146,000 establishments have registered and 775,000 new joinees, and 178,000 rejoined the workforce as on February 1, the finance minister said.

A total of 9,100,000 MSMEs have benefitted from the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme, with the total amount sanctioned being Rs 2.43 trillion, of which Rs 1.78 trillion has already been disbursed, she disclosed.

Referring to the false narrative of the government works only for cronies, Sitharaman said, 'Damad' (son-in-law), I didn't think is the trademark of Indian National Congress... Loans sanctioned under the Mudra Yojana - more than Rs 27,000 crore. Who takes Mudra Yojana? Damads? she asked.

The mother of a murdered schoolgirl has said her killer remains a danger to society after he was convicted of historic abuse charges.

James Junior McKinstry Craig was handed a 21-year sentence in September 1998 for murdering schoolgirl Sonia Forsythe (13).

On Thursday, following a two-week trial at Belfast Crown Court, he was convicted by a jury of sexually abusing two young people.

The jury was sworn last week and were not told about Craig's previous conviction. The trial was the subject of a reporting restriction which was lifted after the verdicts were reached.

As one member could not continue due to medical reasons, after deliberating for around four hours, the remaining jurors of four men and seven women returned guilty verdicts on five charges committed against two children in the late 1980s and early 90s.

The 49-year-old father-of-one was remanded into custody following the unanimously guilty verdicts, and will be sentenced for the offences on March 18.

It is the second time Craig has been convicted by a jury at Belfast Crown Court.

In May 1998 he was found guilty of murdering Sonia Forsythe, who went missing in the Shankill area of Belfast in June 1991.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph on Thursday night, her mother Audrey Boomer welcomed the verdict.

She said: "I am glad the girls are getting justice and hopefully this will keep him off the streets for longer. We have always said that he was a danger to society."

After beating Sonia to death with a poker in his Sydney Street West flat, Craig then hid her body in his coal bunker for almost five years, before her remains were discovered by workmen in April 1996.

Despite his denials, he was convicted by a jury and a 21-year sentence was imposed.

He was released and was living in Edward Street in Portadown, but was recalled to custody following allegations made by two women who said they were sexually abused by Craig as children.

Craig was charged with seven counts of sexual abuse against two young girls in the late 80s and early 90s.

He denied four counts of indecent assault and three counts of gross indecency committed against the girls, one of whom was aged between five and eight, and the other when she was aged seven to nine.

During the trial, both complainants gave evidence - as did Craig himself.

The first victim, who is now 40, recalled being sexually abused by Craig, and on one occasion, he told her "if you do this, I will give you money for ice cream".

As she gave evidence, the woman revealed she went to the police in September 2016, when she made a formal complaint. She told the jury "I knew what he was doing was wrong" and that she used to "tremble" with fear.

Craig's second victim, who is now 38, was also abused by Craig as a child - both in his flat where Sonia was killed and in his car.

In the witness box, she said she "cried for my Mummy", and that the abuse has left her with nightmares, flashbacks and panic attacks. She recalled being taken by Craig in his car to wasteground at Ballysillan Leisure Centre, where she was abused.

Last week Craig was called to the witness box, where he denied the abuse. As each of the woman's allegations was put to him, he either replied "that didn't happen" or "that's made up."

Craig denied being sexually attracted to young girls, and when asked about the claims made by the two complainants, he replied "none of them happened".

He denied the second complainant was ever in his car, and when asked about a specific incident of alleged abuse in the vehicle, Craig said "it just didn't happen".

Craig was also asked if he had ever acted in an inappropriate way towards either of the girls, and responded by saying "not at all". He accused them of making up the allegations, and said "none of it's true".

During the trial, Craig's defence team told the jury that the women were lying, that the abuse did not happen and that Craig was innocent. These suggestions - along with Craig's evidence - were rejected by the jury, who returned 'guilty' verdicts on two counts of indecent assault and three counts of gross indecent. They returned 'not guilty' verdicts on two specimen charges of indecent assault.

Judge Stephen Fowler remanded Craig into custody for the sex offences, and said he would sentence him next month.

At a tariff hearing that took place in September 1998 after Craig was convicted of murder, Lord Chief Justice Kerr said Craig - who chose not to give evidence at that trial - "has not expressed remorse for the dreadful crime".

According to United Nations, this year's theme 'New World, New Radio' is an ode to the resilience of the medium and its capacity for perpetual adaptation

Every year World Radio Day (WRD) is celebrated on 13 February. The day was proclaimed by the member states of UNESCO in 2011 and subsequently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 as an International Day.

According to UNESCO, radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse.

One of the most widely consumed medium at the global level, radio has the ability to reach out to the widest audience, in the process having the ability to shape a society's experience of diversity and providing a platform for everyone to be represented and heard.

According to UNESCO, On the occasion of World Radio Day 2021 (WRD 2021), UNESCO calls on radio stations to celebrate this events 10th anniversary and the more than 110 years of radio.

The theme of World Radio Day 2021, "New World, New Radio", will highlight the services rendered by the radio medium throughout the crisis.

The year 2021 will see WRD being divided into three main sub-themes as well. These include:

Evolution: The world changes, radio evolves. This sub-theme refers to the resilience of the radio, to its sustainability.

Innovation: The world changes, radio adapts and innovates. Radio has had to adapt to new technologies to remain the go-to medium of mobility, accessible everywhere and to everyone;

Connection: The world changes, radio connects. This sub-theme highlights radios services to our societynatural disasters, socio-economic crises, epidemics, etc.

According to the United Nations, the theme New World, New Radio is an ode to the resilience of radio and is a tribute to its capacity for perpetual adaptation.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, on the occasion of World Radio Day has stated that as the world celebrates the tenth anniversary of World Radio Day, the past year has highlighted the extent to which radio, this young medium, developed some 110 years ago, remains essential to contemporary societies.

According to Azoulay, UNESCO has harnessed the radio's potential by producing royalty-free audio messages in 56 languages and offering them to radio stations around the world to counter false rumours.

A way in which news and information can reach the widest audience in the world, the radio was invented before the television and the internet.

According to a report on BBC, the first radio news programme was broadcast on 31 August, 1920, by station 8MK in Detroit in the US. Subsequently, during World War II, radio became an important way for the military to communicate as well as for the general broadcasting of information. Nowadays, radio has also become one of the prime mediums to enjoy music across the world.
Photo: The Canadian Press A women leaves a grocery store using plastic bags in Mississauga, Ont., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019. The British Columbia government has approved single-use plastics bans in four more communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

The British Columbia government has approved single-use plastics bans in four more communities.

Surrey, Nanaimo, Rossland and Esquimalt are the latest municipalities to implement bans based on their particular needs.

The province approved similar bylaws in Victoria, Richmond, Saanich, Tofino and Ucluelet last September to prevent waste such as shopping bags and takeout containers from ending up in landfills and the ocean.

Environment Minister George Heyman says B.C. continues to work on regulations allowing local governments to place bans on single-use plastics without the need for provincial approval.

He says the aim is to reduce plastic use overall, expand the deposit-refund system and call on manufacturers to take more responsibility for their products' end of life.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum says the approval of the city's bylaw banning plastic checkout bags, foam cups and takeout containers means it can move ahead with its plans as soon as possible.

"It's a simple and effective way for us to curb our waste and make a positive environmental impact on Surrey," he says in a statement.
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WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th February, 2021) The Biden administration will not revise duties imposed in the Boeing-Airbus World Trade Organization dispute, a notice to be published in the US Federal Register on Friday revealed.

"The US Trade Representative together with the affected United States industry have agreed that it is unnecessary at this time to revise the action in the Section 301 investigation involving the enforcement of US rights in the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute involving Large Civil Aircraft subsidies provided by certain current or former member States of the European Union," the notice, posted on Thursday, said.

The notice said the US Trade Representative will continue to consider the action taken in the Section 301 investigation.

In 2006, the United States filed a case with the WTO accusing European Union aircraft manufacturer Airbus of having received $22 billion in illegal subsidies. The EU filed a similar counterclaim, launching a long debate, with the WTO having ruled that both sides are illegally subsidizing their respective aircraft companies.

Crude oil

Crude oil futures dropped to Rs 4,201 per barrel on February 12 as participants increased their short positions as seen by the open interest. Crude oil weakened after a gap down open as dollar recovers.

Crude oil dropped after both OPEC and the International Energy Agency said renewed lockdown and emergence of new coronavirus variants reduced the prospect of a swift recovery.

NYMEX crude trades1.18% lower near $57.55/bbl amid IEA and OPECs downbeat global demand outlook, the prospect of improvement Libyan supply and mixed US economic data. However, supporting price is the possibility of a strike in Norway and Saudis voluntary production cut. Crude is showing some signs of correction and we may see extended losses on demand concerns, said Ravindra Rao, VP- Head Commodity Research at Kotak Securities.

West Texas Intermediate crude was down 0.69 percent to $57.84 per barrel, while Brent crude, the London-based international benchmark fell 0.56 percent to $60.80 per barrel.

MCX iCOMDEX Crude Oil Index inched lower 38.64 points, or 0.80 percent, at 4,780.49 at 15:57.

In the futures market, crude oil for February delivery touched an intraday high of Rs 4,231 and an intraday low of Rs 4,183 per barrel on MCX. So far in the current series, black gold has touched a low of Rs 3,486 and a high of Rs 4,293.

Crude oil delivery for February slipped Rs 40, or 0.94 percent, to Rs 4,201 per barrel at 15:58 hours IST with a business turnover of 4,201 lots.

Crude oil delivery for March edged lower Rs 41, or 0.96 percent to Rs 4,215 per barrel with a business volume of 344 lots.

The value of February and Marchscontracts traded so far is Rs 622.83 crore and Rs 5.22 crore, respectively.

Trading strategy

Tapan Patel- Senior Analyst (Commodities), HDFC Securities

Crude oil prices extended loses after IEA and OPEC lowered oil demand outlook for the year indicating slower than expected demand recovery. Crude oil price failed to breach key resistance above $60 per barrel triggering some price correction.

We expect crude oil prices to trade sideways to down with support at $57 and resistance at $58.50. MCX Crude oil February has support at Rs 4,160, resistance at Rs 4,270.

For all commodities-related news, click here

: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A federal judge gave her blessing to the sale of a downtown Cleveland tower by a company with Ukrainian ties that is under investigation by the FBI for possible money laundering.

The Miami-based Optima Ventures completed the sale of 55 Public Square to the K&D Group Thursday for $17 million, K&D Group CEO Doug Price said. The Willoughby-based company plans to renovate the 22-story office building, turning floors 2-11 into about 160 apartments and make improvements in a project estimated to cost $80 million. The top half of the building will remain as offices, Price said.

Optimas sale of the building has been years in the making. Price, whose company also owns Terminal Tower and The Halle Building, agreed in 2018 to buy the building, adjoining parking garage and space that once housed the John Qs steakhouse.

The sale later fell through.

In the interim, the FBIs investigation into Optima culminated in a raid of the Cleveland office of one of its subsidiaries in August and forfeiture lawsuits for 55 Public Square and buildings the company owns in Louisville and Dallas. Federal authorities said Ukrainian powerbroker Igor Kolomoisky and his associates used Optima to launder tens of millions of dollars through U.S. real estate and businesses, with much of the money pouring into downtown Cleveland.

The forfeiture case the Justice Department filed in December for 55 Public Square complicated the sale. Stakeholders negotiated in recent months, and federal prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke in Miami this week that they approved of Optimas plans to sell the building to the K&D Group.

Cooke signed off on Thursday. Price said the parties finalized the sale later that day.

Ive been involved in a lot of different situations buying buildings, but this was the craziest one, he said.

He cited the need to get approval from the Justice Department, Cooke and a judge in Delaware overseeing a lawsuit filed by Ukrainian lender PrivatBank, which Kolomoisky previously co-founded and owned, against him and his associates.

Price also said the deal took longer to reach because of meeting and other limitations caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but lauded everyone involved in getting it finished.

Court records show that Optima was financially underwater in its ownership of the building. Cookes order noted that the company defaulted on the mortgage and owes more than $14 million, as well as more than $1.1 million in unpaid property taxes and penalties.

Justice Department attorney Shai Bronshtein wrote in a filing Tuesday that the sale will help preserve the propertys maximum value by avoiding fees related to mortgage, property taxes, and maintenance costs. It also means the propertys value can be maintained, as Optima stopped investing in the building and had little incentive to do so, the filing said.

Optima will put the sales net proceeds into an account maintained by the federal government, as a judge could order the money forfeited later.

An attorney representing Optima in the forfeiture case did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Price said about 40% of the office building, completed in 1958, is occupied. It remains the home of First National Bank, which has its name displayed at the top of the building.

He plans to petition to have the building added to the National Register of Historic Places, which would help qualify the renovation project for state and federal tax credits.

He hopes work can begin on the building by July if he receives the state Historic Preservation Tax Credits. Price also said he is looking into tax incentives through a program created late last year by the Ohio Legislature. The bill pertains to transformational mixed-use development projects and goes toward investments made by insurance companies.

In the meantime, Price said crews would soon begin work on the parking garage, which is in disrepair. He also plans to add a rooftop deck and bring in a new restaurant tenant to fill the space previously occupied by John Qs, which closed in 2013.

While interest in downtown apartments softened during the pandemic, Price said he believes there will be a pent up demand to live in the citys central business district once more people get the vaccine and live more normal lives. Having Sherwin-Williams new headquarters in the same part of downtown wont hurt either, he said.

Once COVID is resolved, the next few years could be pretty good, Price said.

Optima was once one of the largest landlords in downtown Cleveland, though its property interests in the city dwindled over the past decade. Following the sale of 55 Public Square, which it bought in 2008, its remaining buildings in Cleveland are One Cleveland Center on East 9th Street and the nearby Westin Cleveland Downtown.

The Justice Department said Kolomoisky helped siphon $5 billion from PrivatBank, which he and Gennadiy Boholiubov opened in 1992. According to court records, the men fleeced the bank out of loans from about 2008 to 2016, repaid the loans with more loans and then poured some of the money into U.S. properties.

Ukrainian authorities uncovered the scheme in 2016 and the countrys national bank took over PrivatBank.

Kolomoiskys attorney has denied allegations laid out in Justice Department forfeiture cases.
The US private equity firm KKR controlled JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals (JBCPL), one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in India, is planning to aggressively scale up the business by acquiring midsized local drug companies and potential brands.

"We are evaluating a few mid-sized companies for acquisition as part of our business re-imaging strategy and aggressive growth plan. We are also looking to acquire potential brands," said Nikhil Chopra, CEO and whole-time director, JBCPL.

Mumbai-based JBCPL, a listed company promoted by the Modi family since mid-1970s, was taken over by KKR last year, paying Rs 3,100 crore for 54% stake.

JBCPL had 13.7% revenue growth in the first three quarters of the current fiscal, with Rs 1,514.1 crore revenues. Profit After Tax for the period was also higher by 56.4% to Rs 347.7 crore, with an EBITDA margin growth of 28.8%. In FY20, JBCPL had revenues of Rs 1,775 crore with a net profit of Rs 257 crore.

Going forward, the immediate focus will be to drive productivity enhancement opportunities within the India business along with a strong focus on cost optimisation. JBCPL, which has five brands like Rantac and Metrogyl among top 300 domestic pharmaceutical brands, contribute over 80% of domestic formulations revenues, about 47% of the whole revenues. "Over the medium to long term, we plan to scale up investments in R&D and other organizational enhancement initiatives," said Nikhil Chopra, formerly Cipla's India Business CEO. He said JB Chem is among the fastest-growing companies in the domestic market with over 18% growth in three quarters, while the pandemic hit Indian pharmaceutical market is growing at 4.4%.

He said the company is also planning an aggressive focus in cardio-metabolic, oral respiratory and pediatrics segments. Now 39% of revenues come from formulation exports, directly to Russia and South Africa and through distributor relationships in the US, Asia, Africa and some Latin American countries. Plans are to tap the existing overseas markets with more high-value complex therapies. There are continuing logistics challenges, impacting the supply chain in the International business. However, production and dispatch processes are being re-aligned to mitigate the situation, he said.

The company is also a leading contract manufacturer of lozenges and this is an area where it will try to tap the global market opportunity, worth US $4.6 billion, he said.

Also Read: Reduce GST, create separate department for auto sector: Parliamentary panel to Centre

Also Read: 30 km a day! Highway construction races towards record high in FY21

Also Read: Centre made Rs 100 crore by sharing vehicle data with private companies: Nitin Gadkari

Married At First Sight Australia star Nic Jovanovic is contemplating moving to the UK after British fans flooded his social media with support over the past few days.

The reality star, 30, has shot to fame in the UK in recent weeks now that the dating show is airing via Channel 4, and has impressed viewers with his gentlemanly behaviour towards now ex-wife Cyrell Paule, 31.

The couple ultimately decided to call it quits and divorce when the series was filmed two years ago, but hopeless romantic Nic revealed on his Instagram on Thursday that he is contemplating moving to the UK for another shot at love.

Hunt for love: Married At First Sight Australia star Nic Jovanovic is contemplating moving to the UK after British fans flooded his social media with support over the past few days

'Do I move to the UK to find myself a lovely beautiful wife or what!???' he quizzed his new British followers who'd flooded his social media with support.

It comes after an Instagram tribute Nic posted of him and Cyrell in 2019 went viral on Thursday when the couple's break up aired on UK TV.

'I want to thank you for sharing with me one of the most amazing and incredible experiences,' wrote Nic to his ex-wife and co-star.

'I know things weren't always great between us. But I want you to know I cherished every moment we spent together,' he said.

What a gent! The reality star, 30, has shot to fame in the UK in recent weeks and has impressed viewers with his gentlemanly behaviour towards now ex-wife Cyrell Paule, 31

'You are genuine, caring, loving, honest and most of all beautiful. The way you put people you care about first before you worry about yourself is truly amazing,' the reality star told his ex-wife.

'You have this really hard exterior, yet the inside is so full of love. You always have everyone's back (who deserves it). You are an amazing judge of character and I applaud you for that,' Nic continued.

'Life is short and I just want you to know I will always care for you and will always have a spot for you.

'Sending you lots of love and well wishes now in your new life as a happily divorced woman!' he signed off cheerfully.

Gracious: It comes after an Instagram tribute Nic posted of him and Cyrell in 2019 went viral on Thursday when the couple's break up aired on UK TV

The couple ended their relationship amicably after Cyrell's protective brother, Ivan, threw Nic out of the family house during the home stay week.

Ivan made it clear that he thought the relationship was simply not working.

Viewers rushed to the comments of Nic's post from 2019 to share their heartbreak that it hadn't worked out.

'I still believe that the two of you still genuinely love each other,' wrote one fan.

One wrote: 'I found you to be a real gentleman through the whole process. Someone will be very lucky to have you.'

True gent: Hopeless romantic Nic revealed on his Instagram on Thursday that he is contemplating moving to the UK for another shot at love

Another commented: 'Love this! You're such a respectful guy and I really hope you find happiness. Watching in the UK and will miss seeing you in the next few weeks.'

Nic thanked his British and Irish supporters in a follow-up Instagram post on Friday.

'What a wild journey! Thank you so much for all the love and kind words from everyone who enjoyed the show in the UK and Ireland!' he wrote.

'What is everyone's thoughts and feelings towards our wild season? Crazy or what?'

Nic, a tradesman from Newcastle, New South Wales, shot to fame on 2019's season of Married At First Sight alongside his fiery tempered 'wife' Cyrell.

He has remained single since the experiment, but Cyrell has settled down with Love Island Australia star Eden Dally, with whom she shares a baby son, Boston.
Ukraine and Algeria have significant potential for increasing cooperation in the metallurgical sector.

According to the press service of the Embassy of Ukraine in Algeria, this was discussed during a meeting between Ambassador Maksym Subkh and Chief Executive Officer of Algeria's IMETAL Group Tarik Bouslama.

"During the meeting, the attention of the Algerian side was, in particular, drawn to the presence of significant potential for the development of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Algeria in the metallurgical sector. It was also noted that the supply of Ukrainian metallurgical products is one of the most important components of domestic exports to Algeria, which is traditionally one of the five largest trade and economic partners of Ukraine in Africa," the statement reads.

Tarik Bouslama, in turn, stressed the significant opportunities for foreign, including Ukrainian, metallurgical and machine-building companies in the context of their possible participation in joint investment and industrial projects in Algeria. He also invited Ukrainian companies to join the modernization of Algerian metallurgical infrastructure.

According to the embassy, in 2019, Ukraine exported USD 273 million worth of metallurgical products to Algeria, which accounted for almost 45% of the total Ukrainian-Algerian trade for the year. In 2020, due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraines exports of ferrous metals to Algeria reached about USD 100 million, which accounted for more than 25% of the total trade turnover.

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Ravi K, Aloysius released on bail; Rohitha As case postponed By Manopriya Gunasekara View(s): View(s):

Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) Director Arjun Aloysius were released on conditional bail on Friday by the Colombo High Court after being served indictments.

After considering a request by lawyers for the two accused that their clients be granted bail, Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige released the accused on a cash bail of Rs 500,000 and two sureties of Rs 5 million each. The judge also barred the two accused from travelling overseas.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has indicted the two accused on six counts.

Mr Karunanayake and Mr Aloysius have been indicted over Mr Karunanayakes purchase of an apartment at Monarch Residencies in Kollupitiya in 2016 using funds provided by PTL Director Mr Aloysius whilst the former was Finance Minister.

The indictment alleges that Mr Aloysius paid Rs 11.68 million for the apartment, using cheques from PTL and Walt & Row Associates (Pvt) Ltd of which he is also Director.

The CIABOC informed the court that it intends to produce 58 witnesses and 32 documents before court to prove the charges against the accused.

The judge gave the accused until February 12 to put up the bail, and postponed the case to April 1.

Meanwhile, the Colombo High Court postponed further consideration of the case filed by the Bribery Commission against Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena until February 12. The minister has been indicted for unlawful acquisition of assets amounting to over Rs40 million during the period from March 31, 2004 to May 31, 2006.

Minister Abeygunawardena was present in court when the case was taken up on Friday.
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A country manor that once held treated US troops and held Nazi prisoners of war faces a new crisis as a result of Covid - as its owners call on help from the Government help struggling wedding venues.

Iscoyd Park in Wrexham, North Wales, has been in Phil Godsal's family for nearly 200 years - but was requisitioned during the Second World War.

In the 1940s it was used as a field hospital, hosting 1,500 US soldiers, with a separate space to house German prisoners of war taken after D-Day in 1944.

It wasn't until 1957 that the Godsal's had their family home returned.

In 2009, with the home falling into disrepair, Mr Godsal, 49, borrowed 1million to transform the site into a wedding and conference venue.

The 14-bedroom venue opened in 2010 and charges between 3,600 to 8,400 to hire, with space for up to 160 people.

But Covid-19 restrictions have curbed large ceremonies, leaving the venue out of pocket.

Today Iscoyd Park in Wrexham is an exclusive wedding and conference venue - but in the Second World War it was used as a field hospital, POW camp and home for Polish refugees

Around 1,500 US soldiers were based at the Wrexham country house during the Second World war

While most of the country house was used as a field hospital for soldiers fighting in Europe, there was a small part of the estate used to hold German prisoners of war

Mr Godsal said: 'Of course weddings can only resume when it is safe to do so, but we ask for a financial bridge to get us to that point.

'With the adoption of vaccines, testing, and clear protocols there is every reason that the wedding industry can safely re open at the same rate as the rest of the economy, when this moment comes.

'Grants would be a short term investment in an infrastructure that will deliver millions of pounds of returns to the economy on resumption of trade - but only if it is protected.'

Weddings are currently allowed to go ahead in Wales, but the capacity is set by the venue and people are encouraged to attend only if absolutely necessary.

The country house dates as far back as 1700, though the building as it is seen today was built in 1737.

It has been in the Godsal family since 1843.

A century later, its requisition would not only see it used as a field hospital and POW camp, but also a temporary home for Polish refugees and a secretarial college.

It was only handed back to its owners - Mr Godsal's great grandparents - in 1957 after German prisoners of war had left but the property had fallen into severe disrepair.

According to the venue's website, Mr Godsal's grandfather moved to Iscoyd in 1964 to begin restoring the front of the house - but a good proportion of the estate had to be sold off when prices were extremely low.

The Godsal family did not get their house back until 1957 - by then it had fallen into disrepair after housing POWs, refugees and wounded Allied soldiers

The Godsal's began restoring the house in 1964, 20 years after US soldiers fighting in Europe used the 18th century home as a field hospital

US Soldiers were transported from the frontlines in France and elsewhere in Europe to be treated at Iscoyd Park in North Wales

Decades after treating wounded US soldiers, parts of Iscoyd Park estate had to be sold off - while the family was almost given away, before the Godsal's could secure grants to start restoration works

WEDDING RULES DURING LOCKDOWN Weddings are allowed to continue in Wales - with capacity set by venue owners. In England, only six people can attend, with Government guidance stating they should only go ahead in exceptional circumstances, for example where one of the couple is seriously ill and unlikely to recover. Five people can attend ceremonies in Scotland, including the couple, the officiant and witnesses. Restrictions are thought to have cost the UK wedding industry around 5.3billion, as at least 132,000 couples cancelled their weddings in 2020. Advertisement

It was previously saved from being given away in 1981 when Phil's father took over the property and got grants begin the restoration works.

Mr Godsal and his wife Susie moved into the house in 2009 and set about transforming it into a functioning wedding and conference venue.

It officially opened in 2010 and has become an exclusive venue welcoming thousands of guests over the last decade.

But 2020 brought visitors numbers crashing down after weddings were initially banned and then restrictions on numbers were brought into effect.

Figures shared by ITV last year showed around 132,000 couples postponed their wedding in 2020 - costing the industry around 5.3billion.

The number of weddings in the UK fell by around a third last year compared to 2019.

Mr Godsal has called on the Welsh Government to match bridging loans being offered to similar businesses in Scotland where a 25million fund has been put in place.

He said: 'We have seen in Scotland a sector greatly helped by Nicola Sturgeon, who recognised the importance of the industry for jobs, the economy and the welfare of literally thousands of people.

Decades after the war ended, Phil Godsal and his wife Susie moved into his family home and borrowed 1million to restore it as a wedding venue in 2009

Mr Godsal's grandfather was forced to sell part of the estate in the 1960s for extremely low prices. Restoration work was able to be carried out in the 1980s, but it was given another revamp around 10 years ago

After borrowing more than 1million to transform the building, Mr Godsal now fears Covid-19 wedding restrictions will put his family home at risk

The family home, which dates back to 1700, underwent a huge restoration in 2009 to convert it into an exclusive, Grade II listed, venue

Mr Godsal is calling on the Welsh Government to provide financial support to the historic venue

'She also signalled that she would be looking to open up the wedding sector in line with the rest of Scotland. The power of this positive messaging on consumer confidence can not be over estimated.

'We ask for similar support and that action be taken immediately to get us into the home straight and firing on all cylinders when lockdown lifts.'

David Chapman UK Hospitality Executive Director for Wales said: 'Wedding venues are a vital part of the Welsh economy, Welsh communities and the Welsh way of life.

'All businesses need clarity and planning at the moment and wedding venues especially, as they work so far in advance to realise the big day dreams of the thousands of engaged couples waiting to wed.'

There are 480 wedding venues in Wales that support jobs including photographers, florists, bands and cake makers and around 339,000 hotel rooms are booked annually in the country for guests.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Friday said she is willing to get vaccinated in public to boost the confidence of her constituents.

Belmonte told CNN Philippines that while she does not want to jump the line in the priority list, she is open to be the first to take the anti-COVID-19 shot no matter which brand of vaccine.

Im in the non-essential group. I do not want to jump the line, and Im not that kind of person, Belmonte said in an interview with The Source.

But if my being vaccinated publicly, and being first to be vaccinated using an anonymous vaccine just to show that brand doesnt matter and if it will help the people of Quezon City gain confidence in the vaccination process, I will do it, she argued. And Im willing to do anything just to make sure that our city achieves herd immunity.

Citing initial survey results, Belmonte said about 47% of QC residents are willing to participate in the vaccination program.

QC very ready with vaccination program

Meanwhile, the local chief executive also expressed confidence that the city is very ready with its inoculation program.

She bared that officials have already come up with a masterlist of priority residents, composed of over one million people. The list includes medical and barangay frontliners, senior citizens, and uniformed personnel, among others.

Quezon City has also identified 24 immunization sites so far  including gymnasiums and school buildings.

But we intend to add to these as more and more people are wanting to help, Belmonte noted, citing offers from churches as well as from the Ateneo de Manila University.

The city government initially secured 1.1 million vaccine doses from British drugmaker AstraZeneca, which Belmonte said would come in around July.
The family of a Brit killed by Spanish police in a hail of bullets believe he was executed.

Barber Sean Hercules, 39, was shot at least 18 times in a hotel on the Costa del Sol in what Spanish police described as a gun battle.

But, at an inquest today there was no evidence produced that married dad of two Sean, from, Leeds, West Yorkshire, was armed or posed any threat when he was gunned down.

West Yorkshire Senior Coroner Kevin McLoughlin criticised police in Estepona, near Marbella, for a conspicuous lack of cooperation and in refusing to send any files have not helped one inch in the inquest.

Sean, who had posted selfies of himself with former professional boxer David Haye and grime artist Stormzy, was shot dead in the Autosole Aparthotel, Estepona, on the afternoon of 10 September, 2018, having walked away from a 100MPH car smash in Puerto Buenos that morning.

Spanish police claimed they had discovered ammunition in the vehicle, but that has never been established.

Barber Sean Hercules, 39, was shot in a hotel on the Costa del Sol in what Spanish police described as a gun battle

His mum Martha Friel, 66, told Wakefield Coroners Court that Sean had video called her after the crash - that was the last time she spoke to him.

The inquest initially heard that at about 5.15pm three national Police officers knocked on Seans hotel door and that he grabbed two pistols and he was killed in a shootout.

He was hit by 18 bullets, in the legs arms and body, which caused 39 wounds. There were no reports of any injuries to the police officers.

But after Seans brother Mark Johnson, 41, alerted the coroner to a video recording - which was viewed in the inquest - it showed eight armed police officers at the scene.

His schoolteacher wife Sherree Dooley, 34, who is mother to Seans two children aged nine and six, said: To do that to someone is just evil, absolutely evil.

He was murdered, ruthlessly murdered.

Sean had gone to Spain to open a barbershop 10 months before his death and she had the children had planned to follow him.

We had a good relationship. Sean was a loving husband and a good dad, she told the inquest.

Sean had gone to Spain to open a barbershop 10 months before his death and she had the children had planned to follow him.

The inquest where his mother was left alone at Malaga Airport, with no help from the British embassy of Spanish authorities, when she flew out to identify her sons body, which was eventually presented to her with his eyes wide open.

And, despite a post mortem in Spain, his body was eventually sent back with bullets still lodged inside him.

He was sent home with bullets still in his body and without any death certificate, so we had to cancel his funeral, said his wife.

Sean was hit by 18 bullets, in the legs arms and body, which caused 39 wounds. There were no reports of any injuries to the police officers

Detective Constable Simon Ridewood, of West Yorkshire Police, said Sean had served jail terms in the UK for firearms offences in the past, and had failed to attend a sentencing for possession of an offensive weapon in January 2018.

But he added that Sean was not a high priority and there was no European arrest warrant out on him.

Pathologist Dr Matthew Lyall carried out a second post mortem in Britain, but said he was hampered because he was given no briefing about what had occurred, and there were no notes or photographs from the first autopsy.

Sean was not a high priority and there was no European arrest warrant out on him

He said the number of gun wounds was the most I have personally seen in one person and said that because so many firearms where discharged in such a confined area Sean would have been drenched in gunshot residue.

He said he would be cautious about the claim that Sean had a gun at the time he was killed.

He found Sean died from multiple gun shot wounds.

There is no evidence that a police officer was shot, said the coroner.

Recording an open verdict Mr McLoughlin said Sean was riddled with bullets and due to lack of cooperation from the Spanish police he was unable to determine whether the death was lawful or unlawful.

It is an understatement to say that I am disappointed by the actions of the Spanish authorities, he said.

He said he has also written to the British Embassy and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for help but had been given none.

There has been radio silence from the Spanish police, he said.

The Spanish authorities have not disclosed their findings. The exact sequence of events immediately prior to his death are not known.

He said it was unclear why eight police officers attended to make an arrest, whether Sean was given the opportunity to surrender, whether Sean had a gun and had shot at the officers, and why it was deemed appropriate to fire 18 bullets into his body.

Outside court his brother Mark said: This was an execution. It was murder and the Spanish police have covered it up.
The United Nations Childrens Fund UNICEF and the World Health Organization, WHO, denounce the disparity in access to immunization against the coronavirus, warning it is a self-defeating strategy.

By Robin Gomes

Of the 128 million vaccine doses administered so far, more than three-quarters of those vaccinations are in just 10 countries that account for 60 percent of global GDP. As of today, almost 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, are yet to administer a single dose, lamented UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a joint statement released on Wednesday.

This self-defeating strategy, they warn, will cost lives and livelihoods, give the virus further opportunity to mutate and evade vaccines and will undermine a global economic recovery.

The COVAX initiative

The two UN bodies that have been working together for more than 70 years, call on leaders to look beyond their borders and employ a vaccine strategy that can actually end the pandemic and limit variants.

COVAX, the abbreviation of Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid -19 vaccines led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and others.

The initiative to accelerate access to Covid-19 vaccines was first set up at the end of April 2020 and now plans to distribute more than 330 million vaccine doses to 145 countries in an initial round of distribution by June 2021.

Equitable distribution of vaccines

UNICEF and WHO point out that "COVAX participating countries are preparing to receive and use vaccines. Health workers have been trained, cold chain systems primed. Whats missing is the equitable supply of vaccines. Fore and Tedros note that health workers have been on the frontlines of the pandemic in lower- and middle-income settings and should be protected first so they can protect us.

To ensure that vaccine rollouts begin in all countries in the first 100 days of 2021, UNICEF and WHO want that governments that have vaccinated their own health workers and populations at the highest risk of severe disease to share vaccines through COVAX so other countries can do the same.

The UN agencies want that Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and COVAX are fully funded so that financing and technical support are available to lower- and middle-income countries for deploying and administering vaccines. If fully funded, they say, ACT Accelerator could return up to US$ 166 for every dollar invested.

The UN urges vaccine manufacturers to allocate the limited vaccine supply equitably; share safety, efficacy and manufacturing data as a priority with WHO for regulatory and policy review; step up and maximize production; and transfer technology to other manufacturers who can help scale the global supply.

We need global leadership to scale up vaccine production and achieve vaccine equity, the UNICEF and WHO chiefs stress. Covid-19 has shown that our fates are inextricably linked. Whether we win or lose, we will do so together, they stress.

A brick in the wall of equality

Earlier on January 18, Tedros denounced the me-first approach to Covid-19 vaccines on the part of some countries and manufacturers, warning that it is putting equitable access to these lifesaving treatments at risk. While vaccines bring hope to some, he said, they become another brick in the wall of inequality between the worlds haves and have-nots. He reported that while 39 million doses had been administered in nearly 50 richer countries, only 25 had been given in one lowest income nation.

Pope Francis

Even before the vaccines were ready, Pope Francis had been insisting on equitable access to them, especially among the poorer nations of the world. I encourage all states to contribute actively to the international efforts being made to ensure an equitable distribution of the vaccines, based not on purely economic criteria but on the needs of all, especially of peoples most in need, he said in his latest appeal on February 8, while addressing the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See.

UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for massive and speedy COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in both developed and developing countries, urging rich nations to make their excess doses available to poorer ones.

"If we believe it is possible to vaccinate the global north and forget about the global south; if you let the virus spread like wildfire in the global south, it will mutate," and become resistant to the newly developed vaccines, he warned while addressing in a virtual presentation at the World Economic Forum's Davos Agenda on January 25.

Among the several priorities he outlined in a speech to the General Assembly on January 28, he said the response to Covid-19 was the first. Vaccines are the first great moral test before us. These must be seen as global public goods  peoples vaccines  available and affordable to all, he said. But, the world is falling short. Vaccines are reaching a handful of countries quickly, while the poorest countries have almost none, he lamented.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Washington, Feb 12 : In a first phone call after the US rejoined the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization (WHO), Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during which they discussed wide-ranging issues.

Taking to Twitter following the call on Thursday, Blinken said: "On a productive call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, we discussed US-UN cooperation to address many global challenges, from Covid-19 to climate change. UN is the anchor of the multilateral system, and the US is back." Since President Joe Biden's administration came to power on January 20, the US has rejoined the Paris Climate Accords, the WHO, has also said that it was "ready to re-engage" with the UN Human Rights Council.

Former President Donald Trump had withdrawn the country from all the of three mentioned above.

Speaking about the call at a press briefing on Thursday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that while Blinken praised the world body for its numerous efforts and ongoing work, he also expressed the Washington "interest in close coordination" to resolve global issues.

"Underscoring President Biden's focus on bringing the pandemic under control, the Secretary praised the central role the UN and UN agencies play in coordinating our global response, highlighted the US re-engagement with the World Health Organization, and expressed our deepened focus on promoting health and advancing global health security," The Hill news website quoted Price as saying.

According to Price, Blinken and Guterres also discussed other issues, including the Syrian conflict and the crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

"On Syria, both reaffirmed their commitment to the political process under UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the extension of a cross-border authorization to deliver aid and help relieve the suffering of the Syrian people.

"On Ethiopia, both reconfirmed their commitment to support Ethiopia's efforts to respond to the crisis in Tigray," the Department spokesman added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Greeces right-wing New Democracy (ND) government passed its authoritarian Education Bill in the face of large scale protests Thursday evening.

The Bill establishes a special campus police force for the surveillance of universities. The university police force is empowered to guard campuses and will be able to arrest those deemed troublemakers by the authorities. The university police will be answerable to the Hellenic Police force rather than the education institutions they are patrolling. The law established a 'disciplinary council' able to suspend or expel students.

Students and teachers take part in a rally against education reforms in Athens, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. Thousands of protesters in Greece have held demonstrations in the Greek capital and the second largest city of Thessaloniki against proposed education reforms, defying a weeklong public ban on protests imposed as part of measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

The Bill overturns the law, put in place in 1982, barring police from entering university campuses. Police were only allowed entry to campus grounds if given permission by university administrators. The law, which existed nowhere else in Europe, guaranteed students protection from arrest or state brutality.

The Education Bill also limits the length of time students can stay enrolled before getting a degree. More than 77,000 students were admitted to Greeces public universities last year, with no tuition fees charged for undergraduate studies. Many students will be forced to abandon their courses.

The government won the vote in the 300-seat parliament by a majority of 166 deputies in favour and 132 against. It was passed with the support of the 10 deputies of the far-right Greek Solution party, who have come to prominence following the outlawing of the fascist Golden Dawn.

The main opposition party, Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) voted against, as did the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Movement for Change (KINAL) and MeRA25 (The European Realistic Disobedience Front).

The 1982 Law was put in place in response to the brutal murder by the US-backed military junta of at least 23 students and civilians, including a five-year-old boy, during the uprising at the Polytechnic University in Athensnow called the National Technical University of Athens, on November 17, 1973. Students were calling for the downfall of the military junta, led by George Papadopoulos, which had taken power in 1967. On that day, the third day of protests, students launched a strike under the slogan of Bread, Education, Freedom. The junta crushed the protest, with tanks and soldiers crashing through the universitys gates to carry out the slaughter.

Tens of thousands of students and education workers have been protesting the Education Bill throughout the country for weeks. They have chanted 'Bread, Education, Freedom,' connecting their struggle with that against the junta. The protests came to a crescendo during the last week with demonstrations of thousands in Athens, the second city Thessaloniki and other towns and cities.

Students and education staff put forward demands including withdrawal of the bill, no University Police, reopening of the faculties in the spring semester; no study limits or removal of students from university; no disciplinary law; no to the higher access restrictions of public universities, no to the equalization of private college degrees with universities, public, free education for all, and hands off the Student Associations.

The protests were met with massive police violence. On Wednesday police in Athens and Thessaloniki, included the motorcycled MAT squad, attacked students with teargas and truncheons. Reports and photos show police attacking protesters while they are on the ground. As a march of students near the Propylaea neared its end, police continued their attacks leaving protesters with serious injuries. Speaking to education news website alfavita.gr, former Athens Polytechnic Dean Nikos Markatos said, 'We saw police riding their motorcycles towards protesters. They were beating a kid on the head with a fire extinguisher. My son is at the Red Cross Hospital with a broken shoulder and will be wearing a brace for three weeks. A total of four kids were taken to the Red Cross Hospital following the police violence.'

Press Project reported that Markatos also made a chilling accusation, stating that a police officer broke the jaw and took out the teeth of a student who is currently in the operating theatre.

Riot police threw journalist Yiannis Liakos to the ground. The rest of the journalists were at the receiving end of police hostility while at the same time police officers were attempting to prevent photo journalists from taking pictures of those arrested in order to prevent them from recording the violent scenes even against people who were lying on the ground.

In Athens, police made 52 arrests Wednesdaywith 24 charged on Thursday morning. Dozens of students organised a solidarity rally outside courts to support the detainees. A selection of videos uploaded to social media can be viewed at the Press Project web site here .

During the police rampage, a MeRA25 parliamentary deputy and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Sofia Sakorafa, suffered an assault outside the General Police Directorate of Attica. Sakorafa was part of a delegation of MeRA25 deputies and hundreds of others protesting the mass arrests of those being held inside.

Introducing the Bill, ND Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis slandered students as he portrayed universities as dens of criminality and violence. Nowhere in the world do we see images... of historical buildings being vandalised, equipment being looted,' he said. Mitsotakis claimed that on campus teachers were beaten, women raped and drugs trafficked.

While in power, SYRIZA carried out even harsher austerity than the ND and social democratic governments before it. SYRIZA enforced this through state violence and was instrumental in establishing Greece as the EUs border force to keep out desperate immigrants and asylum seekers fleeing war zones.

Speaking in parliament, SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, while voting against the Education Bill, gave succour to Mitsotakis claims that the universities were hives of criminality. He argued that the government already had enough repressive forces of the state to clamp down on campuses, so why did they need more? If the government believe that universities are indeed centres of criminality and lawlessness then all it needs to do is send as many police officers as are needed and as many times as it is necessary to rid them from lawlessness.

He asked, Why havent [the police] solved the problem? And why will this be solved by the creation of police units within universities?

Fofi Gennimata, the leader of the Movement for Change, which includes the remnants of the social democratic PASOK which was wiped out electorally for imposing austerity, called instead for universities to be guarded by private companies.

The measures allowing the return of police to campuses are part of a raft of dictatorial measures enacted by the ND government that came to power in 2019.

Using the pandemic as a pretext, Chief of the Hellenic Police Michalis Karamalakis mounted a huge police operation consisting of 5,000 cops and armoured vehicles and banned all public gatherings of four or more people between November 15 and November 18 last year. This is the period when many commemorate the crushing of the students protests by the junta.

Last month, the government introduced a draconian bill stipulating that journalists will be limited to standing in a specific spot during demonstrations. The measure is opposed by every journalist association.

Last July, ND passed, with the support of Movement for Change and Greek Solution, a draconian law was passed restricting the right to protest. Protest organisers must now give advance notice of any planned public assembly to the relevant local police or port authority. The police or authorities are given the power to impose restrictions and even refuse permission for protests outright on public safety grounds, or if there is a serious threat to disturb the socio-economic life of a particular area.

From 2008, Greece was used as a test case for enforcing savage austerity throughout Europe, at the behest of the European Union, International Monetary Fund and the worlds financial institutions. Greece is again at the forefront as the ruling class moves to intensify its attacks on the living stands of the working class, to be imposed by dictatorial means.

New Democracy has pushed through anti-strike measures, including a requirement for the introduction of electronic voting by organisations calling a strike. This was carried out after Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis announced a new labour law bill last October based on a flexible eight-hour workday. This seeks to give employers the power to increase the working day from eight hours to 10 hours without paying overtime.
Rahul Gandhi

Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the India-China border standoff, the BJP accused the Congress leader on Friday of "lying left, right and centre and denigrating the countrys security forces, and said the "nation cannot forgive the Gandhi family for losing 43,000 sq. kms of land to China.

"When one does not have a moral conscience, when one cannot contribute anything positive, one resorts to lies. Rahul lied left, right and centre. Perhaps Rahul is depressed that he could not become PM. He knows that even his shadow wont support him & cant digest the huge public mandate to PM Narendra Modi, Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pralhad Joshi said.

With Gandhi making his attack on Modi personal, Joshi alleged that the former Congress chiefs "utterances are based on far-fetched presumptions and create "serious doubts on his mental health.

"The selective amnesia which Rahul often displays seems a regular order. Denigrating efforts and sacrifices of our security forces, whom you are placating? Why? Because you got some donation for your party? Cant forget your meeting with the Chinese? he said in a social media post.

Gandhi questioned the government on Friday over its agreement with China on disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh and alleged that Modi has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese.

He further alleged that the prime minister cannot stand up to the neighbouring country.

His attack on the government came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament that India has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China and it will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken away by anyone.

"Congress party breeds a culture of petty politics. Every member of the Gandhi family always leaves behind a legacy of misdeeds. History bears testimony to their repeated attacks on the sovereignty of the nation and unfortunately it is the country that has to always suffer, Joshi said.

The nation cannot forgive the Gandhi family for losing 43,000 square kilometres of land to China, he said, noting that Pakistan has also illegally ceded 5,180 square kilometres of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to China.

The nation cannot forgive the Gandhi family for losing 43,000 square kilometres of land to China, he said, noting that Pakistan has also illegally ceded 5,180 square kilometres of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to China.

In a tweet, BJP general secretary C T Ravi said, "I am glad that the Congress has finally realised that PM Nehru created a 'Himalayan Blunder' by gifting 38,000 sq km land to China. Will it also question its co-owner, the coward Rahul Gandhi for making baseless allegations against PM Modi?
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Newport Beach Mayor Says Meeting State-Mandated Housing Quota Will Be Difficult

The mayor of Newport Beach said his city will face a challenge to add the required number of new units mandated by the state in an effort to create affordable housing in Orange County.

Per Californias Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) mandate, Newport Beach needs to meet the states quota of 4,834 new high-density and affordable housing units by October 2029.

Mayor Brad Avery said developing housing at such a fast pace will make it difficult to produce quality housing that people want to live in.

If were under the gun and theres time pressure, what kind of development do you end up doing?  I dont know how many cities are going to meet that deadline, us included, he said during a Feb. 10 public Zoom meeting. Were clearly under the gun with that deadline.

Last month, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) rejected appeals by the Orange County cities of Irvine, Newport Beach, Yorba Linda, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Mission Viejo to lower their quotas, along with the regions 1.34 million unit mandate.

Avery said it is going to be financially difficult for commercial property developers to build low- to moderate-income housing units to meet the requirement.

We dont have much choice in this. I dont think anyone in town says, Oh yes, Im for more density. No one wants more density, but this is our new reality that were going to have to deal with, he said.

Ultimately, its going to be done through incentivizing, through zoning, that allows the property to become more valuable by virtue of development.

He added, We fully intend to comply with what the state is demanding of us. But its going to be really a challenge for us, and we need to do more outreach to residents.

Avery said the city is looking into other ways to reduce the requirements, including registering private property owners who add accessory dwelling units (ADU) or guest houses in their backyards, along with people with rental units already in their homes, and applying these units toward the quota.

It works for people who currently have a rental, whether its inside the home or outside the home, he said. These units could become legal at a very low cost, and then be added to the count.

I think theres opportunity there for the city to do a good program of going out and saying people are currently renting out units that are not permitted to get them legal, Avery said.
India and the US are committed to achieving the ambitious goal of a bilateral trade of USD 500 billion, India's top envoy here has said, underlining that New Delhi is keen to engage with the new Biden administration, particularly on trade and economic partnership.

When President Joe Biden was the vice president, he had set an ambitious goal of taking bilateral trade to USD 500 billion.

We are committed to achieving the ambitious goal of bilateral trade of USD 500 billion. I am optimistic that there is nothing we cannot achieve together, if we sit across the table and discuss, Indias Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, told PTI in a recent interview.

We look forward to engaging with the new administration particularly on the trade and economic partnership. You should not forget that the India-US relationship has had a history of breakthroughs. It is in the inherent nature of this relationship, Sandhu said.

Responding to a question on India-US bilateral trade, he said that it is well known that the bilateral economic partnership has been on an upward trajectory: USD 150 billion in bilateral trade; USD 46 billion US Investments in India; over 2,000 US companies in India, including every major Fortune 500 companies and over 200 Indian companies created about 125,000 jobs in United States across all states.

The private sector and businesses on both sides are excited about the limitless opportunities for expanding our trade and investment ties, Sandhu said.

According to Richard M Rossow, Wadhwani Chair in US India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think-tank, India-US bilateral trade took a hit this last year, primarily due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Goods trade dropped from USD 92 billion in 2019 to USD78 billion in 2020. Services trade was relatively stable at somewhere around USD50 billion, he said. Beyond the numbers, trade ties are languishing, he noted adding that individual firms are still finding opportunities.

But that is in spite of our governments. Both governments have taken protectionist turns in recent years. I have no doubt that we will hit USD 500 billion in trade someday; our governments can help decide if it takes a decade or a century, Rossow said.

It will take enormous courage and political leadership to repair our trade relationship--especially as our respective economies and job markets reel from COVID effects. But we should start small- securing our "mini trade deal" and remove some of the more onerous frictions, he said in response to a question.

Expand discussions to look at cooperation in strategic-economic sectors like critical minerals, climate change, and emerging technologies. Then see where discussions can go. But at the moment, both sides lack a plan and lack leader-level attention, Rossow said.

In a blog post, CSIS said that the Biden administration is less likely to be driven by populist impulses and may also open new avenues for trade cooperation, such as environmental goods and green technologies.

Expansion and predictability in temporary work visas like H-1B will be a welcome news for the services trade, but the visa reform, the Biden administration promised will likely only benefit skilled workers, said the blog post authored by its research associate Kriti Upadhyaya.

Protectionist tendencies, she said, will endure in the near term, mostly owing to the pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Already, the pandemic has set bilateral trade with India back. India slipped from being the United States ninth-largest trading partner to its eleventh largest, she said.

The US remained India''s top trading partner for the second consecutive fiscal in 2019-20, which shows increasing economic ties between the two countries.

According to the data of the commerce ministry in New Delhi, in 2019-20, the bilateral trade between the US and India stood at USD 88.75 billion as against USD 87.96 billion in 2018-19.

The US is one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus. The trade gap between the countries has increased to USD 17.42 billion in 2019-20 from USD 16.86 billion in 2018-19, the data showed.
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What do the above-mentioned powerful individuals have in common?

William Blount (1749-1800) was a signer of the United States Constitution, originally from North Carolina and served as the only governor of the Southwest Territory. He would eventually be elected as one of Tennessees initial United States Senators in 1796.

He also was a land spectator and obtained millions of acres in Tennessee and the West.

Blount was responsible for the creation of the City of Knoxville, named after United States Secretary of War Henry Knox, and he built a mansion in that community that still stands as a historical structure.

He was instrumental in conducting a census to determine whether the minimum requirement of 60,000 residents to establish a state could be reached with the population in the territory being determined to be 77,000, and when the state of Tennessee was admitted to the Union in 1796, Blount became a U.S. Senator.

He was an alleged conspirator in a plot to allow the British to gain control of Florida and Louisiana, which he foolishly outlined in a letter.

It reached the hands of President John Adams who thought it constituted a crime and turned it over to the Senate, which led to a bizarre set of historical facts.

Blount fled from Washington to Tennessee while the House and Senate debated whether he should be impeached. He would return to Knoxville where he would remain popular and served in the State Senate until his death on March 21, 1800 from an epidemic.

Scott Raulston Schoolfield (1905-1982) was a trial lawyer, criminal judge, and politician from Hamilton County who was elected criminal judge in 1950 as a reform candidate. He served eight controversial years until 1958 when he was brought to trial in the Tennessee General Assembly on 32 acts of illegal and unethical acts arising out of the McClellan Committee hearings in Washington on racketeering in four Southern states by labor unions - primarily the Teamsters Union under the leadership of James Hoffa.

Schoofields feud with Governor Frank G. Clement in the 1954 gubernatorial election would play a part in the initiation of an investigation headed by veteran Nashville trial attorney Jack Norman and future political aspirant John J. Hooker, Jr. and assisted by leaders of the Chattanooga and Tennessee bar associations.

Schoolfield would eventually stand trial in the Tennessee Senate on 24 charges upon a lot of hearsay evidence in a donnybrook and media circus that lasted six weeks and ended on July 12, 1958.

Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of the United States and was succeeded by Joe Biden who was sworn in office on January 20, 2021.

His background and history have been both praised and vilified by his millions of supporters and opponents and is ongoing and will continue into the future and will affect the nation for many years.

What do these three men in history have in common?

The answers are much more complex than an article can cover but there is a connective theme running throughout the lives and political careers of all three.

1. Blount was accused of criminal conspiracy and faced Impeachment charges beginning in early 1798. His trial in the Senate was delayed until January 1779 but Blount refused to attend and fled to Knoxville. On January 11, 1779, the political body by a vote of 14 to 11 voted to dismiss the indictment brought by the House of Representatives on the ground that impeachment did not extend to senators.

2. Schoolfield was found Not Guilty on the most serious charge of accepting a bribe from the Teamsters Union for dismissing 13 of the 32 charges. He was convicted of three minor charges of 1. Cussing out an assistant district attorney at a private club across the street from the Hamilton County Courthouse; (2) engaging in partisan politics; and (3) accepting a 1950 Pontiac automobile paid for by money raised by his court officer from private citizens, lawyers, and bail bondsmen.

A supplemental motion to ban him from holding any future elected office in Tennessee failed by a vote of 19-12 which was one vote short of the required two-thirds majority vote. One of the 33 senators had been ill and absent during the entire six-week trial and another Senator from Davidson County had conveniently exited from the Senate Chamber before the last vote.

As a result, Schoolfield would face disbarment charges from the practice of law, and then run for and win various public offices over the years until 1974.

Because Hamilton County had grown into the same population total as Knox County that had passed a Private Act that authorized a non-lawyer judge in the General Sessions Court, the Chattanooga/Hamilton County voting public could do the same.

Schoolfield filed his qualifying petition at 4 p.m. on the last eligible day and was elected as one of the three new judicial officers in that court.

He would be re-elected in the fall of 1982 and would die of a heart attack on Oct. 5 of the same year.

Donald J. Trumps unexpected rise to the presidency of the United States after a career as a busy developer of hotels, airlines, casinos, and as a television performer has been both colorful and controversial as an elected Republican to the High Office. His Presidency was filled with controversy from the beginning. Impeached on one occasion and defeated by Democrat Joe Biden in the November 2020 General Election, he now faces another impeachment charge arising out of the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol in Washington.

Legal questions surround the trial as to whether a president who has been voted out of office can be impeached?

Like Schoofield, Trump will also be confronted with the issue of whether he can be banned from running for President or any other federal office in 2024 or later.

In order to pass such a lifetime ban, 17 Republican Senators will have to vote with the Democrats to obtain the necessary votes that are needed to prevent any future political candidacy by Donald J. Trump.

Blount, Schoolfield and Trump are individuals that are a part of history who will be remembered as popular and controversial politicians and had dark chapters in their careers of public service in the area of Impeachment while in office.

* * *

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)
Leaving the State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Montgomery County on Thursday morning, his white hair peeking out below a prison-issue hat, Joe Ligon was accompanied by a dozen large file boxes. Thats about 10 more boxes than regulations normally permit.

Im a special guy, Ligon explained.

Its a privilege earned over 68 years, as the oldest and longest-serving juvenile lifer in the country. Hes been imprisoned since 1953, when he was just 15 years old.

I guess you accumulate a lot of stuff in 68 years, said Bradley Bridge, a lawyer with the Defender Association of Philadelphia whos represented Ligon since 2006. Having taken on the mission of getting Ligon home  first legally, then logistically  he had to scramble to fit the materials into his car, commandeering a reporters trunk for the overflow.

Ligon, now 83, received a life term for murder for taking part in a spree of robbery and assaults in which two people died: Charles Pitts, 60, and Jackson Hamm, 65. Ligon admits participating in the crime with a group of drunk teens but denies killing anyone.

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that automatic life terms for kids are cruel and unusual, he was one of more than 500 Pennsylvania prisoners all resentenced to terms contingent on lifetime parole.

But Ligon, resentenced to 35 years to life in 2017, rejected the very idea of parole after nearly seven decades in prison.

 READ MORE: They dont deserve to die in prison: Gov. Wolf grants clemency to 13 lifers

I like to be free, he said. With parole, you got to see the parole people every so often. You cant leave the city without permission from parole. Thats part of freedom for me.

Other prisoners tried to coax him out into the free world. John Pace, a former juvenile lifer and now a reentry coordinator for the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project (YSRP), recalled a fruitless visit to the prison with a group of other ex-lifers. If you want to fight, fight it when you get out, he counseled Ligon at the time.

But Ligon refused to apply for parole, let alone take any required programs.

So Bridge fought three more years to get him released with time served  and won a victory that has given hope to hundreds of other juvenile lifers still on parole.

In federal court, he argued that Ligons mandatory maximum sentence of life was unconstitutional.

The constitution requires that the entire sentence, both the minimum and maximum terms imposed on a juvenile, be individualized  and a one size fits all cannot pass constitutional muster, he wrote. The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office agreed. And, on Nov. 13, 2020, Anita B. Brody, senior U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, ordered Ligon resentenced or released within 90 days.

 READ MORE: Pennsylvania let dozens of teen lifers out of prison. Here's what happened.

That was no sad day for me, Ligon said. He only wished his mother, his father, and his brother could have been there to see it.

The 90-day clock expired Thursday. So, for the first time, Ligon left behind prison walls and visited the public defenders Center City office, where files on his case take up an entire room. He seemed unfazed as he placed his face close to a high-tech temperature scanner, then cruised by elevator up to the eighth floor.

Peering out the window, he saw a city transformed.

Im looking at all the tall buildings, he said. This is all new to me. This never existed.

He found it unsettling that Eastern State Penitentiary, where he was once imprisoned, is now a museum and Halloween attraction. That dont suit my tastes, he said. He had declined to be included in an exhibit. He feared it would imply that Im such a dangerous man, which Im not.

He grew up in a different world: a farm in Alabama, where he abandoned school in the third or fourth grade  he said he couldnt stand being in big groups  much as he would reject educational offerings in prison.

Im just a stubborn type of person, Ligon said. I was born that way.

His parents enrolled him in school in Philadelphia when he was 13, but he couldnt keep up. He was still illiterate when he was arrested at age 15. He believes he was scapegoated as the new kid, the outsider.

A loner, he grew to pride himself on his janitorial skills. In Graterford prison, he learned to read and write. He trained as a boxer there, developing a military-style workout regimen he continues to this day, despite his arthritis.

He never applied for commutation, though he could have had a strong chance at clemency in the 1970s, when hundreds of Pennsylvania lifers were released. Instead, he put his faith in Bridge and waited for the day hed be released. To prepare himself for modern society, he watched world news on a small TV in his cell.

I like my chances, he said Thursday. I really like my chances in terms of surviving.

 READ MORE: Life after 'life': After 21 years in prison, an exoneree's return home is nothing like he expected

His road to release, though, was riddled with obstacles. After the U.S. Supreme Court banned mandatory life terms for minors in 2012, Pennsylvania refused to apply the ruling retroactively. Another ruling in 2016 ordered the state and others to do so.

Then, mitigation specialists had to prepare for his resentencing, tracking down school transcripts and prison records spanning more than half a century. Every infraction, every transfer, that was the way to put his [biography] together, said Billi Charron, who was tasked with compiling his history and a home plan.

Ligons aversion to parole kept him locked up for years after that, until the November ruling set the 90-day deadline for his release.

That left Ligons supporters scrambling to line up everything hed need to come home.

Charron, Pace, and Eleanor Myers, a senior advisor at YSRP, volunteered to assist  a process that ultimately included support from 10 city agencies, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, and various nonprofit organizations. Philadelphias Reentry Coalition directed Myers to Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, which found Ligon a place in domiciliary care, a foster-care-like accommodation with a family in Philadelphia.

Then we had to figure out how to pay for it, said Myers. The Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services agreed to cover the first year, while a benefits specialist is helping to get Social Security lined up after that. A modest crowdfunding campaign helped cover incidentals. (Update: After Ligons release, organizers had to cut off donations for fear the income would make him ineligible for benefits.)

We have this extraordinary community that has rallied to make this happen, Myers said.

Pace, meanwhile, picked out sweaters and socks he thought Ligon would like. He found a phone with no data plan, figuring Ligon wont need it. He drove around the neighborhood where Ligon will be staying, checking out the parks and other attractions so he can show Ligon around. And, he solicited advice from other long-serving former lifers. Just take it slow with Joe, they advised.

When Pace, 52, first came home nearly four years ago, he felt physically ill from the overstimulation  a sort of emotional equivalent of the bends. Lets say mine was on a 2. His is going to be on a 10, Pace said. Hes been locked up so long, everything changed.

At the back of his mind, for now, is whether the legal victory in Ligons case could be his own pathway off of lifetime parole.

The ruling does not set binding precedent. Nonetheless, Bridge said hes already been contacted by numerous juvenile lifers hoping to challenge their lifetime parole terms as well. So far, he said, hes filed similar petitions for three juvenile lifers.

To Bridge, Ligons case is a powerful example of punishment taken to senseless extremes.

We waste peoples lives by over-incarcerating and we waste money by over-incarcerating. His case graphically demonstrates the absurdity of wasting each, Bridge said Thursday, before dropping Ligon off at his new home. Hopefully his release, and the release of the juvenile lifers in general, will cause a reevaluation of the way we incarcerate people.
For five and a half years, The Marshall Project has tracked every execution in America. Despite the trauma suffered in these cases  all of them marked by profound losses  they are all too often invisible to most of us.

By recording each story and noting every death, we could show how the machinery of capital punishment quietly grinds forward while few are watching. In the process, we hoped to better understand how our courts and prisons dispense their most severe punishment.

To do this, we created The Next to Die and built a national network of news organizations, including the Houston Chronicle, to help us cover individual cases. On paper, the federal government and 27 states allow juries to impose death sentences for the worst crimes. In practice, fewer than half carry out such sentences. Alabama planned to put to death Willie B. Smith III on Thursday in its first execution of the year, but the U.S. Supreme Court blocked it by upholding a lower court's ruling. But the decision only came after Smith had waited more than five hours.

Even for those on death row, executions are rare. Since The Marshall Project began tracking cases in August of 2015, the courts set death dates for more than 230 people in these active death penalty states, a small fraction of the nearly 2,600 people sitting on death rows across the country. Many prisoners convinced courts to allow them to pursue additional appeals or were granted reprieves by governors. Yet 120 were executed in that time.

More Information This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters, or follow The Marshall Project on Facebook or Twitter. See More Collapse

They were sentenced to die for crimes that led to the deaths of many others. In Corpus Christi, Police Lt. Stuart Alexander was run down and killed while trying to stop a freeway chase. Harriet Smith was shot in a drug robbery in Missouri in 2002. Charles Estep was stabbed more than three dozen times in his Tennessee prison cell in 1985. Three-year-old Sheila Marie Evans was raped and beaten to death by her mothers boyfriend in Ohio.

After marking these cases, we are winding down The Next to Die and beginning a new series of stories on capital punishment, Death Sentences. More than five years of immersion in the death penalty allowed us to unearth new truths about the criminal justice system and the erratic ways it metes out punishment. We learned that very often a death date is not final  and many of those awaiting execution find the day scheduled and rescheduled. We saw that even once that date arrives, appeals and bureaucratic delays mean that the condemned and the victims families can wait hours and hours before someone is put to death. And we saw that even as capital punishment waned overall in the U.S., enough states pursued it that someone has been executed every two and a half weeks on average since the summer of 2015.

The case of Juan Castillo in Texas offers a snapshot of the convoluted path to execution. Convicted of killing his girlfriends former lover in a robbery, Castillo was scheduled to die in May of 2017, which was then rescheduled for September. After Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, where his lawyers were based, the district attorney withdrew the date to give them more time to prepare. Castillo was then set to be executed in December before the courts halted the process to allow him to pursue an appeal. Eventually a new date was set for May of 2018. After the appointed hour arrived and initial delays, Castillo, who maintained his innocence, was killed by lethal injection and pronounced dead 44 minutes after the execution was scheduled to start.

The wheels of the criminal justice system roll steadily, but the outcome is rarely certain or swift, for anyone involved.

Executions keep coming

State and federal governments put people to death more frequently than many of us realize, even though fewer and fewer states impose the ultimate penalty. While there can be long stretches in individual states between executions, when you look at the country as a whole, capital punishment is far from extinct.

One reason the death penalty endures is because some states  mostly in the South  pursue it with particular fervor. Since The Next to Die began, Texas has executed 43 people, twice as many as Georgia, the next closest state. Arkansas broke an 11-year hiatus to execute four men in eight days in 2017 (four others were granted stays) before its supply of lethal drugs expired. Virginia, historically a death penalty leader, executed only three and had to borrow the drugs from Texas to execute Alfredo Prieto.

On April 24, 2017, Arkansas put to death Jack Jones and Marcel Williams in the span of about three hours. Under the Trump administration, federal executions resumed after a 17-year hiatus.

And yet, since its heyday in the 1990s when 98 people were executed in one year, capital punishment has fallen off considerably. In states like Colorado, legislatures have abolished the sentence outright, sending anyone remaining on death row to serve out life sentences in the general prison population. Last week, Virginias legislature voted to ban death as a punishment. The governors of California and Pennsylvania have said they will not carry out any executions.

Then COVID-19 upended nearly everything in the world, and the death penalty was no different. Several states, including Texas and Tennessee, delayed executions during the pandemic. At the same time, the federal government pushed ahead with an uncharacteristic surge and put 13 people to death, drawing criticism and legal filings arguing that the executions turned into superspreader events for coronavirus, infecting more than a dozen people.

Even Texas has seen executions ebb after the Legislature in 2005 allowed juries in capital murder cases to sentence people to life without parole instead of death.

In addition, a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions narrowed the ranks of who could be considered for the death penalty, excluding those who are too young, too intellectually disabled or too mentally ill  even though many remain on death row. At the same time, new forms of defense have evolved. New arguments and investigations led to longer, more costly trials and subsequent appeals, forcing many jurisdictions to rethink whether to pursue capital punishment in the first place.

Executions have also been slowed because the methods of putting people to death have come under sustained legal challenge. Most states use drugs intended to sedate and paralyze a person and stop the heart, but the drugs have come under increasing criticism as an excessively painful form of execution. Some manufacturers have stopped selling them to prisons, and opponents have brought suits that have tied up states like Arizona, Arkansas, Ohio and others in litigation for years.

In response, some states have been forced to seek alternatives. Tennessee brought back the electric chair and used it to execute Edmund Zagorski and four others. Nebraska became the first state to use the opioid fentanyl to kill a prisoner: Carey Dean Moore in 2018. But in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine has said there is an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment, because they cant secure the medicine to carry it out. Lethal injection appears to us to be impossible from a practical point of view today, the governor told the Associated Press in December. The shortage has left dozens of death row prisoners in Ohio in limbo, even as the state continues to set execution dates that get pushed back time and again, some as far out as 2024.

Multiple death dates

Often an execution date does not signal the end of a case.

Among the 120 people put to death since we started counting in the summer of 2015, more than one-third were given multiple execution dates. One man, Ronald Phillips, received at least five dates from the state of Ohio because of delays due to lawsuits over the lethal injection drugs before he was put to death in 2017.

Of the 234 people with a date set since The Next to Die began, nearly half are still alive, usually because lawyers convinced courts to give them another chance to pursue appeals.

Occasionally, governors have commuted sentences of the condemned to life in prison. In 2018, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott commuted the sentence of Thomas Whitaker an hour before he was to die. Later that year, Ohio Gov. John Kasich commuted the sentence of Raymond Tibbetts, after a juror argued evidence was withheld from the jury that might have moved them to mercy.

Executions can also fail. In 2017, Ohio executioners gave up trying to inject Alva Campbell, who suffered from cancer and other serious illnesses, after a half-hour of trying to find his vein. He died of natural causes in a local hospital a few months later after collapsing in his cell. His experience was similar to Romell Broom, whose execution in Ohio in 2009 was called off after prison officials stuck him 18 times trying to find a vein. He was rescheduled to be put to death in 2022 before he died of COVID-19 in December. Campbell and Broom were two of eight men who died in recent years of other causes after having death dates set.

Then there are more unusual reasons for delays. In a case in Texas, Anthony Shore received a 90-day stay on the day he was to be put to death, because he had tried to take the blame for the murder of college student Melissa Trotter, the crime that sent another man, Larry Swearingen, to death row.

Sometimes bureaucratic flubs cause delays. In the case of Swearingen, the paperwork setting his execution date was sent to the wrong state office. (Both Swearingen and Shore were later executed.)

In Ohio, Rep. Bill Seitz has co-sponsored bills to limit who can face execution, including the severely mentally ill, and has seen the movement of death dates there due to the drug shortages. He said the endless rescheduling has frustrated prosecutors, as well as the families of victims.

In their minds, justice is being delayed and delayed, Seitz said.

A solution would be for the legislature to choose another means of execution that doesnt rely on drugs, he said. The challenge would be to find one that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to be Constitutional. Otherwise, he said, you're just coming up with a proposed methodology for execution that will not be carried out.

Waiting for hours to learn their fate

The length of time death row prisoners wait for their sentences to be carried out has risen dramatically in recent decades. The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics found that since the 1980s the average time from conviction to execution has tripled to nearly 20 years.

In 2017, when the U.S. Supreme Court denied Rolando Ruizs appeal to stop his execution in Texas, Justice Stephen Breyer called out the delays in a dissent. He cited an 1890 court decision and wrote a prisoners uncertainty before execution is one of the most horrible feelings to which he can be subjected.

When the hour of death arrives, it often comes slowly. On average, prisoners wait more than two hours. Its not only the condemned who suffer through the minutes and hours of delays  families of the victims are often on hand to witness executions and must endure the wait as well.

On occasion, as in the cases of Campbell or Broom in Ohio, the holdup can be attributed to the execution team being unable to inject the prisoner. More often however, lawyers for the prisoner and for the government are filing legal motions that lead to delays. State and federal courts will alternately forbid and allow an execution to proceed until ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court makes a final ruling.

In Texas, half of the 43 executions we tracked happened within 40 minutes of the appointed hour. Georgia and Alabama took close to three hours. In the fastest execution, Walter Barton was dead 10 minutes after his scheduled time in Missouri.

In the worst scenarios, men have waited more than half a day while their appeals bounced from court to court. Days before Daniel Lewis Lee was to become the first person executed by the federal government in decades, a U.S. district judge stayed his execution. An appeals court allowed it to go forward. Then a district court stopped it again, until, hours after the execution was to begin, the Supreme Court lifted the stay. Lee died just after 8 a.m., after 16 hours of waiting at the death chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana. His lawyers later reported that he was strapped to a gurney for four hours before he died.

The next day, Wesley Purkey, who suffered from Alzheimers, went through a similar ordeal in the courts, waiting more than 16 hours before the Bureau of Prisons put him to death.

Attorney Dale Baich represented Keith Nelson, who was on federal death row and saw what Lee and Purkey endured before they were put to death. The night before Nelsons execution in August, a court lifted a stay that had been in place.

Keith said, Don't appeal it. I'm only going to lose. Don't appeal it, Baich said.

When the hour came, Nelson was dead within 32 minutes.

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One of Williamstown's current high-pressure sodium streetlights that officials hope to switch to LED.

Williamstown Takes Big Step Toward Replacing Streetlights

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  A years-long effort to replace the town's streetlights with more efficient LED fixtures may be resolved as soon as June's annual town meeting.

The Select Board on Monday approved an intermunicipal agreement to transfer authority over the street lights from the Williamstown Fire District to Town Hall.

Once the Prudential Committee, as expected, gives the agreement its blessing, the way will be clear for the town to purchase the existing lights from National Grid, which has offered to sell the used lights for $1.

At that point, the town will have responsibility for maintenance of the lights, Town Manager Jason Hoch explained to the Select Board. But it can obtain a yearly maintenance contract for $15,000 per year, far less than the $58,000 per year maintenance fee charged to the Fire District by National Grid.

The town hopes this spring to conduct a pilot program to test light fixtures from several manufacturers at sites around town to see which is preferred by residents. And at town meeting, voters will be asked to approve a $244,000 transfer from the town's stabilization fund to replace the 553 high-pressure sodium streetlights currently in use.

Between the lower cost maintenance contract and the reduced electricity required by light-emitting diode fixtures, the town anticipates annual savings of about $60,000, Hoch and members of the town's Carbon Dioxide Lowering (COOL) Committee told the Select Board.

Hoch said the payback period for an investment in the new lights is 3 1/2 years. At that point, the $60,000 in annual savings could be used to replenish the stabilization account and, ultimately, offset other areas of the town budget.

"We want to thank [Fire District Treasurer] Cory Thurston because he's been helpful providing all the numbers to ensure this is a good fiscal decision," the COOL Committee's Nancy Nylen said. "Stephanie [Boyd] and I had conversations with other communities. We wanted to make sure this is as good as it sounds. We were reassured by other communities that the maintenance contract works smoothly."

Nylen and the grassroots environmental group have been advocating for LED street lights for years, largely because of their energy efficiency and lower contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

Two years ago, the Prudential Committee, which oversees the Fire District, had an agreement with National Grid to swap out the current HPS streetlights with LED fixtures. But many in the community raised concerns about the color temperature of the LEDs that National Grid planned to install, and the Prudential Committee opted to pull out of the plan and forgo the cost savings it would have generated.

The town and COOL Committee have since been working with the Fire District to find an alternative, going so far as to commission San Francisco-based Tanko Lighting for a lighting audit that informed the plan presented on Monday night.

In September 2019 , the project's advocates also hosted a listening session to gauge community support for the new lighting.

"We felt very good after it that people were supportive," Nylen said. "They said, Yes, we need more efficient lights.' And they wanted to make sure that their concerns about safety were kept front and center, and that's definitely something we're all concerned about. We want to make sure that where we need good, high quality lighting, like along the Route 2 corridor, it's nice, bright light, but in the quiet rural streets, maybe we can have a lower light.

"People expressed their concerns and overwhelmingly wanted to have this warmer light. ... And also, the idea of spillover light. People wanted to make sure light was concentrated where we need it. They don't want it shining in their bedroom window or lighting the beautiful, dark skies that we so appreciate in Williamstown."

The Select Board approved the intermunicipal agreement by a 5-0 vote.

The board also unanimously OK'd a malt and wine package store license for Williamstown native Peter McGillivray, who is moving back to town to open a wine and cheese store at the corner of Main Street (Route 2) and Water Street (Route 43), the former location of Hops and Vines.

McGillivray sought and received the only town license available under the cap set by the commonwealth's Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. That license came available when the proprietors of the Store at Five Corners recently opted not to renew for 2021.

In answer to a question from Jeffrey Thomas, Hoch confirmed that the South Williamstown store's nonrenewal was not an oversight on its part and that the town had reached out to the business.

McGillivray said he spent the last years managing and hosting international events and is looking forward to the chance to return to his hometown.

"The Water Street property is one I'm connected to," he said during the virtual public hearing. "I remember going there when it was a luncheonette. I'm familiar with that neighborhood.

"As I was exploring options, a fine wine and cheese shop was something that was appealing to me. Formaggio Kitchen in my neighborhood in Boston is something I hope to duplicate in Williamstown."

In other business on Monday, the Select Board heard an update from Council on Aging Director Brian O'Grady about COVID-19 vaccinations for town residents.

O'Grady said his agency and COAs around Berkshire County have been helping residents 75 and older who are eligible for vaccination but who have trouble with the online registration process to make appointments.

O'Grady praised the efficiency of the vaccination clinic set up at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in North Adams.

"What's been happening is clinics fill up quickly," he said. "At one point last week, we had 80 people waiting for openings. By the middle of last week, they opened a bunch of new spots and we started calling people on the waiting list.  By Thursday evening, we'd eradicated the waiting list and found spots for everybody.

"It's worked out really well as far as the registration process. The clinics themselves are very well organized."

Nearly 12 crore doses of Covid vaccine to be available in June: Health Ministry

Vardhan shares pic of Covaxin vial after Chhattisgarh govt alleges expiry date missing

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Feb 12: After Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo said that expiry date was not mentioned on vials of Covaxin vaccine, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan shared a picture of a vial.

Calling Deo's claim "baseless", Vardhan said, "The info is available on label of each vial." "In such unprecedented times, you should help address any vaccine hesitancy," he added.

Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo is sensationalising non-issues and further said, "kindly focus on improving vaccine coverage in the State."

WHO expert group recommends use of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine

The response came after Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo wrote to the Union Health Minister Dr Vardhan on Thursday expressing his concern about the absence of expiration date on the vials of the vaccine.

Both #COVAXIN & #COVISHIELD have been granted EUA in India after completing due diligence & following protocols establishing their safety & immunogenicity.



As for your baseless claim of expiry date not being mentioned on COVAXIN vials,the info is available on label of each vial. pic.twitter.com/5ygrCHZzuD  Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) February 11, 2021

In the letter to Vardhan, dated January 21, Deo had said that there was an "inhibition among the community" regarding Covaxin, as the vaccine had been given emergency use authoriation before the completion of third phase human trials.

In his letter, Vardhan said that both Covaxin and Serum Institute's Covishield vaccines were "safe and immunogenic" and "should be used expeditiously" to "rapidly confer protection to prioritized beneficiaries".

"Your concern regarding unavailability of expiry date on Covaxin vial is also completely unfounded and without basis as the same is mentioned on the label of vaccine vials," Vardhan wrote, posting a photo of one of the vials.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

He further pointed out that Chhatisgarh has had been able to administer the first dose of vaccine to only 9.55 per cent of its 2,09,512 front line workers. "...You would appreciate that this coverage needs to improve significantly since the adequate quantity of both the vaccines are available with the state," Vardhan said.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 16:38 [IST]
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Opinion Article

12 February 2021

To keep our advertising partners and the industry abreast of traveler trends and opportunities around the world, we are diving into regional insights from our recent global research. Here, we take a closer look at how COVID-19 has impacted traveler confidence in Europe, specifically: Germany, the UK, France, and Italy, and the factors that will influence future destination, accommodation, and transportation decisions. If you're curious to learn more about the Americas, be sure to check out our recently-published blog post and infographic.

In France, 1 in 2 travelers are optimistic about future travel this year, but Italian, German, and UK travelers need more reassurance, as fewer than 4 in 10 travelers have a positive outlook. Despite the variances in traveler confidence by country, European travelers on average expect to take 2.1 leisure trips from January to October 2021.

Photo: Expedia Group Media Solutions

Tapping into the 300 petabytes of exclusive Expedia Group global traveler intent and demand data, we see that in France, Italy, Germany, and the UK, international searches account for most searches, however in both France and Italy, domestic searches are not far behind international. When comparing December 2020 search data with October 2020, we see some interesting shifts across the region. France, Germany, and the UK all moved from predominantly domestic searches to predominantly international searches, with significant swings in both the UK and Germany. We believe that, by December, Europeans had turned their attention to international spring and summer holiday planning. This interpretation of the data is validated, in part, by an increase in longer search windows, which tend to accompany international travel.

Recent Expedia Group data on the top 10 destinations searched for by EMEA travelers shows they are searching for familiar destinationslarge international cities and many country capitalsincluding Dubai, Istanbul, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, New York City, Stockholm, Madrid, and Zurich. Our proprietary Expedia Group booking data also reiterates the domestic travel trend that we saw in our custom research: France, Germany, and the UK all topped the list for travelers booking within their own country.

Marketers can reach European travelers by inspiring those who are still dreaming and engaging those who are ready to travel. Content highlighting domestic trips and city breaks can help drive demand in shorter booking windows, while spring and summer holiday inspiration can spur longer bookings further out. Staying on top of trending destinations and competitive consideration sets can also help marketers adjust their efforts accordingly and will continue to be important as travel restrictions change on a nearly daily basis.

Instilling Traveler Confidence

Various factors drive travel confidence, and across Europe, travelers agree that flexible travel policies, including full cancellations and refunds on both transportation (52%) and accommodations (52%), would make them most comfortable with travel. While half of Europeans we surveyed would be more comfortable traveling if a vaccine is widely available, for UK travelers, this is the leading factor (58%). It is important to note that this custom research was conducted before news of successful vaccine trials and recent vaccine rollouts, so we suspect traveler confidence may have lifted during the past months and will continue to do so as vaccine availability broadens.

A destination that is less populated will also boost traveler confidence for 46% of Europeans and is particularly important to German travelers (49%). Reassuring content, such as messaging that highlights flexible travel policies, as well as content and imagery demonstrating social distancing or reduced capacity, like outdoor dining with space in between diners, should be incorporated into marketing content targeting European travelers.

Photo: Expedia Group Media Solutions

What Influences Travel Decisions?

Health regulations and requirements, such as mask enforcement and proper COVID-19 hygiene protocols, are all leading factors influencing destination, transportation, and accommodation decisions in Europe. In France and Italy, the use and enforcement of masks is the leading factor influencing transportation decisions, while budget considerations (45%) and refund or cancellation policies (51%) lead for German and UK travelers, respectively. Information on pandemic measuressuch as increased cleaning measures, contactless services and reduced capacityshould be at the forefront of travel providers' marketing communications, supported by reservation flexibility or full refunds to provide European travelers with financial peace of mind.

Photo: Expedia Group Media Solutions

Influential Content

Pictures and information on destination sites and online travel agencies (OTAs) remain leading content influences for European travelers planning future trips, along with pictures and information in travel advertising. When comparing pre-pandemic and future influence among European travelers, content in travel advertising increased by 28%, while content on OTAs saw a 27% increase, and content on destination sites increased by 20%, illustrating the importance of a multi-platform content and marketing strategy. A cohesive content approach across social media, owned websites, and advertising, rooted in messaging and information that instills traveler confidence, will help reassure European travel shoppers as they plan future travel.

Photo: Expedia Group Media Solutions

For further insights on attitudes, motivations, and influences that will drive future travel decisions in the Americas, be sure to listen to the on-demand Regional Insights Summit for EMEA. Looking for more regional data and insights from our custom research and Expedia Group first party data? We'll be publishing more regionally focused, research-based insights and infographics covering Asia Pacific later this month, and we recently published a post and infographic on the Americas. Subscribe to our blog to be notified as soon as new posts are published.
NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) between March 13, 2020 and December 15, 2020, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 5, 2021 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the firm.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Tyson securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Tyson class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2022.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 5, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience or resources. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 3 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020 founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Tyson knew, or should have known, that the highly contagious coronavirus was spreading throughout the globe; (2) Tyson did not in fact have sufficient safety protocols to protect its employees in its facilities; (3) as a result, Tyson employees contracted and spread the coronavirus within the facilities; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Tyson would face negative impact to its production, including complete shutdowns of certain facilities; (5) due to the failure to protect its employees, Tyson would suffer financial harm related to its lowered production; and (6) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Tyson class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2022.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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Contact Information:

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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

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We didnt think it was possible, because they were socially distancing, they were always wearing a mask, Reyes said. But her brother and grandmother, Reyna Mercado, started feeling ill. With a fever, Francisco Reyes quarantined in the familys basement, but their grandmother, who used a wheelchair, was not able to quarantine, she said. Her father also tested positive and has since recovered. Reyes and her boyfriend, who lives with family, tested negative for the virus.
Yangon, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2021 ) :Myanmar's military regime ordered the release of more than 23,000 prisoners on Friday, following a week of fresh arrests targeting allies of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and election officials.

Mass amnesties to empty the country's overcrowded prison system are common on significant local dates. Friday was a public holiday in Myanmar.

"The State Administration Council... has remitted the punishment of 23,314 prisoners from the respective prisons, jails and camps," said an announcement in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, using the official name of the new army administration.

A separate notice said another 55 foreign prisoners would also be freed.

Both orders were signed by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.

No further details on the released prisoners were given in the announcement.

Suu Kyi and other top political figures were arrested in dawn raids on February 1, following claims by the military that the November election won by her National League for Democracy (NLD) party was undermined by vote fraud.

The Nobel laureate has not been seen in public since she was detained, though NLD officials have reported that she is in "good health".

More than 260 people have been detained in the wake of the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners local monitoring group. Around 20 people have since been released.

Among those arrested so far are Australian Sean Turnell, an economic advisor to Suu Kyi's deposed government.

The NLD -- whose Yangon headquarters saw a raid this week -- also confirmed the arrest of election officials on Thursday.
Wyss Institute researchers have developed eRapid technology as an affinity-based, low-cost electrochemical diagnostic sensor platform for the multiplexed detection of clinically relevant sepsis biomarkers in whole blood. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Many life-threatening medical conditions, such as sepsis, which is triggered by blood-borne pathogens, cannot be detected accurately and quickly enough to initiate the right course of treatment. In patients that have been infected by an unknown pathogen and progress to overt sepsis, every additional hour that an effective antibiotic cannot be administered significantly increases the mortality rate, so time is of utmost essence.

The challenge with rapidly diagnosing sepsis stems from the fact that measuring only one biomarker often does not allow a clear-cut diagnosis. Engineers have struggled for decades to simultaneously quantify multiple biomarkers in whole blood with high specificity and sensitivity for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic applications as this would avoid time-consuming and costly blood processing steps in which informative biomarker molecules could potentially be lost.

Now, a multi-disciplinary team at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the University of Bath, UK, led by Wyss Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., and Wyss Senior Staff Scientist Pawan Jolly, Ph.D., has further developed the Institute's eRapid technology as an affinity-based, low-cost electrochemical diagnostic sensor platform for the multiplexed detection of clinically relevant biomarkers in whole blood. The device uses a novel graphene nanocomposite-based surface coating and was demonstrated to accurately detect three different sepsis biomarkers simultaneously. The findings are reported in Advanced Functional Materials.

"In this study, we have taken an important step towards deploying our electrochemical sensor platform in clinical settings for fast and sensitive detection of multiple analytes in human whole blood. As the nanocomposite coating we developed here is inexpensive, it has the potential to revolutionize point-of-care diagnostics not only to test for sepsis biomarkers, but a much broader range of biomarkers that can be multiplexed in sets to report on the states of many diseases and conditions," said Ingber, who also is a lead of the Wyss Institute's Bioinspired Therapeutics and Diagnostics platform, and the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS.

Ingber, Jolly and their Wyss team are currently also developing eRapid electrochemical sensors with the newly engineered graphene-based nanocomposite coating as a critical component of a point-of-care diagnostic for COVID, traumatic brain injury, myocardial infarction, and many other disorders.

By developing their electrochemical sepsis-sensing technology, Ingber's team built on earlier work published in Nature Nanotechnology, in which they had solved the problem of "biofouling" with electro-chemical sensing elements with their eRapid technology. In theory, electrochemical biosensors would be preferred for many clinical applications because of their ability to quantify the content of biological samples by directly converting the binding event of a biomarker to an electronic signal, their low power consumption and cost, and easy integration with diagnostic readers. However, especially when using whole blood, many blood components nonspecifically bind to the surface coatings of the sensors' electrodes and lead to their degradation, as well as electric noise in the form of false signals.

The team's eRapid technology uses a novel antifouling nanocomposite coating for electrodes to which binding reagents are attached that capture biomarker molecules from small quantities of blood and other complex biological fluids. Upon chemically detecting any one of these biomarker molecules with high sensitivity and selectivity, the eRapid platform generates an electrical signal at the electrodes that correlates in strength with the levels of target molecules that are detected. The initial nanocomposite coating allowed excellent conversion of chemical to electrical signals, and relied on tiny electrically conductive gold nanowires that were embedded in a matrix of a crosslinked protein known as bovine serum albumin. However, the high costs of the gold materials had been the major barrier to commercializing eRapid for clinical applications.

"In our advanced eRapid version, we replaced the coating's gold nanowires with graphene oxide nanoflakes that also have anti-fouling and electrochemical properties, but they are much less expensive and allow even more sensitive measurements. In fact, the costs of fabricating the nanocomposite were reduced to a fraction of its original cost, which together with the sensing technology's speed, efficiency, and versatility should enable the eRapid platform to have immediate commercial impact," said Jolly.

After optimizing and characterizing their nanocomposite coating in binding assays for the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6, the team applied it to the diagnosis of sepsis. Essentially, by attaching an antibody molecule to the coating that binds procalcitonin (PCT), and adding a second PCT-specific antibody to the complex that is linked to an enzyme, a precipitate is formed from a chemical substrate and deposited on the coating. This changes the current of electrons reaching the electrode, and helps register the PCT binding event as an electronic signal.

"We demonstrated that this electrochemical sensor element can detect PCT with high accuracy in whole blood, and validated it by quantifying PCT levels in 21 clinical samples, directly comparing it with a conventional ELISA assaywith excellent correlation," said first-author Uros Zupancic, who was a visiting scholar in Ingber's group from the University of Bath. Zupancic is a Ph.D. candidate mentored by the study's co-authors Despina Moschou, Ph.D., a Lecturer at the University of Bath, and Pedro Estrela, Ph.D., Associate professor and the head of the Centre for Biosensors, Bioelectronics and Biodevices at the University.

The team then extended their approach to simultaneously detecting multiple sepsis biomarkers by also designing sensor elements for C-reactive protein, another sepsis biomarker, and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The PAMP sensor element in particular leverages the Wyss Institute's broad-spectrum pathogen capture technology that uses a genetically engineered protein called FcMBL, which binds more than 100 different pathogens of all classes, as well as molecules on their surfaces that are released into blood when pathogens are killed (PAMPs) and act to trigger the sepsis cascade.

"Assembling three dedicated electrochemical sensor elements for biomarkers that can be present in blood at vastly different concentrations on a single chip posed a significant challenge. However, the three elements in the final sensor exhibited specific responses within the clinically significant range without interfering with each other, and they did so with a turnaround time of 51 minutes, which meets the clinical need of sepsis diagnosis within the first hour," said Zumpancic.

To make the current eRapid technology even more effective and useful for clinical sample analysis, the team integrated it with a microfluidic system that takes out the human element involved in handling the sensor in the laboratory, and enhances the number of biomarker binding events at its surface. This allows biomarker analysis with the system to be automated, and enabled the researchers to decrease the turnaround time for measuring PCT to 7 minutes.

Explore further Moving diagnostics out of the lab and into your hand
Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced she will vote against a $15 minimum wage if it's included in the COVID relief plan, effectively killing Democrats hopes of passing the controversial measure with a simple majority vote.

'What's important is whether or not it's directly related to short-term Covid relief. And if it's not, then I am not going to support it in this legislation,' Sinema told Politico in an interview. 'The minimum wage provision is not appropriate for the reconciliation process. It is not a budget item. And it shouldn't be in there.'

Democrats hoped to pass the measure as part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan, which would allow them to get it through the Senate via reconciliation - a process that lets them avoid a GOP filibuster.

Republicans oppose the wage hike, claiming it will hurt small businesses and put people out of work. By using reconciliation, Democrats could bypass their objections.

But losing Sinema kills that plan as Democrats need every one of their senators with them in the evenly-divided Senate. Additionally, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin has expressed opposition to the $15 an hour wage.

'I want to restore the 60-vote threshold for all elements of the Senate's work,' the Arizona Democrat explained.

Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema announced she will vote against a $15 minimum wage if it's included in the COVID relief plan, effectively killing Democrats hopes of passing the controversial measure with a simple majority vote

Sinema's decision will likely anger the progressive wing of the party, who wants the $15 wage to become law by any means necessary; above people wait to receive food donations at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen in New York

Sinema's decision will likely anger the progressive wing of the party, who wants the $15 wage to become law by any means necessary.

The COVID relief legislation is currently being written with each chamber working on its own version. House Democrats have the wage hike in theirs.

'Yes it will. Were very proud of that,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday when asked if the overall House bill would include the $15 minimum wage.

The House proposal calls for gradual wage increases that would reach $15 over five years.

But it always faced an uphill battle to include the wage hike in COVID relief plan. Even President Biden, a 40 year veteran of the Senate, said it likely wouldn't survive.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Tuesday that Democrats were trying to overcome a potential procedural obstacle that could prevent them from including the wage increase in the COVID relief bill.

'We're trying to work as well as we can with the parliamentarian to get minimum wage to happen,' Schumer said.

Under Senate rules, since the COVID relief plan is being passed through budget reconciliation, any provisions in the legislation must impact the budget.

The Senate's nonpartisan parliamentarian would decide if the wage hike met that thresh hold.

Additionally, a nonpartisan budget agency said last week the $15 wage proposal would cost jobs and raise the costs of good and services but it would also lift nearly one million out of poverty.

The wage hike would would cost 1.4 million jobs by 2025 and increase the deficit by $54 billion over ten years, the Congressional Budget Office said in its findings.

In its cost assessment of Biden's 'Raise the Wage Act of 2021,' the non-partisan agency also said a minimum wage increase would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty.

The findings will likely inflame the debate around the proposal instead of settle things. Democrats have argued the wage hike will lift people out of poverty. Republicans have countered it would cost jobs.

Both sides will find support for their argument in the CBO assessment.

President Joe Biden's proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour would cost jobs and raise the costs of good and services but would lift nearly one million out of poverty, the Congressional Budget office found

A $15 minimum wage would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty - the existing federal minimum wage, at $7.25 an hour, has not been changed since 2009

The proposed change in wage could affect as many as 27 million workers who were earning less than or slightly above $15 in 2025, the budget office predicted. The existing federal minimum wage, at $7.25 an hour, has not been changed since 2009.

However, the cost of goods and services would increase because employers would try to pass on the financial burden of higher wages to consumers, the report forecast.

'Those higher prices, in turn, would lead consumers to purchase fewer goods and services. Employers would consequently produce fewer goods and services, and as a result, they would tend to reduce their employment of workers at all wage levels,' the CBO predicted.

The study also estimates net pay would jump $333 billion over a decade through 2031, with the $509 billion in higher wages, more than offsetting the $175 billion in lost wages due expected job cuts.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to comment on the CBO score and what it mean for Biden's proposal, which still needs to pass Congress.

'Well I heard about the CBO score as I was walking out here so I haven't talked with our economic team about that specifically,' she said at her press briefing last week.

Senate Democrats found a silver lining in the report. They argued its findings meant a minimum wage hike could be included in Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan.

The relief plan will be passed under reconciliation, a fast-track legislative process that takes the vote thresh hold in the Senate down to a simple 51 majority. But, because of that, the bill must have a direct impact on federal spending, revenues or the debt.

Senator Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee who has been the driving force behind an increased minimum wage, said it can only be raised through the budget process known as reconciilation

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to comment on the CBO score and what it mean for Biden's proposal at her press briefing

Senator Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee who has been the driving force behind an increased minimum wage, said that CBO score meant there was an impact on federal spending.

'What that means is that we can clearly raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour under the rules of reconciliation,' he said.

'The only way to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour now is to pass it with 51 votes through budget reconciliation,' he said.

Biden, who spent three decades in the Senate, seemed uncertain his plan for $15 an hour could be approved through reconciliation.

'I don't think it's going to survive,' he told CBS News.
A growing coalition of lawmakers have announced their support for impeaching the head of New Jerseys prison system amid a criminal probe into assaults against female inmates by staff at the states only womens prison.

A bipartisan group of 10 women in the state Assembly said Thursday theyd support forcing Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks out of a job, which would be the first time in modern history the Legislature impeached a leader in the executive branch.

The women at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility have been silenced for far too long while enduring unspeakable pain and suffering, state Assemblywoman Jean Stanfield, R-Burlington, a sponsor of impeachment, said in a statement.

The women leaders of New Jersey will not back down on this issue until Commissioner Hicks is gone and new leadership can begin the healing that this administration has spectacularly failed at.

Six women at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Hunterdon County said they were hurt by officers in January, and one told NJ Advance Media she was sexually assaulted. Three officers have since been charged, and law enforcement leaders have said additional charges are likely. The state also continues to negotiate changes with the federal government since the U.S. Department of Justice found evidence of rampant sexual abuse behind bars.

Gov. Phil Murphy has so far stood by the commissioner, and a spokeswoman for the prison system has defended Hicks ongoing reforms, including expanding the use of cameras behind bars and creating a new committee to review how officers use force.

Hicks has also helped save officers lives, said William Sullivan, president of PBA Local 105, the states largest corrections union.

While dozens of prison officers have died by suicide since 2005, nobody was lost last year, Sullivan said. He partially attributed that to Hicks supporting wellness programs including a suicide hotline for staff, access to gyms and better food, he said.

I honestly think hes a great commissioner compared to what weve had in the past, Sullivan said Thursday.

He said his union has told the governors office they generally support Hicks.

Two legislative sources said earlier this week that Murphy might be hesitant to fire the commissioner because of the unions support. They spoke on condition of anonymity to talk openly about discussions related to the governors office.

A Murphy spokesman earlier declined comment.

The state Assembly is next scheduled to meet Feb. 18.

Democratic leaders have committed to hearings on the alleged beatings but have not yet signaled if they support impeachment.

Lawmakers plan to formally accuse Hicks of failing to take reasonable measures to protect inmates from sexual abuse and charge that he has violated prisoners civil rights, among other issues, according to Assembly Republicans.

A majority of the states 80 representatives would have to vote against the commissioner to trigger a trial in the Senate, according to New Jerseys constitution.

If it gets that far, there may be enough votes in the 40-person Senate for Hicks to be fired.

Two-thirds, or 27, would have to vote to convict, and at least that number has already said Hicks should step down.

All 25 Senate Democrats signed a letter demanding he resign, and at least two Republican senators, Declan OScanlon and Kristin Corrado have also spoken out against him, with Corrado specifically endorsing impeachment.

Calls for impeachment are rare.

Former Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero faced calls for impeachment in 2001 following hearings on racial profiling in the State Police while he was attorney general, but the state Assembly declined to vote on it. Verniero retired from the court in 2004, two years before he would have been up for reconfirmation.

Another former attorney general, Zulima Farber, faced articles of impeachment for allegedly interfering with a traffic stop involving her boyfriend in 2006, but resigned before any formal action was taken.

The measure against Hicks is supported by seven Republican and three Democratic assemblywomen.

The articles were first proposed by Stanfield and have since gained support from Assemblywomen Valerie Vainieri Huttle, D-Bergen, Nancy Munoz, R-Union, Shanique Speight, D-Essex, Britnee Timberlake, D-Essex, Aura Dunn, R-Morris, Holly Schepisi, R-Bergen, BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris, Serena DiMaso, R-Monmouth and DiAnne Gove, R-Ocean.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson and Joe Atmonavage contributed to this report.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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The Internet is an interesting place to be. It's a digital landscape where anyone can publish their thoughts and share information freely. But what if that information is false?

Over the last four years, the term "fake news" has been on headlines weekly, almost daily. Former President Trump labeled various media companies as "fake news" propagators after they published stories that claim his statements hinge on false information. But what does it truly mean to suppress truth? Are those with money and agendas working behind the curtain to curtail what is the truth and what the general public believes in?

The answer, unfortunately, is yes. Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, who previously worked for CBS News, shared in a pair of independently organized TED Talks "how political and corporate interests manipulate mainstream and social media to influence opinion along desired lines," The Stream reported. The way these narratives are promoted are through a grassroots campaign, oftentimes called "astroturf."

Attkisson explained that those with money and agendas use these astroturfs "to give the impression there's widespread support for or against an agenda when there's not." An example given by Attkisson is taken from her personal experience, when CBS News gave her an assignment to investigate if Americans were indeed facing an epidemic of sleeplessness just as a study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation had found.

Attkisson's research later found that what they called a study was merely a survey which was sponsored by the manufacturer of Lunesta, a sleeping pill. This is obviously a case of conflict of interest. What was more concerning is how those with money and agendas, in this case the Lunesta makers, were using the idea of a sleeplessness epidemic to encourage the public to believe in it and then offer a solution in the form of their product.

The same is occurring in the media today. Those with money and agendas work to suppress truth and create a narrative that benefits them. Take for example the fact checking propaganda that began when the term "fake news" was popularized during the Trump administration. Attkisson warned that astroturfers often controversialize people or organizations surrounding an issue instead of addressing the facts and "question those who question authority" instead of questioning authority itself.

The way those with money and agendas suppress truth is often by funding them. Take for instance the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provides over $250 million in grants to media companies such as NBC, BBC, Financial Times, and Gannett. The Columbia Journalism Review reported that throughout the pandemic, Bill Gates was seen as some sort of a public health expert despite having no medical background or previous experience in public service.

News outlets such as PolitiFact and USA Today both benefit from funds from the Gates Foundation through the the Poynter Institute and Gannett, respectively. Both have defended Gates from "false conspiracy theories'' and "misinformation," claiming that the foundation has invested in companies that are developing COVID-19 vaccines.

However, a quick look at the foundation's website and most recent tax forms show investments in American biopharmaceutical company Gilead and German biopharmaceutical company CureVac, the latter of which is developing a vaccine alongside GSK.

It's also worth noting that some fact-checkers, particularly those founded by above mentioned Poynter Institute, receive an undisclosed amount of money from certain sources, namely Google and left-wing billionaire George Soros, the Epoch Times reported previously. These fact-checkers work for Facebook, which along with other Big Tech companies censor conservative voices, including that of President Trump and his supporters.

Big tech companies are also working on manipulating the information the public receives.

Poynter itself is "closely partnered" by Chinese company TikTok and refuses to say just how much it receives from the Chinese Communist Party.

China Aid founder Dr. Bob Fu, a Chinese Christian who works to expose the CCP's abuses against people of faith, recently said some prominent western news companies -such as the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters and the Associated Press-- receive a lot of money from the CCP's "Department of Propaganda."

Fu, citing a BBC report, said the department has dedicated at least $10B for "overseas propaganda." The CCP uses the funds to pay the aforementioned media outlets to promote the communist party's agenda:

"You will see every morning that subscribers will receive inserts with full and several pages of news from China--it's all propaganda, painted very fake news picture of how beautiful the Chinese government is and how democratic the Chinese Communist Party is, and how lovely and free-kind-of-life the Chinese's 1.4B citizens are enjoying," Fu said.

So what can readers do in the face of the "fake news" era? Readers need to be more discerning and acknowledge the type of language news outlets used in astroturf. When information is tagged as "conspiracy," "pseudo," "lies," or from sources that are called "paranoid" or "quack," this is a sign that astroturfers are trying to suppress truth and encourage a narrative that benefits them.

It's also good to know who is behind the companies that deliver the news to the public, as they are often the ones who want to suppress truth or claim a skewed narrative.
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Bird Song of the Day

Another city bird (although unfortunately there are no recordings from the Tower of London).

#COVID19

At reader request, Ive added these daily charts from 91-DIVOC. The data is the Johns Hopkins CSSE data. Here is the site.

I feel Im engaging in a macabre form of tape-watching. (A reader asked the source of the data: Johns Hopkins CSSE. DIVOC-91 does allow other data sets to be used, like Our World in Data and The Atlantic, and where they provide visualizations similar to those below, a cursory comparison shows that the shape of the curves is the same.)

Vaccination by region:

Case count by United States region:

Ruh oh. Look at the South.

Big states (New York, Florida, Texas, California):

Looks like the South could be Florida. Too early for the Superspreader Bowl, so could be B117.

Test positivity:

Ruh oh. South is up.

Nowhere near 3%, anywhere.

Hospitalization:

The South has flattened. Given that hospitalization is probably a more reliable indicator of trouble than case count, I certainly hope thats the not first sign of B117. Hospitalization is discretionary; they may also be reducing their admissions rate  relative to cases we cannot see in this data!  to preserve future capacity; or because hospitals have figured out how to send people home.

Case fatality rate (plus deaths):

The case fatality rate has markedly increased, albeit slowly. I dont like that at all. Deaths do look they are going down at last. Maybe this time they wont head back up again. It would be about time.

Politics

But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51

They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery. Frank Herbert, Dune

They had learned nothing, and forgotten nothing. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord

Impeachment

A Vote to Acquit Trump Is a Vote for a Lie [Peggy Noonan]. Here is a human question. I dont understand why I havent heard a single story of a member who supported the president in refusing Electoral College certification, who stood with him, and who, hearing what was happening in the first stages of the riot, went into the halls to speak with the rioters. Why did they not do that? They knew there was a rally and expected a march, presumably peaceful. Why didnt they go into the halls where the clamor was and tell the people, Friends, I share your beliefs and am arguing for them on the floor, but what you are doing is wrong and unlawful, and you must leave. Instead they were spirited from the floor by the police and hid in their offices and other rooms. Why didnt they go out and speak to the crowds, their own people? Is it that they didnt actually understand their own people? Or, in barricading themselves in, were they showing they understood them all too well? Another human question. Watching all the videotape, seeing all the posing of the rioters and holding up phones and live-streaming the eventthere was something about it all that made you wonder if something about this age of hypermedia has made people less human, less natural, more like actors who operate at a remove from themselves, even in a passionate moment of insurrection. They acted as if the Senate was a movie set, and they took videos because theyre actors in a story called Storming the Capitol.'  This is why I have such a soft spot for Nooners; these are two perceptions I havent seen anywhere else. On the sentimental claptrap emotionalism: Connected to this is the emotionalism of politics now. Im not talking about the House managers this week, Im talking about what is becoming our national style, or at least a public political style. I thought of this last week when Democratic representatives who wanted to share what 1/6 was like for them spoke on the floor. It was full of tears, full of personal information, full of feelings. People wept and got choked up. I dont mean its insincereits all too sincere. They think their feelings are important and must be voiced.  Feelings arent facts, as they say in AA. More: But when institutions seem so frail Im not sure it helps that leaders are frail. I watched and thought: Its like nothing bad has ever happened to them before. And I realized its not ideal to be governed by people to whom nothing bad has ever happened.  Nothing bad has ever happened is not quite fair. That said, phoning loathesome donors for money four hours a day isnt bad in the same way that working in an Amazon warehouse or a slaughterhouse is. The first two being essential; the second, not. On the case made, I disagree with Nooners. Insurrection is a feelings word for which there is no warrant; unfortunately, thats what Democrats impeaced Trump for. And I rule out digital evidence with no provenance tout court; the Democrats had plenty of time to get statements from witnesses, as MSNBC (!) points out below. And yes, sincerity is not a value. Democrats need to subpoena Mike Pence, Elaine Chao and others to testify at Trumps trial [MSNBC]. While the rules of interviewing witnesses have yet to be agreed upon, the process doesnt have to drag out the proceedings. Each side could take one day total, eight hours each, to question these witnesses and any others. While a witness an hour or so is a pretty fast clip, it would also preclude any weird tangents or nongermane questioning. The managers have done an admirable job planting the events of Jan. 6 firmly in the historical record. Now they need to go one step further. In historians parlance, they need to incorporate true primary source material from witnesses on hand into the catalogue of abuses that theyve already compiled against the former president.  I dont want to be cranky about this, but isnt incorporating true primary source material from witnesses the normal course of action for a trial? Even an impeachment trial? We Lost the Line: Trump Is on the Brink of Yet Another Senate Acquittal [Susan Glasser, The New Yorker]. The unprecedented second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is not yet over, though it soon will be, and the outcome is, once again, not much in doubt. A year ago, when Trump faced his first trial, Mitt Romney was the only Senate Republican to vote for his conviction. This time, despite the trial taking place at the actual scene of the crime, Romney was joined by only five other Republicans in voting to allow the trial to proceed. Whether or not those six ultimately vote to convict, the final number of Republicans is sure to be well below the two-thirds majority required for conviction. We lost the line. We lost the line, indeed.  Well, we dont know. But one thing is sure: The liberal Democrats will never, ever self-reflect on their loss. But wait! Theres hope POLITICO Playbook: Could McConnell surprise us all? [Politico]. McConnells closest advisers admit they have no idea what hell do. Senate Republicans close with him say theyre genuinely in the dark  though they predict he will acquit. McConnell has said little, maintaining his poker face throughout the impeachment managers presentations, just as he did during the last impeachment. One reporter said hes looked like a statue throughout the trial, hands folded in his lap and listening intently. McConnells office declined to comment, but the will-he-or-wont-he parlor game goes on. Our best guess  its nothing more than that  is that McConnell will vote to acquit, then issue a blistering rebuke of Trump.  Of the various factors McConnell might be considering  legacy, institutionalism, the Senate in 2020, and an outraged base putting up a challenger more serious than Amy McGrath [on this I am wrong] I would guess the last two weigh the heaviest in McConnells mind. We shall see. NRCC finance chair: Republicans who voted for Trump impeachment will not be penalized [The Hill]. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), finance chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), on Thursday affirmed that the House lawmakers who voted to impeach former President Trump would still receive funding for their respective reelection campaigns. During a phone interview with Politico, LaHood said that gaining control of the House in 2022 was more important than punishing Republican lawmakers by depriving their campaigns of cash.  Seems like the ideal outcome for Republicans would be a majority of Republicans voting to convict, but not two-thirds. Best of both worlds!

Democrats en Deshabille

New Allegations of Cover-Up by Cuomo Over Nursing Home Virus Toll [New York Times]. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his top aides were facing new allegations on Friday that they covered up the scope of the death toll in the states nursing homes from the coronavirus, after admissions that they withheld data in an effort to forestall potential investigations into state misconduct. The latest revelations came in the wake of private remarks by the governors top aide, Melissa DeRosa, and a cascading series of reports and court orders that have nearly doubled the states official toll of nursing home deaths in the last two weeks. The disclosures have left Mr. Cuomo, a third-term Democrat, scrambling to contain the political fallout, as lawmakers of both parties call for censure, including stripping the governor of his emergency powers during the pandemic, federal and state investigations and resignations of Ms. DeRosa and other top officials.  The Times legitmizes a story the Post broke. If we unfairly blame Cuomo for all the nursing home deaths, thats ~15,000 / 44992 total deaths = 33%, which is in Trumps league of 40% blame for all US deaths (the point being not to exonerate either Trump or Cuomo, but to urge that executive ability in our political class is severely, and systemically, stunted, across both parties). Never, ever:

Biden Adminstration

I Will Destroy You: Biden Aide Threatened a Politico Reporter Pursuing a Story on His Relationship [Vanity Fair].  In a sympathetic profile Monday, People revealed that White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo is dating Axios political reporter Alexi McCammond, who covered the Joe Biden campaign. But behind the scenes, Ducklo had previously lashed out at Politico reporter Tara Palmeri, who was reporting the story, exhibiting behavior that led to tense meetings between the Washington news outlets editors and senior White House officials. During the off-the-record call, [White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo] made derogatory and misogynistic comments, accusing [Politico reporter Tara Palmeri] of only reporting on his relationshipwhich, due to the ethics questions that factor into the relationship between a journalist and White House official, falls under the purview of her reporting beatbecause she was jealous that an unidentified man in the past had wanted to fuck McCammond and not you.'  Ducklo was suspended for a week (lucky dude; he wasnt a Times reporter). Isnt it a little early in the administration for this sort of story? Biden formally ends Trumps border emergency, but troops will stay [Politico]. For the troops on the ground, not much will change. Roughly 3,600 military personnel will continue providing support to the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection in the form of surveillance, maintenance, logistics and transportation until September, Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell said.  So, good. Good enough? Meet President Bidens legislative affairs chief [The Hill]. The White House declined to make Terrell or any members of her team available for an interview for this story and did not respond to questions about Terrells role in the early weeks of the administration. Legislative affairs directors are typically under-the-radar figures who play an outsized role in the administration, serving as a presidents envoy to Capitol Hill. Outside of D.C., Terrell did stints at Yahoo as a director of federal policy and strategy, at Facebook as the companys public policy director, and as deputy general counsel at McKinsey .  Oh.

2021

Well, so much for Yang: As mayor of NYC  the worlds financial capital  I would invest in making the city a hub for BTC and other cryptocurrencies.  Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) February 11, 2021

Realignment and Legitimacy

After the ballots are counted: Conspiracies, political violence, and American exceptionalism [American Enterprise Institute]. There is bipartisan agreement that the American system of democracy is failing to address the concerns and needs of the public. Nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) Americans agree that American democracy serves the interests of only the wealthy and powerful. Seventy percent of Democrats and 66 percent of Republicans hold this view. A majority (55 percent) of Republicans support the use of force as a way to arrest the decline of the traditional American way of life. Forty-three percent of Republicans express opposition to this idea. Significantly fewer independents (35 percent) and Democrats (22 percent) say the use of force is necessary to stop the disappearance of traditional American values and way of life. Although most Americans reject the use of violence to achieve political ends, there is still significant support for it among the public. Nearly three in 10 (29 percent) Americans completely or somewhat agree with the statement: If elected leaders will not protect America, the people must do it themselves even if it requires taking violent actions. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of Americans disagree with this statement. However, although a significant number of Americansand Republicans in particularexpress support for the idea that violent actions may be necessary, there is a notable lack of enthusiastic support for it. For instance, only 9 percent of Americans overall and only 13 percent of Republicans say they completely agree in the necessity of taking violent actions if political leaders fail.  22 percent of Democrats seems high. Whats their theory of the case? Bolshevism? Prominent anti-Trump Republicans reject third party [Reuters]. Reuters exclusively reported on Wednesday that more than 120 Republicans  including former elected officials, along with former administrators under Trump and former presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush  met virtually on Feb. 5 to discuss forming a third party or a new center-right faction. Two of the most prominent anti-Trump Republicans in Congress  Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois  rejected the idea of a breakaway party in statements to Reuters on Thursday. Other Republican critics of Trump expressed similar skepticism  arguing a third party would accomplish little beyond splitting the votes of conservatives and helping Democrats get elected. The resistance to a third party among some of Trumps toughest Republican critics underscores the extreme difficulty of such a political revolt. Such an effort would require walking away from the Republican Partys massive political infrastructure  staff, money, connections and data on donors and voters  that would take years if not decades to build from scratch.  Is not at all clear theres a base for such an effort: Updated numbers (as of 2/8): So far in 2021, 0.6% of registered Republicans in AZ & PA have changed their party registration. For Democrats, its 0.2%. In other words, 99.4% of Reps and 99.8% of Dems have stayed with their parties. A little deceleration in the past week or two. https://t.co/RVkMF4Emeo  G. Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris) February 11, 2021 Please, no: Also I told you people if we didn't stop it at Latinx they were going to come after the rest of us, too pic.twitter.com/bIEJvvX4hN  Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) February 12, 2021 Remember that Hispanics do not accept the Latinx formulation, so whenever you hear it, you know youre hearing from someone who is unlikely to be from that community, but who is imposing their own categories upon it. (Stereotyping wildly, the irony is that the ____x types are also most likely to introduce themselves with their preferred pronouns.) EXCLUSIVE: Embattled QAnon congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene openly cheated on her husband of 25 years with a polyamorous tantric sex guru and then moved on to another affair with the manager at her gym [Daily Mail].  What did we learn, Palmer?: CIA Superior : Okay. So, the gym manager is dead.

CIA Officer : Yes, sir.

CIA Superior : The body is?

CIA Officer : Tha-thats gone, sir.

CIA Superior : Okay.

Stats Watch

At reader request, I added some business stats back in. Please give Econintersect click-throughs; theyre a good, old-school blog that covers more than stats.

Consumer Sentiment: Preliminary February 2021 Michigan Consumer Sentiment Continues To Fall [Econintersect]. The preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment for February came in at 76.2, down from Januarys 79.0, down from Decembers of 80.7, and down from Novembers 76.9

Rail: Rail Week Ending 06 February 2021  Growth Rate Little Changed This Week [Econintersect]. Total rail traffic has two components  carloads and intermodal (containers or trailers on rail cars). Container exports from China have recovered, container exports from the U.S. remain deep in contraction. This week again intermodal continued in expansion year-over-year and continues on a strengthening trendline. But overall because of the strength of intermodal, rail is growing year-over-year.

Leading Indicators: 05 February 2021 ECRIs WLI Growth Rate Continues To Improve [Econintersect]. ECRIs WLI Growth Index which forecasts economic growth six months forward improved and continues well into expansion. Please note that the coronavirus is a black swan event and the decline was immediate. In theory, this index is now indicating that in the second or third quarter of 2021 the economy should be in expansion year-over-year.

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Retail: I thought buying things would make me feel better. It didnt: The rise of emotional spending [Guardian]. n the past fortnight, I have bought the following items online: a hideous cat tree that takes up most of my living room, a lavender pillow spray, two scarves, a pair of gloves, two candles, a sheet mask, a pair of fleece-lined jogging bottoms (so comfy!), a card-holder and an under-eye brightening cream. None of these purchases were essential. Many I havent even taken out of the packaging, leaving them in a pile by the front door. Ten months into the pandemic, I know the rhythms of the courier networks better than I know my menstrual cycle. Royal Mail in the morning; DPD and Hermes in the afternoon. Amazon comes any time, including late at night. DPD couriers insist on taking a photo of you with the package, mortifyingly.  Amazon is smart enough to know that delivery is a dopamine loop, too.=

Tech: All you need to know about Bluesky, the decentralized social network created by Twitter, which allows you to build your own media platform [Business Insider]. In a call with investors on Thursday, Dorsey said: I think the most important thing to focus on in terms of decentralizing social media is that it creates a much larger corpus of conversation. Dorsey, who cofounded Twitter in 2006, said platforms that operate without central governance allows people to access a wider public conversation, more content and ranking algorithms that suit peoples needs The project presents a new model for social media platforms and offers an alternative to traditional, centralized platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Bluesky will take inspiration from email, whereby users with different email addresses can reach out to each other, regardless of which email server they use. Instead of being controlled by the company in charge, the network will put the power into the hands of the user.

Tech: Clubhouse, the invite-only audio app, explained [Vox]. The audio chat app Clubhouse is built for two types of people: the talkers and the listeners. Tesla founder Elon Musk is a talker. So is Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg. Robinhoods Vlad Tenev is a talker, as are many other influential Silicon Valley figures, like investors Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, who have staked millions of dollars into Clubhouses success. A regular user can be a talker too, although theres no promise anyone (besides a few friends) will show up and stick around. As a listener, though, the app offers a smorgasbord of chatrooms on virtually any topic you can think of: foreign language practice, wealth management, Instagram marketing tips, therapy, a 24/7 lo-fi music streaming service. Toggling between public rooms on the homepage is simple: A listener can quietly drop, already muted, into rows of audience members and tune into the unfolding conversation. The catch to Clubhouse is that its invite-only, at least in its current beta-testing phase. People have to receive an invitation from an existing user to unlock access to the platform, which is only available for download through the iOS App Store. (Clubhouses founders say they are working to scale the app for a general audience, including Android users, but their expansion timeline remains uncertain.)  The last thing I want to do is listen to Musk or Zuckerberg.

Todays Fear & Greed Index: 60 Greed (previous close: 58 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 53 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Feb 12 at 1:33pm.

Health Care

Is It Time to Wear a Better Mask for COVID-19? We Asked the Experts [Time]. Price and Chu suggest applying static electricity to all of your cloth masks layersthe cloth inner and outer, as well as the paper layer or filterby putting on latex gloves, rubbing your hands together, and then rubbing each later before every time you put it on. This, he says, says can increase the masks particle-filtering efficacy, and the effect lasts for several hours. Research that came out of work that we did with our colleagues at Stanford showed that static electricity can actually really improve the filtering capacity of masks, says Chu.

Progress on aerosols in Quebec:

Then today, the CNESST did a 180 and made N95s mandatory for healthcare workers working with covid patients (hot zones), effective *tomorrow*https://t.co/BTAHrtBNJv  Dr. Lisa Iannattone (@lisa_iannattone) February 10, 2021

Tocilizumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): preliminary results of a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial: (preprint) [medRxiv]. From the Abstract: In hospitalised COVID-19 patients with hypoxia and systemic inflammation, tocilizumab improved survival and other clinical outcomes regardless of the level of respiratory support received and in addition to the use of systemic corticosteroids. n=4116. On the same study

Arthritis drug cuts deaths in hospitalized Covid-19 patients, major study shows [STAT]. Tocilizumab, a drug usually used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, reduced the rate for death in Covid-19 patients, according to a major clinical trial. The result, from a U.K.-based study called RECOVERY, upends the thinking about the drug, which is made by Roche and which had produced inconclusive results in earlier studies. The RECOVERY trial has yielded many of the most important clinical results of the pandemic, including the earlier result that the steroid dexamethasone also reduces the death rate in hospitalized patients, and that several other drugs researchers thought might help patients, including the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, were not beneficial. Adding tocilizumab to dexamethasone prevented one death for every 25 patients treated. Researchers estimated that the combination of dexamethasone and tocilizumab reduces deaths overall in hospitalized patients by a third.

Early initiation of prophylactic anticoagulation for prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 mortality in patients admitted to hospital in the United States: cohort study [British Medical Journal]. From the Abstract: Early initiation of prophylactic anticoagulation compared with no anticoagulation among patients admitted to hospital with covid-19 was associated with a decreased risk of 30 day mortality and no increased risk of serious bleeding events. These findings provide strong real world evidence to support guidelines recommending the use of prophylactic anticoagulation as initial treatment for patients with covid-19 on hospital admission.  I keep seeing report after report like this, and they are all encouraging. That said, I dont like the steady increase in the fatality rate in the United States. With all these new treatments, why is that happening?

Zeitgeist Watch

Sorry, An*s Tanning Is Not Really a Thing [Rolling Stone]. There are a number of ways to go viral on Instagram. You can post a selfie with the cast of Friends. You can do yoga while breastfeeding a 4-year-old (preferably, not your own). Or you can have an elaborate gender reveal party that gives multiple people head injuries. But perhaps the most surefire way  the one totally unimpeachable, failproof method  is to post about the benefits of sunbathing your [glass bowl]. An aspiring influencer with the handle MetaphysicalMeagan proved this when she posted earlier this month about the benefits of the ancient Taoist practice of perineal sunning. . The post contained virtually every element of instantaneous virality: pseudo-scientific, goofy wellness jargon, egregious cultural appropriation, and a photo of a lady with her clothes off.  I cant even. Youd think some of the Capitol self-takers would have thought of this. Perhaps it was too chilly.

Class Warfare

The problems of authenticity under capitalism [Global Inequality]. Here I want to discuss another issue where we face a fundamental contradiction between the principles according to which hyper-capitalist societies are organized and what may be considered desirable outcomes. The topic is authenticity in arts, and to a lesser degree, in social sciences. When we deal with reproducible goods, the advantage of capitalism is that profit can be made only if somebody elses needs are satisfied. Thus two objectives, personal needs of a buyer and the profit goal of the producer, are aligned. But this is not the case in arts. The reason is that arts thrive on, or require, individualism, uniqueness and authenticity. When you try to guess publics preferences in shoes, and produce such shoes, this is good and useful. But when you try to guess publics preference in literature, films or paintings, it may, if you guess them correctly, make you rich, but from the point of view of artistic creation, it could very easily be fake and ephemeral. In arts, we are interested in an individuals view of the world, not in an individuals ability to ape public preferences or prejudices. I will illustrate it with some extreme examples. When we read Kafkas Diaries, we are sure that they represent his own true and unvarnished take on the world: he wrote them for himself, never thought they would be published, and explicitly asked that they be burned. The same is true, for example, with Marxs 1848 manuscripts which were saved largely by accident and were published more than a century after they were written. Whether one likes or not either is a matter of taste and interest. But there is no doubt that they are authentic works of these two people. But when we watch a film whose ending was tested on different audiences to produce the ending that most people would like to see, and pay for, there islikewiseno doubt that the authors role in such an enterprise is diminished, and in some cases totally obliterated. The same is true for works of fiction.

Women Who Work in Retail Are Having Very Different Experiences in COVID-19 Times [Footwear News]. [A]s more and more data is collected and analyzed, its becoming increasingly clear that the health crisis has significantly amplified the divide between the haves and have nots  but the puts and takes are more complicated than meets eye. A report this week from ShopTalk offered new evidence that the pandemic has served up very divergent outcomes for women working in the retail industry  albeit in ways some may not have anticipated. Two-thirds of Shoptalks survey respondents said they are doing more to address the challenges they or their female colleagues experience in the workplace because of the global health crisis  including 36% who said theyve made themselves a resource for other women in the workplace. That number, said the Shoptalk, jumps to 47% for women VP-level and higher. While the survey offers some upbeat news for women in retail  and Shoptalks respondents are likely working in corporate roles which could slant some of the feedback  its difficult to overlook the scores of women working at the store level who have been impacted by mass layoffs and furloughs since last March. Major retail employers, including JCPenney, Neiman Marcus and J.Crew, filed Chapter 11 last year, citing COVID-19 induced setbacks  and moved to drastically reduce their store fleets and lay-off associates. (Shoptalk describes its 8,000-plus convention attendees as individuals and companies reshaping how consumers discover, shop and buy.)

News of the Wired

Normally, I give holidays a miss, but this one time, since Valentines Day is Sunday, and this is Friday and the last Water Cooler of the week:

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Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (CK):

CK: For the past five Christmases, this piece of driftwood, found in an Oregon creek, has been our tree. And, yes, we light the candles of an eve. The rest of the year it stands as an unadorned sculpture. Clever! I should have published this over the holidays, but here we are.

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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the recently concluded and  thank you!  successful annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:









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If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!
The Lincoln Project has pledged to appoint an outside investigator to probe claims that they knew about sexual misconduct allegations against co-founder John Weaver before he left the organization.

Weaver, 61, parted ways with the anti-Trump super-PAC last month following a report in The New York Times that he offered young men professional support in exchange for sex.

But on Thursday, the Associated Press reported that members of the organization's leadership were informed in writing and in subsequent phone calls of at least 10 specific allegations of sexual harassment against Weaver as early as last June.

That revelation raises questions about the Lincoln Project's statement last month that it was 'shocked' by the allegations about Weaver which were published in The New York Times.

It comes on the same day that New York magazine published explosive interviews with two of Weaver's alleged victims, both of whom are young college students who say the political advisor sent them graphic messages.

Alex Johnson, a senior at the University of Texas Austin, told New York magazine that Weaver sent him a message last April asking whether he was interested in interning at the Lincoln Project.

'Would like to put you in touch with some of our folks,' Weaver allegedly messaged.

He later added: 'On [your] walk, think about worshipping a big c**k and having yours worshipped and you r****d till you beg!'

The Lincoln Project has pledged to appoint an outside investigator to probe claims that they knew about sexual misconduct allegations against co-founder John Weaver (pictured) before he left the organization

Weaver also allegedly made phone calls to Johnson, who says they would 'quickly segue into what felt like an attempt at phone sex.'

'We were talking about the Lincoln Project, and maybe getting me involved... and then he asked me: "When's the last time you j**ked off?"'

Johnson says he accepted the internship at The Lincoln Project, however, due to its prestige. There, the sexual harassment continued.

'Are you top, bottom, versa?' Weaver allegedly wrote in one message shortly after Johnson started.

Johnson claimed: 'His messages never stopped. And I would play along, just to be nice. Because I knew, I mean, he's important. Like he has the strings. And we operate in the same kind of political culture of being 'Never Trumpers'.

Another young man, 19-year-old Louisiana State University student Charlie Stephens, says he was contacted by Weaver last June about interning at The Lincoln Project.

'You are a f**king stud!' Weaver allegedly wrote to Stephens.

Stephens replied that it was 'quite the compliment,' before Weavery reportedly responded: 'Take it! Hell, you may very well be ;).'

Weaver told Axios last month: 'He added: 'To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry'

Weaver - who has been married to his wife since 2007 - admitted last month that he was gay.

Speaking with Axios last month he stated: '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.'

He added: 'To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry'.

In June 2020, the same month Stephens started at The Lincoln Project as an intern, members of the organization's leadership were allegedly informed in writing and in subsequent phone calls of at least 10 specific allegations of harassment against co-founder John Weaver, including two involving Lincoln Project employees.

Despite the early warning, the group took no action against Weaver and pressed forward with its high-profile work, according to The Associated Press.

In the wake of those claims, the organization released a statement on Thursday night announcing that its board has decided to retain 'a best-in-class outside professional' to review Weaver's tenure 'to establish both accountability and best practices going forward for The Lincoln Project.'

In the statement, the organization also encouraged anyone bound by a nondisclosure agreement to contact the Lincoln Project 'for a release.'

The situation threatens the stature of not just the Lincoln Project but also the broader coalition of establishment-oriented Republican groups working to excise Trump from the party.

The organization released a statement on Thursday night announcing that its board has decided to retain 'a best-in-class outside professional' to review Weaver's tenure 'to establish both accountability and best practices going forward for The Lincoln Project'

Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt insisted Wednesday night that he and the rest of the groups leadership were not aware of any internal allegations of wrongdoing involving Weaver.

'The Lincoln Project believes the members of our movement and the victims of John Weavers despicable and deceptive behavior are owed the facts, and you will have them,' the organization said in the written statement.

'John Weaver betrayed all of us and you deserve the facts presented independently through a transparent process.'

The Lincoln Project launched in November 2019 as a super PAC that allowed its leaders to raise and spend unlimited sums of money.

Since its creation, the Lincoln Project has raised $90 million.

Its founders represent a who's who of prominent Republican strategists on cable television, including Schmidt and Reed Galen, both former advisers to John McCain; conservative attorney George Conway; former New Hampshire GOP chair Jennifer Horn; Florida-based veteran political ad maker Rick Wilson; and Weaver, who has long advised former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

The Lincoln Project launched in November 2019 as a super PAC that allowed its leaders to raise and spend unlimited sums of money. Since its creation, the Lincoln Project has raised $90 million

An analysis of the National Institutes of Health database reveals surgeon scientists have become more diverse in their research efforts, while still keeping a focus on basic science

CHICAGO (February 12, 2021): Since 2010, National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support surgeon scientists has, remarkably, risen significantly while funding to support other non-surgeon physicians has significantly decreased. This growth has occurred despite an overall decrease in NIH funding and an increase in demand for clinical productivity. These findings are according to an "article in press" published on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons ahead of print.

"Our findings challenge the notion that overall funding to support surgeon scientists has decreased; instead, it has dramatically increased," said Martha A. Zeiger, MD, FACS, Director of the Surgical Oncology Program, National Cancer Institute, NIH.

"When we looked at funding to support surgeons alone, we were surprised to find that funding has increased by 40 percent in terms of both numbers of surgeons being supported and the amount of funding. So, it's quite a remarkable and surprising finding."

About the study

Using an NIH portfolio database, study researchers were able to conduct a thorough analysis of funding to support all surgeons, including all surgical specialties and subspecialties in the U.S. Other studies have only captured funding patterns of entire surgical departments, certain institutions, or individual surgical specialties.

For this study, Dr. Zeiger and colleagues searched NIH databases for 2010 and 2020 to identify all active and awarded NIH grants to support surgeon scientists by surgical specialty, total costs, and whether the grant supported basic science, clinical outcomes, or clinical trials research.

The researchers also compared total funding to support surgeon scientists with funding granted to support non-physician scientists with PhDs and funding granted to support other non-surgeon physicians.

The analysis showed increases in both the number of surgeons and the amount of funding for each surgical specialty. The percentage of NIH-funded surgeons (compared with the total number of surgeons) increased by 40 percent. In contrast, the percentage of other NIH-funded physicians dropped by 27 percent.

Key findings

In June 2010, 715 surgeon scientists were supported by 1,113 grants, totaling $614 million in NIH funding. In June of 2020, 1,031 surgeon scientists were supported by 1,453 grants, totaling $872 million in NIH funding.

General surgery-based subspecialties topped the list, comprising one-quarter of the funded specialties and close to 40 percent of the total funding.

Obstetrics/gynecology was the second most funded surgical specialty.

Neurological surgery was third.

Surgical oncology funding remains strong

General surgeons with a sub-subspecialty in surgical oncology led the group of general surgery-trained surgeons in number of NIH-funded surgeons and total grant awards in both 2010 and 2020.

In 2020, 27 percent of those trained in general surgery were surgical oncologists, holding about 44 percent of the total grant cost for all general surgeons.

In 2010, surgical oncology also represented the majority of general surgery subspecialties, holding more than one-third of the funding for surgeons trained in general surgery.

Focus on basic science stable

"We also found that basic science has remained stable since 2010," Dr. Zeiger said. In fact, 70 percent of principal investigator-initiated grants are in basic science, and surgeons have maintained that percentage over the past 10 years."

From 2010 to 2020, the researchers also found an increase in cooperative research grants, underscoring the fact that surgeon scientists working in multidisciplinary team research is on the rise.

"Surgeons contribute a tremendous amount to science, and, historically, they always have. They are very challenged these days because obtaining NIH funding has become more competitive," Dr. Zeiger said. "We also have increasing administrative responsibilities because of the electronic medical record, and clinical productivity is emphasized more and more across the country, especially for surgical subspecialties."

"Overall, I think it's remarkable that surgeon scientists have not only maintained, but significantly increased the amount of NIH funding they are supported by over the past 10 years. Most important, they have also maintained a strong emphasis on basic science research," she concluded.

"Surgeon scientists have made outstanding gains in securing more NIH research funding. These exciting results show the dedication that they have to life-long learning and innovative research, along with a passion for science. Moreover, these findings show how committed surgeons are to seeking scientific pathways to continually improve the quality of surgical care for our patients, which is our highest priority," said ACS Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, a study coauthor.

###

Study coauthors are Lindsay A. Demblowski, Brad Busse, PhD, George Santangelo, PhD, Andrew M. Blakely, MD, and Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS.

The opinions expressed by the authors are their own and this material should not be interpreted as representing the official viewpoint of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health or the National Cancer Institute.

"FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Citation: NIH Funding for Surgeon-Scientists in the US: What Is the Current Status?, Journal of the American College of Surgeons. DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.12.015

About the American College of Surgeons
Sheriff Asks for Tips on Wanted 'Ex-Valentines'

By West Kentucky Star Staff

EDDYVILLE - The Lyon County Sheriff's office is recommending making a Valentine's Day reservation for your ex - if there is a warrant for their arrest.The Sheriff's department posted on Facebook, encouraging anyone to call if they know the location of a former valentine who is wanted on a warrant. They said, "We'll make sure they have a special holiday weekend."Sharing a photo of heart-shaped handcuffs, the department said, "Jewelry is the best Valentine gift, so why not let us put on these special bracelets for that special someone?"The tongue-in-cheek post said the jail is 5-star rated, and they will provide free transportation, and they can even stop to get that special someone a Happy Meal on the way to their accommodations.The post encouraged readers to share funny hash tags related to the subject.


CON Healy, who contributed that wonderful story about helping to remove Fred Bridgemans organ from the Savoy to Kilbrittain Castle in last weeks Throwback Thursday, was delighted to see the great picture we managed to unearth from the archives, showing the mammoth task being undertaken

Mr Healy was even able to identify some of the people in the photograph.

Don Hurley is the man putting the platform in place to move the main console off of the stage. He is being watched by Russell Winn on the left. The other people in the picture I dont recognise. The man in the suit could be the manager of the Savoy?

But where was Con himself when that shot was taken?

Well, as it happens, I was organising for a forklift from the Examiner/Echo warehouse, which of course was only just around the corner in Faulkners Lane (now alas disappeared forever, replaced by Opera Lane), to lift the console onto our truck. So I missed the photo opportunity.

So De Echo didnt just get the picture, it got right into the actual logistics of moving De Monster? Doubtcha boy!

The removal of the organ from the Savoy Cinema in Cork

If the truth be known, says Con, I was the go-for and the fixer, and each morning I would receive a list of what Mr Winn saw as being do-able in a working day.

I dutifully listed all this, and delegated to the other workers whatever jobs were within their remit, both at the city end, and down in Kilbrittain, within the castle and its environment.

It was probably one of the most enjoyable jobs he ever worked in, Con adds, and I had a variety of jobs during my working career, with no two days ever the same.

He comes from a farming background, where it was normal to have to figure things out as you went along, so that prepared him well for a pleasantly varied working life.

We had some hairy moments along the way, but we survived to talk about it. If a Health & Safety officer knew the kind of things we undertook back then, I suspect we would all be committed for assessment!

Con retired from his last job at Heineken more than ten years ago, and when he saw the Throwback Thursday features on Corks cinemas, and especially the Savoy, he felt he had to put his own involvement on record. And we are so pleased you did, Con!

Its contributions like this that fill out the whole colourful picture of Cork in bygone days.

Someone else has lasting memories of the great old Savoy too. Joe Murphy wrote to register his pleasure in our weekly columns.

Your Savoy projects these past weeks have been very enlightening, and while I was not a big cinema-goer, anything involving music, musicals, or concerts were certainly events I would never miss.

The Savoy always featured as one of the top venues whenever a good artist or group was coming to Leeside.

Two tenors who appeared at the Savoy in the late 1940s or early 1950s, he recalls, were Beniamino Gigli and Luigi Infantino. And oh, how both vocalists filled the theatre, right up to the Gods, with their respective renditions. Gigli was nearing the end of his career at that time, while Infantino was at the early stages of his.

Beniamino Gigli

A favourite memory of Joes concerns that last Gigli concert.

I almost failed to see Gigli, since I didnt manage to secure a ticket. Standing outside the Savoy, hoping to buy one, I was approached by a Christian Brother who had one of these precious tickets.

CENTRE STAGE: Cork Operatic Society present The Belle Of New York at Cork Opera House  just three weeks before the theatre burned to the ground  on November 21, 1955

However, the previous day he had been notified at very short notice of his immediate transfer to teach in Bray, Co. Wicklow, on the following day, so he had to get the 3pm train. I got the ticket at face value!

Incidentally, this would have been on Giglis farewell world tour before he retired in 1955. That exhausting tour is said to have impaired the legendary tenors health, as he died just two years later, in 1957, aged 67.

Joe Murphy took every chance he could to follow his love of music.

Following the setting up of Cork Grand Opera Group in 1953/54, we were invited to take part in The Army Benevolent Fund Concert at the Savoy, starring Joe Lynch, and with the Band of the Southern Command under Capt. Bunny Kealy B. Mus.

The chorus numbered in excess of 100 members then, with ladies and gentlemen singing such splendid pieces as the Hallelujah Chorus, the Angels Chorus, the Anvil Chorus, the Soldiers Chorus from Aida, and the Slaves Chorus from Nabucco. Splendid times!

The Cork Grand Opera Group went on through 1954 to stage Maritana, starring Welsh tenor Heddle Nash and Spanish soprano Eugene Castelle at the Coliseum cinema in June, while in November at the Opera House they staged both La Traviata with soprano Patricia Baird, contralto Joan Booth, tenor Brychan Powell, and bass Bruce Dargaval; and Il Trovatore with soprano June Grant, contralto Jean Watson, tenor Paul Asciak, and bass Bruce Dargaval.

Other operas were staged in following years both at the Opera House and the Palace. Those were heady days indeed, when Cork was crammed with enthusiasts who were not only willing but delighted to give their time, energy, and talents to creating great shows.

Anyone who wanted to sing (or indeed dance, or act) was welcomed to join one of the many groups on offer. Only principals got paid of course, but for the choruses, it was enough to be part of the show, to be on stage.

Another fond memory of the Savoy for Joe took place on August 24, 1956, when the theatre hosted the Boston Symphony Orchestra in their 75th anniversary season.

I brought my young girlfriend, now my wife of 63 years, and we both enjoyed the occasion very much. We still hold the official programme in our memorabilia!

Over the years since then, Joe and his wife have enjoyed many operas and concerts in Cork, Dublin, and Limerick as well as abroad. Once a music-lover, always a music-lover.

He ends with a firm order to the Echos Throwback Thursday column: Keep up your good work in helping us remember our valued past!

We will, Joe, and thank-you for sharing your own memories.

Speaking of memories, here is a classic Cork one: Katty Barry.

Who doesnt know of this redoubtable lady and her eating house in Daltons Lane, off Cornmarket Street back in the 1950s and 60s? Maybe you visited, tasted a crubeen or two, maybe you just tiptoed past, wondering and remembering all you had been told.

ICON: Katty Barry: Queen Of The Coal Quay is being shown online from February 12-14

Many were the stories, real or apocryphal, told of Kattys establishment, and she was in many ways the embodiment of the old Cork culture  independent, intelligent, and with a total disregard for officialdom.

Now you can enjoy a trip down Memory Lane with a staged online performance of her life from tomorrow until Sunday, at 7.30pm. Written and directed by Marion Wyatt for DoonShee, its a fine example of what theatres can do when all seems impossible.

Filmed by Ronan OShea, it provides an opportunity to enjoy drama at a time when you least expect to have the chance. Grab this one!

Tickets for the online performance of Katty Barry, Queen of the Coal Quay, from TakeYourSeats.ie. February 12-14, 7.30pm.

Now thats a decent way to celebrate Valentines Day, isnt it?

We are getting in some great memories of Lent as it used to be  hardly celebrated, more endured  in the past. Serious fasting, churchgoing, abstention from cigarettes, sweets, alcohol  it was a hard time, when life under ordinary circumstances was grim enough.

Ash Wednesday comes up next week, but not everyone realises that those ashes hark back to a far more pagan past, before ever Christianity reached our shores.

Even within living memory, rural mothers would mark their childrens clothes with a cross in ashes to prevent the Devil from seizing them. The ashes came from the ritual bonfires lit in the corners of fields in spring, to ensure a fruitful year and good crops. Thought you might like to know that!

Email your memories to jokerrigan1@gmail. com.

m.
EXTON, Pa., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten months after the doors closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey of 266 US specialty physicians conducted by Spherix Global Insights in mid-January 2021 clearly demonstrates a long road to recovery ahead. As with the many uncertainties brought on by the pandemic comes the uncertainty of job security, and the pharmaceutical sales representative is in the hot seat.

As a precursor to what is likely to be seen in other pharmaceutical companies, Amgen noted the pandemic has led to "lasting changes" in the way they do business, according to CEO Robert Bradway during the Q4 2020 earnings call.1 Amgen confirmed during the call that it is shrinking its workforce, "primarily in the U.S. sales force," as it pivots to upcoming drug launches and adopts pandemic-time digital marketing tools for the long run.2

Prior to COVID-19, most surveyed specialists indicated they met with pharmaceutical sales representatives on a fairly regular basis. According to the 14th wave of Spherix's Special Topix series, which kicked off in March 2020, among the respondents who had routine engagement with sales representatives prior to COVID-19, 20% now have a closed-door policy, and 45% more report that interaction (including in-person and virtual) is substantially lower than it was pre-pandemic.

Only about one-third of specialists reported a face-to-face visit with a representative in the prior week; a similar percent reported virtual engagement with industry representatives. Among those with any contact, about 60% of the interactions were done virtually, a figure that has been consistent over the past several months. "It's not good optics right now to meet with representatives," claims one nephrologist, while a rheumatologist states, "More risk of exposure; same info can be conveyed via telephone or email." According to a surveyed neurologist, "They don't have much to offer for new information and could spread COVID."

Companies launching brands during the pandemic, such as BMS' Zeposia and Novartis' Kesimpta for MS, Aurinia Pharmaceutical's Lupkynis and GSK's Benlysta for lupus nephritis, and Lundbeck's Vyepti for migraine prevention, face particular challenges. Indeed, 29% of the specialists agree that, at the present time, they are less willing to prescribe newly launched products.

Furthermore, as companies shift focus to provide more digital promotion, it is concerning that only about one-in-four specialists say they are likely to engage in a virtual program, even if new data is being presented. Collectively, the survey cohort received invitations to nearly 800 virtual speaker programs in the past month  they attended just 23%. When it comes to the leading topic in a virtual detail, there is high variability across specialties; in neurology, much of the focus is on newly-launched agents while in gastroenterology, the virtual calls are more likely to be "check-ins."

Some companies are stepping up. AbbVie, who currently markets Humira, Rinvoq, and Skyrizi, has consistently been rated the most supportive company by rheumatologists, dermatologists, and gastroenterologists. In the renal space, AstraZeneca, who currently markets Lokelma and is anticipating a high-profile launch of its novel HIF-PH inhibitor, roxadustat, outpaces other companies in the renal space. In neurology, Biogen leads among MS companies, while Biohaven is becoming a standout among migraine companies. Their secret is no secret: consistent contact, willingness to help (particularly with issues related to product access), and being available if requested.

To what extent the traditional pharma-physician relationship can be revived post pandemic will depend on what the world looks like. As of mid-January, 88% of surveyed specialists had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Most specialists (76%) are looking forward to the return of in-person conferences (which the majority anticipate resuming in Spring 2022). One certainty is that, regardless of the future of in-person promotional efforts, pharma will need to dedicate more resources to alternative (digital) promotion and find ways to make engagement compelling.

About Special Topix

Special Topix: Multi-Specialty Impact of COVID-19 (US) is an ongoing series of monthly monitoring that evaluates the impact of COVID-19 on physicians and their practices  including, but not limited to, the utilization of telemedicine, at-risk patient groups, key concerns, support from industry, and future changes in prescribing patterns. Specialty reports are available for dermatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, and rheumatology.

Learn more about our services here.

About Spherix Global Insights

Spherix Global Insights is a hyper-focused market intelligence firm that leverages our own independent data and expertise to provide strategic guidance, so biopharma stakeholders make decisions with confidence. We specialize in select immunology, nephrology, and neurology markets.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information contact:

Kristen Henn, Business Development Manager

Email: [email protected]

www.spherixglobalinsights.com

Sources:

Q4 2020 Amgen Earnings Conference Call Presentation. Amgen. February 2, 2021 . https://investors.amgen.com/static-files/f4ddd625-93ef-4f9c-bc28-db0e42026709 Amgen's Sales Team Faces Layoffs, Hundreds of Jobs Cut at Headquarters. PharmaLive. February 4, 2021 . https://www.pharmalive.com/amgens-sales-team-faces-layoffs-hundreds-of-jobs-cut-at-headquarters/

SOURCE Spherix Global Insights

Related Links

http://www.spherixglobalinsights.com


People who participated in a health education program that included both mental health and physical health information significantly reduced their risks of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases by the end of the 12-month intervention - and sustained most of those improvements six months later, researchers found.

People who participated in the integrated mental and physical health program maintained significant improvements on seven of nine health measures six months after the program's conclusion. These included, on average, a 21% decrease in fasting blood sugar, a 17% decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a 12% decrease in their body mass index.

However, patients in the group that focused only on physical health information maintained their improvements on just two risk factors - BMI and systolic blood pressure.

Data collected at the conclusion of the 12-month intervention indicated that patients in the program with the mental health component improved on eight of nine health measures, while their peers in the traditional program improved on just three.

"The gains achieved by patients in the integrated program were greater than those of their counterparts in the other group and had greater lasting effects," said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign social work professor Tara M. Powell, the first author of a study on the project, published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports.

Study participants were 213 Syrian refugees and 382 Jordanians who were patients of three health clinics in Irbid, Jordan, a border community that has experienced a large influx of people fleeing the civil war in Syria. Powell conducted the research in partnership with the health-focused relief and development nonprofit organization Americares and the Royal Health Awareness Society, Jordan.

Powell's group explored the efficacy of a health education intervention called the Healthy Community Clinic, delivered in clinics throughout Jordan to improve patients' management of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and reduce their risks of complications. Trained health educators or nurses led 20 interactive educational sessions that patients attended twice a month for one year.

Patients' outcomes in the traditional HCC program were compared with those of peers who received routine health care only and with a group who participated in an expanded HCC program that integrated four additional sessions focused on mental health.

The mental health sessions included discussions of topics such as grief and physical and emotional traumatic stress reactions. Participants also learned tangible coping skills for reducing emotional distress such as deep-breathing exercises and walking.

This study is among the first to illustrate how an integrated physical and mental health educational intervention can improve health outcomes and ultimately help reduce cardiovascular disease risk in refugees and low-income populations. We are thrilled to share this groundbreaking research and look forward to making even more progress as we continue to look for ways to improve health outcomes for people affected by poverty or disaster." Dr. Shang-Ju Li, Study Co-Principal Investigator and Senior Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Americares'

Additional co-authors of the study were Michelle Thompson, an associate director of emergency response, Americares; sociology graduate student Yuan Hsiao of the University of Washington; Aseel Farraj, a program manager of the Royal Health Awareness Society; Mariam Abdoh, a senior population and health advisor/project management specialist, USAID; and Dr. Rami Farraj, of the King Hussein Medical Center.

Based upon the findings of this research, the Royal Health Awareness Society has since deployed the HCC with the mental health component to public health centers across Jordan, Powell said.

In a prior study with the same participants that examined the impact of social support on mental and physical health, Powell and her colleagues found that more than half of the participants had experienced at least one traumatic event. Among Syrians, the most frequently reported traumatic experience was living in a war zone (73%), while among Jordanians it was witnessing a violent death (18%).

That study, published in PLOS ONE, was co-written by Li, Hsiao and U. of I. graduate student Oe Jin Shin.

"Because mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety often co-occur with chronic physical problems and with poverty, patient education programs that integrate mental and physical health information are critical for countries such as Jordan," Powell said. "Making these integrated programs widely available can reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases on marginalized populations and increase their access to care."
My son was involved in a minor accident with our jeep and trailer. He was bringing a few cattle home from the mart misjudged turning at a junction and hit a BMW X5 causing minor but very expensive damage.

However, the driver is now claiming to have whiplash injuries and it looks as if the incident is about to snowball. To make matters worse, my son has a full drivers licence but does not have a trailer licence. Our insurance company is now warning it may not cover the damage. What is out liability here? Is there anything we can do?

Unfortunately, the issue of driving licences and towing trailers is a vexed one for the farming community.

In this instance, you say your son misjudged turning at a junction and hit another vehicle causing damage.

When you say the insurance company is warning it may not cover the damage, that implies that your son was responsible for the accident.

With regard to licences and towing trailers, drivers need to understand the category of trailer they are allowed to drive depending on their licence.

Towing capacity and weight

The towing capacity and the load carrying capacity of the trailer also need to be established. For example, the RSA defines a light trailer as one with a maximum mass (as specified by the manufacturer), not exceeding 3,500kg.

Examples of a light trailer can include horseboxes and livestock trailers. The maximum mass is the weight of a trailer including the maximum load it can carry according to the manufacturer.

There are different types of licences that can apply to trailers and it is imperative that a driver not only knows which licence he/she has, but also, what their insurance policy covers.

Most full licence holders in Ireland hold a Category B licence which permits you to drive a car, van or 4 x 4 which has a maximum mass of 3,500kg and is designed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver.

Category B and Category BE

A person with a category B licence can tow a trailer with a maximum weight of no more than 750kg; where it is more than 750kg, the combined maximum mass of the towing vehicle and trailer cannot be more than 3,500kg.

If you want to tow a trailer where the combined weight of the towing vehicle and the trailer is more than 3,500kg, then you must hold a category BE licence.

As a general rule, your son, if he holds a full licence holder under category B, may not be entitled to tow a jeep and cattle trailer as the combined weight mass would presumably exceed 3,500kg.

You should check the manufacturers statutory plate affixed to both the trailer and to your jeep to confirm the maximum weight it can carry. You should do this immediately.

In relation to insurance, even if your son had the correct licence, this does not automatically mean he would be covered by insurance.

You need to check your insurance policy to ensure it does cover you and any other named drivers to tow a trailer, as not every insurance policy does.

Penalties

If your son does not have the correct licence and is not insured to tow the trailer, he could be at risk of serious road traffic penalties in addition to the insurance company not covering the policy.

You say the driver of the other vehicle is now claiming to have whiplash injuries and, therefore, it is likely he/she will lodge a claim with the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) for compensation. You will get a letter from PIAB notifying you of this if it happens. The injured party has up to two years from the date of the accident to lodge this claim.

In the event your insurance company does not cover you, and it is established that your son is responsible for the accident, then you could find yourself having to pay out for both the damage to the third party vehicle (as well as your own) and compensation for personal injuries.

You should consult your solicitor without delay to obtain specific legal advice.

Deirdre Flynn is from a farming background and practices as a Solicitor at Deirdre Flynn Solicitors, 4 Ivy Terrace, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

The information in this article is intended as a general guide only. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy of information provided, Deirdre Flynn does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions howsoever arising. You should seek legal advice in relation to your particular circumstances at the earliest possible time.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Valentines Day is Sunday, and with most of us holed up in our homes due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, its a great time to snuggle up with your partner and take in a new romantic movie or a beloved classic youve enjoyed together before.

And, if youre separated from the one you love because of the pandemic, you can have a Netflix party and watch it together from wherever you are.

From romantic comedies that make you giggle and blush to tales that might just break your heart, Netflix has Valentines Day covered for those of us who plan to stay in this year.

Heres a look at 10 of the streaming services top choices. For information on a Netflix streaming subscription, click here.

TO ALL THE BOYS IVE LOVED BEFORE

When Lara Jeans secret love letters get mailed to five of her crushes, her life turns upside down. This Netflix original stars Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, and is based on the popular book by Jenny Han.

TO ALL THE BOYS: P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU

In the sequel to To All the Boys Ive Loved Before, Lara Jean and Peter are officially a couple, when another recipient of one of the old love letters enters the picture.

TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER

The film follows Lara Jean as she prepares to leave high school and head off to college. While the plan at first is to go to college with Peter, after she takes a couple of trips to different places around the world, she starts to question whether thats the right path for her.

REMEMBER ME

Want something a bit sadder to cry over? This one will tear your heart out, according to NetflixLife. It stars Robert Pattinson, Emilie de Ravin, Chris Cooper, Lena Olin, Tate Ellington and Pierce Brosnan.

The film follows Ally, a student at NYU who tries to live every day to the fullest after watching her mother be murdered right in front of her, and Tyler, a guy struggling with his parents split, his workaholic father, and the fact that his brother died by suicide.

FALLING INN LOVE

If youre looking for something more fun and kind of Hallmark-y, check this one out. It stars Christina Milian, Adam Demos, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Anna Jullienne and Claire Chitham.

It starts with a workaholic woman who thinks she has a perfect life. But that all changes when her design firm closes and she wins the chance to restore a charming Inn in New Zealand.

A WALK TO REMEMBER

Another tear-jerker, this one is will have you sobbing for a good long time after it ends, NetflixLife says.

The movie came out in 2002, and stars Mandy Moore, Shane West, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah, Lauren German, Clayne Crawford and Al Thompson.

The high school story revolves around one of the most popular guys in school, Landon Carter, who is considered a bad boy and quite rebellious, and Jamie Sullivan, the ministers daughter who seems to never do anything wrong.

It takes a few twists and is guaranteed to break your heart.

Jacob Elordi and Joey King star in The Kissing Booth." (Courtesy of Netflix)

THE KISSING BOOTH

For a lighter look at love, The Kissing Booth is a good choice.

It stars Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Carson White, Hilton Pesler, Joshua Daniel Eady and Bianca Bosch.

The film follows two friends, Elle and Lee, who have very specific rules when it comes to who they can date. Things get interesting when they decide to have a kissing booth at the school carnival. New relationships develop and romances begin.

IBIZA

This film stars Gillian Jacobs, Richard Madden, Vanessa Bayer, Phoebe Robinson, Felix Gomez and Michaela Watkins.

The story revolves around Harper, an exhausted woman who is overworked at her PR firm. Her boss, Sarah, never appreciates her or recognizes all the work she does. That seems to change when Sarah books her on a flight to Barcelona to secure a new client.

ABOUT TIME

In the mood for a time-travel romance? This is one youll want to see. The movie follows Tim Lake who, at the age of 21, finds out that the men in his family can travel through time and decides to use his power to improve his love life. He finds that changing things in the past is not the way to change things in the present.

SET IT UP

This movie stars Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Joan Smalls, Meredith Hagner and Pete Davidson. It follows Harper, an over-worked assistant to Kirsten Stevens, an editor of an online sports magazine, and Charlie, an equally overworked assistant to Rick Otis, a venture capitalist.

They meet one night when theyre both trying to pick up food for their bossed and plan a strategy to make their bosses fall in love so they can have more time to themselves.
I think weve seen the potentially catastrophic issues that can arise when you equate governmental competence with business competence. I dont think theyre the same animal, he said. But if someone has a track record of success in the private sector, I definitely dont want to limit candidates who have that success and maybe want to give back.
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New York church installs blessing box for neighbors surviving harsh winter amid COVID lockdowns

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A congregation in New York has installed a blessing box on their church property to provide food and clothing for those in need during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

St. James Episcopal Church of Batavia installed the box on Tuesday and filled it with various items, including food, toiletries, hats, gloves, socks, and face masks on Wednesday.

The box was the product of a collaboration between St. James Episcopal and three other nearby churches: Batavia First Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church of Batavia, and Resurrection Roman Catholic Church.

In comments emailed to The Christian Post on Thursday, St. James Episcopal Deacon Diana Leiker said the blessing box derived from members of the congregation feeling that a ministry to serve the un-housed and under-served population was needed.

The city of Batavia has people who are trying to survive in the middle of a Western New York winter during times that are more challenging than ever, said Leiker.

In addition to the other churches involvement, St. James Episcopal also applied for and received grant money for the project from the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York.

Aside from the various food, clothing, and other items available, the blessing box also includes a prayer box with a slot where people can place prayer requests written on index cards.

One person will collect the requests twice a week and share them with the larger group, so we can hold people up in prayer on our own and on church prayer lists, Leiker added.

There are also cards that contain resources and places to go for help throughout the community of Batavia, for people who don't have access to media.

As part of the effort to continue to fuel support for the blessing box, a Facebook group was created to help keep people informed about what supplies are needed.

There is a new structure in front of St. James Episcopal Church on East Main Street in Batavia. It is quite a bit smaller than the church, but dont let the size of this Blessing Box diminish its mission, stated the group.

Leiker believed that the box was a way for all of us to let our neighbors know we see them and they are not forgotten, referencing a Zulu greeting called Sawubona, or I see you.

This is what we are doing when we respond to Matthew 25:35, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, Leiker added.

We are working with each other, united in purpose, to be Christ in the world and we are blessed by collaborating and meeting new people along the way.
(See relation story on political crisis) ROME, FEB 12 - League leader Matteo Salvini said Friday that he was ready to put aside differences with his political opponents to make a government led by Premier-designate Mario Draghi a success in a time of national emergency. "We will remember COVID for decades. It is one of those periods, like a war, that leave a mark," Salvini told Mediaset television. "You have to forget ideologies and rows. It is the time to work together to reconstruct the country, putting aside likes and dislikes, (whether we are) nationalists or pro-Europe". The League leader said he was in synch with Draghi "on concrete issue and the real urgent needs of Italy". On the other hand, Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, said Friday that the right-wing group would assess the cabinet Draghi chooses and the government's programme before deciding what to do in confidence votes in parliament. Unlike the League and the other member of the centre-right alliance, ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party, FdI has said it will not back Draghi's executive. It remains to be seen whether FdI abstains in the confidence votes or votes against. (ANSA).
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London, Feb 12 : Iranian beauty Elnaaz Norouzi just wrapped up shooting for her forthcoming flick 'Sangeen' in London and the actress called it a crazy experience.

The unit has been shooting in London amidst tough weather and the actress reveals that it was not easy to shoot in the extreme cold especially because she was not wearing a lot of clothes on the set.

However, Elnaaz also revealed how her co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui inspired her to carry on shooting for 'Sangeen' by citing the example of Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar-winning film 'The Revenant'.

Elnaaz shared: "My experience of shooting in London was quiet crazy! I am not supposed to reveal too much about the film but I am not wearing much of clothes and there are many scenes where I am out in the cold! Everytime we had to go for a shoot outside in the snow, Nawaz sir would always tell me, remember The Revenant, remember The Revenant,' and I would say, okay if they can do it in that cold, I can do it here!" Elnaaz is all praise for her co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actress added: "My experience of working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui has obviously been amazing, have no other words to say. I don't know how am I going to go back to India and stop being with this family. Nawaz sir is amazing, that's all I can say!" Reportedly, the actress had been shooting all night long until 6 a.m., everyday for the film. On Thursday, after the shoot wrapped up, Elnaaz shared a candid picture of herself along with director Jaideep Chopra.

The actress wrote: "Last day of shoot for #Sangeen and this picture depicts the exact feelings I had throughout this film with the best director I could have had @ijaideepchopra. I really can't wait for you all to see this movie...@nawazuddin._siddiqui." The Jaideep Chopra directorial film starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Elnaaz Norouzi is slated for a year end release.

AS result of the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic tourism within Spain experienced a notable growth during 2020, predicted to continue in 2021.

Whilst some chose to rediscover their cities of habitual residence, many others sought out small paradises, away from the hustle and bustle.

To find out the most popular destinations, Musement, the digital discovery and booking platform for travel activities and experiences around the world, analysed Google search data for the term que ver en (translation: what to see in) (municipality) for all Spanish municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.

With the results, Musement has produced a map highlighting the most popular towns in each Spanish province.

From pretty seaside villages with colourful balconies to historic mountain towns with medieval architecture, Spain is a country with so much to offer.

And whilst it may be too early to pack your bags, a holiday within Spain is a far more likely choice for locals and foreign residents alike this year (once regional border closures and Covid restrictions are lifted).

And, the results show that the most popular village for visitors in Majorca is Valldemossa with the Valldemossa Charterhouse, a former monastery of the Carthusian monks, the popular attraction to visit.

The village is also extremely famous for its weekly markets and also being home for Hollywood Oscar winning actor Michael Douglas who has owned the coastal property SEstaca for over 25 years and has spent millions in restoring the unusual property to its former glory.

The Archduke Luis Salvador of Austria, known for his Mediterranean studies, settled in SEstaca and in 1878 he bought the estate, which at the time consisted of only the main building, and had it modernised and expanded in Aeolian architectural style which Douglas has restored and maintained over the years.

Valldemossa, just a 30 minute drive from Palma is also set in the UNESCO world heritage site of Serra de Tramuntana and has its own little port.
Egypts Minister of Health Hala Zayed discussed on Thursday ways to boost cooperation between the health sector and Siemens Healthineers with Siemens Healthineers Egypt Managing Director Michael Schmermer.

According to the Ministry of Health, the minister discussed with Schmermer ways of cooperation in transferring modern technology to support the Egyptian medical sector in the fields of education, training, project management and digital transformation.

Zayed spoke at the meetings about how to cooperate with the company in supplying the National Center for Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Control with the latest information systems as well as the centralised labs in the ministry, with the latest medical equipment.

They also discussed cooperation in the field of mobile smart clinics as well as upgrading the local medical units, centers and clinics at the villages chosen in the National Programme for the Development of Egyptian Villages in addition to the centralised hospitals in the governorates with the latest medical equipment.

From his side, Siemens Healthineers Egypt Managing Director Michael Schmermer asserted his companys keenness in supporting the health sector in Egypt with the latest modern medical equipment.

He also welcomed the cooperation with the health ministry especially in terms of the presidential initiative and national projects that contribute in developing the health system in Egypt.

Short link:


Birdsong fills the air around Valentines Day as male birds sing sonorous melodies to woo females.

Spring is near, and its time to get a mate. Hence, a male eastern bluebird perches on a nest box with rich blue plumage pulsating in the sunlight and croons a lilting melody sounding like tuu-oo-lee. Its enough to melt a female bluebirds heart.

A male Carolina wren in brown plumage perches slyly in a flower bed, belting out a voluble song sounding like teakettle-teakettle-teakettle. Its loud enough to be heard by a female across the street.

Birdsong Songbirds utter complex vocalizations that include harmonious whistles, trills, yodels and short cheeping notes. Males are the songsters, but females of some species like cardinals also sing. Bird song begins as air from the lungs vibrates thin membranes inside the syrinx or voice box at the base of the windpipe. Muscles in the syrinx tense and relax the membranes to produce melodies and call notes. Birds can sing with closed beaks because their songs are shaped inside the syrinx, not inside the oral cavity as with humans. Non-singing birds like male woodpeckers utter a nonmusical chatter and attract females by rhythmically drumming their beaks on wooden or metal surfaces. See More Collapse

A male northern cardinal spruced up in fire-engine red perches boldly atop a tree and sings an exuberant melody sounding like dear-dear, pretty-pretty-pretty. What female would not be charmed?

But were putting birdsong in human terms. In bird terms, songs are complex messages critical to survival.

While the male eastern bluebird is indeed singing to attract a mate, his song is also meant to declare ownership of a breeding territory. His song further assures a prospective female that his staked-out nest box overlooks a plentiful food supply for her chicks.

Yet northern cardinals and Carolina wrens form lifelong pairs, so why do males sing mating songs? Theyre perhaps reassuring females that theyve laid claim to a nesting site and inviting her to begin breeding.

More importantly, the males springtime song enlivens the females reproductive hormones, whether or not the birds are lifelong mates. For birds that dont form permanent pair-bonds, the male begins every spring with songs to allure a new, or former, female mate.

Thats the case with eastern bluebirds. A male will sing his heart out, while a female may reject him for another male.

A female chooses a male based partly on the vigor of his song. Vigorous singing means a healthy male who will provide strong genes for the females chicks. And if the males song is potent, he may also be a potent defender of the nest.

Vibrant male plumage also signals strong genes to the female. It tells her the male is well fed and singing on a breeding territory with good feeding grounds to nourish her offspring.

We dont speak bird language, so let us be circumspect in ascribing specific behaviors to specific songs. After all, it could be that birds sometimes sing purely for joy.

Gary Clark is the author of Book of Texas Birds, with photography by Kathy Adams Clark (Texas A&M University Press). Email him at Texasbirder@comcast.net.
Tucker Carlson is on the receiving end of backlash yet again  this time for comments he made comparing George Floyd's death to the Capitol riots.

The Fox News personality was discussing Day Two of former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial for inciting the Capitol riot, in which he claims the initial facts "deviate in very important ways" from what we're being told in the present day. Comparing the events of Jan. 6 to Floyd's death, Carlson accused Democrats of lying about the facts surrounding both incidents.

AT IT AGAIN: Calls to 'Fire Tucker Carlson' after FOX News host slammed for comments about Kenosha protesters

"In many places, the known facts bare no resemblance to the story they're telling, they're just flat out lying. There's no question about that," he said.

After rhetorically asking why they'd lie about the Capitol riots, Carlson tells viewers to "think back to last spring."

"Beginning of Memorial Day, BLM and their sponsors in corporate completely changed this country," he said. "They changed this country more in five months than it had changed in the previous 50 years. How'd they do that? They used the sad death of a man called George Floyd to upend our society."

Carlson falsely claimed that the story we heard about Floyd's death was "nothing more than an utter lie."

RAISING THE FLOOR: A bill raising the minimum wage could be coming to Texas

"There was no physical evidence that George Floyd was murdered by a cop. The autopsy showed that George Floyd almost certainly died of a drug overdose, Fentanyl," Tucker said, falsely.

Floyd had deep ties to Houston's Third Ward before dying in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, 2020. A Hennepin County medical examiner ruled his death a homicide from cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression." While it does list fentanyl intoxication and methamphetamine use, neither drug is listed as contributing to his death.

An additional independent autopsy by New York Citys former chief medical examiner declared the death a homicide from asphyxia due to neck and back compression that led to a lack of blood flow to the brain," as reported by the Houston Chronicle's Gabrielle Banks.

In other words, Carlson's claims were false  and Twitter wasted no time calling him out for his comments. Many users accused the television personality of spewing nothing more than conspiracies and inciting violence.

Neither Carlson nor Fox News have released any statements at this time.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Buckhaven Capital Corp. (TSXV: BKH.P) ("Buckhaven") is pleased to provide an update to its proposed qualifying transaction (previously announced on August 18, 2020 and November 3, 2020) (the "Transaction"). In furtherance of the Transaction, Buckhaven, 1271860 B.C. Ltd. ("Buckhaven Subco"), 1254688 B.C. Ltd. ("125"), and Ag-Mining Investments AB ("AG-Mining") have entered into a master agreement dated October 30, 2020 (the "Business Combination Agreement"), which sets forth the terms and conditions upon which 125 will acquire Buckhaven by way of reverse takeover in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"). As part of the proposed Transaction, the combined entity will be renamed "Andean Precious Metals Corp.". Upon completion of the proposed Transaction, the combined entity will continue to carry on the business of 125. It is intended that the proposed transaction, when completed, will constitute the qualifying transaction of Buckhaven pursuant to Policy 2.4 -- Capital Pool Companies of the TSXV corporate finance manual.

125 was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), and its head and registered office is located in Vancouver, B.C. Ag-Mining is a Swedish investment firm and is the 100-percent owner of the San Bartolome silver operation in Potosi, Bolivia. Currently, Ag-Mining is processing ore from its own mining rights and ore purchased from independent third-party operators in Bolivia.

Financing

In connection with the Transaction 125 is proposing to complete a best efforts brokered private placement of subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts") comprised of 13,657,000 Subscription Receipts at a price of $1.00 per Subscription Receipt for gross proceeds of $13,657,000 ("Financing"). Sprott Capital Partners L.P. ("Sprott") is acting as agent in connection with the Financing. Each Subscription Receipt shall automatically convert to one common share of 125 (each, an "Underlying Share"), upon the delivery by the Corporation and Sprott to Capital Transfer Agency ULC (the "Escrow Agent") of a release notice signed by each of 125 and Sprott (the "Release Notice") confirming the satisfaction of certain conditions (collectively, the "Escrow Release Conditions") which will include, among other things, that all conditions precedent to the closing of the Transaction have been satisfied or waived including the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

On closing the gross proceeds from the financing less 50% of Sprott's commission and all of its expenses will be placed into escrow with the Escrow Agent.

In the event that the Escrow Agent does not receive the Release Notice prior to 5:00 pm. (Toronto time) on March 30, 2021 (the "Release Deadline"), or if prior to such time, the Corporation advises Sprott or announces to the public that it does not intend to satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions, the Subscription Receipts shall be null and void and the Escrow Agent will disburse the escrowed funds together with interest to the subscribers and 125 will make up any shortfall between the amount of the escrowed funds and the original subscription price.

If the Escrow Release Conditions are satisfied on or before the Release Deadline the escrowed funds will be released to 125. Following their release to 125 it is anticipated that such funds will be used for operational, exploration and generative activities on the San Bartolome silver operation and for general corporate purposes.

Upon the satisfaction of the Release Conditions and following a consolidation of Buckhaven's outstanding common shares on a 1.5-for-1 basis ("Consolidation"), each Underlying Share will be exchanged for one post-Consolidation common share of Buckhaven ("Common Share"). Upon completion of the Transaction, all 125 common shares exchanged for Common Shares will not be subject to a legend except for any imposed by the TSXV.

In connection with the Financing, Sprott will receive a cash commission of 6% of the gross proceeds of the Financing, payable as to fifty percent (50%) on the closing date and as to the remaining fifty percent (50%) upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions and the release of the escrowed funds.

Selected Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information

The following table sets forth certain financial information of Buckhaven as at August 31, 2020 and of 125 as at September 30, 2020, and pro forma financial information as at September 30, 2020, for the resulting issuer, on a consolidated basis, after giving effect to the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing and certain other adjustments. All figures presented in the following table are presented in thousands of US dollars.



Buckhaven

as at August

31, 2020

(unaudited)(1)

($) 125

as at

September 30, 2020

(unaudited)

($) Pro Forma Adjustments

(unaudited)

($) Resulting Issuer

Pro Forma

as at

September 30, 2020

(unaudited)

($) Balance Sheet Data







Current Assets US $191 US $51,565 US $9,262 US $61,018 Total Assets US $191 US $81,429 US $9,262 US $90,882 Current Liabilities US $3 US $23,596 US ($10,296) US $13,303 Total Liabilities US $3 US $46,624 US ($10,296) US $36,331 Shareholders' Equity US $188 US $34,805 US $19,558 US $54,551

(1) Financial information for Buckhaven in the following table was extracted in Buckhaven's presentation currency (Canadian dollars) and converted to US dollars at a fixed exchange rate of 1.00 to 1.30 USD, being the exchange rate as of August 31, 2020.

Update on the Transaction

In addition to completion of the Financing, the closing is conditional upon the Consolidation and Buckhaven's name being changed to "Andean Precious Metals Corp.", both of which will be effected by approval of Buckhaven's board of directors prior to closing. A technical report on the Properties will be filed on SEDAR following the closing.

In connection with the approval by the TSXV of the Transaction, Consolidation, name change and Financing, Buckhaven is in the process of preparing a filing statement in compliance with TSXV policies which will be filed under Buckhaven's profile on www.sedar.com no less than seven business days prior to completion. The filing statement will contain detailed information concerning 125 and its business and operations, including audited financial statements. Buckhaven anticipates that the Transaction will be completed on or before March 30, 2021.

Pursuant to the Transaction, it is anticipated that Buckhaven will acquire all of the common shares of 125 at the closing in consideration for 154,536,764 Buckhaven common shares at a deemed price of $0.27 per share (post-Consolidation) as well as the issuance of 2,327,826 stock options and 7,200,000 RSUs. Following the closing of the Transaction it is anticipated that the current shareholders of Buckhaven will own approximately 1.5% of the outstanding Common Shares of Buckhaven and the shareholders of 125 will hold the remaining outstanding Common Shares.

125 and its Business

125 is a private company incorporated under the BCBCA on June 25, 2020 for the purpose of completing the Transaction. 125 is a holding company with operating subsidiaries in Bolivia which are engaged in the exploration, exploitation, treatment, refining and commercialization of ore containing silver and gold, which it extracts from its own mining rights and also through purchases from third parties' ore.

125's wholly-owned subsidiary, AG-Mining, completed the acquisition of a 100% interest in Empresa Minera Manquiri SA ("Manquiri") from Coeur Mining, Inc. AG-Mining also holds a portfolio of early-stage mineral properties located in Bolivia and is currently conducting exploration activities on these properties.

Manquiri is a precious metal mining and processing company based in Bolivia with offices in La Paz, Potosi and Oruro. It owns and operates the San Bartolome mine and processing facility, near Potosi, Bolivia. Coeur completed construction at San Bartolome and commenced production in 2008. The primary source of revenue received by the corporate group of 125 is from the sale of ore from the San Bartolome mine directly to refiners.

To feed the San Bartolome Mill, Manquiri holds direct mining rights with the Bolivian state mining company, Corporacion Minera de Bolivia. Currently, these mining rights cover Manquiri's activities on three project areas, comprised of the following:

San Bartolome

El Asiento

Tatasi-Portugalete

Management of the Resulting Issuer

Under the articles of Buckhaven and applicable corporate law, the maximum number of directors that may be appointed without shareholder approval is four. At this time, on completion of the Transaction, the board is expected to consist of Mr. Luis da Silva, Mr. Alberto Morales, Mr. Fraser Buchan and Mr. Peter Gundy. Details of the proposed officers and directors of the resulting issuer are as follows:

Luis Cabrita da Silva, Proposed President and Chief Executive Officer and Director.Mr. da Silva is an experienced metals and mining executive having served as CEO of listed Canadian companies and at a senior level in multinationals. Mr. da Silva has a proven track record in value creation for shareholders by forging relationships and managing complex entities with large, international joint venture partners, including Severstal and POSCO. Between 2007 and 2013, Mr. da Silva presided over the restructuring of Mano River Resources resulting in the formation of Aureus Mining Inc, Afferro Mining Inc and Stellar Diamonds Ltd, all Canadian and/or London listed companies. Mr. da Silva served on the Board of all three companies and was instrumental in strategy development and multiple financings. Between 2014 and 2018, Mr. da Silva was president and CEO of GB Minerals Ltd until its acquisition by Castlelake, L.P./Itafos. Since 2018, Mr. da Silva has been principal and co-founder of Ambercon International Holdings, a private resources company. He is a graduate Mining Engineer from the Camborne School of Mines and received his M.B.A. from the Cranfield School of Management.

Jeff Chan, Proposed Chief Financial Officer.Mr. Chan is an experienced financial executive in the mining and healthcare industries, having held senior leadership roles in several Canadian publicly held companies on the TSX, TSX-V and CSE. Most recently, Mr. Chan was the CFO of a privately held cannabinoid technology company. Previously, he served as Interim CFO and Vice President, Finance at Liberty Health Sciences, where he led the growth of its financial operations subsequent to Liberty's spinoff from Aphria Inc., and Vice President, Finance at Orvana Minerals Corp. where he closed several transformational debt financings. Mr. Chan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA, CPA) and holds a B.Comm from the University of Toronto.

Simon Griffiths, Proposed Chief Operating Officer.Simon Griffiths has extensive global experience in the resources industry, both public and private companies in developed and emerging economies. He is a Chartered Mining Engineer and Qualified Person (QP) having held senior technical and operational leadership roles. At TSX/ASX listed OceanaGold he was Director of Operations at Haile Gold mine after leading the technical due diligence for the $480 million acquisition. At Newcrest Mining (ASX), TWSP Ltd and Solid Energy (NZX) Simon has managed multiple technical studies for major resource projects in Australia, West Africa, Mozambique, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand and USA. Commodity experience is mainly gold, silver and copper but also includes coal, iron ore and industrial minerals. He has championed environmental engineering in mine design, ore reserve governance protocols and re-engineered major mining operations delivering significant valuation uplift. He has an undergraduate B.Eng degree and Masters in Mining Engineering from Camborne School of Mines and a Masters in Mineral Economics from Curtin Business School, Western Australia.

Alberto Morales, Proposed Executive Chairman and Director.Alberto Morales has over 30 years of experience specialized in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructurings. He has also participated individually in other private equity and venture capital projects as co-developer, investor and/or advisor in telecommunications, aviation, tourism, financial services and asset management, mining and alternative energy. He has participated in the planning, formation, development and consolidating stages of various start-up business ventures. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Law from the University of Monterrey (1984) and a Master's degree in Compared Law from the New York University School of Law (1987), and was admitted to practice law in Mexico in 1985 and in the State of New York in 1989.

Robert Buchan, Proposed Director.Bob Buchan is the founder, former CEO and Chairman of Kinross Gold, the 5th largest gold producer in the world. Mr. Buchan has served as a director of numerous public companies, including as the chairman of Polyus Gold, the 4th largest gold producer in the world. Mr. Buchan has been an advocate for the mining industry in Canada and around the world, and has promoted education and innovation, mostly notably through the establishment and funding of the Robert M. Buchan School of Mining at Queen's University.

Peter Gundy, Proposed Director. Peter Gundy is the founder of Neo Material Technologies Inc. ("NEM"), serving as CEO and chairman from 1992 to 2008. Mr. Gundy created one of Canada's most successful small/medium enterprises operated by Canadians in China and South East Asia. With manufacturing plants in China and Thailand, NEM became #1 in the world in powerful high-tech magnetic materials for the world's electronic industries (NEM's proprietary material was used in every hard drive manufactured). NEM became # 1 globally in the production of advanced rare earths also used in the global electronics industries and automotive sector. In 2012, NEM was sold to Molycorp for $1.1 billion. Mr. Gundy has served as a director with numerous publicly traded companies, including Banro Corp., True Gold Mining Inc., and Clifton Star Resources Corp.

Upon completion of the Transaction, the following persons are anticipated to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, or exercise control or direction over, more than 10% of the voting securities of Buckhaven:

Name and Municipality of Residence Amount Outstanding after Giving Effect to the Transaction with $13,657,000 raised on the Concurrent Financing Number of Securities Percentage of Total PMB Partners LP, an Ontario limited partnership controlled by Alberto Morales 82,325,000

Common Shares 52.43% 2176423 Ontario Inc. an Ontario corporation controlled by Mr. Eric Sprott 21,854,664

Common Shares 13.92%

Additional Transaction Information

The proposed Transaction is not a "Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction" within the meaning of TSXV Policy 2.4 Capital Pool Companies, therefore approval of Buckhaven's shareholders is not required.

The Company entered into a finder's fee agreement with Cottingham Capital LLC, a corporation existing pursuant to the laws of Tennessee (the "Finder"). Pursuant to the terms of the finder's fee agreement, and subject to TSXV approval, the Finder shall receive a fee of 116,667 Common Shares at a deemed issue price of $0.36 per share. The Finder is arm's length to all parties.

Buckhaven will be seeking a waiver of the sponsorship requirements of TSXV Policy 2.2 Sponsorship and Sponsorship Requirements, but there is no assurance that such waiver will be granted.

Trading in the Buckhaven Common Shares has been halted as a result of the signing of the Business Combination Agreement. Trading in the Buckhaven Common Shares will remain halted pending the review of the proposed Transaction by the TSXV. There can be no assurance that trading in the Buckhaven shares will resume prior to the completion of the Transaction.

Additional Information

All information contained in this press release with respect to Buckhaven and 125 was supplied by the respective parties, for inclusion herein, and each party and its directors and officers have relied on the other party for any information concerning the other party.

Additional terms of the Transaction were previously disclosed in the press releases of Buckhaven and 125 dated August 18, 2020 and November 3, 2020 and are available on Buckhaven's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com

For further information:

Buckhaven Capital Corp.

Bob Buchan, Director

(416) 274 -7333

1254688 BC Ltd.

Fraser Buchan, Director

(416) 473-4099

Reader Advisory - Cautionary Statements

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange Requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. 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 management information circular or filing statement 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. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

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 press release

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking information, such as statements regarding the completion of the Transaction, the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions and the conditions to closing, the use of the proceeds from the Financing, and future plans and objectives of Buckhaven. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Buckhaven's expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions to completion of the Transaction set forth above and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements herein 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 Buckhaven. As a result, Buckhaven cannot guarantee that the Transaction will be completed on the terms and within the time disclosed herein or at all. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. 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 statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by Canadian securities law.

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

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 OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM SUCH REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. "UNITED STATES" AND "U.S. PERSON" ARE AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74369
Gaazl.tk scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 24 Dec 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

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Basic Information

PAGE TITLE Web hosting, domain names, VPS - 000webhost.com DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS hosting, unlimited, web hosting, website, builder, cpanel, space



The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE ISO-8859-1 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache (PHP/5.2.17) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of gaazl.tk as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Operative System running on the server.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for gaazl.tk by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

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The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben Shabbat discussed Iran with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on a secure video call on Thursday, according to two Israeli officials.

Why it matters: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Ben Shabbat to lead Israel's talks on Iran with regional partners and world powers  most importantly, with the Biden administration, the Israeli officials say.

The big picture: The Biden administration is drafting its strategy on the Iran nuclear deal and broader strategy toward Tehran. Israel is concerned Biden will return to the 2015 nuclear deal and lift sanctions.

The Biden administration has said it intends to do so if Iran returns to compliance with the deal, but will consult with Israel before it makes any decisions.

Thursday's call was the second between Sullivan and Ben Shabbat, but was much longer than the previous call and included several other officials on both sides, the Israeli officials say.

National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne confirmed the call took place but didnt provide further details.

Behind the scenes: There has been an internal struggle within the Israeli government between Ben Shabbat and Mossad director Yossi Cohen over who would lead the talks with Biden on Iran.

Cohen lobbied for the "Iran czar" position, claiming only he could convince the U.S. administration not to return to the Iran nuclear deal, sources familiar with the situation told me.

Several Israeli reporters close to Cohen published stories saying he would be appointed, or had already been. One report suggested Cohen met Biden transition officials during a visit to Washington in January. Bidens team flatly denied that.

White House officials were puzzled by the constant leaks about Cohens alleged contacts with the Biden administration but didnt comment.

After the first phone call between Sullivan and Ben Shabbat last month, Sullivan issued a statement saying he'd invited Ben Shabbat to start a strategic dialogue. That gave Ben Shabbat an advantage over Cohen.

Several days ago, Netanyahu decided to hand the Iran czar role to Ben Shabbat, though that could change after Israel's March 23 elections.

Israeli officials think Netanyahus decision was partially due to Cohens tense relations with other senior national security officials, like IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi. Others think Cohens media campaign hurt his case.

Whats next: Ben Shabbat is expected to hold several interagency meetings in the coming week to draft the Israeli strategy on the Iran nuclear deal issue.
Licence will allow Valens to sell and distribute pre-rolls and dried cannabis derivative products, expected to begin in Q2 2021

KELOWNA, BC, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - The Valens Company Inc. (TSX: VLNS) (OTCQX: VLNCF) (the "Company," "The Valens Company" or "Valens"), a leading manufacturer of cannabis derivative products, has received an amendment to its existing Health Canada standard processing licence permitting the sale of dried cannabis products to authorized provincial and territorial retailers in Canada. This licence amendment allows The Valens Company to distribute next generation dried cannabis derivative products across the country, increasing the Company's total addressable market.

Pre-rolls and dried cannabis derivative products will be the latest additions to the Company's growing portfolio of in-demand offerings, which includes a variety of cannabis extract products such as vapes, concentrates, edibles, beverages, and topicals. With this new licence, The Valens Company can now offer a complete range of products to its customers in the Canadian recreational cannabis market.

"At the request of our partners we are increasing our product offering to include pre-rolls and next generation dried cannabis products," said Tyler Robson, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Chair of The Valens Company. "We believe that this licence, paired with our low-cost platform, will drive a competitive advantage for our partners in a category with price sensitive consumers."

With access to competitively priced fresh and dried cannabis sources, Valens is strongly positioned to develop and manufacture the highest-quality dried cannabis derivative products at a category shaping value proposition. A variety of pre-roll formats, in numerous blends and sizes, are currently under development at Valens' newly-operational K2 facility located in Kelowna, British Columbia.

About The Valens Company

The Valens Company is a leading manufacturer of cannabis derivative products with a mission to bring the benefits of cannabis to the world. The Company provides proprietary cannabis processing services across five core technologies, in addition to best-in-class product development, formulation and manufacturing of cannabis consumer packaged goods. The Valens Company's high-quality products are exclusively formulated for the medical, therapeutic, health and wellness, and recreational consumer segments, and are offered across numerous product formats, including oils, vapes, concentrates, edibles and topicals, as well as pre-rolls, with a focus on next-generation product development and innovation. Its breakthrough patented emulsification technology, SoRSE by Valens, converts cannabis oil into water-soluble emulsions for seamless integration into a variety of product formats, allowing for near-perfect dosing, stability, and taste. In partnership with brand houses, consumer packaged goods companies and licensed cannabis producers around the globe, the Company continues to grow its diverse product portfolio in alignment with evolving cannabis consumer preferences in key markets. Through its wholly owned subsidiary Valens Labs Ltd., the Company is setting the standard in cannabis testing and research and development with Canada's only ISO17025 accredited analytical services lab, named The Centre of Excellence in Plant-Based Science by partner and scientific world leader Thermo Fisher Scientific. Discover more on The Valens Company and its subsidiaries at http://www.thevalenscompany.com .

Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements

All information included in this news release, including any information as to the future financial or operating performance and other statements of The Valens Company that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Wherever possible, words such as "plans", "expects", "scheduled", "trends", "indications", "potential", "estimates", "predicts", "anticipate", "to establish", "believe", "intend", "ability to", or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will", or are "likely" to be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of these words or other variations thereof, have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, all disclosure regarding future results of operations, economic conditions and anticipated courses of action. Investors and other parties are advised that there is not necessarily any correlation between the number of SKUs manufactured and shipped and revenue and profit, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information.

The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others, that the LYF Acquisition does not close, the Milestones are not met, the increase to the Company's EBITDA and diluted EPS is not achieved, regulatory risk, United States border crossing and travel bans, reliance on licenses, expansion of facilities, competition, dependence on supply of cannabis and reliance on other key inputs, dependence on senior management and key personnel, general business risk and liability, regulation of the cannabis industry, change in laws, regulations and guidelines, compliance with laws, reliance on a single facility, limited operating history, vulnerability to rising energy costs, unfavourable publicity or consumer perception, product liability, risks related to intellectual property, product recalls, difficulties with forecasts, management of growth and litigation, many of which are beyond the control of The Valens Company. For a more comprehensive discussion of the risks faced by The Valens Company, and which may cause the actual financial results, performance or achievements of The Valens Company to be materially different from estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, please refer to The Valens Company's latest Annual Information Form filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com or on The Valens Company's website at www.thevalenscompany.com. The risks described in such Annual Information Form are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Although the forward-looking statements contained herein reflect management's current beliefs and reasonable assumptions based upon information available to management as of the date hereof, The Valens Company cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. The Valens Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. The Valens Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Nothing herein should be construed as either an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or sell securities of The Valens Company.

SOURCE The Valens Company Inc.

Related Links

https://thevalenscompany.com/


Check out whats playing on broadcast and cable stations.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994): A man who claims he did not commit a crime deals with the realities of life in prison. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman star. 6 p.m. PAR.

Casablanca (1943): Desperate people during World War II will do anything to leave war-torn Europe for America. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman star. 7 p.m. TCM.

West Side Story (1961): Young people sing and dance through the streets of New York City searching for peace with each other. Natalie Wood stars in this Oscar winning musical. 9 p.m. TCM.

Saturday, Feb. 13

Doctor Zhivago (1965): A man lands in the middle of turbulent romance in the middle of a battling Russia during civil war. Omar Sharif and Julie Christie star. 1:30 p.m. TCM.

The First Wives Club (1996): Slightly bitter divorcees want revenge against their ex-husbands. Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler star. 3:30 p.m. Flix.

Roman Holiday (1953): A royal princess chooses to escape her destiny to explore Rome with a reporter. Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for William Wylers romantic fantasy. 7 p.m. TCM.

The Princess and the Frog (2009): The creative animators at the Disney studies create a marvel of music and magic all about the mysteries of New Orleans. 4:35 p.m. Frefm.

Pillow Talk (1959): A man and a woman in New York City in the 1950s let a telephone party line interrupt a potential romance. Doris Day and Rock Hudson star. 9:15 p.m. TCM.

Sunday, Feb. 14

Patriot Games (1992): A CIA agent gets in the way of an assassination planned by the IRA in this film adaptation of Tom Clancys novel. Harrison Ford and Anne Archer star. 12 noon. Flix.

The Age of Innocence (1993): Wealthy young people in New York City talk a lot as they navigate romance in this film adaptation of Edith Whartons novel. 7 p.m. TCM.

Takeout and delivery cocktails could become a permanent fixture in California even after the pandemic ends, if a new bill succeeds that was introduced in the state Legislature on Thursday.

State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, who introduced the legislation known as SB389, said the main impetus was to help restaurants generate more income.

This industry has gotten hammered so badly, he said. In the big scheme of things, this is no silver bullet that is going to keep them in business, but hopefully its something that can be a shot in the arm for them going forward.

He cited a survey from the National Restaurant Association that showed 78% of restaurants that sold to-go alcohol had rehired their workers, as opposed to 62% overall.

In March, Californias Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control temporarily authorized the sale of to-go cocktails as long as they were sold with food, but it has been unclear so far how long that would be allowed. Under SB389, the food requirement would remain. As the chair of the Senate Governmental Organization committee, Dodd helps oversee the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Dodds bill comes less than a week after another piece of legislation was introduced that also seeks to loosen Californias alcohol laws. SB314, sponsored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, proposes to permanently extend restaurants alcohol sales into sidewalks and other public spaces, such as in parklets, and also creates a way for cities to enact open-container zones, among other things.

Dodd anticipated widespread and bipartisan support.

Theres no one in the California state Senate or Assembly that doesnt have constituents who own restaurants and are hurting, he said. Addressing the likely criticism that the bill would pose public-safety concerns by making alcohol more widely available, Dodd said, Its not like its a delivery service just for booze, since people have to buy food with it. I doubt anybodys going to buy 10 cocktails for themselves.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Mom-and-pop California restaurants may soon be competing with a more powerful booze delivery service. On Feb. 2, Uber announced that it was buying Drizly, an alcohol delivery company that operates in more than 1,400 U.S. cities, for $1.1 billion, adding the ability to deliver drinks to its already strong food delivery mechanism under Uber Eats.

The new bill likely will go to the Senate floor in April or May.

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky states that the implementation of the Minsk agreements should be carried out by all parties according to the schedule and within the established deadlines.

The President of Ukraine said this at a briefing in Donetsk region on February 11, the presidents press service reports.

When asked by journalists whether Ukraine should initiate a revision of the Minsk agreements in order to establish peace in Donbas, the President said: My attitude to Minsk is very simple: we must split it into details, outline all the steps, link them to the dates and fulfill. We stand for such a format. That's what we did.

According to him, political advisers to the leaders of the "Normandy Four" worked on the development of the document with specific dates and deadlines for the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

"Now the latest version of this document has been sent to all parties. We expect that the parties will accept this document in the near future, and then there will be an opportunity to bring the meeting of the Normandy Four closer, Zelensky said.

The President also stated that Ukraine adheres to all the agreements reached with his participation during the meeting of leaders of the Normandy format in December 2019 in Paris.

"People were returned, we carried out the disengagement of troops and demining of a number of areas. However, much has not been done as well," he said.

Zelensky also reminded that according to the agreements, a regime of silence was declared on July 27.

"I believe that this is one of the most important agreements, which took place not in words, because the ceasefire has been talked about for seven years. And on July 27, it was really introduced," he said.

As reported by Ukrinform, Volodymyr Zelenskyi paid a working visit to Donetsk region on Thursday, where he got acquainted with the situation on the front line in Donbas. The ambassadors of the G7 countries also went to Donbas together with the President of Ukraine.



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Israeli police have arrested 20 Israelis for secretly developing Suicide Drones for an unnamed country in Asia.

At least 20 Israeli nationals, including individuals in the defense industry, have been detained as part of an investigation into illegal weapons sales to an unspecified Asian country, security officials have announced, reported RT.

Shin Bet, Israels internal security service, said on Thursday that the suspects developed, tested, manufactured, and sold loitering munitions to the unnamed nation. Loitering munitions, also referred to as suicide or kamikaze drones, are weapons systems that hover in a specified area and then attack once a target is located.

Some of the weapons tests were even carried out in cities in Israel, Shin Bet claimed.

A video published by Israel Police shows the suspects testing what appears to be a small, winged projectile resembling a drone.

The investigation found that the Asian nation, which was described as not hostile to Israel, offered cash and other benefits in exchange for the illicit weapons development. The plot allegedly involved a secret communication channel in an attempt to shield the identity of the foreign entity.

The investigation revealed a great deal of information about the methods used by foreign bodies vis-a-vis Israelis, including the use of concealment techniques in carrying out the transactions, the police and Shin Bet said in a statement reported by Israeli media.

Authorities noted that the case raises concerns that advanced military technology may spill over into countries hostile to Israel.

The suspects have not been formally charged yet, and its unclear if the group successfully developed weapons for the unnamed nation. Officials have declined to disclose further details about the case as it is an ongoing investigation.

The probe was revealed to the public a week after Shin Bet announced it had arrested three Israelis who were smuggling air-powered rifles into the West Bank, which were then converted into lethal weapons.
Imagine you have some neighbors in a mansion down the road who pamper one child with a credit card, the best private school and a Tesla.

The parents treat most of their other kids decently but not lavishly  and then you discover that the family consigns one child to an unheated, vermin-infested room in the basement, denying her dental care and often leaving her without food.

Youd call 911 to report child abuse. Youd say those responsible should be locked up. Youd steam about how vile adults must be to allow a child to suffer like that.

But thats us. That household is America and our moral stain of child poverty.

Some American children attend $70,000-a-year nursery schools, but 12 million kids live in households that lack food. The United States has long had one of the highest rates of child poverty in the advanced world  and then the coronavirus pandemic aggravated the suffering.

Now we could have a thrilling breakthrough: President Joe Biden included a proposal in his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that one study says would cut child poverty by half. We in the news media have focused on direct payments to individuals, but the historic element of Bidens plan is its effort to slash child poverty.

The American Rescue Plan is the most ambitious proposal to reduce child poverty ever proposed by an American president, Jason Furman, a Harvard economist, told me.

A couple of decades from now, America will be pretty much the same whether direct payments end up being $1,000 or $1,400. But this will be a transformed nation if were able to shrink child poverty on our watch.

So the most distressing part of 10 Republican senators counterproposal to Biden was their decision to drop the plan to curb child poverty. Please, Mr. President, dont budge on this.

And senators, what are you thinking? Is the supposedly pro-family party battling to preserve child poverty?

So many of them speak about religion and Jesus and children, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, who has long pushed for these anti-poverty measures, told me. How do you leave behind millions of children and their families living in poverty?

Perhaps some misread the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus says (19:14) suffer the little children to approach him; he absolutely does not recommend the little children shall suffer.

To their credit, some Republican senators, including Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida, have spoken positively of elements in the Biden plan against child poverty. But overall whats astonishing is that a program so important to Americas future has received little attention.

To me, its the most transformational thing thats under discussion, and nobodys talking about it, said Luke Shaefer, a poverty expert at the University of Michigan.

The centerpiece of the child poverty plan is an expansion of the child tax credit, up to $3,600 a year for young children. This would cost as much as $120 billion a year and, critically, would be paid out monthly to families that earn too little to pay taxes. Even a sum as modest as $3,600 is transformative for many low-income families.

One reason to think that this would be so successful is that many other countries have used similar strategies to cut child poverty by large margins. Canadas parallel approach cut child poverty by 20% to 30%, depending on whos counting, and Britain under Tony Blair cut child poverty in half.

None of this is simple, and monthly stipends dont solve all problems. One child in eight lives with a parent struggling with substance abuse. While Ive seen many families striving to do their best for their children even as theyre crushed by low-wage jobs, I once visited a home in Arkansas in which a boy had three televisions in his bedroom but no food in the house. Love and dysfunction can coexist.

So lets be honest: The child tax credit would help enormously, but we also need home visiting programs, high-quality preschool, lead reduction, addiction treatment and other support for moms and dads, serious efforts to combat family homelessness, and initiatives to help parents get better jobs in ways that lift them and their children out of poverty.

Maybe you think this is unaffordable? One prominent estimate suggests that child poverty costs the United States about $1 trillion annually in reduced adult productivity, increased crime and higher health care costs  so the question isnt can we afford to help children, but can we afford not to?

Yes, all this is messy, but other industrialized countries manage to do better than we do at helping children, because those countries make it a priority.

Now we can make it our priority, too, helping children and our country alike. As Furman says, investments in children are not just a handout but a hand up. Lets empower our nations children, and stop abusing them.

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF writes for The New York Times.
Construction Technology

Purdue Concrete Sensors Could Speed Construction Onsite

Engineering researchers at Purdue University have come up with sensors that can determine concrete strength onsite in real-time, and they're testing it right on campus. The hope is that the technology will help builders speed up their construction timelines safely.

According to a campus article, concrete mix designs are tested offsite for "compressive strength" before their use in a construction project. Once the testing is done and the mixes vetted for use, they can't be changed without additional testing. The new sensors would eliminate the need for offsite testing by enabling contractors to verify the concrete's maturity right on the jobsite.

Purdue University engineers have developed sensors that can instantly measure concrete strength onsite, speeding up a construction timeline. Purdue University

The researchers are working with F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. to test and compare the technology with traditional commercial sensors installed into a floor of what will be Purdue's five-story Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Complex. The construction site is managed by Shiel Sexton Co. Inc. and the building is expected to be completed in fall 2022.

"Our sensors could help make better data-driven decisions to determine the construction schedule and improve the quality of concrete construction," said civil engineering Professor Luna Lu.

Civil engineering professor Luna Lu helps to place a sensor that her lab developed into the third floor of what will be a Purdue building complex. Source: Purdue University

Lu and her research team also are testing the sensors in highways across Indiana as part of an effort to better determine when concrete is ready to take on heavy truck traffic.

"We're trying to work with contractors to find out how much saving we can do for them in terms of time, cost and the number of people needed at a site, which reduces risk and improves construction safety," said Lu. "That starts with industry collaborations to evaluate how well the sensors work."

Sensors aren't a new addition in testing concrete strength and maturity. General contractors have used them over the last decade. But before the concrete is poured, the mixes have to be tested for strength based on varying temperatures and the results graphed. That graph is used to match up temperature measurements from sensors in the field. Strength values on the graph, called a "maturity curve," help site managers estimate when the concrete is strong enough to continue construction.

If unexpected weather or some other impact calls for a change in the mix, the testing process has to start over again.

The sensors developed by Lu's lab would measure concrete strength directly from the floor deck in real time, eliminating the need for generating a maturity curve beforehand.

Lu's sensors remain in the concrete and generate a measurement of strength by using electricity to send an acoustic wave through the material. How concrete responds to particular wave speeds indicates its strength and stiffness at the microstructure level.

Plus, they're easier to use, said Ryan Decker, Wilhelm's corporate quality assurance manager. "These new sensors are more of a plug and play,' he noted. "We could make judgment calls on the fly."

Twelve of Lu's sensors have been installed into various sections of the Gateway Complex's third floor so that the teams can best understand how well they work compared with commercial sensors in use on the site.

Now, Lu's lab is developing a system to let contractors receive the concrete's strength information remotely.

The sensor technology has a patent filed through the Purdue Research foundation Office of Technology Commercialization.

A video about the sensor testing is available on YouTube.
Sr. Becquart enrolled in the STM during the 2019-20 academic year to pursue a licentiate in sacred theology. She is slated to graduate this May after completion of her thesis, which is focused on synodality.

Established in 1965, the Synod of Bishops is an ecclesiastical advisory group of church leaders from all over the world who assist the pope by regularly examining issues close to the Church. During his papacy, Pope Francis has increased the authority and influence of the Synod of Bishops and expressed a desire to create a more synodal Church, one that is listening and learning from all members. The synods next general assembly, scheduled for October 2022, is titled For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.

Sr. Becquart made significant contributions to the Synod of Bishops 2018 general assembly on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, serving as a coordinator of the pre-synod, a speaker, and an observer. In 2019, ahead of the synods special assembly for the Pan-Amazon region, she was among a group of women, the first ever, to be appointed consultors to the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops.

A statement issued by Synod of Bishops General Secretary Cardinal Mario Grech noted that Sr. Becquart will bring her theological depth of understanding of synodality, experience of working with youth for the Bishops Conference of France, and Ignatian spirituality to her role as undersecretary.

Sr. Becquart told Vatican News she saw her appointment as undersecretary as a sign of confidence in the women in the Church and looked forward to serving the Universal Church.


UK residents were urged to continue following safety rules as the vaccine rollout progresses

Boris Johnson is expected to announce a roadmap out of the current restrictions on February 22.

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said the Prime Minister will make a statement to the House of Commons in ten days time.

She said next week will be critical to gather data on the pandemic in the UK, while urging UK residents to continue following safety rules.

Watch live: Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins and Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething join us this morning, as a senior Public Health England official warns that some #COVID19 restrictions will have to remain in force until the whole adult population https://t.co/a0L4pHH4mV  Sky News (@SkyNews) February 12, 2021

I totally understand people wish to start thinking about sunnier climes or thinking about their holidays within the UK. But just at this point in time, we have just got to keep tight and continue all that we are trying to do to bring the pandemic under control, she told Sky News.

We have to be led by the data on this We have got to take this step by step We want to move out of lockdown but we have got to do it at a safe pace.

The government is on track to offer the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 15mln in the top four priority groups  frontline NHS and care staff, care home residents, over 70s, people who are clinically extremely vulnerable  by February 15.

As of next week, the authorities will invite over-65s to set appointments, according to media reports.

They will be followed by all people over 16 with underlying health conditions, over 60s, over 55s and over 50s.

The goal is to offer a jab to the first nine priority groups by May.

Cases are falling across the UK but the infection levels remain high, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In the week to February 6, 1 in 10 people had COVID-19 in England, 1 in 85 in Wales, 1 in 75 in Northern Ireland and in 150 in Scotland, but the percentage of people testing positive decreased in all four nations.
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Broken, Injured Elephant Waiting for Death Rescued From the Horrors of Logging Industry

Warning: This article includes content some readers may find disturbing

Looking aged and beyond her years, Mae Mai, a 30-year-old elephant, still bears the scars of her crippling former life as a logging elephant. Rescued by a nonprofit in Thailand, she is both emblematic of an ongoing crisis and a beacon of hope for others as she recovers in safe surrounds.

Before [COVID-19] she was full-bodied and healthier, the nonprofit Gentle Giants Stay Home Project explained. But when [COVID-19] hit, she was sent to the logging industry.

Shes now broken. Literally broken, they continued. Her leg shattered, her soul crushed. Mae Mai has just been standing there waiting for death to come.

A team from Save Elephant Foundation (SEF), a nonprofit dedicated to the welfare of Asian elephants, intervened before time ran out. They arranged to seize custody of the ailing elephant and offer her safe refuge to recover at their Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai.

On Jan. 8, 2021, Mae Mai arrived at the Save Elephant Foundation Elephant clinic. Doctor Tom Channarong Srisa-ard, our vet, and his team took care of her immediately, SEF founder Saengduean Lek Chailert posted on Facebook.

(Courtesy of Lek Chailert/Save Elephant Foundation)

She looked more relaxed and enjoyed the food that everyone had prepared to welcome her, said Lek. Accompanying photos show the elephant tucking into a bucket full of watermelons.

Mae Mai slept peacefully on a sand bed during her first night at the park. The following day, Lek posted an update: After an X-ray of Mae Mais leg, Dr. Tom identified a dislocated femur, a torn joint, a tibia fracture, and soft-tissue swelling.

Treatment, said the doctor, would comprise walking restriction, pool therapy, pain and wound management, and nutritional supplements.

To welcome Mae Mai into her new home, Gentle Giants sent the elephant a special cake. [S]he ate so deliberately, said Lek, picking gently the fruit one by one, trying not to waste anything.

On Jan. 10, the gentle, cooperative elephant had her first dip in the parks hydrotherapy pool.

She understands her own need for recovery, and desires that, Lek wrote on Facebook. Often our elephants will take time before they trust to go down into the pool. But she entered right away  she loved it  she deeply relaxed and even slept for a while in the water.

Mae Mai will be encouraged to use the pool every day. If she fights to live, Lek assured followers, we will do everything possible to help her.

As news of Mae Mais rescue and recovery journey garnered attention on social media, thousands reached out with well-wishes, donations, and even handmade gifts. On Jan. 12, Lek shared photos of Mae Mai in a colorful elephant sweater, fashioned by supporters to keep the elephant warm during a spell of cold weather.

On Jan. 27, as Mae Mai walked to the ENP, she suffered from excruciating pain. Photos posted by Gentle Giants show the wounds on her head that were caused by a bullhook.

To aid Mae Mais long road to recovery, as well as support the rescue of two additional Asian elephants, Fha Rong and Mai Tai, Gentle Giants launched a public fundraiser.

The overworked Fha Rong, 65, and emaciated Mai Tai, only in her forties, will also be given a second chance at life.

The project thanked their GG family for surpassing their target of $75,000, adding, Your loving, caring, compassionate hearts have helped secure a better future for these precious gentle ones.

Funds raised beyond what was needed for the elephants initial rescue, said Gentle Giants, would go toward everything the girls need, including shelter, food, and ongoing medical care.

As we know their care doesnt stop when they are rescued, they said, but truly begins!

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter here: https://www.theepochtimes.com/newsletter
iStock/JMP Traveler (WASHINGTON D.C.) -- The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump continued Thursday with House managers further making a case why Trump incited an insurrection.

Rep. Madeleine Dean, of Pennsylvania, appeared confident that the evidence presented during the trial and signaled that witnesses may not be necessary.

"I think we've made our case," she told reporters outside the chamber.

This is a stark shift from Trump's previous impeachment trial, when in 2019 Democrats motioned to call witnesses, a move Republicans denied.

Opening arguments for the House impeachment managers appeared to wrap Thursday, after 10 hours of arguments.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, of Maryland, asked the Senate to execute "common sense" when voting on whether or not to convict the former president, saying at the end of his speech, "Let's not get caught up in a lot of outlandish lawyers' theories here. Exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country."

The arguments laid out on Thursday continued to bolster the timeline that led up to the January 6 seige of the U.S. Capitol and how close several lawmakers came to certain disaster.

Rep. Joe Neguse, of Colorado, was one of the last House managers to speak, reiterating the mob believed they were acting on the former president's orders and were inspired to unleash violence.

"He quite literally, at one part of that speech, pointed at us. He told them to fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," argued Neguse. "He'd already made it perfectly clear that when he said 'fight,' he meant it."

Trump's remarks made during the rally were a central part in Thursday's arguments, as House managers tried to prove there was clear intent behind the former president's statements.

Neguse also added that Republicans were made aware that the rioters would listen to Trump, explaining how many directly implored the president to condemn the violence -- of which Trump failed to do during the assault. The argument Neguse made was that, during those moments when Republicans called on the former president to summon the National Guard or backup, they had tied Trump to the riot.

Thursday also saw the House honor the Capitol Police, who have lost three of their own as a result of the riot -- one who died during the incident and two more to suicide.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that, because of the bravery shown by the Capitol Police, she will be introducing legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal -- the highest honor that lawmakers can bestow.

"The service of the Capitol Police force that day brings honor to our Democracy, and their accepting this Gold Medal will bring luster to this award," Pelosi said.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman reacted to the Thursday announcement and said the department is "humbled and appreciative" by the recognition. Pittman also acknowledged the Metropolitan Police Department, who assisted during the seige.

Donald Trumps Senate impeachment trial hit a snag when Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah objected to how Democrats characterized a phone call from the president when the Capitol insurrection was raging.

After exchanges over the matter that seemed to confuse everyone, the Democratic House impeachment managers agreed to strike their words from the record and move on. They said the episode was not vital to their case that Trump incited the mob Jan. 6. But their account Wednesday night was correct to begin with.

Rep. DAVID CICILLINE of Rhode Island, an impeachment prosecutor: Sen. Lee describes it. He had just ended a prayer with his colleagues here in the Senate chamber, and the phone rang. It was Donald Trump. And how Sen. Lee explains it is that the phone call goes something like this. Hey, Tommy, Trump asks. And Sen. Lee says, This isnt Tommy. And he hands the phone to Sen. Tuberville. Sen. Lee then confirmed that he stood by as Sen. Tuberville and President Trump spoke on the phone. And on that call, Donald Trump reportedly asked Sen. Tuberville to make additional objections to the certification process. Thats why he called.

LEE, asking that remarks about the phone call be removed from the record of the proceedings: Statements were attributed to me moments ago by the House impeachment managers (that) were not made by me, theyre not accurate. He added: They are not true. I never made those statements.

THE FACTS: By his own admission, Lee made the statements directly attributed to him. He did not publicly characterize what was said on the phone call  but Democrats did not claim that he had done so.

Cicilline said that on the call, Trump reportedly asked that Senate Republicans delay the certification of Joe Biden as the next president. Indeed, published new reports said just that, citing anonymous sources. The Associated Press has not confirmed those reports.

But theres no question, as the Democrat said, that Lee took a call from Trump, realized the president was intending to call Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville and handed his phone to his colleague, standing nearby as Trump and Tuberville talked. We know this because Lee himself has described that scene.

He recounted it in text messages to Bryan Schott, a reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune.

I went and found Senator Tuberville, handed him my phone, and explained that the president would like to speak to him, Lee texted. I stood nearby for the next five or ten minutes as they spoke, not wanting to lose my phone in the middle of a crisis.

Then the Capitol Police became very nervous and ordered us to evacuate the chamber immediately. As they were forcing everyone out of the chamber, I awkwardly found myself interrupting the same telephone conversation I had just facilitated.

Excuse me, Tommy, we have to evacuate. Can I have my phone?

Senator Tuberville promptly ended the call and returned my phone to its rightful owner.

The House prosecutors produced a number of public statements by Trump as he openly stirred the anger of his supporters over the Congresss action to affirm Bidens election victory. They said this phone call was not central to their argument. But they said they might come back to it.

After the insurrectionists had been cleared from the Capitol, lawmakers certified Bidens Electoral Collage victory. Lee did not vote to object to the certification. Tuberville was one of six Republican senators who voted to sustain an objection raised against Arizonas electoral votes.

President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. will have enough supply of the vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans.

'We've now purchased enough vaccine to vaccinate all Americans,' Biden said.

He said the U.S. had secured contractual commitments from Moderna and Pfizer to deliver the 600 million doses of vaccine by the end of July - more than a month earlier than initially anticipated.

Biden, used his remarks to criticize President Donald Trump, saying he inherited 'no plan to vaccinate most of the country.'

'It is no secret that the vaccination program was in much worse shape than my team and I anticipated,' he said.

'We ... were led to believe there was a lot more vaccines than there was,' Biden said.

The U.S. is on pace to exceed Biden's goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks.

Purchase: President Joe Biden (left), during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, said that the U.S. has now secured enough vaccine to offer everyone in the country inoculation by July. He was accompanied by Dr. Anthony Fauci (right)

'We're not going to have everything fixed for a while, but we're going to fix it,' Biden said in remarks at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He was accompanied by (from R) Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, Dr. Francis Collins, White House COVID Coordinator Jeffrey Zients, White House Chief Medical Adviser on Covid-19 Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Barney S. Graham

Biden spoke to reporters during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health on Thursday

Earlier, Dr. Anthony Fauci estimated Americans who want the vaccine would be able to obtain it in April.

'By the time we get to April, that will be what I would call, for better wording, "open season," namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated,' Fauci said during a Thursday Today show interview.

The pace of injections could increase further if a third coronavirus vaccine from drugmaker Johnson & Johnson receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

With demand for the vaccine far outstripping supply, Americans are struggling to get appointments for their inoculations, leaving Biden with an acute problem less than a month after taking over from Trump.

'We're not going to have everything fixed for a while, but we're going to fix it,' Biden said in remarks at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Biden said Trump, who spent his last two months in office in a futile effort to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election that he lost, did not order enough vaccine and did not do enough to get people lined up to get vaccinated.

'While scientists did their job in discovering vaccines in record time, my predecessor - I'll be very blunt about it - did not do his job in getting ready for the massive challenge of vaccinating hundreds of millions,' Biden said.

He said the vaccine program he inherited was in 'much worse shape' than he had anticipated. 'It's going to take time to fix,' he said.

Speaking with Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease specialist, Biden emphasized that his administration is doing everything possible to increase the vaccine supply and the country's capacity to deliver injections into arms.

'It's been a hell of a learning process,' Biden said.

Biden toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the sprawling National Institutes of Health complex just outside Washington that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries.



The Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory is led by Dr. Barney Graham, whose team made critical discoveries years ago that laid the groundwork for rapid development of that and other COVID-19 vaccines.

Before the pandemic erupted, one of Graham's research fellows, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, had been using those earlier findings to develop a vaccine for MERS, a cousin of COVID-19.

On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.

On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.

Armed with their prior research, Corbett and Graham had a head start when Chinese scientists shared the genetic map of the new coronavirus in January 2020.

They already knew how to make spike proteins, which coat the surface of the new coronavirus and its MERS relative, that were stable enough to be used as a key vaccine ingredient.

Within days, the NIH had sent instructions to Moderna to brew up doses, and Corbett and her colleagues were setting up the key lab and animal tests that would eventually prove they were on the right track.
Robert Kennedy Jr was "deplatformed" from Instagram because he created and shared an event (with over 43,000 participants) that discussed the safety, efficacy and very existence of the 2021 Messiah. Co V A X. From Children's Health Defense:

RFK, Jr. Responds to Instagrams Removal of His Account

RFK, Jr.s Instagram account was deplatformed Wednesday. Dozens of media outlets reported the censorship, saying the account was removed over vaccine misinformation, a characterization Kennedy unequivocally rejected.

By

Children's Health Defense Team

Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.s Instagram account was deplatformed without advanced notice. Dozens of media outlets reporting on this censorship asserted the account was removed over false COVID vaccine claims or vaccine misinformation. Some reports referred to Kennedy as an anti-vaxxer.

Kennedy, founder, chairman and chief legal counsel of Childrens Health Defense, unequivocally rejects those characterizations as false and misleading.

Childrens Health Defense (CHD), including Kennedy, advocates for vaccine safety and health freedom. CHDs mission is to end childhood health epidemics by exposing the causes, eliminating harmful exposures, holding those responsible accountable and seeking justice for those harmed.

As Kennedy has said many times, for a democracy to function, civil debate of issues  including vaccine science  must be allowed. Censorship of that debate is anathema to democracy.

Kennedy and Mary Holland, CHD president and general counsel, issued the following statements on Instagrams removal of Kennedys account:

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Chairman of Childrens Health Defense, said:

Every statement I put on Instagram was sourced from a government database, from peer-reviewed publications and from carefully confirmed news stories. None of my posts were false. Facebook, the pharmaceutical industry and its captive regulators use the term vaccine misinformation as a euphemism for any factual assertion that departs from official pronouncements about vaccine health and safety, whether true or not. This kind of censorship is counterproductive if our objective is a safe and effective vaccine supply.

The pharmaceutical industry is hastily creating vaccines using taxpayer money and untested technologies. These include a rash of risky new products that are exempt from liability, from long-term safety testing and that have not received FDA approval. Emergency Use Authorization is a mass population scientific experiment. If it has any prayer of working, it will require extraordinary scrutiny from the press and the public. READ THE REST AT THE DEFENDER.

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Meanwhile, this article was published yesterday from a small school district near Syracuse, New York, and it's not the first district to suffer system wide adverse reactions that shut down classes. Can you afford to take time off from taking care of your family? Your job? Short term? We have no idea about long time effects. None. Nada. Zero. We just had a "Snow Day" here in Connecticut. Guess we need to build in "Co" days now too?



CNY Schools & Colleges Central NY school district closes after many staff sick with side effects from Covid vaccine

The Sandy Creek school district closed today after numerous staff members reported feeling ill after the second vaccine, district officials said. Superintendent Kyle Faulkner told Syracuse.com | The Post Standard that health care provider ConnectCare came to the district to give teachers, staff, substitutes, aides, bus drivers and others the Moderna vaccine. More than half the employees received the first shot a month ago, and the second injection was Wednesday, Faulkner said.







Winnie Odinga, the lastborn daughter of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has disclosed how she set out on her new life in Kenya after living in America.

Speaking with Massawe Japanni on Radio Jambo, Winnie said living under her parents roof curtailed the freedom she previously enjoyed in the States.

I am an independent person. I came from living in America where I had the freedom to do what I wanted to do at any given time. I come back home and mum says I cant go out, she questions the time I wake up, she recounted.

This forced her to move out of her parents home unceremoniously; So I left like a thief, I left at night, Winnie said.

The decision strained her relationship with her folks. At the time, Winnie was preparing to enroll at the United States International University (USIU) for a Masters degree.

Unfortunately, she didnt have any money for fees prompting her to turn to her now-deceased brother Fidel.

I went to Fidel, and he agreed to pay the school fees. I was to join the school in the second week of January but unfortunately, he died on January 4th(2015), she said.

More than anything, after Fidels death I was wondering what I would do next. Dad would insist I go back abroad and study there, Winnie added.

She would then turn to her sister Rosemary who also agreed to settle for her varsity fees.

Winnie later realised she was burdening her sister who had her own children to look after. With no one else to turn to, she swallowed her pride and turned to her mother; Winnie also started doing photography work to pay for her bills as her mother paid her fees.

Winnie noted that she could not ask her father to help with the fees because she had refused to return abroad to study as he had wanted.

The CEO of The Brickhouse Counsel, a Consulting and Strategic Advice Agency for businesses in the Kenyan market, also spoke fondly about her parents.

My mum is the disciplinarian. You remember DOs during President Mois era? She is like that, but we respect each other, she said.

On the other hand, dad is easier going but his problem is that he does not take into consideration what we tell him. Like when we tell him not to do or say something, we only come to learn later that he already did.

The 30-year-old added: Baba anachoma. Sometimes we see things he has said and we are like, Ooh my God, what did he just do?'

But it is a lot of fun growing up with them.

Also Check Out: Shots Fired! Winnie Odinga Unleashes Savage Side on Twitter Critic

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EL PASO, Texas - Science is a step closer to a new response to obesity, thanks in part to a study conducted by a team that included Sergio Iniguez, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso.

The 10-member team led by Brandon Warren, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacodynamics at the University of Florida, made discoveries about a specific area of the brain tied to recollection and the desire to seek and consume food. It could lead to a way to inhibit the desire to overeat.

Iniguez, who directs UTEP's Iniguez Behavioral Neuroscience Lab and helped design novel experimental techniques for the research, said that people tend to overeat when exposed to cues or environments that remind them of treats, which is one reason why people opt for dessert even after a filling meal. The study showed that neurons in a specific part of the brain control the link between the cue (seeing the dessert) and the action (ordering the dessert). Iniguez and team found that animal subjects consumed fewer treats when they regulated that region of the animal's brain.

The techniques and the data eventually could help overcome some issues linked to obesity such as stroke, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high levels of bad cholesterol, and coronary heart disease.

"This is a big discovery because we now have experimental tools that allow us to turn off neurons while the subjects engage in a specific behavior," Iniguez said. "This research shows that a specific part of the prefrontal cortex of the brain is important for the initial stages of learning to seek food."

###

Research results were published recently in eNeuro, a journal of the Society for Neuroscience.

The latest journal publication comes on the heels of a successful 2020 for Iniguez, when his research was published in three top journals: Neuropsychopharmacology, Biological Psychiatry and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

The University of Texas at El Paso is one of the largest and most successful Hispanic-serving institutions in the country, with a student body that is 83% Hispanic. It enrolls nearly 25,000 students in 166 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in 10 colleges and schools. With more than $100 million in total annual research expenditures, UTEP is ranked in the top 5% of research institutions nationally and fifth in Texas for federal research expenditures at public universities.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  True Health New Mexico has brought in a new medical director as it begins a new chapter in its operations.

The health insurance company announced this week that Dr. Melissa Garcia will become its new medical director, replacing Pedro Cardona.

Garcia, a graduate of the University of New Mexicos medical school, is a family medicine physician who has more than 20 years of clinical experience, according to a news release from True Health. She is board certified in family medicine and obesity medicine, according to the release.

Last month, the Journal reported that True Health was acquired by Minnesota-based Bright Health Management Inc. for $22 million. The company, which was founded about three years ago, has roughly 34,000 members as of the latest open enrollment period, according to previous reporting.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect name for the group thats purchasing True Health. Bright Health Management Inc. is the acquiring company. The story has been updated.

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RICHARDSON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:OPXS), a leading manufacturer of precision optical sighting systems for domestic and worldwide military and commercial applications, announced financial highlights for its three-month period ended December 27, 2020.

During the three months ended December 27, 2020 revenue decreased from our prior year period by $1.4 million, or 24.1%, and gross margin decreased from the prior year period by $0.6 million, or 43.1%. Operating income for the three-month period ended December 27, 2020 decreased by $0.6 million, to $0.1 million, from $0.7 million during the prior year period.

During the period, we experienced a decline in revenue primarily based upon lower beginning year customer order backlog driven by a reduction in customer orders received during the fiscal year ended September 27, 2020. The decrease in gross margin and operating profit during the three-month period are primarily attributable to lower revenue, changes in product mix, and unfavorable manufacturing overhead on reduced production volume. Our operating segments have substantial fixed manufacturing costs that are not easily adjusted as production levels decline. We have implemented several cost-saving initiatives during the first and second quarters of fiscal year 2021, including reductions in force and employee compensation, but we do not expect to mitigate the impact of the first half revenue reduction on the operating gross margin for the fiscal year. We anticipate the margins will improve as revenues increase and the impact of the first half cost reductions are fully realized.

As of December 27, 2020, the Company had working capital of $12.5 million, as compared to $11.7 million as of September 27, 2020. During the three months ended December 27, 2020, we generated operating cash flow of $0.4 million, and spent $0.4 million for the purchase of 208,592 shares of our common stock against our previously announced stock repurchase plan. We ended the quarter with a strong cash balance of $4.6 million as compared to $4.7 million as of the fiscal year end 2020. As of December 27, 2020, the Company had an outstanding payable balance of $0.4 million against our working line of credit. The line of credit allows for borrowing up to a maximum of $2.0 million. As of December 27, 2020, our outstanding accounts receivable was $2.1 million.

Danny Schoening, CEO of Optex Systems Holdings, Inc., commented, "We continue to operate within the business parameters set by the current conditions of Covid-19 and virtual-only meetings with our customer base. Backlog is still an issue, but recent orders at the AOC Division and the recent IDIQ periscope award at Optex are favorable indicators that our run rates will return to 2020 levels. We are especially excited about new Laser Filter Units bookings at AOC and the additional product line offerings this presents."

Our key performance measures for the three months ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019 are summarized below.

(Thousands) Three months ended Metric December 27, 2020 December 29, 2019 % Change Revenue $ 4,471 $ 5,887 (24.1) Gross Margin $ 835 $ 1,467 (43.1) Gross Margin % 18.7% 24.9% (24.9) Operating Income $ 79 $ 718 (89.0) Gain (Loss) on Change Fair Value of Warrants $ 1,027 $ (1,251) (182.1) Net Income (Loss) Applicable to Common Shareholders $ 726 $ (679) (206.9) Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) $ 199 $ 810 (75.4)



During the fiscal year 2020, we experienced significant reductions in new orders and ending customer backlog across all but one of our product lines. We attribute the lower orders to a combination of factors including a Covid-19 driven slow-down of contract awards for both U.S. military sales and foreign military sales (FMS), combined with some shifting in defense spending budget allocations in US military sales and FMS away from Army ground system vehicles toward other military agency applications.

Due to the pandemic, we have experienced a significant slowdown in the U.S. government procurement process increasing the cycle time from contract bid proposal requests to final contract award by three to six months. We believe many of the delays are process driven as government agencies adapt to new remote work environments, combined with constraints created by travel restrictions, impeding product testing, inspection and overall program management coordination. In addition, the pandemic has caused several program delays throughout the defense supply chain as a result of plant shutdowns, employee illnesses, travel restrictions, remote work arrangements and similar supplier issues. Due to the significant level of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and its impact to our customers and the defense supply chain, we are unable to ascertain the impact further delays in contract awards and customer orders may have on our total fiscal year 2021 revenues. We are currently anticipating a reduction of 25-30% in revenue volume during the first six months of fiscal year 2021, as compared to the first six months of fiscal year 2020. We have experienced a recent increase in proposal requests and anticipate an increase in orders over the next six to nine months, however the timing and nature of new orders in the near term cannot be determined. Any continued delays in customer orders over the next three to six months could further impact our total fiscal year 2021 revenue and profitability during the second half. We are reviewing additional cost reductions during the next sixty to ninety days as required to further minimize the impact of any sustained delays in customer orders beyond the first half of fiscal year 2021.

Backlog as of December 27, 2020 was $15.0 million as compared to a backlog of $16.3 million as of September 27, 2020, representing a decrease of 8.0%. During the three-months ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, Optex Systems Holdings received new orders totaling $3.2 million. Since December 27, 2020, we have booked an additional $2.9 in new orders for optical assemblies and coated filters, including $0.5 million in new business from a new customer for delivery in 2021 and beyond. On January 11, 2021, the Company announced a contract for Laser Protected Periscopes for a base period of three years plus two one-year option years, not to exceed $14.4 million pursuant to an Indefinite Delivery - Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. We anticipate additional periscope contracts in addition to task order awards against our existing nine active IDIQ contracts for delivery in 2021 and beyond.

(millions) December 27, 2020 September 27, 2020 % Change Backlog as of period end $ 15.0 $ 16.3 (8.0)



We use adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, gains/losses on changes in fair values, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as an additional measure for evaluating the performance of our business as "net income" includes the significant impact of non-cash valuation gains and losses on warrant liabilities, noncash compensation expenses related to equity stock issuances, as well as depreciation, amortization, interest expenses and federal income taxes. We believe that adjusted EBITDA is a meaningful indicator of our operating performance because it permits period-over-period comparisons of our ongoing core operations before certain excluded items. Adjusted EBITDA is a financial measure not required by, or presented in accordance with, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").

The table below summarizes our three-month operating results for periods ended December 27, 2020 and December 29, 2019, in terms of both the GAAP net income measure and the non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA measure. We believe that including both measures provides information that is useful in evaluating our financial results across periods.

Three months ended December 27, 2020 December 29, 2019 Net Income (Loss) - (GAAP) $ 1,087 $ (679 ) Add: (Gain) Loss on Change in Fair Value of Warrants (1,027 ) 1,251 Federal Income Tax Expense (Benefit) 16 141 Depreciation 63 66 Stock Compensation 57 26 Interest Expense 3 5 Adjusted EBITDA - Non-GAAP $ 199 $ 810



Our adjusted EBITDA decreased by $0.6 million, to $0.2 million during the three-months ended December 27, 2020, as compared $0.8 million during the three-months ended December 29, 2019. The decrease in EBITDA is primarily driven by decreased revenue and gross margin.

Highlights of the unaudited Condensed Consolidated and Segment Results of Operations have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. These financial highlights do not include all information and disclosures required in the consolidated financial statements and footnotes, and should be read in conjunction with our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 27, 2020 filed with the SEC on February 12, 2021, and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2020 filed with the SEC on December 17, 2020.



Optex Systems Holdings, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Thousands, except share and per share data) Three months ended December 27, 2020 December 29, 2019 Revenue $ 4,471 $ 5,887 Cost of Sales 3,636 4,420 Gross Margin 835 1,467 General and Administrative Expense 756 749 Operating Income 79 718 Gain (Loss) on Change in Fair Value of Warrants 1,027 (1,251 ) Interest Expense (3 ) (5 ) Other Income (Expense) 1,024 (1,256 ) Income (Loss) Before Taxes 1,103 (538 ) Income Tax Expense, net $ 16 $ 141 Net Income (Loss) $ 1,087 $ (679 ) Deemed dividends on participating securities (361 ) - Net income (loss) applicable to common shareholders $ 726 $ (679 ) Basic income (loss) per share $ 0.09 $ (0.08 ) Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - basic 8,299,278 8,436,422 Diluted income (loss) per share $ 0.09 $ (0.08 ) Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - diluted 8,488,042 8,436,422



The accompanying notes in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 27, 2020 filed with the SEC on February 12, 2021 are an integral part of these financial statements.



Optex Systems Holdings, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Thousands, except share and per share data) December 27, 2020 September 27, 2020 (Unaudited) ASSETS Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 4,627 $ 4,700 Accounts Receivable, Net 2,138 2,953 Inventory, Net 9,348 8,791 Prepaid Expenses 167 229 Current Assets 16,280 16,673 Property and Equipment, Net 1,024 1,006 Other Assets Deferred Tax Asset 1,211 1,227 Right-of-use Asset 1,312 1,416 Security Deposits 23 23 Other Assets 2,546 2,666 Total Assets $ 19,850 $ 20,345 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities Accounts Payable $ 844 $ 833 Operating Lease Liability 345 417 Accrued Expenses 1,022 1,077 Warrant Liability 1,517 2,544 Accrued Warranty Costs 49 83 Customer Advance Deposits - 1 Current Liabilities 3,777 4,955 Other Liabilities Credit Facility - Long Term 377 377 Operating Lease Liability, net of current portion 991 1,037 Other Liabilities 1,368 1,414 Total Liabilities 5,145 6,369 Commitments and Contingencies Stockholders' Equity Common Stock - ($0.001 par, 2,000,000,000 authorized, 8,795,869 and 8,795,869 shares issued, and 8,481,544 and 8,690,136 outstanding, respectively) 9 9 Treasury Stock (at cost, 314,325 shares and 105,733 shares held, respectively) (615 ) (200 ) Additional Paid in capital 26,333 26,276 Accumulated Deficit (11,022 ) (12,109 ) Stockholders' Equity 14,705 13,976 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 19,850 $ 20,345



The accompanying notes in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 27, 2020 filed with the SEC on February 12, 2021 are an integral part of these financial statements.

ABOUT OPTEX SYSTEMS

Optex, which was founded in 1987, is a Richardson, Texas based ISO 9001:2015 certified concern, which manufactures optical sighting systems and assemblies, primarily for Department of Defense (DOD) applications. Its products are installed on various types of U.S. military land vehicles, such as the Abrams and Bradley fighting vehicles, Light Armored and Armored Security Vehicles, and have been selected for installation on the Stryker family of vehicles. Optex also manufactures and delivers numerous periscope configurations, rifle and surveillance sights, and night vision optical assemblies. Optex delivers its products both directly to the military services and to prime contractors. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.optexsys.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the products and services described herein. You can identify these statements by the use of the words "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," "likely," "forecast," "probable," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, continued funding of defense programs and military spending, the timing of such funding, general economic and business conditions, including unforeseen weakness in the Company's markets, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, changes in the U.S. Government's interpretation of federal procurement rules and regulations, changes in spending due to policy changes in any new federal presidential administration, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, inability to fully realize the expected benefits from acquisitions and restructurings or delays in realizing such benefits, challenges in integrating acquired businesses and achieving anticipated synergies, changes to export regulations, increases in tax rates, changes to generally accepted accounting principles, difficulties in retaining key employees and customers, unanticipated costs under fixed-price service and system integration engagements, changes in the market for microcap stocks regardless of growth and value and various other factors beyond our control.

You must carefully consider any such statement and should understand that many factors could cause actual results to differ from the Company's forward-looking statements. These factors include inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of other risks and uncertainties, including some that are known and some that are not. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. You should carefully evaluate such statements in light of factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC, especially on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. In various filings the Company has identified important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historic results. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete list of all potential risks or uncertainties.

Contact:

IR@optexsys.com

1-972-764-5718

SOURCE: Optex Systems Holdings, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629534/Optex-Systems-Holdings-Inc-Announces-Period-Ended-December-27-2020-Financial-Highlights
Following the decision by the Chinese authorities to ban BBC World News from broadcasting in China, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its British affiliate, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) have condemned the move as a serious infringement of global media freedom. It follows on from Ofcom's decision to revoke the UK broadcast licence of the China Global Television Network (CGTN) earlier this month and is clearly designed by the Chinese government as an act of retaliation.

The media regulator, China's State Film, TV and Radio Administration, said BBC World News reports did not meet broadcasting standards including "the requirement that news should be truthful and fair" and not "harm China's national interests".

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: "We denounce the decision by the Chinese authorities to revoke the BBC World News licence in China, it is a serious infringement of global media freedom. The NUJ is calling for the international community to join with us in condemning this move and offering support to the BBC".

"The move is clearly intended as retaliation and its impact is to further restrict access to accurate and reliable information. More and more countries are reverting to tactics that censor the media at a time when independent, quality journalism is more important than ever."

The BBC said in a statement: "We are disappointed that the Chinese authorities have decided to take this course of action. The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour."

The commercially funded BBC World News TV channel broadcasts globally in English. In China it is largely restricted and appears only in international hotels and some diplomatic compounds, meaning most Chinese people cannot view it.

IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: "China's government, or any other goverment around the world, should not be restricting the rights of media based on such vague and unjustified concepts of undermining the national interest. This is a cheap excuse used to shut any media down. Journalists must be able to carry out their job without undue pressure from governments to follow a specific editorial line. That's the way to ensure press freedom".
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The European Green Deal, the main purpose of which is to combat climate change, will soon have deep geopolitical consequences, according to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

He said this at a press conference following a meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels on Thursday, February 11, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The implementation of the Green Deal, as part of the fight against climate change, is going to have very strong and deep geopolitical consequences. Some assets that today are very much valuable will not [have value in the future] and others, which today do not have value, will have a lot. And one of the problems affecting our relationship with Russia and with Eastern [Partnership] countries is gas supply. In Ukraine, they will have to face an important energy transition and we are ready to help Ukraine on that," Borrell said.

He recalled that at the EU-Ukraine summit in October, the European side already welcomed Ukraine's ambition to approximate their policies and legislation with the European Green Deal. Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal have already had meetings to discuss the approximation of Ukraine to the European Green Deal and to identify the most appropriate way in which the EU can support this difficult transition to a green economy, Borrell said.

"It is a transition that is easier for some countries and more difficult for others, depending on the energy mix that they have and the natural resources they can use. But at the end, the purpose is the same, it affects all of us. And we at the European Union know very well that our efforts [alone] will not be enough. We need to have partners, and Ukraine has to be one of these partners," he said.

A government delegation led by Shmyhal began a visit to Brussels last Tuesday. Government officials met with the leaders and officials of the EU, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and NATO.

On February 11, Shmyhal headed the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations in the format of the EU-Ukraine Association Council.

Photo: European Union

Friends of a teenager stabbed to death outside Parsons Green Tube station last night paid tribute to the victim as he family slammed the terrible toll of knife crime in the capital.

Officers and paramedics were called on Thursday following a fight said to have included six men.

The 18-year-old man, named by friends as Hani Solomon, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering several stab wounds.

A group of about 50 people congregated at the sceneon Friday night to lay flowers, light candles and post pictures on a lamppost to their friend.

The victim's aunt, who did not wish to be named, said Mr Solomon was killed just three weeks before his 19th birthday as she slammed Britains out of control knife crime epidemic.

The 18-year-old victim was named by friends as Hani Solomon (pictured) who was praised as 'the nicest guy you could know' in glowing tributes

A group of about 50 people were seen near the scene of the stabbing near Parsons Green laying flowers

The group of mostly young people and teenagers laid flowers and lit candles for their friend who was stabbed last night

His distraught aunt described Mr Solomon, an only child, as a kind, gentle boy who was always happy and would never cause anyone to hurt him.

She said: This is out of control now. Hani wont be the last, he probably wont be the last boy to be knifed to death this week.

It is just stupid bravado, boys carrying knives. They dont realise there is much more to life than this.

'Hani would never carry a weapon himself, would never have been involved in violence  he genuinely was always smiling, always friendly and was the peacekeeper among his friends. His family are beyond devastated.

Mr Solomon's friends also painted a picture of a much-loved teenager in their heartfelt tributes.

Tyrell Logan, 18, said he was his 'close friend since primary school' and a 'good guy'.

Mr Logan said: 'He was a friend you could always count on... If you can't afford something, he's there for you, if you can't do something, he'll do it for you - that's how he works, that was his moral in life.

'He had just got his first car, and he drove everyone about, everyone has videos in the car with him, everyone is happy, everyone is living life... now he's gone, I don't know what we're going to do.

'We're all going to be missing a soul that we all need - he's part of the mantelpiece, part of our foundation.

'How are we going to live life without him? It's hard for everyone.

'He showed the same love and the same respect for everyone, 100% all the time.'

Friends described the 18-year-old victim as 'someone who could always make you laugh' as the consoled one another

Another close friend, a 17-year-old girl who laid flowers for Mr Solomon and did not want to be named, said: 'He was so funny, he was such a good guy, and always made people happy, he always made people laugh.

'He didn't deserve this.'

One girl, who did not wish to be named, said: 'He was like everyone's brother, just the nicest guy you could know. We're so shocked, it's such a sad day for us.'

A girl, 18, said: 'I'm really sad, people here have been crying and talking about memories, we're already missing him.

'He was never a trouble-maker and was always hanging around with people because he had so many friends. This is such a big loss and I had to be here with everyone.'

A friend who knew him from completing The Prince's Trust also paid tribute to Hani and said he was not involved in gangs.

He said: 'He was calm, just a normal guy you know. He was not from the streets or anything.

'I found out [about his death] through Snapchat and was just shocked. I'm just trying understand why and what caused him to get stabbed.'

Another said: 'He was a lovely boy - I'm devastated'.

Another friend, who called himself Mani, 19, added: 'He was a top person, everyone who knew him liked him and didn't have a bad word to say.

'I'm gutted and I know his family will be really hurt - he really loved them. He was a guy who was liked by all and that's a rare thing these days.

'That's why so many people have come here.'

After laying flowers on Friday, a girl, 18, who did not wish to be named, said: 'He honestly was the loveliest boy, so sweet, honest and nice to everyone.

'He was just so popular and well-liked, I'm heartbroken - everyone I know is.'

Another girl, aged 18, added: 'I feel so lost, it's so upsetting when the people you grew up with are taken away from you.'

It comes as police investigating the stabbing last night arrested a 23-year-old man who took himself to hospital after the incident.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: 'Despite receiving treatment for stab injuries an 18-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene at 7.28pm. His next of kin have been informed.

'A second man, aged 20, was taken to hospital with a stab injury; he has since been discharged. He was accompanied by a third man who was not injured.

Police attended the scene last night near Parsons Green Tube station in London

Forensic teams were seen erecting a tent following the fight between six men near Parsons Green Tube station

'Police subsequently attended a west London hospital after a 23-year-old man self-presented with injuries where he remains - his condition is not life threatening. He has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.

'A crime scene remains in place in the vicinity of Parsons Green Station.

'A murder investigation has been launched by detectives in the Specialist Crime Command. 'Enquiries are continuing.'

Witness Joao Goncalves, 31, described seeing three men wearing hoodies and face coverings chasing another three down the street before they started 'fighting with their hands'.

He said: 'There were three boys walking quite fast and three more walking away from them, like they were being chased.

'They were having a fight, I didn't see any weapons, it looked like they were just fighting with their hands.

'I didn't think it was serious until one of them fell to the floor. He got up then he collapsed again against the side of a house. It was over quickly.'

Mr Goncalves said he saw police and ambulance crews arrive shortly afterwards, and paramedics gave the teenager CPR for '10 to 15 minutes'.

Local MP Greg Hands described the incident as 'truly awful' on Twitter, adding on Friday that 'Fulham is still reeling from last night's fatal stabbing'.

It is the latest fatal stabbing to haunt London's blood-soaked streets after two people were killed in the capital last weekend.
A Bombay High Court additional judge, who had delivered two controversial verdicts in sexual assault cases, was on Friday given a fresh one-year term as an additional judge instead of two years as recommended by the Supreme Court collegium. According to news agency PTI, Justice Pushpa Ganediwala's fresh tenure will be effective from February 13. Her earlier tenure as an additional judge was to end on Friday.

The Supreme Court collegium last month had withdrawn its approval to a proposal for Justice Ganediwala's appointment as a permanent judge of the court after the two controversial verdicts. It had recommended she be given a fresh term as an additional judge for two years. But the government issued a notification on Friday saying she has been given a fresh term as an additional judge for a year.

Instead of asking the collegium to reconsider its recommendation of a fresh two-year term, the government decided to extend the period by a year, said sources. Additional judges are usually appointed for two years before being elevated as permanent judges.

Read more: Justice Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala: Who is the Bombay HC Judge Behind the Controversial POCSO Rulings?

The decision was taken after the judge faced flak for her interpretation of sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Justice Ganediwala acquitted a man accused of groping a 12-year-old girl's breast because he did not make skin-to-skin contact; days earlier, she had ruled that holding the hands of a five-year-old girl and unzipping the trousers do not amount to "sexual assault" under the POCSO Act.

On January 27, the Supreme Court stayed the Bombay High Court order acquitting the man after Attorney General KK Venugopal said the order would set a dangerous precedent. The collegium headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde had earlier cleared the proposal to make Justice Ganediwala a permanent judge.
Tampa scientists examined hundreds of feet chambers below the surface of Greenland Ice holes with the use of ropes. The frozen cave which is hundred feet below the surface of Greenland Ice sheet, save for an occasional blast or cracks disintegrating around the scientist's feet.

Ray of light went through the opening, thereby brightening slivers of high blue walls. It's a Moulin, a gap that serves as a portal for meltwater, which descends under the surface. A 42years old Geology professor at University of South Florida, professor Jason Gulley studies these depths with other researchers with the hope to understand how the icy drainage system affects rising seas around the world.

"Nearly every river on the Greenland ice sheet ends in one of these pits, and scientists need a good sense of how, and where, the meltwater flows"He said. Professor Gulley descended on the ropes trying to mark a fragile block of ice that could easily break off. Sometimes, it's often warmer under the ice, away from winds that spin up snow around camp.

ALSO READ - Did You Know? Arctic Ice Might Already be Ice-Free by 2024

Moulins Are Bigger Than What We Imagined

Gulley and other scientists found out that Moulins are way bigger than people guessed. They widen like a bell into vertical caverns, where the researchers follow the rays of their headlamps towards dark corners. The ice melt can be stored in vast chambers where water level varies as it does not drop right to the bottom. In 2018 and 2019, they have dropped two moulins.

Gulley said they'll never be able to access the entire storm sewer system but seeing first several hundred feet of a couple of moulins has given them a start.According to Sarah Das, a scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, who studies Ice in Greenland "Moulins are a small component of a big system but their exploration is a really neat piece of the puzzle. It's very hard to get inside an iceberg or get under Greenland."

Researchers Hold Ice With The Help Of Crampons

In order to lower a pit, researchers install 22-centimeter ice screws, then tie up roads and rappel, holding to the ice with the help of crampons fastened to their boots and remove chunks that could fall on them with axes.

Gulley was working as a student on rocky caves where he became interested in moulins. He laboured to secure funding to explore the Greenland moulins. Gulley said he and his colleagues found good luck when an ice climber, Will Gadd, got money for a science-film project from Red Bull.

"To do this as a private citizen would just be so expensive. Most times I'm going on these trips, I'm pretty stoked" Gulley said. He thinks of Greenland, even from afar as he doesn't enjoy climbing in gyms but spends most of his time cave-diving in local springs.

"Climate scientists share the same frustrations that Doctors and epidemiologists have currently. They know what people need to do, cut emissions to slow the warmings that melts the ice, but it's just that there's no political will to do it" - he said.

RELATED ARTICLE- Drastic Ice Melt Reveals Frozen Archives of Ancient Arrows in Norway

For more news,updates about Greenland and similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News!

She is known for her work in the Channel 4 comedy drama, Fresh Meat.

And now, Zawe Ashton is reportedly set to take on a new acting challenge as a starring villain in the new film, Captain Marvel 2.

The girlfriend, 36, of fellow Marvel actor Tom Hiddleston, 40, is expected to join the superhero franchise, and will serve as a fierce adversary to leading lady Brie Larson, who plays Carol Danvers.

Entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Zawe Ashton is reportedly set to take on a new acting challenge as a starring villain in the new film, Captain Marvel 2

Deadline reported on her new role on Friday and said: 'While the exact character is unknown sources do say Zawe will be the main villain.'

While the details of her character are currently kept firmly under wraps, they added: 'There is always a chance the another antagonist may remain hidden till the very end of the film.'

MailOnline have reached out to Zawe and Brie's reps for further comment.

The second instalment of the Captain Marvel saga is expected to be released on November 11 2022 in the United States.

Face off: The actress is expected to join the superhero franchise, and will serve as a fierce adversary to leading lady, Brie Larson (pictured), who plays Carol Danvers

Nia DaCosta, who directed the Candyman remake which is set to be released this year, is slated as the director for the upcoming Marvel movie.

She takes over for the directorial team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who directed 2019's Captain Marvel, which earned $426.8 million domestic and $1.128 billion worldwide during it's theatrical run.

The original Captain Marvel film was set in the early 1990s, giving fans an origin story for how Carol turned into the mighty Captain Marvel.

Actress Brie would then join the Avengers in in 2019's blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, bringing her into the present-day Marvel Cinematic Universe.

On the horizon: The second installment of the Captain Marvel saga is expected to be released on November 11 2022 in the United States

A report last year revealed this sequel will also be set in present-moment, and it confirmed that Anna and Ryan would not return to the helm.

The first Captain Marvel movie showed how Carol came from humble beginnings to become an Air Force pilot alongside her friend Maria Rambeau, performed by Lashanna Lynch.

She unwittingly becomes the powerful Captain Marvel when she gets caught in a war between two alien races, the Kree and the Skrulls.

The film also starred Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jude Law as Yon-Rogg and Gemma Chann as Minn-Erva, though it is not known who will return for the sequel.
Bird lovers across the Palmetto State have an opportunity this weekend to get outdoors and help the S.C. Department of Natural Resources take inventory of Baltimore orioles roaming the area.

The annual Baltimore oriole winter survey will run through Feb. 15, but the agency said anyone may participate after the count period has ended.

Wildlife technician Lex Glover leads the survey for the state DNR. The goal is to get ordinary people to report information on the species so the agency has a better idea of their distribution in the state during the winter.

Glover said the agency knows residents are seeing the species but they don't have much data.

"So this has given us what we call baseline data, and we can learn the trends of these numbers and possibly link it to the severity of winter or weather-related issues and things like that," Glover said.

Baltimore orioles typically winter in southern Florida, the Caribbean and Central and South America, DNR said. But in the last several decades a great number have been wintering along the East Coast and Southeast, including in South Carolina.

Glover said the species is extremely common in the coastal plains portion of the state. He said the male orioles are so brightly colored that they arent easily mistaken. Their heads, back and wings are often black in color, and their breast and undersides are bright orange. The females are usually not as brightly colored as the males, Glover said.

Participants reported 401 orioles during the survey last year. The majority of them were seen in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

Glover said this years participants are asked to watch their feeders for at least 30 minutes during the birds' most active times.

Thats usually early morning, Glover said. These orioles, theyre coming into the feeders because they know they can get some good food resources first thing in the morning.

If interested participants wont be home during the designated dates for the count, Glover said the DNR still would like to know if theyve had any orioles at their feeders this winter.

Even though we dont add those numbers into the count period data, it still shows us the distribution, Glover said.

People who want to participate in this years survey should contact Glover at gloverl@dnr.sc.gov to receive survey instructions and a bird photo guide. All data can be sent back to him. E-bird users can report their data online.
Among the findings was the discovery that the top cat name is Tiger. (Princess, though the most popular name overall, is nonetheless only the top moniker for dogs.)

This might be a legacy of the earliest domesticated cats in America being European tabby cats, with distinctive tiger-like striped markings, proposed the FirstVet study.

Also, according to the survey, the most common dog names in the 1930s and 1940s were Queenie and Tippy; Lady ruled the 1960s, and Brandy rose to the top in the 1970s. The 80s, 90s and aughts were all dominated by Max, a trend that FirstVet suggested in a news release might be linked to the popularity of the Mad Max film series. (The study also proposed that the prevalence of Smokey, the most popular cat name during the 90s and 00s, could have a connection to the 1977 Burt Reynolds film Smokey and the Bandit.)

Of course, there has always been plenty of individuality in pet naming. While Princess and Max each came up between 150 and 250 times in the sample shared, wrote Mr. Prien, some names are completely unique within Hartsdale Cemetery, such as Dorian Grey and Fleetwood.

The cemetery is even home to the remains of Goldfleck, a lion who died in 1912 after living at the Plaza Hotel in New York City as the pet of Princess Elisabeth Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy, the ex-wife of a Russian prince.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When I was a teenager, beauty was low-tech. It was also DIY. Nobody I knew ever went to a salon for anything other than a haircut or colour (or, in the 90s, god forbid, a perm). Instead, we attempted to live our best beauty-therapy lives at home: waxing, bleaching, masking (the mud pack variety, rather than the global pandemic one), French manicuring. Oh, the French manicure, the pink-polished nail, finished with a fine white line painted along its tip: surely the very definition of the pointless, impossible beauty task. We must have been mad. Today, beauty norms have little to do with home-made manicures and much to do with things like microneedling. To be a woman now  or, increasingly, a teenage girl (although a growing number of men engage with beauty treatments, the industry is still overwhelmingly female-centric)  is to be exposed to a world in which no one has hairy legs or short blonde eyelashes or bad skin or frown lines; in which going to a beauty salon is not an occasional treat but an essential routine; in which no one stops at a relaxing facial or an occasional manicure, but regards Botox and dermabrasion and fillers and tattoos and microneedling and laser as standard maintenance. Even the humble eyelash is permed, curled, extended, filled and volumised. Consider the thread facelift: suture thread is inserted beneath our skin to literally pull it tight. Or the vampire facial, a la Kim Kardashian, in which  wait for it  our own blood plasma is rubbed into microneedled holes all over our faces? (For Kims own experience, see Instagram, circa 2013. Note the blood  and also the full eye make-up. Since then shes apparently sworn off the treatment because its too painful. No kidding.) As the French would say (when not doing French manicures), il faut souffrir pour etre beau (one must suffer to be beautiful). One must indeed, but even the French could never have envisioned anything like this. All these treatments are classed as minimally invasive yet theyre painful enough to require local anaesthetic or numbing creams, and have side effects which, though rare, can include drooling, infection, scarring and difficulties breathing. (In 2019, research published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that in the previous year, close to 200 people globally had suffered blindness as a result of receiving dermal filler injections.) Nonetheless, theyre marketed as simple, no-downtime, routine maintenance procedures. They even have a cute nickname: tweakments  as if theyre simply tiny, insignificant adjustments on an evermore attainable path to physical perfection. This is not to say they dont work. One of the reasons for the international success of anti-wrinkle injections (Botox is one of several brands but no one remembers the others) is because theyre supremely successful at their main job: paralysing various muscles in your face to temporarily eliminate the dynamic wrinkles we all develop while living, you know, life. Though the effects only last a few months, the average forehead costs around $300 to de-wrinkle  about the same as a pot of exclusive face cream. This success, along with decades of intense marketing by Allergan, Botoxs parent company, has managed to reposition Botox away from the scary-mad-woman-plastic-surgery end of the beauty spectrum and right into the mainstream, hitched to the mega-wagon of wellness and self-care. Long-term Botox users can trace this evolution from dangerous to everyday  in their own lives. This is why, US sociologist Dana Berkowitz explains, I talk about Botox as a gateway drug. Berkowitz, who has long dark hair and a beautiful new baby who waves her hands at the screen while we talk, is the author of the 2017 bestseller, Botox Nation: Changing the Face of America. It used to be, you know, you want a beauty treatment, you get a manicure. Now you get Botox, and a filler, and needling. Botox was the tip of the spear. In the three years since the book was published, theres been an explosion of treatments. Compared to a decade ago, these treatments are more expensive, more intense, and more aggressively marketed  and were having them in greater numbers, starting at a younger age. And according to experts, were doing so because, in cultural terms at least, we have less choice about our physical image now than at any point in human history.

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Today, industry sources estimate that Australian women have one of the highest per capita spends on beauty products and procedures in the world  more than 40 per cent higher than the US. In 2015, according to some reports, we spent $1 billion on cosmetic treatments. In 2018, the top three procedures were all tweakments: anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, and laser and IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments. And though it seems almost impossible to believe, the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia industry group estimates that Australians spend as much $350 million on anti-wrinkle injections alone each year. Were having treatments in greater numbers because, in cultural terms at least, we have less choice about our physical image now than at any point in human history. This trend echoes older data from overseas. In 2012, a survey commissioned by German pharma giant Merz Aesthetics of 3000 women across Europe and Russia found 80 per cent thought it was the norm to spend money on procedures like fillers, Botox and laser. In some ways, of course, none of this is a shock. In every age, right back to prehistoric Anatolia, where the first man-made mirror was made from obsidian glass around 6000BC, humans have been obsessed with the way we look, and with the attempt to improve on what nature has given us. And whether it be lead, arsenic, mercury or radium (all toxic, all historically used as complexion aids) or things like X-rays (carcinogenic in high doses, and used for hair removal from the 1920s until after World War II), weve always been prepared to use whatever tools are available to us. Dana Berkowitz had her first Botox injection in 2012. She was 33 years old, living in the US, and researching Botox Nation. Initially resistant to the idea of being injected, she was persuaded by her interview subjects, who told her she couldnt understand it until shed done it herself. Within a week of her first procedure, she wrote, I was in awe of the results. I was surprised at how refreshed, awake, and yes, a little bit younger I looked. But by her second treatment two years later, she felt increasingly self-conscious, even terrified, that my students and colleagues would notice  I felt like a fraud, a failure. This is apparently a familiar reaction for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, reared on the ideal of natural beauty. For them, the goal of treatment is to look better, but also to look like they havent actually done anything. Added to which, for those of us raised on nothing more invasive than Clearasil face wash, the idea of, say, a vampire facial takes some getting used to. As Berkowitz  who is now in her early 40s  explains, My god! I had one of those a few years ago and its just crazy. You have the laser on your face and then the plasma: they get your blood and your blood is all over your face! She grimaces. I remember in my book, sometimes women would say some of these procedures were enjoyable; but I can promise you that none of them actually feels good. Getting your face burnt off, peeled off, needles stuck into your face? It doesnt feel good! But its complicated. For women, physical appearance translates to professional power, economic power. Some women talked to me about it as a democratisation of beauty: I wasnt born beautiful, but I can make myself beautiful. They have an opportunity to control, to change, to improve.

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The new arsenal of treatments increases this opportunity, but also raises the pressure to act on it. Its not just an opportunity, its an imperative. Its not we can, its we should. Its becoming harder and harder and harder for women to reject that beauty imperative. And yet, of course it is the case that when you are treated better, and you make more money, and you have all of these interactive and structural consequences in your life because of how you look, then you are going to feel better. For women, physical appearance translates to professional power, economic power. Some women talked to me about it as a democratisation of beauty. Sarina is a beauty therapist in Sydneys inner west. A former model from Prague, she not only performs but receives many modern beauty treatments. She was an enthusiastic solarium user in her teens and early 20s, which means she shares a common Australian problem of sun-damaged skin. She treats it  in herself and others  with laser therapy and microneedling. The laser burns away dark pigment in the skin; microneedling causes thousands of tiny holes in the skin, which the body must then heal. The broad principle of both treatments is that the new skin is fresher, smoother and more even in colour and texture than the old. Women come in for the first time and they say Just a little, not too much,  she explains. Does it hurt? Of course! And your skin is very red afterwards  it feels rough, like a nail file. Then it peels off, which looks very strange. Despite all this, the second time they come, women are like, Do more, more: go harder! For the money [treatments start at about $200 a session], you want to get value. According to Sarina, the pay-off is clear. You feel better. If you look good, you feel good. Nobody wants to have wrinkles. You look in the mirror and if you see wrinkles and dark patches it just makes you feel very down. Very shit, as a matter of fact. We just dont have role models of women who have not embraced the beauty imperative, concludes Berkowitz. Michelle Obama talks about this in her book [Becoming]: she has a stylist, she has a trainer, a hairdresser. She says, I never thought Id be the type of person to have all these things, but women in my position need them.  Once upon a time, beauty was not only in the eye of the beholder, but unique to individual cultures and communities. What was beautiful to a European was different to the view of an African, or to someone from Japan or India. Those distinctions, says British philosopher and author of Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal, Professor Heather Widdows, are disappearing. Today, she explains via email, there are four global beauty ideals that women are increasingly, and universally, expected to meet: thinness, firmness, youthfulness and smoothness.

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Hair removal is a good example, she writes. It is wholly a beauty practice, absolutely unnecessary for bodily functioning, and yet it is increasingly seen wholly as a health and hygiene practice: body hair is classed as abnormal and disgusting and showing a lack of self-care. This is beginning to happen with other practices, from teeth whitening, skin lightening, injectables, [to] nails, hair dye. These ideals cross countries and cultures, she argues: so much so that the modern beauty archetype is a rare example of a truly global concept. This ideal, wrote New Yorker journalist Jia Tolentino last year, includes an overly tan skin tone, a South Asian influence with the brows and eye shape, an African-American influence with the lips, a Caucasian influence with the nose, a cheek structure that is predominantly Native American and Middle Eastern. Once an idea becomes part of a moral framework, it stops being just a suggestion, or one of many options, and becomes the dominant means by which individuals judge themselves and each other. There are different pressures in different places, says Widdows, but theyre all tracking in the same direction. More is required to meet minimal standards, to be normal. And theres also an increasingly moral component involved. People say things like, Ive been good, Ive been to the gym today, or Im so bad, Ive eaten that cake. Once an idea becomes part of a moral framework, it stops being just a suggestion, or one of many options, and becomes the dominant means by which individuals judge themselves and each other. Beauty trends are contributing to a debilitating global epidemic of body image anxiety, says one expert. Credit:Getty Images Olivia Smith (not her real name) is 19  and if theres a universal beauty ideal being imposed on her, shes not aware of it: she just wants to look good. She lives in Cronulla in Sydneys south, and is studying accounting at UNSW. She works at a pizza restaurant on weekends, which pays for some, but by no means all of her beauty treatments. Mum helps out, she says. We dont tell Dad. Smith has olive skin and naturally thick dark brows, eyelashes and hair. Nonetheless, she has eyelash extensions (false lashes glued to existing ones), which cost $180, and $80 a fortnight to maintain. She has almost all her body hair  full legs, Brazilian, arms, armpits, chin, upper lip and cheeks  removed via monthly waxing and laser, which costs at least $100 a session for waxing (depending what she has done) and about double that for laser. Shes also had her eyebrows tattooed into a thick, defined swoop, which cost $700 and needs to be redone once a year. Then theres the weekly maintenance: manicures, pedicures, facials  and products: cleansers, moisturisers, masks, serums, make-up.

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Smiths motivation for all this is hard to pin down. She loves Instagram, and spends hours a day examining her own and her friends feeds  but she also knows a lot of it is filters, or people taking 50 photos for one good one. Her friends spend at least as much on beauty as she does  in fact, she feels pretty restrained compared to them, several of whom have already had things like Botox or lip fillers. And her mum, while exerting some controlling influence (via holding the purse strings) is broadly enthusiastic. She really takes care of herself, says Smith. Her mother has regular Botox and microneedling, and often goes for treatments with her daughter. We love having a mani-pedi together, says Smith. Its like our bonding time. Smith estimates she spends close to $1000 on beauty a month  and though shes never considered giving up treatments, she has thought about doing them herself  especially last year, when COVID-19 closed salons and, like many clients, she found herself home, alone, and increasingly self-conscious. Ive tried various waxing and hair removal stuff  but it really hurts when you do it yourself. Youd only do it if you absolutely had to. Loading Nonetheless, the online beauty business has experienced a phenomenal boom in the past year, thanks to COVID. Standard beauty products, sold by companies like Mecca and Adore Beauty and espoused by influencers such as Zoe Foster Blake, Lauren Curtis and Chloe Morello, now sit alongside more and more extreme treatments: peels, microneedling pens you can use at home, home lasers, crazy facial things, as Berkowitz puts it. These beauty boxes  especially all the things coming in from South Korea  are really DIY on steroids. Though both anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers must be administered by a doctor or registered nurse in Australia, you can of course buy all sorts of mind-boggling stuff online  including fillers and anti-wrinkle treatments, complete with needles. For Smith, these products have the advantage of being super-cheap compared with going to a salon but shes not interested in them herself. I had a friend who bought an eyebrow tattooing kit online, and it was a disaster, she says. Its not worth it. Cosmetic tattooist Georgie Westley grits her teeth at the mention of DIY brow kits. Founder of Distinctive Features Cosmetic Tattoo and Beauty salon in Melbourne, where a new brow treatment costs from $700 (plus maintenance charges), Westley has been doing professional cosmetic tattooing for 20 years. Were seeing the brow boom of our lifetime, she says. But brow tattooing (theres also eyeliner, lip and aureole tattooing) comes in all shapes and sizes, and Westley has some reservations about the current fashion for a very sculptured, defined, dark brow  the Kim Kardashian brow (and the Smith brow). I actually disagree with it, she says. It means you need a lot of other treatments to balance things out in your face. You need the lips, the lashes, the whole thing. Added to which, if a Kim Kardashian brow goes wrong, it goes really wrong. Although cosmetic tattoos fade to a certain point, they never fully disappear. We can try to treat them with laser and saline, but it may take 10 treatments over two years to get it fixed.

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A 21-year-old Portland woman pleaded guilty this week to charges related to a fire set at the Multnomah County Justice Center during a September protest-turned-riot.

Hannah Karin Lilly was ordered to perform community service and pay $46,000 in restitution for unlawfully, with intent, aiding and abetting 21-year-old Cyan Bass in damaging the Multnomah County Justice Center in downtown Portland, the countys District Attorneys Office said in a statement Thursday.

Bass has pleaded not guilty to a series of charges. His trial is pending.

Lilly, who moved back to Portland last year to live with relatives during the pandemic and works as a part-time nanny, received 18 months of probation for one count of first-degree criminal mischief. She also pleaded guilty to a single count of arson in the first degree. She will be sentenced later for the arson charge.

The terms of her probation put restrictions on her right to attend demonstrations.

The resolution of this case takes into account Lillys culpability to the actual damage done to the Multnomah County Justice Center and Lillys lack of criminal history prior to this incident, the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office said.

The acts on the night of Sept. 23, 2020, reportedly grew out of a Portland protest over a Kentucky grand jurys decision in the death of Breonna Taylor, who in March was killed by police who had entered her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment.

-- Douglas Perry

dperry@oregonian.com

@douglasmperry
Health Minister St. Clair Prince highlighted the need for proper storage of COVID-19 related material and plans to provide same.

Construction of storage facilities, specifically for items to be used in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to be constructed soon.





This will be funded from a sum of EC$326,000 that government has allocated to providing infrastructural support, as part of the COVID-19 response in 2021.





According to St Clair Jimmy Prince, Minister of Health, there was not sufficient space to efficiently store and manage the COVID-19 and Health Disaster Unit supplies.





"This (COVID-19 pandemic) is a new thing, a new phenomenon and we would not be able to have all these things in place, Prince said during the Debate on the Appropriation Bill in Parliament last week.





Therefore, a storage unit was essential, and the state will construct a modern bulk storage facility at Bentick Square in Kingstown.





The plan is to demolish three existing structures which the government has acquired on Bentick Square, and to use the space to place retrofitted containers that will provide bulk and cold storage.





The location is ideal since its proximity to the Molecular Laboratory makes for unencumbered service from the storage facilities.





Enhancing Lab work/results





On the issue of the Molecular Laboratory laboratories, the Health Minister told Parliament that ".the Ministry (Health) proposes to further expand the labs capacity and testing sites to other places.





The operations at the Molecular Laboratory have been enhanced with the arrival of four technologists from Cuba.





Two private laboratories now offer COVID-19 tests but these, Prince informed, will be administered at a higher cost than what is charged by the state.





THE VINCENTIAN had reported in an earlier edition that at leat one private lab was charging $195 for the rapid test and $400 for the PCR test.





And Prince was happy to report the arrival and operationalization of the Extractor which cut as much as two hours in the processing time for test samples, and had contributed significantly to decreasing the back logs.





The situation was expected to see even more improvement and efficiency with the arrival of another extractor, the minister added.
VIJAYAWADA: The second phase of gram panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held on Saturday to elect 2,786 sarpanches and 20,817 ward members. There are 7,507 sarpanch candidates and 44,876 ward members in fray, as 539 sarpanches and 12,604 ward members have been elected unanimously.

State Election Commission has set up 29,304 polling stations for voters to exercise their franchise. Of them, 5,480 are considered sensitive and 4,181 hypersensitive. Authorities have arranged 18,387 big, 8,351 medium and 24,034 small ballot boxes at the various polling booths.

As part of anti-Covid-19 measures, authorities have arranged for face masks, hand sanitisers, thermal scanners and hand gloves at all polling stations. PPE kits have also been arranged for voters infected with Coronavirus to wear before exercising their franchise. Virus-affected people will be allowed to vote just one hour before closure of polling for the day.

Police are keeping a close tab for avoiding any untoward incidents during the second phase of polling, which will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. In agency areas under influence of Maoists, polling will close by 1:30 p.m.

Counting of votes will start on the same day from 4:00 p.m. and results will be out by late night.

The state government has requested all voters to express their democratic spirit by participating in the second phase of gram panchayat polls in large numbers.

Polling will be held in all 13 districts of the state. In Srikakulam, it will be in 10 mandals of Tekkali and Palakonda revenue divisions, at Vizianagaram , it will be in 15 mandals of Parvathipuram; 10 mandals in Narsipatnam of Visakhapatnam district, 14 mandals in Rajamahendravaram and Ramachandrapuram of East Godavari; 12 mandals in Kovvur of West Godavari, nine mandals in Gudiwada of Krishna; 11 mandals in Narasaraopeta of Guntur, 17 mandals in Markapur and Kandukur of Prakasam, 10 mandals of Atmakur in Nellore, 13 mandals in Nandyal and Kurnool of Kurnool district, 19 mandals of Dharmavaram and Kalyandurg in Anantapur; 12 mandals of Kadapa, and 17 mandals of Madanapalle in Chittoor district.
has sacked 103 of its 135 cabin crew in as Covid-19 has disrupted air travel and reduced fleet requirement.

The German carrier, which operated 42 flights per week to prior to lockdown, now operates 10 services per week under an air travel bubble. The flight attendants in were put on two years leave without pay, but the airline finally decided to lay them off as it was unable to negotiate a settlement with them. The airline has retained 32 permanent crew members in India, it is learnt.



Affected crew members termed the sacking unfair and plan to protest against it in Delhi on Friday. "The crew were put on two years leave without pay due to Covid-19. All that we were asking was an assurance that staff will be retained on completion of two years and there will be no termination. But the airline was unwilling to give an assurance. They terminated us without notice. No such terminations have happened in Germany," said one of the affected crew member.



Lufthansa, in a statement, said its restructuring is not restricted to a single market. " Given our current cash burn of several hundred million euros every month, Lufthansa- like all airlines worldwide - must take steps to secure its future. Since we must plan with 150 fewer aircraft in the long run (by 2025) it follows that required cabin staff in all our markets is also affected. Even now, low demand for international air travel resulting particularly from government restrictions leaves cabin staff with little or no work," the airline said in a statement.



"We had signed an agreement with the Indian union providing for two years of unpaid leave with continuing to provide the local health insurance even for enrolled family members. Unfortunately consent to the agreement was revoked by the union on December 31. Indian cabin crew with unlimited contracts are not affected as was able to reach individual agreements with these flight attendants," it said.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Leading broadcast professionals share career tips with Wrexham students

This article is old - Published: Friday, Feb 12th, 2021

Two broadcast professionals have given students in Wrexham an insight of what its like to be at the heart of the action and tips on building their own careers.

BBC 6 Music presenter Nemone Metaxas and Radio Five Live presenter and podcaster Chris Warburton spoke to Creative Media Students at Wrexham Glyndwr University as part of the ongoing Creative Futures sessions at the university.

The sessions, which were digitally-delivered through Zoom, allowed the students to hear the industry professionals in conversation with senior lecturer at Glyndwr, Graeme Park, and pick up advice on building a career in the media, working with audiences  and how to deal with fast-moving news stories and celebrity interviews.

Chris presents the weekend Breakfast programme on Five Live, and has also made a series of acclaimed podcasts for BBC Sounds, on topics as diverse as Waco, the 90s rave scene, and the true-crime case of Michael Peterson, whose trial gripped the US.





He told students about how hed started off at university  and worked from there to build up his broadcasting experience.

Whenever there is an opportunity for you to write or record something, grab it, keep hold of it, and use it as evidence for your love of what you are trying to go into, said Chris.

If you can build that up over time and show that is a passion of yours, that will count massively as time goes by.

Nemone, who currently presents the 6 Mix on 6 Music, talked to students about how she worked her way from reception at Kiss 102 in Manchester through to Radio One, 6 Music and beyond  as well as talking about her work as a qualified psychotherapist.

She described how shed initially gone for a job at Kiss 102 and been turned down  but had kept in touch with the station and, when an opening came up as a receptionist, took it.

Nemone said: I would stay after my stint in reception and writing sales reports, and learn how all the equipment worked.

I felt at home in the studio and I just wanted to know how it worked, I wanted to be able to play records, I just kind wanted more of it  but it meant 12-hour days of doing reception, staying behind, and then going and doing my bar job  but I did it.

Chris first role after his degree was in also in local radio and again, he emphasised the importance of learning as much as possible through hands-on experience.

He said: When I went into BBC local radio, you get a chance to do everything which is why it was so brilliant.

You get a chance to read the news, you get a chance to write the news, you get a chance to put together the breakfast programme in a production sense, you get out to report, you get a chance to present, if thats what you want to do as well  so you are really building up your skills in absolutely everything.

As Chris and Nemone developed their careers, each began to build up a network of contacts  with Nemone stressing to students how key building these relationships can be  starting with their tutors, fellow students, and sessions such as Creative Futures.

You are establishing a network at every single stage in your career, she said.

That could be the fact that Graeme Park is your tutor. The fact that you have attended a Creative Futures where we are talking enables you to email and say Nemone, I saw you talking to Graeme, can I ask you a question?

From the get-go you are making contacts, from the moment you are starting working or you start approaching people. Im not saying its easy but it just requires that kind of bigger landscape view.

Alongside developing an understanding of the people they work alongside, Chris told the students to think about each job they work on or apply for too.

He added: If you are new to a job, its important for you to understand what makes that place tick. What are the priorities of that place.

We have people coming into Five Live who evidently dont know really know we are, what we do, dont really know many of the presenters, dont really know what the different programmes are  is that going to impress us? No, of course its not.

The people who really impress are the people who have done a bit of their homework.

Nemone  who showed her own research and preparation when she made sure the students she was talking to were aware of both Glyndwrs Student Information Desk and its links to counselling services  explained how good research is not only key for job interviews  but also for every show broadcasters do.

She said: I would not approach anything that I intended to broadcast without a huge amount of prep. Some of the most successful shows, that sound like they are done on the hoof, incorporate an unimaginable amount of work.

I wouldnt ever approach an interview without having done research on my guests.

I think some of the guests that I have interviewed have said oh you really know what you are talking about and actually, if somebody demonstrates that they know something about you, then thats when you are going to get the best interviews out of people.

Each session  alongside others which have featured leading actors, comedians, futurists and many more  has been recorded, and each also offered students the chance to pose their own questions to the guests.

Speaking afterwards, Graeme added: Glyndwrs Creative Futures events may be somewhat different right now  but our guests have adapted brilliantly and these two sessions really played to Chris and Nemones strengths. Id like to thank both of them very much.

In the space of two hours, Glyndwr students learnt about broadcasting from places as diverse as the aftermath of the Grenfell disaster, the Olympics and the Glastonbury Festival  and the best way to get great radio from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Grohl, Liam Fox or the UKs foremost cockroach expert.

Most of all, they heard from leading industry professionals about forging a broadcasting career  how to get started, get ahead  and how to get noticed.
Converse Bank is presented with the prestigious "Deal of the Year  Green Trade 2019" award by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) under its Green Trade Facilitation Programme (Green TFP) for encouraging best practices in industrial water efficiency in Armenia, with a water-savings impact equivalent to the annual water consumption of 220 Armenian households.

Artur Hakobyan, the CEO, Chairman of Executive Management of Converse Bank said, Green financing is one of the priority directions of the Banks strategy, and the EBRDs award once again proves the effectiveness of Converse Banks efforts in promoting green financing. Last year the EBRD awarded us with this honorary prize for our success in the energy efficiency project, and this year for the water savings project. We are grateful to the EBRD, our long-term valuable partner, for the continuous trust and support and also our separate thanks to Commerzbank for lasting reliable partnership and its input in successful accoumplishment of the deal.

Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director, Financial Institutions, said: Trade was under pressure before the pandemic, due to the rise of protectionism and geopolitical challenges. Initially the pandemic brought serious disruption to physical trade flows, but global trade has turned out to be more resilient than was initially expected. Today it plays a vital role in keeping the global economy afloat. However, trade  perhaps even more than other economic activities  has a special responsibility in building back a better world after the pandemic, one that is greener and more sustainable. We have been working with our clients over many years to foster green trade, and we are proud and pleased to recognise their achievements through the Green TFP prizes.

Hans Krohn, Regional Head Financial Institutions, Commerzbank commented on this joint award: Commerzbank is delighted that the EBRD has chosen this transaction for its prestigious green trade award. The support of international trade has always been at the top of our agenda. Over the past years, sustainability has become another major focus point for Commerzbank. Against this background, it fills us with pride that our valued partner Converse Bank and Commerzbank jointly received EBRDs Deal of the Year  Green Trade award!

Financing of A&M RARE LLC (trademark: RARE) by the Bank was aimed at founding of a spring and mineral water extraction and bottling plant in Kotayk Region of Armenia. The natural spring water is not processed in any way, it is bottled in its pure form, thus preserving all the natural useful features. The plant has been built in line with the highest standards - latest and most advanced technologies were imported from the well known German company KHS GMBH through issuance of a documentary letter of credit by Converse Bank. The letter of credit has been confirmed by the leading European parner Commerzbank and secured with the EBRDs 100% guarantee covering the potential commercial payment and political risks.

Importantly, Converse Bank is the only Armenian bank at this point having received the prominent award.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
[February 12, 2021] Broadridge Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.575 Per Share

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.575 per share. The dividend is payable on April 2, 2021 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2021. About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a $4.5 billion global Fintech leader, is a leading provider of investor communications and technology-drven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and corporate issuers. Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 50 percent of public companies and mutual funds globally, and processes on average U.S. $10 trillion in fixed income and equity securities trades per day. Broadridge is part of the S&P 500 Index and employs over 12,000 associates in 17 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com.



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Former Attorney General Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong has told journalists in Accra that the petitioner in the ongoing election petition hearing and the lawyers have nothing to do but accept the ruling of the Supreme Court to the effect that witnesses cannot be compelled to mount the witness box to testify in the case.



The ruling is the decision of the Supreme Court of Ghana. We have nothing to do but to accept it. We disagree with the decision and so we are going to file an application for a review, she said.



She added: The EC is accountable to us. She has to account to how those errors occurred. When did she discover those errors? What was the process of correcting the errors?



The Supreme Court had earlier in court told the parties involved in the case that its powers in electoral matters are limited.



To that end, the Court said it cannot compell any witness in the ongoing gearing to mount the witness box to testify.



We are minded to state that our jurisdiction to invoke this Election Petition is a limited jurisdiction, merely circumscribed by law. We do not intend to extend our mandate as the law report requires of us in such petition before us challenging the validity of the election of a president.



Simply put, we are not convinced by the invitation being extended to us by Counsel for the petitioner to order the respondent to enter the witness box to be cross-examined. Accordingly, we hereby overrule the objection moved by Counsel for the petitioner against the decision of the respondents, the Chief Justice Anin Yeboah said in a ruling on whether or not the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) can mount the witness box for cross examination.



Lawyer for the petitioner in the ongoing election petition hearing Tsatsu Tsikata, after the court ruling on Thursday, served notice to re-open his case to enable him subpoena Chair of the Electoral Commission Jean Adukwei Mensa.



Mr Tsikata told the court on Thursday, February 11 that: We are applying to reopen our case and on that basis we are issuing a subpoena addressed to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.



We also intend to apply for a review of the ruling, he stated. Hearing has been adjourned to Thursday, February 18.

Source: 3news.com









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Karen Autenreith is fielding a flurry of phone calls from journalists around Texas and the country about a package, sitting on her nightstand, waiting to be opened on Valentine's Day.

Her children, Michele, Robb and Brian made her promise to keep the box, which traveled more than a thousand miles from Chicago, sealed until the family is together in their San Antonio home. This Valentine's Day will mark Brian's 49th birthday and the first time Karen will wear the wedding ring she hasn't seen since 1973.

Earlier this week, MySA reported Karen's story, which was originally given to the Chicago Tribune. Since then, the ring that slipped off in the brutal Chicago snow has captivated readers nationwide. She squeezed us in for a chat about the discovery and the national attention Thursday morning.

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There might not have been a war. On July 5, I said Armenia has 3-4 months and that we are going to lose Karabakh. This was clear. When the Azerbaijanis lost an army general during the incidents in July, the Turks started holding military exercises, and we Armenians needed to get ready, negotiate with Russia and restore the friendly ties. Were living in the 21st century, and the war wasnt fought with guns (99% of Armenian soldiers died from the strikes of unmanned aerial vehicles). This is what leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan said in an interview with Hraparak Armenian newspaper.

Armenia needed two TOR systems and two divisions to close airways. Two divisions could make sure the adversary wouldnt come forward. The major problem was lack of organization. The detachments left for the battlefield, but there was nobody to escort them. I met the chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, and he told me he didnt know where to send the detachments to fight. My men underwent training and were sent to the battlefield. On September 29, the Russian State Duma held a session, we received documents stating that Russia could immediately send peacekeepers to Armenia and peace talks could begin, but Russia was rejected. If Armenia could have won without so many casualties and the embarrassing capitulationThere was a phone call and a document. My political partys objective is to enhance ties with Russia. The people in Armenia who go against Russia are the enemies of the nation, Tsarukyan said.

Asked if he has a pretension to become Prime Minister, Tsarukyan said now is not the time for that. It will depend on elections, the people and the given situation, but I dont want that now. If necessary, our party will consider it. Its not the purpose of my life, he said.
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Red Pine Petroleum Ltd. (the "Red Pine" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the Company has closed a non-brokered private placement of 100,000,000 common shares (each, a "Common Share") at a price of $0.005 per Common Share for gross proceeds of C$500,000 (the "Offering").

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general working capital purposes. All of the Common Shares issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

The Transaction

The Company is also pleased to announce that it entered into a non-binding letter of intent (the "LOI") with HB2 Origination, LLC ("HB2") which contemplates an arm's length acquisition of HB2. The acquisition, which is subject to signing a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement"), will result in Red Pine acquiring HB2 by way of a reverse takeover (the "Transaction"). HB2 is a US based company that operates oil and gas assets in the Austin Chalk and Eagle Ford formations in the Giddings Field near Austin, Texas.

Further details regarding the Transaction and related matters will be announced when the Definitive Agreement has been entered into.

Early Warning Requirements

In connection with the Offering, Strategic Capital Advisors Ltd. of Nassau, Bahamas, acquired 50,000,000 Common Shares representing approximately 14.95% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Prior to the Offering, Strategic Capital Advisors Ltd. did not beneficially own, or exercise control or direction over, any securities of the Company. Strategic Capital Advisors Ltd. acquired the Common Shares for investment purposes and may, from time to time, acquire additional securities of the Company or dispose of such securities as Strategic Capital Advisors Ltd. may deem appropriate.

In connection with the Offering, James Allan of New Providence, Bahamas, acquired 40,000,000 Common Shares representing approximately 11.96% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Prior to the Offering, Mr. Allan did not beneficially own, or exercise control or direction over, any securities of the Company. Mr. Allan acquired the Common Shares for investment purposes and may, from time to time, acquire additional securities of the Company or dispose of such securities as Mr. Allan may deem appropriate.

Copies of the respective early warning reports that will be filed by Strategic Capital Advisors Ltd. and Mr. Allan may be obtained on the Company's SEDAR profile or by contacting the Company at the number below.
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Former President Donald Trump reportedly called Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to complain about a deeply offensive member of the social media platforms Oversight Board, which is preparing to rule over his suspension.

The former president was banned from Facebook, along with Twitter and other social media platforms, following the Capitol riots on 6 January that he incited at a Save America rally outside of the White House.

Five people died and several more were injured as a mob of pro-Trump supporters breached the US Capitol on that day. A week later, and a week before leaving office, Mr Trump was impeached by the House.

Facebooks Oversight Board, which is a group of 20 legal and human rights experts that can overrule Mr Zuckerberg on who is removed from the site, will soon determine whether Mr Trumps suspension should stand.

Read more:Follow live updates from Trumps impeachment trial

After the members of the oversight board were announced in May 2020 and before a case was open against him, Mr Trump reportedly personally called Mr Zuckerberg to complain about the inclusion of Stanford Law professor Pamela Karlan, who testified against him in his first impeachment trial in 2020.

He used Pam as an example of how the board was this deeply offensive thing to him, a person familiar with the situation told The New Yorker on Friday.

Zuckerberg listened, and then told Trump that the members had been chosen based on their qualifications, the source added, confirming: Despite the pressure from Trump, Facebook did not change the composition of the board.

Mr Trump was not the only one angered by the members chosen, as conservative groups complained that it was too liberal and attempted to make it more sympathetic towards the former president.

The idea was, either fill this board with Trump-supporting conservatives or kill it, a source told The New Yorker.

Neither Mr Trump or the conservative groups were able to influence the board, which will make its decision on his suspension before April.

His case has proven controversial, and Politico reported on Thursday that the board has received around 9,000 comments about Mr Trumps suspension.

This figure is nearly 100 times the amount the board has received for all of its first five cases combined, after making its rulings last month.

Facebook spokesperson Dex Hunter-Torricke told Politico that the group had only received around 100 comments in total for those cases, adding: This is an order of magnitude greater. There are all sorts of actors and ordinary folks who said this is something that I care about.

Friday is the last day that anyone can submit a comment about Mr Trumps suspension before entries will be closed for the board to make a decision on whether he can use the platform again.

Of the first five cases it has ruled on, the board has upheld one decision and overturned the other four. There is no indication yet on whether Mr Trumps suspension will be made permanent.

Update: The Eat on the Street initiative will launch the week of February 21 after being postponed due to the winter storm.

More outdoor seating is coming to local restaurants starting next week as pilot patio program launched by District 1 Councilman Roberto C. Trevino's office begins.

The Eat on the Street initiative aims to provide support to businesses looking to expand their outdoor capacity, Trevino said. The councilman said he's working with the World Heritage Office and the city's public works department since last summer to set up barricades along streets typically used for parking in front of restaurants.

"We are trying to think of out of the box ways to help support these businesses that are really suffering right now," he said.

RELATED: NOLA Brunch is moving to its new digs this week

Trevino said he's reached out to restaurants on the St. Mary's Strip near King's Court and Mistletoe Avenue, like Golden Wat Noodle House and Cullum's Attagirl Ice House. Golden Wat Noodle House's street patio will take up two parking spaces and add five tables to their dining area.

"That's 10 additional seats that are critical for us and our business," Susan Sypesteyn, owner of Golden Wat Noodle House, said.

Christo Cullum, owner of Cullum's Attagirl Ice House, said the pilot has tripled its occupancy by filling in a city-owned area with concrete. Cullum said they were able to add two picnic tables on the spot, which is a nice addition to his 400-sqaure foot gem that can only fit 12 people at a time during the pandemic.

READ MORE: Torchy's Tacos announces opening date for new Medical Center location

"We are a little tiny hidden gem in an old historic building in San Antonio so by them just giving us a shot, it kind of just shows you how they value these small businesses like ours," Cullum said. "This is not only going to help us out now, but moving forward this is really going to have an impact on our business. We miss our customers and this gives us more space to see them."

The new initiative will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 16, and will be a continuous effort during the coronavirus pandemic, Trevino said. He hopes the program will become a great example of how to help and save the restaurant industry.

"We are trying to think creatively to help businesses expand their capacity, and this is just one of those examples," he said. "This outdoor option is to help them during a time when they have been heavily impacted by this pandemic. We want to demonstrate to other restaurants that this is an option."

Jay Podjenski, Chief of Staff at City Council District 1, and Colleen Swain, Director of the World Heritage Office, were also involved in making the initiative happen.

Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre
Seoul, Feb 12 : US electric vehicle maker Tesla on Friday launched its compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Model Y, in South Korea as it tries to boost sales in the country.

Tesla Korea said the Model Y is available in three trim levels here, with the starting price for the standard range model set at 59.99 million won ($54,191).

The prices for the long-range model and the performance trim are to start from 69.99 million won and 79.99 million won, respectively.

Starting this year, South Korea will give the full amount of government subsidies to electric cars that are priced below 60 million won, meaning only those who buy the Model Y standard trim can get the subsidies in full.

People who purchase the long-range trim and the performance model of the Model Y will get half of the government subsidies.

The Model Y is Tesla's newest vehicle launched in South Korea after the Model 3 in August 2019.

It is also the first time in nearly three years that Tesla is bringing an SUV model to South Korea following the Model X in 2018.

Tesla Korea said the Model Y offers five-seat and seven-seat options, but the latter will be introduced in the country later.

The US EV brand also launched the 2021 version of the Model 3 sedan. It will be available in three trims as well, with the price starting from 54.79 million won.

With the launch of new models, Tesla Korea said it will establish supercharger stations in 27 spots in the country and add a maximum eight maintenance centers nationwide by the end of this year.

According to data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association and automakers, Tesla accounted for one-fourth of the total EV sales in South Korea last year.

The data also showed that imported EV sales reached 15,183 units in 2020, and Tesla represented 77.9 per cent of them.

-- Syndicated from IANS
No more snakes to be released in Phuket

PHUKET: Amid fears that large king cobras caught in or near houses over the past month will be released back into the wild in Phuket, Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Khao Phra Thaew Natural and Wildlife Education Centre in Thalang has announced that all snakes caught in homes in Phuket are to be taken off-island.

wildlifeanimalsnatural-resourcesenvironment

By The Phuket News

Friday 12 February 2021, 03:58PM

All snakes caught in Phuket will be handed over to a wildlife reserve in Phang Nga, said Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Khao Phra Thaew Natural and Wildlife Education Centre in Thalang. Photo: PR Dept

All snakes caught in Phuket will be handed over to a wildlife reserve in Phang Nga, said Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Khao Phra Thaew Natural and Wildlife Education Centre in Thalang. Photo: PR Dept

All snakes caught in Phuket will be handed over to a wildlife reserve in Phang Nga, said Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Khao Phra Thaew Natural and Wildlife Education Centre in Thalang. Photo: PR Dept

All snakes caught in Phuket will be handed over to a wildlife reserve in Phang Nga, said Pongchart Chouehorm, Director of the Khao Phra Thaew Natural and Wildlife Education Centre in Thalang. Photo: PR Dept

Mr Pongchart told the press yesterday that every wild animal in Phuket can be considered to be in one of two groups: those living in protected natural reserves, and those that have found they way into unprotected wilds.

Nowadays, there are many animals getting lost in areas of Phuket. Some of them are also injured. If we find injured animals like lorises or monkeys, we always take them to receive medical treatment by veterinarians. After that, we release them to the place where we found them, Mr Pongchart said.

After receiving medical treatment, the released animals do not have problems finding food by themselves, as they grew up in the forest and know how to survive, unlike animals that have been raised as pets he explained.

However, snakes caught in Phuket receive special treatment. They are handed over to a wildlife reserve in Phang Nga.

I admit that a lot of snakes have intruded into and disturbed local homes, Mr Pongchart said.

We have found a lot of snakes in homes recently because it is their mating season. Additionally, it is dry and we are entering the hot season, they need water to drink, he explained.

As you can see, a couple of king cobras were caught in Baan Pakrong Cheep [in Pa khlok]. We will take them to Phang Nga tomorrow [today, Feb 12], Mr Pongchart added.

We have now partnered with the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station and the Klong Saeng Wildlife Research Station in Surat Thani in order to manage and solve the problem with snakes together, he said.

The Khao Phra Thaew Natural and Wildlife Education Centre in Thalang has been dispatching caught snakes off-island for some time, Mr Pongchart noted.

From July to September last year, we found 109 pythons and took them all to the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station because of their aggressiveness, Mr Pongchart explained.

We also take cobras and king cobras to Phang Nga, as the nursery station is mainly responsible for taking care of lost animals, he added.

Our good partner on the island is the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation. Their rescue workers are ready to catch snakes anywhere and anytime, Mr Pongchart noted.

So, my sisters and brothers [sic] can be confident that all kinds of snakes caught in Phuket are to be taken off the island, he confirmed.

Most importantly, to every person, please keep both inside and outside of your places clean because it is a simple way to make your place safe from snakes, he concluded.
The Rev. Seraphim Michalenko was known for having smuggled photographic images of the pages of St. Maria Faustina Kowalskas diary out of Communist-occupied Poland in the 1970s, and later documenting her beatification and canonization miracles.
The countrys foreign exchange reserves declined by a massive USD 6.24 billion to reach $583.945 billion in the week ended February 5, RBI data showed on Friday.

In the previous week, the reserves had touched a record high of $590.185 billion after rising by $4.852 billion.

In the reporting week ended February 5, the decline in the forex kitty was mainly on account of a fall in foreign currency assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall reserves.

FCAs decreased by $4.88 billion to $542.338 billion, weekly data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed.

Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.

The gold reserves decreased by $1.327 billion to $34.967 billion in the reporting week.

The special drawing rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) dipped by $6 million to $1.503 billion.

The countrys reserve position with the IMF also declined by $27 million to $5.138 billion in the reporting week, as per the data.
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A more aggressive approach to treating acne that marries the disciplines of psychology and dermatology is needed, according to two UC Riverside psychology researchers.

They also assert that women and people with darker skin disproportionately suffer from acne's psychological impacts.

"Acne is pervasive, physically harmless, and painless, so we all-too-often underestimate its impacts as the quintessential nuisance of adolescence and puberty," said UCR psychology professor Misaki Natsuaki, who authored the paper along with Tuppett Yates, also a UCR psychology professor.

The insinuation, including by developmental scientists, can be that hurtful monikers such as "pizza face" and "crater face" are best shrugged off.

But psychological effects of acne among adolescents are often "toxic," the researchers say. In advocating for a reconsideration of treatment, they allude to the prevalence of acne among adolescents - 20% suffer from moderate to severe acne, and 85% experience recurrent bouts.

"Acne can leave psychological scars, especially during adolescence when physical appearance becomes more salient for self-esteem, and internalizing psychopathology such as depression gains prominence," Natsuaki said.

Numerous studies show direct links between acne and depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Teens with acne have more difficulty forming friendships, finding romantic partners, and feeling connected to school. When shown a photograph of a teenager with facial acne, 65% of adolescents said skin was the first thing they notice. In a photo of a clear-skinned teen, youth said they noticed the skin first only 14% of the time. Young people attribute to adolescents who suffer acne traits such as "nerdy," "stressed," and "lonely."

And research has shown females experience negative psychological impacts at a rate higher than males.

"Aesthetic ideals of clear and unblemished skin are held by both sexes," the researchers wrote in their recent paper, "Adolescent Acne and Disparities in Mental Health," published by the journal Child Development Perspectives. "But females experience greater social pressure to attain these ideals than males."

Adolescents with darker skin color, many of whom come from ethnic-racial minority backgrounds in the United States, are likely to suffer disproportionate effects of acne because of heightened incidence of post-acne scarring and hyperpigmentation.

The authors argue that structural systems of inequality, which fuel health care disparities in the United States, further exacerbate acne and related psychosocial distress among individuals receiving public health insurance, who are more likely to belong to one or more ethnic-racial minority groups. The complex infrastructure of the health insurance system, uneven geographical density of health care providers, and reluctance to provide dermatology appointments to children with public insurance all contribute these disparities, the researchers wrote. In one study, only 29% of dermatology clinics schedule appointments with children on public insurance, whereas 96% of children with private insurance received appointments.

"According to dermatology research, the psychological burden of acne is on par with that of other serious illnesses, such as diabetes," Yates said. "Acne is a medical condition with clear psychological effects - effects that are non-randomly distributed as a function of gender, skin color, and socioeconomic status."

"So effective acne treatment rests at the intersection of medicine, psychology, and sociology."

The recently published study is a follow-up to a study Natsuaki published this past year. In that study, Natsuaki suggested that an effective-but-tightly-regulated acne medication, isotretinoin, should be revisited. Isotretinoin was associated with a higher incidence of adolescent suicide - a link some say was unwarranted - and Natsuaki asserted the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks.

###

The research by Natsuaki and Yates was supported by a grant from the Academic Senate of the University of California.
ROME  Mario Draghi, a giant of Europe largely credited with saving the euro, formally presented a broad unity government to Italys president on Friday, all but assuring that he will become prime minister at a precarious moment when the prospect of a more closely bound European Union hinges on Italys success.

Mr. Draghi, who is expected to easily surpass the formalities of confidence votes in Parliament next week, will be tasked with guiding Italy through a devastating and unpredictable pandemic.

But he also must secure its future by wisely and efficiently spending a once-in-a-generation relief package financed by debt raised for the first time collectively by all E.U. countries. If he succeeds, he could set a precedent. If he fails, E.U. countries are less likely to approve such a package again.

Mr. Draghi arrives in a position of rare clout in Italian politics.

A recognized statesman in Europe, he had the opposite problem of his predecessors who struggled to cobble together support to form a government. Mr. Draghi spent weeks trying to find room on his bandwagon for an ideological hodgepodge of political parties.
BBC World News has been barred from airing in China, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) announced, saying some BBC's reports on China infringed the principles of truthfulness and impartiality in journalism.

Chinese observers said the BBC has turned into "a rumor mill" that deliberately throws mud at China, and the decision to suspend its broadcast sends a clear message that China doesn't accept fake news.

Suspending the broadcast of BBC World News means that it cannot be received anywhere in the Chinese mainland, as China won't provide local resolution analysis service to the broadcast company anymore, said Wang Sixin, a professor of law at the Communication University of China.

He said that the high-profile announcement, on Chinese New Year's Eve, is to show China's attitude, and attract more public attention. "The BBC does not even bother to hide its anti-China rhetoric, commissioning an anti-China so-called 'expert' for research and use fabricated materials to slander China. It deserves such punishment," said Wang.

China's Measures for the Administration of the Landing of Foreign Satellite Television Channels stipulates that foreign satellite television channels may land within the prescribed range, such as foreign-related hotels at the three-star level or above, and the foreign-related flats especially provided to foreigners as office or residence, and other specific ranges.

The measure said that Foreign satellite television channels approved for landing are prohibited to broadcast programmes with content harming the national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of China;

How does the BBC apply "results before evidence" principles when reporting on China? Graphic: Xu Zihe, Feng Qingyin/GT

It also noted that if foreign satellite television channels approved for landing violate the provisions of these Rules, where circumstances are grave, dissemination of specially designated content is provisionally ceased, or the landing qualifications of the relevant channel are provisionally suspended or cancelled.

BBC's recent biased reports on China, either on Xinjiang governance or the once epidemic-hit Wuhan, have drawn fierce criticism in China. On China's Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo, BBC's reports were often laughing stock for their biased and double standard reporting.

The BBC recently put itself in the spotlight of the international community with a sensational story that accused China of "mass rape" in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region based on only one interviewee's unverified claim. The broadcaster also distorted coronavirus reports about Wuhan.

The BBC last week reported that Uygur women have been "systematically raped, sexually abused, and tortured" at Xinjiang's re-education camps, highlighting alleged abuses of women's rights in Xinjiang, which was seriously rejected for "having no factual basis" by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin, who urged the BBC to stop smearing China on Xinjiang topics.

When reporting the one year anniversary of Wuhan's lockdown, the BBC used footage of police making arrest to claim that the lockdown was a violation of human rights. The footage turned out to be a highway epidemic control drill in Nanyang, Henan Province on February 21 last year, where a man tried to drive directly through a checkpoint and attacked police before being stopped.

China's Foreign Ministry made solemn representations last week to BBC's Beijing office for its reports that politicize and smear the epidemic work in China.

For quite some time, the BBC has been devoted to publicizing information that incites separatism and secessionism in China, which endangered China's national security, Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Shen said that the broadcaster has yielded to serving the interests of illegal organizations that aim to tear China apart, and has long reported China from a preset stance. "Barring the airing of BBC World News in China sends a clear message that China does not accept fake news," said Shen.

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that it is possible that China will take further retaliatory measures, depending on whether the BBC will correct its wrongs, and stop distorting issues such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang. If not, China is likely to expel BBC journalists based in Chinese mainland, according to Li. "Expelling journalists is a reasonable move, because if journalists fail to report real China, kicking them out is the right thing to do," said Li.

Li said that the BBC's China reporting has brought huge damage to China-UK ties, especially its coverage on China's handling of COVID-19. "COVID-19 grabs universal attention, and is important and sensitive while the BBC keeps stirring anti-China sentiment on this matter. This will further stimulate Western governments to use antagonistic methods towards China. It is very dangerous," said Li.

The UK has acted maliciously on a slew of issues related to China's domestic affairs, according to Li, noting that the BBC's recent act seems to help the UK shape its international image in the post Brexit era.

The anti-China movement seems to be steadily gaining momentum in the UK, Martin Jacques, a former senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University, told the Global Times recently. He has compared the movement to a crusade, and media, including the BBC, have played an important part in this movement. "The crusade has mobilized around two issues in particular: Xinjiang and Hong Kong."

He said the anti-China movement has experienced a gathering process since 2016, and expects the situation to get worse. "Now that we (the UK) have left the EU, the UK will be more dependent on its relationship with the US. Looking back, the period 2014-2016, the so-called golden age, now seems a long time ago," said Jacques.

Li Baiyang, an expert from Wuhan University in Hubei Province told the Global Times that BBC's distorted reporting of China is part of the "anti-China rhetoric war," launched by Western anti-China forces. "Media just serve as the pawn."

He said the anti-China rhetoric war was started by some people in the West, who fear that China's rapid growth will impact their political system and social thoughts. So they engage in campaign to smear China with strong ideological prejudice.

Even established media such as BBC has deviated from the neutral and objective way of reporting in this trend, said Li, noting that their selection of topic is biased, and their choice of "witnesses" often comes from anti-China forces, and they have degraded from world's famous media to tools in the ideological struggle.

Li said that nowadays, BBC also received criticism from Western scholars and journalists. "It means that traditional Western media cannot dominate and manipulate public opinion as they used to."

He also said that BBC's fake news only receives support from other Western media outlets. However, third-world countries are afraid of and even averse to such reports. Thus, apart from Western media with sense of responsibility, media from third-world countries should also stand up together to oppose such trend.
(Newser)  Shares of Bumble reached $72 on Thursday afternoon in the company's market debut, making its chief executive not only wealthy but a rarity. That price meant that Whitney Wolfe Herd's shares were worth $1.5 billion. Few tech entrepreuners bursting into such territory are women, Bloomberg reports; 559 US companies have gone public in the past year, and Bumble is only the third with a female founder. And Whitney Wolfe, 31, is the youngest female founder to take her company public, per CNBC. The company's dating app requires women to make the first move by starting a conversation with a male possibility. "This is a huge win," said Allyson Kapin, founder of the Women Who Tech network. "Whitney saw an opportunity that wasnt being addressed for women and based on her expertise shes made it into this gold mine."

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The Bloomberg index showed that the world's 500 richest people gained $1.8 trillion in wealth last year, 91% of which went to men. Less than 5% of the worlds 500 largest fortunes are held by self-made womensuch as Wolfe Herd. Her success as a tech entrepreneur was not without conflict. Wolfe Herd founded Bumble in 2014 after leaving Tinder, another dating app company that she'd helped launch. She filed and later settled a sexual harassment lawsuit saying that Tinder executives called her derogatory names and took away her co-founder role, telling her that a "girl" with that status "makes the company seem like a joke." Several studies have found that companies started by women produce better returns. "Whitneys success will help further the case for investing in businesses that serve a female audience or that are founded by women," one venture capitalist said. "It's a super exciting time." (Read more IPO stories.)


He's one of the most memorable faces on TV as a host on The Project.

But on Friday, Peter Helliar barely looked recognisable as he stocked up on alcohol ahead of his home state entering its third lockdown.

Armed with a white face mask, sunglasses and hat, the 45-year-old told his followers on Instagram that he was panic buying, ahead of Victoria entering a five-day circuit breaker at midnight.

'Stay strong Victoria!!' The Project's Peter Helliar (pictured), 45, was hardly recognisable on Friday as he stocked up on alcohol ahead of Victoria entering a five-day circuit breaker at midnight

'Fine line between panic buying and Friday! Stay strong Victoria!!' the comedian captioned his post, where he was standing out the front of a Dan Murphy's store.

Opting for an interesting wardrobe choice, the TV veteran donned a colourful Hawaiian shirt.

His 'absolutely essential' actions had many of his fans commenting in agreement, with some stating they had 'been there done that'.

'This was me!' one follower wrote, before another added: 'Essential shopping'.

'Fine line between panic buying and Friday! Stay strong Victoria!!' Pete captioned his post, where he was standing out the front of a Dan Murphy's store

Peter's post comes after he left his co-stars on The Project in stitches when he asked infectious diseases expert Dr Paul Griffin about the new anal swab available in China to detect COVID-19.

'OK, doc. A fresh outbreak today in Beijing. I'm sure you're across it. They've decided that anal swabs are the best way to do the testing now,' he said on the show on January 27.

'Obviously it makes the drive-through testing a bit harder, I would imagine. Are there any plans for anal swabbing to become a bigger thing in Australia? If so, do we have to change the way we test? Do we all go a through a Liquorland or something? How does it work?'

'Are there any plans for it in Australia?' Peter's post follows him leaving his co-stars on The Project in stitches when he asked an infectious diseases expert about the new anal swab available in China to detect COVID-19 on January 27

Dr Griffin explained: 'We know our testing in Australia has been a huge part of our success.'

'One of the concerns we have about those swabs when we do those nose swabs is we can induce a sneeze or a cough reflex.'

'Certainly if we went to those other types of swabs, there are similar reflexes there that, in close proximity to someone's face, might be a problem,' he joked, while the show's hosts burst into laughter.
Vancouver, BC, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Newcore Gold Ltd. ("Newcore" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NCAU) (OTCQX: NCAUF), is pleased to announce that Luke Alexander, President, CEO & Director will present live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com on February 16, 2021.

DATE: February 16th, 2021 TIME: 11:00 - 11:30 am ET LINK: https://bit.ly/3cd9PaB

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 Newcore Gold at www.newcoregold.com.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

About Newcore Gold Ltd

Newcore Gold is advancing its Enchi Gold project located in Ghana, Africa's largest gold producer1. Newcore Gold offers investors a unique combination of top-tier leadership, who are aligned with shareholders through their 32% equity ownership, and prime district scale exploration opportunities. Enchi's 216 km2 land package covers 40 kilometres of Ghana's prolific Bibiani Shear Zone, a gold belt which hosts several 5 million-ounce gold deposits, including Kinross' Chirano mine 50 kilometers to the north. Newcore's vision is to build a responsive, creative and powerful gold enterprise that maximizes returns for shareholders.

1 Source: Production volumes for 2019 as sourced from the World Gold Council

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.

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.

SOURCE VirtualInvestorConferences.com

No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
The search for a man who in several panicked 911 calls said he was trapped in an 18-wheeler with about 80 others has led to the arrest of at least one suspect, officials said Friday.

The Bexar County Sheriffs Office and the San Antonio Police Department received calls about the incident around 9 p.m. Monday. The man told dispatchers he was trapped inside a tanker truck on the side of the highway and feared for his life.

On Friday, an ICE spokeswoman said one individual was taken into custody in connection to the alleged incident. Officials did not identify the suspect, nor did they comment as to whether or not agents found the 18-wheeler or any undocumented immigrants.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing as agents are following up on leads to further the case and ensure the safety of the individuals.

Police said they have searched the area near Fischer Road and Interstate 35 where the call originated but did not find the 18-wheeler.

Those 80 folks could be anywhere, Sheriff Javier Salazar said. They may be all alive and well somewhere, or some of them may have passed as a result of what they were put through. I just want to know.

Multiple 911 calls were made because dispatchers kept losing the connection. The callers sounded like they were running out of oxygen, Salazar said.

BCSO provided two 911 calls. In one, a man could be heard telling the operator we are dying in Spanish while the callers attempted to get an address.

A second call came nine minutes later. During the call, a woman could be heard crying and a man struggling to breath. Another man in the background could be heard saying in Spanish, We dont have oxygen, tell them.

The caller told the operator there were about 80 people inside the white truck and that he believed they were parked on the side of a highway because he could hear cars passing by. The call dropped before the operator could get more details.

A sheriffs deputy on patrol narrowed the search area using cellphone tower data, then obtained surveillance video from a nearby trucking company that may have captured the 18-wheeler. The company was not suspected of any involvement in the incident.

The footage did not include license plates or a clear shot of the drivers but matched the location and time frame of the calls. In the video, a white 18-wheeler is stopped on the side of the highway with a black pickup.

A pickup traveling in tandem with a commercial truck is unusual, Salazar said, noting the vehicles were likely coming from the Laredo area. They could have continued north to Dallas, headed to Houston or stayed in Bexar County and split up the group.

The sheriff rejected any suggestion the 911 calls were a hoax.

These people sounded desperate, Salazar said. If it was a hoax, theyre the best actors Ive ever heard because they were clearly in fear for their lives.

His office is working with San Antonio police, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security Investigations on the case. People with information on the vehicles or the passengers are asked to call 210-335-6070.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
QUEENSBURY  The Warren County Historical Society would like to open a visitor's center and museum dedicated to Joseph Warren, the county's namesake and one of the men killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Historians said his ownership of enslaved people would be part of the eventual installation.

Teri Podnorszki Rogers, executive director of the historical society, said the museum, proposed for a vacant home owned by the county, would honor the role Warren played in the creation of American democracy.

A physician and president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, Warren was also a leader of the Sons of Liberty. He was killed at age 34 on June 17, 1775, while fighting in the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. Though he never lived in the region, Warren County was named in his honor in 1813.

"There are other Warren counties through the country, named for his legacy, but no museums that honor him," Rogers said. "What we want to develop here would honor his leadership in the American Revolution, to come and learn about Joseph Warren, the man, the patriot and the physician."

Warren's history as an owner of enslaved people will also be addressed, Rogers said.

"We would have to research and handle the same way historians discussed ... Thomas Jefferson and George Washington," she said. "Obviously as historians we are aware of it. We want to handle it in a historically authentic and correct way."

Shane Newell, Warren's biographer and partner in the museum, said it is unclear how many people Warren enslaved.

"We know much of Dr. Warren's service to the diverse population of Boston; to those of high rank and to those in poverty and servitude during the Colonial Period," Newell said in an email. "We know much about his contributions and sacrifice for American liberty and freedom. However, little is understood about his relationship with those enslaved. At the Warren House Visitors Museum, it will be a topic for modern society to discuss and, we hope, not a topic used to solely judge a person from the 18th century."

A museum in the building on Gurney Lane would draw from Newell's collection of Warren's memorabilia, portraitures and artwork. The historical society, in a news release, said that the home could be "transformed to resemble Joseph Warrens birth home."

Rogers also hopes that the museum can become a center for education on leadership, with an auditorium that the museum will include.

"We can see how our American democracy is shaped by the type of leaders that we selected," Rogers said. "It's a little known fact about Joseph Warren that he was a great articulator of many of the ideas of our American democracy. Had he not died at such a young age, we might not have known George Washington. He rose in such great stature because of the premature death of Joseph Warren, who was a much larger figure initially."

At this point, Rogers does not know what the project will cost. She said the historical society and the county will fund the project, which is expected to take five years to complete. Private donations will also be sought to transform the building into Warren's "home."

The county's Board of Supervisors listened to the details of the plan last week.

We are very excited about this proposal that would celebrate the important role that Joseph Warren had in our regions history," board Chairwoman Rachel Seeber said in a statement. "This will not only serve as a great educational resource for our residents, but would also be an attraction to bring visitors to Warren County to see all that we have to offer. Our workshop meeting last night afforded our members and the public the opportunity to learn about this exciting addition to our community and we are grateful for the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of our partners with the Warren County Historical Society.

Queensbury Supervisor John Strough endorsed the idea too.

"Joseph Warren is the man whose actions and words struck the match that lit the powder keg that would become the Revolution and our separation from Britain," Strough said. "I think this is going to be one of the greatest things to happen to this area in a long time. It certainly is inspiring and it will help us to become a destination point.
Zimbabwean journalist, Hopewell Chin'ono, has been awarded a top media award for his investigative reporting, which resulted in the firing of former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo.

In a message sent to him by Greenfield People Journalism Prize for Africa, Chinono scooped this years People Journalist of the Year 2020 award while Nigerian David Hundeyin received the People Journalist for Informed Community 2020 award.

Chinono was praised for his impactful investigative reporting on the COVID-19 procurement corruption by high profile public officials including the health minister in Zimbabwe.

His colleague was cited for his expose on the draconian Infectious Diseases Bill under consideration by Nigerias House of Representatives during the COVID-19 lockdown.

An excited Chinono wrote said on Twitter, It is a public service journalism award that recognizes outstanding journalists in Africa, whose work have resulted in positive change, and impact in society. I won it jointly with @DavidHundeyin #DemLoot.

He further said, Thank you ALL for your kind congratulatory messages! I feel humbled to be a recipient of such an important continental award conferred by Africans. I would like to thank journalists who assisted me in piecing the stories together, and the citizens who provided vital information.

Chinono has been arrested several times in Zimbabwe and charged with inciting violence, communicating or publishing falsehoods and others issues.

He has accused the government of cracking down on political dissent and intimidating investigative journalists.

He has composed a short song highlighting the level of corruption in Zimbabwe titled #DemLoot.

Moyo was fired when he was implicated in a $60 million shady deal in the procurement of COVID-19 materials for the government.
IN NUMBERS: Active caseload under 140,000

As many as 9,309 new infections were recorded in the last 24 hours nationwide, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,08,80,603, according to a report in the Scroll. The fresh cases are 28% lower than Thursdays count. 87 deaths were reported, taking the total death toll to 1,55,447, according to central health ministry data updated on Friday. The active caseload is at 1,35,926. The active caseload is under 140,000 for the first time since June last year. The national recovery rate has climbed to 97.32 per cent. About 7.5 million healthcare workers have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Read more here

Vardhan allays fears flagged by Chhattisgarh health minister about Covaxin

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan made efforts to allay fears raised by his Chhattisgarh counterpart, T S Singh Deo, about Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 inoculant Covaxin, according to a report in the Scroll. Deo had requested Vardhan to halt the supply of the vaccine to Chhattisgarh due to "inhibition among the community" as the vaccine is yet to complete phase 3 trials. Deo also claimed the Covaxin vials did not carry expiry dates. Vardhan, in his response, said in a tweet, in such unprecedented times, you should help address any vaccine hesitancy & do whats in best interest of people, not further vested interests. Read more here

Delhi: Front-line workers more enthusiastic about vaccination than health workers

A total of 15,807 recipients were administered Covid-19 vaccine in Delhi on Thursday, the highest so far, according to a report in The Hindu. The count includes both healthcare and front-line workers. Out of the total recipients, 12,933 (81.8%) were front-line workers. Front-line workers are showing more enthusiasm to get inoculated, according to a Delhi government official. Health workers include doctors, nurses, sanitation staff at healthcare facilities. Front-line workers include government employees, police, teachers and others. The vaccination of healthcare workers started in the city on January 16 and front-line workers from the first week of February, the report said. Read more here

SC refuses to entertain plea on fake Covid-19 vaccine

The Supreme Court refused to entertain a petition that sought a law to curb the sale of counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines and that of black marketing, a report in The Hindu said. Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde told petitioner-advocate Vishal Tiwari, We are not the legislature. We cannot pass general directions. Please bring a concrete case. Read more here

Wearing two masks can boost protection

Research carried out by US health officials have shown that the use of two masks is likely to significantly cut exposure to coronavirus, a report in ThePrint.in said, citing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Masking up in two particular ways can boost protection. The first way is to wear a cloth mask over a surgical mask. The second way is to wear a single surgical face mask, by knotting the ear loops and tucking the sides in order to prevent air from leaking out, the report said. Read more here
It would have been hard to believe that Sunday Adeyemo would be a popular figure about 20 years ago, during his days on the streets of Modakeke in Osun State.

Popularly known as Sunday Igboho then, after his home town Igboho, in Oyo State, he relocated with his father to Osun at a very tender age.

Mr Igboho, according to people who knew him in his early days, was an easy-going young man in the mid-90s. He learnt how to repair motorcycles (Okada) and was one of the best motorcycle mechanics one could find in the community then.

But the intra-communal crisis between Ile-Ife and Modakeke which started in 1997 and ended in 2000 made Mr Igboho abandon his job to become a self-styled warrior.

Modakeke-Ife communal crisis

The crisis began when the Modakekes agitated for a local government council of their own in the 1990s and it led to a tussle between them and indigenes of Ile-Ife when the military junta of the late Sani Abacha granted their wish.

The government created Ife East Local Government out of the former Ife North and Ife Central local governments in 1997.

While Ile-Ife indigenes lobbied for the headquarters of the new council in their part of town, the Modakeke people objected. The government later announced Oke-Ogbo in Ile-Ife as the headquarters, despite initially indicating that Oke D. O. in Modakeke would be the location.

This was swiftly protested by the Modakekes, who alleged, cheating and injustice. Soon, a full-blown war ensued that led to the killing of hundreds of people from both sides and destruction of hundreds of houses, cars and other properties.

Modakeke warrior

Saliu Popoola, a Modakeke indigene, tells PREMIUM TIMES how the crisis rendered many people jobless in the community.

While many individuals ran for their lives after losing their properties, some persons were forced to join the war between the two communities, said Mr Popoola, who is in his mid-60s.

My house was one of the houses burnt during the crisis. The homeless had no choice than to join the battle. Even those who could not handle a gun during the war were either carry gun bullets for warriors or chanting praise songs to embrace them.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt from various sources that Mr Igboho was among the youngsters carrying bullets for warriors in the early stage of the crisis and after a series of experiences on battlefields, he became courageous enough to handle a gun.

We all love(d) Igboho because of his courage. He was one of the youths carrying bullets for us at war fronts. There was no single day you wont find him supporting the Modakekes because he sees the community as his home, Mr Popoola said.

Another frontline indigene of Modakeke who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, told PREMIUM TIMES that he was one of those who encouraged Mr Igboho while growing up.

Sunday grew up under our watch here in Modakeke. He was a major actor during the crisis between us and Ile-Ife. He started by supplying bullets to warriors and also ensured cover for some of the people chanting praise songs to embrace us then.

When it appears that the end of the crisis was not near, many people who lost their loved ones and properties had to put their lives on the line. It was at this point that Sunday himself graduated from carrying gun bullets to holding a gun.

He had a local double-barrel gun that he was using then and we can trust his judgement. He never missed his targets. Despite being a young man, he was displaying courage that many elders could not even withstand. I recalled he had an armless bulletproof he used to wear then

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Sunday was later leading a squad and was quite representing Modakeke relentlessly at the war front. Nobody is this Modakeke would deny the role he played during the crisis because he was a major actor.

End of crisis

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the crisis did not come to an end until the year 2000 when the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, set up a committee, led by Olabode George, to look into the menace.

Mr Georges committee was supported by the Osun State government headed by the then governor, Bisi Akande, and several recommendations were made to end the crisis.

The committee, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, recommended the recognition of Ife East Area Office as a local administration entity with headquarters at Oke, D.O. in Modakeke, and with the addition of Ife as a prefix to Modakeke for the town to become known as Modakeke-Ife.

More so, it recommended the location of a mobile police training school in Ile-Ife and police buffer zones in the flashpoints of the conflicts like Oke Yidi, Odo Okun, Iye Kere, Egbedore, Akrabata, Isale Agbara and Mayfair/Obande areas.

The then government approved the recommendations by the committee which ended the bloody crisis between the two communities.

Until the crisis ended, Mr Igboho did not relent on battlegrounds defending Modakeke town, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Post-crisis

After the crisis, Mr Igboho joined the Modakeke branch of the National Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state under the leadership of a man popularly known as Double.

Some NURTW members who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said Mr Igboho was one of the loyalists of Mr Double and they were both known for collecting revenue and dues from transporters at motor parks.

Sunday Igboho could not later go back to his job as a motorcycle mechanic, hence he joined the NURTW business under his boss called Double, said an NURTW member who did not want to be identified.

He later bought his bus. It was at that time that got another nick Majasola and was often regarded as Igboho Majasola by many residents of the community.

Double and Igboho later made move to register Okada riders under NURTW even though riders had their association and that was how another internal crisis started in Modakeke with Igboho being one of the trouble makers.

Multiple sources present in Modakeke during the crisis said Mr Igboho and his colleagues also seized the opportunity of the crisis between NURTW members and motorcycle riders to reportedly rob most shop owners in the town.

When asked for more details and his account on the then crisis, the current leader of Modakeke NURTW, who simply identified himself as Amori, confirmed being a witness of the saga.

He told our correspondent: I dont want to start narrating all that happened then. It was a sad incident and I dont even have any link to Igboho since he left Modakeke in 2004.

Igboho evicted

PREMIUM TIMES was able to locate the residence of one of those tackling insecurity and all forms of thuggery in Modakeke then and he gave an account of how Mr Ignoho was forced to leave the town.

Speaking with our correspondent, Adetunji Adesiyan, the secretary of Modakeke Peace Committee in early 2000, said Mr Igboho ran away from the town after some youth attempted to kill him for being one of those terrorising the community.

After the Ile-Ife and Modakeke crisis, people felt relaxed and they were trying to return to their respective businesses. It was at that point that Okada riders and NURTW members started another internal crisis within Modakeke.

This was as a result of an announcement by Isamotu Double who was Igbohos boss that all Okada riders in the town should come and register under him. The Okada guys resisted this and that was how internal killings began. At least I know of three close individuals who lost their lives in the battle.

Igboho supported Double then and there was one guy called Okrika who was leading the bike mens squad. It was bloody to the extent that students were not going to school and businesses were disrupted. This was around 2004.

The incessant crisis led to the bringing together of Modakeke Peace Committee which was headed then by Yekin Awopetu while I served as the secretary. The peace committee started raiding the NURTW guys and the Okada riders hideouts with the support of the police.

We got the backing of the DPO at Oke Ibutu. We placed a ban on NURTW and Okada riders union. When some of them like Okrika who was leading the motorcyclist resisted, community youths unleashed an attack on him.

We declared all of them including Igboho wanted and many others ran away. Double who happened to be Igbohos boss was also killed when he refused to allow peace reign.

The day people concluded that they were going to kill Igboho, he ran to the police station for rescue. He escaped through the fence while his car was burnt into ashes. That was how he got to Ibadan. We rejected him here (Modakeke) by forcing him out of our town.

Ibadan thug, allegations

On getting to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Mr Igboho joined the NURTW in the state and through his activities, he met former governor, Lam Adesina.

From late Mr Adesina, he became closer to the former governor, Rashidi Ladoja, and was involved in the combative politics between the late political leader, Lamidi Adedibu, and Mr Ladoja.

He acted as the latters bodyguard throughout the tussle and also led the camp of Mr Ladoja in the violence that occurred then.

Mr Ladoja was illegally removed as governor in 2006 following a political disagreement he had with the late Mr Adedibu. He was later returned after 11 months through a court order.

Before now, Mr Igboho has been accused of land grabbing, using armed thugs against original owners of such lands but he has also in the past defended himself against the allegations on several occasions, saying he only fights on land matters when he is invited to do so.

He claimed that his known job is buying and selling of cars.

Mr Igboho did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES enquiries via phone calls and text messages seeking his account of his days at Modakeke and how he left to become popular again in Ibadan.

Recent activities

He hit national limelight when he gave a seven-day ultimatum to herdsmen to vacate Ibarapa, Oyo State due to the criminal activities of armed herders.

Mr Igboho accused the herders of being responsible for the killings, rape and kidnappings of the residents of Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa.

Despite a warning by his state governor, Seyi Makinde, against such action, he invaded Igangan and his visit led to a clash between some Yoruba youth and Fulani in the community. Properties worth millions were reportedly destroyed.

His house was razed by fire some days after though the police are yet to comment on the source of the fire.

He also visited Ogun State and vowed to evict Fulani herdsmen in the South-west following the insecurity rocking the region, an action against the laws of the country.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Banks will be implementing acquirer-based ATM fee charging starting April 7, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said.

The pricing method is among its requirements for lifting the moratorium on adjustments to ATM fees in 2019. Under the ABFC, financial institutions can set charges for non-cardholders conducting machine-based transactions while offering their customers withdrawal and balance inquiry services for free.

ATM withdrawal fees currently cost from 10-15, which had been in place since 2013. With the new charging system, charges are expected to range from 10 to 18.

BSP will review and approve all requests for ATM fee adjustments, and will consider the reasonable cost for ensuring the reliability and security of ATM services, it added.

The Bankers Association of the Philippines said it supports the ABFC, describing it as market-driven and customer-centered.

This policy promotes competition and efficiency in the banks' effort to deliver better services to the banking public, said BAP managing director Benjamin Castillo.

The central bank further explained the new system allows for transparent pricing as banking institutions are required to disclose fees to cardholders before any ATM transaction.

Cardholders who choose to transact using an ATM of another bank will still have an option to proceed or not to proceed with his transaction mindful of the ATM fee that will be charged, Castillo added.

The BSP also noted the ABFC allows banking institutions with machine-based services to be reasonably compensated and encourages them to make more ATM terminals available, widening the scope of banking services nationwide.

Some banks have already announced fee adjustments for balance inquiry and cash withdrawal for non-cardholders effective April:

Balance inquiry

BPI: 2

BDO: 2

Metrobank: 2

UnionBank: 2

Cash withdrawal

BPI: 18

BDO: 11

Metrobank: 18

UnionBank: 12

Please refresh this page for updates.
TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tanzanian Gold Corporation (TSX:TNX) (NYSE American:TRX) (TanGold, TRX or the Company), today announced that it has successfully closed the previously announced registered direct offering of 32,923,078 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of US$0.65 per share. The Company also issued to the investors warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 16,461,539 shares of common stock in a concurrent private placement. The common stock warrants will be exercisable six months after the date of issuance, have an exercise price of US$0.80 per share and will expire five years from the date of issuance.



A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as sole placement agent for the offering.

Net proceeds from the offering were approximately USD$19.8 million and the Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for continued development of the Buckreef Gold Project, including capital expenditures, continued exploration, general corporate purposes and working capital.



The offering of common stock was made pursuant to effective shelf registration statements on Form F-3 (File No. 333-250146 and 333-252876) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and declared effective on November 25, 2020, and February 9, 2021, respectively. A prospectus supplement describing the terms of the offering was filed with the SEC and is available on the SECs website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at prospectus@allianceg.com.

The warrants described above were offered in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act"), and Regulation D promulgated thereunder and, along with the common stock underlying the warrants, have not been registered under the Act, or applicable state securities laws. Accordingly, the warrants and the underlying common stock may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Act and such applicable state securities laws. The Company has undertaken to file a registration statement as soon as practicable.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Tanzania Gold Corporation

Tanzanian Gold Corporation along with its joint venture partner, STAMICO is building a significant gold project at Buckreef in Tanzania that is based on an expanded Mineral Resource base and the treatment of its mineable Mineral Reserves in two standalone plants. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources now stand at a combined tonnage of 35.88MT at 1.77g/t gold containing 2,036,280 ounces of gold. The Buckreef Project also contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 17.8MT at 1.11g/t gold for contained gold of 635,540oz. The Company is actively investigating and assessing multiple exploration targets on its property.

Tanzanian Gold Corporation is advancing on three value-creation tracks:

Strengthening its balance sheet from expanding near-term production to 15,000 - 20,000 oz. of gold per year from the processing oxides upon approval of an expanded oxide plant. Advancing the Final Feasibility Study for a stand-alone sulphide treating plant that is substantially larger than previously modelled and targeting significant annual gold production. Continuing with a drilling program to further test the potential of its Mineral Resource base by: (i) drilling at deeper levels; (ii) drilling new oxide targets; (iii) infill drilling to upgrade Mineral Resources currently in the Inferred category; and (iv) a step-out drilling program in the Northeast Extension.



Andrew M. Cheatle, P.Geo. is the Companys Qualified Person as defined by the NI 43-101 who has reviewed and assumes responsibility for the technical content of this press release.

For further information, please contact Michael Martin, Investor Relations, m.martin@tangoldcorp.com, 860-248-0999, or visit the Company website at www.tangoldcorp.com

The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our SEC filings. You can review and obtain copies of these filings from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml

Tanzanian Gold Corporation (TanGold or the Company), has taken all reasonable care in producing and publishing information contained in this press release. Tanzanian Gold does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use, validity, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any claims, statements or information in this press release. The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice before making any investment decisions. Furthermore, you may not modify or reproduce in any form, electronic or otherwise any information in this press release. Andrew M. Cheatle, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person as defined by the NI 43-101 who has reviewed and assumes responsibility for the technical content of this press release. The disclosure contained in this press release of a scientific or technical nature relating to the Companys Buckreef Project has been summarized or extracted from the technical report entitled The National Instrument 43-101 Independent Technical Report, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Buckreef Gold Mine Project, Tanzania, East Africa For TanGold with an effective date of May 15, 2020 (the Effective Date), and with an amendment date of June 8, 2020. The Technical Report was prepared by or under the supervision Mr. Wenceslaus Kutekwatekwa (Mining Engineer, Mining and Project Management Consultant) BSc Hons (Mining Eng.), MBA, FSAIMM, of Virimai Projects., and,Dr Frank Crundwell, MBA, PhD, a Consulting Engineer, each of whom is an independent Qualified Person as such term is defined in NI 43-101. The information contained herein is subject to all of the assumptions, qualifications and procedures set out in the Technical Report and reference should be made to the full details of the Technical Report which has been filed with the applicable regulatory authorities and is available on the Companys profile at www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined in the applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, intends, estimated, potential, possible and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results will, may, could or should occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect TanGold managements expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, success of mining operations, the timing and amount of estimated future production, and capital expenditure.

Although TanGold believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance. The actual achievements of TanGold or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. These risks, uncertainties and factors include general business, legal, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties; actual results of exploration activities and economic evaluations; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes in costs; future prices of gold and other minerals; mining method, production profile and mine plan; delays in exploration, development and construction activities; changes in government legislation and regulation; the ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms and in a timely manner or at all; contests over title to properties; employee relations and shortages of skilled personnel and contractors; the speculative nature of, and the risks involved in, the exploration, development and mining business. These risks are set forth under Item 3.D in Tanzanian Golds Form 20-F for the year ended August 31, 2020 and other documents we file with the SEC.

The information contained in this press release is as of the date of the press release and TanGold assumes no duty to update such information.

Note to U.S. Investors

US investors are advised that the Mineral Resource estimates disclosed in this press release have been calculated pursuant to Canadian standards which use terminology consistent with the requirements of CRIRSCO reporting standards. For its fiscal year ending August 31, 2021, and thereafter, the Company will follow new SEC regulations which uses a CRIRSCO based template for mineral resources and mineral reserves, that includes definitions for inferred, indicated, and measured mineral resources.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem promised she will honor the will of voters to legalize pot for medical use, just not this year.

The Republican governor announced a plan to delay legalization of medical marijuana until July 1, 2022, saying she did not have enough time to study the issue and implement a program.

Medical cannabis was supposed to be legalized on July 1 of this year after voters passed a ballot initiative in November.

The slow-walk was the second setback this week pro-pot groups in the state, after a judge on Feb. 8 struck down a voter-passed constitutional amendment that would have legalized recreational pot. Noem, an ardent opponent of recreational pot legalization, had pushed for the lawsuit.

Republican legislative leadership supports Noems plan. House Speaker Spencer Gosch unveiled a bill that would delay the voter-passed law, known as Initiated Measure 26, by a year and set up a committee to study implementation. The governor would appoint 10 of its 22 members. The committee would be tasked with preparing legislation by next January.

We are working diligently to get IM 26 implemented safely and correctly, Noem said in a statement. The feasibility of getting this program up and running well will take additional time.

Noem opposed marijuana legalization of any kind before the November election, but after medical pot legalization passed with nearly 70% support, her administration has been working with Cannabis Public Policy Consulting. The group says it usually takes 14 to 20 months to put a medical pot program together. Neighboring North Dakota took about two years to implement a medical pot program.

Democrats argued Noems administration should have begun implementing the program as soon as it became clear it had been passed by voters. Noems administration signed its contract with the cannabis consultants on Jan. 19, according to state records.

The fact that they are dragging their feet on it is really frustrating, House Democratic Leader Jamie Smith said, noting that the delay affects those who need marijuana for medical conditions.

Gosch, a Republican, argues in his bill that the voter-passed measure did not consider the complexities of setting up a marijuana program, from taxing medical pot to naming the medical conditions that would qualify for a marijuana prescription. Under the law, schools would be required to allow students with prescriptions to consume marijuana, but it is not clear how that would be implemented.

Lawmakers are also working amid uncertainty on the final outcome of the court case on recreational marijuana, as pro-pot groups say they plan to appeal this weeks ruling to the state Supreme Court. The high court is not expected to rule until well after lawmakers leave Pierre in March.

But for Republicans, at least one thing is clear: Voters want medical marijuana.

The people have spoken, Gosch said. We have a job to do.

However, Melissa Mentele, who spearheaded the medical cannabis campaign, argued the delay was not respecting the will of voters, noting they had passed a complete policy based on best practices from other states.

She called Noems proposal harmful to patients and disrespectful to the people of South Dakota.

Related:

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Cybersecurity

DOD IG audit cites five programs for updating cyber requirements

The Defense Department inspector general praised five military weapons program offices that have successfully been updating cybersecurity requirements necessary to protect their systems against identified threats, according to a new report.

The Feb. 10 report, which does not explain what prompted the audit, examines the cybersecurity practices of one Army program, one from U.S. Special Operations Command, two Navy and two Air Force programs. All five programs are considered to be in the final stages of their acquisition lifecycle in which the technology has been proven and requires sustainment until it is retired.

The cybersecurity threat to the Pentagon's weapon systems is exacerbated by the age of its programs, which were designed years and even decades before modern cyber capabilities were developed.

The Air Force's B-2 Spirit Bomber, which was one of the programs the IG reviewed, was created and introduced into military service in the 1980s and 1990s. It has been in the final stage of its acquisition lifecycle -- operations and sustainment -- for 16 years.

"Because the O&S phase of the acquisition life cycle may last for years, DOD Components must continue to emphasize the protection of weapon systems by mitigating cyber threats throughout the O&S phase," the IG report said.

Government watchdogs in recent years have warned the military that its weapon systems face the same kinds of cybersecurity threats associated with internal business systems.

The Government Accountability Office in 2018 not only told the Pentagon about these threats but demonstrated them.

"Using relatively simple tools and techniques, testers were able to take control of systems and largely operate undetected, due in part to basic issues such as poor password management and unencrypted communications," GAO auditors stated in the report.
PPPL physicist Hong Qin in front of images of planetary orbits and computer code. Credit: Elle Starkman

A novel computer algorithm, or set of rules, that accurately predicts the orbits of planets in the solar system could be adapted to better predict and control the behavior of the plasma that fuels fusion facilities designed to harvest on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars.

The algorithm, devised by a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), applies machine learning, the form of artificial intelligence (AI) that learns from experience, to develop the predictions. "Usually in physics, you make observations, create a theory based on those observations, and then use that theory to predict new observations," said PPPL physicist Hong Qin, author of a paper detailing the concept in Scientific Reports. "What I'm doing is replacing this process with a type of black box that can produce accurate predictions without using a traditional theory or law."

Qin (pronounced Chin) created a computer program into which he fed data from past observations of the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and the dwarf planet Ceres. This program, along with an additional program known as a 'serving algorithm,' then made accurate predictions of the orbits of other planets in the solar system without using Newton's laws of motion and gravitation. "Essentially, I bypassed all the fundamental ingredients of physics. I go directly from data to data," Qin said. "There is no law of physics in the middle."

The program does not happen upon accurate predictions by accident. "Hong taught the program the underlying principle used by nature to determine the dynamics of any physical system," said Joshua Burby, a physicist at the DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory who earned his Ph.D. at Princeton under Qin's mentorship. "The payoff is that the network learns the laws of planetary motion after witnessing very few training examples. In other words, his code really 'learns' the laws of physics."

Machine learning is what makes computer programs like Google Translate possible. Google Translate sifts through a vast amount of information to determine how frequently one word in one language has been translated into a word in the other language. In this way, the program can make an accurate translation without actually learning either language.

The process also appears in philosophical thought experiments like John Searle's Chinese Room. In that scenario, a person who did not know Chinese could nevertheless 'translate' a Chinese sentence into English or any other language by using a set of instructions, or rules, that would substitute for understanding. The thought experiment raises questions about what, at root, it means to understand anything at all, and whether understanding implies that something else is happening in the mind besides following rules.

Qin was inspired in part by Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom's philosophical thought experiment that the universe is a computer simulation. If that were true, then fundamental physical laws should reveal that the universe consists of individual chunks of space-time, like pixels in a video game. "If we live in a simulation, our world has to be discrete," Qin said. The black box technique Qin devised does not require that physicists believe the simulation conjecture literally, though it builds on this idea to create a program that makes accurate physical predictions.

The resulting pixelated view of the world, akin to what is portrayed in the movie The Matrix, is known as a discrete field theory, which views the universe as composed of individual bits and differs from the theories that people normally create. While scientists typically devise overarching concepts of how the physical world behaves, computers just assemble a collection of data points.

Qin and Eric Palmerduca, a graduate student in the Princeton University Program in Plasma Physics, are now developing ways to use discrete field theories to predict the behavior of particles of plasma in fusion experiments conducted by scientists around the world. The most widely used fusion facilities are doughnut-shaped tokamaks that confine the plasma in powerful magnetic fields.

Fusion, the power that drives the sun and stars, combines light elements in the form of plasmathe hot, charged state of matter composed of free electrons and atomic nuclei that represents 99% of the visible universeto generate massive amounts of energy. Scientists are seeking to replicate fusion on Earth for a virtually inexhaustible supply of power to generate electricity.

"In a magnetic fusion device, the dynamics of plasmas are complex and multi-scale, and the effective governing laws or computational models for a particular physical process that we are interested in are not always clear," Qin said. "In these scenarios, we can apply the machine learning technique that I developed to create a discrete field theory and then apply this discrete field theory to understand and predict new experimental observations."

This process opens up questions about the nature of science itself. Don't scientists want to develop physics theories that explain the world, instead of simply amassing data? Aren't theories fundamental to physics and necessary to explain and understand phenomena?

"I would argue that the ultimate goal of any scientist is prediction," Qin said. "You might not necessarily need a law. For example, if I can perfectly predict a planetary orbit, I don't need to know Newton's laws of gravitation and motion. You could argue that by doing so you would understand less than if you knew Newton's laws. In a sense, that is correct. But from a practical point of view, making accurate predictions is not doing anything less."

Machine learning could also open up possibilities for more research. "It significantly broadens the scope of problems that you can tackle because all you need to get going is data," Palmerduca said.

The technique could also lead to the development of a traditional physical theory. "While in some sense this method precludes the need of such a theory, it can also be viewed as a path toward one," Palmerduca said. "When you're trying to deduce a theory, you'd like to have as much data at your disposal as possible. If you're given some data, you can use machine learning to fill in gaps in that data or otherwise expand the data set."

Explore further Artificial intelligence helps prevent disruptions in fusion devices

More information: Hong Qin, Machine learning and serving of discrete field theories, Scientific Reports (2020). Journal information: Scientific Reports Hong Qin, Machine learning and serving of discrete field theories,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76301-0

Prior to the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, one of the safest seats of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was the Wenchi Constituency, the home to one of the founder fathers of the party, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia.



Aside from the 1992 parliamentary election which the NPP boycotted, all Members of Parliament in the constituency have been from the NPP. Mr Musa Bamba was MP for the constituency from 1996 to 2004, after which Professor George Yaw Gyan- Baffour took over from 2004 to 2020.



However, in the 2020 elections, the country witnessed one of the biggest tsunamis in its political history as Alhaji Haruna Seidu of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) garnered 26,068 votes to unseat the incumbent NPP Member of Parliament for the area, Professor Gyan-Baffour (NPP), who had 23,102 votes.



Until December 7, 2020, Alhaji Seidu was known just for his numerous philanthropic and humanitarian projects in the constituency, with his Education Foundation supporting many needy students in the area and his computer project equipping lots of schools with ICT facilities in the region.



Now, he's known for being the 'David' who ousted the 'Goliath' of the Wenchi Constituency, Prof. Gyan-Baffour, a four-time MP.



Potential



As a businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Seidu said it was his compassion for the people which compelled him to contest for the seat after many attempts by the leadership of the NDC to get him to contest.



During my rounds, I identified so many problems, some of which wouldnt even need much to solve so I made a promise to them that should I not even win, I will come back to help them, he said in an interview with the Daily Graphic.



Wenchi Constituency





The Wenchi Constituency was one of the first districts in the then Brong Ahafo Region, together with Sunyani, Berekum and Goaso.



Along the line, Wenchi gave birth to Techiman, Nkoranza, Kintampo, Atebubu, Banda and Tain.



The constituency is now under the Bono Region, following the split of the Brong Ahafo Region.



Wenchi, Tain, and Banda used to be one constituency until 16 years ago when the Electoral Commission decided to first split it into two (Tain and Wenchi) and subsequently split Tain too into Tain and Banda.



With a population of over 80,000 people, the Wenchi Constituency has majority of its constituents into farming, with the rest into transport business.



Lots of challenges



Alhaji Seidu told the Daily Graphic as part of the Constituency Watch series that the campaign prior to the election further opened his eyes to numerous challenges in the constituency.



As a farming community, he said the major challenge he intended to address immediately was access to water.



The key issue is water and I intend to dig lots of boreholes across the constituency. Most of the villages are closer to streams and rivers and in these areas. If you dig about 150 feet deep down you will get water. How much is a borehole? About GH10,000 can dig a borehole so I intend to dig lots of them. I intend to have my own borehole machine and train some people in that area as engineers so I will just buy the materials and they will start digging, he explained.



School structures



Alhaji Seidu also noted that most of the school structures in the constituency were in a bad state, with some communities also lacking schools.



You go to some villages and the children have to walk for long distances before they get to school. I intend to build schools in all the areas which are far away in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service.



We want to start with pavilion structures and because it is dear to my heart, I have already designed the plan for it. We will put up pavilion structures so that those areas that the students are under trees, we take them off.



Cashew processing factory



Alhaji Seidu also noted that he was holding discussions with some investors to explore the possibility of establishing a cashew processing factory in the constituency to help add value to the cashew produced and also help create jobs for the youth.



Wenchi is a farming community dominated by cashew. Our (NDC) flag bearers intention was to establish a cashew processing factory in Wenchi. Although things did not go as expected, I have already started talks with some investors to see how we can make this project a reality, he stated.



Profile and early political life



Alhaji Seidu, a trained marketer and a farmer, has always been known in the Wenchi Constituency for his numerous humanitarian initiatives, especially in the education sector.



Prior to him Contesting the seat, he has always been known in the Wenchi constituency for his numerous humanitarian initiatives especially in the education sector.

Source: graphiconline.com









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SEBEWAING TOWNSHIP, MI -- Police believe the suspect in a Huron County carjacking at a high school has been arrested in Indiana, according to the Huron County Sheriffs Department.

The Huron County Sheriffs Department was contacted by the Indiana State Police shortly after 10:15 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12 seeking information on the stolen 2015 Chevrolet Equinox from Sebewaing, the department announced in a Friday update. Police had stopped the vehicle in Jasper County Indiana and say the driver was being suicidal with a knife. The man was arrested shortly after he was stopped.

An 18-year-old Huron County woman driving her grandmothers 2015 maroon Chevrolet Equinox as she waited to pick up a family member from school when a man entered the vehicle with a knife Thursday. The woman ran and the male subject took the vehicle and drove westbound on Wilder Road. Officers believe the man was heading for Florida and likely under the influence of drugs, according to the police.

The suspect in the Huron County carjacking is also a suspect in an armed robbery believed to have occurred in the Muskegon area, according to the sheriffs department.

Sebewaing Village Police responded to the carjacking at Unionville-Sebewaing High School on Wilder Road at 7:04 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, according to police.

The sheriffs department had no additional information at this time, the update states.

Another area resident in the parking lot noticed what happened and followed the vehicle as it fled down side roads. The resident lost the vehicle as it reached Unionville, west of M-25, according to the news release.

Back at the high school, officers then found a stolen 2001 Chevrolet pickup in the school parking lot from Mason County. Officers contacted deputies from the Mason County Sheriffs Office in Ludington and learned that, earlier in the morning, the vehicle had been reported stolen by a Mason County man in his 20s.

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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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MBABANE  The legality of taking a corpse through an informal crossing point faces a litmus test.

This is after the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) allowed the exit of the body of a South African dagga smuggler they had shot dead, to cross the informal border on Wednesday. This has raised suspicion of possible flouting of international protocols.

The protocols, according to a source whose work involves fetching corpses from neighbouring States, requires medical and health certification that is produced at the border before a corpse is allowed entry or exit.

This certificate is also used to control the spread of diseases, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic the official stated.

However, in the latest incident, the body of alleged dagga dealer Mfundo Nyawo, who was shot dead allegedly by a soldier at Khalamfene on February 3 ,2021, while ferrying bags of dagga across the border with South Africa has been returned to his parental home through the informal crossing point. Nyawo, according to his relatives was to enrol for matric this year.

His family said police advised them to merely make an affidavit and produce it to whomsoever would confront them as they take the informal crossing route.

The affidavit was also accompanied by a post-mortem report of the corpse. They then asked for a Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) van to transport the body from the Good Shepherd Hospital morgue to the foot of the mountain at Mahlabaneni.

Assisted

The family had organised a contingent of men who assisted in carrying the coffin shoulder-high through the steep mountain that is part of the Lubombo Mountain range.

The family said they proceeded to pass through the very spot on which the deceased was slain. There they prayed briefly and continued to climb the mountain with the coffin. Along the way the family said they met UEDF members who took the affidavit and post-mortem reports after which they allowed them to proceed into South Africa. Worth noting is that there is no border fence on the mountain separating the two countries.

The party reached the summit of the mountain and proceeded to Emanyiseni, a rural village where the deceased was buried in his parental home.

The deceaseds cousin, Nkosikhona Matsebula, said the family was satisfied with the assistance received from the police in as far as granting them permission to remove the corpse from Eswatini to South Africa.

Application

But, personally, I had requested that they assist in transporting the body to the border, after which we would make the necessary application to have him exit the right way. However, close family members opted for the informal crossing because they wanted the burial to be done and dusted, Matsebula said.

He also decried that the family was made to shoulder the costs of transportation of the deceased despite that he had been murdered. He said the police made them pay E600 for fuel to transport the body .

He said the family was consulting with lawyers on both sides of the border.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Communications Officer Sikhumbuzo Bhembe said it was wrong to take human remains over informal crossings.

As a ministry we have assisted in getting remains of emaSwati back home on several occasions even if they did not have the necessary permits to stay in other countries. The truck driver that was killed in SA recently is one example. We do not in any way suggest that informal crossing points be used as an alternative, he said.

Bhembe said a corpse should be treated with dignity and should not be taken through mountains, yet there are designated ports.

Legality

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs, as the one in charge of ports, could share further clarity on the legality of taking a corpse across an informal crossing point.

The Ministry of Home Affairs Information and Communication Officer Mlandvo Dlamini said the army, which is in charge of borders, was best positioned to comment on the issue. However, he added that with the advent of diseases such as the COVID-19 pandemic human remains should be commuted through the designated border posts.

He said even if the deceased had landed in the country illegally, it was incumbent upon the South African State to assist in having his remains repatriated back to South Africa.

The COVID-19 regulations were meant to protect people from contracting the virus, but if they continue to use informal crossing points, they are putting their lives at risk, he said.

UEDF Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Tengetile Khumalo said: We can only affirm that the family in question adhered to all the requisite protocols, which is why our troops did not intercept them.

Authenticity

She did not respond to further questions on the authenticity of the authority that was used to take the deceaseds remains out of the country.

Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni said the family was allowed access on account of the bilateral agreement that exists between Eswatini and South Africa by which people residing along the border use informal crossing points.

They just need to register with the soldiers manning the border line, and emaSwati also do the same if they want to go to South Africa, she said.

Mnguni said though there is an ongoing court case on the death of Nyawo, the police did not need the corpse anymore which is why they allowed the family to proceed with the burial process.

Mnguni insisted that Nyawos family had all the documents that would allow the body to exit the country.

Nyawo was climbing the mountain with a colleague, Sakhile Dlamini and three other men, while carrying bags of dagga when they were confronted by border patrols.

Dlamini, who survived the incident, said Nyawo had already left his load of dagga at the summit of the mountain and was returning to assist him when two soldiers emerged. He said he was searched of his belongings and robbed of E4 700 as well as other personal belongings.
President Biden has made some promising moves on immigration during his first few weeks in office. On his first day in office, he issued executive orders to defend immigrant youth, stop the border wall and end the Muslim travel ban. On Feb. 3, he signed more orders to review the Trump administrations public charge rule, establish a task force to reunify families, and review Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as Remain in Mexico.

This combination of action and ambition is good news. But there is still a mountain of Trump-era wreckage to clear. As his new administration moves forward, there is one decisive thing Biden can do right now to bolster justice, decency and lawfulness at the border. He can move beyond just reviewing, to immediately protect a little-noticed group of children who face swift  and legally dubious  deportation after being stranded under Remain in Mexico.

This is the program that told asylum seekers: Take a number and get out  and dont come back until we call you.

The program forced thousands of families to wait in dangerous refugee camps just over the border, without support and beset by sickness and criminal violence. A report released in January by Human Rights Watch detailed the constant and terrifying threats these families face from robberies, kidnappings, sexual assaults and other crimes.

Given the dangers, some parents and guardians made a fateful, heart-wrenching decision to save their children by sending them alone across the bridge into the custody of immigration authorities. Their desperate hope was that a solitary child would be protected by rights granted by Congress, and unite with a relative or guardian on the other side.

But instead of finding safety, these children found themselves detained and fast-tracked to deportation. The Trump administration arbitrarily decreed that the due-process rights guaranteed to asylum seekers by long-established law and practice  and the special protections given to children for their safety and well-being  did not apply.

The Trump administration did many cruel and lawless things in the name of border security. Few were as cold-blooded as this.

These children are part of the larger population of migrants who have sought refuge in the United States after fleeing brutal violence and crime. Like all asylum seekers, they have fundamental rights to due process that the government showed no interest in respecting.

That is why we, as legal-service organizations  Immigrant Defenders Law Center, in California, and RAICES, in Texas  sued the government last month in the United States District Court in the Central District of California.

The United States has long understood that unaccompanied migrant children are particularly vulnerable and that it has a special obligation to treat them humanely and fairly. Federal law sets out an orderly process with specific protections when such children arrive seeking asylum. A country that once saw itself as a proud beacon for refugees should honor those protections and give these young ones a warm-hearted welcome.

But Trump's Department of Homeland Security had other ideas. While it insisted that unaccompanied children were not subject to the Remain in Mexico program, it made an exception for children who went through the program with a parent or guardian and were later separated from them at the border. Those unaccompanied children, by the administrations cruel, capricious  and lawless  reasoning, did not deserve any special safeguards or rights.

We have learned that at least 700 unaccompanied children who were detained by the government after being in the Remain in Mexico program remain at risk of being swiftly deported without even having their day in court  much less receiving the special protections promised them under the law. Some of them would be deported to their native countries where they have no family, since their parents are likely stuck in Mexico.

The heart of our lawsuit is simple: Children seeking asylum along the southern border should have the protection and dignity promised to them by Congress. By denying these children their due-process rights, including an age-appropriate, non-adversarial asylum interview and formal hearings with a right to counsel, the administration is violating, among other things, a binding consent decree known as the Flores settlement and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. These are part of a robust web of protections built to ensure the safety and welfare of children who are in government custody without a parent or guardian.

The Trump administration demolished that web in its rush to send traumatized children back over the border. Remain in Mexico is a morally bankrupt program, where refugees are forced to live in destitution in dangerous border cities, often with no fixed addresses, little ability to support themselves, no way to know when or how to show up for their court hearings, and little or no access to lawyers who could help them plead their cases.

The young people who are caught up in this chaos are being irreparably harmed. The government has replaced a relatively orderly, fair asylum process with a system where lawyers must scramble to find their young clients before they are expelled out of the country, often without knowing what has happened.

Incredibly, these children regularly receive less due process before being deported than adults who re-enter the United States with prior removal orders. Given that asylum seekers are five times more likely to obtain asylum when they have lawyers (a figure that increases to more than 14 times for women and children), the obstacles blocking access to counsel inevitably leave countless valid asylum claims unheard or rejected. The result  traumatized children being effectively orphaned and returned to mortal danger in their home countries  is horrifying to contemplate.

These violations committed by the Trump administration are unjust. They are gratuitously cruel. They must not be allowed to continue under President Biden. After the devastation left by the previous administration, the United States can rebuild an asylum system worthy of our reputation as a beacon of hope and opportunity. The new administration can start with protecting  as this country has long promised to do  a handful of precious young lives.

Lindsay Toczylowski is executive director of Immigration Defenders Law Center. Jonathan Ryan is executive director of the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).
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"Is this is a dagger that I see before?"

That's the famous line in Shakespeare's violent play Macbeth which lends itself perfectly to this story about the sale of a late Bronze Age dagger discovered in 1903 which has been sold to the National Museum of Ireland by Sheppards Irish Auction House, Durrow, Co. Laois.

The dagger was found in south-west county Laois beside the Annagh bridge over the River Nore, and was located near the road leading from Coolrain to the Pike-of-Rushall. The finder was Jack Feehan, known locally as Jack the fisherman.

Auctioneer Philip Sheppard said it is thought that finds in the water suggest votive offerings to archaeologists since they would be awkward to retrieve.

"A common ritualistic practice in the later Bronze Age was the deposition of hoards in sacred places including river fords which formed part of the sacred landscape. The dagger, most likely a ritual offering, was in the possession of James Roe, a justice of the peace from Killavilla, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary until 1929 when it changed ownership," he said.

At 20 cm. long, the Jack Feehan dagger has a leaf-shaped blade with a mid-rib. The evolution of a mid-rib on metal daggers by the end of the Early Bronze Age, served to strengthen them for combat use. Many copper and copper-alloy dagger forms, are known from Europe in the late third to early second millennium BCE. As general-purpose tools they would have had many uses including, but not restricted to, fighting.

The earliest daggers in Ireland had quite flat cross-sections and ranged from pieces with blades a few centimetres long to examples with blades over 20 cm., constituting serviceable weapons. While little edge wear is visible on any daggers from this period (blade-on-blade impacts are unnecessary for dagger combat) and, because flesh and bone are not prone to causing damage, it can be difficult to measure their functions in combat.

The Bronze Age denotes the first period in which metal was used with metalwork being one of the defining features of the Age: in Ireland, it lasted from about 2000 - 800 BCE. Knowledge of how to make bronze, an alloy of tin and copper, came to Ireland from Europe.

The copper was mined in Ireland, chiefly in Co Kerry, while the tin was imported from Britain. The earliest copper mine in the country was at Ross Island, Killarney. Irish metalsmiths created large numbers of weapons, perhaps because society became more violent.

The commonest object forms produced were swords and spearheads, and daggers to a lesser degree making this new acquisition by the NMI from Sheppards auction house all the more significant.

Southern China is home to some of the most beautiful natural scenery anywhere in the world. From the limestone peaks of Guangxi to the crystal-blue waters of Hainan, southern China features an incredible diversity of landscapes. It was the thought of all that variety  the scenery, the sizzling southeast delicacies and temperate climate  that finally encouraged me to relocate to Guangzhou this Spring Festival.



By the winter of 2020, I had lived in Beijing for two years. I was cramped into a small house with my girlfriend and two cats in the sprawling hutong alleys of the central ring, commuting for two hours a day to the west side of the city. Despite its size, living in the hutongs was an incredible experience. I loved my life in the northern metropolis, but when the chance appeared to move to Guangzhou and work from home, the intrigue of a new adventure and experiencing another part of the country sparked our imaginations.

The move itself was relatively straightforward. China's package-delivery services are unrivalled in their efficacy, low costs and speed. I was impressed that all of our stuff, including my plethora of guitars and ukuleles, could be shipped almost 2,000 km in three days for just 800 yuan (about $124).

The plane to Guangzhou was quiet. In Beijing and elsewhere across China, fewer people are traveling for the holiday than in a normal year due to a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases. More people chose to stay where they are to celebrate the Spring Festival, which meant extra legroom on the plane. The cats, who had to be caged in the cargo hold, were less impressed.

We ultimately settled on living in a high-rise apartment in Baiyun district. If you're looking for a cheaper, more laid-back lifestyle farther from the city center, then Baiyun is the place to be.

According to my observations, I believe I'm the only Westerner living in our new community and have therefore become quite the sensation with the community security guards. One of them even refers to me as his "best friend." Actually, seeing as I currently don't have many friends in Guangzhou, I suppose he is also my best friend.

Our part of the city is peaceful and there is a relaxed openness to the area; at night elderly people congregate to drink baijiu and play Dou dizhu  a card game popular among Chinese people. My girlfriend and I often like to sit on our balcony watching the seniors jive the evening away in the nearby park amid well-cranked mixes of techno and traditional Chinese pop songs. Occasionally, there will even be an impromptu firework display. The sight of these mute sparks shattering into a thousand particles of roaring light never fails to conjure up the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival.

During the day, from my desk beside the window, I can look across the city and see White Cloud Mountain (Baiyun Mountain) reaching above the urban sprawl. The mountain has quickly become our retreat  we go there whenever we want to escape the city and do some thinking. The wreath of white clouds that often nuzzle the mountain and give it its name, hide 28 square kilometers of lush forests, crisscrossing gullies and secluded valleys.

As I mentioned earlier, a prime reason for moving to Guangzhou was the scenery. So, we'll be immediately taking advantage of that and spending the Chinese Lunar New Year pitching a tent at Yingde Grassland. The limestone caves and natural hot springs will be a welcome respite after a busy month of moving to this new city. A new home, a new year. Happy Spring Festival.

Jay Birbeck is a writer and art director. He has worked with news outlets including ITV. He received an MSc in Digital Humanities from UCL.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
Forty-seven days after Spain started its coronavirus vaccination campaign on 27 December in a care home in Guadalajara, the country has now officially chalked up a million people who have been given both doses of the vaccine.

According to figures from the Health Ministry, this Friday (12 February) the total of people having both jabs reached 1.000.485, that is, just over 2.1% of the 47-million population of Spain.

The vaccination rate over the last months and half, however, differs significantly from the speed that would allow the country to meet its target of having 70% of the population vaccinated by the end of the summer, in order to achieve herd immunity.

Since the start of the campaign, Spain has received a total of 2,914,755 doses, of which 83.1% - or 2,423,045 - have been administered, that is, just over 51,000 a day. However if the country wants to see 33 million people vaccinated by the end of September, it would need to be giving a quarter of a million jabs every day.

The ministry points out, however, that these first few weeks have seen supply problems and production readjustments, among other delays.

Of the 2.4 million doses already administered in Spain, the vast majority (more than 2.3 million) were the Pzifer/BionTech vaccine.

The rest were the Moderna vaccine, 73,689 jabs, and AstraZeneca 17,416 jabs.

The AstraZeneca is only being administered to people under the age of 55 as the Health Ministry vetoed its use in those over that age due to a lack of clinical trials of its efficacy in older people.
(Newser)  Anna Sorokin, convicted in 2019 of scamming banks, hotels, and friends by pretending to be a wealthy heiress, is a free woman again. The German con artist was released from an upstate New York prison Thursday after having her sentence shortened for good behavior, Insider reports. In May 2019, she was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for crimes including grand larceny and was given credit for time served since her October 2017 arrest. Prosecutors said Sorokin, using the name Anna Delvey, lived a luxury lifestyle in New York City and pretended she had a $60 million trust fund in Europe though she had "not a cent to her name, as far as we can determine," the BBC reports.

story continues below

Sorokin apologized for her crimes at a parole hearing in October, reports the New York Post. "I completely understand that a lot of people suffered when I thought I was not doing anything wrong," she said. She could now face deportation back to Germany, though lawyers say she plans to appeal her conviction despite her release. Her story is being told in an upcoming Netflix series starring Julia Garner as Sorokin. Insider reports that Sorokin used the $320,000 she received from Netflix to pay restitution to her victims. (Read more fraud stories.)
It was a foggy start to the Lunar New Year in North Korea's capital Pyongyang on Friday, as soldiers and civilians walked through the morning mist to pay their respects at the statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

The practice is customary on any major anniversary or holiday in North Korea.

With the nearby tower blocks of central Pyongyang invisible in the fog, people climbed Mansu Hill to lay flowers at the foot of giant statues of the two Kims.

A similar routine takes place at statues and portraits all over the country.

Pyongyang resident O Gwang Chon, carrying out the routine of laying flowers at the giant statues said "in spite of so many hardships" people were still clinging to hope for the future.

The Lunar New Year is a traditional holiday shared by all Koreans which predates the current division of the peninsula.

It is also a formal holiday in the North, taking place over three days this year, but it remains a mostly private affair for people to observe with their families.

North Korea is now more cut off from the rest of the world than it ever has been, after more than a year of international lockdown, with its borders almost completely closed against the coronavirus.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)

The companys Scott Patrizi shares the story about how the Island Gold Project landed with the company and why there is so much potential that has not been revealed.

( ) has landed itself a potential high-grade gold project in Western Australias Murchison Goldfields.

The Island Gold Project is one of the projects that has had a long and hard life to get to this stage. For Caprice Resources, this is a good thing.

In late 2020, when I came across this company and the project, I made contact with Adam Miethke, who is a non-executive director of Caprice Resources and also the managing director of Discovery Capital Partners. I wanted to learn more about the project and when the company agreed to have Coffee with , I was thrilled as I feel that the Island Gold Project is unique.

With the current buoyant nature of the market, these hidden projects are finally able to surface and many people are going to be surprised by their potential.

In this episode of Coffee with Samso, Scott has shared with us the potential of the Island project and also their Northampton project.

The Northampton project is a base metal play but like many projects, it has some issues. Nonetheless, the geology is fantastic.

Time will tell how everything pans out but if the company has enough faith to pursue its mandate, ie to drill and find a deposit, shareholders can be assured that this is a decent project with some real numbers.

PODCAST:

About Scott Patrizi

Executive director, Caprice Resources

Scott Patrizi is a corporate director with strong equity capital markets and project acquisition experience. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia and was formerly an executive director at ( ) and a non-executive director of Rarex Ltd (ASX:REE) and ( ).

Patrizi has worked across a wide range of industries including mining, oil and gas, healthcare and education providing merger and acquisition, valuation and due diligence services. His previous employment history includes working for Argonaut Limited, a full-service advisory, stockbroking and research and investment house focused on clients in the natural resources sector as well as for Big Four accounting firm .

About Caprice Resources

Caprice Resources Limited ( ) is focused on the exploration of mineral assets in Australia. It is a gold and base metals focused exploration company, with its Island Gold Project in the Cue Goldfield, the Northampton Project and the Wild Horse Hill Project. Caprice was attracted to these projects due to their prospective geological setting within proven mineralised belts.

Island Gold Project

The Island Project covers 21sqkm of highly prospective tenure in the richly endowed Cue Goldfield and contains many of the historic gold mines of the Lake Austin gold mining centre and comprises two granted mining leases and one exploration licence (M21/66, M21/140 and E21/186) covering the New Orient, The Island and North Island properties.

The project lies adjacent to the Great Northern Highway and is 630km north of Perth, 60km north of Mt Magnet and 20km south of Cue.

The Island is an Archaean basement high within Lake Austin. It is dominated by intercalated mafics and multiple BIF structures striking roughly north-northeast. There is an extensive metagabbro intrusive in the central part of the project area directly north of the Baxters/Golconda area. This intrusive appears irregular and is strongly weathered and possibly altered. Quartz veining is present associated with supergene mineralisation and as quartz reefs.

There are several shear zones present with a dominant north-easterly trend. These shears show variable displacement and deform the BIF with tight drag folding common in the shear zones. These shear zones and associated folding appear to be an important control on mineralisation and the folding of the BIF is often associated with higher-grade mineralisation.

There are extensive workings present throughout the project area with the strongest concentration on the Golconda-Vadrian Hill trend. The alignment of these workings forms a strong north-easterly trend that is interpreted to be a major influence on the distribution of gold mineralisation in the area. The trend is thought to represent a strong structural corridor that has deformed the BIF and allowed strong fluid flow during periods of mineralisation. This trend is repeated throughout the project area aligning various workings and anomalous gold result.

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For further information about Coffee with Samso and Rooster Talks visit: www.samso.com.au

Samso is primarily a consulting company that delivers digital information to the market in terms of creating organic content.

Samso simplifies your story to customers or investors. Samso creates organic content for you to engage your audience and BRAND yourself to them.

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Working with allows exposing our Insights to over 1.2 million monthly unique views internationally.

Samso has nearly 30 years of experience in developing business ideas and concepts in the Australasian region.

Samso has worked primarily in the mineral resources industry, capital markets and corporate finance. Noel Ong is the founder of SAMSO.

Disclaimer

Samso and affiliated companies accept no responsibility for any claim, loss or damage as a result of information provided or its accuracy. The information provided is general in nature, not financial product advice, see a financial expert before making any investment decision. Your personal objectives, financial situation or needs have not been taken into consideration. There may be a conflict of interest present with commercial arrangements with companies and/or stock held. Samso or an associate may receive a commission for funds raised.

Political tensions have been stirred up in North Macedonia by the government's failure to deliver its first COVID-19 vaccination shot while neighboring countries boast about progress in their vaccination programs.

A government statement in Skopje on February 12 said "technical" issues had delayed the expected delivery of 8,000 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines from neighboring Serbia this week.

The handover of vaccines had been expected on February 11 during a ceremony at the Tabanovce border crossing that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had been scheduled to attend. Vucic's office said more documentation was needed after the event was canceled.

North Macedonia has yet to secure a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine for its population of 2.1 million.

The main opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, called on the center-left government to resign after the latest delay. It said "incompetence" on the part of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev had forced him to "beg other countries for vaccines.

North Macedonia is hoping to receive 840,000 vaccine doses in February under a scheme led by the World Health Organization to help poorer countries immunize their populations. But manufacturing delays in recent weeks have held up those plans -- as well as similar plans for Ukraine and Moldova.

Earlier this week, the Macedonian authorities signed an agreement to receive 200,000 doses of the Chinese SinoPharm vaccine. They hope to launch their vaccination program later in February.

Another 800,000 vaccines are expected to arrive in the country later in 2021 through the EU. But officials in Skopje also have asked neighbors Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia for assistance, along with Poland and Hungary.

Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service and AP
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

In the early 1970s, the field of neuroradiology was still in its formative years, and among its early practitioners was Dr. John Bentson, at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. As he helped patients with the aid of new technology like the CT scan and computer imaging, he saw an opportunity for innovation.

A subspecialty of radiology, neuroradiology involves diagnosing and treating ailments in the brain, spinal cord and nerves. One tool used in treatment is the combination of an angiographic guidewire and catheter, essentially a slender wire and tube. Inserted through the leg, it can aid with the injection of contrast dye for diagnostic brain imaging and the treatment of aneurysms. At the time, however, guidewires were rigid and at worst could injure a blood vessel. Dr. Bentson decided to design a better type.

He conceived of a more supple guidewire that also featured a flexible tip, and after UCLA built an early prototype for him, other neuroradiologists started using his model. Cook Medical began manufacturing the device in 1973, and its still in use today, commonly known as a Bentson guidewire.


Gina Carano appeared as Cara Dune on the first two seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney+. After Caranos social media posts drew controversy, Lucasfilm announced on Feb. 10 that Carano was no longer part of the cast of The Mandalorian. Once the news of Caranos firing was made public, fans of The Mandalorian reacted online.

Gina Carano | Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Gina Carano is not part of The Mandalorian cast

For months, Carano had been at odds with some fans of The Mandalorian for her social media activity. Following a recent controversy, io9 reported that Lucasfilm released a statement that Carano was fired from the franchise.

Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future, reads the statement. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.

The Hollywood Reporter published that Lucasfilm planned to unveil Carano as the star of her own Disney+ series but scrapped those plans following her November tweets.

Why Gina Carano was fired from The Mandalorian

Over the past few months, Carano brought negative publicity to The Mandalorian for her controversial social media activity. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress mocked mask-wearing amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and falsely suggested voter fraud occurred during the 2020 presidential election.

RELATED: When Does The Mandalorian Season 3 Return To Disney+? Its Already in the Works

Following this controversy, Carano shared a post suggesting that having conservative views in the U.S. was the same as living in Nazi Germany. This post reportedly resulted in Lucasfilm making the decision to fire Carano.

According to Deadline, Carano wrote:

Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighborseven by children. Because history is edited, most people today dont realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views.

Star Wars fans reacted to the news

Before Carano was fired by Lucasfilm, some Star Wars fans used the hashtag #FireGinaCarano to push for her to lose her job. Once Lucasfilm fired Carano for her social media posts, other fans trended #CancelDisneyPlus on Twitter as a form of protest.

Despite the hashtag against Disney+, fans of The Mandalorian on Reddit seemed to be understanding about Carano no longer being on the show.

RELATED: The Mandalorian: Some Fans Think Gina Carano Needs to Go  Not Just Because of Her Controversial Tweets

As far as Cara Dunes story goes in the Mandalorian, they pretty much left it at a fairly decent point. She took the job offered to her by the x-wing pilot so now theres pretty much no real need to bring the character back. Sure they could, but shes not absolutely essential to the show, a fan wrote on Reddit.

 shes not the best actress but I really enjoyed Cara Dune as a character and concept I tried really hard to separate the actor from the character during S2 but I just kept looking at her and thinking about how awful she is and all the harmful things shes said. Totally ruined it for me, another fan wrote on Reddit.
A Mumbai auto driver, Mr Desraj, has been receiving showers of praises and assistance from strangers after a profile of his, done by the Humans of Bombay, went viral. According to the profile, Desraj is the sole breadwinner of his family since the deaths of his two sons, and plies autorickshaw every day to make ends meet and support his wife, daughter-in-law, and his four grandchildren. A media report also claims that he has sold off his house to educate his granddaughter so that she can become a teacher.

Six years ago, he lost his eldest son to an accident and his body was not discovered for almost a week. Desraj, however, did not even get time to grieve as the financial burden on him doubled up overnight.

So, the next day, he went out to work. While he struggled to support his deceased son's family, fate dealt him another hard blow. His younger son died by suicide. In the profile by Humans of Bombay, Desraj said, "While driving, I got a callYour sons body has been found on platform number 4, suicide kar liya hai usne. Do beto ki chitaon ko aag diya hain maine, isse buri baat ek baap ke liye kya ho sakti hai? (I have lit the funeral pyres of two sons. For a father, there cannot be a worse situation than this)."

However, Desraj struggled on to keep his four grandchildren's education going, and making sure the family had food to eat. In an NDTV interview, Desraj said, "On most days, we'd barely have anything to eat." However, after the two tragic deaths in the family and the constant struggles, Desraj saw a glimmer of happiness when his granddaughter scored 80 per cent in her class twelve board exams. He was so ecstatic that he gave free rides to strangers on his auto, just to celebrate her success.

After passing the twelfth standard, when his granddaughter expressed the desire to travel to Delhi to do a B.Ed, Desraj didn't deter her ambition, despite not having any financial capacity to facilitate her higher education. In order to pay for his granddaughter's education, he sold off his Mumbai home and sent his family to live with his relatives in their village.

His granddaughter is currently doing her B.Ed course, and he cannot wait for her to become a teacher. In the interview to NDTV, Desraj said, "I can't wait for her to become a teacher, so that I can hug her and say, 'You've made me so proud.' She's going to be the first graduate in our family."

In the meantime, he is still plying customers from Khar Danda Naka, and eating and sleeping in auto number 160 every day. Apart from an outpour of social media comments, Congress's Archana Dalmia and former Union Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology and Shipping Milind Deora have also addressed Desraj's plight.

Mass vaccine sites in eight cities across Alabama combined to give more than 76,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines this week as the state looked to surge its delivery.

But some of those sites may not open at all next week, or will operate at a lower capacity than they did this week.

Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said Friday that the state doesnt get allocated enough doses every week to supply those drive-thru clinics at the same rates, and that some of the sites may choose not to run the drive-thru clinics next week.

Clearly this is a successful model, wed like to continue doing it, Harris said Friday in a media call. But we dont, at the moment, have the ability to continue doing these week after week.

Many of the drive-thru sites were designed to be part of a one-week surge and will not be open every week. Some, like the three locations in the Birmingham area operated by UAB, will remain open using UAB Hospitals allocations of vaccine supply.

RELATED: How, where to get COVID vaccine in Alabama

Harris said the state gets between 60,000 and 70,000 first dose shots per week, roughly 30,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 40,000 of the Moderna vaccine. The drive-thru clinics gave out more first doses this week than the state receives on average each week.

Harris said the state used essentially the entire supply of Pfizer vaccine it received last week to supply the drive-thru clinics.

Each site is administered by a nearby hospital, which provides the personnel and equipment needed to operate the clinic and receives the shipments of vaccine from federal providers.

The Montgomery site was designed as a one-week surge location and has not announced plans to reopen after this week.

The Selma clinic ended operations on Wednesday afternoon after giving out all of its doses in just three days.

Maegan Austin, spokeswoman for the Vaughan Regional Medical Center in Selma, said the Selma site will host a once-a-week clinic by ADPH on Thursdays, but will not re-open as a mass vaccine site until hospital receives another large supply of vaccine.

Harris said it will be up to each individual clinic whether to keep their drive-thru operation open going forward.

Any provider who receives [vaccine] product is certainly free to give it out however they like, he said. You know, some providers might prefer to have a drive-up, walk-in kind of large-scale clinic setting. Some may want to do it by appointments one at a time.

He said these operations can be a labor-intensive process, and may not make sense if the clinics are offering a lower number of appointments.

Typically speaking, youre transporting everything, every piece of equipment and all your personnel and all your items you need from a location where youre already doing vaccination to somewhere where youre not doing vaccination, Harris said. And so theyre just kind of resource intensive to do. And I think unless you have a whole lot of vaccine to give really, really fast, generally speaking, people arent going to do them in a mass clinic setting.

The breakdown of shots administered at each mass clinic as of Friday morning is as follows:

Birmingham (3 sites) -- 12,139 doses

Huntsville -- 12,000 doses

Mobile (4 sites) -- 22,325 doses

Anniston -- 5,000 doses

Dothan -- 6,100 doses

Montgomery -- 8,000 doses

Selma -- 5,000 doses

Tuscaloosa -- 5,889 doses

Total -- 76,453 doses

Some clinics will continue to administer doses Friday and Saturday, and Harris said the totals may increase as there may be longer than normal lags in entering data from the remote sites.

Spokespeople for the Birmingham, Huntsville, Dothan sites said those locations would remain open next week, though some would do so at a reduced capacity. The USA Health clinic in Mobile says it will continue to schedule appointments to receive the vaccine through its online registry. AL.com is working to establish which of the other sites will remain open next week.

*Updated at 3 p.m. with new total numbers from the vaccine sites
Wyoming SBDC Network Offers New Way to Shop Local Through Online Marketplace

Wyoming small businesses can now sell their products on a new, no-fee e-commerce marketplace.

As part of the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Networks expanding services through the CARES Act Recovery Assistance program, the Wyoming SBDC Network, based at the University of Wyoming, partnered with Member Marketplace Inc. to launch shopwyoming.com, a one-stop, e-commerce site for Wyoming entrepreneurs. This site allows customers to shop and check out from multiple Wyoming-grown businesses at once, and gives retailers the opportunity to reach new and existing local and national customers through one unique, state-centric platform.

Customers are interested in buying local and supporting their communities but, oftentimes, it can be time-consuming to visit multiple stores to find what theyre looking for, says Jill Kline, state director of the Wyoming SBDC Network. A key component of this platform is that local small businesses can all sell on one website, which provides an incredible convenience and a variety of product offerings for shoppers to choose from, then buy with just one checkout.

There is no cost to become a retailer on the Shop Wyoming platform. A business just needs to become a Wyoming SBDC Network client, fill out the Shop Wyoming application, and meet with an adviser to discuss training and implementation opportunities.

Businesses have already started adding products to the site. Shoppers should check back frequently as more businesses add products and join the Shop Wyoming business directory. If businesses are interested in adding items for sale, they are encouraged to email or call their Wyoming SBDC Network advisers by going to www.wyomingsbdc.org/contact, or email Shop Wyoming Project Manager Audrey Jansen at audrey.jansen@uwyo.edu.

For more information, visit the website at www.shopwyoming.com.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no-cost advising and technical assistance to help Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. In 2020 alone, the Wyoming SBDC Network helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 95 new businesses; support 6,954 jobs; and bring a capital impact of $18 million to the state. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Jim Pantaleano notched win number 8,000 Thursday (Feb. 11) at The Meadows when he drove Caviart Rockland to victory in the sixth race.

A total of 8,000 victories would be impressive for any driver, but its especially remarkable for Pantaleano, whose driving career began in the most unconventional of ways. The Cleveland native, who grew up in the shadow of Northfield Park, was working as a busboy at Northfields clubhouse, watching races through the window, and thought hed like to try that.

I love competing, whether its playing a board game with family or wrestling in high school, Pantaleano said. Imagining a career where I got to compete every day was my dream.

Even when he studied for two years at Muskingum College, the dream wouldnt die.

I never even declared a major. I just wasnt finding my way.

Instead of returning to school, he went from barn to barn at Northfield, soliciting drives. It was, to say the least, an uncertain path to success, but it worked. Pantaleano drove his first winner in 1985 and enjoyed perhaps his finest season in 2010 when he logged 436 wins, more than $5.4 million in purses and a UDR of .296. Overall, his horses have earned over $58.5 million.

Those whove become Pantaleano fans only in recent years may not be aware that hes an accomplished trainer as well, with 1,543 wins and earnings of nearly $6.2 million since 1991 when the USTA began tracking trainer statistics. But he hasnt sent out a horse since 2009.

When I went to the East Coast to drive, he recalled, I found that catch driving there was a full-time job. You cant really train a stable and catch drive there. You cant be in five places at once.

These days, Pantaleano leaves the training to his wife Christen.

She lets me help her, mostly with the grunt work, he jokes.

For the future, Pantaleano indicated he doesnt plan any major changes.

My goals are to stay healthy and keep winning races. As long as Im able to compete at a high level, Ill just keep doing it. Id rather race for a $4,000 purse with a horse thats competitive than drive in a $400,000 race with an also-ran.

Macadoodledoo stung The Wall to the quarter, then powered by him in the Lightning Lane to capture Thursdays $16,200 Open Handicap Pace at The Meadows.

The Wall was forced to a :26.4 opening panel over a "sloppy" surface before Macadoodledoo released him to the pocket. That was just the edge the six-year-old Somebeachsomewhere-Pirouette Hanover gelding needed, as he brushed for Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. and defeated The Wall by a half length in 1:52. Rock Candy found late room for third.

Ron Burke trains Macadoodledoo, who lifted his lifetime bankroll to $221,425, for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, LLC.

Aaron Merriman piloted four winners on the 13-race card while Wrenn and Burke teamed for three victories. Dave Palone also enjoyed a productive Thursday with three wins.

Live racing at The Meadows continues Friday (Feb. 12) when the 13-race program features an $8,708.99 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5. First post is 12:45 p.m. (EST).

(The Meadows)
Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2021 ) :France on Friday recommended that people who have already recovered from Covid-19 infection receive a single vaccine dose, becoming the first country to issue such advice.

Its public health authority said that people who had previously been infected with Covid-19 develop an immune response similar to that bestowed by a vaccine dose, and that a single dose after infection would likely suffice.

A Cork man who raped his partner's semi-comatose teenage niece when she was sleeping over at their home after a night out has been jailed for seven years.

The 27-year-old man, who can not be named to protect the victim's identity, was convicted of raping the 17-year-old girl at his Co Cork home on August 27, 2017 by a jury following a trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork last year. He has no previous convictions.

Mr Justice Alex Owens noted that during the trial the accused man had given evidence that the young woman had been a willing participant but that the reality was different.

He said she had been drinking and was in a comatose condition on the bed when the accused man had pulled down her jeans and raped her, before telling her not to tell anyone.

Mr Justice Owens said it had been a gross breech of trust and he had known full well she was in no condition to resist. He noted the accused man had then tried to cover his tracks and was fully aware he had taken advantage of a semi comatose girl.

He noted that in the probation report the man said the girl had not been intoxicated enough not to know what she was doing and on his account he was the victim of a seduction.

He noted the substantial harm caused to the victim and the seriously damaged relationships within her family. He noted in mitigation the man's previous good character and the testimonials handed into court.

Mr Justice Owens imposed a sentence of seven years imprisonment and ordered four years post release supervision.

In her victim impact statement, the now 21 year old woman, said the offence had left her feeling vulnerable, as well as dirty and violated. She said she had spent a long three years trying to heal only to have to come to court and tell her story again.

She said everyone around her has been effected by the offence and a hole has been left in her family after she had not been believed by her aunt, whom she had grown up admiring.

She said she now hopes to put the offence behind her and hopes that he will never be able to do this to anyone again.

Siobhan Lankford SC, defending, said the accused man is still in a relationship with the girl's aunt and his family is supportive of him.

She outlined he had a good work history but has lost his career as a consequence of his actions. She said he has not come to any garda attention while on bail.

Additional Evidence

A local garda told Thomas Creed SC, prosecuting, that the girl had been socialising with family members including her aunt and the accused that evening and had ended up sleeping in a bedroom in her aunts home.

During the night the accused man left his bedroom, went to where the girl was sleeping, kissed her and asked her if she will on the pill. He then raped her and went back to his own bedroom.

The following day the accused man drove her home and she pretended not to remember anything.

When she got home she told her mother she had woken up during the night to the accused man having sex with her. Garda were alerted and she was examined at a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit.

The accused man told gardai that he and the girl had been kissing and she had not given verbal agreement but discussed if she was on the pill and it happened.

The investigation found the accused man had searched the internet about rape and 'what is rape' before gardai arrived at his home.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) told e-commerce major Amazon on Friday that it has no 'locus standi' in Future Group plea to hold a shareholder meeting.

The tribunal further stated that Amazon should not be a perpetual objector. It heard Future Group's appeal to convene a shareholder meet. Meanwhile, Amazon sought to file an "interlocutory application" in NCLT proceedings, CNBC TV18 reported. The tribunal will resume hearing in the matter at 4 pm on Friday.

Amazon had on Thursday moved the Supreme Court (SC) in a bid to block Future Group's Rs 24,713-crore deal with Reliance.

Also Read: Amazon vs Future Retail: E-comm giant moves SC against Biyani's deal with Reliance

The development came after a recent Delhi High Court judgement that stayed a previous order on the status quo of the deal, ruling that statutory authorities cannot be restrained from acting in accordance with the law.

The High Court order on Monday came over an urgent petition moved by Future Retail Ltd (FRL) after a single-member bench directed maintaining status-quo over its deal with Reliance.

The scheme of arrangement had already received approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) with no objection from SEBI and bourses, following which it had approached NCLT Mumbai on January 26, 2021.

Last month, Amazon had approached the Delhi High Court seeking enforcement of an interim order of the Emergency Arbitrator (EA) at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) that had restrained FRL from going ahead with its deal with Reliance.

Also Read: Future-Reliance deal: Delhi HC stays single-bench status quo order

Justice Midha directed the FRL and other parties to maintain the status quo until the pronouncement of the reserved order.

Amazon and Future have been locked in a bitter legal tussle after the US e-commerce giant dragged the Future Group to arbitration at SIAC, arguing that the latter had violated their contract by entering into a deal with rival Reliance.

Amazon had invested in Future Coupons in August 2019, with the option of buying into the flagship Future Retail after a period of three to 10 years.

In August last year, the Future Group had entered into a deal with billionaire Mukesh Ambani's RIL to sell its retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing units in a Rs 24,713-crore deal.

On October 25, 2020, an interim award was passed in favour of Amazon with a single-judge bench of V K Rajah barring Future Retail from taking any step to dispose of or encumber its assets or issuing any securities to secure any funding from a restricted party.

VENICE, Fla., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ned Davis Research (NDR) today announces its partnership with C8 Technologies, the first global marketplace for asset owners, funds, banks and index providers. NDR's comprehensive, historical data with C8's top-tier user experience platform disrupts the status quo of direct indexing by increasing access among investors to active, tradeable indices.

"Over the past 5 years, we've seen growing demand among our clients globally to access our highly renowned models for direct investment," said Brian Sanborn, Senior Vice President of Wealth Management Solutions at Ned Davis Research. "This new partnership with C8 simplifies the implementation of NDR's insights, while giving investors the flexibility to tailor a solution specific to their portfolio's mandate."

Using the C8 platform, investors can directly trade assets based on NDR's models gaining access to institutional-grade investment strategies at a lower cost. The client executes the trades through their existing broker or bank, as opposed to committing to a fund or structure and pass over custody of the capital. The strategy therefore offers investors greater transparency into their positions and an ability to customize their portfolio, crucial for ESG investing, without the costs associated with sub-allocating capital to external managers. There are significant tax-loss harvesting benefits, as well.

Investors will gain access to NDR's proprietary models and research, including the NDR Dynamic Allocation Strategy, the Day Hagan/NDR Smart SectorTM with Catastrophic Stop Strategy, and the NDR Global Allocation Strategy.

Mattias Eriksson, CEO of C8 Technologies, adds: "The simplification of direct indexing means that it is easier to act on NDR's research to stay ahead of the market. C8 streamlines regulatory concerns and ultimately democratizes advanced investment techniques, bringing them to a wider audience of investors."

For both C8 and NDR, this partnership represents a dedication to providing the highest quality service and agility necessary to meet the evolving needs of their clients.

About Ned Davis Research (NDR)

See the Signals. Avoid Mistakes.

NDR uses the weight of the evidence and a 360-degree approach to build up to market insights. When we say "evidence," we mean processing millions of data series to fuel a historical perspective, building proprietary indicators and models, and calming investors in a world full of bull/bear news hype and hysteria. We believe that no client is too big or too small to benefit from NDR's insights.

In 1980, Ned Davis founded a new investment research group based on his fundamental belief that making money is more important than being right. Today, we are widely recognized for concise commentary and objective views. NDR is headquartered in Nokomis, Florida, with offices in New York, Montreal, London, Hong Kong, and Sydney.

Media Contact: Becky Nye, Director, Montieth & Company, [email protected]

About C8 Technologies

C8 Technologies is a provider of strategic decision support tools and services for the global investment community. We create industry-leading, research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight and improved-transparency across their investment process. Utilizing over 20 years of expertise in index-research and trade-execution, C8 powers better investment decisions through Direct Investing, which enables clients to maintain full control of their own capital by trading the underlying assets. C8 was formed in 2017 and has offices in London, Shanghai, and New York.

Media Contact: Ivo Forde, Director, Fin International, [email protected]

SOURCE Ned Davis Research (NDR)

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New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Delhi Police on Friday clarified that the murder of a 25-year-old man in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri area was due to a business rivalry, and no communal angle should be attributed to it.

Rinku Sharma was stabbed to death allegedly by a man known to him, and his three friends, following an argument at a birthday party late on Wednesday night.

The clarification by the police has come after some organisations started giving communal overtones to the murder, and hashtag Justice for Rinku Sharma trended on Twitter.

Four persons -- Danish, Islam, Zahid and Mehtab, accused of being involved in the case, have been arrested.

"So far, during investigation, it has surfaced that the quarrel started during a birthday party over shutting down of a restaurant. All persons are known to each other and live in the same locality. Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong," said A Koan, DCP, Outer Delhi.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The tightly argued and emotionally raw presentations by House impeachment managers have raised the stakes for Republican senators sitting in judgment of Donald Trump. If the former president's actions that led to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol are not judged as impeachable, are there any penalties that Republicans are prepared to impose to hold him accountable?

Wednesday's presentations by the House managers asked everyone in the Senate chamber and beyond to confront anew the horrors of the attack on the Capitol. With fresh security video, the managers were able to highlight the viciousness of the rioters and how close things came to an even worse disaster. Even though everyone in the Senate chamber had lived through the attacks when they happened, the video timeline assembled by the House managers brought the dangers of the day back with unexpected force.

Thursday's presentations had different purposes. One was to show that what happened on Jan. 6 was not a one-off event, but an almost predictable culmination of years of behavior by a president whose exhortations to attack his rivals were absorbed and then acted upon by his loyalists. A second was to remind everyone of the lingering and lasting effects of the trauma on lawmakers, their staffs, law enforcement officers and Capitol support employees. A third was to anticipate and offer a prebuttal to the defense from Trump's lawyers.

On Friday, the former president's legal team had its turn. Based on its performance during Tuesday's opening statements, Trump and Republicans supporting him had reason to be nervous.

Much of what they offered Friday was repetitive and not directly on point. They used fewer than three of the 16 hours allotted to them. And they stumbled as they tried to answer some of the senators' questions. But overall, their presentation likely was adequate to satisfy Republicans with a predeliction to acquit the former president.

Still, Trump's team began and ended its rebuttal on the defensive. House Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., had stitched together a case that was both legally compelling and viscerally gut-wrenching, befitting the shocking events that brought the former president into the dock of the Senate for the second time in little more than a year.

Nothing was left to the imagination. No ground went unexplored. The managers' case included a review of Trump's efforts to poison the ground before the election by claiming that the only way he could lose was by fraud. The managers focused on the days immediately after the election, when Trump lodged the first claims that the election was being stolen, long before all the ballots had been counted.

They focused on the wild claims made by Trump's lawyers, led by Rudolph W. Giuliani, that included assertions of widespread fraud based on outlandish conspiracy theories for which there was no evidence and flat-out falsehoods about ghost voters and the like. They pointed to his efforts to force Georgia officials to overturn the results there. They made clear that nearly everything Trump and his team said was quickly internalized by supporters - the gospel according to their ultimate leader.

They focused on Trump's appeals to supporters to rally in Washington on Jan. 6 and on the pressure he applied to Vice President Mike Pence to block the ratification of the electoral college vote that day (though Pence had no constitutional authority to do so). They pointed repeatedly to Trump's speech on Jan. 6, interspersing his words with the voices of the mob invading the Capitol and shouting, "Fight for Trump," while claiming they were there because he had asked them to be there.

They showed a president with no remorse as the Capitol was under assault, and who took no action as his vice president and congressional leaders were in hiding in the building as the rioters chanted "Hang Pence" and "Where are you, Nancy?" - a reference to the House speaker. They reiterated again and again that the president did nothing to call off the attack as it was happening and in a video that day continued to claim the election had been stolen.

They focused on the years of rhetoric by the president encouraging supporters at rallies to rough up protesters; on his claim that there were "very fine people on both sides" when white supremacists descended on Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 for a rally that ended with the death of Heather Heyer.

They highlighted his repeated attacks on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, who had dared to criticized him, as armed protesters descended on the Capitol in Lansing and even after she was the target of an alleged assassination plot.

It was a presentation both of the moment - the events leading up to and including Jan. 6 - and one that showed what the managers described as a pattern and practice of Trump's behavior that inevitably led to the storming of the Capitol.

Perhaps it won't matter what kind of defense Trump's legal team presented. Twice now, 44 Republicans have voted against even proceeding with the trial on the grounds that it is unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial for a president who is no longer in office. Although six Republican senators voted to go ahead with the trial, it is not known how many of the six are prepared to vote to convict Trump. Even if they all are, the House managers need 11 more Republicans - a high hill to climb.

But do all 44 Republican senators who voted to question the constitutionality of the trial truly believe that a former official cannot be tried? Or were those votes merely signs that they would rather decide the case on a legal debate rather than on squarely facing the conduct of the former president? Were those two procedural votes based on their own reading of the Constitution or on mere party loyalty and fear of a man who still has the capacity to make their lives difficult?

After all, they have seen the swift response by rank-and-file Republicans to any who stray from adherence to Trump - from Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming to Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska and even Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who after hearing the two sides argue the constitutionality of the trial found the Trump lawyers' argument so underwhelming that he voted to go ahead.

The presentation by the House managers made finding exit ramps more difficult for GOP senators, but Trump's team tried to provide them. They argued that the speech Trump delivered on Jan. 6 is protected by the First Amendment. They said that the House managers failed to prove that what he did meets the definition of inciting an insurrection. They used endless clips of Democrats using the word "fight" to suggest that Trump's use of the same word had no ominous meaning, though the context was entirely different.

Still, Republicans will have to stretch themselves to conclude that, while those who invaded the Capitol face criminal prosecution, the person who brought them to Washington, stirred them to anger with lies about a stolen election and did nothing to stop the riot while it was underway should pay no price whatsoever. If the price of conviction at trial and possible prohibition from ever running again seems too steep, they have the option of imposing the far lesser penalty of a censure by the Senate once the trial is over.

Trump's lawyers were in the spotlight on Friday. Now the focus will be on the Republican members of the Senate and the question of what precedent will be set for the actions and behavior of future presidents by the judgments they ultimately reach. The stakes are real.
FULTON, Miss. (WTVA) - Katherine Williams, a 7th grader at Itawamba Attendance Center, gets a puppy that will be trained as her seeing-eye-dog.

Katherine Williams has a degenerative eye condition called Stargardt's. She is legally blind in one eye right now, and her vision will get worse.

Katherine Williams and her new seeing-eye-dog Apollo. Katherine Williams and her new seeing-eye-dog Apollo.

"I can see stuff up close and I can see stuff enlarged," Williams explained.

Someone will train the puppy to be her future seeing-eye-dog.

Glenda and Jeff Reese donated the puppy to Williams.

The dog is a Golden Retriever the Reese family bred.

"We felt like we needed to do it; she is just a young girl that needed some help," Glenda Reese said.

She is a teacher at the school and knows Williams' mother.

School administrators set up a scavenger hunt at school to lead her to her special surprise.

The last clue led her to the Reese family in the cafeteria where they had the puppy.

Her family and classmates were all there to watch Williams meet her new friend.

The Reese family named the puppy Apollo because it is the Greek god of sunlight.

Jeff Reese said, "We are hoping that it sheds a light for her and it helps her out."

Williams says she plans to keep the dog's name as Apollo.
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The puzzle pieces for "The Last of Us" are falling into place. This time, it has been confirmed that "Game of Thrones" actress Bella Ramsey will join the cast members.

After a few years of waiting, one of the most critically acclaimed video games will finally receive a series adaptation. And on Wednesday, Variety confirmed that Ramsey has been cast to play the role of Ellie.

She will work with Pedro Pascal, who has been confirmed to play Joel's role.

The newest development came nearly a year after HBO announced that it would be working with Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions to create the series.

The platform also began collaborating with Neil Druckmann, a BAFTA awardee, and executive producer Craig Mazin for the show.

With Ramsey's arrival, she beat other actresses who were once eyed for the role, including Kaitlyn Dever, McKenna Grace and Sophia Lilis, among others.

Ramsey truly outshined them all, but there are several reasons why she is the perfect actress to join the franchise.

Why Bella Ramsey Deserves Ellie Role in "The Last of Us"

While there are many teen breakout stars in the world, Bella Ramsey has undoubtedly won the spotlight.

The now-17-year-old actress started establishing her career in 2016.

Just the fact that she was able to join the award-winning GoT franchise as Lyanna Mormont already proves that she got what it takes to be "The Last of Us" Ellie.

Her stint as a young noblewoman from 2016 to 2019 honed her acting skills. Although GoT played a huge role in her career, the young actress showed that she is worthy of any role by starring in other flicks.

In GoT, she debuted in "The Broken Man," which made her earn critical acclaims from critics and fans. She has been repeatedly called "season 6's breakout star" by The Hollywood Reporter, and her status allowed her to continue acting for the series' next two seasons.

Her acting also wowed the British Academy Children's Awards, as she won the Young Performer award in 2019 for her titular role Mildred Hubble in "The Worst Witch."

The best recognition she got yet was a nod from BAFTA in 2019 when she brought home the Best Young Performer award.

Her young age also perfectly fits Ellie's role, who is a 14-year-old orphan in the series.

Ramsey will surely show more once "The Last of Us" officially arrives.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles


Over the past 10 years, Egyptians had to deal with security issues many times, which made the authorities issue curfew regulations keeping people indoors mainly for the night for example. This happened, for example, during the 25 January Revolution in 2011 when a curfew was declared during the massive demonstrations of 28 January, the Friday of Rage, though protesters, notably in Tahrir Square, did not comply with these regulations. The second curfew was much more tightly enforced, and it was declared after security forces stormed the two camps set up by supporters of the ousted president Mohamed Morsi in Rabaa Al-Adawiya and Al-Nahda Square on 14 August 2013.



Amir Ramsess latest film Curfew is set during these tight security measures. Although the title suggests that it might contain a political message, the script only mentions politics by way of a general comment made by the main characters about the security situation on the streets on two occasions.



The film, also written by Ramses, opens with the release of Faten (Elham Shahin) from prison in autumn 2013. The first couple of scenes show Fatens daughter Laila (Amina Khalil) and her husband Hassan (Ahmed Magdi) receiving Faten at the prison, but Ramses intentionally creates some confusion as a means to capture the audiences attention. He delays revealing the primary information about the main characters identity, relationship and background. The first confrontation between Faten and Laila shows that the Laila has negative feelings for her mother.



Ramses delves into Fatens inner confusion as she enters her apartment, where she murdered her husband 20 years ago. On the other hand the script gradually reveals the incident through flashbacks. Using this technique helps let the audience complete the picture and slowly understand what pushed the main character to commit this crime.



In one conversation between Laila and Faten, the daughter angrily asks her mother what she had done, as a child, to deserve to lose both her parents and become without family immediately. She wants an answer to the reason behind that crime, but Faten remains silent, insisting on not revealing the truth to her daughter until the end of the film.



Perhaps what is remarkable about this film is not so much the main plot and the heroes, but rather the secondary characters who possess rather more human depth rather than the main characters.



Fatens neighbour Yahia Shokry Murad (played by Kamel El Basha, the Palestinian actor who won the 2017 Venice best actor award for his role in Ziad Doueiris Insult), is an alcoholic former teacher who listens to Abdel-Halim Hafez all the time, demonstrating his romantic personality. He suffers from diabetes which cost him a foot, and at the end of the film it is implied that he kills himself. He seems to be in love with Faten, who is seen thanking him for not revealing her secret. One rumour about the murder has it that it took place after the husband caught them cheating on him, and that is why no one talks to Yahia. (Though his Yahia is otherwise unrelated, Ramses, whose career began as an assistant to Youssef Chahine for five years, names the character after Chahines alter ego in his autobiographical films, Yahia Shokry Murad, by way of a tribute.)



Another neighbour of Fatens is Fawzia or Om Salama (Arfa Abdel-Rasoul) who is always fighting with her pet cat Shehata. Everyone is convinced that she has lost track of time and that is why she keeps forgetting things, but she confesses to Faten that she fakes her dementia to make people laugh. If they laugh they will not forget you she says. She also says she understands why Faten killed her husband.



But what is the dynamic underlying the action? The script shows that Faten, who seems very tender and helpless, has a powerful side to her personality. When she finds out that Sosta (Mahmoud Al-Leithi), a thug and tuk tuk driver who has been holding a party on the roof of the building since the start of the curfew, Faten insists on putting a stop to it. When she courageously threatens him, and later when she begs him to drive them to the hospital after Lailas daughter Donia falls suddenly ill, Laila develops positive feelings for her.



Only at the end does it become clear that Faten killed her husband because he was sexually abusing Laila. This film is not about abuse and murder, however, so much as the price a woman pays for protecting her daughter. That is why, in the flashback when the abuse occurs and the murder is committed, Laila and her father are watching a scene from a classic play, Ana Fein Wenty Fein (Where am I, and where are you) in which the great comedian Fouad Al-Mohandess sings to his daughter to comfort her before leaving, as he explains to her, to hunt down the wolf. Likewise Faten, who leaves after hunting down the wolf who molests her daughter.



The film is set in a middle class neighborhood in a building from the beginning of the 20th century, which adds to the beauty of the picture as a whole especially the building interiors: the stairs and the apartment doors. It also helps to eliminate economic considerations as a factor in crime, which results rather from psychological ruin.



The film premiered at the official competition of the Cairo International Film Festival last December, and earned Shahin the best actress award. It is now being screened on the OSN TV network.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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A new type of drug that helps target chemotherapy directly to cancer cells has been found to significantly increase survival of patients with the most common form of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial

A new type of drug that helps target chemotherapy directly to cancer cells has been found to significantly increase survival of patients with the most common form of bladder cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led in the UK by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.

The results are published in the New England Journal of Medicine and were presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology's Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

Urothelial cancer is the most common type of bladder cancer (90 percent of cases) and can also be found in the renal pelvis (where urine collects inside the kidney), ureter (tube that connects the kidneys to the bladder) and urethra. Globally, approximately 549,000 new cases of bladder cancer and 200,000 deaths are reported annually.

One of the most widely used treatments for this type of cancer is chemotherapy which works by targeting all the cells in the body, successfully acting upon cancer cells, but also affecting non-cancer cells, causing side effects.

A new class of drugs known as 'antibody-drug conjugates' (ADC) work by having an antibody attached to a chemotherapy-like drug. The antibody specifically targets and attaches to the cancer cells, bringing with it the chemotherapy-like drug, allowing it to only act upon those cancer cells and ignore normal cells in the body.

The trial involved 608 patients in 19 countries and tested a new ADC drug enfortumab vedotin, developed by Astellas Pharma Inc. and Seagen Inc., in adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who were previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and an immunotherapy drug called a PD-1/L1 inhibitor. It found that:

The risk of death was 30 per cent lower with the new drug than with chemotherapy, with a median survival of approximately 13 months for the new drug.

Median progression-free survival, which is the time without progression of cancer, was 5.6 months for the new drug vs. 3.7 months for chemotherapy

Overall response rate, the percentage of patients with either complete or partial response, was 40.6 percent vs. 17.9 percent of patients in the chemotherapy arm

The side effects of the drug were manageable and overall similar to chemotherapy.

Lead UK researcher, Tom Powles, Professor of Genitourinary Oncology at Queen Mary University of London, and Director of Barts Cancer Centre, Barts Health NHS Trust, said: "This new type of drug has led to a survival advantage in bladder cancer which has been difficult to achieve in this difficult disease. It reduced the death rate by 30 per cent and beat chemotherapy in every setting, so this really is a big deal."

###

Enfortumab vedotin was also found to have a tolerable safety profile. Side effects included pins and needles and a skin rash, which the research team say require careful management.

The drug is already available in the US after the Food and Drug Administration gave it accelerated approval and is currently awaiting regulatory approval in the UK. Researchers say it could be available to NHS patients in a few months if it goes through the Early Access Medicine Scheme (EAMS).

For more information, please contact:

Joel Winston

Communications Manager (School of Medicine and Dentistry)

Queen Mary University of London

j.winston@qmul.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)7968 267 064

Notes to the editor

* Research paper: 'Enfortumab Vedotin in Previously Treated Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma'. Thomas Powles, M.D., Jonathan E. Rosenberg, M.D., Guru P. Sonpavde, M.D., Yohann Loriot, M.D., Ph.D., Ignacio Duran, M.D., Ph.D., Jae-Lyun Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Nobuaki Matsubara, M.D., Christof Vulsteke, M.D., Ph.D., Daniel Castellano, M.D., Chunzhang Wu, Ph.D., Mary Campbell, M.D., Maria Matsangou, M.B., Ch.B., M.D., and Daniel P. Petrylak, M.D.

New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2035807

Available here after the embargo lifts:

http://www. nejm. org/ doi/ full/ 10. 1056/ NEJMoa2035807

About Queen Mary University of London

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

In 1785, Sir William Blizard established England's first medical school, The London Hospital Medical College, to improve the health of east London's inhabitants. Together with St Bartholomew's Medical College, founded by John Abernethy in 1843 to help those living in the City of London, these two historic institutions are the bedrock of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Today, Barts and The London continues to uphold this commitment to pioneering medical education and research. Being firmly embedded within our east London community, and with an approach that is driven by the specific health needs of our diverse population, is what makes Barts and The London truly distinctive.

Our local community offer to us a window to the world, ensuring that our ground-breaking research in cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, and population health not only dramatically improves the outcomes for patients in London, but also has a far-reaching global impact.

This is just one of the many ways in which Queen Mary is continuing to push the boundaries of teaching, research and clinical practice, and helping us to achieve the previously unthinkable.
Tamil Nadu: Fish stagnant as Sri Lanka bans dry fish import

February 12,2021 | Source: The Hindu

Tamil Nadu exporters of Maldive fish (maasi karuvaadu) are in a spicy situation as Sri Lanka, the major consumer of this dry seafood, has banned its import from India since November last. After the Union Government started giving attractive subsidy for constructing mechanised boats for multi-day deep sea tuna fishing, the number of boats involved in this fishing has increased sharply over the past few years. Consequently, the arrival of tuna in all fish landing centres of the State increased manifold to attract a good number of people towards making Maldive fish with tuna. Though fresh tuna is also being exported, 17% of the total catch of tuna is diverted for making Maldive fish, which is produced in Thoothukudi, Nagapattinam, Chennai, Ramanathapuram and other districts. After washing the tuna thoroughly, the entire digestive system of the fish is removed and cleaned again with water before being boiled. Then the boiled fish is dried hygienically for 8 to 10 days and packed for export.



After Sri Lankas ban came into force on November 5 last, the Maldive fish manufacturers, workers of these manufacturing units and those who were getting indirect employment are in deep trouble. Maldive fish producers of Thoothukudi district, who were exporting an average of 20 tonnes of maasi karuvaadu everyday to Sri Lanka, are in big soup after the island nations ban even as the neighbour continues to import this dry fish from Maldives, Pakistan and Iran.



When Maldives too faced the ban, the countrys External Affairs Minister visited Sri Lanka and ensured the immediate repeal of the ban. Though our External Affairs Minister visited Sri Lanka recently, the ban on Maldive fish apparently did not figure in his talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart. So, were in deep trouble as Maldive fish worth over Rs.500 crore, meant for export to Sri Lanka, is lying across the country, says P. Antony Selvasekar of Tharuvaikulam, one of the major Maldive fish producer and first-generation entrepreneur, whose godown has maasi karuvaadu worth Rs.1.50 crore due to the ban. For the loan I have availed for this business venture, I am paying Rs.2 lakh a month as interest alone, he says.



With the Maldive fish manufacturers abstaining from purchase due to the ban, one kg of tuna, which was sold for Rs.70, has dropped to Rs.50 a kg now at Tharuvaikulam, which receives 100 tonnes of tuna a day on an average. Each manufacturing unit, which has employed a minimum of 60 workers, are idle and labourers have been left unemployed for the past two months. While the labourers have no work, the traders who were buying the tuna waste for making broiler feed, are also out of business now. So, the State Government should take up this serious problem with the Centre for repealing the ban at the earliest, which will fetch huge amount of foreign exchange while ensuring the livelihood of thousands of people here, said Mr. Selvasekar.

 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD.
The British Empire was branded 'far worse than the Nazis' during a controversial debate about Sir Winston Churchill's legacy last night.

The wartime prime minister was also described by an academic as a 'white supremacist' who benefited from Britain's 'heavily skewed national story'.

The online discussion  held by Churchill College, Cambridge  on 'The Racial Consequences of Mr Churchill' looked at his 'backward' views on empire and race and was held as part of a year-long 'inclusivity' review.

Contributor Kehinde Andrews, a professor of black studies at Birmingham City University, said: 'The British Empire was far worse than the Nazis. They lasted longer and killed many more people.'

On Churchill, he added: 'There is no debate. His white supremacy is pretty much on record and the question here is why does Churchill still hold the level of popularity that he does? It's almost like he's been beatified  a saintly figure beyond reproach.' Professor Andrews has previously accused Britain of being 'built on racism' and called RAF airmen who bombed Nazi Germany war criminals.

The British Empire was branded 'far worse than the Nazis' during a controversial debate about Sir Winston Churchill's (pictured) legacy last night

Last night he also belittled the former PM's contribution to the country. He said: 'Was it Churchill out there fighting the war? I'm pretty sure it wasn't. I'm pretty sure he was at home.

'I'm pretty sure that if Churchill wasn't in the war it would have ended the same way.'

The comments at the debate held at the college, named in honour of Churchill, were condemned as 'execrable' by the former leader's grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames. The former Tory MP said: 'I think Sir Winston's reputation will withstand, with some ease, this sort of rant.

'I do think it's terribly disappointing that views like this are advanced at Churchill College.

'While there is every justification for historians examining the Churchill story, it's extraordinary that it should be seen in this way by a very limited audience.

'I'm afraid to say I have nothing but contempt for what these people have said.'

The online discussion  held by Churchill College, Cambridge (pictured)  on 'The Racial Consequences of Mr Churchill' looked at his 'backward' views on empire and race and was held as part of a year-long 'inclusivity' review

Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at Kent University, also criticised the comments, saying: 'The use of the Nazi metaphor is particularly squalid because [it suggests] what is seen as a moment of human evil that was quite unique in character is not as bad as what Britain had done in the past. It is a way of demeaning Britain's past.

'It is almost like you've got to come for Churchill because if you can destroy his reputation then the whole of Britain's past can be undermined.'

The college's website says Churchill 'must not be mythologised as a man without significant flaws' as 'on race he was backward even in his day'.

Professor Priya Gopal, a fellow at the college, was chairman at yesterday's meeting.

She accused Britain of a 'national silence', saying the debate was 'precisely to bring a long-overdue balance to a heavily skewed national story that has preferred untrammelled glorification to a balanced assessment in the round'. She added: 'Historians and scholars who don't think history should be treated as a comfort blanket or a warm bath with candles have to constantly negotiate weaponised fragility and, quite frankly, a degree of cowardice.'
(Natural News) President Joe Biden has scrapped a policy mandating that colleges and universities disclose all dealings with the Chinese government and its Confucius Institutes.

The policy was enacted by former President Donald Trump to encourage transparency amid growing evidence that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda was infiltrating Americas education system. Under the policy, institutions that failed to comply would lose certification for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program.

Documents from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs confirmed that Biden scrapped the policy on Jan. 26.

In 2018, Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act. As part of this bill, Sen. Ted Cruz placed a provision prohibiting funding to the Chinese-run Confucius Institute on American campuses. Based on previous reports, all but 10 of the 75 Confucius Institutes in the U.S. were located on a university campus.

Many schools have closed their Confucius Institute since, according to Human Rights Watch. Among that shut down their Confucius Institutes were Arizona State University, University of Oregon, Western Kentucky University and Indiana University. (Related: Pompeo: All Beijing-run Confucius Institutes in the US could be closed by year-end.)

But multiple institutions being scrutinized by the Department of Education have reportedly refused to provide internal documents. These documents are thought to contain evidence of undisclosed financial grants from the Chinese government.

Those institutions no longer need to provide those documents now, thanks to Bidens move to scrap the policy enacted by his predecessor.

Confucius Institute labeled as national security threat

U.S. intelligence agencies have previously labeled Confucius Institute as a national security threat.

Several universities have since trashed the programs, but many are still allowing what has been described as Chinese propaganda centers to operate on their campuses. This is despite warnings from intelligence officials that the CCP is using them to infiltrate U.S. society and indoctrinate Americans.

The level of naivete on the part of the academic sector about this creates its own issues, warned Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray to Congress in 2018. Theyre exploiting the very open research and development environment that we have, which we all revere. But theyre taking advantage of it.

While the academic sector appeared to be napping, the government authorities have been unrelenting.

In January, the Department of Justice arrested a Harvard professor, as well as two Chinese nationals for reportedly acting as foreign agents. Over the summer last year, the department also announced multiple criminal actions against Chinese researchers, including professors at Texas A&M University, the University of Arkansas (UArk) and the University of California system.

An engineering professor at the UArk was also arrested by the FBI and faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly hiding funding that he received from the communist Chinese government.

Republicans in Congress also expressed concerns that China is attempting to hinder U.S. coronavirus research by infiltrating universities in the country.

In May last year, the FBI issued a public service announcement warning of the Chinese governments intention to steal American medical research in its quest to find a cure for the coronavirus.

Gordon Chang, an expert on U.S.-China relations and author of The Coming China Collapse, told Campus Reform that estimates put the annual theft of American intellectual property at somewhere between $150-600 billion a year.

Some of that actually takes place on American college campuses. China has bought a number of college professors, a number of them have been fingered by the FBI and theyre pending investigations, and Chinese students have been engaged in activities  for instance, downloading entire databases for China, Chang said.

Chang also noted that the Confucius Institutes report in reality to the Communist Partys United Front Work Department. That means these are attempts to subvert other countries.

The U.S. is not permitted to have institutes like this in China. You dont have a Lincoln Center or Roosevelt Institute  we know that propaganda is absolutely critical to totalitarian regimes. Chang said.

They want to put forth narratives and restrict what is said about China on American campuses. Youve got to remember that the Chinese regime is deeply racist with its Han nationalist ideology. This is something we havent quite seen since The Third Reich.

On Aug. 13 last year, the Department of State required the Washington-based Confucius Institute US Center (CIUS) to register as a foreign mission, a designation that requires that the organization regularly provide information to the State Department about its personnel, recruiting, funding and operations in the U.S.

It was part of the Trump administrations broader concern that the CCP is using American university campuses to engage in espionage, spread propaganda and promote censorship.

At that time, CIUS described itself on its website as a registered U.S. non-profit organization that promotes a network of Confucius Institutes, which typically sponsor educational, language and cultural programs.

A State Department statement said the new designation is recognizing CIUS for what it is: An entity advancing Beijings global propaganda and malign influence campaign.

The Global Times, an English-language newspaper published in China and owned by CCP mouthpiece the Peoples Daily, dismissed the move as part of Trumps re-election effort to play the China card to shift domestic problems to win votes.

Universities from other countries cut ties with Confucius Institute

The Trump administration was hardly alone in scrutinizing Confucius Institutes. In May last year, Sweden closed its last remaining Confucius Institute, citing an increasingly strained relationship with China.

The University of Hamburg in Germany cut ties with its Confucius Institute by the end of last year, citing risks associated with political influence and information leak.

A Belgian university in December last year said it would end its contract with the Confucius Institute just months after Belgian authorities banned the head of the campus-based office from re-entering the country for national security reasons.

According to the website In the Name of Confucius, there have been at least 64 universities, two governments and one school board around the world that have cut ties with Confucius Institute as of 2020.

Follow JoeBiden.news for more news and information related to Joe Biden and his administration.

Sources include:

Summit.News

UniversityWorldNews.com

Globalist.news
If you own a smartwatch that runs on Wear OS, then this piece of news can come as a surprise for you. According to an email sent to Wear OS developers by Google, side-loading apps on Wear OS devices will get complicated starting March 10.

This means that you wont be able to sideload any apps from your phone, not available on the Google Play Store, on your Wear OS watch via the Play Store>>Apps section on your phone.

Notably, this move makes it more difficult to install unapproved apps on your Wear OS watch.

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Developer Malcolm Bryant reached out to Android Police and reported the email he received from Google. According to the email, this move is taken to part ways with the legacy embedded app model.

Apparently, this allowed the developers to add Wear OS codes to the apps themselves. Well, you might be wondering whats the end result of it?

Basically, removing this method of side-loading apps on Wear OS watches would make the phone apps smaller.

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And users wont need to download the extra bytes or MBs of the app that contains the Wear OS codes. This makes sense for users who do not have a Wear OS device.

Users will be required to enable developer options on their watchs settings and install apps via ADB

Bryant is feeling the fire because there are a bunch of his projects that make use of the legacy app model. This model is important for apps that are not available on the Google Play Store.

The average user will find it difficult to side-load any apps available outside of the Play Store on their Wear OS. The only solution to this is to use tools that are meant only for developers called Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

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Apparently, users now have to enable the developer options on their Wear OS watchs Settings. Then install the apps via ADB.

This move seems like Google is trying to tighten its control over its apps and devices. If you are not aware, Google recently introduced some measures to control side-loading a few Google apps on Android 11.

Further installing the Android apps on Chrome OS has been difficult without the use of the Play Store. So, it was about time such restrictions arrive for Wear OS.

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Moreover, Google also wants to separate Wear OS apps from Android apps. As noted by Android Police, many developers publishing apps on Google Play Store have already switched over to the new distribution model.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday demanded the US government "to pay" if it wants the Visiting Forces Agreement to remain in effect.

"I'd like to put on notice if there is an American agent here that from now on... You want the Visiting Forces Agreement done? You have to pay," Duterte said as he addressed troops at Clark Air Base in Pampanga.

"It is shared responsibility, but your share of responsibility does not come free," he said.

The VFA is a 1998 agreement between Manila and Washington on the protocol for American military personnel in the country. It is seen to support the Mutual Defense Treaty, another agreement between the Philippines and the US which guarantees that the two countries will provide military aid to each other in case their metropolitan areas or territories in the Pacific are attacked by a foreign force.

Among its controversial provisions are the lax visa and passport policies for American troops and the authority granted to the US government to retain jurisdiction over its soldiers if ever they commit crimes on Philippine soil.

EXPLAINER: The Visiting Forces Agreement

Last year, the Philippines sent the US a notice to terminate the VFA, a move that stemmed from the cancellation of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's visa due to alleged extrajudicial killings during his term as Philippine National Police chief from 2016 to 2018.

Duterte suspended the abrogation amid the coronavirus pandemic. In a speech in December, however, he threatened to push through with its termination if the US fails to deliver at least 20 million vaccine doses for the Philippines.

As far as Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is concerned, the troops want the VFA to stay, he said in an interview with ANC. The VFA was among the issues discussed by Lorenzana and his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin III. It was their first conversation following the recent inauguration of US President Joe Biden.

Duterte also lamented how the US government failed to deliver on its previous commitments to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, citing for example, the guided rockets he asked from former President Donald Trump.

"As a matter of fact, we are willing to pay for it but until now it's still in the air," he said.

"We ask so much of them because they have taken so much from us. Libre sila (They are free) to advance their troops in our land," he added.

READ: Duterte pushes for purchase of 32 new Air Force choppers

'Can't be brave' against China

As he explained his foreign policy in the same speech, Duterte defended his stance on issues with China, which critics have called defeatist.

"I'm walking on a tight rope actually. I cannot afford to be brave in the mouth against China because we are avoiding any confrontation that would lead to something which we can hardly afford, at least not at this time," he said.

Duterte has been saying he could not afford to go to war against Beijing over the disputed South China Sea. China claims this global waterway almost entirely despite a 2016 arbitral ruling recognizing Manila's sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone in the area, or the West Philippine Sea.

READ: China has responded to 48 out of 60 diplomatic protests under Duterte administration

Duterte said he hopes the US would understand that the Philippines would be put in much danger if war breaks out, considering it is nearest to Chinese outposts in the South China Sea.

"We are the nearest to a theater of war. Ang banatan diyan (The battles in the area), it will be submarines and aircraft carriers and all. Madadamay talaga tayo (We will get dragged into it)," he said.

While the US does not claim any part of the South China Sea, it opposes Beijing's sweeping maritime claims, and conducts freedom of navigation operations in the area.

They've been busy filming scenes for Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney.

But on Friday, Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon left the city to start the weekend on a high note.

The Hollywood actors, aged 37 and 50 respectively, were seen boarding a private jet headed to Ballina, just outside of Byron Bay.

Time to fly: Chris Hemsworth (pictured), 37, was spotted boarding a private jet from Sydney to Ballina on Friday

The duo left the city with Chris' younger brother Liam, 31, who also lives in the star-studded coastal town in New South Wales.

Dressed in a grey muscle tank for the trip, Chris' biceps bulged as he boarded the plane and held on to his luggage.

The father-of-three teamed his outfit with an ivory cap, black shorts and matching trainers.

Matt, on the other hand, looked cool and casual in a navy T-shirt, long black pants, a matching cap and grey sneakers.

Friends in high places! Chris was seen boarding the private plane with Matt Damon (pictured), 50, in tow

Details: Matt looked cool and casual in a navy T-shirt, long black pants, a matching cap and grey sneakers

What was he doing? Matt appeared to be in good spirits as he chatted with airport staff and carried his luggage on board

All aboard! Matt was then spotted carrying his hand luggage aboard the private jet headed to Byron Bay

Ready to go: Matt was heading to the star-studded coastal town with the Hemsworth brothers

He appeared to be in good spirits as he chatted with airport staff and carried his luggage on board.

Liam was also spotted boarding the aircraft and then disembarking when the trio landed in Ballina.

He wore shorts, a black T-shirt and matching cap for the occasion.

Hunk: Dressed in a grey muscle tank for the trip, Chris' biceps bulged as he boarded and disembarked the plane while holding onto his carry-on luggage

What was he wearing? Chris teamed his outfit with an ivory cap, black shorts and matching trainers

Bro time: Liam (pictured in the back) was also spotted boarding the aircraft and then disembarking when the trio landed in Ballina

Why was he in Sydney? While Matt and Chris have been busy filming scenes for Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder movie in Sydney, it is not understood what Liam was doing in the city

Questions: Liam's girlfriend, Gabriella Brooks, is based in Sydney where she studies ancient history and archaeology at Sydney University

While Matt and Chris have been busy filming scenes for Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder movie in Sydney, it is not understood what Liam was doing in the city.

His 24-year-old girlfriend, Gabriella Brooks, is based in Sydney where she studies ancient history and archaeology at Sydney University.

The pair have been dating since December 2019, following Liam's highly publicised split from ex-wife Miley Cyrus in August the same year.




Haiti - National Carnival : D-2, more than 1,500 police officers to ensure security





The High Command of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) has made several arrangements to ensure the security of the 2021 National Carnival which is taking place this year in Port-de-Paix on February 14, 15 and 16.



In total, 1,500 police officers will be deployed during the Carnival period. Police forces will be deployed on RN #1 from Titanyen to Port-de-Paix. Nearly 500 police officers will ensure the security of the site, the stands and the carnival route involving several specialized units of the PNH such as the SWAT, the Departmental Operation and Intervention Brigade (BOID), the Intervention and Maintenance Corps of Order (CIMO) and the Departmental Unit of Maintenance of Order (UDMO), supported by the administrative police for the protection of festival-goers, explained the divisional inspector Gary Desrosiers, spokesperson for the PNH.



Note that in order to ensure that there will be no police brutality, members of the General Inspection of the PNH (IGPNH) will be at the carnival site.



Finally, in order to facilitate the smooth running of the carnival festivities, restrictive measures will apply in particular:



All people who have a permit to carry a weapon cannot move around with their weapons, except uniformed police officers assigned to the carnival. The sale of alcohol in glass containers is prohibited. People are not allowed to circulate with objects that could injure someone (knives, machetes, hammer picks, stones etc.) the circulation of all unauthorized vehicles within the defined internal perimeter.



The General Directorate of the PNH counts on the collaboration of all for the full respect of these measures.



NOTE : As every year, HaitiLibre invites you to follow on its site www.haitiLibre.com the live broadcast of the National Carnival (except for unforeseen circumstances preventing the conduct of the Carnival or its retransmission), which takes place this year at Port-de-Paix on February 14, 14 and 16, 2021



SL/ HaitiLibre


















Niamh Davenport of the Banking Federation says vulnerable people are being taken in by romance scams.

Victims of romance fraud were conned out of an average of 18,000 last year.

In one case, a fraudster managed to swindle a person out of 50,000.

The figures emerged as banks warned the public that romance scams are on the rise due to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has pushed much of human interaction online, opening up a rich new seam for con artists to exploit.

An increase in online dating means love rats are taking advantage of the rising number of people online, according to FraudSmart, the fraud awareness initiative of the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI).

Bankers said they suspected romance fraud was under-

reported, because people who fell victim could feel ashamed for getting taken in when they realised whats happened.

The fraudsters can spend months building up these relationships and it is a particular risk at the moment, according to the banks.

Niamh Davenport, head of digital and fraud prevention at the BPFI, said fraudsters were exploiting lockdowns to prey on peoples loneliness, isolation and vulnerability as a result of the lockdown restrictions.

Of those cases identified among our members in 2020, victims of so-called romance scams were scammed out of an average of 18,000, and in some cases this rose as high as 50,000, she said.

This is a very significant sum of money and underlines the serious nature of these scams and the need for people to be extra-vigilant to them.

Ms Davenport said fraudsters were using online dating sites or apps. Their objective is to gain trust and build up a relationship and emotional connection with their victim.

They will often devote months to this process, after which time they will create a sense of urgency in order to ask their victim for money or, in many cases, have the victim offer them money.

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Getting caught in one of these scams can be a devastating experience for victims.

But victims should not feel ashamed.

If you think you have fallen victim to such a crime, contact your bank and An Garda Siochana immediately. The quicker you act, the better your chance of recouping any lost funds.

To protect against romance scams, people are advised to be careful of what they share on social media and online dating websites.

People should not reveal their full name or home address, and must protect their identity.

Banks advise people to be particularly wary of anyone who is asking lots of questions about them, but not revealing much about themselves.

Users of online dating sites should engage only with reputable sites, and use their messaging service, rather than moving to social media or

texting too quickly.

Never send money or give your bank details to somebody you have never met, no matter how much you believe and trust them, the banks advise.

People were told not to purchase flights, or to pay for visas or customs fees for them to visit them.

If you think you have fallen victim, contact your bank immediately, the BPFI said.
[February 12, 2021] Tauriga Sciences Inc. to Commence Development of its 1st Full Spectrum CBD Infused Edibles Product Line

NEW YORK, NY , Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, with a proprietary line of CBD & CBG infused Supplement chewing gums (Flavors: Pomegranate, Blood Orange, Peach-Lemon, Pear Bellini, Mint, Black Currant) as well as an ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative, today announced that it has commenced development of its 1st full spectrum Cannabidiol (CBD) infused edibles product line. The Company plans to develop this above referenced product line, with the following attributes: Kosher Certified, Halal Certified, Vegan Formulation, Dairy-Free, Infused with Full Spectrum Hemp Extract (Full Spectrum), All-Natural Flavors, Sugar Free/Diabetic Friendly Version(s), and Full Adherence to U.S. Federal Laws & Regulations. The Company expects to provide concrete details about this proposed full spectrum product line within the near term. ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives. The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Edibles market segment. The main product line, branded as Tauri-Gum, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is Kosher certified, Halal certified, and Vegan Formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomegranate), (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Peach-Lemon, Black Currant) & (Vitamin C + Zinc Immune Booster Flavor: Pear Bellini). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate webste, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com



Complementary to the Companys retail business, is its ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative. This relates to the development of a proposed Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed for the following indication: Patients Subjected to Ongoing Chemotherapy Treatment). On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it had filed a provisional U.S. patent application covering its pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. On December 18, 2020 the Company disclosed that it had entered into a Master Services Agreement with CSTI to lead the Company's clinical development efforts. On October 6, 2020, the Company announced that it has been approved to operate as a U.S. Government Vendor (CAGE CODE # 8QXV4)

The Company is headquartered in Wappingers Falls, New York. In addition, the Company operates a full time E-Commerce fulfillment center located in LaGrangeville, New York. DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Contact: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 4 Nancy Court, Suite 4 Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: sshaw@tauriga.com cell # (917) 796 9926 Company Instagram: @taurigum Personal Instagram: @sethsms47 Twitter: @SethMShaw Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com



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President Joe Biden has said Americans wearing masks as protection against the coronavirus 'through the next year' can save a significant number of lives as experts warned herd immunity may not be achieved until Thanksgiving.

Speaking during a visit to the National Institutes of Health complex on Thursday, Biden also gave updates about the U.S. vaccine supply.

'You know that wearing this mask through the next year here can save lives, a significant number of lives,' Biden said.

'Masking is the easiest thing to do to save lives,' he said. 'We need everyone to mask-up. And by the way, I know it's a pain in the neck, but it's a patriotic responsibility, we're in the middle of a war with this virus.'

Even though he was standing 10 feet away from Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins, the president said he would continue to wear his mask.

Health officials have emphasised that even with effective vaccines, many of the current safety protocols - such as mask wearing and social distancing - will have to remain in force until the U.S. has a clear herd immunity against Covid-19.

There is currently no clear timeline as to when this can be achieved by, however the Biden administration officials told the Daily Beast on Thursday the US may not reach herd immunity and return to some semblance of normalcy until Thanksgiving at the current pace of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Speaking during a visit to the National Institutes of Health complex on Thursday, President Joe Biden (pictured) said Americans wearing masks as protection against the coronavirus 'through the next year' can save a significant number of lives

Dr Fauci, however, remains 'cautiously optimistic' that that day could come by fall if the general public starts getting vaccines by 'April, May, June,' but admitted he's concerned that variants could stretch that timeline.

So far, 10.5 percent of the US population has received one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

But if American officials were to follow Israel's model of reopening, restaurants, gyms and stores when 90 percent of over-50s are vaccinated, these businesses could be operational as early as June, a DailyMail.com analysis suggests.

Biden admitted in a CBS News interview that it will be 'very difficult to reach herd immunity much before the end of the summer.'

Members of Biden's COVID response team are warning the White House that even that may be unrealistic, two senior officials told the Daily Beast.

Driving their less optimistic timelines for herd immunity are the potential fragility of the vaccine supply chain and the emergence of more infectious coronavirus variants, including two that may make vaccines less effective.

The coronavirus has killed 2.35 million people and turned normal life upside down for billions, but a few new worrying variants out of thousands have raised fears that vaccines will need to be tweaked, impeding progress towards herd immunity.

Sharon Peacock, director of the COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium, said vaccines were so far effective against the variants in the United Kingdom, but that mutations could potentially undermine the shots.

'What's concerning about this is that the 1.1.7 variant that we have had circulating for some weeks and months is beginning to mutate again and get new mutations which could affect the way that we handle the virus in terms of immunity and effectiveness of vaccines,' Peacock told the BBC.

'It's concerning that the 1.1.7, which is more transmissible, which has swept the country, is now mutating to have this new mutation that could threaten vaccination.'

That new mutation, first identified in Bristol in southwest England, has been designated a 'Variant of Concern', by the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group.

Biden also said on Thursday the coronavirus vaccination program he inherited from Donald Trump was in 'much worse shape' than he had expected, while urging patience and also announcing the government has bought 200 million more doses.

Even though he was standing 10 feet away from Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins, the president said he would continue to wear his mask as extra protection

Pictured: Graphic showing the U.S. coronavirus numbers as of February 11, 2021. The U.S. has seen 27.3 million reported cases of coronavirus, with over 475,000 related deaths

'We're not going to have everything fixed for a while, but we're going to fix it,' Biden said in remarks at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Biden is already well on pace to exceed his goal of 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office.

It's an achievable goal that some consider inadequate but also a break from the off-base predictions of the Trump administration that undercut public confidence.

According to the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention, at least 26 million doses have been administered in Biden's first three weeks in office.

'That's just the floor,' Biden said of the 100 million target on Thursday as he toured the National Institutes of Health. 'Our end goal is beating COVID-19.'

As concerns grow about potentially dangerous mutations in the virus, Biden aides view the vaccines less as a silver bullet and more as part of a complementary series of moves that, taken together, offer the prospect of real progress.

And for the U.S. to fully contain the problem, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease expert, has warned that the pace of vaccinations must increase globally to curtail the mutants.

New virus cases, which had been at historic highs following the holiday season, have steadily declined over Biden's early weeks in office but still remain worrisomely elevated, and lives are still being lost at a rate of about 21,000 per week.

Since he took office three weeks ago, Biden's team has attacked the problem on multiple fronts.

They have unleashed billions of federal dollars to boost vaccinations and testing and developed a model to deploy more than 10,000 active-duty troops to join even more members of the National Guard to put shots into arms.

Mass vaccination sites, supported by federal troops, are set to open in California, Texas and New York in coming weeks.

Pictured: A healthcare worker administers the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination site inside a church in the Bronx borough of New York, U.S., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. Biden is already well on pace to exceed his goal of 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office

So far, 10.5 percent of the US population has received one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with the daily average of shots given reaching well over 1 million.

'They're taking exactly the right approach,' said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University who previously served as Baltimore's health commissioner.

'The federal government is taking responsibility, instead of leaving everything to state and local governments and blaming others when things go wrong.'

For all of the activity, though, Biden knows that there are more grim statistics to come before Americans can return to any semblance of the 'before days.'

More Americans have died from COVID-19 in the last year than died during combat in World War II, and some projections show the death toll could top that of the Civil War by the beginning of summer.

Wen urged the Biden administration to set more aggressive targets - a moon shot - to increase the pace of vaccinations to 3 million per day.

Much of the improvement in vaccination deliveries so far has been due to long-planned manufacturing ramp-ups, not the actions of the Biden team, aides acknowledge.

But with the prospect of a third vaccine receiving approval in coming weeks, they are trying to anticipate and eliminate the next set of bottlenecks, when capacity to deliver injections and demand for vaccines become limiting factors.

They have also moved to speed up the existing supply pipeline, with Biden announcing Thursday that the U.S. had secured contractual commitments from Moderna and Pfizer to deliver 600 million doses of the vaccine.

This is enough to inoculate 300 million Americans by the end of July, more than a month earlier than initially anticipated.

Pictured: Graphs showing the number of coronavirus cases (top) and related deaths (bottom) in the U.S. per day. New virus cases, which had been at historic highs following the holiday season, have steadily declined over Biden's early weeks in office but still remain worrisomely elevated, and lives are still being lost at a rate of about 21,000 per week

Beyond the focus on sheer numbers of shots delivered, there is the question of whose arms.

Biden's team has taken an increased role in determining where each vial of vaccine goes, with an eye on ensuring that lower-income, rural and minority communities are covered, an implicit criticism of how some states have handled their rollouts.

New distributions to community health centers, announced Tuesday, and a 1 million weekly dose pharmacy program being rolled out this week will allow the White House to directly steer vaccines to underserved communities.

The ideas are not without their critics.

On a call with the White House on Tuesday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson appealed to the administration to work through states rather than alternative distribution avenues, arguing they have excess demand they already can't meet.

Other governors expressed concern that the federal program would upend their own plans to use those health centers to distribute vaccines.

'While governors appreciate the federal partnership, it is important that any increase in manufacturing capacity for vaccines should go to the states for distribution and not duplicated through separate federal programs,' Hutchinson told the AP.

The White House has defended them as pilot programs that can be scaled up to more sites with more doses if they prove to be effective.

Pictured: A graphic showing the percentage of the U.S. population vaccinated so far. States including North Dakota, New Mexico, Alaska, West Virginia and Connecticut are leading the way in terms of percentage

Pictured: President Joe Biden speaks next to an NIH staff member as NIH Director Francis Collins listens during a visit to the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S., February 11, 2021

Dr Fauci declares April 'open season' for ALL American adults of any age to have access to COVID-19 vaccines Dr Anthony Fauci has predicted that any American who wants one will be able to get a coronavirus vaccine by April. 'By the time we get to April, that will be what I would call, for better wording, 'open season,' namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated,' Dr Fauci said during a Thursday Today show interview. 'Hopefully as we get into the middle and end of the summer we will have accomplished the goal of...the overwhelming majority of people have gotten vaccinated.' So far, the US has vaccinated about 10.5 percent of its population. About 10 million people have received both doses and 1.6 million shots are being given a day. At that rate, it will take nine months for the US to each herd immunity, but Dr Fauci has remained optimistic about the timeline. He credited the forthcoming uptick in vaccine doses available from Pfizer and Moderna and potentially from other firms like Johnson & Johnson, whose vaccine is expected to be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the coming weeks. Advertisement

In one key instance, the more hands-on federal response has meant the Biden White House has taken a step back.

Where the Trump White House got involved in editing CDC guidance for businesses, travel and schools - prompting complaints about meddling with science and leading some states to adopt their own more stringent protocols - the Biden administration is leaving it to career scientists to craft policies.

New, more prescriptive federal guidance on schools is expected as soon as Friday.

While Biden in December promised that 'the majority of our schools can be open by the end of my first 100 days,' his administration has since narrowed that goal to cover just K-8 schools, and even then, plans to count success as being open just a single day per week.

That's drawing criticism from some Republicans who say Biden is setting the bar too low and for ignoring the lessons of schools that have remained open for most of the pandemic.

One early success of the Biden plan was born out of conversations with governors frustrated about constantly fluctuating vaccine supplies.

The lack of certainty led some states to slow the administration of first doses to ensure enough second shots would be available if deliveries dropped. Biden's team pledged to give states three weeks notice on what's coming their way.

'We now see more vaccine on the horizon than we did a few weeks ago,' Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, told the AP. 'The more we learn about more vaccine the happier I am.'

Early reviews from the public of Biden's response have been largely positive.

Two weeks into Biden's administration, a Quinnipiac poll showed 61 percent of Americans approving of the way the president is handling the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly all Democrats and 33 percent of Republicans said they approve.

Pictured: People take in the view of the Los Angeles skyline with lights coming from Dodger Stadium's mass-Covid-19 vaccination site in Los Angeles, California on February 11, 2021

In a December Quinnipiac poll, 39 percent of Americans approved of the way President Donald Trump was handling the coronavirus pandemic. Seventy-eight percent of Republicans, but just 3 percent of Democrats, approved.

Biden's national strategy for the pandemic, released on his second day in office, provides the roadmap for the months ahead: more testing, clear guidance, and more and equitable vaccinations.

But the path to a 'new normal' is still unclear. The science on what will be necessary to achieve 'herd immunity,' particularly with the rise of new mutations, remains unresolved.

The Biden team is already actively working with pharmaceutical companies to prepare 'booster' shots for the variants, potentially annually, like flu vaccines. And they're building the infrastructure to ramp up testing for the virus, given that testing could be part of life for years to come.

Biden's call for Americans to wear a mask for his first 100 days will undoubtedly be extended, aides said. And his other goals are likely to be adjusted upward in coming months.

'We'll set the next set of goals as we make progress against the first set of goals,' Zients said.
UP eases covid restrictions: Shops allowed to open on weekdays in districts with less than 600 active cases

Can't let guard down: Maharashtra extends lockdown by 15 days

Infographics: Indias sharp decline in COVID-19 caseload

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 12: The country's total Active Caseload has seen a sharp decline, falling to 1.35 lakh (1,35,926) today.

The total positive cases of the country now comprise only 1.25% of the total cases. The day on day change of active cases in the last few weeks shows a consistent decline.

The distribution of new cases in India in the last 24 hours shows a positive picture with only 1 State reporting over 1000 cases while the rest of the States and UTs reporting less than 1000 new cases. 4 States/UTs have not reported any new cases in the last 24 hours. These D&NH, Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Tripura and A& N Islands.

The distribution of daily deaths among States/UTs in the last 24 hours, also reflects a significant decline in the daily deaths with 18 States/UTs not reporting any new deaths in the last 24 hours. 13 States/UTs have reported between 1-5 new deaths.

9,309 new confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours in the country. 15,858 new recoveries were registered in the same period.

Coronavirus cases: India reports 9,309 new COVID-19 cases, 87 related deaths in last 24 hours

National Recovery rate (97.32%) continues to be one of the highest globally. The continued high rise in the recoveries has led to progressively improving national Recovery Rate.

The total recovered cases are 1,05,89,230. The gap between active cases and recovered cases is continuously increasing and stands at 1,04,53,304.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

As on 12thFebruary, 2021, till 8 AM, more than75 lakh (75,05,010) beneficiaries have received the vaccination under the countrywide COVID19 vaccination exercise.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 12:50 [IST]
Anna Sorokin, the fake heiress who took money from people, hotel and banks, has reportedly been released early from prison.

According to the Department of Corrections records, she was released out of Albion Correction Facility for good behavior on Thursday.

Insider reported that the Board of Parole had granted her "merit time release," completely scrapping off 1/6 of her original sentence because during her time in prison, she participated in several prison programs and had an excellent disciplinary record.

She told the Board that once she's free, she will be staying with a male friend. However, she may also be deported to Germany after being released.

In a transcript of her parole hearing on October 6, 2020, the famous con-woman apologized for stealing and committing fraud.

"I just want to say that I'm really ashamed, and I'm really sorry for what I did," she stated.

Since getting out, Anna Sorokin has already returned to Twitter.

Anna Sorokin, a Con Artist

The 29-year-old used a fake name, posing as Anna Delvey, a German heiress who has a net worth of 60 million euros. She boasted a closet full of luxury goods and talked herself into some of the most exclusive parties, clubs and hotels in New York.

Originally born in Russia and moved to Germany at the age of 16, she dropped out of college and interned for a fashion magazine in Paris, France.

Anna later moved to New York and made her home in the city's top hotel, racking up massive bills on rooms and restaurants while promising to pay for wire transfers that never showed up.

Also Anna Delveys trial and imminent time in iron city have apparently not curved her ability to put together a serious lewk. I mean not for nothing, her courtroom fits are  pic.twitter.com/7AeLBgiRH7  della ~ lesbianics instructor (@della_morte_) May 9, 2019

Anna Sorokin's Prison Sentence

The lies and unpaid bills caught up with her, and she was arrested in 2017.

In May 2019, the "Summer of Scam" finally ended for Anna Sorokin after nearly a year of tricking banks, businesses, and people of about $275,000.

She was sentenced to at least four years in prison with a maximum sentence of 12 years.

At the time of her sentencing, Assistant District Attorney said that Anna "has shown almost no remorse" during the whole trial and took "more seriously her clothing than anything else."

Catherine McCaw said, "The defendant didn't want to live an ordinary life, and she was willing to steal to get that."

Anna Sorokin Documentary

Anna Delvey rose to fame after details of her scheme were written in New York and Vanity Fair magazines, and people can't simply get enough of her.

Deadline reported that Netflix is releasing "Inventing Anna," an upcoming mini-series created and produced by Shonda Rhimes.

The streaming giant paid $320,000 to get the rights to her life story, as they paid her victims after news broke of the deal. It is expected to air in 2021.

HBO is also planning to work on an Anna Sorokin project, produced by Lena Dunham.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
Etihad Airways has become the first airline in the world to have an entirely vaccinated workforce.

All active pilots and cabin crew for the United Arab Emirates flagship carrier have received the COVID-19 vaccine, the airline said in a Wednesday press release.

Etihad Aviation Groups CEO said he took the vaccine himself on Jan. 4 to inspire his employees to do the same.

I chose very early on to be vaccinated to demonstrate my own support of the national vaccination program and to encourage everyone at Etihad who was eligible for the vaccine to receive it as soon as possible, said Tony Douglas. "I would like to thank the entire Etihad family for everything they have done to help us reach this milestone.

Etihad Airways has been active throughout the pandemic. The Abu Dhabi-based airline suspended passenger flights in March of last year but resumed them in May and has gradually rebuilt its flight network since then. In January, Etihad resumed flights to Doha following the end of the Gulf diplomatic crisis. Etihad suffered major financial losses last year due to the crisis in air travel. Abu Dhabi reopened for tourism in December.

The airline has instituted several other measures to mitigate the spread of the virus on its flights. In October, Etihad began providing passengers with a PCR test along with their ticket. Etihad requires all people flying to test negative for COVID-19 prior to departure.

At least one Etihad flight has had multiple passengers with the virus. In August, six passengers tested positive upon landing in Shanghai from Abu Dhabi.

Etihad beat out other major airlines in vaccinating its flight crews. Singapore Airlines announced on Thursday that all of its flights have fully vaccinated crews  a day after Etihads announcement.
As it begins to chart a course on education policy, the Biden administration would do well to heed the voice of parent leaders around the country. The debate at the moment concerns whether to open schools, but the larger issue is the persistent achievement gaps that affect families and the future paths available to their children.

Not all students start at the same place. Limited access to quality teaching, decent facilities, and rigorous curriculum often lead to achievement gaps. Children in low-income, minority families often suffer from these disadvantages.

Massachusetts parent activist Keri Rodrigues, co-founder and head of the National Parents Union, stressed inequity during a recent interview with me and my Bush Institute colleague Anne Wicks. We are here to fight for equity in education and making sure the quality of education that a child living in an inner-city receives is the same as the child living in an upper-middle-class district, she said. Thats not too much to ask.

Yes, students need access to equitable resources  but teachers, parents, and taxpayers also need the facts before their schools can improve. As a community, Rodrigues said, we cannot do that based on feeling.

We cant get students the good teachers they deserve, the training that struggling teachers require, and the leadership that underperforming campuses need without a clear set of facts. And you cant get honest data without high-quality, objective exams.

Testing students with exams that honestly compare achievement levels across a state can lead to substantial improvements.

Parent activists like Rodrigues understand this, and they share a passion for eliminating injustices in our education system. Another parent activist, Chris Stewart, the CEO of brightbeam, a network of nonprofit education activists, told us in his interview for our Beyond the Scantron series, We only know that theres a difference between White students and Black students and other students of color because we have the data. We only know about that because we have assessments.

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some states to rethink how and whether they administer state tests before the end of this school year. Massachusetts joined the list when state Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced in January that we remain committed to administering the assessment this spring, while recognizing the need for adjustments and flexibility.

Some adjustments make sense, given that some students are learning online and some in person, while others are doing a hybrid of both. But the information that Massachusetts is seeking is particularly crucial during the pandemic. Rodrigues, who fought for keeping MCAS exams, summed up the importance of state data: Much like how parents would not take a child to a doctor who didnt use a thermometer to determine how sick a child might be, we are also not willing to rely solely on the best guesses of educators to determine what our kids will need to recover academically.

We already know that learning deficits have appeared during the pandemic. A McKinsey & Company study shows that declines in math have been steep. According to the report, students, on average, started school about three months behind where we would expect them to be in mathematics. Whats more, Students of color were about three to five months behind in learning; white students were about one to three months behind.

That is evidence enough that achievement gaps are a serious issue. Parent activists are eager to draw attention to the problem. Political leaders should listen.
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WASHINGTON - House Democrats closed their impeachment case against Donald Trump on Thursday by linking his history of incendiary rhetoric and months-long campaign to undermine the November election to the statements of insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 - and raising the prospect of future violence without a conviction.

The rioters seeking to block the final certification of his defeat swarmed on Trump's orders, the impeachment managers argued to the Senate, leading to death and destruction, placing hundreds in and around the Capitol in harm's way, emboldening extremist factions and diminishing America's standing in the eyes of the world. Convicting Trump and barring him from ever returning to the presidency is the only way to prevent a reprise of the shocking violence, they said.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead impeachment manager, put the question directly to senators who have spent years wrangling with Trump's pugilistic rhetoric and flirtations with right-wing extremism.

"Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he is ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way?" Raskin asked.

"Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that? Would you bet the safety of your family on that? Would you bet the future of your democracy on that? If he gets back into office and it happens again, we have no one to blame but ourselves."

Trump's defense will begin at noon Friday. Although his lawyers are entitled to 16 hours of argument over two days, a spokesman said Thursday that they expect to rest their case in one day.

David Schoen, a member of Trump's defense team, said Thursday that the managers "told a story" but did not establish a link between Trump's conduct and the violent acts at the Capitol, and he said prolonging the trial was not in the nation's interest. He said the defense could present its case in four hours or less.

"They haven't in any way tied [the attack] to Donald Trump, and I think it's offensive . . . to show the tragedy that happened here that Donald Trump has condemned," he said. "I think it tears at the American people, quite frankly."

A short defense presentation could put the Senate on track to vote on Trump's conviction as soon as Saturday, particularly after key Democratic senators said they believed that the managers had proved their case against Trump and saw no need for testimony from additional witnesses.

"It doesn't appear to be necessary," said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats. "The evidence speaks for itself."

As recently as last week, King and others had argued for a fuller accounting of the events surrounding the riot, especially around Trump's actions after he addressed a crowd of supporters outside the White House on Jan. 6, directed them to the Capitol, and urged them to "fight like hell."

But after roughly 10 hours of argument punctuated by archival video, graphic reconstructions and court records, most Democrats said they simply saw no need for more. Under the rules of the trial, the defense arguments are to be followed by a four-hour question-and-answer period, then a possible debate and vote on witnesses. If no witnesses are authorized, the trial would conclude after two hours of closing arguments.

"Donald Trump could certainly come and give his explanation of the day. But, otherwise, it feels like to me we're done," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Trump last week rejected a request to testify, and Schoen gave no indication Thursday that he has changed his mind.

A final vote would follow, with 67 of 100 votes needed to convict Trump, setting up a subsequent simple-majority vote on barring him from future office.

But it remained exceedingly unlikely that the Senate would take those steps, with numerous Republican senators indicating Thursday that they remained unmoved by the Democratic managers' presentations.

"I think the end result of this impeachment trial is crystal clear to everybody," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. "Every person in the Senate chamber understands that there are not the votes to convict."

Cruz consulted briefly with Trump's defense team after Thursday's arguments and said it simply needed to make clear Friday that the House managers did not establish that Trump had incited the riot: "It was a horrific criminal attack carried out by violent criminals. . . . They have not demonstrated that [Trump's] conduct satisfied the legal standard of high crimes and misdemeanors."

While the first day of House argument on Wednesday highlighted the mortal threat faced by lawmakers themselves, on Thursday the managers took time to highlight the other dangers incurred by the attack - some as tangible as the physical damage to the Capitol, others as lofty as the threat to America's democratic influence abroad.

The arguments culminated in several plain-spoken warnings that any outcome other than conviction and disqualification invited further violence, whether by Trump or some future despot.

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., said Trump created a "powder keg" with his false claims of a stolen election, then, on Jan. 6, "He struck a match, and he aimed it straight at this building."

"We humbly, humbly, ask you to convict President Trump," he said. "If we pretend this didn't happen, or, worse, if we let it go unanswered, who's to say it won't happen again?"

Before the managers' final argument ended at 4:23 p.m., Raskin urged senators to "exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country," closing with a paraphrase of Thomas Paine: "Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered, but we have this saving consolation: The more difficult the struggle, the more glorious in the end will be our victory."

The House's argument Thursday asserted that the insurrectionists believed themselves to be doing Trump's bidding - a case they made through the words of the rioters themselves and their attorneys.

Video after video displayed to senators showed rioters chanting slogans such as "Stop the Steal" and "Fight for Trump" that openly embraced the then-president and, in many cases, echoed his own rhetoric.

"We were invited here," said one rioter, caught on video inside the Capitol. "We were invited by the president of the United States."

Another video showed Jenna Ryan, a Texas real estate agent who faces federal charges as a result of the riot, explaining her decision to storm the Capitol and trying to interrupt the final counting of electoral votes.

"I thought I was following my president," she said. "He asked us to fly there. He asked us to be there. So I was doing what he asked us to do."

The managers argued that the rioters' sense of impunity itself was evidence of Trump's culpability, citing the rioters' comments on social media as well as statements made in court by their lawyers, who have argued that they were simply following orders.

"Donald Trump had sent them there - they truly believed that the whole intrusion was at the president's orders, and we know that because they said so," said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo. "Folks, this was not a hidden crime. The president told them to be there, and so they actually believed they would face no punishment."

In a presentation on Trump's actions and his apparent state of mind, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., argued that Trump showed a "lack of remorse and refusal to take accountability" as the attack played out Jan. 6 and in the following days - citing actions that included sending a tweet targeting Vice President Mike Pence as rioters swarmed the Capitol, the delayed deployment of National Guard troops to back up the overwhelmed police forces at the Capitol, and waiting three days to lower flags on behalf of slain Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick.

The managers played video of Trump, less than a week after the riot, telling reporters that his actions that day were "totally appropriate."

"President Trump was not showing remorse - he was showing defiance," Lieu said. "He was telling us that he would do this again, that he could do this again . . . and that that would be 'totally appropriate.' "

Other presentations appeared aimed at winning over skeptical Republican senators, or at least making them wince before refusing to convict Trump. Managers played speeches from four moderate Republican governors, decrying Trump's role in the violence - including Ohio's Mike DeWine, who said Trump "started a fire that threatened to burn down our democracy."

They played comments from two former Trump chiefs of staff, John Kelly and Mick Mulvaney, as well as two former national security advisers, H.R. McMaster and John Bolton, who condemned Trump's behavior surrounding the riot. They highlighted the resignation statements of several Trump officials who quit in the days following it, including Cabinet secretaries Elaine Chao and Betsy DeVos.

Elsewhere, they showed evidence that the Capitol attack had thrilled and emboldened domestic insurrectionist groups such as the "boogaloo" movement and the Proud Boys while also sending abroad an unmistakable message about the fragility of American democracy.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said the attack on a crucial symbol of American government offered a "dress rehearsal" to foreign adversaries pondering a possible assault on the centers of U.S. power. But he said the harm to America's influence abroad could be more devastating if senators did not send the right message by convicting Trump and barring him from office.

"The world is watching us, wondering whether our constitutional republic is going to respond the way it should, the way it's supposed to - whether the rule of law will prevail over mob rule," he said.

Inside the chamber, many senators appeared restless Thursday, a handful pacing around the chamber, taking breaks outside and occasionally sipping water as the sound of candy wrappers rustled. That behavior stood in contrast to Wednesday, when senators seemed rapt as they watched the House presentation that featured never-before-seen security camera footage - including scenes of the senators themselves being whisked to safety, in some case just steps from rioters.

At one point in the early afternoon Thursday, at least 18 Republican senators were missing from their desks, even as all Democrats were present in the chamber. Several GOP senators, including Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Rob Portman of Ohio, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Tim Scott if South Carolina, continued to take diligent notes.

When managers played video of Couy Griffin, a local New Mexico official who leads the group Cowboys for Trump, threatening harm on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., murmurs of disgust were heard from the Democratic side of the chamber.

Schumer on Thursday warned his colleagues not to ignore what he called "probably the most dastardly act any president has ever committed." Doing so, he said, "would not heal, but keep wounds open."

President Biden on Thursday continued to keep distance from the proceedings targeting his predecessor, telling reporters that he hadn't watched any of the live trial coverage but had seen some news reports.

"My guess is, some minds may be changed," Biden said.

Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., a close Biden confidant, said he agreed with that assessment but added, "He may not be referring to senators."

Irish farmers have taken matters into their own hands by refusing land access to dog walkers following a string of horrific attacks on sheep in the country.

As part of a new nationwide campaign, farmers will be putting up 'No Dogs Allowed' posters on farm gates across the Republic of Ireland.

Authorities have been blamed for failing to put appropriate sanctions in place to punish the behaviour of some dog owners.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA), which is spearheading the campaign, said farmers had no choice but to refuse walkers with dogs.

IFA National Sheep Chairman Sean Dennehy said: Rather than risk the devastating consequences, farmers will refuse entry to the public with dogs to our lands to protect their animals and their livelihoods.

"A growing number of reckless dog owners have brought this on everybody else, and the inaction of authorities has forced farmers down this route.

Despite repeated requests, he said local authorities had failed to put appropriate measures in place, and dog owners refused to take responsibility for their pets.

Farmers are sick of the casual approach of some dog owners who will not accept the damage their pets can inflict on sheep, he added.

The injuries inflicted on sheep by dogs can be horrific, and often those not killed have to be put down due to the extent of their injuries.

Farmers can also be left mentally traumatised by such incidents, and left financially affected.

Mr Dennehy said there must be a national ownership database for all dogs that allowed those responsible to be identified.

He said the Irish government should also put in place appropriate sanctions to act as a deterrent for those who allow their animals to cause devastation.

The UK is facing similar problems of its own: the cost of dog attacks on livestock increased by over 10% to 1.3 million last year.

A survey by NFU Mutual in January 2021 revealed that 64% of owners were letting their pets roam free in the countryside, with half of those saying their dog did not always come back when called.

It showed that 42% of owners had been walking their pets more often in the countryside during the pandemic, and that 81% had noticed more people exercising their dogs in rural areas.
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Dating apps offer a snapshot about a person's life, but in the space of a few weeks, a surprising health issue has emerged as a dealmaker or heartbreaker: have you had the coronavirus vaccine?

Some are bragging they have gotten the shot in order to better their chances, while others are using it to justify what one singleton described as "the most 2021 rejection ever."

But can you trust every lonely heart who claims they've been inoculated against COVID-19?

Samantha Yammine, a scientist who often talks on Twitter about health issues, says she's received messages about "dudes on dating apps claiming they're 'totally safe for close contact' because they have received the vaccine.

Of course, most young people using dating apps are not in vaccination priority groups at the front of the line, so some see having gotten the shot as a sort of golden ticket for hooking up.

"Basically, getting the vaccine is the hottest thing you could be doing on a dating app right now," said Michael Kaye, global communications manager for OkCupid.

When asked on Monday, 43 percent of some 1,500 members of another site, Coffee Meets Bagel, said they were right now more attracted to someone who had been vaccinated.

Journalist Sarah Kelly, who has not been able to get the shot, said she really got "the most 2021 rejection ever."

A man on a dating site wrote her: "Ur real cool however I found someone who is also Vaccinated!! So I think we both wanna minimize our bubble n stay safer in these trying times!!!"

Idea for new dating app?

Dozens of people on social media have even suggestedsome jokingly, others in the spirit of pandemic entrepreneurshipthat a new dating app be created for the vaccinated.

Those who haven't been jabbed with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna elixirs need not log in.

Kimberly Te, who hasn't been inoculated yet, was contacted by one guy who emphasized he had received his first dose. But for Te, that status is not really all that important.

"I didn't care because it seemed like he had only gotten the first dose so I did not consider him safe from COVID-19," she told AFP.

"I wouldn't really care if someone on an online app said they were vaccinated because for the most part, I don't know these people, so I have no reason to trust them during this pandemic."

Cristina Vankowho participated in Moderna's clinical trialssays she has seen more and more people on dating sites posting about being vaccinated, but she too is not exactly swayed by it.

"There's still little research regarding transmission amongst vaccinated individuals," she said.

"For me, there's no difference between vaccinated or not because I'm vaccinated," she noted.

"It's more of an 'are we both aware of the risks and do we hold the same values about safety?' question."

'Wake-up call'

For university student Brittany Biggerstaff, people who say they are vaccinated are not more attractive because of the shotbut it does mean they have put their faith in science.

"It gives insight on a potential partner's political views and knowledge about science and medicine," she said.

Dawoon Kang, the co-founder of Coffee Meets Bagel, agrees.

"It kind of signals that this is somebody who actually is being careful with COVID-19, which probably gives people a little bit more peace of mind," Kang told AFP.

In a deeply divided United States, where there is a vocal contingent of anti-vaxxers, even love is a battlefield.

On the online discussion platform Reddit, one user, echoed by many others, mocked "all these women being guinea pigs for big pharma."

Another vaccine skeptic chimed in: "I'm using people's stances on vaccines and masks to determine if I even wanna associate with these mindless fools following everything they're told."

Vaccination or not, after nearly a year of living in some degree of social isolation because of coronavirus restrictions, some people in the dating pool are eager to get out there.

As Valentine's Day approaches on Sunday, that urge is even more palpable.

"People are more active this Valentine's Day than ever before," said OkCupid's Kaye.

"After a really challenging year, people are tired of being alone and want someone by their side, even virtually, during these challenging times."

Kaye noted that women "especially are more active than ever! They're sending 'Likes' at a significantly higher rate than men."

Since the pandemic took hold in the United States, dating sites have been forced to innovate, offering more video chat options, which had not been a major feature, and more virtual happy hour mixers.

Chat and email exchanges have become even more prevalent before couples actually meet up. Random hook-ups are on the wane.

"We have a lot of people telling us, 'I'm reflecting a lot more about what kind of partner... that I actually want to meet, I'm being more honest and open with my matches about what I really want'," said Kang.

For Kang, whose site Coffee Meets Bagel encourages the forging of "authentic connections," the pandemic has been a "wake-up call" for many.

Among the platform's users, more than 90 percent say they want to meet a long-term partner, she says, noting: "That's the highest we've ever had."

Explore further Common questions about COVID-19 vaccinations answered

 2021 AFP
CFPB Acting Director Dave Uejio yesterday shared his vision for the bureaus Division of Consumer Education and External Affairs (CEEA) as it works to implement his policy priorities. Uejio has said providing relief to consumers facing hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic and racial equality are among his priorities, and previously indicated the bureau will be focused on improving the consumer experience.

Uejio shared his letter to the CEEA in a blog post and said his directions for the division will ensure consumer voices are heard throughout, and at every level, of the Bureau. From rulemaking to COVID education to increasing racial equities to punishing bad actors, CEEA will seek out, listen to, and integrate consumer voices into all Bureau priorities.

In the letter, Uejio said addressing consumer complaints is one of his top priorities as they are our lifeblood; our direct connection to consumers in distress. He indicated the bureau will publish an analysis of consumer complaint findings to address companies that are not properly responding to complaints.

NAFCU has previously shared concerns with the bureau regarding the consequences credit unions face as a result of unverified consumer narratives published on the Consumer Complaint Database.
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Most black evangelicals say 'people like them' will gain influence under Biden, poll finds

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A new report from Pew Research Center suggests that even though evangelicals as a whole think they will have less influence in the Biden administration, a majority of black evangelicals predict that they will gain influence as a result of the change of power in Washington.

The study, based on the responses of adults from several religious denominations in the United States, was conducted between Jan. 8 and Jan. 12 as part of Pews American Trends Panel, which is based on a sample of 5,360 respondents with an error margin of 1.9 percentage points.

Respondents were asked if they thought people like them will gain or lose influence in Washington during the Biden administration, which had yet to take office when the survey was administered.

A majority of nearly all groups surveyed predicted that people like them would lose influence in the Biden administration, which commenced when President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20.

Overall, 24% of respondents predicted that their religious demographics would gain influence in the Biden administration. Meanwhile, 36% predicted that their religious group would lose influence in the new administration and 39% said that people like themselves would not be affected.

Black Protestants and black evangelicals were the only two religious groups where most adherents surveyed predicted that they would gain influence in the Biden administration.

Among both groups, 55% said that they expected people like them to gain influence with Biden taking office, while 39% anticipated that their influence in Washington would not be affected by the change in administrations.

Just 4% of black Protestants thought they would lose influence, while 5% of black evangelicals said the same.

By comparison, only 9% of white evangelicals predicted that they would see their influence in Washington increase in the Biden administration, while 63% anticipated seeing their influence wane.

About 26% of white evangelicals predicted that their influence in Washington would not be affected by a new president taking office.

The divergent responses from black and white evangelicals regarding their influence in the new presidency reflect the groups dramatically different preferences in the 2020 presidential election.

Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, the co-convener of the National African-American Clergy Network, explained during a recent conversation on the religious divide in the U.S. that white evangelical Christians and black Protestant Christians are two of the most religiously active groups. But she stressed that they are totally opposite in their politics and their core beliefs, almost as though theyre serving a different God.

According to CNN exit polling, 76% of white evangelicals voted for President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, in the 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, 87% of black voters supported Biden.

A plurality of white mainline Protestants surveyed by Pew (47%) agreed with their evangelical counterparts that they would lose influence in the Biden administration. Only 14% thought they would gain influence, while 38% did not anticipate a change in the influence they would have in Washington.

Among Catholics, 25% said that they expect to gain influence in Washington with Biden in the White House, while 34% told Pew that they thought they would lose influence.

About 41% of Catholics foresaw no change in influence.

Biden, himself a practicing Catholic, has faced criticism from church leaders over his support for abortion rights, which contradicts church teaching.

About 46% of white Catholics predicted that people like them would have less influence during a Biden administration, while just 14% thought they would have more influence.

Hispanic Catholics were more optimistic about their influence during a Biden administration, with 38% predicting they would have more influence in Washington and 16% expecting a declining influence. In both cases, the remainder of Catholics did not predict an impact one way or the other.

Those unaffiliated with any particular religion were split on whether they would gain or lose influence in the Biden administration. Twenty-six percent predicted that they would gain influence in Washington, while 27% thought they would lose influence. A plurality of religiously unaffiliated respondents (47%) did not think their influence in Washington would change with the new administration.

While 7% of Republicans and independents who lean Republican thought they would gain influence under Biden, nearly two-thirds (66%) said they would lose influence.

At the same time, 40% of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic expect to gain political influence in the new administration compared to 10% who thought they would lose influence.

Half of Americans expect that evangelical Christians will lose influence in the Biden administration, with white evangelicals themselves the most pessimistic about their influence in the new administration.

Just 5% of white evangelicals predicted an increased influence in Washington compared to 72% who expected a decreased influence, and 20% said their influence would not be affected.

Black Protestants were split about their views of evangelical Christians influence on the new administration, with 27% predicting that evangelical Christians will have more influence with Biden at the White House.

Majorities of white Catholics (50%), whites (59%), Protestants (56%), white mainline Protestants (61%), men (57%) and Republicans (65%) believe that evangelical Christians will have a smaller influence in Washington under President Biden.

Pluralities of women (44%), unaffiliated voters (47%) and women (44%) said the same. Meanwhile, a plurality of Catholics (44%), Democrats (47%) and blacks (48%) think that evangelical Christians influence in Washington will not be affected by a new president. A majority of Hispanics (51%) agreed.
Amid a nationwide reckoning over police brutality and a push to strip the San Antonio police union of its bargaining powers, negotiators with the city and the union sat down Friday morning to begin banging out a new police contract.

Front-and-center in the negotiations is an effort by city leaders to remove provisions in the contract they and police reform activists have argued make it difficult to punish bad officers. Those provisions drew renewed attention last year amid protests against police violence after George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

Adding urgency to the proceedings is a May ballot initiative to take away the San Antonio Police Officers Associations right to bargain collectively for wages and benefits. Thats a move the organization Fix SAPD, which gathered more than 20,000 signatures to put the measure before voters May 1, argues would drastically reduce the sway the union holds over how officers accused of misconduct are disciplined.

In the midst of the uncertainty, leaders for both sides aimed to set a cordial tone for the first day of the proceedings, expected to last at least two months.

Were all aware of whats happened here in San Antonio and other parts of the country, City Manager Erik Walsh told negotiators at the first meeting in the Convention Center on Friday. I think we need to recognize that. I think we need to make sure that were doing what we can to serve the community going forward.

The city and union have each said they want to avoid the acrimony that plagued negotiations over the previous contract  a drawn-out, bitter clash over police officers health care costs and the length of a so-called evergreen clause under which a contracts provisions remain in place while a new contract is negotiated.

Police officers ultimately had to pay more for their health care costs and the evergreen period was shortened to eight years under the 2016 contract.

John Danny Diaz, the unions new leader, echoed Walshs sentiment.

Our team and I are here to bargain in good faith, Diaz said Friday. The objective here is to get the best contract that we can get that benefits the city, the citizens and our members.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio voters to decide in May on police reform measure after Fix SAPD petition drive gets enough valid signatures

But it soon became clear there could be strong disagreements about whether to give the city greater authority over how officers are disciplined  something sought by the city to curtail what leaders feel are a high number of officers who escape punishment for alleged misconduct.

Much of the hand-wringing comes from a third-party arbitration process officers use to appeal punishment handed down by Police Chief William McManus  which has been used to return officers fired for serious misconduct including racism and domestic abuse.

The current contract allows a third-party arbitrator to overturn disciplinary measures if they believe the police chief was unfair.

Within the past decade, arbitrators have allowed 10 fired officers back on the force, reversing McManus decisions in about 14 percent of 71 terminations in that period, city records show.

Those are not officers we want to have back on the force, Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez said. We dont have a choice as an employer. We have to take them back.

If the city gets its way, officers could still appeal their punishment but the arbitrator would only be able to overturn discipline if the facts behind the case dont add up.

But the unions negotiators argue the current setup is needed as a check on potential overreach by McManus and as due process for officers to contest their punishment.

After the meeting, Villagomez said if the facts of a case were successfully contested, the punishment would be at least reduced.

If your position is we want to change the rules because we occasionally have lost, then thats going to be a harder argument for us because its not our intent that the officer have no chance for reinstatement, said Ron DeLord, the unions chief negotiator.

Another provision city officials want changed is a rule that says the police chief cant discipline an officer for alleged misconduct if the chief finds out about the incident more than six months  or 180 days  after it occurs. The city wants to amend that to give the police chief the power to discipline officers within six months of learning about an incident. The citys negotiating team pointed out the firefighters union has an identical clause in their contract.

The police union countered that such a rule would be used by vindictive supervisors to dig up age-old minor violations against employees. DeLord said he was not aware of anything in the last 20, 30 years of anybody not being disciplined because of the 180-day rule.

We dont see anyone getting away with those, DeLord said. Why would we want it to go forever on minor offenses?

City officials pointed to an infamous 2016 case in which Police Chief William McManus fired officer Matthew Luckhurst after his fellow officers accused him of trying to feed a homeless man a sandwich filled with dog feces. Three years later, an arbitrator overturned the firing because Luckhurst wasnt punished within 180 days of the alleged incident.

The chief also cant use an officers prior misconduct to decide punishment for another offense  something else city negotiators want out of the next contract.

City officials also want changes to a rule that allows an accused officer 48 hours of preparation time before an interrogation for alleged misconduct can take place and another rule that allows the officer to look at the evidence against him or her before being interviewed by Internal Affairs  but the city hasnt pinpointed just how they want to amend those rules.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio city leaders brace for battle over new police contract, seek changes in how officers are disciplined

Hanging over the negotiations is the possibility that voters will decide in May to take away the police unions bargaining rights. Its possible that officials with the city and police union can lock in a new five-year contract before the May vote. But neither side knows what will happen if that vote takes place while the two sides are still hammering out a contract.

We've just got to figure out what that dynamic will be, said Christopher Lutton, who chairs the unions collective bargaining agreement team.  It changes everything.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Victorias bid to cut weekly hotel quarantine arrivals from thousands to just hundreds has set up a clash with the Morrison government, which believes the system can cope with the threat from new strains of the coronavirus without dropping numbers.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed talk of overhauling the system in a growing debate over federal and state responsibilities for border control and whether new facilities are needed to quarantine travellers.

Daniel Andrews will come up against national cabinet on quarantine intakes after pausing all international flights into Victoria from Saturday. Credit:Getty

Were not going to be running it, Mr Morrison said of the hotel quarantine system on Friday.

One week after national cabinet raised the cap on international arrivals to about 6500 per week and said the new level should last to the end of April, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews paused all international flights into Victoria from Saturday.
Washington  The members of New Yorks Republican delegation to Congress are calling on the Justice Department to investigate Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The members sent a letter to the department asking for the probe today. Those signing include U.S. Reps. John Katko, R-Camillus, Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville and Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford.

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Shirley in Suffolk County tweeted a copy of the letter. It asks for a federal investigation into obstruction of justice by Cuomo and his administration.

BREAKING: NY GOP Congressional delegation is calling on @TheJusticeDept to open Obstruction of Justice investigation into Cuomo/his admin. They covered-up the true consequences of his nursing home policy & now its being reported they withheld info to block a DOJ investigation! pic.twitter.com/x0j0zEIugH  Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) February 12, 2021

The letter comes after new disclosures in the New York Post that a top aide to Cuomo acknowledged the state withheld data on the Covid-19 deaths of nursing home residents out of fear the numbers would be used against New York by President Donald Trumps administration.

This intentional and unconscionable coverup impacting thousands of our most vulnerable residents cannot go without consequences, the Republican letter states.

Cuomo has been facing criticism over New Yorks response to the pandemic in nursing homes for months. The disclosures in the Post story sparked a new wave of anger among Republicans and Democrats across the state.

Some Republicans described the Cuomo administrations conduct as criminal and called for his impeachment.

A number of Democrats are now calling for the state Legislature to strip the emergency pandemic powers it granted Cuomo in the spring. State Sens. John Mannion and Rachel May of the Syracuse area both signed a letter saying theyre ready to rescind the governors powers.

May said she believes the Cuomo teams habit of keeping their cards close to the vest has eroded the public trust to the point where the Legislature should hold hearings.

May was one of six Democratic legislators who spoke with Cuomos top staff Wednesday in the private meeting that was the subject of the Post story.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

More Onondaga County residents died in 2020 than in at least 50 years. It wasnt all Covid

Cuomo aide admits NY covered up nursing home deaths

Disturbing, criminal, corrupt: NY leaders rip Cuomo nursing home disclosures

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 12 (ANI/BusinessWire India): The Board of Directors of Embassy Office Parks Management Services Private Limited ('EOPMSPL'), Manager to Embassy REIT, at its Board Meeting held earlier today, declared a distribution of Rs 4,313 million for 3Q FY2021.

This translates to a Distribution per Unit ('DPU') of Rs 4.55 for the third quarter on the expanded unit base of 947.89 million units, post the issuance of 176.23 million new units in December 2020 in connection with the acquisition of Embassy TechVillage ('ETV'). The record date for the distribution is February 22, 2021, and the distribution will be paid on or before February 27, 2021.

Michael Holland, Chief Executive Officer of Embassy REIT, commented, "This quarter marked another resilient performance for Embassy REIT, as illustrated by our operating performance and distribution to Unitholders. As India's outlook steadily improves with a continued downward trend in active COVID-19 cases and the encouraging progress on vaccine roll-out, we remain optimistic that Indian office leasing demand will continue to increase as occupiers accelerate their return-to-work programs.

Additionally, our recent successful Rs 97.8 billion acquisition of Embassy TechVillage in India's best-performing office sub-market of ORR in Bengaluru cements our position as a landlord of choice for the world's top companies."

Financial Highlights

* Net Operating Income ('NOI') for 3Q FY2021 grew year-on-year by 3 per cent to Rs 4,780 million and cumulatively by 5 per cent to Rs 14,163 million for YTD FY2021, with operating margins of 85 per cent for the quarter and 87 per cent for YTD FY2021

* Distributed Rs 4,313 million or Rs 4.55 per unit for 3Q FY2021 and cumulatively Rs 13,056 million or Rs 15.88 per unit for YTD FY2021, representing a 100 per cent payout ratio for both the periods

* Raised Rs 7.5 billion of listed debentures during 3Q FY2021 at an attractive 6.70 per cent coupon; raised further Rs 26.0 billion of listed debentures in Jan'21 at 6.40 per cent coupon primarily to refinance the ETV debt

* Balance sheet remains strong with low leverage of 23 per cent Net Debt to TEV, liquidity of Rs 9.4 billion and additional debt headroom of Rs 120 billion

Business Highlights

* Lease deals signed for 3Q FY2021 stood at 311k sf, with 1.0 msf lease deals signed YTD

* Achieved 14 per cent spreads on 206k sf re-leased area in 3Q FY2021, with 16 per cent spreads on 450k sf re-leased YTD

* Achieved rental increases of 15 per cent on 1.5 msf in 3Q FY2021, with YTD rental increases of 13 per cent on 5.3 msf

* Rent collections for 3Q FY2021 from office occupiers remained strong at 99.5 per cent, in-line with office rent collections of 100 per cent for 1Q FY2021 and 99.9 per cent for 2Q FY2021 (as of February 11, 2021)

* Portfolio occupancy stood at 90.6 per cent on our enlarged 32.3 msf operating portfolio, with same-store occupancy of 90.5 per cent

* Ongoing support to occupiers as they bring forward 'Back to Office' plans encouraged by vaccine roll-out; 97 per cent of occupiers and the daily average of ~20k employees operated from our properties in 3Q FY2021, up 27 per cent since 2Q FY2021

Growth Initiatives

* Completed Rs 97.8 billion ETV acquisition in December 2020 and successfully raised Rs 36.8 billion through an Institutional Placement to fund the acquisition

* Post ETV acquisition, integrated on-ground teams and the 1.1 msf built-to-suit project, initiated restructuring of the 2-tier holdings at the ETV level and refinanced Rs 26.4 billion of in-place ETV debt at 328 refinancing bps spread

* Launched 1.9 msf of new on-campus office development at ETV. Along with the existing 2.7 msf development, organic growth through 5.7 msf on-campus development across portfolio, with 19 per cent area pre-committed to JP Morgan

Investor materials and quarterly investor call details

Embassy REIT has released a package of information on the quarterly results and performance, that includes (i) reviewed condensed standalone and reviewed condensed consolidated financial statements for the quarter and nine-month period ended December 31, 2020, (ii) an earnings presentation covering 3Q FY2021 results, and (iii) supplemental operating and financial data book that is in line with leading reporting practices across global REITs. All these materials are available on our website at www.embassyofficeparks.com under the "Investors" section.

Embassy REIT will host a conference call on February 12, 2021, at 18:30 hours Indian Standard Time to discuss the 3Q FY2021 results. A replay of the call will be available till February 26, 2021, on our website at www.embassyofficeparks.com under the "Investors" section.

Disclaimer

This press release is prepared for general information purposes only. The information contained herein is based on management information and estimates. It is only current as of its date, has not been independently verified and may be subject to change without notice. Embassy Office Parks Management Services Private Limited ("the Manager") in its capacity as the Manager of Embassy REIT, and Embassy REIT make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to, and do not accept any responsibility or liability with respect to, the fairness and completeness of the content hereof. Each recipient will be solely responsible for its own investigation, assessment and analysis of the market and the market position of Embassy REIT. Embassy REIT does not provide any guarantee or assurance with respect to any distribution or the trading price of its units.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on the currently held beliefs, opinions and assumptions of the Manager. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, financial condition, performance, or achievements of Embassy REIT or industry results, to differ materially from the results, financial condition, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the impact of COVID-19 on us, our occupiers and the Indian and global economies, recipients of this press release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The Manager disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments or the impact of events which cannot currently be ascertained, such as COVID-19. In addition to statements which are forward-looking by reason of context, the words 'may', 'will', 'should', 'expects', 'plans', 'intends', 'anticipates', 'believes', 'estimates', 'predicts', 'potential' or 'continue' and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

This press release also contains certain financial measures which are not measures determined based on GAAP, Ind-AS or any other internationally accepted accounting principles, and the recipient should not consider such items as an alternative to the historical financial results or other indicators of Embassy REIT's cash flow based on Ind-AS or IFRS. These non-GAAP financial measures, as defined by the Manager, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures as presented by other REITs due to differences in the way non-GAAP financial measures are calculated.

Even though the non-GAAP financial measures are used by management to assess Embassy REIT's financial position, financial results and liquidity and these types of measures are commonly used by investors, they have important limitations as analytical tools, and the recipient should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of Embassy REIT's financial position or results of operations as reported under Ind-AS.

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Portugals Rental Sector Saw a Decrease of 13.5% in 2020

As for many countries, 2020 was an economic roller coaster for Portugal. The country rode out the first wave of the Covid pandemic with a commendably low loss of life, but it was the fortunes of other countries which determined its economic fate. The Portuguese government worked hard to reassure the tourists, so crucial to Portugals economic survival, that the country was open for business as usual and was a safe destination, but the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and high levels of Covid in neighbouring Spain rendered their efforts in vain. Travel corridors which were agreed with the UK to allow visitors into the country were only partially successful. The uncertainty around whether these travel corridors would remain open and the possibility of being stranded was sufficient to deter most tourists. The effect on Portugals economy has been catastrophic and the burgeoning property market has gone into steep decline.

The decline in rental prices had already begun prior to the onset of the pandemic but the pace of decline has accelerated. As is to be expected, Lisbon remains the most expensive property location in Portugal, even with a drop in rental prices of around 14% since January 2020. Porto, another popular destination with foreigners, has seen a drop in excess of 20%. Portalegre, near the Spanish border, is the cheapest place in Portugal to rent property, with average prices at a staggeringly low 391 euros per month, compared with an average of 1,314 euros per month in Lisbon.

In the past, many businesses have been encouraged to relocate to Portugal because of the low cost of office space, the average office rental cost per square metre is around 288 euros. Compare this with an average of 1513 per square metre in the U.K. or 890 euros per square metre in France. The pandemic and a drop of 12 billion euros in tourist revenue has resulted in a 24% fall in the take up of available office space. The question facing many countries around the world is whether office space will ever be filled again or will remote working become standard practice?

Portugal entered a second lockdown on the 15th of January 2021 and the new Covid variant has caused contagion at a record high, hospitals are overwhelmed, the country has closed border with Spain and the Prime minister has described the situation as  terrible . The Portuguese government has now extended the lockdown until at least mid-February. In the light of these tragic developments, it is hard not see anything but a continued decline in Portugals economic fortunes and consequently a continuing fall in the cost of rental property.

The economic recovery from this pandemic is going to be much slower than we would have initially anticipated and for a country like Portugal, so dependent on tourism, the short-term prospects are not good. We live in the hope that the widespread use of vaccine will bring a return to normalcy, at which time renting property in Portugal will once again become a very appealing prospect.

By Boris Dzhingarov

 2021 Copyright Boris Dzhingarov - All Rights Reserved



Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.





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This article will be updated throughout the week with coronavirus case counts and other need-to-know information about the pandemic in San Antonio.

San Antonio surpassed 190,000 total coronavirus cases Sunday, but the pandemics spread in the region continued to abate.

After a week of limited coronavirus testing due to the winter storm and power outages, city officials reported 77 new coronavirus cases and no new deaths  relatively low numbers even as new cases and deaths have been on the decline here since January.

February 19

Increased occupancy: Citing a decrease in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, bringing the total to below 15 percent for the past seven days, Bexar County has increased occupancy for a slew of businesses to 75 percent. The businesses include restaurants, gyms, retail establishments, amusement parks, water parks, swimming pools, museums, libraries, zoos, aquariums, natural caverns, and indoor and outdoor professional, collegiate and similar sporting events.

February 13

COVID-19 numbers: Coronavirus statistics showed encouraging improvement Saturday as the number of cases dropped for the second day in a row and hospitalizations continue to slow. The Metropolitan Health District reported 684 new cases and one new death Saturday.

February 12

COVID numbers: On Friday, city and county officials reported 716 newly diagnosed cases of the coronavirus, along with nine more deaths. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff sent an urgent appeal Friday to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, asking it to establish a mass vaccination site for the San Antonio region.

February 11

COVID numbers: The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Thursday fell to the lowest point in two months, a sign that the pandemic is continuing to ease slightly in San Antonio after the deadly winter surge. Nirenberg reported Thursday that 22 more Bexar County residents died of COVID-19 in the last two weeks.

This virus has taken far too many lives  too many of our friends, family members and colleagues, said Nirenberg.

The city added 902 cases Thursday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 186,346.

February 10

COVID-19 numbers: COVID-19 cases have leveled off somewhat in Bexar County after an alarming spike in January, but health experts are concerned that the onset of bitterly cold weather could keep people homebound for days and hasten the spread of the virus within families.

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District on Wednesday reported 660 new cases, down from 1,348 the day before. Over the last two weeks, three new deaths have been reported.

February 9

New variant: Two cases of the COVID-19 UK variant have been identified in two residents of Bexar County, according to a press release from the City of San Antonio. Bexar County added 1,348 new cases of the disease Tuesday, bringing the confirmed total since the pandemic began to 184,784. Health officials reported the first day without deaths since mid-January.

February 8

COVID-19 update: San Antonios winter coronavirus surge continued to loosen its grip on the city Monday, with sustained improvements to infection rates and hospitalizations for COVID-19.

Officials reported just 235 new cases, a number thats likely low due to delayed reporting from the state laboratory. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District also reported one new COVID death from the past two weeks

February 7

Will S.A. heed warnings about gatherings on Super Bowl Sunday? Community spread of the coronavirus in San Antonio continued its downward trend Sunday, but officials still reported 739 new cases and three new deaths. The number of new cases reported daily has been dropping since mid-January, and new deaths have been on the decline for about a week.

But officials have expressed concern that Super Bowl gatherings Sunday could undo that progress and propel the region into an even more dangerous period in the pandemic.
Koreans are familiar with the proverb, "when whales fight, it breaks the back of the shrimp." In the geopolitics of Asia, this phrase is often used to describe Korean concerns about strategic competition between the U.S. and China. With the former as their most important security patron and with the latter as their key economic patron, Koreans find themselves in uncomfortable situations when Beijing and Washington collide, as was often the case during the Trump administration. Whether it was freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, democratic rights in Hong Kong, Trump's war on Huawei, resiliency of supply chains, or the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery, Koreans were compelled to escape the comfort of hedging and were instead forced to choose. What then will be the state of U.S.-China relations under a Biden administration? Will it continue with strategic competition advanced under Donald Trump?

While this is just the beginning of the Biden presidency and a definitive policy has not yet been announced, I think there are some certainties. First, the era of "responsible stakeholder" is over. That is, the five-decade experiment dating back to Nixon's opening to China to bring it into the liberal international order has failed. Two of former President Barack Obama's key Asia advisors, Kurt Campbell and Ely Ratner, in fact, were among the first to convert from "engagers" to "strategic competitors." They declared that the policy of engagement failed because China took advantage of the liberal trading order, but never became politically open or contributed substantially to the international system. On the contrary, from about 2008, China became more assertive in its foreign policy taking advantage of what it saw to be a weakened United States after the global financial crisis and protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But unlike Trump, President Joe Biden's team has much experience dealing with China. Campbell, the senior Asia coordinator at the White House, was author of the Obama "pivot" to Asia. His National Security Council Asia team includes Edgard Kagan, a foreign service officer with China expertise, and Laura Rosenberger, who had served both at the State Department and NSC working on China. Rosenberger and Kagan also worked on the Six Party talks negotiating team in to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, so they know that issue well. Rumors are that Dan Krittenbrink a senior China specialist and ambassador to Vietnam will lead the Asia team at the State Department. There is no lack of expertise on China. And while the tone of China policy under Biden will not have the sharp edges of Trump, this does not necessarily mean that policy will be softer. The rhetoric will be less insulting and antagonistic even if the policies are as competitive.

There are four potential models for the Biden administration's China policy. No one model will dominate. Rather there will likely be constant tension and tugging amongst the models with different advocates of each model depending on the issue at hand. One of these models is "strategic power rivalry" -- that is, raw power competition between the U.S. and China. This competition is structural in the sense that it is dictated by the relative position of the U.S. as the hegemon and China as the rising power in the system. It almost does not matter whether it is Biden and Xi at the respective helms of the two governments. These two great powers are bound to compete widely and across the globe because of their position in the system. This strategic rivalry will be over three core aspects of the international system -- territory, global rules and norms, and global political authority, not unlike the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

The second impulse is a more moderated form of competition that is largely economic in nature. The focus here would not be a new Cold War, but on isolated pockets of intense competition, largely having to do with trade. One key area would be supply-chain resilience in certain sectors like medical supplies and high-tech, where a vulnerability became apparent during the COVID pandemic. Another area would be in fourth industrial revolution areas like artificial intelligence, outer space, next generation wireless, and the internet of things, with the aim of reducing exposure to, and dependence on, Chinese technology. South Korea has already experienced this with regard to U.S. demands on Huawei and 5G. Yet other areas of competition would be in the international development space, with the U.S. and other liberal democracies countering China's development assistance initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative.

The third model focuses on values and democracy. The Trump administration paid no attention to the promotion of democratic values and human rights in bilateral relations, but this will not be the case for Biden. In calling for a rejuvenation of U.S. partnerships around the world, the U.S. will trumpet common values and universal human rights as a key aspect of maintaining the liberal rules-based international order. For U.S.-China relations, this means a return to a more traditional human rights agenda where the U.S. will call out China over violations, be it in Hong Kong, Xingjiang or North Korea. Already, national security adviser Jake Sullivan has made several statements on social media regarding the atrocities in Xinjiang to lay down a marker of what is to come.

The fourth and final model relates to global threats. This model is different in that the former three models lend towards competition in U.S.-China relations, but this one tends towards collaboration. By global threats, I mean those problems that face every nation regardless of political ideologies and that cannot be solved at the national level. The most obvious example of this is COVID where every leader in the world is contending with the same problem of containing the virus and accelerating vaccine distribution. But the distinguishing area for the Biden administration in this category is climate change.

President Biden has made clear that climate policy will be an omnipresent element of his administration. We see it in domestic policy with an executive action last week establishing environmental justice as a basic human right to protect impoverished communities from being targeted as places for toxic landfills, power plants, or uranium mines. We see it in economic policy with the appointment of Brian Deese, a climate specialist, as head of the National Economic Council, and plans for a post-COVID green economic recovery plan. And in foreign policy, we see it with the appointment of John Kerry as the climate tsar. Kerry's appointment is at the level of a cabinet secretary, which means that every decision that is deliberated by the NSC, not just on environmental issues, but also on security, economics, and politics will be weighed in terms of the climate change agenda.

While the other three models of U.S.-China relations are likely to create continued competition, it is not yet clear how much the climate agenda will impact relations. Kerry will try hard to push cooperative dialogue with China and encourage Beijing's ambitious pledge to be carbon-neutral by 2060. Undeniably, climate will become a more important variable in relations than during the past two administrations, but whether it will create enough cooperative impetus to offset the other three determinants is far from certain.


Milestone Media, the African Americanowned publisher that created the celebrated Black superhero comics universe, will relaunch its publishing program later this month with the release of newly created original series in digital and print formats.

Cofounded in 1993 by the late Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle, in partnership with DC Comics, Milestone Media has been reorganized under the direction of the acclaimed director, comics writer and producer Reginald Hudlin, and two of the company's original cofounders: celebrated comics artist Denys Cowan, and Derek T. Dingle, v-p and editor in chief of Black Enterprise magazine. The latest effort to relaunch of the pioneering publishing venture was first announced during last years DC FanDome, a virtual comics convention organized by DC.

DC publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee, said Since the FanDome panel, Reggie [Hudlin], Denys [Cowan], and our editorial team have been working incredibly hard to bring this new Milestone to life. Its been exciting to see fresh and contemporary takes on the Dakota universe coming together; I think that both new fans and old will be pleased with the results.

Milestone Media was a landmark event in comics publishing, a Black-owned publisher producing original comics featuring Black superhero characters created by Black comics artists. The Milestone comics universe featured such characters as Static Shock, Hardware, and Icon & Rocket, whose adventures were set in the fictional city of Dakota. After Milestone shut down its comics division in 1997, there have been continual efforts revive the characters.

Milestone will officially return on February 23 with the release of Milestone Returns: Infinite #0, a one-shot 17-page comic release originally offered during DC FanDome that will be updated with 24 pages of new material written by Hudlin and drawn by Cowan, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Bill Sienkiewicz, and others. The book retells the Milestone universe origin story based around the events of The Big Bang, a police-brutality protest in Dakota City that sparked a wave of superpowers among the citys Black residents.

In April, look for the revival of the popular Static series and the new adventures of Virgil Hawkins, a teenager gifted with electromagnetic powers. In the new releases, Virgil responds to a clash between a wave of Black teens who discover they have superpowers and a dangerous response from an over-militarized Dakota City police force. Static will launch in a six-issue digital-first series.

In June, Milestone will kickoff a new digital-first series starring Icon & Rocket; its the story of Icon, a powerful alien trapped on earth who takes the form of Augustus Freeman, an African American man; and his sidekick Rocket, Raquel Ervin, a human teenage girl empowered by Icons alien technology.

Also look for the return of Hardware, one of Milestones signature characters, in a digital first series beginning in August. Its the story of Curtis Metcalf, a brilliant Black technologist, who discovers that the tech magnate who mentored him and whom he works for is actually a global criminal mastermind. Metcalf uses his high-tech inventions to fight back.

The Milestone revival will also feature the launch of Earth M, a new line of Milestone comics created by Cowan and Hudlin.

To kickoff the Milestone relaunch, DC is offering digital access to the complete original 1993 first issues of Static, Icon, and Hardware issues, which are available via the newly relaunched DC Universe Infinite, a new digital comics subscription service. The issues are available for free with registration.

The response from fans after the DC FanDome panel was overwhelming, and that makes this news even more exciting for Denys and me, said Hudlin. Introducing these seasons of Static, Icon, Rocket, and Hardware is just the beginning. There will be more stories with these favorite characters to come, and fans will see appearances from the legendary Blood Syndicate, setting the stage for an explosive Milestone event later in the year.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Those who rescued him named him Milagro  or miracle.

But, despite their best efforts, he couldnt pull through.

Now, Animal Protection of New Mexico is offering up to $5,000 to find those who left the elderly, white miniature poodle in a trash bag along the side of the road on the West Mesa last month. After multiple medical procedures, the dog eventually had to be euthanized due to the severity of his injuries.

A separate Albuquerque Metro Area Crime Stoppers release came with a photo of Milagro, a fluffy pup with big eyes, and also offered a reward.

Milagro was found barely alive on Jan. 19 near the junction of Amole Mesa Avenue and 118th SW on the far West Side of town, according to a Animal Protection of New Mexico release. The person who found him brought the dog to the Animal Welfares West Side shelter.

After days of examinations, treatment, and surgery to remove a foreign object from his stomach, Milagro was still suffering and in decline, so shelter staff made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize, the release said.

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An Animal Protection cruelty case manager, who is unnamed in the release, said the person responsible for this cruel and senseless crime constitutes a danger to the community.

They could have surrendered Milagro to one of the Albuquerque shelters instead of abandoning him in this way, the case manager said.

The release states that extreme animal cruelty is a fourth-degree felony and information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible will be rewarded up to $5,000.

Tips: If you have any information regarding this case, please call Animal Protection of New Mexicos Animal Cruelty Hotline at 877-548-6263 or call Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP. Anonymous tips can also be submitted at P3tips.com/531. All calls are confidential and callers may choose to remain anonymous.
New Delhi:

A BSES engineer died and four persons were injured on Monday as their car rammed a tree while allegedly being chased by a mob during an anti-power theft drive in south west Delhis Jaffarpur Kalan area, a BSES spokesperson said.

The police, however, refuted the claim and said the engineer died in a suspected case of rash driving.

According to the BSES spokesperson, three discom teams raided Jhul Jhuli village in Jaffarpur Kalan this afternoon following a tip-off about large-scale power theft in the area.

The teams, accompanied by Delhi Police, came under attack and had to retreat, he said.

The teams were chased by bike-borne goons. In the ensuing melee, one of the cars rammed a tree. Assistant engineer Abhimanyu Singh (32) was grievously injured. He later died, he said.

A senior police officer said the BSES teams were provided adequate police force for the raid which went successfully.

Twenty six police personnel were accompanying the BSES teams. The anti-power theft drive was successful.

One of the cars met with an accident. No one was being chased as per initial reports, said the officer.

A case has been registered in the matter, he said, adding the four injured BSES team members have been admitted to a hospital.

In June this year, a Delhi Police sub-inspector and three BSES employees were injured in stone-pelting by locals during an anti-power theft drive in outer Delhis Ranhola area.

These are not isolated incidents. Efforts of discom teams to check irregularities are often thwarted by law-defying people who function like organised gangs. Power theft has taken shape of an organised crime and active police support is needed to curb this menace, said the BSES spokesperson.

Despite intensive efforts to reduce power theft, Jaffarpur continues to incur 60 per cent losses, he said.

In the last five years, around 14,000 cases of power theft, having a connected load of around 33,000 KW, have been unearthed in the area, the spokesman added.

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3 persons taken out from tunnel by ITBP provided oxygen as they were found unconscious inside. Carried by jawans to nearest road head on stretchers. Image Source: IANS News

ITBP personnel carrying rescued persons on stretchers to the nearest road head near Tapovan after rescuing them from the tunnel.. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Feb 12 : The NTPC has set up medical camps comprising doctors and paramedical staff for the benefit of the general public at its site in Tapovan, Uttarakhand, which was badly hit by flash flood on the morning of February 7.

A flash flood in Uttarakhand - caused by unprecedented snowfall that triggered an avalanche - has led to serious devastation in the state and has also damaged NTPC's Tapovan hydro project along with loss of life of a few workers .

As part of relief and rehabilitation efforts, the NTPC team of doctors are offering medical consultations along with medicines for the needy to help the people of the surrounding areas devastated by the disaster.

Also, a public information centre (PIC) is functional at the project site to provide information to the family members of the missing workers.

"Despite the natural calamity, the NTPC Tapovan team is providing all assistance and cooperation to the rescue agencies round the clock since Sunday when the tragedy struck," a company spokesperson said.
Anshu Kapoor, Head of Investment Management at Edelweiss Wealth Management, says markets are driven by earnings, liquidity and sentiment. The December quarter numbers have been positive and have surprised analysts across sectors.

But, he is not keen on travel and hospitality segments and favours staying away from sectors that continue to bear the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview to Moneycontrol's Sunil Shankar Matkar, Kapoor says banks have raised more than $15 billion in the last six months and are well capitalised. He expects credit cycle to revive, led by manufacturing capex. Edited excerpts:

Q: What should be investors' strategy after the Budget 2021 and the RBIs monetary policy? Should they reshuffle the portfolio?

The reshuffling is necessary if investors feel their portfolios are not allocated efficiently as per their investment objectives. The Budget and RBI policy are constructive and supportive of equities. Investors who were underweight on equities should consider adding exposure.

In fixed income, we advise investors to lock-in yields in high quality fixed deposits and AAA bonds.

Q: Given that the market has more than doubled from March 2020 lows, should one reduce the exposure to equity and increase it in other asset classes?

If you are fully allocated to equities, consider finding a way to hedge your portfolio. If you are under-allocated, please gradually add equities exposureeven at these levels.

Markets are driven by earnings, liquidity and sentiment. We are now seeing earnings come back and surprise analysts across sectors. Actively review and manage your portfoliolock-in returns at a frequent interval. We are also positive on residential real estate as an asset class.

Q: After the Budget and the December quarter earnings, which are the sectors one should add to the portfolio?

We are positive on IT services, auto, banking and financial services and consumer discretionary.

Q: Which sectors should be avoided?

Avoid sectors which continue to be adversely impacted by the pandemictravel, hospitality.

Q: What is your reading of the December quarter earnings? Do you expect earnings to continue improving?

The December quarter earnings have been positive and largely surprised analysts. Revenue growth for about 275 companies we have analysed is around 10 percent, a six-quarter high. PAT growth for these companies is at a nine-quarter high.

Q: Do you think the government will meet targets set in the Budget, including those for divestment, infrastructure spending, healthcare, bad loan bank and many more?

We have begun well. Hopefully, all factors will align this year to help the government come close to, if not exceed its targets.

Q: Do you think the Budget gave a boost to the banking & financial sectorthe Bank Nifty has rallied 17 percent in just a week? Do you think the creation of the so-called bad bank will solve the NPA problem?

Banks have raised over $15 billion in the last six months and are well capitalised. NPAs as a result of the pandemic have turned out to be not as severe as feared. Banks have provisioned adequately for potential NPAs.

We expect the credit cycle to revive, led by manufacturing capex. Factors that will drive this are 1) Investments as a percentage of GDP are at all-time low of 25 percent, 2) India Inc has significantly de-leveraged: debt/ equity ratio is at an all-time low of 0.8, 3) the cost of capital is downG-Sec is at 10 year low.

We also expect consumer credit demand to revive, led by stabilisation, growth of incomes, home loan rates at a 10-year low, confidence in buyers after RERA implementation, and revival of residential real estate salesthe number of units sold per quarter are around 60,000 (close to pre-COVID levels of 70,000-85,000 per quarter).

: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
By Anna Malaika Tubbs

Flatiron. 229 pp. $28.99

- - -

Motherhood is said to be its own reward. You learn to give of yourself, and this will stretch you, as a person. But you may also learn to put yourself in the background, which will shrink you - and even make you disappear.

History does this to us anyway, argues scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs. Black women in particular are largely erased from the American historical trajectory - marginalized, at best. Tubbs tries to remedy this with a new book about women who gave birth to extraordinary men, women who "have been hidden not only behind their sons but also behind their husbands . . . presented as footnotes that are out of context." In "The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation," Tubbs resurrects these women and shows them to be players with agency and influence.

The women have much in common: They were born within a few years of one another; they all married men trained in the church; their lives spanned the 20th century; all three outlived their sons. And yet they were very different from each other.

Louise Langdon Little, who became the mother of Malcolm X, was Caribbean and biracial. Born in 1897, "the exact details of her conception have been lost to history," Tubbs notes, but it is believed that her mother was raped by a White man. Sadly, this was not uncommon, Tubbs reminds us: "The effects of slavery . . . the constant control of Black women's bodies through sexual violence, was universal, far after emancipation."

Louise migrated to Canada in 1917. She met Earl Little, a Baptist minister, at a Universal Negro Improvement Association meeting. The UNIA was founded by activist Marcus Garvey, a fellow West Indian. Louise and Earl married and worked as field organizers, promoting Garvey's call for Black independence in American cities. The Littles had seven children together. Louise served as branch secretary and wrote for the Negro World newspaper and spoke at least three languages: English, French and Patois. Louise Langdon Little died in 1989 at age 92.

Emma Berdis Jones Baldwin, who became the mother of James Baldwin, was born on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1901. She left the Jim Crow South for Philadelphia, and later, New York, during the Great Migration. In 1924, she had a baby, out of wedlock, named James Arthur Jones. She married David Baldwin, a preacher in the Pentecostal tradition and the two of them had eight more children together.

Of these three women, Berdis "had the least in terms of money and education," Tubbs points out. Her husband was paranoid and abusive and had trouble supporting his family. Berdis committed him to a mental institution, while she was pregnant with their ninth child, and he died shortly thereafter, in 1943. Emma Berdis died in 1999 at age 95.

Alberta Williams King, who became the mother of Martin Luther King Jr., was born in Atlanta in 1904. Her family had resources. Her father, the Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, was one of the founders of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP and the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Alberta was the most educated of the three mothers, attending Spelman Seminary, the Hampton Normal and Industrial Institute, and Morris Brown College. She married Baptist preacher Michael King, and they had three children together.

Alberta was not allowed to make the most of her education. "At the time, there was also a law that kept married women from teaching," writes Tubbs. "This 'marriage bar' . . . lacked any logic; it was simply in place to restrict middle-class, educated women and it was not fully terminated until 1964 with the passing of the Civil Rights Act." Alberta focused, instead, on tutoring her husband, establishing women's coalitions and directing the children's choir. Alberta King died in 1974 at age 84.

All three women lived through the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Migration, the Great Depression and the civil rights movement. They knew the consequences of the women's suffragist movement, when White suffragists rejected Black women in 1920. They walked in the shadows of other great Black women, Tubbs asserts, including Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune and Mamie Till, Emmett Till's mother. They endured sociologist Edward Franklin Frazier's assertion that Black women in the 1930s resisted subordination and male authority, "emasculating their husbands and failing to fulfill their womanly duties." They were subject to insulting distortions of Black people, including the "Mammy," the "Jezebel," the "Pickaninny" and the "Welfare Queen," in popular culture. They survived White sociologist Daniel Patrick Moynihan's 1965 claim that households run by Black mothers were inadequate compared to White families.

Each woman endured tremendous personal loss. The Little marriage was tumultuous, and Earl Little died in a suspicious streetcar accident in 1931. Louise was forced to go on welfare, certified insane and committed to the Kalamazoo State Hospital for more than 25 years. She was released just before the assassination of her son Malcolm X. Alberta lost not one but two sons: After Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968, her other son, A.D. King, died in a mysterious drowning the following year. Emma Berdis's son, James Baldwin, became an amazing artist and activist and lived into the 1980s, but died of cancer of the esophagus.

Endurance and resilience are the themes here. In the face of racism, sexism and tremendous violence, these three mothers survive. They are honored, in these pages, as the extraordinary women they were, in their own right. This ambitious book reframes African American history, supplying the female Black experience as a much-needed perspective.

- - -

Lisa Page is co-editor of "We Wear the Mask: 15 True Stories of Passing in America." She is an assistant professor of English at George Washington University.
uschools/iStockBy JORDYN PHELPS and BEN GITTLESON, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- The video was graphic and at times hard to watch. The audio of police frantically calling for reinforcements as they were overtaken by the mob was chilling. The diagrams showing how close the rioters came to lawmakers illustrated just how harrowing the days assault really was -- and how much worse it could have been.



House impeachment managers on Wednesday relied heavily on never-before-seen video and audio to reconstruct the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol as they forced senators, now sitting as jurors, to relive the horror as part of their case against former President Donald Trump.



But while the Democrats emotional appeal may have succeeded in forcing senators to relive the trauma of the day, it remains to be seen if they succeeded in actually winning Republican votes.



And since many of the GOP senators have seemingly already made up their minds -- with a vote to acquit Trump widely expected -- the Democrats have also been speaking to another audience: the American public.



The searing images and jarring testimony about the deadly attack could well damage Trump politically for years to come and make a potential run for the presidency in 2024 difficult. But with so many Republicans still supportive of the former president, it remains to be seen how much of an impact the trial will have on his political future.



The House impeachment managers showed never-before-seen security video of Vice President Mike Pence and his family being whisked away to safety down a set of stairs, just yards away from rioters who came to the Capitol chanting Hang Mike Pence.



Another video showed Sen. Mitt Romney walking down a hall, unknowingly in the direction of the approaching mob, before Capitol Hill Police Office Eugene Goodman came sprinting down the hall to redirect Romney, who then ran in the opposite direction.



And in another video, Democrats drove home just how close the mob came to endangering the entire US Senate.



You know how close you came to the mob. Some of you, I understand, could hear them, Rep. Eric Swalwell told the Senate, as he played security footage that showed senators rushing down a hallway after being evacuated from the Senate chamber. But most of the public does not know how close these rioters came to you. As you were moving through that hallway, I paced it off. You were just 58 steps away.



And they traced it all back to Trump, labeling him the inciter-in-chief.



The truth is, this attack never would have happened but for Donald Trump. And so they came, draped in Trump's flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and to bludgeon, Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., told the Senate.



Democrats traced their accusations of incitement against the former president back months, replaying interview clips and reading tweets from the former president in which he propagated what they labeled the big lie that the only way he could lose the election would be fraud.



"He built this mob over many months with repeated messaging until they believed that they had been robbed of their vote and they would do anything to stop the certification, Swalwell said. He made them believe that their victory was stolen and incited them so he could use them to steal the election for himself."



But however compelling and dramatic the Democrats have been in presenting their case, the political reality remains that they need to convince two-thirds of the Senate to conclude that the presidents actions in the months leading up to the insurrection -- and his call for supporters to fight like hell on the day of the attack -- should result in conviction.



Only a handful of Republicans appear to be keeping an open mind.



Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of only six Republicans who voted Tuesday that that trial has constitutional grounds to move forward, said she was disturbed and angry after watching Wednesdays presentation.



The evidence presented thus far is pretty damning. But I also know that I have an obligation and responsibility and one that I accept to listen to what the defense will present, Murkowski said.



One of the presidents staunchest allies, Sen. Lindsey Graham, expressed confidence that Wednesdays arguments were not effective in swaying Republicans toward conviction and instead postured that the exact opposite happened.



"The 'Not Guilty' vote is growing after today. I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House Managers offensive and absurd," he tweeted.



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Rakesh Tikait, the man who has now emerged as the face of the farmers protest against the Centres farm reform laws, was once a constable with the Delhi Police before he decided to enter multiple businesses. While the average monthly income of farmers, the Bharatiya Kisan Union is representing, is as low as 6400 rupees, Tikait reportedly owns wealth worth of Rs 80 crore.

According to a report published in the DNA, Tikait has assets across four states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Delhi. Besides, he has properties spread across 13 cities, including Muzaffarnagar, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bijnor, Badaun, Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Dehradun, Roorkee, Haridwar, and Mumbai.

Tikait owns a range of businesses like petrol pumps, brick kilns, showrooms, etc., the report said. The BKU leader has two daughters -- Seema and Jyoti. The latter lives in Australia and had reportedly organised a rally in support of the protesting farmers in Melbourne on February 8.

The protest against the newly introduced farming laws have been going on at the borders of Delhi, mainly by the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh for over four months now. The Opposition, including the Congress party, has thrown its weight behind the protesting farmers.

Besides, the chiefs of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, and other leaders have demanded withdrawal of the controversial agri reform laws.

Some reports also suggest that Tikait captured a deer, which is illegal in India and is a punishable offence. Catching and capturing any wild animal, including deer in India is a punishable offence and invites an imprisonment of seven years or an imposition of Rs 25,000 fine or both.
This is the Impeachment Briefing, The Timess newsletter about the impeachment investigation. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

What happened today

The House Democrats branded the former president a clear and present danger to democracy who could sow new violence if he was not convicted and barred from holding office again.

In their second and final day of arguments, House impeachment managers argued that the rioters who stormed the Capitol had taken their cues directly from Mr. Trump  and that Mr. Trump had known exactly what he was doing when he egged on the mob.

They also gave a pre-emptive rebuttal to two of the main arguments Mr. Trumps lawyers are expected to make: that his actions are protected under the First Amendment and that the impeachment proceedings have violated his due process rights.

Mr. Trumps lawyers will step forward tomorrow, and it may be relatively quick. Our White House reporter Maggie Haberman reports that they dont anticipate presenting for more than a few hours tomorrow.

Closing arguments

In a meticulously choreographed sequence, the House impeachment managers described Mr. Trumps words and how the rioters had understood them, how the Capitol riot emboldened right-wing extremists, the trauma inflicted on the people who were in the Capitol that day, and the consequences for the United States reputation.

Here are some of their key points:

Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado showed video footage of Mr. Trumps supporters declaring openly that they were acting on his behalf. We were invited here! one rioter yelled. We were invited by the president of the United States!

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland emphasized Mr. Trumps long history of encouraging violence among his supporters. He played, for instance, a clip of Mr. Trump telling supporters at a rally during his 2016 campaign to knock the crap out of protesters and suggesting he would pay those supporters legal fees.

In one of the most powerful moments of the day, Representative Ted Lieu of California directly challenged the defense lawyers argument that Democrats were motivated by fear that Mr. Trump would run again and win. Im afraid hes going to run again and lose, he said. Because he could do this again.

Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas invoked law and order and emphasized how the world had reacted to the riot  making the argument for conviction on the basis of principles Mr. Trump and other Republicans often speak about. He said the riot had given China, Iran and Russia an opening to demean American democracy and argued that if the Senate did not convict Mr. Trump, it might forfeit the power of our example as a north star on freedom, democracy, human rights and, most of all, the rule of law.

Finally, the managers pre-emptively rebutted the First Amendment and due process arguments Mr. Trumps lawyers are expected to make.

Representative Joe Neguse of Colorado said the First Amendment claims were a distraction premised on a straw-man version of events. They are concerned not with the facts that actually occurred, the facts that weve proven, but with an alternative set of facts where President Trump did nothing but deliver a controversial speech at a rally, he said. Thats not what we charged in the article of impeachment, and its not what happened.

Mr. Raskin, who has taught constitutional law, gave a legal rebuttal, saying the First Amendment did not apply to Mr. Trumps actions for two main reasons: because it doesnt protect incitement of violence, and because the oaths of office taken by public officials create a higher standard for them than for ordinary citizens. More broadly, he said, Mr. Trumps actions endangered the very constitutional order that protects rights like freedom of speech.

Mr. Lieu rejected the defenses argument that the Houses quick impeachment vote had violated Mr. Trumps due process rights, saying that the House functions like a grand jury, deciding whether to charge the president. Hes receiving all process hes due right here in this chamber, he said of the Senate.

Getting to 17

Even before the trial resumed on Thursday, Republican senators made it clear how unlikely it was to change their votes. Despite the graphic new videos the House impeachment managers had shown the day before, which left some senators in both parties visibly shaken, there was no indication that anywhere close to the requisite number of Republican senators were prepared to convict Trump. Seventeen Republicans would have to join every Democrat to achieve the two-thirds majority needed for conviction.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina tweeted: The Not Guilty vote is growing after today. I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House Managers offensive and absurd.
JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- People's Postcode Lottery has made a 2 million commitment to conservation non-profit African Parks as part of its 24 million Climate Challenge Fund. The funds will help to conserve four major protected areas which are under the management of African Parks in partnership with Governments in Africa, contributing to climate change mitigation and building climate resilience in their landscapes. Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda is one of the beneficiary parks, following a partnership recently announced to ensure its long-term protection.

African Parks is responsible for the rehabilitation and long-term management of an area in excess of 14 million hectares across 19 national parks in 11 countries, and its work is supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery. Nyungwe National Park provides 70 per cent of Rwanda's fresh water, represents some of the largest and most intact high-altitude rainforest in Central Africa and is home to twenty-five percent of Africa's primate species.

Besides Nyungwe, African Parks' award will support three other parks under their management: Chinko in the Central African Republic; Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo; and Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia. The funding will contribute to restoring biodiversity, preventing deforestation and poaching, and supporting local enterprise and community initiatives to ensure sustainability for people and wildlife. This will help to mitigate climate change by protecting ecosystems that lock up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It will also help to ensure the ecosystem's ability to deliver clean air, water, food and other natural resources.

"African Parks is extremely grateful to the players of People's Postcode Lottery for the significant contribution to the conservation of these four crucial parks," said African Parks' CEO Peter Fearnhead. "Thanks to this instrumental support, we can work with our Government partners to sustainably manage these large natural landscapes which safeguard a myriad of wildlife species, protect the catchments of three of Africa's largest rivers, and help to moderate climate change and improve climate resilience among communities that depend on these ecosystem services for their survival."

Laura Chow, head of charities at People's Postcode Lottery, said: "Since the launch of People's Postcode Lottery 15 years ago, our players have been providing vital support to a wide range of environmental charities. This latest project, led by African Parks, will see funds raised by players being used to tackle the two great environmental challenges of our age - climate change and biodiversity loss. The climate and nature emergencies are inextricably linked and we must fight them together. By doing so, we can help safeguard the future of these globally-important ecosystems and, of course, the communities who depend on them."

The funding award forms part of People's Postcode Lottery's Postcode Climate Challenge initiative. 24 million, raised by players of People's Postcode Lottery, is shared across 12 charities to invest in projects focusing on reducing the impacts of the climate crisis.

Related Links

african-parks.org



SOURCE African Parks
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed optimism about New Mexico receiving additional federal relief aid and increased COVID-19 vaccine shipments after meeting Friday at the White House with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The meeting, which was also attended by a small group of governors and mayors, marked Lujan Grishams first trip out of New Mexico since the pandemic hit the state in March 2020.

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In a telephone interview, the governor said New Mexico would get roughly $2 billion in financial aid  for health care, tribal investments and other programs  under the American Rescue Plan proposed by the Biden administration that would provide a total of $350 billion in direct aid for states and local governments.

This is a game-changer for us and I made that clear to the president and vice president, Lujan Grisham told the Journal.

She also said vaccines were discussed during the White House meeting and that she requested more federal assistance in distributing and administering received vaccine shipments.

Im feeling very good about the ongoing focus on the pandemic and vaccines, Lujan Grisham said.

New Mexico has ranked among the top states in the nation for the percentage of coronavirus vaccine doses received that have been administered, though some state residents have voiced frustration with the pace of the vaccine rollout.

As of Friday, the state had administered 394,720 doses out of 429,950 received  or nearly 92%.

But some New Mexicans have received two doses of the vaccine, as is required with the Pfizer vaccine, meaning 276,965 residents  or about 13% of the states total population  have gotten their first shot, according to state Department of Health data.

Meanwhile, Lujan Grisham said she also spoke Friday with top White House staffers, but not directly to Biden and Harris, about the U.S. Air Forces decision to locate the new U.S. Space Command headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, over five other cities, including Albuquerque.

The governor said the site location was a political decision made during the final days of former President Donald Trumps administration, echoing a claim made by Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and other officials.

The governor, who was considered for a Cabinet position in the Biden administration, was recently elected as chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association.

She was scheduled to travel back to New Mexico on Friday.
Prime Minister Florin Citu met today with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, as part of an official visit to Brussels, with the talks approaching subjects related to ensuring the continuity of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign at EU level, the elimination of the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) for Romania and our country's accession to the Schengen area, according to AGERPRES.

According to a government statement, the two officials discussed major EU files, with a focus on managing the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, European economic recovery efforts and the Union's external agenda.

Prime Minister Florin Citu presented the Romanian Government's priorities and expressed our country's commitment to further support the efforts to strengthen cohesion and convergence at Union level.

President Charles Michel voiced his appreciation for the deeply pro-European conduct of our country and for the excellent cooperation with Romania within the European Council.

The two senior officials agreed on the need to continue efforts for coordinated action at European level in response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Prime Minister Florin Citu underlined the importance that Romania attaches to ensuring a continuous vaccination process, without interruptions, and showed that it is essential that the Union's actions ensure, on the one hand, the supply of vaccines, and on the other hand, guarantee the implementation of the measures necessary for economic recovery, for the good functioning of the single market, for the flow of essential goods and services and for the free movement of persons," reads the release.

In this context, the head of the Executive in Bucharest stressed the need to send a message of solidarity, especially to the European Union's closest partners, such as the Western Balkan countries and the Eastern Partnership, by supporting vaccination campaigns and donating vaccine doses, evoking, in context, Romania's commitment to donate 200,000 doses to the Republic of Moldova.

President Charles Michel fully agreed with this approach and expressed support for "developing an effective mechanism in this regard".

The cited source states that in the context of discussions on the operationalization of the European budget and economic recovery instruments, Prime Minister Citu expressed appreciation for the special role played by the President of the European Council in obtaining the agreement at European level on this issue in July 2020.

At the same time, the Romanian Prime Minister evoked Romania's efforts to finalize the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

"The two senior officials also discussed the implementation of the European Green Deal, the Romanian Prime Minister emphasizing Romania's support for the objectives set at EU level, while adjusting the implementation process according to the specifics of each country; he pointed out that in Romania's case there is need for a correct and sustainable transition from the use of coal to that of natural gas and then to hydrogen, with the adequate support of the social costs involved," the release further mentions.

The Romanian Prime Minister also argued in favour of "closing the CVM process" following the fulfillment of the recommendations of the European Commission, to which the Government he leads is fully committed, respectively for "Romania's accession to the Schengen area", given that our country has fulfilled all the requirements.

"President Charles Michel expressed support for Romania's efforts on the two issues," according to the statement.

The meeting also facilitated a discussion on several issues on the European Union's external agenda.

Thus, Prime Minister Florin Citu expressed the expectation that this year's Eastern Partnership Summit will reconfirm the importance of this European initiative, emphasizing the need for "the post-2020 agenda to focus on bringing the Eastern Partnership states closer to European values."

"Also, the Prime Minister of Romania underlined the special opportunity opened by the mandate of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, pleading for the consolidation of the European support for boosting democratic reforms in the Republic of Moldova, promoted by the new President, according to its citizens' pro-European choice. The EU's relations with Russia and Turkey were also addressed," the release also said.
Half-Yearly Financial Report

Quarterly MD&A Filed in Canada

BISHOPSGATE, LONDON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / The Board of SolGold ("SolGold" or the "Company") (LSE:SOLG)(TSX:SOLG) is pleased to advise all shareholders and interested investors of the release of the Company's interim financial results for the half year ended 31 December 2020. The interim financial report is included as part of this announcement.

Further, the Board advises shareholders and interested investors that the Company's website also contains access to additional information required to be filed on SEDAR in Canada in connection with the Company's quarterly financial period ended 31 December 2020. This additional information is available in the Financial Reports section of the Investor Centre on the Company's website: www.solgold.com.au

By order of the Board

Karl Schlobohm

Company Secretary

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.

CONTACTS

Karl Schlobohm SolGold Plc (Company Secretary) kschlobohm@solgold.com.au Tel: +61 (0) 7 3303 0661 Ingo Hofmaier SolGold Plc (GM - Project & Corporate Finance) ihofmaier@solgold.com.au Tel: +44 (0) 20 3823 2131 Fawzi Hanano / Eliza Michael SolGold Plc (Investors / Media) fhanano@solgold.com.au emichael@solgold.com.au Tel: +44 (0) 20 3823 2131

Follow us on twitter @SolGold_plc

Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to view the associated PDF document.

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/0056P_1-2021-2-12.pdf

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: SolGold PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629527/SolGold-PLC-Announces-Half-yearly-Financial-Report

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Friday said the ongoing farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no planning regarding the duration yet.

"Farmers' protest will go on for indefinite period as there is no plan currently. It might continue till October," Tikait told ANI.

He said this in response to the statement of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Gurnam Singh Charni that the farmers' protest will continue till October.

Tikait had earlier warned the farmers' agitation will not conclude unless government repeals the three newly enacted agriculture laws and it may go on till October.

On Friday he mentioned that the farmers do a protest every year on October 2 at the Ghazipur border.

"Tear shells and bullets were fired at the farmers on October 2, 2018, at the Ghazipur border. Every year we do a programme here at the Ghazipur border and will also do it this year," he said.

Asked about the debates in the Parliament on the farmers' issues, Tikait said it is good that the issue is being raised and debated in the Parliament.

He further said there must be a genuine reason that the country's farmers are protesting for so long.

"The entire nation's farmers are on streets protesting, there must be a reason to it. If the farm laws are not accepted by the farmers, then what is the compulsion of not repealing them?" Tikait asked.

He agreed with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remark of 'Hum do hamare do' as he believed that it truly seemed like only four people are running the country.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the 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.

(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 man has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping the mother of his two kids after she refused to go on a surprise Valentine's Day date with him.

Isaiah Cuspard, 20, assaulted his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two kids on February 10 in Phoenix, Arizona.

He was arrested but released and the next day, he returned to her home with the hope of taking her out on a date but she refused.

He hit her, bundled her in his arms then threw her in his car and drove away at 100mph, according to the victim's mother and neighbors who watched the incident unfold.

The neighbors called police and by the time they got to the street where he was, he had crashed.

Once in custody, he admitted that he'd assaulted the woman the night before and that she refused to go out with him but said that he couldn't take no for an answer.

Isaiah Cuspard, 20, assaulted his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two kids on February 10 in Phoenix, Arizona. He is shown in his most recent mugshot, left, and in a social media photo, right. The girlfriend has not been named

'Isaiah felt offended and was going to take her against all means,' the police report into his arrest reads, according to Fox 10 in Phoenix.

The victim's mother said the pair have always had a violent relationship and that she warned him not to go to their home.

Cuspard is being held in county jail on a $6,000 bond. He is due in court on Thursday.

His arrest record says that on February 9, he went to the woman's home and assaulted her.

Police came and arrested him but he was released from custody. It's unclear why.

This is near the scene where he hit a curb and crashed. The ex-girlfriend was injured

The next day, he went back to the house and pleaded with the woman to go on an early Valentine's Day date with him.

'Isaiah wanted to surprise [her] with a Valentine's date but [she] wanted no part of it. He said that she had told him no multiple times when he asked her to go with him.

'Isaiah said he felt offended and was going to take her against all means. Isaiah then decided that he needed to physically wrap his arms around her carry her to his car that he drove to the house in.

'Isaiah then forced [her] into the front passenger seat and drove off with her. As Isaiah drove away, they wrecked into the curb and set off the air bags in the vehicle.

'She sustained a cut to her left hand from the collision,' the police report states.

The victim also told him she though he was going to die.

Cuspard has a lengthy criminal record. At just 20, he already has nine mugshots for arrests including for theft, resisting arrest, and assault.
LOS ANGELES  The question of the hour came from an unlikely source: a bright-eyed 6-year-old in a My Little Pony face covering.

Why are you wearing two masks? asked Kennedy Anne Coen, who was hunkered down Wednesday morning in her moms Torrance coffee shop, where a corner had been turned into a coronavirus-era classroom. Im only wearing one. My mom has one face shield and one mask.

Why, indeed. Thats actually a better query for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After weeks of tiptoeing around the issue, the agency announced Wednesday that two masks are better than one for protecting wearers from the coronavirus and its various frightening mutations.

Wearing a cloth mask over a surgical one can offer substantially better protection from potentially infectious aerosols, the CDC said in a new report. Adjusting a medical mask to fit more tightly can also provide similar protection, the report said. Recent lab tests conducted with dummies found that both the cloth-medical mask combination and the tighter-fitting medical mask decreased exposure by about 95%.

The federal revelation came as no surprise to Darlene Terrell, who was shopping Wednesday for a Valentines Day card and M&Ms, the first for her husband, the second for herself. Terrell works from her Los Angeles home counseling special needs adults via phone. On this day, she was double-masked as she pushed her shopping cart down the aisles of the busy Walmart at West 190th Street and Normandie Avenue.

This one doesnt fit as secure as I want it to, she said, pointing to her black cloth mask emblazoned with the slogan, Get Covered Stay Covered. So I put on two. At one point in time, I had on three. I felt safer, especially when I went to certain places with a lot of people. It can be hard to breathe, but Id rather be safe than sorry.

Like many Southern Californians out and about on this sunny Wednesday, Terrell hadnt heard about the new federal guidelines. But shes all in favor of anything that causes people to mask up to thwart the seemingly endless pandemic. Naked faces, she said, make her very upset.

I dont think people are taking this as serious as they should, Terrell said. So many people have lost their lives, and [they] still dont believe in the science. When you see people dying, a little light should come on in your head that says, Rethink this.

A year has passed since the coronavirus claimed its first California casualty. The pandemic has killed more than 470,000 in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University, which estimates that more than 2.3 million people have died of COVID-19 worldwide. In California, the Los Angeles Times ongoing survey estimates that more than 45,000 people have died.

The coronavirus spreads most commonly in the air, when someone inhales infectious droplets or other tiny respiratory particles. Experts and officials have long noted that properly fitted masks and other face coverings can help prevent person-to-person transmission.

The new CDC report is not without caveats, though. Its takeaways are limited by the nature of the experiments, which were conducted with one type of medical procedure mask and one type of cloth mask and did not include any other combinations of masks, such as cloth over cloth, medical procedure mask over medical procedure mask, or medical procedure mask over cloth.

Still, the report is the latest indication that, in some cases, more masks may actually be better  a particularly important consideration as potentially more contagious coronavirus variants continue to gain a foothold across the country.

Until vaccine-induced population immunity is achieved, universal masking is a highly effective means to slow the spread ... when combined with other protective measures, such as physical distancing, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces and good hand hygiene, the report states. Innovative efforts to improve the fit of cloth and medical procedure masks to enhance their performance merit attention.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. governments top infectious diseases expert, referenced the potential benefits of double masking during a television appearance a few weeks ago, saying: If you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on it, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective.

During a recent media briefing, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said donning an extra face covering was a practical, sort of thoughtful way to add an additional layer between your respiratory droplets and the rest of the world. She also observed that youll see many more people now that are in fact double-masking.

If the South Bay is any indication, Ferrers prediction will take some time to come true.

At the Peninsula Pharmacy in San Pedro, chief pharmacist Shahram Elie wore a double mask while waiting on customers. But 71-year-old George DAmbrosi, who had stopped by to pick up a prescription, scoffed at the idea. Hes had his second shot of the coronavirus vaccine and believes that people need to be masked, but he doesnt plan on donning more than one.

Two masks, he said, arent going to do any better.

At the Torrance post office, a maskless woman sprinted to the blue mailbox, trying to tug her turtleneck up over her face. A man strolling down Marcelina Avenue wore his surgical mask below his nose, rendering it useless.

Angel Gomez manned the outdoor hosts table at La Capilla, a Mexican restaurant in Old Town Torrance, on Wednesday, standing beneath a Bienvenidos sign in big block letters. His black surgical-style mask matched his somber shirt, pants and hoodie. Hearing about the double-mask recommendation for the first time, he waxed incredulous.

Two? he asked. I feel like ones enough. If youre going to get sick with one mask, youll get sick with two. [Infected droplets] go in your eyes. You rub your face. If you feel safer with two, by all means. If ones enough, thats fine.

Either way, he said, people need to protect themselves  and others.

People without masks? At this point, he said, theyre not caring about anyone.

____

Maria L. La Ganga and Luke Money of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story. Times photojournalist Carolyn Cole contributed to this report.

___

2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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The popular Choose Topeka Relocation Incentive has been extended another year, allotting $300,000 to attract specialized talent to move to the Capital City. In just one year, weve already attracted 40 highly educated, well-paid workers and their family members. Were excited to welcome even more people to our community in 2021," said Molly Howey, president of GO Topeka.

GO Topeka announced that the popular Choose Topeka Relocation Incentive has been extended another year, allotting $300,000 to attract specialized talent to move to the Capital City. Recipients of these incentives are eligible to receive a maximum of $15,000 to be used in their moving and housing expenses. In its first year, Choose Topeka attracted 40 workers and created a $3.2 million regional economic impact.

To date, 40 people making average wages of $80,000 per year participated in the program, relocating from cities across the U.S. including New York City and San Francisco. Twenty-one workers purchased a home in Topeka and 19 are renting housing; many brought family members with them.

In just one year, weve already attracted 40 highly educated, well-paid workers and their family members, said Molly Howey, president of GO Topeka. We have always known that Topeka and Shawnee County are an amazing place to call home, and were excited to welcome even more people to our community in 2021.

Kristy Blake, who was hired as director of the New Life Center at the University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus, moved to Topeka in late April with her husband. They came to the capital city from Arlington, Tenn., and ended up buying a home in Topeka.

It really has been a very good transition for us. It really feels like a family here, said Blake. She and her husband are getting to know their neighbors. And the city, she added, is a great size  Small enough, yet big enough for what we enjoy doing.

The Choose Topeka incentive allows employers to match a relocation incentive for recruited candidates to Topeka, with a combined total up to $15,000 when buying a home, and $10,000 for renters signing a one-year lease. Employees who work remotely for companies based outside Topeka can receive up to $10,000 if they purchase a home, and up to $5,000 toward a one-year lease, tiered based upon their annual salary.

This money allowed me to finally own my dream home, said Tyler Jaggers, a video game designer who moved to Topeka in 2020 from Palo Alto, Calif. I spent the money I received on home improvement projects that have helped me build even more equity. I am really glad I made the move to Kansas.

This is an exciting validation of the work that went into developing this program, said Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla. Choose Topeka not only addresses an important need to attract talent to our community, but it is a powerful tool to provide many new people access to funds needed to buy a home."

The Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP) has received thousands of requests from across North America, as well as international interest from potential candidates in Europe, Asia and South America.

GO Topeka is ecstatic to see this program extended into 2021. Choose Topeka really flourished in its first year, but there is only more opportunity ahead of us as more people set their sights on Topeka, said Barbara Stapleton, vice president of business retention and talent initiatives, GO Topeka.

Interested candidates can learn more about the Choose Topeka talent recruitment initiative and apply for incentives here.

About GO Topeka

GO Topeka creates opportunities for economic growth that provide a thriving business climate and fulfilling lifestyle for Topeka and Shawnee County. GO Topeka operates under the Greater Topeka Partnership, the leading economic development agency in the region. http://www.gotopeka.com
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is warning Houstonians to take preparations for the upcoming dangerous weather, likening the fast-approaching winter storm to a Cat 5 Hurricane.

The wintry storm headed for Houston could bring some of the most hazardous weather Houston has seen in 30 years. The storm is expected to roll into Houston this weekend and early into next week, with Monday looking to be potentially the most dangerous for Houston.

Remnants of planetary crust disintegrating under the tidal forces around a cool white dwarf. Material in the disc becomes vapourised close to the central star and flows onto the white dwarf atmosphere. CREDIT University of Warwick/Mark Garlick

Remnants of planets with Earth-like crusts have been discovered in the atmospheres of four nearby white dwarf stars by University of Warwick astronomers, offering a glimpse of the planets that may have once orbited them up to billions of years ago.



These crusts are from the outer layers of rocky planets similar to Earth and Mars and could give astronomers greater insights into the chemistry of the planets that these dying stars once hosted.

The discovery is reported today (11 February) in the journal Nature Astronomy and includes one of the oldest planetary systems seen by astronomers so far.

The University of Warwick-led team were analysing data from the European Space Agency's Gaia telescope of over 1,000 nearby white dwarf stars when they came across an unusual signal from one particular white dwarf. The researchers at the University of Warwick received funding from the European Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

They used spectroscopy to analyse the light from the star at different wavelengths, which allows them to detect when elements in the star's atmosphere are absorbing light at different colours and determine what elements those are and how much is present. They also inspected the 30,000 white dwarf spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey published over the last 20 years.

The signal matched the wavelength of lithium and the astronomers soon discovered three more white dwarfs with the same signal, one of which was also observed with potassium in its atmosphere. By comparing the amount of lithium and potassium with the other elements they detected - sodium and calcium - they found that the ratio of elements matched the chemical composition of the crust of rocky planets like Earth and Mars, if those crusts and been vaporised and mixed within the gaseous outer layers of the star for 2 million years.

Lead author Dr Mark Hollands from the University of Warwick's Department of Physics said: "In the past, we've seen all sorts of things like mantle and core material, but we've not had a definitive detection of planetary crust. Lithium and potassium are good indicators of crust material, they are not present in high concentrations in the mantle or core.

"Now we know what chemical signature to look for to detect these elements, we have the opportunity to look at a huge number of white dwarfs and find more of these. Then we can look at the distribution of that signature and see how often we detect these planetary crusts and how that compares to our predictions."

The outer layers of the white dwarfs contain up to 300,000 gigatonnes of rocky debris, which includes up to 60 gigatonnes of lithium and 3,000 gigatonnes of potassium, equivalent to a 60km sphere of similar density to Earth's crust. The amount of crust material detected is similar in mass to that of the asteroids we see in our own solar system, leading the astronomers to believe that what they are seeing around all four stars is material broken off from a planet, rather than an entire planet itself.

Previous observations of white dwarfs have found evidence of material from the inner core and mantle of planets, but no definitive evidence of crust material. Crust is a small fraction of a planet's mass and the elements detected in this study are only detectable when the star is very cool. White dwarfs are in the dying phase of their lifecycle, as they have burnt out their fuel and cool over billions of years. These four white dwarfs are thought to have burnt out their fuel up to 10 billion years ago and could be among the oldest white dwarfs formed in our galaxy.

Co-author Dr Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay from the University of Warwick said: "In one case, we are looking at planet formation around a star that was formed in the Galactic halo, 11-12.5 billion years ago, hence it must be one of the oldest planetary systems known so far. Another of these systems formed around a short-lived star that was initially more than four times the mass of the Sun, a record-breaking discovery delivering important constraints on how fast planets can form around their host stars."

Among the oldest of these white dwarfs, one is 70% more massive than average and so its huge mass would normally cause any material in its atmosphere to disappear relatively quickly, leading the astronomers to the conclusion that it must be replenishing the crust material from a surrounding debris disc. Furthermore, the astronomers detected more infrared light than expected for the white dwarf alone, which indicates a disc being heated by its star and then re-radiated at longer wavelengths.

Dr Hollands adds: "As we understand it, rocky planet formation happens in a similar way in different planetary systems. Initially, they are formed from similar material composition to the star, but over time those materials separate and you end up with different chemical compositions in different parts of the planets. We can see that at some point that these objects have undergone differentiation, where the composition is different to the starting composition of the star.

"It is now well understood that most normal stars like the Sun harbour planets, but now there's the opportunity to look at the frequency of different types of material as well."

###

* 'Alkali metals in white dwarf atmospheres as tracers of ancient planetary crusts' will be published in Nature Astronomy, DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-01296-7

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-01296-7

* This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 677706 (WD3D))

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Houston had the first hospital-based air ambulance service in Texas and the first mobile stroke unit in the U.S. For decades, Houston has been a national, even global, leader in innovation with a focus on advancing health.

Unfortunately, today, we are also leading in an area where being first is not an indicator of progress: a growing number of Houstonians are uninsured.

An estimated 37 percent of Harris County residents under age 65 are currently without health insurance, according to the Episcopal Health Foundation. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the challenge, with 1 in 10 residents losing their health insurance since the pandemic began.

Like the pandemic itself, this issue affects each and every one of us.

Without health insurance, people who get sick, need medicine, suffer a traumatic accident or injury or require medical treatment of any kind either forego care or rely on hospitals to provide that care. Memorial Hermann, like all health systems, has an ethical and legal obligation to treat everyone who comes to us, regardless of their ability to pay.

We are proud to provide this care.

However, it is not only reasonable but also essential that hospitals and clinicians be paid for that high-quality care, as well as for their around-the-clock availability and responsiveness 365 days a year.

We are committed to always being here for our community, but even a nonprofit health system must compensate its workforce, pay its bills and invest in clinical excellence and infrastructure improvements. To do so, some of the unfunded costs from providing care to the uninsured are built into the amounts charged to those with health insurance, whether thats private, employer-based insurance or taxpayer-funded coverage, such as Medicare.

As the debate over health care costs  and how to contain them  escalates, we must acknowledge this difficult fact: with more uninsured patients dependent on hospitals for essential care, we all bear the cost.

With the 87th Texas Legislature underway, lawmakers again have the opportunity to work with the federal government to develop a coverage program for the low-income uninsured that is best suited to the needs of Texans and our state. Medicaid expansion, as outlined in the Affordable Care Act, or a Texas-driven solution akin to states such as Indiana or Arkansas, could give nearly 1.3 million uninsured Texans, including 223,700 Harris County residents, access to affordable health insurance, reducing reliance on emergency rooms for non-emergent care and increasing access to primary and preventive care. The federal government would pay 90 percent of the coverage expansion cost, a higher rate than the 60 percent it currently contributes under the existing Medicaid program.

In addition, we need open, honest and collaborative discussion about the many other factors driving up health care costs. Health systems, and not just Memorial Hermann, are doing their part to keep costs low. For example, our accountable care organization, or ACO, one of the first in the nation and consistently one of the highest-performing, in 2019 yielded savings of more than $10 million, while improving performance and outcomes.

But, we cant do this work alone.

Our largest expense is also our biggest asset and the reason for our success  our people. As medicine becomes increasingly technical, complex and personalized, the people who deliver it must be highly qualified. Their education, training, experience and proficiency are critical components in the front-line fight against this pandemic as well as other conditions and illnesses. Notably, during the pandemic, hospitals everywhere have experienced an unprecedented need for more respiratory therapists, ICU nurses and critical care physicians. Filling this need carries significant expense.

Another variable in the health care cost equation is regulatory compliance. The cost for hospitals to comply with the increasing number of federal and state regulations is $1,200 per hospital admission  thats $1,200 for every patient hospitalized.

Exorbitant increases in prescription drug costs are also a factor. Price increases of 80 percent or more are common across many different classes of drugs, including anesthetics and chemotherapy. The cost of medical supplies and devices, such as stents, artificial joints and pacemakers, is also rapidly increasing, even to the point of nearly surpassing hospitals staffing costs.

Until we address all the variables at play in the health care cost equation, we will continue to see costs rise  for patients, for employers, for private insurers and even for government-funded programs.

Houston has a long and proud legacy of solving complex health care challenges, and I believe this legacy should serve as our guide for tackling the problem of health care costs, coverage and access. Working together, we  the policymakers, insurance companies, employers, community leaders and health care providers  can develop lasting and meaningful Texas solutions that will help lower the cost of care and, most importantly, allow us to continue providing care to anyone and everyone in our community who needs it.

Callender, M.D., is President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System.
Theres some stuff I had to learn on my own, and I still dont know everything, but health should be about everything you need to know about relationships in the real world and how they affect you, Vine said. In the classroom we learn nothing about people like me. Our teachers never talked about queer people. It was like we did not exist.
Going by the Australian climate change debate you would be forgiven for thinking that the rest of the world was still discussing 2050 net zero targets. Its not. In fact, Australias peers, friends and trading partners have had this conversation and moved on.

The EU and the UK have set net zero by 2050 targets, as have South Korea and Japan. Chinas target is 2060. The US is expected to follow suit soon, at which point nine in 10 of the worlds major economies will have pledges in place, along with hundreds of the worlds largest companies.

Scott Morrison was shunned at a global climate summit in December. Credit:Andrew Meares

With 2050 targets in place, 2030 targets have become the focus of global attention.

Since his election, Joe Biden has made good on campaign promises to make climate change central to his presidency and a focus of American diplomacy.
Police in Indiana have charged a man with murdering his father, and then sending family and friends odd text messages sprinkled with emojis from the victim's cellphone, assuring them that he was just late returning from a hunting tip.

Jeremy Farmer, 35, was arrested in Indianapolis on Wednesday in connection with the disappearance and presumed death of his father, Roger 'Fred' Farmer, 58, who has not been seen alive since November 2019. His body has never been found.

According to court documents, in the weeks and months after his father's disappearance, Jeremy used the man's bank cards to make $5,000 worth of purchases, including a large plastic trash can on wheels, bleach and plastic coverings. He was allegedly heard bragging that he shot his father in the head and stuffed his body into a freezer.

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Jeremy Farmer, 35 (left), has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the November 2019 disappearance and presumed death of his father, Roger Farmer, 58 (right)

Roger Farmer, known as Fred, lived with his son at his Indianapolis home (pictured), where he was last seen alive on November 22, 2019

'I'm thankful that we have Jeremy behind bars, but my heart hurts for my mother, my heart hurts for my grandma because it really ripped our family apart,' the victim's daughter Tricia Farmer told WXIN.

Just days before Thanksgiving 2019, Fred Farmer, a retired autoworker and father of three grown children, announced that he was going on a hunting trip in Versailles, Indiana, with a group of friends who were unfamiliar to his loved ones.

Fred, who was described by those who knew him as a creature of habit, left his dog at home, which was unusual.

Thanksgiving had come and gone with no sign of Fred. Then one morning his daughter Christina Farmer got a text message from her father's phone, saying: 'Hey, I'm stuck in the woods, I'll be home in a week.'

Speaking during a vigil a year ago, Christina said the message reassured the family that Fred was fine.

But as more time passed and Fred failed to return from his trip, loved ones were struck by the realization that the text messages were written in a style that was not typical for Fred: they used proper punctuation and contained emjois, and looked nothing like his past texts composed with the phone's talk-to-text feature.

Jeremy is pictured during a candlelight vigil for his father in February 2020, two months after Fred was reported missing by his family

'All of a sudden, it sunk in,' Christina told WXIN last year. 'We said, "Those text messages dont really sound like dad.'

Fred was reported missing on December 27, 2019, more than a month after his last sighting at his home on Wandering Way, which he shared with his adult son, Jeremy.

In February 2020, family and friend held a candlelight vigil at an American Legion hall where Fred used to enjoy dollar beers.

Video from the event showed Jeremy Farmer sitting at a table with a blank stare.

'Somebody knows my dad, and knows what happened,' Christina Farmer said at the vigil. 'Im just waiting to find out who did something.'

A year-long investigation by the Indianapolis Metro Police has uncovered information allegedly linking Jeremy to his father's disappearance.

Christina Farmer, Fred's daughter (pictured next to his photo), said during the event that texts that were sent from her dad's phone did not sound like him

According to an arrest affidavit cited by The Washington Post, Fred's cellphone never left Indianapolis and was turned off in January 2020.

Security footage obtained from a Loews hardware store captured Jeremy buying a 96-gallons trash receptacle on wheels, germicidal bleach, Febreze, latex gloves, wipes, a flashlight, Tide pods and extra heavy-duty plastic coverings, and paying for those items' with his father's debit card.

Information obtained from Fred Farmer's bank revealed that his son had repeatedly tried to steal money from him, including by posing as his dad to open a new account to get a $200 cash advance, according to the records.

Following Fred's disappearance, his bank cards continued to be used at stores, restaurants and bars, ultimately racking up more than $5,000 worth of charges.

Police said two people have come forward, claiming that Jeremy had bragged about shooting his father twice in the head and hiding his body in a freezer

According to the police, the contact information on Fred Farmer's bank accounts has been changed to Jeremy's cellphone number and email address.

In the course of the investigation, police said two people have come forward, claiming that Jeremy had bragged about shooting his father twice in the head and hiding his body in a freezer.

The affidavit alleges that the father and son had a troubled relationship and often fought about money. Jeremy also purportedly nursed a grudge against Fred for the way he was treated as a boy.

The father wished to repair his relationship with his son, and even planned to start a business with him, but was concerned because Jeremy had allegedly stolen from him before. A friend told police Fred was prepared to file charges, if his son were to steal from him again.

During an interview with the police, Jeremy said he had last seen his father in early November 2019. He reportedly refused to ask questions about stealing money from his dad's accounts and checked himself into a hospital for an unspecified condition.

Police interviewed Jeremy a second time on Monday, reported WTHR. When asked about the security footage from Loews, the 35-year-old asked for an attorney.

Following Jeremy's arrest, his sisters, Tricia and Christina Farmer, together released a statement on Facebook that read, in part: 'Justice is what our father deserves. But we are all very sad. Very sad that we have lost our father and now our brother. A wedge has been placed in our family and only God can heal our hearts.'

Jeremy Farmer is due in court for his initial appearance next Tuesday.
6x6

4WD

So popular that Jaguar Land Rover itself decided to offer the heavy-duty truck to civilians and other militaries across the world. This particular Defender 110 modified as away back in 1993 to laugh in the face of the roughest terrain and dominate the trickiest overlanding trails was first sold in the UK to Reynolds-Boughton of Amersham, a company dedicated to agricultural engineering With the U.S. market now officially open to classic Land Rover Defenders, this unit was recently imported across the Atlantic with around 85k miles (around 137,000 km) on the odometer. Still, just taking a look at the exterior doesnt show any sign of age (we did notice some marks of the passage of time inside, though), let alone the fact a Defender 110 6x6 was designed from the factory to laugh in the face of any type of terrain while carrying a huge load in the bed.Its offered for a bucket load of cash ($149,900, to be more precise) by Garage Kept Motors. As for what's under the hood, it packs the trusty and rugged 2.5-liter inline-four turbo-diesel engine (were already thinking about an LSX swap , though).It naturally delivers the power to all six wheels using a five-speed manual transmission, and the vehicle is said to come with permanentfor the first two axles, while the third has pass-through in the second axle, engaged via a clutch when the central differential is locked.Looking ready for a skirmish with anything you can throw at it (including a wide variety of 6x6 competitors), the Defender has a stealthy metallic gunmetal gray paint job, complete with neat black touches on the roof, up front, around the wheels, and for the hood-dwelling Defender lettering.A textured trim is also present on top of the front fenders, as well as in crucial areas around and under the body. By the way, this Defender looks ready not just to tackle any terrain but also for a tailgate party  just take a look inside the bed and notice how safely tucked in between the matching black roll cage are the strategically-placed jump seats.Everyone can even go deep fording, as the Landy also comes with a high-intake snorkel. Moving inside, theres textured fabric trim for the seats in a gray and black mix, and just one problem  the Defender naturally comseswith the steering wheel on the wrong side!
Mumbai, Feb 12 : Actor Karan Kundrra will be turning host of reality dating show, Dating Aaj Kal, which will explore the ever changing dating concept.

"After years of working on the silver screen and in reality shows, I was on the lookout for an exciting and creative opportunity that is path-breaking and never-done-before," Karan said.

"Along came 'Dating Aaj Kal' which is a modern take on dating with a concept unlike any other. From the days of love letters to now meeting people through dating apps, dating in today's world has changed a lot and so it gives me great pleasure to launch this new show that is sure to be a game-changer," he added.

The actor continued: "The show is a complete package full of emotions, drama, romance and so much fun. I'm confident that my fans will love this new project and support me just as they've done throughout my career." The show will launch on Flipkart Video on February 13.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
See Day 3 Impeachment Post or continue FFA politics hereMore behind the cutSunny was horrified. Sara brought up the bus rampage which she (and many) had forgotten about because *waves vaguely at everything*. Joy reminds that the original rally permit did not allow a march to the Capitol, until T45 personally stepped in and the permit was signed. MAM had the audacity to pivot to rioting and looting during BLM protests while still complaining that shes upset and exhausted talking about it.Neera Tanden confirmation hearing started, shes nominated to head OMB (Office of Management and Budget), and she had a history of being a sassy mouth on twitter so she got called out. Some of the exchange in yesterdays hearing was truly SNL worthy. Anyway, she apologized, whatever. Joy the former teacher and current grammar police was unhappy with her apology word choice. Then said Neeras tweets while snarky werent racist, sexist, or homophobic, so whatever. Sara said social media will come back to haunt you, think about what youve written before posting, would your (insert important person) like your post. Takes a long time to build a reputation but only a minute to destroy it. Muted MAM. Whoopi points out Neera went after the left and the right, equal opportunity troller. Sunny thought they were in poor taste but shes not having it from the GQP who ignored T45 awful tweets and words for 4+ yrs, and if Biden thinks shes the right person, then well see what happens.Amanda S. C. Gorman is an American poet and activist. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Gorman was the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. She published the poetry bookin 2015. In 2021, she delivered her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden. Her inauguration poem generated international acclaim, and shortly thereafter, two of her books achieved best-seller status, and she obtained a professional management contract. Gorman was commissioned to compose an original poem to be recited at Super Bowl LV's pregame ceremony, as an introduction to the three honorary captains who would preside over the coin toss. You can read more about Amanda Gorman here Does Ontd still watch American Idol? Claudia Conway is rumored to be a contestant this year. Shes the daughter of alternative facts evil Trumper Kellyanne Conway and semi evil never-Trumper George Conway. Claudia gained notoriety for posting TikTok videos about her verbally and physically abusive mother, so trying out for a reality tv competition show is of course a brilliant idea. Its rumored that George and Kellyanne dont live together, but co-parent their kids, and the reason they havent divorced is due to being Catholic. Anyway, the show starts Sunday 14 February.Source links are below each video or section
Brooklyn, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Green Stream Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK: GSFI) ("the Company") (http://www.GreenRainSolar.com ), an emerging leader in the solar utility and finance space, announces today that, effective today, the Company is no longer working with Manhattan Transfer, and has moved its business to Olde Monmouth Stock Transfer Co. (http://www.oldemonmouth.com) for enhanced reliability, shareholder accessibility and overall transaction efficiency.

Olde Monmouth Stock Transfer is a Full-Service Transfer Agency offering a wide variety of services from traditional Transfer/Registrar functions to more advanced Proxy and Escrow transactions.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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With 20 years in the Stock Transfer business, Olde Monmouth has the knowledge and experience to meet the demands of the most sophisticated Public Companies while providing the prompt and responsive service that you would expect from a small family owned and operated business.

Olde Monmouth Stock Transfer Co is located at 200 Memorial Pkwy Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716 and can be reached at 732.872.2727.

Shareholders-visit greenrainsolar.com. where you can view Green Stream's news, filings and even a live Level 2 stream, along with other company information.





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About Green Stream Finance, Inc.:

Green Stream Finance, Inc., a Wyoming-based corporation with satellite offices in Malibu, CA and New York, NY, is focused on exploiting currently unmet markets in the solar energy space, and is currently licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, and Canada. The Company's next-generation solar greenhouses constructed and managed by Green Rain Solar, LLC, a Nevada-based division, utilize proprietary greenhouse technology and trademarked design developed by world-renowned architect Mr. Antony Morali. The Company is currently targeting high-growth solar market segments for its advanced solar greenhouse and advanced solar battery products. The Company has a growing footprint in the significantly underserved solar market in New York City where it is targeting 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of rooftop space for the installation of its solar panels. Green Stream is looking to forge key partnership with major investment groups, brokers, and private investors in order to capitalize on a variety of unique investment opportunities in the commercial solar energy markets. The Company is dedicated to becoming a major player in this critical space. Through its innovative solar product offerings and industry partnerships, the Company is well-positioned to become a significant player in the solar space.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. That includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release cannot be concluded for some reason. That could be as a result of technical, installation, permitting or other problems that were not anticipated. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Green Stream Finance, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. Except for any obligation under the U.S. federal securities laws, Green Stream Finance, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For All Inquiries Contact:

president@greenstreamfinance.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74347
The electricity market that started operating in Ukraine in July 2019 is still not competitive by EU standards, according to a European Parliament resolution.

This is said in the European Parliaments resolution of 11 February 2021 on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"The new wholesale electricity market that started operating in Ukraine in July 2019 is still not competitive by EU standards. Therefore, we urge Ukraine to complete its reform and improve the level of compliance with EU law, first and foremost by enhancing Ukrenerhos independence and avoiding cross-subsidisation. We call on Ukraine to upgrade its existing power plants to meet strict European environmental and safety standards," the document reads.

The EU expressed concern that in the renewables power generation sector, Ukraine is not yet meeting its obligations towards the investors, and that the delays in the payments to producers of electricity from renewable energy sources threaten the further development of clean energy sources in Ukraine.

In addition, the EU called on the Ukrainian authorities to urgently complete the modernization of nuclear power plants and investigate the delays in these processes, in particular the upgrade of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

"We stress the importance of increasing infrastructure cooperation in the region, the further diversification of Ukraines energy supplies, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and the connectivity of Ukraines energy sector, while ensuring environmental sustainability," the resolution says.

ish
Local officials told lawmakers that the state has provided inconsistent and unclear communication, with little notice on when doses will arrive and wild variations in numbers allotted per week, making it hard to plan. A state official told lawmakers that, with more consistency from federal officials, the state had already sent out notices to local health officials of minimum amounts of doses to expect for the next three weeks. But some local officials later told lawmakers they hadnt gotten any notices yet.
Senator Ted Cruz has come to the defense of conservative actress Gina Carano, after Disney fired her from the cast of The Mandalorian over her controversial social media posts.

'Texan Gina Carano broke barriers in the Star Wars universe: not a princess, not a victim, not some emotionally tortured Jedi,' Cruz tweeted on Thursday.

'She played a woman who kicked a** & who girls looked up to. She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her.'

It came as Disney announced on Thursday that its young streaming service had hit a record 94.9 million subscribers, exceeding expectations -- but now the company faces growing calls for a boycott over Carano's firing.

Senator Ted Cruz has come to the defense of conservative actress Gina Carano (above), whom Disney fired from the cast of The Mandalorian over her controversial social media posts

'She played a woman who kicked a** & who girls looked up to. She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her,' Cruz wrote of his fellow Texan

The Star Wars-inspired Mandalorian series was a key factor that helped position the year-old Disney+ service as a credible threat to the dominance of Netflix in the streaming wars.

Carano had appeared on the series as the popular recurring character of Cara Dune, a seasoned warrior who teams up with the bounty hunter the show is named for.

The conservative actress and former MMA fighter fell under heavy criticism after she posted on Instagram Stories comparing the murder of Jews in the Holocaust to the current U.S. political climate.

'Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors.... even by children,' the post read.

The post continued: 'Because history is edited, most people today dont realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews.

'How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?'

Lucasfilm called the post 'abhorrent and unacceptable' and accused Carano, without explanation, of 'denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities,'

After firing Carano on Wednesday, Disney was accused of double standards when it emerged her liberal Mandalorian co-star Pedro Pascal compared ICE administration centers to Nazi concentration camps.

Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano pictured together in 2019; Disney has been accused of double standards following the firing of Gina Carano after it emerged Mandalorian co-star Pedro Pascal compared ICE administration centers to Nazi concentration camps

Pedro Pascal's 2018 post (left) comparing the Trump administration's policies to the Holocaust has come under scrutiny after Carano's Holocaust comparison (right) got her fired

In 2018, actor Pascal shared an image of Germany 1944 and what he said was America 2018, comparing Donald Trump's policies to the Holocaust. He wrote: '#ThisisAmerica.'

The photo Pascal claimed was of children in American ICE facilities in 2018 was actually previously shared in 2011 by a Palestinian group, which said it showed Palestinian children in an Israeli detention facility.

Cancel Disney+ began to trend on Twitter shortly after Carano's firing with many pointing to Pascal's comments as evidence of the company's hypocrisy when dealing with conservative stars.

Donald Trump Jr. shared the actor's post, writing: 'Same Movie as @ginacarano, same analogy, though the pic has the wrong date... I'm told it was 2010 under Obama/Biden.

'So does @Disney discriminate against women for doing what their male actors do or is is only discrimination against conservatives?'

Blogger Matt Walsh added: 'Not only did Pedro Pascal, an actor on The Mandalorian, compare the United States and Nazi Germany, but he did so with a photo of "America in 2018" that is not actually from 2018 and also not actually from America.

'He still has his job.'

Right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec said: 'Stop giving money to people who hate you.' He added: 'Disney re-hired James Gunn but fired Gina Carano tells you everything.'

Gunn - a vocal critic of Donald Trump - had been fired in 2018 after offensive jokes about sensitive topics including pedophilia, rape, the 9/11 terror attack and the Holocaust surfaced. He was rehired in 2019.

Others said that they would cancel their membership to Disney+ with the topic trending on Twitter.

The Rubin Report host Dave Rubin said: 'Disney has cancelled @ginacarano, so Im cancelling my @disneyplus. We need to stop giving these people our money and we must build new franchises.'

Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway wrote: 'We canceled our @Disney subscription tonight.'

'Gina Carano's post made the point that mass violence starts with hatred for your neighbor. This is not only uncontroversially true but also one perspective of the commandment to love your neighbor,' tweeted Daily Caller associated editor Katrina Haydon. 'That idea is not a call to empty niceness. It's how you prevent suffering.'

'Gina Carano was fired for being conservative,' wrote conservative activist and Parkland shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv.

Another Twitter user, John Kelly, added: 'C'mon #Disney. Don't hold to a double standard. Either fire Pedro Pascal or rehire Gina Carano.'

Jason Presti shared Pascal's tweet, adding: 'The Hypocrisy of Disney/Lucasfilm & Cancel Culture! Pedro Pascal wasn't cancelled or fired for this.'

A spokesperson for Lucasfilm said in a statement on Wednesday that Carano is not currently employed by the production company with 'no plans for her to be in the future.'

'Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable,' the statement read.

Talent agency UTA has also dropped Carano as a client following the controversy, according to Variety.

Carano, who played the recurring character Cara Dune on the 'Star Wars' series, deleted the post but it was widely shared online and spurred the #FireGinaCarano hashtag to trend.

Gina Carano is Cara Dune, Pedro Pascal is the Mandalorian and Carl Weathers is Greef Karga

Actress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano has been fired from the cast of the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian following a controversial social media post

Before news of her termination was announced, Carano posted a picture to her Instagram story that included the phrase 'Jeff Epstein didn't kill himself'

Carano is seen with cast of The Mandalorian at the show's 2019 premiere

Her character appeared in several episodes of the second season of 'The Mandalorian,' a series about a bounty hunter and his quest to unite a powerful, young user of the Force with a Jedi Knight.

Dune, who in the second season is a lawperson on a frontier planet, frequently teams up with the title character to fight an old nemesis: remnants of the evil Galactic Empire.

Carano, a former mixed martial artist whose Dune character used a mix of heavy weapons and her fists to best opponents, had been criticized online for social media posts.

In some, she mocked mask wearing during the pandemic and promoted claims of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

On Wednesday- before news of her termination was announced - Carano posted a picture to her Instagram story that included the phrase 'Jeff Epstein didn't kill himself' - a reference to conspiracy theories that the pedophile billionaire was murdered.

'I bring out the fire in people:' Gina Carano's controversial comments on social media Actress Gina Carano has never been shy of expressing her opinions on social media. Late last year she shared anti-mask tweets, posts in support of Trump's claims about voter fraud and was accused of 'mocking trans people'. Responding to the criticism she said: I bring the fire out in people. I'm not sure why.' These were the latest tweets that sparked attention. In August 2020, she was criticized for blocking accounts supporting Black Lives Matter protests on Twitter. She called her critics "cowards and bullies" but denied accusations of racism. Carano has mocked the use of preferred gender pronouns, listing 'beep/bop/boop' in her social media bio after some expressed outrage that she did not list any pronouns. The move prompted accusations of transphobia. She later deleted the terms, saying fellow Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal 'helped [her] understand' the meaning behind preferred pronouns. Carano likened the murder of Jews during the Holocaust to the current U.S. political climate in February. On Wednesday- before news of her termination was announced - Carano posted a picture to her Instagram story that included the phrase 'Jeff Epstein didn't kill himself' - a reference to conspiracy theories that the pedophile billionaire was murdered. Advertisement

She also mocked the use of gender pronouns, listing 'beep/bop/boop' in her social media bio after some expressed outrage that she did not list any pronouns in her bio.

Last month, Carano opened up about facing backlash from the Star Wars community over her conservative and anti-mask tweets amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The actress spoke with YouTuber Drunk 3PO in a candid interview about her controversial social media presence.

'People need to be OK with having conversations,' she told the host. 'With having difficult conversations, with having different opinions. What's wrong with having a different opinion?'

She continued: 'Why does everybody have to straight go to demoralizing because maybe they just didn't think the way you did?'

The actress also noted that she is not deterred by critics and stays vocal to prevent them from controlling Twitter and other social media platforms.

'My whole perspective on this is, I've seen people get bullied off of Twitter on both sides,' the former MMA fighter explained.

'I don't like bullying, and If I don't stay present, which I don't even necessarily want to stay present that often, I want to make art, art is my passion, but if I don't stay present then other people win.'

She continued: 'Other people win in bullying people off of platforms and there needs to be a more balanced platform.'

Insisting she won't be silenced, the Texas-born performer pointed out that 'a lot of people are not bothered by' her presence on Twitter and she chooses to focus on her fans.

'I bring the fire out in people. I'm not sure why,' she said just weeks after sharing a snarky meme of two people putting face masks over their eyes like blindfolds.

Fallout from Carano's firing was swift online, and the terms 'Gina Carano' and 'Nazi Germany' began trending on Twitter on Wednesday night as a result of her post.

While those who had called for her firing cheered Lucasfilm's move, conservatives rallied to support Carano and even claimed that her firing was evidence of her premise.

Some celebrated Lucasfilm's move to disavow Carano, saying it was the fate she deserved.

'Turns out that when you publicly support and encourage authoritarianism and fascism, you reflect poorly on your employer and they want nothing to do with you,' one person tweeted.

'Watching Republican after Republican just lose everything because of how s***y of a person they are is my favorite past time,' another wrote.
US President on Thursday (local time) rescinded the emergency order used by former President to justify the construction of the US-Mexico border wall, announced the White House.

"I have determined that the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border was unwarranted," Biden wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reported The Hill.

"I have also announced that it shall be the policy of my administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall, and that I am directing a careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to that end," he added.

Trump had first floated the idea of a border wall on the campaign trail in 2016, repeatedly insisting that Mexico would pay for its construction. However, illegal immigration increased in Trump's four years.

However, in early 2020, Customs and Border Protection reported it had found USD 11 billion in funding for the wall, The Hill reported.

The proclamation is a final step from Biden after issuing an executive order on day one ordering a pause on all border wall construction.

The national emergency at the border in early 2019 after repeatedly butting heads with lawmakers over funding for the project. The move landed his administration in court, as environmental groups and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged USD 2.5 billion in Department of Defense spending that had been diverted to complete construction, according to The Hill.

The letter was welcomed by members of Congress long opposed to the wall who argued a physical barrier would do little to address immigration or security concerns.

"Trump's national emergency was never about security... It was about stealing money to fund a monument to his racist policies along the Southern Border. Now we must cancel the contracts & ensure that not another foot of border wall is constructed," Representative Raul Grijalva 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.)
Attorney Alan Dershowitz has criticized the House impeachment managers for going on 'too long' in presenting their case against Donald Trump to the Senate, where he is charged with inciting the January 6 Capitol riot.

Dershowitz, who defended Trump in his first impeachment trial but is on the sidelines for the second, was reacting after House Democrats acting as prosecutors rested their case on Thursday. Trump's defense team will make their case on Friday.

'The Democrats overplayed their hand today, they went on too long, too repetitious, they should have rested yesterday,' Dershowitz told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday.

'I think the Republicans -- the lawyers [on Trump's defense team] -- will do a good job by making it neat and clean, and to the point and short,' he added.

Attorney Alan Dershowitz has criticized the House impeachment managers for going on 'too long' in presenting their case against Donald Trump to the Senate

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the lead House manager, reminded the 100 senators who are sitting as jurors of their oath to render 'impartial justice'

Dershowitz predicted that Trump's attorney's would present two lines of defense: first, that the Senate does not have jurisdiction to convict a former president, and second, that Trump's remarks to a crowd during a speech before the riot were protected by the First Amendment.

He urged Trump's legal team to present a concise case and wrap up quickly, after defense attorney Bruce Castor delivered a disastrous soliloquy on Tuesday that even Trump's allies characterized as rambling and pointless.

Dershowitz, a civil libertarian and free speech advocate, also slammed 140 constitutional scholars who this week penned a letter demanding that Trump's attorneys not defend him on free speech grounds, arguing it 'would be legally frivolous.'

The letter carries an implicit threat, as the rules of professional responsibility prohibit an attorney from making frivolous arguments and carry disciplinary sanctions for those who do.

'I hope the defense attorneys for Trump don't listen and make that argument, and I've offered to defend them in front of any bar association,' Dershowitz said.

Pre-eminent constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe, one of the signers of the letter that Dershowitz criticized, had a different reaction to the House managers' case, which he praised.

'I've closely studied every impeachment trial in our history. No impeachment has ever been as ably prosecuted in the Senate. In no prior impeachment has a conviction been as overwhelmingly justified,' Tribe wrote in a tweet on Thursday.

'Now the Senate is on trial. To acquit itself, it must convict Donald J. Trump,' he continued.

Dan Rather, the former CBS Evening News anchor, similarly praised the House Democrats for their prosecution.

'The House managers in the impeachment trial delivered one to [sic] the most comprehensive, competent, clarifying and compelling cases I have ever seen in the U.S Congress,' Rather tweeted.

House prosecutors wrapped up their impeachment case against Trump on Thursday with an impassioned appeal to the Senate to convict the former president and bar him from holding office again.

'We humbly, humbly ask you to convict President Trump for the crime (of) which he is overwhelmingly guilty,' said Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse, one of the nine impeachment managers from the House of Representatives.

'Because if you don't, if we pretend this didn't happen -- or worse, if we let it go unanswered -- who's to say it won't happen again?'

'We humbly, humbly ask you to convict President Trump for the crime (of) which he is overwhelmingly guilty,' said Rep. Joe Neguse, one of the nine impeachment managers

The House impeachment managers rested their case after two days of arguments that included Trump's own words and hours of graphic video from the assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters who were seeking to halt certification of Democrat Joe Biden's November 3 election victory.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the lead House manager, reminded the 100 senators who are sitting as jurors of their oath to render 'impartial justice.'

'Exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country,' Raskin said, arguing that Trump stood by doing nothing for two hours as his supporters rampaged through Congress.

'Why did president Trump not tell his supporters to stop the attack on the Capitol as soon as he learned about it?' Raskin asked. 'As our constitutional commander in chief, why did he do nothing to send help?'

Raskin argued that the Republican former president had been stoking anger and encouraging extremism since Election Day -- and even before.

'This pro-Trump insurrection did not spring out of thin air,' Raskin said. 'This was not the first time Donald Trump had inflamed and incited a mob.'

Raskin said it was imperative the Senate convict Trump and bar him from running for the White House again in 2024.

'Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he's ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way?' Raskin asked.

'Would you bet the future of your democracy on that?'

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to the media after House impeachment managers rested their case against former US President Donald J. Trump

Trump's lawyers will begin their defense on Friday, arguing that the former president cannot be held personally responsible for the storming of Congress.

They have also argued that the trial itself is unconstitutional because Trump is now out of office, although the Senate rejected that argument earlier this week.

Most Senate Republicans have indicated that they will vote to acquit Trump on the House charge of incitement of insurrection.

They argue that the trial is unconstitutional and that Trump didn't incite supporters to lay siege on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 when he told them to 'fight like hell' against the certification of Biden's victory.

If Republicans hold the line, Democrats will fall well short of the two-thirds of the Senate needed for conviction.

Trump's two top lawyers, Bruce Castor and David Schoen, risked losing one Republican vote on Tuesday after Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy said they did a 'terrible' job arguing that the trial is unconstitutional.

Cassidy, who had voted with his party two weeks prior to stop the trial, switched his vote to side with Democrats.

Including Cassidy, six Republicans sided with Democrats on that vote that the trial is constitutional - far from the minimum of 17 Republican votes that would be needed to convict.

On Friday, all eyes will be on Bruce Castor (above), who delivered a rambling argument on Tuesday that Republican senators criticized as perplexing, 'disorganized' and 'random'

David Schoen, lawyer for former President Donald Trump, talks to reporters as he departs the U.S. Capitol on the third day of Trump's second impeachment trial on Thursday

Trump's lawyers plan to argue their client's innocence on multiple fronts. Their main arguments include that the trial is unconstitutional, that the insurrectionists who broke into the Capitol did so on their own accord and that Trump's rhetoric to supporters was common political speech protected under the First Amendment.

Hoping that brevity will appeal to their restless Senate audience, the lawyers are expected to keep their arguments short. A Trump adviser said Thursday that they are expected to wrap up their defense in less than a day.

All eyes will be on Castor, who delivered a rambling argument on Tuesday that Republican senators criticized as perplexing, 'disorganized' and 'random.'

Trump, too, was furious over the performance of his defense team as he watched the proceedings from his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, a person familiar with his thinking told the AP.

On Friday, Castor will get a second chance. After the Democrats video presentation on Wednesday, he said the images 'would have an emotional impact on any jury, but there are two sides of the coin and we haven't played ours.'

Like the House prosecutors, Trump's lawyers have up to 16 hours over two days to plead their case. Once the defense's presentation is finished, senators will have time to submit written questions to both sides.
In the shadow of six surrounding neighbours burdened with their own problems sits the Central African Republic, a landlocked country that gets relatively little attention but that has been plagued by instability and conflict upending the lives of its citizens for many years.

The Central African Republic is once again enduring an acute bout of instability from an on-again, off-again civil war that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Despite the intervention of United Nations peacekeepers, Russian military advisers and Rwandan troops, peace is still elusive.

Almost one-third of all Central Africans have been displaced from their homes in recent years  including 200,000 who fled just since December, after a troubled election.

Here are basic questions and answers on the countrys history and what is driving its dysfunction.

Where is the Central African Republic?

Roughly the size of Texas, with a population of about 5 million, it is basically in the middle of the African continent, enclosed clockwise by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo and Cameroon. All host refugees from the Central African Republic who have fled mayhem in their homeland.

The colonial name, Ubangi-Shari, stood for the land that straddles the Ubangi and Shari river basins. The name changed during the 1950s decolonization period of French equatorial Africa.

What is causing the fighting in the country now?

The latest turbulence can be traced to elections Dec. 27, which rebel groups tried to disrupt. The incumbent, President Faustin-Archange Touadera, won a second term, as rebels staged attacks and occupied major towns. Few people outside the capital, Bangui, could safely vote because of rebel violence, and the rebels even reached Bangui. The presidents opponents have accused him of fraud.

The rebels are an unlikely marriage of the remnants of two broader and formerly antagonistic armed groups: the Seleka, which means alliance and is a coalition of majority Muslim fighters from the north, along with some Chadian and Sudanese; and mostly Christian vigilante militias that call themselves anti-balaka, which sometimes translates as anti-machete. Both groups have been accused of committing atrocities against civilians, including rape and mass murder.

Why have rebel groups that were recently enemies teamed up?

The precise reasons are unclear. But they have combined in an alliance called the Coalition of Patriots for Change. And they are believed to have the support of a former president, Francois Bozize. He seized power in a 2003 coup and was deposed by the Seleka in 2013. Disqualified from running in the December elections, he is believed to be in hiding and faces UN sanctions for his support of anti-balaka groups.

Its not clear whom the coalition represents, but it presents itself as a legitimate political force. Abakar Sabone, a minor warlord who is something of a spokesman for the coalition, said in a telephone interview, We would have taken power if that was what we wanted, but we are giving Touadera a second chance to open an inclusive discussion.

But if he tries to be stubborn, he continued, then we will head to the capital and get him out.

What is everyday life like right now?

Bangui is under siege. Rebels are blocking the entry routes, constricting supply deliveries. A sack of flour in February tripled in price from a month before.

Alhadj Sali Abdou, 56, who lost the supermarket he owned when war broke out in 2013, now makes about $3 a day reselling baguettes outside his house. He said he had never seen things as bad as they are now.

I dont want to say that I am totally desperate, he said, adding that if peace could be restored, he could get back on his feet.

With so many people displaced, families are camping out in churches. Many lack food, spare clothes, bedding or cooking utensils. Humanitarian groups working in the country say they have also faced rebel attacks, and some have stopped operating there.

Motorbikes, the vehicles of choice for most residents of the capital, are banned because the rebels use them, so people frequently find themselves stranded.

How long has the Central African Republic been unstable?

Outsiders have long exploited the area that is now the Central African Republic. When sultans ruled, it was plagued by slave traders. Then French colonialists leased it to companies who forced local people to work for them. About half the population died over the 50 years after French explorers first arrived.

Independence leader Barthelemy Boganda died in a mysterious plane crash in 1959, one year before full independence. And since then, the country has rarely been at peace, buffeted by political rivalries. In 1965 the president, David Dacko, was overthrown by a military commander, with French backing. Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who later proclaimed himself emperor, ruled for 14 years and was accused of atrocities including the killing of schoolchildren for not wearing uniforms with his image. Bokassa was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment. He died in 1996.

After the Bokassa era the country suffered a succession of coups, mutinies and more French military interventions. The United Nations has deployed a peacekeeping force there since 2014 to help protect civilians from antagonists.

Is the instability related to the countrys diamonds and gold?

It could well be. The countrys great agricultural and pastoral potential is undeveloped, and its people are among the poorest in the world. Nearly three-quarters live below the international poverty line of $1.90 a day. The government has no control over roughly two-thirds of the country, including some major mining areas.

Rebel groups traffic diamonds and gold and collect taxes from miners and other people in the trafficking chains. So they have a financial interest in keeping things as they are and keeping the government from gaining more control.

What is the government doing about the rebel alliance?

Touadera has enlisted aid from Russia in training Central African Republic soldiers, and a Russian is the presidents security adviser. Some see this as part of a pattern of expanding Russian military influence across Africa.

In December, in the face of a rebel offensive, Touaderas government asked Russia for more help. Three hundred Russian reinforcements were sent  Russia said they were military advisers. Rwandan soldiers were sent to help too, on top of the many Rwandan peacekeepers in the country with the United Nations.

The 13,500 UN peacekeepers are supposed to protect civilians and stop armed groups from inflicting violence on the population. They helped secure the election but are powerless to disarm the rebels and are often subject to rebel attack. Some have also been accused of sexual abuses.

It remains unclear how long the costly peacekeeping mission will stay in the country.

Is there any hope?

The government forces, with their foreign allies, have started to push back the rebels, who in early February agreed to a cease-fire and voluntarily withdrew from the western town of Bouar, which they had taken a month earlier.

The impending trial of two anti-balaka leaders at the International Criminal Court in The Hague is the courts first prosecution of crimes committed in the Central African Republic conflict.

The defendants, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom, are the highest-ranking anti-balaka leaders ever to face trial. This may begin to fill what Human Rights Watch has called a justice void that has created a climate of impunity in the country. Mahamat Said, a Seleka leader, was handed over to the ICC in January.
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Manitoba has entered into an agreement with Alberta-based company Providence Therapeutics to purchase a made-in-Canada COVID-19 vaccine.

During a Thursday morning media conference, Premier Brian Pallister said the vaccine currently under development would resemble the mRNA vaccines currently produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

According to the companys website, Providence Therapeutics was founded initially to try to develop an mRNA vaccine for cancers, but has since expanded its scope to working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

The first round of clinical trials are currently underway for this new vaccine, and Health Canada approval is expected later this year.

A media release sent out by Providence Therapeutics on Jan. 26 said that commercialization of its vaccine would begin at the end of 2021 or early in 2022. During the media conference, the premier said he hoped it would be available "as early as this fall."

Once ready to be produced, the vaccine will be manufactured and distributed into vials at Emergent BioSolutions manufacturing facility in Winnipeg.

Speaking on the motivation for the move, the premier said the federal government has so far failed to procure enough vaccine doses and is putting Canadians at risk.

"The lack of vaccines means that too many Canadians will contract COVID," he said. "Theyll also be at more risk of contracting COVID variants and too many Canadians will become ill and too many Canadians will lose their lives. The federal government made a choice early on, and they had their reasons for it, and the choice was to block provinces from being able to buy vaccines.

"We have tried, we have never stopped trying, but weve been refused and the door has been slammed in our face repeatedly, and I know other provinces have tried as well."

In a statement provided to the Sun, federal Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Aland took issue with Pallisters characterization of events.

"Let me be clear: at no point has the federal government prevented provinces from undertaking their own procurements," she said. "Based on the advice of the Vaccine Task Force, and through an aggressive and diversified procurement strategy, we have secured vaccines for all Canadians who wish to be vaccinated by the end of September 2021, if not before. Canadas shipment of the Pfizer vaccine for next week is expected to more than quadruple this weeks delivery, with shipments on track to accelerate.

"Our government will continue to support domestic research, development and biomanufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines."

The Sun had also asked if the federal government would take up Pallisters invitation to other premiers and the federal government to join the Manitoba-led program, but it was not addressed in the ministers statement.

Though the final contract is still being finalized, the agreement has Manitoba promising to buy two million doses of the vaccine with the first 200,000 doses being guaranteed to be delivered to Manitoba.

The overall price of the agreement was not disclosed, with Pallister saying the final contract would be released to the public when finalized. He did disclose that Manitoba would be paying 20 per cent of its cost up front as a down payment and then would provide a further 40 per cent when the vaccine is approved by Health Canada.

When the vaccines are delivered to Manitoba, the final 40 per cent of the payment will be transferred.

Asked about the logistics of the new vaccine, Pallister said the cold chain requirements would be more similar to the Moderna vaccine rather than the Pfizer-BioNTech one, which requires the use of specialized freezers and limits what communities are able to distribute it.

Frequently brought up during the media conference was the timeline for this vaccines availability. With the federal government still saying that enough vaccines will be procured by September to vaccinate everyone who wishes to be, why invest in a vaccine that will likely be available afterwards?

"If the feds deliver all the vaccines they say theyre going to deliver, then this is important for future pandemic responses," Pallister said. "Hopefully it isnt needed. Hopefully everyone gets vaccinated by September, I think the prime minister has said. If not, this is insurance."

The premier was also asked why such a low percentage of COVID-19 tests the province had been provided with have been used thus far. He said that the rapid tests provided by the federal government have been unreliable and have only found limited-use cases.

He said the Hyris bCUBE tests purchased by the province late last year have been more reliable and are being used to test teachers.

Speaking to the Sun Thursday afternoon, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said the announcement would give false hope to Manitobans.

"If you look at the details of this company, they dont have a vaccine ready," he said. "They have two trials. The first one doesnt even begin until April and they told the media last week that even if everything gets approved, they hope to be in production by the end of the year. The idea that this is going to help in any way with Manitobas vaccine supply when, if approved, these vaccines will only arrive after everyone in Manitoba is already vaccinated doesnt make any sense to me."

He said he believes the provincial government should be more focused on improving the existing vaccine rollout and making sure that people and businesses are able to pay their bills.

"This is a publicity stunt thats not going to make any difference to Manitobas vaccine capacity, and its not going to make any difference to the pandemic," he said.

Lamont said that when he used to work at the International Centre for Infectious Diseases, he worked on a pilot project to bring a vaccine manufacturing facility to Winnipeg for $90 million before it was cancelled by the Harper government. He believes a program like that to improve Manitobas vaccine production capabilities would be better than contracting an Alberta company to do it.

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew was more optimistic about the announcement, saying during a scrum in Winnipeg that it was good to see the governing Progressive Conservatives act proactively instead of reactively.

"However, I would also put on the record that I wont be surprised if were here complaining about this deal falling apart six months from now," Kinew said. "Weve seen over and over again during this pandemic that Mr. Pallister promises one thing and doesnt deliver on it, whether its rapid tests or masks or a reopening plan that actually worked."

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
As a Guilford teen was ruled competent Thursday to face trial on accusations he stabbed a woman in a random attack, his mother appealed to the legislatures public safety and security committee in support of crisis intervention training for police officers who she believes may have saved her son.

Ellis Tiberes mother, Denise Paley, told the committee this type of training was crucial as her family struggled to address her sons mental health crisis ahead of the Westport stabbing on Jan. 6, 2020.

Crisis intervention training is more than quelling a volatile situation. Its also about preventing one. Im grateful that the police Ellis encountered in Westport do have this training. It may have saved his life, Paley said in the testimony. I cant help but wonder if our town had the training, could the whole story have ended differently.

Tibere, 19, was found by a panel of experts not to exhibit signs of psychiatric illness or any cognitive deficits, and can stand trial for attempted murder, first-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon. He has not entered a plea to the charges.

Superior Court Judge Gary White ordered Tibere to undergo a mental health competency evaluation  his second since the Westport arrest  after an incident in which he was found curled up on a snowbank, muttering to himself, inside a cemetery near his Guilford home, according an arrest warrant affidavit.

The incident happened while Tibere was free on $1 million bond following a May discharge from the states Whiting Forensic Hospital.

In the arraignment following his December episode, Tiberes defense attorney John Gulash asked Judge Patrick Clifford for a mental health evaluation for his client to address current significant psychiatric needs.

Tibere objected to the evaluation before also trying unsuccessfully to waive his right to an attorney.

Paley testified Thursday in support of a bill that would study crisis intervention training provided to officers with the goal of better equipping them to address a rise in mental health-related incidents.

According to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 116 Connecticut police departments have officers trained in crisis intervention and 43 have formal policies.

In her testimony, Paley detailed calls and conversations with her local police department after Tibere, then a high school senior, did not show up at the library to work on a project with classmates. Family and friends could not find him.

As developments unfolded throughout the evening, we became certain he was experiencing a mental health crisis, Paley said of her sons disappearance on Jan. 5, 2020. We were terrified he was going to harm himself.

Paley relayed the familys concern to Guilford police, but she claimed the officer did not have the proper training to address her sons situation.

Despite her pleas, Paley said the officer told us that our crisis was, a family matter and not a police matter.

Guilford Police Chief Warren Butch Hyatt did not immediately respond Thursday for comment regarding Paleys statements about his department.

Paley said she continued to call the department the night her son disappeared, but officers only assured her that Tibere would return home. Her husband, she said, later went to the department for help, but Paley said there was no action.

When Paley called the police department the final time, shortly before 2 p.m. the next day, the family learned Tibere was in custody in Westport. She later learned he was accused of stabbing a woman in broad daylight.

According to an arrest warrant, Tibere walked up the womans car, opened the door and started stabbing her, only stopping because a man exited the nearby New Beauty Wellness salon. Authorities said the woman had been waiting for an appointment.

Tibere told investigators that he had broken into two Westport homes to lie in wait for victims to kill, according to court records. However, police said there was no evidence he broke into any homes.

Tibere is now being held on $2 million bond. His next court date is scheduled for March 25.

He was in a mental health crisis. ... He is in prison, Paley testified. Mind you, this is a boy who was never once sent to the principals office.
The Shama District Assembly is to set up a quarry development fund to enable the Assembly and affected communities have some good benefits from its extraction.



The District, which has more than 10 quarry factories exploiting the granite resources was also yet to regularize most of the activities of these explorers.



The fund, would therefore help to do more in terms of social amenities for affected communities and improve upon operational efficiency and relationship with communities.



At the first inception meeting with Assembly members, chiefs and the Assembly to introduce the new intervention, Mr. Richard Blevi, the Coordinating Director stressed the need to well manage all the natural resources in the area for the needed benefits.



He said the Assembly had already paid a learning visit to Affigye-Kwabre in the Ashanti Region to learn from their sister Assembly on how well the Assembly had managed the resources for their welfare.



The Director said the Assembly would model their fund scheme after that of the District to make quarries one major sources of revenue for the Assembly.



Currently, the quarries contributed 8.8 percent of the assembly's IGF, and authorities believe, more could be done in that regard.



Nana Efua Ewur, of the Friends of the Nation, promised the NGOs support in providing the technical and other resources needed to help actualize the project.



Mr Joseph Amoah, the District Chief Executive of Shama solicited for the support of all to make the project worthwhile.

Source: GNA









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At least six people were dead, and more than 60 were injured in a massive crash involving more than 130 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate on Thursday morning, officials said.

Fox 10 reported that the incident scene on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth showed a tangle of cars, semitrailers, and trucks crashed into each other and had turned every which way, with several vehicles on top of others.

In a drone footage by ABC, pieces and shreds of vehicle parts can be seen scattered along the road, making it difficult for the authorities to fix and subdue the traffic.

According to a U.S. News report, Jim Davis, Fort Worth Fire Chief, said that multiple people were trapped within the confines of their vehicles, which requires hydraulic rescue equipment to successfully rescue them out.

How Did the Crash on the Texas Interstate Happen?

Officials said the incident happened at around 6 a.m. when many hospitals and emergency workers were heading to and from work, Fox10 reported. Thus, the officials noted that a large number of those involved in the accident were health care workers and emergency responders, including police officers.

A spokesman for MedStar, Matt Zavadsky, told U.S. News that they could see many victims wearing scrubs with their hospital IDs.

Read also: How Did F1 Driver Romain Grosjean Survive a Horrifying Crash

During the rescue, ABC said a vehicle collided with an ambulance on the scene. Fortunately, it sustained only minor damage, and the crew was not injured.

Zavadsky told Fox 10 that the ambulance which was hit have their team inside carrying a sand and salt mixture that they utilize in the scene to rescue the victims. He added that the roadway was so treacherous from the ice that some first responders were falling on the scene.

Police established a reunification center intended for families to learn more about their loved ones caught in the accident. According to Zavadsky, 65 people were being treated at the hospitals. He noted that 36 of them were taken by ambulance from the site, including three with critical injuries.

Other Areas Affected by Winter Storm

Fox 10 reported that a winter storm dropped freezing rain, sleet, and snow on parts of the U.S. on Thursday. In Tennessee, the police responded to about 30 traffic collisions, and some flights were delayed at the Memphis International Airport due to the ice storm.

On the other hand, the Kentucky governor declared a state of emergency to free up funding and allow agencies to coordinate and respond to reports of slick roads and downed power lines. Schools and government offices in southern Indiana were closed.

The Winter Storm Activity

In an interview with ABC, a meteorologist from National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Steve Goss, said the storm came like a polar vortex. This swirling air that usually sits on the Earth's surface traveled near the U.S.-Canada border.

As a result, Goss said the weather become colder, farther south than usual. He added that this was the reason why there was an unusually cold air spilling south across a good portion of the U.S., east of the Rocky Mountains.

Related article: First Steps After a Car Accident! 6 Things To Do Before Anything Else

WATCH: Scary Scene of the Massive Crash on Icy Texas Interstate from WKYC Channel 3
German carrier Lufthansa has laid off 103 cabin crew members in India. The carrier had around 140 cabin crew members in India. Some of the affected employees are planning a protest at Delhi Airport's Aerocity on Friday. The layoffs come a year after flights to and from India were restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic. Lufthansa had 56 weekly flights between Frankfurt and Munich and four Indian metros before COVID-19 pandemic, which has now come down to 10.

A Lufthansa spokesperson said that the airline will not be extending the fixed-term employment of its Delhi-based flight attendants. "The severe financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic leaves Lufthansa no choice but to restructure the airline. This includes personnel-related measures in Germany and Europe as well as in key international markets like India," said the spokesperson.

The airline said it exhausted every possible option and had even reached an agreement with the Indian union. It said that the compulsory redundancies for the cabin staff could have been avoided. Lufthansa said that it had signed an agreement with the Indian union to provide two years of unpaid leave but continuing to provide local health insurance even for family members.

The German carrier said that it was also willing to absorb all associated premiums during the period but the union revoked its consent to the agreement on December 31. "Indian cabin crew with unlimited contracts are not affected as Lufthansa was able to reach individual agreements with these flight attendants. Not being able to reach an agreement for cabin crew with fixed-term employment contracts forces us to take this step as part of an inevitable restructuring of Lufthansa Group," said the spokesperson as mentioned in a report in Times of India.

Lufthansa said that restructuring is not limited to India but has impacted all their markets globally to a great extent, including and especially Germany. It said that, however, they were able to reach an agreement with unions to help in this crisis.

An affected employee told the daily that contracts of 103 Indian flight attendants were terminated due to the pandemic but no such terminations took place in Germany or worldwide till date. The employee said that these terminations happened overnight without any prior notice. Some of the employees were employed for nearly 15 years, said the employee.

Also read: SpiceJet Q3 results: Loss narrows by 38% to Rs 67 crore, revenue down 54%

Also read: SpiceJet to launch 24 new domestic flights this month
MBABANE  About 160 support staff have been retrenched since the countrys initial partial lockdown in March last year while 144 have been laid off.

This was revealed by Phumelele Zulu of the Swaziland Union in Learning and Allied Institutions (SULAI). She stated that the union had a membership of about 800 and 18 per cent have been laid off while 20 per cent have been retrenched.

Zulu said a great percentage of the remaining employees had not received their salaries dating back to August last year.

One way around this is to have the schools reopened and we fully support government on its proposed dates for the reopening of schools. However, we are mindful of the threat posed by the virus to all the employees and our plea to government is for it to ensure that everything that needs to be done for the safe return of employees to work, is done, she said.

Zulu said they were supporting the ministrys document on two fronts. One was that the funding to remunerate the support staff could only be available if schools would reopen and government paid the free primary education (FPE) and the orphan vulnerable children (OVC) funds to schools.

The support staff is not prioritised by the schools. Currently, the little that they receive from this funding is diverted to other prioritised areas and the employees are not remunerated, she said.

Zulu said the other reason was that the children had been home for a long time now and if they continued remaining home, the implication were, therefore, harmful.

Closed

Children are nurtured in three dimensions and these are Christian education, school education and home education. With churches and schools closed, they are only left with one dimension and some of them do not have parents and they lack all three dimensions. The more they remain at home, the more their way of thinking and doing things gets off the rail and the implications are harmful, she said.

Government has proposed that schools be reopened on February 23, 2021.

This publication reported early last year that about 516 of SULAI members were owed salaries dating back to October 2019. At the time, Zulu said an average salary for a support staff employee was E2 000 and this meant the over 500 employees were owed over E5 million, considering that their salaries were likely to be paid in February 2020, when schools reopened and would be back-paid from October.






PITTSFIELD  A Pike County man has been sentenced to up to 42 years in a secure facility of the Illinois Department of Human Services to receive treatment after being found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2019 shooting of a family member.

Chaz W. Carter, 34, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and possession of a weapon by a felon in the April 30, 2019, shooting of family member Victor Delong. The shooting, which Delong survived, happened in front of law enforcement officials who had responded to a disturbance on West Fayette Street.
Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 are out of their packaging to be prepared at a vaccination center of the 3rd district, in Paris, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Francois Mori
workers have submitted a memorandum to Betul Superintendent of Police threatening that they will not actor to shoot for 'Dhakad' movie if she does not apologize to farmers over her tweets before Friday, said a police official on Thursday.

" workers in Betul yesterday gave a memorandum to the SP, stating that they won't allow actor to shoot for 'Dhakad' if she does not apologize to farmers over her tweets. They said they would protest against her on February 12 and 13," Nitesh Patel, Betul sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) told ANI.

leader Samir Khan alleged that has called farmers as terrorists and Chinese agents.

"If she does not apologise or FIR is not registered against her, we will take out a rally to Sarni on Feb 13 and try not to let her shoot," he said.

Shooting for Kangana Ranaut's new film 'Dhakad' is going on in Sarni area of Betul district.

Reacting to the threats given by Congress, Kangana Ranaut in a tweet said, "I have no interest in Netagiri .... but I think Congress will turn me as a leader." (translated from Hindi).

BJP leader and home minister Narottam Mishra said that the state Congress chief Kamal Nath should dissuade his party workers from disrupting the shoot. He assured his full support to Kangana Ranaut and added that he has talked to Betul SP regarding the threats given by Congress leaders.

"I have spoken to the Betul SP regarding threats by Youth Congress workers of Chicholi. Congress' attempts to disturb peace will not be tolerated. We will ensure that 'behen beti' Kangana doesn't face any problem," he added.

Twitter had recently deleted some of Kangana Ranaut's controversial tweets over the farmers' protest.

Farmers have been protesting on the borders of Delhi since November 26 against new farm laws. Several rounds of talks have been held with farmers over their demand for the repeal of three new laws.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amanda Holden has said she feels so grateful and overwhelmed at the thought and love her Heart Radio colleagues put into her 50th birthday celebrations.

Amanda Holden outside the studios of Global Radio in central London as she celebrates her 50th birthday, which is next week (Ian West/PA)

The television presenter and radio host turns 50 on Tuesday.

She was surprised with 50 presents by her radio colleagues to mark the occasion.

(Ian West/PA)

They included a massage chair, flowers, prosecco, a margarita cocktail, a roast dinner and a cake.

Her co-host Jamie Theakston told listeners: Our very own Amanda Holden is celebrating her birthday  as a gentleman I wouldnt say how old  but what we thought we would do is pull together 50 of her favourite things.

An advertising board outside the radio studio also displayed a birthday message to Holden.

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She wrote on Instagram: So grateful and overwhelmed at the thought and love theyve put into it.

Holden shared the message alongside a photo of her drinking prosecco, which she said was taken at 6.30am.

A number of her friends also sent her birthday messages.

Her fellow Britains Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon said: Happy 50th birthday to my amazing TV wife.

Amanda Holden with Jamie Theakston (Ian West/PA)

I love you very, very much and Im absolutely gutted that we cannot celebrate today and celebrate with you, as you deserve to be celebrated, on this incredibly momentous occasion.

Your 50th birthday! You still look 25, woman!

Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan called in to the show to wish Holden a happy birthday.

Ive actually got out of bed on my day off just to pay homage to the queen, Amanda Holden, he said.

You know what, I just think, seeing pictures of you drinking prosecco at 6.30am in the morning, it brings back such fond memories of working with you on Britains Got Talent.

[February 12, 2021] EV Battery Tech Announces Oversubscribed Non-brokered Private Placement

/NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES/ VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Extreme Vehicle Battery Technologies Corp. ("EV Battery Tech" or the "Company") (CSE: ACDC) a leading Battery Technology Company, is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated January 18, 2021, it has now over-subscribed, its non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of approximately $3,000,000 (the "Private Placement"). "The interest for this private placement was overwhelming," commented President and CEO Bryson Goodwin. "The demand from new and existing shareholders led to a significantly oversubscribed Private Placement." "We did our best to include as many subscriptions as possible, but unfortunately the vast majority of the subscriptions that we received over the originally allotted $2.5M had to be denied, continued Mr. Goodwin. "We apologize to all interested investors who could not be included and hope to include them into the next placement." Following approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Company issued 15,602,800 units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.20 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Common Share") of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable into one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of three years from the issuance date, subject to acceleration, at the Company's discretion in the event that the Common Shares trade at a price on the Canadian Securities Exchange of greater than $0.75 per Common Share for a period of ten consecutive trading days. All securities issued in connection with the Final Tranche are subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period under applicable securities laws.



A finder's fee was paid in connection with the Placement to finders at Canaccord Genuity Corp ("Finders") that consisted of fees in the aggregate amount of 602,800 units, representing an aggregate commission of 8% of the Units sold to investors introduced by Finders. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Private Placement for product development, research and development, and for general working capital.

"We intend to use the proceeds of this private placement to strengthen our balance sheet and develop our various products that we announced earlier this year" said Mr. Goodwin. On behalf of the Company, Bryson Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer. Further information about the Company is available under its profile on the SEDAR website, www.sedar.com, on the CSE website, www.thecse.com, and on its website. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 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 the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or the benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. The CSE (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements respecting the Final Tranche and the expected use of proceeds therefrom. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statement will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. SOURCE EV Battery Tech

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Migrants: IOM asks EU to intervene to end border violence 'Fundamental freedoms, rights must always be respected'

(ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, FEB 12 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has asked the European Union and member states to adopt urgent measures to end violence on migrants and refugees, including minors, at the external borders of the EU.



"The excessive use of force and violence on civilians are unjustified", said Eugenio Ambrosi, the director general of IOM, as reported by Serbian media. The fundamental freedoms and rights of all people must be respected at all time, he added. In a statement, the organization said it receives regular reports and witness accounts on the violation of human rights and international conventions, including the European convention on human rights. (ANSAmed).





Madam Rebecca Palison, an Adolescent Service Provider at the Ghana Health Service, has admonished the youth of Tema to engage in activities that will take their minds off sex especially during the Valentine Day Celebration on Sunday.



She expressed concern about the increasing rate of school dropouts and teenage pregnancies within some communities in the Tema Metropolis over the past few years.



The Adolescent Service Providers counsel the youth on social issues such as teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, drug addictions and other social issues bothering the adolescent.



Speaking to Ghana News Agency (GNA), at Tema, Madam Palison said that most of the cases they dealt with had to do with teenage pregnancies and school dropouts.



She said, the main cause of the problems was financial, lack of parental care and support and also the unwillingness on the part of some men to take responsibility of pregnancies.



She therefore advised parents not to neglect their responsibilities in taking care of their children and admonished them to engage in activities that would take their minds off sex and other social vices.



Madam Palison added that, the outfit have put in measures to reach out to the adolescents from their various schools.

Source: GNA









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A UK national has been fined for breaching a Covid-15 regulation near Punchestown Racecourse.

James Denton, 30, whose address was given as 5 Totnes Avenue, Liverpool, was prosecuted for breaching a Covid-19 regulation and with failing to comply with the direction of a garda after the State alleged he was present near Punchestown Racecourse without good reason on January 18.

Solicitor David Powderly told Naas District Court on February 10 the defendant was using a drone to film and stream live horse races at the venue for people who gamble on in running races.

Read more County Kildare news

This refers to a form of gambling where bets are placed after the race has started.

Mr Powderly said that the images provided by the defendant could be two or three seconds ahead of what other people see.

He said Mr Denton was entitled to do this work because it is exempt under the Covid-19 regulations, which refer to information and communications and the production of video, digital information or other content. He said the gardai were not entitled to ask him to leave and then arrest him.

Inspector Paul Reilly submitted that betting is not an essential service and there are other production companies providing pictures of the races.

Garda Shane McManus told of receiving a call about a suspicious van at Walshestown, Naas, where he met the defendant and another man who said they were engaging in work of an essential nature.

He said they were unclear about how this work was essential and he did not believe it was.

He said Mr Denton was issued with a direction to leave the area.

Sgt Fran Dunne said the defendant indicated to him there were others doing the same thing in the area.

He said after the defendant left he did a u turn a short distance away and said that his boss was okay (for him) to be arrested.

He said the defendant put out his two hands to be arrested and was detained by Gda Michael Gohery.

He said he didnt provide any information about what he was doing.

Gda Gohery said the defendant was dismissive of what the gardai were saying and he was directed to leave the area.

When asked later what essential work he was doing he said to contact his solicitor, the garda added.

The defendant said he is qualified to use drones in Ireland and the UK and he works for a media production company. He has been coming to Ireland for the past year covering race meetings but this is done from a kilometre away from the racing venues, rather than flying over the racecourse. The races are streamed live to the UK for gambling purposes.

He said he had previously been detained at Naas Racecourse and had money ,a passport and phone confiscated. He suggested that some racecourses are working with the gardai to get me moved.

He claimed that Naas gardai have gone down every avenue to stop him because the racecourses don't like it.

Judge Desmond Zaidan commented that the defendant failed to comply with a garda direction and he also commented that schools and pubs had largely stayed closed even though principals and proprietors might be opposed to these closures.

He imposed two fines of 2,000 each.
The 1997 film Face/Off starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage was a silly but fun action film about two enemies swapping faces.

Now 24 years later, Hollywood is making a sequel to the blockbuster.

On Thursday Deadline shared that director Adam Wingard was taking on the next film but he would not reveal if Travolta and Cage will be a part of the follow up.

Back! Face/Off was a silly but very fun action film about two enemies swapping faces that came out in 1997 with stars John Travolta and Nicole Cage. Now there will be a sequel

On the hunt: Travolta was FBI agent Sean Archer who was intent on tracking down Cage's twisted terrorist Castor Troy

When there was talk that the film might be a remake instead of a sequel, Adam took to Instagram to make his thoughts clear.

'I would NEVER re-imagine or remake FACE/OFF. It's a perfect action movie,' he wrote, adding a photo of Cage screaming. 'Simon Barrett and I are writing a direct SEQUEL!'

Neal Moritz will produce the film for Paramount and Hollywood veteran David Permut will also serve as executive producer.

Plenty of guns: Cage as his terrorist; but Travolta takes on his identity

Will she come back? Gina Gershon was in the original; seen here in bed with Cage

The first film was a hit with Travolta and Cage, who were still big action stars at the time, playing a cat and mouse game.

Travolta was FBI agent Sean Archer who was intent on tracking down Cage's twisted terrorist Castor Troy.

Unbelievably, they switch faces which was laughable at the time, but has since become a possibility.

The man behind the camera: On Thursday Deadline shared that director Adam Wingard was taking on the next film but he would not reveal if Travolta and Cage will be a part of the follow up. Seen in 2017

Not a redo: When there was talk that the film might be a remake instead of a sequel, Adam took to Instagram to make his thoughts clear. 'I would NEVER re-imagine or remake FACE/OFF. It's a perfect action movie,' he wrote adding a photo of Cage screaming. 'Simon Barrett and I are writing a direct SEQUEL!'

The film earned $245 million worldwide making it the 11th highest-grossing film of 1997.

Both Travolta, 66, and Cage, 57, are active with their film careers so they may be asked to reprise their roles or just do cameos.

John Woo directed the first film with an $80million budget.

It started as a spec script in 1900 and then Woo became interested in the project.

Still making movies! John, left, and Nicolas, right seen in 2019 at red carpet events

The first actors who were chosen to play Sean Archer and Castor Troy were Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger respectively, but they did not stick.

Michael Douglas was also up for the role but he passed and turned in to one of the executive producers.

Jean-Claude Van Damme and Harrison Ford were also floated by as possible leads.

Travolta had a difficult 2020. His longtime wife Kelly Preston passed away in July after a battle with breast cancer.

And 2020 Christmas was the Saturday Night Live actor's first without the Jerry Maguire actress by his side.

In December, the star shared a video featuring his daughter Ella Bleu, 20, and son Benjamin, 10, at their home as he wished fans a Merry Christmas.

Solo now: Kelly Preston passed away in July after a long battle with cancer. And Christmas was the Saturday Night Live actor's first without the Jerry Maguire actress by his side; seen in 2018

'Say merry Christmas, Ella!' the pilot said. Ella looked pretty in black pajamas as she stood in front of the white-frosted Christmas tree while holding her phone.

There were several packages behind her as well as a black luggage set. Benjamin was shirtless as he sat in a green chair enjoying a cookie.

'Merry Christmas from the Travolta family!' the Face/Off star wrote in his Instagram caption.

Also not in the video was his son Jett who passed away in 2009 at the age of 16 after he suffered a seizure and hit his head in a bathroom.

Kelly's passing was a shock to fans as she had kept her health struggles a secret.

The little ones: On Friday, the 66-year-old actor, 66, shared a video featuring his daughter Ella Bleu, 20, and son Benjamin, 10, as he wishes fans a Merry Christmas

A family representative told People magazine, 'On the morning of July 12, 2020, Kelly Preston, adored wife and mother, passed away following a two-year battle with breast cancer.'

'Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends,' the family rep said. 'She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched. Her family asks for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time.'

Travolta and Preston were married for 29 years before her death in July.

A good snack: His son was eating a cookie as he relaxed in a green corduroy chair

'It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many,' he wrote on Instagram.

John also shared a message on Thanksgiving Day.

John showed off his shaved head and sported a black turtleneck while addressing his three million followers on social media.

'I just wanted to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for supporting me in such an incredible way this year,' he said. 'Happy Thanksgiving and always love.'

John's last film was 2019's The Fanatic.
Brasilia, Feb 12 : The Brazilian tourism sector lost 261.3 billion reals ($48 billion) last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, authorities announced.

In a report issued on Thursday, the National Confederation of Commerce, Goods, Service and Tourism (CNC) said that the figure represented the period between March and December 2020, reports Xinhua news agency.

Taking into account the entire 2020, the losses totalled to about $51 billion.

"It is a huge toll, and recovery will probably take until 2022 or 2023. We have already seen some recovery in trade and agribusiness, but not in the service sector," CNC economist Fabio Bentes was quoted as saying in the report.

The pandemic also caused the loss of 397,100 formal jobs in Brazil's service sector, a 13 per cent reduction compared to 2019 and the largest job loss among all sectors of the Brazilian economy.

For 2021, the CNC projects a contraction of 9.7 per cent in the Brazilian tourism sector.

In terms of tourist arrivals, Brazil is considered to be the top travel destination in South America after Argentina and third in Latin America after Mexico and Argentina.
But after drafting a measure declaring that the former president aided an insurrection in a way that might disqualify him from running for office again under the 14th Amendment, the senator found few takers on either side of the aisle; Republicans balked at breaking with Trump, and his fellow Democrats demanded impeachment or nothing, as Kaine put it. So now the Democrats who insisted on impeachment or nothing face the prospect of again failing to convict Trump, making it more imperative for them to use the trial to establish a different kind of verdict that will go beyond the vote itself.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on February 12 hit out at the Centre questioning why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given up the countrys territory to China in eastern Ladakh.

Gandhis remarks came during a press conference he addressed a day after defence minister Rajnath Singh announced in Parliament that India and China had reached an agreement of disengagement in north and south bank of Pangong lake in Ladakh

Gandhi alleged that the troops are stationed at Finger 3, moving back from Finger 4, which is Indian territory. He said he wanted to ask PM Modi why has he given Indian territory to the Chinese.

This is absolutely 100 percent cowardice. This is nothing else. The Prime Minister is a coward who cannot stand up to the Chinese. This is a fact..He is betraying the sacrifice of our Army. Nobody in India should be allowed to do it and nobody in rest of the world should be allowed to do it, Gandhi said asserting that it was the responsibility of the PM to protect the territory of the country.

Gandhi also targeted Union defence minister Rajnath Singh for not speaking in the Parliament on the most important strategic area  Depsang Plains  from where China had entered.

Yesterday the defence minister gave statement silently. Why is the PM not coming out with a statement that he has given land to China? Gandhi asked.

According to Rajnath Singh after this agreement, India-China will remove forward deployments in a phased, coordinated manner.

Chinas defence ministry announced on February 10 that Chinese and Indian troops on the southern and northern shores of Pangong Tso began synchronized and organized disengagement in line with the consensus reached between Corps Commanders when they last met on January 24.

This statement signalled what may call the first major breakthrough in the ongoing negotiations to resolve the nine-month military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

The militaries of China and India have been engaged in a tense standoff in eastern Ladakh since early May last year. The two countries have held several rounds of military and diplomatic-level talks to resolve the face-off.

On January 24, the 9th round of China-India Corps Commander-level meeting was held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point.
Good morning, North State. Here's what you need to know to start your day on Feb. 12.

California's COVID-19 death toll edges past New York

California now leads the nation in the number of deaths related to COVID-19 - surpassing New York. We have lost close to 46,000 people. These new numbers come in as coronavirus trends are showing a slight improvement in the state.

Chico State president to host virtual State of the University Address today

Chico State University President, Gayle Hutchinson, is set to present a virtual State of the University Address at 1 p.m. today. A town hall conversation with students, faculty and staff will follow the president's presentation. if you would like to attend, click here.

Regulators: Utilities to buy energy to prevent blackouts

California regulators have given the green light to a plan, allowing PG&E and other utilities to buy more power during the summer. The cost for that power could be handed down to us. The plan is to avoid a repeat of the rolling blackouts last August that left more than 800,000 people in the dark.

Audit: California should track homeless spending, set policy

The state auditor says the state, county, and city governments have spent $13 billion over the last three years to tackle homelessness. The auditor says the approach is so disorganized it could be hindering attempts to find stable housing more than helping. The state auditor is recommending giving more power to the state homeless council.

Travis AFB to conduct transfer to Space Force ceremony

A Northern California air force base is setting its sights on space. The Travis Air Force Base, in Solano County, will host a transitioning ceremony for airmen moving over to the newest branch of the military - the U.S. space force - they will become "guardians."

Biden and Harris discuss American Rescue Plan with governors and mayors

President Biden is set to meet with a group of bipartisan mayors and governors today to discuss - the American Rescue plan and getting support to communities. Among other items, the $1.9 trillion relief measure looks to offer checks direct to families, assist communities and businesses hit hard by COVID-19, and address affordable health care.

Trump's lawyers to offer a defense of the former President at impeachment trial Friday

Former President Donald Trump's legal team gets its turn at the Senate impeachment trial Friday, as Trump's lawyers prepare to argue that the trial of a former president is unconstitutional. Lawyers say they plan to use only one day. A shortened argument session could possibly set up a vote on whether to convict or acquit Trump  as early as this weekend.

An article in the form of an open letter entitled Dear Egypt was published on various Ethiopian websites. The article consisted of a narrative defending Ethiopias right to construct the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, comparing it to Egypts Aswan High Dam and detailing developments after Egypts project was built.

This article, also in the form of an open letter, is a counter-argument to the narrative of successive Ethiopian governments that Egypt has been opposed to Ethiopias development.

Dear Ethiopia,

I hope everything is fine your way. I am aware of the difficulties that you are experiencing at the moment, and I look forward to your overcoming them peacefully.

First, I would like to remind you of a spiritual bond that has connected your people with mine for centuries. As early as the 4th century CE, if you still recall, a blessed son of mine spread the word of God and revealed His Light upon your territory. It was my blessed son St Athanasius who ordained another revered son of mine, St Frumentius, whom your children call Abba Salama, as your first ever bishop. You remember, dear Ethiopia, that you still use my calendar, namely that of the Egyptian Coptic Church, as your own for your day-to-day activities.

Dear Ethiopia, though it may come as a surprise to many of your sons and daughters, I also played a crucial part in keeping your country up-to-date and in modernising your economy. In 1905, my banking experts helped you to establish the Bank of Abyssinia (later the National Bank of Ethiopia), the first bank in Ethiopia, and my good hearted children were excited to see your people issue their first banknotes at this time, just like any other modern state.

Do you still recall that after I gained independence on 28 February 1922, your land was the first in Africa and among the very few in the world at the time to host one of my earliest diplomatic missions? I hope you still have good memories of my faithful son, the senior diplomat Farag Mikhail Moussa, who worked hard in his capacity as consul to my mission in Addis Ababa to promote relations with your government. He took good care to help to transform your economy, and he established my permanent trade mission in Piazza in downtown Addis Ababa for the exchange of commodities and to boost trade between our two peoples.

Dear Ethiopia, when fascist Italy invaded your territory in 1935, my children formed a commission in defence of the Cause of Abyssinia (your official name at the time). They mobilised resources to support you against the Italian invaders and sent field hospitals to your territory, one of them ruthlessly bombed by fascist Italians. The pressure put by my people, who sympathised with your just cause, pushed my government to enforce sanctions imposed by the League of the Nations against fascist Italy to the detriment of the invaders. I wonder why you still call the 1929 Agreement on protecting my childrens water quota of the River Nile colonial, when you should have realised that the above activities in defence of your cause were in essence the acts of a sovereign nation.

When my good son Gamal Abdel-Nasser took office as president after the July 1952 Revolution, he authored a book dedicated to promoting relations with you. He believed that such amicable relations between Egypt and Abyssinia could never have been established except between fully-fledged brothers. It was my son Nasser and yours, Haile Selassie I, who worked together for a dream that our Mother Africa had been yearning for decades to achieve. Both of us, along with other children of Africa, co-founded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Here you need to remember that it was courtesy of Nasser that the seat of this continental body blossomed in your New Flower  your capital city of Addis Ababa. You surely know that had Nasser wanted to have the seat of the OAU in Cairo, he would have secured it in the blink of an eye, as you know he was a staunch supporter of the African liberation movements and he is still highly revered in the hearts and minds of the African peoples.

Dear Ethiopia, in June 2014 another good son of mine, Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, took over as president, and in his inauguration speech he plainly said that he will not allow the GERD issue to be a bone of contention or an obstacle in developing relations with sisterly Ethiopia. Perhaps you remember his visit to your beautiful capital in March 2015, when he addressed your parliament in good faith, and unequivocally said that he would be happy to see the schools in your beautiful country powered with electricity, but that while your children worked for that, they should not forget the right of my children to secure their needs of water.

But even so, dear Ethiopia, you are still dealing with me with much suspicion and trying your best to deny me my right to life. You are still adamantly rejecting reaching a balanced deal with my children and their brothers in Sudan on the GERD. I am in no way opposed to your progress  how could you think that when you know that I have supported you in your darkest moments? How can you tell your people that I, Egypt, do not want to see you developed, upgraded and prosperous?

It is true that my sons will stand up firmly to protect my peoples right to life and their share of water that has flowed to them since the dawn of history down from your mountainous land to my barren desert. It is also true that belligerent remarks by some of your children drive me to the edge. But I am patient, and I want you to exercise self-restraint and attend to the serious work of defusing the tension between us.

Escalation favours neither of us, as it opens wide the doors of interference by those who do not want to see us living in peace and harmony. Plus, my dear, why do you think that defending my right to life means I hate to see you prosperous? Could your prosperity be attained at the expense of my people and their brothers in Sudan? Is that your recipe for a win-win deal?

Dear Ethiopia, I understand how difficult your transformation is and how challenging your homegrown existential threats are. But please do not rub salt into the wounds: return to your senses and do what is right for the betterment of my people and yours.

Sincerely,

Egypt

*The writer is a former press and information officer in Ethiopia and an expert on African affairs.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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(Natural News) Twitter faced ridicule after it resisted demands by the Indian government to suspend accounts for spreading misinformation, claiming that it cherished free expression, despite having removed multiple prominent accounts in the U.S. for spreading misinformation.

(Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Summit.news)

The Silicon Valley giant is in a heated dispute with Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration, with the Indian government demanding it take action against over a thousand accounts it claims are spreading misinformation about the months-long farmers protests against new agricultural laws.

The government has played hardball, sending Twitter a notice of non-compliance last week that threatens its executives with jail terms of up to seven years and the company with fines if it does not block the content, reports Al Jazeera.

India claims the accounts, some of which are backed by Pakistan or are operated by alleged supporters of a separatist Sikh movement, are spreading fake news to destabilize the government.

Twitter responded by claiming it insists tweets must flow, before asserting that it wouldnt take action against news outlets, politicians, activists and journalists.

However, we have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians. We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve, and are exploring options under Indian law.  Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) February 10, 2021

We have not taken any action on accounts that consist of news media entities, journalists, activists, and politicians, said the company. We will continue to advocate for the right of free expression on behalf of the people we serve, and are exploring options under Indian law.

Thank you for this  needed a good laugh, responded Mike Cernovich.

Thank you for this  needed a good laugh.  Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) February 10, 2021

Twitters explanation for refusing to remove the accounts rings hollow given that it has repeatedly deleted accounts belonging to journalists, news outlets and politicians in the United States for spreading misinformation.

Indeed, President Trumps account was permanently suspended last month for that precise reason, with Twitter claiming Trumps tweets would lead to real world violence.

Gateway Pundit editor Jim Hoft, along with a host of other conservatives, have also been banned by Twitter for allegedly spreading misinformation about election fraud.

Twitters justification for refusing to remove accounts at the behest of the Indian government proves once again that the company operates a double standard which deliberately targets conservatives for their political opinions.

Maybe Modis government should just accuse the offending accounts of posting pro-Trump memes and Twitter will delete them in a heartbeat.

Read more at: Summit.news and Biased.news.
February 12, 2021

EU - Russia Conflict Deepens

Last week. during a visit by the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slapped down the EU's sanctimonious interference in Russia's internal policies.

Back in Brussels, Borrell, who was criticized by some EU hardliners for not directly rebuffing Lavrov's talk, set down to write a blog post in which again attacked Russia over the latest Navalny stunt:

I have just returned from a very complicated visit to Moscow, on which I had embarked to discuss the fraught state of EU-Russia relations. They have been low for a number of years, and deteriorated even further after recent developments linked to the poisoning, arrest, and sentencing of Alexei Navalny as well as the related mass arrests of thousands of demonstrators. The purpose of this mission was to express directly the EUs strong condemnation of these events and to address, through principled diplomacy, the process of a rapid worsening of our relationship with Russia, and to help prepare the forthcoming European Council discussions on EU-Russia relations.

Borrell is delusional. Hardly anyone in Russia believes the nonsensical poisoning story for which the 'west' could provide exactly zero evidence:

Brett Harris @BrettHar123 - 18:41 UTC  Feb 7, 2021 Only 15% in Russia believe the Navalny poisoning was the Govt trying to eliminate an opponent, and the 15% based this opinion from Telegram and the Internet and were mostly 18-24. The rest think it was staged, a Western false flag, personal or opposition: https://levada.ru/2020/12/24/...

The whole Navalny poisoning was obviously some secret service operation to bash Russia. His lavish living in in a 5 bed room luxurious apartment in Germany after he was released from hospital was paid by the libertarian oligarch Evgeny Chichvarkin. Chichvarkin, who lives in London, is probably an MI6 cutout. It is still not known who paid the multimillion production costs for the fake 'Putin palace' video. The studio renting for the video was requested by a company in Los Angeles. Some U.S. involvement is thereby assured.

Poland and other NATO countries are now openly pressing Navalny and other traitors like him to continue their regime change attempts:

Poland in the EU @PLPermRepEU - 12:26 UTC  Feb 8, 2021 The recent developments in  -  relations require action from the #EU Member States.

This is why  is hosting a virtual meeting with A.@Navalny's closest associates @LeonidVolkov & @VAshurkov.

The EU27 PermReps alongside     Ambassadors are now discussing the next steps.

Ashurkov is the guy who, in this 2012 video, can be seen meeting with a British agent and asking for money and political dirt from abroad to run smear attacks on Russian businessmen and politicians.

Volkov is another crazy dude. He has now declared himself to be the Foreign Minister of the Russian government in exile (machine translation):

Navalny's headquarters coordinator Volkov said from abroad that he was gathering the Russian government in exile and had already named himself acting foreign minister. And to get Navalny out of prison, according to him, he will primarily use foreign policy methods, that is, sanctions. The plot is shown on the air of the "60 minutes" program.

Working for foreign secret services seems to pay well.

Elena Evdokimova @elenaevdokimov7 - 21:59 UTC  Feb 9, 2021 A house in Luxenburg's city Mamer that belongs to the head of Navalny's FBK Leonid Volkov. Bought in 2014 for 720,000 euro. It shows that FBK, accusing Russian government people in having villas & property abroad, have villas & property abroad themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6KEhZk1nwQ

Navalny, Ashurkov and Volkov are traitors and should be handled as such.

Besides again bashing Russia over issues that are not the EU's business Borrell also issued a new thread:

We are at a crossroads. The strategic choices we make now will determine international power dynamics in the 21st century, and notably whether we will advance towards more cooperative or more polarised models, based on closed or on freer societies. The European Union can influence these developments, which requires a clear vision and objectives, accompanied by intense diplomatic engagement, supported by our many means of external action and projection of influence. We will discuss these issues with my fellow EU foreign ministers. As ever, it will be for member states to decide the next steps, and yes, these could include sanctions. And we also have another tool in this respect, thanks to the recently approved EU humans rights sanctions regime.

Does the idiot really think he can impress Russia with such sanctions talk?

Today, in an interview with a Russian TV station, Lavrov gave his response (machine translated). The headline was sensational: Lavrov said Russia is ready to break off relations with the EU.

Russia is ready to break off relations with the European Union, but would not want to isolate itself from world life. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the air of the "Soloviev Live" program. When asked by Vladimir Solovyov whether Moscow is heading for a break with Brussels, Lavrov replied: "We proceed from the fact that we are ready." The minister stressed that sanctions create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive areas. "We do not want to isolate ourselves from world life, but we must be ready for this," the minister said.

The Kremlin later said that some media misrepresented Lavrov's remarks but essentially confirmed his stand:

Russia should be ready for hostile acts from the European Union but would not want to sever ties with Brussels, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday, commenting on the remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who said that Moscow is ready cut ties with the EU if Brussels chooses to impose sanctions that endanger sensitive sectors of the Russian economy.

...

"The point is that we dont want this [to sever ties with the EU] but seek to develop relations with the European Union. However, if the EU chooses to go down this path [of imposing sanctions that entail risk for the Russian economy], then yes, we will be ready because you need to be ready for the worst," he explained.

...

According to Peskov, Lavrovs comments do not require "any confirmation." "Of course, if we face the most destructive policy that causes damage to our infrastructure and our interests, then Russia should be ready in advance for these hostile steps," Peskov stressed.

Borrell and other EU folks fail to understand that Russia has given up on a 'greater Europe'. It no longer cares what the EU thinks:

The Wests mistake with Russia was expecting it to Westernize without any prospect of integration into Western institutions. NATO and the EU wanted a say in Moscows affairs while denying it a voice in broader European issues. This was both wrong and unsustainable and now has brought us to a situation where, after 300 years, Russia has ended its Western-centric foreign policy. The EU has not yet recognized the truly historic shift that has occurred. In the early 18th century, Peter the Great sought to return Russia to Europe. But now, after a brief revival in the 1990s and 2000s, the dream of a Greater Europe has been recognized to be just that, a dream. Western support for the 2014 Maidan coup in Ukraine drove the final nail into the coffin. But in Brussels and Washington, they are still living in a delusion and have failed to recognize how strongly Moscow feels about what happened.

Russia has turned to greater Eurasia of which western Europe is just a tiny peninsula. A U.S. proxy that has no independent voice and can no longer be taken serious. It will now be ignored.

Today Navalny was back in court for publicly insulting a World War II veteran. The EU will certainly make remarks about that. But only a few days ago police in Scotland arrested someone because he typed a mean tweet about a British veteran of that war. Brussels will certainly have nothing to say about that.

And that is at the core of the whole issue. Brussels has become used to tell others 'Do as we say, not as we do.'

That no longer works. Certainly not with Russia.

Posted by b on February 12, 2021 at 17:14 UTC | Permalink

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[February 12, 2021] BitPay Card Adds Support for Apple Pay

BitPay, the world's largest provider of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment services, today announced that US cardholders of the BitPay Prepaid Mastercard can add their card to Apple (News - Alert) WalletTM and spend with Apple Pay. With Apple Pay, BitPay cardholders can make secure purchases in stores, in apps, and online. In addition, customers waiting on delivery of their plastic card can add their virtual card to Apple Wallet via the BitPay Wallet app and can start spending immediately. Support for Google (News - Alert) Pay and Samsung Pay is planned for later this quarter. "We have thousands of BitPay Wallet app customers using the BitPay Card who are always looking for new places and ways to spend their crypto," said BitPay CEO Stephen Pair. "Adding Apple Pay and soon Google and Samsung (News - Alert) Pay makes it easy and convenient to use the BitPay Card in more places from day-to-day items to luxury purchases." BitPay continues to innovate its global blockchain solutions to make paying with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies faster, easier and safer than ever before. The BitPay Wallet app is designed to enable customers to manage and spend Bitcoin, and also turn it into dollars and spend with the BitPay Card. For power blockchain users, the BitPay Wallet app supports an array of options to buy and store crypto and make nline payments. Users can instantly buy gift cards from hundreds of top retailers in store and online. The BitPay Card enables customers to instantly convert cryptocurrency into fiat currency, which is then loaded onto the card and can be spent anywhere Mastercard debit is accepted around the world. Customers can also use the cards online for purchases and to withdraw cash from ATMs.



The BitPay Wallet app supports Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ether, as well as four dollar-pegged stablecoins, USDC, GUSD, PAX and BUSD. To add a card to Apple Wallet, cardholders need to have the most recent version of the BitPay app, 12.1.0 which is available in the App Store. To order the BitPay Prepaid Mastercard, visit https://bitpay.com/card/

About BitPay Founded in 2011, BitPay pioneered blockchain payment processing with the mission of transforming how businesses and people send, receive, and store money. Its business solutions eliminate fraud chargebacks, reduce the cost of payment processing, and enable borderless payments in cryptocurrency, among other services. BitPay offers consumers a complete digital asset management solution that includes the BitPay Wallet and BitPay Prepaid Card, enabling them to turn digital assets into dollars for spending at tens of thousands of businesses. The company has offices in North America, Europe, and South America and has raised more than $70 million in funding from leading investment firms including Founders Fund, Index Ventures, Virgin Group, and Aquiline Technology Growth. For more information visit bitpay.com. BY USING THIS CARD YOU AGREE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE CARDHOLDER AGREEMENT AND FEE SCHEDULE, IF ANY. This card is issued by Metropolitan Commercial Bank (Member FDIC) pursuant to a license from Mastercard International. "Metropolitan Commercial Bank" and "Metropolitan" are registered trademarks of Metropolitan Commercial Bank 2014. Mastercard is a registered trademark and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Apple Wallet and Apple Pay are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005047/en/

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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan police are preparing casefiles over the act of vandalism that targeted the Holocaust memorial in downtown of the city. The memorial is officially known as the "To Live and Not Forget" memorial honoring both the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide victims. It is located in a park near Moskovyan-Teryan intersection.

Yerevan Police said the downtown precinct has launched proceedings.

In turn, City Hall said their specialists are working to restore the statue and clean the paint.

Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyans spokesperson Hakob Karapetyan strongly condemned the desecration, noting that such incidents must be ruled out in Yerevan where representatives of various nations are living side by side as Yerevantsis.

The desecration of any memorial is extremely unacceptable, moreover the kind of memorials which are related to the minorities living in the city. I think this problem should be solved through cooperation with the law enforcement agencies, Karapetyan said when asked about actions for ruling out similar incidents in the future, given the fact that this is already the second time this particular memorial is targeted by vandals in the last few months.

The memorial consists of two primary pillars, with To Live and Not Forget: To the Memory of the Victims of the Genocides of the Armenian and Jewish Peoples written in Armenian on the right pillar and Hebrew on the left pillar.

Vandals sprayed paint over the Hebrew writing.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
No, youre not dreaming. Thats the sound of bubbling water and the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air as you contemplate waking up. The Barisieur coffee maker and alarm clock lets you start your day with a freshly brewed cup of joe (or loose leaf tea) without leaving the cozy confines of your bed. The beautifully designed (and pricy) system created by British industrial designer Joshua Renouf is composed of hand-blown borosilicate glass and polished stainless steel components that sit on a wood tray, giving it a science lab meets contemporary sculpture vibe. Barisieur even has a built-in mini milk fridge to keep everything you need within reach. The clocks display dims as the night goes on and theres a built-in USB charger for your phone. Just set Barisieur to start brewing 5 minutes before the alarm and stay in bed a little longer. $445, b8ta.com
What is the Narada sting case and why has it come back to bite the TMC

Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi resigns from Rajya Sabha

India

oi-Deepika S

Kolkata, Feb 12: Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi, considered a close confidant of Mamata Banerjee, resigned from Rajya Sabha on Friday, saying he feels suffocated in the House as he is unable to do anything for the violence going on in his state, West Bengal.

"If you sit here quietly and cannot do anything, then it is better that you resign from here and go to the land of Bengal and be with people," he said in the Upper House of Parliament. Trivedi said the world looks at India when something happens.

"What I mean to say is the way violence is taking place in our state. Sitting here, I am feeling perplexed as to what should I do," he added.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP said he is unable to bear various incidents that are happening in West Bengal.

"I am grateful to my party that it has sent me here, but now I feel a little suffocated. We are unable to do anything and there is atrocity (going on). My voice of conscience is saying what Swami Vivekananda used to say -- arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached," Trivedi said, while announcing his resignation from the House.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh said there is a due process for resigning from the House and asked Trivedi to submit his resignation in writing to the chairman.
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BJP tally in Rajya Sabha likely to go up by 1 next year

Modi govt works for needy, not for damaads: Sitharaman in RS

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Feb 12: In a scathing attack at the Congress, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the Modi government is working for the poor and the middle class, not for some 'daamads' (sons-in-law).

"'Damaad', I don't think is the trademark of Indian National Congress. Damaad har ghar mein hota hai. Magar Damaad Indian National Congress mein ek specialised naam hai [Every house has a son-in-law but in the Congress, 'damaad' is a specialised name]," Nirmala Sitharaman said.

She also stressed that a "false narrative" is being created by the Opposition against the government that it works for "crony capitalists".

"It has now become a sort of habit for some people in the Opposition to constantly allege. In spite of what we are doing for the poor and the steps taken for helping the poor and needy of this country, a false narrative is created to accuse, saying that this government works only for cronies," Nirmala Sitharaman said during her reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

In her reply to the Budget discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Nirmala Sitharaman lauded the Union Budget 2020-21 presented under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and went on to highlight a number of initiatives taken by the Centre in the recent past.

"It is worth mentioning that 800 million people were provided free food grains, free cooking gas was provided to 80 million people and cash was directly given to 400 million people, farmers, women, divyang and also the poor and needy," she said.

Training guns at the Opposition parties, the Finance Minister said that it has now become a sort of habit for some in the Opposition to constantly allege, in spite of what the government is doing for the poor and the steps taken for helping the poor and needy of this country.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

"We all know the performance and works done under the UPA government. Funds were allocated, but actual spending was much less. When Modi ji came, he removed all loopholes. Now we increased the actual spending. Our expenditure was maximum last year," she said.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 17:07 [IST]

Thousands of Nigerian farmers and fishermen can sue Royal Dutch Shell in English law courts after years of oil spills in the Niger Delta, Supreme Court judges have ruled.

The Ogale and Bille communities living along the Niger Delta allege their lives and health have suffered because repeated oil spills have contaminated the land, swamps, groundwater and waterways.

They also claim there has been no adequate cleaning or remediation of the spills.

The spills were managed by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria - which is a subsidiary of the UK-based energy giant and produces around 1million barrels of oil per day.

Representatives for affected communities say Shell has a common law duty of care to locals - in the latest case to test whether multinationals can be held to account for the acts of overseas subsidiaries.

The oil giant says the ruling is 'disappointing,' and claims the spills are often the result of oil thefts and 'sabotage'.

The Niger Delta is one of Africa's most important oil-producing regions, but communities say they have had their heir lives and health have suffered because repeated oil spills have contaminated the land, swamps, groundwater and waterways

The Niger Delta is considered one of Africa's most important oil-producing regions.

Amnesty International claims it is 'one of the most polluted places on earth,' and says locals have been plagued by oil spills for decades.

The Ogale and Bille communities launched their legal action in 2015.

Represented by law firm Leigh Day, they argued that Shell owed them a duty of care because it either had significant control of, and was responsible for, its subsidiary SPDC. Shell countered that the court had no jurisdiction to try the claims.

A Shell spokesperson said: 'The spills at issue happened in communities that are heavily impacted by oil theft, illegal oil refining, and the sabotage of pipelines.

'Regardless of the cause of a spill, SPDC cleans up and remediates.

Oil is produced in the Niger Delta by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria - which is a subsidiary of the UK-based energy giant Shell and produces around 1million barrels of oil per day. The Supreme Court today ruled members of the Ogale and Bille communities can say Shell over spills in the region (pictured)

'It also works hard to prevent these sabotage spills, by using technology, increasing surveillance and by promoting alternative livelihoods for those who might damage pipes and equipment.

'Unfortunately, such criminal acts remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta today.'

SPDC is the operator of oil pipelines in a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation which holds a 55% stake, Shell which holds 30%, France's Total with 10%, Italy's Eni with 5%.

In its annual report last March, Shell said that SPDC saw crude oil spills caused by theft or pipeline sabotage surge by 41% in 2019.

The ruling comes almost two years after a seminal ruling by the Supreme Court in a case involving mining company Vedanta. The judgment allowed nearly 2,000 Zambian villagers to sue Vedanta in England for alleged pollution in Africa.

That move was seen as a victory for rural communities seeking to hold parent companies accountable for environmental disasters. Vedanta ultimately settled out of court in January.

Represented by law firm Leigh Day, they argued that Shell owed them a duty of care because it either had significant control of, and was responsible for, its subsidiary SPDC. Shell countered that the court had no jurisdiction to try the claims.

Daniel Leader, a partner at the law firm, said: '(The ruling) also represents a watershed moment in the accountability of multinational companies.

'Increasingly impoverished communities are seeking to hold powerful corporate actors to account and this judgment will significantly increase their ability to do so.'

SPDC is the operator of oil pipelines in a joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation which holds a 55% stake, Shell which holds 30%, France's Total with 10%, Italy's Eni with 5%.

The ruling is the second loss for Shell this year regarding claims against its Nigerian operations.

Shell has stated oil spills are often caused by thefts and 'sabotage'. Amnesty International says the Niger Delta is 'one of the most polluted places on earth'. Pictured: A teenager swims through oil-contaminated water in southern Nigeria

In a landmark Dutch ruling two weeks ago, an appeals court held Shell responsible for multiple oil pipeline leaks in the Niger Delta and ordered it to pay unspecified damages to farmers, in a victory for environmentalists.

Mark Dummett, Director of Amnesty International's Global Issues Programme, said: 'Shell's own records show the extent of the oil spills which continue to ravage the land of the Ogale and Bille communities, poisoning their water and destroying livelihoods.

'But until now, Shell has managed to avoid cleaning up or paying compensation by maintaining that it is not responsible for the actions of its Nigerian subsidiary - which it owns in full.

'Today's ruling has shaken the foundations of a business model based on shirking responsibility.

'The fight is not yet won, but this ruling is an important step towards justice. It is a testament to the persistence and courage of the Ogale and Bille communities, who have refused to accept Shell's excuses and have fought for years get Shell in court.

'Today's outcome could pave the way for justice for the many others who live with the consequences of Shell's pollution.'
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New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, one of India's top management schools, has selected Hughes Global Education, a pioneer in interactive onsite learning, to offer its new leadership programme, EdLEAP, for teachers and educators.

The Post Graduate Certification programme has been designed for aspiring school leaders, academicians, and entrepreneurs to help build and strengthen leadership across schools. Curated by the eminent faculty at IIM-Calcutta, the new courses will be delivered to learners across India over the Hughes interactive onsite learning platform in direct-to-device mode (D2D).

The Hughes platform provides learners - no matter where they are located - with a combination of online and live interactions with faculty members, seamlessly integrating classroom teaching with the latest technology.

"We are excited to partner with Hughes Global Education to announce the rollout of this first of its kind education leadership course. The education segment is witnessing a dynamic change with new emerging models of teaching and learning. The focus is to shape schools as 'institutes of excellence' and facilitate this transformation by training school leaders with cutting-edge management and leadership skills. We have designed this course to help next-generation educators and academic leaders build on their leadership and management skills and improve overall leadership across schools," said Programme Directors Prof Vipul Mathur and Prof Pragyan Rath, announcing the new course.

"We are proud to collaborate with IIM Calcutta to introduce this advanced leadership course for teachers and academic professionals. Using the online delivery mode through the Hughes Global Education platform, a senior educator anywhere in the country can access the high-quality content and be a part of this opportunity provided by the programme to build and enhance the leadership capacity across all levels of school education in India," said Anurag Bansal, Senior Director, Hughes Global Education.

During the course schedule, participants will engage with leadership theory and practice, including foundations in leadership, education leadership for competitive advantage, and creating world-class institutions. They will also learn about leading school transformations, building capacities and culture, and opening professional growth and development opportunities for team members.

The course will bring greater exposure for aspiring leaders and help them discover how to manage change, build agility within the institution, and improve learning outcomes through effective management. They will engage with senior leaders, academicians, and industry experts from within the education sector to gain comprehensive engagement with the breadth and diversity of leadership practices. Additionally, every participant who completes the program will achieve the prestigious alumni status of IIM Calcutta.

The course will involve a blend of Interactive Live Online Learning sessions, replicating a classroom learning experience and four days of a face-to-face campus module. The participants will require only internet access and a laptop to access the course. Moreover, participants will benefit from advanced learning techniques, world-class faculty mentors, experiential activities, business simulations and workshops, peer-to-peer discussions, networking, and comprehensive management insights.

* Entrepreneurs, executives, directors and administrators in the education space with minimum of five years of work experience.

* Principals and senior teachers with a minimum of ten years of experience are desirable.

* Graduates (10+2+3) in any discipline recognized by UGC/AICTE.

More details about the course content, faculty, and certification, can be found on the official websites of (https://www.iimcal.ac.in/ldp/edleap) Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and(https://www.hugheseducation.com)

This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Connecticut Innovations, the states quasi-public technology investment arm, is launching a campaign to promote the life sciences sector here.

The campaign is called Connecticut: Where Science Lives and was designed by Primacy, a Farmington-based digital marketing agency. The campaign, which includes a website, digital ads and social media postings, will run through August, according to Connecticut Innovations spokeswoman Lauren Carmody.

The total cost of the campaign is up to $940,000, with $400,000 for a media buy that includes paid searches, native advertising, and social media. The remainder of the expenditure is for marketing services, including research, website design, and ongoing account management.

Money for the campaign came from the Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund, which is managed by Connecticut Innovations.

Matt McCooe, the chief executive officer of Connecticut Innovations, said the hope is that this campaign highlights what most of us who live here already know.

Companies can succeed here because of access to capital, resources and top talent, which are essential for growth, McCooe said.

Dawn Hocevar, president and chief executive officer of BioCT, a non-profit organization focused on promoting bioscience in Connecticut, said startup activity in the sector is at a high.

We are seeing record investment and expansion within the ecosystem, and several new commercial developments are underway to deliver increased lab space and resources in the near future, Hocevar said.

Some of the recent activity Connecticut has seen in life sciences sector includes:

The growth of companies like Sema4 in Stamford and New Haven-based Arvinas.

A $200 million, 14-story, 513,000-square-foot, office space and life sciences incubator in New Haven.

COVID-related successes from Pfizer.

The centerpiece for the Where Science Lives marketing campaignis the website, which provides information tailored to specific target audiences: career seekers, entrepreneurs and startups, and venture capitalists. The content of the web site includes resources pertaining not only to the life sciences industry, but also to overall living and running a business in Connecticut.

An example of the reach of the campaign: advertising promoting the campaign aired twice Friday on the web stream of Portland, Maine radio station WCLZ.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com

Los Angeles: Disney CEO Bob Chapek has insisted that Scarlett Johansson-front superhero movie Black Widow" is still on course to make its debut in theatres worldwide. During an investor call on Thursday, Chapek said the company has no plans to send the Marvel Studios project to its streamer Disney Plus, as per Deadline.

We are still intending for it to be a theatrical release. We are going to be watching very carefully to see whether that strategy needs to be revisited," he said. Black Widow", featuring Johansson in her last appearance as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, was originally scheduled for release in May 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The film is currently slated to release on May 7 this year.

During the pandemic, Disney has made some bold moves to compensate for the closure of movie theatres. It took the decision of sending its big-budget live action movie Mulan" to Disney Plus. The studio also sent animated feature Soul" to the streamer, while another movie Raya and the Last Dragon" will be debuting simultaneously in theatres and on Disney Plus for an extra USD 30. Some films we will take theatrically. Some films we will take to Disney Premiere Access. And in some cases, we will take it directly to service (Disney Plus). Its really about flexibility. Were going to steer our decision making over time given (the needs) of our subscriber base," Chapek said.
In a courtesy call to HE the President of Malta at San Anton Palace on Thursday, February 11, 2021, Dr Noel Aquilina from the Department of Chemistry, accompanied by Professor Emmanuel Sinagra, Head of the Department of Chemistry and Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Malta, presented the findings of a landmark study. This study shows and confirms that airborne particulate matter (PM), apart from several toxic components, is also contaminated with tobacco smoke-driven particulates.

After 30 years, Dr Noel Aquilina, alongside world renowned tobacco smoke-related researchers, Emeritus Professor Neal L. Benowitz and Dr Peyton Jacob III from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), USA and atmospheric chemist and Fellow of the Royal Society, Professor Roy M. Harrison, from the University of Birmingham, UK, ended the wait for the elusive marker!

This remarkable study was published in one of the most prestigious journals of air quality, Environment International and was supported by the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Center for Research Resources and the UCSF Bland Lane Center of Excellence on Secondhand Smoke.

About 6 trillion cigarettes were smoked worldwide in 2016. Considering a conservative value, worldwide, Secondhand Smoke (SHS) (from cigarette smoking alone), releases about 22 million kilograms of nicotine and about 135 million kilograms of PM into the atmosphere each year. What is the fate of those particles?

The criteria for an ideal marker are that this is expected to behave similarly to the material for which it is a marker (in this case, cigarette SHS PM) under a range of environmental conditions and can be detected at low concentrations. For this purpose, historically, several studies tried to find a marker to show exposure to ambient SHS. Since 1991, the main marker of choice was Nicotine. Later studies have verified that nicotine is found almost exclusively in the gas-phase and would underestimate the exposure to the particle-phase of SHS; ages differently from other substances thus explaining the poor correlation with other SHS components; it has high adsorption rate to surfaces and easily desorbs from surfaces in the absence of active smoking. This meant that Nicotine was neither adequate nor suitable as a marker to SHS in PM. Over the last 3 decades, 16 different markers were tried and tested but all failed in one way or another to satisfy the necessary marker characteristics.

nicotelle

In 2013, at the Division of Cardiology, Clinical Pharmacology Program, Department of Medicine, UCSF, Nicotelline, a tripyridine alkaloid found in tobacco leaves and tobacco smoke, having a low volatility, led to hypothesize that it would be found mainly in the PM of SHS and should therefore be a useful tracer for tobacco smoke PM. It was thought that Nicotelline would be expected to be more stable in the environment than previously tested tracers for SHS. The 2013 study led by Dr Jacob III, was limited to a chamber, highly controlled environment, dealing with very few short-time airborne samples and deposited dust samples. Those findings were not sufficient to verify the requested marker characteristics.

In 2016, Dr Aquilina, one of the few European Affiliate Researchers of the Thirdhand Smoke (THS) Research Consortium, was invited by UCSF to:

Coordinate a comprehensive air sampling campaign in several countries with different climates, to show the ubiquitous presence of Nicotelline in airborne samples. Samples were collected in six cities in California including San Francisco; USA, Birmingham; UK, three sites in Hong Kong; PR China and Msida; Malta;

Develop an analytical method to extract Nicotine, Nicotelline and other tobacco-related compounds from airborne sample;

Validate the extraction method against a standard reference material and show that Nicotelline can be detected reliably at very low concentrations;

Carry out tests to verify the atmospheric stability of Nicotelline in relation to Nicotine in PM.

The samples for the test to show the most important and necessary property for a marker, atmospheric stability, and hence confirm its suitability as a marker, have been collected on the University of Malta, Msida campus in 2018 using the Mobile Air Quality Laboratory equipment operated by the Faculty of Science. A suite of real-time monitors were used in conjunction with localised meteorological data to verify the atmospheric conditions which could influence the stability of Nicotelline on filters during sampling.

The study has shown that:

Nicotelline can be considered as a suitable marker for tobacco-smoke driven particulate matter in SHS;

The marker shows a ubiquitous presence even at low concentrations and geographical variability linked to population density and tobacco use prevalence;

The mean load of tobacco smoke particulate in airborne particulate matter is 0.06 %.

In 2010, about 1 % of the global mortality was attributed to SHS exposure. Lower respiratory infections in children younger than 5 years, ischaemic heart disease in adults, and asthma in adults and children indicate there is no risk-free level of exposure to SHS.

Given the abovementioned health implications, what does this study add to the scientific community?

Although airborne PM is generally loaded with several pollutants that can be mutagenic, genotoxic and carcinogenic due to different sources, now it is confirmed that a small load of PM comes exclusively from tobacco smoke, hence air is also contaminated with tobacco smoke.

Although the load appears to be too low to be of an immediate hazard, this marker has set a new standard on the possible chronic exposure to SHS/THS through inhalation of PM even in non-smoking environments.

The importance and significance of this study is that it has opened a gateway to research the potent tobacco-specific carcinogens present in PM, and their health implications in inducing lung cancer, but not only, associated with a continuous exposure. These are THS components which are the frontier of science associated with tobacco smoke and its health effects. There is the need to look into additional exposure pathways, including dermal uptake, hand-to-mouth transfer and by inhalation of secondary particles that form after re-emission from surfaces. This is where a suitable particle-phase marker will be used, to distinguish the contribution of past indoor smoking from what is an unavoidable contamination originating outdoors.

###
Sister Wives returns to TLC for season 15 on Feb. 14 at 10 p.m. EST. The Brown family  including polygamist Kody Brown and his four wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown  seems to be more divided than ever amid the COVID-19 crisis and their recent fraught move from Las Vegas to Flagstaff, Arizona.

In a new sneak peek from TLC, Kodys second wife, Janelle, cries as she admits that shes afraid to be without her husband for a long time during quarantine. Meanwhile, Kodys wives are frustrated in their polygamous marriage.

Janelle, Meri, Kody, and Christine Brown | Ethan Miller/Getty Images for AEG Live

The Brown family laments COVID-19 and their move in a new Sister Wives sneak peek

In TLCs sneak peek for the upcoming season of Sister Wives on Instagram, Kody says theyre deep in this coronavirus thing and not sure what to do. There was already a division in the family. But with Kody splitting his time between the wives houses, scattered around their new hometown of Flagstaff, they hardly see each other.

I dont know what thats like  to not see you for that long, Janelle cries. Kodys second wife doesnt often express her emotions so vulnerably, so its obvious that she is feeling particularly upset during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Janelle laments the Brown familys separation from each other since their move from Las Vegas. Although the Browns bought a large property in Flagstaff called Coyote Pass, they could never agree if or when they wanted to build on it. As a result, Kodys four wives ended up scattered around the city, which left them and their children feeling isolated from each other.

Our family started feeling different the minute we moved, Janelle says in the Sister Wives preview.

RELATED: Sister Wives: Fans Criticize Christine Brown For Her COVID-19 Choices

Meri Browns problems with Kody Brown are far from over

Meanwhile, Kodys first wife, Meri, is still struggling in her marriage. The couple has been having trouble in their relationship for years. Kody has even admitted in past seasons that he no longer thinks of his relationship to Meri as a romantic one.

It doesnt look like anything has improved on that front. I cant make him love me, Meri cries in the Sister Wives sneak peek. I cant.

On a date, Meri and Kody try to reconnect  but Kody ultimately doesnt seem too into it.

If I were to lean over and kiss you right now, would you push me away? Meri asks Kody, who responds merely by looking uncomfortable.

RELATED: Sister Wives: Mariah Browns Fiancee Defends Her On Meri Browns Instagram After Homophobic Comments

Christine Brown also isnt sure about her marriage anymore

Kodys third wife, Christine, doesnt seem any happier than her sister wives. Not only does she appear to be considering divorce, but she also wants to move back to Utah permanently.

I cant do marriage to Kody anymore, Christine sobs in one clip of the upcoming season of Sister Wives. Meri tries to convince her not to give up, but shes not having it and says shes had enough.

I freaking want to move back to Utah, Christine declares.

As for Kody, he seems as frustrated as his wives with their current state of their marriages and family.

I dont want to spend the rest of my life listening to women tell me how unhappy they are, the Sister Wives star says. Later, he admits they dont have the kind of family they once did  and he wants his wives to stop complaining about it, once and for all.
Police investigating the disappearance of Belfast pensioner Andrew Robert Clement Bell have discovered a body.

Mr Bell, known locally as Clem, went missing on Thursday.

Police confirmed a body was discovered at a house in the Stranmillis area.

"A formal identification and post-mortem examination will take place in due course," a PSNI spokesperson said.

"There are no further details at this stage."

The 80-year-old was from the Stranmillis area, and was last seen in the vicinity of Malone Road.

An appeal was launched on Friday after family and friends had become concerned about his whereabouts.
[February 12, 2021] Southeastern Grocers Launches 10 Days of Appreciation

Southeastern Grocers, Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of BI-LO, Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, today will begin a series of events to celebrate community heroes, love and kindness. Over the course of 10 days, SEG and its associates will take part in and host several community events to show their appreciation for fellow frontline workers and celebrate love and kindness with customers and neighbors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005379/en/ Southeastern Grocers starts 10 Days of Appreciation with associate recognition for heroic work when needed most. (Photo: Business Wire) The series of events will begin today with the grocer's own Frontline Heroes Day. Today, SEG will focus on honoring all associates with a celebration at each store to highlight and thank associates for going above and beyond when the community needed them most. Associates will also be recognized and rewarded for their hard work, dedication and commitment. Elizabeth Thompson (News - Alert) , EVP & Chief People Officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, "Our hardworking associates have displayed incredible acts of kindness, selflessness and love for their community and each other over the past year. They have gone the extra degree to ensure their friends, families and neighbors have access to healthy food, and a safe shopping experience they can always count on. Our trusted associates have become the backbone of their communities during an incredibly difficult time. We are honored to celebrate our frontline heroes and express our immense gratitude for their continued commitment to spreading kindness throughout the communities we serve." SEG has everything customers need to celebrate Valentine's Day at home from chocolates to roses, but the grocer recognizes our communities are most in need of compassion and kindness this year. SEG is encouraging all customers to nominate a deserving hero, family member or friend for the grocer's "Share the rewards" sweepstakes for a chance to receive $50 in points for both the nominee and nominator. Customers can nominate a deserving individual through the Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket r Winn-Dixie app through Feb. 23.1



To spread kindness throughout the Southeast, the grocer will "Spread the Love" on Wednesday, Feb. 17 in celebration of National Random Acts of Kindness Day. In celebration of the day, each Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie store will select a local school, fire station, police station or frontline heroic organization of their choice to receive free SE Grocers bagels and cream cheese. The grocer will also spread kindness at Wolfson Children's Hospital and Baptist Hospital in Downtown Jacksonville with the donation of 500 bags of "Essentials for Essential Workers." The donation event will provide essential grocery items to essential hospital employees as a thank you for keeping the community safe. SEG hopes the random acts will spread kindness throughout the community. To conclude the 10 days of appreciation, SEG will celebrate Supermarket Employee Day to show appreciation for all of the invaluable services its associates and fellow supermarket employees have performed over the last year. FMI - The Food Industry Association, declared Feb. 22 Supermarket Employee Day to recognize the hard work and dedication of food industry employees as they continue to feed families and enrich lives. SEG associates have contributed and volunteered countless hours in their communities to provide access to safe, healthy and affordable food while displaying courage, compassion and dedication for their communities. Customers can join in the celebration by sharing words of gratitude or with a socially distant thank you to their local grocery store team.

SEG encourages the community to join in the celebration of appreciation, love and kindness over the next 10 days by celebrating with loved ones, sharing gratitude with local frontline heroes and by spreading joy through random acts of kindness. About Southeastern Grocers Southeastern Grocers, Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of BI-LO, Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the U.S. SEG grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serve communities throughout the seven southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. BI-LO, Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie are well-known and well-respected regional brands with deep heritages, strong neighborhood ties, proud histories of giving back, talented and caring associates and strong commitments to providing the best possible quality and value to customers. For more information, visit www.bi-lo.com, www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com. 1For complete sweepstakes information, including terms and conditions, please visit www.frescoymas.com/sharetherewards, www.harveyssupermarkets.com/sharetherewards or www.winndixie.com/sharetherewards. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005379/en/

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The good news? Depending on how you look at it, Connecticut may have about 170,000 more jobs today than the official figure the state publishes each month.

The bad news? Any way you count them, Gov. Ned Lamont does not expect businesses to hire back all the people they laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic any time soon.

In an economic forecast Wednesday accompanying his biennial budget proposal, Lamont indicated he expects the state to recover 64,400 jobs over a 12-month stretch starting this June, with hiring to slow significantly for a few years after that.

Lamont is working with official figures of 291,000 job losses in Connecticut between February and April of 2020, with only 183,000 of those workers back in action as of November. That leaves a shortfall of roughly 108,000 jobs.

Alongside the traditional job count estimates, the Wednesday report includes people who work for themselves at home based on surveys of hundreds of households statewide. That cohort pushed Connecticut employment to 1.8 million jobs on average last year  about 170,000 more than the 1.63 million jobs the state uses as its official jobs count.

Were seeing a structural change in our economy in light of this pandemic, said Brian Marks, an economics professor at the University of New Haven and a Fairfield resident. There are a lot of firms that, while they would like people to return to work in Manhattan, theres going to be some level of resistance; and so we may see some continued strength in ... certain segments of the housing market here in Connecticut, because we have the infrastructure to provide stay-at-home [opportunities].

Flat as a pancake

Through the first nine months of 2020, Connecticut ranked in the middle of the pack both nationally and among Northeast states for economic output, as U.S. Department of Commerce economists estimate a 3-percent reduction in gross state product. That amounted to a $7.1 billion shortfall from the annualized GDP total entering 2020, which Connecticut would recoup this year if the budget forecast used by Lamont is accurate.

Lamonts budget team is projecting the state economy to boom in the back half of 2021 and into next year, at 3.9 percent growth from the current fiscal year that ends in June.

But even with Lamonts budget team expecting an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in the summer of 2022, the forecast for Connecticut employment that summer still falls 12,400 jobs short of the pre-pandemic peak.

The Congressional Budget Office predicted this month that the U.S. economy will not recoup pre-pandemic job levels until 2024.

Weve been flat as a pancake in this state for many years  no more, Lamont said Thursday afternoon, during an update on Connecticuts efforts to contain coronavirus and his proposed budget. But economic growth only matters if it [means] prosperity for all. ... Were slowly digging our way out of this pandemic and getting people back to work.

On Wednesday, Lamont for the second consecutive year proposed a tax rebate for companies that hire at least 25 people. His goal is to embolden mid-size businesses that might be positioned for a hiring push.

The question is how much of a head start Connecticut got in the 2020 holiday season. And as the COVID-19 vaccination distribution crawls toward the general working population, will it give many the confidence to resume their accustomed leisure activities that are a significant component of the Connecticut economy?

Indeed, the online job-search company based in Stamford, sees some promise in the first weeks of 2021 based on jobs postings to its websites as it entered February running slightly ahead of the levels of a year ago. New York City-region job postings were up 13 percent since September, however.

For employment to recover completely, job postings will have to remain above the pre-pandemic baseline for an extended time, wrote Indeed economist Jed Kolko, in an analysis posted in early February. But job postings have improved significantly since the end of September in nearly all of the hardest-hit metros.

Dan Haar contributed to this report. Includes prior reporting by Ken Dixon.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
Justice Kavanaugh added some practical advice.

States that want to avoid months or years of litigation delays, he wrote, should figure out a way to allow spiritual advisers into the execution room, as other states and the federal government have done. Doing so not only would satisfy inmates requests, but also would avoid still further delays and bring long overdue closure for victims families.

It was not clear how Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch voted.

Mr. Smith was sentenced to death in 1992 for robbing, kidnapping and murdering Sharma Ruth Johnson after approaching her at an A.T.M.

Image Willie B. Smith III. Credit... Alabama Department of Correction

The case was the latest in a series of disputes on the roles spiritual advisers may play during executions that have bitterly divided the justices. In 2019, the Supreme Court allowed the execution of another Alabama inmate, Domineque Ray, a Muslim, by a 5-to-4 vote. At the time, Alabama allowed only a Christian chaplain employed by the prison system to offer spiritual guidance to condemned inmates during their last moments.

Justice Kagan, writing for the dissenters in 2019, said the majority was profoundly wrong. Under Alabamas policy, she wrote, a Christian prisoner may have a minister of his own faith accompany him into the execution chamber to say his last rites.

But if an inmate practices a different religion  whether Islam, Judaism or any other  he may not die with a minister of his own faith by his side, Justice Kagan wrote.

About two months later, the court confronted a similar case from Texas and came to a different conclusion, staying the execution of a Buddhist inmate whose request that his spiritual adviser be present in the execution chamber had been denied.
The FBI have expanded their investigation into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to look at whether he swapped political favors for help with a multi million dollar home renovation and a job for his supposed 'mistress', it has been claimed today.

Last year, some of Paxtons senior staff came forward to accuse him of committing crimes to help real estate developer Nate Paul, who reportedly donated to his re-election campaign.

Now some of the Republicans former deputies have claimed that Paul had a hand in work done on Paxton's home in a wealthy suburb of Austin.

Following the remarkable revolt that riled Texas politics, all of Paxtons accusers quit or were fired and four later sued the attorney general under the states whistleblower law.

In a revised court complaint filed on Thursday, the group suing Paxton said they have information to suggest Paul 'was involved in' the 2020 remodeling of a home in an affluent Austin neighborhood that Paxton purchased in 2018, as reported by AP.

Texas State Attorney General Ken Paxton, pictured outside the Supreme Court in 2019, is reportedly under investigation for allegedly helping a wealthy donor in return for help on his home renovation

Paxton, pictured waiting on the flight line for Vice President Mike Pence to arrive at Love Field in Dallas, Sunday, June 28, 2020, is accused of swapping political favors for help on his home renovation

Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, pictured in an undated photo, has become embroiled in the FBI investigation. Ex staffers for Paxton have claimed the wealthy donor helped the attorney general on his home renovation in exchange for political favors

They do not spell out what this evidence is nor detail Pauls alleged role in the renovation.

The claim sheds new light on a possible motive for the acts that have brought Texas' top lawyer under federal scrutiny. And the FBI has taken interest.

At least one Austin contractor recently received a federal grand jury subpoena for records related to work on Paxton's home, according to a document obtained by AP and a person familiar with the matter.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

The subpoena calls on the contractor to testify before a grand jury and to provide invoices, communications, receipts, payment records and other documents. The FBI declined to comment.

Paxtons defense attorney, Philip Hilder, declined to comment. Paxton has not been charged with a crime in the FBI probe, and the attorney general has broadly denied wrongdoing.

Paxton bought the home in question in 2018 in a wealthy suburb of the Texas city of Austin, pictured here in a stock photo

The Texas AG is a former Trump ally, pictured with the then US President Donald Trump in Dallas, Texas, on June 11, 2020

Pauls lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Paul gave $25,000 to Paxtons 2018 reelection campaign and employs a woman with whom the attorney general allegedly had an extramarital affair, but the full nature of their relationship remains unclear. According to the lawsuit, the woman works as a construction project manager.

Paul has been under FBI investigation since at least 2019. Last year, he launched a campaign of counter allegations against the agents, federal judges and other businessmen and officials.

Paxton hired an outside lawyer to investigate these claims in September before dropping the case when it became public.

The hire was one of four acts that appeared to help Paul and prompted Paxtons eight top deputies to report him to the FBI for alleged abuse of office and bribery.

Paxton has positioned himself nationally as a conservative crusader.

He was a close ally of former President Donald Trump, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate Electoral College votes in battleground states in Trump's baseless effort to overturn Joe Biden's win.

Paxton also brought one of the first lawsuits against the new presidential administration, moving to halt Biden's 100-day moratorium on deportations.

The attorney general has spent most of his time in office under felony indictment. Paxton pleaded not guilty in 2015 to three state securities fraud charges but is yet to face trial.

Last month Paxton filed a lawsuit to block President Joe Biden's 100-day pause on deportations of certain undocumented immigrants, claiming the state will face 'irreparable harm'.

The suit is the first to be brought against one of the president's immigration actions, after he signed 17 executive orders within minutes of entering the Oval Office Wednesday - many of them reversing actions put in place by Donald Trump.
Bengaluru: Indian Space Research Organisation and location and navigation technology solutions provider MapmyIndia announced an initiative to partner together to offer India's best, and fully indigenous, mapping portal and geospatial services.

It combines the power of MapmyIndia's digital maps and technologies with ISRO's catalogue of satellite imagery and earth observation data, according to MapmyIndia's CEO and Excutive Director, Rohan Verma.

He termed it a path-breaking milestone in India's journey towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', wherein Indian users would not be dependent on foreign organisations for maps, navigation and geospatial services, and leverage made-in-India solutions instead.

"You don't need Goo*le Maps/Earth any longer", Verma said in the headline in an article on LinkedIn.

According to ISRO, the Department of Space (DoS) -- ISRO comes under it -- has joined hands with MapmyIndia to combine their geospatial expertise and build holistic solutions by leveraging their geoportals.

DoS entered into an MoU with geospatial technology company CE Info Systems Pvt Ltd, which owns MapmyIndia, on Thursday.

Under the partnership, the combined geospatial expertise of the DoS and CE Info Systems would be leveraged through their respective Geoportals, according to Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO.

The collaboration will enable them to jointly identify and build holistic geospatial solutions utilising the earth observation datasets, 'NavIC', Web Services and APIs (application programming interface) available in MapmyIndia, 'Bhuvan', 'VEDAS' and 'MOSDAC' geoportals, the space agency said in a statement.

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) called NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation, is India's own navigation system, developed by ISRO.

Bhuvan is the national geo-portal developed and hosted by ISRO comprising geospatial data, services and tools for analysis.

VEDAS (VisualisationofEarthobservationDataandArchivalSystem) is an online geoprocessing platform using optical, microwave, thermal and hyperspectral EO data covering applications particularly meant for academia, research and problem solving, according to ISRO.

MOSDAC (Meteorological and Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre)is a data repository for all the meteorological missions of ISRO and deals with weather related information, oceanography and tropical water cycles.

Verma said there are many reasons why Indians are better off with an indigenous solution for maps and geospatial services.

"MapmyIndia, being a responsible, local, Indian company, ensures that its maps reflect the true sovereignty of the country, depicting Indias borders as per Government of India, and hosts its maps in India," he said.

Through the combined partnership with ISRO, MapmyIndias end user maps, apps and services will now integrate with ISROs huge catalogue of satellite imagery and earth observation data, a MapmyIndia statement said.

It would be a much better, more detailed and comprehensive, as well as privacy-centric, hyper local and indigenous mapping solution for Indians, compared to foreign map apps and solutions, it said.

Verma said foreign mapping solutions come with a lot of hidden costs.

For example, foreign search engines and companies claim to offer "free" maps, but in reality they make money by targeting the same users with advertising based on invading user privacy and auctioning those users private location and movement data," he claimed.

"This should be very alarming to all citizens".

"On the other hand, MapmyIndia has an ethical point of view against advertising led business models of such companies, and hence, does not have an advertising business model.By using MapmyIndia maps and applications instead of the foreign map apps, users can better protect their privacy," he said.

The "sustainable and direct, clean business model" ensures that MapmyIndias maps and apps can be kept free of cost as well as free of ads for users, according to him.

"MapmyIndias maps cover all 7.5 lakh villages, 7500+ cities at street and building-level, connected by all 63 lakh kilometres of road network pan India and within cities, in total providing maps for an unparalleled 3+ crore places across India," the company statement said.

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San Francisco, 12 Feb 2021: The Report Gypsum Board Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Pre-decorated Board, Wallboard, Ceiling Board), By Application (Commercial, Residential), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

The global gypsum board market size is expected to reach USD 109.95 billion by 2028 registering a CAGR of 11.8%, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc. Increasing utilization of gypsum boards in decorative and partitioning applications in residential constructions is anticipated to drive the market over the forecast period. Rise in the construction industry across the globe is likely to provide growth opportunities to the market. The product demand is also driven by the residential sector, wherein, it is widely used for room partitioning.

These products are available in the form of wallboards, ceiling boards, pre-decorated boards, etc., which also boosts their demand in the construction application. Moreover, high durability and low weight of the product coupled with easy handling measures have propelled its demand in commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities for impact & mold resistance, exterior sheathing, and shaft wall constructions. Moreover, the availability of decorative designs on the boards is likely to support the growth over the forecast period. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) Gypsum as a substitute to mined gypsum for the production of wallboards.

Access Research Report of Gypsum Board Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/gypsum-board-market

Gypsum Board Market Report Highlights

The wallboard segment led the global market in 2020 and will expand at a steady CAGR over the projected period owing to the wide utilization of wallboards in partitioning and decorative applications, majorly in multi-family residential constructions

In 2020, the residential application segment dominated the global market with a share of over 47% and is projected to ascend at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period

The residential application segment growth can be attributed to the rising need for the construction of multi-family houses in regions, such as Asia Pacific and North America

North America accounted for the largest market share of over 42% in 2020 on account of the well-established construction industry and quick adoption of advanced construction materials

Saint-Gobain was the leading market player with gypsum solutions offered under brands, such as CertainTeed, British Gypsum, Gyproc, Rigips, and Placo

List of Key Players of Gypsum Board Market

Saint-Gobain Gyproc

Knauf Gips KG

Gulf Gypsum Co.

USG Corp.

National Gypsum Company

LafargeHolcim Ltd.

Georgia-Pacific LLC

Access Press Release of Gypsum Board Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-gypsum-board-market
"We intend to continue drilling across various target areas within ECR license areas in the coming weeks and months.

( ) has completed the first hole using its own equipment at the Bailieston project in Victoria, Australia.

Assay results from the hole, which was drilled to a depth of 300m, are expected in coming weeks with the rig now starting on a second hole at the site.

Craig Brown, chief executive, said: I am pleased to announce the completion of our first diamond drill hole utilising the companys in-house drilling equipment, which is a notable event for the Company.

"We intend to continue drilling across various target areas within ECR license areas in the coming weeks and months.

"The presence of a 5.3 metre wide reef (drilled thickness) with visible gold in the first drill hole core is a positive development and we look forward to receipt of assay results from the laboratory as soon as possible.

The hole intersected the Byron Main Reef at 110m, Brown added.
Married At First Sight Australia's sixth season began airing in the UK in January, and it's fast becoming the country's most popular reality show.

And Nic Jovanovic's gracious tribute to his ex-'wife' Cyrell Paule, which he shared on social media almost two years ago, is now going viral in Britain.

Viewers watching the show for the first time on E4 just saw Nic, 30, and Cyrell, 31, amicably part ways, and they've flocked to his Instagram post from March 2019 to commend him for being such a gentleman.

Scroll down for video

What a gentleman! Married At First Sight star Nic Jovanovic's gracious tribute to his ex Cyrell Paule, which he shared on Instagram almost two years ago, is now going viral in Britain

When his break-up with Cyrell aired on Australian TV two years ago, Nic shared a photo of the pair smiling alongside a sweet caption.

'To my dearest ex-wife Cyrell. Firstly, I want to thank you for sharing with me one of the most amazing and incredible experiences we will ever experience,' he began.

'From the moment we met we were laughing, making jokes, taking the p*** and ultimately having fun. It was a relief you were a bundle of fun from the start!

'I know things weren't always great between us. But I want you to know I cherished every moment we spent together; the good, bad and the cyclone.'

Gracious: When his break-up with Cyrell aired on Australian TV two years ago, Nic shared a photo of the pair smiling alongside a sweet caption in which he spoke of 'cherish[ing] every moment we spent together; the good, bad and the cyclone'

Nic told Cyrell he was grateful to have met her, even though their romance didn't work out and they were better off friends.

'The way you put people you care about first before you worry about yourself is truly amazing,' he wrote.

'You have this really hard exterior, yet the inside is so full of love. You always have everyone's back (who deserves it). You are an amazing judge of character and I applaud you for that.

'I found you to be a real gentleman': British viewers who discovered Nic's gracious tribute this week flooded the comments section with praise, telling him he's a 'genuine' and 'amazing' man

'Life is short and I just want you to know I will always care for you and will always have a spot for you. Sending you lots of love and well wishes now in your new life as a happily divorced woman!'

British viewers who discovered Nic's gracious tribute this week flooded the comments section with praise, telling him he's a 'genuine' and 'amazing' man.

One wrote: 'I found you to be a real gentleman through the whole process. Someone will be very lucky to have you.'

Another commented: 'Love this! You're such a respectful guy and I really hope you find happiness. Watching in the UK and will miss seeing you in the next few weeks.'

New audience: Viewers watching the show for the first time on E4 just saw Nic, 30, and Cyrell, 31, amicably part ways. He thanked his UK supporters in a follow-up Instagram post on Friday

Nic thanked his British and Irish supporters in a follow-up Instagram post on Friday.

'What a wild journey! Thank you so much for all the love and kind words from everyone who enjoyed the show in the UK and Ireland!' he wrote.

'What is everyone's thoughts and feelings towards our wild season? Crazy or what?'

Nic, a tradesman from Newcastle, New South Wales, shot to fame on 2019's season of Married At First Sight alongside his fiery temped 'wife' Cyrell.

He has remained single since the experiment, but Cyrell has settled down with Love Island Australia star Eden Dally, with whom she shares a one-year-old son, Boston.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Medical frontliners have flagged the government's decision to allow the use of unregistered COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by China's Sinopharm for President Rodrigo Duterte's security group, stressing this could further weigh down public trust in vaccination.

Eyebrows were raised following the move of the Food and Drug Administration to grant the Presidential Security Group's application for "compassionate special permit" to use 10,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines.

Health experts said the special permit leaves doubts about the government's transparency and the equitable distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus.

Dr. Magdalena Barcelon, president of the doctors' group Community Medicine Practitioners and Advocates Association, raised a question on whether Duterte's security aides should now be prioritized over essential workers.

"Nagkakaron nang pagkukumpara, mas essential ba sila sa teachers o social workers na nagpupunta sa communities?" Dr. Barcelo said.

[Translation: This fuels comparison. Are they considered even more essential than teachers or social workers who visit communities?]

Dr. Joseph Carabeo, secretary general of Health Alliance for Democracy, sees this as an act of "tyranny."

"Is the government really admitting, or de facto abolishing the FDA [or even its own] IATF guidelines?" he said.

"Kung ganito na (If it is), it is a presidential announcement. It is nothing but a tyranny over health issues and other social issues as well," Dr. Carabeo said.

Health reform advocate and former COVID-19 Task Force adviser Dr. Tony Leachon also questioned the need for a special permit when Sinopharm can apply for Emergency Use Authorization.

Leachon also raised a few pointswho will supervise the vaccination and the monitoring of adverse effects, and if this would violate the priority listing of the vaccination plan.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also lambasted the FDA, branding the granting of the compassionate permit as "suspicious," since they will have a separate vaccination program, which is not in line with the guidelines of the National Task Force against COVID-19.

FDA director general Eric Domingo defended the agency's decision, saying they found enough reason to grant the permit since Sinopharm has a conditional certificate of registration in China and is already on phase 3 trials.

Domingo also said the PSG Hospital chief explained the vaccine is needed to ensure the President's safety.

"As part of personal security of the President, di sila nakakasunod sa (they do not follow) social distancing protocols and they protect dignitaries and since the health of the President is a national security issue, we don't want him getting sick, and of course those around him. [So] we decided to grant the special permit," Domingo said.

The FDA official noted this is just a one-time permit for 10,000 doses, enough for 5,000 people.

He said more than 2,000 members of the PSG will be vaccinated, while the rest will be given to their close contacts, mostly immediate family members.

CNN Philippines correspondent Carolyn Bonquin contributed to this report.
February 11, 2021

College of Southern Idaho students who want to continue their education will now have a smoother transition to Idaho State University thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions.

Through the agreement, students will be able to work toward a degree at Idaho State and track their progress while attending CSI. The collaborative move by the two institutions reduces barriers to students transferring between the institutions.

We are partners in education, said Idaho State President Kevin Satterlee. This partnership exponentially increases opportunities for students at CSI and opens doors to their future. Our agreement will meet immediate needs for a skilled and trained workforce in the Magic Valley and beyond.

Idaho State University has had a presence on the CSI campus for 28 years, and the institutions have always worked to ensure that students were able to transfer easily. For example, in Fall 2020, 88 CSI students transferred to Idaho State. The new agreement is designed to streamline the process even further, and to offer expanded opportunities from both institutions.

The agreement also helps ensure that comprehensive support systems are in place for students wishing to transfer to Idaho State to receive their bachelor degree.

It's gratifying to work with transfer partners who make the student's success their priority. I appreciate the collaboration of Idaho State University's president and his team who have worked with CSI to establish a broad framework for cooperative admission and clear transfer guarantees for our students. This agreement serves Idaho's students well now, and for the future, said CSI President Dean L. Fisher.
In his grief, Mohamed Niyas cannot bring himself to tell his wife the truth.

She knows that their 2-month-old boy, who was born with a serious heart condition, died in January after being rushed to the hospital in their seaside town in Sri Lanka.

But he has not found the words to explain what happened next: Their son's body was put into a small box wrapped in yellow plastic and cremated - against the family's wishes - because doctors said the baby had tested positive for the coronavirus.

At the crematorium, a handful of relatives wept as they chanted a funeral prayer, overcome by the loss of the child and the added trauma of being unable to bury him according to Islamic tradition.

Such cremations have been a matter of official policy in Sri Lanka since March 2020, making it a global outlier in the pandemic. Guidelines from the World Health Organization say it is safe to bury victims of covid-19, but Sri Lanka nevertheless banned the practice, citing a risk to the water supply.

The policy of compulsory cremations has been a source of anguish for Muslims and Christians, both religious minorities in a predominantly Buddhist country. More than 200 Muslim coronavirus victims have been cremated, according to the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka. The country's overall death toll is 384.

"We are being forced to go through this trauma," said Niyas, 39, a painter who has been out of work for months. He called the government's policy painful and unfair, but felt powerless to challenge it. Rehaan Jayawickreme, a local politician, said he tried to intercede on the family's behalf to stop the baby's cremation, but police told him they had to follow orders.

Human rights groups have urged the Sri Lankan government to end the policy. The mandatory cremation of covid-19 victims amounts to a "human rights violation" that persecutes Muslims and other minorities, experts at the United Nations said last month. Measures to control the pandemic "must respect and protect the dignity of the dead."

After facing growing criticism from abroad, Sri Lanka's prime minister appeared to indicate in Parliament on Wednesday that the country would allow burials for covid-19 victims. But on Thursday, a state minister for health told the legislature that such a decision would rest with a government-appointed technical committee. The official notification implementing the cremation policy remains in force.

Sudarshini Fernandopulle, the state minister for health and coronavirus prevention, did not respond to requests for comment and written questions about the policy.

While many countries have put limitations on how funerals are conducted, Sri Lanka appears to be the only nation that has banned burials throughout the pandemic and made cremation compulsory for all victims of covid-19, regardless of their religion.

"There is no scientific basis to prohibit burial," said Faizer Mustapha, the lead counsel for a petition challenging the policy before the country's Supreme Court. "If there is no scientific basis, it has to be argued that it is discriminatory."

Muslims make up about 10% of Sri Lanka's more than 20 million people. In the wake of the 2019 attacks by Islamist extremists that left nearly 300 dead, the Muslim community has been the subject of violence, economic boycotts and conspiracy theories.

The election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as president - a leader whose support comes from the majority Buddhist community - has stoked fears about the future of religious minorities in the country.

In December, the government asked an expert committee composed of nine Sri Lankan microbiologists and virologists to revisit the policies around the disposal of bodies of covid-19 victims. A copy of their final report, which has not been publicly released, was reviewed by The Washington Post. They recommended that the policy be revised "to include both cremation and burial."

The government ignored the recommendation. Two of the members of the panel, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of public criticism and a backlash from the government, said they were dismayed that their findings had no impact. "Scientific evidence does not win against the government's agenda," one of the members said.

Muslims who have lost relatives to covid-19 in Sri Lanka describe a traumatic rush by police and health officials to cremate the bodies of their loved ones. Many say they were not shown a copy of results showing that their family members had tested positive for the coronavirus, and that hospital officials refused their pleas to conduct a second test.

Fathima Shakeela, a 50-year-old mother of three, died Dec. 14 at a hospital in Homagama, just outside the capital, Colombo, after testing positive for the coronavirus. Her husband, M.R.L. Nihmathulla, said hospital officials told him they would keep the body so he and his sons could see her one last time after they completed a mandatory quarantine.

Once the period was over, however, he called the hospital and learned that his wife's body had already been cremated, he said. He requested her ashes to observe "final rites, even in that manner," but said he was told it was too late to receive them. Janitha Hettiarachchi, the director of the hospital, said he did not remember Shakeela's case and did not respond to written follow-up questions.

The couple's youngest son is 10 and "still asks for his mother," Nihmathulla said. "I don't know how to fill the void."

Ananda Galappatti, a medical anthropologist in Sri Lanka, said Muslims are being denied important mechanisms for coping with grief. "Cremation is felt to be a violation of faith, tradition and obligation to the deceased," he said. The fears surrounding cremation will also make people less likely to report symptoms and get tested, Galappatti added.

"In Islam, God decides when we have to go," said Hilmy Ahamed, vice president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka. But now, Muslims in Sri Lanka "have become paranoid about dying, because we don't want to be cremated." People are staying away from hospitals even if they're sick, Ahamed said.

Nearly a year has passed since Mohamed Fayaz Joonus rushed his 73-year-old father to the hospital, where doctors said he tested positive for the coronavirus. Joonus watched helplessly as doctors failed to revive him. The next day, his father's body was cremated without the family's permission and Joonus went directly from the crematorium to a 14-day quarantine.

His father was the rock of the extended family, Joonus said, always ready with advice and encouragement. Now there is no grave to visit, no place to go to honor his father's life on major religious festivals, as is the custom.

"He didn't deserve that type of death," said Joonus. He believes the forced cremation policy is the product of anti-Muslim discrimination. "I love this country," he said. "But after this incident, I don't feel like being in Sri Lanka."

- - -

Slater reported from New Delhi and Fonseka reported from Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Washington Post's Amruta Byatnal in New Delhi contributed to this report.
KALAMAZOO, MI  Those looking for something to do this weekend who want to simultaneously support a good cause need bend their ears no further than the Sweet Suites of Lindsay Lou.

The Michigan native  who these days calls Nashville, Tennessee, home  is hitting the stage at Nashvilles Instrumenthead studio at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, with an all-star cast of supporting musicians.

The free, pay-as-you-can performance is being broadcast from social media platforms from roughly 20 of the artists favorite venues and festivals around the country.

It will be hosted in a telethon-style to include silent auctions featuring limited edition merchandise and more. All proceeds collected will go to support Backline, which was established in 2019 to help connect music industry professionals with mental health and wellness resources.

The Kalamazoo State Theatre and Hoxeyville Music Festival in Wellston are among those partnering with Lindsay Lou and broadcasting the performance live. The State Theatre has also said it will carry the show throughout the weekend for later viewing.

This is basically a way to bring our show to all of our favorite venues and to the festivals that we werent able to because of the pandemic to support them, and also to support Backline, an organization that was born in response to the loss of Jeff Austin and Neal Casal.

Casal and Austin both died as a result of struggles with mental health in 2019.

Lindsay Lou said the importance of addressing mental health awareness is huge in this day and age, and has become even more crucial during times of isolation and upheaval brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the things that has been the most difficult in these times is self love, she said. Mental health awareness and upkeep is such a huge element of self love, knowing when to ask for help and knowing that its ok to ask for help.

From an early age, Lindsay Lou was aware of the stigma of mental health. At age 9, her only sibling and 16-year-old brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The artist said if she does nothing else in this life, she hopes to be part of the changing narrative that has cast a negative light on mental health disorders and struggles for decades.

I would encourage everybody to find a mental health professional you can vent to, she said. You definitely want to be able to be open and vulnerable with your friends, but you also want to respect the boundary of not relying on them to be your therapist.

As someone who has benefited from therapy and been uplifted through music, Fridays performance is a full-circle event for her, the performer said, allowing her to give back through music and also provide fellow stewards of music with the resources to help carry them through.

The show, dubbed Lindsay Lous Sweet Treat Benefit for Backline, also coincides with the Friday release of the artists double-sided single The Suite Sweets which features new tracks, Bell Suite and Alright Sweet.

Lindsay Lou will perform with longtime musical companions PJ George on bass and Alex Bice on drums, as well as Anthony Da Costa on drums, as members of her core band.

During the first set, she will also be joined by multi-instrumentalists Mimi Naja of Fruition and Rachael Davis, who plays with Lindsay Lou in the Sweet Water Warblers, as well as Kyle Tuttle, formerly of the Jeff Austin Band, on banjo. Second Set guests will be Sierra Ferrell on guitar, Phoebe Hunt on fiddle the return of Davis.

Those who with to donate to Backline will be able to pay what they can through provided text and web links. There will also be links to pay through PayPal, Venmo and to participate in the auction.

Also on MLive:

Dave Chappelle says fan boycott of his show worked, agrees to terms with Comedy Central

Kalamazoo State Theatre, Michigan Rattlers team up for intimate live music experience

Michigans music venues say they will not survive pandemic without government assistance

Michigan musicians feel sting from coronavirus stay-at-home order

Thank you for reading!

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As a prosperous farmer in Fort Bend County in the early 1950s, Willie Melton enjoyed a good life in many ways, but he was keenly aware of what he didnt enjoy: the right to take part in the political process.

Melton, who was Black, was not allowed to vote in closed primaries held by an all-white group, the Jaybird Democratic Association. The winner generally went on to win the Democratic primary  the county and state were dominated by the Democratic Party then  and the general election. The tactic essentially disenfranchised Black voters, denying them an opportunity to vote for candidates who looked like them or have a say in their elected leadership.

Melton decided it was time for a change.

He just felt like it needed to end, said Veronica Harris, his granddaughter, in a recent interview. God sent him here for that purpose to help us get where we are today.

Melton and a small group of Black residents  including wealthy seamstress Arizona Fleming  embarked on a journey that would eventually take them to the U.S. Supreme Court and end the system of whites-only primaries in Fort Bend. As the nation celebrates Black History Month, the legal campaign of Melton and others is remembered as a courageous one in a segregated state and an important turning point in voting rights.

The court victory, which came a decade before Freedom Riders were beaten in the Deep South and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, is appreciated today by Black officeholders such as Fort Bend District Attorney Brian Middleton, who was elected in 2018.

Mr. Melton could have been content with his own financial success; however, Willie Melton used his wealth to save humanity, Middleton, a Democrat, said in a written statement. He waged a battle against bigotry and won. Mr. Meltons actions were courageous and altruistic. Mr. Meltons benevolence made it possible for me to be elected to serve as Fort Bend County District Attorney.

The leadership of the diverse county of more than 810,000 is resembling its demographics in other ways. K.P. George became the first Indian-American county judge two years ago, and Eric Fagan was sworn in last month as the countys first Black sheriff since Reconstruction.

Local advocates, meanwhile, recently persuaded the city of Richmond to relocate a monument honoring Jaybirds who died in a violent clash in 1889 that ended biracial governance in Fort Bend County.

Gentle farmer helped others

Melton was born in 1900 in Kendleton, one of the freedmens towns in Texas settled by previously enslaved people who were emancipated after the Civil War.

He and his wife, Carrie, raised turkeys, chickens and watermelons on their farm. Harris recalled that when she lived with her grandparents as a child, she would brush her grandfathers hair when he would come home from work at the end of the day.

I would look at my backyard like now and all you would see (for miles) is all these chickens and turkeys, said Harris, now 63. Thats what we were surrounded with.

Melton was known as the watermelon king  an agriculture worker, landowner and entrepreneur.

Harris and her cousin Estonia Adams described Melton as a gentle man who didnt raise his voice. He also was a dedicated activist who sought to help others in the community.

What I liked about Uncle Willie, as a little kid, he would sit down and explain things to you, said Adams, 63, his niece.

Papa Willie being the activist he was, he was always concerned about people, Harris said. He was always gone because he was always doing something that was going to help somebody.

Blacks disenfranchised

The system of whites-only primaries was put in place after a bitter clash in the county known as the Jaybird-Woodpecker War. The Woodpeckers were a political group that, with support from freed slaves in majority-black Fort Bend, captured top political offices during Reconstruction. The Jaybirds included wealthy white residents who sought to wrest control of county offices from the Woodpeckers. Acrimony arising from the 1888 election and killings of members on both sides culminated in the so-called Battle of Richmond in front of the courthouse on Aug. 16, 1889. Several people were killed, including the sheriff, who had opposed the Jaybirds efforts to seize power by force. Martial law was imposed, and Woodpeckers who held office resigned or were removed from office.

The whites-only Jaybird Democratic Association emerged and went on to control who could nominate and run in Democratic primaries for decades. African Americans, Hispanics and Jews were excluded from the process, according to the Handbook of Texas.

The Jaybirds held unofficial straw elections to pick Democratic nominees for local elections, according to a historical marker that details the Supreme Court case.

This practice wasnt unique to Fort Bend County. So-called white primaries were held across Texas until the U.S. Supreme Court, in a case brought by Houston dentist Lonnie Smith and backed by the NAACP, overturned them in a 1944 ruling, Smith v. Allwright.

Still, the Jaybirds continued to refuse to open up their primaries in Fort Bend County.

Melton met with his friend Sid Hilliard, a Harris County NAACP leader, who advised him to write the Jaybird Democratic Association and request that Black people be allowed to vote in primaries, according to the book The Jaybirds of Fort Bend County by Pauline Yelderman. The pair met in Dallas with W.J. Durham, who served as legal counsel for the NAACP in Texas. He penned a Jan. 19, 1950, letter formalizing the request.

In the meantime, Melton gathered around 100 signatures from Black voters to petition the Jaybirds to let them vote in the primary. The following month, Ben Ramsey, from a Houston law firm, made the same request.

The Jaybirds convened a meeting and ultimately decided the petition and all letters be disregarded at this time and that the association hold its traditional separate primaries.

The news did not sit well with Melton.

Melton said that ignoring the letters and petition and throwing them in the wastebasket was the last straw, according to Yelderman.

They can no longer hurt me

While Melton was determined to challenge the Jaybirds practice in court, many Black residents were fearful of speaking out, Yelderman said.

Some feared retribution or that that another political feud would break out.

Meltons own brothers even asked him to stop, noting that he would be killed.

Still, Melton persisted. He connected with Arizona Fleming, a Black woman who owned the Fort Bend Fraternal Undertaking Co. She wholeheartedly supported the effort.

Melton and his group eventually sought legal representation from a Houston law firm.

Their attorney, J. Edwin Smith, told them they would need to identify plaintiffs for the case. Smith and Fleming began to search for Black residents in the county who would be willing to put their names on the lawsuit.

John Terry, a 77-year-old man from Beasley, reportedly said, I am an old man, use my name, they can no longer hurt me, according to Yelderman.

Smith ultimately filed suit on behalf of five Black men, contending that their rights under the 14th and 15th Amendments  which guaranteed citizenship and equal rights to Black Americans as well as the right to vote  had been violated.

After a hearing in Houston, a judge ruled in May 1950 that Black residents should be allowed to vote in the coming Jaybird primaries, set for May 6 and June 3 of that year.

Melton and his group were overjoyed. Both Melton and Fleming had worked hard to raise money for the legal fight. They next focused on getting other Black people in the county to turn out for the primary, which was just days away.

They were successful: About 400 of the 550 eligible Black voters turned out to vote in the May primary.

One of them was Meltons wife, Carrie, who said years later, I didnt believe in the Movement and I was afraid, and I had always wanted to live out my natural life, but I was determined to vote, according to Yelderman.

High court hears case

However, the fight was not over. The Jaybirds prevailed on appeal in 1952.

Melton organized a meeting attended by about 100 Black residents and argued for taking the case to the Supreme Court unless, he said, they wanted to give up and accept their second-rate citizenship forever, Yelderman wrote.

It would be a costly fight, Melton told them, with a legal tab as high as $4,000. Those at the meeting backed Meltons and Flemings efforts.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Jan. 23, 1953. Melton and Fleming attended, as did professors and students from Howard University and NAACP Washington members.

Smith was joined by a lawyer from Howard University, James Nabrit Jr., for the oral argument.

On May 4, 1953, the high court ruled 8-1 against the Jaybirds, finding that the political group had violated the 15th Amendment. One justice wrote that the groups practices had the effect of stripping Blacks of every vestige of influence in selecting county officials.

After the Supreme Court decision, Melton and hundreds of Black Texans celebrated on the Southern Pacific picnic grounds in Kendleton, according to Yelderman.

Melton died in 1969. Fleming died seven years later. The court fight had reportedly left both with financial losses, but, Yelderman wrote, both said they would do it all over again.

Meltons legacy

On a recent February day, Harris, her cousin Adams and former Kendleton Mayor Carolyn Jones gathered around Harris kitchen table reflecting on the important voting rights battle waged in Fort Bend seven decades earlier.

Harris said she takes her right to vote seriously because of her grandfathers fight and passes the message on to her children. A historical marker near the post office in Kendleton includes details on the Supreme Court case.

I think Kendleton has a big hand of people going out, doing well and being established because of Mr. Meltons effort, Jones said.

Fagan, the first Black sheriff in more than 150 years, also noted the line between what Melton achieved and his own public service.

I wouldnt be in the office now without what he did back then, Fagan said. I stand on his shoulders, as well as a lot of people.

brooke.lewis@chron.com

twitter.com/brookelewisa
The companys projects are well placed to take advantage of US goals to build certainty and diversity into rare earth supply chains.

Drilling and metallurgical results at La Paz are expected to flow into a planned scoping study.

( ) (FRA:1BHA) is poised and ready to take advantage of recent legislation in the US to promote domestic upstream and downstream production of rare earths, including the provision of US$800 million for research & development.

Adelaide broker Taylor Collison Limited is confident the company is strategically placed in the US market, with the re-joining of the Paris Accord by the Biden administration also expected to drive US domestic growth in the take-up of green technologies - key users of the targeted metals.

The broker said: This presents an ideal opportunity for companies to move into the rare earth space in the US, both in mining/processing and in taking part in R & D in processing technologies.

American Rare Earths has recognised this, setting up operations in the US.

La Paz resource

The companys La Paz Rare Earths and Scandium Project in Arizona has an indicated and inferred mineral resource estimate of 128.2 million tonnes at 0.037% total rare earth elements (TREE)

The Laramie Rare Earths Project in Central Wyoming is in process of being acquired from ( ) (FRA:ZCB) and the company has also identified another project in Nevada, 30 kilometres from Mountain Pass, the only operating rare earths mine in the US.

Samples have been collected for assaying and petrographic analysis in preparation for staking and claim filing.

Supply chain security

The threat of supply chain security for rare earths has been recognised by the US government, with China currently producing close to 90% of the global separated rare earths supply.

To put this in perspective, the only non-Chinese producer of separated rare earths is Lynas Rare Earths Ltd ( ) (OTCMKTS:LYSCF) (FRA:LYI), producing 19,737 tonnes of total rare earth oxides (TREO), including 5,898 tonnes of NdPr in 2019, which equates to ~12% of TREO and 16% of NdPr of the global supply of 170,000 tonnes.

Taylor Collison stated: The need to secure and develop security of supply is also underpinned by the forecast increase in demand, largely due to the adoption of green technologies, including electric vehicles (EV) and wind turbines.

These are major users of rare earths, particularly neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) which are key elements in the magnets used in these applications.

Some see the demand for NdPr oxide growing to up to 70,000 tonnes by 2020, a 7% CAGR growth.

As such an additional five Lynas Mount Weld operations would need to progressively come online by that time to meet demand.

We would expect this to put upward pressure on prices.

Non-Chinese mine production in 2019 included the US (Mountain Pass - 26,000 tonnes), Australia (Mt Weld - 21,000 tonnes) and Myanmar (22,000 tonnes).

La Paz Project location and claims.

Metallurgy key at Laz Paz

Taylor Collison said: Metallurgy is the key to unlocking value and that optimising work that was completed in 2011 could result in a flowsheet that would produce a clean high-grade/high recovery concentrate that may, with the other factors mentioned above, overcome the low grade.

Mineralisation is mineralogically relatively simple and importantly has no radioactive elements that add significant costs to other rare earth projects.

Our view is (which is also that of the company), given the low-grade resource, metallurgy will be a critical element in determining the economic and technical viability of La Paz.

Metallurgical studies are a key part of ARRs activities going forward, with primarily the concentration test-work with Wood plc and the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) being critical.

Rare earth extraction research

Another plank in ARRs US rare earth strategy is research and development into innovations in the processing side.

Taylor Collison said: The company has partnered with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), collaborating on research on rare earth extraction using samples from both La Paz and Laramie.

This has resulted in a proof-of-concept demonstration using biosorption technology, with work ongoing.

The company has also interest from other groups in testing innovative extraction technologies, including Lixivia, with their SELEX process.

As part of the above, the company is looking for up to US$1.4 million in research funding from the US Department of Energy (DoE).

Work programs for March quarter

With A$5 million in the bank as of January 19 and shareholdings with a value of around A$2.13 million, American Rare Earths is cashed up to support its ongoing work programs.

Major work will include a nine-hole diamond core drilling program which, depending on permitting is expected to begin within Q1, 2021.

Metallurgical results from surface samples are expected to be received in March, with results for the core potentially around mid-year.

Activities at the other rare earth properties will include early-stage groundwork with the State Lease approval for Laramie expected to be granted by mid-year.

The company is also awaiting results from the Nevada sampling, with claims to be staked and lodged over selected areas should results warrant.

Drilling and metallurgical results at La Paz are expected to flow into a planned scoping study.

Laramie project location.

Threats and risks assessment

Taylor Collison noted the below threats and risks for American Rare Earths activities in the US:
WASHINGTON  The Food and Drug Administration has informed the drugmaker Moderna that it can put up to 40 percent more coronavirus vaccine into each of its vials, a simple and potentially rapid way to bolster strained supplies, according to people familiar with the companys operations.

While federal officials want Moderna to submit more data showing the switch would not compromise vaccine quality, the continuing discussions are a hopeful sign that the nations vaccine stock could increase faster than expected, simply by allowing the company to load up to 14 doses in each vial instead of 10.

Moderna currently supplies about half of the nations vaccine stock. A 14-dose vial load could increase the nations vaccine supply by as much as 20 percent at a time when governors are clamoring for more vaccine and more contagious variants of the coronavirus are believed to be spreading quickly.

Two people familiar with Modernas manufacturing, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said retooling the companys production lines to accommodate the change could conceivably be done in fewer than 10 weeks, or before the end of April. That is because while the amount of liquid in each vial would change, the vials themselves would remain the same size, so the production process would not drastically change. In statement on Friday, Moderna estimated modifications could be made in two to three months.
Fourteen people have been arrested in Denmark and Germany on suspicion of preparing one or several attacks in the two countries, Danish police said.

Officers added that the discovery of a so-called Isis group flag could indicate the suspects "have a connection or sympathy with the terror organisation".

Flemming Drejer, operative head of Denmark's Security and Intelligence Service, said the findings were "worrying" but "it is our assessment that there was no imminent danger".

He said the first seven people arrested in Denmark had acquired weapons and "we found things that can be used to make a bomb". He added that police found shotguns and a rifle with a scope, as well as the flag, but he could not give further details about the Denmark case or its links to Germany.

"We are now in the initial phase of the investigation and we need to keep our cards close to the chest," Mr Dreyer said.

All but one of the 14 arrests took place in Denmark. Three of the suspects are Syrian nationals, aged 33, 36 and 40, who were arrested last weekend, according to German officials.

Authorities announced eight arrests on Thursday, and police said another six were detained on Friday.

The detention hearings in Denmark were held behind so-called double-closed doors, meaning the case is shrouded in secrecy and few details are made public. Officials did not identify the suspects.

Denmark's security service, known by its Danish acronym PET, said on Thursday that the first seven people arrested in Denmark were suspected "of having acquired ingredients and components for the manufacture of explosives, as well as weapons, or having participated in this".

They are suspected of "having planned one or more terrorist attacks or participated in attempted terrorism".

German authorities had earlier announced the first three arrests, two in Denmark and one in Germany. They said the suspects were alleged to have purchased several kilograms of chemicals in January that could be used to manufacture explosives.

A search of a residence in the German city of Dessau-Rosslau turned up 10kg of black powder and fuses, the German prosecutor said. More chemicals were seized in Denmark.

AP

Season 8 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine will be its last.

A shorter season comprising 10 episodes will conclude across the 2021-22 broadcast season in the USA, understood to be rewritten following Black Lives Matter events.

I still remember the palpable excitement that night in 2018 when we announced Brooklyn Nine-Nine would be returning to its rightful home at NBC, said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. Weve always loved these characters and the way they make us laugh while also masterfully weaving in storylines that make us reflect as well. A big thank you to our wonderful partners  Dan Goor, the writers, producers and the incredibly talented cast and crew  for a comedy whose legacy will stand the test of time.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been one of the jewels in our comedy crown, said Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studio Group. Its had an incredible run across not one but two networks, garnered widespread acclaim and captured the hearts of fans all over the world. We extend our deepest gratitude to Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher and our entire wonderful ensemble, and our amazingly talented writers, producers and crew. And a special thanks to our brilliant showrunner Dan Goor, who could have rested on his laurels after season one but never took his foot off the hilarious gas pedal. B99, its been NOICE!

The show was famously cancelled after five seasons at FOX in 2018 before NBC revived it for a sixth season that same year.

Im so thankful to NBC and Universal Television for allowing us to give these characters and our fans the ending they deserve, said executive producer Dan Goor. When Mike Schur and I first pitched the pilot episode to Andy, he said, Im in, but I think the only way to tell this story is over exactly 153 episodes, which was crazy because that was exactly the number Mike and I had envisioned. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with this amazing cast and crew for eight seasons. They are not only among the most talented people in the business, they are all good human beings who have become a family. But most of all, I feel lucky that we have had the best fans in the world. Fans who literally saved us from cancellation. Fans who fill us with joy. Ending the show was a difficult decision, but ultimately, we felt it was the best way to honor the characters, the story and our viewers. I know some people will be disappointed its ending so soon, but honestly, Im grateful it lasted this long. Title of my sex tape.

SBS screens the comedy in Australia.

Source: Variety

Related
On an annual basis around this time of year, Vietnamese people everywhere gear up to greet one another with Chuc Mung Nam Moi! (Chook Moong Nahm Moy!), which means Happy New Year! For 2021, according to the lunar calendar, the Year of the Ox kicks off on Friday, February 12. You can celebrate with Valentines Day this weekend, but also know that you can celebrate Tet (the Viet shorthand term for the holiday) for a week, for several weeks, or even for a month.



As novelist Nguyen Phan Que Mai told me when I interviewed her for a Tet article at the New York Times, the first few days of the Lunar New Year are for close family members and important teachers in your life. In Vietnam, the government officially shuts down for a week but after that, most people will go back to work and spend Tet with your work colleagues and hang out with friends. The country slows for about four weeks -- something Ive heard about for years. Ive unfortunately not been in the motherland for Tet since my family left in 1975.

Thats okay because Tet is about family and heritage. Tet is also about eating, given that an Tet (ahn Teht) literally means eating the Lunar New Year and is commonly used to describe activities for celebrating the holiday. Moreover, the Viet adage about how the first month of the year is about eating and idleness sets the tone for taking things easy.

What is Banh Chung

Food is a main focal point for Tet and theres a hyper focus on must-have hearty sticky rice cakes called banh chung (northern region) and banh tet (southern and central regions). The former is square and the latter is cylindrical. Both are commonly filled with sticky rice, mung beans and pork. There are sweet versions and modern versions (with salmon!).

My family is northern Vietnamese in heritage so we make banh chung. Theres an ancient creation story behind how the cakes were invented by a clever prince to symbolize the humble and delicious resourcefulness of the Vietnamese people.

Incredibly, the sticky rice cake is simply made of just a handful of pantry ingredients: sticky rice, mung beans, and fatty pork seasoned with salt, pepper and nuoc mam. The cakes are traditionally wrapped in fresh dong leaves to impart jade color and provide structure to create the gift-box like appearance. In America where the leaves are unavailable, people substitute banana leaves. My family adds bamboo leaves too.

The cakes represent culinary and cultural craftsmanship. Making them used to be a family holiday cooking project but nowadays, many people buy them. My mom and I still make them.

This year, I had gathered my ingredients but Mom beat me to the project by making a bunch in the fall and mailing a few to me. I froze them, thawing one this week to refresh.

Whether you got one in the mail, were handed one as a gift, or bought one, you may need to refresh it to its full, fragrant soft glory. Thats because the rice grains harden under refrigeration and freezing.

Video tips: How to Refresh Banh Chung and Cut it Up

Tet is about low-effort eating, which means that you dont have to do much to refresh banh chung. Ive been doing that for decades and put my know-how into this video, which also contains tips for cutting up into equal pieces so no one feels cheated of the rich, buttery filling.

How to Eat Banh Chung or Banh Tet

Once the cake has been unwrapped, what to do? You can eat banh chung warm or at room temperature. Cut pieces reheat well in the microwave oven. You may also pan-fry the sticky rice cake into a crispy banh chung pancake!

Its unusually good dipped in sugar with some tangy pickle to cut the sweetness and richness. Other people like soy sauce. Many southern Vietnamese like banh tet with dried shrimp and pickled leek (cu kieu, the same as Japanese rakkyo), sold in small cans or larger jars at Asian markets.



Tet Menu Ideas

What else can you serve with banh chung? After all, if youre going to eat Tet, you want more to eat than just a sticky rice cake! May I suggest the following on this website, for example, some these Braised Pork Ribs in Caramel Sauce!

Serve up something refreshing and salad-y too, such as a Pomelo Salad or a Young Jackfruit Salad.

For a sweet, consider Candied Orange Peels, Ginger Cookie Coins or Almond cookies.

If you subscribe to the New York Times or its marvelous Cooking portal, I have five awesome Tet recipes, as seen below, that published last week (scroll to the bottom of the article). You will face a paywall if youre not a subscriber, which may be a good reason to support journalism. 

Have my books -- Into the Vietnamese Kitchen or Vietnamese Food Any Day? Look for the pork and egg in caramel sauce recipe in both. Check out pickle recipes. In VFAD, theres also a fantastic cashew and sesame brittle (photographed below by Aubrie Pick)! You can lighten things up with rice paper rolls and brothy soups, too!

Make your favorite foods because Tet is about eating up what comforts and nourishes you. Share it with family and close friends so everyone may reset and start a new cycle of life.

3 1 of 3 Shelton Police Department / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Shelton Police Department / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





SHELTON  Police are searching for the individual who robbed Chase Bank, 675 Bridgeport Ave., Friday.

Detective Richard Bango said the bank was robbed at 9:40 a.m. No weapon was displayed, according to Bango, and the suspect fled on foot toward Commerce Drive.

She finalized her divorce just last month.

And Mary-Kate Olsen was ready to get back to business as she stepped out in New York City on Friday morning.

The 34-year-old actress-turned-entrepreneur stayed warm in a long black coat as she headed to her office weeks after legally ending things with her ex, Olivier Sarkozy.

Out and about: Mary-Kate Olsen was ready to get back to business as she stepped out in New York City on Friday morning

Mary-Kate stayed with her tried-and-true black monochrome aesthetic with a heavy jacket and matching slacks.

Peeks of a crisp white button down peered out from under the lapels of her coat, which perfectly matched a pair of trainers.

She hid her dark blonde hair underneath a black beanie and carried a hot cup of coffee as she hurried into her offices.

City slicker: The 34-year-old actress-turned-entrepreneur stayed warm in a long black coat as she headed to her office weeks after legally ending things with her ex, Olivier Sarkozy

Over: The Full House star finalized her divorce from her ex in January, less than a year after they split following five years of marriage

The Full House star finalized her divorce from her ex in January, less than a year after they split following five years of marriage.

Her lawyer Nancy Chemtob revealed that 'all issues are resolved,' but details of their settlement have not been made public.

Michael Mosberg, the lawyer for 51-year-old Olivier, also released a statement that said 'a deal is done.'

In the past: Her lawyer Nancy Chemtob revealed that 'all issues are resolved,' but details of their settlement have not been made public; seen in 2016

Yikes: Mary-Kate and Olivier split in May 2020, after the New York Minute actress claimed Olivier wanted to kick her out of their New York home in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic; seen in 2015

Final details are reportedly being worked out, before the divorce case will be handed over to Judge Lori Sattler to sign off.

Mary-Kate and Olivier split in May 2020, after the New York Minute actress claimed Olivier wanted to kick her out of their New York home in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

The courts were not taking applications at the time, but in papers, Mary-Kate asked for an emergency order as she was 'petrified' about losing a roof over her head and her personal property.

She wrote: 'My husband has terminated the lease on our New York City residence ... without my consent. This application is an emergency because my husband expects me to move out of our home on Monday, May 18, 2020 in the middle of New York City being on pause due to COVID-19.
For Ms. Herold, that can be a therapy session by telephone or even plopping her son in front of a screen for a break. But her needs are always hidden out of sight, she realized recently. When her son is awake, shes reading him books, washing dishes or working remotely  not stretching out on the couch with a novel. He needs to see me reading just for me, she said.

Before my neighborhood sandbox in Brookline, Mass., became a potential infection zone, I learned fast that pulling up with the stroller in anything besides smudged black leggings would earn me glares from other moms. We squatted like identical crows on the sidelines, minding our toddlers with gentle voices, but our chit-chat quickly became a competition over who had gone the longest without a date night (or sex), who had stayed up the latest to finish a work project while cluster feeding. It was refreshing to eventually meet a new friend who regularly booked a babysitter so she could grab dinner downtown with the girls on a weeknight  someone who shamelessly admitted she parented better when her own needs were fulfilled.

These days, recommending self-care to moms is like blurting out the opening line of a dirty joke. Who has the resources for it? A spa day sounds obscene. Joy Harden Bradford, a psychologist in Atlanta who goes by Dr. Joy and is the host of the podcast Therapy for Black Girls, explained that self-care has been totally commercialized by the wellness industry, but it doesnt have to be expensive or even cost anything. Instead, she advised considering self-care as all the things that you need to do mentally, physically and spiritually to just keep going.

Recognizing that travel or visiting friends are currently off limits, and its impossible for anyone to have a full tank right now, Dr. Joy recommended setting aside a brief pocket of time either at the beginning or end of the day to listen to a short meditation track, journal or to practice gratitude for the small things  and definitely finding time to bathe and eat.

Even if it is essential, self-care comes easiest to those who are privileged. We cant really have a conversation about self-care and divorce it from the awful systems that have been illuminated by the Covid crisis, Dr. Joy said. A solo walk is impossible for my friends who are single mothers and cant afford child care, for example. Plenty of moms dont have access to safe outdoor spaces, or a minute to spare because they are so focused on putting food on the table. And even when the pandemic is over, just how many dinners out, solo grocery runs or Netflix nights would be enough to restore a healthy sense of self?
SC interprets term financial creditor Interpreting the definition of "financial creditor" in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the Supreme Court ruled on February 3 that pledge of shares did not amount to guarantee of disbursement of any amount against consideration. In the judgment, Phoenix Arc Ltd vs Ketulbhai Patel, L&T Financial lent an amount to Doshion Ltd.

The latter gave an undertaking to L&T that it would not dispose of its holding in Gondwana Engineers Ltd so long as any amount was payable to L&T. Later, L&T assigned all its rights in the matter to ...
MBABANE  Expect more disaster! The above warning was shared by Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society. This follows the predictions of extreme rainfall to be received by the country, which may result in flooding.

The country is expected to receive excessive rains between Sunday and Monday. Rains to be received come shortly after the Tropical Cyclone Eloise which hit the country, rendering 758 households, which is about 4 380 people, vulnerable.

Confirmed

So far, Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society has managed to reach out to 150 households with response material, which is approximately 550 people. Disaster Management Coordinator Wonderboy Ginindza confirmed the looming sad reality which could be faced by the recent cyclone victims.

According to Ginindza, should the flooding happen, victims will be far worse-off, especially because the greatest need right now is shelter. Some of the beneficiaries still do not have shelter and households which were partially damaged may eventually collapse as they were not in good shape, he said in an interview. Ginindza also mentioned that a food security crisis was looming because most of the households did not have alternative sources of income to buy food or grow crops. The coordinator said various areas were still being assessed and most roads were inaccessible. However, he stated that their teams were also constantly doing the necessary assessments to update the registrar.

He said while food and clothing were needed by the victims, what stood out was shelter because by nature it was not easy to address it in a short time.

As an initial response to the recent Tropical Cyclone Eloise effects situation, Ginindza said they provided mainly clothing and they had received donations of food parcels and blankets, which were currently being distributed according to the prevailing vulnerability per household.

Emergency

The organisation is always ready to respond but some processes need to be done in any case of a disaster, depending on the nature of the emergency, he said.

Further, he noted that the International Federation Red Cross (IFRC) usually supported them with emergency funding when they had extreme disaster incidents. Meanwhile, Communications Manager at the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Wandile Mavuso said it was unfortunate that Eswatini Meteorological Services had predicted possible flooding yet they were still struggling to respond to the effects of the recent Tropical Cyclone Eloise. Mavuso acknowledged the fact that the organisation was overwhelmed as they were still trying to respond to the past flooding damages, yet there was also the current COVID-19 pandemic as well. A lot of damage was caused by the Tropical Cyclone Eloise, resulting in critical infrastructure being damaged including roads, he explained.

He said NDMA was currently responding to roads covering at least 775km and 53 bridges which were damaged by the floods. Mavuso stated that government, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, NDMA and Members of Parliament, had collaborated to rehabilitate some of the roads which had been damaged by Tropical Cyclone Eloise.

The NDMA communications officer said when disaster struck, their mandate was to respond and assist the nation in every possible way. Mavuso said they had realised in the past flooding an increase in drowning incidents, claiming six lives in different episodes.

Crossing

He said it was for that reason they urged members of the public who were near riverbanks to avoid crossing flooded rivers. Mavuso said the nation should take the necessary precautions when crossing flooded rivers and dams.






Budget airline Jet2 has announced it has raised 422million from investors just a few days after it scrapped all flights and holidays until mid-April.

It stated that the money would 'provide sufficient liquidity' to the business during the coronavirus pandemic and help it recover when demand inevitably comes back.

More than 35 million placing shares and just under 600,000 retail shares were offered by the company at a discount of around 9.1 per cent. The firm said it received 'strong support' from both shareholders and new investors.

Grounded: Jet2, which is based at Leeds-Bradford Airport, has been severely affected by the quarantine restrictions in the last year and has drastically scaled back its flight programme

Despite the scale of the financial package, shares in Jet2 - Britain's third-largest scheduled airline - plunged 7.2 per cent to 12.04 today.

The travel operator, which is based at Leeds-Bradford Airport, has been severely affected by the imposition of quarantine restrictions by governments in the UK and Europe, and has drastically scaled back its flight programme.

On Tuesday, it declared that due to 'ongoing uncertainty,' all flights will not go ahead until April 14, having already announced in January that they would be suspended up to late March.

Jet2 first halted all its flights on March 11 last year and only restarted them on a gradual basis from mid-July. The following month, it told pilots' union BALPA that it would be making 102 of its pilots redundant.

This caused them immense financial harm, and in its results for the six months to September 30, the firm reported a decline in passenger numbers of over 90 per cent and a pre-tax loss of 68.7million compared to a 278.6million profit the year before.

Executive Chairman Philip Meeson said the company's board 'believes that the proceeds will provide sufficient liquidity on an extended and likely unpredictable shutdown basis to deal with this continually challenging trading environment.'

In its results covering the six months to September 30, Jet2 reported a decline in passenger numbers of over 90 per cent and a pre-tax loss of 68.7million

He added: 'The Board remains of the belief that once able to do so, our Customers will be determined to enjoy the wonderful experience of a well-deserved Jet2 holiday and that Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will continue to have a thriving future.'

Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned yesterday though that it was 'absolutely essential' to roll out Covid-19 vaccines so that Britons could go on holiday this summer.

'I know that people are yearning for certainty over whether they can have a summer holiday,' he told BBC Breakfast, 'but pandemics are difficult times and there is a lot of uncertainty, so I am afraid that people will have to be patient before we can get that certainty.

Hancock further remarked: 'We are doing everything that we possibly can to make sure that people can have a holiday this summer, but of course the vaccine rollout is absolutely central to that to make sure that we protect people as much as possible.

Quiet beach: Trade body Visit Britain estimated that the UK received 96 per cent fewer inbound visitors between April and June last year against the same time in 2019

'So it's really good news that the vaccine rollout has been going so fast and that we've got such a high uptake, and we'll set out more in more detail when we can, but at the moment unfortunately, there is that uncertainty still.'

Currently, it is illegal to go on holiday either in the UK or abroad. People may only travel if they have a 'reasonable excuse' such as going to work or visiting a hospital.

The restrictions have caused immense harm to the travel industry, with trade body Visit Britain estimating that the UK received 96 per cent fewer inbound visitors between April and June last year against the same time in 2019.

It has forecast that the UK will receive 11.7 million foreign tourists this year, which would be about 21 per cent higher than the same number in 2020, but over 70 per cent down on their levels two years ago.
A few years ago, when I was a senior in high school, I sent a text to my mother that read, I dont want to live anymore.

Even riding the highs of my acceptance to Temple University and graduation season, the feelings of anxiety and depression in addition to the obsessive thoughts of hopelessness from a seemingly unknown source felt unbearable. The only way I could stop myself from acting on the suicide ideation was if I was not alone.

My mother came to my school, where we talked it out with counselors. My healing process was marked by the physical presence of people who supported my journey.

 READ MORE: COVID-19 meant mental health challenges in 2020. Heres how to get help in 2021.

Now, as we near a year of social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, more people than ever are alone, all the time. Thats why I believe that anyone with a history of suicide, mental health disorders, and behavioral health disorders should be prioritized to receive a vaccine.

The pandemic has taken its toll on everyones mental health. By June, the CDC reported that 40% of adults were struggling with their mental health and substance use  and thats on top of the already high statistics from recent years past. Pennsylvania follows guidelines from the CDC that outline which underlying medical conditions increase the likely severity of COVID-19 and death. Theres no mention of people with suicidal tendencies or mental or behavioral health disorders on the list of vaccine eligibility. Yet, a CDC report summarized that a public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic should increase intervention and prevention efforts to address associated mental health conditions. This contradiction is frustrating as it makes for confusing directions for how the commonwealth is approaching support for the mental health of its residents.

 READ MORE: I feel stuck: Philadelphians struggle with the effects of unemployment on mental health

Those who rely on others for the upkeep of their mental health and recovery have been particularly challenged throughout the pandemic. COVID-19 social distancing efforts have made it hard to get proper care. On top of the obstacles of stigma, virus fears add to the struggle of checking into a hospital or facility if someone is thinking of suicide or experiencing a crisis. When these issues are mixed with social isolation, canceled plans, and economic instability, the situation can become deadly. An increase in suicidal-like behavior and a rise in drug overdose-related deaths show the lethal potential of COVID-19 beyond the virus itself.

If individuals with mental and behavioral health disorders and those with a history of harming themselves were prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine, the public health benefit would be immense. While inpatient behavioral health facilities are included in Phase 1A of Philadelphias vaccine distribution plan, vaccinating those not currently in facilities who are struggling at home is still crucial. All different types of treatment facilities could operate at ease, knowing the person receiving treatment has been vaccinated. In-person recovery groups could resume. Someone going through an intense low of major depressive disorder would be able to surround themselves with friends and family.

 READ MORE: Mental health-related visits to the ER have increased for children during pandemic, CDC study finds

Today, Im fortunate enough to be in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) that emphasizes that when we are struggling, we must accept what we are feeling instead of ignoring our distress and pushing it away. Compared with 18-year-old me, Im in a better place, but Id be lying if I said I didnt fear relapsing, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Adding more people for vaccine priority seems like a big ask in an already messy vaccination rollout, but I feel like it would be the most encouraging public health response. It is both common sense and lifesaving to extend that thinking all the way to vaccination.

Shealyn Kilroy is a freelance journalist living in South Philadelphia. She runs a mental health and music project, theonlysound.com.
A High Court found Thursday a British tabloid violated the Duchess of Sussex's privacy when it published a private letter she sent to her estranged father in 2018.

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At issue, was a five-page letter Meghan Markle wrote to her father, former Hollywood lighting designer Thomas Markle, a few months after her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry that her father did not attend.

TMZ reported ahead of the wedding her father underwent heart surgery and wouldn't be discharged in time to make it.

Markle said in the August 2018 letter her father broke her heart into a "million pieces" by discussing their estrangement with the tabloids and not taking her phone calls. High Court Judge Mark Warby ruled Thursday that The Mail on Sunday violated her privacy when it published the letter.

The tabloid's owner, Associated Newspapers, had argued it was under no legal obligation to keep the letter private because she was a public figure.

The Duchess of Sussex had "a reasonable expectation that the contents of the letter would remain private," Warby said in his ruling.

"After two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and The Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanizing practices," the duchess said in a statement.

"The world needs reliable, fact-checked, high-quality news. What The Mail on Sunday and its partner publications do is the opposite."

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Though the ruling was a summary judgment, Warby said a trial was still needed to settle the question of whether the duchess was the sole author of the letter or it had a co-author, Jason Knauf, communication adviser, allowing him to also claim some damages.

The letter came to light when anonymous friends mentioned it in People magazine in February 2019.

The Mail on Sunday obtained a copy of the letter from Thomas Markle and published it in extracts. Thomas Markle submitted a witness statement last month on behalf of Associated Newspapers where he said he decided to release the extracts to correct misconceptions about him in an article in People magazine, which cast him in an unflattering light.


The chairman of KPMG in the UK has resigned after reportedly telling staff they should stop moaning about worries over cuts to their benefits during Covid-19, and talked about meeting clients for coffee during the pandemic.

Bill Michael will step down from the audit giant at the end of the month after details of what he said during a conference call on Monday were revealed.

I love the firm and I am truly sorry that my words have caused hurt amongst my colleagues and for the impact the events of this week have had on them, the 52-year-old Australian said.

In light of that, I regard my position as untenable and so I have decided to leave the firm.

It has been a privilege to have acted as chair of KPMG. I feel hugely proud of all our people and the things they have achieved, particularly during these very challenging times.

The decision to leave the company comes two days after Mr Michael stepped aside while KPMG carried out an investigation into his remarks.

He was reported by the Financial Times as telling staff to stop playing the victim card over concerns about possible cuts to pensions, pay and bonuses.

He also reportedly spoke about meeting clients for coffee during the pandemic, prompting one person on the call to tell the newspaper: He literally said I know Im breaking the law to meet up with people during the pandemic.

Mr Michael was himself admitted to hospital with Covid-19 last year.

The senior partner was also reported to have offered his views on unconscious bias as complete crap.

The concept refers to the stereotypes attributed by a person to other people or groups without realising, which affects their understanding or interaction.

According to the Financial Times, one employee wrote in response: Theres no such thing as unconscious bias?! Are you joking? Please do your research before just making such statements. Check your privilege.

Two senior KPMG members, Bina Mehta and Mary OConnor, will take over Mr Michaels duties between them, becoming acting chairwoman and acting senior partner.

Ms Mehta said: Bill has made a huge contribution to our firm over the last 30 years, especially over the last three years as chairman, and we wish him all the best for the future.

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- European governments are drawing up plans to phase out coal, U.S. coal-fired power plants are being shuttered as prices of clean energy plummet, and new Asian projects are being scrapped as lenders back away from the dirtiest fossil fuel.And Russia? President Vladimir Putins government is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades that will help boost exports of the commodity. Authorities will use prisoners to help speed the work, reviving a reviled Soviet-era tradition.The project to modernize and expand railroads that run to Russias Far Eastern ports is part of a broader push to make the nation among the last standing in fossil fuel exports as other countries switch to greener alternatives. The government is betting that coal consumption will continue to rise in big Asian markets like China even as it dries up elsewhere.It's realistic to expect Asian demand for imported coal to increase if conditions are right,'' said Evgeniy Bragin, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at UMMC Holding, which owns a coal company in western Siberias Kuzbass region. We need to keep developing and expanding the rail infrastructure so that we have the opportunity to export coal.The latest 720 billion ruble ($9.8 billion) project to expand Russias two longest railroads  the Tsarist-era Trans-Siberian and Soviet Baikal-Amur Mainline that link western Russia with the Pacific Ocean will aim to boost cargo capacity for coal and other goods to 182 million tons a year by 2024. Capacity already more than doubled to 144 million tons under a 520 billion ruble modernization plan that began in 2013. Putin urged faster progress on the next leg at a meeting with coal miners in March.Russia is trying to monetize its coal reserves fast enough that coal will contribute to GDP rather than being stuck in the ground, said Madina Khrustaleva, an analyst who specializes in the region for TS Lombard in London.Putin is betting that his countrys land border with China and good relations with President Xi Jinping make it a natural candidate to dominate exports to the nation that consumes more than half of the worlds coal. His case is helped by the fact that Australia, currently the number one coal exporter, is facing trade restrictions from China amid a diplomatic dispute over the origins of the coronavirus.But the plan is fraught with risk, both for Russias economy and the planet. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends immediate phasing out of coal to avoid catastrophic global warming and the effects of climate change are expected to cost Russia billions in coming decades. Earlier this month the International Energy Agency went one step further and said no new fossil-fuel infrastructure should be built if the world wants to keep global warming will below 1.5 degrees Celsius. With all but one of the top 10 economies committed to reaching net-zero emissions within decades, the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap calls for phasing out all coal power plants without carbon capture as soon as 2040.Its also not a given that Asian coal demand will keep growing. Coal consumption in China is poised to reach a record this year and the country continues to build coal-fired power plants, but it also plans to start reducing consumption starting in 2026. At the same time it's increasing output from domestic mines, leaving less room for foreign supplies. Even in the IEA's least climate-friendly scenarios, global coal demand is expected to stay flat in 2040 compared to 2019.A coal strategy approved by the Russian government last year envisages a 10% increase in coal output from pre-pandemic levels by 2035 under the most conservative scenario, based on rising demand not just from China, but also India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and possibly Indonesia.The relatively low sulphur content of Russian coal might give it an edge in Korea, which has tightened pollution laws in recent years, but other Asian countries have struggled to secure funding for proposed plants and Indonesia said this week it wont approve any new coal-fired power plants. At a Group of Seven nations meeting, environment ministers agreed to phase out support for building coal power plants without carbon capture before the end of this year.For Putin there is more at stake than just money. At a video conference in March, he reminded government officials that the coal industry drives the local economies of several Russian regions that are home to about 11 million people. Unrest among coal miners helped put pressure on the government before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though the sector is now a much smaller and less influential part of the economy.We need to carefully assess all possible scenarios in order to guarantee that our coal mining regions are developed even if global demand decreases, Putin said. The countrys biggest coal producers are privately run, meaning they arent facing the kind of financing problems currently being encountered by listed companies elsewhere as banks pull back funding for dirty energy. Suek Plc, owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, and Kuzbassrazrezugol OJSC, controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, are both planning to increase output. Russia also plans to boost coal production for steel making. A-Property, owned by Russian businessmen Albert Avdolyan, bought the Elga coal mine in Russias Far Eastern region of Yakutia last year and plans to invest 130 billion rubles to expand output to 45 million tons of coal from the current 5 million tons by 2023. A third stage of Russias railroad expansion project will focus on boosting infrastructure for shipping coal out of Yakutia, a Russian Railways official said last month.In 2021, many Asia Pacific states have seen their economies recover from the pandemic, said Oleg Korzhov, the CEO of Mechel PJSC, one of Russias biggest coal companies. We expect that demand for metallurgical coal in Asia Pacific will remain high in the next five years.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Caring 4 Kids Clothing (C4K)is the latest recipient of a $5,000 grant from SBB Research Group, which awards monthly grants to support impactful organizations during the pandemic.

C4K founder Christine Thompson said that "SBB Research Group's contribution will help Caring for Kids Clothing support many local families with a variety of clothing, household, and school supply needs."

For over ten years, C4K has provided much-needed clothing items to over 500 school-age children in Northern Illinois, such as gym shoes, school uniforms, coats, and boots. Working directly with local school administrators and teachers, C4K serves children who are most in need of clothing support. During the pandemic and the subsequent closing of area schools, C4K began delivering clothing directly to children's homes.

The clothing recipients tell C4K's volunteers that it is "better than Christmas" as they lace up a pair of shoes with proper soles or zip up a warm winter jacket. Their bright smiles tell it all.

"Throughout the pandemic, we have focused on the needs of children and families," said Matt Aven, SBB Research Group's COO. In addition to its latest grant to C4K, the firm recently supported Family Matters, which offers academic and social programs, Mobile Care Chicago, which provides free health and dental treatment to underserved children, and Share Our Spare, which distributes essential infant products.

Thompson highlighted the significance of this donation to C4K, adding that this grant "provides immediate relief for families and children struggling during these difficult times."

For more information about Caring 4 Kids Clothing, please visit c4kclothing.org.

To apply for a grant from SBB Research Group, please visit sbbrg.org/apply-for-grant. Any 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is encouraged to apply and grants are awarded to different organizations every month.

About SBB Research Group

SBB Research Group is a Chicago-based investment management firm that views the market through a systematic, interdisciplinary lens. Led by applied mathematician Sam Barnett, Ph.D., and Matt Aven, an experienced professional in economics and computer science, the company specializes in bespoke investments designed to protect and grow investor capital.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005153/en/

Contacts:

Katie Lach

Organization: SBB Research Group

Email: grants@sbbrg.org

Address: 450 Skokie Blvd, Building 600, Northbrook, IL 60062 United States

Phone: 1-847-656-1111

Website: https://www.sbbrg.org/apply-for-grant
Then, as before, the Chinese leader was careful not to publicly discuss the origins of the virus, opting for a message of unity against a common enemy in an attempt to rise above tumultuous multinational sparring over the past year. Marion Koopmans, a member of the WHO mission, said We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is indicated. Credit:AP But the day after, his Foreign Ministry was doing its best to recast China not just as a protector of developing countries but as the potential victim of a foreign virus itself. The ministry seized on the missions presentation. Despite leaning towards a Chinese-origin for the disease, the investigators did raise the possibility that it may have also been present elsewhere before the first cases were reported in Wuhan in December 2019. There have been more and more international reports that the virus and epidemics broke out in multiple places in the world in the latter half of the year 2019, said ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

He repeated the claim twice for emphasis. It was followed by a volley of scientific voices in Chinese state media. Any country that reported outbreaks in 2019 should be investigated, said Lu Hongzhou, co-director of the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre at Fudan University. Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, told the Global Times: Wuhan is just a stop for virus origin tracing, and those experts should not expect to find an answer here. Also, it is scientifically impossible, as there were cases found in other countries even before the outbreak in Wuhan was reported, he claimed. The Australian investigator on the WHO team, Dominic Dwyer, is not convinced. I think it started in China. The evidence for it starting elsewhere in the world is very limited, he said on Wednesday. A security person moves journalists away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology after the WHO team arrived. Credit:AP Dwyer praised the Chinese scientists and authorities for being hospitable hosts, but significant questions still remain over the level of access to data that Chinese authorities were actually willing to tolerate for the joint investigation.

Then on Thursday, the day after the WHO team left China, there were key developments. WHO investigators told The Wall Street Journal that up to 90 patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 symptoms near Wuhan in the two months prior to the Huanan market outbreak, but the team was told wastewater samples prior to December 2019 had been destroyed and access to blood donations in that period were restricted due to local laws. We also know the Chinese were reporting the people who went to hospital were really sick, said Dwyer. But we now know theres a lot of ordinary transmission going on between otherwise healthy people, so there mustve been many, many more cases in December than were identified. WHO mission member Peter Daszak rolls up a vendors layout map of Huanan Seafood market as he prepares to leave his hotel for the airport at the end of the probes trip to Wuhan. Credit:AP The revelations do not square neatly with claims by Liang Wannian, the China lead on the investigation, that there was no evidence of community transmission in Wuhan prior to December 2019.

There is no substantial unrecognised circulation of SARS-COV-2 in Wuhan during the latter part of 2019, he said at the joint-press conference alongside the WHO team members who a day after leaving the podium, raised concerns about their access to information. The WHO itself has also not been immune to claims of political compromise after it was widely criticised for its initial handling of the outbreak at the start of 2020, when it delayed declaring it a pandemic, urged countries not to shut their borders and then praised the handling of the crisis by China, one of its biggest financial backers. The problem is: its a bit like looking at your internal governance yourself, said Professor Marylouise McLaws, an epidemiologist and independent member of WHOs Readiness and Response to COVID-19 panel. It is disappointing that it wasnt completely independent without the badging of WHO. The questions over WHOs impartiality and the threats posed to independent research by Chinese conditions have driven a division with the United States that also threatens to overshadow some of its preliminary results.

Let me be clear, added Peter Daszak, a zoologist and member of the Wuhan team. Im disappointed that a statement came out that might undermine the veracity of this work even before the report is released. Loading Daszak believes it will be at least two years before any concrete findings are revealed. He has spent the days since the preliminary presentation emphasising what could be the most significant breakthrough of the field trip. There was a clear potential for a link from animals we know are susceptible into that market, he said. The unconfirmed link, once thought to be live pangolins, may actually be frozen carcasses of another obscure animal - ferret badgers.

We are talking about something very different right now than a packet of frozen fish from somewhere else in the world, he said. Loading The supply chains come from places in China where we know the SARS coronavirus - a related virus - in other words a direct link from the potential bat origins of this virus into Wuhan market. To many of us on the team it was a clear clue to what might have happened. It was one of the pathways that we thought was more likely than others for sure. The team of virologists, epidemiologists and scientists will now return to their home bases across Europe, the US and Asia before preparing their report on the preliminary findings. Koopmans has pushed for investigators to travel to Italy, where reports of detection of the virus in November have yet to be confirmed.
By Eli Walsh

Bay City News Foundation

BART will offer free ride vouchers for Bay Area residents who receive a coronavirus vaccine at the upcoming Oakland Coliseum mass vaccination site, the transit agency said Thursday.

The vaccination site is expected to open Tuesday and will eventually have the capacity to administer up to 6,000 vaccine doses per day, state officials said earlier this month.

To help facilitate the thousands of vaccinations, BART will offer a free $7 fare ticket to those who show their vaccination card with a valid date.

A $7 fare is enough to get from the Coliseum BART station to any other station in the system, save for the station at San Francisco International Airport, according to BART officials.

BART will also add extra staff members to the Coliseum station during the agency's operating hours to ensure those who need or want a fare ticket after their vaccination can get one.

The state is opening the drive-thru site at the Coliseum in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in support of President Joe Biden's plan to open 100 mass-vaccination sites nationwide during his first 100 days in office.

The state has already helped establish similar large-scale vaccination sites at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Petco Park in San Diego. The Coliseum is the Bay Area's first such site.

"After you get the shot, we'll get you home," BART Board President Mark Foley said. "BART is proud to help people get to and from their vaccination appointment and we applaud the governor and the Biden-Harris Administration for selecting a location that is easily accessible by transit."

Alameda County is currently vaccinating health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, residents age 65 and older and workers in the education and child care, emergency services, law enforcement and food and agriculture industries.

As of Saturday, the county's Public Health Department has administered 30,662 vaccine doses.

Once the Coliseum site opens, vaccine-eligible residents will be able to schedule an appointment through the state's MyTurn registration tool at https://myturn.ca.gov.

Copyright  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon. Yonhap



North Korean Foreign Minster Ri Son-gwon has been elected a member of the powerful politburo of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported Friday.



Ri was by-elected as a politburo member during a four-day plenary meeting of the party's eighth Central Committee that wrapped up on Thursday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



Kim Song-nam, another ranking party official, was also named an alternate member of the politburo, while O Su-yong was elected as director of the party's Department of Economic Affairs, KCNA said.



North Korea convened the plenary Central Committee meeting this week to discuss how to implement the first year's tasks of a five-year economic development plan and other objectives set forth during last month's party congress.



Leader Kim Jong-un attended the multi-day meeting and reported on economic and other domestic issues, criticizing economic agencies for "passive, self-protecting tendencies."



Kim rapped the Cabinet for failing to play a leadership role in putting together workable economic development plans, saying some objectives were set unrealistically high as the Cabinet simply added up numbers put forward by each ministry, KCNA said.



The farming sector also set its food production targets too high despite difficulties in securing farming device and materials, Kim was quoted as saying.



Kim admitted to a shortage of electricity, saying that production in coal mines and other facilities remain stalled due to lack of power.



KCNA said Kim stressed that North Korea should draw up a direction for its economic plans that can display "the potential of self-supporting economy and stabilizing the people's living to the maximum."





In this photo released by Russian Embassy in the DPRK/Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, Russian Ambassador to Democratic People's Republic of Korea Alexander Matsegora, left, and Democratic People's Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon, foreground right, both wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus, attend a ceremony of awarding North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with Russia's 75th anniversary Victory medal for his major contribution in commemorating Soviet soldiers, who died in 1945 during Korea's liberation, at the Mansudae Palace of Congress in Pyongyang, North Korea. AP-Yonhap
Almost a year into the pandemic, unemployment remains high. Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman, said on Wednesday that about 10 percent of the work force remains out of work, significantly higher than the governments official estimate of the unemployment rate. And many states are still struggling to deliver aid. A survey in January found just 24 percent of unemployed workers nationwide were getting benefits. Georgia reports a backlog of 180,000 applications. A California assemblyman said last week that his office logged 3,000 calls from people unable to get benefits. A Texas congressman said one constituent spent six hours on hold with the state unemployment office before her call was disconnected. She never did get to talk to anyone.

The Biden administration most likely can improve on the performance of the Trump administration simply by trying. Two days after his inauguration, Mr. Biden announced the creation of benefit delivery teams to work with states on improving access. He also directed the Labor Department to issue guidance that would encourage states to extend benefits to people who leave work, or refuse to return to work, because of the risk of contracting the virus.

Money also can help. Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, introduced legislation on Wednesday that would provide $500 million for the Labor Department to build a set of programs that states can use to process applications and manage benefits. Its a good idea that would help states like New Jersey, where, in the early weeks of the pandemic, the embarrassed governor said the state was struggling to find programmers who knew how to write code for the states 40-year-old systems.

But inducements are not enough. The federal government needs to step in, too.

The shortcomings of the unemployment system are rooted in federalism. Congress created unemployment insurance and Social Security at the same time and as sister programs. Both were funded by a tax calculated against the first $3,000 of income. Since then, Congress has increased the taxable wage base for Social Security to $142,800 to preserve the programs financial health. But it allows states to assess unemployment insurance taxes, which are paid by employers, on a wage base of as little as $7,000 per worker. Conservative states in particular have eagerly accepted that invitation, gratifying business interests by maintaining low levels of taxation.

The necessary solution is for Congress to establish stronger national standards. When the pandemic recedes, and the federal government stops dispensing emergency aid, it can induce states to raise more money for unemployment benefits, and require states to spend more money on benefits for more workers.

Pre-crisis eligibility requirements in many states were absurdly restrictive. Self-employed workers and independent contractors were generally ineligible. Part-time workers didnt qualify. People who left a full-time job were required to look for another full-time job. Looking for part-time work was enough to lose benefits, too. It was not enough to leave a job involuntarily. The employer had to do the pushing. People who left work to care for an ailing family member, for example, didnt get benefits.

Last year, Congress temporarily expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits, at federal expense, to include many people in these circumstances. The Democrats fiscal plan would extend that expansion through the summer.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), the nations premier collegiate honor society for first-and-second year college students, today announced the launch of 14 new scholarships, including the HBCU Student of the Year-Changemaker Award and the LatinX Student of the Year-Changemaker Award. The scholarships will be made possible by the Societys partnership with GEICO, the second largest auto insurer in the U.S. Recipients will receive $2,500 - $10,000 in scholarships.

We hear from a lot of students nationwide who are struggling, especially our high-achieving members from underserved and diverse backgrounds, said Scott Mobley, executive director of NSCS. Because of our partnership with GEICO we are able to help more NSCS members overcome the burden of student debt.

GEICO has a longstanding commitment to improving communities, and we are proud to partner with NSCS to, once again, achieve that goal by recognizing high-achieving minority students. NSCS does an outstanding job of supporting collegiate scholars by helping them work toward their goals in college and beyond, so it is a natural fit for us to partner with them. It is our hope that through these NSCS scholarships, we can empower minority students to pursue their dreams, said GEICO Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Carl A. Tims.

Requirements to apply include having a 3.0 GPA or higher, being an NSCS member and meeting the conditions of each scholarship. Applicants must also answer essay questions specific to each award.

Through our ongoing partnership with GEICO, we hope to shift the focus of our scholars away from thinking about how they are going to afford their education, to how they can continue to be leaders in and out of the classroom.

For more information, visit http://www.nscs.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS (NSCS)

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) is an honors organization that recognizes and elevates high-achieving first- and-second year students. With its three pillars of scholarship, leadership and service, NSCS is proud to provide career and graduate school connections, leadership and service opportunities and gives out more than $750.000 in scholarships (often with multiple recipients per award), awards and chapter funds annually. NSCS has 300+ chapters nationwide and nearly two million lifetime members globally. NSCS is a 501c3 registered nonprofit, certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies, member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, American Association of Community Colleges, and 100 percent FERPA compliant, per an independent review by AACRAO.

ABOUT GEICO (Government Employee Insurance Company)

GEICO is the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 28 million vehicles in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, GEICO employs more than 43,000 associates countrywide. GEICO constantly strives to make lives better by protecting people against unexpected events while saving them money and providing an outstanding customer experience. Along with personal auto insurance, commercial auto and personal umbrella coverages are also available. Homeowners, renters, condo, flood, identity theft, term life, and more coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Visit geico.com for a quote or to learn more.
The biggest party in Italys parliament swung its weight behind Premier-designate Mario Draghi, assuring him broad cross-party support as he prepares to form a government.

Members of the Five Star Movement, which has anti-establishment roots and has long denounced bankers and technocrats, voted online by 59% in favour of backing the former head of the European Central Bank. They were asked whether they wanted the movement to support a Draghi-led government which would place strong emphasis on green policies.

Draghi has now forged a parliamentary majority following two rounds of talks with political leaders, and hes expected to report back to President Sergio Mattarella with his cabinet picks as early as this week. Other backers include the center-left Democratic Party and the anti-migrant League of Matteo Salvini.

In talks with party leaders Draghi has prioritised countering the pandemic and kick-starting Italys vaccination campaign, reviving the economy using the countrys $254 billion share of the European Unions recovery package, and pushing for a common euro-area budget. Numerically, Draghi does not need Five Star, though the partys support will allow him to muster wide consensus across the political spectrum.

The online vote exacerbated tensions within Five Star, with Alessandro Di Battista, one of its most prominent members, saying after the outcome was announced that hed leave the party.
Dehradun, Feb 12 : The Uttarakhand government on Friday sounded an alert after satellite images detected the formation of a large lake in the catchment area of the turbulent Rishiganga river which had caused a deluge on February 7.

"We have to remain alert as satellite pictures show formation of a 400 metre long lake at Rishiganga," Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said.

Top government officials said people have been asked not to go near Rishiganga river and take all precautions.

On the other hand, the government also sent a team to see the formation of the lake and suggest measures. The team comprising personnel of the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel will trek through the tough terrain to take the first hand information of the lake formation in the higher altitudes of the Himalayas.

"This team will trek to see exact location of the lake and submit a report in this regard," state police spokesman, DIG Nilesh Anand Bharne, said.

The government has also asked scientists of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and the Geological Survey of India to depute teams to Rishiganga valley to make detailed report on the lake's formation.

Reports pouring in from different areas of Chamoli district said the flow of Rishiganga has abruptly increased many times since Thursday afternoon that also forced the authorities to suspend the search operation inside the disaster-hit tunnel of NTPC's 520 MW Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project. Rishiganga is a tributary of Dhauliganga river on which the Tapovan project is being built.

Since Thursday morning, villagers around Rishganga project which was destroyed in the heavy floods had been complaining to the district administration about the formation of the lake.

"The people in our Reni village are very scared ever since they heard about this lake. We hope the administration will take necessary steps in this regard," said Bhagwan Singh, village pradhan of Reni. "We are having sleepless nights," said Ashish Rawat of Saldhar village which lies close to the Rishiganga.

The village pradhan, said some people in Reni which was badly affected by the disaster are so terrified that they are not going homes even in the night and sleeping in cold wintery nights in higher areas.

Congress General Secretary Harish Rawat has also asked the government to take prompt steps on the lake formation issue.

Over 200 persons went missing after the deluge last Sunday morning that had hit the two hydel projects in Chamoli district.

Mike Smith simply loves his kids and grandkids, but the way this country is heading is not what he wants to leave behind for them.

The pastor of the Life Song Church in Snover feels that the United States is heading in a socialistic direction and the Constitution is being twisted. He felt the need to stand up as the country moves further away from what the original intent of it was and founded We the County for those who feel the same as him.

I dont know how much one person can do, but if I rally people to this, it will have an impact, Smith said.

What started as a group fighting for constitutional rights in the Upper Thumb on the weekend of 9/11 has now grown to include over 800 members in 67 of Michigans counties and 17 states. Spreading that quickly and outside of Michigan was not his original intention, just getting set up in the state first before developing in others.

Im new to this, I dont have everything figured out, Smith said. Im thankful there are knowledgeable people more familiar with movements like this.

The group is more focused on bringing change at the local levels of government like the counties and townships for a greater impact and influence than going right to the state government.

Smith described We the County as being made up of three groups of members. The first are small businesses, who serve as the supply chain of goods and services to small communities. The group wants those in government to understand how important they are to their communities.

We warn against buying everything from Walmart and Amazon," Smith said. "That would collapse the small businesses."

The second group Smith calls the patriots, the ones who simply love their country, freedom, and want to support constitutional rights and are willing to stand up and defend them.

The final group is the churches, which do not often step into the political arena, but Smith wants them to see how beneficial it would be for them to be involved.

Not everybody in this group is Christian, Smith said, adding that majority of people in We the County are Christian. We have people who are atheist and agnostic. Whatever your thought process is, youre welcome as long as you love freedom, liberty, this country, and want to stand for the original intent of the Constitution.

We the County members have appeared at several Huron County Board of Commissioners meetings over the past few months. At those meetings, their requests included for the county to defy the states coronavirus orders, asked the commissioners to re-evaluate its relationship with the health department, allow for more people to serve on the health board, and release the names of people who turn businesses in for defying the coronavirus orders. The commissioners have so far not acted on any of their requests.

Smith said that those meetings have been the only place the group has had discussions with elected leaders so far, calling Huron County one of their more organized counties.

We want to work with commissioners, sheriffs, and township people, Smith said. We want to help them meet the needs of the people.

Since We the County made itself known to the public, the state of Michigan has worked to continue reopening parts of the states economy. This includes reopening restaurants for sit-down service, through capacity is limited to 25%. The remaining places the Department of Health and Human services say cannot open are water parks, night clubs, and workplaces when work can be done from home.

Smith said the restaurants reopening gives the smaller places hope, as mom and pop places are dependent on dine-in more than take-out. But it will still be challenging to make money when only at 25% capacity.

I used to own two restaurants, Smith said. You make your money at lunch and dinner. If you stay at 25% all day long, you can be okay, but thats not the nature of it. At 3 p.m. someones not likely to have anyone in there.

Smith further questioned why capacity at Walmarts are not limited to 25%, saying that people have a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 at Walmart than at restaurants.

When the COVID-19 restrictions do finally lift, Smith sees the groups mission as far from over, as they would be willing to take on any perceived assault on peoples constitutional rights. That includes gun control legislation introduced in Congress and control on elections moving more and more toward the federal government.

We believe the original intent of the Constitution was for the authority to govern be at the local level, not the federal, Smith said. Were working to get authority back in the hands of people out of the government. Its an ongoing process.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Jasier Kelly was an intelligent 16-year-old boy who could brighten up a whole room by just smiling, said one of his older sisters, Tyranna Harris.

The New Dorp High School sophomore had a lot going for himself, she said.

Kelly committed suicide Feb. 4 after a struggle with mental health issues. He is survived by two brothers, two sisters, his father and mother.

Suffering from multiple-personality disorder and schizophrenia, among other issues, Kelly grappled with auditory and visual hallucinations, according to his sister. He was admitted into Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton on two occasions within recent months, Harris said.

However, while he continued counseling and medication following his stays, his condition worsened over time, said Harris.

Part of that, said Harris, was due to a coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that disrupted her little brothers everyday life and forced him to be inside more often.

When he felt like he was outside and with his family, he had a great time, said Harris, adding that her brother felt most comfortable when he was able to have the steady repetition of school and playing with friends outside.

Being stuck in the house with COVID-19 was making things worse, Harris added.

Kelly struggled not being able to see classmates at New Dorp High School and found remote learning to be nearly impossible, his sister said, adding that her brother could not even really function or get involved the way he wanted to.

When school was open last year, said Harris, he was interacting with his friends. Then, when COVID came, he was like, I dont want to sit at this screen and watch these people again. 

My mother was trying her hardest to help her son cope with his struggles, said Harris, who added that Kelly had been also living with his father recently.

Kellys family created a fundraiser in his name following his death in order to help cover funeral costs. Harris said support for the GoFundMe and from those who have offered her family help over the past week has meant a lot.

Them coming to the house to talk to us about Jasier was just so good to hear  that he wasnt a bad kid  it was just so good to hear it, said Harris. They come every day with food for us, with flowers. Theyre calling all of us to check up on us to make sure were okay.

Everybody thats there supporting you, its really good to have that comfort, she said.

Kellys funeral service will be held at Stradford Funeral Home in West Brighton on Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Jasier Kelly, 16, died by suicide on Feb. 4, according to his family. (Photo courtesy of Tyranna Harris)

Through the first months of the coronavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published data that indicated hospital emergency departments saw a rise in total visits from children with mental health needs.

Social isolation caused by the pandemic can negatively impact the mental health of children, research shows, and experts suggest that disease control measures caused by the pandemic could exacerbate childrens cognitive struggles.

Two experts who did not know Kelly and were not specifically aware of his case spoke to the Advance/SILive.com regarding the stressors placed specifically on children as a result of the pandemic.

Dr. Timothy Sullivan, chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Staten Island University Hospital, said the pandemic is likely wearing on most children increasingly over time, adding that those who have pre-existing mental health concerns are at greater risk for developing more severe difficulties.

Its a complex event that has disrupted many things in our lives, said Sullivan. Its hard to imagine that this isnt going to have pervasive and lasting effects for all of us for a while.

Sullivan said that children are affected in a variety of ways, ranging from sleep patterns and exercise to nutrition and socialization.

Over the past year, a number of studies show that those kinds of disruptions have a deleterious effect, particularly on mental health, and particularly in people who have a pre-existing problem with mental health, said Sullivan.

Sullivan said an increase in substance abuse and suicidal ideation seen across the country are signals of how the pandemic is affecting people.

The hospitals psychiatry clinic  normally able to rapidly see patients as they applied for treatment  now has a waitlist as a result of the combined effects of the pandemic causing more issues for patients and prompting illness among staff, according to Sullivan.

Still, Sullivan said there is a worry that the worst of the mental health effects of the pandemic have not materialized.

Were all concerned because we know historically that mental health problems are late arrivals following significant social events and traumas, he said.

Dr. Ellen-ge Denton, an associate professor at the College of Staten Island and an expert on youth suicidal behaviors particularly in the region of Guyana, said a loss of connection could be experienced by children forced to forego typical experiences like going to school.

Usually a school setting or a community setting that would usually be lively  young people enjoying one another, learning about one another and bonding with their friends  those types of opportunities have been lost with this pandemic, said Denton.

Denton said the usual structure of a school environment allows us to think, to plan to reason and that a loss of that structured environment is associated with negative affect  or symptoms like sadness and depression.

Theres a great loss by not being able to go to school, said Denton.

What to do if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Parents concerned about their childrens well-being should remember that they are not alone, said Denton, adding that there are resources available to help cope with the pandemic.

I would say for parents  really pay attention, said Denton, even if their kids are not at risk.

Denton said parents should routinely conduct an assessment on their kids moods and see if they are feeling withdrawn or altering habits like eating.

But then, if the kid is reporting emotional difficulty dealing with the pandemic, parents are to listen instead of lecture, said Denton. Listen, because they want to be validated, they want to be heard, they want to be understood.

And, if parents are presented with significant risk, get connected, said Denton. There are a lot of COVID-19 tele-therapy opportunities.

Parents should be encouraged to become familiar with these resources and link their children with them if risk factors are observed, said Denton. Just dont ignore it.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said it was highly unlikely there would be any significant water quality impacts during construction for users of swimming, sailing or recreation spots. Fluctuations in sediment levels occur naturally in the harbour, in fact heavy rain runoff would cause more disturbance to the harbour than most of our work, the spokesman said. Alan Gregory, Balmain Sailing Clubs race director, is hoping for independent advice on health risks. Credit:Louie Douvis However marine scientists were concerned over a lack of measures to contain contamination disturbed in Berrys Bay and were divided over the effectiveness of measures along the tunnels route. Dr Katherine Dafforn, chair of the NSW branch of the Australian Marine Sciences Association, said disturbed contaminants might be eaten or absorbed with toxic effects on marine life resulting in death, loss of biodiversity or bioaccumulation up the food chain.

Dr Dafforn said there had been great improvements in the health of Sydney Harbour thanks to the closure of heavy industry and tighter regulation. Loading Sydney Harbour now supports significant biodiversity and is one of the most diverse in the world, Dr Dafforn said. This should be acknowledged in the Environmental Impact Statement. She said the levels of toxins that dissolved into the water in Berrys Bay would determine the effect on marine life, but she had not seen any modelling addressing that issue in the project documents. The contamination readings have also caused apprehension among members of the Balmain Sailing Club.

Race director Alan Gregory said the club was confident in the expertise of the governments consultants, but was hoping for independent advice on health risks. Children regularly capsized while learning to sail in dinghies and the club relied on divers to clean the underside of yachts, Mr Gregory said. He added strong tides could make water travel two to four kilometres in an hour. So if theres any danger of anything escaping, it will travel, he said. A netted swimming closure has been proposed less than a kilometre from Berrys Bay while North Sydney Pool undergoes refurbishments.

The 2017 report shows tributyltin has been detected in Berrys Bay sediment at 5150 micrograms of tin per kilogram. The safe level unlikely to cause unacceptable effects on aquatic life is 9, while anything over 70 is considered potentially highly toxic, according to Australias sediment quality guidelines. Fears that a new harbour tunnel may dredge up toxic material from the floor of Berrys Bay. Credit:Nick Moir Tributyltin was used in paint to prevent barnacles on the hulls of ships. It was banned in Australia by 1991 after it was discovered to be causing deaths and deformities in baby fish, crabs and oysters. It also caused female sea snails to develop male sex organs and become sterile. Heavy metals such as zinc were detected in Berrys Bay at up to 38 times the safe level, lead and mercury were detected at 32 times the safe level, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were 20 times and arsenic was seven times.

Mercury can enter the food chain via fish and is considered a major public health concern, while several types of PAHs are carcinogenic to animals and humans. Authorities discourage recreational fishing west of the Harbour Bridge due to contamination concerns. The Transport for NSW spokesman stressed most of the work in Berrys Bay would be on land. Disturbances to the water are likely to lead to some localised plumes, but over small areas and for periods less than 10 minutes  not enough to cause any issues. However Maria Byrne, a professor of marine biology at Sydney University who lives near the project site, said even small contamination plumes could have far reaching effects.

The animals that live in the sediments are eaten by the fish and they go all over the place  they take the toxic load up the Parramatta River and down past the Harbour Bridge, she said. She argued project documents failed to consider the effect of the toxins released into the water on the local environment of Sydney Harbour. Along the proposed tunnel route, levels of arsenic, copper and PAHs were above the safe level for aquatic life and levels of lead, zinc and mercury were above the highly toxic level. Loading A risk assessment by government consultants found the dredging of the sludge was high risk but would become low risk with the use of silt curtains and closed clamshell buckets.

[They] are specifically designed for projects like this, to minimise leakage and give added protection to sensitive marine environments, a Transport for NSW spokesman said. He noted the strategy had been endorsed by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. In the highly unlikely scenario where some contaminants leak, the concentrations would be negligible and disperse rapidly because of the harbours strong tidal flushing. Floating curtains will be used because the currents are too strong to anchor them to the ground, project documents say. Bill Maher, a professor of environmental chemistry and toxicology in Canberra, said while the risk assessment was comprehensive, there was not enough detail to determine if the curtains would work.
Since 1997, Mardi Gras has ended in the same way  with Peggy Scott Laborde and Errol Laborde guiding WYES-TV viewers through the glittering pageantry of the Rex ball, which culminates with the traditional meeting of the courts of Rex and Comus.

Since there will be no balls this year, in an effort to keep the tradition alive, the Labordes will be joined by Rex historian Will French at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 16) as WYES presents a rebroadcast of the 2020 festivities.

Typically, we would start our live, pre-ball coverage at 7:30 p.m., and then the ball would start at 8 p.m., said Peggy Scott Laborde, but instead, this year well be talking with Will French to provide a special look at what Rex has been up to this year, as well as look at all the ways Carnival has been so unique this year, with things like 'Floats in the Oaks' and HireaMardiGrasArtist.com.

The half-hour prelude will include a chat with longtime New Orleans society writer Nell Nolan, who will discuss the role that balls play in Carnival, as well as an assortment of video clips, including one of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performing If Ever I Cease to Love this year at City Parks Floats in the Oaks. The song has been played for Rex every year since the krewe first paraded in 1872.

+6 Here's what national media outlets are saying about New Orleans' Mardi Gras float houses New Orleanians' need to celebrate no matter the circumstances has been put to the test this year with Mardi Gras parades canceled due to the c

There will also still be a meeting of Rex and Zulu and the mayor this year, so well be showcasing a bit of that, said Laborde, as well as a Rex tribute to some members of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes and an interview with Joseph Boudreaux Jr., second chief of the Golden Eagles tribe.

Traditionally, the half-hour prelude and three-hour and 45-minute ball are broadcast live and then rebroadcast immediately. This year the show will also run twice, starting at 7:30 p.m. and then again at 11:30 p.m., on WYES-TV. It will also be available for streaming on WYES.org and on the stations on-demand YouTube channel.

I know one year we tracked it, and the program was seen by people in 14 different countries, Laborde said. Its wonderful because our goal is to be goodwill ambassadors for Mardi Gras and hopefully encourage people, in different times of course, to come see and experience it all for themselves.

As for the Labordes, like everyone else, theyve found their dance card a little empty this season, but Peggy Scott Laborde said the couple was thankful to have still been able to ride with the Phunny Phorty Phellows to celebrate Twelfth Night on Jan. 6.

The ride happened before more restrictions were put in place, so we were able to still do it, she said. We typically can have 75 riders and this year it was 25, and we were careful to follow all the restrictions. We were so appreciative to the RTA for letting us do it.

With their Mardi Gras evening free for the first time in 24 years, the Labordes plan to take it easy.

Well probably just celebrate by visiting with a friend, Laborde said. Socially distanced, of course.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

Police seized suspected Class B drugs with a street value of over 200,000 and over 110,000 packets of illegal cigarettes in south Belfast on Thursday.

A 43-year-old man was arrested after his vehicle was stopped by officers patrolling Ormeau area. He is currently in custody being interviewed by detectives from the organised crime team.

After arresting the man police conducted follow-up searches at two residential properties in south Belfast and another in Tandragee.

Following the searches police recovered a "significant amount of cigarettes" which they believe may have been smuggled into Northern Ireland illegally. They also discovered the suspected drugs and an amount of cash.

PSNI Chief Inspector Gavin Kirkpatrick said the seizure of the suspected drugs "is further evidence of our commitment to removing dangerous drugs and harmful substances from our communities, thwarting the efforts of those criminals who are intent on profiting from the detrimental effects drug use causes in communities".

The demand for drugs fuels the local criminal drug trade which causes irreparable damage and loss to many families. Particularly during the ongoing global Coronavirus pandemic, as the majority of people are working hard to protect the NHS, drug dealers continue to show their disdain for everyones safety by engaging in drug dealing, endangering lives and increasing pressures on our emergency services and frontline workers," he said.

I would appeal to anyone with information about illegal drug use or drug dealing to call police on the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, you can submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. The independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed close bilateral cooperation for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during their first phone talks on Friday, said the South Korean foreign ministry, reported Yonhap News Agency.

"The minister and the secretary stressed that they will cooperate closely for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," said the press release of the foreign ministry.

The move comes against the backdrop of stalled talks between Pyongyang and Trump's administration. Seoul seeks to strengthen policy coordination with the administration of US President Joe Biden to resume the dialogue and ensure that the North Korean nuclear issue remains among Washington's top foreign policy priorities.

The leaders also shared the importance of their countries' cooperation with Japan in the conversation.

In Washington, the State Department said Blinken pledged "full partnership" to strengthen the alliance.

"The secretary ... pledged full partnership to enhance the strength of the US-ROK Alliance (Republic of Korea), which is the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity for Northeast Asia, a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and across the world," read the US State Department statement.

"Secretary Blinken highlighted the importance of continued US-ROK-Japan cooperation, underscored the need for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," added the statement.

The South Korean release stated, "They also shared the understanding that it is important to continue cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan and shared concerns over the recent situation in Myanmar."

The two sides also reaffirmed that the South Korea-US alliance is a "linchpin" of peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and the entire world, and agreed to continue to develop the alliance to contribute to responding to pending global challenges and promoting shared values, said the South Korean ministry.

In addition, both leaders agreed to hold high-level consultations as soon as possible to discuss pending bilateral issues.

The ministry did not elaborate on the bilateral issues, but they are expected to include coordination on a strategy to bring Pyongyang back to dialogue and other issues such as protracted negotiations on the sharing of the cost for stationing American troops here, reported Yonhap News Agency.

(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.)


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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Many of our students had a little bit of background information about PADS, she said. I think they were surprised at all the different services that PADS offers. Many of them just know about temporary emergency shelter. I think they were amazed by the fact that right now, theyre still continuing to have people in hotels, but that theyre also working with their clients to find permanent housing solutions.
A poster featuring Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is displayed on a barricade as protesters take part in a demonstration against the military coup in front of the Central Bank of Myanmar in Yangon, Feb. 11, 2021.

Myanmars junta arrested 40 election officials Thursday and put pressure on others to back the armys unsubstantiated voting fraud claims, relatives of the detained said, as mass protests around the country against the coup swelled with increasing support from white-collar government workers.

The military staged the coup on Feb. 1 after weeks of accusations of voting fraud in November elections that delivered a landslide win for Aung San Suu Kyis ruling party. The army started crying foul when its proxy party fell short even of its poor performance in 2015 elections.

Last month the Union Election Commission (UEC), the body that oversees voting, rejected the fraud claims in the face of pressure to investigate the vote, which was recognized by the international community as free and fair.

On Thursday, state- and local-level UEC members were systematically detained around the country, from Shan state near the border with China to coastal Ayeyarwady region.

The arrests on Thursday came as RFA obtained a copy of an order from the junta for the release of more than 20,000 prisoners ahead of Union Day on Friday, which marks an historic 1947 pact among major ethnic groups before the country's independence from Britain.

Amnesty would be granted with the consent agreement that they would not repeat the same crime each [was] serving to 23,314 inmates who are serving in prisons and correctional facilities across the country, it said. The order did not say which categories of prisoners would be freed.

It was not immediately clear why Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, leader of the military government, was ordering the releases at this time  whether it was a tactic to win popularity or a way of making space in the nations prisons to allow for more detainees should the junta conduct mass arrests of protesters.

Tin Tin Htwe, chairwoman of the election commission in Hopon township in Shan states Wa Self-administered zone, and her boss were taken away Wednesday night to Naypyidaw, said the womans sister, Thuzar Htwe. She said other election officials in the area, including her cousin, were also detained.

Authorities took Soe Tun, the 78- year-old chairman of the election subcommission in Shan states Kyaukme township, from his home at about 2 a.m., said a family member.

Aung Myint, the chairman of south-central Bago regions election subcommission was arrested, said his Yangon-based son, Banyar.

My father was taken away last night around midnight, he told RFA.

A young man who lives with him in Pyay informed me last night that everyone from the district and township commissions was taken away, he said.

Military officials have asked election commission members in southwestern Ayeyarwady region to help check voter lists, said Maubin district elections commission chairman Khin Maung Win.

The military wants our cooperation in checking voter lists, he said.

Its me, the secretary, the township chairman, and the township secretary  altogether four of us. We are not being detained, he said.

A Myanmar protester holds signs with the three-finger salute  a gesture of defiance against the military regime and for the release of country leader Aung San Suu Kyi  during a street rally in Yangon, Feb. 11, 2021. Credit: RFA





Military wants admissions

Supreme Court lawyer Kyee Myint said the pressure campaign shows that they want to have admissions from respective UEC officials that there had been errors at various levels in the elections held by the NLD government commission.

It is to force the commission officials, but this is not legal, he said. They are seeking evidence to tell the world what they did was right, that the military takeover was right.

Two regional assembly members in Bago regions Padaung township and local NLD chairman Ye Lwin were arrested by police during the night, said resident Win Min Zin.

The reason was because they had led anti-military protests yesterday, he said.

RFA could not reach Myanmar military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun to confirm the arrests.

Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar at the U.N.s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said he is closely following reports regarding the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters and the detention of political leaders, members of civil society, and protesters.

Issues related to constitutional processes, elections and democracy are not within the scope of the Myanmar Mechanisms work, he said in a statement issued Thursday.

However, wherever we see indications that serious international crimes or violations of international law have been or are being committed, we will fulfill our mandate, and collect evidence and build criminal case files to hold to account those individuals responsible, Koumjian said.

The roundups came amid leaked reports of a proposed cybersecurity law that would require online platforms and service providers operating in Myanmar to keep all user data for three years in a place designated by the government.

The State Administration Council, as the military junta calls itself, sent a copy of the proposed law to internet service providers on Tuesday, and the regime is expected to make it public on Feb. 15, said Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The move, designed to prevent activists from organizing more anti-coup demonstrations, has raised fears that an internet shutoff or tough internet censorship is coming.

The provisions of this cybersecurity law pose a clear threat to the right of Myanmars citizens to reliable information and to the confidentiality of journalists and bloggers data, said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk, in a statement.

We urge digital actors operating in Myanmar, starting with Facebook, to refuse to comply with this shocking attempt to bring them to heel, he said. This junta has absolutely no democratic legitimacy, and it would be highly damaging for platforms to submit to its tyrannical impositions.

A letter is circulating on social media ordering all internet service providers, mobile operators, and international gateway providers to cut internet service on Feb. 14-28. RFA has not yet been able to confirm the letters validity with the communications ministry officials

In the days following the coup, the junta blocked access to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, though many of the countrys citizens have been using virtual private networks to circumvent the censorship. Internet service in Myanmar has been uneven for the last 10 days.

Myanmar employees from state-owned media display a banner supporting the civil disobedience movement against the military regime, in Yangon, Feb. 11, 2021. Credit: RFA





Incitement by unscrupulous persons

On Thursday, the sixth day of nationwide protests that have brought hundreds of thousands of people, including government staffers, to the streets for festive and nonviolent demonstrations, Min Aung Hlaing urged civil servants to return to work and threatened legal action against those who did not.

Due to incitement by unscrupulous persons, some civil service personnel have failed to perform their duties at present.  Those who are away from their duties are requested to return to their duties immediately for the interests of the country and people without focusing on emotions, he said on state television.

In major cities across Myanmar, protesters marched along streets rejecting the military dictatorship and calling for the release of detained leaders and students.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters in Yangon, Myanmars largest city, gathered Thursday in front of City Hall at the famed 1988 pro-democracy protest focal point of Hledan junction near Yangon University, and at Myae Ni Gone junction.

Nearly 2,000 demonstrators gathered in front of Myanmars Central Bank Thursday morning and called on government employees to join the civil disobedience movement, though bank workers declined because of what the protesters said was the result of pressure from managers.

In Mandalay, the countrys second-largest city, Kachin, Karen, Shan ethnic groups joined government workers from local transportation, health, and education departments in protests. Military troops were seen standing guard on the citys 73rd Street, a major north-south city thoroughfare, and near Mahamuni Buddhist Temple, a popular pilgrimage site.

Hundreds of thousands of protestors, including civil servants also rallied in Pathein, Ayeyarwady region, and in Lashio of northern Shan State.

Protests have become more widespread across Kayin state in southeastern Myanmar with marches against the military regime in nearly every township.

In Kayins neighboring Mon state, hundreds of thousands of people rallied in the capital Mawlamyine, observing a minute of silence in honor of Naypyidaw protester Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing, who sustained a gunshot wound to the head sustained in protests Tuesday

In Loikaw, capital of eastern Myanmars Kayah state, at least 30,000 people congregated to protest against the military regime. Police arrested some demonstrators as they made their way back home, sparking a rally outside the police station.

In far south Tanintharyi region, civil servants from local health and education departments joined in the civil disobedience movement.

Myanmar civil servant engineers participate in a street protest against the military regime, in Naypyidaw, Feb. 11, 2021. Credit: RFA

At first they said it nicely

Larger numbers of government employees joined the movement and protests at popular centers in Naypyidaw, amid pressure and threats by authorities to return to work.

A staff member from the Adjutant Generals Office taking part in the movement said senior officials threatened him and other workers via phone that action would be taken against them and that their families might also be affected. The officials demanded that workers sign pledges not to join the movement or post anything about it online.

A worker from the General Administration Department in Monywa said senior officials had threatened workers there as well.

At first they said it nicely. We were asked to come back to work and told that the days we were absent would be marked as casual leave and that no action would be taken against us, he said. But afterwards when we said no, we were told that action could be taken in accordance with existing rules and regulations for government employees.

Min Ko Naing, a Myanmar democracy activist and former 88 Generation Students Group leader, called the growing turnout for protests very encouraging.

The civil disobedience movement which we are urgently calling for is gaining good momentum, he said.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung and Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Beijing: The United Kingdom has strongly reacted to Chinas move to pull BBC World News off the air for serious content violation. Calling it unacceptable, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has called the ban "an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom".

The reaction from the UK government came after China`s broadcasting regulator announced on Thursday that it was pulling BBC World News off the air in the country for serious content violation.

The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said BBC World News was found to have seriously violated regulations on radio and television management and on overseas satellite television channel management in its China-related reports, which went against the requirements that news reporting must be true and impartial and undermined Chinas national interests and ethnic solidarity, according to Xinhua news agency reported.

"As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory. The NRTA will not accept the channel`s broadcast application for the new year," the regulator said in a statement.

UK Foreign Secretary said, "China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe, and this latest step will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world."

The BBC too said that it was "disappointed" with the move, which applies to mainland China, where the channel is already censored and restricted to international hotels. "The BBC is the world's most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour," a BBC spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, Britain has also banned Chinese telecoms group Huawei from involvement in its 5G network after the United States raised spying fears. In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the ban on BBC and called on China to allow an "informed citizenry" that can freely exchange ideas.

"We call on the PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the internet and media," Price told reporters, referring to the People's Republic of China.

The BBC has recently aired a hard-hitting documentary accusing China of covering up the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic around the city of Wuhan in late 2019. It aired its report detailing harrowing accounts of torture and sexual violence against Uighur women in Chinese camps on February 3.

Live TV
Tottenham Hotspur FC winger Erik Lamela has been fined again after being caught for the third time within twelve days on a speed camera near his club's north London training ground.

The 28 year-old Argentinian international was clocked driving his red 5-litre Range Rover at 48mph in a 40mph zone on the A10 in Enfield on May 20, last year.

He was dealt with under behind-closed-doors Single Justice Procedure rules at Willesden Magistrates' Court and the outcome of the case has only recently become public.

Spurs winger Erik Lamela totted up nine penalty points over the course of 12 days after he was caught speeding three times driving too fast in London in May last year

He was fined 40, with 40 costs and ordered to pay a 34 victim surcharge for the latest speeding offence and received three penalty points on his licence

Lamela, who earns 80,000 a week playing for Tottenham Hotspur, scored in the club's 5-4 defeat in the FA Cup at Everton on Wednesday.

The 30m signing, who lives in a 5.6m luxury apartment in The Bishops Avenue area, East Finchley is potentially one more speeding offence away from an automatic six-month ban.

He was fined 40, with 40 costs and ordered to pay a 34 victim surcharge for the latest speeding offence and received three penalty points on his licence.

This will be added to the six penalty points he already has for speeding at 52mph on May 8 and 48mph on May 13, last year.

Lamela, pictured, is one more speeding offence from an automatic six-month driving ban

The House Ways and Means Committee approved the $1,400 direct payments Thursday as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said there was broad, broad support for them in his caucus as well.

After rejecting Republican efforts to further target the payments, the House committee voted along party lines to support the $1,400 per person payments for individuals earning $75,000 or less and for couples making up to $150,000. Dependents also would receive $1,400. The checks would cut off at $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 for couples.

The panel also voted to extend the temporary federal unemployment insurance through Aug. 29 and increase the extra weekly benefit to $400 from $300.

Despite Republican claims that employees would stay home because they could make more money unemployed than at work, a new study by the JPMorgan Chase & Co. Institute found little evidence that elevated unemployment insurance benefits discouraged people from returning to work.

On the contrary, the report said, more than half of jobless workers who received the $600 supplement returned to work before the supplement expired.

Earlier studies by economist Ernie Tedeschi and Yale University came to the same conclusion, as did Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Democrats, meanwhile, rejected a Republican effort to expand health savings accounts, which the Tax Policy Center, a research group, said primarily benefited higher-income Americans,

According to the center, 16.4% of taxpayers with income exceeding $200,000 contributed to the tax-free accounts, making an average donation of $4.716. By contrast, only 5.1% of taxpayers making between $30,000 and $50,000 donated to an HSA, and their average donation was only $1,500.

The Ways and Means Committee was one of several House panels working on different aspects of President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill. After each panel completes its work at end of the week, the House Budget Committee will combine the various sections into a single piece of legislation. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday that she expected the House to pass the bill by end of the month.

Congressional Democrats are trying to pass the legislation and send it to President Joe Biden for his signature by March 14, when the current extended unemployment benefits expire, Pelosi said.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

Democrats are attempting to approve the legislation under the same procedure known as reconciliation that Republicans used in 2017 to pass their tax law and to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act on party-line votes.

That would allow Senate Democrats to pass the bill by a simple majority without the threat of a filibuster, but would require all 50 members of their caucus to vote yes.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia earlier expressed concern about giving payments to those who do not need them and at one point suggested that only individuals making $50,000 or less and couples making $100,000 or less should receive checks.

Manchin spokesman Sam Runyon failed to respond Thursday when asked if the senator supported the House limits.

But Schumer, D-N.Y., backed the House-proposed thresholds at a press conference Thursday and seemed to indicate that they wouldnt be an obstacle to passing the bill in his chamber.

It has broad, broad support in our caucus, Schumer said. We think the House bill is right in the ballpark.

Still, Biden has not given up efforts to attract Republican support for a stimulus package, even after rejecting a $618 billion proposal offered Feb. 1 by 10 GOP senators after first meeting with them at the White House.

One of the Senate Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine, said Thursday she had recently talked to Biden about the whether there still was a way to come up with a bipartisan bill.

The Republican alternative called for payments of just $1,000 go only to individuals making $40,000 or less and married couples filing jointly making $80,000 or less. The payments would end at $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples. There would be $500 payments for dependents.

We had a good discussion, Collins said, according to pool reports. I am talking with our 10 Republicans to see if theres some flexibility on the number and to see if the president has some flexibility.

By attracting 10 Republican votes, Biden could prevent a filibuster and avoid the need to use reconciliation, which under budget rules could force Democrats to jettison including some of the provisions they would like to put in their legislation.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.

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In this image taken from video footage run by China's CCTV via AP Video, dancers in blackface and costumes portraying Africans perform on stage during the Spring Festival Gala, one of the world's most-watched TV programs in Beijing on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. AP-Yonhap



Chinese state TV included dancers in blackface portraying Africans during a national broadcast as Asia welcomed the lunar Year of the Ox with subdued festivities Friday amid travel curbs to contain renewed coronavirus outbreaks.



The ''African Song and Dance'' performance Thursday came at start of the Spring Festival Gala, one of the world's most-watched TV programs. It included Chinese dancers in African-style costumes and dark face makeup beating drums.



The five-hour annual program, which state TV has said in the past is seen by as many as 800 million viewers, also included tributes to nurses, doctors and others who fought the coronavirus pandemic that began in central China in late 2019.



Festivities for the holiday, normally East Asia's busiest tourism season, are muted after China, Vietnam, Taiwan and other governments tightened travel curbs and urged the public to avoid big gatherings following renewed virus outbreaks.



China's ruling Communist Party tries to promote an image of unity with African nations as fellow developing economies. But state broadcaster China Central Television has faced criticism over using blackface to depict African people in past New Year broadcasts.



On Twitter, Black Livity China, a group for people of African descent who work in or with China, called the broadcast ''extremely disappointing.'' It noted CCTV's 2018 Spring Festival Gala featured performers in blackface with a monkey.





In this image taken from video footage run by China's CCTV via AP Video, dancers in blackface and costumes portraying Africans perform on stage during the Spring Festival Gala, one of the world's most-watched TV programs in Beijing on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. AP-Yonhap
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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
The issue of subsidence in The Woodlands and how it is used in future water planning in south Montgomery County has riled up a range of public officials, many of whom spoke at a recent meeting of The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District to express their concerns.

No action was taken at the meeting, and officials from several entities vow to continue to study subsidence and its affect on the local region.

The debate centers around the use of surface water for drinking supplies and ground water pumped from wells. As the areass population has grown in the past 20 years, The Woodlands has shifted slowly to more reliance on surface water for drinking purposes, with many officials claiming over-pumping of well water in the township has led to subsidence  a geological condition that occurs when aquifers are depleted and the ground sinks.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Woodlands board gets update on drinking water, subsidence issues

That condition can cause issues with the foundations of homes and other buildings, something that is made worse by the unusually high levels of seismic activity in the community, something thats suspected to have caused home foundations to crack and damage other buildings, such as The Woodlands Township Fire Station No. 5.

At issue is the development of a desired future conditions plan, also known as a DFC, which is done as part of the states Groundwater Management Areas (GMA) in the Texas Water Code.

Bruce Cunningham, a long-time board member of Montgomery County MUD No. 6, and Jim Stinson, general manager of The Woodlands Water Agency, both explained that the DFC is part of the Texas Water Development Board, which sets the Modeled Available Groundwater.

Local groundwater conservation districts (GCDs) must adhere to these goals to prevent one district from allowing the aquifer to be mined to the detriment of surrounding counties, Cunningham said. The GMA 14 district includes 20 counties, including Harris and Montgomery, five groundwater conservation districts, and two subsidence districts that share several aquifers that lie beneath the GMA 14 area. LSGCD is one of five voting members of the district.

More studies needed

Officials from various municipal utility districts, The Woodlands Township, The Woodlands Water Agency and the San Jacinto River Authority have been concerned about the issue and many attended the Feb. 9 meeting of the LSGCD board to air their concerns. They believe officials with LSGCD are not paying enough attention to subsidence and want to pump more well water.

Samantha Reiter, general manager of the LSGCD, disputed those claims and said those worries are overblown and the entity is worried about subsidence. However, she noted that district officials believe the issue needs more research and studies to assess how serious the problems is. Reiter also noted district officials are well aware of the concerns of other stakeholders in the region.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Woodlands renames, expands drainage task force

The district will continue to include subsidence in its Management Plans, which are reviewed and readopted every 5 years. It is a requirement of all GCD Management Plans, per Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code. The district cannot speak for whether or not subsidence will be included in the GMA 14 approved DFC statement, the District is only one vote of the GMA 14 representatives, she noted. However, subsidence will continue to be discussed and considered as a factor in the joint planning process, as it is a required factor to be discussed and considered under Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code.

One of the speakers at the Feb. 9 meeting was Gordy Bunch, the chairman of the townships Board of Directors, who has been lobbying for locals to pay heed to subsidence for several years. He said his comments to the LSGCD board were mainly focused on his personal experiences with the issue  Bunchs old home has structural damage from what he said is subsidence and seismic activity.

On HoustonChronicle.com: For years, the Houston area has been losing ground

Bunch said the township board had sent an official letter to the district expressing their concerns.

The Township Board of Directors hopes that the LSGCD will fully acknowledge the detrimental impacts of subsidence and the increased risks of flooding, fault line activation and potential loss of property to the residents of southern Montgomery County associated with an over reliance on groundwater, township officials stated in the letter. Instead, we encourage the LSGCD to take a slow, measured, monitored approach in determining appropriate groundwater use levels by first adopting DFCs that fully account for subsidence.

Concerns grow

Cunningham wrote a lengthy email on the issue to dozens of officials on Feb. 4, urging them to attend the Feb. 9 meeting. He, along with other local MUD officials in The Woodlands, has been advocating for a much more intense focus on subsidence than what he feels is being done currently.

Water is being pumped from the ground at an alarming rate and there are proposals to pump it even faster. The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District is responsible for allowing water to be pumped. They need to be made aware of the concerns of those of us in Woodlands, Cunningham wrote. When Montgomery County became one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, the growing population began to create a larger demand for groundwater use. Community leaders and elected officials petitioned the Texas Legislature to create a groundwater conservation district. The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District (LSGCD) was created by the 77th Texas Legislature in 2001, bound by Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code to preserve, conserve, and protecting Montgomery Countys groundwater supplies.

On HoustonChronicle.com: New study links aquifer pumping to fault line movement, structure damage in Montgomery County

Cunningham also said subsidence results in the lowering in elevation of the land surface caused by large volume withdrawal of groundwater, something he and others worry the LSGCD is not considering enough.

A management plan that does not consider subsidence as a component in its Water Management Plan threatens property values, infrastructure, the sustainability of the aquifers and can lead to flooding, he added. LSGCD, the entity which was created to preserve, conserve, and protect is attempting to ignore the developing issue of subsidence as it crafts its Water Management Plan.

Reiter said the LSGCD board, believes subsidence is a very important issue, that is also very localized and it needs to continue to be studied.

In July 2019, the district commissioned a Subsidence Study, which would include an assessment of past and current subsidence studies, evaluate current subsidence data and modeling and provide for future considerations for Montgomery County related to subsidence. The Phase 1 Report of the study was approved in August 2020, she said. (The) phase 2 scope of work is still being finalized but has not yet been considered or approved by the board. There was a lot of discussion by the board about whether a subsidence DFC statement is appropriate for Montgomery County. Again, the board has not taken action on a specific DFC statement, nor have the GMA 14 representatives.

jeff.forward@chron.com
President Uhuru Kenyatta has once again reiterated that he will retire after the end of his tenure in 2022. He, however, says he will ensure that his successor is not a thief.

The Head of State was speaking to a crowd that stopped his convoy in Nairobi Wednesday.

President Kenyatta said his wish is to leave a united Kenya in which citizens work together in peace and harmony to uplift themselves and develop the country.

I have no problem going home next year. But my aim is to ensure all those who will take over from me will not be thieves and harass citizens. My aim is to make sure they will have the urge to unite the country, he said.

Adding: I want the next government to foster unity among our people not divide them.

At the same time, the president said he was not particularly bothered by politicians who go around insulting him. He insisted that he is committed to fulfilling his pledges.

Tell those who are insulting me, I do not care. My purpose is to serve Kenyans. I will ensure I fulfill my promise to them, said Kenyatta.

I am focused on fulfilling my promises to Kenyanssome have suggested that I may cling on to power. I know I am going home next yearI do not have a problem with that, he stated.
Audi's new super EV sedan possibly matches Tesla Model S electric car. The giant car manufacturer just debuted this $100,000 E-Tron GT.

Meet the new Audi e-Tron GT. It comes with adaptive damping as standard and a limited-slip rear differential. 2 electric motors in the RS model produce 598hp. Theres also a boost mode that ups the power to 646hp for 2.5 seconds. The prototype did 0-60mph in only 2.88 seconds. pic.twitter.com/SZ8dAWd845  MonacoTrader (@MonacoTrader) February 11, 2021

Also Read: Harley Davidson Opens Electric Motorcycles Division Amid 2020 Q4 Revenue Drop

According to Business Insider's latest report, Audi just finished its latest E-Tron GT, a high-end sport sedan that is just like the Porsche Taycan. The giant car company debuted this to compete with Tesla's current Model S, which previously received a refreshing update for 2021. Last Tuesday, Feb. 19, Audi revealed the E-Tron GT through a virtual event.

The company confirmed that it will arrive in the United States dealerships this summer. The new super electric sedan will start at $100,000, with another trim level retailing for around $107,000.

E-Tron GT's features

The new EV sedan will have two motors, with one at each axle. Audi estimated that it is expected to combine 469 horsepower and 464 lb-ft of torque. The car manufacturer added that it can reach 60 mph in less than 4 seconds, which is a little behind compared to Tesla Model S Plaid.

Meet the new Audi e-Tron GT. It comes with adaptive damping as standard and a limited-slip rear differential. 2 electric motors in the RS model produce 598hp. Theres also a boost mode that ups the power to 646hp for 2.5 seconds. The prototype did 0-60mph in only 2.88 seconds. pic.twitter.com/SZ8dAWd845  MonacoTrader (@MonacoTrader) February 11, 2021

On the other hand, the E-Tron RS is expected to reach 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds, which is a little better compared to E-Tron GT. Meanwhile, the base model has a top speed of 152 mph and the RS version can reach up to 155 mph.

The new E-Tron GT is expected to travel 238 miles on a full charge, while the E-Tron RS model can reach up to 232 miles. Audi says that the car can add 62.1 miles of range in five minutes if DC fast charging is used.

Is it better than Tesla Model S?

If you will compare the latest E-Tron GT and E-Tron RS with the latest Tesla Model S Plaid, they are still behind since the 2021 Model S refresh can reach 60 mph in less than two seconds. However, Audi's new super EV sedans are cheaper compared to Tesla's latest electric car. Why? Because Tesla Model S Plain costs around $179,600, as reported by Top Gear.

On the other hand, the Tesla Model S refresh 2021 has a very unique inside design, especially when it comes to its steering wheels. Leaks revealed that Tesla will use a rectangular steering wheel instead of the regular one. However, rumors claimed that it is just for the show and Elon Musk will still use the regular design for its steering wheels.

For more news updates about Tesla, Audi, and other giant EV manufacturers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Tesla: $25,000 China-Style EV Soon to be Built in Shanghai R&D Center

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
City Editor

Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has cover statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids.
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Massive post-pandemic stimulus packages are mostly failing to support action to tackle climate change or halt the loss of biodiversity, but the amount of green spending is slowly tracking upwards, according to a new study.

Advocates of rapid action to slash planet-warming emissions see the packages as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest at the scale needed to a catalyse a shift to a low-carbon economy in time to avoid catastrophic global warming.

Of a total of $14.9 trillion in stimulus spending announced globally since the pandemic began, so far $1.8 trillion is being used to mitigate the impact of polluting sectors such as energy, transport, industry, farming and waste, the report found.

Nevertheless, moves by countries including the United States, Canada, China, Japan and others to support sectors such as renewable energy, electric vehicles or afforestation suggest recoveries are becoming more green-tinted, said the study by think tanks Vivid Economics and Finance for Biodiversity.

We are seeing momentum building towards a greener stimulus package, but theres still a long way to go, Jeffrey Beyer, an economist at Vivid Economics and co-author of the report, known as the Greenness of Stimulus Index, told Reuters.

Although US spending has so far mostly propped up business as usual, President Joe Bidens moves to act on climate change and environmental protections since taking office in January sharply improved the countrys ranking.

Canadas ranking also gained after the government announced a range of green investments in sectors including energy efficiency and ecosystem restoration.

Japan was ranked the top green stimulus country in Asia after adopting measures designed to boost cleaner energy and transport, although the gains were outweighed by the countrys continued backing for fossil fuels.

Chinas score, also weighed down by its support for heavy industry, improved due to plans to expand wind and solar.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, Care As One launched its unique online platform aimed at addressing the high turnover rate in the senior and home health care industries. Over 40 million Americans are currently providing unpaid senior care or home health care to their loved ones, so it is no surprise that the senior care industry is among the country's fastest-growing sectors. Since going live just a few short months ago, Care As One has partnered with many of the top companies in the senior care industry, and employers appreciate the benefits of Care As One's one-stop-shop focus.

Forecasts show that the industry, including in-home health care organizations, assisted living facilities, adult daycares, and hospice care companies, will continue to expand as the baby boomer generation grows older. "Care As One's mission is to fulfill the need for trusted health and lifestyle-support services by providing comprehensive and convenient access to a whole network of qualified professionals," says Founder and CEO Vijai Bhatti.

Families and care facilities can find themselves shorthanded overnight. Since senior care and home health care companies' goal is to provide consistent, quality care to individuals and families, the high turnover rate of staffing is of paramount priority for eldercare networks. Although there are several job search or job posting platforms across industries, Care As One has created a hiring platform aimed exclusively at the senior care industry. As anyone who has worked in the industry can tell you, eldercare providers possess a variety of unique experiences and qualifications specific to the industry. Care As One works with both industry leaders in senior and home health care and individual caregivers to connect talented professionals with local opportunities to value their skills and experience.

With plans designed to fit any employer's budget, Care As One guarantees that employers will be able to choose from a pool of qualified candidates in their area, and all plans include unlimited in-platform messaging with prospective candidates. Unlike other hiring platforms, Care As One does not rely on per post or per click models to generate a qualified applicant pool. Instead, they provide packages designed to meet all of an employer's hiring needs, from posting and recruiting to hiring and onboarding. Employers will not be bombarded with unqualified or unavailable candidates, and Care As One will work with employers to assist with the screening and selection process.

In addition to finding and messaging prospective applicants, employers who partner with Care As One can also conduct live video interviews when needed. "We built this platform to allow a seamless job seeker application, employer hiring, and onboarding process. Imagine one login that allows you to post jobs, receive applicants, messaging and live video, upload, send and sign documents without leaving the platform; priceless," says CTO Jonas Muthoni.

When it comes time to hire, the Care As One platform and staff help employers handle all the forms and hiring paperwork required for employee onboarding. This process and platform make the hiring process more efficient for employers as well as caregivers. As if providing well-rounded support for posting jobs and onboarding new employees was not enough, Care As One also supports retention and ongoing training through training video library and customer success feedback.

Care As One focuses only on senior care, so hiring managers can trust Care As One to be their go-to source for prospective applicants. When employers are ready to post a new position, Care As One will connect them to a job-seeker success team member who will match applicants directly to their company. The team member will continue to provide a guiding hand to ensure the entire hiring process runs smoothly for everyone involved. Interested employers can schedule a demo to see the Care As One hiring, screening, and onboarding process in action.

Care As One is not just for employers, of course. The company is also fast becoming the platform of choice for senior caregiving professionals, including certified nursing assistants, home health aides, direct support professionals, licensed vocational nurses, and licensed practical nurses. After completing a job seeker profile and application, candidates can apply to multiple jobs with just one click from the comfort and convenience of their own home. Job seekers can also upload their resume so that all of their information is on file and easily accessible to potential employers. Full-time positions, part-time jobs, and multiple shifts are available, and employers are currently posting positions for all experience levels with competitive rates across the country.

Care As One continues to add industry-leading features to streamline the hiring, job seeking, and onboarding process as they become the country's go-to solution for senior care. For more information, visit CareAsOne.com.

Contact and Social Media Info:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Phone: (855) 544-2321

Email: hello@careasone.com

SOURCE: Care As One

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629407/Care-As-One-Launches-Platform-Dedicated-to-Connecting-Caregivers-with-Jobs-in-the-Senior-Care-Industry
As forecasts predicting severe winter weather for next week become more clear, the utility covering most of Southeast Texas is already gearing up for the worst and hoping for the best.

Representatives from Entergy Texas told The Enterprise on Friday that crews were already running through the checklist in the utilitys storm plan, one that has gotten a lot of use after last years hurricane season.

What we will be doing is similar to our usual storm plan, Frank Shannon, director of region operations, said. Essentially the goal is the same, which is to ensure the safety of our public.

On the ground, crew leaders are managing shifts to make sure as many linemen are available for when weather is expected to impact the area, and Entergy is collecting and comparing several weather models from its private forecast firms.

Forecasts from the National Weather Service are still uncertain about the chance of snow or ice for Southeast Texas, but are consistent in predicting most of the moisture hitting the region will wait until next week.

Fridays forecast gave a 20% to 40% chance of rain for both Saturday and Sunday, but an 80% chance of precipitation on Monday. Residents will have to wait until the front gets a little closer before forecasters are sure whether it will be in the form of rain, sleet or snow.

Snow and ice may be unusual in Southeast Texas, at least since the last major storm in 1997, but linemen and support staff for the utility have responded to ice storms across the East and Midwest.

The utility actually is wrapping up an ice event in its Arkansas market, which interrupted power to around 5,000 customers at one point in the storm.

To illustrate how we prepare, one of our final checks will be equipping every truck with snow chains in case of ice or sleet, Shannon said. Thats one of those things we carry over from working elsewhere.

Even without the ice or snow some Southeast Texans are dreading, there could possibly be impacts to local Entergy customers.

Grid managers have been predicted massive spikes in demand during next weeks weather, and the management company that supports Entergy has already declared a cold weather alert for the area.

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator updated its alert Friday morning to go into effect from Saturday to Tuesday.

MISO does this when the average temperature for its managed markets hits a specific level. It initiates contingencies to limit the load utilities can draw at one time, in hope of protecting the overall grid system and preventing brown outs.

The temperature indicated for Houston is 28 degrees, according to MISOs conservative system operations procedure.

Spokesman Brandon Morris said the company hasnt seen any concerns about energy capacity at this time. He described the alert as a precautionary message to its members.

MISO and our members are preparing to respond to the cold weather and projected system conditions show sufficient generation available to address increased demand and resource uncertainties the cold weather can bring, Morris said in an email to the Enterprise. We are prepared to take additional actions if generation or transmission sufficiency changes.

Jorge Ramos contributed.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
One day after state Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said 75,000 claims would take a week to process, the bulk of the filings stuck in limbo for nearly five weeks were settled by Saturday, with most people receiving backpay and a lump sum of the weekly $300 payments on Monday or Tuesday.

But a small subset of those 75,000 claimants are still going without their money, with some calling unemployment call centers and being told it could take up to eight weeks to settle their claims.

The state Department of Labor said that after running the process to restart benefits for the 75,000 lapsed claims, it found some claimants accurately received the email about the new extension but were unable to certify because their claim was pending for another reason.

The Labor Department is giving these claimants priority in working on an automated adjustment so these claims can be processed, spokeswoman Angela Delli-Santi told NJ Advance Media.

The Department of Labor would not say how many claimants fall into this small subset, how many people are unable to certify or when this group can expect their funds. The Labor Department also did not comment on whether it could take eight weeks to resolve these claims.

Robert Fiotiro, who hasnt received a check since Jan. 2, said once he received the email that his claim was in the clear, he started lining up the bills he had to pay off and started calling back people who lent him money.

But when he logged in to certify on Tuesday, he was met with a pop-up that said he had $0 in his claim. He took to the phone lines, spending hours until he finally got through to a specialist, who told him it would take eight weeks to resolve his claim  that could mean no checks until mid-March.

My heart dropped. I was disheartened, I was angry, I couldnt believe it. This is going to be my sixth week without a check, and its getting to the point where Im going to burst, the 60-year-old Plainsboro resident said.

The Labor Department maintains its a small subset of people who are facing unique issues.

The note to me (from state Labor Commissioner Rob Asaro-Angelo) was there are still some people who are pending in that group, but there are, in fact according to him, specific reasons associated with their particular case. This has migrated from one class of persons, all of whom have the same challenge, to now uniqueness on a particular case, Gov. Phil Murphy said at a coronavirus press briefing Monday.

Fioto said hes collected since the start of the pandemic and faced no issues, other than a two-week period in April when his claim was switched to PUA. He cant think of any reason why his claim would suddenly be facing a problem.

Up until this point, Ive been able to pay my rent on time because Ive gotten my unemployment. This is the first month I cant, and Im shocked, he said.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

The states unemployment system has been plagued with technological problems since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, when hundreds of thousands of claims flooded the Labor Department as Murphy shut down nonessential businesses and restaurants in March. Since then, claimants have faced short staffing in call centers, trouble certifying, website crashes, a benefit year glitch, and delayed payments.

The issues surrounding the 11-week benefit extension stem from the second stimulus package that was signed in late December. Funding ran out for unemployment programs within the CARES Act, like Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), on Dec. 26, leaving more than 33,000 residents with lapsed claims.

Former President Donald Trump signed the second stimulus package on Dec. 27, leaving state Labor Departments around the country to scramble and input new programming for the 11-week extension, along with new weekly $300 supplemental payments.

The state Labor Department told claimants it would take a while for the extension to kick in. The number of residents waiting for benefits doubled to 75,000 in that time.

Collette Mynes, who was laid off from her job as an executive assistant in early April, believes she should have received the email notifying her to certify, after her benefits lapsed the week of Jan. 2. Her claim was escalated in mid-January after she mistakenly certified, but it was fixed on Jan. 20, she said.

She never received the email that she could certify this week for the 11-week extension, so she panicked and called the unemployment offices 190 times before getting through.

They told me theres a block on my account because I attempted to certify when I shouldnt have, she said. Then they tell me its going to take eight weeks, and that brings me up to March 9, a few days before the program even expires. I start gasping for air and crying -- this doesnt even make sense.

Mynes said she blames herself for trying to certify, but also feels like shes being punished for being expected to go more than two months without an income.

My bills are going to pile up. Im trying to get a job but theres none out there, she said. I feel hurt and betrayed by my state.

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Statehouse Reporters Karin Price Mueller and Matt Arco contributed to this report.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz.

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MDHHS campaign emphasizes the need for mask-wearing even after receiving safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2021

Contact: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich.  The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is expanding its statewide paid media campaign to remind all Michiganders, including those who have already received the vaccine, to continue wearing masks as the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is administered throughout the state.

We are making great progress towards our goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders as quickly as possible, but it is important people remain vigilant in preventing spread of COVID-19 even after receiving a vaccine, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. Wear the right mask and wear it properly over your mouth and nose every time you will be around someone outside of your household. Masks, social distancing and washing hands are still very important in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and ending this pandemic.

The $1 million mask campaign runs through April and includes television, connected TV, radio, audio streaming, digital media, search, print in minority publications and social media. Digital ads with specific messaging and targeting parameters were also developed to connect with minority populations.

MDHHS reminds Michiganders to follow these tips when wearing a mask:

Make sure your mask fits snugly against your face. Gaps can let air with respiratory droplets leak in and out around the edges of the mask. Pick a mask with layers to keep your respiratory droplets in and others out. A mask with layers will stop more respiratory droplets getting inside your mask or escaping from your mask if you are sick.

Please see the graphic below, to help make the best choices when selecting a face mask.

In addition, the CDC has recently recommended wearing two masks to increase protection against COVID-19. Double masking is an easy way to improve fit, which also improves protection. The more particles that are blocked, the better you are protected against getting COVID-19. Other options to improve fit include wearing a mask fitter or wearing a nylon covering (like a gaiter) over a mask.

One cloth or medical mask 40% of particles blocked A cloth mask worn over a medical mask 85% of particles blocked Two medical masks worn or a medical mask knotted and tucked properly 95% of particles blocked

Data Source: Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure, 2021

Those in need of a free mask can contact their local Community Action Agency or local DHHS office.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDVaccine.

# # #

Watch the video ad, MDHHS has released:

Path Back
Dr. Han and his colleagues provided a new understanding for how to improve cartilage regeneration and disease intervention. By utilizing nanomechanical tools, which measure molecules at a very minute scale, i they found new molecular activities that govern the proper functioning of healthy cartilage ECM (structural support cells that regulate cellular growth ii ) and the degeneration of ECM that occurs in OA.

OA is the most common degenerative musculoskeletal disease,iii affecting more than 32 million Americans, mainly elderly.iv There is currently no treatment or drug available to treat it.

"Cartilage is one of the simplest tissues in the human body, yet the more we discover, the more we become aware of the unknowns," said Dr. Han, associate professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa. "Even after decades of research on cartilage tissue engineering and regeneration, we still cannot find a way to fully restore the function of native cartilage. When cartilage is damaged by injury, overuse or inflammation, patients may go through a period where they cannot continue life as normal."

Understanding Cartilage ECM

Articular cartilage covers the ends of bones and provides functions critical for joint motion, including load bearing, energy dissipation and lubrication; however, it has poor self-healing capabilities. The major trademark of OA is the irreversible breakdown of cartilage ECM. The limited understanding of how ECM works in healthy and disease states has hindered the treatment of OA.

ECM is made of water, collagens, proteoglycans (mainly aggrecan), DNAs and proteins. Aggrecan plays an important role in the proper functioning of articular cartilagev and is a key indicator of cartilage health and disease. In healthy cartilage, aggrecan is essential for load bearing and energy dissipation. When a patient has OA, aggrecan fragmentation is one of the earliest molecular events.

Dr. Han and colleagues used atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based tools to evaluate the nanomechanics of aggrecan under various loading modalities, such as compression, which allowed the researchers to understand the biometric assembly of aggrecan. AFM tools allow scientists to scan surfaces at a very small scale. The outcomes showed new methods of molecular interactions that strengthen the assembly of aggrecan networks may exist. This work was the first to study the dynamic mechanical behaviors of cartilage on such a minute level, setting the path for several follow-up studies.

Collagens and Other Proteins in the ECM

The cartilage ECM is a porous collagen network that contributes to tissue strength and serves as a scaffold that entraps aggrecan. Dr. Han and his research colleagues studied the interactions between aggrecan and the collagen II fibrillar network. Collagen II is a protein that is one of the primary connective tissues of the body.vi The researchers found that aggrecan and collagen undergo molecular adhesion when compressed, contributing to a number of biophysical factors that help aggrecan and collagen II evolve. These results demonstrated that the interactions between aggrecan and collagen II could play an important role in the reliability of ECM.

Further studies discovered that decorin plays an essential role in regulating the integrity of cartilage ECM. Decorin is a component of the cartilage's ECM, which is like a house for the cell. The research found that decorin functions as a "physical linker" to strengthen the integration of the aggrecan network in ECM and delays the loss of fragmented aggrecan from degenerative cartilage. In mouse models with decorin deficiency, loss of decorin showed impaired load bearing and energy dissipation capabilities of native cartilage. Following induced knee injury in mice, absence of decorin accelerates the loss of aggrecan and the fibrillation of cartilage. Thus, these mice develop more severe OA.

"We found that this protein has a very important role in mediating the integrity of cartilage tissue, especially aggrecan," said Dr. Han. "This is important because aggrecan is the molecule that determines the shock absorption and the load bearing function. Knowing this, we can potentially design new strategies that use decorin to promote the regeneration of articular cartilage and could lead to new treatment strategies."

ECM in Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is the most widespread form of OA in young adults, resulting in a decreased quality of life over the long term. Early diagnosis and effective intervention are difficult due to the limited understanding of the initiation of PTOA.

Utilizing mice injury studies, Dr. Han found that cartilage modulus (the measure of the ability to withstand changes) begins to weaken as early as one week after surgery and continues until 12 weeks, preceding historical signs of cartilage damage at four to eight weeks. However, administering a small molecule inhibitor can reduce the modulus reduction.

For the first time, the researchers were able to quantify the biomechanical changes of cartilage in the initiation of PTOA, demonstrating how highly sensitive cartilage is when OA begins. Further studies showed that the impairment of cartilage matrix, as a result of aggrecan degrading, is a leading event in PTOA initiation.

Ongoing studies are testing the potential of improving cartilage regeneration or OA intervention by regulating the activities of particular molecules through the use of collagen II and native decorin.

"The findings will eventually help guide surgeons in designing more specific strategies for patients," said Dr. Han. "For example, hypothetically, there may be a type of mechanical load that would be more advantageous for us to stimulate cartilage cells and, in turn, strengthen the articular cartilage tissue. Physical therapists and surgeons can then understand what exercises are going to benefit particular patients."

About the Kappa Delta Awards

In 1947, at its golden anniversary, the Kappa Delta Sorority established the Kappa Delta Research Fellowship in Orthopaedics, the first award ever created to honor achievements in the field of orthopaedic research. The first annual award, a single stipend of $1,000, was made available to the Academy in 1949 and presented at the AAOS meeting in 1950. The Kappa Delta Awards have been presented by the Academy to persons who have performed research in orthopaedic surgery that is of high significance and impact.

The sorority has since added two more awards and increased the award amounts to $20,000 each. Two awards are named for the sorority national past presidents who were instrumental in the creation of the awards: Elizabeth Winston Lanier, and Ann Doner Vaughn. The third is known as the Young Investigator Award. For more information about the manuscript submission process, please visit aaos.org/kappadelta.

Kappa Delta Foundation

Kappa Delta Sorority is a national organization for women with nearly 260,000 members, more than 500 chartered alumnae chapters and 169 active collegiate chapters. Established in 1981, the Kappa Delta Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to secure funds for the educational, leadership and charitable purposes of Kappa Delta Sorority. The foundation is supported by member donations and bequests that fund programs and initiatives such as scholarships, internships, grants and more. Kappa Delta National Headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.kappadelta.org/foundation/.

About the AAOS

With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world's largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level best treat patients in their daily practices. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments and related musculoskeletal health care issues and it leads the health care discussion on advancing quality.

Follow the AAOS on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram.

Disclosure

Funding

Lin Han, PhD

National Institutes of Health - NIAMS R21-AR066824, R01-AR074490

National Science Foundation - CMMI-1662544

CAREER Award - CMMI-1751898

Additional resources provided by the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, which was supported by NIH/NIAMS P30-AR050950 and P30-AR069619

i Barick AK. Micro- and Nanomechanics of PU Polymer-Based Composites and engineering Nanocomposites https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-/nanomechanics. Accessed 1/19/2021.

ii ScienceDirect. Extracellular Matrix. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/extracellular-matrix. Accessed 1/11/2021.

iii Barbour KE, Helmick CG, Theis KA, et al. 2013. Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation  United States, 2010-2012. Morb Mortal Weekly Rep. 62:869-873.

iv U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Osteoarthritis (OA). https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/osteoarthritis.htm. Updated 7/27/2020. Accessed 1/19/2021.

v Kiani C, Chen L, Wu Y, et al. Structure and function of aggrecan. Cell Res 12, 1932 (2002).

vi Science Direct. Type II Collagen. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/type-ii-collagen. Accessed. 1/20/2021.

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Related Links

www.aaos.org


Central African Republic. Life inside PK3 site for Internally Displaced Persons,  UNHCR/Adrienne Surprenant

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is appealing for humanitarian access to reach tens of thousands of people in dire need after they fled escalating violence, clashes, and military operations in the Central African Republic (CAR), a country where almost one third of the population is now forcibly displaced.

Increasing attacks against humanitarian workers and blocked key supply routes are hampering UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations ability to assist internally displaced Central Africans. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated, increasing the suffering of an already vulnerable population.

Humanitarians have been targeted and have had their offices looted and their vehicles stolen. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 66 such incidents occurred in January, the highest number ever recorded in a single month in CAR. In December 2020, one humanitarian worker was killed, and five others injured.

Clashes, military operations, and blockades along the main road connecting CAR to Cameroon are preventing the delivery of supplies, causing prices in affected areas to skyrocket as much as 240 per cent for imported staple foods and up to 44 per cent for local goods. This also impacts the delivery of humanitarian relief from the capital Bangui with dire consequences for people in urgent need of food, health care products, water and sanitation, essential household items, and shelter.

Despite these challenges, UNHCR is working closely with national authorities, humanitarian partners, and the United Nations peacekeeping operation, MINUSCA, to continue distributing lifesaving items at accessible sites. Last week, our supplies reached some 4,600 people from over 740 households in Bouar, a town some 450 kilometers from Bangui.

Since December when the crisis began, OCHA estimates that more than 100,000 people have been displaced inside CAR. Most are living in deplorable conditions in the bush for fear of fresh attacks on their villages.

According to figures from state authorities in neighbouring countries, at least 107,000 people have also fled across borders into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (92,053), Cameroon (5,730), Chad (6,726), and the Republic of Congo (2,984). This brings the total number of Central Africans displaced in their country and across the region to over 1.5 million  nearly a third of the countrys total population of 4.8 million.

Inside CAR, UNHCR continues to receive reports of grave human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest, illegal detention, torture, extortion, armed robbery, assault, restricted movement, expropriation and looting. Sexual violence  including against young children  is on the rise as insecurity creates a climate of lawlessness and impunity.

UNHCR teams have reported recurrent violations of the humanitarian principles of the IDP sites. We reiterate our call for meaningful dialogue to de-escalate tensions, as well as sustained and robust support from the international community to ensure that the effective humanitarian response is resumed and prospects for solutions are strengthened.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
Netanyahu and his allies are publicly pressuring the judges in his corruption trial to postpone the presentation of evidence and witnesses until after Israel's elections on March 23.

What he's saying: Everybody knows the cases against me are rigged," Netanyahu claimed on Monday. "This is why I dont think the hearing of witnesses in my trial should begin before the elections because even if it is not the intention, it would look like a flagrant interference in the elections."

Between the lines: The presentation of evidence against Netanyahu in the lead-up to the trial would be a gift to his opponents, and put him in a difficult position.

It's in Netanyahu's legal interest to sit in the courtroom and look witnesses in the eyes as they testify against him, but it's in his political interest to stay out of court in order to show that he's focusing on affairs of state.

Netanyahus political opponents contend that he brought down the government and forced the election because of his legal situation  proof he cant differentiate between the national interest and his legal troubles.

Netanyahu hopes that if he wins the elections, the right-wing bloc will vote to give him immunity from the charges.

Driving the news: In the court session on Monday in which Netanyahu pleaded not guilty, his lawyers asked that the testimony phase be postponed for another three to four months. They cited procedural reasons and didnt mention the elections.

But several hours after Netanyahu left the courtroom, he denounced the charges against him and argued for a postponement until after the elections. In a scene that looked like it was taken from the Trump White House during impeachment, he did so while standing next to the visiting Greek prime minister.

After his brief court appearance, Netanyahu's press team did its best to signal business as usual, issuing statements and releasing photos of the prime minister in meetings and briefings on COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Netanyahus campaign was instructing all government ministers and MPs from his Likud party to publicly call for a postponement.

Whats next: The judges are expected to rule in the coming days on the dates of the hearings, which are expected to take place three days a week and last several hours.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

It takes a village to raise a child and that is why the Welstand Foundation was created.

The nonprofit founded in June 2019 by community members and organizational leaders focuses on improving the well-being of people of color. Welstand, which is Afrikaans for well-being, is on the path to open its first home for children of color in New Mexico in July 2021 to serve children ages 8 to 12 years old. Besides offering a place to live, the home will provide ongoing education, mentorship, counseling and more. The foundations mission is to empower the next generation by creating programs and providing necessary resources in underprivileged areas.

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In celebration of Black History Month, Marble Brewery, Nexus Brewery and Hollow Spirits Distillery have teamed up to bring awareness to Welstand Foundation as well and raise funds to benefit its programs. Marble brewed a 10-barrel batch of Welstand Stout that is available while supplies last at all three of its taprooms. It will donate 25% of the proceeds to the Welstand Foundation.

Raising awareness of and highlighting local African American leadership within New Mexico can encourage positive change within our country and community, Barbie Gonzalez, Marble Brewery president states in a news release. With craft beer as Marble Brewerys foundation, the Welstand Stout and our partnership with Hollow Spirits and Nexus Brewery will aid in the effort to serve underprivileged African American youth within our state. Together we can make a difference.

Nexus will be donating 25% of its Imperial Cream Ale profits in February toward the cause.

My parents were involved in a home just like that with the (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) back about 20 years ago and they had kids and theres a lot of success stories that they had, said Ken Carson, owner of Nexus Brewery. Unfortunately they didnt have the funding to keep the thing going long term and so they had to shut it down. But it was a really good program and it helped out a lot of kids that came through that house when they had it.

Carsons parents involvement in something similar to Welstands youth home was key in him wanting to help.

When I heard about it they were asking us, well Ken what foundation or what program would you like to participate with (during Black History Month) and I came up with a couple ideas, he explained. And when I heard what Welstand was I immediately said no, I want to support that. 

Hollow Spirits will give 25% of its Pom Rose liquor sales throughout February to Welstand  that includes cocktails made with Pom Rose and bottle sales. Hollow Spirits has a special connection to Welstands founder Nichole Rogers, who is sister to the distillerys executive chef Tristin Rogers.

For me its amazing because Nichole is chefs sister and Ive known her for so long and Ive known shes wanted to do this and shes been big in the Black community for a while now so Im happy I could just help a little bit in her dream, said Frank Holloway, Hollow Spirits founder. And then its amazing working with somebody with the name like Marble and then Ken whos been huge in the industry. So its fun to just even be included in that so Im happy about that.

The donations will go toward furnishing and decorating the childrens home.

All of the donations will go directly to fill the house with furniture and were gonna have themed rooms, Nichole Rogers said. Were gonna have a Wakanda Black Panther room and a Spider-Man room and Star Wars and Harry Potter and fun kind of things for the kids. I mean, everywhere I visited the homes, they looked so institutionalized, like little jails, and I dont want (that). So thats why we decided to go with a model where we buy a home, instead of having them in a big industrial building or something like that. So they get a sense of normalcy, and like theyre in a home that is truly for them.

There are currently about 100 African American children in New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department custody, according to Rogers.

We did a bunch of focus groups with kids that were in CYFD custody, some that had just aged out, and others that were closer to the 25 age group, and the resounding message I got from them was, we dont like it, we dont need programs, because every time we get a program that we like, it goes away because of funding,' Rogers said. And its like, all the money goes away, then all these things that we need go away. And we just want, like, normal, like, just normal, like just to be able to feel like we are in a normal home.'

Rogers and foundation members are doing everything to make the home sustainable even if funding stops with the help of monetary donations. There also are volunteer opportunities that include mentoring, tutoring, fostering, home improvement, landscaping and more. The community can contribute donations, sign up to volunteer and learn more about the foundation on its website welstandfoundation.org.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 19:27:22|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage said that there is no evidence to support claims by some western politicians that "genocide" was committed against the Uighur community in China's Xinjiang.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Colombage, who visited Xinjiang in 2019, noted that not a single terrorist attack had been carried out in Xinjiang over the past several years.

"I think that itself is a great achievement. And also that talk about genocide, I don't think I have seen any evidence to suggest this because genocide is a very strong word," Colombage said.

The official recalled visiting several sites in Urumqi and Kashgar and holding chats with the local people. "One thing I have seen in their eyes is that they have hope," he said.

"That is something very important for a country, for a region, not to lose hope, because I was told by some of these young people, that during the time of trouble, they did not have hope," he added.

Meanwhile, Colombage said young people in the area had high ambitions to pursue their careers, adding that the region boasts a mix of cultures.

People living there have the freedom to communicate as they want, and the Chinese government has taken efforts to preserve the local culture and market it as a tourist destination, he said.

Colombage said he was impressed by the facilities in the vocational training centers, where the local language is taught.

"To me, the vocational training centers look like full universities. They have a smart board, smart classrooms and all online teaching," said Colombage. "These are far from internment camps or concentration camps as alleged." Enditem
Dale Frank: The Super Spreader

Dale Frank, They meet in the Premier First Class Poker Machine Lounge of the South Tweed Sportmans Club but it was not till the next morning after she paid for breakfast and the room that he realised she was the real Meg Ryan, someone famous and 15 years older than him, 2020. Credit:Courtesy of the artist

With such acute attention to the formal and philosophical aspects of painting, Dale Frank is a painters painter. At 61, the artists lauded four-decade practice includes performance, installation, sculpture and film, but at Neon Parc, hes exhibiting large paintings of easycast resin and epoxyglass on perspex. The behaviour of these materials, and Franks laborious calculating of them, results in an astoundingly rich, reflective and abstract world in which colours both complement and disobey one another.

Frank often draws upon contradictions in art, and these paintings are no exception: they are seductive and repellent, ethereal yet solid. While the paintings are dedicated to beauty, their sheen also holds an imposing, almost masculine, sense of glamour. The titles are humorous short texts  witticisms, overheard snippets or personal ads  which lend a sense of psychology to the works, but what youre really looking at in Franks paintings is time: the paradox of times movement captured in the slipperiness of colour interacting on a surface, yet also frozen in place.

Until March 6; Neon Parc, 15 Tinning St, Brunswick, 0401 024 329, neonparc.com.au
CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Edge AI Software Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Data Source, Application (Autonomous Vehicles, Access Management, Video Surveillance, Remote Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance, and Telemetry), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, market size to grow from USD 590 million in 2020 to USD 1,835 million by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20.8% during the forecast period. Various factors such as increasing enterprise workloads on the cloud and rapid growth in the number of intelligent applications are expected to drive the adoption of the edge AI solutions and services.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Edge AI Software Market"

173 - Tables

55 - Figures

260 - Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=70030817

As the world braces for the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, every industry has been affected. To mitigate pandemic risks, organizations around the world are taking adequate measures such as remote working capabilities, remote asset maintenance and monitoring, plant automation, and telehealth. A high positive impact has been witnessed in the healthcare vertical, as firms have started realizing the potential of edge AI software in combating the impact of COVID-19. This has led to increased funding and research to keep businesses safe and secure across the value chain. It is expected that the market will witness slow growth during the pandemic and bounce back with a higher adoption rate across verticals post-pandemic. Organizations worldwide have been using digital infrastructure to continue with their usual business activities as it serves as essential infrastructure. Healthcare, the public sector, and education verticals are adopting digitalization at an unprecedented rate. Several clouds and edge companies are offering their computational services for free to the frontline workers to reduce the impact of COVID-19

The solutions segment to hold a larger market size during the forecast period

Based on components, the Edge AI Software Market is segmented into solutions and services. The solution segment of the report is sub segmented into software tools and platform, whereas the services segment is segmented into training and consulting, system integration and testing, and support and maintenance. The solutions segment is expected to account for the largest market size during the forecast period owing to the high flexibility and support offered by edge AI solutions for different industries and activities, ranging from medical monitoring to building energy management.

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The mobile data segment to hold higher CAGR during the forecast period

The Edge AI Software Market by data source has been segmented into video and image recognition, speech recognition, biometric data, sensor data, and mobile data. The mobile data segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period as there has been tremendous growth in the data generated through mobile devices due to the excessive number of mobile users. Edge AI enables processing the generated data at the edge. Hence, less information needs to be sent to the cloud and back, leading to the adoption of edge AI solutions and services.

Energy management application segment to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The Edge AI Software Market by application has been segmented into autonomous vehicles, access management, video surveillance, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance, telemetry, energy management, and others (point of sales, field service support, precision agriculture, AR/VR, and smart wearables). Using edge AI for energy management can reduce the overall costs and optimize the energy consumption by applying various techniques for predicting the optimal load of the system in real-time leading to its growth in Edge AI Software Market.

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North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period

The organizations in North America, especially the US, have leveraged the benefits of AI, ML, and deep learning technologies to stay ahead in the market. The region has well-established economies, which enable edge AI software vendors to invest in new technologies. Furthermore, it is regarded as the center of innovation where major IT players are rolling out intelligent devices and collaborating with other companies in the Edge AI Software Market.

APAC is projected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The major factors fuelling the growth of the Edge AI Software Market in the APAC region are the growing amount of data generated from edge devices across various industry verticals, increasing consumer spending on smart solutions in countries, such as China, Japan, Australia, and India, and increasing investments and initiatives by leading governments in this region toward improvising the AI landscape in the region.

Major vendors in the global Edge AI Software Market include Alphabet Inc. (US), Microsoft Corporation (US), IBM Corporation (US), Amazon Web Services, Inc. (US), Nutanix (US), Synaptics Incorporated (US), SWIM.AI Inc. (US), Imagimob AB (Sweden), Anagog Ltd. (Israel), TIBCO Software Inc. (US), Octonion SA. (Switzerland), FogHorn Systems (US), Bragi (Germany), Gorilla Technology Group (Taiwan), SixSqSarl (Switzerland), Azion Technologies LLC (US), ClearBlade Inc. (US), Alef Edge Inc. (US), Adapdix (US), byteLAKE (Poland), Reality Analytics Inc. (US), Deci (Israel), StrataHive (India), edgeworx (US), Invision AI Inc. (Canada), Veea Inc. (US), and Tact.ai Technologies, Inc. (US), Horizon Robotics (China), Kneron Inc. (US), and DeepBrainz AI (India).

Browse Adjacent Markets: AnalyticsMarket Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Edge Computing Market by Component (Hardware, Platform, and Services), Application (Smart Cities, IIoT, Content Delivery, Remote Monitoring, AR and VR), Organization Size (SMEs and Large Enterprises), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/edge-computing-market-133384090.html

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Paul Spivak, CEO of the US Lighting Group, gave an exclusive interview to RV News entitled New Manufacturer Creating Speedboat-Like Towables outlining the companys advanced manufacturing of RV travel trailers and campers. The innovative technology used in the manufacturing of the patents pending designed trailers and campers will revolutionize the RV industry. cortescampers.com



EUCLID, Ohio, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cortes Campers LLC and the US Lighting Group, Inc. (OTC:USLG), announced that Paul Spivak, CEO, was interviewed by RV News regarding its new line of RV travel trailers and campers for the RV Market. During the RV News exclusive interview, Paul Spivak reveals the advanced technology in making these innovative travel trailers and campers utilizing the highest-grade marine materials.

Paul Spivak, CEO of the US Lighting Group related, When we started this company, we said we were going to build campers the same way they build airplanes, except with 21st Century materials. The US Lighting Group decided to start Cortes Campers after touring various RV manufacturers and viewing first-hand the workmanship being done.

We are excited about the new exterior and interior designs we offer for outdoor enthusiasts, weekend campers and long-term RV travelers, Spivak said. The luxurious travel trailers and campers include additional storage space, windows, appliances and the latest technology to monitor essential energy sources. Cortes Campers are approximately 50 percent lighter, much stronger and smarter than anything you have ever experienced.



Mr. Spivak continued, The new Cortes Campers website outlines in detail the sales channel by which our RV Travel Trailers and Campers will be sold. We are selling exclusive territory dealerships on a first-come, first-serve basis. All molded fiberglass RV manufactures sell direct, but we opted to help people build their own home-based business where they have control over how they want to advertise and sell this great product. To-date, we have had a lot of interest in the dealerships and individuals wanting to just buy the RVs.



For more insight into Cortes Campers, read the RV News exclusive interview with Paul Spivak: https://www.rvnews.com/exclusive-new-manufacturer-creating-speedboat-like-towables/



Cortes Campers patent pending designs features a single-piece, molded fiberglass honeycomb Monoshell design with a luxurious interior, installed safety features with electronic monitoring systems and multi-functional power management system designed by Intellitronix Corporation. intellitronix.com

About U.S. Lighting Group, Inc. and Intellitronix Corp

US Lighting Group (OTC:USLG) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Intellitronix Corporation, are leading manufacturers of electronics, supplying growth sectors such as high-tech robotics utilizing our own in-house proprietary artificial intelligence, LED lighting, custom designed LED products, microprocessor-controlled LED instrumentation, custom private labeled electronics, automotive, RV, and marine electronics. The company has manufacturing and R&D facilities in Cleveland, Ohio with an international sales distribution network. uslightinggroup.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by the words: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, and similar expressions or which by their nature refer to future events. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these statements.
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Pacific Metals Corp. (New Pacific or the Company) reports its unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial results for the three and six months ended December 31, 2020 and announces management team updates. This news release should be read in conjunction with the Companys MD&A and the financial statements and notes thereto for the corresponding period, which have been posted under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and are also available on the Companys website at www.newpacificmetals.com. All figures are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.



QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS

Silver Sand Preliminary Economic Analysis study on track with approximately 50% completed as at year-end 2020;

Maintained working capital of $62.79 million to advance the Silver Sand Project and regional exploration initiatives, including the Silverstrike Project;

Successfully completed the spin-out transaction of Whitehorse Gold Corp. (TSX.V: WHG.V), enabling shareholders to realize the value of the Tagish Lake Gold Project in the current strong gold market;

Commenced Environmental and Social Baseline studies for the Silver Sand Project;

Generated multiple high priority drill targets at the Silverstrike Project and progressed regional project generation; and

Strengthened the Companys local presence with a dedicated CSR team and a community outreach office.

FINANCIAL RESULTS

Working Capital: As at December 31, 2020, the Company had working capital of $62.79 million.

Net loss attributable to equity holders of the Company for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was $2.32 million or $0.02 per share (three months ended December 31, 2019  net loss of $1.60 million or $0.01 per share). The Companys financial results were mainly impacted by the following: (i) operating expenses of $1.63 million compared to $1.63 million in the prior year quarter; (ii) loss from investments of $0.14 million compared to income of $0.34 million in the prior year quarter; and (iii) foreign exchange loss of $0.56 million compared to loss of $0.32 million in the prior year quarter.

For the six months ended December 31, 2020, net loss attributable to equity holders of the Company was $3.83 million or $0.03 per share compared to net loss of $ 0.31 million or $0.00 per share for the six months ended December 31, 2019.

Operating expenses for the three and six months ended December 31, 2020 were $1.63 million and $3.65 million, respectively (three and six months ended December 31, 2019 - $1.63 million and $ 2.63 million, respectively).

Income (loss) from investments for the three and six months ended December 31, 2020 was $(0.14) million and $0.70 million, respectively (three and six months ended December 31, 2019  $0.34 million and $2.46 million, respectively).

Foreign exchange loss for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was $0.56 million (three months ended December 31, 2019  loss of $0.32 million). The Company holds a large portion of cash and short-term investments in US dollars to support its operations in Bolivia. Revaluation of these US-dollar-denominated financial assets to their Canadian dollar functional currency equivalents will result in unrealized foreign exchange gain or loss for the relevant reporting periods. During the three months ended December 31, 2020, the US dollar depreciated by 4.6% against the Canadian dollar (from 1.3339 to 1.2732) while in the prior year quarter the US dollar depreciated by 1.9% against the Canadian dollar (from 1.3243 to 1.2988).

For the six months ended December 31, 2020, foreign exchange loss was $0.88 (six months ended December 31, 2019  loss of $0.15 million).

WHITEHORSE GOLD SPIN-OUT TRANSACTION

During Fiscal 2020, the Company performed a strategic review on the Tagish Lake Gold Project (TLG Project) located in the Yukon Territory, Canada and established Whitehorse Gold Corp. (Whitehorse Gold) to acquire the TLG Project from the Company for a cash consideration of $3 million plus 20,000,000 Whitehorse Gold common shares (spin-out shares).

On November 18, 2020, the Company distributed all of the spin-out shares held by it to the Companys shareholders on a pro rata basis by way of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). The spin-out shares were valued at $8.86 million upon distribution. Assets and liabilities of Whitehorse Gold and TLG Project, which were classified as held for distribution as at June 30, 2020 in the amount of $11.85 million and $0.12 million, respectively, were disposed upon completion of the spin-out. On November 25, 2020, Whitehorse Golds common shares became listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol WHG.

SILVER SAND PROJECT

Since acquiring the project in 2017, the Company has carried out extensive exploration and resource definition drill programs. From 2017 to 2019, the Company completed a total of 97,619 metres of drilling in 386 diamond core drillholes  one of the largest greenfield discovery drill programs in South America during this period.

On April 14, 2020, the Company released the inaugural National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) Mineral Resource estimate for the Silver Sand Project. Using a 45 g/t silver cut-off-grade, the independent estimate by AMC Mining Consultants (Canada) Ltd. reported a Measured & Indicated Mineral Resource of 35.39 million tonnes at a grade of 137 g/t silver, containing 155.86 million ounces of silver and Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.84 million tonnes at a grade of 112 g/t silver containing 35.55 million ounces of silver. For further details, please refer to the Companys news release dated April 14, 2020 and an amended and restated technical report entitled Silver Sand Deposit Mineral Resource Report (Amended) with an effective date January 16, 2020, filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and available on the Companys website at www.newpacificmetals.com.

Advanced studies have commenced on the project, and following a competitive tendering process, the Company selected CSA Global Consultants Canada Ltd. (an ERM Group company), Knight Piesold Consultores S.A., and Wood plc to lead the Preliminary Economic Assessment, Environmental baseline and Social baseline studies, respectively.

For the three and six months ended December 31, 2020, total expenditures of $0.87 million and $1.78 million, respectively (three and six months ended December 31, 2019 - $3.70 million and $8.54 million, respectively) were capitalized under the Silver Sand Project.

SILVERSTRIKE PROJECT

In December 2019, the Company acquired a 98% interest in the Silverstrike Project from an arms length private Bolivian corporation by making a one-time cash payment of US$1.35 million. Under the agreement, the Companys Bolivian subsidiary is required to cover 100% of the future expenditures including exploration, and contingent on results, development and subsequent mining production activities at the Silverstrike Project. The agreement has a term of 30 years and is renewable for another 15 years. It is subject to approval by Bolivias Jurisdictional Mining Administrative Authority (Autoridad Jurisdiccional Administrativa Minera or AJAM).

The Silverstrike Project covers an area of approximately 13 km2 and is located approximately 140 km southwest of La Paz, Bolivia. The Silverstrike Project shares many similarities with the Silver Sand Project pre-discovery drilling, namely: sandstone hosted structurally controlled silver-polymetallic mineralization, centered on a historic mining district  the Berenguela District; presence of felsic Tertiary intrusive rocks with corresponding multiple silver-rich occurrences, associated with sercitic alteration; and the area is largely underexplored with limited modern exploration applied. During 2020, the Companys exploration team commenced reconnaissance and detailed mapping and sampling programs on the northern portion of the project. The results to date indicate good to excellent exploration potential for hosting narrow, high-grade, near-surface, broad-zones of silver mineralization. Please refer to the Companys news release dated September 29, 2020 for details on the exploration program at northern areas of the project and to the news release dated November 19, 2020 for details on exploration activities and field work on the central and southern areas of the project.

For the three and six months ended December 31, 2020, total expenditures of $0.73 million and $1.28 million, respectively (three and six months ended December 31, 2019 - $nil and $nil, respectively) were capitalized under the Silverstrike Project.

QUALIFIED PERSON

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Alex Zhang, P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration, who is a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

MANAGEMENT UPDATES

The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Svetoslava (Stacey) Pavlova to the role of Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications effective February 4, 2021. Ms. Pavlova brings over ten years of experience in mining, investor relations and finance. Prior to joining New Pacific, Ms. Pavlova worked at SSR Mining Inc., a large precious metals producer with operations in South America, Canada, the U.S. and Turkey, where she held roles in investor relations, metal sales and treasury. Ms. Pavlova is fluent in Spanish and holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst. She graduated from the University of Denver, where she completed a Masters degree in Finance.

The Company also announces the resignation of Gordon Neal as President effective February 28, 2021. Mr. Neal will continue to advise the Company as a consultant.

I am pleased to introduce and welcome Stacey to our management team. I look forward to working with her as she leads and executes our investor relations strategy, said Mark Cruise, CEO of New Pacific. I would also like to thank Gordon for his contribution to the Company. Gordon has been a key member of the Company and was a part of the discovery team of the Silver Sand Project. I wish him success in his new endeavours.

ABOUT NEW PACIFIC METALS

New Pacific Metals is a Canadian exploration and development company, which owns the flagship Silver Sand Project, located in the Potosi Department of Bolivia, and the Silverstrike Project, located in the La Paz Department of Bolivia. The Company is focused on progressing the development of its flagship project, while growing Mineral Resources through the exploration and acquisition of properties in the Americas.

For further information, please contact:

Stacey Pavlova, CFA

VP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

New Pacific Metals Corp.

Phone: (604) 633-1368

E-mail: info@newpacificmetals.com

www.newpacificmetals.com

To receive company news by e-mail, please register using New Pacifics website at www.newpacificmetals.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as expects, is expected, anticipates, believes, plans, projects, estimates, assumes, intends, strategies, targets, goals, forecasts, objectives, budgets, schedules, potential or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Such statements include, but are not limited to: statements regarding anticipated exploration, drilling, development, construction, and other activities or achievements of the Company; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; and estimates of the Companys revenues and capital expenditures.

Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, risks relating to: global economic and social impact of COVID-19; fluctuating equity prices, bond prices, commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization, general economic conditions, foreign exchange risks, interest rate risk, foreign investment risk; loss of key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, environmental risks, operations and political conditions, the regulatory environment in Bolivia and Canada, risks associated with community relations and corporate social responsibility, and other factors described under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Information Form for the year ended June 30, 2020 and its other public filings.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Companys forward-looking statements or information.

The forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates, assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this news release that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates, assumptions, beliefs, expectations and options include, but are not limited to, those related to the Companys ability to carry on current and future operations, including: the duration and effects of COVID-19 on our operations and workforce; development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the Companys ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the stabilization of the political climate in Bolivia; the Companys ability to obtain and maintain social license at its mineral properties; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs; foreign exchange rates; taxation levels; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits, including the ratification and approval of the Mining Production Contract with COMIBOL by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Other than specifically required by applicable laws, the Company is under no obligation and expressly disclaims any such obligation to update or alter the forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as may be required by law. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US INVESTORS

The disclosure in this news release and referred to herein was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The terms proven mineral reserve, probable mineral reserve and mineral reserves used in this news release are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the CIM Definition Standards), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained in this news release providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, Inferred mineral resources are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of contained ounces in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute reserves by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures.

Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the SEC Modernization Rules), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of Measured Mineral Resources, Indicated Mineral Resources and Inferred Mineral Resources. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of Proven Mineral Reserves and Probable Mineral Reserves to be substantially similar to corresponding definitions under the CIM Definition Standards. During the period leading up to the compliance date of the SEC Modernization Rules, information regarding mineral resources or reserves contained or referenced in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be substantially similar to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as proven mineral reserves, probable mineral reserves, measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules.
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Medium Rare, a Washington, D.C., restaurant group that specializes in steak frites, is looking to open a new location in the Bay Area, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

The restaurant group is hoping to find an existing 2,700- to 3,000-square-foot restaurant space for their location in an affluent, high-density residential neighborhood in the Bay Area with outdoor seating. They are also expanding to 25 other cities, including San Diego, Seattle and New York.
Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed has warned against planned protests at Lekki toll gate in Lagos, where security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters in October.



The fresh protests, dubbed "Occupy Lekki Toll Gate", are planned for Saturday. Organisers say they will demonstrate against the reopening of the toll gate.



Earlier this week a community of informal settlements linked with the protests was torn down next to the Lekki toll gate - the BBC's Mayeni Jones says the residents had nowhere to go and their belongings were left out in the open.



Mr Mohammed says the government won't allow another round of protests, saying they could be hijacked by criminals and cause loss of lives and destruction of property.



He also says flyers urging people to show up for the protests are being circulated.



The minister added that the government had complied with earlier demands and released all protesters who were arrested during the first wave of the protests and set up an independent inquiry to look into police brutality.



The government's response to last year's #EndSars protests drew global condemnation, leading to the disbandment of the hated Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars), a police unit accused of brutality.

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.

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The Ghana Police Service has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Cape Coast to run a Post- Graduate Diploma Certificate in Security Studies.



The nine monthly courses, to be run at the Police Academy in Accra, will encourage police officers to upgrade their knowledge in security issues to enhance performance and improve service delivery.



Mr. James Oppong-Boanuh, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), signed for the Service, while Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the Vice-Chancellor of UCC signed on behalf of the University.



The MOU was signed on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the CADET Officers Course 50 in Accra.



Mr. Oppong- Boanuh explained that the course would be organized in three phases, with each phase having a period of three months for a cumulative period of nine months.



Phase one will cover the traditional Police subject areas, phase two will entail academic courses to be organized by the University of Cape-Coast, while phase three will focus on practical programmes to enhance the knowledge and skill of course participants on contemporary policing.



He said the partnership forms part of the Police Academy Training and Curriculum Review Committee's recommendations established in 2020 to affiliate the Academy to a University to add value to the certificate of participants at the end of the course.



Mr. Oppong-Boanuh said the partnership would enable graduates from the Academy to use the acquired certificate in pursuit of their future academic laurels or other viable ventures.



"The collaboration is part of the Police's strategic plans to build the capacity of personnel and improve training in line with international standards and best practices and also meet the expectation of the citizenry in security issues," he said.



The IGP advised the participants to take every facet of the course seriously and build their capacity to improve service delivery.



"Let discipline, discernment, dedication, and commitment remain your hallmark in order to complete the course successfully. You must be able to think outside the box in your duties as Senior Police Officers."



Mr. Oppong-Boanuh urged the officers to obverse the COVID-19 safety protocols seriously and adhere to the guidelines provided by health professionals to prevent infections and spread of the virus at the training course.



He said the Police Administration would continue to monitor progress of the course to ensure its successful completion, stressing that effective monitoring and feedback mechanisms had been put in place to ensure the timely response to concerns at the training.



Prof. Boampong stated that the affiliation would offer the University the opportunity to contribute towards the training of officers to be highly skilled, competent, and professionals in security activities and thereby enhance peace and security in the country.



The Professor said the University had already entered into a similar collaboration with the Ghana Police Service to run a certificate in Forensic Science Programme for personnel of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Service to equip officers to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently.



"It is my hope that with the successful commencement of the programme, immediate steps should be taken to develop curricula in MBA/MSC/MPhil in Security and Peace Studies at the Staff and Command College as well as Diploma in Security Studies for the training of recruits at the various Police Training Institutions".



He urged the Police Service to provide innovative ways of funding and running of the programme to ensure its sustainability.

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.

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The head of the World Health Organization said Friday that all hypotheses on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic remained on the table following the WHO's investigation in China.

The mission to Wuhan, where the first cases were spotted, failed to identify the source of the virus but poured cold water on the theory that it leaked from a virology laboratory in the Chinese city.

At a press conference in Geneva alongside Wuhan mission leader Peter Ben Embarek, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the team had conducted a "very important scientific exercise in very difficult circumstances".

"Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded. Having spoken with some members of the team, I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies," Tedros said.

"Some of that work may lie outside the remit and scope of this mission. We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the virus."

Lab theory

At a press conference in Wuhan on Tuesday concluding the team of experts' visit, Ben Embarek quashed the theory that a leak from a virology lab in Wuhan could have caused the pandemica notion propagated by former US president Donald Trump.

"The laboratory incident hypothesis is extremely unlikely," Ben Embarek had said. It "is not in the hypotheses that we will suggest for future studies."

In Geneva on Friday, he said the team had been told by the Wuhan laboratories they visited and spoke to that none of them had been working on or had SARS-CoV-2the virus that causes COVID-19 diseasein their collections.

"It's of course always possible that the virus is and was present in samples that have not yet been processed, or among viruses that have not yet been characterised," he said.

"But knowingly, apparently from all the labs we've talked with, nobody has seen this virus before."

Ben Embarek added that the common practice for scientists discovering new viruses was to publish their findings immediately.

Not a chase mission

Experts believe the disease originated in bats and could have been transmitted to humans via another mammal.

The first COVID-19 cases were reported in Wuhan in December 2019. More than 2.3 million people worldwide have since been killed by the virus.

The international investigation in the city only began in January 2021.

Ben Embarek said Friday that had the team gone much earlier, "we wouldn't have had the same material to look at", that researchers had put together in the interim.

"It was not a mission to go and chase an animal in the market or chase a patient somewhere.

"That would have been something that could have been done perhaps back in December when the outbreak... was detected."

He said when disease outbreaks occur, the first reaction is to treat patients, not to try to figure out how it happened.

"But maybe that's something we should look at in the future on how better to respond to emerging disease outbreaks," he added.

Complacency 'dangerous'

Tedros said he hoped a summary report from the mission would be published next week, with the full final report to follow in the coming weeks.

Tedros meanwhile welcomed that the global number of reported COVID-19 cases had fallen for a fourth consecutive week, which he put down to countries implementing public health measures more stringently.

But, he warned, "complacency is as dangerous as the virus itself. Now is not the time for any country to relax measures, or for any individual to let down their guard".

He said new COVID-19 deaths were all the more tragic as vaccines begin to be rolled out, and said people who think it will be impossible to vaccinate the whole world are "dead wrong".

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

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LONDON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Seaspan Corporation ("Seaspan"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Corp. ("Atlas") (NYSE: ATCO), today announced that it has entered into agreements with a major shipyard for 10 - 15,000 TEU dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) containership newbuilds (the "LNG Containerships"). The ultra-modern containerships are anticipated to begin deliveries in the first half of 2023, and upon completion will enter 12-year charters with a global liner.

Bing Chen, Chairman, President and CEO of Seaspan, commented, "We are extremely honoured to facilitate our customers industry leading environmental initiative. Our commitment to ESG principles, carbon reduction, and developing our fleet through increasingly environmental-friendly technologies is signified by our first LNG-powered investment. We are expanding the scope of our customer solutions by elevating our focus on lowering the impact of emissions, which will result from the adoption and addition of LNG-powered vessels to our fleet. As we have executed sustainability-linked financing which parallels this fleet expansion, we are resolved to contribute to a greener business community in the future. These transactions clearly demonstrate our ability to seize opportunities to develop industry-leading customer solutions and our commitment for quality growth backed by long-term committed partnerships. Seaspan will continue to lead the industry by offering our liner customers best-in-class service and creative solutions through exceptional fleet scale, an integrated platform and operational excellence."

The containerships are anticipated to be financed from additional borrowings as well as cash on hand. As of September 30, 2020, Seaspan's global fleet consisted of 127 vessels and approximately 1,073,000 TEU, with total contracted revenue of approximately $4.1 billion, and a weighted average remaining lease period of approximately 4 years. Since December 2020, and including the LNG Containerships announced today, Seaspan has announced 17 newbuild vessels, including five 12,200 TEU, two 24,000 TEU, and this announcement of ten LNG dual-fuel 15,000 TEU, which will add significant new capacity of 259,000 TEU to the fleet. Seaspan continues to enhance its fleet makeup with continued focus on its core 9,000 to 15,000 TEU size category.

About Atlas

Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on deploying capital to create sustainable shareholder value. Atlas brings together an experienced asset management team with deep operational and capital allocation experience. We target long-term, risk adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. Our two portfolio companies, Seaspan Corporation and APR Energy are unique, industry-leading operating platforms in the global maritime and energy spaces, respectively. For more information visit atlascorporation.com

About Seaspan

Seaspan is a leading independent owner and operator of containerships with industry leading ship management services. We charter our vessels primarily pursuant to long-term, fixed-rate, time charters to the world's largest container shipping liners. As of September 30, 2020, Seaspan's fleet consists of 127 containerships, representing total capacity of approximately 1,073,000 TEU. Seaspan's operating fleet of vessels has an average age of approximately 7 years and an average remaining lease period of approximately 4 years, on a TEU-weighted basis. For more information visit seaspancorp.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events, including forward-looking statements regarding the expected benefits of the newbuild orders to Atlas's financial condition and results from operations. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "forecasts", "will", "may", "potential", "should", and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations only as of the date of this release. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. Although these statements are based upon assumptions we believe to be reasonable based upon available information, they are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the potential for early termination of the charters and Seaspan's inability to replace them; the possibility that we will not be able to continue to execute on our growth strategy; and other factors detailed from time to time in our periodic reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Atlas's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether because of future events, new information, a change in our views or expectations, or otherwise. We make no prediction or statement about the performance of any of our securities.

SOURCE Atlas Corp.

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NEW HAVEN, Conn., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to an urgent request from Archbishop Leonardo Steiner, O.F.M., archbishop of Manaus, Brazil, the Knights of Columbus has sent more than $200,000 in concentrated oxygen and personal oxygen concentrator devices to the Amazon regions of Brazil and Peru, where Indigenous populations have been hit hard by the COVID-19 virus.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson immediately began the process of delivering aid to the Amazon region after hearing Archbishop Steiner's desperate plea delivered via video in mid-January: "For the love of God, send us oxygen!"

"In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Amazon region, we could not fail to act," Supreme Knight Anderson said. "The Knights of Columbus, in this instance, had both the resources and the appropriate connections to respond rapidly to this critical need."

Archbishop Steiner, who became the shepherd of Manaus' 1.7 million Catholics just before the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, issued his plea as a new wave  and possible new strain  of COVID hit the area, overburdening the region's hospital system, particularly its oxygen supply.

Family members have stood in line for hours to refill oxygen tanks for loved ones struggling to stay alive at home due to a lack of hospital beds.

While planning aid for the Archdiocese of Manaus, the Knights learned of a similar need in another part of the Amazon. The Knights of Columbus is also delivering self-contained oxygen concentrators as well as oxygen tanks to the Territorial Prelature of Santiago Apostol de Huancane in Peru. The prelature, which was established in 2019, includes a portion of the Peruvian Amazon and reaches into the Andes mountains.

Bishop Giovanni Cefai, in a message to the Knights, predicted that the results of this initiative would be "astonishing." "Even if we save just one life it is worth it," Bishop Cefai said. "Imagine that we will be saving hundreds of lives."

Supreme Knight Anderson noted that Knights of Columbus councils throughout the United States and around the world have been exemplary in their rapid response to the COVID crisis in their communities through the Knights' "Leave No Neighbor Behind" initiative. He added, "Now this help, on behalf of a remote and largely Indigenous people, speaks to the reality that, within the Body of Christ, 'our neighbor' stretches far beyond the borders of our own local communities."

About the Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus is one of the world's leading fraternal and service organizations with 2 million members in more than 16,000 parish-based councils. During the past year, Knights around the world donated more than 77 million service hours and $187 million for worthy causes in their communities. The organization also offers extensive life insurance services to members and their families, resulting in more than $114 billion of life insurance in force. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors offers investment services to individuals and institutions in accord with Catholic social teaching and has over $26 billion in assets under management. From helping children in need, to providing wheelchairs for the disabled, to helping stock food banks, to offering top-rated and affordable insurance products to its members, to creating a legacy of giving, the Knights of Columbus has supported families and communities for more than 138 years. To learn more please visit us at kofc.org.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus

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As many as 400,000 starving children in Yemen are at risk of dying without urgent treatment for malnutrition, a group of United Nations agencies warned on Friday.

Nearly 2.3 million children under the age of five in the war-torn country are likely to experience acute malnutrition in 2021, according to an analysis published Friday from the UN food agency , UNICEF, the World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization.

The increasing number of children going hungry in Yemen should shock us all into action, UNICEF director Henrietta Fore said in a joint statement. More children will die with every day that passes without action. Humanitarian organizations need urgent predictable resources and unhindered access to communities on the ground to be able to save lives.

Yemen is embroiled in a civil war pitting the Houthi rebels against a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened on behalf of the internationally recognized government in 2015. After some six years of war, the United Nations considers Yemen the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

The UN agencies noted that good maternal health is key to preventing child malnutrition, but in Yemen, roughly 1.2 million million pregnant or breastfeeding women are estimated to be acutely malnourished this year.

These numbers are yet another cry for help from Yemen, where each malnourished child also means a family struggling to survive, said WFP director David Beasley.

The coronavirus pandemic along with widespread flooding, economic decline and the ongoing conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels have compounded what was already a dire situation for women and children. Nearly 80% of the population  over 24 million people  require some form of humanitarian assistance to survive.

The UN figures come a week after the Joe Biden administration said it would reverse the terror designation of Yemens Houthi rebels. Aid agencies had warned the blacklisting, which the administration announced in January, could hamper their efforts to deliver aid in the Arab world's poorest country. The UN warned last month the terror designation represented a death sentence for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Yemeni civilians.

The Biden administration unveiled major changes to Washingtons Yemen policy last week, including ending US support for the Saudi-led coalition and appointing career diplomat Tim Lenderking as special envoy to Yemen. Relief organizations are also calling on Biden to restore US aid to northern Yemen that the Donald Trump administration cut last year.

As America debates whether to hold former President Donald Trump accountable for inciting insurrection, what about his co-conspirator Fox News?

Fox helped sell Trumps lie about a stolen election, propelling true believers like Ashli Babbitt  a fan of Fox personalities like Tucker Carlson  to storm the Capitol. Babbitt died in the attack, while this week Fox Corp. merrily reported a 17 percent jump in quarterly earnings.

The Fox News Channel finished the quarter with its highest average ratings, Lachlan Murdoch, Foxs CEO, boasted in a call with financial analysts.

We cant impeach Fox or put Carlson or Sean Hannity on trial in the Senate, but there are steps we can take  imperfect, inadequate ones, resting on slippery slopes  to create accountability not only for Trump but also for fellow travelers at Fox, OANN, Newsmax and so on.

That can mean pressure on advertisers to avoid underwriting extremists (of any political bent), but the Fox News business model depends not so much on advertising as on cable subscription fees. So a second step is to call on cable companies to drop Fox News from basic cable TV packages.

The issue here is that if youre like many Americans, you: A) dont watch Fox News, and A) still subsidize Fox News.

If you buy a basic cable package, youre forced to pay about $20 a year for Fox News. You may deplore bigots and promoters of insurrection, but you help pay their salaries.

Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, says that Fox News relies on unusually generous cable fees  more than twice what CNN receives and five times what MSNBC commands. So Media Matters started a campaign, at unfoxmycablebox.com, for people to ask cable carriers to drop Fox News from their packages.

Given all the damage that Fox News has caused and the threat that it remains, they absolutely should unbundle Fox News, Carusone told me. Its not a news channel. Its a propaganda operation mixed with political smut. If people want that, they should be forced to pay for it the way that they pay for Cinemax.

Frankly, my argument leaves even me a bit queasy. I deeply believe in the marketplace of ideas, and I do think that there is a danger of a liberal monoculture in some universities, nonprofits and news organizations. Ive railed against liberal intolerance, and I dont think the cancel culture that conservatives decry is entirely a mirage.

Defamation lawsuits by election technology companies may have led Fox to cancel Lou Dobbs Tonight on Fox Business Network and may have reined in Newsmax and OANN a bit. But before we start applauding too enthusiastically, lets remember that fear of such defamation lawsuits may also have allowed Harvey Weinstein and other #MeToo predators to escape accountability for years.

Conservatives are likewise right that the New York Times, CNN and other mainstream news organizations make mistakes all the time, and surely right-wingers are unhappy that their cable fees subsidize Rachel Maddow.

But theres no symmetry. Fox News and Fox Business didnt make an honest mistake about election outcomes but deliberately spun nonsense into ratings gold.

During 2020, Fox News cauldron of lies and extremism boiled over, Carusone said. They made us sicker and put up obstacles to the pandemic response by flooding the airwaves with over 13,150 instances of COVID misinformation. They fomented racial animus and promoted white supremacy as a response to the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. And, in the first two weeks after the election was called for Joe Biden, Fox News laid the groundwork for the attack on the Capitol by challenging the results on 774 individual instances with wild conspiracies and flat-out fabrications.

In other words, the problem with Fox isnt that its conservative but that it monetizes conspiracy theories and disinformation in ways that are sometimes lethal. Researchers have found, for example, that places where Fox News is randomly assigned a lower channel number (and thus gets more viewers) had riskier behavior during the pandemic, and that media markets where Hannity is particularly popular had higher COVID-19 death rates early in the pandemic.

Suppose Discovery Channel went haywire and encouraged viewers to drink arsenic to lose weight? Or Cartoon Network was bought by a tobacco company and encouraged children to try smoking? Or MSNBC pundits called on viewers to burn down police stations?

We would agree that advertisers should not support their programs and that cable channels should not force Americans to subsidize them. In other words, we accept that there must be red lines even if we dont always agree where to draw them  and I believe that Fox crossed those lines in 2020.

I hope Fox returns from the Land of Make Believe to its conservative roots, for America would benefit from a reliable right-wing TV news source. As Tucker Carlson said at CPAC in 2009: The New York Times is a liberal paper,  but its also a paper that actually cares about accuracy.  Conservatives need to mimic that in their own news organizations.

He was right  then.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)  In a rare move, the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce is publicly endorsing two Indiana bills. The legislation would provide COVID-19 liability protections to all Hoosier businesses.

The Chamber does not typically support legislation. It usually serves its members and community through educational resources about the bills that may impact them. This year, President Kristin Craig says the board of directors decided to endorse Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1002.

Craig says, "Businesses have had to change the scope of what they do so dramatically, make so many adjustments on the fly with their workforce with all sorts of things. These bills are really to help protect them from any liability or exposure that might come because of COVID-19."

The Indiana House and Senate bills are different but the goal is the same: protect businesses from lawsuits. If passed, the law would shield companies from people who want to sue them for catching coronavirus in their business.

Republican State Senator Mark Messmer authored Senate Bill 1. He says the issue of protecting Hoosier business during this pandemic is a top priority. That's why lawmakers are tackling it first.

Messmer says, "There's no pending lawsuits today but we wanted to be proactive not reactive."

While the bills have bipartisan support, there are still questions and concerns about if the bills do enough to ensure employees are protected.

Democrat State Representative Tonya Pfaff says "We don't want the bad actors to get away with bad acting, right? So, Im not sure there's enough parameters put in. So, Im going to just keep saying the same thing. I think it's a good start."

Pfaff says she has voted in favor of the legislation but would like to see if more can be done to ensure employees are protected as well.

Messmer says the bills would not protect businesses that have been negligent, only those following health and safety rules.

Craig says the Chamber is throwing support behind these bills because it's what small business owners want and need.

"Just knowing that they have extra protection from that exposure, from that liability and so they can continue to keep their doors open, continue to operate and continue to keep our economy flowing."

Messmer says his bill could arrive on the governor's desk as soon as Tuesday. The bill also includes protections for non-profits and schools. If passed, it would take effect immediately and be retroactive to March 1, 2020.
Royal Dutch Shell will not raise salaries for most of its employees this year, according to people with knowledge of the matter, as it looks to save cash amid an overhaul of the company. Traders will receive annual bonuses, while others wont receive any.

In a note to staff, CEO Ben van Beurden said that while the company had previously told employees to have low expectations for salary increases, most wouldnt get a pay rise this year.

Shell is starting one of the biggest reorganizations in its history as it pivots from a century-long structure that prioritized oil and gas production to a greener future. There will be as many as 9,000 job losses over the next two years, with cuts already announced in the Netherlands, the U.K. and Malaysia. A second round of voluntary redundancies is also underway, Van Beurden said last week.

He reiterated that there would be no bonus payments for anyone in the company, the people said. In July, CFO Jessica Uhl told analysts that halted bonus payouts would save the company about $1 billion.

Shells traders, however, will receive bonuses as its not tied to payout budgets associated with the companys performance, people with knowledge of the matter said, asking not to be identified because the information is not public.

The companys trading unit, among the biggest in the world, had its best performance on record in the second quarter of last year. Van Beurdens note did not mention bonuses for traders, which can often be hefty.

A Shell spokesperson declined to comment.

The Anglo-Dutch oil giant reported disappointing end-of-year earnings as the impact of the coronavirus continued to hit fuel sales and refining margins. The pressure to turn greener has pushed companies toward clean-energy projects which typically have lower returns than oil. That is forcing them to keep a tight rein on expenditure.

Still, Shell will continue to reward shareholders. In a statement outlining its energy transition path on Thursday, the company reiterated its commitment to raise the dividend by about 4 percent each year. It will also start share buybacks once net debt falls to $65 billion.
After an hour of keenly and peacefully contested Council of State elections, the incumbent Council of State member in the Ashanti Region, Nana Owusu Achiaw who happens to be the Chief of Akrofonso Brempong has been re-elected for another term.



The election which was in accordance with Article 89 of the 1992 constitution saw 8 candidates contesting but prior to the voting two candidates withdrew from the contest leaving 6.



The electoral college was made up of 86 members drawn from the 43 MMDAs in the region.



Along the line, drama and confusion nearly marred the beauty of the election as electoral officers and agents questioned the attitude of some voters who wanted to take pictures of their ballot which according to the officers was against the electoral law.



After the vote cast, the 67-year-old Akronfosohene secured 77 votes out of 86 votes cast, James Nana Prempeh (Assemblyman for Fankyenebra Electoral Area) had 3 votes, Nana Bobie Ansah ll, Chief of Bonwire also had 6 votes with the rest of the candidates recording zero votes each.



No rejected ballot was recorded at the end of the exercise. Security forces were deployed at the grounds to ensure maximum security.



The Ashanti Regional Director of Electoral Commission, Mr. Benjamin Bannor- Bio declaring the results said he was satisfied with the level of conduct exhibited by both delegates and candidates for a successful election.



The newly elected Member of Council of State, Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong addressing the media after the declaration promised to continue giving counsel to the President, a counsel that will bring forth development to the region as a whole.

Source: Prince Kwadwo Boadu / Hello FM









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The wave of high-tech companies investing billions of US dollars in Vietnam is already materialising, raising the question for the country on exactly how to absorb all the incoming capital.

Deluge of foreign capital marks strong start to 2021.

Intel Corporation, the US-based manufacturer of semiconductor computer circuits, last week announced injecting an additional $475 million into its plant in Vietnam, taking its total involvement in the country to $1.5 billion.

The new investment will develop complex technologies like manufacturing 5G products and the next generation of Intel Core processors.

Kim Huat Ooi, general manager of Intel Products Vietnam (IPV) said, As of the end of 2020, IPV has shipped more than two billion units to customers worldwide. We are very proud of this milestone, which shows both how important IPV is to helping Intel meet the needs of its customers all around the world and why we continue to invest in our facilities and team here in Vietnam.

The plant is IPVs single largest assembly and test plant globally, with more than 2,700 employees as well as cutting-edge technologies and machinery.

Nguyen Anh Thi, head of the management board at Saigon Hi-Tech Park where the plant is located, highlighted that Intels decision to increase investment indicates its confidence in the workforce and Vietnams reliable investment environment.

Rise of high-tech giants

A number of electronics giants in Vietnam are expanding operations as they seek to diversify their supply chains. In the middle of January, Foxconn received an investment certificate to build a $270-million Fukang Technology plant in the northern province of Bac Giangs Quang Chau Industrial Zone (IZ) to manufacture eight million laptops and tablets annually.

Foxconn Vietnam general director Harry Zhuo said as of December, the company had invested $1.5 billion in Vietnam, including $900 million in Bac Giang, creating 35,000 jobs. The company is planning to inject an additional $700 million in 2021 and create a further 10,000 jobs, added Zhuo.

In addition to Bac Giang, Foxconn is setting sights on the central provine of Thanh Hoa, and along with other tech giants such as Heesung Electronics, Goertek Technology, Mitac Computer, and Luxshare ICT Vietnam, Foxconn has met with Hanoi authorities to find investment opportunities related to high technologies thanks to favourable conditions like high-quality human resources and proximity to international airports.

Luxshare is also developing its second project in Bac Giangs Van Trung IZ with a total investment sum of $190 million, and is expanding a project in the central province of Nghe An.

In another case, Chinese acoustic components company Goertek has just visited the northern province of Thai Nguyen to look for new prospects, with a factory manufacturing headsets, microphones, speakers, AirPods, and phone components for Samsung and Apple.

Meanwhile, Capital United, an investment advisor and real estate financial services firm from the United States, met Thai Nguyen provincial leaders and proposed to develop an industrial and technology centre on 900 hectares and the total investment of $390 million to set up a location for companies in IT, high-tech, light and clean industries, and logistics.

US investors are always good at catching up on trends and seizing opportunities. They have surely seen something attractive and profitable here, along with the wave of technology companies arriving at Vietnam, said Van Duc Phu, representative of the Foreign Investment Agencys (FIA) Investment Promotion Centre for North Vietnam.

Retaining the wave

A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit has indicated that Vietnam has emerged as an attractive foreign direct investment (FDI) destination in Asia, beating China and India to become a new hub for low-cost manufacturing in Asian supply chains.

Indeed, over the last two years, the trend of technology companies entering Vietnam has been strong. Huge investors arriving in the country in the first wave such as Samsung and LG are now expanding their investment and facilities, not only for manufacturing lines and factories but also research and development centres.

Panasonic of Japan has also decided to end the production of washing machines and refrigerators in Thailand and move it to a consolidated appliance assembly facility in Vietnam.

In addition to Foxconn and Luxshare, Pegatron has invested $500 million in Haiphong city in the north to produce electronics components (motherboards, graphic cards, laptops, netbooks, cable modems, and smartphones); while Wistron has forked out $273 million in the northern province of Ha Nam to manufacture electronics devices as well as networking and communication products.

Besides these, numerous well-known high-tech investors were already present in Vietnam like Universal Global Technology (Taiwan) which has a facility in Haiphong. In Bac Giang, three projects have just received investment certificates  Ja Solar PV Vietnam (of Hong Kongs Ja Solar Investment Ltd.), Risesun New Material Vietnam, and Vietnam Kodi New Material (by Singapores Risesun Investment Pte., Ltd.) with the combined investment of $300 million.

Such moves are always followed by billions of US dollars in projects by suppliers and supporting firms tagging along.

However, economist Tran Dinh Thien remains concerned. Although Vietnam has prepared carefully, including policies, incentives, infrastructure, energy, land, and human resources, to welcome these investments, administrative procedures still need to be simplified, human resources improved, and infrastructure modernised, said Thien.

The report from the Economist Intelligence Unit suggested that factors that place Vietnam above its peers are the available incentives for international investors to set up units to manufacture high-tech products, the pool of low-cost workers, and the proliferation of free trade agreements.

Vietnam has scored higher than both India and China in FDI-related policies, as well as higher than India in terms of their respective labour markets. The report also raises a bright outlook for Vietnam to offer generous arrangements for international corporations with incentives for investment.

Additionally, the FIA has been having discussions with Japan about a potential cooperation in training employees. This will significantly contribute to enhancing the quality of human resources, meeting more requirements of foreign investors, and improving the competitiveness of the country.

The new investment from Intel is expected to encourage more Japanese investors and suppliers to Vietnam, and Vietnam is ready in all aspects to welcome both Japanese and all other investors, as well as absorb the investment as best as possible, said Phu from the FIA.

As of January 20, total newly-registered capital, added capital, and capital contribution/share purchasing was $2.02 billion, equalling 37.8 per cent on-year. If excluding the $4-billion liquefied natural gas project in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu registered in January 2020, the total investment this month will be 51.7 per cent higher than in the same month last year. This included 47 newly-registered projects (down 81.8 per cent on-year), with the total investment of over $1.3 billion (decreasing by 70.3 per cent on-year). Besides these, 46 projects (reducing by 40.3 per cent on-year) adjusted registered capital with the total value of $472.2 million (up 41.4 per cent). Additionally, there were 194 capital contribution and share purchasing (down 78.1 per cent on-year) with a total of $220.8 million (decreasing by 58.7 per cent). Disbursement of foreign-invested projects in January 2021 was $1.51 billion, a rise of 4.1 per cent on-year. Some major new moves in January involve Chinas Radian tyre manufacturing project in the south-western province of Tay Ninh adding $312 million into registered investment; Singapores Kodi New Material Vietnam registering $270 million in Bac Giang province; Chinas JA Solar PV Vietnam investing $210 million in Bac Giang; and Hong Kongs Everwin Precision Vietnam pouring $200 million into Nghe An Province. (Source: Foreign Investment Agency)

Nguyen Huong (VIR)

Intel channels additional $475 million into Vietnam Intel had poured an additional 475 million USD into Intel Products Vietnam (IPV), its single-largest assembly and test plant within the Intel Assembly and Test (ATM) network, IPV Director of Finance Alan Danner said on January 27.
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID

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On Thursday morning, Luxembourg City councilman and MP Serge Wilmes was a guest on RTL Radio.

Wilmes lamented that the frequent discussions CSV president Frank Engel triggers tend to draw attention away from CSV's policies and agenda. However, similar to party leader Martine Hansen, Wilmes was unwilling to answer whether or not he believes that Engel should remain in his current role. Wilmes noted that so far, nobody in the party had stepped up to announce their interest in taking over the position of CSV president. He also conveyed that he himself will most likely not run for the position, although one should "never say never". A final decision will be taken during the party's national congress on 24 April.

In 2023, Wilmes intends to lead his party as front-runner during the municipal elections. He explained that it will be important to present a united front, in which all elected CSV officials have their say and get an opportunity to make their mark. The councilman especially praised CSV leader Martine Hansen for being able to implement these collective values.

Wilmes also talked about the continuous debates between the Luxembourg City council and the government, most notably in relation to the hiring of a private security firm in the Gare district. He believes that police support should be reinforced to combat the feeling of danger in the neighbourhood, especially as residents have been complaining about the issue for years. Wilmes emphasised that the polemic around the topic had been triggered by Minister for Internal Security Henri Kox, not the Luxembourg City council. Rather than focusing on policy disputes, Wilmes underlined the necessity for constructive dialogue between all involved parties, allowing them to find a long-term solution.
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Photo: The Canadian Press The Senate of Canada's chamber is pictured in Ottawa, Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. Senators will be burning the midnight oil tonight as they continue debating and proposing amendments to a bill that would expand access to medical assistance in dying. CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Senators want the federal government to collect race-based data on who requests and receives medical assistance in dying in Canada.

They approved Thursday an amendment to Bill C-7 requiring the government to collect such data.

The bill would expand access to assisted dying to intolerably suffering individuals who are not near the natural end of their lives.

The amendment reflects concern that Black, racialized and Indigenous people with disabilities, already marginalized and facing systemic discrimination in the health system, could be induced to end their lives prematurely due to poverty and lack of support services.

Sen. Mobina Jaffer, a member of the Independent Senators Group who proposed the amendment, noted that no race-based analysis was done when the bill was being drafted.

"One in four people have been left out of the data collection," she told the Senate.

Her amendment was widely supported and passed on a voice vote with no objections, other than the government's representative in the Senate, Sen. Marc Gold, saying that he wanted to abstain.

Sen. Kim Pate, another member of the Independent Senators Group, said the amendment won't ensure that no one opts for an assisted death as a result of unequal access to health care, housing and social and income supports.

But she said it will ensure that "the government must at least provide some answers about who makes use of Bill C-7 and under what circumstances."

Pate said the government should also be required to provide more information on who accesses assisted dying, including income, whether they are institutionalized and whether they had access to alternative means of relieving their suffering and to social and financial supports.

Such information could have been provided had a legally mandated parliamentary review of the five-year-old assisted dying law begun in June as it was supposed to. Numerous senators expressed frustration that they're being asked to revamp the law before the promised review has even begun.

Justice Minister David Lametti has blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for disrupting plans for the review but, while he's said he hopes it can begin soon, he's been unable to promise a specific start time.

Senators took matters into their own hands Thursday, approving another amendment requiring that a joint parliamentary committee be struck within 30 days of the bill receiving royal assent to conduct a comprehensive review of Canada's assisted dying regime. The committee would report back by Sept. 15 or, if Parliament is prorogued or dissolved for an election before then, within 180 days of the committee being re-established.

"Passing C-7 with a hope and a wish or even a promise that the review will happen seems to me to be a poor bet," said Sen. Scott Tannas, leader of the Canadian Senators Group who proposed the amendment.

"We need to be clear, in writing, in the bill."

Senators rejected Thursday, by a vote of 63-12, with three abstentions, another amendment that would have made it a criminal offence to compel anyone to provide or "facilitate" an assisted death.

Conservative Senate leader Don Plett proposed the amendment in a bid to ensure that medical practitioners who have moral objections to assisted dying are not required to refer a patient who requests an assisted death to another practitioner who will help them  as is required in some provinces.

But Gold and other senators argued that such an amendment would likely be an unconstitutional use of the federal criminal law power to invade provincial jurisdiction over the regulation of health services.

Thursday's debate wrapped up the time allotted for amendments to be proposed. However, debate on one amendment, proposed by Sen. Marilou McPhedran of the Independent Senators Groups, was cut short after Gold asked the Speaker to rule it out of order.

Debate and vote on that amendment could still occur next week if it is ruled in order.

McPhedran proposed to delete all provisions in the bill that would allow assisted dying for people who are not nearing the natural end of life. She argued that such provisions single out people with disabilities and send the message that having a disability is "a fate worse than death."

However, Gold argued that McPhedran's amendment is directly contrary to the objective of Bill C-7, which is intended to bring the law into compliance with a 2019 Quebec Superior Court ruling.

That ruling struck down a provision in the law that allows assisted dying only for individuals whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable.

After the ruling on McPhedran's amendment, the Senate will begin final debate Tuesday on the bill, as amended by senators, with a final vote to take place by the end of the day Wednesday.

The schedule is intended to give the government time to meet the thrice-extended court-imposed deadline of Feb. 26.

Earlier this week, senators approved several substantial amendments to the bill, including one that would allow people who fear losing mental capacity to make advance requests for assisted death and another that would impose an 18-month time limit on the bill's proposed ban on assisted dying for people suffering solely from mental illnesses.

If senators approve an amended bill next week, it will have to go back to the House of Commons to decide whether to accept or reject the changes and then back to the Senate to decide whether to accept the Commons' verdict.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Smart Solar Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 15.8% from 2020 to 2027 and reach the market value of over US$ 38,988.8 Mn by 2027.



The term smart is used with the solar system to describe the devices that can communicate over the internet. The smart solar system provides various features like it allows user to monitor solar energy production and performance from anywhere in the world by using the internet or mobile phone connectivity, allows user to control devices in the home particularly to optimize the production of solar energy, and smart solar system provides visibility and insights into energy production and consumption that allows user to both decreases overall energy consumption and maximize the value of the solar investment.

The global smart solar market is segmented based on services, applications, solutions, components, and geography. Based on services, the market is divided into demand response services, consultation services, system integration, and deployment services, support, and maintenance services. Smart solar has applications across the commercial & industrial (C&I) and residential sectors.



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Based on solutions, the market is bifurcated into asset management, network monitoring, meter data management, remote metering, and others. By components, the smart solar market is divided into supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, smart metering devices, and radio frequency identification (RFID).

In 2019, North America held the major share (%) in the smart solar market, and the region is also estimated to continue with dominance during the estimated period. The increasing cost of electricity, whereas the rising focus towards the usage of green energy is supporting the growth of regional market value. The major developed economies of the region US and Canada are the major contributors to the regional market growth. Major US cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Honolulu, Phoenix, Albuquerque, San Jose, Burlington, and San Antonio are rapidly turning to solar to meet their energy needs. Additionally, the cities have doubled their installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity since 2013.

View Table Of Content Of This Report@ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/smart-solar-market

Asia Pacific is projected to exhibit the fastest growth with major CAGR (%) over the forecast period in the smart solar market. The fastest growth is expected to be lead by major economies of the region including Japan, China, Australia, and India. In Australia, more than 1.5 million solar homes are taking advantage of smart technology at a relatively low installation cost.

Some of the leading competitors are ABB Group, Aclara Software, Cooper Industries, Echelon, GE Power, HCL Technologies, Itron, Inc., Schneider Electric, Sensus, Siemens AG, Silver Spring Networks, Inc, Smart Solar Solutions LLC, Sun Power, Trilliant, Inc, and Urban Green Energy. Smart Solar companies have announced mergers and acquisitions, partnerships & collaborations, and new product development to uplift their position in the smart solar industry. Major players are also moving into new regions with their advanced technologies for gaining a competitive advantage as well as for helping more regions to meet their sustainable energy goals.

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Some Of The Key Observations Regarding Smart Solar Industry Include:

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) of India is set to install a smart solar flower at VMRDA Park (Vuda Park). The new installation is planned within the ongoing renovation works in 2020 with the sanctioned fund of around Rs 40lakh. The smart flower works on a similar mechanism as the sunflower and its a ground-mounted solar system that follows the sun all day.





Mestron Holdings Bhd. is collaborating with Samdo Smart Solar and has signed a joint venture agreement in December 2020. The strategic move is aiming to jointly undertake engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) services for six solar power systems for telecommunication towers in Malaysia.





A start-up founded by researchers at the University of Exeter has won funding from the Sustainable Innovation Fund in December 2020. The funding is intended to explore the use of solar wall technology across rail networks. The UK has over 20,000 miles of narrow rail corridors and over 10,000 building assets within the country's rail infrastructure. According to the researchers, its an opportunity to use solar walls for delivering renewable energy for the electrification of transport in near future.



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The number of prisoners in custody in Victoria has flatlined, raising questions about the state governments $1.8 billion jail building and refurbishment program.

In December 2020 there were 7082 prisoners in Victorian jails, the lowest number since April 2017 when the prison population dropped to 7042. Prison numbers peaked in January 2019 with 8216 in custody.

The Olearia Unit at Barwon Prison is the highest-security unit in Victoria. Credit:Jason South

The governments pre-COVID projections envisaged prisoner numbers reaching 11,000 by 2023, and it has committed to building the Chisholm Road maximum security prison near Barwon Prison, which has capacity for more than 1200 inmates. The state is also expanding five jails, including a $134 million upgrade at Barwon.

Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council chair Arie Freiberg questioned the need for the Chisholm Road jail, asking do we need this facility in the long term?
If anyone was unsure whether Joe Biden would adopt a hard line on China, his first phone call with Xi Jinping should leave no one in doubt.

Bidens posture on China, so far, has been good for Australia.

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in 2015. Credit:AP

There seemed to be a view floating around in sections of the Australian commentariat in recent weeks that Bidens re-engagement with Beijing could leave Canberra in the dark.

Former public service chief Martin Parkinson on Wednesday said the election of the new US President would make it even more difficult for Australia to manage its deteriorating relationship with Beijing because the US had maintained open channels of dialogue.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - KWG Resources Inc. (CSE: KWG) (CSE: KWG.A) (FSE: KW6) ("KWG" or the "Company") and its railroad subsidiary Canada Chrome Corporation ("CCC") confirm their support of regional development in the Ring of Fire business plan that they propound.

"Now that railroader Tony Marquis has joined us, our next step is to ask for the purchase order at the Canada-USA Critical Minerals Task Force," said KWG CEO Frank Smeenk. "Then we can all get busy making North America secure in chromium and making Canada's Matawa treaty lands into a unique strategic force in global stainless-steel production."

Added Canada Chrome COO Marquis, "It is perhaps appropriate now to have the Matawa First Nations represented at the Critical Minerals Task Force table on Canada's side, given that this crucial trade commodity is found entirely within their traditional territory. Surely that gives them standing to both seek and sell the customer. Their doing so could certainly give much confidence to the buyer and to the capital markets."

About KWG:

KWG is the Operator of the Black Horse Joint Venture ('JV') after acquiring a vested 50% interest through Bold Ventures Inc ('Bold') from Fancamp Exploration Ltd ('Fancamp'). KWG funds all JV exploration expenditures and Bold is carried for a 20% interest in KWG's interest. KWG has also received patents in Canada, South Africa and Kazakhstan and is prosecuting patent applications in India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and the USA for the direct reduction of chromite to metalized iron and chrome using natural gas and an accelerant. It has also received a USA patent for production of low carbon chromium iron alloys.

Canada Chrome Corporation:

CCC is a wholly owned subsidiary of KWG which has staked claims and conducted a surveying and soil testing program, originally for the engineering and construction of a railroad to the Ring of Fire from Aroland, Ontario. Its COO Tony Marquis has been a top tier executive with both Canadian National Railroad and Canadian Pacific Railroad, where he played an integral role in the two most successful railroad turnarounds in North America. At both companies, he worked closely with his mentor, the legendary Hunter Harrison, who led both railroads to becoming the most efficient in the industry.

For further information, please contact:

Bruce Hodgman, Vice-President: 416-642-3575 ~ info@kwgresources.com

Forward-Looking Statements: Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and KWG disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities that may be described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74352
ZURICH (dpa-AFX) - MBIA Inc. (MBI) said that its subsidiary, MBIA Insurance Corp., has entered into an agreement to settle the litigation it filed in 2009 against Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and certain affiliated entities over residential mortgage-backed securities. The settlement followed a post-trial decision by the Court awarding MBIA Corp. about $604 million in damages. As per the settlement, Credit Suisse has paid MBIA Corp. $600 million. Following the agreement to settle the case, the Court dismissed the action, MBIA said. Last month, Credit Suisse said it expects to post a fourth-quarter loss after the Swiss bank set aside an extra $850 million for litigation linked to residential mortgage-backed securities stretching back to the financial crisis. 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.
PORTLAND, Ore.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Ron Wyden plans to hold virtual town halls for residents of both Jackson and Douglas counties later this month, the lawmaker's office announced on Thursday.

A series of online meetings are being hosted by the Town Hall Project for Multnomah, Marion, Douglas, and Jackson counties this month. The latter two will both be held on February 20.

Wyden's office says that they have postponed in-person town halls until public health COVID-19 guidelines allow for them, and the Senator has been holding virtual meetings since the pandemic began.

A fresh start with a new administration and Senate still in its first weeks makes it especially important to hear directly now from Oregonians about their thoughts and priorities going forward, Wyden said. While COVID-19 health precautions require a temporary hold on in-person town halls, I appreciate Town Hall Project for allowing these conversations to continue online throughout our state. Listening to Oregonians is essential to doing my job and a key piece of the Oregon Way that focuses on finding solutions to tough challenges.

The Douglas County town hall will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 20 (link here to watch), with the Jackson County town hall taking place on the same day at 2:30 p.m. (link here to watch).

People who have questions for the Senator to be addressed at the upcoming town halls can submit them here.

Wyden's office says that he has held 970 in-person town halls to date, with the pledge of holding at least one per year in each of Oregon's 36 counties.
An emotional Liz Hayes has opened up to the nation about the story the senior 60 Minutes reporter considers her 'most important' in her life.

Her father, Bryan Ryan, died aged 88 after suffering a stroke while recovering from pneumonia in a private hospital in Taree, northern New South Wales, on September 11, 2020.

Investigations found that a blood-thinning medication, Aprixaban, prescribed to prevent stroke in people with heart disorders was not given to her father for eight days.

That fatal decision was later revealed to be 'a medical error'.

60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes and her late father, Bryan (pictured) in a family photo

Hayes says her father was first hospitalised for pneumonia in late August, where several 'medication errors' were made.

Despite the problems, he managed to recover until disaster struck at the Mayo Private Hospital two weeks later.

'Another dreadful error was made,' Hayes says.

'My dad died as a result of a medical error. He didn't receive vital medication while he was staying in a hospital for eight days, the entire time he was there.'

Bryan had been taking Apixaban to thin his blood and reduce the risk of a stroke.

'It was the kind of error that is unforgivable. The kind of error you would think would never happen,' his daughter explained.

'People are human, we know that, but for my father simply not to get his medication because somebody forgot to write it down... was a shocking moment.'

She explained the issue became the basis for the most important story of her career as she worked to expose a scandal in regional hospitals.

Ryan and another journalist, the ABCs Jamelle Wells, whose own father's death at 85 had left her with questions, worked together to investigate failings.

They uncovered a healthcare system in rural Australia with big gaps, where fatalities can occur and people in need fall through - in a way which wouldn't have happened in a metropolitan area.

At the time her father died, a nurse involved told her: 'I'm a nurse because that's what happened to my dad.'

'I thought to myself, "I can't walk away from this",' Hayes said.

An emotional Liz Hayes opens up about the death of her father, Bryan, at 88 in 2020 due to a medical error

Liz Hayes (pictured, right) said the story - inspired by the death of her father - was the most important of her career

'This is a story I have to tell because it's so wrong, because it also happens to so many others, but it happens to happen to so many others in rural settings.'

Hayes interviewed New South Wales Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, to grill him on the effectiveness of the rural health system. That interview is shown on 60 Minutes.

Half of all injuries, disabilities and even deaths that occur as a result of medical errors could be prevented, research suggests.

A 2019 review of 70 studies found 12 per cent of patients all over the world experience some degree of 'harm' during their treatment.

Half of these cases  six per cent of patients  could have been prevented by improved diagnosis, surgical techniques or infection prevention, the review found.

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After experiencing the greatest economic contraction in the European Union, Spain is set to make its biggest comeback.

The European Commission on Thursday released its Winter 2021 Forecast, raising Spains gross domestic product (GDP) growth prospects for this year to 5.6%, three-tenths of a point higher than previously expected.

Because the recession in 2020 was not as deep as expected, and thanks to the breakthroughs regarding vaccines, we now project the EU economy will return to its pre-crisis GDP level already in 2022 EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni

For 2022, the EU executive is forecasting GDP growth of 5.3%, up from the previous figure of 4.8%. These numbers put Spain in the lead for economic growth in Europe.

Even so, Brussels believes that by late 2022 Spain still wont have recovered its pre-pandemic GDP levels. It also warned the country faces a surge in corporate insolvencies as government support measures are phased out.

The European Commissions forecast falls below the Spanish governments own estimate of 7.2% growth, although Brussels notes that it did not take into account the impact of the European recovery fund, which will offer Spain as much as 140 billion in grants and loans. Madrid estimates that this financial boost will add 2.1% to the growth rate.

Cautious optimism

Brussels report denotes a certain amount of optimism  with many caveats  after Germany and Spain ended 2020 in a better position than expected.

While the outlook for the near term looks weaker than expected last autumn, growth in the European economy is set to resume this spring and gather momentum in the summer, as progress in vaccinations allows for a gradual unfreezing of economic activity, reads the report, even as it warns about the possibility of a resurgence of infections that would delay recovery once more.

The Commission said that GDP growth in the EU will be 3.7% in 2021 and 3.9% in 2022. For the euro zone, it is forecasting the same growth rate of 3.8% in both years.

Because the recession in 2020 was not as deep as expected, and thanks to the breakthroughs regarding vaccines, we now project the EU economy will return to its pre-crisis GDP level already in 2022, said Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni at the news conference to present the forecast.

Tourism: a slow recovery

A demonstration by hospitality workers in Toledo against coronavirus restrictions. Ismael Herrero / EFE

The report notes, however, that recovery will not be the same across countries. The recovery is set to be uneven across member states. This mainly reflects differences in the structure of each economy and the relative importance of tourism and leisure activities, said Gentiloni. This is the case in Spain, where tourism is a main contributor to GDP. The sector has keenly felt the impact of the coronavirus crisis, which reduced visitor numbers to a trickle last year.

The report talks about a soft recovery of tourism in Spain this year, while in 2022, the tourism recovery is expected to gain momentum, with most impediments to activity fully lifted.

Exports, investment and domestic demand are also expected to pick up again as restrictions are progressively lifted. But the study warns about the risk of a surge in company insolvencies as policy support measures are also removed, mainly concentrated in those sectors most affected by activity restrictions.

English version by Susana Urra.

The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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May 2005: Star Wars: Episode III  Revenge of the Sith was released, as Jedi Knights Obi-Wan and Yoda were forced into hiding from the Galactic Empire. Also that month  though not in a galaxy far, far away  the last list of recommended base realignments and closures, or BRAC, was delivered to Congress.

Sixteen years later, another Star Wars trilogy has come out. But BRAC hasnt been so lucky. Lawmakers have rejected it at least five times, despite multiple budget requests by the Pentagon.

Congress hasnt merely stonewalled these requests. It has requested three different studies of Department of Defense infrastructure which  when received  promptly have been smothered in the bowels of the Capitol. Ironically, each of these studies show that the department is sitting on a significant amount of excess infrastructure, costing billions of extra dollars each year.

Its especially rich that Congress, which never misses an opportunity to bash the Pentagon for being wasteful, repeatedly denies it the ability to adjust facilities to meet current missions.

But there may be some light at the end of the BRAC tunnel. The confirmation of a new deputy secretary of defense, Dr. Kathleen Hicks, brings a defense leader who publicly has advocated another round of base realignments and closures to help the department become more efficient.

In her February 2020 Foreign Affairs article discussing the nations defense budget, Hicks stated that (i)t has been 15 years since the last round of closures, and it is long past time for another one, which, after some upfront costs, could save several billion dollars every year.

Back in the summer of 2017, Hicks also joined a bipartisan open letter on the need to authorize a new round of BRAC. That letter had a very clear call: Congress should grant our military the authority to eliminate waste, and ensure that vital defense resources flow to where they are most needed. That call is as relevant now as it was in 2017.

In the advance policy questions Hicks received from Congress prior to her hearings, she was asked about BRAC. In those answers she leaned in on the importance of maintaining what makes the process work. In her own words: The key will be maintaining the essence of the BRAC process by treating all installations equally, ( having) an independent commission, (and keeping) the priority of military value.

Congress can and should alter the elements that have not worked in the past, from the scope of the recommended actions to the costs of the process. Its basically a matter of facing the reality of the Pentagons excess infrastructure and deciding to do something about it.

Further, a new BRAC round would allow military leaders to evaluate installations in the light of a new defense strategy that is fundamentally different from the strategy that guided the last 20 years. Military value, the main criteria to evaluate a military installation, is not a static measure.

The needs and expectations that we have for our nations military installations have changed in the last 16 years. Theres even a new military service with its unique installation needs  the Space Force.

It is past time that we reevaluate our military installations and how they meet the needs of our country. Now, as with most things in Washington, its a matter of political will. With Hicks on board, lets hope it can finally get done  preferably before the next Star Wars movie is out.
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Earlier this week, Twitter gave in to the Indian governments demands of blocking or deactivating accounts identified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY). A report published by Medianama shows 62 accounts that were removed from the platform in India that includes some prominent figures. The list was disclosed by Twitter to Lumen Database and it includes a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, politicians from the Aam Aadmi Party and the Indian National Congress.

 Reuters

Indias MeitY ordered Twitter to deactivate problematic accounts in the country in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India. It is worth pointing out that these accounts are only inaccessible in India and are still viewable for the rest of the world.

 Reuters

We have withheld a portion of the accounts identified in the blocking orders under our Country Withheld Content policy within India only. These accounts continue to be available outside of India. Because we do not believe that the actions we have been directed to take are consistent with Indian law, and, in keeping with our principles of defending protected speech and freedom of expression, Twitter said in a blog post earlier this week. The social media giant also said that the platform blocked over 500 accounts that were engaged in platform manipulation and spam.

 Unsplash/joshua-hoehne

Here are some of the accounts that were blocked in India by Twitter. Some of these accounts may not belong to the individuals they name according to Medianama. It is also worth noting that none of the accounts below have been verified by Twitter and did not have a blue tick. Heres the original list as compiled by Medianama below:



1. Chaudhary Sukhram Singh Yadav, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (account withheld in India, along with this tweet.)

2. Deepak Bansal, State Executive Member, Aam Aadmi Party Rajasthan (account withheld in India, along with one particular tweet with the #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide hashtag, reading In making a hero out of himself, Yogi Adityanath has ruined the future of his MLAs.)

3. Anand Singh, member of Aam Aadmi Party (account deleted)

4. Abnit Kaur Bal, Chicago-based Twitter user with #SupportFarmers in bio (account withheld in India)

5. @AdilKhanINC (account deleted)

6. @AnilAAP (identity unclear) (account withheld in India)

7. Anjana Om Modi (Parody Account of newscaster Anjana Om Kashyap, with over 13,000 followers) (account withheld in India)

8. A fifteen year old student activist (account withheld in India, along with a now-deleted tweet)

9. @Ankita__INC, a self-described Former District Coordinator for the National Students Union of India, with almost 4,400 followers (account withheld in India, along with a now-deleted tweet)

10. @AvirWithRG, a pro-Congress account (account withheld in India)

11. @BalasahebGajbh2 (account deleted)

12. Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta) (Ugrahan), a prominent farmer union from Punjab with over 14,000 followers (account withheld in India)

13. CP Gurjar, Member of Indian National Congress in Rajasthan (account and this tweet withheld in India)

14. Davinder Singh, self-described farmer (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring a video posted by a different account with an injured farmer.)

15. Harsh Kookna, Channel Head, DPK News (account deleted)

16. @Girish195779 (account withheld in India, along with this tweet calling for the repeal of the farming laws passed recently.)

17. Gurpreet Singh, artist in Bathinda, Punjab (account withheld in India, along with this tweet with pictures of protestors in Bathinda)

18. @HanumanInc (account withheld in India)

19. @inc_priya (account deleted)

20. @Manju_SWM, self-described Farmer, Social activist, Indian Adiwasi (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring the same video as the one posted by user 13.)

21. @INCSandeepkumar

22. @indijaswal, Canada-based user with over 40,000 followers (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring a collage of an injured protester.)

23. Rajat Singh, Student, Banaras Hindu University (account withheld in India)

24. @irajpreet06 (account withheld in India, along with this tweet with a video version of the collage posted by user 21.)

25. @IStandWithAAP (account withheld in India)

26. @jaggapunjab (account withheld in India, along with this tweet with a picture of a protester.)

27. Dilip Kumar, Member, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (account withheld in India)

28. @jAs_0821 (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring a picture comparing the murder of George Floyd and what appears to be an Indian protestor being trampled on.)

29 .Abhishek Chaudhary, Law Student (account withheld in India, along with this tweet)

30. @jobanjit1131 (account withheld in India, along with this tweet)

31. @JasGKaur (account deleted)

32. @JoeKingINC (account withheld in India, along with this tweet)

33. @Karmvir47187885 (account withheld in India)

34. This tweet by the Kisan Ekta Morcha calling on people to use the #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide hashtag was withheld in India, though the account itself remains accessible as Twitter refused to block access to it.

35. @kuldipram4 (account withheld in India, along with this tweet)

36. @manavjivan, self-described translator with over 100,000 followers (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring snippets from news channels.)

37. @mandeepjassi1 (account deleted)

38. @MdToush77506104 (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring a parody interview with Modi on the protests.)

39. A possibly underage student with over 5,000 followers.

40. Navneet Kaur Sohi (account withheld in India, along with this tweet appearing to show pictures of clashes between police and protestors.)

41. @nirraishq (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring the same video posted by users 13 and 19.)

42. Punit Balduwa, Member, Indian National Congress (account withheld in India, along with this tweet allegedly showing an interaction between a BJP politician and a woman.)

43. Nitin Kala, State Secretary and Social Media Coordinator, Assam Pradesh Youth Congress

44. @priyancapatil8 (account deleted)

45. Priyanka Nayak, State General Secretary, Delhi Youth Congress (along with this tweet directed at Home Minister Amit Shah saying we wont budge.)

46. Rabiul Hassan, Former District Coordinator, National Students Union of India (account withheld in India, along with a since-deleted tweet)

47. Rajendra Singh Parihar, Media Coordinator for TS Singh Deo, Chhattisgarhs Health Minister (account withheld in India)

48. Rana Bal, Executive Member  Social Media Department, Indian National Congress Punjab (account itself unaffected, but this tweet has been withheld in India)

49. @reallyabhi_inc (account deleted)

50. @sachin74814851 (account withheld in India, along with this tweet)

51. Saleem Sherani (account withheld in India, along with a now-deleted tweet)

52. @Sandeepnewsman (account deleted)

53 .Satinderpal Singh Bhullar (account withheld in India, along with two tweets)

54. @Satveer12924394 (account deleted)

55. Satvinder Kaur Virk (account withheld in India, along with this tweet featuring an injured protestor)

56. @shanti0207 (account withheld in India)

57. @SPSSM (account withheld in India, along with this tweet)

58. Sukhmandeep Singh (account withheld in India, along with this tweet saying they cannot stop us!)

59. Manik Goyal (account withheld in India)

60. @True__Hindu (account deleted)

61. Vikram Singh Sachan, Member, Indian National Congress (account withheld in India, along with this tweet)

62. Waseem Ahemed, General Secretary, Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress; Co-Convener North-East Delhi IT Cell (account withheld in India)

Many other accounts as a part of the second list were also removed which included accounts from Pakistan or from users wanting an independent Khalistan. You can view the additional list of blocked accounts here.

Source: Medianama
A record number of beavers will be released across the UK this year despite concern from farmers over the animal's impact on agriculture.

Around 20 beavers will be released in 2021, according to the Wildlife Trusts, with the first releases taking place in Dorset earlier this week.

Plans by the environmental charity in Derbyshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Nottinghamshire and Montgomeryshire will see beavers moving into these areas for the first time.

The Wildlife Trusts have been at the forefront of beaver reintroduction ever since Kent Wildlife Trust released the first pair into a fenced area of fenland in 2001, followed by the Scottish Beaver Trial in 2009.

The animals, native to mainland Britain, were hunted to extinction in the 16th century by people who wanted their fur, meat and and scent glands.

But farming industry groups have repeatedly highlighted concerns over beaver reintroduction plans, as the consequences on agriculture could be severe.

Beavers in the wild could have potentially serious implications on farmland such as land drains being blocked in lowland arable areas, the NFU has said.

The union has contributed to the English Beaver Strategy Working Group and called for an English Beaver Strategy, a long-term plan for restoring beaver populations.

NFU environment forum chairman, Phil Jarvis said any species introduction could have a 'massive impact on the countryside and farming'.

"Beaver activity can undermine riverbanks and impede farmland drainage, making fields too waterlogged for cropping or grazing.

"This seriously hinders farmers ability to produce food for the nation," Mr Jarvis said.

Recent releases by the Wildlife Trusts include in Cheshire, where a pair of beavers were reintroduced in November 2020 at Hatch Mere Lake.

Also in 2020, Cumbria Wildlife Trust was involved in the reintroduction of two beavers to an enclosure at the Lowther Estate in the Lake District.

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said that the planned releases this year would 'inject new life into wild places'.

"The benefits for people are clear  beavers help stop flooding downstream, filter out impurities and they create new homes for otters, water voles and kingfishers.

"Whats more, people love seeing them and their presence boosts tourism in the countryside."

Around 20 beavers will be released this year including to a project in Wales. The first of the years releases took place in Dorset this week.
Under Mr. Xi, the partys traditionally suspicious stance against businesspeople who are politically active or outspoken has worsened. Wang Gongquan, a former venture capitalist who financed advocacy for more liberal social and political policies, was among the first high-profile individuals jailed after Mr. Xi came to power. Ren Zhiqiang, a retired real estate tycoon, was sentenced last year to 18 years in prison after he repeatedly criticized Mr. Xis policies, including the governments mishandling of the early days of the coronavirus outbreak.

In private chatrooms and behind closed doors, some people are asking what signal Beijing is sending to the private sector by arresting Mr. Sun. Outspoken and generous, Mr. Sun is in some ways the model of the civic-minded businessman the party extols. He has built a town  Dawu City  around his companys campus in rural Hebei Province, complete with a hospital with 1,000 beds.

My dream, he once said, is to build a modern city in the countryside.

Mr. Sun, 66, was born in Xushui, in Hebei Province, about a two-hour drive south of Beijing. He joined the Peoples Liberation Army after graduating from middle school. He left the army eight years later and moved back to his hometown to work at the state-owned Agricultural Bank of China.

A curious and restless soul, he studied college law and took Chinese literature courses in his spare time. In 1985, he quit his banking job and started a business with 1,000 chickens and 50 pigs. His company, Dawu Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Group, now employs about 9,000 people, many from nearby villages.

As his business grew, Mr. Sun sought out liberal intellectuals in Beijing. By the spring of 2003, he was becoming a voice for farmers and entrepreneurs rights, giving speeches at top Chinese universities.

After irritating the authorities, he was arrested on accusations of illegal fund-raising. His new friends leapt to his defense. Legal scholars argued that the law he was accused of violating had been written in a way that gave the authorities broad discretion to charge businessmen who fell out of favor.

Liu Xiaobo, the human rights activist who later became a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and who died in prison in 2017, explained then that Mr. Sun poses a tremendous challenge for the current system. As an entrepreneur, wrote Mr. Liu, Mr. Sun despised bribery, had the financial resources to act independently and had the courage to speak up and urge political reform.
On a warm June evening in Camden, five teens and preteens followed a homeless man into an alley behind the PATCO tracks, according to court documents unsealed Friday. The group exited the alley minutes later, leaving their victim bloodied and brutalized after a fatal beating with pieces of concrete.

Those five suspects, one as young as 12, were arrested in the weeks after. One of them, Tresjure Knight, bragged about the attack to her friends, texting them that she had caught [her] first body, according to the affidavit of probable cause in her arrest.

Though she has been in custody since June, Knight, 17, is now being charged as an adult for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and desecration of human remains, prosecutors said Friday.

Knight, of Pennsville, Salem County, also filmed the attack and its aftermath, taunting Bobby J. Hill Jr., a homeless man well-known to those working in outreach in the city, as he lay prone saying, This is what we doin ... in all 2020, the affidavit said.

 READ MORE: Teens charged in beating death of homeless man in Camden

The upgrading of those charges out of juvenile court provided the first detailed look into the specifics of Hills death.

Investigators said the group was recorded on surveillance footage leaving a home on Louis Street just before 11 p.m. on June 24. They then walked toward an alley near Kaighn Avenue that Hill, 63, had entered minutes before, the affidavit said.

The suspects then walked with Hill as he exited the alley, and followed him back there when he returned a few minutes later. After a few minutes, Knight and a 15-year-old boy are seen leaving the alley.

Hours later, police were called to the site and found Hills body, the affidavit said. He had cuts on his forehead, as if he had been hit with a rock or something similar, a county medical examiner ruled. Hill also had a broken neck and jaw, and his cause of death was determined to be blunt-force trauma.

Police officers found bloodstained pieces of concrete around his body, which they believe were used in the attack.

Detectives later located a witness, who identified Knight from the surveillance footage, according to the affidavit. The witness said Knight had been planning the attack on Hill for days, and had seen video Knight said she recorded of the killing.

The witness told detectives she had asked Knight why she wanted to kill Hill, and the teens response was that she did not care and does whatever she wants, the affidavit said.

 READ MORE: Juveniles ages 12, 13, and 14 charged in beating death of homeless man in Camden. Five teens now face charges.

A relative of Knights later identified her from the same surveillance footage, and detectives obtained the teens phone through a search warrant. It contained the video of her taunting Hill as he lay unconscious in the alley, according to the affidavit.

Detectives later identified the 15-year-old seen leaving the alley with Knight and took him into custody June 30, police said. The three other suspects, a 12-year-old, 13-year-old, and 14-year-old, were arrested Nov. 24 and charged with homicide.

Their names, and the circumstances of their arrests, were not disclosed by police because they are juveniles.
The public have been urged to cut their social contacts to drive down coronavirus infection rates.

Irelands deputy chief medical officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, said that while progress has been made, transmission of the disease is still extremely high.

A further 23 deaths with Covid-19 were notified on Friday, bringing the national toll to 3,865.

This weekend, please avoid meeting people outside your household. Our social bubble consists of everybody our entire bubble is in contact with. If you have 1 person in your bubble, but that person has 10 people in theirs, you've now got 11 people in your bubble #COVID19 #holdfirm pic.twitter.com/OHgo5vhDok  Dr Ronan Glynn (@ronan_glynn) February 12, 2021

Another 921 confirmed cases of the virus were also notified on Friday.

Of the latest cases, most, 414, were in Dublin, while 87 were in Cork, 51 in Kildare, 48 in Limerick, 47 in Meath and the remaining 274 cases were spread across all other counties.

As of 8am on Friday, there were 959 Covid-positive patients in hospitals, including 173 in ICU.

As of February 9, 248,284 doses of vaccine had been administered.

The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community including daily data on Irelandas COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.https://t.co/lx1E5hp4bL  Department of Health (@roinnslainte) February 12, 2021

This included 158,904 first doses, while 89,380 people had received their second dose.

Dr Glynn made a fresh appeal for people to stay at home and reduce their social contacts.

We have made progress in Ireland over recent weeks, but the rate of transmission of the disease is still extremely high and the risks Covid-19 poses to our vulnerable loved ones have not changed, he said.

Everyone is working hard to drive down Covid-19 infection in the community, and we must all continue to limit the number of daily contacts we have.

Expand Close Garda stop vehicles at a checkpoint on the Irish border between Emyvale and Aughnacloy (Liam McBurney/PA) / Facebook

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The only way to limit the spread of Covid-19 is to limit our social contacts and follow the public health advice, wash our hands, maintain a social distance, wear a face covering where appropriate, work from home and stay at home.

Meanwhile, gardai have issued 6,550 fines for a range of Covid-19 breaches.

These included 4,911 100 euro fines for non-essential travel, 116 500 euro fines for organising a house party and 127 fines of 80 euro each for not wearing a face covering.

Nationwide checkpoints and high visibility patrols at public amenities across the country will continue this weekend in support of public health regulations.

Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.

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Presidents Day, a national holiday can be a welcome restorative pause during the winter season. Most, at different moments during this day, can have reflective thoughts about the Presidents of the United States.

This day, originally, was set aside for recognition of George Washingtons birthday, who was born in February. In 1971, the United States Congress established the third Monday of February as Presidents day through the Uniform Monday Holiday Law  a time chosen in between George Washingtons and Abraham Lincolns birthdays.

Subsequently, this day is considered a day to recognize and celebrate the birthdays and lives of all former Presidents.

Citizens of Illinois, understandably, have a tendency to give more thought to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln with his image coming to mind most readily since he is portrayed on the penny and five dollar bill. Other images can be invoked, when thinking of Lincoln, due to that he was the first sitting president to be photographed. In all there are 130 known photographs of Lincoln.

Matthew B. Brady, one of Americas earliest photographers was asked by Lincoln, in 1860, in conjunction with his now famous Cooper Union Speech to be photographed. Lincoln wanted Brady to help give him a more substantial image. With a refitting of his clothes and a thoughtful poise, Brady removed Lincolns gangly appearance. There are broad beliefs that this photograph, which came to be known as the Cooper Union Photograph and the speech itself propelled Lincoln to national attention. Lincoln stated, Brady and the Cooper Union Speech made me President of the United States.

In the same year as the Cooper Union Photograph, a painting was executed, identified as the first painted portrait of Lincoln, by Alban Jasper Conant, for the purpose of his presidential campaign. The representation is of a thin and youthfully comely Lincoln. The temperament recorded by Conant is of a relaxed, open, agreeable Lincoln. Mary Todd Lincoln reflecting upon the painting stated, This is excellent. That is the way he looks when he has friends about him.

Artistic legend has it, that when this portrait was being painted, benches were placed in the room to allow Lincolns friends to visit.

These two images of Lincoln present a source of thought about portraitures for photographers and painters. Given that a photographer does the immediate, that is a click of a shutter, and a painter contends with extended periods of time with a poised individual.

Both, however, are capable of elevated purposes of portraiture. Each can, not just record a superficial representation of an individual, but more significantly, can present an expression of character, continence, and disposition. Matthew B. Bradys photograph gave a national audience an image of a mature and manly speech maker. Alban Jasper Conant gave the nation an image of a genuinely, humane and companionable soul.

The Smiling Lincoln by Alban Jasper Conant is owned by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and will be proudly exhibited in the Lovejoy Library at the years end, or the beginning of next year.

Robert Maguire holds a BA degree from SIUE and a MA degree from the University of Illinois in Art. He currently serves on the boards of the Illinois Arts Council, Madison County Regional Office of Education, and SIUE Friends of Arts. An ISBE Illinois Teacher of the Year, he has taught art over 40 years and continues to practice art production.
[February 12, 2021] Insight Into Being an Influencer With Maitland Hanley

Brisbane, Australia, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today we are going to have some Q&A with the social media influencer Maitland Hanley who has started his venture called Young and Dumb Clothing. Lets see his journey how he started the venture and what inspires him to do this.



What inspired you to start content creation? For about 2 years I lived and worked in a place called Ayers Rock which is literally in the middle of the desert and I had a lot of spare time. Ive always had a weird imagination and an inability to just relax so when I would finish work I would start other projects (one of which was filming and editing videos). It started off as a little hobby and I loved seeing what I could create, now its turned into a full time business, go figure. How did you adapt during Covid-19? At first I didnt really have to adapt at all, social media was booming thanks to everyone staying at home and watching content. But eventually ad revenue started dropping because businesses werent buying as many ads and I started losing more money than I make on videos, (Which is still happening). This gave me the drive to start new ventures though including my clothing line (Young and Dumb Clothing) and my subscription website (maitlandhanley.com).



Really the only reason Im able to make content for everyone still during this time is thanks to the people that support me by buying merch or joining the website! What was your big break?

To be honest, I dont believe in a big break, Ive been working hard for over 3 years to get to where I am today and its been a slow and steady grind with ups and many downs. Its just about showing up and putting in the work when others arent willing to. What does working with Charities mean to you? Ive been donating to charities for years before I even started making content. My cousin passed from cancer at a young age and I remember seeing this post card from a charity that had her photo on it which made me really want to help as many people as I could. So I vowed that when I got a job and started making money I would put some aside to help a certain charity, then when I got a bigger platform I got the opportunity to help in a bigger way. My number one goal in life is to work with Make a Wish and be

able to take kids out and grant their wishes. What was the transition like from your day job to full time social media content creation? The transition was easy at first, Id been working 5-6 days a week labouring while still making content for years before I was able to go full time social media so not having to work another job made life easier. However now that I have employees to look after and social media is going through tough times the pressure is really on. I would say Im more stressed out now than I ever was working 12 hour days 6 days a week labouring. What is your end goal? I dont think I really have an end goal, I believe if you make one goal that you think is the end and reach it then you have nothing left to chase? I create constant goals for myself weekly, monthly and yearly so Im always chasing bigger and better things and never getting too comfortable.

Media Contact Details:

Company Name: Influencer Maitland Hanley

Company Email: info@maitlandhanley.com

Company Website: https://maitlandhanley.com/





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A weight loss center on Jonestown Road has a new home nearby.

BeBalanced Harrisburg East has moved from the Olde Liberty Square office center on Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township to a new location at 5201 Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township.

The companys 14-week plan includes all-natural supplements and one-on-one support. The company says that its all-natural, non-medical approach not only helps people lose weight but also helps with other things including sleep and mood.

BeBalanced Harrisburg East was the very first franchise location for Lancaster County-based BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Centers back in 2015.

Weve seen hundreds of women across Harrisburg change their lives as a result of natural hormone balancing, and were excited to reopen the east Harrisburg location for residents in the community, Paget Rhee, co-owner of three BeBalanced franchise locations said in a press release. When I discovered BeBalanced, I was able to lose 60 pounds in three months and I learned how to mitigate the negative effects of stress in my life. With the stress the pandemic has caused and the rise of mental health issues, we feel its more important than ever to assist our community.

Franchise owner Paget Rhee owns three franchise locations with her family in Dauphin, Cumberland and York counties. The location in Springettsbury Township opened in 2017 and the location in Hampden Township opened in 2018.

BeBalanced has moved to 5201 Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township. (Photo provided)

The BeBalanced Harrisburg East center is currently operating with modified office hours due to COVID-19, offering in-person appointments from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and virtual appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rhees locations made significant changes, operating virtually and closing the Harrisburg location for a period of time to better accommodate clients needs, the company said in a press release.

BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Centers was founded in 2007 and began franchising eight years later. There are 23 centers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas, Minnesota, Florida, New York, Arizona and Virginia.

Information: 717-673-7046.

--Business Buzz

You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like him on Facebook.
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin said he was hugely encouraged by the response to Ireland's mass Covid-19 vaccination programme and insisted the country remained on course to have one million doses administered by March 31.

But Mr Martin - speaking as he toured a new vaccination hub at Cork City Hall - warned that Ireland cannot rush the easing of Level Five Covid-19 lockdown controls because of concerns over the highly contagious new strains of the virus emerging.

"It is just not worth risking everything we have achieved since Christmas just for the sake of a couple of weeks," he warned.

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Cork City Hall, one of multiple mass vaccination hubs being established nationwide by the Health Service Executive (HSE), will offer 30 vaccination booths and a post-vaccination observation area.

It can operate seven days a week and deliver up to 2,400 vaccinations daily.

"(We have seen) highlighted the heroic efforts of our health care workers and all of those who support them in the health service in protecting people," he said.

"What we are witnessing this afternoon is a further stage in the battle against the virus  it represents a significant ramping up of preparations for a mass vaccination of our population when additional vaccines become available."

"This will be a critical phase as we move into Quarter 2  the volumes of vaccines will increase  Pfizer BioNTech to Moderna to hopefully AstraZeneca and of course Johnson & Johnsons and more after that."

"As we get vaccines in, we are administering vaccines  and our performance relative to other European colleagues has been very strong in Ireland if you look at the European Union (EU) league table."

"What has impressed me here has been the speed of the response - the multi-disciplinary approach from estates to public health to administration and when one is planning a mass vaccination centre, the critical part is the administration back-up."

"I think we are in a confident position in terms of our capacity to vaccinate a critical mass of the population over the next number of months  it is a key part now of the battle against the virus."

"It offers great hope to people in terms of the challenges that people have had to overcome over the last year and I think notwithstanding the fact that we have a dangerous variant in terms of its transmissibility and perhaps its virulence as well  we also have a vaccine and we also have the restrictions."

"In many ways, the vaccination is running parallel to the approach to maintain restrictions and the necessity to get the numbers way down low and keep them low."

The Taoiseach said Ireland's new Covid-19 plan will be updated by February 20.

"We will be looking at restrictions similar to Level 5 beyond March 5 but at the end of quarter one we should have about 1.1 million vaccines doses administered."


Rebecca was able to dislodge the obstruction, perhaps saving the womans life, reports said. A sheriffs officer arrived as did paramedics, who checked the woman, a 42-year-old Tulsa, Okla., resident. She declined further treatment, and was able to go on her way, authorities said, thankful for the assistance of a good Samaritan. Rebecca told police that he was happy to help - and he didnt even mind getting a few dog bites. Any injuries he had were not serious, officials said.
A CONSTRUCTION worker has pleaded guilty to stealing 8,500 from bank machines in Dublin as he travelled around in a Go Car rental vehicle.

Elvis Chiriac, 34, a Romanian national with an address at Erris Square, Blanchardstown, Dublin was charged with 15 counts of theft of sums totalling 8,520 from ATMs on dates in January last year.

The thefts happened at AIB bank machines at Firhouse, Rathfarnham, Santry, Artane, Clonee, Carpenterstown, Crumlin, Killiney, Clonskeagh.

He appeared again at Dublin District Court before Judge Treasa Kelly, who was told the Director of Public Prosecution has directed trial at Circuit Court level. It can impose lengthier sentences.

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Defence solicitor Donal Quigley told the judge on Friday that his client had signed a plea of guilty which was lodged in court.

Judge Kelly told him he was being sent forward sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on April 16 next.

The accused was remanded on continuing bail.

Earlier, Detective Garvan Lennon of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said it was alleged the accused was involved in 15 ATM transaction reverse frauds. Bank machines were manipulated and cash was forcibly removed, he said.

Detective Garda Lennon said there was CCTV evidence and the accused had rented Go Car vehicle, a 9 an hour car sharing service.

He booked using his own driving licence and a selfie picture, the court heard.

Gardai have GPS maps of the movements of the car, the detective had said.

Defence solicitor Donal Quigley submitted that his client had an Irish PPS number and ID card.

The solicitor also provided the court with utility bills in his client's name to show he was not a flight risk. Bail was set in Mr Chiriacs own bond of 500 but required a 2,000 independent surety to be approved.

He has to sign on three times a week at Blanchardstown Garda station and must not apply for any travel documents.
(Newser)  After decades of controversy, Valparaiso University is retiring its Crusader mascot. In a video statement on Facebook, officials at the Indiana university noted that Crusader imagery "can be associated with aggressive religious oppression and violence," some of it a lot more recent than the religious wars of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries, the New York Times reports. "Unfortunately, the Crusader and its symbols related to the Crusades have been embraced and displayed by hate groups," said Colette Irwin-Knott, the universitys interim president. "In fact, a newspaper of the KKK carries the name the Crusader, and this is not something we want to be connected with Valparaiso University in any way."

story continues below

The university's teams have been called Crusaders since 1942, when the name Uhlans was dropped because of its association with German cavalry units. Irwin-Knott said the university will now seek a new mascot that is in "alignment with our beliefs and speaks to the core values of the Lutheran ethos rather than being a symbol of division." The move led to some fierce arguments on social media, though officials say the school started drawing away from Crusader branding years ago, the Times of Northwest Indiana reports. Student Jenna Rifai tells the Valpo Torch that as a Muslim, crowds cheering the mascot made her uncomfortable. "Its like, in their minds do they accept me? Are they anti-Muslim?" she says. "I know it seems like a small little image but that image holds power. Symbols hold power.'" (Read more Valparaiso Crusaders stories.)
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal says that in cases where sanctions played their role, and funds or values were returned, they may be lifted.

"Regarding the sanctions policy, it should be said that Europe remains firmly unbreakable in supporting Ukraine, in particular, in the sanctions policy. Sanctions continue. As for individuals, where sanctions have played their role against these persons, that is, stolen funds or values were returned, of course, the sanctions there may end their effect," Shmyhal said at a press conference following the meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council on Thursday, February 11, in Brussels, answering the question about possible lifting of sanctions on the son of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych Oleksandr and the associates of the ex-president.

At the same time, the Ukrainian prime minister said that this is a separate procedure that is subject to separate consideration, "and a dialogue about this is being conducted between Ukraine and the European Union at an absolutely professional level, and at the legislative level in full."

At the same time, Shmyhal said that the introduction by the European Union of a new global sanctions regime for violation of human rights will expand the sanctions lists of the European Union.
Lufthansa fleet (Image: Reuters)

Lufthansa has laid-off 103 Indian cabin crew members citing COVID-19 pandemic's negative impact on the airline, a fired employee told The Economic Times.

The German carrier has "terminated services" of 103 fixed contracted Indian flight attendants based in Delhi overnight, without prior notice, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, the employee told the newspaper.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

They said the severance package was only a months salary, adding that some of the terminated staff were employed with the airline for close to 15 years. They claimed that similar layoffs have not happened in Germany or other countries yet.

Another 32 cabin crew members have been retained, the employee added.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here

A protest against the decision was held on February 12 by some fired staff at the Delhi Airport Aerocity.

Responding to queries, Lufthansa told the newspaper the financial impact of the pandemic has forced it to take such drastic steps, leaving it no choice but to restructure.

This includes personnel-related measures in Germany and Europe as well as in key international markets like India. Given our current cash burn of several hundred million euros every month, Lufthansa  like all airlines worldwide  must take steps to secure its future, the airline said.

According to the news report, Lufthansa further said it must plan with 150 fewer aircraft in the long run (by 2025) which will affect staff requirement in all markets. Even now, low demand for international air travel resulting particularly from government restrictions leaves cabin staff with little or no work left to do, it added.

The airline also clarified that the restructuring will be worldwide, including Germany where they have reached initial agreements with unions. It said that every possible option was exhausted and it is in close consultation with the Indian union at all times.

It would have avoided compulsory redundancies for our cabin staff. We had signed an agreement with the Indian union providing for two years of unpaid leave, with Lufthansa continuing to provide the local health insurance  even for enrolled family members. Lufthansa was also willing to absorb all associated premiums during this period. Unfortunately, consent to the agreement was revoked by the union on December 31. Indian cabin crew with unlimited contracts are not affected as Lufthansa was able to reach individual agreements with these flight attendants, the airline said.

The news report suggested that most of the Indian cabin crew in question were hired under Lufthansas more Indian than you think campaign aimed at attracting Indian customers. The campaign did work, but now the coronavirus pandemic has severely affected travel in and out of the country for the airline with weekly services between Germany and India dropping to 10 from 56.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX:MBA)(OTCQX:MBAIF) ("CIBT") reports that it has received approval from Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") to increase the maximum number of shares that may be purchased under its current normal course issuer bid (the "Current NCIB"), from 3,000,000 to 3,727,177 common shares representing 5% of the 74,543,540 common shares that were issued and outstanding as at the close of business on March 6, 2020, to a maximum aggregate acquisition cost of approximately $3,000,000. As of February 8, 2021, a total of 2,979,500 common shares have been purchased under the Current NCIB.

The Current NCIB commenced on March 12, 2020 and ends on March 11, 2021, or on such earlier date on which the Company completes its purchases pursuant to the Current NCIB. Share purchases under the Current NCIB will continue to be conducted through TSX and other Canadian marketplaces/alternative trading systems. The actual number of shares purchased, and the timing of any such purchases, will be determined by CIBT in accordance with TSX rules. Any of the additional shares purchased under the Current NCIB will be cancelled.

Subject to prescribed exceptions, CIBT may purchase up to 2,371 common shares per day through TSX, representing 25% of the average daily trading volume of 9,486 common shares during the six months ended February 28, 2020. The exceptions to this limitation include block trade purchases of (1) shares having a purchase price of at least $200,000, (2) at least 5,000 common shares having a purchase price of at least $50,000, or (3) at least 14,229 common shares.

About CIBT Education Group:

CIBT is one of the largest education and student housing investment companies in Canada focused on the domestic and the global education market since 1994. CIBT owns business and language colleges, student-centric rental apartments, recruitment centres and corporate offices at 46 locations in Canada and abroad. Its education subsidiaries include Sprott Shaw College (established in 1903), Sprott Shaw Language College, Vancouver International College Career Campus and CIBT School of Business. CIBT offers over 150 educational programs in healthcare, business management, e-commerce, hotel management, and language training through these schools. In 2020, CIBT serviced over 11,000 students through its various subsidiaries.

CIBT owns Global Education City Holdings Inc. ("Global Holdings"), an investment holding and development company focused on education-related real-estate such as student-centric rental apartments, hotel and education super-centres. Under the GEC brand, Global Holdings provides accommodation service to 72 schools in Metro Vancouver, serving 1,500 students from 77 countries. The total portfolio and development budget under the GEC brand exceed $1.5 billion.

CIBT also owns Global Education Alliance ("GEA") and Irix Design Group ("Irix Design"). GEA recruits international students for many elite kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities in North America. Irix Design is a leading design and advertising company based in Vancouver, Canada. Visit us online and watch our corporate video at www.cibt.net .

Toby Chu

Chairman, President & CEO

CIBT Education Group Inc.

Investor Relations Contact: 1-604-871-9909 extension 318 or | Email: info@cibt.net

SOURCE: CIBT Education Group Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629445/CIBT-Reports-an-Amendment-to-its-Normal-Course-Issuer-Bid
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In a bid to make China happy, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday lied through his teeth by saying that China has won and India has lost it. This comes after the disengagement between India and China started near Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh on February 12. Congress' Rahul Gandhi lied to the country and insulted the Indian Army and in DNA, we will explain.

READ | India-China LAC disengagement: Centre's BIG statement on Indian territory, permanent posts

The three big lies of his press conference are--firstly, he said that the government has given land from Finger 3 to Finger 4 near Pangong Lake to China. But this claim is completely misleading as the Line of Actual Control is at Finger 8. China has agreed that its Army will move to Finger 8 whereas Indian soldiers have to return to Finger 3 where it was before May 2020. To claim that the government has given land from Finger 3 to Finger 4 to China is a big lie.

READ | 'India-China will hold 10th round of talks within 48 hours of LAC disengagement'

Secondly, Rahul Gandhi said that China has won the agreement reached between India and China to end tension on the border. Whereas the truth is that the Chinese Army has agreed that it will move near Finger 8 on the northern shore of Pangong Lake, where the Line of Actual Control is. That means China has to go back and this is a big victory for India.

Thirdly, Rahul Gandhi also said that Narendra Modi's government has cut a piece of India and given it to China and also insulted the Army. It is clear that he stands with China and his job in India is only to do politics and humiliate the Army of the country.

Rahul Gandhi, who questioned the central government for the Indo-China border dispute, may have forgotten that when the country's power was with his great grandfather and former prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, China had occupied 43,000 square kilometres of India's land. The Minister of Defence in the UPA government in 2013, AK had admitted that China benefited greatly from the wrong policies of the Congress and was successful in seizing a large part of India's land.

In June 2020, Sharad Pawar also believed that if Jawaharlal Nehru's government had correct policies on China, India would not have lost a large part of its land. In 1991, when PV Narasimha Rao was the prime minister, the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence was with Sharad Pawar. In such a situation, the importance of these things increases even more.

Rahul Gandhi should also remember what Nehru had said during the discussion in Lok Sabha on December 4-5, 1961. At that time, the areas of Ladakh which were illegally occupied by China were being questioned by the government. Nehru said in response to these questions that a tree does not grow in this area. He described this land of Ladakh as useless and said that no one would want to settle in this place. However, at that time Mahavir Tyagi, a Congress MP, was present in Parliament and he stood up from his seat after hearing these things and he took off his hat and said that if I do not have hair on my head, should it be assumed that there is no cost to my head Is not.

Today I have brought you a question? Do you know when the first no-confidence motion was introduced in the Parliament of independent India? It was introduced by Kripalani in the Parliament in 1963 against the Jawaharlal Nehru government and this is also mentioned in a Class 12 book of NCERT.

It is written that after the defeat of China in the 1962 war, there was a lot of resentment against Jawaharlal Nehru in the country. At that time many of the army's senior officers and commanders resigned from their posts and the closest to Nehru and the then defence minister Krishna Menon also had to resign from the cabinet. Jawaharlal Nehru was also severely criticized for sending the army into war without any preparation. In 1963, the country's first no-confidence motion was brought against Nehru in the Lok Sabha. Not only this, due to the defeat in the war, the Congress party had to face defeat in many by-elections.

Today, Rahul Gandhi should not forget that before the 1962 war, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was warned by many leaders that his policies could prove to be dangerous for the country. But Jawaharlal Nehru ignored all these warnings and after this, in 1962 India had to fight a war with China and in this war, our country lost 43,000 thousand square kilometres of land in Ladakh and China took possession of this land.

In the Rajya Sabha in 1954, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar criticized Nehru's decision and warned that China would surround India because of this mistake. On August 26, 1954, Ambedkar said in the Rajya Sabha that India has been completely encircled. On one side there are Pakistan and other Muslim countries and on the other hand, by accepting China's occupation of Tibet, Nehru has helped to bring the border of China closer to India. He had also said that if India is not threatened by this today, it does not mean that there will be no further danger, because the person who is used to attacking, never leaves his habit.

Apart from Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Pandit Deen Dayan Upadhyay, the then President of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, MS Golwalkar, Ram Manohar Lohia and C Rajagopalachari also expressed concern over Nehru's policies regarding China. But Nehru at the time ignored these warnings and was supporting China internationally.

During his visit to China in 1954, Jawaharlal Nehru recognized China's illegal occupation of Tibet under the Panchsheel Agreement. Here Panchsheel meant Panch i.e. Five and Sheel i.e. Idea, i.e. this agreement was based on five ideas. There was also the issue of interference in internal affairs. China took advantage of this agreement and by the time Nehru understood that his policies had proved to be wrong, China had occupied India's land.

How wrong were Jawaharlal Nehru's policies regarding China, they try to explain to you with a letter 67 years old. Nehru wrote a letter to Edwina Mountbatten, the wife of Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of the British after returning from a visit to China in 1954. In which he was telling Edwina Mountbatten that he received a great welcome in China. Nehru then told that he was welcomed by one million people in a city in China and these people were very excited about his arrival there.

What were the seven major mistakes of Jawaharlal Nehru regarding China? Firstly, Nehru's attitude towards China and Communism was soft. Secondly, he did not oppose the illegal occupation of China in Tibet. Thirdly, in Tibet, it recognized the occupation of China. Fourthly, when the United States offered India permanent membership in the United Nations, Nehru turned down the offer.

Fifthly, Nehru continuously made wrong military decisions regarding China and Nehru's Forward Policy became the major reason for the war in 1962. Sixthly, during the war, Nehru was hesitant to use the Air Force. If they had taken the help of the Air Force, the outcome of the war could have been different. Lastly, because of Nehru's non-aligned policy, international forces did not support India in the war.

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Chennai, Feb 12 : Eleven people were killed and at least 12 others injured in a huge fire that broke out at a firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district on Friday, police said.

The death toll is likely to go up as the condition of some of the injured admitted to Sivakasi government hospital is stated to be critical.

Police said the fire in the factory in Achankulam near Sattur in Virudhunagar broke out when some chemicals were being mixed to produce firecrackers. Four cracker making sheds were destroyed.

Ten firefighting vehicles rushed to the spot from various surrounding locations like Sattur, Sivakasi and Vembakottai to douse the flames, while officials from police, revenue and other departments also reached there for rescue and relief works.

Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami expressed grief over the death of 11 persons in the fire. He announced Rs 3 lakh each as solatium to kin of the bereaved families.

He also directed District Collectors to ensure safety of cracker unit workers during the summer.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the tragedy. The Prime Minister's Office tweeted that authorities were working on the ground to assist those affected.

PMO announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia each from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives. Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured.

"Fire at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu is saddening. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover soon," said the Prime Minister.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Bipartisan momentum is growing among New York state senators to claw back the emergency powers they granted to Gov. Andrew Cuomo nearly a year ago amid accusations the Democrat withheld complete data showing how many nursing home residents died because of Covid-19.

Fourteen Democratic senators, including Sens. John Mannion and Rachel May of the Syracuse area, have said theyre ready to rescind the powers.

When combined with the Senates 20 Republicans, that technically would be more than the 32 votes needed to repeal the emergency powers.

Theres certainly a level consensus and support regarding the executive powers and hearings, Mannion said.

However, its unlikely any vote would happen unless the majority of all 43 Democratic senators also supported the change. Legislative leaders in Albany rarely call for a vote unless the majority of those in their political parties support the move. The Assembly would also have to approve the effort.

Mannion, D-Geddes, said at noon today no Senate vote has been called. The Legislature is scheduled to be on break next week, but that could change, he said. The Senate Democrats are meeting today at 4 p.m.

I would not be surprised if we are called into session, and Im willing to do that, he said.

On March 4, Cuomo signed legislation that included $40 million in relief money to fight the spread of the coronavirus. That legislation also widened the governors authority to issue emergency orders. Those directives ultimately would shut down sectors of the economy, buy medical supplies without competitive contracts, govern cultural celebrations and determine when restaurants would close, then reopen, for indoor dining.

At the beginning of the pandemic, those extraordinary powers were needed, Mannion said.

But with revelations about the true death toll among nursing home and assisted living residents emerging, lawmakers like Mannion want more say in how the state is responding to the continued viral spread and vaccine rollout.

Mannion also said hes open to the Senate using its subpoena powers to dig deeper into the Cuomo administrations past handling of the virus. Of the states nearly 37,000 deaths, about 15,000 involved people who lived in nursing homes or other senior centers.

At this point, all options should be on the table, he said.

He also said those tools are needed because we dont know what we dont know.

New York State Senator Rachel May (D-Syracuse) speaks to the crowd at the 2019 Walk To End Alzheimer's at Onondaga Community College. May is the chair of the Senate's committee on aging. (Photo by Susan Morison)

Sen. May, who chairs the Senates Aging Committee, blocked a vote earlier this week that would have allowed lawmakers to start issuing subpoenas. Those would compel Cuomo and state officials to turn over requested information.

Mannion said today he stood by May, D-Syracuse, who also is backing a slate of bills meant to help nursing home staff, residents and their families better weather the pandemic.

Mannion also said Mays action on Wednesday happened without a full understanding of the Cuomo administrations handling of nursing home data.

On Thursday, May and other Democratic lawmakers met with Cuomo officials to talk more about the nursing home deaths. Top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa revealed the state froze a fuller release of data because the New York was facing an inquiry from the federal justice department about the deaths of nursing home residents.

That, said Mannion, changed things.

I cant speak for (May), Mannion said. But I know that she was expecting and thought she was getting full and complete information. And its clear that she wasnt.

DeRosa released a statement today saying she was explaining why the state temporarily set aside requests from lawmakers to deal first with the Department of Justice inquiry.

When asked if Mannion thought May was under political pressure on Wednesday to block that vote, Mannion said no.

I dont believe so, adding that he wasnt at her committee meeting on Wednesday nor at the close-door meeting with Cuomo officials and Democratic lawmakers on Thursday.

Local Syracuse Assembly Democrats are also criticizing the administrations handling of the data, though stopping short of saying publicly Cuomos emergency powers should be rescinded.

In a written statement, Assemblyman Al Stirpe, D-North Syracuse, called for more transparency and less politics. It was particularly troubling to hear that the questions the legislature had asked about COVID cases in nursing homes went unanswered because of the perceived partisan political climate and concern about possible investigations, he wrote. ...hiding information out of fear of the reaction is simply unacceptable.

Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, also criticized Cuomo for not releasing the data sooner.

But, Magnarelli said in a statement, initial calls for the data came as the state was battling the virus in its initial onslaught and as federal help was missing.

State leaders now should also prioritize letting families visit their loved ones inside nursing homes, he said. These patients, who are in precarious health situations to begin with, have gone far too long without their loved ones presence, he wrote.

The other 12 Democratic senators are: Alessandra Biaggi, Jabari Brisport, Samra Brouk, Jeremy Cooney, Andrew Gounardes, Robert Jackson, John C. Liu, Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, Gustavo Rivera, Julia Salazar, James Sanders and James Skoufis.

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share with a Syracuse-area reporter? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
Candidates for the Catalan regional election sparred Thursday night at the last televised debate before voters go to the polls on Sunday. Former Health Minister Salvador Illa was the target of most of the attacks, reflecting that surveys show a tie between his Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) and separatist groups.

The nine contenders exchanged insults ranging from fascist to terrorist and the debate at times descended into a shouting match, with moderator Ana Pastor struggling to contain the speakers.

The election campaign in Spains northeastern region, where nearly six million people are eligible to vote, has been marked by the coronavirus pandemic. Applications for mail-in ballots have tripled since the previous election in 2017, according to the postal service. And a quarter of the 82,251 citizens who were randomly selected to man the voting stations have requested to be excused from their duty, reflecting widespread fear about contracting the virus.

Of course I havent been vaccinated. I hope you will apologize to Catalans. This is the kind of thing I want to change: the confrontation, the lies Salvador Illa, Socialist candidate for Catalan premier

The Catalan government had tried to postpone the election to a later date citing the poor epidemiological situation in the region, where the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants is 375, lower than the national average of 540 but well above the threshold for a high-risk scenario.

But a court decided to keep the February 14 date, with critics of the regional government suggesting that the requested change had more to do with the fact that the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) had just nominated Salvador Illa, then serving as the Spanish health minister, to be its top candidate, in a move that gave the party a boost in voter intention.

Since then, all the other contenders have treated Illa as the candidate to beat, and this strategy was on clear display at the two-hour debate on Thursday, organized by the private television station La Sexta. Illa was the target of numerous verbal attacks from the other candidates to head the region, which is currently governed by a separatist coalition of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and Together for Catalonia (Junts).

The latest opinion polls show a triple tie between the PSC (around 22% of the vote), Junts (between 20 and 21%) and ERC (20%). Meanwhile, both the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the liberal Ciudadanos (Citizens)  which technically won the most votes at the last election but failed to form a government  have gone down in voting intention, while the far-right Vox and the far-left CUP have gone up.

There are five parties that could secure between 5% and 9% of the vote, making forecasts particularly difficult. Undecided voters could make the difference, and this explains the harsh tone seen at the debate.

Shouting match

The attacks began straight away when Laura Borras (Junts), Carlos Carrizosa (Citizens) and Alejandro Fernandez (PP) all demanded that Illa wear a facemask due to the fact that he refused to take a coronavirus test ahead of an earlier debate on regional Catalan television channel TV3. Since then, both right-wing and pro-independence politicians have been circulating unfounded claims that Illa may have cheated his way into early Covid-19 vaccination and that this would explain his refusal to be tested. The Health Ministry has refuted this claim.

The former minister hit back: Anything goes against Illa, even defamation. Of course I havent been vaccinated. I hope you will apologize to Catalans. This is the kind of thing I want to change: the confrontation, the lies.

But the mood was tense from the beginning and it escalated from there, with participants trading insults ranging from fascist to terrorist. Pere Aragones of ERC, who is currently the acting premier of Catalonia after Quim Torra was barred for disobedience, said that Illa reminded him of [former US president] Donald Trump.

Ex-Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont participating in a Junts campaign event on Thursday. Quique Garcia / EFE

Laura Borras of Junts warned that if Illa becomes the Catalan premier, the region will be governed directly from Madrid. The Socialist candidate retorted that if Junts wins, it will be Carles Puigdemont who runs the region from the Belgian city of Waterloo, where he fled to escape arrest after leading the failed unilateral secession attempt of late 2017. Puigdemont heads the Junts list, but if the party wins Borras would be the candidate to serve as regional premier.

Meanwhile, Ignacio Garriga of Vox promised to end the ideological ravings of the independence parties, accusing them of cutting back on public healthcare spending. If doctors in Catalonia did not have facemasks, its because youve been robbing Catalans for decades and using the money to fund your parties and Puigdemonts mansion, he said.

Aragones told Garriga that I know you would prefer to see me in jail, but youre going to have to wait a long time. We have always stopped the far right, and on February 14 theres going to be an anti-fascist vote.

A difficult outcome

Polls suggest that separatist parties could collectively gain a majority on Sunday, but it would force Junts and ERC to renew a governing formula that has been marked by constant clashes between both partners. And they would still require additional support from smaller parties.

Carlos Carrizosa of Ciudadanos was the only candidate to defend an agreement between constitutionalist parties, loosely defined as those that accept the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and did not participate in, or support, the 2017 breakaway attempt.

Independence parties have reaffirmed that they will not negotiate with the Socialists no matter what the outcome of the vote. This pledge has been put down in writing and published on social media by a small, recently created secessionist group named Catalans per la independencia (Catalans for independence) with ties to ANC, a civil society group whose leader Jordi Sanchez was convicted and jailed in connection with the 2017 secession attempt. In this document, Junts, ERC, CUP, PDeCAT and Primaries Catalunya promised that in no case will the formation of government be negotiated with the PSC.

With reporting by Elsa Garcia de Blas, Camilo S. Baquero and Cristian Segura.

English version by Susana Urra.
Defiant Paula White slams Christian establishment: Your opinion doesnt matter

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Former President Donald Trumps spiritual adviser Paula White has slammed the American Christian establishment for mischaracterizing her and her ministry, singling out the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission head Russell Moore for branding her a heretic.

White, who called on angels from Africa to help deliver victory to Trump in his failed reelection bid last November, lamented the politicization of her life during a Jan. 17 sermon at her City of Destiny Church in Florida.

She asserted that her work with the former president was not political but an assignment from God, noting that politics has divided the church and repentance needs to happen.

Dont tell me were the party of unity with this and were going to unify, and every second we have, were just hurting people more and more and more, politicizing peoples lives. God didnt call me to the world. I was sent on assignment to do things in the world, but Im called to the church. And when the church is this polarized and this divided, God help us. How can we not mourn? she asked.

White, who insisted she is not a prosperity preacher or heretic, as some Christians and Christian media have called her, then pointed out that it took a secular publication, The Washington Post, to appropriately define her ministry as Charismatic Pentecostal.

They started by calling me a prosperity preacher. You know who that was? Christian magazine. Church. Then they called me a heretic. You know who that was? The head of ethics of one of the largest denominations. The church, White said.

In June 2016, months before Trumps election, Moore called White a charlatan and heretic on Twitter.

Paula White is a charlatan and recognized as a heretic by every orthodox Christian, of whatever tribe, wrote Moore, head of the SBCs ERLC. The SBC is the largest Protestant denomination in America.

Then they called me cult leader. You know who that was? The church. Now The Washington Post finally got it right, they called me a Charismatic Pentecostal, but Im the queen of it. This fringe movement of some 60-something million people. Do you hear what Im saying? Its not the atheist calling me a heretic, or cult leader or prosperity preacher. Its the church, White continued.

The Charismatic Pentecostal leader then defiantly declared to the Christian establishment that she doesnt need their acceptance.

If your names not God, your opinion doesnt matter and your acceptance is not needed, she said to cheers. If your name is not God, Jehovah, Yahweh, El Shaddai, Jesus Christ then your opinion doesnt matter and your acceptance is not needed.

White further noted that she has been getting invitations to participate in efforts to bring the nation together in the wake of the hotly contested 2020 presidential election, but she cant accept them because all she sees is a bunch of hypocrisy.

"I get a lot of invitations every single day. Come on, bring healing to the nation. Bring everybody together. Im like, youre asking me to come on a show that Im going to fight with people? Cause I cant in my good conscience, she said.

I told you, if you want to worship a unicorn from a legal standpoint, have at it, she argued. I can respect your decision to live whatever way you want to. I dont agree with it. I dont say I respect it except that, God gave you a will. I dont respect it. I dont condone it. Im not saying its OK. The difference is you over here are saying I have to worship a unicorn.

She stressed that if she accepted the unicorn, which she equated with everything that goes against Christian values, she would be compromising Gods Word.

What Im saying is no. I cant come on for healing to the nation because right now I dont see healing to the nation, White said.

Lament begins around 1 hour 55-minute mark
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 20:43:18|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A health ministry panel in Japan on Friday approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. as the first batch of doses arrived in the country, officials said.

The first batch of about 400,000 doses arrived on Friday at Narita airport to the east of Tokyo on an All Nippon Airways co. flight from Brussels.

Before the approval, the health ministry panel on Friday evening gave the greenlight given the vaccine, jointly developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech SE, has already been used in several countries.

The Japanese government has sped up administrative procedures, considering starting vaccinations on Wednesday for around 20,000 doctors and nurses who have agreed to be vaccinated.

Health minister Norihisa Tamura has said earlier in the day that assuming the panel finds no issues with the vaccine, he will "immediately approve it so that inoculations can begin right away."

The country aims to begin vaccinating the general public against COVID-19 in May, two months before the postponed Olympics, after inoculating medical workers and the most vulnerable, according to local media reports.

The vaccination process is slated to start with medical workers, then people aged 65 or older from late March, followed by people with pre-existing conditions and those caring for the elderly.

Around 10,000 medical workers are in line to get the free inoculations first, followed by 50 million most at-risk people, according to government officials. Enditem
Editor's note: This story has been updated with more information about food conglomerate Ahold Delhaize's interest in the distribution operation in Mauldin.

MAULDIN  A New Hampshire-based grocery mega-wholesaler that has run a distribution operation for more than a decade out of Bi-Lo's former stomping ground in Mauldin has notified state authorities that hundreds of warehouse employees there will be losing their jobs.

C&S Wholesale Grocers first warned the South Carolina Department of Workforce and Employment last fall that layoffs could be coming this year. That warning turned into a closure notification on Feb. 5, according to a letter the agency shared with The Post and Courier.

Between March 6 and April 2, 366 C&S employees will report for their final day's work at food warehouses at 208 Bi-Lo Blvd. and 216 Forrester Drive.

The Post and Courier reached out to the privately owned company's vice president for communications, Lauren Le Bruno, for more information about the company and its plans, but she declined to comment

"It is a long-standing practice of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. not to comment on questions concerning initiatives, which have not been publicly announced," Le Bruno wrote in an email. "However, I can tell you that the Company is committed to satisfying our customers needs to the fullest and remains focused on taking the necessary actions to achieve our overall strategic initiatives."

C&S Senior Vice President Alan Kintisch wrote in the company's Feb. 5 closure notification that the decision to permanently lay off employees came as a result of "certain decisions of its customers." The letter did not name the customers or spell out those decisions.

Founded in 1918 by the current company chairman's grandfather, C&S claims to supply more than 7,700 independent supermarkets, chains, military bases and other institutions with more than 137,000 different products. Its website names 33 distribution locations around the country, and it has listed Target and Safeway among its customers.

One of its customers over the years has been Bi-Lo, whose parent company, Southeastern Grocers, announced on June 3, 2020, is in the process of "dissolving" the Bi-Lo banner after years of financial problems. Another southern grocery chain, Food Lion, is in the process of picking up 62 stores from Southeastern, including 15 Upstate Bi-Lo stores in Anderson, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Greenville counties. Bi-Lo stores around the region have been taking on new Food Lion signage in recent weeks, a process that will continue through April, according to a media release from Food Lion.

In its June 3 announcement, Food Lion's parent company, the Dutch-Belgian conglomerate Ahold Delhaize, also said it would be handling distribution for its nearly 700 Food Lion stores "through the Mauldin distribution center," but it did not specify which facilities it would take over there. The Post and Courier reviewed real estate records of the properties C&S has been operating out of in Mauldin, and none has changed hands recently.

"The handover is anticipated to be complete in the first half of 2021," the Food Lion release said.

Whether Bi-Lo's dissolution and Ahold Delhaize's takeover of a food distribution center in Mauldin are playing a role in C&S Wholesale's layoffs this spring was not immediately clear.

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It is also unclear whether Ahold Delhaize is interested in hiring the laid-off C&S Wholesale employees for their own warehouse operation.

The Post and Courier has reached out to Southeastern Grocers and Ahold Delhaize for clarification.

Bi-Lo, which launched as a grocery store chain in Mauldin in the early 1960s, continues to loom large in the area.

C&S Wholesale's 208 Bi-Lo Blvd. location, set in an industrial section of Mauldin, still has a Bi-Lo-themed reception area visible through the locked front door. Signage along Bi-Lo Boulevard today displays a mix of Bi-Lo and C&S emblems.

No one answered when a reporter rang the doorbell at 208 Bi-Lo Blvd. A couple dozen cars were parked in a lot that could hold four times that number. Similarly, the parking lot at 216 Forrester was mostly empty mid-morning on Feb. 11. Eighteen-wheelers rolled up to loading docks every few minutes.

C&S Wholesale Grocers describes itself in corporate literature as the "largest wholesale grocery supply company in the United States."

In November, Forbes magazine listed it at No. 11 among the largest privately held firms in the United States. With nearly $26 billion in revenue, it keeps company with top-10 private food and beverage conglomerates Cargill, Mars and Reyes.

C&S Wholesale's expansion to Mauldin 16 years ago coincided with the Dutch food conglomerate Ahold's sale of the Bi-Lo grocery-store chain to a Texas-based private-equity firm, Lone Star Funds. Though an American-born company, Bi-Lo by 2005 had been owned by Ahold for nearly 30 years.

According to published reports at the time, Ahold also sold off the Bi-Lo warehouses in Mauldin, and distribution operations there shifted to C&S Wholesale Grocers in January 2005.

Mauldin employees who will be losing their jobs at C&S Wholesale received letters this week urging them to call human resources if they have questions. A Post and Courier call to that number Feb. 10 was not returned.

Among those losing their jobs are office staff, clerks, backhaulers, drivers, loaders, mechanics, forklift operators, slotters, technicians and yard workers.

C&S Wholesale signs throughout the logistics campus remind workers, "Heroes Work Here."
Ukraine has preliminarily selected the American company SpaceX of Elon Musk to launch the Sich 2-30 (2-1) remote sensing satellite in December this year and is currently in technical negotiations with it, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleh Urusky has said.

"We really have a window to launch the device in December with the help of a foreign operator - in this case SpaceX, with which we are now cooperating in terms of the compatibility of the device with launch vehicles," the deputy prime minister said in an interview on Pershy Dilovy TV channel.

According to him, the corresponding decision was made by the president.

Urusky clarified that work with SpaceX is going on intensively and in the near future it will be clear whether it is fundamentally possible to combine the Ukrainian satellite with a SpaceX launch vehicle.

The official noted that today the satellite is practically ready.

"It requires final analysis and operational checks of technical readiness for launch," he explained.

Urusky added that he personally visited Pivdenmash in Dnipro, where he checked the real state of the spacecraft.

He recalled that the last time Ukraine launched a remote sensing satellite was 10 years ago, so the launch of the new satellite will be an outstanding event.

As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this year, commenting on Musk's statement about communication with the family of Serhiy Korolyov, invited the American businessman and founder of the space company SpaceX to visit the Korolyov Museum of Cosmonautics in Zhytomyr.
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Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Small Cooking Appliances in Saudi Arabiaunder Consumer Goods category. The Small Cooking Appliances Market in Saudi Arabia is projected to exhibit highest growth rate over report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence and industry reports.

Retail volume sales of small cooking appliances continued to grow during 2020, albeit at their slowest rate in a decade. This was a resilient performance in the face of COVID-19, which led to a significant increase in unemployment and weighed heavily on consumer confidence, and the steepest rate of increase in unit price in more than a decade, which was trigged by a hike in the rate of VAT. Moreover, impulse purchasing is an important source of demand for small cooking appliances.

Small Cooking Appliances in Saudi Arabia report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2016-2020, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market  be they new product developments, format trends or distribution issues. Forecasts to 2025 illustrate how the market is set to change.

Product coverage:

Breadmakers, Coffee Machines, Coffee Mills, Electric Grills, Electric Steamers, Freestanding Hobs, Fryers, Kettles, Other Small Cooking Appliances, Rice Cookers, Slow Cookers.

Request a free sample copy of Saudi Arabia Small Cooking Appliances Market Report @

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Data coverage:

market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

Why buy this report?

* Get a detailed picture of the Small Cooking Appliances market;

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* Understand the competitive environment, the markets major players and leading brands;

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Table Of Contents

Small Cooking Appliances in Saudi Arabia

LIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLES

KEY DATA FINDINGS

2020 IMPACT

Demand for small cooking appliances shows resilience in the face of pandemic shock and VAT hike

Home-bound consumers turn to pod coffee

Electric pressure cooker Instant Pot a hit with local consumers seeking convenience

RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES

Hard pod coffee machines will remain the top performer in terms of retail volume sales growth, as the home brew trend deepens

Obesity concerns will continue to drive strong growth in demand for light fryers

Increased investment and heightened consumer interest will continue to drive strong growth in e-commerce

CATEGORY DATA

Table 1 Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: Volume 2015-2020

Table 2 Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: Value 2015-2020

Table 3 Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: % Volume Growth 2015-2020

Table 4 Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: % Value Growth 2015-2020

Table 5 Sales of Freestanding Hobs by Format: % Volume 2015-2020

Table 6 NBO Company Shares of Small Cooking Appliances: % Volume 2016-2020

Table 7 LBN Brand Shares of Small Cooking Appliances: % Volume 2017-2020

Table 8 Distribution of Small Cooking Appliances by Format: % Volume 2015-2020

Table 9 Forecast Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: Volume 2020-2025

Table 10 Forecast Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: Value 2020-2025

Table 11 Forecast Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025

Table 12 Forecast Sales of Small Cooking Appliances by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

COVID-19 impact on consumer appliances

COVID-19 country impact

Company response

Retailing shift

What next for consumer appliances?

MARKET INDICATORS

Table 13 Household Penetration of Selected Total Stock Consumer Appliances by Category 2015-2020

Table 14 Replacement Cycles of Consumer Appliances by Category 2015-2020

Table 15 Forecast Household Penetration of Selected Total Stock Consumer Appliances by Category 2020-2025

Table 16 Forecast Replacement Cycles of Consumer Appliances by Category 2020-2025

MARKET DATA

Table 17 Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: Volume 2015-2020

Table 18 Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: Value 2015-2020

Table 19 Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: % Volume Growth 2015-2020

Table 20 Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: % Value Growth 2015-2020

Table 21 Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: Volume 2015-2020

Table 22 Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: Value 2015-2020

Table 23 Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: % Volume Growth 2015-2020

Table 24 Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: % Value Growth 2015-2020

Table 25 Sales of Small Appliances by Category: Volume 2015-2020

Table 26 Sales of Small Appliances by Category: Value 2015-2020

Table 27 Sales of Small Appliances by Category: % Volume Growth 2015-2020

Table 28 Sales of Small Appliances by Category: % Value Growth 2015-2020

Table 29 NBO Company Shares of Major Appliances: % Volume 2016-2020

Table 30 LBN Brand Shares of Major Appliances: % Volume 2017-2020

Table 31 NBO Company Shares of Small Appliances: % Volume 2016-2020

Table 32 LBN Brand Shares of Small Appliances: % Volume 2017-2020

Table 33 Distribution of Major Appliances by Format: % Volume 2015-2020

Table 34 Distribution of Small Appliances by Format: % Volume 2015-2020

Table 35 Forecast Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: Volume 2020-2025

Table 36 Forecast Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: Value 2020-2025

Table 37 Forecast Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025

Table 38 Forecast Sales of Consumer Appliances by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025

Table 39 Forecast Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: Volume 2020-2025

Table 40 Forecast Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: Value 2020-2025

Table 41 Forecast Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: % Volume Growth 2020-2025

Table 42 Forecast Sales of Major Appliances by Category and Built-in/Freestanding Split: % Value Growth 2020-2025

Table 43 Forecast Sales of Small Appliances by Category: Volume 2020-2025

Table 44 Forecast Sales of Small Appliances by Category: Value 2020-2025

Table 45 Forecast Sales of Small Appliances by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025

Table 46 Forecast Sales of Small Appliances by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025

DISCLAIMER

GLOBAL MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

GLOBAL INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT

SOURCES

Summary 1 Research Sources

Browse our full report with Table of Contents: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/small-cooking-appliances-in-saudi-arabia/244235

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Market Reports on Saudi Arabia provides you with an in-depth industry reports focusing on various economic, political and operational risk environment, complemented by detailed sector analysis. We have an exhaustive coverage on variety of industries  ranging from energy and chemicals to transportation, communications, constructions and mining to Food and Beverage and education. Our collection includes over 3000 up-to-date reports all researched, analysed and published by top-notch international research firms.

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Irish Water has announced the completion of upgrade works to the Croom Water Supply Scheme which will help ensure a clean, safe and secure supply for the area into the future.

The works comprised the development of a new production well, disinfection system and supporting infrastructure to supplement the existing supply to Croom. Bringing this additional source on stream also improves the resilience of the local water supply, particularly in times of drought.

The utiility says the development of the new source, located near the Croom bypass, will increase the volume and quality of water available for homes and businesses in the area and reduce the likelihood of unplanned supply disruption.

The is an important upgrade of the Croom Water Supply Scheme which will help secure the supply for Croom, Banogue and surrounding areas. Combined with other related upgrades in the disinfection and telemetry systems, it will help improve the safety, security and resilience of the supply," said Paul Cremin, Irish Waters Asset Delivery Lead.

Croom is a growing and vibrant village and having a safe, secure water supply is essential to its ongoing development. For this reason we are very pleased to have completed this important upgrade to the water supply infrastructure in the area," he added.

Irish Water says the project is one example of how it works in partnership with Limerick City and County Council every day to address deficiencies in Limericks water network and safeguard water supplies for communities around the county.

Similar upgrade works are also underway in Pallasgreen, Oola and Fedamore.

The Croom works will benefit over 1,700 customers and has led to the removal of the local supply from the EPAs Remedial Action List.
She is competing on the 2021 series of Dancing On Ice.

And Faye Brookes insists she wants criticism from judges and revealed she and partner Hamish Gaman will be performing as Prince William and Kate Middleton for 'Love Week'.

Speaking on Lorraine on Friday, the Coronation Street star, 33, revealed that she wants to 'get better' and welcomes judges criticism.

Upping her game: Faye Brookes, 33, told Lorraine on Friday said she wants criticism from judges and she and skating partner Hamish Gaman are preparing to perform as Prince William and Kate Middleton this weekend

She said: 'Listen, they're doing their job aren't they. They're giving constructive criticism and I want them to, because I want to get better.'

Partner Hamish was quick to sing Faye's praises, and said she has seen her hard work pay off as she 'became like a swan' during last week's performance.

He said: 'It's a dream come true. From day one Faye was like Bambi and she became like a swan last week. She's done everything I've asked and really seen the fruit of her labour.'

Duke and Duchess: The Coronation Street star revealed she and partner Hamish Gaman will be performing as Prince William and Kate Middleton for 'Love Week' in full wedding attire

Faye added: 'I've just completely fallen in love with it and embraced this world that you've introduced me to. And thank goodness I have Hamish.

'It's put a fire in my belly this week. I'm exhausted, I'm not gonna lie. This is the most difficult challenge I've taken on in my entire life. But that fire in my belly makes me wanna be better.'

Dancing On Ice viewers slammed judges over their 'unfair' marking of Faye and Hamish's ' 'flawless' Swan Lake performance last week.

While fans loved it, Faye was met with criticism - with judge Ashley Banjo claiming that it 'looked too easy'.

But keeping their spirits high, Faye and Hamish are hoping to impress this weekend'

The pair will be dressed as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in wedding attire for their Love Week performance.

Faye said: 'We have been given the honour of Kate and William. I'm in the full wedding dress.'

Hamish praised the costumes on the show, adding: 'The wardrobe department is incredible.'

Praise: Hamish was quick to sing Faye's praises, and said she has seen her hard work pay off as she 'became like a swan' during last week's performance

The professional star also spoke about getting married, adding that he was 'in no rush' and when it's 'safe' he and partner Amelia will go ahead with their dream wedding.

He said: 'It's just the way the world is right now. We're in no rush. We love each other. When it happens it happens.

'When it's safe to do so we'll go ahead and give ourselves the dream wedding that we want. Amelia has all the dress ideas in her head.'

Faye added that fellow Coronation Street star Jane Danson gave her tips about Dancing On Ice, after she appeared on the show in 2019.

She said: 'We saw her back in half term when it was safe to do so and she told us she's still dreaming of the show and said it's the best thing she ever did.

'The most difficult challenge': Faye thanked partner Hamish for being by her side during their time on Dancing On Ice

'We're trying to give everyone at home some hope some joy and it's a journey for me as well, with Hamish. To see me grow is amazing.'

Recently, the actress discussed what the future holds for her and her boyfriend, Joe Davies.

She revealed their plans to get married and have children as she declared he is the 'best cheerleader' whenever she steps foot on the ice.

When asked if an engagement is on the cards, Faye responded to OK! magazine: 'I would love to get married and I know Joe would too, but right now we love our lives and there is no pressure. There is enough pressure on the world to get through this pandemic.'

Swan lake: The actress performed a ballet-inspired routine, with the judges saying they wanted to see more from her next week as she needs to keep on pushing herself

Her partner Joe, 27, concurred: 'Theres a huge future ahead for both of us and were on our own journey.'

She also spoke of their elaborate wedding plans as she added: 'Its going to have to be a big wedding! As much as wed love it to be intimate and have our parents there as witnesses, there are too many important people in our lives.'

According to Faye, she and Joe are incredibly close to their families, and they have a 'great group of friends,' who they want to attend their wedding ceremony.

She also confirmed they have 'fur babies' for now - referring to their dogs - and that they haven't made 'any plans' to have children.

However, she did reveal they have discussed the possibility of having kids as Joe subtly added: 'There will be a time and place for everything.'
[February 12, 2021] CaliforniaChoice Launches New Website as First Milestone in Digitization Strategy

CHOICE Administrators announced today the launch of its redesigned website for CaliforniaChoice, America's largest multi-carrier private health exchange for small business. This is a key milestone in the organization's larger digitization strategy, which seeks to improve processes, including enrollment and renewals, for customers. The website features a customized experience for brokers, employers, and members, streamlined functionality, and a more modern design. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005064/en/ "At CaliforniaChoice, we're focused on serving the diverse needs of brokers, employers, and members," said Polly Neves, Executive Vice President of Marketing. "The new site will help us better serve those needs by tailoring the user experience, simplifying access to key information and resorces, and increasing the ability for customers to manage their benefits online."



"Having a strong online presence is vital for any organization," said Darren Cobb, Vice President of Information Technology. "We're very excited about the new calchoice.com because the platform allows us to build unique, innovative experiences for our customers and continue to make ongoing advancements." CaliforniaChoice offers coverage from eight different health plans and more than 100 benefit plan designs in a single program. Members can select from Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Oscar Health, Sharp (News - Alert) Health Plan, Sutter Health Plus, UnitedHealthcare, and Western Health Advantage. The private exchange gives employees the ability to find a plan to address their individual or family needs, while enabling the employer to lock in a rate for the group for 12 months.

About CHOICE Administrators CHOICE Administrators is the parent organization of CaliforniaChoice and ChoiceBuilder, America's first ancillary benefits exchange. Together, the two exchanges currently serve more than 450,000 members across the state. The CaliforniaChoice provider network includes more than 85,629 unique individual health care providers and 390+ unique hospitals. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005064/en/

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Ghaziabad: In yet another warning to the Centre, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said on Friday that the ongoing farmers protest will go on for an indefinite period. "Farmers protest will go on for an indefinite period as there is no plan currently. It might continue till October," Tikait was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The BKU leader said this in response to the statement of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Gurnam Singh Charni that the farmers protest will continue till October. Tikait had earlier warned the farmers agitation will not conclude until the Centre repeals the three newly enacted agriculture laws and it may go on till October.

On Friday, he mentioned that the farmers hold a protest every year on October 2 at the Ghazipur border. "Tear shells and bullets were fired at the farmers on October 2, 2018, at the Ghazipur border. Every year we do a programme here at the Ghazipur border and will also do it this year," he said.

Asked about the debates in the Parliament on the farmers issues, Tikait said it is good that the issue is being raised and debated in the Parliament.

He further said there must be a genuine reason that the countrys farmers are protesting for so long."The entire nations farmers are on the streets protesting, there must be a reason for it. If the farm laws are not accepted by the farmers, then what is the compulsion of not repealing them?" Tikait asked.

The BKU spokesperson agreed with Congress leader Rahul Gandhis remark of hum do hamare do as he believed that it truly seemed like only four people are running the country.

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.

Live TV
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda on Friday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for his allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ceded territory to China and dubbed the charge as "false" and questioned if it is not an insult to the armed forces who are leading the disengagement strategy. Nadda dubbed Gandhi's presser in which he attacked PM Modi as a "new edition of Congress circus".

"A new edition of Congress circus today, again due to Mr Rahul Gandhi. Why is he bent upon falsely claiming that disengagement is a loss for India? Is it a part of INC-China MoU? With the armed forces leading the disengagement strategy, isnt this an insult of our brave forces?" the BJP leader asked in a tweet.

A new edition of Congress circus today, again due to Mr. @RahulGandhi. Why is he bent upon falsely claiming that disengagement is a loss for India? Is it a part of INC-China MoU? With the armed forces leading the disengagement strategy, isnt this an insult of our brave forces?  Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) February 12, 2021

Gandhi on Friday alleged that the prime minister has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese, and questioned the government over its agreement with China on disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh. "This is absolute 100 per cent cowardice. This is nothing else. The Prime Minister is a coward who cannot stand up to the Chinese...He is betraying the sacrifice of our army," he charged.

He also posted a couple of media reports and a video message of a former Indian Air Force officer to allege that the Congress-led UPA government did not trust the armed forces and vice versa. "No Indian land has been given up by the government as part of the current disengagement process. If anyone committed the sin of giving up thousands of sq km, it is one corrupt, cowardly dynasty that has broken the country to keep their power intact," he said, attacking the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Other senior BJP leaders also attacked Gandhi with Union minister Pralhad Joshi accusing him of "lying left, right and centre" and denigrating the country's security forces. He said the "nation cannot forgive the Gandhi family for losing 43,000 sq. Km of land to China".

"When one does not have a moral conscience, when one cannot contribute anything positive, one resorts to lies. Rahul lied left, right and centre. Perhaps Rahul is depressed that he could not become PM. He knows that even his shadow won't support him & can't digest the huge public mandate to PM Narendra Modi," Joshi said.

With Gandhi making his attack on PM Modi personal, Joshi alleged that the former Congress chief's "utterances" are based on far-fetched presumptions and create "serious doubts on his mental health". "The selective amnesia which Rahul often displays seems a regular order. Denigrating efforts and sacrifices of our security forces, whom you are placating? Why? Because you got some donation for your party? Can't forget your meeting with the Chinese?" he said in a social media post.

Gandhi's attack on the government came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament that India has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China and it will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken away by anyone. "Congress party breeds a culture of petty politics. Every member of the Gandhi family always leaves behind a legacy of misdeeds. History bears testimony to their repeated attacks on the sovereignty of the nation and unfortunately, it is the country that has to always suffer," Joshi said.

The nation cannot forgive the Gandhi family for losing 43,000 sq km of land to China, he said, noting that Pakistan has also illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to China.

In a tweet, BJP general secretary C T Ravi said, "I am glad that the Congress has finally realised that PM Nehru created a 'Himalayan Blunder' by gifting 38,000 sq km land to China. Will it also question its co-owner, the coward Rahul Gandhi for making baseless allegations against PM Modi?"
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Laws made on this subject in other states are also being studied, Minister added

The announcement on religious conversion had come days after the Uttar Pradesh government cleared a draft ordinance against conversion through force or fraudulent means (Image source: PTI)

Chandigarh: Haryana wants to bring a law as soon as possible against religious conversion through force or fraudulent means, Home Minister Anil Vij said on Thursday as he directed officers to prepare a draft of an anti-conversion law.

Presiding over a meeting of a "drafting committee", the home minister said the "enactment of this law will prevent any attempt to get religious conversion by force, inducement, bluff of marriage or by any other unethical methods by anyone in the state".

"Strict action will be taken against the culprits," he said in an official statement.

During the meeting, all aspects of the preliminary draft brought by the committee were carefully considered, it said.

Laws made on this subject in other states are also being studied, Vij added.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Jails, Criminal Investigation and Administration of Justice Department, Rajeev Arora, Secretary, Home-I Department, T L Satyaprakash, Director General of Police Manoj Yadava, Additional Director General of Police Navdeep Singh Virk and Additional Advocate General Deepak Manchanda were present in the meeting.

In November last year, Vij had announced the setting up of a three-member committee to draft a law against "love jihad", a term used by BJP leaders to describe religious conversions in the guise of marriage.

The announcement had come days after the Uttar Pradesh government cleared a draft ordinance against conversion through force or fraudulent means.

Vij had earlier said that the "drafting committee formed to frame anti-conversion law" in Haryana comprised T L Satyaprakash, Navdeep Singh Virk and Deepak Manchanda.

The home minister had then told the Haryana Assembly that the state government was considering a law against "love jihad" and had sought information from Himachal Pradesh.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly had passed a bill in 2019 against conversion by force, inducement or through a marriage solemnised for the "sole purpose" of adopting a new religion.

Replying to a calling attention motion in the Haryana Assembly on the murder of a young woman in Ballabhgarh, the home minister had said, "Anyone can marry anyone, anyone can fall in love with anyone. But if there is a conspiracy for changing religion by trapping someone in love, then it is very important to stop that conspiracy. We will take whatever steps are required."
Siloam Mission CEO Jim Bell has resigned, and the downtown not-for-profit that cares for our citys homeless population, has installed a new board chairman, in the wake of a simmering controversy over Indigenous programming.

Opinion

Siloam Mission CEO Jim Bell has resigned, and the downtown not-for-profit that cares for our citys homeless population, has installed a new board chairman, in the wake of a simmering controversy over Indigenous programming.

It started last November, after nearly a dozen current and former employees of Siloam wrote a letter to the board of directors, accusing Bell of creating "a hostile and divisive working environment" while maintaining a "reluctance, refusal, and often outright denial" of "culturally appropriate programming."

They pointed out that while Siloam accepted funding for Indigenous programming, and had signed onto the City of Winnipeg Indigenous Accord, Bell limited and denied Indigenous practises such as smudging and drumming, and he had refused to allow Indigenous speakers to share knowledge with clients or staff.

The letter also demanded Bell fulfil his promises to hire Indigenous staff and establish an Indigenous advisory council.

The letter was sent months after employees had raised the issues in meetings and emails.

While the vast majority of Siloam clients are Indigenous, there was a deep problem in the way Indigenous culture was treated. In a private email to the board obtained by the Free Press, former Siloam Indigenous spiritual care worker Delvina Kejick wrote that Bells "evangelical Christian(ity) and his misinterpretation of traditional ways was a huge roadblock to true reconciliation."

Employees who spoke out were labeled "troublemakers," fired, or conveniently laid off.

To protect themselves and their careers, staff felt they had no choice but to write the letter to the board. Two months later, they contact the media. They formed "Not My Siloam" and spoke up on social media and in interviews. They promised to "hold Siloam accountable to reconciliation, in order to better support Indigenous people experiencing homelessness."

They also began to circulate a letter calling for Bells resignation. They also contacted Indigenous leaders who quietly offered to assist Siloam.

After a brief meeting, Bell issued a news release saying Siloam had "accepted an invitation to begin a collaborative conversation in an effort to walk a path together toward resolution on these important matters." He did not ask the Indigenous leaders if they had consented to him sharing their offer of help.

In essence, Bell used their discreetly offered goodwill to shield himself from growing public criticism: it was a betrayal.

Still, the group agreed to meet again with Bell in early February, and even developed an eight-point plan for Siloam to forge relationships with the Indigenous community.

The recommendations included fulfilling promises while developing an Indigenous strategy, hiring an Indigenous consultant and engaging with Indigenous organizations that work to end homelessness.

The meeting failed and Indigenous leaders began to circulate the letter that called for Bells resignation.

By this week, it was clear Siloam was not going to change its approach to Indigenous staffing and programming, Bell had lost much of the staff, and the problems in the organization included Bell and the direction taken by the board.

The Indigenous leadership group, however, didnt give up. They just began to work with others.

On Thursday, Siloam installed a new chairman, Garth Manness, and accepted Bells resignation.

In the news release to announce the changes, Manness announced plans to develop and launch a comprehensive Indigenous relations strategy, led by Crystal Laborero of Laborero Consulting.

Laborero is from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation and is chairwoman of the board of directors of Assiniboine Credit Union. She also sits on the board of End Homelessness Winnipeg, as do many of the Indigenous leaders who first offered to help Siloam.

In terms of the Indigenous relations strategy, Manness presented an eight-point plan  virtually identical to the one proposed by the Indigenous leadership group.

Some at Siloam, it appears, were listening.

In his opening address to Siloam staff Thursday, Manness said: "We are making a statement today to say that we are committed to reconciliation, we are committed to learning and understanding what that means Providing services to Indigenous patrons and being a Christian organization are not exclusive issues, they are complementary issues."

Now, the real work at Siloam begins.

Since more than 70 per cent of Winnipegs homeless community is Indigenous, adopting principles based on Indigenous inclusion, cultural revitalization and reconciliation is not optional.

The argument that it is a Christian-based organization with a right to proselytize, ignore Indigenous content, and focus only on the basics of feeding and clothing people is preposterous.

If this were the case, Siloam would simply be another residential school, the last kind of "charity" Indigenous people need, want or deserve.

Due to the work of many Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, Not My Siloam now has an opportunity to become a Siloam of reconciliation.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca
New York State Police are warning of a scam in which a scammer asks someone they dont know to send them a gift card.

Troopers say the scammers always change up their script in an attempt to get someone to send them a gift card, but the scam follows a similar pattern.

Often, the scammer will reach out via text, email or social media to ask someone to send them money in the form of a gift card. The person will then ask for the person buying the gift card to take a picture of it and ask for the PIN number. Once the scammer spends the money on the gift card, the money often cannot be recovered.

Recently, police have noticed scammers using various scripts that include asking people to help support local small businesses, posing as a religious organization, claiming theyre from the IRS, a loved one is in jail or saying youve won a prize.

State police ask that if you thin youve been scammed that you file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The Texas lawyer who went viral with his Zoom kitten filter this week was previously accused of ordering a search warrant on a smoke shop owned by a woman who said she had sex with him when she was 18 and he was in his 50s.

Attorney Rod Ponton, 69, was involved in a 2014 raid on The Purple Zone, a hookah bar and smoke shop in Alpine, Texas, when he was working as District Attorney of Brewster County.

The shop's owner Ilana Lipsen, as well as her mom and sister, was arrested on charges around the possession of illegal synthetic marijuana in the raid where her sister and a DEA agent both accused each other of assault.

Lipsen pleaded guilty to first-degree felony manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance over products seized in a 2012 raid in exchange for the 2014 charges being dropped against her family.

However, the case and charges were mired in controversy as testing on the products showed the chemicals weren't actually illegal in Texas at the time.

The shop owner claims she was harassed by Ponton because she had a one-night stand with him 11 years earlier when she was 18 and he was in his 50s.

She says she rebuffed him but that Ponton became 'creepy' and would 'stalk' her, before he sent cops to her business on several occasions.

Ponton has denied ever being in a relationship with Lipsen and insisted the case against her was 'handled professionally'.

The attorney gained newfound attention this week when footage was posted online of the moment he accidentally left the amusing kitten filter on during a Zoom court hearing and was heard frantically telling the judge 'I'm not a cat'.

Texas lawyer Rod Ponton (pictured) who went viral with his Zoom kitten filter this week was previously at the center of a controversial search warrant and drugs raid on a smoke shop belonging to a woman who says she was his former lover

Ponton's first brush with infamy first arose in 2012 when The Purple Zone was raided by a SWAT team and potpourri products were seized from the incense section of the store, reported the Texas Observer at the time.

As county prosecutor at the time, Ponton said the products contained 'spice'.

However testing by both the state and by Lipsen found no trace of spice and that the products were not illegal.

In May 2014 Ponton then requested and obtained the search warrant against The Purple Zone.

The raid was part of Project Synergy Phase II, a national day of DEA raids on May 7, 2014 in the war on synthetic drugs.

Lipsen, her sister and her mom - who did not work at the store - were all arrested in the raid.

Lipsen's sister Arielle claimed she suffered a neck injury after being thrown to the ground by an agent, according to the Observer.

No illegal drugs were found in the raid but ammunition was found and Lipsen was charged with 'receiving ammunition while under indictment.'

Lipsen was jailed and told she could only post bond and leave jail if she signed a letter agreeing to walk back her complaints about the federal agents, tell local media the DEA had a legitimate reason to execute the warrant, say her sister assaulted the DEA agent, and ask a local blogger to delete photos from the raid online, reported the Observer.

Attorney Rod Ponton, 69, was involved in a 2014 raid on The Purple Zone, a hookah bar and smoke shop in Alpine, Texas, when he was working as District Attorney of Brewster County. Pictured an officer at the store during the raid

The shop's owner Ilana Lipsen, as well as her mom and sister, was arrested on charges around the possession of illegal synthetic marijuana in the raid where her sister and a DEA agent both accused each other of assault

Lipsen agreed and four months later she pleaded guilty to a state charge of felony drug possession over the 2012 raid while the federal charges against her, her sister and her mom over the 2014 raid were dropped.

Lipsen's record will be clean after 10 years' probation.

After seeing Ponton hit headlines again this week, Lipsen told Business Insider the raid and charges were part of a harassment campaign against her by local law enforcement and led by Ponton.

She had a brief fling with the attorney in 2003 and that he became 'creepy' when she ended things, Lipsen said in claims first made to Reason back in 2014 which she doubled down on in an interview with Insider this week.

She claimed she had a one-night stand with Ponton when she first moved to the small town as a college student in 2003.

At the time, she was 18 while Ponton was in his early 50s.

Lipsen said she was 'disgusted with herself' and called it off.

Lipsen (in mug) pleaded guilty to first-degree felony manufacturing and possession of a controlled substance over products seized in a 2012 raid in exchange for the charges being dropped against her family

But she claimed Ponton would drive by her house 'almost like he was stalking me'.

Lipsen told Insider she 'ditched him because he was creepy'.

She said she believes he then saw 'an opportunity to f** me up'.

Lipsen told the outlet the incident had left her with 'severe PTSD' and she was forced to move town and 'reinvent myself.'

Ponton has said claims of a sexual relationship with Lipsen as a 'lie' and said the case had been handled correctly.

'We never had a relationship. I never had sex with her. All that stuff is false,' he told Insider.

'No reports were ever filed. Everything she said was a lie. No one took anything she said seriously.'

He added: 'The charges were brought by the police and the authorities. The case was handled professionally.'

However three other residents of the small town backed up Lipsen's claims of a fling to Insider this week.

Tom Cochran, the blogger who had posted the photos of the raid online, also told the outlet he was 'personally threatened... with seven felonies' by Ponton if he didn;t take down the pictures.

Ponton worked as Brewster County District Attorney from 2013 to 2016.

In 2019, he was appointed as Alpine City attorney but was sensationally ousted in November amid escalating tensions between Ponton and city officials.

Ponton had accused Alpine Police Department of a 'repeated pattern of police misconduct,' while city council members said there was 'a significant lack of trust' in him.

The shop owner claims she was harassed by Ponton (left) because she had a one-night stand with him 11 years earlier when she was 18 and he was in his 50s. Ponton has denied ever being in a relationship with Lipsen and insisted the case against her was 'handled professionally'

Ponton also appeared in the Netflix documentary The Confession Killer in 2019 about the infamous convicted murderer Henry Lee Lucas, whom he represented in his 1986 capital murder prosecution.

The amusing kitten filter video went viral this week following the mishap during a live-streamed hearing Tuesday morning for the 394th Judicial District Court of Brewster.

The video begins with presiding judge Roy Ferguson telling Ponton: 'I believe you have a filter turned on in video settings and you might want to turn it off.'

Ponton is then heard letting out a panicked 'aghh', as the cat filter over his face begins shifting its eyes back-and-forth and moving its mouth in unison with his voice.

'Can you hear me judge,' the feline-emblazoned Ponto is heard asking, his voice quivering.

Ferguson confirms that he can hear Ponton and reiterates that he believes he has a filter switched on.

'It is [a filter]', Ponton hastily interjects. 'And I don't know how to remove it. I've got my assistant here, she's trying to, but ahhh I'm prepared to go forward with it I'm here live, I'm not a cat.'

The attorney gained newfound attention this week when footage was posted online of the moment he accidentally left the amusing kitten filter on during a Zoom court hearing and was heard frantically telling the judge 'I'm not a cat'

At this point, the two other people present at the hearing, H. Gibbs Bauer and Jerry L. Phillips, begin to laugh.

Judge Ferguson, however, manages to keep a straight face, offering a deadpan response of: 'I can see that.'

The judge then begins calmly offering Ponton a step-by-step guide for how to remove the kitten filter, before the video abruptly cuts out.

Ponton has since revealed that he was using his secretary's computer at a remote office in Presidio, telling the San Antonio Express that this is the first time something like this has happened in the eight months he's been using Zoom amid the pandemic.

'It was certainly not an intentional thing to put the cat image up there but s*** happens,' he laughed.

'If I can make everybody laugh for a moment at my expense, I'll take it.'
Ukrainian soldiers must respond to truce violations, Zelensky stresses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the enemy wants to disrupt the ceasefire, adding that the Ukrainian military will not let them succeed.

"We understand what's happening. We understand it's only we who need this ceasefire. We understand the separatists seek to disrupt it. We do understand that. But the resilience of our military shows that we will not allow this to happen," the president said at a briefing during a working trip to Donetsk region, as reported by the president's press service.

The president visited Ukrainian defense positions near the town of Avdiyivka, the industrial zone outside the town, the village of Shumy, and also visited a position located just 80 meters from enemy lines. Zelensky said he had focused on these three positions since, as per JFO Commander Volodymyr Kravchenko, escalation and multiple ceasefire violations on the part of enemy forces had been recorded here.

The president stressed the Ukrainian soldiers should respond in case the enemy forces violate ceasefire and shell Ukrainian positions.

"Our guys are very well aware: if snipers take down our servicemen, they must find an adequate response to those snipers. That's exactly what they do," he said.

"They never get an order from me to return fire. They have an order to act in such cases precisely as they act. And they respond precisely as it's deemed necessary in such situations," Zelensky said.

Zelensky's visit to Donbas

On February 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived on a working trip to Donetsk region.

The G7 ambassadors also came to the warzone along with the president.

During the trip, Zelensky learned the situation on the front line and talked with the military personnel who are serving in the area of the Joint Forces Operation.

Latest escalation in Donbas

On February 11, at about 09:30, a Russian sniper seriously wounded a Ukrainian fighter near the town of Horlivka. Despite medical assistance provided, the soldier died during evacuation.

In the evening, the enemy employed a heavy machine gun near the village of Novomykhailivka, resulting in one Ukrainian defender being killed.

Reporting by UNIAN
The High Court on Friday deferred to February 19 hearing on the bail plea of former Bihar Chief Minister in connection with the case.

Yadav, who had been in prison since December 2017, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2018 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and seven years under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the case.

The case pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.5 crores from the Dumka treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996 when Yadav served as the State's Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav's elder son and party MLA Tej Pratap Yadav on Thursday sent 50,000 postcard letters to President Ram Nath Kovind requesting him to release the former Bihar Chief Minister from jail on humanitarian grounds.

was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi from the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on the advice of the State Medical Board.

Dr Umesh Prasad, Lalu's physician had said last month that Yadav's kidney was functioning at 25 percent capacity and his situation could take a turn for the worse.

(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| 2021-02-12 15:27:51|Editor: huaxia

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MALABO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A batch of China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea, on Wednesday.

This is the first batch of vaccine aid provided by the Chinese government to African countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Tuesday at a press briefing.

The Chinese aid is the fruit of the excellent relations between the two countries, said Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, who received the Chinese vaccines at the airport.

"Faced with the pandemic, no country, no matter how powerful, is not spared. However, in this context of crisis, only China has extended its hand to Equatorial Guinea, which has become the first African country to receive Chinese vaccine aid, and we are grateful for it ", he said.

During the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 held in June 2020, African countries were reassured to be the first beneficiaries of Chinese vaccines. China has kept its promise to deliver the vaccines to Equatorial Guinea as soon as possible, which will help it defeat the coronavirus, said Qi Mei, the Chinese Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea.

The safety and effectiveness of Chinese vaccines are recognized by the international community. Despite the huge domestic demand for vaccines, China is determined to overcome the challenges to make vaccines an accessible and affordable public product for developing countries, she said.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
The liberal wunderkind Ezra Klein has recently become a regular contributor to the New York Times, which will broaden the Times range of perspectives from A to A. Still, it is fun to see Klein note the obviousthat if California is the Progressive model of governance for the nation, the results are . . . really bad. In California Is Making Liberals Squirm, he notes:

California has the highest poverty rate in the nation, when you factor in housing costs, and vies for the top spot in income inequality, too. There are bright spots in recent years  electric grid modernization, a deeply progressive plan to tax the wealthy to fund poor school districts, a prison population at a 30-year low  but theres a reason 130,000 more people leave than enter each year. California is dominated by Democrats, but many of the people Democrats claim to care about most cant afford to live there. . . The median price for a home in California is more than $700,000. As Bloomberg reported in 2019, the state has four of the nations five most expensive housing markets and a quarter of the nations homeless residents. The root of the crisis is simple: Its very, very hard to build homes in California. When he ran for governor in 2018, Gavin Newsom promised the construction of 3.5 million housing units by 2025. Newsom won, but California has built fewer than 100,000 homes each year since. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti persuaded Angelenos to pass a new sales tax to address the citys homelessness crisis, but the program has fallen far behind schedule, in part because homeowners fought the placing of shelters in their communities. . . California talks a big game on climate change, but even with billions of dollars in federal funding, it couldnt build high-speed rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The project was choked by pricey consultants, private land negotiations, endless environmental reviews, county governments suing the state government. It has been shrunk to a line connecting the midsize cities of Bakersfield and Merced, and even that is horribly over budget and behind schedule.

The one part of Kleins premise that I think is wrong is that any liberals are actually squirming over this state of affairs at all. As long as theyre having their dinners at the French Laundry, theyre just fine with things. What would make liberals squirm? If Gov. Newsom goes down in a recall election, which could happen in a few months. Prediction: Republicans, who have lost over 30,000 registered members in California since January 6, will do very well in next years mid-term election.

Next, the Times reports that the Frenchthe French!are saying no thanks to American wokery, and of course the irony is that a lot of American wokery finds its intellectual roots in some dense French theorist.:

PARIS  The threat is said to be existential. It fuels secessionism. Gnaws at national unity. Abets Islamism. Attacks Frances intellectual and cultural heritage. The threat? Certain social science theories entirely imported from the United States, said President Emmanuel Macron. French politicians, high-profile intellectuals and journalists are warning that progressive American ideas  specifically on race, gender, post-colonialism  are undermining their society. Theres a battle to wage against an intellectual matrix from American universities, warned Mr. Macrons education minister. Emboldened by these comments, prominent intellectuals have banded together against what they regard as contamination by the out-of-control woke leftism of American campuses and its attendant cancel culture. . . Mr. Macrons education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, accused universities, under American influence, of being complicit with terrorists by providing the intellectual justification behind their acts. A group of 100 prominent scholars wrote an open letter supporting the minister and decrying theories transferred from North American campuses in Le Monde.

Memo to American universities: When youve lost France . . .
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis demonstrates that a liquid biopsy examining blood or urine can help gauge the effectiveness of therapy for colorectal cancer that has just begun to spread beyond the original tumor. Such a biopsy can detect lingering disease and could serve as a guide for deciding whether a patient should undergo further treatments due to some tumor cells evading an initial attempt to eradicate the cancer.

The study appears online Feb. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology, a journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

While a few liquid biopsies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, mostly for lung, breast, ovarian and prostate cancers, none has been approved for colorectal cancer.

Patients in this study had what is known as oligometastatic colorectal cancer, meaning each patient's cancers had spread beyond his or her original tumor but only to a small number of sites. Such patients undergo chemotherapy to shrink the tumors before having surgery to remove whatever remains of the primary tumor. There is debate in the field about whether, after initial therapy, oligometastatic cancer should be treated like metastatic cancer, with more chemotherapy -- or like localized cancer, with more surgery plus radiation at those limited sites.

Contributing to the problem is that doctors have a limited ability to predict how patients will respond to early chemotherapy, especially since most patients don't have access to cancer genome sequencing to identify the DNA mutations in their original tumors.

"Being able to measure response to early chemotherapy without prior knowledge of the tumor's mutations is a novel idea and important for being able to determine whether the patient responded well to the therapy," said senior author Aadel A. Chaudhuri, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of radiation oncology. "This can provide guidance on how to treat oligometastatic disease. For example, if the liquid biopsy indicates that a patient responded well to the early chemotherapy, perhaps they should be offered the possibility of more surgery, which could potentially cure their disease. But if they didn't respond well, it's likely the cancer is too widespread and can't be eradicated with surgery, so those patients should receive more chemotherapy to control their disease."

Liquid biopsies for colorectal cancer detect tumor DNA that has broken free of the cancer and is circulating in the blood and, to a lesser extent, has collected in the urine. The biopsies described in this study are unique compared with other liquid biopsies being developed for colorectal cancer in three major ways. First, most such biopsies have been developed to track metastatic cancers or to verify that local cancers have not started to spread. Second, most liquid biopsies for cancer rely on knowledge of the original tumor's mutations, to see if those mutations are still present in the blood after therapy. But many patients don't get the opportunity to have their original tumors sequenced. Instead, the new biopsies rely on detecting DNA mutations in the blood or urine and comparing them with DNA mutations measured in the treated primary tumor, after it's surgically removed. And finally, the urine biopsy is unique for colorectal cancer as most urine biopsies have been limited to use in cancers of the genitourinary system, especially bladder cancer.

"The levels of circulating tumor DNA that we were able to measure in urine were lower than what we measured in blood, but this is still a proof of concept that it is possible to measure residual disease in a nonurinary cancer in this totally noninvasive way," said Chaudhuri, who also treats patients at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. "We will need to develop more sensitive techniques to detect colorectal tumor DNA in urine to make this a useful clinical test. But this is a promising start."

The study showed that lower circulating tumor DNA levels correlated with better responses to early chemotherapy. Indeed, most patients who had undetectable levels of tumor DNA in blood samples also had no measurable cancer in their surgical specimens.

There was also evidence that the residual disease detected in liquid biopsies was more predictive of outcomes than residual disease found in the surgical specimens. For example, the researchers described the experience of one man who, after early chemotherapy to shrink or eliminate the tumor, still had detectable cancer removed during surgery. But his blood sample taken that same day showed no circulating tumor DNA. He experienced long-term survival with no cancer recurrence. On the other hand, a woman with no detectable cancer cells in her surgical specimen, removed after early chemotherapy, was found to have circulating tumor DNA in her same-day blood sample. Eight months later, the cancer returned in her liver.

The study suggests that such liquid biopsies could help personalize treatment for oligometastatic colorectal cancer. Beyond identifying patients at high risk of recurrence and helping guide decisions about which traditional therapies should be given, the new study also identified patients who might benefit from immune therapies and other targeted treatments.

"Based on mutations in the blood biopsy, we could identify patients who might benefit from a type of immune therapy called immune checkpoint inhibitors after their initial therapy is complete," Chaudhuri said. "We also found mutations that could be targeted with drugs approved for other cancers. Our current study is observational, but it paves the way for designing future clinical trials that could test some of these potential therapies."

###

The co-first authors of the study are Bruna Pellini, MD, who conducted the work while a medical oncology fellow at Washington University and who is now with the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.; Nadja Pejovic, a visiting medical student in Chaudhuri's lab; and Wenjia Feng, a research assistant in radiation oncology.

This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number K08CA238711; the NCI P50CA196510 Career Enhancement Program; the Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Award; the American Surgical Association Foundation Fellowship; the American Cancer Society Institutional Review Grant; the Society of Surgical Oncology James Ewing Foundation Clinical Investigator Award; the Sidney Kimmel Translational Science Scholar Award; and the David Riebel Cancer Research Fund.

Chaudhuri serves as a scientific adviser/consultant and has received speaker honoraria, travel support and research support from Roche Sequencing Solutions, which was the sequencing platform used in this study.

Pellini et al. ctDNA MRD detection and personalized oncogenomic analysis in oligometastatic colorectal cancer from plasma and urine. JCO Precision Oncology. Feb. 12, 2021.

Washington University School of Medicine's 1,500 faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, ranking among the top 10 medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
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Justice Minister Naomi Long says she remained fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists.

There has been widespread condemnation after a Sunday World journalist was targeted in a sinister threat to shoot her.

Graffiti has appeared in a number of locations in east Belfast with the name of award-winning reporter Patricia Devlin along with cross hairs.

Justice Minister Naomi Long described the sick graffiti as a chilling sight.

Alliance Party Leader Naomi Long said she, remained fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists.

This is a chilling sight. In Northern Ireland in 2021 no reporter should be the target of such a sinister threat simply for doing their job, said the East Belfast MLA.

This attempt to intimidate and divert attention from criminal activity will not succeed and I remain fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists. My thoughts are with Trish Devlin at this worrying time.

Last night Peter Vandermeersch, Publisher at Independent News and Media, said it wasnt the first time Patricia Devlin has faced serious threats.

In a statement he said: This is an attempt once again to intimidate a journalist who is just doing her job. The Sunday World shows no fear or favour when reporting on criminality and paramilitarism in Northern Ireland.

Just two months ago, Patricia faced serious threats from loyalist paramilitaries. We will provide any support we can to our journalists and hope that those behind this are apprehended by the police.

The threats come as part of a disturbing pattern which has seen a number of journalists from across Northern Ireland face death threats.

Last week it emerged two BBC journalists had been targeted after being involved in the making of a Panorama documentary about Dublin crime boss Daniel Kinahan.

One reporter was forced to leave his home for a period, such was the seriousness of the threat according to the PSNI.

Last year a number of journalists in Northern Ireland were made aware of death threats from a number of loyalist paramilitary groups.

Two reporters from the Sunday World were warned of an imminent attack from criminal elements within the UDA last November.

And that came just a few days after a separate reporter working for INM were told their life was in danger.

The breakaway South East Antrim UDA (Ulster Defence Association) was being linked to that threat, following a spate of similar incidents earlier last year.

The reporters were told they were being targeted and were warned about bombs being planted underneath their cars.

A number of reporters were visited by police officers in the early hours of Friday morning with warnings of imminent attacks.

Speaking about the recent threat to Patricia Devlin Sunday World editor Brian Farrell said the authorities should take a zero-tolerance approach to such threats.

He said the company was taking the threat very seriously and the Sunday World would continue to follow the truth.

This is completely unacceptable, and we are fully co-operating with the police about this threat which they are taking very seriously, said Mr Farrell.

Rigorous investigative journalism is a basic requirement of a democratic society and well not be intimidated from doing our job.

Our readers know we will follow the truth wherever it leads us and our team of journalists will continue to do so despite this intimidation.
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Chaos at the border is being caused by Covid-inspired rules which see passport staff at Heathrow Airport working in groups of four to cut the risk of spreading mutant variants as arrivals race against the clock to enter Britain before the tough hotel quarantine regime begins.

Passengers landing in the West London airport today tweeted that they had joined a 500-person queue being supervised by just five customs agents, with one furious person writing: 'I have been in [the] queue for 1 hour; citizens in front oh me have been for 2+'.

MailOnline understands that Border Force officials who are sat checking passports in socially-distanced booths are being told to work in 'social bubbles' of four spread out across the enormous complex to reduce the risk of spreading different strains of coronavirus.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said that no staff have been furloughed, with bottlenecks at the border instead being caused by social distancing measures combined with an influx of potentially hundreds of passengers arriving from multiple countries at once.

Any decision to close e-gates is taken 'on the ground' by Border Force and allows Heathrow staff to check 100 per cent of forms - passports, passenger locator forms and negative Covid test results - on all arrivals.

It can also be revealed that when passengers arrive into Britain from the 33 'Red List' countries through selected ports of entry, they will be flagged on the Border Force computer system and subjected to even more checks - as well as the mandatory 10-day quarantine in government-approved hotels.

Those who attempt to evade quarantine by providing false information face a fine of up to 10,000, and up to 10 years in prison, while those who do not book a hotel place before arriving in England face a 4,000 fine.

Yesterday video filmed by an impatient arrival who joined a massive queue which snaked around the complex for fours showed a stretched official lose his cool and lament: 'We have not got any more staff!' One Border Force official told a passenger that it was taking up to 30 minutes to wave through a single person, while photos showed a line of people snaking back dozens of rows.

Footage shows one border force official telling an impatient passenger it was taking up to 30 minutes to wave through a single person yesterday

Days before a tough hotel quarantine regime is enforced, Heathrow Airport was swamped with passengers trying to enter the UK

Pictures show a line of visibly frustrated arrivals snaking back dozens of rows, while some slump on the floor and take off their masks

Arrivals at the border described a scene of 'absolute bedlam' as they lingered in queues for more than four hours while stretched officials lost their cool and lamented: 'We have not got any more staff!'

One passenger wrote on Twitter that he had joined a queue of around 500 others at Heathrow - being checked by just five customs agents. He tweeted: 'I have been in [the] queue for 1 hour; citizens in front oh me have been for 2+'

People checking in at Heathrow Airport while people race to get into Britain before tough quarantine rules start on Monday

Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport in West London today as more border chaos continues

Passengers checking in at Heathrow Airport in West London today as more border chaos continues

Travellers from Covid hotspots will only be allowed into England via one of five airports Travellers from countries on the banned list can only arrive into one of five airports in England when new rules come in next week. UK nationals or residents returning from 33 'red list' countries will be required to spend 10 days in a Government-designated hotel from Monday. Guidance for those who have to quarantine in hotels was published on Thursday and states that anyone with a booking that brings them to a different 'port of entry' from February 15 must change it to one of those specified. The accepted entry points from red list countries are: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport and Farnborough Airfield. Notable absences on the list include Manchester Airport - which is the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow. Luton and Stansted have also been excluded. Farnborough Airport - which is included on the approved list - is a private airport catering mostly for business passengers and has around 30,000 movements each year. Advertisement

The Home Office denied claims that the airport is understaffed, but admitted that Border Force officials are required to follow government guidelines on self-isolation in the event they test positive for Covid-19 or share a residence with someone who has tested positive.

A Heathrow Spokesperson said: 'We warned last year that Border Force was consistently failing to meet its 45-minute queue standard. While our teams are on hand to support Border Force, it is the Government's responsibility to ensure there are the right processes and resource in place.'

Yesterday the massive wait was blamed on a scramble from passengers to avoid the beefed-up border controls the Government is introducing from Monday, with 23-year-old Dylan Carter telling MailOnline: 'It's absolute bedlam. They've been stuck in queues for four hours. Officers have been shouting at the crowds saying things like 'you chose to travel'.'

A video showed an irritated border guard berate one of the impatient arrivals, suggesting that the huge queue was due to a shortage of staff forced to isolate.

The footage appears to show the male official fume: 'We have not got any more staff! We have staff isolating, we have staff off with Covid and we have had two staff die with Covid! So forgive us for not being understanding!'

A separate clip shows his colleague sternly telling an arrival that social distancing was compounding the hold-up.

The official seems to say: 'It's taking anything to 30 minutes to deal with one single person. Unfortunately, border force staff are not immune to Covid either so we... have to work in bubbles.

'If you choose to stand close to someone, that's up to you, but we have to socially distance. It takes time to do things, so please be patient.'

Nick Jariwalla, Director of Border Force at Heathrow, said: 'We are in a global health pandemic which is why every traveller is subject to enhanced monitoring at UK airports in line with the public health measures at the border.

'Every airport across the UK has a responsibility to comply with social distancing and Covid measures on site.

'We have maintained staffing levels at Heathrow throughout the pandemic, however, due to social bubbles for our staff, it may appear that there are smaller numbers of people at the desks than passengers may expect.

'In reality, arrivals and Border Force officers are separated into zones so they can continue to process passengers while ensuring they are kept safe and work in a Covid-secure environment.

'People should not be travelling unless absolutely necessary and every essential check from pre-departure testing, to the Passenger Locator Form and the suspension of travel routes is to strengthen our borders and prevent the spread of coronavirus into the UK and we aim to check 100 per cent of forms.'

From Monday arrivals from a 'red list' of 33 countries - who will only be allowed to fly into one of five airports - will be expected pay 1,750 to quarantine for 10 full days (11 nights) in designated hotels.

People arriving at Heathrow Airport while people race to get into Britain before tough quarantine rules start on Monday

People are in a race to beat the clock ahead of the tough new hotel quarantine regime coming into force from Monday

MailOnline understands that Border Force officers are being told to work in bubbles of four in Heathrow which are then scattered across the enormous complex to reduce the risk of spreading strains of coronavirus

People checking in at Heathrow Airport while people race to get into Britain before tough quarantine rules start on Monday

People are in a race to beat the clock ahead of the tough new hotel quarantine regime coming into force from Monday

People checking in at Heathrow Airport while people race to get into Britain before tough quarantine rules start on Monday

MailOnline understands that Border Force officers are being told to work in bubbles of four in Heathrow which are then scattered across the enormous complex to reduce the risk of spreading strains of coronavirus

MailOnline understands that Border Force officers are being told to work in bubbles of four in Heathrow

The Government's hotel quarantine website launched this afternoon - but passengers looking to return to Britain next week are facing problems using the website already

Minutes after going live, the quarantine hotel website was taken down by developers who told visitors they were carrying out 'some maintenance'

Travellers who don't book a hotel quarantine place face a 4,000 fine Travellers arriving in England from 33 'red list' countries who don't pre-book a space at a quarantine hotel face a 4,000 fine - and will still have to pay the cost of their stay. Arrivals the Covid hotspots will have to pay 1,750 to quarantine for 10 full days (11 nights) in designated hotels from Monday. The package includes the costs of transport from the port of arrival to the designated hotel, food, accommodation, security, other essential services and testing. But the government warns those who have not arranged a quarantine package prior to their arrival in England, 'face a penalty of up to 4,000 and will still have to pay for your quarantine package on arrival'. The costs for the 11 night stay, including food, drink and transfers, are 1,750 for one adult in one room, with a 650 additional rate for 1 adult (or child over 12) and a 325 rate for a child aged 512. Meanwhile, providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out your passenger locator form is an offence punishable by imprisonment. The Government warns that you could be fined up to 10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both, if you do not provide accurate details about the countries you have visited in the 10 days before you arrived in the UK. Advertisement

But the regime was thrown into chaos as its booking website crashed minutes into its launch, while travellers were not allowed to reserve rooms for the first two days. Searches at Birmingham, Glasgow and Heathrow airports showed they weren't 'any applicable hotels' for passengers to stay in.

The Government is already thought to have contracted 16 hotels to take part in the scheme, with the 50-a-night Thistle near Heathrow believed to be one of them.

The new booking website asks people to state the airport they are landing at, along with the date and the number of people arriving. It then lists what is included in the 1,750 quarantine package, such as food, drinks, transfers, security costs and two Covid tests.

The website also informs visitors that there is a 650 surcharge for an extra adult in the same room, and a 325 charge for children aged between 5 and 12.

However, minutes after going live, the new website was taken down, with an error message telling visitors developers were carrying out 'some maintenance'. The website does appear to be working for some visitors.

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said the problem was a 'minor technical issue' and that the website was 'currently undergoing maintenance'.

The spokesperson said: 'Rooms are available from Monday 15 February and travellers will be able to book through the site imminently.'

However Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds slammed the launch blunder and said ministers must 'act urgently' to get it back up and running.

'It is extremely worrying that even the limited hotel quarantine booking system is showing signs of failing from the outset,' he said.

'Over a year into this pandemic and 50 days on from the discovery of the South African strain, there are no excuses for yet more Government incompetence in the introduction of hotel quarantine.'

Meanwhile the Government issued more advice on its quarantine hotel scheme. The guidance states that any traveller wishing to leave their room for exercise will only be allowed with special permission from hotel staff or security and is 'not guaranteed'.

The Government yesterday published a list of five airports in England that travellers from red list countries must fly to under the quarantine rules.

The accepted entry points from red list countries are: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport and Farnborough Airfield.

Notable absences on the list include Manchester Airport - which is the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow. Luton and Stansted have also been excluded.

Farnborough Airport - which is included on the approved list - is a private airport catering mostly for business passengers and has around 30,000 movements each year.

It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock this week unveiled England's new quarantine programme for Britons arriving home from Covid hotspots abroad.

Heathrow Airport appeared busy yesterday as passengers were seen flooding back into Britain. Pictured: People wait at the International Arrivals area of Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport chiefs warned that unless there is a way to revive the travel industry soon thousands more jobs will be lost. Pictured: Long queues of people at the check-in desks at Heathrow Airport

The measures are aimed at stopping Covid variants discovered in countries such as Sotuh Africa and Brazil taking hold in the UK.

Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport chiefs warned that unless there is a way to revive the travel industry soon, thousands more jobs will be lost.

Bosses at the London airport fear that once the quarantine rules are introduced on Monday only the 'desperate and wealthy' will be flying.

Ahead of the new measures being introduced, face mask wearing passengers pushing large trolleys of luggage were seen streaming through the arrivals area at Heathrow.

A large group of people were also seen waiting at the arrivals area waiting for passengers, while there were queues at departures as people checked-in for flights leaving the UK.

The arrivals landed in Heathrow, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer visited the busy London airport, where he delivered a scathing attack on the Government's quarantine scheme.

An estimated 10,000 travellers arriving in the UK from 'higher-risk countries' every day will avoid hotel quarantine, Labour warns.

'I don't think anybody would argue that's a system that's going to work,' Sir Keir said.

The Labour analysis is based on the number of people travelling from countries where the South African or Brazilian coronavirus variants are circulating but which are not on the Government's red list. This includes locations such as France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

Speaking to reports during his visit to the airport, he said: 'Our concern isn't their preparations, because they're getting on with that.

'Our concern is that we now know that there are variants in countries that aren't on the red list. So this partial approach by the Government isn't going to work.

The arrivals landed in Heathrow, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) visited the busy London airport, where he delivered a scathing attack on the Government's quarantine scheme

Sir Keir, pictured during a visit to Heathrow Airport, also warned the Government not to give 'mixed messages' on the possibility of foreign holidays this summer

'We are at this crucial stage now where it's a race between the vaccine and variants, and the only way through this is to buy time by having a comprehensive system of quarantine in hotels, wherever you come from.'

The Labour leader, who is planning a holiday in Devon in August 'subject to the restrictions', also warned the Government not to give 'mixed messages' on the possibility of foreign holidays this summer.

It comes as Mr Hancock insisted ministers are 'doing everything we can' to make sure people can go on holidays this summer - but admitted there is no guarantee of success.

The Health Secretary confirmed that he has already booked a trip to Cornwall, despite Grant Shapps sparking fury yesterday by saying Britons should not plan trips 'domestically or internationally'.

However, Mr Hancock risked fuelling Tory MP frustration further by insisting that even though the vaccine rollout has surged ahead the situation is 'uncertain' with mutant coronavirus strains running riot.

'What we have all been saying is we will do everything we can to make sure that people can have a holiday but these are uncertain times,' Mr Hancock said in a round of interviews this morning.

'That is something people understand  especially after the last year, people really get that.'

Mr Hancock also insisted he made 'no apology' for his bloodcurdling threat of 10 years in jail for travellers to the UK who lie about visiting high-risk 'red list' countries.

Mr Shapps' blunt comments sparked a day of chaos, with Downing Street distancing itself from his views at lunchtime, saying it was a 'choice for individuals'.

But Boris Johnson, who earlier this month said he was 'optimistic' about the prospect of summer holidays, then echoed his minister's gloomy line at a Downing Street press conference.

He warned it was 'just too early for people to be certain about what we will be able to do this summer'.

Despite the cautious message from the PM, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden are working on packages to promote holidays in the UK.

One senior Tory said: 'We are in danger of making 'holiday' a dirty word when it should be exactly the sort of aspirational thing we are celebrating.'

Meanwhile, scientists have voiced scepticism about whether it will be possible to ease the government's extreme border crackdown anytime soon.

Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said booking a holiday now is 'one hell of a gamble'.

And Professor Devi Sridhar warned that sacrificing foreign holidays was likely to be the price for easing the lockdown in the UK.

Our VIew: Two ideas that are good for voters

New Delhi: In a significant development, Indian and Saudi Arabia armies will undertake joint bilateral exercises and this will be the first such exercise of both the armies together. The Indian forces contingent will be travelling to Saudi Arabia for the exercises which will be taking place in the next financial year.

In December of 2020, in another significant development, Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane had visited Saudi Arabia. It was the first time any Indian Army chief had visited the west Asian country in what is a clear sign of growing ties between New Delhi and Riyadh.

The Army Chief during his Saudi Arabia trip had visited Headquarters of Royal Saudi Land Force, the Joint Force Command Headquarters and King Abdul Aziz Military Academy. Saudi Arabia identifies India as one of the Kingdoms Strategic Partner Countries under its 'Vision 2030.

The last few years have seen an increased engagement between the two countries. 2019 saw the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country during which the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement was signed. In February 2019, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had visited New Delhi. During the visit, Riyadh announced investments targeting a value of USD 100 billion in India.
Adapt2 Solutions, a leading provider of AI enabled multi-market operations and trading software, today announced a new partnership with The AES Corporation to support their power scheduling, settlements and renewable operations in the PJM Interconnection (PJM), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and California Independent System Operator (CAISO). In the process of scaling operations with the addition of green assets and a new Market Dispatch Center, AES will leverage Adapt2s modernized Bid-to-Bill (B2B) solution to streamline market bidding, scheduling, ISO settlements, PPAs, and contract settlements.

AES is a leader in clean energy, and with the expansion of our new smart operations center to include even more renewable assets, we had to ensure we had the right people, processes, and technology in place, said Tim Bockhorn, AES Market Operations. During the selection process, Adapt2 not only met but exceeded all our ISO operation and technology expectations. We need to adopt and integrate the best technology available to properly scale our global operation initiatives. Adapt2 Solutions was the clear choice to achieve that goal.

Adapt2s multi-market platform hosted on Azure cloud is a mission critical part of their energy management operations. AES will automate front and back office functionalities to focus on constructing and reformatting operations as they accelerate the future of energy with smarter, more sustainable energy solutions. As the worlds leading battery-based energy storage company, AES will leverage Adapt2 for seamless integration of battery storage energy data into their front and back office operations enabling optimization of their growing fleet of solar generation. Powered by Adapt2s Bid-to-Bill (B2B) SaaS solution, AES will adopt a scalable infrastructure prime for future growth and expansion including predictive insights vital to an evolving world to better forecast supply and demand.

Aligned in our vision for both digital transformation and green energy future, we look forward to working with AES on this project and continuing to deliver safe, reliable and sustainable energy solutions to better serve all markets, said Jason Kram, Executive Vice President of Adapt2 Solutions.

Enabled by AI and big data, Adapt2 B2B is market-tested to provide participants across all North American ISO energy markets with a strategic advantage in terms of significant efficiencies for all elements in the bid to bill process.

To learn more about how Adapt2 is accelerating power and gas market operations, visit https://www.adapt2solutions.com/ or follow Adapt2 on LinkedIn @Adapt2 Solutions for more information on upcoming energy management webinars.

About Adapt2 Solutions:

Adapt2 Solutions (Adapt2) is the leading provider of AI enabled multi-market operations software designed to help market participants streamline all of their front and back office operations. Founded in 2008, Adapt2 delivers market-based solutions on the latest and most current technologies providing customers with fast, intuitive and stable user experience and performance. With over 150 market implementations representing over 2500 market participants, Adapt2 is a leading solution provider in the energy industry. Adapt2 Solutions is a privately held company based in Houston, Texas. To learn more about Adapt2, please visit http://www.adapt2solutions.com.

About The AES Corporation

The AES Corporation is a Fortune 500 global energy company accelerating the future of energy. Together with our many stakeholders, we're improving lives by delivering the greener, smarter energy solutions the world needs. Our diverse workforce is committed to continuous innovation and operational excellence, while partnering with our customers on their strategic energy transitions and continuing to meet their energy needs today. For more information, visit http://www.aes.com. Follow AES on Twitter @TheAESCorp.
Libby Squire's heartbroken mother told today how she now 'longs to die' so she can 'be with her girl' again as her killer was jailed for 27 years.

Lisa Squire spoke at the beginning of the sentencing of Pawel Relowicz,, the sexual deviant Polish butcher who raped and murdered her daughter.

Mrs Squire said knowing she was not there when her daughter needed her will 'haunt me for the rest of my life'.

Relowicz, 26, targeted the drunk and vulnerable student before driving her to a remote area, raping her then dumping her body in the early hours of February 1 2019.

The Honourable Mrs Justice Lambert said he had preyed on Libby and she 'did not stand a chance' of escaping his evil.

Yesterday a jury at Sheffield Crown Court found him guilty on both counts following a three-week trial and 27 hours of deliberations.

Ahead of Relowicz's sentencing at the same court this afternoon Libby's family provided a number of heartbreaking victim impact statements.

Libby Squire's heartbroken parents (pictured outside court) have paid an emotional tribute to their 21-year-old daughter after a Polish butcher was found guilty of her rape and murder

Libby Squire's body was found by a fishing boat in the Humber Estuary almost seven weeks after she was reported missing on February 1, 2019

Lisa said: 'There are no words that can explain the torture of living without my Libby. She was a sister, a granddaughter, niece and cousin.

'I have not only lost my daughter but the opportunity to be a grandmother to her children.

'In any times of trouble she wanted me, her mum. Knowing I was not there when she needed me will haunt me for the rest of my life.

'I now live in two worlds where I live as a mother, wife, friend and employee but there is also a world that will run parallel and is a dark and lonely world.

Relowicz (pictured) picked Libby up just off Hull's Beverley Road after spotting she was drunk and vulnerable at around midnight on January 31, 2019

Pawel Relowicz, 26, (pictured) had an 'uncontrollable sexual deviancy' and tried to spin a web of lies about his involvement in killing the 21-year-old - but a Sheffield Crown Court jury unravelled his callous deception

Woman targeted in voyeurism offence says killer was 'just allowed to carry on' A woman who was watched by Pawel Relowicz as she had sex said the meat processing worker 'was allowed to just carry on targeting vulnerable women to the point where his actions had tragic and deadly consequences'. The complainant in one of the four voyeurism charges Relowicz admitted after he was arrested on suspicion of abducting Libby Squire told Channel 4 News these type of offences should always be taken seriously. She told the programme: 'These things shouldn't be taken lightly because it may just be somebody who isn't really a threat. 'On the other hand, it might be somebody who's going to go on to do more similar offences as we've seen very sadly, tragically, in this case, something far, far worse.' The woman said: 'We did get to move on with our lives and that's not something she and her family get to do because of this evil man who was allowed to just carry on targeting vulnerable women to the point where his actions had tragic and deadly consequences.' Sheffield Crown Court heard how Relowicz committed a series of bizarre sex offences in the months before killing Ms Squire including exposing himself in public, masturbating in front of women and watching them through their windows as they changed or had sex. He pleaded guilty to nine charges, including voyeurism, outraging public decency and burglary, and was sentenced to eight and a half years in jail, later reduced to five years and eight months on appeal. The woman told Channel 4 News: 'He didn't particularly care when I saw him. 'He made eye contact. 'It was one of those moments when it sort of takes a little while to comprehend what was actually happening.' She said: 'I hope that the attitude towards these things does shift, people realise that they deserve to report things, to have them investigated, to not be embarrassed, to feel supported by the authorities and the people around them.' Advertisement

'In this world, I long to die so I can be with my girl. I wake up with disappointment that I will live another day.

'This is a world where I silently scream in pain and pray that one day we will be reunited in a dream, a world where we constantly look for signs in every rainbow.

'A world I didn't want to be in. Imagine wanting to live to be here with your children but one where you long to die so I can be with my child.'

The statement spoke of how the sound of Libby telling her that she loved her had been the most amazing thing she could hear.

She added: 'I'm so proud of our beautiful, caring and wonderful girl.

'Just four days before she died she told me she couldn't wish for a better mummy.

'My memories of her are always in my thoughts and I will never allow our bond to be broken.

'Although physically not here Libby will always be with me, I'm so proud of our beautiful, caring, amazingly wonderful girl.

'Although she has been physically been taken from me, what can never be taken from me is the love we shared.

'My memories of her are forever in my thoughts and I will never allow the continuing bonds I have with my beautiful girl to be broken.'

Libby's dad Russell also provided a short statement, which was read out by prosecutor Richard Wright QC.

He said: 'As a father what can I say? I've lost my little girl and I'm heartbroken.

'To get through my day I have to suppress my thoughts of her.

'I struggle to look at her pictures and can no longer watch her video clips, unable to recall her memories because of the pain it brings.'

In a statement read by Mr Wright Libby's sister, Beth, said she lost the person she 'idolised'.

She added: 'Having to grow up around something so traumatic is not something a child should do.

'Such is the shifting of roles, losing a shared future of siblings. I suppose people have varying degrees of closeness with their siblings but Libby and I grew up to be friends.

'She cared for me so greatly.

'When I was little I idolised her and she provided me with unique advice. I now face a scary and unknown world without her support as the eldest sibling.

'I'm left trying to navigate a scary and unknown world without her support.

'I'm now the eldest and although that has been forced upon me, I hope I can follow her footsteps. We will miss her terribly.'

He left the village of Warszewice, northern Poland, (population 616) with his wife (pictured together), now 26, and found work at pork producer Karro Foods' plant in Malton, North Yorkshire

During the trial, the court heard Relowicz 'targetted' Libby after seeing her 'drunk' and 'vulnerable' in the streets of Hull, East Yorks., on January 31, 2019.

He then took her in his car to a remote playing field and raped her before dumping her 'dead or dying' into a river.

Relowicz admitted having sex with University of Hull undergraduate Libby but claimed it was consensual.

Libby's body was recovered from the Humber Estuary on March 20, following the largest search in Humberside Police's history.

In the 18 months prior to Libby's disappearance, it was heard, Relowicz committed a series of sexually-motivated crimes in the student area of Hull.

He broke into women's homes and stole sex toys and underwear and pleasured himself at unwitting members of the public in the street.

The UKs competition regulator Andrea Coscelli is confident big tech could be regulated like the big banks as regulators globally continue to play catch up in the race to clip the wings of the high-flying technology giants.

Speaking at the annual Bannerman Competition lecture, in association with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), this week, Coscelli didnt mention Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple by name but he didnt need to.

The pervasive power of these companies is now on the radar of every regulator in the world, many of whom are keenly watching the Australian governments news media bargaining code.

The big tech companies including Google are the focus of a push for international regulation. Credit:Bloomberg

The code is the latest spot fire in the evolving tussle between regulators and technology companies as Coscelli reiterated why a collective response was urgently needed.
At meeting held on 12 February 2021

Godrej Industries announced that Godrej Housing Finance (GHFL), a company owned by the Godrej Family through Anamudi Real Estates LLP (Anamudi), has recently obtained a license to operate as a Housing Finance Company. To pursue the opportunity in housing finance business, the Board of Godrej Industries at its meeting held on 12 February 2021 has approved the proposal of acquiring shares of GHFL from Anamudi, subject to the approval of the Reserve Bank of India.

Keeping in mind the commercial and regulatory considerations, it is also proposed that part of the non-retail lending opportunities could be pursued through another subsidiary of the Company, i.e., Ensemble Holdings and Finance (EHFL), a non-banking finance company registered with the Reserve Bank of India.

From structuring flexibility and value consolidation perspective, it is proposed that GHFL and EHFL would be held through an intermediary subsidiary of the Company. It is proposed to acquire the shares of Pyxis Holdings (Pyxis) from Anamudi.

Accordingly, the Board has approved acquiring 95% stake in Godrej Housing Finance through a subsidiary of the Company, i.e., Pyxis, subject to the approval of the Reserve Bank of India. The Board has approved the acquisition of and further investment in Pyxis. The Investment in Pyxis is subject to approval of the Shareholders of the Company. Pyxis will acquire shares of GHFL and EHFL subject to the approval of the Reserve bank of India.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dave Mering and Rick Milenthal, two marketing agency CEOs, are the kind of guys who'd fly halfway across the country to have a drink and hammer out business--or just to meet, catch up, and share strategy. Not this past year.

They'd known each other for a while when they connected by text after a virtual industry event last March. Milenthal, who runs the Shipyard, an agency in Columbus, Ohio, known for its data savvy and storytelling, was impressed by how Mering--whose eponymous agency in Southern California specializes in travel and tourism work--was navigating the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pair hopped on a video call. Another followed, and another. By summer, they'd logged dozens of hours talking about the futures of their respective businesses.

"It took a while for Rick to reveal his hand," Mering says with a laugh. Eventually, the Zoom calls evolved into a courtship that would lead to an acquisition of Mering's firm by the Shipyard's parent company, TSY Enterprises.

Mergers and acquisitions are time-intensive even in normal years. They can suck resources away from companies, causing lulls in business. That's nothing executives want during a trying year of travel restrictions, work-from-home policies, and quarantining. All the uncertainty made 2020 a turbulent year for deals: After a second-quarter near-halt in activity, the second half of the year picked up by 88 percent from the first half, with companies executing $2.3 trillion in deals globally since July. Of those that managed to join forces over the past year, some found innovative ways to conduct due diligence and integrate their teams virtually, never meeting in person. Others decided to find ways around restrictions in order to ensure their leadership teams gelled--and could finalize terms of the deal face to face.

Mering and the Shipyard took the entirely virtual route. Mering began looping in a handful of executives from his 60-person staff once the acquisition was on the table--even though he figured it had maybe a 10 percent chance of going through. He and Milenthal organized virtual meetings for their department heads, and, eventually, broader staff groups.

In December, after eight months of Zoom meetings, the acquisition of Mering by Shipyard's parent company was announced. According to the CEOs, the teams knew each other well at that point--so well that coming into 2021, the newly combined company was flooded with new work. It projects $150 million in revenue in 2021.

As unconventional as the process was, Mering and Milenthal's experience shows that business owners can pull off a successful deal even if they're stuck at their home computers in distant cities. Karin Reed, the chief executive of Speaker Dynamics in Raleigh, North Carolina, says there's almost no limit to what kind of negotiations--or team bonding--can be made over video calls. She stresses that to really get to know another individual virtually, follow the typical best practices for Zoom. The combination of keeping your camera on, creating good lighting, and having sharp audio quality is a matter of respect to any conversation partner--and certainly to a future business partner.

"In sensitive negotiations, it's even more important," Reed says. "Your body language conveys important things; it's core to how we communicate."

Finding a way to meet in person

Before the pandemic, businesses exploring a merger were already conducting much of the financial due diligence virtually. A report by EY suggests that trend is getting even deeper, with partners turning to more data-intensive due diligence efforts. Companies are getting granular, looking even at lines of code and historical transaction data.

But the pandemic presents hurdles to proper information-gathering: Site visits may be impossible, or done virtually, leaving holes. Some firms are opting to ensure their teams mesh well in person before signing paperwork.

Europe's largest digital agency, Dept, was already in acquisition talks with Basic, a 150-person web and mobile agency based in San Diego, San Francisco, and St. Louis, when the pandemic hit. Travel restrictions and distancing rules slowed the momentum.

"You decide to do a deal based on a few hygiene factors," says Dimi Albers, the chief executive of Dept. "But in the end, for us at least, it's a cultural thing. That means getting together in a room. You need to do it somewhere in the process."

Matt Faulk, Basic's founder and CEO, agreed. Their advisers took two weeks in the late summer to find somewhere in the world both executive teams could fly into and spend several days together without a mandatory 14-day quarantine. They considered Mexico and Ireland, both which had loose restrictions in late summer, and settled on the Dublin area. They'd get Covid-19 tests before flying in August, and stay as socially distant as possible--a luxury afforded by staying at a $1,500-a-night, 13-bedroom, 16th century Georgian mansion in the countryside they found on Airbnb.

In addition to hunkering down with the numbers, the groups took hikes together, had meals together, and participated in evening drinking sessions. After what had felt like months in a long-distance relationship, Faulk says, the three-day commune--even if it meant nerves around flying during a pandemic--was worthwhile.

"It was spending three days, a hundred percent of the time, with a bunch of people you've never met to figure out how you're going to essentially marry each other for the future," he says. "And it was the craziest date ever."

The internet was spotty enough that neither team could dial up reinforcements from their departments for additional information, or deliver fancy online presentations. "We just had to get real and raw," Faulk says. "It was an old-fashioned way to sort of force our hands."

Albers says going forward he'll employ parts of the acquisition playbook the pandemic forced him to develop.

"What we've learned is that indeed 98 or 99 percent of the work you can do through the right setups," he says. "You have to think about it. How do you do those Zoom calls, and keep them energized?" All the same, though, he advises, "Be super sharp about regulations on different continents to know when it, all of a sudden, makes sense to fly over to meet up with teams."

Albers is bullish that other companies can keep up their strategic merger-and-acquisition strategy despite the continued strain on their typical communications and travel protocols.
Islamabad, Feb 12 : Three people were killed and 10 others injured when the dome of an under-construction mosque collapsed in Lahore, local media reported.

About 25 labourers were working at the mosque when the dome collapsed on Thursday, Xinhua news agency.

The injured people were shifted to a nearby hospital where two of them were in critical condition.

Police has launched investigation into the incident.

According to preliminary reports, substandard construction material was the reason of the collapse.
Mr Yaw Dabie Appiah Mensah, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for the scrapping of the ex-gratia paid to Members of Parliament (MPs) after every four years.



According to him, the present economic state of the nation amidst surging cases of Coronavirus Disease required immediate scrapping of the huge emoluments paid to the MPs.



Because they are part of Article 71 office holders whose salaries and emoluments are determined by committees set up by the President, and are awarded huge lump sum as ex-gratia after every general election every four years.



Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Odumase in the Sunyani West Municipality, Mr Appiah, a former Organizer of the NPP indicated governments around the world were spending hugely to manage and contain the COVID-19 and Ghana could not over-rely on them for assistance to flatten her COVID-19 curve.



"It's urgent the nation considers realistic approach and generate more funds locally to tackle the COVID-19 proactively and to make Ghana safe for her people. I strongly believe it is among this and other factors that President Nana Akufo-Addo has reduce his ministerial portfolio to save the national coffers.



"You believe with me we are not in normal times and so everybody must sacrifice towards the nationwide fight against this COVID-19, which has potential to devastate and drain the national economy. If we don't take radical measures the nation will go into huge economic crisis which would be extremely difficult to repair", Mr Appiah added.



The former NPP Organiser stressed the COVID-19 had had huge impact on the nation and thereby worsened the socio-economic conditions of many Ghanaians who were currently living in abject poverty, saying it would be unfair and unreasonable for the nation to continue to pay the MPs ex-gratia while their constituents suffered economic hardships.



"I am not painting the picture that the MPs and other Article 71 office holders don't deserve the ex-gratia, but my brother you will agree with me that President Akufo-Addo is struggling and spending too much to contain this COVID-19 and at the same time to meet the development needs of the people.



I think the MPs must sacrifice, if they are truly representing the interest of their constituents in parliament. Other than that I will not feel their nationalistic ideals for nation", Mr Appiah stated.



"But it's also disheartening the ordinary Ghanaian struggles on the street just to afford three square meals, while the MPs who must represent their interest go home every four years with this whopping sum of money.



This is unfair and Speaker Bagbin and the house must do something about that", Mr Appiah added.

Source: GNA









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A man has died following a gangland gun attack in north Dublin last night.

The man aged in his mid-40s was named locally as Paddy Lyons. He was shot in the Belclare area of Ballymun.

Detectives are now probing if the murder is linked to a local dispute.

Gardai were alerted to the shooting at around 9pm and rushed to the scene.

The victim was treated for gunshot wounds but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Detectives have set up an incident room at Ballymun garda station.

They are also appealing for witnesses, or anyone who has information in relation to the incident, to contact them.

Gardai were last night examining a motive for the first gun murder of the year.

Read More

A spokesperson said that gardai were investigating a fatal shooting incident that occurred in Belclare Terrace, Ballymun, Dublin, yesterday evening at 9pm.

A male, aged in his mid-40s, received a number of gunshot wounds and has been pronounced dead at the scene.

The scene is currently preserved and a technical examination is to be carried out by the Garda Technical Bureau, the spokesperson said last night.

A Garda spokesperson said: Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident to come forward.

Gardai are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Belclare Terrace and Belclare Park areas yesterday between 8pm and 9.15pm.

Anyone who may have camera footage of the incident, including dash-cam and mobile phone footage, is asked to make it available to investigating gardai, the spokesperson said.

The scene was preserved last night for a technical examination. Anyone with any information should contact Ballymun garda station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
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SALEM, Ore.  A Democratic U.S. senator says he believes his Republican colleagues will be thinking about what's more important: their place in history or getting re-elected when they vote on former President Donald Trump's guilt or innocence on incitement of insurrection.

Senator Jeff Merkley told reporters on Thursday that the mood in the Senate chamber on Wednesday as the House impeachment managers began presenting their arguments  showing footage from the Capitol as insurrectionists poured inside  was "somber and very focused."

"Virtually all of us had been in that chamber on the day of the assault. We had heard the first confrontation outside the main doors to the Senate, the ones that lead down the hallway that goes to the House of Representatives," Merkley said.

RELATED: Impeachment trial of former President Trump enters third day

"To see this again, laid out from the viewpoint from outside the Capitol, the sequence of the day and how all these events came to pass and to see how close we came to a much larger disaster . . . " Merkley continued. "Now it was a significant, significant  a disaster. You have five individuals who died. You have some 140 police officers who were injured."

Merkley said that, based on what he's heard from his colleagues, a decision by GOP senators to convict could run contrary to what voters in their states want.

"A number of colleagues are deeply troubled," Merkley said. "They know this is a moment in history, which they would like to do the right thing, but they feel the right thing may be in conflict with the political imperative of where their electoral base sits  the opinions of their electoral base.

Only six Republican senators on Tuesday joined 50 Democrats in voting to proceed with the impeachment trial. But votes of two-thirds of members of the Senate - or at least 67 votes  are needed to convict.

"You need to not only hold people accountable now, but we need to send a strong message to the future," Merkley said. "Coming together to repair our institutions is very important. Proceeding to allow the damage that has been done to sit unattended would be unpatriotic, un-American, and simply wrong.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The first India Toy Fair will be held virtually from February 27 to March 2, the government announced on Thursday. The website for the India Toy Fair 2021 which was launched on Thursday will enable children, parents, teachers, exhibitors, etc. to register themselves to participate in the virtual fair which will showcase various facets of the Indian toy ecosphere.

According to officials, it is the first ever digitally accessible exhibition and platform which will provide an opportunity to explore and buy a variety of toys from over 1,000 exhibitors across states and union territories, and participate in insightful webinars, panel discussions and activities, and network with various stakeholders from the toy industry.

"About a year back, complaints were received about poor quality, cheap toys being imported into the country, adversely affecting the Indian toy industry," Union Minister Piyush Goyal said at the launch of the website.

"The matter was examined by a committee which found that 30 per cent of the imported plastic toys were having large amounts of chemicals and heavy metals, way beyond the prescribed levels. Other toys were also found to be deficient in quality. This led to the issue of quality control order for toys. This initiative will ensure that Indians get access to quality toys," he said.

Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', said, "Indian toys have been the building blocks of a happy childhood and play-based, discovery-based and activity-based learning plays an integral role in bridging the gap between day-to-day studies and practical hands-on learning which is a prime focus of the new National Education Policy." Stating that the Indian toy industry is a source of livelihood for many artisans and micro enterprises, Union Minister of Textiles and Women and Child Development Smriti Irani said that six ministries of the Union government have joined hands to make the fair a "grand success".

"In a big boost to the toy manufacturing industry under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign, this initiative is being taken to bring transformative change in the industry by being 'Vocal for Local'," she said.

The main attractions of the fair include a virtual exhibition with over 1,000 stalls, knowledge sessions with engaging panel discussions and webinars on diverse topics by experts on areas including toy-based learning, craft demonstrations, competitions, quizzes, virtual tours, product launches, etc.

For the education sector in particular, the knowledge sessions involving various experts will focus on areas emphasised in the NEP 2020 such as play-based and activity-based learning, indoor and outdoor play, use of puzzles and games to promote critical thinking and overall on how to make learning more engaging and enjoyable.

The exhibitors include Indian businesses engaged in creating happy childhoods and educating children through play as well as NCERT, SCERTs, CBSE along with their schools and teachers, IIT-Gandhinagar, National Institute of Design, and Children University in Ahmedabad.

Also read: India red-hot investment opportunity for clean energy transition, says John Kerry
Three Baltimore men have been accused by federal prosecutors of putting up a fake website to sell Covid-19 vaccines for $30 a dose, prosecutors say.

The men, Olakitan Oluwalade, 22, and Odunayo Baba Oluwalade, 25, who are cousins, and Kelly Lamont Williams, 22, each face a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the United States Attorneys Office for the District of Maryland said on Thursday.

Prosecutors said the men created a website that resembled that of Moderna, the biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Mass., that in December won federal approval to distribute its Covid-19 vaccine.

The genuine website is modernatx.com, and the website created by the men, which the authorities have since seized, was modernatx.shop. Prosecutors said the source code of the fake domain showed that its creator had used a tool to copy the real Moderna website.
Recap: Remember a few weeks ago when we heard reports that Nvidia would be relaunching the RTX 2060 to help alleviate the crippling graphics card shortages? The company has just confirmed it will indeed be releasing stock of the Turing GPU, along with the Pascal-based GTX 1050 Ti GPU, to board partners.

PCWorlds Brad Chacos spoke to an Nvidia spokesperson via email about the rumors that it would be reviving GPUs from older generations and releasing them to AIBs.

The products referenced below were never EOLed [end-of-lifeded]. So reviving seems like the wrong terminology to use here, Nvidia said. More of an ebb and flow really. Were just meeting market demand, which remains extremely high as you noted.

Despite launching back in 2016 for $140, the GTX 1050 Ti is the second-most-popular card on Steams hardware survey, used by almost 7 percent of participants. The RTX 2060, released in 2019 for $349, is in fifth spot with a 3.5 percent share.

Using the older process nodes means the manufacturing costs for these cards arent going to be too high. And in the case of the GTX 1050 Ti, which uses GDDR5 memory, it could be produced without the rumored GDDR6 shortages complicating matters.

What could also make the GTX 1050 Ti more freely available is its unsuitability for Ethereum mining, which requires a GPU with more than 4GB of memory. Miners of the crypto have been so desperate recently that theyre bulk-buying Ampere-powered laptops direct from manufacturers.

The previous rumors suggested both the RTX 2060 and RTX 2060 Super would be revived, but theres no mention of the latter card. It could be due to the Super variant's extra 2GB of GDDR6, which might pose a problem further down the line if the memory is in short supply.

Right now, both these products are experiencing the same inflated prices as every other card on the market. Most GTX 1050 Ti cards sell for over $250, while the few RTX 2060 models available start at $700. Some retailers have them in stock, suggesting the resupplying has begun. Whether their prices drop might also depend on President Biden removing the 25 percent tariff graphics cards are subject to.
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There is widespread condemnation tonight after a journalist at an Independent News and Media title was targeted with a sinister threat in Northern Ireland.

Graffiti has appeared in a number of locations in east Belfast with the name of award-winning Sunday World reporter Patricia Devlin along with cross hairs.

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long described the sick graffiti as a chilling sight.

Alliance Party Leader Naomi Long said she, remained fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists.

This is a chilling sight. In Northern Ireland in 2021 no reporter should be the target of such a sinister threat simply for doing their job, said the East Belfast MLA.

This attempt to intimidate and divert attention from criminal activity will not succeed and I remain fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists. My thoughts are with Trish Devlin at this worrying time.

Last night Peter Vandermeersch, Publisher at Independent News and Media, said it wasnt the first time Patricia Devlin has faced serious threats.

In a statement he said: This is an attempt once again to intimidate a journalist who is just doing her job. The Sunday World shows no fear or favour when reporting on criminality and paramilitarism in Northern Ireland.

Just two months ago, Patricia faced serious threats from loyalist paramilitaries. We will provide any support we can to our journalists and hope that those behind this are apprehended by the police.

The threats come as part of a disturbing pattern which has seen a number of journalists from across Northern Ireland face death threats.

Last week it emerged two BBC journalists had been targeted after being involved in the making of a Panorama documentary about Dublin crime boss Daniel Kinahan.

One reporter was forced to leave his home for a period, such was the seriousness of the threat according to the PSNI.

Last year a number of journalists in Northern Ireland were made aware of death threats from a number of loyalist paramilitary groups.

Two reporters from the Sunday World were warned of an imminent attack from criminal elements within the UDA last November.

And that came just a few days after a separate reporter working for INM were told their life was in danger.

The breakaway South East Antrim UDA (Ulster Defence Association) was being linked to that threat, following a spate of similar incidents earlier last year.

The reporters were told they were being targeted and were warned about bombs being planted underneath their cars.

A number of reporters were visited by police officers in the early hours of Friday morning with warnings of imminent attacks.

Speaking about the recent threat to Patricia Devlin Sunday World editor Brian Farrell said the authorities should take a zero-tolerance approach to such threats.

He said the company was taking the threat very seriously and the Sunday World would continue to follow the truth.

This is completely unacceptable, and we are fully co-operating with the police about this threat which they are taking very seriously, said Mr Farrell.

Rigorous investigative journalism is a basic requirement of a democratic society and well not be intimidated from doing our job.

Our readers know we will follow the truth wherever it leads us and our team of journalists will continue to do so despite this intimidation.

The drive that made S. Prestley Blake  and the Friendlys chain he founded with his brother, Curtis, in the depths of the Great Depression  a success didnt waiver, even in Blakes final weeks.

Pres was always in command, right up until the last minute, his wife of 38 years, Helen, said Friday. The most dreaded words every morning were I have an idea.

Because Pres ideas, Helen said, turned into projects and instructions that sent her and Pres loyal friends and staff off on adventures they wouldnt have dreamt of on their own.

He was a giant of a man with steel will and immense energy, Helen Blake said. He accomplished. He couldnt even stop if he wanted to. He had to be busy all the time  which meant the rest of us were busy all the time.

Blake died Thursday in a Florida hospital at the age of 106.

Eighty-six years ago, in the summer of 1935, the Blake brothers started Friendly  the apostrophe s was added later  with a small loan from their mother who feared theyd be unable to find summer jobs.

Curtis was 18 and Pres was 20.

Blake brothers Curtis, left, and S. Prestley at the Taste of Springfield in 1985.The Republican file

Curtis died in 2019 at 102.

The brothers reconciled late in life after years of disagreements. But both left a mark on Greater Springfield that extended past Friendlys onto college campuses, health-care and cultural institutions.

For Pres, that meant support of Western New England University where the law school building bears the Blake name, his support of Springfield College and of whats now Bay Path University.

At Springfield College, his $2 million donation in 2006 renamed the former Wilbraham Hall as Herbert P. Blake Hall, in honor of his late father.

In September 1973, Pres was a major contributor towards the Colleges Physical Education Complex, which included the naming of Blake Field, the college said.

We were saddened to learn of Pres Blakes passing. He was a great friend of Springfield College, and his philanthropy enriched and opened possibilities for thousands of students. While we accept this news with sadness, we also acknowledge a life very well lived with immense gratitude that we were a part of it, Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper

Over the decades, Blakes philanthropy also extended to Bates College, American International College, Springfield Technical Community College, Clarke School for the Deaf, Springfield Library and Museums, former CityStage, Greenfield YMCA, Springfield Jewish Community Centers, Quinnipiac University, Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Somers Education Foundation, Somers Library, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and Northfield Mount Hermon School.

Blake himself explained his philanthropy once, saying:

Instead of being the richest man in the cemetery, we can enjoy the fruits of our success by giving it to good causes.

Helen Blake said his work now falls to her.

My mission has been to keep him happy and alive, she said. From now on, my mission is going to be to finish the things that we started together.

The ongoing projects include Hillsdale Colleges creation of the Blake Center for Faith and Freedom on the Blake Family property in Somers.

Hillsdale, a conservative school based in Michigan, has acquired 90 acres in Somers, including a replica of Thomas Jeffersons Monticello. Pres Blake, a boyhood admirer of Jefferson, had the mansion constructed in 2015 as his swan song project.

S. Prestley Blake, left, and contractor Bill Laplante during the construction of the Monticello in Somers, Conn. in 2014. (The Republican file photo) Staff-Shot

Helen Blake said shes also excited to participate in the completion of the S. Prestley and Helen Blake Ambulatory Care Center at the Johnson Memorial Hospital Enfield Campus.

In 2019, the couple donated $10 million to the Saint Francis Foundation for the center. It was the largest gift ever dedicated specifically to Johnson Memorial Hospital, a member of Trinity Health Of New England, the hospital said at the time.

Helen Blake said she also looks forward to the naming of the gym at the new Longmeadow Adult Center after Pres. The couple led a fundraising challenge for the center.

Pres. Blake leaves two children  son, Benson P. Blake, and daughter, Nancy Blake Yankakis  and three stepchildren. A stepdaughter died before him.

Helen Blake said there will be a funeral next week for the family and they are considering hosting a more public memorial service once COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Friday that he is saddened at Blakes passing.

My sympathy, thoughts, prayers, and encouragement go out to his wife Helen, and family and friends. I had the pleasure to get to know Mr. Blake or as he would say, you are my friend call me Pres, later on in his life. I remember fondly spending time with him during his 100th birthday celebration, at our Springfield Museums and his Monticello property. Pres was an old school self-made man with his simple values of hard work and your word is your bond. He had an iron handshake and was passionate about giving back to his community. A sharp, shrewd and visionary businessman who valued and preached the importance of great customer service and product that was family-friendly and affordable, Sarno stated. He understood that having a loyal and dedicated workforce was the key to his and Friendlys success. His philanthropic giving was second-to-none. He generously donated millions and millions of dollars towards the betterment of our Springfield community and beyond. Thank you Pres. You will be missed but your legacy of a life well-lived will live on. I am sure there will be a hamburger set-up, milkshake, and a sundae waiting for you up in heaven.

Related content:

CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rewards Network , a provider of financing, marketing, and loyalty services to the restaurant industry, today announced the winners of its first-ever "Restaurant Resilient $50K Giveaway." The five restaurants located across the country have received checks for $10,000 each to support their businesses through the rough winter months during the pandemic.

The winners of the Giveaway were chosen because they each offer unique dining experiences for their customers and have supported their community in various ways including: meal donations, working with at-risk youth, and partnering with local NGOs. The five winners are listed below with corresponding plans for how they plan to use this new capital:

Dharma's Restaurant  Dharma's Restaurant is a staple and hub in the Capitola, CA community. Reward money will help pay employee wages and be used to purchase food, produce, and supplies, and to pay monthly bills. Lucille's  Lucille's in Houston has been able to keep all of its employees on the payroll throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so  along with tackling other initiatives  with the help of this grant. Rhythm & Booze  Rhythm & Booze is a Kansas City favorite of 11 years. The team plans to use the reward funds to continue to serve its loyal customers as the harsh winter continues. Wakin Bakin  New Orleans -based Wakin Bakin will continue creating a positive environment for its employees and customers while serving comfort food to its patrons allowing some much needed rest and relaxation in today's environment. Immigrant Food  Immigrant Food of Washington, D.C. is committed to taking a stance against intolerance of immigrants in America and uses its food to reflect America: diverse, nourishing and welcoming. With the reward, the team plans to double down on its mission to help immigrants and educate customers about immigration.

"If we've learned one thing during the Restaurant Resilient $50K Giveaway, it's that there's no shortage of incredible, hardworking and tenacious businesses around the country," said Steve Fusco, president of Rewards Network. "We're thankful to be able to recognize these five restaurants and look forward to seeing them continue to blossom while also giving back to their communities."

To learn more about the Restaurant Resilient $50K Giveaway winners, please see this article . Restaurants can also find additional resources in Rewards Network's resource section .

About Rewards Network

Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Rewards Network is a privately held fintech company powering the largest card-linked dining rewards programs in the United States and providing financial and marketing services to thousands of restaurants nationally.

Since 1984, Rewards Network has offered its dining programs in partnership with major airlines, hotel chains, and other leading loyalty marketing programs in the country. Our millions of members include guests who spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually at participating restaurants and in return, earn cash back, airline miles, hotel points, college savings, fuel discounts, and retail savings. For more information, visit RewardsNetwork.com.

SOURCE Rewards Network
Appointment

12 February 2021

Markus Krebs has joined the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort as General Manager.

Prior to joining Outrigger, Markus was General Manager of the 400-room Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California.

Markus has more than three decades of hotel experience, with a large proportion of that in the luxury segment.

With a work history spanning four continents, Markus has held senior hotel management positions in leading leisure and business travel destinations including Germany, California, Chicago and Bangkok, as well as the beaches of southern Thailand, Bazaruto Island southeast of Mozambique and on Hawaii Island  where he worked at the Fairmont Orchid.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Hotel and Catering Management from the Hotelfachschule Dr. Robert Eckert in Germany.
In today's partisan political world, we often hear folks on both sides of the aisle say, "Elections have consequences," to explain policy shifts they support. Coming from Alabama, where we all too often have witnessed political figures using "dog whistle" style rhetoric to inflame passions and in many cases incite violence, I also remind people that words have consequences as well. And when those consequences include a violent insurrection in our nation's Capitol like the one on January 6, accountability is an absolute necessity, in order to protect our democracy.

In my view, the House impeachment managers presented a concise and compelling case that former President Donald Trump incited the insurrection of January 6.

At the outset, it is important to be clear that two "legal" issues have been dispensed with and should not be part of any senator's deliberations.

First, regardless of one's personal opinion about the Senate's jurisdiction to hear the impeachment case, this issue was decided by a bipartisan vote of the Senate on Tuesday evening: It is constitutional to try a former president following the presentation of the articles of impeachment. The Tuesday vote is binding in this case and leaves only the issue of guilt or innocence to be determined.

Second, no serious constitutional scholar argues that the First Amendment protects speech that incites violence. The only question for the senators is a factual one: Did the then-President's conduct incite the insurrection?

In any trial, the accusing party must connect the dots between the words and actions of the defendant to the harm that occurred. Over the last two days, the House managers did just that.

The managers presented evidence of the former President's support for the "fine people" whose conduct resulted in the tragedy in Charlottesville and subsequent occasions when he condoned violent behavior. They also showed that the seeds of this insurrection were planted last spring when Trump's supporters twice stormed the Michigan State Capitol to protest the state's stay-at-home order -- designed to help combat Covid-19 pandemic -- and plotted to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Then-President Trump never condemned the actions of those who showed up at the state's Capitol, but rather praised the group, telling Whitmer that they were "very good people" and she should negotiate a deal. In response to the foiled kidnapping plot, Trump made light of the situation. The President was clearly taking up the cause of those threatening Whitmer and the state Capitol, using precisely the kind of dog whistle-style rhetoric seen in Alabama decades earlier. And it is clear that the insurrectionists were listening, prompting House impeachment managers to refer to the Michigan episode as a "dress rehearsal" for what transpired on January 6.

As the election drew nearer, Trump knew his reelection was in trouble. But instead of retooling his campaign, he began to fertilize the seeds of insurrection with baseless allegations that the election would be stolen. Time and time again he set the stage for an election loss, claiming that it could only be the result of fraud. And his supporters grew more and more angry.

After the election loss became a reality in November, Trump ratcheted up the rhetoric of the false narrative that he had won the election by a landslide but that it had been stolen -- not only from him but from his supporters. And his supporters grew even angrier.

When all his efforts to overturn the election results failed, Trump knew that his only hope of the clinging to the presidency was to stop Congress from counting and certifying the Electoral College votes on January 6. That was the moment when, in a string of tweets, he summoned his supporters to Washington, DC, on the day of the vote count, promising it would be "wild." And his supporters came -- by the thousands.

The then-President knew that the crowd he had summoned was prone to violence. He even retweeted some of their posts and amplified their violent and divisive rhetoric.

This was a crowd ready to start a revolution in Trump's name, and he knew it. And just like Southern politicians of the past who never explicitly told the White supremacists to bomb a church or murder a civil rights leader, Trump never told that crowd to commit a specific act of violence. He told them to go to the Capitol and fight to take their country back. Given all that he knew and all that had been said in advance, how in the world did he expect them to do that, to stop the counting of the electoral votes, without violence? If he did not expect violence, why did he not "be there with" them, as he promised?

In the hours following his speech, the horror of the insurrection played out live on TV. But there was no condemnation by the Commander in Chief. There was no meaningful effort from the White House to get the insurrectionists to stop the madness.

Republican members of Congress were pleading with the President to call the rioters off. But instead, he tweeted a video of the incendiary speech he had made earlier. At one point he went so far as to criticize then-Vice President Mike Pence at the same time insurrectionists carrying Trump flags were yelling, "Hang Mike Pence!" as they searched for him in the US Capitol.

The House managers connected all of these dots to the video of Trump finally telling insurrectionists to leave but also that they were "special," that he loved them and that they should "remember this day forever." Trump's 6:01 p.m. tweet made the picture, and his intent that day, crystal clear, "These are the things and events that happen ..."

I never dreamed I would see what happened in this country on January 6. I never dreamed that I would see a president stoke the flames of hate to cause a siege of the US Capitol with Congress in session. If Trump's actions are not impeachable, then nothing is, and we may as well strike that provision from the Constitution.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company


Ahead of the coming



Assembly polls, the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front will take out two processions across from February 13, explaining developmental activities of the government and to counter various charges raised by Opposition Congress and BJP.

The first procession from Uppala in Kasaragod, to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will be led by LDF convener and CPI(M) state secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan and cover the northern districts.

It will conclude on February 26 at Thrissur and be attended by party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

The second march cross the southern districts, led by CPI leader and MP Binoy Vishwam,will begin from Ernakulam on February 14 and conclude on February 26 at the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram.

Senior party sources told PTI that the two processions, aimed at the continuation of the Left rule in Kerala, covering would energise the party machinery and give more confidence to the workers, especially after the LDF emerged triumphant in the local body polls in December last year.

The party plans to counter the various allegations raised against it by the Opposition Congress and the BJP and to reach out to all sections of society.

Vijayaraghavan had earlier said the continuation of the Left government was necessary for of

He had told reporters that the LDF's campaign would be on the plank.

He had charged the Congress led UDF with lacking a political aim and of challenging the secular mentality of the state by joining forces with communal parties.

The BJP, he charged, was trying to spread communal poison in the state, using its "extremist Hindutva agenda.

(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.)
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would not allow the ceasefire regime in Donbas to be disrupted, despite the efforts of Russia-occupation forces, the press service of the President's Office said.

"We understand what is happening. We understand that a ceasefire is needed only for us. We understand that the separatists want to disrupt it. We understand that. But the resilience of our military shows that we will not allow that to happen," the president said during his working trip to Donetsk region.

The head of state said that he visited Ukrainian positions near Avdiyivka, the Industrial Zone, Shumy, and also visited a position located 80 meters from the enemy due to complications and great violations of the ceasefire regime there by Russian troops.

Volodymyr Zelensky also said that Ukrainian soldiers should respond to the enemy in the event of a breach of the ceasefire and shelling of our positions.

"Our guys know very well: if snipers kill our military, they must find an adequate response to those snipers. That is exactly what they do," he said.

"They never get an order to strike in response from me. They have an order to act in such cases exactly as they act. And they respond exactly as it is necessary in such a situation," the president said.

People watch the Chinese Lunar New Year parade in Manhattan's Chinatown of New York City, the United States, Feb. 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

- "History has witnessed the importance of Sino-U.S. cooperation," Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation Jeffrey Greene said.

- "The fact of the two leaders having a phone call is a good thing" because "relations between the two countries are very important," said Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister.

The telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, bodes well for potential cooperation between China and the United States, experts from across the globe have said.

Xi on Thursday morning took a phone call from Biden on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

The two presidents wished each other good fortune in the Year of the Ox, and had an in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and major international and regional issues.

Jon R. Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the phone call is "encouraging."

Noting there are differences between the two sides in several fields, Taylor said, "it's important to understand that they also talked about a variety of areas for potential cooperation."

Regarding the conversation as "the first step" in a long process to stabilize China-U.S. relations and to slowly improve bilateral engagement, Taylor said, "it's a welcome start given the past four years of (former U.S. President Donald) Trump's increasingly antagonistic language and actions toward China."

Similarly, Xulio Rios, director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics in Spain, said the high-level telephone conversation will help the two sides move in the same direction.

To stabilize bilateral relations and avoid strategic misjudgement, China and the United States should respect each other's core interests and broaden the cooperation agenda, said Rios.

People participate in a lantern procession to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Criticizing the former U.S. administration's hegemonic obsession that has led to a stalemate situation, Rios called on the Biden administration to outline a possible alternative for U.S. relations with China.

"The fact of the two leaders having a phone call is a good thing" because "relations between the two countries are very important," said Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister.

Photo taken on Feb. 10, 2021 shows the Empire State Building lit up in red for the Chinese Lunar New Year, in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Despite some differences that are to be expected, China and the United States have a lot of interests in common, el-Hefny said, adding that "it is important for the United States and China to overcome differences through constant dialogue, consultation and communication."

"History has witnessed the importance of Sino-U.S. cooperation," Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation Jeffrey Greene said.

"The proven history of friendship and cooperation dramatically demonstrates that by working together our two countries can overcome any obstacles and achieve any goals and successfully work together to benefit all the world," Greene said.
Most countries introduced school closures during the spring of 2020 despite substantial uncertainty regarding the effectiveness in containing SARS-CoV-2. In Sweden, upper-secondary schools moved online while lower-secondary schools remained open. A comparison of parents with children in the final year of lower-secondary and first year of upper-secondary school shows that keeping the former open had limited consequences for the overall transmission of the virus. However, the infection rate doubled among lower-secondary teachers relative to upper-secondary ones. The infection rate among partners of lower-secondary teacher was 30 percent higher than among their upper-secondary counterparts.

On March 18, 2020, Swedish upper-secondary schools moved to online instruction while lower-secondary schools remained open. This facilitates a comparison of infections and disease between groups that are comparable in other regards. In the study, all PCR-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 and all healthcare registered cases of COVID-19 until the summer break are linked to register data on families and teachers in lower and upper-secondary schools.

Since the age of the student is likely to correlate with the severity of symptoms, student infectiousness and various types of risk behaviour, it is crucial to compare parents to children close in age. According to the study, the risk of infection was 17 percent higher among parents whose youngest child studied at the final year of lower-secondary rather than the first year of upper-secondary school. Had lower-secondary schools moved online, the estimates correspond to 500 fewer detected cases among a total of 450 000 lower-secondary parents (4.5 percent of the population). This can be compared to 53 000 PCR-confirmed cases in the total population during until the summer break in mid-June.

When comparing lower to upper-secondary teachers, we find that the risk for both PCR-confirmed infection and healthcare treatment due to COVID-19 doubled by keeping schools open. Among 124 occupations, upper-secondary teachers had a median risk of infection while lower-secondary were the 7th most affected. This comparison excludes healthcare workers who had markedly different access to PCR-testing. By the end of June, 79 out of 39 500 lower-secondary teachers had been hospitalized due to COVID-19, one of whom deceased. According to the study, this number had been down to 46 if lower-secondary schools had closed.

It is well-known that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted within households. The study finds that the risk of a positive PCR-test was 30 percent higher among partners of lower-secondary teachers than among their upper-secondary counterparts. The estimates for more serious cases of COVID-19 are somewhat lower than for PCR-tests but - just as for parents - these estimates are imprecise.

Closing the schools is a costly measure with potentially long-run detrimental effects for students. The results for parents are in line with theoretical models predicting a limited impact of school closures on the general transmission of SARS-CoV-2. In an international comparison, the precautionary measures undertaken in Swedish schools are best described as mild. Thus, strict measures within open schools cannot explain the relatively minor impact on the overall rate of transmission. The results for teachers suggest that further precautionary measures could be considered.

The study does not analyse the impact of school closures for virus transmission among students. We note, however, that there are few cases of serious illness among the young. In particular, zero deaths from COVID-19 had been recorded among 2-19 year olds in Sweden until mid-summer 2020.

###

Reference: The effects of school closures on SARS-CoV-2 among parents and teachers; Jonas Vlachos, Edvin Hertegard, Helena B. Svaleryd; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Mar 2021, 118 (9) e2020834118; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020834118

Contacts

Helena Svaleryd,

Professor at Department of Economics,

Uppsala University,

mobile: +46-70-7464928,

email: helena.svaleryd@nek.uu.se

Jonas Vlachos,

Professor at Department of Economics,

Uppsala University,

mobile: +47-708-993240,

email: jonas.vlachos@ne.su.se
If Fight Like Hell Constitutes Incitement, Every Political Candidate in America Is Guilty: Sen. Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on the third day of the impeachment trial criticized House managers for failing to show how former President Donald Trump incited the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Cruz said that while the House managers presentation was designed to be emotional and powerful, it only makes the case that a terrorist attack occurred at the Capitol on Jan. 6. He said that the prosecution team presented virtually no argument on how Trumps conduct meets the legal standard of incitement.

The House managers focused a great deal on the president, using words like fight or fight like hell. Well if that constitutes incitement, then every single political candidate in America is guilty of incitement, Cruz told reporters, according to the Capitol pool. Because I guarantee you all 100 senators in that chamber have stood on the stump and said we need to fight or fight like hell.'

House Democrats have spent two days during the trial laying out evidence in an attempt to support their claim that Trump incited an insurrection on Jan. 6. Impeachment managers attempted to rely on multiple sliced up clips and audio of Jan. 6 as well as parts of Trumps Jan. 6 speech and other remarks to make their case. However, their presentations failed to include new revelations or conclusive evidence to substantiate the allegations.

The House managers presentations have been praised for making powerful statements but also drew criticism from Democratic commentators who pointed out that their arguments were getting too repetitive and should have been shortened.

On Thursday, the House managers wrapped up their arguments and urged senators to convict the former president.

We humbly, humbly, ask you to convict President Trump for the crime for which he is overwhelmingly guilty of. Because if you dont, if we pretend this didnt happen, or worse, if we let it go unanswered, whos to say it wont happen again? House impeachment manager Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) said in his closing remarks.

When President Trump stood up to that podium on January 6, he knew that many in that crowd were inflamed, were armed, were ready for violence. It was an explosive situation. And he knew it, he added, without providing concrete evidence to demonstrate how Trump would have known.

David Schoen, Trumps impeachment defense attorney, told reporters on Thursday that he did not think the Democrats were able to link Trump to the Jan. 6 incident and added that it was offensive to open up old wounds.

I think theyre making a movie. You know, they havent in any way tied it to Donald Trump, Schoen said. And I think its offensive. Quite frankly, its antithetical [to] the healing process to continue to show the tragedy that happened here that Donald Trump has condemned, and I think it tears at the American people, quite frankly.

Theyre showing the same repetitive videos. [Making] points that dont exist, he added.

Schoen and Trumps other attorney, Bruce Castor, on Friday are expected to present their concluding arguments to the Senate, who will then have to vote whether to convict the former president. To convict, two-thirds of the Senate or 67 votes are needed. Democrats are unlikely to obtain the requisite number of votes as 44 Republicans on Tuesday have indicated that they believe the trial is unconstitutional.

Speaking about strategies the lawyers could take, Cruz said that their job now is to make clear how the impeachment managers have not carried out their burden of proof, and have not demonstrated that Trumps conduct satisfied the legal standard of high crimes and misdemeanors required for conviction under the U.S. Constitution.

And any standard that is put forth and certainly any standard that House managers have tried to put forward on its face would equally condemn multiple comments from multiple Democrats, whether it is [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi calling police officers storm troopers and Nazis, whether it is [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer threatening to unleash the whirlwind on Supreme Court justices, he said.

The Texas senators said he believes the trial could wrap up on Friday or Saturday.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
The Bengaluru based startup Niki has revealed that with the increase in its user base, its revenue has increased by 1000 percent in the current financial year, The Economic Times reported.

The company provides a voice-based artificial intelligence platform supported with local languages driving commerce technology. Niki CEO Sachin Jaiswal told the publication that the application's user base has increased by 220% in 2020 with 1.5 million users in the last year. We are aiming to capture 20% market share of 150 million households by 2022, he said.

The startup has a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) run rate of $25 million, which it expects will grow to $1.5 billion by 2022, the report added. Jaiswal claimed that the growth in revenue was due to the increase in wallet share and higher frequency of use, without revealing the actual revenue figures.

The company has Tata mogul Ratan Tata, US-based fintech-focused fund EMVC, Unilazer Ventures, Japans Recruit Strategic Partners, and Haresh Chawla, among others, onboard as investors.

Currently, the startup has 70 employees but plans to expand it to about 250 employees in the next 15 months. The digital platform drives forward with the purpose of nobody left behind and is present in 175 towns. It has already provided services to about 5,50,000 users from its target market in tier 3 and 4 areas.
New dad! Garrett Hedlund praised his 2-month-old son, Rhodes, one month after Emma Roberts gave birth.

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Finding room in my heart to love someone with just the most amazing amount of love and compassion  hes an angel, the actor, 36, told Extra on Thursday, February 11. Hes really a special person.

Courtesy of Emma Roberts/Instagram

Roberts, 30, announced in January that she and the Minnesota native had welcomed their baby boy with an Instagram post. Thank you 2020 for getting one thing right, the American Horror Story alum captioned a mother-son photo at the time. Our bright light Rhodes Robert Hedlund.

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Later that same month, the New York native shared a black-and-white photo of her infant sleeping on her chest while she read Joan Didions Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Rhodes meets Joan, the actress captioned the social media upload.

The Unfabulous alum gave another glimpse into mom life while celebrating her birthday on Wednesday, February 10. 30 baby, Roberts wrote alongside a selfie taken with a pacifier in her mouth.

New moms Lea Michele and Stassi Schroeder shared their support in the comments. This is the best, the Glee alum, 34, wrote, while the Vanderpump Rules alum, 32, commented, Hahahah!!!! And one stunning mama!!

MEGA

Us Weekly broke the news in March 2019 that Roberts started dating Hedlund after her split from on-again, off-again fiance Evan Peters. Garrett and Emma have been friends, but this is new, casual, and just a couple of weeks old, a source exclusively told Us at the time.

The following year, Us broke the news that the Scream Queens alum was pregnant with her first child. Roberts showed her baby bump in August 2020, revealing the sex of her baby-to-be.

Read article

Three months later, Us exclusively revealed that Hedlund was arrested in January 2020 for driving under the influence. The Eragon star immediately sought treatment, which was successful and was in a solid and great place, a rep for the model told Us at the time. He pleaded no contest to one charge, where the court found him guilty. The second DUI charge was dismissed.

Garrett is really looking forward to becoming a dad and feels as though this is something he needed, a source added. He is ready to take on all the daddy duties, and Emma getting pregnant has forced him to become more responsible. He thinks thats a blessing. Emma and Garrett are getting more and more excited, which is so nice for them.

Rebranding

12 February 2021

Angsana Saranam, Bali and the group's upcoming new brand extension Banyan Tree Escape are set to open in Indonesia.

Angsana Saranam, Bali is a 82-key wellbeing resort that will feature an Angsana Spa and wellbeing facilities with a multifunctional Activity Centre, Movement Space and Vitality Pool for hydrotherapy and aqua activities. An organic farm will also feature harvest-to-dish activities.
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More than 150 tenants and families around Laois will move into new homes by the end of March, despite current Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions.

Construction work on social houses that are almost ready has been classed as essential work by the Government.

It means that work is flying ahead in different estates around Laois, with contractors focusing on the only sites they are allowed to work on at present.

The silver lining is that the keys to 156 brand new warm homes will be handed over to people living on very low incomes and in need of a home next month.

Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland highlighted the work at the January meeting of Laois County Council, held online.

This is a very positive message in the middle of all these difficulties in our community. They will be ready very shortly, it is welcome news, he said.

There are 40 new homes coming for Portarlington.

These include 22 houses in Ballymorris built directly by Laois County Council (pictured), and 18 apartments in The Glen, Kilnacourt, built by an Approved Housing Body (AHB) called Co-Operative Ireland.

In Portlaoise another 58 homes will be ready by the end of March.

These include the final nine of 36 on the Borris road, built by the Tuath AHB.

The final 15 of 30 houses at Bellingham being built by the housing body Cluid will also be ready.

Anther 10 will be ready at Lake Drive Kilminchy, built by Co-Operative Ireland.

Cluid will also deliver 10 units at Holdbrook, Portlaoise, the first half of that estate, with the last 10 to be ready by September.

They will deliver another 14 at Clonrooske Abbey, phase 1 of a 32 unit project.

Mountrath is getting six units at Shannon Street, built by the council.

Graiguecullen is getting 20 units on the Ballickmoyler road, by Co-Operative Ireland.

Ballylinan will get 12 homes at Doirin Alainn, built by the North & East AHB.

A third method of providing social housing is by 'turnkey projects', whereby the council buys completed schemes from developers.

This will give another 18 homes by the end of March to people on the waiting list.

There are 11 on Main Street Borris-in-Ossory, and seven more in Clonaslee.

Six social housing building sites in Laois are currently shut down by the Level 5 restriction.

These are at Gleann na Glaise Ballyroan, Moore Street Rathdowney, Pattison's Estate Mountmellick, Sean Doire Durrow, Coolroe Ballybrittas, and finally the Oaklee AHB's site for 26 homes in Droughill, Portarlington.

In 2020, Laois County Council delivered 261 new homes to social housing applicants.

By the end of 2021, it expects to have handed the keys to another 253 new tenants.
Low-income middle-aged African-American women with high blood pressure very commonly suffer from depression and should be better screened for this serious mental health condition, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The researchers found that in a sample of over 300 low-income, African-American women, aged 40-75, with uncontrolled hypertension, nearly 60 percent screened positively for a diagnosis of depression based on a standard clinical questionnaire about depressive symptoms.

The results appeared February 10 in JAMA Psychiatry.

"Our findings suggest that low-income, middle-aged African-American women with hypertension really should be screened for depression symptoms," says study senior author Darrell Gaskin, PhD, William C. and Nancy F. Richardson Professor in Health Policy and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management.

Recent research suggests that hypertension and depression often occur concurrently. Gaskin and colleagues note that the connection has not been well studied in African Americans, but should be, given they have relatively high rates of hypertension. Moreover, women in general have much higher rates of depression compared to men and depression is often under diagnosed and untreated.

The sample of women in the study were participants in an ongoing clinical trial of the Prime Time Sister Circles intervention--a health education-, lifestyle-change- and support-group-based intervention in Washington, DC, aimed at helping African American women better managed their blood pressure, weight, other chronic conditions and stress levels.

The women were in the 40- to 75-age range, and had hypertension (140 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic) that had been diagnosed at a federally qualified health center. At the outset of the study, the women filled out a standard questionnaire called the CES-D-10 which asks about depression symptoms in the past week. The analysis from the Bloomberg School team covered the 316 women age 40 to 75 who completed the questionnaires.

The researchers found that 180 of the 316, or about 57 percent, scored 10 or greater on the CES-10-D questionnaire--generally considered evidence of significant depressive symptoms. The women in this group were significantly more likely to have a high school education or less, and to be smokers. More than 34 percent of these women reported that at least once in the previous six months they had stayed in bed for more than half the day owing to depression, compared to only 9 percent of the women with CES-D-10 scores below 10.

The nearly 60 percent prevalence of apparent depression among these hypertensive, low-income middle-aged African American women suggests that these women should be routinely screened for, and, if need be, treated for depression, Gaskin and colleagues emphasize.

They note, however, that 85 percent of the women with depression-level CES-D-10 scores reported receiving some treatment for depression within the prior six months--implying that much of the depression among these low-income middle-aged, hypertensive African-American women is already treated, albeit inadequately.

The Prime Time Sister Circles intervention encourages African American women to prioritize and better manage their health. The clinical trial of that intervention, which is focused mainly on its ability to reduce hypertension but secondarily on its impact on depression, is still ongoing.

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Facial recognition cameras scanned 13,000 people's faces but only helped make one arrest, new figures show, as it's revealed the AI surveillance kit picked out the wrong person seven out of eight times during one deployment.

Met Police used facial recognition technology three times in London last year - but campaigners say it is 'dangerously inaccurate and a waste of public money'.

During a search for a suspect in Oxford Circus, cameras scanned 8,600 faces against a list of 7,200 suspects.

Eight people were singled out by the technology, but seven of them were totally innocent, while a 35-year-old woman was arrested in connection with a serious assault on an emergency worker.

Last February the cameras scanned 4,600 faces against a list of nearly 6,000 people who were wanted in Stratford, East London. Not a single suspect was identified.

Facial recognition cameras have been branded 'dangerously inaccurate,' after a deployment at Oxford Circus last February scanned more than 8000 faces, wrongly identified seven 'suspects,' and resulted in just one arrest

The technology was used again in Oxford Circus in February, but the operation was stopped due to a technical fault after scanning an unknown amount of faces.

Facial recognition software works by measuring the structure of a face, including the distance between features such as the eyes, nose, mouth and jaw.

Police are alerted if a match is found, and officers then decide whether to speak to the potential suspect.

Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, said: 'The police's own data shows facial recognition surveillance is dangerously inaccurate and a waste of public money, let alone a serious assault on our civil liberties.

'The Government should ban police and retailers alike using this Orwellian tech.'

Information obtained by Big Brother Watch revealed Met Police had spent around 200,000 on the technology, as of 2018.

Scotland Yard said officers only deploy the technology to specific policing operations.

Met Police has not outlined how many facial recognition cameras it has, or the cost of them.

It is also unclear if the technology has led to any convictions, Scotland Yard only pointed to the 35-year-old woman arrested in Oxford Circus 12 months ago.

A police operation at Stratford last February failed to identify a single suspect - despite scanning around 4,600 faces

HOW DOES FACIAL RECOGNITION TECH WORK? Specialist cameras identify potential suspects by measuring the structure of a face, including the distance between features such as the eyes, nose, mouth and jaw. When operational it measures the faces of passers-by and compares it to a database of suspects used by Met Police. It then alerts officers in the area to any potential matches it has found among crowds. Ultimately, it's up to officers to decide whether or not to approach a potential suspect. Met Police have been seen using two of the cameras when they have been deployed during previous operations. Advertisement

A Met Police spokesman told MailOnline today: 'The Met will use any technology lawfully available to tackle crime.

'We know from the trials that live facial recognition technology could assist our officers to locate criminals who are wanted for serious and violent offences, such as knife and gun crime, and the sexual exploitation of children.

'The Met will publicise details of deployments online in advance, both on our corporate website, and typically through local borough communications channels.'

Liberty lawyer Megan Goulding said: 'We all want to feel safe in our communities, to be treated fairly and free to live our lives without interference. Facial recognition is discriminatory, oppressive by design, and has no role in keeping communities safe.

'Just a few months ago the Court agreed that this dystopian surveillance tool violates our rights and threatens our liberty. Facial recognition will turn our public spaces into open-air prisons, destroying our privacy and subjecting us all to greater monitoring and control  particularly communities who are already subject to discriminatory over-policing.

'You don't make communities safer by subjecting them to more coercion and control. The safest thing to do with facial recognition technology is to ban it.'

Last August the Court of Appeal ruled facial recogntion technology deployed by South Wales Police interfered with privacy and data protection laws.

Civil rights campaigner Ed Bridges, 37, brought a legal challenge against South Wales Police arguing their use of automatic facial recognition (AFR) had caused him 'distress'.

He had his face scanned while he was Christmas shopping in Cardiff in 2017 and at a peaceful anti-arms protest outside the city's Motorpoint Arena in 2018.

Three Court of Appeal judges ruled the force's use of AFR was unlawful, allowing Mr Bridge's appeal on three out of five grounds he raised in his case.

In the judgment, the judges said that there was no clear guidance on where AFR Locate - the system being trialled by South Wales Police - could be used and who could be put on a watchlist.

It ruled that 'too much discretion is currently left to individual police officers'.

In October it was revealed there were around 1,000 AI scanners monitoring social distancing between pedestrians and cyclists - having originally been installed to monitor traffic in the Capital.

Last month it was revealed London has the highest number of cameras outside of China, with an eye-watering 627,707 CCTV monitors set up across the UK's capital.

Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has previously defended the tech.

Speaking last February, she said: 'It is for critics to justify to the victims of those crimes why police should not use tech lawfully and proportionally to catch criminals who caused the victims real harm.

'It is not for me and the police to decide where the boundary lies between security and privacy, though I do think it is right for us to contribute to the debate.'

Met Police only deploy the technology to specific policing operations, but there are major privacy concerns amid campaigners, with London currently home to the highest number of cameras outside of China , with an eye-watering 627,707 CCTV monitors set up across the UK's capital

Susan Hall, who leads the Conservatives on the Greater London Assembly, told The Times: 'Facial recognition is a promising tool which can get dangerous individuals off our streets.

'However, by only uploading a fraction of its wanted list, the Met is severely limiting the number of criminals this technology can identify.'

Facial recognition technology has been installed in London by private companies.

In 2019 the developer behind a 67-acre site in King's Cross admitted it had installed the technology, which can track tens of thousands of people every day.

Canary Wharf planned to install facial recognition across its 97-acre estate, MailOnline has approached it to see whether those plans went ahead.

Argent, the property developer for the King's Cross estate, said: 'These cameras use a number of detection and tracking methods, including facial recognition, but also have sophisticated systems in place to protect the privacy of the general public.'
Serbian movie director Emir Kusturica has been vaccinated with the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, as he himself said in an interview with Russias Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, a part of which has been published on the agencys Telegram channel.

"I have received the first injection, the next one is due on February 17," TASS cited him as saying.

"The Belgrade elite, which has close ties with the West, believes in Pfizer and Moderna but I think that 80% of Serbs trust Russians and believe in the effectiveness of Sputnik V. They consider it to be the best vaccine and hope that Serbia will have more of the vaccine. This vaccine is the most important one for us," Kusturica pointed out.
(Newser)  When a teenage boy was found dead in a shallow pool of water in Louisiana in November, family members faulted Baldwin Police, who they said had failed to search for the boy when he was reported missing days earlier, and the mother of one of the boy's friends, who they said had picked him up without his parents' permission. That woman, 37-year-old Janet Irvin, is now facing the first charges related to Quawan Charles, 15. Irvin was charged Tuesday with failure to report a missing child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, reports the New York Times. Irvin, whose bail is set at $400,000, remained in custody as of Thursday afternoon. "By no means is this case closed," Iberia Parish Sheriff Thomas Romero says, per the Times. But "I hope this arrest begins to help their family heal."

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Sheriff's deputies tracing a cellphone signal found Quawan's naked body face down in a drainage ditch in a sugar cane field in Iberia Parish, four days after Quawan had been reported missing to Baldwin Police in St. Mary Parish, per People. Family members claim they found out Irvin and her son had taken Quawan to their home, near where his body was found. Their lawyer previously said Quawan may have been "high on a hallucinogen" when he left the home on foot. An autopsy ordered by the family confirmed Quawan drowned, apparently with THC and alcohol in his system, per KATC. It also cited video allegedly showing the teen "crawling in culverts" alone near a school. It couldn't be determined whether the death was an accident, suicide, or murder. (Quawan was Black, and his family says police didn't take his disappearance seriously because of that.)
India and China have agreed to disengage from military positions around the banks of a Himalayan lake, the first breakthrough between the two deadlocked Asian giants in nine months of standoff.

But while there are hopes that the news could be a springboard for further troop withdrawals, for now at least the situation is far from normal, with heavy deployments remaining on both sides of the de facto border high in the mountains.

The standoff between India and China is the worst in decades over their long disputed land border, and has boiled over into hand-to-hand violence on several occasions since it began last April. On 15 June, a clash between the two armies left 20 Indian soldiers dead and an undeclared number of Chinese casualties as they fought on treacherous slopes with clubs and other improvised weaponry.

The breakthrough announced by Indias defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday concerns positions to the north and south of Pangong Tso lake, between Indias eastern Ladakh and Chinas West Tibet.

Mr Singh said the disengagement would take 48 hours and that a subsequent meeting would be held between senior commanders of both sides to discuss outstanding issues.

I am happy to inform the House today that as a result of our well thought out approach and sustained talks with the Chinese side, we have now been able to reach an agreement on disengagement in the north and south bank of the Pangong Lake, he said.

Chinas defence ministry issued a similar statement, saying the synchronised and organised withdrawal had already begun.

Mr Singh reiterated prime minister Narendra Modis claim that India has not conceded anything and will not give even an inch of Indian territory as opposition parties continued to raise questions over the governments failure to resolve the crisis, a standoff that has included the first firing of live ammunition across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), loosely demarcated border that separates India and China in the region.

One of the flashpoints for clashes, Pangong Tso is a lake shared between the two countries and divided into eight major finger-like spurs coming down to the lake from north to south.

Before the standoff began, India used to patrol up to Finger 8, where it claims the LAC is located, while China lays claim up to Finger 4. After May, China blocked Indian troops from patrolling beyond Finger 4 and amassed large numbers of troops in the region, dominating the area.

On Thursday, the two sides agreed that both Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian army would not patrol in the area between Finger 3 and Finger 8 until a final agreement is reached in military and diplomatic talks.

These are mutual and reciprocal steps and any structures that had been built by both sides since April 2020 in both North and South Bank area will be removed and the landforms will be restored, the Indian defence minister said.

The Indian army released a video on Thursday following the announcement. It showed the first visuals of Chinese tanks moving back from the Chusul Sector of the lake, as part of the disengagement process. It also showed army leaders of the two countries shaking hands.

The Pangong Tso region is just one point of friction areas between the two armies, however, a fact that was implicitly acknowledged by Mr Singhs reference to outstanding issues yet to be resolved.

The Indian minister did not talk about the strategically-important Depsang plains, where China has amassed troops, including armour and artillery. PLA troops have blocked Indian troops from patrolling in the area, making it another point where opposition parties say the Modi administration appears to have ceded ground.

It is also not the first time India and China have attempted to disengage during the nine rounds of talks aimed at ended the standoff for good.

It was during a period when both sides were pulling back troops In June 2020 that deadly clashes broke out in the Galwan Valley, temporarily collapsing talks.

On 7 September, the first outbreak of gunfire was reported on the border in 40 years near Pangong Tso, as the two sides accused each other of crossing the border. Following the firing incidents, pictures of Chinese soldiers wielding spears, machetes and automatic rifles emerged online.

ATTICA, Ind. (WLFI)- The Attica Police Chief is currently facing charges of false informing. According to court records from the Fountain County Clerks office, the charges allege that Edward D. Durnil gave false information in an official investigation of a crime knowing said information was false.

The charges allege that he reported false information sometime in December of 2020. Indiana State Police investigated the situation and turned their findings over to a special prosecutor.

We reached out to the prosecutor for more details about the charges but no other information was provided. We also reached out to the Mayor of Attica to see if Chief Durnil has been placed on administrative leave but we did not receive a response. This is a developing story and we will keep you updated as we learn more. The charges are below:
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow is ready to sever ties with the European Union, according to extracts of an interview posted on the ministrys website on Friday.

It is possible if the bloc hits Russia with painful economic sanctions, he said in broadcast of YouTube show 'Solovyov. Live'.

Lavrov was asked in an interview due to be published in full later on Friday whether Moscow would now move towards cutting ties with the EU itself.

"We proceed from the fact that we're ready (for that). In the event that we again see sanctions imposed in some sectors that create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive spheres," the minister said.

"We don't want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace then prepare for war," he added.

Three European diplomats told Reuters on Thursday that the European Union was likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, possibly as soon as this month, after France and Germany signalled their willingness to move ahead.

Pressure for sanctions has grown since Moscow infuriated European countries last week by expelling German, Polish and Swedish diplomats without telling the EU's foreign policy chief, who was in Moscow for a visit. Paris and Berlin now say there must be a response.
The study reveals the mechanism of neurodevelopmental disorders caused by a defective gene

Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School researchers studying an enzyme in fruit fly larvae have found that it plays an important role in waking up brain stem cells from their dormant quiescent state, enabling them to proliferate and generate new neurons. Published in the journal EMBO Reports, the study could help clarify how some neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and microcephaly occur.

Pr-set7 is an enzyme involved in maintaining genome stability, DNA repair and cell cycle regulation, as well as turning various genes on or off. This protein, which goes by a few different names, has remained largely unchanged as species have evolved. Professor Wang Hongyan, a professor and deputy director at Duke-NUS Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, and her colleagues set out to understand the proteins function during brain development.

Genetic variants of the human version of Pr-set7 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, with typical symptoms including intellectual disability, seizures and developmental delay, explained Professor Wang. Our study is the first to show that Pr-set7 promotes neural stem cell reactivation and, therefore, plays an important role in brain development.

Neural stem cells normally oscillate between states of quiescence and proliferation. Maintaining an equilibrium between the two is very important. Most neural stem cells are quiescent in adult mammalian brains. They are reactivated to generate new neurons in response to stimuli, such as injury, the presence of nutrients or exercise.

However, neural stem cells gradually lose their capacity to proliferate with age and in response to stress, and anxiety. The research in neuroscience has yielded valuable insights into several neurodevelopmental disorders.
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NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) is disappointed by today's United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit decision in Arkansas Times v. Waldrip.

The court's unfortunate decision, invalidating the way Arkansas has implemented its anti-boycott of Israel (BDS) statute, is not to be read as a blanket condemnation of all such statutes.

The court chose to read the statute as prohibiting the state from contracting with people who are participating in a boycott of Israel even if that participation was wholly unrelated to their state contract.

AJC does not read the Arkansas statute, or BDS statutes in other states, as reaching such unrelated conduct. Rather the statutes constitutionally reach only boycott participation that does, or is likely to, adversely affect the state's interest in the contract in question.

A state may not, for example, bar a generic drug manufacturer from boycotting Israel in so far as it affects the foods it serves in its company cafeteria, much less what its executives do in their spare time. But a state may, and AJC believes should, exclude generic drug manufacturers who refuse to sell medicines made in Israel.

Arkansas can easily remedy the flaws in today's decision both legislatively and administratively by limiting the statute and required contractor compliance certificate accordingly. AJC has already put into motion efforts to facilitate such changes.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


Senior journalist Deep Upadhyay is joining the leadership team of TV9 Network, India's largest television news Network, as it makes an aggressive foray into the content convergence space.

Deep joins TV9 Network from News24 where he has had a successful stint as Managing Editor for more than seven years. During his long career, he has worked with various prominent Media Houses like India TV, Zee News and Dainik Bhaskar. One of his most challenging assignments was to set up the Newsroom of Ariana, the first News Channel of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.

A son of the hills -- Deep was born and brought up in Nainital -- he likes to read Biographies, History and Political Economics. During his leisure he loves to cook for his daughters.

Barun Das, CEO, TV9 Network said: "Deep will be a key member of our aggressive convergence strategy. Content is never platform agnostic. Future form of news and content pertaining to current affairs is still evolving worldwide. At TV9 Network, we wish to be ahead of that evolution curve and that is where Deep, with his unique ability to understand news and how it needs to be served to evolving audiences, will fit the bill best."

Deep Upadhyay said: "I am delighted to be joining TV9 Network, India's biggest television news network, at a time when it is expanding aggressively into the content convergence space. I am looking forward to working with the team at TV9 that has some of the best brains in the business."

As part of his immediate assignment Deep will be stationed in Kolkata where he will work with TV9 Bangla's Deputy Managing Editor, Amritanshu Bhattacharya, to take the Network's newest channel to leadership position.
KYODO NEWS - Feb 12, 2021 - 16:08 | All, Japan, Feature

Japan plans to craft guidelines on tests of flying cars by the end of March 2022, transport minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said Friday, as the government aims to put them into practical use by 2023.

The government has been encouraging the development of these flying vehicles in collaboration with private companies for such purposes as transportation in rural areas and disaster relief.

"We will continue our public-private collaboration, and advance efforts to set a necessary environment" that is conductive to the practical use of flying vehicles, Akaba said at a press conference.

Flying cars, including vehicles that take off and land vertically or drive autonomously, are also envisioned for use in tourism and cargo transportation in the 2020s.

The central Japan prefecture of Mie, which has been advancing efforts to enhance its transportation services and attract tourists to its underpopulated areas with flying cars, had requested the state clarify its standards in giving approval to test flights.

In 2018, the central government launched a private-public council to promote flying vehicles, engaging logistics companies as well as automobile and aircraft makers among others.

Last August, Tokyo-based startup SkyDrive Inc. successfully conducted the first public manned flight of a flying car in Japan. It was designed to be the world's smallest electric vertical take-off and landing model, requiring only as much space on the ground as two parked cars, according to the company.
Rum shops are among the establishments that have been identified as cluster points. (Facebook photo)

There was no surprise when it was announced that St Vincent and the Grenadines has now moved into a phase of community transmission of the coronavirus/COVID-19 infection.





Health officials made the announcement on February 5, the day after 103 new cases were added to the total number of COVID-19 cases recorded here since March 2020.





Minister of Health St Clair Jimmy Prince had stated categorically during the January 26 meeting of Parliament that given the definition, the country could not be categorized as having community spread transmission.





Prince explained then that community spread, according to the World Health Organizations (WHO) definition, was the inability to relate confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases, or by the increasing positive tests through sentinel samples.





He said that for the majority of confirmed cases in SVG, the chains of transmission have been due to contact with known cases.





Chief Medical Officer Dr Simone Keizer-Beache explained, however, that based on the samples collected between January 21 and February 3, health officials noticed that the majority were from contacts of known positives.





According to the figures availed as of February 5, 2021 when the total number of COVID-19 cases recorded was 1021, some new clusters were identified, and this type of transmission was consistent with community spread.





Keizer-Beache had cautioned then, that based on the 14-day incubation period of the virus, it was anticipated that increased rates of COVID-19 would be seen in the coming days.





In light of the change in categorization, the Ministry of Health had tightened some protocols that have since been gazetted.





These included: mandatory wearing of masks in all public and private establishments; mandatory use of masks in all public transportation vehicles; public vehicles to transports a maximum of half of their permitted number of passengers inclusive of the driver and conductor; no in dining at restaurants and bars; the enforcement of the mass-gathering protocol with particular emphasis on bars, gambling sheds and rum shops.





The above were expected to remain in effect for an initial four-week period.





A new penalty for infraction of the protocols is the issuance of a ticket which, depending on the offence, may range between EC$100 and EC$500.





Failure to pay the ticket will result in the offender having to appear in court where the fines range from EC$500 to EC$1,000. There is, however, no jail attached to any offence.
When Indias minister for commerce and industry recently urged his followers to connect with me on Koo, an Indian micro-blogging platform, he did so on That should be a lesson to the US social media giant: In its battles with Indias government and others around the world, the platform neednt surrender its principles too easily.



The implied threat from ruling party officials to switch en masse from to Indias version of Parler is the latest salvo in a not-so-secret war. Like much else in Indian politics in recent weeks, the conflict has been sparked by the agitation against new farm laws, which continues to smolder on the outskirts of Delhi.



The government is pressing Inc. to shut down accounts which recently used a hashtag that  inaccurately and unfairly  accused Indias prime minister of committing a farmer genocide. The targets include a magazine that just won Harvard Universitys Neiman Foundation award for journalistic integrity, as well prominent politicians and journalists.



Twitter initially complied with the demand, then later unblocked some of the accounts, including those of journalists, activists and politicians. The government had threatened Twitter executives in with up to seven years in jail if they didnt reverse themselves. The countrys technology minister issued a veiled threat, saying social media were welcome to operate in only if they adhered to Indian laws.



The company should stand firm. It has three important factors on its side  the law, its own principles and its reach.

First and foremost, Twitter is correct in saying that the orders from the government are not consistent with Indian law. If any Indian is denied access to the internet by government fiat, they are supposed to be given a valid reason, in writing, so they can then challenge the order in court. In this case, its hard to see how an unfounded accusation, inflammatory though it was, justifies a reasonable restriction, as the Constitution puts it, on online political speech.



When the law was originally passed, civil rights advocates worried that the social networks would have little incentive to challenge government orders. The fact that Twitter has is not just a pleasant surprise  its how the law was meant to work.

Second, as a matter of principle as well as sound business, should generally avoid shifting their standards with each time zone. In a globalised world, multinational corporations, particularly the big tech platforms that service the democratic public sphere, simply cant afford to adopt different norms in different markets.



Yes, plenty of in the past have pretended to sainthood at home while propping up autocrats abroad. That possibility no longer exists, however, partly because these same globe-spanning platforms have knit the world together. The next time tech CEOs are called before the US Senate, some member of the committee might at least ask what norms they are exporting to other countries.



And taking a stand in is more important than ever. Nobody can question the countrys democratic credentials: Elections remain free, if not 100% fair. But it is hard to deny that civil liberties are being eroded in the country. Elderly activists are being held in jail, without bail, based on evidence that US-based experts claim was digitally planted. Amnesty has been forced out of the country; independent news organisations are being accused of money laundering and subjected to day-long raids.



Companies that want to operate in such an atmosphere will naturally face pressure to make compromises. That is and always has been the price of doing business in illiberal regimes. But the new tech giants, whose decisions determine the vibrancy of the global public sphere, are particularly important. If they bend too far, they risk becoming arms of the Indian state in its attempts to intimidate citizens  and other companies.



It would also be self-defeating, as they will expose themselves to further pressure. The moment such companies start making compromises with governments, they lose any claim to special protection from interference. Facebook Inc., which according to the Wall Street Journal has resisted pressure to cut off members of Indias ruling party for alleged hate speech, may yet come to regret its decision.



For now, the best hope for both Facebook and Twitter to escape the wrath of the Indian state is the fact that politicians have become accustomed to seeing their fortunes in the ruling party rise based on how many followers they have. Giving up all that social capital isnt easy. And the best way for the platforms to ensure that they remain indispensable to political discourse in India is to show that theyre standing up for the rights of ordinary Indians to speak and debate freely. If theyre not indispensable, it will be all-too-easy for officials to dispense with them.
Actor Kubbra Sait is one of the few celebrities who is pretty vocal on social media and is someone who never holds back from speaking her mind.

Recently, stirring a range of reactions on the microblogging platform, Kubbra took a sarcastic jibe at the now-popular Koo app, the desi version of Twitter, for self-proclaiming that it is an Aatmanirbhar Award winning app.

Kubbra wrote on her Twitter account, Who gave them an award already? Kal paida hue the aaj award jeet rahein hain. Nepotism hai kya?

She also wrote, Who else has been on it since 2020? Who decided its amazing? Maybe it is

Check out her tweets here:

Who gave them an award already?

Kal paida hue the aaj award jeet rahein hain.

Nepotism hai kya? pic.twitter.com/Snu1Xedgni  Kubbra Sait (@KubbraSait) February 11, 2021

Who else has been on it since 2020? Who decided its amazing? Maybe it is...   Kubbra Sait (@KubbraSait) February 11, 2021

Heres how people reacted to her tweet:

Am on it since July 2020 and the Awards were last year...  S B (@suzannebernert) February 11, 2021

Who else has been on it since 2020? Who decided its amazing? Maybe it is...   Kubbra Sait (@KubbraSait) February 11, 2021

               1M        5M to    Vishal J. Shevale (@Shevalevishal98) February 11, 2021

 kudh hi aap banate hai & kudh kohi award dete hai log  Chetana patil (@Chetana1997) February 11, 2021

Saali Dogli Google kr le  Shyam Sundar (@Shyam2630) February 11, 2021

It's written na Aatmanirbhar  Avinash Kumar (@avikumarit) February 11, 2021

Kuch bhi.  Anuj Mahajan (@IamAnuj17mhjn) February 11, 2021

Earlier this month, the Sacred Games actor also took an indirect dig at Kangana Ranaut and wrote on Twitter, Queen Queen bula bula ke beda gard kar diya hai (You referred to her as queen and created trouble)! She further corrected a typo and wrote, Sorry its apparently gark.

Queen Queen        !  Kubbra Sait (@KubbraSait) February 2, 2021

Koo, India's alternative to Twitter has been in the limelight for both positive and negative news of late. While a lot of politicians and government agencies were quick to join the platform, giving it a much-needed push into the limelight, it was also found to be leaking personal data recently.

The loophole was discovered by French Security Researcher Robert Baptiste. It is worth pointing out that the app was found to be exposing personal information like names, gender, email addresses and more.

Another point of concern is the fact that the app asks for a valid phone number during the initial registration process which further jeopardises the security of personal details if Baptiste's claims are to be believed. You can read more about the data leaks here.

Well, what do you have to say about Kubbra Saits view? Do you agree with it? Let us know in the comments section below.

Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Rain likely. High 46F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Rain. Low 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
ARCHIVED - Coronavirus incidence rates drop again across Spain but are still dangerously high



513 more fatalities provide a reminder of the need to remain cautious

The daily coronavirus updates issued by Spains Ministry of Health continue to show that the third wave of infection which began over the Christmas and New Year holidays is at last dying down, with the latest set of figures released on Thursday afternoon including 17,853 new cases of Covid-19 across the country.

To put that into perspective, the total represents a 41 per cent decrease in comparison with that of the previous Thursday and is well under half of the numbers which were being reported in the latter part of January, and as a result of the downward trend the national 14-day incidence rate has fallen from 899 cases per 100,000 inhabitants a fortnight ago to 540 on Thursday.

This is still over double the threshold of 250 above which the government classifies the situation as being of extreme risk, but whereas in the very recent past that initial target seemed out of reach, it is now beginning to appear attainable. In the Canaries the threshold has not been exceeded during the third wave and the rate in the islands is currently 145, and now there are others among the 17 regions of Spain where the figure is within touching distance: in Cantabria, for example, the latest figure calculated is 273, and in the Balearics 257.

Even in the Comunidad Valenciana, which has the highest Covid incidence rate at 777, the figure has dropped by around half in the last 10 days, and rates are falling all over the country as the anti-pandemic restrictions on socializing and travel finally begin to achieve their desired effect.

Furthermore, as the days go by the reduction in new case numbers is beginning to provide tangible relief for the overstretched hospitals of Spain, and on Thursday the number of Covid patients receiving hospital treatment dropped by more than 1,300 to 23,500 (occupying 18.3 per cent of all available beds). In addition, the number of patients in intensive care units is also starting to decrease, although coronavirus still accounts for over 40 per cent of ICU beds occupied.

All of these indicators provide glimpses of a light at the end of the third-wave tunnel, but the latest bulletin also reports a further 513 Covid-related fatalities, bringing the official death toll since the pandemic reached Spain to 64,217. This highlights the need not to rush into an over-hasty relaxation of the pandemic restrictions, a need underlined on Thursday by Fernando Simon, the Director of the Coordination Centre for Health Alerts and Emergencies, who warns that this is not over.

He points out that despite the recent improvement in incidence rates they are still extremely high and that intensive care units are operating at well over their theoretical maximum capacity, and for this reason the de-escalation of restrictions will have to be gradual and closely monitored in order to minimize the possibility of a fourth wave of contagion.
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New Delhi, Feb 12 : A day after the Defence Minister made a statement in Parliament about the disengagement process by India and China in eastern Ladakh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the government has conceded land to China.

Addressing a press conference here, Rahul Gandhi said, "Indian territory was up to finger 4 why the troops have been withdrawn to finger 3?" Rahul Gandhi said the situation about the Depsang Plains, Gogra-Hot Springs is not clear.

He said the status quo ante prior to April 2020 should be restored and the Prime Minister should answer the country.

"It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to protect the territory of this country. How he does it, is his problem, not mine," said Rahul.

The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the forces will return to the command post and added: "Not an inch of land will be given and nothing has been lost since the face off." "The sustained talks with China have led to the agreement on the disengagement on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake. After the agreement, India-China will remove forward deployments in a phased and coordinated manner.

"China will keep its troops to the east of the Finger 8 in the north of Pangong Lake. India will keep its troops at its permanent base near Finger 3," said Rajnath Singh.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A regional council in Canada has been slammed for creating a 'tone deaf scavenger hunt' which was supposed to celebrate Black History Month.

Last week, officials from the Region of Durham - a municipality east of Toronto that is home to more than 645,000 people - released a chart which challenged council employees to complete six different activities.

The activities included 'dance to a Reggae song', 'cook an African or Caribbean meal' and 'have a conversation with a Black employee'.

The memo also asked workers to 'take a photo of an item in the home that reminds the participant of Black history and explain why'.

Officials asked employees to 'rise to the challenge' and complete the activities by February 8.

However, the memo was subsequently shared to Twitter by outraged locals who accused the Region of Durham of trivializing Black History Month.

A regional council in Canada has been slammed for creating a 'tone deaf scavenger hunt' which was supposed to celebrate Black History Month. The challenge featuring six activities is pictured above

The Region of Durham is a municipality east of Toronto that is home to more than 645,000 people

Prominent Canadian journalist Desmond Cole posted a screenshot of the challenge to Twitter, which quickly went viral

'This is what we're doing in 2021?' prominent Canadian journalist Desmond Cole asked on social media beneath a screenshot of the challenge.

Cole says he was stunned by the trivial activities that were included on the official document.

He told CTV News: 'When I shared this [on Twitter], my responses from black people were a mixture of disgust, ridicule, and disappointment - but nobody was surprised,'

'These are the conditions that black people have to work in everyday; conditions where people would think an activity like this is appropriate and even maybe honouring us as black people. It's disappointingwe make a lot of jokes and we laugh and it's so sad to see this carelessness at the Durham Regional government.'

The outrage prompted an apology from the Region of Durham officials, who posted to Twitter: 'Through engaging with the community and Regional staff we acknowledge that mistakes will be made while addressing anti-black racism.'

They later released a second statement which read: 'We recognize that missteps were made with this virtual challenge. For that we apologize, and we will continue to do better.'

Prominent Canadian journalist Desmond Cole was outraged by the regional council's Black History Month scavenger hunt

The outrage prompted an apology from the Region of Durham officials, who posted to Twitter: 'Through engaging with the community and Regional staff we acknowledge that mistakes will be made while addressing anti-black racism'

Politician Celina Caesar-Chavannes, who currently lives in the Region of Durham, also blasted the scavenger hunt, and was left less than impressed with the apology.

'[It's] a very poignant example of systemic racism and what happens when you do not have enough Black employees around the table to vet these kinds of things before they go public,' she told Global News on Monday.

'This is a juvenile, insulting attempt to trivialize not only Black History Month but Black constituency in Durham Region as well as employees.'

After reading their apology, she posted on Twitter: 'This [apology] is worse than the activity. So much worse. You had a year to do something other that this trivial bulls**t and yet you chose to do it anyway.

'This was not a mistake. This was willful ignorance and a slap in the face of your black constituency and employees.'

Politician Celina Caesar-Chavannes, who currently lives in the Region of Dunham, also blasted the scavenger hunt, and was left less than impressed with the apology
Kathmandu Holdings Limited (the Group) today provides the following update on its unaudited trading performance for the six months ended 31 January 2021 (1H FY21).

Group total sales for 1H FY21 were c.+12% above last year, including a full six month contribution from Rip Curl. EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $47 million to $49 million, including government subsidies and the realisation of cost synergies. Group Net Debt is expected to be c.$7 million following careful working capital management and the $207m capital raise in 2020.

During the half, trade at a number of the Groups stores continued to be disrupted by COVID-19. 60 Greater Melbourne stores were closed for over 11 weeks during the second lockdown, and 14 Auckland stores were closed for over two weeks. Trading in Greater Sydney was affected over the Christmas period by the Northern Beaches outbreak. Airport stores in Australia as well as Rip Curl stores in Hawaii, Bali and Europe are still impacted adversely by either COVID-19 related travel restrictions or government mandated lockdowns and closures.

Commenting on the result, Group CEO Xavier Simonet said:

Our improved first half operating profit underlines the resilience of our Group and validates the diversification strategy, launched through the successful acquisitions and integrations of Rip Curl and Oboz.

Following the resignation of Group CEO Xavier Simonet, the Board has initiated a search process for his replacement. Mr. Simonet continues to work through his six-month notice period.

The Group intends to release the full result for the half year on Tuesday 23 March 2021. An announcement regarding dividend resumption will be made at that time.

Please see the link below for details:

Trading Update

Source: Kathmandu Holdings Limited

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A teenage boy from Hanoi has been able to show not only his creative writing talent but also his true self in an ward-winning book that has been described as a Vietnamese version of the world-famous Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Nguyen Khang Thinh, born in 2007, was only 13 when he received the 2020 Sach Hay (Good Book) award for his first book titled Nhat ky cua nhoc Alvin sieu quay, which can be translated as Diary of Naughty Alvin.

Sach Hay is an independent award voted by readers and scholars that has been jointly organized by the IRED Institute of Education, the Good Reading Promotion Project, and the OpenEdu Initiative for ten times.

Since he was a little child, Thinh has expressed his uniqueness, according to his mother, Nguyen Thi Tam.

The 13-year-old boy wrote the book from the inspiration after reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid by American author Jeff Kinney.

Thinh built the characters from his observation and experience in real life.

The story of the book is about a boy named Alvin, who is active, naughty but curious, and loves exploring.

Like the author, Alvin also likes playing video games and wants to become a YouTuber.

Meanwhile, Thinhs mother is the role model for the mother in the story, who strictly teaches her child good and right things, but also gives her child freedom to develop.

Alvin has to change his school, meet new friends, and face situations that he does not know how to deal with.

Besides, the book shows the main characters concerns, disappointments, sorrows, and ultimate yearning for joy and hope.

This picture shows teenage writer Nguyen Khang Thinh and his mother, Nguyen Thi Tam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Dr. Quach Thu Nguyet, member of the Sach Hay awarding council, commented that Thinh builds innocent characters and was not boxed in by pre-existing ideas.

Alvin is not afraid to express the craziest thoughts. This character is typical of children anywhere around the world, who dozes off, skips school, and hides bad scores from parents, Dr. Nguyet said during the Sach Hay award presentation ceremony.

The background of Nhat ky cua nhoc Alvin sieu quay is set in the United States.

For the details in the book, Thinh studied movies and books about childrens lives abroad.

The book consists of more than 200 pages and is presented in the format of a diary.

Few people knew that Thinh came up with the idea of writing the book when he was not happy with studying at school, which used to make Thinh want to quit school for homeschooling.

Thinhs mother was the one who encouraged him and gave him feedback for his writing so that he could complete it after three years.

After Nhat ky cua nhoc Alvin sieu quay, Thinh has worked on his new English-language book titled The Ultimate Guide to Survival - The Wicked, Cruel Wild & School.

In 2017, Thinh received the Potential translator award in a competition to find Irish literary ambassadors.

In addition, the boy is a collaborator for a handful of newspapers for teenagers and students.

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Green tea compound aids tumor-suppressing, DNA-repairing protein

TROY, N.Y. -- An antioxidant found in green tea may increase levels of p53, a natural anti-cancer protein, known as the "guardian of the genome" for its ability to repair DNA damage or destroy cancerous cells. Published today in Nature Communications, a study of the direct interaction between p53 and the green tea compound, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), points to a new target for cancer drug discovery.

"Both p53 and EGCG molecules are extremely interesting. Mutations in p53 are found in over 50% of human cancer, while EGCG is the major anti-oxidant in green tea, a popular beverage worldwide," said Chunyu Wang, corresponding author and a professor of biological sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "Now we find that there is a previously unknown, direct interaction between the two, which points to a new path for developing anti-cancer drugs. Our work helps to explain how EGCG is able to boost p53's anti-cancer activity, opening the door to developing drugs with EGCG-like compounds."

Wang, a member of the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, is an expert in using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study specific mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and cancer, including p53, which he described as "arguably the most important protein in human cancer."

P53 has several well-known anti-cancer functions, including halting cell growth to allow for DNA repair, activating DNA repair, and initiating programmed cell death -- called apoptosis -- if DNA damage cannot be repaired. One end of the protein, known as the N-terminal domain, has a flexible shape, and therefore, can potentially serve several functions depending on its interaction with multiple molecules.

EGCG is a natural antioxidant, which means it helps to undo the near constant damage caused by using oxygen metabolism. Found in abundance in green tea, EGCG is also packaged as an herbal supplement.

Wang's team found that the interaction between EGCG and p53 preserves the protein from degradation. Typically, after being produced within the body, p53 is quickly degraded when the N-terminal domain interacts with a protein called MDM2. This regular cycle of production and degradation holds p53 levels at a low constant.

"Both EGCG and MDM2 bind at the same place on p53, the N-terminal domain, so EGCG competes with MDM2," said Wang. "When EGCG binds with p53, the protein is not being degraded through MDM2, so the level of p53 will increase with the direct interaction with EGCG, and that means there is more p53 for anti-cancer function. This is a very important interaction."

"By developing an understanding of the molecular-level mechanisms that control key biochemical interactions linked to devastating illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease, Chunyu's research is laying the groundwork for new and successful therapies," said Curt Breneman, dean of the Rensselaer School of Science.

"EGCG Binds Intrinsically Disordered N-Terminal Domain of p53 and Disrupts p53-MDM2 Interaction" was published with support from multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health. At Rensselaer, Wang was joined in the research by Lauren Gandy, Weihua Jin, Lufeng Yan, Xinyue Liu, and Yuanyuan Xiao. First author Jing Zhao is a former member of Wang's lab, now on the faculty at China Agricultural University in Beijing, China. Co-first author Alan Blaney is an M.D.-Ph.D. student at Upstate Medical University. Researchers also contributed from SUNY Upstate Medical Center; the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; New York University; the State University of New York at Binghamton; NYU Shanghai; and Merck Research Laboratories.

###

The authors also wished to credit the extensive collaboration which produced this research, including collaborations with professors Stewart Loh and Michael Cosgrove from Upstate Medical University, Sozanne Solmaz from Binghamton University, Jianhan Chen from University Massachusetts, Amherst, Yingkai Zhang from NYU, and David Ban, a Rensselaer alumni who once worked as an undergraduate researcher in Wang's lab, now a senior scientist at Merck.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America's first technological research university. Rensselaer encompasses five schools, 32 research centers, more than 145 academic programs, and a dynamic community made up of more than 7,900 students and over 100,000 living alumni. Rensselaer faculty and alumni include more than 145 National Academy members, six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With nearly 200 years of experience advancing scientific and technological knowledge, Rensselaer remains focused on addressing global challenges with a spirit of ingenuity and collaboration. To learn more, please visit http://www. rpi. edu .

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
DALLAS, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Systemware, Inc., an industry pioneer in enterprise content management, has been named a 2020 Winner of Wall Street Journal's Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation.

The Best and Brightest competition recognizes companies that deliver exceptional human resource practices and an impressive commitment to their employees. Organizations are assessed based on categories such as communication, work-life balance, employee education, diversity, recognition, retention, and more.

Systemware employees describe the company as having rewarding career growth in an inclusive environment where they feel motivated to openly contribute creative ideas and innovation. Systemware's teamwork mentality and empowering peer support has allowed the company to deliver exceptional customer service and to be a successful leader in the technology sector. With over 40 years of expertise in ECM, Systemware has the perfect recipe of brilliant minds, award-winning products, a supportive leadership team, and many fun and amazing perks. The positive culture has carried forward and continues to thrive today with outstanding employee satisfaction and retention.

"Since the beginning, we have been very intentional about creating a culture of doing what is right regardless of cost or risk. The positive energy is contagious and creates an environment we all enjoy each day," says Systemware President and COO, Frankie Basso. "It is an honor to be recognized in the Wall Street Journal for the culture we work hard to maintain," he adds.

"Since the beginning we have been very intentional about creating a culture of doing what is right regardless of cost or risk. The positive energy is contagious and creates an environment we all enjoy each day," says Systemware President and COO, Frankie Basso. "It is an honor to be recognized in the Wall Street Journal for culture we work hard to maintain," he adds.

On behalf of the entire Systemware team, congratulations to all of the amazing and talented companies receiving this recognition for 2020.

For more information about Systemware, visit us online or call 844.343.0200.

About Systemware

Systemware has been helping organizations of all industry sectors efficiently find, extract, and deliver information for over forty years. Systemware's intelligent, award-winning content services platform, Content Cloud, helps organizations modernize their content management systems, connect disparate repositories, streamline processes, and enable content for business intelligence. Systemware is committed to ensuring organizations meet information governance requirements in a manner that optimizes cost and complexity while providing a tailored experience for users.

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XPT Partners, a national specialty insurance distribution company, has added excess transportation expert Alex Robles as vice president and senior broker in its Plano, Texas, office.

Robles will concentrate on excess transportation brokerage while also contributing to XPTs National Transportation Practice Group.

With over 10 years of concentrated excess transportation experience, Robles began his insurance career working on a large excess transportation team. His most recent position was as casualty broker focused on the primary side of the business.

Robles holds a Transportation Risk Specialist designation. He is a Marine Corps and combat veteran who served for four years and was also part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

XPT Transportation is a full-service general agency and surplus lines broker with a wide range of commercial transportation products available nationally to its retail agents through in-house binding contracts and brokerage markets.

Source: XPT Partners

Topics Mergers Agencies Texas
New Delhi:

India has termed as utterly baseless, malicious and mischievous a report about casualties of Indian soldiers in Sikkim due to military action with another country.



External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay also said that no cognisance should be taken of these reports by responsible media.



Such reports are utterly baseless, malicious and mischievous, Baglay said in response to a query on reports in Pakistani media.



His reaction came after a Pakistani media organisation reported at least 158 Indian soldiers have been killed on Monday as China fired rockets across the border on Indian border installations.



The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) conducted live-fire exercises in Southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region, state-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Friday, without mentioning the exact timing of the drills.



The brigade that conducted the drills was from the PLAs Tibet Military Command and is one of Chinas two plateau mountain brigades, Global Times reported on Monday.

Suggested Read | Chinese Army conducts live-fire drills in Tibet amid Sikkim standoff



The PLA Tibet command guards the Line of Actual Control (LAC) of the India-China border along several sections connecting the mountainous Tibetan region.



According to the CCTV report, the brigade has long been stationed around the middle and lower reaches of the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Zangbo in Chinese) River which flows into India and Bangladesh and is responsible for frontline combat missions.



The live-fire drills included the quick delivery of troops and different military units working together on joint attacks.



Video posted online showed soldiers using anti-tank grenades and missiles against bunkers and howitzers for artillery coverage.



The video also showed radar units identifying enemy aircraft and soldiers using anti-aircraft artillery to destroy targets. The drills lasted 11 hours.



Separately, Tibets mobile communication agency conducted a drill on July 10 in Lhasa, capital of Tibet, where members of the agency practiced setting up a temporary mobile network to secure communications in an emergency.



Earlier reports said the PLA units exercised with several modern weapon systems including a new light battle tank being manufactured by China.



China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector, where Indian troops stopped road construction by Chinese soldiers on June 16.



China has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops from the disputed Dokalam plateau.



Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.



Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

(With inputs from PTI)

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BERLIN  In a country where many comedians dress to play a character  a sleeveless pullover for a nerd, a pink tracksuit for a working-class housewife  Felix Lobrechts clothes are all his own.

His gold chains, designer T-shirts and expensive sneakers make the 32-year-old standup look like a rapper, but his swagger onstage is no act. Hes just as confident without a microphone in hand.

Im the first cool comedian in Germany, Lobrecht said in a recent video interview.

In the six years since he started doing standup, Lobrecht has become one of the most famous comedians in Germany by ignoring the comedy scenes traditional gatekeepers and routes to success.

He has amassed his own following through social media (with nearly 900,000 followers on Instagram) and a weekly podcast, which is the most popular in the German language (and the only non-English podcast to make it into Spotifys worldwide top ten). Last year he won the German Comedy Prize, after it switched from a jury to a public vote, and when the dates for his first arena tour were announced, just before Germany went into lockdown last March, tickets sold out overnight.
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Creator of leading digital ad platform, AdVantage, releases new feature for creating and managing Yelp Ads

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MatchCraft, the leading platform for selling and managing digital marketing campaigns at scale, recently introduced its latest integration: Yelp Ads. By partnering with Yelp Inc . (NYSE: YELP), the company that connects people with great local businesses, we're able to bring this new offering to clients to serve as an additional traffic source for local business advertisers to reach customers.

The integration of Yelp Ads into the AdVantageTM platform enables reseller and agency partners to offer their advertisers expanded access to new inventory and an extensive audience with high purchase intent. A single point of entry for provisioning and managing Yelp campaigns alongside paid search, social and display campaigns offers efficiency of scale. Merchant advertisers gain access to customers when they are looking to connect with a business and benefit from the added ability to view cross-channel performance reporting.

As MatchCraft customers they benefit from the added ability to view cross-channel performance reporting.

"As advertising resellers strive for efficiencies in their media buying workflows, we're thrilled that Yelp has been integrated into the MatchCraft AdVantage platform," said Chad Richard, senior vice president, business and corporate development at Yelp. "This integration will enable MatchCraft advertisers to reach Yelp's high-intent audience which trusts our content to inform their purchasing decisions. Through this integration, buyers can leverage AdVantage to seamlessly include Yelp into their broader strategic digital media buys."

"We are excited to add another inventory channel in the lineup of Social, Search and Display options for our partners and their local merchant advertisers," said Sandy Lohr, CEO, MatchCraft. "The addition of Yelp inventory into our suite of solutions opens up previously untapped access to potential customers. The addition not only opens new inventory sources, it provides a scalable solution for driving maximum return on ad spend."

MatchCraft welcomes the opportunity to discuss the addition of Yelp Ads to our suite of locally focused advertising tools. Schedule a demo with us or get directly in touch with our SVP of Business Development, Brad Petersen, at +1 888 502-7238. We look forward to learning more about your digital marketing needs and how we may be a match for you to scale your business with the efficiencies and performance of our AdVantageTM platform.

About MatchCraft

MatchCraft provides a best-in-class marketing platform that enables companies to successfully sell and manage search, display, and social campaigns for their advertisers. Unlike other marketing technology platforms, MatchCraft's platform AdVantageTM helps organizations efficiently manage campaigns of all sizes, enabling clients to deliver spectacular results to their advertisers. MatchCraft's sophisticated real-time bidding algorithms, and team of digital marketing enthusiasts, work relentlessly to deliver exceptional ROI for merchants around the world. MatchCraft has headquarters in the heart of "Silicon Beach," in Santa Monica, Calif., with additional offices in The Netherlands, India, and Brazil. For digital marketing news, advice and to stay in the loop on product rollouts, follow MatchCraft on Facebook, MatchCraft on Twitter, MatchCraft on LinkedIn or visit www.MatchCraft.com

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No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Implementation of Minsk Agreements should be carried out by all parties on clear schedule, timely  Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the implementation of the Minsk Agreements should be carried out by all parties according to a clear schedule and in a timely manner, the press service of the President's Office said.

"My attitude to 'Minsk' is very simple: we must split it into details, outline all the steps, link them to the dates and fulfill. We stand for such a format. That is what we did," the press service said, citing Volodymyr Zelensky at a briefing during a working trip to Donetsk region.

According to him, political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four worked on the preparation of a document with specific dates and time frames for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

"Now the latest version of this document has been sent to all parties. We expect that the parties will accept this document in the near future, and then there will be an opportunity to bring the meeting of the Normandy Four closer," the president said.

Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that Ukraine adheres to all the agreements reached with his participation during the meeting of leaders of the Normandy format in December 2019 in Paris.

"People were returned, we carried out the disengagement of troops and demining of a number of areas. However, much has not been done as well," he said.

DANBURY  John Patrick thinks scheduling a doctors appointment should be as simple as ordering groceries online.

So, the local philanthropist has donated $450,000 toward Nuvance Healths digital strategy.

mHealth (mobile health) will make getting an appointment for an X-ray or a physician visit as easy as buying a household item or booking an airline flight online, said Patrick, a Danbury resident, who with his wife, Joanne, has given $1 million to Nuvance over the years.

This includes a $250,000 donation in 2016 to help launch Nuvances telehealth program, which the system said has become critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nuvance, a seven-hospital system that includes Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk and Sharon hospitals, said the donation will help patients use their smartphones to improve their health.

Digital health is a core element of our 2025 strategic plan, said John Murphy, president and CEO of Nuvance. The Patricks generous gift will help us place the needed focus on this key area.

There is potential in digital health, said Patrick, formerly vice president of internet technology at IBM and the author of six books.

For example, a text can communicate, store, retrieve and remind patients of their health status or deliver messages promoting healthy behaviors and choices, Nuvance said.

The majority of traffic to retail websites now comes from smartphones, but the health care industry has lagged behind in this key trend, Patrick said.

Patrick recently joined Nuvance Healths Digital Patient Experience Executive Committee.

His decades of experience in technology and his service on the Danbury Hospital and Western Connecticut Health Network boards of directors brings us a unique perspective to help build out a digital health strategy to serve our patients, said Geoffry Hook, Nuvance Healths chief information officer.

Over the past 20 years, the Patricks have given numerous gifts totaling $1 million to key areas of Nuvance Health programs, such as oncology radiation therapy, breast cancer, neonatal care, mobile pediatric care and nursing education.

The couples first major donation was $100,000 in 2006 to enable the launch of a womens cardiac care program, Nuvance said. Joanne Patrick, a former coronary care nurse specialist, had noted that research had found men and womens cardiovascular health and heart attack symptoms were different.

In 2011, they donated $100,000 toward creating the Rudy L. Ruggles Biomedical Research Institute, while an additional gift in 2013 enabled a Cell Generation Laboratory at the institute.

Following that was the $250,000 gift to create the telehealth program, which Nuvance said is an important part of its digital health strategy. Telehealth, or connected care, allows patients to see their doctors remotely using a desktop, laptop or mobile device.

Philanthropic support is critical in these difficult times, said Grace Linhard, Nuvance Health chief development officer . John and Joanne have a history of helping to add focus to leading-edge health care initiatives, which are so important to the health systems long-term focus on technology directly benefiting our patients. We hope other philanthropists will join John and Joanne to build on the investment they have made in our future.
Anyone who can minimizes or dismisses the damaging impact of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol is simply not in touch with reality. Even if a person firmly believes the election was stolen from Donald Trump that would never justify the ruthless insurrection by the criminals.

Our own American citizens were intent on killing the vice president and minority leader and others. Five people were killed inside the Capitol. Our law enforcement officers were beaten inside the Capitol.

We need to take a serious inventory of who we are and where we are going as Americans. Our Democracy is not guaranteed. The survival of our Democracy depends on us, Americans with integrity, honesty, compassion and knowledge. Not by armed thugs.

Lindsey Graham says the presentation by the House managers was offensive and absurd. I could not agree more but with one exception; it was not the presentation but the content of the presentation that was offensive. Watching the relentless attack on the Capitol and the people by armed costumed, screaming thugs was absolutely offensive.

So what are you going to do about it, Lindsey?

Cecilia Lewis
On January 28, the EU updated the list of states whose citizens are allowed to enter EU countries.

The European Union and Ukraine are expecting non-essential travel for tourists will resume after the improvement of the COVID-19 epidemiological situation.

This is stated in a joint statement following the seventh meeting of the Ukraine-EU Association Council, posted on the website of the European Council.

"The Association Council looked forward to the resumption of non-essential travel for our citizens, once the epidemiological conditions allow," the statement said.

Read alsoUkraine loosens some quarantine-related restrictions amid COVID-19

Travel industry hit hard by coronavirus

Tourism has become one of the sectors of the economy most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, because international travel has practically stopped due to quarantine restrictions and closed borders.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the tourism industry's losses over the reduction in the number of trips around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic in the first ten months of 2020 amounted to US$935 billion. Thus, world tourism returned to the 1990 level.

Airlines' losses were also high. The European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation released three scenarios predicting the resumption of air traffic, according to which tourists will be able to fly to Europe as before no earlier than 2024.

At the same time, most countries, like the EU, are in no hurry to open borders for foreign tourists, including from Ukraine.

Introducing vaccination passports that will allow tourists to travel again is now on the agenda. Some countries, like Israel, are already actively introducing them.

On January 28, the EU updated the list of states whose citizens are allowed to enter EU countries.

Reporting by UNIAN

WASHINGTON - More than $14 billion in direct coronavirus relief funding may be pouring into government coffers in the District, Maryland and Virginia in coming months - and for D.C., that could include the $755 million it was denied in the first relief package nearly a year ago.

The proposed infusion of funding would allow significantly more flexibility for state and local governments, which could use the money for purposes including school infrastructure projects, grants for struggling businesses and covering severe revenue losses caused by the pandemic.

The most recent coronavirus relief package, enacted in December, did not include any direct aid that state and local governments could use as operating funds related to pandemic needs, thus angering mayors and governors who said they were in desperate need of the money.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., called the direct aid - and the ability of recipient jurisdictions to use it to offset revenue losses - the "missing ingredient" in past bills.

"This is a lifesaver for local budgets. There is no question," Cardin said Friday. "It recognizes that if we don't provide the help, you'll see more and more layoffs and less ability of state and local governments to carry out their missions."

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform released the initial funding estimates this week and began debating the provisions Friday. Of the $350 billion the committee proposed allocating for state and local governments nationwide, Virginia is expected to receive $6.4 billion, Maryland $5.8 billion and D.C. $2.2 billion, including the $755 million in retroactive Cares Act funding.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., said ahead of the markup that she expected Republican lawmakers to propose an amendment to strip D.C. of the $755 million. Last year, the Senate - at the time controlled by Republicans - left that money out of the District's allocation because it classified D.C. as a territory, not a state.

Norton, the District's nonvoting delegate in Congress and a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee, said any effort now to remove the money was likely to fail.

"I dare them to raise that," she said. "Whoever raises that will be told the people I represent pay more federal taxes per capita than the people they represent."

The new relief bill classifies the District not only as a state but also treats it as a city and county to maximize its funding, an approach that Norton said "delighted" her.

The funding will be considered later by the Senate, now narrowly controlled by Democrats. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Friday that he was feeling "100 percent confident" that it would remain in the bill when the Senate voted because the relief package is being pushed through as a reconciliation bill, meaning that Republicans won't be able to filibuster and that it needs only a majority to be passed in the chamber.

"We're rock-solid on that," Kaine said. "We're using the same reconciliation vehicle that Republicans used to pass the tax cut, that they used to try to eliminate the Affordable Care Act."

House Republicans pushed back Friday on the $350 billion in direct state and local aid, just as they did in December, arguing that it was not needed because local and state governments had not exhausted billions of dollars in relief funding allocated last year.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., called it a "a big blue-state bailout," and Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, said it was "a boondoggle that mortgages our future unnecessarily, especially when a trillion dollars have yet to be spent from previous relief bills."

A pair of Virginia and Maryland Republicans have offered legislation that would all but ensure that virtually the entire D.C. region could not receive any of the relief money.

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., a staunch proponent of ending coronavirus restrictions, introduced a bill that would make any state or local government that has enacted restrictions affecting small businesses - including occupancy and curfew rules - ineligible to receive any coronavirus relief funds.

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., co-sponsored Good's bill, which has little to no chance of succeeding in the majority-Democratic chamber.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a chief negotiator with Republicans on the last relief package, said in a statement that he believed Congress could "certainly tailor aid to local governments appropriately to make sure it helps those localities most in need of federal assistance, without giveaways to certain places that haven't seen budget problems because of the crisis." The funding formula in part is based on how many people are unemployed in a given state, for example.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., called the direct assistance to local and state governments a "vital lifeline," particularly given that they have vast discretion to use the money for specific local priorities, including offsetting dramatic losses in revenue.

Norton said that provision will be especially important for the District, which has experienced a sharp decline in hotel occupancy and business at local restaurants - two of the city's main economic engines.

"In the past, cities and counties were constrained in how they used the funds," Van Hollen said. "This allows them to use these monies in a flexible way to meet their priorities."
Just when you think one of Jersey Citys longest-running redevelopment telenovelas will have a happy ending, bam, the show offers up another cliffhanger.

Plans for doing something big on top of the Sixth Street Embankment have been floating around for at least 15 years, but nothing has been done because of lawsuits and counter lawsuits over who has the legal right to sell it.

The heart of the issue has been whether Conrail, which operated an elevated rail line on the embankment for just about the entire 20th century, had the authority to sell the property to a private developer without first offering it to the City of Jersey City.

In 2019, the city announced a settlement was in the works that sounded like everyone would be satisfied and plans would move forward for a High-Line-type park along with two residential towers on the Downtown stretch.

And this past November, Mayor Steve Fulop told the Embankment Preservation Coalition that a settlement deal could be just days away.

This week, the city said Conrail has dropped out of the settlement talks.

The city told our reporter it hasnt been told why Conrail left the table, and representatives of Conrail havent returned this newspapers request for comment.

In the meantime, the city is set to study potentially putting the property in a new redevelopment zone.' That, in turn, could trigger more years of legal battles.

More than enough time and taxpayer money has been spent on this issue already. The parties and the public need to hear from Conrail what its issues are so plans including new green space on the historic embankment can get back on track.

Stay tuned.

Send letters to the editor and guest columns for The Jersey Journal to jjletters@jjournal.com.

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Netflix is set to make a new home for itself in Canada by opening a new corporate office in the North American country soon. The office is expected to be setup mostly in Toronto or Vancouver.



The move by the online-video streaming giant comes a decade after Canadians invited Netflix into their homes for the first time. It had begun filming their first original production in Ontario in 2012. Netflix has over seven million Canadian subscribers and recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Canada.



The Canadian office will be in addition to Netflix's production hub in Toronto which was set up in 2019. Netflix said its growing local presence will help it share Canadian stories more authentically with the world, whether through the development of original content or through co-production and licensing opportunities.



Netflix has already spent more than C$2.5 billion on productions in the country since 2017. In the process, it also built relationships with so many talented directors, screenwriters, actors, producers, animators and more.



The video-streaming service provider is adding the Canadian office to its ever growing international presence.



It had opened a French office last year and is on track to set up an office in Italy in the second half of 2021. The company reportedly has 21 corporate offices around the world, including Amsterdam and Rome. It also has offices in the UK, Netherlands, India, Mexico, and Australia.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

NETFLIX-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
Day three of former president Donald Trump's impeachment trial featured the remainder of Democratic House impeachment managers' case against Trump.

Below, some takeaways.

- - -

1. A novel appeal to GOP senators about the consequences of acquittal

If there is one quote that summed up the Democrats' argument for conviction of Trump, it came Thursday from Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.

The fact that Trump is no longer in office renders the biggest punishment of the impeachment process - removal from office - moot. Beyond that, it's about sanctioning him and preventing Trump from being able to hold high office again.

But Lieu suggested that this wasn't just about preventing Trump from running (and potentially winning) again; he said it was instead about avoiding another situation such as this.

"You know, I'm not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years," Lieu said. "I'm afraid he's going to run again and lose, because he can do this again."

The comment was clearly intended for Republican senators who might be on the fence. The party establishment has flirted with a break from Trump in an attempt to phase him out, but that's no easy process. And of late, Republicans appear to have rallied behind the former president.

It's also logical that Democrats wouldn't be terribly concerned about Trump running again, given that he just lost and was one of the most unpopular presidents in history (despite actually coming closer than most recognize to winning reelection). Lieu tried to drive home that this was bigger than just an attempted political disqualification.

Another impeachment manager, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), also got at this idea.

"All of these people who have been arrested and charged, they're being accountable, held accountable for their actions," she said. "Their leader, the man who incited them, must be held accountable as well."

DeGette added later: "Impeachment is not to punish, but to prevent. We are not here to punish Donald Trump. We are here to prevent the seeds of hatred that he planted from bearing any more fruit."

The concerted message on the final day of the Democrats' arguments was to warn Republicans about what they might have to account for if they let Trump slide.

But it didn't sway at least one key Republican who has suggested Trump carries blame, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.

"I think that was a very powerful statement on his part," Rounds said of Lieu's quote. "And I know I wrote that down. I know a number of my colleagues did. But once again, the issue for most of us is are you asking us to do something that we simply don't have the capability of doing because the Constitution does not give us that tool with regard to a private citizen."

- - -

2. Driving home Trump's history of violent rhetoric

A big question going into the trial was how much Democrats would keep focused on Jan. 6 and Trump's effort to overturn the election, and how much they would address his past rhetoric encouraging or excusing political violence.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead impeachment manager, briefly made his team's offering on the latter Thursday.

This is hardly the first time people have tied Trump's comments to real or potential violence. It happened throughout his presidency. It happened to the point where even many Republicans now allied with Trump - who are playing down the need for his impeachment - warned about a situation similar to this, including former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Raskin referred to many of these instances, including Trump jokingly praising a Montana politician for assaulting a reporter, suggesting that there were good people on "both sides" of the racist rally in Charlottesville in 2017, and his repeated suggestions both at his 2016 rallies and since that his supporters might get violent. Trump also endorsed a clip from a supporter saying "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat" - before that supporter was arrested for his part in the Capitol riot.

Perhaps most compellingly, Raskin noted Trump's tweet to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" in April. It came two weeks before armed protesters flooded the state Capitol there. Trump suggested approval for their show of force and, in response, urged Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, to negotiate with them on the coronavirus restrictions Trump had criticized. Two weeks later, protesters returned with more violent rhetoric. Then an alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer surfaced - a plot in which the alleged perpetrators echoed Trump's rhetoric.

"This Trump-inspired mob may indeed look familiar to you," Raskin said of the initial scenes at the state Capitol. "Confederate battle flags, MAGA hats, weapons, camo Army gear - just like the insurrectionists who showed up and invaded this chamber on Jan. 6. The siege of the Michigan Capitol was effectively a state-level dress rehearsal for the siege of the U.S. Capitol that Trump incited on January 6th."

Trump's defenders have focused narrowly on his speech Jan. 6, which they argue was unremarkable, and which they note included one line that those marching to the Capitol should "peacefully" protest. They have even argued that revelations about planning by some Capitol rioters suggest that they couldn't have been incited.

That ignores everything that preceded Jan. 6, and Trump's efforts to overturn the election. The fact is that there had been all kinds of suggestions that Trump's rhetoric could lead to what we saw. Trump often did far less than his critics said he should to prevent or condemn such scenes.

That might be the most significant evidence Democrats have - even if Raskin's presentation gave it short shrift, in the grand scheme of things.

- - -

3. A prebuttal to Trump's free-speech defense

Democrats offered a prebuttal to an argument the Trump legal team's is expected to make Friday, that this is a matter of free speech.

Trump's team, in its briefs, hasn't actually delved into the well-established limits on free speech, which include things like incitement and defamation.

Democrats argued that even those limits are beside the point. They said Trump, as president and commander in chief, is held to a higher standard.

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., cited a letter from legal experts on free speech, including many conservatives, who rebuked the idea that such a defense applies in this case.

"That [defense] has no basis in the evidence," Neguse said. "To hear his lawyers tell it, he was just some guy at a rally, expressing unpopular opinions. They would have you believe that this whole impeachment is because he said things that one may disagree with."

Raskin said that a president's speech carries inordinate weight when it comes to things like incitement, by virtue of his oath of office.

"Nobody made Donald Trump run for president and swear an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution on Jan. 20, 2017," Raskin said. "But when he did, by virtue of swearing that oath and entering this high office, he took upon himself a duty to affirmatively take care that our laws would be faithfully executed under his leadership."

Raskin also went further, noting that constitutional experts generally agree that impeachment doesn't require a statutory crime. "High crimes and misdemeanors," despite the claims of Trump's legal team both this week and in his first impeachment, doesn't actually mean felonies or what the legal code today calls misdemeanors.

"Incitement to violent insurrection is not protected by free speech," Raskin said. "There is no First Amendment defense to impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors. The idea itself is absurd. And the whole First Amendment smokescreen is a completely irrelevant distraction from the standard of high crimes and misdemeanors governing a president who has violated his oath of office."

4. The participants who cited Trump

The early focus Thursday was on driving home the incitement argument by pointing to rioters who said they had been incited.

Multiple rioters who have been charged with crimes have cited perceived invitations from Trump as part of their defense. That could be convenient for them, legally speaking. But DeGette focused more on people who said these things in real time.

Among them:

One man who wrote on the day of the siege, "Trump just needs to fire the bat signal . . . deputize patriots . . . and then the pain comes."

Another man said on a live stream from inside the Capitol: "Our president wants us here. We wait and take orders from our president."

One man told a police officer who stood in his way: "There's a f------ million of us out there, and we're listening to Trump - your boss."

Another woman responded to now-President Biden's calls for peace by saying, "Does he not realize President Trump called us to siege the place?"

Another talked about calling Trump from inside the Capitol and said, "He'll be happy. . . . We're fighting for Trump."

"Have you noticed throughout this presentation the uncanny similarity, over and over and over again, of what all these people are saying?" DeGette said. "They said what Donald Trump said and they echoed each other. 'Stand back and stand by.' 'Stop the steal.' 'Fight like hell.' 'Trump sent us.' 'We are listening to Trump.' "

It's possible to cherry-pick anecdotes in a prosecution. It's also possible that people perceived a message that Trump didn't technically send. The combination of these comments and those citing Trump's invitation as part of their legal defense, though, suggests that this is something many truly believed was done at Trump's behest - or at least that it would meet with his approval.
Joe Biden's White House has put deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo on a one-week suspension without pay after he threatened a reporter who asked questions about his relationship with a journalist at Axios, telling her 'I will destroy you.'

Ducklo made the threat to Politico reporter Tara Palmeri, who was assigned to write about his romance with Alexi McCammond, who had been covering Biden's presidential campaign. He accused her of being jealous of McCammond because a past male wanted to 'f***' the Axios reporter instead of her.

The incident is raising questions about ethical standards at the White House, after Biden threatened to fire any staffer who treated people with disrespect. There were also questions on why Ducklo wasn't punished until his conversation was publicly reported on - more than two weeks after it originally happened.

Vanity Fair on Friday revealed that Palmeri reached out McCammond to ask her about the romance while one of Palmeri's male colleagues contacted Ducklo about it.

But Ducklo called Palmer, instead of her male colleague, and threatened her in an effort to kill the story. He told her he would 'destroy' her and accused her of being jealous of McCammond.

'I will destroy you,' Ducklo told Palmeri, sources told Vanity Fair, adding that he would ruin her reputation if the story about his relationship was published.

The White House announced Ducklo's punishment after the Vanity Fair piece went viral. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Ducklo apologized to the Politico reporter.

But Ducklo's original apology was a generic note and did not acknowledged the sexist content of his words.

CNN obtained a copy of it: 'Last night on the phone with you I lost my temper in a way that was unprofessional, and I apologize for that. I should have done a better job at keeping my emotions in check during our conversation. It won't happen again.'

Psaki also faced questions on how Ducklo would work with female reporters going forward - given his assignment as a White House spokesperson - and why his suspension took so long to be given. The original call between Ducklo and Palmeri happened on January 20th - inauguration day.

President Joe Biden has put his deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo on a one-week suspension without pay after he threatened a reporter who asked questions about his relationship with a journalist at Axios

Axios reporter Alexi McCammond covered Biden during the Democratic presidential primary and asked to be taken off the beat when she started dating Ducklo, who who also worked for Biden's presidential campaign

Ducklo made the threat to Politico reporter Tara Palmeri, who was writing about the romance, telling her he would 'destroy' her and accusing her of being jealous

In the off-the-record call, Ducklo made derogatory and misogynistic comments, accusing Palmeri of reporting on his relationship because she was 'jealous' that an unidentified man in the past had 'wanted to f***' McCammond 'and not you.'

After Vanity Fair published its story, the White House announced Ducklo had apologized to Palmeri - presumably a stronger one than his original - and was on suspension.

Politico did not respond to Dailymail.com's request for comment.

'TJ Ducklo has apologized to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life. He is the first to acknowledge this is not the standard of behavior set out by the president. In addition to his initial apology, he has sent the reporter a personal note expressing his profound regret,' Psaki said.

She said with the approval of White House Chief of Staff Ron Klein, Ducklo was suspended and would not work with Politico reporters going forward.

'With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one week-suspension without pay. In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico,' Psaki noted.

But her announcement did not quell outrage at how a White House official treated a reporter, particularly after President Biden told staff they would be fired if they didn't treat people with respect.

Psaki faced several questions on the matter at her press briefing on Friday.

She said Biden was not involved in the decision about Ducklo's punishment, which she said she felt was adequate.

'No one wants anyone to feel uncomfortable to be put in an uncomfortable position and that's not behavior that we will tolerate. So those were the steps that were taken and we felt it was a serious punishment,' she noted.

CNN White House reporter Kaitlan Collins pressed Psaki on the content of what he said and the sexist tone of his remarks: 'It wasn't just a hostile conversation. I think we've all probably have plenty of those and vice versa, those happen. But you know the language that he is alleged to have used according to this report - it is arguably or even not arguably sexist. So, what are you doing to deal with that part of it.'

'It's completely unacceptable. He knows that. I've had conversations with him about that,' said Psaki, who is Ducklo's direct supervisor, at her White House press briefing.

She emphasized apologies had been made to Politico by Ducklo and by senior White House press staff, including communications director Bedingfield.

'We've reached out at every level there to convey our apology and been clear this will never happen again. And it is not going to be tolerated here at the White House,' she said.

And when asked why he wasn't suspended until the story became public, she said it had been handled privately by staff and Ducklo was spoken to about what he said to Palmeri.

'There were conversations that occurred with the reporter, as well as editors at Politico immediately after the conversation occurred. That was how we engaged in a private manner. And, you know, that was, that was what we felt was appropriate at the time,' she said.

Psaki also argued Ducklo was speaking about his personal life and not a White House issue.

'He had a heated conversation about a story related to his personal life. I'm not saying that's acceptable but I just want to be clear that it was not about an issue related to the White House or a White House policy or anything along those lines,' she said.

But the White House standards are under question.

CNN's Jake Tapper wrote on Twitter: 'Standards that are not upheld are not standards. They're lies.'

CNN reporter Abby Philip's tweeted: 'Keep in mind the WH has known about this since January.'

And CNN's Chris Cillizza wrote: 'One week? Didn't Biden say he had a 'zero tolerance' policy for this sort of behavior.'

And New York magazine's Olivia Nuzzi wrote: 'If Ducklo's conduct as a White House official is so unprofessional that, 3 weeks into the administration, he has been banned from working with reporters from a major news organization, how can he do his job?'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Ducklo had been spoken to privately about his comments to a female reporter and the White House felt his punishment was adequate

After TJ Ducklo's suspension was announced, questions were raised about the ethics policy at the White House after President Biden vowed to fight any staffer who treated people with disrespect

Both Alexi McCammond and TJ Ducklo posted about their relationship in their Instagram stories

Politico first contacted the White House about the relationship on January 20th.

After Ducklo's comments to Palmeri, a Politico editor reached out to the White House, which led to several conversations between Politico staff and senior-level White House communications staff, including Psaki, Bedingfield, and Anita Dunn, director of West Wing operations and a longtime Democratic operative.

In one conversation, the White House officials acknowledged that Ducklo's handling of the call with Palmeri was inappropriate. He later emailed Palmeri a note he was sorry he lost his cool but did not address the allegations and threats.

Threats to reporters are not uncommon. But the Biden White House pledged to be different and vowed to be one of the most transparent and ethical in American history.

When President Biden swore in White House staff on January 20th, he told them: 'I'm not joking when I say this: If you ever work with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I will fire you on the spot. No ifs, ands or buts.'

McCammond and Ducklo posted about their relationship in their Instagram stories, making the romance public themselves.

And when Politico informed the White House they were publishing their story about it on February 9th, a story appeared about the romance appeared on People Magazine's website the night before on February 8th.

The glowing piece said Ducklo and McCammond were friends first and started dating in November, upon which they disclosed their relationship to their superiors.

They told People they got to know each other through work but, at the start, Ducklo was single while McCammond was in a serious relationship.

They cite the change in their relationship came as Ducklo was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer in December 2019> He's been receiving treatments while working on the campaign and in the White House.

McCammond said Ducklo's diagnosis helped her realize her view of him had changed.

'After the election, when we both had some downtime, it was clear that our years-long friendship had the potential for something else. When TJ was diagnosed  I had a sense then how much he meant to me and I'm just grateful that I get to be there for him now every step of the way as his partner,' she told People.

Politico noted in its piece on the relationship: 'POLITICO first contacted the White House in late January with questions about Ducklo and McCammond. On Monday evening, Playbook informed Biden's comms staff that this item would be published today. Hours later, a glowing profile of McCammond and Ducklo's relationship was published by People.'
Representative image

Rolling out a vaccine to stop the spread of a global pandemic doesnt come cheap. Billions of dollars have been spent developing drugs and putting in place a program to get those drugs into peoples arms.

But amid an uneven distribution of vaccines  with poorer countries lagging far behind richer nations  another concern presents itself: the cost of not vaccinating everyone.

My colleagues and I sought to find out what the total hit to the global economy of uneven vaccination distribution might be.

To do so, we analyzed 35 industries  such as services and manufacturing  in 65 countries and examined how they were all linked economically in 2019, before the pandemic. For example, the construction sector in the U.S. relies on steel imported from Brazil, American auto manufacturers need glass and tires that come from countries in Asia, and so forth.

We then used data on COVID-19 infections for each country to demonstrate how the coronavirus crisis has disrupted global trade, curbing shipments of steel, glass and other exports to other countries. The more that a sector relies on people working in close proximity to produce goods, the more disruption there will be due to higher infections.

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

We then modeled how vaccinations could help to alleviate these economic costs, as a healthy and immune workforce is able to increase output.

Shouldering the burden

Our results showed that if wealthier nations are fully vaccinated by the middle of this year  a goal that many countries are striving for  yet developing countries manage to vaccinate only half of their populations, the global economic loss would amount to around US$4 trillion.

We estimated the global economic cost of developing countries not vaccinating any of their citizens to be around $9 trillion. Work is underway to increase the reach of vaccines to developing countries, but nonetheless, it is likely that poorer nations will still lag in total numbers vaccinated.

Whatever the toll is, the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan would shoulder almost half the burden of continuing disruptions to global trade  even if they themselves managed to vaccinate the entirety of their own populations.

The findings come as the global community seeks ways to address the imbalance in national vaccinations. Results from our study, published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research and its European counterpart, the Center for Economic Policy Research, were presented at a recent World Health Organization briefing. The timing of the report also coincides with President Joe Bidens announcement that the United States intends to join COVAX  an initiative aimed at vaccinating at least 20% of the population of every country by the end of this year.

But COVAX is currently billions of dollars short of being able to meet that goal.

No economy is an island

Our research underscores that it is in rich countries direct economic interest to ensure poor nations are fully vaccinated as well.

Widespread vaccinations in wealthier nations will certainly help domestic businesses like restaurants, gyms and other services. But, industries such as auto, construction and retail that depend on outside countries for materials, parts and supplies will continue to suffer if vaccines are not made available worldwide.

No economy is an island  full global economic recovery will come only when every economy recovers from the pandemic.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said that the state government was formulating a law to deter stone pelters and the draft was in its final stage. Addressing an event in Bhopal, Chouhan said that stone pelters were a major problem to the state and the government was pondering over a stringent law to deal with them.

The chief minister's statement on the law against stone pelters comes a month after the state government formulated an ordinance to deter 'love jihad' cases. With a provision of jail term up to ten years and fine upto Rs 1 lakh, the MP Freedom of Religion ordinance was promulgated last month and came into effect since January 9.

Now, the Shivraj government has laid its focus on reining in those who engage in stone pelting. Asserting that action is needed against incidents of stone pelting, Chouhan claimed that his government was working on the matter.

Following up on the matter, Home minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday affirmed that none reserves the right to damage public property in the state and the government will deal with stone pelters sternly.

"Jinke ghar se patthar ayenge, wahin se patthar nikaale jayenge (those houses from where stones will come, the stones of that house will be removed)," said the minister adding, such elements will be reined in so that they think ten times before engaging in such acts again.

The minister's remarks were in reference to an incident in Ujjain where recently the administration had razed down a house which was used for pelting stones on a procession meant for collecting Ram Temple donation.

The chief minister had already ordered destruction of house and properties of those involved in pelting stones. However, the minister declined to divulge more information on the proposed legislation.
RESTON, Va., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE:LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, announced today that chairman and chief executive officer Roger A. Krone was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Membership in the Academy is among the highest professional distinctions in engineering. Krone was elected to the Academy for his technical leadership in industry engineering and advances in aerospace and information technology programs.

"I am honored to represent the thousands of scientists and engineers at Leidos by serving in the Academy," Krone said. "As an engineer at heart, it's humbling to be recognized alongside the greatest names in our field. I thank the Academy members for their trust and recognition."

"Roger's work for our customers and his many accomplishments have left an incredible impact on our industry," said Bob Shapard, Lead Director of the Leidos Board of Directors. "He continually inspires the culture of innovation at Leidos and enables teams to develop novel solutions that make the world safer, healthier and more efficient. On behalf of the board of directors, we congratulate him on this outstanding and most deserved recognition."

The National Academy of Engineering announced the election of Krone on February 9.

Membership in the Academy is granted through nominations by current members only. Member candidates must be outstanding individuals with identifiable accomplishments in one or both of the following categories:

Engineering research, practice or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature.

Pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education or providing engineering leadership of major endeavors.

Krone will be formally inducted during the Academy's annual meeting on October 3, 2021.

Before joining Leidos, Krone served as president of Network and Space Systems for The Boeing Company, where he provided calculated direction for approximately 15,000 employees in 35 states and 12 countries. He joined McDonnell Douglas in 1992 serving as director of financial planning, vice president and treasurer after a 14-year career at General Dynamics, where he held positions in program management, engineering and finance.

Krone earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. A Six Sigma Green Belt, Krone is both a licensed commercial pilot and a certified public accountant. He is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in the United Kingdom.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 38,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $11.09 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2020. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 3, 2020, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

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A Houston doctor was fired and charged with stealing ten doses of the ModernaCovid vaccine after rushing to administer the doses before they were about to expire. Dr Hasan Gokal was let go from the Harris County Public Health department and charged with the theft at a total value of $135, a charge that was later dismissed as groundless by a judge.

Dr Gokal's name and mug shot were published, putting him up for public scrutiny. His attorney Paul Doyle told The New York Times: "Everybody was looking at this guy and saying, I got my mother waiting for a vaccine, my grandfather waiting for a vaccine. They were thinking, This guy is a villain.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Gokal said: It was my world coming down. To have everything collapse on you. God, it was the lowest moment in my life.

In late December, Dr Gokal had to find 10 eligible people to vaccinate as a vial of the Moderna vaccine had been opened and had to be used within 6 hours before it expired. He told people to come to his house outside Houston, Texas. He also drove around and vaccinated acquaintances and complete strangers.

One of the receivers was a bed-bound person past 90 years old. Another was a woman with dementia in her 80s. A third was a mother in her 40s whose child is on a ventilator. After midnight, minutes before the vaccine was about to become unusable, Dr Gokal gave the last dose to his wife, who has a lung disease.

Dr Gokal came to the US as a boy from Pakistan and earned a medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. He lived in a hotel for a month at the start of the pandemic. He said: I was petrified to go home and bring Covid to my wife."

Taking a pay-cut, Dr Gokal became the medical director for the Harris County Covid-response team. It meant he would spend less time in ERs, and no longer be as exposed to the virus.

Dr Gokal said that the guidance from state health officials was to vaccinate people in the eligible categories but after that, the advice was: "Just put it in peoples arms. We dont want any doses to go to waste. Period.

A Harris County public health official gave him the okay to find 10 people for the remaining doses to avoid having them go to waste in the evening of 29 December. About the people he initially reached out to, Dr Gokal said they were, No one I was really intimately familiar with. I wasnt that close to anyone".

Before vaccinating his wife, whose lung disease made her eligible, Dr Gokal said: I didnt intend to give this to you, but in a half-hour, Im going to have to dump this down the toilet." His wife hesitated, but then took the vaccine.

After filing the paperwork for the inoculations, he was asked a few days later by a supervisor and the human resources director if he had given the vaccines outside of the scheduled event on 29 December where the vial had been opened and the clock had started ticking.

He said he had and was immediately fired. He was told he had violated protocol and should have returned the doses to the office or thrown them away.

The "equity" of the people Dr Gokal had vaccinated was questioned by one of the officials. Dr Gokal said he asked: Are you suggesting that there were too many Indian names in that group?

Exactly, was the response he said he got.

Kim Ogg, the Harris County district attorney, alleged in a press release that Dr Gokal abused his position to place his friends and family in line in front of people who had gone through the lawful process to be there".

Dr Gokal found out that he had been charged with a crime when his son alerted him to the presence of reporters outside their house. A judge dismissed the case for a lack of probable cause.

The Texas Medical Association and the Harris County Medical Society issued a statement, saying: It is difficult to understand any justification for charging any well-intentioned physician in this situation with a criminal offence."

Hospitals have told Dr Gokal not to return until his case is resolved. It will be presented to a grand jury.

In the meantime, Dr Gokal is volunteering at a health clinic for those without insurance.
A Russian cannibal who murdered three friends and ate parts of their bodies has been jailed for life.

Eduard Seleznev, 51, from Arkhangelsk in the north-western region of Arkhangelsk Oblast, was convicted of killing three friends between March 2016 and March 2017.

Known as the 'Arkhangelsk Cannibal', Seleznev admitted stabbing his friends - aged 59, 43 and 34 - to death while they were passed out drunk, before boiling their bodies and eating their cooked remains.

The highest court in Russia today confirmed Seleznev's life sentence following an unsuccessful appeal by his lawyers.

The victims - who have not been named - were sliced up by Seleznev, who kept the flesh he wanted to eat in plastic bags and dumped the rest in a local river.

Russian cannibal Eduard Seleznev, 51, from Arkhangelsk in the north-western region of Arkhangelsk Oblast, was convicted of killing three friends between March 2016 and March 2017

He moved into one of his victim's flats after he killed and ate him, telling the man's parents their son had gone to work in another city.

Eduard Seleznev, 51, (pictured when he was arrested) from Arkhangelsk in the north-western region of Arkhangelsk Oblast, was convicted of killing three friends between March 2016 and March 2017

He repeated the same story to police officers who started a missing person investigation.

His other two victims did not have family to look for them.

The court heard Seleznev also cooked local cats, dogs, birds and other small animals found on the streets.

When the bodies of the men were eventually discovered, police said the advanced state of decay and the condition after they had been partially cut up made them difficult to identify.

Seleznev is understood to have already served 13 years in prison for another double murder.

Psychiatrists declared him sane and fully responsible for killing his three friends and Seleznev was ordered to stand trial again for his latest crimes.

The Russian criminal code does not include cannibalism so the defendant was on trial for murder and misusing the victims' body parts.

The Russian Supreme Court - after re-evaluating all the evidence - sentenced Seleznev to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Originally Posted by Nelviticus Originally Posted by

I don't get why people compare this to standard-format flagship phones or complain that it's not powerful enough. It's clearly not for people who are interested in those, nor for people who want top speed and power. It's for people who want whatever the Duo is - a foldable that's not even like other foldables.



It's like complaining that a helicopter isn't as fast as a jet, as cheap as a sailboat or as easy to park as a car. So what? It's not aiming to be. If you're in the small niche that needs to hover, a helicopter is worth the price.
Indian American Shireen Carlson, and her husband Leif, were both recently stricken with COVID. The couple is shown here on their wedding day April 28, 2018. (Som Sharma photo/courtesy of Leif and Shireen Carlson)

This illustration shows the Gateway lunar platform orbiting the Moon. Credit: NASA

NASA is improving a flight software system to help create and certify essential software for the lunar Gateway.

As part of the Artemis program, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon and establish a sustained lunar presence by the end of the decade. The Gateway will provide a waypoint for lunar exploration and allow astronauts to live and work in lunar orbit as well as host science instruments and experiments.

While Gateway will not be continuously inhabited like the International Space Station, every system onboard must be at a high standard that guarantees astronaut safety. Class A certification assures that all of Gateway's systems meet these rigorous requirements.

NASA, industry partners, and international space agencies are working together to develop Gateway. Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is collaborating with NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to Class A certify the core Flight System (cFS).

The cFS will be essential to Gateway's day-to-day operations, and provides the foundation for Gateway flight software, including the Vehicle System Manager, which manages spacecraft instruments and systems while maintaining core functions.

Gateway's software builds on cFS's dynamic development environment and component-based, adaptable design. Its flexible, layered architecture allows engineers to rapidly assemble significant portions of a software system for new missions. This results in cost and time savings, as mission teams can avoid developing brand new software for each mission.

Conceived in 2004, the open-sourced cFS software has been improved both internally and through recommendations from independent developers around the world. "We're working on making it easier to test, easier to trace requirements from mission applications, and easy to adapt," said Jacob Hageman, team lead for the ongoing certification effort for Gateway's cFS. "The Artemis program provides resources to help us improve the product, which benefits everyone who uses it."

Goddard developers envisioned an independent, reusable software framework for routine spacecraft tasks, including telemetry, health and safety, and stored commanding. In 2008, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched, operating on the core Flight Executivea plug-and-play foundation for what would become cFS.

Goddard flight software architect Jonathan Wilmot has worked on cFS from its beginning, when the idea was born out of a need for efficiency. "We had two big missions at Goddard at one time, the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Global Precipitation Measurement," he said. "There wasn't enough staff to do both independently, so we worked with Goddard's software and mission teams to establish a set of requirements."

This experienced team defined the software framework and application suite that was common to NASA missions so that future missions would just have to add their mission-unique functions. Since then, NASA has employed cFS on missions like the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, Orion's Ascent Abort2 Flight Test, and more.

In July 2020, cFS was named NASA's Software of the Year for its combination of "app store" delivery of solutions, stability, and adaptability. "One of the great things about cFS is that it's always evolving," said Hageman. "We work on maybe two or three missions a year, but outside of NASA, people are trying it out, finding new ways to use it and making suggestions for improvement."

Currently, the Goddard software development team is certifying the cFS by testing it to ensure it meets the requirements set forth by the agency for Gateway. After testing at Goddard, it will be delivered to Johnson for additional testing, possible modifications for Gateway-specific features, final implementation, and human rating certifications.

The first elements of the Gateway are anticipated to launch together in 2024 and will allow NASA greater access to the lunar surface. The Class A-certified flight software for Gateway will ensure all systems operate properly and that NASA's astronauts have a safe environment to live and work.

Explore further Europe to send modules, astronauts to NASA moon station


Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
CARES Act mortgage forbearance program stalling the foreclosure pipeline

Rick Sharga

According to ATTOM Data Solutions January 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, there were a total of 9,702 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings -- default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions -- down 11 percent from a month ago and 80 percent from a year ago."January foreclosure activity declined at least in part due to the Biden Administration's decision to continue the foreclosure moratorium on government-backed loans through the end of March," said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac executive vice president. "The moratorium and CARES Act mortgage forbearance program have effectively prevented millions of seriously delinquent loans from entering the foreclosure process. But it's important to remember that the number of foreclosures we're seeing right now doesn't reflect market reality - and that's something we'll need to deal with once these government programs expire."Lenders repossessed 1,428 U.S. properties through completed foreclosures (REOs) in January 2021, down 28 percent from last month and down 86 percent from last year - thirteenth consecutive annual decline in completed foreclosures.States that saw an annual decrease in REOs in January 2021 included: Illinois (down 86 percent); Florida (down 83 percent); Maryland (down 83 percent); California (down 82 percent); and Texas (down 82 percent).Those major metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with a population greater than 200,000 that saw the greatest number of REOs included: Birmingham, AL (124 REOs); Chicago, IL (65 REOs); Baltimore, MD (41 REOs); Miami, FL (40 REOs); and Beaumont, TX (38 REOs).Nationwide one in every 14,164 housing units had a foreclosure filing in January 2021. States with the highest foreclosure rates were Delaware (one in every 4,923 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Louisiana (one in every 6,581 housing units); Florida (one in every 7,920 housing units); Indiana (one in every 8,668 housing units); and Alabama (one in every 8,707 housing units).Among the 220 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest foreclosure rates in January 2021 were Lake Charles, LA (one in every 2,050 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Birmingham, AL (one in every 3,053 housing units); Lafayette, LA (one in every 3,492 housing units); Provo, UT (one in every 3,631 housing units); and Beaumont, TX (one in every 3,871 housing units).Other than Birmingham, among the metropolitan areas with a population greater than 1 million, those with the worst foreclosure rates in January 2021 included: Jacksonville, FL (one in every 5,657 housing units); Cleveland, OH (one in every 5,660 housing units); Miami, FL (one in every 6,867 housing); and Louisville, KY (one in every 7,541 housing units).Lenders started the foreclosure process on 5,235 U.S. properties in January 2021, down 12 percent from last month and down 80 percent from a year ago.Counter to the national trend, some states saw increases in foreclosure starts from last month including: Washington (up 63 percent); Virginia (up 54 percent); North Carolina (up 32 percent); Massachusetts (up 21 percent); and Ohio (up 10 percent).Among the 220 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000 and at least 100 or more foreclosure starts in January 2021, those that saw double digit annual declines, included: Chicago, IL (down 87 percent); New York, NY (down 85 percent); Los Angeles, CA (down 80 percent); Dallas, TX (down 77 percent); and Houston, TX (down 69 percent).

New Delhi, Feb 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will visit poll-bound Tamil Nadu on Sunday, will inaugurate the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension and other railway projects.

A Railway Ministry statement said that the Prime Minister, apart from Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, completed at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore, will also commission the passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar.

It said that the 9.05 km long extension will link north Chennai with the airport and Central Railway Station.

Modi will also inaugurate the fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu.

According to ministry, the 22.1 km section, laid at a cost of Rs 293.40 crore, traverses through Chennai and Thiruvallur districts and will ease out traffic from Chennai Port.

"This section connects the Chennai Port and Ennore Port and passes through major yards, providing operational flexibility for the movement of trains," it said.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the electrification of single line section in Villupuram-Cuddalore-Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur.

This 228-km-long project has been completed at a cost of Rs 423 crore, and will enable free flow of traffic without the need for a change of traction between Chennai Egmore and Kanyakumari, resulting in saving of Rs 14.61 lakh per day on fuel cost.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 04:58:57|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarians at the United Nations on Thursday reported a 79 percent increase over last February in the number of people needing assistance in Haiti, including 4.4 million who are food insecure.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a release the number of people in need amounts to about 40 percent of the country's 11.4 million population.

The reason is "a series of extreme sociopolitical shocks since 2018, which have significantly affected pre-existing fragility and people's resilience," the office said. "The ongoing economic and sociopolitical crisis, the spread of COVID-19 and the effects of natural disasters, such as tropical storm Laura that hit Haiti in August 2020, have all hit hard."

"Recently, incidents of insecurity have increased in the country, including kidnappings, and clashes between armed gangs leading to civilian deaths, the burning of houses and population displacement," OCHA said. "Public demonstrations and strikes have continued to paralyze basic services, halted public transport and forced businesses and public institutions to close."

However, if the security situation allows, the humanitarian office sees normalcy slowly returning among indications schools may open next week. Most schools have been closed since the first of the month.

Humanitarian organizations are working with local authorities to provide shelter, food, non-food items, sanitation, water, hygiene, protection and health needs for about 500 internally displaced households who fled gang violence in August 2020, OCHA said. The displaced people are in deteriorating living conditions and need protection.

The International Organization for Migration is developing an emergency relocation plan for the displaced people.

Last year, humanitarian assistance reached 1.4 million people in Haiti with aid. The 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan only gained 155.7 million U.S. dollars out of the 472 million U.S. dollars sought. Enditem


An Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, has indicated that he will travel to the USA for St Patrick's Day celebrations, if he is invited by President Joe Biden.

Local Fianna Fail councillors have indicated that they feel that An Taoiseach should stay in Ireland next month and meet with President Biden virtually noting that travelling to the USA would "send out the wrong message" to the people of Ireland during the ongoing pandemic.

While some national media outlets have suggested that the meeting between The two leaders now looks likely to be a virtual one, no actual statement has been made.

So we want to know what you think. Do you think that An Taoiseach should travel to the USA for March 17 or should he stay at home?
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said with more focus on safety, no death has been reported due to train accidents in nearly 22 months.

Goyal made the remarks while replying to the questions raised by members on 'New bridge maintenance protocols' in the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour.

The Minister said: "Over the period of time, safety has become the casualty of inadequate budgets. And very often misdirection of allocation of budget. In the last six years, we have focused more on safety." He said: "I am happy to share with the August House that the last passenger death due to accident happened on March 22, 2019. In last nearly 22 months no passenger deaths due to train accidents." Talking about bridges, Goyal said: "We have focused our attention on bridge repairs and maintenance." He said that there are 34,665 bridges which are more than 100 years old, adding "we have a very robust system of inspection, once before monsoon, once after the monsoon and a rating system".

He said: "I welcome the suggestion of the member to introduce more and more modern devices. Drones would not be the right approach... approach should be more like sensors, checking the tensile strength of the bridges.

"We will look at introducing more and more modern devices to augment these efforts."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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The body of an 84-year-old pilot has been found in the wreckage of his helicopter near Hughenden in north Queensland after a search resumed on Friday morning.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority began its search just after 7pm on Thursday, when the R22 helicopter was reported missing after failing to reach its destination.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority Challenger search and rescue jet led the search. (File image) Credit:Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

The search was called off about 2am on Friday because of severe weather conditions.

When the AMSA Challenger jet resumed the search later in the morning with six helicopters and extra planes, the man was found in the wreckage near a creek at Porcupine, 380 kilometres inland from Townsville.
Its very disappointing that a first-rate developer in Chicago isnt able to save an important Chicago building, said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago. This is one of those buildings we felt was important to have saved because of its architectural pedigree, and because its one of the oldest mills and food production facilities in the Fulton-Randolph landmark district.
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She has been living in LA following her 'work trip' to Mexico.

And Lottie Moss made a statement on Friday by wearing a black T-shirt with the message: 'You're on mute,' across the front.

The model, 23, looked stunning as she grabbed an iced coffee whilst out in West Hollywood, California.

'You're on mute': Lottie Moss made a statement on Friday by wearing a black T-shirt with a message across the front while grabbing an front iced coffee in West Hollywood, California

She paired her top, from Nasty Gal, with a pair of mom jeans which showed off her toned legs and small waist as she strutted.

Lottie added height to her petite frame with a pair of chunky biker boots which were covered in silver chains.

The half-sister of catwalk veteran Kate Moss added a touch of colour to her outfit by accessorising with a lilac purse.

Stylish: The 23-year-old model paired her top with a pair of mom jeans which showed off her toned legs and small figure as she strutted

She left her blonde locks in natural waves and added a light slick of makeup to amplify her gorgeous features.

On Thursday, Lottie showed off her figure in a stunning pink bra and matching underwear while posing for a new social media update.

Captioning the image, Lottie, 23, admitted the distinctive lingerie was part of an imminent new range, telling fans: 'Launching something exciting tomorrow.'

The previous evening Lottie set pulses racing after slipping into a sexy lace negligee and black stockings for another social media update from Los Angeles.

Casual cool: Lottie added height to her petite frame with a pair of chunky biker boots which and added a touch of colour to her outfit by accessorising with a lilac purse

The model showed off her ample cleavage and toned stomach in the slinky dress, while the lace suspenders amped up the sex appeal.

She captioned the shot: 'Someone give me an excuse to wear this'.

Lottie also revealed a canvas print of her older sister Kate dressed as a Playboy bunny in the background.

Lottie has moved back to her home in Beverly Hills full time to work on modelling and various campaigns for brands including PrettyLittleThing.

In January, she avoided the UK's latest coronavirus lockdown by jetting to Mexico for a work trip.

Looking good: Lottie turned up the heat on Thursday morning as she posed in a stunning pink bra and matching underwear
Ed Kemble Jr. isnt sure how the coronavirus first entered his household.

He lost four family members after they contracted COVID-19 late last year: his wife, younger brother, mother-in-law and mother-in-laws sister, all of whom had serious underlying conditions.

Kemble Jr.s wife couldve picked it up at her retail job, aides who took care of his brother could have carried it inside or he couldve caught the virus at his work. Ultimately, its a mystery, the Burlington County man said.

It couldve come from many different directions. Its invisible. You cant see it so you cant know where it came from, said Kemble Jr., a volunteer fireman and truck driver.

Now, the 61-year-old is living alone in the Riverside home they all once shared and telling the story of how the coronavirus impacted his family. He hopes it pushes others to take the virus seriously and follow social distancing guidelines.

More than 19,900 New Jerseyans have died after contracting COVID-19 since last spring, and entire families have been hit by the illness, experiencing the rare heartbreak of multiple funerals.

People should be made aware (the virus) is out there. People (should) keep their distance from one another and obey the rules everyone is saying, he said.

At one point, Kemble Jr. said all of his relatives were hospitalized together in the COVID-19 unit at Virtua Willingboro Hospital while he called them on Facetime, unable to see them in person due to visitor limitations.

All I can say is thank God for iPhones, he said.

It all started in November, when Kemble Jr. said his wife, Barbara, was taken to the hospital because she was dehydrated from kidney issues and had chest pains. She was tested for the coronavirus, and the results came back positive, he said. Barbara, who had diabetes, was eventually put on a breathing tube.

In the following two months, she bounced between South Jersey hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, Kemble Jr. said, and died on Jan. 16 from a stroke. Leading up to her death, Kemble Jr. said he would drop off Jersey Mikes sandwiches and iced tea at the hospital for her one of her favorite meals but wasnt allowed to go into her room.

Ed Kemble Jr. and his wife Barbara were married for 40 years. She contracted the coronavirus in November and died from a stroke two months later.Courtesy of Ed Kemble Jr.

The two were married for nearly 40 years, meeting when teenagers growing up in Riverside. Barbara was president of the Washington Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary in Delanco and a member of the Riverside Emergency Squad and New Jersey Fire Ladies Auxiliary, among other organizations. She previously worked for NJM Insurance and AAA Insurance, and more recently as a cashier at Walmart in Cinnaminson, Kemble Jr. said.

All of our lives reflected around the fire company, he said. A lot of times we hung out at the park in town, playing and stuff.

(The coronavirus) contributed to her (health) problems. Her cause of death was a stroke, he said.

During Barbaras two months hospitalized, Kemble Jr.s other family members fell sick too.

His mother-in-law, Ruth Sharp Allen, was brought to the hospital in early December after developing a pneumonia and cough, and tested positive for coronavirus. She died first on Dec. 2 at 89 years old.

Five days later, Kemble Jr. said his younger brother John Daniel Kemble  who had been bedridden after losing both of his legs to diabetes and was being cared for by home health aides  was taken to the hospital by an emergency squad because he needed emergency dialysis.

He tested positive for COVID-19 at the hospital, Kemble Jr. said. The virus made recovering more difficult, and he died of a heart attack on Dec. 7.

Like his wife, Kemble Jr. said his brother loved helping others. He held multiple positions with the Riverside Emergency Squad as an EMT and was a life member of the Delran Emergency Squad. He drove for United Refrigeration in Pennsauken and was a Riverside Bus driver.

John, he answered over 2,000 ambulance calls (over the years) with Delran and Riverside, he said.

Less than a week after John died, Ruth Allens sister Eileen Wolverton, affectionately known as Aunt Eileen, passed away in Willingboro hospital, Kemble Jr. said. She had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in the fall, he said. She also was positive for COVID-19, and had a bad cough.

She was a member of the Delanco/Washington Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary team, Kemble Jr. said, and she helped take care of Kemble Jr.s bedridden brother John.

Kemble Jr., a volunteer Riverside fireman, said he is getting his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday in Burlington County along with the rest of the company.

But he wishes the vaccines were widely available sooner so his family couldve had protection. His relatives died as doses were only beginning to be distributed in New Jersey.

They shouldve been (available), Kemble Jr. said. There wouldve been a hell of a lot of people alive if it was.

A GoFundMe created for the family has raised more than $2,200 for Ed Kemble Jr. to pay help pay medical bills, home expenses and burial costs. Another GoFundMe campaign started by Kemble Jr.s niece has raised more than $5,000.

Kemble Jr. said he is planning a memorial service at Delray Methodist Church, a burial a Lakeview Memorial Park in Cinnaminson and a luncheon at the Delanco fire station. A date has not yet been set, but he is hoping for May.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo.
London headquarters of the BBC, which was subject of a blanket ban by Chinas media regulator on broadcasts throughout its territory, including Hong Kong, in a file photo.

In the early hours of morning, Chinas media regulator issued a blanket ban on BBC broadcasts throughout its territory, including Hong Kong, saying it had engaged in untruthful reporting and damaged national unity.

The State Administration of Radio and Television (SART) will not allow BBC World News to continue to be disseminated in China, and will not accept its application for any broadcasting in the coming year, the SART said in a statement on its website.

In a possible reference to the BBCs recent interviews with Uyghur women detailing rape and sexual assault in Xinjiangs mass internment camps, the agency said reporting by the BBC had violated the requirement that its reporting be truthful and fair, harmed Chinas national interests and undermined Chinas national unity.

The ban also applies to the daily rebroadcasting of eight hours of BBC World Service radio content in Hong Kong, via government broadcaster RTHKs Radio Four channel.

British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab on condemned the decision by China to ban all BBC broadcasting on Chinese territory, saying it was an attack on press freedom.

"Chinas decision to ban BBC World News in mainland China is an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom," Raab said.

"China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe, and this latest step will only damage Chinas reputation in the eyes of the world, he said.

Restrictions and misinformation

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price also accused Beijing said the ban on the BBC was troubling.

"It's troubling that as (China) restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China, Beijing's leaders use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation," Price said.

Earlier this month, the State Department responded to the BBCs report on rape and sexual assault in Xinjiangs camps by saying that there must be serious consequences for those involved in abuses at the camps, where at least 1.8 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims are believed to be incarcerated.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) said the ban on the BBC was regrettable, and could be intended to create a chilling effect on other foreign media organizations operating in China.

The FCCC is concerned that such language is intended to send a warning to foreign media operating in China that they may face sanctions if their reporting does not follow the Chinese party line about Xinjiang and other ethnic minority regions, it said, adding that BBC content had never been freely available to the average Chinese citizen in the first place.

China has for many years severely restricted the foreign news that its own citizens can see by using internet censorship to block the websites of most major foreign news organizations, including the BBC, the group said via its Twitter account.

Before this ban, the BBC World News TV channel was distributed only in certain hotels, apartment buildings, and venues licensed for use by foreigners. Even in those approved locations the BBC was censored, with screens routinely going dark as soon as reports about China began, it said.

The FCCC said the ban was likely a response to a decision by U.K. media regulator Ofcom to revoke the broadcast license of Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, as it is ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Reported by RFAs Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Highlights Indian alternative to Twitter, Koo, is getting increasingly popular among the users in the country.

Koo claims to be an AatmaNirbhar App and won the AatmaNirbhar App Innovation Challenge held by the Government of India in August 2020.

Koo gained traction after the Indian government locked horns with Twitter over the suspension of a few accounts.

Indian alternative to Twitter, Koo, is getting increasingly popular among the users in the country. The app, which recently came under the radar for leaking sensitive information of users, has featured among the top free apps in India on App Store. Koo claims to be an AatmaNirbhar App and won the AatmaNirbhar App Innovation Challenge held by the Government of India in August 2020.

Koo gained traction after the Indian government locked horns with Twitter over the suspension of a few accounts. As per the Google Play Store, Koo has garnered over 1,000,000+ in such a short span. It is available for download on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Prominent personalities including Sadhguru, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, etc have migrated to Koo to express their opinion.

However, soon after Koo's popularity surged, a security researcher who goes by the name of Eliot Anderson unearthed vulnerabilities on the app. He discovered that the app shares the personal information of users including phone number, email id, gender, marital status. But Koo alleged that the allegations by the security researcher were false as no personal data was leaked. "Users enter their profile data on the app to be shared with others on the platform. That's what's displayed everywhere across the platform. While there have been false allegations of a data leak, it's just commonly called the public profile page for all users to view!" Koo said in a statement.

Apart from the data leaks, Koo's alleged links with Chinese investors were also dugout as the company claimed to be an "aatmannirbhar app". It was discovered that Shunwei had a small investment in the company. Connected to Xiaomi, Shunwei is a venture capital fund, which invests in startups. However, the company refuted the claims and said, "Koo takes pride in being an Indian company with Indian founders and in being registered here. The recent investment in Bombinate Technologies Koo's parent company was by Mohandas Pai of 3one4 Capital, an Indian investor. Shunwei, a single-digit shareholder that had invested in Vokal, another start-up of ours which answers user questions in Indian languages, will be exiting fully. Bombinate is the parent company of Vokal and Koo."

It was also discovered that a fake profile was impersonating as the official account of Koo on Twitter. The fake Koo handle was managing the social media game and thanking popular figures for joining the app on the behalf of the company. Later, Koo co-founder and CEO Aprameya came forward on Twitter and shared the official Twitter handle of Koo with users. He wrote, "@kooindia is the official handle for #Kooapp. @KooAppOfficial is impersonating and is fake. Please follow the only @kooindia." Twitter has now suspended the fake Koo handle.

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ALSO READ: | Koo app found to be leaking sensitive users data, China connection surfaces
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UC researchers studied the sex combs of the fruit fly Drosophilia bipectinata. Credit: Michal Polak/UC

Scientists have accepted natural selection as a driver of evolution for more than 160 years, thanks to Charles Darwin.

But University of Cincinnati biologist Michal Polak says Darwin's book "The Descent of Man" only tells part of the story. Sometimes when the victor vanquishes his sexual rival, the quest to pass genes to the next generation is just beginning.

According to a new UC study published in the journal Current Biology, male fruit flies with the most impressive sexual ornamentation also have super sperm that can outcompete that of rivals in the post-mating fertilization game.

UC studied Drosophila bipectinata, a tiny red-eyed fruit fly from the South Pacific. The male's forelegs have a distinctive "sex comb," dark bristles that female fruit flies find appealinglike the colorful train of a male peacock. Scientists previously found that female flies prefer males with more robust sex combs, which the males use to grasp the female's abdomen before mating.

UC researchers found a strong link between the most impressive sex combs and that male's competitive success at passing on his genes even after a female fly has mated with other flies. And this competitive edge persisted even after the male's sex comb was surgically removed with a high-precision laser in UC experiments.

"This is the first robust demonstration of a genetic link between a traditionally Darwinian trait and success in postcopulatory sexual competition," Polak said. "That's the surprising link: precopulatory and postcopulatory fitness."

In his groundbreaking 1859 book "On the Origin of Species," Darwin framed the idea of natural selection by describing how the "fittest" animals pass on their genes to the next generation. This fitness is manifested in having the largest antlers, the most vibrant colors or the vigor to defend a territory.

But Darwin's theory was incomplete, Polak said, because it failed to recognize that sexual selection continues during and after mating. Female fruit flies are promiscuous, often choosing multiple mates. Fruit flies are hardly alone in that regard, Polak said.

"Promiscuity is much more common across animal species than once was thought," Polak said.

UC biologist Michal Polak studies the competitive race to pass on genes that takes place after multiple males mate with a female. Credit: Andrew Higley/UC Creative

Scientists living in prim and proper Victorian England did not give enough consideration to the microscopic race to fertilize that begins after mating among multiple successful suitors.

"You have to consider the social context in which Darwin was living," Polak said.

What females gain from mating with multiple suitors is not always clear, Polak said. But when they do, postcopulatory sexual selection provides a competitive edge.

"It's evident even in primates. Female chimpanzees and bonobos are promiscuous, so the males have large testes that produce big volumes of sperm," Polak said.

"And you have species like gorillas where females are not promiscuous. Silverback males enforce monogamy. And lo and be hold, their testes are much smaller relative to body size compared to chimps."

And if you're wondering, the relative size of human testes falls somewhere between gorillas and chimps, Polak said.

Polak, a professor of biology in UC's College of Arts and Sciences, decided to study this species of fruit fly after encountering it while conducting fieldwork in Queensland, Australia.

"I was watching these flies mate on a fruit and looked under the microscope and saw these beautiful sex combs. I thought it would make a good model system to study," Polak said.

"Sexual selection picks up on these traits and they become really exaggerated," he said.

UC researchers found a link between a fruit fly's sexual ornamentation and its success over rivals in fertilizing eggs. Pictured are UC graduate Kassie Hooker, left, and UC biologists Joshua Benoit and Michal Polak. Credit: Andrew Higley/UC Creative

For their study, UC biologists artificially selected males with the largest and smallest sex combs in 11 successive generations of fruit flies to create high and low genetic lines.

Kassie Hooker from 2012 to 2015 worked in Polak's lab as an undergraduate biology student, undertaking the arduous task of categorizing generations of male fruit flies based on the size of the sex combs on their legs. By counting the teeth in each comb, she separated the males with the largest and smallest sex combs to create distinct genetic lines.

To show that the male fruit fly's sex comb doesn't provide any reproductive benefit in mating, researchers used ultraprecise lasers to trim the sex comb in the high line males to mimic those found in the low line males. But these postsurgical males continued to fertilize more eggs even when females mated with lower-line males first.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.

UC assistant professor Joshua Benoit, a study co-author, analyzed the RNA of the flies and identified seminal fluid genes that may be responsible for giving high-line males a fertilization advantage.

"There aren't many studies more interesting than this one," Benoit said. "Sex, lasers, and male competition, which could describe most 1980s action movies."

Darwin proposed the theory of sexual selection to account for the evolution of male weaponry and extravagant ornamental displays, Polak said. But UC's study found a far more complex and interesting battle among the sexes.

"We established a link between Darwinian traits and the postcopulatory arena, which Darwin didn't recognize was important in evolution at all," Polak said.

Explore further Genital shape key to male flies' sexual success

More information: Michal Polak et al, Positive genetic covariance between male sexual ornamentation and fertilizing capacity, Current Biology (2021). Journal information: Current Biology Michal Polak et al, Positive genetic covariance between male sexual ornamentation and fertilizing capacity,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.046
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JoAnne Chesimard: BLM unashamedly embraces her and, recently, the New York City school system decided to incorporate her so-called wisdom into its curriculum. Therefore, it is more imperative than ever to shine a bright light upon the life, times, and accomplishments of one JoAnne Deborah Chesimard, a.k.a., Assata Olugbala Shakur.

If you are, like me, of a certain age and grew up or lived in New Jersey during the 1970s and 1980s, the name JoAnne Chesimard invokes an instant response. Without that background, while you may have heard the name, you might know very little about this woman and the domestic terrorist organization that, for a time, she led. Worse, if youre young, it is highly likely that the only thing you know about her is that she was allegedly the godmother to the late rapper, Tupac Shakur. However, she is so much more than just Tupac Shakurs aunt.

For openers, Chesimard is an actual Domestic Terrorist. She earned the Most Wanted Terrorist designation from the F.B.I. because of her role in the Black Liberation Army or BLA, for short. The BLA arose from the Black Panthers and after splintering, was responsible for numerous reprehensible and extremely violent criminal acts, mostly centered on ambushing and assassinating police officers from about 1970 into the early 1980s.

One of the groups trademarks was to take the murdered officers service weapon as a trophy. Although members of Black Panthers and BLA attack and murdered multiple police officers in cities across the country (and a few were convicted for those crimes), some of the more infamous examples of Chesimards and the BLAs handiwork took place in and around New York City, where Chesimard was raised.

Two murders garnered national attention. In 1971, BLA members ambushed and murdered two NYPD patrol officers, Waverly Jones (who was African-American) and Joseph Piagentini, when they responded to a set-up call. Then, in 1972, BLA claimed responsibility for the ambush and murder of two more NYPD officers, both Vietnam veterans, Gregory Foster (who was African-American) and Rocco Laurie. As the officers walked their patrol, four men who passed them on the sidewalk shot them in the back.

In addition to being cold-blooded assassins, BLA members found time to commit more ordinary crimes, such as armed robbery. In October 1981, the BLA staged the armed heist of a Brinks armored car in Nyack, NY. One Brinks guard and two Nyack police officers were killed. One of the officers was shot in the back. Several other guards were wounded. Law enforcement did recover some of the $1.5 million dollars stolen.

Chesimards direct contribution to the bloodshed occurred on Wednesday, May 2, 1973, near milepost 83.1, southbound, on the New Jersey Turnpike. At 12:45 a.m, Trooper James Harper saw an early 1960 [white] Pontiac, 2-door with Vermont tags and a broken tail light. Clark Squire was driving the Pontiac, JoAnne Chesimard (by now, a wanted fugitive for her BLA associations and other crimes) was in the front passenger seat, and James Coston sat in the rear.

Harper asked Squire to step out of the vehicle as there was an issue with the vehicle registration. When Harper asked for the female passengers name, Squire gave Harper a false name. Foerster arrived as back-up and proceeded to perform a permitted pat-down search on Squire during which, he discovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun clip in Squires pocket.

When Foerster announced his find, Chesimard, who was still inside the Pontiac, produced a handgun and began firing at Harper, striking him in the shoulder. At this point, Coston emerged from the vehicle firing his pistol at Harper. Harper was able to shoot and wound both Chesimard and Coston before being wounded himself.

Foerster, in the meantime, had become engaged in a hand-to-hand fight with Squire. Chesimard, despite being wounded, shot Foerster multiple times in the chest and arm. Ultimately, while lying wounded on the ground, Chesimard used Foersters own service weapon to shoot him twice in the head, execution-style. Chesimards jammed semi-automatic handgun was discovered next to Foersters body.

The three killers got back in the Pontiac and drove approximately five miles before abandoning the vehicle. Within half an hour, the New Jersey State Police arrested Chesimard. They found Coston dead near their vehicle and, 40 hours later, found Squire, alive, within a mile of the car.

Ultimately, Chesimard and Squire were convicted of the attempted murder of Harper and the murder of Forester. In 1979, Chesimard escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women when members from various domestic terror groups held two guards hostage during an armed assault of the prison.

Chesimard eventually made her way to Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her asylum. She remains today as an honored guest of the Communist regime under the alias, Assata Shakur. (One of those who honors her is Rep. Maxine Waters.) This is just but a small taste of some of the lifes work of JoAnne Chesimard, the woman whom BLM now lionizes and New York Citys school system deems worthy of being an inspiration for its students. Sadly, on both accounts, it is not surprising.

As a side note. In 2016, when former President Obama announced plans to travel to Cuba to make nice with Fidel Castro, politicians from both parties, as well as every level of law enforcement urged him to use the opportunity to secure Chesimards extradition to New Jersey to finish her sentence for the murder of Trooper Foerster. Obama refused.

The general account of the shooting and the aftermath was compiled from several sources: New Jersey State Troopers, 1961-2011: Remembering the Fallen , Chapter entitled, Shootout with the Black Liberation Army by John E. O'Rourke (2012) (citing police investigation, other source material and interviews); a May 2, 2019, News Release by the New Jersey State Police, entitled, New Jersey State Police Remembers Trooper Werner Foerster on 48th Anniversary of His Murder and an FBI Newark Office Press Release, dated May 2, 2013, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the murder, adding Chesimard to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists List and announcing a $1,000,000 reward for information leading to the capture and return of Chesimard.

IMAGE: JoAnne Chesimard. Public Domain.


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With the continuing pandemic further short-circuiting the global economy, businesses and consumers are finding more convenient ways of paying their dwindling financial resources. The pandemic jump-started a shift to online buying. That, in turn, helped to accelerate the adoption of digital, contactless, and invisible payments.

This new cashless concept and the related back-end changes by banks to adopt real-time payments (RTP) are becoming increasingly popular; and have set into motion the potential for a ripple effect throughout the e-commerce ecosystem.

While it was already underway prior to the pandemic, the worldwide shift to digital payments has been accelerated by the crisis. The global digital payments market grew by nearly 24 percent in 2020 to US$4.9 trillion, according to the research data analyzed and published by Finnish financial website Sijoitusrahastot.

That report shows the global digital payments market grew by 21 percent YoY in transaction value last year. It projects that the market's total transaction value will grow by 23.7 percent to reach $4.93 trillion. The number of users is also set to increase by 10.1 percent to reach $3.47 billion.

As a result of the growing digital payment infrastructure brought on by COVID-19, payments will continue to clear and settle fast in 2021 and become more embedded in businesses. This will make the process of initiating payments faster and easier for end customers, predicted Scott Johnson, head of product at Western Union Business Solutions.

"In the not-so-distant future, everyday Internet of Things (IoT) devices will become the new payment portal, making it possible for smart appliances and wearables to complete purchases. As technology becomes more sophisticated, and society continues to bring smart devices into their homes, these 'invisible payments' will become more mainstream, while physical payment methods become relics of the past," according to Igal Rotem, CEO of smart payments provider Credorax.

Money Revolution

During the last year, consumers have had to adjust from paying with e-wallets in stores to making automatic payments through apps. Now consumers can add the experience of other payment infrastructures positioned to set a new standard, noted Vince Graziani, Boston-based CEO of IDEX Biometrics.

The growing use of contactless payments is morphing with other forms of digital payments to contribute to a radical move to a cashless economy. Another aspect to consider is the role that real-time payments bring to the overall approach to the developing digital money system.

Contactless payment refers to the backroom realities banks engage within the money payment system. It provides a secure method for consumers to purchase products or services using a debit, credit, smartcard, or another payment device. The exchange corridor involves using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and near-field communication (NFC).

Consumers pay by tapping a payment card or other device near a point-of-sale terminal that runs contactless payment technology. This payment method is also called "tap and go."

A related technology is working its way into the money payment fray. The impetus for this is that it's even more hidden than the contactless payment method. The credit for this goes to the ubiquitous use of IoT devices that can become a shopper's primary payment portal, requiring little interaction with vendors.

"Ultimately, contactless or invisible payments will culminate in the consolidation of players within the digital payments industry. This will include the decline of smaller players," Graziani told the E-Commerce Times.

Before COVID-19 struck, nearly half of U.S. consumers were unaware of the term contactless payments. But now, the vast majority of American shoppers expect and demand touch-free payment options for a safe and secure experience, he noted.

Technology Underway

A big part of the consumer adoption process for these new payment methods are shoppers' familiarity with biometric fingerprint technology, according to Graziani.

IDEX Biometrics fingerprint sensors and biometric solutions are used in touch-free smart cards and devices.

"Most people understand the concept of biometric fingerprint payment technology because they are used to unlocking their phones and authenticating payment apps. The technology is available now and is already embedded in our everyday lives for identity verification," he explained.

Fingerprint biometrics will be integral to the future of digital identity. It is already priced for a mass market, he added.

The U.S. was largely viewed as lagging behind in digital payment technology. A silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that overall contactless usage in the U.S. has grown 150 percent YoY as of May 2020, according to Visa. The World Health Organization encouraged societies to go cashless. So contactless and emerging technologies are garnering rapid adoption -- especially in North America, noted Graziani.

According to Forbes, the U.S. mobile payment market -- currently only sixth in the world -- has increased 41 percent and is worth more than $98 billion.

Payment Nirvana

Some in the digital payments industry see these new biometric payment options as an all-in-one money consolidation system. This includes gadgets connected to the IoT network, which makes it possible for smart appliances and wearables to complete purchases as well.

Transactions are handled by third-party or branded mobile apps that conceal bank details. All it takes to pay is the press of a finger on a button in an app.

This process resembles a one-click purchase transaction. The difference is it happens in a physical environment where the phone becomes a one-stop checkout counter.

The driver of the adoption of this technology is directly tied to the chain of trust to expand fingerprint biometrics. This approach works for things like payments in mass transit, entrance to events like stadiums, health care records, voter identification, or access to IoT devices, Graziani explained.

He sees biometric fingerprint technology as essential for the new cashless payment industry. It is hygienic, secure, and protects individual privacy. Security is another built-in benefit.

The data for biometric fingerprints is only stored on the consumer's payment card or app. This avoids potential abuses from cloud security holes, making it potentially hack proof.

"Eventually, I envision that biometric fingerprint technology will drive the convergence of digital identity and authentication with applications in healthcare, IT, and myriad of other industries that are dependent on digital technology," said Graziani.

Why Banks Back RTP

The back end that runs the way banks handle the actual transfer of funds to cover digital payments is being upgraded. One solution for real-time payments seems to have the edge and is ready to go mainstream this year, according to Dimitri Dadiomov, cofounder & CEO of Modern Treasury.

"The Federal Reserve's competing real-time payment railway, FedNow, will not deploy until 2023 or 2024. When it does, companies will have two real-time, bank-connected, choices -- which should lead to increased service and competitive costs," he told the E-Commerce Times.

This diagram illustrates a completed payment over the FedNow Service in its simplest form. The process is designed to take place within seconds.

Dadiomov sees five reasons RTP will go mainstream this year. Perhaps the most pressing reason as far as banks are concerned is it will fend off efforts by Mastercard and Visa to enable their own non-card faster payments system.

Another key reason is the pandemic has hastened the adoption of many things digital, including payments. This has created an increased expectation of immediacy.

A third reason is a need for vendors and businesses to have speedy payments to meet the pace of transactions and keep a close watch on cash. This is especially critical given pandemic pressures on many SMBs, he noted.

Fourth, real-time payments include details about the transaction along with the transaction, so books can be immediately reconciled. This process can help take the cost and hassles out of accounting.

The fifth reason for banks to support RTP is to gain the benefits of upgrading technology. Companies want to cut cost and time out of all business processes.

"The current ACH system was designed in the 1970s and is ripe for updating," said Dadiomov.

Digital Payment Adoption

Security remains a primary concern by both vendors and consumers, noted Graziani. The onus is on financial services providers and retailers to protect consumers during the payment transaction process.

"Even small mom and pop [establishments] like ice cream stands in rural areas have moved away from cash-only businesses and have embraced digital payment options like Square," he said.

Payment systems that require biometric authentication will eliminate existing fraud by signatures being forged, PINs being cracked, or online accounts being hacked. Fingerprints are virtually impossible to replicate.

"I fully expect that the U.S. will become a mostly cashless society within a year due to COVID, as opposed to the three-to-five-year timeline before the pandemic," predicted Graziani.

How Biometric Security Works

Biometric fingerprint payment cards provide end-to-end encryption. This process secures the user's card and data, according to Graziani.

A fingerprint biometric card allows users to authenticate their ID by touching their finger to the card's sensor while holding it over the contactless card machine. Shoppers only have to hold their own cards over the PoS system.

The entire transaction process is free of public PIN pads or checkout counters. This makes it no different from how consumers currently use contactless payments cards.

"This touch-free payment technology provides the consumer with the convenience of contactless, or a mobile payment, but with far greater security, as the card is personally tied to the owner," he explained.

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.



New Delhi, Feb 13 : The Delhi Police has busted a gang of extortionists, headed by a lawyer, passing themselves of as members of "The International Human Rights Commission" to extort money from employees of liquor shops in the capital.

The main accused had also employed two armed PSOs and bouncers to look genuine as he extorted money from liquor shop owners on the pretext that they are selling liquor to minors and that their liquor license would be cancelled if they don't pay up.

The matter came to light when police was informed that at Select City Mall in south Delhi, some suspicious persons came to a wine shop in South Park Mall and identifying themselves as members of "International Human Rights Commission", demanded money from its manager on the pretext that liquor is being sold to minors.

The Delhi Police also located a car with the name plate reading National Secretary (Legal Cell), International Human Rights Organisation fixed over the number plate.

Police said that the accused, in a threatening manner, told the manager of the shop that they are selling liquor to persons below 25 years of age and as a proof he called one person who purchased liquor just a few minutes ago but whose Aadhaar card showed him to be 21.

The accused told them that they have committed offences under the Excise Act and the JJ Act, and their liquor license would be cancelled and cases would be registered against them. If they want to avoid this, then they should pay Rs 2 lakh to him.

On inquiry, it was also found that with the similar modus operandi, a wine shop in Saidullajab area of south Delhi was extorted of Rs 40,000 to settle this issue.

"On further interrogation, accused Shashank, who is lawyer by profession, stated that he is working as legal advisor in a NGO named International Human Rights Organisation IHRO with its office at Pandav Nagar, New Delhi. He has hired a Ertiga taxi with driver for Rs 50,000 per month, two armed PSOs for Rs 32,000 per month each and one bouncer for Rs 25,000 per month for this extortion racket. Six accused have been arrested," Additional DCP, South, Parvinder Singh said.
on Thursday began the inoculation of the second doses of China's Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines for healthcare workers.

The nationwide vaccination rollout in started on January 14, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Nurettin Yiyit, chief physician of the Feriha Oz Emergency Hospital and Ilhan Varank Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul, said decided to give a 28-day break between the two shots as phase studies have revealed that two doses of vaccination provide better protection against

"This period provided a good opportunity for us to observe the efficacy of the first dose," Yiyit told Xinhua, while supervising the inoculation process at Ilhan Varank Hospital.

A total of 4,500 people have received their first shots so far in the two hospitals, and no Covid-19 case has been observed among them, according to the chief physician.

"If the protection obtained after the second dose will disappear in a certain time, then we may need to give a reminder dose," he said.

Speaking of the new strains detected in countries such as Britain, Brazil and South Africa, Yiyit said Turkey's confidence in Sinovac's inactive vaccine is high, and the scientific information coming each day supports this.

Zeynep Koc, a nurse at Ilhan Varank Hospital, said that she has been taking care of Covid-19 patients since the start of the pandemic in Turkey in March last year, and she couldn't see her family because of the infection risk.

"The vaccine will certainly create antibodies after the second dose, and as soon as I will find out this, I will go and see my family," Koc said, noting vaccination is the only condition for the pandemic to end.

Tahir Katirlu, a hospital janitor, also said he is dealing with Covid-19 patients all the time.

"I encourage everyone to get their vaccines done. I hope we get through this pandemic," he said.

Turkish citizens over 70 also started to get their first doses from Thursday.

Over 2.8 million Turks have been vaccinated since the start of the vaccination program, according to the health ministry.

On Wednesday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that Turkey aims to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population.

--IANS

int/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.)
Goose Creek, SC (29445)

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Cloudy. High around 75F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Photo: Contributed

Two Prince George youngsters have been presented with the 2020 Youth Recognition Award for their heroic actions after a horrible accident trapped their family in a rolled over vehicle.

Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty recognized Finn and Oliver Goddard in the House of Commons on Tuesday, along with representatives from the Intercultural Dialogue Institute.

This past October, the boys' mom shared the heroic story to social media and immediately caught the attention of Prince George officials and organizations.

According to Kristi Goddard, their Toyota truck was involved in a crash on Highway 97 just south of Hixon, where it rolled over and landed on its passenger side.

She says Finn unbuckled Oliver and got him out first before trying to open the drivers side door, which got stuck as a result of the crash.

He was able to pry open the door and help his father out, much to the surprise of his mother.

She says Finn was able to calm her down while he and his father freed her from the vehicle.

I still dont know how he pushed open a truck door at that angle, but the brave little guy did, Kristi said.

I was in a full-on panic attack and his sweet, soft words snapped me out of it and he kept saying over and over again, Mom, you can do this, you gotta get out. I have never met an 11-year-old that is so courageous yet calm in such a traumatic event.

I just want to see him acknowledged for what he did. I am one proud mama.

Doherty praised Finn and Oliver for their quick decisiveness, adding he was glad to tell their story in Ottawa.

When others may have panicked, you were decisive," Doherty said. "You knew what to do and did it. I am so proud of both of you."

Im glad that I was able to tell your story in Parliament last November for Canadians to hear and to have your efforts recognized by this organization is very special."

Halil Yurtsever and Dave Ralph of the IDI also praised the two during the virtual ceremony, while the two boys had also received plaques for their heroic actions.
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VallarieE/iStockBy QUINN OWEN, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) -- The Biden administration plans to begin processing and admitting migrants forced to wait in Mexico under the Trump administration's "Migrant Protection Protocols" starting next week, according to three administration officials.



The officials said "phase one" of the new admission program will start at three ports of entry and involve identifying and processing currently active MPP cases of asylum seekers who have been designated to wait for their U.S. immigration court date on the Mexico side of the border. This group is estimated to include about 25,000 people.



Asylum seekers will be brought to a U.S. port of entry, released and monitored after their information is taken and they pass a COVID-19 test in Mexico. It also remains unclear how migrants will be tracked once they are admitted back into the U.S.



Officials estimated that about 300 people could be processed per day at each port of entry once the admission program is up and running.



The MPP program was created, in part, to address claims that migrants often failed to show up for immigration court hearings. However, a recent analysis of Department of Justice data by Syracuse University found that 76% of asylum seeking families at the border attended all of their hearings. For families that had a lawyer to help navigate the process, hearing attendance was at 99%, according to the Syracuse analysts.



News of the decision was lauded by immigrant advocates and human rights observers, including Denise Bell, a researcher focused on refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA.



The United States was responsible for placing people directly into harm's way and rolling back this deadly policy is a welcome step, Bell said. People seeking safety in the United States should now be welcomed into this country and the standard for welcome must be freedom, fairness and dignity.



Certain details about the program remain unknown, including which ports of entries will begin accepting cases.



Biden administration officials remained concerned that rolling back Trump policies could lead people to rush the border.



"Individuals should not take any action at this time and should await further instruction," one official said.



A growing number of people were arrested along the southwest border for unauthorized entry last month, according to data released Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.



The agency reported an average of 3,000 arrests per day in January, primarily of people attempting to cross between U.S. land ports of entry. Of those who have attempted to cross since March 2020, CBP estimates that 38% have been previously arrested and removed.



The increases could test the Biden administrations ability to fully roll back Trump-era restrictions at the border going forward.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.

Bam Margera admitted he's 'manic bipolar' and seeking help after a drunken rant on Instagram which has since been deleted.

The 41-year-old skateboarder-turned-stuntman showed remorse after revealing his stress at not knowing about the future of the Jackass franchise.

Hours after posting a disturbing video where he detailed suicidal ideation and encouraged his fans to boycott Jackass 4, Bam told his followers that he's seeking help with his mental health through medical professionals.

Hopeful: Bam Margera admitted he's 'manic bipolar' and seeking help after a drunken rant on Instagram which has since been deleted

'I have some good news,' he said in a minute-long clip. 'I realized that I'm manic bipolar, and yesterday I had to go so batshit bonkers f***ing crazy because of not knowing the answer for a year and a half whether we're doing Jackass or not ... I had to deal with the madness to finally know the answer.'

On Thursday, Bam shared a troubling video rant slamming the prank franchise and admitting he has previously been dealing with suicidal thoughts.

'Now I know exactly what I've wanted and it's going to be f***ing awesome and it's going to be in a way where everyone wins in the end,' he said. 'So I love everybody and there'll be no bad blood.'

Difficult: The 41-year-old skateboarder-turned-stuntman showed remorse after revealing his stress at not knowing about the future of the Jackass franchise

'I have some good news,' he said in a minute-long clip. 'I realized that I'm manic bipolar, and yesterday I had to go so batshit bonkers f***ing crazy because of not knowing the answer for a year and a half whether we're doing Jackass or not ... I had to deal with the madness to finally know the answer'

He added: 'Seeing a bipolar specialist today ... to get that underway and other than that, we just have to find a time and place to film all of this rad s***. And you're all involved. Rock 'n' roll.'

Margera asked fans to boycott the upcoming Jackass 4 movie in a series of concerning clips, before he accused the production of controlling his life when he was still involved.

The MTV personality, who has long struggled with substance abuse, went on to talk about considering suicide, revealing he went so far as to look up how to tie a noose online.

As Margera started the clip, which has since been deleted but was captured by TMZ, he slurred: 'Who the f*** cares if I'm drunk as hell or not?'

Lots to say: Bam Margera admitted to having suicidal thoughts while railing against Jackass in a drunken social media rant

He later admitted to chugging a glass of wine and seven beers before sharing his thoughts.

According to Magera, he was shut out of production of Jackass 4 - the uber popular prank film franchise of which he has been a key part.

'I'm not in 'Jackass 4,' and if anybody cares about me don't go see their movie because I will make mine way f**king radder if you just Venmo me a dollar,' he sated.

'Jackass has put me through f***ing hell on f***ing wheels for a year-and-a-half, keeping me in Pennsylvania, I couldn't leave,' he went said, claiming he had to take multiple breathalyzer checks per day and had to take urine tests randomly while working on previous Jackass projects.

He also said he was forced to take his antidepressant medication in front of someone from Paramount Pictures 'every single day.'

Bam pointed out how different fellow Jackass-er Steve-O - who has been sober for over a decade - has been treated, remarking on how he's been allowed to work and travel freely.

He went on to complain about all the money he's shelled out on rehab in hopes of returning to Jackass.

Inebriated: As Margera starting the clip, which has since been deleted but was captured by TMZ , Bam slurred: 'Who the f*** cares if I'm drunk as hell or not?'

Watching over him: 'Jackass has put me through f***ing hell on f***ing wheels for a year-and-a-half, keeping me in Pennsylvania, I couldn't leave,' he went said, claiming he had to take multiple breathalyzer checks per day and had to take urine tests randomly while working on previous Jackass projects

Bam also worried that they would use his ideas in the movie without featuring him, prompting him to beg fans 'If anybody cares about me don't go see their movie' and ask for money to fund his own project.

'Jackass was everything to me,' he sobbed, before retching and appearing to vomit.

He seemed slightly more lucid in a following video, where his worried wife Nicki Boyd was captured.

While pitching his competing project, Bam casually mentions how his wife found him looking up how to tie a noose online before turning the camera on her.

His ideas: Bam also worried that they would use his ideas in the movie without featuring him, prompting him to beg fans 'If anybody cares about me don't go see their movie' and ask for money to fund his own project

Scary: While pitching his competing project, Bam casually mentions how his wife found him looking up how to tie a noose online before turning the camera on her

Struggles: Bam has had a tough few years, dealing with multiple arrests, hospitalizations and stints in rehab

But he said things have been looking up since he moved to Oceanside, California, got off antidepressants, met new friends and started skateboarding again.

Bam has had a tough few years, dealing with multiple arrests, hospitalizations and stints in rehab.

In 2019 he was detained for trespassing after a bizarre incident in the lobby of a Los Angeles hotel.

The arrest lead to his fourth stint in rehab. During that stint he was hospitalized with edema.

And he suffered more misfortune last month when his Bentley was stolen while he was at the gas station and then taken on a high-speed chase which ended when the car was crashed into a house.
NEW BERLIN, N.Y.  A Little Falls woman is charged with driving drunk during a fatal crash in New Berlin in August.

New York State Police say 31-year-old Kerri L. Bunnelle crossed into oncoming traffic on Route 8, crashing into 43-year-old Mathew Fredericks head-on. Fredericks was pronounced dead at the scene. Bunnelle was treated at the hospital for minor injuries.

Police say Bunnelles blood alcohol level was .23% during the accident, and she did not have a valid drivers license at the time.

She is charged with second-degree vehicular manslaughter, aggravated unlicensed operation and aggravated driving while intoxicated.

She was arraigned in the town of Norwich and released. She will appear in court to answer the charges at a later date.
The Massachusetts-based company said Stephen Mastrocola, who has 40 years of accounting and auditing experience, has joined the board

The company has configured its MiQLab system to investigate novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 and is pursuing FDA emergency use authorization

LexaGene Holdings Inc ( ) ( ) (FRA:5XS2), a molecular diagnostics company that develops fully automated rapid pathogen detection systems, said that its president Daryl Rebeck will resign from the board and his position, effective February 15.

In a statement Friday, the Massachusetts-based company said that in addition to Rebecks pending departure. Stephen Mastrocola has joined the board of directors.

Im immensely grateful to Daryl for being my partner and helping me found this company four years ago, said Dr Jack Regan, LexaGenes CEO and founder. I would like to thank him for all his hard work and leadership and wish him great success in his future endeavors.

Rebeck added: The pandemic has certainly presented some challenges for me to travel to the Beverly office while based outside of the country. I am confident that Jack and the current management team will continue to move the company forward. I am incredibly proud of what weve built at LexaGene, and the company has my continued support.

As a board member, the company noted that Mastrocola brings almost 40 years of accounting and auditing experience working with public and private companies. He recently retired from Ernst & Young LLP (EY) after 19 years, where he was a senior assurance partner and led EYs New England Assurance Practice for several years. Prior to EY, Mastrocola was an assurance partner at Arthur Andersen LLP.

Through his four-decade career at leading auditing firms, he served primarily emerging and growth-oriented companies in the life science sector with products in medical devices and diagnostics.

Mastrocola is a Certified Public Accountant with extensive experience in various financial transactions including IPOs, debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, revenue recognition, internal controls, and corporate governance, including compliance matters. He is also a member of LaunchPad Venture Group and serves on the Boards of Partners for Youth with Disabilities and the New England Aquarium.

Dr. Regan added: We are extremely excited to have Steve join our board. He brings strong leadership skills, a wealth of knowledge, and connections in the industry that will be critical for LexaGene to meet its growth goals in 2021 and beyond.

The company has configured its MiQLab system to investigate novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 -- the pathogen that causes the COVID-19 disease -- and is pursuing US Food & Drug Administration emergency use authorization.

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Senator Migz Zubiri clarified on Friday that local governments who intend to buy COVID-19 vaccines for their constituents are still required to enter into tripartite agreements with vaccine makers and the national government under the bill he filed.

This bill was requested by our LGUs, and it will only apply to our LGUs with tripartite agreements, Zubiri, who authored Senate Bill 2042, said in a statement.

He made the statement in response to the Healthcare Professionals' Alliance Against COVID-19s opposition to the passage of SB 2042, as it states that LGUs may directly buy COVID-19 vaccines. The group believes allowing LGUs to directly procure experimental vaccines will bypass the required recommendations of experts from the Health Technology Assessment Council, lead to the maldistribution of supply, and drive increases in costs.

Zubiri explained that LGUs still need to follow the national guidelines for vaccine deployment set by the Department of Health and the National Task Force against COVID-19.

Under the current setup, COVID-19 vaccine procurement and distribution are handled by the national government since all anti-coronavirus shots are still under development and their use must be strictly monitored should adverse events occur. But LGUs and the private sector could enter into a tripartite agreement with the national government and manufacturers if they wish to secure their own supply. LGUs and the private sector are not required to buy their own vaccines.

Zubiri said his proposed legislation is not going to give LGUs precedence over the national government in terms of vaccine procurement, and it only seeks to exempt LGUs from laws and procurement rules which bar them from making advance payments.

The legislator noted around 70 local government units are negotiating with vaccine suppliers and they need to deposit down payments to secure the shots. If not, they will lose the allocation.

SB 2042 also allows local governments to make up to 50% down payment on COVID-19 vaccines if required by manufacturers during the period of the state of calamity due to the pandemic, which is in effect until September 12 this year. The Government Auditing Code and Memorandum Circular 172, Series of 2005 only authorize the President to allow an advance payment of 15% percent of the contract amount.

A number of local governments have entered into a deal with AstraZeneca and the national government. AstraZeneca is asking for a 20% down payment, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, who signed a tripartite agreement with the vaccine maker and the national government, said early this week.


Last Friday Francisco Martinez, a 27-year-old street performer, was shot dead by Carabinero police in broad daylight and in view of dozens of witnesses in Panguipulli, a lakeside town in the Araucania, the poorest region in Chile. Martinez, who suffered from schizophrenia, had lived in Panguipulli for only three years, but was well known, having lived on the streets and relied on community assistance.

A relative attends a wake for Francisco Martinez a street juggler who was shot by the police, in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021. Martinez was fatally shot by an officer when he resisted a routine identity check, setting off protests over alleged police violence in Chile. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

In the many interviews given by locals since, Martinez was described as very helpful and respectful. Martinez was also the uncle of Anthony Araya, the youth who was pushed off a bridge by Carabineros during anti-police violence demonstrations in Santiago last October, which shocked the nation.

Amid angry cries from locals, for whom the young man was well-liked, Sgt. Juan Gonzalez Iturriaga unloaded five bullets into Martinez, who fell to the ground in the middle of a busy intersection. Crowds descended on the scene chanting Murderers! Murderers! as the cops drove off and entrenched themselves in the police station, leaving the dying man abandoned on the street. Then they reappeared en masse to suppress the mass of people protesting the young mans death.

Minutes earlier three cops were involved in conducting identity checks. In their statement, Carabineros alleged that after Martinez refused to provide identification he moved toward the officers with the juggling swords he used in his street performance and threatened to kill the Sergeant.

He told me Im going to kill you, fg cop Gonzalez has claimed. The cops distanced themselves and ordered Martinez to drop what they described as machetes, and when he did not comply the sargeant drew his weapon and shot twice at the ground. According to the police report, the young man lunged at Gonzalez who then fired three more shots, since his life was at risk, and the assailant fell to the ground.

Natalia Peralta, a nursing technician who witnessed the events from close range told a very different story: We were right there with my daughter. The carabinero says to the boy your ID card, and the boy says no, I dont have an ID card, I lost it, but my name is Franco.

Francisco Martinez with juggling swords. (Facebook)

Peralta explained that the Carabineros kept insisting that the young man present identification and then threatened to take him to the station for questioning. Elisabeth Matthei Schacht, lawyer for the National Institute for Human Rights, explained that preventive identity checks  do not allow (police) to take the person to the police station in case the person refuses.

Peralta continued: the boy raised his fantasy knife that he had, but he didnt mean to hurt (Gonzalez); we were there. The Carabinero walks back, I dont know, three steps, and draws his gun. They continue (walking backwards toward the intersection) and he shoots (Martinez) in the legs. He shoots him once, twice 

During the arraignment the prosecution explained that there were six shots fired and not five as claimed by police. Five shots hit Martinez. This is visible in a new video from a service center security camera that provides a better view of events. The cop provocatively shoots three times at Martinez who yells repeatedly paco asesino (killer cop). Already injured, Martinez then comes out from behind a traffic control box where he was trying to protect himself and appears to lunge at the cop who shoots him another three times.

Peralta, who lent first aid to Martinez, sought help from the cops but  The Carabineros got into the (car) and left. They did not stop the traffic, they did not help at all. The boy was left lying on the ground 

Protests and rioting erupted as soon as news of the incident broke. Ten government buildings went up in flames in Panguipulli the same night that Francisco Martinez lost his life. On Saturday, police stations and other government buildings were firebombed or barricaded in several working class suburbs in Santiago, and daily protests were called across the country. In one spontaneous demonstration, hundreds of people jeered at the Carabineros and drove them out of the Plaza de Armas square in Santiago Sunday morning.

Then on Sunday evening, the family of 27-year-old Camilo Miyaki was told that the young man had hanged himself in a police station cell in the working class Santiago commune of Pedro Aguirre Cerda. He and his girlfriend had been arrested that morning for not carrying a COVID-19 safe conduct pass. She was released during the day.

Camilo Miyaki, 27 year old found dead in his cell. (Facebook)

According to human rights group ANEXPPSA, Camilo had been shifted in the course of the day from one cell to another that had a blind spot, which did not allow one to see what was happening to the detainee.

The 53rd police station in Pedro Aguirre Cerda achieved notoriety for torturing detainees. Complaints were filed against officers for having tortured and sexually abused at least two people detained during the mass youth and working class demonstrations at the end of 2019.

In October of that year, student civil disobedience triggered by a hike in public transport was transformed almost overnight as millions of workers, layers of the middle class and youth joined protests, strikes and demonstrations across the country. A mass movement opened up against decades of extreme social inequality, police violence, and in opposition to a deeply hated political caste that emerged in the transition from military dictatorship to civilian rule.

Right-wing president Sebastian Pinera, responded to the protests by decreeing a state of emergency and a curfew, made permanent since the COVID-19 pandemic. The government utilized police state measures, deploying the Armed Forces on Chilean streets for the first time in decades. In the course of three months of quasi-dictatorial conditions, dozens were killed or disappeared, hundreds suffered severe injuries and mutilations and the thousands of those detained suffered beatings, sexual abuse, rape, and torture.

Pinera also entered into national unity talks with the parliamentary opposition and the pseudo-left parties to redirect the explosive mass struggles into the safe parameters of parliamentary politics by promoting a constitutional convention.

These latest police murders threaten to rekindle the widespread struggles that exploded to the surface in 2019 and resurfaced in 2020. Protests and riots were triggered last November, after Carabinero officers raided a juvenile reform center and shot two adolescents weeks after throwing Anthony Araya over the Pio Nono Bridge. But while the Carabineros director, Gen. Mario Rozas, was forced to resign over these incidents, police repression has continued unabated under the protection of the latest director and with the full backing of the government.

Fearful of the social forces that may be unleashed, the opposition and the pseudo-left are at pains to keep illusions in parliamentary democracy. The Christian Democrats, the Socialist Party, the Party for Democracy, the Radicals, the Liberals, the Humanists, the Greens, the Broad Front coalition and the Stalinist Communist Party have all called for the reform, or re-founding of the paramilitary Carabinero institution.

The Socialist mayor of Panguipulli, Rodrigo Valdivia, initially backed the police and called for order to be restored, only to do a 180 degree shift the following day.

Both the fires that occurred in Panguipulli and the death of Francisco, may he rest in peace, are the absolute responsibility of the Carabineros, the mayor said at a press conference. He denounced the abandonment and negligence of Carabineros who barricaded themselves in the Fifth Police Station of Panguipulli, protecting the interests of the Carabineros to the detriment of the municipality.

What drove the change in his position is the same fear that motivated independent deputy Rene Saffirios call for a suspension of the legislative recess to address the crisis.

It is the future of the country that is at stake, it is the respect for the human rights of all the citizens of our country that is at stake, it is our democracy that is at stake. He continued, I believe that a circumstance as painful as this can generate a state of major political convulsion, which could perfectly put at risk our constituent process.

He recalled that the whole political establishment was caught unawares by the seething mass movement and warned that they could not be placed in the same position again: Now we do see it, consequently, we have to act promptly, with celerity, with responsibility and with great seriousness.

To this the youth and the working class will answer we do not believe you!

The inevitable response of the Chilean state, the verbiage of the liberals and pseudo-lefts notwithstanding, will be one of repression and a further lurch to the right. The struggle against police murders and violence requires the mobilization of the working class as a united, independent social force against the capitalist system.
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No lines are seen at the Lincoln Park COVID-19 vaccination site already closed due to a shortage of vaccines in Los Angeles, on Feb. 11, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

The Spoiled Brat Reaction to Pandemic Effects on Health

Commentary

The publisher Jonathan Cape used to say that there were only two things you needed to know about publishing in the United Kingdom. The first was that books about South America never made a profit; the second was that books about Horatio Nelson never made a loss.

No doubt there are other subjects on which books never make a loss: dogs, for example. More recently, books about the pandemic have poured from the presses in an unrelenting flow, and I doubt that any of them makes a loss. At first, I resolved to read them all, but before long, there were simply too many of them to keep up with; I quickly grasped the range of opinions expressed and, frankly, the subject began to bore me.

I sought instead to escape from, rather than to understand, the pandemic and its effects.

Nevertheless, I bought yet another pamphlet on the subject recently, attracted by its slimness. Concision, after all, is next to godliness. As I was in France, it was in French, by Barbara Stiegler, a professor of political philosophy at Bordeaux University. Its title was Of Democracy in Pandemic and it expressed alarm at the way in which the pandemic had been used in France (but not only in France) to increase the authoritarian tendencies of government.

Her solution was vague: more democracy, including popular demonstrations and sabotage, as well as more government spending on health care and hospitals. She was dismissive of the authoritarian potential of democracy, though to me this potential is obvious, as it was to the founding fathers of the United States. Democracy may or may not be a necessary condition of freedom, but its certainly not a sufficient condition of it.

Its true that policy in France, as elsewhere, has lacked coherence and often rational justification. Stiegler is particularly hard on the French government, which has sometimes sought to blame the irresponsibility and insouciance of the population for the spread of the disease. But she offers no concrete proposals as to what she thinks the government ought to have done or ought to do next.

She finished her pamphlet on Dec. 14, 2020, and seems to be dismissive of vaccination as being too technocratic a solution, and too motivated by the hope of profit. She is of the school that thinks that nothing will change for the better until everything changes for the better.

Near the beginning of her pamphlet, she says: The industrialization of animal husbandry, coupled with the acceleration of commercial exchanges worldwide and the degradation of the health of the population of industrialized countries, produces all the conditions necessary for epidemics of the same type to occur regularly.

This seems to me woefully inexact and lacking in perspective. If, for example, India counts as an industrialized country, the improvement of the health of its population had been remarkable. The life expectancy of an Indian born today is higher than mine when I was born in England; the infant mortality rate is appreciably lower than that in the England of my birth.

Its true that the epidemic might have lowered the life expectancy in England by a year, and no doubt by somewhat less in other countries; and also that life expectancy had declined slightly for some social groups even before the epidemic. Undesirable as this all may be, it had produced only a slight dent in the astonishing improvements in general health during the last century.

My fathers life expectancy at birth was 47; last year, in the same country, it was 81.5. By the end of the 20th century, the infant mortality rate was about 3 percent of what it had been at the beginning of the century. The infant mortality rate is now one-tenth of what it was when I was born.

Similar or even greater improvements have taken place elsewhere, not least in France and even more so in Spain.

Life is composed of more than the infant mortality rate and life expectancy at birth, of course, and dissatisfaction springs eternal in the human breast. While a long life isnt necessarily a happy one, the fact is that we live more disease- and pain-free years than any other people in history, and the epidemic isnt going to change that.

And surely we owe our comparative good fortune in large part to the tremendous increase in productivity brought about by industrialization. Never in human history have so many people been able to earn in a day what they can eat in a week or a month. Our main nutritional problem has gone from hunger to overeating in the span of a few generations.

One of the factors of high mortality during this particular epidemicit may be different in future epidemics, as it was in the Spanish fluis the proportion of people who now live to an advanced age. Mortality from the disease increases exponentially with age, and indeed, had it not been for deaths among the elderly, the epidemic would probably have passed almost unnoticed, and certainly wouldnt have had the great effect it has had.

In this sense, we are the victims of our own success. A few decades ago, we wouldnt have estimated the death rate of the disease on 90-year-olds because there wouldnt have been enough of them to make it worthwhile.

When I qualified as a doctor, the care of people over 65 was undertaken by geriatricians, specialists in the care of the old. Now they care for people over the age of 80, and then only if they suffer from multiple complaints. Moreover, one has only to compare photographs of people in their 40s from 70 years ago with people in their 40s now to see how much slower we age.

This isnt to say that all is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds. There are many clouds on the horizon, even on that of our health.

Obesity, another important risk factor for death in the pandemic, threatens to halt advances or even reverse gains in life expectancy. Our patterns of consumption are excessive and (to my mind) often gross and aesthetically unpleasing, as well as unhealthy.

But to speak of the degradation of our health isnt only to exaggerate, but to use the language of the spoiled brat who doesnt know his own good fortune by comparison with that of preceding generations.

Spoiled brats without a sense of perspective arent necessarily the wisest of policymakers.

Theodore Dalrymple is a retired doctor. He is a contributing editor of the City Journal of New York and the author of 30 books, including Life at the Bottom. His latest book is Embargo and Other Stories.

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

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Lunar New Year celebrations come to a close on Feb. 26 with the Lantern Festival, a celebration that takes place 15 days after Lunar New Year, which is also the day of the first full moon in the new lunar cycle.

BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks were moving lower on Friday as disappointing U.S. jobless claims data released overnight tempered investor optimism about the economic recovery. U.S-China tensions also returned to the fore, with U.S. President Joe Biden warning the senators that China will 'eat our lunch' if America doesn't 'step up' its infrastructure spending. On the Covid-19 front, Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria will enter a five-day stage four lockdown from today midnight to contain the latest outbreak of the virus variant. The restrictions include barring visitors to the home, wearing masks everywhere and allowing only takeaway service in restaurants. The benchmark DAX dropped 57 points, or 0.4 percent, to 13,983 after climbing 0.8 percent on Thursday. Automakers were broadly lower, while banks Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank were up 1 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively. 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.


WESTPORT  For Harold Bailey, affordable housing is not just something that serves to help those in need, it also improves the health of the town.

Bailey, who chairs TEAM Westport, the towns diversity committee, said his organizations mission is to make the town more welcoming in relation to race, sexuality, religion and ethnicity. Central to this is the subject of housing, he said, a topic that has continued to evolve over the years locally and statewide.

I would say its evolved very significantly in even the last three years, said Bailey, who moved to Westport in 1988.

Over the years, the focus on the need for affordable housing has continued to grow across the state, especially as people try to live in the communities where they work, but might be priced out in wealthier towns.

Bailey said Westport became one of several communities to be put in the spotlight in recent years, as some questioned its approach, or lack thereof, to addressing housing.

But this spotlight sparked some in the community to tackle the topic head-on.

Id say shortly after that we started to see real activism about if we dont have it well why dont we have it? Bailey said. And how do we look at really accelerating getting a lot more housing  a lot more affordable housing  that doesnt necessarily change the look or feel of the town, but fits in with it.

About 3.6 percent of Westports housing is considered affordable as of 2019, when the town was granted its four-year moratorium for affordable housing by the state.

The need

In 2019, the town announced for the first time in nearly four years that affordable housing pre-applications were available. It was met with an overwhelming response.

Within three-and-a-half weeks of opening, the waitlist had more than 3,000 applications for 221 apartments.

Once folks get an affordable rent in Westport, because theres not a lot of alternatives, people typically dont give it up, Westport Housing Authority Executive Director Carol Martin said. We dont get a lot of turnover.

Currently, the housing authority oversees four residential communities: Canal Park, Hales Court, Hidden Brook and Sasco Creek Village.

But the problem created by the slow turnover in the communities is compounded by the price of land in Fairfield County, where an acre can cost $1 million in Westport, Martin said. In addition, much of Westport is already developed.

Martin, who also runs Fairfields Housing Authority, said this is being seen in other areas as well. Last year, Fairfield opened its housing choice voucher waitlist for the first time in 10 years. The waitlist was open for only two weeks, but received more than 7,500 applications, she said.

This is a crisis, Martin said. The pandemic has also highlighted that housing is healthcare.

Local work

Ten years ago the town passed amendments for inclusionary zoning, which requires a 20 percent affordable component to any multi-family developments proposed by developers. The Planning and Zoning Commission later amended this to allow for assisted living, memory care and independent living.

I think whats really critical is how often weve seen in the last four years that this has been put into play and weve utilized it, said Danielle Dobin, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

She said an amendment and pathway can exist but it takes the right mix of commissioners, planning director of and applicants who are open minded to this type of housing for it to work.

In more recent years the town has approved several projects under these regulations like Belden Place, where a cottage was even restored and renovated as part of its affordability component.

To me its really the perfect example of how the IHZ is supposed to work and because it requires a special permit, which is that it comes in front of the commission, we were able to save this house that wasnt initially a part of the plan, Dobin said.

But Dobin, who was voted chair of the zoning commission in 2019, took an even more direct approach to addressing housing by starting the commissions Affordable Housing Subcommittee. She said the subcommittee has since become a forum for healthy discussions on the subject.

A new project

Last year, Dobin presented an ambitious, one-off plan to request a portion of the state Department of Transportations maintenance lot at 900 Post Road E. to create a town home community. The community would be anywhere from 70 to 90 percent affordable.

The state initially refused to consider any sort of land transfer, but Dobin said after multiple calls and a socially distanced meeting at the site itself, theyve confirmed a transfer of just under two acres of land was viable.

If brought to fruition the plan would fulfill a significant need in town. Martin said the last time the Westport Housing Authority constructed new units was at Sasco Creek Village in 2015, when 30 FEMA trailers were taken off the site and 54 brand new units were built.

That was the last time we really constructed something, Martin said.

While the imaginative proposal will likely not be replicated again, its collaborative process has been highlighted by officials and residents alike.

Neighbors to the property came out in support of the proposal when it was first proposed, and Greens Farms Association, which represents residents in the area, voted in support of the plan in September.

So far its a win-win-win all the way around,said Art Schoeller, president of Greens Farms Association, adding theres a way for everyone to weigh in.

Dobin said the idea came through multiple conversations with Martin about the best way to attract families to Westport.

We both felt that creating a community specifically designed for families was important, she said.

The location for the proposed town home community would place its occupants in direct access to grocery stores, one of the towns schools, public transportation and other amenities.

I think whats amazing about this site is a family could live there where a parent without a car could walk over to the elementary school in order to have an in-person meeting with the teacher, go to the grocery store to pick up food for dinner, be able to meet with a friend at Starbucks to hang out, or be able to take the bus, if thats their preferred transportation or whats available them, to get to work somewhere else in Westport or in our surrounding communities, Dobin said. We really dont have a newer development like this thats quite so well located.

A collaborative effort

First Selectman Jim Marpe also played a vital role by placing his support behind the plan, Dobin said, adding he regularly attends the subcommittee meetings. The effort saw similar bi-partisan support by the towns legislators.

What I really think the takeaway is this is another example of how you do affordable housing right, said state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport. Westport has demonstrated its commitment to creating housing diversity in town, its why were on a moratorium now, and its why were thinking proactively about projects in appropriate places where such affordable housing make sense.

State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, shared similar sentiments.

It cant be understated that the residents of the Greens Farms community, the leadership of Planning and Zoning, and town leadership all supported this project said Hwang, a ranking member of the legislatures Planning and Development Committee. Persistence is a virtue and its always going to be rewarded.

He added the collaborative process was a fantastic model in addressing housing moving forward.

But some highlighted Dobins proactive push for housing was key in the plan and the towns more recent approach to the topic.

The fact that this has been a primary focus has been extremely helpful, Bailey said, adding Dobins direct efforts to tackling the affordable housing sub-sector meant a lot.

Schoeller said under Dobins leadership of the zoning commission, and through forming a subcommittee on affordable housing, the town has gone from being reactive to more proactive.

We just need to have calm, constructive dialogue with a shared set of goals that move the dial and get us moving in the right direction, he said. And not just a completely separated black and white discussion, versus shades of gray where there are the possibilities to collaborate and do stuff...Im hopeful this will help set more of a stage for that.

Moving forward

In a recent meeting, the Affordable Housing Subcommittee continued its work on how to address housing in a discussion on accessory dwelling units. While discussions are still ongoing they highlight what some residents and officials consider a more proactive approach to the topic.

Its clearly a priority for the town, Dobin said.

She added the proposal to the state highlighted the power of working together in town instead of using resources to work against ideas.

It also speaks specifically to the value of proactive local efforts to address issues with housing because those closest to the ground understand the challenges to creating whats missing, Dobin said.

Bailey said everyone is continuing to feel out the best ways to continue to address affordable housing in the town.

The excitement is that its happening and were getting multiple ways to do it that werent there before, but the frustrating part is that theres a lot of complexity around every one of those, he said.

We dont have enough affordable housing yet, Bailey said. But we do have people who are serious on addressing that problem and really making a change to the situation.

dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com
SourceCode Communications lands Heap, a product analytics solution that helps product, marketing, and customer success teams understand their users and make data-driven decisions, and Speechmatics, a UK-based provider of any-context speech recognition technology. SourceCode is helping Heap develop a messaging platform that sparks engagement across earned, owned and digital channels. Speechmatics is working with SourceCode, their first US PR agency, to drive media relations and thought leadership efforts in the American market. SourceCode has been instrumental in helping us put a stake in the ground in the US, said Speechmatics senior campaigns and communications manager Georgina Robertson. Weve been pleased with their proactivity, creativity and thoughtfulness, and look forward to what well continue to accomplish through our partnership.

R&J Strategic Communications wins commercial real estate builder and owner Diversified Properties. R&J will create and implement a comprehensive integrated communications strategy to enhance awareness of the brand through a mix of traditional public relations strategies and digital tactics. The agency will also work to grow Diversified Properties position as a thought leader in the value-add real estate space and reinforce the companys ability to capitalize on emerging value-add opportunities. Diversified Properties has developed real estate valued at more than $1.5 billion across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut, and boasts a portfolio valued in excess of $500 million.

MSSmedia picks up 3rd Medical Recruiting Battalion of the United States Army Medical Recruiting Brigade, located in Fort Knox, KY. The Miami-based agency will provide the battalion with a branding and awareness campaign to attract and encourage professional students within the healthcare industry to apply for the battalions Health Professions Scholarship Program. The traditional outdoor advertising awareness campaign will target selected university campuses. MSSmedia also provides digital marketing services for the New York Army National Guard and the Minnesota Army National Guard.
Yemen: Escalation of fighting between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi militia in the oil-rich province of Marib has displaced nearly 400 families in just three days, an official said.

"During the past three days around 400 families left their villages and residential houses due to the non-stop intense battles in the province," the official of Marib's local authority told Xinhua news agency on Thursday. The displaced families left the district of Sirwah amid the exchange of indiscriminate artillery shelling between the two warring rivals, the source said on condition of anonymity. "Many families are now threatened by a second displacement wave and they are seeking to flee again to find other safe areas away from fighting," the source warned.

Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. On Wednesday, two indiscriminate shells landed on a displacement camp housing about 225 families in Marib, causing no casualties.

The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million others, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

Yemeni officials in charge of the internal displacement camps in the government-controlled province of Marib urged the international humanitarian organizations to pressure the Houthis to stop targeting the displaced people.

The Iran-allied Houthi rebels stepped up their military operations and launched an large offensive to seize the province of Marib controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The Houthis' military escalation followed Washington's indication of removing the group from the terrorist list, which will reverse the decision by the previous U.S. administration of Donald Trump.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government.

Beijing bans BBC news channel in retaliatory move

Prof Peacock says "The whole world will be engulfed ..."

Korean leader Kim Jong-un calls for stronger legal supervision for economic goals
CARROLLTON  Despite a spate of overdoses and deaths stemming from the use of the pharmaceutical drug fentanyl during the past week, Greene County officials believe its more of a fluke than an indication of a growing problem.

Three people overdosed on fentanyl on Feb. 4 in the county, and two of those people  a Roodhouse man and a Wrights woman  died as a result. A fourth person overdosed on Saturday.

Its kind of rare, Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen said, adding that they more typically might see one fentanyl overdose in a month. These were just clustered together. Its not common for this county.

McMillen suspects dealers had a lot of the drug on hand or perhaps had just received a new batch, he said.

A Carrollton man survived an overdose after being found unconscious in the Greene County Jail parking lot.

We have video surveillance in our parking lot here and it was right about shift change, McMillen said.

Authorities used the drug Narcan to revive the man, who told Carrollton police where he got the fentanyl, McMillen said.

I believe he cooperated with the Carrollton police, he said.

Chad McAdams, 41, was arrested on a charge of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. He is being held in Greene County Jail on $50,000 bail. McAdams also had an outstanding warranty from Jersey County for failure to appear in court, which has an additional $15,000 bail.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is used to treat severe pain. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is from 50 to 100 times more potent that morphine.
A recent study by scientists from Peking University (China) and the University of Connecticut (USA) [1] has revealed that 1 in 15 lost pregnancies in South Asia may be due to air pollution-related health issues. The report, which was based on an analysis of the medical records of lost pregnancies from over 34,000 women in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, was published in the January edition of the interdisciplinary journal Lancet Planetary Health.

Researchers used data collected by the US governments Demographic and Health Surveys 20002016. Using a mathematical model, they analysed the correlation between air pollution exposure levels in the three countries during the gestation period and the reported pregnancy losses of the selected mothers.

Dense pollution in Delhi, 2017 (Photo: Wikipedia)

The scientists used the atmospheric concentration of Particulate Matter smaller than 2.5 microns, more commonly known as PM2.5, as the primary indicator of air pollution. These small solid airborne particles can travel deep into the respiratory system, causing severe respiratory and cardio-vascular problems.

PM2.5 concentrations larger than 40 micrograms per cubic metre of air are considered unsafe. Particulate Matter is usually generated by vehicle exhausts, the burning of wood and other bio-mass, construction work or polluting industries. Rigorous analytical and statistical procedures were used to remove any biases or interferences by other external factors and cases were identified where the dominant factor causing the pregnancy losses could be established as air pollution.

Based on this analysis, the scientists extrapolate that 349,681 pregnancy losses per year were attributed to ambient air exposure of more than 40 micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5, accounting for 7.1 percent of the total annual pregnancy loss burden in south Asia between 2000 and 2016.

While the researchers state that these numbers are not exact because of many experimental limitations in research of this scale, the trend is clear and a shocking indication of how capitalism in South Asia is robbing the next generation of its right to live.

The study reports that the overwhelming majority of pregnancy losses (77 percent) are from India. This is hardly a surprise given that India now has 21 out of 30 of the worlds most air-polluted cities.

In the winter of 2019, the Indian capital Delhi faced one of the worst air-pollution incidents in known history. PM2.5 levels surged above 500 micrograms per cubic metre or more than ten times the safe limit. In some neighbourhoods, air-quality measurement equipment simply stopped working because the pollutant loads were too high for them to record.

Tens of thousands suffered from respiratory difficulties, with an untold number of deaths. Schools had to be closed for several days and more than 30 flights diverted from the Delhi airport due to bad visibility. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described the situation as living inside a gas chamber.

The 201819 Economic Survey of Delhi [2] reported that in addition to extreme Particulate Matter levels, hazardous gases, such as sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide, were also well above the safe limits and have increased fivefold and twofold respectively in a decade.

Indian cities with the most dangerous air pollution, such as Delhi, Patna and Ahmedabad, are in the countrys northern plains where the cold humid air descending from the Himalayas causes heavy winter fogs. These easily capture particulate matter and other air pollutants and become a hazardous concoction commonly referred to as smog.

As early as 2013, the Global Burden of Health report, which was published by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, warned that air pollution was the fifth highest contributor to mortality in India. By 2017, 17.5 percent of all deaths in India could be attributed in some way to air pollution.

The urban and rural poor bear the brunt of this environmental disaster. The study showed that more than 40 percent of the mothers who suffered pregnancy losses also suffered from anaemiaa direct indicator of poverty. Malnutrition, exhaustion from long working hours and health care unaffordability, make the poor far more vulnerable to air quality-related health issues. Doctors have also reported that deaths from COVID-19, which has already killed hundreds of thousands in South Asia, are increased by air-pollution related respiratory issues among the poor.

Poor peasants involved in waste burning during early winter months are regularly blamed for the dangerous air pollution levels in northern India. While the burning of agricultural waste, such as stubble and hay, is a large contributor to pollution, official claims that this is the main cause of Indias air pollution crisis are outright lies.

A study by Urban Emissions Info [3] notes that all bio-mass combustion, including waste burning in agricultural fields, accounts only for 2035 percent of PM2.5 emissions, compared to 65 percent by vehicular exhaust fumes, industrial emissions and construction activities.

The air pollution crisis in India and other South Asian countries is a product of decades of ad hoc industrial and urban growth, poor environmental regulations and failure to integrate sustainable practices with small- and medium-scale agriculture.

These factors have worsened exponentially over the last two decades as rapid and unplanned growth has herded millions of poor people into the wretched conditions of the regions mega-urban agglomerates. Moreover, thousands of tons of Particulate Matter and other polluting gases are spewed into the atmosphere every day by poorly regulated industries, such as coal-fired power plants and cement factories.

Air pollution, however, is not an insurmountable problem. Particulate Matter emissions can be very effectively reduced by proper vehicular emission regulations, dust-control measures in construction, and proper stack emission treatment in other industries. Agricultural waste, such as hay and stubble, moreover, does not have to be burnt but can be used in composting, bio-mass energy generation and sustainable building construction.

The ruling elites of South Asia, however, have no interest in allocating the urgently necessary resources to implement air pollution abatement measures to save millions of lives, including the unborn. Instead, the powers that be are preparing to dismantle the minimal safeguards for environmental protection and basic labour rights, to more effectively compete for the position of the cheapest labour platform for international finance capital.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis Agricultural Reform Bills, which have sparked mass opposition and resistance, will facilitate an orgy of corporate plunder of land and natural resources and take the environmental issues such as air pollution to unprecedented levels.

In the early 1980s, when the Beijing Stalinist regime opened up China as a cheap labour platform, its cities quickly climbed into the worlds most polluted list and remained in the extremely hazardous category for decades. While air pollution in China has been marginally reduced in recent years, the poisoning of the atmosphere has only been shifted to other parts of the earths ecosystem.

On the one hand, the atmosphere connects all living beings in one world ecosystem, on the other air pollution is driven by the ruthless thirst for corporate profit in the globalised world capitalist economy. This is international problem and can only be resolved through the intervention of the world working class fighting for a socialist program that restructures the global economy on a rationally planned and scientific basis to serve human need not private profit.

Notes:

[1] Xue T., Guan T. et al. 2021. Estimation of pregnancy losses attributable to exposure to ambient fine particles in south Asia: an epidemiological case-control study. Lancet Planetary Health. 5:1. [URL] https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30268-0

[2] Available here. http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/464707/economic-survey-2018-19-volume-1/

[3] Available here. https://urbanemissions.info/blog-pieces/whats-polluting-delhis-air/#:~:text=It%20is%20our%20opinion%20that,kilns%2C%20and%20industries%2C%20besides%20the
On behalf of the Lao NA Standing Committee and the Steering Committee for the new NA House project, Lao NA Vice Chairman Somphanh Phengkhammy extended New Year wishes to all officers, soldiers and staff of Army Corps 11 involving in the building of the NA House.

He appreciated their efforts to overcome difficulties, particularly impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, to fulfil the political task assigned by the two Parties, States and peoples, thus contributing to consolidating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

He also congratulated the success of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which, he said, set out new guidelines and plans for Vietnam to continue implementing its goal of becoming an industrialised and modernized country.

Pany Yathotou presented a basket of flowers to Deputy Commander of Army Corps Col. Nguyen Chien to welcome the Year of the Buffalo.

On behalf of officers and soldiers of Army Corps 11, from Hanoi, Commander Maj. Gen. Nguyen Quoc Dung expressed his thanks for the consideration of leaders of the Lao NA.

He affirmed that the army corps will ensure the quality of the Lao NA House to make it deserve to be a symbol of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.
The British Ambassador to the Holy See, Sally Axworthy, offers a brief message for Vatican Radio on its 90th anniversary.

By Vatican News staff writer

Sally Axworthy, British Ambassador to the Holy See, says "the Radio has been a great partner for the Embassy and for me personally while I've been here."

She was speaking with Francesca Merlo on the occasion of Vatican Radio's 90th anniversary, which is celebrated on Friday, 12 February 2021.

"I love the fact that Vatican Radio covers many of the stories that some other parts of the press don't cover," she says, adding that its broadcasts often give listeners a view of what's going on in parts of the world that are not in the spotlight of mainstream press outlets.

"I also love the fact that it covers many of the positive stories," she adds, offering the examples of "what religious sisters do" and "the good work the Church does."

"So," she concludes, "Happy birthday, Vatican Radio!"
Phuket Town police chase wipeout lands officer in hospital, Myanmar man with kratom charge

PHUKET: A 30-year-old Myanmar construction worker has been charged with possession of kratom after he refused to stop for a police patrol, leading to a chase in Phuket Town this morning (Feb 12) that saw both himself and the police officers in pursuit wipe out.

economicscrimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 12 February 2021, 05:39PM

One of the officers involved in the pursuit has sustained serious injuries, report police.

Phuket Town Police Station notified Kusoldharm rescue workers of the accident, at the Tha Kraeng Intersection on the south side of Phuket Town, at 7am.

At the scene rescue workers and ambulance medical personnel found the Myanmar man  later named by police in Thai as Mr Pieow Go, age 33, a Myanmar construction worker registered as living in Phuket Town  with scrapes on the face, right hand and both knees.

Of the two patrol policemen, Officer Dechaphol Buaphut suffered only minor injuries, but Sub Lt Thapakorn Chuchan sustained serious injuries to his mouth.

Both police officers and Mr Pieow Go were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Phuket City Police explained that the two officers were on patrol when they ordered Mr Pieow Go to pull over. He did not.

Police gave pursuit until they reached the Tha Khang Intersection, near Sanaam Luang (or Kings Park) on the south side of town, where both the Myanmar man and the police officers in pursuit fell from their motorbikes.

Officers then found Mr Pieow Go was carrying 50 kratom leaves with him at the time of the accident.

Police have confirmed Mr Pieow Go has been charged with possession of kratom leaves.

Police have yet to confirm whether he will face any additional charges.

Mr Pieow Gos antics and arrest comes as the Thai government moves to decriminalise kratom in its natural state.

An amendment bill removing kratom from the narcotics list cruised through the final stages in the House of Representatives on Jan 27, taking it one step closer to legalisation.

MPs voted 319-7 in the second and third readings to pass the bill, which will now go to the Senate for final approval. It will become law 90 days after it is published in the Royal Gazette.
Red-faced Kate Garraway left the Good Morning Britain studios in hysterics on Friday morning when she made an accidental innuendo while praising her milkman Mick.

Fellow host Ben Shephard, 46, had been reading out messages from viewers who have been touched by kindness during the coronavirus pendemic.

Wanting to thank Mick on air, Kate, 53, said she wanted to thank him for 'offering her extras' during this extremely difficult time.

Red-faced: Kate Garraway left the GMB studio in hysterics when she praised her milkman Mick for 'offering her extras' in accidental innuendo on Friday

She said: 'Mick, my milkman, who has just been amazing.

'He has absolutely just kept me going. He'll leave me a little note saying "do you need anything extra other than the milk?"'

After a split second pause, Ben burst out laughing as did presenters Alex Beresford and Richard Arnold and when she realised what she had said, Kate howled with laughter, putting her head in her hands.

She said: 'Mick, my milkman, who has just been amazing. He has absolutely just kept me going. He'll leave me a little note saying "do you need anything extra other than the milk?"'

Kate protested: 'I mean, like bread, butter or orange juice, which he also supplies. He leaves a little smiley face.'

Ben teased: 'Are you still answering the door in your dressing gown and fluffy slippers?'

Kate laughed: 'And a shower cap... Mick, thank you. Shall we move on as I've got myself in trouble. Even I didn't see that one coming.'

Throwing his head back: Alex Beresford was howling with laughter

HAAAAAA! Richard Arnold also lost it over the hilarious moment

Mick is now trending on Twitter and Kate giggled and said: 'Oh God I hope his family weren't watching. He's going to get back from his round and they'll say "what the heck has been going on?"'

It was heartwarming to see Kate laughing as she has been very open about her own personal struggles as her husband Derek, 53, remains in a coma.

He went into hospital in March with coronavorus and while he is now clear of the virus, his body has been ravaged from the effects of the disease.

Lovely: It was heartwarming to see Kate laughing as she has been very open about her own personal struggles as her husband Derek, 53, remains in a coma

Kate hasn't been able to see Derek since Christmas following a surge in infections - and explained her ITV employers had given her leave after she found herself struggling to cope.

New restrictions introduced during the third lockdown, which bans any visitors on the ward where he is recovering.

Kate said: 'I haven't been able to see him [Derek], I haven't seen him since Christmas. He's back in a situation now looking at strangers in masks.

'I think that's a situation for everybody whose got someone they love in hospital at the moment it's not unique to him.'

Strength: Kate hasn't been able to see her ailing husband since Christmas during lockdown - he has been in hospital since March after contracting coronavirus (pictured December 2019)

The mother-of-two explained she decided to take some time off from GMB after 'not feeling well' following a 'long year'.

Kate said: 'I've taken some time off; very kindly ITV have given me some time off, I hadn't been feeling very well.

'I think it might have been one of those things where chickens had come home to roost after a long year that we've all had, haven't we?

'I took some holiday leave, at home because I know holidays are controversial, literally within the four walls of my home.

'I had a lot of sleep and a bit of medicine and feeling much better.'
Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the United Nations, on February 11 welcomed the positive progress recorded in the implementation of the Minsk agreements over the recent past.

Observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) oversee the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces near Bogdanivka village in the Donetsk region.

During the discussion on the matter at the UN, Vietnam also affirmed its support to the settlement of the disputes through peaceful measures suitable to the UN Charter and international law.

However, the Vietnamese representative also held that the conflicts still linger on and are causing serious effects on the life of the people and humanitarian situation in the region, and called on the sides concerned to refrain from acts of violence and to push up dialogues.

The international community should continue supporting the sides to conduct dialogues and implement the agreements reached, as well as providing humanitarian support to locals.

UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo briefed participants on the progress of the situation in eastern Ukraine since the ceasefire reached by the sides on July 27, 2020. However, the official described the situation there as fragile, and the UN is striving to help with the settlement of the problems of humanitarian access as well as calling for a fund of 168 million USD as humanitarian assistance for the people of the country in the search for sustainable peace./.VNA
BRANDON  The existence of a womans intimate images was of little concern to the Brandon Police Service during a 2016 hiring competition, but the appearance of dishonesty was, a court heard Thursday.

BRANDON  The existence of a womans intimate images was of little concern to the Brandon Police Service during a 2016 hiring competition, but the appearance of dishonesty was, a court heard Thursday.

BPS deputy chief Randy Lewis testified on the fourth day of Brittany Roques civil lawsuit against Terry Lynn Peters for sharing her intimate images without consent.

The City of Brandon is a third party in the lawsuit, which is being heard by Court of Queens Bench Justice Sandra Zinchuk.

Peters shared the images of Roque with BPS executives, after she found them in the private email of her then-partner, Ryan Friesen, who is also a BPS officer. The court heard Monday that Roque and Friesen had a brief affair in 2015.

At the time the images were shared, Roque was in the middle of a BPS hiring competition to become a police officer.

During questioning from City of Brandon lawyer Annika Friesen, Lewis testified the police service was contacted by Peters, saying she had information about Roque that could be of interest.

Lewis first called her during a drive back from Winnipeg, he said, and she told him she had found images in Ryan Friesens email.

A few days later, Lewis went to Peters house, where she showed him images of Roque and other women in various stages of undress.

Lewis testified he put them on a USB stick so the images could be further analyzed. Lewis argued the public good and public interest aspect of Manitobas Intimate Images Act and the Criminal Code of Canada allowed him to investigate the information further.

"(The laws) gave me the authority to take copies of the photographs, so I could further analyze them or at least determine the content more thoroughly, in order that they could be analyzed to determine their significance or insignificance in the hiring of Ms. Roque," he said.

Lewis said he also needed copies of the images to assess their recency, which is also an important factor in police hiring decisions.

Lewis testified under cross-examination from Peters lawyer, Rhea Majewski, the existence of the images alone did not have a significant impact on the BPS decision to remove Roque from the hiring competition.

Rather, it was several "red flags" that came up and inconsistencies in answers in interviews and with a psychologist, he said.

The court heard Wednesday that Roque didnt disclose the affair with Ryan Friesen and the existence of the intimate images until after an initial questionnaire and interview.

"I can say the images in and of themselves had little to no bearing on Ms. Roque being removed from the police competition," said Lewis.

Once Roque was officially out of the hiring competition, Lewis smashed the USB stick with a hammer, while now-BPS Chief Wayne Balcaen observed. The pieces were put into three different garbage cans, police said.

Lewis also permanently deleted images from his email account, he said.

The incident of Roque and her images changed how the BPS handles its hiring competition, Lewis said. Neither city police nor the City of Brandon had dealt with intimate images in hiring up to that point.

"Were learning as we go through this process," he testified. "The needle is always moving in regards to social issues and practices. Legally speaking, everything that was done was done well within the legal parameters."

Closing arguments are set for Tuesday.

 Brandon Sun
Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella has called for a well-defined framework of laws and norms to govern free speech on social-media services like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Nadella said that one-sided decisions by the internet companies regarding free speech will not yield a long-term solution.

"Unilateral action by individual companies in democracies like ours is just not long-term stable -- we do need to be able to have a framework of laws and norms," Nadella said in an interview with Bloomberg.

He added, "Depending on any one individual CEO in any one of these companies to make calls that are going to really help us maintain something as sacred and as important as our democracy, in the long run, is just no way that at least I, as a citizen, would advocate for."

Currently, Microsoft does not offer a social networking platform but had shown interest in acquiring TikTok in the US. The deal didn't materialise. In India, Microsoft has invested in VerSe Innovation, which offers a TikTok-clone Josh.

Nadella said that the younger technology companies should face robust competition and handle negative consequences of growing too big ahead of time, rather than waiting until their size leads to problems for consumers and rivals.

Nadella, apart from the social networking services, also talked about Slack's calls for probe into Microsoft's alleged unfair practice of foisting its Teams software.

Nadella said, "I always ask the question, would Slack have even existed if it was not for the free access they had on top of, say, the Windows platform?"

"They didn't have to call Microsoft. They didn't have to go through any of our app stores. They didn't need any of our permission compared to any of the other platforms that they're available on. We perhaps provide the most open platform in Windows and even in Office 365," he added.

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TROY, N.Y. -- An antioxidant found in green tea may increase levels of p53, a natural anti-cancer protein, known as the "guardian of the genome" for its ability to repair DNA damage or destroy cancerous cells. Published today in Nature Communications, a study of the direct interaction between p53 and the green tea compound, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), points to a new target for cancer drug discovery.

"Both p53 and EGCG molecules are extremely interesting. Mutations in p53 are found in over 50% of human cancer, while EGCG is the major anti-oxidant in green tea, a popular beverage worldwide," said Chunyu Wang, corresponding author and a professor of biological sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "Now we find that there is a previously unknown, direct interaction between the two, which points to a new path for developing anti-cancer drugs. Our work helps to explain how EGCG is able to boost p53's anti-cancer activity, opening the door to developing drugs with EGCG-like compounds."

Wang, a member of the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, is an expert in using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study specific mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and cancer, including p53, which he described as "arguably the most important protein in human cancer."

P53 has several well-known anti-cancer functions, including halting cell growth to allow for DNA repair, activating DNA repair, and initiating programmed cell death -- called apoptosis -- if DNA damage cannot be repaired. One end of the protein, known as the N-terminal domain, has a flexible shape, and therefore, can potentially serve several functions depending on its interaction with multiple molecules.

EGCG is a natural antioxidant, which means it helps to undo the near constant damage caused by using oxygen metabolism. Found in abundance in green tea, EGCG is also packaged as an herbal supplement.

Wang's team found that the interaction between EGCG and p53 preserves the protein from degradation. Typically, after being produced within the body, p53 is quickly degraded when the N-terminal domain interacts with a protein called MDM2. This regular cycle of production and degradation holds p53 levels at a low constant.

"Both EGCG and MDM2 bind at the same place on p53, the N-terminal domain, so EGCG competes with MDM2," said Wang. "When EGCG binds with p53, the protein is not being degraded through MDM2, so the level of p53 will increase with the direct interaction with EGCG, and that means there is more p53 for anti-cancer function. This is a very important interaction."

"By developing an understanding of the molecular-level mechanisms that control key biochemical interactions linked to devastating illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease, Chunyu's research is laying the groundwork for new and successful therapies," said Curt Breneman, dean of the Rensselaer School of Science.

"EGCG Binds Intrinsically Disordered N-Terminal Domain of p53 and Disrupts p53-MDM2 Interaction" was published with support from multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health. At Rensselaer, Wang was joined in the research by Lauren Gandy, Weihua Jin, Lufeng Yan, Xinyue Liu, and Yuanyuan Xiao. First author Jing Zhao is a former member of Wang's lab, now on the faculty at China Agricultural University in Beijing, China. Co-first author Alan Blaney is an M.D.-Ph.D. student at Upstate Medical University. Researchers also contributed from SUNY Upstate Medical Center; the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; New York University; the State University of New York at Binghamton; NYU Shanghai; and Merck Research Laboratories.

###

The authors also wished to credit the extensive collaboration which produced this research, including collaborations with professors Stewart Loh and Michael Cosgrove from Upstate Medical University, Sozanne Solmaz from Binghamton University, Jianhan Chen from University Massachusetts, Amherst, Yingkai Zhang from NYU, and David Ban, a Rensselaer alumni who once worked as an undergraduate researcher in Wang's lab, now a senior scientist at Merck.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Restaurants will no longer be allowed to sell pre-packaged meals through arrangements with supermarkets and other outlets, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley definitively closed this loophole yesterday.

Rowley said this would not be allowed to continue, as it defeats the purpose of the public health regulations. Restaurants and street food vendors were among those businesses ordered to close to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of Covid-19.
With more than 30 million people in the United States at least partially vaccinated against covid-19, you may wonder whether the shot has done its duty, arming the immune system to fight off infection. Or whether the vaccine is needed at all, particularly if you have had the coronavirus.

But health experts say antibody tests - the tests designed to detect proteins created by the immune system that protect against the virus - are not necessary and can be unreliable.

"Don't try to second-guess the vaccine. Just get vaccinated," said Sarah Fortune, chair of the department of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

- - -

Should I get an antibody test to see whether I need the vaccine?

Federal health authorities say that because natural immunity varies and because the disease can cause such severe complications, people should get vaccinated "regardless of history of prior symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection."

Infectious-disease expert Rob Murphy explained that immunity provided by the antibodies is a "mixed bag" - although some people who have had covid have kept their immunity, others have lost it.

Also, preliminary data shows such immunity may not protect against the new variant in South Africa at all.

Because no one knows how long natural immunity lasts, vaccination is crucial, Murphy said.

Aside from that, the vaccine may be more a potent immunogen than immunity from the actual virus, offering better protection against it, said Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Global Health and a professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at Northwestern University.

The bottom line is that antibody testing "for the purposes of vaccine decision-making" is not advisable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

- - -

How about an antibody test to determine if the vaccine was effective?

The CDC discourages antibody testing for assessing immunity after getting the vaccine. In clinical trials, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were shown to protect people against the virus 95% of the time and 94% of the time, respectively. But that does not mean everyone who gets the vaccine would test positive for antibodies, Murphy said.

Commercial antibody tests may not be searching for the same antibodies that the vaccine triggers. Someone who has had the vaccine and is immune to the virus may still test negative for certain antibodies, Murphy explained.

In any case, Murphy added, antibodies are only part of a person's immune system response. Some studies have shown that protective T cells, a white blood cell that helps protect against disease, have been elevated in some patients with covid, even though the patients had no detectable antibodies.

"After the vaccines, a lot people are going to get antibody testing - 'Oh, I want to see if it's working.' It actually has very little correlation," he said. "Many people will test negative on the antibody test, and that does not mean the vaccine didn't work."

- - -

Then when should I get an antibody test?

Health experts say antibody testing is useful in assessing the prevalence of the disease in the community to inform public health officials.

For individuals, Murphy said that the tests "can tell you about past exposure to the virus."

"But it doesn't change anything else. It doesn't change the fact that you can get infected again from the regular virus, and it may not offer you enough protection from these variants that are out there," he said.

So, when it comes to the vaccine, he said, testing is useless. "Even if you're positive [for covid antibodies], you would still get the vaccine. If you're negative, you would get the vaccine. And then after the vaccine, it really doesn't matter whether that antibody test is positive or negative. It doesn't help you at all."
Mumbai: Celebrated filmmaker Mira Nair has said that she will be releasing a remastered version of her acclaimed 1991 movie Mississippi Masala" to celebrate the films 30th anniversary. The romantic-drama film, written by Sooni Taraporevala, marked the filmmakers foray in Hollywood.

Set in the rural Mississippi (a southern US state), the film explores the interracial romance between an African-American man and Indian-American woman. The movie featured Hollywood star Denzel Washington opposite Sarita Choudhary.

Responding to a user on Twitter, about the relevance of her films, Nair revealed she is on a mission to resurrect" her movies. She said Mississippi Masala" is the first one as the year 2021 will mark its 30th anniversary.

Im on a mission. Resurrecting my films. Mississippi Masala re-mastered & re-releasing on its 30th anniversary in 2021! We mattered long before movements woke up the masses," the 63-year-old director wrote. Also featuring Sharmila Tagore, Roshan Seth and Mohan Agashe, Mississippi Masala" was released in France on September 18 in 1991 before making its debut in the UK and the US next year on January 17 and February 5, respectively.

It was well received by critics and earned a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992 and won an award at the Venice Film Festival. Besides this film, the stage musical adaptation of Nairs 2001 movie Monsoon Wedding" will premiere in India in November, 2021.

Nair, whose directorial credits also include movies such as Salaam Bombay", The Namesake" and Queen of Katwe", most recently worked on the series adaptation of Vikram Seths novel A Suitable Boy". The show premiered on BBC One in the UK in July 2020, before hitting streamer Netflix in October.

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
But the UN says crime rings have continued to earn profits, fueling conflict.

A police officer stands guard in front of seized drugs to be set on fire during a ceremony marking the U.N.'s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Yangon, June 26, 2016.

The expansion and diversification of Southeast Asias synthetic drug market last year has led to a further decline in the production and demand for opium in Myanmar, although crime rings that traffic heroin continued to generate substantial profits, fueling conflict, a United Nations report said Thursday.

According to the report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), entitled Myanmar Opium Survey: Cultivation, Production and Implications, a downward trend that began in 2015 continued last year, when poppy farmers saw incomes decline due to trade disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Opium-dependent regions and communities are being impacted by changes in the drug economy, UNODC Country Manager for Myanmar, Benedikt Hofmann, said in a statement accompanying the release of the report.

Alternative development programmes that offer viable, sustainable sources of legitimate income and assistance to communities in Shan and Kachin [states] are critical to the countrys future.

According to the agency, even before the pandemic, opium farmers in Myanmar earned less than 10 percent of the money generated by the countrys opiate economy.

UNODC said that some 405 metric tons (mt) of opium were produced in Myanmar last year, or less than half of that produced in in 2013, while the area of opium cultivation fell 11 percent to 29,500 hectares (73,000 acres) in 2020 from 33,100 hectares (81,800 acres) a year earlier.

The vast majority of opium production continued to occur in Shan state, accounting for 84 percent in 2020, followed by Kachin state, accounting for 12 percent. Both regions saw production drop year-on-year by 12 percent and six percent, respectively. Kayah and China states accounted for four percent of the total production last year.

According to UNDOC, organized crime groups that traffic heroin in Southeast Asia continued to earn significant profits in 2020, despite the shift towards synthetic drugs.

Domestic heroin consumption of six tons was valued at between U.S. $144 and 315 million, according to the latest statistics from last year, while the export of heroin to neighboring countries was valued at between U.S. $500 million and $1.6 billion.

Heroin also continues to pose a significant public security and health challenge for neighbouring countries as Myanmar remains the major supplier of opium and heroin in East and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, the statement said.

UNDOC said that according to the latest estimates, there are more than 3 million heroin users in the region consuming approximately U.S. $10 billion worth of the drug annually.

Drugs and conflict

The report noted that the illicit drug economy has seriously hampered multiethnic Myanmars efforts to establish long-term peace, particularly in the countrys various conflict zones controlled by armed ethnic insurgents.

There is a longstanding connection between drugs and conflict in Myanmar, and any meaningful action to address the conflict will require breaking this cycle, said Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

The money generated has fueled a corrosive political economy and continued militarization, and it is clear that poor opium farming areas require better security and sustainable economic alternatives, he said.

The fact is that opium and heroin still remain an important source of income for organized crime even as the production of methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs has again increased. It is important to develop strategies to address the overall drug economy.

Last year, UNODC said in a report that the price of methamphetamines in East and Southeast Asia had dropped to its lowest level in 10 years as a result of sharp increases in supply.

The report said that the number of cases in which synthetic opioids identified among illicit drug supplies in the region jumped to 28 in 2019 from three in 2014, and that agents were seizing the substances in new locations as organized crime expands its business.
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MERIDEN  A man was injured when he was shot by officers Friday morning during a confrontation near a local motel, authorities said.

Kenneth Strothers, 24, was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment, but police declined to describe the severity of his injuries.

Meriden police said they were called to the Flamingo Inn on North Broad Street about 8:50 p.m. when West Hartford police asked for assistance taking Strothers into custody on a felony armed robbery warrant.

While setting up a perimeter at the motel, Strothers fled from a room on foot, Meriden police said. Officers from both departments chased Storthers until a confrontation broke out and Strothers was shot.

Authorities have not said how many officers discharged their guns or how many shots were fired.

During a news conference Friday afternoon, Meriden Police Chief Roberto Rosado said the departments goal is to be open and transparent.

This is still under investigation and therefore we cant give any more information out, but we want to assure the community that this is an isolated incident and were going to allow the investigative process to prevail, he said.

The investigation into the shooting is being led by New London States Attorney Paul Narducci, who called in state police Western District Major Crime Squad detectives to assist.

Strother was the second person shot by police in the seven days. Christopher Hagans was fatally shot by Stratford police on Feb. 5, according to authorities.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The city recorded 105 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus and 14 more deaths on Thursday, Mayor Frank Jacksons administration announced.

The newly confirmed cases involved patients ranging in age from less than one year old into their 80s.

The total for new deaths is surpassed only by the 15 reported on Sept. 1 and matches the cumulative total from the last two weeks.

The deaths of 244 Clevelanders have been attributed to the coronavirus. The average age of those who died was 73 years old.

As of Thursday, the total number of new cases confirmed in the city since March stood at 24,432, the city reported.

In addition, the health department has identified 1,536 probable cases. That figure, using an expanded definition from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, captures suspected cases where there is no confirmed test.

Cleveland had recorded a total of 25,968 cases as of Thursday.

Those infected have ranged in age from less than 1 year old to more than 100 years old. The average age is 45 years old.

Six percent of those cases required hospitalization.

Fifty-four percent of the cases involve women. About 43% of all those infected are African American. About 26% are white. Other races account for 14% of the patients. Race is unknown for 17% of the cases.

The Cleveland Department of Public Health reports that 5,213 patients have been released from isolation.

Across the state, the number of people who have died with coronavirus in the state increased by 721 on Thursday, bringing the total to 12,577 deaths, as the Ohio Department of Health endeavors to correct a large data error.

The state last night admitted it had undercounted deaths by about 4,000 -- a roughly 30% undercount. Over the next several days, Ohios daily deaths are expected to shoot up as the Department of Health adds the additional death data.

Gov. Mike DeWine said that about 650 of those deaths.

The number of new cases increased by 2,806 on Thursday, to a total of 931,437 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health reported 65,239 cases of coronavirus had been tallied as of Thursday, an increase of 230 from the previous day. The department reported a total of 1,032 deaths in its jurisdiction, up 29 from Wednesday. The numbers exclude cases from the city of Cleveland.

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions tally on Thursday reported 27,127,858 cases, up 97,309 from the previous day. The CDC recorded 470,110 deaths in the United States, an increase of 3,645 from the previous day.

Those numbers tend to lag other reporting sites.

Johns Hopkins University of Medicine reported that as of Thursday evening its tally showed 27,389,196 people had become infected with the coronavirus. Its tally showed 475,040 deaths in the United States.
Last month, the Lincoln Project said it was shocked by accusations that the anti-Trump groups cofounder, John Weaver, had sexually harassed multiple young men.

Now, the group says it is hiring an outside investigator to probe what it called Weaver's "appalling conduct and  abuse," a move that came after the Associated Press reported that its leadership was actually aware for months about the allegations against Weaver.

The move did little to calm backlash against the group, though, after its Twitter account late on Thursday published  and then quickly deleted  private conversations between journalist Amanda Becker and Jennifer Horn, a Lincoln Project cofounder who left following the accusations against Weaver. Horn said the messages were published without her permission, and the 19th, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy, vowed to continue its reporting on the group.

"We're not going to be bullied or intimidated out of pursuing critical journalism," tweeted Emily Ramshaw, cofounder and CEO of the 19th.

The Lincoln Project did not immediately respond to a message from The Washington Post seeking comment about the deleted tweets as of early Friday.

The incident is the latest turmoil facing the group, which gained momentum last year with viral ads attacking President Donald Trump and his supporters, becoming among the best known "Never Trump" organizations and raising millions of dollars.

But in early January, Weaver, a longtime GOP strategist who previously worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich, was accused in an American Conservative piece of making unsolicited sexual advances to young men, including one as young as 14.

Weaver, who had taken a medical leave from the Lincoln Project, told Axios last month that he would not return and apologized for sending "inappropriate" messages.

"The truth is that I'm gay and that I have a wife and two kids who I love," Weaver, 61, told Axios. "My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place."

On Jan. 31, 21 men who spoke to the New York Times said Weaver had harassed them and pressured them for sex in exchange for professional advancement.

After that report, the Lincoln Project condemned Weaver, calling him a "predator," "liar" and "an abuser." The group said it had been caught off-guard by the allegations, saying in a statement, "Like so many, we have been betrayed and deceived."

But Ryan Girdusky, the American Conservative reporter who broke news of the allegations, called the group's response "false," noting that Weaver's behavior was like a "worst-kept secret," The Post's Amy B Wang reported.

Steve Schmidt, a cofounder of the group, told the Times that chatter about Weaver having relationships with younger men had reached the Lincoln Project leaders last summer. But he denied they knew about his inappropriate behavior.

Those claims came into question on Thursday, when the Associated Press reported that leaders of the organization were notified in June of at least 10 harassment claims against Weaver, including two involving Lincoln Project employees.

The group refuted those reports, calling them stories "filled with inaccuracies" and "incorrect information," but also announced that it would hire an independent investigator to look into allegations against Weaver. The group also encouraged anyone who has a nondisclosure agreement and wanted to speak about Weaver to get a release. At least six former employees and associates have asked to be released from such agreements, the Times reported Thursday.

"John Weaver betrayed all of us and you deserve the facts presented independently through a transparent process," the group said in a Thursday statement.

Soon, the group was back under fire again, though, for posting the private conversations between Horn and Becker.

"Hey @Twitter @jack @TwitterSupport I did not give consent," Horn tweeted.

Last week, the Lincoln Project announced Horn no longer belonged to the group, alleging she had requested an immediate "signing bonus" payment of $250,000 and a $40,000 per month consulting contract, which the management committee and the board rejected. The group said it had accepted Horn's resignation.

Horn disputed the claims in a statement citing the group's reluctance to properly address the allegations against Weaver, which she said she was unaware of prior to the news reports.

"I was genuinely shocked," Horn said. "These are not my stories to tell, but I knew in that moment that the Lincoln Project had an opportunity to take a stand and do better."

The Washington Posts Amy B Wang contributed to this report.

Two people from Ohio were arrested with loaded handguns after a traffic stop on Route 3 in Secaucus Wednesday, authorities said.

Secaucus Police Officer Michael Borrelli noticed a vehicle that did not have a driver-side mirror traveling east on Route 3 and pulled over the vehicle, Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller said. During the 7:54 p.m. stop, the officer detected the odor of marijuana from the passenger side of the vehicle and saw suspected marijuana protruding out of the passengers front pants pocket, Miller said.

The driver, Malena Kennerly, and passenger, Jeffrey Reynolds, were asked to get out of the vehicle while a search of the passenger compartment was conducted. Borrelli located suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a machete and large knife in the vehicle.

Borrelli also found a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with hollow point ammunition in Kennerlys purse. While arresting Kennerly and Reynolds with assistance from Police Officer Justin Pardo, the officers Reynolds was carrying a loaded Glock 36 .45-caliber handgun that had been stolen out of Ohio.

I applaud and fully support my officers proactive police efforts in keeping the Secaucus community safe, Miller said. I am especially proud that these two armed individuals were taken into custody for their crimes by the officers without resorting to any use of force.

Kennerly, 35 and Reynolds, 32, both of Cincinnati, were each charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Kennerly was also charged with possession of hollow point ammunition and two counts of unlawful possession of weapons. Jeffrey Reynolds was also charged with receiving stolen property, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were taken to Hudson County jail in Kearny.

Delaware, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/12/2021 -- Becky Gehrisch is an Ohio based author, illustrator, and founder of Bookling Media LLC. Bookling Media is a new publishing company focused on creating high quality children's books under a revolutionary new model that allows authors and illustrators to keep all of their intellectual property and publishing rights.



Bookling Media has recently launched a preorder campaign on Kickstarter for their debut book for children. The picture book, titled Escape to Play, is about the day-in-the-life of three rowdy county dogs who wreak havoc on the farm!



"Escape to Play offers playful poetry and whimsical illustrations to create an upbeat feeling as you move from page to page," said Becky Gehrisch, while introducing this project to the Kickstarter community. The 36 page 9"x11" hardcover book features full color illustrations and introduces children to art history through paintings recreated in the book.



The Kickstarter campaign is located on the web at:



www.kickstarter.com/projects/1790950157/escape-to-play-picture-book. Backers can support the project by preordering the book through one of the available pledge tiers. The tiers include extras such as artwork prints and even school visits by the author. The goal of the Kickstarter campaign is to raise a sum of $9,500 USD. All funds raised through the campaign will be used to cover the costs of publication. Details are available on the Kickstarter campaign page.



Contact:



Contact Person: Becky Gehrisch

Company: Bookling Media LLC

City: Delaware

State: Ohio

Country: United States

Phone: 740-206-8551

Email: info@booklingmedia.com

Website: www.booklingmedia.com/books
The two countries have slipped toward authoritarianism after representing, in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, a source of hope for freedom and democracy in the region as they emerged from under communism.



On Feb. 10, major news organizations in Poland shut down all coverage and programming for 24 hours in protest of a recently proposed tax on news organizations. Nearly four dozen of the leading news companies' executives, in a letter this week to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, called the tax "extortion" of the free press.



The tax proposal follows a December purchase by a government-controlled company of Polska Press, effectively ensuring government control of 20 of 24 regional newspapers, according to a Thursday report by a group led by the International Press Institute.



The Polish government has also used licensing and antitrust regulations to undermine news organizations' financial health, the report found.



In Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index of 180 countries, Poland has dropped from 18th in 2015--the year the right-wing Law and Justice, or PiS, party came to power--to 162nd place in 2020.



In Hungary--ranked 89th in the world in 2020 in press freedom-- the government has virtually completed a takeover of its news industry. One of that country's last independent radio stations was forced off the air just this week when its license was not renewed.

In Washington on Thursday, Sen. Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he is "deeply concerned" about the plight of the press in Poland.

National Press Club President Lisa Nicole Matthews and National Press Club Journalism Institute President Angela Greiling Keane issued the following statement on Friday:

"Press freedom is under assault around the world, and the situation in Eastern Europe is particularly distressing. As Hungary all but extinguishes independent journalism, Poland is quickly following suit. Most recently, the Polish government's effort to strangle a free press under the guise of revenue-raising is in reality an attempt to sap the vitality of independent journalism. A vibrant news industry is an essential part of any democracy, because it enables people to rule themselves with facts, not falsehoods. Poland's government, like governments everywhere, must do what is good for its people: stop hampering a free press."



Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.



The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club's non-profit affiliate, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.



Contacts:

John M. Donnelly, NPC Press Freedom Team Chairman; [email protected], (202) 650-6738

Lindsay Underwood for the National Press Club; [email protected], (202) 662-7561

SOURCE: NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

SOURCE National Press Club

Related Links

http://press.org



Today is of course the anniversary of the birth of Americas greatest president, Abraham Lincoln. As a politician and as president, Lincoln was a profound student of the Constitution and constitutional history. Perhaps most important, Lincoln was Americas indispensable teacher of the moral ground of political freedom at the exact moment when the country was on the threshold of abandoning what he called its ancient faith that all men are created equal.

In 1858 Lincoln attained national prominence in the Republican Party as the result of the contest for the Senate seat held by Stephen Douglas. It was Lincolns losing campaign against Douglas that made him a figure of sufficient prominence that he could be the partys 1860 presidential nominee.

At the convention of the Illinois Republican Party in June, Lincoln was the unanimous choice to run against Douglas. After declaring him their candidate late on the afternoon of June 16, the entire convention returned that evening to hear Lincoln speak. Accepting the conventions nomination, Lincoln gave one of the most incendiary speeches in American history.

Lincoln electrified the convention, asserting that the institution of slavery had made the United States a house divided against itself. Slavery would either be extirpated or become lawful nationwide, Lincoln predicted, provocatively quoting scriptural authority to the effect that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Demonstrating how it changed the course of history, Harry Jaffa calls it [t]he speech that changed the world.

On July 9 Douglas responded in a campaign speech to a raucous throng from the balcony of the Tremont House hotel in Chicago. Lincoln was in the audience when Douglas prepared to speak and invited Lincoln to sit on the balcony. In his speech Douglas sounded the themes of the momentous campaign that Lincoln and Douglas waged that summer and fall for Douglass Senate seat.

Douglas paid tribute to Lincoln as a kind, amiable, and intelligent gentleman, a good citizen and an honorable opponent, but expressed his disagreement with Lincolns June 16 speech to the Illinois Republican convention that had named him its candidate for Douglass seat. According to Douglas, Lincolns assertion that the nation could not exist half slave and half free was inconsistent with the diversity in domestic institutions that was the great safeguard of our liberties. Then as now, diversity was a shibboleth hiding an evil institution that could not be defended on its own terms.

Douglas responded to Lincolns condemnation of the Supreme Courts Dred Scott decision  a condemnation that was the centerpiece of Lincolns convention speech. I am free to say to you, Douglas said, that in my opinion this government of ours is founded on the white basis. It was made by the white man, for the benefit of the white man, to be administered by white men, in such manner as they should determine.

Lincoln invited Douglass audience to return the next evening for his reply to Douglass speech. Lincolns speech of July 10 concludes with an explanation of the meaning of the American creed with incomparable eloquence and insight, in words that remain as relevant now as then:

* * * * *

We are now a mighty nation, we are thirtyor about thirty millions of people, and we own and inhabit about one-fifteenth part of the dry land of the whole earth. We run our memory back over the pages of history for about eighty-two years and we discover that we were then a very small people in point of numbers, vastly inferior to what we are now, with a vastly less extent of country,with vastly less of everything we deem desirable among men,we look upon the change as exceedingly advantageous to us and to our posterity, and we fix upon something that happened away back, as in some way or other being connected with this rise of prosperity. We find a race of men living in that day whom we claim as our fathers and grandfathers; they were iron men, they fought for the principle that they were contending for; and we understood that by what they then did it has followed that the degree of prosperity that we now enjoy has come to us. We hold this annual celebration to remind ourselves of all the good done in this process of time of how it was done and who did it, and how we are historically connected with it; and we go from these [Independence Day] meetings in better humor with ourselveswe feel more attached the one to the other, and more firmly bound to the country we inhabit. In every way we are better men in the age, and race, and country in which we live for these celebrations.

But after we have done all this we have not yet reached the whole. There is something else connected with it. We have besides these mendescended by blood from our ancestorsamong us perhaps half our people who are not descendants at all of these men, they are men who have come from EuropeGerman, Irish, French and Scandinavianmen that have come from Europe themselves, or whose ancestors have come hither and settled here, finding themselves our equals in all things. If they look back through this history to trace their connection with those days by blood, they find they have none, they cannot carry themselves back into that glorious epoch and make themselves feel that they are part of us, but when they look through that old Declaration of Independence they find that those old men say that We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and then they feel that that moral sentiment taught in that day evidences their relation to those men, that it is the father of all moral principle in them, and that they have a right to claim it as though they were blood of the blood, and flesh of the flesh of the men who wrote that Declaration [loud and long continued applause], and so they are. That is the electric cord in that Declaration that links the hearts of patriotic and liberty-loving men together, that will link those patriotic hearts as long as the love of freedom exists in the minds of men throughout the world. [Applause.]

Now, sirs, for the purpose of squaring things with this idea of dont care if slavery is voted up or voted down [Douglass popular sovereignty position on the extension of slavery to the territories], for sustaining the Dred Scott decision [A voiceHit him again], for holding that the Declaration of Independence did not mean anything at all, we have Judge Douglas giving his exposition of what the Declaration of Independence means, and we have him saying that the people of America are equal to the people of England. According to his construction, you Germans are not connected with it. Now I ask you in all soberness, if all these things, if indulged in, if ratified, if confirmed and endorsed, if taught to our children, and repeated to them, do not tend to rub out the sentiment of liberty in the country, and to transform this Government into a government of some other form. Those arguments that are made, that the inferior race are to be treated with as much allowance as they are capable of enjoying; that as much is to be done for them as their condition will allow. What are these arguments? They are the arguments that kings have made for enslaving the people in all ages of the world. You will find that all the arguments in favor of king-craft were of this class; they always bestrode the necks of the people, not that they wanted to do it, but because the people were better off for being ridden.

That is their argument, and this argument of the Judge [Douglas] is the same old serpent that says you work and I eat, you toil and I will enjoy the fruits of it. Turn in whatever way you willwhether it come from the mouth of a King, an excuse for enslaving the people of his country, or from the mouth of men of one race as a reason for enslaving the men of another race, it is all the same old serpent, and I hold if that course of argumentation that is made for the purpose of convincing the public mind that we should not care about this, should be granted, it does not stop with the negro. I should like to know if taking this old Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are equal upon principle and making exceptions to it where will it stop. If one man says it does not mean a negro, why not another say it does not mean some other man? If that declaration is not the truth, let us get the Statute book, in which we find it and tear it out! Who is so bold as to do it! [Voicesme no one, &c.] If it is not true let us tear it out! [cries of no, no,] let us stick to it then [cheers], let us stand firmly by it then. [Applause.]

* * * * *

Thank you, Mr. Lincoln: Let us stick to it then, let us stand firmly by it then. (First posted on Lincolns birthday 2005.)
Hyderabad, Feb 13 : Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday expressed deep shock over the road accident in Araku valley in Andhra Pradesh in which four tourists from Hyderabad were killed and many others were injured. The Andhra Pradesh government has reported the toll as eight.

The accident occurred when the tourist bus returning from the valley in Visakhapatnam district fell into a gorge.

The Governor stated that she is deeply shocked and saddened to know about the death of many tourists from Hyderabad in an accident at Araku valley Ghat road. "I express my deep condolences to the bereaved family members. Wish early recovery and best possible medical care to the injured," she said.

Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao conveyed his condolences to the families of those who died in the accident. He expressed the hope that those were injured in the accident would recover soon.

On the Chief Minister's direction, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar spoke to Andhra Pradesh's Director General of Police Gautam Sawang, DIG Kalidas and SP Krishna to request them to ensure best medical treatment to the injured.

The bus belonging to Dinesh Travels of Hyderabad was carrying 18 passengers. It fell into 200 feet deep gorge near Anantagiri. Four people were killed in the accident. The injured were admitted to nearby S. Kota Hospital. The Chief Secretary urged Andhra Pradesh officials to shift them to King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam for better treatment.

He was monitoring the situation to provide necessary assistance to the victims.

As the passengers belonged to Sheikhpet area, the Chief Secretary directed Hyderabad District Collector to send officials to provide information to their family members.
Greek tennis player Michail Pervolarakis says he has tested positive for coronavirus upon arrival in South Africa, after flying there from Australia.

Pervolarakis - who did not play in the Australian Open but did play in the ATP Cup as late as February 5  posted to his Instagram story at 9pm to let his followers know of the news.

Michail Pervolarakis of Greece greets fans during day four of the 2021 ATP Cup on February 5 in Melbourne. Credit:Getty

The ATP Cup was held at Melbourne Park. His movements since are unknown.

Hi everyone. After a 24 hour+ travel day from Australia to South Africa I have been diagnosed positive to COVID-19, he wrote on Instagram.

I am completely asymptomatic at the moment and will have to quarantine in an isolation facility in Potchefstroom.

I am not a person that complains but I feel that I need to express my disappointment at the conditions we are in.

A Tennis Australia spokeswoman said Pervolarakis flew out of Melbourne on February 9 and returned a negative test on that day. It is not know where he flew to from Melbourne.

Michail Pervolarakis of Greece plays a forehand in his Group B singles match at the 2021 ATP Cup in Melbourne on February 5. Credit:Getty

The entirety of Terminal 4 at Melbourne Airport between 4.45am and 2pm on February 9 has been declared a tier one coronavirus exposure site by Victorias health department.

Anyone there at that time has to get a test and isolate for 14 days. It is not clear if Pervolarakis was in Terminal 4 at this time.

It is unknown where he caught the virus or what type of test he received upon arrival in South Africa.

The player and Victorias health department have been contacted for comment.

The Australian Open is going ahead without crowds despite Melbournes lockdown.
MAHANOY CITY  Manufacturing is about turning something into a more useful, beautiful, necessary or just plain fun product.

In the past five years, the Manufacturers Resource Center has been providing an opportunity to seventh and eighth graders to learn more about career choices through its Whats So Cool About Manufacturing? initiative.

The WSCM program/contest began at school districts in Berks County before expanding into Schuylkill. It is a video-based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths in manufacturing.

Each year students in participating schools partner with a local company. At Mahanoy Area, computer science teacher Suzanne Mayberry is guiding a group of students through the program with Cardinal Systems Inc. in Schuylkill Haven.

What we used to do was to put together a video of two and a half minutes, but now its a minute and a half, Mayberry said. Weve been meeting with our manufacturer virtually. For the interviews, weve sent some questions ahead of time.

Our focus this year is why is it so great to work in manufacturing. Our goal is to really try to bring that message to life. The manufacturer will provide us with images that we can use. Since everything is virtual, it is a bit more challenging this year. Were doing the best that we can.

There are different categories in the contest. In 2020, Mahanoy Area won the Viewers Choice Award.

Participating this year on the Mahanoy Area team are eighth graders Kallysa Aguilar, Caylin Blashock, Alexis Chilinskas, Brooke Hanrahan, Hailey Hornung, Olivia Kennedy, Carissa Kessock and William Mayberry; and seventh graders Felicia Bro, McKayla Coll, Makayla Kramer, Hailey Mroczka and Sienna Napoli.

Id like to try something new this year that since I teach 3-D design, I was thinking that it would be neat to have a contest so the students could design their own pool in 3-D, Mayberry said. I think this would be a good way to get the students involved in STEM education in addition to the manufacturing as well.

Since it was not possible to have the students tour the plants and speak with employees for the video productions, Mahanoy Area students used Zoom to speak live and virtually from the computer science room with an individual employee lined up to talk and answer questions.

Each employee was introduced by Amy Doyle, Cardinal human resources director. Participating were Mike Shellnut, operations director; Brandon Heim, research and development director; Bob Mullins, machine operator; Tom Wingard, plastics manager; Jordan Oswald, programming supervisor; Kaitlin Morgan, customer service representative; Tyler Makowski, safety coordinator; Tom Horn, steel supervisor; and Jason Fisher, shipping supervisor.

According to Cardinals website: Cardinal Systems Inc. has been a leader in the pool industry for over 40 years. We continue to reinvest in our business with our newest product line, Sierra Outdoor Designs, which consists of modular kitchen cabinetry and components. Our other products include: steel and polymer pool components, liner track and coping, deck drains, thermoformed steps and liner bead, and a reusable cantilever concrete deck system.

MRC developed the program that at its core is peer marketing of students telling other students whats so cool about manufacturing jobs.

The contest is showcased on the Whats So Cool website (whatssocool.org) and shared nationally through the Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership platforms.

This career awareness program continues to excite students and manufacturers as it expands in Pennsylvania and spreads across the country, said Karen Buck, manager of Workforce Initiatives at MRC. The program is a win-win for students and manufacturers.

There are 20 other middle school teams involved this year through the MRC. The student team video submissions will be posted on the website and will be open to the public for voting in mid-April to compete for the Viewers Choice Award.

We have been involved with the program since the beginning, said Doyle of Cardinal Systems. We feel that its so important as a local business our responsibility to contribute to our community and to do our part as a manufacturer to educate the students, teachers and parents about the career opportunities within the industry. We want to show that a four-year college isnt for everyone. Its also important to focus on the vocational high school programs.

In addition to the Mahanoy Area/Cardinal team, others in Schuylkill County are: Minersville Area/Ateeco Inc. (Mrs. Ts Pierogies); North Schuylkill/Hydro; Pine Grove Area/Highwood USA; Shenandoah Valley/Solar Innovations Architectural Glazing Systems; Tamaqua Area/Ashland Technologies Inc.; Tri-Valley/Fabcon Precast; and Williams Valley/Michael Foods Inc.

In all, 21 school districts in Schuylkill and Berks counties are participating in 2021.
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researcher Yongxia Wu, Ph.D., identified a new target molecule in the fight against graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Bone marrow transplant, a treatment for certain blood cancers, is accompanied by potentially life-threatening GVHD in nearly 50% of patients. A January 2021 paper published in Cellular and Molecular Immunology revealed that activating a molecule called STING may be a new approach to reduce GVHD.

Xue-Zhong Yu, M.D., professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, focuses on understanding the intricate immune mechanisms that regulate GVHD development and anti-tumor activity.

Recently, STING (stimulator of interferon genes) has been highly studied in the context of cancer. Data from other groups has shown that STING activation in T cells helps the immune cells fight cancer. Cancer cells are essentially a "bad" version of the body's own cells and an appropriate target for its immune system. In contrast, in the case of GVHD, T cells fight the body's own "good" cells - in essence, the body attacks itself. Based on the previous data, it seemed logical that high STING activation, though good when it comes to cancer, would be bad in the context of GVHD. Yu's findings in a mouse model of GVHD confirmed this hypothesis. In the mouse model, which was obtained from collaborator Chih-Chi Andrew Hu, Ph.D., a Wistar Institute professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, GVHD was induced by bone marrow transplant, which closely models the disease development in humans.

To understand how GVHD develops after bone marrow transplantation, one must consider two immune systems: the donor's and the recipient's. The key immune cells are the antigen-presenting cells and the T cells. The immune system knows what to attack based on specific "tags," called antigens, that are shown to the T cells by the specialized antigen-presenting cells. Dendritic cells are the most effective antigen-presenting cells, and they play a critical role in GVHD.

Work from other research groups in cancer has demonstrated that STING signaling can regulate antigen- presenting cell function. STING is an important molecule in a DNA-sensing pathway that results in the production of inflammatory cytokines. But it is not known how STING regulates these cells in the context of GVHD.

The researchers used the mouse models to determine whether GVHD improved or worsened when STING was 1) absent in the donor immune cells, 2) absent in the recipient immune cells and 3) overexpressed in the recipient immune cells. GVHD severity was not changed when STING was absent from the donor immune cells. However, GVHD was more severe and mortality rates were higher when STING was missing from the recipient immune cells.

Yu and collaborators then looked at different cell subsets to try and understand which cells were most impacted by the loss of STING. Surprisingly, STING expression in the recipient mouse's antigen-presenting cells (dendritic cells) reduced donor T cell expansion and migratory ability after bone marrow transplant. In other words, it made it less likely that the T cells of the recipient mouse would attack its "good" cells and lead to GVHD. This finding was confirmed using a pharmacological drug that turned on the STING molecule. Activating STING in the host before transplantation reduced GVHD severity.

The finding in a mouse model that activating STING with a pharmacological drug reduced GVHD could be clinically relevant in that it suggests the possibility that a STING-activating drug might protect bone marrow transplant recipients from GVHD. Much more basic and clinical research will be required to assess that possibility, but Yu's findings suggest that such research is warranted.

To understand why the research team observed what they did, they will continue to unravel the biological functions of the STING molecule. Unanswered questions include what makes STING function differently in different immune cell subsets.

"Tools such as the mice from our collaborator allow us to study this more thoroughly. Total-body deletion of a protein does not allow for specific study in cell subsets, and we think that STING must have different roles in different cells," explained Yu.

###

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South, as well as the state's only integrated, academic health sciences center with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The state's leader in obtaining biomedical research funds, in fiscal year 2019, MUSC set a new high, bringing in more than $284 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available, while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 1,600 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians' practice plan, and nearly 275 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eight hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Florence, Lancaster and Marion counties. In 2019, for the fifth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $3.2 billion. The more than 17,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care.

About MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center comprises more than 100 faculty cancer scientists and 20 academic departments. It has an annual research funding portfolio of more than $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit hollingscancercenter.musc.edu.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday defended the Union Budget 2021-22, saying it did not put additional burden on people and had come at a time when the Indian economy was hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The allocation for the health sector had been increased by 137 per cent to Rs 2.23 lakh crore compared with last year with provision for Rs 35,000 crore for corona vaccination too, he said while addressing youths here as part of the BJP drive to explain to the people various welfare measures proposed by the government.

"The budget for health provides for Rs 35,000 crore for vaccination. We have also been helping several countries with the vaccine in line with the Indian philosophy of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam'," the Minister said.

"Based on the Prime Minister's advice of 'jaan hai tau jahan hai', health and well-being of the citizenry has been taken care of," he added.

Pradhan hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a Budget for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or self-reliant India.

He said that the central government had taken the responsibility of taking care of 80 crore people through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana during the pandemic.

"Eighty crore people -- two third of the country's population -- were taken care by the union government which provided free ration, gas, cash in bank accounts," Pradhan said.

He said that the Budget was focussed on innovation and technology, on which the economic strength of the country depended.

Pradhan said that the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs 40,000 crore will open new doors of development for rural India.

The Minister said that the new National Education Policy brought forth by the Modi government talked about employment and knowledge.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

An astute British military observer and eyewitness to the clash of armies at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in July 1863 lamented in the battle's bloody aftermath, "I never can believe that in the nineteenth century the civilized world will be condemned to witness the destruction of such a gallant race." Whether this reference was to the fate of the invading rebel forces who hosted the observer behind their lines of battle or to the Union Army, whose victory was sealed at an equally devastating cost, is immaterial when considering the crushing blows the American spirit endured in that moment.

Today, we are engaged in another kind of civil war. Though we are not yet embroiled in pitched battle, Americans need only read news headlines to discern the indifference of man to his fellow man and to glean from our litany of divisions the sentiment of the wishful destruction of our own countrymen with malice in our hearts. Today, as in our last Civil War, a house divided against itself cannot stand.

Although the civil, ideological, political, and social fissures in our society have existed for decades, in recent years, they have fractured into a chasm. Differences between liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican that could once be reconciled in the common goal of societal betterment are now irreparable as a rule vice an exception. The prevailing wisdom, one might infer, is that the American Experiment is at a crossroads. Will the house divided against itself fall, or can Americans find common ground on pride of country, on human decency, and on the inalienable rights of all Americans to thrive regardless of myriad differences that should not stigmatize us, but make us profoundly unique?

The woeful lack of comprehension of American history is the great undoing of recent generations. Lost to the far left are once peaceful sit-ins and the concept of civil disobedience championed by American figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., replaced with the repugnant, mindless violence seen across the land in a wanton effort by radicals to terrorize and denigrate the very country that bestowed upon them the rights they defile in their Marxist-anarchist quest to shred the fabric of America.

What, then, are sensible, conservative-minded Americans to do in a seemingly upside-down country mired in an Orwellian nightmare? It may come as a surprise to some Americans that past behavior is a reliable predictor of future behavior. As the adage goes, those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. America has an existential problem when a majority of her citizens are incapable of correctly identifying Abraham Lincoln as the 16th president, let alone explaining the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. An understanding of the breadth and scope of our founding documents is a critical step in fortifying our minds against the relentless onslaught of leftist attacks on our freedoms of thought and expression. In short, let your mind be your arsenal, and let knowledge be the weapons with which you stock it. Educate yourself about the Founding Fathers, the perilous struggle of patriots to prop up a fledgling United States, and the early missteps that would come back to haunt a burgeoning nation. Read about the many factors that ignited the Civil War, the abhorrently consequential institution of slavery, and the tumult of Reconstruction that is tangible to this day. Learn about American grit and sheer determination to defeat fascism and imperial expansion in WWII, and about the struggle for communist containment. Do this, and you will arm yourself with the fortitude that no manifestation of violent leftism can defeat.

Once you are awakened to the root causes and possible solutions to today's crises, take an active but nonviolent role in rooting out those elements in society who would topple the pillars of our constitutional republic established in our nation's birth as a model to revere. Violence in this pursuit only undermines an otherwise noble undertaking, so instead, turn to our most important civic duty: voting.

Far too often, conservatives are complacent in election cycles, thus ceding critical public offices at the state and local levels to leftist candidates whose army of foot soldiers, explicitly or implicitly, are actively and sometimes violently thwarting traditional American beliefs. Take, for instance, county school board elections. Leftists covet these positions because of the ideological influence they can sow in the education of America's youth. While you may not notice their actions on a granular level, you can find daily examples of anti-American thought in our schools at the national level. Showing up to vote your belief in the fundamental goodness of America, or even running for political office yourself, will help turn the tide of the raging assault on our deeply held values. Willful ignorance of our current trajectory, or sheer indifference to our elections and the patriotic ambitions of like-minded Americans, will only allow for the promulgation of leftist tyranny.

If an obscure British observer forgotten by time could succinctly articulate what must have looked like the imminent destruction of America, surely from an understanding of our history and a steadfast commitment to participation in our civic duties can we resolve to deliver her salvation.
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A new study published in the journal Science Advances shows that Bantu-speaking communities in the Congo rainforest underwent a major population collapse from 1600 to 1400 years ago, probably due to a prolonged disease epidemic, and that significant resettlement did not restart until around 1000 years ago. These findings revise the population history of no less than seven present-day African countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola) and challenges the commonly held belief that the settlement of Central Africa by Bantu-speaking communities was a continuous process from about 4000 years ago until the start of the transatlantic slave trade.

Ongoing debates about decolonization, restitution of African cultural heritage and antiracism have also renewed interest in the European colonization of Central Africa, even if it was a relatively short period in the long and eventful history of the region. Modern humans lived in the savannas of Central Africa several tens of thousands of years before they emerged in Europe. Also, in the Congo rainforest did our ancestors overcome many challenges long before the first European expedition traversed it, as shown again in this recently published study.

Unique interdisciplinary research method

As part of a cross-disciplinary research project examining the interconnections between human migration, language spread, climate change and early farming in pre-colonial Central Africa, the current study combines a comprehensive analysis of all available archeological radiocarbon dates as a proxy for human activity and demographic fluctuation with a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and distribution of pottery styles as a proxy for socio-economic development. These well-dated archeological records were further compared in this study with genetic and linguistic evidence to gain new insights into the ancient settlement history of Bantu-speaking populations in the Congo rainforest.

According to archeologist Dirk Seidensticker (UGent), one of the two lead authors, the multi-proxy approach developed in this study is unique both in terms of empirical evidence and scientific method, in that it uses 1149 radiocarbon dates linked to 115 pottery styles recovered from 726 sites throughout the Congo rainforest and adjacent areas: "We are the first to integrate these three types of archeological datasets on such a large scale and for such a long period and to demonstrate that throughout Central Africa two periods of more intense human activity (~800 BCE to 400 CE and ~1000 to 1900 CE) are separated by a widespread population collapse between 400 and 600 CE. Doing so, we could clearly delineate the periods commonly known as the Early Iron Age and Late Iron Age, each of them characterized by distinct pottery styles which first underwent a widespread expansion phase followed by a regionalization phase with many more local pottery styles. Pottery being one of the few material items of cultural heritage that has survived the ravages of time, this is an important step forward for the archeology of Central Africa."

New insights on the controversial Bantu Expansion

The initial spread of Bantu-speaking people from their homeland on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon towards eastern and southern Africa starting some 4000 years ago is unique in the world due to its magnitude, rapid pace, and adaptation to multiple ecozones. This spread had a momentous impact on the continent's linguistic, demographic, and cultural landscape. The Bantu languages constitute Africa's largest language family: about 1 out of 3 Africans speak one or several Bantu languages.

Historical linguist and Africanist Koen Bostoen (UGent) is excited about how these new insights that urge us to rethink the Bantu Expansion, one of the most controversial issues in African History: "Africa's colonization by Bantu speech communities is usually seen as a single, long-term and continuous macro-event. We tend to see today's Bantu speakers as direct descendants from those who originally settled the rainforest some 2700 years ago. Likewise, we think that current-day Bantu languages developed directly from the ancestral languages of those first settlers. However, our results show that this initial wave of Bantu-speaking Early Iron Age communities had largely vanished from the entire Congo rainforest region by 600 CE. The Bantu languages of this area may thus be almost 1000 years younger than previously thought. Scientifically speaking, this introduces new challenges for our use of linguistic data to reconstruct Africa's history. More generally, our study shows that African societies faced serious catastrophes long before the transatlantic slave trade and European colonization and had the resilience to overcome them. This is hopeful."

A prolonged epidemic as the cause of population collapse?

Paleobotanist and tropical forest ecologist Wannes Hubau (UGent & RMCA Tervuren), the other lead author, highlights that the drastic population collapse around 400-600 CE coincided with wetter climatic conditions across the region and may therefore have been promoted by a prolonged disease epidemic: "We note the broad coincidence between the sharp demographic decline in the Congo rainforest and the Justinian Plague (541-750 CE), which is regarded as one of the factors leading to the fall of both the Roman Empire and the Aksumite Empire in Ethiopia. It may have killed up to 100 million people in Asia, Europe, and Africa. We have no firm evidence that the population collapse observed in our archeological data is really due to a persistent vector-borne disease. However, the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which caused the Justinian Plague, has a long-standing presence in Central Africa. One particular strain, still found today in DRC, Zambia, Kenya and Uganda, has prevailed in Central Africa for at least 300 years and is the oldest living strain closely related to the lineage that caused the Black Death in 14th century Europe. We therefore consider a prolonged pandemic of plague to be a plausible hypothesis for the observed supra-regional population decline in 5th-6th century Central Africa."

###

More information

This study is part of the interdisciplinary BantuFirst-project led by Prof. Koen Bostoen and financed by the European Research Council (ERC);

Researchers of Ghent University (BantUGent in the Department of Languages and Cultures, and Limnology in the Department of Biology) collaborated with colleagues from different disciplines and research groups Europe and Africa: the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren (Wood Biology Lab), Uppsala University (SciLifeLab and Human Evolution, Department of Organismal Biology), Universite libre de Bruxelles (Faculte de Philosophie et Sciences sociales), and the University of Johannesburg (Palaeo-Research Institute).

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COLUMBUS, Ohio  State officials are accepting written public comments on six ailments that could potentially get added to the qualifying conditions list for medical marijuana.

The State Medical Board of Ohio will accept emails through Feb. 26 on the following conditions;

-autism

-Huntingtons disease

-panic disorder with agoraphobia

-restless leg syndrome

-spasticity and spasms

-terminal illness

On Wednesday, the boards Medical Marijuana Committee reviewed 30 petitions of new conditions to potentially add to the current list.

But the board rejected most of the petitions for reasons ranging from the condition is already allowed -- which was the case for post-traumatic stress disorder -- to petitions that were incomplete, since the medical board requires petitioners to attach medical studies showing the efficacy of marijuana or information from experts who specialize in the study or treatment of the condition.

On March 10, the boards Medical Marijuana Committee is expected to review the public comments.

On Wednesday, the Medical Marijuana Committee members seemed particularly interested in learning more about Huntingtons disease, since there are no pharmaceutical medicines that can cure it.

It is neurodegenerative, said Dr. Yeshwant P. Reddy, a Columbus spine physiatrist and pain consultant. It is genetic and we do not have any treatment whatsoever, which would help this condition. I do think this is a very, very genuine condition which we need to approve.

In addition to Huntingtons disease, the committee will hear from experts about how medical marijuana could affect restless leg syndrome, spasticity and spasms and terminal illness.

The board opted against bringing in experts for autism and panic disorder with agoraphoia. Instead it will serve as its own experts, since the conditions have been before the board in the past, with scientific studies and expert witnesses.

The medical board is conservative about adding conditions and usually ends the process each year by rejecting all potential conditions. An exception was last year, when the board added cachexia or wasting disease to the list.

The board has faced public pressure to add autism but has resisted, relying on last-minute testimony from doctors at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in 2019, who told them the marijuana could be harmful in children, and that pharmaceutical drugs are available. One Nationwide doctor ran trials of Epidiolex, a cannabis-based medication for seizures manufactured by the pharmaceutical company GW Research.

Last week, a bipartisan bill was introduced in the Ohio House that would legalize medical marijuana for people with autism. House Bill 60 had a first hearing Tuesday.

More coverage:

Bipartisan bill would legalize medical marijuana for Ohioans with autism spectrum disorder

Ohio health director says coronavirus death data job fell on one employee who got overwhelmed

Ohios overnight curfew expires, as coronavirus hospitalizations hold below 2,500

721 new coronavirus deaths reported as Ohio works to correct huge error: Thursday update

Gov. Mike DeWines budget proposals could help Ohioans struggling with mental health, addiction during pandemic

TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Namaste Technologies Inc. (Namaste or the Company) (TSXV: N) (FRANKFURT: M5BQ) (OTCMKTS: NXTTF) a marketplace platform for cannabis and wellness products, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary CannMart Labs Inc. (CannMart Labs) has received a standard processing licence from Health Canada (the Standard Processing Licence). The Company will now focus on the next step in the process, which is commissioning the equipment, a process which will commence immediately. The Company will leverage its existing sales licence through CannMart Inc. to bring our recreational products to provinces in Canada where Namaste already has a distribution network in place. We expect to have CannMart Labs manufactured products in the market by the end of Q2 2021.



Highlights of CannMart Labs:

CannMart Labs facility in Ontario is established for BHO extraction using leading extraction technology, making it one of only a few facilities in Canada with such capabilities.

Set to produce in-house branded Cannabis 2.0 products for medical channel customers at CannMart.com and recreational customers across Canada through sister company CannMart's network of provincial sales partners.

Cannabis 2.0 products initially planned include shatter, live resin, badder, wax and others with capabilities to expand future distillate product offerings to vape cartridges, gel capsules, tinctures and edibles. In addition, we will be looking to add solventless products such as rosin to our portfolio in the near future.



Namaste owns 100% of the CannMart Labs facility, which is located in Etobicoke, Ontario, a purpose-built oil extraction facility which incorporates a leading extraction technology facility designed to meet EU Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP) certification requirements. We will look at selling our manufactured products to other licensed producers and other sales channels as they become available.

This is a major catalyst for Namaste to generate material revenue through the sale of new and exciting cannabis products and by offering contract manufacturing services to our partners, said Meni Morim, CEO of Namaste. The team has selected and installed state-of-the-art extraction equipment and technology in its facility, which will be able to produce an array of cannabis products including shatter and live resin, as well as future distillate products such as vape cartridges, gel capsules, tinctures and edibles. We look forward to producing our in house branded Cannabis 2.0 products, including ROILTY for our medical channel customers at CannMart.com and recreational consumers across Canada through our network of provincial sales partners.

About Namaste Technologies Inc.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Namaste Technologies is a marketplace platform for cannabis and wellness products. At CannMart.com, the Company provides Canadian medical customers with a diverse selection of hand-picked products from a multitude of federally licensed cultivators and will provide US customers with access to smoking accessories and hemp-derived CBD. The Company also distributes licensed and in-house branded cannabis and cannabis derived products in Canada through a number of provincial government control boards and retailing bodies and facilitates licensed cannabis retailer sales online in Saskatchewan. Namastes global technology and continuous innovation address local needs in a burgeoning cannabis industry requiring smart solutions.

Information on the Company and its many products can be accessed through the links below:

NamasteTechnologies.com

NamasteMD.com

Cannmart.com

For more information please contact:

Namaste Technologies Inc.

Meni Morim, CEO

Edward Miller, VP Investor Relations

Ph: 647-362-0390

Email: ir@namastetechnologies.com

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION  This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not historical in nature contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as may, expect, likely, should, would, plan, anticipate, intend, potential, proposed, estimate, believe or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will happen. The forward-looking information contained herein, including, without limitation, statements related to the qualification of CannMart Labs equipment, CannMart Labs ability to bring products, including planned Cannabis 2.0 to market by the end of Q2, 2021 and the expectation to generate material revenue therefrom and from contract manufacturing services offered to third parties, the possible future expansion of distillate products to include vape cartridges and other products is made as of the date of this press release and is based on assumptions management believed to be reasonable at the time, including, without limitation, its ability to qualify the equipment under the Standard Processing Licence in a timely manner, the level of interest by third parties to seek contract manufacturing services from Namaste, Namastes standing in the online marketplace for cannabis products, Namaste's beliefs regarding the expected demand for cannabis products, including Cannabis 2.0 products, and the expected growth of that market, results of operations, operational matters, historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to management, there is no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release. Such factors include, without limitation: the inability of the Company to qualify the equipment in a timely manner, the failure of the CannMart Labs facility to be operational as expected, the generation of material revenue not being as anticipated, regulatory risk, risks relating to the Companys ability to execute its business strategy and the benefits realizable therefrom and risks specifically related to the Companys operations. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Companys current MD&A and annual information form, both of which have been filed under the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

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 or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release.
[February 12, 2021] INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Announces the Filing of a Securities Class Action on Behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN) Investors

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased Tyson Foods, Inc. ("Tyson" or the "Company") (NYSE: TSN) securities between March 13, 2020 and December 15, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Tyson investors have until April 5, 2021 to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors suffering losses on their Tyson investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com. On December 15, 2020, the New York City Comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, issued a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) ") calling for an investigation into Tyson's failures to carry out its stated coronavirus protection policies. The letter stated that Tyson's steps "to protect employees were grudging and minimal, such as letting workers use bandanas or sleep masks." The Company also "penaliz[ed] workers who take sick leave to avoid contact with any expose workers" and, "as of December 3, 2020, Tyson ha[d] the highest number of COVID-19 cases of any company in the meatpacking industry [and] twice as many deaths as any other meatpacking company."



On this news, the Company's stock price fell $1.78 per share, or 2.5%, to close at $68.25 per share on December 15, 2020, thereby damaging investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Tyson knew, or should have known, that the highly contagious coronavirus was spreading throughout the globe; (2) Tyson did not in fact have sufficient safety protocols to protect its employees in its facilities; (3) as a result, Tyson employees contracted and spread the coronavirus within the facilities; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Tyson would face negative impact to its production, including complete shutdowns of certain facilities; (5) due to the failure to protect its employees, Tyson would suffer financial harm related to its lowered production; and (6) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

If you purchased Tyson securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005504/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 14:12:05|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Greek ambassador to China Georgios Iliopoulos has expressed his hope to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields under the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism.

"The China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Summit is useful in promoting multilateral cooperation, as we now confront not only the pandemic itself but also its consequences in our economies and societies," Iliopoulos said in a recent text-based interview.

The China-CEEC Summit was held via video link on Tuesday. The summit released the 2021 Cooperation between China and CEEC Beijing List of Activities and the Outcome List of China-CEEC Summit, in which many activities and business cooperation documents concern Greece.

"The summit has confirmed the importance of the goal of common growth with benefits shared by all," said Iliopoulos, adding that inclusiveness, consultation and transparency were also reaffirmed as important tenets of China-CEEC cooperation.

In 2019, Greece joined the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism and became its 18th member country. Given Greece's extensive institutional experience in the integration of the region into Europe and EU policies, Iliopoulos believed that it has the potential to contribute to streamlining and enriching the agenda of the China-CEEC cooperation.

According to the List of Activities released at the summit, Greece will host this year the 6th China-CEEC high-level conference on tourism cooperation and the 3rd China-CEEC experts' forum on intangible cultural heritage protection.

"This is a testimony of our will to engage in the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism in a constructive and effective manner," Iliopoulos said.

Fighting the pandemic in unity was one of the focuses of the summit. Last February, Iliopoulos uttered his support for China's fight against COVID-19. When Greece was under attack by the pandemic, China also provided timely assistance, including providing and donating medical supplies. The two countries also shared information and exchanged scientific data.

"This cooperation has demonstrated that we can all work together more effectively in fighting the pandemic on all fronts," he said.

He noted that both Greece and China have achieved positive results in the fight against COVID-19 thanks to a shared sense of unity, mobilization of the two countries' collective wisdom, the spirit of survival and the importance attached to the protection of the lives of others and the respect for vulnerable groups.

"These cultural traits are somehow registered in our 'cultural DNA' and have greatly assisted both our societies and countries to defend against the dangers of this crisis," Iliopoulos said.

Talking about regional and global economic recovery after the pandemic, the ambassador said that a comprehensive approach, through multilateral cooperation patterns, is needed in the efforts to pave the way forward and spur growth.

"This should include measures on many fronts, such as supporting trade, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), digitization, start-ups and the re-growth of service sector such as tourism," he said, adding that economic recovery is achievable by coordinating policies wherever this may be possible, enabling synergies and partnerships, based on level playing field rules, reciprocity, fairness and market openness, with adherence to international and EU Law.

For future cooperation with China, the ambassador expressed his hope to export higher volumes of tradable goods from the primary sector of the Greek economy, such as quality agri-food products to China.

Noting that 2021 is the "Greece-China Year of Culture and Tourism," Iliopoulos uttered his hope to see more Chinese investments in both the primary and the secondary sectors, as well as to enhance relations in tourism, education, innovation research, start-ups, and the field of culture and creative industries and audio and visual productions.

"Greece, being an important pillar of peace, security, stability and prosperity in its region, is looking today forward to ever closer and stronger ties with China," he said. Enditem
Falun Gong adherents from Shenyang, the capital of northeast Chinas Liaoning Province send a Lunar New Year greeting card to the founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Falun Gong Adherents Worldwide Send Lunar New Year Greetings to Founder

Thousands around the world expressed well wishes and greetings to Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of the spiritual practice Falun Gong, to mark the start of a new Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 12 this year.

It has long been a tradition for the Chinese to send new year greetings to their loved ones and those they respect. This year, greetings to Li came in the form of e-cards, personal messages, poems, and video greetingsnot only from those who are adherents of the practice, but also from Chinese citizens who admire Li.

I wish Master Li good health and a long life. Happy Chinese New Year! said Mr. Chen from central Chinas Henan Province, in a recent interview with The Epoch Times sister media NTD. In traditional Chinese culture, Master is a title of respect often used to address teachers and instructors.

He added: He has great influence around the world and hundreds of millions have approved of his contributions [to society]. There is no need for me to add anything else. I wish to see him becoming more influential.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual practice involving slow meditative exercises and moral teachings centered around the principle of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Li introduced the practice to the public in 1992 and there were 70 million to 100 million adherents by mid-1999, according to official estimates.

The practices popularity drew the ire of former Chinese regime leader Jiang Zemin, who viewed it as a threat to both his rule and the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) ideologies. In July 1999, Jiang launched a nationwide persecution to arrest and detain Falun Gong adherents.

According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, millions have been detained inside prisons, jails, labor camps, and other facilities in China, who are often tortured while incarcerated. Prior to the Chinese Lunar New Year, at least 1,216 Falun Gong adherents were either kidnapped or harassed in January.

Outside of China, millions have taken up the practice in over 100 countries and regions.

The persecution has not silenced the voices of adherents in China. In the past week, many have sent their greetings to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that tracks the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

A greeting card from an unnamed adherent from Chinas Jiangsu Province. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

One of the colored e-cards sent to Minghui was from an adherent who works in the judicial system of coastal Chinas Jiangsu Province. The card depicts a young girl sitting before a lotus flower and is decorated with the words Wishing Master a Happy New Year in simplified Chinese characters.

The adherent from Jiangsu also wrote that he has been practicing Falun Gong for 24 years, and he thanked Li for passing on moral teachings that have allowed him to feel spiritually fulfilled.

Another colored e-card was from a group of adherents working at the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The card depicts three youngsters with a Chinese scroll showing truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance in Chinese characters.

A greeting card from adherents at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Many of the colored e-cards originated from adherents living in Changchun, the capital of northeastern Chinas Jilin Province and Lis hometown. Several wrote that they missed Li greatly and promised to be more diligent in their moral cultivation.

Adherents outside of China have also sent greetings through Minghui.org, including those from Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In several cities around the world, including Los Angeles, Toronto, and Taipei, local adherents sent their greetings to Li through public photo shoots.

About 450 adherents of Falun Gong adherents pose for a group photo to wish Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Gong, a happy Lunar Chinese New Year, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 24, 2021. (Chen Po-chou/The Epoch Times)

Chang Chin-hua, head of Falun Dafa Association in Taiwan and a journalism professor at Taiwans National Taiwan University, took part in a photoshoot in Taiwans capital Taipei on Jan. 24. She explained that Taiwanese adherents cherish the opportunity to participate in public events, for the island has democracy and religious freedom that are not available in mainland China.

She added that people can learn through these public events about the spiritual exercises, which help to dispel the negative propaganda that Beijing has promoted as part of its persecution of Falun Gong.
The NASA Earth Observatory is asking people to vote what they think are the best archived photos.

"Tournament Earth: Astronaut Photography" will launch in early March, and anyone can be a part of the selection committee!

From now through Feb. 19, you can search the archives and pick the best photos shot by astronauts.

Youll then post the URLs of your favorite photos in the comments section here.

These selections will be included in the tournament in March. Voters can choose each week from pairs of photos.

The champion will be announced in April.
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association (AFA) today released the names of the 28 National Finalist teams that qualified for the CyberPatriot XIII Virtual National Competition March 19-21, 2021.

The 12 Open Division, 13 All Service Division, and three Middle School Division national finalist teams advanced through a series of competitive online qualifying rounds to earn the distinction of national finalist. They represent schools and other youth organizations from California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

A full list of the National Finalist teams can be found here.

"Being named a national finalist in any season is a remarkable achievement," said Bernie Skoch, AFA's CyberPatriot National Commissioner. "But to do it in the challenging environment our teams faced this season is an even greater accomplishment. Not only has the competition gotten more rigorous, but addressing pandemic protocols stressed our teams even further. These 28 teams are genuinely outstanding and their team members have shown skill, teamwork, and determination as none before them. Our congratulations to them, and our thanks to Northrop Grumman and our other sponsors for continuing to invest generously in America's future."

The CyberPatriot XIII competition season began in November 2020 with 4,800 registered teams. The CP-XIII season looked a bit different then previous competition seasons since CyberPatriot modified things to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those modifications included extending registration which resulted in the elimination of a round of competition and allowing teams to compete in a variety of settings including students competing from their homes. After multiple rounds of rigorous online challenges, the Open Division and All Service Division teams were divided into three tiers: Platinum, Gold and Silver. The teams then competed within their tiers for state awards and the top Platinum tier teams were eligible to advance to the National Finals.

The National Finals Competition will be held virtually this year March 19-21. This is the second year that the National Finals have transitioned to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CyberPatriot is planning a robust National Finals Competition which will include the Network Security Master Challenge, the Cisco NetAcad Challenge, the AT&T Mobile Computing Challenge, the TCP/IP (The Career Portal/ Industry Perspective) event with CyberPatriot sponsors, an opening ceremony, and an awards ceremony. The top overall teams in the Open and All Service Divisions will receive scholarships from Northrop Grumman, and the top Open and All Service Division teams in the Cisco NetAcad Challenge will receive scholarships from Cisco.

CyberPatriot, the nation's largest and fastest growing youth cyber education program, is AFA's flagship STEM program dedicated to strengthening cyber skills among students. The program features the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition for high school and middle school students, AFA CyberCamps, an Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative, the CyberPatriot Literature Series, and CyberGenerations, the Senior Citizen's Cyber Safety Initiative.

Supporters of CyberPatriot include the Northrop Grumman Foundation (CyberPatriot's Presenting Sponsor) as well as Cyber Diamond sponsors AT&T, Cisco, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Microsoft; Cyber Gold sponsors Air Force Reserve, BNY Mellon, Facebook, Symantec, and the USAA Foundation; and Cyber Silver sponsors Air Force STEM, American Military University, Boeing, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Gannon University, Leidos, Mastercard, University of Maryland Global Campus, and VMware.

To learn more about CyberPatriot, please visit AFA's CyberPatriot website www.uscyberpatriot.org.

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


Prime Minister Narendra Modis strong defence of the even as he threw his weight behind the governments agenda of privatisation has sent a clear message that the days of stealthy economic reforms are over. Replying to the motion of thanks on the presidents address in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Mr Modi asserted that abusing wealth creators for votes was no longer acceptable, and that the bureaucracy should take the backseat in the running of factories and businesses.

In this context, our lead editorial notes, as the role of the increases, the government will have to develop capabilities so that no private enterprise can abuse the system in the absence of a proper regulatory framework or enforcement.

The strategy of financing higher government through asset sales is likely to have only limited success. We will have to find ways soon to raise the tax/GDP ratio, writes T T Ram Mohan

Given its size, numbers and established pharmaceutical industry, India could play a key role in curbing a disease that spreads so rapidly and insidiously that it will not be stopped until herd immunity extends across the globe, writes Sunanda K Datta-Ray
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Thursday night that NBC10 has apologized for including a graphic in a news segment that altered the wording on the Philadelphia Police Departments motto to coffee, corruption, donuts.

The actual words are honor, integrity, service and it appears in the departments shield, which has the shape of a badge and can be found on uniforms and department vehicles.

The segment was about city employees, including five police officers, who have died from COVID-19 and the altered graphic was briefly displayed. An updated version of the segment is available on the NBC10 website and an image with the correct words has replaced the altered version.

In a statement on Twitter, Outlaw said: Earlier tonight on an @NBCPhiladelphia news broadcast, an inappropriate and insulting graphic of the PPD Shield was shown during a story related to COVID-19 deaths of city employees - including 5 of our officers. I want to thank NBC10 for their quick correction...and apology. We certainly understand mistakes happen, as we are all human beings. However, mistakes such as these can tear away at our legitimacy, & can also diminish the work of our employees who risk their safety every day to provide #HonorIntegrityAndService to our great city!

NBC10 apologized for the graphic during a subsequent newscast Thursday night and posted a written version on Facebook in response to a flood of comments expressing outrage: In a story on our 5 p.m. newscast that was meant to help police officers and other frontline city workers, we made a mistake. We intended to use a picture of the Philadelphia police shield that says honor, integrity, and service. Instead, we mistakenly inserted a parody version that was disrespectful to everyone on the force. We regret the error. And we apologize to every man and woman on the Philadelphia police force.
Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado.
A new Human Rights Watch reports chronicles how more than 20 African governments are using the COVID-19 pandemic to clamp down on freedom of the media. The report finds that Zimbabwes government, long known for repressing dissent, is one of the worst offenders.

The report released Thursday says officials in Zimbabwe are cracking down on journalists, political opponents, health workers and others who criticize the governments response to the COVID-19 crisis.

In Zimbabwe, we have documented a number of incidences over the last year. And our report references three of those," says Gerry Simpson, an associate director for crisis and conflict division at Human Rights Watch. "A journalist that was beaten at a checkpoint near a lockdown area. We documented how a journalist was detained for nine weeks for his COVID reporting between July and November at various stages last year, and finally we have noted how Zimbabwe introduced the Public Health Order Act in March which threatened up 20 years in prison for fake news on public health matters.

Samuel Takawira, a journalist with an online media outlet in Zimbabwe called 263Chat, is one of two journalists arrested last year for interviewing three opposition activists who were reportedly tortured by state security agents.

Our arrest served as a reminder to all other journalists, media people not to pursue the story," he said. "Obviously, this was a ploy to silence people, this was a ploy by government to hinder its citizens from knowing the truth, what transpired to these ladies. No wonder why (in) their bail conditions," he sai, they were not supposed to speak to the media.

Elasto Mugwadi, the head of the government-affiliated Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, confirmed that his organization had received complaints of abuses raised in the HRW report.

There were a few complaints when these issues were being applied; the robust approach in enforcement by the police. So generally excessive enforcement. This is a continuous process; we are not stopping monitoring, we are still carrying on, he said.

Simpson of Human Rights Watch mentioned Uganda and Malawi as other countries where authorities have cracked down hard on journalists trying to cover the pandemic.

"For example, in Uganda where securities killed at least 54 protestors and injured 45 in November, while citing COVID-19 regulations saying the rallies they were attending were illegal and in Malawi, just a few weeks ago, in January this year at least seven police officers assaulted a journalist in the capital with pipes and sticks for several minutes after he asked for permission to photograph them enforcing COVID-19 regulations," he said.

Human Rights Watch wants the U.N. Human Rights Council meeting later this month to commission a new report focusing on states compliance with their rights obligations in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact of restrictions on free speech and peaceful assembly.

The U.N. Human Rights Council was not immediately available for comment on the HRWs report called Covid-19 Triggers Wave of Free Speech Abuse.
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Ambassador Chau often says that being an ambassador, he is tasked to provide security for Vietnamese citizens in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic broke out and his task is similar to all of his international peers. He highly appreciated these Vietnamese diplomats who have organized thousands of flights bringing more than 60,000 Vietnamese citizens around the world back to Vietnam with the motto No-one is left behind.

There have been stories of challenges in evacuation of Vietnamese residents amid the coronavirus pandemic. Worse, evacuation of Vietnamese people in India was more difficult as small groups of Vietnamese people live in scattered disadvantaged places during lockdown time.



It took two months for preparation of the first campaign named Hoa Kim Tuoc to bring Vietnamese people back which was organized on May 19, 2020 - Late President Ho Chi Minhs birthday. Stranded people in India include not only staff on business, students, tourists, technicians, investors but also laborers, Buddhist followers and monks who had limited budgets.

Ambassador Chau and all staff in the Embassy had been on the run finishing paper works for flights, visa extension as well as providing foodstuff for poor people and raising money to buy air tickets for those who are unable to afford it. Eventually, 66 buses and three domestic flights carried all Vietnamese people from 15 states of India in time at the airport in New Delhi for the flight to return to Vietnam. Ambassador Chau shared that he and his colleagues had sometimes given up to the organization of the flights because of complex paperwork.

In her thanks-you letter, Trinh Thi Ut - one of 11 monks studying at Acharya Nagarjuna University in India  wrote that she and her Vietnamese classmates had fallen into desperation because they bumped into different difficulties. At these times, the monk received encouragement and sharing from Ambassador Chau and other staff of the Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi through phone calls and text messages during the memorable time.

When they all returned to Vietnam, some of them considered Ambassador Chau as their brother while others wanted to give gifts to the devoted ambassador to show their gratitude to him whereas Ambassador Chau has just thought that was one of his duties as an ambassador assigned by the country.

After the successful flight from India, these staff of the Vietnam Embassy in India, Bhutan and Nepal continued organizing flights taking back Vietnamese citizens from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates to Vietnam. Ambassador Chau named all flights with a symbol flower of each country like Rhododendron- known as the Nepal national flower, Lotus - the National Flower of India, Himalayan blue poppy  the national flower of Bhutan, Tribulus Omanense - the national flower of the UAE. Though the names of flights are gentle and soft, the real work in fact was very hard because he both protected the safety of Vietnamese citizens in the epidemic and finished his duties as an ambassador keeping his staffs safe from contracting the disease as India has had the worlds second-highest coronavirus caseload behind the US.

However, he unexpectedly got the fatal disease along with some of his staff. In spite of pre-supposing this, they worried a lot these days. He said that they didnt absolutely inform anyone even relatives and family members but just some other staff in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Because they had prepared themselves that one day they could contract the disease, they ordered 4-5 beds in an infirmary and even planned to withdraw a certain amount of money to rent a plane to return to Vietnam if the situation became worse.

Ambassador Chau in Vietnam's traditional ao dai (Photo: SGGP)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized a telemedicine so that physicians of Hanoi  based Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Bach Mai Hospital could examine the condition of the staff of the Vietnam Embassy in India including guidance of temperature measure, blood pressure measure, blood test and symptoms to have separate treatment for each case. Most of them stayed at home to receive medical guidelines except one who had been hospitalized.

The tragedy took place in September, 2020 when Ambassador Chau experienced fatigue and fever, most commone symptoms of Covid-19. He just only shared his feelings in a status update on facebook by sharing the status of Canadian ambassador Barbara Richardson that Diplomats must work in places far away from their families and friends to help their citizens who are in difficulties. Their mission is to make sure nations in the world connect each other. Amid the coronavirus, they have sometimes lived in dangerous places and they are unable to return to their homeland even when they are sick.

After reading his facebook update in the social network, some of his relatives, friends and followers could guess his health status but most of them supposed that his general worry when living in the epicenter of the deadly virus while others thought the status expressing his feeling as he couldnt return to attend his daughters wedding ceremony. The fact that diplomats cant be beside their relatives in important events is the biggest loss for them.

Eventually, all staff of the embassy recovered from the disease with a negative test result in December, 2020. Talking with SGGP reporters through a long phone call, Ambassador Chau revealed that he no longer contracted the deadly virus and happily added that his immunity to Covid-19 may persist six months or more.

Mr. Chau shared that 2020 must be a very sad year in human history regretting that due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, many of his plans couldnt be performed. The direct flight Vietnam  India which was opened in December 2019 and other routes have not developed fully to push up tourism. Worse, bilateral trade between Vietnam and India dropped dramatically.

Nevertheless, he and his colleagues have built the Embassy, pushed up paperwork for the construction of President Ho Chi Minh statue in New Delhi as well as introduced HCL technologies into Vietnam with the aim of establishing a representative office in Hanoi and training 10,000 Vietnamese IT engineers.

He proudly said that the embassy had brought all Vietnamese citizens back to the country amid the pandemic.

By My Hang - Translated by Dan Thuy


Credit: CC0 Public Domain

In chronic infections, the immune system can become exhausted. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich researchers have looked into how this works.

T lymphocytes, or T cells, are an important component of our immune system. They can recognize foreign proteins, so-called antigens, as peptide fragmentsfor instance, those derived from viruses or cancer cells. In principle, they could, but usually do not, attack our own ("self") proteins. "That is why it is important for the organism to tightly control the activities of T cells," says Dr. Reinhard Obst, head of a research group at the Institute for Immunology at LMU's Biomedical Center that studies the activation of T cells.

When viruses gain access to tissues, T cells are activated to eliminate the pathogens. However, if T cells are exposed to their target antigens for too long, they can lose their functionality and become "exhausted." They no longer secrete pro-inflammatory messenger molecules, and therefore cannot contribute much to an immune response. On the one hand, it makes sense to keep these cells under control so as to avoid collateral damage to the organism. On the other, T cell exhaustion makes it difficult to fight chronic diseases, such as those caused by HIV, hepatitis viruses and cancer cells. Understanding immune responses to chronically persisting threats like these is thus one of modern medicine's great challenges. "This is where T cell exhaustion plays a central role." the LMU researcher says.

A new model to study T cell exhaustion

Several years ago, Obst developed an animal model which has now yielded important insights. He focused on T helper cells, which express the CD4 marker molecule and make up the largest subset of T cells. Each of these cells recognizes a defined protein fragment as an antigen.

To control the timing and the amount of the specific antigen expressed in this model system, the LMU scientists used a trick. Their transgenic mice were exposed to different doses of the antibiotic doxycycline, which controls the synthesis of the antigen, via their drinking water. Different amounts of antigen are thus being presented to the T cells in these animals, which avoids the need for experimental infection. "In this way, we are able to regulate the amount of antigen produced," Obst explains. "Our goal was to find out how the corresponding T helper cells respond.

The results showed that the effects were dose dependent: In the presence of high antigen doses, the T cells underwent apoptosis, meaning they died by programmed cell death. At an intermediate dose, however, the T cells survived but quickly lost their functionality. "We demonstrated this state of exhaustion by regulating the amount of antigen that the cells encountered," the LMU researcher explains. At a low dose, it took several weeks before the cells showed signs of exhaustion. When in further experiments the antigen was subsequently removed, the cells were able to partially recover from their exhausted state. Such dynamic adjustments convinced the researchers that T-helper cells are capable of a surprising degree of plasticity.

Supporting the T cells' fight against chronic infections and cancer

Obst and his colleagues believe that their findings could have therapeutic implications. The data indicate that a number of transcription factors (proteins that control gene expression) and signaling pathways regulate the different states of exhaustion.

Two years ago, several groups showed that one of these transcription factors, named Tox, contributes significantly to the exhaustion of T killer cells, another T cell subset. When the Tox gene was deleted, the T-killer cells were less readily exhausted in a chronic infection and could more effectively fight a chronically persisting virus. However, they also attacked the host animals' organs and died sooner. The new findings suggest that there are several mechanisms in place to adjust T helper cells dynamically to different antigen loads.

Obst now hopes to identify molecules that inhibit transcription factors or signaling pathways which contribute to T cell exhaustion. This could provide a possible strategy to support T cells' fight against chronic infections and cancer and boost our natural defences against such diseases.

Explore further Reviving exhausted immune cells to fight cancer

More information: Anne Trefzer et al. Dynamic adoption of anergy by antigen-exhausted CD4+ T cells, Cell Reports (2021). Journal information: Cell Reports Anne Trefzer et al. Dynamic adoption of anergy by antigen-exhausted CD4+ T cells,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108748

India stood up Chinas disruptive use of technology and my way or no way attitude: CDS

Depsang to feature in next round of India-China talks

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 12: India will raise the issue of disengagement at the Depsang area in the next round of military commander level talks with China.

This would come after both sides agreed to disengage at the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had made a statement to this effect in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday.

While Singh spoke about the disengagement at Pangong Tso, officials say that during the next round of talks with China, the Depsang Plains would be on the talks table.

Standing our ground: How Indias national security planners ensured disengagement at LAC

In a surprise move, the Chinese PLA had withdrawn over 200 main battle tanks from the south banks of the Pangong Tso. The PLA also positioned no less than 100 heavy vehicles to ferry its troops from fingers of the north banks to Srijap sector, east of Finger 8.

Following an agreement reached between India and China, the disengagement at Pangong Lake began at 9 am on Wednesday. This is thanks to several back channel talks held by the military commanders, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval with their counterparts in Beijing. Officials tell OneIndia that this has been achieved after the back-channel talks by India's top national security planners and also the fact that India stood its ground.

Officials also said that once the disengagement is complete at Pangong Tso, talks would be initiated about the withdrawal from patrolling point 15 and 17 ie Gogra and Hot Springs respectively.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Rajya Sabha that the Armed Forces had responded to the challenges posed by the unilateral Chinese action and have shown valour and courage on both South and North bank of Pangong Tso.

The statement in the Upper House was made a day after China said that both the armies would disengage from the north and south banks of Pangong Tso.

The statement by the Defence Minister signals that the are clear signs of tensions being eased in Eastern Ladakh.

The disengagement plan in Eastern Ladakh explained

Many strategically important points were identified and our troops positioned themselves at those Hill Tops and at locations which were very important from our point of view. It is because of this great bravery of our Armed Forces in the face of harsh adverse climatic conditions that we maintained the edge. Our Armed Forces proved yet again that territorial integrity of our country remains safe in their hands and their grit and determination to safeguard our borders is unwavering, the Defence Minister said.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News
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An oil company has agreed to pay almost $2 million for spilling crude oil and wastewater at two central Wyoming oilfields.

The spills happened between the fall of 2016 and spring of 2018. One was in the Linch Complex Field in Johnson County and five were in the Salt Creek Field in Natrona County, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The biggest spill was about 300,000 gallons. The rest were 23,000 gallons or less.

Irving, Texas-based Fleur de Lis Energy, LLC, has agreed to pay a $1.9 million settlement, EPA officials said in a release this week.

A phone message left with the company seeking comment wasnt immediately returned Wednesday.

Fleur de Lis didnt have adequate plans to prevent and respond to spills but recently has submitted plans that meet regulatory requirements, according to the EPA.

The penalty goes into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund used by the U.S. government to respond to spills of oil and hazardous substances.

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

Topics Energy Oil Gas
The US Air Force upgrades their F-22 Raptors to increase the life of the most advanced fighters on the planet. No competing nation has ever released actual testing or documentation of the 5th generation planes that validates their claims.

Raptors were the first stealth fighters built, and considered one of the best 5th gen planes, even better than the J-20 or the Sukhoi Su-57. This competition keeps the updates on the top fighter to better face those challengers.

Airframes are given upgrades

All the work done on the Raptors was at Hill Air Force Base (AFB) Utah, engineers from Lockheed Martin and Boeing accomplished the installation of newer systems, reported Eurasian Times. All the improvements include strengthening of the plane body to give it more flight hours and keep Stealth Raptors flying to the detriment of America's adversaries. Last is the top-secret coating that deflects radar is refreshed, only known to the US.

Even if the high-tech fighter can outdo most challengers with its current avionics (flight control), the jets were checked and were given improved flight control systems. All planes might end up dogfighting, so the new flight control and combine weapons and sensors make it lethal.

The conglomerated US aerospace firms have the most advanced technology and stealth know-how, hence the target of Chinese espionage. All the fighters designed have surpassed China and Russia; the J-20 and Su-57 are touted as better. The upgrades their F-22 Raptors have will best beat them in actual flight and real combat.

Also read: US Air Force Secret Plane Might Be the Next 6th Generation Fighter

Raptors are fearsome opponents

One time an F-22 pilot call sign "Showtime" approached an Iranian F-4 and even flew under to check the plane's weapons. He went out to the left-wing; the F-4 never saw him. He warned the Iranian to go home or else.

American planes were put on the frontline BR-71 Black Bird, F-117 Night Hawk, Fighting Falcon, Strike Eagles, F-35, but the Raptor is air superiority and stealth incarnate of American aerial firepower. All defense systems made by Russia and China is to defeat it.

F-22 all around stealth fighter

Both Lockheed Martin and Boeing worked on the airplane. Lockheed made airframe and weapon systems to create a 5th gen fighter in the early 2000s. Boeing did the wings, fuselage at aft, avionics, and training protocol that completed the project.

To date, it is the only single-seat, dual engine, all-weather, stealth multi-mission craft with updated flight control that outperforms based on documented performance in operations. Any challenge to America will have Raptors in the skies.

Pentagon officials have forbidden sale to foreign governments that can learn its secrets. One of them is China who'll steal the technology outright. This tech is crucial, and the US must keep it exclusive to keep dominance.

New weapons and a longer lifespan

Modified weapons for the jets include a new AIM-9X air-to-air missile and the AIM 120-D for air-to-air engagement. Many enemies have added advanced missiles to shoot down at longer ranges. AIM-9X can attack air, surface targets, and fire from a launcher as is.

The Raptors will get 8,000 hours more from the original service life, which is terrible news for adversaries thinking the plane is too old already. Committing and doing upgrades their F-22 Raptors modernized, refreshed stealth coating, and corrosion repair, making the aircraft like new again.

Related article: Future War Air Force F-22s and F-35s: Swarming Attack Drones Will Change Aerial Warfare

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Iranian government has denied a report stating that an Iranian diplomat in Turkey was arrested in relation to the killing of a dissident in Istanbul.

Turkish authorities arrested an Iranian official suspected of involvement in the November 2019 killing of Masoud Molavi Vardanjani, who was a critic of the Islamic Republic. The official, named Mohammad Reza Naserzadeh, was arrested this week for allegedly planning the deadly shooting, Reuters reported on Friday.

However, Iran's Foreign Ministry said Turkish media falsely reported that an employee at the Iranian consulate in Istanbul was arrested.

None of the staffers of our countrys Consulate General in Istanbul has been or is engaged, closely or remotely, in the activities alleged by that (Turkish) media. Moreover, none of the employees of our countrys Consulate General has been arrested, said Saeed Khatibzadeh on Friday, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

Khatibzadeh added that the man named in Turkish media is not an employee of the Iranian consulate.

The arrest of the consular employee was first reported by the Turkish news outlet Daily Sabah. Naserzadeh allegedly helped smuggle the mastermind of the assassination to Iran by forging travel documents. Authorities learned about Naserzadehs alleged involvement while questioning another man suspected of helping the mastermind escape, according to the outlet.

Vardanjani was a former Iranian intelligence operative who posted on social media about corruption in the Iranian government and security apparatus, according to Daily Sabah.

Naserzadeh has denied the charges, saying he was not in Turkey at the time of the killing and did not know the alleged mastermind of the plot, Daily Sabah reported.

This is not the first time Turkey has accused Iran of killing a dissident on its soil. In December, Turkey arrested 11 people who allegedly worked with Iran to abduct an Arab Iranian dissident in Istanbul and smuggle him back to Iran.

Turkey and Iran have some shared interests, but the two states have differed recently on several issues, especially regarding the wars in the Caucasus and Syria.

This recent arrest as well as the ones in December could harm relations. Daily Sabah also reported on Thursday that an Iranian consulate employee assaulted a Turkish journalist in Istanbul.
Race faker Rachel Dolezal has claimed she has been unable to find a job over the past six years after it was revealed that she was a white woman pretending to be black.

Dolezal, 43, told TV host Tamron Hall that even after changing her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo - a West African way of saying 'gift from the gods'  in 2017, she is still recognized and never gets past the interview stage.

The former NAACP leader, who says she still sees herself as black, claimed it has been 'really tough' and that she wishes 'people could see me more for who I am than the what'.

Even after moving to Tucson, Arizona, last year where her teenage son was going to college, the single mother-of-three said she has been forced to 'create my own job and find my own ways to provide for my children' as she braids hair, writes grants, paints and delivers 'pep talks'. She moved from Spokane, Washington.

Race faker Rachel Dolezal (pictured) has claimed she has been unable to find a job over the past six years after it was revealed that she was a white woman pretending to be black

In 2015, a local news reporter in Washington 'outed' Dolezal after revealing her Montana parents, Ruthanne and Lawrence Dolezal, were both white. High school pictures emerged of Dolezal - before she had made attempts to cast herself as a black woman - with blond hair (left)

Hall questioned Dolezal about her hair and the former NAACP leader claimed that she was wearing it in braids to advertise her business of hair braiding as she had not been able to find other jobs.

'I'm in braids right now - and for a practical reason: advertising what I do to provide for my children,' Dolezal said, as she appeared on the show with a map of Africa in the background. 'I've been braiding for over 20 years.'

'I started with applying for all of the things I was qualified for,' she said of her job prospects, 'and after interviews and getting turned down, I even applied to jobs that didn't even require degrees ... being a maid at a hotel, working at a casino.

'I wasn't able to get any of those jobs either.'

Dolezal said that employers never told her the scandal about her false identity was the reason why she didn't get a job but that it was hard when the internet contained information that was 'inaccurate about your life story'.

Dolezal pushed her book as she claimed it was the only 'true place' for her story and complained that 'people aren't going to seek out my book if they're just looking for an employee'.

'A mother, an activist, and an artist  that's really who I am,' Dolezal continued.

'When it comes to race and identity, I've always identified racially as "human" but have found more of a home in black culture and the black community, and that hasn't changed.

'I'm still the same person I was in May of 2015 I'm still doing the work I'm still pressing forward but it has been really tough for sure.

Dolezal, pictured, said that she wears her hair in braids to advertise her business

Dolezal claims she has struggled for work and to provide for her three sons

INFAMOUS 'RACE FAKERS' IN THE US Rachel Dolezal - former college professor and NAACP activist known for identifying as a black woman despite having been born to white parents. She was 'outed' in 2015. Jessica Krug - a white professor of African American studies at George Washington University confessed in a Medium post earlier in September 2020 that she had been faking being black for years, and was in fact a Jewish woman from Kansas. Satchuel Cole - born Jennifer Lynn Benton, the Indiana-based activist and member of Black Lives Matter admitted in a Facebook post in September 2020 to having 'taken up space as a Black person while knowing I am white'. CV Vitolo-Haddad - she resigned from her teaching job at the University of Wisconsin-Madison after admitting in September 2020 that she pretended on multiple occasions to be black or Latino. She is actually Southern Italian and Sicilian. Hilaria Baldwin - the wife of actor Alec Baldwin was born in Boston to American parents, but changed her name from Hilary in 2009. She has claimed to be Spanish, because her parents live there and she spent time there as a child. She was 'outed' in December 2020. Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan - in January 2021 the prominent human rights lawyer admitted that she was not a Latina, but was born to white parents in Georgia. Advertisement

'Not having a job for six years, having to create my own job and find my own ways to provide for my children through braiding hair, through grant writing to bring funds into marginalized communities and black-owned businesses and non-profits, through painting, through doing pep talks on Cameo.com,' she added.

Dolezal said that she had hoped by changing her name three years ago to Nkechi Amare Diallo  which she claimed was given to her by an Igbo man  things would change but that she was still recognized.

'I really wanted to be seen for my qualification when I applied for a job and as it turns out, when I turn up for the interview, I'm still me  a lot of people knew my face so I didn't move past that interview stage,' she admitted.

Dolezal said she still remains hopeful, however, after moving to Arizona last year and had 'revamped her resume' and would be looking for teaching jobs in the fall.

The infamous race faker - who has said she is 'transracial', equating her experience to that of being transgender - remained defiant in talking to Hall, stating that she couldn't change who she is and would not bow to pressure.

'It's definitely been a long six years,' said Dolezal, 'but I really strongly believe that as a person, you have to just continue to be who you are. And you can't change who you are.'

'It's more a story of becoming than changing,' she hit back as Hall said that she had previously changed to try to pass as a black woman.

'It's more a story of finding a home culturally. It's not somehow pretending, faking or changing, it's just becoming and if I have changed then there would be this flip flopping or maybe I would have scraped everything under pressure.

'This is really just who I am so I believe that if I'm going to continue to live, I'm going to continue to be who I am in the midst of pressure.'

Dolezal added that it was 'really tough' to be targeted online as more race fakers emerged last year.

'If somebody's name comes up attached to what people feel is a problematic identity then there are hashtags and there are memes,' she said.

In 2015, a local news reporter in Washington 'outed' Dolezal after revealing her Montana parents, Ruthanne and Lawrence Dolezal, were both white.

High school pictures emerged of Dolezal - before she had made attempts to cast herself as a black woman - with blond hair.

Rachel Dolezal has since legally changed her name to the West African name Nkechi Diallo

Rachel Dolezal pictured in March 2015 after she received a racist and threatening package. This protest took place before it was revealed she is a white woman and not black

She was sacked from her job with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and subsequently dismissed from her position as an Instructor in Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University.

The controversial 'civil rights activist' would later argue that she was 'transracial' and has said she did nothing wrong in not correcting 'assumptions' that she is black.

Dolezal began to try and rebuild her image with a Netflix documentary in 2018, The Rachel Divide.

She then attempted to generate some income writing a memoir entitled In Full Color, but things fell apart once again after being accused of welfare fraud for failing to report $84,000 in earnings to Washington State's Department of Social and Health Services.

Dolezal wrote a memoir in 2017 almost two years after the controversy about her racial identity in June 2015

In May 2018, Dolezal was charged with theft by welfare fraud, perjury and false verification for public assistance.

Court documents alleged that she illegally received $8,747 in food assistance and $100 in childcare assistance from August 2015 through November 2017.

Dolezal settled in a Washington court in April, agreeing to pay an undisclosed restitution and complete 120 hours of community service.

She was previously married to a black man, Kevin Moore, who she divorced in 2005. The mother of three sons claims she was 'too black' for him.

'Race faking' has become a more frequently exposed phenomenon in the United States.

In January, Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan, senior counsel at the Latino Justice Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, revealed that she is white despite having claimed Puerto Rican and Colombian heritage.

Just last September, a community activist from Indiana who campaigned for racial justice outed herself after posing as a black person for years despite being white.

Satchuel Cole, born Jennifer Lynn Benton, admitted in a Facebook post to having 'taken up space as a Black person while knowing I am white'.

The activist, from Indianapolis, was a member of the Indy10 Black Lives Matter group and in 2017 acted as a spokesperson for the family of Aaron Bailey, who was shot and killed by police following a traffic stop in June 2017.

Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan, 43, has admitted that she is not Latina having assumed the identity

Satchuel Cole, who was born Jennifer Lynn Benton (pictured above), was a member of the Indy10 Black Lives Matter group and in 2017 acted as a spokesperson for the family of Aaron Bailey, who was shot and killed by police following a traffic stop in June 2017

That same week, University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student CV Vitolo-Haddad resigned from a teaching role after admitting to lying about being black.

Vitolo-Haddad pretended on multiple occasions to be black or Latino although the teacher is actually Southern Italian and Sicilian.

Vitolo-Haddad confessed to the deception in two Medium blog posts and apologized for 'every ounce of heartbreak and betrayal' caused by the false claims.

Jessica Krug, 38, a white professor of African American studies confessed in a Medium post earlier in September that she had been faking being black for years.

The professor at George Washington University admitted she had deceived colleagues and students for years.

Krug grew up as a white Jewish child in Kansas City but assumed a series of different black identities throughout her career, she confessed in a Medium blog post on September 3.

Krug resigned from her role at the university following a backlash over the deception.

Michelle Moyd, the Ruth N. Halls Associate Professor in the Department of History at IU, said that the recent spike in the exposure of race fakers will have extremely negative effects on the black community.

'Each time one of these frauds is exposed, the people around them are left to pick up the pieces,' she said.

CV Vitolo-Haddad (pictured), a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student, has resigned from a teaching role after admitting to lying about being black
The Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC), under Govt. of Haryana, has released a Haryana PGT Recruitment 2021 Notification inviting online applications from eligible and interested candidates, male and female, for filling Five Thirty-Four (534) vacancies to the post of Post Graduate Teachers (PGT-Sanskrit) in HSSC through direct recruitment to be posted in the Department of Secondary Education, Haryana in India on a fulltime basis. The application-cum-registration process towards the same starts on February 16, 2021 and closes on March 03, 2021 with March 06, 2021 as the last date for depositing application fee.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Post Graduate Teachers (PGT-Sanskrit) in HSSC Organisation Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) Educational Qualification Passed Class 10/Matriculation with Hindi/Sanskrit as one of the subject with a qualified certificate in Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET)/School Teachers Eligibility Test (STET) in concerned subject and possess an M.A. Sanskrit/Acharya with at least 50% marks and B.Ed./Shiksha Shastri/Language Teachers Course (L.T.C.)/ Oriental Training (O.T.) in Sanskrit Experience Freshers can apply Job Responsibilities null Skills Required null Job Location Haryana Salary Scale Rs. 47,600 to Rs. 1,51,100 per month Industry Govt. of Haryana Application Start Date February 16, 2021 Application End Date March 3, 2021

HSSC Recruitment 2021: Age Criteria And Fees

Desirous candidates applying for HSSC PGT Jobs 2021 through HSSC Recruitment 2021 must have completed 18 years of age and not have exceeded 42 years, with relaxation in the upper age limit for reserved categories as specified in the Haryana PGT Notification 2021.

Candidates must deposit a prescribed amount of Rs. 500 (Gen - Male), Rs. 125 (SC/BC/EWS Male candidates of Haryana State and Female - Haryana resident) and Rs. 75 (SC/BC/EWS Female candidates of Haryana State) respectively as application fee for HSSC PGT Jobs 2021 under HSSC Recruitment 2021 through Net banking or e-Challan in any branch of State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and IDBI Bank as mentioned in the Haryana PGT Notification 2021.

Also Read: WCL Recruitment 2021 For 238 Mining Sirdar Posts In Western Coalfields Ltd, Apply Offline Before February 18

HSSC Recruitment 2021: Education And Eligibility

Desirous candidates applying for HSSC PGT Jobs 2021 through HSSC Recruitment 2021 must have passed Class 10/Matriculation with Hindi/Sanskrit as one of the subject with a qualified certificate in Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET)/School Teachers Eligibility Test (STET) in concerned subject and possess an M.A. Sanskrit/Acharya with at least 50% marks and B.Ed./Shiksha Shastri/Language Teachers Course (L.T.C.)/Oriental Training (O.T.) in Sanskrit from a recognised Board/University/Institute as detailed in the Haryana PGT Notification 2021.

HSSC Recruitment 2021: Selection And Pay Scale

The selection of candidates for HSSC PGT Jobs 2021 through HSSC Recruitment 2021 will be done through a Written Exam and Socio-Economic criteria and experience as notified in the Haryana PGT Notification 2021.

Candidates selected for HSSC PGT Jobs 2021 through HSSC Recruitment 2021 will be paid emolument in the pay scale of Rs. 47,600 to Rs. 1,51,100 per month.

Also Read: JKSSB Recruitment 2021 For 927 JE/Draftsman/Junior Steno And Other Posts, Apply Online At jkssb.nic.in

HSSC Constable Recruitment 2021: How To Apply

Candidates applying for HSSC PGT Jobs 2021 through HSSC Recruitment 2021 must register online on the official HSSC website from February 16, 2021 onwards and completed their registration on or before March 03, 2021.

Download HSSC Recruitment 2021 PDF Notification for Post Graduate Teachers (PGT-Sanskrit) posts
[February 12, 2021] Bambuser Expands Live Video Shopping Production Capabilities for with Launch of Dual Hosting & External Camera Compatibility

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bambuser today announced the launch of new dual host broadcasting capabilities and compatibility with external cameras and software, two in-demand features that give brands and retailers greater flexibility and control over their Live Video Shopping productions. The product updates closely follow several other major platform enhancements released to help customers increase awareness of and drive traffic to their interactive e-commerce initiatives. Dual Hosting for Split Screen Broadcasting

Bambuser's Dual Hosting solves production challenges posed by stay-at-home recommendations and social distancing requirements, enabling Live Video Shopping events to have hosts and guests in different locations. As part of the Broadcaster app for iOS, Dual Hosting enables brands and retailers to easily produce shows featuring different hosts, guests and other influencers, each from a different location. The platform currently supports two simultaneous connections without lag, quality degradation or interruption to the platform's e-commerce functionality. During extensive beta testing, Bambuser observed lifts in viewer engagement metrics such as the quantity of activities in the live chat during shows that leveraged dual hosting. The company attributes this improved performance to the more immersive and conversational nature of the split screen, dual host experience. Bambuser's dual host broadcasting is currently in final testing and will be rolling out broadly within the next couple of months. To see how the dual host streaming works, check out this video: http://bmb.sr/dual. External Camera Compatibility

Expanding on the platform's extensive mobile capabilities, Bambuser now supports the use of external hardware and software in show production. By leveraging Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Bambuser now provides brands and retailers with more opportunities to create shows using the cameras and other tools of their choosing. With this added flexibility, they have more opportunity to deliver unique experiences and polished programs in line with their brands. "Every day, our development team focuses on anticipating the needs of our customers as well as our customers' customers. We're incredibly proud to announce dual hosting and external camera compatibility, as we believe these features deliver benefit to both those groups," said Jesper Funck, Chief Product Officer at Bambuser. For our retail and brand partners, we're giving more power to customize the format and production quality of their shows. For their customers who participate in Live Video Shopping, we're offering more engaging and interactive experiences that are consistently the highest quality possible." A pioneer in live video streaming since inception in 2007, Bambuser is pursuing an aggressive product development strategy to ensure the platform remains the most feature rich and robust available. The company is leveraging the recent investment of $60 million from renowned fashion and technology investor Anders Holch Povlsen along with Lancelot Asset Management AB, TIN Fonder and Handelsbanken Fonder, to accelerate its timeline for rolling out new capabilities. Contact information

Maryam Ghahremani

CEO Bambuser

press@bambuser.com

+46 8 400 160 02 About Bambuser

Bambuser is a software company specializing in interactive live video streaming. The Company's primary product, Live Video Shopping, is a cloud-based software solution that is used by customers such as global e-commerce and retail businesses to host live shopping experiences on websites, mobile apps and social media. Bambuser was founded in 2007 and has its headquarters in Stockholm. Erik Penser Bank AB is Bambuser's Certified Adviser. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/bambuser/r/bambuser-expands-live-video-shopping-production-capabilities-for-with-launch-of-dual-hosting---exter,c3285804 The following files are available for download:







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Two Illinois state representatives held a town hall meeting Thursday to address concerns about legislative business being conducted in Springfield, touching on topics including the state budget and the idea of adding sex education to schools curriculum.

We are almost in the middle of America and businesses want to be here, state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, said during his opening statement. We just have to make some changes.

After their opening statements, Davidsmeyer and state Rep. Mike Marron, R-Fithian, opened the one-hour session to questions.

In discussing the Illinois Firearm Owners Identification card program, the two blamed delays on a broken system, especially at a time when marijuana expungement cases with the Illinois State Police have been moving forward.

There were delays with FOID cards a year before COVID, Marron said.

Neither faulted state police for the delays but put the blame on Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration. Both said they would prefer to eliminate the FOID card requirement and remove some responsibility from gun retailers.

Asking permission to use the Second Amendment is not right, Davidsmeyer said, adding that people come from out of state to hunt and dont have to show any sort of card, but Illinois residents do.

Were basically second-hand citizens in our own state, he said.

The pair also addressed a bill that would require sex education to be taught in Illinois schools, from kindergarten through 12th grade, saying its one more thing that would keep teachers from teaching students basic subjects.

Thats the duty of the parent and that needs to be taken out of the classroom, Marron said of sex education.

We have to get back to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, Davidsmeyer added.

Another topic discussed was whether term limits should be made law rather than simply House rules that can be changed much more easily.

Theres no guarantee it will stay, Marron said of recently passed House rules dictating how long a person can serve as Speaker of the House or hold other positions of authority. Enact legislation and make it permanent.

In addition to discussing the need for a balanced state budget and reducing the states billions in debt, both representatives also want more options for open debate on the House floor before bills come up for a vote.

Current rules allow five representatives from each side of the aisle to talk, but Davidsmeyer would like to be able to voice his concerns, even if hes not one of the five, he said.

That does not allow me to discuss my constituents needs, he said.

Marron and Davidsmeyer instead support having timed, open discussions and allowing representatives to yield their time to others, which they believe would allow more voices to be heard.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  A newly established economic development fund will provide $20 million over the next two decades to advance economic development efforts in southern New Mexico.

The fund, known as the El Paso Electric New Mexico Economic Development Fund, was established by El Paso Electric and will be administered by the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, according to a new release from the electric company.

The fund will provide grants to eligible projects focused on economic-based job creation and support businesses and projects that help achieve economic growth and development in Southern New Mexico, according to the release. El Paso Electric and the Infrastructure Investments Fund will provide $1 million per year for 20 years.

Eligible projects must be in EPEs New Mexico service territory. To learn more or to apply for a New Mexico economic development grant, go to the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexicos website.

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Former chief justice of India (CJI) said he wont go to the with his grievances because he would have to wait endlessly for a verdict.

You want a $5-trillion economy but you have a ramshackled judiciary, said Gogoi, who retired as the head of the countrys judiciary in November 2019 and is now a member of the Upper House of Parliament.

Gogois remarks calling for an overhaul of the judiciarys capacity and efficacy highlights Indias troubles with delayed verdicts and enforcing contracts. Court systems in Asias third-largest economy are clogged with over 43 million cases and a shortage of judges means that some cases can end up taking years, even decades, to find a resolution. Companies invested in India have a tough time once entangled in a legal dispute.

Only corporations, willing to take chances with their millions of rupees go to the Supreme Court, he said. If you were to go to the court, youd be only washing your dirty linen in the court. You wont get a verdict. I have no hesitation in saying it, Gogoi said.

Gogoi made the remarks responding to a question on whether he plans to sue a politician who alleged that he presided over a matter that heard allegations of sexual harassment against him during his tenure as the chief justice.


The Biden administration is preparing plans for the gradual entry of migrants forced to remain in Mexico under a controversial Trump-era policy, according to three Homeland Security officials.

President Joe Biden has committed to ending the policy, informally known as "remain in Mexico." Over the last week, the administration has been in ongoing discussions about when to start slowly admitting migrants, many of whom are seeking asylum, into the US, two officials say.

A draft internal document underscored the importance of taking into account health and safety protocols, according to two Homeland Security officials, and said admissions would likely start at two yet to be announced locations.

No timeline has been set for when the change will take place or how many migrants would initially qualify.

DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under former President Donald Trump, migrants from Central America and other parts of the world who were seeking asylum at the US-Mexico border were forced to stay in Mexico until their immigration court hearings in the United States. That meant waiting months, if not years, in squalid conditions and under the threat of extortion, sexual assault and kidnapping.

The policy was an unprecedented departure from previous protocols, which allowed for the entry of migrants as they went through their immigration hearings in the United States.

The admission of migrants subject to the Trump-era policy is a complicated endeavor, given the vulnerability of the population and the challenges in communicating process and expectations.

Homeland Security Secretary Ali Mayorkas told CNN earlier this month that he's been involved in discussions about ending the remain in Mexico policy.

"The urgency of that also cannot be overstated," he said.

Looking for a 'fair and equitable' solution

Ongoing discussions have centered around how to find a "fair and equitable way" to start bringing people back to the US, a DHS official said, adding that one option is to put people who were first processed under the program at the front of the line.

That also raises questions about how the US processes new arrivals and what happens to the people who have been waiting for months, the official said, adding that discussions have also taken into account Covid-19 precautions.

Under the Trump administration, there was a working group to assess whether virtual hearings could be conducted for migrants waiting in Mexico, but they never came up with a "workable solution," the DHS official told CNN.

The pandemic shuttered immigration courts and delayed cases, resulting in migrants staying in Mexico for longer periods and fueling frustration among those waiting for an extended period of time.

The official said that although the "Trump-era program appeared to have a political slant, it was done "out of necessity," cautioning that if the new administration ends the program and others, the US Border Patrol will likely release more migrants into the US. But immigrant advocates and attorneys have argued that the program put migrants in harm's way.

In his first hours in office, Biden stopped the enrollment of new migrants to the program.

(JNS) - With a mask resting below his mouth, which just took in its third or fourth cigarette of the last hour, Palestinian reformer and businessman Asharf Jabari said he hasn't received the COVID vaccine yet. And that's not because he's not interested in it or because Israel hasn't provided any supply to the Palestinian Authority, as some news outlets are wont to report.

"They [the Palestinian Authority] want it, but they're waiting for the vaccine from Russia," Jabari said in Hebrew, just one of the "truth-bombs" that the 47-year-old dropped along with his cigarette ash during an intervie...

Wheels have been in motion since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree Jan. 15 announcing that the legislative elections will be held May 22, the presidential elections July 31 and the Palestinian National Council elections Aug. 31.

Palestinians have not had an election in 15 years; the last legislative vote was held in January 2006, which Hamas won, and the last presidential elections were in January 2005 and were won by Abbas.

On Feb. 3, Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas political bureau, announced at a press conference in Gaza City that Hamas priority is to bring together all Palestinians under a unified political, electoral program, saying that Hamas will support the formation of a national unity government after the success of the elections. He added that should the factions agree on a minimum number of items in the program, doors would be wide open for a greater Palestinian consensus.

The Palestinian factions have not yet commented on Hayyas statement about a unified electoral program, which is a first for him. Yet Hamas intention to gather all factions around a unified political, electoral program may contradict the idea of electoral competition.

Meanwhile, Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, attended a meeting in Cairo Feb. 8 to discuss the electoral race. In a joint statement issued Jan. 9, the factions said they agreed on the mechanisms to advance the elections and vowed to respect their outcome.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Al-Monitor, Hamas political program (for the elections) will take into account the Palestinian situation in light of the attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause. The movement seeks to formulate a joint program with all actors in the Palestinian arena. It will include its (Hamas) plan to build a new political system similar to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in a way that ensures the participation of all Palestinians to be able to confront the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip (and restrictions) in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

He added, Hamas believes that the electoral program should include both the political and service aspects and deal with the Israeli blockade by strengthening solidarity among the Palestinian components, as well as taking into account the utmost levels of social justice.

Despite the importance of including political issues in its program, Hamas is aware that other priorities are on the mind of Palestinians, who are suffering under deteriorating living and economic conditions. This requires Hamas to focus its program on the peoples demands for basic living services that have severely worsened in the past years.

Hussam al-Dajani, professor of political science at al-Ummah University, told Al-Monitor, Every faction has the freedom and right to prepare its own electoral program to present to voters. But it is important for the factions to agree on a joint reference in their electoral programs, since each faction relies on different political references, such as the Oslo Accord or the National Unity Accord. However, the participation of Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad in particular, in the elections requires steering clear of the Oslo Accord (which both movements oppose). I believe Hamas seeks to reach a common political reference with the rest of the factions by running for elections in a joint list.

Several political documents have been issued by many Palestinian factions in previous years in order to reach common ground, such as the National Conciliation Document of the Prisoners of 2006, the Palestinian National Unity Accord of 2011 and the final statement of the 2020 meeting of the general secretaries of the Palestinian factions, which raises many questions about the extent of Hamas' ability to gather the rest of the factions under a joint electoral program.

The Palestinian National Unity Accord was signed by all Palestinian factions in Cairo, according to which they agreed on a set of issues, including the PLO, elections, security, national reconciliation and prisoner issues.

Wasel Abu Youssef, member of the PLOs Executive Committee, told Al-Monitor, The PLO factions have a political program based on the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, while Hamas and the Islamic Jihad refer to the National Unity Accord, which has a wider margin. In terms of the service program, I do not think that one faction can oblige others to adhere to its own program. Elections are a democratic process, and each faction has the right to convince its voters of its own program.

During its participation in the January 2006 legislative elections, Hamas issued an electoral program under the name of the Change and Reform bloc, which dealt with political constants, internal and external relations, administrative reform, fighting corruption, legislative policy, judicial reform, public freedoms, human rights, education, women, children and family.

However, Hamas was unable to implement its electoral program, especially in matters of economic services, despite holding the majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council for 15 years, whether because of the Israeli blockade or because its governmental and administrative experience in government institutions is still relatively new.

Hassan Abdo, a political analyst close to the Islamic Jihad, told Al-Monitor, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are closely connected in terms of the political program, which is based on armed resistance and the liberation of Palestine. But the difference between them is based on assessing the situation before taking part in the elections. The Islamic Jihad does not see that the political circumstances have changed a lot since 2006, so I do not think that it is going to join Hamas, because the elections are taking place under the occupation authority. Still, the Islamic Jihad might agree on Hamas electoral program in general and could thus instruct its supporters to vote for Hamas candidates.

The legislative elections are about a hundred days away, which is enough time for Hamas and the rest of the factions to present their individual or joint electoral programs, even if previous Palestinian electoral experiences have shown that each faction wishes to distinguish itself from other factions, in order to win the largest number of votes on its own.

Health Department Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker is seen at Gov. Andrew Cuomos COVID-19 briefing in Manhattan on Sept. 24. Courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomos Office
Brothers in paint: Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff

With the offer of works by both Kossoff and Auerbach in March  as well as by David Bomberg, their tutor of the early 1950s  Alastair Smart explores a connection between two artists that lasted more than 70 years

To help pay his way through art school, Frank Auerbach (b. 1931) took a job alongside his classmate, Leon Kossoff (1926-2019), in the latters family bakery in the East End of London. Auerbach would serve on one counter, selling bread; Kossoff on the other, selling cakes. In time, the pair would leave the bakery behind and develop long, successful careers as artists, careers that are frequently considered in parallel. Auerbach himself claimed they were like two mountain climbers roped together. Both would spend the entire second half of the 20th century (and the very start of the 21st) creating figurative paintings  portraits and cityscapes, above all. For much of that time, other styles and media such as abstraction, Pop and conceptual art were deemed more fashionable  yet the pair persevered regardless. Auerbach represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1986, Kossoff in 1995. Not that either of them had British heritage.

Born in Berlin to a bourgeois Jewish family (his father was a lawyer), Auerbach was seven when his parents sent him to England in 1939 via the Kindertransport scheme. He enrolled at a boarding school in Kent and never saw his parents  who were killed at Auschwitz  again. Kossoff was Jewish too, born and raised in London to Ukrainian parents who had fled anti-Semitic pogroms at the turn of the 20th century. Following military service abroad, Kossoff returned in 1948 to study at Saint Martins School of Art, where he first met Auerbach, whod recently arrived from Kent. They soon formed a close and collaborative relationship, often visiting the bomb sites and building sites of post-war London together in search of artistic inspiration. Both also grew disenchanted by the rigid, academic teaching at Saint Martins. Leon and I were perhaps a bit rougher than the other students, Auerbach recalled in 1990. We wanted something not so linear and illustrative.

I would sit for an hour and Leon would paint me, and then Leon would sit for an hour and Id paint him  and so we went on all day, turn and turn about  Frank Auerbach

Attending supplementary evening classes at Borough Polytechnic, they found what they were looking for. Their teacher there was David Bomberg, previously one of the leading artists associated with the Vorticist movement of 1914-15. Both spoke glowingly of his classes, Auerbach referring to them as extremely stimulating, Kossoff as like coming home. Bomberg encouraged students to pursue an immediate, instinctive approach to painting, in which they conveyed the experience rather than simply the look of forms. The idea, in Bombergs much-repeated phrase, was to draw out the spirit in the mass.

When not in classes  or the bakery  Kossoff and Auerbach were frequently in each others studios drawing or painting one another. (The studio in Camden that Auerbach still works in today actually belonged first to Kossoff, who gave it up to him in 1954.) There are eight recorded oil portraits of Kossoff by Auerbach and three of Auerbach by Kossoff  all of them painted in the 1950s.

Frank Auerbach in the studio circa 1955, with Head of Leon Kossoff (1954). Photo and artwork: copyright the artist, courtesy the artist and Marlborough, London

As the younger of the pair recalled in 2015, I would sit for an hour and Leon would paint me, and then Leon would sit for an hour and Id paint him  and so we went on all day, turn and turn about Ive forgotten how many days a week we did it, maybe two. It may have taken about two years for Leon to finish two paintings of me and [the same] for me to finish two paintings of Leon. One might do well not to take Auerbachs timings literally, but they do give a sense of the perfectionism for which he and Kossoff are renowned. Each artist had a habit of applying and then scraping away innumerable layers of paint in the creation of a single work  until, finally, he was satisfied with the result. Often those results have surfaces so thickly encrusted they recall the icing on a cake.

Frank Auerbach (b. 1931), Reclining Head of Gerda Boehm, 1980-81. Oil on board. 18 x 19 in (45.7 x 49.5 cm). Estimate: 600,000-800,000. Offered in 20th Century Art on 23 March 2021 at Christies in London

In a sense, their every painting is a palimpsest of the many images and layers that built up to it. In the case of the cityscapes, this reflected the upheavals in an ever-changing London; in the portraits, it reflected the multi-faceted character of each sitter. Auerbach and Kossoff captured an essence rather than an exactness. At times, this could veer a little towards abstraction, yet it elicited Bombergs spirit in the mass at the same time. Auerbach had his first solo show at Beaux Arts Gallery in Mayfair in 1956; Kossoff had his at the same venue a year later. In the early days, its notable that both used a relatively muted palette.

In part this was an aesthetic decision, inspired by artists such as Rembrandt, but it was also a practical one. Given the sheer amount of paint they used, they couldnt really afford brighter, more expensive colours. Over the years, as increased success came their way, both painters adopted more vivid colouring. Similarities between the pair can seem endless. Late in life, Kossoff turned down a CBE, for example, just as Auerbach did a knighthood. Differences did obviously exist, though. Where Kossoff always preferred to work on board, Auerbach frequently uses canvas. Theyre also associated with different parts of London. Auerbach has focused on scenes around his Camden studio, including the parkland of Primrose Hill. Kossoff, by contrast, is best known for his depictions of Christ Church Spitalfields, Nicholas Hawksmoors stunning Baroque church near the artists childhood home in east London. He also repeatedly captured the Willesden area of north-west London, where he moved in the 1960s  especially its many railways (trains, stations, junctions and bridges are common subjects).

Another difference is that citizens have a more marked presence in Kossoffs scenes, going about the bustle of their everyday lives. In Auerbachs  in the words of Alistair Hicks in his book, The School of London  people are reduced to windswept wisps. The School of London was a term coined by R.B. Kitaj to refer to a group of figurative painters working in the British capital in the decades after the Second World War. Kitaj counted himself among them, alongside Auerbach, Kossoff, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Michael Andrews. In truth, though the six all knew each other, they would be better described as a loose affiliation rather than a school.

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Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | Feb. 12, 2021

Public education advocacy groups ask for Governor Tom Wolf to prioritize getting the COVID-19 vaccine to school staff. Over in Harrisburg, a nonprofit group wants to build a tiny home community for homeless veterans in the area. A flower shop in Butler County sent Valentines Day bouquets to seniors at a nursing home. And if youre single, then Pennsylvanias the state to be!

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa.

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SAO PAULO, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. ("GOL") (NYSE: GOL and B3: GOLL4), Brazil's #1 domestic airline, pursuant to paragraph 4 of Article 157 of Law No. 6,404, dated December 15, 1976, as amended ("Brazilian Corporate Law"), CVM Instruction No. 358/2002 ("ICVM 358") and CVM Instruction No. 565/2014 ("ICVM 565"), hereby inform that, on the date hereof, a shareholders' meeting has been called to pass a resolution on the corporate reorganization (disclosed in GOL's material facts dated December 7, 2020 and January 18, 2021), as detailed below ("Reorganization").

1. COMPANIES INVOLVED IN THE TRANSACTION AND THEIR ACTIVITIES

1.1. GOL

(a) Identification . GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A., a publicly-held company headquartered in the city of Sao Paulo, state of Sao Paulo, at Praca Comandante Lineu Gomes, S/N, Portaria 3, Jardim Aeroporto, 04626-020, enrolled with the Corporate Taxpayers' Registry (CNPJ/MF) under No. 06.164.253/0001-87.

(b) Activities . GOL's main corporate purpose is to exercise control over GOL Linhas Aereas S.A. ("GLA"), whose main activities are air passenger, cargo or mail transportation, services in Brazil and abroad. Additionally, GOL also holds control over SMILES, whose main activity is the management of the SMILES Program, a coalition program.

1.2. SMILES

(a) Identification . Smiles Fidelidade S.A., a publicly-held company headquartered in the city of Barueri, state of Sao Paulo, at Alameda Rio Negro, 585, Edificio Padauiri, Bloco B, 2nd floor, suites 21 and 22, Alphaville, 06454-000, enrolled with the Corporate Taxpayers' Registry (CNPJ/MF) under No. 05.730.375/0001-20.

(b) Activities . SMILES's main corporate purpose is to manage SMILES Program, a coalition program. SMILES's business model is based on the development of a "pure" coalition program, comprising a single platform for the accrual and redemption of mileage, through a wide network of commercial and financial partners; SMILES's main commercial partner is GLA.

1.3. GLA

(a) Identification . GOL Linhas Aereas S.A., a privately-held company headquartered in the city of Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro, at Praca Senador Salgado Filho, S/N, Aeroporto Santos Dumont, ground floor, public area, between hubs 46-48/O-P, Back Office Management Room, 20021-340, enrolled with the Corporate Taxpayers' Registry (CNPJ/MF) under No. 07.575.651/0001-59.

(b) Activities . GLA's main activities are air passenger, cargo or mail transportation, services in Brazil and abroad, and other connected, related or complementary air transportation activities, including, for example, passenger freight, own and third-party aircraft maintenance and repair services, and aircraft hangar services.

2. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE OF THE TRANSACTION

2.1. Description .

The Reorganization includes the following steps, which will be implemented simultaneously and interdependently, whose completion will be subject to the applicable corporate approvals and the approval of the majority of holders of SMILES outstanding shares:

(i) merger of SMILES common shares by GLA, for their market value, with GLA's issuance of common shares ("GLA Common Shares"), redeemable class B preferred shares ("GLA Redeemable Class B Preferred Shares") and redeemable class C preferred shares ("GLA Redeemable Class C Preferred Shares," together with the GLA Redeemable Class B Preferred Shares, "GLA Redeemable Preferred Shares") to SMILES shareholders ("Merger of SMILES Shares");

(ii) merger of GLA shares by GOL, for their economic value, with GOL's issuance of GOL preferred shares ("GOL Preferred Shares"), redeemable class B preferred shares ("GOL Redeemable Class B Preferred Shares") and redeemable class C preferred shares ("GOL Redeemable Class C Preferred Shares," together with the GOL Redeemable Class B Preferred Shares, "GOL Redeemable Preferred Shares") to GLA shareholders ("Merger of GOL Shares"); and

(iii) redemption of GLA Redeemable Preferred Shares and GOL Redeemable Preferred Shares, with payment in cash based on the redemption of GOL Redeemable Preferred Shares to SMILES shareholders to be made on the Date of Settlement ("Redemption").

GOL clarifies that adjustments have been made in the structure described in the Material Fact disclosed on December 7, 2020, notably in relation to: the establishment of only two exchange ratios, as described in item 4 below. However, the financial conditions previously announced have been fully maintained, particularly with regard to the implicit exchange ratio on which the proposal was based, of 0.825 GOL preferred share for each single common share issued by Smiles.

2.2. Purpose of the Transaction .

The purpose of the Reorganization is to migrate SMILES's shareholder base to GOL. Assuming that: (i) SMILES's total capital stock is represented, as of the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization (as defined below), by 124,158,953 common shares, excluding treasury shares and the shares vested under stock option plans; (ii) GLA's total capital stock is represented, as of the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization, by 1,915,298,982 common shares, and 701,729,152 preferred shares, excluding treasury shares; and (iii) GOL's total capital stock is represented, as of the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization, by 2,863,682,710 common shares and 272,200,223 preferred shares, excluding treasury shares and the shares vested under stock option plans; SMILES shareholders will receive, for each common share issued by SMILES held by them as of such date:

(i) (a) an amount in Brazilian currency of R$4.46 (related to the redemption of the GOL Redeemable Class B Preferred Shares), adjusted in accordance with the Protocol and Justification proposed by the management of GOL ("Protocol and Justification"), to be paid in cash, in a single installment, within ten business days from the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization ("Date of Financial Settlement"); and (b) 0.6601 preferred share issued by GOL ("Base Exchange Ratio"), adjusted in accordance with the Protocol and Justification; or

(ii) (a) an amount in Brazilian currency of R$17.86 (related to the redemption of the GOL Redeemable Class C Preferred Shares), adjusted in accordance with the Protocol and Justification, to be paid in cash, in a single installment, on the Financial Settlement Date; and (b) 0.1650 preferred share issued by GOL ("Optional Exchange Ratio"), adjusted in accordance with the Protocol and Justification, at the discretion of SMILES shareholders that, in the latter case, must exercise the option within the period to be timely disclosed through a Notice to Shareholders, if the Reorganization is approved.

GOL and GLA will take into account the amount of R$27.05 per GOL share and R$22.32 per SMILES share to determine the proposed exchange ratio. As described in the Protocol and Justification, the amounts described above will be proportionately adjusted by any stock splits, reverse stock splits, share dividend bonuses, interest on shareholders' equity or capital decreases of the companies as of the date hereof until the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization, subject to item 4.2 below. Any dividends, interest on shareholders' equity or capital decreases to be distributed to SMILES shareholders between the date hereof and the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization, as well as any withheld income tax due as a result of the Reorganization, when applicable and in accordance with applicable law, as described in item 4.3, will be proportionately deducted from the domestic currency portion of the Base Exchange List or the Optional Exchange List when implementing the Preferred Share Redemption described below.

GOL may, unilaterally and without the need to amend the Protocol and Justification, increase the redemption value of the shares and/or the number of shares to be received by investors in the Base Exchange Ratio or the Optional Exchange Ratio (always in proportion to the two options), without a decrease, in any case, in the total value to be received by investors, observing the adjustments foreseen in the Protocol and Justification.

3. MAIN BENEFITS, COSTS AND RISKS OF THE TRANSACTION

3.1. Main Benefits .

Historically and globally, the leading loyalty programs are controlled and managed by airlines. Airline tickets are consistently the most important reward category demanded by loyalty program members. The Group comprises the leading domestic players in the airline and loyalty program markets in Brazil, with a share of approximately 38% of the Brazilian aviation market and a share greater than 40% of the Brazilian loyalty program market.

In Brazil, competition in both the airline and loyalty program markets has become increasingly challenging in recent years. Loyalty programs have faced significant redemption cost increases due to, among other factors, higher occupancy rates of Brazilian airlines and increased competition from bank and credit card loyalty programs, which have offered more appealing redemption possibilities, such as more available seats for more travel destinations. Additionally, the credit card market, the main source of funds for loyalty programs, is stagnant and financial market deregulation with the entry of new players, such as fintechs, has affected the budgets of major credit card-issuing banks and put pressure on the prices of points of all loyalty programs in the Brazilian market.

The Group has made strong and coordinated efforts to increase the attractiveness of GLA's airline products and SMILES's loyalty program for its clients and partners. Nonetheless, distinct governance structures and shareholder bases have presented challenges to the Group in making necessary investments and coordinating the development of more competitive products and services. While this structure has become a burden to the Group as a whole, it has mainly affected the Group's loyalty program business because the structure does not allow sufficient agility and the managerial integration needed to compete in the current market reality.

In this context, the Group has concluded that the maintenance of separate corporate structures among the Group's businesses is not in the best interest of its shareholders.

Accordingly, the Reorganization seeks to:

ensure the Group's long-term competitiveness in both of its key markets (airline travel and loyalty programs);

unify GOL's and SMILES's shareholder bases, which will simplify the Group's shareholding structure, align shareholder interests and increase the market liquidity of the Group's shares;

achieve improved, more efficient governance and decision making, through increased management coordination, a shared business plan and aligned goals within the Group;

fully integrate (as opposed to merely consolidate) the financial and operational results, balance sheets and cash flows of SMILES, GLA and GOL to permit the Group to optimize its capital structure, cost of capital and financing sources, allowing the airline business to compete more effectively and the loyalty program business to benefit from the improved market position of its key business partner;

strengthen the capital structure of the airline business; and

realize synergies, achieving a more dynamic and flexible revenue management, and terminate tax inefficiencies.

3.2. Costs .

The managements of GOL and GLA estimate that the costs of the Reorganization will total, for both companies, approximately R$12,338,000, including expenses with publication, auditors, appraisers, legal counsel and other professionals engaged to advise on the Reorganization.

The management of SMILES estimates that the costs of the Reorganization will total, for SMILES, approximately R$7,253,000, including expenses with publication, auditors, appraisers, legal counsel and other professionals engaged to advise on the Reorganization.

3.3. Risks of the Transaction .

The management of GOL does not expect material risks in the implementation of the Reorganization, in addition to those that are usual for the day-to-day activities of the involved companies and compatible with the companies' sizes and operations.

The market value of GOL shares may vary at the time of completion of the Reorganization due to a number of factors that are beyond the control of the involved companies.

The success of the transaction will partially depend on the ability of the managements of the involved companies to create opportunities, economies and new businesses from the combination of activities and synergy generated by the unification of the shareholder bases of the companies. However, no assurance can be given that these opportunities and economies will be successful. If these objectives are not successfully achieved, the benefits expected from the Reorganization may not fully occur or may take longer than expected to occur.

4. SHARE EXCHANGE RATIO AND DETERMINATION CRITERIA

4.1 Merger of SMILES Shares by GLA

SMILES shareholders may, at their sole discretion, elect the Optional Exchange Ratio, within the period and in accordance with the procedure to be timely informed through a Notice to Shareholders ("Optional Exchange Ratio Period"). SMILES shareholders that do not elect the Optional Exchange Ratio will automatically migrate in accordance with the Base Exchange Ratio in relation to the totality of their shares. The migration based on the Optional Exchange Ratio, as the case may be, may be applied to all or some of the shares held by investors, with the investor indicating the number of shares to be used on said option.

Base Exchange Ratio : for each common share issued by SMILES, four common shares and one GLA Redeemable Class B Preferred Share will be granted; or

Optional Exchange Ratio : for each common share issued by SMILES, one common share and one GLA Redeemable Class C Preferred Share will be granted.

4.2. Merger of GLA Shares by GOL

(i) For each common share issued by GLA, 0.1650 GOL preferred share will be granted; (ii) for each GLA Redeemable Class B Preferred Share, one GOL Redeemable Class B Preferred Share will be granted; and (iii) for each GLA Redeemable Class C Preferred Share, one GOL Redeemable Class C Preferred Share will be granted.

Any fractions of shares issued by GOL under the Merger of GLA Shares will be grouped in whole numbers to be subsequently sold in the spot market managed by B3 S.A.  Brasil, Bolsa e Balcao ("B3"), after the consummation of the Reorganization, in accordance with the notice to shareholders to be timely disclosed. The amounts received in this sale will be made available to the former SMILES shareholders that held the relevant fractions, net of fees and taxes, when applicable, in proportion to the interest they held in each share sold.

4.3. Redemption of Preferred Shares

Upon approval of the Reorganization, the redemptions of GLA Redeemable Preferred Shares and GOL Redeemable Preferred Shares will occur on the same day, immediately and subsequently.

The Withholding Income Tax ("IRRF") levied on the capital gain earned by SMILES shareholders who are residents or domiciled abroad ("Non Resident Shareholders of SMILES"), will be deducted from the proceeds from the redemption of GLA Redeemable Preferred Shares, as a result of the Merger of SMILES Shares by GLA, as described in item 9 below. The remaining amount, after said deduction, will go to GOL, which will be the sole shareholder of GLA.

Proceeds from the redemption of GOL Redeemable Preferred Shares will go to shareholders that then hold shares as a result of the implementation of the procedures described above. In the case of Non-Resident Shareholders of SMILES, proceeds from the redemption of GOL Redeemable Preferred Shares will be net of the IRRF levied on the capital gain earned by them in the previous step (as a result of the Merger of SMILES Shares by GLA), as described in item 9 below.

The redemption of: (i) GLA Redeemable Class B Preferred Shares will occur at R$4.46 per redeemed GLA Redeemable Class B Preferred Share; and (ii) GLA Redeemable Class C Preferred Shares will occur at R$17.86 per redeemed GLA Redeemable Class C Preferred Share.

The redemption of: (i) GOL Redeemable Class B Preferred Shares will occur at R$4.46 per redeemed GOL Redeemable Class B Preferred Share; and (ii) GOL Redeemable Class C Preferred Shares will occur at R$17.86 per redeemed GOL Redeemable Class C Preferred Share.

5. CRITERIA FOR DETERMINATION OF THE EXCHANGE RATIO

The exchange ratio above was submitted by the management of GOL for approval of the shareholders of the companies.

6. SUBMISSION OF THE MERGER FOR APPROVAL OF BRAZILIAN OR FOREIGN AUTHORITIES

The Merger is not subject to the approval of Brazilian or foreign authorities.

7. EXCHANGE RATIO CALCULATED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 264 OF LAW NO. 6,404/76

In compliance with Article 264 of the Brazilian Corporate Law:

(i) Apsis Consultoria e Avaliacoes Ltda. ("Apsis") was engaged by SMILES to prepare an appraisal report of the shareholders' equities of SMILES and GLA as of September 30, 2020, both adjusted to market prices and by the same criteria. In view of the GLA's negative shareholders' equity amount assessed at market prices, it was not possible to determine an exchange ratio, as described in the referred report; and

(ii) Apsis was engaged by GLA to prepare an appraisal report of the shareholders' equities of GLA and GOL as of September 30, 2020, both adjusted to market prices and by the same criteria. In view of the GLA's and GOL's negative shareholders' equity amounts assessed at market prices, it was not possible to determine an exchange ratio, as described in the referred report.

8. RIGHT TO WITHDRAW AND REIMBURSEMENT AMOUNT

8.1. Right to Withdraw from the Merger of SMILES Shares

Pursuant to Articles 137 and 252, paragraph 2, of the Brazilian Corporate Law, if the Reorganization is completed, the Merger of SMILES Shares by GLA will entitle SMILES and GLA shareholders to withdrawal rights.

As of the date of the GLA's Shareholders' Meeting that will pass a resolution on the Merger of SMILES Shares, GOL will be the sole shareholder of GLA. Accordingly, there will be no dissenting shareholders or withdrawal rights in GLA in this Reorganization step.

Pursuant to Article 264, paragraph 3 of Brazilian Corporate Law, dissenting shareholders may elect: (i) the reimbursement amount set forth in Article 45 of the Brazilian Corporate Law, in accordance with the financial statements of SMILES as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, approved at the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting dated July 31, 2020, corresponding to R$9.71 per share, without prejudice to the right to prepare a special balance sheet; or (ii) the amount assessed pursuant to Article 264 of the Brazilian Corporate Law, corresponding to R$19.60. We clarify that the exercise of withdrawal rights will exclusively refer to all shares. Accordingly, dissenting shareholders cannot partially exercise their options.

8.2. Right to Withdraw from the Merger of GLA Shares

Pursuant to Articles 137 and 252, paragraph 2, of the Brazilian Corporate Law, if the Reorganization is completed, the Merger of GLA Shares by GOL will entitle GLA and GOL shareholders to withdrawal rights. Withdrawal rights will be granted to GOL shareholders uninterruptedly, from February 12, 2021 to the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization, that do not vote in favor of the merger of GLA Shares, abstain from voting or do not attend the relevant Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting, and expressly state their intention to exercise their withdrawal rights within 30 days from the date of publication of the minutes of the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting that approves the Merger of GLA Shares.

As of the date of the GLA's Shareholders' Meeting that will pass a resolution on the Merger of GLA Shares, GOL will be the sole shareholder of GLA. Accordingly, there will be no dissenting shareholders or withdrawal rights in GLA in this step of the Reorganization.

In relation to the withdrawal rights of GOL shareholders, considering that GOL's shareholders' equity assessed according to the method set forth in Article 45 of the Brazilian Corporate Law (without prejudice to the preparation of a special balance sheet) and the method set forth in Article 264 of the Brazilian Corporate Law was negative, the reimbursement amount is zero. We clarify that the exercise of withdrawal rights will exclusively refer to all shares. Accordingly, dissenting shareholders cannot partially exercise their options.

9. OTHER MATERIAL INFORMATION

9.1. Corporate Approvals

The Merger of SMILES Shares, Merger of GLA Shares and Redemption will be given effect subject to the following acts, all of which are interdependent and must be coordinated to occur on the same date. The Extraordinary Shareholders' Meetings of GOL and SMILES will be held, on first call, on March 15, 2021, in accordance with the Call Notices disclosed on the date hereof:

(a) the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting of SMILES will be held to, in this order, (i) approve the voluntary delisting from the Novo Mercado segment, dismissing the tender offer, pursuant to Article 42 of the Novo Mercado Regulation; (ii) approve the terms and conditions of the Protocol and Justification; (iii) ratify the appointment of Apsis, as the company responsible for the preparation of the appraisal report of the shareholders' equities of SMILES and GLA, for purposes of Article 264 of the Brazilian Corporate Law; (iv) approve the Reorganization, expressly dismissing the installation of an Independent Committee; and (v) authorize the members of management to subscribe for new shares to be issued by GLA and practice other acts required for the Reorganization;

(b) the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting of GLA will be held to, in this order, (i) approve the Protocol and Justification; (ii) ratify the appointment of Apsis, as the company responsible for the assessment and determination of the market value of the shares issued by SMILES to be merged by GLA ("Appraisal Report of the SMILES Shares"), as well as the preparation of the appraisal report of the shareholders' equities of GLA and GOL, for purposes of Article 264 of the Brazilian Corporate Law ; (iii) approve the Appraisal Report of the SMILES Shares; (iv) approve the creation of redeemable preferred shares, and the relevant amendment to the Bylaws; (v) approve the Merger of SMILES Shares and the Merger of GLA shares, in accordance with the Protocol and Justification; (vi) authorize, as a result of the Merger of the SMILES Shares, GLA's capital increase, to be subscribed for and paid by the members of management of SMILES, and subsequent amendment to its bylaws (once the final number of shares has been determined, depending on the exchange ratio to be elected by SMILES shareholders, and, therefore, the final number of GLA shares to be issued as a result of the Merger of SMILES Shares), including the authorization of the Board of Directors to determine, at the time of consummation of the Reorganization, the exact number of shares to be issued, as well as the respective financial amount; and (vii) authorize the subscription, by the members of management, of new shares to be issued by GOL; and

(c) the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting of GOL will be held to, in this order, (i) approve the Protocol and Justification; (ii) ratify the appointment of Apsis, as the company responsible for the assessment and determination of the economic value of the shares issued by GLA to be merged by GOL ("Appraisal Report of the GLA shares"); (iii) approve the Appraisal Report of the GLA shares; (iv) approve the Reorganization, in accordance with the Protocol and Justification; (v) authorize, as a result of the Merger of the GLA Shares, GOL's capital increase, to be subscribed for and paid by the members of management of GLA, and subsequent amendment to its bylaws (once the final number of shares has been determined, depending on the exchange ratio to be elected by SMILES shareholders, and, therefore, the final number of GOL shares to be issued as a result of the Merger of GLA Shares), including the authorization of the Board of Directors to determine, at the time of consummation of the Reorganization, the exact number of the shares to be issued, as well as the amounts to be allocated to the capital stock and capital reserve; and (vi) approve the creation of redeemable preferred shares issued by GOL, and the relevant amendment to the Bylaws.

As mentioned in the material fact dated January 18, 2021, GOL will not negotiate the operation with the management of Smiles or with the Independent Committee, so that the Reorganization will be subject to approval of its terms and conditions by the majority of the holders of outstanding SMILES shares in accordance with CVM Opinion (Parecer de Orientacao) No. 35/2008. GOL also informs that it does not intend to request the trading of its shares in the Novo Mercado segment of the B3 and, accordingly, the Reorganization will also be subject to approval by SMILES's minority shareholders pursuant to the Sole Paragraph of Article 46 of the Novo Mercado Regulation.

Notice to shareholders will be disclosed, in due time, informing the reference date to determine the SMILES shareholders that will receive shares issued by GOL ("Date of Consummation of the Reorganization").

Shareholders should seek the advice of their legal and tax advisors on the legal, foreign exchange and tax implications deriving from the Reorganization Non-Resident SMILES Shareholders will be subject to withholding of the Income Tax charged on the positive difference, as applicable, between the amount attributed to SMILES shares held by them for purposes of the Merger of SMILES Shares by GLA, adjusted by the deductions set forth in item 2.2, and the corresponding cost of acquisition of the shares held by the relevant Non-Resident Shareholder. Income tax will be withheld from the amount to paid upon redemption of the GOL Redeemable Preferred Shares, in accordance with item 4.3.

The rate applicable for the calculation of Income Tax may vary from 15% to 22.5%, depending on the amount of capital gain. Non-Resident SMILES Shareholders in favored tax jurisdictions, as set forth by tax authorities, are subject to a rate of 25%. The Companies will timely disclose a Notice to Shareholders requesting the information required for this withholding.

If, on this occasion, a Non-Resident Shareholder does not inform its average cost of acquisition or does not send the documentation required, at GOL's discretion, to support the informed average cost, GOL will consider that the cost of acquisition of the Non-Resident Shareholder is zero, and the amount attributed to the SMILES shares held by this Non-Resident Shareholder for purposes of the Merger of SMILES Shares by GLA will be fully deemed a capital gain, as permitted by applicable law.

9.2. American Depositary Receipts  ADRs

GOL Preferred Shares issued to SMILES shareholders under the Reorganization cannot be converted into GOL ADRs for a period of (i) 40 days, from the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization, for all shareholders, except shareholders that reside in the United States; and (ii) one year, from the Date of Consummation of the Reorganization, for shareholders that reside in the United States.

9.3. Availability of Documents

The Proposal of the Management of GOL for the Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting of the company and the appraisal reports prepared in the Reorganization will be available to shareholders of this company, as of the date hereof, at the respective headquarters, Investor Relations website (http://ri.voegol.com.br/), as well as in the websites of the CVM (www.cvm.gov.br) and B3.

Additional disclosures of information to the market will be timely made pursuant to applicable law.

For more information, see https://ir.voegol.com.br/conteudo_en.asp?idioma=1&conta=44&tipo=66904, access to which is restricted to certain investors as specified therein.

This material fact does not constitute an offer to sell, buy or exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to sell, buy or exchange, any security described herein, and no offer, sale, purchase or exchange of any such security will occur in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale, purchase or exchange would be unlawful without prior registration or exemption pursuant to the applicable securities laws of such jurisdiction. In particular, any offer, sale, purchase or exchange will be made pursuant to registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") or pursuant to an exemption from registration or a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Investor Relations

[email protected]

www.voegol.com.br/ir

+55(11) 2128-4700

Media Relations

Becky Nye, Montieth & Company

[email protected]

About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

GOL serves more than 36 million passengers annually. With Brazil's largest network, GOL offers customers more than 750 daily flights to over 100 destinations in Brazil and in South America, the Caribbean and the United States. GOLLOG's cargo transportation and logistics business serves more than 3,400 Brazilian municipalities and more than 200 international destinations in 95 countries. SMILES allows over 16 million registered clients to accumulate miles and redeem tickets to more than 700 destinations worldwide on the GOL partner network. Headquartered in Sao Paulo, GOL has a team of approximately 14,000 highly skilled aviation professionals and operates a fleet of 128 Boeing 737 aircraft, delivering Brazil's top on-time performance and an industry leading 20-year safety record. GOL has invested billions of Reais in facilities, products and services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. GOL's shares are traded on the NYSE (GOL) and the B3 (GOLL4). For further information, visit www.voegol.com.br/ir.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this press release has not been subject to any independent audit or review and contains "forward-looking" statements, estimates and projections that relate to future events, which are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release including, without limitation, those regarding GOL's future financial position and results of operations, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, future developments in the markets in which GOL operates or is seeking to operate, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "will", "may", "project", "estimate", "anticipate", "predict", "seek", "should" or similar words or expressions, are forward-looking statements. The future events referred to in these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors, many of which are beyond GOL's control, that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. These forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding GOL's present and future business strategies and the environment in which GOL will operate in the future and are not a guarantee of future performance. Such forward-looking statements speak only as at the date on which they are made. None of GOL or any of its affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents undertakes any duty or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. None of GOL or any of its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, professional advisors and agents make any representation, warranty or prediction that the results anticipated by such forward-looking statements will be achieved, and such forward-looking statements represent, in each case, only one of many possible scenarios and should not be viewed as the most likely or standard scenario. Although GOL believes that the estimates and projections in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they may prove materially incorrect and actual results may materially differ. As a result, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements.

Non-GAAP Measures

To be consistent with industry practice, GOL discloses so-called non-GAAP financial measures which are not recognized under IFRS or U.S. GAAP, including "Net Debt", "Adjusted Net Debt", "total liquidity" and "EBITDA". The Company's management believes that disclosure of non-GAAP measures provides useful information to investors, financial analysts and the public in their review of its operating performance and their comparison of its operating performance to the operating performance of other companies in the same industry and other industries. However, these non-GAAP items do not have standardized meanings and may not be directly comparable to similarly-titled items adopted by other companies. Potential investors should not rely on information not recognized under IFRS as a substitute for the GAAP measures of earnings or liquidity in making an investment decision.

SOURCE GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.
Temple Israel Sisterhood is hosting a special Zoom Havdalah on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 7:15 p.m. and invites the community at large. This service is a symbolic way to say goodbye to Shabbat and usher in a new week.

Please RSVP at https://tisisterhoodorlando.org/sisterhood-havdalah or email TISisterhoodOrlando@gmail.com to receive your Havdalah kit as well as the Zoom link for this warm and welcoming event. Kits are free for Temple Israel members and $5 for nonmembers.

The Havdalah kits include a braided candle, spice box, and printed prayers. These items are only available to those who RSVP....
Now that their systems are fully set up, US states say they could vaccinate about four-times more people each day against COVID-19 than they currently are, but they are hamstrung by dose shortages.

When the US government began shipping COVID-19 vaccines in December, state health providers could not administer shots fast enough to keep pace with deliveries and millions of doses sat waiting for arms.

Two months later, the situation has reversed. Supply constraints are slowing ambitious vaccination programs, as massive sites capable of putting shots into thousands of arms daily in states including New York, California, Florida and Texas, as well as hospitals and pharmacies, beg for more doses.

Nearly a dozen state and local officials in Texas, Washington state and elsewhere told Reuters they could vaccinate up to four times more people, but federal vaccine shipments remain frustratingly small.

So far, more than 48 million doses have been administered and the US is shipping more than four million doses a week to states.

It comes on the first day that pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens in more than 20 states got their first direct shipments of coronavirus vaccines - with a million sent nationwide - and began giving them out the doses.

State and local officials in nearly a dozen states and counties say they have capacity to vaccinate about four times more people than they currently are - but they keep running out of doses in federal shipments they slam as 'small'

Two months into the vaccine rollout, most states have received enough doses to vaccinate fewer than 10 percent of their residents. With deliveries based on population, most states receive fewer than a 100,000 doses per week of the Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that both require two shots.

States and localities 'have gotten themselves together...and they can handle a lot more doses,' said Claire Hannan, director of the Association of Immunization Managers, a trade group for local public health departments.

'They just need more supply.'

Health officials say the stakes are higher than ever as more contagious variants of the coronavirus spread.

The Biden administration has said it will continue to increase dose allocations and remains on track to make shots available to all Americans by late summer.

Despite the frustration, the United States is a global leader in vaccinations, with around 66 million doses shipped and nearly 45 million shots administered.

Weekly dose shipments have increased to 11 million from 8.6 million since Biden took control of the White House January 20, and may increase to around 13 million by the end of the month.

Officials said they cannot project out more than three weeks but are working to improve supply visibility.

At that pace, the administration could hit its goal of distributing 100 million shots in its first 100 days nearly a month ahead of schedule, and hit a target of 150 million shots without any increase in weekly dose allocations.

Some experts said the United States has the potential to distribute 220 million doses or more by the end of March.

Pfizer and Moderna have contracts to deliver those shots, and a third vaccine from Johnson & Johnson could be authorized by the end of this month or early March.

Biden promised to help states ramp up vaccinations with an assist from the military and government agencies after his predecessor largely left them to their own devices.

Federal data shows that vaccines shipped have consistently exceeded shots given by around 20 million doses for over a month.

White House officials said the discrepancy was largely due to states holding back doses to ensure people get their second shot on schedule.

The Biden administration has helped set up two mass vaccination sites in California and is urging Congress to provide funds for more.

It has also started shipping vaccines directly to 6,500 pharmacies around the country and will launch a similar program next week with community health centers.

State and local officials told Reuters what is holding them back now is not lack of distribution sites but dose shortages.

States and counties have set up dozens of mass vaccination centers - publicly-operated facilities that can give shots to 1,000 or more people per day - mostly near major cities such as Boston, Los Angeles and New York, according to state officials and a review of public information.

One county official said he recently helped open two mass vaccination centers near Seattle that could boost daily inoculations from about 1,000 per day to as much as 6,000, if only they had more vaccine.

'All of our sites are hampered by a lack of vaccines,' said Mark Del Beccaro, assistant deputy chief of coronavirus testing and immunization programs for King County, where Seattle is located.

Some local officials said they need federal funding to maintain vaccination capabilities. King County currently only has funding to keep sites going through March, Del Beccaro said.

Hospitals and pharmacies are facing similar constraints, according to officials from half a dozen states.

'I wish we could do more,' said Steve Hoffart, owner of Magnolia Pharmacy outside Houston, adding that he has not received vaccine shipments since January.

Hoffart said he fields some 15 emails a day from people seeking shots. 'I try to keep patients hopeful.'
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NIAMEY, Niger - In secret patches of the south-central Sahara, blankets of sand hide 20 tons of dinosaur bones.

There are flying reptiles. A creature that resembles an armored dog. Eleven species yet to be identified - all with long necks. They roamed the desert when it was still green, scientists concluded, as far back as 200 million years ago.

This is one of Africa's biggest fossil caches, a prehistoric graveyard that sparked dreams of a world-class exhibition in Niger. The rare discovery is vulnerable to looters and collapsing dunes. But excavation must wait as the nation confronts a second wave of the coronavirus on top of escalating Islamist insurgencies.

"This is our cultural identity," said Boube Adamou, an archaeologist at the Institute for Research in Human Sciences in the capital, Niamey, who helped uncover the haul. "But saving the living comes first."

Niger, about twice the size of France and two-thirds desert, has long boasted dinosaur riches. Countless bones poke through the sand. Paleontologists face a sweltering trek through bandit territory to reach what researchers call the continent's most diverse mix of extinct giants.

Throughout history, foreign explorers have garnered most of the glory for these skeletons. Even today, the nation's dinosaurs tend to go to Europe or North America - for reasons practical and frustrating. Wealthier countries offer temperature-controlled rooms that prevent bones from crumbling. Niger's top museum is infested with termites.

Leaders were striving to revive that cultural infrastructure before the pandemic struck. They wanted a lasting home for finds that have scattered elsewhere.

"We need to make it so that everything that has been taken from us can be returned," said Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou, chief of staff to the president of Niger.

Local scientists teamed up with prominent University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno, whose decades of expeditions in Niger have added nine species to the world's dinosaur record.

A joint venture was born: two new museums - one in the capital, one in the desert region of Agadez. They would house Sereno's discoveries, which are now kept at his laboratory in Chicago, as well as what the next generation of adventurers uncovers in Niger's soil.

"The best place for priceless specimens in any country is on display," Sereno said, speaking generally. "Everyone knows where they are. They are famous. They become treasures."

Niger has already earmarked the land. The project - to be called NigerHeritage - is estimated to cost tens of millions of dollars. Global donors such as the World Bank expressed interest, officials said.

But plans froze when the pandemic erupted, and now 20 tons of bone sit in the middle of the Sahara.

- - -

Niger's dinosaur story began with another hidden graveyard.

In the early 1960s, prospectors from France's atomic energy agency were digging for uranium in the Tenere wilds when they stumbled upon something huge, bluish and stony.

The vertebral columns of a dinosaur, French paleontologist Philippe Taquet soon confirmed.

Fresh out of school at age 24, he had never embarked on a fossil expedition. Within days of joining the prospectors, though, he was dusting off a new species.

"There is a place on this Earth where, simply by hopping out of your car, you risk suddenly finding yourself nose to nose with a dinosaur," Taquet wrote of the experience in his 1994 memoir.

The French team received government permission to dig, but no laws stopped outsiders from taking Niger's dinosaurs until the late 1980s. Some bones landed with private collectors in the United States, France and Italy. Others ended up in the British Museum in London.

After he studied them in France, Taquet returned the Tenere fossils to Niamey, where they remain in wooden crates at the National Museum.

The Frenchman's work provided a road map for Sereno's crew. The scientists and armed bodyguards in Land Rovers follow tips from locals to break new ground: This way for big teeth.

The scientists catalogued hundreds of bones in Agadez during a series of trips in 2018 and 2019, sweeping over roughly 1,000 miles. A man on a moped led them to a hulking spinosaurus, or "spine lizard."

"It's everything, everywhere in Niger," Sereno said. "In fact, it's too much."

Excavating the specimens took months. They cut across geological periods: dinosaurs, mammals, even humans. One Neolithic woman still wore an ivory bangle. (The 11 new dinosaur species must be peer-reviewed before receiving names.)

Sereno's team crafted temporary coverings for each skeleton out of plaster. They brushed sand over the top to hide them. Passersby, they hoped, would mistake anything jutting up for rocks.

It's not unusual for paleontologists to rebury dig sites before returning with movers. The pandemic, however, has stalled that process for at least a year.

Niger has sent soldiers to guard the expanse from looters. Bandits are known to roam those parts, while extremist groups typically operate hundreds of miles south. Nomads are also keeping an eye on the dinosaurs, periodically texting Sereno with updates.

So far, no one has reported a theft or sand avalanche.

"I have my fingers crossed that the wind god is on my side," Sereno said, "and things will look the same in a year."

- - -

Preserving dinosaurs is a hefty burden for one of the poorest countries on Earth. The pandemic makes it harder. Leaders are grappling with more-urgent matters.

Niger hit its record highs of coronavirus cases and deaths over the past two months. (The nation has recorded more than 4,656 infections and 167 fatalities since the pandemic began.)

During the same period, attacks by extremist groups surged. Islamic State fighters staged the bloodiest ambush in years on Jan. 2, killing at least 100 people in two southwestern villages.

The number of Nigeriens who died in such violence more than doubled from 2019 to 2020, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Since extremists invaded neighboring Mali nearly a decade ago, groups loyal to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have exploited a sense of hopelessness to grow their ranks across West Africa.

"We need education and services and jobs that support young people," said Moulaye Hassane, who leads the violent-extremism program at the National Center for Strategic and Security Studies in Niamey. "In that sense, tourism and dinosaurs could be great for Niger."

Resolve for that vision is alive, if shaken, at the National Museum in Niamey.

Parts of Taquet's early finds rest on the tile floor in crates marked "FRAGILE." Next to them sit brooms, some rope and a toilet brush. The walls are etched with termite cracks.

"We can't keep them like this," said Haladou Mamane, the museum's director.

Visitor traffic once brought in an average of $370 a day. People posed with concrete models of dinosaurs that Sereno discovered in the 1990s: the long-necked jobaria and sail-backed suchomimus.

Now the museum is lucky to make $20 on a Saturday.

"The coronavirus hurt us badly," Mamane said.

On a recent afternoon, the director spoke of his concerns to Adamou, the archaeologist, whose office shares the grounds.

They spoke of Taquet's celebrated quests and how they lured a wave of explorers from overseas. A faded map of Niger draped down the wall. Outsiders had enjoyed much acclaim after parachuting in.

"Thieves," the director said, only half-joking.

Adamou grinned, biting his tongue.

The veteran Sahara rover knows what's still out there. On a trip with Sereno, he walked off to take a bathroom break and spotted a 10,000-year-old human skull.

Mamane and Amadou, old friends, spoke of reclaiming their national inheritance. Vaccines would come. Travel restrictions would ease. The coronavirus would wane, they hoped.

"Dinosaurs are more valuable than uranium or oil or anything like that," Adamou said. "They belong here."

He could deal with the usual threats. Since bandits ambushed his caravan in 2008, the researcher hasn't hunted for fossils without a gun.

Manageable risk. Invaluable reward.

He grins at the possibility: Niger's dinosaurs - finally at home.

- - -

The Washington Post's Issa Ly Hamidou contributed to this report.
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Sometimes I get discouraged. How about you?

When I get discouraged, sometimes, I become a discouragement to others around me.

It is one thing to be discouraged. It is an entirely different thing to be a discouragement to others. But I find that my discouragement often times spills over into the lives of others and my discouragement becomes their discouragement. I lose sight of what matters, and I become a detriment to what God is doing in the lives of others. My circumstances cause me to want to project my discouragement on to others lives.

The Apostle Paul got discouraged from time to time. That gives me hope to know someone as spiritual as the Apostle Paul was discouraged from time to time. It is human to get discouraged. It is normal and expected. He told the Philippians in 2:19 that the best way to deal with discouragement is to hope in the Lord Jesus.

All of our aspirations come down to Gods sovereign grace over our lives. We hope in Jesus and thus we are encouraged because He cares about the details of our lives, all of them. He wants to hear about them. He wants you to share them with him. He wants you to acknowledge to others and remind them that your hope is in Christ and thus theirs should be too.

It doesnt matter how small a detail you are dealing with. He wants you to hope in Him and encourage others to do the same.

The Philippians were very discouraged. Paul couldnt come and see them because He himself was in prison. However, he writes this letter to remind them of his hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to them so they and He can be encouraged by mutual relationships and news they share with one another.

Dont give up on relationships.

They may be your greatest source of discouragement from time to time, but they will also be the greatest source of encouragement for you.

Paul reminds the Philippians in 2:20 that he is sending Timothy who has relationship with them and there is no one like him who genuinely cares about their welfare. It is good to be reminded that others care, and we are not in this alone.

Recently I got a text message from someone in our church. It said, I understand that you received a FedEx load of prayer requests. A gentleman that I know was recently killed. He was not a believer and actually identified himself as a Satanist. His young son has been having a very hard time with his death. Would you be willing to join my prayers for him?

I responded back and said I would be honored to pray for him to find hope and encouragement in Jesus. The world needs Jesus! We need to stay focused on being faithful prayer warriors and faithful servants for Christ.

When I get discouraged or burdened by the sorrow of this world, I think about the people in my life who are faithful servants of Christ and I think about the sacrifices they are making for Him. I ask the Lord to remove my focus from those who have made it fully about themselves and are absorbed in their selfishness.

Who in your life do you think of when you need to remember to be a faithful servant of Christ?

Who in your life gives you encouragement when you think of them? Let them know, but also, keep thinking about them.

While Paul was being an encouragement to the Philippians, he didnt know how his trial in Rome was going to go. He was uncertain and that uncertainty produced an anxiety in him like it would in you and me. He says in Philippians 2:24, I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

He is uncertain, but He is trusting in the Lord.

What in your life are you uncertain about that is causing you anxiety right now?

The Book of Acts doesnt record Pauls release from his Roman imprisonment, nor does it record his execution at the end of it. But evidence furnished by the pastoral epistles supports the hypothesis of a release during which Paul did additional traveling in Crete, Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Achaia. There is good reason, therefore, to believe that Pauls hope was realized.

You dont have to solve all the tension of other peoples lives by trying to convince them you dont have any in yours. Nor do you need to wallow in it in order for people to be able to relate to you.

In order for people to be encouraged by you, people need to know you understand real life, yet you trust in the Lord for your future despite the uncertainties.

Who in your life shows care for you and seeks to encourage you in the Lord? Paul reminded the Philippians in 2:26 that Epaphroditus was that kind of friend to them. He had a love and a care for the Philippians that gave them renewed peace and encouragement. Are you that kind of person in others lives?

We all need people like this in our lives and we all need to be people like this in other peoples lives. It could be a godly dad or mom, or pastor, or Sunday school teacher, or youth worker, friend, accountability partner, ministry director, mentor, care giver, or so forth and so on. Sometimes it is easy to fixate on what people have done wrong and feel sorry for ourselves and lose sight of what others have done for us.

When I come across people who have lost sight of what others have done for them, I remind them. I want to encourage them to honor those who have served them faithfully. It will bring huge encouragement into a persons life when they turn and honor, bless, and remember the sacrificial things others have done for them.

It is easy to bog down in what people arent or havent done for you, but what about focusing on what others have done for you. It will bring a spirit of hope and encouragement back to your life and then you in turn can give that same hope and encouragement to others.

When each of us do this, it changes the world one relationship at a time from a world of unrest and discouragement to a world of peace and encouragement. We all have a part to play in this through the relationships of our lives.

It is so very important to be encouraged in life and to be an encouragement in life to others. As I near the age of fifty, I realize more each day how much I need encouragement and how much I need to be a reminder of encouragement to others. It is easy to lose hope. It is easy to give up. It is easy to see what isnt. It takes courage to see what it is and can be. And when we declare these reminders to others, it not only gives others a chance to be encouraged but reminds us to be encouraged as well.

May the peace of Christ rule in your heart today as you seek to be an encouragement to others that brings peace to the storms of their lives.
Alexei Navalny ordered a judge to 'stop shaming yourself' as he denied defaming a WWII veteran who appeared in a pro-Putin propaganda video.

The opposition leader, 44, is in the dock for lashing out at Vladimir Putin supporters - including the 95-year-old veteran - who appeared in a pro-Kremlin video last year, describing them as 'traitors' and 'the shame of the country'.

Today's court appearance comes just over a week after Navalny was sentenced for a different offence - and hours after his wife Yulia fled the country over fears his supporters would be the Kremlin's next targets.

Appearing in court on Friday, Navalny - who faces two years in jail - sparred with the judge and prosecutor and mocked the veteran's grandson, accusing him of 'selling out' his grandfather over the propaganda clip.

He ordered the judge to 'enrol in some courses to improve your knowledge of the laws of the Russian Federation'.

Alexei Navalny (pictured in court today) ordered a judge to 'stop shaming yourself' as he denied defaming a WWII veteran who appeared in a pro-Putin propaganda video

The opposition leader, 44, (pictured today) is in the dock for lashing out at Putin supporters - including the 95-year-old veteran - who appeared in a pro-Kremlin video last year, describing them as 'traitors' and 'the shame of the country'

The anti-corruption campaigner today appeared in a glass cage for defendants at Moscow's Babushkinsky district court wearing his trademark blue hoodie.

Heavily-armed riot police surrounded the court and set up cordons outside.

During a theatrical trial Friday, the opposition figure sparred with the judge and prosecutor and was repeatedly reprimanded for his behaviour.

His lawyer Olga Mikhailova called on the court to allow media in the courtroom and accused the judge of bias, asking that she be removed from overseeing the hearing.

Today's court appearance comes just over a week after Navalny was sentenced for a different offence - and hours after his wife Yulia (pictured) fled the country over fears his supporters would be the Kremlin's next targets

Heavily-armed riot police surrounded the court and set up cordons outside (pictured)

Russia's investigative committee launched the defamation probe against Navalny last June after he had slammed the 'corrupt stooges', 'people without conscience' and 'traitors' who appeared in the pro-Kremlin video.

The video was a political advert for a package of constitutional reforms signed by Putin last year which could allow him to stay in power until 2036.

Authorities accused Navalny of 'denigrating the honour and dignity' of the elderly World War II veteran who featured in the video.

Police officers guard the area as journalists gather outside Moscow's Babushkinsky District Court today

The charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, but the court is not expected to pronounce a verdict yet.

In his hearing today, Navalny told the judge: 'Stop shaming yourself and enrol in some courses to improve your knowledge of the laws of the Russian Federation.'

Later, he again accused the veteran's grandson of 'selling out' his grandfather.

When the prosecutor began reading out the frail veteran's testimony, the court heard a detailed description of his wartime experiences in Soviet-era Belarus.

Law enforcement officers stand guard outside a court building in Moscow before a hearing to consider the case against Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny

But Navalny interjected, saying the veteran's memoirs had nothing to do with the proceedings.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

A different court last week ordered him to serve two and a half years in prison on the grounds that his time in Germany violated a suspended sentence he was handed in a money-laundering and fraud conviction.

His lawyers said Friday they had filed an appeal.

His lawyer Olga Mikhailova (pictured) called on the court to allow media in the courtroom and accused the judge of bias, asking that she be removed from overseeing the hearing

The arrest sparked protests throughout the county on two weekends in January, in which a total of about 10,000 people reportedly were arrested.

Earlier today, Russia said it is ready to cut ties with the European Union if the bloc hits it with harsh economic sanctions and travel bans over the Navalny case.

Russia expelled three European diplomats from Sweden, Germany and Poland after they observed protests calling for Navalny's release.

In retaliation, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pledged harsh economic sanctions against the superpower.

And now, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the bloc that Russia is 'ready' to cut ties if the sanctions go ahead, warning: 'If you want peace then prepare for war.'

It is not clear exactly what cutting ties would involve, however Mr Lavrov stressed that Russia is willing to strive for complete economic independence - in a similar style to its self-sufficient military.

The EU is also leaning on Russia for doses of its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, which is still pending approval from the EU regulator.

Russia (President Vladimir Putin, pictured) is ready to cut ties with the European Union if the bloc hits it with harsh economic sanctions and travel bans, its foreign minister has confirmed

Russia has been locked in a tense standoff with the EU over the arrest and imprisonment of staunch Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny. Pictured: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

Three European diplomats said the EU European Union was likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes on Putin allies as soon as this month - with France and Germany signalling their willingness to move ahead.

In an interview due to be published in full later today, Mr Lavrov was asked whether cutting ties with the EU was on the cards.

He replied: 'We proceed from the fact that we're ready (for that).

'In the event that we again see sanctions imposed in some sectors that create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive spheres.

'We don't want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace then prepare for war.'

Josep Borrell (right), the EU's minister for foreign affairs, held a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov (left), last week

The EU's foreign affairs chief Mr Borrell held a joint press conference with Mr Lavrov last week - after Russia expelled three European diplomats.

In it, Mr Borrell congratulated Russia for its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, before pushing the independent European Medicines Agency to authorise the jab so that EU citizens can use it.

US officials believe Mr Borrell 'got played,' by Russia, as they push for a united front against the country amid calls for it to release Mr Navalny.

Speaking at Friday's press conference, Mr Borrell said: 'I take the floor to just congratulate Russia for this success. It's good news for the whole mankind because it means we are going to have more tools to face the pandemic.'

A former senior US official for Barack Obama told The Daily Telegraph: 'Borrell should not have gone to Moscow in the absence of securing some kind of substantial deliverable in advance... It does look like the Russians played Borrell.'

Putting it bluntly, former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'This is an example of the EU kissing the backside of Russia.'

Following the press conference, Mr Borrell told the European Parliament he would suggest the EU impose sanctions on Russia over the arrest of Mr Navalny and the crackdown on his supporters.

Russian police raided the Moscow headquarters for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny as his wife Yulia (pictured) fled the country and headed to Germany amid rising tensions in Russia

Yesterday, Russian police raided Navalny's headquarters as his wife fled the country and headed to Germany.

The search by a dozen police ended about 1am.

It was not immediately clear if the police took away items as potential evidence, but photos posted by Navalnys staff on social media showed them bagging material including a coffee mug.

Meanwhile, his wife Yulia Navalnay landed in Frankfurt, Germany, yesterday according to local media reports.

The 44-year-old fled amid increasing pressure from the Kremlin on Mr Navalny's supporters which saw her being detained during protests against her husband's arrest.

There was no statement from police about the reason for the search of Mr Navalny's offices in Moscow.

The Mediazona news website that focuses on political repressions and human rights abuses cited a Navalny staff member as saying that police said they had received a report that pornography was being published at the office.

Yulia was detained during one of the protests over her husband's arrest and posted a selfie onto her Instagram page with the caption: 'Apologies for the poor quality. Very bad light in the police van.'

According to local media reports, she was released the following day and later fined 20,000 roubles (196) for attending an 'unsanctioned protest'.

The United States, Britain, Germany and the EU have urged Moscow to immediately free Mr Navalny, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying Washington will coordinate closely with allies to hold Russia accountable.

Pictured: Yulia Navalnaya arrives at the Moscow City Court to attend the trial of her husband

Earlier on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said further sanctions against Russia needed to target the right people.

In the wake of his sentencing earlier this month, allies of Russian opposition leader Mr Navalny called for immediate protests after the Kremlin critic was handed two-and-a-half years in prison for violating the terms of a 2014 conviction.

At his sentencing, Mr Navalny mocked Putin by giving him the nickname 'Vladimir the Poisoner of Underwear' and told a judge his trial is only taking place because the Russian leader had failed to kill him with Novichok.

Navalny told the Russian courthouse that Putin is 'demanding to steal underwear from opponents and smear them with chemical weapons'.

He also said Putin wanted him imprisoned to 'scare millions' and warned the President that 'people will realise.'

He then made a heart gesture to his wife who was sat at the back of court and said 'Dont be sad! Everything is going to be all right.'

L

ikening the UK-EU relationship since 1 January to turbulence during an aircraft take-off, Michael Gove pointed out that what came next was cruising altitude and seatbelts off. On the post-Brexit journey, he told a Lords committee, were not at the gin and tonic and peanuts stage yet but Im confident we will be.

Yet there are fears in London and Brussels that the Cabinet Office minister might merely end up with peanuts when the EU responds to his demand for changes to the Northern Ireland protocol to ease the disruption to goods coming from Great Britain, which is causing shortages in the countrys shops.

After three and a half hours of talks on Thursday night, Gove and Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission vice president, pledged to spare no effort to prevent a crisis in Northern Ireland. The mood music was warmer than in their frosty exchange of letters beforehand. They have a better relationship than the Brexit negotiators David Frost and Michel Barnier enjoyed. Yet there is no disguising that the UK and EU are poles apart on the sensitive Northern Ireland issue.
(TNS)  A January cyberattack on the University of Colorado is "the largest, most complex incident involving data" the system has ever seen, likely exposing a substantial number of employee, student, health and research records, officials said.President Mark Kennedy informed the campus communities of the attack in an email Tuesday, describing it as a "malicious cyberattack" on software provided by vendor Accellion.CU uses the software to transfer large files and data sets that can include information protected by privacy laws, Kennedy wrote, including personally identifiable information of current and prospective students and employees, health and clinical data, and study and research data.The university does not yet know the full scope of the attack, said spokesperson Ken McConnellogue, and is currently investigating who was impacted and how many files were exposed. CU also does not know who was behind the attack, McConnellogue said. Approximately 300 Accellion customers were impacted."We think this is the largest, most complex incident involving data that we've had," McConnellogue said. "Our IT folks tell us that in 2005 CU was a target of an attack that exposed about 50,000 records, and this will certainly exceed that."The file sharing service is mainly used by the Boulder campus, according to Kennedy's letter, and data from the Denver campus was also involved. The Anschutz and Colorado Springs campuses, along with the system administration and CU Foundation, do not yet appear to be impacted.CU was notified by Accellion in late January that attackers had exploited a vulnerability in the file transfer service, and CU immediately shut down the file transfer service, Kennedy wrote.The service was shut down on Jan. 25, patched and restored on Jan. 28, according to a university website about the attack. A forensic investigation by CU and Accellion "revealed CU Boulder's service was compromised and the files available on the system during the attack had been at risk of unauthorized access," the website states.The university has contacted 447 people who had files uploaded in the system in January, and the Office of Information Security is completing a manual review of all files that were exposed during the attack, according to CU."Piecing together exactly which files were compromised is a painstaking, sometimes manual process," Kennedy wrote. "...We expect to have a significant part of the work done this week, but we will have to continue analysis of the data until we learn the full extent of the attack."The university will notify people impacted by the attack as soon as possible, McConnellogue said."As we notify them we want to provide as much information to them as possible, which is why this forensic stage that we're in is important and will take a little time," McConnellogue said.Those impacted will be provided with free monitoring services to detect identity and credit fraud, according to CU's website about the attack. More information will be available at cu.edu/accellion-cyberattack.Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have been notified, McConnellogue said.In an email statement, Accellion spokesperson Rob Dougherty wrote that the company is conducting a full assessment of the incident with an "industry-leading cybersecurity forensics firm.""We will share more information once this assessment is complete," Dougherty wrote. "For their protection, we do not comment on specific customers. We are working with all impacted FTA clients to understand and mitigate any impact of this incident, and to migrate them to our modern kiteworks content firewall platform as soon as possible."A news release about the cyberattack on Accellion's website describes the file sharing service as a 20-year-old product nearing end of life. The initial cyberattack began in mid-December and "was the beginning of a concerted cyberattack on the Accellion FTA product that continued into January 2021," the website stated, and was "a highly sophisticated attack."In an email, Courtney Bernal, a spokesperson with the FBI's Denver field office, stated that the bureau does not confirm or deny specific investigations. CU Boulder referred requests for comment to McConnellogue.
A man has been accused of possessing child abuse material after Australian Federal Police raided his home north of Brisbane in November.

It will be alleged the man accessed and uploaded child abuse material via Dropbox and a messaging app, and stored child abuse material on several electronic devices.

Evidence images from the AFP raid on the Caboolture home. Credit:Australian Federal Police

Detectives seized four hard drives, two smartphones and a tablet during the raid at Caboolture, 45 kilometres north of Brisbane CBD.

The 25-year-old man has been charged with possessing child abuse material and using a carriage service to access child abuse material, which carry a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.


Senior doctors say that this policy will harm modern medicine practice and lower the morale of students, who will be left confused about which medical stream they must study. (Photo: DC/ Naryana Rao)

Hyderabad: The relay hunger strike by doctors of the Indian Medical Association across the country and in Telangana has entered its tenth day, with several senior doctors and long-standing members of the IMA in the Telangana chapter are participating as they strongly object to the "mixing of different medical streams".

The mixing of modern medicine with AYUSH is strongly objected to by the IMA doctors. Senior doctors say that this policy will harm modern medicine practice and lower the morale of students, who will be left confused about which medical stream they must study.

"People, in general, are not aware of the consequences but when it is put in practice there will be major confusion in the society," doctors said.

Dr M. Sampath Rao, president-elect of the TS IMA said, the Central Council of Indian Medicine gave a gazette notification on November 19, 2020, permitting Ayurvedic postgraduates to perform 58 categories of modern surgeries after just six months of training. The Indian Medical Association strongly condemns this type of mixopathy.

The surgeries that can be carried out by AYUSH doctors will include general surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, plastic and others.

Dr Krishna Reddy, IMA Building Trust Chairman said, Modern medicine MBBS graduates are allowed to practice the super speciality in which they are trained. Eye surgeons cannot do an ENT surgery. But the CCIM order is to get trained and carry out surgeries. This is dangerous for peoples health. If the order is not withdrawn we are going to intensify our protests.

The biggest problem is that presently modern medicine and AYUSH are different. When it will be mixed people will not know which doctor is treating them.

Dr Dwarakanatha Reddy, past state secretary of IMA says, Mixing will lead to a lot of confusion and purpose will not be served. It is better to strengthen AYUSH independently and popularize traditional branches of study.

Terming the order illogical and unscientific Dr Mohan Reddy, president of IMA, north branch Hyderabad, said that bad reputation will be created for modern medicine. Dr Reddy says, training has to be given in modern medicine hospitals which is illogical. When surgeries go wrong modern medicine will be blamed and not AYUSH.

Doctors from districts and senior doctors from the city have come together and are protesting at the IMA headquarters in Koti. Dr P R Saikumar, chairman of medi bulletin of IMA, Dr Lingamurthy, Dr Sai S Udaker, Dr Jatin, Dr Mukund, Dr Veer Kumar, Dr Raghunandan and others have also participated on the 10th day.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has selected a history-making retired admiral and a former commandant of the Marine Corps, among others, to join a commission that will recommend a way forward on renaming bases named for Confederate officers and other military landmarks honoring the Confederacy.

Austin's four nominees to the commission, announced by the Pentagon on Friday, include retired Adm. Michelle Howard, the former vice chief of naval operations and the highest-ranking woman and African American in the Navy's history. She is joined by retired Gen. Robert Neller, former Marine Corps commandant; Dr. Kori Schake, a widely respected military scholar and director of Foreign & Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute; and retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, the professor emeritus of history at the American Enterprise Institute.

Howard, who was previously named to President Joe Biden's defense transition team, served in the Navy from 1982 to 2017 and was commander of United States Naval Forces Europe before becoming VCNO in 2014. Neller, who served as head of Marine Corps Forces Command before becoming commandant in 2015, wrote a lengthy open letter "to America" urging racial reckoning in the wake of George Floyd's death last June.

"I am sure that today this is not enough," he wrote. "The time for being silent has passed, at least for me."

The commission was created by Congress in a provision within the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act following heated debate over 10 Army bases still bearing the names of Confederate officers. Former President Donald Trump vehemently opposed the bases' renaming and even vetoed the NDAA, in part over that provision.

Also Friday, the House and Senate Armed Services committees also announced their four picks to the commission:

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., selected retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, 53rd Army Chief of Engineers.

Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., selected Jerry Buchanan, an Oklahoma native, business owner and former Army drill sergeant.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith, D-Wash., selected Lonnie Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian and first Black American to hold that position.

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Mike Rogers, R-Ala., selected Rep. Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican and member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Four members of the lengthily named Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America were appointed in January under acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller.

They included Trump administration officials and political appointees Sean McLean, at the time a White House associate director from California; Joshua Whitehouse, a former Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives who served at the time as a White House liaison to the Defense Department; Ann Johnston, then the acting assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, from North Carolina; and Earl Matthews, former principal deputy general counsel for the Army and a colonel in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard at the time.

Austin's new action, however, replaces these members with his new picks. Earlier this month, the Defense secretary emptied out every defense advisory board, purging hundreds of members, many of them appointed shortly before Trump left office.

"Each of these individuals possesses unique and relevant experience, in and out of government, that I know will inform this important effort. I am enormously grateful for their willingness to serve the nation again, and I thank them in advance for the wise counsel I am confident they will provide," Austin wrote. "I also thank the Congress for establishing this process, and I continue to pledge my personal commitment -- and that of the Department -- to making sure it succeeds. I look forward to seeing the results of the commission's work in the months ahead."

The commission must deliver a written report to Congress by Oct. 11 with its plan to rename bases, platforms and streets honoring the Confederacy. The law mandates that within three years the renaming will be executed and all "names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America" also be stricken. The commission will have a $2 million budget, taken from the Army's fiscal 2021 Operations and Maintenance budget, to come up with its plan.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
Amidst reports of the European Union (EU) mulling sanctions on Russia, countrys foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was ready to completely cut ties with the bloc. Despite a hopeful recent visit to the Russian capital by EUs top diplomat Joseph Borrel, the relationship between the two has strained in recent times. Tensions further escalated after the Vladimir Putin administration detained and sentenced opposition leader Alexei Navalny on February 2 sparking outrage.

On February 2, the 44-year-old was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for violating terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany from the nerve-agent poisoning. During the hearing, Putins most staunch critic said that the Russian President is nothing but an underpants poisoner. His arrest has caused nationwide protests prompting authorities to take to fines and detentions to quell the protests.

"We don't want to isolate ourselves from the world, but we need to be ready for that. If you want peace, prepare for war," foreign minister Lavrov told media reporters while talking about potential EU sanctions.

The Russian administration had previously, warned the EU over taking any "rash steps" asserting that new sanctions "will inevitably be followed by a proportionate response". EU foreign ministers are set to meet on February 22 to discuss the sanctions. However, Borrell had already called on the 27 member bloc to impose tough sanctions on Russia.

Read:Borrell Hopes Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Will Be Certified In European Union

Read: Kremlin Critic Navalny's Aide Calls For 'big' Anti-government Rally In Spring

EU Russia relationship

While both the European Union and Russian Federation share several contracts on trade, politics, personal data protection and implementation of JCPOA, their ties have been severed since 2014. Primary causes include Russias illegal annexation of Crimea, support for rebel groups in eastern Ukraine, policies in the neighbourhood, disinformation campaigns and negative internal developments. Putin administrations intervention in Syria, Libya and sub-Saharan Africa have also irked the bloc promoting it renew several sanctions against Moscow.

Meanwhile, Russia is gripped with both a civil crisis owing to Alexei Navalny's arrest and health crisis pertaining to an increasing caseload of COVID-19. Last week, the countrys statistics agency revealed that population of Russia has shrunk for the first time in the past 15 years, With the pandemic pushing the country into crisis, experts attributed the decline primarily to COVID-19 induced deaths, low birth rate and increased migration.

Read: Russians Share Selfies In Red To Show Support For Alexei Navalny

Read: Russia Hopes To Revive Relations With EU With Josep Borrell's Visit
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump was sicker with COVID-19 in October than publicly acknowledged at the time, with extremely depressed blood oxygen levels at one point and a lung problem associated with pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, according to four people familiar with his condition.

His prognosis became so worrisome before he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that officials believed he would need to be put on a ventilator, two of the people familiar with his condition said.

The people familiar with Trumps health said he was found to have lung infiltrates, which occur when the lungs are inflamed and contain substances such as fluid or bacteria. Their presence, especially when a patient is exhibiting other symptoms, can be a sign of an acute case of the disease. They can be easily spotted on an X-ray or scan, when parts of the lungs appear opaque, or white.

Trumps blood oxygen level alone was cause for extreme concern, dipping into the 80s, according to the people familiar with his evaluation. The disease is considered severe when the blood oxygen level falls to the low 90s.

It has been previously reported that Trump had trouble breathing and a fever on Oct. 2, the day he was taken to the hospital, and the types of treatment he received indicated that his condition was serious. But the new details about his condition and about the effort inside the White House to get him special access to an unapproved drug to fight the virus help to flesh out one of the most dire episodes of Trumps presidency.

The new revelations about Trumps struggle with the virus also underscore the limited and sometimes misleading nature of the information disclosed at the time about his condition.

The former president resisted being taken from the White House to Walter Reed, relenting when aides told him that he could walk out on his own, or risk waiting until the U.S. Secret Service was forced to carry him out if he got sicker, two people familiar with the events said.

While Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed, his medical team sought to downplay the severity of the situation, saying that he was on an upswing. At 74 and overweight, he was at risk for severe disease, and was prescribed an aggressive course of treatments. He left the hospital after three days in which he at one point staged a brief ride in his armored sport utility vehicle to wave at the crowd of supporters outside the building.

A person close to the former president denied that he had been seriously ill, echoing comments Trump himself made after he was sick.

There are still unanswered questions about whether Trump was already sick with COVID-19 when he participated in a presidential debate on Sept. 29, just two days before the public announcement that he had been diagnosed with the disease and three days before his deteriorating condition forced him to go to Walter Reed.

Trumps physician, Dr. Sean Conley, repeatedly downplayed concerns about Trumps condition during his illness. At one briefing, Conley said Trump was receiving X-ray and CT scans. But when asked about whether there was evidence of pneumonia or damage to the tissue, he would only say there were expected findings, but nothing of any major clinical concern.

Conley also told reporters that while Trumps oxygen level had dropped to 93%, it had never dropped to the low 80s.

Trump had trouble breathing at the White House. He was twice given oxygen before being taken to Walter Reed, as Conley acknowledged after it was reported by The New York Times.

While still at the White House, Trump received a drug developed by biotechnology firm Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. The antibody mixture  not widely available at the time  helps people infected with the virus fight it off.

After Trump was hospitalized, he began a regimen for a steroid, dexamethasone, which is usually recommended only for COVID-19 patients who have severe or critical forms of the disease, often those who need mechanical ventilation or supplemental oxygen.

And he received a five-day course of the antiviral drug remdesivir. Medical experts at the time believed that his medication course was a clear signal of significant lung issues related to his lungs.

In news conferences outside the hospital that weekend, Conley offered data that made it appear his patient was recovering quickly. He noted that Trump had fared well on a spirometry test, which measures lung capacity. Hes maxing it out, Conley said. Hes doing great.

Medical experts say a spirometry test is virtually meaningless with COVID-19 patients.

When Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, tried to surreptitiously tell reporters that the situation was more dire, Trump erupted in anger, according to people who spoke with him.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, Conley acknowledged that he had given a rosy version of Trumps condition.

I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, his course of illness has had, he said. I didnt want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasnt necessarily true.

Trumps medical team said that on that Friday, he had a high fever and that his oxygen level dropped, requiring him to be administered oxygen. Trumps oxygen level dropped again on Saturday.

Trump appeared to still be struggling with the disease when he returned to the White House, where he stationed himself on a balcony in a choreographed scene, tearing his mask off and saluting his helicopter. Doctors at the time noted how Trump used his neck muscles to help him breathe in those moments, a classic sign that someones lungs are not taking in enough oxygen.

On the night of his diagnosis, Oct. 1, White House officials scrambled to get the Regeneron antibody drug  not at that point authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment  to Trump.

A top lawyer in the White House Counsels Office, Patrick Philbin, called Dr. Stephen Hahn, the FDA commissioner at the time, to discuss how the agency could approve the drugs use for two senior administration officials he did not want to identify, according to one person who heard about the call.

Philbin was exploring how the president could quickly get access to the drug through normal FDA procedures. Regeneron had already signed off on the use of the doses, Philbin told Hahn.

Hahn and other FDA officials, including Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the top federal drug regulator, worked to clear the drug through a standard process known as an emergency investigational new drug application, often used for very ill patients who agree to take an experimental drug still being tested in clinical trials. The agency reviews the medical histories of those patients to identify whether there might be severe risks to take a treatment.

Regeneron shipped a package of doses that included extras, in case of any administration issues, a company spokeswoman said.

The extras were never returned. Conley at one point told associates they had been sitting in a refrigerator in the White Houses medical office.

Only in the days following the applications approval did White House officials acknowledge that the doses were for Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, who also tested positive for COVID-19 but turned down the drug, which is infused intravenously for about an hour. The person close to the former president also denied that Melania Trump had turned down the drug.

Around that time, as other people close to Donald Trump started getting sick, his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, offered to facilitate getting the Regeneron treatment for them, two people with knowledge of the discussions said. An aide to Kushner disputed that he had made such an offer at that time.

In the weeks after his hospitalization, Trump was convinced that the Regeneron treatment had saved his life, telling aides, Im proof it works.

That line became a running joke among top health officials, who would ask each other whether anyone was going to break it to Trump that he was in fact a failed clinical trial result for Regeneron, since the aim is to prevent people from being hospitalized after receiving it, one former senior administration official said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : TECNO, the global premium smartphone brand, on Friday announced the rollout of 'TECNO Unstoppable Days sale to celebrate the spirit of Valentines day week across India.

This new initiative from the brand TECNO is a first of its kind that offers exciting deals to its fans on TECNO's popular product range spanning SPARK, CAMON and POVA on Flipkart from February 12 to 15.

In a bid to strengthen its online presence, the brand intends to make this a regular property for its e-commerce channel.

TECNO Unstoppable Days gives consumers a unique opportunity to celebrate love and gift their loved ones their favourite smartphones like TECNO POVA, TECNO CAMON 16, TECNO SPARK 6 Go, and TECNO SPARK Power 2 Air, made available at discounted price points.

TECNO CAMON 16 will be available for Rs 11,499 (No cost EMI), TECNO CAMON 15 will be available for Rs 9,999, while TECNO POVA (4GB+64GB) will cost Rs 9,999 with Rs 500 off on all prepaid transactions/ exchange.

In addition, TECNO SPARK 6 Go will be available at 8499 with Rs 200 off on all prepaid transactions/ Exchangande and TECNO SPARK Power 2 Air at Rs 7,999.

"Since the brand's inception in India a little over four years ago, TECNO witnessed a robust growth and successfully secured its position among the top 6 offline smartphone players in India in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment. The brand recently celebrated the milestone of achieving an 8 million+ customer base in India that firmly validate TECNO's brand philosophy of staying 'ahead of the curve' approach and a product the philosophy that rests on 'segment-first' features," the company said in a statement.

The TECNO CAMON 16 pioneers the most affordable 64MP Quad cam with Eye Autofocus feature and premium AI-enabled Ultra Night lens powered by TAIVOS in the under-Rs 12,000 segment.

While TECNO POVA is currently holding the crown of bringing together the most competitive smartphone offering Helio G80 processor with 6000mAh battery, 18W Dual IC Fast Charger, 6.8 Dot-in-display, 4GB LPDDR4x RAM in sub-Rs 11,000 price point.

The TECNO SPARK 6 Go boasts of its first most affordable 4GB + 64GB storage smartphone in India from its popular SPARK series. It features 6.52 HD+ Dot-Notch display, massive 5000mAh battery and is equipped with a 13MP Dual rear camera with Dual Flashlight, to capture crisp and clear photos even in low light.

Consumers can add SPARK to their Valentine's Day celebrations with TECNO's SPARK Power 2 Air flaunting various category-defining features such as 6000mAh battery, big 6.95-inch dot-notch display and 13MP AI-powered Quad camera with category-defining dual speakers with stereo sound for just Rs 7,999.

Latest updates on Valentine's Day 2021

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (center rear) watches a student study Thursday in a William H. Brown Elementary School classroom. In-person learning for students in pre-kindergarten and cluster programs began Thursday after the district reached an agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union.
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The Houston regions preparation for the coming winter storm continued Friday with crews treating roads for ice, schools and public transit announcing plans to close early next week and local officials warning residents to prepare to stay home for days on end.

Gov. Greg Abbott declared a statewide emergency Friday as workers from Houston Public Works, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Harris County Toll Road Authority sprayed overpasses, toll roads and freeways with a mixture intended to prevent icing. In some cases, they have been forced to wait until roads dry or scattered rain stops.

More than 30 public, private and charter school districts and colleges, including Houston ISD, announced they would close completely on Monday and Tuesday. Another 29, including Alief, Spring and Goose Creek ISDs, said they would shift all work and instruction online for those days.

Metro is suspending all transit services Monday morning through Tuesday, or whenever it is safe to resume operations, at which point the agency may gradually return to normal operations, officials announced.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Friday warned the coming storm may be the Houston regions worst winter weather event in 30 years and cautioned its effects  from closed roads to downed power lines  could resemble those of a Category 5 hurricane.

What youre seeing is not your typical hard freeze, Hidalgo said at a Transtar briefing. This is a sustained cold spell that has the potential of causing tremendous destruction to our region.

Forecasters predict subfreezing temperatures between Sunday and Wednesday, as well as wintry precipitation.

This is extreme for our area, county meteorologist Jeff Lindner said. It could be sleet. It could be freezing rain. It could be snow. It could be all three.

Officials are planning to spray nearly 100 bridges and street overpasses with a magnesium chloride anti-icing mixture Saturday morning, Houston Public Works spokeswoman Erin Jones said. Workers will wait to apply the substance until roads dry, she said, because the chemicals are ineffective on wet pavement and can be washed away by rain.

Light showers or drizzle are expected in the Houston area Saturday, along with potential freezing rain north of the city, according to Matt Lanza of the Space City Weather blog.

If rain continues longer than expected, crews would have to delay their de-icing plans beyond Saturday morning, Jones said.

The city handles de-icing on bridges and street overpasses at various spots in north, southwest and southeast Houston, such as where TC Jester passes over Eureka Yard and at the intersection of Memorial and Shepherd. The Harris County Toll Road Authority is responsible for toll roads, while the state transportation department typically handles highway overpasses.

This time, in anticipation of an extensive icy winter weather event, state workers are pre-treating all major freeways in the Houston area, including U.S. 290 and interstates 10, 45 and 69, said Emily Black, a spokeswoman for TxDOT. The agency is attempting to cover all freeways in the area as much as possible, Black said, though it is prioritizing outside lanes on wide freeways such as I-10, in case crews are unable to cover the entire roadway.

Their efforts are part of a statewide storm response ordered by Abbott, who issued a disaster declaration for all 254 Texas counties on Friday and instructed the Texas Highway Patrol and Department of Public Safety to deploy patrols to help stranded motorists along major travel corridors, among other emergency operations.

National Weather Service officials said to expect snow, sleet and freezing rain Sunday evening through early afternoon Monday in the Houston area, with the coldest front coming Tuesday morning when temperatures are expected to dip into the teens.

If the city roads ice over, workers will de-ice them with a sand mixture, Jones said.

The storm presents a unique challenge, Hidalgo said, since the region has extensive experience preparing for hurricanes but rarely experiences severe winter weather. Southeast Texas lacks the stockpiles of salt and snowplows that are commonplace in northern states; drivers do not switch to snow tires in the winter.

Patches of ice had already had begun to emerge Friday morning north of Houston. Harris County Sheriffs Office deputies investigated a crash at U.S. 290 and Binford Road near Hockley where black ice was reported. Ice also was reported around 7:30 a.m. near U.S. 290 and Texas 99, according to Houston TranStar.

Farther north, the Magnolia Police Department reported a 13-vehicle crash on top of an overpass at FM 1488 and FM 1774, urging people to be aware of icy roads and drive carefully.

Mayor Sylvester Turner acknowledged a blunt truth: Houstonians do not know how to drive on snow and ice. He said residents should be prepared to stay put for several days and urged them to bring pets inside and wrap exposed pipes to prevent them from freezing.

Some city workers will stay home Monday and Tuesday, the mayor said.

A further complicating factor is the COVID-19 pandemic. Houston will close its vaccination sites on Monday and Tuesday; Harris Countys will shut down from Monday through Wednesday.

Turner said the citys outreach team had begun contacting homeless residents in an effort to direct them to a warming center that will open 2 p.m. Sunday at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Fort Bend County officials were making similar preparations Friday, with road crews sanding bridges and overpasses on tollways and county roads in an attempt to stave off icy conditions.

Fort Bend County ISD announced campuses will be closed Tuesday.

Alan Spears, Fort Bend Countys deputy emergency management coordinator, said the National Weather Service had warned county officials that harsh conditions may persist for three or four days. Spears also said residents should prepare for loss of power during the storm.

In Montgomery County, emergency officials and commissioners were working on plans Friday and making sure that they have the grit that they need for the roads, said Meghan Ballard Arthur, a spokeswoman for the county office of homeland security and emergency management.

People should stay home if they can for the duration of the frigid storm, Ballard Arthur said.

Only get out when necessary, she said. Sunday night through Tuesday morning is going to be a hard time on the roads. So, if you can stay home and stay put, that is what we are recommending.

Anna Bauman, Alejandro Serrano and Shelby Webb contributed to this report.

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February 22, 2021 10.00 am

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Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) -Algold Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ALG.H) ("Algold") announced today that it has filed a proposal ("the Proposal").

The Proposal provides, among other things, for the reorganization of Algold's share capital. Subsequent to the approval of the Proposal and the reorganization of Algold's share capital, as the case may be, Articles of Reorganization will be filed with the director appointed under the Canada Business Corporations Act.

The board of directors of Algold determined that the Proposal and the reorganization of the share capital are in the best interests of Algold and its various stakeholders to allow the development of the Tijirit Project in Mauritania.

About Algold Resources

Algold Resources Ltd. is focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in West Africa. The board of directors and management team are seasoned resource industry professionals with extensive experience in the exploration and development of world-class gold projects in Africa.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of present or historical facts are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions and accordingly, actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include words such as "subsequent", "as the case may be", "will", "development" and similar words. Factors that could cause future results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include the ability to obtain approval for the Proposal and the reorganization of the share capital and develop the Tijirit Project. The Corporation's plans involve various estimates and assumptions, and its business is subject to various risks and uncertainties. For more details on these estimates, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, see the Corporation's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Algold disclaims any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Algold Resources Ltd.

1320, boul. Graham, bureau 132

Mont-Royal, Quebec

H3P 3C8



Yves Grou

Interim Chief Financial Officer

Tel: +1 (514) 237-7757

y.grou@algold.com

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74375
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on February 11 made an introductory call to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and discussed multiple issues, including coronavirus pandemic, climate change, the Syrian crisis and Tigray tragedy in Ethiopia. The Department of States Spokesperson, Ned Price informed that the US official expressed the countrys interest in close coordination with the UN on the many challenges the world is facing today. Price said that Blinken even praised the central role that the UN and its agencies play in coordinating our global response.

During a phone call with Guterres, Blinken highlighted the US reengagement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and expressed deepened focus on promoting health and advancing global health security. He noted that strengthening and reforming the WHO will better position it to prevent, detect and respond to future pandemics. While speaking about climate change, Blinken also highlighted the US return to Paris Agreement and welcomed UN cooperation in confronting the global climate crisis.

Further, on Syria crisis, both the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the political process under the UNSC resolution 2254 and the extension of a cross-border authorisation to deliver aid and help relieve the suffering of the Syrian people. It is worth noting that the resolution endorses roadmap for the peace process in Syria and setting a time table for talks. On Ethiopia, Guterres and Blinken also reconfirmed their commitment to support Ethiopias efforts to respond to the crisis in Tigray.

READ: Cuban Official Asks Biden's Gov't To Reconsider Sanctions

READ: 'Going To Chop Your Heads Off': North Carolina Man Charged With Threatening To Kill Biden

Blinken praises UNs role as indispensable anchor

The US Secretary of State expressed willingness to collaborate closely with the Secretary-General and the UN system in his new role. Blinken underscored the US commitment to multilateral cooperation and praised the United Nations role as the indispensable anchor of the multilateral system.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Guterres had even welcomed the US decision to re-engage with the UN Human Rights Council and said that peace-keeping body looks forward to incorporate the crucial voice of Washington across the Councils urgent work. Blinken said in a statement on Monday that the administration of US President Joe Biden has decided has re-committed the United States to a foreign policy centred on democracy, human rights, and equality. Guterres spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric in a brief statement said, The Human Rights Council is the worlds leading forum for addressing the full range of human rights challenges. The Councils mechanisms and special procedures are vital tools for ensuring action and accountability.

(With inputs from ANI)

READ: Biden Admin Asks Court To Temporarily Halt WeChat Ban, Says 'will Review Trump's Order'

READ: Biden Says Trump 'didn't Do His Job', COVID Vaccination Program Was In 'much Worse Shape'
BBC World News has been banned from airing in China, after Chinas National Radio and Television Administration accused it of bias.

The announcement comes one week after British media regulator Ofcom withdrew a license for China Global Television Network to broadcast in the UK. Ofcoms decision earlier this month came after it found that CGTNs licence was wrongfully held by Star China Media Ltd.

CGTN was also found in breach of British broadcasting regulations last year, for airing the allegedly forced confession of UK citizen Peter Humphrey.

In a statement Chinas NRTA claimed that BBC World News had broadcast reports on China that infringed the principles of truthfulness and impartiality in journalism, criticising coverage of Chinas response to the Covid-19 pandemic, dismissing their reports as fake news. Beijing has also repeatedly expressed its frustration with BBC reporting on Chinas re-education camps for Uyghurs which allege women have been systematically raped, sexually abused, and tortured at the camps.

We are disappointed that the Chinese authorities have decided to take this course of action. The BBC is the worlds most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour, a BBC spokesperson said in a statement.

The commercially-funded BBC World News TV channel broadcasts globally in English. In China it is largely restricted and appears only in international hotels and some diplomatic compounds, meaning most Chinese people cannot view it.

Source: CNN, BBC

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Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 76F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph.
Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Berkshire Eagle.

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The European Union's medicines regulator said Friday it had started a "rolling review" of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by German firm CureVac, the first step towards a possible authorisation in the bloc.

"Preliminary results from laboratory studies and early clinical studies in adults... suggest the vaccine triggers the production of antibodies and immune cells that target" the coronavirus, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said in a statement.

The rolling review of CureVac's shot will continue "until enough evidence is available for a formal marketing authorisation application", it added.

With delays to deliveries of three already-authorised vaccines, the EMA is under pressure from the EU's 27 member states to speed more into service.

CureVac's messenger RNA vaccine is currently undergoing large-scale Phase 3 trials, and would be produced by pharma giant Bayer if approved.

"If all goes well, EMA authorisation could come in April," Professor Peter Kremsner of the Tuebingen Institute of Tropical Medicine, who is supervising the trial, told German television.

The EMA itself said only that authorisation "should take less time than normal" thanks to the rolling review process, which is also being applied to the Novavax and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
An Etowah County jail inmate stole a patrol cruiser during a dramatic attempted getaway on Thursday, authorities said.

Gadsden police Sgt. Marcus Hill said the ordeal began at 11:01 a.m. It happened during a prisoner transport drop-off when 41-year-old Jason Boyd was returning to the jail from Municipal Court.

Boyd, Hill said, stole the police vehicle, crashed through the sally port gate and led lawmen on a short pursuit. It ended minutes later when Boyd was taken into custody without further incident in the 1000 block of Walnut Street.

No additional details were available.

Jail records indicate was booked into the lockup earlier this week and was being held on charges that include resisting arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of a family violence protective order.

The investigation is ongoing.
NEW YORK (AP)  More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients in New York state were released from hospitals into nursing homes early in the pandemic under a controversial directive that was scrapped amid criticism it accelerated outbreaks, according to new records obtained by The Associated Press.

The new number of 9,056 recovering patients sent to hundreds of nursing homes is more than 40% higher than what the state health department previously released. And it raises new questions as to whether a March 25 directive from Gov. Andrew Cuomos administration helped spread sickness and death among residents, a charge the state disputes.

The lack of transparency and the meting out of bits of important data has undermined our ability to both recognize the scope and severity of whats going on and address it, said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a residents advocacy group.

The new figures come as the Cuomo administration has been forced in recent weeks to acknowledge i t has been underreporting the overall number of COVID-19 deaths among long-term care residents. It is now nearly 15,000 up from the 8,500 previously disclosed.

The Cuomo administration's March 25 directive barred nursing homes from refusing people just because they had COVID-19. It was intended to free up space in hospitals swamped in the early days of the pandemic. It came under criticism from advocates for nursing home residents and their relatives, who said it had the potential to spread the virus in a state that at the time already had the nations highest nursing home death toll.

In its reply to an AP Freedom of Information request from May, the state health department this week released two figures: a previously disclosed count of 6,327 admissions of patients directly from hospitals and a new count of 2,729 readmissions of patients sent back from a hospital to the nursing home where they had lived before.

Before the state released any data, the AP conducted its own survey and found at least 4,500 such patients.

Critics have long argued there were many other places those patients could have been sent, including New York Citys Jacob Javits Convention Center, which had been set up as a makeshift hospital, and the USS Comfort military hospital ship. The state contends those facilities were not suitable substitutes for the care of nursing homes.

Cuomo reversed the directive May 10, barring nursing homes from accepting COVID-19 patients without a negative test first.

State health officials contend that asymptomatic nursing home employees, not recovering COVID-19 patients, were the driving factor in nursing home outbreaks. And they have repeatedly noted that by law, nursing homes werent supposed to accept anyone they couldnt adequately care for.

At least 98% of nursing home facilities in the state had COVID in their facility before their first admission or readmission, and as weve seen across the nation, the major driver of infections appears to be from asymptomatic staff through no fault of their own," said state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker in a statement to the AP.

He added that the March 25 directive followed federal guidance, and that the percentage of coronavirus deaths statewide that happened in nursing homes didn't change from the spring to the fall  after the directive was reversed.

A leader of a California group of nursing home clinicians and administrators, however, sees New York officials as seeking to shift blame.

There has never been any question in my mind that sending COVID-19 patients into completely unprepared, understaffed and underresourced nursing homes both increased transmission and led to a greater number of deaths, said Dr. Michael Wasserman, president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine.

New York's health department in July released a 33-page report, heavily criticized by health experts and resident advocates, that said patients sent to homes posed little danger to residents because they had spent an average nine days at the hospitals  consistent with federal guidance at the time about how long it took for people to stop being contagious.

While it may be impossible to know whether the additional 2,729 patients factored in the virus transmission in nursing homes, any policy that is implemented that does not do everything it can to safeguard COVID from coming into a health care facility has the potential to increase the spread of the virus, said Stephen Hanse, president of a large nursing home group called the New York State Health Facilities Association and the New York State Center for Assisted Living.

The months-later disclosure further confirms the states flawed approach in implementing a hospital-centric strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanse said.

Some states, including Connecticut, set up COVID 19-only nursing homes relatively early on.

Zucker told lawmakers in a letter this week that the state started working in November to establish COVID-only nursing homes for some persistently positive patients coming out of hospitals. There are now 19 such homes statewide, totaling nearly 2,000 beds.

Cuomo, who wrote a book about his leadership in the virus crisis, has repeatedly downplayed criticism of his administrations handling of nursing homes as a politically motivated blame game."

But the flurry of new disclosures began last month after state Attorney General Letitia James, a fellow Democrat, issued a blistering report accusing the administration of underreporting its long-term care deaths by more than 50%.

That was consistent with an AP report from August that focused on the fact that New York is one of the only states that counts just those who died on nursing home property and not those who died after being transported to hospitals.

Under heavy pressure to change its methodology, New York began issuing reports in recent weeks that added thousands more to its long-term care death toll since March. The new data also confirmed that COVID-19 deaths at some nursing homes are double or more what had been previously reported.

Overall, New York has lost over 45,000 people to the virus, more than every other state except California, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Mustian contributed to this report.

Investigations editor

Larry Parnass, investigations editor, joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant and CommonWealth Magazine.
For almost a month, Bogazici University students and professors have been demonstrating against President Recep Tayyip Erdogans appointment of Melih Bulu, an Islamist politician and businessman who studied there, as rector. The university is widely considered a Western-styled entity, which explains the fears of the protesters, who are pushing back against the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) extending its control over Bogazici.

Turkey is currently witnessing the most contentious political gesture since the Gezi Park protests. But cultural and political reasons can hardly lead to protests on a similar scale. Hakan Yavuz, a political science professor at the University of Utah, considers Bogazici as an elitist institution that enjoys very limited sympathy among the public, adding that some Turks still see it as a continuation of American domination since it used to be a missionary college. For Yavuz, this is not to deny that Erdogans policies have destroyed the relatively successful Turkish educational system. He sees education not as a means to develop critical minds, but rather to brainwash the young. Erdogan wants youths to be obedient Islamists who can fulfill his desires.

Ahmet Kuru, professor of political science at San Diego State University, had similar ideas about the protests at a university that lies on the European side of the Bosphorus. Kuru believes that, by appointing Bulu as rector, Erdogan wants to deliver a message to his conservative constituency that he is conquering another place on their behalf. The Bosphorus University was originally an extension of the Robert College, an elite high school established by Americans. Therefore, conquering this university has many symbolic meanings for Erdogans conservative constituency.

Erdogans fundamentalist beliefs are clearly in conflict with Bogazicis liberal culture. Erdogan described the protesters as terrorists. His government claims they are linked to the extreme-leftist Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Party.

The university makes room for feminist and LGBT groups on campus. Even female students who wear headscarves did not face any exclusion inside Bogazici, a long time before the veil ban was removed. Many of the universitys students, moreover, join protests against Erdogans policies. For example, 14 students went to jail in 2018 for protesting the Turkish invasion of a Kurdish province in northwestern Syria.

Lenore Martin, professor of political science at Emmanuel College, noted that the student protests have grown to include LGBT rights, with the interior minister calling LGBT students perverts and Erdogan saying there was no such thing as LGBT in a moral country. Erdogan is interested in mobilising his base on these cultural issues not only to address the Bogazici issue but to concentrate their attention on cultural issues rather than the issues of the economy, including high unemployment, and Covid-19 infections, Martin explained.

At this stage, political developments in Turkey cannot be disregarded, for it explains a great deal of the public anger in anti-Erdogan circles. Erdogan believes the time has come for Turkey to debate a new constitution. Ironically, he is calling for a civilian constitution, although his party and he were responsible for the amendments that took place in 2018 by virtue of which Turkey shifted from a parliamentary to a presidential system, allowing Erdogan to continue to lead the country as president after the end of his premiership terms.

Since the failed coup against Erdogan in 2016, who described it as a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army, the crackdown has been huge. About 292,000 people were detained, 96,000 of them imprisoned, and more than 130,000 people have lost their jobs in the public sector. The coup was also a golden opportunity for Erdogan to get rid of the supporters of Fethullah Gulen, his former ally, a cleric and powerful businessman who helped Erdogan win several electoral races.

Kadir Yildrim, a fellow at Rice Universitys Centre for the Middle East, said that the current protests will have a harder time to gain traction as the government now has greater control over the press and the public is not well-informed about the developments and their implications. Compared to 2013, government suppression of dissent has significantly increased. Turkish citizens are more wary of expressing their criticism of government policies in public, Yildrim said.

Erdogan has also given considerable attention to domestic rivals who are capable of challenging his party in elections, including Selahattin Demirtas, leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP). Demirtas took third place during the 2018 presidential elections, despite campaigning from jail, and the HDP won 13 per cent of the seats in the 2015 parliamentary race.

This electoral outcome then temporarily prevented Erdogan from gaining enough votes to change the constitution. Demirtas was arrested in 2016 for spreading terrorist propaganda, and his indictment was recently denounced by the European Court of Human Rights which called for his release.

According to Aykan Erdemir, senior director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and ex-member of the Turkish parliament, freedom of expression and public assembly in Turkey has declined significantly since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which brought over three million demonstrators to the streets in over 70 provinces.

These days, the Turkish authorities suppress any expression of dissent brutally, beating and detaining protestors. So, this time round, dissent is often expressed through online platforms, including Twitter, WhatsApp groups, and Clubhouse. This is one of the reasons why the Erdogan government has intensified its crackdown against what it branded cyber-terrorism, as Turkey became the first country in the world to detain Clubhouse moderators for hosting a discussion on student protests, Erdemir said.

It is interesting to note, he added, that despite widespread poverty, corruption, and state brutality, what prompted activists to take to the streets both with the 2013 Gezi Park protests and this years Bogazici University protests was the Erdogan governments assault on intimate and symbolic spaces.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Steven Yeun never felt quite as safe anywhere else as he did at church.

Looking back at his childhood in suburban Michigan, the 37-year-old actor realizes he hasn't been able to re-create that sense of security, either. At his Korean church, he knew who his friends were. He could express himself by playing guitar and singing. He even acted in skits, a skill he didn't pick up again until joining college improv, from where it would shape his career trajectory.

"Maybe I'm just talking about childhood," he says, "but there's something beautiful about that time."

Yeun reminisces over Zoom in the midst of discussing his latest project, "Minari," an independent film about a Korean American family who settles in rural Arkansas. The question of belonging is central to the immigrant experience; the children of immigrants often refer to feeling caught between two worlds, a phrase rooted in truth but ubiquitous enough to American media for it to have become a trope. There is an inherent loneliness to such an existence, even with its burgeoning population. Yeun, whose family left Seoul in 1988, refers to the community as "gap people."

The gap is where Yeun spent his formative years as a Korean American kid in Troy, Mich. It's where he currently resides as one of the most recognizable Asian faces in a White-dominated industry, thanks to an eclectic film career and years spent fighting zombies on "The Walking Dead."

But "Minari" frames that existence differently: What if it isn't about feeling torn between two disparate lives, but about bringing them together to forge a new, fulfilling one?

Based on director Lee Isaac Chung's childhood, the film picks up with the family's Reagan-era move from California to a plot of land in Arkansas, where patriarch Jacob (Yeun) hopes to start a farming business. His ambition drives the story, overlapping with his efforts to quell concerns his wife, Monica (Yeri Han), has about finding a sense of community in their isolated town.

There's a novelty to "Minari" for how gently it incorporates cultural differences that could so easily have played out melodramatically. Chung highlights the ties Jacob and Monica's children, Anne (Noel Cho) and David (Alan Kim), maintain to their heritage in small, charming ways; David sips the herbal remedy Monica's mother (Yuh-Jung Youn) gives him to improve his health, and she, in turn, drinks the Mountain Dew that Anne earnestly describes as "water from the mountains."

The loneliness that accompanies displacement still plays a role here, adding a layer of desperation to Jacob's farming efforts. But the character's emotional journey hits universal notes, a dynamic Yeun says he and Chung sustained by ensuring the character felt "honest and truthful."

"We weren't seeking to define this family's existence through their oppression by the majority, but rather the confidence to speak from their own point of view, intrinsically," Yeun says. "Their existence is valid, and they can just be. In some ways, what that is, is just an exercise in humanity."

After emigrating from Seoul to Regina, Saskatchewan, the Yeun family moved to Taylor, Mich., a working class suburb southwest of Detroit. By the time Steven was in high school, they had moved to a townhouse in Troy, on the more affluent side of town.

The American Midwest continues to be underrepresented in most forms of media, a reality on full display in the months surrounding each presidential election. "Public discourse has been flattened these days," Yeun notes of the false impressions outsiders often have of the region. "It's so politicized."

"I think the larger world misunderstands places like that and doesn't give them the credit they're due for how they uphold certain beautiful dynamics in this country, and just as people and humans," Yeun says. "There's just something there, and I've been finding myself nostalgic for that, but also carrying both (feelings) ... You can be hurt and love a place at the same time."

Hurt is almost inevitable for a person of color growing up in a majority White area, whether inflicted with or without intention. The family in "Minari" similarly sticks out when they visit a church in town, where Anne is asked about the Korean language by a White child relying on stereotypical garble. The film acknowledges this wrong, but never antagonizes the child. David later on befriends another young boy who, at first meeting, stares at him for looking different.

The film is honest, Yeun says. These were the realities of that era. It further upends expectations with Paul (Will Patton), a Christian fundamentalist who works with Jacob on the farm. He speaks in tongues and carries a giant cross to town each Sunday, leading a vastly different lifestyle than Jacob would choose for his family. But the two men form a bond. As a storyteller, Yeun says he is drawn to those who are "unseen," and extends the notion of life in the gap to include the character.

For all the value of that gap framing, there is weight to the alternative: Sometimes it isn't a chasm, but a cultural intersection. Immigration is inherently traumatic, Yeun says, recalling the shock of being dropped off at kindergarten in a brand new country when he couldn't yet speak the language. But over time, he managed to find compatibilities between his two cultures.

There is something distinctly Korean about understanding yourself in concordance with one another, he continues, speaking to his experience: "And I feel like that is something the Midwest grapples with, too, this collectiveness that inhabits our being. We don't really try to stick out too hard in the Midwest, either. It's a very collective, working class, union type of life.

"It's fascinated to be molded by two separate cultures that kind of feel the same way."

In "Minari," Jacob's unlikely friendship with Paul hints at a broader, neighborly sense of community. But the collectivist sentiment plays out on a familial scale. In response to Monica's growing disillusionment with their new life, Jacob asks her in Korean, "Remember what we said when we got married? That we'd move to America and save each other?"

"There's such a unique perspective of immigrants from the Midwest," Yeun says, adding of the film, shot in Oklahoma. "I think it speaks to the truth of the American experience in a way that people haven't perhaps seen as much. And on top of that, it also speaks to this regional truth that a lot of times people don't see as much. And so I was happy to service both."

While drawn to the honesty of "Minari," Yeun hesitated to play a Korean father. Barely older than a toddler when his family left Seoul, the actor worried about his ability to do Jacob justice. Would he get the language right? His inflection? His mannerisms?

"All that was work to realize that I was seeing my own parents through a prism of my own gaze that wasn't truthful to their own humanity," he says. "While I didn't project my own father onto the character of Jacob, what was really scary and painful but also so beautiful was in some ways realizing that I am my father, and I am an extension of him and his will and his desires. His spirit. I didn't need to perform a caricature."

Yeun has worked to avoid the stereotypical "White gaze" roles that so often serve as a launchpad for Asian American actors facing a dearth of opportunity. After graduating from Kalamazoo College, he cut his teeth at Second City in Chicago and eventually moved to Los Angeles.

Within six months, he booked "The Walking Dead."

It can seem like things fell into place for Yeun, who says he would've accepted almost any role at the time. He just happened to hitch his wagon to a soon-to-be hit AMC series. But as the actor later told Vulture, it seemed "people didn't know what to do with Glenn," whose controversial, brutal death kicked off the seventh season in 2016: "I didn't think of it as racism, where it's like, 'Oh, this is racist,'" Yeun continued in the magazine interview. "I caught it in a way of, 'Oh, this is how we're viewed all the time' - as part of some glob, some amorphous, non-individualistic collective."

Leaving the show allowed Yeun to amass a diverse assortment of credits, returning to comedy in series like "Tuca and Bertie" and fellow Michigander Tim Robinson's "I Think You Should Leave," and exploring dramatic tone with Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" and Boots Riley's "Sorry to Bother You."

Bong wrote the character K specifically for Yeun, knowing his specific Korean American upbringing would help him breathe life into a man expected to serve as a bridge between the Americans in the Animal Liberation Front and the Koreans surrounding their efforts in Seoul. Yeun notes that K fails in his efforts to service both groups, a harsh truth the actor "needed to expose for myself to say, hey, you know that feeling of not fitting in anywhere? I want you to live it up."

He later returned to Korea to shoot Lee Chang-dong's 2018 psychological thriller "Burning," in which he plays a Korean national who is "so beyond the limits of society that he just gets to be free." Ben is a charming enigma, oozing confidence. Given the complexity of his personal relationship to Korea, Yeun says he found it liberating to "be outside of the American gaze of what an Asian person is, and to be serviced in a role that was at the top of its own power."

"Minari" returns to that American gaze, but challenges its rigid views. Yeun was drawn to how the film didn't seek to define itself as any one thing, and lacked a barrier to entry.

"Stories from communities that are usually underserviced, you want to hold them tight so nobody takes them from you," Yeun says. "There was something really cool about letting it go and opening it up and not saying, 'This is only accessible by us,' but rather it's open to everyone because this is about people. This is about humans living a life. It actually ended up making me see myself a little bit clearer and fuller."
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Bandar Khamir on its way to become sustainable travel destination

02/12/21

Source: Tehran Times

The southern Iranian port city of Bandar Khamir, which has recently joined the UNESCO Network of Learning Cities, seeks to be a sustainable travel destination.



khamirtourism.ir

A sustainable tourism approach, instead of being at risk of overtourism, is top on agenda to be materialized in Bandar Khamir as the latter would eventually cause cultural shocks for the locals and harm the city itself and its the pristine environment, Mehr quoted city's mayor as saying on Sunday.

In September 2020, the city joined the UNESCO Network of Learning Cities and received a certificate of membership in the network; and people who felt frustrated and isolated before, became proud of their city's tourism capacities, Javad Mahmudi added.

Situated in Hormozgan province and bounded by the Persian Gulf, Bandar Khamir is the only city located on the coasts of the Khorkhoran Wetland, one of the largest and most important marine environments in Iran.

Traveling to the Persian Gulf region would be an experience that you probably haven't even considered. While you've been planning your Iranian sojourn around the jewels of the country's rich history (Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd), to the southeast the Persian Gulf is equally deserving.

Explore the magnetic islands of Kish, Qeshm, and Hormuz, which are absurdly easy to combine and are altogether different. While Kish is unashamedly glam and glitzy, Qeshm and Hormoz are refreshingly void of large-scale development and offer a chance to glimpse a more traditional way of life - not to mention an array of geological wonders. Along the coast, soak up the vibes of lively Bandar Abbas and make a beeline for the delightful town of Kong, whose historical center is peppered with charming old houses and monuments.

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
Russian police have accompanied a convoy of Syrian officers into Tafas, according to Baladi News.

On Thursday, a large convoy of high ranking Syrian officers entered the city of Tafas in the western countryside of Daraa, accompanied by a Russian Military Police officer.

Major General Hussam Luqa, head of the security committee in Daraa, Major General Ali Asaad, Commander of the First Corps, Brigadier General Luay al-Ali, head of the Military Intelligence Division in the southern region, and Brigadier Dharar al-Dandal, chief of police in Daraa province, entered Tafas, accompanied by the Russian military police.

Local sources told Baladi News that these leaders left the city after the meeting of the Central Committee members in the western countryside of Daraa.

The forces of the Assad regime deployed Thursday morning in the National Hospital in the city of Tafas and the municipal council building, before leaving after hours.

This step comes according to the terms of the agreement concluded Monday, with the guarantee of the Russian military police.

The implementation of the agreement began Tuesday, with inspection of farms around the city of Tafas, and the evacuation of some government centers by local fighters.

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.
By Juliet Nalwooga

National Unity Platform (NUP) party leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has sued the Inspector General of Police, Martins Okoth Ochola, and the Chief of Defense Forces, Gen David Muhoozi.

Kyagulanyi in his lawsuit filed on February 10th at the High Court, contends that on January 16th, his secretary general, David Lewis Rubongoya informed him that a large number of officers from the Uganda Peoples Defense Force, Local Defense Unit and police, had surrounded their party headquarters in Kamwokya.

He adds that during the said period, he was under house arrest and couldnt move out to assess the situation.

The NUP leader claims as a party they have been subjected to several inconveniences, mental anguish and emotional stress after the incident.

Court has not yet summoned the security personnel to file their defense.
The pipeline set to deliver Russian gas directly to Europe bypassing Ukraine has set off a geopolitical clash.

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is "100% anti-Ukrainian, Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Economy, Trade and Agriculture Taras Kachka said Thursday, but suggested Kyiv could live with the project as long as Brussels helps Ukraine integrate more deeply into EU gas markets.

"The core motivation for Russia is just to punish Ukraine," Kachka told POLITICO.

Ukraine's decision to sign off an Association Agreement with the European Union sparked Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and aggression in eastern Ukraine.

Read alsoPoland's PM hits back at German president over Nord Stream 2 remarksThe highly controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, would deprive Kyiv of hefty transit revenues. Germany has been supporting the nearly-finished project, setting it at odds with the U.S., Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic states in a bitter geopolitical fight.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's recent suggestion that the pipe should be greenlighted as part of Germany's historical debt to Russia over World War 2 sparked outrage both in Poland and Ukraine  countries which also endured bloodbaths during the war.

The project is under threat from the U.S., which has warned that companies involved in completing the final kilometers of Nord Stream 2 face the threat of sanctions.

Ukraine seeks to preserve at least some gas transit across its territory, while Germany has vowed gas flows will continue even if Nord Stream 2 is launched.

Kyiv is also pressing the EU to integrate it more deeply into Europe's gas market, where prices should be set at trading rates, rather than directly by Russia's Gazprom. Ukraine has also largely reformed its gas market to be in line with the Bloc's regulations.

"We believe that our adherence to EU rules for the gas market also creates a big business energy system and political solidarity in terms of Nord Stream 2," Kachka said, adding that one of Ukraine's priorities is to start integrating its gas and electricity market with that of the EU.

Speaking about Ukraines electricity market, he said: "Due to this volatility of the market last year and due to the fact that we are still physically connected to the electricity grid of Russia, we were forced to import a small quantity of electricity from the Russian Federation. And for us, this is a moment of embarrassment [because] integration with the EU is more preferable."

"That is why nobody considers Russia as a market that we need to depend on," the official stressed.

Ukraine has ceased gas purchases directly from Russia since 2015, relying on interconnectors with Central Europe.

Reporting by UNIAN
Terrence Murrell, 33, from London, was handed an extra three months in prison on top of his existing three-year jail term for dealing illegal steroids

A male model on the run from justice for two years has finally been jailed after mocking police with pictures of his playboy lifestyle 6,000 miles away.

Fugitive Terrence Murrell, 33, was given an extra four months on top of his three-year jail term for fleeing Britain to the paradise island Bali.

He went on the run before he was due to be sentenced for dealing illegal steroids. But instead of keeping a low-profile in Indonesia, Murrell taunted police with constant updates on social media.

Murrell mocked police updating his Facebook and Instagram pages with smirking pictures in the sunshine.

He captioned one picture with friends: 'The baddest men in Bali.'

He also posed for pictures in an infinity pool, working out in a gym and using his laptop in a four-poster bed.

Many of the snaps were captioned: 'Boss life.'

He was eventually returned to the UK after he left Bali and arrived in Cambodia, where British detectives

But justice has had the last laugh - after he was traced after fleeing Bali to Cambodia.

British police won permission to travel to Cambodia to bring him back to the UK to start his time behind bars.

A court heard Murrell was a leading member of a 2million steroid gang who shipped drugs from China to the UK to sell.

He told police he bought the drugs for himself as he 'wanted to look his best as a male model'.

But prosecutor Sarah Badrawy said bank accounts showed Murrell had pocketed more than 220,000.

Drugs worth almost 2m had been seized and the gang were thought to have made 1.2m profit in two years.

He later admitted supplying class C drugs in North Wales through websites but failed to turn up for a sentencing hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court.

Murrell, 30, pictured, mocked police by updating his social media pages showing his luxury travels

Murrell, pictured, was jailed for 37 months in his absence for importing anabolic steroids from Hong Kong and China and selling them across the UK

John Lyons, defending, said: 'He has been prevaricating about his pleas for some time. He was always going to admit the offences but kept putting off the evil day.'

Murrell, from London, was jailed for 37 months in his absence.

Judge Huw Rees said: 'He is living in the lap of luxury.'

Judge Rees said Murrell was part of 'a very extensive criminal operation' which imported the drugs from Hong Kong and China.

He added: 'It is well known that anabolic steroids have been widely abused in sport, especially where an increase in muscle mass is required.

'The administration of steroids often produces unwanted side effects, mood swings, over confidence, aggression, loss of libido and liver toxicity.'

He became known as 'Mr Potato Chest' after an online translation mangled the Welsh words of a police appeal to describe him as having 'potatoes on his chest' - because the Welsh word for potatoes is 'tatws.'

Murrell appeared back in Caernarfon Crown Court on Thursday via videolink where he was sentenced to an extra four months for absconding

Murrell appeared back in Caernarfon Crown Court on Thursday via videolink where he was sentenced to an extra four months for absconding.

After his arrest a North Wales Police spokesman said: 'People think they can escape justice by leaving the country, but the arrest of Murrell demonstrates that we will we pursue offenders and take the necessary steps to track them down.'
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  The lead stars of To All The Boys: Always and Forever, which comes out Friday, shared what fans could look forward to in the third and final teen romance film based on a book series by Jenny Han, as they bid farewell to their characters beloved by many.

Actress Lana Condor said a line by Lara Jean Covey, her character in the trilogy, best describes what she feels about bidding farewell to the role, which catapulted her to international stardom.

It is an overwhelming amount of emotions. There is a line in the movie, it is a voiceover at the end of the film, and she says, I never knew that you could feel this sad and this happy at the same time, Condor said in an interview with CNN Philippines New Day.

She also said she is proud of how Lara Jean has grown.

Condor said while the first two movies were about having to choose between guys, in the third one  the choice is yourself  your future and where you want to go. In To All The Boys 3, Lara Jean, who is in her senior year of high school, initially wanted to go to the same university as Peter to avoid the dreaded long-distance relationship. But there is one issue  she did not get accepted into the school of her choice.

Actor Noah Centineo, who plays Lara Jeans boyfriend Peter Kavinsky, also noted how substantially different this last installment is from the previous ones they have done. The hit To All the Boys I've Loved Before came out in 2018, and its sequel To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You was shown in 2020.

You can see a lot of a much more mature relationship between two individuals [Lara Jean and Peter]," Centeno told New Day. "There is a familiarity between them that wasnt there in the first two films. Also, the challenges [are] really just between them.

He added: In the first film: Are we in a relationship? In the second: Should we stay in the relationship or should I date this other person? In the third film, it is: I want to be with you so badly, but can we be together?

For his part, actor Ross Butler, who reprises his role as Peters best friend Trevor Pike, said making the film was like a reminder of a time before COVID. He said the element of nostalgia is one of the reasons why he thinks people would enjoy their film.

He also gave a sneak peek of what fans can expect in the latest movie.

Just more fun, just more of us messing around," Butler told New Day. "A big part of the movie is just our natural chemistry on-screen because we are all really good friends in real life.

The Supreme Court Friday sought responses from the Centre and 16 sugarcane-producing states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra on a plea seeking a directionfor immediate release of Rs 15,683 crore dues in a time-bound manner to the farmers, the delay of which was allegedly leading many to commit suicides.

A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian decided to examine the issue after senior lawyer Sanjay Parikh explained that livelihood of over 5 crore farmers in the country and their dependents involved in cultivating sugarcane in an area of almost 50 lakh hectares are impacted due to delay in payment of dues.

The senior advocate made detailed submission as the bench initially observed that the plea has a very general prayer with regard to the money due to the farmers as nobody knew as to who owed how much and to whom.

He submitted that as on September 11, 2020, the dues to the sugarcane farmers across the country stand at Rs 15,683 crore and Uttar Pradesh is the worst-affected where the sugarcane companies owe at Rs 10,174 crore to farmers.

The delay in payment to the sugarcane farmers are leading many to commit suicides, the senior advocate, assisted by lawyer Vivek Singh, told the bench in the hearing conducted through video-conferencing. Besides immediate payment of dues to the tillers, the plea also sought a direction to the authorities to take action against defaulting sugar mills and also registration of FIRs.

The plea also said a Committee of expert be formed to study the problems of non-payment of dues by the sugarcane industries and make changes in the legal framework to ensure that in the future no delay occurs in the payment of dues of farmers. The bench, while issuing notice on the plea of Uttar Pradeshbased farmer Lokesh Kumar Dhody and nine others, ordered that the names of private sugar mills, Bajaj Hindutan Sugar Ltd, Modi Sugar Mills and Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd, be removed from the list of parties.

On an oral prayer made by Sanjay Parikh, Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioners, the names of Respondent Nos.19, 20 and 21 (sugar mills) are deleted from the array of parties at the risk of the petitioners. Let notice be issued to other respondents, it said.

Sixteen states  Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chattishgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Goa, Telangana and Puducherry have been asked to respond to the plea seeking seeking immediate disbursal of dues to the farmers.

The petitioners, who are affected sugarcane farmers whose dues remained unpaid for several years, are constrained to approach this court under Article 32 of the Constitution against blatant violation of their fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19 (freedom of speech and expression) and 21 (Right to life) of the Constitution, the plea filed through lawyer Vivek Singh said.

Out of the total outstanding amount of Rs 15,683 crore  (i) Rs 12,994 crore pertains to crop procured during the 2019-20 marketing season; (ii) Rs 548 crore pertained to 2018-19; (iii) Rs. 242 crore pertained to 2017-181, (iv) Rs.1899 crore pertained to 2016-17 and previous years, the plea said.

After UP, which owe Rs 10,174 crore to the farmers, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat are at number two and three in the list and their total unpaid dues of the last three years amounted to Rs 1,834 crore and Rs 924 crore respectively. Sugarcane and sugar industry together impact the livelihood of over 5 crore farmers in the country and their dependents involved in cultivating sugarcane in an area of almost 50 lakh hectares.

The Petitioners represent the cause of several crores of similarly situated sugarcane farmers across the country. The petition, raises the general cause of sugarcane farmers throughout the country whose dues remained unpaid for several years, resulting in untold hardship to them. Their very survival is at stake. It is to be noted that many farmers have committed suicide for this and related reasons, it said.

Besides immediate payment of dues to the tillers, the plea also sought a direction to the authoritiesto take action against defaulting sugar mills through the process of Criminal Law as well as the other legal mechanism existing for recovery.

It also sought registration of FIRs, arrest of the Director/Owner of the defaulting Sugar Mills, attachment of their immoveable property, impounding of their passports be passed till the time the defaulters make the payment of outstanding dues to the farmers.

Issue an appropriate direction that a Committee of expert be formed to study the problems of non-payment of dues by the sugarcane industries and evolve a mechanism by making necessary changes in the legal framework, thereby ensuring that in the future no delay occurs in the payment of dues of farmers, it said.

Break-ups are never easy. Mae West knew what she was on about when she said: All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with someone else.

The EU and the UK are now in the period when the passions stirred by a bitter separation have had a chance to settle, yet there is no sign of reasonable, rational engagement. Its in the interests of both sides to recognise a second chance is the only logical way out.

Lord Palmerstons observation  We have not eternal allies and we have not perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual and those interests it is our duty to follow  is as relevant today as it was 150 years ago.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin is right to call for cool heads as the rift widens between London and Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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Mr Martin reiterated what is becoming too well-worn a phrase, to dial down the rhetoric.

European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic has accused the UK of failing to implement its obligations under the agreement.

He has also ruled out any prospect of sweeping changes. EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, for his part, has said the problem was the UKs exit from the bloc, not the protocol agreed between the two sides over their divorce.

The difficulties on the island of Ireland are caused by Brexit, not by the protocol, he said.

The EU is adamant any future flexibility must hinge on the UK complying with what was already agreed. However, London has demanded sweeping changes. The EU feels there is little point in committing to alter an existing agreement that has yet to be properly implemented.

But a hardening of positions is not going to help.

The view is the UK has attempted to exploit the controversy over the commissions move to trigger Article 16 of the protocol on January 29 in order to force changes to it.

What Brussels regards as teething problems  which should be addressed through a joint committee set up to resolve such issues  London regards as red lines.

Some alignment with the new paradigm is inescapable.

In London, a UK government spokesperson said: It is disappointing that the commission has failed to acknowledge the shock and anger felt right across the community in Northern Ireland from its decision to trigger Article 16, and the need to take urgent steps to restore confidence as a result.

The EU feels London is over-playing its hand. But this was never a game.

Lives and livelihoods are in the balance.

When the dynamics of a relationship change, its boundaries do also.

Brexit weakened the bloc and Brussels will not yield a further competitive edge.

Co-operation will profit both, just as confrontation will cause lasting harm.

No side can be tone deaf but nor can they be blind to the fact Brexit uncut would always be very different to the fantasy island version.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the country, schools in virtually all parts of Canada will be providing in-class instruction as of next Tuesday. That is when schools in Toronto and the adjacent York and Peel Regions are to reopenthe last to do so, since many provinces were forced to implement a temporary return to online instruction and/or extend the traditional Christmas/New Years break.

Just as it did at the end of last summer, Canadas capitalist elite has pressed for the reopening of the schools, so that parents can be freed of childcare responsibilities and forced to return to work and churning out profits for big business.

Participant in protest against last falls reopening of BCs schools.

This homicidal policy has been championed by the Trudeau Liberal government in Ottawa and implemented by provincial governments of all stripes, from John Horgans New Democrats in British Columbia to Doug Fords hard-right Progressive Conservatives in Ontario and Quebecs CAQ government. Despite continuing high-rates of infection in wide swathes of the country and the rapid spread of newly-identified more infectious COVID-19 variants, nothing has been done to provide teachers and students with adequate protection as they return to packed, poorly-ventilated classrooms

The unions, meanwhile, have suppressed the widespread opposition to the back-to-school drive. They have ruled out job action to protect the health and lives of educators, students, and their families with claims that it would be illegal.

Teachers from Ontario and Quebec who spoke to the World Socialist Web Site expressed their outrage over the reckless reopening of schools, which, if not prevented through the independent action of the working class, will sow the seeds for a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic even more deadly than the first two.

A secondary school teacher from Montreal vividly described the life-threatening conditions prevailing in many schools. The reopening of schools places students and staff in dangerous conditions, she told the WSWS. Indeed, the groups are very large, from 30 to 35 students. In order to achieve the 2-meter distance from the teacher, the students have to be pushed back and crammed on top of each other, as most of the premises are very small. As a result, the students are often placed in bubbles of 2-3 students with a space of 20-30 cm between each bubble.

The plexiglass that arrived after a month, is now often broken. We have to beg for disinfectant. Many classrooms do not have windows ... or its too cold to open them.

The students do not respect the bubbles. They meet outside (talking, pulling at each other, some smoking vape) and wait in the hallways during breaks and lunch. The supervisors and teachers who supervise do their utmost, but its not enough.

In class, many students take off their masks to drink water during class or simply because they are teenagers. Those who want to protect themselves are glued to those who dont want to.

When a group is isolated, the siblings of the isolating students continue to be in class in their respective groups.

In the teachers rooms, we all eat at the same time, and then several teachers dont put their masks back on to teach. There are skeptics everywhere, especially with a government that takes school safety so lightly.

A teacher from Toronto agreed that the decision to reopen schools is placing the lives of teachers and students at risk.

The decision to reopen schools goes beyond recklessness and blind neglect, he wrote. We have a year of evidence showing that this is a policy of social murder. The uncertainty and ineffectual zigzagging policy of token, ad-hoc semi-lockdowns by all levels of governments across the country, even while they keep non-essential workplaces and schools open, makes it next to impossible to find safe, stable work.

A secondary school teacher in Ontario agreed, commenting, A lot of us are torn with this decision. Working from home is not a picnic, but thinking about going back into our old building scares me to death. My thinking was that they would keep us home a few more weeks at least. This decision does not feel right. I dont believe that the governments stated measures will be adequate or even implemented.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that schools are major vectors in the transmission of COVID-19 in the community, and among all age groups. A Montreal study carried out last fall showed that the increase in infections throughout the general population in October and November was preceded by a rise in the number of infections in schools. This indicates students and teachers attending in-person classes played a critical role in triggering the deadly second wave of the pandemic.

This evidence has been willfully ignored by the political establishment. It has justified its push to reopen schools with the baseless claim that they can be reopened safely amid the pandemic and cynical claims of concern for the welfare of our kids. As a contract music teacher at a southern Ontario school put it, Whatever the capitalist politicians and the corporate media say, it is a fact that scientific studies have shown that schools are one of the primary vectors of transmission for the virus.

Another teacher from Montreal, referring to the pressure campaign of the ruling elite, added, Teachers work with a lot of tension, knowing the moral thing to do would be to walk off the job. However, they stay on the job due to finances, a sense of obligation to our students and a love for our work.

Schools should be closed to save lives. I often hear the numbers are lower today but until they are down to zero, no one is safe. To get down to zero, schools must close.

She added that to enforce this program, workers need to be united and refuse to go back. Dont wait until its too late. Quebec teachers sounded the alarm back in August about the dangers of reopening and were ignored. Organizing efforts were very small and disjointed and when teachers returned, Im not sure we had a full understanding of what lay ahead.

Resist the messaging that low transmission is acceptable in schools, its not.

The Ontario music teacher stressed the role played by the trade unions in suppressing opposition to the reopening of the schools. I think the feckless unions share a large part of the blame, he stated. Last fall the unions played a major role in herding teachers and students back to schools so that their parents could be herded back to work to produce profits for the capitalists. The unions have been instrumental in smothering any independent initiative on the part of the teachers that would keep schools closed, such as at Glamorgan Junior Public School in Scarborough last November or Beverley School in Toronto last month. Closing the schools is the only way to save the lives of teachers, students, and their families and halt the spread of the virus.

The Ontario high school teacher added, It doesnt seem like our union is taking this seriously. Many of us are anxious and we dont know what to do. Its like we have no choice but to go back to work and just hope for the best. My stress level is already rising thinking about going back.

The Toronto teacher criticized the unions for being willing accomplices in the reopening campaign, before going on to call for teachers to turn to broader sections of working people to wage a political struggle against the ruling elites prioritizing of profits over human lives. To defend the health and safety of the public, workers in Canada should join the initiative launched by educators, autoworkers in the US and internationally by forming rank-and-file safety committees in every school, neighborhood and workplace to fight for a complete lockdown of all non-essential workplaces until the pandemic is contained, he said.

This call was reiterated by the music teacher, who cited the inspirational example of the brave stand taken by teachers in Chicago. What has become clear to me is that the collective bargaining perspective of the unions only ends up serving the interests of the profiteers and their capitalist state, he said. I think that teachers must take the initiative back from the big business politicians and their agents and form rank and file committees, just like teachers in Chicago have. Its the only way to fight the virus and end the pandemic.
A 19-year-old Cork musician was plucked from obscurity and placed on stage in front of thousands of people, thanks to an international friendship - and the internet.

Abigail Mulcahy - OConnell appeared on Italys Got Talent alongside her friend Federico Perotti who was auditioning on the show this week.

Federicos audition, which was supposed to be a duet with Abigail via Video link, took place last September but aired recently in Italy.

A noi e venuta la pelle doca. Ragazzi che magia che create sul palco di #IGT.  pic.twitter.com/WXPswiBDk7  Italia's Got Talent (@IGT_official) February 10, 2021

Speaking to The Echo, Abigail, who is a former student of Cholaiste Choilm, Ballincollig, described how the dramatic events unfolded.

I met Federico in 2016 on a Youth Exchange programme," she said.

"It was only two weeks, but it was very intense and we became good friends.

"Ive been playing the piano since I was a child and during lockdown, I did a duet with Federico online. We sang High Hopes by Kodaline.

Abigail said when Federico applied to Italys Got Talent, the producers saw their duet online and contacted her to see if she would fly over for Federicos audition in Rome last September.

Abigail Mulcahy-OConnell appeared on Italys Got Talent alongside her friend Federico Perotti.

It was so difficult keeping it to myself, I didnt tell anyone, not even my parents.

"My best friend Sean knew because he was in the room when I got the call from the producers. He really pushed me to do it, which I appreciate now.

Abigail said she had to take a number of Covid tests on the way over, at the audition and on the way back to ensure she was travelling safely and was Covid-free.

The young musician said Federico was extremely shocked to see her turning up at his audition in Rome.

Abigail and Federico on Italy's Got Talent

At the start, he thought we were going to sing together through video link and then as we were singing I walked out. He looked startled! It was lovely, a real reunion, we hadnt seen each other since 2016.

Abigail, who is in her first year of theatre and drama at Trinity College Dublin said she was confident her friend would get through to the next round of the show.

Im very confident for him, he is very talented.
What does Valentines Day mean to you?

Valentine's Day is for Saint Valentine and February 14 marks the day. Every year, it is supposed to be a special day for the people who are involved with someone, dating, culminated into a relationship or for those who are still looking and proposing. During my younger days, it would be butterflies in my tummy. But now, it's more peaceful and calmer feeling. It is a special day to celebrate with your loved one.

How are you going to celebrate this Valentines Day with your special someone?

I have not yet decided about it. But yes, we would be together for sure.

We would love to hear your love story with Mugdha. How did it start?

In 2013, I met her at my friend Anupam Mittal's wedding. I had gone from Anupam's side and Mugdha Godse was from the bride's side. The wedding was in Jaipur, and I still remember it was July 3, 2013. There were many small and big functions during the wedding. Anupam's family was a traditional Marwari family and his wife's side was a Sikh family. So, the two cultures were mixing into one, and a lot of happiness was there. Mugdha and I stuck a cord there, and the relationship moved forward.

What qualities do you like in Mugdha?

Other than being very beautiful, she is very dependable and bankable. So, these are very rare qualities in many people. It might sound very non-romantic, but it is the main quality to make the relationship go forward. I think the strongest quality amongst both of us is we have the same master Tarneiv Ji. I met him in the same month (July 19, 2013). So, it overlaps in terms of doing certain things together, and there are a lot of things we do together because of that also. Tarneiv Ji stays in Canada, hence, we have made about 7 to 8 trips to Canada in the past two-three years. When you spend time together, things fall in place at the right time. I don't send chocolates or flowers every day. We have more of a solid yet mature relationship. I am not saying that in mature relationships, you don't send flowers or chocolates. But yes, it's everyone's choice whatever they want to do to express their love. I am not that kind of a romantic person. Qualities usually get developed in a relationship period.

Any interesting memory you would like to share about your previous Valentines Day celebrations?

Every year has been special for us. Sometimes couples spend time together, sometimes you are alone. This Valentine's Day is going to be the first one post-pandemic. So, let's see how it will be for us. Right now, I am in Delhi, she is out of Mumbai. We hope to get back in time.

Celebrating Valentines Day is still taboo in Indian society. What is your take on it?

I just want to say, we are in 2021!

According to you, what is the definition of a Perfect Relationship? Is there such a thing?

According to me, nothing is perfect. No human being, no relationship. Humans can never be perfect, but you have to make it work. There is nothing perfect in life. There is a big element of love, which is so engulfing and overpowering. My Master says, Love is the panacea for all ills.' If love can cure sickness, it can obviously melt heart, people and society.

Tell us something about your upcoming projects.

I just had a release ALTBalaji/ZEE5 series LSD: Love Scandal & Doctors. I played Dr Rana in the show. There is Raat Baaki Hai, which will be available on ZEE5. It has been directed by Netflix's SHE movie fame, Avinash Das. I am also starting work on Vikram Bhatt's project, in which Sunny Leone is playing a key role.
Korean heartthrob and actor Lee Dong Wook has been recognized as the top male Asian celebrity for having the best fashion face according to "I-Magazine."

Aside from doing a lot of drama projects, "Tale of the Nine Tailed" star Lee Dong Wook is also dominating the covers and pages of some of the famous fashion magazines. With his perfect visuals and masculine figure, the celebrity star can't hide the fact that he has the potential to ace the industry of fashion.

Lee Dong Wook Proved that He is a True Visual

British and Hong Kong fashion magazine "I-Magazine," announced the winner of the Best Fashion Face for the year 2020. After they gathered all the names of the candidates from all over the world, "I-Magazine" already found the perfect candidate for the said title.

Almost 350 experts from professional photographers, designers, makeup artists, editors, and I-Magazine team from over thirty countries including the United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea took part in choosing the right candidate. They screen over 10,000 photos and videos in three months to rank all the selected male celebrities.

The celebrities were chosen by using a face recognition software programmed with six different requirements for an individual to be picked for the ranking. After further discussions, the whole team has chosen Lee Dong Wook as the winner in the Best Fashion Face 2020. This was the fifth year where Asian artists were selected for "I-Magazines" Fashion Face Award.

More Korean Celebrities Were Recognized for Having Perfect Visuals

It was not just Lee Dong Wook who graces the list of male celebrities, some famous Korean personalities were also mentioned namely BTS's V who came in the third spot, followed by "Goblin" actor Gong Yoo in the fourth place, SF9 member and "She Would Never Know" actor Rowoon who achieved to be on the seventh spot. Joining them are ATEEZ's Kim Hong Joong in the eight place and NCT's leader Lee Taeyong in tenth place.

In the middle of their jam packed schedules, these Korean celebrities were able to showcase their talent and natural beauty through magazines or even on stage. Plus, these idols gave the new definition of beauty in a way that other people can appreciate and fully understand.

Meanwhile, after his drama "Tale of the Nine Tailed" Lee Dong Wook is gearing up for a new romantic movie titled "Single in Seoul," joining him in the project is actress Im Soo Jung. This will be his first movie after 10 years and is scheduled to air sometime this year (2021).

Also Read: Top 5 Old but Gold Favorite Korean Dramas of All Time That are Worth Your Time

What can you say about Lee Dong Wook's newest achievement? Let us know in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.





Written by Shai Collins.
Burma US Unveils New Sanctions on Myanmar Military Regime Leaders, Associates

Myanmar military coup leader Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing (center). / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThe US government slapped new sanctions on the top members of Myanmars military regime on Thursday for staging a coup against the democratically elected civilian government of the country last week.

It also warned the regime that there would be more sanctions to come if it continued to use violence against peaceful protestors, referring to police crackdowns on anti-coup protests early this week.

The move by the Biden administration targeted 10 members of the regime, including six from the governing body, the State Administration Council (SAC), and other high-ranking officials in the military as well as three entities connected to the military.

The US Department of the Treasury said these sanctions specifically target those who played a leading role in the overthrow of Burmas [Myanmars] democratically elected government. The sanctions are not directed at the people of Burma.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US was also prepared to take additional action should the military not change course.

If there is more violence against peaceful protesters, the Burmese military will find that todays sanctions are just the first, she said.

Members affected by the sanctions are coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing; Deputy commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military Vice Senior General Soe Win; General Mya Tun Oo; Admiral Tin Aung San; Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe; and Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo. All are SAC members.

However, SAC members General Maung Maung Kyaw and Lieutenant General Moe Myint Tun are not on the new sanctions list.

Four others on the new sanctions list who are not SAC members are acting Myanmar President and retired Lieutenant General Myint Swe; Lieutenant General Sein Win; Lieutenant General Soe Htut; and Lieutenant General Ye Aung.

The three entities affected by the latest sanctions are Myanmar Ruby Enterprise, Myanmar Imperial Jade Co. Ltd. and Cancri (Gems and Jewellery) Co. Ltd. They are owned or controlled by, or have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the military.

The US government said in a statement: As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property of the individuals and entities named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC [the Office of Foreign Assets Control].

The military staged a takeover last week, claiming that the general election late last year that brought a landslide victory to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis then-ruling National League for Democracy was stolen, contrary to the assertions of local and international election observers. The military proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party did very poorly in the election. While seizing power, the military arrested the countrys elected leaders, President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Since Saturday last week, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have taken to the streets to oppose the coup and call for the immediate release of their elected leaders.

You may also like these stories:

The World Reacts to the Coup in Myanmar

Myanmar Military Rounds Up Former Election Commission Officials
Russia says it is prepared to sever ties with the European Union if the bloc follows through with threats to implement tough new economic sanctions against Moscow over the detention and jailing of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

Speaking in an interview with the YouTube channel Solovyev Live on February 12, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that if further sanctions are imposed on Russia and they "create risks" to the country's economy, "then yes," relations could be broken off.

Lavrov's comments come a day after diplomatic sources suggested the European Union was likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes -- possibly within weeks -- on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We do not want to be isolated from international life, but we must be ready for this. If you want peace, then you should prepare for war," Lavrov said.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added at a meeting with reporters on February 12 that Moscow had to be ready to provide replacement elements for anything in its vital infrastructure if foreign sanctions called for it.

The 44-year-old Navalny, Putin's top critic, was arrested on January 17 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was treated for a nerve-agent poisoning that he says was ordered by Putin, which the Kremlin has denied.

The detention sparked outrage across the country, with tens of thousands of Russians taking to the streets in rallies. Police, in turn, cracked down harshly on the demonstrations, putting many of Navalny's allies behind bars for the actions, and then detaining thousands more -- sometimes violently -- as they gathered.

It also prompted condemnation from the United States and the European Union and demands for Navalny's immediate release and proper investigations into his poisoning in August last year.

In the past week, Russia has expelled several diplomats from EU countries after the Kremlin accused them of participating in the protests. The moves have been matched tit-for-tat by Sweden, Poland, and Germany, which have told Russian diplomats to pack their bags and head home.

The two sides were already at odds over Russia's 2014 annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea and its support for separatist formations waging a war against Kyiv in parts of eastern Ukraine, the EU's rejection of a disputed presidential election in Belarus and criticism of a brutal crackdown by the government of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and other issues.

Germany's Foreign Ministry called Lavrov's comments on February 12 " really disconcerting and incomprehensible."

Moscow has accused the West of hysteria and double standards over Navalny and has accused the United States and others as meddling in Russia's internal affairs.

Lavrov pushed that theme in the February 12 interview, saying the threats weren't about Navalny, but a broader course "coordinated by the entire collective West, which goes beyond mere deterrence of Russia and evolves into an aggressive deterrence of Russia."

"They don't like us because we have our own idea of what's going on in the world," he said.

Jailed anti-corruption campaigner Navalny was back in court on February 12 for his latest legal battle.

Navalny is accused of slandering a World War II veteran who took part in a promotional video in support of last year's constitutional amendments that cleared the way for Putin to run for two more terms in office after 2024, if he wants.

Meanwhile, Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, flew from Moscow to Frankfurt in a sign that -- following her brief detention recently -- she might be concerned for her safety amid a sweeping crackdown in Russia on Navalny allies.

German magazine Der Spiegel, citing sources, reported Navalnaya arrived in the country for "private" matters.

A court in Moscow on February 10 ordered the arrest of Leonid Volkov, an exiled ally of Navalny's, in a move seen as part of an effort by authorities to squelch demonstrations demanding the release of Navalny.

Russian security agents -- including one allegedly linked to Navalny's poisoning -- tailed another Kremlin critic, Vladimir Kara-Murza, in the days and weeks before his two near-fatal poisoning illnesses, investigative group Bellingcat said this week in a new report.

Kara-Murza, who lives in suburban Washington, has built strong alliances with senior U.S. lawmakers, believes he was targeted for his support for the U.S. Magnitsky Act, a 2012 law targeting alleged Russian human-rights abusers with sanctions.
A significant winter storm will blast Southeast Texas early next week with plummeting temperatures, hazardous ice and arctic conditions that the region has not experienced in decades.

The National Weather Service on Friday afternoon issued a winter storm watch for the region that will go into effect 3 p.m. Sunday and remain until 6 p.m. Monday. During that stretch, residents should expect snow, freezing rain and sleet that will create hazardous travel conditions, the weather service said. Residents should stay put and avoid driving anywhere from Sunday night through at least Tuesday morning.

Officials urged people to prepare for severe impacts from the frigid air and wintry precipitation. These may include frozen or burst pipes; impassable or icy roads primed for deadly crashes; heating-related fires or carbon monoxide poisoning; and power outages caused by ice accumulation and overwhelming demand for heat, according to the weather service. Relief should not be expected soon -- a second arctic blast could follow days later, meteorologists warned.

The weather service forecasts that the region could receive 0.05 or 0.10 inches of freezing rain, said meteorologist Lance Wood, which would create "significant icing" on roadways. He predicted a worst-case scenario of up to 0.25 inches of ice. Additionally, 1 to 3 inches of snow were expected, with higher amounts falling north of Houston in areas like College Station and Crockett.

Wood said below-freezing temperatures were expected to reach the coast on Monday morning, with temperatures dipping into the teens. Temperatures will be coldest on Tuesday morning, with single-digit lows in the northwest part of the region, teens in the Houston area and mid-20s along the immediate coast.

Wind chill temperatures will dip to near 10 degrees on the coast and negative digits further inland, Wood said.

This is not Houston's annual hard freeze, said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, but instead a "historic cold spell" unseen in the region since 1989.

"If the models are right, were about to see an incident the likes of which we have not seen in 30 years," Hidalgo said. "A very high probability of power outages, dangerous conditions outside, road closures -- the same type of thing we would see in a Category 5 hurricane."

Crashes and icy roads reported in Waller and Montgomery counties Friday morning offered a preview of road conditions, which are expected to further deteriorate.

Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies were investigating a crash at U.S. 290 and Binford Road near Hockley where black ice was reported, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Nearby, ice was reported around 7:30 a.m. near U.S. 290 and Texas 99, according to Houston TranStar. Further north, the Magnolia Police Department reported a 13-vehicle crash on top of an overpass at FM 1488 and FM 1774, urging people to be aware of icy roads and drive carefully.

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National Weather Service

In the days ahead of the storm, chilly and damp conditions with some bouts of light freezing rain were expected Friday and Saturday, while Sunday should be dry, cloudy and similarly chilly.

On the heels of the storm early next week, weather service meteorologists said a subsequent winter storm could move through the region from early Wednesday through Thursday morning. Forecasters will monitor the event, but it remained too far away to provide many details. Still, Wood said it was likely that temperatures in the Houston area will likely not warm into the 40s until Friday afternoon at the earliest.

Tips for preparing for cold weather from the National Weather Service include making sure your car has supplies in case you get stranded on icy roads, bringing your pets inside, protecting your pipes and plants. Also be sure to prepare for a power outage by having extra blankets and layers available and gathering water and food supplies.
(Newser)  Starting next Friday, asylum-seekers languishing south of the border will start to see a respite. Under the Trump administration, Central American migrants trying to cross into the US from Mexico were made to "Remain in Mexico"Trump's name for the Migrant Protection Protocols program, set up in January 2019while they awaited a hearing on their asylum cases. NPR reports that there are currently 25,000 or so active MPP cases, with people forced to wait things out in rundown camps. Now, the Biden administration has announced it will start relieving the backlog starting Feb. 19, with the Department of Homeland Security allowing about 300 people with active cases into the US daily. "This latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nation's values," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says in a statement, per Politico.

story continues below

US officials will work with the Mexican government and international groups to figure out which migrants are eligible, then prioritize those, with the focus on the most vulnerable and those who've been in limbo the longest. Selected individuals will be tested for COVID before they're allowed to enter the US. They'll also be enrolled in an "alternative to detention" program to keep tabs on them while they await their asylum hearings. Still, Mayorkas warns it will take some time to get the process fully up and running, and that in the interim migrants shouldn't flock to the border. "That will only increase the pressure on the humanitarian effort to provide for them carefully and safely," he tells NPR. Migrants will soon be able to register and check their status at "electronic portals" being created by the DHS. "The US government is committed to rebuilding a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system," Mayorkas adds, per USA Today. (Read more migrants stories.)
Arad and Bihor border police caught in the past 24 hours more than 40 migrants from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan attempting to illegally cross the state border into Hungary, either on foot or hidden in freight trucks, according to AGERPRES.

Eight Afghan citizens aged between 14 and 23 were found hidden in a Slovakian-bound long lorry loaded with car parts, driven by a Slovakian citizen, that was about to leave the country through the Varsand Border Crossing Point, the Arad Border Police said in a release today.

Another 25 migrants were intercepted at the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point in four trucks driven by three Romanians and a Bulgarian. According to the cargo documents, the trucks were loaded with various goods intended for companies in Belgium, Slovakia, Poland and Germany. Of this group of migrants 18 are from Afghanistan, ages between 13 and 29, six are Turks aged between 19 and 23, and a 20-year-old is from Pakistan. They were all asylum seekers in Romania, the release said.

Also in the Nadlac area, border policemen noticed on the outbound of the truck terminal two people on foot; they were identified as Eritreans, ages 18 and 24, who were apparently attempting to illegally cross the border into Hungary.

Four citizens from Afghanistan, aged between 17 and 52, were found in a long lorry driven by a Bulgarian, that was about to clear the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point; the four were asylum seekers in Romania.

The Bors border police spotted four Iraqi citizens on foot, about 200 m from the border line, who intended to cross the border into Hungary.

Investigations are being carried out in all these cases.
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Wunderman Thompson SA recently promoted Colett Naidu as division managing director to its executive team.

Wunderman Thompson SA's leadership expands with industry heavyweights Wunderman Thompson SA is introducing two more senior individuals who will join the executive team namely; Colett Naidu and Tshego Tshukutswane...

Youve been part of the Wunderman Thompson agency team since May 2017. How do you feel about the promotion and taking on the role of Division Managing Director for a completely new division?

What does this role entail?

The new division will focus primarily on Telkom Group and Absa Retail and Business Banking. What are you most looking forward to regarding working with these clients/on these brands?

What excites you most about the agency and of course the new division?

Comment on the current state of the industry, how the industry has responded to or is responding to Covid, and how you plan to navigate the new division through this.

What do you love most about your career and industry?

Tell us a bit about your background/experience and how this has equipped you for the role.

Whats at the top of your to-do list?

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?

Tell us something about yourself not generally known.

Naidu has been part of the agency team since May 2017. The agency has since created a new role for a new division that will focus primarily on Telkom Group and Absa Retail Business Banking, of which Naidu is now responsible for.Throughout her 13 years in the advertising business, Naidu has gained experience across renowned brands, including Edgars, Unilever, Clover, Tiger Brands, Omega Labs and Boehringer Ingelheim, Absa and Standard Bank Digital.Im super excited about this opportunity, added Naidu. I intend to nurture my teams strengths, as well as support and help drive the diversity and inclusion objectives. I firmly believe that mentorship is more valuable than management, so Ill continue to mentor and empower our young talent. Further, my ambition is to ensure that we consistently offer efficiency, integration, great work, talent and value to our clients while strengthening our partnerships even further.Wunderman Thompson has always felt like home to me. Working in an agency that has such scale but hasnt lost its heart in the process is fulfilling. I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to be part of the leadership team and excited to be taking on this role that I have no doubt will be rewarding yet challenging, in a good way.The role entails overseeing the Telkom Group and the Absa Retail and Business Banking accounts. My biggest focus will be ensuring that both accounts are operating as efficiently as possible. We identify and retain great talent by giving them the best platform to thrive and deliver great work. We consistently have an innovative and transformative solution-driven approach.Other than the fact that these are two great South African brands? That alone fuels me and gives me a great sense of pride. These clients are ambitious, customer-centric, willing to take big steps and are open to different and new ways of doing things. The opportunities are endless.I have watched Wunderman Thompson SA evolve and grow over the years. The mixture of talent and skill across various divisions is phenomenal. Theres a high-performance culture yet theres an old-school agency element of fun that sticks, even virtually. The new division gives us a great opportunity to offer integrated solutions (from advertising to tech and from digital to user experience) to our clients that should ultimately exceed the value expectation. It also opens the door to creating hybrids of individuals as theres a definite shift from purely specialist focused account management, operational, strategic and creative talent. This division gives everyone the platform to grow and upskill across various areas.Undoubtedly all marketers and agencies have faced immense challenges in light of the pandemic. Some have been reactive, some who were gravely impacted due to restrictions, and some who were able to take it as an opportunity to accelerate growth and the evolution of their offering. Relooking touchpoints and customer experience is becoming an even greater focus. Embracing the change, shifts and staying relevant and agile will see us over to the other side.Its admirable how the industry has adapted to this new way of working, ensuring that the wheels keep turning and that the magic still happens. The impact of Covid has changed how we work, however, it is my ambition to ensure that we stay connected to our clients and each other. I believe that we are equipped to navigate through any other challenges that may still arise due to Covid, and born out of it will be stronger and even more connected client agency teams, albeit in a very new normal.I love the people! I have met the most talented, ambitious, fun-loving and unique individuals in this industry, and thats definitely been the favourite part of my journey.I started in advertising fresh out of college, and my passion for what I do has never waned; its what makes me tick. I still get goosebumps every time I see a great piece of work! The learning never stops, and change is by far the only constant.I have been in the industry for just over 13 years. Ive worked at several agencies, big and small on many great brands. Ive gained TTL experience over this time, constantly upskilling myself. I have had the advantage of working with and learning from some of the industry's most talented and influential people. I saw every phase of my career as an opportunity to add value, learn and collaborate, and thats exactly what I plan to do in this role too.On my actual to-do list right now  planning and prepping for my upcoming week as home-schooling my six-year-old has also been added to my daily weekday mix.Professionally - to ensure that we maintain happy and inspired performing teams.Further strengthening our partnerships with our clients, offering structure but allowing for agility that will enable us to navigate through whatever lies ahead.With music, basically, anything goes, but I have been meditating more since the start of the pandemic, so my playlists have taken a bit of a spiritual turn. I am currently switching between a soppy romantic novel (the title I will not mention) and Jay Shettys. I dont watch much TV in general, but when I do I am a sucker for whatevers binge-worthy on Netflix. Right now itsI would probably be a Yogi, or a figure skater had advertising not stolen my heart first.
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) told Politico in an interview that she does not support increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour as part of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that Congress is considering.

Why it matters: Opposition to the $15 minimum wage provision from Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)  another moderate Democrat who has huge influence in a 50-50 Senate  is a major blow to President Biden's hope of passing it via budget reconciliation, which would allow the Senate to circumvent the usual 60-vote threshold.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the $15 minimum wage provision will be in the House bill that she intends to send to the Senate in the next two weeks.

But Biden himself acknowledged this week that the key campaign promise likely won't make it into the final rescue package passed by Congress. He said he would push for it in a standalone bill.

What they're saying: Whats important is whether or not its directly related to short-term COVID relief. And if its not, then I am not going to support it in this legislation, Sinema told Politico. The minimum wage provision is not appropriate for the reconciliation process. It is not a budget item. And it shouldnt be in there.

The big picture: Sinema, like Manchin, is opposed to eliminating the 60-vote legislative filibuster to pass major progressive priorities. I want to restore the 60-vote threshold for all elements of the Senate's work," the 44-year-old Arizona senator told Politico.

Go deeper: CBO says $15 minimum wage would increase unemployment but lift 900,000 out of poverty
A new court filing outlines for the first time the benefits that whistleblowers allege Attorney General Ken Paxton received from a campaign donor, including new accusations that he helped Paxton renovate his Austin home.

The FBI is investigating allegations made by eight of Paxtons top aides last year when they reported him to federal law enforcement authorities, saying they believed hed abused the power of his office to help Nate Paul, an Austin-based real estate investor who donated $25,000 to Paxton in 2018. The states top lawyer, who has also been under indictment for felony securities fraud for five years without going to trial, has denied all wrongdoing.

The latest documents in the lawsuit, filed in Travis County district court by four of eight whistleblowers in November, includes a previously unreported allegation that Paul or his company helped Paxton with renovations to his $1 million home Austin. Pauls lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.

The suit alleges that Paxtons actions could be subject to various public corruption charges and that the whistleblowers firings amounted to unlawful retaliation for reporting that misconduct.

Paxtons lawyers have rejected the claims in court filings and claimed that Paxton is not a public employee subject to the Texas Whistleblower Act, which gives government workers the legal protection to report misconduct without fear of retaliation.

All eight whistleblowers no longer work for the office after they reported Paxton to federal law enforcement authorities in October for allegedly abusing the power of his office to help Paul. Five have been fired and three resigned.

Paxtons lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a spokesman denied all accusations of unlawful conduct.

Any accusations that the Attorney General acted contrary to the law are completely false and they will be proven false in court, spokesman Ian Prior said in a statement.

The lawsuit suggests several different reasons for Paxtons bizarre, obsessive use of the power of his office to help Nate Paul, including that Paul gave a job to a woman at Paxtons request.

As part of a separate civil suit last year, Paul told lawyers during a deposition that he hired the woman based on Paxtons recommendation but denied that he did so to help Paxton in any way.

Some of Paxtons actions directing the OAG (Office of the Attorney General) to benefit Paul were criminal without regard to motive, the latest filing reads. Others were so egregious and so contrary to appropriate use of his office, that they could only have been prompted by illicit motives such as a desire to repay debts, pay hush money, or reciprocate favors extended by Paul.

The suit includes state and federal laws that whistleblowers accuse Paxton of violating, including bribery, abuse of office, tampering with government records, harassment and obstruction of justice.
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Allaying concerns of Chhattisgarh over incomplete phase 3 trials of Covaxin, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said both Covaxin and the other COVID-19 vaccine Covishield are safe and immunogenic and should be used expeditiously to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Chhattisgarh concerned over incomplete trials of Covaxin

Earlier, Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singh Deo said he had written to Vardhan urging him not to send Bharat Biotech's Covaxin till the phase-3 clinical trial results are completed while also expressing concern about the absence of expiry date on the vials of the vaccine.

Is it really befitting of a state's Health Minister Sh @TS_SinghDeo Ji to stoke inhibitions regarding efficacy of #COVID19Vaccine?



In such unprecedented times, you should help address any vaccine hesitancy & do what's in best interest of people, not further vested interests ! pic.twitter.com/sag1wy0q2T  Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) February 11, 2021

The primary concerns of the state, Deo said on Twitter, are the inhibitions regarding the incomplete third phase trials of Covaxin and the absence of expiration date on the vials of the vaccine.

PTI

"I have requested him to halt the supply of Covaxin to Chhattisgarh until these issues are addressed to the satisfaction of our Health Department to avoid the wastage of the early expiration doses of the drug," he said in another tweet.

Wrote to hon'ble union minister of health @drharshvardhan ji addressing the concern of Chhattisgarh govt regarding the supply of COVAXIN to the state.



The primary concerns of the state are :

The inhibitions regrading the incomplete 3rd phase trials of COVAXIN (1/2) pic.twitter.com/xLNj43hwRR  TS Singh Deo (@TS_SinghDeo) February 11, 2021

Harsh Vardhan's response

Responding to his letter, Vardhan said he has got the matter examined in the ministry and as per New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, under Drugs and Cosmetics Act , 1940 and in light of urgent need due to COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Central Drugs Standard and Control Organisation (CDSCO) has granted permission to manufacture the two vaccines based on the prescribed procedure and after due evaluation of pre-clinical and clinical trial data.

Both #COVAXIN & #COVISHIELD have been granted EUA in India after completing due diligence & following protocols establishing their safety & immunogenicity.



As for your baseless claim of expiry date not being mentioned on COVAXIN vials,the info is available on label of each vial. pic.twitter.com/5ygrCHZzuD  Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) February 11, 2021

Only those COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted permission for restricted use in emergency situations by the DCGI i.e. Covishield and Covaxin are being used for COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country.

Ample supplies of vaccines have been delivered to Chhattisgarh against which coverage of only 9.55% frontline workers in the State is a matter of grave concern.



Sh @TS_SinghDeo Ji, rather than sensationalising non-issues, kindly focus on improving vaccine coverage in the State.  Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) February 11, 2021

"Both these vaccines being supplied to the states /UTs are safe and immunogenic and should be used expeditiously to rapidly confer protection to prioritised beneficiaries thereby mitigating the impact of the pandemic at the earliest," he said.

"Your concern regarding unavailability of expiry date on Covaxin vial is also completely unfounded and without basis as the same is mentioned on the label of vaccine vials," Vardhan said in his letter.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that President Joe Biden's goal is to have schools open five days a week in-person, but stressed the administration would follow the guidance of science and medical experts on how to safely reopen.

"The President will not rest until every school is open five days a week. That is our goal," Psaki said at a White House briefing.

Psaki said the administration would be following the highly anticipated guidance that is expected to be put out on Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how best to safely reopen schools.

The White House faced some criticism from parents, teachers, students and local officials after Psaki said their goal was to have in-person teaching at least one day a week in the majority of schools within Biden's first 100 days in office. That marker fell short of what many expected Biden was promising when he said his goal was to reopen most K-12 schools within his first 100 days.

Psaki defended the administration's position in a subsequent briefing, saying, "That is not the ceiling. That is the bar we're trying to leap over and exceed."

How and when to reopen schools safely has become a national flashpoint, with some parents eager to get their children back into classrooms and some teachers and unions worried about the possibility of being infected with Covid-19.

A reporter asked Psaki on Thursday: "Can you explain to American parents that just one day of in-person school, does that count as schools being open? Why should they be satisfied with that?"

"They shouldn't be," Psaki said. "I can assure any parent listening that his objective, his commitment is to ensuring schools are open five days a week. That's what he wants to achieve, and we are going to lead with science and the advice that they are giving us."

The CDC's guidance on reopening schools will outline five key strategies, including hand washing, masking, social distancing, cleaning and ventilation, as well as contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, CNN has reported.

The guidance will not suggest staffers should be required to be vaccinated, and will instead describe vaccination as another strategy to "layer," since many schools were able to safely reopen before vaccines were available, an administration official previously told CNN. The guidelines will also note that screening can improve detection of cases.

Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief proposal would include $170 billion for K-12 schools, colleges and universities that could be directed toward mitigation measures.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky suggested last week that schools could safely reopen without teachers getting vaccinated for Covid-19. The White House initially distanced itself from Walensky's comments, with Psaki saying Walensky was speaking "in her personal capacity." But Psaki later appeared to align with Walensky's comments, saying vaccinations are only part of several mitigating factors that will help schools reopen safely.

Some teacher unions are resisting reopening some schools amid fears of teachers getting infected with Covid-19.

The Chicago Teachers Union has told its members to be prepared to go on strike if the school district retaliates for teachers choosing to continue teaching online, as Chicago Public Schools CEO Dr. Janice Jackson and other school officials say it's time to get everyone back into the classroom.

The intact tomb of the ancient Egyptian priest and palace controller Iufaa was found on the site of the forgotten kings of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (c 2450-2321 BCE) at Abusir, since despite the size of their monuments these kings do not share the fame and renown accorded to their colleagues of the Fourth Dynasty, the builders of the Giza Pyramids.



Abusir is located about six miles to the south of the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Sphinx. It is to the north of the first stone pyramid built in Egypt, known as the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. The site contains about 11 pyramids of kings and queens and the sun temples of the Fifth Dynasty. The Sahure Pyramid, the most famous in Abusir, was excavated by the German Egyptologist Ludwig Burchardt, and it was thought that the Pyramid complex contained about 10,000 square metres of wall reliefs.



I attended all the steps in the discovery of the intact tomb of Iufaa, and it was very exciting to see the opening of the sarcophagus for the first time. Let me take you on a journey through the gates of the underworld to witness the magic and mystery of the secrets of the sands.



The events took place as follows:



Autumn 1996: Discovery of the shaft tomb of Iufaa and the tomb of Udjaorresnet.



(Damage took place in the October 1992 earthquake followed by a series of earthquakes in 1996 damaging the shaft wall)



Autumn 1996-1997: Construction of a dome to protect the burial chamber.



Spring 1998: Official opening of the sarcophagus of Iufaa.



February 17: Preparation for opening of the limestone sarcophagus.



February 23: Opening of the lid of the sarcophagus.



February 24: Cleaning the plaster above the anthropoid sarcophagus.



February 25: Opening the anthropoid sarcophagus at a press conference.



March 1: Moving the mummy to Giza for X-ray examination.



March 6: Returning the mummy to Abusir.



We never know what secrets lie beneath the sands of Egypt, and this was shown when the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the Czech expedition working at Abusir announced the discovery of the first intact tomb to be found in Egypt since that of Tutankhamun.



The tomb belonged to the priest and director of the palace Iufaa. No one had entered the tomb since the burial rites were performed in antiquity, and it was 75 years since any other intact burial of this type had been discovered.



But of course there are significant differences between the two tombs. The tomb of Tutankhamun was full of gold and about 5,000 artefacts. In the tomb of Iufaa, because he was palace controller, we did not expect to find gold. But important and exciting artifacts were discovered that have answered questions regarding ancient Egyptian history and burial rites.



The tomb consisted of a shaft about 28m deep, like nine floors of a building, and inside this shaft was an intact tomb and an enormous white limestone sarcophagus of about 50 tons in weight. This was also intact because there was a plaster seal between the lid and the sarcophagus.



Around the base of this in a narrow aperture between the sarcophagus and the tomb was the complete burial equipment, including a full set of 408 faience ushabtis, four canopic vessels with human-headed lids, wooden furniture, stone vessels of various sizes and a considerable quantity of pottery, much of it consisting of foreign imports acquired during the reign of the king.



The walls of the tomb and the sarcophagus itself were found to be of great interest, and they were covered with hieroglyphs, many of exquisite beauty. These hieroglyphs repeat the spells and invocation prayers of the ancient Pyramid Texts that in the Old Kingdom had been reserved only for the Pyramid-building kings. There were also extracts from later religious texts, including the Book of the Dead that started in the New Kingdom (1550 BCE). These hieroglyphic inscriptions helped the deceased to ascend to the sky and explain the relation of the deceased to the gods.



Major discoveries take time to reveal, as was seen in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. The steps of this tomb were found on 22 November 1922, when archaeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon opened a hole to see inside. On 26 November, the official opening took place. On 9 February 1923, Carter started recording and restoring the artefacts inside the tomb.



Director of the Czech expedition at Abusir Miroslav Verner explained to me the story of the discovery of the Iufaa tomb when we were sitting on the top of the Pyramid of Warkare. Look at the top of the hill located to the south from here. Khaemwas, the son of Ramses II, chose that location. He was able to see south of the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the Pyramids of Dahshur and to the north the Giza Pyramids.



Verner looked at me and said you are an archeologist and have become famous through your major archaeological discoveries at Giza. All the discoveries dated to the Old Kingdom and connected with the Pyramids were not seen as important to the public, but this intact tomb is something else.



The intact tomb found near the tomb of Udjaorresnet was at the bottom of one of four shafts found through the geographical survey of the site.





EXCAVATION: The excavation of a shaft tomb situated to the southeast of the shaft tomb of Udjaorresnet in the southwestern sector of the Abusir Necropolis started in January 1995.



The mouth of a small shaft measuring 1.7m by 1.4m and lined in its upper part by mudbrick was discovered under the limestone plaster lying in front of the large niche in the western outer face of the mudbrick enclosure wall surrounding the main shaft of the tomb.



In January 1996, the Czech expedition started to remove the sand from the shaft six m deep. The expedition was headed by Ladislav Bares, deputy director for Verner, along with three excellent overseers, Mahmoud Talal Al-Kerety, Abdel-Metaal Al-Kerety and Ahmed Al-Kerety.



They are the sons of the famous Al-Kerety, who was a great overseer of workmen. This is a family that maintains the skills to move large stones with the ease of their forefathers. The expedition was also joined by an excellent archaeologist representing the SCA, Attallah Al-Kouli, an inspector of antiquities. This team proved to be the right combination for excavating this site.



Removing the sand from the shaft was exciting. They tied baskets to ropes and sent the baskets 19m down the shaft to the workmen below. They filled the baskets with sand and hauled them back to the surface. To speed up the process, they used a new method, a machine called al-tambura in Arabic and consisting of a rectangular piece of wood.



During the cleaning of the shaft and at about 10m deep in the sand and debris filling the main shaft, a few white limestone fragments with remains of hieroglyphic inscriptions in incised relief were discovered, as well as a number of pottery shards dating back from the early Byzantine period. Among them were numerous fragments of imported Greek and Aegean pieces from the late sixth century CE.



At a depth of about 21m, the ceiling of the burial chamber was unearthed. Oriented east-west and consisting of a tunnel vault built of roughly cut limestone blocks was the burial chamber proper, and adjacent to the western wall of the main shaft an irregular mudbrick wall was discovered standing two metres high along the length of the entire wall.



In the centre of this wall, the eastern entrance to the corridor connecting the main shaft with the small western shaft was opened, protected from above by another mudbrick vault.



At about the level of the lateral walls of the burial chamber, the bottom of the main shaft, measuring about 11x11 metres, was crossed by several thin mudbrick walls built probably with the aim of strengthening the stability of the sand surrounding the burial chamber. These mudbrick walls have been traced to a depth of about 25m.



When the excavators removed the sand from the entrance, which was sealed with limestone blocks, they came across the intact tomb. It was believed that the burial chamber was intact with all of the original burial equipment. They immediately informed us of the discovery.



When I went to the site, the head workman tied me with ropes and sent me down the shaft very slowly for more than 21m until I reached the ground. The burial chamber, about 4.9m long and 3.3m wide, was half filled with a thick layer of sand covering the mudbrick and rough limestone blocks.



To the north of the entrance, there were the remains of a damaged wooden chest adorned with a concave cornice. This contained more than 30 small faience and pottery vases for sacred oils and a medium-sized bronze vessel.



In the area between the sarcophagus and the tomb wall, there was one chest containing two canopic jars. They are called canopic because they were first found in a village near Alexandria called Canop.



All four inner sides of the chamber were covered with inscriptions and images in low relief, except for the roughly worked vaulted ceiling and the lower half of the western wall.



The chest of the sarcophagus was completely covered by columns of hieroglyphic inscriptions, being spells to protect the deceased, and seven snakes responsible for protecting him in the afterlife.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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This pocket of France, once a prosperous mining center, has never recovered economically from the bombing it suffered in World War I and the collapse of the coal industry. Local authorities were so eager to expand the Louvres presence  and to draw visitors  that it sold much of the land for the Conservation Center for the symbolic sum of one euro.

The glass, concrete and steel structure, which opened in October 2019, looks like a Bauhaus-style bunker partially buried into the landscape.

A subsoil of chalky sand above chalk bedrock absorbs excess rainfall. A special German-made leak detection system double-waterproofs the roof. Complex security systems protect against terrorist attacks and fire. Bright green lighting fixtures hanging throughout the facility trap and kill dangerous enemies like the common furniture beetle.

Trucks move the artworks into a garage where they are unloaded and placed in a temporary chamber to acclimate them to their surroundings and eliminate contaminants. Six concrete-walled storage vaults  each focusing on a different type of object  stretch over almost 2.4 acres. There are spaces for artisans, restorers, researchers and photographers from the Louvre and eventually for those from other museums as well. The Louvre hopes the site may one day provide a haven for art in danger of destruction in countries facing war and conflict.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka struck a largely combative, uncompromising tone as he addressed nearly 3,000 loyalists gathered in Minsk for what had been billed as a two-day congress representing all of Belarus.

Confronted with months of protests calling for him to step down after some 26 years in power, Lukashenka had said he would quit only after changes to the constitution were made.

We must stand up to them no matter what, and this year will be decisive."

The venue to discuss those amendments, the 66-year-old Lukashenka said, would be the All-Belarus People's Assembly in the capital, Minsk, on February 11-12.

However, as he spoke to some 2,700 delegates nominated by labor collectives in sync with state-controlled unions loyal to Lukashenka, the Belarusian strongman slammed the six months of protests against his rule as a foreign-directed "rebellion."

"We must stand up to them no matter what, and this year will be decisive," he said to the audience in a hall decked out with a huge banner bearing the red-and-green colors of the official state flag that read: "Unity, Development, Independence."

Belarus was thrown into crisis after it became clear that Lukashenka would be declared the winner of the country's tightly controlled August 9 presidential election despite a strong showing by opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has said she won.

The ensuing mass protests resulted in the arrests of thousands of peaceful demonstrators, documented beatings on the streets and in detention, and opposition leaders either locked up or forced to flee the country. Lukashenka is not recognized as the legitimate leader of Belarus by the European Union or the United States, and each has slapped sanctions on him and senior members of his government for falsifying the vote and for the repression of peaceful protests.

Ahead of Lukashenka's two-day congress of loyalists, the country's political opposition predicted that he would exploit what it called the "illegitimate" event to prop up his rule and offer vague promises in an effort to quell public anger.

"First of all, we need to be clear what this gathering is: This is an unconstitutional event that is not enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of Belarus," Paval Latushka, a former career Belarusian diplomat until he switched to the opposition in September, told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "The decision to hold it was made by an illegitimate [leader]. Any decision made at the meeting will be implemented by the same illegitimate government on the orders of the illegitimate [leader]. So, this is, in fact, a meeting of the illegitimate with the illegitimate about illegitimacy."

The U.S. Embassy in Belarus, meanwhile, said in a February 11 statement that the gathering was "neither genuine nor inclusive of Belarusian views and therefore does not address the country's ongoing political crisis."

Lukashenka, in power since 1994, took the opportunity to admit, vaguely, that he would step down someday.

"The time will come and other people will come," he said on the first day of the congress. He said a set of constitutional changes would be drafted later this year and put to a nationwide vote in early 2022.

The opposition had urged Belarusians to take to the streets to protest the assembly. Police were out in force in Minsk, surrounding the building where the gathering was taking place, but dozens of protesters on February 11 formed "solidarity chains" in other parts of Minsk, waving the opposition's red-and-white flags and chanting "Stop dictatorship!" and "Go away!" to demand Lukashenka's resignation.

The early days of the protests saw as many as 100,000 people flood the streets of Minsk, but demonstrations have dwindled in size in the past few months.

Latushka put that down to various factors, including the crackdown on demonstrators and the COVID-19 pandemic that Lukashenka dismissed as "mass psychosis" last year while defying calls by the World Health Organization and others to institute lockdown measures.

"Let's be realistic. First of all, it's difficult to image that such large-scale protests -- with hundreds of thousands, even millions -- could continue in one country, as was the case here in August, September, and even October," Latushka said.

"We repeated it often but it needs to be said again, that more than 32,000 people have been arrested and detained for more than four months," Latushka added.

"How many more were fired, lost their jobs, were forced to flee abroad, no one knows. Ukraine provided data that some 75,000 Belarusians have fled to Ukraine. How many went to Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia? The numbers are in the thousands."

The opposition aims to resume its mass actions on March 25, the anniversary of the 1918 declaration of a short-lived independent Belarus. The day traditionally has seen large opposition demonstrations.

The opposition, which is being led by Tsikhanouskaya from Lithuania after coming under pressure by Belarusian officials, is in "stasis," argues Ryhor Astapenia, a fellow at the London-based think tank Chatham House.

Astapenia puts this down to three reasons: One, Lukashenka has managed to keep the ruling class united; two, the democratic movement has failed to galvanize all segments of society opposed to Lukashenka's rule; and three, international actors accept the status quo, fearing any harder action will only push Lukashenka deeper into the arms of Russia.

Astapenia cites a recent January poll by Chatham House of nearly 1,000 urban dwellers in Belarus that found 37 percent fully support the protest movement and the demands of its leaders. But another 45 percent are not as aligned with the movement, nor have they risked taking to the streets in protest. This group is fed up with Lukashenka but does not see the current protest leaders as representing their interests and are unsure who they would vote for in the future.

Opting to ignore the opposition's demands and dealing with them mercilessly, Lukashenka has suffered an "irreversible" blow to his "domestic and international legitimacy," explained Arseny Sivitsky, director of the Minsk-based Center for Strategic and Foreign Policy Studies.

Lukashenka has long oscillated between Russia and West but now finds his political survival dependent more than ever on the Kremlin, Sivitsky added in e-mailed comments to RFE/RL.

At the Minsk meeting on February 11, Lukashenka said the West had incited the protests in Belarus as a "bridgehead" against Russia.

"It's deadly dangerous for Russia to lose Belarus," Lukashenka said, adding that the two countries are planning massive joint military drills for later this year.

Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusians continue to demand the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. The West refuses to recognize him as the country's legitimate leader after an August 9 election considered fraudulent.

He thanked Moscow for its support in the face of the protests but reaffirmed that the union agreement between the two countries shouldn't limit Belarus's independence.

Lukashenka has long repelled Kremlin efforts to deepen integration under a union treaty signed in 1999.

In December 2019, Lukashenka balked at the last moment at signing dozens of so-called "road maps" spelling out specific measures to attain closer ties with Moscow, including a single currency. The Kremlin responded by first halting, then lowering, energy deliveries to Belarus, the key to keeping the struggling Belarusian economy afloat.

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said on February 1 that further integration under the union treaty would be beneficial to both sides, but "only after the situation in Belarus has normalized."

"The Belarusian economy is completely oriented to the Russian economy. That means that most of their goods are shipped here," Medvedev, a former prime minister, said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered Lukashenka $1.5 billion in state credit and has vowed military support, including a special police force, if the unrest called for it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Lukashenka in Minsk in November that Putin was eager to see constitutional reforms enacted in Belarus.

"We, of course, have an interest in the situation being calm, stable, and we think that beginning the constitutional reform initiated by the country's leadership would contribute to this," Lavrov said.

Lavrov told Lukashenka that Moscow was not in contact with the Belarusian opposition and accused the West of meddling in Belarus.

In another sign that Lukashenka is further aligning Belarus with Russia, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alyaksandr Novak said in January that some Belarusian refined oil products would likely be shipped in 2021 through Russian ports in Primorsk, St. Petersburg, and Ust-Luga, shifting away from ports in Lithuania, which has imposed sanctions against the Lukashenka government.

The Kremlin is rumored to be planning a meeting between Putin and Lukashenka in the near future, noted Sivitsky, adding that Lukashenka's current confidence on display at his Minsk congress may prove ephemeral.

"If the Kremlin does not provide Lukashenka with a new package of financial aid, an economic crisis becomes inevitable," Sivitsky explained. "That will definitely provoke a new round in the political crisis, accompanied by a new wave of protests engaging new segments of Belarusian society."
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the validity and results of e-voting of unit holders of six mutual schemes of Franklin Templeton and said Rs 9,122 crore will be disbursed as per its earlier order.

On February 2, the Supreme Court had directed Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund (FTMF) to distribute Rs 9,122 crore among unit-holders of the six schemes that were shut by the mutual fund house in April last year.

The court had said the distribution of funds need to be undertaken by the SBI Mutual Fund and completed within 20 days.

A bench comprising Justices S. Abdul Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna negated all objections to the e-voting results. The top court noted that the consent of unit holders means consent of majority of unit holders and not just party to the scheme.

The Supreme Court had also clarified that SBI Fund Management and not SBI Mutual Funds, will be responsible for distribution of Rs 9,122 crore to unitholders of the six wound up Franklin Templeton schemes. The top court allowed the SBI Fund Management to become a party in the case. The SBI Fund Management also sought protection from any liability arising from the fund distribution exercise.

The bench clarified that there was a clerical error in the previous order which said SBI Mutual Fund will be the disbursing entity.

The petitioners' counsel during the hearing raised concerns on the distribution mechanism, and prayed before the top court that fund distribution should be done as per the Net Asset Value (NAV).

The apex court had said the unit holders should be repaid in proportion to their respective share in assets of the scheme and the distribution of funds would be undertaken by the SBI Mutual funds as agreed by both Franklin Templeton Trust and the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

The top court will continue to hear the arguments on other issues on February 17, where it may examine the arguments of unit holders who are dissatisfied with wound-up schemes.

The SBI Funds Management is the asset management company of SBI Mutual Funds, which sought the fund house should bear all expenses in connection with the distribution of funds. SBI Fund Management had moved the top court seeking its approval to disburse the funds among the unit holders of the mutual funds' schemes and also sought protection from any liability, which could arise out of the distribution exercise.
The Charger Blog

A recent Suicide Prevention Policy Summit brought together University of New Haven faculty, staff, and students, as well as lawmakers and members of the local community, to discuss what has become a serious public health issue across the country. By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

The Suicide Prevention Policy Summit brought together the University community, as well as lawmakers and members of the local community.

Rebekah Stafford 21 M.A is concerned about the local and national prevalence of suicide  particularly when it comes to young people. She has been working on several projects related to suicide prevention, and she hopes to continue to make an impact.

The high rates of suicide, particularly among LGBTQ+ youth, inspired her and several of her classmates to conduct a roundtable discussion at the Eastern Psychology Association, which will take place next month. A candidate in the Universitys graduate program in community psychology, Stafford says prevention and intervention are integral to her field  as well as to suicide prevention.

Continuing her work in the field, Stafford recently attended a virtual Suicide Prevention Policy Summit hosted by the Universitys School of Health Sciences that included state lawmakers, community members, and members of the University community.

It was great to not only see speakers bring awareness to suicide prevention in Connecticut, but also to have discussions with people in key legislative positions who can help advance policy and support initiatives on a macro level, she said. These conversations are a critical step in bringing about change on a larger scale, so I was thrilled to see our state representatives in attendance. I hope this summit will facilitate policy development that continues to build resiliency in our communities and addresses some of the complex systems contributing to this public health concern.

Lillie Macias, Ph.D., spoke at the summit.

There will always be support

Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, an assistant professor of public health at the University, helped organize the event and served as moderator. Suicide, Dr. Tran says, is among the top ten leading causes of death, and although it affects people of all ages, the rate is highest among middle-aged white men. His message was that suicide can be prevented.

This pandemic has resulted in public health sanctions, including stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of COVID-19, he said. But it has also exacerbated risk factors for a number of mental health outcomes, including depression, post-traumatic stress, and hopelessness. I would like to remind everyone that there is hope. There is always someone listening. There will always be support.

The summit, held for the second year in a row, was a way for members of communities across the state to discuss their concerns and propose suicide prevention solutions. It included several speakers, including Lillie Macias, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University, and Thomas Steen, a suicide prevention speaker. He shared the story of his son, Tyler, who died by suicide in December of 2009. He stressed the importance of staying socially connected, of reaching out to crisis counselors, and of seeking education when it comes to suicide prevention. He also discussed the pain of losing his son.

My life has a hole in it where Tyler used to be, he said. If wed known more about suicide prevention, Tyler might still be alive. After he died, and we started pulling away the layers, we saw how at risk he was.

Thomas Steen shared the story of his son, Tyler, who died by suicide.

Events like this one are pivotal for students

Mabintou Darboe 22 MPH attended the summit because she was looking to know more about what is being done to combat the increasing rate of suicide, and she wanted to be part of a meaningful conversation about suicide prevention with state lawmakers. She was grateful that the summit provided an opportunity to have an open conversation about a topic that still carries a stigma and that it raised awareness and education for a crucial topic.

I suffer from depression, and this summit meant that people cared about what I  and millions of others  are going through every day, she said. I hope it encourages our lawmakers to focus policies on minorities and college students. Marginalized populations do not generally have all the resources they need to help them cope with the stressors they encounter daily. Events like this one are pivotal for students, enabling us to advocate and let our representatives know what the community needs.
A grand jury has indicted a Gloucester County teacher on charges that he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old student at school.

Paul A. VanHouten, 54, a science teacher at Williamstown Middle School in Monroe Township, was charged in July following a five-month investigation.

The student claimed VanHouten touched her breasts over her clothes after following her into a storage closet connected to a classroom in February 2020, then threatened to fail her if she told anyone about the incident, authorities said.

A Gloucester County grand jury indicted him last month on second-degree charges of sexual assault, endangering and official misconduct.

VanHouten was suspended from his job with pay on Feb. 28, 2020.

Following the arrest, the students family filed a lawsuit against VanHouten and the Monroe Township School District.

In that suit, she alleged that after completing a quiz in VanHoutens class last February, he asked her to help him retrieve materials for a class science experiment from the storage closet.

The teacher allegedly followed the girl into the closet, closed the door, cornered her against a cabinet and fondled her. She began crying and VanHouten told her he would fail her for the year if she disclosed what had happened, according to the suit.

She initially said nothing, but after speaking to another student who alleged she was also molested by VanHouten, the 12-year-old reported the incident to her family and police were notified, the suit states.

The lawsuit alleges that schools officials were aware of other inappropriate behavior by the teacher, but took no action. In court filings, the district has denied having any prior knowledge of student allegations involving VanHouten.

VanHouten, who has been with the district since 1989, was charged with creating false public alarm in 2018 when he posted on Facebook about a student threatening violence in the middle school.

Using an alias, he wrote, Rumor has it that there is a student in our Middle School who posted very similar threats of gun violence on YouTube just like the teen in Florida. Nothing said about it at the BOE meeting.

That post came days after a student killed 17 people during a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

VanHouten was suspended while the municipal court case played out, but the charge was later dismissed and he was allowed to return to the classroom.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.


New 5 Year R&D Sponsorship Signed with Dalhousie University

Brisbane, Feb 12, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - NOVONIX Limited ( ASX:NVX ) ( FRA:GC3 ) ( OTCMKTS:NVNXF ) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned, Canadian-based subsidiary, Novonix Battery Technology Solutions ("Novonix BTS"), will extend its sponsorship of Prof. Mark Obrovac's lab at Dalhousie University through a new research agreement under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada's Alliance Grants Program.- Novonix will extend its sponsorship of Professor Mark Obrovac's Research Group for a subsequent 5-year term under a new agreement- Novonix will have first rights to IP developed from this agreement- The Canadian government's NSERC Alliance program will contribute CA$2.2M over the 5-year termNovonix BTS had sponsored Prof. Obrovac's group for the previous 2 years through the NSERC Industrial Research Chair (IRC) Program. Under the new five year program, NSERC will contribute a total of CA$2,202,834 and Novonix BTS will contribute CA$1,110,420. This funding will be used for equipment, support for new students and researchers as well as necessary research materials.Novonix Chief Executive, Dr. Chris Burns, said, "We are excited to renew our relationship with Dr. Obrovac's lab. It has been extremely valuable to have a team focused on new materials projects across a range of battery materials. The synergy of this lab located so close to our development center in Halifax allows our team to quickly assess materials or processes on our battery cell pilot line and with Novonix BTS's significant internal testing resources."Novonix has previously announced multiple patent application filings that have come from research in Prof. Obrovac's group including patent applications related to Dry Particle Microgranulation (DPMG) technology and the ability to increase yield in the anode manufacturing process as well as synthesize single and polycrystalline high-nickel cathode materials.Novonix BTS is expanding its team to commercialize and demonstrate the cathode technology starting with the installed in-house cathode pilot processing capability based on the DPMG technology.Prof. Obrovac said, "It is great to be able to continue our relationship with Novonix. As a partner, Novonix has provided opportunities for commercialization of our developed technology and a place for our students and researchers to gain experience around battery development and testing. I'm also excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Jeff Dahn later this year when he joins the Novonix team."Novonix announced that in June 2021, Prof. Jeff Dahn will be joining the Novonix team, serving as the company's Chief Scientific Advisor. Prof. Dahn is a world renowned researcher also at Dalhousie University working with a group sponsored by Tesla. Prof. Obrovac completed his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Dahn in 2001.In addition to its Canadian operations, Novonix operates the PUREgraphite anode material plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is ramping capacity to 2,000 tons/year of synthetic graphite.Included in this increased output will be the supply of an initial 500 tons to Samsung SDI, one of the world's largest lithium-ion battery makers for EVs. As the only US supplier of synthetic graphite to tier-one EV battery producers, Novonix also has a non-binding agreement with Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of Japan) to assess production materials from this plant.ABOUT DALHOUSIEDalhousie University is Atlantic Canada's leading research-intensive university. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of the university's 20,000-plus students coming from outside the province. Dal's 6,000 faculty and staff foster a diverse, purpose-driven community, one that spans 13 faculties and conducts more than $181 million in research annually. Part of a cluster identified as one of the world's top international centres in ocean research, the university proudly celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2018.ABOUT PROFESSOR MARK OBROVACProfessor Mark Obrovac is a leading battery materials innovator having authored over 90 peer reviewed journal articles, fifteen issued patents with a further twelve patents pending in the field of battery science covering anodes, cathode, electrolyte and binder materials.Regularly called on to review funding applications and to provide advice for Canada's NSERC and U.S. DOE battery programs for fuel cells for EV.- DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY (9/10 - Present) CanadaProfessor at Dalhousie UniversityIndustrial Research Chair of NSERC/3M CORPORATION (2010 - 2018)Industrial Research Chair of NSERC/NOVONIX (2018 - Present)- 3M CORPORATION (7/02 - 8/10) USAProject leader of Anode Materials Group with 3M CorporationResearch group became one of the top research teams in the world that with several fundamental discoveries describing the electrochemistry of silicon.- BLUESTAR BATTERY SYSTEMS (5/95 - 8/95) CanadaSuccessfully developed electrolytes for primary carbon monofluoride batteries.- BALLARD ADVANCED MATERIALS (09/93 - 12/93) CanadaDeveloped methods to synthesize and characterize solid lithium-ion electrolytes.- MOLI ENERGY (9/90 - 08/92) CanadaWorked on solid polymer electrolytes and cathode thermal stability for safety.About NOVONIX Ltd

NOVONIX Ltd (ASX:NVX) (FRA:GC3) (OTCMKTS:NVNXF) is an integrated developer and supplier of high-performance materials, equipment and services for the global lithium-ion battery industry with operations in the USA and Canada and sales in more than 14 countries. NOVONIX's mission is to support the global deployment of lithium-ion battery technologies for a cleaner energy future.


The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine recommends that the heads of educational institutions during the period of difficult weather conditions consider the possibility of organizing the educational process in a distance form.

"Due to the difficult weather conditions and a decrease in air temperature, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine recommends taking urgent measures aimed at preserving the health of children and the proper organization of the educational process," the ministry's press service said.

The ministry sent the relevant letter to the heads of departments (directorates) of education and science of regional, Kyiv city state administrations and heads of institutions of general secondary education.

"We ask you to consider the possibility of organizing training for students using distance education technologies, Internet resources; to conduct explanatory work among the participants in the educational process on the prevention of hypothermia, safety precautions, and others," the ministry said in the letter.

She recently returned from a lavish 'girls trip' to Turks and Caicos with her sisters and two-year-old daughter True.

And Khloe Kardashian was clearly missing the celeb-friendly destination on Thursday as she uploaded another bikini-clad snapshot from the trip to her Instagram.

'I keep forgetting to post. Im ALMOST done with beach photos,' captioned the KUWTK star, 36, who posed on the shore as her mesh swimsuit coverup blew around in the breeze.

Longing: Khloe Kardashian was clearly missing the celeb-friendly destination on Thursday as she uploaded another bikini-clad snapshot from the trip to her Instagram

Beach babe: 'I keep forgetting to post. Im ALMOST done with beach photos,' captioned the KUWTK star, 36, who posed on the shore as her mesh swimsuit coverup blew around in the breeze

Khloe showcased her curvaceous physique in what appeared to be a black two piece suit that flattered her glowing tan.

Her brunette hair was styled in two French braids and she had a pair of large shades over her green eyes.

The Good American founder stood before the crystal clear water with her arms out at her sides and her legs slightly spread.

Khloe, along with sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Kylie Jenner, jetted off to Turks and Caicos late last month.

Getaway: She recently returned from a lavish 'girls trip' to Turks and Caicos with her sisters and two-year-old daughter True

Lavish: Upon their arrival, all three sisters treated their millions of Instagram followers to endless snapshots that showcased their luxurious accommodations

Upon their arrival, all three sisters treated their millions of Instagram followers to endless snapshots that showcased their luxurious accommodations and incredible bodies.

Khloe flooded the timelines of her 129million followers with a slew of striking bikini shots, including one photo of herself proudly displaying her stretch marks.

Although she was not featured in Kardashian's Instagram posts, True enjoyed plenty of fun times on the beaches of Turks and Caicos with her famous mom.

Khloe shares the adorable tot with on and off again boyfriend Tristan Thompson, 29.

Khloe's post on Thursday comes after a source claimed she 'knew' her ex husband Lama Odom's ex-fiancee Sabrina Parr hookup with Thompson before the former Laker revealed the gossip while on the Wendy Williams Show.

Odom, 41, dropped the bombshell while making some cutting comments about his ex fiancee, calling her a 'decrepit reptilian type of woman' and claiming she once told him she had gotten intimate with his 'ex wife's significant other.'

But the news isn't worrying Kardashian, according to insiders who told TMZ the tryst happened way before the 36-year-old mom-of-one met the new Boston Celtics center, 29.

Documenting: Khloe flooded the timelines of her 129million followers with a slew of striking bikini shots, including one photo of herself proudly displaying her stretch marks

In the know: Khloe's post on Thursday comes after a source claimed she 'knew' her ex husband Lama Odom's ex-fiancee Sabrina Parr hookup with Thompson before the former Laker revealed the gossip while on the Wendy Williams Show; Khloe pictured

While discussing his tumultuous relationship with Parr, Odom recalled the particularly cruel time he claims she said she slept with ex Khloe's partner.

Though Odom didn't name names, intrepid interviewer Williams pressed him for an answer.

He tried to evade the question when asked if it was Khloe's ex French Montana, telling the hostess: 'Come on Wendy you could put that together. I don't say names if I don't have to.'

When asked if it was Tristan, he only raised an eyebrow, appearing to suggest Wendy had the right answer without confirming anything.

Hurtful: While discussing his tumultuous relationship with Parr, Odom recalled the particularly cruel time he claims she said she slept with ex Khloe's partner

Pressed: Though Odom didn't name names, intrepid interviewer Williams pressed him for an answer

Thompson doesn't have a clean record when it comes to cheating, infamously caught stepping out on Kardashian just days before she gave birth to their daughter True.

But those close to the situation say there was no infidelity in this case, noting that Sabrina and Tristan's hook-up happened 'nearly a decade ago' during his rookie season in the NBA.

And there were no secrets between the pair, since Tristan is said to have told Khloe about Parr when Lamar went public with her in 2019. He proposed just three months later.

Though Odom is the one making accusations now, he has had a colored past with cocaine and infidelity while he was involved with ex-wife Khloe, who stood by him after a 2015 overdose where he suffered 12 seizures and six strokes.
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A pretender to the defunct French throne is suing the foundation that manages his familys former estate.

Jean d'Orleans, 55, the Count of Paris, whose ancestor was the brother of King Louis XVI, is demanding 1 million euros in damages from the Saint-Louis Foundation and requesting the return of five properties.

One of the homes, the Royal Domain of Dreux, west of Paris, the count was living in rent-free from 2001 until September, when the foundation urged him to move out after asking him to start paying his way, according to Tatler.

The Royal Domain of Dreux boasts a neo-Gothic style that originated in the 19th century and features numerous lavish buildings including the Royal Chapel, which houses the family's tombs.

The Saint-Louis Foundation has been under the management of the interior ministry since its creation in 1974 by his grandfather, Prince Henry VI of Orleans.

Jean d'Orleans (pictured), 55, the Count of Paris, whose ancestor was the brother of King Louis XVI, is demanding 1 million euros in damages from the Saint-Louis Foundation and requesting the return of five properties

One of the homes, the Royal Domain of Dreux (pictured), west of Paris, the count was living in rent-free from 2001 until September, when the foundation urged him to move out after asking him to start paying his way, according to Tatler

The count says that it is failing to fulfil its responsibility to promote the memory of his ancient family house, the Capetian dynasty, who reigned over France for centuries.

The House of Capet ruled France from 987 until 1792, when it was overthrown by the Revolution, and once again during the restoration of the monarchy from 1814 and 1848.

Jacques Tremolet de Villers, the counts lawyer, said that there was a fundamental disagreement with the foundation.

The three main pretenders to the defunct French throne Jean d'Orleans Jean d'Orleans pictured at the Palace of Versailles Born in May 1965, Jean, Duke of Vendome, is the head of the House of Orleans, which is a branch of the House of Bourbon, whose kings first ruled France in the 16th century. He married Austrian aristocrat Philomena de Tornos Steinhart in Paris in 2009, and the couple have five children. As well as the Louis XIV family connection, the male line of his family also descend from France's 'Citizen-King' Louis-Philippe d'Orleans (Louis Philippe I), who reigned from 1830 to 1848. French royalists (also known as Unionists) recognise 55-year-old Jean as the legitimate claimant to the throne. Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou Louis Alphonse de Bourbon (pictured in 2018) is known by his followers as Louis XX Henri d'Orleans vied for his claim with the Bourbons, who are based in Spain and headed by Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou. To his followers, Louis is known as Louis XX (should he ever be crowned) - and he is the most senior living male descendant of Louis XIV. Although the French monarchy came to a sticky end at the hands of revolutionary leader Maximilien de Robespierre and later Napoleon, the Legitimists, a pro-royal faction in France, remain committed to restoring the Bourbon line to the throne. Louis Alphonse inherited the claim via Louis XIV's grandson, Philip V of Spain. Born in Madrid, the banker is a great-grandson of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco via his mother, Maria del Carmen Martinez-Bordiu y Franco - and also a direct descendant of Queen Victoria. According to the Legitimists, the Duke is also entitled to the French courtesy title of Prince of the Blood following his decision to take French citizenship. Jean-Christophe Napoleon Also known as Prince Napoleon, Jean-Christophe (above) is the great-great-great-great-nephew of Emperor Napoleon I, and the Bonapartist pretender Also known as Prince Napoleon, Jean-Christophe is the great-great-great-great-nephew of Emperor Napoleon I, and the Bonapartist pretender. Jean is a descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Jerome as well as Emperor Napoleon III, the final monarch before the Third Republic properly ended monarchy in France. Napoleon had declared himself emperor in 1804 and waged war with other European powers, conquering much of the continent. He was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and imprisoned on the remote Atlantic island of St Helena, where he died on May 5 1821. Jean Christophe, a banker who studied at Harvard, is, in the views of some monarchists, head of the former Imperial House of France. Through his mother, he is a descendant of King Louis XV of France - and through his great-grandmother Princess Clementine of Belgium, he is a descendant of Louis Philippe I. Advertisement

One of the homes, the Chateau dAmboise (pictured above), in the Loire Valley, which the count is demanding

Mr Tremolet de Villers told The Times that the count, who claims to be the rightful heir to the chateau, the Royal Chapel of Dreux, west of Paris, and three other properties supervised by the institution, desired their return.

The estate was placed in a trust in 1866 by the descendants of Louis Philippe, the last French king, before the Saint-Louis Foundation took over running it.

In September, the count moved out of the chateau where he and his family had lived since 2011 after the foundation demanded he pay rent.

The organisation said it was illegal to live there for free. The count denies this.

The other pretenders to the throne include Louis de Bourbon, the Duke of Anjou, who is descended from King Louis XIV, and Jean-Christophe Napoleon, the great-great-great-great-nephew of Emperor Napoleon I.
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We are all about the logo and shape, says Carlos Rosillo, CEO and one of the founding partners of the ampersand-logoed French watch brand Bell & Ross. Bruno Belamich, the creative part of the French duo as well as co-founder, nods and agrees with his lifelong friend and business partner.

Bell & Ross is a young brand. Founded by two childhood pals who met when they were 16 years old and discovered a mutual fascination for movies like The Right Stuff and military history.

We were not the best designers, nor were we the best engineers. But we turned out to be very good at creating a well-balanced design language, Rosillo says about the early days of the company, while emphasising that he and Belamich have always worked according to four basic principles: legibility, functionality, precision and reliability.

Carlos Rosillo & Bruno Belamich  Bell & Ross

Being partially owned by the powerful Wertheimer brothers (of Chanel) gives Bell & Ross access to movements and watchcases in a partnership that Rosillo praises in glowing terms: They are our best advisors and even after 20 years of marriage, we are still very much in love with each other.

It was, however, not until 2005 that Bell & Ross took a radical design turn and created a square-shaped watch that is today perceived as a modern icon, and a successful result of the brands function shapes form philosophy.

The BR 01 is inspired by aircraft clocks and cockpit instruments and, with its distinct circle-in-a-square design, Bell & Ross took the market by storm.

Having created a celebrated design like the BR 01, Bell & Ross has made its mark on modern watchmaking history. Based on this original aesthetic, the French watch company with its distinctive logo and case shape expanded its range in 2017 with the successful world-first square dive watch, the BR 03; followed in 2019 by the less military and more urban-inspired BR 05. Both these models underline the importance of consistent design rules and have in turn become modern icons.

*Written by Kristian Hagen

*On the occasion of GMT Magazine and WorldTempus' 20th anniversary, we have embarked on the ambitious project of summarising the last 20 years in watchmaking in The Millennium Watch Book, a big, beautifully laid out coffee table book. This article is an extract. The Millennium Watch Book is available on www.the-watch-book.com, in French and English, with a 10% discount if you use the following code: WT2021.

Order now
In a new twist, has taken down 90-95 per cent of the accounts flagged by the Indian government for positing inflammatory content about the farmer protests, a government source told Business Standard.

They have moved forward with substantive compliance. As per the latest orders, they have blocked 90-95 per cent of the accounts, said the source, directly involved in the matter, requesting anonymity. Comment from was not in at the time of publishing this story.

The latest development comes after a virtual meeting between senior executives in the US and Indian officials, amid a weeks-long tussle where Twitter risks penal action.

It is not immediately clearly how many handles Twitter blocked. India had sought action against 1,435. A list of 257 accounts was submitted on January 30, followed by another of 1,178 on February 6. The details of the accounts has not been made public.

In a blogpost on February 10, Twitter said it took a range of enforcement actions  including permanent suspension in certain cases  against more than 500 accounts escalated across all MeitY orders for clear violations of Twitters Rules. Twitter also reduced the visibility of the hashtags containing harmful content, it had said.

One of the accounts blocked was of Sukhram Singh Yadav, a Rajya Sabha member and Samajwadi Party leader, policy news website Medianama pointed out on February 11. Handles of The Caravan magazine and independent farmer protest outfit Kisan Ekta Morcha  that were taken down on January 31 and later restored -- were live at the time of publishing of this report.

Some more accounts were banned in India, but were made available in other geographies, Twitter had said. It added, We are exploring options under Indian law  both for Twitter and for the accounts that have been impacted.

Instead of clearing the air, the February 10 blogpost by Twitter infuriated the government as it came before the planned closed door meeting. Twitter wrote that it upholds free speech and will not take action against accounts that belong to journalists, activists and politicians.

Meity responded by tweeting that the blog was unusual as Secretary IT was to engage with senior management of Twitter upon the platforms request. The tweet said the government will share its response soon.

What followed was a lengthy reply from the IT ministry saying that while Twitter is allowed to form and enforce its own policies, it must adhere to the law of the country.

The partial compliance with the Meity orders, which called for several activists and journalists accounts to be blocked in India, represents an uneasy compromise between Twitter and the government. The government, for its part, demonstrated its uneasiness viscerally, comparing protesting farmers hoisting a Sikh flag at the Red Fort to the storming of the United States Capitol, said a press release by Meity on February 11.

The government followed up with an active promotion of Koo, an India-made Twitter-like platform, and Minister of IT and Law, Ravi Shankar Prasad, addressing the issue in the parliament.
KAKINADA: Kampara Ramesh, corporator of ninth division in Kakinada Municipal Corporation, was brutally killed, allegedly by his friend Gurajana Chinna. It is stated Chinna ran the corporator over with his car multiple time in drunken rage at a car washing centre in Valasapakala village of Kakinada Rural Mandal.

The incident occurred at 2 a.m. on Friday. The killing of Ramesh has sent shock waves in political circles of Kakinada city. Agriculture minister Kurasala Kannababu, Kakinada city MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy and Kakinada mayor S. Pavani are among those who have expressed their condolences over the death of Ramesh.

Sarpavaram circle inspector Nunna Raju said Kampara Ramesh came to the car wash centre last night and started drinking there along with his friends. The matter of Gurajana Chinna came up at the time. Following this, Ramesh phone Chinna, who reached the car wash centre along with his brother Kumar. The duo too started drinking with Ramesh and his friends.

While they were heavily drunk, Ramesh found that his car keys were missing. He then asked everybody at the place not to move until his car keys are found. This led to an altercation between Chinna and Ramesh. Following this, the inspector said, Chinna started his car and hit Ramesh repeatedly before running him over.

Chinna then fled from the spot while other friends rushed Ramesh to a private hospital at Sarpavaram, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Soon after receiving information, Kakinada DSP V. Bhima Rao rushed to the spot with Kakinada rural and city inspectors. Sarpavaram police have registered a case. Security has been beefed up to check any untoward incidents in the city.

The DSP said Clues and technical teams are gathering evidence and collecting CCTV footage.

According to sources, Kampara Ramesh was once the city Congress president and later became a close associate of YSRC leaders and ministers. He had also been the floor leader of Congress in Kakinada Municipal Corporation. Ramesh was involved in land settlements and reportedly settled a land dispute involving Chinna.

The corporators death is the third murder in Kakinada during the past two decades. Previously, Lorry Transport Owners Association president Abbu Chowdary and Vegulla Siva Babu, a leader of Truck Operators Union, had been murdered.
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Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 7:21 am

OLYMPIA  Harassing an elections worker in Washington could result in a five-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine, under a bill sent to the full state Senate Thursday.

The proposal was prompted by reports of threats and harassment around the country in the wake of last November's presidential election, Sen. David Frockt, the bill's sponsor, told the Senate Law and Justice Committee recently.

Elections officials at all levels, even those who merely counted or sorted ballots, he added.

"It's just not acceptable in a democratic society," said Frockt, a Seattle Democrat. We don't have to agree on certain things in politics to agree (threatening elections workers) is unacceptable. We need to make it known now so that in the future, we don't see it happening again."

Secretary of State Kim Wyman, Washington's top elections officer, said harassment puts "an additional burden on elections workers, some of whom are part-time employees or volunteers.

"They didn't sign up for threats and harassment merely for doing their job and upholding the Constitution," Wyman said.

One of the state's top elections workers had personal information displayed on a website called Enemies of the People, which investigators have since traced to an Iranian source.

Spokane Valley Sen. Mike Padden, the committee's ranking Republican, said there are cases where elections officials have made "grievous errors" and the public has to have confidence in the system.

"But no way should there be any harassment," he said.

Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, said that while there have been allegations of voter fraud in past elections, 2020 was the first time she'd heard of election workers being threatened.

Wyman said there were no similar actions in 2016 and threats against elections workers reached "a serious level I've never seen in 28 years of doing this work."

Before sending Frockt's bill to the full Senate on a unanimous vote, the committee approved a change suggested by Padden that would make conviction for harassing an elections worker a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. That's more than a conviction on a standard harassment charge, which can be up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine, but less than Frockt's original proposal for a Class B felony that could result in a 10-year sentence and a $20,000 fine.

___


DUBLIN, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Marine Engines Market by Power (&lessThan;1, 1-5, 5-10, 10-20, Over 20) Thousand HP, Vessel (Commercial, Offshore), Fuel (Heavy, Intermediate, Marine Diesel, Gas Oil), Engine (Propulsion, Auxiliary), Type, and Region - Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global marine engines market is projected to grow from USD 11.8 billion in 2020 to USD 13.7 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% from 2020-2025.

The key factors driving the growth of the marine engine market include growth in international marine freight transport, growth in maritime tourism, and increasing adoption of smart engines for situational awareness and safety.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and resultant extensive lockdowns, halted production, and decline in trade of goods apart from essential items, the marine sector has been affected to a large extent. Marine and shipping industries rely on other sectors such as commercial cruises, cargo vessels, and the offshore oil & gas industry. Due to worldwide lockdowns and lack of demand for cruise and cargo ships, the marine engine market has been highly impacted.



The marine engines market by segment is categorized into propulsion engine and auxiliary engine. The propulsion engines segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. Propulsion engines are the key component on any marine vessel. These engines are responsible for providing thrust and power to vessels to move and sail the oceans. These engines act as prime movers of ships and are thus major assets of all vessels. With the growing demand for marine freight transport and marine tourism the demand for sips and vessels is expected to increase which is further expected to drive the demand for marine propulsion engines.



Asia-Pacific is expected to be the largest and fastest marine engines market during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific comprises China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific is a global leader in the shipbuilding industry both in terms of exports and imports. It is considered to be a lucrative region for maritime trade. Countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea are considered as the main manufacturing hubs for marine engines. Over the past few years, this region has witnessed rapid economic development as well as the growth of the manufacturing and energy sectors, thereby resulting in an increase in the maritime trade. The rise in seaborne trade has subsequently led to an increase in demand for ships that are used to transport manufactured goods to various regions worldwide.





Key Topics Covered:





1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary

3.1 Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Scenario Analysis



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Marine Engines Market During the Forecast Period

4.2 Marine Engines Market, by Region

4.3 Asia-Pacific Marine Engines Market, by Vessel and Country

4.4 Marine Engines Market, by Vessel

4.5 Marine Engines Market, by Power Range

4.6 Marine Engines Market, by Engine

4.7 Marine Engines Market, by Fuel

4.8 Marine Engines Market, by Type



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 COVID-19 Health Assessment

5.3 Road to Recovery

5.4 COVID-19: Economic Assessment

5.5 Market Dynamics

5.5.1 Drivers

5.5.1.1 Growth in International Marine Freight Transport

5.5.1.2 Increasing Adoption of Smart Engines for Situational Awareness and Safety

5.5.1.3 Growth in Maritime Tourism

5.5.2 Restraints

5.5.2.1 Stringent Environmental Regulations Worldwide

5.5.2.2 Dependence on Heavy Fuel as the Primary Fuel

5.5.3 Opportunities

5.5.3.1 Increased Naval Budgets Worldwide

5.5.3.2 Rising Demand for Dual-Fuel Engines

5.5.4 Challenges

5.5.4.1 Fluctuations in Oil & Gas Prices

5.5.4.2 Shipping Overcapacity

5.5.4.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.6 Adjacent and Interconnected Markets



6 Marine Engines Market, by Power Range



7 Marine Engines Market, by Vessel



8 Marine Engines Market, by Fuel



9 Marine Engines Market, by Engine



10 Marine Engines Market, by Type



11 Marine Engines Market, by Region



12 Competitive Landscape



13 Company Profiles

13.1 MAN SE

13.2 Wartsila

13.3 Caterpillar

13.4 Volvo Group

13.5 Deutz AG

13.6 Hyundai Heavy Industries

13.7 Cummins

13.8 Rolls-Royce

13.9 John Deere

13.10 Yanmar Holdings

13.11 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

13.12 GE Transportation

13.13 Daihatsu Diesel MFG

13.14 IHI Power System

13.15 Fairbanks Morse

13.16 Japan Engine Corporation

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i5046o

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ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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(Adds letter read to rights council in Geneva)

* Fresh demonstrations erupt across Myanmar

* Facebook restricts content run by Myanmar military

* Junta orders release of thousands of prisoners

* U.S. imposes sanctions on military leaders, businesses

Feb 12 (Reuters) - Supporters of ousted Myanmar leader AungSan Suu Kyi clashed with police on Friday as hundreds ofthousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations indefiance of the junta's call to halt mass gatherings.

The United Nations human rights office said more than 350people, including officials, activists and monks, have beenarrested in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 military coup, includingsome who face criminal charges on "dubious grounds".

The U.N. rights investigator for Myanmar told a specialsession of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that there were"growing reports, photographic evidence" that security forceshave used live ammunition against protesters, in violation ofinternational law.

Special Rapporteur Thomas Andrews urged the U.N. SecurityCouncil to consider imposing sanctions and arms embargoes.

Myint Thu, Myanmars ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, toldthe session that Myanmar did not want "to stall the nascentdemocratic transition in the country," and would continueinternational cooperation.

Friday's mostly peaceful protests were the biggest so far,and came a day after Washington imposed sanctions on generalswho led the takeover.

Three people were wounded when police fired rubber bulletsto break up a crowd of tens of thousands in the southeasterncity of Mawlamyine, a Myanmar Red Cross official told Reuters.

Footage broadcast by Radio Free Asia showed police chargingat protesters, grabbing one and smashing him in the head. Stoneswere then thrown at police before the shots were fired.

"Three got shot  one woman in the womb, one man on hischeek and one man on his arm," said Myanmar Red Cross officialKyaw Myint, who witnessed the clash.

Story continues

Several people in Mawlamyine were arrested but laterreleased when a thousands-strong crowd stood outside the policestation and demanded they be freed, according to live footagebroadcast by Radio Free Asia.

Doctors have said they do not expect a 19-year-old womanshot during a protest in the capital Naypyitaw on Tuesday tosurvive. She was hit in the head with a live round fired bypolice, witnesses said.

In the biggest city Yangon on Friday, hundreds of doctors inwhite duty coats and scrubs marched past the golden Shwedagonpagoda, the country's holiest Buddhist site, while in anotherpart of town, football fans wearing team kits marched withhumorous placards denouncing the military.

Other demonstrations took place in Naypyitaw, the coastaltown of Dawei, and in Myitkyina, the capital of northern Kachinstate, where young men played rap music and staged a dance-off.

Social media giant Facebook said it would cut thevisibility of content run by Myanmars military, saying they had"continued to spread misinformation" after seizing power.

The generals have sought to justify their takeover by sayingthere was fraud in an election last November won by Suu Kyi'sNational League for Democracy (NLD), a claim rejected by thecountry's election committee.

In a letter read out to the rights council in Geneva, some300 elected parliamentarians from Myanmar called on the UnitedNations to investigate "gross human rights violations" committedby the military since its coup.

CALL FOR 'MORE ACTIONS'

Supporters of the NLD welcomed the U.S. sanctions but saidtougher action was needed.

"We are hoping for more actions than this as we aresuffering every day and night of the military coup here inMyanmar, " Suu Kyi supporter Moe Thal, 29, told Reuters.

Myint Thu, Myanmar's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, toldthe special council session that his government wanted "betterunderstanding of the prevailing situation in the country, andconstructive engagement and cooperation from the internationalcommunity."

"We do not want to stall the nascent democratic transitionin the country," he said.

The coup has prompted the biggest demonstrations since a2007 "Saffron Revolution" that ultimately became a step towardthe democratic change that has now been halted.

Friday's protests marked the seventh consecutive day ofprotests, including one on Thursday outside the Chinese embassywhere NLD supporters accused Beijing of backing the junta,something China has denied.

Security forces carried out more arrests overnight Thursday.

PRISONER AMNESTY

The junta remitted the sentences of more than 23,000prisoners on Friday, saying the move was consistent with"establishing a new democratic state with peace, development anddiscipline" and would "please the public".

The Frontier Myanmar news magazine reported the prisonersgiven amnesty included four supporters of a gunman who shot deada prominent Suu Kyi ally and constitutional lawyer in 2017.

The protests have revived memories of almost half a centuryof direct army rule, punctuated by bloody crackdowns, until themilitary began relinquishing some power in 2011.

The generals have promised to stick to the 2008 constitutionand hand over power after elections, but on Friday the juntasaid it would "work for the emergence of a constitution that isin alignment and harmony with the Democratic Federal Union".

No date has yet been set for elections.

(Reporting by Reuters staffWriting by Matthew Tostevin, Stephen Coates, Raju Gopalakrishnanand Poppy McPhersonEditing by Lincoln Feast and Frances Kerry)
The suspicious posts began appearing on Craigslist on Thursday afternoon, a few hours after health officials in Massachusetts announced a key expansion of who could receive the coronavirus vaccine. "Companions" to those older than 75 were now eligible, the state said, but only if these caregivers helped accompany seniors to vaccination sites.

Suddenly, it seemed on the classifieds website, plenty of younger residents wanted to start spending time with septuagenarians. Especially if money was involved.

"Some people [are] posting online, trying to get a senior to bring them to a vaccination site, or in some cases asking to be paid to drive somebody to one," Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said at a news conference Thursday, calling the ads "pretty disturbing."

The ensuing fracas over the"companion system" has since been criticized by some state lawmakers, who say it all but guaranteed to encourage dangerous scams and fail to ensure Massachusetts's most vulnerable populations will receive the vaccine first.

"We shouldn't be having people haggle for vaccine appointments on Craigslist, Facebook, and other social media sites," state Rep. Tami Gouveia (D), a public health social worker, wrote on Twitter. "This isn't safe, equitable, or effective."

As larger and increasingly diverse pockets of the U.S. population suddenly find themselves able to sign up for a vaccine shot, the episode may preview the difficulties associated with prioritizing broader, more nebulously defined groups.

When the shot first arrived in many parts of the country, hospitals and nursing homes took on the responsibility of distributing it to their essential employees. Seniors who began to qualify in ensuing weeks could prove they were eligible simply by showing the age on their IDs.

But granting strict priority to essential workers like day laborers or farmhands, whose job arrangements are often more informal, as well as groups defined by a personal practice such as smoking, may prove easier said than done. There is no clear answer on how - or whether - officials might corroborate that an individual is in those groups and meets the threshold for a vaccine.

In Massachusetts, the "companion system" was conceived as an attempt to solve an existing problem in the state's vaccine rollout. Like in many other parts of the country, technologically-challenged seniors had struggled to navigate a complex website of appointments and frustrating scenes at vaccination sites.

On Wednesday, state officials said that caretakers could start signing up for "companion appointments" on the same day as the seniors they were transporting to a vaccination site. It was the state's first exception made for residents who fall out of Phases 1 and 2 of the state's immunization plan.

But by the time of his early afternoon news conference the following day, both Baker and several Democratic lawmakers had taken note of potential schemes on Craigslist.

One person in Boston reportedly wrote they "Will PAY $200 to assist 75+ year old with COVID vaccine process," according to a screenshot by state Rep. Mike Connolly (D).

A Cambridge resident said they were "Paying $100 to book with eligible senior for vaccine." And in Brookline, one ad made an offer for "Free Pickup and Dropoff for Covid Vaccine." (All three ads appear to have been taken down as of early Friday, although similar offers remain online.)

Many Democratic state lawmakers seized on the posts to criticize Baker for this and other aspects of Massachusetts's immunization campaign, saying it failed to address the obstacles that had been preventing senior citizens from easily getting shots.

"The companion system will put thousands of healthy adults ahead of those who have the most significant risk of getting and dying from COVID-19," a group of a dozen Democratic lawmakers, including Gouveia, wrote in a letter to Baker.

The group said the strategy could prove "dangerous" for seniors, "opening up opportunities for individuals with mal-intent" to prey upon older residents who lack reliable transportation or are in need of additional sources of income.

They suggested that Massachusetts should instead adopt a wait-list policy, by which young, healthy adults can sign up for last-minute appointments in the case of cancellations or additional vaccines.

But while the policy is in place,Baker offered a warning to elderly residents at his news conference. He urged them not to share their personal information with strangers and to report any potential scammers to the police.

"You should only reach out to somebody you know or trust to bring as your companion," he said.

Americans strongly approve of the idea of pumping even more government stimulus money into the U.S. economy. There is little indication that Americans are unduly worried about the impact of this unprecedented spending on the federal budget deficit.

The current stimulus plan working its way through Congress is the latest in a sequence of government efforts designed to mitigate the pandemic's economic consequences on Americans and the nation's small businesses. Several stimulus plans totaling trillions of dollars were signed into law last March as the coronavirus began to hammer the U.S. economy. These included the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act; the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. President Donald Trump then signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law on Dec. 27, authorizing another $900 billion in stimulus checks and other relief measures.

Pew Research polling from last April showed that the CARES Act was widely approved by Americans, as was the case with the $800 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009 in the midst of the Great Recession. (As I wrote in an analysis in February 2009, "President Barack Obama signed the new $787 billion stimulus bill into law today in Denver with the general support of a majority of the American public.")

This history lends itself to an expectation of the same type of strong support for the current plan proposed by the Biden administration -- a plan that will cost up to $1.9 trillion and send $1,400 checks to large numbers of Americans. This, in fact, is what we find: All studies I have reviewed show strong majority support for the idea.

The most recent study, a Quinnipiac University poll, shows 68% of Americans supporting a "$1.9 trillion stimulus relief bill in response to the coronavirus pandemic," with 78% supporting the idea of $1,400 stimulus payments to Americans. Other polls in January and early February conducted by Pew Research and CBS News found even higher levels of support. Going back a bit further, a Franklin Templeton-Gallup study conducted in August found seven in 10 Americans saying they approved of the idea of "another one-time economic impact payment to all qualified adults (a direct payment to all qualified U.S. adults based on income level)."

The Deficit Not a Major Concern at This Point

All of this spending on stimulus plans will continue to increase the federal budget deficit, now the largest in history in absolute dollars (over $3 trillion) and the largest as a percentage of GDP since World War II. Some Republican leaders are beginning to push back on these huge deficits, even though the deficit underwent substantial increases under Republican President Donald Trump. But I do not see great immediate concern about the nation's negative balance sheet from the average American. Just 1% of Americans mentioned the federal debt or the federal budget deficit as the most important problem facing the U.S. in Gallup's latest January update, similar to the very low level of mentions that have been the case throughout the pandemic months.

Pew Research last summer found a drop in the percentage of Americans who said the federal budget deficit is a "very big problem" and neatly encapsulated the findings with this headline: "The U.S. budget deficit is rising amid COVID-19, but public concern about it is falling."

Pew Research also last month found that less than half of Americans say reducing the federal deficit should be a top priority for Congress and the president, in the bottom half among all of the 19 priorities tested. Notably, Pew found nearly twice as many Americans, 80%, saying that strengthening the economy should be a top priority, which of course is the aim of the stimulus legislation. Last fall, Gallup found the deficit was near the bottom of a list of issues the American public thought the presidential candidates should address. Gallup's "worry" update from a March 2-13, 2020, poll -- just as the coronavirus was coming into view as a devastating medical emergency -- showed that 44% of Americans worried a great deal about federal spending and the budget deficit, the lowest since Gallup began tracking this in 2011 when such worry was at 64%.

There have been times in Gallup's polling history when the deficit was considered the No. 1 problem facing the nation -- in July 1990 (21%) and in October 1990 (16%), a year when the deficit reached a near record (at the time, $220 billion), and again in January 1996 (28%), the latter being the highest percentage of mentions of the deficit as the top problem in Gallup's history. And reviews of polls conducted before the pandemic find Americans at that time did express concern about the deficit when asked about it directly. But, at this point in history, the deficit does not appear to be a top priority for the American public.

Desperate Times

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so it is said, and that sentiment has clearly been on the minds of government leaders who have passed trillions of dollars' worth of stimulus legislation since the pandemic began and who are poised to pass more such legislation in the next few weeks. To date, we find consistent evidence of majority support for these efforts from the American public, just as we did when similar stimulus plans were enacted during the Great Recession.

All of this government spending is increasing federal debt and the federal budget deficit to record-high levels. Americans have (seemingly realistic) low expectations that President Joe Biden will be able to substantially reduce the federal budget -- putting this possibility at the bottom of a list of 15 different potential Biden accomplishments that Gallup recently tested. But, and this is the key point, there is little evidence this matters to Americans. Plus, we know that congressional job approval rose after the passage of the March round of stimulus legislation, and congressional approval rose again in January after the passage of the December stimulus package. These upticks suggest that Americans are giving Congress credit for its spending, rather than dinging it for it (although with so much going on in the halls of Congress, it is impossible to establish direct causality).

All in all, it's clear that given a choice, Americans support stimulus spending even at the cost of not getting the national debt under control (indeed, that's what was found by a recent online panel survey conducted by Vox and the progressive think tank Data for Progress). The price tag of major government initiatives seems less important than these initiatives' potentially positive impact on Americans' lives.
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Los Angeles: Homeland" star Clare Danes is set to headline the series adaptation of The Essex Serpent", following Keira Knightleys exit from the Apple TV Plus project. Knightley, who has two young children, pulled out of the show in October in what was described in the British press as concerns over childcare during the coronavirus pandemic.

Acclaimed filmmaker Clio Barnard is attached to direct the period drama, based on author Sarah Perrys 2016 novel. Set in 1893, the story revolves around a newly widowed woman Cora, played by Danes, who, having been released from an abusive marriage, moves from Victorian London to a small village in the county of Essex. She is fascinated by a local superstition that a mythical creature known as the Essex Serpent has returned to the area.

Anna Symon has penned the adaptation. Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Patrick Walters, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman will serve as executive producers on the show alongside Barnard and Symon.

See-Saw Films will produce the series for the streaming platform. Danes is coming off her Emmy-winning turn for her role as former CIA officer Carrie Matheson on Homeland", the acclaimed Showtime political thriller, which ended its eighth season run last April.

EU economic sanctions against Russia will remain in place until the situation in Donbas has been resolved.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell says there will be no normalization of relations between the European Union and the Russian Federation without the fulfillment by Russia of the Minsk peace agreement on Donbas.

He announced this at a joint press conference with European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal after an EU-Ukraine Association Council meeting on February 11, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

Read alsoOSCE envoy in Ukraine admits TCG talks on Donbas reach impasse

"During my meetings with Minister [of Foreign Affairs of Russian, Sergei] Lavrov it was clear that we [the European Union] defend Ukrainian sovereignty, [its] territorial integrity; that we talked about the human rights violations on the Crimean peninsula; and clear, we requested the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements, which is a strong condition in the relationship between the European Union and Russia. This was high in the agenda, we discussed a lot. I am not going to go into the details, but as far as the Minsk agreements are not being fulfilled, the normalisation of the relations between the European Union and Russia will not happen," he said.

He said he also had reassured Prime Minister Shmyhal of the European Union's "unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders."

"This is a message that I also passed in my meeting last week to Foreign Minister [of Russia, Sergei] Lavrov, including the need to fulfil and implement the Minsk agreements," he said.

He reiterated the European Union does not recognize Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.

"We will continue to fully support the diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. "We will continue to support the efforts in the Normandy format, the Trilateral Contact Group and in the OSCE format."

"The duration of our economic sanctions against Russia remains linked to the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements," he said.

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia: Known facts

After the Russian Federation occupied Crimea and Donbas, the EU imposed political and economic sanctions against the occupying state.

On February 12, 2015, Minsk hosted negotiations on the settlement of the Donbas crisis with the participation of the then Presidents of Ukraine and France, Petro Poroshenko and Francois Hollande, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As a result of the negotiations, the so-called package of measures was approved aimed at the implementation of the Minsk agreements, reached in September 2014. This set of measures was signed by the members of the Trilateral Contact Group on resolving the situation in Donbas.

The deal reached by the Normandy Four leaders stipulates, among other provisions, a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and the withdrawal of all heavy weapons from Ukrainian territory. It also provides for a swap and release of all detainees, as well as the holding of local elections in Donbas.

In March 2015, the EU pegged the anti-Russia sanctions to the implementation of the Minsk agreements by the Russian authorities.

Reporting by UNIAN

Accessibility statement best practices

Statement of intention to best serve people with disabilities

Reference to the standards followed (usually WCAG 2.0 AA)

Examples of accessible implementations on their site

How to reach out with comments or requests for help

Improving Government Website Accessibility

The Peoples Website

With President Biden's inauguration, the WhiteHouse.gov team launched a new website and immediately made a statement.A noticeable and well-received feature of the new site  missing from the previous administrations  is that it once again has an accessibility statement linked in the footer of every page, a best practice that demonstrates an early indication that this administration is committed to serving all Americans of all abilities.And this is clearly just the beginning. The White House website team will continue to build a site that is accessible and usable by citizens with disabilities who may use assistive technology, or anyone with situational or temporary disabilities that make it harder to use the website.The Biden administration isnt just aiming for compliance with the current requirements of the recently refreshed Section 508 guidelines put forward by the U.S. General Services Administration, but going the full extent to align with WCAG 2.1 AA  the newest W3C recommendation and the standard beginning to be adopted by governments worldwide.While this is the beginning of a continuous journey to broader inclusion, its an example of proactive digital accessibility leadership  a practice government leaders at every level must begin to follow.For the White House team  and for all of us working to create digital government services that are usable by the greatest number of people  there are guidelines to help.For public-sector digital teams looking to include a robust accessibility statement on their websites, start with the advice of expert Denis Boudreau, who summarized the four essential elements of an accessibility statement Accessibility expert Karl Groves also outlined a list that adds What are you doing to support and improve accessibility? as an important element.Lainey Feingold, a well-respected legal accessibility expert, has suggested that an ideal accessibility statement would also include references to an organizations accessibility policies and include information about other accessibility services. Web accessibility firm Microassist developed a useful checklist for getting started The W3C has an accessibility statement generator which adds in sections for technical information that might help a user better navigate the site.The accessibility statement page, perhaps more than any other, should be kept current and time-stamped so people know they are accessing accurate, up-to-date information about accessible digital services.While the newly released WhiteHouse.gov accessibility statement is a laudable first step, its understood to be a work in progress. Everyone working on digital products and projects for public services must continuously look for opportunities to make them even more inclusive and accessible.Fortunately, the White House statement specifically invites comments on ways to improve.In this spirit of open, accessible public engagement, here are recommendations for how the WhiteHouse.com team can continue to build on its digital accessibility efforts, which can also be applied to many state and local government sites to help make services as accessible as possible for all citizens.To make it easier for people to flag issues with the site or to give feedback, provide more options to get in touch and engage.There are currently several phone numbers listed on WhiteHouse.gov (including some for people with hearing loss), but a Web form, email address, GitHub repo and an accessibility-specific Twitter account should be added to allow users to digitally submit ways to improve the site.Additionally, digital feedback options can capture browser and operating system information and allow people to upload screenshots, which makes debugging easier. Email, GitHub and Twitter can be used to gather information into a common issue queue to manage feedback and make sure that issues are identified and publicly fixed in a timely manner.Currently, the WhiteHouse.gov website is designed using a custom framework, whereas the site should be built on the United States Web Design System (USWDS), which has been extensively tested for accessibility best practices.By adopting the USWDS as its design framework, the WhiteHouse.gov development team would integrate itself into the accessibility work the broader federal government design community is building. It would also emphasize that the White House supports federal customer experience efforts around a unified U.S. government digital experience.An important question to ask and address is, will the WhiteHouse.gov team continue to use PDF files? Or, following the model that the U.K. Government Digital Service recommends , will the White House take a firmer stance?We agree with and support GOV.UKs assessment and treatment of government website PDF usage:If PDFs will be used, is there a plan for making them accessible, or providing the information in an additional accessible format? Will large-print versions be made available, or only on request? These are also questions that should be addressed in a robust accessibility statement.Recognizing that accessibility is a journey that never ends, its important to acknowledge that with the diversity of disabilities and the constantly evolving sets of communication tools, barriers are inevitable.For example, if users navigate to archived pages of the website, they will likely find them less accessible than the current pages that are being brought up to an improved standard. Legacy files and videos may also be found lacking in accessibility.If there is published content that isnt accessible but is still being served up to people, the statement can identify it, and explain if there is a process for requesting that the material be provided in an accessible format.Accessibility and transparency are closely linked. There is an opportunity here to provide visibility into how WhiteHouse.gov is built, which can promote better understanding and usability for everyone.For example, the White House should explain that the site is built with WordPress technology, and that they are following the accessibility best practices defined by the WordPress community . This would also include the associated WordPress plugins supporting the site, especially the accessibility-focused one that allows users to switch between high/low contrast, as well as change the font size.It would also be important to know what testing process is used internally by the WhiteHouse.gov team. Are automated tools used? Are new features tested with people who have lived experience with disability? Does the team test for keyboard-only users? Has anyone checked what happens to text if someone zooms in their browser to enlarge to 300 percent?Explaining the technology and testing practices gives people an opportunity to better understand and assess holistically  and even learn from  the WhiteHouse.gov team's technical approach to accessibility.The accessibility statement should be expanded to provide users with information about the accessibility features of the White House itself, not just the website.For example, when White House tours are available again, where will visitors go to find out if there is an accessible washroom?Thinking about all aspects of services  both digital and physical  and bringing attention to them will help government agencies think and act more holistically about the overall accessible experience.Its highly encouraging that the new Biden administration is immediately emphasizing the importance of digital accessibility. There appears to be a legitimate commitment from the WhiteHouse.gov team to meet the needs of all people.The Web team behind the White House site  like all of us who are working to build accessible government digital services  has a significant challenge ahead, but an equally significant obligation to do the hard work and always be improving. The suggestions here for improving the federal website can generally be applied to state and local governments looking to ensure that all citizens can interact with government.The dawn of the peoples government website is upon us.

Over 20 locations have been proposed by the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council and the Cayuga County Planning Department. Hyfis staff have helped coordinate required permits and permissions for installations according to site access requirements among municipalities and New York state. The initial depictions of dynamic level conditions for Owasco Lake watershed tributaries will be in the form of time series graphics that will show level trends over time. The council and its partners are interested in long-term advanced uses of the data provided by the sensor technology. Theoretically, this data can be useful for future model validations that include lake loading estimates, which are considered an important metric for prioritizing conservation efforts according to the Nine Element Watershed Plan for Owasco Lake. The sensors present a relatively inexpensive, and temporally and spatially robust, alternative to USGS gauge stations for calculating flow information required for estimating loads. Six tributary sensors have been installed within the watershed thus far; five were installed along the inlet and within the Owasco Flats, and one was installed along Veness Brook. They are all currently reporting data and have captured recent storm event activity. The council is working with its partners to best utilize these data for providing useful information to the public and for decision-making and watershed management. A great many level sensor installations are expected throughout the Owasco Lake watershed. After the two-year trial period is over, the council will evaluate the outcomes of the pilot project, determine how useful the sensors were, and consider their continued use for monitoring watercourse conditions within the watershed.

A temporary administrative committee constituted to manage the Padmanabhaswamy Temple told the Supreme Court on Friday that the temple won't be able to pay Rs 11.77 crore to the Kerala government as reimbursement for security and maintenance-related expenditure. The committee stated that the temple is unable to pay the amount due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This committee was one of two constituted to manage the affairs of Padmanabhaswamy Temple till arrangements were made by the former royal family of Travancore. The committee stated that donations to the temple were affected because of the COVID-19 outbreak and sought additional time to pay the dues.

A two-judge SC bench comprising of Justices UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra ruled on Friday

that it will not pass an order on the issue at this time. "Let the (Kerala) government consider the request," the Supreme Court said. It added that all its past orders in the case have been followed.

The court has scheduled the case for the second week of September at which point it will consider the matter of auditing the accounts of the temple.

Last year, the Supreme Court had said that the state would initially pay all dues related to security and maintenance of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. It added that the Kerala government would be reimbursed for these expenses at a later date.

After the initial COVID-19 lockdown, the temple had reopened on August 26, 2020, under certain restrictions. The temple closed its doors again on October 12 after 12 staff members had tested positive for COVID-19.

Also Read: Ram Temple to be built in 3 years at a cost of Rs 1,100 crore, says trust treasurer

(CNN) Britney Spears has been the subject of cruel jokes in the past, but times have changed.

After the New York Times documentary "Framing Britney Spears" debuted on Hulu last week, there has been an outpouring of love and sympathy for the pop star from both fans and fellow celebs.

Rightfully so, given how the film captures her success, struggles and the intense media scrutiny she has faced over the years.

The doc is rooted in the #FreeBritney movement, fueled by an anonymous caller to "Britney's Gram: The Podcast" in 2019 who claimed that Spears entered a mental health facility against her will, something her reps have denied.

The movement to try and end the lengthy conservatorship Spears has been under is indicative of society's shifting attitudes toward mental health and gender equity.

It is pointed out in "Framing Britney Spears" that a male star may not have been treated the same as Spears, such as being labeled "crazy" and having a court appoint someone to oversee both her finances and her life.

Here are some of the people who are now facing the most criticism since the doc started streaming:

Jamie Spears: The star's father has long been the subject of ire from those who don't think he should be conservator over his daughter's estate, and the documentary does not paint him in the best light.

The elder Spears has defended his actions.

"When a family member needs special care and protection, families need to step up, as I have done for the last 12-plus years, to safeguard, protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally," Jamie Spears told CNN in December. "I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family."

Justin Timberlake: Lots of people have taken to social media urging Timberlake to apologize to Ms. Spears, whom he dated from 1999 to 2002.

The documentary revisits what happened after their breakup, including the perception that Spears may have been unfaithful to Timberlake based on interviews he gave, as well as the music video for his song "Cry Me a River," which told a tale of cheating and included a Spears look-alike.

Some on Twitter are now accusing Timberlake of misogyny and making her life more difficult at the time. He has not publicly commented.

The paparazzi: Millions were made by photographers at the height of what looked to be a public meltdown by Spears in 2007, making her an even more sought-after subject than she previously had been.

Watching the cameras flash away and seeing a clearly distraught Spears being crowded by paparazzi over and over is disturbing.

Diane Sawyer: The longtime TV journalist has been the subject of backlash from viewers because of a clip from her 2003 "Primetime" interview with Spears, in which Sawyer asked her about Kendel Ehrlich, former first lady of Maryland and wife of then-Gov. Robert Erhlich, saying "... really, if I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears I think I would."

Sawyer's comment about the quote -- that it was "because of the example for kids and how hard it is to be a parent" -- rubbed some the wrong way, though the media as a whole is being slammed for the amount of coverage devoted to Spears as she appeared to spiral.

I've written before about celebrity, mental health and the need for compassion, which very much factors into the Spears story.

But much in the same way she helped change the image of teen pop stars with her sexy outfits and determination to be herself and not just what the industry wanted her to be, the new documentary is a reminder that Spears also has helped to change attitudes about how much celebrities owe to their fans.

In her case, it's the fans who have rallied around Spears to assist in getting back the power over her life they believe she is being denied.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Love for Britney Spears is late in coming, but powerful."

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Keenan (Alltech Farming Solutions) has announced the appointment of William Trousdell as regional business manager for the South-east of Ireland. William will manage the Keenan business across Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, Kilkenny and Carlow.

Joining Alltech, the parent company of Keenan, in June 2019, William supported the sales team of both Alltech and Keenan for 18 months. Prior to that, he completed a Bachelors degree in agricultural science (animal science) in UCD and a Masters degree in business from the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in 2019.

During his time supporting the sales team, William worked extensively on initiatives explaining the Keenan proposition of improving feed efficiency, farm performance and profit. The dual purpose of profitability and sustainability has never been of greater relevance and value to Irish farmers than it is today.

William comes from a strong background in agriculture and is involved in his family farm outside Castlecomer, Kilkenny, working with dairy and beef. Understanding the challenges facing farmers today, William is keen to share his passion and knowledge with farmers in the south-east and make a difference to their farm performance.

I understand there are both opportunities and challenges facing Irish farmers today, William says.

I feel that Keenan's offering of improving environmental and economic efficiency has never been more relevant for both dairy and beef farmers in Ireland. I am really looking forward to working with farmers in the south-east and helping bring solutions to the challenges they face.

To learn more about the solutions Keenan can provide to your farm, be sure to get in touch with William on 086-0105451 or email William.trousdell@alltech.com.
A garda mans a Covid-19 checkpoint outside the Department of Health on Baggot Street in Dublin. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins

The first tentative green shoots are emerging that the Covid-19 vaccine is slowing the viruss spread, a leading expert said last night.

Prof Karina Butler said there were already reports from Israel, where there has been widespread vaccination, that it was having an impact on infection in the older age group.

Even here we are beginning to hear glimmers that the rate in healthcare workers who have been vaccinated is beginning to come down, said Prof Butler, chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee.

Maybe we are beginning to see the first green shoots of spring.

Prof Philip Nolan, who tracks the virus, said it would take a few more weeks to be able to compare the rate of infection in those who had had the jab and people who were unvaccinated.

It comes as the HSE confirmed 12,000 people aged over 85 and older in large GP practices will be offered their first dose next week.

Deliveries will be made to 85 GP practices where it will be administered in their own surgeries.

The plan is to deliver 42,000 doses on each of the following two weeks and have the first doses completed by early March, said HSE chief Paul Reid.

Read More

The Irish Independent understands a number of GPs are frustrated they will not be able to administer the vaccine in hotels or community halls which are spacious and would allow for car parking as well as separate exits and entrances.

However, the clear view is the vaccines must be administered either in GP surgeries or else in designated centres such as the Helix in Dublin or Cork city hall.

This is because the vaccine, once delivered to the GP surgery or designated centre, cannot be moved to another location such as neighbouring buildings, community halls, GAA clubs or hotels.

This is due to transport issues with a fragile vaccine and also for the safety of patients who should remain in a controlled environment.

Cork GP Dr Nuala OConnor said it was a historic moment to see the vaccine rolled out to the community next week and GPs had lists, back-up lists and more back-up lists of patients ready for invitations to receive the vaccine.

They are starting with the roll-out of a limited number of inoculation doses in order to see that it will work safely and build on it over the coming weeks. People aged 85 and older should all have their first dose over the next three weeks, and the hope is that everyone aged 70 and over will have been vaccinated by around the middle of May, depending on the supply.

Dr Colm Henry said arrangements were being made to ensure housebound people could get the vaccine.

Commenting on reports that a GP who has a conscientious objection has opted not to offer the vaccine to his patients, Mr Reid said it was a shocking decision for any GP to make.

Expand Close Karina Butler chairs national immunisation advisory body. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin / Facebook

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He said it was extremely disappointing and alternative arrangements would be made to ensure the patients received the jab.

Asked about claims that some nursing home staff are declining to be vaccinated, he said the feedback was that almost 100pc of residents had accepted the vaccine and more than 90pc of staff.

The HSE has no jurisdiction over the employment of staff in private nursing homes.

Mr Reid suggested health and safety legislation might allow for a risk assessment to be carried out in the case of a member of staff who decided not to be vaccinated where there are no health reasons involved.

In that case, it could happen the worker would be removed from frontline duties and redeployed to another part of the health facility.

So far, up to February 243,353 doses were administered including 91,548 to people in long-term care.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Two Hands Corporation, (OTC Pink: TWOH) Gocart.city division, announced today the commencement of its partnership with The Good Food Centre at Ryerson Student's Union (RSU) and grocery delivery app, Expresscart, which will help supply groceries to Ryerson students over the upcoming semesters.



Gocart.city

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Through this program, Ryerson students residing in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be able to receive a $25 credit on their grocery purchases when using the Expresscart delivery app. In support of this initiative, Gocart.city will exclusively support the partnership through its grocery marketplace and delivery services, providing low-income student households access to a full range of grocery necessities.

"During these difficult times for families and students we believe it is important to create new partnerships with key demographics most impacted by COVID-19," Nadia Bashir, Director of Marketing at Gocart.city states. "We are extremely delighted to be able to deliver our full range of groceries to those facing food insecurity right to campus or off-campus Ryerson students within the GTA."

In order for students to register for the credit, they must sign up through a Google Form supplied by RSU. Once applications are submitted, RSU carefully vets and reviews each application and approves accordingly.

"Our biggest motivator for this initiative is to address food inequalities and help students," Vaishali Vinayak, Vice President Equity at RSU states. "Our primary focus is to help support students who are going through hardships during this pandemic and who are in need of financial assistance."



When RSU approached us with the initiative, we realized we needed a reliable supply chain partner in order to accomplish the initiative," Sultan Moni, CEO of expresscart states. "Gocart.city has shown keen interest in the initiative from day one and has been working tirelessly with our team to ensure the success of this initiative."

Students are able to place their orders bi-weekly between Sunday and Wednesday through the Expresscart app. On a monthly basis, this initiative helps deliver food to over 500 students.

About Gocart.city

Gocart.city, a division of Two Hands Corp. (OTC Pink: TWOH) is an online grocery delivery market that services the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. They curate and deliver the freshest produce and speciality foods in Southern Ontario. To learn more about Gocart.city, please visit www.gocart.city.

About The Good Food Centre

The Good Food Centre, previously known as the Community Food Room, works to reduce the impacts of food insecurity for all Ryerson community members. By building capacity through emergency food relief, skill building, and education, the Food Centre aims to contribute to the RSU's mission in ensuring equitable access to post-secondary education and building community. To learn more about The Good Food Centre, please visit http://www.rsuonline.ca/good-food-centre.

About Expresscart

Expresscart is an online grocery delivery service that offers a wide range of ethnic grocery products to serve the growing number of immigrants and international students in Ontario. To learn more about Expresscart, please visit www.expresscart.net.

About Two Hands Corporation

Two Hands Corporation is a custom application development company with proven numerous technological competencies in digital technologies. The company delivers diversified and top-quality solutions to companies in North America. Please visit our website at www.twohandsgroup.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Any statement not regarding a historical fact is a forward-looking statement. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to finance its planned expansion efforts; the company's ability to raise funds on acceptable terms; the company's ability to successfully adapt its business model and such other risks disclosed from time to time in the company's reports filed with the securities and exchange commission including those on the company's annual report on form 10-K. The company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this document to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in management's expectations, except as required by law.

CONTACT:

Two Hands Corporation

IR@twohandsapp.com

www.twohandsgroup.com

www.gocart.city

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74353
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The Cardinals have acquired catcher Ali Sanchez from the Mets in exchange for cash, per a club announcement. New York had designated Sanchez for assignment this week after adding Jonathan Villar on a big league deal. The Cardinals are now up to 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Sanchez, 24, made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2020, though he only tallied 10 plate appearances, going 1-for-9 in that time. Hes regarded as an above-average defensive catcher with solid bat-to-ball skills but minimal power. He split the 2019 season between Double-A and Triple-A, batting a combined .261/.326/.322 with a homer and 17 doubles. That production closely mirrors his tepid .259/.317/.331 slash in parts of six minor league seasons, though it should be noted that Sanchez has only fanned in 14.2 percent of his 1484 minor league plate appearances.

Sanchez threw out 44 percent of attempted base thieves against him in his last minor league season (2019) and boasts an even better 46 percent mark in his minor league career. Hes a potential backup option for Yadier Molina if the Cards want to give Andrew Knizner regular at-bats in Triple-A rather than have him sit on the big league bench and start once per week or so.
New Delhi:

Diversified industrial conglomerate Reliance Industries (RIL) on Monday attained a market capitalisation of more than Rs 5 lakh crore, becoming the second Indian corporate entity after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to achieve this landmark. The market capitalisation of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Monday was Rs 4.72 lakh crore.

According to Motilal Oswal, mobile broadband industry remains steady which has been led by RJio with market share of 43%. MBB subscribers increased steadily by 7.4 million to reach 273 million. RJio continues to drive industry MBB subscription, contributing 65% of overall ads, added Motilal Oswal. The market capitalisation of Reliance Industries was `5.04 lakh crore on Monday, the highest m-Cap in its lifetime. The company is currently the most valued company on the bourses.

TCS had achieved this milestone three years back in July 2014. Later in November 2014, the market capitalisation of TCS surged to 5.43 lakh crore. Analysts expect announcements regarding RILs low priced 4G feature phone. With regard to RILs refining business, one of the key drivers for its profitability over the last two years has been discounts on heavier crudes. JPMorgan forecasts consolidated.

Among major expansions, all eyes are on the companys refinery off-gas cracker (ROGC) commissioning at Jamnagar. In a letter to shareholders, company chairman Mukesh Ambani said that we are in the process of starting up the ROGC in the world along with related downstream capacities.

This is a pioneering initiative and a unique opportunity available at Jamnagar due to the scale of our refinery operations. The cracker is tightly integrated with the companys refineries and will use refinery off-gases as feedstock. This cracker will be among the lowest-cost operations globally. The benefits to profitability clearly will be strong.

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With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines about to begin in Australia, people may be wondering if they're safe (and effective) in the long term. What might be the health consequences a year after vaccination, or further into the future?

While it's true COVID-19 vaccines have been developed in record time, the importance of tracking vaccine safety is not new. We routinely monitor the safety of all vaccinations, years after they've been used in millions of people.

And in guidance from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) this week, we have a clearer picture of how we'll know about any unexpected, rare or long-term side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccines. In fact, we'll use and build on many existing systems to look out for these.

Vaccine trials only tell us so much

Late-stage vaccine trials in tens of thousands of people only last for a defined period of time, typically 12 months. Vaccine manufacturers present data on vaccine safety (and efficacy) for that time-frame to regulatory bodies. Safety data is rigorously assessed before a vaccine is approved for use.

But when approved vaccines are then given to the general public, we can monitor for any new events that may occur unexpectedly in both the short and longer term. Tracking potential side-effects in the real world in all people who have a vaccine, and outside the tightly controlled conditions of a trial, means we can ensure the vaccine is safe when given to millionsor billionsof people.

So how might this work for COVID-19 vaccines? The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine phase 3 trial reported safety data until about 14 weeks after the second dose. The Oxford/AstraZeneca trial reported safety data after about three months after the first dose, and two months after the second dose.

However, participants in both these large trials will continue to be followed up for both efficacy and safety until the end of the study from around 12 months after the first dose of vaccine.

COVID vaccine safety is also being monitored in several other ways, by individual countries, including Australia. Countries also share their vaccine safety monitoring data via a global database.

Here's how we'll monitor COVID vaccine safety in Australia

The TGA has overall responsibility for monitoring the safety of medicines and vaccines in Australia. Just this week, the TGA released its plans for monitoring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

This includes the timely collection and management of reports of COVID-19 vaccine adverse events, an ability to urgently detect any safety concerns and to communicate safety issues to the public.

"Passive' surveillance

A cornerstone of the system Australia has had in place for decades to capture any possible vaccine reactions is "passive" surveillance. In practice, this means anyone can report a reaction to the TGA, the public included.

If your GP or nurse thinks you may have had a reaction they should report this to their state or territory health department, which then informs the TGA. This is mandatory in some jurisdictions but not in others.

The TGA is encouraging health professionals and consumers to report suspected side-effects to COVID-19 vaccines and there is a guide on its website on how to do this.

The TGA has a database that records any reported possible reactions. If there are any suspected safety issues, these are immediately investigated and necessary action is taken. For example, if necessary an immunization program can be stopped or special precautions implemented. TGA can also issue safety alerts.

"Active' surveillance

Since 2014, Australia has also been actively looking for any safety concerns via the AusVaxSafety surveillance system, led by the National Centre for Immunization Research and Surveillance, which we are affiliated with.

We send texts or emails to people asking them to fill out a survey on their health after being vaccinated. This system enables us to detect any suspected safety issues in near real time. Last year, AusVaxSafety surveyed nearly 290,000 people after they had the 2020 influenza vaccine and found more than 94% felt completely well. Others had mild and expected short-term side effects.

This system will be used to pick up any safety concerns when the COVID-19 vaccines roll out in the next few weeks. If you are vaccinated at selected sites, including GP practices and COVID-19 vaccine hubs, you will be told about this automated system. You don't have to register or enroll but will be sent an SMS on day three and day eight after each vaccine dose (you can decide whether to fill out the survey). Your anonymised results will be reported to your state or territory health department and the TGA.

This system will probably be in place to monitor safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for a few years. And as new vaccine brands come on board, we will continue to monitor those too.

We can also learn from other countries

The United States has recently developed an equivalent system, V-safe. Safety data from this system from about two million people who have had a COVID-19 vaccine indicates the vaccines are safe. The short-term side-effects are very similar to those reported in the vaccine trials. The most common reactions include injection site pain, headache, tiredness and muscle aches, usually in the first two days and then resolving within a week after vaccination.

And worldwide, more than 150 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been given, with no unexpected safety concerns.

In a nutshell

The potential benefits to us all from a mass vaccination program against COVID-19 far outweigh the potential side-effects, based on data from millions of people who have already been vaccinated around the world. Yet, we know all medicines, vaccines included, have the potential for side-effects.

However, by using, and building on, our already established safety surveillance system, we will be "on top" of rapidly identifying any possible safety concerns. That's immediately after vaccination and into the longer term.

Explore further Common questions about COVID-19 vaccinations answered

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Moore, a leading provider of performance-driven marketing solutions, announces the acquisition of Worcester Envelope Company, an industry leader specializing in custom envelope manufacturing. This acquisition comes less than 12 months from the $31 million investment Moore made in envelope manufacturing with the opening of Richmond Print Group in Virginia.

Moore is investing in Worcester Envelope to expand its envelope manufacturing in overall capacity, redundancy and location diversification. Based in Auburn, Massachusetts, Worcester Envelope specializes in the manufacturing of high color direct mail envelopes to service the medium to large volume mail industry.

"Worcester Envelope Company is a 125-year-old company that has been a trusted and highly respected vendor of Moore for many years. We know the talented leadership and the superior quality of the work they produce for the industry," said Gretchen Littlefield, chief executive officer of Moore. "This acquisition was the right fit for us as we are committed to increasing our capacity and geographic footprint in the envelope manufacturing space. With this addition, we have over 347,000 square feet of envelope manufacturing in Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri and Virginia."

Worcester Envelope's leadership team will remain the same including Derek Waterhouse as president, who will report to Jeff Pelcher, manufacturing chief operating officer of Moore. The organization will continue to brand and market itself as Worcester Envelope Company, a Moore company.

"We didn't decide to sell Worcester Envelope Company. We decided to sell Worcester Envelope Company to Moore. There is a large distinction," said Waterhouse. "Through the years other companies have approached us, but the fit wasn't there. Every interaction with the people of Moore has reinforced that we share a common vision. It is clear that they are the right partner and that now is the right time. We are excited about this new chapter for the company, as it will unlock greater potential for the future."

About Moore

Moore is a global leader in performance-driven marketing solutions focused on all facets of the consumer experience. With over 3,000 employees in 36 locations across the country, Moore is dedicated to helping clients fulfill their missions. The organization provides services including strategic consulting, creative development, media planning and buying, as well as research and analytics, production management and product fulfillment, database services and public relations to nonprofit, association, commercial and government clients and is a key contributor to strengthening these sectors.

About Worcester Envelope Company

Worcester Envelope Company is a trusted custom envelope manufacturing company that operates out of a 180,000 square foot facility in Auburn, Massachusetts. Founded in 1893, the 125-year company thrives by focusing on the customer and coupling the hard work of employees with the most advanced technology available. Today, Worcester Envelope continues to focus on its customers and provide envelopes, as well as print and mail solutions, to help our customers grow.

Contact: Meredith Resnick

Phone: (202) 549-0807

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Moore

Related Links

https://www.mooredmgroup.com/


Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators

Public school students in Montclair school district will not set foot in a classroom until at least March after a judge denied the board of educations request for a temporary injunction that would have immediately ordered teachers back in the classroom during the coronavirus pandemic.

Judge James Paganelli wrote that the Montclair Board of Education failed to prove that the districts approximately 6,700 students have suffered irreparable harm by receiving remote instruction. The judge went on to say that the district hasnt proven it has fully complied with the state department of educations required health and safety standards to reopen schools.

The judge will hear arguments from both sides at March 9 hearing. The teachers union must respond to the ongoing lawsuit by March 1, while the district has four extra days to reply.

Students in Montclair havent been in school since March 2020 as a plan to return was scrapped at the 11th hour last month. The decision to remain remote through Jan. 18 was announced on Nov. 11.

The district sued the MEA last week after schools did not reopen for in-person learning as scheduled in mid-January due to a shortage of staff. The suit called the actions of the education association, an illegal strike...which prevents the public school district from educating its students in person as required.

The lawsuit aims to get teachers back into school buildings by barring the union from organizing its members to refuse in-person learning.

The teachers union  the Montclair Education Association  applauded the judges decision.

After reading the court order from Judge Paganelli, I feel we are vindicated in our stance, MEA President Petal Robertson said in a statement. He acknowledged that we never stopped working and that the district has not sufficiently proven that the schools are safe. While this has been difficult, we believe we must come to a solution that gets our students and staff back into the buildings as soon as they are ready.

At this time, we urge Superintendent Dr. (Jonathan) Ponds and the district to drop their case against the MEA and come back to the table ready to collaborate on a plan that facilitates the safe and organized return to in-person instruction. Thats all we have wanted and all we still want.

Ponds had little to say in an emailed statement. The district intends to proceed accordingly, Ponds wrote. Thank you for your inquiry.

About 77 percent of school districts in New Jersey are offering some form of in-person instruction, according to figures released Monday by Gov. Phil Murphys administration.

There have been 1,587 COVID-19 cases and 58 virus-related deaths in the town of about 39,000, according to Essex County.

Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller is also the vice president of the New Jersey Education Association, the state teachers union.

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.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will allow Moderna to fill vials with 40 percent more coronavirus vaccine, according to the New York Times.

People familiar with the company told the outlet that FDA regulators told Moderna it can fill its vials with up to 14 doses instead of 10 on Friday.

It's a shift that Moderna requested last month, in an effort to alleviate production bottlenecks.

'Beyond the amount of drug product available, one potential capacity constraint is how many vials can be filled in a given period of time,' a firm spokesperson previously told the Times.

Moderna's vaccine doses account for a little more than half of the US supply, meaning the green light to fill vials with extra doses could expand the amount of vaccine available by about 20 percent.

The FDA told Moderna on Friday it will allow the firm to fill its vials of coronavirus vaccine with 14 instead of 10 doses, according to the New York Times. The change could come in as little as two or three weeks

However Moderna will have to show that its overfilling technique won't hamper the quality of the shot, according to the Times.

Glass shortages have not yet been raised as an immediate concern for either Moderna or Pfizer, but even before the vaccines were authorized, experts warned that the world was already facing a stretched supply.

Putting more vaccine in each vial could also help alleviate this supply chain issue.

The US also exercised its options to buy another 100 million doses of vaccine from each Moderna and Pfizer on Thursday, bringing the national total to 600 million.

That's a critical milestone, because its enough to vaccinate virtually every American with two doses.

But it puts enormous production on the two companies, which also have contacts with other nations.

Pfizer, for example, ran into supply chain issues in December and was forced to cut its global distribution promisee for the end of 2020 in half.

FDA's permission to label its vials for six doses, instead of five, due to overfill, allowed Pfizer to meet its goal of providing 100 million doses to the US by the end of the year - barely.

Now, Pfizer says it is ahead of schedule to provide 200 million doses to the US by May, instead of the original target date of June.

Moderna has said it is still on track to deliver 200 million doses by June.

But each company is working at full steam to meet the unprecedented demand for vaccines.

So any creative solutions make it easier for Moderna and Pfizer to make more vaccine more quickly will be welcome.

And switching to 14 doses could happen quickly, because it won't require adjusting the size of the vials.

In a statement shared with the Times, Moderna said it thought it could make the change within two to three weeks.
WWJD? (What would Jesus do?)

About Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican Congresswoman, who has expressed support for the teachings of Q and QAnon, but also claims to be a church-going Evangelical Christian.

Jesus died 2000 years ago, so he cant denounce his followers whove adulterated his universal message of peace, love, and compassion into todays QAnon Christianity.

But, honorable Republicans can denounce Greene.

WWGWD? (What would George Washington do?)

About Donald Trump, who incited his patriots -- Trump actually called them great patriots -- to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Shortly after police officer Brian Sicknick was murdered at the Capitol, Trump said to his followers, We love you. Youre very special. Go home.

Could you imagine George Washington saying that to the British enemy?

WWALD? (What would Abraham Lincoln do?)

About his 2021 Republican Party.

Republicans created, then blindly supported, Trump just like good Germans created, then blindly supported, Adolf Hitler.

All Republicans must honestly ask themselves why they voted for Trump.

My conclusion: Youre a racist, and/or youre historically ignorant, and/or you are a hater, and/or you want to believe Trumps fairytale promises.

Contrary to Trumps promises: Mexico did not pay for the wall; COVID-19 did not disappear last Easter; John McCain is still a POW hero; and the stock market did not crash with Joe Bidens election.

Honor, honesty and truth-telling are what I learned in school, church and the Army Reserve.

God help Republicans return to the honor of Honest Abe, and reject the cult of Deranged Trump.

Reggie Regrut

Phillipsburg

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Six minutes later, the three drove to a gas station at 2001 N. Pulaski Road, prosecutors said. They pulled up to a pump next to a Kia with a woman inside. The juvenile tapped his gun on the womens head and ordered her out while Abston pointed his gun at the womans boyfriend, who was leaving the gas station. Abston and the juvenile got into the Kia and drove away as the other adult offender drove the Equinox. The carjacking was caught on surveillance video.
A high-intensity earthquake of magnitude 6.3 on the Richter Scale jolted Tajikistan in central Asia late on Friday night, leading to tremors in several northern states of India. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre of the quake was Tajikistan. The agency had earlier said the quake's epicentre was Amritsar in Punjab but later released a revised statement.

According to the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), the quake struck the Tajikistan-Xinjiang border region at a depth of 86 km at 10.31pm, reported news agency Reuters.

Tremors shook Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) and were felt as far as Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, continuing for several seconds. There have been no reports of destruction or casualties so far.

Tremors were also reported from Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In Srinagar, video footage showed panicked people running out of their houses as the ground shook.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Twitter expressed concern and said he was praying for everyone's safety.

Earthquake tremors felt in Delhi. Praying for everyone's safety. https://t.co/8fU8TGQLiE Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 12, 2021

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said no reports of any damage have been reported in Amritsar or other parts of Punjab so far. "Top officials of Punjab Police and local administration are keeping a close watch on the situation. Praying for everyones safety," he tweeted.

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.4 also jolted Pakistan -- tremors were felt in capital Islamabad and major cities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.

As soon as tremors were felt, users took to Twitter to express their thoughts. Earthquake soon became the topmost trend on the microblogging site. Clips showed furniture and ceiling fans shaking, windows and utensils rattling, and people rushing out of their houses toward safety.'

#WATCH | A ceiling fan shook as the earthquake hit Doda in Jammu and Kashmir. As per National Center for Seismology, the epicentre of the magnitude 6.3 earthquake was in Tajikistan. pic.twitter.com/U9Lo39kOjJ ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2021

"At around 10:30 pm, I felt strong tremors. When I saw some people coming out of their houses in my neighbourhood, I realised it was an earthquake," said a shopkeeper in Rajinder Nagar area of Delhi.

(with inputs from agencies)


EnWave Publishes White Paper on Material Advantages of REV? Drying Cannabis

Posted by Publisher Internet

EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (?EnWave?, or the ?Company?  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/enwave-corp/)?announced today that it has published a white paper that summarizes the advantages and capabilities of EnWave?s patented Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) dehydration technology for the processing of cannabis. The white paper entitled ?Maximizing Terpene Retention ? Cannabis Drying with Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV?) Technology? can be accessed via enwave.net/rev-dried-cannabis-white-paper.

EnWave has conducted significant research and development on the use of REV? technology to dry various strains of cannabis for both combustible and extract purposes. EnWave has now established two primary protocols that offer unique and distinct advantages ? Terpene Max? and Rapid Extract. Each method augments the power density and vacuum applied to create varied drying conditions to suit the desired purpose.

The Terpene Max? protocol has produced quantitative data that shows REV? processing can retain up to 20% more total terpenes when compared to traditional room or rack dry methods. This total terpene data was generated from third-party lab testing and is backed by certificates of analysis. Using the Terpene Max? drying protocol in a large-scale machine, EnWave demonstrated that cannabis can be dried to 10-12% residual moisture content in less than two hours.

The Rapid Extract protocol can dry cannabis plant material to below 2% residual moisture in less than one hour of processing time. The Rapid Extract protocol reaches slightly higher temperatures than Terpene Max?, leading to a reduced retention of total terpenes. This protocol was developed for biomass intended for extraction purposes where terpenes are of lesser importance.

Both methods retain cannabinoid levels that are equal to or better than traditional rack or room drying methods.

EnWave offers scaleable machinery from 10kW to 120kW in rated power. Machinery 60kW and larger is continuous in nature. A 120kW REV? processing line can produce 60,000kg of finished dried product annually using the Terpene Max? protocol and 92,000kg of finished dried product annually using the Rapid Extract processing method.

For more information about EnWave?s commercially-proven REV? technology and its material advantages for processing cannabis, please contact the Company at info@enwave.net.

About EnWave

EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed a Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) ? an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. EnWave has further developed patent-pending methods for uniformly drying and decontaminating cannabis through the use of REV? technology, shortening the time from harvest to high-quality, marketable cannabis products.?

REV? technology?s commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors, including legal cannabis. EnWave?s strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with innovative, disruptive companies in multiple verticals for the use of REV? technology. The company has signed over forty royalty-bearing licenses to date in twenty countries world-wide. In addition to these licenses, EnWave established a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to manufacture, market and sell all-natural dairy snack products in the United States, including the Moon Cheese? brand.?

EnWave has introduced REV? as a disruptive dehydration platform in the food and cannabis sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently offers two distinct commercial REV? platforms:

nutraREV? which is a drum-based system that dehydrates organic materials quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; and,

quantaREV? which is a tray-based system used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying.

More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net.

EnWave Corporation

Mr. Brent Charleton, CFA

President and CEO

For further information:

Brent Charleton, CFA, President and CEO at +1 (778) 378-9616

E-mail: bcharleton@enwave.net

Dan Henriques, CPA, CA, CFO at +1 (604) 835-5212

E-mail: dhenriques@enwave.net

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management\-\-s expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company\-\-s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third-party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third-party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has 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 or intended. 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.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor it\-\-s 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.
STAMFORD  Nearly 57 percent of Stamford residents aged 75 and older have received their COVID-19 vaccines as of Friday afternoon, according to city officials.

Mayor David Martin credits the uptick in vaccinations  a 10 percent increase week over week  to the citys latest outreach efforts like the No Barriers program.

Launched last month, the program saw the city partner with local organizations like Building One Community, an immigrant advocacy group, and the Stamford NAACP in the hopes of assuaging anxieties around the vaccination process for Stamfords Black and Latinx communities.

And early returns on the program have been promising, Martin said. So promising, in fact, that the state has taken notice.

On Friday, Gov. Ned Lamont praised the No Barriers program for its use of trusted advocates to connect with the citys minority communities.

We need to do everything we can to reach out to different underserved communities, to make it easy for them, and to convince them that (the vaccine) is safe, Lamont said.

Lamont was so impressed with the program that he said hed absolutely consider rolling out similar programs across Connecticut.

We are trying different strategies across the state to convince people that maybe still have some hesitancy, he said.

Lamonts announcement comes on the heels of data released by the state Department of Public Health on Wednesday that showed more than half of all doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered across Connecticut, as of Feb. 3, were given to white people.

The report showed that only 5.2 percent of doses were given to those identifying as Hispanic, 3.4 percent of doses were given to those identifying as Black and 2.6 percent of doses were given to those identifying as Asian.

Stamford Health CEO Kathleen Silard said the No Barriers program is just one of many ways to try and ensure equity in the vaccination process.

I saw firsthand during the height of the pandemic just how impacted the Black and Latinx communities were, and we know that there may be some barriers for some of them to get in and get the vaccine. Our job is to eliminate those barriers, Silard said.

In its first No Barriers event in late January, Stamford Health set aside over an hour of its COVID-19 vaccine clinic to focus on the citys underserved communities. The event was staffed with workers and advocates familiar with the citys minority communities, in the hopes that the familiar faces of B1C and NAACP members would assuage any anxieties surrounding the vaccination process.

The No Barriers program also aims to bridge any digital divide faced by residents by creating email accounts for participants without smart devices or internet at home, since vaccine registration requires people to sign up online.

Were getting the word out there and trying to make it easier for people to come in and receive their vaccines, said Anka Badurina, president of B1C.
A California man who has long been considered a person of interest in the 1996 disappearance of college student Kristin Smart has been arrested on a weapons charge stemming from last year's search of his property.

Paul Flores, 44, was taken into custody on Wednesday morning in the Los Angeles suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office said Flores' arrest was based on information obtained when his home was searched in April 2020 as part of the ongoing investigation into Kristin Smart's disappearance.

Paul Flores, 44, has been arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm stemming from a DUI conviction. Pictured: Flores talking to deputy during a search of his home in Los Angeles in February 2020

Flores (pictured left in 1996) has long been considered a person of interest in the disappearance and presumed death of 19-year-old California Polytechnic State University student Kristin Smart in May 1996

KSBY reported that Flores has a past criminal record that includes a felony DUI conviction, making it illegal for him to own a firearm.

He was booked into the Los Angeles County Jail and was released on Thursday night after posting $35,000 bail, reported Los Angeles Times.

Flores was said to be the last person to be seen with Smart on the night of May 25, 1996, when the 19-year-old college student vanished while returning to a dorm at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, after an off-campus party.

He told police at the time that he walked Smart back from the party but parted ways with her about a block from her dorm.

In February and April 2020, deputies served search warrants at properties belonging to Flores and his family in connection with the Smart case

Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators remove items from Flores' home in February 2020

Flores was never officially named a suspect and was never charged in Smart's case.

In late April 2020, sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at Flores' home in the 900 block of West Upland Avenue, seeking 'specific items of evidence.'

Flores home in the San Pedro district near Los Angeles harbor also was among four locations in California and Washington state where search warrants were previously served in February of that year.

In all, 19 search warrants have been served at various locations since 2011 in connection with the Smart case.

Back in February 2020, officers searched Flores' home in Los Angeles County where he's lived since 2010, and the residence of his mother, Susan Flores, in Arroyo Grande.

Sources told the Los Angeles Times at the time that investigators were trying to gather DNA and other physical evidence.

In January, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announced that investigators seized two trucks that belonged to Flores' family.

Authorities also searched Flores' mother's home in Arroyo Grande (pictured) in January 2020

They also revealed that 37 pieces of evidence from the early days of the investigation had been submitted for modern DNA testing.

Since 2011, investigators have recovered 140 new items of evidence, carried out 18 search warrants and conducted 91 interviews - racking up a bill of $62,000 in expenses related to the Smart case, the sheriff's office said.

In addition to the warrants, investigators conducted digs on the California Polytechnic State University' campus in San Luis Obispo in 2016.

At the time, an investigator said a lead strongly suggested her remains might be buried near a large concrete letter 'P' that is the school's landmark.

The search ended with no trace of Smart's remains.

Smart was reported missing two days after her disappearance by a friend, but a search didn't begin until days later due to a miscommunication between authorities.

During the investigation, four different search dogs trained to pick up the smell of human remains led police to Flores' dorm room.

Smart's body was never recovered, but she was legally declared dead in 2002

By the time investigators searched the room on June 5, he had moved all of his belongings out and no evidence was found there.

Smart was officially declared dead in 2002 but her body has never been found.

Smart's family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Flores in 2005, but the case has remained stagnant pending the conclusion of the criminal investigation.

In response to the suit, Flores has denied every allegation raised against him and invoked his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination before a grand jury and a civil deposition.

He also filed an emotional distress lawsuit against Smart's family.

Eviction has been a constant threat throughout the pandemic, not just for tenants hit by lost jobs, but for the state of public health as a whole, since its impossible to shelter in place or quarantine without a home. Recognizing this, in March 2020, the state Supreme Court imposed a moratorium on evictions. When that moratorium expired in May, Gov. Tom Wolf imposed a moratorium that has been extended through Aug. 31. In September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention imposed a nationwide moratorium that will remain in effect through the end of March.

 READ MORE: Black Philadelphia renters face eviction at more than twice the rate of white renters

In September, Philadelphia Municipal Court, where such cases are heard, imposed its own ban on the execution of evictions, also slated to expire at the end of next month. None of this means that eviction proceedings have fully stopped. The current order prevents lockouts, but landlords can request an exemption if the reason for eviction is not related to payment of rent but for breach of agreement such as criminal activity on the property.

It also does not entirely halt the eviction process. The court has continued to hold hearings and issue writs of possession, the final notice for tenants before they are locked out. After a pause on service of final notice, in January, the court allowed the Landlord Tenant Officer, the court-appointed firm that executes evictions, to continue serving writs of possession. When the moratorium expires, those tenants could be locked out imminently. Black households are most at risk of eviction.

A flaw in the Philadelphia eviction system uncovered by this board in July and yet to be addressed is set to make an anticipated avalanche of evictions more harmful and disruptive.

 READ MORE: Evicted without warning: How Phillys troubled system leaves some tenants blindsided and locked out of their homes

In July, this board revealed that tenants claimed they were being evicted without receiving the all-important final notice, leaving them without shelter and robbing them of their right to pay-and-stay. Because the court memorializes in the case docket all the steps except the service writ of possession, there was no way to prove that the final notice was served. In September the court did start to include copies of signed writs of possession to the docket.

The writs, however, are lacking critical information required by state law and court rules.

To ensure due process, state and federal law, and court rules require return of service or affidavit of service  a document signed by the server under penalty of perjury that includes the information about the location, date, time, and manner of service. Philadelphia Municipal Court even has a document that requires all of this information for the service of the initial landlord complaint that informs the tenant that an eviction proceeding started. But that doesnt happen for the final notice.

In an extensive review of court records, we identified 60 instances in which a return of service for the final notice was included in the docket last fall. None of those writs included the time of service or the manner  whether handed to a person or posted on the property  as law and court rules require.

The Pennsylvania Landlord and Tenant Act requires the writ server to return the writ to the court with the date, time, place and manner of service of the writ. Municipal Courts rules add that the information should be sufficient to determine whether or not proper service has been made.

According to Landlord Tenant Officer Marisa Shuter, whose employees serve these notices, the time and method of service are not included because the court-generated form does not ask for that information. A Municipal Court spokesperson declined to comment on how the information on the writs satisfies state law or court rules.

In September, City Council authorized hearings about proper service of the final notice. The looming expiration of the moratorium should add urgency to scheduling the hearing.

Proper service is an extremely important part of any legal proceeding. Without reliable service, defendants dont get their day in court . Proof of service is the only way to guarantee due process in this part of the eviction. That is why Philadelphia Municipal Court must ensure that the private firm that executes evictions meets all obligations of due process. Using a GPS to have a location and time stamp of the moment of service would be ideal  but writing down the details required by law would be a start.
In the last few days, weve seen several big names rumored to be involved in the talks, including Magna, BMW, and several others. Up to this point, only Nissan has publicly expressed its willingness to manufacture the electric vehicle for Apple.Now, another large company is said to be the right choice for Apple, with some people even claiming the negotiations in this regard have already started.Renault is considered by analysts as a solid choice for the production of its upcoming Apple Car, especially given its impressive production capacity. Let's not forget that Renault is a long-time Nissan partner, and given the Japanese manufacturer is ready to work with Apple, the tech giant could eventually go for a more complex partnership that would involve both automakers.But the bigger problem, should a Renault collaboration be discussed, is the French brands production capacity. While Renault does have the resources to mass-produce the Apple Car, most of its facilities are located in Europe and a few other countries, whereas Apple is specifically eyeing United States operations.As part of the negotiations with Hyundai, Apple has reportedly insisted on the production of the Apple Car in the United States. Furthermore, the company has even proposed setting up its very own facility for this purpose. Eventually, Apple and Hyundai discussed the U.S. production of the Apple Car at Kias plant in Georgia , but as we said, the negotiations failed to reach any conclusion.At this point, Apple is still considering all these scenarios, so while Renault, Nissan, and BMW are all big partners that could handle such a critical project, its very clear the Cupertino-based firm wants to plan every little detail. As a result, expect more speculation on the current talks to make the rounds rather sooner than later.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

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Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

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Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

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US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

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California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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

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Homebuyers using the governments help to buy scheme in England are being given an extra two months to complete their purchase amid delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The equity loan scheme, which allows people to buy a new-build home with a 5 per cent deposit, will end on 31 March 2021. But those currently using it will have until the end of May to complete, Homes England said.

We are extending legal completion to 31 May 2021 due to delays caused by coronavirus, a statement on the government website said.

This allows an extra two months for home builders to complete the build and for homebuyers to legally complete and get the keys to their home.

Coronavirus-related delays are thought to be putting as many as 16,000 sales at risk, with the construction of some homes up to eight months behind schedule.

However, the government said there would be no further extensions and asked developers to continue to build at pace.

Please check with your home builder and conveyancer that youre able to meet these dates, the website added.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 29 May 2021 Swimmers at the Stonehaven Open Air Pool in Aberdeenshire, which reopens after lockdown restrictions were eased PA UK news in pictures 28 May 2021 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he meets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at Downing Street in London REUTERS UK news in pictures 27 May 2021 White Pelicans in the sunshine in St James's Park, London PA UK news in pictures 26 May 2021 Boats are seen at Southsea Moorings in Portsmouth Reuters UK news in pictures 25 May 2021 York Glaziers Trust employees Kieran Muir (left) and Emily Price (right) remove a stained glass window panel at the start of a new five year, 5m project to conserve York Minsters South East Transept and its medieval St Cuthbert Window PA UK news in pictures 24 May 2021 Dark rain clouds above an oast house at Bewl Water reservoir near Lamberhurst in Kent during one of the rainiest Mays on record, with the UK seeing 131 per cent of the usual months rainfall already PA UK news in pictures 23 May 2021 The Premier League trophy with the Manchester City club colour ribbons on, at Etihad Stadium, prior to the last Premier League match of the season. 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PA UK news in pictures 12 May 2021 A couple have wedding photos taken in Westminster, London Getty UK news in pictures 11 May 2021 The sun rises on Coquet Island, off Amble on the Northumberland coast, where as many as 35000 seabirds cram onto this tiny island to breed PA UK news in pictures 10 May 2021 Newly elected for a second term Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during his signing in ceremony at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Londons Southbank PA UK news in pictures 9 May 2021 People mill around St. Michael's tower on top of Glastonbury Tor as it is seen through blooming yellow rapeseed on a day of mixed weather in Glastonbury, Somerset PA UK news in pictures 8 May 2021 Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford elbow bumps newly elected MS Labour candidates Elizabeth Buffy Williams, Rhondda, left, and Sarah Murphy, Bridgend & Porthcawl Labour, right, as they meet in Porthcawl, Wales PA UK news in pictures 6 May 2021 A group of five Sisters from Carmelite Monastery in Dysart cast their vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election at Dysart Community Hall, West Port, Dysart PA UK news in pictures 5 May 2021 Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne (far right) and Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner (far left) during a visit to Birmingham, whilst on the election campaign trail PA UK news in pictures 4 May 2021 Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey stand within 100 oak saplings which form part of a living art installation entitled Beuys' Acorns by the UK-based artist duo, outside the Tate Modern in London PA UK news in pictures 3 May 2021 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie feeds the Gentoo penguins during a visit to Edinburgh Zoo on the campaign trail for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary Election on May 6 PA UK news in pictures 2 May 2021 Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal during the Womens Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, at Kingsmeadow Stadium in south west London. The Blues won the game 4-1, (and the tie 5-3 on aggregate) sending them through to their first Champions League final AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters UK news in pictures 19 April 2021 Women enjoy sunny weather in Greenwich, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, Reuters UK news in pictures 18 April 2021 Stephen Maguire (right) of Scotland interacts with Jamie Jones of Wales during day 2 of the Betfred World Snooker Championships 2021 at The Crucible, Sheffield PA UK news in pictures 17 April 2021 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghs coffin, covered with His Royal Highnesss Personal Standard arrives by Landrover Defender at St Georges Chapel carried by a bearer party found by the Royal Marines during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle Getty Images UK news in pictures 16 April 2021 Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, checks the teeth of "Dentosaurus" during a visit to the Thornliebank Dental Care centre in Glasgow, as she campaigns ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 April 2021 Myanmar's former ambassador to the UK, Kyaw Zwar Minn, outside his residence in north west London. 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Many facilities have reopened in the latest easing of lockdown include pubs and restaurants who can serve outside, non-essential shops, indoor gyms and swimming pools, nail salons and hairdressers, outdoor amusements and zoos PA UK news in pictures 11 April 2021 A pub staff pins up a sign announcing the reopening of the Fox on the Hill pub on Denmark Hill in London EPA UK news in pictures 10 April 2021 The Death Gun Salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company to mark the passing of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the The Tower of London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 9 April 2021 A man arrives to lay a bunch of flowers outside Buckingham Palace in central London after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. - Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, who recently spent more than a month in hospital and underwent a heart procedure, died on April 9, Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 8 April 2021 Cousin Pascal ridden by James King clears the chair on their way to winning the 4:05 Pool via REUTERS

As well as the help to buy scheme, the stamp duty holiday is due to expire at the end of March.

Homebuyers spending up to 500,000 who legally complete on a purchase between 8 July 2020 and 31 March this year do not have to pay stamp duty, saving many people thousands of pounds.

The stamp duty threshold will revert from 500,000 to 125,000 from 1 April. First-time buyers will still be eligible for stamp duty relief.

A new help to buy scheme, for first-time buyers only, is also due to start at that time and will run until 31 March 2023.
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DENVER  A suburban Denver police officer has been fired for repeatedly using a Taser and punching a man who was resisting arrest.

Aurora police announced the termination of Officer Robert Rosen Thursday for violating several of the departments policies, including not turning on his body camera, not trying to deescalate the situation and failing to document the justification for the force he used against the man on Aug. 10, 2020, at a supermarket. Prosecutors also investigated the incident, recorded by another officers camera, but did not bring criminal charges, police said.

Rosen could not be located for comment and it was not known if he has a lawyer. He has the right to appeal.

Rosen was called to help another officer because the man, suspected of trespassing, was passively resisting by keeping his arms underneath him while lying on his stomach on the ground, the department said.

When Rosen arrived, he briefly tried to pull the mans arm out without giving any verbal orders and then escalated the situation by punching him in the ribs multiple times, police said. He then deployed a Taser five times using it for a total of 27 seconds over two minutes, police said.

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The man suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital to be evaluated, police said.

The firing came two days after the Aurora Civil Service Commission upheld the firings of three officers over photos taken at the memorial to Elijah McClain, a Black man who died after being confronted and getting into a struggle with police. One of the photos showed officers re-enacting a neck hold like the one used against the 23-year-old Black man in August 2019.

In the announcement about Rosens firing, Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said that members of the department have been working to rebuild the communitys trust and Rosens actions were in direct contradiction to those efforts.

The poor decisions he made that day do not meet the high standards that the community and I expect from my officers, she said.
Lyubov Sobol, a prominent lawyer for jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), has been indicted on fresh charges she labeled political "revenge" for daring to speak to an alleged security officer behind the assassination attempt against the Kremlin critic.



The case against Sobol, who is under house arrest for allegedly violating COVID-19 restrictions during recent anti-government protests, comes amid a widening crackdown on Navalny's allies and supporters.



Using her Facebook account, Sobol's team wrote on February 11 that the Investigative Committee case against the lawyer related to her December detention, when she and journalists attempted to speak to a security agent at his home.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) officer, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, has been linked to the August poisoning of Navalny, which Western countries say was carried out with a military-grade nerve agent.



In December, Navalny published a recording of what he said was a phone conversation with Kudryavtsev. The man speaking with Navalny in the 49-minute phone call, in which the anti-corruption campaigner posed as an FSB official, described details of the operation to poison him.



The FSB and the Kremlin have denied any role in the poisoning.



According to the Investigative Committee, Sobol and others used or threatened to use violence as they tried to gain entry into the apartment to speak with Kudryavtsev about the poisoning. The charges were brought by Kudryavtsev's mother-in-law.



In the Facebook post, Sobol's team described the case as political "revenge" for the lawyer not being afraid to ask questions of the alleged assassin.



Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon his returned to Russia from Germany, where he received life-saving treatment after the nerve-agent poisoning.



The detention sparked outrage across the country, drawing tens of thousands of people to the streets. At least 10,000 people were detained.



A court later ordered Navalny to serve 2 years and 8 months in prison for violating terms of his probation while in Germany in a 2014 fraud case widely considered political.



Most of Navalny's allies have been detained, fined, put under house arrest, or forced to leave the country in recent weeks.

Housing advocates in Houston are worried that renters who are behind in payments may be unaware that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently extended the eviction moratorium through March 31.

While some groups are canvassing apartment complexes with recent eviction filings, knocking on doors and slipping informational flyers in door frame cracks, they acknowledge that a coordinated government effort could help to inform those in need or to streamline the aid. Landlords could be offered incentives to tell their tenants, and justices of the peace could be educating renters about how to fill out the mandatory forms needed to take advantage of the federal order.

Instead, the responsibility has fallen on the renter, likely without a lawyer, to fill out a form similar to an affidavit, advocates say.

Despite its shortcomings, advocates and experts say, the order still has provided relief.

At this moment, all of these tools are helpful, said Kyle Shelton, deputy director of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. None of them are singular solutions.

Efforts to inform people about this specific tool are underway in the Houston area.

On Wednesday, the Houston City Council unanimously passed a grace period ordinance to help protect renters from eviction through the end of March.. Council backup materials said it prohibits landlords from evicting or initiating, in any way, any eviction proceeding  against a covered person. The city is using the qualifying language from the CDC eviction moratorium.

On a recent morning, Alain Cisneros, of the organization Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en la Lucha, or FIEL, called a woman who had texted him that she needed assistance.

He asked her a series of questions: What kind of help do you need? (With rent). How far behind are you? (About two months). What happened? (Two people who lived with her fell ill and moved out, leaving her to cover their share).

Every day, Cisneros estimated, 15 to 20 families contact a phone number shared by FIEL for people seeking some kind of help who may prefer to speak with someone in Spanish.

This is one of the issues, right? Cisneros said. I believe now, in every community, people dont know this form is updated.

He pointed to a copy of the extended eviction orders form that must be filled out.

This form needs just, basically, delivery to the [property] managers, he said. The CDC, the federal government say Yes, the moratorium is extended to March 31 but its not happening like miracles. You need to fill it out.

Cisneros was among a handful of individuals  a group that included an off-duty city firefighter and staffers of Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcias office  who had gathered in Galena Park recently to distribute flyers at an apartment complex.

Since so many residents in my precinct arent getting the information they need about their protections from eviction, perhaps because they dont have reliable internet access or cable TV, weve decided to take the message directly to them, Garcia said in a statement. Weve found that our outreach is the first time they are made aware of their rights, so Im glad my team is making these efforts.

Trenstacia Jackson, 24 and almost five months pregnant, stopped working a few weeks ago when her employer saw a slowdown in work and she struggled with reliable transportation.

Shes been trying to stay afloat and stable, but her bills recently increased so shes trying to move. She grabbed one of the groups flyers.

Not having extra money is killing me, she said. Trying to find extra work is hard.

The pandemic has forced modifications to nearly all aspects of life, further challenging outreach efforts, said Shelton, of Rice University. Thats especially true in a region like the Houston area, which is home to a diverse population that speaks many different languages and consumes information in different ways.

You cant tell people at the library whats happening, he said.

Beyond trying to spread information, housing advocates say the CDCs order itself could be stronger by not relying on the tenant to fill out the declaration and file it with their landlord.

Is it working? When its enacted it works, said Jeff Reichman, a principal at the consulting firm January Advisors, who recently conducted an analysis of Harris County eviction data to try to assess the orders efficacy. But its not enacted in every case, its not even enacted in every eligible case.

The form can also be confusing as a tenant has to meet all the CDCs conditions, but some forms have a box checklist instead of bullet points.

And the task must be completed during a period of high stress, Shelton said.

Youre trying to stay in your home, youre trying to navigate your way in the pandemic, Shelton said. And then you are being asked to go through the formal process of an eviction.

Eli Barrish, who leads a COVID task force at the advocacy group Texas Housers, said the moratorium remains a powerful tool. He pointed to the apparent decrease in eviction filings across the country, but also noted that people could still be getting displaced without a legal proceeding.

The moratorium is providing a strong barrier to eviction filings in the first place, Barrish said. Theres no way to know how many unofficial evictions are taking place and it is something that should keep us all up at night.

And as useful as the order may be, it does not address the debt many renters have accumulated and will have to pay off eventually, Barrish said.

The states rental assistance program and other local programs to offer rental assistance offer hope, he added.

Its an addition to the moratorium, Barrish said. After all, the moratorium is not paying off anyones debt.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com

The Kotia region which consists of 27 small tribal hamlets has been a bone of contention between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha since 1968

The Odisha government had on February 9 filed the petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to hold panchayat polls in the disputed Kotia cluster of villages that comes under the jurisdiction of Odishas Koraput district.

BHUBANESWAR: The Supreme Court on Friday served a notice to the Andhra Pradesh government to file its response on a writ petition filed by the Odisha government seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the neighbouring state for violation of status quo in the disputed Kotia region of Koraput district.

The apex court also fixed the next hearing in the matter on February 19, reports from Delhi said.

The Odisha government had on February 9 filed the petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to hold panchayat polls in the disputed Kotia cluster of villages that comes under the jurisdiction of Odishas Koraput district.

The Odisha government in its petition had mentioned that the Supreme Court in 1968 had ordered the maintenance of status quo in the disputed area. In its final hearing in 2006, the apex court had also upheld its earlier judgment while disposing of the suit.

The plea further stated that the move to hold elections in Kotia villages will amount to contempt of court as it violates the status quo undertaking given to the Court.

The state government had also prayed before the apex court for speedy hearing in connection with the issue as the neighbouring State had scheduled to hold the rural polls in the three villages of Kotia between February 13 and 17.

Kotia region which consists of 27 small tribal hamlets has been a bone of contention between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha since a long time and both the states have been claiming sovereign rights over the area.

The Odisha government has pointed out that Andhra Pradesh took the unilateral decision on holding panchayat polls even as the border dispute involving Kotia is sub-judice.

Andhra Pradesh is holding panchayat elections in three of the 27 villages-Talaganjeipadar, Phatuseneri and Phagunaseneri of Kotia on February 13 and 17. The neighbouring state has listed these three villages of Odishas Koraput district under Salur Mandal in Vizianagaram.
The Rock Springs Dragon, left, circa 1900, and his "brother" Loong, at right, both made at the same workshop in China in the early 1890s. Loong now lives in stately retirement at the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo, Australia. The Golden Dragon Museum (at www.goldendragonmuseum.com ) is home to a total of eight Chinese parade dragons.

The Sweetwater County Historical Museum in Green River recently discovered that it has a unique cultural and historical link to another museum on the other side of the world.

The county museum recently published an article and Facebook post about the huge silk dragon used in parades and processions by the Chinese community in Rock Springs well over a century ago.

All that remains of the dragon now are carefully-preserved photographs and its grapefruit-sized glass eyes, currently on exhibit in the museum's gallery.

Barely a day later the museum was contacted by the Golden Dragon Museum in B...
Cleburne's

Greg Abbott

Austin's

Texas

Fort Davis

Fort Worth

Hallettsville

Houston

Gov. Abbott

Broadband Development Council

Texas

Texas

Texas

Robert Nichols

Jacksonville

Trent Ashby

Lufkin

Jennifer Harris

Texas

Michigan

Minnesota

North Carolina

Tennessee

FDR's Rural Electrification Administration

Texas

Texas Public Radio

Sept. 2019

Bandera Electric Cooperative

Hill Country

Bill Hetherington

Texas

(TNS)  Like a line server atCafeteria, Gov.offered up an array of emergency items last week appealing to a range of legislative appetites. For the red-meat lovers, he recommended that lawmakers consider two highly seasoned items: protecting "election integrity" (read: making it harder to vote) and punishing cities inclined to "defund" the police (read:reallocation of civilian duties). Both issues are actually spoiled meat. Neither are good for the body politic.To his credit, the governor's menu also includes a healthier choice, one that has the potential to break down barriers between rural and urban, revive small towns and provide education, economic and health care opportunities to thousands of Texans who prefer to live inand notinstead of"Expanding access to high-speed internet will provide opportunities and improve the quality of life for all Texans, especially those in rural and low-income communities,"wrote.He's right about that, as both Democratic and Republican lawmakers agree. In fact, investing in broadband initiatives would seem to be one of the few proposals the Legislature will consider this session that qualifies as bipartisan. If we have learned anything during the enforced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that all Texans  rural and urban, old and young, red and blue  benefit when they are connected.According to a November report of the Governor's, more than 900,000 Texans don't have access to broadband at home. Maps from Connected Nation Texas show that, of that number, the vast majority are rural Texans, living in areas where broadband is either expensive or unavailable. Without high-speed internet, they won't be conferring with their doctor online. Without high-speed internet, kids out of school because of the pandemic won't be going to class online. Without high-speed internet, their parents won't be starting a home-based business to replace the job they lost to the pandemic.The digital divide inand across the nation is not unlike the electricity divide in the 1930s, when power companies had no incentive to build lines into sparsely populated areas. Then as now, infrastructure gets built in the cities and suburbs, not in small towns and rural areas.For a state that ranks 38th out of 50 in broadband adoption, not only is adequate access an economic issue but so is the ability to purchase and use it. Think of all those hollowed-out little towns off the interstate. Town squares that in decades past were busy and prosperous are now deserted. Once-sturdy brick buildings that housed pharmacies, cafes, hardware stores and other local businesses are now empty, their show windows layered with dust.The pandemic has underscored both the problem and the potential of broadband. We are beginning to see that little towns don't have to molder away. Businesses don't have to relocate to the big city. Employees don't have to be in an office; they can work from home. Texans who want to enjoy the atmosphere of a small town can do so, while farmers and ranchers can take advantage of new markets and best practices. If they are connected.Getting all ofconnected won't be easy, in part because it costs money, but also because it requires long-range planning. At the moment,is one of six states that doesn't have a statewide plan or an office overseeing the effort.The most promising vehicle for bringing the state up to speed is Senate Bill 506, legislation co-sponsored by state Sen., R-, and state Rep., R-. Their bill would create a Broadband Development Office, within the state comptroller's office; create a Broadband Development Program, funded by the newly established Broadband Development Account; establish a Broadband Development Map, updated regularly; and develop a statewide broadband plan within a year of the bill becoming law., state program director for Connected Nation Texas, told the editorial board that the Nichols-Ashby bill is only a first step but a vital one, because it lays out a plan to find out whatactually needs. Without a plan similar to states further along  Harris mentionedand there's no way to know how much money it's going to take to bridge the digital divide.In the 1930s, rural Texans finally got electricity  almost a half century after their city cousins  thanks to(REA). Fortunately, the Biden administration seems to understand that the broadband need these days is nearly as urgent.As a candidate, Biden promised to commit $20 billion to constructing broadband infrastructure for small towns and rural areas. He also committed to tripling the amount of money available to local governments, organizations, corporations and other entities as an incentive to wire rural areas. If the new administration is able to follow through on its commitment, and iflawmakers respond with similar urgency, the state will begin to bridge its debilitating digital divide.In an interview withaired, the CEO ofon the western edge of theexplained why his organization was expanding internet access for its customers. "You're not doing this to make money,"said. "You're doing this to allow your communities to survive and be here 20 years from now."Hetherington could be speaking for every small town in. If they were connected.

A day after Philadelphia police officers stopped two men driving a U-Haul truck away from the scene of a reported burglary in Somerton and discovered a dismembered body in the back, investigators were searching for evidence Friday in dumpsters behind a nearby strip mall.

Police collected a black plastic bag from the dumpsters behind a group of stores at Proctor Road and Kelvin Avenue. The strip mall is a few blocks from the 1000 block of Sanibel Street, where 7th District officers were called Thursday for a report of a burglary and saw the men driving away in the truck.

Investigators at the house on Sanibel on Friday were also continuing to search a detached garage where the burglary was first reported, and employees of the SPCA and ACCT Philly were also on scene removing birds in cages and other animals from inside the residence.

Still, as the investigation continued, the crime remained something of a mystery. Police officials declined to provide new details on the probe. They also would not identify the victim or name the men they had taken into custody, and they did not specify how those men might have known the person who was killed.

Sarah Barnett, a spokesperson for ACCT, said there were about 30 parrots inside the house, along with several bearded dragon lizards, tortoises, and koi fish and beehives in the backyard. Barnett said it appeared as if the homeowner was trying to breed and sell the birds, which she said were very highly sought-after and can worth thousands of dollars each.

Police said Thursday that officers had been called to the block for a report of a burglary involving a U-Haul. When officers arrived and saw the truck driving away, they followed it to the intersection of Kelvin Avenue and Foster Street, where police said the driver got out and said: I dont want anything to do with this, and theres a body in the back.

Officers also found a weapon in the back of the truck, police said. The driver and another man were taken into custody.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hip Hop's first adult contemporary rap album is slated for release on Friday, February 12th by Washington, DC-based rap artist/producer Sean XLG. The instrumental album is titled " There's A Party Inside My Car " which offers a perfect blend of old school rhythms and dance beats with a hint of jazz. This timeless work is a smooth transition that reflects the growth and evolution of an art form that was born over 40 years ago.

Tracklist:

Sean XLG

Whoomp! Here It Is Again For Ol Skool Dances Only Bass (How Low Can You Go-Go) Everybody Move and No One Gets Hurt Drunk Off of Funk Somethin' for the Grown N Sexy The Beat Made Me Do It Moments In Lovin' Hip Hop Next Door to Tom's Diner If Hip Hop and Jazz Had Sex 25th Dynasty (Back To Life) Krush Groove 2021

Sean XLG states, "I actually came up with the concept of adult contemporary hip hop 20 years ago. Once I realized the industry was changing and fans and artists were getting older, it just made sense to create a style of rap music that reflects a continuation of growth. People who love hip hop at 35 have a different lifestyle than they did at 18 so the music should reflect the same level of maturity."

Sean adds, "Back in the day, rap as an art form was diverse. We had everything from dance, comedy and slow jams to messages. Lyrically, the music went into a different direction in terms of content and this is what we're getting ready to bring back."

About the Artist: Sean XLG is the ultimate Hip Hop artist. He's the first rapper to win a national music competition, and as an activist, his musical talents helped pass Washington D.C.'s Initiative 37 (The nuclear weapon disarmament act). Sean is also the author of the best-selling book Hip Hop Hooray: Celebrating 30 Years of Rap Music.

About The Music: There's A Party Inside My Car is available on all digital music outlets.

PRESS CONTACT: ALB Management Group in c/o Chris Howard: 240-723-6106 or [email protected]

SOURCE Sean XLG
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Secretary-General has expressed his appreciation for the critically important and strong partnership between the US and the UN in responding to pressing global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, peace and security crises and increasing threats to human rights, during a phone conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The US State Department said that in an introductory call with Guterres on Thursday, Blinken underscored the US commitment to multilateral cooperation and praised the role of the as the indispensable anchor of the multilateral system.

A readout of the conversation issued by the UN said Guterres expressed his appreciation for the critically important and strong partnership between the United States and the in building multilateral responses to pressing global challenges, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, multiple peace and security crises and the increasing threats all pose to human rights.

The Secretary-General particularly welcomed the United States rejoining the Paris Agreement, re-engagement with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Human Rights Council. Guterres and Blinken also discussed a range of concerning situations around the world, including Syria and Yemen.

A statement issued by State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Blinken expressed US interest in close coordination with the UN on the many challenges the world faces today, from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change.

Underscoring President Biden's focus on bringing the pandemic under control, the Secretary praised the central role the UN and UN agencies play in coordinating our global response, highlighted the US re-engagement with the World Health Organization, and expressed our deepened focus on promoting health and advancing global health security, the State Department said.

Blinken noted that strengthening and reforming the WHO will better position it to prevent, detect, and respond to future pandemics.

On climate change, Blinken highlighted the US return to the Paris Agreement and welcomed UN cooperation in confronting the global climate crisis.

Immediately after his inauguration as US President last month, Joe Biden had signed an executive order saying Washington is rejoining the Paris climate accord.

Former president Donald Trump had announced his decision to withdraw the US from the historic Paris Agreement on climate change in June 2017 and America was out of the pact on November 4, 2020, joining only two other nations on the planet - Syria and Nicaragua - which were not part of the climate accord.

Angry at the WHO for its handling of the coronavirus, which he had termed China virus due to its origin in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Trump had halted funding to the global health agency last year.

His administration had also formally notified the of its decision to withdraw the US from the Geneva-based WHO.

The US rejoined the WHO in one of the first official orders of the Biden presidency, reversing a key foreign policy decision by Trump.

In a letter to Guterres on the first day of his presidency, Biden had said that the United States intends to remain a member of the WHO.

The WHO plays a crucial role in the world's fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as well as countless other threats to global health and health security. The United States will continue to be a full participant and a global leader in confronting such threats and advancing global health and health security," Biden had said.

Earlier this week, Blinken said President Biden has instructed the Department of State to re-engage immediately and robustly with the UN Human Rights Council.

We recognise that the Human Rights Council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership, and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel," Blinken said.

"However, our withdrawal in June 2018 did nothing to encourage meaningful change, but instead created a vacuum of US leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage, he said.

Blinken has said that in the immediate term, the US will engage with the Council as an observer, and in that capacity will have the "opportunity to speak in the Council, participate in negotiations, and partner with others to introduce resolutions.

(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 minimum wage in Texas could go up if a new bill filed in the House passes this legislative session.

Rep. Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio) filed HB 1827 Thursday to incrementally raise the minimum wage in Texas until it hits $15.

'I'D GOTTEN AWAY WITH EVERYTHING': Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's legal troubles just got the ukulele treatment

Under Fischer's proposed bill, the minimum wage would rise to $10 for 2022, $12.50 for 2023, and $14 for 2024. By 2025, the minimum wage would reach $15.

The bill also notes for each year that employers should not pay less than the above amounts or less than the federal minimum wage. If there is a difference between the state and federal minimum wages, employees are entitled to the higher of the two.

This isn't the first bill filed in the Texas Legislature attempting to raise the minimum wage. Rep. Vikki Goodwin filed HB 615 in November that proposed raising Texas' minimum wage each year based on the preceding year's consumer price index.

The minimum wage is getting more attention, especially as the coronavirus pandemic continues. President Joe Biden has proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. An assessment from the Congressional Budget Office found that raising that Biden's plan would cut 1.4 million jobs, but raise 900,000 Americans out of poverty.
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Dwayne Johnson appeared in a virtual interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, but his mother Ata Johnson stole the show.

The Rock was promoting his new NBC series Young Rock, debuting February 16, when Fallon mentioned he didn't know Johnson's mother played the ukulele, as he saw in a video Johnson recently posted.

The 48-year-old action star surprised Fallon by bringing Ata on camera, and having her play two songs on the ukulele for him.

Show-stealer: Dwayne Johnson appeared in a virtual interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, but his mother Ata Johnson stole the show

Ukulele: The 48-year-old action star surprised Fallon by bringing Ata on camera, and having her play two songs on the ukulele for him

Fallon mentioned that he saw a video on Johnson's Instagram, where they were at his grandparents' gravestones in Hawaii.

The talk show host mentioned that he didn't know Ata played the ukulele, and while Johnson first tried to explain that she does, he decided just to bring her on camera instead.

Johnson told his mother that he wants her to 'say hi to somebody you know,' when she saw Fallon on the screen.

Hawaii: Fallon mentioned that he saw a video on Johnson's Instagram, where they were at his grandparents' gravestones in Hawaii

Saying hi: Johnson told his mother that he wants her to 'say hi to somebody you know,' when she saw Fallon on the screen

Ata asked if he remembered her, he said 'of course, from our bit' on New Year's Eve. I remember our bit.'

When she asked if he remembered what he did, Fallon said he remembered, 'laying on the ground pretending I was passed out,' which Ata said, 'That was awesome.'

She added that she, 'had the best time that night' with Fallon and the mother of Johnson's wife, Lauren Hashian.

Remember: Ata asked if he remembered her, he said 'of course, from our bit' on New Year's Eve. I remember our bit'

When asked about the video, Ata said that, 'every time we go to Hawaii, we go to visit my parents, yeah.'

She then proceeded to play the Samoan folk song Savalivali Means Go for a Walk for Fallon, who was sufficiently impressed.

Ata even said she had one more song, Johnson joked, 'What do you mean you have one more?' as she continued to play an impromptu song about Fallon.

Folk song: She then proceeded to play the Samoan folk song Savalivali Means Go for a Walk for Fallon, who was sufficiently impressed

'We love you, Jimmy / Oh, yes, we do / We love you, Jimmy / and that is true. When we're away from you/we're blue. Oh Jimmy, we love you,' she sang.

Dwayne said, 'Good job mom' and gave her a high five, while Fallon said she, 'stole the interview,' adding, 'You're unbelievable.'

Johnson's new series Young Rock, which is based on the true stories from his childhood, debuts on NBC February 16.

Jimmy's song: 'We love you, Jimmy / Oh, yes, we do / We love you, Jimmy / and that is true. When we're away from you/we're blue. Oh Jimmy, we love you,' she sang
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The police authorities have deployed a large contingent of officials to the Lekki tollgate ahead of Saturdays planned protests.

A few hours to the planned #occupyLekkitollgate and #DefendLagos protests, slated to hold at 7 a.m., several police vehicles and officers are already on the ground at the tollgate.

At least 10 police vehicles were seen at the tollgate with scores of officers guarding the plaza.

A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who was at Lekki on Friday morning saw police officers at different spots at the toll plaza. But as of this evening, the number of officers have quadrupled, according to videos shared on social media.

Why the protest was planned

The protest is coming on the heels of the ruling of the judicial panel for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to reopen the tollgate months after soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters, who were calling for an end to police brutality, at the same spot.

The #EndSARS protests, which held across the nation in October 2019, were later hijacked by thugs. This led to violence and deaths of civilians and police officers.

Judicial panels of enquiries are currently holding across the country, including Lagos, to investigate cases of alleged human rights abuses by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), as an offshoot of the governments subsequent moves to douse tension.

Doris Okuwobi, a retired judge, heading the Lagos panel gave the ruling on the reopening of the tollgate last Saturday and this generated controversies at the panel, with some members disagreeing with the ruling.

Despite the controversies surrounding the reopening of Lekki tollgate, the company has begun some repairs on the site, and plans to resume the toll soonest.

Youths, however, plan to express their anger at the reopening using the #occupyLekkitollgate hashtag.

Counter-protest

In response to the plan to occupy Lekki tollgate, another set of youths are planning a counter-protest, #DefendLagos, in defence of the tollgate.

The state government, the police, the LCC and other parties have appealed to youths not to go ahead with the protests.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, had earlier announced that no protest will be allowed to hold on Saturday.

He said the state is still in pains from the destruction perpetrated after the Lekki shooting incident in October 2020.

Despite the pleas, the youths have insisted on embarking on the protest.
The target is a copper-silver mineralized zone located at the company's Lost Cities  Cutucu project

( ) ( ) (FRA:20Q) said scout drilling has commenced at the Tsenken N1 target at its Lost Cities  Cutucu project in Ecuador.

The exploration company said the target is a copper-silver mineralized zone exposed at surface, with an underlying area of interest having been identified in MobileMT data. It added that the mineralized zone is expected to be intersected at 75 metres (m) to 100m below surface, while the MobileMT target is at about 700m depth. Previous surface sampling has also yielded results of up to 7.1% of copper and 55 grams per tonne (g/t) of silver.

"Tsenken N1 is an area where there are a number of small, mineralized breccia bodies with limited exposure on surface in some stream beds. Most of the area in between the breccias is covered by thick foliage and not outcropping. Breccias, which essentially are bodies of broken and cemented rock, in this case with copper mineralization between the fragments, can be formed geologically in many ways, but here a key to their interpretation is the presence of "exotic fragments", which are clearly not from the wallrock, Aurania chairman and chief executive Keith Barron said in a statement.

These fragments have been brought, probably from considerable depth, up the breccia conduit, by volcanic eruption. Breccia conduits or "breccia pipes" commonly will coalesce at depth into a larger breccia body or into the upper levels of a porphyry. Several years ago, I examined a group of meter-scale copper breccia pipes underground and on surface at Tres Chorreras in Azuay Province in Ecuador, and these ultimately merged downward into a copper porphyry that was intersected in drilling. I am hopeful that we have a similar geological scenario here," the CEO added.

Contact the author at calum@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @Cal_Proac
Peskov claims, what Lavrov meant was that Russia should be ready "for some restrictions, for some limitations, and other unfriendly manifestations."

Russian president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov says Russia should be ready to embrace self-sufficiency in case the EU resorts to more sanctions.

"After all, this sensationalized headline is being presented by media without context, which is a big mistake on their part, a mistake that alters the meaning. The point is that we don't want this  we want to develop relations with the European Union, but if the European Union follows this path, indeed, we will be ready. That's beacuse we have to be prepared for the worst," Peskov told journalists in Moscow, commenting on Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's statement about Russia's readiness to sever ties with the EU, an UNIAN correspondent in Russia reported.

"The meaning was distorted, and this sensationalized headline was presented in such a way that Russia itself would initiate a break in relations with the European Union," he said.

"Of course, if we face an extremely destructive line that damages our infrastructure, our interests, of course, Russia should be prepared in advance for such unfriendly steps," Peskov said in response to a question on whether such a scenario is possible.

He explained, it is about Russia needing to be ready "for some restrictions, for some limitations and other unfriendly manifestations."

"We must become self-sufficient, we must ensure security in the most sensitive strategic areas, and we must be ready to replace with national infrastructure everything that we may be deprived of. Well, this is in case madness prevails and such unfriendly manifestations occur," he added.

Earlier, answering a question on whether Russia is heading for breaking up ties with the European Union, Lavrov said: "We proceed from the fact that we are ready. We are neighbors. Collectively, they are still our largest trading and investment partner. Many companies operate here, there are hundreds, thousands of joint ventures. If the business is mutually beneficial, we will pursue it."

He is convinced the Russian Federation has become completely self-sufficient in military terms.

"We need to achieve the same in the economy in case we see, again (as we have already seen more than once) that sanctions are imposed in some areas that create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive areas (supply of components and machine units). We don't want to isolate ourselves from international life, but we must be ready for this. If you want peace, prepare for war," Lavrov said.

Reporting by UNIAN
Green cracker: Manufacturers say there's no such thing; Jokes galore on social media

UP: 8 dead, 2 injured after explosion in a firecracker factory in Budaun

Tamil Nadu: 16 dead in blaze at firecracker factory in Virudhunagar; PM announces ex-grata of Rs 2 lakh

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

Chennai, Feb 12: As many as 16 people were reported dead and 33 injured after a massive fire broke out at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu on Friday.

The injured have been admitted to the Sivakasi government hospital.

The incident took place while the staff of the Virudhunagar- based private firecracker factory was mixing some chemicals to produce fireworks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his grief over the incident and has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Rs 50,000 will be given to those injured in the incident, the PM said.

Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami, "I have instructed dist authorities and medical experts to give best treatment to injured, asked local administration to ensure that families of deceased and injured are informed and necessary arrangements made. Also asked district authorities to inspect such industries on regular basis."

The CM announces ex-gratia of Rs 3 Lakhs each to kin of deceased and Rs 1 Lakh for critically injured.

The factory is located in Achangulam area near Sathur.

15 dead in major firecracker explosion in Punjabs Tarn Taran

Ten firefighting units from various locations have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire, as per sources, they were having a difficult time due to chemicals at the site.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

"Fire at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu is saddening. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover soon. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected," PM Modi said in a tweet.

"An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each has been approved from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to a fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. Rs. 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured," he said.

An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the incident.
Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 7:18 am

During his four-year career in law enforcement, Trevor Davidson has worked as an officer for police departments in two Western Washington cities  first in Everett and now in Renton.

For much of the same time, Davidson also privately partnered in two business ventures with Ethan Nordean, the self-described "sergeant of arms" for the Seattle chapter of the right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys and who now stands accused of leading an angry mob of Trump supporters at last month's deadly rampage through the U.S. Capitol.

The business relationship between the 27-year-old Renton cop, sworn to uphold the law, and the 30-year-old Auburn-area militant, known for his street brawling, apparently went unnoticed by both local police agencies.

Davidson's association with Nordean, which also may have violated officer ethics and conduct codes for each department, emerges at a time of growing public concern and scrutiny over the ties between law enforcement and extremist groups.

Reached by phone Thursday, Davidson declined to offer details about his relationship with Nordean.

"Honestly man, I'm not interested in discussing that with you," he said. "That was a while back, I'm not involved with him anymore. Talking about it could just ruin my career. Have a good day."

After The Seattle Times shared public records showing Davidson's business ties to Nordean with Everett and Renton police, spokespersons for each said their departments didn't immediately know about the relationship and would review it.

Everett police spokesman Aaron Snell later said the department was still "checking the personnel and background files," but hadn't found "any indications or accusations" of Davidson's ties to extremism.

Renton police contacted Davidson Thursday, his day off, Renton Police Cmdr. Dave Leibman said.

"What he has told us was that he met Mr. Nordean at church in 2017," Leibman said. "They had a common interest in working out, so they created a supplement business."

Leibman said Davidson also explained that after the first business failed, he and Nordean started another one in 2019, after which Davidson soon "figured out Mr. Nordean's past ... and said he terminated their relationship altogether."

But one witness's account and information in state business records appear at odds with some details in the description Davidson gave to his department about the relationship.

As far as Leibman knows, Davidson never voluntarily disclosed his relationship with Nordean to the department. Davidson will remain on the job while Renton police continue to review the relationship, Leibman said.

Selling supplements

At least on paper, Davidson and Nordean's business relationship formally began on Oct. 17, 2017, when the two men registered Bangarang Elite Supplements as a limited liability corporation (LLC) with the Washington secretary of state's office, records show.

By then, Davidson, a U.S. Marine Corps reservist, had been working for 8 1/2 months as an Everett police officer, and Nordean, an Auburn-area bodybuilder, had been drawing attention for his clashes with antifascist counter-protesters at right-wing rallies in Portland and Seattle.

Registration records show the two men's commercial venture  selling fitness supplements  listed both Nordean and Davidson as governing directors. The documents also identify Nordean as the firm's registered agent, with Davidson as its primary contact. The address given for the firm was that of Nordean's home  a three-bedroom rambler, owned by his parents, who lived nearby on the same suburban street east of Auburn.

Since about 2015, Nordean had been selling homemade pre-workout supplements for $5 a bottle to his co-workers at Wally's Chowder House, a Des Moines restaurant owned by Nordean's father, according to a south King County resident who then worked with Nordean.

The co-worker, who asked not to be identified out of fear for his personal safety, recalled the supplements were sold both as a pale yellow powder, in small plastic bottles, and as a premixed drink in larger, sealed bottles.

"He was calling it 'Bangarang' then, and even had printed up some cheesy labels for the bottles," said the co-worker, who tried the supplement. "When you took it, it would make you all tingly and itchy and raise your heart rate."

Around the same time, Nordean brought Davidson to Wally's on at least two occasions, the former coworker said. "He came in a couple times to eat with Ethan," he said. "It didn't seem like a purely business relationship. They were definitely buddies."

The timing of the co-worker's recollection conflicts with the account Davidson gave to Renton police about meeting Nordean in 2017.

Before his hiring in Everett on Feb. 1 2017, Davidson, who was raised in Auburn, worked for about a year at a sewer district in Des Moines, according to remarks given by Everett's police chief at Davidson's swearing-in ceremony.

Three months after Davidson joined the Everett police force, Nordean attended his first rally  the 2017 May Day events in Seattle, where Nordean was "introduced to the Proud Boys," according to an interview he later gave with right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

Five months later, in October 2017, Davidson and Nordean registered Bangarang as an LLC, and started selling supplements for $40 per tub through Nordean's PayPal link on a since-defunct Facebook page, titled "Team Bangarang."

By July 2018, the page was drawing mixed reviews from purported customers. "I take this pre-workout supplement before knocking out commies," one poster wrote. "Toxic powder for eunuchs," another chimed in.

By then, Nordean's celebrity in right-wing circles was exploding. During a Proud Boys rally-turned-riot in Portland on June 30, 2018, he punched a counter-protester in the face when the man swung a baton at him, dropping the man onto the street.

Video of Nordean's knock-out blow went viral, with Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes praising and posting it on a loop on social media. In early July 2018, Nordean appeared on Jones' InfoWars broadcast, calling for new recruits to join the group. Soon after, Nordean's alias, Rufio Panman, began showing up on the Proud Boys national leadership lists, according to extremist watchdogs.

Davidson, meanwhile, left Everett in April 2018 for a higher-paying officer's job in Renton, where he then made about $96,000 a year, state retirement records show.

Business records

By late 2018, a year after Nordean and Davidson had registered the Bangarang firm, they failed to submit an annual report required to keep its registration active and didn't respond to delinquency notices. The state dissolved the company's registration in March 2019, records show.

Two months later, Davidson registered a new supplements business with the state called Iron Glory LLC. Both he and Nordean are listed as Iron Glory's "co-founders" on a state business license.

A Facebook page created for Iron Glory shows a single post in September 2019 announcing: "Coming soon... The most effective all-natural supplements to hit the market!"

According to the account Davidson gave his department, he learned "soon after" starting the second venture about Nordean's extremist background and halted business operations, Leibman, the Renton spokesperson, said.

"The employee said he didn't realize the business was still a thing until the state contacted him about the license later, and at that point, he shut it down," he said.

But records show the state administratively dissolved Iron Glory's registration in October 2020 after it failed to file an annual report or respond to delinquency notices. Iron Glory's reseller permit, which allowed it to buy items for resale without paying sales tax, expired on Dec. 18.

Less than three weeks later, Nordean was in Washington, D.C., widely captured in photographs and videos in his trademark backwards ballcap and sunglasses, at times speaking through a bullhorn. A livestreamer for the Proud Boys broadcast video of him leading a large group to the Capitol, just before he and other Proud Boys he was with allegedly broke through a police line and breached the building.

Nordean was arrested at his home Feb. 3 and charged with four federal criminal counts. He has since been taken to Washington D.C. to face further proceedings, and faces more than 30 years in prison if convicted.

Ethical questions

Aside from public trust and perception problems, Davidson's association with Nordean could run afoul of officer ethics and conduct rules at both departments where he has worked.

"If it is just a business relationship and there wasn't any specific knowledge by [Davidson] of what [Nordean] was into, then there may not be any violations," Leibman said. "But it depends on the specific details we find."

Professional-conduct standards generally bar police officers from associating with people involved in illegal or improper behavior, engaging in conduct that may bring discredit upon their department or erode the public's confidence in it.

The Proud Boys describe themselves as "Western chauvinists," and the group's founder has openly advocated violence. In late 2018, the FBI designated the group as "an extremist group with ties to white nationalism."

That classification emerged in a 2018 Clark County Sheriff's Office internal investigation into a deputy whose ex-boyfriend was a member, and who was found to be manufacturing and selling "Proud Boy Girls" apparel. The department fired her.

"As a law enforcement officer, you should have an issue with associating with a member of a group that openly acknowledges and professes to carrying out acts of violence," said Mike German, a former FBI agent and fellow in the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. "But the totality of circumstances matter."

German, who recently wrote a report examining cases of police ties to extremist groups across the nation, noted an officer's links to an extremist within a large corporation of hundreds of people whose affiliations are largely unknown to one another may be less troublesome.

"But if it's a two-person business where you're in close contact with your partner and know of their personal pursuits outside of the business, that's something else entirely," he said, speaking generally.

___

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - Bam Bam Resources Corp. (CSE: BBR) (OTC Pink: NPEZF) (FSE: 4NPB) ("Bam Bam" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Larry Segerstrom has agreed to join the Company's Advisory Board. Following a week-long detailed field, core, and detailed data review, Mr. Segerstrom was very encouraged by the strong porphyry signature shown by the Majuba Hill Project.

David Greenway, President & CEO, commented: "I am pleased that we are able to attract a geologist with Larry's talent and porphyry copper background. His review of the core from our 2020 drilling provided immediate insight and confirmation for our staged exploration program at Majuba. It is extremely rewarding to have another accomplished professional on the Bam Bam team. I expect that Larry's experience will bring an important element to understanding the extensive data we have compiled at Majuba. Our team in Nevada will be able to utilize his knowledge and background as they push forward with the 2021 exploration program at Majuba Hill."

Mr. Segerstrom is a senior mining professional with 37 years of technical, operational, and business experience, including exploration, mine geology and operations. His past positions include COO of Paramount Gold and Silver Corp. and Manager of Geology of the Grasberg Mining District for Freeport-McMoRan. Mr. Segerstrom has been involved in several discoveries, including leading the teams that discovered and developed new resources of more than 750,000 ounces of gold and 60 million ounces of silver with Paramount, and new ore reserves totaling 3.4 billion pounds of copper and 3.6 million ounces of gold with Freeport.

He holds a M.Sc. in Economic Geology from the University of Arizona, a M.B.A. in Global Management, and is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

2020 Exploration Update

During 2020, Bam Bam drilled 8,706 feet (2654 m) in 5 core and 4 reverse circulation ("RC") holes. The 2020 exploration was a staged program applying all available drilling, geochemistry, and geophysical data to the copper porphyry mineralization at Majuba. The 2020 program was able to:

Expand and enlarge the known copper oxide zone; and Expand and extend the hypogene sulfide copper mineralization.

A National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report was initiated in 2020 to provide a regulatorily compliant document and initial resource for Majuba. The report will be completed early in Q2 pending receipt of all 2020 assay results.

The project and core review by Mr. Segerstrom highlighted significant enrichment beneath the historic production workings. Native copper noted in MHB-9 (BBR news November 23, 2020) and chalcocite observed in historic drill core pointed to the potential for supergene mineralization extending from the surface to over 900 vertical feet beneath outcropping copper mineralization drilled in MHB-2.

The 2020 exploration plan was designed so that each stage built on success. Results for each stage of the 2020 program are very encouraging:

Core holes MHB-1 and MHB-2 in the known copper oxide zone intersected significant outcropping copper and silver starting at the surface.

Extensive copper intersections in RC holes MHB-3, 4, 5, and 6 extended the oxide copper mineralization, expanding it eastward and deeper.

Deep core holes MHB-7, 8, and 9 stepped out from the newly discovered oxide copper zone extension, and intersected hypogene and supergene sulfide copper below the oxide zone.

The table below provides a list of significant copper intercepts.

Hole Interval Feet Length Weighted Copper % Length Weighted Silver g/t From Feet To Feet Interval

Meters From Meters To Meters MHB-1 74 0.35 10.2 210 284 22.6 64 86.6 MHB-2 146 1.41 97.6 0 146 44.5 0 44.5 MHB-3 120 0.21 9.0 180 300 36.5 54.9 91.4 155 0.68 28.2 425 580 47.2 129.5 176.7 MHB-4 10 0.21 6.9 230 240 3.1 70.1 73.2 45 0.45 8.2 775 820 13.7 236.2 249.9 MHB-5 310 0.29 10.2 445 755 94.5 135.6 230.1 15 0.34 11 785 800 4.6 239.2 243.8 MHB-6 40 0.11 8.2 345 385 12.1 105.2 117.3 145 0.11 14.7 410 555 44.2 125.0 169.2 50 0.19 12.3 615 665 15.2 187.5 202.7 50 0.72 19.8 750 800 15.2 228.6 243.8

All intervals are drill length; true width of mineralization is not yet known.

The culmination of the 2020 Bam Bam drilling was the deep core program which intersected extensive porphyry alteration with chalcopyrite, chalcocite, and bornite associated with widespread pyrite, arsenopyrite, and pyrrhotite. Three deep holes were drilled for a total of 4920 feet (1499.6 meters). Core has been submitted to ALS Minerals and assay results will be reported pending their receipt.

Hole Azimuth Inclination Length (ft) Length (m) MHB-7 0 -90 1473 449.0 MHB-8 125 -70 1635 498.3 MHB-9 315 -45 1812 552.3

The intrusive and extensive alteration intersected from top to bottom in holes MHB-8 and MHB-9 indicates the footprint of the Majuba Hill porphyry system is a minimum of 3,000-5,000 feet (1-1.5 km) across. When the visual observations of the porphyry alteration and sulfides from the deep Bam Bam core is combined with deep IP geophysics and soil geochemistry two new mineralized centers are apparent.

Figure 1



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6332/74300_1cfb9c55c4389a36_002full.jpg

About Majuba Hill Property

Majuba Hill is a large contiguous land position controlling the emerging Majuba Hill Copper District, located northeast of Reno, Nevada. The project is comprised of extensive mineral and surface rights held by private ownership, patented mining claims, and Federal Lode Mining claims that are 100% controlled by Bam Bam Resources Corp.

The property is easily accessed via 23 miles of well-maintained dirt roads leading from U.S. Interstate 80. Reno and Elko are the major supply centers for exploration and mining activities in Nevada. The existing highways are sufficient for transportation of exploration-size heavy equipment. Development logistics would use the 4 lane Interstate 80 highway, Union Pacific railroad tracks and adjacent power, natural gas, and fiber optic transmission lines in the rail - highway corridor.

Mining is a common occupation in the area with several small to world class mines operating in the Winnemucca - Lovelock area over the past several decades. A well-trained and experienced mining workforce pool is available in Nevada when labor and expertise are required.

The excellent location of Bam Bam's Majuba Hill property, with already existing mining friendly infrastructure, will significantly reduce costs for exploration programs and future mining activities.

Qualified Persons

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed by E.L. "Buster" Hunsaker III, CPG 8137, a non-independent consulting geologist who is a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43- 101").

About Bam Bam Resources Corp.

Bam Bam Resources Corp. (CSE: BBR) (OTC Pink: NPEZF) (FSE: 4NPB) is engaged in the identification, review and acquisition of latter stage copper and copper/silver/gold assets. This is in direct response to the growing worldwide demand and lack of supply for precious metals fueled by the Green New Deal in the US and most other developed nations with similar programs aimed at addressing climate change. Such programs are heavily reliant on silver, gold and especially copper to produce Electric Vehicles and other renewable power sources, as well as building infrastructure to provide clean and affordable electricity.

The flagship project is the Majuba Hill copper, silver and gold project located 156 miles outside Reno, Nevada, USA. Management has been mandated to focus on safe, mining friendly jurisdictions and government regulations supportive of mining operations.

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.

On Behalf of the Board of Bam Bam Resources Corp.

"David Greenway"

David C. Greenway

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Joel Warawa

VP of Corporate Communications

E: jw@bambamresources.com

P: 1 (855) 475-0745

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Bam Bam Resources Corp. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Bam Bam Resources Corp. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Bam Bam Resources Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74300
DURHAM  Don Paulson, founder and chairman of Paulson Training Programs, Inc., has been inducted into the 2021 Plastics Hall of Fame. He has been recognized for his outstanding contribution to the plastics industry and specifically for his decades of research and technical training. The Plastics Hall of Fame was established by the Plastics Academy in 1972 to recognize those Americans who, through their dedication, work, and accomplishment, have contributed most significantly to the growth and success of the plastics industry.

Paulson, who holds engineering degrees from both the University of Minnesota and Villanova University, has nine U.S. and foreign patents. He is being recognized for his life-long dedication and contribution to the research and education of the industry. Paulson was previously honored with SPEs Lifetime Engineering and Technical Achievement Award for his research into the structure and causes of plastic part variations. This research led to developing control systems that would automatically maintain precise part dimensions based on cavity pressure measurement.

The success of Paulsons first company (Control Process, Inc) led to his start-up of another company, Paulson Training Programs (PTP), in 1980. For more than 40 years, PTP has been teaching the fundamentals as well as advanced molding topics based on Paulsons research at General Motors Institute. Over a five-year period, he proved that molded part properties are determined by just four basic plastic conditions in the mold, not the specific machine settings.

Paulsons research and innovative approach to plastics education has profoundly impacted the lives of thousands of individuals and companies. It has provided a means for advancement, workforce development, and company growth.

Paulson said, This award is an honor, but what I am most proud of are the many times individuals have thanked me for their ability to advance in their jobs because they received the Paulson training. That to me is the true reward.

According to an article in Plastics News, Jay Gardiner, Plastics Academy president, We are proud of the 2021 class of the Plastics Hall of Fame. The winners come from all across the globe and represent many different disciplines, adding, in this difficult year, we look to these individuals as a reaffirmation of the vitality and strength of the plastics industry.

Karen Paulson, president of Paulson Training, and the youngest of Paulsons five children, said, This is a great honor for my father, and we couldnt be more proud of him. He is someone who was born to do research and seek knowledge. He possesses the uncanny ability to take complex information and distill it down to useful information. He is an example of hard work and the power of education. He is a man of excellence and well-deserving of this award.

In a pre-Covid-19 world, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony would normally include a gala dinner presentation of the award at the Plastics industrys largest tri-annual international expo NPE, an event that draws over 50,000 individuals world-wide, that is now cancelled. Details on how the award will be presented have yet been announced.

Chamber to hold Legislative Leadership event

MIDDLETOWN  The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce will host a Special Virtual Legislative Leadership Series at 8 a.m. Feb. 16.

At this special meeting, Ritter will join chamber members to discuss the 2021 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly. The chambers Board of Directors and Legislative Committee will have the opportunity to ask questions about the session, and discuss some important issues on our 2021 Public Policy Agenda. Advance registration is required; go to www.middlesexchamber.com.

Stanton House auction starts March 1

CLINTON  The Adam Stanton House Museum, 63 East Main St., will be sponsoring a virtual auction fundraiser to continue to raise the funds needed to replace the roof this spring. The auction will open for bidding March 1 and close on March 11. Instructions for pickup will be given to successful bidders. Auction details can be found on the museums website at adamstantonhouse.org

At this time the museum is soliciting quality donations of goods and services until Feb. 21. Donations do not have to be antiques; unwanted or duplicate Christmas and holiday presents are welcome as are gift certificates and donations of services such as yard work, contractor services, use of vacation home or any creative service that can be auctioned. Some of the items collected thus far include a vintage handmade quilt, sterling silver jewelry, new wigs, new household appliances, a fur coat and a vintage Pendleton blanket. Adam Stanton House Museum board members will be at the Stanton house weekdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and weekends from 1-3 p.m. Call the museum at 860-669-2132 during those hours for information about donating items.

The Adam Stanton House and General Store was built in 1791 by a wealthy, striving merchant-businessman whose entrepreneurial spirit and extraordinary taste can be seen in every aspect of this unique house museum. Filled with clothing, furnishings, documents, and store inventory all belonging to the original Stanton family, the house provides a glimpse into 18th and 19th century life in a privileged New England family home. In 1916, the house was left in trust by Adam Stanton's heirs to become a house museum. It has been open to the public ever since. Adam Stanton House, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3).
Planning on celebrating Valentines by curling up with a romantic movie? We asked our writers for their recommendations:

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet became the blueprint for my preference in romantic movies  they have to be melodramatic and preferably tragic.

Starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio as the star-crossed lovers, Baz Luhrmanns adaptation was beautifully shot, with every scene imbued with light and vivid colour.

It was like nothing I had ever seen before and I was enraptured.

Of course, my favourable impression was formed at the age of 17, the year of the Leaving Cert, facing the prospect of university  and the terrible realisation that this meant leaving behind my own local Romeo.

I still have enormous affection for it; every viewing delivers a welcome shot of nostalgia for simpler times full of romantic notions of soulmates and star-crossed lovers.

Aoife Kelly, audience editor and film writer





The Raging Moon (1971)

Bryan Forbess wonderful film, released in the US as Long Ago, Tomorrow, is the greatest romantic movie youve (probably) never seen.

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Vibrant young working-class man Bruce (Malcolm McDowell) is suddenly struck down by an incurable degenerative disease, meaning hell need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Angry at the world, he moves into a church-run home for the disabled, where he becomes bitter and withdrawn  until he meets and falls in love with fellow wheelchair-user Jill (Nanette Newman), whos engaged to be married.

Can love conquer all? Refreshingly realistic and lacking in schmaltz.

Pat Stacey, TV critic





Drive (2011)

Starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, Drive is full of blood, guts and fast cars, but its also a tender love story told almost entirely through stolen glances.

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Im not into big, effusive romantic films where protagonists chase down buses or realise they were always in love with their best friend. I just dont believe them. People become shy, nervous and incredibly vulnerable when they fall in love, and Drive captures the feeling beautifully.

The soundtrack is pretty special too. Under Your Spell by Desire is full of longing; A Real Hero by College and Electric Youth makes me feel nostalgic for a romance I never had.

All in all, its a masterpiece  and the sweetest, gentlest romance Ive ever seen on screen.

Katie Byrne, columnist

Before Sunrise (1995)

A charming young American (Ethan Hawke) meets an enigmatic French woman (Julie Delpy) on a train from Budapest.

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Long story short, he convinces her to disembark with him in Vienna, and for one night only these impossibly beautiful strangers spend their time wandering the streets, yapping away and falling in lust.

Beautiful and beguiling, Richard Linklaters drama digs deeper than most. Its a languid and lyrical portrait of young love, and a masterful two-hander in which our gorgeous leads remind us that real romance is born from real conversation.

Oh, and Hawke and Delpys chemistry is off the charts.

Chris Wasser, film critic

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My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Neither my wife nor I acknowledge Valentines Day and we both loathe rom-coms. But there is one Valentines Day film guaranteed to send me into a swoon (my wife, not so much): this 1981 quasi-classic Canadian slasher.

Its an acquired taste, to put it mildly. It requires a tolerance for latex gore and latex acting. Im not sure it is possible defend at any conventional level. Objectively it is terrible.

But its also a hoot, with a premise so bonkers you cant help but applaud. Twenty years previously, the town of Valentine Bluffs traditional Valentines Day dance was suspended after a mining accident in which a miner was trapped underground, resorting to cannibalism to survive. The mishap occurred after two colleagues cleared off early to attend the Valentines Day festivities.

But now a foolish mayor has reinstated the dance. And the cannibal miner is back to kill anyone daring attend. Cue lots of slashing, stabbing and running in the dark.

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It has toe-curling acting, dreadful dialogue and awful special effects. Its terrible but also brilliant. I cant think of a better antidote to all the Hallmark sentimentality in the air at the moment.

Oh and the maniac miner is at most one-tenth as creepy as Andrew Lincolns smiley stalker in Love Actually.

Ed Power, critic

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The Proposal (2009)

All the great romantic comedies place chaos in true loves path before finally succumbing to it, and thats certainly the case with The Proposal.

It stars Sandra Bullock as Catherine, the shrewish editor-in-chief of a Manhattan publishing house whose staff dread her approaching footstep.

Most harried of all is her exhausted assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), but when Catherine (whos Canadian) is threatened with deportation, she invents an engagement to him to stay in the country.

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Cant fake a love like ours, she tells Denis OHares crafty immigration officer, but on a trip to Alaska to meet Andrews family, their lies will be exposed.

Its a very funny film, but sweet too, and altogether irresistible.

Paul Whitington, film critic





500 Days of Summer (2009)

Its not your typical rom-com. It starts with the narrator making a disclaimer that the story isnt about any one person in particular (especially you, Jenny Bickman. Bitch.), that immediately sets it apart from the usual boys-meets-girl fare.

In it, Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets the girl of his dreams, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). The thing is, shes the woman of every mans dreams.

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She knows about Belle & Sebastian and The Smiths. She is slim, quirky and doe-eyed in a way that makes certain beta guys weak in the slacks.

Summer is happy to have a friends-with-benefits arrangement, noting plainly that she is not interested in anything more substantial than that. Tom has a hard time dealing with this, and the film essentially pivots on his difficulty moving away from his own fantasies of sugary romance.

Male entitlement, the delusion that infatuation causes, the pitfalls of romance  its all here in one zippy, zesty and brilliantly unconventional package.

Tanya Sweeney, columnist
A MAN charged with the murder of widow Mary O'Keeffe (72) whose body was discovered in a blazing car at a remote Cork woodland has been remanded in ongoing custody.

Michael Leonard (62) appeared before Cork District Court having been initially charged before a special court sitting last Sunday.

He is charged with the murder of grandmother and mother of three Mrs O'Keeffe at Dromdeer East, Doneraile, Co Cork on Thursday, February 4 contrary to Common Law.

Detective Sergeant James O'Shea said that when Leonard was arrested, cautioned and formally charged at Fermoy Garda Station, he made no reply.

Leonard, who has an address at Hill Crest, Glenosheen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, appeared in court by video link.

He remained silent throughout the brief hearing.

Because the charge involved is murder, the issue of bail can only be dealt with by the High Court.

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Gardai applied for the defendant to be remanded in custody until February 26.

He will appear via video link before Cork District Court on that date.

The court has already ordered that the forestry worker receive all appropriate medical and psychiatric support required while in custody.

Free legal aid has already been confirmed.

Leonard was arrested on February 5 and taken for questioning to Fermoy Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

He was detained on his discharge from Cork University Hospital (CUH) where he had been treated for hypothermia since Thursday.

Mrs O'Keeffe's body was discovered in a gutted Dacia Duster car at the remote Dromdeer woodland shortly before 4pm on February 4.

The widow's remains were removed to CUH where a full postmortem examination was conducted by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

Following that examination, Gardai arrested the defendant.

The widow was found dead in the burning car after a person out walking spotted smoke coming from the isolated woodland shortly before 4pm on Thursday last week.

Gardai were horrified to realise that a body was in the front passenger seat of the blazing car.

Such was the severity of the fire and the intense heat that the vehicle was burned back to its steel chassis shell.

Mrs O'Keeffe lived in Dromahane and was the mother of three adult sons.

Her husband, Donal, died over 20 years ago.

Tributes were paid to the widow in the north Cork village where she was hailed as a hard-working person who was totally devoted to her family and her community.

She had worked as a chef in a north Cork sheltered housing project and neighbours said she loved dancing, music and playing cards with friends.

Mrs O'Keeffe lived alone in the family home just off Dromahane's main street.

Details of her funeral arrangements are expected to be announced next week.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in association with Surana & Surana International Attorneys will be hosting the Indian National Rounds of the 25th Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition. The Competition will be held virtually from 12th to 14th February 2021.

The Stetson Moot is the world's largest moot court competition exclusively dedicated to global environmental issues. The moot is organized by the Stetson University College of Law, Florida in cooperation with the Stetson Center for Excellence in Advocacy, and the Stetson Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy.

The competition aims to motivate young and budding lawyers to take up environmental causes to fight against the negative and long-term impact of environmental pollution on health, economy and social well-being of the human population. Each year, the moot deals with an environment issue of global relevance. The theme for the 25th edition of the Competition is "Protection of Bats and International Trade Measures".

Reflecting on the philosophy of the Moot, C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University, emphasized that "In a time when global environmental problems are rapidly increasing, serious thoughts and efforts need to be put into addressing these issues. Only by collective and concerted action prompted by indomitable will and determination can international and national communities prevent further damage to the environment and ensure sustainable living. Competitions like Stetson are opportunities for such will-formation among the younger generation".

The 25th National Rounds will be judged by eminent and leading academicians, practitioners, and policymakers. The Final Rounds of the Competition to be held on 14th February will be judged by Margaret Joan Beazley AO, QC, Governor of New South Wales; Justice Michael D. Wilson, Judge Supreme Court of Hawai'; Ambassador Gudmundur Eiriksson, Professor, Jindal Global Law School; Bharat H. Desai, Professor and Jawaharlal Nehru University Chair in International Environmental Law, Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Charu Sharma, Professor, Jindal Global Law School.

Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar, O.P. Jindal Global University stated that "It is an honour and pleasure for JGU to host the 25th Indian National Rounds of Stetson Environmental Moot. The University has successfully organised the 24th Indian National Rounds in the year 2020. More than the said experience, our own environmental consciousness, commitment to national causes like the Swachh Bharat Mission and our deep-seated commitment to the protection of environment prompted us to become the host".

Welcoming all judges and participants of the Moot, Sreejith S.G., Professor and Executive Dean, Jindal Global Law School stated that, "We once again look forward to receiving all participants of the Moot to JGLS. Although the Pandemic has pressed us to hold the Moot online for the first time, it has in no way reduced student-participation in Moot or diminished the spirit associated with it. We are certain to have very engaging and lively sessions".
Its been more than a month since the citywide media briefly focused on Leticia Remauro, the candidate for Staten Island Borough President caught on camera enthusiastically yelling Heil Hitler at a rally in December. She went on to apologize on Twitter for making a bad analogy and explained to the Daily News that she actually meant to yell Mein Fuhrer.

Even if she was somehow caught up in the excitement of a rally against public health restrictions, these hateful words should be disqualifying for any candidate for public office. Even worse, the December outburst wasnt an isolated instance. Two weeks later Remauro posted on Twitter hoping that Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of the Bronx  who has faced numerous death threats since taking office  would become sterile after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The Jewish Daily Forward also reported that Remauro has a history of using racist and offensive language on social media  none of which she has apologized for.

As with so many American institutions, racism and anti-Semitism in our political parties run much deeper than a single bad apple that can be ignored or swept under the rug. In the case of the Staten Island GOP and business establishment, the near-total silence around Remauros rhetoric is as troubling to us as the incident itself.

Other than a couple of brief Twitter posts from Remauros GOP opponent Steven Matteo and her employer and former protege Nicole Malliotakis (whose parents are donors to Remauros campaign), Staten Island GOP leaders have remained tight-lipped about Remauros vile words despite citywide media coverage.

New York State GOP spokesperson, City Council member and prolific Twitter user Joe Borelli (with 33,000 followers) hasnt commented. Neither have state Sen. Andrew Lanza (who attended the infamous rallies against public health restrictions with Remauro), Assemblymember Mike Tannousis, GOP chairs Mary Reilly and Brendan Lantry, or Staten Island Young Republicans in their very active social media accounts. Similar silence was heard from our current centrist Borough President Jimmy Oddo and Assemblymember and Matteo supporter Michael Reilly. In the GOP, fear of speaking out apparently runs so deep that a recent article on divisions within the party had to rely on an anonymous inside source for comment on Remauro and other far-right candidates.

Equally troubling, none of Remauros business community donors and partners have publicly criticized her  although they presumably wish to continue doing business in diverse communities who are deeply offended by her remarks and are the tenor of her campaign. These include a local chamber of commerce, a board member at a Jewish charter school, the owners of a large commercial developer, and the owner of a local restaurant chain.

This silence is a problem. This silence is the problem.

We are not saying that the GOP has a monopoly on racism and antisemitism. In fact, a parallel situation is playing out right now within the Brooklyn Democratic Party, where district leader Lori Maslow has made a series of racist and xenophobic comments against Chinese and Palestinian people. As with our local GOP, some of the Brooklyn party bosses appear eager to accept a token apology and move on. But, an organized group of local party leaders have begun speaking out, and now several mayoral candidates have announced that theyll boycott the Brooklyn Dems mayoral forums until Maslow resigns or is removed from her party posts.

Where are the anti-racist voices in Staten Islands Republican party?

After a traumatic era of division and mistrust in our nation, resulting in a domestic attack on the Capitol, we need more than deafening silence from the political and business establishment when hateful rhetoric rears its head. They have associated with and nurtured figures like Remauro for far too long. Our borough and our country deserve better if we are to heal and come together to face the immense challenges that lie ahead.

(Justin Wood is a policy researcher and organizer based on Staten Island. Roxanne Mustafa is a technologist, product designer and local activist on Staten Island who advocates for increased civic engagement in under-represented communities.)
Wetherill Park Fleetmark has leased a 2534 sq m site at 6-7 Bushells Place from the Bushell Partnership for $135 per sq m. The lease term is four years plus a three-year option. Marcel Elias, LJ Hooker Commercial Silverwater negotiated the lease. Newtown Evonet Pty Ltd has leased a 65 sq m commercial site at 138 Carillon Avenue from Peter Morris ATF P & C Morris Family Trust for $300 per sq m gross. The lease term is two years. Adam Selikman, Taylor Nicholas Inner West. SALES

Wetherill Park ND Investments has sold a 3649 sq m building at 468-470 Victoria Street to a private investor for $8.1 million. The property was rented to two tenants, returning $444,000 per annum net, equating to a yield of 5.48 per cent. The sale was exclusively handled by Marcel Elias of LJ Hooker Commercial. 468-470 Victoria Street, Wetherill Park. Credit: Wallsend The Newcastle-based Piddington family has sold a 1,697 sq m retail warehouse investment property at 118-120 Newcastle Road to an investor for $3.63 million. The site totals 3028 sq m with dual street frontage and 25 on-grade car parking spaces. The family had successfully operated their carpet business out of the property, which they have owned for more than 40 years. The net initial yield achieved was 5.58 per cent, with a building rate of $2,142 per sq m. The deal was negotiated by Nick Lower, Ollie Ridley and Selin Ince of Savills Australia.
Boris Johnson today handed a new job to one of his his long-term advisers as he shook up the No10 operation.

Lord Udny-Lister was unveiled as his new 'special envoy for the Gulf and special projects' this afternoon.

The Prime Minister's ally, who will take up the role on February 22, will focus on strengthening links with the region and driving investment to the UK, Downing Street said.

Mr Johnson said: 'The Gulf is a pivotal region both economically and geopolitically. I'm very pleased to be sending Lord Udny-Lister to work with our partners there and to unlock its potential.

'His appointment marks my ambition to achieve a wholescale modernisation of our Gulf relationships, creating jobs and driving prosperity at home while delivering on our priorities and values overseas.'

Lord Udny-Lister had been acting chief of staff in No 10 until former Treasury official Dan Rosenfield relieved him of the role.

Mr Rosenfield, a former Treasury official who worked for George Osborne also unveiled a wave of new appointments to No10 today.

Tory peer Baroness Finn is to become his deputy while Henry Newman, a special advisor to Michael Gove, is also moving across, the Times reported.

Lord Udny-Lister was unveiled as 'special envoy for the Gulf and special projects' this afternoon

The Prime Minister's ally (pictured with the PM when he was mayor of London), who will take up the role on February 22, will focus on strengthening links with the region and driving investment to the UK, Downing Street said.

Three other advisers with lins to Mr Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister and former leadership rival of Mr Johnson, are also moving to No 10: Henry Cook, Meg Powell-Chandler and Declan Lyons.

Lord Lister's reputation as 'Steady Eddie' saw him act as the calming foil to Dominic Cummings before the later was forced out of No10 in a power struggle with Carrie Symonds.

For 19 years he was leader of flagship Tory Wandsworth Council, consistently delivering the lowest council tax in the country.

In 2011, he became Johnson's chief of staff at City Hall and masterminded his re-election as mayor in 2012.

Sir Edward is the working-class grit in the Old Etonian oyster  he went to a state school in Lambeth and never went to university.
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New Delhi, Feb 12 : After Trinamool Congress' Dinesh Trivedi announced his resignation as Rajya Sabha member on Friday, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said that though no talks had been held but the former Railway Minister was welcome in the party in case he so desired.

"No discussion has been held with Trivedi about joining the BJP. If he wants to join our party, he will be welcomed," the incharge of BJP's West Bengal affairs said.

"Trivedi's decision however has come late," Vijayvargiya quipped while claiming that they had met at an airport wherein Trivedi had said that he felt suffocated in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party.

Trivedi announced his resignation on the floor of the Upper House of Parliament.

Vijayvargiya said: "In West Bengal politics, a person who is honest and wants to serve society, state, and the country is not respected in the Trinamool. He can't remain in the Trinamool." The BJP leader claimed that no one would stay in Trinamool over a period of time due to the "arrogance" of Banerjee and her nephew.

"It is very clear in Bengal that those who want the state's development are expressing faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership," he said.

"A message has gone out that the Trinamool is going to lose power in West Bengal whereas the BJP is coming to power."
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2021) - West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. (TSXV: WHY) ("West High Yield" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement of units (the "Units") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to CAD$2,500,000 (the "Offering").

The Offering shall consist of the sale of up to 12,500,000 Units at a price of CAD$0.20 per Unit. Each Unit comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company ("Common Shares") and one (1) Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrants"). Two (2) Warrants, together with CAD$0.30, will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one (1) additional Common Share of the Company for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of issuance. The Warrants will not be listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV").

The Offering will be completed pursuant to certain exemptions from the prospectus requirements under applicable securities law, and it may be closed in one or more tranches. The minimum subscription per subscriber under the Offering is CAD$5,000. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about March 31, 2021 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals including the approval of the TSX-V.

The proceeds of the Offering will be used primarily to fund the completion of the Company's approved drilling program on the Company's Midnight Gold Claim located in the Rossland Gold Camp in British Columbia. A portion of the proceeds will also be used to fund the completion of the application by the Company to the British Columbia Department of Mines for the mining permit for its Record Ridge Magnesium and Nickel Mine located in Rossland, British Columbia and for general working capital.

About West High Yield

West High Yield is a publicly traded junior mining exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties in Canada with a primary objective to locate and develop economic gold, nickel and magnesium properties.

Contact Information:

West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd.

Frank Marasco

President and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (403) 660-3488

Facsimile: (403) 206-7159

Email: frank@whyresources.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; and other factors. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date hereof, and to not use such forward-looking information for anything other than its intended purpose. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74398

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.
After roughly four hours of argument on Thursday, the Democratic House impeachment managers concluded their opening presentation in the Senate trial of former President Donald Trump. In what was mainly a review of a mountain of evidence, the Democrats connected the actions of the fascist mob on January 6 to years of incitement and approval of violence by Trump.

Throughout the three days of the Senate trial, the Democrats brought forward damning evidence of Trumps personal guilt, while seeking to conceal the role of the Republican Party as a whole, including a majority of the Senate Republican jurors who will decide Trumps fate. And for the most part, they sought to downplay the implications of the attempted coup, although for the first time, one impeachment manager posed the question of what would have happened if Trump had been successful.

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., left, and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, right, walk on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, after the third day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The Democrats started their presentation by replaying videos from Trumps 2016 campaign rallies in which he urged his supporters to knock the hell out of protesters. This was followed by his response to the fascist show of strength in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, in which Trump whitewashed the murder of anti-racist activist Heather Heyer by a neo-Nazi, arguing that there were fine people on both sides.

Then came Trumps sanctioning of the April 30, 2020 storming of the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan, by heavily armed far-right anti-lockdown militia members, some of whom would go on to be arrested for their role in the kidnapping/assassination plot of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Lead House manager Jamie Raskin effectively drew the parallels between the Lansing attack and the January 6 siege of Capitol Hill, cutting back and forth between images of the two events.

As photos from each day were displayed, Raskin noted, This Trump-inspired mob may indeed look familiar to you. Confederate battle flags, MAGA hats, weapons, camo Army gearjust like the insurrectionists, who showed up and invaded the chamber on January 6. The siege of the Michigan Capitol was effectively a state-level dress rehearsal for the siege of the U.S. Capitol that Trump incited on January 6.

It is true that events in Michigan presaged the assault on the Capitol. However, in both cases, the Democrats did their best to conceal the true extent of the fascist threat. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden never pressed the issue of the plots against Whitmer, and in the Senate trial, the Democratic managers were doing their best to conceal the true extent of the fascist threat in order to shield their Republican colleagues from further exposure, chloroform the working class and keep the unprecedented political crisis confined within the ruling class and the state.

The House managers showed that the January 6 attackers were not acting randomly but on Trumps orders. They cited numerous tweets, videos and criminal affidavits from some of those arrested on January 6 in which they plainly stated they were following Trumps directives.

Colorado Representative Diana DeGette argued from the perspective of the insurrectionist themselves, saying their statements, before, during and after the attack make clear the attack was done for Donald Trump at his instruction and to fulfill his wishes. DeGette pointed out that the crowd was summoned to D.C. at the presidents orders, and we know that because they said so.

DeGette played a video from Trumps Ellipse speech the morning of January 6. The video showed the crowd reacting positively to Trumps directives to show strength, with replies from the crowd of storm the Capitol and invade the Capitol building. She played another video taken by neo-Nazi Tim Ginoet (alias Baked Alaska) from inside the building as the siege was underway, in which Ginoet beams, He [Trump] will be happy. Were fighting for Trump.

While not cited by impeachment managers, a memorandum filed by federal prosecutors on Thursday morning against Ohio Oath Keeper leader, 38-year-old Army veteran Jessica Watkins, is indicative of the mindset of those who spearheaded the coup on the Capitol. In arguing for Watkins to remain in pre-trial detention, prosecutors wrote, as the inauguration grew near, Watkins indicated that she was awaiting direction from President Trump.

However, the Democrats continued to limit the scope of their case to just Trump himself, leaving out his co-conspirators within the police, military, intelligence agencies and the Republican Party, some of whom were sitting as jurors. They could have easily pointed to the contempt shown by key Trump supporters in the Senate during the entire processat one point, reporters were counting as many as 18 of the 50 Republican senators absent from their desks. Other Republican senators were spotted by reporters doodling on their notepads or scrolling through their phones as the Democrats presented their case.

The contradiction between the dimensions of the fascist plot and the Democrats efforts to focus only on Trumps role was revealed most clearly in the presentation by Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island, who ended his remarks by posing the question of questions: What if Trump had been successful?

Cicilline noted that an attack on the Capitol had not happened even during the American Civil War. For the first time ever in our history a sitting president actively instigated his supporters to violently disrupt the process that provides for the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next. Think about that for a moment. What if President Trump had been successful? What if he had succeeded in overturning the will of the people and our constitutional processes? Who among us is willing to risk that outcome by letting Trumps constitutional crimes go unanswered?

No other impeachment manager sought to pursue this question, nor was it discussed among the media pundits following the conclusion of the days session. That is predictable, because the question raises a central issue: Who would have been Trumps collaborators in the event of a successful seizure of power? He would not have ruled alone. The bulk of the Republican Party would have rallied to his side, declared the insurrection to be the voice of the people outraged by supposed election fraud, and there are doubtless many Democrats who would under those circumstances have made their peace with the would-be dictator.

Rather than press this point, the impeachment managers called impeachment necessary to prevent the danger of Trump carrying out similar actions in 2024running again, losing again, inciting violence again. This grossly understates the real danger of fascist violence, when the same thugs who were mobilized on January 6 are capable of taking action now, as soon as Trump or other enablers in the ruling elite feel it is advantageous to do so. The same network of fascist sympathizers in high places, in Congress, in the military-intelligence apparatus, remains in place.

In their closing remarks, the House managers sought to rebut in advance the issues that Trumps lawyers might raise in the session that begins on Friday. Trumps lawyers have already lost their claim that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer president. The Senate rejected this claim on Tuesday, by a 56-44 vote. Raskin warned them explicitly against raising the same claim again, seeming to suggest it might be ruled out of order by Senator Patrick Leahy, who presides over the trial.

Raskin also demolished the claim by Trumps advocates that his First Amendment rights were under attack because he is accused of inciting the mob attack in the speech he delivered to the crowd assembled at the White House January 6. Raskin pointed out that government officials take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and a speech contrary to that oath is not protected by the First Amendment. He also noted acidly that Trumps speech was actually aimed at destroying First Amendment rights, not only of the congressmen who were forced to flee the Capitol, but of the tens of millions of people who voted in the election and would have had their votes suppressed if Trump had been successful.

One other appeal made by the House managers is worth noting, because it was so explicitly reactionary. Texas Democrat Joaquin Castro pointed to the reactions around the world from great power competitors such as Russia and China, citing an intelligence report which said, Since the incident at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, Russian, Iranian and Chinese influence actors have seized the opportunity to amplify narratives in furtherance of their policy interest amid the presidential transition.

Castro urged his Republican colleagues to vote to convict Trump in order to strengthen the world position of American imperialism against its foreign rivals. This was an echo of the bogus anti-Russia campaign conducted by the Democratic Party throughout Trumps presidency, through which they attempted to divert all popular opposition to Trumps vicious, anti-working class policies into a right-wing direction, to support a more aggressive US foreign policy in the Middle East and more generally.
But it was not just the police who were beating up students and democratic protestors in the city. Mobs of masked men in t-shirts were seen rampaging with relative impunity. They were identified as members of the infamous 14K triad  a major organized crime group based in Hong Kong.Why would a criminal group involved in everything from drug trafficking to prostitution and smuggling support China, a country known for executing criminals who precisely those things? The answer is quite fascinating, and not without a fair dose of irony.

The historic links between triads and China

Triads were criminal groups that had their roots in ancient Chinese secret societies. They came to the fore as mafia-style organizations during the 18th century, as China was opening to the western Colonial powers.

But after the Communist Revolution, Mao Zedong started a crackdown on these criminal groups, forcing them to leave mainland China. They found a haven in colonial outposts like Hong Kong and Macau.

Then a strange thing happened  as the West imposed sanctions on China, the Triads sensed an opportunity. When the West imposed sanctions on China after the revolution, it was desperately in need of supplies, including weapons.









Since Hong Kong was British, the triads to import/buy essentials there and smuggle them into mainland China. Over the decades, as the Chinese economy grew, the triads expanded their businesses to include gambling in Macau, money laundering, and other financial crimes in Hong Kong.

How the triads prosper under a resurgent China

After the transition of Hong Kong to Chinese control in 1999, Triads started becoming more and more pro-Beijing. Flush with cash from their criminal activities, they had gradually expanded into legitimate businesses and front companies. They have also benefited greatly from Chinas growing stature on the global scene.

The Belt and Road initiative is the perfect example of this  the ambitious plan involves connecting China with the rest of Asia, Europe, and Africa using land and shipping routes. China has pumped billions of dollars building roads into neighbors like Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos.

Those countries are home to the infamous Golden Triangle  a lawless zone where much opium, heroin, and methamphetamine is produced. The triads have invested heavily in these regions and now use the increased traffic to move drugs.

In this situation, angering the Chinese authorities would make life incredibly difficult for the triads. Siding with mainland China also has another advantage for the Triads  protection from US and Western sanctions. Though they are based in China, Hong Kong, and Macau, they have a global presence.

"By the 1990s, he was the top crime lord in Macau, earning a reported $6 million per month. But the high life soon caught up with Broken Tooth Koi..."





The US recently pressed sanctions on Carrie Lam, the pro-China leader of Hong Kong. The move has soured ties between the two countries. As long as those sanctions are in place, the Chinese authorities are not expected to do much about recent US sanctions on another individual in Hong Kong  Wan Kuok Koi, popularly known as Broken Tooth Koi.

The colorful story of Broken Tooth Koi

Wan Kuok Koi is one of those gangsters whose life reads like a movie script. He famously funded a movie on his life  going so far as to block traffic on a major bridge in Macau for two hours so that shooting could take place.

The 65-year old rose through the ranks of the 14K triad in Macau. By the 1990s, he was the top criminal lord in Macau, earning a reported $6 million per month. But the high life soon caught up with Broken Tooth Koi  weeks after his outrageous bridge stunt, he was arrested and sent to prison for 13 years, with all assets seized.

After his release in 2012, Broken Tooth quickly ensconced himself into another highly lucrative enterprise  junkets. The informal system ferries high-value gamblers from mainland China to casinos in Macau. The junkets also serve as an easy way to launder money gotten through illegal means. He is also known to operate a number of online casinos masquerading as licensed entities.

Apart from gambling, Wan Kuok also rapidly expanded his operations into countries like Cambodia and Myanmar, allegedly using the Belt and Road initiative as cover. He is even part of the Communist Party of China's Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which gives him a lot of leverage in these countries.

The US sanctions highlighted several organizations founded or controlled by Wan Kuok - World Hongmen History and Culture Association, Palau China Hung-Mun Cultural Association, and the Dongmei Group, which all have bases in Hong Kong and strong ties with the triads.

Through these fronts, the triads build links with powerful figures in countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The Hongmen association is particularly interesting  it is another name of the Ancient Chinese secret society called Tiandihui - from which the triads originated.

Like the Freemasons, there are international branches of the Hongmen in countries with significant Chinese diaspora. There is even a political party in China based on this group  the China Zhi Gong Party.

Networks like these give criminal organizations like the triads a lot of power in Hong Kong, as well as other parts of Asia. As long as that remains the case, the sanctions against individuals like Broken Tooth Koi will only have a limited impact.
Windsor, N.Y. -- A 64-year-old man was hospitalized Thursday after the garbage truck he was driving crashed and the trailer became unhitched, rolling down an embankment, according to New York State Police.

Troopers have not identified the driver or released information about his condition.

Just after 11 a.m., troopers responded to a crash in Windsor, near Binghamton, for a report of a tractor trailer having rolled over, police said.

An investigation found the garbage truck was being driven west on State Highway 17 when it crashed, according to police. The driver was speeding and made an unsafe lane change, hitting a guardrail, police said. The truck continued through the guardrail into the median, where it then hit an embankment, according to police.

The trailer became detached and overturned, landing in the median between the overpasses for State Line Road, police said.

The crash damaged 200 feet of guiderail, a utility pole and wires, according to police.

The driver was taken to Wilson Hospital.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter.
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KAUA'I, Hawaii, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Woolpert has been awarded a task order under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Shoreline Mapping Services Contract to provide topographic and bathymetric lidar data and imagery for islands in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands chain, mostly within the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. This contract is administered by NOAA's National Geodetic Survey Remote Sensing Division and will support several mission areas within NOAA.

Under this task order, Woolpert will deploy its King Air 300 Turboprop aircraft with Leica Chiroptera 4X and Leica HawkEye 4X lidar sensors out of Kaua'i to collect Quality Level 1 topographic and QL2b bathymetric lidar data. The project will cover 1,687 square miles on and around Necker Island, Nihoa Island and the French Frigate Shoals.

Woolpert will process and deliver the lidar and imagery data, along with normalized reflectance imagery, for use in nautical charting and benthic mapping. The data will be used in support of operations by NOAA Ship Rainier, a hydrographic survey vessel, updating the nation's nautical charts in the Pacific Ocean and supporting numerous other programs within NOAA, including the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Coral Reef Program and NOAA Fisheries.

"This data will enhance the safety and efficiency of the NOAA Ship Rainier operations planned for 2022 by reducing or eliminating the need for them to survey inshore of 50 meters, which is the depth we expect to achieve with this technology," Woolpert Geospatial Project Manager Megan Blaskovich said. "Because the area is so remote and uninhabited, it comes with unique acquisition challenges like not being able to be based in the project AOI (area of interest)."

The topo-bathy lidar will be provided in a classified point cloud format and delivered as a seamless digital elevation model, including all necessary metadata. The imagery will be fully processed through an orthomosaic, using direct georeferencing.

The lidar and imagery collected under this NOAA NGS task order complements the topographic lidar Woolpert is currently collecting in Hawaii for the U.S. Geological Survey and for NOAA's Office for Coastal Management. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State of Hawaii, Office of Planning, all contributed to the topographic lidar project.

Woolpert Vice President and Maritime Market Director John Gerhard said these agencies collaborate on the collection and utilization of lidar data and imagery, which benefit multiple end users.

"This is an outstanding example of how these federal agencies are working together to ensure vital mapping data are procured and available for multiple applicationswhile saving time and money," Gerhard said. "We're honored to support these agencies and this team however and whenever we can."

This acquisition is scheduled to start this spring, with data and imagery set to be delivered in late 2021 or early 2022.

About Woolpert

Woolpert is committed to a vision to become the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, and one of the best companies in the world. It's a vision we've been fine-tuning for decades. It guides our decisions and investments, provides our clients with optimal solutions and offers our employees unrivaled opportunities. Woolpert is recognized as a Great Place to Work by its employees and is America's fastest-growing AEG firm. With more than a century of experience, over 1,100 employees and 42 offices, Woolpert supports public, private, federal, and U.S. military clients nationally and around the globe. For more information, visit woolpert.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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She layers up as best she can underneath her blue United States Postal Service coat and pants, both adorned with the familiar red and white stripes. A floppy hood drapes over her winter cap, just above a facial mask needed for the pandemic. Her gloves are thick enough for warmth but thin enough to handle every shape and size of mail parcels. Boots that could navigate Antarctica round out her uniform.
A SETTLEMENT has been reached in the High Court action against former Anglo Irish Bank executive Tom Browne over 30.3m in loans.

Mr Browne has consented to judgment against him for 30.3m after the special liquidators to Anglo's successor, the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC), sued him for default on a demand for repayment of the loans he got mainly as he was departing Anglo around September 2007.

A counterclaim by him against IBRC was also dismissed on consent.

Separate 2017 proceedings by IBRC against Mr Browne and his wife Diane were also dismissed. In those, IBRC sought to reverse alleged asset transfers, including in relation to the couple's home in Brighton Road, Foxrock, Dublin.

Mr Browne had been under cross examination on Wednesday when the court was also asked to consider an application by the Browne side to substitute certain IBRC witnesses with three garda witnesses who gave evidence at the criminal trials of other Anglo executives.

On Thursday, Mr Justice Brian O'Moore was asked by the parties for time for discussions and it was further adjourned to Friday.

John Rogers SC, for Mr Browne, said the further adjournment was needed because another party needed to be consulted later in the day. This consultation related to certain asset reversal proceedings against Mr Browne, counsel said.

Yesterday, Paul Gardiner SC, for IBRC, said his side had just received the necessary signed document and he was now asking for the proceedings and counterclaim to be dismissed along with entering judgement for 30.3m.

Counsel asked for a stay on the execution of the agreement on terms agreed between the parties with liberty to have the stay lifted for the purpose of enforcing the settlement.

Mr Justice O'Moore made the orders sought.

Mr Browne's Anglo loans were mainly part of a renegotiation of his finances for a substantial portfolio of properties he had built up since 1987. At one stage he had 12 properties in prime residential locations in Dublin and a co-interest in two high-end commercial units in Galway.

One loan he got after leaving the bank, for some 28m, was for an office building in Bishopsgate, London. Mr Browne argued all his property loans were performing loans with the income from rents more than paying off interest due on them.

The bank started calling in the loans in 2010 and, when he failed to repay, it issued proceedings for judgement against him, for a figure that stood at that time at some 50m. He opposed the move.

Those proceedings were put on hold for several years pending the criminal trials of certain other Anglo executives.

In his counterclaim, he argued the loans were void by reason of fraudulent misrepresentation through silence by Anglo about the involvement of the Quinn Group, via Sean Quinn, in the ownership of the bank.

IBRC denied this and disputed Mr Brownes claim that he was not aware of the Quinn position when he was leaving Anglo in 2007.

New Delhi: The Sri Lankan government is in talks with private investors involved in a three-way pact between New Delhi , Colombo and the government of Japan to operate the East Container Terminal (ECT) of Colombo Port, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday.

The talks were aimed at overcoming the impasse over cancellation of the pact to operate the ECT by the Sri Lankan government, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.

Indias interest for participation in the Colombo port is a long standing one since most goods handled there are from and to India. We had, in principle, agreement from the Sri Lankan Government in this regard. Current Government has, however, expressed a preference in engaging investors directly. I understand discussions are still underway," Srivastava said.

The pact was signed in 2019 with India and Japan holding 49% stake in ECT. The Colombo Port is an important port for trans-shipment of goods coming to India.

But earlier this month, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the operation of the east terminal would be done by Sri Lanka Ports Authority. News reports say that the Sri Lankan governments move came in the wake of intense protests from port employees unions with other unions also joining the campaign demanding the cancellation of the pact with India.

The development of the ECT was a subject discussed by Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar when he visited Colombo in January. However days after Jaishankars visit, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had assured port workers that the ECT was not going to be sold or leased, and that there would be an investment" by Indias Adani group, news reports said. But the unions were not convinced and continued their protests.

Following the decision to handover the development of the ECT project to the Sri Lankan Ports Authority, a Sri Lankan cabinet meeting approved a proposal to develop the West Terminal at the Colombo Port as a Public Private Partnership with India and Japan.

India has not yet commented on this. According to news reports, the West terminal is strategically no different from the East, and commercially even better. The Sri Lankan government was trying to sweeten the deal for India by offering India and Japan a much higher stake  as much as 85% in the West terminal as compared to 49 % in ECT, according to news reports. The unions which had opposed the ECT contract are said to be supportive of the proposal to invite India and Japan to participate in the development and operation of the west terminal.

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SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - A week after another U.S. federal court filing implicated him in drug trafficking, the president of Honduras was in a helicopter zipping over a remote mountain range, scrolling through Twitter.

It was mid-January, and Juan Orlando Hernandez was trying to calculate what Washington's political transition meant for his country - and for himself. He flicked past news of Donald Trump's impeachment, past a Nikki Haley tweet about "liberal elites," past a preview of Joe Biden's inauguration.

For four years, Hernandez had built his governing program around the demands of the Trump administration, which in turn had stayed out of Honduran domestic affairs. Now that arrangement was ending. Hernandez, like heads of state around the world, was preparing for an extreme change in American foreign policy - and trying to figure out how to refashion himself from a Trump ally into a Biden one.

The stakes are higher for Hernandez than perhaps any other world leader. Not only are the political and economic fortunes of his country inextricably linked to the United States, but Hernandez himself is one of few sitting presidents ever to be implicated in drug trafficking by the U.S. Justice Department.

He has not been charged, but prosecutors have described evidence against him in multiple indictments, including one against his brother, Tony, a former congressman in Honduras who was convicted in Manhattan federal court in 2019 of cocaine trafficking. In that case, the Justice Department said Tony Hernandez had delivered a $1 million bribe from Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to Juan Orlando Hernandez in 2013. The president denies that allegation and any other alleged ties to drug trafficking.

If he were charged, he could face extradition when his term ends next year - or, if the U.S.-Honduras relationship sours, sooner. But Hernandez, who describes Biden as an old colleague, is hopeful.

"We will have to sit down, talk and see the progress that has been made," in Honduras, he told The Washington Post. "I always felt that Biden was more pragmatic" than Trump, "and always very courteous."

In November, Hernandez tweeted a photo of him with Biden in 2015, Biden's arm clutching Hernandez's biceps. "I hope we can work together," he wrote, "like in the past."

Hernandez and his aides have tried to charm Democratic lawmakers, fired their lobbying firm, welcomed a new U.N. office focusing on drugs and crime and revived talking points on climate change. The controversial asylum pact Hernandez signed with Trump? Now he described Trump's approach as "aggressive." Hernandez, by his own account, was ready to move on.

But in the middle of that effort, the Justice Department released a new indictment. In their case against alleged drug trafficker Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, prosecutors quoted Hernandez as saying he "wanted to shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos" by using Fuentes's cocaine laboratory to increase production.

"Ridiculous," Hernandez said. (Fuentes, arrested in Florida in March, has pleaded not guilty.)

It is now another issue to resolve with the new administration, one less likely to look the other way. Hondurans will be watching closely. Given the fragility of the country's judicial system, Hernandez's many critics believe their only shot at justice is in the United States. "Fuera la narcodictadura" - "Get the narcodictatorship out" - has become a rallying cry.

"Hernandez thinks he can get out of the Department of Justice noose," said one senior U.S. official. "So he's signaling every willingness to work with the new administration."

- - -

Hernandez, floating over the country's verdant countryside in the presidential helicopter, rattled off the connections between the two countries evident in the landscape below.

He pointed out a U.S. military base, the only one in Central America. A new Nike factory. Puerto Cortes, from which tankers loaded with Honduran products sail for the United States. In the distance lay San Pedro Sula, where at that moment a caravan of thousands of Honduran migrants was hours away from leaving for the U.S. border.

There is another connection: Every year, thousands of pounds of cocaine transit through Honduras on the way to the United States. According to the Justice Department, some of that cargo is trafficked by Honduran officials - an allegation the Trump administration mostly ignored while officials praised Hernandez's counternarcotics and anti-migration efforts.

"It was all about migration for Trump. It was purely transactional, and Hernandez knew how to give Trump what he wanted," said the senior U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the subject and commented on the condition of anonymity. "When we tried to push other issues, like anti-corruption issues, we didn't get any traction at the highest levels."

Honduran officials quickly recognized that the Trump administration was not interested in pressing Hernandez on the accusations.

"In my 30 meetings with various actors in Washington, the allegations against him never came up," Foreign Minister Lisandro Rosales said.

The Trump State Department said in a January statement that the United States uses its "diplomatic engagement with the Government of Honduras to support the rule of law and the fight against corruption and impunity."

"We take any allegations of criminal activity very seriously," the statement said. "Department officials engage with a wide variety of Honduran government officials, in all branches of government, political parties, civil society actors, and the private sector to achieve our objectives."

Trump's focus was on blocking Hondurans from getting to the U.S. border, or from applying for asylum once they arrived. But analysts say it is poor governance in Honduras - one of the most violent nations in Latin America, and one of the most corrupt in the world, according to Transparency International - that prompts migration to the United States.

Biden has outlined those issues in his Central America policy plan, a document read by Hernandez's team with interest and concern. Elements include "revoking visas to the United States and freezing assets of corrupt individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras."

In all three countries, Biden will inherit relationships transformed by the Trump administration. Trump praised El Salvador and Guatemala for their policies to slow migration but took no action when Guatemala dissolved its U.N.-backed anti-corruption agency or when critics accused El Salvador's president of encouraging excessive force to fight gang violence.

Whatever Biden does to restore accountability to U.S. foreign policy, it is likely Hernandez who has the most to lose. For more than a decade, he has navigated changes in U.S. policy, shape-shifting as necessary to insulate himself. But it is the extradition treaty with the United States that he pushed to implement when he was president of the Honduran Congress that now might pose the biggest threat to him.

"President Hernandez, like many foreign leaders, has been very skillful at telling people in Washington what they want to hear," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. "But the reality is that democracy and human rights are under assault in Honduras, and corruption permeates the government."

Hernandez has studied U.S. politics since his stint in a master's program at the State University of New York at Albany. He grew up on a small coffee farm in the city of Gracias, near the Salvadoran border, one of 17 children. As he came of age politically, he came to believe that winning over the United States was a necessary survival skill.

In 2003, while a member of Congress, he loaned his office to State Department officials, who used it to rally Honduran lawmakers to support the Iraq War. U.S. diplomats presented him with a pair of George W. Bush cuff links, U.S. officials said. When Barack Obama was president, Hernandez championed a program aimed at stemming migration by increasing security and employment.

With Trump in office, Hernandez's administration agreed to block Central American migrants from seeking asylum in the United States. After the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Hernandez announced Honduras would move its embassy there as well.

"Hernandez has always known which U.S. priorities to support to maintain the relationship," said Adriana Beltran of the Washington Office on Latin America.

Meanwhile, the allegations have piled up. They include the claim by U.S. prosecutors that the Mexican drug lord Guzman had given Tony Hernandez $1 million for his brother's presidential campaign. Tony Hernandez's attorneys argued during his federal trial that there was no evidence to prove the claim. Prosecutors also claim Juan Orlando Hernandez had agreed "to facilitate the use of Honduran armed forces personnel as security" for drug traffickers.

Hernandez said he called his brother personally and told him, "If you did something wrong and they detain you, it's your responsibility." He told his mother he supported his brother's extradition. She was furious, he said.

"I have two roles," he said, "the role of a brother and the role as head of state."

Hernandez calls the accusations against him absurd, arguing that they come from alleged criminals who are trying to reduce their prison sentences.

"It is a very strange situation," he said. "In other justice systems around the world, this would not be considered a valid testimony."

Trump backed Hernandez when he won reelection, despite fraud allegations, in 2017. The United States did not stop Honduras from quashing an anti-corruption agency last year. Officials continued to work with Hernandez, formalizing an agreement last year that allows the United States to send non-Honduran asylum seekers to Honduras to file their claims there.

"President Hernandez is working with the United States very closely," Trump said in December 2019. "You know what's going on on our southern border. And we're winning after years and years of losing."

Hernandez's administration seized upon the recognition.

"These are really the words of a friend," Rosales, the foreign minister, said at the time.

Two days before Tony Hernandez was convicted, the U.S. Embassy in Honduras tweeted that "our governments cooperate on a wide range of issues including migration, security, the fight against narcotics, and economic development."

U.S. diplomats and Honduran activists recoiled.

"We watched the Honduran government grow more corrupt, more abusive, and the only check on those problems - the United States - had vanished," said Gabriela Castellanos, the head of the National Anticorruption Council, which for years has received support from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Trump State Department defended its role.

"Embassy officials meet regularly with the Honduran government to address specific human rights cases, advocate for improving human rights and anti-corruption efforts, and work to improve prosperity and security in Honduras," it said in January.

But since Biden's election, those in Hernandez's inner circle have grown concerned. They worry that Democratic critics such as Leahy and Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., will have a stronger role in crafting policy.

In recent months, State Department officials created an internal policy of avoiding photos with Hernandez, according to a U.S. official. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and a group of Democratic members of Congress refused to meet with him when they visited Honduras in 2019.

"I don't think he fully understands the change that is about to come," said Torres, who was on that trip. "My hope is that we will find a way to undo the great damage his government has done while the Trump administration looked away."

Senior Honduran officials sent four requests to meet with Torres as they tried to endear themselves to a Democratic administration. She did not respond.

"From Rep. Torres's perspective, there is no point for a lawmaker to sit down with the representative of any foreign government, and particularly a narco state, ahead of the new administration," said her spokesman, Dan Lindner.

It is rare for the United States to indict a head of state. But Hernandez's term ends next January. Analysts worry he will try to cling to power - he says he won't - or undo the country's extradition treaty before he steps down. Honduran officials say Hernandez has no plans to change the extradition law, a process that would require approval by two consecutive legislatures.

For now, at least publicly, it appears his strategy is the same as it has always been: Win over a new U.S. president.

- - -

At the edge of Honduras's desolate Mosquito Coast, Luis Suazo, the country's ambassador to the United States, stood next to the wreckage of an airplane that had crash-landed, weighed down by thousands of pounds of cocaine. On the wing, someone had emblazoned a fake U.N. insignia, in an apparent attempt to fool the Honduran military.

Suazo, a former security minister, has been tasked with winning over the Biden administration. Now he was highlighting the country's progress against gangs and drug traffickers.

In 2011, Honduras was the largest cocaine transshipment country in the world, according to the State Department. By 2019, the department reported, only 4 percent of shipments that reached the United States made a first stop here.

"I want to congratulate the Government of Honduras for its excellent work," Adm. Craig S. Faller, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, said when he visited Hernandez in December.

It was praise that Hernandez and his staff circulated widely: Why would a president involved in drug trafficking crack down on drug trafficking?

"It doesn't make any sense," Suazo said. "We've been willing partners in the fight against drug trafficking, and the numbers bear that out."

Behind him, a unit of Honduran soldiers buried dynamite near the decomposing plane. They were here to destroy the clandestine runway on which it had attempted to land - and had invited a Washington Post correspondent to watch. It was yet another part of Hernandez's new messaging campaign.

After Hernandez was elected in 2014, he sponsored a "purification" of the country's police, backed and funded by the United States, which led to the dismissal of half the force. He helped legalize extradition from Honduras to the United States.

Current and former U.S. officials said there were rumors that Hernandez was complicit in drug trafficking during the early years of his presidency, but there was never any explicit intelligence implicating him. The officials say they have been able to back counternarcotics efforts in a country known for institutional corruption by partnering with military and police units that have passed polygraph tests.

"The DEA works hand in hand with these vetted units through shared intel and bilateral investigations to support Honduran operations," the Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement.

Biden has proposed spending $4 billion in Central America to improve security and develop the economy. It is unclear what role Hernandez would have. When Biden led development efforts in Central America in 2015 aimed at deterring migration, Hernandez toured Washington think tanks to promote the strategy, called the "Alliance for Prosperity." It seems unlikely that he will play a similar role this time. But he has already begun to try.

"It's vintage Juan Orlando," said a former U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing diplomatic affairs. "He's asking himself, 'What can I do today to show the Biden people that I'm a strong partner?' "

Bragging can be fun and positive when its amongst close friends and extended family you love, those who are emotionally connected and can easily share in your childrens successes, Campbell says.

Psychologist Debra Campbell says bragging about your kids achievements usually comes from a place of pride, and while thats not a bad thing, it pays to read the room before you post.

But this all depends on the relationship those online have, not just with the child, but the parent as well, Campbell says. The wider circles of friends on socials may whole-heartedly join the congratulations, but in some cases, they might get caught up in social comparison, worried that their family isnt up to scratch in some way.

This is the dark side of social media, Campbell says: The impact of social comparison on peoples self-esteem.

Norths art teacher spoke out to verify the young painters integrity, but to be fair, if she did have help, it wouldnt be the first time the Kardashians have tried to fool the public. Just last year, Forbes magazine launched their own investigation after crowning Kylie Jenner a billionaire in 2019 thanks to her make-up empire. According to Forbes, Jenner had been fudging the numbers.

Such tales reiterate the widespread dismissal of their success and suggestion they are merely famous for being famous. So what happens when one of them displays raw, unfettered talent for something other than provocative self-promotion? It might be disorienting.

And, though we find the behaviour of the Kardashians gauche and jarring at times, like when they jovially vacation during a pandemic, or edit their photos into blank, cartoonish versions of themselves, there is a core ideal perpetuated by every member, but none more so than matriarch, Kris: that behind every spat and every Instagram display of their surgically-enhanced bodies, is an authentic family.
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"We are very excited to be able to share exciting stories of African-American aviators during Black History Month and are pleased to welcome original Tuskegee Airman Dr. Quinton as one of our judges," said Military Aviation Museum Director Keegan Chetwynd.

The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach is celebrating Black History Month this year by hosting a Youth Aviation Art Contest that invites children in Grades 1-12 to honor the contributions of African-Americans in Aviation History through their artistic submissions, with entries due by Sunday, February 21st.

The contest will be judged by a panel of aviation aficionados, including SGT Harry Quinton, a documented original Tukegee Airman who resides in Williamsburg, VA. Sgt Quinton is a current member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Tidewater Chapter based out of Hampton Virginia and states that Tuskegee Airmen refers to all who were involved in the so-called Tuskegee Airmen Aviation Experiment or Experience, the Army Air Corps program to train African Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, supply, maintenance and support staff, instructors, and all the personnel who kept the planes in the air.

Contest winners will be awarded an array of prizes, and their works will be placed on display in the Museum as part of a special exhibit. Whether featuring Bessie Coleman, The Tuskegee Airmen, Ensign Jesse Brown, or World War Is Eugene Bullard, there are so many stories the artwork can tell. All compositions submitted will be displayed virtually as well, so that those unable to visit the museum in person can still appreciate the masterpieces!

"We are very excited to be able to share exciting stories of African-American aviators during Black History Month and are pleased to welcome original Tuskegee Airman Dr. Quinton as one of our judges," said Military Aviation Museum Director Keegan Chetwynd. "We hope to receive submissions from across Virginia and have already had a number of phone calls from parents and teachers excited to submit their children's pieces. "

For more information on how to enter the Black History Month Aviation Art Contest visit https://militaryaviationmuseum.org/bhm2021-art-contest/ .

The museum is currently open and operating via normal hours, 9AM-5PM daily, with a first come first served admissions policy. All visitors are required to wear a mask while visiting the museum, and guests are asked to practice social distancing during their visit. Should there be any weather impacts, announcements will be made on the museums Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MilitaryAviationMuseum/.

About the Museum:

A 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the Military Aviation Museum is home to one of the worlds largest collections of airworthy military aircraft from the first 50-years of flight. Truly a living museum, its aircraft are in restoration at facilities around the world. Besides the main Museum the Virginia Beach complex features additional exhibition spaces, including a mid-1930s Luftwaffe hangar, originally from Cottbus, Germany, which now serves to house the Museum's collection of WWII-vintage German aircraft. Additional structures include the WWI Hangar, and the original radio control tower from RAF Goxhill built in England in 1942. Visit http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org for more information or call 757-721-7767.
But many companies  especially small- and medium-sized firms  lament what feels like a new normal.

The European Union has traditionally purchased nearly half of Britains exports. The volume of exports crossing the channel in January collapsed by more than two-thirds compared with the previous year. Some producers of fish, shellfish, meat and dairy have been cut off from markets in Europe, suffering a catastrophic plunge in sales.

Transport firms are so wary of the complexities of sending goods from Britain to Europe that many are avoiding the business. Roughly half of all trucks bringing goods from the French port of Calais to the English port of Dover are now returning empty, transporting nothing but thin air.

Britains lucrative finance industry has seen trading in the stocks of European companies shift abruptly to the continent, as Amsterdam has displaced London as the primary market for such shares. Growing volumes of the exotic instruments known as derivatives  especially those denominated in euros  are abandoning London for New York.

Manufacturers are contending with grave disruptions to their supplies of finished products, components and basic materials.

And the changes imposed by Brexit are only beginning, as London and Brussels continue to renegotiate the rules governing future commercial dealings across the channel.

We are going to be living with Brexit for the rest of our lives, said Jeremy Thomson-Cook, London-based chief economist at Equals Money, an international money manager. The coronavirus is an acute condition. Brexit is chronic.
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Looking for something eye-catching for your drinks? Check out my top 20 retro home cocktail bars and cabinets round-up.

It actually started out as 10, but I just found more and more worth featuring and made the decision to stop at 20. On the plus side, that also means more variety. Yes, there are bars here, but also cabinets and trolleys.

More importantly, I have also tried to mix things up in terms of price too, as well as combining both new items with some vintage.

Obviously, the vintage items are one-offs and might sell through quickly. So with that in mind, I will keep an eye on this feature and try and maintain a selection of 20 items that are available to buy. Also, if I see a boat bar at a reasonable price, I will ass that in. None out there right now as far as I can see.

The majority are new pieces and as such, should be available to order for the foreseeable future. No particular order to the rundown here. These are just items that caught my eye and hopefully, look good in a retro home and more importantly, youre home.

So lets kick off with the first of those

1. Vespa home cocktail bar at Smithers of Stamford

Lets start the round-up with something of a talking point and a design you may love if you have a thing about scooters.

This is a cocktail wine bar made of reclaimed wood and some genuine scooter parts, all brought together as a piece of home design and a functioning home bar. Different finishes are available and due to the nature of construction, each one will be unique to the owner. The downside is the price, which is 1,656.

Find out more at the Smithers of Stamford website

But thats not quite the end of the story with this one. A similar Scooter Bar Unit (pictured above) is available via Maisons Du Monde. Not quite the same thing, but similar and selling for a substantially less 811.

Find out more at the Maisons Du Monde website

2. Midcentury bar cabinet at West Elm

Something more traditional and likely to appeal to anyone with a love of the 1950s or 1960s.

This is your classic drinks cabinet, with all the little touches you would expect from such a design. A wood finishes, metal details, tapered legs and dedicated storage for your drinks, glasses and much more in the cabinet and within the doors.

Part of a larger range of similar designs, it sells for 849.

Find out more at the West Elm website

3. Morris midcentury modern bar cabinet at Wayfair

Something similar, but a whole lot cheaper.

Ok, the dedicated storage options arent quite the same with this one, but there is a good amount of storage, as well as a 12-glass stemware rack and four grooves for wine bottles. Love those long tapered legs too.

469.99 if you want this in your living room.

Find out more at the Wayfair website

4. 1950s-style Topim bar at La Redoute

Something of a doubleheader this one. Yes, its a bar but it also works as a sideboard.

But for the purpose of this round-up, its a bar. Described as a bean buffet-bar due to its shape, it has a good surface to work with as a standalone bar, a great retro shape and plenty of storage within. Love those legs too.

If you want something a little more subtle in terms of a bar, this might be the one for you. 575 is the price.

Find out more at the La Redoute website

5. Volkswagen T1 Bus home bar

One of the longstanding favourites on the site, the T1 Bus home bar has both impact and functionality.

The bar uses the original shape and dimensions of the classic VW, courtesy of a mould from that vintage 66 model, with part of the doors also incorporated into the design to give it some depth and stability.

Storage behind, working lights and a choice of colours. Whats not to like? Well, the price perhaps, which is just over 3,000.

Find out more at the Amazon website

6. 1970s TV bar by Ella Lucas Designs

This is both cool and clever, as well as being a fully-functioning bar for your home.

Well, a bar cabinet. This is a 1970s TV, with a little wear to add in the character. Talking of adding in, the set has been stripped out of the electrics, with a hand-painted zigzag stencil design added, along with a repaint for the exterior and some hairpin legs. Lights too, which change colour to the mood you would like it with the remote.

599 if you want this in your home.

Find out more at the Vinterior website

7. Art Deco-inspired bar trolley at John Lewis

Going back a little further, we have this bar trolley at John Lewis, inspired by the Art Deco era.

Classy and classic, this is designed by Swoon (who feature in their own right in a moment) as an exclusive for John Lewis. Its everything you would expect of a design harking back to that era, from the design through to the finish, with those lovely curves and slabs of marble for the trays. Lots of space for your drinks and accessories too.

Perfect to wheel in and impress the guests with, it retails for 449.

Find out more at the John Lewis website

8. Swoon Fresco midcentury modern bar cabinet

Thats right, Swoon doesnt just so Art deco. They do a nice line in midcentury modern too.

This one sells itself with a lovely design faithful to the midcentury modern era, complete with brassy handles and a marble top. Open it up and you will find bottle storage, and a wine glass rack, as well as some more general storage.

629 gets you one of these.

Find out more at the Swoon website

9. Vintage 1960s barrel home cocktail bar

When you think of a home bar from days gone by, you probably think of something like this. Which is why I am featuring it. That and the fact that this one is available to buy.

This example is an absolute beauty too. Said to date from the late 1960s, it has that barrel body, wood-effect Formica to the top surfaces and internal shelves, a bottle opener and towel holder along. Note all the storage behind too, as well as the tapered black legs.

375 is the price and obviously, being vintage means there is just one.

Find out more at the Etsy website

10. 1950s midcentury modern Italian bar set

Another vintage design, but this one comes at more of a price.

Of course, it does. This is a dip into the world of antiques and 1950s designer furniture. Described as being in near original condition despite its age, this is pretty much what is hip today. Made on wood, crystal and brass, the bars minimalist look stands out, but not as much as that period design on the front. And lets not underplay how cool those stools are too.

At 3,353 it comes at a price, but again, this is a rare piece and you arent likely to see another in a friends home. if you really want to make a statement, this is the bar to do it with.

Find out more at the Pamono website

11. Ellipse retro oak drinks cabinet at Oak Furnitureland

From one extreme to another. Which is pretty much the point of this round-up.

This one is pure high street, a bar cabinet inspired by midcentury modern design and as you would expect of the retailer, made of oak.

It looks good and the shelves and the glass hangers add in some practicality too. 244.99 for one of these.

Find out more at the Oak Furnitureland website

12. Bootleg retro drinks cabinet at Loaf

A similar concept to above, but a very different design.

Still a good-looking piece though. A more low-standing unit, this one has the chevron design on the front and bags of custom-made space for your drinks and accessories. Beers in the door, wine in the holders, glass holders and general storage. A very efficient use of space in a modest-sized cabinet.

Pricey though. You are looking at 825 for one of these.

Find out more at the Loaf website

13. Vivien retro bar cabinet at West Elm

Similar again, but a very different finish.

Love that curved frame with the ridges, matched up with the slim tapered legs with a bronze finish. Open it up and like the Loaf cabinet, this one has apace in the door, room for your wine bottles and lots of other cupboard space for glassware and drinks.

Similarly-priced to the Load unit, this one sells for 849.

Find out more at the West Elm website

14. Bergen Oak drinks cabinet at Rose and Grey

More oak, courtesy of this sizeable cabinet at Rose and Grey.

More tapered legs for support and storage behind two push-to-open doors. Inside, the top half of the cocktail cabinet has a mirrored back with one wooden and two glass shelves. The bottom of the bar cabinet has two wooden sections with holes in the back for electrical leads if you want to add in some music.

A good-looking thing and selling for 750.

Find out more at the Rose and Grey website

15. Handmade walnut tiki bar by Aries Woodworking

Back in the land of bars and this handmade, retro affair.

A large and functional bar, it has a solid walnut floating bar top as well as legs, with the body constructed from walnut-faced board. It also has three adjustable shelves for storage and that diamond motif on the front.

A bar built to last, which is just as well as it sells for 2,226.58.

Find out more at the Etsy website

16. Harvard retro storage cabinet at John Lewis

Not just for your drinks, but a good place to store them if thats what you need.

Love the peacock blue finish, as well as the design to the front that hints at Art Deco. The gold-coloured details catch the eye too, not least the tapered legs. Have a look at the retailers site and you will see the unit hosting some drinks and accessories. But if you change your mind on that front, it adapts well to other uses.

399 for this one.

Find out more at the John Lewis website

17. Octavio retro bar cabinet at Wayfair

Something more affordable? I hear you. Have a look at this one at Wayfair.

Its a strong midcentury modern design that, at first glance, might pass for vintage. Angled tapered legs, a decent surface for display and behind those glass doors some storage, including racks for your glassware.

224.99 if you need this one in your life.

Find out more at the Wayfair website

18. Bethan Gray bar cabinet at Anthropoligie

A lot of similarly-sized bar cabinets around, with the biggest distinguishing feature being the finish. This one certainly stands out on that front.

The work of award-winning designer Bethan Gray, this is a handcrafted oak wood bar cabinet with polished brass hardware and an eye-catching design to the front in white.

The large cabinet opens to reveal a decent amount of storage space with a drawer, shelves, and space for hanging glasses. But youll be paying big to own it. This cabinet retails for 2,198.

Find out more at the Anthropoligie website

19. Honolulu tiki bar at John Lewis

I featured a budget tiki bar at Asda not long ago, but sadly it sold out. The one at John Lewis is still available.

I know, its not exactly tiki bar weather right now. But last year things warmed up a lot from March and thats not too long off.

When the sun comes out, go hang out at this bar, with tasselled roof and a couple of matching bar stools. A few bar decorations and a cocktail maker and you can pretend you are on an exotic holiday. 575 for this.

Find out more at the John Lewis website

20. Handmade retro bar cabinet by Soma Design

I just wish this one was a little cheaper, as its a lovely thing, especially if you have a bottle or two in need of a home.

A wood finish, push to open doors, custom storage for your bottled and more storage above for your other bar essentials. All on some small, tapered legs.

You are paying for the craftsmanship and the handmade nature of this one. But that price is 1,070.94.

Find out more at the Etsy website

Thats it. If I see any other interesting bars I will update the round-up. Of course, you can always check out vintage cocktail bars at eBay too.

WASHINGTON - Traffic fatalities increased nationally last year despite a significant drop in travel because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic, which has killed nearly 500,000 Americans, also altered the dynamics of road safety with some drivers taking open lanes as an invitation for reckless driving, transportation and law enforcement officials say.

The steady frequency of serious crashes - even after roads emptied at the start of the pandemic - was discouraging for transportation agencies that, in recent years, promised road improvements to reduce highway fatalities and better protect pedestrians and bicyclists who share the road with cars.

Across the country, 38,370 people were killed in highway crashes from January through November 2020, up 7% compared with the same period in 2019, according to preliminary federal data analyzed by the National Safety Council. December numbers aren't yet available.

While Americans drove less because of stay-at-home orders and increased telecommuting, the fatality rate per mile driven rose 24% last year, according to the council's analysis. Meanwhile, the number of miles driven nationwide decreased by 15%.

"We should be able to show a significant safety benefit from having less traffic," the National Safety Council said in a statement last month. "Instead, in the midst of the worst health crisis in more than a century, we are experiencing even deadlier roadways."

Experts cited speeding and aggressive, distracted and impaired driving as the primary causes for the increase.

A rise in speeding and reckless behavior last year alarmed police and road safety groups across the nation, prompting increased patrols on some highways and renewed calls for drivers to slow down.

"You had the open roads and the lack of enforcement and drivers behaving badly and dangerously," said Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, a D.C.-based nonprofit that represents highway safety agencies. "We heard it everywhere across the country that many people took to the open roads thinking that they could speed, and speed significantly."

As traffic volumes fell dramatically during stay-at-home orders in late March and April, average speeds increased significantly above posted limits - more than doubling in some cities, traffic data shows - as roads cleared out. Police agencies from New York to Los Angeles reported more speed-related crashes. State troopers in Maryland, Virginia, California and Minnesota reported writing more speeding tickets. Some drivers in the Washington region were nabbed at speeds topping 130 mph.

Speed is a problem the Washington region needs to address through street design, more enforcement and education, said Evan Glass, D, a council member in suburban Montgomery County, Md., which recorded 43 traffic deaths, seven more than in 2019.

"Our society is in a constant rush that we need to get to our destination as fast as we can with little regard to other road users, and that is a societal shift that we need to change," said Glass, who hosted a summit last month on traffic fatalities. "We need people to be respectful to all users of our streets."

Virginia officials say they are troubled by a rise in the number of deadly crashes in which speed was a factor. Speed played a role in nearly half of suburban Northern Virginia's 79 traffic deaths, according to state records, up from about 40% a year earlier.

Virginia State Police Lt. Col. Matthew Hanley, director of the Bureau of Field Operations, said a rise in excessive speeding was particularly worrisome on some suburban Washington highways.

"Cars appeared to be racing or traveling at really high speeds on the Beltway, where normally the congestion would prevent folks from going that fast," he said.

He said more analysis is needed to determine the extent that excessive speeding contributed to the increase in speed-related crashes, but last year's data shows a troubling trend. Because of protests in Virginia last year, Hanley said, state police pulled law enforcement resources away from highway safety initiatives to focus mostly on targeting the most dangerous behaviors.

"Certainly anytime you see almost half of your fatalities' contributing factor being speed, it is a significant problem," he said. A new Virginia law banning cellphone use while driving should increase safety, he said.

In Virginia, Fairfax County saw a significant drop in crash fatalities: 36, down from 45 in 2019, according to state data. Among them were 15 pedestrians, down from 17 in 2019.

Prince William County had 18 traffic fatalities, up by four from 2019, while five pedestrians were killed. Twelve people were killed in Loudoun County, down from 13 in 2019. In Arlington County, deaths last year fell from six to four, and Alexandria's tally rose to seven, up from five fatalities in 2019.

Traffic in the D.C. area dropped to 41% of pre-pandemic volumes in April last year. By the end of 2020, it was 25% below the normal, according to transportation-data firm Inrix. Traffic deaths last year were up from 2019, when 249 people were killed in the District and its closer suburbs.

The District logged 37 traffic deaths in 2020, up from 27 in 2019 and the highest number since 2008, according to city crash data. Twelve of the victims were on foot or two wheels, down from 15 last year in a city that has focused efforts on measures to protect vulnerable road users.

In the District, lawmakers in September approved a package of sweeping road-safety measures to accelerate improvements to bike and pedestrian infrastructure, expand the city's automated traffic enforcement program and boost traffic safety education. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, last year cut the city's default speed limit to 20 mph, from 25 mph.

In Maryland, state lawmakers are considering legislation to allow counties to lower the speed limits on state highways. Another proposal would prohibit cars from blocking the box at intersections, which is legal in some parts of the state.

Virginia's Hanley said, "If we can get folks to slow down, put their seat belt on and don't drive distracted, we can really drive the crash rates and the fatal crash rates way down."
Local journalists and news media professionals can now voluntarily register for Facebook's new security feature specifically tailored to protect their Facebook and linked Instagram profiles from harassment, hacking and online abuse and harm, the social media network has announced.Facebook is providing this security feature to journalists across the globe in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, India, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Libya and Kenya. Registration is voluntary and journalists are encouraged to register as a journalist using their personal Facebook account here
BERLINVodafone Germany has had to stop distributing Chinas state-owned CGTN television on its cable services as a result of a media dispute between Britain and China.

The unit of British telecom group Vodafone said on Feb. 12 that it currently didnt have a valid license to restore CGTN to its services, but hopes to do so.

Britain last week revoked a license that let CGTN be distributed in Britain. That drew protests from China, which on Feb. 12 barred the BBC from its television networks and limited its reach in Hong Kong.

A spokesman for regulators in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the regions where CGTN had been available until now, said CGTN had been distributed in Germany under the British license.

Under the terms of a 1989 agreement on transfrontier television, created under the aegis of the Council of Europe, of which Britain remains a member, a distribution license in one European country applies across most of the continentmeaning CGTN may now have to go off air across the region.

The agreement has been signed by all European Union countries as well as many non-EU countries, including most Balkan countries and Ukraine. In principle, a license in any of them could allow distribution to resume.

We are currently in discussions regarding the withdrawal of the license both with regional media authorities and the broadcasters representatives in order to clarify the legal situation, Vodafone said.

CGTN didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment outside of normal business hours on Feb. 12, a public holiday in China.

By Nadine Schimroszik and Matthias Inverardi
"Megaboom," Musk said. Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Elon Musk thinks Austin, Texas, is the next big thing, he said.

The city will be the "biggest boomtown" the US has had in 50 years, he said on Joe Rogan's podcast.

The Tesla CEO moved to Texas after spats with California's public-health officials.

Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.

It's no secret that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is over California.

Last summer, Musk chose Austin, Texas, as the spot for the $1 billion factory that would build the Cybertruck, the carmaker's long-awaited electric pickup truck. And in December, he confirmed rumors that he was picking up and moving from Los Angeles to the Lone Star State.

During an interview on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast that dropped Thursday, Musk said he thought Austin had huge potential beyond just hosting him and his new factory.

"It's going to be the biggest boomtown that America has seen in 50 years, at least - megaboom," Musk said.

The CEO said Tesla chose Austin as the spot for the carmaker's next US plant because "Austin is a bit like mini California." According to Musk, he asked Tesla's team in California what its top choice would be for a new factory - where it would like to spend time - and the "No. 1 choice was Austin."

Read more: Elon Musk and other tech powerhouses are flocking to Texas, pushing an already bonkers real-estate market to new heights. Take a look inside Austin, which is quickly becoming the next Silicon Valley.

Musk announced his move to Texas after public spats in 2020 with California's public-health officials over COVID-19 restrictions that temporarily shuttered Tesla's Fremont, California, plant.

"Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately," he tweeted in May during a disagreement with local officials.

During a call with investors in April, Musk went on a tirade criticizing California's shelter-in-place measures as "fascist" and saying that officials were "forcibly imprisoning" people in their homes.

Story continues

Looser government regulations in Texas - along with no state income tax - appear to be an incentive for Musk's move. But the billionaire said the wave of West Coasters moving to Austin should take care not to change the city too much.

"I think we do need to make sure that ... people who move here from California don't inadvertently recreate the issues that caused them to move in the first place," Musk said during Thursday's interview.

An increasing number of business leaders and companies have moved out of traditional hubs like Silicon Valley to Texas, as the pandemic has forced many people to work remotely.

Late last year, the software giant Oracle said it would move its headquarters from California to Austin. The Information reported Dropbox CEO Drew Houston was moving to the city as well, and Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale said he would move his venture capital firm, 8VC, there too.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Gardai have seized more than 7 million worth of cannabis herb and arrested two people after an operation mounted in the Laois Offaly Kildare policing division area.

A garda statement said personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Special Crime Task Force (SCTF) assisted by personnel assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) participated in what was described as an "intelligence-led operation".

"In the course of the operation, approximately 374kgs of a substance suspected to be Cannabis Herb, with an estimated street value of 7.4 million, was seized, in Co. Kildare.

"Two male suspects, aged 49 and 46, were arrested and are currently detained in Naas Garda Station, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996," said a statement.

Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Willis is head of bureau at the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau. She said the operation demonstrates a continued determination to tackle the supply of controlled drugs, that cause significant harm and misery in communities.

"We will continue to target those who are engaged in the distribution of illicit drugs and tackle criminality engaged in by organised crime gangs who benefit from such activity, she said.

Assistant Commissioner John ODriscoll who is the Head of Organised and Serious Crime raised the work being done.

"The significant success being achieved by members of the Garda Siochana throughout the organisation in tackling serious and organised crime in the challenging circumstances arising from the Covid-19 pandemic is outstanding and reflects their considerable ability and dedication, he said.

Allen West, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, said Thursday he has seen first-hand the destruction the Democratic Party can do. It was to his old neighborhood in Atlanta.

And there is a better alternative for Hispanics in Midland, Texas and across the nation.

He told those in attendance at the Midland Republican National Hispanic Assembly meeting at the Bush Convention Center that progressives laid waste to principles held dear in the neighborhood where he grew up, including the nuclear family, the Judeo-Christian faith heritage, the church, individual responsibility, small business entrepreneurship and service to the nation. They were, as he said, principles that made the neighborhood strong.

Because I'm saying to my Spanish brothers and sisters that are here in Texas and all across the United States of America, what you saw the progressive socialist left, what you saw the Democrat Party do to my neighborhood, do to my community, do to the Black people in the United States of America, West said. Don't allow them to do that to you.

The former lieutenant colonel, who was deployed in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, told those in attendance that the greatest amount of Medal of Honor recipients in the history of the United States of America does not come from the white community but the Hispanic community  a remainder of their principles.

And we want to share that message, West said.

He told those about the strides Republicans and conservatism made in the president election, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, where Donald Trump flipped counties that were previously deep blue and gained ground in other counties from Harlingen and moving north.

He commented that, as chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, the first place he went was the Rio Grande Valley and the last place he campaigned before Election was also the valley. He said Republicans must show up in areas they previously had given up for Democrats. He said while Democrats were worried about Republican battles in the Dallas suburbs, his party was sharing their partys core principles and values with willing allies.

Thats what we did in the Rio Grande Valley, West said. So, all of a sudden, you had counties that had never been red for 100 years. Because they heard that it's not about defunding our police, it's not about keeping away safety, security. It's about making sure you have the strong families. It's about making sure you have better education opportunities. It's about making sure that you can be a victor, which is why people come to the United States of America through the front door, not the back door. Because they want to be a part of what I call the equality of opportunity and not the equality of outcomes.

So that's why this organization here is so important, West said. Because this organization will take that message out there so that we're not alienated.

West reminded Republicans, organization members and other visitors that in 2020 the Republican Party of Texas came up with eight priorities -- election integrity, religious freedom, children and gender modification, abolition of abortion, constitutional carry, monument protection, school choice for all and the banning of taxpayer-funded lobbying.

Some of the rest of his address included a reminder of the importance of the second amendment to all Texans and the need for more protections for the unborn. He said Midland-Odessa was leading by example with the election of Hispanics for mayor (Jerry Morales, the previous mayor in Midland, and Javier Joven, the current mayor in Odessa).

And West said Republicans need to be active not just during election season. He encouraged steady engagement.

There's nothing wrong with being a community organizer, West said. I mean, we laugh when they say Barack Obama is a community organizer. You know what? We need a community to organize; we need to get out there and get into these precincts.  Because I need you to find out every single person all across Midland and Odessa and understand which way they vote, I need you to start right now. Don't wait until two months before the election.

He said there was opportunity for the Republican National Hispanic Assembly to match up with a party that shares their principles.

But the most important thing that I can share with the Midland Republican National Hispanic assembly is don't let (what happened to African-Americans) happen to you, West said.
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DETROIT - This adorable special needs puppy has been given a second chance at life. Rocky, who is around 12 weeks old, has been taken in by the Detroit Dog Rescue, the citys first no-kill shelter, in hopes he will one day walk and lead a full life.

Rocky was born with swimmers syndrome. Its a condition in which his muscles and ligaments dont allow him to walk. He cant move his back legs and his front legs are sprawled out like a seal.

His previous owners dropped him off at Detroit Canine Pet Supply after saying they could no longer find the time or money to care for him. Once Kristina Rinaldi from Detroit Dog Rescue received the call about Rocky, she says she knew exactly what he had.

I knew through previous experience that it was swimmers syndrome, Rinaldi told MLive. Weve had great results with puppies with this to the point where people around the country call us about this because we had one puppy known as Guppy Puppy who we did physical therapy with and he now lives a fabulous, normal life.

Rocky is unable to walk due to swimmer's syndrome and has been taken in by the Detroit Dog Rescue and is undergoing physical therapy. The hope is he will walk again and lead a full life. (Photo by Kristina Rinaldi | DDR)

Rinaldi says Rocky needs the right home, someone who can take him to physical therapy multiple times a week at Union Lake Veterinary Hospital in Waterford.

From the moment I saw him, his resilience, love for people and determination to never give up was there. I was holding a dog toy and with all of his might, he just moved across the room to get to me and wanted to play. I knew we needed to get him into physical therapy right away. Hes working with the same people we had Guppy Puppy working with.

Rinaldi says in just the three days that the Detroit Dog Rescue has had him, hes already making improvements. She believes he will be able to one day walk and live a full life.

Well be doing physical therapy with him at Union Lake, which includes an underwater treadmill. Our goal is to get all of his muscles working. He absolutely will walk again. Weve done it before. Its an expensive process and it takes months. He might have a little pep in his step for the rest of his life and might be more prone to arthritis, but he should live a fairly normal life.

The Detroit Dog Rescue is going to keep Rocky for observation for the next couple of weeks to monitor his progress during therapy. After that, the plan is to get him a foster family.

Id love to get him a foster whos willing to take him to physical therapy in the Waterford area. Hell need quite a few sessions a week. After that, were open for a foster family that wants to adopt him.

If you are interested in being a foster family for Rocky, you can fill out the application by clicking here. You can also donate to help pay for the therapy and medical bills by clicking here.

Rinaldi says Rocky will always need some physical therapy and will be a special needs dog for the rest of his life, even after he is able to walk. How much physical therapy hell need as time goes on is not known yet.

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Earnings fell at the telco giant due to a $170 million hit from COVID-19 and the ongoing pressure on its fixed broadband margins because of the NBN. Chief executive Andy Penn had a positive message for investors, however, with upbeat earnings targets as the telco prepares to reap the benefits of its T22 restructure program. Penn said underlying earnings would be between $7.5 billion and $8.5 billion by 2023, above consensus forecasts. AGL Energy Statutory loss: $2.3 billion Dividend: 31 dividend, 10 special dividend The energy giants shock $2.7 billion in writedowns last week swung AGL to a $2.3 billion loss for the half, with chief executive Brett Redman warning lower wholesale energy prices will have a sustained impact on the business.

AMP chief executive Francesco De Ferrari. Credit: Peter Braig A major shake-up of the energy giants structure could be on the cards, with the company telling investors it is assessing its business model and will provide more details to investors in March. Analysts agreed that energy market conditions will make things tough for the business for some time. We think AGL is a difficult investment proposition right now, RBC Capital markets analyst James Nevin said. AMP NPAT: $177 million for 2020 Dividend: Nil

AMP shares lost 11 per cent on Thursday, with news that US investment firm Ares had pulled its takeover bid for the company. Shareholders remained unimpressed when the company revealed full year financials, revealing assets under management had declined throughout the year. Chief executive Francesco De Ferrari said he was determined to stay the course on the firms turnaround plan. Shares have declined 25 per cent over the past 12 months. Westfield (Unibail Rodamco) NPAT: Recurring profit 1.06b ($1.6b) Dividend: Nil The European retail empire that took over Frank Lowys international Westfield business in 2017 told investors it wont pay a dividend until 2023 as it grapples with the long-term impacts of the pandemic on international retail. Unibail Rodamco, which is based in France but has a dual listing on the ASX, reported a 40 per cent drop in recurring profit to 1.06 billion and will exit its US business in the coming year.
London: Meghan Markle has lashed out at dehumanising journalism after a court ruled her privacy was breached by a British newspaper which published a letter she sent her estranged father.

The summary judgment handed down on Friday (AEDT)means the former actress will avoid embarrassing courtroom testimony from her father, Thomas Markle, in her rolling case against The Mail on Sunday.

The Duchess of Sussex has secured a key victory in her battle against a British newspaper. Credit:AP

The Duchess of Sussex is suing the masthead and its publisher Associated Newspapers for breach of privacy and infringement of copyright over the printing of portions of a handwritten letter she wrote following her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

The letter was written after Thomas Markle sensationally joined forces with the paparazzi to stage fake photographs in exchange for cash. She accused her father of causing pain and pleaded for him to stop speaking with the press.
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Recently, Dr. Michael Rice, state superintendent, testified before a joint session of education committee members from Michigan's House and Senate advocating the position that schools, in the context of COVID-related learning loss, should extend the school year.

While I certainly agree that schools must address COVID-related learning loss, I am concerned that a simple addition of days to the calendar will miss the intended mark and leave Michigan students behind.

I am interested in the research Dr. Rice used to draw his conclusion that adding days would translate to increased performance of our state's students.

In a memo he released last week, he noted our 180-day model is significantly lower than many high achieving countries.

I did a quick Google search and found that while some countries do require a lot more days, the comparison is imperfect. Japan and the Netherlands both require over 200 school days, and the award for the longest school calendar goes to South Korea with 220! In contrast, Finland, which by many standards has the world's best education system sets the maximum at 190, though many schools schedule fewer days.

While 190 is still two full weeks more than Michigan's students receive, Finnish students' average day is just five hours.

In addition to days and hours of instruction, it is also worth mentioning mandated breaks and other practices impact total instructional times.

Simply stated, establishing the link between increased academic achievement and more school days is not easily done.

My second frustration stems from a commonly held misconception that Michigan students have not been in school since last March. It is especially frustrating when this lack of understanding begins to drive policy and even legislation.

It is true, mainly in large suburban and urban districts, that many students have not had the opportunity for in-person learning since schools shut down over a year ago. This is a travesty and should be remedied immediately, but that is a soapbox for another day.

In Mecosta and Osceola counties, and across the state, many schools opened their doors back in August and have been operating this way throughout the year.

To be transparent, there are two points to concede.

The first being that students in Mecosta and Osceola counties did miss out on significant instruction over the last part of the 2019-2020 school year. This was of course due to the governor's executive order prohibiting face-to-face instruction. When considering lost educational opportunities, this point needs to be established.

Secondly, many school buildings within the MOISD have had to intermittently suspend in-person instruction due to staffing issues, COVID outbreaks and other challenges related to COVID.

While conceding the disruptive nature of these two variables, it needs to be clear that most students within the MOISD have had the option to attend school for in-person learning since the end of August.

Remediation plans for these students may differ vastly from those students who have been learning in a remote environment exclusively.

Through the collection of instructional and assessment data, district educators across the MOISD are developing a clearer picture of the needs of individual students, cohorts of students and classrooms.

Using the data will better equip leadership and staff to prepare and plan for the appropriate auxiliary programming. This may mean some students will need, and therefore receive, differentiate support and remediation.

For some students or groups of students, supports may include summer school or other extra-school opportunities to mitigate COVID-related learning loss.

My conclusion is that schools, students and families must work collaboratively to assess the academic progress of each student.

Once data has been deciphered, schools can plan for and support students in their educational goals.

Simply adding school days or being reactive to mandates from Lansing lacks the level of intentionality and commitment that the students of Mecosta and Osceola counties need.
US Policy Towards Cuba: Is a New Consensus Possible? In less than a week, seven US senators from both parties have presented two bills related to the island.

In less than a week, seven US senators from both parties have presented two bills related to the island.

On February 5, Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced, along with colleagues Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) and Jeff Merkley (Oregon) 2021 US-Cuba Commerce Bill, which seeks to end the embargo and normalize trade relations with the island.

On the 9th, his colleagues Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Florida), the aforementioned Durbin, and Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) presented a resolution proposal expressing solidarity with the San Isidro Movement and other artists and activists who have been victims of repression by the Cuban Government for their demands for greater artistic and expressive freedom in Cuba.

At first glance, they would seem to be totally disparate proposals. A closer look, however, reveals that their texts and signatories feature interesting overlaps that represent opportunities for the development of a new policy towards Cuba based on bipartisan consensus.

Section 5 of the 2021 US-Cuba Trade Act bill, in Subsection a, Numeral 2, proposes that "the president should take all the necessary steps to further negotiations with the government of Cuba ... in order to ensure the protection of internationally recognized human rights." Similarly, Section 6, Subsection a, Numeral 1 states that it is the sentiment of the Congress that the United States should promote democratic change and economic reform by normalizing relations with Cuba.

Meanwhile, the solidarity resolution with the San Isidro Movement also expresses this Congressional opinion, calling on the Cuban authorities to cease human rights violations, and for the immediate repeal of Decrees 349 and 370 and other laws violating the freedom of expression. The document also calls on the Secretary of State to condemn the persecution, threats, and intimidation of Cuban artists and journalists.

In other words, both political texts, despite their different purposes and approaches, agree that the defense of universal human rights and the promotion of democratic change should be cornerstones of US policy towards Cuba.

The documents also have a common author: Democratic Senator Richard Durbin, from Illinois. Durbin, who has been an outspoken defender of Obama's policy towards Cuba, as well as a critic of repression on the island, has adopted on this occasion a stance that breaks with the conflicting positions that have characterized the United States' policy towards the island: opposing the embargo and favoring a process of negotiations with the Cuban Government to normalize bilateral relations vs supporting the policy of sanctions against Cuba, condemning human rights violations and, without half measures, showing solidarity with the victims and actors in civil society fighting for a more democratic society.

It is equally promising that Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio, Cuban-American senators from different political parties, but known for their critical positions towards the Cuban regime, are co-authors of a resolution that urges the Cuban authorities to engage in a process of genuine dialogue with the members of the San Isidro Movement and other artists and activists. This call for dialogue, although aimed at internal actors (the Cuban government and pro-democracy activists), recognizes that the Cuban government is a valid interlocutor in any political negotiation process, and it endorses dialogue as a legitimate tool to resolve the conflicts between the Cuban regime and the country's people. Thus, following this logic, could such dialogue also serve as a framework for the United States Government to discuss all its differences, firmly and directly, with the Cuban Government?

It is important to explore these points of agreement in American positions towards Cuba, because, based on them, a new policy towards the island could gradually be forged, one based on bipartisan consensus and that does not sacrifice an assertive demand for human rights and democratic change for the sake of rapprochement with Havana.

The Cuban pro-democracy community, both on and off the island, should encourage a search for consensus in the formulation of policies towards Cuba by all the relevant actors in the international community.
olitical luminaries on the left have always harbored a soft spot for the worlds dictators, Putin, Ortega, Jinping, Maduro, and Cubas successor to the Hermanos Castro, Miguel Diaz-Canel. Not to say that they align with the atrocities they commit, as that would be a pill too bitter for their voters to swallow. Rather, it is the vast power that they wield over the citizenry and military. Given Democrat majorities across all three branches of government and a strong wind from the socialist wing of the party at their back, there is a two-year window to coddle up to the Marxists of the Caribbean.

Joe Biden is duteous to the doctrine of appeasement, putting Barack Obamas acolytes back in their familiar foreign policy and national security seats to complete a worldview that puts America last. Diaz-Canel is already licking his chops over American dollars and setting lopsided conditions for talks that offer no compromise on issues involving the Cuban revolution, socialism, and sovereignty.

In addition to their miserable record on human rights, with thousands of political dissidents held in warrantless detention and imprisonment in 2020 alone, the Cuban regime has offered safe haven to Americas most notorious domestic terrorists. Four among them are William Guillermo Morales, Victor Manuel Gerena, Charles Lee Hill, and Joanne Deborah Chesimard.

In the 1970s, Morales was a bombmaker for the FALN, a Puerto Rican terrorist groups with a string of attacks that included the bombing of New York Citys historic Fraunces Tavern in 1975 that killed five lunchgoers. Hill, along with two members of the Republic of New Afrika (RNA), shot to death a New Mexico state trooper in 1971 on a motor vehicle stop and later hijacked an airliner to Cuba. Gerena is a fugitive from the 1983 Wells Fargo heist of seven million dollars in Connecticut and a member of Los Macheteros, a group that fired a surface-to-air missile at the FBI office in Puerto Rico and engaged in shootouts with agents.

The most infamous of the four fugitives, Joanne Chesimard, was the soul of the Black Liberation Army (BLA). Popularly known by her nom de guerre, Assata Shakur, she is a celebrated revolutionary in American radical circles and campus faculty lounges. To the founders of Black Lives Matter (BLM), she is the very essence of the need to upend a system poisoned by irremediable racism. Many on the left have promoted a narrative that weaves Chesimards struggle into the teachings of the 1619 Project and critical race theory. While many know her name, few outside of law enforcement can speak of the crime that put her on the FBIs list of Most Wanted Terrorists.

On May 2, 1973, shortly after midnight, New Jersey State Police Trooper William Harper stopped a vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike with no taillights occupied by Chesimard and two other BLA members, Clark Squires and James Coston. Trooper Werner Foerster, a Vietnam veteran and married father of a three-year-old, pulled up behind Harpers vehicle.

Squires quickly exited and met Trooper Harper between the two cars. Trooper Foerster took up a position on the right front of his police vehicle, a position that gave him good vantage.

Squires was flustered and evasive to simple questions about the vehicles ownership, so Harper began to interview the other two passengers. At the same time, Foerster patted down Squires for weapons and found a fully-loaded ammunition clip. He yelled to Harper, creating a distraction that gave Chesimard the opportunity to grab a nine-millimeter from her pocketbook and shoot Harper in the left shoulder, rendering one arm useless.

A gunfight erupted as Harper retreated for cover. Returning fire, Harper shot Chesimard in the upper left chest and Coston was mortally wounded. Out of view of Harper, Squires and Foerster began to struggle on the blind side of Foersters police car. Squires was able to draw a concealed handgun and shot Foerster, knocking him to the ground.

With Foerster nowhere in sight, Harper, in shock from loss of blood and unable to reload his weapon, made his way on foot to the nearby state police barracks a short distance away. Chesimard stood up from the concealment of the Pontiac and walked back to join Squires. She then shot Foerster once in the stomach while he was on the ground. Foersters revolver was ripped from his holster and he was shot twice again in the neck and behind the left ear.

Blood spray from Foerster was found on the lower part of Chesimards trousers, putting her in close proximity to the trooper when he was killed. Both Chesimards and Squires guns were left by his body.

With Coston dying in the back seat, Squires and Chesimard made their escape in the Pontiac. Troopers found the Pontiac parked a few miles down the Turnpike where Squires had dumped Costons body in the grass and abandoned Chesimard. Foersters revolver had been placed next to Coston in an effort to divert blame for the troopers death. Squires was captured in a nearby wooded area a short time later.

Squires and Chesimard stood separate jury trials over the next decade, were both convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life terms. First sent to a maximum security federal prison in West Virginia, she was later sent to a makeshift womens detention wing at a rural New Jersey corrections facility. In 1979, a collective of radical misfits from several domestic terrorist groups teamed up to spring Chesimard in broad daylight. Two years later, as Chesimard transited a series of northeast safehouses en route to her asylum in Cuba, the same group ambushed and murdered two Nyack, New York, police officers in the aftermath of a botched armored car robbery.

Flexing his foreign policy muscle early in his administration, in June 2017 President Trump spoke to a largely Cuban crowd in Miami, revoking Obamas policy of Cuban rapprochement and reinstituting the embargo. Going against the advice of State Department wonks still in place from the Obama administration, he closed his remarks by saying:

To the Cuban government, I say: Put an end to the abuse of dissidents. Release the political prisoners. Stop jailing innocent people. Open yourselves to political and economic freedoms. Return the fugitives from American justice -- including the return of the cop-killer Joanne Chesimard.

In the twisted views of BLM and the radical Democrat wing, Chesimard and her comrades were doing the right thing on the wrong side of written history. Their answer is to simply rewrite history, get the media and Hollywood to collaborate, use racism, street thuggery, and corporate bullying to hoodwink and silence opposition, and then force it down the throats of successive generations of college kids. Villains are heroic when morality switches hands and the veritable portraits of bygone times will soon be erased along with their monuments. If you follow this pretzel logic, the execution of Trooper Werner Foerster can be viewed as a condonable act from someone who gave as good as she got.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his conga line of Latin America policy experts know full well that these four fugitives skippered groups responsible for a decade of 159 bombings, the deaths of 17 police officers, two soldiers, and five American citizens. More than one hundred military personnel and police were injured. Thats a lot of terror attacks and dead Americans to harden the resolve of American negotiators in dealing with the Cuban regime.

BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors angled to strike a chord from the schoolgirls thumbing through her interview in Teen Vogue, inferring that Chesimard gave up life and family to seek political asylum from the racial cruelty of America. As in all lamentations on the plight of Chesimard, there is nary a mention of Werner Foerster, executed on a littered shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike, leaving his child fatherless and his grandchildren with little more than a bedtime story, a shadow-boxed flag, and the trimmings from a blue and gold uniform.

Image: FBI
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TAYLORS  William Coates looked into the camera and began to answer an interviewer's question.

A few words in, the bells of a nearby railroad crossing sounded and a heavy train engine rumbled past, drowning the response and drawing a rueful chuckle from the room.

The interruption passed in moments. Like everyone and everything else over the past 11 months, he reset and tried again.

Coates, director of development for the Eastside Family YMCA, and about a dozen volunteers spent an hour or so the morning of Feb. 11 packing bags for the YMCA of Greenville's latest food outreach program. It serves the Greer and Taylors area, and is an expansion of the ongoing effort the organization started in May 2020 to help feed families in need living in hotels along Pleasantburg Drive and Interstate 85.

"There were pockets of the Greer and Taylors communities that were recognized as a food desert, where individuals have a real problem getting to the food, and so we wanted to expand the program to this area," Coates said. "We partnered with Taylors First Baptist, Betania Hispanic Church, Eastside High School, Taylors Elementary and Brook Glenn Elementary to recognize families that need the weekly food."

A year ago, the food relief program didn't exist.

Entering 2020, the YMCA of Greenville had no inkling its mission would need to change drastically from 2019. The pandemic pushed the organization  most non-profits, for that matter  into unplanned and unbudgeted efforts. But after months of exploring new ways to help, it enters this year's fundraising campaign with a clearer picture and a dual purpose.

The current campaign, which kicked off in January, accounts for expanding community food outreach as part of its $1.1 million goal. The organization is currently spending more than $2,500 per week on groceries for the program, most of which is covered by annual campaign funds.

While the annual campaign has previously funded outreach programming, water safety and financial assistance in Greenville County, it added food insecurity relief, emergency childcare and other programs on the fly as the pandemic deepened last year.

"We discovered an unbelievable need in our community that was made even more severe with the onset of the pandemic," said Diana Watson, chief philanthropy officer for the YMCA of Greenville. "The fundraising mission is twofold now."

Watson pointed to the YMCA's county-wide presence  it has locations downtown, in the Verdae area, and in Taylors, Travelers Rest and Simpsonville  as a benefit for expanding food support.

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"We can look in the future at, 'are needs being met in those communities, too?' And how can our branches play a role in the future of reaching out and making sure those needs are met in those specific communities," Watson said.

"In the course of several months here, we've been able to grow the program, meet the needs, and really be a part of the conversation with other non-profits to see how the Y can play a role in food insecurity."

Watson emphasized that all money raised from the annual campaign goes back into Greenville County communities as part of its outreach efforts.

The newest food relief effort spearheaded by Eastside Family YMCA is delivering to 68 families  227 people  in homes, apartments and hotel rooms. Coates said the YMCA hoped to expand the number of families served.

The logistics aren't easy. Unlike the charter effort, which delivered primarily to a few hotels, the new initiative has many destinations.

"Here we are delivering straight to the individuals' homes. So on Fridays we meet at 10:30. We have six different routes that go across Greer and Taylors," Coates said.

"That's quite an undertaking but it's worth it. We want to make sure these families and these children have food every week."

Kenneth Warden, a Taylors resident, was at the easy-to-miss brick building alongside the tracks on Feb. 11. A YMCA volunteer since March, he said he sets up tables and adds address labels to bags so when other volunteers arrive the group can begin packing. Warden and his fellow volunteers filled brown paper grocery bags with peanut butter and jelly, bread, crackers, oranges, canned goods, and more.

Not everyone receiving help has a stove, microwave or refrigerator, and the goods provided take those limitations into account.

With the second stage of the food relief program up and running, the template seems laid for a continuing effort.

"We're not only helping people who want to come to the Y," said Scot Baddley, president and CEO of YMCA of Greenville, in a news release. "We're also helping people outside our walls, and we want to reach even further. We're changing lives, and every dollar we raise counts."

Want to help?

Those wishing to volunteer for the food outreach effort in Greer and Taylors can contact Coates at wcoates@ymcagreenville.org. Information about contributing to the annual campaign can be found at ymcagreenville.org/give. If you don't wish to donate online, checks can be mailed to: Diana Watson, YMCA of Greenville, 723 Cleveland St., Greenville, SC 29601. Checks should be made out to YMCA of Greenville, with 'Annual Campaign' in the memo line. You can also indicate whether you want your donation to go to a specific branch.
Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 3:46 am

- Washington State Journal

Reeling from a December breach that allowed hackers to access the personal information of roughly 1.6 million Washington residents, state lawmakers are working with Gov. Jay Inslee to establish a new office to protect state data.

Senate Bill 5432, sponsored by Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, establishes a new Office of Cyber Security (OCS). The bill is set to move on a fast track through the Legislature this session.

Officials from the Office of the Governor said the request was in response to the December breach of data tied to resident unemployment claims filed in 2020. The data was in the possession of the State Auditors Office, which was investigating unemployment fraud. Hackers accessed the data through a company called Accellion, a San Francisco-based company tapped for services by the Auditors office.

The unemployment claims included filers Social Security numbers and banking information.

The particular data breach that we just experienced... is absolutely categorically unacceptable, and the people of the state need to know how serious we take this, said Carlyle. It is imperative that we implement best practices from a cybersecurity point of view.

Lawmakers and members of various state agencies at a hearing for the bill Feb. 9 said they observed an uptick in cyber attacks, possibly because so much state business moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cyber attacks are on the rise, both in alarming frequency and level of sophistication, said Sheri Sawyer, a policy advisor to the governor. We just really have to look to the last 10 months to get a clear view of the landscape here in Washington State.

OCS has existed informally under WaTech, the states technology agency, but would become statutory and enjoy broader authority should the bill pass.

The proposal requires state agencies to follow security guidelines set forth by the OCS and report cyber security incidents to the office within 24 hours. The office would then investigate attacks and coordinate related communications.

Additionally, by July 2022, the new office would have to develop a catalog of additional digital security services to perform and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature.

The bill is drawing bipartisan support.

It's a troubling trend. I'm not usually one to grow government, but I think in this instance, it's incumbent upon us to make sure that we can protect this information, said Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, during an executive session on the bill. I wasn't sure how I was going to vote but, given the comments that have been made and just thinking about what the intent of the bill is, I'm supportive.

The Washington State Journal is a non-profit news website managed by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. Learn more at wastatejournal.org.
Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei said that the Apple iPhone 12 is the best smartphone in the world. The Huawei founder made the statement during a press conference where he also squashed rumours of Huawei selling its consumer tech business.

Zhengfei said that customers in Europe love Apple and now that Huawei doesnt have premium handsets in the region anymore, the Apple iPhone 12 has proved that Huaweis 5G technology is the best. The Chinese smartphone company has been banned from doing business in the US, which means that Huawei phones cannot run on Googles Android.

He also hopes the company is avoided from being dragged in geopolitical issues and that the US ban on Huawei is lifted, reported South China Morning Post. Our company does not have the energy to be involved in this political whirlpool. We strive to make good products. We hope that the US government can have a more open policy for the benefit of American companies and the development of the US economy, he said.

Huaweis smartphone business has taken a serious hit since the ban was imposed. The company was among the top-three smartphone manufacturers for the longest time. However, after the ban, the likes of Xiaomi and Apple have overtaken Huawei as leading smartphone manufacturers. Huawei is selling its smartphones majorly in China.

The company, late last year, sold its sub-brand Honor to a consortium of over 30 agents and dealers in a bid to keep it alive. Honor sells smartphones through its own websites and third-party retailers in China, where it competes with Xiaomi Corp, Oppo and Vivo in the lower-priced handset market. It also sells phones in Southeast Asia and Europe, and ships 70 million units annually, according to the Huawei statement.
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TD politburo member demanded that SEC disqualify MLA Jogi Ramesh for openly threatening people that all pensions and benefits being made available to them by the state government will be cancelled if YSRC candidates do not win in their areas.  By arrangement

VIJAYAWADA: Telugu Desam on Friday accused the State Election Commission (SEC) of surrendering to YSRC in the first phase of gram panchayat elections held in Andhra Pradesh.

Making the accusation, TD politburo member Varla Ramaiah asked SEC to act independently and take stringent measures to conduct the remaining three phases of panchayat polls in a free and fair manner.

Addressing a press conference here, Ramaiah explained that in the first phase, the SEC had succumbed to psychological blackmail and mind games being played by YSR Congress leaders. Even Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy himself intimidated the State Election Commissioner in the name of caste and targeted his efficiency. As a result, the SEC could not effectively carry out its constitutional duties, he stated.

The TD politburo member further demanded that SEC disqualify MLA Jogi Ramesh for openly threatening people that all pensions and benefits being made available to them by the state government will be cancelled if YSRC candidates do not win in their areas.

He said the Telugu Desam is also dissatisfied with how the commission let go minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy even though he threatened to blacklist IAS and IPS officers if they cooperated with the SEC.

He regretted that the commission did not bother to appeal against the High Court order that provided relief to the minister. He pointed out that because of this, YSRC was able to ensure unanimous elections in 69 out of 83 panchayats in Peddireddy's Punganur assembly segment.

Ramaiah said minister Kodali Nani had behaved irresponsibly by commenting against former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He felt this is owing to CMs threat to take action against ministers and MLAs who are unable to get 90 per cent results in panchayat elections within their respective segments.
Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean is calling for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign and to be prosecuted after a top aide admitted the administration covered up data about coronavirus-related nursing home deaths

In a conference call with state Democrats, obtained by The New York Post, Melissa DeRosa, secretary to Cuomo, confessed that officials 'froze' in August when the state legislature asked for the data, before rebuffing the request.

Among those deaths are Dean's own father- and mother-in-law, who died from COVID-19 in March and April, respectively.

Dean told DailyMail.com that she believes Cuomo should resign but, first and foremost, he needs to face consequences for his actions.

'There has to be some accountability in the form of an investigation,' she said.

'One that is bipartisan, one that involves subpoenas, one that involves getting the governor, his health director... under oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

'If it is proven that this governor has been corrupt and there is criminality to his actions, he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.'

Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean (pictured) told DailyMail.com that Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign due to his administration's cover-up on nursing home deaths related to coronavirus

Dean's own mother-and father-in law, Dolores and Michael Newman (above), are among the patients who died of coronavirus in nursing homes and assisted living facilities

In the call, DeRosa told lawmakers that the governor's administration didn't release the full details of deaths in nursing homes because they were not sure how it might be used against - politically - by the Trump administration.

'We were in a position where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation,' she said.

In January, a shocking report from New York Attorney General Letitia James' office said the state had undercounted the number of nursing home deaths by as much as 50 percent.

This forced New York State's Department of Health to reveal the true death toll among nursing home residents was 12,743, rather than the previously acknowledged figure of 8,711.

Previously, New York had only counted residents who died in nursing homes, and neglected to count 4,000 residents who were taken to hospital and died there.

On March 25, Cuomo ordered nursing homes to readmit patients who were positive for COVID-19 patients due to concerns about hospital capacity .

He later reversed the ruling, on May 10, barring nursing homes from accepting COVID-19 patients without a negative test first.

On Thursday, the AP revealed that 9,056 recovering patients were sent to hundreds of nursing homes under Cuomo's directive - more than 40 percent higher than what the state health department previously released.

Dean said she believes that Cuomo should resign, but she doesn't want him to avoid facing any consequences by exiting his post quietly.

'I think he should resign. However, I will say I don't want him to get off easy,' she said.

Melissa DeRosa (left), a top aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo (right) admitted the administration had hidden nursing home COVID-related death numbers due to fears over a DOJ investigation in a Thursday call, obtained by New York Post

New York State was the the worst hit by the initial surge in COVID in April 2020, which saw New York City become the global epicenter for the virus

Hundreds of New Yorkers died a day during the spring peak of the state's coronavirus crisis, when the Cuomo administration hid data on how many of those deaths occurred in nursing homes

'I think that would be the easy thing is to have all of a sudden these people resign, like the Melissa de Rosas and his health commissioner like they resign and they go off into the darkness and we never hear from them again.

'I would prefer that they stay in their roles and we get them in a court of law as soon as possible.

For Dean, the matter is a personal issue because she lost both her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Michael and Dolores Newman, to the virus.

The Newmans were married for 59 years and lived in Brooklyn for the majority of their lives.

Dean (pictured) said an investigation should be conducted and, if Cuomo is found to be 'corrupt,' he should be prosecuted 'to the full extent of the law'

In an editorial for Fox News, Dean said her father-in-law was the first of the two to become sick, in late March, and he passed away not long after.

Two weeks later, her mother-in-law caught coronavirus at an assisted living facility and died at a hospital.

'The reason I am vocal is because Im trying to seek some kind of justice for my husbands' parents and the thousands of other families out there,' she said.

Dean has said that, for months, she had been hoping for an apology from the governor, or a statement expressing remorse for the decision.

She referenced a statement Cuomo made last montt in which he said' But who cares? 33 [percent]. 28 [percent]. Died in a hospital. Died in a nursing home. They died.'

Dean retorted: 'My response is we care because they're our are family members an we are not going to give up on this.'

The New York State Assembly Majority is now considering rescinding emergency powers granted to Cuomo to manage the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report from NY1.

Among the 94 executive actions he's issued in 10 months include limiting gatherings in public and private spaces, closing or reopening businesses, mask mandates and expanding hospital capacity.

Dean said she hopes Cuomo's powers do get rescinded, but wonders if it is too little too late.

'He already made these deadly decisions with nursing home,' she said.

'While I think it is a good step, i don't quite know what it's going to do at this point. But listen, any time some Democratic leaders can get together to try to put this governor's power in check is a good day.'
Bethlehem planners liked the Westgate Mall owners plans to tear down the old Dempseys Diner to make way for a credit union and add a fast-food restaurant in the malls parking lot along Schoenersville Road.

The Bethlehem Planning Commission on Thursday reviewed sketch plans for the phase three redevelopment of the West Bethlehem mall. The plan did not require any feedback from the commission, but members expressed support for the plans.

Board Chairman Rob Melosky said he commends Onyx Equities for the progress the property owner is making on the dated shopping mall, which sits at a gateway to the city. He said he likes when the commission approves plans and then work starts.

Onyx Equities, based in Woodbridge, New Jersey, bought the mall about two years ago and is undertaking a phased redevelopment. The first phase is the renovation of the former Bon-Ton store into a new Weis grocery store, and a Weis gas station is the second.

Attorney Joe Fitzpatrick said Onyx knows it is dealing with a gateway property for the city that is tired and begging for updating. Onxy appreciates the citys patience with the phased approach, he said.

The Bethlehem Planning Commission is set to review the proposed Westgate Mall redevelopment.Courtesy rendering

The third phase calls for a tearing down Dempseys and building a credit union in the parking lot at the intersection of Schoenersville and Catasauqua roads. An unnamed fast-food restaurant is proposed for the other end of the parking lot, near the new Weis grocery store and gas station at the corner of Westgate Drive and Schoenersville Road in the submitted plan.

Melosky tried to get Onyxs Matthew Flath to divulge the tenants.

We are very close with a commitment from a fast-food restaurant, Flath said, A high-quality, well-known name that were very excited to announce, but until the ink is dry on the paper, we just cant cant announce it yet.

Onyx has signed a lease with the credit union, but the bank has not announced the branch internally yet, he said.

They are both very good, high-quality names and we are hoping they lead to extra leasing activity, Flath said.

Built in 1973, the Westgate Malls management undertook a $5 million facelift in 2015, the same year the popular Sky Zone Trampoline Park opened a 20,000-square-foot activity center at the shopping destination.

The Weis grocery store will be moving into the anchor space vacated by Bon-Ton and selling beer and wine.

Weis plans to occupy the front portion of the former department store, about 63,215 square feet. That leaves 42,675 square feet of space to the rear for a new tenant.

The city notes in its response to the plans that sidewalk must be constructed around the mall perimeter on Westgate Drive and Schoenersville and Catasauqua roads during the third phase, per a prior planning commission sidewalk deferral request.

If land development plans are not submitted by September of this year, the sidewalk must be constructed.

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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.
Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.
Strong leadership in the region

This is the first time Vietnam has assumed such a "dual role". This coincidence is quite special but not surprising as it is an inevitable consequence of the tireless efforts of Vietnam over the past decades, the result of an open and multilateral foreign policy to diversify international relations and actively integrate into the world, initiated and successfully implemented by the Communist Party of Vietnam. It shows the recognition from and appreciation by the international community for Vietnam's global role and its practical contribution to international and regional affairs, while demonstrating Vietnam's increasingly high position and prestige in the international arena.

However, even with great opportunities, history has always challenged Vietnam's bravery and wisdom. When Vietnam officially assumed its "dual role", it was also a time when the world was to face an unprecedented challenge in the form of the outbreak of COVID-19. The rhythm of life was turned upside down, the world economy stagnated, international traffic was paralysed, and many global and regional security issues had to be put to one side temporarily to make room for the epidemic response.

In that unexpected context, as Chair of ASEAN 2020, Vietnam quickly shifted the agenda and focus of ASEAN to COVID-19 prevention and control. The pandemic poses an unprecedented challenge, so the response also requires unprecedented measures. Under the leadership of Vietnam, many "firsts" have come about to help the bloc adapt in this difficult period: It was the first ASEAN Summit to meet three times in one year instead of twice as usual. There were many high-level conferences and ministerial meetings held online for the first time. And in particular, many important ASEAN documents were signed online for the first time in history.

As well as effectively controlling the epidemic, Vietnam also actively promoted international cooperation to overcome it together. One piece of proof of the ASEAN Chair's active and responsible role in 2020 was the Vietnams initiative to convene an ASEAN Special Summit on the COVID-19 Response in April 2020. From this, a series of specific measures to control the epidemic were introduced, such as setting up a COVID-19 response fund, a regional reserve of medical supplies, building a standard disease response process, and issuing a comprehensive post-COVID-19 recovery plan, that will not only help the region deal more effectively with COVID-19, but will also solidify the spirit of the slogan "a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN", a trademark of ASEAN in the COVID-19 epidemic era.

With the strong will and action of the entire ASEAN community, effective cooperation from partners and the firm steering of "captain" Vietnam, ASEAN has substantially overcome the storm. Looking back, it can be affirmed that Vietnam's ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 has been a comprehensive, resounding, complete and substantial success. Vietnam is not only a member seriously implementing committed-to agreements, but is also becoming a solid and reliable support for the region, especially in a moment when ASEAN faces challenges like COVID-19.

Recognising Vietnam's successful role as ASEAN Chair 2020, ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi commented that Vietnam showed its strong leadership in leading a regional collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The November 2020 issue of Diplomat magazine ran a headline article on Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship 2020. With its title Vietnams Virtual Charm Offensive, the article praised the country for its surprising creativity in making the impossible possible, as it skilfully reached consensus in the region as well as with partners, using an online dialogue platform never tried before.

From "active participation" to "proactively contributing to shaping the rules of the conduct"

In January 2020, Vietnam returned to the meeting room of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member, while at the same time serving in the role of rotating presidency of the council for the month. This is not the first time Vietnam has participated in the UNSC (non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2008-2009 term), and while the roles and duties of UNSC non-permanent members have not changed compared to before, the situation was much different.

Fierce strategic competition among major countries has downgraded solidarity and unity within the UNSC to a lower level than 10 years ago. On many issues, major countries have conflicts of interests, so it is difficult for them to find a common voice. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America have not "cooled down", along with 68 conflicts and a series of backlogs in the 75 years since the UN's founding still remaining on the agenda.

In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has become an unprecedented global challenge. Not only does it affect every aspect of international life, it also reveals how multilateral spirit has been eroded. Faced with the challenges of powerful politics, populism, declined political commitment, and pragmatism, amongst others, multilateralism and international cooperation have been seriously affected.

How to offer both practical ideas and initiatives to solve global issues while balancing the interests of stakeholders is not an easy task for Vietnam, especially when as the UNSCs decisions are always associated with particularly important and sensitive issues, such as war and peace, anti-terrorism, and imposing sanctions or not.

However, few countries have advantages like Vietnam has. Having been through two wars, more than anyone, Vietnam understands the value of peace, so the country always strives for the advancement of humanity. There are also some countries that can put aside the past to heal relations and establish cooperation with "former foes", similar to how the Vietnamese people have. Therefore, although it is not a big or rich country, Vietnam can actively participate in the UNSC.

In fact, together with other non-permanent members, Vietnam has become a bridge to assist the P5 group (the permanent members of the UNSC) understand each other better, thereby minimising deadlocks and inefficiencies in the council due to disagreements among these countries. Not only that, the responsible participation, contribution and "rational" voice of Vietnam on seemingly very distant issues in Africa, Latin America or the Middle East has been recognised by the international community. It can be said Vietnam's role has contributed to solving many important global problems, shaping the development of the future world.

On the UN forum, the world has seen more about a steadily growing Vietnam with its new posture  the position of a nation with mastery over its destiny, as well as a being an independent, autonomous, peaceful and stable country on its development path, while having the influence of a partner shifting from "active participation" to "actively contributing to building, shaping new structures, new rules of conduct", a partner always having a responsible role in regional and global "playgrounds".

This dual role brought about a successful year for Vietnam's multilateral diplomacy, opening up great opportunities for the country to continue to promote its precious experience in "combining national strength with the fortes of the era" to enhance Vietnam's position in the international arena, contributing to promoting national development and placing it ahead in the global race.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to the Security Council, in which he informed about his nomination for a new term. His term in the office expires at the end of 2021. The UN Secretary-General is re-elected every five years, but the same person can lead the organization an unlimited number of times, but so far no one has held this post for more than ten years. Meanwhile, there are many questions to Guterres and UN leadership as a whole - the organization is accused of corruption and clannishness.

As reported today, the UNESCO Director for Morocco and representative for the Maghreb, the Lebanese Golda el-Khoury, was found fault with her management and consequently dismissed from her post of Director of the Rabat UNESCO office after inappropriate remarks towards the Moroccan members of her staff, Inner City Press informs. Moroccan employees lodged an internal complaint, accusing Golda el-Khoury of having created a "hostile" working environment. She went so far as to compare her office to a "zoo" insinuating that most of the employees were animals. This insult sparked a revolt against her, including from the international staff, who expressed their solidarity with their Moroccan colleagues.

More than ten years ago, when Golda el-Khoury joined UNESCO, many questions have been asked about her weak credentials. Her appointment was backed by the then ADG for Social and Human Sciences, Pierre Sane, from Senegal, who later confessed that he had to appoint her under the pressure of his wife, Golda being one of her cousins.

Golda el-Khoury's fate is expected to be sealed soon, since the internal oversight service (IOS) already concluded that her misconduct was duly proven. However, the ADG in charge of the field offices, Firmin Matoko, is doing his utmost to protect her. Because of his connections with Sane, he will try to find for her another UNESCO office where she could undisturbedly keep insulting, harassing and demoralizing staff. Unless member states and staff unions remain vigilant, the Azoulay fraudulent administration may, as in the substantiated case of moral harassment and retaliation by the Tunisian former ADG for Communication, Moez Chakchouk, take only minor disciplinary measures against her, that would keep her afloat.

Another serious administrative oversight by ADG Admin Jeffreys, is the choice for her replacement. DG Azoulay decided to appoint Alexander Schischlik as interim of the Rabat office. In fact, Schischlik, has just retired few days ago from the Paris based UN Agency and according to the rules, he cannot take any job at UNESCO before the expiration of a three-month compulsory period. However, not respecting rules is never a problem for Azoulay and Matoko, so he got that position contrary to the HR manual stipulations. A staff from the Rabat office affirmed that his colleagues have complained several times in the past to ADG Matoko, but no action has ever been taken against Golda who was one of his friends. We believe that he will protect her now, even though firing this repugnant woman would only be justice.

Indeed, Firmin Matoko, supported Golda throughout the investigation launched against her by IOS, obviously anxious that she could reveal the corrupted schemes orchestrated by Matoko in a number of field offices.

The Moroccan National Commission for UNESCO and the Permanent Delegation of Morocco to UNESCO were both also fully aware of the degrading situation of staff in the UNESCO office. Nevertheless, they opted to remain silent, putting the priority on keeping good relations with the French DG and daughter of Andre Azoulay, the advisor of the Moroccan King Mohammed VI, rather than to protect their own nationals. The end result of this hasty reshuffle is a major breach in the conduct replaced by a blatant breach in the rules.

Awkwardly, or cowardly, the Moroccan ambassador Samir Addahre, is buying with no objection the argumentation by Firmin Matoko that they have no one else but Schischlik willing to go to Morocco, a country of bougnoules (insulting word for Arabs), as elegantly pointed out by the Director of Cabinet Kacyanides, a year ago.

So, Mr Addahre will again support docilely all humiliating maneuverings by DG Azoulay. While unruliness is prevailing, the domesticated Moroccan ambassador to UNESCO is instructed by his Ministry to kneel down every time he has to meet with DG Azoulay or her mignon Kacyanides. A disgiusted by this attitude Moroccan UNESCO staff told Inner City Press: "What is happening with Morocco is obnoxious. Azoulay is constantly humiliating the ambassador and the country. Sure, the behavior of Samir Addahre is deplorable and certainly not up to the level of an ambassador appointed by the King of Morocco. Still, seeing him with lost dignity bowing to Azoulay and Kacyanides is intolerable. Moreover, if that kind of criminal anarchy is prevailing in the office of UNESCO in Morocco, the home country of the Azoulays family, the bad situation of offices in other regions is simply beyond imagination, added our source.
There is no vision of the eight seconds leading up to a serious crash involving a police car in Sydneys south because part of a faulty in-car camera ejected with little force when it should have been locked in place, a court has heard.

Harry Thomas Little, 42, is on trial in the NSW District Court accused of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, after his highway patrol car crashed into a Mercedes driven by Gai Vieira on The Kingsway in Cronulla on September 5, 2018. He has pleaded not guilty.

Harry Little arrives at court on Friday. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Mr Little, a senior constable, was driving at 135.4 km/h trying to catch up to a Volkswagen driver believed to be on her phone when he hit Mrs Vieiras car, which was crossing three lanes of traffic attempting to turn right. He braked immediately before impact, which slowed his speed to 87.5 km/h.

Mrs Vieira suffered head injuries in the crash and now lives with a permanent disability.
Dear Karen, a younger woman has moved in with my father and Im worried.

My father is in his late sixties and he has 70 acres and the farmhouse. Its not great land and it has been rented on a lease to a neighbour for the past five years.

My mother died a few years ago and myself and my siblings, four of us in total, have all moved out of the family home over the years. About two years ago my father started going to social dances in a local town with a friend of his and he met a woman at one of these dances.

Over the past 12 months she has become more and more a feature of my fathers life and I discovered the last time I visited him that she has moved in with him and is living in the house for the past six months. I havent had a chance to talk to my father about this situation as she was there, but I am worried about it. To be frank, I'm concerned she's a gold digger.

I know my father has a will that leaves the farm and house to myself and my three siblings equally, but could this woman lay claim to part of it, if my father passed away?

Dear Mary,

The first advice I would give you is to not panic and remember that a rash reaction may make any issues worse.

This situation is more common than you might think, but the scenario raises a number of issues, which I will outline below and detail your options.

What rights does this lady gain from co-habiting with a man to whom she is not married?

Under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 this lady currently doesnt appear to have rights to your fathers property.

However, if they live together for 5 years or more, she may acquire rights to his property. At the end of the relationship, she would have to apply for a property adjustment order or for redress. A court would determine, based on a number of factors, the size of her interest.

Couples may effectively contract out of the terms of the 2010 Act. Agreements on financial matters between cohabitant partners may be regarded as valid, only if each party receives independent legal advice or waives the right to independent legal advice.

Such an agreement constitutes a contract and must be signed by each party. It may also include a provision that the redress scheme does not apply to them. A court may set aside or vary a cohabitants agreement in exceptional circumstances if its enforcement would cause serious injustice.

The Will

It seems likely that the Will your father executed (of which you are aware), is likely valid. However, if your father was to remarry, any earlier wills would be invalid under the Succession Act, 1965. When a parent dies leaving a valid Will, their legal spouse is generally entitled to 1/3 of the estate. When a parent dies without a Will, their legal spouse is generally entitled to 2/3 of the estate.

It is wise for people who are older, to consult their physician before executing a new Will or any important legal document. Such a medical report would allay concerns that the he or she didnt have the mental capacity to make decisions.

What steps a family can take to protect elderly relatives?

An Enduring Power of Attorney is a document executed by a person (the donor) who is mentally capable and which is only intended to be brought into force if the donor becomes or is becoming mentally incapable. In this event the attorney(s) appointed by the donor can apply for the registration of the enduring power of attorney so that they may act on behalf of the donor. This allows people (often relatives) they trust to manage their assets when they can no longer do so. At the start of the process, a physician must report that the person is mentally sound. Other people are Notice Parties and are notified of the creation of such a document as a protection. If the Donor is married, their spouse must be a notice party.

Often years can elapse between the creation of the document and its registration with the High Court. In the intervening period it is usually kept safe by the Solicitor. When the document is registered by the Attorneys, it is sent, with proofs, to the Wards of Courts Office in Dublin.

Taking control of somebodys assets and health related decisions is a serious step and so requires care to prevent over reach. It is not an easy process and can take several months to complete. If family members believe their relative is no longer mentally capable, it is likely too late to put an Enduring Power of Attorney in place.

All of this advice is given without knowing the circumstances of your fathers partner. Obviously, your father would gain similar rights to any estate she might have.

It could well be argued that this lady provides a benefit to your family and should be welcomed. Her participation in his life may contributing to his good living condition.

Nursing Home Support Scheme Act 2009 (also known as Fair Deal) is managed by the HSE. The statute outlines a claim the state may have to estates when people move to long term care.

The application process involves full financial disclosure and assessment.

Having looked at income and assets, the Financial Assessment will work out the contribution to care. The person will contribute:

80pc of net income and

7.5pc of the value of any assets per annum. However, the first 36,000 of assets, or 72,000 for a couple, will not be counted at all in the Financial Assessment.

Where assets include land and property, the 7.5% contribution based on such assets may be deferred and paid to Revenue after death. This is known as the Nursing Home Loan.

A principal residence will only be included in the financial assessment for the first 3 years of a persons time in care. This is known as the 22.5pc or three-year cap' (the cap is 15% for applications made before 25 July 2013). It means that they will pay a 7.5pc contribution based on the principal residence for a maximum of 3 years regardless of the length of time spent in nursing home care. If the elderly person chooses a private nursing facility, it is likely that their estate will owe the State a larger sum.

Karen Walsh, of Walsh & Partners, Solicitors, comes from a farming background and is a solicitor specialising in agricultural law, land law and renewable energy and is author of Farming and the Law available from www.claruspress.ie . The firm also specialises in personal injuries, employment law and family law. She has offices in Dublin and Cork. For further information please contact 01-602000 or 021-4270200.

Email: info@walshandpartners.ie

Web: www.walshandpartners.ie

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure accuracy of information contained in this article, Solicitor Karen Walsh does not accept responsibility for errors or omissions howsoever arising, and you should seek legal advice in relation to your particular circumstances at the earliest possible time.

How Northampton negotiates contracts with the police departments union and how it holds officers accountable for wrongdoing were two issues that stood front and center at the Northampton Policing Review Commission hearing Thursday night.

The virtual meeting marked the commissions second public hearing since it was formed over the summer. The group was the product of an effort on the part of Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz and City Council President Gina-Louise Sciarra in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May to address residents calls for the city to rethink how it structures and funds community safety.

Standing in contrast to the commissions last public hearing in early December - which drew roughly 140 participants and covered a wide swathe of issues, ranging from how best to respond to mental health emergencies to what reallocating city funds would look like - Thursdays meeting drew about 70 attendees.

Many of the participants who spoke during the hearing offered impassioned arguments either for or against taking funds away from law enforcement in the city, with multiple residents calling for a 50% reduction in the Northampton Police Departments fiscal year 2022 budget, citing a proposal from the Northampton Abolition Now activist group. The departments budget was already cut by nearly $883,000 in June.

I support the recommendations of Northampton Abolition Now, said Sony Coranez Bolton, a Northampton resident and assistant professor at Amherst College. Im moved by developments in Denver, Colorado, for instance, in which mental health professionals and care workers, instead of police, are called to address mental health issues or substance abuse problems in the community.

Many of the subjects discussed at the commissions previous public hearing were brought up again on Thursday. Issues that were touched on included officers treatment of houseless individuals and their ability to respond to mental health emergencies as well as collective bargaining agreements with police unions and holding officers accountable for misdeeds. The public comment period lasted more than 2 hours.

Police unions are identified as one of the really strong reasons that change hasnt happened in a lot of different ways, Daniel Cannity, co-chair of the policing review commission, noted early on in the hearing. Most of the commission would agree with this is that were not really looking at defunding a department. Were looking at reinvesting in a community so that all of the tasks that that group does, the responsibilities, that all that goes back into the community.

The commission was tasked by the city in July with studying an array of issues related to law enforcement in the community, ranging from body-worn cameras and use-of-force polices to union contracts and civilian oversight.

The 15-member body, composed entirely of residents of the community, is expected to recommend reforms to the current organizational and oversight structures, municipal funding allocations and policies and ordinances that together can transform how the city delivers policing services while ensuring community safety equitably and justly for all, according to the city.

The group had its first meeting in September and will issue its final report with recommendations to the mayor and the city council on or before March 18, almost two months before the deadline for the submission of the communitys fiscal year 2022 operational budget.

At the commissions hearing Thursday, which started shortly after 6 p.m. and lasted for several hours, members of the public were allowed 7 minutes each to voice their concerns and ask questions.

Brendan OConnor was the first participant during the meeting to bring up the concerns of union contract negotiations, police conduct and the citys ability to hold officers accountable for improper actions like illegitimate uses of force.

Across the country, he pointed out, there are problems with flexibility in the hiring and firing officers from police departments. Northamptons law enforcement agency isnt immune to that issue, OConnor claimed.

He went on to repeat a point that Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper has brought up in previous interviews with MassLive and during public dialogues: that when layoffs need to be made in the department, the agencys newest members, its most junior staff, are laid off first, per contractual obligations. Those individuals, the chief has said, tend to have the most diverse backgrounds and career paths.

That of course is a huge issue, and it stands to reason that if the police department is trying to diversify, the folks who are adding more diversity are going to be more junior, OConnor said.

Kasper has noted that budget reductions to the department - $670,000 cut by the city council last year - have unintended consequences, including layoffs among newest staff members.

In the months after the massive cuts, she said, the department saw nearly 10 officers laid off or resign. The agency is currently encountering a broader moral problem, according to the police chief.

However, OConnor posited during Thursdays hearing, the Northampton Police Departments layoffs last year may not point to a problem with the cuts, but with city policy instead.

This could be an argument against defunding, OConnor said of the layoffs. But its also an argument against the rules that exist in the first place that force the layoffs of junior folks before seniors folks. Its a very common type of protection of collective bargaining contracts of unions, but in the case for police, of people who are serving the community, who have the ability to inflict fatal violence, etcetera, its very problematic having this sort of structure.

Allowing the city to have more flexibility in its ability to lay off employees added into future police union contracts may be a useful move in efforts to add more civilian control over law enforcement, OConnor argued.

But you cant do it if youre pursuing a policy of defunding the police, he added.

In response to OConnors comments, Cannity said the commission has taken a look at the issue of police union contracts. One of the factors to note, he said, is that if theres a major change to the budget, unions can engage in impact bargaining.

The Northampton Police Department and its union could have engaged in such bargaining earlier after the budget cuts were made over the summer to preserve jobs, according to Cannity.

In the aftermath of the cuts, three officers were laid off, and one position was left vacant in the department. At the time, Kasper noted in a statement that a significant portion of the reduction, more than $475,000, came directly from the agencys staffing budget.

However, Cannity claimed Thursday, the department could have responded differently to the cuts.

Unions can make concessions. They can make emergency changes to its contract. They could have done things like foregoing the regular raises that they would get so that they could keep more personnel. Theres a number of things that could have happened, and the city actually has a lot of power in terms of managerial oversight for a department, Cannity said.

The commission presented its preliminary report to the city council in January. While the document broaches subjects like homelessness and policing, officers salaries and responses to mental health emergencies, it does not bring up the subject of contract negotiations.

Im not going to advocate that they just suddenly cut everyones positions, but there are a number of creative ways that the department could have gone about funding those, Cannity added during Thursdays meeting, and that was their choice administratively, and I dont know all of the reasons. We dont have that.

Jose Adastra, who organizes to support houseless individuals in Northampton and lives in the city with his family, echoed OConnors concerns, saying he too would like to see the citys police union contract renegotiated.

I would love to renegotiate a contract, he said. I would love a process like that.

Adastra added that he would like to see a program set up in Northampton similar to the Reach Out Response Network, a program coined by Rachel Bromberg in Toronto, who presented to the commission at its Jan. 5 meeting. Under such a program, peer support workers and clinicians collaborate with local organizations to help those in crisis.

I ask you to open your eyes and really observe what were asking for here, Adastra said at the meeting.

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565K displaced, 2,500 killed amid rise of Islamic extremism in Mozambique since 2017

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Violent extremist attacks that have led to the displacement of over half-a-million people and more than 1,300 civilian deaths in northern Mozambique in recent years decreased in January as government forces try to expel Islamic rebels from the Cabo Delgado province.

Reports have indicated a lull in violent extremist events reported from the troubled province where hundreds of terror attacks have been carried out since 2017 by local extremists thought to be aligned with Ahlu Sunnah wa-l-Jamaah, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the Cabo Delgado province has suffered from 776 organized violence events since 2017, 2,578 "fatalities from organized violence" and 1,305 fatalities from civilian targeting.

The United Nations estimates that 565,000 people fled their homes and villages due to attacks by non-state groups.

ACLED data indicates that there were 10 militant strikes in January. AFP reports that the total is down from the 30 militant strikes recorded in December.

As government forces have engaged in efforts to defeat the terrorists, some reports have given credit for the decline in attacks to the rise of government land and airstrikes.

However, ACLED has warned against giving the government forces too much credit for the January decline.

The rainy season decline in insurgent attacks in Cabo Delgado has led to speculation that the government has made significant military gains against the insurgency in recent weeks, a narrative that has also appeared in pro-government propaganda, a weekly ACLED update posted during the first week of February states.

There are encouraging signs for the government on the security front, and last weeks offensive in Mocimboa da Praia has the potential to bring more. However, the lack of insurgent activity in January is not necessarily indicative of government success.

The international violence data collective notes in its analysis that rain and the lack of agricultural production present problems annually around this time of year. The result is a restrain on insurgent action no matter what government gains there are.

As an example, in January 2020, ACLED records 25 total events involving insurgents resulting in 50 fatalities in Cabo Delgado, the database explains. This January, there were a comparable 22 total events involving insurgents, resulting in 47 fatalities. Far from predicting the decline of the insurgency, the conflicts slow pace in January 2020 preceded the insurgents most successful year by far.

ACLED gave the government credit for making conditions safe enough for Doctors Without Borders to return to the Macomia district, where the humanitarian group can help 100 patients per day. The organization suspended its program in the region last June after insurgents attacked a health center there.

That MSF is now able to return to Macomia suggests a major improvement in the prospects for security there, ACLED reports. It also represents a major quality of life improvement for civilians in the district.

Calton Cadeado, a security researcher at the Joaquim Chissano University in Maputo, told AFP that he sees the success of the government forces' offensive strategy.

As the outlet reports, government troops last month launched a series of airstrikes on the Palma district, the land hub for a gas project in the province. Forces were also said to have killed several insurgents hiding in a mosque.

The military offensive to eliminate the terror group, known locally as Al-Shabaab but not connected to the Somalia-based group with the same name, has come under scrutiny. Activists have accused the military of indiscriminately killing anyone accused of working with the terror group. However, Cadeado told AFP that the relationship between the military and local residents has "improved a lot" recently.

Mozambique and Portugal are preparing a bilateral security cooperation program that is to be finalized in February. According to ACLED, the agreement will replace an existing deal. The new deal will include the training of Mozambican military forces by Portuguese counterparts.

A new report from the Mozambican Bar Association accuses the government of failing to protect human rights in the province. The association accused the government of not having a strategy for preventing and combating terrorism.

"[T]he government has wasted opportunities for international cooperation in preventing and combating terrorism, within the scope of the country's adhesion to international conventions, the report reads.

In January, Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister Augusto Santos Silva told the media that he expects a deal to provide European Union assistance to Mozambique to be completed in the coming weeks.

Mozambique ranks as the 45th worst country for Christians on Open Doors USAs 2021 World Watch List. This years report is the first time the country is listed on Open Doors annual list. Extremist attacks have killed many Christians and terrorists have burned down churches and schools.

This decision allows for the purchase of at least 100 buses and options to purchase an additional 500 clean-diesel buses, which will enable CTA to maintain safe and reliable service while gradually retiring the oldest buses in its fleet. The CTA expects first prototypes in the coming months with deliveries beginning in early 2022.

"We are proud to continue providing transportation to our long-time partner, the City of Chicago, with our industry-leading LFS buses offering high capacity mobility solutions," said Martin Larose, Vice President and General Manager at Nova Bus. "As public transit agencies demonstrate their incredible efforts to help continue to provide a critical lifeline to essential workers and to help communities begin to rebuild the economy, we are committed to delivering solutions that make sense for their daily operations and to once again have CTA's confidence to accompany them in this journey. "

"This decision from a clearly satisfied customer is another major advance for Nova Bus and our region's transportation equipment cluster," says Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. "An order for up to 600 buses would be extraordinary from any city, but it sends an especially powerful message across North America when a major past customer such as Chicago chooses Nova Bus again. It's a true testament to Nova Bus' Plattsburgh operation, its suppliers and its skilled employees and something we can all be proud of. Congratulations and onward and upward!"

CTA's bus system consists of 140 routes that make over 25,000 trips daily and serve nearly 12,000 bus stops throughout the Chicago region. CTA bus routes serve communities locally, move people across town, and several express services are provided.

The new 40-foot LFS buses will be similar to those added to the CTA fleet in 2018, but offer a host of features to improve the customer experience and promote safety, including improvements to the wheelchair ramps at the front door, a larger surface area and a reduced slope, making it easier for wheelchairs to use. Once again, Nova Bus demonstrated its competitiveness and showed that the Nova LFS has adapted to transit authorities' needs over the years.

About Nova Bus

Nova Bus is a leading provider of sustainable transportation solutions in North America. Its portfolio includes electric buses and hybrid buses, high-capacity vehicles and integrated intelligent transport systems. As part of its Electro Mobility strategy, Nova Bus is moving forward with the electrification of key vehicle components to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Nova Bus is part of the Volvo Group.

For more information regarding Nova Bus products and services, please visit www.novabus.com

SOURCE Nova Bus

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Joe Biden has opened his presidency by taking a visibly harder line on Turkey, with analysts expecting a rocky path ahead between the uneasy allies as their interests increasingly diverge.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, like many of the leaders who wooed Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, is getting an early cold shoulder from Biden, who before being elected described the Islamist-aligned populist an autocrat and promised to empower the opposition.

Biden has not called Erdogan and the new administration has immediately rebuked Turkey, urging the release of prominent civil society leader Osman Kavala and criticizing homophobic rhetoric in a crackdown on student demonstrators.

The statements are in line with Biden's vow to put a new priority on democracy promotion, but the United States and Turkey have plenty of other disputes likely to exacerbate tensions.

Erdogan defiantly bought Russia's advanced S-400 missile system, brushing aside warnings that it was jeopardizing its role in the NATO alliance, leading Trump to impose narrow sanctions on the Turkish defense industry in the face of outrage in the US Congress.

And a New York court in May will start a trial of Turkey's state-run Halkbank over allegedly evading sanctions on Iran, potentially inflicting a heavy economic blow on Turkey.

"Relations can improve for the better, but I think people will have to temper their expectations," said Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

"Turkey and the United States have different interests and do not share values. The two countries can work together on some issues, but there is nothing that binds them together any longer."

- Incentives for pragmatism -

Gonul Tol, director of the Turkey program at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said that the S-400s posed an especially knotty problem as Erdogan had cast the purchase in nationalist terms, saying Ankara was asserting independence.

Story continues

But Erdogan, she said, is under pressure over a struggling economy and has an interest in avoiding more wide-ranging US sanctions if he moves further on the S-400s.

"I think he's realizing that he's very isolated in the region and that his whole anti-Western, anti-US rhetoric is not working for him," Tol said.

After Biden took office, Turkey proposed a compromise in which it does not fully operate the S-400s, but the State Department insisted that its ally not "retain" the multibillion-dollar system that NATO fears will help Russia hone its ability to shoot down Western jets.

Yet Tol said that Biden, despite his emphasis on democracy, was also pragmatic. She pointed to his early stance on Russia in which the administration has been forthright on concerns but also extended the New START nuclear reduction treaty.

"I think there are several camps in the Biden administration and some might say, let's see how Turkey behaves on issues critical to the US such as the S-400s, the Eastern Mediterranean and Nagorno-Karabakh," she said, referring to heightened tension between Turkey and fellow NATO ally Greece and Ankara's support for Azerbaijan's offensive to retake land held by Armenia.

"If there is a sign that they can actually cooperate with Turkey on matters that are important to national security, then I think we could see a softer approach overall," Tol said.

- Widening gap in views -

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his confirmation hearing pointedly called Turkey "our so-called strategic partner," although State Department spokesman Ned Price has since described Turkey as a "longstanding and valued NATO ally."

"We seek cooperation on common priorities and, as with any ally, we engage in dialogue to address disagreements," Price told reporters.

He pointed to shared interest in ending Syria's civil war. But Syria has been a persistent source of friction since Biden's former boss Barack Obama aligned with Kurdish fighters -- linked to separatists inside Turkey -- to defeat the Islamic State extremist group.

The Eurasia Group in an analysis said that both Turkey and the United States had an interest in improving ties but put a 60 percent probability on talks breaking down in the second half of 2021, most likely over the S-400s or Syria.

In an essay, Galip Dalay, a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Doha Center, expected US-Turkish tensions to fester, saying the two nations had different views on what resetting the relationship meant.

For Biden, he wrote, a reset means restoring a US-led liberal international order in which Turkey reverses its growing ties with Russia and a rising China.

But for Erdogan, "a reset means that the US would come to terms with the new geopolitical reality in Turkey's neighborhood, including Turkey's role in it."

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The white candles of the chestnut trees are coming into bloom as I sit at a cafe table on the Left Bank in Paris. An aroma of coffee and garlic is in the air and at my elbow is a glass of Mimosa, a cocktail of freshly squeezed orange juice, Grand Marnier and Champagne, the perfect drink to celebrate April in Paris in my dreams.

I am sure there are plenty of similar holiday fantasies running in peoples minds in this bitterly cold February spell as they wait for a return to normality. My Parisian fantasy may have to wait until autumn when the smell of roasting chestnuts will be in the air around the boulevards, or even next year the way things are going.

Do I mind the wait for vaccination that has been caused by the decision not to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for those between 70 and 80? Mind is hardly the word. I may be resigned to the delay and continued lockdown and count myself blessed to have a garden, where the first fluffy yellow blooms of actual mimosa are showing, the Wicklow countryside is all around me and I have plenty of interests to occupy me.

What has me seething, though, is yet another example of control by patronising types who think they know what is best for me and everyone else over 70 who belong to the silent monolith of those labelled elderly and vulnerable. But do those who made the decision really know what is best here?

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There is no evidence to suggest that the AstraZeneca vaccine is any less effective for over-70s than any other age group. The only reason for shifting the over-70s down the queue here and giving the vaccine to others is down to insufficient data where the vaccine was tested on a relatively small sample, too small for our number crunchers apparently. Never mind the fact that the vaccine has been given approval by the WHO this week for all age groups and was given approval by the European Medicines Agency. Never mind the fact either that the vaccine is being rolled-out apace in the UK, where 13 million have already been given their first jab and where my sister, who is 70, has just been given her first dose.

The paternalistic powers that be might just check to see how the elderly are faring across the water or indeed in the North after being administered the forbidden vaccine. Their concern is that there might be consequences in using the vaccine for the over-70s but I cant think of a worse consequence than being sick with cursed Covid, or worse, dead. There is plenty of time for that to happen as we elderly are not likely to be immunised until May, if then, given the likelihood of delays.

The advantage of the AstraZeneca vaccine, is that unlike the Moderna and Pfizer versions, it doesnt have to be stored at freezing temperatures and can easily be administered at doctors surgeries. Part of the revised plan is that the 70s to 80s wont be able to avail of this reassuring arrangement but will have to attend at mass vaccination centres. A little counter-intuitive surely, to travel to a crowded and unfamiliar venue for those who have been cocooned under virtual house arrest for most of the last year, never mind the difficulties for those who live in remote areas, dont have transport, or are poorly or disabled.

A great deal is still to be learned about Covid-19 and the protection afforded by vaccination. One of the advantages claimed for AstraZeneca aside from the fact that it is inexpensive (around 3 a shot), is that it may ensure less transmission to others by those who have been vaccinated.

There hasnt been any mention either of the way older people differ widely in how they age biologically. One over-70 may be 10 years older biologically than their chronological age, another may be 10 years younger than the number of candles on their birthday cake, and their vulnerability to the virus may differ widely.

Like some of my other so-called elderly and vulnerable friends, I do fantasize about painting the town red once I have had my jab. Only fantasize mind but even here those who know whats best for elders like me have decided what is to happen, like the killjoy economist who wrote in a rival paper that it wont do for oldies to think they can go jet-setting off on holiday before the rest have had their jabs. No, the immunisation is to safeguard my health not so that I can go and enjoy myself.

Well, I am not going to let him swing from my chandelier!
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The police in Lagos on Friday embarked on a show of force across major areas of the state ahead of a protest planned to hold at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday.

A few hours to the planned #occupyLekkitollgate and #DefendLagos protests, slated to hold at 7 a.m., several police vehicles and officers were seen at the tollgate.

The police confirmed this in a post shared on its Rapid Response Squad Facebook page, with pictures of officers at various points.

According to the post, the officers were led by Yinka Egbeyemi, the RRS commander, to the areas in order to deter all forms of crimes that may occur on Saturday.

CSP Yinka Egbeyemi is presently leading a team of police officers on a show of force to Lekki Toll Gate (Admiralty Plaza) Obalende, Ikoyi, Jakande Roundabout, and other areas in Eti Osa as part of efforts to deter crime as well as boost the morale of his officers in the areas, the post read.

The move is an attempt to forestall another round of protests with activists saying the action of the police is a violation of citizens rights to violence-free protests.

The police and the state government had earlier announced a ban on protests saying the move was to forestall violence in the state.

This newspaper had earlier reported that dozens of police officers were spotted at the Lekki tollgate.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that Saturdays protest is aimed at expressing displeasure over the ruling of the judicial panel for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to reopen the tollgate months after soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters.

While some groups are planning #OccupyLekkitollgate, another set of youth are planning a counter-protest, tagged #DefendLagos  in defence of the reopening of the tollgate and the state government.
Parvathy Thiruvothu, the popular actress slammed the rumours which suggested that she is making her political entry. Recently some leading Malayalam media had reported that the talented actress is contesting in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, as an LDF candidate. However, Parvathy Thiruvothu took to her official Twitter page and put an end to the rumours.

The actress retweeted a report published by a leading Malayalam daily that suggested her political entry and wrote: "Shame on such baseless and misleading articles. I never said anything about contesting and no party has approached me. I demand a correction on this."

Earlier, it was rumoured that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is fielding Parvathy Thiruvothu in the upcoming Kerala state assembly polls, anticipating the votes of youth. The grapevine had also suggested that the actress is indeed interested in a political entry. However, Parvathy's clarification has now put the speculations to rest.

Parvathy Thiruvothu, who has made a mark with her exceptional performances, has also made headlines with her bold stance. She has been making headlines by calling out the misogyny in the Malayalam film industry, and her open clash with the Malayalam actors association, A.M.M.A. Parvathy had quit the association recently, after General Secretary Edavela Babu made a derogatory comment on the attacked actress.

Coming to her acting career, Parvathy Thiruvothu will be seen in the upcoming projects Varthamanam and Aarkkariyam, which are gearing up for the releases. She is playing a key role in Navarasa, the upcoming Netflix anthology produced by the veteran filmmaker Mani Ratnam. Parvathy is also planning to make her directorial debut with a social drama, soon.

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Kerala Actor Abduction Case: Additional Special Sessions Court To Resume Trial On February 16

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Brookfield India Real Estate Trust, India's only institutionally managed public commercial real estate vehicle, has finalised the IPO share allocation on February 11, after closing the public issue last week. Investors can check the application status through two options.

The allotment can be checked on the IPO registrar's website. One has to first select either PAN number, Application Number or DP Client ID. Select 'Brookfield India Real Estate Trust' and then enter either 'PAN Number', 'Application Number' or 'DP Client ID' to know the actual application status.

Investors can also check the share allotment on the BSE website, by following these three easy steps. Select 'Equity' and 'Issue Name' (Brookfield India Real Estate Trust), Enter 'Application Number' and 'PAN Number', and finally click on 'Search' button to know the application status.

Investors, who will not get shares in the IPO, will receive their money back. Brookfield India will list its REIT units on the BSE and NSE on February 17, as per the schedule available in the prospectus.

Nureca IPO opens February 15, price band set at Rs 396-400

The REIT, sponsored by an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management, raised Rs 3,800 crore through a public issue which was subscribed 7.94 times during February 3-5. Institutional as well as other investors provided strong support to the issue as their reserved portion was subscribed 4.78 times and 11.74 times respectively.

RailTel Corporation of India to open IPO on February 16, price band fixed at Rs 93-94

Brookfield REIT will utilise IPO proceeds for repayment of debts availed by its Asset SPVs. It owns an initial portfolio of 4 large campus format office parks which are located in Mumbai, Gurugram, Noida and Kolkata with an initial portfolio size of 14.0 million square feet (msf), comprising 10.3 msf of completed area, 0.1 under development and 3.7 msf of future development.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 12:37:24|Editor: huaxia

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YANGON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Friday urged nationals to safeguard the constitution as it is the mother of all laws.

Min Aung Hlaing in his capacity of chairman of the State Administration Council, in his message on the 74th Union Day, noted that non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty are the three Main National Causes and also the most important task of the democratization process.

Min Aung Hlaing stressed that the main duty of the military is the task of safeguarding the three Main National Causes as all the sectors of the state duty have already been transferred to the military.

He also urged the entire nation to join forces with the military for the successful realization of democracy while adhering to the three Main National Causes.

The historical Panglong Conference was held in Panglong in Shan state, with the Panglong Agreement signed on Feb. 12, 1947, which was designated as Union Day, and Myanmar regained independence on Jan. 4, 1948.

Min Aung Hlaing pledged to alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on society and the economy and to ensure a quick socio-economic recovery during the post-COVID-19 period with the well-organized and united strength of the entire nation.

Myanmar declared a one-year state of emergency after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on Feb. 1. Enditem
Gardai have appealed to people not to share video footage and images online in the aftermath of the shooting dead of a man in a gun attack in North Dublin last night.

The victim, a man aged in his mid-40s who was named locally as Patrick 'Pappy' Lyons, was gunned down in the Belclare area of Ballymun.

The body of the deceased has been removed from the scene to the Dublin City Mortuary where a post-mortem examination will be carried out later today by Dr Linda Mulligan, Office of the State Pathologist. The Garda Technical Bureau are continuing to examine the scene.

Investigating Gardai said they were aware of video footage and images circulating online in the aftermath of the shooting.

Out of respect to the family of the deceased we would ask people not to share this material, they said in a statement.

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Meanwhile, they are appealing for anyone with information to help with inquiries. In particular they are looking for anyone who was in the Belclare Terrace and Belclare Park areas between 8pm and 9.15pm yesterday evening to come forward.

And they are particularly appealing to those with camera footage from area at the time of the incident, including dash-cam and mobile phone footage, to make it available to them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room at Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Gardai were alerted to the shooting at around 9pm and rushed to the scene.

The victim was treated for gunshot wounds but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Detectives have set up an incident room at Ballymun garda station.

Gardai are examining a motive for the first gun murder of the year and detectives are now probing if the killing is linked to a local dispute, or if it may have been carried out by the Kinahan cartel.
The Franciscan appeals to the new US president after dark years of tears. Dialogue must be renewed, respectful of the truth and justice. A new international political order is needed whereby disagreements do not become a pretext for total war. Saint Joseph and Saint Augustine are cited.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews)  The message of the new president of the United States, Catholic Joe Biden, on his inauguration day (20 January) is addressed to everyone, including Palestine, which has lived through dark years of tears, writes Fr Ibrahim Faltas, discrete of the Franciscan Custody and director of the Christian schools of the Holy Land, in a letter to the US leader.

With the possible dawn of a new day, the clergyman hopes that the election of a Democratic president will be a turning point for Palestine that sparks renewed dialogue, respectful of the truth and justice, to find a peaceful solution that looks to the good of all.

In his words the president showed love for his land, the urgent need to intervene as soon as possible on the coronavirus emergency to save as many lives as possible, writes the Franciscan friar.

Biden invited everyone to pause for a few minutes of silence, to commemorate the victims of the pandemic, noting that weeping can last one night, joy comes in the morning.

For Fr Ibrahim, the new president is not a dreamer, but someone whose deep-rooted faith stands as an important pillar on which to build a new America.

At the same time, he can also build a new international political order for the sake of the future of humanity, rejecting and condemning any motive for disagreement, which must not become a pretext for total war.

For this reason he has great confidence that the second Catholic US president in history after John Fitzgerald Kennedy can be the one who, with the strength of his faith can resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine, taking advantage of what John Paul II said, namely If there is no peace in Jerusalem, there will never be peace in the whole world.

The former Republican administration, under Donald Trump, privileged links to the Israelis and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose highest point was the signing of the so-called Abraham Accords in mid-September.

The latter officially sanctioned diplomatic and trade relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain (and Sudan), effectively relegating the Palestinians to the margins of regional diplomacy.

President Joseph Biden bears an important name, that of Joseph, and Pope Francis has announced that this year will be the year of Saint Joseph, Fr Ibrahim said.

Even more important is the Pope's call to build a new society characterised by true justice, freedom and respect for the rights and dignity of all.

For this reason, he made his heartfelt appeal to stress the importance of dialogue, staying united even with different political ideas because only this way can a people be built with respect and dignity for all, not only for America.

The clergyman notes that Biden quoted Saint Augustine, who said that every people love their land and Americans, in particular, love opportunity, security, freedom, dignity, respect, honour and the truth.

Finally, Let us entrust the work of President Biden to Saint Joseph, Fr Ibrahim said; let us urge him help humanity overcome the tragedy of the pandemic; with his paternal protection, may he help us make possible everything that seems impossible.

Republicans seeking to apportion the blame for the partys dismal state going into the Biden presidency need look no further than Donald Trump. To recognize how poorly Trump has handled recent events, let us think back to this past November. The Republicans position was surprisingly strong for a party that had apparently just lost the presidency.

Joe Biden had not won in the expected blowout. Some 74 million Americans, some reluctantly, some enthusiastically, had cast their votes for Donald Trump. A narrow Trump loss in the Electoral College should have been a wake-up call to Democrats. Here was an opponent they portrayed as complete buffoon, if not a Russian double agent, running for reelection during a frightful pandemic and crippling recession, and yet they managed to eke out a win based on tiny margins in key battleground states.

Meanwhile, Democrats were on track to lose the Senate and to retain a razor-thin House majority, placing a significant check on their ability to craft public policy. Conservatives who feared a repeat of the early Obama years, when congressional supermajorities gave the Democrats sweeping latitude, breathed a bit easier.

The message independent voters sent to Democrats was clear: Were not thrilled with Trump, but we dont really trust you, either. So well give you the presidency, while making it hard for you to enact your agenda. And if you go too far, well make you pay in 2022.

As Andrew Yang tweeted on Nov. 4, Joe may win. But it feels like we lost something important last night. Add to this mix Bidens charisma gap in comparison to Barack Obama, and the Democrats hand appeared weak. Republicans had the best possible position that an opposition party could hope for.

Then Trump messed everything up.

He had every right to challenge the election results, as Al Gore and numerous other politicians have done. Despite what the media tried to hammer into our heads, there is no reason to reject out-of-hand the possibility of voter fraud. It was a staple of American politics in the past and remains so in other countries, and it is hardly inconceivable that Democrats would cheat to stop a man they constantly compare to Hitler.

However, Trump failed to provide the evidence necessary to overturn Bidens victory. His cases were dismissed again and again, by conservative as well as liberal judges. Once the Electoral College voted in December, it was over. There was no way Biden would not be president. Yet Trump refused to concede, giving millions of his supporters false hope that there was still a chance.

While doing so, he neglected the most important battle for Republicans at that point: the Georgia Senate runoffs. Because Democrats have gained those two seats, their ability to pass legislation is much stronger than it would have been, and the whims of Joe Manchin are the only check on their power.

(Anyone who doubts the importance of a single Senate seat, or two, need only think back to John McCains thumbs-down on Obamacare repeal, or Susan Collins vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh.)

If Trump had conceded in December, without abandoning his claim of a stolen election, he would have been the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024. Now? Politics are unpredictable, and 2024 is a long way off, but Trumps prospects are certainly much dimmer than they were.

The tragedy is that Donald Trumps presidency was hardly a failure. If you had told me, back in 2016, that he would beat Hillary Clinton and go on to fulfill most of his promises, only to leave office in 2020 with a weak Democrat in charge, I would have been thrilled. But the events of the last few months ensure that Trump will be remembered with some embarrassment even by his supporters.

In 2016, Republicans made a deal: We agreed to vote for an unconventional candidate on the condition that he would deliver the goods. He upheld his end of the bargain fairly successfully for most of his presidency, and we have much to be grateful for.

It was Trumps own character failings that brought him low. In that fateful first debate, many Americans watching noticed the vast gulf between Trump and models of American leadership from Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan. If Trump could have only contained himself to speaking about policy, as he did in the final debate, then things would have unfolded very differently.

We must not forget that Trump, as president or party leader, is not our boss; we are his boss. He is supposed to perform for us. Of late, he has failed to do that. If a contestant on The Apprentice could not complete the weekly challenge, they would have received no mercy from Trump, only a summary Youre fired. It is time for us to do the same.

Lucknow, Feb 12 : The Yogi Adityanath government has issued a notification for election of the new Sunni Central Waqf Board after the Allahabad High Court set aside the extension of board tenure.

The elections will be held on March 6 in the board's office and the result will be announced the same day itself.

Eight members, all belonging to the Sunni community, have to be elected to the board.

This includes two Members of Parliament (MP), two members of the legislative council (MLCs), two members of the state bar council and two 'mutawwalis' (caretakers) of waqfs properties with an income of Rs 1 lakh and above annually.

The tenure of the board ended on March 31, 2020, but because of Covid-19, it was extended by six months by the state government.

In September, the government extended the tenure by another six months, which was then contested in court.

The court on January 25 ordered for the elections to be held and also appointed the principal secretary, department of minority welfare and waqf, BL Meena, as administrator until the new board is formed.
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Western Australia is on track to enjoy a mask-free Valentines Day with WA Premier Mark McGowan declaring the state would remove its transitional restrictions from Sunday morning, pending any further community transmission cases of COVID-19.

This means WA will effectively return to the same restrictions in place prior to January 31, when the Perth, Peel and South West regions went into a snap five-day lockdown after a hotel quarantine security guard contracted the virus.

As of 12.01am on Sunday, Perth and Peel residents will no longer have to wear masks in public places, free travel within the state will begin again and capacity restrictions in venues and at events will be eased.

Nightclubs and the casino will also be allowed to reopen but restrictions on visitors to remote Aboriginal communities and mandatory contact registers will remain in place.
Chandigarh: Punjab school education minister Vijay Inder Singla, on Friday, said that to commemorate and laud the contribution of the freedom fighters, martyrs and renowned personalities, the state government has named five government schools after the names of such martyrs.

Singla said that apart from implementing the name changing policy in a transparent manner, the state government under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has also been ensuring improvement in the quality of the school education.

Vijay Inder SinglaThe cabinet minister said that results of the reforms introduced by their government have shown positive results which were visible on the record as enrolment and results have been improved incredibly. He added all the policies and reforms were being implemented on a merit basis which formed the base of the transformation of the school education sector.

He said that before issuing the notification, the education department has concluded the due process of the verification and sought clearances from the concerned departments.

Vijay Inder Singla said that Government Senior Secondary School Sekhu in Bathinda district has been named as Shaheed Labh Singh Government Senior Secondary School; in SAS Nagar district, Government High School Dharamgarh has been named as Shaheed Sepoy Gurpreet Singh Government Senior Secondary School and Government Middle School Chakk Bhaike in district Mansa has been named as Shaheed Hawaldaar Sukhwinder Singh Government Middle School Chakk Bhaike.

Vijay Inder Singla

The cabinet minister informed that a government senior secondary school in Faridkot district has been named after a freedom fighter belonging to Rori Kapura village and now the school will be known as Freedom Fighter Jangir Singh Government Senior Secondary School Rori Kapura.

He added another school in Jalandhar district has also been named after renowned politician Comrade Harkrishan Singh Surjit and the school in Bundala village will now be known as Comrade Harkrishan Singh Surjit Government Senior Secondary School Bundala.

"Scott" Newgent, a self-described 48-year-old transgender man, warns people of dangers from sex-change surgeries that she encountered first-hand.

Six years ago, a hopeful Newgent was told by the medical community that she could turn from a woman into a man. But, Newgent adds, "all the negatives were glossed over."

Newgent posted a powerful and moving article in Newsweek entitled "We Need Balance When It Comes To Gender Dysphoric Kids. I Would Know" amidst social media giants' continuous crackdown on those who violate their trans-activist talking points.

Newgent explained that as a result of the transition, she "suffered tremendously, including seven surgeries, a pulmonary embolism, an induced stress heart attack, sepsis, a 17-month recurring infection, 16 rounds of antibiotics, three weeks of daily IV antibiotics, arm reconstructive surgery, lung, heart and bladder damage, insomnia, hallucinations, PTSD, $1 million in medical expenses, and loss of home, car, career and marriage. All this, and yet I cannot sue the surgeon responsible - in part because there is no structured, tested or widely accepted baseline for transgender health care."

When Newgent, who identifies as a lesbian at that time, is having doubts about the transitioning process, the medical professionals encouraged her to push through the process rather than suggesting to slow it down.

As a consequence, the surgeries and drugs took a terrible toll on Newgent who found no real help from the medical world who encouraged her transition in the first place.

"During my post-operation 17 months of sheer survival, I discovered that transgender health care is experimental and that large swaths of the medical industry encourage minors to transition due, at least in part, to fat profit margins," Newgent shared.

"I was gobsmacked. Each day I researched more and became increasingly appalled. As I jumped from ER to ER desperately seeking help, I realized that nobody knew what to do. Each physician told me to return to the original surgeon. I was trapped like a child with an abusive parent," she continued.

These are similar cases that have been long presented by the conservative Christians but have been largely ignored to this day. Maybe this time, people will now heed these urgent warnings, knowing it came from the mouth of a biological female who now identifies as a male, "Line Of Fire" host Michael Brown wrote in an article on LifeSite News.

Brown noted how Christian conservatives have been branded as hateful, bigoted, and transphobic when stating these same facts. Not only so, but when Walt Heyer or Laura Perry, former transgenders, told their own stories, they too were called hateful and bigoted.

Although, Newgent claimed, that it was love and truth that caused Newgent to write, and not hate.

"It is not transphobic or discriminatory to discuss this - we as a society need to fully understand what we are encouraging our children to do to their bodies," she claimed.

That is the reason behind Abigail Shrier's book entitled "Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters" which was named 'book of the year' by The Economist and one of the 'best books of 2021' by The Times and The Sunday Times.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It takes several laps of Noosas main drag, Hastings Street, to find a carpark and nearly every table is occupied at the string of sidewalk cafes by 9am. It is a weekday and a vastly different scene than in the far north Queensland city of Cairns where near-empty tour boats are floating around the Great Barrier Reef. Queenslands multibillion-dollar tourism industry has been knee-capped by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Tourism Industry Council chief Daniel Gschwind estimating at least $12 billion has been ripped from the sector in the past year alone. Aroma Cafe at Noosa has been busy. Credit:Attila Csaszar But some pockets of the state - particularly the string of coastal communities along the Sunshine Coast - have managed to thrive despite border closures, lockdowns and interstate tourists hesitation to book a Queensland sojourn in case there is a coronavirus outbreak and borders are closed at short notice. With international travel off the cards indefinitely and the interstate travel downturn, south-east Queensland tourism operators have been doubling down on the local drive market. Noosa, the upmarket coastal town where Australias business elite go to unwind, has been really, really busy despite losing the Sydneysiders and Melburnians that account for about two-thirds of the market.

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Holiday Homes @ Noosa owner Glenn McClellan manages about 70 properties on the northern stretch of the Sunshine Coast. The accommodation, which ranges from $150 per night two-bedroom unit to a $55,000 per week home, have all been pretty much booked out since June. The guests coming to stay here are very different to normal, because usually 70 per cent of our guests from interstate and 30 per cent from Queensland but now that has reversed, he said. When they opened up the borders in December, we only had about six houses left so within a few days they were all gone. When we opened up to Sydney in mid-January, there was a bit of a response, but not an overwhelming flood. People from Victoria and New South Wales are really reluctant to commit, I think they do not want to take the risk of having to quarantine for two weeks when they get back home. Despite losing out on cashed-up families from NSW and Victoria, February is shaping up as one of the busiest months on record for some operators. February is usually dead because it is after the school holidays and the parents are going back to work, McClellan said.

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Sunshine Coast chef Angus Megson says it had been a busy summer. Credit:Lydia Lynch I usually say to owners you just have to take what you can get in February because otherwise, the houses sit empty. But at this point, Im looking at our booking calendar, and its sitting at about 75 or 80 per cent occupancy, which is well above what my expectation. After a bumper summer and a lot of accommodation already booked out for Easter, Mr McClellan should be fist-pumping but he is waiting for the other shoe to drop amid the pandemic uncertainty. It is a very nerve-racking time for the industry at the moment. Even though the sun seems to be shining, it is not like you are enjoying it because there is that constant pressure that things could go wrong at any time, he said. I have a knot in the pit of my stomach all of the time. Just weeks after Brisbanes snap three-day lockdown which forced millions of dollars worth of booking cancellations, Noosa is bustling again.

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Retired Formula One driver Mark Webber, Sydney celebrity accountant Anthony Bell and Bettys Burgers founders David and Louise Hales all own houses at Noosa Heads and Noosaville. Hastings Street is still dotted with women wearing designer activewear as they walk fluffy dogs and men in boat shoes clutching coffees, with blue and white striped towels draped over their shoulders. But there has been a shift in the clientele escaping to the luxury coastal town. Noosas famous main beach was closed in November after a Schoolies rave left behind broken glass, used condoms and cigarette butts on the sand. Interstate surgeons and socialites who normally book two-week holidays to Noosa have been replaced with younger crowds of Brisbane residents looking to stay a few nights away to let off steam. Mr McClellan said in the past three months, he had responded to four noise complaints in the middle of the night. And in the past 10 years, I have only had four of them, he said.

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So it is a little bit different but at the same time, beggars cant be choosers. Further down the coast, Mooloolaba and Caloundra cater more for the family market. The expansion of Sunshine Coast Airport, 14 kilometres from Mooloolaba Beach, is expected to boost interstate visitors in the next few years. It is the fastest-growing airport in Australia, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, and welcomed 1.27 million domestic travellers in 2019. Angus Megson, who works as a chef at Beachfront Seafoods, a takeaway fish-and-chip shop on the Mooloolaba esplanade, said the summer had been even busier than the previous year. Sea Life Sunshine Coast General Manager Quinn Clarke says the aquarium was busier in 2020 than the previous two years. Credit:Lydia Lynch Over the school holidays it was really busy, he said. I feel like opening the borders has already started to make a difference, there were definitely a lot more people here from Melbourne and Sydney and down those ways.

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South Africa: Committee addresses Gauteng CoGTA, Humans Settlements concerns

The Gauteng Legislatures Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and Human Settlements, has finalised its analysis of the provincial CoGTA and Human Settlements performance for the 2019/2020 financial year.

This comes after an interrogation from the Auditor Generals (AG) report received last week, resulting in the committee submitting its concerns to the two departments on their performance.

The departments  who were summoned to appear before the committee  this week gave presentations on their annual reports, while also responding to concerns raised.

While the AGs report acknowledged strides made by Human Settlements to improve its audit outcome, following last years qualified opinion, the committee expressed concern with the report regarding the increase in the departments irregular expenditure.

The committee has called for a turnaround strategy to address the matter.

Committee chairperson, Kedibone Diale said the committee has also asked the department to outline its measures to improve the participation of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME's), particularly those owned by designated sectors in the economy, amongst other things.

Furthermore, the department had to provide a breakdown of its performance interventions on areas of underperformance including legacy project housing units; hostel construction; hostel detailed planning; hostel community residential units (CRUs) rectified; hostel maintenance; as well as title deeds registration, including pre, post, and new.

Overall, Diale said the committee called the department to provide detailed accounts on the misalignment of targets achieved and budget spent.

The committee is cognisant of persisting housing issues within the Human Settlements Department and is committed to continuously holding the department and municipalities accountable for addressing these, Diale said on Friday.

Gauteng Partnership Fund

Regarding the housing and the Gauteng Partnership Fund, the AG believes that the latter underperformed with audit findings, which has been the case for the past two financial years.

Diale said the committee is concerned about the housing funds increase in irregular expenditure in the current year from R0 to R11 704 448; and requires the department to tighten controls in this regard.

The AG found that partnership funds performance regressed to unqualified with material findings on non-compliance with laws and regulations.

This is mainly due to goods and services with a transaction value below R500 000 which were procured without obtaining the required price quotations.

The departments and its entities were warned on the implications of questionable procurement practices; and reiterated the requirement for compliance with standard Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes as outlined in the Public Financial Management Act, the chairperson said.

CoGTA commended for another clean audit

Meanwhile, Diale has congratulated the Department of CoGTA for another clean audit with no qualifications.

The AG reported that CoGTAs management, maintained the good practice of performing adequate reviews on the financial statements and performance reporting, which contributed to the sustained clean audit outcome.

Key controls over supply chain management were also adequately implemented as there was a decrease in irregular expenditure.

Upon appearing before the committee on Thursday, the department presented a detailed performance breakdown on some of their key targets; as requested by Members of the Committee.

The Portfolio Committee welcomed statistical breakdown on the notable achievement of 33% of the planned 40% of employment equity target for women in Senior Management Service (SMS) positions for the 2019/2020. The committee is pleased with the level of cooperation and compliance to Cooperative Governance displayed by all reporting entities throughout this process, Diale said.

She urged both departments to be wary of irregular expenditure and procurement trends that could lead to mismanagement of funds.

The committee remains committed to exercising oversight; through making recommendations for improvement in the service delivery of the departments, entities and municipalities.

We have the responsibility to ensure the implementation of these recommendations; and will conduct due oversight to ensure those mandated to deliver services to the people of Gauteng do so with transparency and accountability, Diale said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.


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New Delhi: A day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Parliament that India, China has commenced the process of disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has yet again made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the government has conceded land to China.

Addressing a press conference, Rahul Gandhi said, "Indian territory was up to Finger 4, why the troops have been withdrawn to Finger 3?" The Congress party MP from Keralas Wayanad claimed that the situation about the Depsang Plains, Gogra-Hot Springs is not clear.

The Gandhi scion said the status quo ante prior to April 2020 should be restored and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer the country. "It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to protect the territory of this country. How he does it, is his problem, not mine," Rahul Gandhi said.

In a breakthrough after a nine-month border standoff, Defence Minister Singh had announced in Parliament on Thursday that India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to "cease" forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner.

Singh had also shared the details of the pact to defuse the tense military face-off in eastern Ladakh that severely strained ties between the two Asian giants. The Defence Minister told the lawmakers in Rajya Sabha that the armed forces will return to the command post and added, "Not an inch of land will be given and nothing has been lost since the face-off."

Disengagement pact mandates China to move troops to Finger 8 near Pangong Lake, Indian forces near Finger 3: Rajnath Singh

"The sustained talks with China have led to the agreement on the disengagement on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake. After the agreement, India-China will remove forward deployments in a phased and coordinated manner.

"China will keep its troops to the east of the Finger 8 in the north of Pangong Lake. India will keep its troops at its permanent base near Finger 3," said Rajnath Singh. The Defence Minister also hailed the Indian troops and reiterated that the Indian armed forces remain committed to peace and stability at the LAC and New Delhi wants an amicable resolution of the India-China border row.

Exclusive: First video of Indian and Chinese tanks disengaging at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh; WATCH

He added that the Indian armed forces dealt with the situation in eastern Ladakh ''effectively and maintained their edge''. Counter to the allegations made by Rahul Gandhi, several leading TV news channels showed visuals showing China withdrawing its troops and pulling back its tanks to the east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong Lake.

China retreating troops from the Pangong Lake Region was seen as a significant step by the two armies as a significant step to dial down tensions in the key face-off site, under the Sino-India-China agreement on disengagement in eastern Ladakh.

The pictures and visuals of both India and China troops and tanks disengaging from the banks of Pangong Lake area in eastern Ladakh were released on Thursday. The troops had been deployed opposite each other for almost ten months.

During the nine rounds of military talks, India was specifically insisting on the withdrawal of Chinese troops from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the North bank of Pangong Lake. The mountain spurs in the area are referred to as Fingers.

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(Natural News) Celebrity comedian and actor Seth Rogen has retaliated against Lebanese-Canadian evolutionary psychologist and professor in the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University (Montreal) Gad Saad for writing a piece about Hollywood hypocrisy that was published in, then retracted from, Psychology Today.

In his piece, Saad criticized Rogen and others like him for their moral hypocrisy. He called them champagne socialists who do not live out their convictions, as well as vacuous parasitic virtue signallers who wear Che Guevara T-shirts from the luxury of their Malibu homes.

Saad was tough on the Hollywood crowd, in other words, which sent some of them, including Rogen specifically, into a tailspin. Within days, Saads article was canceled from Psychology Today without cause, and it would appear as though Rogen was behind it.

The truly privileged elites know that deep down they are fraud, Saad went on to write. They suffer from existential guilt. Hence, one of the ways by which they assuage the guilt albatross around their necks is to demonstrate to the world that they are truly compassionate, truly loving, truly caring, truly profound.

Hence, they love all undocumented immigrants. They love Mother Earth. They love the ozone layer. They love BLM. They love socialism. They love inner cities. They hate the gentrification of neighbourhoods. They love mentors of color. They cherish diversity. They love LGBTQ movies. They adore queer architecture. They are better than you. More caring, more cultured, more empathetic. This permits them to sleep better at night.

Saad says we have truly entered a dangerous reality

Saads article went even further, calling people like Rogen overpaid BS actor[s] who make up for their horribleness buy signing on to all sorts of causes and movements. Some of them might appear laudable on the surface, but almost all of them are fronts used by the privileged with guilt complexes to feel better about themselves.

Rogen actually responded to Saad on Twitter, claiming that he watched Saads video and its so stupid.

Why was I a left wing socialist when I was broke and unemployed according to your brilliant theory? Rogen asked.

Almost immediately after tweeting this, Psychology Today pulled Saads article, this being the first time ever that the periodical did such a thing to Saads work.

I have been writing for Psychology Today since 2008 (312 articles), Saad wrote in a lengthy follow-up tweet. This is the first one that theyve ever pulled. I have generated nearly 7 million readers for them, but the use of parasitic is simply unacceptable to them.

My book is titled The PARASITIC Mind,' Saad added. I know the editor in chief personally. I know many of the senior editors. What is transpiring is truly chilling. OK, well, get ready. Im activating my honey badger.

Saad says he did receive a response from the associate editor at Psychology Today about why his article was pulled. Using words and phrases like hypocritical fraud and vacuous parasitic signallers is apparently off-limits, even if they express truth.

P.S.  My article that was pulled had become one of the five most popular on their site in 30 minutes, Saad added. But apparently it was too triggering to be mean to Seth Rogen. Its not empirically based polite language. We have truly entered a dangerous reality.

Rogen, as you may recall, donated gobs of cash to various bail funds set up following the George Floyd saga. One of these was the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), which also received cash from other hypocritical Hollywood celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Steve Carell.

More related news about hypocritical Hollywood celebrities can be found at Libtards.news.

Sources for this article include:

DailyWire.com

NaturalNews.com
If you are injured or if someone in your family is killed as a result of another persons negligence, you deserve to be compensated for your tangible as well as intangible losses. While any attorney can file a claim on your behalf, only a highly skilled and experienced attorney can get the results you want and recover the compensation you deserve.

Given below are five key factors you should take into account while choosing the best personal injury attorney in San Antonio.

1. Experience in Handling Personal Injury Cases

Does the attorney regularly handle cases that are similar to yours? Are they confident about taking up your case? This is the first thing you need to find out while looking for the best personal injury attorney in San Antonio.

If the attorney has handled several cases that are similar to yours, and if they have successfully managed to recover substantial damages in these cases, it is a good sign that they might be able to achieve a positive outcome in your case as well.

2. Trial Experience

Trial experience is a critical factor you need to consider while choosing the best personal injury attorney in San Antonio.

Insurance companies can afford to play hardball with an attorney without any trial experience, as they know that the attorney will try to avoid a legal battle at all costs. They cannot, on the other hand, do the same with an experienced litigator, as they know that the attorney will not hesitate to take cases to trial and battle it out in court if needed. This is why its critical to choose a trial attorney who has a track record of recovering damages through litigation.

3. Resources

Does the attorney have the resources and connections to handle your case?

Do they have a team of lawyers and investigators at their disposal? Can they get the expert testimonies needed to strengthen your case against the at-fault party?

This is a key factor you should consider, especially if yours is a complicated case with multiple defendants.

4. Ability to Win Large Settlements

One of the things that separate the best personal injury attorney in San Antonio from the rest is their ability to win large settlements and verdicts for their clients. This is particularly important if you or any of your family members have suffered catastrophic injuries and are looking to recover a substantial amount of compensation from the defendant.

5. No History of Wrongdoing

The best personal injury attorney in San Antonio is someone who is honest, forthright, and has a clean record without any history of wrongdoings. You can go to this page and type in the attorneys name to find out if the bar council has taken any kind of disciplinary action against them.

Looking for the Best Personal Injury Attorney in San Antonio?

Thomas J. Henry has been a personal injury attorney for 25 years and is the founder and president of the largest personal injury law firm in Texas. Thomas J Henry was recognized as the Best Attorney of San Antonio by the San Antonio Current in 2019 and 2020 and was named one of the Best San Antonio Lawyers by San Antonio Scene for three consecutive years (2018, 2019, and 2020). A lifetime member of the prestigious Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Mr. Henry has the skills, experience, and resources needed to take up your case and achieve the results you want.

To find out how Thomas J. Henry can help you with your personal injury claim, call us today at (866) 517-5659 or write to us online.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has stripped Central New York students of normalcy, but schools are trying to preserve some fun traditions.

One of those is exchanging Valentines Day cards among the younger kids.

Whats different this year is that Cupid  in the form of Valentines Day cards  is being subjected to quarantine rules in many Central New York school districts. That is to ensure the love between kids is shared but not the virus.

For example, in the Fayetteville-Manlius school district, Valentines Day cards are treated like Onondaga County Public Library handles its books: The cards are quarantined for four days before they are distributed. That meant the cards had to be completed and brought into school earlier than usual.

Jordan-Elbridge students also exchanged Valentines Day cards after they were held in isolation for several days, officials said.

Baldwinsville teachers were told the cards could be placed into students homemade mailboxes or bags a few days ahead of the holiday (which is Sunday) to allow them to be quarantined.

Bags of Valentine's Day cards sit in the Baldwinsville school district waiting to be "quarantined" before distribution.

And then theres the impact of the pandemic hybrid schedule where kids are in classrooms only 2-3 days a week in many districts.

Jamesville-DeWitt elementary students were asked to bring their cards a week early to allow students who come to school on different days to get them as well as remote learners. It also gave them time to quarantine the cards.

We want to carry on the tradition of students exchanging Valentines Day cards during this unique school year, and also want all families to feel comfortable with their students receiving cards from classmates,' said Moses DeWitt Elementary School Principal Mary Sylvester.

Lyncourt schools has a different approach. Instead of exchanging physical cards, students are either making making virtual cards, or making one Valentine for the class and displaying it on a bulletin board for all to see, officials said.

Olivia Brim, a student in the Jordan-Elbridge Elementary School, with her bag of Valentine's Day cards.

Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime at 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com
Converge continues to grow its business and its foothold in Texas with its 18th acquisition.

TORONTO, ON and GATINEAU, QC, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Converge Technology Solutions Corp. ("Converge" or "the Company") (TSX: CTS) (FSE: 0ZB) (OTCQX: CTSDF) a national platform of regionally focused Hybrid IT solution providers in the U.S. and Canada, is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Accudata Systems, Inc., an IT consulting and integration firm with a 38 year history of providing high-impact IT infrastructure and security solutions and services. Accudata is the 18th acquisition completed by Converge.

The acquisition of Accudata adds extensive market and industry experience, deep customer relationships, and a highly-regarded organization to Converge's already substantial practice. Accudata also brings longstanding and well-maintained relationships with partners such as Microsoft and Cisco, both of whom have been working with Accudata for more than 25 years. Furthermore, the acquisition grows Converge's market presence in Texas, giving customers located in the central area of the United States more access to Converge's ever-growing IT capabilities.

"We are proud of our dedicated team members and what every one of them has helped us build at Accudata over the past 38 years," said Patrick Vardeman, CEO of Accudata and a 20-year company veteran. "We believe our future growth opportunities are immense as part of Converge. The increased capabilities, technology offerings, and nationwide coverage will deepen our skillset and create additional opportunities for our employees while delivering increased value to our customers. We look forward to what we can do for our customers present and future under the Converge umbrella."

"Having Accudata join the Converge family is an excellent move for the Company which we are thrilled about," said Greg Berard, President of Converge. "It's rare to find people who have been in the IT industry for as long as Accudata's been, and the reason they've been so successful is simple; they put their customers' needs first. Accudata will expand our technical skills and capabilities around cloud, cybersecurity, and managed services. It will also give us further reach across Texas and the West Coast, continuing to drive more value with our clients in the Central and West Regions."

Accudata Systems, Inc. marks the eighteenth acquisition completed by Converge since October 2017. Converge's family of companies also includes Corus Group, LLC; Northern Micro, Inc.; 10084182 Canada Inc. operating as Becker-Carroll; Key Information Systems, Inc.; BlueChip Tek, Inc.; Lighthouse Computer Systems, Inc.; Software Information Systems LLC.; Nordisk Systems, Inc.; Essex Technology Group, Inc.; Datatrend Technologies, Inc.; VSS, LLC; Solutions PCD, Inc.; Unique Digital, Inc.; Workgroup Connections, Inc.; Vivvo Application Studios LTD.; Vicom Computer Services, Inc.; and CarpeDatum LLC.

About Converge

Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a North American software-enabled, Hybrid IT solution provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions and services. Converge's regional sales and services organizations deliver advanced analytics, cloud, cybersecurity, and managed services offerings to clients across various industries. The Company supports these solutions with talent expertise and digital infrastructure offerings across all major IT vendors in the marketplace. This multi-faceted approach enables Converge to address the unique business and technology requirements for all clients in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit convergetp.com.

About Accudata Systems, Inc.

Accudata Systems is an IT consulting and integration firm with over 38 years of experience providing high-impact IT infrastructure services and integrated solutions. As a trusted advisor, we help our clients incorporate innovative networking technologies into their IT environments while preserving performance, availability, and security. With an unwavering commitment to customer service and satisfaction since our founding in 1982, Accudata has grown to become one of the largest and most trusted IT integrators in the country. To learn more about Accudata Systems, visit http://www.accudatasystems.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation regarding Converge and its business. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects," or "does not expect," "is expected," "anticipates," or "does not anticipate," "plans," "budget," "scheduled," "forecasts," "estimates," "believes," or intends," or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could," "would," "might," or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. 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. Except as required by law, Converge assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Converge Technology Solutions Corp.

Related Links

https://convergetp.com/


She catapulted to internet fame last week after posting a video on TikTok in which she called the decision to use the adhesive spray a bad, bad, bad idea. More than 30 million people have viewed it there, along with countless more on Instagram and Twitter. They have clambered for updates and flooded her posts with words of encouragement (and criticism), all while piling on suggestions for how to help. But nothing worked.
NSE Algo Scam: SEBI Imposes over Rs5 Crore Penalty on OPG Securities, Sanjay Gupta and 2 Directors

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed an overall penalty of over Rs5 crore on OPG Securities Private Ltd, along with its promoter and managing director (MD) Sanjay Gupta, and two other directors Sangeeta Gupta and Om Prakash Gupta. SEBI has imposed a penalty of Rs5 crore jointly on the company and the directors, along with a Rs10 lakh fine each on OPG Securities and Sanjay Gupta.

In an order, Amit Pradhan, adjudicating officer (AO) of SEBI says, "...material available on record has clearly brought out the amount of disproportionate gain made by the notices, which amount to Rs15.57 crore on account of connections established to the Secondary POP Server for the 134 days without any justifiable reasons. The violations as observed in this case are serious in nature although there are no investor complaints on record."

"In this case, the noticees have not only committed breach of the applicable provisions of securities laws but also completely disregarded for the norms laid down by NSE for moving to Secondary POP Server and thereby not complied with the applicable statutory requirements. Such non-compliance and gross defiance of the directions certainly will have an adverse impact on the securities market as a whole and thus, should be suitably penalized to demonstrate enforcement as an effective deterrence." The only mitigating factor is that the noticees, based on the directions of Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), have already deposited a sum of Rs7.5 crore before SEBI and which is kept in an interest-bearing account by SEBI.

As per a complaint received by the market regulator from a whistle-blower, OPG Securities used the systems at National Stock Exchange (NSE) to its advantage by hiring Nagbhusan Bhat, who was working with Omnesys Technologies, to figure out which server was working better.

The brokerage also allegedly made certain arrangements with a staffer from NSE data centre Jagdish Joshi who would inform it of the time when the servers would start and, therefore, they could be the first to connect.

NSE was the second largest shareholder of Omnesys Technologies which had the knowledge that connecting faster would put the server ahead in the queue.

Further, the a whistle-blower had alleged that the backup servers that were installed for the purpose of business continuity, whose access should ideally be permitted in case the primary servers went down, were allowed to be accessed by OPG as load on such server was low.

NSE has two price feed streams. One is the broadcast (UDP stream) or multicast which is available on VSAT network and leased line networks. The other price feed is called tick-by-tick (TBT) which reflects every change in the order book. TBT is used by trading members to build their order book (a list of orders maintained by brokers that indicates the interest of buyers and sellers in a particular security) from ground up. Each tick represents a change in the order book and, therefore, provides an in-depth view of the order book (from bottom to top). As a result, TBT data is voluminous.

The SEBI order noted that as a director of OPG, Sanjay Gupta was under an obligation to ensure that correct information was provided promptly to the regulator; however, he failed to ensure cooperation and hampered investigations in the instant proceedings.

"Accordingly, I hold that the submission made by the noticees in this regard are incorrect and misleading in nature," the AO says.

On the other noticees, SEBI says said that as they were directors of the company during the relevant period of violation, they were responsible for its day-to-day affairs and are 'vicariously liable' for the acts of omissions and commissions of OPG Securities.

"In the facts and circumstances of this case, the conduct of the noticees is blameworthy being in defiance of the obligations to exercise due skill, care and diligence in the conduct of its business and compliance with statutory requirements apart from indulging in 'unfair trade practice' in securities which is prohibited under Regulation 4(1) of the PFUTP Regulations and due to which they made unlawful gains," the order says.

Read: SEBI Allows OPG Securities, Way2Wealth and GKN Securities to Close Positions in F&O & Currency Derivatives in Two Months ) In May 2019, SEBI had barred OPG Securities and its directors Sanjay Gupta, Sangeeta Gupta and Om Prakash Gupta from the markets for five years for securing unfair access to NSEs trading systems. They were also asked to pay Rs15.57 crore along with an interest of 12% from April 2014 onwards. (

Read: SAT Stays SEBI Orders Against 3 Brokers, 3 NSE Officials ) However, the SAT stayed the order passed by SEBI, while asking OPG Securities to deposit 50% of the penalty amount as security by 20 May 2019. (

The colocation or algo scam came to light in mid-2015, when Moneylife wrote about it for the first time , following multiple letters from a whistle-blower. For this, NSE had filed a defamation case against us. A single-judge had penalised NSE for Rs50 lakh for having filed a case against us. After filing an appeal against the order, NSE paid up the penalty. Meanwhile, in the wake of the scam, the top brass of NSE had to resign and a new management team took charge.

Read: NSE Algo Scam: SEBI imposes Rs1 crore penalty on NSE, Rs25 Lakh each on Ravi Narain, Chitra Ramakrishna ) Earlier this week, SEBI imposed a penalty of Rs1 crore on NSE. Ravi Narain and Chitra Ramakrishna, former managing directors (MDs) of NSE were panalised Rs25 each in the co-location (colo) scam. (
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Airlines allowed to operate 80% of pre-COVID-19 domestic flights till March 31

The cap on the number of domestic flights that Indian airlines are permitted to operate will remain at 80 per cent of their pre-COVID levels till March 31 or till the summer schedule begins, said the Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday. The ministry had set the 80 per cent limit on December 3, 2020, without specifying till what date it would remain in place.

Indian pharma grows for 5th straight month; sales rise 4.5% in January

The Indian pharmaceutical market's (IPM) maintained its growth trajectory for the fifth consecutive month by expanding 4.5 per cent in January. After growing 8.5 per cent in December, it grew 4.5 per cent last month, signalling that the post-Covid recovery is in full swing, pointed an Anand Rathi report.

India first country to vaccinate over 70 lakh people in 26 days; Bihar, Tripura top performers

India has achieved yet another milestone in its nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme. India has become the fastest country in the world to vaccinate over 70 lakh (70,17,114) beneficiaries on Thursday. India achieved this feat in merely 26 days whereas it took 27 days for the US and 48 days for the UK to reach these figures. Meanwhile, India has assured to help Canada with COVID-19 jabs under its Vaccine Maitri initiative.

British health expert warns UK COVID-19 variant will 'sweep the world

'The UK coronavirus variant that has wreaked havoc in the country and spread to multiple countries could eventually become the dominant strain, say experts. Professor Sharon Peacock, head of UK's genetic surveillance progragramme, has predicted that the UK coronavirus that has 'swept the country' is 'going to sweep the world, in all probability'. Speaking at BBC's Newscast podcast, Prof Peacock said that her work sequencing variants of the virus could be required for at least 10 years. The UK COVID-19 variant that was first found in Kent has already been detected in nearly 100 countries.

China will 'eat our lunch,' Biden warns after clashing with Xi on most fronts

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held their first phone call as leaders and appeared at odds on most issues, even as Xi warned that confrontation would be a "disaster" for both nations. While Xi has called for "win-win" cooperation, Biden has called China America's "most serious competitor" and vowed to "out compete" Beijing. Biden said he spoke to Xi for two hours on Wednesday night and warned the senators: "If we don't get moving, they are going to eat our lunch."

Job market continues to improve; IT, agro industries leaders: Monster

The job market continues to improve sequentially across the country and job postings in some industries have improved, with some doing even better than the pre-Covid levels, led by IT, agro-based sectors, according to a report. In comparison to January 2020, job postings in some industries have improved, according to Monster Employment Index, by Monster.com - a Quess Company.
A typically reliable source has revealed new information about Samsung's next-generation foldable smartphones, the so-called Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2. The pair's massive hardware upgrades remain unconfirmed, but it seems that Samsung will not announce either until the second half of 2021.

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A new report from SamMobile has provided some details about the successors of last year's Galaxy Z Fold2 and Galaxy Z Flip 5G. According to the website, Samsung has chosen SM-F926 as the model number for the next Galaxy Z Fold and SM-F711 for this year's Galaxy Z Flip.

Additionally, SamMobile alleges that both devices will ship running One UI 3.5, which would be the third version of One UI 3.x. However, this would follow Samsung's nomenclature for One UI 2x. Similarly, Samsung will compile One UI 3.5 on the same Android base as One UI 3.0 and One UI 3.1, rather than Android 12. Hence, both of Samsung's 2021 foldable smartphones will arrive on Android 11 and should receive three OS upgrades to Android 14.

SamMobile adds that Samsung will sell the next Galaxy Z Flip with 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. By contrast, the company will configure this year's Galaxy Z Fold with at least 256 GB; presumably, there will be 512 GB configurations, also.

Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Periods of rain. The rain will be heavy at times. High 49F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Occasional rain. Low near 45F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
EnWave Sells Third REV? Machine to U.S. Army for Production of Close Combat Military Rations

Posted by Publisher Internet

EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (?EnWave?, or the ?Company?)?announced today that it has signed a Purchase Contract (the ?Agreement?) with the United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (?U.S. Army?) to supply a 10kW Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) dehydration machine. This machine will be used by a third-party contract manufacturer (the ?Manufacturing Partner?) to produce Close Combat Assault Rations for field testing. The Manufacturing Partner will be selected and approved by the? U.S. Army.

This Agreement marks an important milestone in the U.S. Army?s plans to advance the use of EnWave?s REV? technology. By selecting a Manufacturing Partner and purchasing additional machinery, the U.S. Army will be able to source commercial REV?-dried products for use in Close Combat Assault Rations that they acquire from approved MRE suppliers. EnWave intends to negotiate commercial processing rights with the Manufacturing Partner to continue utilizing REV? technology to manufacture military rations for the U.S. Army? on an ongoing basis, and potentially to sell REV?-dried products to their commercial customer base.

The U.S. military is seeking lighter field rations that will keep troops fueled and satisfied, while improving nutritional quality and taste. The Close Combat Assault Rations developed by the U.S. Army using REV? technology are up to 40% lighter than standard ready-to-eat meals (?MREs?), are nutrient dense and extremely compact.? The U.S. Army plans to sign a cooperative research and development agreement (the ?CRADA?) with the Manufacturing Partner to operate the 10kW REV? equipment at its industrial-scale food processing facility to produce several shelf-stable, compressed, REV?-dried Close Combat Assault Rations. The use of the 10kW REV? machine by the Manufacturing Partner will be limited to solely supplying the U.S. Army under the terms of the CRADA, but may sell to commercial customers after signing a royalty-bearing commercial license agreement with EnWave.

About the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (CCDC Soldier Center)

Formerly known as the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center optimizes and modernizes individual soldiers and squad performance, and increases combat readiness and lethality to ensure dominance in multi-domain operations. CCDC Soldier Center uses science and engineering expertise, in collaboration with Department of Defense, industry and academia partners in the innovation ecosystem, to advance soldier/squad performance optimization, readiness, lethality, and synthetic training environments. The CCDC Soldier Center?s research and development focus is concentrated on six core domains, each of which provides exactly what the soldier needs given the unique combat environment in which they serve. These include Basic & Early Applied Research; Clothing & Protective Equipment; Airdrop/Aerial Delivery; DoD Combat Feeding; Expeditionary Maneuver Support; Soldier/Small Combat Unit Technology Maturation & Demonstration; Human Systems Integration Sciences; and DoD Combat Feeding. This Soldier Center ensures our Soldiers are optimized, protected, and lethal.

About EnWave

EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed a Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) ? an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. EnWave has further developed patent-pending methods for uniformly drying and decontaminating cannabis through the use of REV? technology, shortening the time from harvest to high-quality, marketable cannabis products.?

REV? technology?s commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors, including legal cannabis. EnWave?s strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with innovative, disruptive companies in multiple verticals for the use of REV? technology. The company has signed over forty royalty-bearing licenses to date in twenty countries world-wide. In addition to these licenses, EnWave established a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to manufacture, market and sell all-natural dairy snack products in the United States, including the Moon Cheese? brand.?

EnWave has introduced REV? as a disruptive dehydration platform in the food and cannabis sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently offers two distinct commercial REV? platforms:

nutraREV? which is a drum-based system that dehydrates organic materials quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; and,

quantaREV? which is a tray-based system used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying.

More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net.

EnWave Corporation

Mr. Brent Charleton, CFA

President and CEO

For further information:

Brent Charleton, CFA, President and CEO at +1 (778) 378-9616

E-mail: bcharleton@enwave.net

Dan Henriques, CPA, CA, CFO at +1 (604) 835-5212

E-mail: dhenriques@enwave.net

Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management\-\-s expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company\-\-s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third-party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third-party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has 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 or intended. 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.

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.

?
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.
A Department of Public Service highway patrol officer based out of Lubbock was recently awarded a Purple Heart.

Sgt. Jerrod Burtnett was recognized with the honor for his actions during a callout to a crash in Lubbock County on Dec. 27, 2019.

Burtnett had just finished checking on a bystander during a series of crashes due to fog producing no visibility when a fast-moving tractor-trailer hit multiple vehicles and Burtnett in the process. Burtnett suffered serious injuries.

He underwent a series of surgeries and continues to recover.

Burtnett was awarded a Purple Heart in recognition of his courage and personal sacrifice.

He received the award from the Texas Public Safety Commission and the Texas DPS during a special presentation at DPS Headquarters in Austin on Thursday. Eight other DPS officials from across the state received Lifesaving Awards..

In a statement on the news release, Steven McCraw, director of Texas DPS, said: Im proud to recognize the DPS Troopers today who selflessly went into dangerous situations in order to serve people throughout Texas, saving lives in the process. Its a privilege to recognize them for their heroic actions.

Lifesaving Award recipients included:

Trooper Jeremy Amis, Highway Patrol  Waco, Date: 15, 2020.

Amis overheard radio traffic from the McLennan County Sheriffs Office about a possible suicidal person in Lorena and went to the scene. Upon arrival, he found the person with a knife to his throat. When the person asked for a cigarette, the Trooper located a cigarette and lighter, tossing both just far enough away that he had to move. When the subject went to light the cigarette, he lowered the knife. Amis seized the chance and was able to pin the persons wrists to the ground, while other officers removed the knife and took him into custody.

Trooper Chad Brooks, Highway Patrol  Pampa, Date: Aug. 29, 2020.

Brooks was eating at a cafe when he heard a commotion at a nearby table. Brooks saw a 2-year-old boy choking and the child closed his eyes and went limp. Brooks immediately jumped up and asked the mother for the child and laid him facedown over his leg, striking the boy on his back. As a result, a large piece of food was ultimately dislodged from the little boys mouth, and he took a gasp of air and began to cry. Brooks ensured the child was alright before returning him to his mother.

Trooper Roy Haley, Highway Patrol  McKinney, Date: Jan. 20, 2020.

Haley he responded to a domestic disturbance in Collin County. An elderly woman had been stabbed by her son. Haley saw she was losing a significant amount of blood due to the wound in her arm, so he removed the womans jacket and applied a tourniquet from his duty belt. Noticing a wound to the womans neck, he used gauze from another officer on the scene and applied pressure, which helped reduce the blood loss. The woman was taken by EMS to a local hospital, where she fully recovered.

Trooper Samuel Perez, Highway Patrol  Mission, Date: Aug. 2, 2020.

Perez attempted a traffic stop on two people on an ATV. The driver refused to stop and continued at a high rate of speed, passing other vehicles illegally. Eventually, the driver lost control and crashed, causing him and his passenger to be ejected. The driver suffered a large wound on his left arm that was bleeding extensively. Perez immediately applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The tourniquet likely saved the mans arm and possibly his life.

William Robbins and Cody Sagnibene, Highway Patrol  Greenville, Date: Aug. 8, 2020.

The two Troopers were called to assist the Royce City Police Department after a motorcycle crashed into a guardrail. When Robbins and Sagnibene arrived they found the motorcyclists foot was severed. At this point, there had not been any pressure applied to the injured leg. Sagnibene and Robbins worked together to apply a tourniquet and provide medical treatment until EMS arrived.

(Jonathan) Daniel Britton, Highway Patrol  Queen City and Wayne Johnson, Highway Patrol  Linden, Date: April 5, 2020.

Johnson was informed by the Atlanta Police Dispatch that a woman was in cardiac arrest near a Texas/Louisiana COVID-19 checkpoint on U.S. 77. Johnson phoned Britton, who was able to locate an elderly woman who wasnt breathing and had no pulse. Britton began chest compressions until Johnson arrived; then together, they continued lifesaving measures. The woman eventually regained a pulse and began breathing. EMS arrived and took her to a hospital. She was expected to make a full recovery.
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Russian police raided the headquarters for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny as his wife fled the country and headed to Germany.

The search by a dozen police ended about 1 a.m. It was not immediately clear if the police took away items as potential evidence, but photos posted by Navalnys staff on social media showed them bagging material including a coffee mug.

Meanwhile, his wife Yulia Navalnaya landed in Frankfurt, Germany, yesterday according to local media reports.

The 44-year-old fled amid increasing pressure from the Kremlin on Navalny's supports which saw her being detained during protests against her husband's arrest.

There was no statement from police about the reason for the search of Navalny's offices in Moscow.

The Mediazona news website that focuses on political repressions and human rights abuses cited a Navalny staff member as saying that police said they had received a report that pornography was being published at the office.

Russian police raided the Moscow headquarters for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny as his wife Yulia (pictured) fled the country and headed to Germany amid rising tensions in Russia

Navalny was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

He later was ordered to serve 2 and a half years in prison on the grounds that his time in Germany violated a suspended sentence he was handed in a money-laundering and fraud conviction.

The arrest sparked protests throughout the county on two weekends in January, in which a total of about 10,000 people reportedly were arrested.

Yulia Navalnaya was detained during one of the protests and posted a selfie onto her Instagram page with the caption: 'Apologies for the poor quality. Very bad light in the police van.'

According to local media reports, she was released the following day and later fined 20,000 roubles (196) for attending an 'unsanctioned protest'.

The United States, Britain, Germany and the EU have urged Moscow to immediately free Navalny, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying Washington will coordinate closely with allies to hold Russia accountable.

Yulia Navalnaya was detained after attending a protest against her husband's incarceration

Pictured: Yulia Navalnaya arrives at the Moscow City Court to attend the trial of her husband

Earlier on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said further sanctions against Russia needed to target the right people.

In the wake of his sentencing earlier this month, allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny called for immediate protests after the Kremlin critic was handed two-and-a-half years in prison for violating the terms of a 2014 conviction.

At his sentencing, Navalny mocked Putin by giving him the nickname 'Vladimir the Poisoner of Underwear' and told a judge his trial is only taking place because the Russian leader had failed to kill him with Novichok.

Navalny told the Russian courthouse that Putin is 'demanding to steal underwear from opponents and smear them with chemical weapons'.

He also said Putin wanted him imprisoned to 'scare millions' and warned the President that 'people will realise.'

He then made a heart gesture to his wife who was sat at the back of court and said 'Dont be sad! Everything is going to be all right.'
And thats a wrap for day four of the Trump impeachment trial.

I think its fair to say that despite both Republican and Democrat senators getting to grill lawyers on both sides, no-one landed a killer blow or raised a question serious enough to significantly alter the likely outcome.

You can read US correspondent Matthew Knotts news story about the days proceedings here.

Join Latika Bourke early tomorrow morning for the final session and possibly the vote, which is all but expected to acquit the former president.

See you then.
She's expecting her first child, a baby boy, with boyfriend Jonny Lomas, any day soon.

And Victoria Ekanoye looked sensational as she cradled her baby bump for a stunning new pregnancy shoot.

The former Coronation Street star, 37, was every inch the glowing mum-to-be as she posed naked for the striking images, save for carefully placed flowing silk sheets.

Mum-to-be: Victoria Ekanoye looked sensational as she cradled her baby bump for a stunning new pregnancy shoot

The showstopping snaps see Victoria looking serene as she pulled off a number of poses, while wrapped in either a black or white sheet.

Victoria stunned as she posed this way and that while tenderly holding her burgeoning bump, while also showcasing her her toned pins.

The actress swept her raven tresses back for the shoot, while she highlighted her features with a smokey eye and a slick of clear gloss.

Victoria revealed last month that she's had a 'challenging pregnancy' after her baby had been breech and amid her worries she'd have to have a C-section.

Wow: The former Coronation Street star, 37, was every inch the glowing mum-to-be as she posed naked for the striking images, save for carefully placed flowing silk sheets

In a candid Instagram post, she opened up about her fears of having a major operations as it would be harder to recover as she suffers from Sickle Cell disease, and worries she wouldn't be able to 'carry or feed him without being in pain.'

However, she added that her baby had been successfully turned into a head down position during a recent ECV (external cephalic version) appointment, and therefore reduced her chances of needing a C-section.

In December, Victoria revealed she was expecting a baby boy as she posed for sweet snaps with long term partner Jonny.

Expecting: Victoria is expecting her first child, a baby boy, with boyfriend Jonny Lomas, any day soon

Stunning: The showstopping snaps see Victoria looking serene as she pulled off a number of poses, while wrapped in either a black or white sheet

Serene: The actress swept her raven tresses back for the shoot, while she highlighted her features with a smokey eye and a slick of clear gloss

The former X Factor: Celebrity star slipped into a form-fitting grey dress for the celebratory pictures, as she proudly cradled her burgeoning bump.

It comes as Victoria recently quipped that she became pregnant during lockdown as there was 'nothing else to do'.

The TV personality is eagerly awaiting the birth of her first child and said it is 'going to be an amazing start' to the new year.

Speaking to The Sun, she candidly explained: 'A lockdown baby, what else were we to do? We're due in January so it's going to be an amazing start to 2021.'

Ethereal: Victoria stunned as she posed this way and that while tenderly holding her burgeoning bump, while also showcasing her her toned pins

Pregnancy: Victoria revealed last month that she's had a 'challenging pregnancy' after her baby had been breech and amid her worries she'd have to have a C-section

She first announced her happy news in Hello! magazine at the beginning of November - when she was already six months pregnant.

The actress said she and her boyfriend Jonny decided to delay revealing their baby news, partly due to her suffering with sickle cell anaemia.

The couple, who celebrated their four-year anniversary in October, admitted that the pregnancy came as a 'surprise' as they had planned to start trying for a baby in 2021.

Victoria told the publication: 'We thought we would try next year. So when this pregnancy came along we were like: "It's happening".

'It did come as a bit of a surprise but it's so unbelievably exciting.'

Honest: In a candid Instagram post, she opened up about her fears of having a major operations as it would be harder to recover as she suffers from Sickle Cell disease, and worries she wouldn't be able to 'carry or feed him without being in pain.'
In 1973, Karen Autenrieth was helping her children into the car when her wedding ring flew off her finger and into a pile of snow. Parked outside her grandmothers home, she dug around for a bit to no avail. After the snow melted, she returned to search some more but no luck. Now, 48 years later, the ring and Autenrieth have been reunited, thanks to a combination of serendipity and two local historians with a flair for solving mysteries.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 12 (ANI/Mediawire): Mercedes-Benz - is the creator of the motor car as we now know it. They say change is the only constant. And although this took a lot of time, the three-pointed star started its journey to recreate its invention without an internal-combustion engine. Obviously, stakes were high because expectations were higher than from other EV makers but the first production-ready car to be born is fast redeeming itself.

India is a bit on the back foot when it comes to embracing battery-powered vehicles but we are moving towards it. From encouraging manufacturing to setting a road map - steps are being taken and that's a start. But carmakers, such as Mercedes-Benz, are ready to show that their cars will be practical alternatives even today.

Last year, the EQC was launched in India for a relatively reasonable price tag (under Rs one crore) despite the fact that it offered a full Mercedes-Benz-level of luxury and guilt-free driving for those car buyers who value sustainability more than others. With an 80kWh battery pack that is one of the biggest in India and even globally, an EQC is certified to go 450km on a single charge. In comparison to ICE cars, its twin motors generate an equivalent of 402bhp, enough to propel the GLC-sized SUV from zero to 100kph in just 5.1 seconds.

But what is it like to replace your car with an electric vehicle in today's world? Pushing an EQC straight into the deep end, we embarked on a journey taken by thousands of cars every day on one of the busiest national highways of India - the 470km-odd stretch between Pune and Hubli - a first in an EQC. This would also give us the chance to cross state borders in a car no one would have seen doing yet.

As planned, we started from the Mercedes-Benz in Chakan on the outskirts of Pune (Maharashtra). The Centre of Excellence which showcases visitors the work being done in this state-of-the-art facility has a DC fast charger that can juice up the massive battery pack of an EQC in an hour. Fast chargers require a special electric supply input and will be part of the public/private enterprise being planned for the near future. Enroute, DC chargers are yet to be built so our best bet was the EQ wall chargers that Mercedes-Benz sets up for every EQC customer at their home and office. Thanks to Mercedes-Benz network, we had marked out two places on our rote where we could get access to completely charge the EQC overnight.

Our first leg required us to drive roughly 275km to the historic town of Kolhapur with our onboard display showing us a comforting 375km range. Enroute, the NH4 played out a typical Indian highway routine. From busy traffic infested (almost like cities) to snaking fast bends and even the odd ghats. While we started easy on the throttle, we soon figured the EQC was holding on to its range despite steady speeds partly due to regeneration braking. The instrument cluster neatly displays information that explains when you are using more power and when you are able to charge the battery. It reads your driving style. It almost turns into a challenge to wrest the best out from our EQC.

Uphill ghat sections and idling are the biggest challenges for efficiency. The first proper one we encountered was KhambatkiGhat, some 100km-odd kilometres from Pune. With a steady flow of slow-moving goods vehicles coupled with gradient, we noticed a significant drop in the expected range for the first time. But we were not panicking yet because what we had lost was the buffer we had built on the plains before climbing the ghat. Despite the fact that we were easily overtaking both diesel and petrol-powered vehicles and maintaining regular highway speeds there was still 170kmworth of charge on display when we reached our first pitstop, which was the Silver Star Mercedes-Benz workshop in Kolhapur, just along the highway. Interesting to note that our next stop to Hubli was another 170km-odd. So, theoretically, the EQC could just have crossed the state border on a single charge. Maybe next time we try that out.

Nevertheless, after enjoying Kolhapur cuisine and hospitality, the next day we embarked on our final leg to Hubli. After the first day's experience, we were not looking at the battery-charge levels as much. Range anxiety had definitely reduced. The wall charger had managed to bring back the range to just under 400km and we had hardly less than half the distance to go. This gave us a chance to take a detour and meet Jitendra P Nayak, an architect who has been making a name for promoting sustainable construction through eco-friendly components such as ferro cement and recycled materials such as wood from dismantled structures. As he mentioned while showing us around his unique house that uses natural airflow to cool its interiors, the less we take from our planet, the more "green" we are.

With sustainability fast becoming a necessity, EVs such as EQC will have a bigger role to play in our society. As we reached our final flag-in spot in Hubli - the serene Unkal Lake - the odometer showed some 500km-odd (we took more than one detour) and eight hours of driving time. We had managed, with some planning, to show that EVs of EQC's calibre will be at home on long interstate runs as much as it is already proven to be in urban environs. Even as we speak electric charging network in India is expanding and it looks like a matter of time when future EVs can do such interstate runs as easily as the Mercedes-Benz EQC can do right now.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJKi44HUOog & amp%3Bfeature=youtu.be)

By: Girish Karkera: Consulting Editor-Times Auto

This story is provided by Mediawire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Mediawire)

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When I was a teenager, beauty was low-tech. It was also DIY. Nobody I knew ever went to a salon for anything other than a haircut or colour (or, in the 90s, god forbid, a perm). Instead, we attempted to live our best beauty-therapy lives at home: waxing, bleaching, masking (the mud pack variety, rather than the global pandemic one), French manicuring. Oh, the French manicure, the pink-polished nail, finished with a fine white line painted along its tip: surely the very definition of the pointless, impossible beauty task. We must have been mad. Today, beauty norms have little to do with home-made manicures and much to do with things like microneedling. To be a woman now  or, increasingly, a teenage girl (although a growing number of men engage with beauty treatments, the industry is still overwhelmingly female-centric)  is to be exposed to a world in which no one has hairy legs or short blonde eyelashes or bad skin or frown lines; in which going to a beauty salon is not an occasional treat but an essential routine; in which no one stops at a relaxing facial or an occasional manicure, but regards Botox and dermabrasion and fillers and tattoos and microneedling and laser as standard maintenance. Even the humble eyelash is permed, curled, extended, filled and volumised. Consider the thread facelift: suture thread is inserted beneath our skin to literally pull it tight. Or the vampire facial, a la Kim Kardashian, in which  wait for it  our own blood plasma is rubbed into microneedled holes all over our faces? (For Kims own experience, see Instagram, circa 2013. Note the blood  and also the full eye make-up. Since then shes apparently sworn off the treatment because its too painful. No kidding.) As the French would say (when not doing French manicures), il faut souffrir pour etre beau (one must suffer to be beautiful). One must indeed, but even the French could never have envisioned anything like this. All these treatments are classed as minimally invasive yet theyre painful enough to require local anaesthetic or numbing creams, and have side effects which, though rare, can include drooling, infection, scarring and difficulties breathing. (In 2019, research published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that in the previous year, close to 200 people globally had suffered blindness as a result of receiving dermal filler injections.) Nonetheless, theyre marketed as simple, no-downtime, routine maintenance procedures. They even have a cute nickname: tweakments  as if theyre simply tiny, insignificant adjustments on an evermore attainable path to physical perfection. This is not to say they dont work. One of the reasons for the international success of anti-wrinkle injections (Botox is one of several brands but no one remembers the others) is because theyre supremely successful at their main job: paralysing various muscles in your face to temporarily eliminate the dynamic wrinkles we all develop while living, you know, life. Though the effects only last a few months, the average forehead costs around $300 to de-wrinkle  about the same as a pot of exclusive face cream. This success, along with decades of intense marketing by Allergan, Botoxs parent company, has managed to reposition Botox away from the scary-mad-woman-plastic-surgery end of the beauty spectrum and right into the mainstream, hitched to the mega-wagon of wellness and self-care. Long-term Botox users can trace this evolution from dangerous to everyday  in their own lives. This is why, US sociologist Dana Berkowitz explains, I talk about Botox as a gateway drug. Berkowitz, who has long dark hair and a beautiful new baby who waves her hands at the screen while we talk, is the author of the 2017 bestseller, Botox Nation: Changing the Face of America. It used to be, you know, you want a beauty treatment, you get a manicure. Now you get Botox, and a filler, and needling. Botox was the tip of the spear. In the three years since the book was published, theres been an explosion of treatments. Compared to a decade ago, these treatments are more expensive, more intense, and more aggressively marketed  and were having them in greater numbers, starting at a younger age. And according to experts, were doing so because, in cultural terms at least, we have less choice about our physical image now than at any point in human history.

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Today, industry sources estimate that Australian women have one of the highest per capita spends on beauty products and procedures in the world  more than 40 per cent higher than the US. In 2015, according to some reports, we spent $1 billion on cosmetic treatments. In 2018, the top three procedures were all tweakments: anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, and laser and IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments. And though it seems almost impossible to believe, the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia industry group estimates that Australians spend as much $350 million on anti-wrinkle injections alone each year. Were having treatments in greater numbers because, in cultural terms at least, we have less choice about our physical image now than at any point in human history. This trend echoes older data from overseas. In 2012, a survey commissioned by German pharma giant Merz Aesthetics of 3000 women across Europe and Russia found 80 per cent thought it was the norm to spend money on procedures like fillers, Botox and laser. In some ways, of course, none of this is a shock. In every age, right back to prehistoric Anatolia, where the first man-made mirror was made from obsidian glass around 6000BC, humans have been obsessed with the way we look, and with the attempt to improve on what nature has given us. And whether it be lead, arsenic, mercury or radium (all toxic, all historically used as complexion aids) or things like X-rays (carcinogenic in high doses, and used for hair removal from the 1920s until after World War II), weve always been prepared to use whatever tools are available to us. Dana Berkowitz had her first Botox injection in 2012. She was 33 years old, living in the US, and researching Botox Nation. Initially resistant to the idea of being injected, she was persuaded by her interview subjects, who told her she couldnt understand it until shed done it herself. Within a week of her first procedure, she wrote, I was in awe of the results. I was surprised at how refreshed, awake, and yes, a little bit younger I looked. But by her second treatment two years later, she felt increasingly self-conscious, even terrified, that my students and colleagues would notice  I felt like a fraud, a failure. This is apparently a familiar reaction for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, reared on the ideal of natural beauty. For them, the goal of treatment is to look better, but also to look like they havent actually done anything. Added to which, for those of us raised on nothing more invasive than Clearasil face wash, the idea of, say, a vampire facial takes some getting used to. As Berkowitz  who is now in her early 40s  explains, My god! I had one of those a few years ago and its just crazy. You have the laser on your face and then the plasma: they get your blood and your blood is all over your face! She grimaces. I remember in my book, sometimes women would say some of these procedures were enjoyable; but I can promise you that none of them actually feels good. Getting your face burnt off, peeled off, needles stuck into your face? It doesnt feel good! But its complicated. For women, physical appearance translates to professional power, economic power. Some women talked to me about it as a democratisation of beauty: I wasnt born beautiful, but I can make myself beautiful. They have an opportunity to control, to change, to improve.

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The new arsenal of treatments increases this opportunity, but also raises the pressure to act on it. Its not just an opportunity, its an imperative. Its not we can, its we should. Its becoming harder and harder and harder for women to reject that beauty imperative. And yet, of course it is the case that when you are treated better, and you make more money, and you have all of these interactive and structural consequences in your life because of how you look, then you are going to feel better. For women, physical appearance translates to professional power, economic power. Some women talked to me about it as a democratisation of beauty. Sarina is a beauty therapist in Sydneys inner west. A former model from Prague, she not only performs but receives many modern beauty treatments. She was an enthusiastic solarium user in her teens and early 20s, which means she shares a common Australian problem of sun-damaged skin. She treats it  in herself and others  with laser therapy and microneedling. The laser burns away dark pigment in the skin; microneedling causes thousands of tiny holes in the skin, which the body must then heal. The broad principle of both treatments is that the new skin is fresher, smoother and more even in colour and texture than the old. Women come in for the first time and they say Just a little, not too much,  she explains. Does it hurt? Of course! And your skin is very red afterwards  it feels rough, like a nail file. Then it peels off, which looks very strange. Despite all this, the second time they come, women are like, Do more, more: go harder! For the money [treatments start at about $200 a session], you want to get value. According to Sarina, the pay-off is clear. You feel better. If you look good, you feel good. Nobody wants to have wrinkles. You look in the mirror and if you see wrinkles and dark patches it just makes you feel very down. Very shit, as a matter of fact. We just dont have role models of women who have not embraced the beauty imperative, concludes Berkowitz. Michelle Obama talks about this in her book [Becoming]: she has a stylist, she has a trainer, a hairdresser. She says, I never thought Id be the type of person to have all these things, but women in my position need them.  Once upon a time, beauty was not only in the eye of the beholder, but unique to individual cultures and communities. What was beautiful to a European was different to the view of an African, or to someone from Japan or India. Those distinctions, says British philosopher and author of Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal, Professor Heather Widdows, are disappearing. Today, she explains via email, there are four global beauty ideals that women are increasingly, and universally, expected to meet: thinness, firmness, youthfulness and smoothness.

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Hair removal is a good example, she writes. It is wholly a beauty practice, absolutely unnecessary for bodily functioning, and yet it is increasingly seen wholly as a health and hygiene practice: body hair is classed as abnormal and disgusting and showing a lack of self-care. This is beginning to happen with other practices, from teeth whitening, skin lightening, injectables, [to] nails, hair dye. These ideals cross countries and cultures, she argues: so much so that the modern beauty archetype is a rare example of a truly global concept. This ideal, wrote New Yorker journalist Jia Tolentino last year, includes an overly tan skin tone, a South Asian influence with the brows and eye shape, an African-American influence with the lips, a Caucasian influence with the nose, a cheek structure that is predominantly Native American and Middle Eastern. Once an idea becomes part of a moral framework, it stops being just a suggestion, or one of many options, and becomes the dominant means by which individuals judge themselves and each other. There are different pressures in different places, says Widdows, but theyre all tracking in the same direction. More is required to meet minimal standards, to be normal. And theres also an increasingly moral component involved. People say things like, Ive been good, Ive been to the gym today, or Im so bad, Ive eaten that cake. Once an idea becomes part of a moral framework, it stops being just a suggestion, or one of many options, and becomes the dominant means by which individuals judge themselves and each other. Beauty trends are contributing to a debilitating global epidemic of body image anxiety, says one expert. Credit:Getty Images Olivia Smith (not her real name) is 19  and if theres a universal beauty ideal being imposed on her, shes not aware of it: she just wants to look good. She lives in Cronulla in Sydneys south, and is studying accounting at UNSW. She works at a pizza restaurant on weekends, which pays for some, but by no means all of her beauty treatments. Mum helps out, she says. We dont tell Dad. Smith has olive skin and naturally thick dark brows, eyelashes and hair. Nonetheless, she has eyelash extensions (false lashes glued to existing ones), which cost $180, and $80 a fortnight to maintain. She has almost all her body hair  full legs, Brazilian, arms, armpits, chin, upper lip and cheeks  removed via monthly waxing and laser, which costs at least $100 a session for waxing (depending what she has done) and about double that for laser. Shes also had her eyebrows tattooed into a thick, defined swoop, which cost $700 and needs to be redone once a year. Then theres the weekly maintenance: manicures, pedicures, facials  and products: cleansers, moisturisers, masks, serums, make-up.

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Smiths motivation for all this is hard to pin down. She loves Instagram, and spends hours a day examining her own and her friends feeds  but she also knows a lot of it is filters, or people taking 50 photos for one good one. Her friends spend at least as much on beauty as she does  in fact, she feels pretty restrained compared to them, several of whom have already had things like Botox or lip fillers. And her mum, while exerting some controlling influence (via holding the purse strings) is broadly enthusiastic. She really takes care of herself, says Smith. Her mother has regular Botox and microneedling, and often goes for treatments with her daughter. We love having a mani-pedi together, says Smith. Its like our bonding time. Smith estimates she spends close to $1000 on beauty a month  and though shes never considered giving up treatments, she has thought about doing them herself  especially last year, when COVID-19 closed salons and, like many clients, she found herself home, alone, and increasingly self-conscious. Ive tried various waxing and hair removal stuff  but it really hurts when you do it yourself. Youd only do it if you absolutely had to. Loading Nonetheless, the online beauty business has experienced a phenomenal boom in the past year, thanks to COVID. Standard beauty products, sold by companies like Mecca and Adore Beauty and espoused by influencers such as Zoe Foster Blake, Lauren Curtis and Chloe Morello, now sit alongside more and more extreme treatments: peels, microneedling pens you can use at home, home lasers, crazy facial things, as Berkowitz puts it. These beauty boxes  especially all the things coming in from South Korea  are really DIY on steroids. Though both anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers must be administered by a doctor or registered nurse in Australia, you can of course buy all sorts of mind-boggling stuff online  including fillers and anti-wrinkle treatments, complete with needles. For Smith, these products have the advantage of being super-cheap compared with going to a salon but shes not interested in them herself. I had a friend who bought an eyebrow tattooing kit online, and it was a disaster, she says. Its not worth it. Cosmetic tattooist Georgie Westley grits her teeth at the mention of DIY brow kits. Founder of Distinctive Features Cosmetic Tattoo and Beauty salon in Melbourne, where a new brow treatment costs from $700 (plus maintenance charges), Westley has been doing professional cosmetic tattooing for 20 years. Were seeing the brow boom of our lifetime, she says. But brow tattooing (theres also eyeliner, lip and aureole tattooing) comes in all shapes and sizes, and Westley has some reservations about the current fashion for a very sculptured, defined, dark brow  the Kim Kardashian brow (and the Smith brow). I actually disagree with it, she says. It means you need a lot of other treatments to balance things out in your face. You need the lips, the lashes, the whole thing. Added to which, if a Kim Kardashian brow goes wrong, it goes really wrong. Although cosmetic tattoos fade to a certain point, they never fully disappear. We can try to treat them with laser and saline, but it may take 10 treatments over two years to get it fixed.

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New Delhi:

A jawan of the Indian Army killed a senior officer at Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday night. The jawan and the officer belong to the counter-insurgency force of the army, Rashtriya Rifles.

An Army jawan shot dead Major Shikhar Thapa with his service rifle at Butcher Post in the Uri sector, a police official said.

The killed soldier was at the post of Army Major. The incident is a case of fratricide which involves killing of fellow soldier or superior. Further investigations in the case are being carried out. The incident took place at approximately 2145 hrs on 17 July. 8 RR is currently deployed in Uri.

More details are awaited on this.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Right now, the state has the power to shutdown Minnesota schools amid the pandemic, but Republicans are proposing a bill to change that.

State lawmakers in the Minnesota House have introduced a bill to put the decision-making power about schools reopening in the hands of local school districts.

Several lawmakers who are current and former educators were on a call today, including Representative Patricia Mueller from Austin.

She has been a school teacher for the past 17 years.

Mueller says when distance learning began, some parents struggled to help their children learn from home, from issues with technology to sorting through emails to find directions.

"This is not how learning is supposed to take place. We need to have our students in the classroom learning from each other, with each other, with teachers that can be there helping them, guiding them as they are going through how to navigate this life together," says Mueller.

According to the Minnesota Department of Education, out of more than 500 school districts reporting their learning model, about 25% are having in-person learning, 10% are hybrid learning, 18% distance learning, and the rest are doing a combination.
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's former top Muslim cleric, Grand Mufti Maksatbek Hajji Toktomushev, has been released from custody and ordered not to leave Bishkek while investigations are carried out over allegations of corruption.

A court in Bishkek ruled late on February 11 that Toktomushev may be released as long as he does not leave the capital until the case goes to trial.

Dozens of Toktomushev's supporters rallied in front of the court building while the former grand mufti's pretrial restrictions were being defined.

On February 10, the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) said Toktomushev was suspected of being involved in the alleged misuse of funds raised by worshipers for a hajj pilgrimage to Mecca later this year.

Toktomushev, who in his capacity was also head of Kyrgyzstan's Religious Directorate -- the state agency in charge of Islamic affairs -- had handed in his resignation over the affair on February 10.

The directorate's press office told RFE/RL that Toktomushev's place will be taken by his deputy until a replacement is elected.

The UKMK announced on February 10 that the directorate's chief accountant, whose identity was not disclosed at the time, had been arrested on suspicion of misusing the equivalent of almost $2 million raised by worshipers.

According to the UKMK, the accountant's arrest occurred on February 9 during an alleged attempt to bribe a UKMK officer.

On February 12, the Birinchi Mai district court sent the accountant, who was identified as Jenishbai Bekiev, to pretrial detention until April 10.

The directorate's press office has said that it won't publicly comment on the case until after the trial.

A majority of the Central Asian nation's population of 6 million are Sunni Muslims.
(Newser)  Earlier this week, Salvatore "Sam" Anello of Indiana was sentenced to three years' probation for the death of his 18-month granddaughter, who fell from his grasp and out an 11th-story window on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. Chloe Wiegand plummeted 150 feet to her death in the July 2019 incident. Now, Chloe's familywhich believes the cruise line, not her devastated grandfather, is responsible for her deathis demanding "the harshest of sanctions" for Royal Caribbean. They claim in a new filing that the company hid and destroyed possibly critical CCTV footage, Fox News reports. The filing also says there'd been "numerous incidents" of similarly dangerous situations involving the ship's windows, including "one childs near-fall incident merely two years before Chloe's death." Anello, who pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the case, says he didn't realize the window Chloe fell out of was open as he held her up to it.

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The filing says the Wiegand family and the US Coast Guard requested CCTV footage that might shed light on whether a crew member or a passenger opened the window that Chloe fell out of. But per the filing, Capt. Frank Martinsen wouldn't hand over CCTV footage showing who'd opened the window or even acknowledge whether the footage showed that. The family claims the company instead "retained only the 30 minutes of footage prior to the incident" and then intentionally destroyed the rest. They assert "the video likely shows that a crew member opened the window and thus created the very condition that led to Chloe's death." In a statement, the Wiegands' attorney says "the evidence is clear that Mr. Anello made an honest mistake, but because of Royal Caribbean's failure to take any steps to protect its youngest passengers, it turned into a fatal tragedy." (Read more Royal Caribbean stories.)
Berger said when he read the findings of the first probe, "it was pretty clear to me we needed to do a follow-on...

Mumbai: Telugu film star Ram Charan is collaborating with celebrated filmmaker Shankar for a pan-India movie, the makers announced on Friday. Produced by Dil Raju, known for backing Telugu hits Dil, Arya, Bommarillu, Nenu Local, the yet-untitled film will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Raju said he is elated to team up with Charan and Shankar for the project.

We are bringing this movie to the pan India audience with a vision of creating cinema that will entertain the masses, the producer said in a statement. Besides this film, Charan, 35, will be seen in director SS Rajamoulis much-anticipated period action movie Rise Roar Revolt" (RRR") and in a supporting role in his father Chiranjeevis Telugu action-drama Acharya.

Raju has two Hindi remakes scheduled for release  Shahid Kapoor-starrer Jersey" and cop thriller Hit" with Rajkummar Rao. He is also producing Telugu courtroom drama Vakeel Saab, starring Pawan Kalyan, which is a remake of Amitabh Bachchan-Taapsee Pannus Pink.

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New Delhi, Feb 12 : From doing an online search to sharing live location, Indian dating app users take various precautions before meeting their digital matches for the first time in the real world, said a new study ahead of Valentine's Day.

The research by cybersecurity company Avast showed that six out of 10 who use online dating apps or websites searched -- on Google or social media -- someone that they matched with on a dating app.

Of this group, 40 per cent of them decided not to meet the person based on what they found online or because they could not find anything, showed the findings released on Friday.

The motivation for why those who used online dating in India searched for the person they were going to meet varied from wanting to learn more about their match, verifying the person was actually real, fact-checking what their match told them about themselves and wanting to see how their potential date interacted on social media.

Most of these users in India carried out their research on a social networking platform like Facebook, Instagram, or on search engines such as Google, Bing, or similar.

Some users looked them up on a professional social network like LinkedIn or similar platform or went a step further and performed a reverse image search using the person's dating platform profile picture.

"Online dating means we eventually have to reveal a lot of personal information to our potential dating partners, and to the dating service provider as well," Petra Moravcova, Consumer Insights Expert at Avast, said in a statement.

"What information we decide to share and how we do this is critical for maintaining both information security and personal safety, both from the provider and potential matches." The study also showed that when meeting someone for the first time for an in-person date, 24 per cent users make sure the meeting spot is a public place, 37 per cent let a friend or family member know who they are meeting or share their live location with them.

While 25 per cent set the meeting location to a place they are familiar with, 14 per cent asked a friend or family member to be at the same location and time as the date.

"It is great to see that users in India are putting in practice security measures like meeting in public spaces or sharing details with a friend or family member ahead of the date," Moravcova said.

The study, conducted between January 1-February 8, involved around 1,300 Avast users in India.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

The Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) has been called into Coleraine to deal with the ongoing situation following a series of shooting incidents in recent months in what has been described as a "significant escalation" of violence.

Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, Superintendent Ian Magee of the PSNI said the PCTF will also be investigating incidents which took place in Bushmills, Dungiven and Rasharkin and surrounding districts.

There were a total of 14 shooting incidents in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area in 2020 - the second highest number of incidents in Northern Ireland with Belfast having the highest (16).

The Sunday World has reported on several incidents this year and last year in which people have been shot and targeted in gun attacks in the Coleraine area of Co Antrim.

In October, a 61-year-old woman was shot in the head when shots were fired at the front and rear of her house in the Bushmills Road area of the town.

Two men were later arrested following the attack.

Last November, a 36-year-old man, Paul Fleming, was shot in the head by the UDA.

The victim claimed he was targeted because he is a Celtic fan.

Mr Fleming later learned that had the shotgun wound to his head been even a quarter of a millimetre to either side it would have killed him.

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Around the same time, a brick was thrown through the window of a Protestant man in the Heights area by republicans.

The spate of attacks raised fears that a sectarian battle was brewing in the town.

Earlier this month shots were fired at a house in the Dundooan Park area. There were two people in the house of the time but neither were injured.

Just days before the incident, a shot was fired at a house in Laburnum Place.

Two women and a man were in the house at the time and were physically uninjured, though the police say they were left "shocked and distressed".

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Superintendent Magee said: "I'm committed to protect the community from all types of violence. What I need the community to do is set aside any assumptions that you might have around the people carrying out the attacks, but also the victims of the shootings and consider the people behind the guns.

"Guns and bullets are unpredictable and all you need is one ricochet to hit someone in the vicinity."

Independent MLA Claire Sugden, who formerly served as justice minister, said that "in most cases it is criminal activity, it's control, it's drugs, it's intimidation.

"Communities are being kept down by this type of behaviour and I think the executive needs to try to do more to give them confidence and support, so this type of activity can no longer take place."

She also addressed the fears that members of the public may have in coming forward to give information to the police about criminal gangs who are making people's lives miserable in the Coleraine area.

She said: "People are scared, they are intimidated, it's the nature of these gangs and what they do.

"Again what we have to do is say to the government: You need to give confidence back to these communities'."

MONTREAL - The federal government has approved Air Canada's $190-million purchase of Transat A.T., with some conditions that include maintaining Transat's head office in Quebec, launching new destinations within five years and implementing a price monitoring mechanism.

MONTREAL - The federal government has approved Air Canada's $190-million purchase of Transat A.T., with some conditions that include maintaining Transat's head office in Quebec, launching new destinations within five years and implementing a price monitoring mechanism.

Here are some key events:

April 30, 2019: Transat shares gain more than 40 per cent after the tour and travel operator announces it is in preliminary talks to sell the company.

May 10, 2019: As airline industry observers speculate about Air Canada and other possible buyers for Transat, a number of Quebec-based players express interest in the company. Dominik Pigeon, head of financial services company FNC Capital, says he has a group of interested investors after Montreal real estate developer Group Mach says it has submitted an offer. Pierre Karl Peladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor, says he has requested a financial analysis of the company for a personal investment.

May 16, 2019: Transat announces it is in exclusive talks with Air Canada, which offered to buy the company $13 per share or roughly $488 million. The two companies enter a 30-day negotiation period. Air Canada's stock climbs to a record high.

June 4, 2019: Quebec real estate developer Group Mach Inc. says it will make a takeover offer for Transat worth $14 per share or $527.6 million in cash. The real estate developer was hoping the Quebec government would contribute $120 million in financing.

June 14, 2019: Group Mach formally submits its $14-per-share offer for Transat.

June 25, 2019: One day before the Transat-Air Canada exclusivity talks are set to expire, Groupe Mach announces it has reached an agreement with the Quebec government to support its rival bid, having dropped a key financing condition.

June 27, 2019: Transat's board of directors approves Air Canada's $520-million takeover offer. Despite the agreement, it's unclear whether Transat shareholders will follow suit: Letko, Brosseau and Associates and PenderFund Capital Management, which jointly own a 21.1 per cent stake, had previously said they would not support a $13-per-share purchase price.

July 3, 2019: Group Mach withdraws its bid saying the tour operator chose to ignore its proposal even though it featured a higher price than Air Canada's offer.

July 17, 2019: Unifor president Jerry Dias, head of Canada's largest private-sector union, says in an open letter that Air Canada is employees' best option among Transat's suitors, citing stability.

Aug. 2, 2019: In a bid to block the Air Canada deal, Group Mach offers Transat shareholders $14 per share in an effort to scoop up a large enough stake in the company to vote the bid down.

Aug. 6, 2019: Transat fires back, warning shareholders against what it calls Group Mach's "abusive" and "misleading" moveto block the sale and says it has filed a complaint with Quebec's securities tribunal.

Aug. 11, 2019: Air Canada increases its offer for Transat by $200 million, bringing the total to $720 million of $18 per share. The new offer comes with the backing of Transat's largest shareholder, Letko Brosseau and Associates Inc.

Aug. 12, 2019: Quebec's securities tribunal blocks Group Mach's offer to buy up Transat shares.

Aug. 13, 2019: Peladeau says he plans to vote against the sweetened $18-per-share offer and hints at an alternate proposal.

Aug. 23, 2019: Transat shareholders approve Air Canada's $720-million acquisition offer.

Aug. 26, 2019: The shareholder-approved deal will undergo a 250-day public interest assessment, then-transport minister Marc Garneau announces. Garneau added 100 days to the typical review period for the Transportation Ministry and Competition Commissioner due to the size and scope of the proposed merger.

March 14, 2020: Against a backdrop of steadily climbing cases of COVID-19 worldwide, the federal government advises travellers to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada. Airlines, including Air Canada and Air Transat, see a massive decline in the number of passengers.

March 18, 2020: Transat begins a gradual suspension of flights until April 30, while Air Canada suspends the majority of its international flights. Like other airlines in Canada and abroad, temporary route suspensions will continue through the end of the year and beyond due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 27, 2020: The Competition Bureau says in a report to the transportation ministry that the proposed deal likely will hinder competition and result in less choice for Canadian travellers. It identifies 83 overlapping routes, more than half of which are between Canada and Europe. Transat's stock ended the day trading for $8.98  half Air Canada's purchase price.

March-April 2020: Air Canada and Transat temporarily lay off thousands of employees as flights slow to a near-halt.

May 25, 2020: European regulators launch an investigation into the acquisition after a preliminary review noted the deal could significantly reduce competition on 33 routes between Europe and Canada. Transat delays the deal's completion date by a month. Its shares end the day at $7.

June 19, 2020: European Union regulators suspend their investigation pending the arrival of more data from the two companies. The investigation resumes in September.

Sept. 10, 2020: Transat reports dire quarterly results, with revenues down 99 per cent. Executives admit the Air Canada deal is no longer certain. Its share price falls below $5, more than 70 per cent below the deal price of $18.

Oct. 10, 2020: The two travel companies announce they have reached terms for a revised deal that will see Air Canada buy Transat for $5 a share or $190 million, a significant discount to the original agreement.

Dec. 15, 2020: Transat shareholders vote to accept the revised takeover offer, with 91 per cent of votes in favour of the deal.

Dec. 22, 2020: Peladeau's investment company Gestion MTRHP Inc. submits an unsolicited proposal to Transat.

Jan. 12, 2020: Transat issues a statement reconfirming its support for the Air Canada takeover, saying the Gestion proposal is not supported by binding, fully committed financing.

Feb. 11, 2021: Government of Canada approves Air Canada's proposed purchase of Transat. The deal is set to expire Feb. 15 unless extended.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:AC, TSX:TRZ)
Engulfed in the crush of rioters storming the Capitol, D.C. police officer Jeffrey Smith sent his wife a text that spoke to the futility and fears of his mission.

"London has fallen," the 35-year-old tapped on his phone at 2:38 p.m. on Jan. 6, knowing his wife would understand he was referencing a movie by that name about a plan to assassinate world leaders attending a funeral in Britain.

The text confirmed the frightening images Erin Smith was watching on live stream from the couple's home in Virginia: The Capitol had been overrun.

Six minutes after Smith sent that text, a Capitol Police officer inside the building shot and killed a woman as she climbed through a smashed window next to the House chamber.

Smith, also inside the Capitol, didn't hear the gunshot, but he did hear the frantic "shots fired" call over his police radio. He later told Erin he panicked, afraid rioters had opened fire on police, and wondered whether he would die.

Around 5:35 p.m., Smith was still fighting to defend the building when a metal pole thrown by rioters struck his helmet and face shield. After working into the night, he visited the police medical clinic, was put on sick leave and, according to his wife, was sent home with pain medication.

In the days that followed, Erin said, her husband seemed in constant pain, unable to turn his head. He did not leave the house, even to walk their dog. He refused to talk to other people or watch television. She sometimes woke during the night to find him sitting up in bed or pacing.

"He wasn't the same Jeff that left on the sixth. . . . I just tried to comfort him and let him know that I loved him," she said. "I told him I'd be there if he needed anything, that no matter what we'll get through it. I tried to do the best I could."

Smith returned to the police clinic for a follow-up appointment Jan. 14 and was ordered back to work, a decision his wife now questions. After a sleepless night, he set off the next afternoon for an overnight shift, taking the ham-and-turkey sandwiches, trail mix and cookies Erin had packed.

On his way to the District, Smith shot himself in the head.

Police found him in his cherished Ford Mustang, which had rolled over and down an embankment along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, near a scenic overlook on the Potomac River.

He was the second police officer who had been at the riot to take his own life.

- - -

For days, Smith's wife in Virginia and his family in Illinois grieved privately.

That changed Jan. 26, when acting D.C. police chief Robert J. Contee III testified behind closed doors to a congressional committee, telling lawmakers about the "service and sacrifices" of officers who died after having been at the siege.

Contee named three officers. One was Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who collapsed after engaging rioters and later died. Another was Howard Liebengood, 51, a Capitol officer who took his own life three days after the riot.

The third was Smith.

That two police officers had died by suicide after confronting rioters thrust the most private of acts into the national spotlight and made clear that the pain of Jan. 6 continued long after the day's events had concluded, its impact reverberating through the lives removed from the Capitol grounds.

Now, families of both Smith and Liebengood - who were buried in private ceremonies lacking the pageantry that accompanied Sicknick's memorial service in the Capitol Rotunda - want the deaths of their loved ones recognized as "line of duty" deaths.

The suicides have also renewed attention on another troubling and often hidden issue: Police officers die by their own hands at rates greater than people in other occupations, according to a report compiled by the Police Executive Research Forum in 2019, after at least nine New York City police officers died by suicide that year. That report said officer suicides outpace deaths of law enforcement members killed in shootings and vehicular crashes.

Since George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis and the sometimes volatile demonstrations that followed in cities across the country, "the occupation has been under tremendous scrutiny by the public," said John Violanti, a research professor at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions.

"I think that officers are suffering from this," said Violanti, who studies suicides by police officers. "There's a feeling of a huge lack of support, not only from the public but from administrations."

Even before the Capitol riot, police officers in the District were exhausted after months of sustained demonstrations for racial, social and political justice, some of which turned violent. Later, there were more violent confrontations when right-wing extremists came to rally in support of President Donald Trump.

About 850 D.C. police officers - nearly a quarter of the force - responded to the Capitol riot, and 65 were injured in hours of hand-to-hand combat. More than 70 Capitol Police officers were hurt.

Newly released audio from D.C. police at the riot shows how police were overwhelmed. "Multiple Capitol injuries, multiple Capitol injuries," one officer screamed over his radio. Later an officer shouted, "We're still taking rocks, bottles and pieces of flag and metal pole." And an officer pleaded for help: "We lost the line. We've lost the line. All MPD, pull back to the upper deck, ASAP."

Officers were struck with poles, dragged down stairs and sprayed with bear spray. One suffered a heart attack.Another lost a finger, D.C. police said.

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., one of the House managers, said Thursday at Trump's impeachment trial that rioters questioned officers' patriotism and loyalty, calling them Nazis, traitors and un-American "for protecting us."

"Several Capitol police officers have reportedly threatened self-harm in the days following the riot," Cicilline said during the trial. "And in one case, an officer voluntarily turned in her gun because she was afraid of what might happen."

Contee knew the emotional toll would be devastating. One officer, he had recalled, told him the siege was scarier than two tours as a soldier in Iraq.

The chief, who said he planned to make officer mental health a focus of his leadership, called on department counselors to hold group sessions, thinking officers would be seen quickly and that sharing their experiences might ease any concerns about getting help. More than 30 meetings were held, with individual follow-ups for some.

"We wanted to get to the most people in the least amount of time," Contee said.

Smith's family attorney said the officer did not attend any counseling sessions while he was on sick leave. He also said no one from the department reached out to Smith about attending.

- - -

Smith, a car enthusiast who grew up in Illinois, moved to the D.C. area 12 years ago after graduating college with a degree in sociology, having spotted openings on the District's police force.

He spent his career in the Second District, his latest beat roughly 40 square blocks east of the White House.

He met Erin, who works for an executive search firm, several years ago on the Internet; they shared a love for cars, a topic that dominated their initial conversations.

They married in 2019 and settled in Virginia.

He took careful care of his prized black 2015 Mustang and his Rottweiler-lab mix, which predated Erin. "We always joked," she said, "it was the car, the dog and me." Feb. 2 would have been their second anniversary.

He typically worked night shifts, and on Sundays Erin made it a ritual to drive into the District and share dinner with Smith on a bench on the Mall. Smith, in his uniform, never hesitated to give tourists directions, and he once sent Erin to her car to fetch jumper cables so he could restart a woman's dead battery with his police cruiser.

Smith had worked many of the demonstrations that began over the summer, telling his wife a chunk of concrete thrown at officers once only narrowly missed his head. She said he talked about one of his friends injured on a protest line who felt he didn't get adequate care.

But he mostly shielded his wife from the intimate and sometimes scary parts of his job.

"There were events that I'm sure happened that bothered him," Erin said, but he didn't want her to worry.

Hours after the siege at the Capitol had ended, Smith later told his wife, he found himself with other officers outside a hotel where insurgents were believed to be staying. Their orders were to arrest any who came outside, at that point breaking a citywide curfew imposed by the mayor to restore order.

At 9 p.m., he told two supervisors he was in pain from being hit by the pole, and he was sent to the Police & Fire Clinic in Northeast Washington, run by a contractor and the first step for nearly every officer injured on the job.

He checked in at the clinic at 10:15 p.m., according to records shared by his family.

On his police injury form, he wrote: "Hit with flying object in face shield and helmet." He added that he "began feeling pain in my neck and face."

He checked out 1:31 a.m. on Jan. 7, his status listed as "sick," though no diagnosis is noted. Erin does not know if he told the staff about any emotional issues.

"He told me it was chaos," she said of the clinic. "There were so many people there."

In an interview, Contee said 16 officers injured in the riot went to the clinic Jan. 6, and he believes Smith was seen more quickly there than he would have at a hospital emergency room. Officers who were severely injured that night, including the one who suffered a heart attack, were taken directly to hospitals; others went to the clinic in the days that followed the riot.

The chief described care given to officers as "adequate" but noted, "We can always do better."

Erin has questions about her husband's care at the Police & Fire Clinic. She said he told her he was seen for only about 10 minutes when he returned Jan. 14 and was approved to return to work the following day.

She wonders whether there were indications of a serious head injury or signs of emotional distress, and she is seeking his complete medical file. Police officials would not comment on specifics of Smith's visit, citing privacy laws. Representatives for PFC Associates, which runs the clinic, did not respond to an interview request.

Smith didn't talk much about the details of what he experienced during his hours at the Capitol, Erin said. She didn't press, but even from the little she learned, she thinks the images she saw on live stream did not fully capture what police experienced. Before the riot, the family's lawyer said, Smith had not been diagnosed with or exhibited signs of depression.

Erin is convinced the trauma of Jan. 6 made the thought of returning to policing unbearable for him.

"If he didn't go to work that day," Erin said, "he would still be alive."

- - -

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., invoked Smith and Liebengood's names during Sicknick's memorial at the Capitol, and acting Capitol Police chief Yogananda D. Pittman included a mention of Liebengood along with Sicknick in a videotaped statement released last week. She said that many officers are "understandably struggling" and that the officers' deaths "will not be in vain."

On Tuesday, the lead manager at Trump's impeachment trial, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), recited injuries officers suffered and said that "two officers have taken their own lives." The Capitol siege occurred the day after Raskin's son was buried after taking his own life New Year's Eve.

Liebengood's family did not wish to speak publicly. Their attorney, Barry Pollack, said the family believes Liebengood's suicide should be treated no differently than the death of an officer in a shooting or traffic accident. "But for his service to the country, they believe he would be alive today," Pollack said.

But classifying Smith and Liebengood's deaths as "in the line of duty" could be difficult.

Experts caution suicide is not typically due to a singular event, even a traumatic one, and precise reasons are generally rooted in a wide variety of factors that are often never fully understood.

And in many jurisdictions, including the District, rules or laws governing pensions exclude extra payouts in suicides. D.C. law says the fatality must be "the sole and direct" result of an on-duty injury and one not caused by an "intention to bring about his own death."

The chairman of the D.C. police union, Greggory Pemberton, said he would support a "thorough investigation" into the reasons behind Smith's suicide, but he stressed a line-of-duty designation for Smith at this time would be "premature." The head of the union for the Capitol Police did not respond to questions about Liebengood.

In the interview, Contee sidestepped whether he would support such a request for Smith. A spokeswoman for Capitol Police did not return a request for comment.

The attorney for Smith's family, David P. Weber, has enlisted the help of two members of Congress from Virginia, where the two officers lived. A representative for Sen. Tim Kaine, D, said he supports the family's efforts.

Rep. Don Beyer, D, who represents the district where Smith lived, said the officer died "pretty much as a direct result" of the riot. "We need to recognize that his death also was tragic, and his actions also were heroic."

Erin had watched as President Joe Biden and other luminaries visited the Rotunda to pay respects to Sicknick as he lay in honor, his remains taken by police escort to Arlington National Cemetery. Officers who die in the line of duty are also remembered on memorial walls and in annual ceremonies.

She believes her husband also deserves a place among the heroes who battled at the Capitol that day.

"It is time the District recognized that some of the greatest risks police officers face lead to silent injuries," Weber said. "Why do we say that one person is honored and another person is forgotten? They all faced the exact same circumstances."

- - -

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Congratulations to all cast and crew members!

Afda honours film Quiet on Set behind the scenes

Afda is proud to announce the selection of three 2020 graduation films to compete for the prestigious Cilect Prize 2021; the first-ever award bestowed to a student film based on the review from the whole community of Cilect Full Member Schools. This community includes 180 institutions from 65 countries, of which Afda is a member.Cilect, The International Association of Film and Television Schools (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinema et de Television), was founded in Cannes, France, in 1954. Cilect wholly supports creativity, diversity, cross-cultural thinking and sustainable development and is strongly committed to maintaining the highest possible standards of audiovisual education in its member schools.The Cilect Prize was founded at the proposal of the (then) Vice-President Conferences and Festivals Prof. Dr Stanislav Semerdjiev in 2005. This prize was established as a result of his long-term research on world student festival activities and once a thorough survey had been conducted amongst all Cilect Full Member Schools on the eventual importance of such a competition. Presently, each Cilect Member School is permitted to submit one film in each category; fiction, documentary and animation.Afda's Johannesburg postgraduate film, produced by Ore Ajewole and codirected by Natasha Luttjeboer and Jessica Teixeira, represents Afda in the fiction category. Quiet on set tackles issues concerning abuse of power and sexual harassment, specifically in the film industry. In this drama, a young female sound designer is faced with the dilemma of choosing between her career aspirations and her morals after witnessing the director harassing the female lead. The dichotomy of such a conflict is portrayed through a behind-the-scenes look into how set politics and power dynamics can play out in a male-dominated field where such power has often been used unjustly.Stephen 'Spling' Aspeling, movie critique, states that: "understands the nuances of the issue and immerses its audience in the grey area, using language and solid performances to translate the slow-creeping tragedy of it all to screen. Silky cinematography, a sharp concept and an important message power this short film, which should serve as obligatory viewing for first-time actors."When informed about the Cilect Prize film submission of, Jessica Teixeira expressed how honoured she was and that "this project was incredibly personal for our crew. Being a majority female crew and speaking out against an injustice that many women face every day, gave us the chance for our vulnerability to become our courage."Afda's Durban postgraduate film, produced and directed by Tiffani Joy, represents Afda in the documentary category.explores the concepts of race and racial categorisation in South Africa from the perspectives of mixed race individuals, whom have been encompassed to be categorised as coloured, living in a hyper-racialised country. Conversations around identity and feelings around comfort or discomfort with this classification then unfolds. The dialogue amongst interviewees is occasionally complemented by an artistic visual representation of diverging skin colours, creating poetic imagery that compliments the earnest discussion.Spling states that: "The modern slant focusses predominantly on 20-somethings who are trying to find their place in a country still largely ruled along racial lines. It's a fascinating discussion, compelling by way of its beautiful people and eloquent in terms of mining the subject."Tiffani Joy expressed how proud she was for havingselected for the Cilect Prize, before going on to say that: "I think that now more than ever it's so important to amplify the voices and lived experiences of people of colour and bring that to the forefront of the conversations, which we have fought so hard to be part of." Films and documentaries likespark these important conversations that are imperative to the social progression of South Africa.Afda's Johannesburg undergraduate film, produced by Emma Morapedi and directed and animated by Brittany Reis, represents Afda in the animation category.is a dark fantasy animation filled with whimsical imagery created by use of hand-painted backdrops and digital animation. Brooklyn, the child protagonist in, is transported to a fanciful land after her tooth is lost down the sink drain upon meeting a mystical fairy. Once transported, Brooklyn encounters a manipulative witch with devious intentions and has to try and find a way to escape.Spling describes the fluiditypossesses that brings the sketch book characters to life: "Using water colour and hand-painted backdrops, everyvisual is original, spinning a tale speaking to the power of imagination. While limited by its budget, the animated short holds together with a consistent feel. A homegrown screenplay is invigorated by amateur voice actors who capture the tone of this bedtime story with verve."The director and animator of such an inspired animation, Brittany Reis, expressed her appreciation: "That [their] film Cavity has been selected to represent Afda at the Cilect prize this year, I'm so grateful and honoured."Congratulations to all cast and crew members!
LANSING, MI  A $55 million program to upgrade school drinking fountains with filtration to remove lead and other harmful substances is among multiple public health and environmental infrastructure items in Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive budget proposal.

In addition to pandemic recovery and other measures to help schools, parents and the unemployed, infrastructure spending is a big feature of the $67.1 billion budget, unveiled Thursday, Feb. 11 nearly eight months before the 2022 fiscal year begins.

Top line items include $300 million for local bridge repairs, $290 million in grants for help municipal wastewater systems stop sewage overflows, $40 million for municipal projects to address coastal erosion and flooding, and a $15 million emergency fund for hazard dam safety response.

The proposed infrastructure funding would help local governments juggling increased demand for services with reductions in income tax revenues during the pandemic

The funding is necessary to help local governments because they do not have funding to maintain those systems, which can result in disastrous failures and expensive repairs, said Lance Binoniemi of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association in a statement distributed by Whitmers office.

The 2022 proposal would increase state spending but does not propose new tax increases. It builds on $5.6 billion supplemental request for pandemic relief sent to the legislature last month. Whitmer framed the supplemental request as foundational to the new budget, which relies heavily on billions in stimulus money from the federal government.

The Republican-controlled legislature, which is already at odds with Whitmer over the COVID-19 supplemental, is expected to tinker with or reject some proposals.

Environmental groups were happy to see the school filtration proposal, which was introduced in the Legislature in 2019 but failed to gain traction last session. A new bill package is expected this year from Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, and Sen. Curt VanderWall, R-Ludington.

The filtration program would help schools install drinking fountains with bottle fillers and, in some cases, on-tap filters. A coalition of advocates say its a cost-effective way to remove harmful lead at schools and daycares that may be connected to a lead municipal service line or which have internal plumbing that includes lead fixtures.

Support for the proposal came from the Michigan Environmental Council, Michigan State University College of Nursing faculty, Michigan Nurses Association, Michigan League of Conservation Voters and the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has pushed the filter first approach through model legislation.

Whitmer wants the filters to be funded this year.

If the Legislature approves Filter First funding and the legislation to implement it, Michigan will set a national example as the first state to protect our children from lead in drinking water with this approach, said Charlotte Jameson, program director for Michigan Environmental Council. Our schools face huge challenges, but protecting kids from lead is one we can cost-effectively address.

The budget proposal also includes a $10 million one-time allocation to the Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund to help eliminate lead poisoning in homes.

Efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of state buildings, a matching grant program for buying propane tanks and an incentive program to help lenders offer more favorable rates for renewable energy projects would each get $5 million.

Whitmer has proposed $25 million toward a Mobility Futures Initiative that would help develop autonomous vehicle infrastructure. The move drew support from General Motors.

The $290 million for wastewater plants comes under the MI Clean Water Plan and aims to promote green infrastructure and mitigate public health risks posed by sewer system overflows into surface water bodies and groundwater pollution from failing septic tanks.

The $40 million for high water mitigation is geared toward building resilient infrastructure that can withstand the flooding thats been an issue along the Great Lakes coastline.

The governor also proposes to spend $20 million help the state ward off cybersecurity threats. The state told drinking water treatment plants this week to take a close look at security protocols after a Florida plant was breached by a hacker who tried to adjust chemical feeds.

Negotiations over the budget must be resolved by Oct. 1, which is the start of the next fiscal year.

Related stories:

9 things you might have missed in Whitmers budget

Whitmer proposes largest state budget ever at $67B

150k families could get childcare subsidies under budget

Whitmer budget includes K-12 increase up to $164 per pupil

Michigan urges water plants to eyeball cybersecurity

EPA lead rule revision will require testing at schools

1, 2, 3, punch of rain causes Michigan flooding

Aging dams force a reckoning in Michigan
iQOO 7 could launch in India soon, as per the new leak. The iQOO 7 was launched earlier this year in China with flagship-grade features and will likely launch in India by the end of March. The phone brings 120Hz refresh rate display and supports 120W fast charging out-of-the-box.

According to a tweet by popular tipster Debayan Roy, iQOO 7 could launch in India by March-end followed by two other smartphones launching by the end of April. The company is yet to reveal any official information about its plans to launch new phones in the country. The iQOO 3 was the first phone from the company to launch on February 25 in India. While the company did launch the iQOO 5, it never made it to India.

Since the iQOO 7 has already launched in China priced starting at CNY 3,798 for the base variant with 8GB RAM ad 128GB storage. Heres everything we know about the iQOO 7 including on-paper specifications and features.

iQOO 7 specifications

iQOO 7 features a 6.62-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution display that uses an AMOLED panel and supports 120Hz refresh rate. The screen has a punch-hole notch cutout for the selfie camera in the top-centre and is certified for HDR10+ playback. The screen is also home to an in-display optical fingerprint sensor. The iQOO 7 measures 8.7 millimetres in thickness and weighs roughly around 209 grams. It is being offered in Gray, Blue and a White BMW M-sport special edition with red, black and blue accents

It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with an octa-core CPU and Adreno 660 GPU. This is paired with upto 12GB RAM and 256GB storage options to choose from. It runs on OriginOS based on Android 11 out-of-the-box.

The iQOO 7 has a triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 48MP camera, 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera with 120-degree field-of-view and 13MP portrait camera with 2x optical zoom. The rear cameras can record in 4K UHD at upto 30FPS and theres a 16MP selfie camera on the front.

The phone is compatible with Wi-Fi 6, supports Bluetooth 5.2 and is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery that supports 120W fast charging. The company claims it can go from 0-100% in 15 minutes tops.
A related trend is hygiene theater, as Derek Thompson of The Atlantic described it: The New York City subway system closes every night, for example, so that workers can perform a deep cleaning.

There are two big questions to ask about these actions: How much are they doing to reduce the spread of the virus? And do they have any downside?

No documented cases

The answer to the first question, according to many experts, is: They seem to do little good. Prohibiting outdoor activity is unlikely to reduce the spread of the virus, nor is urging people always to wear a mask outdoors.

Worldwide, scientists have not documented any instances of outdoor transmission unless people were in close conversation, Dr. Muge Cevik, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told me. The small number of cases where outdoor transmission might have occurred, she wrote on Twitter, were associated with close interactions, particularly extended duration, or settings where people mixed indoors alongside an outdoor setting. The new variants of the virus are more contagious, but there is no evidence to suggest they will change this pattern.

As my colleague Tara Parker-Pope puts it, Avoid breathing the air that other people exhale.

A student walking across campus  let alone a masked student  presents little risk to another student who remains at least six feet away. The same goes for joggers in your neighborhood.
Time magazine, part of the liberal MSM, has published an article by its staff writer Molly Ball that exposes, or rather brags about, the "secret campaign" run by a "cabal" or "conspiracy" that won the 2020 election for Biden. Of course, she refers to it as "saving" the election.

All the moving parts were coordinated by top AFL-CIO political operative Mike Podhorzer, who led "a well fund cabal of powerful people" in a "conspiracy to save the 2020 election" and "obtain the proper outcome" (the election of Biden). "Working together behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage and control the flow of information, Ms. Ball wrote. They were not rigging the election; they were fortifying it. And they believe the public needs to understand the systems fragility in order to ensure that democracy in America endures. The effort included the lawsuits to change election rules to make cheating easier.

Ms. Ball writes about how not only were the MSM involved but also the leaders of social media in steering the political narrative. Even the movers and shakers of the far left groups that rioted across America were dancing to the tune called by this cabal. The plotters included Never Trumper turncoat Republicans and the increasingly left of center US Chamber of Commerce, as well as established left wing groups like Greenpeace, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, Indivisible, and "social justice" activists.

One key example of controlling the narrative was the MSM and social media's active campaign to successfully cover up and censor the scandal resulting from the contents of Hunter Biden's computer. Exit polls showed that if Biden voters had been aware of that scandal, enough of them would have abandoned Biden that he would have lost all of the swing states.
Just before midnight on Tuesday, two Uber drivers were chatting outside a 7-Eleven in Sydneys central business district.

They were about to be interrupted by the arrival of Tony Burke, Labors industrial relations spokesman, who was holding a press conference at that odd hour to critique the Morrison governments proposed workplace changes  and spruik the oppositions plans for gig economy workers.

Many of the policies Labor leader Anthony Albanese is proposing are similar to those his predecessor Bill Shorten put to the nation in 2019. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

I think its not about Labor or Liberal, said one of the drivers, who declined to be named for fear of jeopardising his day job at an accounting firm. Its about [saying] you must do something that comes up to Australian standards.

Uber should pay more tax, take less than its current 27.5 per cent cut of drivers earnings and let drivers charge more if petrol is more expensive, the driver said when asked about Labors plan to give workers like him quasi-employee status, with rights such as a minimum wage. In other words: he would be doing fine if the company takes its thumb off the scales. The diffuse idea of maybe becoming an employee through the intermediary of the Fair Work Commission, the industrial tribunal, as Labor suggested, was less appealing.
US President Joe Biden in his maiden phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping talked about the fundamental concerns he has with Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday, a day after the two-hour-long conversation between the two leaders.

Biden wants to lead with a clear and compelling affirmative US policy agenda and take steps to strengthen the US economy, she said.

"He wants to work with our partners and allies, as you've seen from the readouts we've done from the President's engagement. He wants to take steps across government...," Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.

Also Read | India speeds up vaccination drive

"He also is committed to being clear and candid in his engagements, as he was last night in...his lengthy conversation with President Xi, where he talked about the fundamental concerns he has, we have, about Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices. That obviously covers a range of concern, a range of issues: the crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuse across the country, increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan," Psaki said.

President Biden, she said, is clear-eyed about the challenge that the US facing -- that's the strategic competition with China. "In order to get on our best footing in that competition, we need to take steps here at home, including making our own workforce more competitive, ensuring we are taking steps to protect our own technology, ensuring that...we are working with our partners and allies to do that," she said.

"It is a reflection of our strategy, which is that we are going to get our house in order, in order to come into that competition from the strongest footing possible," she said.

State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said the Biden Administration will engage with the Chinese when it is consistent with American interests and values.

"Even though we see this relationship through the lens of competition and our broad posture vis-a-vis China is to work to position ourselves to compete and to outcompete with the Chinese across any number of realms," he said.

Responding to questions, Price said the United States is still in the initial stages of its engagement with the Chinese. "I would hasten to add that that initial engagement at the level of the Secretary of State and the President of the United States took place only after a number of calls with our closest allies and partners. There's a reason why these engagements didn't take place on day one," he explained.

"We wanted to make sure that we had coordinated closely with our allies, including our allies in Europe and our treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific, but also our partners, including our partners throughout the Indo-Pacific, to make clear that our approach to Beijing was known to them, that we coordinated on that, and that, again, we positioned ourselves vis-a-vis China in the strongest possible position," Price said when asked about the delay in talks with the Chinese president.

"When we talk about our strength in the context of the relationship with China, we derive strength from our values. We derive strength from our alliances, our partnerships. We also derive strength from what we do here at home," he said.

At the Pentagon, China Task Force Director Ely Ratner told reporters that the Department of Defense has become increasingly focused on the China challenge.

There's been a proliferation of policies, activities and initiatives related to China, and the purpose of the task force was, particularly with the new team coming on board, a new Secretary, to ensure that those activities were synchronized, prioritized, and coordinated to the greatest extent possible," he said.

A day after he was made in-charge of the China Task Force, Ratner said that the goal is not to boil the ocean. "What we're going to do here is try to identify the most important challenges and opportunities for the (Defense) Secretary, try to identify what should serve as his and his team's top priorities on China, whether those be issues that need secretary-level decisions or guidance, issues that need greater prioritization, attention, and resources, or issues that need either strength and/or new processes to move them forward to address them," he said.

Republican Senator Rick Scott, in a statement, alleged that Biden is rolling back actions taken under President Trump to hold Communist China accountable and that such a move is reckless and show just how far he will go to appease the authoritarian regime.

"Failing to stand up to General Secretary Xi has absolutely devastating consequences for our national security and for that of our allies. We don't need nice phone calls or another task force to study what's going on with Communist China," he said.

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By SA Commercial Prop News

President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Thursday, delivered the 2021 State of the Nation Address (SONA) as he faces the tough task of tackling economic recovery, corruption, electricity shortages, and Covid-19 pandemic issues.



South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Thursday, delivered the 2021 State of the Nation Address (SONA) as he faces the tough task of tackling economic recovery, corruption, electricity shortages, and Covid-19 pandemic issues.

A humble 2021 State of the Nation (Sona) address took place on Thursday evening as President Cyril Ramaphosa discusses the countrys present and future in the midst of a devastating pandemic.

Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout

The government intended to start providing shots developed by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford to health-care workers this month. Its plans were thrown into disarray this week when a study showed the vaccine had little impact on mild infections caused by a variant of the virus first identified in South Africa.

Ramaphosa noted the findings of Astra-Zenecas low efficacy against the 501-Y variant prevalent in South Africa and applauded our scientists for their research.



He said rolling out the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is now governments immediate contingency plan.



"We have secured 9 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The first batch, of 80,000 doses, will arrive in the country next week. The success of the vaccination programme will rely on active collaboration between all sectors of society, Ramaphosa said.

A further 12 million jabs will be supplied by COVAX, and Pfizer are set to give us 20 million doses. These two inoculations will start arriving in this country from March onwards.



"We are greatly encouraged by the active involvement of business, labour, the health industry and medical schemes in particular, in preparing for this mass vaccination drive, he added.

The President also said we have decided to extend the period for the Special COVID-19 Grant of R350 by a further three months.

Economic Recovery

The central bank estimates that Africas most-industrialized economy shrank 7.1% in 2020 because of the pandemic and accompanying lockdowns. Ramaphosa unveiled a recovery plan in October last year that targets an average annual economic growth rate of 3% over the next decade, and focuses on job creation and increased infrastructure investment.

In his speech, Ramaphosa said a priority intervention of the Recovery Plan is to support a massive increase in local production and to make South African exports globally competitive.

"They have identified 42 products  ranging from edible oils to furniture, fruit concentrates, personal protective equipment, steel products and green economy inputs  that can be sourced locally."

"If we achieve our target, we will significantly expand our productive economy, potentially returning more than R200 billion to the countrys annual output."

Last year, we undertook to create a larger market for small businesses and designate 1,000 locally produced products that must be procured from SMMEs, said Ramaphosa.

"Through the implementation of the poultry master plan, the industry has invested R800 million to upgrade production. South Africa now produces an additional one million chickens every week.

"The sugar master plan was signed during the lockdown, with a commitment from large users of sugar to procure at least 80% of their sugar needs from local growers."

Eskom / Measures to address Electricity shortages



South Africa has been plagued by rolling blackouts since 2005 because state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. has been unable to meet demand for electricity from its old, poorly maintained plants.

Power utility Eskom estimates that, without additional capacity, there will be an electricity supply shortfall of between 4,000 and 6,000 megawatts over the next five years, as old coal-fired power stations reach their end of life.



To address this shortfall, Ramaphosa said that government will in the coming weeks issue a request for proposals for 2,600 megawatts from wind and solar energy as part of a bid window.

He said restoring Eskom to operational and financial health and accelerating its restructuring process is central to this objective. Eskom has been restructured into three separate entities for generation, transmission and distribution.

"Over the last year, we have taken action to urgently and substantially increase generation capacity in addition to what Eskom generates."

"Eskom has already started work to expedite its commercial and technical processes to allow this additional capacity onto the grid without undue delay."

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy will also soon be announcing the successful bids for 2,000 megawatts of emergency power. In the coming weeks a request for proposals for 2,600 megawatts from wind and solar energy as part of Bid Window 5 will be issued, followed by another bid window in August 2021.

Eskom will be looking to partner with investors to repurpose and repower part of its coal fleet, Ramaphosa said.

Smart Cities

The President announced that government is currently conceptualising a number of post-apartheid smart cities in provinces around the country. He said that these infrastructure projects form a key part of the governments Covid-19 recovery plan.

Lanseria Smart City, will become the first new city to be built in a democratic South Africa.

"The draft masterplan for this smart city  which will become home to between 350,000 to 500,000 people within the next decade  was completed in November 2020 and is now out for public comment."

"In the State of the Nation Address last year, I said that our vision for industrialisation is underpinned by sector master plans to rejuvenate and grow key industries.

President Ramaphosa says we have launched "two major human settlements projects that will provide homes to almost 68 000 households in the Gauteng province", since the announcement of the Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.

Infrastructure

Ramaphosa added that governments R100 billion infrastructure fund is now in operation and that the country has billions of rands in planned infrastructure development, including upgraded highways.



We have now developed an infrastructure investment project pipeline worth R340 billion in network industries such as energy, water, transport and telecommunications, he said.



This includes the rehabilitation of the N1, N2 and N3 highways, the student housing infrastructure programme, and the Mokolo and Crocodile River water project.

Land and Agrarian Reform Agency coming soon

During the course of the next financial year, government will establish a Land and Agrarian Reform Agency to fast-track land reform.



To date, government has redistributed over 5 million hectares of land, totalling around 5,500 farms, to more than 300,000 beneficiaries. This is in addition to the land restitution process, which has benefited over two million land claimants and resulted in the transfer of around 2.7 million hectares.

Jobs

Ramaphosa said an the intervention of an employment stimulus to create jobs and support livelihoods was one of four of his government's priority interventions.

"Over the past year, South Africa has experienced a sharp decline in growth and a significant increase in unemployment. Poverty is on the rise. Inequality is deepening. In the third quarter of 2020, our economy was 6% percent smaller than it was in the last quarter of 2019. There were 1.7 million fewer people employed in the third quarter of 2020 than there were in the first quarter, before the pandemic struck. Our unemployment rate now stands at a staggering 30.8%,"

"The Presidential Employment Stimulus is one of the most significant expansions of public and social employment in South Africas history. By the end of January 2021, over 430 000 opportunities have already been supported through the stimulus. A further 180 000 opportunities are currently in the recruitment process. These opportunities are in areas like education, arts and culture, global business services, early childhood development, and small-scale and subsistence farming," Ramaphosa said.

He announced that the National Youth Development Agency and Department of Small Business Development would provide grant funding and business support to 1 000 young entrepreneurs within 100 days.

"While the programme had to be put on hold due to the coronavirus restrictions, it nevertheless managed to reach its target of 1 000 businesses by International Youth Day on August, 12, 2020. This provides a firm foundation for our efforts to support 15,000 start-ups by 2024," he said.

Fighting Corruption



Ramaphosa was frank in his assessment of corruption among government officials.



Corruption is one of the greatest impediments to the countrys growth and development, Ramaphosa said.



The revelations from the Zondo Commission of Inquiry lay bare the extent of state capture and related corruption.Testimony at the Commission has shown how the criminal justice system was compromised and weakened.



We will shortly be appointing the members of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, which is a multi-sectoral body that will oversee the initial implementation of the strategy and the establishment of an independent statutory anti-corruption body that reports to Parliament, he said.
The number of new filings for unemployment benefits for the week ending February 6 totaled a seasonally-adjusted 793,000, a slight drop from the previous week but significantly higher than what economists had predicted with the ending of some statewide COVID-19 restrictions.

February marks the 11th consecutive month since the start of the pandemic last March, where new weekly unemployment claims have exceeded 700,000, a level without modern historical precedent.

A pregnant woman waits in line for groceries with hundreds during a food pantry, sponsored by Healthy Waltham for those in need due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, at St. Mary's Church in Waltham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Enrollment in special federal pandemic unemployment insurance programs that had expired December 26, but were later renewed by Congress, surged. There were 334,524 new claims filed for Pandemic Unemployment Insurance, a federal program for the self-employed and gig workers.

According the US Department of Labor, the number of continuing claims for unemployment in all programs, including emergency extended benefits, for the week ending January 23, rose to 20,425,018, an increase of 2,596,539 from the previous week. The state of California alone registered an increase of 1,079,701 in new filings for emergency unemployment aid.

These harsh numbers follow the report by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell at the Economic Club of New York on Wednesday that detailed the devastating impact of the COVID-19-triggered economic crisis. The fed chairman said that the crisis had led to the largest drop in the labor force participation rate since 1948. The number, which measures the percentage of the population working, is a more accurate measure of unemployment than the official jobless figures.

Powell said that due to the misclassification of workers as employed who are in reality jobless, the real unemployment rate stands at near 10 percent, not the official 6.3 percent figure. In addition, the pandemic had hit the most poorly paid sections of the working class the hardest. While the decline in employment for workers in the top one-quarter of wage distribution was 4 percent, the decline for the bottom quartile has been a staggering 17 percent.

According to a report Wednesday in the Boston Globe, some $17 billion in unemployment claims due in January have not yet been paid because of a backlog in claims caused by antiquated and understaffed state unemployment offices. The G lobe reports that as of December the state of Massachusetts had only sent out 58 percent of checks to claimants within the stipulated two-week wait period and nearly 10 percent of eligible claimants did not receive checks for over 70 days.

A number of states have eased COVID-19-related restrictions, in particular California, leading to the recall of some workers in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. New York and New Jersey also lifted some restrictions. However, epidemiologists warn that the relaxation of restrictions while the pandemic is far from contained will only lead to a new surge in infections in the spring. This will be compounded by the drive by the Biden administration and Democratic Party officials to force the reopening of schools. Despite the claims of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, schools are a major vector of transmission. Meanwhile, the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has been slowed by breakdowns and numerous other problems.

According to a report this week in the Washington Post, of the 1.5 million workers who quit their jobs voluntarily last yearmany over COVID-19-related concerns80 percent had their claims for unemployment insurance denied. Another 75,000 refused to return to work after being recalled. Some 49 percent of those workers had their claims denied.

The Post interviewed Jonathan Burlingame, who worked at a factory in South Boston. With his aging parents moving in with him, Burlingame decided to quit his job rather than risk infecting them. The state of Massachusetts denied his unemployment claim and he has had no income since July.

He told the Post, My dad beat cancer twice. Im not going to bring something home to him and let him have two big wins beating cancer and then have this kind of thing shut him down because someone wanted their profit margin to be high.

Other workers said they did not even file for unemployment benefits after leaving their jobs over COVID-19, fearing being charged with fraud.

In one harrowing case, an 83-year-old worker in Iowa with heart disease left his part time supermarket checkout job in March over COVID-19 concerns. He received unemployment benefits through April, but then the state told him to pay back $4,835. After futile attempts to appeal the judgments and the rejection of attempts to collect other state aid, the worker went back to work in late October. Within weeks, both he and his 82-year-old wife had COVID-19. The wife had to be put on oxygen but eventually recovered.

The Post notes that President Biden signed an executive order in January calling for the Labor Department to clarify rules as to what constitutes an unsafe workplace. The order will supposedly make it easier for workers who quit jobs due to COVID-19 to collect unemployment insurance.

However, the record of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in protecting workers from COVID-19 has been in line with the long practice of the agency in covering up and protecting employers who force workers into unsafe workplaces.

Even under conditions where thousands of workers at meatpacking plants were contracting COVID-19 on the job, OSHA only levied a handful of fines and citations and then only for token amounts. Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota received a derisory $13,494 fine after 43 workers were hospitalized with COVID-19 and four died.

Meanwhile, the proposed economic stimulus by the Biden administration is slowly

moving through Congress. More than 11 million unemployed workers could start losing benefits in March when the federal extension of unemployment benefits enacted under the Trump administration expires. The bill has to go through myriad congressional committees, with no guarantee that it will be enacted, and signed into law before the March 11 unemployment cutoff.

Under the rules of budget reconciliation, whereby the Democrats can push through the stimulus as part of the federal budget without Republicans being able to use parliamentary delaying tactics to block it, if even one Democratic representative objects to the bill, it could delay passage. Democrats already stripped out of the stimulus a gradual increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025. The current miserable $7.25 federal minimum wage has been frozen since 2009. The minimum wage hike was jettisoned in part because of the objection of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

The Biden administration is reportedly considering further limiting those who will receive $1,400 payments in the stimulus bill. Proposals have been floated for phasing payments out for individuals earning more than $50,000 or $75,000 a year, which could mean many workers would get no stimulus or a reduced payment.
Musicians of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra will perform Johann Sebastian Bachs Das Musikalische Opfer (The Musical Offering), BWV 1079 over four free musical episodes to be released weekly on the orchestras website from Feb. 17 to March 10.

PSOs assistant conductor Nell Flanders will curate the project, which is being individually recorded in musicians homes then combined digitally. Each segment will features one to six musicians and will be hosted by Flanders, who will introduce the music in tandem with conversations centering on Bach and his work.

The project is a community extension of the orchestras PSO BRAVO! education programs, and includes plans to actively involve student musicians of the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey and Trenton Music Makers in supplemental programming.

Princeton Symphony Orchestra musicians, from left, Andy Cho, Elaine He and Sherry Hartman-Apgar will be among the participants in a four-episode online series on J.S. Bach's "The Musical Offering," beginning Wednesday, Feb. 17.PSO staff screenshot

These recorded presentations of Bachs music are a gift from the Princeton Symphony Orchestra with participation by almost all of the PSOs tenured musicians, said PSO executive director Marc Uys. Were pleased to be able to offer this excursion into Bachs measured world, a mental escape from the pandemic stresses of today. For students of music, there is an opportunity for hands-on exploration of baroque music forms such as canon and round.

Flanders holds the recently named position of Princeton Symphony Orchestras Georg and Joyce Albers-Schonberg assistant conductor. She has experience as a professional conductor, violinist and educator and has conducted the orchestra in ballet, popular classics and holiday concerts. Through a partnership of the PSO and the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey, she also serves as the conductor of the YOCJs Symphonic Orchestra.

To learn more about PSO BRAVO! education programs or to offer support, call the symphony office at 609-497-0020 or visit princetonsymphony.org.

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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

State and local experts expect New Mexicos economy to grow quickly in 2021, but say it will take time before the damage wrought by 2020 is fully undone.

During New Mexico State Universitys virtual Economic Outlook Conference Thursday, Charles Dougherty, vice president and economist at Wells Fargo Securities, said he expects the national gross domestic product to grow by around 5% in 2021, as restrictions on business operations continue to loosen.

Still, Dougherty said disruption from the pandemic was so severe that even steep growth likely wouldnt be enough to get the economy back on the pace it was on until at least 2022.

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So clearly, were digging ourselves out of a hole, Dougherty said.

Dougherty said the United States lost more than 22 million jobs during the depths of the downturn caused by the pandemic, about half of which have been recovered at this point. Spending on services remains well below where it stood before the virus began to spread.

Even if GDP does grow by about 5% in each of the next two years, as Dougherty predicts, it still wont put the countrys GDP back on pre-pandemic rate of growth until 2022 or 2023, he said.

Were certainly not back to where we were at the start of 2020, Dougherty said.

Still, Dougherty said there are reasons for optimism. Thanks in part to several rounds of federal stimulus, Dougherty said Americans have increased their savings by a historically large amount since the pandemic began.

This is a lot of money thats available to be spent over the next year, he said.

Assuming new virus cases  which have declined sharply in recent weeks in New Mexico and across the country  continue to fall, Dougherty said business restrictions should continue to loosen.

The combination of safer access to shopping and restaurants and high levels of saving means consumer demand for in-person services should accelerate beginning in the second quarter of 2021.

Were probably going to see a burst of spending on these services, Dougherty said.

Jim Peach, professor emeritus of economics at NMSU, said during the webinar that New Mexico may face a longer road to recovery than the nation as a whole, due to long-term structural issues.

Peach said the states unemployment rate, which stood at 8.2% in December, remains higher than the national rate. He said the pandemic may exacerbate New Mexicos already high poverty rate for years to come.

Recessions always hit the poor hardest, Peach said.

Peach said New Mexicos oil and gas industry has seen demand recover slightly since the middle of 2020, but described the market as volatile. He said New Mexicos heavy reliance on the industry leaves it vulnerable to future ebbs and flows.

We have a long road to recovery  and I dont think we return to a pre-pandemic world, Peach said.
Premier Brian Pallister's announcement Thursday that Manitoba has agreed to purchase up to two million doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine was truly a masterpiece of political theatre.

Premier Brian Pallister's announcement Thursday that Manitoba has agreed to purchase up to two million doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine was truly a masterpiece of political theatre.

Manitoba's decision to buy 2M doses of yet-to-be-approved vaccine applauded Click to Expand Premier Brian Pallister announced Thursday Manitoba is side-stepping the federal government to independently purchase two million doses of a yet-to-be approved COVID-19 vaccine that will be manufactured in Canada. Posted: 12:09 PM Feb. 11, 2021 In a move that could lead to friction with Ottawa, the Manitoba government has agreed to purchase two million doses of a yet-to-be-approved Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine candidate is being developed by Providence Therapeutics in Alberta and is a messenger RNA vaccine, similar to approved products developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Read Full Story

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau facing anger over delays in vaccine shipments to Canada, Pallister's sudden claim that Manitoba has become the first province to secure its own vaccine supply outside the much-maligned federal supply chain is a winner on two fronts.

It plays well with Manitobans who are increasingly anxious about delays in the vaccination program. At the same time, it pours more gasoline on the vaccine-shortage fire that is threatening to engulf the Trudeau government.

Alas, as effective as this was as political cudgel, Pallister's tendency to exaggerate and overplay his hand is, once again, plainly evident in this announcement.

Pallister said Manitoba had "agreed to purchase" two million doses of a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Calgary-based company Providence Therapeutics and produced at a Winnipeg facility operated by Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based biomedical company.

Pallister said "federal approval of the new (Providence) vaccine is expected later this year." Once approved, the premier insisted the deal would give Manitobans "access to a secure supply of a promising new vaccine."

The inconvenient truth is that Pallister is counting his vaccines before they are hatched.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The inconvenient truth is that Premier Brian Pallister is counting his vaccines before they are hatched.

The Providence vaccine is currently in Stage 1 clinical trials, which means it still has to get through Stage 2 and 3 before it could even apply for approval.

Approval before year's end is not outside the realm of possibility, particularly since the technology used by Providence is identical to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. However, in a Jan. 21 news release, Providence admitted that "commercialization" of its vaccine may not begin until early 2022.

By that time, federal procurement may have caught up with demand.

Both Pfizer and Moderna have assured Canada that production problems that slowed deliveries in January and February will largely be solved by spring and increases in shipments will start next week.

As well, the federal government has invested $125 million in a National Research Council facility in Montreal to produce up to 52 million doses of a vaccine developed by Novavax starting this fall which has already been submitted for approval.

In total, Ottawa has signed more than $1 billion in procurement deals with five other vaccine manufacturers in addition to Moderna and Pfizer. That has allowed the Trudeau government to renew its pledge to have enough vaccine for every Canadian that wants to be vaccinated by September.

And where does that leave Providence?

JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS In a Jan. 21 news release, Providence admitted that "commercialization" of its vaccine  which would be produced at a Winnipeg facility operated by Emergent BioSolutions  may not begin until early 2022.

Providence got $5 million from the federal government last fall to support Stage 1 trials and another $5 million in January. Even with that support, last week the company issued a news release pleading with Ottawa to approve a request for $150 million to complete clinical trials.

However, Providence confirmed this week the Trudeau government had not responded to its offer.

The uncertainty surrounding Providence is perhaps why Pallister did not divulge any financial details of its deal with Manitoba. A spokeswoman for Pallister could only say that Manitoba has a "preliminary agreement" with Providence and that no money had changed hands. Full financial details won't be forthcoming until a final deal is signed.

There is also a lack of clarity around the cost-effectiveness of a parallel vaccine deal.

Pallister claimed the Providence vaccine would be sold to Manitoba for a better price than what Ottawa's paying for vaccines based on similar technology. However, he also admitted he doesn't really know how much Canada is paying for those other vaccines because he hasn't seen the federal contracts.

The final bit of uncertainty that affects Pallister's side deal is, of course, the impact of COVID-19 variants.

The uncertainty surrounding Providence is perhaps why Pallister did not divulge any financial details of its deal with Manitoba.

Right now, vaccine-makers are scrambling to see if their products are effective against the variants, with widely differing results. It is simply impossible to determine whether the Providence vaccine will be effective against the variants. Making a commitment to purchase a quantity of an unproven vaccine that is only at the first stage of clinical trials is, at best, a long shot.

The Trudeau government has struggled mightily to acquire vaccines, of this there is no doubt. And Trudeau will suffer the political consequences if the vaccine-makers do not deliver on promises to increase supply starting in April.

However, the seeds of Canada's vaccine shortage  which stem from a complete lack of domestic manufacturing capacity  were sown over many decades by governments of all stripes. For better or worse, Canada allowed Big Pharma to close down manufacturing facilities and consolidate them in other countries. And now, we're paying the price for those policies.

If Manitoba was able to acquire its own supply of vaccine at a reasonable price without disrupting any of the national procurement contracts, then this would be a coup and Pallister would be entitled to perform an end-zone dance.

But as is his way, Pallister has started his celebration before the ball is over the goal line. And that's a bad look for any political leader at a time like this.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca

Kakinada, Feb 12 : Aiming at cracking down on villages notorious for producing illegal liquor in the run up to the second phase of panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh, the police in East Godavari have destroyed a huge cache of fermented jaggery measuring 62,950 litres used to make alcohol.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) in the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB), Sumit Garud, said the police undertook a mega raid on Thursday in the villages and liquor distillation hideouts of Ramachandrapuram sub-division.

In one single day, Garud said the SEB booked 39 cases, arrested 11 persons, destroyed 62,950 litres of fermented jaggery wash, besides seizing an autorickshaw and a car each.

According to the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, 200 litres of fermented jaggery wash can produce up to 50 litres of illicitly distilled (ID) liquor.

"The mega operation prevented potential generation of 16,000 litres of ID wash. The value of fermented jaggery wash destroyed in the operation comes roughly to around Rs 13 lakh," said Garud.

As many as 15 enforcement inspectors, 20 sub-inspectors and 50 SEB staff members conducted the raids for more than 13 hours at seven places from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in Prathipadu, Gandepalli, Rangampeta, Alamuru and Kothapeta, among other places.

"The amount of jaggery wash destroyed after the raids is a state record for a single day," observed Garud.

From January 23 till Thursday, the SEB has booked 228 ID liquor cases, 164 fermented jaggery cases and 74 other cases as part of its crackdown in view of the panchayat elections.

Similarly, 295 people have been accused during these crackdowns and nearly 3.8 lakh litres of illegal ID liquor, fermented jaggery wash and others were destroyed, including the seizure of 31 vehicles.

As many as 871 accused persons have been bound over under the AP Excise Act and AP Prohibition Act.

The police have set up a special control room with 24x7 helpline number, 9490618510, with WhatsApp support in the ASP's office.

"The citizens can give any information regarding ID liquor and other banned substances, and we will take immediate action," added Garud.


Air Serbia expects to be operating up to 45% of 2019 traffic levels this coming summer season as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world. The figure would be above the industry average now being forecast by the likes of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Eurocontrol. Speaking at yesterday's CAPA Critical Thinkers summit, Air Serbias General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, said, We currently operate around 38% of 2019 capacity. It's slightly above the EU average but we will of course optimise if necessary. What we foresee for Q1 is that we will more or less operate around those 35% - 38% of capacity. This is what we really manage to do on a daily basis. He added, We have a couple of scenarios for the summer but those might dramatically change depending how the market evolves, what the restriction will be and, also, if there will finally be some coordinated approach, because it's a big jungle out there now to understand what restrictions are enforced by which country. Obviously, we will try to flexibly adjust ourselves to it, as we have been successfully doing so far. Even during 2020, we've always operated above the average compared to the rest of the EU with higher KPIs [key performance indicators] achieved in terms of load factor. So, at the moment, for Q2, we will most likely be around 40% to 45% of 2019 traffic levels. Air Serbia expects to be operating up to 45% of 2019 traffic levels this coming summer season as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world. The figure would be above the industry average now being forecast by the likes of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Eurocontrol. Speaking at yesterday's CAPA Critical Thinkers summit, Air Serbias General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, said, We currently operate around 38% of 2019 capacity. It's slightly above the EU average but we will of course optimise if necessary. What we foresee for Q1 is that we will more or less operate around those 35% - 38% of capacity. This is what we really manage to do on a daily basis. He added, We have a couple of scenarios for the summer but those might dramatically change depending how the market evolves, what the restriction will be and, also, if there will finally be some coordinated approach, because it's a big jungle out there now to understand what restrictions are enforced by which country. Obviously, we will try to flexibly adjust ourselves to it, as we have been successfully doing so far. Even during 2020, we've always operated above the average compared to the rest of the EU with higher KPIs [key performance indicators] achieved in terms of load factor. So, at the moment, for Q2, we will most likely be around 40% to 45% of 2019 traffic levels.





Mr Marek noted that travel habits are changing which has resulted in Air Serbia making quick adjustments to its network and capacity. All bookings and demand are now usually happening within ten days of departure. So, it's more critical how you manage your network now in a very quick and flexible way in order to adjust to fluctuating demand because regulations are changing at very short notice, which has a strong impact on demand. Flexibility is key, the General Manager for Commercial and Strategy said. He added, We had to completely reshape and change our network and concentrate on the key days of the week when we still want to have decent connectivity. There are some days where basically we are operating at almost 80% to 90% of 2019 levels, but there are also days where we hardly have a flight





Air Serbias share of connecting traffic has declined considerably and now accounts for around 30% to 35% of total passenger volumes. It's significantly lower than what it to used to be because connecting traffic is difficult to manage since some countries are imposing different restriction for transfers, so not only for those entering a country, but also for those transferring through certain countries. However, flexibility gives us a real advantage in maintaining decent connectivity. This is also visible in our aircraft deployment. Sometimes we are sending ATRs to Berlin, which is typically a jet route, just in order to maintain connectivity and allow people to transfer to their final destination within our region.





Mr Marek said that entry restrictions into the EU for Serbian citizens continue to seriously affect the carrier. We've already been heavily impacted by these restrictions. So, we already had to adjust through the course of last year to something which we call really essential travel. Basically, those people that have to travel will travel, or people with dual nationality or a residency permit in a foreign country will travel. However, my view is there will be new opportunities coming up. Whoever reacts faster, with greater flexibility and is more agile to changes happening on the market will be the winner. We continue to have the long-term ambition to serve the wider region and beyond and continue to be the leading regional airline in Southeast Europe.








A System Wanted

By Limin Wang

February 12, 2021, Friday

We the people are social animals almost all wanting life, liberty, happiness, justice, and PROSPERITY. While the resources, natural or generated, are LIMITED, the demands of the whole human population are ENORMOUS. This confrontation and unification between these two fundamentally opposing factors drastically promote the evolution of the most intelligent species --- homo sapiens, which can be anywhere between most constructive and most destructive. Some form of collective structure is always needed for some form of collective function, and vice versa. In human society, specifically, the collective structure is a system, while the collective function is THE JUSTICE. The JUSTICE, i.e., the FAIRNESS, should not be too complex to be understood by everyday people, but the SYSTEM, i.e., the RULING, would often make it very complicated for everyday people to get it. Individual humans at different levels from different walks of a system are not always so stupid or tame, if they are awakened on their own or by the wake-up callers about how UNFAIRLY they have been ruled and ruined by a SYSTEM, they may erupt individually or collectively to fight against such a SYSTEM. If the revolutionists succeed in the revolution, they become the new rulers, usually of a new system, presumably for the justice for all.

The American Revolutionists, the American Revolution, the United States of America, and the Constitution have been lauded long and wide. However, if you have some good quality of honesty, inquiry, and bravery, you may well say that the USA SYSTEM is rife with INJUSTICE since its conception up to the very present development hour. Why would the Framers be later regarded as Founders or by some as FOUNDING FATHERS, just because they succeeded? Should they, their deeds, and their work simply be enshrined as saints, glory, and canon, respectively? A realistic view would be good, and a progressive realistic view would be better, because usually the best is yet to come.

Now, look at the USA Constitution, and based on some clauses of it, the TWO IMPEACHMENTS AND TRIALS on President Donald John Trump for his one-term presidency by the Congress. Is the USA Constitution perfect? even though its preambles objectives include for a more perfect union. Come on, was James Madison bad at basic English grammar and usage? Its the beginning of a telltale! The USA Constitution invests the SUPREME POWER of legislative, executive, and judicial to the Subjects of Article I. The system of checks and balances was not really there, and is still not really here. The existence of the first ten amendments at the time of ratification is an evidence of imperfection of the Constitution. The existence of many revisions is an evidence it can get contemporary. The existence of many following amendments is an evidence that it needs to be specific. The existence of opposite amendments is an evidence that it can even be ridiculous! Why is there the Electoral College? Why the Certification of Electoral College Votes about the 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION happened in CONGRESS at Capitol on January 6, 2021? ONLY because of the Framers and their Followers INTENTION of OLIGARCHY. OLIGARCHY was not new, so FIGURE HEADS were plenty. Sometimes, the Head, via blood, by blood, or through ballot, does not want to be a Figure Head controlled OLIGARCHES, and to achieve that such a Head needs an ARMY of supporters or the support of an Army.

President Donald John Trump has wanted to be a Real President, and he has an ARMY of followers and supporters. Thats wrong by the SYSTEM. So, the Russian Gate was up for years; then the Ukraine Gate was up. President Trump was not brought down. Then came the PERFECT FRAUD of COVID-19 Pandemic, first reportedly out of Trumps arch-enemy country, Peculiar-Colored China under the Peculiar-Colored Chinese Communist Party. COVID-19 was propagandized by the Trump-hater mainstream media to be so lethal or at least so viral, so the election campaign was advocated to go virtual for the BENEFIT of peoples lives. The Big Techs may not able to control the Coronavirus-2, but they can definitely MANIPULATE the virtual world. The Trump-haters can not intimidate the HUGE CROWDS of Trump-followers or -supporters shown on his campaign trails, but they can CULTIVATE virtual voters. The virtual voters showed up in the 2020 presidential election as MASSIVE mail-in ballots, flipping-tabulator ballots, and spike ballots, etc. At the end, the voting results came out ELECTRONICALLY. IS IT THAT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ELECTRONIC WORLD CAN BE CONTROLLED BY A SELECTIVE GROUP OF PEOPLE? How President Donald J. Trumps online media accounts have been controlled? Donald J. Trump couldnt access his own tweets, BUT the MANAGERS can access his and have SELECTIVELY shown some of his tweets in the Senate and all over the world with some SELECTIVE HIGHLIGHT. What the First Amendment of the USA Constitution itself can do for President Trump? as long as Trump-haters can find some excuses for THE BENEFIT OF THE SYSTEM.

Donald J. Trump wouldnt capitulate easily to forecasted 2020 presidential election fraud. He and his aides first FOLLOWED the venues of The SYSTEM to pursue The JUSTICE. However, the JUSTICE stick is run by some HUMANS of the SYSTEM, and these people by the SYSTEM of usually DOING NOTHING BUT TO SERVE THEMSELVES would put the Burden of Proof on the Trump side, while President Trump as powerful as the Commander In Chief did NOT have the real power to investigate the ballots, envelopes, voter rolls, tabulators, security footages, etc to COLLECT EVIDENCE, and the Deniers of Election Fraud of course then would DECIDE: NO EVIDENCE of fraud, or in a more professional way, no evidence of WIDE-SPREAD fraud.

By FOLLOWING the USA Constitution, President Donald J. Trump and his supporters put their hope in Congress too. However, the Certification of Electoral College Votes was run by humans of the SYSTEM too. When they say the Certification is only a Ceremony to certify, they would neither take COVID-19 to cancel the Ceremony, nor follow Precedents to object some questionable votes. The President of the Joint Session of Congress, Mike Pence, was not considered to a President with real power by the SYSTEM or himself. Some representatives of the House and the Senate would not take REAL VOTERS FOR TRUMP to join the Ceremony either, while they would probably have brought their family members or personal friends in.

Has there been any REAL venue for President Trump, VP Pence, and Trump-Supporters to get their GRIEVANCE addressed by this USA SYSTEM for the ELECTION JUSTICE? NO. While the Trump-haters paint him as a loose-cannon, psychopath, sable-rattler, etc, President Trump hadnt started a new war with a foreign country. Judge who were the ones mentally unfit for public offices when not verifying the scenes of the September 11 but simply jumping into foreign wars. Those followers might have considered themselves heroes but they would never consider how many millions of casualties in the target countries and how many millions of people have suffered in decades because of EVIDENCE like a vial.

While some representatives of such a USA SYSTEM may be the bright beacons to some protesters in many foreign countries to go violent and to go war, such as in Syria, they would put fences up and close doors up at Capitol to some domestic protestors. While some representatives would advocate the Black Life Matters movement but would do not request National Guards to stop the riot, they would put up a GLOBAL LIVE SHOW by whining how DANGEROUS it was when AMERICAN PROTESTERS came into Capitol without firearms. The security camera videos ACTUALLY have shown the OPPOSITE: the protestors were behaving pretty respectfully after getting inside the Capitol. They did not run like hell; They did not punch like hell; They did not kick like hell; and they did not even shout like hell. The Senate chamber had videos that some protesters were like having a tour about what REPRESENTATIVES do there, and the single capitol policeman was in normal interpersonal communication to convince the temporary Presidents of the Joint Session of Protestors and Police to step down. The caller for Nancy in the hallway was like a cat in January time. The guy donned with a MAGA red cap shoulder-bumped the Team Pelosis conference room door without success was SINGULARLY GOING AGAINST THE FLOW AND DIRECTLY TARGETING THAT UNMARKED DOOR. HOW WEIRD IS SUCH EVIDENCE!

None of the Representatives were physically hurt, although some claimed psychological impact. The Senate chamber evacuation was seen quite orderly. Nobody ran like hell. Chuck was going around as if he had forgotten his coffee somewhere. The House side was typical Democrats-controlled territory, such as smashed windows, and gunshot dead protestors like Ashli Babbitt. From that video, the Capitol Police at that door REALLY WANTED TO GET SOME PROTESTORS KILLED, because the police at the outside of the door left, and the police behind the door CAME UP to shoot Babbitt at the neck with a single fatal shot. No warning was ever shouted or fired. How the other three protestors died of medical emergency on Jan Six is still a MYSTERY. How the three officers died DAYS LATER is also a MYSTERY. Were they all murdered by the SYSTEM? The officer got by the protestors and the officer squeezed at the door were both alive and healthy, because they came to publicly announce they are alive and healthy. Just think what the Managers want the Senators and TV viewers to think HOW SERIOUS THESE TWO OFFICERS LIVES WERE IN DANGER DUE TO THE JAN SIX CAPITOL PROTEST. Fortunately, these two didnt go to see treating physicians, rather they went in front of reporters. From the WHOLE PRESENTATION OF THE INCITEMENT OF INSURRECTION CASE BY THE MANY MANAGERS OVER TWO DAYS, NOT EVEN A SINGLE IMAGE (MEDICAL RADIOGRAPHIC OR NOT) OR VIDEO SHOWED ANY APPARENT VISIBLE INJURY AT MILD, MODERATE, OR SEVERE LEVEL OTHER THAN THE FATAL GUNSHOT WOUND BY CAPITOL POLICE AT ASHLI BABBITTS NECK. Then, how violent was the January 6, 2021 Capitol Protest? If the protesters were mainly adamantly demanding the entrance into the Capitol and having their voice about the 2020 presidential election heard by the representatives who were about to ceremonially certify the votes, WHO COMMANDED THE POLICE NOT TO ALLOW THEM IN PEACEFULLY? What the protestors WANTED? THEY ONLY WANTED TRUMP. The Trump-supporters are supposed to be Trump-Pence supporters, and could never achieve their goal by harming Mike Pence. Thats common sense. The protesters were not supposed to come INSIDE Capitol for violence, because violence inside Capitol would never achieve their goal. Thats common sense.

Sometimes, the fear is really fear itself. The incitement of fury may be true, because Trump and Trump-followers SHARE the same opinion: The 2020 presidential election was stolen, and they SHARE the same goal: PURSUE the ELECTION JUSTICE through the SYSTEM. Many of the protestors came to Capitol on Jan Six may well also have their own personal vehement sensation toward the USA SYSTEM. THE CONGRESS HAS THE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO SERVE THE JUSTICE ON THE ALLEGATION OF ELECTION FRAUD, BUT DID NOT SERVE THE JUSTICE IN THE APPROPRIATE WAY. NOW, CONGRESS WANTS TO PURSUE THE PLAINTIFF PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP TO CONVICT HIM SO HE CAN NOT RUN FOR ANY PUBLIC OFFICE AGAIN? WHO FEARS HIM SO MUCH OF RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN? Why now some of the representatives think you have THE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO CERTIFY DONALD J. TRUMP ONCE MORE AS A LOSER IN 2020 AND PREEMPTLY IN 2024? WHAT KIND OF SHEER EVIL SYSTEM YOU REPRESENT IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE VOTERS AND THE WHOLE WORLD?

I, a victim of the USA SYSTEM too, strongly urge the ones with power to use your SYSTEM POWER to RIGHT THE WRONG. A real representative is first a representative of real people, then a representative of a SYSTEM, and righteously discharges his/her power to SERVE THE JUSTICE FOR ALL REPRESENTED. What a SYSTEM you WANT?
The act of removing a condom during sex without consent, also known as "stealthing," could become illegal in the state of California.

A bill introduced this week by California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, D, would classify nonconsensual condom removal as sexual battery, and would allow a victim to pursue a claim for damages under the state's civil code.

If passed, experts say the measure would be the first such law in any state to address nonconsensual condom removal explicitly.

"I want to make sure that A, victims have a legal course for justice and B, we have something in the books that facilities a discussion with all people, especially our youth, whether it's parents, educators, whether it's even the public safety system," Garcia told The Washington Post.

"Having something in the books allows us to do the education to hopefully create a consciousness that we shouldn't do certain things," she said.

The bill would amend the state civil code to say that an individual commits sexual battery if the person "causes contact between a penis, from which a condom has been removed, and the intimate part of another who did not verbally consent to the condom being removed."

Awareness of the issue increased significantly about four years ago when Alexandra Brodsky, then a Yale University law student, wrote an article that was published in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law with research on nonconsensual condom removal, writing that it's "experienced by many as a grave violation of dignity and autonomy."

She wrote about concerns victims had about risks such as sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy, but also about the emotional trauma, writing, "Survivors spoke not only of betrayal but of their partners' wholesale dismissal of their preferences and desires."

Speaking in an interview this week, Brodsky said there continues to be misunderstanding around the issue.

"There are people that just don't believe this is a problem," Brodsky, now a civil rights attorney, told The Post.

By definition, she said, the violation occurs between people who are already sexually intimate. The victim has already consented to some sexual contact, and this is often occurring in an existing dating or sexual relationship, Brodsky explained. The violation occurs when a condom is removed without consent.

She said that's one reason the depiction of nonconsensual condom removal in the HBO show "I May Destroy You" - a series that boldly explores consent, trauma and recovery - was particularly powerful.

In a news release introducing her bill, Garcia also referenced the HBO series.

"Not just pop culture depictions of non consensual condom removal but discussion of its impact can really be powerful, both broadly in raising awareness and in giving survivors a vocabulary to express what happened to them," Brodsky said. "Without language, without media, without depictions, I think it's easy for survivors to feel like they're the first person this has ever happened to, or that this is just part of sex. Not that this is a violation, that they have the right to decide to have sex with a condom and that agreement was broken."

Garcia has twice before introduced bills related to stealthing. Those prior efforts in 2017 and again in 2018 amended the state's penal code, but the bills either died in committee or didn't get a hearing, according to Garcia's office.

She said she hopes by introducing a measure that takes the civil route, more lawmakers and advocacy groups will support it.

Chloe Neely, a victims' rights attorney with the Fierberg National Law Group, said the California bill would allow for victims to pursue damages, rather than jail time.

She said cases involving consent are "incredibly difficult to prove from a legal perspective. It's difficult for a jury to understand that consent is fluid and not a rigid on-off switch."

Having such a law would codify that idea. By addressing it under the civil code, she added, there's also a lower burden of proof than if it were addressed in criminal law.

"That really helps victims and gives them a tool to hold those accountable who have violated them, and often times jail is not necessarily the answer, and not something someone who has been violated wants to see as an outcome," Neely said.

Brodsky also said such a law would be an important tool in helping survivors.

"I think law, at its best, can express a community norm and how we should treat each other" she said. "I do think a lot of survivors would find affirmation in the fact that this state legislature agreed what happened to them was wrong."

Garcia, known as a leader in the #MeToo movement, faced accusations of sexual misconduct in 2018. An investigation by the California assembly did not find evidence to substantiate the claim that Garcia had groped a former legislative staffer during a 2014 softball game, but found that she used vulgar language in violation of the assembly's sexual harassment policy. A second investigation into the accusations found that Garcia was "overly familiar" with a staff member but that her behavior was not "sexual."

Asked about the investigation, said she "respected the process, and at some point we have to respect the outcome."

"I have always felt like I was attacked to be silenced, like so many folks are, especially women of color. And so for me, it's important that I keep doing the work that I'm passionate about," Garcia said. "I use the soap box for issues that I care about that other people don't want to touch."

Garcia said she hopes the bill can be a model for other states to pursue similar efforts.

"In California, we like to pride ourselves with the idea that we are leaders in national discussions, and we start with bills - whether it's on climate change or menstrual equity," she said. "At a minimum, they allow for the discussion to continue."
Super Bock joins Cellar Trends portfolio

International drinks distributor Cellar Trends has announced that Portuguese beer brand Super Bock will be joining its portfolio from April 2021.

Super Bock has been a dominant force in the Portuguese beer market since the 1990s while also building a global presence, and now sells more than 300 million litres in 50 countries each year.

Cellar Trends hopes to build on the lager brand's existing off-trade footprint and develop its offering in the on and off-trade channels, with a range of SKU formats including draft. It will strengthen the distributor's offering in the world beer market, which also includes Chang, a brand it has worked with since 2017.

Super Bock also has a strong connection to Portugal's music scene, with the Super Bock Super Rock Festival attracting more than 25,000 revellers annually. In recognition of this link, Cellar Trends has also pledged to support music venues and live events as they return.

Simon Thomas, managing director of Cellar Trends, said: "The addition of Super Bock to our portfolio demonstrates our commitment to representing a diverse and engaging selection of quality, industry-leading third-party brands. The team are all delighted at the prospect of working with Super Bock and taking the brand to the next stage of its development within this key global drinks market."

Ricardo Figueiredo Silva, commercial director at Super Bock, said: "Super Bock Group focuses on building true partnerships. Were proud to enjoy long-term commercial partnerships worldwide, something we want to replicate with Cellar Trends. We believe it is the right partner, with the skills to support us in building a strong international expansion strategy of the Super Bock brand.

"The UK is a strategic market for us, having good potential to grow through one of its main communication platform strategies: music. We strongly believe our new partnership with Cellar Trends will allow us to build on the success of the brand to date and to expand our brand throughout the UK."

12 February 2021 - Bethany Whymark
A couple were today convicted of neglect after a four-year-old boy who fled a house of horrors was so bruised medics thought he had leukaemia - leading to police finding a second toddler trapped in a makeshift cage.

Claire Boyle, 34, and Timothy Johnston, 57, from East Ayrshire, kept the two-year-old boy in a cot that had wooden slats at the top to prevent him from escaping. He was found there by officers distressed and with a full nappy.

The four-year-old had broken free from the flat through a six-inch crack in the window and dropped four feet to the ground.

Medics initially believed the older boy suffered from a blood clotting disorder or blood cancer due to his numerous bruises after he was discovered on a street in his pyjamas and taken to hospital in October 2018.

During the trial it emerged that in 2014, Boyle had tried to sell a 10-month-old child for 1million to horrified passers-by on Ayr High Street.

Boyle and Johnstone, 57, were today found guilty of neglecting the two-year-old, while Boyle was convicted of the same offence in relation to the older child. Boyle faces jail after racking up her third conviction for child neglect.

Claire Boyle, 34, kept the two-year-old boy in a wooden cot (pictured above) altered with a fixture across the top and said it was for the toddler's own safety

Boyle and her partner Timothy Johnstone (both pictured above, outside court), 57, were both found guilty of neglect on Wednesday at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court

Police launched an investigation following a report from the member of the public who found the four-year-old boy in the street.

The two-year-old was discovered in the adjusted cot by police who then attended the property, reports the Daily Record.

Dr Christine Findlay, an NHS consultant paediatrician, told the court there were 'fingertip bruises' on the older child and dried blood around his ears.

She added that the boy had many bruises, leading doctors to question whether he had a blood disorder such as hemophilia or leukaemia.

It was also heard that the four-year-old seemed very hungry when he was found, eating two sandwiches alongside minced beef and potato, three more sandwiches and an apple during his time at the hospital.

Referring to the two-year-old, police constable Adam Peppard told the court that he was found 'upset' with his 'nappy full and hanging low'.

He said: '[The toddler] was within the makeshift cot  the bottom of the cot had been removed and strapped to the top to stop the child getting out.'

Dr Findlay also said the older boy had 'crusted' blood around his ears, which suggested 'a blow to the ear', adding: 'This is a child who has lots of signs of injuries.'

An officer described how Boyle claimed that the cage was for the younger boy's own safety.

She said it was his fault because he could open the window and go outside, leading her to place objects in front of the window and put the frame over the top of the cot.

The top of the makeshift cage, pictured above. The two-year-old was discovered in the adjusted cot by police officers who attended the property

A court heard in 2015 that Boyle tried to sell a child for 1million, starting bidding at 2000, outside a bank on Ayr High Street.

It was mentioned that she shouted at the child and shook him before leaving him unattended in a pram.

Both Boyle and Johnstone were convicted by Sheriff Higgins of neglecting the older boy, and Boyle was also found guilty of neglecting the two-year-old.

Ed Sheeran, prosecuting, earlier withdrew a charge that the pair assaulted the four-year-old.

When asked about her previous convictions by journalists outside court, she said: 'Shut your mouth. Get tae f***.'
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Lawmakers on marijuana study committee plan out-of-state site visits

Lawmakers want a firsthand look at legal cannabis operations in response to South Dakotans voting to loosen their state's pot laws last fall.



A Texas salon owner has confessed that he has been using Gorilla Glue in clients' hair for years.

After Louisiana mother-of-five Tessica Brown went viral last week for her Gorilla-Glue-as-hairspray mishap  which left her with a permanent hairstyle for a month before a surgeon painstakingly removed the adhesive  stylist Eric Vaughn has admitted that he frequently squeezes the extra-strong glue on clients at his Houston salon, REV.

However, he never puts the glue directly onto people's hair or scalp: Instead, he uses it to secure hair extensions.

Surprise! Texas salon owner Erica Vaugn has confessed that he has been using Gorilla Glue in clients' hair for years

'So I've been using Gorilla Glue in people's hair for years, but this is the only way you should ever use it  at the end of sew-in,' he explained on TikTok, holding up a bottle

In a TikTok video uploaded this week, Vaughn demonstrates how he uses Gorilla Glue on a client with blonde hair.

'So I've been using Gorilla Glue in people's hair for years, but this is the only way you should ever use it  at the end of sew-in,' he says, holding up a bottle.

'I'll take my threads and knot them together, take a tiny little dot of Gorilla Glue, and blow dry,' he goes on, showing how he squeezes the glue onto the top of the fake hair to secure the end of the knot keeping it in place.

'That knot is going nowhere,' he says. 'But don't put this on your actual hair, OK?'

The video has gone viral, earning over 330,000 likes  as well as some critiques from commenters insisting he shouldn't be using the glue at all.

'You really out here asking to get your license taken away?' wrote one.

'I'll take my threads and knot them together, take a tiny little dot of Gorilla Glue, and blow dry. That knot is going nowhere,' he says. 'But don't put this on your actual hair, OK?'

Divisive: The video has gone viral, earning over 330,000 likes  as well as some critiques from commenters insisting he shouldn't be using the glue at all and others defending him

'Oh hell no you don't even need it for that,' wrote another, while a third commented: 'Didn't we learn our lesson with the other girl?'

'I say no more gorilla glue in the hair periodt,' wrote one more.

Others, though, came to his defense, noting that he does not put the glue directly on clients' hair or scalp.

Vaughn's video came in response to one that Brown, 40, shared last week, in which she explained that she ran out of Got2b Glued Spray hairspray and substituted it with Gorilla Glue, a highly-adhesive glue that is not meant to be used on people.

'Hey, yall. For those of you that know me know that my hair has been like this for about a month now. Its not by choice. No, its not by choice,' she said at the start of the clip.

'When I do my hair, I like to finish it off with a little Got2b Glued Spray, you know, just to keep it in place. Well, I didnt have any more Got2b Glued Spray, so I used this: Gorilla Glue spray. Bad, bad, bad idea.'

She then patted her head to show how the glue spray had turned her hair into a stiff, immovable helmet.

Say what? Last week, Tessica Brown stunned social media users when she revealed she set her hair with Gorilla Glue spray and it left her with a permanent hair helmet

Yikes: Brown explained in her viral TikTok video that she ran out of her Got2b Glued Spray and used Gorilla Glue instead

'Y'all look, it don't move. You hear what I'm telling you? It. Don't. Move. I've washed my hair 15 times and it don't move,' she insisted. 'Stiff where? My hair.'

She ended her video with some words of advice: 'If you ever, ever run out of Got2b Glued Spray, dont ever use this. Unless you want your hair to be like that forever.'

She went on to spend 22 hours in the ER, where baffled healthcare workers put acetone on her head, according to TMZ  but nothing seemed to work.

As the video went viral, many viewers mocked Brown for the mistake, insisting she should have known better  and pointing to a warning on the bottle that says it's an eye and skin irritant.

Gorilla Glue also released a statement on Twitter, writing: 'We are aware of the situation and we are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair.

'This is a unique situation because this product s not indicated for use in or on hair as it is considered permanent. Our spray adhesive states in the warning label "do not swallow. Do not get in eyes, on skin or on clothing."'

The company added: 'We are glad to see in her recent video that Miss Brown has received medical treatment from her local medical facility and wish her the best.'

Struggle: She then reportedly spent 22 hours in the ER as healthcare workers tried to remove the Gorilla Glue spray

Throwback: She used to wear her hair in braids before switching up her look

Response: Gorilla Glue released a statement about the situation on social media on Monday

Brown ultimately had to fly to Los Angeles to meet with plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Obeng, who spent four hours using a custom mix of medical-grade adhesive remover, aloe vera, olive oil, and acetone in order to dissolve the Gorilla Glue.

In a video taken at Dr. Obeng's office, Brown  who was given a light anesthesia before the treatment  is seen lying on an operating table after the successful procedure, running her hands through her freed locks and tearing up at the sensation.

During the procedure, the custom mixture was applied to Brown's hair using a spray bottle, while Dr. Obeng used medical tweezers and scissors to try and gently pull the matted hair apart, cutting the strands of glue that were holding her tresses together.

The doctor and his team then ran a comb through the hair to finally remove the glue, before applying a deep conditioning treatment to protect the locks.

Brown was given painkillers and steroids to reduce the swelling and inflammation caused by the glue  and the chemicals that she used to try and remove it.

Remarkably, Dr. Obeng was able to salvage much of her hair, and the mother-of-five revealed that she is now planning to get extensions to restore some length to her short locks.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Hydroxychloroquine does not reduce deaths from COVID-19, and probably does not reduce the number of people needing mechanical ventilation, state the authors of a new Cochrane Review. In addition, they note that no new trials of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for treating COVID-19 should be started.

Authors based in India, South Africa, and the UK (LSTM, the University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool University Hospital Liverpool) undertook this systematic review of studies that used chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for treating or preventing COVID-19 disease. They searched for studies that examined giving chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine to people with COVID-19; people at risk of being exposed to the virus; and people who had been exposed to the virus.

The public demand for a COVID-19 cure fueled speculation that the drug might be effective, but this was based on unreliable research that did not meet the inclusion criteria of this review. The then US President Trump declared chloroquine a "game changer" about a year ago, leading to global demand and confusion. The research community rapidly organized large trials which demonstrated no evidence of effect, and these trials are summarized in this review.

The review authors included 14 relevant studies: 12 studies of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine used to treat COVID-19 in 8569 adults; and two studies of hydroxychloroquine to stop COVID-19 in 3346 adults who had been exposed to the virus but had no symptoms of infection. Included studies were from China (four); Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Spain, Taiwan, the U.K., and North America (one study each); and a global study in 30 countries (one study). Some studies were partly funded by pharmaceutical companies that manufacture hydroxychloroquine.

Senior author Dr. Tom Fletcher said: "This review certainly should put a line under using this drug to treat COVID-19, but some countries and health providers are still caught up in the earlier hype and prescribing the drug. We hope this review will help these practices end soon."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Bhagteshwar Singh et al. Chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for prevention and treatment of COVID-19, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2020). Journal information: Cochrane Library Bhagteshwar Singh et al. Chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for prevention and treatment of COVID-19,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013587

Provided by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM)

Farm laws will bring investments, create employment: Dharmendra Pradhan

India

pti-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 12: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said the new farm laws will bring investments, new technologies and create employment.

Addressing a gathering organised by BJP's youth wing to highlight the salient features of the Union Budget, Pradhan said the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs 40,000 crore will open new doors for agrarian development.

Noting that the Union Budget was brought at a difficult time when the economy was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, the minister asserted that the Narendra Modi government has empowered the farmers and workers.

The minister's remark come in the backdrop of protest by thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, at various border points of Delhi since late November last year against the Centre's new farm laws.

Pradhan urged Delhi BJP leaders to hold discussions over the provisions of Budget with various sections of the society, including slum dwellers, street vendors and resident welfare associations, and try to know their aspirations.

The budget allocation for the health sector has been increased by 137 per cent as compared to last year, he said.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

"The Health budget has a provision of Rs 35,000 crore. We have been helping several countries with the corona vaccine which is in line with the philosophy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam," said the minister.

The economic strength of a country depends on innovation and technology and the budget has also focussed on it, he said.


An odd division of intellectual property forbids any mention of Lecter, which leaves less of a hole than you might imagine. I get that theyre popular with audiences, but, really, serial killers are the most tedious of criminals, which is why they are always being dressed up as brilliant mad geniuses with fancy signatures and significant backstories. They have a practical use, to be sure  Stop Them Before They Kill Again  but apart from the specific horrible things writers think up for them to do, or a weirdly original performance, one is much like another; crazy is lazy. Jonathan Demmes Lambs won all the big Oscars in 1992 and Bryan Fullers baroque but character-rich Hannibal deserves its cult, but if Im going to watch a Demme movie again its going to be Melvin and Howard, and if I want a hit of Fuller Ill pop Wonderfalls or Pushing Daisies in the machine. Anyway, its not like there arent enough Hannibal-related projects: four novels, five movies and a television series. Hes out there if you want him, along with sundry other pop cultural serial killers. You can look them up.
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company

JACKSON, Mich., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Consumers Energy Foundation is bringing back a competition to provide $50,000 for big ideas in Michigan's small towns.

The Put Your Town on the Map pitch competition provides dollars for three projects that build strong communities. Communities with a population of up to 10,000 have through Feb. 24 to submit proposals. Up to 10 finalists will compete for the funds at the Small Town and Rural Development Conference, held virtually April 13 and 14.

"The pandemic has created challenges for communities of all sizes, but it hasn't stopped communities from embracing bold ideas to put themselves on the map," said Roger Curtis, Consumers Energy's vice president of public affairs. "Consumers Energy is committed to ensuring Michigan's communities of all sizes are growing and thriving, and we're excited to provide financial help to turn original ideas into reality."

Consumers Energy and the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) will select 10 communities to make their pitch at the Rural Partners of Michigan conference. The top three winners will receive grants worth $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.

Consumers Energy created the competition in 2019, awarding Port Austin, Spring Lake and Sparta a total of $15,000 in grants from the foundation. Last year's competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Put Your Town on the Map competition aims to reward innovative ideas that attract visitors to downtowns, focus on housing, education or employment, create community pride and more. Community leaders can learn more and apply at http://cedamichigan.org/rpm/conference-rpm.

The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest energy provider. The Foundation enables communities to thrive and grow by investing in what's most important to Michigan  its people, our planet and Michigan's prosperity. In 2020, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, its employees and retirees contributed over $19 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more information, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to ConsumersEnergy.com.

Check out Consumers Energy on Social Media

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Indian market closed higher after two days of consolidation on February 11 tracking a positive trend seen in the global markets. The S&P BSE Sensex rallied by more than 200 points while the Nifty50 closed above 15,150.

The S&P BSE Sensex rose 222 points to 51,531 while the Nifty50 closed with gains of 66 points to 15,173.

Sectorally, the action was seen in Energy, Telecom, Oil & Gas, and metals while profit-taking was visible in capital goods, consumer durables, auto, and realty.

Stocks like Route Mobile rose to a 52-week high and was locked in the upper circuit of 20 percent while Affle India closed with gains of 10 percent were some of the stocks in focus on Thursday.

We have collated views of experts on what investors should do when the market resumes trading on February 12:

Expert: Shrikant Chouhan, Executive Vice President, Equity Technical Research at Kotak Securities

Route Mobile: Momentum is likely to continue

The stock hit 20 percent upper circuit on February 11th. From the last five days, the stock is soaring rapidly, it has rallied from 1150 to 1525 within a very short period of time.

The rally was price dominating and was supported by strong volume activity. On the daily and weekly charts, Route Mobile has formed a Higher High and Higher Low series pattern which suggests that the uptrend momentum is likely to persist in the near future.

For the positional traders, 1400 would be the trend decider level. Trading above the same then we can expect further uptrend up to 1750. On the flip side, trading below 1400 would trigger a quick short term correction up to 1290.

Affle India: Rs 4,750 should be the trend decider level

On February 11th, the stock made yet another all-time high of 5092.55. In the month so far, it has rallied nearly 40 percent, the important point is, the stock not only surpassed its previous 52-week high of 4072.45 but comfortably managed to sustain above the same.

On the daily as well as weekly charts, the stock has formed a breakout continuation pattern which is grossly positive for Affle India.

For the breakout traders, 4750 should be the trend decider level, sustain above the same we can expect a continuation of uptrend up to 5300.

Further uptrend may also continue which could life the stock to 5700. On the flip side, below 4750 traders may prefer to exit out from trading long positions.

: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
A thug who murdered his girlfriend's three-month-old baby because she started looking like her biological father has been jailed for at least 18 years.

Davey Everson, 23, claimed Millie-Rose Burdett had choked in Hertfordshire in December 2018 while her mother, Kirsty Burdett, 25, helped him cover his tracks.

But when the tot was rushed to hospital doctors found she had suffered a bleed to the brain, from being violently shaken and thrown into her cot.

Burdett witnessed Everson shove a bottle into Millie-Rose's mouth so forcefully it began to bleed, but allowed him to keep feeding her daughter and continued her relationship with him.

Today at the Old Bailey, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.

Davey Everson, 23, left, claimed Millie-Rose Burdett had choked in Hertfordshire in December 2018 while her mother, Kirsty Burdett, 25, right, helped him cover his tracks

Burdett was jailed for six years after the court heard how she claimed bruises on Millie-Rose's face were from a fall when in fact her boyfriend was responsible.

Little Millie-Rose tragically died at just three months old after being taken to Watford General Hospital on January 11, 2019.

She has suffered horrific injuries including head trauma, 12 fractures to multiple ribs, leg fractures and compression fractures to her spine.

The fatal injury was caused by Everson by hurling her into a cot at the mother's home in Hertfordshire.

He had become frustrated while feeding the baby girl, swearing at her when she struggled with a large bottle she could not fit in her mouth.

And despite initially volunteering to care for her, he lost interest when she began looking more like her biological father.

Passing sentence at the Old Bailey today Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the killer had become 'riled' at Millie-Rose's appearance.

The judge said it was clear Everson had 'deliberately' killed the tot and not simply lost control in the heat of an impatient moment.

Jurors at St Albans Crown Court convicted him of murder and a separate charge of cruelty to a person aged under 16 involving another young child who cannot be named.

He was also convicted of a charge of cruelty to a person aged under 16 involving another young child who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Burdett was convicted or causing or allowing the death of her daughter and the neglect of a person under 16.

The mother, wearing a silver puffer jacket and black mask at the Old Bailey today, wiped away tears with a tissue as the court heard devastating facts of the case.

Everson sobbed alongside her in the dock wearing a Nike jacket as the court heard mitigation that he was 'immature' and 'ill-equipped' to care for a child.

Jane Bickerstaff, defending Everson, said: 'In relation to the minimum term our submissions are these this offence happened within a very short compass of time.

'Secondly, that it was not premeditated. Thirdly that there was no intention to kill Millie Rose and an intention to kill is assumed within the 15 year starting point.

'Fourthly, that it was no doubt instantly regretted. This distinguishes it from many the court has dealt with in that Davey sought help immediately, in alerting the mother and ensuring emergency services were alerted immediately.'

'He was 21... And certainly he was immature in his age and that can be seen in the sort of text messaging that went back and forth between him and Ms Burdett.

The court Everson has an IQ of just 65, placing him in the intellectual bracket of 'mild learning disability.'

'His age, immaturity and low intellect must have impacted on his ability to cope in this situation with a new baby and he is a completely inexperienced parent and we submit ill-equipped to cope,' Ms Bickerstaff added.

Sean Larkin, defending Burdett, said she had suffered depression since the age of 16 and told the court Millie-Rose's death had had a 'devastating impact' on her.

'Although people say she brought that on herself the evidence was that she was a good mother. Millie-Rose's father described her as a wonderful mother and the people who knew her best saw those qualities in her.

'She did take a course on domestic violence and it's set out in her letter she can now reflect on earlier relationships including with Mr Everson and see them in a different light,' Mr Larkin said.

Passing sentence Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb said: 'Millie-Rose Burdett was just two moths old when she was taken to hospital having collapsed in your care.

'You Kirsty were pregnant by a previous partner. You were both hotheaded and as your text conversations show you would argue fiercely and then make up.

'When Millie-Rose was born you [Everson] expressed the intention to step in and become a father to her.

'You were both given advice by flanks of social workers, support visitors and senior midwives. Your mother Kirsty Burdett was round nearly every day when Millie Rose came home from hospital. You had many sources of help but all your promises were empty.

'You continued use excessive force when feeding and playing with her. She was a young baby and she cried. You swore at her when she struggled with a large teet on her bottle.

'When you Burdett finally admitted to police after arrest that you knew Davey was being violent to her it was not enough to protect Millie-Rose.

'You could have protected Millie-Rose. Everson didn't live with you every night.

Burdett was jailed for six years after the court heard how she claimed bruises on Millie-Rose's face were from a fall when in fact her boyfriend was responsible

'You knew this young man was immature...But in reality you didn't care enough to remove her from the risk he obviously posed of causing her serious harm.

'You had an argument evidenced by texts exchanged. Millie-Rose was beginning to resemble her biological father and this riled you.

'I am sure that in your mind this was a personal rebut to you and being a father figure to the child was no longer such an attractive prospect.

'On 14 December the two of you argued again. Kirsty later told the police she was planning to end the relationship but needed Davey's money to buy food.

'You argued loudly and your neighbour heard shouting and screaming but then you went out shopping together.

'Despite the ferocity of the argument and all you knew of you left him alone to feed her.

'He didn't want to feed. He was lying in bed ready to watch a film... Millie-Rose was fatally injured. He brought her into you and she was floppy in his arms.'

'You Everson claimed variously that Millie-Rose had choked or lost consciousness while you were feeding her.

'The truth is there was no reason for her to have lost consciousness without assault. You had shaken the baby violently leading to severe brain damage.

'You had caused four fractures to her spine which would have required severe force.

'You even denied you had shaken her when asked directly in interview.

'I sentence you on the basis that you were angry and the baby was crying or not doing what you wanted to do.

'The evidence is of a more deliberate and more extensive assault.

'I am sure you inflicted these four different assaults... You have expressed no remorse.'

Sentencing Everson, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described Millie as 'particularly vulnerable' and said Everson 'caused her acute and lasting pain for half of her short life due to forceful and sustained assaults'.

The judge said Burdett was able to seek help but didn't and that although she loved Millie she put her own needs above those of her daughter.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Iain MacPherson from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: 'This is a really tragic and heart-breaking case. Little Millie-Rose spent much of her short life in pain due to Everson's cruelty. He has never shown any remorse or explained why he assaulted her.

'I would like to recognise the dedicated work of medical staff who tried to save Millie-Rose, and those medical experts who in the absence of any explanation from Everson, were relied upon to determine what happened to her.

'Thanks also go to Detective Constable Vicki Twyford who was commended by the judge today. The investigation team all worked tirelessly to establish how Millie-Rose came about her death and ensured that those responsible were brought to justice.

'Our thoughts are with the family members who genuinely cared for and loved Millie-Rose.'

Following the sentencing Millie's father said: 'The loss I feel at the moment and have done for the last two years is something words can't explain, there is a hole that will never be replaced.

'I am glad that justice has been served.

'I would like to place on record my thanks to the police and the Judge and jury for all their work in bringing justice for my daughter.'
Throughout Lent, fish fry dinners on Friday nights traditionally have offered local communities a chance to reconnect, and for churches, a chance to raise money.

This year, though, those scenes of hungry people huddling around tables inside school cafeterias to enjoy plates of crispy fried fish  and the camaraderie  just aren't happening.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans compiles an annual list of regional fish fry dinners on its website, nolacatholic.org. (Search for fish fry.) By the second week of February, its communications department received fish fry listings from 19 organizations, which is significantly fewer than in years past.

Some organizations have decided to cancel their fish fries altogether, while others are turning to drive-thru events.

Normally, we have a little talent show that the school puts on, but were not able to do that because of coronavirus, said Randy Rose, who helps run the St. Francis Xaviers fish fry through his role in the Knights of Columbus. So this year, we have to modify and, for the first time, were going to do a drive-thru on the school grounds. Cars are going to pull in and buy the fish to-go.

Rose said that they typically sell 150 dinners during each night of the Metairie church's event. This years offerings include: $10 for a plate of fried fish, $6 for a bowl of gumbo, and $1 for a slice of pizza. Proceeds support the school, the church and the parish.

In Kenner, Divine Mercy Catholic Parish fish fry dinners, which are hosted by the Divine Mercy Mens Club and the Knights of Columbus, traditionally comprise games and performances from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton schoolchildren. Guests can enjoy a variety of seafood dishes on a rotating menu: fried fish, shrimp, and oysters, along with specialty items like fish and shrimp tacos, seafood gumbo, and the occasional secret recipe thats been passed down for generations.

This year, Divine Mercy will host a drive-thru in the churchs parking lot. Individually packaged dinners cost $10. Proceeds benefit church ministries, school activities, and maintenance to the church and school campuses.

The dinners provide opportunities for fellowship and community building, said the Rev. Robert T. Cooper, the pastor of Divine Mercy Parish and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School. Thats why hed like the tradition to continue, even if its different.

To watch parishioners drive through to pick up their dinners, to see a friendly face, and to witness a hidden smile underneath a face mask is the greatest joy, he wrote in an email. A plate of food prepared with love is the first step in emerging from this pandemic as a church and school community that is stronger, more faith-filled, and more thankful than we were just one year ago.

PORTLAND, Ore.  Oregon's top federal prosecutor will step down at the end of February, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon announced on Friday.

U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams was a Trump administration appointee, nominated in November of 2017 and confirmed by the Senate in March of 2018. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Williams' resignation comes at the request of the Biden administration, and reflects a widespread changing of the guard at the Department of Justice.

In a statement, the U.S. Attorney's Office said that Williams' departure marks the end of his 20-year career at the DOJ. Williams has held multiple positions within the U.S. Attorney's Office, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division Chief, Violent Crimes Unit Chief, and Indian Country Assistant U.S. Attorney and Tribal Liaison.

It has been an incredible honor to serve the people of Oregon as U.S. Attorney. In more than 20 years with this office, I have had the distinct privilege to engage with countless colleagues, friends, community members, law enforcement partners, litigants, and others committed to making our communities better, safer places to live and thrive. There is still much work to do in our collective pursuit of justice and equity for all, but I am proud of what weve accomplished together, said U.S. Attorney Williams. Most of all, I am grateful to have worked with so many federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers who daily put themselves at risk to protect Oregonians. You have and always will be a great inspiration to me.

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley both supported William's nomination by the Trump administration.

Before joining the DOJ, Williams served as a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Multnomah County where he supervised the Career Criminal Unit. As a state prosecutor, Williams handled major crimes of violence, including aggravated murder, adult and child sex offenses, domestic violence, narcotics trafficking, vehicular homicide, and officer-involved shootings.

When Williams departs the office, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug will become Acting U.S. Attorney until a Biden nominee is confirmed by the Senate.
The number of new print magazines started in the U.S. fell by more than half in 2020 to 60, compared t


Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called on Ukraine to support Belarus in the OSCE, PACE, UN, as well as on other international platforms.

According to Ukrinform, she made such a statement to the deputies of the deputy group "For A Democratic Belarus" of the Verkhovna Rada.

The online meeting was attended by MPs Serhii Kalchenko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation Oleksandr Merezhko, Chairman of the Ukrainian Delegation to the PACE Maria Mezentseva (Servant of the People), MPs Oleksandra Ustynova, Solomiia Bobrovska and Yulia Klymenko (Voice), Larysa Bilozir (For the Future), Oleksii Honcharenko, Sofia Fedyna and Maksym Savrasov (European Solidarity), and Oksana Savchuk (Freedom).

"We're asking you to support an independent democratic Belarus. We call on Ukraine to support us in the OSCE, PACE, UN, as well as on other international arenas. We hope that we will soon be able to meet with the leadership of Ukraine and discuss the neighborly future of our countries," Tikhanovskaya said in a statement.

She also thanked Ukrainians for their solidarity, assistance to the Belarusian people, non-recognition of Alexander Lukashenko as president of Belarus and the officially announced election results. Tikhanovskaya called for support for 246 political prisoners in Belarus: to take patronage over them, to contact their families, to write letters.

"I would also like to emphasize that we support the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Crimea is legally part of Ukraine, but has been de facto controlled by Russia for several years. In many ways, Belarusians have been living in a similar state for the past six months, and now it has become easier for us to understand the problems of Ukrainians. In fact, the former president lost the election, but de facto his regime still illegally holds power," Tikhanovskaya said.

Ukrainian politicians expressed support for Belarusians in their struggle for freedom and democracy and said they were waiting for a meeting with Tikhanovskaya in Kyiv.

Mass protests have been going on in Belarus since August 2020 against the rigging of the results of a presidential election in which Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner.

The European Union and Ukraine have stated that they do not recognize his legitimacy.

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Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help

Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Ask every female politician in the Victorian Parliament and they will most likely have that one story. Theres the young mother who was reprimanded for wearing black skinny jeans in the Legislative Assembly (it was one less thing I needed to iron); the 30-something who was consistently shouted over by male politicians each time she spoke; and the minister who was asked if she was at a local event to serve the guests tea. These are not the experiences of MPs in a bygone era. These are the stories of female MPs forging a career over the past six years in what remains a male-dominated State Parliament. There are 88 politicians in the lower house, where governments are formed, and 34 are women  less than 40 per cent. Victoria, like many parts of the world, has experienced a seismic shift in public discussions around gender inequality in recent years. The Andrews governments Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2016 catapulted into the mainstream the tragic consequences of gender inequality, and the global #metoo movement highlighted its prevalence. Greens deputy leader Ellen Sandell says Parliament needs to reflect the community it represents. Credit:Eddie Jim I understand why younger women might want to stay away from politics but someone has to be the first to do it, and it will get easier for every subsequent person, Greens deputy leader Ellen Sandell says. Our parliaments are supposed to reflect the communities they represent ... and we cant just leave parliaments to the older, established men from very similar backgrounds. We need people from all different backgrounds to make decisions that affect the entire community. Much has been said, and written, over the years about the experiences of women in politics and leadership positions. And with each discussion, each article, each speech, each interview, Sandell, cabinet minister Gabrielle Williams, Nationals deputy leader Steph Ryan, Liberal frontbench MP Bridget Vallence and independent MP Ali Cupper  politicians in their 30s and 40s holding senior positions  hope other young women start feeling more emboldened to put their own hands up.

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If history is anything to go by, girls and women dont feel confident about politics. A 2017 survey found young women in Australia are reluctant to pursue a career in politics because they worry about being treated unfairly. Two per cent of girls aged 10 to 14 listed politics as a career option, while zero per cent of women aged 18 to 25 said they would consider entering politics. It would be nice to see women in positions of power who didnt have to look good at the same time, a 10-year-old girl told the researchers. Gabrielle Williams says work to address gender inequality has not stopped after the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Credit:Eddie Jim Parliament has become a friendlier place for young women starting families. Sandell became the first woman to breastfeed her baby in the Legislative Assembly since Labor MP Kirstie Marshall, who in 2003 was kicked out of the chamber while breastfeeding her newborn daughter because only MPs and certain parliamentary staff are allowed in the House during sitting times. Its still not perfect, the MPs admit, and there is a long way to go in truly making Parliament a workplace that supports young families. The pathway to Parliament for the five lower house MPs across the political divide was diverse: Sandell was a scientist and community activist; Williams, a law graduate who worked as a political adviser; Ryan, a rural journalist and former staffer in the Baillieu government; Vallence, a businesswoman; and Cupper a social worker and councillor. More women in our government made our government better, Williams says. If you look at policy issues and some of the boldest reforms, they were championed by women in cabinet: voluntary assisted dying, medicinal cannabis, the biggest infrastructure agenda in the states history, record investment in police  thats all largely been spearheaded by women and not just in stereotypical settings.

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So many issues that had been hanging around our communities and governments for generations ... women dragged them out from under the carpet, dusted them off and dealt with them with incredible conviction and incredible compassion. Steph Ryan was 28 when she was elected to Parliament in 2014 and put her hand up for the deputy leadership position. The Euroa MP distinctly remembers hearing an interview with Gail Kelly on the midday news when she announced she was stepping down as Westpac chief executive to retire. Nationals deputy leader Steph Ryan put her hand up for the senior position at just 28 - weeks after entering Parliament. Credit:Eddie Jim She was asked, what advice would you give young women aspiring to leadership positions? and she said, just go for it, dont wait, back yourself, and that played in the back of my head when I put my hand up for the deputy leadership. I thought I could sit and wait or I could trust that I have the ability to do this job and do it well, and my colleagues backed me, Ryan says. The fact that my colleagues were willing to elect a 28-year-old woman as their deputy leader is testament that many of those [gender] stereotypes have dissipated. Thats not to say individual people dont face it on occasion, but I dont think its the norm within the Victorian Parliament. Sandell, Williams, Vallence and Ryan say they felt supported by their respective political parties during what is usually a bitter preselection process, and after being elected to Parliament. (Cupper was elected as an independent MP and has joined the Reason Party.) In recent years, every major political party has found themselves in hot water over their members treatment of women. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2019 said the Liberal Party had a women problem; the Victorian Greens candidate for the seat of Footscray at the last state election was forced to apologise for rapping about date rape and using degrading terms about women; while Labor sacked Adem Somyurek last year over his misogynistic tirade against Williams.

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There need to be better systems to support more women entering Parliament and attaining leadership positions, the MPs concede, but they all point to vast improvements. Vallence, the Liberal member for Evelyn, said she had not faced gendered obstacles when she decided she finally wanted to join Parliament and fight for her community. The preselection battle, she says, was an even race: three men and three women trying to convince local branch members they were the best candidate. Bridget Vallence says she felt entirely supported by the Liberal Party during preselection and following her election to Parliament. Credit:Eddie Jim I think we need more women in our party, and in fact the whole Parliament does ... but my gender was certainly not something I saw as a barrier or impediment or even a topic of discussion in my preselection, Vallence says. I have a business background, strong set of commercial credentials, mum of two kids, a lot of experience  those experiences of being a mum and having worked in the private sector were the issues I presented to the Liberal Party when I sought preselection, thats what I think people were interested in. However, Cuppers experience before and during election campaigns was vastly different. She ran as a Labor candidate for the rural seat of Mildura in the 2010 election, when she came third, and recalls a local person telling her that her main liabilities were she did not have children, wasnt married and did not run a business.

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A Labor elder, she says, told her it was a shame she wasnt a bloke because the electorate did not want a female MP. Cupper ran as an independent in the 2014 and 2018 elections, and not only knocked off a long-term sitting Nationals MP, but became Milduras first female parliamentarian. I was a person who did not fit any of the criteria of what had always been the criteria for a local MP, Cupper says. Mildura MP Ali Cupper says women are fulfilling their natural destinies by entering politics. Credit:Eddie Jim I was female, I was young, I was a unionist, I was a feminist, I was an ex-Labor candidate, I was vegan, I was a prominent voice on a whole lot of social issues, and the electorate chose me  by a little bit, it wasnt a landslide, but they still chose me as their preferred candidate. What has happened in the two years since has been quite an exhilarating journey for my team and community, that we can treat politics as a strategic undertaking, we can be tactical and get not just what we deserve but what our kids deserve. The 41-year-old brushed it off when an MP wanted Parliaments rules changed to prevent people from wearing jeans; Sandell felt confronted by two male MPs who shouted each time she spoke, a treatment her male Greens colleagues didnt face; and Williams learnt to put up with men at local events assuming she was there to serve the tea or was the ministers secretary. People still make judgments, whether consciously or subconsciously, about where women sit in the hierarchy, Williams says. And although social attitudes are slowly shifting, some people still assume a woman must be in a subordinate position.

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A judge has approved a 25,000 settlement for a toddler who fell 10 feet onto concrete paving through a gap in glass panelling where one of the panels was missing.

Barrister Eavanna Fitzgerald told the Circuit Civil Court today that as his mum tried to unlock an entrance gate to a Dublin apartment block her son, 19-months-old Alex Szabo, decided to have a peek through a glass-panelled barrier.

Ms Fitzgerald, who appeared with Maguire McClafferty Solicitors for Alex and his mum Ewa Stecyk, said the child and his mother were unaware that one of the large glass panels was missing.

The boy walked through the space and fell three metres onto a concrete surface, Ms Fitzgerald told Judge John OConnor.

Luckily, despite the very serious circumstances, there was a good outcome as he landed on his feet, falling forward on his hands and knees."

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Judge OConnor heard the accident happened in October 2017 at The Concert Building, within a block of apartments at Parkwest, Dublin 12. Ms Stecyk had been trying to open an entrance gate at the time.

Counsel said the boy had injured his feet, knees and hands and had hit his head. His mother, who lives at South Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, Dublin 15 had brought him to Crumlin Childrens Hospital where x-rays revealed he had not suffered any fractures.

Ms Fitzgerald told Judge OConnor his colleague Judge Kathryn Hutton, when a settlement of 20,000 had been offered last year, had adjourned the case asking for further medical reports.

Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr Paula M. Kelly had since reported that Alex had not suffered any long term orthopaedic injuries. Counsel recommended the offer.

The boy, through his mother, had sued a number of Parkwest Management companies which have registered addresses at Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, and were the legal occupiers of The Concert Building in Parkwest.

Judge OConnor, approving a new 25,000 settlement offer, said that while the boy had walked with a limp for a number of weeks he had made a full recovery.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vision Films Inc. ("Vision") announces the VOD and DVD release of My Secret Billionaire on March 9, 2021. The film is from Director/Writer Fraydun Manocherian and produced by Faryar Mansuri for Fraydun Productions. It will be available on streaming and cable platforms everywhere in the US and Canada, and DVD at major online retailers. With a cast of familiar favorites, My Secret Billionaire is a fresh take on finding true love and the timeless adage that money can't buy happiness.

Vision Films Inc Film Distribution Company Logo My Secret Billionaire Rom-Com Movie Poster

Synopsis: To satisfy his father's wish, a handsome and powerful billionaire travels alone, without money, and without using his real name to New York City. When the former playboy meets an attractive and down-to-earth real estate agent, the reason behind his father's wish becomes apparent and they both discover that true love is something that money just can't buy.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/QHbgEL-PZYk

Starring : Victor Alfieri (Angels & Demons), Ione Skye (Say Anything), Sarah Steele (The To Do List, Spanglish), and Talia Shire (The Godfather, Rocky).

Lise Romanoff, CEO and Managing Director of Vision Films says, "My Secret Billionaire is the ultimate escape into a world of decadent romance. It's every girl's fantasy to fall in love with the perfect man she's dreamed of, only to find out that he happens to be a billionaire also in search of true love."

Producer Faryar Mansuri shares, "The essence of the film is about how coincidences can transform one with true love. We are thrilled to share this film with the world."

My Secret Billionaire will be available on: iTunes, Amazon Instant, GooglePlay, Vudu, FandangoNow, Hoopla, Vimeo, and across hundreds of U.S. cable providers including Comcast, Spectrum, Charter, Cox, Dish, DirecTV and more. DVD retailers will include Amazon and all other major online retailers.

About Vision Films

Vision Films is a leading independent sales and VOD aggregator specializing in the licensing, marketing, and distribution of over 800 feature films, documentaries, and series from some of the most prolific independent film producers in the world. Led by Lise Romanoff, Managing Director/CEO Worldwide Distribution, Vision Films releases 2-4 films a month across Theatrical, VOD, DVD, and television platforms. visionfilms.net

Media Contact

Andrea McKinnon

818-415-9442

[email protected]

SOURCE Vision Films, Inc.


(Newser)  Gina Carano, the actress just fired from the Star Wars series The Mandalorian on Disney Plus, already has her next gig lined up. Meanwhile, her firing from the Lucasfilm series is generating lots of controversy on the topic of celebs who hold conservative views. Coverage:

New film: Carano will team with the conservative Daily Wire website to develop and produce a film, reports Deadline. Details are scant beyond that, but Carano sounds both defiant and jubilant. "I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob," she tells the outlet. "I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same. They cant cancel us if we dont let them. The Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro says Carano's crime was offending the "authoritarian Hollywood left."

Carano will team with the conservative Daily Wire website to develop and produce a film, reports Deadline. Details are scant beyond that, but Carano sounds both defiant and jubilant. "I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob," she tells the outlet. "I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same. They cant cancel us if we dont let them. The Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro says Carano's crime was offending the "authoritarian Hollywood left." The tweet: Carano was fired over a since-deleted online post in which she drew a comparison between today's political climate and Nazi Germany. It read in full: Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighborseven by children. Because history is edited, most people today dont realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views." Carano's critics pointed to other online missives from her that made fun of mask-wearing and trans pronouns, and asserted that voter fraud was rampant.

story continues below

Blacklisting: At New York, Jonathan Chait compares what's happening to Carano and others to Hollywood's notorious anti-Communist blacklisting years ago. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish the blacklist policy from the emerging current treatment of right-wingers," he writes. As for the post that got her fired: "Overheated comparisons to Nazi Germany are quite common, and, more to the point, not anti-Semitic," he writes. And where's the scrutiny of Disney and Lucasfilm in any of the coverage? "The principle that an actor ought to be fired for expressing unsound political views has simply faded into the background."

At New York, Jonathan Chait compares what's happening to Carano and others to Hollywood's notorious anti-Communist blacklisting years ago. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish the blacklist policy from the emerging current treatment of right-wingers," he writes. As for the post that got her fired: "Overheated comparisons to Nazi Germany are quite common, and, more to the point, not anti-Semitic," he writes. And where's the scrutiny of Disney and Lucasfilm in any of the coverage? "The principle that an actor ought to be fired for expressing unsound political views has simply faded into the background." A defender: Ted Cruz was among those coming to Carano's defense. "Texan Gina Carano broke barriers in the Star Wars universe: not a princess, not a victim, not some emotionally tortured Jedi," tweeted the GOP senator, per Fox News. "She played a woman who kicked a-- & who girls looked up to. She was instrumental in making Star Wars fun again. Of course Disney canceled her." To which one person responded: "The issue is not with her character, who kicked a--. The issue is with the actor, who expressed horrific views that her employer does not want to be associated with."

(Read more Gina Carano stories.)
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo students will remain learning in virtual school for the remainder of the school year.

Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Rita Raichoudhuri said during a Board of Education meeting Thursday, Feb. 11, that the third trimester, which begins March 15, will remain virtual for all KPS students.

We know that this decision is not the ideal option for many but seems to be the preferred option of the majority, Raichoudhuri said.

The district has been in virtual-only mode since the beginning of the pandemic. KPS is the only district in Kalamazoo County who remains in virtual mode with no plans to return to the classroom this school year.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged all districts to get kids back in school by March 1 due to falling grades and the negative affects on students mental health.

The superintendent held three townhalls and surveyed parents, teaching staff and non-teaching staff on whether to remain virtual or move students into a hybrid model. Raichoudhuri used a weighted formula that considered research, data from the Kalamazoo County Department of Health and Community Services and the stakeholder surveys to make the decision, she said.

According to the survey results, 53% of parents preferred to stay virtual while 47% said they wanted hybrid learning. Results from the teaching staff survey said 83% of respondents wanted to remain virtual and 17% wanted hybrid. For non-teaching staff, the survey found that 79% favored virtual while 21% wanted hybrid, the survey said.

Raichoudhuri said the majority of research favored returning to in-person learning. Experts said schools are not super spreaders for the vaccine and being away from school has a negative impact on students mental health, the superintendent said.

The declining case numbers of COVID-19 in Kalamazoo County also pointed toward the return to in-person learning, she said. But the presence of virus variants and the lack of vaccination supply for teachers moved the needle toward remaining virtual.

Our top priority for this unprecedented school year has been and remains the health and safety of our students and employees, Raichoudhuri said.

The health department is about halfway done vaccinating teachers and other school staff in the county, but KPS educators were last in line for the vaccine because they had yet to return to face-to-face learning with students.

Raichoudhuri said KPS has not yet received a date for when their employees will be eligible for the vaccine. There are more than 1,200 employees who indicated they wanted to be vaccinated, and there isnt enough time to get all employees both doses of the vaccine before March 15, she said.

Kalamazoo Education Association President Amanda Miller said previously that teachers are nervous about the possibility of returning to school without the protection of the vaccine.

Miller said Thursday that teachers have mixed emotions about remaining in virtual mode for the remainder of the school year.

I believe all staff have mixed emotions right now, as no one wants to remain virtual for this long, Miller said. With that said I do appreciate the weighted method used by Dr. Raichoudhuri. It was clear and transparent for all. KPS staff will move forward to support our students, get staff vaccinated, and recognize the difficulty this creates for everyone.

I want to uplift all the staff doing the in-person work, the bus drivers, the paraprofessionals, behavior specialists, campus safety, secretarial staff, ancillary staff, nurses and food service, Miller said. Dr. Raichoudhuri said at the beginning of the pandemic to trust her. This method used will go far in that endeavor. KEA and all the support staff wish to see you back in person as soon as its possible.

The county health department expects to administer the first doses to those teachers working in virtual mode by the end of February or early March, all of which is dependent on vaccine supply we receive, spokesperson Lyndi Warner said.

We continue to allocate 25% of the vaccine supply we receive for K-12 employees and early learning centers, Warner said. We will continue to do this until this group is completed.

The district put in place academic and mental health supports for students that will continue through the remainder of the school year, Riachoudhuri said. The districts Learning Hubs, created in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network, provide in-person support for students identified as high-need.

The district is also planning Summer Readiness Camps to help students catch up on credits and any lost learning, the superintendent said.

Also on MLive:

Kalamazoo County nears halfway point for teacher vaccinations

Ann Arbor Public Schools holds off on return date to in-person classes

Vaccination frustration: Washtenaw County has states lowest percentage of vaccinated teachers
It is essential to promote sustainable development of the Mekong Delta in the direction of effectively adapting to climate change,

given the regions strategic position in national socio-economic development and security defence, experts have said.

Saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta. Photos: VNA

It is essential to promote sustainable development of the Mekong Delta in the direction of effectively adapting to climate change, given the regions strategic position in national socio-economic development and security defence, experts have said.



Covering a total area of 3.94 million hectares across 13 provinces and city, the region is Vietnams largest agricultural production centre and holds an important role for the nations economy.



However, the region is facing a lot of big challenges, including climate change which is getting more and more unpredictably. If no appropriate measures are taken, the sea level rise will submerge about 40 percent of the deltas area by 2100, affecting the livelihoods of 55 percent of its population and food security of not only the country but also the whole world.



Prof Dao Xuan Hoc, President of the Vietnam Irrigation Association, said that one of the main reasons for erosions and negative changes along rivers and coastlines in the region is the lack of alluvium.



To develop the Mekong Delta sustainably, experts stressed the importance of building the deltas Integrated Regional Master Plan in 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050.



In a recent conference to seek ideas and consultations from leaders of Mekong Delta localities, experts and scientists for the draft master plan, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that the draft has been designed on the principles of safeguarding locals, improving their livelihoods and protecting the environment, towards sustainable development in all the three economic, social and environmental pillars, with people put at the centre and climate change adaptation considered a development method.

Harvesting rice in Mekong Delta.

Secretary of Ben Tre Provinces Party Committee Phan Van Mai said solutions must be feasible while creating breakthrough changes and there should be both intra- and inter-regional solutions.



It is also necessary to pay attention to the coastal economic corridor development so as to open up a new development space to make the delta worth of living amid climate change, he stated, highlighting the importance of building mechanisms and policies to attract investment in infrastructure, especially the coastal route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with localities in the region.



Secretary of Can Tho Citys Party Committee Le Quang Manh proposed investing more in science and technology, and agricultural development, as well as in high-quality human resources in the agricultural sector. VNA

Natural resources and environment gradually become an important economic sector At the13th National Party Congress, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, spoke to the media about highlights of natural resources and environment sector.
Posted Thursday, February 11, 2021 2:47 pm

In a unanimous ruling issued Thursday, the Washington state Supreme Court has rejected an effort to recall Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza for refusing to enforce the states mask mandate. The court deemed the charge against him legally and factually insufficient.

The high courts ruling reversed a July decision out of Thurston County Superior Court, where visiting Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jeanette Dalton ruled the charge met the legal standard for recall.

The Supreme Court instead concluded Snaza had discretion in how to enforce the mandate and his exercise of that discretion was not manifestly unreasonable.

The decision means the effort to recall the sheriff has effectively ground to a permanent halt, petitioner Arthur West ceded Thursday.

The fat lady is singing, West, an Olympia resident and frequent litigant, said in a phone call.

Wests charge stemmed from a statement the Thurston County Sheriffs Office released the same day the state Secretary of Health issued a mandate for all residents to wear face coverings in most public spaces. The order was issued as part of the states ongoing efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Under the order, violators could face a fine of up to $100 or spend up to 90 days in jail. However, Gov. Jay Inslee said he anticipated broad compliance.

We dont want to have enforcement of this, Inslee said at a press conference. Ideally there wont be any criminal or civil sanctions for individuals.

Snaza in the news release recommended everyone exercise safe and precautionary measures, including wearing masks around those in high-risk groups, but said deputies wouldnt criminally enforce the order.

They would instead engage with people when appropriate and educate them.

Due to the minor nature of this offense, and the possibility for a negative outcome during an enforcement encounter and various ways in which the order may be violated, it would be inappropriate for deputies to criminally enforce this mandate, his statement read.

The statement also included that deputies would not be required to wear face coverings, and the decision whether or not to wear them would be left up to individual deputies depending on their situation.

In his charge filed with the Thurston County Auditor July 2, West alleged that Snazas refusal to perform the duties of his office impeded officials efforts to protect the public.

Snazas oath of office requires adherence to the law, West wrote, but he instead in effect exercised improper veto power over the enforcement provision of a State Order in a manner that has and will encourage citizens to disregard it.

The countys senior deputy prosecuting attorney representing Snaza at the Superior Court hearing said the word may in the order gave the sheriff discretion, and the way the sheriff exercised that discretion wasnt manifestly unreasonable because he intended to educate, The Olympian previously reported.

Judge Dalton found Wests charge factually and legally sufficient.

An absolute, unilateral refusal to honor the legislators and the secretary of the Department of Health is a classic violation of the oath to follow the law, Dalton said while issuing the ruling. So, for that reason, I am granting the petition.

An approved ballot synopsis included allegations that Snaza was interfering with the state order by refusing to enforce it, impeding and undermining the publics trust in authorities trying to protect the public during the pandemic, committed an unlawful act by violating the governors orders that reference and enforce the masking order, and is intentionally or unintentionally not performing a duty of his office.

Snaza appealed the Superior Courts decision to the Supreme Court, which found that, while Snaza had a duty to enforce the order, hes not required to criminally enforce it.

The plain language of the Order gives law enforcement officers discretion  it states that violators may be subject to criminal penalties, the 13-page opinion penned by Raquel Montoya-Lewis reads.

Snaza had discretion, the court concluded, and such discretion is fundamental to his office.

If a recall charge is based on a discretionary act, according to the opinion, its legally sufficient if the official exercised their discretion in a manifestly unreasonable manner.

Snaza didnt actually announce a blanket refusal as West characterized, the Supreme Court found. He declined to criminally enforce the order, but didnt denounce it or encourage people to violate it.

That contrasts this case with the petition to recall Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney for publicly refusing to enforce the governors stay-home order, the court noted in a footnote. The Supreme Court has decided three charges can proceed in that recall effort.

Fortney announced that he didnt intend to carry out enforcement of the order, the footnote reads, claimed the order was unconstitutional, and encouraged businesses to remain open.

The opinion points to parts of Snazas news release, including that he explained how his decision to not criminally enforce the mandate upholds public safety, and that he agreed wearing a mask is intended to protect public health and safety.

COVID-19 is transmitted through respiratory droplets when people are in close proximity, so Snazas refusal to criminally enforce the Order is not manifestly unreasonable because an interaction between police and an unmasked person for the purposes of issuing a citation or arrest increases the risk of transmission, it reads. Therefore, Snazas exercise of discretion was not manifestly unreasonable, and the charge is legally insufficient.

The court reversed the Superior Courts ruling and sent it back to the court with instructions to dismiss the petition.

West said Thursday that he is disappointed in the ruling, and pointed to outbreaks of COVID-19 at the Thurston County jail and Snazas own contraction of the coronavirus as real world consequences for not taking the mask mandate seriously.

I understand their legal basis for it, but I think this sets a very bad precedent for the state in that theres a lot of sheriffs who  refuse to enforce this in any way, and I think this will just encourage them to not enforce this, he said.

Reached by phone Thursday, Snaza said he was appreciative that the courts took the time to look at it and didnt pigeonhole him. In hindsight, he said, he thinks he shouldve said the office would exercise its discretion.

I was glad to see that Supreme Court didnt take it as literal as the Superior Court judge, he said.

Snaza has served in his position since 2010 and was most recently re-elected in 2018, after running uncontested. His current term expires in 2022.
Dr Ronan Glynn has said the time is still not right for all schools to reopen. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

People are leaving themselves at risk of being infected with Covid-19 because they are not wearing their face mask tightly enough around their ears, it emerged last night.

Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said people may be wearing them too loosely around their ears. They should knot them at the back of their ears and have them quite tight.

He was commenting on new advice from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention that people should wear two masks.

There is no reason why people should not double mask but the key for everyone is wear at least one mask and wear it properly, he said.

It comes as high levels of Covid-19 continue to circulate with signs of some slowing down in the fall in the spread of the virus.

Prof Philip Nolan, who tracks the virus, said the resumption in the testing of close contacts of infected cases was having an impact but there were also signs that people were becoming more mobile.

The decline in cases was at 6pc to 9pc and this has slowed in recent days.

Around half the population is still working compared to 25pc in April and May.

He was speaking as another 52 deaths were reported, bringing the toll to 326 this month.

A further 866 people have been newly diagnosed with the virus.

He said: The positivity rates among household contacts is quite high, close to 30pc. This is a timely reminder to us all to immediately isolate ourselves if we have any symptoms, to protect those most important to us. We should also continue to limit our social contacts.

There are still around 41 deaths a day from the virus but infection incidence in older people is coming down.

If the population maintains the strict stay at home rules of lockdown, the number of daily cases could reduce to 200 to 400 at the beginning of March, and 100 to 300 by the middle of the month.

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Asked what parents should do with their children during mid-term break next week, he said they should stay at home.

We cannot afford to just let up for a week. Of course, get out for exercise but act safely.

People were told that if they are going out with their children they should not meet up with other families, and if they do, to keep their distance and wear a mask.

Figures show that some of the extreme pressure on hospitals is easing: 984 patients with Covid-19 were in hospital yesterday with 172 in intensive care. If the virus continues to be suppressed this should fall to 250 to 400 by the middle of March.

Dr Glynn said that there were high levels of cases in Dublin early this week and although it had since fallen, it was something they were monitoring.

He said the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) had not given any specific advice on whether inter-county GAA games could be held during Level 5 but it was not possible to have everything, and a return to education was a priority.

Asked why, given that education is such a priority, children are not back at school, he said: Because we still have more people in hospital than at any point last year, still more people in critical disease and still a high level of disease.

He said people should do everything they can in order to not add to those cases. He added there are still 40-50 hospital admissions a day, along with six or seven new patients per day to intensive care.

We are seeing much too high an incidence in the community for a million people to go back, Dr Glynn said. We are really keen to get education back as soon as we can but that is not today.

But our caution should not be interpreted as [a comment] on the safety of the school environment but mobility levels of the population as a whole.

Meanwhile, the Irish Cancer Society said it was concerned at a significant drop in suspected lung cancer cases being sent on for further investigation at rapid-access clinics. Figures show that GP referrals to lung rapid access clinics dropped by 55pc last month compared to January of last year.

The society warned that the fall in referrals may mean that people with symptoms of lung cancer are not seeking medical advice from their GP and possibly delaying a diagnosis of cancer, or receiving a later diagnosis in an emergency department. Just 93 electronic referrals were made to lung cancer rapid access clinics last month compared to 207 in January 2020.

Director of advocacy and external affairs Rachel Morrogh, said: The early detection of cancer is key to survival and good quality of life. This is particularly true for lung cancers, many of which are picked up at a late stage.

The Irish Cancer Society is concerned that these figures may indicate a repeat in the pattern of behaviour we saw in the first lockdown, where there was a drop of 40pc in e-referrals to lung cancer rapid access clinics in August 2020 compared to the previous February.

Research we undertook last year showed that one in four people put off going to see a GP or attending a hospital appointment during the initial wave of Covid-19.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Its 10am on a sunny Thursday in Llankelly Place in Kings Cross and a yuppie in a business shirt and short shorts leans against a brown brick wall, vaping while waiting for his coffee. At the next table, two sailors chat over their morning coffees. The area is filled with well-groomed people sporting AirPods and activewear. At the same cafe, Mr Potts Point  a name smartly-dressed PR professional Carrington Brigham is playfully known as  is talking about how this once grimy backstreet, now flooded with commerce, embodies Kings Cross shift from red-light district to a burgeoning food and wine destination. Carrington Brigham, who is known by some as Mr Potts Point, in Llankelly Place. Credit:Rhett Wyman When I moved here, I loved just how vibrant it was. It was exciting. It was something different, and you could really feel it was part of a global city, Brigham says. Large property owners and developers are now firmly entrenched as the kings of the Cross, displacing nightclub owners such as John Ibrahim. The introduction of the lockout laws in early 2014 dealt a blow to the late-night party scene, and the COVID-19 restrictions have been a further nail in the coffin.

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The Flamingo Lounge nightclub on Bayswater Road, one of the last in the area, has been open for only about three weeks since the pandemic began. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The capacity of nightclubs, bars and pubs at Kings Cross has halved to about 5000 patrons since early 2014, estimates Doug Grand, chief executive of the Kings Cross liquor accord, which represents the interests of venues in the area. Its effectively gone, Grand says of the nightclub scene. There was a lack of people coming into the area, so the atmosphere dropped off and people just found other areas to go to. It is time to move on. The end of the lockout laws in Kings Cross this week signals a further gentrification of the area  not a return to its wilder days. The strips as dead as a dodo, says local historian and author Warren Fahey, who, along with Brigham, also heads up Potts Pointers, a 10,000-strong Facebook group championing a sense of community and newfound commercial vibrancy to parts of the area.

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Many now refer to Kings Cross as Potts Point. Away from the downtrodden and forgotten strip of Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point has flourished in the intervening years. The landmark Coca-Cola sign at Kings Cross. Credit:Rhett Wyman You cant talk about Kings Cross any more; you have to talk about Potts Point. The make-up of the area is quite young compared to a lot of areas of Sydney, Fahey says. They tend to go out a lot more and have more disposable incomes. The strength, the vitality of the restaurants, bars and cafes, and even the retail sector in Potts Point, is very resilient. The side streets are buzzing. Llankelly Place is chockas. Down Challis Avenue, down Victoria Street, down Bayswater Road  theyre all doing quite well. Kings Cross historian Warren Fahey. Credit:Rhett Wyman Fahey disagrees with those who regard gentrification as a dirty word. What we see it as is reinvention. Part of it is saluting the history of the area, he says.

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But you cant keep it in mothballs because frankly it wasnt that fabulous. People see it as a peoples place. Its more of a state of mind than anything. A member of the new guard is Justin Marmot, who, along with his wife Louka, runs the recently opened late-night licensed cafe, Deans Lounge. Their Kellett Street venue sells comfort food as well as alcoholic drinks in a nostalgic tribute to the former Deans Cafe, where Mr Marmot worked at the height of the Crosss heaving past. Deans Lounge co-owner Justin Marmot. Credit:Rhett Wyman The Cross was a very different place back then. It was seedier. It was a red-light district  an amazing part of Sydney, Marmot says. The old Deans Cafe, its former premises next door to Marmots new eatery, represented a haven from the surrounding late-night chaos. Marmot says that while his new venue is intended as a homage to the Deans of old, it is more relevant to where Sydneys nightlife is heading in 2021.

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Its something I feel that could be a good progression for what type of licensed venues the city could encourage, he says. While the areas evolution has already begun, the one-time golden mile is a stagnating stretch of road with several empty shopfronts and an identity crisis. The Cross was a very different place back then. It was seedier. It was a red light district  an amazing part of Sydney. Late-night licensed cafe owner Justin Marmot Those who own property along Darlinghurst Road believe the future of the strip is residential, but are reluctant to invest in its upkeep or rejuvenation without any solid direction from the state government. Aaron Senes, who owns properties on Darlinghurst Road, as well as Victoria and Kellett streets, says many buildings on the strip are past their use-by date. How do you bring back these old buildings that need to make modern-day requirements and be a viable option for landlords and businesses? he asks. The approach has to come from the government and then filtered down to the landlords to start really investing in the properties and, and give us a viable option to recreate what has been such a famous area for so many different reasons.

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New Delhi:

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday came out in support of BSP supremo Mayawati saying, that behaviour of BJP ministers proves that "they are anti-Dalits."

He said if Mayawati wishes for another term in Rajya Sabha, his party will send her to the upper house from Bihar.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha. She has submitted a 3-page letter to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

While talking to reporters, Mayawati blamed, saying that it is good for her to quit the Upper House as the ruling party BJP does not allow her to speak on the issues related to Dalits.

This behavior of BJP Ministers against Mayawati Ji proves that BJP is an anti-Dalit party: Lalu Prasad Yadav pic.twitter.com/UP3nIw6xd5  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

She said she represents the Dalit community and if she cannot raise the issues in the House, its is pointless to continue as a member.

We support Mayawati Ji and if she wants we will again send her to Rajya Sabha: Lalu Prasad Yadav pic.twitter.com/lyHmJbfPsz  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

Also Read: BSP chief Mayawati resigns from Rajya Sabha, alleges ruling party BJP does not allow her to speak in the House

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Di Maio hails decision to back Draghi as Di Battista steps aside.

Members of Italy's populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) have voted almost 60 per cent in favour of premier-designate Mario Draghi, paving the way for the formation of a broad government of national unity.

The "dramatic" decision was hailed as "brave" and "mature" by M5S bigwig Luigi Di Maio, however the move was not supported by another leading light in the movement, Alessandro Di Battista, who has chosen to "step aside."

"My political conscience can't take it anymore," said Di Battista on Facebook, leading to talks of a split in the party.

The vote to back the former European Central Bank boss, and "choose the European path" as Di Maio put it, represents a major turn-around for the once fiercely anti-establishment movement.

It also reflects another unexpected decision by the right-wing Lega party, led by Matteo Salvini, who has thrown his support behind Draghi's efforts to form a new coalition.

Salvinis endorsement of Draghi comes after years of anti-European rhetoric and marks a potential new direction for the eurosceptic Lega.

Since receiving the mandate from Italy's president Sergio Mattarella to form a new cabinet, following the demise of the last coalition led by Giuseppe Conte, Draghi has secured the endorsement of almost all Italy's political parties.

Draghi, one of Italy's most respected institutional figures, is expected to present his list of ministers to Mattarella today - reports Reuters - and unveil his policy programme next week in parliament.

Draghi's two immediate priorities will be tackling the covid-19 pandemic and dealing with the worst economic turmoil in Italy since world war two.

Photo Giuseppe Ciccia / IPA. Credit: Sipa USA
A Florida judge has ruled that a local school district had no responsibility to warn students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School of the danger posed by a former student who would later be accused of a mass shooting that killed 17 people.

Broward Circuit Judge Patti Englander Henning said Monday that the Broward County school district cannot be held liable for failing to predict actions that were beyond its control, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.

Nikolas Cruz awaits trial on multiple murder charges and faces the death penalty if convicted. Hes also accused of wounding 17 people with an AR-15 assault-style rifle in the attack at the Parkland school on Feb. 14, 2018.

Families of the victims have sued Cruz, who was 19 at the time, as well as the school district, the Broward Sheriffs Office and on-duty deputies who failed to stop the massacre.

The District had no control over Cruz, the judge ruled. They did not have custody over him. He was not a student in the system and had not been for over a year. In fact, he was refused access to the campus once he left school. Nor did the district have pre-knowledge of a definitive threat by Cruz.

It is another loss for the families trying to hold officials accountable for failing to prevent the mass shooting.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled in September that for insurance purposes, the district can treat the shooting as a single incident, capping liability at a total of $300,000 to be split among all the victims who have filed suit.

And in October, Englander Henning ruled that the victims of the shooting and their families will have to turn over some records of their mental health treatment since the tragedy.

The judge also said the plaintiffs are relying on too many what if questions to build a solid legal claim for damages.

There is no foundation for the argument that if Cruz had been sent to a different program, and if he had been treated as a higher threat years before the incident, and if he had been criminally charged years earlier so hed have been convicted and could not buy or own a gun, and if he had never been permitted to attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas, then he would not have been on this campus and would never have committed the crime, the ruling said.

Among the plaintiffs is Anthony Borges, who was shot during the rampage.

How is a kid supposed to feel safe attending a public school under those conditions? asked attorney Alex Arreaza, who represents Borges. That ruling puts every child in danger. To think that the school board has no obligation to warn us of anyone else like Nikolas Cruz in the system should give all parents a deep concern.

Attorney Eugene Pettis, representing the Broward School Board, declined to comment about the details Monday afternoon but told the newspaper that he believes the ruling speaks for itself.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A significant storm is possible early next week in Upstate New York, and there are signs that a second, more powerful, winter storm could follow on its heels.

The National Weather Service has issued a preliminary hazardous weather outlook for potentially heavy snow Tuesday.

After a batch of light snow this weekend, confidence continues to increase for a more significant winter storm on Tuesday, said the alert, issued by the Binghamton weather service office, which forecasts for Central New York and the Southern Tier.

Few details are available yet, but forecasters say various weather models are aligning toward a low pressure system moving up the East Coast. That system will tap into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, so it will be able to deliver substantial amounts of snow when it bumps into cold Canadian air pushing into Upstate New York.

It does look to be a little bit stronger than these previous couple of systems that weve had, and shows some potential for measurable snowfall, said Ben Lott, a meteorologist in the Binghamton office. There still remains some uncertainty this far out. Were not quite sure where the heaviest snowfall could be or even how much snow we could see from this system.

The storm system that could bring snow to the Northeast has just reached the Western U.S., Lott said, and will slide into the Southwest over the weekend. Forecasters can better predict the strength and path of a storm system once it starts moving over land, where there are more gauges and observations than in the ocean.

As that low pressure system pulls away Tuesday or Wednesday, lake effect snow could be dragged into areas downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario. After that, another coastal storm could sweep in Thursday or Friday. Trying to forecast weather a week away, however, is fraught with uncertainty.

As expected at this time frame, (there is) a considerable amount of spread in the track, timing, and strength of a potential storm Thursday, said the weather service office in Albany. Even so, forecasters are confident in saying there will be some kind of precipitation, most likely snow.

Were talking seven to eight days out, Lott said. Theres just way too much uncertainty with that.

The late-week storm could be a big one, said New York state climatologist Mark Wysocki. As arctic air continues to push down into the Plains and eventually all the way to southern Texas, storm systems sliding across the continent will be shoved to the south. These types of storms are called East Texas Lows, Wysocki said, because they originate along the Texas/Louisiana border before heading northeast.

You have to get around that arctic dome of air, he said. Those storms that dip over the Gulf states -- Texas, Mississippi, Florida -- get a lot of warm, moist air to work on, and they can be very intense storms, with high winds and coastal flooding.

Stay tuned to our weather page for updates throughout the next week.


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Pleas in Supreme Court seek Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to kin of those who died of COVID-19

SC rejects plea seeking formulation of national mortal remains management

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 12: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea which had sought a direction to the Centre to formulate a national mortal remains management and disposal protocol for pandemic and non-pandemic times to be implemented across the country.

The plea was filed by a Delhi-based man who had said that body of his mother was mistaken for some other COVID-19 victim and was handed over to another person due to the negligence of a hospital here.

The petitioner said that he was denied the sacred right of doing the last rites of his mother, who was not a COVID-19 positive patient, due to the callous action of the hospital.

Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea on preventing sale of fake COVID-19 vaccines

The plea came up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R S Reddy.

You can intervene in the suo motu matter. You can file proper intervention application. These issues are being taken up in the suo motu PIL. Why should we hear a fresh petition, the bench told advocate Manoj V George, who was appearing for the petitioner.

The top court had last year taken suo motu cognisance of reports of improper handling of COVID-19 patients and undignified disposal of victims' bodies in the country. The suo motu case is titled as Proper Treatment of COVID-19 Patients and Dignified Handling of Dead Bodies in Hospitals etc'.

George said this is not an adversarial petition .

My (petitioner) mother's body was swapped and I was denied the right of dignified burial to her. This can happen to anyone, he told the bench, which dismissed the plea.

Petitioner G Manohar had sought directions to all the states to formulate a state mortal remains management and disposal protocol for pandemic and non-pandemic times within a reasonable period.

The plea had said that states should be directed to designate the district medical officer to be the appropriate authority for implementation of this protocol.

The negligence of the respondent hospital is writ large inasmuch as to say that the respondent hospital was handing over a COVID-19 positive person's body to the petitioner all the while knowing that the petitioner's mother had not died of COVID-19, the plea said.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

With no safety protocols in place and no proper labelling or procedure for safekeeping of bodies, the respondent hospital negligently handed over the body of the petitioner's mother to a complete stranger, leaving the petitioner high and dry and insisting that the petitioner take the other body' in complete disrespect to the memory of a human being, it said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 9:19 [IST]
EDWARDSVILLE  The Madison County States Attorneys Office is seeking the forfeiture of almost $7,000 in three separate drug-related cases.

Three Request for Preliminary Review to Determine Probably Cause for Forfeiture were filed Thursday, Feb. 11. Two of the cases involved have resulted in felony charges being filed; charges are pending in the third.

The forfeitures stem from police investigations in the Troy and Granite City areas.

The largest amount sought is $4,775 stemming from a search warrant served by the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois in the 500 block of Mockingbird Street, Troy, on Feb. 1.

MEGSI and United States Postal Inspection Service agents had conducted a controlled delivery of two parcels containing suspected narcotics after a blind sniff by a Monroe County Sheriffs Department K9 revealed the presence of drugs.

A search revealed several vacuum-sealed bags containing more than 2,000 grams of suspected cannabis, scales with cannabis residue and other items, along with $4,575 in cash. Officers later found another $200.

On Feb. 4 another search warrant was served and a third parcel containing approximately 1,000 grams of cannabis was recovered in the 600 block of East Ferguson Avenue in Wood River.

According to court documents, the suspect admitted to having cannabis shipped from California to various addresses with fictitious names where the suspect would later retrieve the parcels. The suspect, who was not named, was released pending charges of cannabis trafficking.

In a separate case, the Granite City Police Department seized $1,075 from Carrie Whitehorn, 43, of the 300 block of Wilson Park Lane, Granite City.

According to the forfeiture filing, Granite City Police received information that Whitehorn and her boyfriend, David Brand, 44, of the same address, allegedly were selling methamphetamine from their residence.

Court documents state that between Jan. 11 and Feb. 2 several controlled drug purchases were made. The two were taken into custody and charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, Class X felonies.

A search on Feb. 4 revealed a large safe in their bedroom where officers allegedly discovered about 85 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, baggies and $950 in cash. An additional $125 was found in Whitehorns purse.

In a third case, police and prosecutors want to seize $2,013 from Darron J. Murphy Sr., 51, of Madison who, along with Lee R. Kalbfleisch, 32, of the 300 block of Giofre Avenue, Maryville, have been charged with unlawful possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, Class X felonies, and two counts each of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, Class 4 felonies.

According to court documents, on Feb. 5 Madison County deputies were patrolling near a suspected drug house in the 2600 block of Logan Street Granite City. The two suspects pulled into the driveway, and the passenger, later identified as Murphy, got out and went into the house.

After he came out police followed the car until an officer observe the driver make an improper stop and fail to signal a turn. A traffic stop allegedly revealed 27 individual packages of methamphetamine, along with cannabis, Alprazolam, cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

At the sheriffs department, deputies discovered appositely $2,013 in cash in Darrons coat pocket.

The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Beyond getting from point A to point B

The journey toward the connected transportation future

Thinking differently to connect drivers today and tomorrow

The network at the heart of the ITS communication system

Ready for the connected future of transportation

Each year, Nevada's citizens and visitors rack up over 27 billion miles across 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads and highways. Ensuring drivers and commerce flow smoothly and safely is part of the Nevada Department of Transportations (NDOT) mission. Whether it is busy urban corridors in Las Vegas and Reno or rural and mountain roads, travelers rely on an advanced information system to get themselves and goods safely to their destinations.NDOT's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) connects thousands of devices across the state. It provides drivers with timely visibility into road closures and weather updates and is slated to inform truckers of available parking slots at rest stops. Sensors, cameras and other Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices gather and deliver valuable information such as traffic volume, delays and crashes, often alerting public safety agencies before they get the first 911 call.Even snowplows got into the act as mobile weather stations. "We participated in a pilot program equipping plows with sensors and cellular modems, providing valuable information such as precipitation levels based on wiper activation or raising and lowering the blade," said Jim Whalen, NDOT traffic engineering technology manager. "Usage of sand, salt and brine was monitored from a cost and usage perspective and to ensure minimal environmental impact," he noted.The ITS platform does more than keep drivers aware and informed. It is an integral part of a system comprised of public and private partners, including traffic and weather research organizations. "We provide data to NOAA and private partners who use the information to forecast weather, analyze traffic patterns or provide roadside assistance," said Seth Daniels, NDOT's assistant chief traffic operations engineer.The network supports partners such as Waycare , which works with NDOT, the Nevada Highway Patrol and the private vendor that provides freeway services and incident support such as fixing flats or filling empty gas tanks. The Waycare platform uses artificial intelligence, taking feeds from the ITS platform to both reduce crashes and help stage incident response resources if needed."A fast incident response that alerts drivers and recommends alternate routes has an economical and quality-of-life impact," noted Daniels. "A minute of delay results in four minutes of back up, and the faster we can respond to clear an incident, the better. Our goal is to improve travel-time reliability."NDOT uses advanced data network technology to connect the ITS platform and devices throughout the state. The network serves NDOT, other state and local government agencies, and transports traffic on Nevada's statewide public safety radio system serving police, fire and emergency medical services.The current network is a far cry from the one which initially supported the ITS platform. The state's enterprise data network provided connections for ITS and other services such as application support and email. That network managed configurations and operations using the Spanning Tree Protocol."The various, inconsistent configurations and mix of vendor equipment throughout the years, namely with Spanning Tree, was a headache for us," said Gary Molnar, ITS network manager. "Every time we fixed one concern, another would pop up. It was like whack-a-mole."The traditional enterprise network served NDOT's administrative business needs very well. Still, the emerging ITS platform required a highly secure IoT-ready network that was strong and flexible at its core and able to handle harsh conditions in remote areas, roadside cabinets and even mobile signage trailers. The network had to deliver ubiquitous connections along Nevada's highways, connecting thousands of devices, far beyond those on the enterprise network."The number of devices we were bringing online increased dramatically and rapidly surpassed the enterprise network," noted Molnar. "We needed a way to reliably handle this growth and provide secure multitenancy capabilities to support other state and local government agencies.""We decided to build a separate ITS communication network and designed it from the ground up," said Daniels. "We also embedded IT professionals into the traffic engineering team to create an innovative cross-functional team."This approach was part of the traffic engineering section's Agile project management methodology toward planning and prioritizing work. "Like many government organizations, we don't have all the resources we need to fully optimize operations, said Daniels. "We use Agile and methods like SCRUM to help us get more work done with the people we have."This 'inside out' approach enabled IT technologists to walk in the shoes of the traffic engineers. "I was skeptical at first," said Whalen. "But now, I love working with the team and have a better understanding of what our traffic engineers want to accomplish."As the team assessed its options,(SPB) as the optimal technology to address both its tactical and strategic priorities. The network employs SPB to make configurations easy and enable the network to reroute around trouble quickly. It virtually eliminates the Spanning Tree Protocol that had burdened the ITS team's support structure. SPB also perfectly lends itself to NDOT's ITS vision for the future to accommodate multitenancy services and emerging advanced applications.The network management system provides in-depth visibility to every part of the network, making it easy to manage, maintain and expand. "Shortest Path Bridging makes the network easier to maintain, which is essential because our resources are limited," said Daniels. "The ability to support remote sites without having a technician visit saves us time and money."The ITS communication system utilizes ruggedized Ethernet switches throughout the state  roadside cabinets, remote radio sites and even trucks and trailers. These enterprise-class switches enable the ITS platform to collect and transmit sensor readings and video back to a data center, making this information available to the driving public and NDOT's private and public partners."Everything is moving to the edge of the network," noted Whalen. "This is where we'll eventually see mobile edge computing, connected vehicles and even cars talking to each other. That's why the switches at the edge must stand up to harsh conditions and keep working.""The separate network also provides a vital measure of security," noted Molnar. "Security is a top priority since we carry public safety radio traffic and control signs to guide drivers safely and efficiently around the state."NDOT selected Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) to closely collaborate with the ITS team to design and deploy its new ITS network. At the edge of the network are hundreds of ruggedized Ethernet switches, Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch 6865s. Additionally, Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Stackable 6860E and 6900 switches are at the network's core and distribution hubs."Our goal was not only to address our Spanning Tree issues, remote locations and mobile needs but also to build a future foundation," noted Whalen. "Just as important were the great people we worked with at ALE who supported us every step of the way.""We initially sat down with the NDOT team to design a solution for their immediate Spanning Tree challenges and give them greater visibility into the network," said Kevin Jennings, ALE director of sales, state and local government, transportation and utilities. "That effort slowly evolved into a strategic direction for multitenancy and advanced applications such as connected autonomous vehicles.""For us, ALE is not just a LAN switch vendor," noted Molnar. "Whether it is quickly resolving problems or helping us plan for the system's growing demand, they have been a true partner."The work of the ITS team has not gone unnoticed. In 2019, NDOT received the Intelligent Transportation Society of Nevada'sOver $2 Million. NDOT's 2019 Facts and Figures also featured the ITS communication system.These accolades are all in a day's work for the NDOT ITS and Traffic Operations Engineering teams. They are committed to ensuring a safe and connected Nevada. And they are looking forward to a connected future of 5G, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, driverless cars and other innovations that are just on the horizon.The adaptable platform we have in place helps us realize our mission of providing and operating a transportation system that enhances safety, quality of life and economic development, noted Daniels. And it has prepared us well for the next generation of ITS to serve our citizens and visitors better no matter where they travel in Nevada.
[February 11, 2021] MBIA Announces Settlement With Credit Suisse

MBIA Inc. (NYSE: MBI) (the Company) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, MBIA Insurance Corporation (MBIA Corp.) has entered into an agreement to settle the litigation it filed in 2009 against Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and certain affiliated entities. The settlement followed a post-trial decision by the Court awarding MBIA Corp. approximately $604mm in damages, and pursuant to the settlement Credit Suisse has paid MBIA Corp. $600mm. This amount materially exceeds the amount of recovery recorded in the Company's 3 2020 financial statements. Following the agreement to settle the case, the Court dismissed the action.



MBIA Inc., headquartered in Purchase, New York, is a holding company whose subsidiaries provide financial guarantee insurance for the public and structured finance markets. Please visit MBIA's website at www.mbia.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210211005965/en/

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(Natural News) Many people have already warned of the grim consequences that President Joe Bidens radical immigration policies could have. Now, an expert on the topic is weighing in.

(Article by Grant Atkinson republished from WesternJournal.com)

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Tom Homan painted a worrying picture of the country under Bidens policies in an interview with Fox News.

President Biden has declared the entire country a sanctuary jurisdiction, he said on Fox & Friends Wednesday.

While the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force says there is no single definition of sanctuary jurisdiction, it typically refers to a place where illegal immigrants can feel safe from deportation.

Since entering office, Biden has signed a bevy of executive orders regarding immigration. One of the first actions he took was halting construction of the border wall.

The Guardian reported that Biden has redirected money for the wall to other projects. As far as we can tell, those projects do not include an alternative plan to protect the border.

In fact, Biden has signed additional orders to further relax previous immigration policies. These include reversing Trumps attempt to defund sanctuary cities and extending protections for children brought to the country illegally.

He even signed some immigration orders that were obviously for show and did not include any real substance. The Guardian described one of these orders.

Biden ordered agencies to identify the underlying causes of surge in migration from Central America, review the process by which people can seek refugee resettlement in the US, and revamp the process by which people can seek asylum at the US border, the outlet reported.

As you can see, none of the vague language there really describes any actual policies that Biden wants to enact. However, the orders do send a message to migrants that Biden is soft on illegal immigration.

On Fox on Monday, Jackson County, Texas, Sheriff A.J. Louderback spoke about a memo that the Biden administration sent out on Jan. 20, calling it defunding ICE by memo.

When I read it first and looked at it, its a message to the world you can come here illegally, you can commit crimes here against Americans and remain here illegally, he said on Tucker Carlson Tonight.

According to Fox, even more changes are coming, and they are not good news for Americans who support strong borders.

The policy change would mean officers no longer seek deportations for immigrants convicted of drunk driving and assault and will weaken ICEs ability to arrest wanted immigrants at correctional facilities, the network reported of the Department of Homeland Securitys new guidance to ICE officers.

Apparently, opening the borders for the future is not enough for Biden. He also wants to protect past immigrants who entered the county illegally, even if they commit other crimes against American citizens.

Bidens lax policies have already resulted in an influx of new migrants at the southern border. A Feb. 3 report by CNN confirmed that the Biden administration is already being forced to open an overflow facility in Carrizo Springs, Texas, for migrant children.

The reopening of the facility comes amid an increase in apprehensions of unaccompanied children on the Southwest border, fueled in part by deteriorating conditions in Latin America and a perceived possible relaxation of enforcement, and reduced capacity limits at other facilities due to Covid-19, CNN reported.

With the phrase perceived possible relaxation of enforcement, CNN is coming as close as it ever will to admitting that Bidens policies have caused an increase in illegal immigration.

Mass illegal immigration does not come without consequences to the country. Homan predicted that those consequences will be dire.

People will die, people will be raped, people will be victimized by criminals that shouldnt even be here, he said. Its coming.

Read more at: WesternJournal.com and JoeBiden.news
Official Spotify curator offers a peek behind the Jasmine curtain

Here, the Spotify editor behind the playlist Jasmine (formerly Beast Meets West) discusses connecting the dots of Asian identity to build a unique listening experience.

Guest post by Eric Diep from Spotify for Artists

A Spotify editor talks about connecting the dots of Asian identity to create a unique listening experience.

Artists of Asian descent are thriving globally, making an outsize contribution to the overall musical landscape. To spotlight emerging stars of Asian descent, agnostic of genre, Spotify launched the Jasmine playlist  originally called Asian Americans on the Rise  in 2017.

Curated by Ronny Ho, Spotifys Head of Dance and Electronic Development, Jasmines mission is to illuminate Asian artists everywhere. Featuring new and established names from the United States, East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, Jasmine is a genreless playlist focused on discovery where youll find acts like Raveena, keshi, Higher Brothers, Anik Khan, Saweetie, and Chung Ha making dance, pop, chillwave, or hip-hop.

Ho and her team developed their brainchild with the help of the Spotify Asian Community Engagement employee resource group (SpACE). The goal was to make sure true diversity and inclusion were part of the playlists DNA. Hos thoughtful approach to curation is present in other projects shes proud to have taken part in, including the Asian Pacific American Islander Heritage Month campaign in 2020 and track IDs  the latter showing her passion for bringing electronic music to the forefront on Spotify. In this interview, the Queens, NY native talks about her approach to curation and why representation for Asian artists in the music industry matters.

The name of the playlist was Beast Meets West until it changed to Jasmine recently. How did you land on the new name?

We were actually in the midst of figuring out how to make it more inclusive. I felt like it was dividing East and West. We thought to ourselves, No, it is actually [representative of] all Asian experiences. So we came up with Jasmine in the vein of Lorem, Pollen, and our other genreless playlist brands. It felt like a nice middle ground.

I wanted to highlight South Asians just as much as I wanted to highlight East Asians and Southeast Asians. So we thought, What connects all of our very diverse cultures? OK, rice, but thats a really bad name. [Laughs] Lets not do that. Jasmine is a tea, its a flower. The plant is indigenous to Asia and exists in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Thats how we kind of landed on it. We wanted to keep it simple, one word.

The existence of Jasmine [the playlist] is important because it caters to a very large audience. For a long time, Asian Americans did not have representation in the music industry. Jasmine allows us to build a community among Asians and Asians Americans around the world and show our audience that yes, Asians also make incredible music.

The playlist shows that not all Asian artists should be boxed into K-pop or hip-hop by bringing together different genres. How did you achieve that diversity of sounds and still make it sound so cohesive?

I think its innate. For some reason, it just works. I dont have to put so much thought into how I make sure all these genres fit together. Being Asian, for some reason, links us in a way that hasnt been put into this context yet. For the most part, its been, Oh, keshi is just a producer. or Theres TRACE who does songwriting. And theyre put into their certain genres [like R&B, alternative, and electronic indie pop] but I feel that no one has connected the dots of their backgrounds because for a long time it was weird or shameful to be Asian in these spaces. For me, it was, No, lets connect the dots here. Lets build something to be proud of.

What do you look for in artists?

I think authenticity is No. 1. I want their vulnerability to shine through. I think that is something beautiful about music, being able to connect with fans and build a brand that is true to yourself. And being honest is the best for that. Artists who are proud to be Asian are important because we are still in a world where not everyone is [proud of that identity]. Thats what I really look for.

So for artists looking to get placed on this playlist, what is your advice to them?

Its important to build your brand and invest in yourself. I think a lot of people try to get on a playlist and thats it. The work is done. But if you put work into your brand and into who you are and what story youre trying to tell  the fans will find you.

Spotify for Artists helps you to develop the fanbase you need to reach your goals.

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President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the national economy and the need for his administration's proposed $1.9 trillion CCP virus relief legislation in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington on Feb. 5, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

House Republicans Accuse Biden of Playing Political Game Over Border Crisis

A group of more than 50 House Republicans have accused President Joe Biden of treating the U.S.-Mexico border as a political game after he signed a flurry of executive orders that dismantled the Trump administrations border security measures.

In a letter (pdf) to the president Tuesday, the group of 51 Republicans led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), suggested the president is being blinded by ideology as they warned of an escalating crisis of illegal migration at the southern border.

On his first day in office, Biden signed executive orders and issued memos to temporarily suspend deportations of illegal aliens, reverse former President Donald Trumps ban on travel from terror-prone countries, halt border wall construction, stop adding people to the Remain in Mexico program, preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and release a sweeping immigration package to Congress that includes amnesty for millions of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.

The attorneys general of Arizona and Texas have sued Biden over a memo from the administration that ordered a freeze on the majority of deportations for 100 days. A federal judge temporarily blocked the order on Jan. 26.

The Biden administration has also proposed a plan to legalize about 11 million illegal aliens living in the United States, something he vowed during his campaign.

It is concerning to see your administration perceives our border security issues as a political game instead of the very serious threat open borders provide to Americans and the migrants seeking to come here, the letter states.

It cites data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that shows a rise in attempts to cross the southern border illegally, including in areas such as Arizona that went completely dead under the Trump administration.

CBP hasnt seen numbers like this since the height of the immigration crisis in the summer of 2019, the lawmakers said. CBP has already encountered over 200,000 illegal migrants since October and numbers are rising. For context, in the first three months of fiscal year 2020, CBP encountered 128,347.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detain a man during an operation in Escondido, Calif., on July 8, 2019. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo)

The chief deputy in Pinal County, Arizonaa 90-minute drive away from Mexicotold Townhall last week that the situation on the United States southern border is worsening following the change of administration and its policies.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Matthew Thomas said that the crisis at the border had begun to reemerge at around the end of 2020 because the human and drug trafficking cartels expected Biden to have a hands-off attitude with regard to the border situation.

Despite these rising numbers, on your first day as president, you signed multiple executive orders (EO) aimed at dismantling the security of our bordersrescinding policies from the Trump administration that were working as intended to halt the flow of illegal migration, the House Republicans wrote.

We are once again on the brink of a huge humanitarian crisis, endangering the lives of migrants and law enforcement officers at the hands of the violent cartels that your administration has further empowered, the letter says.

The letter requests that the president directs DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to brief House lawmakers on the rising illegal immigration crisis.

The lawmakers also urged Biden not to rescind the public health order Title 42a policy used by the Trump administration that allows migrants to be swiftly returnedwarning that if he does so, the daily illegal flow will become catastrophic overnight.

This is not a political gamewe implore you not let ideology blind your Administration to the need to secure the border, to defend Americans, and to prevent another cartel-empowering humanitarian crisis, the lawmakers added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.
FAQ's

This year, the University of South Florida will be hosting orientation in a virtual learning environment. This program change will ensure the health and safety of our students, staff and community during this challenging time.

Your online introduction to life as a USF Bull will include all the details you need to get off to a great start at our university, including tips on reaching your academic goals, getting involved and finding support.

We didnt forget about parents and guardians during the design of this virtual experience. You can expect the same high-quality support for your onboarding and transition into the USF family.

Reach out to our team if you have questions:

Tampa Campus Orientation

Phone: (813) 467-6731 or (813) 974-3060

Email: myorientation@usf.edu (Provide your University ID # in the body of the email)

St. Petersburg Campus Orientation

Phone: (727) 873-4754

Email: OrientationStPete@usf.edu (Provide your University ID # in the body of the email)

Sarasota-Manatee Campus Orientation

Phone: (941) 359-4342

Email: Sar-Orientation@sar.usf.edu (Provide your University ID # in the body of the email)

Frequently Asked Questions - updated 11/5/20

Orientation Program Details - Updated 3/25/21

What can students expect during their Orientation session? All new first-time-in-college (FTIC) and transfer students will experience Orientation in a virtual format for summer 2021. Orientation sessions will consist of both a Pre-Orientation Canvas course and a live Synchronous Orientation session, requiring students to log in for participation at specific times. Sessions will also provide the opportunity for peer-to-peer engagement and an introduction to the USF community. Students will leave the sessions prepared to start classes and excited to be a USF Bull!

What can families and guests expect during their Orientation session? The University of South Florida recognizes that family members and guests play an integral role in their students transition to the university. Family & Guest Orientation sessions will consist of both asynchronous (self-paced) and synchronous sessions, requiring you to log in for participation at specific times. Sessions will provide an opportunity to engage with other families, interact with campus departments, and feel welcomed and affirmed in their decision to be a part of the USF community.

Why has USF Orientation shifted to a virtual format? The Orientation Offices for USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee made the decision to move Orientation to a virtual format for Summer and Fall 2021 admits to ensure the continued health and safety of all students, staff and community members during this challenging time. In an effort to provide students and families with a seamless and consistent onboarding experience regardless of geographical location (in state, out of state, international residence, etc.), this decision was made in late March 2020. An important part of the decision-making process was for students and families who need to make travel arrangements to participate in Orientation.

How will the advising process work with Orientation moving to a virtual format? Undergraduate Academic Advisors continue to support our new students with academic onboarding into their admitted program. Once a student has registered for synchronous orientation, within 15 business days, they will receive an email from their Academic Advisor in their respective academic college regarding the advising process; we ask that students please monitor their USF email. Students should be sure to follow the instructions provided by their Academic Advisor, as they will allow them to register for classes and be prepared for the live Synchronous Orientation session. Additionally, students are required to complete a college overview for the academic college of their major during the Pre-Orientation course in Canvas. If you have not heard from an Academic Advisor within 15 business days of paying for orientation, you are welcome to contact your Academic Advisor.

When do I meet with an academic advisor? How do I get my classes? Undergraduate Academic Advisors continue to support our new students with academic onboarding into their admitted program. Once a student has registered for the live Synchronous Orientation session date, within 15 business days, they will receive an email from their respective academic program regarding the advising process; we ask that students please monitor their USF email. Students should be sure to follow the instructions provided, as these steps will allow them to register for classes and be prepared for the live Synchronous Orientation. Additionally, students are required to complete a college overview for the academic college of their major during the Pre-Orientation course in Canvas. If you have not heard from your Academic College or advising office within 15 business days of paying for orientation, you are welcome to contact your Academic Advisor.



Orientation Reservations, Dates and Fees - Updated 3/25/21

With the move to a virtual format, is Orientation now free for students? The cost of Orientation will remain at the state-authorized Orientation fee of $35.00. That amount contributes to the costs of providing an Orientation experience to students, families and guests, including technology, staffing and necessary services and expenses to ensure a successful start. It is to your benefit to choose the earliest possible Orientation session that works for your schedule.

Should I continue with making a reservation for Orientation? Yes! Reservations are now available for any new undergraduate students beginning classes in the 2021 Summer/Fall semesters. Orientation session dates are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis; we recommend registering for Orientation to reserve your desired session date and to allow you to continue with your overall onboarding process. Once reservations become available, you can access your reservation following the links below for your campus: Tampa: https://www.usf.edu/orientation/reservation/index.aspx St. Petersburg: https://www.usfsp.edu/orientation/ Sarasota-Manatee: http://www.usfsm.edu/admissions/admitted-students/orientation/index.aspx

If I previously made a reservation, do I need to make another one? If you already completed a reservation by paying for the session, you are all set. More information about accessing your virtual Orientation will be sent via email closer to your Orientation date.

What is the fee for Guests? How do I request a refund for a Guest? All USF Orientation programs for family members and students are moving to a virtual format for this summer. We are excited to still deliver a robust program that serves family and student needs. Please visit the website for your campus to review any fee changes: Tampa: https://www.usf.edu/orientation/reservation/index.aspx St. Petersburg: https://www.usfsp.edu/orientation/ Sarasota-Manatee: http://www.usfsm.edu/admissions/admitted-students/orientation/index.aspx If you decide you do not wish to participate in a virtual family/guest program and have already reserved a family/guest session, you may view our refund policy here to request a refund.

Why am I receiving notifications for multiple Orientation dates? You will receive an email exactly 7 days from your Orientation session which includes the link to your reservation dates live Synchronous Orientation session. This is the link you need to access your Orientation. We know not everyone checks their email as frequently or as thoroughly as you, though, so just to be safe, your Orientation Leader has also posted an announcement with your session link 7 days prior to your session date in Canvas as well. However, your Orientation Leader (OL) is not able to filter that announcement to be only for you, so youll also see the announcements for all other session dates, as well. Your OL has a busy summer ahead! You can disregard all the links to sessions that are not on your session date. All you need to do is login on your reserved date using the link in your email.

Did Orientation change my session date? No, the date you selected and paid for is still your Orientation date. We will never change your date unless you ask us to do so. If you are asking this because you are seeing announcements about session links on dates other than your own, please refer to the question Why am I receiving notifications for multiple Orientation dates?. If you are asking this question because you have login to your Orientation reservation or on myBullsPath and have noticed your session date is changed without your knowledge, please contact us right away so we can assist you and resolve the matter.



Need More Information? - Updated 3/25/21

How will any changes to Orientation be communicated? As this is an ongoing process and changes can be made suddenly, please visit the Orientation website for your campus to see any updates on program changes. Also, keep an eye on your USF email. Further information on your Orientation session will be communicated there, including any need-to-know details.

How can I get in touch with the Orientation office? USF Tampa

While our physical office location is currently closed, we encourage you to email our office at myorientation@usf.edu (Include your U# in the body of the email) or call (813) 467-6731. USF St. Petersburg

While our physical office location is currently closed, we encourage you to email our office at orientation@usfsp.edu (include your U# in the body of the email) or call (727) 873-4436. USF Sarasota-Manatee

While our physical office location is currently closed, we encourage you to email our office at SAR-Orientation@sar.usf.edu (Include your U# in the body of the email) or call (941) 359-4330

Where can I go to find the latest information about Orientation? USF Tampa

For complete information about undergraduate FTIC (freshman) and transfer orientation sessions on the Tampa campus, visit usf.edu/Orientation. USF St. Petersburg

Please visit our website for complete information about Orientation for First-Year and Transfer students. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Please visit our website for complete information about Orientation for First-Year and Transfer students.

What technology is needed for online sessions? To ensure you have a seamless virtual session day, please be sure that you have access to: Reliable Internet Connection

Laptop or Desktop Computer

Webcam and Microphone

Microsoft Teams If you cannot access any of these required items, please contact the Office of Orientation immediately by emailing us at myorientation@usf.edu.



Family & Guest Orientation Questions - Updated 3/25/21

How can a family member/guest be added to an Orientation session? Students may add a family member/guest to attend the Family/Guest Orientation session by logging back into their Orientation reservation at any time. Log into the student reservation with your NetID and password, click on the Additional Attendee section, and add the family member or guest. To choose the family member or guests session date, advance to the Optional Events section and choose an available date for your additional attendee. Then complete the reservation by paying the additional $35 fee per family member. Once reservations are closed a family member/guest may contact the Office of Orientation via email or phone to be added to the session date. You may also view detailed instructions on how to reserve a family member or guest at this link.

What is included in the Family and Guest live Synchronous Orientation Session? In addition to the Canvas Catalog portal, Families and Guests are invited to attend a live Synchronous Orientation session. During your scheduled live Synchronous session, you'll join the Orientation Team and other family members and guests for a full-day event on all things USF. Campus Partners and Orientation Leaders will guide you through live virtual workshops and conversations around the following topics: Addressing Covid-19 at USF from our USF health experts

Meeting the USF Dean of Student

Financial Aid and Student Financial Services presenters

Conversation with USF employees who are also parents of college students

Academic support services

Conversation with current USF students who could share their campus experience

Various campus resources presented by USF staff This session will require you to have access to a computer and reliable internet connection from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST. A schedule of events for your live Synchronous Orientation Session will come in an email, so make sure to stay up to date with the information we send you!

What time does the Family and Guest live Synchronous program take place? Does it take place at the same time as the student session? The Family and Guest Orientation experience is completely separate from the student Orientation experience. The live Family and Guest Synchronous session occurs at a different date/time from your students Orientation session and the Canvas course elements, although similar, are distinct. Please refer to the Orientation website for your home campus for more information: USF Sarasota-Manatee campus USF St. Petersburg campus USF Tampa campus

How is the Family and Guest session different than the student program? Orientation has crafted a selection of resources and information available to families and guests as a registered guest. This program has a wealth of content specific for families and guests about USF resources that will help you support your student during their academic journey. At the Family and Guest live Synchronous Orientation session, you will have the opportunity to meet important USF campus partners and have a conversation with employees who have students went to college and learn how you could support your students as well.

How do I access the Family and Guest live Synchronous session? Approximately 1-3 days prior to your confirmed session date, you will receive an email from the Office of Orientation containing the session link and directions on how to logon. If you do not receive this information, please contact the Office of Orientation and they will assist you.

How do I change or delete a reservation I made for a family member or guest? To change the information provided for your family member or guests reservation, please log back into your reservation via this link. Under the Additional Attendees tab, you will see a list of the family members or guests you reserved. You can click on Edit Additional Attendee to modify the details of your guest; or you may click on Delete Additional Attendee if you wish to remove your family member or guest. If you delete an additional attendee and have already paid for them, please also submit a refund request form.

Why do Families and guests need to pay an Orientation fee? The Orientation fee for students is a state-authorized required $35 fee. The cost of the Family and Guest program is also $35 per person. That amount contributes to the costs of providing an Orientation experience to students, families, and guests, including technology, staffing and necessary services and expenses to ensure a successful start for our students and their families and guests.

Could I and my student schedule an in-person tour of the campus? Tours are now open to explore the Tampa campus in-person! To ensure the safety and health of our campus community, the on-campus tour experience will have some modifications. Please click here for further information on how to schedule an in-person campus tour.

1. Roads. The citys roads are a mess. Significant resources are needed to fix them.

2. Public safety. The crime rate is too high. Police pay and resources come first.

3. More city programs. The city must invest more in city programs and services.

4. Comprehensive plan. The city needs to focus on rebuilding and rebranding.

5. Cut city spending. City officials must get serious about trimming the budget.

Vote

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SACRAMENTO  As California entered the worst surge of the coronavirus pandemic in early December, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield attended his sons wedding, a largely maskless gathering that appears to have violated coronavirus restrictions.

McCarthy attended the wedding of his son, Connor McCarthy, at an outdoor venue along the coast in San Luis Obispo County. Videos posted online show at least 15 people attended and often did not wear masks.

Under Californias pandemic health orders, outdoor religious and cultural events such as weddings are allowed. But attendees must wear masks, and receptions or after parties have been consistently prohibited.

The wedding of McCarthys son included a dinner after the ceremony, and one video appears to show the Republican leader making a speech during the gathering.

McCarthy said the event was originally going to include about 300 guests but was scaled down because of the pandemic. He said the gathering was attended by grandparents, parents and siblings of the bride and groom.

Making the decision to go forward with only this small group of family was a decision made by the bride and groom, he wrote in a Facebook post. They love their grandparents and wanted them above all others to be there to witness their ceremony.

The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story, interviewed the owner of the wedding venue in the town of Cayucos, who said the dinner was held at an outdoor pavilion with screens on the sides.

McCarthy attended the wedding the day before a stay-at-home order took effect for the Southern California region, which includes San Luis Obispo County. Days earlier, Gov. Gavin Newsom and health officials warned that the order was imminent as the region faced a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

It was fortunate their wedding was on December 5th, one day before the states most recent aggressive lockdown was set to begin with no rules coming forward, McCarthy wrote.

The Republican leader has often criticized Newsom and other Democrats who have ventured out during the pandemic. He hammered Newsom after the governor attended a dinner party at the French Laundry restaurant in Napa County in November.

But with respect to his sons wedding, McCarthy said he has no regrets. He said most people who were there wore masks indoors, except when eating or waiting for makeup to dry.

Did our families get close to one another? Of course, he wrote. Did we feel safe? Of course. Would I celebrate this beautiful day on December 5, 2020 again? You better believe it.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner
Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
[February 12, 2021] Ameriprise Financial Along with its Employees and Advisors Donated $17.3 Million to Support Communities in 2020

In 2020, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP), along with its employees and advisors, donated $17.3 million to help communities in need and combat the unique challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and civil unrest. Additionally, Ameriprise employees and advisors recorded more than 35,000 volunteer hours in support of hunger relief and community rebuilding, which were in historically high demand amid the environment. "As we approach the one-year mark of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is hope for brighter days ahead, but as we're all aware millions of people are struggling," said Brian Pietsch, head of community relations at Ameriprise. "The pandemic has disproportionately impacted underserved communities, which is particularly troubling. Despite the challenges 2020 presented, our employees and advisors reacted with compassion and generosity, volunteering their time and resources to help people in need." The company enhanced its ongoing giving strategy to help families and individuals during a tumultuous year In addition to Ameriprise's longstanding support for nonprofits that help meet basic needs and create strong vibrant communities, the company accelerated its corporate donation schedule to immediately help nonprofits provide services, cover cash flow and general operating expenses at the start of the pandemic. In total, the company funded 238 grants focused on helping people meet basic needs like food and shelter, building equitable and vibrant communities, and providing Covid-19 relief. A few highlights include: The company made Covid-19 relief donations totaling $150,000 to nonprofits in communities where it has a large employee presence - the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund, The Robin Hood Relief Fund in New York, Boston Resiliency Fund, Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund in India and City Harvest London.

and Ameriprise donated more than $400,000 to Feeding America , which included two additional grants to help meet the increased demand on food banks as a record number of peopl sought out their services. Since 2009, Ameriprise and its volunteers have provided more than 100 million meals and logged nearly 350,000 volunteer hours to hunger-relief organizations across the country.

, which included two additional grants to help meet the increased demand on food banks as a record number of peopl sought out their services. Since 2009, Ameriprise and its volunteers have provided more than 100 million meals and logged nearly 350,000 volunteer hours to hunger-relief organizations across the country. Following the tragic death of George Floyd, the company made a $150,000 donation split equally between Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ), The Minneapolis Foundation Fund for Safe Communities and Twin (News - Alert) Cities Rebuild for the Future Fund via The Minneapolis Foundation.



Ameriprise continued its strong tradition of volunteerism despite challenges Although the Covid-19 pandemic hampered volunteer opportunities, Ameriprise's employees and advisors recorded 35,000 volunteer hours - giving back while adhering to local health and safety guidelines. In addition to traditional volunteer activities, the firm encouraged employees and advisors to show kindness to their friends, neighbors, and community members by participating in activities like delivering groceries for the elderly, virtual volunteering and thanking healthcare workers. Time spent on acts of kindness was eligible for the eight hours of paid time off, which Ameriprise employees receive for volunteerism each year.

Ameriprise Bank, FSB invests in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area With the 2019 launch of Ameriprise Bank, FSB, community contributions began in accordance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). In 2020, Ameriprise Bank made significant investments to support affordable housing, social services, and economic and workforce development across the Minneapolis/St. Paul region, its designated CRA assessment area. The Bank made three Equity Equivalent Investments (EQ2), totaling $4 million to the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, which will help the development and preservation of 1,000 units of affordable housing over the next ten years. About Ameriprise Financial Community Relations Ameriprise Financial is dedicated to utilizing the firm's resources and talents to improve the lives of individuals and build strong communities. Through grantmaking, volunteerism and employee and advisor gift matching programs, the company supports a diverse group of more than 8,000 nonprofits across the country. By targeting our grantmaking, the company can make the most of its resources and engage its people to make a collective impact with greater benefit for communities. Ameriprise funds grants to local nonprofits twice annually-the next deadline is May 15 and guidelines are available on the firm's website. About Ameriprise Financial At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With a network of approximately 10,000 financial advisors and extensive asset management, advisory and insurance capabilities, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of consumer financial needs. For more information, visit ameriprise.com.  2021 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005384/en/

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Canada Announces Stricter Restrictions to Land, Air Travel

Ottawa announced on Friday that the federal government will implement further testing and quarantine requirements for travellers arriving at Canadas airports and land borders starting next week.

On Feb. 15, all travellers, with some exceptions, arriving to Canada by land will be required to provide proof of negative COVID-19 molecular test results taken in the United States within 72 hours of pre-arrival. And starting Feb. 22, they will be required to take a COVID-19 molecular test on arrival as well.

Essential workers such as truckers and emergency service providers as well as cross border communities will be exempt from this requirement and the government will continue to assess exemptions on a case by case basis, Minister of Health Patty Hajdu said during a press conference on Friday.

And starting Feb. 22, non-essential travellers arriving in Canada at airports will be required to take a COVID-19 molecular test when they arrive before exiting the airport, followed by another test toward the end of their 14-day quarantine period.

Air travellers will also be required to reserve prior to departure to Canada a 3-night stay in a government authorised hotel, Hajdu added. Travellers will be required to stay at their reserved hotel for three nights at their own costs while they await the results of their arrival test.

Hotel booking information will be available online starting Feb. 18, the health minister said.

The cost of the hotel stay, including the COVID-19 test, transportation and meals, could be as much as $2,000, the government previously said.

Also on Feb. 22, all travellers including those arriving by both land and air, will be required to take a COVID-19 molecular test toward the end of their 14-day quarantine. Travellers must also submit their travel and contact information including a quarantine plan, electronically via ArriveCAN, an app, before crossing the border or boarding a flight.

Ministry of Public Safety Bill Blair said failure to produce a valid COVID-19 test may incur heavy fines of up to $3,000 or even criminal prosecution.

Failure to produce proof of the test may also result in those travellers being referred to the Public Health Agency of Canada, and even further on to a designated quarantine facility, Blair said. All foreign nationals who do not have a valid molecular test will not be allowed into Canada.

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ONE of Limericks most impressive businesses, Odyssey Studios, has been announced as a winner at this years National Enterprise Awards.

The 22nd annual awards, which took place virtually, were streamed from the Mansion House in Dublin last night.

Odyssey Studios, which was set up by Mark Maher in 2017, took home the South West Region award.



The state-of-the art model making studio is based on the Dock Road and is one of the largest permanent model making studios in Europe.

The studio, supplies blockbuster film and TV productions with miniature models, weapons, armour, props and prosthetic makeup and the teams have worked on films such as The Hobbit, Penny Dreadful and Into the Badlands.

Odysseys next generation facility houses the latest in design and production technology for laser cutting and 3D scanning, modelling and printing, making Odyssey a one stop shop for productions and individual artists from the concept stage, through to the finished article.

Congratulating the company on its success, Mike Cantwell, Head of Enterprise at LEO Limerick said: Film tech is a relatively new sector for the mid-west and this award highlights the growing opportunities that exist in that sector and is much deserved. Micro and small companies need to be supported as they grow from ideas into thriving businesses and the team in LEO Limerick is there to help them achieve their potential.

Massive well done to our client! https://t.co/0Bsd7ql60e  Local Enterprise Office Limerick (@leo_limerick) February 11, 2021

The overall winner at the National Enterprise Awards was Mullingar mobile craft canning company, Bevcraft.

Established in 2016 by friends Ciaran Gorman and Darren Fenton the company has gone from strength to strength. They now work with over 250 brands to can their produce using their mobile canning technology. They are operating across 5 European countries and in 2021 aim to handle over 50million cans.

Along with the overall winner, five category winners were announced

Innovation Award - VRAI

Best Export Award - Kianda Technologies

Future Focus Award - Lidan Designs

Brexit Ready Award - Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese

Pivot Award winner went to WowWee.ie

Announcing the awards, Minister for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English said: The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the sheer talent, determination and success which exists in Irish businesses. The winners tonight are outstanding companies and, along with all the finalists, are trailblazers for every small business and budding entrepreneur across the country. I have no doubt that the companies here will continue to grow their businesses, create more jobs and make a significant contribution to their local economies. The foundations of the Irish economy is built on by small businesses and through these awards we can recognise their valuable role in society.

This years winners share a 50,000 investment fund and eight regional winners were also announced on the night. Those winners were:

Odyssey Studios in the South West Region (backed by LEO Limerick)

The Artisan Pizza Company in the Dublin Region (backed by LEO South Dublin)

QPQ in the Mid East Region (backed by LEO Kildare)

Submit Software Solutions in the South Region (backed by LEO Cork City)

Irish Fluid Controls in the South East Region (backed by LEO Carlow)

Dromod Boxty in the North West Region (backed by LEO Leitrim)

Qualitas Electronics in the North East Region (backed by LEO Meath)

Armour Interactive in the West Region (backed by LEO Galway)

Also honoured on the night with the inaugural National Enterprise Awards Outstanding Achievement award was former Netwatch co-founder and CEO David Walsh.

MR Walsh, who worked closely with LEO Carlow as he built Netwatch into a global company with over 250,000 clients across four continents, is now co-founder and CEO of a new start-up HaloCare. The Kerry native was honoured for his success and innovation but also his continued support of entrepreneurship in Carlow.

The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country.

Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, and National Womens Enterprise Day. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.

For more information, see LocalEnterprise.ie
One of the hardest questions for American corporations to answer: When should offices reopen?

From Silicon Valley to Tennessee to Pennsylvania, high hopes that a rapid vaccine rollout in early 2021 would send millions of workers back into offices by spring have been scuttled. Many companies are pushing workplace return dates to Septemberand beyondor refusing to commit to specific dates, telling employees it will be a wait-and-see remote-work year.

Also Read | India speeds up vaccination drive

The delays span industries. Qurate Retail Inc., the parent company of brands such as Ballard Designs, QVC and HSN, recently shifted its planned May return to offices in the Philadelphia area, Atlanta and other cities until September at the earliest. TechnologyAdvice, a marketing firm in Nashville, initially told employees to plan on Feb. 1 as their return date. The company then pushed the date back to August. Now, TA has decided it will begin a hybrid in-office schedule in the fall of 2021, letting workers choose whether to work remotely or come in, the company says.

Return-to-office dates have shifted so much in the past year that some companies arent sharing them with employees. Shipping giant United Parcel Service Inc., based in Atlanta, and financial-services firm Fidelity Investments Inc., based in Boston, havent announced return dates, instead telling workers signing on from home that the companies are monitoring the coronavirus pandemic and will call workers back when it is safe.

Nearly a year of makeshift work at home has weighed on employees, leaders say. While many companies say productivity is up, executives worry that creativity is suffering and say that burnout is on the rise. Even so, bosses struggle to say when things will change.

Everyones in the moment of limbo. They want certainty, but they know they cant have it," says Elizabeth Mygatt, an associate partner at consulting firm McKinsey & Co., who advises companies on organizational performance. Companies that assigned return dates last year now hesitate to do so, she adds.

I have seen fewer companies be actually super clear on what the future looks like," she says.

A new survey of 2,200 U.S. workers by the Conference Board, a research group, found that 44% of employees polled didnt know their companys plans to return to the workplace. That is up from last September, when 37% of respondents polled by the group said they were unclear on their back-to-the-office plan.

Many executives say it has become tougher to predict when white-collar employees should go back to offices than it was last year. They cite news about a slower-than-hoped vaccine rollout, the fast spread of mutant virus strains and polls that show many workers remain anxious about in-person settings.

Sometime in 2022 is where Im thinking" all staffers will feel comfortable coming back, says Khalid Parekh, chief executive of Amsys Group, a Houston technology company that employs about 350 people. Then we can feel safe."

Labor Day is an increasingly popular target date for employers. Alphabet Inc.s Google recently delayed its expected return date to September, from July. Grant Thornton LLP, one of the biggest accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., expects most of its 8,500 workers to return to the office with flexible schedules in late summer or early fall. ZocDoc Inc., an online doctor-appointments service that employs 550 people, plans to reopen its New York City office after Labor Day. By then, CEO Oliver Kharraz says he expects many of his employees will be vaccinated.

In some ways, Labor Day is a completely arbitrary date," he says. On the other hand, its the start of a new school year."

Continued school closures across much of the U.S. have created great difficulties for working parents, and some executives say they think a complete return to the office will be tough until schools are fully back in session.

Current office-occupancy rates are highest in parts of the country where large school districts have reopened, according to data from Kastle Systems, a security firm that monitors access-card swipes in more than 2,500 office buildings, from skyscrapers to suburban office campuses.

Right now, that means Texas: In Dallas, Austin and Houston, major school districts have offered in-person learning for many months, and offices are roughly 35% full, according to Kastle. By comparison, in New York City, where schools are open part-time for in-person learning, office occupancy is less than 15%.

Some Wall Street banks have had workers back in some areas for months, and a few businesses, including French luxury-goods giant LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, which recently acquired jeweler Tiffany & Co., are asking employees to report to offices at least a couple of days a week, starting next month. Others say they will wait for the population to reach herd immunity before reopening, a goal that could further cloud timing.

At toy maker Hasbro Inc., 100 out of 1,100 workers come to the Providence, R.I., campus on any given day. That contingent includes designers, painters and engineers who work on prototypes and with equipment that cant be accessed remotely, says CEO Brian Goldner. Longer term, he expects only 60% of employees will be in a facility at any given time. When that broader back-to-work plan goes into effect remains to be seen, he adds.

Andrew Le, a physician and the CEO of Buoy Health Inc., a Massachusetts healthcare tech firm, says he wants 80% to 85% of the population vaccinated before he reopens offices, a figure cited by health officials as safe for resuming normal life. Dr. Le says he expects that to happen by the fall, based on guidance from health officials, but knows it can be tough to zero in on a date.

Im hopeful that theres a lot of progress this summer" in vaccinating the general public, he says. But that might be the optimistic CEO mind-set."

In Austin, Andy Bonner, the CEO of Healthcare2U, says his company has brought about half its workers back. With 50% capacity, people in the office can keep their distance in conference rooms and spread out at desks. The company continues to hire new salespeople and call-center personnel. Keeping half the workforce remote helps the company grow without increasing its real-estate footprint, he adds.

This allows us, honestly, to expand even further than where we thought we could," Mr. Bonner says, adding that the hybrid office model will continue after the pandemic ends.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Amid a bitter spat between the government and the Centre, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to both Centre, Twitter, and others on a plea seeking a mechanism "to check Twitter content and advertisements spreading hatred through fake news and instigative messages through bogus accounts".

The plea, filed by BJP leader Vinit Goenka, seeks to check fake news and probe messages circulated via Twitter and other platforms. The PIL regarding devising a system to keep track of messages and ads spreading fake news and incendiary content was filed in May 2020. However, no action was taken at that time.

Goenka's plea was based on the fact that there are hundreds of fake Twitter and Facebook accounts in the name of celebrities, political leaders, and other eminent people. These accounts are used to spread lies and, sometimes, inflammatory content. The ugly spat between the Centre and the US-based micro-blogging website has again brought to the fore the critical issue of fake news peddled through social media.

Meanwhile, after initial reluctance, signs of a thaw between Twitter and Centre are visible as the former has taken down 97 per cent of handles flagged by the IT ministry.

Also read: MeitY welcomes Twitter to India, keeps it on a short leash though

In its two orders, the Centre had demanded Twitter to block accounts of 1,435 users -- 257 in first order and 1,178 in second -- for spreading inflammatory hashtags like "farmers genocide" and supporting pro-Pakistan and pro-Khalistan agendas.

The breakthrough came after the meeting between IT secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney and Twitter executives Monique Meche and Jim Baker on Wednesday evening. Sawhney, however, said these actions were not at all enough and the Centre's orders were "non-negotiable". Sawhney made it clear to Twitter officials that lawfully passed orders are binding on any business entity. "They must be obeyed immediately. If they are executed days later, it becomes meaningless," he had said.

ALSO READ: Centre steadfast on ban call for 257 Twitter handles

ALSO READ: MeitY coochy-coos KOO - India's alternative to Twitter
Chicago activist Fred Hampton was chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party in the late 1960s. He founded the Rainbow Coalition, an alliance of the Black Panthers, Young Patriots, Young Lords, and Chicago gangs to help communities end infighting and promote change. Directed by Shaka King, Judas and the Black Messiah, depicts the betrayal of Hampton by William ONeal, an informant for the FBI who has been tasked to take him down. Here is the story behind the film.
Steve Lynch looks harried. TISM LPs have been flying out of his enormous mechanical baby  Australias first new vinyl pressing plant in three decades  but theres a problem with a vacuum sensor. It is not sensing the vacuum.

Lynch scurries about for 20 minutes, creases his forehead a few times, and then the automated WarmTone press is back up and humming, spitting out two discs a minute for an increasingly vinyl-hungry world.

Steve Lynch and Dave Roper at Program Records. Credit:Justin McManus

The pressing plant, Program Records, has been running under the radar for a couple of months now in a brown-bricked, green-floored warehouse in Thornbury, intriguing the neighbours.

It came about after Lynch and his business partner Dave Roper noticed that local acts, including buzz bands such as Boomgates, kept running out of vinyl that took months to replace from overseas.
Data doesnt lie, but it can mislead. Disclosure that the Euronext-owned Amsterdam stock exchange traded on average 8.1billion of shares each day in January against 7.5billion in London looks like a body blow to the Citys status as a great global financial centre.

What it doesnt explain is that in the absence of an equivalence deal, whereby Brussels recognises UK financial regulation, euro-denominated stocks would have to be traded elsewhere.

It is no accident that it is Amsterdam rather than Frankfurt or Paris which has come out on top.

The Euronext-owned Amsterdam stock exchange (pictured) traded on average 8.1bn of shares each day in January against 7.5bn in London

It is where the London Stock Exchange (LSE) chose to establish a parallel Turquoise platform for the convenience of the big American and European investment banks based in the City.

Stronger Amsterdam volumes are largely London-based trades conducted on the canals.

This may look like victory for Brussels as it engages in rearguard actions over the UKs departure from the EU.

But the losers are consumers in Northern Ireland or, in the case of share trading, big battalion investors such as pension funds.

They are faced with Balkanisation, less liquid markets and worse buy and sell prices.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has been in need of a distracting narrative this week as the consequences of his spat with Dame Elizabeth Gloster over the London Capital & Finance probe are digested.

There has been no disguising Baileys exasperation with the EU over financial regulation.

In a sharp Mansion House speech, he was nonplussed as to why Canada, Australia, the US, Hong Kong and Brazil have been granted equivalence but more closely aligned UK denied, except for clearing and settlement.

It is known that Europe is cool on derivatives trading and clearing because of the perceived risk.

The Bank has a history of euro-doubting dating back to the late Eddie George and through the Mervyn King era. Mark Carneys perceived tilt in favour of Remain was an aberration.

Bailey looks to be in the former camp with his bold advocacy of global standards of financial regulation, an open economy and open financial systems.

Fortunately, the City is not standing still. Swiss shares, barred under the previous regime, are back on the LSE platform.

Chief executive David Schwimmer is using the Refinitiv platform to expand into global trading of currencies and fixed interest, with outposts across the globe.

It would be better if a decent relationship could be reached with the EU. The harder Brussels and Frankfurt make it, the more incentive there will be for Britain to look outwards and away from Europe. That would be an act of self-harm for our Continental pals.

Good health

No one is ever going to ask who-they about Astrazeneca after the companys vaccine performance. The co-operation with Oxford and the NHS is a textbook example of private-public sectors working for the greater good.

Covid-vaccine activity barely touches on AZs annual results and is unlikely to for the next year, given the pledge not to profit from the vaccine.

Nevertheless, the reputational lift gained from the vaccine (except from President Macron) will hold it in good stead in a pharmaceutical industry which often has spiky relationships with government.

The significant narrative for investors is how chief executive Pascal Soriot has proven financial community doubters wrong over growth forecasts made at the time of the takeover defence against Pfizer in 2014.

The groups suite of oncology treatments and respiratory compounds is continuing to drive overall sales up 10 per cent at 29.4billion on the year.

Soriot is able to use the groups 95billion market value to bulk up with the proposed Alexion acquisition with its focus on rare diseases. Brave will be the analyst who disputes that now.

Oil change

Shell is seeking to maintain a balance between continued investment in oil and gas and a renewables drive.

It has set itself challenging targets to lower carbon emissions and is linking progress to the pay of up to 16,500 staff, seeking to align the interests of all stakeholders to sustainability.

The surge in oil price up above $60-a-barrel shows why the industry is not giving up on heavy capital expenditure just yet.

There is a politically incorrect case for oil to look across to tobacco. Attempts to diversify from smoking to other industries and towards more healthier vaping products never quite delivered for investors.
The Kremlin is raising stakes, Ukraine officials stress.

The Ukrainian delegation at the OSCE high-level seminar on military doctrines has spoken about external threats to the European and national security of Ukraine, coming from Russia.

The delegation referred to the White Book bulletin recently published by the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Ukrainian-registered Apostrophe online media outlet reported February 12.

The meeting, held via videoconference, was chaired by the United States mission.

Read alsoPutin haunted by "health issues," Ukraine intelligence saysUkraine's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Igor Lossovskiy, said the intelligence Bulletin assesses regional and global trends, analyzes prospects for maintaining a "pro-Ukrainian" coalition, as well as Ukraine's role and place as a European democracy in many processes. It also explores opportunities for international cooperation of the intelligence agency as an important communication channel.

"The course chosen by Russian leadership to consolidate Russia's status as a global player and have the so-called 'Russian interests' internationally recognized is and will be the main source of threats to European and Ukrainian security in the coming years," the White Book says.

The forecast of Ukrainian intelligence analysts suggests that "the Kremlin will pursue the tactics of 'raising stakes' in military-political confrontation, manipulate the issues of European security (exaggerating own role in countering uncontrolled migration flows, terrorist and cyber attacks), and also fuel disintegration of Europe (by financing populists and radicals and provoking economic separatism in individual EU states).

At the same time, Moscow will undermine the institutional component of the European security architecture, trying to induce international community, primarily the EU countries, to "jointly" work out options for legitimizing the existing de facto balance of power. In order to ensure such developments, Russia will continue to impose phobias on European audiences, related to the deployment of the hi-end offensive weapons close to the EU borders.

Read alsoUkraine "embraces openness" with report on Russian hybrid warfareFollowing the meeting, Ukraine's Mission to the OSCE handed to other participating delegations the full text of its address with the key excerpts from the White Book bulletin.

Reporting by UNIAN
NEW FAIRFIELD  About 8 percent of the towns population  including 79 percent of those 75 and older  has been vaccinated for the novel coronavirus, according to First Selectman Pat Del Monaco.

Thats really great news, she said during Thursday evenings Board of Selectmen meeting. Im hoping that we can get that remaining 20 percent of the (75-and-older population) vaccinated.

Del Monaco noted that not all of New Fairfields inoculated residents received their shots at the towns vaccination clinics  the fourth of which was held Thursday.

We probably vaccinated a dozen  maybe dozen-and-half  this week, said Selectman Khris Hall, noting that the bulk were 65 and older.

New Fairfield will hold its fifth vaccination clinic Saturday morning, and there were a few slots open as of Thursday evening.

The clinics are working really, really well. The volunteers that weve recruited to staff the front desk, administer the vaccines and just generally to keep the whole thing running smoothly are doing an outstanding job, Hall said. Its been successful beyond what I would have expected.

The town, which received 100 doses last week and 200 this week, is being very careful to make sure every last dose is used and nothing is wasted, Hall said.

She said the town has an order in for 300 doses next week and should know Friday if it will be getting them.

If so, we will expand the clinic by adding a day, and probably adding an additional vaccination station, Hall said.

Del Monaco thanked Hall, clinic volunteers and the towns health director, Tim Simpkins, for all they have done to get the clinic up and running.

Its a good feeling to know the community really has come together in a time of need, she said.

Del Monaco noted that New Fairfields COVID-19 infection rate has been on the decline.

Our infection rate in New Fairfield this week is 29.9 cases per 100,000 people, which is down from 44.3 cases per 100,000 last week, she said.

The town has had at least 700 confirmed cases and five COVID-related deaths since last March, according to Thursdays Connecticut Daily COVID-19 Update.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of giving up Indian territory to China and alleged that PM Modi had failed in his responsibility to protect the country's sovereignty. Launching a scathing attack on the Centre on Friday, the former Congress president claimed that the PM was a 'coward' who couldn't stand up to the Chinese and that he was betraying the sacrifice of the Army. Rahul Gandhi's remarks come a day after Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh made a statement on the present situation in Eastern Ladakh in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, following which the first visuals of both armies disengaging at Pangong Tso came in.

READ | Rajnath Singh Briefs Lok Sabha On Indo-China LAC Disengagement: 'Not One Inch Land Lost'

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday morning, Rahul Gandhi targetted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for not speaking on the strategic Depsang plains area from where the Congress leader claimed the Chinese entered. The former Congress chief went on to allege that Indian troops were being stationed at Finger 3 instead of Finger 4 and accused the Centre of conceding territory to China. Rahul Gandhi went on to say that it was the PM's job to protect the country's territory and not his, and alleged that PM Modi had bowed his head down before the Chinese.

READ | Rajnath Singh Briefs Parliament On India-China's LAC Disengagement; Denies Losing Any Land

MoS G Kishan Reddy slammed Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on the Centre and told him to ask his grandfather (Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru) about who gave Indian territory to China. Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's scathing attack on Friday, Kishan Reddy claimed that the people of India knew who was a patriot and who was a 'kaayar' (coward). Union Minister RK Singh termed Rahul Gandhi's allegations as unparliamentary and immature and pointed out that the government had proved to China and other threats that it would fight back.

READ | Rahul Gandhi Uses Family Planning Slogan To Target PM Modi; Misinterprets Farm Laws In LS

Rajnath Singh in LS: 'Not one inch lost'

As the disengagement process commenced at the South Pangong Tso area of LAC, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, briefed the Lok Sabha about the agreements between both nations. Asserting that India has not allowed 'anyone to take an inch of land', he said that India will remain at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and China at the North Bank area to the east of Finger 8, with similar action agreed to in the South Bank area. India and China have also agreed to remove any structures that had been built by both sides since April 2020 in both the North and South Bank areas, restoring the landforms as per the status quo prior to it.

"We have made it clear that immediate disengagement is needed to maintain peace & tranquillity. We will not let anyone take an inch of our land. In 48 hours, our commanders will talk on more issues. India will be on Finger 3 point while China will be on Finger 8 point. The House should also know that there are still some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. We have not lost anything till now. With bilateral talks, both sides are working on full disengagement," said Rajnath Singh.

He added, "Many strategically important points were identified and our troops positioned themselves at those Hill Tops and at locations which were very important from our point of view. It is because of this great bravery of our Armed Forces we maintained the edge. Our country stands together for the sovereignty and integrity of the country".

Rajnath Singh lists territory ceded to China during Congress rule

In the Rajya Sabha before that Rajnath Singh had specified how much territory had been ceded to China since the 1962 war, plus the land in Arunachal Pradesh that China claims to be its own.

"Let me briefly recapitulate the main aspects of the situation on the ground. As the House is aware, China illegally occupied approximately 38,000 sq. kms in the Union Territory of Ladakh, mainly during the 1962 conflict. In addition, under the so-called Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq. kms. of Indian territory in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to China. China, thus is in illegal occupation of more than 43,000 sq. kms of Indian territory. It also claims approximately 90,000 sq. kms. of Indian territory in the Eastern Sector of the India-China boundary in Arunachal Pradesh. India has never accepted this illegal occupation of our territory or the unjustified claims", Rajnath Singh pointed out.

READ | Farmers Being Misled; Govt Open To Amend Farm Laws If Needed: Rajnath Singh
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 13:07:25|Editor: huaxia

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MALE, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Maldives and Eritrea have formally established diplomatic ties, local media citing a joint communique reported on Friday.

A joint communique signed by Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations Thilmeeza Hussain and Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the United Nations Sophia Tesfamariam Yohannes formalized the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The Maldives now has diplomatic relations with 176 countries. Enditem

India's crude palm oil imports in January jumped 44.99% y-o-y to 7.67 lakh tonnes, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said on Friday.

The crude palm oil imports during January 2020 stood at 5.29 lakh tonnes, SEA said in a statement.

Import duty reduction from November 2, 2020, on crude palm oil (CPO) was reduced to 27.5% from 37.5%, while duty on soft oils remained unchanged at 35%, which encouraged larger import of palm oil, SEA added.

Indonesia and Malaysia are the major suppliers of palm oil to India.

During last month, Malaysia was the major supplier of CPO (4.97 lakh tonnes), followed by Indonesia (2,70 lakh tonnes), according to data from SEA.

The overall import of vegetable oils during January, however, witnessed a decline of 8% at 10.96 lakh tonne compared to 11.95 lakh tonne in January 2020. It consisted of 10.74 tonne of edible oils and 22,034 tonne of non-edible oils last month.

Meanwhile, the overall import of vegetable oils during November 2020-January 2021 was reported at 35.56 lakh tonne, up by 3% as compared with 34.51 lakh tonne a year ago.

The imports of soybean oil drastically declined in January to 88,667 tonnes, compared with 2.60 lakh tonnes in the same month of 2020 following logistic disruptions in Argentina.

SEA stated that import of soybean oil in January 2021 was the lowest, as truckers' strikes in Argentina seriously affected loading during November 2020, resulting in lesser vessels of soybean oil arrival in India.

The stock of edible oils as on February 1, 2021, at various ports was estimated at 6.57 lakh tonne (CPO 3.58 lakh tonne, RBD palmolein 5,000 tonne, degummed soybean oil 1.18 lakh tonne and crude sunflower oil 1.76 lakh tonne) and pipeline 11.30 lakh tonne.

The stock marginally decreased by 28,000 tonne to 17.87 lakh tonne as on February 1, 2021, from 18.15 lakh tonne as on January 1, 2021.

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) and palm stearin are the major non-edible oils being imported by the soap and ole-chemical industry.

Import of non-edible oils during November 2020-January 2021 declined by 19% to 70,028 tonne as compared with 86,386 tonne in November 2019-January 2020, the SEA data added.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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ST. LOUIS PARK, MN / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Senior Assisted and Independent Living care provider Sholom, with facilities in St. Louis Park and St. Paul, MN, is pleased to announce that they have been recognized as the best place for an individual to pursue a career. This recognition was awarded by the 2021 Sun Media Readers' Choice publication.

The Sholom senior care facilities, in partnership with the local community, support adults in need across the continuum of care, to live life fully in a Jewish environment where all are welcome. With more than 100 years of service, Sholom offers campus-based programs in Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, and St. Paul, as well as community-based services across the metro area. Sholom offers a diverse range of senior services, providing care and facilities for independent living, HUD subsidized housing, long term care, home care, and assisted living. They also provide options for short-term rehabilitation, memory care, hospice care, and respite care.

Given the recent award and recognition as the best place to work, those who would like to become care providers may wish to consider careers at Sholom among their first choices. The Sholom website states, "Our employees are passionate about older adults and desire to make a true difference in their lives. We are a talented team of top-notch healthcare professionals who thrive on providing exceptional care for our residents. Sholom offers training and opportunities for employee development."

In order to facilitate all aspects of overall health, Sholom also offers wellness programs, adult day programs, and catering. For elderly individuals who are in need of constant care, long-term, transitional, and respite care options are available. Specialized care for seniors suffering from memory loss and dementia are also provided. The full range of services offered by Sholom can be found on their official website.

Sholom Ackerberg Family Sholom West Campus was also recognized as the top company for hospice care in St. Louis Park. Hospice care is patient-focused care for a person with a prognosis of six months or less. Their website states, "We will work with you to provide the emotional, spiritual, and medical support that you need to help make this difficult journey less difficult. For us, hospice is not just a profession; it is our calling."



To learn more about Sholom's facilities and services, one may visit the official website or contact the facility closest to them directly via phone or email.

For more information about Sholom, contact the company here:

Sholom

Jamie Maddeaux - Vice President of Marketing and Sales

651-894-4242

JMaddeaux@SHOLOM.com

3620 Phillips Parkway, St. Louis Park, MN 55426

SOURCE: Sholom

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629521/Sholoms-Assisted-and-Independent-Living-Facilities-Voted-Best-Place-to-Work


New Delhi: Highlighting the perils of China's mega connectivity plans like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane has said that the project aims to "create regional dependencies".

Speaking at Assam Rifles-United Services institution joint annual seminar, he said, "regional Security Environment is characterized by Chinese belligerence in the Indo-Pacific, its hostility towards weaker nations and relentless drive to create regional dependencies through initiatives like the BRI. The resultant Sino-US rivalry has created regional imbalances & instability".

BRI or the One Belt One Road (OBOR) is Beijing's global infrastructure project, one whose key crucial component passes via Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The project has known to create a debt crisis in many parts of the world, especially smaller countries that are unable to pay it, losing sovereignty over territories.

The Army Chief pointed out, "Regional and internal connectivity is acutely linked to security" and "it is central to unleashing the potential of the North East and balancing the influence of China". Regionally, to the West, India has Chabahar port project in Iran connecting it with Afghanistan, Central Asia, while to the east it is focusing on the Kaladan multimodal project and operationalisation of the Sittwe port in Myanmar.

The Army Chief explained that the "rising footprints of China in Indias neighbourhood" and its "attempts to unilaterally alter the status-quo along our disputed borders have created an environment of confrontation & mutual distrust."

2020 was a year that saw an aggressive China, not only with India with which it had a multi-month long standoff at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh but also with countries like Japan, Taiwan, ASEAN countries in the South China Sea, and even far off countries like Canada and Australia.

Interestingly, he spoke on Nepal, calling the country "our traditional long term partner" but one "which has witnessed heavy Chinese investment" and "is going through a period of political volatility".

December saw Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli dissolving the lower house of the Parliament and this year will see elections in the country. As a result of the actions of the KP Sharma Oli, the Nepal communist party split, much to the chagrin of Beijing, who even had sent a top-ranking minister in a bid to stop the development.

On Bangladesh, the Army Chief lauded the "upswing in our relations", saying, "the sight of the Tri-Service Contingent from Bangladesh marching down Rajpath on Republic Day bodes well for our future relations" although he expresses "serious concerns" over growing radicalization in the society.

India is celebrating Swarnim Vijay Varsh to commemorate its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War for Liberation of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be going to Dhaka in March to take part in the 50th year anniversary celebration of the country's Independence.

General Naravane also spoke about the counter-terror insurgent operations with Myanmar Army code-named --Operation SUNRISE due to which he said both sides have seen "growing cooperation and the synergy between the soldiers on the ground with reasonable operational dividends".
Japan's health minister says the efficacy of vaccine was endorsed by a ministry panel, paving the way for a final approval within days.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura says a formal approval is expected Sunday. The vaccine is already administered in the U.S. and many other countries since December.

Vaccines are considered key to holding the delayed Olympics this summer. is expected to receive 144 million doses from Pfizer, 120 million from AstraZeneca and about 50 million from Moderna before the end of this year, enough to cover its population.

must rely on imports, many subject to the EU's export control, and a cause for concern about supplies. Vaccines developed by are still in the early stages.

About 20,000 front-line medical workers at hospitals in Japan will get their first shots beginning the middle of next week.

About 3 million other medical workers will be next, followed by elderly people getting their shots in April. By June, it's expected all will be eligible.

(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.)


(Newser)  Nikki Haley refused to criticize Donald Trump for months while he claimed the election had been stolen, but her stance shifted dramatically after the Capitol riot, according to a lengthy Politico profile published Friday. On the day after the Jan. 6 attack, Haley, who served as UN ambassador in the Trump administration for two years, told a Republican National Committee meeting in Florida that Trump had gotten his words "badly wrong." "And it wasnt just his words," she added. "His actions since Election Day will be judged harshly by history." On Jan. 12, she told Politico chief political correspondent Tim Alberta that she was angered and disappointed by Trump's treatment of Mike Pence after "the loyalty and friendship" the vice president had shown. "Im disgusted by it," she said.

story continues below

"We need to acknowledge he let us down," she said. "He went down a path he shouldnt have, and we shouldn't have followed him, and we shouldnt have listened to him. And we cant let that ever happen again." Haley told Alberta that she was "deeply disturbed" by Trump's behavior since losing the election. "Never did I think he would spiral out like this." Haley, seen as a possible 2024 White House contender, said she considers impeachment a "waste of time," but she doesn't think Trump will run for office again. "I don't think hes going to be in the picture, she said. "I dont think he can. He's fallen so far." Alberta notes, however, that 13 days after the interview, Haley told Fox News that people should "give the man a break." With a likely presidential campaign launch still two years away, Haley still has time to rekindle her "warm relationship" with Trump," he writes. (Read more Nikki Haley stories.)
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Press Release

Nokia partners with Brazilian research group CPQD to develop 5G ORAN solutions

Collaboration to explore Open RAN compliant Radio Intelligent Controller platform to develop innovative 5G use cases

Partnership to focus on development of 5G use cases such as fixed wireless access smart cities and Industry 4.0

11 February 2021

Espoo, Finland  Nokia today announced a partnership with Brazils Telecommunications Research and Development Center (CPQD), an independent government-affiliated research body, to jointly develop applications and solutions based on the Open RAN (O-RAN) compliant near-real-time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC).

The partnership will focus on 5G use cases in cooperation with Nokias Brazilian mobile operator customers including fixed wireless access (FWA), smart cities, IoT for Industry 4.0, and critical networks, which will be customized for the Brazilian market.

Leveraging Nokias Service Enablement Platform (SEP), which combines the capabilities of the RIC and multi-access edge computing (MEC), the collaboration is designed to create innovative use cases at the network edge. These use cases utilize Nokias optimized AirFrame open edge server solution and will allow CPQD to explore the potential of 5G to deliver an enhanced network performance with lower energy consumption, greater reliability, and security.

Nokias SEP enables innovative use cases at the edge of the RAN. It runs on the edge or far edge datacenter and can share infrastructure with Cloud RAN or other virtualized network functions using open API capabilities to enable an agile and dynamic edge cloud environment for secure innovation with ecosystem and third parties. Nokias edge-optimized AirFrame open edge server solution provides secured and high-performance ultra-small footprint edge cloud infrastructure for indoor and outdoor environments.

The RIC is a virtualized 5G optimization technology that adds programmability to the Radio Access Network (RAN) and enables artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) as well as new services. It provides a framework for deploying applications from multiple sources. The near-real-time RIC platform provides functions and interfaces that boost optimization, automation, and faster, more flexible service deployments.

Founded in 1976, CPQD is one of Brazils largest independent research and development institutions in the field of Information Technologies. Its mission is to enhance Brazils technology-related competitiveness as well as improve the digital inclusion of society. Its the first research center in Latin America to work on applications for the RIC platform.

Frederico Nava, Director of Solutions and Consulting at CPQD, said: This is an important collaboration that will help to shape the future of 5G networks in Brazil. We look forward to a fruitful and successful partnership with Nokia and look forward to introducing a range of innovative 5G-based use cases to the market.

Ari Kynaslahti, Head of Technology and Strategy at Nokia Mobile Networks, commented: This important partnership will explore the potential for innovative 5G use cases that will have real-world value in Brazil across a range of different areas, such as smart cities and fixed wireless access. Our RAN Intelligent Controller will play a critical role in this research, helping to explore and trial new cutting-edge use cases that will put Brazil at the forefront in the 5G era.

Resources:

Webpage: Open RAN

Webpage: Nokia AirFrame

About Nokia

We create the critical networks and technologies to bring together the worlds intelligence, across businesses, cities, supply chains and societies.

With our commitment to innovation and technology leadership, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we deliver networks at the limits of science across mobile, infrastructure, cloud, and enabling technologies.

Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities we need for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world.

For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia and @NokiaNAM.
Bhopal, Feb 12 : In a major breakthrough, the Madhya Pradesh forest officials have arrested an interstate forest smuggler involved in several illegal trades across various states.

The accused identified as Gokul Vishnoi is a resident of Kankaria in Harda district of Madhya Pradesh.

Rajnish Kumar Singh, Deputy Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), MP, said: "Vishnoi was nabbed in a joint operation by the Special Task Strike Force (Wildlife) and Special Task Force (STF)." Singh added that the forest smuggler was wanted in multiple cases including illegal harvesting, trade and poaching while his entry has been restricted to the state capital by the District Magistrate

Vishnoi was also involved in illegal trade of Sagwan (Teak Wood) from the forests of Betul, Khandwa, Dewas, Ujjain, Sehore and Harda districts.
As the Biden administration takes shape it is becoming increasing clear, through the presidents appointments to the State Department, White House staff and other federal bodies dealing with Middle East policy formulation, that he sees U.S. re-engagement with the Palestinians as a high priority.

The terms of that re-engagement could be beneficial in advancing the peace process by fostering a resumption of bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the basis of the new realty in the Arab/Israeli relationship.

However, the terms of re-engagement could set back t...
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Because Metropolitan did fall behind on rent by Tracy Hursts calculations during the standoff, she has said, she depleted the brewerys cash reserves and paid more than two months of rent as a showing of good faith. However, she said, there was no further communication before receiving a notice of intent to evict Nov. 6.
Elon Martin, a twenty-year-old writer who was raised on his family farm in Northern Indiana, where he pursues many hobbies, including fishing, raising exotic pets, and studying science, has completed his new book Rise of the Ancient Killer: a riveting novella inspired by his secret lifelong passion for fish, and especially sharks.

Martin writes, A massive shark, which is supposed to be extinct for thousands of years, terrorizes the shores of the seaside town of Harradon. At first, no one believes the old lobsterman who first spotted it. But as time goes on, the evidence of a massive killer fish becomes a reality, and the locals try everything in their power to destroy it. Eventually, a young fisherman, a scientist, and an old sailor embark on a quest to catch the huge shark alive. But when they finally spot it, the question jumps from whether they can catch it to whether or not they will return to shore alive.

Published by Page Publishing, Elon Martins engrossing tale is an excellent choice for avid fiction readers.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Rise of the Ancient Killer at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing understands that authors should be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
It has been a tough year for Britain's banks, which have had to deal with the economic woes caused by the pandemic.

Not only have they been funnelling money out of the door at record speed under the Government's emergency loan schemes, they have also had to set aside huge provisions in preparation for loans expected to turn sour as firms and households struggle to claw their way back from lockdowns.

But despite the uncertain picture ahead, Barclays' share price has been making steady progress since October.

Profits last year were aided by its investment bank  the division which activist investor Edward Bramson had been pushing Barclays to get rid of.

It was boosted by volatility in the market caused by the pandemic, as investors rushed to take advantage of wild swings in the prices of certain assets.

As Barclays reveals its full-year results on Thursday, shareholders will be keen to see whether this performance has held up. They will also be keeping a close eye on the bank's bad debts and provisions set aside for future expected losses, as well as predictions for the year ahead.

And any mention of a new dividend policy, following the Bank of England's ban on payouts last year which has mostly lifted, will be very welcome.

Susannah Streeter, at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Prospects for shareholder returns will be in the spotlight in these results. However, management may take a more cautious approach given the headwinds still buffeting the business.'



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Extra coronavirus testing will be carried out in Middlesbrough following the detection of a case of the South African variant.

The mutant coronavirus strain  which has now been spotted more than 200 times across the UK  was identified as part of random sequencing by Public Health England.

The case is linked to the Marton and Coulby Newham areas, and an additional test centre has now been set up at the Parkway Centre in Coulby Newham with residents older than 16 urged to get tested.

The site is open from 9am until 3pm and an appointment is not needed.

According to Public Health England data, Middlesbrough currently has the fifth highest infection rate in England.

Extra coronavirus testing will be carried out in Middlesbrough following the detection of a case of the South African variant. Pictured: Testing at a drive-in COVID-19 testing centre at Chessington World of Adventures Resort theme park in April

As of February 8, the rate per 100,000 people stood at 357.5, down slightly from 359.6 the week before.

Esther Mireku, consultant in public health in Middlesbrough, said: 'I urge everyone over the age of 16 in the Marton and Coulby Newham areas to come forward for a test. This will help us understand more about the potential spread of this new variant.

'While the overall Covid infection rate in Middlesbrough has now halved from its peak in early January, it has still not decreased as much as we would have liked.

'The high prevalence of Covid in the town, combined with the reporting of this variant, are a reminder to everyone of the importance of staying at home as much as possible and following hands-face-space when out for an essential reason.'

Local mayor Andy Preston said: 'New variants are popping up in different towns and cities around the country.

'What's really important now is that we establish whether the variant has spread further around Middlesbrough.'

Tees Valley's elected mayor, Ben Houchen, said people in the area should not be 'overly alarmed'.

He said: 'Our region has made phenomenal progress in vaccinating the majority of our most vulnerable residents thanks to the hard work and dedication of our NHS heroes.'

Mr Houchen said it was still critical for people to follow the rules to protect others.

There are now six variants of coronavirus being investigated by Public Health England, five of which have already been found in the UK

Pictured: Volunteers go door-to-door with coronavirus home test kits in an effort to halt the new SARS-CoV-2 variant's spread, in Ealing, West London on February 3

According to Public Health England data, Middlesbrough currently has the fifth highest infection rate in England. Pictured: Ealing this month

Surge testing has been used in a number of areas across the country in attempts to get on top of new variants of the disease.

People in areas of Lambeth in south London as well as parts of Worcestershire, Manchester, Kent and Surrey have all been offered tests when cases of new strains have been identified.

Yesterday, surge Covid testing was rolled out in Staffordshire after another case of the South Africa variant was detected in a resident with no links to international travel.

So far, there have been more than 200 confirmed and probable cases of the South Africa variant found in the UK.

Another mutation - dubbed the 'Kent variant' - was first found in the South-east of England in September, with scientists confirming it is much more transmissible than the original covid-19 strain which spread last spring.

There have been more than 59,000 cases of that variant tracked by the Government.
As San Francisco debates school name changes, we are reminded of how much this country has changed. Maybe the country has not changed, but many people do not appreciate its heritage, such as Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks, who is now dancing around what he said about the National Anthem.

Our family arrived in the U.S. in September 1964. By February 1965, we were learning about snow in Wisconsin and celebrating an important birthday. Our teacher remembered that Abraham Lincoln was born on a day like this in 1809. She spoke at length about the man and his character and even had a tear in her eye when she called him "The Great Emancipator."

To say the least, it was one of those grade school sessions that stays with you for a long time. I had not heard anyone speak about President Lincoln that way since our Great Uncle Joaquin, a judge and law professor in Cuba, would tell us about the Gettysburg Address when we visited him in Havana. He admired Lincoln as much as anybody and would have been enraged at those who want to delete his name today.

As my old grade school teacher said that morning, no one is indispensable in a democracy. After all, democracies are based on laws, not men. However, President Lincoln comes as close to indispensable as any American ever, as Scott Johnson wrote in 2016:

Today is of course the anniversary of the birth of America's greatest president, Abraham Lincoln. As a politician and as president, Lincoln was a profound student of the Constitution and constitutional history. Perhaps most important, Lincoln was America's indispensable teacher of the moral ground of political freedom at the exact moment when the country was on the threshold of abandoning what he called its "ancient faith" that all men are created equal.

Yes, he was the closest thing to indispensable in U.S. history! Perhaps we can pass that information to those in San Francisco who don't understand it.

So make sure you tell your kids about Abraham Lincoln today. They may not hear about him in certain school districts.

Image: Alexander Gardner.
News of the World ****

(Netflix, 118mins)

Has a feature film been made in America over the last few years that doesnt somewhere contain a Trump analogy? Theres even one in Paul Greengrasss News of the World, a dusty western set way back in 1870, when a newly United States was in the midst of painful post-war construction.

With no soldering left to do, Confederate army captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) now makes a living travelling around his native Texas reading newspaper stories to curious, illiterate crowds. For them, he is a grizzled conduit to the wider world, but those in authority reckon they can decide what news is fake and what is real.

At one point, Kidd is detained by the boss of a breakaway town run by a militia intent on excluding all outsiders (ie, non-whites). Ordered to give the news, the captain reads a restless crowd the story of a mining disaster caused by greedy employers. The boss calls this incendiary story fake, and a riot ensues.

Americas problems are old, not new, but in the 1870s they were at least easier to see.

Captain Kidd, a weary warrior, must live with the arrogance and corruption of the Union regime that now rules the old South, and is quietly shocked by the cruel treatment of Native Americans.

Not everyone who fought for the South did so in defence of slavery, and Kidd is appalled when he comes across a lynched black man by the side of a road.

Nearby he finds a young girl of 11 or 12 (Helena Zengel), startlingly blonde but dressed in the hides of the Kiowa tribe. She speaks their language too, but Kidd eventually finds out that the girl is by birth German; her settler parents were murdered when she was small, and she was taken in by a Kiowa family.

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Her real name is Johanna, but to her the Kiowa are her real people, and she kicks up a fuss when she finds out that Kidd intends to reunite her with her extended family.

Kidd is only doing it because no one else will, and he fears what will happen to Johanna if he doesnt find her some kind of sanctuary.

She has an aunt and uncle living near San Antonio, but getting there will not be easy, and they run into trouble on the lawless Texan back roads early and often.

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Theyre followed out of a frontier town by three ragged Confederate veterans who first offered to buy Johanna and now intend to take her by force. When theyre cornered, the captain and the girl take cover in high rocks and a one-sided gun battle ensues.

Kidd only has buckshot in his shotgun, but Johanna shows him an old Kiowa trick of using coins as deadly ammunition. Thereafter, a tentative partnership grows.

This being a Paul Greengrass film, one would expect non-stop action, with close-quarters fighting, but that gun battle is the only out-and-out action scene in this surprisingly old-fashioned, elegiac western.

Hanks, that jovial rock of decency at the heart of American cinema, has the same Mount Rushmore-esque aura of integrity as classic western actors like James Stewart and Gary Cooper.

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But to that he adds a quiet vulnerability: through News of the World he slowly lets us know that Kidd is as damaged as the little girl he is protecting.

So far as I know this is the first western Hanks has made, but he looks as at home on a horse as he does anywhere else. He is for me the pre-eminent screen performer of his generation, so good his acting is often overlooked.

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Playing across from him is the very talented young German actress Helena Zengel, who communicates her emotions powerfully while speaking in tongues.

News of the World is a quiet film, with a spare plot and a haunting sense of loss. Kidd has lost his sense of place, Johanna has been ripped from one family, then another, and the country they travel across is scarred by war.

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One conflict (the civil war) has ended, but another (the so-called Indian wars) would rage on for several decades, erasing whole tribes from the face of the earth, and herding survivors on to barren reservations.

At one point Kidd and Johanna encounter a displaced Kiowa party, who treat them kindly before disappearing forever into the misty plains.

Greenland ***

(Amazon Prime, 119mins)

The next time someone says to you 2021 huh  what else can go wrong?, point them in the general direction of Greenland.

A glum but efficient action thriller, it imagines the kind of chaos that might ensure if the Earth got hit by an asteroid. The good folk of Tampa, Florida are going about their sunlit business when a comet fragment vaporises the unfortunate city and large parts of the surrounding state.

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The reverberations are felt in nearby Atlanta, where structural engineer John Garrity (Gerard Butler) is informed that he, his wife (Morena Baccarin) and young son (Roger Dale Floyd) have been cleared to board a US government evacuation flight.

On the way, the Garritys get separated, and all witness the depths to which humanity can sink when social constraints are obliterated. Meanwhile, the cosmos continues to pelt the planet with bits of comet and molten debris.

When you hear the name Gerard Butler, you think of bulging biceps and gory fight sequences, but here he is subdued, almost human, and Greenland is a well-made disaster flick that will give you something entirely new to worry about. Hooray.

Eastern ****

(IFI@home, 78mins)

Mediterranean clan vendettas are starkly transposed to a plush Polish suburb in Piotr Adamskis pithy absurdist thriller.

For reasons that are never entirely made clear, a fierce blood feud has existed for decades between the Nowaks and the Kowalskis.

Murder begets murder as the families jostle for power, and when the Kowaks son dies at the hands of Klara Kowalska (Paulina Krzyzanska), a fun-loving teenager, everyone knows a response will be required.

Problem is, Kowak Senior is not able-bodied enough to take the necessary revenge, so the hit falls to his daughter Ewa (Maja Pankiewicz). This is a source of shame in a community whose swaggering males consider females innately inferior.

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And while Ewa sets out determined to prove herself worthy, she eventually begins to wonder if killing Klara is really going to solve her problems.

Adamski is a conceptual artist by trade (if that is a trade), and brings a cool irony to his story, which reminds you of recent Greek iconoclasts.

One wonders, too, if Adamski isnt having a pop at the rise of ugly and reductive far-right politics in his native land.

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West Bengal bandh news: Day-to-day activities were partially affected by the statewide shutdown in West Bengal's Birbhum district. The state government has also claimed that no such bandh will be observed and all government offices shall remain open. It also stated that employees taking a leave of absence except in emergency circumstances will lead to a pay cut.

"All-state Government offices, including those provided with Grants-in-aid by State Government shall remain open and all employees shall report for duty. No casual leave for absence or any leave shall be granted to any employee nor shall there be exemption on the ground of shift allocation," read a state government circular.

The Left activists have, however, blocked railway tracks in districts such as North 24 Parganas, parts of Kolkata, Malda, Barddhaman, Raiganj, Asansol, Dankuni and Nadia during this bandh. Communist Party of India (M) workers have also blocked the Ghosh Para road in Shyamnagar. Shops were closed in the Siliguri district in solidarity with the strike in West Bengal today.

Why strike in West Bengal today

The Left parties have called for a 12-hour long statewide shutdown after a clash between students and activists and police officials in the state secretariat of Kolkata, Nabanna. Activists were marching to Nabanna to demand industrialisation and jobs in the state.

Left and Congress activists demanding jobs clashed with police officials in Esplanade area in central Kolkata on Thursday as they tried breaking barricades on their way to state secretariat Nabanna. These clashes resulted in injuries to both protestors and police officials.

Police resorted to heavy lathi charge and also used water canons during the clash with students and activists in the Esplanade area. Left Front Chairman Biman Bose announced a 12-hour long bandh by the Left and associate parties from 6:00 am on February 12, 2021 in protest against the atrocities on students and young men and women by the "police force of the Trinamool Congress government". Bose also claimed around 150 students and young men and women got injured in these clashes.

Also read: Uttarakhand rescue operations: 36 bodies recovered; CM Rawat approves relocation of families
Bengaluru, Feb 12 : The BJP's central disciplinary committee on Friday served show cause notice to its own Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Karnataka for statements against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the MLA from Vijayapura has been constantly making statements against Yediyurapa and even alleged that he would be replaced soon by the party's high command with a leader from the northern Karnataka region.

A senior legislator from the BJP on the condition of anonymity confirmed to the IANS that Basanagouda had been served the show cause notice from Delhi.

Following the Central leadership's move, Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel said that since December he has been maintaining that Basanagouda will face stern action for his remarks against the government.

Even as time and again, Basanagouda had made statements over the leadership change in the state, several other BJP leaders denounced any such 'development'.

Despite, Nalin and Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda's repeated warning to the Vijayapura MLA, he turned a deaf ear to them.

Basanagouda targetted Yediyurappa in December alleging that he was "patronising dynastic politics", which is against the party's ethics.

Subsequently, after the cabinet expansion on January 14, he alleged step-motherly treatment meted out to some of the constituencies, besides accusing the CM's son B.Y. Vijayendra of meddling in the administrative affairs.

Currently, Vijayendra is the BJP's state unit vice-president, while his elder brother, B.Y. Raghvendra is the Shivamogga Lok Sabha member.

Basanagouda, is presently active in the ongoing Panchamsali Lingayat padayatra (march) by one of the most dominant and politically influential communities. Panchamsali, the largest subsect within the dominant Lingayat community to which Basanagouda belongs have demanded that their existing reservation category be changed from 3B to 2A.

Despite assurances from Yediyurappa to review and study the socio-economic conditions of the community, the campaign continues. The 465km march from Kudalasangama will culminate in Bengaluru with a rally scheduled o February 21.

While BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections, Yediyurappa had to resign merely two days after taking oath as the Chief Minister owing to his party's inability to muster a majority in the state Assembly.
PCUSA digitizes records of historic Mother Bethel AME Church

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The national archives of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has digitally preserved records of the historic Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Mother Bethel was originally founded in 1794 by Methodist preacher and former slave Richard Allen, who served as the first bishop of the AME denomination.

The Presbyterian Historical Society, also based in Philadelphia, recently completed their digitizing project, making them accessible here, as part of an overall effort to chronicle African American Christian history.

Margaret Jerrido, an archivist with Mother Bethel, told The Christian Post on Thursday that the project began in 2013, when the materials were first moved over to the Society for storage.

The Mother Bethel archives was running out of space to receive additional materials and I did a search for an appropriate place to house our materials, explained Jerrido.

Jerrido noted that the PHS was selected as the location because of various reasons, including its close proximity to the historic church, the humidity and temperature-controlled environment for the hard copies, and its security.

Presbyterian Historical Society Executive Director Nancy J. Taylor told CP that the digitizing process was with help from a grant from the Pennsylvania Abolition Society that supported the PHS initiative to preserve African American history in the area.

Using the funds, we digitized some Presbyterian records, including records of the first black Presbyterian church in the United States, First African Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, organized in 1807, said Taylor.

But we also knew that there were significant records stored in our building from Mother Bethel AME Church that had not been digitized. We began partnering with Mother Bethel in 2013 to preserve their records in our archives.

Although part of the PC(USA), the Society has stored documents and records from other denominations and ecumenical bodies like the National Council of the Churches of Christ and the World Council of Churches North American delegation.

However, this project marked the first time that they had digitized the records on behalf of a church belonging to another denomination, with Taylor telling CP that the Society was honored to have the opportunity to digitize some of the Mother Bethel records stored at PHS.

These are significant records for understanding the religious history of Philadelphia and the United States because of Mother Bethels national influence inside and outside the A.M.E. denomination, she continued.

The records also speak directly to African American history in Philadelphia and the broader United States. And making these records available in digital form opens up access to researchers interested in the pastors, lay leaders, and congregants who attended Mother Bethel during the date span of the digital collection, 1848-1982.
A bill making its way through the Tennessee Legislature would make it illegal for fulfillment houses in the United States to ship wine to Tennessee consumers on behalf of licensed wineries. If House Bill 0742 or its companion Senate Bill is 0705 enacted, wine drinkers in the Volunteer State could soon be unable to purchase wine from their favorite wineries. This bill caught wineries and consumers by surprise. If enacted, it could take business away from licensed fulfillment houses that do exactly what theyre authorized to do: Store wine on behalf of licensed wineries and ship it on their behalf via common carrier directly to consumers in Tennessee and other states. At this point, the motivation behind the bill is unclear.

What is a fulfillment house?

Wineries typically dont have the capacity to store much wine on premises, or the bandwidth to ship wine directly to customers in various states. Instead, they use fulfillment houses  licensed entities that store the wine, prepare it for shipment, and make sure it gets to a common carrier. The use of fulfillment houses by U.S. wineries is pervasive. Individual wineries or retailers handle the sale of the wine and collect all taxes due. The direct-to-consumer (DTC) fulfillment house handles the necessary shipping and legal logistics: picking and packing the wine, identifying the contents as alcohol, and arranging the delivery with a common carrier such as UPS or FedEx. Fulfillment houses are also known as third-party logistics companies. In California, theyre often called public warehouses. Fulfillment houses provide valuable services for wineries, many of which dont have the capacity to make DTC shipments themselves. Since they often have multiple locations throughout the country, they can cut down the length of time from order to delivery. They can also help keep shipping costs down. Using a fulfillment house helps ensure alcohol wont fall into the hands of minors. Fulfillment houses are required to use common carriers for delivery, and common carriers are required to obtain signatures on all alcohol deliveries. Fulfillment houses maintain records of deliveries and verification of the recipients age. Its estimated that over 60% of wine shipped DTC in Tennessee went through a fulfillment house before COVID-19 dramatically increased DTC wine orders nationwide.

A fulfillment house is not a third-party provider

Fulfillment houses are often mistakenly conflated with third-party providers, or TPPs. However, there are important distinctions between the two. Perhaps the most important difference is that fulfillment houses must be licensed, while TPPs are not. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control defines TPPs as unlicensed entities that are involved with the promotion, marketing, and facilitation of sales of alcoholic beverages by licensees over the internet. As such, TPPs typically do one or more of the following: Advertise alcoholic beverages

Make recommendations to consumers

Direct consumers to licensees

Receive orders from consumers

Pass orders to licensees

Process payments on behalf of licensees

Assist with shipping arrangements

What will change if HB 0742 becomes law?
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In this Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019, photo, fishing boats are moored in Mekong River, which has turned blue instead of its usual muddy color, in Nakhon Phanom province, northeastern Thailand.

Water levels in the Mekong River are down to worrying levels with some parts of the major Southeast Asian waterway in Laos and Thailand turning blue due to increased algae growth, the Mekong River Commission said in a report Friday.

The report by the MRC  made up of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnamsaid the lower levels were caused by a lack of rainfall since the beginning of the year, upstream flow changes, hydropower dams in the rivers tributaries and Chinas Jinghong Dam holding water back.

There have been sudden rises and falls in water levels immediately downstream of Jinghong and further down to Vientiane, [Laos], which has been challenging for authorities and communities to prepare for and respond to possible impacts, said Winai Wangpimool, Director of the MRC Secretariats Technical Support Division, in the report.

According to the MRCs monthly rainfall figures, since November, rainfall has been down 25 percent. The Jinghong dam on Thursday was releasing water at 775 cubic meters per second, nearly half of the usual level of 1,400 cubic meters per second, the MRC said.

At the beginning of January, Chinas Ministry of Water Resources told the MRC countries that it would lower outflow at Jinghong between Jan. 5-24 to 1,000 cubic meters per second to perform maintenance on powerlines. But the ministry did not communicate the water level before it started restricting flow, nor what water level they would return to on Jan. 25.

In Oct. 2020, Beijing agreed to share data with the MRC, a meare welcome in the region where 60 million people in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam depend on the river for agriculture and fishing.

Continuing this flow pattern could have an impact on river transport, fish migration, agriculture and river weed collection, Winai said in the report.

To help the Lower Mekong countries manage risks more effectively, we call on China and the Lower Mekong countries themselves to share their water release plans with us, he said.

The report said that monitoring stations in Thailand and Laos, water levels have been much lower than usual, while further downstream in Cambodia, levels were higher than the long-term average. In Vietnam Delta area, water levels fluctuate both above and below the long-term average, but this is a result of daily tidal effects on the seas.

Blue Mekong

The MRC attributed the aquamarine color of the river in north-eastern Thailand, a phenomenon last observed in late 2019, to a drop in sediment and increased presence of algae on the riverbed. Under normal conditions, higher volumes of water flowing at faster speeds dump more sediment and flush the system of algae, making the water murky brown.

Just like the situation in 2019, todays blue-green water phenomenon is likely to spread to other stretches of the Mekong where low flows are experienced, said the MRC Secretariats Chief Environment Management Officer, So Nam.

So Nam said that clearer water could reduce food sources for aquatic insects, fish and invertebrate species, which would in turn affect organisms higher on the food chain. This could harm the fishing industry, from which many rural communities draw their livelihood.

He also said that the bluish color could remain until the next flood season, which usually starts in May, provided that larger reserves of water are released in the Upper Mekong in China and the tributary dams.

Advocates for riparian communities are concerned that excessive damming of the Mekong and its tributaries could lead to long-term negative impacts on the people in the Lower Mekong.

"What we were worried about before the dams were built is actually happening now, Ormbun Thipsuna, a member of the council of community organizations based in the seven Thai riparian provinces told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

"What we can do is a call for no more dams to be built, because the dams will only aggravate the problems for the people of the Mekong River basin, Ormbun Thipsuna said.

The MRC statement did not include information about recent notifications from China on the water levels, but the Reuters News Service reported that Beijing said Jinghong has been releasing 1,000 cubic meters per second since the end of last month, a level which it said was two times the rivers natural flow. Beijing said the MRC should avoid causing public misunderstanding.

China has been the target of criticism from the international community for its cascade of 11 mega-dams on the river. The lower Mekong basin experienced severe drought over the past year, with stretches of the river even drying up entirely. The dams in China are at least partly to blame.
HALIFAX - The spouse of the gunman who killed 22 people in Nova Scotia told police that on the night he began his rampage she was beaten and shot at, and she begged for her life before she managed to escape.

A fire-destroyed property registered to Gabriel Wortman at 200 Portapique Beach Road is seen in Portapique, N.S., Friday, May 8, 2020. The spouse of the gunman who killed 22 people in Nova Scotia told a police officer she was beaten in her bed, shot at, and begged for her life before she managed to escape into the woods before his rampage began. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

HALIFAX - The spouse of the gunman who killed 22 people in Nova Scotia told police that on the night he began his rampage she was beaten and shot at, and she begged for her life before she managed to escape.

Newly released court documents also say the assault of Lisa Banfield by her common law partner Gabriel Wortman on the night of April 18 wasn't the first such incident, and that he was "abusive towards her in the past, but she never reported any of the abuse."

The details of an argument between Banfield and Wortman, and the attack on her that followed are included in a statement she provided to RCMP Const. Terry Brown on April 19, which was used as part of a police application for a search warrant.

After his assault on Banfield and her escape, Wortman began a killing rampage, which only ended the next day after a police officer shot him dead at a gas station in Enfield, N.S.

According to Banfield's account, an argument started during an evening party to celebrate their 19th anniversary at the "warehouse," one of the buildings the gunman owned in Portapique, N.S. During a FaceTime call to discuss holding a "commitment ceremony" for their 20th anniversary, a friend had suggested "don't do it," the witness statement says.

Banfield said in the statement she became upset and said she was leaving the party, and her partner became angry that she was leaving. Banfield told the officer she felt sorry and returned to apologize, but Wortman was "already mad," and she continued back to their cottage in Portapique.

"Banfield went to bed and Gabriel Wortman came in and ripped the blankets off her and started to beat her up ... told her to get dressed and said, 'It's done,' " according to the document.

It says the killer poured gasoline around the cottage, told Banfield to get a gun out of the cottage and then made her walk in front of him towards the warehouse in order to pour gasoline on it as well.

The statement says he wouldn't allow her to walk behind him and "ripped her shoes off her feet." At one point, she started to run from him but tripped and fell.

"Wortman picked her up by the hair and started pulling her towards the warehouse. Wortman tried to handcuff her but only got one handcuff on and then he started shooting at the ground around her," the document says.

"Lisa Banfield begged Gabriel Wortman not to kill her. He shot the firearm again and then put her in the back of the police car and then he went upstairs in the warehouse." The gunman owned several decommissioned police vehicles.

According to the statement, she managed to kick the window out of the car and to crawl through, and then ran into the woods.

She hid through the night before going to a neighbour's house, where police met her and took a statement from her at 6:30 a.m.

Another witness, described in the documents as a "carpenter and friend of Gabriel Wortman," told an officer during an interview that he'd heard Banfield saying in the past that Wortman had "put a gun to her head."

The 52-year-old Banfield is among three people charged with unlawfully transferring ammunition, specifically .223 calibre Remington cartridges and .40 calibre Smith and Wesson cartridges, to the gunman in the month before his rampage.

However, police have noted, she and others had "no prior knowledge of the gunman's actions.''

Several groups that advocate for abused women have criticized the charges against Banfield, citing the evidence of prior assaults against her and the coercive control the gunman had over her life.

In a news release in December, Martha Paynter, chair of Wellness Within, a non-profit group serving criminalized women, said the charges caused her to feel "profound disappointment" in the RCMP, saying her arrest demonstrated a lack of understanding by the force that "intimate partner violence is about power and control."

In May last year, a former neighbour of the gunman told The Canadian Press she had reported Wortman's domestic violence and cache of firearms to the RCMP in 2013.

The neighbour said she passed on reports that Wortman had held down and beaten Banfield behind one of the properties he owned in Portapique.

Domestic violence is being examined as an aspect of the mass shooting, and the upcoming public inquiry has been mandated to consider "contributing and contextual factors, including the role of gender-based and intimate partner violence."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2021.
District collector D. Muralidhar Reddy said the polling will be conducted on March 14 from 8 am to 4 pm and the counting would be held on March 17 and the election process will be completed on March 22. (Photo:PTI)

Kakinada: The election for the MLC under the Teachers Constituency for East and West Godavari Districts will be held on March 14, according to a schedule announced by the Election Commission on Thursday.

The election notification will be issued on February 16 and the last date of filing nominations is February 23. The scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on February 24 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 29.

District collector D. Muralidhar Reddy said the polling will be conducted on March 14 from 8 am to 4 pm and the counting would be held on March 17 and the election process will be completed on March 22.

According to the final electoral rolls for the East and West Godavari constituencies, there are 17,285 voters  9,560 voters in East Godavari district and 7,725 voters in West Godavari district.

Muralidhar Reddy said there are 5,953 male voters and 3,607 female voters in East Godavari district and 4,693 male voters and 3,032 female voters in West Godavari district.

He said 67 polling centres will be set up in East Godavari district and 49 in West Godavari.

The voters can get further information by calling toll free number 1950 (District Election Officer) or tahsildars, MPDO or municipal offices.
Note: This story has been revised to include updated information about funeral services.

R.C. Thor spent his professional life as a psychiatric nurse in the Army, but his passion was the stage.

Even after he was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease more than a decade ago and could no longer physically manage a full show, he still sang in cabarets at the Woodlawn Theatre any time he felt strong enough.

Theater people are the bravest amongst the bravest people in the world, to get up there and put something up in front of people they dont know, Thor said in a 2015 interview with the Express-News. Its tough work sometimes. But its worth it.

Thor died Wednesday at the age of 83. He died at home, with husband Gary Ozuna as well his brother and other friends by his side.

The Parkinsons had taken a severe toll the past two years, eventually leaving him housebound and unable to stand for very long  a difficult fate for a man who once cartwheeled across the stage in a production of Oliver! when he was in his 50s.

He made a comment recently about Eartha Kitt, said Ozuna, who was with Thor for 18 years and who married him in 2012. It was a comment that Eartha Kitt made when she was dying. She said that she was going to kick and scream all the way to the end, and he said he was going to do that. And he kind of was until the last couple of days.

Thor was born Robert Charles Thorschmidt in 1937 to a musical family in New York. He grew up performing, finding satisfaction and acclaim in attention-getting smaller parts rather than leads.

Ive had supporting roles throughout my entire career in the theater, he recalled in an Express-News interview. Starting way back in high school, I was always the father, the grandfather, the older man, but I kind of liked that because it got attention, and so thats what Ive continued with all my life.

After he enlisted in the Army, he spent any free time he had seeking out opportunities to perform.

The Army brought him to San Antonio in 1964 to work with schizophrenic patients at a VA hospital. He struck up a friendship with fellow nurse Gertrude Baker, a force of nature who shared his love of theater.

I got a call one night from her, and she said, Bob, we need you. She went to Incarnate Word College (now the University of the Incarnate Word), where she was a double-major in religious studies and theater, Thor told The Express-News. They were doing the first musical at Incarnate Word, and that was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and they needed men in the chorus. And thats why she called me.

It was the first show he did in San Antonio; about 100 more followed.

Thor played Fagin in a few productions of Oliver!, but was probably best known for playing Daddy Warbucks, the wealthy industrialist who adopts the title character in Annie. He played the character in the first area staging of the musical in 1984, when Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels produced it. Four more Annie outings followed, including his final show, a staging of Annie Jr. at the Josephine Theatre.

People think its the only show I ever did, he said in an interview.

When the Woodlawn Theatre produced the musical in 2018, director Christopher Rodriguez invited Thor to come speak to the cast.

Daddy Warbucks in San Antonio is and always will be R.C. Thor, said Rodriguez, executive and artistic director of the Woodlawn. Hes iconic in that role, and had done it so many times.

He came to a dress rehearsal, so all our kids were gathered around and he talked about his experiences and what the show meant to him. I know a lot of kids, still today, talk about that, and how great it was meeting this well-known performer to give them words of wisdom before they did the show.

Encouraging young performers was important to him, Ozuna said. He went to shows at the North East School of the Arts and the young peoples shows at other theaters, and he made it point to chat with those in whom he saw something special. He sometimes brought them sheet music for songs in their range and pointed them to professional performers they might want to emulate. When they would ask how they could repay his kindness, he asked them to do the same thing for young performers when they grew up.

The couple established a scholarship fund in Thors name administered by the San Antonio Area Foundation that benefits students at the Woodlawn Academy, the education arm of the theater.

Actor Byrd Bonner, who appeared onstage with Thor in a number of shows, including a 1997 Jewish Community Center staging of Rags, spoke to him last weekend. Thor had noted that Parkinsons sometimes ravages sufferers minds, but that was not the case for him: I was amazed at how good his memory was and how quick his wit was, Bonner said.

He said that one of Thors defining characteristics was his generosity. He saw as much theater as he possibly could and made it a point to chat with actors afterward, praising their performances.

Through his scholarship fund, that generosity will continue to benefit young performers long after his name fades from memory, Ozuna said.

They might not know who he is in 20 or 30 years, he said. Its sad. But hes still going to help them.

Thor is survived by Ozuna; his brother and sister-in-law Charles R. and Elaine Thorschmidt; nephews Jonathan Thorschmidt and Charles Thorschmidt, Jr. ; and his nephews mother, Maggie Thorschmidt.

The funeral, which had been scheduled for Feb. 19, has been rescheduled becauase of this weeks severe weather. It will take place Feb. 26, with visitation from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. followed by a service at Mission Park Funeral Chapel, 3401 Cherry Ridge. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Parkinsons Foundation or to the R.C. Thor Scholarship. Donations to the scholarship can be made at woodlawntheatreacademy.org.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Indians pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training on Wednesday in Goodyear, Ariz. Soon the lineup discussions will begin.

What lineup will manager Terry Francona use against right-handers? What about lefties?

Francona doesnt start worrying about lineups until late in spring training. He lets it develop over time. But at least we can warm to the idea while theres still snow on the ground and ice in the driveway in Northeast Ohio.

Here are my lineups for lefties and righties for the 2021 season.

Indians lineup vs. right-handers:

1. 2B Cesar Hernandez (S).

2. CF Oscar Mercado (R).

3. 3B Jose Ramirez (S).

4. LF Eddie Rosario (L).

5. DH Franmil Reyes (R).

6. RF Josh Naylor (L).

7. SS Amed Rosario (R).

8. 1B Bobby Bradley (L).

9. C Roberto Perez (R).

The skinny

* The switch-hitter Hernandez gives Francona a good place to start. He batted leadoff for the majority of the 60-game sprint last year.

* No doubt Mercado is a gamble in the No.2 spot based on the 2020 problems he had at the plate. But Im counting on him bouncing back to 2019, when he hit .269 (110-for-409) with 63 runs, 14 homers and 50 RBI out of the No.2 spot. He stole 14 bases in 17 attempts as well.

Hows this for a wild-card entry in center, switch-hitter Billy Hamilton? The Indians are bringing him to camp on a minor league deal. If Hamilton shows he has anything left would you bat him first, giving Francona the potential to have three switch-hitters at the top of the lineup? Or would you drop him to the No.9 spot where he could use his speed to steal bases?

Bradley Zimmer remains a possibility in center as well, but hes not a No.2 hitter.

* Ramirez can hit anywhere from first to fifth. I like having Mercado sandwiched between the two switch-hitters in Hernandez and Ramirez. In his career Ramirez has slashed .302/.399/.601 in the No.3 spot. That includes 63 homers and 170 RBI in 258 games.

* Rosario is another player who can hit anywhere in the top five or six spots. He can face both lefties and righties, but has much more power against right-handers.

* Reyes can handle lefties and righties but he showed much more power against righties (nine homers, 34 RBI, .796 OPS) last year.

* Right now Naylor will probably be a platoon guy. The majority of his big-league at-bats have been against righties, but hes a .304 (17-for-56) hitter vs. lefties in limited work. In 2019 at Triple-A for San Diego he hit .292 (14-for-48) against lefties.

* Rosario joined the Indians in the Francisco Lindor-Carlos Carrasco trade. In his career hes a .300 (115-for-383) hitter against lefties with 11 homers and 42 RBI.

* Not sure if Bradley wins the first base job or not. If he doesnt, it could go to Jake Bauers or Naylor. This is a big spring for Bauers and Bradley. Bauers is out of options, Bradley has one left.

* Perez won his second Gold Glove last year, but struggled offensively because of a right shoulder injury. He hit 24 homers with 63 RBI in 2019. If healthy, can he repeat that?

Indians lineup vs. left-handers

1. 2B Hernandez (S).

2. CF Mercado (R).

3. 3B Ramirez (S).

4. DH Reyes (R).

5. LF E. Rosario (L).

6. RF Jordan Luplow (R).

7. SS A. Rosario (R).

8. Perez (R).

9. 1B Bradley (L).

The skinny

* Hernandez is a .287 career hitter against lefties, but his average and OPS have suffered the last two seasons.

* In 2019 Mercado had a .755 OPS against lefties and .753 against righties. Hamilton, another option in center, played for the Mets and Cubs last year.

* Ramirez hit .386 (22-for-57) with eight homers and 14 RBI against lefties in 2020. He posted a 1.407 OPS against them (.478 on-base percentage+.930 slugging percentage).

* Reyes has a .508 career slugging percentage against lefties. Hes a .299 (75-for-254) lifetime hitter against them.

* Eddie Rosario hit just .236 (13-for-55) against lefties last year. In 2019, however, he hit .287 (43-for-153) with five homers and 27 RBI. If Rosario needs a break, newly-signed Ben Gamel, another left-handed hitter, is a career .284 (74-for-261) hitter against lefties. Gamel, of course, has to make the team. Zimmer is a possibility as well.

* Luplow is hitting .309 (51-for-165) with 15 homers and 34 RBI over the last two years against lefties.

* Amed Rosario hit .311 (46-for-148) with six of his 15 homers against lefties in 2019.

* Perez hit .154 against lefties last year and .264 with nine homers and 19 RBI in 2019.

* Right now the Indians dont have a right-handed hitting first baseman. So it has to be Bradley, Bauers or Naylor. Bradley has hit 147 homers in the minors. Is this the year he breaks through?

A variety of Cleveland Indians face masks available online today. (Fanatics.com)

New Indians face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.up

New Indians face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.

Buy Indians gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, Lids

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The People vs. Larry Flynt actress Courtney Love shared a touching tribute to Hustler founder Larry Flynt who died, age 78, from heart failure on Wednesday.

'RIP my favorite smut peddler, social justice warrior, secret husband, light in the dark cave, and legend,' the 54-year-old grunge rock icon - who boasts 2.2M social media followers - wrote Thursday.

'You'll be missed.'

Grieving: The People vs. Larry Flynt actress Courtney Love (pictured January 29) shared a tribute to Hustler founder Larry Flynt who died, age 78, from heart failure on Wednesday

The 54-year-old grunge rock icon wrote Thursday: 'RIP my favorite smut peddler, social justice warrior, secret husband, light in the dark cave, and legend. You'll be missed'

Courtney famously got clean in order to portray Larry's (Woody Harrelson) fourth wife Althea Leasure, who was 17 when she met Flynt as a go-go dancer at his Hustler Club in Columbus.

The Hustler co-publisher tragically died, age 33, by accidental drowning in 1987 after a four-year battle with AIDS.

The stirring performance earned Love (born Harrison) a nomination at the 54th Golden Globe Awards for best actress in a drama, which ultimately went to Secrets & Lies star Brenda Blethyn.

Flynt also played the part of Judge Morrisey in Milos Forman's critically-acclaimed 1996 biopic, which grossed $43M and is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

Best acting work: Courtney famously got clean in order to portray Larry's (Woody Harrelson) fourth wife Althea Leasure, who was 17 when she met Flynt as a go-go dancer at his Hustler Club in Columbus

The real Althea: The Hustler co-publisher tragically died, age 33, by accidental drowning in 1987 after a four-year battle with AIDS (pictured in 1979)

Career high: The performance earned Love a nomination at the 54th Golden Globe Awards for best actress in a drama, which ultimately went to Secrets & Lies star Brenda Blethyn

The People vs. Larry Flynt's climax was his triumphant First Amendment battle at the Supreme Court in 1988 against Reverend Jerry Falwell claiming libel over a crude ad parody.

The widowed mother-of-one also has fond memories on the set since she fell for Edward Norton - who played Flynt's busy lawyer Alan Isaacman - and they reportedly dated until 1999.

The 'King of Smut' was also mourned by The People vs. Larry Flynt co-screenwriter Larry Karaszewski on Wednesday.

'Hate him, love him - Larry Flynt was one of a kind,' the 59-year-old Golden Globe winner tweeted.

Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video! Flynt also played the part of Judge Morrisey in Milos Forman's critically-acclaimed 1996 biopic, which grossed $43M

Forman (R) directing Love on set: The People vs. Larry Flynt's climax was his triumphant First Amendment battle at the Supreme Court in 1988 against Reverend Jerry Falwell claiming libel over a crude ad parody

Odd couple: The widowed mother-of-one also has fond memories on the set since she fell for Edward Norton (R) - who played Flynt's busy lawyer Alan Isaacman - and they reportedly dated until 1999

'The events of today remind me that during Clinton's impeachment a Flynt investigation exposed the hypocrisy of the Republicans & caused the Speaker of the House to resign. He call us chuckling "Boys, I'm working on the sequel!"'

Courtney has spent the last 16 months in her 'recluse London phase' alongside her pet Pomeranian Bell.

Love told NME in November that she's 'recorded several new songs' for a new solo album, and she's also been hard at work penning her decade-in-the-works memoir.

'Hate him, love him - Larry Flynt was one of a kind!' The 'King of Smut' was also mourned by The People vs. Larry Flynt co-screenwriter Larry Karaszewski on Wednesday


Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  With chocolates among the most universal ways of celebrating love, this company is winning over the hearts of Filipinos and the rest of the world one locally produced chocolate bar at a time.

We Filipinos love celebrating romance. What better gift than chocolate? Everybody loves it and most especially, [its] food for the heart, Kelly Go, co-founder and managing director of Auro Chocolate told CNN Philippines The Exchange with Rico Hizon.

The products of Auro Chocolate, which was launched in mid-2017, consist of fine single-origin cacao and chocolate bars made with sustainably sourced beans from farming partners in Mindanao, according to its website. And more and more Filipinos have been embracing homegrown chocolates like what they have been making, Go added.

What makes it special is not only does the raw material, the cacao come from the country but its also produced here so were able to help our factory workers, give more employment, she further explained. These efforts also lead to the creation of goods that is enjoyed not only in the Philippines but also abroad.

Auro Chocolate has launched collaborations with firms in the United States, Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam. Since its creation, it has already won 36 global awards from prestigious award-giving bodies like the Academy of Chocolate and International Chocolate Awards.

And while the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for Auro Chocolate, as with other companies in and out of the country, the company co-founder still expressed gratitude for new opportunities that arose amid adversity.

The company has pivoted towards e-commerce especially during lockdowns, allowing them to still sell their artisanal goods and directly engage with customers all the more.

[D]uring the process of pivoting more towards e-commerce, we had to slow down our production a little bit but thankfully from third quarter onwards, its been really a steady gradual increase, said Go. And were thankful we really didnt have to let go of our team members.

And with Valentine's Day just around the corner, Go likewise gave aspiring and current lovers some advice: flowers work best with dark chocolate.

It's because it has more cacao, which makes it better for the heart, she added.
Scientists from three diferent institutions have produced a game changing new reference genome for the Asian malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi

Malaria transmitted by mosquitoes among vector-borne diseases remains number one, killing more than 400,000 in 2019. With the vast species of scorpions, sharks, snakes, and other deadly creatures, the deadliest animal on the planet by far is still the mosquito.

Scientist To Form A Defense Against Malaria

Scientists need a detailed understanding of the genomes of vector mosquitoes to engineer developed forms of defense against malaria transmission, including targeted gene drive-based and CRISPR.

At the University of California, Irvine, scientist Mahul Chakraborty is working on a project with colleagues at the Institute of Applied Biotechnology and Bioinformatics in Bangalore and the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society at UC India and San Diego,

A groundbreaking fresh genome reference for the Asian malaria vector mosquito called Anopheles Stephensi has been produced in India, which the scientists have said is now on the same level with the best animal genomes available to science (fruit flies and humans) as published in BMC Biology journal.

Professor of cell, developmental, and science director for TIGS-UC San Diego and paper co-author Ethan Bier says "The new genome assembly is a comprehensive and accurate map of genomic functional elements and will serve as a foundation for the new age of active genetics in An. stephensi."

The professor also added that the Anopheles stephensi is predicted to become a major urban malaria vector putting 126 million urban Africans at risk.

Chakraborty and colleagues uncovered more than 3,000 genes that recently evaded examination with the newly upgraded Anopheles stephensi genome. The recently revealed genes, which give fresh gene-drive targets, play a major role in immunity against microbial parasites, the metabolism of ingested blood meal, and blood-feeding.

ALSO READ - Volcanic Glass Could Potentially Control Mosquito Population

Advancement in Insecticide-resistance Lead to the Research

The research offers clues indicating that the molecular basis of insecticide resistance may differ between sexes. The findings include 29 previously undetected genes that play critical roles in resistance to chemical insecticides, an advancement that lends itself to the necessity of addressing growing African and Asian An. stephensi populations with insecticide-resistant mutations.

"Collectively, these results and resources underscore the significance of previously hidden genomic elements in the biology of malaria mosquitoes and will accelerate the development of genetic control strategies of malaria transmission," says paper co-author and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCI. J.J Emerson. The professor also believes that this study would help in studies of genome evolution

Previously invisible mobile genetic elements act as a crucial source of novelty in this species shown by the authors and also serve as substrates to develop structural variants and supplying raw materials for adaptation to chemical insecticides.

The scientists also reassembled much more so than in the past, the complex recently-recalcitrant DNA sequences of the Y chromosomes, disclosing genes involved in active selfish genetic elements that parasitize the genome only in males and male development.

RELATED ARTICLE - New Mosquitoes From Asia has Invaded East Africa

For more news, updates about malaria and similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Key indices pared gains in early afternoon trade. Pharma shares corrected after advancing in the past two sessions. At 12:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 132.78 points or 0.26% to 51,664.30. The Nifty 50 index added 31.35 points or 0.21% to 15,204.65.

The domestic equity barometers have climbed nearly 25% since January 2021 following a range of positive developments, including a high-spending union budget, strong corporate earnings, robust foreign fund flows and progress on COVID-19 vaccinations.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index rose 0.21% and the S&P BSE Small-Cap index gained 0.50%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1513 shares rose and 1247 shares fell. A total of 166 shares were unchanged.

Derivatives:

The NSE's India VIX, a gauge of market's expectation of volatility over the near term, tumbled 4.01% to 22.12. The Nifty 25 February 2021 futures were trading at 15,202, at a discount of 2.65 points as compared with the spot at 15,204.65.

The Nifty option chain for 25 February 2021 expiry showed maximum Call OI of 20.7 lakh contracts at the 15,500 strike price. Maximum Put OI of 28.8 lakh contracts was seen at 14,000 strike price.

Buzzing Segment:

The Nifty Pharma index shed 0.32% to 12,888.30. The index had gained 0.91% in the past two sessions.

Sun Pharma (down 1.59%), Alkem Laboratories (down 0.56%), Lupin (down 0.51%), Divi's Labs (down 0.50%) and Cipla (down 0.21%) declined.

Cadila Healthcare (up 0.84%), Biocon (up 0.59%), Torrent Pharma (up 0.54%), Aurobindo Pharma (up 0.49%) and Dr. Reddy's Labs (up 0.19%) advanced.

Strides Pharma rose 2.63% to Rs 888.60 after the drug company announced that its step-down wholly owned subsidiary has received US drug regulator's approval for Prednisone tablets. Prednisone belongs to a class of drugs known as corticosteroids and is used as an anti-inflammatory or an immunosuppressant medication.

Earnings Impact:

Bayer CropScience dropped 5.54% to Rs 5230. On a standalone basis, the company's net profit stood at Rs 45.10 crore in Q3 December 2020 compared with net loss of Rs 137.90 crore in Q3 December 2019. Net sales jumped 7.5% to Rs 918.20 crore in Q3 FY21 as against Rs 854 crore in Q3 FY20.

NHPC gained 2.23% to Rs 25.20 after the PSU company posted a 50.5% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 961.64 crore on a 9.3% rise in net sales to Rs 2359.68 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20.

COVID-19 Update:

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 107,767,935 with 2,367,856 deaths. India reported 135,926 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 155,447 deaths while 104,96,308 patients have been discharged, according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Milton Bowens was sound asleep when he was gruffly awoken at 4 a.m. by the buzz of an incoming call. When he answered the phone the voice of Kevin Johnson, former NBA star and past mayor of Sacramento, was on the other line with a request.

He was like, Who was the first Black brewer in America? and I said, Well, I don't know exactly  but I know the beer was called the Peoples Beer, Bowens said. Kevin was like, Dude  you gotta do a painting on that, and I was like, Uh  OK, Bowens chuckled as he recalled the conversation that took place in 2020.

The call would lead to the beginning of a collaboration between Johnson and Bowens, who is an artist and co-owner of Gallery 157, to create an art piece that celebrated Peoples Beer by Ted Mack, Sr., who is recognized as one of the first Black-owned brewers in the U.S., The Sacramento Bee reports. Last year Johnson, who co-owns Sacramentos Oak Park Brewing with Gwen Scott and restaurateur Dana Huie, bought rights to Macks original recipe and began reproducing the historic brew 50 years after Mack bought Wisconsin-based Peoples Brewing Company in 1970.

Macks endeavor was short-lived when Peoples Brewing Company closed two years later. His son Ted Mack II told the Sacramento Bee that he believes his late fathers business didnt succeed because he was blackballed in the brewing industry. The recanning of Peoples Beer at Oak Park Brewing highlighted the trailblazer, as did the 6-by-7-foot art piece Bowens created that is displayed inside Oak Park Brewings restaurant.

courtesy of Milton Bowens

During Black History Month, Oak Park Brewing is paying tribute to more trailblazers. The company has collaborated with Black-owned craft breweries in the Bay Area and Fresno to celebrate prominent American civil rights activists whose images are displayed on four-pack cans of beers. The beers include unique IPAs by San Francisco's Hunters Point Brewery, Oakland's Hella Coastal, and Fresnos Full Circle Brewing Co., which came together to produce the brews in Sacramento.

The four-pack include a red, black, hazy, and West Coast IPA and three of them are made with South African hops called Southern passion and African queen  both known for their fruit-forward flavors. Geoff Scott, a brewer at Oak Park Brewing, shared that both hops were new to him but that it was fun to tie them into the limited-edition beers, which are available at Oak Parking Brewing and online. The beers can also be found around Sacramento and Bay Area marketplaces.

I think it's historic all around, said Rodg Little, a brewer at Oak Park Brewing. You've never had four Black-owned breweries collaborate on a beer.

Images of Fred Allen Hampton, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Josephine Baker and James Baldwin individually grace the four cans, and each activist was personally selected by the breweries. Bowens is behind the artwork, which was part of a larger series called the People's Art Campaign that was showcased at Underground Books, founded by Johnson and located across the street from Oak Park Brewing.

Milton ended up doing about [15] paintings and each brewery got to pick from the group of people so that they could find one that resonated best with their companys mission statement and beliefs, said Scott.

Little said that one of the reasons Oak Park Brewing chose Ella Baker was because she grew up in North Carolina just like him. Bowens said that the primary subject matter in his pieces focus on history and with the Baker painting (as well as the other figures used on the cans), he wanted to shine a light on American civil rights activists that may not be widely known by the general public.

Ella Baker was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Bowens said. She's pretty much the architect of protests in the civil rights movement. A lot of people don't know her involvement or the genius that she was behind the movement.

Each beer can also include Bowens own handwriting along with a blurb about the historic figures. Little hopes that the special beers will work as a vehicle to educate and inspire consumers, too.

It's not just beer in a can, there is a lot to it, Little shared. We want it to provoke thought and we wanted people to share a byline. Hopefully in the future, we can inspire people of color to shoot for their dreams and not give up.

In a white predominant industry, the number of Black-owned breweries across the country is remarkably low. The New York Times reports that of more than 8,000 established breweries in the U.S., only about 60 of them are Black-owned. In 2015, Thrillist took a deep dive into the disparities of Black-owned breweries in America and cited racism as one of the problems.

Historically, theres been a lot of discrimination of African-Americans in terms of employment, and the brewing industry is not an exception, Celeste Beatty, founder of Harlem Brewing Company, told Thrillist. There were a number of studies done by the Urban League where they went to speak with brewing industry [employers] in the 50s, and they tell them, Theres no place for African-Americans, skilled or unskilled, in our breweries.

And thats another reason why canning Peoples Beer in 2020 was important at Oak Park Brewing.

More than anything, it's about showcasing the beer and getting the story out, Little said. A lot of people don't even know who Mr. Theodore Mack, Sr., is, and I feel like this was a push on his legacy and what he was trying to do. Once we connected with his family, they were all in on the rebirth of the beer.

Theodore Mack, Sr., really stressed in his civil rights activism to bring jobs  to the African American community, Scott added.

Bowens is thrilled to be part of the beer collaboration and said that the feedback hes received so far has been overwhelming, especially as hes completing an artist in residency program in Alabama. Hes a Bay Area native and said that hes received positive messages from several people on Instagram. (Just take a look at the reaction of one Hella Costal customer here.)

I don't even know why these four individuals are resonating the way that they are but I'm just glad they are because who would have known? Bowens said. It wasn't that they just put the images on the cans  but people need to know that Black people make beer too.

Likewise, Little and Scott are proud to be part of the project that celebrates Black History Month.

I'm just honored to be a part of it and leave a little stamp on history at Oak Park [Brewing], Scott said.

Oak Park Brewing is at 3514 Broadway in Sacramento.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, welcomes the adoption on Friday of the Declaration of the member states of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies on the situation in Myanmar.

Romania is holding the Presidency of the Community of Democracies.

The Declaration, supported by Romania, the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the United Mexican States, expresses deep concern about the situation in Myanmar where, as of February 1, "the democratically elected government has been removed by the military," according to an MAE release sent to AGERPRES."The document calls for the military leaders to respect the democratic norms and the rule of law, requesting the installing of the legitimately elected Parliament, as well as the release of detainees and respect for freedom of expression," the MAE said.The Declaration reaffirms support for the aspirations for freedom and peace of the people of Myanmar and for the democratic processes in that country.According to the MAE, the document reflects the central theme of the Romanian Presidency of the Community of Democracies, in the mandate held between September 2019 and September 2021, respectively the promotion and defense of democracy globally, as the only system that guarantees prosperity and sustainable development.


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An Ohio bartender, accused of storming the U.S. Capitol in military gear last month, said she believed former President Donald Trump wanted all abled-bodied patriots to come [to Washington, D.C.], a move she deemed necessary to stop Joseph Biden from becoming president, according to documents federal prosecutors filed Thursday.

The filings provide the most detailed views of the extremist push by Jessica Watkins and other members of the Oath Keepers, a militia group that rioted at the Capitol amid the Stop the Steal rally Jan. 6.

Hundreds of protesters forced their way into the Capitol the day both chambers of Congress certified Biden as the winner of the November election. Moments before the riots, Trump gave a heated speech about fighting for America.

In this backdrop, Watkins and her co-conspirators formed a subset of the most extreme insurgents that plotted [and] then tried to execute a sophisticated plan to forcibly stop the results of a presidential election from taking effect, prosecutors wrote in the filings in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

Prosecutors submitted the records as they sought to keep Watkins, 38, of Champaign County in Southwest Ohio, detained until her trial on federal charges of conspiracy, destruction of government property, obstruction of an official proceeding and unlawful entry into a government building. An attorney for Watkins is not listed in court documents.

She and two others -- Donovan Crowl, 50, also of Champaign County, and Thomas Caldwell, 65, of Clark County, Virginia -- are accused of carefully planning an attack on the Capitol with other members of the Oath Keepers, a right-wing extremist group made up mostly of former military and police officers who believe the U.S. government is stripping away residents rights and freedoms.

In the documents, Justice Department attorneys wrote that as the inauguration for Biden drew near, Watkins sought direction from President Trump. Prosecutors said her concern stemmed from taking action without his backing.

In a text to a supporter days after Trump lost the election, Watkins said, I am concerned this is an elaborate trap. Unless the POTUS himself activates us, its not legit. The POTUS has the right to activate units, too. If Trump asks me to come, I will. Otherwise, I cant trust it.

In late December, Watkins appeared ready to go to Washington: She sent a text that said, We plan on going to DC on the 6th because Trump wants all able-bodied patriots to come. She added that if the then-president activates the Insurrection Act, Id hate to miss it.

Prosecutors wrote that Watkins played a central role in organizing some of her groups trip to Washington with others in Ohio. She also worked to train others.

Watkins was thus not an ancillary player who became swept up in the moment, but a key figure who put into motion the violence that overwhelmed the Capitol, according to Thursdays filing.

Prosecutors said Watkins believed the newly elected government, with Biden as president, was illegitimate. The attorneys said Watkins exhibited a single-minded devotion to obstruct through violence an official proceeding  to confirm the next president of the United States.

Prosecutors said Watkins showed great fear of a Biden presidency. On Nov. 17, according to the filings, she told a person listed in her contacts as a recruit that if Biden gets the steal, none of us have a chance in my mind. We already have our neck in the noose. They just havent kicked in the chair yet.

She added: I dont underestimate the resolve of the Deep State. Biden may still be our President. If he is, our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights.

According to prosecutors, once she was in the Capitol on Jan. 6, she and others talked via cellphone app about what was happening. An unidentified man discussed executing citizens arrests of legislators for acts of treason, election fraud, the filings said.

For Watkins, this was a moment to relish in the swirling violence in the air, prosecutors wrote.

They said she gleefully exclaimed through the app that We are in the mezzanine. We are in the main dome right now. We are rocking it. They are throwing grenades. They are fricking shooting people with paintballs. But we are here.

An unknown male fired back to her, according to prosecutors: Get it Jess. Do your f---ing thing. Everything we f---ing we trained for.

Prosecutors called her a confirmed dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers. She has claimed on social media to be the commanding officer of the Ohio State Regular Militia.

On Thursday, prosecutors also sought to keep Caldwell detained until his trial on the conspiracy charges. On the night of the Capitols riots, prosecutors said, Caldwell had already begun thinking of the groups next operation.

He messaged Crowl and said: We need to do this at the local level. Lets storm the capitol in Ohio. Tell me when!

A message left at the office of Thomas K. Plofchan, Caldwells attorney, was not returned Thursday. An attorney for Crowl is not listed in court documents.

Lawyers representing the United States asked a San Francisco federal court on Thursday to suspend litigation over the government's attempt to shut down the WeChat messaging app in the United States.

The filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California follows a similar filing in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where the parties are litigating another part of the case.

In the two filings, the government said it wants to suspend the ongoing litigation to give the Biden administration time to consider if it wants to change the position previously taken by the Trump administration.

The 9th Circuit approved the stipulation on Thursday, putting the appellate proceedings on hold.

The District Court approved the stipulation Friday morning.

Approval of the stipulations puts onto the back burner a litigation that boiled furiously through the fall and early winter.

Michael Bien, plaintiffs' lead lawyer, said the suspension of proceedings was a positive development, "we think that the new administration should stop and take a look at [what] we think is an extreme position taken by the Trump administration in this case."

WeChat began in China as a messaging app and over the years added additional functionality including calling, video conferencing, and in-app payments.

WeChat is owned by the Chinese company, Tencent Holdings Ltd., and is estimated to have more than a billion users worldwide, including 19 million in the United States.

Asserting that the app is used by the Chinese government for surveillance and data collection within the United States, in August of 2020 then President Trump issued an executive order intended to "address the threat posed by WeChat".

The order, as supplemented by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce's delineation of six specified prohibitions, imposed a number of limitations and prohibitions on WeChat and third parties, including prohibiting new downloads of the WeChat app, stopping the transfer of funds out of the United States by WeChat users, and forbidding the providing of technical services to WeChat by third parties.

A group of WeChat users sued, contending--as U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler subsequently found--that by prohibiting third-party services such as web hosting and internet transit services, WeChat would be effectively be shut down, depriving millions of Chinese-speaking Americans of the primary platform they use to communicate and interact with friends and family in China.

Plaintiffs argued, among other things, that this violated the WeChat users' rights under the First Amendment.

The government contended that the order was a justified exercise of the president's national security powers against a "foreign adversary whose hostile acts are undisputed, and whose aspirations for global dominance are undisputed."

The magistrate judge rejected the government's position and, on September 19, 2020, she issued a preliminary injunction blocking the order.

Based on the evidence presented during an emergency hearing held on the weekend before the order was to go into effect, the magistrate ruled that the order was a burden on the First Amendment rights of WeChat users in the United States.

She found that although the government had identified significant national security interests for its action, the order was not "narrowly tailored" to protecting those interests.

The injunction prevented the government from shutting down the app while the litigation went forward.

Government lawyers asked first the magistrate and then the 9th Circuit to suspend the injunction while the government pursued its appeal of the magistrate's ruling. Both courts denied the request. The government did not ask the U.S. Supreme Court for review.

The parties pressed forward with the litigation. Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint based in part on new information. The government moved to dismiss the complaint in part.

Meanwhile, on June 20, the Biden administration took office.

During the campaign Biden at times used tough language in referring to China, though it remains unclear to what extent his administration will continue many of the aggressive positions taken by the Trump administration.

In filing the proposed stipulation in the District Court, the government stated that the Commerce Department has begun a review of "certain recently issued agency actions, including the Secretary's prohibitions regarding the WeChat mobile application at issue in this case."

The government "plans to conduct an evaluation of the underlying record justifying those prohibitions, which will better position the Government to determine whether the national security threat described in the [order]... continue[s] to warrant the identified prohibitions."

Bien said that because the preliminary injunction will continue in force while that review takes place, the stand down is a good idea. "We're hoping they come to the right decision and will abandon this effort, which we think is both unconstitutional and violates presidential powers and also just bad policy."

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Russia is ready to cut ties with the European Union if the bloc hits it with harsh economic sanctions and travel bans, the Kremlin has confirmed.

Russia has been at loggerheards with the EU over the arrest and imprisonment of staunch Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny.

Russia expelled three European diplomats from Sweden, Germany and Poland after they observed protests calling for Navalny's release.

In retaliation, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pledged harsh economic sanctions against the superpower.

And now, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the bloc that Russia is 'ready' to cut ties if the sanctions go ahead, warning: 'If you want peace then prepare for war.'

It is not clear exactly what cutting ties would involve, however Mr Lavrov stressed that Russia is willing to strive for complete economic independence - in a similar style to its self-sufficient military.

The EU is also leaning on Russia for doses of its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, which is still pending approval from the EU regulator.

Russia (President Vladimir Putin, pictured) is ready to cut ties with the European Union if the bloc hits it with harsh economic sanctions and travel bans, its foreign minister has confirmed

Russia has been locked in a tense standoff with the EU over the arrest and imprisonment of staunch Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny. Pictured: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

Mr Navalny (pictured during a hearing) was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin

Three European diplomats said the EU European Union was likely to impose travel bans and asset freezes on Putin allies as soon as this month - with France and Germany signalling their willingness to move ahead.

In an interview due to be published in full later today, Mr Lavrov was asked whether cutting ties with the EU was on the cards.

He replied: 'We proceed from the fact that we're ready (for that).

'In the event that we again see sanctions imposed in some sectors that create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive spheres.

'We don't want to isolate ourselves from global life, but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace then prepare for war.'

Josep Borrell (right), the EU's minister for foreign affairs, held a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov (left), last week

The EU's foreign affairs chief Mr Borrell held a joint press conference with Mr Lavrov last week - after Russia expelled three European diplomats.

In it, Mr Borrell congratulated Russia for its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, before pushing the independent European Medicines Agency to authorise the jab so that EU citizens can use it.

US officials believe Mr Borrell 'got played,' by Russia, as they push for a united front against the country amid calls for it to release Mr Navalny.

Speaking at Friday's press conference, Mr Borrell said: 'I take the floor to just congratulate Russia for this success. It's good news for the whole mankind because it means we are going to have more tools to face the pandemic.'

A former senior US official for Barack Obama told The Daily Telegraph: 'Borrell should not have gone to Moscow in the absence of securing some kind of substantial deliverable in advance... It does look like the Russians played Borrell.'

Putting it bluntly, former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'This is an example of the EU kissing the backside of Russia.'

Following the press conference, Mr Borrell told the European Parliament he would suggest the EU impose sanctions on Russia over the arrest of Mr Navalny and the crackdown on his supporters.

Russian police raided the Moscow headquarters for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny as his wife Yulia (pictured) fled the country and headed to Germany amid rising tensions in Russia

Mr Navalny was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

He later was ordered to serve two and a half years in prison on the grounds that his time in Germany violated a suspended sentence he was handed in a money-laundering and fraud conviction.

The arrest sparked protests throughout the county on two weekends in January, in which a total of about 10,000 people reportedly were arrested.

Yesterday, Russian police raided Navalny's headquarters as his wife fled the country and headed to Germany.

The search by a dozen police ended about 1am.

It was not immediately clear if the police took away items as potential evidence, but photos posted by Navalnys staff on social media showed them bagging material including a coffee mug.

Meanwhile, his wife Yulia Navalnay landed in Frankfurt, Germany, yesterday according to local media reports.

The 44-year-old fled amid increasing pressure from the Kremlin on Mr Navalny's supports which saw her being detained during protests against her husband's arrest.

Yulia Navalnaya was detained after attending a protest against her husband's incarceration

There was no statement from police about the reason for the search of Mr Navalny's offices in Moscow.

The Mediazona news website that focuses on political repressions and human rights abuses cited a Navalny staff member as saying that police said they had received a report that pornography was being published at the office.

Yulia was detained during one of the protests over her husband's arrest and posted a selfie onto her Instagram page with the caption: 'Apologies for the poor quality. Very bad light in the police van.'

According to local media reports, she was released the following day and later fined 20,000 roubles (196) for attending an 'unsanctioned protest'.

The United States, Britain, Germany and the EU have urged Moscow to immediately free Mr Navalny, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying Washington will coordinate closely with allies to hold Russia accountable.

Pictured: Yulia Navalnaya arrives at the Moscow City Court to attend the trial of her husband

Earlier on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said further sanctions against Russia needed to target the right people.

In the wake of his sentencing earlier this month, allies of Russian opposition leader Mr Navalny called for immediate protests after the Kremlin critic was handed two-and-a-half years in prison for violating the terms of a 2014 conviction.

At his sentencing, Mr Navalny mocked Putin by giving him the nickname 'Vladimir the Poisoner of Underwear' and told a judge his trial is only taking place because the Russian leader had failed to kill him with Novichok.

Navalny told the Russian courthouse that Putin is 'demanding to steal underwear from opponents and smear them with chemical weapons'.

He also said Putin wanted him imprisoned to 'scare millions' and warned the President that 'people will realise.'

He then made a heart gesture to his wife who was sat at the back of court and said 'Dont be sad! Everything is going to be all right.'

Welcome speech by Mr Vitas Vasiliauskas , Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, at the joint Bank of Lithuania and European Investment Bank Webinar on Investment and Investment Finance, 11 February 2021.

Good morning, dear Marco, dear Thomas colleagues, presenters and viewers,

A warm welcome to this joint webinar organised by the Bank of Lithuania and the European Investment Bank (EIB). Allow me, first of all, to thank the EIB for approaching us with the idea to hold this event.

This is indeed a pivotal time to talk about investment. Investment decisions that we make now will be crucial in both the short and the long run.

Let us begin with the short-term implications. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), gross fixed capital formation in the euro area fell by almost 11% last year. This is a stark contrast to the US, where this decrease did not amount to even 2%. In 2021, investment in the US will remain stronger as well.

Accordingly, GDP in the euro area is now projected to recover to the pre-pandemic level only towards the end of 2022. The US, meanwhile, is likely to make up for the lost ground already this year, whereas China's output has not only fully bounced back  it has already returned to its pre-pandemic trend. Europe should not be satisfied with such outlook.

The euro area needs a stronger investment push to speed up our recovery and catch up with the other large economies. Otherwise, painful long-term scarring effects will become unavoidable.

Public investment is key in this regard  especially in the current low-rate environment, characterised by historically low sovereign debt servicing costs as a share of fiscal revenue.

As for the private sector, various surveys and reports show that uncertainty now stands as the largest barrier for private corporate investment. Our estimations show that even in Lithuania, despite its strong economic resilience displayed so far, private sector investment is likely to have fallen by almost 8% in 2020.

However, policy makers can address this issue. Current research suggests that when firms grow risk-averse due to uncertainty clouding the future, public investment becomes much more effective than usual. Not only does it have a higher multiplier, but it actually crowds-in private investment, rather than crowding it out. That is, of course, if it is high-quality public investment which is well-targeted and can enhance the potential output.

This is why a consistent and speedy implementation of the Next Generation EU package will be so important for Europe in the near-term horizon. At the heart of the package is the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). By supporting Member States' reforms and public investment, the RRF will provide an anti-cyclical fiscal impulse in the immediate term  much needed across many parts of Europe. And I do believe that, given the current circumstances, it can catalyse private sector investment.

However, there is a risk that the European money will not be disbursed quickly enough because of administrative obstacles or because the RRF plans put forward by Member States may simply lack ambition. Lithuania has a good track record regarding the absorption rates of European funds  we currently rank ninth in terms of the 20142020 financial perspective. But we cannot grow complacent.

Lithuania should take full advantage of the RRF funding and put forward a high-quality plan for the Commission in April. By this, I mean a plan that is based on a rigorous cost-benefit analysis and is in line with the European priorities. The Bank of Lithuania stands ready to mobilise its expert capacities to help ensure that the plan advances a serious investment and reform agenda.

This leads me directly to the long-term perspective.

According to the latest data, Lithuania's GDP decreased by 1.3% in 2020, beating the previous forecasts made both by the Bank of Lithuania and international institutions. And this is despite the ongoing second lockdown.

In this light, the RRF is important to Lithuania not so much as an immediate relief measure, but as a tool for long-term economic transformation over the upcoming years and even decades.

Indeed, we need to think strategically of the post-pandemic world. At least three major forces will be shaping our future  shifts in supply chains, digitalisation and climate change. Our investment strategies will have to accommodate these trends.

First, the pandemic has, at least partly, provided an impulse to reverse globalisation. Vulnerabilities related to global value chains have been exposed. Countries and regions have declared their intensions to repatriate the production of strategically important goods.

It is crucial that Lithuania, which has not yet achieved full economic convergence with the EU average, uses these global shifts to its advantage. We need to attract foreign direct investment that could help us enhance our participation in the recalibrated value chains. We should focus on bringing in higher value-added activities, so that we could provide a strong impetus to the growth of labour productivity and, consequently, the potential output.

Second, digitalisation has also been greatly accelerated by the pandemic. Restaurants and shops have digitalised their processes to offer delivery services. People have been working remotely for extended periods of time.

We therefore need to invest in digital infrastructure, including 5G networks, to fully adjust to the new reality.

Digitalisation will also bring more automation and artificial intelligence, thus providing a boost to productivity. We should encourage this with our investment policies, including investment in human capital, so that the labour force can successfully participate in this brave new digital economy.

Here I see a connection with the third great force that will shape our future  climate change. Investment in green technology can not only help reduce CO2 emissions or bring about cheaper renewable energy.

Large-scale and ambitious green investment programmes can also help offset the negative effects of automation  the loss of jobs and growing regional inequalities.

Again, the Next Generation EU can become a good anchor for green investment. At least 37% of expenditure in each national RRF plan must support climate objectives.

However, green investment needs are even higher. Under the European Green Deal strategy, the EU is committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. It is estimated that the "green investment gap"  the additional investments necessary to achieve this target  amounts up to 300 billion per year.

Therefore, it is quite obvious that we will need to promote green investment on a national level as well.

One of the ways to do so is to provide more leeway for green investment in the European fiscal framework, the review of which is likely to resume in 2021. For instance, we could introduce a "green clause", which would exclude growth-enhancing green investment from the overall deficit target.

This issue is as relevant to Lithuania as to any other Member State, since the European Commission considers us to be at risk of missing our 2030 climate targets.

Fostering a financial system that is financing climate-friendly investment will also be an increasingly important topic for central banks. Last year, the Bank of Lithuania joined the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), aimed at scaling up green finance. Climate change, including related risks that are not correctly priced by the markets, will also be considered in the ongoing European Central Bank's (ECB) monetary policy strategy review.

Dear colleagues,

To conclude, investment today is as important as ever. First, it can help repair, i.e. restore growth in the short-to-medium term. And second, it is needed to prepare for the long game.

I therefore look forward to the upcoming discussions and presentations, including on the latest EIB Investment Survey and its key findings for Lithuania.

Thank you.

Amazon has filed a lawsuit against the New York Attorney General to stop the state taking legal action over its treatment of workers during the pandemic, after staff staged walkouts over warehouse conditions.

The retail giant filed the suit in Brooklyn federal court Friday accusing the state's AG Letitia James of overstepping bounds by launching a probe into its practices, legally threatening the company and demanding remedies like its surrender of profit.

The action comes after the retailer drew scrutiny 10 months ago when workers protested conditions at a Staten Island warehouse and it fired Christian Smalls - a warehouse worker and the man who organized a walkout - claiming he 'violated a paid quarantine'.

Senators questioned Amazon about the incident, the city announced a probe, and James said the company may have violated the law.

In November, Small filed a class-action lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging thousands of minority line workers were put at risk of contracting COVID-19 while working on the frontline of the pandemic.

Jeff Bezos's (left) Amazon on Friday sued New York's AG Letitia James (right) to stop the state from taking legal action over its early COVID-19 response

The retail giant filed the suit in Brooklyn federal court Friday accusing the state's AG Letitia James of overstepping bounds by legally threatening the company and demanding remedies like its surrender of profit

Amazon said in Friday's filing that federal labor and safety laws preempt those of the state, from which it is seeking injunctive relief.

According to the suit, Amazon's coronavirus safety practices 'far exceeded' what was required by the state at the time and it passed with flying colors an unannounced city inspection of its Staten Island facility on March 30, the day of the huge walkout.

The warehouse's temperature checks, signage to encourage social distancing, and the implementation of staggered shifts showed safety complaints were 'completely baseless,' it says the inspector found.

Amazon said demands by the attorney general's office (OAG) were 'far more stringent than the standard adopted by the OAG when defending, in other litigation, the New York State Courts' reasonable but more limited safety response to COVID-19.'

Amazon said the OAG assessed violations regardless of documentation the company provided, such as photographs of Smalls not social distancing.

James hit back at the suit Friday doubling down on claims that Amazon staff were forced to work in 'unsafe conditions' while the company and CEO Jeff Bezos profited from a surge in business.

'Throughout this pandemic, Amazon employees have been forced to work in unsafe conditions, all while the company and its CEO made billions off of their backs,' she said in a statement.

'This action by Amazon is nothing more than a sad attempt to distract from the facts and shirk accountability for its failures to protect hardworking employees from a deadly virus.'

James blasted Amazon execs as 'corporate bullies' and vowed not to let the $1.7 trillion-dollar firm 'intimidate' her or its workforce.

'Let me be clear: We will not be intimidated by anyone, especially corporate bullies that put profits over the health and safety of working people,' she said.

'We remain undeterred in our efforts to protect workers from exploitation and will continue to review all of our legal options.'

The filing of the atypical lawsuit shows how Amazon believes it was unfairly maligned despite the many COVID-19 precautions it implemented, including most recently COVID-19 tests and plans for vaccine administration.

It also demonstrates how the company will not back down from criticism of its workplace.

Amazon has repeatedly come under fire over its treatment of its workers amid the pandemic.

Christian Smalls during a protest outside of an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island on May 1

The retailer drew scrutiny 10 months ago when workers protested conditions at a Staten Island warehouse and it fired Smalls for violating a paid quarantine (a walkout at the plant on March 31)

Amazon share prices skyrocketed as stay-at-home orders shuttered bricks-and-mortar stores and sent consumers to order online.

While much of the nation went into lockdown and people switched to working from home, warehouse workers in Amazon's fulfillment centers were classed as essential workers and continued working on the frontline throughout the pandemic.

On March 30, Smalls - who worked at its Staten Island, New York, facility - led a walkout of staff at the center, claiming the company had not provided adequate protective gear or cleaned the warehouse after at least seven workers fell ill from the virus.

Other protests also took place at plants in Detroit and Illinois.

Amazon then controversially fired Smalls, claiming he violated a company-mandated 14-day quarantine when he turned up for work after being told to stay home because he had been exposed to the virus through another worker who had tested positive for COVID-19.

However Smalls argued his axing was in retaliation for begging management to sanitize the warehouse and to be more transparent about sick workers.

At the time, the New York AG slammed the company saying it was 'disgraceful that Amazon would terminate an employee who bravely stood up to protect himself and his colleagues'.

James's office launched an investigation and said her office was considering all legal options.

James sent a letter to the retail giant in April saying it may have acted illegally in firing Smalls 'to silence his complaints' and slamming the health and safety measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as 'inadequate'.

She wrote that preliminary findings 'raise serious concern that Amazon may have discharged (Smalls) in order to silence his complaints and send a threatening message to other employees that they should also keep quiet about any health and safety concerns.

'Amazon's health and safety measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are so inadequate that they may violate several provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.'

James' office also said it was looking into 'other cases of potential illegal retaliation' against workers and was carrying out interviews with warehouse workers.

Smalls (pictured) was fired by Amazon after they said he 'violated a company-mandated quarantine'. He said it was in retaliation for speaking out over conditions

A leaked memo then revealed plans from top Amazon executives to vilify Smalls.

In the memo obtained by Vice News on April 2, the company planned to smear the former management assistant, referring to him as 'not smart'.

'He's not smart, or articulate, and to the extent the press wants to focus on us versus him, we will be in a much stronger PR position than simply explaining for the umpteenth time how we're trying to protect workers,' wrote Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky.

In the memo, which took place at a day meeting and included CEO Jeff Bezos, Zapolsky's notes reportedly show executives mapping how to navigate bad press of Smalls' firing.

They allegedly wanted to make Smalls the center of Amazon's narrative about worker safety.

Zapolsky wrote: 'We should spend the first part of our response strongly laying out the case for why the organizer's conduct was immoral, unacceptable, and arguably illegal, in detail, and only then follow with our usual talking points about worker safety.

'Make him the most interesting part of the story, and if possible make him the face of the entire union/organizing movement.'

The memo allegedly showed executives considering using Smalls to discredit the company's labor movement.

Following Smalls' firing, hundreds of Amazon workers across the country joined in mass call outs in April claiming the company had placed warehouse staff at 'increased risk and exposure' to coronavirus.

More than 300 Amazon workers across at least 50 facilities called in sick as part of a week-long protest starting April 21, organized by worker rights group United for Respect.

By this time, coronavirus cases had been confirmed at more than half of the company's US warehouses and at least one worker had been killed by the virus, according to United for Respect figures.

Amazon's corporate employees came out in support of their warehouse colleagues in a 'virtual sick out'.

The company called the claims of poor safety conditions 'simply unfounded' at the time and said it had 'taken extreme measures to keep people safe, tripling down on deep cleaning, procuring safety supplies that are available, and changing processes to ensure those in our buildings are keeping safe distances'.

In July, Bezos testified at Congress about Amazon's business practices (above)

Amazon has since introduced a number of measures to better protect workers including daily temperature checks, enhanced cleaning, social distancing measures, disinfectant spray use, personal protective gear distributions and temperature checks.

Those who catch COVID-19 will receive up to two weeks of paid time off, the company said.

But Smalls has said he will not stop protesting until Amazon better protects staff.

In November he filed a class action suit seeking damages for black and Hispanic workers he alleged Amazon put at risk throughout the pandemic.

In the complaint Smalls, who started working for Amazon in 2015, says he confronted his supervisors after a friend at the facility tested positive for the virus.

He claims they declined to issue a quarantine order for those who had come into contact with the infected employee.

The facilitys managers also allegedly ignored guidance from state and federal public health officials, failed to provide workers with protective equipment and failed to establish social distancing guidelines, he says.

It also emerged in March that Bezos - along with other top executives - had offloaded shares just in time before the pandemic slashed their company values, saving themselves billions while workers across the US find themselves on the breadline.

Bezos was the biggest seller, offloading $3.4 billion in shares in the first week of February, saving him a staggering $317 million than if he had kept the stock through to March 20.

It also saw the billionaire sell as much stock in that one week as he did in the whole of the prior year.

More than 19,000 or 1.44 percent of Amazon's US frontline employees had contracted COVID-19 as of September, according to company figures.

The suit is the latest in a long line of legal battles between the retail giant and various states and entities as it comes under increased scrutiny over its business practices.

Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy is taking over from Bezos as Amazon CEO

Over the last four years, Amazon and Bezos have, along with the rest of Silicon Valley, faced tougher criticism from governments around the world about monopolizing technology .

In July, Bezos testified at Congress about Amazon's practices, along with CEOs of Facebook, Apple and Google, and insisted that Amazon is not anti-competitive despite its market dominance.

Federal Trade Commission officials are also probing the company over its business practices in retail and cloud computing.

Numerous antitrust investigations and suits are still ongoing against the ecommerce giant on both a state and federal level.

Last month, Amazon was slapped with a fresh suit accusing the retail giant of fixing the price of e-books sold on its marketplace by making anticompetitive agreements with the 'Big Five' publishers.

The suit, filed in the US District Court of the Southern District of New York, claims Amazon entered into fix pricing agreements with Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin-Random House and Simon & Schuster.

This enabled the publishers to increase prices by up to 30 percent and for Amazon to remain protected from price competition from rivals, the suit claims.

The same month, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong also said his office had an 'active and ongoing antitrust investigation' into Amazon over e-book price agreements with publishers.

Earlier this month, the company announced founder Bezos is stepping down as CEO to focus on his 'passions' including his space and climate change ventures.

He will be replaced by 53-year-old Andy Jassy, the current CEO of the Amazon empire cloud business Amazon Web Services.

Half-a-dozen long-stemmed red roses and a box of chocolates is the classic way to say I love you on Valentines Day but lockdown is not making things easy for sweethearts  or for florists.

For purveyors of flowers, its the biggest day of the year, along with Mothers Day and Christmas. But amid the pandemic, many business owners are worried their local customers may opt for the convenience of just grabbing a bunch from the supermarket, along with a sliced pan and a carton of milk. Florists are not allowed to offer a click-and-collect service.

Its actually soul-destroying. Youre walking through Lidl and youre wondering if you should even bother opening, said Carin OSullivan, of Strelitzias Floristry and Irish Craft Shop in Bantry, Co Cork.

I do feel that its grossly unfair that supermarkets are selling loads and loads of non-essential items like Valentines goodies.

Carin is originally from South Africa but after 20 years of living in the UK, moved to Bantry 18 months ago with her husband Dave, a maintenance manager at a hotel but currently on the Covid payment.

She is steadily building up her business but had to think outside the box in order to survive, striking a deal with a local garage to stock her flowers and Valentines Day packages such as balloons and teddy bears on their forecourt.

She has also agreed with a local organic farmer to stock his vegetable boxes at her shop. He was delighted because hes got a little baby and he had been trying to get into Bantry, she said.

Meanwhile, she has also recently begun to sell other items like hand-wash and face masks, saying: If the supermarkets can carry on selling on non-essential items, then Ill sell essential items.

My husband doesnt buy me flowers because I work with flowers. I get a nice card or perfume.

But if somebody was going to buy me flowers from the supermarket or from a florist, Id appreciate the florist more because it shows they made an effort.

Read More

Carin said the supermarkets were not competing fairly with florists, for whom the cost of a single rose from the Netherlands is around 2.78.

The supermarkets have a different arrangement  whatever they dont sell, they just send back.

Florists took to the airwaves during the week to vent their frustration on RTEs Liveline over how the Level 5 restrictions are severely affecting their business, while supermarkets are allowed to sell flowers at knockdown prices, with one supermarket offering 100 roses for 40.

At the Blue Rose Florist in Dublins Raheny, manager Marie Bradley thinks they have lost 30pc of their business due to the lack of passing trade.

Because they are not allowed to offer click and collect, she has had to decline business, probably turning down around 30 offers so far from people who said they just wanted to grab something from her shop.

The amount of people who ask me if they can get something delivered before 10am and I cant do that so were losing that sale.

Were OK because we have a good online presence but not everybody does and if youre based in a shopping centre, it must be really hard watching everyone come out of Dunnes and Tesco with their bunch of flowers.

We could be doing a lot better. Were basically having to say that 30pc of our business is gone because we dont have the passing trade.

Its not that we think were more important than any other business, like the pubs or restaurants. No, we dont. But its Mothers Day, Valentines and Christmas for us  it only happens three days of the year.

Meanwhile, she worries for her older male customers. Theyre not used to ordering online  theyre knocking on my shutter and asking if they can get their flowers. They dont want to buy with a card, they pay with cash.

"I dont know what theyre going to do. Im assuming their daughter will help them  if they have one.

While at Windmill Flowers in Drogheda, Co Louth, manager Niamh Gogarty said they too had lost about 25pc to 35pc of their business due to the lack of passing trade.

Click and collect would be better but the orders are coming in and were just trying to do our best.
WASHINGTON: The United States' Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry on Thursday applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for effectively addressing climate change concerns of the world.

Addressing the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021, Kerry commended Narendra Modi for setting a target to generate 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030. "This is a strong, terrific example of how to power a growing economy with clean energy, and it's going to be one of the most important contributions," he said.

By 2030, the International Energy Agency forecasts that if India drives even more aggressively towards this clean energy transition, it will create half a million additional jobs than business as usual would create, he said. "Indian industry is obviously already stepping up and showing leadership," Kerry said while showering profuse praise on Prime Minister Modi.

"We believe India can be one of the most critical transitional countries in this entire endeavor," Kerry said adding that he was confident that just as the US and India have worked very closely on any number of issues in these last years, the two nations - the world's two biggest democracies - have a great deal to gain from joining hands in global leadership and confronting the climate crisis to meet this moment. Kerry said he intends to work very, very closely with India to address climate change challenges.

Kerry added that he was heartened to see that India's 2021 budget focused heavily on clean energy sources. India today, he said, is "actually a red-hot investment opportunity for its clean energy transition." After the United States and China, India today is the largest emitter of carbon in the world.

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An image from Feb 6, 2021 from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 shows natural-color images of the Big Island with abundant snow on the two peaks. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

The words "snow" and "Hawai'i" are not often mentioned in the same paragraphor even on the same vacation. But snow does fall in Hawai'i almost every year, and 2021 has seen a deep cold front drop snow on the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island at least three times in the past few weeksas well as on Haleakala on Maui. This means there are currently in snowcaps on Hawai'i's three tallest mountains.

In an image from February 6, 2021, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired natural-color images of the Big Island showing abundant snow on the two peaks. Nearly every year, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa with elevations at about 13,600 feet/4,200 metersreceive at least a dusting that lasts a few days. But this year, the snow has been more like a winter blanket of snow.

And as for snowfall in Hawai'i impacting vacation plans, well, it happened to me.

Ten years ago during a trip to the Big Island, I had a tour lined up to go to the summit of Mauna Kea to see the major telescopes located there. But while I was enjoying a sunny day on one of the black sand beaches, I received a phone call that the tour to the summit had to be canceled because a snowstorm had dumped close to a foot of snow at the peak of Mauna Kea, and the roads would not be cleared in time for my tour. As you might imagine, it was a major disappointment.

But with the Big Island's variety of climate zonesat least eight by some countsthere is always a variety of things to do. I had to settle for a helicopter tour where I saw the telescopes from a distance.

A view of the snowy summit of Mauna Kea in January 2011, as seen from a helicopter. Credit: Nancy Atkinson

This year, the road to the summit of Mauna Kea was closed again last week, and a high winds blasted at 45 to 75 miles per hour.

NASA's Earth Observatory website said that snowfall in Hawai'i is often associated with a weather phenomenon referred to as a Kona low. Winds that typically blow out of the northeast shift and blow from the southwest. The winds from the leeward, or "Kona," side draw moisture from the tropical Pacific, turning it from rain to snow as the air rises up into the high elevations.

A closeup view of the summit of Mauna Loa, via the Landsat 8 satellite. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

According to news reports, Hawaiians have found their way up the volcanic mountains with snowboards and boogie boards to take advantage of the snow. Others have filled their pickup truck beds to bring some of the white stuff down to friends.

Explore further Snow blankets Hawaii summits amid winter storm warning

Months before embattled lawyer Martin Phipps came under public scrutiny over allegations that he harassed his former wife and created a hostile work environment at his firm, his actions as lead attorney in Bexar Countys opioid litigation angered county officials and led to the resignation of a law partner, T.J. Mayes, from both the firm and University Healths board of managers.

The dispute was sparked in August when Phipps submitted a summary of an expert opinion without any input from the expert, Dr. Bryan Alsip.

Phipps designated Alsip, chief medical officer at University Health, as one of the countys expert witnesses in the lawsuit, which accuses more than two dozen opioid manufacturers of deceptive marketing, fraud and false representations. The lawsuit alleges those actions fueled the opioid crisis in the San Antonio area, which the county says resulted in steep costs for drug treatment and other damages.

The county filed the lawsuit in Harris County in 2018. Mayes was then County Judge Nelson Wolffs chief of staff.

Phipps later hired Mayes as a partner at his firm to work on the opioid litigation. While working at the firm, Mayes also served on the board of University Health, the countys public hospital system, as an appointee of Wolff  a position that would thrust Mayes into a conflict over the Alsip testimony and spur his resignations.

In August, Phipps submitted to opposing counsel a summary of Alsips expected testimony in the case.

In part, the 13-page report said Alsip would testify that opioid manufacturers aggressively promoted the drugs while downplaying the risk of addiction and overstating their benefits, changing the way doctors treat chronic pain.

This was news to Alsip.

The doctor was not pleased with the expert report which was prepared and submitted without any input from him and which purports to (but does not) contain his expert opinions, Alsips lawyer, Laura Cavaretta, said in an email to Phipps and other attorneys in September.

In an interview, Robert Vargas, a San Antonio political consultant who worked on the opioid litigation at the Phipps firm in a nonlegal capacity, said the firm submitted the report without Alsips knowledge.

One of my tasks during that period was to contact some of our experts that we were going to be working with, said Vargas, who resigned from the firm last month. I can say that when expert testimony was being crafted, that Dr. Alsips testimony was submitted without his knowledge. Dr. Alsip didnt know that we were putting him in there.

Alsip later was dropped as a designated expert in Bexar Countys case, and the report prepared under his name was withdrawn.

Alsip declined to comment. Phipps did not return a call seeking comment, nor did Cavaretta.

On Friday evening, the firm issued a statement that said in part: We categorically deny that anything improper occurred.  We remain committed to providing the absolute best service and support for our clients in an ethical and moral manner.

Phipps, 51, was arrested last week on a charge of harassing Brenda Vega, 24, his then-wife and former legal assistant to whom he was briefly married.

The arrest followed the resignations in January of several employees of the law firm, including Mayes and Vargas, who claimed in a joint letter that Phipps subjected them to a hostile work environment.

On ExpressNews.com: Phipps, 51, arrested on charge of harassment

The intersecting controversies have created uncertainty about Phipps future role in the potentially lucrative Bexar County lawsuit, in which the county is seeking damages of more than $1 billion.

The countys lawyers would collect a percentage of the sum recovered, a standard fee arrangement in civil litigation.

Under contract with the county, the Phipps firm stands to earn 50 percent of any legal fees. But last month, after Mayes resigned and began lobbing allegations of impropriety at Phipps, Wolff handed control of the lawsuit to Mikal Watts, co-lead counsel in the case. The Watts firm is entitled under the contract to 17 percent of legal fees.

In a letter obtained by the San Antonio Express-News, Wolff authorized Watts to take any action he deemed necessary to preserve the countys legal rights.

The change is in effect until the county judge can obtain further information regarding the ability of Phipps Mayes PLLC to continue as co-lead counsel or until the Bexar County Commissioners Court has an opportunity to consider this matter at its next scheduled meeting, Wolff wrote.

Commissioners plan to meet in executive session this month to discuss the lawsuit.

In an interview, Wolff called the dispute over Alsips expert testimony troubling.

It bothered me some when that happened, Wolff said. I dont know exactly what (Mayes) did or what his involvement was, but the fact that the law firm screwed it up wasnt good.

David Caudill, a law professor who teaches evidence and ethics at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, said he had never before heard of a law firm submitting an expert opinion without first receiving input from the expert. Attorneys sometimes are known to write an experts opinion, then show it to the expert for editing and validation before submitting it  a scenario that Caudill called unseemly but not necessarily unethical.

If I shortcut that obligation and I submit an expert report that the expert has never seen, then I see that the expert has not given the testimony, but rather the lawyer has pretended the expert has given that testimony, Caudill said. Now we seem to have an ethical problem.

Regret

When Bexar County hired the Phipps firm in 2017, Mayes was working in Wolffs office as his chief of staff and as a coordinator for the countys opioid task force. In 2018, Wolff named Mayes as chair of a subsequent opioid task force.

Mayes joined the Phipps firm in January 2019, recruited in part by state Rep. Diego Bernal, who was working as an independent contractor for the firm. Bernal said he cut ties with the firm last month at the same time as Mayes.

Mayes said he came up with a plan later that year to link Bexar County's opioid lawsuit with one by University Health, also represented by the Phipps firm.

The whole concept  and I know this because I came up with the strategy  was to use the UHS case as leverage when negotiating on behalf of Bexar County, Mayes said in an interview. Theyre separate cases, but for purposes of settlement talks they were connected.

In May 2020, Wolff appointed Mayes to University Healths board.

I didnt think that that would be a conflict, Wolff said. I didnt know it was going to lead to what it did.

As a University Health board member and a partner at the firm, Mayes said he tried to avoid any involvement in Alsips expert testimony in Bexar Countys case in order to steer clear of any conflict of interest.

He said he recognized a potential ethical conflict in making decisions on behalf of the hospital system as a board member while simultaneously handling a hospital executives testimony as a lawyer.

I made the decision above and beyond what was required to recuse myself from anything related to Alsips expert designation, Mayes said.

Nonetheless, Mayes became entangled in the dispute with University Health over the expert report, according to interviews and emails obtained by the Express-News, as well as Mayes own affidavit in a complaint he said he made against Phipps to the State Bar of Texas in January.

Hannah Santino, who worked as Mayes executive assistant at the Phipps firm from the summer of 2019 until February 2020, recalled setting up meetings between Alsip and Mayes.

I recall him being a priority person for T.J. to meet with, and he was a name that was on my list of to-dos, of appointments, Santino told the Express-News.

Last July, while Mayes was on University Healths board, he called Alsip to inform him that attorneys from (the firm) were interested in discussing his testimony in the Bexar County case, according to Mayes bar complaint against Phipps.

I informed him that the purpose of my call was to give him a heads up and that I (would) do everything I could to stay out of it, Mayes wrote. I regret this call and apologize to Dr. Alsip for it.

Pointing fingers

In the complaint, Mayes wrote that Phipps filed a document designating Alsip as an expert late at night after failing to meet a court-imposed deadline.

Expert testimony is a crucial element in a case such as the countys opioid lawsuit. Expert reports can help establish the defendants culpability and document the severity of the harm for which the plaintiff  in this case Bexar County seeks monetary damages.

Although Mayes was intimately involved with designations filed on behalf of 21 other experts in the Bexar County lawsuit, he said in the state bar complaint affidavit that he had no involvement with Alsips designation as an expert.

Cavaretta said otherwise in an email to Phipps and other attorneys.

In September, Cavaretta requested documents that the Phipps firm used in support of Alsips expert opinion. She complained that Alsip had never been provided with, or seen any of the documents which he purportedly considered or used in support of his opinions.

Cavaretta wrote that in response to her request for the documents, Phipps told her that Mayes was handling this issue. According to Cavarettas email, Mayes himself emailed her that we have all the exhibits in our possession and I am now handling this matter.

In an interview, Mayes acknowledged sending Cavaretta the exhibits. He said he did not read them. Mayes said Phipps ordered him to contact Alsip and send Cavaretta the exhibits.

Phipps ordered me to do those two things, Mayes said. I didnt want to do them, but I didnt think they violated ethical rules or any laws. I did both of which out of a sense of loyalty to Dr. Alsip.

Mayes said he apologized to Alsip about the bungled expert report at a board meeting.

I said, I had nothing to do with it, but Im sorry they did that to you, Mayes recalled.

As a result of the controversy, Wolff asked Mayes to resign from University Healths board. Mayes did so in November.

It was disturbing to the staff that that was done, Wolff said. I dont know the details of how it was done, but I did ask Mayes to resign from the board, which he did. I just thought that was not good.

The dispute over Alsips expert report also led Mayes to break with Phipps, he said.

It was that matter that made me decide to resign the firm and put together documents to alert the state bar and other authorities to Martin Phipps conduct, Mayes said.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
Biden nominee grilled for calling religious opposition to HHS birth control mandate extreme

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President Joe Bidens nominee to serve as the Office of Management and Budget director was grilled during a confirmation hearing Tuesday for calling opponents of the Obamacare contraceptive mandate extreme during a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday.

Neera Tanden, who currently heads the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Several lawmakers asked her about her previous tweets disparaging Republicans, many of which have since been deleted.

In addition to expressing concerns about her past comments about Republicans, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., asked Tanden to weigh in on her characterization of opponents of one of the most controversial aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, as extreme.

One statement that you made about people that have  personal religious convictions about contraception, like Little Sisters of the Poor and others, (you) called them a successful political cudgel helping isolate extreme  advocates from the mainstream, Lankford said. Help me understand how the personal religious beliefs of some Americans could be a successful political cudgel.

President Biden said he wouldnt tolerate disrespect in the White House. Yet his nominee for OMB Director has tweeted more in the past four years than President Trump and its pretty hostile. pic.twitter.com/yHzwQLvFvu  Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) February 10, 2021

Lankford was referring to comments made by Tanden in a 2012 article for The New Republic, a liberal publication.

Tanden asserted that [b]efore it was made into a religious issue, contraception was a subject where a majority of Americans were firmly on the side of womens rights: Most people viewed it as a basic health protection, not a controversial issue.

Thats why it was also successful as a political cudgel, helping isolate extreme anti-choice advocates from the mainstream, she wrote at the time.

Tanden told Lankford that she feels badly for anyone offended by my language.

I think in that regard, I was more speaking to people who politicized religion, not people who believe in religion, she responded. Im a person of faith myself and deeply respect people of all faiths and all faith traditions.

Lankford, a conservative Baptist, said that Tandens context didnt seem to be about people that used religion as a cudgel.

It seemed to be that the personal beliefs of those individuals became the cudgel, Lankford argued. Thats the part that threw me in that.

Tandens article came at a time when the Obamacare contraceptive mandate, which required employer-sponsored healthcare plans to cover employees birth control, was the subject of intense debate in the United States.

Tanden was not only an outspoken supporter of the Obamacare contraceptive mandate, but she also helped craft it.

Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Grace Meng and DNC Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus Chair Bel Leong-Hong explained in a statement after her selection as OMB Director that she is one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act.

They praised her for expanding access to health care for millions of Americans, including no-pay birth control for more than 55 million women.

Lankford also grilled Tanden on her past partisan use of social media to attack Republican politicians, insulting some of them ascriminally ignorant, corrupt, and the worst. Lankford contended that some of her actions seem to drift out of the partisan issues.

In her prepared remarks shared with the media, Tanden said she regrets the language she used and takes responsibility for it.

"Over the last few years, its been part of my role to be an impassioned advocate, she explained. I understand, though, that the role of OMB director calls for bipartisan action, as well as a nonpartisan adherence to facts and evidence.

When she was questioned by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, she apologized for her tweets.

I recognize the concern. I deeply regret and apologize for my language," she said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pressed Tanden on her contention that our budgets should reflect the values of a nation built on human dignity.

He asked her about the views of human dignity held by tens of millions of Americans who consider themselves pro-life. He argued there is a bipartisan commitment reflected in the Hyde Amendment not to spend federal dollars on government-funded abortions. He asked the nominee if she will ask to preserve the Hyde Amendment in the presidents budget request next

President Biden has supported repeal of the Hyde Amendment, and so  I will anticipate how that operates in the budget process. But that is a position that he took in the campaign and has held, she responded.

On Wednesday, the pro-life activist group Susan B. Anthony List sent out a series of tweets urging Biden to withdraw his nomination of Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget.

Maintaining that Tanden is out of touch with the American people on abortion, the group took issue with Tandens description of efforts to defund Planned Parenthood as partisan attacks on womens access to critical health services.

Additionally, the group slammed Tandens reference to undercover videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing the harvest and sale of aborted fetal body parts as doctored videos released by anti-abortion extremists.
In an effort to help schools reduce the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks as they resume in-person instruction, University of California San Diego and the County of San Diego are testing the Safer at School Early Alert system, an evidence-informed program to detect SARS-CoV-2 at schools and child care centers.

Modeled after UC San Diego's Return to Learn, a first-of-its-kind approach to safely resume teaching, learning and research at a university, Safer at School Early Alert system is scaled for individual schools and child care centers without the resources available at a research university.

Through daily wastewater and surface monitoring, the Safer at School Early Alert tests for the presence of particles of the coronavirus. Combined with a responsive testing strategy, the aim is to quickly identify children or staff members who are infected with COVID-19 before an outbreak occurs.

Ten San Diego County-area TK-8 schools and two child care centers are participating in this SARS-CoV-2 early detection program, which is funded by the County of San Diego and designed by UC San Diego.

When Vista Grande Elementary School began offering a hybrid-teaching model that includes 50 percent in-person classroom capacity, they instituted public health guidelines, including daily symptom screening, social distancing and requiring masks be worn by all students and staff.

Committed to a safe school environment for all, the school's principal, Tita Cordero-Bautista, and David Miyashiro, EdD, Cajon Valley Union School District superintendent, wanted to do more so they enrolled the campus in Safer at School Early Alert.

"The health, safety and well-being of our staff and students is a top priority. Our educators are using every resource at their disposal to foster an engaging learning experience filled with rigor. Still, we understand that distance learning is not ideal for every student or family," said Cordero-Bautista.

"Many in our community are at high-risk for COVID-19. By participating in the Safer at School Early Alert system, we hope to ease concerns about school safety so that parents and students are comfortable at school while building meaningful relationships and learning."

One in three adults infected by SARS-CoV-2 will not exhibit symptoms of COVID-19, but they can still spread the virus. The virus is detectable on surfaces and in human feces. Even those without symptoms will shed the virus in their feces and breathe it into the air, where it then settles on surfaces.

Return to Learn positioned UC San Diego as a nationwide leader in COVID-19 detection and mitigation. Daily screening, masking, physical distancing, weekly asymptomatic testing of students and daily wastewater monitoring are crucial elements of the university's larger strategy to incrementally repopulate its campus. Due to the effectiveness of Return to Learn, UC San Diego is one of the country's few major colleges that has a large student body on campus and a low rate of infection.

Many universities are doing testing, contact tracing, and face coverings, but what sets UC San Diego apart is our data-driven, adaptive, and comprehensive approach. Return to Learn has helped us successfully detect and manage the presence of virus on our campus. We've learned a great deal creating this approach. We want to share that knowledge with others to promote better health outcomes in school systems and in communities everywhere." Pradeep K. Khosla, UC San Diego Chancellor

Guided by scientific evidence and expertise generated by her colleagues who developed Return to Learn, Rebecca Fielding-Miller, PhD, MSPH, assistant professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego, is leading a team in designing a simple testing model that can be implemented at any school.

Safer at School Early Alert is being piloted within communities at highest risk for COVID-19, including San Ysidro, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Southeast San Diego and Vista. These communities primarily serve low income and immigrant families who have more challenges accessing COVID-19 testing and may have elevated levels of vaccine hesitancy.

"The Safer at School Early Alert system is in the validation phase right now to understand how accurate these monitoring systems are in child care centers and elementary schools. But, there is another important piece which is what happens after we receive a positive signal for SARS-CoV-2," said Fielding-Miller, the principal investigator. "Residents of the hardest hit communities are often reluctant to test for COVID-19, so we are working with these communities to try to understand how we can make testing feel safe and accessible. Because a signal going off without a test is alike a fire alarm going off without a fire extinguisher. It is not useful. It is just scary."

The program incorporates elements of risk mitigation, viral monitoring and a strong focus on public health intervention that works for each community.

"The safe reopening of schools remains a priority for the County of San Diego," said Wilma J. Wooten, MD, MPH, County of San Diego public health officer. "What UC San Diego has demonstrated, with the Safer at School Early Alert pilot program, models the types of steps that can help us ease back into classroom education while continuing to fight the virus."

The Safer at School Early Alert system includes three elements. The first involves technology launched at UC San Diego to collect daily wastewater samples that are tested at the laboratory of Rob Knight, PhD, professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine, for shed pieces of the coronavirus. A robot installed at each site collects wastewater samples, enabling researchers to detect SARS-CoV-2 three to five days ahead of individual tests. Child care sites also send used diapers to test fecal samples in children who are not yet potty-trained.

A second step includes daily surface monitoring. Teachers or staff use a swab to sample a one-square-foot section of the center of the floor in a classroom, which is where aerosols tend to settle. These samples are tested daily at the Expedited COVID IdenTification Environment (EXCITE) lab at UC San Diego.

Testing children and staff at each location is the third part of the detection program. Children and staff who voluntarily consent undergo free COVID-19 testing at their school or child care center in response to a positive result from wastewater or surface monitoring.

The first time a child undergoes the nasal swab, they may be nervous, said Fielding-Miller. To help ease their concerns, a team of certified nursing assistants talks the children through the process every step of the way ensuring they are in total control of what is happening, she said.

"We tell the kids that it is a very thorough nose picking. One of our testers says, 'I'm just going to chase your boogers around for a second,'" said Fielding-Miller.

Should a person test positive for COVID-19, the individual or parent is informed and advised to seek medical care. The school is also notified so that administrators can initiate exposure protocols.

In accordance with federal and state regulations, San Diego County Public Health is notified about positive cases. Participant privacy is a priority. Only medical and research professionals, as well as public health officials who need to know the identity of those who test positive for SARS-CoV-2, will have access to identifying information.

The program is currently processing 1,000 tests weekly using anterior nasal swabs. UC San Diego researchers developed a rigorous viral testing program that is designed to detect potential outbreaks as early as possible. Tests are processed at the EXCITE lab at UC San Diego. Test results are compared to results from the wastewater and surface monitoring systems to validate the program.

Should wastewater or surface monitoring provide a positive result, children and staff at the school or child care center receive a COVID-19 test as soon as possible so that the person(s) who may be carrying the virus and their close contacts can be quarantined to stop an outbreak.

"Our goal is to develop an intervention package that can be implemented across the county, across the state or even across the country," said Fielding-Miller. "We've heard from a lot of our school partners that the program makes them feel good and safe because there is this extra level of monitoring on their campus."
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 12 (ANI/NewsVoir): Columbia Global Centers, Mumbai has announced the launch of the Urban Works Innovation Challenge 2020-2021, inviting passionate innovators and startups with tech-enabled solutions to participate in transforming our cities into sustainable, safe and resilient workplaces, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The challenge, which is part of a three-year program inaugurated in 2018 and supported by the RMZ Foundation, gives young innovators a globally competitive opportunity to refine their solutions for some of India's most pressing social challenges and gain from tools, learning sessions and peer networks. Selected startups receive mentorship from faculty and alumni of Columbia University's prestigious Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, as well as from distinguished entrepreneurs and academics in India. They can also avail of unrestricted capital from a total annual fund of Rs. 1 crore, and teams with successful design prototypes will have the opportunity to pitch to leading corporations and investors.

Speaking about the inspiration behind this initiative, Urban Works mentor Michael Massimino, Former NASA Astronaut and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, noted, "Our planet is beautiful and fragile; it is the only place we have. We need to protect our cities and make them more sustainable and safer to live - this has been the focus of Urban Works."

YouTube Link: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeNU9PhsR4M & feature=youtu.be)

Urban India is plagued by issues including degrading air quality, rising plastic waste, hindered mobility, mental health problems, and reduced safety for women. The COVID-19 pandemic has further disrupted urban life dramatically, exposing vulnerabilities and risks in the functioning of our cities. In this evolving landscape, we need to ask ourselves which technological innovations can help cities adapt to the new normal, and how can we make our cities resilient? According to Dr Ravina Aggarwal, Director Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai, "The COVID-19 pandemic has provided the impetus to really rethink the digital and virtual space, and how we can use this as an opportunity to be of essential service to the country."

The 2020-2021 challenge focuses on designing app-based, IT-enabled, online solutions that span diverse industries and socio-economic geographies for cities in crisis. Broad areas for solution development include green technologies, decentralized energy-efficient solutions, sustainable resource use, waste management, accessibility, health and wellbeing, and gender security. Interested startups, professionals, entrepreneurs and researchers are invited to submit their applications by March 21, 2021.

For more details, please visit (https://globalcenters.columbia.edu/urbanworks)

Columbia Engineering, based in New York City, is one of the top engineering schools in the U.S. and one of the oldest in the nation. Also known as The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School expands knowledge and advances technology through the pioneering research of its more than 250 faculty, while educating undergraduate and graduate students in a collaborative environment to become leaders informed by a firm foundation in engineering.

The School's faculty is at the centre of the University's cross-disciplinary research, contributing to the Data Science Institute, Earth Institute, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Precision Medicine Initiative, and the Columbia Nano Initiative. Guided by its strategic vision, "Columbia Engineering for Humanity", the School aims to translate ideas into innovations that foster a sustainable, healthy, secure, connected, and creative humanity.

Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai is one of Columbia University's nine global centers that serves as a research, education, and knowledge hub for promoting new and informed ways of addressing global challenges. The Center conducts innovative and interdisciplinary research, designs educational opportunities for students and professionals, and disseminates research to wider publics in academia, government, civil society, and the private sector. By connecting the University's world-class scholars and students with peers from the region, the Mumbai Center works to deepen the knowledge that can transform society.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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But Mr Andrews said this time there will be no ring of steel separating Melbourne from regional Victoria. I dont want this thing to go from Melbourne to regional Victoria. If we have rules that are softer, that are easier in regional Victoria, and barely enough time to set up a ring of steel  once you had it up, youd almost be dismantling it at the same time, he said. Its five days, its not weeks. Its not a long-term thing. Therefore, its appropriate to have the same rules apply across the whole state. Bass Coast chief executive Ali Wastie said her council was preparing for a rush of people coming from Melbourne to the coast and Phillip Island.

Im sure there will be an influx of people on the island and across the Bass Coast, she said. But Ms Wastie said she expected the crowds would be down on the previous lockdown with all businesses across Victoria subject to the same restrictions. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Greater Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher said her council was preparing for the possibility of an influx of people from the city but had not seen any evidence of it during the day. She said the statewide nature of the lockdown would make it less appealing for Melburnians to rush to regional Victoria where the same restrictions applied to all businesses.

Loading Were aware it may happen but I dont think it will be as significant as perhaps it could have been, she said. A Transport Department spokesman said traffic across Melbourne was in line with a regular Friday afternoon. A spokeswoman for the Victorian government said it was working to clarify South Australias position. While we understand the intent of the South Australian government to protect its residents, its important to reduce the impact on communities whove built their lives across the border, she said.

Glenelg Shire chief executive Greg Burgoyne said the blanket ban on Victorians entering South Australia would pose major logistical problems for his council, which sits on the border. He called for the reintroduction of the bubble that allowed border communities to travel between Victoria and South Australia. We have staff based in South Australia who deliver essential services in terms of childcare and a range of other professions, Mr Burgoyne said. If this isnt addressed appropriately we wont be able to deliver services in some parts of regional Victoria. At the NSW border, Business Wodonga president Graham Jenkin said many traders would be hurting after preparing for a busy weekend. It will be as much a mental health battle as anything else particularly in hospitality and with Valentines Day on Sunday one of the biggest days of the year, he said.
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The defence ministry said it had taken note of some 'misinformed and misleading' comments on the disengagement underway at Pangong Tso

New Delhi: The defence ministry said on Friday that India had not conceded any territory to China in the disengagement agreement on Pangong Tso and that the next military-level talks will take up the outstanding issues at Hot Springs, Gogra and the Depsang plains in eastern Ladakh. The MoD statement also said India has persistently maintained the right to patrol till Finger 8 in Pangong Tso, including in the current pact with China.

India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for the LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo, the MoD said.

The defence ministry said it had taken note of some misinformed and misleading comments on the disengagement underway at Pangong Tso. This comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving away sacred Indian territory to China. Mr Gandhi said the Indian Army held the Finger 4 area in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control, but now it will move back to its permanent base near Finger 3.

As per the agreement, the Chinese troops will move east of Finger 8 on the north bank of Pangong Tso and the Indian troops will move to their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. The area between Finger 4 and Finger 8 will be no go zone for some time for both the armies.

The ministry said the assertion that Indian territory is upto Finger 4 is categorically false. Even the Line of Actual Control, as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China, the MoD said. It said the permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8, it said. The current agreement provides for the cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts, it said.

The MoD also said that defence minister Rajnath Singhs statement in Parliament on Thursday had also made clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hours of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement, said the statement. It noted that effective safeguarding of our national interest and territory in eastern Ladakh sector has taken place as the government had reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces. Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them, it added.


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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 14:04:39|Editor: huaxia

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SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Top diplomats of South Korea and the United States held phone talks over issues on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual concern, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Friday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken exchanged opinions over the phone about issues of mutual concerns such as Seoul-Washington relations, the Korean Peninsula issues, and other regional and global issues.

Chung and Blinken stressed that they will closely cooperate for the complete denuclearization of the peninsula.

The top diplomats agreed to hold high-level consultations at an earliest possible date to discuss pending issues.

On Wednesday, South Korea's top nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk talked over the phone with acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Sung Kim over the Korean Peninsula issue.

Denuclearization talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States have been stalled since the second DPRK-U.S. summit ended without agreement at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in February 2019. Enditem

The lawyer who unintentionally went viral due to his cat filter during a very serious meetinghas been noticed by one of the greatest fiction authors of her generation, Margaret Atwood. In response to the hilarious technical mishap, Atwood said she actually was a cat, but unfortunately stuck with this human mask she couldn't get rid of. Atwood, 81, maintains a very active social media life and likes to be updatedwith most pop-culture events that are making the rounds on the digital space.

I on the other hand am a cat. I just cant get this human filter off. Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) February 9, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic brought around a new digital revolution as a side effect. Most office goers, business people, even politicians and lawyers had to make their presence felt in their field by virtual meetings. Sadly, not everyone was prepared for such a huge change in life, especially those who arent very technologically gifted. Similar for this lawyer, who probably didnt know someone had messed with his device just before he used it for his virtual meeting. As a result, he attended a virtual announcement on a case while looking like a cat. The person who shared this video on Twitter put an advisory that every professional should make sure if a child has been playing with their computer/tablet beforehand.

The exchange in the meeting was hilarious as the lawyer had to convince the other members, Im here live, Im not a cat, with all the seriousness and innocence in the world.Atwood banked on this hilarious conversation by emphasising how she felt more like a cat who was masquerading as a human.

Twitter responded to the literary geniuss claim with a blast of memes and jokes:

Another reason I adore Margaret Atwood, and always will. https://t.co/KtWQj760tt ElizaCarlisle - LADY EDGEWORTH'S SECRETS out now! (@CarlisleEliza) February 11, 2021

Truer words were never spoke. https://t.co/Z0gv5GvYvK Kendra West (@thekendrawest) February 11, 2021

Is this the tweet of the year 2021 already? https://t.co/ijKQM7W2IJ prashant (@HrhPrashant) February 11, 2021

I have finally got the best way to introduce myself. https://t.co/LMhxQzdqvu Aparna (@begumcat13) February 11, 2021

The internet gets out of hand very quickly https://t.co/FbZlRlbCgv Kenzo (@rogue_kenzo) February 11, 2021

Atwood is a Canadian author who gave the world brilliant feminist dystopic fiction like the Handmaids Tale (1985) and Oryx and Crake (2003), both of which were Booker Prize finalised. Handmaids Tale received the years Arthur C Clarke award. Her fine portfolio, starting from 1961, includes over 18 novels, nearly a dozen non-fiction books, around ten short story collections, 18 poetry collections, couple of graphic novels, and multiple childrens books as well.
Gardai are examining a range of possible motives for the gangland-style murder of a father in north Dublin on Thursday night.

Patrick Lyons, 44, was walking along a laneway near his home in Ballymun when he was shot an estimated five times by at least one attacker.

He leaves behind a 10-year-old son, who only last week lost his mother, Mr Lyons' girlfriend.

Both Mr Lyons and his partner had a long history of drug use and had been long-term clients of local drug addiction services.

The victim, along with his son, lived with his own mother, who locals described as a "lovely lady".

Mr Lyons was not considered a serious criminal or gangland figure, and had convictions for relatively minor offences, such as theft and drug offences.

Sources said he may have been used as a scout and messenger by a local drug gang.

Lines of inquiry are understood to include any possible drug debts he might have owed or any other drug disputes he might have been involved in.

But detectives are also expected to investigate local reports that he may have been involved, along with other people, in a recent burglary.

Community sources said Mr Lyons may have talked in the area about the theft of a significant amount of cash from a house safe.

The suspicion is the house, possibly unknown to him, may have belonged to a serious criminal and that a revenge attack was ordered.

This is set to be investigated by detectives to determine if such a burglary occurred, if Mr Lyons was involved, and if there are any likely suspects.

Gangland feuds

Some community sources said gangland feuds that were very active in the area had quietened in recent years, with the odd eruption.

These sources stress that open drug dealing in the area was 24/7 in recent years and that young people were being used and recruited running and storing drugs.

They said there was a need for visible policing.

Local Fianna Fail TD Paul McAuliffe said he was in the area, talking to locals.

People have become numb to this type of violence. It brings a stigma to Ballymun with the negative publicity," he said.

A lot of people in the local area are working so hard  theres a lot of work in Belclare on the environment and the tidy town, but we effectively have these drug cartels in the area exploiting people and people caught up in addiction and the dangers of that.

He said it was terrible for locals having this happening on their doorstep.

In relation to the Garda presence in the area, he said: Its almost impossible to police this type of shooting, but open drug dealing is tolerated, and some areas are like a supermarket. Open drug dealing is much more pronounced in recent years.

Andrew Montague, who is chairperson of the Ballymun Local Drugs Task Force, told RTE radio there were not enough gardai to deal with drug-related criminality and not enough social workers to deal with the children being left neglected.

I talk to local gardai here and they would tell me they just cant cope with the level of open drug dealing going on in the area," he said. "They dont have the resources they need and we need a serious step up in Garda resources.

He is completing a report for Dublin City Council on the impact of open dealing on the community.

It is an honor to be recognized again as a Best and Brightest place to work. We have always known it is our employees that position The Trade Group as a market leader, but its more apparent than ever that is where the level of excellence we possess as a company is seeded.

The Trade Group, an award-winning event marketing and creative design firm, is pleased to announce that it has been named one of Dallas-Fort Worth Best and Brightest Companies to Work For for the fifth consecutive year. The annual competition, organized by National Association for Business Resources, recognizes organizations that display a commitment to excellence in their human resource practices and employee enrichment.

To achieve recognition as a local Best and Brightest company, organizations must display excellence in several categories, including: compensation, benefits and employee solutions; employee enrichment, engagement and retention; employee education and development; recruitment, selection and orientation; employee achievement and recognition; communication and shared vision; diversity and inclusion; work-life balance; community initiatives; and strategic company performance.

According to Chris Stone, President and CEO of The Trade Group, It is an honor to be recognized again as a Best and Brightest place to work. We have always known it is our employees and their contributions to the organization that position The Trade Group as a market leader. But, with the harsh reality of the past year and the various challenges we have faced as an industry, its more apparent than ever that is where the level of excellence we possess as a company is seeded.

Throughout the year of 2020, the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For have demonstrated leadership and forward thinking as they pivoted their business and workforce through Covid-19, says Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO, Best and Brightest Programs. As the conversation and focus has shifted, our Best and Brightest winning companies have also been a voice for important actions regarding race relations and employee wellbeing. In these unique times, the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For excel and share their knowledge with others.

To learn more about The Trade Groups services and solutions for trade shows, experiential activations and other live events, visit http://www.tradegroup.com or call 800-343-2005 to speak with a sales consultant.

ABOUT THE TRADE GROUP

The Trade Group is an award-winning, full-service event marketing and creative design firm, specializing in trade shows, esports events and activations, corporate events, brand activations, corporate interiors, retail merchandising, commercial graphics and experiential solutions. Since 1986, the companys team of live event, design and engineering experts has helped thousands of clients amplify their brands and successfully navigate a wide range of events and experiences. Clients rely on The Trade Group for: event ideation, creation and production; esports expertise; exhibit design and fabrication; graphic design and production; strategic marketing solutions; technology integration and more.


There is an odd pleasure in riding a bike. Some like the thrill of it as it gives them an adrenaline rush. For some, it is the freedom that they get from riding. Some like the long tours they can go on while for some, it is a necessity as they look to save time and avoid public transport. We all ride for different reasons, all of which makes sense if you put things into context.

But, which bike to choose is one question that plagues everyone. Here in Nepal, bikes are not a cheap commodity. Given the condition of the roads throughout the country, one clearly needs to take a lot of things under consideration before spending so much on it. So which bike to buy?

Here a list which might help you choose.

1. Hero Xpulse

The bike runs like a horse. Period. It can go on any terrain and is a value for money given it comes under Rs 400,000. It has got a good shock absorber so you do not have to worry about avoiding potholes or off-road. It is a good value for money, considering it offers a comfortable riding posture, especially while going off-road. Thanks to its tall and long handlebar, it is quite mobile too. For a 200cc dirt bike, it has got quite a good mileage too as it offers 40 km per litre around the city and around 35 km per litre around the highways. The initial pick up is quite good, but with a top speed of only 110 km/h, this bike is not for those who want to street race. But, for those who want to cruise around Nepal without worrying too much about the condition of the road, this is ideal.

2. Honda XR 190

Though a bit expensive due to the Honda brand, the bike is quite powerful. It is quite similar to the Xpulse but lighter, simple and more mobile. In short, the bike is as smooth as butter. The XR comes with a 184.4cc air cool engine which more than packs a punch. Initially, it does not feel powerful, but as you ride it for a while, you are bound to enjoy it. The mileage is decent too at 40 km per litre considering its top speed is 140 km/h. It is a bike for all terrains given its telescopic forks suspension which is the state of the air. Priced nearly Rs 650,000, it is quite expensive. But it is a Honda and it is bloody good.

3. TVS Apache RTR 200

Photo: TVS

It is another solid bike available at the moment. For the price, this bike is a bargain. It is fast, it is powerful, and, most importantly, it needs low maintenance. It is quite a looker too. The best thing about this bike is the mileage it offers for a 200cc bike. The company says that if you maintain your speed in double digits, you will get 40 km to the litre. It also reaches a top speed of 140 km/h relatively easily as it is light and easy to handle. Priced at around Rs 350,000, this is another bike that offers a lot of value for the money you will spend on it. It is ideal for adrenaline junkies who love speed, ideal for long-distance riding as well.

4. Yamaha FZS FI v3.0

Photo: MAW

This is arguably the best version of the FZ. The new muscular design is sleek as it does not compromise the riding. It is quite fuel-efficient too as you are bound to get over 45 km to the litre easily. The bike also has a good braking setup. The disc brakes at both ends offer great bike and progression through the levers, while the single-channel ABS setup ensures you do not lock the front end even in slippery conditions. It is only 150cc and has a top speed of 108 km/h, but the bike packs a punch. Priced at around Rs 330,000, the bike offers value for money. The acceleration is not that great, but if you are a safe rider, this bike is for you. There are better bikes than the FZS FI, but considering what you get for the price, it is worth it.

5. Suzuki Gixxer 155

Photo: Suzuki

For a 150cc bike, Gixxer is a well-built package, with sporty streetfighter looks. The bike is sturdy, reliable, has accurate handling and refined engine characteristics. Even though Gixxer does not have the biggest or the most powerful engine in its segment, the bike is a smooth operator. Even at high speeds, the engine feels refined and smooth throughout the powerband and there are no vibrations whatsoever even when you cross 110 km/h. The mileage is quite low though at 40 km to the litre, but on Kathmandus roads, it is satisfactory. Priced at Rs 325,000, it offers a lot of value and should be considered if you are considering buying a bike.
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The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) has written to Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, seeking his intervention and action so that BARC India resumes publishing the ratings for the news genre.

As is known, BARC had ceased to publish the weekly individual ratings for all news channels from October 2020, in what it called was an exercise to improve their statistical robustness and to significantly hamper the potential attempts of infiltrating the panel homes. For this, BARCs Technical Committee has been reviewing and augmenting the current standards of measuring and reporting the data of niche genres.

Also read:

BARC to pause audience estimates (ratings) of news channels

NBA welcomes 12 week suspension of TV ratings

The step was taken following revelations of manipulation of BARC panel homes in Mumbai. Since October 2020, the weekly ratings for the News genre has remained suspended.

Now, news broadcasters are seeking a resumption of the weekly ratings as, they implored the I&B Minister that mass livelihoods were at stake as the ratings dark period is impacting the smaller news channels the most and many were staring at an uncertain future.

In its letter, NBF blamed a group of channels with deep pockets and heavy capital behind the move to keep ratings in indefinite suspension. While the suspension of ratings may not have financial bearing on them, it certainly has put an unimaginable amount of stress on our finances, the NBF added.

It further alleged that this biased and selective suspension of ratings of a single genre has the effect of muzzling news channels, crumpling their revenue models, threatening the livelihood of their employees and driving honest channels to extinction.

Following is the complete letter, which has been signed by 51 mostly regional news channels as well as Republic TV, R Bharat, NewsX, India News, among others.

"We are a group of 51 news channels, writing to you in great distress and in deep concern. Cumulatively, we reach an audience of about 70 crore people, and given the developments and decisions of the past few months, there is a threat to the livelihood of lakhs of employees cumulatively, should the present trajectory to arbitrarily single out and act against the news genre continues.

We write to you to reiterate our concerns regarding the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) taking the decision to suspend ratings, for a continual period. Initially, we accommodated the sudden suspension of ratings on being told it would last for a period of 2-3 months  which in itself was a difficult period to get through and caused a huge stress on our finances and operations. However, that declared duration has long been past, and with no sign or sight of the return of broadcast ratings to the news genre, now the very survival of our news channels is at stake.

At the very outset, it remains a fact that ratings are derived from common bar-o-meters for news and non-news channels, so simply suspending the ratings for the news genre for the purpose of improving the rating system is not just unreasonable, but also defeats the very purpose of combating any alleged manipulation.

While everyone in the news genre signing this letter is in agreement that manipulation must not be tolerated or enabled and firmly stands for fair practices, what is happening today is the use of the garb of alleged manipulation to suspend ratings indefinitely and thereby, shut down smaller news channels that do not have the clout and capital that some much larger players do. A group of channels, with deep pockets and heavy capital is behind the move to keep ratings in indefinite suspension. While the suspension of ratings may not have financial bearing on them, it certainly has put an unimaginable amount of stress on our finances  in fact, to a point that we may well soon be compelled to take tough decisions that may impact our operations. This biased and selective suspension of ratings of a single genre has the effect of muzzling news channels, crumpling their revenue models, threatening the livelihood of their employees and driving honest channels to extinction.

We humbly submit the following:

We have been gravely economically impacted by the decision at a time when the financial fallout of the pandemic has already had a grievous impact on us. Now livelihoods and our news channels are under existential threat.

As you are aware, the on-going pandemic has thrust all businesses and operations into severe financial stress. Right in the middle of this excruciating economic situation we were faced with because of the health crisis, BARC suspended the publishing of news-genre ratings. This has only worsened our ability to keep our channels afloat, fund our operations, pay our salaries, run our news teams and newsrooms smoothly and without interruption. BARC is the only television audience measurement system for India, and therefore, our advertising revenue directly hinges on regular circulation of these ratings by BARC.

With such indefinite suspension of news channels from ratings, the sustenance and livelihoods of thousands and thousands of our employees across the country is at stake. Our operation is a sum-total of work done by not just reporters, anchors, editors, editorial desk teams, production teams, corporate teams, but also security guards, pantry personnel, secretarial staff and many others who will not be able to tide through should our channels be pushed into further financial distress. Braving all odds, our staff recognised their roles as essential workers and contributed even during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is outrightly unfair if despite their honest & diligent work at the most trying times for the nation, they are left without jobs because the rating agency suspended ratings on a whim and drove out any possibility of revenue for the news networks subscribing to them.

Even as big channels with deep pockets are deploying pressure to keep the ratings suspended indefinitely, smaller news channels across India have their survival at stake.

We, humbly submit, that we are small and honest news organisations with the only purpose to deliver its viewers the news and nothing more. We are channels from across India, each one of us are dependent on honest advertising models to keep our news operations running for the viewers we are answerable to. Today, 111 days after the suspension of ratings by the agency, our existence will soon come under threat and the livelihoods associated with our news organisations will also come under threat. This is grave injustice.

It is crucial to note that the bringing back of ratings does not in any way compromise the changes envisioned and being drafted to the mechanism of measurement of TRPs  be it the changes related to the format or sample size or any other novel modification. We humbly request that in the interim the ratings are published so that the news industry and its advertisers are infused with confidence.

Defies logic that the News genre is being selectively penalised when even non-news channels and others are being investigated.

It defies logic to assume that if panel homes were being bribed and manipulated, it was limited only to the news genre. It is also crucial to note that it is in the public domain that non-news channels are also being investigated. However, unexplainably, ratings have only been halted for the news genre based on a claim.

This raises massive concerns that despite news and non-news channels being probed as part of the alleged TRP manipulation scam, only the news genre is being penalised by suspension of ratings. It explicitly denies a level-playing field for those in the news genre. Today, even though non-news channels are being probed, advertisers are being compelled to be driven away from the news genre. This in itself denies a level playing field and creates a situation of favourability of non-news channels, which is unjust.

Broadcast is a pan-India medium not limited by geography.

Broadcast is a pan-India medium, and not limited to a certain geographical perimeter. The narrow application of the suspension of ratings to a selective genre based on a selective complaint in a limited jurisdiction is entirely untenable and illegitimate.

We as stakeholders in BARC are ready for changes, but arbitrary suspension of ratings is undue and endangering our survival.

We are ready for any changes of BARC, but the complete absence of ratings has truly destroyed the economy of news channels. We are stakeholders in BARC. Data measurement is the lifeline of our broadcast industry, in the past too there have been incidents of manipulation, but shutting it down is not the solution. The improvements can only happen while the data flows continuously. Its an ongoing process of improvement.

We are humbly requesting you to urgently intervene so that:

BARC starts to publish ratings for the news genre in pendency of the investigation so that livelihoods can be saved

If weekly ratings are problematic to publish, an alternate system to publish ratings can be brought out so that advertiser confidence in the News genre is restored

We are not forced to shut down operations despite having done no wrong

News organisations do not face extinction due to corporate and conflicting interests

We hope that you will recognise the urgency of the situation and the grave effect the current suspension of ratings has on the entire news genre. Ratings for all news channels must be released with immediate effect.

We look forward to a positive response and restoration of ratings."
The Tauranga Salvation Army is running two courses aimed at building resilience and improving peoples relationships.

The Positive Lifestyle Programme and Building Awesome Whanau will be held at The Salvation Army on the corner of Cameron Road and 5th Avenue.

The Positive Lifestyle Programme offers participants a practical eight-week course in developing skills promoting self-awareness.

A lot of people are overwhelmed by anger, grief and loss, and just dont know how to escape these feelings, says Tauranga Salvation Army community ministries manager Davina Plummer.

The course is a great opportunity for people to take stock of where they are at and why they do what they do, she says.

Often, we carry on in life repeating whatever we were raised with or have learnt, and don't have an opportunity to consider the impact of the experiences we have had or to dream and plan our own future goals.

This, in turn, leads to happier whanau and optimism for the future.

Separate womens and mens courses are run by a trained facilitator. Topics include stress management, building self-esteem, assertiveness, grief, anger and conflict resolution, and goal setting.

The next womens course begins on February 16. The first mens course will begin in the second term.

A course designed to help whanau raising tamariki aged zero to 12 years will begin on February 11.

Tiaki Tamariki Maia  Building Awesome Whanau includes practical ideas and positive stories from parents still on the journey with their own tamariki.

The course facilitator supports participants in their journey with their whanau. Session topics include building your family on aroha, protecting your whanau, creating boundaries to keep the good stuff in and the bad stuff out, creating and maintaining a positive atmosphere in the home, communication and living in the big, wide world.

The course is for parents and caregivers and runs over six sessions.

For more information email: tauranga.cm@salvationarmy.org.nz or phone: 07 578 4264.
Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are all set to start shooting for Tiger 3 in coming months. While more details of the story are under wraps, a new report has revealed that Emraan Hashmi will be joining the cast as the antagonist.

Yash Raj Films reportedly wanted to cast a relatively new face as an antagonist after casting Sajjad Delafrooz in 2017 release Tiger Zinda Hai. A source told TOI, "YRF felt that Emraan fits the role as a T. He is a fine, intense actor and that quality won him the role." (sic)

Tiger 3 will be Salman and Katrina's seventh on-screen collaboration. They have played the lead pair in films like Yuvvraaj, Partner, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai. Meanwhile, this will be their first collaboration with Emraan Hashmi.

Emraan has played negative and grim roles before and has been highly appreciated for the performances. During an interview in 2010, he had said that he likes playing negative roles and added, "I am successful in my field and I work in my own style. I have competition with myself and I am my own critic."

However, makers are yet to make an official announcement about the film's complete cast. According to reports, the Salman and Katrina-starrer will begin shooting in March 2021, in Mumbai. The first schedule is set to begin mostly in the third week of March, and it will also include a few scenes with Emraan himself. The report revealed that the second schedule will be in the Middle East and the cast will return to Mumbai for the third and final schedule.

If other media reports are to be believed, the story of Tiger 3 will begin from where Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone's Pathan will end. Reports also hint that apart from Salman, Emraan may also make a cameo appearance in the movie.

ALSO READ: Salman Khan Gives Bulk Dates For Tiger 3; Superstar To Kickstart The Shoot In March Post Wrapping Antim

ALSO READ: Salman Khan Is Ready With 3 Films For Release; Says Single Screens Have 'Kabristan Kind Of Feel'
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Britain could dish out its Covid vaccines faster to bring cases down and ease lockdown rules sooner if it overcame speed bumps in the rollout, experts say at the country hurtles towards it 15million people target for Monday.

The UK has vaccinated an average of 431,000 people per day over the past seven days, reaching a staggering three million individuals, but has failed to return to its one-day record of 598,000, which was hit on January 30.

Experts are anxious for the NHS to keep up the pace and continue accelerating once past its original target, with only a matter of weeks before the demand for second doses begins to soar.

Around 2.2million people had had their first jab by January 10 and the Government promised them a second no later than three months afterwards, meaning they will all need a top-up before April 10 so supplies will start to be eaten up in March and soon need to hit the same pace that first doses are achieving now.

Ministers have repeatedly blamed 'lumpy supply' and the need to wait for manufacturers for holding back the UK's rollout, with both jab suppliers - Pfizer and AstraZeneca - having to reorganise their factories in January.

But there are issues with the rollout which is also holding the NHS back from hitting its maximum pace - it has already proven it can do almost 600,000 per day but only gets close to the number on Saturdays.

Some GP surgeries are not offering vaccines on Sundays, potentially because they lack a proper incentive on top of spending all week working as normal, critics say, and other centres have been forced to shorten their opening hours because of a lack of demand for appointments.

This low demand may be a result of the Government being too 'rigid' about its priority list, said the Francis Crick Institute's Sir Paul Nurse. Vaccines have for the last month only been offered openly to people over 70, NHS staff, care workers and people who are shielding, but a shrinking pool of them may be leaving valuable slots unfilled.

The NHS today opened up the programme to everyone over the age of 65 - the fifth priority group - as it prepares to continue the rollout beyond next Monday's target of completing the top four groups.

And a postcode lottery, in which vaccine supplies are being diverted to areas with slower uptake to help them catch up, may be leading to a slowdown in areas that steamed ahead at the start of the rollout, reducing the overall pace.

The Adam Smith Institute think-tank said it was concerned the rollout had 'hit a wall' and that the UK has the power to double the speed of its vaccination to six million people per week if it fires on all cylinders. The institute's James Lawson told MailOnline: 'We cannot be complacent and need a full war effort to keep boosting supply and distribution, ideally reaching 6million doses per week.'

'This is possible through further involvement of the armed forces, wider use of pharmacies, mobile vaccinations centres to reach remote communities, and much more, including better engagement with minority groups who are currently under-vaccinated, addressing their concerns.

'We should also be looking at bringing new supplies to the UK as soon as possible, such as the recently approved Moderna vaccine. The faster we do this, the faster we can end this miserable crisis, protecting the vulnerable and supporting the UK to ease restrictions.'

Here, MailOnline takes a look at the factors holding the vaccine rollout back from its full potential:

The UK has vaccinated an average of 431,000 people per day over the past seven days but has failed to return to its one-day record of 598,000, which was hit on January 30

Falling demand may be a result of the Government being too 'rigid' about its priority list, said the Francis Crick Institute's Sir Paul Nurse, with only people in the top four priority groups eligible for vaccines so far - although the NHS today widened it to over-65s in group five

SUPPLY: Only two vaccines available, both with manufacturing limits

Ministers have repeatedly said the supply of vaccines is the 'rate-limiting factor' of Britain's mission to vaccination all of its adult population as fast as possible.

Although they have refused to say how many vaccine doses are being delivered, Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi - with the backing of chief medical officer Chris Whitty - have said the NHS is giving out the jabs as fast as it is getting them.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech jabs are the only ones available in the UK at the moment, and both faced manufacturing hiccups in January. Pfizer had to reconfigure machines at its factory in Belgium, to cope with the huge demands of manufacturing, and AstraZeneca had to wait for its naturally grown vaccines to mature.

Nadhim Zahawi pressed recently on how long it would take to complete vaccination of the 31million people in the nine priority groups, said: 'I don't want to commit to a date without going through it with a very fine toothcomb with the whole team, because our limiting factor is the supply of vaccines ultimately.

'With any manufacturing process, especially one that is new, there are challenges around that, as we've seen in Europe and as we saw in the early days in the UK as well.'

AstraZeneca, which manufactures in the UK, became embroiled in a bitter row with the EU over cutting back the continent's supplies  although both the company and the UK Government insisted this hasn't hit British stockpiles. The company is now believed to be providing 2million doses per week to Britain.

Matt Hancock described the UK's 'lumpy supply' when asked about a dip in vaccination numbers on Sundays.

A third vaccine is expected to become available from next month - the jab made by US company Moderna, which is almost identical to Pfizer's. Britain has ordered 17million doses of Moderna's.

Pfizer had to reconfigure machines at its factory in Belgium, to cope with the huge demands of manufacturing, which led to a disruption in the UK's supply at the end of January and early February (pictured, its facility in Puurs, Belgium)

SUNDAYS: Only some doctors are offering appointments on Sundays

A clear pattern has emerged in the weekly distribution of vaccinations, which shows a huge spike in jabs given on Saturdays followed by a slump on Sundays.

Last week there were 550,000 people immunised on Saturday, February 7, followed by just 279,000 on Sunday. The week before, the Saturday high was a record 598,389, and the Sunday low 319,000.

The fall was even more pronounced the week before that, on January 24, when half as many jabs were done compared to the Saturday.

Several GPs, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline that a large number of practices shut on Sundays and do not offer appointments, despite No10 insisting the immunisation drive is a 24/7 operation. Scotland's national clinical director said at the start of this month that the closure of surgeries on Sundays was hampering the vaccine rollout north of the border.

The Royal College of GPs said said family doctors were 'doing everything they can' to get the vaccine to those who need it most, with 'some' but not all practices providing services seven days a week.

Economists from the Institute for Economic Affairs told MailOnline that there is 'no incentive' for family doctors, who've been juggling the vaccine rollout and battling Covid on the frontlines of the second wave, to work seven days a week. It suggested GPs be offered commission on every jab done on a weekend.

The Royal College of GPs said said family doctors were 'doing everything they can' to get the vaccine to those who need it most, with 'some' but not all practices providing services seven days a week (Pictured: A woman receives a vaccine at a health centre in Falmouth, Cornwall)

THE LIST: NHS sticking 'too rigidly' to rapidly shrinking pool of people on priority list

The target for the NHS to hit on Monday, February 15, is to vaccinate 15million people in the four highest priority groups for vaccination, who are most at risk of dying of Covid-19.

These four groups include everyone over the age of 70 or in a care home, frontline NHS staff, care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable, who have been shielding.

APPOINTMENTS GOING SPARE AT LONDON COVID JABS HUB, SAYS TOP SCIENTIST More than 90 per cent of coronavirus vaccine appointments at a centre in London are not being filled, a top scientist has revealed. Sir Paul Nurse, the head of the Francis Crick Institute where a jabs centre is based, said they had the capacity to give 1,000 doses a day, but in the last two weeks have given less than 100 every 24 hours. He added that on one day they barely managed to fill 30 appointments, despite more than 500 volunteers being available. Their centre is now having to close at weekends due to the few bookings. Sir Paul called on ministers to sort out the problem today to get the national rollout moving, saying ministers must use every second they have available. 'The NHS vaccination program has gone very well but there does seem to be a problem showing itself in empty slots appearing in the national booking system,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said: 'Any delay in the vaccination program in the long-run costs lives and livelihoods.' Sir Paul added it was unclear why the issue was occurring, but it may be linked to a shortage of doses, to avoid criticism by not vaccinating all those in higher categories, or down to a postcode lottery in distribution.' A vaccination centre in Telford has also reported few of its available appointments are being filled. And the hub at Taunton Racecourse in Somerset has cut its opening times by five hours and told some staff they are temporarily not needed amid the slowdown. Advertisement

Reaching these people and protecting them, officials say, will prevent the vast majority of all Covid deaths in the UK once their immunity kicks in around two to three weeks later.

But, with 13.5million people vaccinated up to yesterday, the pool of people eligible and available to come forward for a jab is getting smaller and smaller, meaning more appointments go unfilled.

Officials do not expect to get 100 per cent uptake of the jab, so waiting for everyone in the top groups to get the vaccine could be wasting valuable time that could be used vaccinating others.

Sir Paul Nurse, a Nobel Prize winning scientist who runs the Francis Crick Institute laboratories in London, said yesterday that the programme was now being 'too rigid' about who it was vaccinating.

Crick scientists have joined NHS colleagues in an effort vaccinate up to 1,000 people a day but are at most injecting 300 patients daily, Sir Paul said.

He wrote in a column in The Times: 'Is the adherence to moving through the priority groups so rigid that it is now slowing progress?...

'Speed is essential. Vaccinating faster will slow the spread of infection and reduce the risk of variants arising because larger numbers of people will be vaccinated more rapidly.

'Increasing flexibility, developing agility, empowering the local, will get more patients through the door and get the virus more quickly under control.

'Science has provided us with the tools to move forward. There is no time to be lost  we must vaccinate even faster.'

POSTCODE LOTTERY: Areas that started well saw supplies throttled

Another element of the rollout that may slow it down is the differences in speed across the country.

Areas that made very fast progress at the beginning of the vaccination programme, reaching their over-80s and care home residents, for example, saw their vaccine supplies reduced so they could be redirected to areas lagging behind to help them to catch up.

In January officials warned that the supply of coronavirus vaccines to the North West of England would be cut by a third so doses could be diverted to parts of the country further behind in their rollout to the over-80s.

NHS England figures revealed the North West had vaccinated the second highest proportion of over-80s, reaching two thirds of the group who are among those most at risk if they catch the virus. Only the North East was ahead of it and supplies are expected to be limited there, too.

And NHS sources said the region - which includes Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria - would see supplies cut in the first week of February, according to the Health Service Journal.

Updated data yesterday showed the postcode lottery is continuing, with parts of England have already dished out Covid vaccines to nearly 95 per cent of their over-70s.

Updated data yesterday showed the postcode lottery is continuing, with parts of England have already dished out Covid vaccines to nearly 95 per cent of their over-70s - the rollout is moving slowest in London, the data show

The NHS England statistics, which go up to February 7, show Somerset had given at least one dose to 93.4 per cent of all of its over-70s. Derbyshire was second, with 92.5 per cent of people above that age having received their first shot of either Pfizer's of Oxford University's vaccine

The NHS England statistics, which go up to February 7, show Somerset had given at least one dose to 93.4 per cent of all of its over-70s. Derbyshire was second, with 92.5 per cent.

The figures, which split England up into 40 areas where local NHS divisions operate, found another five areas had given the injection to more than nine in 10 of over-70s. They are: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Lancashire and South Cumbria; Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire; Coventry and Warwickshire; and Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

But the figures suggest the roll-out has been somewhat of a postcode lottery, with just 76.3 per cent of the age bracket in east London being given their first dose, for example. In the North of the capital, uptake was not much higher at 78.2 per cent and in North West London it was similarly low, at 78.4 per cent.

There have been reports of GP surgeries in London having to close early because not enough people have been turning up to get their injection. Health chiefs fear vaccine hesitancy among black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) groups is behind the poorer uptake in London's culturally diverse boroughs.
Dr. Vineet Sandhu is able to treat conditions ranging from congestive heart failure, COVID-19, diabetes, anxiety, bronchitis, sinusitis, and the common cold.

Born in NYC, and raised in NJ, Dr. Sandhu has traveled around the country for undergraduate school, medical school, and residency. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Indiana University and then joined a large multi-care specialty group where he rapidly experienced many cases in a short amount of time. Now with roughly 10 years of medical experience, he is able to treat conditions ranging from congestive heart failure, COVID-19, diabetes, anxiety, bronchitis, sinusitis, and the common cold.

With Concierge MD NYC, Dr. Vineet is able to spend time with his patients and provide a specific high-end plan. He can work weekends and be on call 24/7 for your needs either in your home, in his office, or in telemedicine. The goal is to make healthcare more accessible to you especially during these trying times and your evolving needs. The focus is on you and your care.

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Lucasfilm, a unit of Walt Disney, said it has no plans to work in the future with Gina Carano, The Mandalorian star who posted comments on social media that many criticised as anti-Semitic.

Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future, the company said in a February 10 statement. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.

Gina Carano has been dropped from The Mandalorian cast after her social media post likened the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to the US political climate. Credit:AP

One image she posted on Instagram, since deleted, included that of a half-naked woman being chased down the street during the Holocaust, according to entertainment website Deadline.

Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbours  even by children, Carano wrote. Because history is edited, most people today dont realise that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbours hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 14:35:41|Editor: huaxia

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People watch the Chinese Lunar New Year parade in Manhattan's Chinatown of New York City, the United States, Feb. 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

- "History has witnessed the importance of Sino-U.S. cooperation," Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation Jeffrey Greene said.

- "The fact of the two leaders having a phone call is a good thing" because "relations between the two countries are very important," said Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister.

BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, bodes well for potential cooperation between China and the United States, experts from across the globe have said.

Xi on Thursday morning took a phone call from Biden on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

The two presidents wished each other good fortune in the Year of the Ox, and had an in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and major international and regional issues.

Jon R. Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the phone call is "encouraging."

Noting there are differences between the two sides in several fields, Taylor said, "it's important to understand that they also talked about a variety of areas for potential cooperation."

Regarding the conversation as "the first step" in a long process to stabilize China-U.S. relations and to slowly improve bilateral engagement, Taylor said, "it's a welcome start given the past four years of (former U.S. President Donald) Trump's increasingly antagonistic language and actions toward China."

Similarly, Xulio Rios, director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics in Spain, said the high-level telephone conversation will help the two sides move in the same direction.

To stabilize bilateral relations and avoid strategic misjudgement, China and the United States should respect each other's core interests and broaden the cooperation agenda, said Rios.

People participate in a lantern procession to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Criticizing the former U.S. administration's hegemonic obsession that has led to a stalemate situation, Rios called on the Biden administration to outline a possible alternative for U.S. relations with China.

"The fact of the two leaders having a phone call is a good thing" because "relations between the two countries are very important," said Ali el-Hefny, Egypt's former ambassador to China and former deputy foreign minister.

Photo taken on Feb. 10, 2021 shows the Empire State Building lit up in red for the Chinese Lunar New Year, in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Despite some differences that are to be expected, China and the United States have a lot of interests in common, el-Hefny said, adding that "it is important for the United States and China to overcome differences through constant dialogue, consultation and communication."

"History has witnessed the importance of Sino-U.S. cooperation," Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation Jeffrey Greene said.

"The proven history of friendship and cooperation dramatically demonstrates that by working together our two countries can overcome any obstacles and achieve any goals and successfully work together to benefit all the world," Greene said. 
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Lester CohenAlmost two months ago, Dave Chappelle requested his comedy series, Chappelle's Show be removed from Netflix. Now he's changed his mind.

In a nearly 11-minute stand-up monologue posted to Instagram and YouTube Thursday, titled "Redemption," the comic revealed that his show, which originally aired on Comedy Central, will be returning to Netflix Friday.

"I know where my power lies," said Chappelle after summarizing his dispute with Comedy Central, which stemmed from his demand to be paid for any deals related to the show. "I asked you to stop watching the show and thank God almighty for you, you did," Chappelle told the audience. "When you stopped watching it, they called me. I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much."

The footage appears to be from Dave's recent tour in Austin, Texas, which was cancelled late last month after he tested positive for COVID-19.

"Now you guys might have seen in the news that I caught coronavirus recently and I did. Oops," he admitted, noting that he tried his best to safe by "enduring invasive tests and wearing masks."

Chappelle also spent several minutes addressing the January 6 Capitol attack, prefacing it by noting the problems Black Americans continue to face, then declaring, "But do we storm the halls of Capitol and rub our s*** on the walls? Of course not. If that wouldve worked, we wouldve tried it.

Another notable comedian has also landed a comedy series at another streaming platform. Following the conclusion of her HBO series Insecure, Issa Rae has landed a new show on HBO Max titled, Rap S***.

Rae and Syreeta Singleton will serve as executive producer and showrunner, respectively, alongside hip-hop duo Yung Miami and JT of the City Girls as co-executive producers. The eight-episode, half-hour series, which has been in development since 2019, follows two estranged high school friends from Miami who reunite to form a rap group.

By Rachel George

Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Researchers Dr Marios Koutsakos and Professor Katherine Kedzierska at the Doherty Institute. Credit: Peter Casamento

Melbourne researchers have systematically mapped the immune response to COVID-19 identifying how antibodies develop in response to SARS-CoV2 and new insights into why some people develop severe disease.

The team, led by University of Melbourne Professor Katherine Kedzierska, a laboratory head at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute), identified that multiple arms of the immune system are involved in the response.

University of Melbourne Dr. Oanh Nguyen, Research Fellow at the Doherty Institute, said this study, published today in Cell Reports medicine, investigated the blood samples of 85 patients who experienced mild to moderate and severe COVID-19 disease, some of which were hospitalized.

"We followed some of the patients up to 100 days post onset of COVID-19 symptoms, allowing us to provide a comprehensive map of the immune response in hospitalized patients," Dr. Nguyen said.

"We explored all aspects of the immune system, including the innate, adaptive, and humoral immune responses, as well as inflammation. This map provides important insights into predictors of severe disease and new treatments for COVID-19."

The research team is the first to report evidence that in the acute phase of COVID-19 activation of a type of immune cell, T follicular helper cells, can predict subsequent antibody levels, including neutralizing activity of the antibody, a critical feature important for virus clearance and protection from infection.

"In addition, we also found the activation of T follicular helper cells in the acute phase of COVID-19 correlates with antibody levels once recovered and symptom free," Professor Kedzierska said.

"Understanding the immune predictors of what leads to development of high levels of antibodies is highly relevant to developing new vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

"We have described the hallmarks of the ideal immune response that could potentially be elicited with immunotherapy or an effective vaccine, mimicking the natural immune response to the infection."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Marios Koutsakos et al. Integrated immune dynamics define correlates of COVID-19 severity and antibody responses, Cell Reports Medicine (2021). Journal information: Cell Reports Marios Koutsakos et al. Integrated immune dynamics define correlates of COVID-19 severity and antibody responses,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100208
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Rinku Sharma, a 25-year-old lab technician working with a private hospital, was stabbed to death by some men of the same locality in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri area late on Wednesday night.

The family members of the victim claim that it was a hate crime and Rinku was murdered because of an old rivalry. Rinku, who was associated with the right wing, was allegedly threatened by the same set of accused during Dussehra last year. However, the police have denied any communal angle to the case, categorically stating that a business rivalry had led to the murder.

"So far during the investigation, it has surfaced that a quarrel started during a birthday party over shutting down of a restaurant. All the persons involved were known to each other and they lived in the same locality. Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong," said A. Koan, DCP, Outer Delhi.

However, Twitter was soon abuzz with the news and hashtags like 'Jusice for Rinku Sharma' started trending with many politicians and activists making a beeline to visit the deceased person's family.

Posters demanding 'Justice for Rinku' were put up on the lanes leading to the deceased person's house amid heavy police presence. Many politicians also expressed their anguish over the murder.

Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta on Friday met Rinku's family and provided an assistance of Rs 5 lakh to them. The BJP leader also demanded that the Delhi government should provide Rs 1 crore to the family. Rakhi Bidlan from the Aam Aadmi Party also met the deceased person's family members.

Meanwhile, the Delhi police have arrested five accused in connection with the case -- Danish, Islam, Zahid, Mehtab and Tajuddin.

A CCTV footage has also come to light where the accused could be seen coming to the house of the deceased on Wednesday night. It is alleged that Rinku was stabbed soon after that.

"They first beat us with sticks and later dragged my brother Rinku out and stabbed him," said Manu Sharma, brother of the deceased.

The family has also sought protection from the police, which have intensified their presence in the locality as a precautionary measure.

"On February 10, some youth went to a restaurant to celebrate a birthday party. During that time, a scuffle broke out between them over some business rivalry related to the shutting down of a restaurant. After that some boys involved in the fight reached Rinku's house and stabbed him," Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal said.

On being asked about the family's claims that it was a hate crime and Rinku was murdered for allegedly chanting 'Jai Shri Ram', the police officer said, "We are in touch with the victim's family, but the investigation suggests that the scuffle started during the birthday party."
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LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD. (CSE: TAAT) (OTCQB: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP2) (the Company or TAAT) is pleased to announce that it has received new media coverage with a well-known finance publication, after a feature in Forbes on February 3, 2021. In a February 11, 2021 blog article published on Seeking Alpha, recent patterns in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry were discussed, in which analogues to popular product types (e.g., meat, alcohol) have gained market share seemingly due to the element of choice they provide to consumers. The blog article notes that the Companys flagship product TAAT appears to fit into this pattern as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes for smokers aged 21+, which is already proving popular in the tobacco category with continually growing retail sales in Ohio. TAAT, which is offered in Original, Smooth, and Menthol, contains no nicotine or tobacco, and is made with Beyond Tobacco, a proprietary base material which undergoes a patent-pending refinement technique to taste and smell similarly to actual tobacco.



The Seeking Alpha article can be accessed by clicking this link: https://seekingalpha.com/instablog/44135336-aaron-wolko/5554425-taats-beyond-tobacco-cigarette-attempting-to-become-next-big-cpg-re-invention

Founded in 2004, Seeking Alpha is a finance media portal with a staff of more than 60 editors. Seeking Alpha offers an immersive ecosystem of news, insights, and analytics through its website, video content, email marketing, and podcasts. With over 2.2 billion page views per year (69% growth year-over-year) Seeking Alpha visitors spend an average of 15 minutes on the website during each visit, which is four times the average visit duration of Economist, Barrons, and the Wall Street Journal1.

In the February 11, 2021 Seeking Alpha blog post it was stated that non-alcoholic beer, another reinvented consumer product category, had grown to become a USD $18 billion market in 2020 based on a similar value proposition to TAAT. Moreover, the article highlighted that successful new players in the CPG space who are offering analogue products (e.g., Beyond Meat) were able to attain desirable market share without defeating its competitors altogether. With many opportunities for TAAT to complement tobacco cigarettes in the purchasing patterns of smokers aged 21+, the blog article indicated that the viability of TAAT is not necessarily dependent on displacing its competition.

Story continues

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/179346df-ff97-431c-8450-451f937798d9

Seeking Alpha published the February 11, 2021 article about TAAT shown in the snapshot above. Please click here to access the full Seeking Alpha article.

Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access SEDAR or the Investor Relations section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media.

TAAT Chief Executive Officer Setti Coscarella commented, It is an honour for TAAT to keep getting media attention as we introduce our product line to smokers aged 21+ in the United States to offer them a better choice. Since December 2020, we have been placing TAAT in tobacco retailers across the state of Ohio, with several stores having sold out and reordered in just a matter of weeks. Although TAAT has already been mentioned in various regional and niche publications, coverage in outlets that reach a much wider audience is very validating both of the TAAT product itself, as well as the Company as a whole. I believe the Seeking Alpha author did an excellent job of painting a macro-level picture of the CPG and tobacco industries in todays article, also explaining where TAAT could fit in among other products that have taken a novel approach to capturing market share through reinvented formulations that provide what consumers ultimately want most, and that is choice.

Sources

1 - https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/pdf_income/sa_media_kit_01.06.21.pdf

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD.

Setti Coscarella

Setti Coscarella, CEO and Director

For further information, please contact:

TAAT Investor Relations

1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872)

investor@taatusa.com

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSES REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER.

About TAAT Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd.

The Company has developed TAAT, which is a tobacco-free and nicotine-free alternative to traditional cigarettes offered in "Original", "Smooth", and "Menthol" varieties. TAAT's base material is Beyond Tobacco, a proprietary blend which undergoes a patent-pending refinement technique causing its scent and taste to resemble tobacco. Under executive leadership with "Big Tobacco" pedigree, TAAT was launched first in the United States in Q4 2020 as the Company seeks to position itself in the $814 billion1 global tobacco industry.

For more information, please visit http://taatglobal.com .

References

1 British American Tobacco - The Global Market

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the potential launch of Beyond Tobacco, in addition to the following: Potential outcomes for the Company and the CPG industry as detailed in the Seeking Alpha article summarized in this press release. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and 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 required by applicable law.

The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees.

Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms

Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by TAAT Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd. can be found under the Company's profile on http://sedar.com .




The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) have purchased an additional 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from both Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. to help meet demand for COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.

The orders placed today bring the vaccine purchased by the U.S. government from these two companies to a total of 600 million doses, enough to vaccinate 300 million people. Each company is delivering 300 million doses in regular increments through the end of July 2021. Each company will leverage U.S.-based manufacturing capacity to fill, finish and ship vials as the bulk material is produced.

As the President directed, we are expanding our supply of COVID vaccines to protect people as quickly as possible, said Acting HHS Secretary Norris Cochran. These purchases will allow us to accelerate our vaccination efforts to get shots into the arms of the American people. While we rapidly ramp up the pace of vaccinations, I encourage everyone to take actions now to protect themselves and their families: wear a mask, wash your hands often, and practice physical distancing.

The companies began manufacturing doses of their vaccines at the same time that clinical trials were getting underway last year. Beginning the complex process of scaling up to large-scale manufacturing in parallel with clinical trials expedited the traditional vaccine development timeline so that initial doses could begin shipping when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization.

The vaccine is available at no cost. Vaccine administration costs for private-sector administration partners are being covered by healthcare payers: private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, and an HHS program to cover COVID-19 costs for the uninsured which is reimbursing providers at Medicare rates from the Provider Relief Fund.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, collaborated with the DOD Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and Army Contracting Command to provide approximately $2 billion for the additional doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, bringing the total purchase from Pfizer to approximately $6 billion.

BARDA, JPEO-CBRND and Army Contracting Command also collaborated to provide up to approximately $1.65 billion to Moderna, bringing the total federal investment in Modernas vaccine development, clinical trials, manufacturing and purchase to approximately $5.75 billion. Modernas vaccine was co-developed with scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, with NIAID also supporting the vaccines nonclinical studies and clinical trials. BARDA supported phase 2/3 clinical trials, vaccine manufacturing scale up and other development activities for this vaccine.

Modernas Phase 3 clinical trial began July 27 as the first government-funded Phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. and enrolled approximately 30,000 adult volunteers who did not have COVID-19. An independent data safety monitoring board overseeing the Phase 3 clinical trial reviewed the trial data and concluded that the vaccine was safe, prevented disease in 94 percent of the volunteers who received the vaccine, reduced the severity of illness in the small percentage of volunteers who contracted COVID-19, and was generally well tolerated.

The Phase 3 clinical trial for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine enrolled approximately 43,000 adult volunteers in the U.S. who did not have COVID-19. The clinical trial showed that the vaccine was safe, prevented disease in approximately 95 percent of the volunteers who received the vaccine, reduced the severity of illness in the five percent of volunteers who contracted COVID-19 and was generally well-tolerated.

The clinical studies of both vaccines are ongoing to gather additional data such as the vaccines efficacy in younger populations, the duration of immunity after vaccination, and the impact of vaccination on transmissibility of the virus.

Messenger RNA vaccines take advantage of the process that cells use to make proteins in order to trigger an immune response and build immunity to a virus. In contrast, most vaccines use weakened or inactivated versions or components of a disease-causing virus to stimulate the bodys immune response to create antibodies.

HHS and DOD have contracted with four other companies to expedite development and production of vaccines that use a variety of vaccine platform technologies and are manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine doses while clinical trials are underway. If any of these other vaccine candidates are authorized by the FDA for emergency use, HHS and DOD can negotiate agreements with the respective companies to purchase additional vaccine doses to meet the demand in the United States.

About HHS, ASPR, and BARDA

HHS works to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans, providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services. The mission of ASPR is to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health security threats. Within ASPR, BARDA invests in the innovation, advanced research and development, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures  vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products needed to combat health security threats. To date, BARDA-supported products have achieved 58 FDA approvals, licensures or clearances. To learn more about COVID-19, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus.

About the JPEO-CBRND

The Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) protects the Joint Force by providing medical countermeasures and defense equipment against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. JPEO-CBRNDs goal is to enable the Joint Force to fight and win unencumbered by a CBRN environment. JPEO-CBRND facilitates the rapid response, advanced development, manufacturing and acquisition of medical solutions, such as vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, to combat CBRN and emerging threats such as COVID-19. To learn more about JPEO-CBRNDs COVID-19 response, visit https://www.jpeocbrnd.osd.mil/coronavirus or follow JPEO-CBRND on social media at @JPEOCBRND.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Journalist Lady Ann Salem is appealing for her release following a local courts dismissal of the charges against her for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Early this week, state prosecutors asked the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court Branch 209 to dismiss Salems urgent motion for release, arguing that its February 5 decision to junk the cases has yet to attain finality and can be appealed.

In a 10-page response submitted by Salem through her counsel on Thursday, the journalist pointed out that the court already granted her motion to quash the search warrant and declare the evidence against her as inadmissible for being illegally seized. This is tantamount to an acquittal, Salem said.

Worse, there were grave violations of the constitutional rights of the accused that necessitate an urgent alleviation and correction of errors of the legal system, Salems pleading read.

In the ruling penned by presiding judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio, the court declared the search warrant against Salem as void for being vague, resulting in the seizure of four laptops and five cellphones while the warrant only listed one laptop and a phone.

It called the raid a fishing expedition to seize and confiscate any and all cellphones and laptops they (authorities) found in the premises.

The seizure of these items is unlawful as even the plain view doctrine is clearly inapplicable to these cases, the court said. Consequently, the instant cases have no leg to stand on.

There were also substantial inconsistencies and contradictions in the sworn statements of the informant and law enforcers, the court said, adding that it cannot give credence to their testimonies.

Salem was arrested on December 10, which happened to be International Human Rights Day. The polices Criminal Investigation and Detection Group  National Capital Region said that her arrest, as well as that of union organizer Dennise Velasco on the same day, was part of its campaign against loose firearms and criminal gangs.

Groups said it is part of the governments crackdown against critics, noting that Salem is an editor of alternative media outfit Manila Today, which has been red-tagged by some government officials.
Restaurants will no longer be allowed to sell pre-packaged meals through arrangements with supermarkets and other outlets, as Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley definitively closed this loophole yesterday.

Rowley said this would not be allowed to continue, as it defeats the purpose of the public health regulations. Restaurants and street food vendors were among those businesses ordered to close to limit the movement of people and curb the spread of Covid-19.
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Larry Flynt should be remembered as a 'scourge on society,' not a free speech advocate

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A national organization that combats sexual exploitation said pornographer Larry Flynt, who died Wednesday at 78, should be remembered as "a scourge on society," not championed as a free speech advocate.

Flynt, the founder of Hustler magazine, is famous not only for his pornographic publications but his involvement in legal matters centering around what qualifies as freedom of speech and expression in society.

Defenders of porn have maintained that pornography is a form of speech and is thus constitutionally protected. Opponents have countered that obscenity, particularly sexually explicit content, is not a First Amendment matter and have in recent years framed the issue as a public health crisis given its myriad harms and links to societal ills such as domestic abuse and human trafficking.

In 1988, the United States Supreme Court ruled 8-0 in Flynt's favor in the case of Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, ruling that the First Amendment and 14th Amendment bar public figures from recovering damages for the tort of the intentional inflicting of emotional distress if such distress was caused by a caricature or parody that a reasonable person would not have interpreted as the truth.

Flynt had depicted Jerry Falwell Sr. as an incestuous drunk in an advertisement in Hustler magazine's November 1983 issue. Yet because Falwell was a public figure, the high court said that the ad was not sufficient reason to deny First Amendment protection to this kind of speech. The story of this litigation and a biographical exploration of Flynt's troubled life were depicted in the Oscar-nominated 1996 film "The People v. Larry Flynt."

In a statement Wednesday, the Washington-based National Center of Sexual Exploitation said the pornographer ought to be remembered as "a scourge on society."

"He directly contributed to and profited from the sexual exploitation of women for the majority of his career, and our culture is poorer for it, said Dawn Hawkins, NCOSE senior vice president and executive director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

Flynt should be remembered by the simple fact that he put an image of a woman being fed into a meat grinder on the cover of his magazine. That image conveys the ugly truth of Flynts life and his misogynistic and harmful attitude toward women.

Spurning the idea that he was a First Amendment hero, she added: Flynts lasting legacy is that the pornographic content he pushed into the mainstream has led to the rampant abuse, racism, and child sexual abuse material found on tube sites like Pornhub."

Some mainstream journalists joined in with their disgust, noting the pornographer's documented sordid behavior.

"Before you memorialize Larry Flynt as a hero please remember his daughter Tonya Flynt-Vega said he was a child molester and a monster," CNN's Jake Tapper tweeted Wednesday.

Aura Bogado, senior reporter for Reveal, tweeted that she was glad to see him dead.

"Larry Flynt tormented me by commissioning racist caricatures of my likeness and written hit pieces against me. He also commissioned a photo spread in which it was suggested that I should be raped. For a while, I wasn't sure how I'd feel once he died. To be honest, I'm thrilled," she tweeted Wednesday.

Anti-porn scholar Gail Dines, author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, commented on her Facebook page Thursday that although Flynt is dead, his magazine "paved the way for the mainstreaming of today's hardcore porn. It pushed the envelope by grooming the public into accepting hardcore porn as normalized (who can forget the meatgrinder image, or Chester the Molester?), and was the bridge between the covert misogyny of soft-core pinups of Playboy and the overt misogyny of sexual violence rebranded as 'kink.'"

"One more pornographer dies without ever being held accountable for the enormous damage he did to women."
San Francisco, Feb 12 : Google is testing to make private web browsing on Chrome for iOS more secure by letting users lock Incognito tabs with Face or Touch ID.

The update is detailed in the app's beta version for iPhone and iPad.

Chrome will let you "Lock Incognito tabs" so that they will be blurred in the tab switcher "until you confirm it's you" using Touch or Face ID. Google calls it a way to "add more security" as you multitask across apps, reports 9to5Google.

The ability to lock Chrome's Incognito tabs is similar to a feature in the main Google Search app that uses biometrics to "confirm it's you when returning to an incognito session after 15 minutes." Google Drive has a similar "Privacy Screen" that requires fingerprint or face confirmation every time you open the file storage app. However, there is the option to delay the authentication by 10 seconds, one minute, or 10 minutes when multitasking.

Despite being listed in the release notes, this feature is not yet available for all beta users.

There appears to be a server-side component, while the public launch of Chrome 89 is expected next month -- assuming Google's iOS update situation gets resolved by then, the report said.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Ontario is urged to adopt the passport rule to introduce speed and eliminate additional costs

MONTREAL, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The securities regulatory authorities of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon (CSA members), today published a response to the Ontario Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce ("Taskforce") Final Report ("Report") issued January 22, 2021.

CSA members commend the expeditious work completed by the Taskforce which is very useful to bolster our collective reflection on how to advance the Canadian securities regulatory regime. The response outlines the CSA's perspective on how the Government of Ontario can best achieve the recommendations while also enhancing harmonization, efficiency, responsiveness and investor protection.

"A highly harmonized securities regulatory system ensures the best possible outcomes for the Canadian capital markets," says Louis Morisset, Chair of the CSA and President and CEO of the Autorite des marches financiers. "Attempting to implement many of the recommendations outside of CSA mechanisms and processes would risk creating inter-jurisdictional friction and adding regulatory burden on market participants across Canada."

It is imperative that all policy-development work, current and future, be subject to a robust process which not only includes countrywide public consultations with all stakeholders (both market participants and investors as well as their advocates), but also includes appropriate research and cost-benefit analysis.

Ontario remains the only jurisdiction in Canada that has not adopted passport. Embracing passport would significantly reduce the regulatory burden for all Canadian market participants by introducing speed in regulatory decision-making and eliminating the additional costs of dealing with multiple regulators. "This can be achieved quickly and easily as the rule is already in place and would yield immediate benefits," says Morisset. "We urge the Ontario Finance Minister to act in the best interest of all Canadian market participants and adopt the passport rule," says Morisset.

All CSA members have, in some form, a mission to foster fair, efficient and vibrant capital markets and this is achieved with equal emphasis on investor protection. A proposition to change the Ontario regulator's mandate to foster capital growth without commensurate attention to investor protection is of concern and should be approached with caution. A harmful imbalance would jeopardize the CSA's sound policy-making approach and introduce risk of disharmonization.

You may read the CSA members' full response to the Ontario Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce Final Report here.

For Investor inquiries, please refer to your respective securities regulator. You can contact them here.

SOURCE Canadian Securities Administrators

For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Ilana Kelemen, Canadian Securities Administrators, [email protected]
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While we remain rightfully focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, there is another dangerous outbreak that inflicts itself on our youth in New Mexico  e-cigarettes and traditional tobacco use. Despite this alarming trend, municipalities such as Albuquerque are prohibited by state law from adopting policies to address tobacco use by minors, including vaping, within our own communities.

Senate Bill 95, sponsored by Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, and House Bill 97, by Rep. Joanne Ferrary, D-Las Cruces, will allow cities and counties to be at the forefront of combating this challenge.

These proposals will allow local municipalities to establish common-sense guidelines that restrict the sale of e-cigarettes near schools, skate parks, community pools, local gyms and other areas where our children study and play. Local governments can also restrict e-cigarette or vaping advertisements aimed at our children under this legislation. This proposal does not allow local municipalities to shut down existing tobacco and e-cigarette stores or ban new tobacco stores in their communities.

This is a serious public health crisis, and the e-cigarette epidemic has spread to every high school and middle school in New Mexico. A New Mexico Department of Health survey in 2019 found 34% of high school students in New Mexico used e-cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days, higher than the national rate of 27.5%. The same survey conducted in 2017 found that rate to be at 24%. The 2019 survey also found that 8.9% of New Mexico high school students smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days, higher than the national rate of 5.8%.

The current state law is woefully inadequate in addressing the e-cigarette epidemic among our youth as Big Tobacco, e-cigarette companies and their retailers are aggressively marketing to minors. Collectively, they have created a new generation of nicotine addicts, and they continue to do so unabated. These companies have caused enormous damage to the health of our youth that will be felt for years to come.

The Albuquerque City Council, supported by Mayor Tim Keller, unanimously approved M-20-4 this fall, urging the New Mexico Legislature to repeal state control of tobacco regulations. Local governments are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the people in their communities. Also, a majority of the Albuquerque metro area residents agree that their local leaders should be able to pass ordinances and policies that are proven to promote good health, well-being and equity.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

A public opinion poll commissioned by the American Heart Association found approximately 70% of registered voters in the Albuquerque metro area support local control of tobacco policies. This recent poll was conducted by Research and Polling Inc. in Albuquerque.

Our community is not helpless in reversing this epidemic while Big Tobacco and its benefactors continue to block sensible public policy. Everyone should benefit from smart and effective public policies, but when the state blocks local governments, it can hurt communities most where the need is greatest. We encourage the leadership of the Legislature, state agencies and, most importantly, local governments to collectively tackle this crisis.

The city of Albuquerque strongly supports the efforts of Lopez and Ferrary to repeal exclusive state control of tobacco policies so we can address this epidemic in our communities. We urge our state lawmakers to pass these measures and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to sign them into law.

Russia's gas giant Gazprom plans to commission the controversial natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 this year, Russian news agency TASS reported on Thursday, quoting a presentation of a Gazprom executive at an energy forum in Russia.

Last month, Gazprom was said to have warned investors that the Nord Stream 2 project could be suspended or entirely discontinued due to extraordinary circumstances, including "political pressure."

Germany has always looked at the Russia-led project from an economic standpoint, while the United States, several European countries, including the Baltic states, Poland, and the European Union (EU), have expressed concern about Russia using gas sales and its gas monopoly Gazprom as a political tool.

Over the past months, the U.S. has been broadening the sanctions against service providers and those funding vessels involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2 in a fresh attempt to prevent the project from completing. There is still a stretch of the pipeline route to be laid in the sea in Danish waters, but the U.S. is now targeting anyone helping the project's completion in any way.

Last month, the Trump Administration imposed sanctions on the Russian pipe-laying vessel that was expected to complete the construction of Nord Stream 2, while several Western companies are said to have abandoned links to the project for fear of sanctions.

Related Video: Weaponized Gas or Bridge to Cleaner Fuel? The Nord Stream Game

President Joe Biden "continues to believe that Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal for Europe," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing at the end of January.

"We're aware that the previous administration imposed new restrictions on activities related to the pipeline under the National Defense Authorization Act, and we will be reviewing those measures," Psaki said.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, former prime minister and now Deputy Chair of Russia's Security Council, said earlier this month that Russia could turn to a national or contract jurisdiction court to protect its interests against interference against the completion of the Nord Stream 2 project.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:


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[February 12, 2021] Global Insurance Brokers & Agents Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery to 2030 - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "Insurance Brokers & Agents Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global insurance brokers & agents market is expected to grow from $350.24 billion in 2020 to $362.54 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5%. The growth is mainly due to the companies rearranging their operations and recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $457.31 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 6%. The insurance brokers and agents market consists of sales of insurance policies by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) and individuals that act as intermediaries (i. e. , agents or brokers) in selling annuities and insurance policies. They represent consumers or insurance providers or both in insurance premium collection. Insurance brokers and agents can be contracted with single or multiple insurance companies as they try to meet different client needs with available insurance products. This market excludes the direct selling of insurance products by insurance companies. The value of the market is based on the fees or commissions paid to brokers by the insured, both commercial and personal. The insurance brokers and agents market is segmented into insurance agencies; insurance brokers; bancassurance and other intermediaries. North America was the largest region in the global insurance brokers & agents market, accounting for 44% of the market in 2020. Western Europe was the second largest region accounting for 31% of the global insurance brokers & agents market. Eastern Europe was the smallestregion in the global insurance brokers & agents market.



Insurance brokers and agents are investing in digital technologies to offer services online and thereby increase sales and boost margins. Digitalization is a process of converting information into digital formats. This includes providing tools and resources to agents and brokers in digital formats through insurance portals, exchange websites and digital distribution channels. These web-based portals and other digital channels are aimed at improving efficiency in business processing and reduction of costs. For instance, according to insurance digital transformation survey, 39% of agents provide web-based portals to allow customers to request policy changes, check policy information and payments, report claims, obtain insurance ID cards, and get insurance certificates, and, 78% of them are increasingly using social media to acquire new customers on Facebook and 68% through LinkedIn (News - Alert) . Some of the major insurance companies offering insurance portals and digital distribution channels are Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc, Willis Towers Watson P. L. C and Aon P. L. C. The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider insurance brokers & agents market, and compares it with other markets.

The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.

The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, the impact of the COVID-19 virus and forecasting its recovery.

Market segmentations break down market into sub markets.

The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers the impact and recovery trajectory of COVID-19 for all regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets.

Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.

The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers.

The insurance brokers & agents market section of the report gives context. It compares the insurance brokers & agents market with other segments of the insurance(providers, brokers and re-insurers) market by size and growth, historic and forecast. It analyses GDP proportion, expenditure per capita, insurance brokers & agents indicators comparison. Companies Mentioned Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc

Willis Towers Watson PLC

Aon PLC

Arthur J Gallagher & Co

Brown & Brown Inc For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i354s0 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005438/en/

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to intensify efforts to rebuild an economy shattered by the onset of the coronavirus, with vaccine procurement and enhanced energy security among his top priorities.

The government has secured 9 million single-shot vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, with 80,000 expected to arrive next week and 500,000 over the next four weeks, Ramaphosa said in a state-of-the-nation address on Thursday. Talks are ongoing to secure sufficient supply to inoculate two-thirds of the nation's 60 million people, with 12 million doses already pinned down from the Covax initiative and 20 million from Pfizer that will begin arriving at the end of the first quarter, he said.

"Fundamental to our nation's recovery is an unrelenting and comprehensive response to overcome the coronavirus," Ramaphosa said. "We must undertake a massive vaccination program to save lives and dramatically reduce infections."

South Africa has detected almost 1.5 million covid-19 infections, the most in Africa, and more than 47,000 of those diagnosed with the disease have died. The government's plans to begin dispensing vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford were derailed when a small study showed they had limited efficacy against a new variant of the virus first identified in the country late last year. That prompted it to pivot to the J&J shots.

A series of restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the pandemic, including travel curbs and alcohol-sales bans, have devastated Africa's most-industrialized economy, with the central bank estimating that it contracted 7.1% last year. Ramaphosa unveiled a recovery plan in October that targets an average annual economic growth rate of 3% over the next decade and focuses on creating jobs for the one-third of the labor force that's unemployed.

"As a result of the relief measures that we implemented and the phased reopening of the economy, we expect to see a strong recovery in employment by the end of 2020," Ramaphosa said.

While business groups say Ramaphosa has yet to deliver on promised reforms to make it easier to do business and inspire confidence, the president said his initiatives were beginning to show results. An infrastructure investment plan worth 340 billion rand ($23 billion) has been developed with energy, water, transport and telecommunications projects in the pipeline and under development, and a 100 billion-rand infrastructure fund is in full operation, he said.

Ramaphosa also reiterated undertakings made in his keynote address last year to address energy shortages and reduce the nation's reliance on debt-stricken state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC. They include getting private companies to supply additional renewable energy to the grid.

The winners of contracts to supply 2,000 megawatts of emergency power will be announced soon and requests for proposals to supply 2,600 megawatts from solar and wind projects will be issued over the next few weeks, with another bidding round planned in August, according to the president. Licensing requirements will be reviewed in the next three months to make it easier for businesses to produce electricity for their own use, he said.

Eskom, which provides about 95% of South Africa's electricity, isn't generating enough income to cover its costs and can't generate enough energy from its old and poorly maintained power plants to meet demand. The utility estimates there will be a supply shortfall of between 4,000 and 6,000 megawatts over the next five years unless additional capacity is added, Ramaphosa said.

Other highlights:

- The government will extend a 350-rand grant for the unemployed by three months.

- The government will continue to subsidize wages for industries that have not been able to operate due to lockdown rules until mid-March.

- A new agency will be set up to fast-track land reform.

- There will be a standardized governance, financial management and operational performance framework for all state-owned companies.
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Fun things to do in Macau

khaskhabar.com : , 12  2021 12:51 PM
Washington: US Senators risk a repeat of the deadly January 6 assault on the Capitol unless they ban Donald Trump from being able to run for office again, Democrats have argued in the former presidents impeachment trial.

The Democratic impeachment managers concluded their opening arguments in the trial on Friday (AEDT) by saying Trump had glorified political violence for years and showed no remorse for his actions in the lead-up to the Capitol riot.

House impeachment manager Joe Neguse speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the US Senate. Credit:AP

Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he is ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way? Jamie Raskin, the Democrats lead impeachment manager, said.

Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that?
Asserting that he was against controlling social media, the Vice President of India said such effective platforms should not be misused and abused, and social media should not be allowed to be converted into theatres of war

New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday called for moderation in the use of social media to prevent its abuse and avoid controversies so as not to hurt anyone's feelings.

His comments came in the backdrop of the government expressing "strong displeasure" over Twitter's delay in taking prompt action against accounts and hashtags spreading misinformation and provocative content about the farmers' stir.

In an informal interaction with reporters, Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairman, called for an early resolution to the ongoing farmers' agitation through talks and said extreme or maximalist positions would not help in resolving the issue.

Referring to the discourse on pulling down and restoring some accounts by Twitter regarding some comments on farmers' agitation, Naidu stressed the best way to effectively use social media without offending others is for the users to adopt the principle of moderation in content generation.

Asked what he meant by moderation, the Vice President said extreme positions should not be taken so as not to hurt anyone's feelings.

Asserting that he was against controlling social media, Naidu said such effective platforms should not be misused and abused, and social media should not be allowed to be converted into theatres of war.

"Wars are hazardous to all," he said.

"Content for social media should be generated in a restrained and responsible manner by keeping the reactions to such content in mind. Such reflection would minimise offensive posts. Provocation should not be the objective. Sharing of views for better perspectives should be," the Vice President said.

About the farmers' agitation, he said taking extreme or maximalist positions would not help in resolving the issue.

"Both the government and the farmers are willing to talk further even after 11 rounds of discussion already held. Talks should be taken forward for early resolution of the issue," Naidu said.

"Taking extreme or maximalist positions by any side makes it difficult to resolve the issue as it makes accommodation of the other point of view difficult. Accordingly, the principle of moderation applies in this case as well," he said.

Referring to 100 years of first direct elections to the country's central and provincial legislatures in 1920 and consolidation of India as a democracy and a Republic, he said, "Democracy is all about discussion and negotiated resolution of differences. It inherently calls for moderation without taking to extremes."

"It applies to both the issues concerning social media and farmers' agitation."

Thousands of farmers have been protesting since late November at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of three contentious laws, which they feel would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the Centre has maintained that the laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

Naidu said the during the Budget session, Rajya Sabha has witnessed the crescendo of positivity and clocked near 100 percent productivity during the first part.

He noted that during the farewell of four retiring members of the House, including the Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rajya Sabha witnessed a "crescendo of positivity with both the sides expressing and demonstrating goodwill for each other and prime minister leading the way in this regard".

"Such a human spirit brings out the best of all. Even though political differences are bound to be there, such spirit of recognition of contributions of all sections of the House builds bridges," the Rajya Sabha chairman said.
Patricia Bergin is my new hero. Her finding this week that Crown is quite unsuitable to hold a casino licence in NSW blew across Sydney like a fresh autumn breeze. Now, lets act on it. Lets summon the courage, translate words into deeds. Demolish the wretched obelisk.

Tear it down? Crowns Barangaroo casino on what had been meant for parkland. Credit:Jessica Hromas

We were hoodwinked into it. When the OFarrell government granted Crown its casino licence in 2013, we were told it still needed planning approval. But when, in 2016, that time came, the Planning Assessment Commission found that planning approval was effectively granted in 2013 when Barry Bottle-o-Grange OFarrell linked the licence to land reserved for a park. Demolition, therefore, seems only fair.

I know what youll say. The world is not a fair place. But you can respond by striving for justice. Or you can rub your hands with glee and exploit it for all youre worth. This has been the Packer approach. Now is our moment to fight back  to show that, just sometimes, justice can be done.

My offspring and I were road-tripping when the news hit, singing along to Dylan. The slow one now will later be fast  and the first one now will later be last, for the times, they are a-changin. We trilled it with delight, conscious of its utopian dreaming but also of strange portents, glimmers of light.

The number of new daily cases of the coronavirus surpassed 2,000 for the second time this week in South Carolina.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said the state added 2,070 more cases of the virus on Feb. 12, and 45 more deaths have been linked to it. Earlier this week, the Palmetto State topped 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths since the first cases were reported here in March.

Areas in the Midlands and Upstate led the state for the highest totals of new cases on Feb. 12.

Statewide numbers

New cases reported: 2,070 confirmed, 481 probable.

Total cases in S.C.: 421,876 confirmed, 58,281 probable.

Percent positive: 8.9 percent.

New deaths reported: 45 confirmed, 16 probable.

Total deaths in S.C.: 7,057 confirmed, 837 probable.

Percent of ICU beds filled: 78.5 percent.

How does S.C. rank in vaccines administered per 100,000 people? 44th as of Feb. 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hardest-hit areas

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In the total number of newly confirmed cases, Greenville, Lexington and Spartanburg counties saw the highest totals.

What about the tri-county?

Charleston County had 145 new cases on Feb. 12, while Berkeley counted 54 and Dorchester saw 47.

Deaths

Nine of the new confirmed deaths reported were among people age 35 to 64, with the remainder of the patients age 65 and older.

Hospitalizations

Of the 1,375 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Feb. 12, 310 were in the ICU and 174 were using ventilators.

What do experts say?

The CDC encourages folks to continue to wear a mask, avoid crowds, stay 6 feet from others and avoid poorly ventilated spaces. Dr. Linda Bell, DHEC's chief epidemiologist, said now is not the time to relax these prevention measures.

The CDC released guidance this week recommending that wearing two well-fitting masks on top of each other enhances their effectiveness.

People who are out and about in the community are recommended to be tested for COVID-19 once a month or sooner if they develop symptoms or have been around someone who has tested positive for the virus.
Beyond a reasonable doubt, the greatest burden of proof in the U.S. legal system, doesnt apply to Senate impeachment trials, where conviction or acquittal comes down to the cryptic calculations of the politicians who make up the ad hoc jury. But if any reasonable doubt remained about the unprecedented second impeachment of Donald J. Trump, the House managers, who finished presenting their case Thursday, left it in ruins.

There is certainly no doubt of the former presidents responsibility for the riot at the heart of the charges. The House prosecutors showed how Trump gathered fuel for the fire, in East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwells memorable metaphor, across months and years.

Trump warned that the election would be stolen long before it took place, establishing an unbearable grievance in the minds of his followers. After his defeat, he refused to acknowledge it and pursued increasingly antidemocratic means of overturning it. And he had long legitimized violence in his rallies and rhetoric, encouraging and excusing those who injured or killed journalists, protesters and other perceived political opponents.

The House managers also showed how Trump methodically aimed his angry mob at the Capitol, advertising the date, inviting supporters to Washington and staging a rally at which he urged them to advance on a joint session of Congress. Then he watched the violence inflicted explicitly in his name in culpable silence for hours. Finally, he issued belated and halfhearted objections that reiterated his lies about the election and affirmed his affection for the mob.

Its no wonder that even some of Trumps loyal lieutenants denounced or distanced themselves from him in the wake of the attack, as Southern California Rep. Ted Lieu reminded the Senate on Thursday. The prominent Republicans who expressed dismay at the then-president included his former chiefs of staff Mick Mulvaney and John Kelly, governors such as Ohios Mike DeWine and Marylands Larry Hogan, and Cabinet members Betsy DeVos and Elaine Chao.

Nor can there be any question about the gravity of the crimes at issue, much less so after the managers made their case. Police officers were killed, maimed and driven to suicide after bearing the brunt of the assault. Then-Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were hunted by armed and agitated rioters. Lawmakers, their families and their staffs were steps away from harm. The Capitol was defiled and American democracy laid low while the world watched.

The Senate undoubtedly has the authority to try and convict this high crime, as the House managers demonstrated at the outset of the trial, given the plain language of the Constitution and clear historical precedent. And the prosecution on Thursday finished demolishing another specious constitutional quibble: that the First Amendment allows the president or anyone else to incite the overthrow of the government, the Constitution and the rule of law itself. This argument ... is wrong on the law completely  not just around the edges, Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse told senators. Their argument is wrong on the facts, wrong on the law, and would flip the Constitution upside down.

The last remaining doubt concerns a question that echoed through the proceedings, the crime and indeed the Trump administration: As lead manager Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked, quoting a Capitol police officer, Is this America? More to the point, will this continue to be America? The answer depends in no small part on how many Republican senators acknowledge the certainties before them.

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.
The Houston regions preparation for the coming winter storm continued Friday with crews treating roads for ice, schools and public transit announcing plans to close early next week and local officials warning residents to prepare to stay home for days on end.

Gov. Greg Abbott declared a statewide emergency Friday as workers from Houston Public Works, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Harris County Toll Road Authority sprayed overpasses, toll roads and freeways with a mixture intended to prevent icing. In some cases, they have been forced to wait until roads dry or scattered rain stops.

More than 30 public, private and charter school districts and colleges, including Houston ISD, announced they would close completely on Monday and Tuesday. Another 29, including Alief, Spring and Goose Creek ISDs, said they would shift all work and instruction online for those days.

Metro is suspending all transit services Monday morning through Tuesday, or whenever it is safe to resume operations, at which point the agency may gradually return to normal operations, officials announced.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Friday warned the coming storm may be the Houston regions worst winter weather event in 30 years and cautioned its effects  from closed roads to downed power lines  could resemble those of a Category 5 hurricane.

What youre seeing is not your typical hard freeze, Hidalgo said at a Transtar briefing. This is a sustained cold spell that has the potential of causing tremendous destruction to our region.

Forecasters predict subfreezing temperatures between Sunday and Wednesday, as well as wintry precipitation.

This is extreme for our area, county meteorologist Jeff Lindner said. It could be sleet. It could be freezing rain. It could be snow. It could be all three.

Officials are planning to spray nearly 100 bridges and street overpasses with a magnesium chloride anti-icing mixture Saturday morning, Houston Public Works spokeswoman Erin Jones said. Workers will wait to apply the substance until roads dry, she said, because the chemicals are ineffective on wet pavement and can be washed away by rain.

Light showers or drizzle are expected in the Houston area Saturday, along with potential freezing rain north of the city, according to Matt Lanza of the Space City Weather blog.

If rain continues longer than expected, crews would have to delay their de-icing plans beyond Saturday morning, Jones said.

The city handles de-icing on bridges and street overpasses at various spots in north, southwest and southeast Houston, such as where TC Jester passes over Eureka Yard and at the intersection of Memorial and Shepherd. The Harris County Toll Road Authority is responsible for toll roads, while the state transportation department typically handles highway overpasses.

This time, in anticipation of an extensive icy winter weather event, state workers are pre-treating all major freeways in the Houston area, including U.S. 290 and interstates 10, 45 and 69, said Emily Black, a spokeswoman for TxDOT. The agency is attempting to cover all freeways in the area as much as possible, Black said, though it is prioritizing outside lanes on wide freeways such as I-10, in case crews are unable to cover the entire roadway.

Their efforts are part of a statewide storm response ordered by Abbott, who issued a disaster declaration for all 254 Texas counties on Friday and instructed the Texas Highway Patrol and Department of Public Safety to deploy patrols to help stranded motorists along major travel corridors, among other emergency operations.

National Weather Service officials said to expect snow, sleet and freezing rain Sunday evening through early afternoon Monday in the Houston area, with the coldest front coming Tuesday morning when temperatures are expected to dip into the teens.

If the city roads ice over, workers will de-ice them with a sand mixture, Jones said.

The storm presents a unique challenge, Hidalgo said, since the region has extensive experience preparing for hurricanes but rarely experiences severe winter weather. Southeast Texas lacks the stockpiles of salt and snowplows that are commonplace in northern states; drivers do not switch to snow tires in the winter.

Patches of ice had already had begun to emerge Friday morning north of Houston. Harris County Sheriffs Office deputies investigated a crash at U.S. 290 and Binford Road near Hockley where black ice was reported. Ice also was reported around 7:30 a.m. near U.S. 290 and Texas 99, according to Houston TranStar.

Farther north, the Magnolia Police Department reported a 13-vehicle crash on top of an overpass at FM 1488 and FM 1774, urging people to be aware of icy roads and drive carefully.

Mayor Sylvester Turner acknowledged a blunt truth: Houstonians do not know how to drive on snow and ice. He said residents should be prepared to stay put for several days and urged them to bring pets inside and wrap exposed pipes to prevent them from freezing.

Some city workers will stay home Monday and Tuesday, the mayor said.

A further complicating factor is the COVID-19 pandemic. Houston will close its vaccination sites on Monday and Tuesday; Harris Countys will shut down from Monday through Wednesday.

Turner said the citys outreach team had begun contacting homeless residents in an effort to direct them to a warming center that will open 2 p.m. Sunday at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Fort Bend County officials were making similar preparations Friday, with road crews sanding bridges and overpasses on tollways and county roads in an attempt to stave off icy conditions.

Fort Bend County ISD announced campuses will be closed Tuesday.

Alan Spears, Fort Bend Countys deputy emergency management coordinator, said the National Weather Service had warned county officials that harsh conditions may persist for three or four days. Spears also said residents should prepare for loss of power during the storm.

In Montgomery County, emergency officials and commissioners were working on plans Friday and making sure that they have the grit that they need for the roads, said Meghan Ballard Arthur, a spokeswoman for the county office of homeland security and emergency management.

People should stay home if they can for the duration of the frigid storm, Ballard Arthur said.

Only get out when necessary, she said. Sunday night through Tuesday morning is going to be a hard time on the roads. So, if you can stay home and stay put, that is what we are recommending.

Anna Bauman, Alejandro Serrano and Shelby Webb contributed to this report.

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The ambassadors of the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Sweden, who visited Donbas together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 11, have expressed their support for Ukraine in resolving the situation in the east of the country.

The diplomats shared their impressions of the trip on Twitter, according to Ukrinform.

"CDA [Kristina] Kvien joined President Zelensky & ambassadors from Germany, France, Britain, Canada and Sweden near the line of contact to hear how Russia's snipers and Russia-led forces attempt to provoke Ukrainian defenders. The U.S. stands with Ukraine," the U.S. Embassy said.

CDA Kvien joined President @ZelenskyyUa & ambassadors from , , ,  and  near the line of contact to hear how Russias snipers and Russia-led forces attempt to provoke Ukrainian defenders. The U.S. stands with Ukraine. #PartnerStrong pic.twitter.com/gj9UrAgvXE  U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) February 11, 2021

French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins, in turn, said the diplomats and the Ukrainian president had spent the whole day near the line of contact.

"Full mobilization of France to unblock the Donbas negotiations within the framework of the Normandy format and the Minsk process. Peace must return in Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter.

With President Zelensky we spent the whole day to the Line of contact. Full mobilization of  to unblock the #Donbas negotiations within the framework of the Normandy format and the Minsk process. #Peace must return in  https://t.co/y1RWzXbAMs  Etienne de Poncins (@EdePoncins) February 11, 2021

"It was a privilege to visit the East today with colleague Ambassadors of Sweden, France, Germany and the United States to hear Ukrainian military discuss their daily experience of the ceasefire, and violations," British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simons tweeted.

It was a privilege to visit to the East today with colleague Ambassadors of     to hear  military discuss their daily experience of the ceasefire, and violations. pic.twitter.com/OMl4wiIav3  Melinda Simmons (@MelSimmonsFCDO) February 11, 2021

Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza noted that the diplomats' encounters with soldiers in Avdiivka and elsewhere had given them a close-up look at the dynamics of the ceasefire.

"Canada supports its [ceasefire] continuation and supports the soldiers who uphold it. They and we know it's the only way to move towards peace," Galadza wrote.

These encounters with soldiers in Avdiivka & elsewhere gave us a close up look at dynamics of the ceasefire.  supports its continuation, and supports the soldiers who uphold it. They and we know its the only way to move towards peace.  for the invitation, @ZelenskyyUa pic.twitter.com/rAtv8Xr4tk  Larisa Galadza -   (@LGaladza) February 12, 2021

Swedish Ambassador to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg, in turn, called "very valuable" a briefing by the Ukrainian authorities on the challenges currently facing the ceasefire in Donbas.

Very valuable briefing today by Ukrainian authorities on the challenges currently facing the ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/urm66uFr7g  Tobias Thyberg (@TobiasThyberg) February 11, 2021

German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen recalled that the day of the president's and diplomats' visit to Donbas marked the sixth anniversary of the start of talks in Minsk (the so-called Minsk-2 agreements). She also extended her condolences to the relatives of a Ukrainian soldier killed by an enemy sniper on February 11.

"The Minsk agreements, as Volodymyr Zelensky said, are the only way to a peaceful settlement of this war. Can it happen soon? We don't know. But we are working very actively on this in both Berlin and Paris. I hope we will see the end of this war," the Ukrainian President's Office quoted Feldhusen as saying.

Zelensky and ambassadors from leading countries paid a working visit to Donetsk region on Thursday, February 11.

Five ceasefire violations were recorded in the area of the Joint Forces Operation in Donbas on February 11, and two Ukrainian servicemen were killed.

op
DEATH Youre the son of kung fu instructors. Does that mean you dont fear death?

[Laughs] Sometimes I feel like growing up the son of kung fu instructors makes you wish for death. How so? The sweet release of death would have been so much better than the Shaolin training we had to go through as kids. My parents used to run these intense training camps, where you trained as the sun rose. They were made for university students, but I was like 10, trying to keep up. What was the most excruciating aspect? Theres this exercise called yow soon: rowing the boat in Cantonese. Youre in a very low stance, doing this circular motion, rocking back and forth. It burns your legs and glutes within 15 or 20 seconds. We had to do it for 40 minutes. Definitely the most painful thing Ive done. Some of us are taught that after we die, we go to heaven. What about you? I was definitely told that. I was introduced to death quite early on, because my great-grandmother died when I was young, and she lived with us. My parents are very religious, so it was always the Christian idea of heaven  that well see them again in the future.

Is that what you believe now? Yeah, I believe that death is not the end. I would like to think that people are looking down and watching us, that we can be reunited again. Loading Who have you most recently grieved over? My cousin passed away the year before last. I was very, very close to her. Im so sorry to hear that. Tell me about your cousin. She was very cool; the one who taught me sarcasm. She was my favourite person to visit on holidays in Sydney. She had a very aggressive form of cancer that went downhill. I was in Melbourne on a photo shoot and supposed to fly back to LA when she was getting her results back. I changed my flights and got to see her just for an hour with a layover. We didnt talk about what was going on at all  just hung out, as we always had. Then she was gone a few weeks after. What helped to cope with the grief? Remembering the good times. When Im gone, I dont want people grieving, but to celebrate my life.

Youre back in Los Angeles now, where coronavirus is rampant. Do you fear catching it? Im being very careful. I have asthma, so I would be affected if I did catch it. But I havent been worried because Ive been safe. There was a very scary moment when the US election was happening, though. LA was completely boarded up, everywhere you went. It didnt feel like a modern, functioning, First World country. Did it feel like the death of America? I moved here in 2013. In America, we have known the state of the country for a long time. Now the rest of the world has caught up. Loading SEX Crazy Rich Asians turned you into a global sex symbol. Whats the horniest fan mail you received? When it was first released, I got an influx of social-media activity on my accounts, including my first bare-chested picture from a female fan. There was no accompanying message or text, just a very aggressive, in-your-face picture. I really appreciated it  so  I screen-shot it  not knowing that Instagram tells the other user its been screen-shot.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) - Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipino-Chinese in the country continue to practice their traditions especially in celebrating Lunar New Year on Friday.

Meah Ang See, managing director of Bahay Tsinoy Museum, said the Lunar New Year Day is the time where Filipino-Chinese prayed for their clan's ancestors by lighting up incense in temples and clan halls.

Due to the movement restrictions brought by the pandemic, Ang See said someone in behalf of the Filipino-Chinese families is lighting incense in temples and clan halls.

"They also do ancestor veneration [ceremony] online. In the same way as Christians go to online masses, the temples are also holding online services," Ang See said in an interview on CNN Philippines' The Final Word.

Filipino-Chinese family gatherings during the Lunar New Year celebration are usually big, as clan members of up to 100 persons hold feasts to ring in the new year. The pandemic only allowed these families to celebrate the turn of the new year in their own homes by themselves.

"They just stay with their most immediate family now. You keep it close, they only send food to each other," Ang See explained.

Ang See said she misses the tradition in the Philippines, where Filipino-Chinese and even Filipinos give tikoy to their loved ones and friends. She added this tradition is not even celebrated in mainland China, where families only buy the delicacy for themselves.

"In China, you buy a box for your own family for your own consumption. But here, you buy an entire case of tikoy and give it to everyone you know," Ang See elaborated.

The Bahay Tsinoy Museum managing director explained the Filipinos' reverence to tikoy is one of the evolutions in the Filipino-Chinese culture, that is not seen on other mixed Chinese cultures in other Southeast Asian countries and mainland China as well.

Ang See also noted Binondo district, the center of the Filipino-Chinese community in the country, is relatively quiet as they welcome the Year of the Metal Ox.

"It's very different because it used to be so lively and so crowded. I'm also happy that the activities were cancelled because of COVID-19. Many of the Filipino-Chinese members do not want the Lunar New Year activities to be a contributory [factor] to the spike of cases," Ang See said.

A lot of people flock to Binondo every Lunar New Year celebration to watch the traditional dragon dances and buy delicacies like tikoy and hopia. These activities bring luck for the whole year, according to Chinese traditions.

Last January 29, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso ordered the cancellation of all Lunar New Year celebration activities to avoid new COVID-19 outbreaks and to not put to waste the local government's efforts in containing the spread of the coronavirus.
In an amazing display of cognitive dissonance, the Biden administration proposes imposing limits on the movement of American citizens while encouraging the flood of illegal aliens from Mexico and Latin America. His actions are allegedly intended to mitigate the spread of the Chinese COVID virus.

Per the Miami Herald:

The Biden administration is considering whether to impose domestic travel restrictions, including on Florida, fearful that coronavirus mutations are threatening to reverse hard-fought progress on the pandemic. Outbreaks of the new variants  including a highly contagious one first identified in the United Kingdom, as well as others from South Africa and Brazil that scientists worry can evade existing vaccines  have lent urgency to a review of potential travel restrictions within the United States, one federal official said.

Early last year, I personally witnessed what happens when every car on I-95 is stopped at the Florida border and non-Florida residents are refused entry. This was an early panicky reaction to the virus by Florida leaders. It led to mass disruption, confusion, and a line of cars at least ten miles long stopped dead on the southbound expressway.

The extent of travel restrictions and modes of transportation to potentially be restricted are not defined at this point. Florida is the primary focus for possible travel lockdowns, as a third of U.S. cases of the U.K. COVID variant have been identified in Florida.

Cases of variants are also surging in California and 34 other states, according to the Herald.

The Democrat logic, at least to me, is indecipherable. Rather than potentially throw the country into massive chaos, wouldn't the best course of action to protect America from foreign COVID mutations be to restrict travel from the countries that are importing them?

Apparently, to Biden and the Dems, it is more desirable to limit the freedoms of American citizens.

Andrew Thomas, https://darkangelpolitics.com.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Summer House fans who followed Luke Gulbransons Instagram stories in March may have noticed that he seemed worried and frazzled, concerned he had contracted COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Luke Gulbranson |Mark Sagliocco/Bravo

Gulbranson said he felt sick but tests were not accessible at the time. He ended up driving home to Minnesota from New York City, which was a hot spot at the time. Thankfully, he recovered and spent the rest of the spring at his quaint cabin in the woods. But he recently shared his experience, saying that he was as worried as he appeared on Instagram.

Luke Gulbranson left New York City when he started feeling sick

I wasnt feeling super good in New York, it was weird, Gulbranson recounted to Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Adding, I remember calling my mom and saying, Hey, I feel like Im getting the flu. Like I dont know  it was so weird. But, I didnt have a fever, I just didnt feel good.

Gulbranson described some of the same experiences COVID patients have reported. It was off and on, he recalled. Id feel good and then Id feel bad. And then Id feel good and then bad again. So I went home and I was like, Im getting out of here as soon as people start fighting over toilet paper.'

RELATED: Summer House: Hannah Berner and Luke Gulbransons Relationship Fizzled Out, He Says

New York City was locked down and one of the hardest hit by COVID in the country at the time. And I was like, yeah, no way man, get me out of here, he continued. So I went home back to the lake because I knew Id be safe. When I got there, I got more sick, but nothing too crazy. I lost my taste and smell and that was like before taste and smell was a part of COVID. And as far as getting a test, like they were hardly giving tests in New York, let alone in northern Minnesota.

Luke Gulbranson never got confirmation if he had the virus

I was never able to get a test, but I was sick for like three weeks, Gulbranson said. At the end of the day, Im almost certain I had it just with the symptoms.

I had the telltale signs of what COVID is, he said. And I was around people that had it. Some of my castmates had it. And I know Andy [Cohen], he had it. At the end of the day, Im almost certain I had it. And Im just very lucky to have been able to come out of it okay because its such a terrible disease. And I feel horrible for all the people that are losing loved ones because of it. Carl Radke shared he too had COVID but didnt realize it. Instead, he thought he was hungover.

Cheers to an EPIC season of #Summer House! Stay tuned every Thursday at 9/8c! pic.twitter.com/Xi7DJbzuFw  Bravo (@BravoTV) February 5, 2021

RELATED: Summer House: Danielle Olivera Says Lindsay Hubbard Never Tried to Hook Her Up With Luke Gulbranson: That Was All Me

Im a big advocate for wearing a mask, he added. Gulbranson said his Instagram stories truly reflected his range of emotion during the time he was sick. Yeah, I was scared for me, he said.

Summer House is on Thursday at 9/8c on Bravo.
A year after the Mabo High Court decision and a year before Cathy Freeman draped herself in the Aboriginal flag at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, there was another landmark moment for Queenslands Indigenous community via Brisbanes airwaves.

Murri Country 4AAA broadcast for the first time on April 6, 1993, as the first Indigenous radio station in a major Australian city.

A 98.9FM outside broadcast in Brisbane.

The manager of the station now known as 98.9FM, Dan Rennie, said the political climate at the time of the launch meant Brisbane needed to confront its history with Aboriginal people, and radio was the best means to do so.

This type of community advocacy will be celebrated across the globe on Saturday as part of UNESCO World Radio Day.
Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
A 73-year-old woman who is suing in relation to her cervical smear slides has, through her lawyers, pleaded for mediation talks to begin in her case.

Retired nurse and widow Joan Lucey, who has terminal cervical cancer, has only weeks to live, her counsel told the High Court yesterday.

She has sued the HSE and two laboratories and her case is set to go ahead in two weeks time.

Liam Reidy SC told the court Mrs Lucey is in the last number of weeks of her life and her side has invited the parties to the mediation table.

Counsel said the laboratories are balking at engaging in mediation until a third party issue has been resolved.

It seem to me an absolute outrage that the HSE dont mediate with her legal team directly and deal with the other defendants later, counsel said.

It is an absolute outrage in this case. She is on her deathbed.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross urged the sides to enter into mediation especially in this case, but he said he was not going to force somebody to do so. He said the case is due to go ahead on February 26 in the High Court.

Mrs Lucey (73), of Cooleen, Dingle, Co Kerry has sued the HSE, Clinical Pathology Laboratories Incorporated (CPL) with headquarters in Austin, Texas, USA and MedLab Pathology Ltd with registered offices at Sandyford Business Park, Dublin.

She has sued in relation to the alleged misreading or misinterpretation or misreporting of her cervical smears taken in February 2011 and August 2011.

It is claimed that notwithstanding undergoing regular smear tests as advised, cytological cell changes in Mrs Lucey were allegedly allowed to develop and spread unidentified, unmonitored and untreated until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in July 2019.

It is alleged she was denied the opportunity to receive and benefit from timely curative treatment and her disease was allegedly allowed to develop unhindered.

All the claims are denied.

Clinical Pathology Laboratories (CPL) has also joined as a third party in the proceedings consultant obstetrician Dr Mary McCaffrey of The Scotia Clinic, Tralee, Co Kerry.

CPL has claimed there was a failure to assess or investigate Mrs Lucey when she attended the clinic on April 29, 2011 and it is claimed it resulted in a missed opportunity to diagnose pre invasive disease.

Those claims are also denied.
The former Sangamon County states attorney was appointed by former President Donald Trump in August 2018 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in January 2019 with the support of Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. Three Republican members of Congress from Illinois, Reps. Rodney Davis of Taylorville, Darin LaHood of Peoria and Mary Miller of Oakland, fought for Milhiser to keep his job under Biden.
A leftist Guardian writer who proclaimed "there is no cancel culture" just got canceled himself for tweeting a sarcastic joke criticizing US military aid to Israel.

There is no cancel culture. The fastest way to get a book deal in this country is to whine about cancel culture. Every single one of these people ends up on their feet. They are fine. They have giant platforms. They are heard loud and clear. Right-wing opinions are everywhere.  Nathan J Robinson (@NathanJRobinson) June 10, 2020

One of the most serious threats to free speech is the silencing of criticism of the government of Israel.



I have now found this out the hard way, having just been fired as a Guardian columnist for sending a tweet about US military aid to Israel https://t.co/EEfLqjY1IM  Nathan J Robinson (@NathanJRobinson) February 10, 2021



A Twitter user hilariously predicted it:





This pretty much guarantees that you will be cancelled.  Alice  (@AliceFromQueens) June 11, 2020

There is no joy in prophecy  Alice  (@AliceFromQueens) February 11, 2021



Robinson wrote about his canceling in an article titled, "How the Media Cracks Down on Critics of Israel":

Personally, I had never thought about the question of whether I could suffer consequences for criticizing the government of Israel (and U.S. support for it). I have just about as much "free speech" as you can get in this world. Perhaps I should have thought about it more, though, because as soon as I crossed an invisible line, it was very quickly made clear to me. The moment I irritated defenders of Israel on social media, I was summarily fired from my job as a newspaper columnist.



I have been writing for the Guardian US since 2017, first as a contributor and then as a full columnist. I write almost exclusively about U.S. politics. I have never written about Israel. My editor has always been satisfied with my work, which is why I kept getting commissioned. I am good at putting out sharp, well-sourced, political commentary quickly, and needed little editing. (I only had a column spiked for content reasons once, as far as I can remember, which occurred when I criticized Joe Biden over Hunter Biden's corrupt business ties.)

Here's the tweets he got canned for:







Guardian US editor and chief, John Mulholland, sent him an email titled "Private + confidential" where he accused him of being an anti-Semite.



"No such law exists," Mulholland said, referencing his sarcastic joke. "Given the reckless talk over the last year--and beyond--of how mythical 'Jewish group/alliances' yield power over all forms of U.S. public life I am not clear how this is helpful to public discourse."



"Saying that the only Jewish state controls the most powerful country in the world is clearly anti-Semitic. The myth of 'Jewish power' informs murderous hatred. Delete this and apologise," Mulholland said.



Robinson did delete his tweets and apologize but his column was canceled nonetheless.



Incidentally, The Guardian has no issue with pushing endless columns demonizing white people as supremacist masterminds who are holding everyone down.







In fact, that's practically all they do.



Robinson concluded his article by saying it was clear he was "explicitly being censored for sending a tweet critical of Israel":

It was made very, very clear to me: your tweet about Israel annoyed the editor in chief. Now you are fired. Do not come back.

Incidentally, just last week the Algemeiner, a paper focused on Jewish and Israeli news, published a column which said that "we need cancel culture" to "fight hate and antisemitism."







I guess cancel culture is real after all!



Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds, Parler and Telegram.


Such moments have arrived in many countries across the world that have elected populist governments over the past decades; for the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for example, it came in 2013 over protests in Istanbul against the construction of replica military barracks in a historic park, snowballing into demands for Mr Erdogans resignation. By the end of that year, Turkeys ruling party  led by a man once celebrated by the ...

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Marry Mubaiwa has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging a High Court decision refusing to release her passport to enable her travel to South Africa for treatment.

She is facing a string of criminal charges including attempted murder, money laundering, fraud and assault.

The former super model wants to travel to South Africa urgently to seek medical treatment as her health has reportedly deteriorated. She is suffering from an ailment known as lymphoedema, which causes swelling of hands and legs.

On Wednesday, Mubaiwa filed her appeal at the superior court against the High Court decision dismissing her application for alteration of bail conditions.

She had sought the temporary release of her passport to be allowed to travel to SA for medical attention and relaxation of her reporting conditions during her absence from Zimbabwe.

But Justice Benjamin Chikowero dismissed Mubaiwas application.

In his ruling the judge also rejected Mubaiwas contention that there are no lymphoedema specialists in the country and held that her application contained some grey areas.

In addition, the court held that Mubaiwa failed to demonstrate that her condition had deteriorated and was in need of urgent treatment across the Limpopo to warrant alteration of her bail conditions.

In her appeal, through her lawyers, Mtetwa and Nyambirai, Mubaiwa insists that the variation of her bail conditions should be allowed, arguing that she is in constant pain, has grossly swollen feet, hands and large open wounds as detailed by her local doctor. Herald
Hill+Knowlton Strategies has a $300K deal to provide a range of PR services to the Cayman Islands Ministry of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment.

The effort to ensure that the British overseas territorys positions are effectively communicated to the US government began Feb. 1 and continues through December.

H+Ks work includes information gathering; stakeholder mapping of policymakers, business/association leaders in DC, New York and Miami; PA counsel, strategic messaging/content development; and media outreach/monitoring.

The WPP unit stands ready to provide crisis communications expertise in the event of unexpected political developments that have an adverse effect on the Cayman Islands reputation or its financial services industry," according to its "statement of work.

The firm will prepare and submit to its London global hub bi-weekly reports covering regulatory and legislative trends and developments of interest to the ministry, along with guidance and recommendations regarding how to respond to those developments.

H+Ks five member team includes Brussels-based global PA chair Philippe Maze-Sencier de Brouville; DC senior VPs Joseph Householder, Ronald Hutcheson and Daniel Schwarz and assistant account executive Christopher Bull.

It reports to Dax Basdeo, chief officer at the Ministry of Financial Services and Home Affairs.

 Reminder of next week's "Prosecutorial Elections: The New Frontline in Criminal Justice Reform" | Main | "Direct Collateral Review" 

February 12, 2021

Litigation over clergy halts Alabama execution (and divides Justices in notable ways)

Though the federal government carried out the first three execution of 2021 last month, the first state execution in the US was scheduled to take place last night in Alabama. But, as this local article explains, today "Willie B. Smith III remains alive on death row in Alabama, after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling that required Smiths spiritual advisor to be in the execution chamber with Smith when he was given the lethal injection." Here is more:

The ruling came down around 11:08 p.m. Thursday night, with the Alabama Department of Corrections calling off the execution one minute later. In the concurring ruling, Justice Elena Kagan said that the law guarantees Smith the right to practice his faith free from unnecessary interference. The Eleventh Circuit was right to bar Alabama from executing Smith without his pastor by his side, Kagan said. Nowhere, as far as I can tell, has the presence of a clergy member (whether state-appointed or independent) disturbed an execution. Kagan along with Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Amy Coney Barrett all denied the Alabama Attorney Generals Offices motion to overturn a lower court ruling requiring Smiths spiritual advisor to be in the execution chamber. Justice Brett Kavanaugh along with Justice John Roberts, wrote the dissenting opinion. Smiths other claim as to why the execution should be called off centered on what his lawyers called an intellectual disability. While the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay based on that claim Wednesday night, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted that stay around 11 p.m. Thursday. Smith, 51, was originally set to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. inside of William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore.... Smith was sentenced to death in 1992 for the Oct. 1991 abduction, robbery and murder of Sharma Ruth Johnson. Johnsons body was found in the trunk of her burned car with a shotgun wound to her head, after being shot execution style at a east Birmingham cemetery.

The full SCOTUS discussion of these issues is available at this link, but the opinions released by the justices are just concurrences and dissents from the denial of Alabama's application to lift the stay put in place by the Eleventh Circuit. As Amy Howe explains in this SCOTUSblog post, the exact votes here are unclear even though it is clear that this issue has divided the more conservative block of Justices:

Four justices  Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett  all signed an opinion, written by Kagan, that said the state failed to adequately justify its policy of barring spiritual advisers from the execution chamber. Three justices  Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh  indicated that they would have allowed the execution to go forward under Alabamas policy. The remaining two justices  Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch  did not publicly disclose how they voted, but at least one of them must have voted with the three liberal justices and Barrett to prevent the execution from occurring without a spiritual adviser.

This NPR piece about the ruling provides some context for how SCOTUS has struggled with execution clergy issues in recent years:

The Supreme Court justices have grappled with the same legal question at the core of the Smith case in the last two years, but have ruled very differently in each situation. In 2019, the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, ruled that Alabama could execute Domineque Hakim Ray, a Muslim man convicted of murder. The appellate court had temporarily blocked the execution because the state barred the man from having a Muslim imam at his side in the death chamber. Alabama said only the prison's Christian minister would be allowed in. A month later, in a 7-2 vote, the justices granted an eleventh-hour stay of execution to Patrick Henry Murphy, a Buddhist prisoner in Texas who had been denied a Buddhist religious adviser at his side in the death chamber. The difference between the two cases, according to the conservative court majority, was that the Muslim prisoner waited too long to ask for an imam. It's unclear what the state of Alabama's next move will be in the Smith case.

That both Justices Alito and Gorsuch remained silent and yet may have voted for the stay here is fascinating; these two have long seemed, by virtue of their votes and opinions, to be the two Justices most eager to ensure condemned inmates fail in any and all efforts to block or delay scheduled executions. In addition, I believe this case may represent the very first time in which, in a closely divided vote, Justice Barrett joined an opinion of her more liberal colleagues. Justice Barrett could have, of course, opted for the "silence is golden" approach adopted by Justices Alito and Gorsuch; that she notably decided instead to sign on to Justice Kagan's concurrence is quite noteworthy.

February 12, 2021 at 11:44 AM | Permalink

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Following public backlash, Kent County is renegotiating its $12,000 a day lease for DeVos Place convention center, the site of a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination clinic the countys hosting with Spectrum Health and Mercy Health Saint Marys.

Those numbers are going to come down, said Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt, referencing the $12,000 daily fee which drew criticism from some members of the Kent County Board of Commissioners.

The new lease, which is expected to be finalized this week, will no longer have a flat rental fee, Britt said. Instead, the costs will be calculated based on how we utilize the facility.

We dont know for sure what that numbers going to look like, but it will be different than the $12,000 a day, Britt said.

The DeVos Place vaccine clinic opened on Jan. 25. In its first week, the clinic was equipped with roughly 7,200 doses of the vaccine. But the goal is to eventually administer 20,000 doses of the drug per day as supply of the vaccine increases.

The county is leasing DeVos Place, under a monthly contract, from the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA). The CAA is a public authority that owns DeVos Place, DeVos Performance Hall and Van Andel Arena.

The lease between the county and the CAA was signed by Britt, Kent County Health Director Adam London and Richard MacKeigan. MacKeigan is regional general manager of ASM Global, the company the CAA hired to manage its properties.

The $12,000 daily rental fee offered by ASM Global was a discounted fee for DeVos Place. The facilitys normal rental fee is $33,525.

The daily rental fee was scrutinized by members of the board of commissioners, Britt said, as well as DeltaPlex owner Joel Langlois. Langlois said on social media that he would have hosted the vaccine clinic at his venue, located in Walker, for $1,000 a day.

We at the DeltaPlex offered to do it for free  just cover the light and heat when you are in the building if funding wasnt available, Langlois wrote on Facebook, in response to a story about the lease price published by the Detroit Free Press.

We said if you get funding, just pay us $1,000 a day to cover staff, cleaning, utilities, etc. I guess Kent County has a bunch of money to throw around. I am pissed about this, anyone else?

Britt said the new contract could be finalized as soon as Thursday afternoon.

He said the county has not yet paid any money for the lease at this point. The new contract will be retroactive, and the county will not be charged the $12,000 daily fee for any of the days its hosted the vaccine clinic at DeVos Place.

While some commissioners were displeased with the terms of the lease, Britt said the county and the CAA entered into the agreement with the best intentions. He said the county, along with Spectrum and Mercy Health Saint Marys, were working quickly to put the clinic in place with the goal of strengthening COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the region.

Its been good intent from both sides, SMG and the county, all along, Britt said. No one got fleeced or taken advantage of or anything like that.

MacKeigan said the initial contract between the CAA and the county was created with the assumption that DeVos Place vaccine clinic would be open every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. He said the initial contract was a flat rate that included expenses such as utilities, insurance, labor, parking and other elements.

Now that the clinic has been in place for a few weeks, and it has become clear theres not enough doses of the vaccine available for the clinic to operate all-day, every day, more accurate estimates and more accurate pricing can be provided, MacKeigan said.

Its always been the countys intent and its always been the CAAs intent and my intent to have a fair agreement that saw the facility reimbursed for expenses it incurred, he said. I think thats what the initial agreement did, and I think thats what this agreement does as well.

He added, It has been and is the intent that Kent County would only be responsible for expenses incurred and the initial agreement had a number of those expenses tied into the flat fee. The new agreement just lists all the expenses.

Mandy Bolter, who chairs the Kent County Board of Commissioners, said the board is pleased the contract is being renegotiated because most members thought the $12,000 daily rental fee was a bit out of line.

She said the county board was very firm with (county) staff, and the CAA board members, that we highly recommend they go back to the drawing board. The county board was not involved in negotiations for the original contract that contained the $12,000 daily rental fee, she said.

The new contract will be more nuanced than its predecessor, Bolter said.

For example, the CAA already was carrying electrical and heating costs for DeVos Place, Bolter said. My understanding, we will pay the difference in those costs on the days of use and the hours of use, she said.

Bolter added, If tomorrow, FEMA opened the door and we were able to do 40,000 a day like we could do, the cost is going to be much higher than if we can only get 3,000 a week like were getting now.

Stan Stek, the county boards vice chairperson, said the new lease will still carry significant expenses because the vaccine clinic is an extensive, complicated operation.

Its my understanding they were not intending to make a profit off of it, he said, of the lease between the CAA and Kent County. But the commissioners still felt it was inappropriate to do it in a lease form that paid rent because rent traditionally does carry with it all of the bucket of depreciation, overhead and potential profit.

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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
A nationwide shortage of COVID-19 vaccines is hindering efforts to vaccinate residents of California and other states.Los Angeles temporarily shut down five mass vaccination sites, including Dodger Stadium, after running out of vaccine.Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday the city will exhaust its supply of Moderna first doses - two are required for full immunization - by Thursday, forcing it to close drive-through and walk-up vaccination sites on Friday and Saturday.

The sites, which can handle thousands of shots daily, may not reopen until the city gets more supplies. They may possibly come next Tuesday or Wednesday although smaller mobile vaccination clinics will continue their work, he said. Los Angeles, which has 10 million residents, only received 16,000 new doses this week while it uses about 13,000 doses in a typical day, Garcetti said.

"They have the venue, they have the people, they have everything worked out, but they don't have the vaccine - this week," said Dr. John Swartzberg, a public health expert at the University of California, Berkeley. "Until we can get a dependable, reliable supply of vaccine coming to not just the states, but to the different regions within the states so that we can do proper planning. We're just going to still stumble like this." Experts said the supply crunch should start to ease as manufacturers ramp up vaccine production. The federal government is expected to approve a single-shot vaccine by Johnson & Johnson, which will add to the nation's supplies.

"We have the infrastructure in place to vaccinate large numbers of people, and we're really kind of at the mercy of what the supply chain looks like," said Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. "And if we get the vaccine, we can distribute it. And I would say to people, 'Please don't get discouraged. Please don't lose patience. We'll get it to you.'"

The Los Angeles announcement came as some counties complained that California's current system of parceling out vaccines undercounts the number of shots they've administered, potentially crimping efforts to stem the coronavirus outbreak by immunizing the majority of the state's 40 million residents. California has edged past New York in the grim statistic of number of deaths due to COVID-19, according Johns Hopkins University data reported Thursday. California's death toll reached 45,496, surpassing New York's toll of 45,312.

Broadly, however, the state is making progress on controlling the virus. Less than 5% of people tested are now turning up positive results, and daily confirmed infection cases have dropped to about 8,400 from a high of more than 50,000 a month ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. At the same time, troubling COVID-19 mutations are making their way into the nation's most populous state. The first cases of a South African strain were reported Wednesday in Alameda and Santa Clara counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Another variant from the United Kingdom has appeared in several counties.In total, the state has less than 1,500 identified cases of different variants, Newsom said.Scientists and health officials fear the variants could be more contagious, less responsive to treatments and more likely to re-infect people who already had the virus.

Newsom touted that more than 5 million vaccine doses have been administered, but criticism continues over the way his administration has handled distribution. The state plans to shift next week from a county-driven vaccine effort to a centralized approach run by Blue Shield of California that will be designed to provide "more clarity, more transparency and more accountability," Newsom said.

(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)
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Friday, Feb. 12, and a successful pandemic program keeps running out of money. Heres what you need to know to start your day.

More than two years ago, a Danville officer shot a mentally ill man who tried to drive away from police in his car, abruptly ending a meandering, low-speed chase during which other officers refrained from using force.

Other police shootings have sparked uprisings, yet in the San Ramon Valley, the death of an unarmed man during an apparent mental health crisis barely seemed to register. The Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office has not disciplined the officer, and the district attorney has yet to decide whether to file criminal charges.

The Chronicle obtained more than a dozen videos and hundreds of pages of documents to reconstruct what happened in the critical minutes leading up to and including Officer Andrew Halls fatal shooting of Laudemer Arboleda  a moment captured on video from two angles.

This is what we found.

Coronavirus Updates

 A San Francisco effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by residents who could otherwise not afford to stop working to quarantine has been a success. But the program, which has been funded by private donations, keeps running out of money.

 Even as Los Angeles County officials were forced to temporarily close five mass vaccination sites for lack of supply, other providers across the Bay Area prepared to ramp up coronavirus vaccine delivery, including CVS offering sign-ups for eligible residents starting Friday.

 Why Bay Area experts are praising a new CDC guideline halting COVID quarantines for fully vaccinated people.

 The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled with the CEO of Sunnyvale lab company Arrayit, even as her husband, the former company president, faces criminal charges over an alleged scheme to offer fraudulent coronavirus testing.

 S.F.s historic Old St. Marys Cathedral is at very edge of survival, battered by the pandemic.

 Californias Kevin McCarthy, top House Republican, attended largely maskless wedding during surge.

 65 creative ways to reuse a face mask.

Around the Bay

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

 Expanding Wine Country? Point Reyes is not a wine destination. This vintner says climate change could make it one.

 Three arrests: California Highway Patrol finds cache of catalytic converters after 135 mph chase on Bay Bridge.

 Back on the tracks: Muni subway service to partially reopen in May after year-plus pandemic closure.

 From Ann Killion: Visiting Giants spring training might sound fun, but at a high COVID cost.

 Emergencies on all sides: California wants to prevent rolling blackouts. Will it use more fossil fuels to get there?

Chronicle Food + Wine

As part of Landmark Watch series, Chronicle reporters check in on the Bay Areas longtime businesses during the pandemic. If you have a suggestion, write us here.

Frank Chui watches the news. Hes seen story after story of long-standing restaurants saying farewell, unable to withstand the crush of the pandemic. He is determined not to let his 100-year-old San Francisco Chinatown restaurant, Hang Ah Tea Room, fade away as well, especially after fighting to reinvigorate the countrys oldest dim sum restaurant over the past few years.

Janelle Bitker reports on what Chui is planning next.

More from Chronicle Food:

Brian Feulner / Special to The Chronicle

 Meet three new Bay Area chocolatiers folding Asian flavors into gleaming confections.

 When La Perla reopens in Oakland, it will be the East Bays only full-fledged Puerto Rican restaurant.

 Top 25: Food Critic Soleil Hos top steak restaurants in the Bay Area.

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.
AMHERST  The University of Massachusetts will compensate students for lost wages from on-campus jobs during the ongoing COVID-19 self-sequestration period.

The decision does not extend to wages lost for off-campus employment.

The universitys recent warning that students must forgo in-person, off-campus employment as cases of COVID-19 surge at the school has provoked an emotional debate over not only lost paychecks, but also about whether UMass is within its rights to encourage outside employers to furlough or terminate student workers in the name of public health.

Sonya Epstein, president of the Student Government Association, said the decision to reimburse on-campus workers was a step in the right direction. But she said the association will press administrators to remove their threat of sanctions if students continue to work off-campus jobs that cannot be done remotely.

The campus will provide compensation for students with on-campus jobs for the hours they normally would have worked during the High Risk time period, said Edward F. Blaguszewski, director of strategic communications and special assistant to the vice chancellor.

This decision does not apply to off-campus jobs. Students with off-campus jobs who are unable to work can apply for a Student Employment Assistance Grant. Additional help is also available through the universitys Single Stop resource guide, including how to access resources related to housing, food and financial insecurity.

Students were ordered Feb. 7 to self-sequester for a minimum of 14 days. The order came after hundreds of positive COVID-19 results were reported in the first week of February.

Self-sequestration means students are prohibited from leaving their dormitories or off-campus dwellings except for COVID-19 tests, grab-to-go meals, medical appointments or work at COVID-19 testing sites, vaccination locations or laboratories.

Exemptions for jobs deemed essential were possible after review, but otherwise the lockdown means students cannot continue in-person jobs without risk of sanctions.

Speaking for the university, Blaguszewski expressed hope the shutdown would end after two weeks, but said science and health experts examine data every day and no end date could be promised.

The university cannot order private businesses in Amherst and surrounding communities to cease using student workers. But through local business organizations, UMass has urged off-campus businesses to honor the self-sequestration and cease using student employees.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has not authorized any staff member to contact area businesses or town officials to request that UMass students be prevented from working at or patronizing local establishments, Blaguszewski said in a statement Friday evening. Nor is the university aware of any staff member who has done so. It is not within the universitys authority to instruct businesses how to engage with their employees or customers who may be UMass students.

The university has encouraged businesses to resume using students once the self-sequestration period has ended, and has suggested businesses handle student customers the same way.

University policy says disregarding pandemic restrictions could result in sanctions ranging from a warning to expulsion. Student government leaders say they could not get the university to commit to removing expulsion as an option.

Epstein said the Student Government Association will continue to press for UMass to drop its request that businesses not use students for off-campus, in-person work. The association is not looking for compensation, but it is asking that students be allowed to work.

Epstein said an email campaign that enlisted support from the student population made a difference.

This decision (to cover lost on-campus wages) was made thanks to all of the advocacy by students demanding that the administration pay students. We still have a fight ahead of us around off-campus jobs, Epstein said.

We hope that soon the university reverses its decision to not allow students to work at their off-campus jobs, and communicates to town governments and businesses in the Amherst area that students may work at their place of off-campus employment as soon as possible so that we can ensure financial security for students.

Students who lose money because of the high-risk restrictions can apply for state aid through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Epstein said that process would take too long to help students in immediate financial peril.

She called the Student Employment Assistance grant offer of $300 per student grossly inadequate for those who can no longer work off-campus jobs. Epstein said students have contacted the association about lost job hours, often with very little notice. She said she has heard some businesses would be in danger of closing because of their heavy reliance on student workers.

Epstein said there was no way to determine how many working students are affected by the self-sequestration restrictions, partly because there is no reliable figure of those working off-campus.

Related Content:
It will cost the country a minimum of $180 million to procure COVID-19 vaccines against the virus for 60 per cent of the population, the World Bank has said.



The estimate is based on the World Bank Health Organisation (WHO) protocol, which requires that countries vaccinate a minimum of 60 per cent of their populations to achieve herd immunity  indirect protection from the virus for the entire citizenry.



The Country Director of the World Bank Mr Pierre Frank Laporte, who spoke with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Tuesday, said the bank was willing and ready to provide the amount for the government by April this year when an official request was made.



He, however, said the amount could be change when formal negotiations began.



AstraZeneca vaccines



Even before the commencement of formal negotiations between the government and the World Bank, the Minister- designate for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, last Wednesday disclosed that government has ordered for 355,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from Europe, which he said will be available by the middle of March this year.



Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, who appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament (ACP), said, the government has made arrangement to cover more than 20 million Ghanaians.



He said the government is getting financial support from COVAX, a global alliance of government and vaccine producers, and the African Union (AU).



Expanded budget

Meanwhile, a source closed to the Presidency said, although an estimated $180 million to $200 million was required to procure the vaccines, it did not reflect the cost of the entire mass vaccination exercise which could be three times the amount needed to procure the vaccines.



It said the government is yet to settle on the exact amount needed for the entire vaccination exercise, which includes storage, regulatory costs, transportation and distribution across the country.



Mass vaccination needs a lot of manpower and this not an ordinary medicine that can be administered form behind the counter, so it will require stretching the entire workforce to be deployed to all parts of the country for this exercise



The mode of transporting these vaccines will also require special arrangement to keep them safe and efficient under the climatic conditions of the country, and all that will automatically increase the cost of the exercise, it added.



Herd immunity



Asked why Ghana was targeting 60 per cent of the entire population to receive the vaccine, the source explained that with viruses, it was believed that vaccinating about 60 per cent of the population could lead to herd immunity.



It believed that when 60 per cent of the population is vaccinated, there will be fewer of the virus to hover in the system and that could lead to herd immunity.



Herd of immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious diseases that can occur with some diseases when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, to reduce the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.





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.

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The numbers of organised crime gang members behind bars in prisons increased by more than 10pc to 183 in the last three and a half months.

According to new figures provided by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, the prisoners were from 14 separate gangs serving sentences in the system.

The figure was up from 166 gang members behind bars at the end of October.

The increase follows recent Garda successes in prosecuting a number of Kinahan crime gang members in the courts.

Thirty nine of the 183 crime gang members are due for release this year and a spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said: Approximately 50pc are due for release within the next three years.

The 183 total excludes the numbers of subversive prisoners serving sentences at Portlaoise Prison.

There are around 30 Kinahan cartel members behind bars, including a nine-man Kinahan cartel hit team jailed for a total of 80 years for an attempt to murder Patsy Hutch.

The most recent Kinahan member convicted is hitman, Caolan Smyth (29) who was found guilty last month for a feud related attempted murder on James Mago Gately (32) in May, 2017.

Gardai last month described Smyths conviction as highly significant and he is currently on remand in prison and is due to be sentenced next week.

Last Summer, Asst Garda Commissioner, John ODriscoll said after jailing Kinahan gang members, that Gardai will not cease until the gang has been dismantled.

On the challenges posed by members of 14 separate gangs in prison, the IPS spokesman said: In reality, rivalries and feuds which develop on the outside continue inside the prison. Prison management must ensure that the various factions are kept apart, and as far as possible, that members of criminal groups do not have influence over other inmates in the prisons or criminal activities outside.

The IPS spokesman said the service is committed to preventing identified members of criminal groups from conducting criminal activities while in custody and also to prevent them exerting inappropriate influence over other persons.

He said: For example, certain security initiatives have made it more difficult for prisoners to engage in illegal activities while in prison.

"These include initiatives such as the gathering and collating of intelligence information on members of criminal groups in custody, carrying out intelligence led operations, searches and preventing the flow of contraband in prisons.

He said in addition, there is a high level of contact maintained between the Prison Service and national, regional and local units within An Garda Siochana on a daily basis to discuss security issues including the operation of criminal gangs.

In her written Dail reply to Fine Gaels Bernard Durkan on the issue Minister McEntee said measures taken on a continuous basis include regular targeted searching; placement in high security locations; close supervision of all visits including the use of screened visits and the barring of certain visitors; the use of CCTV, metal detectors and mobile phone detectors; and the examination and monitoring of mail and telephone calls.

Deputy General Secretary with the Prisoner Officers Association (POA), Jim Mitchell said the increased number of affiliated gang members presents challenges to POA members.

The good thing is that these people are now off the streets, he said. They have no road to Damascus in prison. They dont suddenly change. They try to exercise the same level of authority inside the prison as they do outside.

Mr Mitchell added: Gangs come and go but the gardai and the Prison Service will always be here.
Priti Patel refused to back under-pressure Met Police chief Cressica Dick today as the UK's top cop faced pressure over a botched probe into a VIP paedophile ring.

In a radio phone-in the Home Secretary was asked to back the commissioner over the Operation Midland investigation into senior politicians including Leon Brittan.

The former home secretary was one of the men falsely accused by now convicted fantasist Carl Beech - then known as 'Nick' - and died in January 2015 without knowing there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

The Met chief is facing calls to quit after Lady Brittan used a Daily Mail interview to attack a 'culture of cover-up' at the force.

But repeatedly questioned on LBC Radio whether she has confidence in the Scotland Yard supremo, Ms Patel responded: 'I work with the commissioner.

'The commissioner does a lot of great work and she oversees the largest police force in the country.

'There are still questions, rightly so - some questions have been put to me today, actually, very publicly in newspapers, and it's right that I also look at these questions.'

It was only after the uncomfortable grilling that a spokesman for the Home Secretary came out and gave the Commissioner her full backing.

The spokesman said: 'As the Home Secretary said, she works with Cressida Dick every day. The Home Secretary has full confidence in her to do her job.'

Downing Street later said Boris Johnson joined the Home Secretary in having 'absolute confidence' in Dame Cressida.

The Met chief is facing calls to quit after Lady Brittan used a Daily Mail interview to attack a 'culture of cover-up' at the force.

Former home secretary Leon Brittan was one of the men falsely accused by now convicted fantasist Carl Beech - then known as 'Nick' - and died in January 2015 without knowing there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him

A Number 10 spokesman said of the Met's bungled investigation into false claims of a VIP sex abuse ring in Westminster: 'This was a deeply concerning case and the PM's thoughts are with Lady Brittan, her late husband (Leon Brittan) and others affected.

'The Prime Minister has complete confidence in the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, as does the Home Secretary.

'They are working together to reduce crime and protect the public from the threats posed by serious criminals, terrorism and the coronavirus pandemic.

'Both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have absolute confidence in her as we work together with the police to make our streets safer.'

The hunt for justice Four inquiries have attempted to deal with the fallout  yet no-one directly involved in Operation Midland has been held responsible... Henriques review: In 2016, the Met's then-commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe asked Sir Richard to carry out a review into Operation Midland. The report identified 43 failings, and five officers were referred to the watchdog. The IPCC: The Independent Police Complaints Commission cleared the two most senior officers within four months, without interviewing them. Its successor, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, later announced that all the officers had no case to answer. Only one was spoken to face-to-face. Priti Patel: In 2019, the Home Secretary Patel ordered Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to investigate whether lessons had been learned. Published last March its report was highly critical, saying the Met had made 'slow progress'. House of Commons: The Home Affairs Select Committee opened a probe into the IOPC in October 2019 following criticism over its 'whitewash' report into the five Midland officers. Following a pandemic-related delay, it is currently accepting submissions from interested parties such as Lady Brittan. The committee is due to hear live evidence soon. Advertisement

A retired High Court judge last night urged the Home Secretary to order an independent criminal investigation into five detectives at the centre of the 'Nick' scandal  and the watchdogs who cleared them.

In an open letter to Ms Patel, Sir Richard Henriques says confidence in the criminal justice system has been 'gravely damaged' by the failure to hold officers to account following the disastrous VIP child abuse inquiry.

He adds that the 'apparent condoning of police criminality by its notional watchdog, will inevitably give rise to allegations of political manipulation of the police', 'an orchestrated cover-up' and 'corruption at the highest level'.

Sir Richard spoke out after Leon Brittan's widow attacked a 'culture of cover-up and flick away' at the Metropolitan Police.

Sir Richard Henriques says confidence in the criminal justice system has been 'gravely damaged' by the failure to hold officers to account following the disastrous VIP child abuse inquiry

Beech, a serial liar and paedophile, was eventually jailed for 18 years after being convicted of perverting the course of justice.

Sir Richard spent several months investigating the Met's shambolic Operation Midland in 2016 before recommending five officers face a misconduct probe.

He attacked not only the conduct of those officers but officials at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), previously known as the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), who cleared them.

Sir Richard said a district judge was 'knowingly misled into issuing search warrants' to raid the homes of Lady Brittan, D-Day hero Lord Bramall and former Tory MP Harvey Proctor.

He urged Miss Patel to order an investigation by an independent police force 'so that public faith in our police service, our judicial processes and our rule of law can be fully and finally be restored'.

His letter to the Home Secretary will place more pressure on Dame Cressica, who sanctioned the setting up of Operation Midland in November 2014. She has previously refused to call in an outside force to investigate the officers at the centre of the scandal.

The most senior of the five  former deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse  also faces an uncertain future. Now deputy head of the National Crime Agency, with a salary package of around 300,000, he was cleared of misconduct after four months, without even being interviewed.

Among Sir Richard's questions for Miss Patel is how the promotion came about.

Others facing scrutiny include IOPC chairman Michael Lockwood, an accountant who previously ran a suburban London council.

A House of Lords debate yesterday saw peers question why no officers involved in Operation Midland have been disciplined.

Lord Garnier, a former solicitor general, said any officers who had perverted the course of justice by misleading a district judge should be prosecuted.

Yesterday the Mail revealed detectives used the infamous words 'credible' and 'true' to persuade a judge to let them raid Lady Brittan's homes in March 2015.

Dame Cressida had claimed a senior officer 'mistakenly' used the words to describe Beech at a notorious press conference in December 2014.
Five people including a child have died, and 13 others are injured after a bus carrying over 30 passengers fell into a gorge at Anantagiri near Araku in Visakhapatnam district on Friday night.

The bus reportedly skid off the road and fell into a gorge. Visakhapatnam range DIG Ranga Rao told PTI that their teams had reached the spot for rescue operations.

Another senior police official said rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state Fire Service personnel were on. According to locals, the passengers were natives of Telangana who were on a visit to Araku, a hill station.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. "Distressed to hear about the accident in Visakhapatnam, AP. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Prayers with the injured. May they recover soon," he said in a tweet.

Andhra Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu also expressed his grief at the news of the incident. "Deeply anguished by the tragic bus accident at Araku Ghat road. The loss of precious lives and injury to persons is very unfortunate and painful. I share the pain of the bereaved families & offer my condolences. I pray that those injured in the accident recover at the earliest," he said in a tweet.

TRS leader K T Rama Rao said on Twitter that he was shocked to learn about the bus accident at Araku. He said he had requested the Andhra Pradesh government officials to provide all support.

The second Trump impeachment trial continues today: Heres everything you need to know, including how to watch, what to expect and more.

What time is the Trump impeachment trial?

Former President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial began Tuesday and continues Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, at 12 p.m. ET, in the U.S. Senate at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The trial is expected to last into the weekend and possibly longer.

What channel is the Trump impeachment trial on? Heres how to watch:

Live coverage of the impeachment trial will broadcast on PBS, C-SPAN, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. ABC, CBS, and NBC will also be providing special coverage in their evening and morning newscasts.

The trial will also be streaming live through the apps and websites for ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC and PBS. Free livestreams are also available on YouTube, Facebook, and through Newsy (via FuboTV, Philo, Sling TV and YouTube TV). Heres C-SPANs live online stream:

What is Trump charged with? Will he be convicted?

Trump has been charged with article of impeachment for incitement of insurrection. Hes accused of encouraging a pro-Trump mob to storm the U.S. Capitol, which led to five deaths and dozens of injured police officers. Several insurrectionists have been accused of threatening to kill lawmakers, chanting Hang Mike Pence! and searching for people like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as they objected to the results of the 2020 presidential election, which President Joe Biden won, and interrupted Congress Electoral College count.

Two-thirds of the Senate must vote to convict Trump, which appears unlikely as 45 Senate Republicans voted to dismiss the trial. The Senate is currently split 50-50, and Democrats have a slight majority with Vice President Kamala Harris, but Dems would need 17 additional votes to convict the former Republican president.

What to watch for:

According to the Associated Press, lawyers for Trump are arguing that the trial is unconstitutional and that the former president was exercising his free speech rights when he told Make America Great Again supporters to fight like hell.

Tuesdays proceedings began with a debate to dismiss the trial before it even begins; Republicans argued that an impeachment to remove the president from office is irrelevant because Trump is no longer president, though he was impeached by the House before he left office. The Senate voted, 56-44, that the trial is constitutional and agreed to proceed with the trial Tuesday.

The House managers present their arguments first, with each side allowed up to 16 hours to make their case, with up to eight hours per day. Democratic prosecutors painted Trump as the inciter in chief Wednesday, using footage of the Capitol riot and Trumps own words to accuse him of whipping his supporters into a frenzy with the big lie that their votes had been stolen.

This attack never would have happened but for Donald Trump, said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., choking back emotion. And so they came, draped in Trumps flag, and used our flag, the American flag, to batter and to bludgeon.

Defense arguments begin Friday with arguments that fight like hell did not literally mean to fight with violence. A Trump adviser said Thursday that they are expected to wrap up their defense in less than a day.

Witnesses are currently not expected to appear at the trial, presided over by Senate Pro Tem Patrick Leahy (D-VT). Trump has declined a request to testify.

Will any Republicans vote to convict Trump?

Democrats are expected to appeal to Republicans in an effort to sway at least 17 of them to convict Trump, focusing on the threats to their own lives in the Capitol riots. A separate vote could potentially bar Trump from holding future office and would only need a majority.

Susan Collins of Maine, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania have all criticized Trump and voted in favor of having the impeachment trial. Those same five Republican senators voted Tuesday that the trial was constitutional, plus a sixth: Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

GOP senators retiring in 2022, like Toomey, Rob Portman of Ohio, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Richard Shelby of Alabama, may also be free of political consequences from voting to impeach Trump.

Trump is the first U.S. president to be impeached twice. He was first impeached in December 2019 on two articles of impeachment, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump was acquitted in January 2020 by the then GOP-controlled Senate; Romney was the only Republican who voted to convict him for abuse of power.

I think 2020 was kind of a spectacle and it was kind of confusing in a bunch of ways because we had a really ambitious year plan, said Curran. It was really the first time we knew everything we were going to release throughout the year. The trio had shed some of their side gigs and jobs. And the label had even purchased a bulk amount of Ogbonnayas new record in anticipation of his most high-profile tour yet, with Wilco and Sleater Kinney. Then reality set in. And now theyre just sitting around, Ogbonnaya added.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
President Donald Trump, next to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, speaks to reporters upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Sept. 3, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump Plans to Stay in the Arena, Says Former White House Chief of Staff

Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows revealed new insights into former President Donald Trumps political plans, coming as the Senate holds its ongoing impeachment trial to convict him.

America and the 75 million voters are not done with Donald Trump and all he did for the country, Meadows told Sebastian Gorka, a former White House adviser, in an interview. Trump wants to put America first, but he also plans to stay in the arena, he added.

Over the past month or so, Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet. His accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and other big tech platforms were suspended. Twitter this week, via an executive, announced that Trump cannot come back on the social media website.

The former president met with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) at his Mar-a-Lago resort and home in Palm Beach, Florida, last month and released a photo of the two after their meeting. Both described their talk as cordial and warm, with Trumps team saying the former president would assist McCarthy in re-capturing the House majority from Democrats.

In the meantime, House Democrats and 10 Republicans impeached Trump for allegedly inciting violence on Jan. 6. Trump, through his lawyers, denied the allegations and his allies have pointed to his Jan. 6 speech where he called on supporters to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard.

House Democrats made two days worth of arguments this week during the Senate impeachment trial, claiming that the former president was singularly responsible for inciting a small subset of the crowd that breached the Capitol. On Thursday evening, House impeachment manager Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) called on senators to convict President Trump for the crime for which he is overwhelmingly guilty of. Because if you dont, if we pretend this didnt happen, or worse, if we let it go unanswered, whos to say it wont happen again?

Trumps lawyers are scheduled to begin their arguments on Friday. They have said in pre-trial briefs that Trumps speech on Jan. 6 was protected under the First Amendment and asserted it is unconstitutional to convict a former president in an impeachment trial.

Several high-profile GOP senators on Thursday predicted that Trump wont be convicted.

Meadows, for his part, joined the Conservative Partnership Institute group as a senior partner. The group is headed by former Republican. Rep. Jim DeMint.

Meadows told Gorka that he is slated to meet with several representatives in the conservative House Freedom Caucus to strategize against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and all that she has in store for her liberal leftist agenda friends.

Former White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, who helped craft Trumps immigration agenda, is looking to push a group of lawyers to file lawsuits against some of the radical executive orders that are coming out of this new administration, according to Meadows. He didnt go into more details about the plan.
Enterprises seeking tools with which to improve endpoint security for the new remote working business environment may want to spend a little time considering the Apple Watch.

Access all areas

My argument is simple: Apples growing place in the enterprise means its complementary ecosystems can help support your business. As deal follows deal, the number of iPhones in use across the sector is growing fast, which means millions of workers already have access to the watch.

Watch adoption is also accelerating. There are now 100 million global users, according to Above Avalon analyst Neil Cybarts estimates. He thinks roughly 10% of the worlds iPhone users and 35% of those in the U.S. already own a watch.

We know what the primary uses of the Apple Watch are: casually keeping an eye on incoming messages, important emails and notifications; fitness tracking and health; payments using Apple Pay; and biometric access to some door systems. (You can also use the watch to open your Mac, or even Windows PCs, and it will soon help unlock your iPhone if you're wearing a mask.)

Wrist detection allows the Apple Watch to maintain ones identification chain as long as it remains in contact with the wearers skin, wrote Cybart. Going forward, the Apple Watchs ability to serve as an identity checker can end up being used throughout our day as we interact with different devices, rooms, and objects.

Digital identity

One of the first security shocks as we began working from home during the pandemic was a surge in phishing attacks, which 80% of businesses said increased in frequency as crooks tested the resilience of these newly distributed systems.

They knew at that time that newly remote workers were left to handle challenges alone, working outside the corporate network while still equipped with access to valuable corporate data. This made phishing profitable in the early chaos of lockdown, and means most enterprises are investing in endpoint security today.

As they do, they are understanding the need to adopt multifactor authentication (MFA), and to deploy biometrics within any single sign-on systems they may use. They also understand that perimieter defense based on traditional models must be supplemented by person-, situation-, location- and even time-based barriers to attack.

If a person who otherwise passes all your other checks seems to want to access your core systems at an unusual time, its possible your systems are being undermined.

Its in this context Apple Watch could become part of your enterprise endpoint security toolkit. It provides unique benefits for such usage: location, biometric identification  even access to personal health data  makes it an increasingly powerful token of trust for at least part of the MFA or SSO authentication process.

i without phone

Its not as if this is a technology that needs inventing. The watch is already a trusted device for your Apple ID and since 2018, even Microsoft Authenticator offers Apple Watch support, as does Symantecs VIP Access (and others). The technology to weave this item into your enterprise security processes already exists.

Apples recent decision to give the watch the power to unlock your iPhone in iOS 14.5 pushes the device to a higher place in terms of identity and access control, giving it a little extra clout as an identity provider.

In the future, as Apple Watch inevitably morphs into a standalone product  potentially including the addition of Touch ID sensors  then it should also become more capable as a trust and authentication device. Cybart argues the number of people owning an Apple Watch will grow by up to 250% once it does become a standalone product.

With additional implications in terms of remote employee health, data access and at-a-glance team-based collaboration, it seems plausible to expect at least some of this accelerated growth will come from enterprise deployments, given the device's developing capacity as a component for tougher endpoint security.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill group on MeWe.

Kids want to fish? You don't know how yourself? Here's a little help
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau commended efforts by India to overcome an impasse with farmers protesting new agricultural laws by holding a dialogue with them, the Indian foreign ministry said on Friday.

The comments a statement from Canada that Trudeau and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the matter during a telephone call on Wednesday.

On the farmers protests, Prime Minister Trudeau commended efforts of the Government of India to choose the path of dialogue as befitting in democracy," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.

He (Trudeau) also acknowledged the responsibility of his Government in providing protection to Indian diplomatic premises and personnel in Canada," Srivastava said  a reference to Canada based Sikh groups -- some of whom support a separate state of Khalistan carved out of Punjab  using the excuse of protesting farmers to blockade the Indian consulate in Vancouver. Of particular concern to India is the fact that one of the protestors who blockaded the consulate premises on 26 January included someone who had threatened Indias consul general Manish, news reports said. Canada has a small Sikh population but they are an influential group with some members of the group known to support the demand for a separate state of Khalistan.

Wednesdays call was the first conversation between the two prime ministers since Trudeau angered New Delhi with comments that his country will always defend the right of peaceful protest. Trudeau made the comments during an outreach to the Indian community in December when he expressed concern over the farmers protests India.

Addressing the Indian community in Canada during an online event to mark the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Trudeau said he would be remiss if he didnt recognise the news coming out of india about the protest by farmers."

The situation is concerning and we are all very worried about family and friends and I know that is a reality for many of you," Trudeau said in the video posted on his Twitter account.

India had slammed the comments describing them as Comments "ill-informed" and "unwarranted."

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( JTA )  Rod Ponton, a small-town attorney from Texas, captured Americas attention this week after he showed up to a virtual courtroom looking like a fluffy white cat, thanks to a Zoom filter he couldnt figure out how to disable.

It wasnt the first time Ponton has made the national news.

In 2014, he drew notice over his involvement in an unusual drug case against a local businesswoman who at one point was released from jail only after promising not to say she was being persecuted because she was Jewish  and who said Ponton had targeted her because years earlier she had ended a sexual relationship with him.

The strange saga of Ilana Lipsen and her Purple House smoke shop was detailed in news coverage in 2014, the year that Ponton, then the district attorney of Presidio County, coordinated a raid on the store with federal drug authorities. Local police also had raided the shop three times two years earlier.

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According to a lengthy feature in the Texas Observer, Lipsen attended Jewish school in her Houston suburb before moving to Alpine, Texas, because the local college had an equine studies program. Soon she was running a smoke shop advertising an edgy but then-legal set of products for the towns 6,000 residents  and facing resistance from those who didnt want to see that kind of business thrive.

You either love me or you hate me, Lipsen told Reason, a libertarian magazine, that year. Ive received anti-Semitic hate emails. Ive been told to go back to Jew York.

A multiyear campaign ensued, culminating in a dramatic raid conducted by federal Drug Enforcement Agency officials tied to a nationwide campaign to root out operations meant to launder money to support terrorism. This confused Lipsen, who told the local Big Bend Sentinel that agents had suggested she had terror connections herself.

They claimed that I had ties with Hezbollah and Syria, which is ridiculous, she told the paper, according to contemporaneous coverage in Texas Monthly. How can I, a Jewish woman who supports the State of Israel, contribute to those groups or states?

Lipsen told the local news media that she feared she was being targeted because she was Jewish and unusual in other ways in the west Texas city. The area has no organized Jewish life, although some Jews are among the artists to have set up shop about 30 minutes down the highway in the city of Marfa. The longtime publisher of the Big Bend Sentinel was Jewish, from a family of merchant pioneers who settled in the area. (One local artist builds models of ships that ferried Jewish refugees from Europe to Palestine, and in a tragic story, a Jewish student at the local college was murdered in 2016.)

She spent several days in jail before being presented with an unusual offer, which drew national attention because of its chilling effect on Lipsens right to free speech. She could be released on bond if she agreed to several conditions outlined in a handwritten addendum to the typical paperwork. Among them: Lipsen would have to agree to recant her earlier statements to the press. The addendum said Lipsen will advise newspaper a warrant was not executed at her business because she was Jewish.

Why would Ponton have pursued Lipsen and her business so forcefully? He said at the time that he was certain that she was selling illegal substances that put local residents in danger, though he reportedly had difficulty getting approval for testing that would have confirmed the drugs were illegal and the charges she ultimately faced did not center on drug possession. (Her lawyer noted that the drugs in question were made illegal only after the first set of raids.)

Lipsen had another theory. She told Reason that she had had a brief sexual relationship with Ponton years earlier, when she was an 18-year-old college student new to town and hoping to work with the Arabian horses he kept. She said she believed Ponton was targeting her because she declined to continue the relationship. (Ponton denied the allegation.)

Anthony Fisher, the journalist who wrote the Reason story, called attention to it Tuesday night on Twitter, where many people said they were charmed by Pontons response to realizing he had reported to court looking like a cat.

Fischer recounted, I went down to Texas, where Ponton said he would give me an interview before reneging. But it was a small town and everyone knew what happened.

Lipsen left Alpine, according to reporting from the time. (The Jewish Telegraphic Agency was unable to reach Lipsen this week.) Ponton remained and, in 2016, lost the Democratic primary for another term as Presidio County district attorney. He later became Alpines city attorney.

Last year, the city fired Ponton  in part, it seems, because he complained that local police were too often arresting people without cause.

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DUBLIN, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Intensive Care (ICU) Beds Market (Electric, Semi-Electric & Manual): Insights & Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2020-2024)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global intensive care beds market is estimated to reach US$ 4.14 billion in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 4.21% for the period spanning from 2020 to 2024. The factors such as rising aging population, increasing healthcare expenditure, increasing per capita disposable income, technological advancements, rising number of chronic diseases, growing infections & contamination rates are expected to drive the market. However, growth of the industry will be challenged by the high cost of the advanced hospital's beds. A few notable trends include an increasing number of hospital beds, increasing investments in healthcare infrastructural development and rising home care services.

The global intensive care beds market is segmented into electric, manual and semi-electric intensive care beds. The global intensive care beds market is highly dominated by electric intensive care beds owing to the rising number of hospital admissions.

The global intensive care beds market is expected to grow in the future due to rising health expenditure and growing incidence rates of chronic diseases. In terms of geographical areas, North America and Europe are major contributors to the global intensive care beds market supported by the rising spread of infectious diseases. The Asia Pacific represents the fastest-growing market for intensive care beds with rising investment in healthcare infrastructure and increasing chronic disease prevalence.

Scope of the report:

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global intensive care beds market, segmented into electric, manual and semi-electric intensive care beds.

The major regional markets ( North America , Europe and the Asia Pacific ) have been analyzed.

, and the ) have been analyzed. The market dynamics such as growth drivers, market trends and challenges are analyzed in-depth.

The competitive landscape of the market, along with the company profiles of leading players (Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Getinge AB, Invacare Corporation, Stryker Corporation and Argo AB) are also presented in detail.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

1.1 ICU Beds

1.2 ICU Bed Features

1.3 ICU Monitoring and Support

1.4 ICU Bed Care Level

1.5 ICU Bed Applications

2. Impact of COVID-19

2.1 Decline in Global GDP Growth

2.2 Disruption of Supply Chain

2.3 Declining Trade Volume

2.4 Rise in Unemployment

2.5 Rise in Critical Care Bed Demand

3. Global Market Analysis

3.1 Global Intensive Care Beds Market by Value

3.2 Global Intensive Care Beds Market Forecast by Value

3.3 Global Intensive Care Beds Market by Type

3.4 Global Intensive Care Beds Market by Application

3.5 Global Intensive Care Beds Market by End Use

3.6 Global Intensive Care Beds Market by Region

4. Regional Intensive Care Beds Market Analysis

4.1 North America

4.2 Europe

4.3 Asia-Pacific

5. Market Dynamics

5.1 Growth Drivers

5.1.1 Rising Aging Population

5.1.2 Increasing Healthcare Expenditure

5.1.3 Increasing Per Capita Disposable Income

5.1.4 Rising Number of Chronic Diseases

5.1.5 Growing Infections & Contamination Rates

5.1.6 Technological Advancements

5.2 Key Trends & Developments

5.2.1 Increasing Number of Hospital Beds

5.2.2 Increasing Investments in Healthcare Infrastructural Development

5.2.3 Rising Home Care Services

5.3 Challenges

5.3.1 High Cost Of the Advanced Hospitals Beds

6. Competitive Landscape

6.1 Global Market

6.1.1 Key Players - Revenue Comparison

6.1.2 Key Players - Market Cap Comparison

7. Company Profiles

Argo AB

Getinge AB

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.

Invacare Corporation

Stryker Corporation

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

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.



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L'Oreal saw profits fall in 2020 after make-up sales, in particular lipstick, took a hit during the pandemic.

The beauty business said women were less likely to use brands like Maybelline and Garnier over the past 12 months as there were less opportunities to go out, with profits for 2020 down by 5 per cent to 3.1billion.

For good: L'Oreal works on campaigns with the likes of actress Amber Heard (pictured)

Instead money was spent on skincare products such as masks and lotions, which sold well as women across the globe were forced to stay at home and obey lockdown rules.

The Paris-based company was also boosted by its performance online, with sales jumping 62 per cent over the year. Nevertheless the world's biggest cosmetics maker remained upbeat about the year ahead.

Chief executive Jean-Paul Agon said that people cannot wait to go outside and get dolled up once the pandemic had subsided.

He added: 'I'm convinced that when we come out of this crisis, it will be like the 1920s. After years of anxiety, there will be a feeling of wanting to party.'
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennametal (NYSE: KMT) announced today that they will attend the virtual Barclays Industrial Select Conference.

Details of the conference are as follows:



When: Wednesday, February 17, 2021







Attendees: Damon Audia, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Kelly Boyer, Vice President, Investor Relations

About Kennametal

With over 80 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 9,000 employees are helping customers in more than 60 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated nearly $1.9 billion in revenues in fiscal 2020. Learn more at www.kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

SOURCE Kennametal Inc.

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http://www.kennametal.com


Shifts in the market and costs for producers are putting gas prices on the rise again, but Texans will still be filling up with some of the cheapest fuel in the country.

The statewide gas price average for Texas hit $2.20 a gallon for unleaded fuel this week, according to data from AAA, marking a 4 cent rise in a week. Its also 12 cents more per gallon than the same time last year.

But Texas still has the second lowest average in the country, 29 cents lower than the new weekly national average.

In the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, prices only rose about 3 cents through the week, making the new average $2.16 per gallon of unleaded gas. Thats about 6 cents higher than the same time last year.

Fuel prices are following the increase in barrels of crude, which analysts tracked by AAA overwhelmingly say is due to optimism around vaccinations renewing demand. That hope is compounded by earlier agreements by members of the Organization for the Petroleum Exporting Counties (OPEC+) to cut production.

But on the flip side of that equation, demand for gasoline is still much lower than the same time last year, and regional supplies in storage are rising near the same levels recorded in August.

COVID-19 concerns continue to keep gasoline consumption lower than this same time last year, AAA Texas spokesperson Daniel Armbruster said in the organizations report. However, the crude oil market is betting on renewed demand later this year, and this is causing crude and, in turn, pump prices to go up.

U.S. crude oil inventories did decrease by about 6.6 million barrels (MMbbl) to a total of 469.0 MMbbl, but are still about 26.5 MMbbl, or 6%, above last year.

At the beginning of the analytic and technology firm GasBuddy predicted that gas prices could reach $3 in some areas before the end of the year, and even stay above that territory in places like California and Hawaii.

Many factors continue to push oil prices higher, but at the foundation of the rise is the fact that the coronavirus situation continues to improve, pushing global oil demand higher as production continues to lag, pushing U.S. gas prices higher, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, said in his Feb. 8 report.

De Haan said the trend could be expected to continue, especially when refiners start producing the more expensive summer blend around May, unless OPEC+ intervened with a production increase.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Smartphone brand realme has emerged as one of the Top 5 smartphone brands across 15 regions for Q4 2020, a new report said on Friday.

According to the Canalys global smartphone shipment report, Realme ranked number four and now holds its position as the fastest-growing smartphone brand among the top five brands in the Southeast Asia market in Q4 2020.

"Our 'Dare to Leap' spirit, combined with our strategy of bringing a lethal combination of best performance and trendy aesthetics at remarkable prices has truly struck a chord with consumers. Realme will keep striving to meet the evolving requirements of the youth, with bold, innovative designs and balanced integration of software and hardware," Madhav Sheth, Vice-President, Realme, and CEO, Realme India and Europe, said in a statement.

The company ranked third in the Philippines and maintained more than 100 per cent year-on-year growth in growing economies like Thailand and Myanmar.

In the Indian market, Realme became the Top 5 brand with a 12 per cent market share, following the Top 4 closely.

In a new development, the smartphone maker also entered the top five positions in some of the European markets, including Greece, Czech Republic and Russia. In fact, it achieved an astounding 338 per cent annual growth in Q4 in Russia.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

The epidemiological curve in Spain continues to fall, but the coronavirus pandemic in the country is still far from a situation whereby transmission is under control. In its Wednesday report, the Health Ministry reported 18,114 new infections and added 643 victims to the official death toll  below the record figure since the first wave that was set on Tuesday of 766 fatalities.

The slowdown in the transmission of the virus is also being seen in a fall in the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is now at 584. But while this downward trend is positive, the third wave is still a serious threat in Spain: the average incidence across the country is double the level of 250 considered to be extreme risk by the Health Ministry, and the pressure on the countrys intensive care units (ICUs) persists. The ministry called on citizens not to lower their guard, but some regions, such as Madrid, Andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, are already talking about relaxing social restrictions.

We must continue to support the restrictive measures that the regions are taking, and which are effective and are contributing to lowering the curve Health Minister Carolina Darias

The fall in the number of infections has now been consolidated in this third wave, thanks to the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants falling below 600. But the situation remains complicated in most of the countrys regions. In fact, only the Canary Islands, with 149 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, is below the extreme-risk level set by the Health Ministry. With an incidence of 879, the Valencia region continues to be in the worst position.

Where the effect of the fall in infections is starting to be seen is in terms of the pressure on hospitals, which is still falling, albeit at a slower rhythm. With 24,821 Covid-19 patients currently hospitalized, the occupation of conventional beds is currently at 19%. In ICUs, there are 4,548 patients according to the last report  this is nearly 42% of such beds occupied by coronavirus patients. As a result, hospitals are having to reprogram normal activity, such as complex surgeries that require ICU care afterward.

We are in a downward trend and the data suggest that this trend will continue, Health Minister Carolina Darias said on Wednesday, speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS), which brings together her ministry and the regional health chiefs. However, the cumulative incidence is very high, given that the target is to achieve 50 positives for every 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days. We must continue to support the restrictive measures that the regions are taking, and which are effective and are contributing to lowering the curve of the 14-day cumulative incidence.

Despite the complicated situation in terms of Spains epidemiological curve, some regions have already started relaxing social restrictions, or are considering doing so.

Health Minister Carolina Darias during a press conference on Wednesday. Kiko Huesca / EFE

If the incidence continues to fall, we are considering changing the curfew from 10pm to 11pm and relaxing the closing times for hostelry establishments, said the deputy premier of the Madrid region, Ignacio Aguado. Madrid currently has one of the highest incidence levels in the country, at 711, and occupation by ICU patients is above 50%. Last week, Madrid increased the maximum number of patrons allowed on sidewalk cafe tables from four to six (indoors it was kept at four).

The Extremadura region is also considering following Madrids lead, with a 14-day cumulative incidence of 427 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Its regional premier, Guillermo Fernandez Vara, has announced a range of relaxation measures for hostelry, perimetral lockdowns and other mobility restrictions, albeit dependent on whether a specific area exceeds an incidence of 500 cases. Castilla-La Mancha has announced it will cautiously begin a deescalation of the measures in two phases, with the first stage likely to be agreed upon today. Andalusia, meanwhile, has also announced that it will be reducing the period for mobility restrictions from 14 to seven days, as well as for the closure of non-essential activity in the regions municipalities.

Not all of the regions agree with such a move, however, and some are calling for a more cautious approach. The Galician premier, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, said it was unwise to begin talking about deescalation of coronavirus restrictions with nearly 250 coronavirus patients in the regions ICUs. His regional health chief, Julio Garcia Comesana, backed this idea, saying that while there had been a significant fall in cases, it was not enough to be talking about containing the third wave.

With 4,548 Covid-19 patients in intensive care, the occupation of ICU beds is currently at 42%

Cantabria is also opting to keep its restrictions in place, despite being one of the regions with the lowest incidence: 288 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, behind only the Canary and Balearic islands. The regional government in Cantabria has opted to extend the closure of hostelry, casinos and betting houses for another 14 days. La Rioja, which currently has the highest strain on its ICUs (65% occupation by Covid patients), has also extended the social restrictions until February 23, and Navarre, despite seeing hopeful data, has opted to keep its restrictions in place. In Valencia, sources from the premiers office told news agency EFE that the executive would be meeting today to potentially prolong the current restrictions in place.

Health Minister Darias said on Wednesday that the priority position for the regions is to continue with the restrictions, according to what their representatives had explained in the meeting she held with them yesterday. What I have heard from the health chiefs in the meeting is that they are going to maintain the restrictive measures because they are aware that we continue to have a cumulative incidence of extreme risk, and whats more we are waiting to see how the [more contagious] British variant [of the coronavirus] progresses in our country, she said on Wednesday. It is fundamental to keep them in place so that we can reach, at a minimum, those 50 cases [per 100,000 inhabitants] over 14 days  we still have a long way to go.

English version by Simon Hunter.




Five persons, including an 11-year-old girl, were killed and 10 others injured, when an SUV carrying them crashed into a stationary truck in Maharashtra's Solapur district on Friday morning, a police official said.

The victims were going to Pandharpur, a pilgrimage town in Solapur, famous for its temple dedicated to Lord Vitthal, he said.

AccidentThe accident took place near Kasegaon village on Sangola-Pandharpur Road around 6 am, he said.

"The deceased and the injured hailed from Chandgad tehsil in Kolhapur district. A total of 15 persons were going to Pandharpur in the SUV for the 'darshan' of Lord Vitthal at the temple," the police official said.

The driver apparently lost control over the vehicle, due to which it rammed into a truck parked by the roadside, he added.

Accident

"Two men, as many women and an 11-year-old girl died in the mishap, which also left 10 others injured," he said, adding that they were rushed to a state-run hospital in Pandharpur.

A case has been registered in this connection and a probe into the case is on, he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that his country is ready for a break in ties with the if the bloc imposes sanctions that damage Russias economy.

Were ready for that, Lavrov said in an interview on the Solovyev Live YouTube channel on Friday. If we see again, as has happened many times before, that sanctions are imposed that pose risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive areas.

Russias top diplomat added: We dont want to isolate ourselves from peaceful life but we have to be ready for that. If you want peace you have to prepare for war.

The 27-member EU is working on a proposal to sanction over the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Navalny, who suffered a near-fatal nerve-agent attack he and Western governments blamed on Russias secret services, was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months on February 2 for violating the probation terms of an earlier suspended fraud conviction.

Tensions between Moscow and Brussels are rising following EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrells visit to the Russian capital last week, when Lavrov used a joint press conference to disparage the bloc as an unreliable partner. simultaneously announced the expulsion of three diplomats from Poland, Germany and Sweden for their recorded participation in protests against Navalnys imprisonment. The EU countries rejected the accusation and reciprocated in kind.

Navalnys allies have urged the EU, UK and US to sanction 35 top Russian officials and business figures close to the Kremlin.
Gardai at the scene in Ballymun, north Dublin, where a man in his 40s has died (Brian Lawless/PA)

The body of a man shot dead in north Co Dublin has been removed from the scene in Ballymun.

The man, aged in his 40s, has been named locally as Patrick Pappy Lyons.

The father was shot as he walked along Belclare Terrace at about 9pm on Thursday. He received a number of gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

Gardai said on Friday morning that the mans body has been taken to Dublin City Mortuary where a post-mortem examination will be carried out by Dr Linda Mulligan of the Office of the State Pathologist later on Friday.

An investigation is under way and a technical examination of the scene is being conducted by members of the Garda technical bureau.

A section of Belclare Terrace and the adjacent Poppintree Park have been cordoned off.

Expand Close Gardai at the scene in Ballymun (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gardai at the scene in Ballymun (Brian Lawless/PA)

Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to the incident to come forward.

Officers are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Belclare Terrace and Belclare Park areas between 8pm and 9.15pm on Thursday and may have camera footage, both dashcam and mobile phone, to make it available to them.

The Garda said they are aware of video footage and images circulating in the aftermath of the shooting.

They have asked people not to share this material out of respect for the family.

Anyone with any information in relation to this matter should contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Local Fianna Fail TD Paul McAuliffe said the hearts of many in Ballymun would sink seeing the bad news about Ballymun in the media, knowing this has started feuding in the past and that many people with addiction are being exploited by those making millions.

I regret the loss of life and am thinking of the family concerned, he said.

My statement regarding tonight's shooting in Ballymun. pic.twitter.com/P2FL4SSZTc  Paul McAuliffe TD (@PaulMcauliffe) February 11, 2021

The chairperson of the local drugs task force in Ballymun, Andrew Montague, described the killing of Mr Lyons as awful.

Patrick didnt deserve this, hes been a victim all his life, Mr Montague told RTE Radio 1s News at One.

Its just an awful way to kill a man like that.

Mr Montague said the community needs additional help to tackle drug crime and child neglect.

Here in Ballymun, weve had to put up with very serious levels of crimes in recent years, he said.

Weve a long history going back to the 80s of people being involved in heroin and drug addiction and a lot of those addicts still have problems by their 40s and 50s. Theyve been targeted by crime gangs trying to get them addicted to crack cocaine.

He said there are not enough gardai or social workers to deal with the problems in the community and help the children that are being neglected.

We really need some help in this community, he added.

This just wouldnt be acceptable in other communities and I dont know why the people of Ballymun have to put up with it.
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Ali believes that knowledge has to be nurtured from what man sees and understands. He claims to reflect on the Quranic verses, connecting them with nature.

Samar Ali, TwoCircles.net

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Kerala: Long before Ali Manikfan was known in the world, he would toil over his research and unveil wonders. This he would do by keeping himself away from the mainstream world. After decades of work, this year he was honoured with the Padma Shri award, the fourth-highest civilian award in India.

Murad Gandavaru Ali Manikfan, 82, from the Minicoy Island of Lakshadweep, is a marine researcher, ecologist, shipbuilder, agriculture researcher, and a polyglot. He has had no formal education. Being awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India has caused no big change in Manikfans simple and easy-going life.

People have been calling me after hearing about the award. We discuss different matters. Nothing much is happening, Ali Manikfan told TwoCircles.net.

Man of wonders

The 82-year-old wonder man spends his leisure days reading over several languages he has expertise in, including French, German, Latin, Sinhalese, Persian, Arabic, Sanskrit, Tamil, Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam, and English. His vast knowledge in marine biology, agriculture, horticulture, geography, shipbuilding, social science, and astronomy amuses anyone knowing its completely the result of his effort after being dropped out of school.

Ali believes that knowledge has to be nurtured from what man sees and understands. He claims to reflect on the Quranic verses, connecting them with nature.

Manikfan lives in Olavanna, a town in the Kozhikode district of the southern Indian state of Kerala. His family had sent him to Kerala for studies but he dropped out after 5th standard. Deciding not to pursue formal education, Manikfan went back to his hometown in the Lakshadweep islands.

People describe Manikfan as a sharp observer. Being an island folk, Manikfan was fascinated by the fish. His fascination and knowledge about the fish can be gleaned from the fact that a fish species is named after Manikfan, Abudefduf Manikfan, which he discovered while working at the Central Marine Fisheries Institute, under the marine biologist Dr Santhappan.

Manikfan is also known for rebuilding an old replica ship in Oman, the Sohar (named after the ship in which the Alif Lailas hero Sindbad travelled), using ancient Divehi technology. A team of thirty workers, under the supervision of Ali, completed the work using entirely natural substances  aini wood, coconut husk, and coir.

Inspired by nature

Alis interest in acquiring wisdom from nature reflected in every field has worked in. He would urge for original and pure techniques, giving importance to traditional rules and skills. The non-aggressive agricultural methods he follows in his land at Valliyur, Tamil Nadu, is part of this. Experimenting with his own methods while considering the laws of nature makes Ali Manikfan a living legend of the age.

Because of his love for nature, Ali expresses concern over the constructions taking place over in the Lakshadweep islands.

Dweep is formed by corals. As long as the reefs remain, dweep will also remain. Then why are they doing constructions in its name? It is destruction in the name of development, reacted Ali over the concrete constructions in Lakshadweep.

Lunar calendar over solar

Ali Manikfans current research is on creating a unified Hijri calendar.

Muslims all over the world perform special weekly prayers on the same day (Friday). Then why arent we doing the same with Eid prayers? he says.

Ali is experimenting with developing a single point in the middle of the world, focusing on where the moon appears first. The visibility of the moon is the method by which Islamic calendars calculate days. His effort is to construct a lunar calendar, which Ali claims would be more accurate.

Manikfan believes in spending each day acquiring new knowledge. He covers a wide range of fields, with a spontaneous quest for something new.

We have come to this world to learn and attain knowledge. That makes humans different from other creatures, says Manikfan. He believes in keenly observing ones surroundings and learning in this unique manner.

Talking about receiving the Padma Shri, Ali calls it a positive aspect that will draw light towards the lives and wonders of the minority and marginalized communities.

Patna, Feb 12 : Following apex court directions, the Patna High Court on Friday ordered for day-to-day hearings in the Munger firing case in which a young man was killed in alleged police firing during an idol immersion procession at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Chowk, a lawyer in the case said.

The court directions came after it admitted a criminal writ petition filed by the father of deceased Anurag Poddar, aged 18.

The High Court directed the Bihar government to file its reply to the petition by March 1 and thereafter the petitioner might file his rejoinder by March 9.

Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava said: "Earlier, the High Court had refused to grant urgent hearing in this case, after which the victim's mother filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The apex court asked the High Court on January 25 to decide the case within two months. Accordingly, the High Court decided on Friday to conduct daily hearings so as to decide it on or before March 25, 2021." "In the petition listed before the HC, the petitioner has sought a CBI inquiry into his son's murder primarily on the ground that since area police is an accused, investigation must be conducted through some independent agency and not by police itself," Srivastava added.

Commenting on the development, the youth's father said there was some hope of getting justice for his deceased son.

"Despite specific allegations by the petitioner that his son was killed by Munger policemen, not even one person has been arrested or even named in the FIR. There is virtually no progress in investigation even after a lapse of more than 100 days of the crime. Media reports claim that a few eyewitnesses to the Munger firing are being implicated in false prohibition cases and shown as absconders," Srivastava claimed.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

If working practices and education have been compromised by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, then so too, obviously, have our social lives. The limitations of lockdowns and keeping apart to reduce the risk of catching or passing on the virus have been at the forefront of our minds for many months now. The usual places we might gather such as pubs and restaurants, theaters and festivals have all been off-limits periodically in many parts of the world in response to the disease.

How might we stick together even while we are apart? Ardion Beldad of University College Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, discusses a possible answer to that question looking at how we might sustain our "social capital" through our online activity and the web-based communities in which we dwell, virtually speaking.

As a social animal, the concept of social distancing is very much at odds with our inherent nature. Of course, over the last few years before the COVID-19 pandemic, many people had adopted online technologies for many aspects of their lives. The difference now is that many are essentially obliged to now adopt an online-only social life because of the risk of infection. Unfortunately, the digital divide can now be seen as a gaping maw given that there are many less privileged in society who simply do not have the economic means to access the internet from home, for instance. How we might address this problem is discussed in Beldad's paper.

Beldad also looks at the implications for privacy of the increasingly widespread adoption of online socializing for those who do have access as well as the potential implications for mental health of spending increasing amounts of time in a virtual world, rather than the physical world.

It is worth noting that at the time of writing this article, more or less effective vaccines are now in place in various parts of the world, but much work remains to be done in terms of vaccinating a sufficiently large proportion of the world population to allow us to overcome this pandemic. There are also the ongoing issues of the inevitable emergence of genetic variants of the original virus, which may well have a different susceptibility to the original vaccines.

"The clamor to return to normal face-to-face interactions is expectedly intensifying after months of social distancing measures, Beldad writes. "But until an effective vaccine for COVID-19 is developed, people are left with no other choice but to maintain their connections and interactions online."

Explore further New COVID-19 forecasts show the possibility of a spring spike in deaths with new variants

More information: Ardion D. Beldad. Sustaining social capital online amidst social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: web-based communities, their mitigating effects, and associated issues, International Journal of Web Based Communities (2021). Ardion D. Beldad. Sustaining social capital online amidst social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: web-based communities, their mitigating effects, and associated issues,(2021). DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.112857
- SOHO Pune Features Multi-Use Spaces Combining Living & Work Spaces

PUNE, India, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Panchshil Realty today announced that it has launched Pune's first-ever Small-Office Home-Office development branded as SOHO in Pune's eastern IT corridor near the World Trade Centre and EON Free Zone Pune. SOHO is a RERA registered project (MahaRERA Registration Number P52100017890).

Small-Office Home-Office is a popular global concept featuring multi-use spaces in which living spaces are offered and integrated along with work spaces with a sprinkling of retail and food and beverage options available in the same development.

SOHO features

Soho Studio s -Duplex spaces combining a work area and a living area

-Duplex spaces combining a work area and a living area Soho Works - Boutique office spaces

- Boutique office spaces Soho Street- Retail shopping and fine dining spaces

Commenting on the debut of the SOHO concept in Pune, Sagar Chordia, Director, Panchshil Realty, said, "SOHO is a pioneering initiative that provides flexible, multi-functional and mixed-use spaces that allow you to do more within the same space by reinventing the utilization of spaces. The response to the launch has been fantastic and many professionals like doctors, chartered accountants, architects, small business owners and other entrepreneurs have embraced the concept readily."

Co-locating workspaces with living spaces is a more sustainable and smart way of living that allows people to be more productive and efficient whilst eliminating commuting time.

SOHO Studios are available for sale from - 17.2 million onwards. For sales enquires related to SOHO, please call on +918970007700 or reach us via email at sales@panchshil.com

Alternately, to register your interest in SOHO, please click here.

Advantage SOHO

SOHO is located in very close proximity to Kharadi, a massive business hub with 10 million square feet of completed and occupied office space out of which 8 million square feet has been developed by Panchshil.

Kharadi has another 14 million square feet of office space under development out of which 8 million square feet is under development by Panchshil.

Over the next 3 to 5 years, the total stock of office space in Kharadi is set to go up from the current 10 million square feet to 24 million square feet.

The total workforce in Kharadi is set to go up from the current 100,000 people to 350,000 people over the next 3 to 5 years.

Kharadi District

Panchshil has a sizeable presence in Kharadi which is located along Pune's eastern corridor. Kharadi has evolved into a full-fledged IT hub and a bustling business district with the who's who of IT and ITeS companies present here.

eastern corridor. Kharadi has evolved into a full-fledged IT hub and a bustling business district with the who's who of IT and ITeS companies present here. Panchshil Realty has two Special Economic Zones spread over 6.5 million square feet in Kharadi - EON Free Zone-1 and EON Free Zone-2. (1.2 kms. / 4 to 6 minute drive from SOHO)

In addition, Panchshil's World Trade Centre spread over 1.8 million square feet is the definitive address for international businesses in India . (2.7kms. / 8 minute drive from SOHO)

. Panchshil Realty's campuses are home to leading global corporations like Allianz, Citibank, Cognizant, Concentrix, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, MasterCard, Michelin, T-Systems, UBS, VMWare and Vodafone, among many others.

Kharadi is a mere 10 km away from Pune Airport and prime neighbourhoods like Magarpatta, Hadapsar, Kalyani Nagar , and Koregaon Park are all within its reach.

, and Koregaon Park are all within its reach. Kharadi's social infrastructure includes hospitals, schools, malls, and other amenities continue to be set up.

Cityhub, at the World Trade Centre, is Pune's next big social hub featuring a variety of cafes, restaurants and lounges and provides relaxation avenues both during and after-office hours.

Panchshil's Businesses - Key Highlights

Panchshil Realty's total completed real estate portfolio is around 23 million square feet with another 20 million square feet under development.

Panchshil Realty's three main business verticals are Residential, Commercial and Hospitality.

The Commercial portfolio includes Retail and Food & Beverage which includes built-to-suit office spaces, Special Economic Zones, IT parks, integrated workspaces, malls & mixed-use developments.

Panchshil's Hospitality portfolio comprises around 1200 hotel rooms with leading brands like The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott Suites, Courtyard By Marriott, Oakwood and Double Tree By Hilton.

A significant chunk of Panchshil Realty's office portfolio is anchored by Blackstone Real Estate Private Equity Fund, sponsored and managed by Blackstone Group LP.

About Panchshil Realty

Established in 2002, Panchshil Realty is one of India's finest luxury real estate brands. Renowned for leadership and excellence in real estate development, the Group's approach is focused on planned development, creating value assets, and crafting lifestyle experiences through design and architecture. For more information, please visit www.panchshil.com

Disclaimer:

This communication is purely conceptual. The pictures, images are for representative purposes only. The elevation & visuals are proposed and indicative and are subject to change. The areas, prices, elevation and specifications in the Sale Agreement signed between you and Panchshil Infrastructure Holdings Pvt. Ltd. shall be final and binding. Booking is subject to confirmation and acceptance of T&Cs. SOHO has been registered via MahaRERA registration number P52100017890, and the details are available on the website https://maharera.mahaonline.gov.in/ under registered projects.

For more detailed disclaimers relating to SOHO, please click here.

One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Bengaluru, Feb 12 : Fintech unicorn Razorpay on Friday announced to hire 650 employees across technology, product and business teams in the next 10 months, to meet the growing payment and banking needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and freelancers.

Of the 650 new positions for both freshers and lateral hires, 350 will be towards expanding the engineering and product teams, and the rest will form the customer experience, sales and marketing forces, the company said in a statement.

The company which currently has 1,300 employees hired over 550 people last year and witnessed a three times business growth in the pandemic-hit year.

"Our hiring plans are driven by more investment in product development, customer experience and new additions to the existing product suite so that we cater to the ever-evolving payment and banking needs of SMEs & MSMEs," said Chitbhanu Nagri, Senior Vice President, People Operations, Razorpay.

The full-stack financial solutions company raised $100 million in its Series D round of funding in October last year, making it another Indian unicorn with over $1 billion in valuation, joining the big startup-turned-unicorn league of BYJU's, Swiggy, Zomato, Paytm and more.

Razorpay powers payments for over 5 millions businesses, including Facebook, Airtel, BookMyShow, Ola, Zomato, Swiggy, CRED and ICICI Prudential among others, and is all set to reach 10 million businesses by next year.

"We are excited and looking forward to 650 more people joining us as we together work towards servicing the next 5 million businesses by 2022," Nagri added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 23:10:40|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the Sudan Sanctions Committee until March 12, 2022.

In Resolution 2562, the UNSC requests the Panel of Experts to provide updates every three months to the Sudan Sanctions Committee, or the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, and expresses its intention to review the mandate and take appropriate action regarding the further extension of the mandate no later than Feb. 12, 2022.

The council last renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts through Resolution 2508 of Feb. 11, 2020. That resolution signaled the council's intention to regularly review the sanctions measures in light of the evolving situation in Sudan.

The panel was established by UNSC Resolution 1591 of March 2005. Its mandate is, among others, to monitor the arms embargo on Darfur.

Following the adoption of Resolution 2508, China said regular review of the sanctions regime was necessary. Along with Russia, it advocated the development of a roadmap towards lifting sanctions measures. Enditem
The former prime minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands is on the brink of walking free after his six-year corruption trial was halted following the death of its judge.

Michael Misick resigned as premier of the islands, which is a British Overseas Territory, in 2009, after a UK Government commission found a 'high probability of systemic corruption'.

Misick, 55, who was once married to American actress LisaRaye McCoy, accused Britain of mounting a coup after it imposed direct rule on the Turks and Caicos following the evidence of corruption.

The former premier, who has attracted celebrities including Michael Douglas to the islands, then fled to Brazil but was extradited in 2014.

Since 2015, Misick and several associates have been on trial on corruption charges which are centred around allegations of bribery related to the sale of Crown land.

But the future of the 75million investigation is now uncertain following the death of Mr Justice Paul Harrison, 84, who died at his home in Jamaica, the Times reported.

The former prime minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Michael Misick (pictured with his former wife, American actress LisaRaye McCoy), is on the brink of walking free after his six-year corruption trial was halted following the death of its judge

The veteran judge had been presiding over the case without a jury.

The future of the case will reportedly be decided upon by the Turks and Caicos's director of public prosecutions next week.

Amid public concern at the cost of the investigation so far, there is pressure for it to be halted.

However, the abandonment would be a kick in the teeth for Britain after it imposed direct rule between 2009 and 2012 to try to re-establish good governance.

The present governor, Nigel Dakin, is a British specialist in security and counterterrorism.

Britain provided initial funds for the legal process involving Misick but the bulk of the cost has fallen on the islands' taxpayers.

Mr Justice Paul Harrison, 84, recently died at his home in Jamaica, throwing the future of the trial into doubt

Both parties in the case are being represented by respected British QCs.

Andrew Mitchell, the prosecution barrister, said at the start of the case in 2015 that he hoped it would last six months.

However, the defence lawyer, Reginald Armour, told The times the judge's death meant the case had 'run its course'.

Misick faces charges which include conspiracy to receive bribes, conspiracy to defraud the government and money laundering, all of which he denies.

He is accused of using public money to embark on a lavish spending spree, including splashing out $150,000 on home furniture and a further $23,000 on a wardrobe stylist.

A spokesman for the authorities told The Times that it was for the director of public prosecutions to 'make the decision as to what happens next.'

The former premier (left) has attracted celebrities including Hollywood couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones to the islands

Speaking in an exclusive interview with MailOnline in 2016, Misick claimed he was the victim of a 'political witch-hunt'.

The politician was previously pictured on the Turks and Caicos with Hollywood acting couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, as well as comedian Chris Tucker and rapper Lil' Kim.

He said that before he was forced to resign he was trying to make the islands 'sexy' and turn them into the Monte Carlo of the Caribbean.
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A support package worth up to 2 million will be issued to the Northern Irish egg sector following the impacts of the pandemic.

The scheme will open later this month, and eligible farmers will be contacted and asked to complete an application form to claim their payments.

Producers in the region have been hit hard by the financial impact of falling demand for hatching eggs, particularly in international markets.

Agriculture Minister Gordon Lyons announced the support package following a meeting with Northern Irish egg firm Moy Park.

"To offset the losses incurred by these farmers during the time it has taken for markets to recover, I am pleased to announce up to 2m of financial support from the Covid-19 fund.

This support will address the financial impact of depleting laying flocks earlier than normal, and cash flow consequences of longer intercrop periods for both rearing and laying farms.

Over 11,300 NI farmers have already received almost 19m to offset the losses incurred as a result of the pandemics impact on the local agri-food sector in 2020.

The Northern Irish pig sector is set to receive 2.2 million as part of a support package to help producers who suffered significant losses.

Further details and information for egg producers will be published on the DAERA website later this month.

The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
(TNS)  In a new analysis released today, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found schools filled gaps in students' access to computers during the pandemic, but not access to the Internet. Children learning remotely largely depended on their households for Internet, said the center.And that has amplified inequities. Researchers said lower-income K-12 students are less likely than higher-income students to have access to the technology to undergird virtual learning. As a result, lower-income children have less frequent live contactin person, by phone, or by videowith their teachers.Higher-income peers are twice as likely to have live contact with teachers, according to the report, "Virtual Learning Is Not Child's Play for K-12 Students."Earlier today, State School Superintendent Richard Woods discussed Georgia's connectivity challenges at a House Education Committee meeting. Georgia, too, saw more success getting digital devices into the hands of students during the pandemic than in securing internet for them, said Woods."We stand pretty good with devices across the state," said Woods. "The harder problem is these children who are really isolated in the country. To say we are going to put something there for a child who is 20 miles out, we are going to have to work a little bit harder."The state and districts labored to get more children online, said Woods, citing a doubling of bandwidth in every school and installation of extenders in school buildings and 3,000 WiFiRanger hotspots in buses to expand connectivity.But the pandemic laid bare the opportunity inequities that always existed in the state, said Dana Rickman of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. Uneven access to virtual devices and the internet cannot be solved by school districts alone, she told lawmakers at the House meeting. It demands a strong state policy framework.At the end of May 2020, 88 percent of white households with students enrolled in public or private K-12 education in Georgia reported having regular access to a computer for educational purposes, compared to 75 percent of Black households and 68 percent of Latino households, according to GPEE. During that same time period, 90 percent of white families reported having reliable internet access, compared to 85 percent of Black families and 72 percent of Latino families.GPEE's "Top 10 Issues to Watch in 2021" delves into challenges facing Georgia's Black Belt, 69 school districts in 67 counties that have historically and continue to be systematically disadvantaged compared to the rest of the state, including in connectivity. Households in the Black Belt are twice as likely as households outside the region to lack access to high-speed Internet, according to GPEE."The pandemic is a setback for low-income students not just when it comes to their K-12 education, but possibly for their chances of going to college and eventually entering the middle class," Georgetown CEW Director Anthony P. Carnevale, lead author of the analysis.According to Georgetown:In the fall, 21 percent of households with incomes under $25,000 reported that their children had no live contactwhether in person, by phone, or by videowith their teachers in the past seven days, compared to 11 percent of households with incomes over $200,000.More than 70 percent of households with K-12 students shifted to some form of online learning during the pandemic. But low-income students do not always have the resources they need for distance learning.In the fall, among households with incomes below $25,000, 61 percent reported that computers were always available for educational purposes, and 55 percent reported that the internet was always available. By contrast, about 90 percent of households with incomes above $200,000 reported always having access to computers and the internet.As the pandemic continues, more households with K-12 students have reported having access to computers for educational purposes, with an increase from 70 percent of households reporting always having access in the spring to 78 percent of households reporting the same in the fall.At the same time, however, internet access has improved only slightly, with 74 percent of households reporting always having Internet access in the spring, compared to 75 percent in the fall.By the fall, schools were providing computers to 65 percent of households with K-12 students, compared to 39 percent of households in the spring. However, schools provided Internet access to only 4 percent of households with K-12 students in the fall, compared to 2 percent of households in the spring.
The second batch of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik V" has been sent to Tehran by plane on Friday, Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali informed.

"The second batch of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik V" was delivered to the Iranian embassy on Thursday evening as promised by the representatives of the Russian Health Ministry. On Thursday, it was sent to Tehran on a special flight," the IRNA agency quotes him as saying.

The first batch of the Russian vaccine was sent to Tehran on February 4.

On Tuesday, Iran launched free voluntary vaccination against COVID-19 using Russias Sputnik V vaccine. At the first stage, it is planned to vaccinate medical professionals working in intensive care units. After that, people over 65 years of age and other medical workers will be vaccinated. The country plans to use a vaccine developed by Iran in April.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

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Cloudy early with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

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Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
He worked with his academic adviser, Gaboury Benoit, on two projects in the New Haven area. For one, Jiang drove to 30 ponds to measure mercury levels in fish. For the other, he studied the trash that ended up in local waterways with a goal of finding out how it got there and how to keep it from traveling downstream in the future, the YSE said.
Bengaluru, Feb 12 : In an effort to curb the spurt in cyber crime cases, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday announced setting up of eight additional cyber crime police stations here, besides strengthening the anti-terrorism squad to tackle the terror threat in the state.

Speaking to the media after attending the Karnataka senior police officers annual meet, Yediyurappa said that presently most of the states are facing the terrorism threat in one manner or the other.

"Tackling the cyber crime is one such area, where we need to strengthen ourselves. Criminal activities in the virtual world are the new generation warfare which needs to be monitored effectively. Therefore, we are planning to set up eight more cyber police stations in Bengaluru," the Chief Minister added.

He said that challenges keep changing with time from basic policing to dark web crime and the area of police has grown exponentially with the advent of technology during recent times.

"Only effective investigation can be a biggest deterrent for any crime and a conviction for a criminal," Yediyurappa said.

He also expressed happiness over dip in crime rates and atrocities on women and children in the state in comparision to other states.

"This is a matter of pride to all of us," the Chief Minister underlined, adding that the state government has set up an anti-terrorism squad to keep a tab on terrorist activities in the city.

Yediyurappa also assured the senior police officials of strengthening the department so that law and order is maintained and people live peacefully.

"I have also given a piece of advice to the police officials that people visiting the police station should be treated with respect and dignity. Let the police first listen to their grievances and address them sincerely," he added.
More retail pharmacies around the country began administering Covid-19 vaccines by appointment on Friday under a new federal program that is shipping doses directly to them.

One million doses have been allocated to 6,500 pharmacies -- including some CVS, Walmart, Walgreens and Rite Aid locations -- in the first phase of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, and the stores started giving these shots Friday.

This comes on a day when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines for reopening schools safely. The CDC is encouraging states to prioritize teachers for vaccination but does not make inoculation one of its key recommendations.

And a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation says that nearly a third of Americans -- 31% -- say they plan to 'wait and see' how the vaccines work for others before deciding to get vaccinated themselves.

As for vaccines in pharmacies: Many stores still do not have the vaccine in this first phase of the new federal program. Walgreens will now have it in certain stores in 15 states; Rite Aid has it in six states; and Walmart and Sam's Clubs have it in 22 states. The coverage area is expected to expand as supplies increase.

The doses sent directly to pharmacies are separate from the millions per week that the federal government already has been distributing to states -- a few of which already were providing doses to a small number of pharmacies.

A person's eligibility still varies by state. All states began with priority populations -- often health care workers and people in long-term care facilities -- followed by seniors and/or essential workers, or people with certain health conditions.

More and more states are expanding eligibility to people with pre-existing or underlying conditions. Currently, that's the case in 11 states -- Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas -- according to a CNN analysis of public health department websites.

In New York, people with comorbidities and underlying conditions can sign up for appointments starting Sunday, with vaccinations beginning Monday. California on Friday announced it will expand eligibility to millions of people who have 'serious underlying health conditions' or are 'at high risk with developmental and other disabilities' beginning March 15.

Vaccinations on the rise

Though states have generally complained supply is not meeting demand, the number of vaccinations per day has been rising.

The US has averaged nearly 1.6 million doses administered per day over the past week, higher than the daily average of about 1.3 million last week, according to a CNN analysis of data published Thursday by the CDC.

By April, access could start to expand to the general public, and most Americans could be inoculated by the middle or end of summer, Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC's 'Today' show this week. Fauci is President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The upswing in vaccinations comes amid concerns about the spread of more-transmissible coronavirus variants. One key question is whether the vaccines will work on these mutated strains.

So far, at least 997 cases of more-transmissible Covid-19 variants, first detected in the UK, South Africa and Brazil, have been reported in the US, according to CDC data.

Dr. Barney Graham, deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at National Institutes of Health, told Biden on Thursday that the antibodies that vaccines make against the virus can still attack the known variants.

'Antibodies have a lot of places to bind. It may eventually lose efficacy, but I think we are OK for now until additional mutations are accumulated,' Graham said.

CDC recommends 5 key strategies to reopen schools

The CDC's newly released guidelines for reopening schools includes 'five key mitigation strategies' for returning to in-person school safely.

Those five key strategies are: the universal and correct wearing of masks; physical distancing; washing hands; cleaning facilities and improving ventilation; and conducting contact tracing, isolation, and quarantining.

Biden has pledged to reopen most US K-12 schools within his first 100 days in office, though some teachers' unions have expressed concerns about reopening while many educators have yet to be vaccinated.

And according to a CNN analysis of federal data, about 99% of US children live in what's considered a 'red' zone with high levels of virus transmission under new CDC guidance.

Almost 73 million children -- about 99% of the US population under the age of 18 -- live in county where there were at least 100 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people, or a test positivity rate of at least 10%, during the past seven days, according to the CNN analysis.

The new CDC guidelines recommend virtual learning for middle and high schools and hybrid learning or reduced attendance for elementary schools in these high transmission zones.

The CDC's guidance Friday says vaccination and testing 'provide additional layers of Covid-19 prevention in schools,' but it doesn't describe them as key strategies.

'Our operational strategy specifically includes a component on vaccinations for teachers and school staff as an additional layer of protection,' said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky at a news briefing on Friday.

She said the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that frontline essential workers -- a group that includes educators -- be prioritized for Covid-19 vaccination.

'As such, we strongly encourage states to prioritize teachers and other school staff to get vaccinated,' Walensky said. 'If we want our children to receive in-person instruction, we must ensure that teachers and school staff are healthy and protected from getting Covid-19 in places outside of schools where they might be at higher risk.'

States loosen their coronavirus restrictions

The rates of new Covid-19 cases and deaths, and the numbers of Covid-19 patients in hospitals, are dropping after surges around the holidays. As they do, some states are dropping social restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus.

Nevada said it will aim to end state-mandated business capacity restrictions by May 1 in phases, though local governments can still issue their own restrictions.

Starting Monday, Nevada state rules will allow most businesses and houses of worship to have up to 100 people, or 35% of normal capacity. If coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to decrease, capacity would go up to 50% on March 15.

Indoor gathering limitations in Wyoming will be increased to 25% of capacity or 500 people Monday, and limits on sporting events, artistic performances, restaurants and gyms will be eased, according to Gov. Mark Gordon.

Though daily Covid-19 numbers have recently improved, health experts have warned that precautions are still important to keep the spread of more transmissible variants limited.

The CDC has warned that the variant first identified in the UK could become dominant in the US, and worsen the spread of the virus.

'Many of us think ... as we get into the middle of March, April and May, that's the time when we're really going to see this big upswing in the number of new cases and, possibly, deaths' because of that variant, Dr. Peter Hotez told CNN's 'New Day' on Friday.

'So, how do we get the population vaccinated as quickly as possible?' said Hotez, the co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital. '... I'm really feeling good about the country over the summer, but I'm worried about the spring.'

New report says nearly a third of US adults are undecided about the vaccine

The 31% of Americans who say they plan to 'wait and see' how the vaccines work for others represent 'a critical group for efforts aimed at boosting vaccinations,' according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's (KFF) Vaccine Monitor report.

Many of those who said they wanted to wait said that a close friend or family member getting vaccinated would be most likely to sway their decision, according to the KFF report.

About half of those in the 'wait and see' group are White, 16% are Black and 19% are Hispanic. A majority say they are worried that they or a family member will get sick from coronavirus.

Over half of the 'wait and see group' view getting vaccinated as a personal choice and just 40% see vaccination as a responsibility to protect others.

The 'wait and see group' are also politically diverse, with 42% identifying as Democrats or leaning Democratic while 36% identify as Republicans or leaning Republican.

The pace of vaccinations should ramp up in March and April, allowing a broader segment of the population to become eligible, Fauci said.

'I would imagine by the time we get to April, that will be what I would call for, you know, for better wording, open season,' Fauci told NBC on Thursday. 'Namely, virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated.'

Makers of the country's currently authorized two-dose vaccines -- Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna -- have begun trials for children, starting with older age groups. By September, vaccines could be authorized for young children, Fauci told ProPublica on Thursday.

Johnson & Johnson would add to the country's supply if the Food and Drug Administration authorizes its one-dose vaccine. The company has said it could provide 20 million to 30 million doses by the end of April if the authorization comes, with more possible after that.

Biden said Thursday the US is on track to have vaccine supply for 300 million Americans 'by the end of July.'

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.
Over the past day, February 11, five ceasefire violations were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas. As a result of the enemy shelling, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed.

"The armed formations of the Russian Federation used snipers weapons to fire at Ukrainian positions near Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk). A Russian sniper seriously wounded a serviceman of the Joint Forces. Despite the aid provided, he died during the evacuation," the press center of the JFO Headquarters reports.

The occupiers opened fire from a heavy machine gun on Ukrainian positions near Novomykhailivka (28km south-west of Donetsk). As a result of the shelling, one of the defenders of Ukraine was killed.

In addition, the enemy opened fire from a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher near Vodiane in the Sea of Azov area and from an under-barrel grenade launcher in the area of Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk).

Also, the invaders fired grenade launchers of various systems and a heavy machine gun outside Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk).

Ukrainian defenders gave an adequate response to the shelling of the armed formations of the Russian Federation.

The OSCE representatives were informed about all the facts of ceasefire violations through the Ukrainian side of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC).

Today, February 12, no ceasefire violations have been recorded in the JFO area.

The situation in the JFO area remains controlled by Ukrainian soldiers.

ish
The Centre has spent over Rs 7.95 crore in five months till January for a publicity campaign to bust myths about the new farm laws, Agriculture Minister informed Parliament on Friday.

Out of this, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry committed Rs 7,25,57,246 for release of advertisements between September 2020 and January 2021 on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, he said.

Tomar, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, further said the print advertisements have been published through the Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) in Hindi, English and regional language newspapers for "clarifications related to farm laws including on myth and realities, etc" for creating awareness among the farmers and other stakeholders.

The Agriculture Ministry has incurred an expenditure of Rs 67,99,750 on production of three promotional and two educational films on the farm laws for its wider publicity through electronic media, social media and webinars.

Besides, miscellaneous expenditure of Rs 1,50,568 was incurred on development of creatives for print advertisement, the minister added.

On expenses incurred on overseas publicity campaign, the minister said there was "nil" expenditure as per the information received from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

However, the missions/posts, as part of regular diplomatic work shared the latest developments, the government's considered position and useful information on the farm laws, including frequently asked question (FAQs) etc on their social media accounts in their outreach to the diaspora, he said.

The related government departments have also created awareness through social media platforms, he added.

Responding to another query, Tomar said the government engaged itself actively and constantly with the agitating farmers' unions and 11 rounds of negotiations were held to resolve their issues.

During various rounds of negotiations, the government had been requesting the agitating farmers' unions "to discuss the farm laws clause by clause" in order to resolve their concerns on the clauses bothering them, he said.

"However, farmers' unions never agreed to discuss the farm laws except for the demand for their repeal," he noted.

The farmers' protest at Delhi borders has entered its third month. Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, are agitating seeking repeal of the new laws, introduced by the Centre last year, saying they are pro-corporate and could weaken the mandi system.

The 11 rounds of the talks between the Centre and 41 protesting farmer unions has so far remained deadlocked even though the former has offered concessions including suspension of the legislations for 18 months, which the unions have rejected.

(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 LIMERICK woman has spoken of the pain of losing her mother to Covid-19, and not being able to see her a final time.

The lady, who does not wish to be named in order to preserve her familys anonymity, is heartbroken after her mother died in a local nursing home after contracting the deadly condition.

Her mother, who died aged 92, was previously in a relatively healthy condition, and her daughter could not bid her farewell due to the fact she now lives in Britain.

My mum had three Covid-19 tests and they all came back negative. But when she woke up on Monday, January 18 with a temperature and she was diagnosed with Covid-19 later on that day. She passed away a few days later, said the heartbroken woman who crossed the Irish Sea at the age of 18, spending her adult life there.

My relationship with my mother has been on the telephone most of my adult life. I spoke with her so often though. When she told me she had a temperature, I told her not to worry. But obviously all I had in my head was Covid-19. I spoke with her the last time on Wednesday. January 20. She told me she was very sick. Then on Thursday, we got a call from the nursing home to say that Mum wouldnt come back from this. On Friday, there was another call to say they didnt expect her to last for much longer, and they would permit a window visit, she said.

Her daughter was not able to do this, but her brother was able to see their mother one final time. And it was he who broke the tragic news of her passing.

My Mums mental capacity was excellent. She didnt have any onset dementia. She would have ticked away nicely for two or three more years. She never drank, she never smoked. There was nothing wrong with her, she said.

Like so many Irish people overseas, she had to watch her mums funeral on a laptop computer.

I cannot even talk about that, she sobbed.

I could have broken the rules, I could have flown into Belfast and come down to Limerick. But I wouldnt have done it, just in case I had Covid-19 and passed it onto someone.

I never got to say goodbye to my mother properly, the way an Irish person should. We spend the last days of people we love with them, if we can.

We then make sure they are dressed to the nines in their best outfit. There is the standing over the coffin talking about the person in it, and reminiscing. All of that was robbed, she concluded.

Schools are requested to follow the suggestions to make the next session streamlined and ensure that learning gaps, if any, are addressed

The CBSE has directed schools under it to take steps to identify and resolve learning gaps, and conduct examinations for Classes 9 and 11 by following COVID-19 safety protocols (Pictures used for representational purposes only)

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education has directed schools under it to take steps to identify and resolve learning gaps, and then conduct examinations for Classes 9 and 11 by following COVID-19 safety protocols.

The board has also recommended that the new academic session begin from April 1.

"For Classes 9 and 11, schools should take steps to identify and remedy the learning gaps and thereafter, conduct examinations by strictly following COVID-19 safety protocols as per the Examination Bye-Laws," the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Controller of Examination Sanyam Bhardwaj said in a letter to school principals.

"This exam will also help in identifying learning gaps which could be addressed by schools in the new academic session, at the beginning of classes, by having a bridge course specially designed to address learning gaps," he said.

Schools were shut in March last year as a precautionary measure following the outbreak of the coronavirus. During the subsequent nationwide lockdown, students moved to online classes. But as restrictions were gradually eased from June last year, schools reopened partially in a few states from October 2020 onwards.

In the letter, Bhardwaj said, "While holding examinations/classes, COVID-19 safety protocols should be followed strictly. It would be appropriate to start the academic session 2021-2022 from April 1 to the extent feasible subject to the instructions of state governments."

Schools are requested to follow the suggestions to make the next session more streamlined and ensure that learning gaps, if any, are addressed, he added.

"Schools have opened in a majority of states and with the improvement of COVID-19 pandemic situation, it is expected that schools will be opened in other states and union territories. Schools should be fully geared up and prepared to welcome the students for face to face classes. This will help students attend schools for completing their practicals," Bhardwaj said.

The CBSE had earlier this month announced the schedule for board exams for classes 10 and 12.

"The board has taken decision to reschedule the class 10 and 12 exams from May-June, because of the unprecedented situation arising due to COVID-19 Pandemic. As a result a number of schools have been seeking advice from CBSE regarding examinations for classes 9 and 11 and about the commencement of new academic session, Bhardwaj said.
ORANGE CITY, Fla.  A Florida man stole an engagement ring and wedding bands from a girlfriend and used them to propose to another girlfriend, according to authorities.

Volusia County Sheriffs deputies said Thursday they have issued an arrest warrant for Joseph Davis, 48, who had not been found as of Friday.

Their investigation started earlier this year when a woman from Orange City, Florida, told detectives she had discovered her boyfriend was actually engaged to someone else. When she looked up the fiancees Facebook page, she noticed a photo of her wearing a wedding band and engagement ring that was identical to her own from a prior marriage, the sheriffs office said in a news release.

When the Orange City woman checked her jewelry box, she found her rings were missing, as were several other pieces of jewelry, including a diamond ring that belonged to her grandmother. The total value of the stolen property was about $6,270, according to the sheriffs office.

Orange City is located halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach.

The Orange City woman reached out to the fiancee, who returned some of the items, and they both called it off with Davis, who also went by the names Joe Brown and Marcus Brown, the sheriffs office said.

The fiancee, who lives in Orlando, told detectives she had been duped too.

Davis once took the fiancee to a house that actually belonged to the Orange City woman, while she was at work, and claimed it was his. He then asked the fiancee to move in with him, but he then disappeared. By that time, the fiancee discovered her laptop computer and jewelry were missing, the sheriffs office said.

Even though they did not have his real name, the jilted women remembered he had a relative in North Carolina and detectives were able to track down the relative who identified Davis, according to the sheriffs office.

Davis has an active arrest warrant for a hit-and-run crash with injuries in Oregon, and previously has been arrested for possession of fictitious ID, filing a false police report, domestic assault and possession of cocaine with intent to sell, the sheriffs office said.

According to the sheriffs office, the jail where Davis previously was booked noted he had a tattoo on his left arm that said, Only God can judge me.

--The Associated Press
Russia's vaccine Sputnik V was authorized in Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, thus bringing the total number of countries where it is authorized to 26, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said Friday.

"The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) announces the approval of Russian Sputnik V vaccine against in Montenegro and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In total, 26 countries have already authorized Sputnik V," the RDIF said in a press release.

This means that Sputnik is "one of the world's top three vaccines in terms of the number of approvals issued by government regulators.

(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.)
#PongoElHombro en el parque Mayta Capac de San Martin de Porres y el Hospital de Apoyo Carabayllo, donde se inmunizo a personal de salud de Lima Norte. pic.twitter.com/KdTPKAUIfc

PHILIPSBURG:--- USP faction leader and Member of Parliament Claudius Buncamper said in a press release that on Friday, February 12th he was officially informed by the Court of Appeal that the Prosecutor Generals Office has been granted permission to prosecute him for matters of crimes relating to him while working as a Civil Servant for Government.

Buncamper in his press release said that the methods and agendas are known to many, so from day one he informed everyone that he would be prosecuted by the Dutch as this investigation is conducted from Curacao by the RST/TBO where many people on the island have been threatened to say things about the RST/TBO target, or be prosecuted themselves. This is just one method utilized in a system plagued by abuse that allows RST/TBO to build a case against anyone in our community.

Buncamper said while defending himself in front of the three appeal court judges, without any part, in summary, or full, of the case file compiled against him, clearly showed that the case against him was purely political. This argument, just like amongst others, e.g.;

a. that concrete statement of witnesses saying that they were threatened by investigating officers of the RST/TBO to incriminate me, otherwise they with face criminal prosecution for alleged tax violations;

b. that RST/TBO never heard me on 3 of the 4 charges, but still decided that I had to be prosecuted, therefore;

c. That at minimum the case should be sent to a Judge of Instruction for me and other witnesses to be properly heard before a prosecution decision is taken by the Court of Appeals;

d. That I can never have a fair trial and defend myself in front of the Appellate Court if it holds that I can not see a shred of evidence or any document in my file, but only seven (7) days after it permits my prosecute;

e. All the evidence presented by me that not only clearly invalidates all suspicions against me, but shows that the investigative process, if it can really be called that, was highly prejudicial; a targeted effort to implicate and accuse me;

f. that the Attorney General Office with the criminal proceeding against me wants to dictate and impose rules and regulations on the functioning on Government Departments, and as such create his own set of rules as per which it also randomly decides to prosecute;

were to no avail as in their opinion everything was so-called done correctly. An assertion made with little to no motivation by the way.

The systemic abuse in our justice system is unbelievable and deeply rooted. From the outset, certainly officeholders on Sint Maarten fight an uphill battle against charges that going forward do not even have to be presented to them. While I just finished a 10-year battle that resulted



in acquittals, I now have to start preparing once again for a battle that will most probably go all the way to the Supreme Court once again. Buncamper said.

Rest assured, I will not be silenced by anyone and will continue to fight on the floor of Parliament for the people of this country as I was elected to do. This abusive system also seems intent on changing or tarnishing elected officials with bogus charges against which someone cannot defend themselves because they are not presented with the evidence. You are guilty until proven innocent, not the other way around in a Kingdom where we hold human rights and democratic principles high.

Time will tell how political the case is and will be, MP Buncamper concluded.
Allison Langdon is recovering in hospital after badly injuring her knee injury in a hydrofoiling accident while filming a segment for the Today show last Thursday.

And while Langdon, 41, and Channel Nine have said she's on the mend, mystery still surrounds the TV host's accident and the extent of her injuries.

Two days ago, the reporter revealed in a breezy newsletter that she had a 'nice amount of metal' in her knee after undergoing surgery, and would be off work for at least another five weeks.

What's going on? Mystery continues to surround Allison Langdon's hydrofoiling accident as she is forced to take extended leave from the Today show and Channel Nine plays coy

Since then, there has been no official word on her recovery, and Nine has declined to offer an on-the-record statement on the matter.

The lack of updates could simply mean Langdon wishes to recuperate in private, but some viewers may well be wondering if her injuries are worse than they've been led to believe.

On Wednesday, the breakfast TV anchor addressed viewers via the Today show's official email newsletter.

'I have a nice amount of metal in my knee now and have to wait a further five weeks before I can put any weight on my right leg,' she wrote.

'Patience has never been a strength of mine so let's see how we go.'

Langdon's update was vague about the details, and failed to explain what surgery she'd had or what exactly had happened to her during the hydrofoiling accident.

Recovery: Two days ago, Langdon revealed in a breezy newsletter that she had a 'nice amount of metal' in her knee after undergoing surgery, and would be off work for at least another five weeks. Since then, there has been no official word on her recovery, and Nine has declined to offer an on-the-record statement on the matter

In the same newsletter, the veteran journalist also thanked fans for their kind words.

'I've been overwhelmed by all the lovely messages and just want to say thank you for all the love,' Langdon wrote.

'I can't believe what looked like a pretty innocent fall has resulted in such drastic injuries.'

Struggles: Langdon's update was vague about the details, and failed to explain what surgery she'd had or what exactly had happened to her during the hydrofoiling accident

Langdon is believed to have undergone some kind of knee surgery on Monday, after injuring herself while pre-recording a segment for Today last Thursday.

She hurt her right knee after landing badly on a swimming platform at Burleigh Beach, on the Gold Coast.

She has been temporarily replaced on the Today show by Leila McKinnon, who is serving as co-host alongside Karl Stefanovic.

Extended leave: Following last week's accident, The Daily Telegraph reported Langdon will probably have to take a 'lengthy break' from her on-air duties. Pictured with Karl Stefanovic

Following last week's accident, The Daily Telegraph reported Langdon will probably have to take a 'lengthy break' from her on-air duties.

Channel Nine will most likely 'foot the bill' for her medical bills and rehabilitation, too.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia last Friday, a network spokesperson described what had happened as 'an unfortunate accident'.

Extreme sport: Langdon is believed to have undergone some kind of knee surgery on Monday, after injuring herself while pre-recording a segment for Today last Thursday. She hurt her right knee after landing badly on a swimming platform at Burleigh Beach, on the Gold Coast

Rescue: Dramatic footage of the accident, which aired on Today last Friday, showed Langdon being pulled from the water by her life vest by two male rescuers

'After nearly an hour of incident-free filming of a segment about hydrofoiling, Ally fell awkwardly as she headed back to the marina at the end of the shoot,' they said.

'It was an unfortunate accident, and she was immediately taken to hospital.'

The statement emphasised that both Stefanovic and Langdon had received 'comprehensive safety induction and a thorough run-through of all aspects of hydrofoiling.

'As with every shoot, safety requirements, briefings and subsequent after-care, are strictly followed and prioritised.'
A court appearance by jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has resumed with a testy exchange with the judge in a slander case involving a World War II veteran, resuming a trial that was interrupted last week.



The anti-corruption campaigner has described the slander case as a fabricated Kremlin public-relations campaign meant to harass and discredit him.

Navalny is accused of slandering a World War II veteran who took part in the promotional video in support of last year's constitutional amendments that cleared the way for President Vladimir Putin to run for two more terms in office after 2024, if he wants.

As the process resumed on February 12, Navalny and his lawyers expressed frustration that while filming was prohibited at the hearing, some national media outlets received video feeds taken from the courtroom.

"Let's ask a normal journalist if any of them received the video as well," Navalny said.

"You don't have a right to ask questions," the judge responded.

"I am very frustrated and want you to pay attention to the situation that every time a witness is unable to answer my questions, you stop the hearing and let the witness leave the courtroom so that he's instructed outside what to say and how to answer my questions," Navalny fired back.

He accused the judge of having a "poor knowledge of the Criminal Code" and "speaking like a parrot," according to a TV Dozhd account retweeted to Navalny's Twitter feed.

"I believe that you need to stop disgracing yourself and arranging a political theater, and take some courses," Navalny was quoted as saying.

The trial centers on a social-media post from June in which Navalny, one of Putin's most vocal critics, described those in the video as "traitors," "people with no conscience," and "corrupt lackeys."



Russia's Investigative Committee argues the comments contained "deliberately false information denigrating the honor and dignity" of the World War II veteran.



If convicted, Navalny faces a fine, community service, or jail time.



The trial was interrupted last week after the plaintiff, Ignat Artyomenko, said he was feeling ill and was taken away by ambulance.



Before he was rushed away, the 94-year-old veteran said he wanted a public apology from Navalny, who said he believed that the elderly man was being used "like a doll on a chain."



Navalny also suggested Artyomenko, who attended the proceedings by video from his home, was mentally unable to follow the trial.



"You have perverted criminal law, and now you are using Artyomenko to defend the thief Putin and his friends with [Artyomenko's] medals," Navalny told the court.



The trial comes after the Kremlin critic on February 2 was ordered to serve 2 years and 8 months in prison for violating the terms of probation imposed from a widely criticized 2014 embezzlement case.



Navalny could not report to parole officers because he was recovering from a coma in Germany after being poisoned with a nerve-agent in Siberia last August, in an attack he blames on Putin and his security agents. The Kremlin dismisses the allegations.



Navalny was immediately arrested upon his return to Russia in January, triggering nationwide protests and a crackdown on his allies and supporters.
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Johann Chuckaree is the epitome of the modern Indo-Trinidadian.

The 31-year-old is a proud descendant of East Indian indentured labourers. Prays to Jesus Christ. And plays the pan.

The Woodbrook-born musician exuded equal passion for all three during a virtual sitting with the Kitcharee on Thursday night.
NTFONJENI  A damaged bridge has resulted in residents of Lomshiyo being cut off from community services such as clinics and shops.

Yesterday, the residents grouped to fix a road whose bridge was swept away by the recent floods. The residents said it was now impossible to leave the area in their normal vehicles other than taking a longer route.

William Dlamini, who said he was speaking on behalf of Chief Tikhontele, said the residents were stranded following the damaged bridge. He said the residents were unable to access basic services. Every service such as medical care is situated on the other side of the bridge, he said.

He said residents were also unable to access services at the Ntfonjeni Inkhundla. Lomshiyo is one of the chiefdoms under Ntfonjeni Inkhundla.

Dlamini also revealed that residents were now using a route that was close to the South African side because it was shorter. The road is better that side, he said. He however mentioned that this was time-consuming.

However, the residents were only constructing a temporary bridge to allow smaller vehicles to drive through.

Some of the residents who were found working on the site said they were in a predicament because ambulances would not be able to reach the community should emergencies arise. They said this was the reason they were now forced to fix the bridge.

One of the residents, Sikhumbuzo Magongo, contributed financially for the purchasing of sand and cement. He said as a resident of the area, he also used the same road to reach his home. I cannot let the residents be stranded when I know I have the means to assist, he said.

Magongo said he was concerned about the plight of the residents and that he was also affected. He said he could not drive his vehicle and had to park it at one of the shops then walk home, which is a distance of about three kilometres. He further said while some of the residents walked on the side of the damaged bridge, an elderly person couldnt do the same.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday kicked off budget season with her budget proposal, which clocked in at a historic $67.1 billion.

Its the first step of determining how much state money goes where in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which runs from Oct. 1, 2021 through Sept. 30, 2022.

Some of the toplines included $300 million for bridge repairs, $192.4 million across two fiscal years for programs that assist people with community college costs, and a per-pupil increase of $82 to $164 for K-12 schools.

But, as with most things that go through the legislature, theres a lot more in the fine print. Here are some specific proposals that may not have made it onto your radar yet:

1) A cyber cut

Whitmer proposed raising school funding overall, but one cut was to $30.2 million going to cyber schools.

Cyber schools are different than traditional public schools. They have different expenditure requirements, Whitmer said in an interview with MLive earlier this week.

She said traditional public schools have additional costs associated with running in-person classes in brick-and-mortar buildings.

Its just a fact of life, and I think there is important value in in-person schooling, Whitmer said.

The move met with criticism from the Great Lakes Education Project, which said amid the pandemic students are relying on online schools.

That Whitmer would slash the budgets that pay Michigan teachers salaries, provide computers for kids, and online classrooms that so many students rely on daily is both astounding and reprehensible, said Executive Director Beth DeShone.

2) More money for local governments

Local governments, which face systemic revenue issues, have also seen revenues impacted by the economic downturn caused by COVID-19. But cities and counties were encouraged by what they saw in the budget, which included a 2% increase in statutory revenue sharing, or what the state passes on to municipal governments.

Whitmers budget spends $266 million on revenue sharing to townships, cities and villages and spends $231 million on county revenue sharing. Another $15.4 billion would be made available to local townships, cities and villages through grants.

Michigan communities are the heartbeat of our state and we are thankful that Gov. Whitmers budget makes needed investments in revenue sharing, infrastructure and local programs that make our state a great place to live, work and visit, said William Wild, Mayor of Westland and President of the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees in a statement.

3) A new office focused on equity in public health

Whitmers administration has focused on equity throughout the pandemic, first raising alarm bells when Black residents were being disproportionately impacted.

Now, she is proposing $2.5 million for a new Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Budget Director Dave Massaron said in a roundtable with reporters Thursday he expects the money to fund employees and have a hand in may MDHHS functions.

I know Director Hertel plans to have this office review all the policy propagations that DHHS does across the board, he said.

4) $1 million for Focus: HOPE

Focus: HOPE is a Detroit-based nonprofit with community and workforce development components that has long captured the attention of Lansing. Former Gov. Rick Snyder praised the groups efforts and volunteered there with his family while in office.

Whitmer is proposing $1 million in general fund spending on the organizations programs.

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the Black community, and specifically Detroit. So many people have lost their jobs in the past year and Focus: HOPE will be an integral part of getting people back to work on the path to financial stability. The amount of value Focus: HOPE brings to our community is unparalleled when we look at the opportunities for job training, youth development, food for seniors, and advocacy for leadership, antiracism, and race equity that this program can provide, said Sen. Adam Hollier, D-Detroit, in a statement.

5) That university increase is one-time funding.

Universities had a mixed reaction to the governors proposed 2% increase for them: its a good number, but supported by one-time funding, meaning it may not carry over into subsequent budget years.

We appreciate that the budget recognizes the unexpected and high costs universities have faced due to the pandemic and we understand the states budget difficulties, said Daniel Hurley, CEO, Michigan Association of State Universities, in a statement.

We are, however, concerned that the two percent increase is one-time funding and not built into the states base budget. This approach is unprecedented, as tentative state investment will not allow the universities to adequately plan for their own operations. These vital state assets need sufficient, predictable, and sustained state funding. Using one-time funding for ongoing costs like educating students only serves to build in a prospective state funding cut a year ahead of time.

Massaron said Thursday the funding represented what the state had available, and we have to be mindful... about future budget years.

6) Increases for specific groups of students.

The governors budget increases per-pupil funding overall by $82 to $164. But it also sends an additional 2% increase to groups of students with different needs. The budget includes $7.4 million to support rural and isolated districts, $13.3 million for English language learners and $61.4 million for students with special needs.

I appreciate Governor Whitmers prioritization of children, educators, and schools in her budget, said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice in a statement.

To move through and beyond this public health crisis, we need to increase and target resources to address the education challenges both existent before and created by the pandemic.

7) Water infrastructure spending

The governors budget includes $55 million to replace drinking water fixtures in schools to ensure students have access to safe drinking water.

If the Legislature approves Filter First funding and the legislation to implement it, Michigan will set a national example as the first state to protect our children from lead in drinking water with this approach, said Charlotte Jameson, program director for Michigan Environmental Council.

The budget also puts $290 million in grants for wastewater infrastructure projects through the Michigan Clean Water Plan.

The National Wildlife Federation supports the strong water, energy and environmental justice funding initiatives within Gov. Whitmers FY 2022 Executive Budget. In particular, the focus on water and energy infrastructure that is targeted toward low-income communities is a necessary and just investment, said Mike Shriberg, Great Lakes Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, in a statement.

8) A green bank

Whitmers budget puts $5 million general fund dollars into a green bank designed to incentivize energy-efficient improvements to Michigan residents and businesses. The bank enhances the credit offered to lenders, which can then offer more favorable terms to those seeking energy efficiency upgrades.

Research shows every dollar invested in energy efficiency ends up saving more than $3, said Dr. Laura Sherman, president of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, in a statement.

The governors budget will leverage $5 million in state funds through Michigan Saves. This investment will create jobs and improve how we power businesses and homes across the state.

9) Following through on expunging criminal records

Last year bipartisan clean slate legislation giving Michigan citizens more options to clear their criminal records was put into law, and Whitmers budget sends money that way.

The supplemental she has proposed for the current budget includes $19 million to support a coordinated system for expunging criminal records across multiple state departments. Whitmers FY 22 budget includes an additional $1.1 million to support the maintenance of record expungement systems for the Michigan State Police.

Attorney General Dana Nessel praised both that and a $500,000 appropriation to support address confidentiality legislation.

Our department is committed to working on these innovative programs as well as continuing to pursue child support enforcement, financial crimes against the elderly, and the Legislatures continued support for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative across the state, among many other initiatives, Nessel said.

The governors FY 22 budget proposal is just that: a proposal. Its the annual kick-off to a budget process that will ultimately go through the legislature and be negotiated. To become law, the budget must pass both the House and Senate and be signed by Whitmer.

More on MLive:

Gov. Whitmer proposes biggest-ever state budget at $67B, bolstered by federal dollars

Michigan Republicans worry Whitmers budget creates long-term costs, falls short on in-person school

Whitmer budget to include K-12 increase of up to $164 per pupil, more funding for higher education

More than 19K Michigan residents apply for tuition-free community college in first 24 hours
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While the government has hiked the cap on airfares by up to 30 percent, ticket rates may increase only by 10 percent immediately, say industry observers, pointing at passenger traffic that remains below its pre-COVID-19 levels.

At the same time, data shows that airfares have already been on the higher trend since the start of the year. Some of the metro routes have seen average fares increase by up to 78 percent.

On February 11, the government had two updates to share. One, it extended the 80 percent cap on capacity utilisation till March 31. Second, it increased the cap on airfare. For example, flights that have a duration of 90 to 120 minutes now have the lower fare cap increased to Rs 3,900 from Rs 3,500. The cap on maximum chargeable fare has been increased to Rs 13,000 from Rs 10,000.

The move is a positive for airlines, with stocks of two listed companies IndiGo and SpiceJet getting a push. While share price of SpiceJet jumped over 4 percent, that of IndiGo gained over 2 percent, in early trades on Friday morning.

"Hike in airfare cap is long overdue as that is the only way cross-subsidization of airline operations expenses could be addressed. A healthy balance between operations cost and passenger yield is not only better for the airline but is also beneficial to passengers," said Nripendra Singh, Industry Principal, Aerospace, Defense & Security Practice, Frost & Sullivan.

"The passenger traffic slowly returning back to normal domestically is a good sign for the airlines. Currently, it is domestic operations, which is the sole hope for airlines in India, and capping the fares would be a deterrent to the overall air travel ecosystem," he added.

In fact, the year started off on just the right note. Air passenger traffic grew by 3.51 percent in January, compared to the numbers in December 2020. "While the numbers are just 60 percent of what the last January was, this is the best performance when it comes to traffic numbers in January over December, in a clear indication that there continues to be a steady rise," Ameya Joshi, who runs the aviation analysis website Network Thoughts, wrote for Moneycontrol.

"Domestic travel is soaring high in numbers on a daily basis. Now the hike in fare cap will increase profitability of airlines. But it won't be too hard on the consumers. We expect fares to increase by 10 percent," said a senior executive at an online travel agency.

Air fares have also began the trek north since the beginning of the year.

Increase in average fares

Data from Caladrius Aero, an aviation consulting firm, shows that average fare per km has kept on increasing from the first week of January.

"We have seen a trend in an increase in average fare per km for the last month of January and proceeding to February first week. With loads being compromised due to vulnerability in traffic scenarios, it is important to push the fares up in the current market scenario," said Rohit Tomar

Managing Partner, Caladrius Aero.

The trend has been pronounced in the metro routes.

The data threw up average fares charged by five airlines through the January. On the four routes listed above, the increase in fares ranged from 40 percent - in Delhi-Mumbai - to 78 percent, on the Mumbai-Kolkata route.

Airlines will be now hoping for the trend to sustain as customers now begin booking ahead of summer holidays, the peak season for travel.
Former chief was granted bail by a special court on Friday, in connection with ICICI-Videocon money laundering case. Kochhar who is among the accused in the matter, appear before the court seeking bail, where she was asked to deposit Rs 5 lakh as a bond and not to leave the country without prior permission of the court.

She is ready to abide by all the terms and the condition of the court releasing on bail. The applicant (Kochhar) is a respectable citizen and conferred Padma Bhushan award. Therefore, being permanent resident having deep root in the society, there is no apprehension that applicant will flee away from justice, said PMLA judge Abhijeet Nandgaonkar while grating bail.

Earlier this month, a special court of Prevention and Money Laundering Act (PMLA) agreed to proceed the trial in the matter against Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and others following the cognisance of the material evidences submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) along with the prosecution complaint or chargesheet.

Special court also cited Kochhars January 5, 2020 petition in the Supreme court wherein she had requested to quash the ED case against her. However, the matter is pending but during the hearing solicitor general refrain ED to take any coercive step against the Kochhar.

Meanwhile, ED who filed chargesheet in the case found Kochhar instrumental in generation and acquisition of proceeds of crime. Kochhar has committed the offence of money laundering as defined under Section 3 of PMLA and punishable under Section 4 of the said Act, by being actually involved and knowingly a party in acquisition of the proceeds of crime through the company of her husband (Nupower Renewables) and her family trust (Quality Advisors) and attempted to indulge in projection of proceeds of crime as untainted property, federal agency said in the chargesheet.

Business Standard has reviewed the copy.

According to ED, Kochhar forced Videocon group chairman Venugopal Dhoot to take care of her husbands (Deepak Kochhars) interest by putting money in the Windpower Project of her husband. If he had not agreed for the proposal that would have been detrimental for his loan proposals pending with He would not have transferred funds to NRPL, if the loan proposal of Rs. 300 crore of VIEL had not been sanctioned / disbursed by So, accordingly Dhoot diverted the loan funds amounting to Rs. 64 crores to Nupower.

ED establishes total proceeds of crime of Rs 78 crore (including book value of the flat). The equal amount has been provisionally attached by the agency. Meanwhile, Letter of Request has been also issued to four countries to probe other aspect such as suspected funds received to Nupower from Mauritius-based Firstland Holdings.

It further revealed that Kochhar who was the part of the credit committee had received 28 loans proposal from Videocon group, of which 8 proposals amounting to Rs 5,394 crore were sanctioned after she became CEO of the ICICI bank. These were tagged as urgent proposals without the comment of banks risk management team.

The agency underlined that as part of design, the shareholding of Nupower held by Pacific Capital (shareholder) and was then transferred to Supreme Energy before transfer of proceeds of crime of Rs. 64 crore to Nupower. She ceased to be the authorised signatory in DBS bank account of Pacific, just after a week of receipt of funds from Supreme. She never disclosed her connection with Pacific to the bank.

ED also highlighted the close link between Kochhar and Dhoot, said that Kochhars posh CCI, churchgate flat, was created from proceeds of crime, which was acquired by her family trust, Quality Advisor, from Videocon Group in mere Rs. 11 lakh against the market value of Rs 5.28 crore in 1996. This flat is nothing but undue advantage / proceeds of crime paid or transferred by Dhoot / Videocon Group for the benefit of Kochhar and her family.

Investigation also revealed that Deepak Kochhar was beneficially owning multiple companies in which his employees and relatives and even driver and gardener are dummy shareholders and directors, so that he could execute multiple accounting entries for concealing, layering of proceeds of crime.

Infact, Deepak was following all the events at the ICICI bank indicating intricate linkage between him and Chanda actions to project the receipt of proceeds of crime as genuine transactions. Events like appointing Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas to conduct internal audit in 2016 are among them.

Interestingly, the Reserve Bank in its 2018 scrutiny report had flagged conflict of interest on part of both Kochhar and the private lender, as advocates and solicitor for term loan agreement between ICICI and Videocon under debt consolidation was Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Suresh Shroff. The same firm was also appointed by the bank board to probe alleged quid pro quo arrangement between Kochhar and Videocon.

Testimonies of officials in bank also revealed that as on March 2020, the total principal outstanding for the bad loan accounts towards Videocon was Rs 2812 crore. The Bank was never holding the assets equivalent to outstanding principal amounts since classifying them to NPA to till date.

The agency arrested Deepak last September after it filed a criminal case for money laundering based on the CBI case against Kochhar, Dhoot and others. ED alleged that Rs 64 crore out of a loan amount of Rs 300 crore term loan sanctioned by banks committee headed by Kochhar to Videocon International Electronics was diverted to Nupower in 2009, a day after disbursement of loan.
After the disengagement at Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh, India and China are likely to discuss the issue of Depsang in the next round of corps commander talks. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday expressed that the next corps commander talks would aim to resolve all other remaining issues.

After almost 10 months, China has begun the disengagement process in Eastern Ladakh. Almost 200 battle tanks have been withdrawn from the south banks of Pangong Tso in a speed that has taken Indian army brass and national security planners by a sweet surprise. As China concedes to Indias firm stand and moves back , the focus is now likely to shift to Depsang area in Ladakh.

India is likely to raise the issue of Depsang in the next round of corps commander talks. This can be gauged from Defence Minister Rajnath Singhs statement on Thursday in which he said that India and China have agreed to convene the next corps commander level talks to address and resolve all other remaining issues.

Reports say that Depsang is an old issue and Indian army has not had access to a large chunk of this territory in last 10-15 years. Some say that China is unlikely to budge from its stand unless India has more cards to play. A key strategic location, Depsang is located at an altitude of 16,000 feet and is located near Indian strategic airfield Daulat Beg Oldie. Vulnerable to threat, the area has witnessed a massive build up by both sides and needs to be scaled down.

Also Read: Race to end Twitter: Indian app Koo crosses 3 million downloads

In response to the latest developments, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not fulfilled the responsibility of protecting Indian territory and has ceded territory to China. Calling him a coward who cannot stand up against China, Rahul Gandhi has alleged that PM Modi is betraying the sacrifice of the army.

Also Read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch
The Duchess of Rutland has opened up about her relationship with her estranged husband the Duke of Rutland, insisting the pair are still the 'very best of friends' nine years after their marriage broke down.

Mother-of-five Emma Manners, 57, married David Manners, 61, the 11th Duke of Rutland, in June 1992 after meeting at a dinner party in 1990.

The couple's marriage broke down in 2012 after the Duke embarked on an affair with a woman who lived on his 15,000-acre estate, Belvoir Castle, in Leicestershire, which is known for featuring in Netflix's The Crown.

Emma, chief executive of the estate, and David, who are still officially married, both continued to live at the 200-year-old stately home in separate towers. At one point they were both living there with their respective lovers.

Speaking to guest Lady Emma Ingilby of Ripley Castle, in North Yorkshire, on her podcast Duchess today, the Duchess of Rutland said she was sad she and the Duke hadn't 'made their journey together'.

Mother-of-five Emma Manners, 57, married David Manners (pictured together in May 2004), 61, the 11th Duke of Rutland, in June 1992 after meeting at a dinner party in 1990. The couple continued living on the estate, which features in The Crown, after their marriage broke down

The Duke and Duchess share five children, including their daughters Lady Alice, Lady Eliza and Lady Violet Manners (pictured with their mother in September 2018)

Emma said: 'I am actually officially still married and the duke and I are legally separated, but it of course, always brings that little bit within one that we didn't just make that journey together.

'But we are the very best of friends and lucky enough for me, he's put me in charge of carrying on the mantle, together we run the estate and he's entrusted me with the job.'

Emma is now in a relationship with her estate manager, Phil Burtt, while David is happily ensconced with Tiggy Maconochie, former agent to the late fashion photographer Helmut Newton, according to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden.

The duke split from his Brazilian-born lover, Andrea Webb, whom he had had the affair with, two years ago.

Discussing the breakdown of her marriage for the Daily Mail in 2013, Emma said making sure the family stayed together - living in the same place and even sharing meals - hadn't been easy.

She wrote: 'When I married David, Marquis of Granby and heir to one of Britains most distinguished stately homes, I expected life to be full of challenges. But this, by far, has been my hardest yet.

The marriage broke down when the Duke of Rutland had an affair with Andrea Webb (pictured in 2017). The pair lived on the estate with the Duchess of Rutland

'When a relationship collapses there is often fault on both sides. Mine was definitely devoting too much time to the business and the children and not enough to my husband. I suppose both gave me focus and a sense of achievement that was lacking in our marriage.'

The duchess and duke share five children: Lady Violet, 27, who is helping to produce the podcast, and her siblings Alice, 25, Eliza, 23, Charles, 21, and Hugo, 17.

In today's episode of her podcast, Emma also discussed the impact of the pandemic on local businesses on her estate.

Belvoir Castle boasts a retail village, restored from old estate buildings, which is now a centre for local food, drink and artisan shopping - but 'so many are struggling', explained Emma, who said she had been offering 'rent free periods'.

She said: 'One of the things that is terrifying about this current situation, of course, is that so many of them are now struggling because it's been so difficult, so we are giving rent free periods and it's been really difficult.

Emma, chief executive of the estate, and David, who are still officially married, both live in the 200-year-old stately home (pictured) in separate towers, and each have found new lovers

Belvoir Castle has served as a filming location for Netflix's The Crown. Pictured, the cast in a room of Belvoir Castle filming the third series of the hit Netflix series

'... Because I don't know about you but I've had to borrow quite a lot of money to get it where it's come to and I've got to pay the bank back.'

However, she later added: 'This job that we do isn't about money, it isn't about taking money from it. It's about the service and what we can do to support it in the journey of its extended life.'

Last week, Emma opened up about the difficulties she faced when first moving into her stately home and joining high society after growing up on a farm where the 'pennies were all collected very carefully'.

While Emma, who grew up on a farm near Cardiff, now fondly calls the estate home, she admitted on the debut episode of her new podcast that it hasn't always felt like that.

The duchess confessed that she was often left 'sobbing' within her first month at Belvoir.

She credited her feelings of loneliness to bullying butlers, judgemental dinner party guests and not knowing etiquette, as well as having a dislike for titles and being in the public eye.

Belvoir Castle has formed the backdrop for scenes in Young Victoria in 2007, The Da Vinci Code and The Crown - where Matt Smith and Claire Foy filmed in one of the opulent rooms, which stood in for Windsor Castle.

The 356 room castle is themed around classic opulence dating back to the 1700s when it was first restored, with the bedrooms boasting four poster beds, rich tapestries, fur rugs and fireplaces.

Sparing no expense, the drawing room offers silk wallpaper, luxurious furnishings and artwork dating back centuries.

And the opulent interiors don't stop there, with bathrooms featuring marble tops, dressing tables, intricate wallpaper and the modern touch of his and hers sinks.

Dinner parties are fit for a king, taking place at tables stretching across a whole hall, surrounded by fireplaces, candelabras and giant portraits of ancestors.

A grand library, complete with oriental carpets and chandeliers is described in one previous social media post by Emma as her 'favourite afternoon spot'.
New Delhi:

Pakistan on Tuesday violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Mandher sector in Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir. India is giving befitting reply. Heavy shelling started at around 6:20 AM from both sides.

Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of Small arms, automatics and mortars early in the morning.

Earlier on Monday, a minor girl and an Indian Army jawan were killed in a cross-border firing by Pakistan on Monday near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch's Balakote.

The army jawan killed in the crossfire has been identified as Naik Muddasar Ahmed, a native of J&K's Tral region.

"2 civilians seriously injured, schools closed for an indefinite period of time, evacuation to be done once there is break in firing," said DDC Rajouri.

The incident took places hours before India and Pakistans Director General of Military Operations held talks over the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Also read: Minor girl, army jawan killed in cross-border firing in Kashmir

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Syracuse, N.Y.  The political firestorm raging around Gov. Andrew Cuomo today was fueled by his administrations defensiveness and secrecy on the issue of nursing home deaths, but not by a criminal coverup, said a state legislator whos been directly involved in the drama.

The controversy was largely self-inflicted and avoidable, said state Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse.

The Cuomo teams habit of keeping their cards close to the vest' has eroded the public trust to the point where the state Legislature should hold hearings to investigate their actions and clear the air, May said.

May also joined a call with 13 other state senators today to rescind Cuomos emergency powers before they expire at the end of April.

May was one of six Democratic legislators who spoke with Cuomos top staff Wednesday in a private meeting that has since fueled an uproar.

A leaked recording revealed that Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, said the administration froze' after federal officials launched an investigation last summer into the states nursing home deaths, as reported by the New York Post. The administration worried that any new information it provided would be used against us,' DeRosa told legislators.

Cuomos critics have interpreted that statement as saying the governor was obstructing the federal probe.

Governor Cuomo, the Secretary to the Governor, and his senior team must be prosecuted immediately,' concluded Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a frequent Cuomo antagonist.

May didnt see it that way. To her, the Cuomo team used the Department of Justice inquiries as a feeble excuse for not releasing more information during the past six months.

I didnt see something nefarious in it,' May said today. I saw there were pressures on them from all sides. I thought that was pretty honest, actually. I dont want to excuse it, because the withholding of information was the problem. (But) that didnt go to coverup in my mind.'

The federal investigation ultimately went nowhere, and it did not preclude Cuomo from providing information in the meantime, said May, who chairs the Committee on Aging.

May said Cuomo and his aides could have avoided the controversy erupting this week if they had simply been more forthcoming with information. When difficult questions about nursing homes arose, Cuomos team reacted defensively.

I think there is just a culture and a kind of knee-jerk way of responding that is unnecessary,' she said.

Cuomos credibility has been harmed by the furor surrounding the Wednesday meeting, May said. She supports the calls for new legislative hearings on the nursing home controversy.

Earlier this week, she rebuffed Republican efforts to subpoena testimony and records from the administration. Now shes not sure whether the Senate should issue subpoenas, she said.

We need to have public faith in public health officials during a pandemic,' May said. If a hearing will get us closer to that, then we should do one.'

May also signed onto a statement from 14 senators today saying that the emergency powers granted to Cuomo during the Covid-19 pandemic are no longer appropriate.

DeRosa, Cuomos top aide, raised the federal investigation after legislators confronted the governors team about not providing accurate data on nursing home deaths for at least six months. May said DeRosa used the federal probe as an excuse for not providing more information to legislators.

They didnt really explain it except to the extent that there was a Department of Justice investigation, which turned out to be kind of a bluff I think on the Trump administrations part,' May said. But they thought that they were under investigation, so they were trying to  make sure that they got the right information. To the extent that I can excuse it, that was the excuse that made the most sense to me of what they were saying.

The Department of Justice requested limited information on nursing home deaths at several dozen publicly run nursing homes Aug. 26, several weeks after legislators demanded a full count of deaths. The DOJ did not expand its request for data from all 613 homes in the state until late October.

May said she understands that some of the data was unreliable and the health department wanted to make sure it had accurate death numbers before reporting them to the feds. But that was no reason to allow inaccurate statistics to be reported for months, she said.

I personally didnt see any reason why we wouldnt have had this out in public six months ago,' May said. The DOJ investigation, that makes sense to a certain extent, but I dont see how that would have precluded them from giving at least approximate answers to our questions -- with the disclaimer that we are still finalizing X number of deaths or whatever. They could have done it.

As it turned out, the DOJ investigation went nowhere, according to a partial transcript of Wednesdays meeting released this morning by the governors office.

They dropped it,' DeRosa said. They never formally opened an investigation. They sent a letter asking a number of questions and then we satisfied those questions and it appears that theyre gone.'

DeRosa issued a prepared statement today on her meeting with the legislators, saying the administration delayed providing information to legislators because of the DOJ inquiry.

I was explaining that when we received the DOJ inquiry, we needed to temporarily set aside the Legislatures request to deal with the federal request first,' she said. We informed the houses of this at the time. We were comprehensive and transparent in our responses to the DOJ, and then had to immediately focus our resources on the second wave and vaccine rollout. As I said on a call with legislators, we could not fulfill their request as quickly as anyone would have liked. But we are committed to being better partners going forward as we share the same goal of keeping New Yorkers as healthy as possible during the pandemic.

Transcript by Tim Knauss on Scribd

Do you have a news tip or a story idea? Contact reporter Tim Knauss of syracuse.com/The Post-Standard: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023

The chemical element Europium, ~300g ingot, crystalline sublimed dendritic, high pure 99.998% Eu/TREM (TREM = Total Rare Earth Metal). Handled in a glovebox under the inert gas argon. Credit: Alchemist-hp (pse-mendelejew.de) CC0 public domain

A tetrad of researchers from Peking University, the University of Toronto, Rutgers University and the University of Science and Technology of China has found evidence that suggests the Earth was mostly flat during its middle ages. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of europium embedded in zircon crystals and what it revealed about Earth's ancient past.

Prior research has suggested that approximately 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago, the Earth went through a quiet period when the evolution of life slowed down quite dramatically. In this new effort, the researchers suggest that the reason for the slowdown was an absence of tectonic activity.

The work involved studying samples of the chemical element europium embedded in zircon crystals. Prior research has suggested that the amount of europium found in such crystals can be used to reveal the thickness of Earth's crust at the time of the formation of the crystal. The more europium in the crystal, the more pressure there was being exerted from above, suggesting thicker crust. The researchers studied samples of the crystals collected from multiple places across the globe.

They found evidence that suggested that during Earth's middle period, the crust was thinner, more even than it is now. So much so that there were no mountains at all. Instead, the planet was covered by oceans and flat land masses. Such conditions suggest tectonic activity must have slowed dramatically or stopped altogether for approximately 1 billion years. The researchers further note that tectonic activity that pushes mountains skyward and the subsequent erosion, would have enriched the environment in the oceans, making the evolution of life possible. Without such cycles, evolution would have slowed dramatically, which prior research has shown occurred during Earth's middle period.

The researchers were not able to explain why tectonic activity ceased, or why it happened for such a long period, but suggest it might have been due to the formation of the Nuna-Rodina supercontinent, which could have wrought changes on the thermal structure of the mantle below.

More information: Ming Tang et al. Orogenic quiescence in Earth's middle age, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Ming Tang et al. Orogenic quiescence in Earth's middle age,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abf1876

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The pandemic plight of restaurant owner Ignacio Flores is also the story of dozens of Mexican businesses in South Philadelphia, all hoping to hold on financially until economic relief and success with the coronavirus vaccine help them secure stability.

Flores, 44, purchased Los Taquitos de Puebla in early January 2020. When coronavirus-related regulations hit the restaurant industry in April, the entrepreneurs operations took a big hit: Sales went from $500 each weekday to $80. Weekends were up to $1,800 daily but plummeted to $270. He temporarily furloughed five employees.

Reality didnt change much for Flores when outdoor dining became an option during the summer. As tourist traffic remained low along the Ninth Street commercial corridor, Flores said many local essential workers struggled to keep steady jobs and feared exposure to the virus.

He tried to apply for PPP loans and state and local grants. But, as a new businessperson and an ITIN holder, he was told that his applications didnt meet the requirements: He needed to present a Social Security number and at least two years of the business fiscal reports.

By the fall, tougher restrictions kicked in. Flores cried alone while at the restaurant, wishing to die, asking himself: What have I done wrong? Why is this happening to me? Have I deserved this?

Hes open seven days a week with a full staff three days a week. Hes behind in his bills  rent, electricity, phone, internet, water, and gas  and is hoping to avoid cuts and eviction.

While only being able to operate for 25% capacity, some business utilities and rent come in every month in the 100% of its capacity, said Flores, who is better known as Nacho.

Flores is one of the members of a self-organized group called the Association of Mexican Business Owners in Philadelphia. The group, which has held food distribution and other relief efforts for South Phillys Mexican and Central American residents since the spring, is now focused on supporting its small-business owners.

With about 35 members, the association intends to close the language and digital gaps that affect these small-business owners while better promoting their work and investment in economic growth and development in Philadelphia.

With coordinating efforts from the Welcoming Center, the association has launched a crowdfunding campaign that would help 12 imperiled businesses survive what some of the members call the last big wave of the pandemic.

The campaign, called the South Philly Mexican Businesses COVID-19 Relief Fund, is the associations first initiative, which hopes to provide financial assistance for these businesses and keep owners from filing for bankruptcy.

The fund-raiser seeks to raise $50,000 from the community via GoFundMe beginning Sunday. The donated money will be distributed equally among the 12 businesses, nine of which are restaurants, to support their operations, staff, and families.

Raul Castro, president of the Association of Mexican Business Owners in Philadelphia, said the merchants have done everything in their capacity to keep South Philadelphia a great food and shopping destination for locals and tourists alike. But, he said, the drop in sales and the lack of financial assistance has pushed them to request public support.

The majority have not received federal funds, so this is how we are doing something for ourselves, working shoulder to shoulder, Castro said during a news conference held via Zoom Thursday.

Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes South Philadelphia, acknowledged during the briefing that the merchants business and investment were critical to help the city get back to normalcy, but that some city relief programs didnt reach all constituents.

Jimmy Duran, chair for Gov. Tom Wolfs GACLA workforce and business development committee, said business populations like these face many barriers to obtain federal PPP loans that are not just related to language and technology access.

The banking culture tends to process existing clients before working with new ones  a practice, he said, that tends to harm small-business owners of color, who are less likely to have a relationship with a bank or a larger commercial investment.

This practice automatically discriminates against the neediest people of color, because the ones who have the most capital and loans with the banks are mostly white business owners, Duran said.

He added that some state and local relief funds are being managed by community banks that can request their own set of requirements when providing assistance with a business owners application. The lack of a standardized process and the distrust in the forgivable loan concept, he said, discourages some Latino small-business owners from accessing these programs.

Over the past 20 years, Mexicans have settled their lives and businesses in South Philadelphia, making neighborhoods economically affluent and culturally rich. According to research by Edgar Ramirez, a community journalist and founder for Philatinos Radio, there are more than 100 Mexican-owned businesses in South Philly: Thirty of these are restaurants; 50 are located on the South Ninth Street commercial corridor.

In addition to Flores Los Taquitos de Puebla, other participating businesses that will benefit from the relief fund are Adelita, Alma del Mar, Chocolate Arts & Crafts, El Guero, Los Cuatro Soles, Mole Poblano, Philatinos Radio, Plaza Garibaldi, Philly Tacos, Taqueria Morales, and Tamalex.

Eva Hernandez, 45, owns Chocolate Arts & Crafts, where she has been selling Mexican handmade souvenirs like piggy banks, margarita cups, dream catchers, cloth dolls, ponchos, and engraved portraits of Lupita. Tourists used to frequently stop by her store after dining at nearby restaurants. The crafts were in such demand, she imported products weekly and stored them in a warehouse.

Now that shes seen sales drop by 60%, Hernandez is hoping for a favorable response on two grant applications she filed almost a month ago.

The idea of closing our businesses is just horrible to think of, after so many stories shared with our clients.
A bicyclist was killed Friday morning after being struck by a car near the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, police said. It was the second fatal crash of the day.

Police said the bicyclist, described only as a male, was hit around 5:40 a.m. near the intersection of Gentilly Boulevard and Aubry Street (map). He died at the scene.

Police said the bicyclist was heading north on Gentilly Boulevard and was hit by a driver heading in the same direction.

The driver stopped after the crash, police said, and is cooperating with authorities.

No more information was available, including the bicyclist's name or if any charges will be filed. Drivers are asked to avoid the area while authorities investigate the crash.

Earlier in the morning, a car crashed on Interstate 10 at North Claiborne Avenue. The interstate reopened around 9 a.m.

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The crash happened around 4:45 a.m., police said. A car was heading east on I-10 when police say it was hit from behind by a truck. Both vehicles spun out of control for several feet, police said, and hit the guard rails before stopping.

The driver of the car died at the scene, and police said they took the driver of the truck into custody. The truck driver is being tested for impairment, authorities said.

Authorities have not released the name of the person who died in the crash.

Check live traffic conditions on the state's website.

Check back for more details as they develop.
Shortly afterwards, the same thing happens. He wakes up to find that theres a nine-month-old baby in the nursery and although there are plenty of photographs showing father and daughter have spent happy times together, he has no memory of them. Worse, these time slips continue. No, hes not caught up in some fiendishly convoluted psychological thriller. The movie is a romcom  the kind where everybodys motives and actions are designed expressly to sustain the joke. And never mind about plausibility.

In Long Story Short, Teddy (Rafe Spall) wakes up one morning thinking its the day after his wedding only to discover that a year has passed and he remembers none of it, including the fact his wife is pregnant.

So Teddys wife, Leanne (Zahra Newman) does not insist that her husband go straight to a neurologist and demand a brain scan. She dismisses his peculiar behaviour with an exasperated look and carries on, expecting him to get over whatever it is hes on about and do the same.

Set among the most scenic bits of Sydneys eastern suburbs around Bronte and the neighbouring beaches, the film is by Australian writer, director and actor Josh Lawson, whose last film, The Little Death (2014) took a similarly prescriptive line on its characters. Their personalities were shaped by the nature of their sexual fantasies and whether or not they were willing to reveal them to their partners, a situation that made for a few laughs, but not enough  although the Spanish took to it and produced a slightly raunchier re-make in their own language.

Zahra Newman (Leanne) and Rafe Spall (Teddy) in Long Story Short. Credit:Brook Rushton

Teddy is usually feeling too anxious for sex. Played by Rafe Spall, son of Timothy Spall, one of the most adaptable of British character actors, hes a jumpy motormouth whose tendency to talk first and think later is at odds with his friends view of him as a chronic procrastinator. Even more disconcerting, he sometimes sounds like Ricky Gervais.

It doesnt leave his co-stars much to work with. Malaysian comedian Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians) is cast as his best friend and confidant, which means he has to content himself with playing his straight man. And after being allowed a few carefree scenes at the start, Newman is condemned to being perpetually long-suffering as well as strangely incurious until she gives up altogether and leaves him.
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OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada will announce updates to the border measures being implemented because of COVID-19.

Ministers will hold a news conference to announce updates to border measures. This will be followed by a technical briefing by officials.

Ministers and officials will be available to answer questions from the media following their remarks.

Date

February 12, 2021

Time

News conference: 12:15 PM (EST)

Technical Briefing: 1:30 PM (EST)

Location

The ministerial news conference will be held virtually at 12:15 PM (EST). Journalists who wish to ask questions can do so by teleconference.

Toll-free (Canada/US) dial-in number:

1-866-805-7923

Local dial-in number:

613-960-7518

Passcode: 9702796#

Twitter: @GovCanHealth

Facebook: Healthy Canadians

Govenrment of Canada officials will hold a technical briefing virtually on Zoom at 1:30 PM (EST).

NOTE: To obtain the Zoom link and a copy of the briefing package, please RSVP by email at [email protected].

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

For further information: Media Inquiries: Cole Davidson, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Border Services Agency, 613-957-6500 or 1-877-761-5945, [email protected]
Gang rapist Mohammed Skafs continued denial of his guilt in disturbing sex crimes is complicating his latest bid for parole and his pathway for a safe return to the community.

Skaf, 17 at the time of the gang rapes of at least six schoolgirls in Sydney alongside his brother Bilal Skaf and 14 other men, has been behind bars since he was arrested in 2000 and is making his fourth bid for parole since becoming eligible three years ago.

Mohammed Skaf was convicted for his role, as a 17-year-old, in a series of disturbing gang rapes. Credit:NSW Police

Deliberations on his latest application have been delayed as the State Parole Authority wrestles with concerns about how to safely reintegrate the man into the community as the expiry of his sentence nears in January 2024.

Now 37, Skaf appeared by videolink from Junee Correctional Centre on Friday for a hearing but did not have a chance to speak about his application.
The UK's 'thinnest house' is on sale for 950,000

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The UK's "thinnest house" has gone on sale for 950,000 ($1.3 million). According to its online listing, the property close to Goldhawk Road underground station in west London, is all of six-feet wide, has five floors and measures a total of 1,034 square metres. Video shows the house wedged between a doctor's surgery and a hair salon. "Unique, beautiful, stylish and quite probably the thinnest house in England. So much more than a home," reads a description in one online advertisement, UK media reported. The clip was filmed on Thursday (February 11).

The Madhya Pradesh Professional Exam Board had invited applications for 53 vacancies of Sub Engineer/Draftsman in Group 3 from 28 September 2020 to 12 October 2020

The Madhya Pradesh Professional Exam Board (MP Vyapam) declared the result for the written examination conducted to recruit sub-engineers on Friday, reports said. Candidates who appeared for the exam can check their scores by visiting the official website peb.mp.gov.in, reports said.

Candidates will be required to submit their roll number or application number and date of birth on the result page.

According to a report in The Times of India, the examination was conducted on 9 and 10 December. The examination was held in two shifts from 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm. The answer key was released on 14 December.

Steps to check your MPPEB Sub Engineer Result:

Step 1: Visit the official website peb.mp.gov.in.

Step 2: Click on the link which says, Result - Group-03 (Sub Engineer) Recruitment Test - 2020 under Latest Update Section.

Step 3: The link will take you to a new window (you can also access the result page directly by clicking here). On the results page enter your application number or roll number and date of birth.

Step 4: Answer the security question and click on the search' button.

Step 5: Download the MPPEB Sub Engineer Result 2020 and keep a printout for future reference.

According to a report in Jagran Josh, the Madhya Pradesh Professional Exam Board had invited applications for 53 vacancies of Sub Engineer/Draftsman in Group 3 from 28 September 2020 to 12 October 2020.

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has written to Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey, urging him to consider bringing forward proposals for maternity leave for female politicians.

The SDLP deputy leader is calling for the barriers for women to public life to be removed and for an end to gender inequalities across the board.

Ms Mallons letter comes on the back of a vote in Westminster to extend maternity provision for female Ministers and MPs, which was supported by SDLP MPs.

Ms Mallon, who is a working mum-of-three and a North Belfast MLA, said while this is a positive move, she expressed disappointment that it "appears motivated by the personal circumstances of a top Tory Minister, as opposed to a genuine desire to level the playing field".

She added: "For too long politics has been a cold house for women, while the tide is changing, the system isnt changing fast enough. No one should have to choose between raising a family and work  whether thats in the public sphere or private. If we want politicians to truly represent society, then public life has to truly represent society."

Ms Mallon says the steps in Westminster have exposed that the Northern Ireland Assembly falls far behind in terms of maternity provision for female members.

She has now written to the Assembly Speaker to urge him to reflect on the legislation passed and consider how we could bring forward similar provision locally.

Ms Mallon added: "No matter what job a woman is in, maternity leave is not a perk to be negotiated or achieved with seniority. Its not a pay rise  its a right.

"As a mother of three children, I know the challenges facing women. I want to see more women in public life, our politics will be better for it, and I have to speak up and call for the change our society deserves. Small changes will not just help break-down barriers but they will send a clear signal that our society, our politics, our place is changing. I want my childrens and my constituents futures to be built on equality and equal access to equal opportunities.

"While a lack of maternity provision is not the only barrier to women entering public life, it is a significant one and could be addressed if the political will is there."

Ms Mallon says with the next Assembly election just over a year away, while the gender balance at Stormont is improving, it is still far from impressive.

She added: "We cannot sit and wonder why so many capable women do not step up and run for election when this significant barrier still remains in place. Gender inequalities need smashed  right across the board and its time that we as female leaders call time on them  not for ourselves but for the many talented women across society that deserve equal opportunities to shape our island and help us shape the future.

"This step is not a silver bullet but a key step forward in our journey to make public life more accessible for women."
New Delhi: Online e-commerce giant Amazon will be celebrating the third anniversary of its voice assistant, Alexa in the Indian market. Amazon India has announced great deals on all the Alexa-powered devices, Echo range of speakers and Amazon Fire TV Stick.

The sale will start on Monday (February 15) at midnight and will go on for the next 24 hours. Amazon's Echo Show 5 which otherwise goes for Rs. 8,999 will be available at Rs. 4,499 at a flat 50 per cent discount. Amazon Echo Auto, which goes for Rs. 4,999 will be offered at Rs. 2,999 making it a 40 per cent discount.

Top of the line Amazon Echo fourth generation will be available for Rs. 6,499, at 35 per cent discount. Regular price for Echo fourth generation is Rs. 9,999. The latest Echo dot (4th-gen) is an extremely popular device and has an inbuilt LED clock display with has MRP of Rs. 5,499 will go for Rs. 4,449.

Amazon India is offering amazing combo offers too, customers can get the latest Echo dot along with a 9W smart bulb for an attractive price of Rs. 3,499. Customers can get Echo dot (4th-gen) with two units of smart bulbs for Rs. 5,499.

Amazon's Fire TV Stick will get a 43 per cent discount and the Amazon Fire TV Stick (4K Variant) will get a discount of flat Rs. 1200 making it available for Rs. 4,799. The Fire TV Stick Lite variant will be available at Rs. 2,299.

LG 4K UHD which comes with Alexa built-in will be getting a discount of up to 40 per cent during the Amazon India sale.

Live TV
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Hollywood actress Amber Heard says she does not want to play somebody who fits into a category easily because she does not fit into a category easily.

At present, Heard is seen essaying the role of Nadine Cross, who has retained her virginity because she thinks that she is destined for something "dark and unique", in the dark fantasy series, "The Stand". There is no set definition that can be used to describe her character, and that aspect drew Heard to the show.

"That is exactly why I wanted to play Nadine... because of that element. That dynamic that people do not know what to make of her, makes her an infinitely more interesting character for me, and a much more compelling character to play. It is much more interesting to me as an actor for me to take on and embody," Heard said.

She continued: "I don't want to play somebody who fits into a category easily. I know that I don't fit into a category easily for people. And I don't feel like that's the most interesting kind of character when I meet them.

"I want to play that grey area between the good and evil, understanding and repulsive, dynamic and relatable. I wanted to play into that because she isn't a static creature. She is on her own journey and trying to do what she thinks is right... Frankly, I'm very happy people don't know what to make of her. Good... Don't put me in that box either." Also starring James Marsden, Whoopi Goldberg, and Alexander Skarsgard, "The Stand" offers a peek into Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in a struggle between good and evil. The show streams in India on Voot Select.

As an actress, Heard is known for projects like "Friday Night Lights", "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane", "Drive Angry", "The Rum Diary", "Zombieland", "The Danish Girl" and "Aquaman". And she is more than just about glamour and glitz.

She is channeling her stardom to change things and is putting her force behind issues that matter -- be it joining the powerful #MeToo movement, Time's Up movement or advocating for women's and LGBTQ community rights.

On the work front, she next wants to explore something in the fictional side.

Asked what was the takeaway from "The Stand", she said: "For me, personally, next time I sign on to a project, it will be the one in which I win an exorbitant amount of money and f**k off to an island somewhere. And never look back, maybe grabbing an Oscar on the way or something... That is going to the next one. I (will) pick (a project which is) total fiction. Let's just see how it goes." Meanwhile, she is looking away from all the legal hassles erupted because of her marriage with actor Johnny Depp, and will concentrate on her upcoming superhero adventure, Aquaman 2.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

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During his roughly half-hour presentation, Rep. Joe Neguse alleged that President Trump's supporters' actions were "predictable" and "foreseeable" after Trump spent months promoting what Neguse termed "the big lie" that the election had been stolen, followed by incessant urging to "stop the steal" and an exhortation to "fight like hell" on Jan. 6.
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Indian Air Force (IAF) has released an official notification inviting applications for the recruitment to the post of Group C Civilian in South Western Air Command. The willing and interested candidates can start applying for the posts through airmenselection.cdac.in from tomorrow 13 February 2021 and submit their application forms before 13 March 2021 that is within 30 days from the publication date of advertisement.

IAF Recruitment 2021: Vacancy Details

There are around 255 vacancies available as part of the Indian Air Force Recruitment 2021 drive. There are various openings for the posts of Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), House Keeping Staff (HKS), Mess Staff, LDC, Clerk Hindi Typist, Stenographer Grade-II, Store (Superintendent), Store Keeper, Laundryman, Ayah/Ward Sahayika(only female candidates), Carpenter, Painter, Vulcaniser, Civilian Mechanical Transport Driver, Cook (Ordinary Grade), Fireman.

IAF Recruitment 2021: Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification: The candidate must be at least matriculation pass or equivalent qualification, or a Graduate Degree holder from any recognised board/institute to apply for the various posts for Group C Civilian in South Western Air Command.

Age Limit: The candidate's age should be between 18 to 25 years of age.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Group C Civilian Organisation Indian Air Force (IAF) Educational Qualification Matriculation pass or equivalent qualification, Graduate Experience Refer to the official notification Job Responsibilities null Skills Required null Job Location Across India Salary Scale Rs.18,000 to Rs.25,500 per month Industry Defence Application Start Date February 13, 2021 Application End Date March 13, 2021

IAF Recruitment 2021: Selection Criteria And Pay Scale

The candidates will have to appear for the Written Test which will be based on minimum educational qualification. The candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of written examination and will be called for Skill or Physical test. The selected candidates will have to produce required documents and certificates for verification for the final round of selection.

The pay scale for IAF Recruitment 2021 for Group C Civilian in South Western Air Command depends on the post for which the candidate is applying. The candidate will get a remuneration of Rs. 18,000 to Rs. 25,500 per month.

IAF Recruitment 2021: How To Apply

The candidates will have to download the applications from the IAF official website airmenselection.cdac.in and fill in all the required details. The candidates can submit their application form to any of the Air Force Stations of their choice as per the qualifications and vacancies.

Download the IAF Recruitment 2021 official notification PDF for Group C Civilian post here


First Minister glad of flexibility in return to school decision making and gave assurance over PPE supplies

This article is old - Published: Friday, Feb 12th, 2021

First Minister Mark Drakeford has backed the different decisions between Wrexham and Flintshire on return to school plans, as he pointed to the flexibility of Welsh Government planning.

As it stands face-to-face learning in schools has been suspended for all years, excluding children of critical workers and vulnerable learners subject to certain criteria.

However the Welsh Government has indicated a preference for an all-Wales approach on the return for those aged between three and seven to school, with some local flexibility if required, starting from the 22nd of February.

This reopening plan would see the introduction of twice-weekly testing for staff members as well as increased financial support for new face coverings.





In north east wales Wrexham and Flintshire have had similar case rates, and have been trading the dubious title of being the worst in Wales.

This week the two local authorities have taken contrasting action on school reopening, with Wrexham opting for a more cautious approach, and Flintshire following the national plan from Welsh Government.

At todays briefing we asked the the first minister if Wrexhams was the right option compared to Flintshire, and if he supported such localised decision making.

Mr Drakeford said: We said in the very beginning that we would have a partial phased and flexible return to education for our three to seven year olds, and the reason for offering flexibility is that circumstances are different in different parts of Wales.

Even between local authorities where the raw numbers may look similar, the on the ground arrangements for size of classes, the age of school buildings, and so on differs between one location and another. It was the deal we did with our local education authorities that they would have that flexibility.

I am confident that every local authority is thinking very carefully about what is right in various set of circumstances. Im glad theyve got that flexibility.

All of that is being exercised against the background of a strong agreed position between the teachers, the local education authorities and the Welsh Government.

We all want as many young people back in face to face education as quickly as we can manage it, but as safely as we can manage it and those circumstances will vary in different parts of Wales.

The Daily Post asked the First Minister about the schools reopening, and raised concerns if adequate PPE will be guaranteed.

The first minister said: We have been working very hard with the teacher unions, and non-teacher unions and the local education authorities to put into place all the safeguards that we can identify with what our young people to be back in school, they have had a terrible year. But of course, that must be done in a way that is safe for them and safe for staff as well.

Weve identified additional safeguards as a result of the last couple of weeks discussions, we will be offering twice weekly lateral flow tests to staff in school, weve provided 5 million in additional funding to our local education authorities, so that they can provide higher grade face coverings for example, as additional protection.

We continue to be in discussions with our colleagues in the teacher unions and in local councils, and if there are further ideas that allow us to strengthen those protections further, then of course, that is what we will do.

The supply of PPE will come not directly from the Welsh Government, we fund the local authorities so that theyve got supplies and the supplies are there for them. They will then provide those onwards for use in schools.

You can view the full briefing from today on the below video:
A federal judge has ruled there is probable cause in the case against a man accused of spraying at least two officers with an irritant during the violent siege on the Capitol in January.

During a probable cause hearing Thursday, federal prosecutors presented videos and photos of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege they say show Peter Schwartz, of Owensboro, Kentucky, wearing a distinctive orange and blue patterned jacket holding a large canister of pepper spray, spraying officers with a smaller irritant spray container and swinging a wooden baton. Prosecutors presented text messages from Schwartzs phone where he tells a friend that he took pepper spray cannisters from officers and another where he says he had gotten their blood.

Authorities say Schwartz was renting a home and working as a traveling welder in Uniontown, Pa., where he was arrested on Feb. 4. Schwartz has been charged with assault of officers, obstruction, knowingly and forcibly entering a restricted building and violent entry and disorderly conduct.

Schwartzs attorney, Jay Finkelstein, argued during the hearing that none of the videos of the chaotic scenes at the Capitol clearly show Schwartz spraying officers or inside the Capitol.

There is contradictory evidence ... this is not a case where the video is definitive, Finkelstein said.

But U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Pupo Lenihan said in her brief order that there is no question there is probable cause in this case.

Schwartz, who has a bench warrant in Kentucky, will be transferred to Washington, D.C., for prosecution. Finkelstein said he will ask for a release hearing once there.

FBI agent Matt Solomon testified Thursday that Schwartz was wearing what appeared to be the same jacket when he was arrested. Solomon said several tips came in identifying a suspect image released by the FBI as Schwartz, including a tip from someone who forwarded Schwartzs Facebook page that contained posts about being at the Capitol. That tipster said Schwartz had been released from prison because of COVID-19 and had been living at a rehabilitation house in Owensboro, according to court documents.

Agents also examined Schwartzs phone. Solomon said it contained texts from Schwartz telling another person he had briefly been inside the Capitol, saying he threw the first chair and started things, saying he had taken pepper spray from officers at the Capitol, distributed it and used it on other officers, and saying that he had gotten their blood.

The texts also contained a photo of what agents believe is Schwartzs hand holding a pull ring from a irritant spray container. One of the texts from Schwartz said he should be in federal prison for his acts of patriotism but God had been looking over him and his wife.

Schwartz appeared from the Beaver County detention facility on a video line. He said only a few words during the hearing. Prosecutors had updated their request for detention earlier this week, adding Schwartzs previous convictions in Kentucky including resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm as reasons they believed he should remain in custody.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in the D.C. District rejected an appeal from federal prosecutors seeking to keep Rachel Powell of Pennsylvania in custody while she awaits trial on charges stemming from the Capitol siege. Judge Lenihan had cleared Powell, who has been charged with obstruction, violent entry into the Capitol and other counts, to be released to home detention earlier this week.

Prosecutors allege the Sandy Lake mother of eight is seen in videos directing other rioters on how to navigate the Capitol, including the layout of windows that needed to be broken to gain access to different areas.

More:

Pa. teachers trip to D.C. on day of Capitol rioting leads to calls for his firing and some words of support

Capitol rioters acted on Trumps order, impeachment prosecutors insist in trial

Michigan senator stands by Capitol riot hoax comment as colleagues criticize his conspiracy theorizing
Mumbai, Feb 12 : Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan finds the idea of celebrating a film completing certain years of its release date on social media repetitive. Despite that he chose to celebrate his film "My Name Is Khan" completing 11 years of its release date on Friday.

Shah Rukh Khan took to social media to express his mind on Friday, which incidentally marks 11 years of the release date of his film "My Name Is Khan".

"Find celebrating 'X' number of yrs of a film on social media repetitive, as its become more like a yearly birthday wish rather than a milestone. But just saw #11YearsOfMyNameIsKhan and felt like saying, I think everybody involved with the film did a very fine job of it," SRK tweeted on Friday.

"My Name Is Khan", released on February 12 2010, is a Karan Johar film that narrates a love story against the backdrop of discrimination on the basis of religion and race. The film offers viewers the most popular Bollywood pair of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Reacting to Shah Rukh's tweet, fans also expressed how close the film is to their hearts and how much they loved SRK's performance in it.

"Yesss #11YearsOfMyNameIsKhan. This is extraordinary movie. And only a legend like you can play a character like Rizwan," commented a fan.

"Celebrating the classic MNIK makes us so much happy, khan saab. It is just love! #11YearsOfMyNameIsKhan," expressed another fan.

The master of an Oxford college has apologised to Jewish students after inviting Ken Loach to speak, despite previous accusations of anti-Semitism levelled at the filmmaker.

Judith Buchanan, the head of St Peter's College at the prestigious university, is reported to have said she was 'truly sorry' for allowing Mr Loach to speak at the virtual event on Monday.

Her written apology came after the college's junior common room (JCR) passed a motion claiming Mr Loach has a 'history of blatant anti-Semitism', the Telegraph reported.

Judith Buchanan (left), the master St Peter's College, Oxford, has apologised to Jewish students after inviting Ken Loach (right) to speak, despite previous accusations of anti-Semitism levelled at the filmmaker

The JCR allegedly accused the college of failing to live up to its duty of care to Jewish students by inviting a 'known apologist for anti-Semitism' to speak.

Hitting back, Mr Loach furiously denied the accusation of anti-Semitism, branding them 'recycled' and 'false' and based on 'persistent misrepresentation and distortion.'

Why has Ken Loach been accused of anti-Semitism? The claims of anti-Semitism against the 84-year-old director stem from when he directed a play in 1987 called Perdition, which accused some Zionists of collaborating with the Nazis. He then said in 2009 that it was 'understandable' that anti-Semitism existed, given Israel's past actions. Mr Loach added that an EU report on anti-Semitism was a 'red herring' intended to distract from Israeli actions. In 2019 he was asked if it was unacceptable to debate whether the Holocaust happened or not and said, 'History is there for all of us to discuss'. However, Mr Loach has always strongly denied that he is anti-Semitic. Advertisement

Mr Loach, 84, director of the 1969 hit British film Kes, is a former student at the college.

The anti-Semitism claims began when he directed a play in 1987 called Perdition, which accused some Zionists of collaborating with the Nazis.

St Peter's College had initially defended the decision for the talk to take place.

But Professor Buchanan reportedly wrote to students on Wednesday to say sshe was 'sorry' for making 'mistakes'.

She added that she wanted to apologise to 'our Jewish students' who had been 'most hurt by this'.

Professor Buchanan claimed she was not aware of the 'intense controversy' around Mr Loach when he was invited.

Mr Loach said in response: 'These recycled accusations are false and based on persistent misrepresentation and distortion.'

He added that he was returning from a family funeral and would 'respond more fully in due course'.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews also reportedly slammed the decision to invite Loach, saying it was 'entirely unacceptable.'

The college said on Thursday that it would review how invitations were managed.

A spokesman said the invitation had caused 'significant hurt' to some students 'and beyond'.

Mr Loach previously demanded in 2018 that Labour MPs who demonstrated against anti-Semitism should be kicked out of the party.

The Corbyn ally, who made Labour's campaign broadcasts before the 2017 General Election, said their support for a protest by Jewish leaders outside Parliament were 'dirty tricks'.

Her written apology came after the college's junior common room (JCR) passed a motion claiming Mr Loach has a 'history of blatant anti-Semitism'. Pictured: St Peter's College

Mr Loach told a Labour event near Bristol that MPs at the 1,500-strong rally organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews should be deselected.

He said Labour would not be able to govern 'if you've got two-thirds of Labour MPs undermining Jeremy Corbyn when he is prime minister', adding: 'Unless we get Labour MPs who believe in that manifesto last year we won't get in power.

Mr Loach also condemned a BBC Panorama investigation into Labour's anti-Semitism crisis as a 'dishonest hatchet job'.
UPDATE: The largest hospital system in the state, Mass General Hospital Brigham - and more than a half dozen hospitals in Western Massachusetts - received word that they should stop scheduling first-dose vaccination appointments as shipments of the vaccine scheduled to be received by the hospitals will be diverted to the states vaccination clinics. Read more here.

____________________

Massachusetts health officials intend to halt shipments of some COVID-19 vaccines to several hospitals in Western Massachusetts, diverting the supplies to super vaccination sites.

For a two-week period, Baystate Health, Cooley Dickinson Health Care and Mercy Medical Center will not receive their shipments of the first dose except for patients who have already scheduled appointments next week, according to lawmakers and the Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center. Lawmakers told MassLive they were informed of the plan during a call with hospital executives Thursday afternoon.

Lawmakers said patients who have appointments to get their second doses wont be affected. The Command Center said Thursday night patients who had appointments to get their first doses next week wont need to reschedule their appointments.

I think its concerning that were placing our trust in most of the vaccinations into a private company not from Massachusetts instead of our local community hospitals, our departments and boards of health that people trust, said Rep. Jake Oliveira, a Ludlow Democrat, who was on the call.

Rep. Mindy Domb, an Amherst Democrat, said the move threatens to make the COVID-19 vaccine less accessible to people ages 75 and up.

We want to make sure people come and get the vaccine, that theyre comfortable getting it. We should be decentralizing the process, not centralizing it, said Domb, who was also on the call. We got these mass sites where were seeing the pictures of the 75 plus year olds waiting in the cold outside.

Hundreds of Massachusetts residents waited in below-freezing temperatures and snow outside the Eastfield Mall in Springfield to receive their dose of the Pfizer vaccine, MassLive reported on Monday. In days since, a series of changes have been implemented at the site.

When asked about the shift, Baystate Health officials said they had not received any official notification from the state.

But Baystate Health President and CEO Mark Keroack said in a statement, we are hopeful that MA Department of Public Health will provide sufficient vaccine allocations to enable us to honor the appointments for community members that have been scheduled for the next two weeks.

Dr. Robert Roose, chief medical officer for Mercy Medical Center, said in a statement the hospital plans to continue to provide the COVID-19 vaccine as our allocation allows based on DPHs guidelines.

Community members place their trust in hospitals to deliver effective, high quality care and services, Roose said. Mercy Medical Center embraces this role as demonstrated by the precision, flexibility, and excellence that can be found at our COVID-19 vaccination clinic, which also stands as a tangible example of our Mission to serve as a transforming, healing presence in the local community.

Kate Reilly, COVID-19 Command Center spokeswoman, issued a statement saying the commonwealth will distribute more vaccines to high throughput locations, such as mass vaccination sites, retail pharmacies and community health centers until more the federal government sends more vaccine doses.

The commonwealth continues to distribute more vaccines more quickly through more locations in order to vaccinate residents as quickly and efficiently as possible, but the supply delivered to Massachusetts by the federal government has remained the same for several weeks, Reilly said.

The state has received 100,000 doses each week. Reilly said the command center and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association are working together to plan for a more predictable supply for the next few weeks.

DPH expects to send more doses to hospital systems if the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is approved, according to the command center. The company applied for emergency use authorization for its vaccine candidate last week. The federal advisory committee and the Food and Drug Administration could review the application as early as late February, Forbes reported.

Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa first heard Cooley Dickinson might lose its first doses from a constituent who called her office on Thursday. The constituent reported being told she couldnt schedule an appointment. Then, Sabadosa jumped on a call with hospital executives.

We are very upset, the Northampton Democrat said.

A spokesman for Mass General Brigham, which owns Cooley Dickinson, did not respond to calls and emails from MassLive Thursday.

Neither Hampshire County, where Cooley Dickinson is based, nor Franklin County has a super vaccination site. The closest site is at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, which came under scrutiny this week after hundreds of people waited out in the cold for a vaccine.

Representatives for Curative, the provider at the site, told MassLive people should wait in their cars to prevent crowding and long lines. Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders and Baker made similar suggestions when asked about the long wait for people ages 75 and up.

Massachusetts also has super vaccination sites at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and Fenway Park in Boston. The state plans to launch two new sites at the Natick Mall and at the Circuit City site in Dartmouth.

State Sen. Jo Comerford, who with Domb has pushed for a vaccine equity bill, called the pause in vaccine distribution to Western Massachusetts hospitals a slap to residents in Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Its outrageous that in the middle of a pandemic that hospitals, who train medical professionals on whom we rely, would be prohibited from distributing the vaccine, especially in an area like Hampshire and Franklin Counties, the Northampton Democrat said.

Rep. Paul Mark, a Peru Democrat, said he was surprised to hear about the pause in vaccine distribution to Western Massachusetts hospitals.

Our local hospitals in Franklin and Hampshire County have invested time and resources setting up vaccination sites locally, while our region has been ignored by the administration, he said in a message. This new policy doesnt help our region move forward at all, and it actually seems harmful to the progress that has been made.

UPDATE: This story was updated Thursday night to include comments from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center and Mercy Medical Center.
13:03 | Lima, Feb. 12.

This was affirmed on Friday by Cayetano Heredia Hospital's infectious disease specialist Leslie Soto , noting that the double mask combination prevents for example an infected but asymptomatic person from transmitting the virus to nearby people either at the office, market or while in the public transportation system, especially if there is not a proper ventilation.





"The function of the double mask is precisely to cover the nose and mouth properly so that there is no leakage of fluids to the outside, and even better if it is well pressed to the face to prevent any leakage (...)," he told Andina news agency





The physician explained that the particles suspended into the air when a person sneezes in a closed and unventilated space can enter through the nose, mouth, and even through the eyes of another person who is not well protected.





"If I sneeze at this moment, and we are in a closed space, the large particles fall to the ground, but the tiny ones remain floating for a while longer," he indicated.









Therefore, Soto insisted on the need to use a double mask combination and also a face shield when each citizen goes to markets or travel on public transportation means.





Thanks to this type of protection, passengers reduce the risk of catching the particles expelled by those who use masks and face shields at the same time, but wear the face masks under their nose, wrongly believing that the face shield is enough.





At-risk group





The physician recommended using a double face mask, even at home where people who make up the risk group reside, thus meaning senior, hypertensive, or diabetic citizens, who suffer from cardiovascular or kidney problems.





"If there is a (family) group in which there are people from the risk group, the use of a double face mask combination is recommended, and even more so if one of its members does the shopping for the household," he said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you thought Flavortown was a state of mind, not a place you could find in Northeast Ohio, think again.

Food Network star Guy Fieri recently launched Guy Fieris Flavortown Kitchens, a delivery-only restaurant that operates out of ghost kitchens in 23 states.

So, in Greater Cleveland, when you order Fieris monster Mac N Cheese Burger, out-of-bounds Jalapeno Pig Poppers or a Crazy Cuban Sandwich, the food is actually being prepared in the kitchens at Buca di Beppo restaurants in Strongsville and Westlake, or the Bravo! Italian Kitchen in Canton.

Fieri is known for his over-the-top personality, which carries over onto the menu. S-M (super melty) Cheesesteak Egg Rolls, Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ Wings, Chicken Parm-eroni, Italian Stallion Salad and Cheesecake Challenge are just some of the dishes you can have delivered to your front door. And dont forget the Donkey sauce.

Beyond this latest effort, the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host has been very active in supporting the restaurant industry throughout the pandemic. He teamed up with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to raise more than $21.5 million for laid-off restaurant workers. He has also showcased takeout restaurants in a series of Triple D specials. In fact, Fieri is such a good dude, a petition to rename his native Columbus Flavortown in his honor received over 130,000 signatures.

You can find Guy Fieris Flavortown Kitchen on Uber Eats, DoorDash and guysflavortownkitchen.com


MBABANE  The tightening of COVID-19 regulations has deprived 64 750 beneficiaries of their grants and food aid for January.

These are beneficiaries of the World Food Programme (WFP) aid which comes in the form of cash for some and food parcels for others.

These are people from certain constituencies that were enrolled to get food parcels and cash amounts of E140 per person as relief from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The financial support started in March 2020 through the assistance of World Vision.

In December 2020 the beneficiaries received messages notifying them that the support would come to an end at the end of March 2021.

Development

However, they claimed that in January they did not receive the grants as usual and apparently there was no explanation for that development.

We have been trying to call the numbers that were presented to us for inquiries but they are not being answered, some residents of Corporation said.

The residents said they usually received the money between the 18th and the 20th of the month. When they spoke to this reporter it was already the 30th of January.

They said even though the amount may seem paltry, it went a long way in meeting their needs, especially because it came in every month.

At first the residents alleged that when they learnt that some people from other constituencies got the money, they rushed to find out from the authorities of their constituency.

Explanation

Unfortunately we did not get an explanation because our Constituency Headman was not there and our Bucopho could not explain what was happening, they alleged.

WFP Head of Programme Diason Ngirazi confirmed that no beneficiary received payments in January 2021.

He said this was caused by the fact that all food distributions were suspended following the reviewed COVID-19 directives related to gatherings.

For fairness purposes, cash transfers were suspended to avoid a situation where cash beneficiaries continued to enjoy benefits while food beneficiaries were left out. This was duly communicated to the Tinkhundla Council, he said.

He said otherwise the grants were still paid out to beneficiaries in the constituencies that WFP was assigned by government.

In partnership with World Vision, we are also supporting the people in kind as food is also being provided to some constituencies, a programme that started in December. These food parcels include 10kg rice, 10kg mealie meal, 2kg beans and oil per household, he said.

He said it was not true that some beneficiaries continued to enjoy the grant and food aid.

All beneficiaries did not receive payments across all nine constituencies supported by WFP in partnership with World Vision International and ACAT where the programme reaches 64 750 people, Ngirazi said.

He also confirmed that the beneficiaries were informed about the termination of the support next month.

Effects

Foreign media houses have reported that the WFP has cut food aid for refugees in Rwanda due to the effects of COVID-19 on the global economy.

This decision will affect approximately 135 000 refugees from both Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hosted in all camps across the country, the Iriba News reported on Thursday.

WFP Communications Emily Fredenberg was quoted as having said, Due to critical funding shortfalls, WFP in Rwanda will have to reduce food assistance rations to all refugees living in camps.

It was revealed that in order to sustain the assistance from March 2021 to June 2021, the WFP would need US$9 million while it would require US$20.6 million to continue with the food aid throughout 2021.

The refugees are also getting cash transfers on a monthly basis to meet their food needs.

The budget for Eswatinis programme could not be immediately established.

Residents wade through floodwaters carrying their belongings after flooding in Suyapa, Honduras

It is true that climate change is inextricably interwoven into myriad issues from terrorism to financial downturns, cross-boundary pandemics and the refugee crisis.

One valid point is missing in the equation that is the human rights dimension.

The dehumanisation, demoralisation and demonisation of human beings, refugees and the loss of biodiversity is unacceptable.

Many families endure the ravages of Covid in loss of income and human life.

We must turn this colossal adversity into an opportunity to save human life and dignity and, in the words of David Attenborough, cherish the natural world because we are part of it and we all depend on it.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London, England





Let he who is without sin cast the first stone in the Senate

ALISON Hackett believes the 44 US Republican senators who dispute the constitutionality of Donald Trumps impeachment cannot be impartial in the trial, which makes them impeachable themselves (Senators in Trump trial are supposed to be impartial, Letters, February 11).

Does Ms Hackett apply a similar standard to Democrats such as US vice-president Kamala Harris or Senators Chuck Schumer and Patrick Leahy, who all have prominent roles in the trial but who have been quite partial in calling for Trumps impeachment since his very first day?

Killian Foley-Walsh

Kilkenny city





US electorate should deliver the final verdict on Trump

Alas, Alison Hackett is going to be disappointed if she expects certain senators to recuse themselves in Donald Trumps impeachment trial.

Ted Cruz and the majority of his fellow Republican senators have no intention of convicting Donald Trump.

The impeachment trial is a waste of time as Trump is already out of office and the result is a foregone conclusion.

It is far better to allow the former US president  assuming hes still with us in four years time  to run again in 2024 and allow the US electorate to cast their vote on whether they believe hes fit to govern.

Defeat or victory at that point should be the final verdict on the matter, not a partisan, biased Senate.

Dominic Shelmerdine

London, England

Duncan Smiths speech hit the nail right on the head

How refreshing to see a politician (Duncan Smith of the Labour Party) speaking from the heart with passionate conviction rather than from the well-worn script in the Dail on Wednesday when he called out the Healy-Raes from Co Kerry for the caricatures that they are.

Mr Smith has proved that as a politician you dont have to put on a flat cap, or a pink T-shirt for that matter, to resonate with the people.

Wonderful contribution, Mr Smith.

Sheelagh Mooney

Moyrath, Co Longford





Reverting to type will not get your letter read out on RTE

Regarding Karl Martins letter (Indo readers letters falling on deaf ears at RTE show, Letters, February 11), I have to say I believe the Irish Independent editor has no need to employ garish typefaces to get letters noticed and read out on RTE Radios Morning Ireland.

The It says in the papers segment on the programme has frequently read out my letters.

Eve Parnell

Dublin 8

Papal infallibility got our broadcaster all fired up

WITH regards to Karl Martins letter that makes the point that only Irish Times letter writers have their contributions featured on It says in the papers, in fairness I must set the record straight.

Some five years ago, I had an Independent letter that made the cut.

I had asked in my letter if the Pope being infallible meant that he could not go on fire.

Tom Gilsenan

Dublin 9





We need more than numbers to paint the complete picture

Mark Twain it was who said: There are lies, damn lies and statistics.

So far we are told that 152,654 people have received the first dose of the vaccine and 86,833 the second. So 239,487 doses have been given.

Would it not be more honest to say 86,833 have been fully vaccinated and a further 65,821 have received their first jab.

And, when are we going to be told, in the daily  or weekly  figures how many of the deaths have been people with underlying conditions?

Cal Hyland

West Co Cork
County Mayor Jim Coppinger said Thursday that people still need to be extremely cautious even as numbers are starting to trend down. He said there are around 1,500 active cases, and hospitalizations are starting to decrease.

Were trending in the right direction, but this is the time to be extremely cautious so we can continue to minimize the spread in our community, County Mayor Coppinger said.

We have testing seven and six days a week at Alstom and CEMPA. If youre symptomatic or think youve been exposed, we highly recommend you get tested to exclude you from being a spreader.

He thanked the workers in the health department and volunteers for their work, and said vaccinations are going well. He said that starting on the 19th, appointments will begin to be scheduled at the third site at Enterprise South Nature Park.

Its drive through and its by appointment only. As weve said before, if we had more vaccine we could do more people. We have the capacity to do more people, we just dont have the vaccine product at this time.

He said the partnership with CARTA has been excellent, and said the bus barn has been a great asset. He also shouted out Clinica Medicos for their work with the Hispanic Community. County Mayor Coppinger said pastors within the African American community have also been of great assistance.

We are not involved with the Walmart situation, that is strictly the federal government that is providing vaccine there. So if you have any issues with Walmart, our health department cannot offer assistance there. That is a federal program, he said.

Dr. Mark Anderson said numbers are falling, and that hospital staff are being vaccinated. But he also said that COVID is still out there and very infectious.

People are getting admitted and deaths are still happening, and thats mostly elderly, Dr. Anderson said. I think that leads to younger people thinking their risk is very small. Something weve seen is that people who have a very mild illness or even a more severe illness that doesnt mandate a hospital stay, that still leads to complications even if theyre younger and in excellent health.

He said younger people with ongoing problems with COVID are having to be taken care of. He said lung damage and blood clots are ongoing symptoms. Dr. Anderson said heart and lung damage can occur, and the central nervous system can be damaged.

Some people have called it a COVID brain fog, where they have a little more trouble with memory and recall and higher mental functioning. So this infection has a mild effect on many people, but it is more dangerous than many people understand.

Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes said the department has received 37,750 doses of vaccine, and have given 24,992, and have appointed 11,518 appointments for both first and second doses. She said the county has received around 5,000 more vaccines this week, and community partners have received more as well.

If you missed getting an appointment, keep watching, Ms. Barnes said. Our staff go over the appointments, and if they find duplicates or cancel, those appointments will appear in the slot.

She said of the 37,000 who have received the first dose of the vaccine, around 8,000 have received a second dose.
(Natural News) Pedro Pascal, who stars in The Mandalorian on Disney +, appears to have gotten a pass from Lucasfilm for his posts comparing the US government to Nazis, while his former costar Gina Carano was fired for it.

(Article by Libby Emmons republished from ThePostMillenial.com)

Pascal posted in 2018 to compare the detention of children by border control at the US/Mexico border to the detention of Jewish children by the Nazi regime during World War II in Germany. Using the hashtag #ThisisAmerica, Pascal was celebrated for making the comparison between Hitler and the Trump administration.

When Pedro Pascal uses the holocaust to make political points its stunning and brave. When Gina Carano does its abhorrent and she is fired. This was never about her post. #CancelDisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/rxWKZPFM2d  TheQuartering (@TheQuartering) February 11, 2021

Yet when Gina Carano made a comparison noting that the governments intentional demonization of its citizens could lead to trouble, she was fired.

Mandalorian star Carano was let go by LucasFilm on Wednesday over comments she made on social media that the mega-studio apparently took issue with. Her post took a look at the Holocaust through the lens of governments villainization of individuals and the groups to which they belong.

Her controversial Instagram post story showed a picture of a Jewish woman being persecuted by Nazis, with a caption that read:

Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors  even by children. Because history is edited, most people today dont realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views.

Pascals tweet is from before The Mandalorian series began to air, but it remains up and is in fact, a celebrated tweet. However, there is controversy surrounding the origin of the kids in cages image. The image was published by the Los Angeles Times in 2010 with the caption that it showed Palestinian kids waiting at a soup kitchen.

LOL it's from 2010 and it isn't even a cage. They're just hanging out at a soup kitchen. https://t.co/Z11CJ7zUla  Noam Blum (@neontaster) February 11, 2021

After her post, #FireGinaCarano began trending on Twitter. Carano previously came under fire for her posts that mocked the idea of preferred pronouns, where she wrote that her preferred pronouns were beep/bop/boop. This fits in with the Star Wars universe, but apparently did not mesh with Lucas Films.

A statement released by the studio read, Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.

After the news broke that Carano was fired, the hashtag #CancelDisneyPlus began trending on Twitter, as fans of the show wanted to make their views known.

Read more at: ThePostMillenial.com and CancelCultureNews.com
The family of Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul issued a scathing rebuke to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day after the womens rights defender was released from prison. Hathloul, was arrested after she pushed for the removal of the ban on driving for women in Saudi Arabia. She was sentenced to 6 years in jail in December 2020 and was charged under the Islamic nations counterterrorism law.

Her arrest alongside several other female activist cast doubt on a rapid-fire series of measures that the Crown Prince had billed as part of a sweeping reform agenda. After Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, jailed Hathloul, critics had even accused him of trying to monopolise credit for the womens rights reforms. The prince had cancelled many kingdoms ultra-conservative rules, however, he was also rapidly consolidating his power in the royal court, and ramping up the kingdoms crackdown on dissent.

According to CNN, following the release of Hathloul, Brussels-based Lina al-Hathloul, who was a driving force behind the international campaign for her sister's release, said that women empowerment is a lie in Saudi Arabia, there are no real reforms. She added that people are still oppressed and even more so now. There is really an atmosphere of fear under MBS, Lina said.

READ: Saudi Arabia Activist Who Advocated Driving Rights For Women Released From Prison

READ: Saudi TV: Yemen Rebel Attack On Abha Airport

Released on three-year probation

Hathloul was kept in solitary confinement for more than 1000 days under pre-trial detention and charged for acting against the countrys laws by causing an uproar via internet use, and for infusing foreign reforms and causing disorder. The 31 years old was detained in May 2018, after she launched a campaign in favour of womens rights, and was accused of incitement against the regime by the Saudi Arabia government. But the prosecutor, on Wednesday, suspended two years and 10 months of Al-Hathlouls sentence and set her release date for March.

This comes after the US shifted its posture in its diplomacy with Saudi Arabia and US President Joe Biden has kept human rights central as he reaccessed partnership with Saudi as opposed to the Trump administration, who Biden campaign had accused of writing Saudi Arabia blank cheques. Al-Hathloul, whose arrest was widely condemned worldwide, including by the United Nations and global human rights groups was set free by a terror tribunal court, however, on terms that she would be on probation for three years. This means any perceived illegal activity by the activist could lead to her detention, including 5 years of suspension on travelling, the family said in a statement cited by AP.

READ: US Discusses 'human Rights Issues' And 'Yemen War' With Saudi Arabia: State Department

READ: Iran: US' Withdrawal From Saudi-led Military Offensive In Yemen Does Not End 'war'
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Verkhovna Rada Chairman Dmytro Razumkov has signed the law "On the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine" (No. 3087-d) and submitted it to the president for signature, the parliament's press service has reported.

The document stipulates that the Bureau of Economic Security will be established as a central executive government body to counteract offenses encroaching on the functioning of the state economy.

The law defines the tasks and powers of this body, control over its activities, legal status, duties and responsibilities of employees, as well as the basis of cooperation of the Bureau with other institutions, enterprises, and organizations.

According to the explanatory note, the adoption of the law will increase the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in the formation and use of financial resources of the state and its economic security. As a result, it should reduce the shadow business in Ukraine and increase tax revenues, optimize the structure of law enforcement agencies, logistics, and reduce the total number of employees who fight financial crime.

On February 9, Razumkov signed bill No. 4090, which sets the terms of liquidation of the tax police in connection with the establishment of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine.

The document provides for the liquidation of the tax police from the date of the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers on the start of activity of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, but not later than six months from the date of entry into force of the law "On the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine."

Both laws have been submitted to the president for signature.

On January 28, the Verkhovna Rada passed the law "On the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine." Among other things, the document provides for the transfer of the investigation of economic crimes from the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Fiscal Service and the State Bureau of Investigation to the newly created body.

op

Bapu Pema Wange Sharchhokpa narrates stories of a past that seem both dear to him, but whose traces are soon disappearing. The resident of Arunachal Pradesh's Thembang village remembers a time when the festival of Losar would be celebrated with dancing and traditional sport. Bapu Pema Wange belongs to the Monpa community, an ancient ethnic group which resides in the state's Tawang and West Kameng areas.

The Monpas are Buddhists, and Losar is the Buddhist New Year. "Most residents left for other villages in the last few years, to pursue better livelihoods like farming, or moved to work in major cities. And many of them have not returned. Traditional Monpa songs have replaced by Hindi songs," he says, as he mourns that the festival is not as much fun anymore.

Pema invited me to celebrate the festival with his family in their village last year. Though the New Year is observed for different lengths of time in accordance with local traditions, the first three days of Losar are considered very auspicious across Tibetan Buddhist communities.

On Lama-Losar, the first day, people visit monasteries, pay regards to the Lamas and receive their blessings. This day is spent with family members only. The second day is termed Gyalpo-Losar, where 'Gyalpo' means king, signifying authority. Festive public observances are performed on this day.

The third day is known as Chokyong-Losar. 'Chokyong' refers to the guardian deities, and on this day, prayer flags are hoisted on the hills and around the houses. Guardian deities are appeased, and request prayers are read.

I remember waking up on the first day of the festival at 3 am because of the sound of crackers bursting outside. When I stepped into the kitchen of Pema's house at 7 am, his mother Tsering Pema said to me, "Your sleep must be broken at dawn on the first day. Early in the morning, one family member will go to fetch water from the stream or water tap. We then offer incense, biscuits and liquor to the source, and a scarf is tied around the tap."

She explains that family members compete for the first draw of water, since it is believed to be especially purifying and sanctifying as it has been cleansed by the starlight of the night before. "This water is added to the main water container, and is a sign of prosperity," she adds.

The Monpas are known for their skills in weaving and woodwork. They have also been credited with creating paper from the pulp of the local sukso tree. The Losar festival is extremely important to them, and Pema associates it with cold weather and snow  an aspect that is missing, owing to climate change.
While fishing off the English South Coast recently, Marco Pierre White (above) almost caught a large spider crab

While fishing off the English South Coast recently, Marco Pierre White almost caught a large spider crab.

I saw it rising to the surface and immediately thought: delicious, says the celebrated chef.

I lost it, sadly, but my excitement was extraordinary because you can rarely buy them.

Delicious indeed. But if youre left thinking A spider what?, youre not alone. For spider crabs, with their long legs and spiky shells, are plentiful in British waters and are caught in huge numbers by British fishermen each year, but it is not British diners who will eat them. Instead, they are shipped off to be sold in Europe and beyond.

So little known are they in the UK that this week the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation announced plans to rename them Cornish king crab in an attempt to entice shoppers to buy them.

The spider crab is just one of a host of British foods that, for one reason or another, are conspicuously absent from our supermarket shelves and restaurant menus: such delicacies as roe deer, cuttlefish and brill are instead destined for the kitchens of France, Spain or Italy. In their place, we import their food.

Products such as spider crab and cuttlefish contribute to the 9.7 billion-worth of food exported all over the world by the UK each year and, Marco says, we are greatly missing out as a result.

But now is the perfect time to reclaim these home-grown wonders and give more variety to our palates.

Thanks to the pandemic and confusion over post-Brexit regulations, shipments of the fresh produce we import are being held up in ports, meaning eating more of our own food may soon become a necessity.

You have to ask why this odd phenomenon came about in the first place. The foods we produce, but rarely eat, include hill lamb (we prefer New Zealands), the smaller breeds that grow slowly on uplands in England, Scotland and Wales.

Its delicious, but has a stronger taste and people are used to milder, more tender lamb, says Marco.

Meanwhile, a South Coast trawler will catch up to 40 species  including megrim, set to be rebranded as Cornish sole  in one net, but the majority of the fish sold in a British supermarket will be farmed salmon and trout, cod, haddock and plaice, much of it imported.

What sells where is a matter of taste and also culture.

In Spain, for example, the myriad fasting and abstinence (no meat) days in the old Catholic calendar mean that historically there has been a huge demand for seafood.

Not only has this resulted in an appetite for variety, but the Spanish are prepared to pay more for the highest-quality fish and shellfish  which is also a sign of status.

Wild meat is another case in point.

Shot game, whether furred like venison or hare, or feathered as with pheasant or partridge, is the bounty of an enthusiastic rural industry, but many British customers are not at all confident buying or cooking it.

While popular in many restaurants, much will be exported to Europe, whose populations eat a more diverse range of ingredients.

If youd like to sample the British produce theyve been enjoying overseas for years, now is your chance.

Here, Marco shares his favourites, with top tips on how to prepare them...

Spider crab

A reddish-orange or orange-brown crab with small pincers on the front two of ten legs.

Spider crab

Caught in the South-West, especially Cornwall, they contain a little brown meat but, as with all crabs, it is their white meat thats prized. And while the brown crab is more commonly served in Britain (oddly, given it mostly contains brown meat), it is the Spanish and the French who eat spider crabs in large quantities  85 per cent of all the catch off Cornwall is sent to Spain.

You can buy fish and seafood not widely on sale direct from boats via peskyfish.co.uk, a website that links fishermen who land unfamiliar species to new customers. Just-landed fish can arrive at your door within 48 hours. Spider Crab is also available from W. Harvey & Sons (crabmeat.co.uk).

Marco says: I discovered spider crabs in my professional life. The white meat is sweet and silky  I cant understand why we dont eat more of it. I like to pick the meat from the crab myself, eating it with mayonnaise. Or try it devilled with cream, packed in its shell and grilled.

Hill lamb

Smaller than a typical lowland lamb, these hardy animals are reared in some of the highest spots in the UK.

They lamb later and their meat is available from July onwards  just as New Zealand lamb begins to arrive in our shops.

Ninety-five per cent of our exported lamb is sent to Europe, with France taking the largest share at around half.

A number of hill lambs are exported live, often as far as Greece, a practice expected to be banned later this year due to animal welfare concerns.

Hill lamb tastes stronger and the cuts are smaller  the meat tends to suit continental cooking styles, and their robust taste is greatly appreciated abroad.

For British shoppers, a favourite nationwide supplier of hill lamb is Daphne Tilley, of Daphnes Welsh Lamb, who has been known to herd her sheep on horseback (daphnesoriginalwelshlamb.co.uk)

Marco says: Hill lamb is so different from the mild lamb we know; it has a very good coating of fat, which gives it a stronger but very good flavour.

These sheep also graze on a number of grasses and plants, including heather, which makes the meat even more delicious.

Their meat will be less tender than most of us are used to, but it is still fantastic for braising or roasting with herbs.

See, above right, for my recipe for a slow-cooked bone-in hill lamb shoulder.

Roe deer

In the UK, wild and farmed deer meat is sold universally as venison, though there are four main breeds: fallow, red, sika and roe.

Farmed is preferred for its uniformity, and bizarrely we import an increasing amount from Europe and New Zealand.

But the European markets, especially France and Belgium, value our wild deer, particularly the smaller roe for its fine-grained, tender meat, and they pay top prices for it  hence its absence from UK shops.

The best cuts from roe are the haunch, saddle or fillet, but the rest can be used in braises or pies.

It can be bought from The Blackface Meat Company (blackface.co.uk). All game  fresh or frozen, depending on season  can be bought all year round direct from online stores such as Willo (willogame.co.uk).

Marco says: Roe deer is one of the very finest meats. I think the British like larger cuts, but a venison haunch, expertly butchered, feeds up to eight people.

I prepare it by soaking meat trim in cream, to flavour it, then use the cream in a [peppery] sauce poivrade to serve with thick slices of roasted haunch.

Roe deer

Megrum

Sometimes called a fluke, a megrim is a flatfish growing up to 60cm long.

Several types of flatfish are caught in British waters: Dover sole, lemon sole, sand sole, dabs, flounder and plaice, but only Dover and lemon sole is popular in the UK.

Cornish fishermen are now planning to rename megrim as Cornish sole in hope of boosting sales.

The flesh of the megrim may be a little drier than the Dover sole, but it has a subtle flavour that is enhanced by butter sauce.

Megrim is said to keep less well than other flatfish, so its best to buy it from short trip day boats as European buyers do. It is popular in France and Spain, where about 95 per cent of Cornish megrim is sent.

You can buy megrim from Wing, The Cornish Fishmonger in St Mawes (thecornishfishmonger.co.uk)

Marco says: Theres no reason why anyone would not enjoy megrim, they just havent heard of it. You have to know the best time for eating them, which is in winter when the flesh is firm.

Grill and pierce the deeper part of the flesh with a cocktail stick  if it comes out without resistance, they are cooked. To easily remove the skin, run a knife around the edge. Lemon and butter or a beurre blanc sauce is perfect with megrim.

Grilled megrim is pictured above

Cuttlefish

The nearest we Brits come to cuttlefish is in a budgie cage  thats a cuttlefish bone the bird is chewing. But these turtle-shaped fish, with two tentacles and an ink sac, are caught in the eastern Atlantic.

However as they, plus squid, are loved in Southern Europe, almost all the British catch  20,000 tonnes a year  is sold to Spain, Italy and France.

The ink is used in Italian risotto nero and Spanish paellas. However, you can buy British cuttlefish from websites, such as thefishsociety.co.uk. The cleaned body flesh can be sliced then simmered with olive oil, onion, garlic and tomato.

Marco says: Preparing cuttlefish ink is a dirty job but the reward is amazing. You take out the whole sac, blitz, then sieve it. The ink has a delicate fishy flavour  everyone should try a risotto nero. See my recipe (below)

Brill

You rarely see brill on a menu, and never in a supermarket, yet it is a good-value runner-up to its classy cousin, turbot.

Some say the flesh is not quite so deliciously gelatinous when cooked, but only by degrees. The Europeans treasure it  the French call it barbue and serve it with their best butter sauces. Its available to buy from Pesky Fish (peskyfish.co.uk)

Marco says: Everyone has heard of turbot but never brill  it is an underrated, sensational fish, especially when you find a large one. The bigger they are, the more flavour they have. The best way to cook it is on the bone. Remove the brown skin from the top after cooking, but leave the underside white skin on.

Langoustine

We British have a strange relationship with langoustine. The Scottish, who catch the most, call them prawns and they are also known as scampi or Dublin Bay prawns. The biggest and best are shipped or trucked live in tanks to Spain, France or Italy.

They are often expensive abroad due to the travel costs, so they might become cheaper at home. You can buy them from Keltic Seafare (kelticseafare.com).

About 38,000 tonnes are landed in the UK each year, with half exported to Southern Europe. The main UK market is for breaded, frozen scampi.

Marco says: I prefer a good langoustine to a lobster but, they are better in colder months when the shells are hard and the flesh is firmest.

I used to serve them in the Hyde Park Hotel. Split them raw, grill and eat with garlic butter.

NEW DELHI: Actor Salman Khan took to his social media handle to thanks his fans for all the love, support and concern they showered upon him. Along with the thank you note for his fanbase, the 'Bhai jaan' actor has also shared a stunning picture of him. where he is all decked up in a black suit paired with a light blue solid shirt and his signature bracelet.

The note shared by Salman to his Instagram followers read, "To all my fans.. thank u for your love support n concern. Khayal rakho apna n parivaar ka. God bless n loveee u tooo..." Soon several fans started pouring in comments on his post. One of his fans wrote, "Alhamdulillah, Allah is with you. You helped lots of people in need, in return Allah ease everything for you," while another one wrote, "Love you @beingsalmankhan bhaijaan your fans are always with you."

The Jodhpur District and Sessions Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by the Rajasthan government that alleged that the Bollywood superstar presented a false affidavit related to the Arms Act in the blackbuck poaching case. After receiving a breather from the court, the actor shared the post extending gratitude to his fans. In his note, he also advised them to not only take care of themselves but also their families.

The actor was present in the hearing via video conferencing.The petition was registered against Salman presenting the wrong evidence in the court in the Blackbuck poaching case which stated that Khan said that his arms licence has been lost. However, the investigation revealed that the actor has submitted it for renewal in Mumbai's Bandra. While on the other hand, another PIL earlier stated that the actor had submitted an affidavit citing the reason for not appearing to the court, which is an ache in his ear. But he was found busy in shooting.

However, the trial court has earlier quashed both of the petitions.

Salman Khan was booked under Section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act for poaching two chinkaras in Bhawad village on 26-27 September 1998 and one chinkara in Mathania on September 28, 1998.
A father may not be able to see his wife and children due to the 'ridiculous' border rules which means he has to shell out 1,750 every time he returns from work.

David Taylor, 41, normally splits his time equally in three-week blocks working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and being with his wife and their two children in north-east England.

But the Government's decision to add the UAE to its 'red list' countries means he would need to go to a quarantine hotel for 10 days if he returns from Monday.

Mr Taylor said: 'It's ridiculous.

'It's putting a lot of pressure on my family because I'm away for longer.

The Government has put the UAE on its 'red list' which means anyone trvelling from that country must pay for a quarantine hotel

'The kids don't get to see me.

He described the 1,750 bill for staying in a quarantine hotel as 'devastating'.

The oil industry worker is concerned that he will have difficulty finding an available room at a quarantine hotel when he is next due to return home in early March.

'I think I'm going to have real problems booking a hotel, and if they're full I can't fly,' he explained.

'I'm then relying on the Government finding more hotels, and I don't have any faith in that at all.'

Mr Taylor also expressed anger that the UK has banned direct flights from the UAE.

'The UAE is full of expats and workers from the UK.

The new Government rules has caused chaos for many travellers who have been forced to cut short trips to make it back on time or even cancel flights entirely

W8mediaTerminal 2 arrivals busy at Heathrow Airport with people coming back to the uk before Monday 15th feb new quarantine laws come into effect

'We're now going to have to go home via a different country and a different airline.

'It's ridiculous.

'They're so scared of me that they're going to put me into quarantine, but they've pushed me onto a flight from France or wherever.

'When that flight lands, I'll go straight into quarantine but everybody sat next to me will then go home.

'I just don't get it.'

He added that around half the UAE's population has received a coronavirus vaccine, and the country is being 'picked on' by the UK Government in response to anger over social media influencers visiting Dubai.
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New Delhi: The government is aware that 1,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine were found frozen at Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Assam on January 15, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. No other specific incidence of damage to vaccine doses in cold storages has been brought to the notice of the Ministry of Health so far, he said responding to a question on damaged COVID-19 vaccine doses.

In a written reply to another question, the minister said till February 11, a total of 70.17 lakh healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) have been administered COVID-19 vaccine. Till February 8, Rs 960.75 crore has been utilised for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.

Further, Rs 480 crore has been earmarked as operational cost for COVID-19 vaccination drive, of which Rs 123.49 crore has been disbursed to states and Union territories (UTs), he said. The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) provides guidance on all aspects of the vaccination programme, including prioritisation of population groups, procurement and inventory management, vaccine selection, vaccine delivery and tracking mechanism, among others.

The NEGVAC has prioritised healthcare workers, frontline workers, persons aged 50 years and above, and those aged less than 50 years with comorbidities, for COVID-19 vaccination. Till February 9, a total of 97.72 lakh healthcare workers and 71.64 lakh frontline workers have been registered on Co-WIN application, Choubey said.

Two coronavirus vaccines, namely Covishield' manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin' manufactured by Bharat Biotech International Limited, have been granted permission for restricted use in emergency situation by the national regulator. Till February 9, a total of 59.56 lakh doses of Covishield and 3.02 lakh doses of Covaxin have been administered, the minister informed the Parliament.

Pfizer-Biotech vaccine has not received any clearance for use in India, he said in response to another question. Asked if orders placed thus far are expected to cover all those proposed to be vaccinated in the first round at the rate of two doses per person, the MoS said supply orders amounting to a total of 410 lakh doses have been placed by the Centre for both the vaccines.

These supply orders also include 100 lakh doses received from Gavi support through COVAX facility, he said. "The orders placed so far are sufficient for coverage of the on-going vaccination drive for healthcare and frontline workers. Procurement of additional quantity of vaccines has also been factored in," Choubey said.

The two COVID-19 vaccines require completion of two-dose schedule at an interval of 28 days to complete the vaccination process. It takes around 14 days after the second dose to develop immunity against SARS-CoV-2 virus, he said in response to another question. On whether the government proposes to initiate an awareness drive to counter the issues/doubts arising out of the effects of the vaccine and instill confidence among people, the Union minister said a communication strategy has been developed for implementation at national and state levels to raise awareness about safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines through prompt and consistent dissemination of factual information and to address misinformation related to it.

The strategy is based on five key pillars-advocacy, capacity building, media engagement, community engagement and crisis management. It aims to leverage people's ownership (Jan Bhagidaari) in taking the awareness about vaccination drive and its intended benefits forward, he noted. Choubey added that several measures have been taken for successful implementation of the strategy.

These include capacity building of stakeholders at national and state levels, including state immunization and IEC officials, civil society organisations, community radio professionals, among others, for leveraging their networks for active campaigning to create awareness about benefits of the vaccination, he said. Aggressive advocacy to build vaccine confidence has also been done through reputed public and private sector doctors at national and states/UTs levels, who have received vaccination and through other key influencers.

The Ministry of Health is also carrying out real-time review of news reports, and developing and disseminating content on building confidence in vaccines and to counter less than adequate informed media narrative. A special campaign against vaccine hesitancy has also been launched by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan, the minister added.

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Niraj Kumar, CIO, Future Generali India Life Insurance highlights that the Budget has laid the foundation for a growth conducive platform which will percolate into strong equity market performance over the next few years.

In an interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand, Niraj Kumar, who has about 20 years of experience in the capital markets, said the retail investors will be prime beneficiaries of this growth-oriented Budget, as the investment impetus would manifest into growth numbers and markets will reward those who are looking for long-term wealth creation.

Edited excerpts:

Q) Your first reaction to Nirmala Sitharaman landmark Budget. How would you rate the Budget on a scale of 1-5 and why (5 being the best)?

A) The Budget 2021 has delivered on all fronts and has been embraced ecstatically by the markets as it has delivered an All-inclusive, Pragmatic and a Progressive Growth-Oriented Budget.

This is clearly a bold expansionary Budget, which prioritises Growth and has chalked out a very different FRBM Roadmap than what we have seen conventionally over the last decade.

The Government has finally taken on the mantle of pump-priming the growth by focusing on reviving demand by making investment and by putting more money in the hands of the consumer through Capital spending & creating employment opportunities.

The Budget was bold and visionary with the focal point being the requisite growth push reforms, which will have a far-reaching impact and the potential to drive economic growth for the next few years.

Infrastructure took the centre stage with the setting-up of Development Financial Institution (DFI) with an immediate capitalisation of Rs 20,000 crore and was complemented with the bold move of cleaning up of NPAs in the financial system by the creation of an ARC to improve the financial ecosystem.

Besides the liberalisation of FDI limits in the insurance sector to 74%, further testifies the governments conscious efforts to facilitate deeper penetration of Insurance in the country.

While these pro-growth measures have come at the expense of higher fiscal deficit and deferment of the fiscal consolidation glide path, we reckon resuscitating the growth was crucial and bound to take precedence at this point in time.

Overall to encapsulate, the Budget was a historic one leaving no major stones unturned and was indeed bold in intent and large in its ambition and we would thus rate it close to 4.5 on 5.

Q) How should retail investors decode the Budget 2021?

A) Retail Investors would indeed laud the Budget as it has touched upon the key imperative sectors of the economy.

The Budgets focus to push the pedal on investment is critical, given the positive spillover effects that capex has on the economy in terms of growth, development, and employment generation and in turn, will bode well for markets and retail investors.

Besides, the Budget has also incentivised the real estate/affordable housing buyers by extending the timeline for availing the deduction on interest under the PMAY scheme for another year.

Overall, we reckon retail investors to be the prime beneficiaries of this growth-oriented Budget as the investment impetus would manifest into growth numbers and markets will reward those who are looking for long-term wealth creation.

Q) What should be the investment strategy post Budget 2021? Should investors use the dip to rejig their portfolio?

A) Investors should deem equity markets as an asset class for long-term wealth creation. They should solely focus on the long-term potential of the markets.

And rightly so, this Budget has laid the foundation for a robust growth conducive platform which will percolate into strong equity market performance over the next few years.

We believe that the investors should use the opportunity to deploy funds as and when they get weakness. One should keep investing as per an individuals goals.

However, at the same time, its important for the investors to be mindful and not to get euphoric and maintain the discipline of asset allocation.

Q) Do you think the government managed its finances, and at the same time delivered a Budget that could boost growth?

A) The Budget 2021 has touched upon the key chords in terms of finances by sharply increasing the budgeted capex expenditure with mobilization of funds for infrastructure, while keeping the revenue estimates conservative, along with strong targets for divestments.

With expenditure mix being skewed towards capital expenditure in FY22, it bodes well for growth as it tends to have a maximum fiscal multiplier impact.

While the deficit for FY22 is projected to decline to 6.8% of GDP from an expected 9.5% of GDP in FY21, the pace of the fiscal consolidation roadmap remains discernibly lower with deficit pegged at 4.5% of GDP in FY26.

However, we believe the expansion in fiscal deficit was imperative at this juncture, given the incipient nature of the recovery and the pivotal role that government spending would play in terms of reviving the economy on a sustainable basis.

Hence, the Budget was a shot in the arm in terms of fiscal expansion being focussed on Investment push, which will act as a booster dose for growth, having a cascading impact on the economy.

Besides, the government should be applauded for the most positive step of bringing in transparency in the Budget by the inclusion of the food subsidy bill of Food Corporation of India (FCI) in the Budget, which was classified under Extra Budgetary resources hitherto.

Q) Which sectors are likely to benefit the most from the Budget and why?

A) With capital spending being at the front and centre of the Budget, the key beneficiaries in terms of sectors would be the old economy sectors such as Infrastructure & Construction, Cement, and Metals etc.

Besides, the hallmark move in the budget with respect to cleaning up of NPAs in the system & reviving the capex cycle will make the financial sector a prime beneficiary.

We believe the construct of an ARC to tackle the bad loan problem will bring a transformational change in the financial landscape of the country.

This will free up a significant amount of capital for the banking sector & will hasten the resolution process. Also, the intent to privatize two public sector bank is a commendable move.

Further, more than the sectors, we reckon that the rally in markets will get broad-based, as we have seen historically that Mid-caps tend to disproportionately benefit from a recovering economy. We expect significant operating & financial leverage to play out in these companies.

Q) Which sectors could lose because of Budget proposals and why?

A) As we know that the budget has been a holistic one and has accomplished most of the expectations, it would be a little difficult to handpick sectors that are likely to be adversely impacted.

Nonetheless, we think targeted redressal of certain reeling service sectors such as the Travel and Hospitality industry was something that was not touched upon by the Budget.

: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
TWO men described by US prosecutors as Irish Travellers have been sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to pay back $729,000 cash taken in home repair scams.

Father and son, Bartley Gorman, Jr., 56, and Sean Patrick Gorman, 27 appeared from Fort Worth, Texas, via video link to change their plea from not guilty to guilty this week.

A court affidavit says the two men are part of a crime ring known as Travelers, Irish Travelers and several other names and concentrated their efforts on construction scams in the rural areas of oil-producing North Dakota counties.

Documents filed in the case revealed how the Gormans would "just show up" and start working, demanding payments that third party experts deemed "exorbitant in relation to the work or supplies."

The poor quality work would often lead to future projects and extortion.

In other cases, they would show up and offer a low price for projects and later escalate the costs.

A prosecutor said the case included a man in McKenzie County, North Dakota, being defrauded out of $1.9 million by Gorman and others.

Investigators said the Gormans previously were involved in a widespread roofing scam members of the group carried out on elderly people in Oklahoma.

In North Dakota, investigators said the Gorman General Contracting company, was involved in a pattern of racketeering activity.

The two men pleaded guilty in South Central District Court, Oklahoma, on Feb. 8, 2021, and were ordered to pay restitution and spend more than a year in prison.

Judge James Hill sentenced them each to 30 months in prison with 15 months suspended and two years of supervised probation.

He also ordered them to pay $729,000 in restitution, in addition to court costs.

Bartley Gorman faced two felony charges for illegal control of an enterprise and exploitation of a vulnerable adult, both in McLean County.

Sean Gorman faces additional related charges, also in McLean County, which are scheduled for a change of plea hearing on Friday, Feb. 12.

States attorney, Ladd Erickson, prosecuted the cases, which involved firms run by the Gormans performing "deceptive work" and deceiving and intimidating victims.

Victims were typically elderly or otherwise vulnerable.

Gorman General Contracting operated as a shell business to conduct a pattern of racketeering in North Dakota oil-producing counties, according to court documents.

The states attorney in McKenzie County agreed not to prosecute and allow the Gormans repay $666,000 for which they were considered responsible.

Hill ordered the Gormans to pay $63,000 in restitution to victims in McLean County.

McLean County had seized $381,437 from Gorman bank accounts.

They are ordered to turn themselves in to McLean County by 9 a.m. on March 1, 2021.

Erickson also said there are warrants out in Dunn County, North Dakota, for other people in related construction scam cases.

If I find out that there are additional Traveller activities in North Dakota, within my statute of limitations and I have jurisdiction to charge, I fully intend to file those charges, he said.

In the plea agreement with the Gormans, Erickson insisted on all of the restitution paid up-front.


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Nagaland to impose partial lockdown from April 30 to May 14: Here's what will stay shut and open

Political negotiations between Centre, Naga rebel groups over: Governor

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 12: Nagaland Governor and interlocutor, R N Ravi said that the political negotiations between the Centre and Naga rebel groups were over and there is a need to move swiftly towards a final solution.

Addressing the first day of the seventh session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the Governor said while fighting the pandemic for the past several months, the early resolution of the long drawn Naga political issue had continued to remain the focus of the government.

Entire Nagaland declared 'disturbed area' under AFSPA as condition 'dangerous', says MHA

"With the negotiations being concluded, there is now a need for efforts to build on the substantial gains made so far, and to move swiftly for the "final solution", the Governor also said.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

On January 26, during his Republic Day address, Ravi had said that politics by gun in the past had fragmented Naga society and the mainstream Naga society had never accepted violence as a political resource.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 14:36 [IST]
None of five acquisitions by Irish Life last year needed Competition Commission approval but consumer advocates say the plethora of bolt-on deals risks making it harder for consumers to get independent advice on pensions and investments.

Financial results for 2020, published by Great Life Westco which owns Irish Life, details four takeover deals here last year including three of brokerage or financial advisory firms with billions of euro under management or advisement.

A fifth deal, to buy Harvest Financial Services, was announced in December and is expected to close later this year. Harvest is one of Ireland's largest privately-owned wealth management firms. It is understood that the Harvest deals is subject to sign-off by the Central Bank.

However, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission said Irish Life was not obliged to seek its approval for any of the five deals because they are each below the threshold where approval must be sought.

That threshold means approval is required only if the business being bought has a turnover of 60m a year or more, regardless of the size of the buyer or what other deals may be happening around the same time.

Read More

The 2020 results also show that Irish Life booked a gain of CA$94m (61m) after tax when it sold Irish Progressive Services International Limited (IPSI), an outsourcer for life assurance companies, also last year.

Irish Life itself is one of the countrys biggest financial services providers with a 43pc market share in the life assurance market and a near 60pc share of the Irish group pensions, group risk and corporate annuities market share. Irish Life Health is the countrys third-biggest health insurer and Irish Life Investment Managers has 87bn of assets under management.

Chairman of the Consumers Association of Ireland Michael Kilcoyne questioned the implications for competition and consumer choice of Irish Life buying so many insurance brokerages.

He said the brokerages bought by Irish Life mean it would be more difficult to get independent financial advice on pensions, investments and life insurance products.

It is not good for consumers or for competition if Irish Life is buying up so many links in the value chain.

The deals in the last year included Irish Life subsidiary Invescos acquisition of Acumen & Trust, an employee benefits consultancy.

Irish Life itself acquired Conexim Advisors which provides investment services through financial advisors who provide financial and investment advice to individual and corporate clients. It also bought APT Workplace Pensions and APT Wealth Management, pension consultancies to corporates and individuals, and Clearview Investments & Pensions which provides private wealth management to individuals.

A spokesman for Irish Life said each of the firms bought last year will continue to operate as autonomous businesses under the groups ownership and will not act as tied agents of Irish Life or automatically offer or recommend Irish Life investment products to customers.

Cooperation with the parent company will be restricted to areas like data security and procurement of services such as IT or advertising spend, he said.
The touching moment a Kentucky cop put away his gun and hugged a woman who had led officers on a high-speed car chase across two counties was captured on bodycam footage on Wednesday.

Officers say that Latrece Curry, 41, was in 'sheer terror' when she eventually stopped and was surrounded by armed cops.

She was fleeing from a domestic incident with her husband when she was decided to drive off when tracked down by a deputy from Hodgenville Police Department.

Curry was shaken after the dispute, according to the department, and had left the house before cops arrived.

Scroll down for video

Officers say that Latrece Curry, 41, was in 'sheer terror' when she was eventually stopped following a car chase over two counties. She had been fleeing from a domestic incident

Chief James Richardson said that she began a chase with multiple police vehicles just as an ice storm was hitting.

Officers eventually used a rolling roadblock, which forced Curry into a parking lot where they quickly approached her vehicle with their guns drawn and called for her to get out of the vehicle, according to the bodycam footage.

Richardson is seen moving slowly toward the car, yet his attitude changes as he opens the door and sees the trembling Curry sitting inside.

'I got to the driver's side door and told her to unlock the door, she had her hands up, she was shaking like a leaf. I mean the poor girl, when I opened the door it was like a look of sheer terror. She was scared to death,' Richardson told The New York Post.

'The look on her face was of sheer terror,' Richardson added in a Facebook post from the department.

'She was shaking, and it was obvious she was scared. I talked to her to calm her down and then she hugged me.

'That has never happened to me after a pursuit,' he added of his 23-year career.

'Compassion is a good thing to have, especially in policing. With everything going on in the world today, everybody makes mistakes,' he said, adding that it was a 'great example of keeping your emotions in check at the end of a pursuit'.

Bodycame footage shows the end of the chase as Curry stops in a parking lot

Armed officers are seen surrounding the car and telling her to get out of the vehicle

Chief Richardson keeps his gun drawn as he opens the car door

In the bodycam footage, Richardson puts his gun away and is seen stooping down toward the woman as he tries to calm her down.

'Calm down, you're okay,' he is heard saying while Curry cries and tries to explain herself.

'Of course, we had guns, guns pointed at her, so I just tried to calm her down. She was shaking so bad she couldn't get her seatbelt off, so I helped her get her seat belt off,' Richardson told the Post.

'I didn't perceive her as a threat, she didn't have any weapons. I took control of her hands, she started crying. She reached out and hugged me and I just kind of hugged her back.'

Chief Richardson quickly put his gun away and the woman hugged him as she cried

The department said Curry (pictured in the car) was taken into custody 'without incident' and has been charged with fleeing police, endangerment, and traffic violations

The department said Curry was taken into custody 'without incident'.

'Units did a good job using a rolling roadblock tactic to bring this chase to an end before someone got hurt,' it added in a statement.

She was charged with fleeing police, endangerment, and traffic violations.

'Her statement to me was she was just in the zone, she didn't know what she was doing, and she was extremely sorry,' said Richardson.

'She had no criminal record to speak of, had never been in trouble that I know of. She just made a really bad choice.'
Thirty-eight people died and 166 are still missing after a barrage of water and debris hurtled down a valley in northern India

A newly formed Himalayan lake raised fears Friday of another flash flood above a disaster-hit valley in northern India, prompting authorities to conduct helicopter surveys and send a team on a 16-hour climb to investigate.

Thirty-eight people died and 166 are still missing, state disaster officials said, after a barrage of water and debris hurtled down the valley in the northern state of Uttarakhand with terrifying speed and force on Sunday, obliterating roads and bridges and smashing through dams.

The flash flood on the Rishiganga river is thought have been triggered by a chunk of glacier breaking off, or a glacial lakeformed when a glacier retreatsbursting its banks.

Glaciers are receding fast in the region due to global warming.

On Thursday, geologists said that a new lake had formed near the same river.

Naresh Rana, a geologist at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, released a video shot in the area, in which he pointed out the location of the lake and said "this means that the Rishiganga will breach again".

Satellite images and a helicopter survey had confirmed the presence of the lake, senior local police official Ashok Kumar told AFP.

He said that teams had been sent to investigate on foot, a trek that would take around 16 hours, with the spot at around 4,200 metres (14,000 feet) above sea level.

"But there is one important thing to note. For the last few days, there was less water flow in the Rishiganga. But since yesterday, the flow is a lot," Kumar said.

"That means that the lake has given some opening. It would have been dangerous if the water had just been collected and there was no flow."

A desperate and arduous search continued on Friday to reach around 30 people trapped in a tunnel since Sunday's flood, with hopes fading for their survival.

"We are trying to go to the smaller tunnel which is 12 metres below the existing one," Kumar said.

"In the small tunnel, we are hoping for the best... If they escaped the slush and the water, they might be safe in one corner."

Explore further 140 are missing after glacier breaks in India's Himalayas

 2021 AFP
New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI/ThePRTree): Digital marketing and brand management have a lot of competition but Satyam Soni has created a benchmark for these services and is undoubtedly an expert in Brand Management. Starting his digital marketing and brand management company, Western Panda, he left no stone unturned to be the best at what he does.

From a B.Tech graduate to being an expert in personal branding and owning his own company, he worked extremely hard to earn a name for himself in this industry. He has an amazing list of clientele too. Almost everyone from a model to a Politician to the CEO's of some of the biggest companies needs his assistance so that they can reach people. He always delivers his best and he is the undisputed expert in personal branding.

Being born and brought up in the small town of Unao in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, Satyam Soni now has a team of twenty people working for him. From web designers to content writers he has got talented people working for Western Panda. He manages more than 200 companies and startups today. The strength of his team is each member. A politician needs a good image more than anyone else. Personal Branding is important for a politician to get the support of the people. He manages the personal branding for more than 30 politicians. People are drawn towards Western Panda for their work ethic and their incomparable results.

Satyam has changed the perception of personal branding among people. He set the new standards and believes that Personal Branding is not only for celebrities but for people who want to have a good public image and want to have a greater reach. They say one must look with a different perspective compared to others to have exponential growth and Satyam Soni has done it.

He realizes that it is the society that made him grow and gives back to society time and again. Satyam Soni is an out of the box thinker and has a keen eye towards learning the trends in personal branding. He keeps up with new trends which help to stay ahead in his game.

Satyam Soni is a hard worker and will leave no stone unturned to give his best every time. It takes a lot of courage and determination to start a company and to be on the top of the charts every time. He started this company when technology was still booming in India and not everyone had easy access to the internet. He was like a raw diamond in the mine and worked extremely hard to gain the shine that he has today.

This story is provided by ThePRTree. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ThePRTree)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Members of the American Legion Post as well as local Boy Scouts will continue the tradition of decorating the graves of veterans at Town of Maine Cemetery on the Saturday before Memorial Day, the post said in a statement. Brief ceremonies at the cemeterys Civil War Monument and at the American Legion Veterans Monument at Hodges Park are also expected to take place.

All was not merry during the shoot of Sunny Leone's upcoming web series Anamika. The actor was taken to her vanity van mid-way from the shoot by her director Vikram Bhatt after trouble ensued on the sets of the show. This not only resulted to the shooting of the same to be stalled but Vikram also had to reschedule the shoot of the show to another location with an extra cost and he had to pay a whopping amount of Rs 13 to 14 lakh to action director Abbas Ali Moghul.

It all started when few members of the Fighters' Association stormed into the sets of Anamika where Sunny was shooting and demanded Vikram Bhatt to pay Rs 38 lakh to Abbas for his service in the previous 8 shows with Bhatt. Talking to the Times Of India on the same Vikram revealed that he was bewildered and his first reaction was to keep Sunny Leone safe. He told that he was forced to send the snapshots of the cheques which he has to give to Abbas and a Fighters' Association member called Murtaza had also come to collect the cheques. He added how by the time all the chaos took place, the sun had already set and he could not complete the panned out scenes.

Abbas Ali Moghul also revealed to the Times Of India that the Fighters' Association is looking into the matter and that he hopes that they will be able to resolve it. Vikram Bhatt further said to the publication on Abbas' reply that Abbas Ali Moghul could have easily reached out to him if he had missed two calls from him. Bhatt also said that he does not owe Abbas Rs 38 lakh and that the action director did not have an invoice, agreement or a contract with him for the same.

The General Secretary Of Fighters' Association, Ejaz Gulab also said to the publication that a man called Moses who was roped in by Bhatt in place of Abbas has also stopped shooting for the show and has showcased his support for Abbas. Bhatt has revealed that nobody in the industry would like to work with Abbas for his uncouth behaviour. Vikram Bhatt has also sent a legal notice to Abbas for extorting money from him.

Also Read: Sunny Leone's Twin Sons Asher & Noah Turn Three; Actress Shares Cute Moments From Their Birthday Bash

Also Read: Sunny Leone Reacts To Alleged Cheating Case Reports: Half Information Is As Dangerous As Misreporting
(Natural News) If they fail at keeping you masked and distanced for the rest of your life, at least they can say they successfully jabbed you  not just once or twice for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19), but every year until the day you die.

This is the plan by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to ensure that maximum profits continue to flow. Company CEO Alex Gorsky told CNBC that the only way to keep the Chinese virus at bay is to vaccinate people annually forever.

Unfortunately, as [the virus] spreads it can also mutate, Gorsky told Meg Tirrell during a Healthy Returns Spotlight event.

Every time it mutates, its almost like another click of the dial so to speak where we can see another variant, another mutation that can have an impact on its ability to fend off antibodies or to have a different kind of response not only to a therapeutic but also to a vaccine.

If Gorsky gets his way, which will mean huge payouts and dividends for himself, Americans will be getting vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) just like we would a flu shot.

What this mystery vaccine will be made of is still unknown, but Gorsky is sure it will happen because it has to in order for Big Pharma to continue raking in the dough on the backs of people who are suffering and dying from these injections.

I think we could all imagine a future where were living with this, but where we can keep the science at pace with the virus, so that we can keep on living our lives, Gorsky added, pushing his own interests while claiming science.

Just say no to pharmaceutical drugs

The fact that Gorsky came right out and said all this without shame just goes to show how dumbed down the American populace has become, and how powerful Big Pharma has become. There was a time when patriots would have taken to the streets at such a proposal, recognizing it for the special scam that it is.

Of course, the CEO of J&J  a company which stands to make billions from selling the covid vaccine year after year  has a clear conflict of interest and would like nothing more than to sell vaccines indefinitely  and to see Covid circulate within the population forever, reports Zero Hedge.

After all, that would not only pump up JNJs stock price but the CEOs compensation as well.

Zero Hedge certainly gets it, but are there enough others out there who also get it and who are willing to make their voices heard in opposition to this assault on human sensibility?

Anyone with a brain can see that this is all about money and control. It has nothing to do with keeping people safe, otherwise there would be no genetically modified organisms (GMOs), no fluoride in the water, no deadly pharmaceutical drugs at Walgreens, and so on and so forth.

The only thing being kept safe is tyranny, which sadly is going mostly unopposed in these formerly united states. Instead, most people seem to be just bowing down and taking it while the country is plunged into eternal tyranny.

Going through the five phases of grief, we need to come to the acceptance phase that our lives are not going to be the same, admitted Thomas Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about how people need to eulogize their old lives now and simply move on to the new normal.

I dont think the world has really absorbed the fact that these are long-term changes, he further stated.

More related news about Chinese germs can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Another line of communication between Lakewood and its residents was unveiled this week in the form of a newly introduced monthly e-newsletter.

Something I focused on during my campaign was enhancing communication to our residents, Mayor Meghan George said. I think we do a good job on our social media pages and our website, but email is another medium we can use to connect with residents on happenings throughout the city and at city hall.

The digital newsletter -- which doesnt come with any added cost to the city -- will feature news, updates, event information, surveys and volunteer opportunities. Overseeing the monthly publication will be Georges office, as well as Lakewoods community relations department.

Lakewood already keeps residents updated via its website and social media posts. The mayor said those avenues of communication will continue, with some overlap found in the newsletter.

We wish we could have done it earlier, George said. Some of this stuff just takes time. This was something we were working on last year that, like so many other things due to COVID, had to go on the back burner.

During the pandemic, we did focus more on print media, sending out postcards to every home. I also sent a letter out to the community as well. Now, were excited to be able to launch the e-newsletter with the release of the February edition.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for the monthly e-newsletter.

Read more news from the Sun Post Herald.
Dear Minister, Dear Fouad,



[(Greeting in Arabic) Peace upon all. Welcome to Athens.]



First of all, I would like to thank my Iraqi colleague for his productive visit today, just a few months after my visit to Baghdad last October. That was the first visit, after 20 years, of a Greek Minister to Iraq. And this shows how much room there is for deepening and improving our relations.



Before I get to what we discussed with the Minister today and yesterday evening, I would like to unequivocally condemn the terrorist attacks on civilians in Baghdad on 21 January and express Greeces full support for the government of Iraq and the people of Iraq.



Our countries have much in common. They are both cradles of ancient civilizations. The historical presence of Alexander the Great is a bonding force between Greece and Iraq.



Whats more, today the two countries are committed to the values represented by the United Nations. They are firmly committed to full respect for international law, which of course includes the Law of the Sea. They are committed to upholding peace. They are committed to upholding stability in the region.



Greece fully supports the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. Greece condemns all the contrary to international law invasions of Iraqi territory under the euphemism of so-called peacemaking operations.



We believe, as a matter of principle, that disputes should be resolved peacefully, based on international law.



The threat of force, the use of force are not tolerated or supported by the Hellenic Republic.

Moreover, in the framework of good neighbourly relations, we maintain that countries have an obligation to avoid intimidation. Any intimidation. It is Greeces aim to promote peace and prosperity.



It is in this context that we hosted yesterdays Philia Forum, which was attended by seven countries. And I will reiterate today that the Philia Forum  and this is important  is not an alliance. It is not an alliance against anyone. It is an effort towards multilateral cooperation, open to all countries  in addition to those already participating  that respect international law and support the consolidation of stability in the region.



And it is sad that this effort, rather than being welcomed, is being distorted by some parties who are even making accusations and slandering the effort. We will not be dragged into this rhetoric. Our objective is de-escalation and, when conditions allow, the creation of a climate of cooperation with everyone. And we will continue to work in that direction.



Today, however, my colleague friend and I also had the opportunity to discuss the development of our bilateral relations. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond my control, when I was in Baghdad last October I did not have the opportunity to travel to Erbil  which I had originally been scheduled to do  where Greece has a Consulate.



We agreed that I shall return to Baghdad soon and take that opportunity to visit Erbil and Basra, because this will serve the development of our economic relations, which have very significant room for growth.



Apart from imports of crude oil  we are major customers of Iraqi oil  we must extend and expand our cooperation into many other sectors. Construction, renewable energy sources and agricultural products are sectors in which we can do a great deal more. Tourism is a sector in which we can do a lot more. This is why I will propose that I be accompanied by a commercial mission, along with Kostas Fragogiannis, on my next visit to Iraq.



Of course, the creation of a positive climate with regard to direct investments is vital to the development of economic ties.



My dear Minister, in closing I would like to thank you and Iraq for your assistance in supporting Greeces positions in the various international organizations.



In a framework of reciprocity, Greece will continue to support Iraq, starting with Iraq-EU issues.



Again, thank you very much for being here in Athens today, especially under the present public health conditions. I look forward to our meeting again very soon in Baghdad.



Thank you very much.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2021) - Pan Andean Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: PAD) ("Pan Andean" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered a consulting services agreement (the "Agreement") with JMK Geological Services ("JMK"), a private firm wholly owned by one of the Company's directors.

JMK will act in the capacity as exploration manager for the Company to oversee an integrated exploration program on the three silica (quartzite) properties in the Golden Mining District of British Columbia which are wholly owned by the Company.

The program will consist of geological mapping and sampling, geophysical exploration, induced polarization surveys to check on the continuity of the quartzite beds in areas of thicker cover, and excavator trenching across the resistivity lows indicating the quartzite horizon. The quartzite unit will be systematically analyzed for the purity of the silica.

The Company anticipates beginning the program in late Spring 2021 with a report on the findings from the program to be concluded by the end of the year, at a total cost of approximately $80,000.

In addition to the exploratory work to be done on the properties currently owned by the Company, the Company will also continue to evaluate and stake additional claims "on strike" of the existing claims, as well as stake claims where silica deposits might be found in other areas of the Province.

About Pan Andean Minerals Ltd.

Pan Andean Minerals Ltd. is Vancouver-based junior resource company focused on battery metals exploration in North America. The Company has staked new mining claims in Golden, BC, along a strike with a quartzite bed, targeting silica in the quartzites for a total of 467 hectares. The Company focuses on exploring and producing silicon, which, when added to anode materials in the production of lithium-ion batteries, provides improvements in capacity and efficiency over lithium-ion batteries using graphite in their anode materials. The Company intends to become an integrated silicon producer and anode materials supplier to the electric vehicle industry. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://www.panandeanminerals.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Spencer Huh

President and CEO

604-681-2626

shuh@panandeanminerals.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/74325
Changes made in the FDI norms last year, which made it mandatory for firms of a country sharing land border with India to seek government nod for all investments, are fully compliant with New Delhi's commitments under WTO, was informed on Friday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Som Parkash said in the meetings of the Council for Trade in Services under WTO held in October and November last year, China had raised concern on the changes made in India's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy through Press Note 3 of 2020.

The changes have mandated that an entity of a country, which shares a land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the government approval route.

"In response, India asserted that FDI from all members of (WTO), including China, continues to be permitted and the measures are fully compliant with its commitments under WTO," the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry said.

In a separate reply on exports of COVID-19 vaccines, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, are covered under a common ITC HS codes - 30022019 (other single vaccine) and 30022029 (other mixed vaccine).

In trade parlance, every product is categorised under a code. It helps in the systematic classification of goods across the globe.

India's export of vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, stood at around USD 125.93 million (other single vaccine) and USD 226.74 million (other mixed vaccine) during April-January 2020-21.

(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.)
NORTH BERGEN, N.J., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians Endoscopy and Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy, LLC (ACE), in partnership with Holy Name Medical Center, are pleased to announce the acquisition of Hudson Bergen Endo Surgical Center (formerly Hudson Bergen Medical Center). Hudson Bergen Endo Surgical Center will formally become a second location for the existing Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy, LLC.

Physicians Endoscopy entered into a strategic partnership with ACE in 2012 and has provided support in delivering clinical and operational excellence for the center over the last nine years. The expansion of the existing partnership to include Holy Name Medical Center in the acquisition of Hudson Bergen Endo Surgical Center was carefully executed and will allow for the center to contribute to Holy Name Medical Center's exemplary community service and outreach efforts.

"We are excited to leverage our existing partnership with Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy, LLC and enter into a new partnership with Holy Name Medical Center through this acquisition," says Larry Trenk, Vice President of Operations at Physicians Endoscopy. "We are committed to delivering excellence and safety in gastrointestinal patient care using state-of-the-art endoscopic medical technology and the latest procedural practices at Hudson Bergen Endo Surgical Center."

This facility accommodates both patients requiring GI care as well as those requiring general surgical procedures, and the partnering physicians are expected to perform over 4,000 procedures annually. The three physicians involved in the partnership to open the center are Dr. Peter Caride, MD; Dr. Juan Gonzalez, MD; and Dr. John Sotiriadis, MD PHD.

"We are dedicated to serving the population with digestive disorders in Hudson and Bergen counties of New Jersey," says Dr. Peter Caride, MD.

Hudson Bergen Endo Surgical Center is a licensed facility with a long-standing exemplary record of patient safety and regulatory compliance. In 2020, Hudson Bergen Endo Surgical Center underwent an annual onsite review in which a team of Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) reviewers evaluated compliance with Ambulatory Care standards. Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care is expected to resurvey the endoscopy center this summer.

For more information about the acquisition of Hudson Bergen Endo Surgical Center and Physicians Endoscopy's development and management services, please visit the company's website here. For more information on Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy, LLC, please visit the center's website here.

About Physicians Endoscopy

PE specializes in providing integrated business strategies and insights for GI specialists and healthcare partners to help their practices, ASCs, and ancillary services grow and thrive through professional management, aligned investments, and strategic partnerships. PE focuses on opportunities to preserve physician independence, as well as improving financial and clinical outcomes that drive quality patient care. Recognized as the largest single-specialty developer, investor, and manager, Physicians Endoscopy is the trusted business partner exclusively serving gastroenterologists for over 20 years. To learn more about Physicians Endoscopy, please visit www.endocenters.com.

About Holy Name Medical Center

Holy Name Medical Center is a fully accredited, not-for-profit healthcare facility based in Teaneck, New Jersey, with off-site locations throughout Bergen County. Founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 1925, the comprehensive 361-bed medical center offers leading-edge medical practice and technology administered in an environment rooted in a tradition of compassion and respect for every patient. Holy Name provides high quality health care across a continuum that encompasses education, prevention, early intervention, comprehensive treatment options, rehabilitation and wellness maintenancefrom pre-conception through end-of-life.

Contact: Kelly McCormick ([email protected])

SOURCE Physicians Endoscopy

Related Links

endocenters.com



A Winnipeg teen has been charged with manslaughter for a 2020 fatal stabbing in a city parking lot.

A Winnipeg teen has been charged with manslaughter for a 2020 fatal stabbing in a city parking lot.

On Thursday, the Winnipeg Police Service arrested Rahim Ahmadzai, 19, and charged him in the slaying of 43-year-old Ryan Kelly Legary.

On Friday, police said Ahmadzai stabbed Legary to death following a "road rage" incident. Hes been detained in custody.

"The reason we chose to use that (term)  road rage  is because we figured that would actually exemplify exactly what happened during this incident. Two people who are unknown to each other having an issue with the others manner of driving," said WPS spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon.

"They pull up at an intersection and, obviously, start speaking to each other through a window or using hand gestures. At which point, they escalate. They both decide to make a turn into that lot. And it escalates from there into a physical altercation."

On July 23, 2020, Legary was stabbed to death in a parking lot shared by multiple businesses near the intersection of Lagimodiere Boulevard and Fermor Avenue.

It was the city's 23rd homicide of the year.

McKinnon would not say what, specifically, triggered the killing. She also declined to provide details on how the investigation unfolded during the more than six months until Ahmadzais arrest.

"Whenever were investigating a file that has to do with taking another persons life, the test and the threshold is going to be very high for laying those charges," McKinnon said, when asked about the length of the investigation.

"We have to make sure we have all the pertinent witnesses. All the evidence, whether its physical or testimony, to get it in order."

McKinnon said Ahmadzai was "known to police." She also warned members of the public never to confront another driver in a road rage-type of situation.

"If you believe there is actually a criminal action that has taken place You have several options: you can write their licence plate down; you can go report it at one of our stations," McKinnon said.

"Absolutely do not confront anybody."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has spoken of his determination to overcome the coronavirus pandemic and to tackle the country's economic challenges.



In Thursday evening's state of the nation address, President Ramaphosa lamented that more than 47,000 people had died from the virus and that nearly two million jobs had been lost in less than a year.



The rollout of South Africa's vaccination campaign was delayed this week after doubts emerged over the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against a variant that has spread fast in the country.



But the World Health Organization's vaccine experts have said even countries who have the coronavirus mutation first discovered in South Africa should use the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also recommends using this vaccine.



President Ramaphosa said the government was faced with the task of bringing stability in trying times.



He said the first priority was defeating coronavirus, through a nationwide vaccination campaign - expected to start in the next few weeks.



Correspondents say the governing African National Congress (ANC) risks losing a great deal of support if President Ramaphosa does not fulfill his promises to boost economic growth, create jobs and fight the rampant corruption.

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.

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Editor's Note This article is brought to you by Louisiana Marijuana Card.

A new service is available to Louisiana residents who are interested in using medical marijuana to help alleviate discomfort associated with multiple health issues.

Back in August, Louisianas medical marijuana law was expanded to give doctors more latitude to recommend it for patients. It can now be legally used for a wide variety of conditions, including anxiety, chronic pain, epilepsy, glaucoma, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and more.

Recently, Louisiana Marijuana Card was established to help connect patients with doctors who are willing and able to recommend medical marijuana. The same organization already operates similar services in other states, including Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Taylor Wilson, a spokeswoman for Louisiana Marijuana Card, said interested patients can learn more about how to qualify for medical marijuana in Louisiana by visiting the website. From there, patients can schedule a telemedicine appointment with a physician. The patient must be a resident of Louisiana.

Its basically a virtual doctors appointment, Wilson said. You can discuss the medical condition you are suffering from and your symptoms. Once the doctor has determined that medical marijuana could be beneficial, they will send a recommendation to the selected dispensary so the patient can then pick up their medication there.

Currently, nine dispensaries in Louisiana are authorized to distribute medical marijuana. Those dispensaries are located in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houma, Lake Charles, Madisonville, New Orleans, Shreveport and West Monroe.

The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy has authorized a tenth dispensary, but directors of the program are waiting to understand geographical needs before deciding on a location.

Wilson said medical marijuana can be distributed in many forms, including edible products, topical applications, liquid tinctures and metered-dose inhalers.

The thing about marijuana that many people dont realize is that it is beneficial for treating symptoms of so many different medical conditions, Wilson said. One of the most common conditions we see is chronic pain. Weve seen firsthand how much relief people get from it. Its a safe medication. People think of it in a taboo way, but thats not how it is being used today.

Wilson added that all of the doctors who work with Louisiana Marijuana Card have received extensive training about the benefits and potential side effects of medical marijuana.

Our doctors come from all backgrounds. The common thread is that they all believe in it as a treatment option and understand the complexities of it, Wilson said. They will talk with the patient about the ins and outs of using it. Theres no stigma whatsoever. Its a judgement-free zone. Its just about educating patients and discussing why it may be a good option for them.

For those who are interested in medical marijuana but may not be ready to speak with a doctor just yet, Wilson said Louisiana Marijuana Card offers a patient support line, open seven days a week, for people to call with questions.

We always say no question is a stupid question because it is a big deal to take this step, Wilson said. We really want to educate patients and address anything they do not understand.

For more information, call 833-253-2943.
[February 12, 2021] Salient CRGT Awarded $175M Contract for Department of Homeland Security/US Citizenship and Immigration Services

FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Salient CRGT has been awarded a $175M contract supporting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for IT service desk and field engineer support to the approximately 27,000 USCIS end users at 250 locations. This 5-year, single-award contract, named NEON, was awarded as a competitive contract under the General Services Administration (GSA) Alliant 2 Vehicle. As the prime contractor on NEON, Salient CRGT will provide operational support to the entire USCIS user community through service desk and desktop services via an experienced crew of field service engineers. This support includes operating and maturing service desk operations and providing IT support across the enterprise. This elite group will execute accounts management services, perform hardware incident resolution, execute equipment refreshes, and perform server O&M. USCIS administers the nation's immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homelan, and honoring our nation's values.







"Our knowledge of the operational environment and our commitment to the highest possible customer service provides USCIS with a dedicated and trusted partner to assist in executing this critical mission," said Tom Ferrando, Salient CRGT CEO. "We are honored to provide innovation and responsiveness in this partnership."

With performance beginning in early February of 2021, the Salient CRGT team is moving forward with the transition process leveraging our experienced team to ensure NEON gets off to a great start. About Salient CRGT

Salient CRGT provides agile software development, health, data analytics, mobility, cybersecurity, and infrastructure solutions. We support these core capabilities with full lifecycle IT services and trainingto help our customers meet critical goals for pivotal missions. We are purpose-built for IT transformation supporting homeland security, defense, intelligence agencies, federal civilian, health, and Fortune 1000 companies. We use the most innovative talent delivery model in the industry, scientifically providing exactly the right people for the customers' most urgent requirements. Salient CRGT has earned a record of success with the integration and operations of largescale, highvolume solutions. Visit our newsroom and explore www.salientcrgt.com . Tweet: @Salient_CRGT Awarded $175M Contract for DHS/USCIS Information Technology User and Field Operations Support (NEON). http://bit.ly/1MGSz5l View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/salient-crgt-awarded-175m-contract-for-department-of-homeland-securityus-citizenship-and-immigration-services-301227211.html SOURCE Salient CRGT, Inc.

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The head of WHO today insisted that the theory Covid-19 emerged in a laboratory in Wuhan has not been dismissed following a controversial fact-finding mission to China.

The investigation to Wuhan, where the first cases were detected, failed to identify the source of the virus but appeared to disregard the theory that it leaked from a virology laboratory in the city.

However, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today said that following the 'very important scientific exercise ... all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies.'

It comes after Peter Embarek, the leader of the WHO team, this week concluded it was 'extremely unlikely' that the virus emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The head of WHO today insisted that the theory Covid-19 emerged in a laboratory in Wuhan has not been dismissed following a controversial fact-finding mission to China. Pictured: WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Shi Zhengli works with other researchers in a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province in February 2017

Speaking from Geneva today, Dr Tedros said: 'Some questions have been raised as to whether some hypotheses have been discarded.

'Having spoken with some members of the team, I wish to confirm that all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies.

'Some of that work may lie outside the remit and scope of this mission. We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the virus.

'The mission achieved a better understanding of the early days of the pandemic, and identified areas for further analysis and research. And we will continue working to get the information we need to answer the questions that still need to be answered.'

Did coronavirus originate in Chinese government laboratory? The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been collecting numerous coronaviruses from bats ever since the SARS outbreak in 2002. They have also published papers describing how these bat viruses have interacted with human cells. US Embassy staff visited the lab in 2018 and 'had grave safety concerns' over the protocols which were being observed at the facility. The lab is just eight miles from the Huanan wet market which is where the first cluster of infections erupted in Wuhan. The market is just a few hundred yards from another lab called the Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (WHCDC). The WHCDC kept disease-ridden animals in its labs, including some 605 bats. Those who support the theory argue that Covid-19 could have leaked from either or both of these facilities and spread to the wet market. Most argue that this would have been a virus they were studying rather than one which was engineered. Last year a bombshell paper from the Beijing-sponsored South China University of Technology recounted how bats once attacked a researcher at the WHCDC and 'blood of bat was on his skin.' The report says: 'Genome sequences from patients were 96% or 89% identical to the Bat CoV ZC45 coronavirus originally found in Rhinolophus affinis (intermediate horseshoe bat).' It describes how the only native bats are found around 600 miles away from the Wuhan seafood market and that the probability of bats flying from Yunnan and Zhejiang provinces was minimal. In addition there is little to suggest the local populace eat the bats as evidenced by testimonies of 31 residents and 28 visitors. Instead the authors point to research being carried out within 300 yards at the WHCDC. One of the researchers at the WHCDC described quarantining himself for two weeks after a bat's blood got on his skin, according to the report. That same man also quarantined himself after a bat urinated on him. And he also mentions discovering a live tick from a bat - parasites known for their ability to pass infections through a host animal's blood. 'The WHCDC was also adjacent to the Union Hospital (Figure 1, bottom) where the first group of doctors were infected during this epidemic.' The report says. 'It is plausible that the virus leaked around and some of them contaminated the initial patients in this epidemic, though solid proofs are needed in future study.' Advertisement

It comes as it emerged China refused to provide WHO investigators with 'raw, personalised data' on early coronavirus cases that could help them figure out how and when the virus first began to spread.

Authorities reportedly refused requests to provide this data on 174 cases of Covid-19 that were identified from the early outbreak in December 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Dominic Dwyer, an Australian microbiologist on the WHO team, said: 'They showed us a couple of examples, but that's not the same as doing all of them, which is standard epidemiological investigation.

'So then, you know, the interpretation of that data becomes more limited from our point of view, although the other side might see it as being quite good.'

It was said that China provided their own analysis of data on these cases, but would not provide the raw data which would have allowed WHO experts to carry out their own studies.

Earlier, Mr Embarek said it was 'extremely unlikely' the virus emerged from a lab in Wuhan, adding: 'It is not in the hypotheses that we will suggest for future studies.'

The findings amount to an almost full backing of Beijing's explanations for the source of the pandemic and will be a PR coup for the ruling communist party, which has repeatedly tried to pin the blame outside its borders.

It will also give ammunition to WHO's critics, who feared the investigation would be used to give legitimacy to a Chinese white-washing exercise with possibly embarrassing or incriminating evidence hidden from investigators.

It is hardly the first time that the WHO has come under fire for uncritically parroting information from Beijing - ex-President Trump made the same allegations last year before pulling US funding, a move that President Biden has now pledged to reverse.

Dr Tedros has also come in for heavy criticism for his praise of China - describing its 'commitment to transparency' as 'beyond words' during the early stages of the outbreak, despite strong doubts about data coming from Beijing and a past history of covering up disease outbreaks.

It was also revealed that Dr Tedros received support from Beijing while in the running to become WHO chief, and that China has often donated large sums of money to governments or organisations that he has been a part of.

During his press conference, Dr Embarek also backed assertions from Beijing that there is no evidence of transmission 'in Wuhan or elsewhere' in China before December 2019 - despite multiple studies suggesting the virus was circulating globally months earlier than that.

Outlining the findings of his team's month-long fact-finding mission, Dr Embarek said the team had failed to establish where the virus came from or how it first jumped into humans. Instead, he said the team had come up with four theories about its origins.

He said the most likely explanation is that the virus passed from its original host animal into an intermediary animal that comes into close contact with humans, before making the leap into people.

Intermediary animals could include frozen or chilled animal products sold at markets in Wuhan, including those imported from overseas, he said, outlining his second theory.

The next most-likely theory is that the virus jumped directly from its original host into humans, Dr Embarek said, putting forward bats as a likely source.

But, he said, humans and bats do not come into close contact in Wuhan and swabs of bats and various other animal species in China - including wild animals, pets, and farm animals - has failed to find the original source.

Dr Embarek called for more research to be carried out into all three of these theories, and said teams should be looking outside as well as inside of China's borders.

Dr Tedros today said he hoped a summary report from the mission would be published next week, with the full final report to follow in the coming weeks.

Multiple countries have uncovered evidence that the virus was circulating months earlier than originally thought. While Beijing has tried to insist this proves the virus originated elsewhere, most scientists still think China was the origin - raising the prospect that communist officials simply hid evidence of the early spread

Chinese scientists and officials have been keen to point the finger of blame outside their own borders - variously suggesting that the virus could have originated in Bangladesh, the US, Greece, Australia, India, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia or Serbia
MLSA chairperson Kevin OBoyle said the proposed deal does not address longstanding recruitment and retention issues which need to be addressed urgently.

Laboratory scientists who carry out Covid-19 testing have overwhelmingly rejected the proposed public sector pay deal Building Momentum.

Medical scientists carry out critical testing of patient samples, including for the coronavirus in public hospitals.

A total of 96pc of members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA) who have been involved in a long-running dispute for higher wages voted against the proposed agreement.

Some 71pc of members voted in the ballot after the unions national executive committee unanimously recommended rejection.

The proposed deal includes pay increases of up to 3pc over the next two years.

MLSA general secretary Terry Casey said the union is scheduled to meet employers in the Workplace Relations Commission before the collective ballot of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is announced on February 23.

Read More

The union said its response including its position on industrial action, would be informed by the discussions at this meeting.

MLSA chairperson Kevin OBoyle welcomed the strong endorsement by members of the executive committee position.

He said it sent a strong and clear message that the proposed deal does not address longstanding recruitment and retention issues in the laboratory sector and that these must be addressed urgently.

Mr Casey said a medical scientists dispute dates back to 2002 and involves a claim for pay parity with staff in biochemistry laboratories.

He said medical scientists carry out identical work, with the same responsibilities, and yet are paid on average 8pc less.

Public sector health workers from nurses, consultants to lab aides have secured significant pay increases in recent years, he said.

For medical scientists this, combined with the advancing role of laboratory diagnostics, increased responsibility, increased workloads and the longstanding challenges in recruitment and retention, mean these employment issues need to be addressed with the HSE, Health Department and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

He said there is a national shortage of medical scientists across the public health service, with up to 130 posts unfilled. Mr Casey said this was because of inferior pay and conditions, poor career structure and limited promotional opportunities.

The ballot result comes after the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland rejected the proposed deal earlier this week. However, members of the countrys largest union Siptu backed the agreement yesterday.

Meanwhile, members of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants have voted by 93pc to accept the agreement.

A total of 56pc of the associations 3,000 members voted in the ballot on the executive committees recommendation to accept the deal.
Leading global industry experts met at the virtual Agile Governance Global Summit to share international success stories in governance and enterprise agility both in the government and private sectors, as well as to discuss new trends and challenges in the sector.

Prof. Raed Awamleh, Dean of the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), joined a panel discussion titled Enterprise Agility Journey at the virtual event hosted by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).

Representatives from various high-profile organisations attended the Summit, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), and German multinational conglomerate Siemens, among others.

This years summit sought to shed light on lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing response.

The Enterprise Agility Journey panel discussion brought Prof Awamleh together with Trish Clancy, Managing Director and Partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Rodrique Engering, Chief Customer and Operations Officer at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce. The session was moderated by Abeer Al Ahmad, Manager of Agility at Dewa.

Prof Awamleh discussed his book Agility in Government Management, issued by MBRSG in cooperation with Dewa on January 21, underlining the need for new, unconventional, and more agile methods of governance, better capable of responding to rapid global changes and ensuring a better future for government institutions.

Agility in governance is the ability to adapt quickly and innovatively to rapid developments, stated Prof Awamleh.

Government entities must balance agility and stability. This requires a set of competencies that allow organisations to seamlessly restructure themselves and their systems in order to seize promising opportunities and address pressing challenges, he added.

Prof. Awamleh highlighted the importance of restructuring government entities to ensure their preparedness and enhance their agility in response to any circumstances. These entities must form dynamic internal teams to replace the traditional hierarchy, he noted.

There is an urgent need to adopt better and more modern human resources practices that meet current challenges and are in line with the new reality, stated Awamleh, stressing that regulation and policy labs will play a greater role in the future, ensuring policies and regulations meet the requirements for agility.

For her part, Boston Consulting Groups Trish Clancy presented the findings of a BCG survey on agility, canvassing local and federal governments, as well as entities active across a range of key sectors.

A prominent point of focus for Clancy was the importance of adopting technology and providing more efficient services as a means to ensure customers and consumers are at the top of these entities priorities.

Roderick Engering of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce agreed, pointing, in addition, to the importance of empowering employees and engaging them in the efforts to drive transformation and ensure agility.

The Agile Governance Global Summit 2021 included a full agenda of sessions, namely: Why We Do What We Do: Lessons Learned from Pandemic Response; Balancing Risk, Compliance, and Innovation: Operational Governance in Action During the Pandemic; and Global Trends in Corporate Governance for State-Owned Enterprises.

The panels brought together speakers from various government entities and private institutions to share their thoughts on agile regulations and governance.-TradeArabia News Service
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12)  Local officials of Misamis Oriental warned hog raisers to stop swill feeding after the Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao confirmed African Swine Fever cases in the province, and in Cagayan de Oro.

The infections were found in the towns of Manticao and Initao in Misamis Oriental, and barangays Mambuaya and San Simon in Cagayan de Oro, the DA reported.

DA Regional Executive Director Carlene Collado said its ASF task force is now implementing the Isolate, Eliminate and Compensate practice to help hog raisers. This means concerned offices and local government units will isolate the affected areas, eliminate the affected swine through culling, and compensate the affected raisers through indemnification.

Affected farmers will get P5,000 from the DA for every hog culled, while the local government of Misamis Oriental will provide P2,000.

"Sa mga hog farmers, ayaw pakan-a og mga pasaw ang inyong mga binuhing baboy kay wala mo kabalo nga contaminated na with ASF," Collado said.

[Translation: To our hog farmers, refrain from swill feeding because you might be feeding them contaminated scrap.]

Misamis Oriental Veterinary Office head Dr. Benjamin Resma said its office is now investigating how the ASF entered the province amid tight inspections at checkpoints.


A 16-year-old boy and another juvenile were taken to two area hospitals Thursday night after they were shot in Center Point, authorities said.

Jefferson County sheriffs deputies responded to a call of a person shot around 8 p.m. near the intersection of 6th Street NW and 15th Court NW in Center Point, said sheriffs office spokeswoman Sgt. Joni Money. When they arrived, they found a 16-year-old boy with a gunshot wound. He was taken to UAB Hospital; the severity of his injuries was not immediately known.

Shortly after they arrived on scene, the deputies were told that another victim, only identified as a juvenile, arrived at St. Vincents East Hospital with a gunshot wound, and that the shooting was believed to have occurred in northwest Center Point. That victims condition was also not immediately known.
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.
Saddled with hundreds of failed state companies in an economy barreling over a cliff, the Venezuelan government is abandoning socialist doctrine by offloading key enterprises to private investors, offering profit in exchange for a share of revenue or products.

Dozens of chemical plants, coffee processors, grain silos and hotels confiscated over the past two decades have been transferred -- but not sold -- to private operators in so-called strategic alliances, nine people with knowledge of the matter said. Managers cover payroll and investments, and deliver products and a percentage of their income to the government.

"We believe this is positive because it is the synchronization of the public sector with the private sector," said Ramon Lobo, a legislator with the ruling socialist party and former finance minister. "The state acts as a supervisor and receives compensation."

The shift is pronounced in agriculture, part of President Nicolas Maduro's effort to feed a hungry population after seven years of economic and social collapse. It isn't clear how much money is brought in by the new policy, which follows last year's passage of an "anti-blockade" law seeking to reduce the impact of U.S. sanctions and encourage investment. The government now allows dollar remittances to flow and private enterprise to flourish in small pockets.

Maduro took power eight years ago after the death of Hugo Chavez who launched the socialist revolution by confiscating more than 1,000 companies and numerous farms and properties, including assets of multinationals such as Kimberly-Clark, Cemex and Kellogg's. The new state-run enterprises failed miserably due to poor management. Using its vast oil income, the government replaced homegrown and homemade goods with imports.

But Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, was placed in the hands of cronies and also grew bloated, becoming in effect an arm of the party. It was run into the ground and forced to slash its output. Between that and recent U.S. sanctions, significantly increased during the Trump administration, a society that was once among the world's wealthiest has come undone.

More than 5 million Venezuelans have left in a desperate attempt to avoid ruin.

"Maduro's government took a U-turn at the end of 2019 by promoting a wild capitalism," Rodrigo Agudo, head of the Venezuela Food Network, said. "It stopped collecting taxes on certain businesses, granted licenses for imports and convinced military officials and others to invest money of unknown origins into local businesses."

The strategic alliances started to form quietly in 2017. Last year's publication of the anti-blockade law gave the deals a grounding in law, bypassing regulations such as bidding processes.

But the precise nature of the new deals -- whether leases, licenses or easements -- is unclear. The law bars disclosing such information theoretically to protect firms from U.S. sanctions, which are aimed at entities doing business with the government but spare private enterprises.

The agriculture and information ministries didn't respond to requests for comment.

The new arrangements are affecting major companies and mostly involve business people with ties to the government, but not exclusively. In some cases, seized properties are going back to those from whom they were taken. In others, the owners are refusing to take part.

Similar partnering terms have been set before in the oil industry. PDVSA granted local firms more control over state-run assets such as oil fields and gas-compressing plants to operate and raise production. And in some cases, PDVSA granted partners more equity at their joint-ventures.

Lobo, the socialist legislator, said the arrangements have time limits, typically five to 10 years, and work like a concession. The private company commits to invest, increase production under a deadline and manage the asset.

Most of the new arrangements are in rural parts of the country.

Agropatria, a monopoly-sized farm-supply business nationalized in 2010 that ran five companies, is now turning to private management. More than half of its 70 stores and two of its pesticides plants -- seized "to free producers from extortion and middlemen," according to then-president Chavez-- are now run by Agrollano 2910, a local farming firm investing almost $150 million to restock, according to four of the people.

Lacteos Los Andes, a large milk processor and beverage maker bought by the government in 2008, is now administered by a private Venezuelan firm, although no official changes in the board have been made.Two government grain processing plants -- mostly idle since their inauguration in 2007 -- have been transferred but not sold to local privates firms. So are milk and coffee plants built during Venezuela's oil boom and under bilateral agreements with regional allies like Cuba, Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina.

Conditions for the firms vary. The main contribution is a percentage of profits or production to the state. In some cases, a standardized monthly pay scale of $60-$80 for workers and technicians is being discussed by government and managers at the joint ventures, some of the people added.

Not all companies targeted by the government for partnership are generating interest. Local businesspeople are wary of years of poor upkeep under state supervision and are fearful of new nationalizations.

Maduro, who has cut allowances for some state and local governments in the crisis, has granted them leeway to partner with local firms to produce income. In December, the governor of the farming state of Portuguesa, Rafael Calles, told public media that alliances with the private sector in the administration of 24 state-owned companies raised $60,000 dollars a month for his office.The government has never publicized how many properties it has seized over the years. But a study by the national industrial chamber Conindustria said a total of 1,322 cattle farms, food stores, electricity companies, mills, glass manufacturers, banks, supermarkets and cold storage facilities were expropriated between 2002 and 2015.

Many ceased to exist and only around 700 remain. Most of their former owners are still waiting for compensation or are tied up in litigation in hopes to be compensated, according to a 2019 International Transparency study.

Some analysts note that what is happening in Venezuela has precedents in other leftist authoritarian states.

"This process is similar to the privatization process in Russia in that assets are transferred to private local companies and to investors from countries allied to the government," said Asdrubal Oliveros, head of economic consultancy Ecoanalitica, speaking of the 1990s. "But unlike in Russia there hasn't been a deep stabilization program with help from multilateral organizations. Being isolated and under sanctions makes it a different situation."

Uniqlo is closing its Union Square store in San Francisco, adding to the staggering list of vacant retail spaces in the citys premier shopping district.

The Japanese casual clothing company plans to lay off 69 workers and close the 111 Powell St. store by April 2, according to a state filing reviewed by The Chronicle. Affected staff include three store managers, nine assistant managers and 57 other workers.

Retailers are shuttering throughout downtown, with the apparel industry especially hard hit. H&M closed its flagship on Powell Street in October. Marshalls and Gap are also closing stores on Market Street, more blows to the citys fragile economy, which remains constricted by public health orders.

It wasnt immediately clear why Uniqlo is closing, but the coronavirus pandemic has slammed in-person shopping, and stores were already facing headwinds before the public health crisis as customers flocked to online shopping. A slew of burglaries have forced retailers such as B8ta, an electronics store, to close because of safety fears.

Uniqlo didnt return requests for comment. The company is also closing a Midtown Manhattan store and laying off 136 employees, citing the poor economy. Its flagship four-story Seoul store closed at the end of 2020, with both the coronavirus and boycotts due to tensions between Japan and South Korea hurting sales, according to Japanese business publication Nikkei.

Uniqlo opened the San Francisco store, its first on the West Coast, in 2012. The store featured a skylight, 91 rotating mannequins and 77 LCD screens at the time  showing off in the countrys tech hub. It also has a Stonestown Galleria store, which remains open.

CEO Tadashi Yanai, the richest man in Japan, told The Chronicle in 2012 that the city had great personal meaning to him. Forty-five years ago, when I was 18, I came to San Francisco by boat and took two weeks to get here, he said. I had a great impression. I think San Francisco is the welcoming gate for people from Asia.

But in 2021, the city is facing one of its greatest economic crises in history.

Kazuko Morgan, a retail broker at Cushman & Wakefield, said downtown shopping is suffering, with office workers and tourism evaporating, but the city has brighter prospects beyond the pandemic. We just dont have people downtown, its a density thing, she said. Long-term, San Francisco is an extremely important market. She said multiple retailers are currently interested in signing new leases in the city.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Overall, we are feeling much better about the market, she said.

Low-wage workers, including retail employees, have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, with 1 million low-wage jobs lost between February and December 2020, a decline of 10.4%, according to California Employment Development Department data. High-wage workers lost only 431,000 jobs, or 4.2%.

The state expects that some industries, including retail, will never fully rebound to pre-pandemic employment levels.

Some sectors are never going to recover their jobs, said Somjita Mitra, chief of economic research at the California Department of Finance, during a Friday public hearing on the San Francisco economy. The pandemic has disproportionately affected low-wage workers.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
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One impeachment manager, Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado, talked about her experience during the attack and how as she and others ran to safety, she saw a SWAT team with guns pointed at rioters on the floor. Ms. DeGette said she wondered: Who sent them there?

She shared comments from rioters, including from a Texas real estate agent named Jennifer L. Ryan. I thought I was following my president, Ms. Ryan said. I thought I was following what we were called to do. He asked us to fly there, he asked us to be there, so I was doing what he asked us to do.

In another clip, Ms. Ryan said, President Trump requested that we be in D.C. on the 6th, so this was our way of going and stopping the steal.

After Joseph R. Biden Jr. denounced the attack on television and made a plea to Mr. Trump to speak on national television and demand an end to this siege, one rioter asked, Does he not realize President Trump called us to siege the place?
Taylor Hill showed off her knockout legs in a camisole and shorts as she posed on a beach in Miami this Friday.

The 24-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel was doing a photo shoot for the brand in which she teamed the sleepwear with a wedding veil.

She was joined by plus-size model Devyn Garcia who flaunted her figure in white lace lingerie and a matching mini-robe.

Swanking about: Taylor Hill showed off her knockout legs in cut-off pajamas as she posed up on a beach in Miami this Friday

During the photo-shoot Taylor could also be seen modeling a powder blue set of workout gear that hinted at her trim midriff.

Victoria's Secret has recently drawn notice for pivoting to include more fuller-figured models than in previous years.

A couple of years ago Taylor shared some of her fitness tips with HollywoodLife.com, including her workout regimen with trainer Lauren Duhamel.

Lacy lingerie: She was joined by plus-size model Devyn Garcia who flaunted her figure in white lace lingerie and a matching mini-robe

Last April after going into lockdown amid the pandemic Devyn shared on Instagram: 'Love being home with family but Im missing work.'

Meanwhile Taylor told StyleCaster the following month that she had gone into self-isolation with her mother, saying: 'My mom traveled with me everywhere when I was 14 and I just now have a newfound appreciation for how hard she works.'

The proud daughter said: 'Our relationship has grown, we are closer than ever as shes turning into not just my mom, but my friend.'

There's Taylor: The 24-year-old Victoria's Secret Angel was doing a photo-shoot for the brand in which she teamed the sleepwear with a wedding veil

Last month Taylor was spotted lapping up the sunshine during a vacation to St. Barts with her boyfriend Daniel Fryer.

A slew of celebrities had been traveling to St. Barts during the holiday season including John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Amy Schumer and Sofia Richie.

Daniel and Taylor were first seen together last March after reportedly splitting from her longtime boyfriend Michael Stephen Shank earlier in 2020.
President Joe Biden accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (not pictured) attends a meeting with business leaders at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 9, 2021. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

DOJ Asks Courts to Put TikTok Appeals on Hold Pending Biden Team Review

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday asked two federal appeals courts to put on hold government appeals of lower court rulings blocking restrictions the Trump administration imposed on Chinese-owned app TikTok.

Under former President Donald Trump, the Commerce Department sought to ban Apple Inc and Alphabet Incs Google app stores from offering TikTok for download to new users and to ban other technical transactions TikTok said would effectively bar the apps use in the United States.

Three federal judges in separate rulings blocked Commerce orders on TikTok and for Chinese-owned WeChat.

The Justice Department told appeals courts for the District of Columbia and the Third Circuit that the Commerce Department plans to conduct an evaluation of the underlying record justifying those prohibitions to determine if they are warranted by the national security threat Trump described.

Late Wednesday, the Third Circuit agreed to cancel oral arguments that had been set for Thursday and directed the government to file a status report in 60 days.

Earlier, the White House said it has an ongoing review of risks TikTok may present to U.S. data but stressed it has taken no new proactive step related to a pending plan for U.S. investors to acquire the Chinese-owned companys American operations.

The TikTok logo is pictured outside the companys U.S. head office in Culver City, Calif., on Sept. 15, 2020. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it is not accurate to suggest that there is a new proactive step by the Biden White House related to TikTok.

She said the administration was still conducting a comprehensive review of the risks to U.S. data  including from TikTok, and will address them in a decisive and effective fashion.

Reuters on Wednesday, citing two people briefed on the matter, reported that the plan unveiled in September for U.S. investors, including Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc, to buy a majority stake in TikToks American operations could face months of additional reviews, as the new Biden administration conducts a wide-ranging review of China policy.

The Trump administration had contended that TikTok poses national security concerns as the personal data of U.S. users could be obtained by Chinas government.

Many key Biden administration officials are not yet in place to review TikToks status. TikTok declined to comment.

Walmart declined to comment. Oracle did not respond to requests for comment.

Under pressure from the Trump administration, ByteDance, which owns TikTok, was in talks for months to finalize the deal with Walmart and Oracle to shift TikToks American assets into a new entity to address U.S. security concerns. Those talks have continued since Biden took office last month, sources said.

In early December, the Trump administration chose not to grant ByteDance a new extension of an August order that required the company to divest TikToks U.S. assets. The Justice Department had the power to enforce the divestiture order once the deadline expired, but it has taken no enforcement action.

By David Shepardson and Steve Holland
However, students are required to carry a valid photo identification card issued by their educational institutions and produce these while purchasing tickets or passes

Students in Chennai have been permitted to travel in suburban trains from 15 February. Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted, "Students will now be able to conveniently travel along with the Chennai Suburban Rail Network from 15 February, 2021."

He further wrote that students are requested to adhere to all standard COVID-19 safety protocols while travelling in the suburban trains.

 Students will now be able to conveniently travel along the Chennai Suburban Rail Network from 15th February, 2021.  Students are requested to adhere to all standard COVID-19 safety protocols.  Railways strives to deliver safe & convenient travel to all passengers. pic.twitter.com/ksKPKVVVTY  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 12, 2021

According to a report in NDTV, both male and female students will be allowed to travel in trains throughout the day, including peak hours.

However, they will have to carry a valid photo identification card issued by their educational institutions and produce these while purchasing tickets or passes. In the course of their journey, they will have to produce the tickets along with their IDs in the course of an inspection.

According to a report in Business Line, the South Railways has permitted a phased opening of services to various categories of passengers on Chennai's suburban services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a report in The Hindu, a note approved by the general manager and issued by the commercial department of Southern Railway also stated that students studying in various colleges could travel at any time of the day in the workmen special trains, without any peak-hour restrictions in pace for common people.

However, there will be random checks to verify the genuineness of ID cards produced by the students, with the respective college authorities.
(TNS)  State and federal officials are warning all water utilities to upgrade their cybersecurity after hackers attempted to poison the water supply of a small Florida city, raising alarms about the vulnerability of the nation's water systems.The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources cautioned Wisconsin's 611 municipal water systems Wednesday to take steps to secure their computerized control systems, including installing firewalls and using strong passwords.According to the DNR, on Feb. 5, unidentified hackers gained access to the control system at a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida, and altered the supply of sodium hydroxide, or lye, a caustic chemical used in the water treatment process.The hackers broke in twice on the same day, but in both cases workers at the treatment plant noticed the change and corrected the problem before the water was affected.The DNR did not respond to questions about whether it is tracking utility responses to the recommended measures, which were outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency. Officials from the Madison and Sun Prairie water utilities, the largest in Dane County, could not be reached late Wednesday afternoon.Suspicious incidents are rarely reported and usually are chalked up to mechanical or procedural errors, experts say. No federal reporting requirement exists, and state and local rules vary widely."In the industry, we were all expecting this to happen. We have known for a long time that municipal water utilities are extremely underfunded and under-resourced, and that makes them a soft target for cyberattacks," said Lesley Carhart, principal incident responder at Dragos Security, which specializes in industrial control systems."I deal with a lot of municipal water utilities for small, medium and large-sized cities. And in a lot of cases, all of them have a very small IT staff. Some of them have no dedicated security staff at all," she said.The nation's 151,000 public water systems lack the financial fortification of the corporate owners of nuclear power plants and electrical utilities. They are a heterogenous patchwork, less uniform in technology and security measures than in other rich countries.As the computer networks of vital infrastructure become easier to reach via the Internet  and with remote access multiplying dizzily during the COVID-19 pandemic  security measures often get sacrificed. That appeared to be the case at Oldsmar.Cybersecurity experts said the attack at the plant 15 miles northwest of Tampa seemed ham-handed, it was so blatant. Whoever breached Oldsmar's plant on Friday using a remote access program shared by plant workers briefly increased the amount of sodium hydroxide by a factor of 100, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. Lye is used to lower acidity, but in high concentrations it is highly caustic and can burn. It's found in drain cleaning products.How the hacker got in remains unclear, Gualtieri said. But some details have emerged.The DNR advisory said the intruder got in through software called TeamViewer, which plant operators use to monitor the system.It was loaded on all computers used by plant personnel, all of which were connected to the plant's control system, the advisory said, adding that all users shared the same password  ignoring cybersecurity best practices. Those computers "appeared to be connected directly to the Internet without any type of firewall protection installed."
[February 12, 2021] New EU Consortium shaping the future of Quantum Computing

ESPOO, Finland, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A project consortium which includes startups, industry, research centers, supercomputing centers and academia has come together to accelerate Europes Quantum leadership efforts. IQM Quantum Computers will bring the members of this project consortium together and lead this project as a system integrator. Europe has always been excellent in academic research, but over the past few decades commercializing research projects has been slow compared to international competition. This is starting to change with quantum technologies. As one of the largest efforts in Europe and worldwide, Germany announced  2 Billion funding into quantum programs in June 2020, from which 120 Million are invested in this current round of research grants. Today, IQM announced a Quantum project consortium that includes Europe's leading startups (ParityQC, IQM), industry leaders (Infineon Technologies), research centers (Forschungszentrum Julich), supercomputing centers (Leibniz Supercomputing Centre), and academia (Freie Universitat Berlin) has been awarded  12.4 Million from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (Announcement in German). The scope of the project is to accelerate commercialization through an innovative co-design concept. This project focuses on application-specific quantum processors, which have the potential to create a fastlane to quantum advantage. The digital-analog concept used to operate the processors will further lay the foundation for commercially viable quantum computers. This project will run for four years and aims to develop a 54-qubit quantum processor. The project is intended to support the European FET Flagship project EU OpenSuperQ, announced in 2018 which is aimed at designing, building, and operating a quantum information processing system of up to 100 qubits. Deploying digital-analog quantum computing, this consortium adds a new angle to the OpenSuperQ project and widens its scope. With efforts from Munich, Berlin and Julich, as well as Parity QC from Austria, the project builds bridges and seamlessly integrates into the European quantum landscape. "The grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany is a huge recognition of our unique co-design approach for quantum computers. Last year when we established our office in Munich, this was one of our key objectives. The concept allows us to become a system integrator for full-stack quantum computers by bringing together all the relevant players. As Europe's leading startup in quantum technologies, this gives us confidence to further invest in Germany and other European countries" said Dr. Jan Goetz, CEO of IQM Quantum Computers. As European technology leader, Germany is taking several steps to lead the quantum technology race. An important role of such leadership is to bring together the European startups, industry, research and academic partners. This project will give the quantum landscape in Germany an accelerated push and will create a vibrant quantum ecosystem in the region for the future. Additional Quotes: "DAQC is an important project for Germany and Europe. It enables us to take a leading role in the area of quantum technologies. It also allows us to bring quantum computing into one of the prime academic supercomputing centres to more effectively work on the important integration of high-performance computing and quantum computing. We are looking forward to a successful collaboration," said Prof. Dr Martin Schulz, Member of the Board of Directors, Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ). "The path towards scalable and fully programmable quantum computing will be the parallelizability of gates and building with reduced complexity in order to ensure manageable qubit control. Our ParityQC architecture is the blueprint for a fully parallelizable quantum computer, which comes with the associated ParityOS operating system. With the team of extraordinary members of the DAQC consortium this will allow us to tackle the most pressing and complex industry-relevant optimization problems." said Magdalena Hauser & Wolfgang Lechner, CEOs & Co-founder ParityQC "We are looking forward to exploring and realizing a tight connection between hardware and applications, and having DAQC quantum computers as a compatible alternative within the OpenSuperQ laboratory. Collaborations like this across different states, and including both public and private partners, have the right momentum to move quantum computing in Germany forward." said Prof. Frank Wilhelm-Mauch, Director, Institute for Quantum Computing Analytics, Forschungszentrum Julich "At Infineon, we are looking forward to collaborating with top-class scientists and leading start-ups in the field of quantum computing in Europe. We must act now if we in Germany and Europe do not want to become solely dependent on American or Asian know-how in this future technology area. We are very glad to be part of this highly innovative project and happy to contribute with our expertise in scaling and manufacturing processes." said Dr. Sebastian Luber, Senior Director Technology & Innovation, Infineon Technologies AG "This is a hugely exciting project. It is a chance of Europe and Germany to catch up in the development of superconducting quantum computers. I am looking forward to adventures on understanding how such machines can be certified in their precise functioning." said Prof. Jens Eisert, Professor of Quantum Physics, Freie Universitat Berlin About IQM Quantum Computers: IQM is the European leader in superconducting quantum computers, headquartered in Espoo, Finland. Since its inception in 2018, IQM has grown to 80+ employees and has also established a subsidiary in Munich, Germany, to lead the co-design approach. IQM delivers on-premises quantum computers for research laboratories and supercomputing centers and provides complete access to its hardware. For industrial customers, IQM delivers quantum advantage through a unique application-specific co-design approach. IQM has raised  71 Million from VCs firms and also public grants and is also building Finland's first quantum computer. For more information, visit www.meetiqm.com. Registered offices:







IQM Finland Oy

Keilaranta 19

02150 Espoo

FINLAND

www.meetiqm.com IQM GERMANY GmbH

Nymphenburgerstr. 86

80636 Munchen

Germany

IQM: Facts and Figures IQM offices: Espoo, Finland , and Munich, Germany .

, and . Number of employees currently ( February 2021 ): 80+ employees

): 80+ employees Funding: Over  71 Million from private investors and public grants.

Founding Year: 2018 Founders: Dr. Jan Goetz , CEO, Co-founder of IQM

, CEO, Co-founder of IQM Dr. Kuan Yen Tan , CTO, Co-founder of IQM

, CTO, Co-founder of IQM Prof. Mikko Mottonen, Chief scientist, Co-founder of IQM

Dr. Juha Vartiainen , COO, Co-founder of IQM Media Contact: Raghunath Koduvayur, Head of Marketing and Communications, Raghunath@meetiqm.com, +358504876509 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1437806/IQM_Quantum_Computers_Founders.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1437807/IQM_Quantum_computer_design.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1121497/IQM_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-eu-consortium-shaping-the-future-of-quantum-computing-301227670.html SOURCE IQM Finland Oy

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A man who threatened a woman with a knife in front of her three young children has been jailed for four years.

Joseph Cahill (42) of Bawnlea Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin was one of two men who attacked the woman after she had arranged to meet them to sell two rings she had advertised on the Done Deal website.

Cahill was armed with a knife and his accomplice had a gun when they met Eileen Hughes and her husband in a car park at Fortunestown shopping centre in Tallaght on March 25, 2018.

The court heard that Ms Hughes had wanted to pay for a family holiday and advertised two rings for sale on DoneDeal, which were valued at 12,000 in total.

She got a call from a man who told her he was looking to buy his partner a ring for their anniversary. She could hear a child in the background and later told gardai that she believed this was to lull her into a false sense of security.

They arranged to meet this man in the car park at Fortunestown and the man asked to inspect the rings. He asked for paperwork and after taking the second ring, he said he wanted to show his friend the rings.

The court heard that this man then pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ms Hughes stomach saying dont effing follow us."

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The gunman went to run away and the victim ran after him and grabbed on to him even as he jumped into the driver side of his car. The court heard that Cahill then came around and tried to pull the victim off and they ended rolling around on the ground.

The woman later told gardai that she didn't even know Cahill had a knife until her husband ran across and told her. The gunman then pointed the gun at husband and the robbers drove off.

The court heard that the woman's three children, aged 4, 6 and 9 were in her jeep at the time.

Last November a jury convicted Cahill of robbery. He had pleaded not guilty to the single count. He has over 100 previous convictions including burglary, theft and offences involving stolen cars.

Judge Karen OConnor said that the victim had travelled with her children on what should have been a day of celebration and fun as the rings were being sold to pay for a holiday.

The victim had instead suffered a horrendous journey home following her children witnessing their mother being attacked, the judge said.

She sentenced Mr Cahill to five years, suspending the final twelve months on the condition that he keep the peace for the period of the sentence.
WILTON  State Police arrested a Wilton attorney on grand larceny charges after authorities claim she stole $1.4 million from a client.

Ellen K. Zwijacz, 42, was charged with one count each of first-degree grand larceny and scheme to defraud, as well as two counts of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, police said in a news release issued Friday.

Police say an investigation, done in conjunction with the Saratoga County District Attorneys Office, determined that Zwijacz stole the money from a client who had hired her to assist with legal matters.

Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said Friday that Zwijacz is accused of having stolen funds, personal property "and other effects" from two victims, as well as the estate of one of the victims that she was overseeing in a fiduciary capacity.

The alleged crimes occurred in Wilton between 2013 and 2018, Heggen said.

It was unclear Friday where Zwijacz operates her law practice.

"I dont know whether she maintains an office other than at her home ... our understanding is that she was working, practicing by herself," Heggen said.

Attempts to reach Zwijacz on Friday were unsuccessful.

Police say she was processed and arraigned in Wilton Town Court Friday, and is scheduled to reappear March 23.

State Police are asking members of the public who may have additional information regarding Zwijacz or the case to call their Financial Crimes Unit at 518-786-2192 or email fcu@troopers.ny.gov.
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A member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel on Police Brutality, Rinu Oduala, has said she is stepping down from the panel.

Ms Oduala, a member of the panel representing the youth constituency, said she was taking the decision because of the governments insincerity.

Let me be clear: I chose to honour the invitation to represent my peers and to stand as an example that any Nigerian has the right to demand accountability of elected government officials and that our institutions, however flawed, can still deliver justice.

What I will not do is be part of a cover-up, she said.

Ms Oduala, 22, was among those whose bank accounts were frozen by the Nigerian government in the wake of the October 20 killing of peaceful protesters by soldiers at the Lekki Tollgate.

Two days ago, a federal court in Abuja ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to unfreeze her account and that of 19 others.

Read her full statement below

Lets stay the course of justice, partial wins are not enough

After going silent for a month, troll accounts dedicated to disparaging my work and sowing doubt about my age, occupation and right to express myself as a citizen of Nigeria were reactivated.

Their task was simple: target me by releasing fake tweets and turn the public against me.

My stand on the reopening on the toll gate remains clear; the state government and the private organisation which operates the toll have not been cleared of collusion with elements allegedly deployed by the federal government to target Nigerian citizens on home soil during a time of peace, without provocation.

Justice has not been served, and as a representative of the Nigerian citizenry, my only recourse is to stay the course of justice.

Let me be clear: I chose to honour the invitation to represent my peers and to stand as an example that any Nigerian has the right to demand accountability of elected government officials and that our institutions, however flawed, can still deliver justice.

What I will not do is be part of a cover-up.

I am proud that I took the invitation because some of the successes the panel has recorded so far have been incredibly powerful for the people.

For the first time, SARS victims have had the opportunity to be truly seen and heard by the government, by the public, and by the system that allowed them to be victims in the first place.

The panel allowed victims of police intimidation and brutality to have their day in the light of justice. They got to expose the violence that was meted out, to experience some catharsis from having the government acknowledge its failures and, in many cases, are going to be receiving some compensation, however inadequate for the disruption to their lives. This is further than we have ever come as a nation, and while this same rigour was not applied to the case of the Lekki Toll shootings, we can at least celebrate the wins that our brothers and sisters can finally claim in their fight for justice, and recognise that our collective will is more powerful than any institution.

However, partial wins are not enough for me.

I decided to join this fight because I wanted the government to recognise its failures and work to overhaul its security institutions. I did not expect piecemeal acknowledgements and efforts to sabotage vital proceedings.

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On 6th February 2021, we were ambushed with votes to reopen the toll gates. I participated because I do not believe in silence. It is clear where my loyalties lie. But at the end of the day, parties on the panel voted to reopen the toll, citing lost jobs as more important than justice for lost lives through a proceeding that didnt form a proper quorum without any of the youth reps who represent the youth constituency that birthed the idea of the panel, and on whose mandates the panels were set up. Coupled with the undue intimidation of peaceful protesters, the cyber attacks accounts loyal to the government, and many more, I will be stepping down from the Lagos Judicial Panel as it is now obvious that the government is only out to use us for performative actions.

We must not forget the purpose of this panel: to address injustice and create accountability for the SARS brutality and for the heinous events on 20th October 2020. When calls for justice are subsumed by commercial concerns and vested interests, it calls into question the legitimacy and integrity of the entire affair and the impartiality of the proceedings. Without a final panel report or actionable steps, we are returning to the status quo.
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A third person has been charged over an alleged sex slave operation where at least four women were allegedly drugged and tattooed as property.

Hannah Christina Stead, 23, was allegedly involved in the illegal enterprise in 2019 and faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.

Alleged leader Matthew James Markcrow, 35, and his girlfriend Crystal Marie Sawyer, 23, were arrested and charged after police raided two Brisbane properties last week.

Hannah Christina Stead (pictured), 23, was allegedly involved in an alleged sex slave operation in 2019 and faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday

The alleged leader Matthew James Markcrow (left), 35, and his girlfriend Crystal Marie Sawyer (right), 23, were arrested and charged over their alleged involvement last week

Police allege at least four young women have been drugged, tattooed, filmed and exploited into unpaid prostitution in the alleged sex slave operation.

In court on Friday, Stead was charged with conducting a business involving servitude with a victim under 18 and unlawful prostitution, The Courier-Mail reported.

The Lite n' Easy factory worker was granted bail on the condition that she not contact Markcrow, Sawyer and five other women and report to Sandgate police station once a week.

Markcrow and Sawyer were arrested when police raided two properties in South Brisbane and Mount Gravatt East last week.

Four females, aged 17 to 24, were allegedly found at the Mount Gravatt East home and police say more alleged victims have now come forward as a result of media coverage.

Markcrow is alleged to have tattooed the women recruited in his prostitution ring with the phrase 'property of Matt M'.

A post by Markcrow showing four women with the same tattoo 'property of Matt M' (pictured)

He is charged with conducting a business involving servitude, making recordings in breach of privacy, and conducting a business of unlawful prostitution.

Sawyer is also charged with running the illegal prostitution business in which the women were treated as 'slaves', police said.

Markcrow was remanded in custody at the Brisbane Magistrates Court last week.

Co-accused Sawyer also appeared last week and was granted bail provided she not go within 100 metres of the house, report to police twice weekly, and not contact certain people including Markcrow.

After her hearing last week, Sawyer was seen fleeing from the courthouse until she was confronted by a photographer.

Crystal Sawyer is pictured leaving Brisbane watchhouse on Friday afternoon

Sawyer, who was wearing bright orange exercise tights, was then seen sprinting towards the photographer demanding he stop taking her picture before tripping and hitting the ground.

She then storms off claiming the snapper did not have 'permission' to take her photo.

'Don't take my f**king photo! You didn't ask for my permission!' She is heard saying.

Markcrow, Sawyer and the newly-charged Stead will appear in court on February 24.
Lucknow, Feb 12 : The Ambedkar Mahasabha Trust has decided to associate itself with Ram temple construction and will gift a silver brick to the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on behalf of the Dalit community.

A five-member delegation of the Ambedkar Mahasabha Trust, headed by Chairman of the Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation, Dr Lalji Prasad Nirmal, will meet the office bearers of Ram temple trust in Ayodhya on February 14 next and present them a silver brick.

Dr Nirmal said that like every other section of the society, the Dalits and other marginalised sections are excited over the temple construction.

He said the Dalit community expresses its gratitude towards the judiciary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for paving the way for the construction of Ram temple.

When it comes to general political knowledge in West Texas, the name Emma Grigsby Meharg may not ring any bells, but perhaps it should. Meharg was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State for the State of Texas, doing so in the mid-1920s under governor Miriam Ma Ferguson who was the first woman governor of Texas. What may be of more interest is that Meharg lived in Plainview.

It was a fact that came as a surprise to Dr. Rebekah Crowe, a professor of history at Wayland Baptist University. Meharg was born in Lynnville, Tenn, Aug. 14, 1873, eventually making her way to Plainview. She died in 1937 and is buried in the Plainview cemetery. Crowes interest in researching the political trailblazer led to a book deal with Texas Tech University Press.

Crowe has been working on identifying local suffragists -- those advocating for the right to vote for women. It is a project she shared with members of the Hale County Genealogical Society, sparking a conversation with Carolyn Courtney about Meharg. While Meharg wasnt initially her primary focus, Dr. Crowe kept her in mind as she continued to work on her research. Despite being hampered by COVID-19 restrictions at libraries and archival institutions, Dr. Crowe presented a paper on local suffragists at the Western History Conference last October where an editor from Texas Tech Press showed an interest in her project.

When I told him I hadnt been able to make any progress on it because of the pandemic but I did have some other ideas, she said, he expressed interest in [Meharg.]

It turns out, Meharg was an early trustee at Texas Tech University following her years as Secretary of State. The editor signed Crowe to a book deal for a biography of Meharg with a deadline of August 2022. Crowe said they agreed to the deal thinking there would be enough accessible research that she could move forward at this time in spite of COVID restrictions.

She is well-known enough that there will be sources I can get to without having to actually do as much in-person research, Crowe said.

Meharg moved to Plainview from East Texas when her husband accepted a job as a local principal. She served as a school teacher prior to her time in politics. Meharg had grown kids by the time she was named Secretary of State, and was able to balance being a wife and mother while serving in a state government office  a feat that was unprecedented at the time. Crowe said she found an article from the Corsicana paper that talks about how Meharg came home to Plainview for a couple of weeks when her daughter gave birth.

They were just going on and on and waxing eloquent about the fact that she was a such a good mom and good grandma, but she also had an office in Austin and was powerful, she said.

Crowe has not yet begun her in-depth research of Meharg, and said she isnt sure what she will find. She points to the fact that Governor Ferguson did not have a good relationship with suffragists, contrary to what one might initially believe. Crowe said it will be interesting to see how Meharg was accepted by suffragists.

You would think that women who wanted women to hold office and have the right to vote would be excited about this, but I dont know that thats what Im going to find when I get into everything, Crowe said. I think it will be this situation that we still see today with womens rights  Do you vote for someone just because shes a woman, even though you disagree with her politics?

I think were going to find that its been that way from the very beginning.
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Qatar is working to revive the Iran nuclear deal, according to the Gulf states top diplomat.

The State of Qatar is working on de-escalation through a political and diplomatic process to return to the nuclear agreement, said Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Thani said Qatar is in talks with both Iran and the United States on the issue, the outlet reported.

The Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), came into effect in 2015. Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear energy program in exchange for the lifting of US and UN sanctions. Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China signed the landmark agreement.

The JCPOA started to unravel in 2018 when former US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal and reimposed sanctions. The agreement remains technically intact, but Iran has stopped abiding by its stipulations. In January, Iran reached a uranium enrichment level of 20%  far above the 3.67% maximum mandated by the JCPOA.

US President Joe Biden wants to return to the JCPOA but wants Iran to return to compliance first. Iranian officials have said the United States must first remove sanctions for this happen since it left in the first place.

Qatar is in a unique position to possibly bridge the divide between Iran and the United States. Qatar has relatively good relations with the Islamic Republic compared to its Gulf neighbors. Qatars ambassador to the United States, Meshal Al-Thani, told Al-Monitor in June that Qatar has a relation of necessity with Iran due to their shared gas field. Qatar also hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East and has been considered a strong US ally by different presidential administrations.

The lack of water around Taj Mahal could potentially be disastrous for the monument.

Experts say the Taj Mahal is built on massive wooden slippers that have shrunk over the years because of the decrease in the flow of the Yamuna.

"If a barrage is constructed, it would not only add to the life of the Taj Mahal but would also beautify the surroundings with a water front. The matter has been pending clearance and we cannot understand the reason for the delay," said an ASI official.

File Image

Alarming situation

Archaeologists and conservationists have already rung the alarm bells on lack of water in the Yamuna. The then BJP MP from Agra, Ram Shankar Katehria, said that a dry Yamuna was a threat to the Taj Mahal.

"Several studies have been carried out on this. There are shafts of wood holding together the foundation of the monument. This wood needs to be moistened by the river's waters to lend strength to the foundation. But the water table below the structure is depleting because of a dry Yamuna," he said.

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Naveen Jain, Agra mayor, said that Taj Mahal's beauty is under threat due to lack of water.

We're concerned about Taj Mahal's beauty due to lack of water consistency around it. Consistent water flow around Taj Mahal also solidifies its foundation. If there's no water, it leads to algae,bugs which hamper its beauty. Request Centre to look into it: Naveen Jain, Agra mayor pic.twitter.com/NR1G0MuSYV  The Times Of India (@timesofindia) February 12, 2021

"We're concerned about Taj Mahal's beauty due to lack of water consistency around it. Consistent water flow around Taj Mahal also solidifies its foundation. If there's no water, it leads to algae, bugs which hamper its beauty. Request Centre to look into it," he said.

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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Noted music composer Vanraj Bhatia is leading a penniless existence at the age of 94. Music composer Ehsaan Noorani, of the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio, posted about Bhatia's plight on Facebook, seeking financial help.

"Vanraj Bhatia is one composer I respect immensely please help him," Noorani wrote and posted the following under, "Senior music composer Vanraj Bhatia is 94 years old and is unfortunately living day to day only through donations from friends and well wishers. He has no income and very little money left in his bank account. Next month he has to pay his medical insurance. I am trying to raise some money to help him. As we all know - small drops make a large ocean - so if you can find it in your heart to donate anything upwards of Rs. 1,000/- , it will allow an old man and a wonderful composer to live out the rest of his life with some dignity and comfort."

It was reported in September 2019 that the noted music composer has been living a tough life. The composer who gave music for several films such as Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, has been living alone with his domestic help and had put his crockery and other artefacts on sale for survival, reported Pune Mirror.

Bhatia is best known for his work in Indian New Wave cinema. He is also one of the leading composers of Western classical music in India. He is a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the television film Tamas (1988), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Creative and Experimental Music (1989) and India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri (2012).

The highly contagious variant of the Covid-19 virus first found in Britain accounts for some 17.8% of all new infections in Italy , with the infection rate ticking up in many parts of the country, the health ministry said on Friday.

The estimated Covid-19 reproduction "R" number has risen to 0.95 from 0.84 a week ago, the health ministry said, as officials warned that new restrictions are likely to be announced later in the day for a number of regions.

Also Read | India speeds up vaccination drive

British scientists have said the variant, first identified in southeast England at the end of last year, is up to 70% more contagious than other variants, with a mortality risk around 30% higher.

"It is probably destined to become the prevalent one (in Italy) in the coming months," Italy's National Institute of Health said in a statement on Friday.

Italy has registered 92,729 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world. The country has reported 2.68 million cases to date.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Following the January 6 riot at the Capitol, Joe Biden had this to say about the police force that, at a great personal cost, prevented the rioters from completely overrunning the building and injuring members of Congress, as well as the U.S. Vice President:

Not only did we see the failure to protect one of the three branches of our government, we also saw a clear failure to carry out equal justice. No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday, they wouldnt have been treated very differently than the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol. We all know thats true. And it is unacceptable.

Biden is like a little boy with a new toy  in his case, the language of BLM and equal justice. He cant stop playing with it. And as long as the Washington Post applauds, he never will.

But Biden is dead wrong about the Capitol Police. As Marc Thiessen notes, the video played by the impeachment managers shows a heroic police force acting courageously to thwart the mob:

We saw officers running toward the mob while senators fled, holding off the horde that was just 58 steps away to give them time to escape. We saw how Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman saved Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who was headed right for the mob until Goodman ran toward him, waving his hands, and turned him around in the opposite direction. We saw how Secret Service officers hid the vice president in an office less than 100 feet from the ascending mob as Goodman diverted them, and then exfiltrated Pence and his family to a more secure location. If Goodman had not acted and the mob had arrived seconds earlier, they would have been in eyesight of the vice president. We saw Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) escaping down a hallway and coming within just yards of the rioters, before his protective detail quickly rushed him back through a pair of doors at the mouth of the hallway, and then used their bodies to hold the doors closed.

We also know that an officer searched frantically for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was hiding in the bathroom in another building, so he could ensure her safety. Ocasio-Cortez misconstrued this as threatening conduct, but thats her problem.

Unlike Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Senators acknowledge the heroism of those who protected them on January 6. Schumer says:

As for me and my situation, I just want to give tremendous credit to the Capitol Police officers who were in my detail. They are utterly amazing and great, and we love them.

In the context of an impeachment trial, it serves the interests of Democrats to cast the Capitol Police as good guys and victims, not as thugs and racists. But impeachment aside, I doubt that even Schumer would slander members of the force after they rescued him from the mob.

Joe Biden was eager to do so. As Thiessen observes:

[A]t the very moment when Americans of all political stripes were united in outrage, [Biden] sought to divide us. Worse, he did it by accusing the heroes who saved our elected representatives of bigotry, saying they would have treated Black protesters differently.

If Biden could string a few sentences together with the articulateness of an average 16 year-old, he would be a demagogue. America will never unite behind him. Nor should it.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 21:54:41|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran will launch a direct shipping line from the southern port city of Bandar Abbas to Syrian port of Latakia on March 10, Head of Iran-Syria Joint Chamber of Commerce Keyvan Kashefi announced on Friday.

Cargo ships will carry freight from Iran to Syria once per month, Kashefi was quoted as saying by Tehran Times daily.

If demand for shipping to Syria increases, the cargo service could be offered twice a month, he said.

"There are no restrictions on export items. These ships are both container and bulk carriers, and any trader can choose Syria as the export destination," he added.

Regular shipping services will have a positive impact on the volume of Iranian exports to Syria and the trade between the two countries, the official said.

According to the report, Iran and Syria also signed an agreement in July 2019 to connect the southwestern Iranian port of Imam Khomeini to Syria's Latakia Port via a railway that passes through Iraq. Enditem


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House Democrats push for taxpayer funding of abortion industry in COVID-19 relief bill

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A pro-life group is slamming congressional Democrats for working to include abortion-related provisions in the forthcoming coronavirus relief package.

The Susan B. Anthony List said in a press release Wednesday that Democrats in the United States House of Representatives planned on using the reconciliation process to force taxpayers to fund abortion businesses in the COVID-19 relief bill.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Mallory Quigley, the SBA Lists vice president of communications, explained that the way that reconciliation works is, theyve got a funding bill in the Senate and then a funding bill in the House and then theyll have to come together and agree.

Unlike most legislation, which requires 60 votes to pass in the Senate, the reconciliation process, which is supposed to be specifically for appropriations and for funding, allows legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority. Democrats now control the Senate with a narrow 50-50 majority, as Vice President Kamala Harris serves as the tie-breaking vote. The reconciliation process can only be used once per year.

Proposals introduced by Democrats include: $750 million for global health activities and billions in funding for community health centers without applying the Hyde Amendment which forbids the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions  and a $50 million increase in funding for the Title X program.

The pro-life group warned that On the heels of President Bidens order rolling back President Trumps Protect Life Rule, Title X would once again become a slush fund for abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood.

In addition to the aforementioned proposals and a push to grant small business funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates, Democrats plan to include expansions of taxpayer-funded abortion via Obamacare and a new initiative that would fund abortion-covering COBRA insurance in the coronavirus relief bill.

According to Quigley, the fight to keep Democrats from including pro-abortion provisions in the coronavirus relief package is ongoing.

The battle is now taking place inside committees in the House. Should the provisions make it out of committee and onto the House floor, they will likely pass, given the Democrats narrow majority in the lower chamber. Unlike in the Senate, bills can pass the House with a simple majority.

Efforts to include pro-abortion provisions as part of a coronavirus relief package could stall in the Senate.

When the committee markups finish and the final House bill goes back to the Senate, the Senate committees will also have a markup period, Quigley told CP.

Then, the parliamentarian will need to rule on if everything in the bill is germane under the reconciliation process (the Byrd Rule). So there will be a chance at that point that anything the House added that relates to policy and is not budgetary could be taken out.

At that point, Democrats would then have the option to go nuclear, break their own Senate rules and ignore the parliamentarian, she added.

The Susan B. Anthony List has already launched a campaign thanking Joe Manchin, a pro-life Democrat who represents West Virginia in the Senate, for vowing to oppose his partys efforts to invoke the nuclear option by abolishing the filibuster. An attempt to pass a coronavirus package with the pro-abortion provisions or abolish the filibuster will likely require Manchins support.

Should Democrats find a way to keep the pro-abortion provisions in the coronavirus relief package using the reconciliation process, the bill's fate would depend on the votes of a few key senators.

While Joe Manchin has promised to stand in line on anything that would directly attack Hyde, I dont know what that would mean for how he would vote on a bill that did not directly have to do with the Hyde Amendment, Quigley said.

Complicating the Senate math further is the fact that There are pro-abortion Republicans from Maine and Alaska who arent generally concerned about the taxpayer funding of abortion, she added. The senators Quigley was referring to were Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Emboldened by [President] Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Democrats in Congress want to force taxpayers to bail out the abortion industry, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, in a statement. House Democrats are shamefully pushing a massive expansion of abortion on demand, paid for with tax dollars, in the guise of COVID-19 relief  including payouts to abortion giant Planned Parenthood.

We at Susan B. Anthony List remain vigilant. Together with our congressional allies, we will work tirelessly to expose the Democrats abortion extremism and win back the House in 2022, she added.

Months before the 2020 presidential election, Dannenfelser warned that Biden and Harris constitute the most pro-abortion presidential ticket in American history.

A week after taking office, Biden reversed the Mexico City Policy, which prevented the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund abortions overseas.

Funneling U.S. tax dollars to abortion groups overseas is an abhorrent practice that flies in the face of the unity Joe Biden and Kamala Harris promised to inspire, Dannenfelser said at the time.
Only 35% of California voters approve of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll found.

The poll, conducted online among 10,357 registered voters from Jan. 23-29, found that the senator has a disapproval rating of 45%, with 20% of respondents expressing no opinion.

The last Berkeley IGS poll of Feinstein was conducted in December 2017, and found that Feinstein had an approval rating of 48% and a disapproval rating of 37%. Her approval rating in Berkeley IGS polls had previously never been lower than 44%, and her disapproval rating had previously never been higher than 37%.

Feinstein's collapse in support can largely be explained by her alienation of Democratic voters over the past year on a multitude of issues, ranging from her handling of the Amy Coney Barrett hearings to calling Republican objections to the Electoral College results in the 2020 presidential election "important." A New Yorker article reporting on her cognitive decline also sparked calls for resignation before her term expires in 2024.

Beyond the approval/disapproval question, survey respondents were asked whether they had a favorable or unfavorable view of Feinstein. 38% of respondents said they had a favorable view of the senator, while 46% reported an unfavorable view. 16% expressed no view.

Three other politicians had higher unfavorability numbers than favorability numbers: Gov. Gavin Newsom (49% unfavorable, 44% favorable), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (44% unfavorable, 30% favorable) and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (35% unfavorable, 33% favorable).

Vice President Kamala Harris is the most popular California politician, with 56% of survey respondents giving her a favorable rating compared to 38% who rated her as unfavorable.

You can see the full poll results here.
When Paul OSullivan spontaneously searched his own name on Facebook, a long scroll of Paul OSullivan profiles appeared.

Out of curiosity  and perhaps boredom  OSullivan, 33, sent friend requests to a handful of them.

I wondered what my name twins were up to out in the world, said OSullivan, a music instructor who was born in Baltimore and lives in Eldersburg, Md.

Some of them accepted his request, and OSullivan soon discovered that he had more in common with some of them than a name.

Their posts started showing up on my Facebook timeline, OSullivan said. One posted a picture of his Fender jazz bass, another had a picture of him singing live, and another had a bucket list of accomplishments that completely piqued my curiosity.

He decided to individually contact the three men, all of whom responded. Beyond their shared names, an affinity for music bonded them. And OSullivan got an idea: I thought, we should start a band. It was the natural next step.

So OSullivan introduced the men to each other: Paul OSullivan, 57, of Manchester, England, is a former college lecturer who now works in public health. Paul OSullivan, 52, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, is a grief counselor and teacher; and Paul OSullivan, 57, of Weatherly, Pa., is an antiques dealer and former publicist.

To avoid confusion, the men started using their geographic locations when referring to one another. Paul OSullivan from Baltimore became Baltimore Paul, and so on.

When Baltimore Paul pitched his idea for a cross-continental musical collaboration to his name twins, the guys jumped on board. It didnt take long to decide on a name: The Paul OSullivan Band.

In the beginning, I thought this guy was crazy, but good crazy, said Rotterdam Paul, during a Zoom interview with all four band members. But we just dived in and its been a roller-coaster ride, especially the last year.

The men connected and started making music together virtually in 2016, but the band took off only recently. Although they had informally rehearsed together and became close friends, they were busy in their own lives and couldnt dedicate much time to their music.

Then the pandemic hit, and with their newfound free time, the group recorded Internet Famous: A Retrospective, an album of six cover songs and one original, released Dec. 30.

Weve been social distancing since 2016, said Baltimore Paul. We perfected the system of remote collaboration before it was even relevant.

For the quartet, band practice became a welcome distraction from the pandemic.

We sort of developed our ethos, which is: If it makes you smile, lean into it; if it makes you dance, embrace it; and if it does both, its the Paul OSullivan Band, said Pennsylvania Paul.

On top of their differing geographic locations, We come from different generations, said Baltimore Paul. But it never mattered. Music really does bring people together.

Its all very exciting for me, being a gentleman of a certain age, added Manchester Paul. When [Baltimore] Paul added me, it was just part of the wonder of the Internet.

Their first single, Namesake, is about a long-distance relationship, much like their own. Its opening line: Weve grown so fond from across the pond.

The Baltimore and Rotterdam Pauls are on vocals and guitar, while Manchester Paul plays bass and Pennsylvania Paul does percussion.

The group convenes regularly via Zoom and other platforms to write, organize, and catch up. Because of the time lag, they separately record their parts until the final track is produced.

While recording his part, said Rotterdam Paul, I close my eyes and think were in the studio playing together. [Its] a good feeling.

Their complementary musical capabilities and character traits mesh well, the Pauls said.

We all bring something different to the table, said Pennsylvania Paul. The band is an amalgam of all of our skills, visions, and joy.

While the Pauls describe their genre as adult pop and acoustic, theyre open to everything, said Rotterdam Paul. We love to try out new things together.

The men have yet to convene as a group in person, but Baltimore Paul and Pennsylvania Paul met up last September. Baltimore Paul quarantined before driving three hours to Weatherly to surprise Pennsylvania Paul at home.

I was super nervous in the car outside of his house, but there was a strange calmness when we actually met, said Baltimore Paul. It felt like we had known each other our whole lives.

Once the pandemic subsides, having everyone together in the studio is the ultimate goal, he said, adding that they have written 24 additional original songs together. My idea is to do a four-city tour  a concert in each persons hometown.

But the band is about more than making music, the men agreed. They said theyre bonded as brothers for life.

There is something very difficult to put your finger on about the friendship that you develop with people that you share the same name with, Manchester Paul explained. I never thought it was a thing, but indeed, it is a very nice thing.

Malaysia will offer free coronavirus vaccinations to millions of foreign workers under the National Immunisation Programme, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation and Coordination Minister for Covid-19 Immunisation Khairy Jamaluddin informed on February 11. Jamaluddin said that the free vaccination drive will include diplomats, expatriates, students, foreign spouses and their children, and foreign workers, as well as UN High Commissioner for Refugees cardholders. He even added that the government has agreed to provide vaccines free for undocumented foreigners.

The committee will be discussing further on how this can be implemented. We will be reaching out to state governments, foreign embassies, NGOs to assist, Jamaluddin said in a statement.

Cabinet has decided that foreign citizens residing in Malaysia will receive COVID-19 vaccines free under the National Immunisation Programme. This will include diplomats, expatriates, students, foreign spouses & children, foreign workers & UNHCR card holders. pic.twitter.com/jWiZb3nIQ4  Khairy Jamaluddin  (@Khairykj) February 11, 2021

According to a press note, the COVID-19 vaccine supply access guarantee committee said that the latest move to vaccinate the group is deemed necessary in order to achieve herd immunity. It added that the decision to give free vaccinations is due to Malaysias adequate supply of vaccines, which is more than the number of Malaysians who are eligible to receive it. Further, it added that foreigners have become a part of the community to the nations economy.

READ: Indonesia, Malaysia Urge ASEAN To Hold Talks On Myanmar Coup

READ: Malaysia Unveils New Virus Stimulus Package

Malaysians will be given priority

However, it said that priority will be given to Malaysians, adding that the nation was inspired by other countries who include non-citizens, including Malaysian nationals, in their respective vaccination programmes. The press note said that the number of patients in clusters including foreign workers in the agriculture, construction and manufacturing industries, as well as the high cost of treating quarantining COVID-19 patients, also motivated the nation to arrive at the decision. The committee added that a humanitarian move is necessary to curb the spread of the unprecedented pandemic.

Further details on the vaccination schedule for foreigners will be announced later. Meanwhile, the deadly virus has killed 936 and infected nearly 254,988 in Malaysia since January last year. Malaysia is expected to receive its first batch of vaccines on February 26, after securing supply for 40 per cent of its population through agreements with the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access facility and pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Malaysia will run its first phase of vaccinations from the end of February to April.

READ: Malaysia Approves Virus Emergency As Cases Surge

READ: Malaysia Under Virus Emergency In Reprieve For Embattled PM
FALLS CHURCH, Va., Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- STEM for Her announced today the appointment of five additional members to our Board of Directors and Advisory Council.

STEM for Her strives to encourage more girls and young women to pursue STEM careers. Our top priority in 2021 is to increase our impact. We'll deliver a broader portfolio of educational programs covering STEM topics and spotlight more professional leaders as role models and mentors for our girls and young women. To help STEM for Her meet those goals, we have added additional expertise to both our Board of Directors and Advisory Council.

STEM for Her appointed the following new Board members:

Lang Ly , who has a 25-year career in software and currently serves as Chief of Staff at Appian Corporation. Lang will lead the Corporate Programs Committee and engage more companies in the STEM for Her mission.

, who has a 25-year career in software and currently serves as Chief of Staff at Appian Corporation. Lang will lead the Corporate Programs Committee and engage more companies in the mission. Jesse Bridges , who is currently Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at EVERFI and has been leading access and equity efforts for over 15 years. She will ensure STEM for Her programs reach more girls and young women in under resourced communities.

, who is currently Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at EVERFI and has been leading access and equity efforts for over 15 years. She will ensure programs reach more girls and young women in under resourced communities. Lucia Jarrett , Managing Director at Accenture, who has more than 25 years of experience in systems integration, business processing re-engineering and change management. Lucia will help STEM for Her measure its impact and lead its technology initiatives.

, Managing Director at Accenture, who has more than 25 years of experience in systems integration, business processing re-engineering and change management. Lucia will help measure its impact and lead its technology initiatives. Audra Upchurch , Director of Infrastructure, Energy and Environment at LMI, who currently manages a staff of over 100 with engineering, facilities, sustainability, real estate, and environmental expertise. Audra will bring her expertise in environmental sciences to STEM for Her and also lead volunteer engagement.

In addition, STEM for Her added two new members to its Advisory Council, a group of prestigious industry leaders who are inspired to help girls pursue STEM. The new members are:

Nicole Bradley , ISV Client Executive at Amazon Web Services (AWS). With over 25 years of experience working at a range of technology companies, Nicole Bradley joined AWS in 2018 working with clients who are building their software on AWS. She recently joined our Advisory Council to further her passion in community engagement in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

, ISV Client Executive at Amazon Web Services (AWS). With over 25 years of experience working at a range of technology companies, joined AWS in 2018 working with clients who are building their software on AWS. She recently joined our Advisory Council to further her passion in community engagement in the metro area. Tori Draude , Founder and CEO of Varada Consulting. As a recent winner of the Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year, Tori brings over 21 years of IT industry experience supporting the federal government. She enthusiastically brings her expertise with human capital to the Advisory Council. She'll increase our understanding of engagement and sustainability within STEM education and careers.

"We are so proud to have these incredibly successful women join us to progress our mission. In 2021, their passion for STEM, creating change, and community outreach will allow us to increase our impact in the lives of girls and young women in our community," said Lisa Mayr, Chair of STEM for Her.

If you or your organization is interested in sponsoring STEM for Her's upcoming Virtual Trivia Benefit being held on Thursday, February 25 please visit our website at: https://www.stemforher.org/benefitsponsors/. Tickets for the event and raffle tickets can also be purchased at: https://www.stemforher.org/virtualgala2021/

About STEM for Her

STEM for Her, a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation, is focused on championing programs and initiatives that foster enthusiasm and empower girls and young women to pursue a career in STEM fields of study. The Foundation is focused on the Washington D.C. Metro area and offers programs to increase exposure to STEM, build confidence, provide role models and generally encourage girls to change the world by excelling in STEM-related careers. For more information, please visit www.stemforher.org.

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Spring is coming and bringing hope for better days ahead, especially for the Mo Nong ethnic minority people of Tra Leng Commune in Nam Tra My District, the central province of Quang Nam.

New houses have been built for people in Tra Leng Commune, Quang Nam Province. (Photo: VNA)

Last October, during a time when the central region was suffering from successive storms and historic flooding, a severe landslide hit the remote mountainous area of Tra Leng, burying their houses and killing a dozen of their family members and neighbours.



At that time, roads to the commune were blocked with rocks, stones and thick layers of mud. Bridges and dams were swept away by strong floodwaters. Local people desperately looked at what was left after the landslide. They lost their houses, their crops and worst of all, their family members and neighbours.



Those left behind feared for their future. Now, their pain has been partly relieved and smiles can be seen again on their faces as a new resettlement area with new houses has been built for them, not far from the old village.



In the place where they used to live, lines of solar-powered lights were installed. Bridges have been rebuilt. Children are excited about living in new houses and studying in new schools.



On a visit to Quang Nam Province soon after the landslide, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered support to people living in landslide-hit areas so that no one would be homeless or hungry and so diseases wouldn't emerge after the natural disaster.



The PM urged measures to quickly stabilise life and production for the people.



Secretary of the Nam Tra My District Party Committee Le Thanh Hung said people in Tra Leng Commune could soon recover from the severe natural disaster thanks to great and timely support from agencies, organisations and people across the country.



Severe storms, floods and landslides hit the district last October, claiming 19 deaths, leaving 13 people missing and causing severe injuries to 33 others. In Tra Leng Commune alone, the natural disaster killed 13 people, injured 20 people and 13 people are still missing, he said.



As many as 95 houses were buried by landslides or swept away by floodwaters, Hung said, let alone damage to infrastructure, schools, healthcare centres and crops.



Phan Quoc Cuong, Chairman of the Tra Leng Commune Peoples Committee, said the localities had been making efforts to search for missing people and create new stable accommodations and livelihoods for people affected by natural disasters.



On December 22, the construction of a new resettlement area was started by the government of Nam Tra My District to help the landslide victims.



Local authorities conducted a survey and chose a land plot with an area of 6ha for resettlement.



This land plot was donated by people in Tra Don Commune.



Local people and authorities in Tra Don Commune agreed to donate 6ha of their land to victims in Tra Leng Commune to build a resettlement area.



Fifty-one households affected by landslides in Tra Leng Commune received 150 million VND from the Government and other donors to build new homes.



The local authorities also sped up the construction of basic infrastructure  power and clean water supply systems, a community house, preschool and roads  as well as restored cultivation areas so that farming could be resumed soon.



Officials and soldiers of Military Zone V donated 3 billion VND to help Tra Leng people build a new community house which would be used as a shelter during big storms.



Nguyen Duc Xuan, director of An Xuan Phat One member Ltd Company  the resettlement project constructor  said the company donated more than 20 million VND to each family to complete their houses with the design featuring typical traditional house of the Mo Nong people.



Meanwhile, Vietnam Electricity donated 3 billion VND to build a preschool. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development donated 30 solar lighting sets and six tonnes of sticky rice for residents to have during Tet. The ministry also installed an automatic rainfall measuring system to deliver timely warnings about abnormal heavy rains.



Ho Van De, a village elder in Tra Leng Commune, said eight of his family members died or went missing due to the terrible landslide on October 28, 2020.



The losses to my family and my whole village always seem to be unbearable pain to us, he said.



However, after the natural disaster, thanks to support from the Party, State and Government agencies, organisations and individuals, we know that we were not alone, he said.



We were not left hungry or cold. We have a new hope to start a better life, he said.



We will have a Tet (Lunar New Year) celebration in new houses. That makes us so happy, De said. VNA
Governor Anoatubby led a virtual ribbon cutting Monday, Feb. 8 to dedicate these two new residential facilities for the Hina Chokma Good Path Recovery Center, located in Ada.

Chickasaw Nation Director of Healthcare Facilities Drue Martin, left, and healthcare facilities manager Richard Roland cut a ribbon to dedicate the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Facility, Ada, in a virtual ceremony Feb. 5.

The Chickasaw Nation Medical Center Alternate Care Site, located on the Ada South Campus, was dedicated in a virtual ceremony, led by Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, Feb. 5.

Ada, OKLAHOMA  Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby led a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony for three new facilities, all designed to combat the pandemic; and an event Feb. 8 to dedicate new residential facilities for the Hina Chokma program.

A COVID-19 Emergency Operations Facility, the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center Alternate Care Site, and expansion of the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center laboratory were dedicated in a virtual event Friday, Feb 5.

Governor Anoatubby said all three health facilities serve a dual purpose: to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people and to prevent the COVID-19 virus.

As we have witnessed with all three of these projects, the Chickasaw Nation continues to press forward despite the obstacle in our path. Chickasaws have never been known to have lost a battle, and our current battle with COVID-19 is no different, Governor Anoatubby said.

The new COVID-19 Emergency Operations Facility, 1300 Cradduck Road, Ada, will serve as the Chickasaw Nations COVID-19 incident command center. The 40,000-square-foot renovated property will also serve to facilitate coordination among local, state, tribal, federal and other emergency management systems.

Contained within the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Facility are large open multi-use spaces for COVID response and storage, including a nearly 14,000 square-foot warehouse. The facility will also be a community-based distribution point for additional services such as emergency rations, water and PPE.

The Chickasaw Nation Medical Center Alternate Care Site, is located on the Ada South Campus.

The 12,500-square-foot building features numerous offices and workstations, including a large central nurses station, as well as a COVID overflow area and a specimen lab, which increases the Chickasaw Nation Medical Centers capacity and ability to care for patients, and improves mitigation COVID-19 measures.

The facility will also provide space for testing and training.

Expansion of the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center laboratory was also dedicated in the ceremony.

The more than 11,000-square-foot expansion has allowed for the addition of a microbiology lab, a molecular biology lab, and a combined hematology, and other labs. It features six offices, a large, open workroom, a biohazard room, a non-hazard IV prep room and various supply and storage rooms.

The persistence of COVID over the last year has been daunting, but the Chickasaw Nation has continued working hard to mitigate this virus, Governor Anoatubby said. We have been at work, and that includes the construction of the facilities we dedicate today, which will aid us in our fight against COVID in their own ways.

Governor Anoatubby also honored frontline workers who care for patients.

We pray for their continued fortitude to endure this prolonged battle, and the strength to continue the fight against this threat to our community.

Hina Chokma

Governor Anoatubby led a virtual ribbon cutting Monday, Feb. 8 to dedicate two new residential facilities for the Hina Chokma Good Path Recovery Center.

Hina Chokma Recovery Center is a safe space with kind, caring, compassionate staff ready to assist First American men dedicated to making a better life for themselves and their families.

Over the 36-year history of Hina Chokma, many First American men have received needed treatment and led healthier, more productive lives because of this service, Governor Anoatubby said. As this program strengthens men and helps heal families, the increased capacity of the program will be a benefit to our entire community for many years to come.

The program began in 1984, when the Chickasaw Nation established a 14-bed residential substance abuse treatment center for First Americans at Kullihoma, east of Ada. In 1998, a residential building was constructed on East Arlington.

During its operation, the Hina Chokma program has provided dozens of men and their families with a healthy community and integrated treatment services that promote spiritual, emotional, physical and social wellness.

Individuals in the program receive an assessment and an individualized treatment plan that includes a broad range of therapy and educational courses.

The new expansion includes two, single-story, 2000-square-foot residential units. Each unit features three bedrooms, all with private bathrooms, as well as a large public living room and ample storage space. The new space will aid in appropriate social distancing and the ability to quarantine individuals, if necessary.

The two new residential units are connected to the Hina Chokma Recovery Center building by a covered walkway.
Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y. said Friday he will file a criminal complaint against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's aide and is calling for her arrest, after a bombshell admission that she withheld data on COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes to avoid federal scrutiny.

"I'm going to be looking at filing a personal criminal complaint against this individual today in local law enforcement offices as well as federal offices because she needs to be arrested today," Reed told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on Friday.

A spokesperson for Cuomo did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.

Melissa DeRosa, the secretary to the governor, told top New York Democrats on Thursday that Cuomo's administration feared the data about COVID-19 deaths could "be used against us" by the Justice Department in the midst of its federal probe initiated against four states regarding nursing home deaths, including New York.

The admission fueled outrage after a probe by the New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed Cuomo's Department of Health underreported COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50%.

"Now we have Gov. Cuomos second-in-command essentially on a taped confession to fellow Democratic lawmakers admitting she committed criminal activity to cover up for what they were hiding from the federal officials that were responsible to get to the bottom of this, and make sure that skilled nursing homes and nursing homes themselves learned what happened with the COVID-19 positive order that sent 15,000 people to their death that Cuomo issued back in March," Reed said.
As several restaurants in Flushing, Queens, one of the largest Chinatowns in New York City, shut down amid the pandemic, Yukun Shaobing quietly opened inside a nondescript mini-mall last September  a seemingly inauspicious start.

Still, the cramped food stall of about 100 square feet, with no English-language name or advertising, has become a hit in a neighborhood beleaguered by Covid-19 and high rents.

The key to that success is an extensive menu of warm and flaky Shandong-style shaobing, baked flatbreads stuffed with savory and sweet fillings that have locals, some of the most exacting critics of Chinese fare, coming back for more.

In a space scarcely big enough for the two of them, Ruokun Yu and her business partner, Chunmei Tong, prepare classic shaobing containing pork and shrimp, cumin lamb and peppered beef, as well as westernized favorites like New Orleans chicken  their version of a sweet-and-savory flavor popularized by KFC in China.
ANDERSON COUNTY, SR 61 Bridge over Norfolk Southern Railway and Market Street in Clinton: SR 61 East is reduced to one lane through this bridge repair project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, changing conditions, lane shifts, and use extreme caution through this area.

ANDERSON COUNTY, US 25/SR 9 Bridge over Clinch River between SR 61 and Carden Farm Drive: SR 9 northbound is reduced to one lane approaching the bridge as crews continue work in this area. Motorists should be alert for workers present, changing conditions, lane shifts, and use extreme caution through this bridge construction project.

ANDERSON COUNTY, US 25/SR 9 at SR 170: Motorists should be alert for workers present, changing conditions, possible lane closures and use extreme caution through this intersection construction project.

BLOUNT COUNTY, US 129 North and South between SR 35 Hall Road and Tyson Boulevard: Motorists should be alert for workers present, possible lane closures and brief stoppages of traffic through this roadway construction project. For project information, go to https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/sr-115-alcoa-highway-hall-road-to-tyson-blvd.html

BLOUNT COUNTY, SR 335 Hunt Road Bridge over US 129 Alcoa Highway: Motorists should be alert for new traffic patterns and workers present as work continues in this area.

BLOUNT COUNTY, SR 335 Hunt Road between Ambrose Street and Ramsay Street: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures at various times as crews install utilities through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present directing traffic and use extreme caution through this area.

BLOUNT COUNTY, SR 33 between Foothills Mall Drive and Henry Street: Motorists should be alert for possible nightly lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning through this intersection improvement construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, changed conditions and use extreme caution through this area.

BLOUNT COUNTY, US 321 between Jones Avenue and Lamar Street: Motorists should be alert for possible daily lane closures as crews perform roadside work through this project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed traffic, and use extreme caution through this area.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, I-75 North and South between Mile Markers 135 and 142: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning through this project. Motorists should be alert for slowed or stopped traffic, expect potential delays and use extreme caution through this area.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, I-75 North near Mile Marker 143: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning on Sundays through Thursdays through this project. Motorists should be alert for slowed or stopped traffic, expect potential delays and use extreme caution through this area.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, SR 63 between Myers Lane and Frontier Road/Woodson Lane: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and/or 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for slowed or stopped traffic, expect potential delays and use extreme caution through this area.

CARTER COUNTY, US 19E/SR 37 Bridge over the Doe River and Riverview Road: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures through this bridge repair project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

CLAIBORNE COUNTY, SR 63 between Old Town Creek and US 25E/SR 32: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, expect delays and use extreme caution through this area.

COCKE COUNTY, I-40 East between Mile Markers 432 and 435: On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, motorists should be alert for possible lane closures between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. as crews perform roadway maintenance activities. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

HAMBLEN COUNTY, SR 34 near Commerce Blvd.: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

HAMBLEN COUNTY, SR 160 near Commerce Blvd.: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

JOHNSON COUNTY, SR 167 at Log Mile 7.5: Motorists should be alert for single lane roadway with temporary traffic signal through this slide repair project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

KNOX COUNTY, I-40 West between Mile Markers 394 and 393: Motorists should be alert for possible nightly lane closures between the hours of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning as crews perform median barrier wall work through this overhead sign replacement project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed or stopped traffic, expect

potential delays and use extreme caution through this area.

KNOX COUNTY, I-40 East between Mile Markers 405 and 407: Through Thursday, February 11, 2021, motorists should be alert for possible nightly lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning as crews perform work through this I.T.S. expansion project. Motorist should be alert for workers present, slowed or stopped traffic, expect potential delays and use extreme caution through this area.

KNOX COUNTY, I-640 West between Mile Markers 8 and 3: On Sunday, February 14, 2021, motorists should be alert for a possible series of rolling roadblocks to occur between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning as crews perform attenuator repairs. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed or stopped traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

KNOX COUNTY, I-75 South near Mile Marker 112: On Sunday, February 14, 2021, motorists should be alert for possible lane closures between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning as crews perform attenuator repairs. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed or stopped traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

KNOX COUNTY, US 11W/SR 1 Rutledge Pike Bridge over Norfolk Southern Railroad near Harris Road: Motorists should be alert for lane shifts and changing traffic patterns through this bridge repair project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, expect potential delays, and use caution through this area.

KNOX COUNTY, US 129/SR 115 Alcoa Highway between Topside Road and Maloney Road: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures and lane shifts as crews perform work through this project. Motorists should be alert for new traffic patterns. Motorists should be alert for workers present, reduce speed and use extreme caution through this area. For project information, go to https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/sr-115-alcoa-highway-little-river-to-maloney.html

KNOX COUNTY, US 129/SR 115 Alcoa Highway between Maloney Road and Woodson Drive: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures and lane shifts as crews perform work through this project. Motorists should be alert for new traffic patterns. Motorists should be alert for workers present, reduce speed and use extreme caution through this area. For project information, go to https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/sr-115-alcoa-highway-maloney-to-woodson.html

KNOX COUNTY, US 441 Broadway Viaduct between Jackson Avenue and Fifth Avenue: US 441 Broadway Viaduct over Norfolk Southern Railroad in downtown Knoxville is closed for bridge replacement. The Broadway Viaduct will be closed to all traffic for the duration of the project. During the closure, Broadway will be closed from the intersection of Oak Avenue, Worlds Fair Park, and Jackson Avenue to just north of the Depot Avenue intersection. Depot Avenue will also be closed. These closures will ensure the safety of workers and motorists as crews demolish the old bridge and reconstruct the new bridge. Primary and Local Detour Routes around the bridge closure will be in place. For detour routes and project information, go to https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/broadway-viaduct.html

KNOX COUNTY, US 441/SR 71 Chapman Highway between Highland View Drive and Burnett Lane: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures daily between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers and equipment present, expect potential delays, and use extreme caution through this area. For project information, go to https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/chapman-highway-evans-to-burnett.html

KNOX COUNTY, SR 162 Pellissippi Parkway West between I-40 and Lovell Road: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, reduced speeds, expect possible delays, and use caution through this area.

KNOX COUNTY, SR 162 Pellissippi Parkway West at Hardin Valley Road: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, reduced speeds, expect possible delays, and use caution through this area.

KNOX COUNTY, SR 332 Concord Road between Turkey Creek Road and Northshore: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures daily between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and new traffic patterns through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, expect potential delays, and use extreme caution through this area. For project information, go to https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/sr-332-proposed-widening.html

LOUDON COUNTY, I-40 East between Mile Markers 364 and 365: Motorists should be alert for workers present, reduced speeds, closed shoulders and use extreme caution through this slope stabilization project.

LOUDON COUNTY, I-40 East between Mile Markers 364 and 365.6: On Tuesday, February 16, 2021, motorists should be alert for possible lane closures between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. as crews perform bridge maintenance activities. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed or stopped traffic, expect delays, and use extreme caution through this area.

ROANE COUNTY, I-40 West between Mile Markers 340 and 344: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures at various times through this slope stabilization project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, reduced speeds, lane shifts, and use extreme caution through this area.

SCOTT COUNTY, US 27/SR 29 between Industrial Lane and Second Avenue: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary lane closures through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, expect possible delays, and use caution through this area.

SEVIER/JEFFERSON COUNTY, I-40 East between Mile Markers 407 and 412: On Monday, February 15, 2021 through Friday, February 19, 2021, motorists should be alert for possible nightly lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning as crews perform work through this I.T.S. expansion project. Motorist should be alert for workers present, slowed or stopped traffic, expect potential delays and use extreme caution through this area.

SEVIER COUNTY, SR 71 between US 411 and Macon Lane: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures daily between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers and equipment present, expect potential delays, and use extreme caution through this area.

SEVIER COUNTY, SR 73 between Nell Rose Lane and Pitman School Road: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures daily between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. as crews perform roadside geotechnical work through this area. Motorists should be alert for workers and equipment present, expect potential delays, and use extreme caution through this area.

SULLIVAN COUNTY, I-26 East near Mile Marker 6.2: On Thursday, February 11, 2021, motorists should be alert for possible lane closures between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning as crews perform guardrail repairs. Motorists should be alert for workers present, slowed traffic, and use extreme caution in this area.

UNICOI COUNTY, I-26 East and West Ramps at Exit 50: Through Sunday, February 14, 2021, motorists should be alert for possible temporary ramp closures daily in alternating directions between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. as crews perform concrete ramp repairs. Motorists should be alert for changing conditions, follow signed detour routes, and use extreme caution in this area.

UNICOI COUNTY, SR 36 between Log Miles 2.5 and 5.3: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures, workers present, expect potential delays, and use extreme caution through this slope stabilization project.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, I-26 East and West between Mile Markers 16 and 18: Motorists should be alert for possible

nightly lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning through this construction project.

Motorists should be alert for slowed or stopped traffic, expect delays, and use extreme caution approaching this area.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, SR 93 between Davis Road and Fire Hall Road: Motorists should be alert for possible

temporary lane closures through this construction project. Motorists should be alert for workers present, reduced speeds, and use caution through this area.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, SR 354 Boones Creek Road at I-26: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning through this construction project. Lake Park Drive will be closed

and detoured at the intersection with SR 354 as construction continues in this area. Motorists should follow signed detour. Motorists should be alert for workers present, expect delays and use extreme caution through this area.

For information on statewide interstate construction motorists can access the Tennessee Department of Transportation

SmartWay website at https://smartway.tn.gov/traffic

TDOT is now on Twitter. For up to the minute traffic information

in Knoxville and the Tri-Cities follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/knoxville511. For statewide travel information follow www.twitter.com/TN511
New Delhi, Feb 13 : Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in response to a question in Rajya Sabha said that Dalit converting to Islam or Christianity cannot claim reservation benefits and it will also deprive the person the eligibility to contest parliamentary or Assembly election from constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).

Prasad, in response to a question from BJP member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, clarified that those who have adopted Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist faiths would be eligible for contesting from SC reserved seats and getting other reservation benefits. He further elaborated on the aspect of eligibility to fight an election from reserved constituencies.

Prasad added that Para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order outlines that no person who professes a religion different from Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste. However, the minister clarified that there was no proposal to bring in any amendment in the Representation of People Act to debar SC/STs converted to either Islam or Christianity from fight polls: parliamentary or Assembly elections.

In 2015, the top court in a ruling had said that once a person ceases to be a Hindu and becomes a Christian, the social and economic disabilities arising because of Hindu religion cease and hence it is no longer necessary to give him protection and for this reason he is deemed not to belong to a Scheduled Caste.

Prasad, in his response, made it clear that there exists a clear distinction between Dalits adopting Islam and Christianity with those choosing to adopt Hinduism.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Katy Freeway consistently strikes fear in the hearts of Houston's commuters.

You'd think that because it's so wide, there wouldn't be as much congestion as other, less huge highways. But alas, that is not the case.

BAD LUCK, BUC: Buc-ee's might not be as beloved as we all thought

A video from Vox uses the Katy Freeway to explain how adding lanes to a highway doesn't automatically mean less traffic.

At its widest point, the Katy Freeway has 26 lanes including the feeder roads. It doesn't matter. Those 26 lanes at the Katy Freeway at Beltway 8 were ranked the second-worst bottleneck in the country in 2004.

Vox points out that adding more lanes just brought in more drivers that might not have used the highway before, making all efforts to mitigate the paralyzing traffic moot.

Yes, the Katy Freeway is not the place to relax or enjoy a pleasant morning commute. But it does bring us some other fame because of its ridiculous size.

The concrete monstrosity is reportedly the widest freeway in the world. It's wider than several Houston landmarks, including NRG Stadium, Discovery Green and Minute Maid Park.

COLD FRONT: What happens to unhoused Houstonians when it freezes?

But these giant freeways might not be around forever. Vox notes that the Senate is considering spending $10 billion on highway removal after it proved effective in cities like Boston.

Maybe someday the Katy Freeway will just be a pile of rubble surrounded by boulevards. I doubt it, but maybe someday. And if the Katy Freeway was gone, how else would we compare the size of our largest landmarks?
Do you know the third most spoken language in Texas?
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Central New Mexico Community College is raising a glass to the future of New Mexicos wine and spirits industry.

CNM is adding two certificate programs to its list of studies. Wine technology and distilled spirits technology will launch in August. Its brewing technology certificate program, which prepares students to work in the beer industry, has been highly successful and has been recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

New Mexico has a rich history in winemaking. It is the oldest wine growing region in the United States. The state will celebrate 400 years of winemaking and wine growing in 2029, according to Victoria Martinez, the Academic Affairs Director in the School of Business and Information Technology.

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In the past, wineries have been largely within their families and the knowledge and skills have been passed from generation to generation, Martinez said. And were seeing some of our wine partners really grow, especially Gruet, increasing production, and really looking for that skilled workforce.  We had worked with Christopher Goblet, whos the executive director of New Mexico Wine, we had worked with him when we built the brewing program. And so he reached out and said, Victoria, we have a real need in wine. What you did for brewing, the wine industry really needs it.

The realization set in that New Mexico does not have formal education programs to support the industry. And so plans to create the wine technology and distilled spirits technology programs were set in motion about two years ago.

We convened a panel of industry experts, and they really guided us in developing the program outcomes, the student learning outcome, and really just giving us insight into what they need within their own companies, what they need across the industry in New Mexico to be successful, Martinez said. And really we dialed that down into what do our students need to know? What does CNM need to provide in the way of training and education that will really have folks industry ready to assume jobs in the wine and spirits world. And so we looked at jobs all the way from harvesting, through production, raw ingredients selection, managing the fermentation process, packaging, distilling, and really all the way through sales and marketing.

Students who complete the two-year program will earn an Associate of Applied Science in Beverage Production and Management with a concentration in brewing, winemaking or distilling. As part of the program, students will receive their OSHA 10 card, food safety manager certification, a new alcohol server permit, and their safety certificates through the Brewers Association.

CNM has partnered with the New Mexico State Universitys viticulture program.

NMSU, theyre growing hops and barley and so they bring them over to our program and we work with their faculty, Martinez said.  Were working with NMSU because were not going be in the business of growing grapes but NMSU and their agriculture program is certainly in the business of growing grapes and figuring out how to support our industry. So we do have a viticulturist in the state and we are developing a relationship and strengthening those ties on how can we work together to support New Mexico.

The Land of Enchantment is an important destination for the beverage industry, according to Martinez.

Were the oldest wine growing region in the United States, our brewers have done a fantastic job of just dominating and putting out quality beer, and our distillers are, theyre just getting started, she said. Im sure that were gonna see really great things come from this industry and bring lots of dollars into New Mexico. But, I also want to make sure that were providing the education and training that our industry partners need so that they can grow their business.  No one should have to leave our state to get the education and training that they need to have a career here in New Mexico. I want to make sure that were providing New Mexicans with the opportunity to get the education and training they need. And then to stay here and work in an industry that they love.

A new building is being constructed to house the brewing, winemaking and distilling programs. CNM is renovating the space that once housed its bookstore on its main campus.

That space previously was about 10,000 square feet, Martinez said. So that is going to become our culinary demo space, our prep space, the sensory classroom, students learning areas, the focus room. And then were building almost a 9,000 square foot addition and that addition is where the brewing labs or the beverage production lab, I should say, thats where that will be located. And so well have a long draft system, well have a barrel storage area, a beverage library. Well have brewhouses, a still, the wine equipment.  Well have a small microbiology lab, where really the students will be able to do yeast cell counts and calculate and measure (alcohol by volume).
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
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WARE -- An engineering firm contracted by the town is recommending that local officials not pursue connecting to Quabbin Reservoir, for the municipalitys water supply, because of high cost, the years it would take to do so, because a less expensive viable alternative is available.

Since the town has its own uncontaminated wells in which it can access water, the consultant also said the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection could reject the idea to hook into the Quabbin.

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority manages the Quabbin water supply that supplies greater Boston communities.

The engineering firm Tighe & Bond recently completed the feasibility study on behalf of Ware Selectboard, who had inquired whether using Quabbin water made more sense than investing in needed repairs to the municipal supply system.

The firm examined two potential connection options to the Quabbin Reservoir: one would cost an estimated $23 million; the other an estimated $29 million.

Updating and repairing the towns Barnes St. water treatment plant would cost an estimated $13.2 million, Tighe & Bond said in their 38 page report to the town.

Due to the estimated cost to construct improvements to join the MWRA CV system, and the multiple year timeline to obtain acceptance to the MWRA system, Tighe & Bond recommends that the Town of Ware proceed with the Barnes St. alternative, the report says.
RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th February, 2021) A sit-in picket, led by former member of European Parliament Miroslav Mitrofanov, took place in front of the Latvian media watchdog's office in central Riga on Friday to protest the ban of 16 Russian television channels, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

On Tuesday, Latvia's National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) prohibited 16 Russian channels from airing in the country for one year over authorization red tape. The banned broadcasters included such brands as REN tv Baltic, NTV Mir Baltic, and Karusel International.

"We cannot simply remain silent, therefore we came here today despite the mass assembly restrictions. I believe that depriving people of access to official sources of information in their mother tongue is plain unacceptable, especially during such a complicated period as amid a pandemic. The Latvian authorities' [decision] was arbitrary and harmful," Mitrofanov, who currently chairs the Latvian Russian Union, told journalists.

Protesters brought laptops, set on chairs outside the watchdog office's windows 2 meters apart from one another and began watching the forbidden television channels, as reported by the Sputnik correspondent.

The ban is just another episode on a long string of restrictions imposed on Russian media in the Baltic countries in recent years. Moscow slammed Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for ganging up against Russian journalists despite their formal pledge of commitment to the freedom of expression.

On Monday, the NEPLP slapped a one-year rebroadcast ban on the RTR-Planeta (Russia-RTR) channel. On February 1, the watchdog prohibited the largest Latvian cable provider, Tet, from rebroadcasting Russian television channels PBK, NTV Mir, Ren TV Baltiya, Kinokomedia and Kinomiks, citing EU sanctions, even though those were not supposed to apply to these broadcasters.
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There was widespread condemnation last night after a Sunday World journalist was targeted in a sinister threat to shoot her.

Graffiti has appeared in a number of locations in east Belfast with the name of award-winning reporter Patricia Devlin along with cross hairs.

Justice Minister Naomi Long described the sick graffiti as a chilling sight."

The Alliance Party Leader said she, remained fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists.

This is a chilling sight. In Northern Ireland in 2021, no reporter should be the target of such a sinister threat simply for doing their job, said the East Belfast MLA.

This attempt to intimidate and divert attention from criminal activity will not succeed and I remain fully committed to tackling threats made to journalists. My thoughts are with Trish Devlin at this worrying time.

Last night Peter Vandermeersch, Publisher at Independent News and Media, said it wasnt the first time Patricia Devlin has faced serious threats.

In a statement he said: This is an attempt once again to intimidate a journalist who is just doing her job. The Sunday World shows no fear or favour when reporting on criminality and paramilitarism in Northern Ireland.

Just two months ago, Patricia faced serious threats from loyalist paramilitaries. We will provide any support we can to our journalists and hope that those behind this are apprehended by the police.

The threats come as part of a disturbing pattern which has seen a number of journalists from across Northern Ireland face death threats.

Last week it emerged two BBC journalists had been targeted after being involved in the making of a Panorama documentary about Dublin crime boss Daniel Kinahan.

One reporter was forced to leave his home for a period, such was the seriousness of the threat, according to the PSNI.

Last year a number of journalists in Northern Ireland were made aware of death threats from a number of loyalist paramilitary groups.

Two reporters from the Sunday World were warned of an imminent attack from criminal elements within the UDA last November.

And that came just a few days after a separate reporter working for INM was told their life was in danger.

The breakaway South East Antrim UDA (Ulster Defence Association) was being linked to that threat, following a spate of similar incidents earlier last year.

The reporters were told they were being targeted and were warned about bombs being planted underneath their cars.

A number of reporters were visited by police officers in the early hours of Friday morning with warnings of imminent attacks.

Speaking about the recent threat to Patricia Devlin, Sunday World editor Brian Farrell said the authorities should take a zero-tolerance approach to such threats.

He said the company was taking the threat very seriously and the Sunday World would continue to follow the truth.

This is completely unacceptable, and we are fully co-operating with the police about this threat which they are taking very seriously, said Mr Farrell.

Rigorous investigative journalism is a basic requirement of a democratic society and well not be intimidated from doing our job.

Our readers know we will follow the truth wherever it leads us and our team of journalists will continue to do so despite this intimidation.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Countering the inhibitions about Bharat Biotech's Covaxin raised by Chhattisgarh Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo publicly, Union Heath Minister Harsh Vardhan has written to him asking not to sensationalise a "non-issue" and divert focus instead to step up measures to improve the "abysmally low vaccination coverage" in the state.

Deo had tweeted on Thursday enclosing a letter to the Centre about concerns of the state regarding the incomplete third phase trials of the vaccine and the absence of expiration date on its vials delivered.

He had also requested the union government to halt the supply of Covaxin to Chhattisgarh until these issues were addressed.

Harsh Vardhan has given a detailed explanation in his letter to Deo stating that all vaccines supplied to states were "safe and immunogenic" and should be used expeditiously.

The Congress-ruled state had been expressing its reservations about Covaxin since it received the Emergency Use Authorization(EUA) from India's drug regulator on January 3. The vaccine is yet to complete its third phase of trials and is being used in clinical trial mode under nationwide Covid vaccination drive.

The Union Minister also pointed out that the state's performance in vaccination coverage was way behind schedule.

Harsh Vardhan said that while Chhattisgarh has "achieved 69.87 per cent coverage of its Health Care Workers by giving them the first dose of the vaccine, the state has been able to cover only 9.55% of its 2,09,512 Front Line Workers through the first dose of the vaccine".

"Ample supplies of vaccines have been delivered to Chhattisgarh against which coverage of only 9.55% frontline workers in the State is a matter of grave concern. Sh. T.S. Singh Deoji, rather than sensationalising non-issues, kindly focus on improving vaccine coverage in the state," Harsh Vardhan tweeted "You would appreciate that this coverage needs to improve significantly since adequate quantity of both the vaccines are available with the State," his letter to Deo read.

The minister also rebuffed Deo's claim about absence of the expiration date from the vials.

"Your concern regarding unavailability of expiry date on Covaxin vial is also completely unfounded and without basis as the same is mentioned on the label of vaccine vials," Vardhan wrote while he attached a photo of a vial with the label.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

Tiger Shroff Thanks His Team Of Trainers; Says Man My Boyz Were Tough On Me

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff thanked his team of trainers on social media for making it possible for him to reach the physical peak that he possesses today. The Baaghi actor took to Instagram on Thursday and shared a video, in which he can be seen practicing his acrobatic skills along with his team of trainers.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiger Shroff (@tigerjackieshroff)

He captioned the video as, 'Man my boyz were tough on me...back when we used to eat sleep train repeat and dream about the dream we livin now'. The video shared by the 30-year-old actor is a compilation of various clips in which he can be seen performing different kinds of flips. The post garnered more than 3 lakh likes within an hour of it being posted.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiger Shroff (@tigerjackieshroff)

Meanwhile, on the work front, Tiger recently dropped an intriguing glimpse from his upcoming action thriller Ganapath and then later revealed Kriti Sanon as his co-star for the new film. He is set to entertain his fans with three new releases this year. The actor will be seen in Baaghi 4, Heropanti 2 and Ganapath.




EDWARDSVILLE  Two crime-related resolutions may be considered by the Madison County Board at its regular Wednesday meeting.

One addresses Bi-State Development security in the wake of a highly-publicized murder of an unarmed MetroLink security guard. The other would oppose House Bill 3653, a criminal justice reform bill recently approved in the Illinois General Assembly and awaiting action by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Both resolutions are expected to be considered at a Government Relations Committee meeting set for 4 p.m. Tuesday. The resolutions would then move to the full county board meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Both meetings will be held via videoconference. The public can listen via https://www.twitch.tv/madisoncountyiL.

The Resolution regarding Bi-State Development Security comes after security guard James Cook was shot Jan. 31. A Berkeley man was arrested and charged in the case several days later. The shooting may have stemmed from a previous encounter between the two, according to media reports.

The proposed resolution states the county board believes the security is ineffective and preventing violent cries on the MetroLink system.

A new security contract that took effect April 1, 2020, barred private security guards from carrying firearms, action that was heavily criticized at the time. Some Bi-State officials have said state law and interstate compacts prohibit private security guards from being armed.

The county resolution also notes that employers in the St. Louis region are concerned with the welfare of passengers on the system, and improvements have to be made.

In addition, the resolution cautions residents who travel on the Metro Transit System, including MetroLink, and calls on Bi-State to improve security by arming its security guards to reduce its violent crime.

This is the second such resolution approved by the Madison County Board. In July the board unanimously passed a resolution calling on Bi-State to improve security after a woman was reportedly attacked and two unarmed security guards did not intervene.

The second resolution deals with a request by Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine asking the county board to urge Pritzker to veto HB 3653.

The bill, an initiative by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, was approved in mid-January by the Illinois General Assembly. It includes a number of changes, including an end to cash bail and a complete overhaul of police certification, requiring body cameras for officers and making changes in the use of force law.

Many of the more controversial aspects, including ending qualified immunity for law enforcement, were reduced or removed from the bill following heavy opposition from law enforcement, labor unions and municipal representatives.

The bill has been almost unilaterally condemned by local law enforcement as well as several Madison County mayors.
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Just read an Associated Press article where many older adults, 65 and over, in many states are getting the vaccine.

Georgia, Alabama, Florida and North Carolina in this region of the country, are vaccinating 65 and over.

Why is our state, Tennessee, lagging behind? Makes you want to have a fake ID that states you are 70.

Charles Paty
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Posted Friday, February 12, 2021 7:23 am

The Washington State Patrol is looking for a second man who was part of the Jan. 6 crowd that broke through the gates and onto the Governor's Mansion grounds.

The man is being investigated for third-degree assault and other unspecified crimes connected to the break-in, according to a WSP press release.

On Jan. 6, hundreds gathered on the state Capitol Campus to rally in support of former President Donald Trump after he lost the election to President Joe Biden. Part of that crowd breached the security gate to the mansion grounds and rallied around the mansion entry. State troopers convinced those on the grounds to leave peacefully after about a half hour.

Last week, the State Patrol released the photo of another man wanted for third-degree assault in connection with the incident.

___

(c)2021 The Olympian (Olympia, Wash.)
The Chester County District Attorneys Office is investigating a police shooting late Thursday in East Goshen Township that left a man in critical condition, officials said Friday.

Police were called to a home on Cornwallis Drive about 6:15 p.m., after a 34-year-old man who lives in the home threatened to shoot his mother and sister, District Attorney Deborah Ryan said. The two women were able to leave the home safely and call police, saying the man, who police did not identify, suffered from mental health issues

When police arrived, the man refused to leave the home and barricaded himself inside, investigators said.

As officers tried to negotiate with him in an effort to get him to leave the house, authorities said, the man fired 15 rounds from a handgun at them. None of the officers was hit, but one of the rounds struck the ground near where an officer was standing, according to investigators.

A member of the West Chester Regional Emergency Response Team who was on the scene returned fire, striking the man twice, authorities said. The man was taken to Paoli Memorial Hospital, where he remained in critical condition Friday, according to investigators.

Ryan said her office is reviewing the shooting to determine whether it was justified.
The Oregon Health Authority held a media briefing on Friday to provide a COVID-19 vaccine update for Oregon.

This comes after operators of the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the Oregon Convention Center have announced that snow will force its closure Friday and Saturday. A decision about whether to open the site Sunday hasnt yet been made.

A large vaccination site at the Portland International Airport is also closed Saturday and Sunday.

About 6,000 area residents were scheduled to be inoculated at the Convention Center on Friday and Saturday. Staff will contact everyone who had appointments to reschedule them for another date, said Brian Terrett, a spokesman for Legacy Health, which is operating the site with other regional health care providers.

Fridays news conference included comments from Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority, and Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state public health officer and epidemiologist.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size If the pictures of Lamborghinis lined up outside bitcoin conferences in Manhattan or jet skis bobbing in the crystal clear waters of Bermuda are anything to go by, working at leading cryptocurrency exchange and derivatives trading platform BitMEX was a sweet gig. That was especially so for its first employee, Australian born and raised Greg Dwyer. Joining BitMEX in 2015, which grew into a $US3 billion ($3.9 billion) financial behemoth in just a few years, must have seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime for Dwyer. Until it all came crashing down last year. Last October, the exchanges four owners were accused by US authorities of flouting sanctions with Iran and allowing organised criminals to launder potentially billions of dollars through their exchange. The disappearance of the public face of BitMEX, its charismatic and telegenic founder Arthur Hayes, has captivated the American financial media and inspired a Vanity Fair feature. What has not been revealed until now is the involvement of an Australian in the BitMEX saga. For the first time, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald can tell the story of how a 37-year-old maths whiz from the Sydney suburb of Gordon, a graduate of the prestigious St Ignatius College, Riverview and Sydney University, is at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in the cryptocurrency worlds short history. Images taken from Greg Dwyers social media feeds of Lamborghinis lined up at a bitcoin conference in Manhattan. Dwyer is still at large after being charged in October by the US Department of Justice with conspiring to breach US banking secrecy laws and anti-money laundering laws. His lawyers Sean Hecker and Jenna Dabbs of Manhattan law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink did not respond to a series of questions from this masthead and instead sent a statement via a New York crisis public relations firm.

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We have been in ongoing discussions with the prosecutors in Manhattan about scheduling his appearance to face these charges and look forward to being able to contest them, because they are unwarranted, a spokeswoman says. Dwyer declined to be interviewed. BitMEX has been described by regulators as a platform for money laundering that operated in the shadows of the financial markets. The size of BitMEX and its operation cannot be underestimated, in 2020 more than $US956 billion flowed through its platform and it is alleged to have more than 85,000 US customers alone. The indictment sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency community where the newly billionaire founders of BitMEX had been treated like celebrities, particularly Hayes. Yet despite the profound impact the arrests of the BitMEX crew had on the industry, the scandal has not put a dent in the stratospheric rise of cryptocurrencies, particularly bitcoin. This week, it hit fresh highs above $60,000 following the news that Elon Musks Tesla had parked $US1.5 billion in idle cash in the cryptocurrency, boosting its credentials as a store of value. At the same time there has been a boom in retail investors, many of whom are young and excited about how cryptocurrencies are changing finance. The rise of BitMEX BitMEX was an early mover in the glitzy cryptocurrency scene. Rather than simply allowing customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like other exchanges, it provided a platform to allow customers to bet on the price of different bitcoins using risky (and illegal in the US) financial derivatives that allow punters to magnify the value of their bet by up to 100 times.

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In this sense, BitMEX was similar to Australian companies that sell similar products based on shares and currencies known as contracts for difference. According to the US criminal indictment, Dwyer worked as a senior executive within the group from 2015, running its Manhattan office and as head of business development. In 2019, he moved to work at BitMEXs offices in Bermuda. Dwyer grew up on Sydneys upper north shore. After graduating from St Ignatius in 2001, he went on to study at the University of Sydney. He graduated in 2008 with first class honours in his Bachelor of Commerce as well as a Bachelor of Science. Company records show Dwyer was also an early investor in his brother Tims buy now, pay later business Limepay, which is slated for a float on the ASX next month - though he no longer directly holds any shares in the group. Tim Dwyer and Limepay are not in any way associated with BitMEX. The Limepay founder did not respond to requests for comment. Dwyer is described as a long time friend and former colleague of Hayes in court documents. The Sydneysider met Hayes while both were working at Deutsche Banks Hong Kong office in 2011. At the time Hayes was also working as a trance DJ known as DJBD. At Deutsche, Dwyer and Hayes cut their teeth in the financial sector as synthetic equity traders, brokers of exotic and risky financial derivatives that are basically bets on various financial assets.

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His experience at Deutsche Bank would come in handy at BitMEX which specialises in exotic betting products on various cryptocurrencies and indices. BitMEX capitalised on the increasing interest in cryptocurrencies and the scarcity of actual hard currencies. The financial derivatives BitMEX sells allows customers to access a market for bitcoins and other crypto-coins without necessarily owning any. The fresh-faced, well-spoken Australian was a key player in the groups development and push towards being a more mainstream product, appearing on television and in other media to promote BitMEX. In 2018, Dwyer was interviewed on Business Insider TV in the US where he talked up crypto moving from the fringes of finance to the mainstream after the historic Chicago Mercantile Exchange (known as the CME) and the Cboe Futures Exchange (CFE) opened up their exchanges to crypto. Bitcoin now trades, pretty much, on unregulated markets, he said in the interview. The fact that its going to start trading on the CME and CFE brings an air of legitimacy to the space because its going to bring in mainstream and professional investors, and have them be more comfortable participating in the futures market which is more regulated.

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This is a big endorsement for the digital currency trading space. But while Dwyer was a central character in BitMEXs story, his profile was dwarfed by that of Hayes with his sharp tongue and movie-star good looks. Arthur Hayes picked a fight with respected economist Nouriel Roubini. Credit:Twitter In 2019, Hayes hit the mainstream media headlines after picking a fight at a conference in Taiwan with respected economist and anti-cryptocurrency campaigner Nouriel Roubini, known as Dr Doom for predicting the US housing bubble that led to the global financial crisis. The confrontation would become known in bitcoin circles as the Tangle in Taipei. Roubinis argument was BitMEX was operating a business that was flouting US laws by not being properly licensed and selling its leverage products to US customers despite it being illegal to do so. It is just an example of everything that is sick and rotten in this particular industry, Roubini would remark, according to a video of the event. While Hayes claimed victory on the day and was cheered by industry press, Roubinis comments would spark a major investigation by one of Americas key market regulators, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. The US indictment is the result of this investigation. CFTC is also pursuing civil charges against BitMEX, its founders and a range of associated entities including 100x Group. The civil suit does not name Dwyer.

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Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill this week intended to protect businesses and health care providers from coronavirus-related lawsuits.

Gianforte said the new law will allow businesses to safely open during the pandemic. He also said enough vulnerable Montana residents have received COVID-19 vaccinations to allow the lifting Friday of the mask mandate put in place in July by his Democratic predecessor Steve Bullock.

Still, Gianforte said he would continue to wear a mask for the time being and encouraged others to do so. Local jurisdictions will still be permitted to implement mask mandates after the statewide rule is lifted.

As of Wednesday, over 41,000 Montana residents, representing just under 4% of the state population, had received both doses of the vaccine. The state is still in the midst of the second phase of vaccinations, with doses available only to people 70 or older, those with severe underlying medical conditions and people of color who are at greater risk if they contract the virus.

Gianfortes announcement came as Centers for Disease Control Director Dr, Rochelle Walensky warned against lifting broad mask requirements. Thirty-six states have such a requirement, according to a tally by the American Association of Retired Persons.

Research has demonstrated that COVID-19 infections and deaths have decreased when policies that require everyone to wear a mask have been implemented. So with cases, hospitalizations, and deaths still very high, now is not the time to roll back mask requirements, Walensky said during a White House news conference.

In lifting the mandate, Gianforte will make good on a promise he made the day after taking office in early January.

Several other states have ended mask mandates, including Iowa, where the governor lifted the requirement last week despite advice to the contrary from the White House COVID Response Team.

Gianforte said his decision was also compelled by the downward trend in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Montana. The state reported just over 100 coronavirus-related hospitalizations on Wednesday, down from a peak of over 500 in November.

Under the liability protection measure, businesses and health care providers, including assisted living facilities, could not be sued by individuals exposed to the coronavirus on their premises, except in cases of gross negligence or when they intentionally spread the virus. Business owners would not be required to uphold federal or state mask requirements or temperature-check rules if they remain in place.

The bill was advanced by the Republican-dominated Legislature in votes that largely split along party lines. Democrats said the law will give businesses immunity even if they knowingly put their customers and employees in danger of contracting the virus.

Twenty other states are considering protections against liability claims involving businesses, health care providers and educational institutions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In Montana, bill sponsor Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls. said the law will prevent legal action against people who are making good-faith efforts to comply with local health guidance.

However, opponents have said Montana businesses have not been the subject of what Fitzpatrick called frivolous lawsuits.

A lawsuit filed last week against an assisted living facility in Missoula alleges negligence and mistreatment of elders resulting in an outbreak of COVID-19 that led to the deaths of at least 26 residents, including the mother of the two sisters filing the suit. At least one other lawsuit has targeted assisted living and long-term care facilities in Montana where residents died following outbreaks.

Just over a third of the states 1,320 confirmed virus-related deaths have been associated with such facilities, according to figures from the states public heath department.

Samuels is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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

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On February 9, the politically savvy YS Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, called for a meeting of supporters from Nalgonda district in Hyderabad to assess the ground situation, and later spoke of the need to usher in Rajanna Rajyam (the rule of her late father and former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy) in Telangana.

It was a move that no one knew what to make of. That Sharmila is considering starting a political party in Telangana was the consensus opinion, but one that made little sense even to seasoned observers of politics in the two states.

The YSR Congress Party, formed by Jagan Reddy in 2011 after he left from the Congress, had vehemently opposed the bifurcation of the Andhra Pradesh and the creation of Telangana, so why would the sister of the party boss start a new party and that too in the very state they did not want formed in the first place?

Conspiracy theorists are having a field day. From the family rift theory to the view that this is a ploy to help the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) by splitting the anti-TRS vote, to the converse where some say that this may be a move to damage the TRS  each one has an explanation. What is clear is that no one knows for sure.

The fact that senior leaders of Jagan Reddys YSRCP came out to distance the party from Sharmila's move saying that Jagan Reddy did not want to expand the YSRCP to Telangana did hint at a discord between brother and sister; but the fact that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister is yet to say a word on this publicly has ensured that the pot is kept boiling.

That Sharmila nursed political ambitions was never a secret. From organising a yatra when Jagan Reddy was in prison to becoming a star campaigner for the YSRCP, she was also consciously building her profile. So much so that political opponents felt that it was necessary to target her. Her personal life was written about as was her husband Anil Kumar's evangelism, with allegations that he was indulging in religious conversion with the support of the government.

After the 2019 Assembly elections that swept Jagan Reddy to power, Sharmila fell silent. Hardly being seen with her brother since he took office, the rumour mills started to churn. From being spoken of as a possible minister or a Rajya Sabha MP, Sharmila disappeared from the political headlines; until now. The banners and posters for Sharmila's meeting attracted a lot of attention as they did not feature her brothers image. This lead to even more speculation about a rift, at least politically, between the siblings.

While Sharmila has not committed herself to starting a political party, saying she wanted to travel the state and get more inputs, there are already names being floated for the outfit. YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) as of now appears to be the favourite.

There is also a view that this move by Sharmila is only to put pressure on her brother to recognise her contribution for his success, and reward her politically.

Meanwhile, all major parties in Telangana accuse each other of propping up Sharmila to split their votes. The Congress accuses the TRS of using Sharmila to split the Reddy community votes (YSRCPs vote bank) that still go to the Congress in sizable numbers. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feels that TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao may be propping her up to split the anti-TRS votes.

Interestingly, the social media wing of the TRS initially came out all guns blazing with memes and caustic remarks asking Sharmila to sort out her issues in Andhra Pradesh and not in Telangana. After reportedly getting a diktat from the party high command not to attack her, they removed these posts, and added more suspense to the plot.

At the moment no one seems to know what to make of YS Sharmilas announcement. Politically, the YSRCP had very little base left in Telangana after Jagan Reddy decided to steer clear and focus on Andhra Pradesh. If Sharmila is not going to have the blessings of her brother, then even that limited voter base is not going to be of use.

How does she build a party from scratch then? She knows only too well the odds against her. So why is she posturing? What is her real game then? Hopefully it will be clear in a few months. Until then observers of politics and indeed the people of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will continue to try and make sense of what is, for now at least, an indecipherable political move.
Lao Officials Take Their Cut

In Laos, where rampant deforestation has reduced natural forest cover from 70% in the 1950s to below 40% now, auditors found 127 government employees among 1,110 people involved in illegal logging since it was banned in 2016.
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The United States is deeply concerned by Russian authorities decision to sentence opposition figure Aleksey Navalny to two years and eight months in prison.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 17:33:10|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved an additional financing of 50.7 million U.S. dollars to help Mongolia get access to COVID-19 vaccines, the bank's office in Mongolia said Friday.

The financing was approved within the framework of the bank's COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Project.

Mongolia has taken strong measures to prevent and contain the COVID-19 outbreak since the beginning of 2020. It has so far registered a relatively low number of COVID-19 cases at 2,247, with four deaths.

"Access to safe and effective vaccines will be critical to protecting lives and accelerating economic and social recovery in Mongolia," said Andrei Mikhnev, World Bank country manager for Mongolia.

"This additional financing will enable affordable and equitable access to vaccines and play a critical role in further strengthening the health system in Mongolia," Mikhnev said.

Mongolia is planning to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population of 3.3 million against COVID-19, according to the government. Enditem
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 fundamental issue with freedom of expression is either you have it or you dont. While there is no arguing against the fact that such freedom may be subject to reasonable restrictions, particularly with reference to communal harmony and public safety being threatened by inciters of violence and disorder, government action cannot be selective in acting only on the basis of its sensitivities being outraged by criticism. The spat with social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp may have been caused by suspicions over their neutrality when it comes to issues cropping up in India. But the government is seen to be acting like a bully in its plaintive calls for action to be taken against all critics in a blanket manner that is reminiscent of a totalitarian approach that had led to democratic disasters in India.

The governments fear of its image abroad being hammered by celebrities with a large following on the social media has led to it calling for Twitter to take down nearly 1,200 accounts following tweets on farmer protests. Some of those accounts may be backed by Pakistan or Khalistan sympathisers, and sported ridiculously hateful hashtags like farmers genocide. Orders to take them down are legitimate and may have already been acted upon. To insist on a virtual blanket ban on one side of the arguments in support of the farmers, which might be more universal among Indians than the government may imagine, is what makes government action suspicious in the eyes of the votaries of free speech and expression. In a free world, Indian developers are free, too, to set up microblogging platforms like Koo.

There was widespread praise for Twitter when it chose to act against Donald Trump for actively encouraging his acolytes to attempt an armed insurrection on Capitol Hill. It must also do so when inspired actions of vicious users and automated bots aimed at disruption are brought to its attention. Behind Twitters espousal of the foundational principle of free expression may lie social medias monetisation of hate but free expressions of hate are a sign of the times which have armed individuals with handles and megaphones on media platforms to rant on. India is beset by the same phenomenon and may have no extraordinary case for protection or idealistic treatment. It has chosen the Internet as a right of the people even if it has been known to act selectively as on the borders of Delhi hosting the farmers protests and in Kashmir, which went without 4G connectivity for more than a year.

It is in the modern war between perception and reality that issues like differential treatment of violence on Capitol Hill and the storming of the Red Fort crop up. Again, these are part of the perils of living in an interconnected age in which opinion is free and, perhaps, even overrated as billions enjoy the freedom of presenting their personal thoughts to the world. The threat to jail Twitters Indian employees is, however, part of a worrisome pattern of the current regime, which has contemplated similar repressive action against a politician and several journalists with only the top court standing between them and arrests. It is in this context that Twitters disinclination to take down handles of politicians and journalists must be viewed and praised as supporting essential freedom of expression.
The spokesman of the Egyptian Ministry of Health said resuming in-class education, which has been on hiatus for both schools and universities nationwide since December, is part of living with the virus and restoring normalcy to lives.

"There is nothing to prevent students from returning to schools. It is part of living with the virus and returning to normal life, this is the policy Egypt has followed since the onset of the pandemic," Spokesman Khaled Megahed told the media on Thursday.

He stressed the need to comply to all preventative measures whether by the schools staff or students along with parents.

"The ministry has adopted a plan, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, to ensure that the precautionary measures are followed inside schools," he added.

Egypt cancelled in-class education and postponed first-term exams at schools and universities in December 2020, nearly a week after the country entered a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Egyptian students are due to take their first term exam by the end of the mid-year holiday, which will come to end on 20 February, a step which is of concern to many students and parents in Egypt due to the daily tallies of coronavirus infections and the death toll.

Many students turned to social media platforms asking the education minister to postpone the exam as well as the second academic term, particularly after the brief rise Egypt witnessed over the past two days which was unlike the infection and death tolls registered over the preceding days.

Twitter hashtags"#Cancel_the_exams", "#The_exams_are_dangerous_MrPresident" and "#Our_health_is_important" in Arabic have been trending in the past three weeks featuring schools and universities asking the government and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to cancel the first-term exams.

Egypt entered the second wave of COVID-19 in early December, however, in January, the country witnessed a decline in the daily infection rate.

Egypts Minister of Health Hala Zayed said on Thursday at a meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) that the number of coronavirus infections in Egypt is expected to increase by April.

Egypt has so far registered 171,290 cases of coronavirus, including 133,331 recoveries and 9,804 fatalities, since the outbreak of the pandemic in February 2020.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 16:02:34|Editor: huaxia

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XINING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A gala celebrating the Tibetan New Year, which coincided with the Spring Festival this year, has highlighted the unique charm of traditional Tibetan culture and heritage with the boost of modern elements.

The two-hour gala was broadcast Thursday night, the eve of the Tibetan New Year and the Spring Festival, by the Amdo Satellite TV, a channel using the Amdo dialect of the Tibetan language in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

Palden Wangchug, a Tibetan opera actor, performed a part of the Tibetan epic King Gesar at the gala.

"It has become a tradition for intangible cultural heritages to appear on the stage of the annual gala for the Tibetan New Year. More and more people begin to learn and protect these precious cultural heritages," said Palden Wangchug, winner of the Plum Blossom Prize, the highest theatrical award in China.

Nearly 400 professional actors and folk artists from Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan gathered to celebrate the new year according to the Tibetan calendar with dances, songs, cross-talks and short plays, featuring a combination of traditional and modern elements. Enditem
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The Russian president holds secret talks with leading media players. Navalnys poisoning is part of a Western plan. Russian secret services were not involved (no poison). Russian police are also innocent (young people are always radical). Yulia Navalnaya is in Frankfurt.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the chief editors of Russias main media yesterday. The meeting was supposedly secret, but some participants leaked several comments about the Navalny protests and other current affairs, prompting a negative reaction from the Kremlin.

The editor-in-chief of Echo of Moscow radio, the well-known Alexey Venediktov, asked the president about Navalnys poisoning, which Putin sees as Western inspiration.

Navalny is being used by foreign players, who are pursuing a policy of containment against Russia on the international stage, the Russian President said. What can I say. Young people are always radical, but our law enforcement agencies have acted correctly during the protests of the last few days.

On the poisoning of his political opponent, Putin reported his conversation with President French Emmanuel Macron. I asked him to send us the tests made at a French laboratory, because our doctors did not find traces of poison: he refused. So I proposed that our doctors come to France to this laboratory, to find out the results of the tests: another rejection. So I proposed that French specialists come to Moscow with the results of the tests, and one more rejection.

If we could see what you [the French] found that we did not notice, even the smallest clue, we would immediately open an investigation for an attack on Navalny's life. But here too there was a refusal. I repeat for the umpteenth time. Our laboratories did not find any confirmation of chemical poisoning.

Putin's answers were reported by Venediktov himself, with the presidents permission. As always, Putin did not mention Navalny's name once; but this time he did not repeat what he said on 17 December: If we had done it, he would have died.

According to the BBC, Putin's answers to the other questions remained secret; the only statement of some interest was precisely that on Navalny; for the rest, there were no revelations or comments of particular interest.

Lenta.rus editor-in-chief, Vladimir Todorov, reportedly asked for clarification on blocking Western Internet services. Putin appeared to rule out closing them, but did confirm plans to develop a domestic Russian internet network. Blocking Western servers would become relevant only in the event of real threats, The Bell editors reported.

Meanwhile, Navalny's wife, Yulia, landed at Frankfurt airport on Wednesday, on a surprise trip that even her lawyers were not aware of, German weekly Der Spiegel reported.

According to Russian media, Yulia Navalnaya left the country fearing being arrested like her husband. In Berlin her visit is described as private. Navalnaya did not comment on the matter, and has not posted anything on social media for over a week.
Washington: The US on Thursday slapped sanctions on 10 current and former military officers and three entities in Myanmar who led the recent coup against the democratically elected government and detained its leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint.

Six of the individuals are part of the National Defense and Security Council and were directly involved in the coup  Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese military forces Min Aung Hlaing, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, First Vice President and retired Lieutenant General Myint Swe, Lieutenant General Sein Win, Lieutenant General Soe Htut, and Lieutenant General Ye Aung.

The four others slapped with sanctions are General Mya Tun Oo who was appointed Minister of Defense, Admiral Tin Aung San who was appointed Minister for Transport and Communications, Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo who was appointed Joint Secretary of the State Administration Council (SAC), and Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe who was appointed Secretary of the SAC. In addition, three Burmese entities, Myanmar Ruby Enterprise, Myanmar Imperial Jade Co and Cancri (Gems and Jewellery), are being slapped with American sanctions.

"These designations specifically target current or former members of the military who played a leading role in the overthrow of Burma's democratically elected government. They do not target the economy or people of Burma, and we have gone to great lengths to ensure we do not add to the humanitarian plight of the Burmese people," US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said. On February 1, prior to the scheduled seating of Burma's newly elected Parliament, the military detained a broad cross-section of civilian government leadership, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, civil society leaders, journalists, and human right activists.

"We have been clear: this was a coup, and we will not sit idly by. This coup attempts to reject the will of the people of Burma as expressed during the November 2020 election. Since February 1, the people of Burma have shown their commitment to democracy through peaceful protest and civil disobedience.

The United States stands with them, Blinken said. Additionally, as the President announced, the US government has also taken steps to prevent the generals from improperly accessing more than USD1 billion in Burmese government funds held in the United States, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.

The Department of Commerce is also taking immediate action to limit exports of sensitive goods to the Burmese military and other entities associated with the recent coup, she said. "In addition, we're freezing US assistance that benefits the Burmese government, while maintaining our support for healthcare, civil society groups, and other areas that benefit the Burmese people directly. We will also continue our support for the Rohingya and other vulnerable populations," Psaki said.

The White House in a separate statement said that the sanctions announced by it need not be permanent. Burma's military should immediately restore power to the democratically elected government, end the state of emergency, release all those unjustly detained, and ensure peaceful protesters are not met with violence. The results of Burma's November 8 elections must be respected, and Parliament should be convened at the earliest opportunity, it asserted.

"The United States will continue to work with our allies, partners, and international organisations as we condemn the actions of the Burmese military, and call for the immediate restoration of democracy. We view this coup as a direct assault on the country's transition to democracy, the White House said.

The White House said President Joe Biden has also spoken about Burma directly with leaders in the region, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping from China. We remain in close contact with like-minded nations, and welcome statements from the G7, ASEAN and several of Burma's neighbours that have strongly condemned the actions of the Burmese military, it said.

"We are also prepared to take additional action should Burma's military not change course. If there is more violence against peaceful protesters, the Burmese military will find that today's sanctions are just the first," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said that effective immediately, it will apply a presumption of denial for items requiring a licence for export and re-export to these select Burmese government departments and agencies.

"The military coup in Burma is a direct assault on Burma's transition to democracy and the rule of law. action to prevent the Burmese military from benefiting from access to sensitive US technology, we are sending a direct message that the United States stands with the people of Burma and their lawful democratic institutions," the Department of Commerce said.

USAID said that it is immediately redirecting USD 42.4 million of assistance away from work that would have benefited the Government of Burma. "Rather than supporting the military, we will redirect these funds to support and strengthen civil society, said USAID Acting Director Gloria Steele.

In a joint statement, a bipartisan group of influential Senators Marco Rubio, Ed Markey, Jim Risch and Ben Cardin applaud the Biden administration's decision to impose targeted sanctions against Burma's military leaders.

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After Trivedis dramatic resignation from RS, BJP says welcome

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 12: The BJP's Kailash Vijaywargiya said the Dinesh Trivedi is welcome to join the BJP, moments after the TMC leader resigned from the Rajya Sabha.

Not just Trivedi, but whoever wants to do honest work cannot stay in the TMC, he said. We will welcome him, if wants to join the BJP, Vijaywargiya also said.

Trivedi, considered a close confidant of Mamata Banerjee, resigned from Rajya Sabha on Friday, saying he feels suffocated in the House as he is unable to do anything for the violence going on in his state, West Bengal.

Trinamool Congress MP Dinesh Trivedi resigns from Rajya Sabha

"If you sit here quietly and cannot do anything, then it is better that you resign from here and go to the land of Bengal and be with people," he said in the Upper House of Parliament. Trivedi said the world looks at India when something happens.

"What I mean to say is the way violence is taking place in our state. Sitting here, I am feeling perplexed as to what should I do," he added.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP said he is unable to bear various incidents that are happening in West Bengal.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

"I am grateful to my party that it has sent me here, but now I feel a little suffocated. We are unable to do anything and there is atrocity (going on). My voice of conscience is saying what Swami Vivekananda used to say -- arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached," Trivedi said, while announcing his resignation from the House.

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Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 16:19 [IST]
China today has shared the first video of Mars recorded by Tianwen-1 after the probe entered orbit, the latest step in Beijing's ambitious space programme.

Incredible footage captures the Martian landscape and atmosphere out of a pitch black sky as the Chinese spacecraft flew past the Red Planet.

Launched last July around the same time as a rival US mission, the probe will remain paired in orbit for three months and is expected to touch down on Mars in May.

China National Space Administration shared the first video of Mars recorded by Tianwen-1 after the probe entered orbit, the latest step in Beijing's ambitious space programme

Image from China National Space Administration shows the Tianwen-1 probe en route to Mars. If all goes well, it will be the second country to land successfully on the Red Planet

Tianwen-1: China's Mars debut. The five-tonne Tianwen-1 includes a Mars orbiter, a lander and a solar-powered rover that will for three months study the planet's soil and atmosphere, take photos, chart maps and look for signs of past life

Following a 500 million-km journey from Earth, Tianwen-1 entered orbit around Mars on Wednesday after being launched on July 23 aboard a Long March 5 Y-4 carrier rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan, China.

The five-ton spacecraft  which consists of an orbiter, lander and rover  is a step closer to Beijing's ambitious space mission, which aims to establish a crewed space station by 2022 and eventually put a man on the moon.

For the three-month study of the planet's soil and atmosphere, the mission will take photos, chart maps and look for signs of past life.

The probe has already sent back its first image of Mars - a black-and-white photo that showed geological features including the Schiaparelli crater and the Valles Marineris, a vast stretch of canyons on the Martian surface.

In a two-minute clip released by China National Space Administration on Thursday, the surface of the planet is seen coming into view out of a pitch black sky against the outside of the Tianwen-1.

White craters are visible on the Red Planet's surface, which fades from white to black through the video as the Chinese probe, Tianwen-1, flies over the course of one Martian day

Incredible footage released by Chinese authorities captures the Martian landscape and atmosphere out of a pitch black sky as the Chinese spacecraft flew past the Red Planet

The footage, captured by two surveillance cameras, also shows a slight vibration of the probe after the engine was ignited.

White craters are visible on the planet's surface, which fades from white to black through the video as the probe flies over the course of one Martian day.

It was shared by the Chinese authorities to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

If Tianwen-1 is deployed successfully in May, it will make China the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover on its first mission to Mars.

After landing, it will survey the composition, types of substance, geological structure and meteorological environment of the Martian surface, and look for signs of alien life.

China's space probe has sent back its first image of Mars and is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet later this year

The Chinese spacecraft entered Mars orbit less than 24 hours after the United Arab Emirates', Hope probe, which entered Mars orbit at around 4.15pm GMT on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a rover sent by NASA, Perseverance, will arrive next week, on February 18, in its mission to collect rocks for return to Earth.

Hope, Tianwen-1 and Perseverance all launched within 12 days of each other in the second half of July last year - when Mars and Earth were favourably aligned.

The UAE said Hope will be the first probe to provide a complete picture of planet's atmosphere and its layers and, unlike the spacecraft from NASA and China, will not be landing on the planet's surface.

It will answer key questions about the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases into space, over the span of one Martian year (687 Earth days).

'Success! Contact with #HopeProbe has been established again. The Mars Orbit Insertion is now complete,' the Hope Mars Mission Twitter account posted on Tuesday.

Named Hope, the probe started the complex process of entering Martian orbit at just before 16:00 GMT - following a 500 million km race from Earth

Illustration provided by Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre depicts the United Arab Emirates' Hope Mars probe during its approach

Hope blasted off from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center on July 19 last year.

A 'most critical and complex' manoeuvre was necessary to enter Mars's orbit.

It involved Hope firing its engines and slowing itself down sufficiently to be captured by the gravity of the Red Planet  known as the fuel burn and 'Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI)' phase.

By firing Hope's engines for 27 minutes, the fuel burn reduced the speed of Hope from more than 121,000km an hour to approximately 18,000km an hour as it entered the 'capture orbit' and disappeared behind Mars' dark side.

Signals from the spacecraft, confirming a successful orbital insertion, arrived 11 minutes later at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai.

Hope re-emerged from the planet's shadow, and contact was restored on schedule after a nervy wait, sparking jubilant celebrations in the city.

Hope will remain in this phase for about two months, during which further testing of its instrumentation will take place, until it is ready to enter the 'science' orbit  when its data collection work begins.

In science orbit, it will be in an especially high position  13,670 miles by 27,340 miles (22,000 kilometres by 44,000 kilometres) above the Martian surface  and provide regular updates on the Martian weather.

Hope will survey Mars' atmosphere - around 95 per cent of which is made up of carbon dioxide - around the entire planet, at all times of day and in all seasons.

Meanwhile, NASA's Mars 2020 mission will search for signs of ancient life on on the Red Planet in a bid to help scientists better understand how life evolved on Earth.

NASA's Perseverance rover is on its way to Mars - it is due to land in the Jezero crater on February 18 and will begin a mission that will see it search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet, and gather samples of rock and soil

This concept art shows the Mars 2020 rover landing on the red planet via NASA's 'sky-crane' system - it is due to arrive on February 18

Named Perseverance, the main car-sized rover will explore an ancient river delta within the Jezero Crater, which was once filled with a 1,600ft deep lake.

It is believed that the region hosted microbial life some 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago and the rover will examine soil samples to hunt for evidence of that life.

NASA's 1.95 billion ($2.5 billion) Mars 2020 spaceship launched on July 30 with he rover and helicopter inside - and will land on February 18, 2021.

Perseverance is designed to land inside the crater and collect samples that will eventually be returned to Earth for further analysis.

A second mission will fly to the planet and return the samples, perhaps by the later 2020s in partnership with the European Space Agency.

After watching the US and the Soviet Union lead the way during the Cold War, China has poured billions of dollars into its military-led space programme.

It has made huge strides in the past decade, sending a human into space in 2003.

The Asian powerhouse has laid the groundwork to assemble a space station by 2022 and gain a permanent foothold in Earth orbit.

'As a first try for China, I don't expect it to do anything significant beyond what the US has already done,' previously said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, about the Chinese craft.

Tianwen-1 is 'broadly comparable to Viking in its scope and ambition', said McDowell, referring to NASA's Mars landing missions in 1975 to 1976.

This is not China's first attempt at Mars  in 2011, a Chinese orbiter accompanying a Russian mission was lost when the spacecraft failed to get out of Earth's orbit after launching from Kazakhstan, eventually burning up in the atmosphere.

In 2018, NASA's InSight - short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport - landed on Mars

NASA's InSight lander arrived on Mars in 2018, but its 'Mole' probe has had difficulty drilling beneath the surface

In 2018, NASA's InSight - short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport - landed on Mars.

But, after just two years of operations, NASA declared Insight's 'Mole' dead last month.

The 16-inch heat probe was designed to drill 16 feet into the Martian crust and take its temperature, but despite the best efforts of scientists in Germany, it it could not gain enough friction in the red dirt.

Following one last unsuccessful attempt to hammer itself down into the soil over the weekend - a process involving 500 strokes - the team called it quits.

'We've given it everything we've got, but Mars and our heroic mole remain incompatible,' said the German Space Agency's Tilman Spohn.

While they didn't get deep enough to get a temperature reading, the effort will benefit future excavation efforts on Mars, said Spohn.

This is in part due to the fact they discovered that not all Martian soil is the same.

Astronauts may one day need to dig into Mars in search of frozen water for drinking or making fuel - or even for signs of past microscopic life.

The mole's design was based on soil examined by previous spacecraft. That soil sample turned out to be nothing like the clumpy dirt encountered this time.
MINSK -- Opposition sources say that the Belarusian authorities have added charges including conspiracy to seize state power and organizing extremism to the cases of jailed opposition figures Maryya Kalesnikava and Maksim Znak.

Both are among the detained ranking members of the Coordination Council, an opposition group set up after Belarus's disputed presidential election in August with the stated aim of facilitating a peaceful transfer of power.

News of the fresh prosecutions came after the first day of a Soviet-style "All-Belarusian People's Assembly" mounted by Alyaksandr Lukashenka to float possible reforms and development in a move that appears designed to buy him time amid unprecedented protests against his regime.

Lawyer Dzmitry Layeuski and the Telegram channel of jailed would-be presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka disclosed the emergence of the new charges against Kalesnikava and Znak, which could carry prison sentences of up to 12 years.

The opposition says the election was rigged and the West has refused to accept its results.

Western governments have also repeatedly called for the release of senior opposition leaders and thousands of protesters jailed during months of crackdown on the street demonstrations against Lukashenka.

Kalesnikava and Znak were arrested in September and Kalesnikava was charged with calling for actions aimed at damaging the country's national security via the media and the Internet after she urged people to protest the official election results.

Znak was previously charged with public calls for actions aimed at harming the country's security, sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, and defense.

Both have rejected the charges as politically motivated.

Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusians continue to demand the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. The West refuses to recognize him as the country's legitimate leader after an August 9 election considered fraudulent.

Mass demonstrations engulfed the country after Lukashenka claimed victory and a sixth consecutive term.

Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran for president after her husband was jailed while trying to mount a candidacy of his own, left the country for Lithuania shortly after the election due to security concerns.

Thousands of Belarusians, including dozens of journalists covering the protests, have been detained and hundreds beaten in detention and on the streets.

Several protesters have been killed in the violence, and some rights organizations say there is credible evidence of torture being used by security officials against some detainees.

Lukashenka has denied any wrongdoing with regard to the election and refuses to negotiate with the opposition on stepping down and holding new elections.

The European Union, United States, Canada, and other countries have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus and have slapped him and senior Belarusian officials with sanctions in response to the "falsification" of the vote and postelection crackdown.

The 66-year-old Lukashenka, who has run the country since 1994, opened the two-day "People's Assembly" on February 11 by saying that a foreign "blitzkrieg" on Belarus had failed.

The U.S. Embassy in Belarus issued a statement on February 11 saying that the assembly was "neither genuine nor inclusive of Belarusian views and therefore does not address the country's ongoing political crisis."
Viktor Medvedchuk is alleged to be the main beneficiary behind the scheme, the report claims.

An ex-deputy chief of UkrDIAP (Institute of Nitrogen Industry and Organic Synthesis Products) has been charged with abuse of office in the case of the transfer to a privately-owned company of part of the trunk petroleum pipeline "Samara  Western Direction", an anti-graft agency reports.

The suspect has drafted and signed a knowingly false expert conclusion, based on which Ukraine's ownership claims over the pipe were rejected in court, Liga.net reports citing the National Anti-corruption Bureau (NABU).

Based on the court ruling, control over the said part of the pipeline was handed over to Prykarpatzakhidtrans LLC, which is associated with the entourage of Viktor Medvedchuk, a People's Deputy with the pro-Russian OPZZh force.

"The case probes the scheme of appropriation of a part of the petroleum pipeline by PrykarpatZakhidtrans LLC officials and heads of companies, the legal successor of which is the said LLC, together with Ukrainian civil servants and Russia-based individuals. The ultimate beneficiary of the scheme is Viktor Medvedchuk," a source in law enforcement has told Liga.net.

Read alsoU.S. embassy voices support for ban on pro-Russian TV channels in UkraineMemo

Prykarpatzahidtrans operates a nearly 800km-long section of the Samara-Western Direction petroleum pipeline designed for transmitting diesel fuel from Russia and Belarus to Ukraine and further to Europe. Company owners are Belarus' Mykola Vorobey and Germany's Anatoly Scheffer. The latter is believed to be part of Viktor Medvedchuk's entourage.

In March 2016, Russia's state-owned Transneft sold the Prykarpatzahidtrans pipeline to a Swiss company, International Trading Partners AG. Among its counterparties were firms owned by people from Medvedchuk's orbit.

In 2018, the Nashi Hroshi investigative project reported that NABU was investigating the transfer of the Samara-Western Direction pipeline to Prykarpatzakhidtrans.

NABU stated that the pipe had been laid during the Soviet era and was set to be managed by Ukraine after the country gained independence. However, the subsidiary of Russia's JSC Transneftoproduct never handed the pipeline to the Ukrainian government.

Reporting by UNIAN
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Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Government of National Accord has expressed its readiness to facilitate the work of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Libya
Earning a spot in Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 list demonstrates Window Worlds strength as a company, and improving our ranking displays our growth and success.

Window World, Americas largest replacement window and exterior remodeling company, is excited to announce its ranking climbed in Entrepreneur magazines Franchise 500. Window World ranked number 268 this year for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. Last year, the Franchise 500 ranked Window World number 356.

Entrepreneur magazines Franchise 500 is the worlds first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Placement in the Franchise 500 is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry, making it one of Window Worlds most competitive rankings ever.

Earning a spot in Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 list demonstrates Window Worlds strength as a company, and improving our ranking displays our growth and success, says Window World CEO and Chairman Tammy Whitworth. Window World offers quality service and products for consumers, and they share that information with other potential clients. That leads to a promising future for franchise owners.

This is the 42nd year of the Franchise 500 list. The key factors that go into the evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

This comes after Window World broke into the top 200 of the Franchise Times Top 200+, an annual ranking of the 500 largest United States franchise brands. Window World ranked number 123 in the latest list. The company also maintained its authority as the number one replacement and remodeling company in the 2020 REMODELING 550 list. It is also ranked as the number one national home improvement and remodeling company in Qualified Remodelers 2020 Top 500 list.

To view Window World in the full ranking, visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2021 issue of Entrepreneur.

About Window World

Window World, headquartered in North Wilkesboro, N.C., is Americas largest replacement window and exterior remodeling company, with more than 200 locally owned franchises nationwide. Founded in 1995, the company sells and installs windows, siding, doors and other exterior products, with over 19 million windows sold to date. Window World is an ENERGY STAR partner and its windows, vinyl siding and Therma-Tru doors have all earned the Good Housekeeping Seal. Through its charitable foundation, Window World Cares, Window World and its franchisees provide funding for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Since its inception in 2008, the foundation has raised over $11.75 million for St. Jude. Window World also supports veterans and the military through its Window World Military Initiative (WWMI). WWMI defines Window Worlds commitment to honor and serve Americas veterans, active military, and military families across the entire franchise system by focusing on three pillars: Careers, Community Outreach, and Partnerships. The Veterans Airlift Command (VAC) has been a partner since 2008. During that time, Window World has contributed over $2.5 million in flights and donations to the organization. For more information, visit WindowWorld.com or call 1-800 NEXTWINDOW. For home improvement and energy efficiency tips, decor ideas and more, follow Window World on Facebook and Twitter.
You think of justice as treating everybody equally, he said. Well, there couldnt have been a bigger divide between what Judge Joyce did in Soprons case, which is vacate the conviction, and what he did in Antusas case  they couldnt have been more similarly situated, yet he treated them polar opposite from each other.
Multiple sources told The Times the searches are part of an ongoing effort to gather physical evidence, including DNA, that may reveal what happened to the 19-year-old Smart, who disappeared May 25, 1996 on her way home from an off-campus party. Flores was seen walking on a path to the college dormitories with her the night she went missing.

Flores was questioned in Smarts disappearance at the time. He has lived in San Pedro for more than a decade while working in Orange County, according to sources.

Smarts family has sued Flores in civil court, but he has not been criminally charged. In response to the lawsuit, Flores has denied the allegation. He invoked his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination before a grand jury and in a civil deposition.

His arrest Wednesday marks a new twist in one of Californias most enduring cold case mysteries.

After Smart disappeared, law enforcement used helicopters, horses and ground-penetrating radar in the hunt for the missing student. She was officially declared dead in 2002, although her body was never found.

In 2016, federal investigators dug up a hillside near the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus, looking for remains. They also searched the yard of a home.
Fred Gray, the 90-year-old civil rights attorney who argued several segregation and discrimination cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and was the personal lawyer for Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, is deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the president of the Alabama State Bar wrote in a letter to President Biden.

There are very few people, if any, more deserving of this honor, wrote Alabama Bar President Bob Methvin in a letter to Biden dated Monday and released Thursday.

Gray, a Tuskegee resident, has spent the majority of his life fighting for the civil rights of all Americans, Methvin added in his letter requesting Biden bestow one of the most prestigious civilian awards to the civil rights lawyer.

During the civil rights movement, Gray successfully argued several key cases, including Browder v. Gayle, which challenged that the segregation laws in Montgomery that led to the bus boycott was unconstitutional. He also served as personal lawyer to Parks and activist Claudette Colvin for refusing to give up their seats to white passengers.

Mr. Gray became a lawyer because he understood that lawyers help people, Methvin wrote. For over 60 years, he has done just that and has made this country a better place by following through on his commitment to destroy everything segregated that he could find.

Aside from his civil rights work, Gray was also the first Black president of the Alabama State Bar from 2002 to 2003.
It has been reported that German automaker Porsche is considering setting up an assembly plant in Kedah, Malaysia, in partnership with Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd's subsidiary Inokom Corporation. Sime Darby is already a distributor for Porsche in the region. Porsche reportedly aims to make Malaysia an Asian production hub.

The development would be a very big boost for Malaysia as the assembly plant, when developed, would be the only Porsche production facility outside Europe. To date, Porsche plants are in Germany with one also in Slovakia.

Porsche global vehicle deliveries have been on a steady rise since 2015. Like everyone in the industry, the automaker was hit by the pandemic, but a look at deliveries shows a degree of resilience. APAC & MEA remained major contributors to 2020 sales and are relatively high-volume and high-growth regions for Porsche.

In contrast with sales declines of 9% and 8% in Europe and America respectively, Porsche sales grew 4% in the APAC & MEA regions combined in 2020. Manufacturing capacity in the region would offer a solution to cater for growing Porsche demand in the region.

Local assembly in APAC/SEA region would help Porsche to reduce import duties and logistics costs. Porsche sells over 110K units annually in APAC and that could be an indication of the production capacity the company may target.



Porsche would be the fifth luxury brand to be produced in Malaysia after BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover and Volvo.

Porsche would be the fifth luxury brand to be produced in Malaysia after BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover and Volvo. Porsche's partner Inokom Corporation showcases wide expertise in luxury vehicle assembling which includes BMW, MINI and Land Rover brands. The company is also assembler for Hyundai, Mazda, Ford, Brilliance, and Foton, and has production capacity of 38,000 vehicles presently.

Malaysia is also the third largest automotive production market in the southeast Asia region after Thailand and Indonesia. Malaysia also has well established export ties with neighbouring countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia, which are key markets for Porsche in Asia in terms of volume.

The move could be a very positive development for Malaysia as it would improve Malaysia's competitive position in southeast Asia (SEA). The development would likely help Malaysia in attracting more OEMs to set up assembling and manufacturing facilities in the country. With a value chain comprising more than 700 businesses directly supporting the 27 OEMs already operating in Malaysia, further investments by more vehicle makers would certainly create a win-win situation to boost both investor and local industry potential.

Dato Madani Sahari, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii), sees this development as "a result of consistent efforts by the Malaysian government towards introduction of attractive tax and competitive investment incentives and development of a highly skilled workforce."

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

MARii, an agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), has implemented numerous programmes to train skilled and semi-skilled workforce for the growing mobility sector. The agency is a strategic think-tank for the Malaysian government for matters related to automotive industry, including formulation of policies.

Dato Madani Sahari notes the proactive role of Malaysia's government in pushing the country's advanced technology capabilities to attract international investment. "Despite the economic impacts of COVID-19, Malaysia's Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade & Industry called for the acceleration of digital empowerment within businesses," he says. "Technology has been a main driver of Malaysia's through government commitments to national level frameworks and roadmaps, including the National Policy on Industry 4.0 (Industry4WRD), National eCommerce Roadmap, as well as national big data management, artificial intelligence and IoT frameworks."

He cites the country's National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP 2020) as key. "It sets an important agenda for the country, as one of the main arteries to spur digitalisation as it utilises digital technologies within both consumer lifestyle and business operations," he says.

"The key message [from Porsche's plans to assemble vehicles in Malaysia] to investors would be Malaysia's differentiation in establishing a complete ecosystem towards the development of next generation vehicles and connected mobility. Malaysia is rapidly evolving beyond the traditional needs for automotive manufacturing of cheap labour and tax incentives, but a complete ecosystem where OEMs can materialise their needs for localisation, research, validation, manufacturing and education. It is emerging as a hub for digitalisation within the region, with opportunities for investments in numerous ventures in potentially scalable digital services and products from numerous start-ups existing within its ecosystem, with a growth in promising talent that can be developed further with the right opportunities."
Houston ISD trustees delayed a vote Thursday on dissolving the districts relationship with its Student Congress, urging administrators to attempt a reconciliation with the group following a breakdown in communication over the past few years.

HISD board members voted 8-1 to table the administrations request to sever ties with the group and form a new student advisory board organized by district leaders. Trustees ordered administrators to come back no later than August with an update on any progress made to resolve issues with the student group.

Multiple trustees expressed unease with shunning student advocates, while also acknowledging the unfortunate strife between HISD administrators and the Congress.

Administrators have said the relationship has been irrevocably damaged after adult alumni exercised undue influence over the group, while Student Congress supporters argued HISD leaders are misleading board members in an attempt to quash their voice. The Student Congress does not have any formal decision-making authority, but it is designed to serve as a leading advocate for the districts nearly 200,000 students.

This is just a very, very difficult situation, but I think there is a beautiful learning opportunity to figure out something that wouldnt involve dissolving a student group, HISD Trustee Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca said.

The back-and-forth illustrated the lack of strong ties between Student Congress, which has been decimated in recent years by low interest and bouts of in-fighting, and the HISD administration, which has not invested significant time and support in the student group. The Student Congress has not held a strong presence in HISD during the past few years.

Originally formed in 2014, the HISD Student Congress membership tumbled in recent years as its initial founders graduated and district leaders did not prioritize the body.

In 2020, a few students said they sought reforms in Student Congress but were banned from the group by an original founder, who now attends college overseas.

As the banished students worked with HISD administrators to resolve the conflict, the alumni sought to reconstitute Student Congress. About a dozen HISD high schoolers have been meeting in recent weeks, mapping out plans for re-establishing its presence.

Student Congress has worked to bring an authentic student voice to HISD for years, and it will continue to do so in the coming years, said Heidi Chapin, a sophomore at the Houston Academy for International Studies.

HISD administrators, however, said they found the continued involvement of the alumni alarming, requiring action.

This suppression of student voice has impeded HISD students from engaging and collaborating with district leadership, district administrators said in a statement prior to Thursdays meeting. It is not possible for the district to engage and collaborate with the Student Congress when an adult exerting control over the organization is prohibiting students from doing so.

District leaders also argued the organization does not represent many HISD high schools, noting that its membership historically featured students from predominantly high-achieving campuses. HISD administrators hoped to set up an advisory group with representation from each of the districts nearly 50 schools, but trustees postponed that effort Thursday.

HISD Trustee Sue Deigaard, who proposed delaying the vote on splitting ties with Student Congress, said she did not understand why the district needed to create a second advisory group before attempting to repair the relationship with Student Congress.

I just think there is a missed opportunity to find a common ground between the two groups, Deigaard said.
That the art market might be eager to satisfy a craving for forms of creative expression that empower or engage with our sense of injustice is understandable; so, too, is the falling down in the critical realm. Writers and scholars may feel more potential solace in speaking about art thats clearly invested in racial uplift than they do in unpacking a kind of existential conundrum that demands a great deal more of its viewer and denies the relief of a comforting directive. Now that the spotlight is moving back to nonrepresentational art forms, with it has come a fuller picture not just of Black art but of art itself, and of the artificiality of art-world taxonomies, of oppositional labels and styles that are, in fact, a great deal more porous than theyre made out to be.

THIS INCREASINGLY REFLECTIVE mood has brought a welcome spotlight to past innovators, bringing the 87-year-old Gilliam, the 77-year-old Pindell, Whitten (who was 78 when he died in 2018) and others of their generation fresh acclaim. Beginning in 2017, museums in Baltimore, New Orleans and Chicago showcased an entire lineage with the Joyner/Giuffrida collection of African-American abstraction, which includes works by Whitten, Gilliam, Edwards and a number of younger artists. Gaines has a new installation opening at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this spring, inspired by his research into the Dred Scott decision of 1857, in which the Supreme Court ruled that Black people were not U.S. citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court. In October, Pindell showed (in addition to her first video work in 25 years), five new paintings  some collagelike pieces with text, others expanding on her body of work involving textured abstractions encrusted with paint and paper chads  at the Shed in New York City. The 74-year-old McArthur Binion signed with his first gallery and had his debut solo museum show only eight years ago, after a nearly half-century career; his hand-drawn grids have become increasingly intimate through the years, more recently appearing layered over personal documents or photographs in a kind of autobiographical abstraction.

Gilliam recently showed three different bodies of new work at New Yorks Pace Gallery, including an enthralling set of beveled-edge canvases that appear from a distance as largely black or white, but up close contain entire galaxies of colored flecks, their layers of sawdust and paint creating an impression of great depth, as though one could fall into a painting and float away, suspended within its force field. (The paintings pay homage, in their titles, to some of his personal heroes, including Serena Williams and the late civil rights leader Representative John Lewis.) But for anyone who hasnt been in the same room as a Gilliam painting, perhaps the best place to discover his work is at Dia Beacon in upstate New York, known for its collection of Minimalist and Pop Art, and where, in 2019, the artist installed Double Merge, two grandly scaled canvases he painted in 1968, retwisted and draped from the ceiling to span the entire room, creating a double rainbow, essentially, of melting colors with a double history, a now and then, attached: the tension between the past in which it was made and our own uneasy present. When Gilliam was liberating paintings from the wall, Jimi Hendrix was at his most psychedelic and social revolutions were taking hold around the globe. (Gilliam has spoken of music as a metaphor in his way of approaching the acrobatics of art.) While viewing these works, one might consider what has and hasnt changed since the two canvases were painted, or the almost unbearably tender display of beauty and mystery in the face of a callously technological age  or (as I did) one might feel time disappear entirely, such is the exhilarating receptivity of the work in a contained space: a phenomenon that surpasses mere comprehension.
As a Pennsylvania state trooper, Robert E. Covington Jr. enforced state gambling laws at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Plains Twp.

Covington also co-owned and operated the Sinners Swing strip club in Mayfield where he conspired with others to break the same laws and promote prostitution, according to a statewide grand jury presentment unveiled Thursday.

Troopers charged Covington, 48, of Olyphant; his business partner in the strip club, David P. Klem, 39, of Archbald, a convicted drug dealer; Michael P. Ball, 49, of Dalton, Covingtons friend; and Deanna E. Tallo, 32, of Throop, a stripper at the club. State police suspended Covington, a 13-year force veteran whose trooper salary was $98,228, without pay. He was on unspecified restricted duty before that.

Covingtons strip club associates had criminal pasts.

Klem spent time in state prison after his March 2013 arrest for dealing drugs out of his Olyphant restaurant. Tallo pleaded guilty in December 2018 to a federal charge of trying to smuggle suboxone and tobacco into the Lackawanna County Prison where she was an inmate. She still has not been sentenced. Suboxone is used to treat opioid addiction.

A few years ago, a woman accused Covington and another trooper of raping her. They denied it and the woman, Christine Cromer, was later convicted of making up the story and sent to jail in July 2019.

Covington and Klem went into business together in March 2018, creating a limited liability company called CK Associates, which was listed as doing business as Sinners Swing. Covington put up $40,000 to start it, but that November had himself removed as part of CK Associates in papers filed with the state. The following April, similar papers withdrew him from Sinners Swing.

That didnt end his connection to the club, according to investigators.

Covington remained an authorized signer on the bank account and he kept the clubs financial books, which troopers later found, according to the presentment.

Undercover troopers routinely saw Covington at the club. They reported he opened the club for business on 35 days and observed him there on 140 days between March 2019 and March 2020. At least 11 times, he collected entry fees at the door and sometimes collected money for VIP dances for clients with strippers, according to the presentment. He was also present as customers solicited paid sex acts from strippers and the venue paid money to gamblers who won on illegal video gambling machines, the presentment says.

Klem, known as Flava Dave, told one undercover trooper his partner was named Rob, a state trooper who worked at Mohegan Sun and visited Sinners Swing on days he didnt work at the casino. The strippers earned no salary. Customers paid them through tips, sometimes more for private dances and even more for extras  sexual acts for money that happened in the clubs VIP rooms or its Champagne Room. Klem let strippers know they could earn more through extras. He regularly got a cut of their money, often $100. One stripper told the grand jury she earned $2,000 to $4,000 a week through extras.

Troopers seized four illegal video gambling machines in March, five days before raiding Covingtons and Klems homes. By then, undercover troopers had personally viewed 10 payouts, ranging from $15 to $160. Covington, Klem and Ball did the paying, according to the presentment. In text messages, Klem regularly let Covington know how well the club did the night before.

We had a  ton of girls last night, Covington wrote on Nov. 10, 2019.

After a short exchange of texts, Klem wrote, If my numbers are correct, we did 2674 last night.

A month later, Covington texted Klem to say, Looks like a decent night last night ... heading into the weekend strong.

985 last night, Klem replied.

A state police forensic investigator also found the club didnt deposit tens of thousands of dollars into its bank account or account for revenues on club financial statements, according to the presentment.

Police charged Covington, Klem, Ball and Tallo with running a corrupt organization, conspiracy and promoting prostitution. They charged Covington, Klem and Ball with operating illegal gambling devices. They also charged Covington and Klem with dealing in proceeds from unlawful activities and criminal use of a cellphone. And they charged Covington with lying to a trooper about his role in the club and failing to account for his ownership on a required state financial disclosure form.

After their arraignment by Magisterial District Judge Laura Turlip, Covington and Klem were freed on $100,000 unsecured bail. Turlip freed Ball and Tallo on $50,000 unsecured bail.

She set their preliminary hearings for noon on Feb. 23.
San Antonios CPS Energy plans to buy a massive amount of renewable energy, but transitioning from fossil fuels to clean power could be costly in the poorest of Americas largest metropolitan areas.

The problem is not that new wind and solar generation is expensive, but retiring coal-fired power plants creates a global financial challenge in the battle against climate change.

CPS is a rare breed in Texas, a municipally owned utility that owns power plants, transmission wires, distribution networks and a geographic monopoly. Unlike the competitive markets in Houston and Dallas, CPS returns profits to the city rather than a parent corporation, as electricity retailers do.

Texas municipal utilities charge customers lower prices, on average, but they offer fewer choices. Politics also play a larger role in decision-making.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Entrepreneurs fight climate change with new battery raw materials, recycling

CPS and its CEO, Paula Gold-Williams, have found themselves extra steeped in politics lately as they plan to replace coal-fired plants with clean alternatives. Environmental groups think CPS is moving too slowly, while consumer and conservative activists complain they are moving too fast.

In December, CPS invited bids to provide 900 megawatts of solar energy, 50 megawatts of battery storage and 500 megawatts of backup power, which the utility hopes will come from new and clean technologies.

We are committed to working with our community in reaching San Antonios goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, Williams explained in an op-ed for the San Antonio Express-News. Like you, though, we know everything costs money and retiring old units to add new ones must be done prudently to prevent energy blackouts and bill shock from hitting our customers. After all, no one just junks their cars or homes when trying to buy new ones.

Herein lie the fossil fuel industrys hope, the environmentalists frustration and the power providers dilemma.

No serious person denies climate change anymore, nor do they dispute the damage caused by burning fossil fuels. Their arguments for coal, oil and natural gas have become more subtle, focused on protecting jobs and delivering affordable power.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush recently announced that he would sue the Biden administration to stop climate change efforts that might affect the states oil and gas industry. The coal lobby says existing plants provide the cheapest power.

As a native San Antonian, Gold-Williams takes very seriously CPS duty to provide affordable power to San Antonio, which has a large proportion of low-income people. But she also hopes the energy transition will create new, better-paying jobs.

Texas wind and solar energy are cheaper to build than new coal or natural gas plants, and battery prices are dropping rapidly. The problem for all generators, as CPS was recently forced to reveal, is the cost of shutting down the dirty power plants.

Some sites are heavily polluted after decades of use, and cleanup will be costly. Others will become stranded assets, shuttered before they deliver the full economic benefits promised when officials approved construction decades ago.

The current albatross around CPS neck is the coal-fired Spruce Plant with two boilers on Calaveras Lake, southeast of town. Both are still viable, with 27 and 45 years of life left in them.

If CPS follows environmentalists demands and replaces the entire facility with zero-emission technologies, it would cost customers an extra $12 a month, according to CPS forecast. If they convert one to natural gas and shutter the older boiler, it would cost customers an extra $6.

Continuing to burn coal at the two plants would leave current price forecasts unchanged. The Spruce plants current book value is $1.25 billion, but CPS still owes $1.78 billion and must pay that off whether it operates them or not, which explains the extra costs.

Climate change, though, does not care if CPS upgraded a boiler in 2010. Even if we meet the goals of the Paris climate accords and San Antonios climate plan, new research shows that will not be enough to keep the planet from getting really uncomfortable.

TOMLINSONS TAKE: Oil and gas needs to accept climate reality, Biden help in winding down

On the other hand, $12 a month can mean the difference between beans and roast chicken for dinner. And since CPS is a municipal utility, there is no way to make it eat the losses from previous executives bad decisions.

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These are the dilemmas created by leaders who refused to address climate change and approved a new coal boiler at Spruce in 2010 when climate change was already an established fact in 1992, when the other coal-fired boiler was installed. Remember the Kyoto Protocol?

The Spruce conundrum reveals why we cannot postpone efforts to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. Every nation must stop building new coal plants and find ways to distribute the costs in ways that do not hurt workers or the poor.

Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and politics.

twitter.com/cltomlinson

chris.tomlinson@chron.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio  An industry that seems to be thriving in Ohio is unemployment scams.

You can listen online here.

Scammers apparently went into overdrive last week as the number of new claims in Ohio nearly tripled to more than 140,000, and nearly 45,000 were flagged as potentially fraudulent. The economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic has thousands of people seeking claims, but the legitimate ones likely will be delayed as the state weeds out the scammers. Another bad sign for Ohio: antigovernment extremist groups have flourished in the state, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Meanwhile, the increased security at the Ohio Statehouse because of fears of violence before the inauguration of Joe Biden cost $3.6 million.

Hear cleveland.com editor Chris Quinn discuss these stories and more in The Wake Up podcast.

The podcast is a summary of cleveland.coms morning newsletter The Wake Up. You can receive The Wake Up through email at 5:30 a.m. each weekday by subscribing here.

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Syracuse, N.Y.  A new store concept from Dollar General will open in the former Rite Aid location in downtown Syracuse later this year.

DGX, a division of Dollar General, signed a lease Wednesday for 5,580 square feet of space on the corner of the building, also known as the Woolworths building, at the southeast corner of South Salina and East Fayette streets, said Martin McDermott, of J.F. Real Estate, who brokered the deal.

DGX is a new chain of stores geared toward millennial shoppers in downtown areas. Dollar General opened the first DGX in 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Dollar General, DGX stores offer a small retail footprint with grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, fresh fruits and vegetables, coffee stations, home cleaning supplies, health and beauty products, home decor, electronics, seasonal products, pet supplies, candies, snacks and paper products all at everyday low prices that Dollar General is known for.

Its sort of a mix of a grocery store, a drug store and a convenience store, said McDermott.

A DGX store in Nashville, Tennessee.DGX

There are 22 DGX stores in 13 states. This will be the first in the Syracuse area. The only other one in New York opened in Sibley Square in Rochester in November 2020. There are plans to open one in Buffalo.

McDermott said the Syracuse store is expected to open in the third quarter of 2021. Tenants are being sought for two other retail spaces (2,438 square feet and 3,648 square feet) adjacent to DGXs location along the South Salina Street side of the building, he said.

Construction of the DGX space will include the restoration of the storefront along Salina Street and partly along East Fayette Street, returning it to the buildings edge, according to McDermott. The store will have concrete floors, and the plaster ceiling original to the 80-year-old building will be left exposed, he said.

The buildings original tenant, a Woolworths five-and-dime store, operated from 1941 to 1979. A Rite Aid drug store occupied the building until 2019. It has been vacant since then.

Seagate Asset Management, of North Bergen, New Jersey, bought the building after Rite Aid moved out and has been making plans for a mixed-used redevelopment and the restoration of the exterior to its original appearance with large glass windows on the first floor. Concepts for the second and third floors include office and residential space.

DGX will not be the only downtown store to sell groceries. Epicuse, a small grocery and cafe, opened across the street at 334 S. Salina St. in 2019. And Syracuse Cooperative Market plans to open a grocery store in the newly built Salt City Market.

Everyone has been pining for grocery stores of different types down here, and now it looks like we have three varieties, servicing different needs and different markets, said McDermott.

Dollar General's smaller concept store DGX in Reserve Square in downtown Cleveland. Downtown Cleveland Alliance

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rejecting calls for a more combative response to U.S. protectionism, hoping a conciliatory approach will mend relations damaged during Donald Trump's presidency.

Trade Minister Mary Ng said in an interview this week she is focusing her efforts with the new Biden administration on mutual U.S.-Canada interests despite early policy hiccups that risk further fracturing ties between the two nations, whose commercial relationship is worth $725 billion a year.

The rocky start began when President Joe Biden canceled permits for the Keystone XL pipeline, a move that prompted the leader of oil-rich Alberta to threaten a challenge under the old North American free-trade pact. Tensions grew when the new administration strengthened "Buy American" provisions for government procurement contracts.

"I don't think that getting into a trade war with the U.S. is in the best interests of Canadian workers or the energy sector," Ng said Wednesday. "What we've got to do is find that common ground where Canadian interests are viewed and seen as American interests as well."

The trade minister's comments highlight Trudeau's decision to sidestep flashpoints with Biden and instead channel energy into goals such as fighting climate change and fostering an economic recovery.

Trudeau's officials welcomed Biden's arrival at the White House after the Trump era, which upended years of relative stability with Canada's largest trading partner.

The two countries exchanged almost $2 billion in good and services every day in 2019. Their economies are so integrated that the average automobile manufactured in North America crosses the U.S.-Canada border seven times before being sold, Ng said.

Biden's "Buy American" rules are intended to boost the U.S. economy by pushing federal agencies to source goods and services from domestic businesses. The government spends nearly $600 billion annually on such contracts.

"Canadian contributions -- our business contributions, our exporter contributions -- into those supply chains and value chains are absolutely important to American workers and American businesses," Ng said when pressed on how the government will push back against the president's plan.

A key part of Trudeau's strategy is to convince the president that protectionism will hurt U.S. businesses that rely on Canadian products.

"It's the outcome that's the important thing here," Ng said. "The outcome is that Canadian businesses and Canadian workers aren't impacted and that we continue to have access to that market, that our supply chains don't get disrupted."

The two countries are also divided on how to power North America's green-energy transition. Trudeau tried unsuccessfully to convince the new administration that Canadian crude is a cleaner option due to his government's carbon tax and stringent environmental regulations.

TC Energy Corp.'s Keystone XL would ship more than 800,000 barrels of crude a day from Alberta's oil sands to U.S. refineries. Premier Jason Kenney, who poured C$1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) of taxpayer money into the project, called on Trudeau to impose trade sanctions in response to Biden's decision.

Biden's move, however, is part of a bigger reshaping of perceptions in Washington around the energy relationship with Canada. For decades, energy security was seen as a continental affair, with Canadian oil producers enjoying market access while the U.S. gained security of supply.

But the boom in shale oil production in recent years has made Canadian energy dispensable. That's going to be a major problem for a country that relies heavily on crude exports to the U.S. for its prosperity.

Canada has shipped C$838 billion worth of oil and gas to the U.S. over the past decade, representing 16% of total exports to all countries.

Trudeau's government is toying with new trade strategies that focus less on selling commodities and more on tapping the global market for other goods, particularly consumer related. The opportunities afforded by electronic commerce -- particularly for smaller businesses -- is one area that officials like to highlight.

It's an emphasis for Trudeau that was made explicit in 2019 when the prime minister -- upon naming Ng to the job -- rebranded the cabinet post as Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade.

The focus on "small" isn't lost on Ng, an immigrant from Hong Kong who moved to Toronto with her parents at age seven. In the interview, she highlighted how she spent her childhood working in her parents' restaurant and keeps a picture of its menu in her office.

Nor has the pandemic slowed her efforts to promote the nation's exporters: Ng has made virtual trade missions central to her work. "I'm not going to let Covid-19 stop me from helping businesses do business," she said.

But there's no denying Covid has hit the nation's trade sector hard. Exports fell by 12% in 2020, Ng's first year on the job, one of the biggest annual drops in the past century.

The other potential remedy for Canada's export troubles is China, but relations with the Asian giant soured sharply after the 2018 arrest of a top Huawei Technologies Co. executive on a U.S. extradition request. China subsequently locked up two Canadians and halted billions in agricultural imports.

"I don't believe the conditions are there right now for trade discussions," Ng said when asked about China. "The government's priority is on working on securing the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor."
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  After Grand Rapids Public Schools took a massive hit to student enrollment in the fall, school leaders are racing to track down over 830 students who left the district in an effort to bring them back next year.

GRPS saw a 5% enrollment decline in fall 2020, which administrators largely attributed to the districts decision to conduct online-only classes for the first half of the school year because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The district was one of the few public schools in Michigan to conduct fully remote classes this fall, along with Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Lansing. But Grand Rapids  the largest school district in West Michigan  experienced the most significant enrollment drop.

Grand Rapids counted 14,509 students this fall during its extended count day period, down from 15,342 students enrolled in GRPS last year.

RELATED: COVID-19 pandemic cuts Grand Rapids schools enrollment by more than 800 students

In an effort to ramp up recruitment and retention, the district launched an internal We Want You Back campaign last month to check in with families who left and see if they would reconsider GRPS, said deputy superintendent Ron Gorman.

Principals at each of the districts buildings were tasked with calling as many families as they could in the weeks leading up to the first day of in-person learning on Jan. 19.

We were very specific about having the leaders of each building reach out to families, because I think it means a lot when a principal calls a family, just checking up and saying, Hey, wed love to have you back but most importantly we just hope youre doing well, Gorman said.

Most of the students who left GRPS this year went to neighboring suburban public schools in Kent County, Gorman said. Some students chose charter schools that were offering in-person instruction, but very few families reported having left GRPS for alternatives like homeschooling or private school, he said.

Around 200 families told GRPS they would return next fall or once the district was back to 100% face-to-face instruction, Gorman said. Another 100 families said they had moved out of state and wouldnt return.

That leaves roughly 500 students who are not currently planning to return to Grand Rapids Public Schools  a significant cut to the districts future enrollment, Gorman said.

Were the largest school district in West Michigan, but thats still a big hit, Gorman said. Thats a lot of students.

The drop in enrollment this year means fewer dollars from the state, which could result in cuts to programs, services and staffing.

School leaders dont yet know the winter semesters enrollment count, or whether it is much different from the fall. The district is still tallying up attendance numbers from the spring Count Day, which was conducted on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Count day has major financial implications for public schools  their state aid is based on the mandated tally conducted twice in the school year in October and February to track attendance within each school district.

RELATED: Heres how Michigan students are being counted this Count Day amid coronavirus

But in the meantime, school leaders will continue doing everything they can to bring students back to GRPS, Gorman said.

We cant just throw up our hands and say, Oh, lets just let 500 students go somewhere else, he said. Our first priority is to serve the students who live in our community, and if there are students who are thinking about going somewhere else, we really want to share with them that we think our option is absolutely the best.

We cant just chalk this up to, were never getting these students back.

Building personal relationships with families will be the key to keeping students in the district, Gorman said.

As Michigan continues a decade-long school enrollment decline because of falling birth rates, districts are competing for a shrinking pool of children. That means school leaders are now tasked with selling their district to families in an effort to keep students, Gorman said.

The days are long gone where we can just say, Were expecting this many students, and theyre going to show up, he said. There arent as many births in the state of Michigan, there arent as many children.

We need to ensure that we have those strong relationships with our families, because theres a social-emotional side to this, its not just numbers.

State Superintendent Michael Rice shared a similar message in a December op-ed about Michigan public schools losing 53,000 students this year. Rice said its up to local school leaders to make sure every missing child is still receiving an education during the pandemic.

The granular work to find children must take place at the local level, where teachers, support staff, and administrators know children, families, and communities, Rice wrote.

RELATED: More than 50,000 students left Michigan public schools this year. Where did they go?

Because the COVID-19 crisis has limited opportunities for in-person events, GRPS has increased its online presence in an effort to connect with families this year, Gorman said.

In addition to calling families, the district has been active every day on social media and also introduced weekly video updates with Superintendent Leadriane Roby. Gorman said GRPS is doing everything it can to step up its game with recruitment and retention.

Thats our goal, he said. We want our GRPS students back in GRPS.

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.

More on MLive:

Kalamazoo Public Schools students will remain virtual for remainder of school year

Ann Arbor Public Schools holds off on return date to in-person classes

Whitmer budget to include K-12 increase of up to $164 per pupil, more funding for higher education
SOUTHINGTON  A man was charged following an FBI investigation that allegedly connected him to an incest website and incriminating chats with an undercover agent, authorities said.

Robert Sellers, 60, of Putnam Street in Bristol, was charged Feb. 4 with criminal attempt at commercial sexual abuse of a minor, criminal attempt at second-degree sexual assault and criminal attempt at risk of injury to a minor.

He was held on a $250,000 bond.

Police said the FBI started investigating Sellers in October 2020 after investigators linked him to an incest website using his social media accounts.

Between October 2020 and Feb. 4, investigators said they communicated with Sellers using two smartphone apps over 500 times.

Authorities said Sellers thought the FBI agent was the father of a 12-year-old girl and provided advice on how to prostitute this young girl and what to charge.

During the investigation, police said, Sellers told the undercover agent he wanted to meet the girl and was willing to rent a motel room and pay $200 for sexual acts.

Southington police said Sellers was scheduled to rent a motel room to meet who he believed was the young girl on Feb. 4. Police and FBI agents set up surveillance at the Motel 6 on Queen Street.

At this location, Sellers met with an undercover FBI agent (and) paid the agreed upon amount for the sex acts, police said.

Southington police and FBI officials stopped Sellers in the parking lot and took him into custody. He was taken to police headquarters and processed on the charges.

The FBI investigation into Sellers activity is ongoing, police said.

Anyone with information can reach Southington police at 860-378-1600. Tips can also be submitted to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Serving as a clergy house when it was first built in the late 1800s, this historic Victorian in Alameda nows serves as a single-family home. Asking 1.44 million, the house has vintage details but also updates that bring it to the current century. Features like original pocket doors, detailed crown mouldings and light fixtures join amenities such as an electric car charging station and a huge walk-in closet converted from what was once the sixth bathroom.

This property appears on the list of the "Top 125 Houses" of historic significance in the city of Alameda, according to Historic Preservation Survey Data, and indeed, 1511 8th St. is one of Alameda's oldest surviving homes.

In 1886, Alameda was growing quickly as a result of California's Gold Rush and the resultant booming economy, listing agent Lucy Armentrout said. The Santa Clara Methodist Church moved to Alameda around that time, and its pastor, John Elbert Wright, began construction on a home for himself, his wife and their four sons. Pastor Wright moved his family in upstairs, and the lower floor was used as a church community room and classrooms.

Fast forward to 1960, when the church itself was burned down by an arsonist, so a new one was built across town, leaving the parsonage empty. "[The Department of Housing and Urban Development] eventually acquired the home, covered over many of the original architectural features in an attempt to 'update' the home, and used the property as low-income housing for a short while," Armentrout said.
In pandemic, W&M celebrates its birthday and the power of connections

Charter Day: Warren Cook, a recognized artist and former assistant chief of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, receives an honorary degree in public service. He was one of four community builders to receive honorary degrees this year.

Charter Day: Patrick OConnell, chef and proprietor of The Inn at Little Washington, received an honorary degree in humane letters.

Charter Day: Jayne Barnard, James Cutler Professor of Law, emerita, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Photo - of - Hide Caption

As has become custom with birthdays in the pandemic, William & Mary celebrated its 328th on Thursday with a virtual version of its annual Charter Day ceremony. The tradition marks the day on which the university received its royal charter in 1693.

Although the community could not gather in person because of COVID-19, the event highlighted the universitys efforts to embody its value of belonging  creating and strengthening connections both on campus and beyond and expanding the universitys history to be more inclusive.

On Charter Day, we honor all these connections, which expand our learning and deepen our understanding of this university and of our world, W&M President Katherine A. Rowe said in opening remarks for the virtual ceremony. And we celebrate the future connections that we havent yet realized, with new students and colleagues.

In welcoming each new perspective and experience, we more fully realize the vision for William & Mary: a community of people who want to understand and change the world  and who do so together. These commitments are always a work in progress. They allow us to become who we aspire to be as a university. They are the commitments that advance every democracy, and they will sustain our country now, through our most difficult trials.

The event included speeches, a reading of the universitys royal charter, musical performances and the presentation of awards. Several members of the current W&M community were recognized for their achievements as scholars, mentors and active citizens.

{{youtube:large:left|LZzbXWwYgrw, The full 2021 W&M Charter Day ceremony}}

The James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership, which honors an undergraduate who has demonstrated sustained leadership combined with initiative, character and an unfailing commitment to the ethic of service, was awarded to Jamelah Jacob 21. Another senior, Olivia Ding 21, was honored with the Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy. That award is presented annually to a student for excellence in the sciences.

Katherine Barko-Alva, assistant professor and director of English as a second language/bilingual education at the School of Education, received the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award for demonstrating, through concern as a teacher and through character and influence, the inspiration and stimulation of learning to the betterment of the individual and society. And Virginia L. McLaughlin '71, former dean of the W&M School of Education, was presented with the Thomas Jefferson Award in honor of her service to the university through personal activities, influence and leadership.

In a first for the Charter Day ceremony, Rowe acknowledged the Indigenous people who originally inhabited the land where W&M was built. Last year, the university issued a land acknowledgement statement in partnership with the descdendants of those people, including members of the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Upper Mattaponi and Rappahannock tribes. One such member was among four people to receive honorary degrees during the event. Warren Cook, a recognized artist and former assistant chief of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, received an honorary degree in public service.

Patrick OConnell, chef and proprietor of The Inn at Little Washington, received an honorary degree in humane letters; he was the first chef to receive the honor from the university.

Two members of the W&M community who have striven recently to acknowledge and celebrate the histories of underrepresented groups at the university also received honorary degrees. Jayne Barnard, James Cutler Professor of Law, emerita, co-led W&Ms 100th anniversary of coeducation commemoration, and Jacquelyn McLendon, professor of English and Africana studies, emerita, led the universitys commemoration of the 50th anniversary of African-American students in residence.

In her remarks as the student speaker for the event, Aria Austin 21, president of the senior class, encouraged the W&M community to not ignore the ugly parts of the universitys history.

Sitting with our uncomfy feelings and reflecting on our past and our weakness doesn't make us weak, Austin said. It's that exact feeling that helps ignite change this reflection. You're granted the ability to forge a new chapter in history, and each and every one of us has the ability to contribute positively to this story, this reflection, so we can keep moving forward.

W&M Chancellor Robert M. Gates 65, L.H.D. 98, also challenged the university community to engage in difficult conversations, finding a way to help heal deep divisions within the country.

Our work is cut out for us, he said. The obstacles that lie ahead are enormous. Seeking solutions demands tolerance and a willingness to defend the freedom of expressing diverse opinions. These are no small tasks. We begin by recognizing that we are all in this together. I have no doubt that the scholars of William & Mary have a special role, and an obligation to find solutions, just as William & Mary students have done for generations. I am equally assured that this university and its people are up to the challenge.

One is never too old to celebrate love. Holding steadfast to the belief, Indias largest senior living community operator, Columbia Pacific Communities launched a unique initiative #LoveBeyondAge, amplifying the voice of the elders on Valentines Day and dismissing age-old ideas of senior citizens being too old to find, express or enjoy romantic love.

Often Valentines Day is associated with the young, and love is marketed and celebrated as a young persons thing. Meanwhile, seniors are deemed to have grown out of love and romance.

Breaking such stereotypes, Columbia Pacific Communities released a vox pop video showcasing the perspectives of both seniors and millennials and their ideas about love, romance and celebrating the day of love.

Speaking about the initiative, Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Columbia Pacific Communities, said We tend to have an ageist attitude towards love, almost adjudicating that one loses the ability to express and celebrate love as one grows older. These beliefs cannot be farther from the truth. The #LoveBeyondAge initiative beautifully shows how the expressions of love become stronger and more real as one ages. Seniors have lived a lifetime of love, conflict, and finding love again. In matters of true love, it is they who have a lesson or two more to teach the Gen Y and Z and therefore should not be excluded from the mainstream/pop culture depiction of love.

Society at large seems to have a cringe element associated with seniors displaying affection and eschew such narratives as much as possible. Even on celluloid, theres rarely any story on elderly love. However, the vox-pop video proved that love has nothing to do with age and showed the most romantic and graceful expressions of love by seniors. It also featured elderly social media influencers sharing their views on love.

Companionship, love, and togetherness continue to play an important role in the lives of seniors and love transcends the majorly materialistic and physical urges, while becoming more emotional, pure, sensual, and graceful amongst seniors.

The core brand purpose of Columbia Pacific Communities is to popularize the concept of positive ageing and shatter all age-related stereotypes. Love is an important element of positive aging. The initiative does not just celebrate love amongst seniors but also demolishes false notions about seniors shying away from celebrating Valentines Day.

This is not the first time Columbia Pacific Communities has encouraged the expression of love among seniors. Last year, the organizations initiative #ExpressionsOfLove on the occasion of Valentines Day saw a collaboration with Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru for an elaborate, 100 dishes lunch for three couples to celebrate love in all its myriad forms and glory.

This year with #LoveBeyondAge, Columbia Pacific Communities has raised a pertinent question on our comprehension and view of love and its expressions amongst seniors in our society.

A Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Strathclyde has received a prestigious international award in recognition of his contribution to the field of optics.

Professor Martin Dawson, Director of Research at Strathclyde's Institute of Photonics and also head of the Strathclyde-hosted Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, has been named as the 2021 recipient of The Optical Society's (OSA) Nick Holonyak Jr Award.

The award is presented annually for significant contributions to optics based on semiconductor devices and materials. Professor Dawson is the first UK-based recipient of the award since it was established in 1997.

Professor Dawson's career has focused on applied research in academia and industry in the UK and USA and he has been involved in the formation and technical development of a number of spinout businesses. His work involves semiconductor materials, microfabrication, optoelectronic device development and laser technology, with applications in optical wireless communications, displays, biomedical instrumentation and the heterogeneous integration of separately-manufactured components into single devices.

He is receiving the award "for wide-ranging contributions to the development and application of III-V semiconductor devices, especially including gallium nitride micro-LEDs and optically-pumped semiconductor lasers." These semiconductor devices are produced using materials created from Group III and Group V of the periodic table of the elements.

"Martin Dawson's pioneering work on III-V semiconductor devices perfectly represents the spirit of the Nick Holonyak Jr. Award," said 2021 OSA President Connie Chang-Hasnain, Whinnery Chair Professor Emerita of EECS at University of California, Berkeley, USA. "On behalf of the OSA, we are delighted to bestow this honor in recognition of his achievements".

Professor Dawson said: "It is a great honour to receive this award from OSA and I'm really thrilled. It coincides with the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Photonics, so the timing couldn't have been better, and it is a credit to the scientific adventurousness and close collaboration and teamwork which have been features of the Institute since the outset.

"The two areas highlighted in the citation have deep roots at Strathclyde and both are of industrial as well as basic research significance. Micro-LED technology is now taking off worldwide for new types of high-performance displays, with stunning prototypes and initial commercial products appearing rapidly, so it is particularly gratifying to see our role in the founding and development of the field recognised in this way.

"When we established the Institute of Photonics, we took a distinctive approach in focusing on applications-driven work of industrial relevance, but of course no-one can predict exactly how markets for new technology will emerge. The display industry is incredibly competitive and it will be fascinating to see how micro-LED technology fits into the broader commercial landscape in the years ahead."

Professor Dawson was previously awarded the 2016 Gabor Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics and the 2016 Aron Kressel Award by the IEEE Photonics Society.

###
In 2004, the-then chief minister SM Krishna-led Congress lost the Karnataka assembly elections miserably. The mandate was badly fractured. The ball was in the court of Janata Dal (Secular) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. The Congress high command decided to forge an alliance with the JD(S) to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out. It chose Dharam Narayan Singh as the chief minister. M Mallikarjun Kharge, who was number two in SM Krishnas government, was naturally upset. His supporters urged him to convey his displeasure to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and not to accept the ministerial berth offered to him in the state.

But Kharge dismissed their suggestions, claiming that he never went against the party decision and he would be the last person to embarrass the Gandhi family. He quietly accepted the ministerial berth in his closest friend Dharam Singhs government and told his close circles that his time would come one day.

In 2008, the Congress high command went to the assembly elections under Kharges leadership. It was his best chance to be the CM of Karnataka. But the Congress lost to the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP and once again he had to sit in the opposition. Many of his colleagues blamed him for the loss and Kharge kept quiet.

Kharge is a top-ranking leader in Karnataka politics. A Dalit, the son of a mill worker from the once-extremely backward Gulbarga is a self-made man. In the last 49 years, since his first win in the 1972 assembly elections, Kharge has always remained loyal to the Gandhi family, in and out of power. People who have seen him for decades say he could rise in the party hierarchy because of loyalty, patience, vast administrative experience and his ability to grasp any situation.

They also reveal that his loyalty towards the Gandhi family is non-negotiable.

A reserved man in private life, Kharge gets angry when people refer to him as a Dalit leader. I am a Dalit. That is true. But, I have reached here because of my caliber and hard work. Every caste and religion has supported me. Call me a Congress leader, people's leader. Not just a Dalit leader. I consider it an insult. I deserve something big because I am capable, not because I am Dalit, he has said many times in the past.

When Kharge was made Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, national media merely attributed it to his caste. Some Lutyens' Delhi mediapersons and durbaris had even mocked his elevation, treating him with disdain. But a tenacious and seasoned Kharge had proved all of them wrong by ably taking on the Modi government in the Lok Sabha, earning even the Prime Ministers compliments for his conduct in the House. His performance had also impressed both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

A lawyer by education, a 27-year-old Kharge first entered the Karnataka assembly in 1972. The then chief minister D Devaraj Urs was impressed by the young Scheduled Caste MLA's abilities and made him a minister. The top leaders of Karnataka, SM Krishna, S Bangarappa, M Veerappa Moily, KH Ranganath, MY Ghorpade, and many others, were his cabinet colleagues then. Since 1972, Kharge had been a minister in every Congress government in Karnataka till he left for New Delhi to try his luck in national politics. It speaks volumes about his stature and importance within the party.

Kharge was a junior leader of the Karnataka Congress during the Indira Gandhi years. He became a mid-level leader during the Rajiv Gandhi days and emerged as a top-ranking leader after the 1990s.

His unwavering faith in the Gandhi family has helped him sail through during the difficult times in his career.

In the last 50 years, many tried to make him say something nasty about the Gandhi family. But he has always kept quiet, refusing to be a part of intra-party intrigues. That has helped him a lot," said a senior Congress leader from Karnataka.

A good administrator, Kharge has handled various responsibilities both in the state and at the Centre, including that of state Congress president, leader of the opposition, cabinet minister with important portfolios, union cabinet minister, Congress Working Committee member, party general secretary, to name a few.

When the party high command decided to draft in JD(S) leader Siddaramaiah in 2006, fully knowing that it would eclipse his chief ministerial chances one day, Kharge accepted that decision. To make space for Siddaramaiah, Kharge was sent to New Delhi in 2009. Though not interested to relocate initially, he quietly accepted the party decision. His performance as labour and employment minister in the UPA2 government won him all- round praise, making him a national leader.

A rationalist who firmly believes in the ideals of Buddha and Ambedkar, Kharge is quite radical in his thoughts. But he is aware of the influence religion and caste have over politics and keeps his beliefs to himself.

His critics call him a status-quoist. His admirers call him a quiet worker who wont cross the Lakshman Rekha under any circumstances.

Kharge won nine straight assembly elections between 1972 and 2008 and won two consecutive Lok Sabha elections after that.

He suffered his first defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and a year after the shocking loss was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

The Gandhi family, which places loyalty above everything else, has now made him Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, placing a huge responsibility on his shoulders. Kharge feels he is capable of handling that job. He feels loyalty is just one of the many factors.

The coveted post of the chief minister of Karnataka has eluded Kharge for decades. With the emergence of new, much- younger leaders in the state, that may always remain a dream for him. A practical politician, Kharge knows that well.
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Here's a #TBT that's just for the close readers of this blog . . .



Renowned radical feminist author Andrea Dworkin once claimed that all marriage was akin to institutionalized rape. It was a bold claim that shocked college sophomores for decades.

Ms. Dworkin predated the #MeToo era and in may ways was much more militant.

Today in Kansas, some low-rent politico kinda proved her right:
Unambiguous: Enet's John Gilvarry says he hopes the matter is now closed.

A long-awaited report from the telecoms regulator on whether State-backed infrastructure firm Enet is adhering to non-discriminatory practices against rival telecom companies has found that Enet has improved its operational standards but has not yet fully implemented previous State-sanctioned recommendations.

The report, prepared by PwC for Comreg, means that Enet is unlikely to face any regulatory action from the telecoms watchdog.

It follows a previous State-backed investigation into Enet which found that the company had not adhered to a code of practice on intercompany transfer pricing. That investigation, tasked to Analysys Mason, recommended that Enet should reduce its pricing levels on dark fibre by over 50pc.

Read More

The latest Comreg report says that Enet has largely implemented the Analysys Mason recommendations, but has yet to fully complete its documentation around pricing discounts.

The key finding of the report is unambiguous, said John Gilvarry, Enets chief operating officer.

The report states that the intercompany pricing policy did not represent any unfair advantage. As a result, we sincerely hope that this draws a line under the matter.

Enet runs a string of 88 State-owned backbone telecoms networks located around 94 towns across Ireland. The networks, built at State and EU expense, are intended to help the towns capability to host broadband and connectivity services. They are ultimately used by over 70 retail service providers and over a million people.

A government-commissioned report in 2019 found that some of its pricing amounted to a risk of discriminatory practices against rivals.

The government investigation sought to determine whether the metropolitan area networks (MANs) were being operated on a transparent and non-discriminatory basis, and whether Enet was leveraging its concession-based MANs business to provide an unfair advantage to its non-MANs business, ETNL.

Analysys Mason made 12 recommendations in its report to ensure Enets compliance with the Code of Practice for the MANs.

Enet has been at the centre of some controversy in recent years. A 2017 government decision to extend Enets contract to run the MANs until 2030 without a tender attracted criticism from telecoms providers such as BT Ireland. The contract was reportedly worth close to 20m a year and was due to run until 2024.

While Irish telecoms firms are regularly under a critical public spotlight, Enets State-supported status has subjected it to additional scrutiny.

Enet is ultimately owned by the State-backed Irish Infrastructure Fund (IIF), having been sold by the US businessman David McCourt in 2018.

The IIF was set up by Irish Life in 2012, and is managed by Irish Life Investment Managers and Australian investment company AMP Capital.

It invests on behalf of 28 institutional investors, 25 of which are Irish pension funds including university trusts, union pensions, religious orders, construction worker pensions and companies pensions.

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) is one of the investors in IIF.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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)

CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2021) Former Moldovan Finance Minister Natalia Gavrilita failed to secure enough votes in the parliament to become the prime minister, Speaker Zinaida Greceanii said Thursday.

President Maia Sandu announced Gavrilita's candidature in late January.

Gavrilita is a co-chair of Sandu's party.

"I did not see a single hand raised in support of the Gavrilita government, zero votes. The government does not get the support," the speaker said.
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Dramatic pictures captured the moment terrified spectators fled for their lives after a group of bears launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers while being released back into the wild in Iraq.

Six Syrian brown bears that were saved from captivity in people's homes were being freed during a wildlife conservation project in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq yesterday.

But moments after the cages were opened, the raging bears charged towards the crowd of onlookers and journalists as the ceremony descended into chaos.

This is the dramatic moment terrified spectators fled for their lives after a group of bears launched an unexpected attack on their rescuers while being released back into the wild in Dohuk, Iraq on February 11, Thursday

People and security members run away from a bear after Kurdish animal rights activists released it into the wild on Thursday

Six Syrian brown bears that were saved from captivity in people's homes were being freed during a wildlife conservation project in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq yesterday

A bear walks on a snowy ground after leaving the cage. The release of six bears in Gara mountain in Duhok governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, as part of an initiative of the American Kurdish Cooperation Organization to protect local wild bears

The six bears were being released to their new homes in Gara mountains after they were rescued by activists from captivity.

The animals were kept in in steel cages, surrounded by a large crowd of reporters, spectators and armed officers.

But as the bears took their first steps to freedom, they decided to turn on their rescuers as they charged towards the people.

One of the bears that were released by Kurdish animal rights activists into the wild after they rescued the bears from captivity

A bear walks on a snowy ground after leaving the cage amid a gathering of people. The six Syrian brown bears were being released to their new homes in Gara mountains after they were rescued by activists from captivity

A bear is seen inside a cage before it was being released to take its freedom in nature, part of an initiative of the American Kurdish Cooperation Organization to protect wild bears from extinction

Dramatic pictures captured the chaotic scene as photographers and spectators ran to escape the beasts. It remains unclear if anyone has been injured in the incident.

According to the head of the organisation, Blend Prevkani, the rescued bears were brought from different areas in southern Iraq.

'Some of them were bought, while the others were given to us by their owners,' the rescuer told Shafaq News agency.

A Syrian brown bear is seen inside a cage before being released to take its freedom in nature in Kurdistan, Iraq, on Thursday

A rescued bear is seen inside a cage before Kurdish animal rights activists released it into the wild in Dohuk, Iraq, on Thursday

Two of the rescued bears are seen wandering in the snow after they were freed from captivity in northern Iraq on February 11

Six Syrian brown bears were being freed into the wild after they were saved from captivity in people's homes. A bear walks past a group of cars after it was freed by local rescuers in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Thrusday

This was the third such release by the organisation over the past few years.

In 2018, reporters were attacked by three bears after they were released in the same mountain range, according to Mr Prevkani.

He said the bears had been panicked by the surroundings with a large group of people including media crews. Two journalists were injured on the 2018 occasion.
A taxpayer-funded academic who described Winston Churchill as a 'white supremacist' in a debate last night was today facing questions about why he still accepts public money despite claiming modern Britain is 'based on racism'.

Professor Kehinde Andrews, a campaigner who is regularly wheeled out on TV debates to air his divisive views, used a debate at Churchill College Cambridge to brand the British Empire 'far worse than the Nazis'.

The professor of black studies at Birmingham City University - where senior lecturers receive an average base salary of 46,000 - has previously branded 'whiteness' a 'psychosis', called for the overthrow of 'genocidal' capitalism and repeatedly compared Sir Winston Churchill to Adolf Hitler.

Professor Andrews believes that Britain's prosperity is 'largely produced off the economic system that extracts wealth by exploiting Africa and the underdeveloped world'.

Nonetheless, the 38-year-old, who lives in Birmingham with his wife, Nicole, a lecturer in Health and Social Care at Newman University, accepts that as an employee of a public university his 'primary income' comes from the state.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen asked today: 'Well if he holds those views why is he living off the public purse?'

The British Empire was branded 'far worse than the Nazis' during a controversial debate about Sir Winston Churchill's (pictured) legacy last night

The MP for North West Leicestershire added: 'I'm absolutely happy for people to have a debate and people can hold whatever views they want.

'But if they read history and hope they will consult that history books and come to their own decision that Churchill was fundamental to the defeat of the Nazis.'

In yesterday's online discussion held by Churchill College, Cambridge, Professor Andrews called the British Empire 'worse than the Nazis' and suggested WWII 'would have ended the same day' with or without Churchill's leadership.

Speaking of Churchill, he said: 'It's almost like his been beatified, he's a saintly figure who's beyond reproach. But Churchill wasn't even that popular at the time, he was never elected and after the war effort where he supposedly single-handedly lead the world against the Nazis he lost the election.

'So this is a kind of historical re-placing of him back on his pedestal and the question you have to ask is why is that. It's because he kind of is the perfect embodiment of white supremacy if you think about his politics, his ideas and what he did.

'Why that has a mythic status is because that white supremacy is still the politics of the day. We like to pretend that things have changed and the logic of the British Empire and empires generally has changed and shifted beyond race, but that's nonsense.'

He also belittled the former PM's contribution to the country, saying: 'Was it Churchill out there fighting the war? I'm pretty sure it wasn't. I'm pretty sure he was at home.

'I'm pretty sure that if Churchill wasn't in the war it would have ended the same way.'

This is despite historians crediting Churchill's leadership with overcoming Britain's policy of appeasement towards Hitler and helping to persuade the USA to join the war.

Last night's debate, entitled 'The Racial Consequences of Mr Churchill', was held as part of Churchill College's year-long 'inclusivity' review.

The comments at the debate held at the college, named in honour of Churchill, were condemned as 'execrable' by the former leader's grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames. The former Tory MP said: 'I think Sir Winston's reputation will withstand, with some ease, this sort of rant.

'I do think it's terribly disappointing that views like this are advanced at Churchill College.

'While there is every justification for historians examining the Churchill story, it's extraordinary that it should be seen in this way by a very limited audience.

'I'm afraid to say I have nothing but contempt for what these people have said.'

The online discussion  held by Churchill College, Cambridge (pictured)  on 'The Racial Consequences of Mr Churchill' looked at his 'backward' views on empire and race and was held as part of a year-long 'inclusivity' review

Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at Kent University, also criticised the comments, saying: 'The use of the Nazi metaphor is particularly squalid because [it suggests] what is seen as a moment of human evil that was quite unique in character is not as bad as what Britain had done in the past. It is a way of demeaning Britain's past.

'It is almost like you've got to come for Churchill because if you can destroy his reputation then the whole of Britain's past can be undermined.'

Professor Andrews made headlines in 2018 when he claimed on Good Morning Britain that Churchill was a 'clear racist' in a heated debate in which Piers Morgan asked him: 'Why do you live in a country that you loathe?'

He also compared the UK's war-time Prime Minister to Nazi leader Hitler for his treatment of Indians when the country endured a famine in 1943.

The academic has written several books over the past five years including 'Back to Black: Retelling Black Radicalism for the 21st Century' and 'Resisting Racism: Race, Inequality and the Black Supplementary School Movement'.

He has also written for publications on both sides of the Atlantic including the Guardian, Washington Post and New Statesman.

He has said the decision to build tributes like the Bomber Command Memorial was like 'justifying terrorism'.

Kehinde Andrews has branded 'whiteness' a 'psychosis', called for the overthrow of 'genocidal' capitalism and repeatedly compared Sir Winston Churchill to Adolf Hitler

In August 2019 he appeared on GMB to argue that author Enid Blyton was not 'worthy' of the honour of a commemorative coin because 'she was racist her books were racist'.

Last year, Professor Andrews criticised the singing of Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory at the Last Night of the Proms.

He said: 'Some of those songs, particularly those two, are racist propaganda. They celebrate the British Empire which killed tens of millions of people.'

Writing in the New Statesman about 2018's Black History Month, he said: 'If schools want to genuinely engage with black history then they can embed it into their teaching.

'For example, rather than teaching the industrial revolution as a triumph of British engineering alone, teachers should link it to the enslavement and colonisation of Africa, which was essential to British history.

'There is also nothing wrong with teaching the history of the rest of the world, which was just as pivotal to the development of Britain.'

Kehinde Andrews earned a PhD in sociology and cultural studies from the University of Birmingham in 2011 and is now a professor of black studies in the school of social sciences at Birmingham City University.

Professor Andrews lives in Birmingham with his wife, Nicole, a lecturer in Health and Social Care at Newman University

Churchill College's website says Churchill 'must not be mythologised as a man without significant flaws' as 'on race he was backward even in his day'.

Professor Priya Gopal, a fellow at the college, was chairman at yesterday's meeting.

She accused Britain of a 'national silence', saying the debate was 'precisely to bring a long-overdue balance to a heavily skewed national story that has preferred untrammelled glorification to a balanced assessment in the round'. She added: 'Historians and scholars who don't think history should be treated as a comfort blanket or a warm bath with candles have to constantly negotiate weaponised fragility and, quite frankly, a degree of cowardice.'
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An umbilical cord has been stolen from a storage center in Snake Spring Township, Pa., according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

The cord was part of a haul of possessions pilfered early on Dec. 29 from storage unit No. 58 at Mackies Storage Center, according to a police report.

The report said a suspect cleaved the lock off the storage unit during the theft.

An umbilical cord is reportedly missing in Pennsylvania.





An umbilical cord is reportedly missing in Pennsylvania.

Other stolen items listed by the police included a baby foot ceramic tile, a jewelry box and a 55-inch smart TV.

The Pennsylvania State Police asked anyone with information about the crime to contact the departments Bedford office at 814-623-6133.

In 2016, a mother in Montana discovered that umbilical cords from two of her children were stolen from a storage unit, according to the Great Falls Tribune.
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin is now unlikely to travel to the US next month with officials instead examining a virtual St Patricks Day meeting with US President Joe Biden, Independent.ie has learned.

The move follows contact between the White House and Irish diplomats in Washington DC in the last 24 hours.

Both sides are understood to have accepted that due to Covid-19 the annual bilateral meeting at the White House will more than likely take place virtually.

A source familiar with the discussions said that this was mutually viewed as increasingly the best option considering the pandemic, although no final decision has been made.

Mr Martin said earlier this week that he would be prepared to undergo vaccination against Covid-19 and travel to the White House if invited.

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It is understood that the White House has provided assurances to Irish officials that a virtual event would be a one-off due to Covid-19 and would not set a precedent for future engagements between the Taoiseach and senior US politicians, including the President, around St Patricks Day.

Irish diplomats are understood to be seeking engagements with the President, vice-president Kamala Harris, as well as the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Friends of Ireland caucus in Congress - all of which would take place virtually.

A virtual shamrock ceremony where both the Taoiseach and President Biden deliver public remarks is also being discussed.

A government source in Dublin said there was now a "good chance" that there will be a virtual element to the annual St Patrick's Day engagements between the US and Ireland.

A spokesman for the Taoiseach was not able to comment when contacted on Friday afternoon.



China in Focus (Feb. 11): Bidens First Phone Call With Chinas Xi Jinping

President Joe Biden speaks with Chinese Communist Party head Xi Jinping for the first time. We take a look at what Biden did in his first three weeks for U.S.-China policy.

Mandatory vaccinations are required for citizens in one Chinese city. But authorities are keeping quiet about possible side effects.

British television station BBC is banned from airing in China in a new form of retaliation from Beijing.

And a Canadian visa application center in Beijing could be run by Chinese policeputting citizens personal information at risk.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter.
Going into Donald Trumps second impeachment trial, everyone thought they knew the evidence inside out already.

Well, we didnt know the half of it.

Democrat prosecutors caught everybody by surprise with a barrage of new information, mainly previously unseen footage from CCTV cameras inside the US Capitol.

The video was stunning. It showed Mike Pence and his family being rushed to safety as rioters, who wanted to hang him for treason, closed in.

Mitt Romney almost walked into a mob, as did Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader in the Senate. Nancy Pelosis staff could be seen ducking into a room. Minutes later rioters arrived and tried to break the door down.

There was audio too, of desperate police officers screaming for back-up that didnt come.

Weve been flanked! Weve lost the line! they yelled, to no avail. New bodycam footage showed officers being pummelled with bats and flagpoles.

Democrat prosecutors argued not just that Mr Trump was reckless in directing his followers to the Capitol on January 6.

Read More

Riveted

Instead, they sought to show Trump cultivated a mob over a period of months, then deliberately aimed it at the seat of US democracy, with violent intent, to stop the certification of the election.

In other words, he knew what was going to happen.

The prosecution case was that all senators  Democrat and Republican alike  had been at risk.

Those same senators, who will decide Mr Trumps fate, sat silently and apparently riveted.

But the possibility of Mr Trump being convicted remains remote. It requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate, meaning 17 of the 50 Republicans would have to join the 50 Democrats.

John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said the prosecution was very effective and pretty compelling.

He added: I think theyve done a good job of connecting the dots.

But Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, a strong supporter of Mr Trump, said: Nothing new here for me at the end of the day.

Opinion

The Democrats know a conviction in the Senate is elusive and that their made-for-television presentation was also produced with the court of public opinion in mind.

They want to shock the American public  particularly Republican voters  so much that, even after an acquittal, Mr Trump cannot gather enough support to run for the presidency again.

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator and juror, suggested they may have succeeded.

She said: I dont see how after the American public sees the whole story laid out here, this whole scenario laid out before us..

"I dont see how Donald Trump could be re-elected to the presidency again.

Mr Trump is aware of the Democrat strategy and is furious with his own lawyers, who made a lacklustre start to the trial.

Peter Navarro, a former adviser to Mr Trump, said he had spoken to the ex-president by telephone and suggested he fire his lawyers, or risk losing support in the country.

Mr Navarro said: If he doesnt make a mid-course correction here, hes going to lose this Super Bowl.
The number of prisoners in custody in Victoria has flatlined, raising questions about the state governments $1.8 billion jail building and refurbishment program.

In December 2020 there were 7082 prisoners in Victorian jails, the lowest number since April 2017 when the prison population dropped to 7042. Prison numbers peaked in January 2019 with 8216 in custody.

The Olearia Unit at Barwon Prison is the highest-security unit in Victoria. Credit:Jason South

The governments pre-COVID projections envisaged prisoner numbers reaching 11,000 by 2023, and it has committed to building the Chisholm Road maximum security prison near Barwon Prison, which has capacity for more than 1200 inmates. The state is also expanding five jails, including a $134 million upgrade at Barwon.

Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council chair Arie Freiberg questioned the need for the Chisholm Road jail, asking do we need this facility in the long term?
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The floodwater, mud and boulders roared down the mountain along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers, breaking dams, sweeping away bridges and forcing the evacuation of many villages while turning the countryside into what looked like an ash-colored moonscape. (Image: AP)

On February 7, Uttarakhand faced a flash flood impacting the life and infrastructure of the state. The immediate cause for the flooding is considered to be the breakage of a glacier or a glacier lake bursting in the upper catchment of the Himalayas.

A scientific investigation will be required to understand the cause of such an event; however, the role of global warming-induced climate change and environmental degradation is the major precursor in occurrence as well as increase in frequency of such events.

The rate of warming of the Himalayan region is reported to be higher than the global average and the temperature is projected to increase further in the range of 1-3C by mid-century. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), based on data from 1951 to 2010, has reported an increase in warming over the central and eastern parts of the Himalayas.

Almost 7.7 percent of global glacierised area is present in South Asia supporting close to 10 percent of the global population by providing water during the lean season through snow and ice melt. According to the Geological Survey of India, there are 9,575 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas distributed among the three river basins  Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. However, more than 90 percent of Indian glaciers are small to very small in size  being smaller than 5 km in length and smaller than 5 sqkm in area. Most of them are smaller than 1 sq km. Only a few glaciers such as Siachen, Gangotri and Zemu are bigger than 10 sq km.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its 2014 report, mentioned that while smaller glaciers are more vulnerable to impacts of climate change and are bound to disappear, larger glaciers will continue to hold ice but will be shrinking for the next few decades even if the temperature stabilises in the near future. The Himalayan glaciers are also vulnerable due to their geographical setting. These glaciers are located close to the tropics at low latitudes, on the southern facing slopes of the Himalayas and so there is a natural build-up of high heat content in this region.

Thus, the occurrences of flash floods are bound to increase in the near future because of the rise in temperature over the Himalayas, the higher sensitivity of smaller glaciers, and other geographical factors.

These flash floods had catastrophic effects on the hydropower dams being constructed in the region and have fuelled the debate about the construction of such projects in the Himalayas. While 81 percent of the total hydropower potential in India is existing in the rivers flowing from Himalayan glaciers, only 29 percent of this potential has either been developed or is under construction. Once developed to its full potential, an additional 80,000 MW will be available to the country.

Considering the significance of hydropower projects for the local economy, as well as the countrys energy security, a decision for stopping the development of dams in the region may not be easy. Also, tourism is the backbone of economy in the Himalayan states, and the influx of tourists as well as the construction of related infrastructure may not be stopped. Hence, it is necessary to find alternative pathways which may ensure sustainable development, along with the ecological balance of the region.

The Way Forward

Lakes associated with the melting and retreat of glaciers has been considered to be possessing significant hazard potential, owing to the sudden breach of natural embankments of these lakes. The flood potential of these lakes could have significant impact on the infrastructure downstream.

It is necessary to develop a vulnerability map of the Himalayas, similar to the seismic zonation map of the country, and categorise different river valleys based on the degree of vulnerability to such disasters. Subsequently, zone-specific strategies need to be adopted for better adaptation of communities, as well as infrastructure. The cost required for such a study would be much less than the expenditure incurred in relief and rehabilitation expenditure incurred subsequent to such a tragedy.

Further, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a pre-requisite for the clearance of hydro-power projects from the government. But, the EIA conducted by the hydropower companies are mainly focussed on the likely impacts due to the installation of the dam on the downstream communities. These projects should also make a comprehensive assessment of the impacts due to climate and vulnerability to glaciers upstream. This is important for the projects located in the Himalayas.

Natural calamities cannot be controlled, but we can better adapt our communities, our constructions, and our resources balancing the economic growth with environmental conservation.
President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., on Feb. 11, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Says Hes Not Telling Republican Senators to Convict Trump

President Joe Biden on Friday said hes not speaking with Republican senators on the upcoming vote in former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, though he hinted on how he hopes theyll vote.

Im just anxious to see what my Republican friends do, Biden told reporters outside the White House. If they stand up.

Biden said he was not planning to speak with any Republican senators to convey what he thinks they should do.

As usual since Biden entered office, the press was sent away after he answered two questions. Before the queries, he had chatted with reporters about Valentines Day.

A day prior, Biden told reporters inside the Oval Office that he guessed some minds may be changed during the trial.

Unless 67 senators vote to convict Trump, he will be acquitted. Thirty-five Republicans have indicated or pledged to vote to acquit, while a mix of several dozen senators from both parties have said they would wait to hear what was presented during the trial to decide.

In this image from video, the Senate begins the third day in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 11, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)

White House press secretary Jen Psaki later told reporters: He was not intending to give a projection or a prediction, but was just giving a very human and emotional response to what many people did, many people felt, I should say, when they watched the video.

Psaki said earlier this week that Joe Biden is the President; hes not a pundit. She added, Hes not going to opine on the back-and-forth arguments, nor is he watching them, that are taking place in the Senate.

But on Thursday, after managers presented video footage of Jan. 6, Psaki said Biden was impacted by the video as a human being, and he is confident in the role that the impeachment managers and others will play.

Trumps lawyers were scheduled to mount their defense on Friday, after impeachment managers spent several days laying out their case.

Trump was impeached for incitement of insurrection. Democrats claim he sparked the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol with his repeated allegations of election fraud and his exhortations to his supporters to fight like hell.

Defenders note Trump told supporters to stay peaceful and that violence started at the Capitol before he stopped speaking about two miles away.

A vote is expected to take place in the next several days.

If Trump is convicted, senators could choose to bar him from holding office again. Top Democrats have said preventing him from running in 2024 is a key concern.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi greets Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado Quesada.  UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica  UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi thanked President Carlos Alvarado for Costa Ricas commitment to protect and promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers through an agreement with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to extend health insurance to 10,000 of those who are most vulnerable.

Costa Ricas generosity in assisting people in need of international protection is an example to countries the world over, said Grandi.

President Alvarado also announced his decision to extend Costa Ricas commitments to address the challenges of forced displacement, as part of its participation in the MIRPS, a regional framework for protection and solutions for those forced to flee. Grandi celebrated the decision as another demonstration of Costa Ricas leadership in the region.

Costa Rica hosts more than 85,000 Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers who have fled their country since 2018. Grandi lauded the governments efforts to strengthen its asylum system to be able to continue receiving asylum claims, including during the pandemic, and provide alternative protection solutions for persons who require such arrangements.

These extraordinary times call upon the international community to assist countries that welcome, host and support people who are fleeing persecution ,  Grandi said.

During his three-day visit, Grandi traveled to the northern city of Upala, to hear directly from Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers about their needs and struggles to integrate. Grandi met with mayors from the northern region to learn about the host communities integration efforts and called for additional development plans. Later, he visited a local market supported by UNHCR, where nationals and asylum seekers sell their goods to the community, in an example of economic reactivation and peaceful coexistence.

Back in San Jose, Grandi witnessed the signing of the new agreement between the Costa Rican Social Security agency and UNHCR for USD $2.3 million, to provide health insurance to 10,000 refugees and asylum seekers with acute or chronic health care needs, particularly to those in the most vulnerable conditions.

Grandis visit to Costa Rica concluded a week-long visit to Latin America that also included Colombia where President Ivan Duque announced that temporary protection status would be granted to Venezuelans in the country.

Countries like Colombia and Costa Rica are going the extra mile to welcome people forced to flee. But they cannot do it alone. Efforts by the international community are essential to support them, Grandi said.

On departing Costa Rica, the High Commissioner headed to Spain, which leads the Support Platform for the MIRPS regional framework that aims to garner the backing of international actors for efforts in Central America and Mexico to address the challenges of forced displacement.

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A man charged with the murder of Irish gangland boss Robbie Lawlor must remain in custody, a judge ruled on Friday.

Patrick Teer, 45, was refused bail over his alleged role in the underworld figure's assassination in north Belfast.

Lawlor, 36, was shot dead in broad daylight on April 4 last year as part of a deadly drugs feud.

According to police a gunman emerged from 37-year-old co-accused Adrian Holland's house at Etna Drive in the Ardyone district and opened fire.

Lawlor died at the scene after being shot in the head and body.

Originally from Dublin, the victim had been heavily involved in a bitter dispute between rival Drogheda-based factions.

He was linked to the abduction and killing of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods in January last year.

Previous courts were told Lawlor may have travelled to Northern Ireland because he feared he was going to be attacked.

Detectives believe he went to the scene of his killing following a pre-arranged appointment to collect cash.

The unidentified gunman then escaped in one of two cars parked in the area as suspected getaway vehicles.

Teer, of Thornberry Hill in Belfast, and Holland were charged as part of a joint enterprise, based on their alleged involvement in events surrounding the killing.

Evidence in the case centres on telephone cell site analysis, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and CCTV inquiries.

Mounting a fresh application for bail at Belfast Magistrates' Court today, Teer's lawyer claimed he made no comment in police interviews on the advice of a previous legal representative

Arguing that there was a change in his client's circumstances, solicitor Ciaran Toner said: "The key is he wishes to give an account."

But prosecution counsel submitted that police have limited powers to interview someone after they have been charged.

"There's absolutely nothing to prevent the accused from providing a written account via his solicitor," he added.

Denying bail, however, District Judge George Conner said: "While I have some sympathy for anyone trying to pick up after charges, I'm not persuaded that's a sufficient change in circumstances."

He remanded Teer in custody for a further four weeks.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Unemployment scammers are upping the pace in Ohio, where the number of new claims in Ohio last week nearly tripled.

Of more than 140,000 filings, 44,848 were flagged for review. Were talking about what that means for the state, and unemployed workers, on This Week in the CLE.

Listen online here.

Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with editors Jane Kahoun, Kris Wernowsky 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:

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U.S. immigration reform is already gaining attention from the White House and Congress. President Joe Biden rolled out his immigration reform plan on Day One, and individual Democrats in Congress are rising as chief sponsors to help usher some form of President Bidens plan through both chambers. But as always, the specifics of reform quickly are becoming challenging, with questions looming over where compromises can be reached and which paths toward legislation can be taken without the entire effort imploding.

With a fog of uncertainty surrounding what looks to be a sincere appetite for reform, advocates are working to make clear what they believe must be done with any final immigration reform package.

As it relates to dairy

For dairy, ag labor reform is essential for its future, as its workforce crisis has only become more dire during the COVID-19 pandemic. American agriculture is facing an undeniably shrinking labor pool due to demographic shifts the United States has experienced over decades.

Dairy has an additional challenge within agriculture because ags main guest worker program  the H-2A visa program  is only for temporary or seasonal work. Because dairy is a year-round industry, producers cannot supplement their workforce with H-2A guest workers like so many other ag sectors can.

Dairy farmers need access to a legal, stable, year-round workforce. That means any ag labor reform measure requires two components. First, the status of current workers must be addressed realistically and fairly. Farmers from all agricultural sectors across the United States have been calling for the legal protection of workers and their immediate families, recognizing the critical role they play in agriculture and their communities. Second, dairy must be included in todays and any future guest worker program. Yes, cows must be milked 365 days a year. Denying farmers access to a legal labor pool because they need a full workforce year-round is both illogical and harmful to nations food system.

NMPF has been a leader in ag labor reform efforts for decades and will continue to advocate for the inclusion of both components as immigration reform discussions continue. No one knows exactly what form any reform will take, but immigration reform may be possible if Democrats and Republicans can find enough common ground on policy while avoiding the political pitfalls which have taken down past sincere immigration reform efforts. And that would be very welcome for dairy farmers, who need real change and real relief from the ag labor crisis threatening the future of dairy and American agriculture.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021

February 8, 2021

Facebook has said it will 'significantly' restrict accounts linked to Myanmar's military for spreading 'misinformation' in the wake of the coup.

The move means pages and profiles with links to the military will be harder to access, and fewer users will see content they post.

Facebook also said it will delete posts that support the coup or call for violence against protesters, after an activist was shot in the head by police this week.

Meanwhile the UN issued a resolution calling on Myanmar's military leaders to release jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and to stop using violence against demonstrators.

Facebook has restricted accounts linked to Myanmar's military for spreading 'misinformation' in the wake of the coup earlier this month

The social network has also said it will delete any posts explicitly supporting the coup or calling for violence after police launched a crackdown on protesters this week

The 47-member Geneva forum adopted a resolution brought by Britain and the EU unanimously without a vote, although Russia and China said afterwards that they 'disassociated' themselves from the consensus.

Myanmar's envoy said before the vote that the resolution was 'not acceptable'.

In addition to restricting some military-run pages, Facebook said it would be removing posts that claimed widespread voter fraud in Myanmar's election last year.

The military has used voter fraud as the justification for its coup, though the country's election watchdog says no evidence has been presented.

Rafael Frankel, Facebook's policy director for the Asia-Pacific region, said: 'We join with governments, the UN, and civil society around the world in calling for internet services in Myanmar to be restored immediately so that the people there can communicate with loved ones, express their political views, access important information, and run their businesses.

'We remain vigilant to emerging trends and will not hesitate to take additional measures as appropriate.'

UN leaders were also urged to follow the United States' lead and impose sanctions on the military regime in an attempt to pressure generals to restore democracy.

Myanmar's military-led police have cracked down on protests this week, including opening fire on activists with live ammunition (police arrest a protester in Mawlamyine)

The UN called on Myanmar's generals to stop using violence against protesters and to release jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi (pictured, arrested protesters in Mawlamyine)

The United States, which imposed its own sanctions targeting Myanmar's military junta on Thursday, took the floor at the Human Rights Council to urge other U.N. member states to follow suit.

Special Rapporteur Thomas Andrews cited 'growing reports and photographic evidence' that Myanmar security forces had used live ammunition against protesters since seizing power almost two weeks ago.

'Security Council resolutions dealing with similar situations have mandated sanctions, arms embargoes, and travel bans, and calling for judicial action at the International Criminal Court or ad hoc tribunals,' Andrews told the Council. 'All of these options should be on the table.'

The 47-member forum met at the request of Britain and the European Union to consider a resolution calling for the release of ousted Myanmar leader Suu Kyi, and for U.N. monitors to be allowed to visit. It was adopted unanimously, although Myanmar, Russia and China envoys said they 'disassociated' themselves from the resolution.

'With this resolution we would like to send a strong signal to the people of Myanmar: the protection of their human rights matters to us,' said Austrian Ambassador Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger on behalf of the EU.

However, the resolution's language had been watered down somewhat in an apparent bid to get detractors on board.

Protesters hold banners against the military coup and in favor of democracy outside the Russian embassy in Yangon

In a letter read out to the Council earlier on Friday, some 300 elected parliamentarians called for U.N. investigations into the 'gross human rights violations' that they said the military had committed since its coup, including arrests.

'The military also shot people protesting, invaded the ruling party's offices, confiscated documents, records, and property,' said the letter, read out by British Ambassador Julian Braithwaite.

It said a telecommunications bill being prepared by the junta was intended to restrict access to the Internet and mobile services.

U.S. Charge d'Affaires Mark Cassayre said: 'We ask all Council members to join the United States and others...in promoting accountability for those responsible for the coup, including through targeted sanctions.'

China and Russia - which have close ties to Myanmar's military - said they opposed holding the session at all.

'What happened in Myanmar is essentially Myanmar's internal affairs,' said Chen Xu, China's ambassador.

Russian Ambassador Gennady Gatilov said: 'Attempts to whip up hype around the situation in Myanmar need to cease.'

Supporters of Suu Kyi clashed with police on Friday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the junta's call to halt mass gatherings.

More than 350 officials, activists, journalists, monks and students have been detained, according to Nada al-Nashif, deputy U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Myanmar Ambassador Myint Thu said Myanmar would continue to cooperate with the United Nations and uphold international human rights treaties, adding: 'We do not want to stall the nascent democratic transition in the country.'
In the shadow of six surrounding neighbors burdened with their own problems sits the Central African Republic, a landlocked country that gets relatively little attention but that has been plagued by instability and conflict upending the lives of its citizens for many years.

The Central African Republic is once again enduring an acute bout of instability from an on-again, off-again civil war that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Despite the intervention of United Nations peacekeepers, Russian military advisers and Rwandan troops, peace is still elusive.

Almost one-third of all Central Africans have been displaced from their homes in recent years  including 200,000 who fled just since December, after a troubled election.

Here are basic questions and answers on the countrys history and what is driving its dysfunction.

Where is the Central African Republic?

Roughly the size of Texas, with a population of about 5 million, it is basically in the middle of the African continent, enclosed clockwise by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo and Cameroon. All host refugees from the Central African Republic who have fled mayhem in their homeland.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
But he also panned the prison closures because of how they affect employees and their families.

"It's really adding insult to injury," he said. "No time for planning or preparation ... It's not enough time for a family to plan for moving, to relocate for schools and homes. It's just not appropriate, especially in this era of COVID."

Michael Powers, who serves as president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, told The Citizen on Thursday that the union is concerned about transferring employees and inmates during the pandemic.

NYSCOPBA, which represents state corrections officers, has criticized the prison closures that were announced in December. Powers argued that any further prison closures should be delayed.

"Let's pump the breaks on these closures for a bit and ride it out and see just what's going to come of this potential issue moving forward with the spread of COVID," he said. "To me, you're just increasing the odds of spreading it."

At the budget hearing, Annucci said there hasn't been a final decision on which facilities will close. While the annex at Clinton is a maximum-security prison, most of the prisons Cuomo has closed are medium-security facilities.
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Water levels in the Mekong River have fallen to a "worrying level" in part due to outflow restrictions from Chinese hydropower dams upstream, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Friday, calling on Beijing to share all of its water data.

The vital waterway has turned blue along the Thai-Laos border, from its usual murky brown color - signaling shallow water and low levels of nutrition-rich sediment - partially from outflow restrictions from the Jinghong dam in China's Yunnan province, the inter-governmental MRC said.

Friday's statement said low rainfall and dams on the Lower Mekong and tributaries also contributed to the drop in levels.

"There have been sudden rises and falls in water levels immediately downstream of Jinghong and further down to Vientiane," said Winai Wongpimool, director of the MRC Secretariat's Technical Support Division.

Such fluctuations affect fish migration, agriculture and transportation that nearly 70 million people rely on for their livelihoods and food security.

"To help the Lower Mekong countries manage risks more effectively, we call on China and the Lower Mekong countries themselves to share their water release plans with us, Winai said.

The MRC said normal conditions may be restored if large volumes of water are released from Chinese dams' reservoirs.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs disputed the MRC's findings, adding that there are many causes of downstream drought.

China last year pledged to share data from its dams with MRC member countries Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

In January, Beijing notified neighbors that its dams were filling reservoirs until Jan. 25.

Outflow levels at Jinghong Dam were 785 cubic meters per second in early-January before rising to 1,400 cubic meters per second in mid-January, the MRC said.

However, levels dropped again in February and were 800 cubic meters per second as of Thursday, the MRC said. The statement did not mention any recent notification from Beijing.

China said the dam's outflow has been consistently more than 1,000 cubic meters per second since the end of January, a level it says is nearly twice the natural flow of the river. It called on the MRC "to avoid causing public misunderstanding."
The stars are aligning for Canadas fossil fuel industries. The only question is whether they, supported by the federal government, will seize the unprecedented opportunities that lie directly ahead.

The stars are aligning for Canadas fossil fuel industries. The only question is whether they, supported by the federal government, will seize the unprecedented opportunities that lie directly ahead.

In the past month alone, the ground has shifted. U.S. President Joe Biden, as one of his first executive orders, cancelled approval of the Keystone XL pipeline project. This 1,800-kilometre pipeline would carry 800,000 barrels of Alberta crude oil each day to Nebraska, where it would connect with the first leg of Keystone and take the oil to Gulf of Mexico refineries.

Also in January, General Motors announced it will transform its entire product line to zero-emission electric technology by 2040. In making this pledge, GM joins other automakers such as Volvo, Toyota and Nissan that have also agreed to ditch the internal combustion engine.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Together, these events create a potent market argument for weaning this countrys economy off its deep, structural reliance on oil and gas production in favour of more sustainable industries. Its unclear, however, whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will seize this opportunity.

In his first telephone call with Mr. Biden, Mr. Trudeau expressed his "disappointment" about the Keystone decision. In comments to reporters later, the prime minister said he was especially concerned about the cancellations impact on workers in Alberta and Saskatchewan who rely on the oil patch for their livelihood.

However, if Mr. Trudeau is truly concerned about those workers, he will launch a program to help business create a new generation of jobs for oil-patch workers  jobs that have no connection to fossil fuels  while ceasing efforts to save Keystone.

And make no mistake, there will be efforts to save Keystone. Democrat and Republican lawmakers alike in affected states are applying pressure on Mr. Biden to reverse his decision. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, among others, have called for trade sanctions and the pursuit of possible financial compensation  measures which stand very little chance of succeeding.

Behind all the bluster, the proponents of Keystone know Mr. Biden is likely to stick with his original decision because it is, both materially and symbolically, essential to maintaining some semblance of credibility on environmental issues with his own party and the public at large. Canadian crude will still make its way into the U.S. via other means, but reversing course on Keystone would create a broad array of political problems Mr. Biden is unlikely to want to face, as they run counter to other policies he has introduced to drive economic growth and combat climate change.

Even as Mr. Kenney and Mr. Moe have raged against the cancellation of Keystone, Canadians in general, and Albertans in particular, are more open to moving in another direction.

Even as Mr. Kenney and Mr. Moe have raged against the cancellation of Keystone, Canadians in general, and Albertans in particular, are more open to moving in another direction.

An Ipsos-Global News poll released this week shows 44 per cent of Canadians and a remarkable 56 per cent of Albertans support abandoning Keystone to concentrate on building infrastructure within Canada to transport oil and gas. Only 18 per cent of Canadians and 21 per cent of Albertans think Canada should go to war with Mr. Biden over Keystone.

More importantly, 38 per cent of all respondents said Canada should focus on economic priorities other than the export of oil and gas.

The door is open to a generational transformation of the Canadian economy, for the benefit of all Canadians and also the environment. The question is whether Mr. Trudeau will have the courage to walk through it.
The Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry was on Friday told how police officers attached to the Lekki Concession Company allegedly killed a barely one-year-old baby.

Chimbusomma Uligwe, the bereaved mother, appeared before the panel to seek compensation and justice over the incident, which happened on July 9, 2019.

Married in 2010, Mrs Uligwe said she waited for eight years before she could have her baby, who has now been killed due to the sad incident.

On July 9, 2019, at about 4:30, I was coming from the bank where I went to pay money, when I came out of the bank, I was at the bus stop carrying my baby, only for us to see a bus chased by LCC police van.

Mrs Uligwe said she and other commuters were at the lay-by at the road waiting for a bus.

She said in the van was a police officer and two men wearing LCC apron.

The next thing was the bus hit me and my daughter, took us to the road before the driver could stop, the conductor ran away. My baby landed on the floor.

I was already on the floor too. For me to carry my baby, my babys head was broken.

Mrs Uligwe told the panel that her baby died on the spot, a day before her first birthday.

She said unaware of what had happened, the LCC van blocked the bus and the police officer at the back jumped down. Upon seeing the babys head broken, he tried to run and was caught by people nearby.

The policeman said he doesnt know anything about it, and I said but you jumped out of this LCC bus, he was just saying different things, she said.

Mrs Uligwe said the police officer tried to run but the angry mob chased him and held him down close to Zenith Bank within the vicinity.

She identified the police officer as Jonah Jatto, an inspector of police

Mrs Uligwe said that her husband came around and they were taken to Maroko Police Station, where she saw the suspects and wrote a statement.

She further said when the incident happened, one Bayo Philips, a lawyer , wrote the LCC, and the Nigerian Police Force over the matter but nothing was done.

The bereaved mother tendered photographs of her child with a broken head, photographs of a white Hilux, with registration number A 333584 XX, certificates of birth and death of her daughter and other documents to the panel.

The documents tendered were admitted as exhibits by Doris Okuwobi, a retired judge, heading the panel.

During cross-examination, Joseph Eboseremen, the counsel to the police, asked whether the police officer was at the steering of the bus that

hit her and the baby.

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Mrs Uligwe replied that the driver of the bus fled the scene immediately the incident happened, but the police officer alighted from the van chasing the bus.

Rotimi Seriki, counsel to LCC, who also cross-examined the petitioner, asked whether she has any documents to prove that the police officer was attached to the LCC.

Mr Seriki, while asking whether any legal action had been taken against the company, said Mrs Uligwes lawyer, who wrote to them, demanded N200 million as compensation within five days, else, they would go to court.

He added that the driver of the bus was apprehended and charged to court for reckless driving.

Mrs Okuwobi, chairperson of the panel, adjourned the matter till March 5.
Salma Mbuvi penned an open letter to her embattled dad  former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko encouraging him to take a deep breath and smile.

The heartwarming letter shared on Salmas Instagram page this week describes Sonko as the kindest, purest and the most gentle person.

You could be the kindest, purest, and the most gentle person, but that wont stop the world from throwing dirt at you. It wont stop them from misusing your emotions to best fit their own. It wont stop them from accusing you for things you never did, Salma wrote.

She encouraged her politician father not to dim his light for the sake of others because it is not worth it.

the thing is none of this should stop you from being who you are. Never dull your own light because of others. Dont ever harden your heart for a world like this because its simply not worth it. You are the way youre because this world is in need of souls like you, the mother of one continued.

Salma Mbuvi further remained positive for her dad, saying his sensitive nature will prevail over those that drag his name in the mud.

People will do anything to make themselves feel better, even if it means destroying you. Your sensitive nature will catch onto the cruelty of this world, but remind yourself that them throwing dirt at you doesnt say anything about you, but it says a whole lot about them. Take a deep breath and smile  she concluded.

[February 12, 2021] Splitit Appoints Dawn Robertson As Board Chair; Nominates Two New Board Members from Retail and Investment Industries

Splitit, a global installment payment provider, today announces non-executive board director, Dawn Robertson, will assume the role of non-executive Chairman of the Board. The company has also appointed two new non-executive external directors, Vanessa LeFebvre and Scott Mahoney. This comes on the heels of the company's announcement of record earnings and new merchants as the company continues to expand on its position as the "go-to" installment solution for responsible cash flow management. "For the past two years, Dawn has been an invaluable member of our Executive Board, bringing a wealth of experience in ecommerce on a global scale," said Brad Paterson, CEO of Splitit. "I'm also pleased with the Board's appointment of Vanessa and Scott, who will bring their strong knowledge of the US retail landscape to the Board as we continue to expand our reach in North America." Dawn Robertson is the current CEO of On Campus Marketing and has been leading companies for more than 30 years. She's held leadership positions at Old Navy, Myer Stores and launched Macys.com and Bloomingdales.com. Robertson has served on Splitit's board of directors for two years. She will be replacing Spirro Pappas, who is stepping down as Chairman to pursue new endeavors after successfully leading the board for two years through the company's global expansion. Based in Portland, Oreg., Vanessa LeFebvre brings 20 years of retail industry experience to the Board. She is currently Senior Vice President, Commercial for Adidas in North America where sheis responsible for its wholesale, retail stores and eCommerce channels. Prior to that she held high profile roles at TJX, Macy's and Stitch Fix.



Based in New York, Scott Mahoney has 20 years of investment experience across asset classes in executive leadership roles at global alternative asset management firms. He is currently an Executive Council Member for alternative investment advisory firm, Aviditi Advisors and a Partner with the FinTech venture capital firm, Tribeca Early Stage Partners. Scott was previously Deputy Chief Trading Officer at Millennium Management and a Managing Director of Alternative Investments at Credit Suisse Asset Management. "The addition of Vanessa and Scott as Board members comes at an inflection point for Splitit, both in terms of our rate of growth but also our capacity to execute on ambitious strategic plans," said Dawn Robertson. "Vanessa's knowledge and experience in North American retail will build on our industry expertise and further broaden awareness of our offering among large merchants, while as a seasoned investment professional Scott will play an important role in informing our capital markets strategy. I am delighted to welcome them both to the Splitit Board."

The Company intends to call a shareholder meeting to approve the appointment of Vanessa LeFebvre and Scott Mahoney as External Directors in accordance with Israeli law. Once appointed, the Board will comprise five Non-executive Directors, being Dawn Robertson, Thierry Denis, Jan Koelble, Vanessa LeFebvre and Scott Mahoney, and Chief Executive Officer, Brad Paterson. About Splitit Splitit is a global payment solution provider that enables shoppers to use the credit they've earned by breaking up purchases into monthly interest-free installments, using their existing credit card. Splitit enables merchants to improve conversion rates and increase average order value by giving customers an easy and fast way to pay for purchases over time without requiring additional approvals. Serving many of Internet Retailer's top 500 merchants, Splitit's global footprint extends to thousands of merchants in countries around the world. Headquartered in New York, Splitit has an R&D center in Israel and offices in London and Australia. The company is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) under ticker code SPT. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210212005061/en/

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A former model and reality star who was found dead on the side of an interstate was allegedly shot 18 times by a truck driver she had met at a truck stop and had been traveling across the United States with for weeks.

Rebecca Landrith, 47, was found dead at the side of the I-80 near Union County in western Pennsylvania on Sunday, February 7.

Pennsylvania state police said Landrith's body was discovered by a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation worker along an interstate off ramp.

Landrith, who was originally from Virginia, had once been a fashion model in New York and featured in 'Miss Manhattan'.

Truck driver Tracy Rollins has since been arrested and charged with her murder and abuse of a corpse.

Police say the pair had been travelling across the country since meeting at a truck stop in Connecticut in December.

Landrith is believed to have accompanied Rollins on his deliveries in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois and Maine over the last three months.

Rebecca Landrith, 47, from Virginia was found dead at the side of the road near West Buffalo Township, Union County in western Pennsylvania on Sunday

Suspect Tracy Rollins, 28, whose name was found on a note in Landrith's pocket, has been charged with criminal homicide and abuse of corpse

Landrith, who was originally from Alexandria, Virginia, was a 2014 finalist for the Miss Manhattan contest in New York City, as well as America's It Girl Miss Lady Liberty the same year.

She also appeared on WE TV's 'America's It Girl'.

A bio on her iStudio page states: 'I adore fashion and the industry and am a warm weather person with a warm heart. I have worked with some really great photographers and fantastic people in this industry.

'I love clothes and have a great wardrobe to style myself and bring to shoots. I know high fashion labels and have fabulous shoes with all my outfits.'

The bio adds that she previously worked in the field of law and that she had appeared in more than 50 fashion shows since she started in 2009.

Landrith's brother, George Landrith, told PennLive that his younger sister had never married and had been estranged from the family for about five years.

He said he knew little about her life since then. Her brother did say that their parents are divorced and that their father lived in Utah.

She was the youngest of five siblings.

Little is known about her movements in the last few years.

Online records show she had several misdemeanors and traffic violations in Arizona in 2019.

Landrith also had some traffic violations and misdemeanors from her home state of Virginia in 2015.

Pictured: A map showing Landrith's movements since December

Landrith, originally from Alexandria, Virginia, was a 2014 finalist for the Miss Manhattan contest in New York City, as well as America's It Girl Miss Lady Liberty the same year

A bio on Landrith's iStudio page states: 'I adore fashion and the industry and am a warm weather person with a warm heart. Pictured: A collection of her modelling pictures

Rollins is accused of shooting Landrith 18 times in the cab of his truck and then dumping her by the side of the road.

Gunshot wounds were found to Landrith's head, neck, throat, chest and hand, according to a statement from Union County Coroner Dominick Adamo.

Police tracked him down after a note was found in Landrith's pocket bearing his name.

When police arrested Rollins on Wednesday in Connecticut, they found a bottle of bleach in his cab and signs that the interior of the vehicle had been disinfected.

Police said the former model was found wearing blue maternity jeans, a purple shirt and a black leather jacket but no socks or shoes, WLNS reported.

They believe that she was killed a few hours before she was found near the interchange ramp in Union County, around 120 miles north of Philadelphia.

Investigators believe that Landrith had recently traveled through Indiana and Wisconsin because of receipts they found on her from those states.

They identified her using fingerprints found on the receipts.

Landrith was reportedly found near mile marker 199 on the eastbound I-80 (pictured)

Pictured: A news report from Fox56 shows the road near where the model's body was found

When questioned by police, Rollins denied knowing Landrith.

He did, however, say that he had met a woman named 'Leslie' whose car had broken down in Connecticut and that he had been traveling with her across the country.

He said drove through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

Police learned that in December, Landrith had booked into a hotel in Milford, Connecticut under the name Leslie Myers, according to court documents.

In January, she met Rollins at a truck stop, and the pair traveled together until, it is believed, he murdered her on February 7. Her body was found at around 7am.

Rollins was arrested at another truck stop in Milldale, Connecticut on February 10.

A criminal complaint obtained by Philly Voice said that surveillance video and cell phone location data allegedly linked Rollins to the same businesses and times corresponding to Landrith's receipts.

Police reprimanded the suspect after tracking down his truck.
Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu sent Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna a message to "keep his hands off the judiciary", adding that he has no right to comment on a court or a magistrate's ruling, according to AGERPRES.

"I was looking at Romania's Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Barna, as he said today that the decision of the special section to have the [local election] votes in Bucharest Sector 1 recounted is a political decision, and that this is all political splash. Man, you are the Deputy Prime Minister of Romania, who gives you the right to comment on a decision of a prosecutor, to call it political splash? (...) When you are a member of the government, an MP, you have no right to comment on a decision of a court or a magistrate. What's this decision aimed at? At finding out the truth, whether the vote has been stolen or not in Sector 1. I want to know the truth. How am I supposed to go to the polls next time if there is a suspicion that the vote is being rigged? And on top of that he claims that learning that the winner was eventually PSD and not USR doesn't matter any more, because [sitting mayor] Clotilde Armand won't be replaced under the law. In other words, if we find out the truth and the truth isn't what they want, we are left with an imposter mayor. That's the USR reform. When the PSD was in power, their buzzword was 'Keep your hands off Justice'. It's my turn to very clearly tell Barna: keep your hands off the judiciary. Take that [JusMin] Stelian of yours and let the magistrates do their job," Ciolacu told broadcaster Antena 3 on Thursday evening.

The PSD head added that he disagrees with the abolition of the Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes.

"I didn't make phone calls to the presidents of my party's organizations to ask them their opinion about this section. I had meetings with at least 20 magistrates, judges and prosecutors, and I understood the purpose of this section. I'd like the Romanians to understand very well that this section doesn't defend politicians, that it has nothing to do with political corruption cases. If you want the rule of law but don't give independence to magistrates, the judges and prosecutors have come and said that the section must stay in place. Who gives you, a politician, the right to say other than the magistrates?," Ciolacu continued his verbal onslaught.
A teachers' trade union executive says that Leaving Cert students should return to school in Febuary.

The Teachers Union of Ireland says it believes the Leaving Certs should return after the mid-term break during the same week as secondary students in need of special education are due to go back.

"Our Executive Committee has expressed its strong position that subject to the advice of the public health authorities, Leaving Certificate students should also return to schools during the week beginning 22nd February.

"We will continue to engage on the sustainable re-opening of schools and all other related matters," said a statement.

The TUI made the committent in a statment in which it announced that it has decided that its members will facilitate the re-opening of special classes in Post-Primary schools from Monday, 22nd February.

The TUI acknowledged the vital importance of face-to-face provision for these students.

TUI President Martin Marjoram outlined the union's position.

"While emergency remote teaching and learning continues, the TUI has engaged intensively and positively with all education stakeholders to work towards the safe re-opening of schools for priority groups in line with public health advice and as early as is possible.

"In this regard, the Unions Executive Committee this evening, (Wednesday, January 10), decided that its members would facilitate the re-opening of special classes in Post-Primary schools from Monday, 22nd February given that a number of concerns expressed by the Union have been addressed.

"In taking this decision, the Union acknowledges the vital importance of face-to-face provision for this cohort of students and took note of the range of additional supports and measures that have been agreed to protect students and staff.

"These measures, which had been sought by TUI, include full contact tracing and fast-track testing, provision of high grade PPE for special education teachers and arrangements for staff in high risk health categories and pregnant teachers to continue to provide remote learning.

"Clearly, all risk mitigation measures and safeguards will need to be strictly adhered to at school level. At national level, all measures must be kept under ongoing review, not least to take account of the emerging new variants of COVID-19. The health and safety of students, staff and their families cannot be compromised.

"Communities must also work to protect schools and ongoing vigilance is required. In this context, any member of the school community - staff or student - who has symptoms of COVID-19 or is a close contact of a confirmed case must stay at home.

"Vital to maintaining the confidence of the school community will be further suppression of the virus in society," she said.
The long-awaited opening of the Estepona High Resolution Hospital finally arrived ealier this week at a ceremony attended by the president of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno. However, despite the fanfare, the centre is still not fully open, with Moreno explaining that the hospital would continue to attend Covid patients referred from the Costa del Sol Hospital "until the pandemic lets up". As a result, a specific date for its full opening remains unclear.

Moreno described the Estepona hospital on Monday as "another health infrastructure project that suffered delays of many years despite being very necessary". Specifically, the hospital has opened "after more than twelve years of waiting", he said.

The regional president explained that two million euros has been invested in the separation of care circuits in the surgical area, the creation of isolation areas for functional tests and examinations, as well as to expand spaces and redesign units.

In addition to this investment, a further 3.2 million euros has been spent on the first phase of supplying equipment and furniture for the hospital's current needs.

In the coming months, once the pandemic situation has subsided, the new hospital will open its doors definitively to provide care for more than 100,000 residents of the westernmost part of the Costa del Sol, which includes the municipalities of Estepona, Manilva, Casares, Gaucin, Genalguacil and Jubrique, as well as the large number of holidaymakers who visit the area every year.

The mayor of Estepona, Jose Maria Garcia Urbano, described it as "one of the most important days in the history of the town".

"The town hall prioritised this investment, setting aside 16 million euros to build this hospital," he said.
At least 11 workers were killed and 36 injured when an explosion ripped through a factory near Sattur in this southern district in on Friday, Police said.

The explosion occurred when some chemicals were being mixed to produce at the unit in Acchankulam village, they said, adding the injured had been hospitalised.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi were among those who condoled the deaths.

Modi and Palaniswami announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each and three lakh each to the kin of the deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund respectively.

The factory building was damaged badly under the impact of the explosion and many suffered burns.

Palaniswami, in a statement, said all the 11 workers were killed on the spot and that he has ordered a probe into the incident, while assuring due legal action.

Several fire fighting units were deployed to douse the fire and take up the rescue operations.

Earlier, TV visuals showed relatives of the victims wailing near the mishap site while the injured were rushed to hospitals in ambulances.

Modi said the "fire at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar, is saddening."



Posting in his official Twitter handle, @PMO India, he said "in this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover soon. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected: PM @narendramodi."



"An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each has been approved from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to a fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured," he said, in tweet, which was also made in Tamil.

Palaniswami, in a statement, said all the 11 victims were killed on the spot and expressed grief over the deaths.

"I was anguished to know that 36 persons have been injured in the explosion and have directed the officials to ensure due medical treatment to them," he said.

He announced a sum of Rs three lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs one lakh to those who had suffered grievous injuries.

The Chief Minister said he has directed expediting the relief work and asked the district collector Virudhunagar, home to the country's hub, to console the families of the victims in person.

The collectors concerned should conduct periodic checks at such units to ensure workers' safety, he said, adding the factories should follow due safety measures in view of the coming summer season, indicating high temperatures then could lead to similar mishaps.

Purohit said he was shocked and grieved to hear about the accident and prayed for the early and complete recovery of the injured.

"I offer my deep condolences to the families of those who are mourning the loss of their near and dear ones," he said in a Raj Bhavan statement.

Gandhi, in a tweet, said: "Heartfelt condolences to the victims of the firecracker factory fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. It's heart wrenching to think of those still trapped inside. I appeal to the state government to provide immediate rescue, support & relief," he added.
A Buffalo police officer appears to shove a man who walked up to police, in Buffalo, N.Y., on June 4, 2020. (Mike Desmond/WBFO via AP)

Charges Dropped Against Buffalo Officers Who Shoved 75-Year-Old Man in BLM Protests

A grand jury has declined to indict two New York police officers who were recorded in a video last year during a clash with a 75-year-old man involved in a Black Lives Matter protest, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced on Feb. 11.

Buffalo officers Robert McCabe, 32, and Aaron Torgalski, 39, were among dozens of police force members who had been attempting to clear protests in downtown Buffalo in June ahead of an 8 p.m. curfew.

The officers could be seen on camera shoving the man, Martin Guginoa Catholic retiree who friends describe as a veteran peace and social justice activistto the ground after telling him to get back when he approached the crowd of officers in front of city hall.

After he was pushed, Gugino lay on the ground, and could be seen bleeding. He spent around a month in the hospital with a fractured skull and brain injury after the incident.

McCabe and Torgalski were initially suspended, arrested, and charged with assault days after the altercation. They pleaded not guilty.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday afternoon, Flynn said he had done everything possible to bring a strong case against the officers but added that he did not believe their actions rose to the level of a felony.

He noted that state law requires prosecutors to bring charges when a victim is at least 65 and suspected perpetrators are at least 10 years younger.

This was not the J.F.K. assassination, Flynn said, adding, This was not that complex of a case. The video that was taken speaks for itself.

Ive got 28 years as a naval officer, and I live and breathe every day by the core values: honor, courage, and commitment, Flynn said.

And integrity happens to be a big thing with me. And Im sitting here right now talking into every one of these mics, looking at every one of these cameras right here, looking at each one of you in the eye right now, and Im telling you that I sandbagged nothing.

He continued, I went into that grand jury, I put all relevant evidence into that grand jury. I put multiple witnesses in that grand jury. I put everything that was not cumulative into that grand jury. And you got my word on that.

Flynn added that national attention on the case had no influence on his decision to charge the officers right away.

In the wake of the officers suspensions, nearly 60 other members of the departments crowd control unit said they would no longer serve on the unit, effectively shutting it down.

The president of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association, John Evans, said in a statement that they are extremely pleased with the grand jurys decision to dismiss the charges.

As we have stated all along, Officers McCabe and Torgalski were simply following departmental procedures and the directives of their superiors to clear Niagara Square despite working under extremely challenging circumstances, Evans said.

The Buffalo PBA remains in staunch support of Officers McCabe and Torgalski.

Meanwhile, Gugino told WKBW on Thursday that he was surprised that the charges against the officers were dropped.

Its a surprise and I think the whole world is going to be surprised, he said, adding that the ruling will show other officers that what occurred is now justified.
The scientist whose modelling led to the first draconian restrictions said he is hopeful this will be the final national lockdown.

Professor Neil Ferguson said the shutdown is likely to be lifted for good in the spring and restrictions on seeing friends and family outdoors could be eased by May.

The epidemiologist, dubbed Professor Lockdown, also said it should be safe to reopen schools next month and that life would be back to normal certainly by this time next year.

Professor Neil Ferguson, known as Professor Lockdown, is hopeful this is the last national lockdown

The lockdown has really driven down cases quite fast... and that means in a months time, [when] the Prime Ministers talked about potentially reopening schools, we might have some bandwidth to do that, at least primary schools, he said.

And if we continue to see a continued decline without large outbreaks, then perhaps starting to relax other aspects of society the following month.

Professor Ferguson said that he hopes the nation will be under something akin to Tier Two by May. This means shops, pubs and schools would be open and friends and families would be able to meet outdoors with the Rule of Six.

He told website Politicos Westminster Insider podcast that if cases are very low we could be back to Tier One restrictions by then  when you can mix indoors with other households.

However, Professor Ferguson acknowledged it will be a bumpy road and called for a cautious approach.

He said: Im hopeful it will be the final lockdown, so long as we are relatively cautious in coming out of this lockdown.

The scientist added: My fervent hope is, certainly, by this time next year, we will be basically back to normal without any significant degree of the current controls in place.

Professor Ferguson led the team at Imperial College London which produced the computer-modelled research warning of 250,000 deaths from Covid-19 last March, prompting Boris Johnson to impose the first national lockdown.

The epidemiologist quit as a top Government adviser last May after it emerged that his girlfriend Antonia Staats had been visiting him at home.

The professor said he was hopeful the jab programme will control new variants and that Britain was unlikely to end up back at square one. He added: I think its very unlikely well get a strain emerging which cant be vaccinated against.
NC House Speaker Tim Moore's office announced yesterday:

State House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said a decision this week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit not to review a three-judge panels ruling upholding North Carolinas voter ID law was another win for the states voters.

The three-judge panels ruling had reversed a district court order blocking North Carolinas voter ID law. That Fourth Circuit panel held that the district courts opinion devotes little analysis to its ruling, and that we reverse because of the fundamental legal errors that permeate the opinion.

The three-judge panel included judges appointed by both Presidents Trump and Obama. The plaintiffs appealed to seek a full en banc review from the Fourth Circuit judges, but instead the court handed another win to North Carolina voters who approved a proposed constitutional amendment on voter ID in 2018.

This is another win for North Carolina voters in federal court, Moore said Tuesday, and our commonsense voter ID requirement must be implemented for the next election cycle in our state. As an original sponsor of North Carolinas voter ID constitutional amendment in 2018, I am working with my colleagues in General Assembly leadership to protect this vital election integrity measure that the people approved in a ballot referendum. As the 2020 elections demonstrated, voting in person with a photo ID is the best way to ensure the integrity of our elections.

A strong majority of states have a voter ID law. North Carolinas voter ID law is non-strict  any qualified voter can attest to a reasonable impediment to obtaining a qualifying ID and still cast a ballot.

North Carolinas voter ID law also accommodates religious objectors, provides for free government-issued IDs and accepts drivers licenses, passports, military and veteran IDs, student IDs, voter ID cards, as well as state and local government IDs. Drivers licenses from other states would even qualify in some circumstances.

North Carolinas law applies to both absentee and in-person voting. A state court injunction on the voter ID law remains in place despite the federal order being lifted, and further litigation is expected in both forums this spring.
New Delhi:

The number of stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir have reduced to 664 in 2017 as compared to 2,808 in 2016, the Home Ministry said in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The ministry presented the data till July 9.



Apart from stone pelting incidents, violence acts by the terrorists have also come down to 172 in 2017 (till July 9) from 332 in 2016, the ministry further added.



Moreover, the ministry said that the number of civilians and security personnel who lost their lives in terrorist attacks till July 9, 2017 stand at 12 and 38, respectively. Talking about terrorists, 95 were gunned down by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

ALSO READ | Eid-ul-Fitr: Stone pelting, clashes reported even as Kashmiris throng to mosques, eidgahs to celebrate festival

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The explosion occurred when some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks at a unit in Acchankulam village near Sattur town of Virudhunagar district, the police said

Virudhunagar: At least 15 workers were killed and over 30 injured when an explosion ripped through a fireworks factory near Sattur in Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu on Friday, Police said.

The explosion occurred when some chemicals were being mixed to produce fireworks at the unit in Acchankulam village, they said, adding the injured had been hospitalised.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami, Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, and DMK President MK Stalin were among those who condoled the deaths. While Palaniswami earlier in a statement in Chennai said 11 people were killed on the spot and 36 injured, police said four succumbed at hospitals hours after admission.

Over 30 injured were presently undergoing treatment. Modi and Palaniswami announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each and three lakh each to the kin of the deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund, respectively.

The factory building was damaged badly under the impact of the explosion and many suffered burns. Palaniswami said he has ordered a probe into the incident, while assuring due legal action.

Several fire fighting units were deployed to douse the fire and take up the rescue operations. Earlier, TV visuals showed relatives of the victims wailing near the mishap site while the injured were rushed to hospitals in ambulances.

Such explosions while mixing chemicals in cracker manufacturing units have been reported in the past in Virudhunagar district, especially places in and around Sivakasi and Sattur, the national hub of fireworks.

In March last year, six people were killed and four injured in the factory at Sippiparai near Sattur when a fire broke out due to friction when chemicals were being mixed for making the fireworks.

A similar blast at a fireworks factory in neighbouring Madurai district in October last year had claimed lives of seven women workers. Modi on Friday said the "fire at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu is saddening".

Posting in his official Twitter handle, @PMO India, he said:

"In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover soon. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected: PM @narendramodi."

"An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each has been approved from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to a fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. Rs 50,000 would be given to those seriously injured," he said, in a tweet, which was also made in Tamil.

Palaniswami expressed grief over the deaths.

"I was anguished to know that 36 persons have been injured in the explosion and have directed the officials to ensure due medical treatment to them," the chief minister said in the statement. He announced a sum of Rs three lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs one lakh to those who had suffered grievous injuries.

The chief minister said he has directed expediting the relief work and asked the district collector Virudhunagar to console the families of the victims in person.

"The collectors concerned should conduct periodic checks at such units to ensure workers' safety," he said, adding, "the factories should follow due safety measures in view of the coming summer season, indicating high temperatures then could lead to similar mishaps."

Governor Purohit said he was shocked and grieved to hear about the accident and prayed for the early and complete recovery of the injured. "I offer my deep condolences to the families of those who are mourning the loss of their near and dear ones," he said in a Raj Bhavan statement.

Expressing grief over the incident, Stalin called for adequate relief to the families of the deceased and due medical attention to the injured.

Gandhi, in a tweet, said: "Heartfelt condolences to the victims of the firecracker factory fire in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. It's heart-wrenching to think of those still trapped inside. I appeal to the state government to provide immediate rescue, support & relief," he added.
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has written to Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo, who earlier went public with his government's concerns regarding Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin. Vardhan said Deo's concerns regarding Covaxin are completely "unfounded" and "without basis".

Wrote to hon'ble union minister of health @drharshvardhan ji addressing the concern of Chhattisgarh govt regarding the supply of COVAXIN to the state.



The primary concerns of the state are :

The inhibitions regrading the incomplete 3rd phase trials of COVAXIN (1/2) pic.twitter.com/xLNj43hwRR  TS Singh Deo (@TS_SinghDeo) February 11, 2021

In his letter to the union health minister, the Chhattisgarh CM had raised two primary concerns regarding the supply of Covaxin to the state -- the inhibitions regarding the incomplete 3rd phase trials of Covaxin and the absence of expiration date on the vials of the vaccine.

"It's been brought to my notice that Covaxin vaccine too is getting delivered in our state shortly. As far as Covaxin, the vaccine is concerned, there's an inhibition/concern among the community in general regarding the use of Covaxin. This concern arises from the fact that clinical trials of phase 3 are yet to be completed and which brings forth a sense of hesitation regarding its use," Deo said in his letter to the union minister.

Also read: What scientific papers on Bharat Biotech's Covaxin say

He said: "The vial of Covaxin does not display, expiry date. I would therefore request you, to kindly reconsider the decision to supply Covaxin to Chhattisgarh and only do this after the results of the clinical trial, phase 3 is over and results are made available," the letter further read.

Based on these two claims, he requested Dr Vardhan to halt the supply of Covaxin to Chhattisgarh until these issues are addressed to the satisfaction of the state health department to avoid the vaccine wastage.

Dr Vardhan in his reply said in light of urgent need due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Central Drugs Standards & Control Organisation (CDSCO) headed by Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), which is national drug regulator, has approved only two vaccines after due evaluation of pre-clinical and clinical trial data.

He said the approval for Covaxin and Serum Institute's Covishield has been granted given the emergency in the country. "Both vaccines are being supplied to states/UTs are safe and immunogenic and should be used expeditiously to rapidly confer protection to prioritise beneficiaries," the minister said.

He said the concerns raised regarding the unavailability of expiry date on Covaxin vial are "completely unfounded" and "without basis" as the expiry date on Covaxin vial is mentioned on the label.

Also read: Don't take vaccine if you have these conditions; Bharat Biotech releases advisory

He said Chhattisgarh has achieved 69.87 per cent coverage of its healthcare workers by giving them the first dose of the vaccine. However, only 9.95 per cent of its 2.09 lakh frontline workers have been given the first dose of the vaccine so far. "You would appreciate that this coverage needs to improve significantly since the adequate quantity of both the vaccines is available with the state," he added.

Notably, while Serum, which has partnered with British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford to develop Covishield, has conducted phase 3 trials, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is still conducting the stage 3 trials in the country.

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A 27-year-old man who made several phone calls to the White House in which he threatened to kill President Biden and Secret Service agents has been arrested in North Carolina on federal charges, officials announced on Thursday.

The man, David K. Reeves of Gastonia, who made the threats from late January into early February, declared in one call to the White House, Im going to chop your heads off, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Western District of North Carolina. He also made threats in calls to the United States Capitol Police and a Secret Service agent, prosecutors said.

Mr. Reeves, who was arrested on Friday, remained in custody after a court hearing on Thursday.

Kevin A. Tate, a federal public defender representing Mr. Reeves, said in an email that his client had pleaded not guilty and was receiving mental health evaluations.

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Home > 2021 > Navalny Vs. Putin  Russia In Turmoil | R G Gidadhubli

by R.G.Gidadhubli *

Alexei Navalny has hit the media headlines both in Russia and abroad in January 2021. Hence several questions arise. Why Navalny has gained so much immense popularity both domestically in Russia and globally? At the same time why despite getting immense popularity, he has been facing repeated punishment of imprisonment by the Russian government? An effort has been made to enquire and seek answers to these questions.

Navalny Contentions

44-year-old law graduate from Moscow, Alexei Navalnys rise as a force in Russian politics began in 2008 when he started an anti-corruption campaign and formed Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) to promote and carry out his objective and activities. After, over a decade of having started this organisation, he has emerged as a political activist in Russia gaining huge popularity in the country despite not being a member of any political party but possibly getting direct and indirect support. He alleged malpractices and corruption at some of Russias big state-controlled corporations.

It needs to be mentioned that he has been very critical of the Russian government and the Russian president Mr Vladimir Putin. This is evident from the fact that during 2011 parliamentary election, even though he did not fight as a candidate, Navalny urged his blog readers to vote for any party except the United Russia party of Putin, which he dubbed as the "party of crooks and thieves". Perhaps making such a direct critical statement on the ruling party was partly unjustified and for which he has been possibly given severe response by the government.

Secondly, Navalny has directly accused and targeted Putin in his anti-corruption campaign. For instance, he has also specifically mentioned Putins Palace on the Black Sea coast of Russia costing 100 billion Rubles ($1.35 billion). It is contended by Russias political opposition that this property has become a brazen symbol of rampant state corruption running straight to the top. According to Mr Navalnys blog, rich businessmen of Russia have built this luxurious palace for President Putin, which was viewed by more than 55 million people and became a huge talking point on Russian social media. But the Kremlin has dismissed the video as a "pseudo-investigation".

Thirdly, Navalny has millions of Russian followers on his social media blog - many in their early 20s and 30s on his campaign against corruption, which has emerged as a major issue in Russia. It needs to be stated that due to widespread and high level of corruption, the Russian economy has suffered badly affecting a large section of the population  causing money laundering, increasing unemployment and leading to wide income disparities. More than 35 - 40 pc of the population have to survive on below-average income. In contrast at the same time corruption has enabled the emergence of a class of millionaires during the last over two decades many of whom have parked their ill-gotten wealth abroad. This is because there is a nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen who have a common interest in this widespread corruption and making ill-gotten money at the cost of a large section of the population. In fact from a classless society during the Soviet era, a New Class of Oil Barons comprising of multi-millionaires has emerged with the support of politicians and bureaucrats in Russia while the large section of Working Class of the country has been badly hit due to the poor state of the economy.

Fourthly, it was reported that in July 2020 Navalny collapsed on a flight in Siberia and was rushed to a hospital in Omsk where he was in coma and there was speculation that his life was in danger. With the approval of Russian government, a German-based charity airlifted him to Berlin for treatment. On 2nd September 2020 the German government revealed that tests carried out by the military found a chemical nerve agent of Novichok group. Mention may be made of the fact that Novichok was the chemical weapon which nearly killed former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, in March 2018. As per media reports a local woman died later from contact with Novichok.

As per reports Navalny has accused the Russian Government for his poisoning and has alleged involvement of Putin claiming that he has evidence to that effect. However, the Kremlin authorities have

consistently denied any role in Navalnys poisoning. Not only that Navalny was allowed to go to Germany for treatment where he stayed for about 6 months.

Fourthly, on 17th January 2021, Navalny was arrested at a Moscow airport when he returned from Germany after recovering from poisoning and has been remanded in custody for 30 days and has been placed in a cell in Moscows notorious Matrosskaya Tishina detention center. Reacting to this Navalny called on Russians to "take to the streets" to protest against his detention. Hence his team called for a nationwide protest on 23rd Jan. and again on 31st Jan. 2021 which was illegal as per Russian law.

Fifth, Navalny has succeeded in getting support from a large section of Russians against his imprisonment. As reported in Russia and by the global media, there were protests in more than 100 cities in Russia apart from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk against Navalnys arrest and 4000 people who were chanting slogans for the release of Navalny from jail and Putin Resign were arrested during the last two weeks. Moreover, many media reporters including ladies were arrested and hurt for disregarding a law passed by the Russian government in 2018.

Sixth, mention needs to be made of the fact that Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer and ally of Navalny and Vladlen Los, a lawyer with Navalnys Anit-Corruption Fund, Anastasia Panchenko, the coordinator of Navalnys headquarters in the southern Krasnodar region were

detained in the last week of January and not allowed to meet him. Moreover, the flats of Navalnys wife Yulia and Navalnys brother were raided on 30th January 2021. In response as expected Sobol has described the Russian authorities behavior as "absolute lawlessness."

Seventh, to promote his main political objective against corruption, Navalny has urged the Western countries to do justice for Russia to be critical and support him and his activists for cracking down on "dirty money" system that has emerged in the country. At any rate this has suited the interest of the West to criticize Russia and particularly Putin. Navalnys detention has sparked global outrage and a chorus of international calls pressuring Putin for the Kremlin critics immediate release.

Russias Perspective

The Russian government has totally denied allegations made by Navalny and in fact has accused him of repeatedly violating law. As opined by some analysts from Russias judicial perspective, Navalny has been jailed several times for his anti-national political activities. For instance, he was briefly jailed in July 2013 on embezzlement charges in the city of Kirov and was given five-year suspended sentence, which Navalny alleged was political. Navalny was convicted a second time in a retrial in 2017 and was handed over 5 year suspended sentence. In all he was in jail for 228 days till the latest imprisonment. In 2018 Russia passed a law that prohibits calling on anyone under the age of 18 to attend unauthorized street protests. Russia claims that Navalny has been persistently violating this law involving young generation to participate in his nationwide protests during the last couple of years. Navalny said it was designed to impede his own activities.

Secondly, despite being sentenced the Russian government did not bar Navalny from contesting in an election. In fact, he was allowed out of prison to campaign for the Moscow mayoral elections in 2018, in which he was runner-up. He secured about 27 pc votes behind Putins ally Sergei Sobyanin.

Thirdly, on the issue of poisoning, the Kremlin has consistently denied any role in Navalnys poisoning. Not only that Navalny was given parole so that he could go to Germany for treatment. Moreover, Russia claims that it suspended sentence from a previous criminal case to enable him to leave the country for treatment.

Fourthly, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has shrugged off criticism by the West contending that Navalnys case is a "domestic issue" and that Russia has "no intention of listening to any statements.

Western Response

The West has been highly supportive of Navalny and critical of the treatment meted out to him by the Russian government. Thus Navalny has succeeded in getting support for his cause from the West by media analysts, human rights groups and policy makers.

Firstly, this is evident from the fact that the Newly Elected President of the USA Mr. Joe Biden during his first mutual talk with Vladimir Putin has urged him to release Nalvalny from prison. In fact Jake Sullivan, who has become President Joe Bidens national security adviser has frankly stated "Mr. Navalny should be immediately released, and the perpetrators of the outrageous attack on his life must be held accountable". In fact the former U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo also frequently bashed Moscow on its human rights record, arms-control violations, and other issues.

Secondly, there is geopolitics with regard to Navalnys case which suits the interest of the West. This is evident from the fact that the Western countries are highly critical of ill-treatment of Navaly by the Russian government. Hence the European Union countries might bloc asset freezes and travel bans on Russian individuals and entities held responsible for the poisoning as also those involved in the decision to arrest Navalny. Those targeted by sanctions might also include "Russian oligarchs," President Vladimir Putins "inner circle," and "media propagandists, according to the resolution. The EU also calls on the bloc to "devise a new strategy to punish Russia.

The West is aware of the fact Matrosskaya Tishina (Sailors Silence) is the jail where in the past several of Putins outspoken critics have been sent, including former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his associate Platon Lebedev. Moreover, in one of the most infamous cases, prominent whistle-blower, lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, died from

an untreated illness while in the jail after accusing Russian officials of tax fraud totalling $230 million. Hence the West enacted Magnitsky Act to punish those involved in this case.

Thirdly, on 21st Jan 2021 the EU lawmakers passed a resolution calling on the bloc to "immediately" stop completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which takes Russian natural gas to Germany in response to Navalnys arrest. It needs to be mentioned that Nord 2 Pipeline is a major project supplying Russian oil and natural gas to Germany and other West European countries and about 90 pc of the work has been completed during the last about a decade. If Nord Stream 2 is blocked then Russia will be losing an opportunity to earn much-needed petrodollars to sustain its economy. However, mention may be made of the fact that despite the growing criticism, being the major beneficiary, the German Economy Ministry stated on 20th January that its plans for the project were "unchanged much to the benefit of Russia as well.

Fourthly, mention may be made of the fact that the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, which was one of the Republics in the former Soviet Union, Mr. Gabrielius Landsbergis has condemned Russias mock trial of Navalny

Fifth, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has been critical of Russia and has urged the Russian authorities to curb their "unlawful" campaign against jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, whose associates

are being pressured and rounded up in nationwide protests on 23rd and 31st January 2021 as demonstrations were held in more than 100 cities in Russia against the detention of Navalny. In fact Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW has contended "In the past year, Russian authorities have effectively banned all peaceful protest by the political opposition and prosecuted anyone who has refused to comply". HRW has been candid in stating against "extreme" police brutality and "mass" arbitrary detentions during the recent protests. HRW alleging lack of Freedom and Liberty in Russia has contended that this is further evidence of how low human rights standards have plummeted in Russia.

In lieu of conclusion, it may be mentioned that Navalny has emerged as the leader fighting against corruption in Russia, despite being repeatedly punished and jailed for this cause in the country. Navalny has become a Symbol of Change and Democracy for millions of people in Russia who are supporting him in his Anti-Corruption campaign and participating in the protests all over the country. Having been a vocal critic of the president of Russia Mr Vladimir Putin, Navalny has succeeded in his objective of reducing Putins popularity rate in the country. Thus Russia is in Turmoil as the fight between Navalny and Putin persists.

(Author: Dr R G Gidadhubli is Professor and Former Director, Center For Central Eurasian Studies, University of Mumbai, Mumbai)

1st Feb 2021
Vallarta Living



Puerto Vallarta Friendship Club Valentine's Day Raffle



You don't have to be a member of the IFC to participate in the International Friendship Day raffle. You just need to know that you will be supporting the Puerto Vallarta children and families that need it most. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Since pre-Columbian times, Mexicans have regarded friendship very highly, considering it a precious gift of life. In anticipation of Valentine's Day, which is The Day of Love & Friendship in Mexico, the Puerto Vallarta International Friendship Club (IFC) is holding a 50/50 raffle to raise funds for local charities.



Everyone is invited to extend a helping hand in international friendship by buying a 50/50 donation raffle ticket (or two!), to benefit local food banks and community service providers that the IFC has already vetted, which include, but is not limited to, the following:



a IFC Nutrition Program

a Vallarta Abuelos Food Bank

a Nutrition for Families of Children with Cancer

a The Vallarta Food Bank



Raffle tickets are on sale now via PayPal on the



Raffle Tickets / Donations:

1 Ticket - $500 Pesos / (About $26 USD)

5 Tickets - $2000 Pesos / (About $106 USD)

Bakers Dozen (13 tickets) - $4000 Pesos / (About $212 USD)



For each ticket you purchase, the IFC will enter your email address on a voucher and enter it into the drawing basket. If you purchase multiple tickets, a separate voucher will be entered for each ticket purchased. The email address associated with your PayPal purchase will be used to notify winners.



The drawing will be broadcast via live stream on Sunday, February 14 at 1:00 pm Central Time; ticket holders will be sent a link to view the live stream drawing online.



Once the winning tickets have been drawn:

50% of the total funds collected will be distributed to IFC charities by March 15.

25% of total will go to the First Prize Winner

15% of total will go to the Second Prize Winner

10% of total will go to the Third Prize Winner



You don't have to be a member of the IFC to participate in the International Friendship Day raffle. You just need to know that you will be supporting the Puerto Vallarta children and families that need it most in these trying times.



The International Friendship Club is a registered charitable organization in Mexico, listed as Club Internacional de la Amistad de Puerto Vallarta AC. The majority of IFC members are English-speaking residents and visitors who volunteer their time, homes or money to help kids around the Bay of Banderas. The clubhouse is located at the northeast corner of the Rio Cuale Bridge above the HSBC Bank, Colonia El Centro, Puerto Vallarta. Phone: 322-222-5466. Website: ifcvallarta.com Email: ifcvallarta(at)gmail.com - Since pre-Columbian times, Mexicans have regarded friendship very highly, considering it a precious gift of life. In anticipation of Valentine's Day, which is The Day of Love & Friendship in Mexico, the Puerto Vallarta International Friendship Club (IFC) is holding a 50/50 raffle to raise funds for local charities.Everyone is invited to extend a helping hand in international friendship by buying a 50/50 donation raffle ticket (or two!), to benefit local food banks and community service providers that the IFC has already vetted, which include, but is not limited to, the following:a IFC Nutrition Programa Vallarta Abuelos Food Banka Nutrition for Families of Children with Cancera The Vallarta Food BankRaffle tickets are on sale now via PayPal on the IFC's website, or in person (pesos only) at the IFC office, located at the northeast corner of the Rio Cuale Bridge above the HSBC Bank, during office hours, which are currently Tuesday-Thursday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.1 Ticket - $500 Pesos / (About $26 USD)5 Tickets - $2000 Pesos / (About $106 USD)Bakers Dozen (13 tickets) - $4000 Pesos / (About $212 USD)For each ticket you purchase, the IFC will enter your email address on a voucher and enter it into the drawing basket. If you purchase multiple tickets, a separate voucher will be entered for each ticket purchased. The email address associated with your PayPal purchase will be used to notify winners.The drawing will be broadcast via live stream on Sunday, February 14 at 1:00 pm Central Time; ticket holders will be sent a link to view the live stream drawing online.50% of the total funds collected will be distributed to IFC charities by March 15.25% of total will go to the First Prize Winner15% of total will go to the Second Prize Winner10% of total will go to the Third Prize WinnerYou don't have to be a member of the IFC to participate in the International Friendship Day raffle. You just need to know that you will be supporting the Puerto Vallarta children and families that need it most in these trying times. Click HERE to see the full list of charities that the IFC serves.



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A public hearing to consider the possible parole of Harold Mathews, #203502

A public hearing to consider the possible parole of Harold Mathews, #203502

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Chris Gautz, Public Information Officer

517-335-2316

The Michigan Parole Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. to consider the possible parole of Harold Mathews, #203502. The hearing will be conducted via video through Microsoft Teams and can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Those planning to access the hearing must call 517-335-1736 no later than February 26, 2021 to confirm attendance.

Harold Mathews is serving a Life sentence for the crime of Controlled Substance-Deliver/Manufacture-Narcotics/Cocaine 650 Grams or More, Second or Subsequent Offense. He was sentenced on April 20, 2006 out of Oakland County.

Sonia Warchock, Member of the Michigan Parole Board, will conduct the hearing under the provisions of the Lifer Law, MCLA 791.234.

When logging into the hearing, your video must be turned off and audio muted to eliminate distraction during the hearing.

Please be advised that recordings, photography or screenshots of the proceeding are prohibited.
EAST LYME  In a few weeks, elementary schools in town will begin what some feel will be a long process of returning students to the classrooms full-time.

Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey R. Newton announced during this weeks Board of Education meeting that elementary students will be phased back into school. The plan will eliminate the hybrid model and replace the A and B cohorts with classroom cohorts.

Some board members were frustrated the transition could not be completed sooner and that the plan did not include middle and high school students. Others shared concerns that COVID-19 would spread through the schools, forcing them to close again.

Newton said how and when to reopen schools was a difficult decision.

Theres no right answer in this, Newton said. We all want our kids back  bottom line. There are such mixed views and I hear it.

Before the discussion on the plans, Board of Education Chairman Timothy Hagen said the board had received 10 comments asking the district to reopen schools as soon as possible, while three requested to delay going back to full-time learning.

Newton said safety would be the primary factor to any decision. He said the Ledge Light Health District and the school districts medical adviser support the phased approach to returning students to school.

In his presentation, Newton said the plan would bring elementary school students back to full-time learning in phases. The plans show kindergarten and first grade would switch to full-time on March 1, second grade would come back on March 15 and third and fourth grades would come back on March 29.

During that time, students would go to school on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday  with a remote learning day on Wednesday. On May 3, the elementary students would all return to five-day, in-person classes, according to the plan.

Notably, cohort changes will be frozen as of March 1. Officials noted there had been 1,218 cohort change requests throughout the school year as of Monday night.

Newton said there are students and staff who are concerned about a full return to school. He said a gradual approach supports both the people who want to go back as fast as possible and those who are apprehensive about returning.

When asked by member Candice Carlson if the plan was negotiable, Newton said it wasnt, pointing out the district had worked closely with elementary school administration and staff to create the plan.

Carlson said the district is seeing the ramifications of the hybrid model  impact on mental health and grades had been previously discussed  but also pointed out concerns about the pace of the timeline.

When I got the timeline, the first thing that came to my mind was, Oh, that is at a snail pace. That is very slow, Carlson said.

Carlson said she wanted to see middle and high school students back in school soon as well.

Board member Jaime Barr Shelburn said she hoped the timeline could be expedited.

Kids are struggling. The parents are struggling and the teachers are struggling, she said. I know that we said that timeline is not negotiable, but I would like to see an across-the-board phased-in approach.

Shelburn said the plans appear to indicate high school students would not return to in-person learning full-time until close to the end of the year.

They need to be back sooner than that, she said. They need to be back way sooner than June.

Board member Eric Bauman agreed elementary school is the easiest to bring back full-time, but said he would like to see the middle school reopened more quickly.

I think the high school is brutally challenging, he said, adding that the logistics of organizing schedules for 1,000 students would be difficult. My biggest concern is that we have to close schools again and go fully remote.

Hybrid learning is not ideal, Bauman said, fully remote is really bad. He said the community needs to work together inside and outside of school to keep COVID-19 from spreading.

Hagen said Newton and district officials have spent a lot of time considering all options. He said he understands that most board members want to see a plan for reopening the middle and high school.

We very much want to see how we would go about achieving that, because, lets face it, COVID is probably still going to be with us in the fall, he said.
Weeks after a Philadelphia judge cleared former police inspector Joseph Bologna of criminal wrongdoing for striking a Temple University student with a baton at last springs George Floyd protests, the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office refiled the charges against him, ensuring another chapter in a case that has served as a flash point in the discussion over police reform.

Prosecutors refiled the criminal complaint against Bologna on Thursday, according to court records. District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement: Philadelphians demand evenhanded justice and we are trying our very best to give them exactly that.

One of Bolognas attorneys, Fortunato Perri Jr., declined to comment.

John McNesby, president of the police union, said the decision to prosecute Bologna again was not based on facts or evidence, but was a political decision by Krasner, who is in the midst of a reelection campaign, and who McNesby said was clearly running away from his failed record over the past three years.

Bologna was arrested in June, after a video showing him striking Temple engineering student Evan Gorski on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway spread widely on social media. A group of officers had been confronting a crowd protesting the killing of Floyd by Minneapolis police.

Philadelphia police had initially arrested Gorski after that June 1 melee and accused him of assaulting an officer. But Krasners office dropped those charges and moved to prosecute Bologna instead after the video attracted attention online.

Bologna, a 31-year veteran of the force, was subsequently fired.

The police officers union backed Bologna and said he had been doing his job during a chaotic and dangerous situation.

Last month, after Municipal Court Judge Henry Lewandowski III ruled at a preliminary hearing that the DAs Office had not presented enough evidence to establish that Bolognas use of his baton was a crime, his lawyers reiterated that Bologna was simply following his training amid challenging circumstances.

Bologna is due back in court March 15 for another preliminary hearing, according to court records.
The New Orleans Health Department launched a waiting list Thursday for people currently eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, creating a government-run sign-up method in addition to the patchwork of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals that residents can contact for an appointment.

While the waitlist does not supplant the network of providers offering vaccines, it will connect residents to the city's current supply of 200 to 300 doses per week, according to health department officials. It will also act as a "leftover" waiting list for other providers who have extra doses available at the end of the day.

New Orleans health department director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said the list will also give the city an idea of where it needs to concentrate vaccination efforts based on who isn't signing up.

"When we have the supply, we'll put folks into slots, but it's really to help us capture who's not getting the word," she said.

Over 102,000 people have received at least one shot in Louisiana's Region 1, which includes the New Orleans metro area.

Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards expanded eligibility to people over 65, health care workers and a few other small groups, but supplies still aren't available from the federal government to open up availability to broader swaths of the population.

The state has sent vaccines to 378 providers in all 64 parishes, putting a priority on making sure it is available in all areas of the state before holding mass vaccination events in large cities. That was designed to ensure a more equitable rollout, though issues with data collection have made it difficult to determine whether vaccines have been distributed equally by race.

The city will look at where there are gaps in vaccine interest or coverage and work with community partners to determine if it's related to hesitancy or barriers to access, said Avegno. Understanding why people aren't signing up will be key to reaching vulnerable populations.

"We certainly don't want to replicate what's happening in other states, where they're having a clinic in a neighborhood that's been really hard hit by COVID and then the only people that are coming there are folks from more affluent neighborhoods who had the means and the time to get there," said Avegno.

Flawed data on race of coronavirus vaccine recipients leaves equity of rollout unclear Flawed data collection concerning the race of coronavirus vaccine recipients in Louisiana has made it hard for state officials to understand i

While the new waiting list represents a slightly more centralized sign-up method, Avegno said people should still seek the vaccine through the long list of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals where the state has sent doses.

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

That process has frustrated people who were met with busy signals and thousand-person waiting lists.

A lack of centralized vaccine sign-ups is a reflection of a fractured health care system, Avegno said. The state has signed up 2,000 providers.

"Getting those systems to all talk to each other is really challenging and it's just not something that was done ahead of time," said Avegno. "Unfortunately, in a society like the U.S. where we do not have a centralized system of health care, this patchwork is what you get."

As supply increases, the list will inform decisions to create a mass vaccination site at an accessible location.

Eventually, the waitlist, which was launched in partnership with the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Orleans Parish Communication District, will expand for use by anyone as the state increases eligibility. Because the qualifying questions about occupation or medical conditions will change once the state determines who is next in line, residents who don't yet qualify should wait to sign up, the city said.

Around 1,000 people were already signed up by Thursday afternoon.

New Orleans residents 65 and older and others who qualify under the state's current guidelines can sign up by calling 311 (or 504-658-2299) or via the city's new website at ready.nola.gov/getvaccine.

Tulane University is already using the city's 311 system to give out 50 extra vaccines per day.

Once a person is in the system, they will be contacted as appointments become available.

Vaccine locations will vary, the city said in the announcement, so residents will need to arrange transportation or schedule RTA paratransit by calling 504-827-7433.

Second dose appointments will be scheduled after the first dose.
BOSTON, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockpoint Group, a global real estate investment management firm, today announced it has formed an exclusive strategic partnership with Benjamin Harris to pursue industrial investment opportunities in infill, demand-driven markets across the risk spectrum on behalf of Rockpoint-sponsored funds. Mr. Harris has been a leading real estate industry investor over the last 23 years and has acquired, developed and/or operated nearly 500 million square feet of industrial properties across 50 markets.

The partnership will focus on high-quality industrial facilities in high barrier to entry locations across primary gateway and growth markets in the U.S. The partnership expects to acquire existing industrial assets with strong cash flow profiles, to reposition and redevelop outdated properties located in superior locations, and to selectively develop new product.

"Our new venture with Ben will significantly enhance Rockpoint's access to and expertise in the important industrial asset class, which has demonstrated increasing stability and strength over the last decade," said Keith Gelb, Co-founder and Managing Member at Rockpoint. Co-founder and Managing Member Bill Walton added, "Rockpoint has actively been evaluating the optimal approach to invest in the space in a differentiated, value-enhancing manner. We have known Ben for many years and have seen him successfully invest in the industrial sector with a focus and discipline that is consistent with our investment philosophy. We are excited to launch this partnership, which should create meaningful opportunity for our investors."

Prior to partnering with Rockpoint, Mr. Harris was the CEO of Link Logistics Real Estate ("Link"), Blackstone's U.S. industrial sector operating platform. Link became the second largest industrial real estate manager in the U.S. during his tenure, with more than $45 billion in assets across the country. Prior to Link, Mr. Harris was President of Gramercy Property Trust, a publicly traded REIT which he and the management team grew from approximately $250 million to nearly $8 billion in assets over six years, making it the highest-returning industrial REIT in the U.S. when it was sold to Blackstone in 2018. Mr. Harris began his career in the investment department of W.P. Carey, focusing primarily on the industrial sector and eventually becoming head of its U.S. Investment business. Mr. Harris graduated from University of Kings College and Dalhousie University in Canada with degrees in Economics.

Mr. Harris said, "I am excited to partner with Rockpoint in this venture and look forward to working together to create diverse portfolios that will build value and serve the needs of the many companies and consumers that rely on a well-integrated network of strategically located warehouses and other industrial properties."

About Rockpoint Group, L.L.C.

Rockpoint Group, L.L.C. ("Rockpoint") is a real estate private equity firm and Registered Investment Adviser headquartered in Boston and with additional primary offices in San Francisco, Dallas and London. Rockpoint employs a fundamental value approach to investing and targets select product types located in major markets in the United States. Rockpoint utilizes a consistent strategy across distinct return profiles through its opportunistic and growth and income investment programs. Rockpoint targets assets with intrinsic long-term value, at attractive prices relative to replacement cost and stabilized cash flows, and with particular emphasis on value creation opportunities and complex situations. Since 1994, Rockpoint's co-founders, with others, have sponsored 15 commingled funds and related co-investment vehicles through Rockpoint and a predecessor firm. In total, they have raised approximately $25 billion in equity capital commitments and invested or committed to invest in 426 transactions with a total peak capitalization of approximately $64 billion (inclusive of fund equity, co-investor equity and debt). To learn more about Rockpoint Group, visit www.rockpoint.com.

Contacts

For Rockpoint:

Lambert & Co.

Caroline Luz

203-656-2829

[email protected]

or

Lisa Baker

914-725-5949

[email protected]

SOURCE Rockpoint Group

Related Links

http://www.rockpoint.com


Impeachment prosecutors contended Thursday that there was clear and overwhelming evidence that former President Donald Trump incited insurrection by sending a mob of his supporters to the U.S. Capitol last month to confront lawmakers as they were certifying that he had lost the November election to Democrat Joe Biden.

In closing arguments, the lead impeachment manager, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, told the 100 senators acting as jurors at Trumps impeachment trial that they should use common sense on what happened here.

It is a bedrock principle that no one can incite a riot in the American democracy, Raskin said.

But he argued that Trump urged hundreds of his supporters to march to the Capitol on January 6 and then  when they stormed the building, smashed windows, ransacked offices and scuffled with police  did nothing for at least two hours to end the mayhem that left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.

He betrayed us, Raskin said of the former U.S. leader, whose four-year term ended January 20 as Biden was inaugurated as the countrys 46th president. He incited a violent insurrection against our government. He must be convicted.

Raskin and eight other impeachment managers, all Democrats in the House of Representatives, concluded their case after about 12 hours spread over two days of presenting arguments and evidence against Trump.

They flashed dozens of Trumps Twitter comments on television screens in the Senate chamber from the weeks leading up to the election, with his claims that the only way he could lose to Biden was if the election was rigged, then more tweets with an array of his unfounded claims after the election that he had been cheated out of another term in the White House.

The House impeachment managers also showed an array of video clips of the rioters raging through the Capitol complex, most graphically scenes of some of them shouting Hang Mike Pence! as they searched in vain for Trumps vice president, who had refused to accede to his demands to block certification of Bidens victory.

Other insurgents stormed into House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office, looking to kill the longtime Trump political opponent. But security officials escorted Pence to a secluded room in the Capitol and whisked Pelosi to safety away from the building, which is often seen in pictures across the globe as a symbol of American democracy.

Not true

Trumps lawyers, starting at midday Friday, will have their turn to present his defence. They have broadly claimed that Trumps speech at a rally shortly before the rampage at the Capitol, in which he urged his supporters to fight like hell, was permissible political rhetoric, sanctioned by the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment protection of freedom of speech.

But Raskin told the Senate, What is impeachable conduct if not this? If you dont find [that Trump committed] high crimes and misdemeanours [the standard for conviction on an impeachment charge], you have set a new, terrible standard for presidential conduct.

Earlier Thursday, another impeachment manager, Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado, quoted numerous insurgents who stormed the Capitol last month who said they had acted on Trumps demands.

She said the insurgents believed the commander in chief was ordering them. The insurrectionists made clear to police they were just following the orders of the president.

The insurrectionists didnt make this up, she said. They were told [by Trump] to fight like hell. They were there because the president told them to be there.

DeGette showed lawmakers several television interviews in which the protesters said they had gone to the Capitol because Trump commanded them to do so.

Several impeachment managers warned that if Trump was acquitted, which is the likely outcome of the trial, he could be emboldened to create more chaos in another run for the presidency in 2024.

Representative Ted Lieu of California said, You know, Im not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years. Im afraid hes going to run again and lose because he can do this again.

Thursdays session came after several lawmakers told reporters they were shaken by graphic, previously undisclosed videos of the mayhem the Democratic lawmakers showed them Wednesday, with scenes of dozens of officials scrambling to escape the mob that had stormed into the Capitol.

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But there was no immediate indication that Republican supporters of Trump in the Senate were turning en masse against him.

A two-thirds vote is needed to convict Trump of a single impeachment charge  that he incited insurrection by urging hundreds of supporters to confront lawmakers at the Capitol to try to upend Bidens victory. In the politically divided 100-member Senate, 17 Republicans would have to join every Democrat for a conviction.

As of late Thursday, it appeared that only a handful of Republicans might vote to convict Trump, the only president in U.S. history to be twice impeached.

Trumps lawyers say he bears no responsibility for the attack on the Capitol. The Senate voted 56-44 on Tuesday to move ahead with the trial, rejecting Trumps claim that it was unconstitutional to try him on impeachment charges because he had already left office. The vote also seemed to signal that relatively few Republicans appeared willing to convict him.

Trump declined Democrats offer to testify in his defence and is not expected to attend the trial. He left Washington hours ahead of Bidens inauguration January 20 and is living at his Florida mansion.

VOA is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish.
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It's a Covid-era conundrum for Valentine's Day: how to eat out with your beloved when you live in a country where all restaurants are closed?

The answer hit upon by a handful of hotels in Belgium's capital is to convert empty rooms into private dining salons for two, where a four-course meal with champagne and wine can be enjoyed without breaking the household "bubble".

"We're over the moon about being here tonight, just like in a restaurant," said Marine Deroo, a 34-year-old Frenchwoman living in Brussels who was trying out the concept just ahead of Valentine's Day.

"We've been cooped up at home for months. We've tried setting up pretend 'evenings out' at home -- but to actually go out, like to a restaurant, it's a super opportunity that we just jumped on," she said.

She and her boyfriend had just been greeted and shown to a candle-lit table set up where a bed used to be, as music travelled into their room in the Qbic Hotel, which says it pioneered the idea.

A waitress hovered to take their choices from the menu, including a bottle of wine, which had to be ordered before a government coronavirus ban on serving alcohol past 8:00pm kicked in.

It's not just room service, the hotel manager, Bert Vandewaetere pointed out. The 149-euro ($180) package covers a hotel room to sleep in, a separate room to dine in, the dinner -- not including any drinks -- and breakfast.

"Basically, people dress themselves up for a really good night on a Saturday evening -- children at home, only couples are coming here, just two people," he said.

Finally, we can go out

He said he came up with the idea after Belgium closed restaurants and bars in November to slow the spread of the coronavirus, aggravating an already steep drop in hotel business because of cancelled trade fairs and other events.

It was especially important that the Qbic prove itself, as it had opened in late 2019, just before the pandemic hit.

Providing free rooms to frontline medical workers in the pandemic's first wave and a lobby co-working area for university students kept activity ticking over, providing at least some work for the hotel's staff, most of whom are furloughed.

But it was only two months ago, when some of the empty rooms were turned into two-person dining chambers, that business really took off on weekends.

"The idea came because a lot of people were frustrated to stay at home," Vandewaetere said.

"We have plenty of rooms -- so why not combine them with a really nice offer, to offer them the time of their life on a Saturday when half of Belgium wants to go out?"

The reaction was swift. "The comments that we receive from people were really: 'Finally, I had some time alone with my partner. Finally, I had some other walls to look at, not just my living room at home. Finally, we can go out again'," he said.

Other hotels in Brussels have followed suit, opening up the possibility to dine out while respecting social distancing rules.

The Qbic Hotel usually has 23 such private dining rooms set up for a Saturday night service. That means it has 46 rooms that can be occupied by couples: 23 for dining and 23 for sleeping.

On Valentine's Day weekend, though, 60 dining rooms have been configured, for both Friday and Saturday nights. And all but a couple of the Friday night slots are sold out.

In the hotel's bustling kitchen, chef Joao Silva said the idea has been invaluable in forging his new team and seeing what they could do.

Initially, he thought cooking and catering to two dozen separate dining rooms could be "a little bit overwhelming, considering the numbers that we might reach".

"But at the end of the day, we did our first month, and I have no regrets. It was just fluid, straight through and through. The staff are amazing," he said.

As he spoke, employees with facemasks darted between the kitchen and the rooms, carrying trays along hallways where music was punctuated by corks popping and intimate chatter.

For that brief period, the hotel appeared almost normal, almost like in pre-pandemic times -- with only the facemasks to remind patrons of the here and now.
WASHINGTON  For weeks, President Biden and his aides have tried to frame the second impeachment of his predecessor, Donald J. Trump, as a distraction from his efforts to fulfill the promises he made to the American people.

Im focused on my job, the president told reporters on Thursday, to deal with the promises I made. And we all know we have to move on.

That focus, he said, meant that he had not watched the gruesome retelling of events on Jan. 6 that the Democratic House impeachment managers had shown in a series of stunning video clips on Wednesday because he had been going straight through last night, until a little after 9.

Mr. Biden did concede that my guess is some minds may be changed as a result of the trial. But his press secretary, Jen Psaki, said later that he was not intending to give a projection or prediction.
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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / Avidian Gold Corp (TSXV:AVG)(OTCQB:AVGDF) is pleased to announce that its majority controlled private subsidiary High Tide Resources Corp. ("High Tide or the "Company") has appointed Todd Burlingame as Vice President of Corporate Development effective immediately.

Mr. Burlingame is a resource development professional and geologist with over 30 years of greenfield and brownfield mineral exploration and development experience across northern Canada. Over his career Todd has held key executive roles on major projects totalling billions of dollars and has successfully acquired approvals for the development of mining operations, mineral processing facilities and hydroelectric plants including the Kami Iron Ore project, Voisey's Bay Nickel commercial processing plant and the Lower Churchill Hydro project.

He has led numerous Impact and Benefit Agreement negotiations between companies and indigenous groups and, while in the position of Chair and CEO of two federal/indigenous resource co-management boards, he successfully negotiated cooperation agreements between federal, territorial, and land claims group organizations.

Steve Roebuck, President of High Tide Resource states: "I am very pleased to welcome Todd to the High Tide team. He has a proven record of advancing projects from grassroots to production stages and his experience in the Labrador Trough will have an immediate impact on High Tide's move to become a significant player in the region and beyond. Todd understands the value of incorporating a sustainable development approach to advancing projects and with his guidance I am confident that High Tide will distinguish itself and provide heightened shareholder value by embracing these opportunities".

Todd Burlingame states: "This is an exciting time to work with Steve and become a part of the High Tide team. I know that by focussing on the fundamentals of project development, being cognisant of emerging green and low carbon technologies, and identifying opportunities for strategic partnerships we will become the preferred provider of investment opportunities in the mining sector. With the recent addition of the Lac Pegma Copper Nickel Cobalt property, we are well on our way to bringing a portfolio of high value, least-risk assets to the market. I look forward to a safe and exciting 2021 and beyond."

About High Tide Resources Corp.

High Tide is a private corporation that is focused on, and committed to, the development of advanced-stage mineral projects in Canada using industry best practices combined with a strong social license from local communities. It has a disciplined and veteran management team of technical and business-oriented professionals that is advancing its Labrador West iron property located in Newfoundland & Labrador and its Lac Pegma copper nickel cobalt sulphide deposit located in Quebec, Canada. High Tide is majority owned by Avidian Gold Corp.

About Avidian Gold Corp.

Avidian brings a disciplined and veteran team of project managers together with a focus on advanced stage gold exploration projects in Alaska. Avidian's Golden Zone project hosts a NI 43-101 Indicated gold resource of 267,400 ounces (4,187,000 tonnes at 1.99 g/t Au) plus an Inferred gold resource of 35,900 ounces (1,353,000 tonnes at 0.83 g/t Au)*. Additional projects include the Amanita and the Amanita NE gold properties which are both adjacent to Kinross Gold's Fort Knox gold mine in Alaska, and the Jungo gold/copper property in Nevada. *Technical Report on the Golden Zone Property, August 17, 2017, L. McGarry P.Geo & I. Trinder P.Geo, A.C.A Howe International Ltd.

For further information, please contact:

Steve Roebuck

High Tide President & VP Exploration

Mobile: (905) 741-5458

Email: sroebuck@avidiangold.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.

Forward-Looking Information

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from

those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Avidian Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629431/High-Tide-Resources-Appoints-Todd-Burlingame-as-VP-Corporate-Development
Students who wish to apply for the programme can submit their application form on nestexam.in before 30 April, reports said. The exam will be held on 14 June

The National Institute of Science and Education Research Bhubaneswar (NISER) and University of Mumbai  Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UMDAE CBS) will release the NEST 2021 application form on 24 February.

According to a report in NDTV Education, the application forms will be released in an online mode at nestexam.in. The last date to fill the form is 30 April.

The report added that NEST 2021 is scheduled to be held on 14 June and the entrance examination will be held in an online mode. The examination will be held in two sessions  from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 pm to 5.30 pm. Candidates who want to appear for NEST 2021 can submit their application forms from 24 February.

Here's how to apply for NEST 2021:

Step 1: Candidates need to visit the official website nestexam.in.

Step 2: Once there, they need to click on the link 'NEST 2021 application form'.

Step 3: Candidates will be redirected to a new page where they will have to proceed with the application process.

Step 4: Once done, they need to click on the submit button.

The Admit Card for the NEST 2021 entrance examinations will be available on the official website on 21 May. According to a report in Jagran Josh, candidates who complete the registration and online application will be able to download the admit card through a link that will be provided on the official website.

The report added that the conducting body has changed the exam pattern this year. There are going to be only four sections which will include Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Each section will be of 50 marks. The NEST 2021 results will be declared on 30 June.
Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor and Cuomo's top aide, told the group of legislators that the complete COVID-19 death toll in nursing homes was withheld because of the threat of a federal investigation from then-President Donald Trump's administration.

DeRosa admitted that the Cuomo administration "froze."

"Because then we were in a position where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation," she said on the call, according to the Post. "That played a very large role into this."

The Post reported that Democrats on the call were outraged. One of the lawmakers on the call was state Sen. Rachel May, a Syracuse Democrat who chairs the Senate Aging Committee. She faced criticism from her opponent, Republican candidate Sam Rodgers, during the 2020 campaign for the state's handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes.

During the call, May told DeRosa that her biggest issue was "feeling like I needed to defend  or at least not attack  an administration that was appearing to be covering something up."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton against accusations of pork-barrelling, as the cabinet minister says his changes gave the Commonwealth more bang for its buck.

Mr Dutton handpicked 53 projects to share in $8.5 million for security cameras and safety lighting in the months before the last federal election, only five of which were in safe Labor seats.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, right, says he is not aware of anything to show Peter Dutton broke the rules of a grants program that directed money overwhelmingly to coalition or marginal electorates ahead of the 2019 election. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The opposition has asked the Auditor-General to examine the Safer Communities Fund after departmental documents revealed Mr Dutton diverted almost half the total pool of funding away from recommended projects to his handpicked ones in January 2019.

But Mr Morrison said Labors allegations werent backed with any proof Mr Dutton had done anything wrong.
Actor Billie Piper and writer Lucy Prebble first worked together on the TV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. The pair formed a close friendship; after that four-season run was completed, Piper would go on to star in the original London production of Prebble's The Effect at the National Theatre in 2012.

The pair took divergent roads in the years that followed  Piper, most notably, earned a slew of awards and reviews like "a generation's greatest performance" for her truly amazing work in the stage play Yerma, while Prebble began serving as writer and co-executive producer on HBO's equally amazing series Succession and won a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for her 2019 play A Very Expensive Poison.

For their first work together in almost a decade, Piper and Prebble co-created the blistering dark comedy I Hate Suzie, now streaming on HBO Max. Piper plays Suzie Pickles, a celebrity whose seemingly bucolic life unravels after some very private photos are hacked from her phone and leaked on the internet. The series draws inspiration from Piper's own career  like her portrayer, Suzie is a former popstar who switched careers and gained more notoriety for co-starring on a renowned sci-fi series (for Piper, it was Rose on Doctor Who)  but while the circumstances and emotions are relatable to anyone who has experienced a life-upending trauma, the similarities basically end there.

Piper and Prebble view the show as a natural progression from their Call Girl days. While that show was the result of two people working for a TV network, Suzie is something different: the brutally honest and entirely exciting product of two people calling the shots for themselves.









This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

In terms of intensity alone, I feel like I Hate Suzie is a natural jumping off point from Yerma.

Billie Piper: I think you're right. I think I'm just more intense now.

Lucy Prebble: You and I were talking about the idea for this show then, so there maybe was a cross-over in the emotional intensity.

Piper: If you're enjoying that kind of work, it's quite hard to do anything but that or come to any work without that level of intensity. You just hope you can feel it as much as you did, and fortunately, I was able to.





Obviously, celebrity nude photo leaks have happened in real life  but this is the first show I can think of that has dramatized it. I don't think I've seen it before.

Piper: When we started coming up with ideas, it was quite different. It felt more like a friendship-based show, and we both thought that that had been done. It was Lucy who came up with the idea of the hack.

Lucy: You're right when you say it hasn't been done before. I find it difficult to get excited about ideas that I've already seen, and Billie is the same. I was always surprised that no one had done anything about it, considering what a huge deal it was, a huge act of theft of people's private materials, and we were fascinated by the idea of a woman being exposed. All sides of it: the horror of it and the victimhood of it, but also the fact that she's been hiding for her whole life, living a compartmentalized life filled with performance and anxiety. And Billie always said, if you picked up anybody's phone and it was unlocked and you decided to go looking, most people could have a pretty life-changing experience.





Billie Piper in I Hate Suzie

 HBO Max





One of the things I loved most about I Hate Suzie was how vastly different it is from basically everything else that's on TV. It's surreal, it's theatrical, it's like a dream and a nightmare at the same time.

Prebble: Both of us, but Billie particularly, were tired of a certain kind of television where you knew where it was going. There's a massive form that's gotten woven into our bodies. We recognize the rhythm of "Now we're meeting this character" or "Now, things are going wrong." You can almost sing along with it because you've been so exposed to that narrative. Billie is an incredible emotional actress, one of the greats, and I thought about how we could create something that allows us to show every one of those emotions and to feel each of those emotions.

Piper: I really relished working with this particular tone and style. We also lucked out with our directors, Georgi Banks-Davies and Anthony Nielson, who worked so closely with us to fulfill the things that we felt were really important in terms of making everything feel bold and fresh and authentic. It's very hard to achieve that, and it doesn't happen often, so it was a great thrill.

Prebble: We stole a lot of theatre stuff for it; not just in the content, but the form feels very theatrical. What's stopping us from having a fantasy moment right now? When you normally do it, it's kind of pointless narratively or indulgent or pretentious, and we went, "That's fine." We also worked very hard to make it physically affecting. When you're watching it, you're supposed to say, "It's viscerally affecting me." Sometimes, the best way to create that, as you see in horror, is to do something odd. And sometimes that makes people uncomfortable and I get why, but for people who are more theatrical by nature or understand that language, that can be really thrilling.





Do you see a progression in your work from Call Girl to Suzie?

Prebble: I see a massive progression. I'm a better writer than I was then. But honestly, one is what you get when you're an employee at a television company; the other is what you get when artists make what they want to make.

Piper: I second that completely. With Call Girl, we were both really interested in the woman and her story. I think we had the right intentions; we wanted to make something that was thoughtful about that world, because you're only used to seeing one version of that world. But we weren't able or allowed to achieve them in that way, and with age and confidence, we've arrived at something like Suzie.





There's a particularly confrontational scene at a sci-fi convention in an early episode. Billie, was that rooted in any lived experience from your time doing Doctor Who?

Piper: Thank god I've never experienced anything like that. All of my experiences at Q&As and conventions have been incredibly warm. I am overwhelmed at conventions, but for different reasons. People have such enormous emotional responses to you, and I'm not really equipped to handle that. You sort of say, "if you really knew, you wouldn't be crying in front of me right now." [laughs]

This interview originally ran on our lovely sister site TheaterMania.
S. Prestley Blake, who with his brother built a Massachusetts ice cream shop into the Friendlys restaurant chain, sold it for a huge profit in the 1970s and decades later helped engineer a takeover threat to protest what he saw as mismanagement, died on Thursday in Stuart, Fla. He was 106.

His son, Benson, said the cause was respiratory failure.

Mr. Blake and his younger brother, Curtis, who died in 2019 at 102, founded the first Friendly Ice Cream in the summer of 1935 in Springfield, Mass., with a $547 loan from their parents.

The country was in the throes of the Depression, but the brothers thought they could attract customers by charging a nickel (the equivalent of about 95 cents today) for two scoops of ice cream  half the price their competitors charged.

The shop was an instant success, with a line out the door on opening night, and profits started rolling in  enough for the brothers to buy a used Model A Ford, which they could easily share, since one of them was always at the shop.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

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Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

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MI5 had intelligence that London Bridge jihadi Usman Khan was planning to launch a knife rampage on his release from jail, a hearing was told yesterday.

But the security service failed to share that intelligence, a lawyer for the family of one of his victims alleged.

The convicted terrorist killed Cambridge University graduates Saskia Jones, 23, and Jack Merritt, 25, during a prisoner rehabilitation event at Fishmongers' Hall before being tackled by members of the public and shot dead by police.

MI5 had intelligence Usman Khan was planning to launch a knife rampage, a hearing was told yesterday. Pictured: Police officers at the scene of the London Bridge attack

The convicted terrorist killed two Cambridge University graduates during a prisoner rehabilitation event at Fishmongers' Hall before being tackled by members of the public

Khan, 28, who was armed with two knives and wore a fake suicide vest, launched the attack on November 29, 2019 while he was still on licence after being freed from jail months earlier.

Nick Armstrong, for Mr Merritt's family, argued at a pre-inquest hearing that the MI5 officers who made the decision not to pass on the information should appear as witnesses.

The inquest, which is due to start in April, is currently planning only to call a 'corporate witness' for the intelligence service, known as Witness A.

Speaking by video-link at the Old Bailey, Mr Armstrong said: 'MI5 had intelligence shortly before release that he was planning a post-release attack. That is a matter of obviously very great significance.'

He said MI5 had upgraded Khan's priority rating, but failed to share what it knew. 'This is about the level of risk Mr Khan represented, what was unknown about the risk and the decisions that were taken, to allow him to go to the Fishmongers' Hall,' he said.

'The fact that he was in a high risk, category A, shortly before his release is significant. He spent much of his detention in special units and then went straight out into the community without proper scrutiny.

'It would not have taken much in the way of information-sharing or concern to have changed the [prison release] outcome. That is why it is critical to check what MI5 had but did not share.'

University graduates Saskia Jones (left), 23, and Jack Merritt (right), 25, were killed by the terrorist

Reports show there were concerns that Khan continued to hold extremist views after he was jailed for his part in an Al Qaeda-inspired bomb plot in 2012. In prison he acted as a 'recruiter', radicalising prisoners and encouraging violence.

Jonathan Hough QC, for the coroner, said: 'MI5 had intelligence shortly before his release that he might return to terrorist offending.'

But he said that intelligence was 'not peculiar to MI5 and also appeared in the records of others' such as the police who could give evidence to the inquest.

Coroner Mark Lucraft QC will examine if the tragedy could have been prevented.

Yesterday he set another pre-inquest hearing for March 25 when there is likely to be an application for MI5 papers on the case to be kept secret in the interests of national security.

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The Marcus Foundation announced Dec. 4, 2020, a $10 million matching grant to ensure the completion of Israels new national blood services center, a first-of-its-kind shielded blood facility that will protect Israels strategic blood reserves against missile, chemical, and biological attack.

The building, under construction in Ramla, Israel, is set for completion this spring. The facility was designated as the Marcus National Blood Services Center based on a $25 million gift from the Marcus Foundation in 2016, prior to the project breaking ground.

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MELBOURNE: After playing in front of limited crowds in a boisterous atmosphere in Melbourne, players will return to the new normal from Saturday as an eerie silence will descend on the Australian Open with fans barred for the next five days.

The discovery of more infections linked to the highly contagious UK variant of COVID-19 prompted authorities to place the state of Victoria under lockdown, but the show will go on as the Grand Slam retreats into its own bio-secure bubble.

Cheers quickly turned to a smattering of boos from the crowd when play was briefly suspended at 11:30 pm local time on Friday while top seed Novak Djokovic was in action, as spectators were asked to leave the arena ahead of the midnight deadline.

Its going to be a rough few days for I think everyone," Serena Williams said. Its not ideal. Its been really fun to have the crowd back, especially here."

Rafa Nadal continues his quest for a record-breaking 21st major when he takes on Briton Cameron Norrie and the Spaniard will prepare knowing there will be no distractions after a heckler was ejected during his second-round match.

Australian fans will tune in with bated breath when womens top seed Ash Barty takes on Russias Ekaterina Alexandrova, with the countrys biggest title hope playing with a heavily strapped thigh which forced her to withdraw from the doubles competition.

Former world number one Karolina Pliskova is still seeking her first Grand Slam title and standing in her way is Karolina Muchova in an all-Czech battle at the Rod Laver Arena.

Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is up against Swedens Mikael Ymer while Russias Andrey Rublev looks to extend his unbeaten streak this year to seven games when he is up against Spains Feliciano Lopez.

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A 37-YEAR-OLD man charged with raping and threatening to kill a young woman at knife-point after finding her somewhere to live in Dublin has taken up bail.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of two counts of rape, oral rape, assault causing her harm, two charges of threatening to kill the woman and her flatmate, and production of a knife as a weapon at a flat in north inner city Dublin at the start of January.

Last month, bail was set in his own bond of 500 but he also needed an 8,000 independent surety. He originally went into custody until these terms could be met.

The case was listed again before Judge Victor Blake at Cloverhill District Court. He noted the accused has managed to take up the bail.

He adjourned the case for two months, pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Earlier in the proceedings, Garda Pauline Treanor told a District Court bail hearing that it was alleged the woman, who is in her early twenties, and another man were staying in a flat.

The accused had provided them with accommodation in the city after their arrival in Ireland a few weeks beforehand. The accused, also a foreign national, had a wife and children at another house but stayed at the flat occasionally.

Gda Treanor said it was alleged the accused arrived with a naggin of whiskey, and she felt obliged to let him stay. He propositioned her but she rejected his advances, it was alleged.

The garda said the man allegedly went to his car but returned and produced a knife. The court heard it was claimed he demanded she undress and threatened to kill her if she did not sleep with him.

The contested bail hearing was told he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex. The garda said the woman was punched in the face and feared she would lose her life. It was alleged he then raped her and afterwards she went to the shower and sent a text to her flatmate saying come quickly and telling him she had just been raped.

She hid the phone but was pulled back into the bedroom and allegedly raped again, the court was told. It was alleged she had told him: I dont want to do this but he replied, you are mine. The court was told he then made her come with him in his car.

Her flatmate contacted him by phone asking about her safety but he refused to say where she was, it was alleged. The flatmate also told the accused he would call gardai if the woman was not returned.

The court heard it would be claimed the accused told the woman he was going to kill her flatmate for getting involved.

Gda Treanor said the accused brought the woman to his mothers house and told her not to call the police. The woman ran to a local shop and sought assistance. Gardai brought her to a sexual assault treatment unit. The accused returned to the scene and chased her flatmate to a shop where security staff intervened. The unemployed accused denied raping the woman and told gardai intercourse was instigated by her. A knife was seized from him on arrest, the court heard.

As a condition of bail, the man had to surrender his identity documents. He must sign on daily at a Garda station in central Dublin, reside at his current address, stay sober, and have no contact with witnesses. He cannot apply for a new passport.
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President Joe Biden on Friday said he's watching to see if his Republican 'friends' in the Senate 'stand up' to Donald Trump with their impeachment vote.

'I'm just anxious to see what my Republican friends do. If they stand up,' he told reporters at the White House when he made a surprise appearance on the North Lawn to see a Valentine's Day message from Jill Biden.

Biden said he didn't plan to call Republicans to urge them to convict his predecessor. House Democrats wrapped up their impeachment argument on Thursday. Trump's defense makes their case Friday with a vote expected as early as Saturday. Trump is likely to be acquitted.

The Bidens made a surprise appearance on the North Lawn early Friday morning, coffee cups in hand and dogs Champ and Major at their side, to see a Valentine's Day message the first lady had installed overnight.

Giant heart-shaped signs in red, white and pink with messages of 'unity,' 'hope,' 'healing' were placed on the lawn. 'Love Jill' was written on one of them.

President Joe Biden and Jill Biden visited the North Lawn Friday morning to see a Valentine's Day message the first lady had installed over night

The Bidens carried cups of coffee and had dogs Champ and Major with them

President Joe Biden said he's watching to see if his Republican 'friends' in the Senate 'stand up' to Donald Trump with their impeachment vote

The Bidens made brief remarks to the press during their visit

The messages include 'love,' 'healing,' 'unity,' 'family'

Jill Biden's office said the message was a Valentine's Day gift for the country.

'The First Lady is known for her sense of humor, love of surprises and celebrating traditions, especially with her family. Valentine's Day has always been one of her favorite holidays. Sending messages of healing, unity, hope and compassion, this is her Valentine to the country,' the East Wing said.

Biden, wearing jeans, an aviator jacket and face mask, checked out the display with the first lady, who wore a magenta coat and face mask.

'Press is going to think it's for them,' the president joked.

The display was centered on the lawn behind the area known as pebble beach, which is where TV reporters do their live shots from the White House.

The president had a friendly back-and-forth with members of the media as he checked out the messages.

One reporter was heard calling him 'Joe' and telling him 'those are nice dogs.'

'Thank you,' the president responded.

Another reporter joked the Bidens should have brought coffee for everyone. The president walked over and gave her his cup.

'Promised I haven't tasted it,' he told her.

President Joe Biden gave his cup of coffee to a reporter, telling her he hadn't tasted it yet

Jill Biden said the heart-shaped messages where a Valentine for the country

'Love Jill' read the message of 'healing'

Jill Biden posted a photo of her painting her 'love Jill' message on the sign

Joe Biden said Valentine's Day is Jill's favorite holiday but he refused to say what he got her

The Bidens are scheduled to leave for Camp David on Friday to spend the weekend there

Biden refused to divulge what he got his wife for the upcoming holiday.

'It's not Valentine's Day yet. I'm not going to tell,' he said. 'Valentine's Day is Jill's favorite day for real.'

The first lady said she did the display as she wanted to give the country some 'joy.'

'I just wanted some joy. With the pandemic, just everybody's feeling a little down. So, it's just a little joy. A little hope. That's all,' she said.

President Biden, asked his Valentine's Day message to the nation, said: 'There's hope. There is hope. You just have to stay strong.'

The Bidens are scheduled to fly to Camp David on Friday afternoon, where they will spend the weekend.

Biden said at the presidential retreat they will 'just hang out with the family.'

What to expect on Friday's impeachment hearing as Donald Trump's lawyers begin their defense, ahead of a final vote that could come as soon as Saturday

Donald Trump's lawyers will begin his defense against charges of insurrection on Friday, in an argument they plan to present in a concise and simple format taking only a few hours.

David Schoen and Bruce Castor, the two impeachment lawyers heading up Trump's case, have 16 hours from midday on Friday to convince the Senate to acquit him.

But they are expected to take only two to three hours to lay out their arguments, believing their succinct case requires no lengthy explanation.

A vote could come as soon as Saturday, following four hours of questions from senators, after an agreement was reached to continue the sessions throughout the weekend.

David Schoen, Trump's impeachment lawyer, is seen leaving the Capitol on Thursday night

Bruce Castor, pictured on Thursday, will also present Trump's defense on Friday

The Senate on Tuesday voted 56:44 to proceed with his impeachment trial

Trump's defense team had initially requested the Senate pause the proceedings from Friday at 5pm until Sunday morning. But on Wednesday, Trump's defense withdrew the request to break on Saturday, allowing the trial to continue without a break into the weekend.

On Thursday night the pair of lawyers representing the former president met with Republican senators including Ted Cruz, who will serve as the jury in a final vote.

The Republican team plan to make four key points on Friday, Axios reported on Thursday night.

They will argue that impeachment of a former president is unconstitutional, because punishment is removal from office, and Trump is no longer in office.

They will claim there was no due process when he was impeached by the House on January 13, because no witnesses were called and there were no lawyers representing Trump.

Schoen and Castor will argue thirdly that Trump was exercising his First Amendment rights, and that impeaching him for that is unlawful.

And finally, Axios said, they will argue that impeaching Trump will not unify the country, as Joe Biden pledged.

The pair have repeatedly condemned the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, and will not, Axios said, focus on Trump's words at the 'Stop the Steal' rally he held shortly before the unrest.

Donald Trump has spent his impeachment trial playing golf near Mar-a-Lago in Florida

Trump's lawyers argue his January 6 speech is protected under the First Amendment

Schoen and Castor argue Trump cannot be held responsible for the riot of January 6

Five people died in the Capitol chaos and its aftermath, a domestic attack unparalleled in US history.

Democrats have argued that his rhetoric riled up the rabble and drove them to attack the Capitol on his behalf.

As they wrapped up their case, Democrats beseeched their Congressional colleagues to vote to convict him.

'We humbly, humbly ask you to convict President Trump for the crime (of) which he is overwhelmingly guilty,' said Joe Neguse, one of the nine impeachment managers from the House of Representatives.

'Because if you don't, if we pretend this didn't happen - or worse, if we let it go unanswered - who's to say it won't happen again?'

Democrats argued Trump has lit the fuse on violence for years: 'January 6th was a culmination of the president's actions, not an aberration from them,' Lead House Impeachment manager Jamie Raskin said

The House impeachment managers rested their case after two days of arguments that included Trump's own words and hours of graphic video from the assault on the Capitol.

Prosecutors used the rioters' own videos from that day to pin responsibility on Trump.

'We were invited here,' said one.

'Trump sent us,' said another. 'He'll be happy. We're fighting for Trump.'

Jamie Raskin, the lead House manager, reminded the 100 senators who are sitting as jurors of their oath to render 'impartial justice.'

'Exercise your common sense about what just took place in our country,' Raskin said, noting that Trump stood by doing nothing for two hours as his supporters rampaged through Congress.

'Why did president Trump not tell his supporters to stop the attack on the Capitol as soon as he learned about it?' Raskin asked.

'As our constitutional commander in chief, why did he do nothing to send help?'

Raskin and his colleagues argued that Trump had been stoking tensions long before January 6.

'This pro-Trump insurrection did not spring out of thin air,' Raskin said. 'This was not the first time Donald Trump had inflamed and incited a mob.'

Earlier, Joe Biden said the video evidence against his 74-year-old predecessor presented at the Senate trial may change 'some minds.'

Democratic House impeachment managers showed the break-in from two angles

Schoen said on Thursday that the Democrats' presentation was 'offensive' and that they 'haven't tied it in any way to Trump.'

He told reporters on Thursday at the Capitol that he believed Democrats were making the public relive the tragedy in a way that 'tears at the American people' and impedes efforts at unity in the country.

Despite what even some Republicans have said was a strong prosecution case, Trump retains an unshakeable grip on the party, making conviction highly unlikely.

It would take a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join the chamber's 50 Democrats.

The proceedings could finish with a vote this weekend by the senators who are sitting as impeachment jurors.
A San Francisco woman has revealed the detailed spreadsheet she once kept to document every single person she went on a date with.

Jenny, 31, has a clear interest in data tracking and analysis, and has applied it to her personal life in an unusual way: In a Google Sheets spreadsheet, she kept track of every single date she went on from a dating app, including information about the men, the number of times they went out, whether they had sex, and the quality of the dates.

She also admitted that she turned the data into graphs and charts, breaking down the apps where she most frequently found success on, the top reasons things didn't work out, and how likely first dates are to turn into second dates.

Tracking: Before meeting her current boyfriend, Jenny, 31, kept a Google Sheets spreadsheet with details of every person she dated

Data is beautiful: An internet tech company employee based in San Francisco, she hoped to use the data to 'find any insights, trends, and patterns from my dating app behavior'

Jenny, who works for an internet tech company and is currently in a relationship, and didn't share what her boyfriend thinks of her old system  but her spreadsheet and resulting data have certainly interested TikTok users.

Details: She included heights, occupations, the app they met on, whether there was a connection, and the type of date they went on

'When I first started online dating a couple years ago, I made this spreadsheet,' she said in the first video she posted, back in December, which has been viewed over two million times.

'Dating is exhausting,' she added in a comment.

'I was hoping I could use past data to help me find the right one.'

She shared a quick glimpse of the spreadsheet on the screen, showing the various categories she kept track of, like the man's approximate height, his occupation, and the app they met on.

She also included her level of excitement to meet the date in person, the day they met, whether there was a connection, and the type of first date they went on (drinks, dinner, artsy).

In addition, she rated the quality of the first date on a scale of one to five, as well as the quality of the sex, if there was any.

Which app worked best? Jenny converted the data into graphs and charts to try to learn more about what worked and what didn't work for her

Numbers: One pie chart broke down why she stopped seeing each person

Finally, she included the number of times they went out, as well as the 'failure reason,' or why she stopped seeing them.

Jenny then turned all of the information into graphs and charts because, she explained: 'Data is beautiful.'

'I did this to see if I could find any insights, trends, and patterns from my dating app behavior. I want to see if how much I looked forward to meeting someone had any impact on how the date actually went,' she explained.

One pie chart showed the breakdown of which dating apps resulted in the most dates for her. She found that 36.8 per cent of her dates came from Tinder, 31.6 from Hinge, and 10.5 per cent each from The League, Bumble, and Coffee Meets Bagel.

However, she admitted she found no correlation between which app she used and whether the resulting date ended up being a good one.

She met her current boyfriend Hinge.

'I also made a survival curve based on how first dates convert to second dates, convert to third dates,' she said

She added: 'I found for me, if I saw someone four times, I'm likely to see them 10+ times'

When graphing the difference between how excited she was to meet a date to how well the date went, she found that she was mostly on track  but there were some exceptions

'I also made a survival curve based on how first dates convert to second dates, convert to third dates,' she said. ''And I found for me, if I saw someone four times, I'm likely to see them 10+ times.'

Through her data, she learned that about 41 per cent of her first dates converted to second dates, but only about 20 per cent got past the third date.

Overall, one in ten men she met either became a boyfriend or was otherwise significant in her life.

The lesson here, she said, is a reminder that 'dating is a bit of a numbers game.'

As for why different guys didn't work out, she found that three-quarters of the time that she stopped seeing someone, it was from lack of attraction.

She logged 7.9 per cent as emotionally unavailable, 10.5 per cent as men who turned into platonic friends, and smaller percentages as men who moved too fast or dumped her.

Finally, she made up some graphs of less insightful data, like the heights men listed on their profile. The most, she found, said they were 5'10  but she found that to be a lie.

Chill, people! Though some commenters called her 'crazy,' she pointed out that people track all sorts of things including sleep, calories, and steps

How tall? She made up some graphs of less insightful data, like the heights men listed on their profile. The most, she found, said they were 5'10  but she found that to be a lie

Which day? Another graph showed her when she was most likely to schedule dates

Jenny's video  as well as several follow-ups that went into greater detail about her graphs  have earned quite a bit of attention.

Though much of it was positive  including people who were impressed, found her humorous, or were curious for more information  some people were more mocking.

'I got a lot of comments on my last video calling me crazy for logging my dating app data, but come on. We log our sleep, our calories, our steps,' she said.

She also shared some of the wisdom she gathered that could help others.

When graphing the difference between how excited she was to meet a date to how well the date went, she found that she was mostly on track  but there were some exceptions.

In some cases, men she was 'really looking forward to meeting [didn't] pass the vibe check once I meet them in person.'

'And some people who I'm kind of on the fence about meeting, not really excited going to it, end up surprising me,' she added.

'The spark is a myth and great chemistry can develop with some over time.'

Mollie Miller, who is based in New York, stunned TikTok by pulling out a pack of 'sex cards' and confessing that she had been using the bizarre organisational system for more than a decade

Last month, another woman on TikTok revealed she keeps index cards documenting every time she sleeps with someone.

New Yorker Mollie Miller pulled out her pack of 'sex cards' and confessed that she has been using the unusual system for more than a decade.

Each of the cards, which are filed in chronological order, include the partner's name, the date, and a synopsis of what happened, like whether they both reached climax and whether she would see them again.

She has continued to read from these notes in a series she calls 'Mollie's Montage.'

In one recent video, Mollie said: 'This one may be a little lame but it's because I am still not over it.

'I met this guy in June. He was a commercial fisherman, he got COVID tested weekly so he was like great.

After showing off her first stack of cards, Mollie has been sharing more in a video series, titled Mollie's Montage, which has seen her read out one card per clip directly to camera

The TikTok sensation (left and right), who worked as a bartender in New York for nine years, ends all of her clips with 'remember, always wear a condom'

'We saw each other every two to three weeks and then he blocked me for a little while which was weird. And then he came back and he was like "I'm so sorry" and he said all the right things.

'We spent a night in a hotel and the sex was really, really good. And then on November 6th I woke up to an Instagram message from a girl who I had never known and she asked me if I was sleeping with him.

'And I said, "Yeah, I have been sleeping with him on and off for the last six months."

'She said, "I'm his girlfriend and I've been dating him for a year." I was blocked and had no closure whatsoever but they're still together.'

In another video, she shared how she met a guy at a tavern on November 14th, 2010,

'Drunken attempt at sex. We fooled around and made out but he was too drunk to stay hard,' she said. 'That happened and then December 31st, 2010, met this guy at the tavern  different guy  and I took him home.

'We fooled around in bed all day  it was great  and I started dating him.

'January 11th, 2011, the second guy invited me over to his apartment and I found out that he was roommates with the first guy.'
It means the cannabis-focused group can leverage its existing sales licence through CannMart Inc to bring its manufactured products to Canada

"This is a major catalyst for Namaste to generate material revenue through the sale of new and exciting cannabis products and by offering contract manufacturing services to our partners, Meni Morim, the CEO of Namaste, said

( ) ( ) (FRA:M5BQ) shares were boosted on Friday as the group announced its CannMart Labs Inc subsidiary had received a processing licence from Health Canada.

It means the cannabis-focused group can leverage its existing sales licence through CannMart Inc to bring its manufactured products to Canada and expects to do so by the end of the second quarter this year.

"This is a major catalyst for Namaste to generate material revenue through the sale of new and exciting cannabis products and by offering contract manufacturing services to our partners, Meni Morim, the CEO of Namaste, said in a statement.

"The team has selected and installed state-of-the-art extraction equipment and technology in its facility, which will be able to produce an array of cannabis products including shatter and live resin, as well as future distillate products such as vape cartridges, gel capsules, tinctures and edibles.

"We look forward to producing our in house branded Cannabis 2.0 products, including ROILTY for our medical channel customers at CannMart.com and recreational consumers across Canada through our network of provincial sales partners."

The Cannabis 2.0 products the company initially has planned include shatter, live resin, badder, and it can expand future distillate product offerings to include vape cartridges, gel capsules, tinctures and edibles.

Namaste owns 100% of the CannMart Labs extraction facility in Etobicoke, Ontario, which is designed to meet EU Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP) certification requirements. The next step will be to commission the equipment, which will begin immediately, the company told investors.

Shares in Namaste advanced nearly 6% higher on the day in Toronto to C$0.36 each.

Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com

Help India!

The petition seeks that all impugned Acts and Ordinances of UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh be declared unconstitutional and therefore, set aside.

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Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has filed an application before the Supreme Court of India seeking to amend its original writ petition that challenged the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand anti-conversion laws.

CJP now has sought to incorporate the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020 and the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019 in its petition.

CJP has filed this intervention to amend the original petition, since the residents of these above mentioned four states will now be subject to scrutiny and investigation by the State if and when they decide to convert from one faith to the other, or even if an interfaith couple merely decides to get married, with or without conversion.

Grounds for challenge

The petition states that in 2012, the Himachal Pradesh High Court had struck down certain provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2006 and Rules of 2007 observing that prior notice to the State for subsequent police investigation violated Article 14 of the Constitution of India. (Evangelical Fellowship of India vs State of Himachal Pradesh).

Despite this ruling of the High Court, the CJP petition contends that the State re-enacted the struck-down provisions of the 2006 Act, and has done so in a form which is even more obnoxious and unconstitutional under the Constitutional scheme than the provisions which were struck down by Court in 2012.

The impugned Act has added several provisions dealing with conversion by marriage, reintroduced sections of prior notice, enquiry and investigation and also one that cast a reverse burden of proof upon the person converted, and made the offences, including the offence of getting married, cognizable and non-bailable.

Additionally, the petition also argues that the Himachal Pradesh Act was notified one month after the Uttar Pradesh Ordinance was promulgated and that it was not based on any substantial statistics of alleged love jihad instances but just following suit as other States were anticipating enacting similar laws.

The petition states that the Madhya Pradesh Ordinance has been modelled on the Uttar Pradesh Ordinance, Uttarakhand and the Himachal Pradesh Act that penalises conversion from one religion to another for marriage, and that this comes in the face of harassment of young vulnerable couples who are deprived of their right to marry any individual on their free will.

It also lays down the stringent provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Ordinance, that holds both, the person converted and the person who facilitated the conversion accountable for it and provides for imprisonment up to 10 long years and fine of rupees one lakh in cases of mass conversions (when two or more people are involved).

CJPs plea also highlights the rhetoric of Love Jihad in the country that first surfaced in the States of Karnataka and Kerala to divide the country with no official numbers or evidence of forced conversions and that the fears of rising love jihad cases have been baseless from the very start.

The plea then, cites important judicial pronouncements like Anees Hameed v. State of Kerala (2017), where the Kerala High Court revealed that there were no cases of forced conversion in most cases of inter-faith marriages which are often sensationalised by the society and such marriages are either labelled as Love Jihad or Ghar Wapsi.

It also cites Sri C Selvaraj vs State of Karnataka (2009), where the Karnataka High Court took cognisance of the status report filed by the Police where it admits there were no incidents of Love Jihad in the State of Karnataka.

CJP has also brought to the courts attention, a recent Allahabad High Court judgment (Smt. Safiya Sultana) which ruled that the publication of notice of intended marriage under the Special Marriage Act is not mandatory and that it violates an individuals Right to Privacy. Since, all legislations in question have similar conditions of notifying the District Magistrate prior to conversion, it is an outright violation of a couples privacy and needs to be struck down.

Background

CJP, through its Secretary Teesta Setalvad had moved the Supreme Court in December last year against the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand anti-conversion laws on grounds that it violates personal liberty, freedom of choice of adults, right to privacy, conscience and autonomy. The laws also happen to be discriminatory and against the principles of secularism and ideologies of B.R Ambedkar, as contended by the human rights organisation. On January 6, 2021, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the states on the CJP petition.

In the present petition, CJP has humbly requested the top court to allow it to add additional grounds to the already existing ones, as Indian citizens enjoy certain fundamental rights but the Acts and the Ordinances are unconstitutional and attempt to control the life of the residents of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, taking charge of the significant decisions in their life.

Pleadings

The CJP petition, via amendment, has prayed for writ to declare the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019 and the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020 ultra vires of the Constitution of India.

In its original petition, CJP has already prayed for the same direction for both the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act (2018) and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 to be declared anti-Constitutional and struck down.

On January 6, 2021, a three-judge Supreme Court Bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A Bobde and comprising Justices V Ramasubramanian and AS Bopanna, heard our original petition challenging the validity of the newly enacted Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018. The Bench issued notices to the respective states saying, Issue notice returnable within four weeks. Senior Advocate Chander Uday Singh, Advocate Aparna Bhat, AOR Tanima Kishore, Advocates Amjid Maqbool and Karishma Maria represented Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). The matter is slated to be heard in the week starting February 15.

The entire petition may be read here.
Former President Donald Trump was sicker than he admitted when he had COVID in October, with officials fearing he would need to be put on a ventilator, it has been claimed.

Four unnamed people familiar with his condition told The New York Times new details Thursday about Trump's condition - and revealed the effort to get him experimental drugs not available to the American public.

The White House announced that the former president and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus on October 1, after Bloomberg News had reported that top aide Hope Hicks had experienced symptoms on Air Force One the night before.

Hicks also received a positive test. The whole group was returning from a campaign rally.

Former president Donald Trump is pictured after he returned to the White House after being hospitalized with COVID-19 at Walter Reed Medical Center. The Times reported that his case was worse than he said

Trump took a ride around the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was being treated for COVID-19 in early October

The night before that, Trump and the first lady had traveled to Cleveland so he could participate in the first presidential debate against Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

The Trump White House refused to tell the public when Trump had received his last negative COVID-19 test - something that remains a mystery.

New details The Times shared include that Trump was found to have lung infiltrates, which are often a marker of acute disease. His lungs could have contained fluid or bacteria, easily spotted on an X-ray or scan because the lungs look opaque or white.

The newspaper also reported that Trump's blood oxygen level was dangerously low - in the 80s.

Even numbers in the low 90s are considered dangerous for COVID-19 patients.

In both these instances, Trump's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, had painted a rosier picture.

Conley was asked if there was evidence of pneumonia or damage to Trump's lungs and he replied there were 'expected findings, but nothing of any major clinical concern.'

He also reported that Trump's blood oxygen level had dipped to the low 90s - not the 80s as The Times' sources said.

Trump received the treatment Regeneron while still at the White House.

The Times reported that White House officials scrambled to get Trump the antibody cocktail the night of October 1, when his diagnosis was made public.

The New York Times' reporting further proves that Dr. Sean Conley was painting a rosier picture of President Donald Trump's condition when he had COVID-19 in early October

Patrick Philbin, a top lawyer in the White House Counsel's Office, phoned Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and asked how the agency could approve the drug's use for two senior administration officials.

Philbin did not name the Trumps as those officials, The Times report said.

The lawyer also told Hahn that Regeneron had agreed to hand over the doses.

Hahn, Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, the top federal drug regulator and other FDA officials cleared the drug's use through a process called an emergency investigational new drug application.

That process is used for very sick patients who agree to an experimental treatment whlie a drug is still going through clinical trials.

President Donald Trump's supporters gathered outside Walter Reed Medical Center while he was hospitalized at the facility

DID HE HAVE COVID THEN? One of the outstanding mysteries of President Donald Trump's coronavirus battle was when he last had a negative COVID-19 test. The White House refused to divulge and he had been with rival Joe Biden two nights before on the debate stage

The agency will look at the medical records for the intended patients to determine if the risks outweigh the benefits.

Regeneron shipped a package of its cocktail to the White House and included extra doses 'in case of any administration issues,' The Times report said.

The extras were never returned to the company, with Conley at one point saying they were sitting in the fridge of the White House medical office.

The Times also reported that Melania Trump turned down the drug, which a person close to the former president denied.
The Justice Department unsealed conspiracy charges against five people associated with the Proud Boys on Thursday in the latest and largest move against the far-right group's coordinated role in the insurrection last month.

In a criminal complaint, an FBI agent described how the group "moved closely to each other" inside the Capitol on January 6 and wore pieces of fluorescent orange tape affixed to their clothing or gear.

Some are accused of leading crowds of rioters as they pushed through multiple police lines and made their way through the Capitol grounds. They all wore tactical-style gear, including helmets and gloves. One had a wooden club or ax handle that was initially disguised as a flag.

Authorities arrested the men and women in an early morning sweep Thursday. William Chrestman, Louis Enrique Colon and Christopher Kuehne were taken into custody near Kansas City, Missouri, and Cory and Felicia Konold, brother and sister, were arrested in Arizona, according to the Justice Department.

All but Chrestman are charged in a joint conspiracy filing -- the greatest charge of organized activity by number to come out of the massive federal investigation -- underscoring authorities' focus on the Proud Boys, several of whom have already been charged in recent weeks. Chrestman is charged separately with conspiracy but grouped together with the others by an FBI agent in an affidavit.

The conspiracy charges are likely to grow. In a footnote in the affidavit, the FBI agent said they believe more people may be involved in the conspiracy and that an investigation is ongoing.

The Proud Boys, known for their aggressive men's-rights philosophy and clashes with Antifa, have become a central target for prosecutors in Washington as they piece together the extent of coordinated activity at the Capitol. Some high-profile members of the group have been arrested over the past month and investigators have built out charges related to their fundraising efforts ahead of the insurrection.

On Wednesday, the group featured prominently in the Democratic impeachment managers' case to convict former President Donald Trump.

Throughout their presentation in the Senate, the managers cited the role of noted Proud Boys in the violence and tried to connect them to Trump, who had refused to condemn them during the 2020 campaign.

The five people arrested Thursday are not described explicitly as members of the group, but their affiliations are laid out in detail.

In a video that authorities believe was posted to Felicia Konold's Snapchat account, a female speaker celebrates that she had just been "recruited into a f***ing chapter from Kansas City" and shows off a challenge coin with apparent Proud Boys markings.

On January 6, the five are seen in a video marching toward the Capitol in a group that was led by two Proud Boys organizers, according to the complaint.

In another video from that day, Chrestman and Felicia Konold parade down Washington's famed Constitution Avenue in a group with the two organizers shouting "Whose streets? Our streets," the complaint says.

The FBI agent also notes that Kuehne carried rolls of the orange tape that was "strategically worn by each of the subjects as well as others in the crowd."

"Based on my training and experience, your affiant believes the use of orange tape by multiple members in the crowd was a mark that was intended to identify persons for a particular purpose. The intent and purpose of this identifying tape remains under investigation," the agent wrote.

Inside the building, surveillance video shows the group moving in close proximity and signaling "to coordinate their efforts."

Four of the five are seen thwarting the descent of metal barriers that police had tried to lower in an attempt to seal off areas within the Capitol.

In pictures included in the court documents, Felicia Konold is seen holding one of the barriers up with her hand. Kuehne appeared to place a podium in the tracks of another barrier, the complaint says.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.


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Sun Pharmaceutical Industries share price touched a 52-week high of Rs 654.40 in the early trade but was still trading a percent lower after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued an order for settling charges made by a whistleblower.

SEBI on February 11 directed Sun Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd (SPIL) founder and Managing Director Dilip Shanghvi to pay Rs 62.35 lakh towards settling the charges by a whistleblower that the drug manufacturer had diverted funds through related-party transactions.

The settlement order came after the market regulator on May 19, 2020 issued show-cause notices to the company, whole-time directors and some officers for alleged violations of certain provisions of SEBI following an investigation of two whistle-blower complaints.

The aforementioned proceedings have been settled and disposed as per the settlement terms set out in the order, without admitting or denying the findings of fact and conclusions of law in accordance with the terms of SEBI (Settlement of Administrative and Civil Proceedings) Regulations 2018, in order to expeditiously close the matter.

The aggregate settlement charges were Rs 2,92,10,250.

Also Read: Aditya Medisales case | Sun Pharma founder Dilip Shanghvi ordered to pay Rs 62.35 lakh for settling whistle-blower charges

JPMorgan | Rating: Overweight | Target: Rs 675

The regulatory overhang abating with DoJ & SEBI settlements. The stock re-rated in the last three months with specialty momentum being crucial. The upside risk to the US revenue assumption of $400 million for Ilumya & Cequa in FY23, CNBC-TV18 reported the brokerage as saying.

Macquarie | Rating: Outperform | Target: Rs 700

The settlement is likely to remove the risk of any incremental overhang. However, continued traction in ex-US sales and rising specialty sales was keeping them upbeat, CNBC-TV18 reported the brokerage as saying.

Morgan Stanley | Rating: Overweight | Target: Rs 705

The whistle-blower case pertaining to AML nondisclosure & fund diversion is closed. The settlement amount of Rs 2.92 crore has been remitted by Sun and seven senior executives, reported CNBC-TV18.

At 0944 hours, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries was quoting at Rs 637.80, down Rs 5.85, or 0.91 percent on the BSE.
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Over the years, the trio of Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, and Kajol has delivered some stellar work. One such example is their last collaboration My Name Is Khan. The film revolved around a Muslim man suffering from aspersers syndrome. Its all smooth sailing for him until the horrific 9/11 attacks and he begins to be treated as a terrorist by those around him. He sets off on a journey to be heard by the President of the United States of America and convey, My Name Is Khan and Im not a terrorist

SRK portrayed the lead role and received immense appreciation for the same including a Filmfare Award. Today, as the film completes 11 years after release, the actor has put out an emotional post in celebration of the occasion. SRK took to social media and shared a picture of himself along with a caption that read, Find celebrating X number of yrs of a film on social media repetitive, as it's become more like a yearly birthday wish rather than a milestone. But just saw #11YearsOfMyNameIsKhan and felt like saying, I think everybody involved with the film did a very fine job of it. Take a look at the post below.

Find celebrating X number of yrs of a film on social media repetitive , as its become more like a yearly birthday wish rather than a milestone. But just saw #11YearsOfMyNameIsKhan and felt like saying, I think everybody involved with the film did a very fine job of it. pic.twitter.com/zJE8PkxeHG  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 12, 2021

My Name Is Khan had gone on to have a successful run at the box-office along with impressing critics all over the world.
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Andy Murray continued his return to action with a second victory in just three days after sweeping aside world No 234 Gian Marco Moroni.

The 33-year-old Scot is competing at an ATP Challenger Tour event in the northern Italian city of Biella after a positive coronavirus test ruled him out of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

And having come from behind to beat German world No 203 Maximilian Marterer 6-7 6-2 6-3 on Tuesday, Murray managed to secure 6-4 6-4 victory over Italian Moroni.

Andy Murray won his second match in three days after beating Gian Marco Moroni (right)

He will now meet world No 159 Blaz Rola from Slovenia in Friday's quarter-finals

He will now meet world No 159 Blaz Rola in Friday's quarter-finals, and will be looking to improve in some areas after managing to take advantage of just three of the 12 break points he created.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray appeared to be cruising after a double-break opened up a 5-2 lead on the Palapajetta Court.

But the Italian fought back by winning the following two games to make the Scot more nervous.

However, Murray stayed calm under pressure and managed to serve the set out at the second time of asking in just under an hour.

Murray beat German world No 203 Maximilian Marterer 6-7 6-2 6-3 on Tuesday too

Murray made a strong start to the second set too but Moroni continued to save break points and remained very much in the showdown.

The Scot then managed to waste an eight break point on the Italian's next serve but he did finally seize the opportunity in the ninth game before serving out the match in just under two hours.

Friday's opponent Rola has met Murray on one other occasion and suffered a humbling 6-1 6-1 6-0 defeat after only winning two games in their second-round clash at Wimbledon in 2014.

But the 30-year-old Slovenian is ranked just 14 places below Murray ahead of their latest contest, when the latter will be looking to secure his third official victory since mid-October at an event offering 38,000 in prize money.
Strides Pharma rose 2.96% to Rs 891.4 after the drug company announced that its step-down wholly owned subsidiary has received US drug regulator's approval for Prednisone tablets.

The product is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to the Reference Listed Drug (RLD), Deltasone tablets, 10 mg and 20 mg, of Pharmacia and Upjohn Co. (Pharmacia).

According to IQVIA MAT December 2020 data, the US market for Prednisone tablets USP, 10 mg and 20 mg is approximately $60 million. The product will be manufactured at the company's facility at Bengaluru and will be marketed by Strides Pharma Inc. in the US market.

Prednisone belongs to a class of drugs known as corticosteroids and is used as an anti-inflammatory or an immunosuppressant medication. It is used in treatment of different conditions such as allergic disorders, skin conditions, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, or breathing disorders.

The company has 127 cumulative ANDA filings with United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) of which 98 ANDAs have been approved and 29 are pending approval.

Strides Pharma Science is a global pharmaceutical company. It focuses on "difficult to manufacture" products that are sold in over 100 countries. The company has 127 cumulative ANDA filings with USFDA of which 94 ANDAs have been approved and 33 are pending approval.

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It may seem as if Calgary-based Providence Therapeutics has burst onto the COVID-19 vaccine scene out of nowhere, but it has been working on mRNA vaccines for cancer since it was founded in 2015, and it started working on a COVID-19 vaccine in March.

It may seem as if Calgary-based Providence Therapeutics has burst onto the COVID-19 vaccine scene out of nowhere, but it has been working on mRNA vaccines for cancer since it was founded in 2015, and it started working on a COVID-19 vaccine in March.

While it is still early in Phase 1 of clinical trials, company CEO Brad Sorenson is extremely confident that when Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials get underway  hopefully, by May  those results will show 95 per cent efficacy, like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Providence is a small, privately held company  it only had 12 employees at the start of 2020  and has not yet succeeded in getting any other pharmaceuticals onto the market, but Sorenson pointed out that Moderna, and Pfizers partner BioNTech, hadnt either before their COVID-19 vaccines.

The term sheet announced on Thursday by the Manitoba government will be followed by a definitive agreement in the next few days. The province has promised to make a non-refundable payment of 20 per cent of the price. Another 40 per cent would be due when Providence gets Health Canada approval of the vaccine. The final 40 per cent would be due upon delivery.

Sorenson said he would not disclose the price. "When it is revealed what the per-dose cost is, it will be very favourable," he said.

Manitobas price is guaranteed not to exceed the price secured by any other government in the coming months.

The company has not yet completed its design for the next round of clinical trials, which would involve about 3,000 volunteers. It will not be a traditional double-blind trial with placebos, but a comparative trial in which half the participants receive the Providence vaccine and the other half the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

It may seem as if Calgary-based Providence Therapeutics has burst onto the COVID vaccine scene out of nowhere, but it has been working on mRNA vaccines for cancer since it was founded in 2015, and it started working on a COVID-19 vaccine in March. (AP FILE/Francisco Seco)

He said the expectation is that it will receive preliminary use authorization from Health Canada in the fall, but production will have already taken place.

"It will be ready to get in the arms of Manitobans the day after that approval," he said.

Even before he spoke with Manitoba officials, he was in discussions with Emergent BioSolutions about conducting the final manufacturing and filling at its Winnipeg production facility.

Emergent is a $1-billion per year Maryland-based company that acquired the Winnipeg company Cangene Corp. in 2014. Its Winnipeg operation makes hyperimmune, plasma-based therapeutics, including a botulism antitoxin and a treatment for smallpox vaccine complications. It is also developing a COVID-19 therapeutic treatment at the Winnipeg facility, which has about 400 employees.

Even if Providence does get Health Canada approval when it hopes to, the timelines seem tight. But Sorenson said Emergent can produce 500,000 doses per day.

Last week, Sorenson published an open letter to the federal government in which he sought $150 million in support to produce 50 million doses this year.

He said he doesnt know why the federal government hasnt shown interest in Providences work, but he is now in discussions with "several other provinces."

He said funding for two million doses would not be nearly that much and he said the company is prepared to go ahead even if it does not get any other take-up.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was among the top builders of modern India. He was also one of the most prominent Muslim personalities of twentieth century. An Islamic thinker of international repute, he possessed good qualities of the past but with modern outlook and believed in oneness of all human beings. He advocated for learning through liberal, modern and universal education combining the rationalism of western sciences.

Thoughtful and reflective, Maulana had studied in great depth the causes of the decline of Muslim Societies around the world. The main cause for the Fall of Ummah, according to Maulana Azad, was the involvement of Muslims in unproductive activities and ignoring the facts of the fast changing world. Through his speeches and writings, Maulana repeatedly reminded Muslims that their own irrational and un-Islamic attitude was responsible for their decline in practically in every walk of life. He, therefore, addressed Muslims in these words: "You have spent several nights of indifference (Urdu-ghaflat) and complacency (Urdu-sarshari). For Gods sake, get up now and see how much the sun has risen and how far your co-travelers (non-Muslims) have gone ahead of you." (Ghubar-e-Khatir- by Maulana Azad)

Maulana felt that after 16th Century, the situation of knowledge in Muslim and European societies interchanged completely. Now Europe started to follow Muslims way of progressive thinking and enquiry whereas Muslims copied Europe way of life of Middle Ages (Dark Age) that was full of superstition, bigotry and retrograde thoughts. He says "Now (after 16th Century,) the contrast in qualities as during Crusades, became apparent. The place of Muslims (Progress) was taken over by Europe and that of Europe (Dark Ages) by Muslims." (Ghubar-e-Khatir- by Maulana Azad)

According to Maulana Azad, the success story of Muslims during Middle Ages was entirely due to their dependence on "Ilm-O-danish" (Knowledge and Wisdom). Europe, at that time, depended on invocation and benediction for all the problems of life, even for wining Wars. Muslims used to fight with Arms of Iron and Fire. Europe depended only on the Help of God. Muslims depended on God as well as materialistic sources provided by Nature. One was the follower of only spiritualistic powers; the other was dependent on both spiritualism and materialism. One waited for Miracles to appear and the other waited for success of their sincere efforts. Miracles never appeared but the efforts provided success to Muslims (During Crusades). (Ghubar-e-Khatir- by Maulana Azad)

Maulana always believed that Duaein (Invocation) by Be Ilm (Ignorants) and Be 'amal (Men with no initiative) results in escapism. To prove his point, he described the incident of Bukhara. He wrote, During the early nineteenth century, Russian forces surrounded the city of Bukhara. Instead of confronting the enemy, Ruler of Bukhara issued instructions that in all the Mosques and Dargahs, Invocational Prayers (Khatm Khwajgan) be organized. On one side the guns were playing havoc and on the other loud calls of Invocatory Prayers were resounding. Guns versus Prayers. The obvious happened. Bukhara fell to Russian forces. Invocation does help but for those who have the courage to fight. For people without courage, Prayers become the source of escape from reality" (Ghubar-e-Khatir, by Maulana Azad).

In a similar incident, the ruler of Egypt, Murad, instead of defending against the forces of Napoleon during 1798, issued instructions to recite Bukhari Sharif (Religious Book- Collections of prophetic Traditions) in all the Mosques in order to quell the enemy. Again the obvious happened and before the recitation could be completed, the whole of Egypt was conquered by Napoleon forces.

In his various speeches (Khutbat Azad Addresses by Azad, Edited by Malik Ram, Sahitya Academy,Delhi, Fifth Edition, 1997), Maulana Azad has dealt in quite details about the Rise and Fall of Islamic Societies. In this connection, he has referred to an article written by an eminent traveler and historian Prof. Armin Wembrey, published in Budapest Herald (1901).

Prof. Wembrey, a national of Hungary, was a great friend of Turks. He lived with them for more than two decades and visited most of the Islamic world. After living all these years with Muslims, he was disillusioned with their behaviors and attitudes towards worldly affairs. He, therefore, left their company and went back to his native land where he adversely commented on Muslims. According to Maulana, Wembrey wrote "There is no point in supporting Muslims any more. They do not have any interest in worldly affairs and do not wish to contribute in development. They have no vision, no commitments and sense of responsibility. All that they know and do is Ibadat Guzari (prayers). They are not capable for working for the cause of humanity. The best thing for the West remains to annex their entire territories and share them amongst themselves."

Maulana Azad, pained by these comments, observed that "if such are the views of friends of Muslims, imagine what the enemies would be thinking of them. For instance, he quoted another European Scholar, Maxin Hardin who wrote (London Times - 1910) that "How long Muslims would be let free. Islam is a danger. Whatever area is captured of Muslim Land, it is the rightful property of Europe. Its return is madness. (Khutbat Azad)



Inspite of anti-Islamic stance of Europe, Maulana Azad was indeed great protagonist for international peace and unity but he knew that without acquiring might and fighting spirit, it was not possible to get respect and honour. He, therefore, vehemently advocated that "the hand is sacred which is holding a white flag, signifying peace, but only those can only survive who firmly hold in their hand a deadly sword because that is the only way for asking Justice and defending themselves from the perpetrators of tyranny." (Khutbat Azad)



Maulana Azad had the genuine feeling that spreading false propaganda against Muslim had started by the West as early as 16th century. In this connection he observed "Islam with all its values and qualities became a victim of false propaganda by the West. It was said that Islam lives on the booty of loot and arson. Sir Syed was probably the first sincere Muslim who confronted the Muslim haters and rejected all insinuations." (Khutbat Azad)



Maulana Azad was against separating religion from worldly knowledge. He advised Muslims to acquire modern knowledge and in this connection he appealed to them to contribute large sums for the establishment of Aligarh Muslim University which till then was a College only. He observed, "the day Muslim University will be established; it will be completion of the exhortation and message of our Prophet."

Maulana was an important Islamic scholar and had great respect for the Madarsahs. However, with the changing of times, he felt that the Madarsahs needed to make suitable changes in their approach of imparting knowledge. He, therefore, advised "If education is meant for human beings and purpose is its applicability in daily life, then teach them in such a manner that they are not frightened. But if the education is meant for angels, then you do what you like. The world has changed and in view of this fact we should have made changes in our education system hundred years back but if it was not done at that time, then atleast do it now. What we are teaching today in our Madarsahs in the name of Maqulat (Logic and Philosophy) is simply outdated and has no place in todays world. We should accept the ground realities and understand that in place of outdated philosophica subjects, we need to teach students the problems facing the Ummah. If you do not do it, that means you do not understand the basics of life and wish to fight with the unstoppable changing times. ---- History teaches us that in the clash between Qadamatparsti (Conservatism) and Modernism, the loser has always been Qadamatprasti. True, that Abul Fazal and Faizi were the products of Madarsahs and that they had done well with their administrative capabilities. But that was a long time back. That education can not work now. Times have changed. Now you are isolated because you remain at the same place (Madarsahs) where you entered five hundred years back. During all these years, world has seen vast development and changes. The subjects you are teaching today have no relevance to the need of present times. The result is obvious. There is big wall between you and the world. You lag behind in all walks of life. You are supposed to be Nikamme (worthless). We must accept that we have committed grave mistakes by not reconciling with the changing times." (Khutbat Azad)

Inspite of the Fall of Islamic Societies, Maulana Azad never compromised with spirit of Islam that stressed for unity and brotherhood. Throughout his life he stood for the unity of India and its composite culture as well as cordiality between Hindus and Muslims. Once he said  If our Prophet could advocate unity between Quraish and all the communities in and around Madina (as one nation), dont you think that it is not the religious duty to unite with the Hindus of Hindustan.  He repeatedly expressed his views that "As a true Muslim, I have inherited Islam's glorious traditions of the last fourteen hundred years. I am not prepared to loose even a small part of that legacy. I have another equally deep realization, not hindered by the Islamic spirit. that I am an Indian, and proud being an Indian. If the whole world is my country and is to be honored, the dust of India has the first place. If all mankind are my brothers, then the Indians have the first place."

At another occasion, he said "Today, if some Angel comes from a cloud and declared from Qutub Minar that - Swaraj can be granted within twenty four hours provided demand (wish) of Hindu-Muslim Unity is withdrawn, I will not accept the offer. If Swaraj is delayed, it is the loss of India but if efforts for Hindu Muslim unity are given up, it is the loss of humanity. (Khutbat Azad)

Greece on Thursday hoisted the Foreign ministers and senior officials from several Persian Gulf countries in Athens as it sought to expand its alliances to counter regional tension with rival Turkey. The two NATO allies have locked horns over acrimonious Mediterranean water disputes, energy and minority rights, civil and military strife, dissent related to extent of territorial waters, continental shelves and Flight Information Region (FIR) over the Aegean, the militarisation of Greek islands, and right on resources in the eastern Mediterranean, among many conflicts. However, in its effort to gain an advantage over Turkey in the Mediterranean dispute, officials from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates and foreign ministers from Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt, held a diplomatic meeting presided by the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

It is natural for Greece to seek out this type of cooperation, multidimensional challenges in our wider neighborhood make it necessary, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the start of the meeting. The participating countries have long sided with Greece, and plan to convene regular meetings and dialogue, he further added.

Earlier last month, Greece and Turkey held their first direct talks in nearly five years over the Eastern Mediterranean standoff. In the meeting, convened by NATO members relationship, Ankara and Athens were expected to normalize their thwarted ties, and the consultation according to local press turned out to be exploratory," with prospects of future formal dialogues. While Germany hailed the meeting as a "positive [sign] it had been waiting for for some time, the US welcomed the dialogue between the two rival countries.

[Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, meets with Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras, in Athens. Credit: AP]

Read: Syria Group Files For Probe Of Greece Migrant Abuse

Read: Greece: Protest Gets Heated Ahead Of Campus Policing Vote

Erdogan: 'Two-state solution' to Cyprus

Contrary to what was anticipated, in a speech at the Turkish Parliament on February 10, President Erdogan warned Greece, saying 'don't challenge me' as tensions spiralled out of control between the two NATO allies once again over Northern Cyprus. As Greece cosied up with allies from the Persian Gulf, the Turkish President lashed out at Greece President remarks that Turkeys allies had abandoned the nation over disputes related to sea boundaries and gas. Raising the issue of Northern Cyprus, an area under control by Turkey, the Turkish leader told the Grand National Assembly of Turkey that there was a two-state solution instead of a unified Cyprus. Now Mitsotakis challenged me, how shall we get together with you after you challenged me like this, you better know your place, Erdogan told a presser. If there is a search for peace dont challenge me too, know your limits. If not, that means you kicked the negotiation table, you ran away from it. We cannot sit at the table with you. What you do on the island is obvious, what is it that makes you confident? he further added, challenging Greece.

[Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, ministers and army commanders attend a meeting of the High Military Council in Ankara. Credit: AP]

Read: Germany Welcomes Talks Between Greece & Turkey, Eyes Mediation Role

Read: Erdogan Rules Out Talks With Greece Over Cyprus

(Image Credit: AP)
Up to four in 10 people in Britain have already got some level of immunity to Covid-19 from either catching the coronavirus or having a vaccine, SAGE experts predict.

A paper presented to the Government's top scientific advisers shows that infectious disease experts think the UK may be developing substantial protection from Covid.

SPI-M-O, a panel that includes Professor 'Lockdown' Neil Ferguson, said on January 27: 'Current estimates are that 20-40 per cent of the population have experienced a primary infection or been vaccinated.'

This suggests that those people have developed some level of protection against developing Covid-19 and this could, in theory, slow down future outbreaks.

They point out, however, that actual immunity may be lower because it can weaken over time. People who were infected a long time ago and didn't get very ill, for example, may lose their immunity, as may elderly people who don't make as much of an immune response.

Those who were sick recently or who get very ill, as well as people who have been vaccinated, are likely to be immune at least to severe disease, if not all infection, but scientists still don't fully understand how often people catch it twice.

Immunity, however, may not protect people against the mutated South African variant of the virus which has been diagnosed more than 200 times in Britain.

A separate study given to SAGE claims this variant, which changes the shape of the virus's outer spike protein so that immunity to older versions of the virus is less effective, 'evades 21 per cent of previously acquired immunity'.

This raises concerns about how much life can return to normal after the vaccination programme as measures may need to continue to stop this variant taking over, if it will truly be able to infect a fifth of people who have been vaccinated.

The SPI-M-O paper was published today as part of a weekly release of SAGE's advice that it gives to the Government on its coronavirus response.

The paper said: 'SPI-M-O is working on estimation of the proportion of the population that remain susceptible to infection.

'Current estimates are that 20-40 per cent of the population have experienced a primary infection or been vaccinated, peaking in young adults and lowest in the youngest and oldest age groups.

'The proportion immune to infection is slightly lower due to waning or partial immunity.'

SAGE scientists claim Kent variant more than doubles care home residents' risk of death Scientific advisers have warned that the Kent Covid variant more than doubles care home residents' risk of death. Research by the London School of Hygiene Tropical Medicine presented to SAGE and published today suggested the variant is 2.43 times as likely to cause death in people living in care homes as the earlier strain of the coronavirus. The variant  called B.1.1.7  is dominant in the UK and known to be more transmissible than the first strain. And the LSHTM paper found it is 53 per cent more likely to cause death to a person in the general population within the first 28 days of infection when compared to the previous strain. It found people in care homes were 143 per cent more likely to die with the variant than those in the general population. The study was based on 3,382 deaths  1,722 of which were infected with the Kent variant  among one million people who had been tested for coronavirus. Last month, 10 SAGE studies came to different conclusions about its lethality but they overwhelmingly suggested that the strain was more lethal than past variants. LSHTM estimated the risk of death from the new variant could be 1.35 times greater, Imperial College London said it was between 1.29 and 1.36 times, Exeter University found it may be 1.91 and Public Health England said it could be as high as 1.6. But there are further questions over the reliability of the data because the research was only based on a few hundreds deaths. Advertisement

Immunity to a disease develops by the body creating proteins called antibodies and white blood cells in response to a specific illness.

When someone catches the coronavirus, their body moulds antibodies and white blood cells in its image to destroy the virus and then stores them and a memory of how to make them so it can act quickly if the virus comes back.

These immune substances are generally so fast to act a second time that they can wipe out the virus before it gets the chance to trigger any symptoms.

But they do not last forever - elderly people or those who only got very mild symptoms the first time may only develop temporary immunity that isn't good enough to stop a second infection.

A vaccine can trick the body into making the same immunity by showing it a small part of the virus instead of the real thing, and this appears to work better than genuine infection does.

Scientists don't yet know how long immunity against coronavirus will last for.

But millions of people likely have some level of protection, enough to prevent them from dying or getting severely ill, for example, already.

A total of 14million people - around 20 per cent of the population - have been vaccinated since December, and all of those will have developed antibodies by the beginning of March.

And Office for National Statistics surveys estimate that one in seven people in England - 15.3 per cent of people - had antibodies by January 18.

15.3 per cent of adults in England is around 8.6million people, and the vast majority in the ONS study will have been infected in the past because it was done too soon for vaccines to impact the numbers.

Combined, the vaccinated and previously infected people amount to some 24.6million people, which is 37 per cent of the UK population, although some people will appear in both groups.

Although such a large proportion of people likely to have some form of immunity to the virus, it does not mean they won't catch the virus again.

Reinfection to the extent that someone becomes sick a second time is rare but it does happen, and it may become more likely over time.

And even immune people may pass on the virus to others without knowing it.

Immunity to past versions of the coronavirus may also not protect people against new variants, which are cropping up regularly.

A separate paper published today by SAGE found that the South African variant, which has mutated in a way that makes it look different to the immune system, may be able to slip past the defences of a lot of people protected from other variants.

It said: 'If an assumption that the transmissibility of the new variant is the same as previous variants is made, the model suggests the new variant evades 21 per cent of previously acquired immunity.'

It added that the vaccines made by both Pfizer and Moderna appeared to be less effective against the variant, something that both companies' research have confirmed.

Levels of natural protection against Covid-19 vary across the country, the ONS study found in January, with more than one in five people in London already recovered from the virus compared to fewer than one in 10 in the South West
I lived my teenage years at the height of the True Love Waits movement. While purity culture missed the mark in some ways, I wasand still amgrateful for the lessons it provided on two particular virtues: first, the wisdom to slow down long enough to make good decisions, particularly in the face of strong emotion; second, the love to care for my neighbors by seeking their good and not just my own pleasure.

Many of the same institutions that taught me that true love waits are failing to speak wisely or lovingly to the current moment. They rush to big gatherings, ignore scientific consensus, and eschew public health guidelines as symbols of government overreach. The tune has changed from stay home, save lives, to well, weve waited long enough.

As someone who was shaped and formed by these church leaders, I feel deeply disheartened watching them prioritize personal freedom over love of neighbor. But while these libertarians have been loud and their lawsuits prevalent, Ive seen a quieter and perhaps sadder cause of noncompliance at play as well: that of despair.

If COVID-19 might always be with us, the logic goes, what are we waiting for? With all the uncertainty around variants and vaccine effectiveness, why be patient when the thing we wait and hope for may never arrive?

I recognize that despair as something I saw and heard from my ex-evangelical friends who grew jaded with the True Love Waits movement. Many of them threw out the pearls of slow wisdom and love of neighbor in the midst of their eagerness to reject its admitted foibles, failings, and cultural excesses.

I see a similar sentiment lurking in many believers these days: Why be patient? What are we waiting for? It might all be for nothing anyway.

As a pastor in California, I know firsthand what it feels like to face intense pressure from church members who want me to cave in to demands for more indoor activity. Among my ministry colleagues, I havent spoken to a single one who doesnt hate preaching sermons to an iPhone, a tablet, or a camera. I pastor from home the vast majority of the time and I, too, abhor preaching to my iPhone. (In late summer our congregation added outdoor services with required masks, social distancing, and capacity limits, but the bulk of our congregants and pastors continue to worship from home.)

In the midst of this malaise and loneliness, where might we look to stem the tide of despair? How can we press on to embrace wisdom and love in this next pandemic season?

First, the majority of scientists point to the hope that we will at some point see the other side of this pandemic (and maybe not too far in the future), but even if these respected epidemiologists are wrong, the church is still be right to wait.

By way of illustration: Nowhere in my True Love Waits curriculum was I promised a spouse. It was implied but never assured. We studied Pauls invitation to singles in 1 Corinthians, and we talked about the fact that many figures in ScriptureJesus includednever wed. Waiting for sexual intimacy wasnt to assure good sex later. It was to follow Jesus in chaste faithfulness now. Obedience and love of neighbor are their own reward.

Second, although the waiting aches, it also forms us. The crucible of painful perseverance molds us and will mold our people if we can help them through it. The waiting itself is beneficial to us, writes Charles Spurgeon. It tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes.

The church has a unique opportunity to practice and model the quiet, transformative virtues of patience and perseverance. We look to Christs suffering so that [we] will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb. 12:3).

This pandemic Valentines Day and every day after, our greatest act of affection for each other is following health guidelines. In doing so, we express deep care for our Christian brothers and sisters, and we also witness to our unbelieving neighbors.

Last summer, I spoke with a couple of atheist doctor friends alongside my husband, Daryl, who is also a pastor.

What is your church doing? one asked, itching for a fight.

Were online only, Daryl said.

Tears sprang to her eyes. Thank you, she whispered.

Let this be our message to a watching worldthat God loves them so much and we love them so much that were willing to wait.

Courtney Ellis is an associate pastor at Presbyterian Church of the Master, a speaker, and an author, most recently of Happy Now: Let Playfulness Lift Your Load and Renew Your Spirit (Rose Publishing).



Speaking Out is Christianity Todays guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the publication.

has launched a Covid-19 vaccination programme for industry and hi-tech employees at workplaces, the Manufacturers Association of (MAI) said.

The operation has been initiated by MAI, the Ministry of Health, the Defense Forces, and the country's national emergency service Magen David Adom, reports Xinhua news agency.

Vaccinations of workers will begin within a few days, as vaccine vehicles will come to the workplaces, reports Xinhua news agency.

It will take place alongside the general vaccination campaign in the country, which began in December 20, 2020.

The vaccines will be provided to employees free of charge.

Ron Tomer, President of the MAI, said: "We are making every effort on all fronts to raise the vaccination rate among workers. The operation will promote a safe and healthy work environment."

The number of people vaccinated against the Covid-19 in Israel has surpassed 3.68 million, or 39.6 per cent of the total population, according to the Ministry of Health.

Israel has so far reported 714,812 cases and 5,283 deaths.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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If anyone was unsure whether Joe Biden would adopt a hard line on China, his first phone call with Xi Jinping should leave no one in doubt.

Bidens posture on China, so far, has been good for Australia.

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in 2015. Credit:AP

There seemed to be a view floating around in sections of the Australian commentariat in recent weeks that Bidens re-engagement with Beijing could leave Canberra in the dark.

Former public service chief Martin Parkinson on Wednesday said the election of the new US President would make it even more difficult for Australia to manage its deteriorating relationship with Beijing because the US had maintained open channels of dialogue.
US, Saudi talk to bolster defence

Agencies | Riyadh / Washington The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com Top Saudi and US officials yesterday held talks to bolster Saudi Arabias defences, strongly condemning the Houthi attacks. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed joint efforts to bolster Saudi defences against attacks on the Kingdom, the US State Department said in a statement yesterday. During the phone call, Blinken reiterated Washingtons condemnation of Wednesdays attack on the Abha airport that caused a civilian airplane to catch on fire.

Saudi state media and the state department said the two ministers also discussed the need to find a political solution to the war in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi forces in Yemen said the Houthi drone was indeed a replica of the Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Ababil T. Remnants of the wreckage show that the explosive drone is of the Qasef type, which is a replica of the Iranian UAV, Ababil T, the Saudi embassy in the US tweeted.
Patna, Feb 13 : After fake data entry pertaining to Covid-19 appeared in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the investigation has completed in 22 districts of the state and irresponsibility has emerged at one place.

"We have directed the Principal Secretary of the health department to take strong action against alleged persons. The officials are also enquired with a new reporter of an english daily who reported the incident," Kumar said.

In a shocking revelation, in districts like Jamui, Sheikhpura, and Patna the government hospitals have mentioned phone numbers as 0000000000 in Corona test reports. The officials are facing the charges of preparing fake Corona test reports and taking bribe.

After the alleged Covid scam, RJD MP Manoj Jha raised this issue in Rajya Sabha and demanded thorough inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, Vice President and speaker of Rajya Sabha M. Venkaiah Naidu said that it is a serious matter. He also recommended Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to initiate an investigation in this matter.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
It is our honor to accept this prestigious award. Our cohesive approach and emphasis on patient-first healthcare has led to our continued success and are some of the core values of our practice, says ENTA CEO Robert Glazer.

The Business Council of Westchester recently announced that it will honor ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP (ENTA) with the 2021 Corporate Citizenship award at its Hall of Fame Ceremony. The award is set to be presented at a virtual event this April.

For more than two decades, ENTA has been a part of the fabric of Westchester County. The practice has grown into the largest ear, nose, throat, allergy and audiology practice in the nation, with more than 220 board certified specialists and 1,500 staff members in its 43 clinical office locations throughout New York and New Jersey. Typically, the practice sees over 90,000 patients each month. Leadership has been especially critical in guiding ENTA through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The executive team has fostered an environment of accountability, growth, and positivityall of which have contributed to ENTAs continued success.

The Corporate Citizenship award recognizes organizations that make significant contributions back to the community, foster economic opportunity, cultivate collaborations and partnerships to better the Westchester community and is committed to diversity and inclusion, while continually working to build a more sustainable business.

ENTA has its roots in Westchester, and we have been serving the community for over 20 years, said ENTA CEO Robert Glazer. It is our honor to accept this prestigious award, especially during such a trying time for all. None of this would have been possible without the exceptional physicians and staff of ENT and Allergy Associates. Our cohesive approach and emphasis on patient-first healthcare has led to our continued success and are some of the core values of our practice.

Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester says, "We recognize these visionaries who have grown their businesses large and small through innovation and inspired leadership. This year those qualities have served them well. Our leaders have shown their true measure, having succeeded in re-envisioning their businesses to stay relevant while also standing together and supporting our communities.''

ENTA would also like to congratulate this years other honorees and welcome all to the BCW Hall of Fame:



Entrepreneurial Success: Allstar Innovations

Family Owned Business Success: Lippolis Electric

Small Business Success: Progressive Computing

Women in Business Success: Sarah Jones-Maturo, President and CEO, RM Friedland

Minority Business Success: Business of Your Business

Chairmans Award: Chereese Jervis-Hill, Events to Remember

To learn more about the benefits of ENTA, find a local office or book an appointment, download the ENT and Allergy Associates mobile app, visit http://www.entandallergy.com or call 1-855-ENTA-DOC.

About ENT and Allergy Associates LLP

ENT and Allergy Associates LLP (ENTA) has more than 220 physicians practicing in 43 office locations in Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as New York City and northern/central New Jersey. The practice sees over 90,000 patients per month. Each ENTA clinical location provides access to a full complement of services, including General Adult and Pediatric ENT and Allergy, Voice and Swallowing, Advanced Sinus and Skull Base Surgery, Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, Disorders of the Inner Ear and Dizziness, Asthma, Clinical Immunology, Diagnostic Audiology, Hearing Aid dispensing, Sleep and CT Services. ENTA has clinical alliances with Mount Sinai Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center, Northwell Health, and a partnership with the American Cancer Society. To learn more, visit http://www.entandallergy.com.


China and India have announced the disengagement of troops along Line of Actual Control (LAC), at the southern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake having commenced since February 10. It seems to be a positive step to mark the beginning of a possible end of one of the longest stand-offs, which had tremendous financial and human cost to bear, due to 'LOCisation' of the LAC, in harsh winters. A compulsion to get into some mutually acceptable solution, out of numerous negotiations at various levels is understandable, as stretching the standoff beyond a point was serving no useful purpose. The actual worth of announcements will be seen in implementation stage, in view of trust deficit and past track record of Chinese in junking agreements, when it suits them, as the LAC as well as border remains undemarcated between both countries.

Decoding the Statements and Implications Chinese strategic design involves misinterpreting the statements to its convenience. Chinese statement indicates that it is a Pangong Tso specific Agreement, meaning synchronised and organised disengagement of frontline troops at the southern and northern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake, which can be well inferred by them as pullback of Indian troops from Kailash Range, in exchange of PLA moving back their frontline troops from Finger 4 and continuing to maintain their presence elsewhere.

The Defence Ministry's statement in Rajya Sabha on February 11, highlights that the Chinese side will keep its troop presence in the North Bank area to east of Finger 8, thus moving back from Finger 4 to 8. Reciprocally, the Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3. A similar action would be taken in the South Bank area by both sides. Structures built by both sides since April 2020, in North and South Bank area to be removed and the landforms restored. The Chinese, however, have not put out any such assurances in public domain, so far.

The Ministry also highlighted some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh to be discussed later, in next meeting of the Senior Commanders within 48 hours after the complete disengagement in the Pangong Lake area. It indirectly implies that some Indian concerns including extra kilometrage with China in Depsang plains, Galwan, Gogra and other areas, restrictions on patrolling, vulnerability of DS-DBO road will remain to be discussed later.

From Chinese perspective, it indirectly means that newly occupied heights on Kailash Range, which were their major concern, will be vacated in a phased, coordinated and verified manner by both. The military activity including patrolling to the traditional areas will cease temporarily in north and south of Pangong Tso. Chinese discomfort includes Indian dispositions in India's Sub Sector North including DBO, infrastructure development including DSDBO road, viewed as a threat to crucial Tibet-Xinjiang-Pakistan connectivity, which will remain. The Chinese aim of preventing Indian infrastructure development hasn't been achieved, as both sides continue development of infrastructure in areas they perceive to be theirs.

What India needs to be Careful of? India in Ladakh is in a position of strength, having created a vulnerability for China south of Pangong Tso and occupation of some crucial heights elsewhere. The professionalism of Indian Military under extremely harsh climatic conditions of Ladakh, and the national resolve of India, to have reacted speedily and decisively during the pandemic, creating a mirror image deployment to even out PLA's first movers advantage, has forced China to revisit its options, leading to the present agreement. This agreement will lead to India losing major advantage of some heights on Kailash Range, a crucial bargaining chip, in exchange of Chinese recoiling from North of Pangong Tso. This will have to be pursued with vacation of Depsang and other areas, without which LAC will de facto get altered not in Indian favour.

Given the track record of China, it may go through this agreement temporarily and later follow it up by a military action, post winters to reoccupy same areas after getting Kailash Range vacated from Indians, due to its faster mobilisation advantage due to its better infrastructure. This option, however, is marred with a major risk of loss of face for Xi Jinping, as a military defeat is last thing which he would like to face, that too in centenary of formulation of CCP. Chinese strategic aim in Eastern Ladakh will continue to be to provide depth to its National Highway G-219, Karakoram Pass and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), redraw LAC as per its perception and negotiate border on their terms thereafter.

Indian aim should be not to concede de facto shift of LAC as LAC-2020, be prepared for 'Two Front War' as a worst case scenario, and continue capacity building in all domains, including maritime arena. As long as the LAC is not demarcated, standoffs will continue, and a temporary solution will only postpone the next standoff, leading to 'LOCisation' of the LAC further. Chinese will like to keep border unsettled, till the time the political cost of Not settling it, becomes higher than doing so, for CCP, China.

(Major General S.B. Asthana is a strategic and security analyst, a veteran Infantry General with 40 years experience in national & international fields and the UN. A globally acknowledged strategic & military writer/analyst authored over 350 publications. The views expressed are personal)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
European Union efforts to resolve a patent dispute between tech companies and carmakers have hit a roadblock after experts enlisted for advice failed to agree on the level of royalties or who should pay them.

Tech firm Nokia and automaker Daimler are locked in battle in German courts over the level of royalties for key navigation and communications technologies and who should pay them.

The issues are relevant for the wider digital and electronics sectors and internet-connected devices in energy, health and smart manufacturing, prompting EU regulators to look into the matter.

Set up in 2018, the team of 13 experts including judges, executives from Audi, Ericsson and Robert Bosch, patent experts, economists and academics were tasked by the European Commission to look into the licensing of standard essential patents (SEP).

The experts report issued late Wednesday contained divergent proposals, underlying the difficulties of finding common ground, and with Ericsson executive Monica Magnusson writing a sole dissenting opinion.

The Commission sought to dampen expectations, saying the report should be read holistically and a combination of different proposals rather than a single one may work better.

An important issue is whether fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms and conditions should be set uniformly across IoT (internet of things) verticals or should be allowed to differ among different IoT verticals, the report said, referring to the chain of inputs used to create products.

For some members this implies that valuations done for SEP licenses for different products in various IoT verticals may differ. Yet, there is no consensus amongst members on this matter.

The group also failed to agree how to identify patent holders, which patents are necessary for a technology to work, where to license in the value chain, how to set fair royalties and who should handle disputes.

The Commission has said it will consider regulatory reforms such as setting up an independent system of third-party essentiality checks to vet patents.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee. Editing by Mark Potter)

Topics Europe InsurTech Tech
President Biden initially pledged to reopen the nations schools by his 100th day in office, but the White House has in the past week sought to temper those expectations, setting a reopening benchmark of the majority of schools  or 51 percent.

That push will hinge on new guidance, expected to be released on Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about how schools can reopen safely.

A consensus of pediatric infectious disease experts said in a new survey that many of the common requirements  including vaccines for teachers or students, and low rates of infection in the community  were not necessary to safely teach children in person. Instead, the 175 experts  mostly pediatricians focused on public health  largely said it was now safe enough for schools to be open to elementary students for full-time and in-person instruction.

Some said that was true even in communities where Covid-19 infections is widespread, as long as basic safety measures are taken. Most important, they said, are universal masking, physical distancing, adequate ventilation and avoidance of large group activities.
Feb. 12, 1946

War bride train makes a stop in Scranton

A train carrying 197 English war brides and 85 children pulled into the Lackawanna Station for a short stop in the Electric City on Feb. 11.

No Scranton-bound brides were aboard, but bride Mrs. Morris E. Dressler did get off the train to transfer to another one that would take her to Sunbury where she would be reunited with her husband.

Sam Zlapin, a discharged soldier from Olyphant, was able to say a quick hello to Mrs. Howard Robinson and her infant child who were aboard the train. Zlapin, a good friend of Mrs. Robinson, served as best man to Howard at their wedding. Mrs. Robinson and her child were headed to Chicago to reunite with her husband.

During the brief stop, volunteers with the Scranton chapter of the American Red Cross boarded the train and distributed reading materials, snacks and refreshments to the brides and children.

This special delivery train under military command left Scranton for Binghamton and before heading to Buffalo. Once in Buffalo, the brides and children would transfer to the Nickel Plate Road to continue their journey west.

In the evening, war bride Vera Duffy of Cardiff arrived in Scranton via a bus. Vera married William Gray, of Chinchilla, on April 14, 1945. Gray was in the Navy at the time of their marriage.

Farmers looking for milk price increase

Factoryville dairy farmers announced that they would consider withdrawing from the local milk market if the Office of Price Administration didnt grant price increases on milk.

The dairy farmers believed that the local price should have been similar to the price in New York and New Jersey markets.

In the Scranton area, the price of milk per hundredweight with 3.5 butterfat was $3.45; in the New York market the price was $3.70; and the New Jersey markets price was $3.83.

The Pennsylvania Milk Commission did approve an increase of 2 cents per quart but the OPA didnt approve it. If the OPA eventually approved the increase, it would mean the milk price per hundredweight would increase to $4.34.

If the Factoryville dairy farmers left, that would have meant a loss of 4,000 quarts of milk a day from the local milk market.

Scranton Dry Goods saleFlowers for your valentine  red roses, sweet peas, daffodils, iris and carnations, all available in the flower department on the street level of Scranton Dry Goods; four-piece glass salad bowl set for $1, womens spring coats were priced between $21.75 and $39.75, outdoor bird baths for $1.98, mens work pants for $1.60 and toddler sweaters were $1.97.
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There comes a point in every childs life when he or she first learns of the sin of slavery in America. While its a jolt to all children, those of us who are not African American can only imagine the dismay felt by young Black children when they first learn that their ancestors were dehumanized under the U.S. Constitution and state laws.

Thats what makes Black History Month so important, and unique. We are a melting pot of diversity, a nation with a history of wrongs and rights, but it should go without saying that one of the greatest wrongs of this American experiment was its treatment of Black Americans.

The New Mexico Office of African American Affairs is hosting a virtual series every Friday this month highlighting New Mexico through a Black lens. Its a perspective from which we can all learn something.

Following last weeks kickoff, the second part of the four-part series, The Strength of Black Veterans in New Mexico, begins at 2 p.m. today. It will highlight the stories of brave African Americans who risked their lives in U.S. military service. The third part, The Different Aspects of Black New Mexico, will begin at 2 p.m. Feb. 19, followed by the final segment, History on Wheels: Virtual Tour of the Black Mobile Museum, at 2 p.m. Feb. 26. To register for any part of the series, go to www.oaaa.state.nm.us.

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Amy Whitfield, the director of the Office of African American Affairs, notes Black History Month is a time to reflect, honor and celebrate the individuals who have worked diligently for the freedoms of African Americans.

And New Mexico has a long African American history many may not know, dating back to even before Albuquerque was founded in 1706, when Black settlers came to what was then called Upper New Spain.

And before it was a state, New Mexico became a refuge for many former slaves or free Blacks.

There was female Buffalo Soldier Cathay Williams, the first Black woman to enlist in the U.S. Army. She enlisted under the pseudonym William Cathay and posed as a man during the American Indian Wars.

Theres Fred Simms, a Black law clerk in Albuquerques prestigious Rodey Law Firm, who cast the deciding vote to locate UNM in Albuquerque. According to a 2005 Journal article, Simms took notes for a committee of the Territorial Legislature charged in the late 19th century with picking the site for UNM. When the committee vote deadlocked between Santa Fe or Albuquerque, Simms cast the deciding vote.

Theres Clara Belle Williams, the first Black student to graduate from New Mexico College of Agriculture & Mechanic Arts, now known as NMSU. Williams enrolled in the university in the fall of 1928, but it took her until 1937 to receive her bachelors degree in English as she took courses during the summer while teaching elementary school in Las Cruces.

Theres poet Anita Scott Coleman, who was raised on a ranch near Silver City and wrote award-winning essays, stories and poems for national magazines. Long before it was fashionable, Coleman wrote about issues impacting Black women, such as employment discrimination, White supremacist violence and segregation.

Theres also the rise and fall of Blackdom, a town run by African Americans in southeastern New Mexico. Georgian Francis Frank Boyer founded Blackdom about 20 miles south of Roswell in the early 1900s. The town was intended to give African Americans a chance at a self-sustaining life and the opportunity to build wealth as farmers, ranchers and business leaders. But due to drought and the Great Depression, it was all but abandoned after about 30 years.

And theres the history being written by contemporary African Americans. The Office of African American Affairs is accepting nominations through March 26 for its Everyday Hero Awards, which honor those who contribute to improving the lives of African Americans in New Mexico. Nominations can be made at www.oaaa.state.nm.us.

Community organizations from around the state are hosting events and initiatives this month in celebration of Black History Month. Information is at www.oaaa.state.nm.us, or call the Office of African American Affairs at (505) 383-6222.

This month, as every day, we should reflect on the wrongs committed in the past and renew our resolve that the American dream does not discriminate.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.


The Chinese Military Network Behind the Worlds Third-Largest Cell Phone Maker

Xiaomi was blacklisted by the Trump administration as a military-owned company controlled by the CCP

Xiaomi, the worlds third-largest cell phone maker and Chinas second-largest, denied its connections to the military after it was blacklisted by the Trump administration as a military-owned company controlled by the CCP, but a closer look at the background and connections of its founder and CEO, Lei Jun, led to the discovery of a huge and tightly interwoven network of ties with the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) military.

Xiaomi: Blacklisted and Denial

On Jan. 14, the Trump administration added nine Chinese firms, including Xiaomi, to a list of companies that are owned or controlled by the CCPs military. Businesses on the list are subject to restrictions, including a ban on American investment.

Xiaomi Groups share price immediately plunged after this announcement, with its share price in Hong Kong falling 13.6 percent at one point.

Xiaomi quickly issued a statement on the following day, stating that 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.

Xiaomi has attempted to develop its own chips but has not been successful. Despite that, its global expansion has been very rapid, with major markets in India, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

Digging Deeper: The People Behind Xiaomi

A surface look at the business operations or shareholding structure of Xiaomi does not reveal direct ties to the CCPs military. However, an investigation into a more important factorthe people who founded, control, and run the companyreaches a different conclusion.

Xiaomis founder Lei Jun is a senior executive and shareholder of Chinese software company Kingsoft. He joined the company in January 1992 and became the general manager as a young man of only 25 years old in 1994. In 2007, under his leadership, Kingsoft became a listed company in Hong Kong.

Zhang Kaiqing from China was the founder of Kingsoft.

Zhang Kaiqing: Bypassing Western Restrictions and Shipping Chips to China

According to a feature story published in 2019 by Tencent, a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate, Zhang Kaiqing was born in Mauritius and moved to China in 1935. After graduating from Tongji University in Shanghai, he joined the communist armys Southward Service Corps in Fujian, where he was in charge of education and culture at the Quanzhou Military Management Committee and later served as the director of the teaching department at the Quanzhou School of Health.

In 1972, Zhang Kaiqings mother died in Hong Kong. He went to Hong Kong hoping to inherit some of her wealth, but ended up not getting anything. After that, he stayed in Hong Kong and entered the chip business.

During that time, Western countries were restricting technology exports to China under the Coordinating Committee for Export to Communist Countries agreement (pdf). As a result, the CCP couldnt buy chips directly from the West. But Zhang Kaiqing used his personal connections to ship chips to China from abroad, according to Sohu.

Later, the CCPs Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) asked Zhang Kaiqing to set up a company so they could buy chips from him in the future.

The chips obtained through Zhang Kaiqing were used by the CCP to build submarines, satellites, and other applications.

COSTIND directly belongs to the Central Military Commission of the CCP, but was under the dual leadership of both the State Council and the Central Military Commission. It managed the CCPs defense scientific research and the production and foreign trade of military products on behalf of the Central Military Commission.

In March 1998, through an organizational reshuffle, the former COSTIND was reorganized as the Ministry of General Armaments, and a separate COSTIND that belongs to the government branch was established.

Zhang Xuanlong: A Favorite of Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin

In 1978, after supplying chips to the CCP for several years, a new Kingsoft was set up. Three years later, in 1981, Zhang Kaiqings son Zhang Xuanlong took over the company and specialized in the chip business.

In 1984, Zhang Xuanlong moved to Zhongguancun in Beijing, where he successfully worked with big companies like Sitong (known as Stone in 1984), Peking Universitys Founder Group, and Lenovo. He eventually won himself the title Godfather of Zhongguancun. Zhongguancun is a technology hub in Haidian District in Beijing. Many high tech companies are located there.

Zhang Xuanlong became so successful that he was accompanied by both CCP heads Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao when they went overseas to attend Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as members of the entrepreneurial delegation.

Qiu Bojun: Winning an Award Personally Delivered by Jiang Zemin

In the late 1980s, Zhang Xuanlong decided to build and sell his own software. He opened an office in Shenzhen and recruited then 24-year-old Qiu Bojun, who developed WPS, a Chinese word processing software similar to Microsoft.

Kingsoft was later moved to Beijing in 1988 and handed over to Qiu Bojun.

Qiu Bojun graduated from the National University of Defense Science and Technology of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). In 2001, he won the second prize National Science and Technology Progress Award and was personally received by Jiang Zemin. This was the highest national honor ever awarded to the software industry.

Lei Jun and Qiu Bojun: Brothers and Comrades of 30 years

In 1992, Qiu Bojun recruited one of his big fans, then-23-year-old Lei Jun, to become the sixth employee of Kingsoft.

Since then Qiu Bojun and Xiaomis Lei Jun have been as close as brothers and comrades. In an article entitled Thirty Years of Qiu Bojun and Lei Jun, Lei Jun was quoted as posting on his Weibo social media account: 30 years of my life, 30 years of brotherhood, all are so dear to my heart. How many 30 years can one have in ones life, and how many such comrades can one obtain in his entire life?

Lei Jun and Qiu Bojun experienced together and managed to pass through some very difficult times in the early 1990s.

In 1998, Kingsoft was able to obtain a $4.5 million investment from Lenovo, and 28-year old Lei Jun was promoted to CEO.

Lei Jun resigned as the CEO of Kingsoft in 2007 and was then re-designated from an executive director to a non-executive one in August 2008.

Lei Jun has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xiaomi since 2010.

Xiaomi and Kingsoft: An Interwoven Military Background

In 2011, when Kingsoft Office Limited was established, Lei Jun became the executive director. He is currently the director of the issuer and the honorary chairman of the board.

The above facts show that Xiaomis founder, Lei Jun, has deep ties with Kingsoft, which has a strong military background and was established at the request of COSTIND, the CCPs military commission.

Lei Jun and GalaxySpace

However, Lei Juns ties to the CCPs military dont stop at Kingsoft. He is also an investor in GalaxySpace, whose mission is to mass produce low-cost, high-performance small satellites and create a global converged 5G communication network.

Interestingly, Lei Juns name is only listed on the about page of the Chinese version of GalaxySpace, as one of the only three most important figures, but not on the English version of its about page. One would wonder what the company wants to hide from the English-speaking readers.

The other two most important figures on GalaxySpaces Chinese about page are its Chairman and Founder Xu Ming and Chairman of the Technical Committee Deng Zongquan, who is an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

National Defense Project 973

Deng also has the following titles: Director of Aerospace Institutions and Control Technology National Defense Key Discipline Laboratory; and National Defense 973 Project Chief Scientist, Head of The National 111 Project.

Then what is the National Defense Project 973?

According to the Chinese search engine Baidu, the full name of the National Defense Project 973 is the National Security Major Basic Research Program, also known as Military 973. National Defense Project 973 initiatives are strategic, fundamental, and forward-looking projects. They are national-level key basic research projects selected by the Ministry of General Armaments of the CCP in conjunction with the trend of future equipment technology development, and are conducted in cooperation with leading research institutions in related fields in China.

As a matter of fact, most of the projects in this category are confidential and are not disclosed to the public. The predecessor of the Ministry of General Armament is COSTIND, the CCP agency behind Kingsoft.

GalaxySpaces Starlink Benchmark

The background of GalaxySpace is even more mysterious.

According to its own website, GalaxySpace was founded in 2016. We are committed to mass produce low-cost, high-performance small satellite through agile and fast-iterative development mode, and build the worlds leading LEO broadband satellite constellation and a global coverage with 5G communication network.

After only over a year, GalaxySpace had developed Chinas first low-orbit broadband communication satellite with a communication capacity of 10 gigabits per second. The satellite was launched on Jan. 16, 2020, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket was a Kuaizhou 1A developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation. The satellite successfully entered its intended orbit.

One of GalaxySpaces missions is to provide global coverage with 5G communication network. This mission is similar to SpaceXs Starlink program, which the CCP is closely watching and cares about a lot. According to a report in Chinese media, the main target competitor for GalaxySpaces business is SpaceXs Starlink program.

According to a report (pdf) by China Galaxy Securities published on Dec. 31, 2020, Xu Ming, the CEO of GalaxySpace, said in February 2020 that after GalaxySpace launched its first satellite, it compared its technical indicators with those of the public tests of Starlink and came to two conclusions: firstly, it is possible to create satellite internet through low-orbit satellites that provide 4G and 5G network connections; secondly, Chinese satellite internet companies can fully use Starlink as a benchmark in terms of technology.

Shortening the Gap With the US Within 2 Years

On Nov. 11, 2020, the Chinese version of the Global Times published an article titled GalaxySpace Receives New Financing. CEO Xu Ming: Building Chinas Internet Satellite.

According to the article, GalaxySpaces second independently developed broadband communications satellite has now entered the final assembly stage. Xu Ming was quoted as saying, Next, GalaxySpace will focus on building a super factory in Nantong to produce 300 to 500 satellites per year. Upon completion, the factory will be the first smart production line in Chinas commercial space industry to match the Starlink program, and is expected to shorten the gap between Chinas next-generation satellite production capacity and that of the United States to within two years.

Xu Ming: Connecting GalaxySpace and Kingsoft

According to GalaxySpace, Xu Ming is also the co-founder and former president of Cheetah Mobile, as well as the former technical director of Qihoo 360.

According to Cheetah Mobiles website, in 2010, Kingsoft Security merges with Conew Image to create Kingsoft Network (later renamed Cheetah Mobile).

From this, one can see that Xu Ming also has ties with Kingsoft, which has strong military ties.

Satellite Internet: New Infrastructure for the CCP

In April 2020, the Development and Reform Commission of the Central Committee of the CCP also included satellite internet in the scope of new infrastructure.

At present, the CCPs official national teams represented by the CCPs Space Science and Technology and Aerospace Science and Industry Group have proposed the Hong Yun Project and Hong Yan Constellation respectively.

In the meantime, private enterprises represented by GalaxySpace have also joined the CCPs satellite internet industry.

Starlink Targeted by the CCP as a Core Strategic Interest of the US

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation project first proposed by SpaceX in January 2015 to provide high-speed internet access worldwide through satellites in near-Earth orbit. The company plans to launch approximately 12,000 satellites into near-Earth orbit between 2019 and 2024, building a giant three-layer satellite network that will eventually link all satellites into a giant constellation to provide 24/7 high-speed and low-cost global satellite internet coverage.

With more than 700 satellites already launched and deployed, Starlink plans to provide services that can almost cover the entire earth by the end of 2021 and will consider expanding to 42,000 satellites in the future.

In November of last year, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command revealed the U.S. Space Forces Starlink program, stating that the U.S. Space Force was working with SpaceX to deploy a massive space satellite network chain, adding military satellites to the Starlink program.

The CCPs media has repeatedly and publicly claimed that the CCPs development of satellite internet is in the context of the CCPs national defense and that it targets the United States Starlink program. What it wants to challenge is the core strategic interests of the United States.

Lei Jun and Shunwei Capitals Role in the CCPs Satellite Internet Program

As a member of the CCPs National Peoples Congress, Lei Jun has put forward proposals at the CCPs Two Sessions meetings for two consecutive years. At the 2019 National Peoples Congress, Lei proposed Proposals on Improving Innovation Capability and Vigorously Developing the Industrial Space Industry. In the 2020 session, he proposed A Proposal on Promoting the Development of Satellite Internet Industry.

Lei Jun also used his Shunwei Capital venture capital firm to directly invest in a number of aerospace enterprises.

After GalaxySpace successfully launched its first satellite, Lei Jun said on Weibo, We at Shunwei Capital are very fortunate to have invested in GalaxySpace early and become a major investor in GalaxySpace.

Lei Jun said, from 2018 to 2019, Shunwei Capital had survived based on its investments in GalaxySpace.

Public information shows that Shunwei Capital was founded by Lei Jun and Xu Dalai in 2011. It manages a $2.96 billion fund and a 2 billion RMB fund.

According to Chinas National Business Daily, Shunwei Capital started paying attention to the commercial space field in 2015 and 2016. From 2017, it has invested in four commercial space companies, including Interstellar Glory and Deep Blue AeroSpace in the rocket field, and Qiansheng Exploration and GalaxySpace in the satellite field.

Just one day before Xiaomi was blacklisted by the United States government, Beijing Securities Regulatory Bureau announced on Jan. 13 that Interstellar Glory planned to become a listed company on The Science and Technology Innovation Board of China. If the company is successfully listed, it will become the first private rocket stock.

According to public information, Interstellar Glory was founded in October 2016 and is the first private enterprise in China to complete the launch of a carrier rocket into orbit. The companys self-developed small scale solid carrier rocket was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China on July 25, 2019.

How Much Have Americans Invested in Xiaomi?

Currently, the United States government is using two different blacklists of sanctions against Chinese companies with ties to the CCP regime: a list of entities compiled by the Department of Commerce and a list of the CCPs military companies compiled by the Department of Defense. There are different sanctions for each type of target company. Xiaomi and Huawei are both on the Pentagons list, while Huawei is also on the Department of Commerces list.

Companies listed on the Department of Commerces list are prohibited from doing business with United States companies without permission from the United States government, while companies on the Department of Defenses list of Communist Chinese Military Companies are prohibited from receiving investment from U.S. persons.

According to information on the Hong Kong CCASS (Central Clearing and Settlement System) website, as of Feb. 9, U.S. firms hold a large proportion of Xiaomis shares.

Among them, JP Morgan holds 2.468 billion shares, accounting for 9.79 percent of the issued share capital; Citibank holds 2.327 billion shares, accounting for 9.23 percent; Goldman Sachs holds 722 million shares, accounting for 2.86 percent; and Morgan Stanley holds 469.8 million shares, accounting for 1.86 percent.

Altogether, these four United States companies hold 23.74 percent of Xiaomis shares.

Under former President Donald Trumps executive order issued on Jan. 14, United States investors are required to divest their securities in nine Chinese entities, including Xiaomi, by Nov. 11, 2021.

The Trump administration has argued that United States investment in Chinese companies supports the development and expansion of the CCPs military, which has been pursuing a strategy of integrated civil-military development. This strategy supports the CCPs military modernization goals by ensuring that the military has access to Chinese companies, universities, and research programs that appear to be civilian entities, in order to acquire and develop advanced technology and expertise.

In 2015, Chinese leader Xi Jinping proposed for the first time to elevate military-civilian integration and development to a national strategy for the CCP.

According to Reuters, a senior administration official said that the Jan. 14 executive order ensures that the United States retains a key tool to protect U.S. investors from funding Chinese military modernization.

The executive order was amended by President Joe Biden to push back the Jan. 28 cutoff date when no further investments would be allowed.

On Jan. 27, in a statement posted on the U.S. Treasury Department website, the Biden administration said most investments in companies whose name closely matches, but does not exactly match, the name of a Communist Chinese military company would be allowed until May 27.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 15:38:02|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's postal industry registered stellar growth in revenue and business volume last month, the latest official data showed.

In January, the business revenue of the sector totaled 116.92 billion yuan (about 18.16 billion U.S. dollars), up 56.4 percent year on year, according to statistics released by the State Post Bureau.

Business volume expanded 71.3 percent from the same period last year to 119.28 billion yuan.

In January, China's express delivery firms handled 8.49 billion parcels, up 124.7 percent from one year earlier, with their business revenues surging 73.3 percent year on year to 86.76 billion yuan. Enditem
CHICOPEE  The search for an 11-year-old who has been missing for six days continued on Thursday with a widespread aerial search of the Connecticut River.

Aiden Blanchard was last seen around 11:30 a.m. on Friday in the Willimansett neighborhood and is believed to have been heading to the area of the Medina Street Boat Launch at the Connecticut River. His family reported him missing later in the day.

Since his disappearance, Chicopee police and firefighters and the Massachusetts State Police have searched the water with divers, boats, drones and by helicopter.

On Wednesday night a person reported seeing a body in the river in Agawam, prompting a two-hour search of the river in that town by boat by the Agawam Fire Department and by the state police helicopter.

It reconvened this morning with a drone flight. We didnt find anything of interest, Agawam Fire Chief Alan Sirois said.

Also on Thursday a flight crew from the State Police Air Wing conducted an aerial search of the Connecticut River, flying low over the water and its banks from Chicopee to the Connecticut line, said David Procopio, state police spokesman.

The flight crew did not locate any evidence related to Aidens disappearance. The crew observed vast areas of ice covering parts of the river, including south of where Route 91 crosses the river down to Memorial Bridge in Springfield, and again further south, north of Six Flags in Agawam, he said.

State police specialized units, including trained divers, are expected to join with local police and fire departments in the coming days to continue searching. The Marine Units special boat from Boston Harbor, which is larger and has the stability to navigate among ice floes, is expected to join the search with the drone unit and the detective unit for Hampden County.

The investigation into Aidens disappearance has found no evidence of foul play, authorities have said.

Aiden, a sixth-grader at Edward J. Bellamy Middle School, is described as having brown hair, blue eyes, is 5 feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red ski jacket and black ski pants.

He was alone when he was last seen. Police continue to ask anyone who saw him after 11:30 a.m. on Friday or has any information about his disappearance to immediately call 911, Chicopee police at 413-594-1639 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.

A GoFundMe account for Aidens mother, Michelle Blanchard, has raised more than $8,500 to help with any search efforts and assist her in taking care of her family, which includes two younger children who are fifth-graders at Gen. John Stefanik School.

Michelle works in a large, urban school district as a social worker taking care of children with significant emotional disabilities. She now needs her community to take care of her, the website said.

This is the second time in less than a year that tragedy has hit the family. Aidens father, David Blanchard, died on June 5 after being involved in a car crash, the website said.

This spring they lost their father in a tragic car accident and these last 8 months have been a painful journey of grieving, the website said.

The Chicopee School Department has extra counselors available remotely and in-person to help Aidens classmates at Bellamy and children at Stefanik School. Aiden attended Stefanik School from kindergarten until he moved onto middle school, Superintendent Lynn A. Clark said.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) The spokesperson of the Philippine General Hospital who is slated to receive the first COVID-19 vaccine shot said Friday he will gladly take it to encourage other people, including his fellow frontliners battling the pandemic.

In a way, I wanted to tell our frontliners, especially those working in PGH, that the vaccine is here, Dr. Jonas del Rosario said in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source.

So I will gladly take it, even just for the first dose, to encourage others to take it also, he added.

Del Rosario, however, noted there are other frontliners who may be more deserving to get the vaccine first, saying he may have some immunity after contracting the coronavirus twice last year.

But they identified me as someone that can probably represent the frontliners who had significant experience with COVID, and partly quite affected by it, he explained.

It was announced in a Malacanang briefing on Thursday that Del Rosario was chosen by officials to take the first shot. The PGH is also among the first hospitals in Metro Manila that will be covered by the first batch of vaccines expected to arrive this February.

Del Rosario said most of the institutions healthcare workers and employees are anticipating the vaccination, with around 93 percent of the force expected to be inoculated.
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Mumbai, Feb 12 : Filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah said he is connecting back to his roots with his upcoming medical thriller show, "Human".

The show is not about Covid but highlights medical trials that have taken place across the world for decades now.

"'Human' is my dream project," he said, adding: "I used to do this kind of stuff in theatre, and with 'Human', I am connecting back to the roots. It's a first for me on the digital space and it's the complete opposite of what I have done in 20 years of my Hindi film career." The show stars Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari, and is directed by Shah and Mozez Singh.

"I first had the idea to do something in the space of medical trials around three and a half years ago. I discussed the idea with Mozez in 2019 and he was equally excited about it. We then decided to go ahead and develop it into a story," Vipul said.

"Mozez came back to me in a few months after our initial meeting with a complete story in place. When I heard it, I knew this had the potential to be something completely different and path breaking and. Then Mozez put together and ran the writers room and the writing team wrote diligently all through 2020," he added.

Vipul continued: "It was a complex show to write as it had to be written in a way that would make sense to the audience. The writers rooms did a great job of putting it all together and of making the world of drug trials edgy, entertaining and completely relatable. This is a very important subject for society and we wanted to ensure that we present it with all its sensitivities and complexities intact. As a team, we have all been deeply involved in getting the story right." The show went on the floors in Mumbai on January 21. The show is co-written by Mozez Singh and Ishani Banerji. It is slated to premiere later this year.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Even as the stranded Indians benefitted from the government Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights during the pandemic, the national carrier lost 19 ground staff due to Covid-19 and other complications. In a reply to Lok Sabha, the civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that a total of 1,995 Air India personnel, including the crew deployed on VMB, were tested positive for Covid-19 till February 1. Out of these infected personnel, some 583 personnel were hospitalised, but there have been no fatalities reported among the crew members.

The international travel restrictions imposed on March 25 made it challenging for the stranded Indians overseas to return to the country. In April, following their requests, the civil aviation ministry started the international repatriation flights under VBM. Almost all domestic carriers like Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Vistara and others started flying under VBM based on the schedule prepared by the ministry.

The minister also told the lower house that the Covid-19 tests for the crew are undertaken as per SOP (standard operating procedures) issued by Air India's medical department which is in line with the government's guidelines for such tests.

So far, over 2.21 million passengers have been repatriated by Air India Group alone across eight phases in a total of 16,306 flights. The ninth phase of VBM has just concluded that covered 24 countries such as Australia, Canada, US, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, and others.

Not just that. Domestic airlines are also flying on international routes under the "transport bubbles" arrangements between India and other countries. The primary objective of these bubble flights is to restart commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended during pandemic. So far, India has made arrangements with 25 countries including the US, the UK, Japan, Germany, UAE and others.

Ratings agency ICRA has estimated the net loss of domestic carriers at Rs 21,000 crore for FY21 due to travel restrictions and drop in passenger traffic as a result of pandemic.

Also read: Centre may get around Rs 15,000 crore from Air India sale

Also read: Air India sale: Govt gets a surprise bid for national carrier, who's it?
Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, say goodbye to law and order Joe.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Princess Eugenie has left hospital to begin family life with her husband Jack and their newborn son.

The first-time mother, 30, looked glowing as she was driven away from The Portland Hostpital by Jack Brooksbank, sitting in the back with their new arrival in his car seat.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's daughter flashed a smile and waved to photographers as she was driven away, looking fresh faced three days after welcoming her first baby with tequila boss Jack.

Dressed in a comfortable-looking 90 A-line tartan 'Nap' dress by Hillhouse, the new mother covered up against the chilly temperatures in a classic 785 Maxmara camel coat and kept one hand one her baby son to keep him calm as he embarked on his first care journey.

Snuggled up in a 240 Cybex car seat, the newest member of the British monarchy took the rear left passenger seat, while Princess Eugenie sat next to him, keeping a protective arm over her new son as the couple drove away.

This is Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbanks first child, The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of Yorks first grandchild, and the ninth great-grandchild for The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The new baby will not have a royal title though, only the grandchildren of the monarch are automatically entitled to one.

It is not clear whether the couple are returning to their permanent home, Ivy Cottage at Kesington Palace, or Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, where the couple spent time before Christmas after being loaned the home by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Princess Eugenie waved to the cameras as she left hospital to begin family life with her husband Jack and their newborn son. The first-time mother looked glowing in a 90 Hillhouse tartan A-line 'Nap' dress and camel coat as she sat next to her new baby on the back seat of the couple's vehicle

New dad Jack Brooksbank was behind the wheel as he drove his family away from The Portland Hospital in Central London

Very precious cargo: Mr Brooksbank looked a little nervous behind the wheel as he negotiated Westminster's streets this morning

The couple's first child won't get a royal title as only the Queen's grandchildren automatically get one. It's thought the Queen's granddaughter and her husband are also keen for their son to have a 'normal life'

The Queen's granddaughter, 30, had husband Jack Brooksbank at her side at The Portland Hospital in central London where their son - the Queen's ninth great grandchild - was delivered at 8.55am on Tuesday.

The new arrival, who is 11th in line to the throne, weighs 8lbs 1oz and the couple broke with tradition by immediately sharing a black and white photo to Eugenie's Instagram of their baby boy, showing them holding his tiny hand.

Proud new mother Eugenie followed the post with three blue hearts after welcoming her son at the luxury private hospital where Meghan Markle also gave birth to her son, Archie.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank were delighted with the news, Buckingham Palace announced, adding that 'Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well'.

Let the sleepless nights begin! Princess Eugenie has left hospital to begin family life with her husband Jack and their newborn son after giving birth on Tuesday. The new mother kept a firm grip on the Cybex baby carrier that the newest member of the royal family was carried to the couple's car in

Princess Eugenie gave birth to her first child, a baby boy born on Tuesday at The Portland Hospital and broke with tradition by immediately sharing a black and white photo to Instagram of their new arrival, showing them holding his tiny hand

Eugenie beamed as she waved at well-wishers and photographers as she was whisked away from the central London hospital. While her newborn was firmly strapped into the rear left hand passenger seat, the 30-year-old princess sat in the middle with a protective arm over the baby's car seat

Their new son - whose name has not yet been revealed - is Eugenie and Jack's first child and the proud parents couldn't hide their smiles as they drove away from hospital this morning

A Portland Hospital porter carries Princess Eugenie's belongings from her short stay at the exclusive London hospital to a second awaiting car

A large bouquet of flowers and a pink jacket were among the items that followed the couple back to their home

It's unclear whether the couple were bound for Fergie and Prince Andrew's home on the Queen's Windsor estate or Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's former home, Frogmore cottage, where they've spent recent weeks leading up to the birth

Lockdown birth: Princess Eugenie spent the final weeks of her pregnancy in lockdown in Windsor. RIght: a watchful eye - the new mother could barely take her eyes off her new son as they began their journey back to Windsor

Comfort: Back in December, Princess Eugenie delivered an online Christmas message for The Anti-Slavery Collective, wearing what is believed to be the same tartan Nap dress by Hillside that she left the Portland Hospital wearing today

Although Princess Eugenie's baby son is 11th in line to the throne, he will not have a title nor an official royal role, meaning he won't carry out any royal duties. Pictured, a graphic illustrating the order of succession. Princess Anne follows behind her younger brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward (not pictured) despite being older because of the system of male primogeniture, which was in place at the time of her birth but was revised in 2011

The tartan A-line 'Nap' dress worn by Princess Eugenie is clearly a favourite of the royal's; she last wore it to deliver The Anti-Slavery Collective Christmas message shortly before Christmas in a four-minute video address.

The long cardigan-style camel coat, 785 by Maxmara, that finished Eugenie's look as she left hospital offered a layer of warmth on a February morning where temperatures barely crept above zero degrees.

Princess Eugenie's baby WON'T have a royal title Princess Eugenie won't accept a royal title for her baby if offered by the Queen because it is a 'curse' and she wants her child to have an 'ordinary life', a family friend told Vanity Fair in September. A family friend of the couple revealed several months ago that titles 'don't matter' to the couple, who will raise the child at their home of Kensington Palace, and said they just want 'a happy healthy child.' Speaking to Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl, the source revealed: 'Eugenie knows that a title can be a curse as well as a blessing and she and Jack want their child to live an ordinary life and eventually work to earn a living.' Sources also revealed the couple will choose an 'ordinary' name for their first born. According to the regulations of the House of Windsor, Eugenie's baby will not automatically be entitled to the HRH styling, which only extends to grandchildren of the monarch. The source said even if the Queen offered a title as a gift, it was 'not Eugenie or Jacks desire; for their child to have a title. Despite having royal titles, Princess Eugenie and her sister Princess Beatrice are not currently considered to be senior working royals, because they do not carry out duties full time on behalf of the Queen. Advertisement

The Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother James Middleton was among the first to congratulate Eugenie and her husband, a tequila brand ambassador, writing on Instagram: 'Such wonderful news'.

Sarah Ferguson and Lady Violet Diana Louise Manners both 'liked' the post, while Clarence House sent their well-wishes and penned: 'Congratulations to Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on the birth of their son.'

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) charity, which treated Princess Eugenie for the rare condition of scoliosis when she was 12, also wrote: 'Congratulations to our Patron, HRH Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on the birth of their baby boy. We are so delighted for you both and would like to wish you all the very best'.

The new baby is 11th in line to the throne behind Prince Charles, Prince William and his children George, Charlotte and Louis, Prince Harry and his son Archie, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie. The Queen's youngest son Prince Edward has been nudged down to 12th.

The Queen could bestow a title on her ninth great-grandchild if desired, but it will not be asked for, sources say.

Speaking to Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl, a source recently revealed: 'Eugenie knows that a title can be a curse as well as a blessing and she and Jack want their child to live an ordinary life and eventually work to earn a living.'

The new mother is currently on maternity leave from her job as a director at Mayfair art gallery Hausery & Wirth, while Jack works for tequila brand Casamigos.

Earlier this week, the brand was quick to jump on the couple's baby announcement, sending a press release 11 minutes after the Buckingham Palace missive, asking for reports to namecheck the company.

Casamigos  which was co-founded by Hollywood star George Clooney  sent out a press request that any mention of proud father Mr Brooksbank should include his official title.

Not a royal title, it must be stressed  he has resolutely stayed a Mr in spite of his marriage to the Queens granddaughter.

The statement read: Due to the recent news surrounding the arrival of the Royal Baby from HRH Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, we wanted to drop you a note to ask if you are to mention any further details about Jack Brooksbank that you use his official title: European Brand Director of Casamigos Tequila.

Eugenie and Jack, spent lockdown at Fergie and Prince Andrew's home on the Queen's Windsor estate, but have recently spent time at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's former home, Frogmore cottage.

The couple moved into the five-bedroom home in Windsor in November after a direct arrangement with the Sussexes.

However, it was reported that just six weeks later, they quit the Grade-II listed house and moved back to Kensington Palace.

It was understood that Eugenie and her cousin Harry reached a 'private agreement' over Frogmore Cottage though it is not known how long it will last.

At the time of the move, Harry and Meghan, who currently reside in an 11million mansion in California, said they were 'delighted' to 'open up their home' while they were in the United States.

Frogmore Cottage was gifted to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, by the Queen ahead of their wedding in May 2018, and remains their UK residence.

The move to Frogmore Cottage brought the couple closer to the Princess's parents, who live four miles away at Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park, and less than a mile from Windsor Castle, where the Queen is spending lockdown with Prince Philip.

Eugenie and Jack had been living at Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace.
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OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2021 / The following matter was voted upon at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of CALIAN GROUP LTD. (TSX:CGY) held on February 11, 2021 virtually. This and other matters voted upon are described in greater detail in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders dated December 14, 2020 and Management Proxy Circular dated December 14, 2020.

Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors are set out below.



Name of Nominee

Votes For

% Votes For

Votes Withheld

% Votes Withheld George Weber 6,175,322 90.2% 672,626 9.8% Jo-Anne Poirier 5,589,528 81.6% 1,258,420 18.4% Ray Basler 6,221,353 90.9% 626,595 9.1% Kenneth Loeb 5,196,006 75.9% 1,651,942 24.1% Young Park 6,583,286 96.1% 264,662 3.9% Royden Ronald Richardson 6,839,091 99.9% 8,857 0.1% Kevin Ford 6,624,598 96.7% 223,350 3.3%

About Calian

Calian employs over 4,400 people in its delivery of diverse products and solutions for private sector, government and defence customers in North American and global markets. The Company's diverse capabilities are delivered through four divisions: Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning, and IT and Cyber Solutions. Advanced Technologies provides innovative products, technologies and manufacturing services and solutions for the space, communications, defence, nuclear, government and agriculture sectors. Health manages a network of more than 2,000 healthcare professionals delivering primary care and occupational health services to public and private sector clients across Canada. Learning is a trusted provider of emergency management, consulting and specialized training services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and clients in the defence, health, energy and other sectors. IT and Cyber Solutions supports public- and private-sector customer requirements for subject matter expertise in the delivery of complex IT and cyber security solutions. Headquartered in Ottawa, the company's offices and projects span Canada and international markets. For further information, please visit our website at www.calian.com.

For further information, please visit our website at www.calian.com, or contact us at ir@calian.com.

CONTACT:

Kevin Ford

President and Chief Executive Officer

613-599-8600

Patrick Houston

Chief Financial Officer

613-599-8600

Media inquiries:

613-599-8600 x 2298

SOURCE: Calian Group Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/629459/Calian-Reports-on-the-Election-of-Directors-Voting-Results

Hindustan Unilever's Project Shakti, which enables rural women (Shakti Ammas) to achieve financial independence by distributing its FMCG products, is well known. Just like the Shakti Ammas (who for several rural households are an important touchpoint for their daily consumption needs), last mile delivery start-up, Frontier Markets, is also empowering women in rural India to do last mile deliveries. The "Saral Jeevan Sahelis", as they are referred to, don't supply soaps and detergents; they are the last mile suppliers of consumer appliances and durables such as refrigerators, TV panels, washing machines, mixer-grinders and smart phones. So, if a farmer living in a far-flung village in Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan, wishes to buy a refrigerator, the easiest way for him to do so is to reach out to a Saheli in his village.

Ajaita Shah, Founder and CEO, Frontier Markets, says that there was a clear gap in the market. "What we recognised was that the rural consumers did know about durable brands, they were also interested in buying them, they had the money too. It is the product companies and the suppliers who didn't have the right kind of distribution infrastructure to reach out to these consumers. The consumer, on the other hand, had to travel 30-50 kilometres to get to a nearby town to by a TV or a refrigerator."

Frontier Markets, through its network of 10,000 rural women entrepreneurs across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar, has connected with over 3.5 lakh households and sold over 2 million products. "These women on an average earn anywhere between Rs 45,000 and Rs 65,000 a year," claims Shah.

The last mile delivery services onboards these women entrepreneurs by partnering with local self-help groups and NGOs. "The Sahelis are given a voice-enabled Saheli app which they can download on their phones. The uniqueness of the app is that it is designed for rural women. It's vernacular, it's voice-enabled. She uses the app to run her business, but we work with her physically and train her to become a 'Saheli'," Shah further explains.

Frontier Markets was launched in 2011 and till about 2015, it was a rural last mile delivery solutions provider that mostly employed men. It was in 2015 that the company decided to employ only women. Shah says that in rural India, though the final purchase of an appliance is made by the man of the house, 70 per cent of the users of the products are women. Therefore, it was important to strike the chord with the lady of the house.

"We realised that we needed to bring women into our business, as it is always easier for a woman to enter a house. They are trust builders, men aren't. We said that we had to shift and actually bring women into the value chain, because it's smart business," says Shah.

Though consumer durable and appliances distribution is at the core of Frontier Markets' strategy, the company during the COVID-19 lockdown also partnered with FMCG companies such as HUL and P&G. It also added fintech services and 4G top-ups.

Shah claims that the Rs 50 crore company has been growing exponentially in the past few years. Her ambition is to widen her network to 200,000 Sahelis in the next couple of years and widen her services to insurance products, agri-products and financial services.

ALSO READ: With eye on PSU disinvestment, Anil Agarwal to form $10 bn fund with Centricus

ALSO READ: Q3FY21 earnings: Growth momentum continues with impressive show so far

Many counties, particularly small counties, do not have enough paid health care workers to staff vaccination clinics for hours every day, so they rely on volunteers to squeeze in time on days off, and before and after work, to help inoculate people against the deadly virus. The people stepping up are often doctors, nurses and students who give up their free time after long hours in classrooms, medical practices, ICUs, and ERs where they have battled the virus for the past year.


[February 12, 2021] Artificial Intelligence Startup Labelbox Closes $40 Million in Series C Funding

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Labelbox, the leading training data platform for enterprise machine learning applications, today announced the close of a $40 million Series C funding led by B Capital Group. Previous investors Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, Gradient Ventures (Googles AI venture fund) and Kleiner Perkins also participated in addition to Catherine Wood, CEO and founder of ARK Invest. To date, Labelbox has raised $79 million in venture funding.

We give ML teams a complete workflow that organizes and manages data, people and processes to drive competitive business advantage for companies in every major enterprise vertical, said Manu Sharma, Labelboxs CEO and co-founder. Our software platform creates the best collaboration possible between automation and human expertise. We understand that our customers success depends on speed. Faster iteration loops via automation is the engine powering improved performance in AI. Labelbox offers a software platform to manage, annotate and iterate training data, the most important intellectual property of the artificial intelligence age. Data labeling is a 4 billion dollar market that is expected to nearly quadruple in the next four years. With algorithms available for free and computing resources increasingly commoditized, high-quality labeled training data is the most valuable asset for enterprises adopting supervised learning solutions. Data has become the most valuable asset a company can possess, regardless of industry, and machine learning is emerging as the key enabler for digital transformation by leveraging data insights. However, most enterprises that adopt machine learning spend over 80% of thei time in data labeling and data management, said Rashmi Gopinath, General Partner at B Capital Group.



Labelboxs training data platform supports many of the Fortune 500 enterprises and federal agencies with an unparalleled set of tools to unlock the full potential of machine learning and deploy accurate models that are constantly improving to help drive better business outcomes, Gopinath continued. Were excited to partner with Manu and Brian and the entire Labelbox team to build a category leader in machine learning data infrastructure and enable enterprises to realize meaningful ROI from their AI/ML investments. To build real-world applications, machine learning teams need robust infrastructure that is able to import raw data into labeling workflows, allowing enterprises to manage widely distributed annotation teams, monitor quality, adjust for bias, and export high-quality labeled training data to machine-learning models.

Labelbox functions like a command center for enterprise data. It automates the process with a pre-labeling web-based platform so that enterprises can connect and collaborate easily across databases, BPOs and labeling services regardless of time zone or geography. Labelbox customers report accelerating iteration cycles by up to 800 percent using the platform and cutting development time in half in pushing new models into production. Labelbox software provides the advanced annotation capabilities that our teams need for our diverse AI projects. The platform facilitates collaboration and management of multiple distributed labeling workforces, and the integration between our internal processes and the Labelbox platform is easy and works like a charm," noted Andres Pretio-Moreno, Director, Corporate Technology Advanced Projects at FLIR. We look forward to continuing to roll out the software across more enterprise initiatives. Labelbox is currently being used by industries as diverse as agriculture, insurance, healthcare, media, and military intelligence with customers that include Genentech, Warner Brothers, Bayer, and BASF. About Labelbox Founded in 2018 and based in San Francisco, Labelbox is the worlds leading training data platform for machine learning applications. Rather than requiring companies to build their own expensive and incomplete homegrown tools, Labelbox created the worlds first collaborative training data platform that acts as a command center for data science teams to interface with dispersed annotation teams. Better ways to input and manage data leads to higher quality training data, more accurate machine-learning models and faster iterations to improve the algorithms that drive business growth. Labelbox has raised $79 million in capital from leading venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, including Andreessen Horowitz, B Capital Group, Gradient (Googles AI venture firm), Kleiner Perkins and more. For more information, visit: https://www.Labelbox.com/ Editorial contact:

Lonn Johnston

Flak42 for Labelbox

+1 650.219.7764

lonn@flak42.com



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A more recent publication of this set of statistics is available. Latest publication: Index of turnover of construction 2021, March

Published: 12 February 2021

Turnover of construction enterprises continued falling in December

The fall in working day adjusted turnover and sales volume of construction enterprises continued in December. According to Statistics Finland, turnover adjusted for working days went down by 3.7 per cent compared to the year before. The volume of sales, from which the impact of prices has been eliminated, fell by 3.3 per cent. Among construction industries, turnover and sales volume declined in building construction and specialised construction activities. In civil engineering, turnover and sales volume continued to grow strongly.

Annual change in working day adjusted turnover and sales volume of construction, %

Seasonally adjusted turnover in building construction fell in December by 9.8 per cent and sales volume by 10.1 per cent compared to one year ago. Working day adjusted turnover in civil engineering grew by 15.9 per cent and sales volume by 13.9 per cent compared to one year earlier. The working day adjusted turnover of specialised construction activities fell by 2.6 per cent and sales volume by 2.8 per cent from the year before.

Annual change in working day adjusted turnover and sales volume of construction, December 2020, %

Both turnover and sales volume fell compared to November

Seasonally adjusted turnover in construction went down by 0.7 per cent in December compared to November. Seasonally adjusted sales volume fell by 0.8 per cent from one month ago.

Change in seasonally adjusted turnover and sales volume of construction from the previous month, %

The calculation of indices of turnover of construction is based on the Tax Administrations data on self-assessed taxes, which are supplemented with Statistics Finlands sales inquiry. The monthly turnover of construction enterprises can have even large variations due to invoicing practices. The final invoice for major projects may be recorded in the sales of one month, even if the project had required the work of several months or years.

The factors caused by the variation in the number of weekdays are taken into account in adjustment for working days. This means taking into consideration the lengths of months, different weekdays and holidays. In addition, seasonal variation is eliminated from seasonally adjusted series, on account of which it makes sense to compare observations of two successive months as well.

The data for the latest month are preliminary and are released at a delay of around six weeks. The data may become significantly revised particularly on more detailed industry levels in coming months.

Trends in turnover of construction by industry (TOL 2008)

Industries of enterprises have been revised in the data released in February

Starting from statistical release published in February 2021, the latest industries defined by the Business Register have been taken into use in the turnover and wage and salary indices. The industry corrections are visible as revised data in some of the published industries for the years 2019-2020. The effects of the changes are taken into consideration in statistics production so that no breaks occur in the time series of the published index series. The interpretation of the statistics also remains unchanged in the renewal. Revisions to annual changes in industries are presented under Revisions in these statistics.

Source: Index of turnover of construction, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Lauri Pullinen 029 551 3043, rakennus.suhdanne@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Katri Kaaja

Publication in pdf-format (285.8 kB)

Updated 12.02.2021

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Index of turnover of construction [e-publication].

ISSN=1798-5935. December 2020. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 30.5.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/rlv/2020/12/rlv_2020_12_2021-02-12_tie_001_en.html

NSW health authorities are racing to contact about 7000 people who attended venues of concern in Melbourne  including Melbourne Airport  in light of a growing coronavirus cluster in the city that has plunged Victoria into a snap five-day lockdown.

NSW residents in Victoria are now in a race against the clock to return home  but NSW Health has significantly walked back an announcement made on Friday afternoon that anyone who visited Victoria in the past two weeks would be forced to follow the same lockdown rules as those south of the border.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says Victoria is not at the stage that her state should consider a border closure. Credit: Peter Braig

The Victorian restrictions come into effect at 11.59pm on Friday and, under current arrangements, will expire at midnight on Wednesday, February 17.

A media release issued on Friday evening clarified that only residents who arrived after 11.59pm on Friday, February 12, would be subject to the lockdown measures that Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews set out on Friday afternoon.
Jeffrey Epstein, Associates Forced Girls to Marry for Immigration Purposes: Filing

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and associates arranged at least three forced marriages in order to skirt immigration laws, according to a newly filed court document.

The federal government alleges Epstein anchored a criminal enterprise, which is referred in court documents as the Epstein Enterprise.

The syndicate forced at least three separate arranged marriages, in each case requiring American female victims to marry foreign victims to avoid their deportation, according to a new filing from U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George.

The victims were coerced into to [sic] participating in these arranged marriages, and understood that there would be consequences, including serious reputational and bodily harm, if they refused to enter a marriage or attempted to end it.

George also alleged that the primary purpose of arranging the marriages was so the women could continue to be available to Epstein for his abusea doubly-deep assault on their will and dignity.

The filing, an amended lawsuit against Epsteins estate, adds Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, co-executors of the estate, as defendants.

The men helped Epstein coerce sex trafficking victims, authorities now allege. Kahn is accused of providing a letter of reference for at least one immigration application and tax services to the spouses, while Indyke allegedly paid the immigration lawyer who applied for citizenship for the women and threatened at least one who indicated that she would seek a divorce.

They used their professional skills and authority to carry out this abhorrent scheme, the filing states, referring to the pair as the indispensable captains of Epsteins criminal enterprise, roles for which they were richly rewarded.

Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges and other counts, owned multiple homes, including abodes in New York, Florida, and New Mexico. He also owned an entire island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, giving George jurisdiction over his estate.

Little St. James Island, one of the properties owned by Jeffrey Epstein, is seen in an aerial view near Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, on July 21, 2019. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

George said the estate continues to refuse to cooperate with discovery, documents, and information, but she obtained information elsewhere about the alleged crimes that Epstein and his accused co-conspirators committed. She first sued the estate last year.

In a statement to news outlets, a lawyer on behalf of the estate said Indyke and Kahn categorically reject the allegations of misconduct made for the first time today by the Attorney General of the Virgin Islands regarding their purported roles in the so-called Epstein Enterprise.'

The facts are clear: neither Mr. Indyke nor Mr. Kahn had any involvement in any misconduct by Mr. Epstein of any kind, at any time, the lawyer added.

In a separate but related case, George last week asked a judge to immediately freeze all of the assets and cash on hand for Epsteins estate, arguing the estate breached its commitments to fund a compensation program for the deceaseds victims.

The estate has failed to make its currently-owed payment to maintain funding of the Program, or even to commit to the timing of its next payment, a court document stated. The Estates failure to make its required payment without any prior warning seems designed to precipitate a crisis, which it has inasmuch as the Programs Administrator, Jordana Feldman, has announced that she is suspending claim awards from the Program.

In a response on behalf of the co-executors, lawyers said the compensation program is continuing as before except with what it described as a temporary hold on issuing compensation determination offers.

The estate has already funded the program with over $87 million, it said. Out of that, nearly $58 million has been paid out to claimants.

Indyke and Kahn are focusing on liquidating the estates assets, the filing said, as lawyers argued the court shouldnt rule in favor of Georges motion.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 20:18:06|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian refugees mostly from the restive northeast state of Borno who fled to Cameroon due to Boko Haram insurgency will be brought back to Nigeria later in the month and early next month, a Nigerian official said.

The repatriation of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon has been scheduled for Feb. 27 and March 7 following a meeting in Maroua, Cameroon, of representatives from Nigeria's federal government, its Borno state government and from the government of Cameroon, Borno state governor's spokesperson Isa Gusau said in a statement reaching Xinhua on Friday.

"A tripartite commission meeting held on Wednesday night has fixed Feb. 27 and March 7, 2021, to commence the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees toward resettlement in Borno," Gusau said.

"More than 46,000 Nigerians, mostly from Borno, have been taking refuge in Minawao refugee camp, located in Mokolo, far north region of Cameroon," the spokesperson said.

The extremist group Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria since 2009. The group has also extended its attacks to countries in the Lake Chad Basin.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Boko Haram insurgency has displaced nearly 2.4 million people in the Lake Chad Basin. Enditem

The forced resignation of New York Times science correspondent Donald G. McNeil Jr. is the latest disgraceful expression of the reactionary role of identity politics.

McNeil, whose association with the Times goes back nearly 45 years, was a guide on a newspaper-sponsored 2019 trip to Peru for high school students and their parents. Afterward, some six of the students or their parents, out of more than two dozen on the trip, complained that he had used a racist slur.

New York Times building (Photo: Javier Do)

In his resignation letter, McNeil explained the incident that led to the end of his career at the Times, which has taken him to 60 countries and included coverage of the HIV/AIDS crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

I was asked at dinner by a student whether I thought a classmate of hers should have been suspended for a video she had made as a 12-year-old in which she used a racial slur. To understand what was in the video, I asked if she had called someone else the slur or whether she was rapping or quoting a book title. In asking the question, I used the slur itself.

Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet authorized an investigation, and McNeil received a reprimand for this behavior. This took place in September 2019, nearly 18 months ago. The issue surfaced again, however, after a recent story in the Daily Beast. In response to the latest publicity, Baquet sent a letter to the papers staff saying that McNeils language was offensive and that he showed extremely poor judgment, but adding that it did not appear to me that his intentions were hateful or malicious.

Indeed, it should be noted, the repetition of the N-word in context, as far back as Mark Twain, is not only not racist but can be quite the opposite.

Among a significant and noisy number of Times writers and staff, however, Baquets denunciation of McNeil was far from sufficient. In effect, they demanded a new trial of the journalist, on the same charge. Some 150 staff signed a letter that complained that we have given a prominent platforma critical beat covering a pandemic disproportionately affecting people of colorto someone who chose to use language that is offensive and unacceptable by any newspapers standards.

Heavily involved in this effort was Nikole Hannah-Jones, the creator of the since-discredited 1619 Project published by the Times in 2019, as well as John Eligon, described by the newspaper as a national correspondent covering race.

Various news outlets have reported that when a reporter from the right-wing Washington Free Beacon asked Hannah-Jones about her own use of the N-word on Twitter, she responded by tweeting the reporters question and included his phone number. Allegedly, she kept the phone number online for 71 hours, before finally deleting her entire Twitter history, including the 2016 tweet she was asked to comment on.

Hannah-Jones asserted the deletions were entirely coincidental and had no connection to the controversy. Some of you may be aware, as I said this on here more than once, I auto delete my tweets at regular intervals now, she tweeted February 9.

According to a report in the Guardian, among the complaints made against McNeil was that he did not agree with the use of the term white privilege. Furthermore, the letter insisted that the matter of racist intent was irrelevant. [W]hat matters, the letter went on, is how an act makes victims feel; [McNeils] victims werent shy about decrying his conduct on the trip.

Victims? This is the realm of microaggressions, part of the dogma and practice of identity politics in the corporate world and academia, a well-honed and frequently used technique to settle scores and part of the frenzied competition for jobs, perks and other privileges.

Even though Baquet had expressly referred to the lack of racist or hateful intent only a week earlier, the Times editor reversed course in response to the outcry orchestrated by Hannah-Jones and others. Last Friday, Baquet and Joe Kahn, the papers managing editor, sent out a new letter, including the following:

We are writing to let you know that Donald McNeil Jr. will be leaving the company. Donald joined The Times in 1976 and has done much good reporting over four decades. But we feel that this is the right next step.

We do not tolerate racist language regardless of intent. We are committed to building a news report and company that reflect our core values of integrity and respect, and will work with urgency to create clearer guidelines and enforcement about conduct in the workplace, including red-line issues on racist language.

The editors also sent out an apology from McNeil, an exercise in self-abasement in which he referred to his extraordinarily bad judgement and extended his sincerest apology to the students, his colleagues and the Times itself.

Whatever McNeils reasons for sending this letter, many of his colleagues were outraged over the affair. As reported in the Washington Free Beacon, longtime labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, writing on the page of a private Facebook group for current and former Times staffers, asked, whatever happened to the notion of worker solidarity, to giving a fellow worker the benefit of the doubt? Greenhouse, who retired in 2014, pointed to McNeils history of fighting for the interests of his colleagues, including on such issues as employee pensions when they were threatened by management.

Greenhouse angrily claimed that McNeils critics were far more willing to sympathize with these privileged 15- and 16-year-olds than with a longtime colleague who has done much great work for the Times over the years.

Further criticism came from PEN America, which issued a statement in the name of its president, Suzanne Nossel, that acknowledged the history and significance of racist language, but added, For reporter Donald McNeil to end his long career, apparently as a result of a single word, risks sending a chilling message. That the paper apparently altered its course in relation to this incident as a result of public pressure is a further worrying signal. The Times readers depend upon its journalists and editors to be able to carry out their work without fear that a lone errant statement may cost them their job.

The long career that PEN refers to has not yet been removed from the Timess own website. It includes the following:

Donald G. McNeil Jr. is a science and health reporter specializing in plagues and pestilences. He covers diseases of the worlds poor and wider epidemics, including Covid-19, AIDS, Ebola, malaria, swine and bird flus and Zika. 

He joined The New York Times in 1976 as a copy boy and has been a night rewrite man, an environmental reporter, a theater columnist and an editor. From 1995 to 2002 he was a foreign correspondent in Africa and Europe and has reported from 60 countries.

He has won awards for stories about places that have successfully fought AIDS, about patent monopolies that keep drug prices high in Africa, about diseases that cannot be eradicated, about cancer victims in poor countries dying without pain relief and about the Love Canal toxic waste dump.

His articles and his appearances on the Times podcast The Daily helped raise awareness of the pandemic threat posed by Covid-19.

McNeils work was featured in the newspaper until days before he was suddenly ushered out the door. On January 25, the Times published an interview he conducted with Anthony Fauci, entitled, Fauci on What Working for Trump Was Really Like.

The fate of McNeil expresses the backward and destructive logic of identity politics, embraced and promoted by the Times with increasing ferocity in recent years. Everything is viewed through a racial prism, one that assumes racism is unchanging and everywhere. The aims here are to spread confusion and division, especially within the working class, and also to cultivate a new and more diverse upper middle class base in order to defend the interests of American capitalism.

The dishonest weaponizing of racial epithets in this manner has absolutely nothing to do with fighting racism and discrimination. On the contrary, it is directed toward whipping up communal tension and division and must be exposed and opposed.
AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company said that it can take 6 to 9 months to produce Covid-19 vaccines that are effective and can fight against the new variants of the virus.



A six-month turnaround for an updated vaccine would represent a vast improvement over traditional vaccine development timelines, The Guardian reported on Thursday.

During this week's preliminary trials, it was revealed that Oxford-AstraZeneca jab provided little protection against mild to moderate infection, but not against severe disease and death.





The company's vaccine, developed jointly with the University of Oxford, remains effective against the original virus and at least one variant, first discovered in Kent, England. But preliminary findings in a small-scale trial prompted South Africa to limit its use while it ascertains its efficacy against the variant that emerged there, the report said.



A number of Covid vaccines have shown lower efficacy in trials where the South Africa variant predominates -- earlier this week preliminary trials revealed the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab provided little protection against mild to moderate infection, although it is still expected to protect against severe disease and death.



It has recently emerged that some cases of the Kent variant have a mutation also found in the South African variant, a development that scientists have cautioned needs to be taken seriously, not least since the mutation -- known as E484K -- has been linked to the ability for the South African variant to evade protection offered by some current Covid vaccines, the report said.



Panaglos said tests need to be carried out on the Kent variant with the E484K mutation.







Source: IANS Pangalos added that the jabs could be available to the public by the autumn, assuming the regulatory bodies are satisfied with using studies into the body's immune response to the vaccine as the route to approval.The company's vaccine, developed jointly with the University of Oxford, remains effective against the original virus and at least one variant, first discovered in Kent, England. But preliminary findings in a small-scale trial prompted South Africa to limit its use while it ascertains its efficacy against the variant that emerged there, the report said.A number of Covid vaccines have shown lower efficacy in trials where the South Africa variant predominates -- earlier this week preliminary trials revealed the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab provided little protection against mild to moderate infection, although it is still expected to protect against severe disease and death.It has recently emerged that some cases of the Kent variant have a mutation also found in the South African variant, a development that scientists have cautioned needs to be taken seriously, not least since the mutation -- known as E484K -- has been linked to the ability for the South African variant to evade protection offered by some current Covid vaccines, the report said.Panaglos said tests need to be carried out on the Kent variant with the E484K mutation.Source: IANS

"Work on the variants hasn't started today, it started weeks and months ago, as soon as those new variants were identified and... we are aiming to be in the clinic in the spring, with next generation vaccines for the new variants," said Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice-President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca.

France said today that patients who have already had Covid-19 should only get one dose of a vaccine, making it the first country to adopt such a strategy and potentially freeing up millions of doses amid an EU-wide struggle for jab supplies.

Health officials said a single dose would be enough to 'remind' the body how to fight off the virus, because an earlier infection would already have generated an immune response similar to a first shot of the vaccine.

With 3.4million people infected in France in the last year, the new advice will reduce the demands on France's spluttering jab roll-out as it struggles against bungled EU purchasing, rigid bureaucracy and high levels of vaccine scepticism.

It also comes after France lashed out at Britain for its own deviation from the two-dose strategy - a move which has helped the UK vaccinate six times more people than France has done so far.

France has handed out 3.5 doses per 100 people so far, below the EU-wide figure of 4.2 and a long way behind the UK figure of 20.0

The three vaccines approved in the EU - Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca - are all administered in two doses because trials showed them to be effective that way.

But preliminary scientific findings have shown that single shot can produce a 'very robust response' in people who have already fought off the infection once.

A study of 59 health workers who had recovered from Covid-19 found they had higher antibody levels after just one jab than most people have after two doses.

A separate study found that 41 Covid-19 survivors had antibody levels 10 to 20 times higher after one dose than people who had not been infected before.

'The data presented in these two papers are not surprising but are very reassuring,' said immunologist Professor Eleanor Riley of the University of Edinburgh earlier this month.

'Both papers show that a previous infection with Covid-19 primes the immune system to make a very robust response to a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine.'

Dr Peter English, a former chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, said the papers 'describe exactly what the science would predict'.

'It would be entirely rational to focus second, booster doses of vaccine on people who have not had natural priming,' he said.

France's public health authority has now adopted that approach, saying those already infected should not get a jab for at least three months after recovering and potentially as long as six months.

'A single vaccine dose will also play the role of reminding' people's immune system how to fight Covid-19, the health authority said.

'At the moment no country has clearly positioned itself in terms of a sole vaccination dose for people who have already contracted Covid-19,' it added.

French president Emmanuel Macron, pictured, has been criticised for questioning the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as the country struggles to speed up its jab roll-out

A vaccine still in development by Johnson & Johnson works with a single dose, but it is yet to receive emergency use authorisation from EU and US regulators.

France's vaccine programme is still in its infancy six weeks after the EU roll-out began, with only two million people getting any kind of jab so far compared to 13.5million in similarly-sized Britain.

And despite the UK virtually abandoning second doses for the time being, Britain has handed out 524,000 of them in total compared to 442,000 in France.

The UK strategy was savaged last week by France's European affairs minister Clement Beaune, who accused Britain of taking 'enormous risks'.

'I do not think that our citizens would accept us taking all these risks contrary to the opinion of our scientists,' he told French radio.

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.

France is also among the countries to have restricted the AstraZeneca vaccine to under-65s because of the small sample size among older people in clinical trials.

A woman is vaccinated in Paris on Thursday, with France lagging behind Britain and some of its EU neighbours in the vaccine race

Emmanuel Macron was criticised for questioning the effectiveness of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab despite it being approved for all groups by EU regulators.

A survey published earlier this month by YouGov and Imperial College London found 44 per cent of French people saying they would not take a vaccine, the highest figure of any country in the study.

By contrast, people in Britain were the most willing to have a vaccine with 78 per cent saying they would, followed by 67 per cent in Denmark.

France has also suffered the humiliation of seeing its own home-grown vaccine efforts fail to get off the ground in the country of vaccine pioneer Louis Pasteur.

The Pasteur Institute was working on a potential vaccine with drugmaker Merck, but it was shelved last month after disappointing results in trials.

The new strategy for recovered patients could save millions of doses in a country where 3,406,685 people have been infected so far.

Although 80,803 of those have died, there are likely to be many more who have already developed antibodies but were never tested because of limited supplies.
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Agra: A large sex racket has been busted in the High-Security Zone on the Shilpgram road near the Taj Mahal. The Tajganj police raided the Shubh Resort Hotel on Thursday and arrested half a dozen people, including agent Bhima, from the spot. Among the arrested women are two foreign women from Uzbekistan who were brought to India on contract.

This area falls in the High-Security Zone. The police claim that no one can come here without its consent. In this zone, the hotel Shubh Resort was being run by Jismafaroshi. Bhima used to bring young girls of Dhandupura and foreign women on contract and used to stay here. After that customers were sent here.

According to police, one of his team arrived at the hotel and detained more than half a dozen people, including two Uzbekistan girls. Foreign women were called on contract by the agent for body trade. Her photos were sent to customers on WhatsApp. After making the choice, the customer was referred to the girl. Bhima has been doing this work for many years. Those detained by the police from the hotel are being questioned.

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We publish information about wines grown from certified organic or Biodynamic vineyards that are generally made with sulfites (which are usually added in small amounts to preserve the wine).





That includes these certification types:





ORGANIC WINE CERTIFICATIONS





 Made with Organic Grapes





Vineyards: certified organic

Vinification : less than 100 ppm of sulfites (i.e. a normal range)

Winery: certified organic facility

Labeling : front or back label





 Ingredients: Organic Grapes





Vineyards : certified organic

Vinification: up to 350 ppm of sulfites (same as for any non organic wine)

Labeling: back label only





BIODYNAMIC CERTIFICATIONS





 Biodynamic Wine





Vineyards : certified biodynamic

Yeasts : native

Vinification : less than 100 ppm of sulfites; no additives of any kind

Winery: certified biodynamic facility

Labeling: front or back label; Demeter logo may appear





 Made with Biodynamic Grapes





Vineyards : certified biodynamic

Yeasts : native or organic

Vinification: less than 100 ppm of sulfites; limited number of additives permitted

Winery: certified biodynamic facility

Labeling: front or back





Note : unlike organically grown wines, for which there is a category called "Ingredients: Organic Grapes," wines sourced from biodynamic grapes may not make any biodynamic claim on the bottle label. Bottle labeling is reserved for Demeter certified wines only.





SULFITES IN CONTEXT





According to U.C. Davis, t he average among all wines in the U.S. (as well as globally) is 80 ppm.





WHAT THE USDA CALLS ORGANIC WINES





Unlike any other nation, the U.S. oddly imposes a no sulfite restriction on wines in order for them to be called Organic Wine. These wines are also called NSA or NAS wines (which stands for "No Sulfites Added" or "No Added Sulfites.")





From the above description, one can see that there are in fact three types of organically grown wines:





1. Organic Wine (less than 15% of all organically grown wine)

2. Made with Organic Grapes

3. Ingredients: Organic Grapes





The vast majority of wines from organic grapes are labeled Made with Organic Grapes, Ingredients: Organic Grapes or are blended with nonorganic grapes and unlabeled.





Fine winemakers do not generally make wine without sulfites and a number of large wine retailers like BevMo do not sell wine in the category of "USDA Organic Wine."





With rare exceptions, this blog does not cover what the USDA calls "Organic Wine."





We are hopeful that the USDA will revise the categorization of organically grown wines and make NSA or NAS wines a category of their own.





This would put the U.S. in accord with the rest of the world, where "Organic Wine" means a wine from certified grapes made within limits on sulfites (generally under 100-150 ppm).




European police agency Europol have hailed the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) in their investigation into a family based gang who have been described as a mini Rathkeale Rovers crew.

This week it was revealed that mob have made massive money from tarmac scams across Europe, the USA and Canada and have been laundering the cash as well as significant money for one of the biggest drug dealings mobs based in the South East region.

Gardai announced that CAB had frozen 16 bank accounts containing 540,000 in total, following a search operation in Tipperary and Kilkenny.

The CAB raids were part of a wider international policing probe which has identified that the mob have laundered 4 million.

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In a statement today, Europol said: Fund transfers in excess of 4 million were identified from other jurisdictions to Irish bank accounts linked to members of this criminal network. The gang is believed to have made this money from illegal activity across Europe.

The search operation in the cities (sic) of Tipperary and Kilkenny involved searches of 4 residential properties and 1 business premises, as a result of which 100 000 in cash and a car worth 75 000 were seized. A total of 16 bank accounts linked to members of the crime group were also frozen.

The accounts contained cumulative funds of540,000.

"Such results were made possible thanks to the model of non-conviction based forfeiture operated by the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau.

Sources say that the links that the targeted gang have with one of the most prolific drugs trafficking networks in the South East is particularly concerning with the tarmac crew suspected of now engaging in wide scale money laundering for them.

Investigations have established that there are around 20 core members aged from their early 20s to late 60s and sources say there will be more arrests and searches as part of this probe.





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In the operation, CAB officers targeted four residential properties and a business premises where they seized a 201 Volvo XC90 and financial documents.

International cooperation is essential for the successful recovery of assets hidden abroad. Europols position at the heart of the European security architecture helps facilitate such a mechanism, the police agencys statement said.

In this case, Europols European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) pieced together the intelligence provided by different countries on this one same criminal network and put all the involved countries around one table.

The partners have since worked closely together on this case to uncover the actual magnitude of the criminal activity of this gang and to establish a joint strategy for the final phase of the investigation, the statement read.

It was revealed this week that that a number of suspected main players in the gang are facing money laundering charges in Sweden.

It is not just Sweden that this gang have their tentacles, intelligence indicates that they are also known to law enforcement in the United States and Canada as well as a number of EU states, the source pointed out.

The gang operates nationwide and overseas by posing as tradesmen and quoting a "good price" for jobs ranging from laying tarmac to cleaning gutters.

Because of their international tarmac scams, the crew whose base is a Co Tipperary town have been compared to the infamous Rathkeale Rovers mob but gardai say that there are no major links between them and the Limerick gang.
Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA)

Kuala Lumpur  Malaysias Federal Territories Ministry will make it compulsory for every employer to provide details about accommodation for foreign workers being hired in order to obtain the development order approval.

Its minister, Annuar Musa, said this is to ensure that these workers will not be living in over-crowded worker houses, which is in line with the governments efforts in curbing the spread of COVID-19 among foreign workers in the country.

The compulsory condition will be implemented in stages as several centralised labour quarters (CLQ) will need to be provided, he said.

The CLQ is an accommodation concept for companies in various sectors to provide accommodation with various facilities such as transportation for their foreign workers.

Annuar said his ministry has so far identified five locations for the CLQ in Kuala Lumpur, one of which could accommodate a total of 20,000 to 40,000 foreign workers.

About 91.1 percent or 1.4 million foreign workers in Malaysia are not provided with accommodation that complies with provisions in the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990, according to the Malaysian Human Resources Ministry.

The move came following a spike in COVID-19 infections among foreign workers in the third wave of the pandemic in Malaysia.
WASHINGTON - Four companies that agreed to pay a combined $26 billion to settle claims about their roles in the opioid crisis plan to deduct some of those costs from their taxes and recoup around $1 billion apiece.

In recent months, as details of the blockbuster settlement were still being worked out, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson and the "big three" drug distributors - McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health -all updated their financial projections to include large tax benefits stemming from the expected deal, a Washington Post analysis of regulatory filings found.

In one example, Dublin, Ohio-based drug distributor Cardinal Health said earlier this month it planned to collect a $974 million cash refund because it claimed its opioid-related legal costs as a "net operating loss carryback" - a tax provision Congress included in last year's coronavirus bailout package as a way of helping companies struggling during the pandemic.

The deductions may deepen public anger toward companies prosecutors say played key roles in a destructive public health crisis that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year. In lawsuits filed by dozens of states and local jurisdictions, public officials have argued that the companies, among other corporate defendants, flooded the country with billions of highly addictive pills and ignored signs they were being steered to people who abused them.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement - which is being finalized and will ultimately be subject to federal court approval - the four companies would pay between $5 billion and $8 billion each to reimburse communities for the costs of the health crisis. Plaintiffs who support the proposal say it will resolve a highly complex litigation process and make funds available to communities and individuals still struggling with addiction.

Others including Greg McNeil, whose son became addicted to opioids and died from an overdose, have said $26 billion is only a small fraction of the epidemic's financial toll and argue the proposal doesn't include what many family members of opioid victims want the most: an admission of guilt.

All four firms disavow any wrongdoing or legal responsibility. The companies have said they produced government-approved prescription pills, distributed them to registered pharmacies and took steps to try to prevent their misuse.

U.S. tax laws generally restrict companies from deducting the cost of legal settlements from their taxes, with one major exception: Damages paid to victims as restitution for the misdeeds can usually be deducted. Still, Congress has placed stricter limits on such deductions in recent years, and some tax experts say the Internal Revenue Service could challenge the companies' attempts to deduct opioid settlement costs.

Harry Cullenn, a Brooklyn-based activist who has worked to hold drug companies accountable for the epidemic, said it is "incredibly insulting" that companies would try deduct the settlement payments. "As if they are donating it to these people who they harmed in the first place."

Erich Timmerman, a spokesman for Cardinal Health, said in a statement that the company's tax deductions are permissible under federal law. He also pointed to a statement chief executive Mike Kaufmann made in November, when he said Cardinal takes its role in the pharmaceutical supply chain seriously and remains "committed to being part of the solution to this epidemic."

AmerisourceBergen declined to comment on its taxes but said in a statement the company takes steps to mitigate the diversion of prescription drugs, including by refusing service to customers it sees as a risk and by making daily reports to federal drug officials.

Johnson & Johnson declined to comment on the opioid settlement and tax deductions beyond its regulatory filings.A spokeswoman for McKesson did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Cardinal Health's use of the "carryback" tax break draws attention to what some see as a shortcoming of the $2 trillion U.S. coronavirus bailout known as the Cares Act. In their haste to funnel cash benefits to businesses facing economic peril, lawmakers made billions of dollars in tax breaks broadly available to any company, regardless of whether it suffered during the pandemic.

Cardinal, a company with a $15 billion market capitalization and $4 billion in available cash, surpassed Wall Street expectations for its most recent earnings period. Last week, CEO Kaufmann told investors a rebound in medical treatments and procedures had revived demand for Cardinal's health devices and drugs. He said the company was boosting its investment in sophisticated supply-chain technology.

On the same day, Cardinal said it was filing for a tax break using the Cares Act provision and expected a nearly $1 billion cash refund from the IRS within the next 12 months. The company plans to pay $6.6 billion in the settlement.

Francine Lipman, a tax professor at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, said Cardinal Health appears to be "getting a bit of a windfall from laws that Congress intended to help companies that are suffering due to a pandemic."

The "carryback" tax break permits any company that lost money in 2018, 2019 or 2020 to apply those losses to previous, more profitable years. Some form of this provision has been permitted by the U.S. tax code for over a century to help businesses that face ups and downs to even out their taxes.

The Cares Act raised the limit on the amount of losses companies can use to offset taxes and permitted them to apply those losses to earlier periods. Because the corporate tax rate was higher before 2018, companies with recent losses can increase tax refunds they received before that yearby up to 67%.

Cardinal estimated in August it expected to deduct $488 million from the expected opioid legal settlement. But in its Feb. 5 filing, the company said the amount probably would be higher in part because the Cares Act permitted it to carry back losses related to the opioid litigation to previous years when the tax rate was higher.

UNLV's Lipman said Cardinal's decision to apply for a tax refund before any legal settlement has been finalized could face scrutiny from the IRS. Deductions must be made against business expenses that are shown to have "economic effect," she said, which may preclude deductions against future, unpaid legal settlements.

Timmerman, Cardinal's spokesman, said the company has already recorded a loss related to the opioid litigation because Cardinal insures itself through a wholly-owned insurance subsidiary. The opioid litigation caused a loss to the insurance company's reserve, and that is the loss that Cardinal is deducting, he said.

"Tax and accounting rules applicable to insurance companies, including self-insurance companies, require recognition of loss when an insurance reserve is set, thus establishing economic effect, even if the underlying settlement is not final," Timmerman said.

The three other companies involved in the $26 billion settlement have estimated the tax benefits of the deal but have not filed for tax refunds. They all said the tax benefits could be lower if courts or regulators determined some or all of the payments are not tax-deductible.

McKesson, which expects to pay $8.1 billion in the settlement, said in a Feb. 2 filing that the actual cost of the deal would be $6.7 billion after taxes, implying a $1.4 billion tax benefit. The company also said $497 million in tax benefits were "uncertain" because of the "uncertainty in connection with the deductibility of opioid related litigation and claims."

AmerisourceBergen, which anticipates a $6.6 billion settlement payment, said in November it expects a $1.1 billion tax benefit. The company said an additional $371.5 million tax benefit was possible but "uncertain."

"A settlement has not been reached, and, therefore, we applied significant judgment in estimating the ultimate amount of the opioid litigation settlement that would be deductible," the company said.

Matthew Gardner, a senior fellow at the nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said these disclaimers suggest the companies are making conservative estimates. "That's one way of saying they are likely going to claim even bigger tax benefits in their tax returns than they are showing on their financial statements," he said.

Whether the payments will be deductible may hinge on specific word choices in the final terms of the settlement. Though recent changes to the tax code have attempted to close loopholes that permit companies to deduct taxes when they have committed wrongdoing, many companies now push to make sure their settlements include a "restitution" payment for victims - the "magic word" that often qualifies them for deductions, Gardner said.

In previous opioid-related settlements local governments reached with McKesson, Purdue Pharma and Teva Pharmaceuticals, the companies admitted no fault and agreed to restitution payments that appeared to qualify them for tax deductions, USA Today reported in 2019.

Johnson & Johnson has said it expects it could deduct as much as 21.4% of its $5 billion share of the settlement, which would mean a roughly $1.1 billion tax benefit. However, the company said last summer that the deductible amount may be lower if a regulation proposed by the IRS last year came into effect.

The rule, which did take effect Jan. 20, requires companies to meet a long list of specific criteria to qualify government settlements for tax deductions.

In 2019, The Post analyzed a database maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration that tracks the path of every pain pill sold in the United States. The database shows that America's largest drug companies distributed 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pain pills across the country between 2006 and 2012 as the nation's deadliest drug epidemic spun out of control.

McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen distributed 44% of the nation's oxycodone and hydrocodone pills - the two most abused prescription opioid drugs - during that time.

An investigation by The Post last year found that near the peak of U.S. opioid production, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary was manufacturing enough oxycodone and hydrocodone to capture half or more of the U.S. market. The company also lobbied for years to help persuade regulators to loosen a narcotics import rule, allowing Johnson & Johnson's U.S. subsidiary to produce rising amounts of opioids out of potent poppies harvested by its Tasmanian subsidiary, The Post found.

Attorneys for Johnson & Johnson have said its opioid-producing subsidiaries did not cause the United States' addiction crisis, that the companies were heavily regulated, and that such companies play only a "peripheral role in the multibillion-dollar market for prescription opioids."

- - -

The Washington Post's Lenny Bernstein contributed to this report.
Circumstances have compelled us to look at our homes anew, and we are not always liking what we see.

An outbreak of interior ennui is spreading, for which decor guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen blames the overuse of beige, or greige (grey-meets-beige) paint.

This neutral palette promises to deliver a chic Scandi look. But the result can be more 'mid-Eighties building society', according to Llewelyn-Bowen, a lover of exuberance in domestic style who is a guest judge on BBC2's Interior Design Masters series.

Elegant: Living room walls in Invisible Green by period paint specialist Edward Bulmer

However, there are signs that a rebellion has begun against greige in all its guises, and the off-white and cream tones, plus what used to be the all-invasive magnolia.

There has been a rise in sales of brightly coloured paint at B&Q, with demand for blues and greens up by more than a third over a year, as customers try to bring nature inside. Dulux is also reporting a surge of interest in these colours (dulux.co.uk).

Its best-selling blues are Sapphire Salute, a deep navy, and Denim Drift, a grey-ish tone that blends well with yellows.

Dulux's most sought-after greens are Willow Tree, a shade of sage, and Overtly Olive, restrained but elegant.

Niki Schafer, a designer who focuses on the psychological aspects of interior trends, believes that blues and greens, and, in particular, green patterns, soothe us, while adding a dose of positivity.

If you want to raise your productivity levels, you should paint your home-office blue. If you prefer green, research from Dulux indicates this colour also enhances your output.

Whatever you do, avoid corporate off-white if you want to get ahead.

Opening statement: A front door in Dulux Indigo

Despite such mood and career-boosting advice, it can be challenging to turn your back on neutrals. But Martin Waller, founder of global design group Andrew Martin (andrewmartin.co.uk), says that you should make the leap.

'Paint is the cheapest, easiest and most effective way to transform a space, especially since there are more walls in a home than anything else,' he says.

'Darker colours form a much better background for paintings and artworks than white, which art galleries and museums have discovered.'

Having painted a room blue or green, it may take time to accustom yourself to the look.

M R Waller says: 'You're likely to be horrified. People find it difficult to cope with change. Leave it for a week and your feelings will alter. I suspect you won't hate it and if you do, repainting isn't that difficult.'

If you are still hesitant, he suggests you start your transformation in a cloakroom or small bedroom, since richer colours work well in such spaces, despite the accepted wisdom that white paint makes a room seem larger.

He practises what he preaches in his own home, using the Andrew Martin paint range which has 20 shades of green and 18 different blues, including the preppy Nantucket Blue, a summery hue.

One of his bedrooms has just been repainted in vibrant Porto Tile, inspired by the tiles of this Portuguese city.

Anyone still tempted to take the easy option of a white-with-a-touch-of-grey can immerse themselves in the websites of the major paint names which give advice on the shades that best suit certain rooms, with images that will inspire even the most reluctant DIY-er.

Farrow & Ball's sitting room suggestions included Vardo, a rich shade of teal used in Romany wagons and Black-Blue which contrives to be striking without being oppressive (farrow-ball.com).

Bancha, a shade of olive green would make a slightly clinical kitchen feel more welcoming. Duck Green, named for the plumage of the Mallard duck, aims to conjure up the calm of nature in a box-room home office.

The products of period paint specialist Bulmer are used at historic buildings and mansions, including the Tower of London and Castle Howard.

These tones have a special appeal to younger people raised in Ikea homes with white walls, who are now reacting against this minimalist background and opting for a more heritage aesthetic.

Why settle for cream when you can use Edward Bulmer's Jonquil pink and its Pea Green (edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk) in a sitting room?

Contemporary grey furniture blends in well against this 18th-century backdrop popularised by the TV drama series Harlots, set among the lavishly decorated bawdy houses of London.

When selecting a shade of blue or green, it's wise to test your choices. Experts recommend that you paint a 2 ft sq patch of the same paint next to the window, opposite the window and close to a door.

Technology can speed this process. Download onto your phone the apps from Crown (My Room Painter) or Dulux (Dulux Visualiser) and drop a selection of shades onto the pictures you have taken of your room.

Instagram is another useful resource to look at. B&Q (@bandq_uk), Little Green (@littlegreenpaintcompany) and Paint & Paper Library (@paintandpaperlibrary) can help cure your interior ennui, persuading you that, after a long winter, we need the blues and greens of spring.
The good news? Depending on how you look at it, Connecticut may have about 170,000 more jobs today than the official figure the state publishes each month.

The bad news? Any way you count them, Gov. Ned Lamont does not expect businesses to hire back all the people they laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic any time soon.

In an economic forecast Wednesday accompanying his biennial budget proposal, Lamont indicated he expects the state to recover 64,400 jobs over a 12-month stretch starting this June, with hiring to slow significantly for a few years after that.

Lamont is working with official figures of 291,000 job losses in Connecticut between February and April of 2020, with only 183,000 of those workers back in action as of November. That leaves a shortfall of roughly 108,000 jobs.

Alongside the traditional job count estimates, the Wednesday report includes people who work for themselves at home based on surveys of hundreds of households statewide. That cohort pushed Connecticut employment to 1.8 million jobs on average last year  about 170,000 more than the 1.63 million jobs the state uses as its official jobs count.

Were seeing a structural change in our economy in light of this pandemic, said Brian Marks, an economics professor at the University of New Haven and a Fairfield resident. There are a lot of firms that, while they would like people to return to work in Manhattan, theres going to be some level of resistance; and so we may see some continued strength in ... certain segments of the housing market here in Connecticut, because we have the infrastructure to provide stay-at-home [opportunities].

Flat as a pancake

5 1 of 5 Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5









Through the first nine months of 2020, Connecticut ranked in the middle of the pack both nationally and among Northeast states for economic output, as U.S. Department of Commerce economists estimate a 3-percent reduction in gross state product. That amounted to a $7.1 billion shortfall from the annualized GDP total entering 2020, which Connecticut would recoup this year if the budget forecast used by Lamont is accurate.

Lamonts budget team is projecting the state economy to boom in the back half of 2021 and into next year, at 3.9 percent growth from the current fiscal year that ends in June.

But even with Lamonts budget team expecting an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in the summer of 2022, the forecast for Connecticut employment that summer still falls 12,400 jobs short of the pre-pandemic peak.

The Congressional Budget Office predicted this month that the U.S. economy will not recoup pre-pandemic job levels until 2024.

Weve been flat as a pancake in this state for many years  no more, Lamont said Thursday afternoon, during an update on Connecticuts efforts to contain coronavirus and his proposed budget. But economic growth only matters if it [means] prosperity for all. ... Were slowly digging our way out of this pandemic and getting people back to work.

On Wednesday, Lamont for the second consecutive year proposed a tax rebate for companies that hire at least 25 people. His goal is to embolden mid-size businesses that might be positioned for a hiring push.

The question is how much of a head start Connecticut got in the 2020 holiday season. And as the COVID-19 vaccination distribution crawls toward the general working population, will it give many the confidence to resume their accustomed leisure activities that are a significant component of the Connecticut economy?

Indeed, the online job-search company based in Stamford, sees some promise in the first weeks of 2021 based on jobs postings to its websites as it entered February running slightly ahead of the levels of a year ago. New York City-region job postings were up 13 percent since September, however.

For employment to recover completely, job postings will have to remain above the pre-pandemic baseline for an extended time, wrote Indeed economist Jed Kolko, in an analysis posted in early February. But job postings have improved significantly since the end of September in nearly all of the hardest-hit metros.

Dan Haar contributed to this report. Includes prior reporting by Ken Dixon.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
A look at some of the major movers in London on Friday

PLC ( ) rose 17% to 15.85p after it took a 28% holding in PLC.

The tech-focused investment company acquired 1.5mln shares in Sure Ventures from existing Sure shareholders at a price of 130p a share.

The total consideration of 1.95 million will be satisfied through the issue of 14.39mln Pires shares.

12.55pm: Bidstack achieving success in Football Manager 21

Bidstack Group PLC ( ) rose 9.4% to 7.66p after it trumpeted some impressive traffic figures for its in-game advertising technology.

The company, which has technology that places genuine adverts within computer games in locations  e.g. Picadilly Circus, football stadia  where they might feature in real life, has announced the first results of its collaboration with Moat by Oracle, sharing verified general invalid traffic (GIVT) figures from a campaign featured in Football Manager 21 in the United Kingdom.

Moat's preliminary analysis of Bidstack's PC inventory compared to Moat's Global third-quarter 2020 display benchmarks suggests Bidstack's overall PC GIVT is currently performing around 3.5 times better than the industry benchmark of 2.9% GIVT.

11.45am: Rainbow Rare Earths on the rise after first batch of Phalaborwa assay results

Rainbow Rare Earths PLC (LON:RBW) climbed 8.9% to 12.09p after announcing the first batch of assay results of drilling at the Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project.

The company highlighted an average in situ grade of 0.50% total rare earths oxide (REO) and an average in-situ combined grade of 0.15% Neodymium and Praseodymium oxide, representing 29.7% of the TREO grade reported in the rare earths basket.

The Phalaborwa project is located in South Africa.

10.50am: Bezant rocks higher after completing acquisition of the Kanye Manganese Project

( ) rocked 6% higher to 0.25p after completing the acquisition of Metrock Resources.

The acquisition of Metrock brings with it ownership of the Kanye Manganese Project in Southern Botswana.

We have commenced planning an initial exploration programme involving reconnaissance fieldwork and trenching and drilling as appropriate, said Colin Bird, the executive chairman of Bezant.

9.55am: Goldstone on the rise after it receives permit in Ghana

Goldstone Resources PLC ( ) rose 7.2% to 11.15p after it was granted an environmental permit for the Homase South Pit with its AKHM project.

The permit will enable the company to begin construction of the project.

The board expects mining and construction operations at the project to commence imminently, with an estimated timeline for the first gold pour being within two months.

9.00am: Jet2 follows up May cash call with another share issue

( ), down 5.9% at 1,222p, ran into some turbulence on take-off this morning after it tapped the market for 422mln.

The company placed shares at 1,180p. The money will be used to help cushion losses from air travel and foreign holiday disruption sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

The company, formerly known as Dart Group, said after the market closed yesterday that as at the end of January, it had cash of 479mln, excluding money held for holidays or flights paid for but not yet taken.

Another company raising money was ( ), which knocked out 7.2mln shares at 0.675p to raise 48,600, sending the shares 3.7% higher to 0.7p.

From the amount raised, you will deduce that this John Lewis is not the partnership that owns the eponymous department stores and Waitrose supermarkets.

The Hungerford-based manufacturer and retailer of kitchens and furniture said the funds raised will be used for general working capital purposes.

Proactive news headlines

FastForward Innovations Ltd ( ) said it has invested A$1mln in a placing undertaken by ( ), a medicinal cannabis business that supplies the Australian and overseas markets. In a separate announcement late on Thursday afternoon, FFWD said another company in its portfolio, Portage Biotech Inc, has announced its research and development goals for 2021.

( ) said it has officially launched the Android version of its popular financial app as it revealed Bitcoin trading volumes on the platform had increased by 130% month on month.

( ) said it is planning to raise up to 198mln through a share placing to fund what it said is a strong pipeline of acquisition opportunities.

Faron Pharma PLC ( ) has raised 15mln from an accelerated share placing that will be used to fund its work in the clinic.

( ) is raising 1mln in a share placing, with the funds supporting the company as it advances projects in Australia, Kenya and Congo.

( ), the copper-gold exploration and development company, said the acquisition of Metrock Resources, announced last month, has now completed. The company also announced that the application for the exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) 7170 has been successful.

Zephyr Energy Plc ( ) has revealed some details of analysis of the Paradox project, following the initial findings of the State 16-2 well.

(LON:MXC, ), as the first and currently only medicinal cannabis company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange, is presenting at an investor webinar at 10am today. Chief executive Roby Zomer and executive chairman Brett Mitchell will be presenting and answering questions from attendees.

( ) said 16.875mln new ordinary shares will be issued following an exercise of warrants. They will be admitted to trading on AIM on February 17, 2021, with an exercise price 0.68p apiece.

Landore Resources Limited ( ) announced that it has received a notice to exercise warrants over a total of 500,000 ordinary shares, for which the company has recieved funds of 100,000.

( ) provided details for shareholders wishing to view general meeting today at 1pm, as shareholders have not been permitted to attend due to government coronavirus restrictions. The company said will be no opportunity to ask questions and voting on the resolutions today will be by poll.

( ) announced that it has updated its website to reflect the latest information regarding its 50% share in the Algoa-Gamtoos license in South Africa, as anticipated in its announcement of February 8, 2021. The website update contains additional information and diagrams which could not be included in the earlier RNS.

( ) announced that it is posting a circular to shareholders in relation to its proposed fundraising, including the notice of general meeting, a proxy voting form and an open offer application form. The meeting will be held at 10am on March 3. No shareholders other than the minimum number of board members will be able to attend and so shareholders are requested to complete the form of proxy by the relevant time.

( ) has today published a Q&A document on its website in relation to the circular that was posted to shareholders on February 8, 2021. The Q&A document clarifies certain points concerning the proposed reduction of share capital via a cancellation of the company's share premium account, the cancellation of the deferred shares and the authority for the company to buy back shares.
On a cold December night in 1950, red-baiting Sen. Joe McCarthy spent a charity dinner at Washingtons Sulgrave Club trading insults with liberal journalist Drew Pearson. McCarthy had attacked Pearson on the floor of the Senate, calling for a boycott of his radio show. Pearson had attacked McCarthy on air and in his newspaper column, accusing the senator of lying about communist infiltration of the American government. McCarthy had recklessly accused the State Department of harboring hundreds of communists, sparking a massive investigation and an ongoing purge. After dinner, the two ran into each other in the cloakroom and their conflict turned physical. McCarthy kneed Pearson in the groin, and Sen. Richard Nixon had to pull McCarthy off Pearson.

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After the fight, McCarthys Republican colleagues congratulated him for taking down a liberal. Pearson sued McCarthy, claiming injury, and for months McCarthy publicly accused Pearson of communist sympathies.

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Then things got weird.

Pearson soon extended their feud into the realm of science-fiction flying saucer stories and, in so doing, set up a symbolic, supernatural dimension to ideological battles still playing out on cable TV today. That strange mix of McCarthyism and UFOs continues to poison the History Channel and Fox News, a Trojan horse hiding political radicalization under silly alien stories. It sounds funny until you realize that the QAnon conspiracy theoryinvolving Donald Trump, space aliens, and cannibal pedophiles, among other absurditiesbelieved by many of the Capitol insurrectionists is founded on exactly this same mix of political propaganda and pseudoscience. And that is by design.

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It started out innocently enough. Pearson portrayed himself in the 1951 flying saucer movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. In the movie, the government panics when an alien with leftist ideas lands on Earth. Audiences got to see Pearson play the anti-McCarthy, the voice of reason, calm and sane in the face of panic. In response to the movie, McCarthy called Pearson a communist tool. But anti-communist conservatives didnt just hate the movie because Pearson was in it. The Day the Earth Stood Still told the story of an extraterrestrial who descends to Earth, displays nearly supernatural power, dies at the hands of soldiers, and is resurrected. Before his ascension back to the heavens, he talks about space as a paradise of pure reason, ruled over by impassive robots unhappy about Earths nuclear weapons. He gives humans a choice: live in peace or be destroyed.

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One newspaper, missing the Christ allegory in the story, fretted that the film gave aid and comfort to leftists and communists. The films director, Robert Wise, admitted that he intended a leftist message. What we were saying is that the United States and other nations would have to give up some measure of sovereignty if world peace was ever to be achieved, he told Cinefantastique in 1976.

Conservatives by far preferred the other flying saucer movie of 1951, The Thing From Another World. That movie featured a monstrous alien imbued with all the traits they associated with communism: a lack of emotion, a lack of normal sexual interests, and a boundless desire to destroy. Only the fallible but plucky everyman heroes of the U.S. Air Force could stop such evil, over the objections of a fey, vaguely effeminate scientist that even Time magazine thought was suggestively costumed like a Russian.

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In the movies telling, communism, intellectualism, and effeminacy were all the same thingand alien to red-blooded, all-American men. The film depicts its scientist as overreaching, reckless, and willing to sacrifice safety and security to cater to a monster from beyond. Producer Howard Hawks had infused the film with both anti-science and anti-communist ideas then popular to make the movie feel contemporary. And in contemporary opinion, as Joe McCarthy said, being a Communist or a cocksucker was almost the same thing. According to historian David K. Johnson, author of The Lavender Scare, more gay Americans suffered under McCarthyism than were accused of communism, under the perversely circular belief that communist agents could blackmail homosexuals into treason for fear of the U.S. governments own policies of oppression.

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The popularity of The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Thing From Another World preserved Red Scare ideas long after they had burned themselves out in government, and the two mirror-image movies helped make UFOs a repository of discarded McCarthy-era political conspiracies and 1950s anxieties about masculinity and sexuality. Were still dealing with that legacy today. All the same themes are still there, but everything is jumbled up and remixedand that isnt a coincidence.

When McCarthyism faded, its troubling undercurrents of emasculation and homophobia found a foothold in science fiction and its pseudoscientific love child, UFOs. Theyre taking my semen! one alleged alien abductee screamed under hypnosis in a recording made by abduction researcher John Mack in the 1990s. They have control over my genitals!  They have a cup over my cock! The stories changed over the decades, but the 1950s anxiety about living up to a certain type of patriotic masculinity remained. As political scientist Michael K. Barkun, an expert on right-wing conspiracy movements, noted, this was no coincidence. In the 1980s and 1990s, right-wing extremists made a concerted effort to use interest in UFOs to lure disaffected white men into what Barkun called a culture of conspiracy. Come for the aliens, be a man, and stay for the racism, homophobia, and misogyny.

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What came next was no surprise.

On any given night, viewers of the highest-rated show in the history of cable news, Fox News Channels Tucker Carlson Tonight, might find themselves treated to its namesake host discussing flying saucers and space aliens alongside election conspiracies and GOP talking points. Praise for former President Donald Trump, excuses for those involved in the Capitol assault, and criticism of racial and sexual minorities can sit seamlessly beside occasional interviews featuring UFO experts pleading conspiracy. Recent segments found Carlson speculating that an art installation in Utah was the work of space aliens and interviewing a reporter from the Washington Examiner about whether UFOs can also travel underwater like submarines. The most recent aired in January. Most outside the right-wing bubble treat his UFO segments as a joke. Theyre not.

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Carlson is often described as a rebel and a rogue, a sort of right-wing prep-school James Dean who lived twice as long and accomplished half as much. Flying saucers are part of his midlife rebel act. He argued in November that UFO conspiracy theories and his political analysis are inseparable. We literally do UFO segments, he said on-air, not because were crazy or had even been interested in the subject but because there is evidence that UFOs are real and everyone lies about it. That everyone, of course, is the Deep State, the federal bureaucracy, and Democratsenemies of conservatives for other reasons, too. Theyre children posing as authorities, and when theyre caught, they lie and then they blame you for it. We see that every day.

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But consider whom Carlson considers authorities. Carlson appeared in 2019 on the History Channel series Ancient Aliensthe show where unqualified amateurs baselessly speculate that aliens engineered our DNA, manipulate our minds, and control human historyto say he was starting to believe that the U.S. government harbors UFO wreckage. Clearly, Ancient Aliens is the kind of quality truth-telling Carlson respects.

Cable TV dresses up space aliens in he-man drag, making the subtext into text, the way Carlsons tough talk and aggressive posturing playact a childs idea of manliness. Just look at the hypermasculine aesthetics of cable alien shows, whose audience is predominantly older and male. Its all blocky graphics, dark and metallic colors, and gravelly narrationjust like Fox News. The underqualified stars of Ancient Aliens like Giorgio Tsoukalos and David Childress cosplay in khakis and fedoras and describe themselves as real-life Indiana Joneses. Sister show The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch sends men in paramilitary gear to patrol Utah for ghosts and ETs. A third show from the same producers, The Curse of Oak Island, presents outlandish historical conspiracies as an excuse for middle-age white men to bond.

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Why is this dangerous? In September, a judge found that no reasonable viewer would mistake Carlsons program for factual. But that is a generous assumption. A 2018 Pew Research Center report found that news consumers cannot reliably distinguish between fact and opinion. And just as Barkun warned more than a decade ago, UFO conspiracy theories serve as a vector of radicalization.

Viewers become curious, start searching online, and discover a constellation of right-wing extremism. Whether its YouTubes algorithms directing conspiracy fans to ever-more-extreme content, UFO researchers embracing QAnon-style conspiracies online, or Ancient Aliens star Erich von Daniken putting racist and transphobic comments in his books, the jocular cable UFO conversation is the smiling face of a nasty underbelly. Former Ancient Aliens star David Wilcock started an online spiritual movement combining QAnon, UFOs, and Donald Trump for his more than 450,000 YouTube subscribers. A onetime Oak Island treasure hunter became a Republican expert witness for the Georgia state Legislature hunting nonexistent voter fraud, sparking a rebuke from the Georgia secretary of states office. (There are some notable exceptions: Tsoukalos is an outspoken liberal, and Democratic operative John Podesta has also appeared on Ancient Aliens.) Fashion designer and artist Dylan Louis Monroe mapped the overlap between History Channel and QAnon conspiracy theories and displayed his flow charts both at the History Channels Ancient Aliens AlienCon and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met bizarrely and dangerously hailed such images as a powerful and proactive stance against corruption in politics and media. Theyre now QAnon icons, guides to the occult history of America, available on T-shirts and other merch.

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In short, most people dont treat the paranormal fringe seriously, so poisonous attitudes can seep in where mainstream journalists and scholars arent looking until they erupt onto the national stage. And erupt they did on Jan. 6. Many in the mob that breached the Capitol wore shirts promoting QAnon conspiracies. One of the most visible insurrectionists, Jacob Anthony Chansley, who goes by the name Jake Angeli, mounted the Senate dais shirtless in a horned headdress. He posted a video to YouTube before the company shut down his channel in which he relayed his secret history of the world, complete with space aliens and Egyptian pyramids, even citing History Channel regulars like author Graham Hancock by name.

Its a far cry from when Drew Pearson thought flying saucers could symbolize hope that McCarthyism might end. Talking heads are still in bed with space aliens, but its not hope TVs angry UFO buffs are selling.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Bullitt Group, the UK-based rugged smartphone maker has agreed to a long-term, exclusive global strategic brand partnership deal with Motorola. The partnership will see the company develop and market rugged mobile phones bearing the Motorola brand.

Motorola already makes smartphones at various price points, from an expensive foldable Moto Razr to affordable entry-level Android handsets. However, the Lenovo-owned company hasnt enjoyed much success in the smartphone industry in recent years. It is now seemingly looking to enter the rugged smartphone segment as well.

Motorola did try its hands on ultra-durable phones in the past as well. The Moto Z Force that launched in June 2016, as well as its follow up which arrived as the Moto Z2 Force in July 2017, were both drop-resistant phones with shatterproof screens. The Motorola Defy, which launched all the way back in September 2010, was also one of the first Android smartphones to feature IP67 dust and water-resistance. Motorola is now re-entering the rugged smartphone market, although Bullitt Group will develop and market the devices.

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Bullitt has distinguished itself as a leader in rugged mobile. These devices have broad appeal, from outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers to consumers who just want an ultra-durable phone. We look forward to working with Bullitt to ruggedize our products, allowing the Motorola brand to be present in a new and growing segment of Mobile phone users, said Dave Carroll, Executive Director Strategic Brand Partnerships at Motorola.

This partnership may not generate much revenue for Motorola. However, it will surely help the company keep the brand afloat as it tries to put together a solid strategy for its smartphone business for the future.

Bullitt Group will develop and market rugged Motorola phones

Founded in 2009 by Colin Batt, David Floyd, and Richard Wharton, Bullitt Group makes smartphones in partnership with various renowned global brands. It is the company behind the JCB, CAT, Kodak, and Land Rover branded smartphones that have come out over the past few years.

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Bullitt is now preparing to launch rugged smartphones under the Motorola brand. The company hasnt shared many details about the plans. However, it is preparing to announce some details about the first rugged Motorola phone later this quarter.

Motorola invented the mobile phone and remains one of the most iconic brands in the world. To be entrusted by Motorola to create a portfolio of Motorola branded rugged phones, bears testament to the exceptional business we have built at Bullitt over the last 11 years, said Dave Floyd, Bullitt Co-Founder.

Bullitt has its headquarters based in Reading, Berkshire. The company has a presence in more than 75 countries, with offices in China, the UK, and the USA.
Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is due to land on the Red Planet at 21:43 CET on 18 February 2021. In order to communicate with Earth from its landing site in Jezero Crater, the rover will rely on spacecraft orbiting Mars to relay the images and other data it collects back to Earth and pass on the commands from engineers beamed across space in the other direction.

The ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is one of these spacecraft. As its orbit takes it over the landing site, TGO will enter communication windows with Perseverance and relay data between Earth and the rover via a network of deep space ground stations on Earth, including ESA's Estrack network.

Helping Perseverance phone home

The data transmitted by Perseverance in its first hours and days on Mars will be vital to the mission. Did the rover land safely? Are all of its systems functional?

To ensure that this information gets to the engineers on Earth as quickly as possible, TGO and NASA's mars orbiters will be able to communicate with deep space ground stations on Earth almost twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for the first two weeks after landing. ESA's ground station network will provide roughly 14 hours a day of this 'low-latency' coverage.

"TGO will provide low-latency data relay support to Perseverance during this period, and continue to provide routine relay support afterwards," says ESA's Peter Schmitz, TGO Spacecraft Operations Manager. "Our first relay session with TGO will start at 02:07 CET on 19 February, just four hours after landing."

How ESA is Helping NASA's Mars lander phone home. Credit: European Space Agency

The Trace Gas Orbiter is the first of two missions of the ExoMars programa joint endeavor between ESA and Roscosmos. ExoMars is attempting to determine whether life has ever existed on the Red Planet. TGO arrived at Mars in October 2016 and is conducting a detailed study of the atmosphere and mapping signatures of water below the planet's surface. The orbiter is operated from ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, where mission controllers already have a lot of experience relaying data from existing Mars landers.

"The orbiter usually supports one relay session per lander per day, but from 18 February, we will be supporting an additional two sessions per day for Perseverance," says Schmitz. "From then on, TGO will relay twice the volume of data to and from the surface of Mars as it does now."

In total, Perseverance will communicate with NASA or ESA Mars orbiters at least twice a day, and typically four to six times. During these sessions, data and images will be sent to NASA to help the operations team plan the rover's activities for the following days.

Monitoring conditions at Jezero

Credit: Alex Lutkus

Mars Express is Europe's first mission to the Red Planet. Since beginning operations in 2004, the durable orbiter has helped answer fundamental questions about the geology, atmosphere, surface environment, history of water and potential for life on Mars.

The high-resolution camera on board Mars Express has sent back thousands of dramatic, 3-D views of the martian surface, including those used to produce a virtual flight over Jezero Crater, the planned landing site for Perseverance.

The spacecraft's Visual Monitoring Cameraalso known as the "Mars Webcam'  is providing additional wide context views of the landing region.

The Mars Express Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) is monitoring local conditions at Jezero Crater. The information it collects is passed on to the Perseverance Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) team at NASA and is included in their daily report during the two weeks leading up to the landing.

NASAs Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is due to land on the Red Planet at 21:43 CET on 18 February 2021. Various instruments on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft are supporting the landing by monitoring conditions on Mars in the weeks before. The spacecrafts Visual Monitoring Camera  also known as the Mars Webcam  is providing additional wide context views of the landing region like this one acquired on 1 February 2021, with the region including the landing site, Jezero Crater, circled in yellow. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

"The engineers working with EDL systems need precise information on the density of the Martian atmosphere above the site at the time of landing and how it changes with altitude," says Marco Giuranna, PFS Principal Investigator from Istituto Fisica Spazio Interplanetario in Rome, Italy.

"Having up-to-date knowledge of the temperature, pressure, dust and ice conditions in the atmosphere is crucial for understanding its density and predicting and analyzing the trajectory of the rover's descent to the surface of the Red Planet."

On 18 February, NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will land on the Red Planet

ESA's Mars orbitersthe ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Mars Expressare supporting the landing

TGO will relay important data from Perseverance to Earth as soon as four hours after landing

Mars Express is monitoring the local conditions at the landing site, Jezero Crater

Both ESA orbiters are providing context images of the region

TGO will attempt to image the rover in the weeks after landing

Explore further China spacecraft enters Mars orbit, 2nd in 2 days after UAE
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau and assured that India will do its best to facilitate supplies of Covid-19 vaccines sought by Canada.

"Was happy to receive a call from my friend Justin Trudeau. Assured him that India would do its best to facilitate supplies of COVID vaccines sought by Canada," PM Modi said in a tweet.

The two leaders also reiterated the common perspective shared by India and Canada on many important geopolitical issues. They agreed to continue the close collaboration between both countries in fighting global challenges like climate change and the economic impacts of the pandemic.

Also Read | Inside the Mindtree makeover strategy

"We also agreed to continue collaborating on other important issues like Climate Change and the global economic recovery," he said.

Expressing his appreciation, the Canadian Prime Minister said that if the world managed to conquer COVID-19, "it would be significant because of India's tremendous pharmaceutical capacity, and Prime Minister Modi's leadership in sharing this capacity with the world".

India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers, and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines

Last week, external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said India had sent 56 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines under grants assistance to a number of countries while 100 lakh doses were sent under commercial supplies.

India has already rolled out a massive coronavirus vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to frontline health workers across the country.





























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"Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" has, on paper, great DNA. Written by and starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, the Oscar-nominated writing team behind the hilarious 2011 "Bridesmaids," the movie boasts a supporting cast that includes Jamie Dornan, Damon Wayans Jr., Vanessa Bayer, Phyllis Smith and Wendi McLendon-Covey. And the opening scene is very funny, in a delightfully surreal way: A chubby newspaper boy (Reyn Doi) rides his bicycle down a suburban street while lip-syncing, flamboyantly, to Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb's "Guilty." Sublime. But what a mishmash the rest of the movie turns out to be, mostly because this Josh Greenbaum-helmed project lacks the magic touch of "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig and producer Judd Apatow. Playing nerdy, 40-something Midwesterners - Mumolo's Barb is a widow, Wiig's Star a divorcee - the headliners generate few laughs after landing at the titular seaside resort in Florida for a fling after getting fired. That fling involves both protagonists having sex, though not at the same time, with Dornan's character. He's the henchman/lover of a supervillain (Wiig again, but almost unrecognizable) who plans to enact revenge for a childhood slight by unleashing lethal mosquitoes during a seafood-themed beauty pageant. (Don't ask.) With the exception of Dornan - who, it should be noted, is no comedian - most of the supporting actors have blink-and-you'll-miss-them parts. In addition to the silly, "Austin Powers"-like plot, there are many incongruous ingredients that add nothing: a couple of musical numbers; a talking crab named Morgan Freemond ("spelled with a d," he notes); and a joke about the erogenous appeal of Mr. Peanut. Long after the memory of that wonderfully eccentric opening scene has faded, "Barb and Star" starts to seem less surreal than perplexingly random. PG-13. Available on Amazon Prime. Contains crude sexual material, drug use and some strong language. 106 minutes.

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For "Just Don't Think I'll Scream," French filmmaker Frank Beauvais assembled short film clips from more than 400 movies he watched over four months, after a breakup. The Hollywood Reporter asks: "Is it an avant-garde autobiography? A faux found-footage film? A melancholic ode to cinema, especially B-movies and rare horror flicks from the 1970s?" The answer is: "All of those and then some." Unrated. Available at afisilver.afi.com. In French with subtitles. 75 minutes.

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A Queens delivery man (Dean Imperial) takes a job laying cables for the financial industry in the sci-fi mystery "Lapsis." Variety writes: "This tale of a floundering gig-economy worker straddles both the bleak present-tense reality of Ken Loach's 'Sorry We Missed You' and the subversive near-future political satire of Boots Riley's 'Sorry to Bother You' while arriving at a whimsical critique all its own." Unrated. Available at afisilver.afi.com. 104 minutes.

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The Mexican drama "Leona" centers on the romance between a Jewish woman (Naian Gonzalez Norvind, who also co-wrote the screenplay) and a Gentile (Christian Vazquez). According to Remezcla, the film transcends the premise of the main plot "to ask questions about migration, belonging and love." Unrated. Available at afisilver.afi.com and virtualavalon.org. In Spanish with subtitles. 94 minutes.

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Directed by Sam Pollard ("MLK/FBI"), "Black Art: In the Absence of Light" revisits "Two Centuries of Black American Art," a pioneering 1976 exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art curated by African American artist and scholar David Driskell, who passed away last year. According to Art News, the film, which includes interviews with several of today's most exciting Black artists, is a "call to create more documentaries looking at the work of Black artists - as well as Indigenous, U.S. Latinx, and Asian-American ones. This should only be just the beginning." TV-MA. Available on HBO Max. 85 minutes.

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Executive-produced by Van Jones and Meghan McCain, the documentary "The Reunited States" focuses on people who are trying to heal political division. Subjects include Susan Bro, the mother of civil rights activist Heather Heyer, who was killed during a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville; and David and Erin Leaverton, Republicans who drove around the country seeking to learn about people they disagreed with. Unrated. Available on various streaming services. 84 minutes.

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"Ruth: Justice Ginsburg in her Own Words" is a documentary portrait of the late Supreme Court associate justice, featuring interviews with Ginsburg and those who knew her. Unrated. Available at themiracletheatre.com and virtualavalon.org; available March 9 on demand. 90 minutes.

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In "Saint Maud," a pious hospice nurse (Morfydd Clark) in a British seaside town becomes obsessed with saving the soul of an ailing dancer and choreographer under her care (Jennifer Ehle). The New York Times says: "Folding sexual arousal and religious ecstasy into a single, gasping sensation, 'Saint Maud,' the feature debut of the director Rose Glass, burrows into the mind of a lonely young woman and finds psycho-horror gold." R. Available on Epix. Contains disturbing and violent material, sexuality and strong language. 84 minutes.
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID

news

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said he hopes that the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union will be reviewed this year.

He said this at a joint press conference with representatives of the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday, February 11, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"This review [of the Association Agreement] has started. Further work will be painstaking and technical. It concerns the articles of the agreement, the revision of some standards, which have changed many times over the past few years. The agreement should be brought into line with the standards and parameters that are currently in place in the EU. We also have to take into account the changes and reforms that have taken place in Ukraine. Therefore, this work will obviously continue this year, and I hope that we will be able to review the agreement and sign all the necessary changes as soon as possible," Shmyhal said.

He also stressed that the Ukrainian side expected significant progress to be made this year in getting closer to the signing of the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA), without mutual recognition of electronic trust services and authorized economic operators.

"From the very beginning of the European green course, Ukraine has taken a position to engage in this initiative. The launch of the dialogue between Ukraine and the EU in this area is a clear signal that we have a common vision of our opportunities and challenges in the green energy transition and achieving climate neutrality," Shmyhal said.

A government delegation led by Shmyhal paid a three-day working visit to Brussels from February 9 to February 11. Government representatives met with the leadership of the European Union and NATO. Shmyhal discussed a number of important issues with European Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. A number of other important events were also held. On February 11, government officials took part in the seventh meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels.

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NOIDA, India, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A comprehensive overview of the Kyphoplasty market is recently added by UnivDatos Market Insights to its humongous database. The Kyphoplasty market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data of various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the Kyphoplasty market. The Kyphoplasty market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Kyphoplasty market at the global and regional levels. The Global Kyphoplasty market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.5% from 2021-2027 to reach US$ 3.2 billion by 2027.

Market Overview

Proliferating prevalence of spinal cord injuries coupled with the rise in the aging populations who are more prone to osteoarthritis is resulting in rising spinal problems, therefore, generating the need for kyphoplasty. Kyphoplasty is a vertebral augmentation surgery that is used to treat a spinal compression fracture. As per WHO, around the world, between 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI) Every year. Also, there were 703 million persons aged 65 years or over in the world in 2019 and the number of older persons is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050, as per the United Nations. Moreover, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) revealed that 1 in 3 women over the age of 50 years and 1 in 5 men will experience osteoporotic fractures in their lifetime globally. Furthermore, half of the world's population aged 65 and older suffer from Osteoarthritis, and 80 % of people with symptomatic Osteoarthritis have limitations in movement, while 25 % cannot perform their normal daily activities. Majority of the spinal cord injuries are due to preventable causes such as road traffic crashes, falls, or violence. Out of that around 39.3% of the spinal cord injuries happen due to motor vehicle crashes while 31.8% are due to falls.

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COVID-19 Impact

The surging prevalence of COVID-19 across the globe has transformed the priorities for the healthcare service providers as the hospitals were overcrowded by COVID-19 patients and the spinal surgeons were on the duty for the care of COVID patients. In a study it was found that one in four surgeons reported working outside of their typical scope of practice Reasons for such cancellations are two-fold. Therefore, a sharp decline was witnessed in both orthopedic and spine surgeries as well. In a study, it was revealed that hospitals in the united states experienced around 35% decline in the operations room volume during March-Jul 2020. However, the market for robotic spinal surgeries witnessed an uptick during the COVID period. Moreover, the demand for spinal surgery medical devices and equipment are also witnessed a sharp decline in demand. Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., a company dealing in spinal products, and services company reported Q1 net sales of $1.784 billion, a 9.7% decrease from 2019.

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Global Kyphoplasty Market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

By Product Type, the market is primarily bifurcated into

Balloon

Cement Mixing

Needle

X-Ray Device

Delivery Devices

The balloon segment dominated the by product type segment of the Kyphoplasty market in 2019 and will grow at 15.9% CAGR to reach US$ 1.4 billion by the year 2027.

By Applications, the market is primarily segmented into

Kyphosis

Spinal Fractures

Vertebral Alignment

Amongst application, spinal fractures accounted for the largest share and is expected to grow at 15.3% CAGR during the forecast period 2021-2027. In 2019, the spinal fractures segment accounted for a revenue share of almost 43.1%.

By End-Users, the market is primarily segmented into

Hospitals

Clinics

Ambulatory Surgical Centres

In 2019, the hospital segment dominated the global kyphoplasty market with nearly 61.4% of the market share and it is anticipated by 2027, the segment will garner US$ 1.9 billion of the market.

Kyphoplasty Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Rest of the World

Based on the estimation, the North America region dominated the kyphoplasty market with almost US$ 0.7 billion revenue in 2019. At the same time, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow remarkably with a CAGR of 17.8% over the forecast period owing to the surging prevalence of orthopedics among elderly populations and rising motor vehicle accident which causes to spinal fractures.

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The major players targeting the market includes

Merit medical systems

Stryker Corporation

Medtronic

CareFusion

Alphatec Spine

Osseon LLC

DePuy Synthes (Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.)

Globus Medical

Zimmer Biomet

Parallax health sciences

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the kyphoplasty market. The leading players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the kyphoplasty market?

Which factors are influencing the kyphoplasty market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the kyphoplasty market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the kyphoplasty market?

What is the demand in global regions of the kyphoplasty market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

For more informative information, please visit us @ https://univdatos.com/report/global-kyphoplasty-market-current-analysis-and-forecast-2020-2027

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Canada is pleased to re-engage with WFP in supporting the Government of Sri Lanka to improve nutrition among school children and food security in Sri Lanka, both of which were negatively impacted by Covid-19, says Canadian High Commissioner, David McKinnon.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Sri Lanka welcome a funding of CAD 1 million (LKR 151 million) from Global Affairs Canada to help smallholder farmers cultivate nutritious crops for the National School Meal Programme.

Photo caption: Two farmers from Manmunai West, Batticaloa who are currently engaged in WFPs resilience building project which promotes sustainable agriculture.





Responding to the impacts of Covid-19, the Home Grown School Feeding project will provide nutritious and safe school meals to vulnerable primary school children by linking the National School Meal Programme with local smallholder farmers. The project will benefit an estimated 1,700 female farmers and 170,000 children in several districts across the Northern, Eastern and North Central provinces.

The Home Grown School Feeding project is an innovative approach and the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. It is designed to boost local economy and improve the nutritional status of communities in regions with poor nutrition standards and high levels of poverty. By purchasing produce for the school meals from local smallholder farmers residing in the vicinity of the schools, the project creates a predictable outlet for farmers and a stable income while stimulating local production of nutrient-dense crops. The funding from Canada will benefit an estimated 170,000 primary grade school children who receive free meals in school, by ensuring that the meals provided are nutritious, diverse, fresh and culturally appropriate. The meals are also an incentive for families to send their children, especially girls, to school.

The project focuses on empowering women and contributing to gender equality. The smallholder farmers selected for the project will be primarily women, mostly mothers of the school children, from some of the poorest households who have been hard hit by Covid-19s impact on food systems. The project includes community engagement and behaviour change campaigns to address disproportionate workload and care responsibilities placed on women, while enhancing nutrition education and promoting better eating habits. The project will also assist in building resilience of farmers to recurring climate shocks by boosting productivity of family farms.

Canada is pleased to re-engage with WFP in supporting the Government of Sri Lanka to improve nutrition among school children and food security in Sri Lanka, both of which were negatively impacted by Covid-19, says Canadian High Commissioner, David McKinnon. This is great for Sri Lankas agricultural self-sufficiency and for girls retention in schools, especially in these Covid times.

Sri Lanka welcomes Canadas support to supplement the current nutrition programme for school children, says Honourable Piyal Nishantha De Silva, State Minister of Women and Child Development, Pre School and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and School Services. We invest considerable resources in the National School Meal Programme and we welcome WFPs assistance to make it more effective and sustainable. This programme will also boost local economies and help alleviate poverty among rural communities.

Covid-19 has highlighted vulnerabilities within our food systems and calls for urgent interventions to strengthen the path of food from farm to table, says Andrea Berardo, Deputy Country Director of WFP Sri Lanka. Part of the solution lies in creating a formal structure to place smallholder farmers at the centre of food systems, ensuring that regular supply meets regular demand. By harnessing WFPs expertise in food and nutrition, the Home Grown School Feeding project creates diverse benefits to improve the livelihoods and nutrition standards among entire communities.

WFP has been supporting the National School Meal Programme since 2003 to improve nutrition standards among school children. Canada has been one of the largest contributors to Sri Lankas School Meal Programme, providing funds in excess of CAD 10 Million (LKR 1.5 Billion) to WFP from 2003 to 2017, benefitting over 450,000 children. This latest funding from the Government of Canada enables WFP to augment its support to the programme and contributes towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Emraan Hashmi was initially known for his bold choice of roles, later went ahead and even showed his fine acting chops in films like The Dirty Picture, Shanghai and many others. Off late, the actor does fewer films but the right ones and now looks like hes got a big role up his sleeve.





According to reports in E Times, we hear that Emraan Hashmi will play the lead antagonist in Tiger 3. Salman Khan and Emraan Hashmi locking horns will be one exciting watch. While the makers wanted a fresh face for the role just like they had got Sajjad Delfarooz in Tiger Zinda Hai, they thought that Emraan Hashmi fits the bill and will be a perfect choice. This will be Emraan Hashmis first-ever YRF film and also his first collaboration with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.
A British-Iranian academic who escaped from Iran on foot in a hazardous getaway through the mountains has been accused of sexual assault and harassment.

Kameel Ahmady, who recently told of his perilous escape from Iran, has reportedly been accused of assaulting a number of women.

Ahmady, who now resides in the UK, has denied the accusations.

British-Iranian academic Kameel Ahmady (pictured) who escaped from Iran on foot in a hazardous getaway through the mountains has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by several women

Four women told The Guardian that Ahmady assaulted them, and others have made allegations of repeated sexual harassment.

Speaking to the newspaper, one woman described allegations of serious assault that happened outside of Iran over 15 years ago.

The others said their alleged attacks took place while he was doing field work in Iran over the last decade.

The women say Ahmady is a sexual predator and should not be allowed to continue his work with women and vulnerable groups.

The scholar is known for his work on sensitive issues like child marriage and FGM,

Ahmady angered Iranian officials after he was accused of working with foreign governments, visiting Israel and promoting homosexuality among other charges.

He had previously been held in the same Evin prison in Tehran where fellow dual-national prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe has also been detained by Iran.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison in the country but fled while out on bail last December. After following the routes used by smugglers from Iraq and Turkey, he evaded Iranian border guards and eventually found his way to London.

According to The Guardian, the women were prompted to speak out after Ahmady told how he escaped Iran on foot, trekking through mountains with 'no lantern to light my path but the white snow'.

Ahmady did not reveal the exact route he took out of Iran, but said he used routes commonly used by Turkish and Iraqi smugglers

The women say they fear that others could fall victim to him as he restarts his anthropological research.

'When I heard about his other [alleged] victims, and the fact that they were being largely, if not completely ignored, I could not bottle it up any longer,' one woman told the publication.

Ahmady has hit back at the claims, calling them 'baseless slander', and said he had been in consensual relationships with two of the accusers.

Some of the claims first came to light during the #MeToo movement in Iran last year, leading to at least seven allegations against him being published anonymously on social media accounts.

One woman told The Guardian how Ahmady had allegedly began a sexually explicit conversation over lunch on her first day working as a researcher and offered her lemonade laced with alcohol on her second day.

She alleges the academic assaulted her after leading her into an empty apartment for what she thought was a work meeting, before locking the door.

'When I figured out what was going on, it was really too late, there was no way out of that building. He was drunk and I didn't really fight back because I thought he was going to hurt me,' she alleged.

Another women told the publication how Ahmady allegedly excused himself to go to the bathroom during what she thought was a work meeting, before he reemerged naked.

Most of the women said they continued working with the academic for a period after experiencing the alleged assault or harassment because there were limited other professional options available to them.

Speaking on BBC radio recently about his journey out of Iran, Ahmady said: 'I just simply left. I packed my bag with shaving kit, a few books of mine and a laptop and I think pyjamas... and warm clothes.'

Ahmady said he had felt conflicted about escaping Iran, because he felt a 'strong responsibility to stay on and continue my work'.

The anthropologist's previous research includes a 2015 study suggesting that thousands of Iranian women and girls had undergone FGM.

The study earned him an invitation to speak at a UN panel in Geneva - but his work has also attracted the attention of Iranian authorities.

The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran says Ahmady has been targeted by hard-liners for his work on 'politically sensitive topics'.

'His research directly contradicts the views and statements of powerful clerics and political and religious conservatives who made and back policies that can expose vulnerable members of society to abuse and exploitation,' the centre said.

In 2019, Iran said Ahmady had been detained over suspected links to foreign intelligence services, weeks after his wife first broke news of his arrest.

Ahmady spent three months in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where he said he was subjected to 'so-called white torture, a psychological pressure they put on you.'

He was released later that year on bail, but in December 2020 he was sentenced to nine years in prison and handed a $700,000 fine over a range of accusations.

A copy of a court judgment released by Ahmady said he was handed an eight-year jail term for co-operating with the 'hostile state' of America.

He was also found guilty of possessing alcohol and owning a pepper gas spray, earning an additional six months in prison on each count.

But the judgment also laid out 15 pages of allegations about his links to 'subversive' foreign organisations and attempts to influence Iranian lawmakers.

These included efforts to increase the age of child marriage, as well as his work on the lives of gay and lesbian people in Iran, where homosexuality is illegal.

Kameel Ahmady with his wife Shafagh Rahmani and the child who the academic said gave him a reason to flee Iran

Describing his daring escape, he told the Guardian that he he took the paths used by smugglers of goods from Iraq and Turkey, wading through deep snow and evading Iranian border patrols.

'Eventually, in a bitterly cold, dark night, I embarked on a journey,' he said, adding that he did not know whether Iranian authorities had discovered his escape.

'Every hour of that unforgettable night, with every path that opened before me through the tough route, I wondered whether there are any roads more impassable than prejudice, ignorance, tyranny and isolation from the rest of the world.

'Kurds are known to have no friends but mountains; on the night of my departure, with no lantern to light my path but the white snow, I realised again that the mountains were giving me a shelter and aiding me to start a new beginning with even stronger determination.'

Ahmady said he did not want to reveal the exact route he took, but after getting out of Iran he managed to find his way back to London where he is now based.

'It's really lovely being back in the UK in such beautiful multi-cultural society where I found myself and learned so much about tolerance and respect for human rights,' he said.

'It's been an incredibly difficult time for me and my family and now it's an opportunity to get on, settle down and rebuild our lives in peace.'

Ahmady is one of numerous dual nationals to have been detained in Iran - which does not recognise the concept of dual citizenship - in recent years amid high tensions between Tehran and the West.

In perhaps the most famous case, British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested and jailed on charges of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.

She is currently on temporary release from prison due to coronavirus after serving most of her five-year sentence, but is banned from leaving the country.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport in 2016 and has been kept in solitary confinement for some of her time in prison.

She worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, but her family says she was on holiday with her young daughter Gabriella and denies she was plotting against Iran.

Nonetheless, she was sentenced to five years in jail for allegedly 'plotting to topple the Iranian government'.

A final appeal was rejected by Iran's Supreme Court in 2017, with Iranian media claiming she had planned the 'soft overthrow' of the clerical establishment.
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Punjab,india / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Im from punjab india | 13 users found this interesting. I was doing chat with my friend and I felt my bed is shaking and at the same time my friend wrote my bed is shivering...... So I realized it.....it was for 5-10 seconds

Our bed started vibrating nd our room is made with wood nd it felt a very strong shaking / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Islamabad (505.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : It came in two waves. the second one stronger than the first. | 10 users found this interesting.

Ludhiana, Punjab / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was sleeping and felt shaking and then the noise from windows helped me to realize that its an earthquake | 7 users found this interesting.

Ludhiana punjab india / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : It was light shake first for 2 to 5 sec and after a minute it was shake again and I could see ceiling fan moving which lasted for about 5 sec. | 5 users found this interesting. Yes I m sleep then bed is

Yes I m sleep then bed is / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

delhi (1106.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) : there were 2-3 large swings in the beginning and after that there were light swings in the building for approx 2 minutes. | 4 users found this interesting.

Lahore, Pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sitting on my bed. The bed shook violently for at least 10 seconds. At first, I just freaked out and could not figure out the reason for the shaking but became sure that it was an earthquake after my mother came running out of her room, awakened from sleep. Instantaneously, after the shaking ended tweets popped up on myobile phone which made me sure. I believe that since the past 5 to 6 years, this earhquake was of the most magnitude. Just freaking out on the idea of an aftershock. May God | 4 users found this interesting.

Mirpur Azad Kashmir / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 10-15 s : That was some serious shit whole setup fell down with 2 monitors and people run to open ground in mirpur azad kashmir felth like minimum 5 | 4 users found this interesting.

S A S Nagar, Mohali (863.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Shaking of bed and some noise with fans swinging slightly and windows rattling. | 4 users found this interesting.

Srinagar, Kashmir, India / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : 2 major shocks separated by around 5 to 8 seconds accompanied by horizontal shaking for a total duration of between 15 and 20 seconds. Water in glass was moving with about 0.5cm vertical displacement. Walls were screeching, people, moved out of the houses. | 3 users found this interesting.

Patiala / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s : Bed was suddenly shaking even curtains started to move. I felt to shocks one at low and second at higher intensity | 3 users found this interesting. Sangrur very amazing / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Lahore (728.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Felt a sort of vibration in the first ten seconds, then still for about 40 seconds, then a stronger shake (it seemed vertical, but still felt more like a vibration) was felt which lasted about 30 or 40 seconds. Everybody noticed clearly the walls and the roof creaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

253.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was having dinner and suddenly I felt slight earthquake. Thank GOD I'm safe and everything is safe around me. | 2 users found this interesting.

495.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : All person in home felt it very well, my sleeping persons got awaken by the shaking. Duration was 30 to 40 seconds for 5sec ( in middle) shaking rate was higher. | 2 users found this interesting.

Amritsar kotkhalsa / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : It's really dangerous feel | 2 users found this interesting. Hello from VolcanoDiscovery. Thanks for sending your photo! Glad to see smiley faces in this difficult time. Please stay safe! / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

JALANDHAR / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : One strong vertical shake felt first of all then after one or two Minutes again felt a horizontal shake with fans moving slightly | 2 users found this interesting.

Rawalpindi Pakistan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : It was like my bed was moving from west to eastward and earth also moved like the car over the speedbreaker | 2 users found this interesting.

Lalru, SAS Nagar (Mohali),Punjab (890.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s : When the first tremor came, I thought maybe I am feeling dizzy but second time the bed just shifted forward and the fan above kept on shaking for 10- 20 seconds but the fan shaking was not so rigorous . I went outdoors. Everyone in my house didn't noticed it. | One user found this interesting.

New Delhi (1107.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was sitting on sofa watching television when this earthquake came. The sofa started shaking back and forth suddenly. At first I thought that my mom is doing that but then I saw the fan which was switched off started shaking and also a photo frame on the wall. Then I realized that this is an earthquake. | One user found this interesting.

455.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : The quake was felt for several seconds and people rushed outside their houses. Due to horrific past experiences people remained outside for on roads for 10 to 15 minutes. Somes cracks have been left on few buildings | One user found this interesting.

Chandigarh (863.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating : My bed started to shake and curtains started to move. My golden Arowana started to jump and I quickly ran out side my home to the park. | One user found this interesting.

Islamabad (493.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was in the office for my job when I was ideally shaking my leg and the floor shook but it went past my subconscious mind, it was a 2 second shock and stopped. after an interval of 3-5 seconds, the second wave came in which again lasted for 2 seconds and this time I noticed it and so did my colleague... who was looking at my legs trying to figure out if the floor was shaking because of my leg shaking and we all had a surprised look on our faces and we started to discuss it. Right after, 5 secon | One user found this interesting.

529 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : It was lying on my bed that time .I feel my bed moving left right ,I heard birds chirping outside and wind blowing like someone pushing with immence power.i awake my mom dad and my brother and we rushed outside in open. After some time we came inside and inspected home for damage ,thanks almighty all fine. | One user found this interesting. leave your comment here / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Dheera, Palampur (718.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : 2 strong shocks, duration aprox 3-4 seconds each after the gap of 5 seconds. Strongly felt by all my family members and all my neighbours get out from their houses immediately. | One user found this interesting.

Punjab, gurdaspur (859.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was in my blanket . L felt someone shaking my blenket then I felt my bed was also shaking.I immidetly get up and saw here there, that someone who is shaking my blanket then again I felt the strong shake of quake ... it was very torriable feelong . I was scared and shouted loundly that its earthquake .. then I move to my parent's room and tell them that what I feel.... that it. But MAY EVERY ONE IN WORLD IS FINE FORM THOS QUAKE.. wmk | One user found this interesting.

AMRITSAR (816.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : It continues for 3 to 5minutes. And came in 2 waves . First wave was of very strong shaking nearly for 15sec. And 2nd wave was weak but can be easily feeled for about 3 minutes. | One user found this interesting.

bathinda Punjab (901.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : First i was scared as windows were vibrating but after i confirmed from friends they felt the same so it was earthquake probably. | One user found this interesting.

438.5 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : First it was Slow shocks but then The shocks were very strong felt by all Humans and Animals .and Alla came out of Rooms and Houses . | One user found this interesting.

Gurdaspur (690.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I felt 2 shakings. First was less intense and lasted 5 to 10 seconds. I felt my bed moving. 2nd was stronger in intensity and my bed was felt shaking stronger and I got afraid and fearful. It also lasted 5 to 10 seconds. | One user found this interesting.

812.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single vertical bump / very short : First was the maximum amplitude wave, very short and very severe, all the furniture, windows vibrated and made noise for a fraction of a second and then many smaller ripples continued for 2-3 minutes..appeared to be more than 7 on Richter scale. | One user found this interesting.

Phagwara (783.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I felt 3 low vibes with the interval of 10-15sec then 4 vibe was actually like a big ripple but thank god everything is fine | One user found this interesting.

Noida, India (1110.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Was sitting on chair when chair started going back and forth two times. A person sleeping in the house also awoke | One user found this interesting.

480.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : In Azad kashmir to 1 km west in LOC between india and Pakistan, i along with all family members felt it heavily | One user found this interesting.

814.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I felt strong vibration for 10-15 seconds. Crockery was also shaking and birds fly from trees at the same time . My bed was vibrating continuously. Other members of my family also felt the same. | One user found this interesting.

Peshawar (488.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : The shakes started off quite strong and then became constant but weak. The whole quake was felt for about 40-45 seconds. | One user found this interesting.

Malerkotla / Light shaking (MMI IV) | One user found this interesting. Hello from VolcanoDiscovery. Thanks for sharing, good to see you're safe, and we're happy to see a smile on your face! Best regards from Europe! / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Ganderbal / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Very long shake | 3 users found this interesting.

1098.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s I felt moderate shaking..all the hanging object were shaking | 2 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s

607.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : N/A | 2 users found this interesting.

Islamabad Pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : A Tale to remember, So the events unfold when I was binging on youtube on my laptop, I was on my chair and habitually was swinging on it so consequently I was unable to feel the initial jolt of the vibration otherwise I am good at detecting earthquakes:). Then my sister knocked on my door and told me that she thinks that someone is shaking her bed , now you may be wondering why that conclusion , well my family believes in the supernatural and has burglar problems in the past so the first instinc | One user found this interesting.

District buner of tangopull Bjakata / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : My name is Muhammad Bilal .I fell is this earthquake and this was really the earthquake of Destruction near by our Area no Destruction occur .But faraway our area some bulding ws damage .And one wall of our rome due to the earthquake cause damage | One user found this interesting.

Nawashehr , S.B.S. nagar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Glass pane were rattling. I felt a jerk to my bed side . I was sleeping and woke immediately.i could see and hear panes rattling . There was little movement in fan also. My equilibrium got disrupted and am feeling vertigo . | One user found this interesting.

Karsog / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : I was awakened by the rattling sound of my window pane while sleeping while the ground was also shaking a bit. Everything is alright around me, no damages seen or known | One user found this interesting.

Samana Patiala road / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 2-5 s : I am trying to sleeping but I feel some movement on my bed and I suddenly awake and trying to watch my room fan with my mobile tourch and I saw my fan literally shaking. And I understood with in a second this is earthquake and I awoken my all family members. | One user found this interesting.

Shimla Himachal Pradesh / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Had switched off the lights to sleep when suddenly my daughter shouted, I switched on the light and saw the charger cord shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Kundli, Sonipat, Haryana, India / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Whole bed was shaking and the floor was moving left and right. All the fans were swinging. This continued for quite some time then stopped. | One user found this interesting.

Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Was on my swivel recliner and it started rocking. The fans also started to shake a bit. The tremors lasted around a minute or two maybe. | One user found this interesting.

GHAZIABAD / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was laying on bed with head rested on wall, and felt very strong tremors, I was alone in room so shouted Earthquake. Family in Living room also confirmed they felt like dining chair was going to crack. Fan and Chandelier were dangling. | One user found this interesting.

1841.7 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : From Gilgit City north of Pakistan and closed to China border , it was moderate shaking with sound effects in the city .

Chackshehzad isb (491.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : For once I just thought that someone is behind me and shaking my sofa, but when shake me like a monster in hand with zero nano second I left my room and Ran away sit quietly and start reciting Astaghfirullaha Rabbi min kulli az nab ta ho...! May Allah help us all!

Leh (558.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : I was using phone in bed and then it was like someone shaked the whole house thrice. Light tremors were felt her in Ladakh

400.6 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) i have personally felt it when I was going to sleep and the Pakistan disaster management authority said that the earthquack was about 6.4 magnitude. (reported through (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

593.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The earthquake on Feb.12.2021 that i feel it was become two times in 8s the first time is very light my room window is given sound then the second one in next 2 second strongly i feel my bed is shaking V/H for 2 to 4 seconds

894.9 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s : Suddenly felt vibration in my bed. Windows had too much vibration. Got out immediately as soon as I realized it was an earthquake

718.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : At first i felt that my bed started vibrating which kept for about 10-15 seconds and then felt a jolt with creaking of furniture. I went to balcony at once and everyone downstairs was out on road.

Rawalpindi Pakistan (505.7 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / complex motion difficult to describe : It was very bad we live on 7th floor and the building was shaking bad it was horrible. May Allah have mercy on us all

Topi, KPK, Pakistan (Postal Code 23460) (452.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was on 1st flood when my brother told me if I felt an earthquake which I had not felt but 10 seconds after that we both felt another jolt that had both of us running downstairs. Mom came out on her own because she felt it and dad came out from another room too because he felt it too. It was not that bad but definitely an earthquake. PS. We are around 460KM away from that site so I am sure it was this one because I remember checking my watch after everything calm down and it was around 10:07 PM

Kohat kpk (533.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Im leaving on ground floor beside this me and my childrens felt the shaking and some unidentified noise just like jet engines roars which fly on very height (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Karnataka, Yusuf Sarai, New Delhi (1111.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was having dinner in a restaurant when I felt my chair swinging horizontally. I asked my friend and she thought I was doing it. I told her it wasn't me and then she also realised it was an earthquake and soon everyone present there realised. Although my aunt did not realise it.

Lahore (735.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s I was on my sofa when i felt a shake. For a few seconds i could hear vibration and then there was a second stronger shake. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Islamabad (501.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : We were at dining table and everything was shaken even home was shaken and listen the sound like thunder.

486.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : We were sitting on our bed and my father was in his room lying on his bed to sleep, this is when our bed suddenly started shaking strongly , when i got up and stood on floor the floor was also shaking and vibrating with sounds of vibrations as well.

Pathankot (669.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : I was sitting on bed and suddenly I feel some tremors are coming from north direction as it going towards south .I thought my brother slammed his room door then after 5 second again I feel the same phenomenon then I came outside...

529 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : It was lying on my bed that time .I feel my bed moving left right ,I heard birds chirping outside and wind blowing like someone pushing with immence power.i awake my mom dad and my brother and we rushed outside in open. After some time we came inside and inspected home for damage ,thanks almighty all fine.

Kakra town outside mirpur city. The ground shook l (552 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : I was about to walk downstairs in my home. The ground shook side to side then up and down. I ran downstairs with my heart pumping. I took my mother and grandma outside. Very scary. May God have mercy

Jaipur (1265.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Chair and bed were shaking enough to make one uneasy. Curtains kept swinging for over a minute. Could hear some rattling/creaking noise throughout. Ceiling fan didn't move though.

Bahawalpur (981.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : I was on first floor and felt a slight side throw ( North to South) and a up down effect. It last for around 30 seconds.

JAIPUR Rajasthan India (1384.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s : People resting on bed felt it, so did most on upper floors. It was felt in Delhi, Rajasthan, North Indian states of Jammu, Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab

Kakra town outside mirpur city. The ground shook l (552 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : I was about to walk downstairs in my home. The ground shook side to side then up and down. I ran downstairs with my heart pumping. I took my mother and grandma outside. Very scary. May God have mercy

670.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : 2 separate times, first was like 1 second long, the second was about 5 seconds, the locked doors made some noise, and the ceiling fan moved a little.

1101.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : While I was watching news over the television, I felt the room shaking...i went out in the balcony of my fifth floor apartment and heard dogs barking all over! Thereafter I saw news about the same flashing all over the TV channels!

Patiala (894.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was lying laterally on my bed and playing game on mobile when I felt a vibration. First I thought my body is internally shaking. Then I felt a stronger shaking and felt my body moving back and forth a bit. I shouted and alerted my family as soon as I realised earthquake tremors.

Chackshehzad isb (491.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : For once I just thought that someone is behind me and shaking my sofa, but when shake me like a monster in hand with zero nano second I left my room and Ran away sit quietly and start reciting Astaghfirullaha Rabbi min kulli az nab ta ho...! May Allah help us all!

1001.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : It's for 5 to 7 seconds two quakes comes .. I am on bed I felt moving bed from east to west it's two powerful shoks

Chandigarh (865.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : My head seemed to suddenly feel heavy and the door n bed of my room started shaking vigorously since it's quite weak and not built properly. The liquid in the bottle of hand sanitizer beside me started shaking too. I confirmed if it was an earthquake by looking at the fan on the ceiling and it was moving in sideways direction too. But my mom who was moving while working in the kitchen noticed nothing.

756.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt / 5-10 s : Observed exactly half an hour ago while lying on bed...thank almighty for being able to tell this experience comfortably lying there!

Jammu (609 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was in my bed with laptop on my laps and mobile on top of that laptop screen. All of a Sudden mobile fall down from laptop screen and bed was shaking

Rawalpindi (500 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Shaking and vibrations slowed down in between and then resumed again. I was lying on my bed when it started shaking and after about 10 seconds the shaking slowed down a little only to resume a little more prominently for another 20 seconds

Noida (1111.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : My dog growled as the whole flat moved, the ceiling lights swung, in my 9th floor apartment. I could hear a slight creaking of woodwork.

Palampur himachal (719.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Feel fir 2 to 3 seconds 2 times in a row within 10 seconds. All my family members and neighbours feel the shock and came out from houses.

754.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating : I was sitting in my office and my chair started vibration and my pc too. I ran outside and saw everyone was running and coming outside from the covered area to open outside area. A scary atmosphere developed.

Jalandhar cantt (774.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was sitting in my chair facing my laptop on my table, suddenly I felt my chair was vibrating, in a small variation. My brother notices the watch on his room swinging again left & right, in a small variation, while his bed (on which he was lying) vibrates the same way. The whole experience lasted for 2-5 seconds.

1109 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : My bed jerked thrice, usually I don't experience such jerks, last time I remember all the fans shook, and i didn't notice at all. Last time everyone went downstairs. I stay at 6th floor of 20 floor building. But this time fans didn't shook at all, but I felt it. it was a bit strange this time.

Jammu (600.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I felt the earthquake in jammu city , subash nagar. We were sitting jn the dining area and we felt it twice it lasted for 2-3 seconds .

Ludhiana (831.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s : At 10:31 i felt a sudden shaking my bed shaked after few secs it shaked once more and the mirror placed on the wall fell down all of us ran quickly out of house

494.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : My room door was closed, it was as if someone was right behind it, putting their weight on it, so that it shook. Also, I was on my bed which shook in a horizontal motion, enough for me to realize that it was an earthquake.

950.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : The ceiling fan swayed. Still water in bucket made ripples. Hanging pots moved for no apparent reason.

Nabha-147201 (885.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I felt shake,it earlier felt like fast heart palpation, but realised that its a quake:fan,chandelier shaking. Ran out side house. I had to wake my mom up,she didnt felt shake.

Akora kha (475.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I don't have experience in English First the earthquake was slow maybe 50 seconds after the earthquake was high we go out side home and Allah forgave us

Lahore (737.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : The windows shaked which gave me a perception that its an earthquake. The earthquake was felt across all the neighbourhood. The jolt movement was horizontal sideways.

714 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : I was sitting on my chair when I felt it. People from neighbouring house, who had already gone to sleep woke up and came out if their himes

823.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : It was between weak and light shaking. Very much felt like earthquake by sitting persons. Not by walking curtains were swinging.

rawalpindi, gulistan colony (579.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake : i felt it, atleast 2 shakes, first one was light, and after around 1 minute or 30 second, another one but very strong one, my bed was shaken

Daggo romana (834.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was going to sleep. Suddenly bed started to shake and fan swing There were two waves first last for 2-3 seconds Second 1-2 seconds It might be if 4.5 magnitude

843.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was busy with mobile lying on bed with lights off. Suddenly I felt vibrationsin my wooden house. I literally felt my bed shaking for just 2 or 3 seconds.

580.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : I was offering prayer and sit on the surface when I felt a strong jerk after a while I felt again and I stand and go out side. It was strong enough many people came out of houses

Ghumarwin, distt bilaspur (789.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : I felt the glass door of almira shaking and making noise, and sensed slight disblanace which happens when earth tilts or shakes very feebly.

859.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : I was sitting in my seat and suddenly my chair started swinging up and down,I heard a rattling noise and I looked at my glass water bottle and the water was moving so I went to Look up to see of there was any earthquake in the region and as elected there was

South Delhi (1109.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was sitting on a stool and the stool was shaking. I thought my head was spinning but it continued for few more seconds so thats when I realized that it was an earthquake.

Charari sharief Srinagar jammu and kashmir (482.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.

489 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : The Earthquake came twice in a matter of 10-15 seconds with two shocks.The second shock while hitting caused heavy rattling to the landscape disrupting steady movement but thankfully in my area, our neighbors are safe for now

Manawan, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. (722.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : I just felt some shake in my head. But my things specially my wooden showcase which doors are free and unbalanced shake very well.

737 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 20-30 s : I was in Sajdah after my Esha Prayer and praying to ALLAH ALMIGHTY for my Success in my Visions, when I felt very strong shakes of Earthquake and I kept praying to ALLAH ALMIGHTY. "ALLAH IS GREAT'

470.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was in bed and there was some slight shaking which suddenly became very fast and me and my family ran out of the house away from the building. We waited about 5-7 minutes before coming inside after the earthquake had stopped.

Buner (1042.3 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / complex motion difficult to describe : Was lying on bed first I thought it would end, but it's kept going hard, then I stand and awake my younger brother, and take my younger sister to go to the 2nd floor from 3rd one. Our home is on 3rd floor which is not in good condition. When we were about to exit on the room door and the door of our home, in the middle we felt it so hourable. Thankfully we are all safe, and hope others too.

Ghumarwin, distt bilaspur (788.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : I felt the glass door or almira shaking and slight disblanace which happens when earth tilts or shakes very feebly.

sialkot Hunter pura (622 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : i am on call with my relatives live in Rawalpindi he said the earthquake came and the next second we also feel it

1789.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : Just saw the fans move very slightly could feel a faint shake of the chair, did not hear people screaming earthquake, no one running out of the houses,.

Gujrat Jalalpur Jattan (1051.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : I Was Laying On Bed And Chilling But Suddenly My Bed Start Shaking Really Fast but i Ignore At First After That My Cousin Told Me That The Earthquake Has Happen maybe its 6.4 Earthquake

F84 islamabad Pakistan (491.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I was lying on my bed and i felt my mom get up so i got up next thing i know i notice these hangings shaking vigorously

Garden Town, Lahore (731.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was watching youtube on my laptop when I first felt if something was not right for a few seconds, but then the next few seconds were more violent when my whole family got scared and we all ran outside the house

1841.7 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : From Gilgit City north of Pakistan and closed to China border , it was moderate shaking with sound effects in the city .

Lahore (736.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : The Bed was shaking on the ground floor and a person sitting on the floor in the upper portion of the house felt the shaking as well.

Rawalpindi (508 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : i WAS ON 2ND FLOOR MY BED CLEARLY SHAKED AND CREATES SOUND , ONLY FOR 3-5 SECONDS. CONFIRMD FROM OTHER FRINDS THEY TOO FELT IT

Bhiwadi (1139.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was sleeping when I felt it. The windows near my bed started creating sound and my bed also started shaking. People started to run outside and there was rush everywhere.

475.7 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Forst wave was a shudder, door jambs and windows made a sound. Second wave was stronger lasted a long time, glass was rattling i. Entire house. Felt horizontal vibration more than vertical.

Lahore (726.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Only 22, so possible the worst earthquake ive seen or rather felt. Still pretty tame and not something id get scared of but for a moment my heart raced.

488 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Windows and doors clattered. Animals nearby started speaking. Low rumble heard. Went for atleast 2 minutes.

823.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Quite heavy, couch was shakes heavy and we got out doors, everything ok after that. Can say intensity was about 3.5 or plus

Bagh Azad kashmir / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s | 3 users found this interesting. / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s

pakistan faislabad / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : me and my family feel very stronge shaking now me and my all town people outside from home | 2 users found this interesting. Hello from VolcanoDiscovery, thanks for sending in your photo and we're glad you're safe! Hopefully there will not be another strong quake! / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Tajikistan border / Violent shaking (MMI IX) / 15-20 s : Dangerous shock | 2 users found this interesting.

Abbottabad, Pakistan / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : Startes out slow and then became very strong. | 2 users found this interesting.

Lahore / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Strong felt quake | 2 users found this interesting. Very strong sideway shaking,window panes shaked/banged.Never felt this type of strong,earthquake. (not even 2005) / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

980.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Three times | 2 users found this interesting. / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Chichawatni / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake : Kind of shaking of whole room, every body in the town get out from their hou ses | 2 users found this interesting.

Ludhiana (822.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s I felt earthquake for 10-15 seconds. All neighbours were out of their homes after the earthquake. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

Sonamarg (442.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s : Strong earthquake felt in two waves | One user found this interesting.

Rajpura (885.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Mild shaking, felt only by 3 out of 7 family members. | One user found this interesting.

Pallanwala (582.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : North south shaking at Jammu | One user found this interesting.

495.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : It was very strong and was felt all over pakistan. | One user found this interesting.

Dera Ismail khan (725.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : It's was Short but strong one. | One user found this interesting.

487 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s : It was strong but for short duration | One user found this interesting.

Tikkar (739.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) Mild earthquake was felt by family members and some of the people around in my locality | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III)

1102.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Felt just a high bumps | One user found this interesting.

Delhi (1101.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s : Mild shaking of ceiling fan | One user found this interesting.

Rogun (349.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Its the second this year!. | One user found this interesting.

Rawalpindi (500.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Quick motion. Start and stop | One user found this interesting.

samba (635.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Shocking | One user found this interesting.

1114 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Felt it, while I was working in upright seating position | One user found this interesting.

Islamabad pakistan, ar home (493.7 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s I felt two tremors with a gap of five seconds, v strong | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Sunder Nagar Himachal Pradesh / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : All family memebers were sitting together in quilt on a bed. Suddenly bed start shaking and then we noticed doors were also rattling. We rush out of the room. Then we felt the second wave of quake. For kids it was a new experience. | One user found this interesting.

Tohana haryana india (52.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Tremors | One user found this interesting.

736.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : Harwy | One user found this interesting.

Tehsil Sahiwal district Sargodha / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : I was sitting on sofa and was watching the phone first i get shock i did not consider it bit in 2nd shock i feel this earthquake and i went to outside from my home

Ferozepur City, Punjab / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : People were noticed very clearly about the earth quake. First it was vertical vibration for 10 seconds and then it was very noticeable vertical swings. All my neighbour hood came outside & got panicked.

Lahore Pakistan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was in basement initially slight shaking happened that lasted 2-5 then there was a sound like a low loud groan and then windows started shaking and rattling and you could feel the ground shaking for a good 20 seconds and then the shaking and the groaning sound stopped

Islamabad / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : The earthquake came in two ways. First was a small tremor followed seconds afterwards by a much stronger tremor. Buildings were rumbling so much that a thunderous noise filled the air.

Lahore / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : I was sleeping on my bedthen suddenly my bed started shaking swearly. I first thought it is somebody trying to exhaust me but i got frightened when no one else was there. The door of my room was also shaking. In short it was a terrifing experience.

Lahore / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I feel little but not sure that I was quake at the time. Electronic local media creates panic. There should be regulation to avoid panic in public.

Gujranwala, Pakistan / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : The first quake was short and lasted for about half a minute or less. It was followed by a larger quake, my sofa shook and i could actually hear the objects rattling, and feel the ground shaking. It lasted for about a minute. the same quake was experienced all over Pakistan. Its magnitude was recorded to be 6.4 on the scale.

Isalamabad Pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating : Seem was more than 1-2min, water bottle fell,book went down,rattle make noises in ground a "bong"sound an house,couldnt walk,got in doorway crawled,ground shifted felt going up, sideways, we all went outside. still small shakes rattled windows an some stuff fall,held door frame, ceiling fan swayed, small crack by door frame. All ok. Feeling still few tremors small...It felt as a big quake to me. It really shook made alot noises.

sialkot / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s : Its really very bad and very terrible when I was working on computer table and felt its shaking , but the last once its bit higher shaking...

Sector 29, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Slight swaying as we are on the second floor of our building. Water in containers and hanging lamps swayed slightly. Also felt the slight shake in my legs while standing. Thought initially I was a bit dizzy.

Islamabad Pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : A Tale to remember So the events unfold when I was binging on youtube on my laptop, I was on my chair and habitually was swinging on it so consequently I was unable to feel the initial jolt of the vibration otherwise I am good at detecting earthquakes:). Then my sister knocked on my door and told me that she thinks that someone is shaking her bed , now you may be wondering why that conclusion , well my family believes in the supernatural and has burglar problems in the past so the first instinct

Derabassi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : My window are shaking and I felt strict force while sitting over my bad. It was felt twice for 10-15 seconds long

Islamabad, Pakistan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It felt very strong, my bed was shaking badly, felt like two major shakes. My little one (6y) got scared and was traumatized.

Sopore / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I was trying to sleep. Abruptly I feel something going wrong just like my bed is moving and I observer keenly and I found its tremor. slightly gone outside my room...and inside I was thinking its doomsday...But thanks to Almighty Allah everything is safe, especially my Akins.

Sopore / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I was trying to sleep. Abruptly I feel something going wrong just like my bed is moving and I observer keenly and I found its tremor. slightly gone outside my room...and inside I was thinking its doomsday...But thanks to Almighty Allah everything is safe, especially my Akins.

Hansi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s : I was watching a movie and suddenly felt movement in the chair and the wall in my room, I thought it might be due to TV and muted it's audio and felt the vibrations in wall and chair. I just ignored that motion and resumed watching TV.

Haripur Khalabat Township KPK Pakistan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : We were bit sure of the Earth quake but later we felt abrupt shocks and things around making vibrating sounds, so we rushed out of our rooms and stood in a open place near the wall.

Amritsar punjab india / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : 2 times feel 1 one is very low second one is to strong goosebumps comes out very horrible I think today I am not sleeping

Lahore / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Everything started to shake at 10:02 (local time), lasting for about 2 minutes. The furniture started to wobble, and the sofa in the house actually moved back and forth. The chandelier too was swinging.

Airport Srinagar, j&k / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Strong shaking at around 22.35 IST. z People ran out of houses. There was shouting of humans, dogs barking, trees and electric cables shaking vigorously.

Suratgarh Rajasthan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : We felt two earthquakes around 22:30 in Suratgarh Rajasthan..bed doors windows everything was shaking...so we ran outside and stayed their for an hour... hopefully it's over.

Lahore ,Palkistan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I Was Sitting on a stool,It vibrated 3-4 times for 2-3 Seconds started from strong vibration to light vibtation, window rattled, Time was approx. 22:10 PKT Pakistan Time.

Srinagar, j&K / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s : Started with mild shaking followed by some strong trembling,birds flew off the trees, electric wires swinging and lots of dogs barking as i rushed into my lawn to feel the earth rocking under my feet for at least 20 secs.scary

Lahore, Pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : It was a light vibrations at first for about 10 seconds but then strong vertical jolts came for 10 seconds and returned to vibrations again for 10 seconds

Lahore ,Palkistan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I Was Sitting on a stool,It vibrated 3-4 times between 2-3 Seconds, Time was approx. 22:10 PKT Pakistan Time.

Gurugram, Haryana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : First shake was a sway for few seconds, but the second was a strong shake, it felt as if someone held the building and gave it string shakes for few seconds, window glasses started shaking badly amd making noise, chandeliers and fan shook strongly.

Bareta punjab / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating : I felt this quakevat approx. 10:34. It was really feelable and it shaked my bed,doors,and railing etc.

sector 27, Panchkula Extension, Haryana India / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : On top of 9 floor building - significant shaking for over a minute! Evacuated to ground level clear of building!

Islamabad / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s : I was almost asleep as it was 10pm Pakistan time. My bed shook badly, I woke up and rushed to my children's room who were terrified too. Ceiling fans and water dispenser were shaking too. Thanks God, it ended up earlier.

Srinagar / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : We felt strong tremor in srinagar. First tremor was weak followed by a violently strong tremor. People came out from their houses.

Islamabad Pakistan. Very intense and we ran out .w / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : It was very tense.with a sound .first jolt was like moving on water kinda feeling and then it got silent for 5 sec then big vibration and shaking and sound.

Ludhiana / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Bed and fan were shaking than it stopped we ran out and after few minutes again felt the tremor the electric pole was shaking and our legs could feel numb ness

Kashmir / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : It felt really terrible.It felt like the earth was literally inclining though may be that's not practically possible but it seemed as though we were just losing all the balance. We were really frightened especially when the second jerk became stronger. We ran outside of our house with our families. And by God's mercy, no serious damage occurred in our area.

Anantnag jammu and Kashmir / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating : I was laying and suddenly the house started shaking and all windows not closed turned open on their own. I felt as if the house would collapse.

Ludhiana / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I felt a strong one.. my bed was shaking my windows were rattling. My tea in a mug slightly disturbed. My fan was started moving too.. it was really high. I could feel the viberation.

Udhampur / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Everything was trembling and i even got scared but this is only earthquake after 2005 which has so much intensity and duration

Kharar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sitting on the bed I felt the bed swing. It took me good 3 to 4 seconds to realise it was an earthquake.

Bilaspur Himachal Pradesh / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was lying in my bed and suddenly my bed starts shaking . I woke up immediately and heared crows flying and dogs barking.

SHIMLA / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : My body started to shake at first. Than my guitar fell down, People came out of their houses. It came at approx 10:35PM

Hoshiarpur / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Sitting on bed for going to sleep the fan started moving along with bed due to earth quake we all run out of house

Havelian Pakistan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s : Initially , it was lifgt shaking, then it gets intensive. After a while, it's velocity increased too much and reached it's climax with windows and glass panes , shaking wildly.

Delhi NCR mahipalpur / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s : I was in washroom suddenly I experienced strong shaking water fell out of the bucket and it was very bad situation

Kashmir / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : It was disastrous,Too much denser... Thanks to almighty it does take much time, If it takes some 10 seconds more, god forbid there might be a disaster. Report from Kashmir (india)

Islamabad / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s : I was sitting on the bed when suddenly I heard the shaking noise of windows and everything including the bed. It escalated very quickly and intensely and within 3 secs I was certain its a very strong earthquake. Immediately I got up walked out to corridor where my parents were already coming towards me alarmed and shaken and we all tool 15 secs to open the door and step outside to the lawn. Shaking stopped in like 25 seconds. All neighbors had also stepped out and 100 percent ppl had felt it.

Anantnag jammu and Kashmir / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating : I was laying and suddenly the house started shaking and all windows not closed turned open on their own. I felt as if the house would collapse.

Jammu, Jammu and kashmir / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : I was sitting on my bed and it start shaking. Then it feels like it ended but then again,after some seconds, start shaking.

Khanna, punjab, india / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : It was lite shaking amd i could fee my couch viberating, door lock was also making sound while shaking.

LUDHIANA / Light shaking (MMI IV) : 3rd story of apartment building, the building rattled like an EXTREMELY heavy vehicle was passing My washing line was swinging I left the building

Lahore / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : My bed moved.. shaking squeezy sounds coming out of it. Quake felt vertical wave flowing horizontally. Lasted about 3-4 mins. Car also vibrated in wave motion.

Punjab / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was laying on my bed then suddenly felt like someone's either shaking my bed or like jumping. It happened for almost 5-10 seconds

Anantnag / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating : I am from Indian Occupied Kashmir and i feel this earthquake as its intensity was very high 6.2 magnitude as per reports are coming. Many people left their houses and run outside and the birds are flying everywhere. Reham ya Allah. I feel with you all ! / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Chandigarh / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I never felt this type of shaking earlier though I have experienced mild intensity earthquakes earlier also

Zirakpur / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : I was in bed. I heard creaking sounds and my bed was shaking. I felt general shaking with 2 specific harsh jolts in the middle. The whole shaking lasted about 22 seconds.

Lahore / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Bed, house, & trees shook strongly. Almost thrown of of bed from sharp jolt. Neighbors all came outside scared. Walls of house shook.

Bilaspur h.p / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : It was light shaking .I was doing my work .I was in my bed .and suddenly felt somthing shaking my bed .

Ambala / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was sitting on my study chair suddenly my chair started shaking and the lock on the door started shaking. I then saw the keyring was also shaking. I realised that I have wittnessed an earthquak

Baramulla / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : I was just playing video game , suddenly I felt like the base of my room is shaking .I quickly got it is an earthquake,but I didn't get out of my room because I thought it will be of small duration ,but I was wrong its magnitude start rising and rising ,I then quickly get out of my room and my house to my Park .. it's duration was almost of 1-2 minutes ..very strong vibrations from the North to east directions I guess ? .. But thank god everybody is safe here ..

Sukhrali, sector 17 , gurgaon, Haryana / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : I was on bed and I felt shake then 2-3 times in jst 2-3 min period n i thought may be it was dizziness

Kathua,j&k / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I dont know. I mean it was my first time experiencing but I felt my bed suddenly shaking and then I heard a glass bottle shaking on the table in the other room. I asked my dad and he rushed us all out. The time we got out everything was normal. The shaking was pretty strong but I dont know my mothers still sleeping lol.

Islamabad Bahria Town / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : So I was sleeping and i felt like my matress started floating in air. That feeling is difficult to share in words but seriously my solid matress felt like it was floating and slipping left and right. Well I woke up and ran out with family because it was a very strong shake. Well because I prefer matress instead of bed, I had a direct contact with the ground thats why I felt like floating. Well it was a funny and panic mixture time.

Kapurthala punjab / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s : Sudden vibrations got observed. Bed started shaking soon after wooden almirah start producing a cracking sound(attached to the wall) . Fan observed to move in back n forth motion. leave your comment here / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

bahria town rawalpindi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : i was laying down. and watching netflix. i felt a shake but i thought it was nothing but then when i came again i feltit . i looked back and saw the water in bottle shakingi knew there was an earthquake. i saw my windows ratlle and i came outside and the . then in the stayed for 1 or 2 seconds.

Islamabad, Bahria Enclave / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : The first wave was shorter and lighter while the second wave (a few seconds after the first) was longer and stronger

Bholath, punjab / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : At that time i was sitting on bed and suddenly the bed was shaken then i stood up and moved outside afterwards it becomes nornal.

Islamabad / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was standing on 1st floor. I could feel motion below my feet. I heard sound in windows similar to that which we hear a strong wind passing by.

gurugram / Light shaking (MMI IV) : it lasted a few minutes, our bed rattle, the fans shaked and it woke us up in light sleep. it was an OK leveled earthquake and didnt really cause any damage or many creaks in the structures.

Kahuta district Rawalpindi / not felt / 2-5 s : ALLAH Pak k azab ka alert tha. ALLAH Pak maaf kry . Sab sy request hy k sadqa o zakat ada kren or ziyada sy ziyada astagfaar kren. Regards M Imran from Pakistan. 03047915067 923466262042

Kuruksherta / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Felt couple of e_shakes in my bed , I was shocked what just happened in my room, is it ghost?, then I opened my whatsapp gym group, everyone is spamming earthquake in chat.

Panchkula / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Me and my friends located across the city could feel the shaking and it was quite noticeable to everyone indoors

Baramulla / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : It was shaking and vibrating. I hardly move from one place to another. People were shouting and went outside the houses.

Rawalpindi, PK / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : My wife woke up, and the kids kept sleeping. The shaking was rattling some loose window panes making a bit of noise. I was walking so I didn't feel it as much as I heard it and saw water shaking.

F-11, Islamabad / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Three short quakes. First was not that strong. Then one weaker than the first and then a very strong shake.

gojra / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : it was long and scary at first it was not that bad but suddenly it started shaking more it was about 40sec long

Tehsil Sahiwal District Sargodha / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was on my bed using my mobile I feel and see wall clock are shaking to much then again it comes more hardly.

Westridge 1 rawalpindi / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was sitting my room when the earthquake occur , everything was shaking and vibrating, my decoration peices were about to fall . My legs are still shaking . It was vibrating from side to side not rolling .

Pilani Rajasthan India / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was laying on the bed and I felt a vibration for few seconds and the water was also shaking I was very afraid

Bahria Town Phase 8, Rawalpindi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I live on the first floor of the house, I was working on my laptop when this happened. I felt the ground shaking for about 3-5 second. I hope everyone is safe.

Mingora swat KPK pakistan / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : It was initial slow a few shakes & all 9f sudden intensity increased birds in our home were making loud noises .. duration was prolong

Lahore Pakistan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was sitting on my safa but it started moving and shaking a lot and I shouted EARTHQUAKE! it was actually scary, and even as we were going downstairs we felt it.

Rawalpindi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : It was a strong one. All hanging objects moved visibly. I felt it twice. It came once stopped and then again and wasnt a short one

Dehradun, india / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Very weak shaking, felt it sitting on bed on 5th floor. My husband sitting on sofa with feet touching ground couldnt feel it

Tarn taran punjab / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I feel like vibrating. I saw some things to shake. I was afraid for some time then l was continuesally saw the thing vibrating while stope vibrating.

Shakartangi,UC katlang2 mardan,kp pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : It happened at about 10:05,our house shook like mad,it was a very strong jolt,beginning slowly and eventually becoming stronger but thanks to Allah Almighty,it did not last very long,but just a few seconds.

peshawar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : i was sleeping in room just felt it by shaking our window glasses my wife just wake up in2 second and due to the length about 30-40 second, we ran out of the room.. and there we felt chatting of peoples neighbors they are already out of the room...

dhaboola, punjab, pakistan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : i was working on my desktop. when i felt sudden shaking of the table and door. i rushed to the door and open it to go out side from the room.

Gujranwala Kamoke Alamgeer Road / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : I was at my shop. Suddenly some people came out of there houses and started saying "Earthquake" I saw them and tried to feel the quake but I didn't feel then some more people told me it was an earthquake here did you feel. I said no I didn't. But it was an earthquake.

Bedian Road, Askari 3, Lahore Cantt / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : I was sitting on my bed when I felt the ground slightly vibrate. At first I thought I was only just imagining it but in mere seconds the ground started to violently shake. My bed slightly rocked, the pictures and medals hung on my wall jolted from one side to the other and the windows started to rattle like crazy. I could also hear some car horns blaring outside and motorcycles screeching their tires while hitting the brakes.

I felt the earth quake in lahore cantt and chirpi / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was studyoing in my room when i hird the shattered voices of birds along with fan moving and my laptop vibrating

Lahore / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : I felt everything shake and everyone had to run outside. Cannot deny that it was a quake. The room seemed to move. Felt everything have a strong hard shake and it was scary.

Bahria enclave islamabad / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I was in the bed suddenly the the bed was shaking everyone in the house ran outside as quivkly as they can and yea it was scary

Islamabad / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Bed shaking violently... Initially just thought little was moving but it actually earthquake. Ground vibrating when I put my put down

New delhi / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake : Very light shaking at 4th floor more than 3 minutes. My laptop screen was shaking continuously but very minimal

Patiala / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was lying on bed with kids. Things hanging on Wall didn't move. But felt as if someone's moving my bed.

Rawalpindi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : It happened in two spurts, the chair I was sitting in moved, the first time I felt it was about a second long and not too bad but the second spurt was longer and more aggressive

Bhalwal / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was on bed and I didn't felt the first shake my parents did felt the first one Second shake was felt by everyone.

charsadda / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / very short : every one felt it and those who were slept around me all wake up , things in the room were displaced.

Zakir nagar okhla new Delhi / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : I was sitting on a chair. Then suddenly I felt vibration. It was a earth quake. My brother and my mother also felt It.

Islamabad / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : it started with slight shaking and then about a minute later strong shaking for about 15-20 seconds. heard many people screeming outside and running outside. then it stopped

Jammu / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was sitting on my study table and writing practical.i feel like someone push my chair but then i understand it is a earthquake

Gurdaspur / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : I feel 2 time at 10:30 pm . I reading book then happening earthquake and shake my room and after a minute continues shake

Gujranwala, Pakisran / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : First there is strong shaking, then it turns into weak shaking but approximate after 30 seconds again it started to get strong shaking.

patiala / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : I was just trying to sleep suddenly I felt like bed started to shake and it continues to shake for 30 seconds and it scared me.

Rawalpindi / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Felt a major vertical bump twice with vibrations in between! Everyone in the surrounding houses came out

Lahore, Pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : my ceiling was moving heavily and my bed and after i got out of my room, all the windows were shaking highly for a long time

Chamba / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : I just felt some shaking of windows while sleeping but I ignored it but I felt 2nd wave in just 2 minutes apart It'sook lie light shaking

Rawalpindi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Sittig on the bed while the ground started shaking. It was a sudden jolt at first. Then it started to slow down. Still feeling a slight shaking sensation.

Kathua / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : It completely shook everything around me | One user found this interesting.

Sirhind City Distt Fatehgarh Sahib Punjab India / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : At 1034pm I felt twice shaky movements of windows and bed at Sirhind city Punjab. | One user found this interesting.

Kulgam / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Just a horrific scene | One user found this interesting.

Dorangla / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : We felt it 2 time.Another sensation felt after 10 seconds | One user found this interesting.

Narowal / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : To much fear | One user found this interesting.

Hamirpur / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Some shakes | One user found this interesting.

Aluchi Bagh, Srinagar jammu and kashmir / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Was of mild intensity, but longer duration | One user found this interesting.

Ludhiana / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Felt little vibrations for about 2 secs | One user found this interesting.

Dera Ismail Khan, Sourtheren District of KPK, Paki / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : It was horrible and scary... | One user found this interesting.

Dehradun / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s : Reporting from Dehradun India | One user found this interesting.

Ja / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Jalandhar | One user found this interesting.

shimla / Light shaking (MMI IV) : All neighbourhood came out of there houses. | One user found this interesting.

Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Hanging Fan and light fixtures oscillated .swinging by few milimeters | One user found this interesting.

Islamabad, Pakistan / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Islamabad | One user found this interesting.

Shopian / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating : It was terrible. | One user found this interesting.

Delhi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : fan moves slowly left-right- left and again. please save earth otherwise ready for result asap. | One user found this interesting.

Rishikesh / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt some shakings | One user found this interesting.

Amravati enclave haryana / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It's shocked us | One user found this interesting.

PULWAMA / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : i see first time in my life this heavy earthquake | One user found this interesting.

Mansehra Pakistan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Strong shaking | One user found this interesting.

Jalandhar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Mild tremors for many seconds | One user found this interesting.

Taxila / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Its occurred in two parts one after other. First was very low. Next was of high magnitude. | One user found this interesting.

Gurgaon / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Was strongly felt with after shocks | One user found this interesting.

Delhi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : 5 sec shake | One user found this interesting.

Patiala punjab / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Feels like someone shakes my bed | One user found this interesting.

Gurugram, Haryana / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s : We felt some one banging on the room door. | One user found this interesting.

Gujranwala / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It was strong enough to rattle my home | One user found this interesting.

Delhi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : Yes I was studying and felt the tremors as my chair was shaking. | One user found this interesting.

I didn't feel it / not felt : I didn't feel it. | One user found this interesting.

Dushanbe / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s : I had just gone to bed when it started shaking. I am on the 6th floor of an apartment building. | One user found this interesting.

Lahore pakistan / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : I feel that my bed is shaking sverely so i run out | One user found this interesting.

459.3 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s | One user found this interesting. / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Shalimar Bagh,Delhi / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s : It felt like strong shaking and i hope for all out Safety for all | One user found this interesting.

Srinagar / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Srinagar | One user found this interesting.

Mandi dabwali / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : The outer main gate of house and beds started vbrating | One user found this interesting.

Lahore, Pakistan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Mild to mid range quake felt at Lahore Pakistan which lasted estimatedly 40 to 50 sec atleast | One user found this interesting.

Tangora Buner kpk / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Very strong Earth quake | One user found this interesting.

Noida / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Mild. Fan swung a bit in small oscillation | One user found this interesting.

srinagar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : scary | One user found this interesting.

Mardan / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : It was teriffying | One user found this interesting.

Islamabad / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was standing and felt strong jolts. | One user found this interesting.

PATHANKOT / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Pathankot | One user found this interesting.

818.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Delhi (1099 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Dharamshala, India (694.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt slight shaking while lying down in bed, from the third floor

818.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

990.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

1055.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

540.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

Jalandhar, Punjab (770.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Could hear the windows shake slightly. Felt the bed shake significantly. Could hear furniture squeak

Rogun (349.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Its the second this year!.

Ludhiana (821.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Lahore (717.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

736.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : Harwy

767.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Bed shaking

1102.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Felt just a high bumps

811 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

764.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

488.9 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

864.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Lahore (729.8 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Horizontal swinging, for around 3 seconds, not very noticeable.

1023.3 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

991.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III)

613.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

767.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Bed shaking

Ludhiana (821.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

2816.6 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

576.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Islamabad (487.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

733 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s

Ganganagar, Rajasthan (907.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

768.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

862.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

HISAR (315 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

820.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Arifwala (866.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s

Dehradun (951.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Rawalpindi (496.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

734.6 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

852.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

723.7 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

496.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s It was a massive earthquake.. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Lahore (735.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : I was sleeping. The shaking woke me up I had to run outside

433.1 km W of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

1597.9 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

788 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Sillanwali (696.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) Jolted my bed twice!!! (reported through (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

1122 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short

734.6 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

953 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

1012.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

599.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

657.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Adampur (929 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 10-15 s

Ganderbal (439.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Noida (1109.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

892.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

1217.3 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

627.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Bathinda (878.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Shaking

962.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

503.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s No loss to the house or nearby places (reported through (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

871.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Islamabad Pakistan (486.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

1102.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

858 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

453.7 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) I felt it and run away (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Tohana (951.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

1151.6 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s We rushed outside cz its shaking more than for seconds.. scary though (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

810 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down)

906.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

625.7 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

1120.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

872.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Faridabad (1123.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

SARGODHA (694.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Abbottabad pakistan (431.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) Oh my Allah my house windows and door shake (reported through (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

619.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Sialkot, Pakistan (629.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s

Phoolnagar, Punjab, Pakistan (763.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

1011.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

796.6 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Nohar (992 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I feel vibration my bed and I see also moving ceiling fan

820.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Chida ,Moga (845.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single vertical bump

Srinagar j&k india (456.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

776.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

873.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

731.1 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

514.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

540.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 20-30 s

496 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

1228.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s

Gurgaon sector 48 , india (1117 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

865.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Multan, Pakistan (917.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

405.9 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Lahore (727.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s

744.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

502.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

767.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

545.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

780 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Mianwali (660 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s

Kargil, ladakh (450.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

477 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

702.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Ludhiana (822.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

486.7 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

899.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 1-2 s

Jalandhar (775.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

LAHORE (752.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s

Kurukshetra (79.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

516.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Ludhiana , punjab , india (824 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

493 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

432.3 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Baramula (432.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

445.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

5789.5 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short

Pathankot, Punjab (671.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Islamabad (501.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

903.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

892.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

484.1 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

712.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

704.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

485.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

503.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

906.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Gurgaon sector 48 , india (1117 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

826.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

Delhi (1108.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : two shakes of few seconds each felt in a gap of 15-20 seconds.

861.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Jalandhar (0.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

743.7 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

1117.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

1125.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

701.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

486.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Severe shaking (MMI VIII)

840.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

HATTIAN Bala AJK (433 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s Only feel sound long time (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s

Gurgaon,india (966.5 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

9797.6 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt : was in a different country, basically the opposite side of the world, did not feel it

Srinagar (450.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Baramulla uri balkote (446.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Gurdaspur (10.9 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Totally scared my bed was vibrating

JAMMU INDIA (611.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake

534.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Islamabad (489.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling : We all came out in the street. Did not cause any damage.

joharabad (653.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : I was lying on my bed studying and my bed shook terribly. It was hilarious.

496 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

720.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

804.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Jammu and kashmir (429.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s

Ghaziabad (1097.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

1105.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

1087.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

785.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : It was strong and felt for atleast 30 seconds for the 2nd one. The 1st one was low.

1251.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I am scared

991.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

1132.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt : did not feel however news channels saying earthquake in delhi ncr

1102 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

867.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

983.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

609.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Suratgarh (971.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

488.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Chandigarh (874.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Jaipur, Rajasthan Infia (1255.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

733.2 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

820.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

695.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Huge sound and vibration (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Una,hp (763.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Feel earthquake in una hp ot 10:34 around ..my bed,s shake very fast...

879.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

1118.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Una (762.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Pindi Bhattian, Punjab , Pakistan (697.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It was shocking sudden jolts

Srinagar (450.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s

678.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

825.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

463 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) Gaand Phat Gae BC (reported through (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

742.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Jalandhar (773.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

1112.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Srinagar jammu and kashmir (451.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Abbottabad, Pakistan. (434 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Hamirpur (751.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

691.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Baram (434 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

453.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

651.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

412.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Gurgaon (1112.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Delhi (1108.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

778.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

740.7 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

613.5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating

507.9 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

817.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

680.4 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Very deadly in Pakistan

736.3 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

498.3 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating

Mohali (836.6 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

New Delhi (1134 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

861.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

ZIRAKPUR (874 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

New Delhi India (1110.1 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

DHA Lahore (736.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

694 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

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Alabama pastors have begun receiving their vaccinations this week and sharing their stories.

I know of quite a few of our ministers who have gotten the vaccine, said Danette Clifton, director of communications for the United Methodist Conference of North Alabama, which includes more than 600 churches.

Clifton said that while it has not been widely publicized, clergy have been categorized as frontline critical workers as part of allocation phase 1B in the state vaccination allocation plan. They are specifically mentioned in a footnote to Phase 1B, along with school teachers, child care workers and grocery store workers.

Some of our pastors found out and began spreading the word and receiving their vaccinations, Clifton said. It was mainly through clergy chatter that I found out.

The North Alabama Conference web site published a story on Monday letting clergy know they are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Rev. Tyler Cantrell, 36, pastor of Palmerdale United Methodist Church, said he worried about accusations of line jumping when not all elderly had been vaccinated yet.

I was hesitant because of that perception, he said.

He said he consulted healthcare workers he knows from his days as a UAB campus minister who assured him there was a need for pastors to be vaccinated.

Cantrell and his mother, who has lupus and is a cancer survivor, both got vaccinated on Thursday at Premier Family Care in Blountsville, where he lives. Im her only caretaker, he said.

He has also been helping other senior citizens get their vaccines.

Ive had phone calls from elderly people trying to get their shots and they couldnt get it, Cantrell said.

Ive helped guide about 15 people or so, from age 70 to 90, to get shots, Cantrell said. Theyre not getting a lot of help. When their doctor doesnt have it, they just wait.

Cantrell said he has encouraged people who are eligible for the shot to get on as many waiting lists as possible. Once they get an appointment to get vaccinated, they can let other providers who contact them know theyve gotten it, he said.

Otherwise, youre having to make endless amounts of phone calls - its extremely hard, he said.

One of the reasons Ive worked so hard to get these vaccines for the elderly are the widows and widowers in extreme isolation, Cantrell said. Theyre dying another type of death. They have a desire to return to their friends, and some say, I dont have much time regardless. Ive seen how much pain and suffering theyre going through.

Palmerdale United Methodist Church shut down during December, but re-opened for Sunday services this year with air purifiers, social distancing and mandatory masks. Few attend in person. More watch his video sermons. Many people choose to watch at home on Facebook, he said.

But the church still does in-person outreach ministries, he said.

We have a clothes closet and food handout, and a lot of people have been using that, and we did tornado cleanups for Pinson and Fultondale, Cantrell said.

Clergy who have that public contact need to be vaccinated in order to do public outreach ministries, he said.

I think its vital to show everyone else its okay, Cantrell said. We have people suffering from isolation, anxiety and depression. We need to be ready to answer those calls. I had a 91-year-old lady whose child died, and she couldnt attend the funeral. If this helps me minister to people like that, it needs to be done.

When pastors were added to the list to receive the #CovidVaccine I was hesitant about line jumping & researching more. Healthcare pros that I love & respect told me to move forward & publicly state I did. Nurse Elizabeth Webb said Theres a reason they made pastors eligible. pic.twitter.com/YuGlRVJ3S8  Tyler Cantrell (@Tyler_Cantrell) February 11, 2021

Footnote No. 1, describing Phase 1B in the states allocation plan, lists the following qualified occupations: Defined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-First responders (firefighters and police officers); corrections officers and support staff; Food and agriculture workers; U.S. Postal Service workers; manufacturing workers; grocery store workers; public transit workers; educators including child care workers, k-12, community colleges, and all higher education institutions (teachers and support staff members); judiciary (including but not limited to district judges, circuit judges, and district attorneys); and clergy/ministers. Also includes state of Alabama continuity of Government strategy (state legislators, supreme court and appellate judges, constitutional officers, and cabinet agency heads).

The Alabama Department of Public Health has launched an online portal for individuals to check their eligibility for vaccination and to make appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations at county health departments. The portal also provides information about additional drive-through and walk-in clinics being offered.

The portal can be accessed at https://www.alcovidvaccine.gov.
A man who murdered a 13-year-old schoolgirl in 1991 has been further convicted of sexually abusing two young girls.

James Junior McKinstry Craig (49), a father of one, was found guilty yesterday after a two-week trial at Belfast Crown Court.

Craig was remanded into custody after five guilty verdicts were delivered.

He had initially faced seven charges  three counts of gross indecency and four counts of indecent assault.

Yesterday he was convicted of two counts of indecent assault and three counts of gross indecency.

The crimes were committed during the 80s and 90s when one of the victims was aged between five and eight and the other was aged between seven and nine.

The victims are now aged 38 and 40.

During the trial both women give evidence in front of the jury.

Expand Close Sonia Forsythe (13) was murdered by James Craig / Facebook

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One of the women, aged 38, spoke of how she had called for her mother during the abuse and that she had been left with flashbacks and suffering panic attacks after Craig had driven her to Ballysillan leisure centre where some of the attacks took place.

The other victim, now aged 40, spoke of how Craig offered to give her money for ice cream before he sexually attacked her.

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After he abducted Sonia Forsythe in 1991 Craig beat her to death with a poker stick and hid her remains in a coal bunker at his home near the Crumlin Road in west Belfast.

In 1996 the remains were found by tradesmen and Craig was put to trial, found guilty and sentenced to 21 years. He was later released and was living in Portadown when the allegations arose from the two women hed abused as children.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Sonia Forsythes mother, Audrey Boomer, said: "I am glad the girls are getting justice and hopefully this will keep him off the streets for longer.

"We have always said that he was a danger to society."
(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Apple will now implement safe browsing traffic through iOS 14.5 beta in its server instead of Google for user's privacy protection

Apple will now use the "safe browsing" option through iOS 14.5 beta using its server, Safari. The said service pioneered by Google led Apple to implement "privacy labels" so Google will now be limited on the data that it will gather from the users.

Apple Now Pushes "Privacy Labels" For Users' Protection

MacRumors reported that Apple now constructed "Fraudulent Website Warning," a feature wherein a user will receive a warning if they happen to enter "fishy" websites like phishing pages and unwanted websites used for hacking. Apple's browser Safari now contained the feature on iOs and iPadOS so you can protect your personal information like password and email.

Apple borrowed the "Safe Browsing" service of Google where it shows a list of phishing links or websites that seem suspicious to click. The URL prefixes will appear so you are preemptively warned of the websites. The data that Google sent to Safari will now be reviewed.

After reviewing, Safari will prompt Google with a request to send the links that matched in the prefixed URLs. Google cannot see the URL of the websites that you are accessing through the hashed prefix.

Google might collect your IP address through Safari since it could not determine what is the particular URL of the website that you are visiting. Don't worry anymore because Apple has made an effective move to avoid that. Without interacting with Google, Apple now relies on its own server instead of the former so your privacy will be maintained more secure.

Recently, some Reddit users shared the "Safe Browsing" window with iOS 14.5 beta. The URL "proxy.safebrowsing.apple" together with "safebrowsing.g.applimg.com" and "token.safebrowsing.apple" proxy Google's privacy feature.

Read Also: TikTok Silhouette Challenge Gone Wrong: Tiffany Haddish and Common Leave Fans on Hilarious Sequence!

Apple becomes even more user-friendly through the crowdsource reporting through Apple Maps. This feature suits the needs of the user for protection against accidents. The California-based tech giant confirms that the 14.5 will be released in the early spring to be readily available in iOS and iPadOS.

Apple and Facebook's Ideals Contradict with Each Other

Apple's campaign towards privacy concerns has been fruitful especially with the feature now added to iPhone and iPad. Besides the "Safe Browsing," Apple will also first ask the user for permission in the apps that they clicked, before tracking them in different websites in the iOS 14.5 update. AT or the App Tracking Transparency is the term used as a requirement among tech companies like Twitter and Facebook.

Just earlier this month, Apple and Facebook had an argument since Apple leaned more on bringing its hardware products to the public than launching targeted advertising. As a user, being tracked is not what we like to happen, so Facebook's targeted advertising will result in a major loss of data, and later will also lead to the loss of profit.

For Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's move is a callous step that will hurt the social media giant more. On the other hand, Apple CEO Tim Cook has a different perspective.

"If a business is built on misleading users, on data exploitation, on choices that are no choices at all, then it does not deserve our praise. It deserves reform," Cook said via Vox.

Related Article: Google Phases Out User-Tracking Cookies, May Pursue FLoC as Replacement



This article is owned by Tech Times.

Written by Joen Coronel

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Marine Corps experiments show lightweight vehicles mounted with long-range weapons can take out enemy tanks at a distance 15 to 20 times greater than a Marine tank could, a top general said this week.

The anti-tank mission was one of the examples cited by Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, deputy commandant for combat development and integration, for how the service is reshaping to create a "light, lethal and austere" force by the end of the decade.

Smith's comments, made Wednesday at the International Armoured Vehicles Conference hosted by Defence IQ, were first reported by USNI News.

The Marine Corps began divesting its heavy tanks last year, following guidance from Commandant Gen. David Berger.

Law enforcement, cannon artillery, infantry and conventional aircraft units are also being cut or restructured, and officials expect to cut 12,000 Marines from the service's troop strength by 2030.

It's all in preparation for a future battlefield where U.S. forces expect to face more conventional forces with capabilities similar to their own.

To combat these "near-peer adversaries," the Marines could employ groups of about 75 Marines on the first island chain off the coast of mainland Asia and outfitted with their own aircraft and surface ships to maneuver quickly and keep their enemy's resources tied up trying to hunt them down.

"In the past, you would think, 'Well, there's 75 Marines in location X, they're not a threat," Smith said, as quoted by USNI News. But "if I can sink one of your billion-and-a-half-dollar warships with a one-and-a-half-million-dollar missile, I am a threat."

That kind of capability "may change the calculus, if I can do that and rapidly move using things like our Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and make it incredibly hard for you to find me," Smith said. "You have to respect that very small unit, of which we will have dozens and dozens and dozens placed strategically."

U.S. forces have witnessed that kind of imbalance firsthand over the past 20 years, as insurgents used cheap improvised bombs to kill or wound troops and disable their expensive hardware.

Now, tiny drones that can be easily purchased and weaponized pose the greatest tactical threat to U.S. forces since the roadside bombs began proliferating, Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., head of U.S. Central Command, said this week.

The Marines plan to use more drones and robotics themselves for combat, as well as for resupplying food, water and munitions, and as potential decoys, Smith said.

A nimbler Marine Corps, capable of hit-and-run style tactics, would take away the "luxury" an enemy might have of focusing its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance on "a few key warships or a few key larger formations who may be closing in on the area," he said.

The service is fielding long-range precision weapons that can be fired from mobile platforms like the JLTV and aircraft, as well as ground-based anti-ship missiles it could use to stop enemies hundreds of miles from a piece of contested territory. That would free up Navy ships to focus on controlling the sea, Smith said.

But while experiments have shown that a JLTV could "kill armor" at far greater distances than a tank, Smith said the service didn't decide to divest its hulking M1A1 Abrams fleet because they weren't good tank-killers. Rather, it's a matter of logistics.

"We can kill armor formations at longer ranges using additional and other resources without incurring a 74-ton challenge trying to get that to a shore, or to get it from the United States into the fight," he said. "You simply can't be there in time."

Still, the Corps' changes have been criticized by some tankers, such as former Marine armor officer Dan Grazier, a military fellow at the nonprofit watchdog Project on Government Oversight, who spoke to Stars and Stripes last fall about his misgivings about the redesign's rationale.

"This whole idea of gearing the Marine Corps entirely toward fighting an island campaign against China, I think is greatly misguided, not least because the kind of conflict that envisions is extremely unlikely," Grazier said.
India keeps trade share in pharma, loses in apparels

Chennai: Global trade recovered in the last quarter of 2020, reducing the overall decline for the year to about 9 per cent, finds an UNCTAD study. Some of the less competitive countries lost their market share during the pandemic while competitive ones improved their share in global trade. The recovery of Q4 2020 was largely driven by the trade of goods from and to developing countries, especially by the very strong performance of East Asian economies, including China, Taiwan and South Korea.

The effect of Covid19 on global trade was most severe during the first half of 2020, with a drop in value of about 15 per cent. Global trade began to recover in Q3 2020 and more strongly in Q4 2020. The recovery in the second half of 2020 was largely due to the rebound of trade in goods rather than in services. During the pandemic, Vietnam, Uganda, China, Switzerland, Turkey and Taiwan experienced relatively better export performance.

In contrast, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Colombia and Nigeria performed relatively worse. India lost its global trade share in apparels and minerals, while it managed to retain its share in pharmaceuticals and chemicals during the pandemic. India did not improve its trade share in any of the sectors in one of its most challenging years. India, which had 3.4 per cent share in the global apparel trade in 2019, seems to have lost it significantly during 2020.

India is among the top countries in apparels to have lost their competitiveness or market share by more than one per cent. Among India's competitors, Vietnam, Malaysia, Turkey and Cambodia increased their market share during the pandemic and Bangladesh and Indonesia managed to retain their share. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's (Unctad) global trade report assessed the competitiveness of different economies by measuring the change in market share between 2019 and 2020. Economies that lost and gained competitiveness saw changes in market share larger than 1 percentage point. Despite the export growth recorded in pharmaceuticals, India could not improve upon its market share and its global share remained unchanged. In chemicals, too, the country could only retain the trade share.

The report does not find India having gained share in any sector. India had increased agri-food exports during the pandemic. Most of the cereals, including rice and wheat, had witnessed significant growth in exports. However, this could not improve its share by more than one per cent to find a place in the list. Canada and Mexico are the top two countries to have increased their share in the category. The report also finds that among India's top export sectors, minerals de-grew by 23 per cent and lost its market share.

Various machinery exports too degrew by 11 per cent. More worryingly, in 'export volatility' ranking, which indicates exports vulnerability of a country, India is among the worst performers at 0.75 points, with Ethiopia slightly better at 0.74 and Peru and Cameroon worse at 1.05 and 1.27, respectively. In contrast, Indonesia and Taiwan have a strong score of 0.03 each, followed by Australia and Singapore having 0.04 points each. This points to the huge ground that India has to cover on stabilising its exports over the mediumto long-term.

China, meanwhile, improved its share in global trade in different sectors, including chemicals, various machinery, metals, pharmaceuticals, precision instruments, road vehicles, textiles and transport equipment. The report also noted that exports of services from China and to a lesser extent from India appeared to have fared relatively better than other major economies throughout 2020.
New Delhi, Feb 12 : The government on Friday strongly objected to the misinformation in media and its amplification on social media on the disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops, currently underway in Ladakh after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed India has ceded territory to China.

China and India on Thursday began their synchronized disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, bringing to an end the nine-month-long stand-off between the two Asian giants.

However, some sections of the media have claimed that India has ceded the territory between Finger 3 and 4 in Pangong Lake area, over which the face-off had triggered between the two sides since last year.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence described this assertion that Indian territory in Ladakh is up to Finger 4 as "categorically false".

Reiterating that the factual position has already been clearly communicated by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his statements to both Houses of the Parliament.

Setting the record straight, the ministry said the territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962. Even the Line of Actual Control as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4.

"That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol up to Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China," the statement said.

Permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established. On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8, the ministry added.

The current agreement, the ministry said, provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts.

The government asserted that India has not conceded any territory as a result of this agreement. "On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo," the defence ministry said.

The minister's statement also made clear that there are outstanding problems to be addressed, including at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang. The outstanding issues are to be taken up within 48 hours of the completion of the Pangong Tso disengagement, the government said.

"The effective safeguarding of our national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the Government has reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces," the defence ministry said.

The ministry added, "Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scientists have yet to answer the age-old question of whether or how sound shapes the minds of fetuses in the womb, and expectant mothers often wonder about the benefits of such activities as playing music during pregnancy. Now, in experiments in newborn mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins report that sounds appear to change "wiring" patterns in areas of the brain that process sound earlier than scientists assumed and even before the ear canal opens.

The current experiments involve newborn mice, which have ear canals that open 11 days after birth. In human fetuses, the ear canal opens prenatally, at about 20 weeks gestation.

The findings, published online Feb. 12 in Science Advances, may eventually help scientists identify ways to detect and intervene in abnormal wiring in the brain that may cause hearing or other sensory problems.

"As scientists, we are looking for answers to basic questions about how we become who we are," says Patrick Kanold, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering at The Johns Hopkins University and School of Medicine. "Specifically, I am looking at how our sensory environment shapes us and how early in fetal development this starts happening."

Kanold started his career in electrical engineering, working with microprocessors, a natural conduit for his shift to science and studying the circuitry of the brain.

His research focus is the outermost part of the brain, the cortex, which is responsible for many functions, including sensory perception. Below the cortex is the white brain matter that in adults contains connections between neurons.

In development, the white matter also contains so-called subplate neurons, some of the first to develop in the brain -- at about 12 weeks gestation for humans and the second embryonic week in mice. Anatomist Mark Molliver of Johns Hopkins is credited with describing some of the first connections between neurons formed in white matter, and he coined the term subplate neurons in 1973.

These primordial subplate neurons eventually die off during development in mammals, including mice. In humans, this happens shortly before birth through the first few months of life. But before they die off, they make connections between a key gateway in the brain for all sensory information, the thalamus, and the middle layers of the cortex.

"The thalamus is the intermediary of information from the eyes, ears and skin into the cortex," says Kanold. "When things go wrong in the thalamus or its connections with the cortex, neurodevelopmental problems occur." In adults, the neurons in the thalamus stretch out and project long, armlike structures called axons to the middle layers of the cortex, but in fetal development, subplate neurons sit between the thalamus and cortex, acting as a bridge. At the end of the axons is a nexus for communication between neurons called synapses. Working in ferrets and mice, Kanold previously mapped the circuitry of subplate neurons. Kanold also previously found that subplate neurons can receive electrical signals related to sound before any other cortical neurons did.

The current research, which Kanold began at his previous position at the University of Maryland, addresses two questions, he says: When sound signals get to the subplate neurons, does anything happen, and can a change in sound signals change the brain circuits at these young ages?

First, the scientists used genetically engineered mice that lack a protein on hair cells in the inner ear. The protein is integral for transforming sound into an electric pulse that goes to the brain; from there it is translated into our perception of sound. Without the protein, the brain does not get the signal.

In the deaf, 1-week-old mice, the researchers saw about 25% - 30% more connections among subplate neurons and other cortex neurons, compared with 1-week-old mice with normal hearing and raised in a normal environment. This suggests that sounds can change brain circuits at a very young age, says Kanold.

In addition, say the researchers, these changes in neural connections were happening about a week earlier than typically seen. Scientists had previously assumed that sensory experience can only alter cortical circuits after neurons in the thalamus reach out to and activate the middle layers of the cortex, which in mice is around the time when their ear canals open (at around 11 days).

"When neurons are deprived of input, such as sound, the neurons reach out to find other neurons, possibly to compensate for the lack of sound," says Kanold. "This is happening a week earlier than we thought it would, and tells us that the lack of sound likely reorganizes connections in the immature cortex."

In the same way that lack of sound influences brain connections, the scientists thought it was possible that extra sounds could influence early neuron connections in normal hearing mice, as well.

To test this, the scientists put normal hearing, 2-day-old mouse pups in a quiet enclosure with a speaker that sounds a beep or in a quiet enclosure without a speaker. The scientists found that the mouse pups in the quiet enclosure without the beeping sound had stronger connections between subplate and cortical neurons than in the enclosure with the beeping sound. However, the difference between the mice housed in the beeping and quiet enclosures was not as large as between the deaf mice and ones raised in a normal sound environment.

These mice also had more diversity among the types of neural circuits that developed between the subplate and cortical neurons, compared with normal hearing mouse pups raised in a quiet enclosure with no sound. The normal hearing mice raised in the quiet enclosure also had neuron connectivity in the subplate and cortex regions similar to that of the genetically-engineered deaf mice.

"In these mice we see that the difference in early sound experience leaves a trace in the brain, and this exposure to sound may be important for neurodevelopment," says Kanold.

The research team is planning additional studies to determine how early exposure to sound impacts the brain later in development. Ultimately, they hope to understand how sound exposure in the womb may be important in human development and how to account for these circuit changes when fitting cochlear implants in children born deaf. They also plan to study brain signatures of premature infants and develop biomarkers for problems involving miswiring of subplate neurons.

###

Funding for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Deafness and other Hearing Disorders (R01DC009607) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM056481).

Other scientists who contributed to the work include Xiangying Meng and Didhiti Mukherjee at Johns Hopkins and Joseph Kao of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc9155
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 65F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 44F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
AnnaSophia Robb and Joshua Jackson were spotted arriving at work to film the true crime mini-series Dr Death in New York on Friday.

The show covers the real-life case of Texas surgeon Christopher Duntsch who earned the nickname 'Dr Death' for his malpractice against patients.

The 42-year-old Joshua, who plays the title role, hid his toned figure under a comfy-looking grey tracksuit and was prepared for the snow with a pair of large leather boots.

Dashing through the snow: Joshua Jackson arrived at work to film the true crime mini-series Dr Death in New York on Friday

Meanwhile AnnaSophia, 27, warded off the wintertime chill in a thick anorak and a lime green scarf while heading over to the set.

Both of them took the precaution of wearing masks as they showed up to work amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Over 30 patients were either killed or maimed by 'Dr Death's' botch jobs and he is now serving life for intentionally injuring Mary Efurd during spinal surgery.

AnnaSophia stars in the mini-series as Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart who was on the case that eventually got him convicted in 2017, despite his defense team's arguments that the harm he caused his patients was unintentional.

Meanwhile: AnnaSophia Robb, 27, warded off the wintertime chill in a thick anorak and a lime green scarf while heading over to the set

Alec Baldwin and and Christian Slater are respectively playing Robert Henderson and Randall Kirby, two other surgeons who blew the whistle on Christopher Duntsch.

It was Robert Henderson who performed the rescue surgery on Mary Efurd after 'Dr. Death' botched her 2012 spinal operation.

Meanwhile Randall worked with Christopher once and later 'went up the chain of command' and 'told them he was bad news,' he told People.

Handsome as ever: Joshua, 42, who plays the title role, hid his toned figure under a comfy-looking grey tracksuit and was prepared for the snow with a pair of large leather boots

Prosecutors unearthed a 2011 email in which Christopher wrote: 'I am ready to leave the love and kindness and goodness and patience that I mix with everything else that I am and become a cold blooded killer.'

The year after the conviction the story became a Wondery Media podcast called Dr. Death, which is now the basis for the mini-series.

Although 50 Shades Of Grey heartthrob Jamie Dornan was originally cast in the title role it was announced last October that Joshua would be replacing him.
Buying limits have been swiftly reinstated on almost all major food products along with toilet paper and face masks as Victorian retailers and supermarkets reel from the states snap lockdown.

Major supermarket chains Woolworths and Coles were quick to act as shoppers flocked to their outlets on Friday afternoon, announcing the changes just hours after Premier Daniel Andrews announcement that the state would re-enter stage four lockdown.

Shoppers stock up at Costco in Docklands, Melbourne before the five-day lockdown in Victoria. Credit:Jason South

A two-item per customer limit was placed by both companies on nearly every food product in-store in an effort to curb panic buying. Coles shoppers will only be able to purchase one pack of toilet paper, however, where Woolworths shoppers can purchase two.

Significant shortages on items are unlikely as the companies both assured shoppers their distribution centres are well-stocked. Matt Swindells, Coles chief operating officer, told The Age the company had kept extra stock in its warehouses as a preparation for a third lockdown.
GENEVA (AP) - The U.N.'s top human rights body passed a consensus resolution Friday urging military leaders in Myanmar to immediately release Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian government leaders detained after a military coup, while watering down an initial draft text amid pressure led by China and Russia.

In a special session at the Human Rights Council, the original resolution presented by Britain and the European Union was revised to remove calls to bolster the ability of a U.N. rights expert to scrutinize Myanmar and for restraint from the country's military.

After the updated resolution passed with no opposition, Chinese Ambassador Chen Xu thanked the sponsors for "adopting our recommendations" but said China still was distancing itself from the measure.

The sponsors of council resolutions often agree to soften the language of their texts in order to win consensus and to show that the 47-member body is united on thorny human rights issues.

The council has no power to impose sanctions but can train a political spotlight on rights abuses and violations. The session came shortly after the Biden administration, which has already imposed sanctions on top leaders of the Myanmar coup, revived U.S. participation in the Human Rights Council, which the Trump administration pulled the country out of in 2018.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the resolutions adoption "a very important step" that shows "the international community will speak strongly ... in calling for a reversal of the events weve seen in Myanmar, and for the full respect of the democratic will of the people of Myanmar as well as full respect of their human rights."

Myint Thu, ambassador of the Permanent Representative Mission of Myanmar to Geneva, addresses his statement during the Human Rights Council special session on "the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar" at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. The special session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in Myanmar is take in person and in virtualle due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

"The disproportionate use of force, the use of live ammunition -- those are all unacceptable," Dujarric stressed.

China and Russia faulted attempts to politicize the situation in Myanmar and called it a domestic matter. Many Western countries, the U.N. rights office and others decried the coup and state of emergency.

"The seizure of power by the Myanmar military earlier this month constitutes a profound setback for the country after a decade of hard-won gains in its democratic transition," Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada al-Nashif said. "The world is watching."

The resolution called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other top government officials, for the lifting of internet restrictions, and for the military to respect peaceful assembly and refrain from "excessive force against the public."

But the revised text excised a call on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the U.N. human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, to give the independent U.N. special rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, "increased assistance, resources and expertise" to carry out his job.

"We need real action from the United Nations," said Andrews, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, citing information that the junta had detained 220 government officials and civil society members.

"The message from the people of Myanmar to all of you and to the people of the world is clear: This cannot stand," he said. Andrews has been seeking the right to visit Myanmar, which its government has denied.

Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said in a video message his country would suspend "all direct development cooperation with the now illegitimate government" but "continue to support the civil society of Myanmar."

The U.S. charge d'affaires in Geneva, Mark Cassayre, urged Myanmar's military to return power to the democratically elected government, and invited other countries to "join us in promoting accountability for those responsible for the coup, including through targeted sanctions."

John Fisher, Geneva director for advocacy group Human Rights Watch, said: "Myanmars military should heed the clear warning messages, immediately release those they have wrongfully detained and end their abusive power grab, or face tougher consequences from the international community."

The Feb. 1 coup led by Min Aung Hlaing ousted Nobel laureate Suu Kyi from power and prevented recently elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament. It reversed nearly a decade of progress toward democracy following 50 years of military rule and has led to widespread protests.

The military says it was forced to step in because Suu Kyis government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in November elections. The election commission has said there is no evidence to support those claims.

Wearing a mask in a nearly empty hall at the U.N. Geneva amid the coronavirus pandemic, Myanmar's ambassador, Myint Thu, largely gave general commitments from his country, such as helping internally displaced people or fighting COVID-19. He took office in October under Suu Kyis government, but justified the military's actions.

"In light of the post-election irregularities and following complex situation, Tatmadaw was compelled to take the state responsibility in accordance with the state constitution," the ambassador said, using the term for Myanmar's military.

"Myanmar is undergoing the complex - extremely complex - challenges and delicate transition," he said. "We do not want to stall our nascent democratic transition in the country."

Russia and China, among a few others including Belarus, said they opposed attempts to make a human rights case of the situation in Myanmar, calling it a domestic matter.

"Attempts to whip hype around the situation in Myanmar need to cease," said Gennadiy Gatilov, the Russian ambassador in Geneva.

Sudans ambassador, Ali Ibn Abi Talib Abdelrahman Mahmoud, reminded the council of other concerns about rights in Myanmar - namely abuses against Rohingya Muslims, who fled a violent military crackdown by the hundreds of thousands into neighboring Bangladesh.

Myint Thu, ambassador of the Permanent Representative Mission of Myanmar to Geneva, listens during the Human Rights Council special session on "the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar" at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. The special session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in Myanmar is take in person and in virtualle due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, addresses her statement during the Human Rights Council special session on "the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar" at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. The special session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in Myanmar is take in person and in virtualle due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Thomas Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar is displayed on a screen as he addresses his statement during the Human Rights Council special session on "the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar" at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. The special session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in Myanmar is take in person and in virtualle due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Myint Thu, ambassador of the Permanent Representative Mission of Myanmar to Geneva, addresses his statement during the Human Rights Council special session on "the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar" at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. The special session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in Myanmar is take in person and in virtualle due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
New Delhi, Feb 12 : Communication with their family members would no longer be a rare occurrence for the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel deployed in inaccessible or far-flung areas of the country as the Central government has directed the Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) to find a "permanent solution" for the problem.

Work in this direction is already underway and re-provisioning of Digital Satellite Phone Terminals (DSPTs) has been awarded to BBNL. The project is being implemented by Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) as per the approval of the Digital Communication Commission, the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) recently shared the information with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the DOT is closely monitoring the reprovisioning of DSPTs on regular basis.

The document, accessed by IANS, reveals that the implementing agency was facing lot of difficulties due to the Covid-19 situation in transportation of materials and movement of installation team, but the work now has gone better with the situation getting better compared to previous months.

The BBNL and TCIL in close co-ordination with the MHA and the MoD agencies, however, are trying their level best for operationalising all the DSPT sites.

The DSPTs were sanctioned by the MHA to CAPFs to enable their personnel to communicate with their family members from far flung or inaccessible areas of the country. These DSPT sites are provided subsidy from USOF.

The government's move to better communication systems in far flung areas came into effect after DSPT services completely stopped functioning with effect from May 13, 2019, due to satellite shutdown.

As a stop-gap arrangement, I-Sat phones were provided to CAPFs. But the number of I-Sat phones are less than the number of DSPTs.

To find a "permanent Solution" for the problem, a meeting was convened at the DoT on January 21, 2020, which was attended by officials of the MHA, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Ministry of Defence, Army Head Quarters, Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless (DCPW) and BBNL.

In the meeting, three-point decisions were taken.

Of the three decision, the participating member decided to authorise BBNL to take up the work by diverting V-SAT terminals from the ongoing Bharat Net Satellite GP coverage scheme as a permanent solution to re-activate the connectivity to these far-flung locations.

It was also decided to providing voice call facility using voice calling over Internet/WiFi.

The MHA has examined the security implications for using voice over internet calls with the help of smart phone and provided its inputs to the DoT.

In its final decision, the MHA has provided the list of reconfirmed DSPTs in respect of all CAPFs as requested by DoT.

More than 10 lakh strong seven CAPFs comprise Assam Rifles (AR), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Security Guard (NSG) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

These forces function under the MHA to ensure internal security as well as vigilance on borders with the neighbouring countries of China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Several CAPF personnel are posted in the treacherous, mountainous and snowy terrains from where they cannot come to their houses for over three months.

Due to the lack of proper mobile connectivity, they cannot contact their family members for several days.

The government's move aimed at rectifying the communication issues permanently to help CAPF personnel as much it can do in exchange of their tough duties.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)
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With the U.S. Senate hearing on the article of impeachment for former President Trump this week, a number of people including senators, representatives and others are suggesting it is either unconstitutional or ineffective to convict a non-sitting president of impeachable offenses. The real argument seems to be just the opposite. If we examine the impeachment process and its potential impacts, it seems clear not convicting the former president will be far more destructive than convicting him. Failure to convict Trump for his clearly impeachable actions provides a greater threat to constitutional democracy and reunification of our starkly divided country than holding him accountable for his post 2020 election actions. Lets argue the facts.

Convicting a non-sitting president of impeachable offenses is constitutional. The Constitution makes no mention of whether a president must be in office to be convicted by the Senate. It does say that judgments in cases of impeachment are limited to removal from office and disqualification to hold any future office of honor, trust or profit under the United States. Clearly, since Trump is already out of office, a conviction by the Senate could not remove him, but it could prevent him from ever running for federal office again.  Though removing him from office is a moot point, preventing him from holding any federal office in the future certainly deserves honest reflection and consideration by senators on both sides of the aisle.

Convicting Donald Trump sets an important precedent.  If the House impeachment managers present substantive and viable evidence during the Senate hearing, then failing to convict Trump will set an extremely dangerous precedent. Future presidents, judges or other officials serving in the executive and judicial branches will be able to commit impeachable offenses during the final months of their terms with impunity. They will be able to spread false information that blatantly contradicts proven facts, intimidate and coerce others to create fraudulent data, overturn verified and certified votes that reflect the will of the majority, promote hate-based groups and inflame them to plan and engage in acts of violence and domestic terrorism, and even commit seditious and potentially treasonous acts against the government and the people of the United States without fear of consequences. Should the Senate hold the (former) leader of the free world exempt from having to answer for actions committed during his term as president, they will set a precedent that may, indeed, be the first concrete step toward ending democratic governance in the USA.

Very few of us want to be in this situation. We do not want to see our former president on trial for acts of sedition. We do not want to see our senators potentially betray the United States by putting their own political ambitions or allegiances ahead of our democracy. What we do want is to heal from this rancorous and divisive period in our history, and that healing requires accountability. We want every member of the Senate to uphold the oath of office in which they swore to safeguard our democracy. We want members of the Senate to prove their allegiance to truth and justice for all by holding Trump accountable for his lies and his incitement to violence. The only way for the Senate to do that is to hand down a conviction that prevents former President Trump from ever seeking federal office again.

Charna Lefton is a former federal civil service employee with more than 25 years experience working for federal agencies in both domestic and overseas assignments. She has an extensive background as a congressional liaison both as a former federal employee and as the co-chair of Indivisible 505, a local chapter of the national grassroots activist organization Indivisible.

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There could be a legal challenge over mandatory hotel quarantine for international arrivals, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has warned .

Ahead of the Government adding 18 more countries to the list of regions from where people arriving here would be required to quarantine, Mr Varadkar predicted a challenge in the courts.

It could be argued, and I think it will be argued, that it is disproportionate to impose mandatory hotel quarantine on people who do not have Covid when we do not do that to people who do have Covid, he told the Dail.

"At the moment, there are lots of people in the country who have tested positive for Covid and, fortunately, none of them are in mandatory hotel quarantine.

That is where we may very well run into a very genuine legal issue around proportionality, because the vast majority of people travelling in from overseas do not have Covid.

They have a test to say they do not (have Covid), whereas we know there are hundreds of people every day in Ireland testing positive for Covid and we do not mandatorily quarantine them.

He said it could be argued thatthe treatment of international arrivals was disproportionate, adding that anything that could save hundreds of lives or thousands of lives is proportionate in his view. Mr Varadkar made the remarks in answering a question from Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy.

Read More

He later added: "What we have done thus far is to reduce international and oversea travel into Ireland by about 95pc. Anybody arriving in the country is required to have a PCR test taken three days before arrival. There is 98pc or 99pc compliance with that which is very good.

"Next week we expect to have legislation on mandatory hotel quarantine... We are adding 18 countries to the list for which mandatory hotel quarantine will be required, increasing it to 20.

We expect next week to have legislation on mandatory hotel quarantine. Were adding 18 countries to the list of countries for which mandatory hotel quarantine will be required, so thatll increase it to 20.

Mr Varadkar pointed to the situation in Northern Ireland, calling it a laggard.

At the moment, there isnt any travel from beyond Britain and Ireland, but there is travel from Britain into Northern Ireland and there is no requirement to have a PCR test, nor one for mandatory home quarantine, he said.

There are now Garda checks near the Border to discourage non-essential travel outside a five-kilometre limit.

Mr Varadkar appealed to Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty, as a member of the Sinn Fein leadership, to use his influence on the co-leaders of government in the North to change its policy.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Midland business community had a chance to celebrate and look forward to the rest of 2021 on Thursday.

The Midland Business Alliance hosted its "State of the Business Community" event over Zoom on Thursday, honoring the "innovation, grace and grit" local businesses showed throughout 2020.

"2020 presented more than its fair share of challenges," said Tony Stamas, MBA president and CEO. "Not only were we hit with a pandemic, but our community dealt with flooding caused by dam breaches, bringing with it unthinkable devastation for so many of our surrounding areas. Despite these challenges, there was an astonishing amount of innovation and creativity  the way each and every business stepped up this year to support one another was truly amazing."

In Midland, more than $1.3 million was given to small businesses through grants in 2020, including $200,000 from local support, with the rest coming from sources such as the Michigan Small Business Relief and Small Business ReStart programs.

Many local retailers had to get creative to stay afloat during the challenging year. Businesses highlighted at the meeting included Heather 'n Holly, which implemented home delivery during the first shutdown and filled Easter baskets with fresh chocolates and candies, and Collector's Corner, which moved out of its storefront to pivot to weekly home deliveries.

"In all of the challenges, you just saw so many inspiring displays of compassion, and that's something that you hold on to, and I think we'll continue to see in different ways," Stamas said.

Time was taken during event to honor the hard work and sacrifices made by the community's first-responders and frontline workers over the past year.

"Throughout a public health crisis and a natural disaster, these heroes never wavered," said Jennifer Bruzewski, MBA vice president of marketing and communications. "Seeing city and county teams come together to form the Emergency Operations Center showed that our community is in good hands. These individuals worked day and night to ensure the health and safety of every single resident, resulting in no loss of life during a major flood event  during a pandemic, none the less."

In addition to providing an update on the state of business affairs in Midland, Thursday's event also honored two outstanding MBA members with the titles of "MBA Ambassador of the Year" and "Leadership Midland Alumni Association Leader of the Year."

Greg Crawford of Aflac Insurance was deemed the 2020 ambassador of the year, for his tireless service that includes volunteering at the Sanford distribution center following the dam failures and participating in food drives throughout the Great Lakes Bay region during the pandemic.

"(Crawford) is a professional, a good deal of fun and an exemplary volunteer the Midland Business Alliance," said Andrew Anderson, the title's 2019 winner.

MBA ambassadors help the organization by recruiting, welcoming and acclimating new members, as well as meeting and greeting members at events.

Erick Forshee of Fisher Companies was named the 2020 LMAA Leader of the Year for his service on many local boards, including Shelterhouse and Big Brothers Big Sisters, as well as his volunteer work during the flooding in May.
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Representative image (PC- MoneyControl.Com)

In Budget 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a disinvestment (privatisation) programme worth Rs 1.75 lakh-crore. The privatisation programme, especially of the two public sector banks, has ruffled feathers in Parliament. This led Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remark in the Lok Sabha that the culture of abusing the private sector is no longer accepted.

Modis remark hints towards Indian politys long-term mistrust of the private sector for much of Indias history. The polity cannot really be blamed as Indias colonisation began with the East India Company which was nothing but a private company.

A mixed model

The East India Company gave way to British Crown in 1857, and thus the seeds of mistrust towards private companies and capital were sown. The British granted India Independence in 1947 when the world was torn between the two models of American capitalism and the Soviet socialism. The two World Wars, along with Great Depression, also exposed and questioned the role of private capital.

All these factors led India to adopt the Soviet model where the five-year plans driven by public sector took centre stage. India was not alone in making this choice, with several European countries including Britain, also preferring to go the socialist way. The British had also left the Indian economy in tatters with Partition creating large economic losses as well.

The other factors which weighed in favour of socialism was the nationalist fervour, limited private investment, lack of foreign capital and so on. Having said that, India did not adopt a fully public sector-driven model but a mixed one where both public and private sectors were allowed to co-exist with each other.

The problem lies in not changing economic policy despite policymakers knowing it is not working. This is what happened in India too.

The mixed model soon gave way to a larger public sector and a limited private sector. The private sector was increasingly seen with suspicion and profit was considered a bad word. The private sector became highly concentrated via the managing agency model, leading to further distrust with the private industry. The government not just created public sector enterprises but nationalised private ones such as airlines, insurance, banking, coal, etc. It was becoming increasingly clearer that public sector approach is not working, but the lessons were ignored.

Crossing the river

Fast forward to 1991, where a crisis forced us to not only rethink but also act towards a more market- and private sector-driven economy. Then finance minister Manmohan Singh paved the way for opening the economy and signed off the speech by quoting Victor Hugo: no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.

While the Budget 1991 did set the tone for private sector, it never really moved concretely on limiting the role of the public sector. In other countries after the Thatcher-Reagan era, privatisation meant the government exiting entirely from certain businesses. However, in India, privatisation meant disinvestment where a certain percentage of government shares in the public sector were sold to either a strategic investor or to the public via listing on stock exchanges. The government was perhaps paying heed to the Chinese saying of crossing the river by feeling the stones. The political dynamics of coalition governments also played a role in governments feeling the stones rather than crossing the river aggressively.

Stuck in the middle

Over time, even disinvestment lost its true purpose. The government uses disinvestment proceeds to meet its expenditure and keep the fiscal deficit lower. Thus the major purpose of disinvestment was towards managing the fiscal deficit. After the FRBM Act in 2003, the fiscal deficit target became an obsession with the media and financial markets forcing the government to play to the gallery. There was more attention on whether the targets were being achieved and not as much on the ways in which the targets were achieved.

Thus, each time the fiscal deficit looked large, the government resorted to disinvestments; else it was ignored. Economists had suggested that fiscal deficit should be reported without the disinvestment proceeds, but this was obviously ignored by successive governments.

All these twists and turns in the disinvestment policy meant we never really crossed the river of privatisation. In fact, we remained in the middle of the river being pulled towards either side of the public and private sector.

This middle path got some support from the 2008 crisis which impacted the developed world, the torchbearers of capitalism and advocates of private sector. High unemployment and distress again brought the role of government and public sector to the fore.

Need fresh vigour

Coming to the current discussion, the government should move away from using disinvestment for deficit management to introducing a more concrete plan for privatization which must include a focus on governance. In the financial sector, for example, we have seen privately-owned entities fail and in process endanger the whole system.

Fundamentally, it is not ownership but governance which should impact businesses. Unfortunately, successive governments have not been able to reform governance mixing it with ownership. Many of the public sector firms have not just been running continuous losses, but also mired in deep corruption. The nationalist objectives associated with public sector have bitten dust.

However, there is one threat about privatisation which the government should address immediately. There are concerns that privatisation in its current form could lead to private monopolies and oligopolies. The government should use this opportunity to create fairer markets and competition, and not merely make hands change pockets.

When we finally cross that river, we shouldnt say that the grass is always greener on the other side!
Yves here. It really is too bad, what happened to Andy Haldane. Id regularly post his speeches and articles when he was the Executive Director of Financial Stability at the Bank of England right after the crisis. He was widely seen as one of the most creative and insightful economists of his generation. But Haldane looks to have been promoted (or demoted) to his level of incompetence, where his job consists of forecasting (or overseeing forecasters) and talking to Mr. Market and Fleet Street. As Richard Murphy explains, Haldane needs to get out of his elite bubble and get a better grip on what is happening in the economy.

Perhaps Murphy is in a minority in noticing how out to lunch Haldanes forecasts are, with the most recent coming off as the Covid-crisis answer to Irving Fishers 1929 declaration that stocks had reached a permanently high plateau. I gather Haldane has managed not to notice Brexit, which is shellacking everything from shellfish to City trading activity to high fashion to live animal exports. And the good news just keeps piling up, like Trailer shortage fears as EU drivers question the viability of serving the UK (but not to worry, higher prices will come to the rescue) and:

Latest EU guidance on rules of origin  puts companies that stockpiled EU inputs before Jan 2021 in a difficult position. Such inputs cannot be considered EU-originating and cumulation cannot be used. Final product exported to the EU may not be able to avoid tariffs. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/MOG3X7Xwdr  Dr Anna Jerzewska (@AnnaJerzewska) February 11, 2021

a port pass which allows you to THEN book a ferry.

People need to be very careful taking on Irish work at the moment. Johnson negotiated this for the only internal border within one country on the planet . That takes some doing  ciaran the euro courier  (@donnyc1975) February 11, 2021

Or remember when Janet Yellen, early in her tenure at Fed chair, needed to speak about poverty and her staff found three real living breathing poor people to chat with her? As Lambert pointed out then, they couldnt have been totally destitute, since they did own phones.

Anyway, its sad to see a genuine talent come to this. And its not a good sign as far the caliber of data gathering at the Bank of England is concerned either.

By Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant and a political economist. He has been described by the Guardian newspaper as an anti-poverty campaigner and tax expert. He is Professor of Practice in International Political Economy at City University, London and Director of Tax Research UK. He is a non-executive director of Cambridge Econometrics. He is a member of the Progressive Economy Forum. Originally published at Tax Research UK

The Guardian reports on comments from Andy Haldane, Chief economist at the Bank of England, this morning, noting:

British families are ready to fuel a rapid return to prosperity with a multibillion pound spending spree, according to a senior Bank of Englandpolicymaker. With the vaccine rollout protecting more than 13 million of the most vulnerable people, the BoEs Andy Haldane said the economy was about to turn a decisive corner with enormous amounts of pent-up financial energy waiting to be released, like a coiled spring. Echoing comments made by BoE governor Andrew Bailey last weekend, Haldane  the Banks chief economist  said most people were desperate to socialise again and spend money on going out for meals.

Three thoughts.

First, Haldane has clearly noted none of the lessons of eat out to help out. This country remains a very long way from being safe from another wave of Covid. It seems Haldane shares the Sunak approach of bring it on.

Second, this is the view of the financial elite. Haldane, and almost certainly everyone he knows, has had a very good crisis, economically speaking. Their incomes have been secure. They were already comfortable. Their spending has been cut. They may be raring to spend from a position of considerable economic security. But Haldane is being foolish to extrapolate his good fortune.

That is because, third, much of Britain is not raring to go. They have suffered massive loss of income. They have debts. Those debts are at present unaffordable. If they have their own businesses they do not at present know if they will survive. And for those who have lived through such stress of course the desire to socialise will be strong, but so too will the caution be overwhelming. They are very unlikely to be spending as if money is going out of fashion any time soon.

Haldane has called almost everything on this crisis wrong, right from the outset, when it was only ever going to be a temporary V shaped blip in his view. Well it wasnt. Its already delivered a loss of 9.9% in GDP, with long term losses likely to be more significant, only compounded by Brexit.

I would suggest that there are actually some who, despite their financial good fortunes, have had very bad Covid crises. In economics, Haldane is near top of that list.
Ravi Zacharias committed 'spiritual abuse,' accused of 'rape': independent investigation

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Ravi Zacharias International Ministries issued an apology Thursday as it announced the results of a monthslong independent investigation in which victims claimed the late Christian apologist engaged in sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape during his life.

Atlanta law firm Miller & Martin, independent investigators hired by RZIM, released an in-depth report this week detailing serious allegations of sexual misconduct by Zacharias.

In a statement accompanying the report, the board of RZIM said it was shocked and grieved by Ravis actions and feels a deep need for corporate repentance.

We believe not only the women who made their allegations public but also additional women who had not previously made public allegations against Ravi but whose identities and stories were uncovered during the investigation, the RZIM statement explains.

Tragically, witnesses described encounters including sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape. We are devastated by what the investigation has shown and are filled with sorrow for the women who were hurt by this terrible abuse.

The lengthy report includes interviews with more than a dozen massage therapists who treated Zacharias over the years.

One massage therapist said the evangelist often tried for more than a massage, while four massage therapists said Zacharias masturbated or asked them to touch his genitals during massages.

Five said he touched or rubbed them inappropriately.

Another massage therapist reported details of many encounters over a period of years that she described as rape, according to the report.

"Only one of the witnesses we interviewed said that Mr. Zacharias engaged in sexual intercourse," the report states. "This witness reported details of many encounters over a period of years that she described as rape. To protect her identity, this report does not disclose many of the details she shared with us."

After Zacharias talked with her about her faith and finances, establishing himself as a father figure, he arranged for his ministry to provide her with financial support. However, he then demanded sex and warned her not ever to speak out against him or she would be responsible for the millions of souls whose salvation would be lost if his reputation was damaged.

A number of aspects of this account involved similar behavior and escalation as the accounts of other therapists who would not have known each other and who treated Mr. Zacharias in different contexts over time, notes the report.

The investigation discovered that a collection of explicit photos  many of them of much younger women  were also found in Zacharias possession.

Romantic emails Zacharias sent to a woman in South Korea and a massage therapist in Thailand, whom he called his angel, were also uncovered.

We also reviewed Mr. Zachariass electronic devices and found evidence of text-and email-based relationships with women who were not his wife, as well as over 200 selfie-style photographs of women, the report reads.

Throughout his decades-long ministry, Zacharias, who died of cancer at the age of 74 last May, was a globally respected apologist.

A prolific figure in American Christian radio and TV, he founded RZIM in 1984. Today, the ministry has offices in 15 countries and nearly 300 staffers.

In 2017, Canadian Lori Anne Thompson accused Zacharias of engaging in a sexually inappropriate online relationship. The apologist denied the claims, accusing her and her husband of extortion.

Zacharias was also accused of inflating his academic credentials that same year.

In the fall of 2020, additional allegations surfaced against Zacharias.

Several massage therapists at day spas co-owned by the prolific speaker and author alleged that he would expose himself, masturbate, ask for explicit photos and proposition them during his treatments for back pain.

RZIM hired Miller & Martin to investigate the claims. In December 2020, RZIM admitted in an interim report that the late apologist had indeed engaged in sexual misconduct at the spa.

The investigative team was given broad discretion and authority to follow leads into other sexual misconduct that might arise beyond the spa allegations.

In its statement Thursday, the board said that based on the latest report, it now believes that witnesses who spoke about Zacharias conduct are telling the truth.

It must have been deeply painful for the victims of Ravis abuse and misconduct to tell their stories and to relive their terrible experiences as they participated in this investigation, the board said in a statement.

To you we say directly: Words cannot come close to expressing the sorrow that we feel for what you have been through or the gratitude we feel for the bravery with which you have responded. We are so thankful to you, and we are so sorry.

San Francisco attorney Steve Baughman, who first reported on the accusations by massage therapists, told The Christian Post in a statement that [t]his is no longer about Ravi Zacharias but about the evangelical business world that enabled him to lead a double life for so many years.

As long as we only focus on the individual, the system will never change and we can expect the victim body count to keep rising, he said in a statement.

In a Tweet on Feb 9, Thompson said she is hopeful that her whispers in the dark have prepared the way for other victims to shout in the day.

What happened to these women matters greatly, she wrote.

Moving forward, RZIM is taking steps to help the victims of Zacharias abuse.

The organization has engaged victim advocate Rachael Denhollander to educate and advise the board and senior leadership to understand trauma, abuse and best-standard practices. Denhollander will serve as a confidential liaison for survivors to help guide the process of care, justice, and restitution for those who have been victimized.

RZIM has also engaged the compliance consulting firm Guidepost Solutions to conduct a thorough evaluation of RZIM, its structures, processes, finances and policies to help foster a top-down and grassroots cultural reform.



In light of the findings of the investigation and the ongoing evaluation, we are seeking the Lords will regarding the future of this ministry, the statement reads. We are learning much through this time and hope to have the chance to apply these lessons in the future. We remain passionate about seeing the gospel preached through the questions of culture. We will be spending focused time praying and fasting as we discern how God is leading, and we will speak to this in the near future.

In an op-ed for The Christian Post, Carson Weitnauer, who previously led the U.S. speaking team, lamented how RZIM handled allegations of sexual misconduct. He called on RZIM to change its name, remove Ravis material, repent for its many failures, and provide a restorative response to the harm that Ravis victims experienced.

If they want to avoid following RZIMs example, Christian ministries and churches should rigorously evaluate how their systems and culture could prevent them from personally experiencing this crisis, he wrote. May God give us the clarity and courage we need to become faithful advocates for the survivors of abuse  and to deter such abuse from occurring in the future.
1. Roads. The citys roads are a mess. Significant resources are needed to fix them.

2. Public safety. The crime rate is too high. Police pay and resources come first.

3. More city programs. The city must invest more in city programs and services.

4. Comprehensive plan. The city needs to focus on rebuilding and rebranding.

5. Cut city spending. City officials must get serious about trimming the budget.

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Newtownforbes dairy farmer Andrew McHugh has been appointed Vice-Chairman of Lakeland Dairies.

Mr McHugh, a former Chairman of Longford IFA, was elected to the Board of Lakeland Dairies in 2016.

He succeeds Colin Kelso who served as a Board member since 2013 and as Vice-Chairman since 2016.

Niall Matthews, via Carrickmacross, Co Louth, has been appointed Chairman of Lakeland Dairies Co-operative Society Ltd.

Mr Matthews was elected to the Board of Lakeland Dairies in 2017 and he succeeds Aloysius Duffy who was Chairman since 2014.

Niall Matthews said, I am very honoured to be appointed Chairman of Lakeland Dairies and on behalf of the Board and members of the co-operative, I warmly acknowledge and express our appreciation for the ongoing contribution of both Alo Duffy and Colin Kelso to the growth and development of our society over many years and wish each of them continuing success in their dairying enterprises. Working with the Vice-Chairman, Board Members, CEO and Management of the co-operative, I look forward to the continuing strong progress of Lakeland Dairies.

Lakeland Dairies is one of Irelands leading dairy processing co-operatives, operating across sixteen counties on a cross border basis, collecting over 1.85bn million litres of milk, produced by 3,200 farm families, and processing this into a wide range of value-added dairy food ingredients, consumer and foodservice products which it exports to over 80 countries worldwide.
After the spray-painting was captured on their surveillance cameras, Lopezs husband was able to find the suspect on social media by searching the tag name and found videos of the man and his friends bragging about the vandalism, Lopez said. They sent the videos to the police to investigate.
Misinformation about the second impeachment trial against former President Donald J. Trump is swirling online at a much slower clip than the first impeachment trial against him  at least so far.

The media insights company Zignal Labs collected misinformation narratives around the impeachment proceedings from Jan. 25 to Feb. 9, and found three emerging falsehoods that had gotten thousands of mentions on social media and cable television and in print and online news outlets.

The falsehoods, though, had not gained as much traction as misinformation about Mr. Trumps first impeachment trial or the outcome of the 2020 election. Still, the data shows how virtually any news event is an opportunity to spread lies and push divisive rumors, helped along by social media algorithms, eager audiences and a broken fact-checking system.

Here are the three most popular misinformation narratives about the impeachment proceedings.

Nancy Pelosi is responsible for the Capitol attack: 30,300 mentions

The falsehood that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi somehow knew that a mob would storm the Capitol and is using the impeachment trial as a diversion effort was amplified by Senator Ron Johnson on Fox News on Feb. 7.
Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan at coffee table book release on her work on completion of her first year at Raj Bhavan (Image source: Use by arrangement)

Hyderabad: While releasing a coffee table book on her work on completion of her first year at Raj Bhavan, Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said, politicians can become Governors but once they take office, they should not think about party politics. I see my office and responsibility is to act as a bridge between Centre and state, and the state government and people.

Smilingly responding to questions on deteriorating Gubernatorial standards and strains between some opposition-ruled state government and the Raj Bhavans in different parts, Dr Soundararajan, increasingly being given the sobriquet of the Peoples Governor for her proactive engagements with people, taking petitions and following up on them, said, I focus on constructive ideas and outcomes, not controversies. The state govt is responding positively to my suggestions, including during the Covid pandemic.

Giving an example of how her patient approach without confrontation has yielded results, she said, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was not keen on implementing Ayushman Bharat, saying Aarogyashri is better. Citing examples of Tamil Nadu, where the state and central schemes have been merged, I explained as a doctor how if he agrees, people from other states can benefit from Hyderabads exceptional health infra. Similarly, Telangana people living in other states can get benefits in all parts of India. The government has now agreed to implement this scheme.

The governor released the book along with her husband, renowned Nephrologist Dr P. Soundararajan, and several senior journalists. The book chronicles her various initiatives, meetings, programmes and a host of activities during her first year in office, including her proactive work in fields of education, healthcare and tribal welfare.

Though I am from Tamil Nadu, I felt a great connect with the sisters of Telangana because we share several aspects of our culture. As a supporter of women empowerment, I am happy that from the day I took oath, we have two women ministers in state government and two ladies being elected as mayor and deputy mayor of Hyderabad, she said.

Getting emotional and personal, she said, it is a rare coincidence and destiny that I share both my initials (TS) and date of birth of June 2 with Telangana.

My approach is to patiently listen to grievances of people. This is a professional inclination, being a doctor who had a thriving practice before I joined public life. When people submit their grievances, I am not just a post box. We write to ministers concerned and follow up. E-office has been launched at Raj Bhavan to help people submit representations in a hassle-free manner, she said.

Elaborating on her focuses, she said, from day one, I have shown keen interest in the development of universities. My wish is to see Telangana as the number one state in quality of higher education. Similarly, government hospitals must be strengthened to offer best possible medical services to the poorest of the poor.

When asked about her happiest day in office, she replied, it was the day a Covid vaccine developed in Hyderabad got approval. It is a true symbol of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

On the question of vaccines, she said, I will take the vaccine when my turn comes as a common citizen. I do not want to jump the line.

Secretary to Governor K. Surendra Mohan, senior officers of Raj Bhavan and others were present.
A

naked light bulb in a dark and ruined room is how British filmmaker and gay activist Derek Jarman described his mind while his body was decaying from the effects of Aids. Its a Sin, Russell T Daviess latest series on Channel 4, keeps that light alive, celebrating the legacy of the people at the frontline of the Aids pandemic  the people who fought and died for the advancements we have today.

In the five-part drama, set between 1981 and 1991, HIV/Aids doesnt reverberate openly  it is spelled out in hushed conversations, guesses and conspiracy theories, homophobia an implicit and contagious part of modern life. What stands out most, though, is how fully alive its central characters are. The Seventies and Eighties brought with them a new liberation for the LGBTQ+ community, and Colin, Ritchie, Ash and Roscoe take full advantage of that, as they dance and laugh their way through parties and trysts. They are sparkling, gorgeous, funny and alive, in stark contrast to the later dread of the hospital room, where they are left to stew in shame without human contact. Still, Daviess series has its characters fighting until the very end  DNA it shares with two pioneer films of the Aids crisis.

Before Tom Hanks played an Aids victim taking on a prejudiced legal system in 1993s Oscar-winning Philadelphia, there was Buddies. Released in September 1985, a full four years after men began dying from Aids, underground gay filmmaker Arthur J Bressan Jrs film was nonetheless the first to depict the crisis onscreen. Rarer still, it was made by and about gay men during a time when the US and the UK still prohibited schools from promoting homosexuality.

The film is an exercise in empathy through cramped and isolated hospital rooms, challenging the assumptions of gay men like David (David Schacter). David takes on the role as volunteer buddy to Aids sufferer Robert (Geoff Edholm), whose only contact with the outside world has been through doom-laden newspaper headlines. Before Aids became a subgenre of the tearjerker movie, Buddies favoured simplicity and honest dialogue over raw emotion. The film is scattered with real-time footage of protests and marches, showing history in the making  the Reagan-era-ravaged city piling up the dead.

Hollywoods role in commercialising Aids onscreen is problematic when Aids patients are more of a plot point than a fully fleshed human being  when empathy is formed and then quickly forgotten once the credits roll. It stings that no one wanted to depict or be associated with Aids until it was safely relegated to the past, by which time they could milk audience tears and Oscars from it. Dallas Buyers Club gave its transgender character Rayon (Jared Leto) Aids but no semblance of identity outside of her disease and gender.

Derek Jarmans final film Blue  an experimental meditation on melancholy, affinity and the disease that was slowly destroying him  was released at the tail end of the Aids pandemic (1993), when there were 2.5 million cases worldwide. A single static shot of blue screen serves as a symbol of decay: Jarman was losing his sight due to Aids complications, only seeing the world through a blue hue. He muses on the colour blue, like the roaring water where he hears the voices of dead friends, chanting names of dead lovers like an incantation.

Derek Jarmans final film Blue is an experimental meditation on melancholy, affinity and the disease that was slowly destroying him (Rex)

With eviscerating images, Jarman situates us totally in his subjectivity. We have no choice but to bear witness to his lived experiences. Its a brave piece of work that immerses the viewer in his mind, looking out from his eyes, the surreality of being a part of a world of neon signs in bustling London, the same world where there is always infection bubbling at the corner. Eight years after Buddies was released, Blue painted the world in much of the same way  although there had been advancements in medicine, there was still no way out of Aids except in a coffin.

Like Buddies, Blue allow us the privilege of experiencing Aids through first-hand accounts of its victims; Derek Jarman became a figurehead of the Aids movement in Britain by virtue of being one of the few who were public about their status, and Arthur J Bressan Jr passed away from the illness a mere two years after completing his film. Both films were radical in creating a space where Aids could be more universally considered  Blue was released on primetime TV and on BBC radio  and paved the way for a world where Its a Sin was broadcast to 6.5 million views during its first week on Channel 4.

Arthur J Bressan Jrs film Buddies was the first to depict the Aids crisis onscreen (New Line Cinema)

Given that there were only 428 Aids-related deaths in the UK in 2017 (out of 101,600 people living with HIV) compared with over 500,000 in 1990, its easy to think of the Aids crisis as a thing of the past. But the stigma still sticks: many people who watched Its a Sin felt a heady mix of guilt and shame  for not being aware enough, or perhaps not caring enough, about what was happening on their streets and beyond their doorsteps.

These films dont exist as relics but guide maps for art that continues to represent and explore the lives of Aids victims, activists and survivors. Its a Sin has arrived in the cultural consciousness at a time when a pandemic of a different nature has become our shared collective reality; there is less stigma attached to coronavirus, but the show still serves as a reminder to keep in check our shared humanity instead of blaming a marginalised group.

Olly Alexander in Its a Sin (Channel 4)

Buddies ends with David, who has grown close to Robert, unable to look away from the crisis: that room and all his dreams and hopes and memories. It speaks to the unfairness of time cut short, illuminating the burden of a shared past that Hollywood schmaltz like Philadelphia and Dallas Buyers Club dismissed, choosing instead to drown reality in theatrics.

While hes lying in his childhood bed, dying of Aids, Its a Sins Ritchie tells his mum he doesnt want to be a secret. Boys die in London, and they say its cancer or pneumonia, and they dont say what it really is, he tells her, his voice weak. But its a lie, and I dont want that. You know why? He breaks into a smile. I had so much fun. It is a sentiment shared by Jarman in Blue, and by Robert in Buddies. Even when the world was telling them otherwise, they refused to regret how theyd lived their lives  clinging to the beauty of life beneath the degradation of death.

Its a Sin is available now on All 4
Lakeland Dairies has announced its January milk price.

In a statement yesterday, it said suppliers in the Republic of Ireland, will receive a base price of 32.34c/L (including VAT / Lactose) for milk supplied in January. This is the same base price as December.

According to Lakeland, a normal out of season bonus of 5c/L applies for January, while it said a special unconditional Lakeland bonus of 1c/L (plus VAT) will also be paid on all January milk (and this was also paid for December and November milk).

In Northern Ireland, a base price of 26.55p/L will be paid for January milk. This is the same base price as December. In addition, a special unconditional Lakeland Bonus of 1p/L will also be paid for all January milk (and this was also paid for December and November milk).

Lakeland said dairy markets are broadly steady and in the main, commodity prices are unchanged with a general stability in the market at present.

"Prices for main powder and butter products are on par with recent times and steady in the main. There are concerns, however, over the increased volume of milk production in the United States.

"The foodservice market continues to be hampered by COVID-19 with hotels, airlines, restaurants and the fast service market segment still largely closed across Europe. Key to recovery in this sector will be the continued rollout of a vaccination programme leading to a potential easement of societal and consumer restrictions. Lakeland said it will continue to monitor the market closely in the coming weeks."
By SA Commercial Prop News

Artist impression showing Lanseria's smart-city, Gauteng which President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed in the 2021 State of the Nation Address (Sona).



Addressing the 2021 State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that his administration is conceptualizing a number of post-apartheid smart cities in provinces around the country.

Ramaphosa said that these infrastructure projects form a key part of the governments Covid-19 recovery plan.



The president said that planning for one of these cities has already begun in the Lanseria region in Gauteng.



The Lanseria Smart City, the first new city to be built in a democratic South Africa, is now a reality in the making, he said.



The draft masterplan for this smart city  which will become home to between 350,000 to 500,000 people within the next decade  was completed in November 2020 and is now out for public comment.



Ramaphosa added that governments R100 billion infrastructure fund is now in operation and that the country has billions of rands in planned infrastructure development, including upgraded highways.



We have now developed an infrastructure investment project pipeline worth R340 billion in network industries such as energy, water, transport and telecommunications, he said.



This includes the rehabilitation of the N1, N2 and N3 highways, the student housing infrastructure programme, and the Mokolo and Crocodile River water project.

Ramaphosa previously announced the Lanseria smart city project in is 2020 state of the nation address.



The process is being led by the Investment and Infrastructure Office in the Presidency alongside the provincial governments of Gauteng and North West, working together with the cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Madibeng.



Working with development finance institutions, Ramaphosa said that government has put together an innovative process that will fund the bulk sewerage, electricity, water, digital infrastructure and roads that will be the foundation of the new city.



It will not only be smart and 5G ready, but will be a leading benchmark for green infrastructure, he said.
J. Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese Legal Studies at Harvard University. Courtesy of Havard University website



A Seoul-based nongovernmental organization has called for the withdrawal of a paper written by a Harvard University professor claiming that Japan's wartime sexual slavery was voluntary prostitution.



The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea (VANK), a group known for international online campaigns to promote the awareness of South Korea's history, made the call in an internet petition early this week against J. Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi professor of Japanese Legal Studies at Harvard, according to its website.



The petition had drawn over 5,200 signatures as of early Tuesday.



The move came after a group of Korean students at Harvard Law School issued a statement criticizing Ramseyer over his arguments in the paper, titled "Contracting for sex in the Pacific War," that the sex slaves were actually prostitutes who worked on a contract basis and earned a lot of money.






No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

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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

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Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

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We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

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OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

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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
Singh Is Bliing star Amy Jackson took to Instagram to share some delightful moments with her son. She uploaded a string of images of having fun with her son while reading a book. In the pictures, she was seen wearing a pink night suit, and her son tried to interfere while she read a book in her bed. She was seen reading the New York Times bestseller book 'The Untethered Soul'. In the caption, she wrote "Force-reading little man into deep chats & cuddles... that kinda day/ week/month/year." She tagged the clothing brand Alo and added "keeping me comfy as per". Check out the post on Amy Jackson's Instagram-

Also Read: Amy Jackson Sheds Light On The 'hard Hitting Human-wildlife Conflict Truth'

Fans react

Many of her followers went "aww" on her pictures. People were drawn to the cuteness of Amy Jackson's son and her bond with him. Actor Dia Mirza commented, "Love this book" with a red heart emoticon. Her followers showered their love for the mother-son duo and many commented "cute" and red hearts, heart eyes emoticons to illustrate their affection for them. Check out the comments here from the post-

Amy Jackson's son

Amy Jackson's son has made appearances in her Instagram posts several times. The actor absolutely adores her son and often share their moments together with her followers. A couple of weeks ago, she shared a video of them in which she held Andres in her arms as she took him for a 'spin' in a toy car around the house. The little guy was seen squealing in the video and also said the word 'mama' as they move around the house. Check out the video here-

Also Read: Amy Jackson's Son Makes Instagram Appearance Again; Fans Call Them 'goals'

Amy Jackson's Family

Amy Jackson was born in the United Kingdom to a family of Radio professionals with both her parents worked in BBC Merseyside as producers. She lived in Mumbai from 2012 to 2015 before moving back to England and she is currently living in London. Jackson revealed that she was dating hotelier George Panayiotou, the son of English-Cypriot businessman Andreas Panayiotou since December of 2015. Jackson got engaged to Panayiotou in Zambia, Africa on January 1, 2019. She announced their pregnancy in a social media post in March 2019 on the occasion of mother's day. They welcomed their son Andreas Jax Panayiotou on September 19, 2019.

Also Read: Amy Jackson Says, "Were In This Together!! For Those Who Need It" In New Video Post

Amy Jackson's Photos

Amy Jackson is quite popular on Instagram with over 9.5 million users following her. She often treats her fans with her glamorous photoshoots and her terrific fashion choices. About four days ago, she was seen wearing a stunning red dress and looked fabulous as ever. She posed for a 'Very' Good Girl perfume for the fashion brand Carolina Herrera and added in the caption "Your February 14th sorted!" with a red heart. Check out Amy Jackson's elegant look on her Instagram post-

Image Source: Amy Jackson's Instagram

Also Read: Amy Jackson Sizzles In Red As She Poses With Her Dog

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CPS Energy has sold an office building and parking garage downtown to a California company that plans to renovate it.

An affiliate of BH Properties, a Los Angeles-based real estate company, bought the 10-story structure at 146 Navarro St. downtown Feb. 5 for $22.25 million.

CPS said there were multiple bidders for the property, which the city-owned utility put on the market in 2019 to help cover the cost of its new $210 million headquarters. The utility renovated twin office buildings at 500 McCullough Ave. that were formerly occupied by AT&T and Valero Energy Corp. for its corporate offices, which it moved into last fall.

BH Properties, which owns and operates nearly 10 million square feet of space in 19 states, plans to spruce up the Navarro building for one or more tenants.

The seven-story garage was built in the late 1960s to provide parking for the HemisFair 68 worlds fair, and three stories were added in 1987 for CPS. The building includes about 100,000 square feet of office space and around 600 parking slots.

BH Properties planned refurbishments include renovating balconies, redesigning lobbies and restrooms, adding new lighting and upgrading parking features.

Our improvements, combined with the incredible office views, the abundance of parking and its River Walk location, will make the Navarro building competitive with newer product in the downtown area, said Scott Henry, managing director of acquisitions and head of the companys Dallas office.

CPS put more than $50 million worth of its properties up for sale in 2019, including its former headquarters at 145 Navarro St., its portion of a parking garage at 211 Villita St., the Villita Assembly Building, a parking lot next to the Mexican Consulate and customer service centers near the San Antonio Museum of Art and on the North Side.

The utility said in January 2020 that it had chosen a buyer for one of the service centers, and it said in March that it had selected a buyer for most of the other properties. Its board of trustees gave the go-ahead to begin negotiations with the bidders.

An original bidder for 146 Navarro was not able to complete the purchase, CPS spokeswoman Nora Castro said. Due to the global pandemic, certain transactions were not able to close as anticipated.

Some of the other properties are under contract, with sales expected to close soon, and others remain on the market, Castro added. She did not specify which ones.

COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on how companies do business, and it has undoubtedly slowed transactions, Castro said. While efforts to market and sell the properties have continued, our focus has been on ensuring our community has safe and reliable energy and our customers and employees are safe during the health crisis.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
NEW DELHI : Twitter has blocked over 97 per cent of the accounts and posts flagged by the IT Ministry for provocative content and misinformation around farmers' protest, sources said.

This followed a meeting between Twitter representatives and the Information Technology Secretary on Wednesday evening where the US-based microblogging platform was issued a stern warning to comply with local laws or be prepared for action.

The Ministry had questioned Twitter's delay in taking action on its order to block provocative content that could impact public law and order, whereas the American company had been quick to crack down when a similar instance occurred at US Capitol Hill.

According to the sources, Twitter has now complied with the orders and over 97 per cent of the accounts flagged have been blocked.

Twitter did not respond to queries on the matter.

On February 4, Twitter was asked to take down 1,178 accounts with links to Pakistan and Khalistan supporters that were spreading misinformation and provocative content related to farmers' protest.

Prior to that, the government had sought blocking of 257 tweets and handles in connection with the agitation by farmers over the new agricultural laws. Twitter had complied with the orders only to restore the accounts hours later.

Twitter on Wednesday morning had said it has suspended over 500 accounts and blocked access to several others within India, but maintained that it would not block accounts of "news media entities, journalists, activists and politicians" as doing so "would violate their fundamental right to free expression" guaranteed under the country's law.

It, however, yielded to the orders later after the crucial meeting on Wednesday evening.

In a statement after the meeting, IT Ministry had stated that the microblogging platform had been asked to take strong action against "well-coordinated" campaigns "designed to create disharmony and unrest" in the country.

Monique Meche, Twitter Vice President Global Public Policy and Jim Baker, Deputy General Counsel and Vice President Legal, had affirmed Twitter's commitment towards following Indian laws and rules.

The executives had also requested for better engagement between the Indian government and the company's global team. Sources said Twitter's latest move to block the flagged accounts is itself a validation that the government's orders were backed by sound reasoning and logic.

The government had made it clear that it will not negotiate with the platforms while insisting on compliance with its orders as it believed that a private commercial entity in India cannot unilaterally decide on public law and order, ignoring the democratic values of the country.

IT Ministry was of the view that Twitter, being an intermediary, was required to take immediate action after receiving the government's notice to block handles, but did not move with haste to take down "atrocious" hashtags and "incendiary" content even amid a volatile situation.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had recently emphasised that the government is all for freedom of speech and expression and that it remains investor-friendly, but disrespecting democratic values is not acceptable. PTI SR MBI ANZ ANU ANU

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OSAGE, Iowa  One-half of a pair of accused Mitchell County burglars is going to prison.

Zebulan Rosendahl, 27 of Osage, and Amanda Smith, 25 of Osage, were arrested in early October 2020 and charged with a string of crimes in Osage stretching from July 6 through October 3.

Rosendahl has now pleaded guilty to three counts of 3rd degree burglary, one count of 2nd degree burglary, and one count of possession of burglar's tools. 10 other criminal charges have been dismissed. Rosendahl has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Smith has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of 3rd degree burglary, two counts of 2nd degree burglary, one count of attempted 2nd degree burglary, and one count of ongoing criminal conduct. Her trial is set to begin on March 24.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- State Sen. John W. Mannion is calling for lawmakers to strip Gov. Andrew Cuomo of his extraordinary powers in the wake of more revelations that his administration withheld the true scope of how Covid-19 killed thousands of people living in nursing homes.

The Governors lack of transparency and stonewalling regarding his administrations nursing home actions is unacceptable, Mannion, D-Geddes, said in a written statement today about the Democratic governor.

We must immediately re-establish proper legislative oversight through public hearings with witnesses under oath, Mannion wrote. Basic government information and data long sought by the New York State Senate must be provided.

Mannion is a first-term senator, just elected in November. He was not serving early last year, when lawmakers granted Cuomo more power to make unilateral decisions about the states response to Covid-19.

He and Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, have signed onto a statement late this morning with 12 other Democratic senators calling for an end to Cuomos emergency powers.

For about a year, Cuomo has been issuing executive orders governing issues such as which businesses can remain open and how to quarantine when exposed to the virus. The Legislature does have the power to overturn those individual orders, a path legislative leaders have not taken.

The call from Mannion comes as Cuomo and his administration are facing growing criticism about not releasing detailed information about how many people living in nursing homes and assisted care facilities died because Covid-19.

Until recent days, the state had disclosed that about 8,500 nursing home residents had died from Covid-19. That didnt include residents who ended up dying in hospitals.

The truer picture is 15,000 deaths.

Cuomos office released those details after losing a lawsuit and an investigation by Democratic Attorney General Letitia James that put the nursing home death toll much higher. The attorney generals findings were similar to those of a Syracuse.com investigation published earlier the same day.

On Thursday, Cuomos top aide, Melissa DeRosa, told a group of Democratic lawmakers the delay of nursing home information came as the state froze in the face of a late-summer inquiry by the U.S. Department of Justice. The New York Post first reported the development.

Now, by the own admission of the governors top aide, they were withholding information, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, said today. Its pretty incredible his own top aide would say that in a closed-door, all Democratic meeting.

Last summer, lawmakers had pressed Cuomos health commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, for more nursing home details in an early August public hearing. Zucker refused to provide details, saying the department was still collecting data six months into the pandemic.

That prompted legislative leaders to ask for the data in a written request. A few days later, the state also was notificated of the Department of Justice inquiry.

Thats when Cuomos office decided to sit on the information, according to DeRosas statements from Thursdays meeting.

Because then we were in a position where we werent sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we werent sure if there was going to be an investigation, she told Democratic lawmakers on Thursday.

DeRosa also said the state asked more than 600 nursing homes for information about suspected Covid-19 nursing home deaths back in April. A deluge of data followed, and officials struggled to verify the actual causes of deaths while also dealing with fighting the virus on other fronts, she said.

Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, a Democrat and long-time chair of that houses health committee, pushed back.

We dont have enough time today to explain all the reasons why I dont give that any credit at all, Gottfried said.

DeRosa on Thursday also said both leaders of the Senate and Assembly were told of the reason for the delay.

This morning, Assembly Speaker Carl Heasties top spokesman issued a statement saying Cuomos office asked for more time -- but did not explain it was because of the DOJ inquiry.

Mannions call today echoes what many Republican state lawmakers have been saying for months. Barclay said he hopes this weeks revelations will lead the Democratic-controlled houses to investigate Cuomos handling of nursing home residents.

That includes a much-criticized executive order from Cuomo on March 25 that ordered nursing homes to allow hospitalized residents to return home even if they still had the virus. Cuomo has said that order was following federal health guidelines at the time.

Barclay said lawmakers can start investigating with subpoena powers by a majority vote in an Assembly or Senate committee.

Were still hoping that the majorities of the Senate and the Assembly will get on the ball and start pushing for answers about the 15,000 number of deaths among facility residents. All told, more than 36,000 people have died from coronavirus in New York, according to state data.

Im not saying all of those were preventable, Barclay said.

But if some were, Barclay said, then the lawmakers should hold those who insisted on carrying out the March 25 order should be held accountable.

We also want to make sure that policies are put in place so it doesnt happen again, he said. I think thats what were supposed to be doing in government.

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share with a Syracuse-area reporter? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 19:57:58|Editor: huaxia

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A pharmacist takes medicine from a drawer at a pharmacy in Beirut, Lebanon on Feb. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

By Dana Halawi

BEIRUT, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Over the past month, Rasha Kabalan has been trying to find her father's Parkinson's medicine by searching in hospitals in Beirut and south Lebanon in vain.

"I was hoping to find a box of my father's drug until I manage to travel and buy it from Turkey or Egypt," Kabalan told Xinhua while adding that she has even asked friends in different areas of the country to search in nearby pharmacies but they could not find it either.

Kabalan is not alone facing such a problem. A patient who was infected with COVID-19 said after he returned home from hospital he could not find the prescribed medicines to continue his treatment at home.

The patient, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that he had to return to the hospital to ask the hospital's pharmacy to provide him with the needed medicines.

"The hospital's pharmacy contacted the administration and they sold me the needed drugs after negotiations," he said.

The COVID-19 patient was lucky to have found his prescribed drugs as many of the hospitals in Lebanon are struggling to secure the needed medicines for the COVID-19 patients and people suffering from other diseases.

Drugs for illness from Parkinson, to Cholesterol, Diabetes, blood pressure and medicines used in COVID-19 treatment have been in shortage around Lebanon.

The medicine crisis emerged amid the shortage in U.S. dollars in the country as the central bank's foreign reserves were depleted prompting Banque Du Liban to announce its decision to reduce its subsidies on medicines which created panic among citizens who feared an increase in prices of drugs.

Ghassan al-Amin, head of the Pharmacist Syndicate, told Xinhua the crisis was caused by panic buying from people who feared an increase in prices of drugs. "People cannot be blamed for that, they fear an increase in prices amid the current economic crisis," al-Amin said.

The shortage in medicines used for cases other than COVID-19 may be replaced by generic drugs in some cases. However, hospitals' pharmacists interviewed by Xinhua report a dire situation at hospitals when it comes to COVID-19 medicines.

"We are facing huge problems when it comes to COVID-19 drugs which is forcing us to resort to the black market to secure our needs of medicines for our patients," Christian Sawma, Chief Pharmacist at LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, told Xinhua.

Sawma explained that some hospitals are suffering from a lack in COVID-19 medicines because product suppliers are asking for U.S. dollars which is not available amid the current financial crisis.

Meanwhile, Rana el-Ali, Chief Pharmacist at the Middle East Institute of health Hospital and President of the hospital pharmacists committee in Lebanon, attributed this crisis to the central bank's slow mechanism of opening letters of credits for suppliers to import medicines.

El-Ali also urged authorities to lift subsidies on medicines which would allow private companies and suppliers to buy the much-needed medicines without delays and then associations in the country would give financial support for people to buy their drugs.

"We have been suffering from a lack in very essential medicines for COVID-19 and other drugs for almost a year now," she said.

For his part, el-Amin told Xinhua that he has submitted a request to the central bank of Lebanon to accelerate the process of opening letters of credits for suppliers.

"I gave the central bank a list of urgent medicines, but I believe the process won't be done until Banque Du Liban decides whether it will remove the subsidies on medicines or not," he said.

Joe Salloum, owner of Santa Maria Pharmacy, said the shortage in medicines is caused by the smuggling of subsidized products to foreign countries.

In recent months, travellers have been stopped at Beirut airport trying to fly out to Iraq and Democratic Republic of Congo with bags filled with subsidised medicine. Enditem
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Jaafari Waqf has called on all places of worship to fully comply with all precautionary measures in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, particularly with the advent of the month of Rajab.

It highlighted the importance of protecting all members of society, particularly the elderly, by observing the various ceremonies associated with this month remotely via live broadcast.

In a statement, it added that the global spread of COVID-19 and the recent increase in active cases warrants greater responsibility and a renewed commitment to precautionary measures set out by the National Medical Taskforce, citing the recommendations issued by the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the temporary suspension of prayers at mosques to mitigate the spread of the virus.

The Jaafari Waqf emphasised that these ceremonies will be observed in places of worship allocated for men, through live broadcasting without in-person attendance.

The Jaafari Waqf emphasised the importance of community cooperation by continuing to adhere to the following measures:

- The ceremony is limited to live to broadcast, provided that no more than 5 people will be present at the ceremony, including technical and administrative teams organising the live broadcasting and excluding elderly individuals or individuals that suffer from chronic diseases.

- The Jaafari Waqf also calls on administrative staff in places of worship to adhere to wearing face masks, leaving a distance of two meters between each other, not to distribute meals and foods, and to follow all the precautionary measures recommended by the National Medical Taskforce, and prevent gatherings of all forms.

The Jaafari Waqf called upon everyone to cooperate and adhere to all official instructions and directives to overcome these exceptional circumstances, reiterating that everyone is required to assume social responsibility and protect themselves, their families and the entire community by adhering to all COVID-19 precautionary measures.
Kozhikode : , Feb 12 (IANS) Kalki Subramaniam is a transgender activist, artist and poet. She was one of the moving forces behind the Supreme Court judgment that gave rights to transgenders in the country. Subramaniam was in the city to participate in the 2nd edition of International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE).

Arun Lakshman Kozhikode (Kerala), Feb 12 (IANS) Kalki Subramaniam is a transgender activist, artist and poet. She was one of the moving forces behind the Supreme Court judgment that gave rights to transgenders in the country. Subramaniam was in the city to participate in the 2nd edition of International Conference on Gender Equality (ICGE).

She spoke to IANS on a number of issues. Excerpts from the interview: Q: You recently wished on a public platform for a Bill Gates coming from the transgender community. How realistic are you on this issue? A: I said this at the 2nd International Conference on Gender Equality with 100 per cent conviction. After the Supreme court recognised our community in 2014, there are more and more children from the community taking up technical and software education. Many are employed well in the software sector. Hence, I want that in the future you see people from the transgender community scaling great heights to become software entrepreneurs and world leaders in the field. So I am being totally realistic.

Q: Generally you find people from the transgender community reclusive and not forthcoming, but you are very confident on public forums and even very pro-active and articulate. Where do you derive this confidence from? A: Everything starts with the family. In case of most transgender people, the family support is missing, and they are even thrown out on the streets. Even if they are allowed to stay put, they are never recognised and kept away from family celebrations and auspicious occasions. However, in my case, it was in the reverse. Even though my parents were not educated, they supported me fully and gave me good education. This gave me the confidence and led to increase in my articulation skills. And so, I am where I am. Both my sisters and mother are highly supportive of me, even after my father passed away 15 years ago.

Q: What do you feel is the biggest steps to be taken by authorities to ensure equality for the transgenders in society? A: Sensitising teachers and police on transgender populace is an important step for the government to take so as to bring respect to our community in the country. If you sensitise teachers, it will lead them to teach a large number of children on the subject. It will in turn lead to major transformation among students. Police also has to be sensitised so that they act quickly whenever any transgender is the target of any crime. These are two steps the government should immediately take to reduce atrocities on the transgenders.

Q: You are heading an organisation 'Sahodari' for the welfare of the transgender community. What are your activities? A: We conduct awareness programmes among community members on government support available to them as also build up confidence in them. We are also into production and sale of artefacts. However, since we don't have any support from the governments or corporates, our programmes are very limited.

Q: During the lockdown, the government of India announced some schemes for you. Can you explain? A: The government of India announced Rs 1,500 for each transgender through direct bank transfers. According to the 2011 census, we have around 5 lakh transgenders but only around 2,000 may have actually got the money. The reason is the lack of awareness in the community. It has to be seriously worked on. Interestingly, there could be more than 30 lakh transgender people in India. It is thus difficult for us to spread awareness across the community with the meagre resources we have.

Q: What are your major activities among the transgender people as you are a sort of an icon for the community? A: I am mainly into sensitising schoolchildren. I have single-handedly spoken to more than a million students across the country on transgender issues. I get calls from these students, who have since grown up and themselves become entrepreneurs. They are employing transgender people in their organisations. I consider it a major achievement for all my work within the community -- converted a young generation from 'transphobic' to 'transfriendly'.

Q: What are your future goals? A: I haven't set any goals as such, but of course I will see to it that transgender community is educated, and they are not looked down upon by society. We also want entrepreneurs to come from it. Another major point that I would like to say to powers that be is to sensitive the bureaucracy during training so that they get a basic idea of what we are and what our problems are.
ABC NewsBy MAX GOLEMBO, ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- Multiple storms will move across the U.S. this weekend into next week bringing snow and ice from coast to coast.



Thursday's storm hit the South with freezing rain and sleet and turned roads dangerous from Texas to Virginia.



In Fort Worth, Texas, at least six people died and 65 others were injured in a massive freeway pileup that involved over 100 vehicles. Fort Worth police said the icy roads likely contributed to the crash.



Some areas in central and western Texas got up to 1 inch of ice accretion. There were also widespread reports of half an inch of ice accumulation in Arizona, Tennessee and Kentucky.



Now, that storm is moving through North Carolina and Virginia with snow and ice. Raleigh is under a winter weather advisory for freezing rain and sleet.



On Friday morning, 36 states, from Oregon to Maryland, are under some sort of snow, ice or cold alert.



Meanwhile, a second storm is already wreaking havoc in Oregon, Washington and Northern California, where snow, ice and gusty winds are causing treacherous road conditions.



A winter storm warning is set for Portland, Oregon, and a winter storm watch is set for Seattle, which is expected to see heavy snow and gusty winds. There is even a blizzard warning for the Columbia River Gorge.



Part of that western storm is moving quickly east, and will bring an icy mix to the Mid-Atlantic by Saturday evening into Sunday, where a winter storm watch has been posted for Washington, D.C.



By Sunday night into Monday, a third storm will move out of the West and slide south into Texas and Oklahoma.



A winter storm watch has been issued for Dallas, Oklahoma City and nearly all the way down to the Mexican border. Heavy snow and gusty winds are expected there.



This third storm is then expected to move to the East Coast. It will bring an icy mix to the I-95 corridor and heavy snow inland.



With all these storms coming up over the next five to seven days, almost all lower 48 states will see some sort of wintry precipitation accumulation, even as far south as San Antonio, Texas, and Jackson, Mississippi.



Apart from that, dangerous cold air will pour into the South, reaching Texas by Sunday into Monday.



Wind chills could reach below-zero temperatures even as far south as Dallas and Austin, Texas.



The North will also see some cold. Winds chills could dip as low as -60 degrees and frost bite could set in on exposed skin in as little as five minutes.

Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- This time is different may be the most dangerous words in business: billions of dollars have been lost betting that history wont repeat itself. And yet now, in the oil world, it looks like this time really will be.For the first time in decades, oil companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising oil prices as Brent crude approaches $70. Even in the Permian, the prolific shale basin at the center of the U.S. energy boom, drillers are resisting their traditional boom-and-bust cycle of spending.The oil industry is on the ropes, constrained by Wall Street investors demanding that companies spend less on drilling and instead return more money to shareholders, and climate change activists pushing against fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. is paradigmatic of the trend, after its humiliating defeat at the hands of a tiny activist elbowing itself onto the board.The dramatic events in the industry last week only add to what is emerging as an opportunity for the producers of OPEC+, giving the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia more room for maneuver to bring back their own production. As non-OPEC output fails to rebound as fast as many expected -- or feared based on past experience -- the cartel is likely to continue adding more supply when it meets on June 1.CriminalizationShareholders are asking Exxon to drill less and focus on returning money to investors. They have been throwing money down the drill hole like crazy, Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer for CalSTRS. We really saw that company just heading down the hole, not surviving into the future, unless they change and adapt. And now they have to.Exxon is unlikely to be alone. Royal Dutch Shell Plc lost a landmark legal battle last week when a Dutch court told it to cut emissions significantly by 2030 -- something that would require less oil production. Many in the industry fear a wave of lawsuits elsewhere, with western oil majors more immediate targets than the state-owned oil companies that make up much of OPEC production.We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official.While its true that non-OPEC+ output is creeping back from the crash of 2020 -- and the ultra-depressed levels of April and May last year -- its far from a full recovery. Overall, non-OPEC+ output will grow this year by 620,000 barrels a day, less than half the 1.3 million barrels a day it fell in 2020. The supply growth forecast through the rest of this year comes nowhere close to matching the expected increase in demand, according to the International Energy Agency.Beyond 2021, oil output is likely to rise in a handful of nations, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada and new oil-producer Guyana. But production will decline elsewhere, from the U.K. to Colombia, Malaysia and Argentina.As non-OPEC+ production increases less than global oil demand, the cartel will be in control of the market, executives and traders said. Its a major break with the past, when oil companies responded to higher prices by rushing to invest again, boosting non-OPEC output and leaving the ministers led by Saudi Arabias Abdulaziz bin Salman with a much more difficult balancing act.Drilling DownSo far, the lack of non-OPEC+ oil production growth isnt registering much in the market. After all, the coronavirus pandemic continues to constrain global oil demand. It may be more noticeable later this year and into 2022. By then, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 are likely to be bearing fruit, and the world will need more oil. The expected return of Iran into the market will provide some of that, but there will likely be a need for more.When that happens, it will be largely up to OPEC to plug the gap. One signal of how the recovery will be different this time is the U.S. drilling count: It is gradually increasing, but the recovery is slower than it was after the last big oil price crash in 2008-09. Shale companies are sticking to their commitment to return more money to shareholders via dividends. While before the pandemic shale companies re-used 70-90% of their cash flow into further drilling, they are now keeping that metric at around 50%.The result is that U.S. crude production has flat-lined at around 11 million barrels a day since July 2020. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the outlook is even more somber: at the end of April, the ex-North America oil rig count stood at 523, lower than it was a year ago, and nearly 40% below the same month two years earlier, according to data from Baker Hughes Co.When Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz predicted earlier this year that drill, baby, drill is gone for ever, it sounded like a bold call. As ministers meet this week, they may dare to hope hes right.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

(Newser)  When Donald Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October, he was a lot sicker than officials were willing to disclose, the New York Times reports, citing "four people familiar with his condition." The sources say the then-president had blood oxygen levels in the 80swell beyond the low-90s mark where the disease is considered severeand a lung problem associated with pneumonia caused by COVID. The sources say before Trump was taken to Walter Reed Medical Center by helicopter, officials feared he would have to be put on a ventilator. CNN cites a source who also said there was discussion about putting the president on a ventilator.

story continues below

According to the Times' sources, Trump didn't want to leave the White House and only agreed to be hospitalized when aides told him he might end up being carried out by the Secret Service if he didn't walk out while he was well enough to do so. As soon as Trump was diagnosed with COVID, White House officials scrambled to get the FDA to approve the then-unauthorized Regeneron antibody cocktail approved for use for two unnamed "senior administration officials," the sources say. Trump also received the steroid dexamethasone, normally only used for those with severe COVID cases. When he left the hospital after three days, Trump said, "Don't be afraid of COVID." Since then, the US death toll has risen from around 210,000 to 475,000. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
The central government on Friday said it has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement finalised with China for disengagement of troops in Pangong lake areas in eastern Ladakh.

Hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese and raised questions over the agreement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a statement saying the effective safeguarding of country's national interest and territory in the Eastern Ladakh sector has taken place because the government reposed full faith in the capabilities of the armed forces.

"Those who doubt the achievements made possible by the sacrifices of our military personnel are actually disrespecting them," it said.

The MoD said, "The assertion that Indian territory is up to Finger 4 is categorically false. The territory of India is as depicted by the map of India and includes more than 43,000 sq km currently under illegal occupation of China since 1962. Even the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as per the Indian perception, is at Finger 8, not at Finger 4. That is why India has persistently maintained the right to patrol upto Finger 8, including in the current understanding with China."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told Parliament that as per provision of the agreement, China will pull back its troops to east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong lake while the Indian personnel will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region.

"India has not conceded any territory as a result of the agreement. On the contrary, it has enforced observance and respect for LAC and prevented any unilateral change in the status quo," the MoD statement on Friday said.

The ministry also asserted that permanent posts of both sides at the north bank of Pangong Tso are longstanding and well-established. "On the Indian side, it is Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 and on the Chinese side, east of Finger 8," it said, adding the current agreement provides for cessation of forward deployment by both sides and continued deployment at these permanent posts.

The statement said the ministry has taken note of some misinformed and misleading comments being amplified in the media and on social media regarding the disengagement currently underway at Pangong Tso, asserting that it is necessary to set the record straight and counter certain instances of wrongly understood information. Addressing a press conference, Gandhi questioned why the Prime Minister did not make a statement on the LAC situation, and claimed that Singh "sheepishly" made a statement on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. "Why has he asked the Defence Minister to make the statement, the Prime Minister should say - I have given Indian land to China, this is the truth," he alleged.

MBABANE  A mother of three defied all odds and completed Form 5 at the age of 34 years.

This was after spending over 13 years living in the bushes of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where she gave birth to three children. Lydia Faustine Nakuze eventually escaped and settled in Eswatini.

When she arrived at the refugee camp, she reunited with her father who had arrived years earlier.

Nakuze has just been admitted at the University of Stellenbosch where she will be doing a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering.

Nakuzes academic journey started at Sebenta National Institute where she did her primary education, having left Rwanda in 1994 while doing Standard Three.

When she completed Grade Seven she struggled to secure a place in Form I because most schools had a problem with her age, which was 26 years at the time. The then Mbekelweni High School Head teacher Mduduzi Bhembe came to her rescue and admitted her.

She continued to shine both in her Junior Certificate and O-level exams, something that earned her sponsorship and a place at St Marks High School where she did her A-levels over two years.

Narrating her bitter-sweet life story, Nakuze said, I was born in Rwanda on February 26, 1985. I am a refugee who resides in Eswatini. I am living with my unemployed father who is 72 years old and my three children.

Refuge

She said in 1994 during the Rwanda war she fled to seek refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo where she spent two years in a refugee camp. Unfortunately a further military attack dismantled the camp.

I then fled again into the DRC forests to seek refuge in the villages.

There were no basic infrastructures like schools, hospitals, roads, etc within those villages. During the 13 years that I spent in the DRC forests, those who dismantled the camps used to plan regular attacks on us, such that life was unbearable there. It was a war zone. We were moving up and down every time.

She said their first priority was to survive and due to the insecurities which prevailed at that time, she had to stay with a man while she was still young and it was during that time that she got three children.

As a young lady, it was the only way to get protection from the rebels. I did not get an opportunity to study and I was heartbroken because my dreams to study were shattered and there was no hope at all.

Communication

Finally, in 2011 together with my children we managed to leave that dangerous area for Eswatini where we met my father.

When I arrived here I could not speak or write English and it was very difficult for me to communicate with people.

In June 2013 she learnt English at Sebenta Institute, which is an adult learning institution. She then decided to join the group of students who were preparing to write standard five external examinations in 2014.

I wrote the exam in 2014 and I passed with flying colours. After receiving my results, I decided to continue with my studies. I applied in most schools but they refused to offer me a place because of my age.

She acknowledged the help of journalists from the Times of Eswatini, whom she said continued to publish her story about being rejected by many schools because she ended up getting a place at Mbekelweni High School.

Since this place was far from my place of residence, I met a good Samaritan who paid my school fees and through peoples support I was able to travel to school.

Examination

In 2015 at the end of the year when I was in Form I; I got good results which made it possible for me to sit for the junior certificate examination in the following year.

I also passed with flying colours again despite the fact that I skipped a year and I was enrolled in high school in 2017. I completed high school in 2018 with good results.

In 2019 she enrolled at St Marks High School to do Cambridge International A-levels hence her provisional admission in the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa).

She is celebrating the fact that despite the many challenges and hardships she has been through with her children, she managed to make it through.

My first two children got distinctions in primary education and they were granted scholarships at Waterford KaMhlaba where they are currently doing Form IV and II respectively. The other child is also doing very well in Grade Seven at Mbabane Lutheran Primary school.

Advice

Her word of advice to others is that there is a solution to whatever situation they are facing.

When I was desperate, I never thought that one day I would be where I am right now. I am free to dream and I believe in myself that I will achieve what I have always dreamt of. The sky is the limit and where there is a will there is always a way; I will never stop until I succeed. Life is a struggle.

Former Mbekelweni High School Principal Bhembe could not be reached for comment. He was called on his mobile phone from Thursday 10am till Friday noon. Nakuze had mentioned what a huge impact he had on her life by being the first person to give her a chance academically .

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian public-political circles consider an act of vandalism and strongly condemn the desecration of the memorial honoring the victims of the genocides of the Jewish and Armenian peoples which is located in the Circular Park of Yerevan City, and call for a swift investigation to bring the vandals to account. Yerevan law enforcement agencies launched an immediate investigation and city authorities have sent specialists to restore and clean the memorial from the paint.

Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan strongly condemned the vandalism of the Live and Not Forget memorial. In a statement, Simonyan called for a proper investigation to apprehend those who committed the vicious act.

We strongly condemn the desecration of the memorial of the Genocides of the Jewish and Armenian Peoples located in the Yerevan Circular Park, Simonyan said in a statement. This manifestation of vandalism is nothing else but a crime against universal values, and it should be properly investigated, and those who committed this crime should be held to account in order to rule out and prevent the repetition of such incidents in the future, Simonyan said.

Photo - Vice Speaker Alen Simonyan laying flowers at the memorial on January 27, 2021 - Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Vice Speaker noted that such vicious acts are deprived of any morals and do not have a place within a society which survived genocide and is the most vocal advocate of fighting against this crime.

In turn, Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan expressed hope that law enforcement agencies will give a swift and adequate response to the incident.

Such an encroachment against any memorial is an unequivocally unacceptable and condemnable act which should be ruled out from our city. Representatives of various nationalities have been living side by side in Yerevan for centuries, proudly bearing the honorable title of being a Yerevantsi together with their ethnicity, and no any motive can disrupt this solidarity. I hope that law enforcement agencies will give a swift and adequate response, the Yerevan Mayor said in a statement.

Photo - Flowers and a wreath seen at the memorial after a commemoration event honoring Holocaust victims on January 27, 2021

Honored Artist of Armenia, Jewish-Armenian composer William Weiner said he sees a foreign trace in the vandalism and that he is certain that this couldnt have been committed by an Armenian. As a citizen of Armenia, as a native Yerevantsi, I very much regret that things like this are happening here. I dont understand it, I dont want to understand it, this is the country where never before have things like this happened, and I cannot understand who organized this. This is unacceptable for me. I am sure this wasnt committed by an Armenian. I am certain that this is from outside, Weiner told ARMENPRESS.

Prosperous Armenia Party Member of Parliament Naira Zohrabyan, who is a member of the parliamentary Armenia-Israel friendship group, also condemned the vandalism. This is vandalism. Regardless what our attitude is (it is definitely negative) for the Israeli arms sales and overt military and political support to Azerbaijan during the latest Artsakh War, the Holocaust memorial cant be desecrated. We publicly express our protest to Israels policy, but desecrating the memory of victims is vandalism, and I think it doesnt befit us. I condemn Israels military support to Azerbaijan and the Israeli foreign ministrys statements supporting the Turkish-Azerbaijani military aggression, but I bow before the memory of the innocent victims of the Holocaust, Zohrabyan said.

The To Live and Not Forget: To the Memory of the Victims of the Genocides of the Armenian and Jewish Peoples memorial in the Circular Park of Yerevan was vandalized on February 12.

Yerevan police said they have launched proceedings to find and apprehend the suspects who vandalized the memorial.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
After they and their predecessors debated and rejected the idea of settling a lawsuit filed on behalf of Alton Sterling's five children, some members of a recently reconstituted East Baton Rouge Metro Council say making an offer to resolve the case for $4.5 million is better than taking a chance at a trial that could cost the city-parish much more.

Sterling was shot dead by Baton Rouge police nearly five years ago and a lawsuit seeking benefits for his children is set for trial in less than three weeks. With the case barreling forward, the council changed its approach Wednesday and said its lawyers could offer a settlement.

Brandon DeCuir, one of several attorneys representing Sterling's children, declined to comment Thursday on whether his clients planned to accept the offer or move forward with the scheduled trial.

Council members, who are barred for speaking about specifics of the case, said they were eager for constituents to see first-hand the evidence they were privy to in choosing to settle.

"It's very obvious, with the information that we know, that the [Sterling] family was going to get something," said Denise Amoroso, a Republican who voted to settle the case. "Hopefully, a lot of that information will be able to come out."

How much is the Alton Sterling case worth? Here are the complex factors that could decide More than four years after the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling, and numerous failed attempts to settle the resulting wrongful death la

Council Member Jen Racca said she thinks the public will be "alarmed when they see everything."

I think it's vitally important that people are aware of everything that happened in this case. The good, the bad and the ugly. Right now they dont have the full story, Racca said.

Carolyn Coleman, who joined the Council last month, weighed whether a trial or a settlement would be better.

It was our responsibility to the constituents, to the taxpayers, to minimize that risk for the entire city," Coleman said.

The $4.5 million offer is higher than a $2.5 million proposal that Sterling's heirs turned down in November. It's also less than a $5 million proposal put forward by a mediator hired by the city-parish but rejected twice by the previous Metro Council.

The measure approved Wednesday proposes giving Sterlings heirs $1 million upfront from the city-parishs Insurance Reserve Fund, followed by budget allotments of $875,000 over the next four years.

It passed with the support of seven council members: Denise Amoroso, Chauna Banks, LaMont Cole, Carolyn Coleman, Cleve Dunn, Jr., Rowdy Gaudet and Erika Green.

Four council members voted against the settlement: Laurie White Adams, Dwight Hudson, Aaron Moak and Brandon Noel.

During debates last year on whether to settle the case, council members repeatedly noted the importance of giving the next Metro Council  with its six new members  a clean slate to start with.

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Lawyers for the city-parish had warned against pushing the decision to a new council, writing in an email obtained by The Advocate that catching new members up-to-speed on the complexities of the case would be a "monstrous" task.

But the arrival of fresh faces  and a new Mayor Pro Tem  may have helped the council reach a deal.

Several members said they were told by the city's lawyers that, compared to their predecessors, they spent much more time considering the evidence and asking questions about the case.

"This council took the time to dig in and was interested in moving past this," Dunn noted.

The measure Wednesday was initially introduced by Dunn at $10 million. But, after council members emerged from a lengthy closed-door executive session with their attorneys, the item was revised down to $4.5 million.

Baton Rouge Metro Council offers $4.5M to settle Alton Sterling civil suit The East Baton Rouge Metro Council voted Wednesday to offer $4.5 million to settle the civil suit filed on behalf of Alton Sterling's five chi

Council members universally praised Cole for leading them through a respectful, fruitful discussion during their executive session. Coleman said that Cole was "the gentleman of the room of 12," and Hudson, who ran against Cole for the position of Pro Tem last month, thanked him for his "exceptional" leadership.

The executive session still left some council members with lingering questions. Noel, a new addition to the council, said he would've preferred that the item be deferred for two weeks to give him more time to ask questions of the city's attorneys, but a motion of deferral was narrowly rejected.

Racca did not vote on settlement, saying she supported the $4.5 million offer but was uncomfortable approving a settlement without an official recommendation from the parish's attorney.

Courtney Humphrey, an assistant parish attorney, said during Wednesday's meeting that there was "nothing wrong with doing it this way."

Sterling's shooting in the summer of 2016 ignited protests against police brutality after cell phone video was spread online.

Two officers had confronted Sterling after receiving a complaint about a man with a gun outside a North Foster Drive convenience store.

Federal and state prosecutors declined to press charges against the officers. Federal officials said they could not say whether Sterling was reaching for a gun while on the ground, and the state's attorney general said the incident took place very quickly and involved two officers who had good reason to believe that Mr. Sterling was armed with a firearm.

Chief Murphy Paul, who was not leading BRPD at the time of the shooting, said later that the officer who fired the shot that killed Sterling should never have been hired.
Amidst a global pandemic, Indias overall allocation for health and well-being increased by 137 per cent in the financial year 2021-22, thus boosting the capacity of the healthcare system to detect and cure new diseases. (Photo: AFP)

The first Union Budget of this decade comes at a time that our nation is commemorating the 75th year of Indian Independence, 60 years of Goas accession to India, 50 years of the 1971 India-Pakistan War, eight censuses of Independent India (and also the first digital census), Indias turn at the BRICS presidency, the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the celebration of Haridwar Maha Kumbh. Under this scenario, India has a vital role to play as a major Asian economic power in the new world order in the post-Covid era.

The Union Budget 2021-22, along with the myriad mini-budgets, including the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana and the Atma Nirbhar Bharat packages, presented by the finance minister to stabilise the economy during a critical pandemic period, has prepared our country to move in the right direction.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Budget addresses the imperative of resetting priorities and identifies the emergence of opportunities by devoting an all-inclusive Budget as a guide to a self-reliant India.

The development of any nation depends on transportation networks and the way in which they are maintained. One of the most crucial announcements in the Budget was with regard to infrastructure development projects, across various states and Union territories.

For connecting the areas and maintaining smooth flow of traffic, the construction of new roads is a must. The infrastructure projects are not just connectivity specific, like the proposed highway works and upgrade of the existing 675 km Kolkata-Siliguri highway bisecting the state of West Bengal, but also employment-generating opportunities.

Further, as Union territories receive 100 per cent of their funding from the central government, long-stalled projects are being revived and new welfare projects implemented.

The budget has provisioned Rs 30,757 crore for Jammu and Kashmir, the highest among UTs. The announcement of a maiden gas pipeline in J&K has further rekindled hopes for the revival of the project that, due to a paucity of funds and the lack of an administrative push, showed no progress for a decade. This gas pipeline project will create a base for increased beneficiary coverage under the Ujjwala Yojana as well as decrease carbon footprint by increasing utilisation of clean fuel for cooking purposes.

This connectivity upgrade also envisions the development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres along the banks of rivers and waterways. The government has provisioned for developing five major fishing harbours  Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Petuaghat  as hubs of economic activity. The development of fishing harbours would help in exploitation of rich fishing grounds, create adequate infrastructure for operation of mechanised fishing vessels, mitigate navigation hazards, save fishermens lives and fishing vessels from the rough seas, make for the handling of fish and crustaceans in hygienic conditions, and, thereby, enhance export earnings.

The first-ever paperless Budget also gave a major boost to the start-up ecosystem in India, with the objective of encouraging entrepreneurship and fostering growth. Recently, 11 Indian start-ups managed to bag a unicorn tag in a pandemic year when they crossed the US $1 billion valuation mark.

Prime Minister Modi has averred that start-ups are changing the demographic characteristics of todays businesses. Further, start-ups played a major role in ensuring availability of sanitizers, PPE kits and related supply chains, and fulfilled a sterling role in meeting local needs like grocery, medicine delivery at doorstep, transportation of frontline workers and online study material. The Budget provided a boost to start-up investments by extending the eligibility for claiming tax holidays for start-ups along with a capital gains exemption for investment in start-ups till March 31, 2022.

Modi has ushered in a wave of behavioural change among people with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The pandemic made swachhta an integral lifestyle and a practice that has seen increased community participation.

For further swachhta of urban India, the government raised the focus on complete faecal sludge management and wastewater treatment, source segregation of garbage, reduction in single-use plastic, reduction in air pollution by effectively managing waste from construction and demolition activities and bioremediation of all legacy dump sites. The Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 is being implemented with a total financial allocation of Rs 1,41,678 crores over a period of five years.

Amidst a global pandemic, Indias overall allocation for health and well-being increased by 137 per cent in the financial year 2021-22, thus boosting the capacity of the healthcare system to detect and cure new diseases.

Underscoring the importance of strengthening the healthcare infrastructure, the government launched the PM Atma Nirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crore over six years. The scheme will concentrate on bridging the health infrastructure gap at the village, block and panchayat levels and integrate them with centralised healthcare facilities.

Today, India has indigenously manufactured a vaccine and has begun medically safeguarding not only its own citizens against Covid-19, but also those of 100 or more countries under its Vaccine Maitri outreach. Our nation has strengthened its ethos of vasudhaiva kutumbakam while turning a crisis into an opportunity for developing self-reliance and presented a budget with an eye on future growth.
A Republican state senator has introduced a bill that would require the state's Board of Regents to survey all employees at the main public universities to determine their political party affiliation.

Senator Jim Carlin did not offer an explanation for his bill, but it comes after accusations that Iowa's public universities repressed the free speech of conservative students.

The order would cover all employees at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa.

The bill, introduced this week, would require the survey to hide the personal identity of the respondents but would separate the results out by job classification.

Senator Jim Carlin (above) did not offer an explanation for his bill, but it comes after accusations that Iowa's public universities repressed the free speech of conservative students

Carlin's bill requires the anonymous survey results to be delivered to the Iowa legislature by December 30.

Earlier this month, all three of Iowa's public universities apologized for 'egregious' incidents suppressing free speech on their campuses, largely affecting conservative students.

In one case, Michael Brase, a conservative UI dental student, was summoned for a disciplinary hearing for debating a dean who condemned then-President Donald Trump's executive order banning some types of diversity training.

'I would like to start by apologizing,' UI College of Dentistry Dean David Dean Johnsen told the legislature earlier this month, according to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

'Michael's comments in front of the committee on Wednesday laid bare his concerns and fear that he felt regarding his educational future at our college, and, for that, I'm sorry.

The order would cover all employees at the University of Iowa (above), Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa

In a related move, the Iowa House's education committee voted on Wednesday to advance a bill that would make Iowa the first state in the nation to eliminate tenure at public universities.

Tenure is a lifetime academic appointment that is meant to allow scholars to pursue free lines of inquiry, but Republicans in the legislature are arguing that it just protects 'bad' professors.

'As we have seen clearly in our regent universities, there is no longer diversity of thought,' Republican Rep. Skyler Wheeler said, according to the Sioux City Journal.

'Why are we giving professors a lifetime appointment on the taxpayer dime?' Wheeler asked. 'This simply removes a mechanism that protects bad professors.'

Rep. Mary Mascher, a Democrat, said she plans to fight the bill.

'I don't believe this is creating a good impression of our state and our educational system,' she said. 'It will suffer greatly if we were to abandon or eliminate tenure.'
OSHA Cites Rail Car Company for Confined Spaces Violations

Trinity Rail and Maintenance Services Inc. was cited for 11 serious violations after the death of two employees in August.

An Oklahoma rail car products and services provider was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor on Feb. 10 for breaching federal confined spaces safety standards.

OSHA cited Trinity Rail and Maintenance Service Inc. for 11 serious violations and two willful violations. The resulting penalties add up to $419,347. The company was initially investigated after two workers died from inhaling toxic fumes while in a confined space in August 2020.

A first employee became unresponsive after they entered a natural gas rail car to clean a space. A second employee then entered the real car to rescue the first worker, but both later died after being recovered from the site. OSHA determined that Trinity Rail and Maintenance Service Inc. failed to require a permit for entry into the rail car, ventilate the space, monitor hazards inside the confined space and complete entry permits.

Work inside confined spaces is a dangerous job and federal workplace safety standards must be followed to avoid disaster, said OSHA Area Director Steven A. Kirby. As is the case here, failing to follow OSHA standards can be the difference between life and death.

Trinity Rail and Maintenance Services must comply or request an informal conference with OSHAs area director within 15 days of receipt of the citations.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Russia exported 15 million m3 of logs in 2020, which accounted for almost 12% of globally traded roundwood. Much of this trade may come to a halt next year when a new law proposed by Russia's president will ban the exportation of softwood logs and high-value hardwood logs as of January 1, 2022. The Russian government is also considering new regulations aimed at reducing the exportation of green softwood lumber. This regulation is loosely planned to also commence in 2022 and is intended to incentivize investments in dry-kilns to produced dried lumber for exports. Reducing log and green lumber exports will likely stimulate further value-added processing within Russia and better control illegal logging.

While the proposed ban is not yet law, it is widely expected to be implemented and passed into law in the second quarter of this year. If enacted, the law will most significantly impact Eastern Russia, where an estimated 10% of the timber harvest is exported in log form. In the short-term, the Chinese lumber industry will be most directly impacted, as exports of softwood logs mainly from Russia Far East are likely to be prohibited. According to a just-released study, Russian Log Export Ban in 2022 - Implications for the Global Forest Industry (LINK), China will probably look to source more sawlogs from other regions of the world, such as Oceania, Europe, and the US. The increased competition for logs in those markets will likely put upward pressure on sawlog prices. Mid-term, the study expects that China will evolve from importation of roundwood to importation of lumber. This shift will allow lumber manufacturers in Europe and Russia to increase shipments to China.

Although it is expected that the export ban will drive Russian investment in new lumber capacity, there might also be some impact on other forest industry sectors, for example those planning to co-locate pellet plants with sawmills. In addition, the possibility of restrictions in the exportation of green lumber will encourage more investments in kiln drying capacity, thus improving access to markets in Europe and the US.

The excerpt above is from the just-released Focus Report "Russia Log Export Ban in 2022 - Implications to the Global Forest Industry", published by Wood Resources International LLC and O'Kelly Acumen. For more information about the study or to inquire about purchasing the 60-page report in easy-to read slide format, please contact either Hakan Ekstrom (hakan@woodprices.com) or Glen O'Kelly (glen.okelly@okelly.se). A Table of Contents of the report is available on our website. Click here!

CONTACT:

Wood Resources International LLC

Hakan Ekstrom

info@woodprices.com

www.woodprices.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/wood-resources-international-llc/r/russia-s-proposed-log-export-ban-in-2022-will-have-a-far-reaching-impact-on-global-forest-product-ma,c3285653

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Wood Resources International LLC
Donald Trump could run for president in 2024 and unleash a violent mob on the US Capitol once more unless he is convicted, Democrat prosecutors at his impeachment trial claimed.

Prosecutors said Mr Trump had shown no remorse for inciting a mob to attack the seat of US democracy on January 6 and would do it again if given the chance.

They said it could be only just the beginning of political violence in America and the threat was not over. His supporters had been following the orders of their commander-in-chief, they said.

On the third day of the trial, Jamie Raskin, the lead prosecutor, said: Is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he is ever allowed to get back in the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence?

Would you bet the lives of more police officers on that, the safety of your family on that, the future of your democracy on that? He gets back into office, and it happens again, well have no one to blame but ourselves.

Read More

Ted Lieu, another prosecutor, said: Im not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years, Im afraid of him running and losing, because he would do it again.

He will not stop. He has not shown remorse, he has shown defiance.

If Mr Trump is convicted on a charge of inciting insurrection, he would not be able to run for public office in the future.

As the prosecution closed its case, which was praised by Democrat and Republican senators as professional and emotive, Joe Biden broke his silence. The president said: My guess is some [Republican] minds may be changed.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, later said Mr Biden had not been offering a projection or a prediction on the verdict.

She said: He was giving a very human and emotional response to what many people felt having watched the video. He was shocked and saddened. [But] he knows theres a role for Congress to play and a role for him to play.

Prosecutors outlined how Mr Trump had encouraged violence for years at his rallies, showing videos of him exhorting supporters to beat the crap out of protesters. They played videos of senior Republican officials around the country, and former Trump administration officials, calling his actions an existential threat and wrong.

Mr Raskin detailed how Mr Trump cultivated dangerous extremist groups for months then lit the fuse and electrified them on January 6.

His followers acted in perfect alignment with his intentions, and did what he told them to do. He added: This pro-Trump insurrection did not spring into life out of thin air.

Mr Trumps MO had been road-tested during the invasion of the Michigan state Capitol in April last year. January 6 was a culmination, not an aberration for Mr Trump.

Prosecutors showed how Mr Trump had urged his followers to liberate Michigan, and targeted the Democrat governor Gretchen Whitmer, who was then targeted in a kidnap and potential assassination plot. Mr Raskin said: If we dont draw the line here, whats next? What makes you think the nightmare of Donald Trump and his violent mob is over?

Prosecutors used video from January 6 to show how Capitol invaders believed they were acting on Mr Trumps orders. Insurrectionists were shown shouting We were invited here and Trump sent us. Another said: Hell be happy. Were fighting for Trump.

Prosecutor Diana DeGette said: They truly believed that the whole intrusion was at the presidents orders. The president told them to be there.

The prosecution argued that Mr Trump had been trying to make himself a monarch. David Cicilline, a prosecutor, said: This didnt even happen during the Civil War. But it did just happen because of the cold, calculated and conspiratorial acts of our former president, Donald J Trump. The insurrectionists were deliberate, they came looking for vice president Pence and speaker Pelosi and ready to kill.

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi chats with Nicaraguan asylum-seeker Carmen* at her stand at a market in Upala, Costa Rica.  UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo

As political protests spread in Nicaragua three years ago, grocery shop owner Carmen* gave food to students calling for reforms. When a crackdown followed, she packed a bag, gathered up her young daughter and fled over the border to Costa Rica.

We were being threatened. (and) I had to leave everything behind, absolutely everything I had. I even left behind my dreams, said 30-year-old Carmen, whose store was ransacked in the ensuing turmoil. I had to abandon the seven years of work I had invested in my business in order to save my daughter.

There are currently some 87,000 Nicaraguans like Carmen seeking asylum in Costa Rica. Three years later, they are still trying to find a way forward.

When she reached safety, Carmen and her daughter first found shelter in a tiny room that a kind-hearted Costa Rican family lent them. They had no running water or electricity, and when the wind blew, it would lift up the tin roof, which also offered little protection against the tropical rains.

Everything stopped. We couldnt do anything.

A life-long entrepreneur, she was hopeful that she could do a brisk business in making and selling traditional Nicaraguan sweets called cajeta, a sort of pudding. But without an oven or even a fridge, that seemed impossible  until Carmen got help from Fundacion Mujer, a non-profit that works with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

They provided her with small business training, as well as seed money that allowed her to buy the appliances she needed to prepare her wares  a tempting selection of treats made following her grandmas recipes from organic, locally sourced ingredients. Sales were just beginning to take off when the coronavirus pandemic hit.

See also: UN High Commissioner for Refugees commends Costa Rica for commitment to those forced to flee

When that happened, everything stopped, Carmen recalled. We couldnt do anything.

Life was again very hard for Carmen, her now six-year-old daughter, and her husband, who had joined them a year later. That was when the family received another lifeline  a stand in the newly founded Mercado Upaleno, a weekly outdoor market in the border town of Upala in northern Costa Rica.

It helps promote peaceful coexistence between local communities.

A municipal project made possible with support from UNHCR, the market aims to support local farmers, artisans and shopkeepers, while at the same time offering buyers and sellers protection against COVID-19, thanks to fresh air, masks and social distancing.

During a visit to the market on 10 February, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi praised the initiative as an example of a win-win project that benefits both asylum-seekers and the communities that host them and which could be applied elsewhere.

It helps revitalize the economy that is only now starting to come out of the COVID impact, and it also helps promote peaceful coexistence between local communities in a very deprived area, and communities of refugees and asylum seekers, he said, after sampling Carmens sweets and some of the other products on offer. I think its a good model for many other places where asylum seekers and refugees live in the community.

See also: Venezuelans defy the pandemic to seek a future in Colombia

The High Commissioners six-day mission to Latin America comes as countries are battling the impact of COVID-19, which has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and taken a devastating economic toll throughout the region. The trip also included a visit to Colombia, during which the government announced it would regularise Venezuelans to help them integrate into the Andean nation.

For Carmen and other small businesspeople like her, the weekly market in Upala has been a lifesaver. With her earnings from her stall, as well as takeaway orders that are booming thanks to the exposure the market has given her, she is now able to support her family.

The goal she long held of one day expanding her grocery in Nicaragua has blossomed into a new dream: Carmen now hopes to one day secure her sweets a spot on supermarket shelves throughout Costa Rica.

My business is a bunch of good things rolled into one, she said with a smile. In addition to sustaining me economically, it brings me the joy of being able to have shared experiences with other people.

*Name has been changed for protection reasons.
First-graders work in Courtney Meyer's classroom at Alta Vista Elementary School in Redondo Beach. Blue tape helps keep students' desk separated. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines Friday for how to open K-12 schools safely in a bid to help students across the nation resume in-person learning before the end of the 2020-21 school year.

The newly released guidance stresses five key mitigation strategies that, layered with one another, provide teachers, staff and students significant protection from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC.

The strategies are universal mask wearing at school, maintaining at least six feet of social distance, frequent hand washing, cleaning and ventilating school facilities, and contact tracing, isolation and quarantine protocols.

"While each of these five strategies are important to reducing spread of COVID-19, the CDC is prioritizing the first two," Walensky said. "Correct use of masks should be required of all teachers, students and staff, and physical distancing including cohorting or podding with a small group of students."

The agency also described a four-tiered system for reopening based on the number of daily new cases in a community over the last seven days, and the percentage of tests that came back positive over the same time period. To be in the lowest tier would require a community to have fewer than 9 new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days and a positive-test rate of less than 5%.

The new recommendations are not a mandate, Walensky said.

"I want to be clear: with the release of this operational strategy, the CDC is not mandating that schools reopen," she said. "These recommendations simply provide schools with a long-needed road map of how to open schools safely in a community."

How these new guidelines will affect school reopenings in California, however, remains to be seen. The state's guidelines for reopening schools are currently more restrictive than what the CDC is recommending.

Story continues

In addition, United Teachers Los Angeles, the union that represents teachers, librarians, nurses and counselors in L.A. Unified, the nation's second-largest school district, does not want employees to return unless they are vaccinated.

Though the CDC encouraged states to prioritize teachers and school staff for vaccinations, it stopped short of saying they were necessary to reopen schools safely.

"Vaccinations are one of those layers of mitigation we believe will help, but the science has demonstrated that schools can reopen safely prior to all teachers being vaccinated," Walensky said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the new guidance is similar to guidelines already in place in California, although he did not endorse replacing the state's guidance.

"What the CDC put out is very consistent with the message that were putting out: We can safely reopen schools for our youngest kids, and we can do so with transparency and accountability," he said.

Reopening schools has been a fraught topic for President Biden, who had strong support from teacher unions during his campaign but also pledged to get more kids back into their classrooms during the pandemic.

His administration is focused on reopening the majority of elementary and middle schools by April 30, the end of his first 100 days in office. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this week that a school would be considered open if it provided only one day of in-person instruction per week, then clarified the next day that Biden wouldn't be satisfied with that.



"The president will not rest until every school is open five days a week," Psaki said. "That is our goal. That is what we want to achieve."

In a statement, Biden said the CDC guidelines were an important step toward getting kids back in school, and he pushed for more funding for education as part of his $1.9-trillion stimulus package.

These needs cost money. But the cost of keeping our children, families and educators safe is nothing when compared with the cost of inaction," Biden said.

U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), the House minority leader, praised the new guidance but criticized the Biden administration for failing to push harder to reopen schools.

"Families and students deserve better," he said in a statement. "They need iron-clad assurances that their children will be able to get back into the classroom environment that offers the best education model."

Getting students back to in-person learning has been a challenge in California.

Under the state's current rules, elementary schools can reopen when the seven-day average of new infections in a county falls below 25 daily cases per 100,000 residents. All students in grades seven through 12 can return to in-person classes when the case rate falls to 7 cases or fewer per 100,000. (Each countys rate is adjusted up or down depending on the number of tests conducted in a county.)

Since the system went into effect in August, L.A. County has met the seven-case threshold for only one week. (At that time, the rate had to remain at that level for at least two weeks for schools to reopen.)

Cases, however, are dropping: The 25-per-100,000 standard could be achieved as early as next week. Once that happens, the county would then have to remain at that level for five additional days. Thus, a best-case scenario could have elementary campuses eligible to reopen in about two weeks.

Whether schools open or not is a local decision, said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. School systems in smaller, suburban and more affluent areas are generally more willing to reopen quickly  and infection rates in their communities are relatively low.

School systems that serve low-income communities, where infection rates and deaths have been high, are more reluctant to reopen.

The availability of vaccines has been a particular sticking point in California.

L.A. Unified Supt. Austin Beutner has called vaccines a critical piece for reopening, although he has stopped short of saying they must be provided. Beutner also has said that the virus is too widespread in L.A. County at the moment for campuses to fully reopen in a way that adequately protects students and staff.

But campuses are ready, he said, when it comes to establishing safety protocols and performing necessary retrofitting.

The decision to delegate Friday's announcement to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is another example of how Biden is attempting to move past the partisanship that has characterized the country's response to the pandemic. Former President Trump routinely demanded that schools reopen, even before there was a clear understanding of whether classrooms could become hot spots, and Democrats recoiled from the suggestion.

When the academic year started in the fall, schools were more likely to be open if they were in Republican communities. In fact, whether children returned to the classroom was more closely correlated to partisanship and the strength of teachers unions than COVID-19 transmission rates in the community.

Those opened schools have provided scientists with actual data on the spread of illness among students and staff.

A growing body of research now suggests that schools that implement mitigation strategies such as masking, frequent hand washing, and maintaining six feet of distance between students and staff can reopen safely, even in areas where positivity rates are high and before teachers are vaccinated.

In one widely cited study of 11 North Carolina school districts with more than 90,000 students and staff practicing the same mitigation strategies recommended by the CDC, researchers identified 773 coronavirus infections among teachers, students and staff in the first nine weeks of the fall semester. Of those infections, 32 appeared to originate at school  and none of the cases involved a student transmitting the virus to an adult.

Multiple scientific studies show these mitigation strategies work outside of school buildings, so there is no reason to believe they wouldnt work in school buildings, said Dr. Kanecia Zimmerman , a professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine who worked on the study.

The authors also found that as long as these strategies were in place, in-school transmissions remained low, even in districts where the virus was widespread.

Another study of 17 K-12 schools in Wisconsin found that even in communities where up to 40% of the population tested positive for infection, transmission in schools that followed strict safety protocols was significantly lower than in the community at large.

Among 191 cases of COVID-19 identified among students and school staffers in this study, seven were found to have originated at a school, and all of those were among students. No teachers or other staff members contracted infections at school, the researchers found.

Yet another study in Mississippi found that children who attended in-person classes were no more likely to be infected with the coronavirus than kids who did not come to school. However, kids who tested positive for the virus were more likely to have attended gatherings with people outside their household, had visitors in their home, or had a play date with other children compared to kids who tested negative.

People are getting infected anyways, whether schools are open or closed, Zimmerman said. But open schools could provide an environment where there are guidelines and rules in place to prevent transmission at really high rates, she said.

Rita Burke, assistant professor of clinical preventive medicine at USC, said the new guidance reinforces what public health experts have been saying for a while.

"It essentially says wearing masks, socially distancing and washing hands work. Testing works. If we can put these in place in our schools, then we can open safely and, most importantly, stay open," she said.

However, even with the new CDC guidelines, not everyone is convinced.

"There is no safe reopening of schools until there has been progress made on vaccinations, and that is the bottom line," said Odis Johnson, executive director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Safe and Healthy Schools.

"I cant overstate how many teachers were losing because of the fear of infection. So, while some people are thinking how do we safely reopen schools, Im thinking how does the school function when school is reopened and half the teachers dont show up," he said.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Ankaras acknowledgment of intelligence contacts with Damascus had raised expectations of a shift in its Syria policy, but recent Turkish moves suggest that such a prospect remains distant and Ankara remains bent on cementing its grip on Syrian territories under its military control.

Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan decreed the establishment of two educational facilities in al-Rai, a small northern Syrian town just across the border. The town  home mostly to ethnic Turks known as Turkmens  is called Cobanbey in Turkish. The Cobanbey Medical Faculty and the Cobanbey Vocational School of Health Services would operate as branches of the Istanbul-based University of Health Sciences, Erdogan said in the Feb. 5 decree.

The planned colleges are the latest addition to a multifaceted structure that Turkey has been shaping in the Syrian regions it controls, reinforcing suspicions that it is there to stay despite its stated commitment to Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Astana process. Turkish statements greeting the new project carried a sense of conquest and Ottoman nostalgia typical to the regional vision of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Cevdet Erdol, the rector of the University of Health Sciences and a former AKP deputy, hailed the project as a blessed step by a Great Turkey that knows no boundaries but those of the globe. Turkey, he said, is working to spread the legacy of Abdulhamid II, the Ottoman sultan who founded the empires first medical school in 1903. The building that housed the imperial school is now used by Erdols five-year-old university.

The rector boasted that his university had already opened medical and vocational schools in Somalia, Sudan, Uzbekistan and the Philippines Muslim-majority region of Bangsamoro. Said initiatives, however, were part of intergovernmental agreements, while those in Syria lack any consent whatsoever on the part of Damascus as the de facto Turkish occupation of Syrian territories continues.

Not surprisingly, the Syrian Foreign Ministry vehemently rejected Ankaras new project, calling it a flagrant violation of international law and a dangerous act aiming to reinforce [Turkeys] occupation.

The plan is legally dubious even under Turkeys own laws. In the decree, Erdogan referenced an article in the Higher Education Law that allows public universities to open academic units abroad, but the provision says nothing about unilaterally founding schools on foreign soil. Such schools require bilateral agreements that require parliamentary ratification.

Tulay Hatimogullari, a lawmaker for the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party, raised the issue in parliament. In a written question to the presidency, she said the move would serve only to deepen the deadlock in Syria and asked, On the basis of what mandate or agreement is a decision made to establish a medical and vocational school in Syria despite the statement of the Syrian Foreign Ministry? Is the decision  an expression of Turkeys intention to stay in Syria?

Political and legal aspects aside, one struggles to see the practical viability of planning a facility as demanding as a medical school in a small settlement in a conflict zone with minimal infrastructure. Al-Rais pre-war population was just over 4,600, according to a 2004 census, though the town is more crowded today because of refugees.

The decision was greeted with joy by some Syrian Turkmen groups, but not by Turkish cities that aspire to have their own medical schools, including al-Rais neighbor Kilis. Local grumbles forced the head of the AKPs Kilis branch to assert in a press statement that efforts were underway to establish a medical school in the city despite the obstructions of certain forces.

Turkey has already opened a vocational school in Jarablus, a school of economics and administrative sciences in al-Bab, an Islamic theology school in Azaz and a school of education in Afrin, all affiliated with Gaziantep University in the Turkish border province. The schools' academic staff and other resources are very limited, with tuition fees ranging from 860 to 940 Turkish liras ($122-$134) per year. The school in Afrin had 160 students last year, while enrollment in the other three schools totaled about 620. The fate of the schools and the validity of their diplomas once Damascus regains full control of northern Syria remains a big question.

Education is only one aspect of what many see as a drive to Turkify the region. Various Turkish government bodies have been building parallel institutions in northern Syria in the past several years, in addition to facilitating and sponsoring public services run by local councils. The Health Ministry, for instance, has opened five hospitals in al-Rai, Jarablus, Azaz, al-Bab and Marea, while the Religious Affairs Directorate has renovated more than 450 mosques. The Turkish security forces have trained locals as police and helped them establish police stations. The Turkish postal service has opened 12 branches in the region that offer money transfers among their services. Critically, Ankara poured Turkish liras into northern Syria last summer as an alternative to the Syrian pound.

Public buildings displaying the Turkish flag next to the banners of Syrian rebel groups have become a common sight in the region, as have bilingual signboards in Arabic and Turkish. Some streets and parks have been renamed after prominent Turks.

Turkish civic groups have followed government agencies into the region, working jointly on initiatives such as the Anatolia Culture Center, inaugurated in Afrin in late January.

In Ankaras narrative, all are benevolent acts to help the war-ravaged Syrian people. The pro-government media, too, depicts them positively.

Yet, when the structures created by Turkey in al-Bab, Azaz, Jarablus, al-Rai, Afrin, Tell Abyad and Ras al-Ain  and perhaps Idlib down the road  are added together with the Syrian National Army, the police forces and the Gaziantep-based alternative government that opposition forces have created with Turkish support as well as Turkeys growing military buildup in the region, a scenario in which the formation of a parallel state is followed by an annexation attempt cannot be dismissed.
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NASA photos show rivers of gold in the Amazon rainforest. Back at the International Space Station, the unusual images display large mine holes reflecting sunshine.





Although that shimmer is only sunlight reflecting hundreds of dirty water pits, in them thar hills, there is plenty of gold. An astronaut on the orbital space station took stunning images of secret holes in December.

The Inambari River and the Tambopata National Reserve are the worm-like interwoven channels on the left side of the chart and visible just below the clouds on the frame's top right. While experts mildly modified the image to enhance contrast, the astronaut shot the photo with a Nikon D5 digital camera, according to IFL Science.

Unfortunately, NASA's Earth Observatory said each glistening pool is a gold-prospecting trap.

These rivers are thought to have been dug illegally as part of a gold rush in the Madre de Dios area in southeastern Peru.

With thousands of miners struggling to make a living in a relative free-for-all in the area, the nation is a leading gold exporter.

Yet researchers agree the region is full of life and essential ecosystems destroyed by industry and deforestation as a consequence.

River of Gold: All That Glitters is Not Gold

Mining is often reported to be poisoning local populations since the refining of gold requires loads of mercury.

A large volume of radioactive material goes into rivers or the environment, scientists claim.

NASA states that the pits where miners are digging for the precious metal look like hundreds of water-filled basins, surrounded by mud where vegetation has been removed.

Miners trace the tracks of ancient rivers where sediments have been accumulated, like fossils.

These unchecked practices pose a danger to local populations as well.

According to Nature.com, miners combine sediments with boiled mercury so as to distinguish gold from other minerals. Consequently, each year up to 55 tons (50 metric tons) of mercury end up in rivers or the atmosphere.

Locals that consume a lot of seafood from these contaminated waters are more than three times more likely than non-fish-eaters to get mercury poisoning, a PLOS One report showed in 2012.

Scientists claim in a separate PLOS One study that mining in the area, which is home to wildlife like chimpanzees, jaguars and butterflies, is the leading cause of deforestation.

A report showed in January 2019 that, according to the Andean Amazon Project's Monitoring group, gold mining deforestation killed an estimated 22,930 acres of Peru's Amazon in 2018.

Buoyed by the increasing price of gold, sometimes poor people from local areas see a chance to make a profit from mining.

ALSO READ: Venezuela's Illegal Gold Mines Cause Death, Malaria, Gang Fights And Deforestation





Gold Mining: Is The Illegal Operation Still Ongoing?

An approximate 30,000 small-scale miners were involved in the lush area in 2012, reports the BBC.

La Pampa, another region of Peru, was the center of a major gold rush that lasted for nearly a decade.

In 2019, after about 5,000 miners were removed, the government eventually stopped it.

ALSO READ: 12,000-Year-Old Ochre Mines Preserved in Underwater Mexican Caves





Check out more news and information on Space and Climate Change on Science Times.
Pakistan received over 300 million aid from UK between 2019 and 2020. The aid was supposed to be used in sectors of human development and environment. However, no significant developed in these areas has been observed so far.

UK MPs on Thursday have launched a probe against the aid provided to Pakistan in last two years. Pakistan, which receives the highest amount of aid from UK, received over 300 million aid from UK between 2019 and 2020, through a range of agencies like NGOs , private contractors and multilateral agencies. While the aid is provided to Pakistan in hopes of improvement in sectors of human development, environment and as humanitarian aid, no significant development has been seen so far.

As a consequence, the House of Commons international development committee, which constitutes of MPs from various different parties, will now be conducting an inquiry on how and where the money is being spent and whether it has made any impact.

Despite the aid, two-third of Pakistans population continues to live in poverty, half of the population cannot read or write, 22.6 million children do not go to school. With a significant population growth in the past few years, problems like unemployment, inequality, high risk of natural disasters, maternal mortality, influx of refugees continues to escalate. Moreover, extremism and militancy continue to pose roadblock in Pakistans road to development.

Also Read: In 2-hour long call, Xi presses for improved relations; Biden warns China will eat our lunch

If UK decides to revoke its aid, problems for Pakistan are bound to rise as it already reeling the under massive debt. Latest reports suggest that Pakistan has also informally asked China to ease the terms of repayment of debt under Belt and Road initiative.

Also Read: Race to end Twitter: Indian app Koo crosses 3 million downloads
Pakistan's Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood has said that the spread of terrorism in Pakistan is the result of the weak education system in the country. The minister was speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad where he said that the government's aim was to support education as much as possible, Geo News reported.

'Big changes in education ministry'

Highlighting the importance of madrasas, he said that the Imran Khan-led PTI government has decided to take them along through various reforms. "Madrasas give education to children and don't seek even a penny from the government," he said, adding "We ended the void between the state and madrasas."

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri spoke on the occasion as well, saying that the enemies of Pakistan will not be allowed to sow discord and create conflict between the government and madrasas. "We are making big changes in the education ministry so that the madrasas' issues can be resolved amicably," he said, adding that the madrasas that fulfil the government's conditions will be certified.

"There was a gulf between the Ulema and the government. The incumbent government is ending this void," he said, vowing that madrasas will be strengthened and no one will be allowed to weaken them.

FATF to decide Pakistan's fate

The remarks come at a time when the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) began a series of meetings on Thursday that will review Pakistans actions to counter terror financing amid signs that Islamabad is yet to completely implement the global terror financing watchdogs action plan.

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According to media reports, there will be eight meetings of FATFs working groups between February 11 and 19 before the crucial plenary meeting during February 22-25 that will take a final call on Pakistans case. Islamabad has been on the FATF radar since June 2018, when it was placed on the Grey List. Since then Pakistan has been escaping the blacklist with the help of Turkey, China and Malaysia and again it will rely on these countries to rescue it.

The FATF meeting will consider Pakistan's progress in addressing numerous recommendations. The findings are hugely important to Pakistan as it wields significant influence over how international banking institutions approach nations with terrorist financing concerns.

Where nations are blacklisted by the FATF, or, as is the present case with Pakistan, greylisted, they suffer impediment to smooth capital flows, foreign investment complications, and generally higher banking fees reported Washington Examiner.

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(With agency inputs)
The link to the World War 2 "debt" before Russia is inappropriate, the head of government believes.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has slammed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for his recent remarks suggesting that the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that would deliver gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine and Poland should be supported as part of his country's historical debt before Russia for World War Two.

"I agree with the [German] president that postwar debts have not been paid, but Nord Stream 2 is no compensation," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted Thursday, February 11, as per Deutsche Welle.

"This move behind the EU's back will facilitate Russia's aggressive policies, increase Europe's dependence, and undermine the economy and security," PM added.

Earlier, Morawiecki's chief of staff, Micha Dworczyk, had told Polskie Radio that Steinmeier's remarks are "astonishing" and "difficult to discuss seriously". He noted that there are other "nations that suffered enormous losses as a result of World War Two and whose sovereignty and security is hit by Nord Stream 2", according to Notes from Poland.

Ukraine's ambassador to Berlin, Andriy Melnyk, on Tuesday slammed "questionable historical arguments" made by the German president regarding the Russian pipe.

Read alsoGermany may freeze Nord Stream 2 after September elections  mediaMelnyk said Steinmeier's stance was met by "surprise and indignation" in Kyiv. The comments "struck deep" into the hearts of Ukrainians, the ambassador said, according to DPA news agency.

Steinmeier's comments ignored Ukrainian victims of Nazi Germany, Melnyk said. Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union during the war, and millions of Ukrainians also lost their lives. Kyiv is currently engaged in a prolonged conflict with Moscow, and the completion of the pipeline could deprive Ukraine of valuable gas transit fees.

Reporting by UNIAN
Nancy Etz Scholarship and Why It Matters To Tech Creatives

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(Photo : Nancy Etz Scholarship and Why It Matters To Tech Creatives)

One of the most difficult things for many students is figuring out how to pay for college. This is why something like the Nancy Etz scholarship is so vital for a significant portion of people. Scholarships like these go a long way in taking care of your educational needs, and it makes sure you don't have to spend a lot of money on student loans. This helps many people live a better life, as they don't need to focus so much on paying for their schooling.

Why Scholarships Are Important

Scholarships are the backbone that makes it easy for many students to pay for college. These are students who would not be able to afford it, and it gives them a leg up and a path towards prosperity. The Nancy Etz Scholarship is one such program, and it offers a lot of different things. One reason it is essential is that there are many developments right now pertaining to education and the people supporting it. We need more people supporting education, as it is becoming one of the greatest paths towards prosperity in our lives.

Bruce Smith Recognized by SPIE

Bruce Smith was recently recognized as the SPIE leader in microlithography. Without effective scholarships, we would not be able to have people like him in our world. He is the inventor of 193 nm immersion lithography. This is the current technology we use today, and it provides a lot of value for most people in this world. In fact, if you are using a modern computer, you probably have benefited from his work. This is why it is so important to have many people support education around the country and world. He has focused on creating effective imaging solutions to help take the industry to the next level. It is one of the most important factors that will help make sure the industry gets to where it needs to be in the future.

Invention of Immersion Lithography

For a long time, we were stuck with a specific type of lithography that was the bottleneck in preventing the world from advancing the quality of electronics we had. This type of lithography was not good enough to produce smart circuits, so it was imperative that something else was created. Bruce Smith invented a way of doing lithography that involved using water to improve the wavelength of light. This enabled us to get even smaller electronic devices, and he is one of the most important people that most of us have never heard of. He is one of the biggest supporters of education, as he is training the next generation of people who will create these electronic devices. The biggest thing is that these electronic devices will be the growth factor in our modern world. The major reason for this is that we now depend more and more on things like artificial intelligence and machine learning. We are getting the computational power needed to make these things even better.

Why This Scholarship Matters for Lithography

This scholarship matters because it provides the next generation of people trained under smart professors like Bruce Smith. We might get the next generation of materials and processes from people who have these scholarships. The reality is that the smartest among us might not be able to go to university because of their financial situations. By having scholarships and people who support education, we can spend our time focusing more on the things that matter. This is usually focusing on important things that can help us get better results from our lives. The reality is that lithography is the foundation of our modern world, but many people don't understand that fact. A good scholarship and people like Bruce Smith supporting this field are all we need for success in the future.

Application to the Electronics Industry

The main reason why this is so important is that scholarships are one of the biggest ways that the industry is moving forward. Education is getting more expensive, and we will not know where the next Bruce Smith will come from. However, it is important to keep going, so we can figure that out when we get there. The latest smartphones can only come when these scientific breakthroughs happen. In fact, the machine learning and artificial intelligence revolution that we are seeing would not have occurred if it were not for these people. The electronics industry is moving at a rapid pace, but it will slow down if there aren't enough scholarships going to the right people to put them in a position where they can lead and teach the next generation. One of the biggest reasons why this is vital is that we are getting smarter machines than ever before. This innovation is driven by our massive investments in the people that matter most.

Global Applications to Our Future

One of the biggest things we can look forward to is that the electronics industry will get even more global. TSMC is one of the many companies pushing forward in this realm. They are creating the advancements that will help make our future even better. However, we must understand what they are doing to figure out how things will be better in the future. One thing we know is that the electronics he has developed have applications to every aspect of our lives. There is not a single industry that has not benefited from people like Bruce Smith.

Wrap Up

Ultimately, we will have to see where things go, but it seems like we will hit a wall if we don't get more innovations to go with what is happening now. The biggest thing we can do is to focus on innovation in semiconductors and other fields that are driven by people who have gotten scholarships. If that doesn't occur, we might not get to where we need to be.

See Now: Facebook will use AI to detect users with suicidal thoughts and prevent suicide

 2017 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
[February 12, 2021] Axalta schedules fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 earnings conference call

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Axalta (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, will release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 financial results after the close of trading on Wednesday, February 17. The release, and supporting materials, will be posted to the Investor Relations portion of axalta.com. In addition, the company will host a conference call at 8 a.m. EST on Thursday, February 18, 2021. Robert W. Bryant, Chief Executive Officer, and Sean Lannon, Chief Financial Officer, will review the company's financial performance for the period. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available online at www.axalta.com/investorcall.



The dial-in phone number for the conference call is 201-689-8560. For those unable to participate, a replay of the call will be available through February 25, 2021. The replay dial-in number is 412-317-6671. The replay passcode is 13715146. About Axalta

Axalta is a global leader in the coatings industry, providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable coatings solutions. From light vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, building facades and other industrial applications, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enhance durability. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the global team at Axalta continues to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in over 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information, visit axalta.com and follow us @axalta on Twitter. Investor Contact

Christopher Mecray

+1-215-255-7970

christopher.mecray@axalta.com

axalta.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axalta-schedules-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2020-earnings-conference-call-301227776.html SOURCE Axalta Coating Systems Ltd.

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The (NCLT) on Friday told that it should not be a perpetual objector and the e-commerce giant had no locus standi in Future Groups plea to hold a shareholder meeting, according to reports. The tribunal also reserved its orders on the matter regarding nod to Future Group to hold the shareholder meeting for consolidation of assets.

The Mumbai Bench of the asked both parties to file written submissions. The next hearing in the matter would be held on February 15.

Future Group had moved an application in the under Section 230-232 of the Act, 2013, seeking its approval to hold a shareholder meeting, but sought to intervene and also objected to it as related cases pertaining to the deal struck between the retail giant and were pending before the and the





ALSO READ: Amazon integrates Pantry with Fresh in India; provide groceries in 2 hrs

argued before the tribunal that the emergency arbitrators order barred from taking any step to dispose of assets. But, the observed that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had approved the amalgamation deal of and after the arbitrators order.

Reliance group entities, too, have moved an application before the NCLT, seeking its go-ahead for the deal. In August 2020, Future Group had struck a $3.4-billion asset sale deal with

Amazon has already moved the challenging the order that stayed the implementation of status quo direction passed by a single-judge Bench.
Pedestrians walk by a mural of Abraham Lincoln outside of Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco, Calif., on Dec. 17, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

San Francisco Asks Judge to Force School Reopenings as Number of Suicidal Students Rises

The city of San Francisco on Thursday asked a judge to order the immediate reopening of schools for in-person learning, alleging the continued closure violates childrens constitutional right to attend and is contributing to a mental health crisis.

Public schools in the California city have been shut down for in-person learning for nearly one year despite being allowed to resume such classes since fall 2020 and officials say those in the education arena lack a viable reopening plan.

The continued closure is catalyzing a mental health crisis among school-aged children, asserts an emergency motion filed by City Attorney Dennis Herrera, quoting Dr. Jeanne Noble, director of COVID Response for the UCSF Emergency Department.

In attached declarations, doctors attest to a significant increase in children of all ages showing up at hospitals and other health facilities with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

The UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital of Oakland has seen a 66 percent increase in the number of suicidal children in the emergency room, a doubling of adolescents hospitalized for eating disorders, and a 75 percent increase in youth seeking mental health services who required immediate hospitalization amid the school closures, the motion says.

Parents submitted documents attesting to harm allegedly caused by the shift to remote learning. Allison Arieff said she recently found her 15-year-old daughter curled up in a fetal position, crying, next to her laptop at 11 a.m. Her daughter has begun crying frequently in the middle of the day and is losing faith not just in the [school district] but in the world. Lindsay Sink said her 7-year-old son has regressed since learning virtually started and uncontrollable meltdowns are not uncommon. Glen Edwards said hes seen anxiety, distress, anger, depression and the loss of the love of learning in his 8- and 9-year-old sons.

Herrera is asking a judge to force public schools to resume in-person classes, arguing not doing so would cause significant harm to students and families.

Distance learning is not the same thing as school, not even close, Herrera said in a statement. We know that teachers are doing heroic work every day trying to keep kids engaged and learning. So are overburdened parents. Even with all of those tremendous efforts, almost a year of being isolated from classmates, friends, and teachers is taking a terrifying toll on these kids. It must stop. Its time to get back in class.

The motion came about a week after the city sued its own school district, arguing the time is past for children to return to public schools.

Private and parochial schools have been opened for weeks or months.

Public education officials had planned to resume in-person classes in March or April.

The San Francisco district said Feb. 7 that it reached a provisional agreement with labor unions on a reopening plan. The proposed plan is set to go before the Board of Education for ratification on Feb. 16.

In response to the new emergency motion, a district spokesperson told news outlets: We wholeheartedly agree that students are better served with in-person learning. This is a frivolous lawsuit and is taking resources away from the reopening process. We have called on the City to make vaccines available and to support staff and student surveillance testing. These calls have not been answered but are exactly what we need to move this process forward.
This undated photo provided by the Alabama Department of Corrections shows Willie B. Smith III. The Alabama Supreme Court on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 ordered that 51-year-old Willie B. Smith III be put to death on Feb. 11 for the shotgun slaying of Sharma Ruth Johnson. (Alabama Department of Corrections via AP)

ATMORE, Ala. (AP)  An Alabama inmate on Thursday won a reprieve from a scheduled lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court said the state must allow his personal pastor in the death chamber.

The lethal injection of Willie B. Smith III was called off by Alabama after justices maintained an injunction issued by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying he could not be executed without his pastor present in chamber. Department of Corrections spokeswoman Samantha Rose said the execution would not proceed given the ruling. Alabama has maintained that non-prison staff should not be in the room for security reasons.

Willie Smith is sentenced to death, and his last wish is to have his pastor with him as he dies, Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a concurring opinion with three other justices.

Alabama has not carried its burden of showing that the exclusion of all clergy members from the execution chamber is necessary to ensure prison security. So the State cannot now execute Smith without his pastor present, to ease what Smith calls the transition between the worlds of the living and the dead. Kagan wrote. Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with three liberal justices to let the ruling stand.

The case was the latest in a series of legal fights over personal spiritual advisers at executions. The court in 2019 halted the execution of a Texas inmate who claimed his religious freedom would be violated if his Buddhist spiritual adviser wasnt allowed to be in the death chamber with him.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested in a dissent that states that want to avoid litigation on the issue should figure out a way to allow spiritual advisors into the execution room, as other states and the federal government have done.

Convicted for the 1991 murder Sharma Ruth Johnson

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall did not immediately comment on the decision to cancel the lethal injection. After the execution was canceled Smith was taken from a holding cell by the execution chamber back to his cell on death row, a prison spokeswoman said.

Smith, 51, had been scheduled to receive a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison for the 1991 murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham.

Smith had sought to allow his spiritual adviser, Pastor Robert Wiley, in the execution chamber, something the state does not allow.

Mr. Smith pled that he believes that the point of transition between life and death is important, and that having his spiritual advisor physically present at that moment is integral to his faith, Smiths lawyers wrote in court documents.

In the past, Alabama routinely put a Christian prison chaplain, who was employed by the state, in the execution chamber to pray with an inmate if requested. The state stopped that practice after a Muslim inmate asked to have an imam present. The prison system, which did not have Muslim cleric on staff, said non-prison staff would not be allowed in the chamber.

Prosecutors said Smith abducted Johnson at gunpoint from an ATM, stole $80 from her and then took her to a cemetery where he shot her in the back of the head. The victim was the sister of a police detective.

Over twenty-nine years ago, Smith gunned down a woman whose only crime was stopping to use the ATM, attorneys for the state wrote in court documents seeking to let the lethal injection proceed.

Justices vacated another stay issued by the 11th Circuit related to Smiths intellectual capacity. His lawyers argued the state failed to give the man, who has an IQ below 75, required assistance with forms affecting the timing of his execution. The Alabama attorney generals office in court filings disputed that Smith is disabled and called it a last-minute delaying maneuver.

If the execution had gone forward, it would have been the first by a state in 2021 and one of the few at the state level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, no state has had an execution since last July 8.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that there were three other justices that joined Justice Elena Kagans concurring opinion.
Over 150 students and youths were injured on Thursday in clashes between protestors and the police during a march held to demand jobs and better education facilities

Kolkata: Left and Congress activists demanding jobs clashed with the police in central Kolkata's Esplanade area Thursday as they tried to break barricades on their way to state secretariat Nabanna, resulting in injuries to several participants and also the police.

Condemning the brutal attacks on students and young men and women by the "police force of the Trinamool Congress government", Left Front Chairman Biman Bose announced a 12- hour West Bengal bandh by the Left and associate parties from 6 am on Friday in protest.

"The way police unleashed atrocities on the participants in the march to Nabanna, it created a situation somewhat akin to the historic Jallianwala Bagh incident," Bose said in a statement.

The Left Front chairman claimed that more than 150 students and young men and women were injured in the police action while participating in the 'Nabanna abhiyan' programme of the student and youth wings of the Left and Congress demanding jobs and better education facilities.

Bose said that the bandh call has been discussed with the Left Front constituents and the Congress party, with which it has formed an electoral alliance for the coming assembly elections in West Bengal. The Left-Congress alliance has come up to make the Bengal polls a triangular fight with the TMC and the BJP.

The march to Nabanna started at College Street but was stopped by the police on SN Banerjee Road in the Esplanade area. As the activists tried to head further by breaking the heavy metal barricades, police used water cannons. Amid slogans against the Mamata Banerjee government, the Left-wing youths and students tried to climb up the barricades, following which police began a baton-charge and also fired tear-gas shells. Some police officials were also reported to be injured in the clashes.

CPI(M) politburo member Mohammad Salim alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government is totally dependent on the police force to suppress protests and demands by the people. "Why is she afraid of receiving a memorandum from jobless youths," he asked in a press conference at the CPI(M) headquarters here after the incident.

Condemning the attacks on the agitators, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya said that the Trinamool Congress government has lost the people's faith and violent suppression of protests is an indication of that.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.  The University of Minnesota says its teaming up with Google to offer a one-of-a-kind health sciences education program in Rochester.

The Board of Regents approved the NXT GEN MED program Friday. Its designed to cut almost two-years off the traditional four-year degree and match students with mentors at the Mayo Clinic.

The world of health care is dynamic and exciting. It demands new and creative ways to educate and prepare the next generation of leaders, says U of M President Joan Gabel. As challenging as the times are that we find ourselves in, they also offer us the rare opportunity to try something entirely new. NXT GEN MED will deliver our Rochester campus accessible, innovative and affordable instruction with immediate, real-world application. We are thrilled to be working with Google on this first-of-its kind partnership, and we look forward to welcoming our first cohort of students next year.

University officials say NXT GEN MED will begin in summer 2022. Students will take courses year-round for two full years following a schedule that engages them in applied experiences, followed by a final academic term in the cohorts third summer. The U of M says the accelerated timeline reduces student debt and helps fulfill a critical need in the U.S. economy. By 2029, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the country will add about 2.4 million new health care jobs compared to the previous decadejobs that will require qualified candidates.

We are so proud of our unique strengthsour diversity, our focus on applicable learning, our innovative faculty and our geographic location in a world-class health care environment. They make our place in the world uniquely suited for a partnership like this, says University of Minnesota Rochester Chancellor Lori Carrell. The combination of forcesUMR-accelerated, Google-powered and Mayo Clinic mentoredwill graduate the leaders and experts we need to solve our most pressing health challenges.

NXT GEN MED classes will blend in-person and remote delivery with Google Cloud technologies aiding UMRs faculty to provide flipped, active instruction and experiential elements such as virtual reality. The program is powered by Google Clouds Student Success Services, a set of tools that aims to unlock student success with personalized assistants, real-time insights and advanced collaboration tools.

We are proud to be a long-term partner with UMR and provide support to this effort, says Cathy Fraser, Chief Human Resources Officer, Mayo Clinic. Our future workforce will be comprised of graduates from innovative educational programs like this.

Planning has begun for NXT GEN MED SUMMER QUESTa learning immersion experience for rising high school seniors in summer 2021. These sessions will be used to help recruit the 50-student pilot cohort for summer 2022.

This initiative recognized the unique and compelling advantage Minnesota had with the anchor presence of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, says Patrick Seeb, executive director of Destination Medical Center. It is only fitting that the University of Minnesota Rochester, along with Google and Mayo Clinic, further that initiative with this innovative, accelerated degree that will only help further drive the health care industry in Minnesota.
Government will be moving to clamp down on food establishments which have been trying to beat the COVID restrictions, by bringing out their staff to prepare meals, which are then put on sale at other locations.
The Indian government banned Tik Tok due to the apps ties with China but desi people missed the platform a lot. The pulling down of Tik Tok also gave a chance for many similar clone like apps to surface on Indian app stores.

Now, a 17-year-old Indian-UK teenager has developed a TikTok clone that she named Theek Thaak.

Yes, you read that right! The apps logo has a tricolor outline which signifies its Indian origin. In an interview with Indian Express, the teenager expressed that she wanted to create an Indian version of TikTok since the original app did not represent the diverse culture of our country properly.

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However, for developing an app of this stature, basic coding knowledge wouldnt work and she only had basic coding knowledge. So, she enrolled herself into a woman-centric development team and developed the app. Also, as she is a minor, the app store account is named after her mother.



Not only this, she also developed the terms and privacy policy after referring to what other companies had done with their apps. The app was developed sometime in January last year and now the first version of the app surfaced in November 2020.

You can edit videos in the app along with the ability to upload videos and also choose to stream them according to the users choice. It also comes with a Theekcode scanner as well as geopolitical reactions.

The app is available in eight Indian languages such as like Gujarati and Tamil and she hopes to add more languages to the app in the future.

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The full version of the app is not released yet and it will be out in March this year which would also include and support eight regional languages and will feature Theekmojis and stories.



Isnt this awesome? Let us know in the comments section below!
Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh and seven former directors including Alan Yentob will still be allowed to run a business after the High Court threw out a bid to get them disqualified for 'financial mismanagement'.

The Insolvency Service (TIS) brought court proceedings against them over the alleged financial mismanagement of the former children's charity that collapsed after having 42million of taxpayers' money poured into it over a decade.

TIS has the power to ban any senior officials from organisations that have liquidated from taking similar positions for up to 15 years if their management contributed to insolvency.

Kids Company, which supported vulnerable children and young people in London and Bristol until it was wound up in 2015, attracted a number of celebrity backers including former prime minister David Cameron, Coldplay, artist Damien Hirst and comedian Michael McIntyre.

The following years were to reveal numerous examples of misspending funds, including the decision to send a drug addict called Dave to Champneys spa to relax with a 'chocolate massage' thrown in to boost his self-esteem. The trip allegedly cost the charity 55,000.

In 15 years, Kids Company took a reported 42million from the taxpayer, with the prime minister said to be 'in the thrall' of Ms Batmanghelidjh, who squeezed 3million from Mr Cameron just before the firm collapsed.

Its closure came shortly after police launched an investigation, which was eventually dropped seven months later, into allegations of abuse and exploitation at the charity, following the broadcast of a BBC Newsnight report.

The judge at today's trial said the charity would have been successful if not for the unfounded sexual abuse allegations and also exonerated Ms Batmanghelidjh and former trustees of financial mismanagement.

Camila Batmanghelidjh and Alan Yentob (pictured together) faced being disqualified from running companies after the Kids Company charity scandal that collapsed in scandal but have been given a reprieve

The charity collapsed in 2015, just weeks after it was handed a 3million grant by David Cameron's government with ministers said to be 'in thrall' of founder Ms Batmanghelidjh who was handed piles of taxpayers' cash

How charity founded by extravagant 'Angel of Peckham' Camila Batmanghelidjh ran out of cash after series of scandals including 'sending an addict to Champneys spa' and 'paying for kids' drugs' Camila Batmanghelidjh, Kids Company's colourful founder, was given 'unique, privileged and significant access' to the top tiers of Government for years Kids Company folded five years ago after being consumed by a number of scandals, mainly about how it spent donations and grants. The charity was dogged by allegations of financial mismanagement, including claims cash handed to children was spent on designer clothes, alcohol and drugs. Among the revelations, the charity arranged for one of its clients to have private sex-change surgery. And sending a drug addict called Dave to Champneys spa to relax with a 'chocolate massage' thrown in to boost his self-esteem. The trip allegedly cost the charity 55,000. Whistleblowers, including employees and young people, also claimed that cash was given to youngsters and spent on designer clothes, holidays, drink and drugs. Founder Camila Batmanghelidjh was born in Iran, the grand-daughter of a self-made millionaire and said that, during her youth, her father was 'one of the wealthiest' men in the Middle Eastern country. Suffering from severe dyslexia, she was sent to school in Switzerland before being moved to board at Sherborne Girls, a public school in Dorset. Her father was locked up during the 1979 Iranian revolution and, when the his money stopped arriving, she started working in nurseries before claiming political asylum. Ms Batmanghelidjh has said she's wanted to open an orphanage since the age of nine and she started Kids Company as a drop-in centre in Camberwell, south London in 1996. She revealed in an interview that she once used her mortgage repayments to pay for supervisors to carry out therapy sessions. Kids Company expanded to open centres in Liverpool and Bristol and was this year said to work with 36,000 children. The closure of the charity was a huge personal blow for Ms Batmanghelidjh, who was awarded a CBE in 2013 and was once named on the Women's Hour Power List. The charity was something of a 'cause celebre' over the last decade, with figures including actress Gwyneth Paltrow, socialite Jemima Khan and artists Damien Hirst and Grayson Perry being photographed with Ms Batmanghelidjh, along with numerous ministers and royals such as Prince Charles. It is alleged its directors were repeatedly warned about the financial crisis facing Kids Company  but failed to correct the 'unsustainable business model' in which it put 'spending ahead of its income'. The organisation, which helped troubled children in South London, was given huge subsidies over almost 20 years  including 7.3 million in the five months before it folded in 2015. But Ms Batmanghelidjh insists it was a 'victim of its own success'. Advertisement

Ms Batmanghelidjh, who gave evidence to the court over videolink during a remote hearing last year, said she believed the charity was 'attacked by envy'.

While in a statement to the court, Mr Yentob blamed the Met saying: 'Were it not for the timing of the police allegations, Kids Company would be working today'.

But when Kids Company collapsed in August 2015 there were allegations of abuse and financial mismanagement, casting severe doubts on Mr Yentob's ability as its chairman and the power he wielded at the BBC.

On five occasions Mr Yentob was accused of trying to put pressure on BBC journalists reporting on the scandal, even turning up at the Radio 4 Today programme studio uninvited when Ms Batmanghelidjh was about to be interviewed.

Mr Yentob was later forced to step down as the BBC's creative director in December 2015 after admitting that his involvement in the Kids Company scandal had become a 'serious distraction' to the broadcaster.

Mr Yentob had been accused of compromising the BBC's impartiality on five separate occasions by meddling with its coverage of the failed charity.

The company also faced a litany of other allegations.

In 2017, Ms Batmanghelidjh was forced to defend spending 55,000 on one troubled young man  including paying his massage bill at a luxury spa  saying material goods were important for 'self-esteem'.

The colourful character, who had the ear of three prime ministers and courted wealthy donors before the organisation collapsed in 2015, also revealed that at one point, the charity was paying for 48 advisers in a single Lambeth school.

The police also announced an investigation into sex abuse claims made against the charity.

The sex abuse claims proved unfounded, with the judge at the trial saying the company would have succeeded but for unfounded claims of sexual assault.

He also exonerated Ms Batmanghelidjh, of allegations that the charity collapsed because she had failed to operate it on a financially sustainable basis.

In a ruling on Friday, Mrs Justice Falk concluded that no disqualification order should be made against either Ms Batmanghelidjh or the trustees - including the BBC's ex-creative director Mr Yentob.

The judge found that Ms Batmanghelidjh was not a 'de facto director' of the charity.

She added: 'If I am wrong about that then I would still not have made a disqualification order against her, taking all the circumstances into account and on the basis of the allegation or allegations made against her.

'Although there are differences between Ms Batmanghelidjh's position and that of the trustees they are not clearly relevant to the case as put.

'I would also point out the enormous dedication she showed to vulnerable young people over many years and what she managed to achieve in building a charity which, until 2014, was widely regarded as a highly successful one doing what senior members of the government rightly described as incredible work.

'It would be unfortunate if the events in the focus of this decision were allowed to eclipse those achievements.'

In relation to the trustees, Mrs Justice Falk said: 'I am wholly satisfied that a disqualification order is not warranted against any of the trustees.

'As I said above, the public need no protection from them. On the contrary, I have a great deal of respect for the care and commitment they showed in highly challenging circumstances.'

In a statement after the ruling, Camila Batmanghelidjh said: 'I would like to express my sincere thanks to Mrs Justice Falk for her incredible patience, understanding and wisdom for giving us the opportunity to set the record straight about the work of Kids Company.

'I hope this judgment will be the first step in refuting the many lies that have been told and banishing the false myths.

'My regret is that many thousands of children whom we supported were left unassisted and vulnerable once our service was withdrawn and that there were many others who never got a chance to receive help.

'To them, my heart goes out. I would also like to thank our many donors, staff and volunteers for their remarkable support.

'I shall not break step in my continuing campaign for the rights of children and to build for them a better future.'

Ms Batmanghelidjh said she recognised the charity was a 'victim of its own success and that the demand for its services was outstripping its capability to manage'.

In a statement to the court, Mr Yentob said: 'Were it not for the timing of the police allegations, Kids Company would be working today.

'For the reasons set out above and in the affidavits of the jointly represented trustees, I do not accept that the charity had a business model that was unsustainable or that the trustees are unfit to be concerned in the management of a company,

'These disqualification proceedings are a profound and unjust humiliation for the trustees who gave years of dedication and commitment to supporting the most vulnerable in our society.'

Mr Yentob was accused of trying to repeatedly influence the BBC's coverage of Kids Company, including accompanying the charity's founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh, to a Radio 4 interview

The Official Receiver (OR), which brought the case against Ms Batmanghelidjh and the former trustees, argued they are 'unfit' to hold company directorships as a result of their handling of the charity.

The charity collapsed in 2015, just weeks after it was handed a 3million grant by David Cameron's government.

Timeline of the Kids Company scandal July 2015 - Police launch a probe into allegations of abuse and exploitation at the charity, following the broadcast of a BBC Newsnight report. This was eventually dropped seven months later. August 2015 - Kids Company collapses despite repeated warnings over its perilous financial state  just days after it was given a 3million government grant. October 2015 - National Audit Office questions why government money was paid to the charity with 'little focus on what it was actually achieving'. November 2015 - The Public Accounts Committee describes the charity as a failed '13 year experiment' and criticised both the Labour and Conservative governments for continuing to give public money against civil service advice. December 2015 - BBC Creative Director Alan Yentob - who served as chairman of the charity - steps down after being accused of trying to put pressure on BBC journalists reporting on the scandal. 2016 - MPs on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) call on the BBC to reopen its investigation into Mr Yentob, over claims he 'deliberately intimidated' corporation staff. 2017 - Camila Batmanghelidjh publishes her biography. In interviews before its release, she defends sending drug addict called Dave to Champneys spa to relax with a 'chocolate massage' thrown in to boost his self-esteem. The trip allegedly cost 55,000. October 2020 - The Insolvency Service begins its legal bid to disqualify Camila Batmanghelidjh and nine former directors from the charity, including Mr Yentob, from serving as company directors. February 2, 2021 - A judge throws out the bid. Advertisement

In 15 years, Kids Company took a reported 42million from the taxpayer, but a damning 2016 report showed 'catastrophic failures'.

Batmanghelidjh was reportedly paying herself a 90,000 salary at the time that Kids Company went under.

An investigation was also carried out over claims that thousands of pounds of the charity's money was spent on paying the boarding school costs of her chauffeur's daughter.

Soon after, Yentob resigned as the BBC's creative director in the wake of controversy over his role as chairman of the scandal-hit group.

Mr Yentob allegedly piled pressure on journalists and presenters as they were preparing to go to air with their reports on Kids Company, of which he was chairman.

He personally telephoned Newsnight executives twice ahead of investigations into the failed charity, and sat silently in the Radio 4 Today programme studio during an interview with its founder, Ms Batmanghelidjh.

His resignation was met with gleeful cries in the BBC newsroom, which has been at the sharp end of Mr Yentob's interference.

Kids Company's founder Ms Batmanghelidjh had ministers 'in her thrall' and her 'powerful personality' allowed her to become an expert at controlling people, a senior Tory MP said at the time.

Bernard Jenkin, then chairman of the influential Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC), said the controversial charity boss deliberately prevented information reaching trustees - including ministers.

A report published by the committee in 2016 urged the BBC to reopen its investigation into Alan Yentob, the former chairman of Kids Company, after he was accused of 'deliberately intimidating' corporation staff during the collapse of the scandal-hit charity.

The MPs said his meddling in the BBC's coverage of Kids Company had been 'unwise at best, and deliberately intimidating at worst'. And they said BBC bosses were too slow to take action against Mr Yentob.

In a damning assessment of Batmanghelidjh, Mr Jenkin said: 'The founder of this charity was a very, very powerful personality, who had a very, very big vision and she became expert at controlling the people around her and even the trustees were in her thrall to an extent'.

Accusing the charity's trustees of negligence, he added: 'People sometimes chose trustees to be very nice and well-motivated people, but who don't necessarily have expertise in the sector they're dealing with.'

Mr Jenkin suggested that allegations of sexual abuse in the charity - which ultimately did not lead to any prosecutions - were 'the straw that broke the camel's back' and led to the charity losing its reputation.

The charity, which aimed to support deprived and vulnerable inner-city children, received 46million of government funding over 13 years including 3million days before it collapsed last August.

The Commons committee admitted in its report: 'Ms Batmanghelidjh and Kids Company appeared to captivate some of the most senior political figures in the land.'

Mr Yentob, pictured with Rod Stewart, continued to present his 150,000-a-year job presenting Imagine but then quit the BBC after admitting the scandal became a distraction
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Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 Snapchat apps user interface was not the easiest thing for me to get the hang of. Is this where I should swipe left, down or press? The camera is on me again  quick, duck! But despite my initial experiences, the fact is that theres an extremely large (and growing) group of people who totally get it.Snapchat has carved out an interesting niche in the social media world, considering that about 60 percent of active users are under the age of 25. This offers a lot of opportunity for government agencies that want to reach out to a younger demographic in nontraditional ways.Its funny that a lot of agencies are considering Snapchat as a new tool in their social media strategy. The social platform actually launched way back in 2011 and has been silently engaging young people for years.The gist is that users send Snaps to each other  an image or video clip, usually of themselves, spiced up with filter overlays and other bling. Once read, the Snap disappears and they cant see it again. A user can also create Stories, a collection of snaps that all followers can see with a much longer shelf life of 24 hours.Because people use this app on their mobile device with location services, the company launched Geofilters. This is where the government agencies with profiles on Snapchat are focusing their efforts, because you can create a filter with your agency branding. The filter will be available at the time and location you specify.But Snapchat is not all rainbows and kittens for government despite its opportunities, as there are a few big challenges. Many agencies are required to archive social media, some even down to the metadata level. Although an agency can save screenshots of Snaps and there is an option to download stories, that approach wouldnt capture the metadata.One challenge for busy government social media managers trying to juggle multiple platforms is that Snaps happen in real time. While weve mastered planning and scheduling content for most other social platforms, the in-the-moment nature of Snapchat can be time-consuming.In late September, Snap Inc. amended its terms of service for U.S. government users. These federal-compatible terms offered amendments favorable to government agencies in the area of advertisements, endorsements and liabilities. This is definitely a sign that the company sees the value in public-sector participation on the platform.The consensus among agencies that have a profile on Snapchat is that it can be used both as a unique story-telling platform, as well as an interesting way to get engagement at events. If your agency is not ready to start a Snapchat account, remember that you can still create a free community Geofilter.If youre looking at learning from some of the agencies already using the platform, make sure to find these friends: Las Vegas; Tampa, Fla.; Jefferson County Sheriffs Office in Colorado; West Hollywood, Calif.; BeReadyUtah; and the Fort Collins, Colo., Police Department.As with any social media platform, make sure your onboarding approach includes trying it yourself, observing what has worked for others and reaching out for help. Although the casual style of Snapchat is not going to work for every government agency, the ones that have tried it at least have a story to tell.
The newly inaugurated semi-mechanised abattoir in Lagos is targetting hamburger and sausage processing as part of its value-chain, former governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, has said.

Mr Fashola said on Friday at the commissioning of the abbatoir in the Somolu/Bariga area of the state, that this was part of efforts by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to curb illegal and unhygienic meat butchering.

I have nothing but commendation for Sanwo -Olu, the commissioner for agriculture and the permanent secretary for providing the enabling environment to ensure the actualisation of the mechanised abattoir, said Mr Fashola, who is now the minister of works.

The essentials of progressive politics is the improvement of the human condition.

From a local butchery by Alh. Ninilowos father, he has now developed a semi-mechanised abattoir.

From privy information, soon this abattoir will procure a value-chain meat processing machine where sausages and hamburgers will be processed as the next stage of investment and cold storage.

This abattoir will be able to employ 800 persons and reduce the number of the unemployment in the state.

Earlier, Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed excitement over the inauguration of the abattoir and reassured his administrations support to boost the red meat value chain in the state.

I am truly excited not to have missed this simple but very significant event, he said.

The inauguration of this abattoir is a testament to the Lagos spirit of resilience, hard work and commitment.

Lagos consumes more than 50 per cent of red meat produced in the country, so we have to give back to our people by ensuring the quality of our red meat value chain.

Today in Lagos, we have about 16 abattoirs of which the state government runs 11. We do not just want to own them, we want to double the numbers.

We want to encourage more investors into the sector. I have given an approval to employ about 20 to 25 additional veterinary doctors in the Ministry of Agriculture so that we have all we require for this industry, he said.

ALSO READ: Oyo govt begins crackdown on illegal abattoirs in Ibadan

In her welcome speech, the state Commissioner of Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, read the riot act to illegal butchers, stating that the state would no longer condone their activities.

As we all know, Lagos is the largest market for cattle in Sub-Sahara Africa. In Lagos State alone, we receive over 1.8 million herds of cattle in a year and over 1.2 million herds of sheep and goats on an annual basis as well.

The commissioner said the new abbatoir is a partnership between the Lagos State government and a private investor, Olayiwola Niniola, to ensure the state has fully mechanised abattoirs.

Lagos being a large market for the red meat value chain, there is a need to have more abattoir in the state owing to population growth.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic which started at a meat market in Wuhan, China, there is a need to have our meat slaughtered and processed under hygienic conditions, marketed and transported the right way.

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We enjoin all our butchers to patronise our semi and fully-mechanised abattoir because the state will not tolerate the slaughtering of animals on the floor, she said. (NAN)

The Mumbai Crime Branch Police have unearthed a large porn-movie making racket in Surat by renting bungalows or farm houses in the name of making web series. A 40-year-old Tanveer Akil Hashmi, a resident of Syedpura in Surat city, has been arrested in connection with the case.

The Mumbai Police raided a place in Mumbai's Mud Island after receiving information about the shooting of a porn movie. They arrested five people and have registered a case against nine. Later, the police got the Surat connection and arrested Hashmi from Surat. He was produced in the court and was later remanded to police custody.

They also recovered a pen drive and laptop and it was suspected that they contained many such movies. The police will also investigate Hashmis bank account.

Initially, Hashmi used to make porn films by renting a bungalow in Mumbai, but due to the high rent of the bungalow, he shifted to Surat to make porn films in the name of creating a web series.

Hashmi's brother is also part of the gang and he was said to be a choreographer. The investigations are also underway into Hashmi's rented bungalows in Mumbai, Bardoli and Surat as well as his apartment next to a hotel in Bhatpore area in Surat. Sources said that he has more than 50 people working for him.
Tagging him as a corporate Democrat, two political newcomers have launched 2022 primary challenges against U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, slapping him with his first primary opponents since Larson first ran for the 1st District seat in 1998.

Seeking the support of political action committees that back progressive primary challengers, Democrats Muad Hrezi, 26, and Andrew Legnani, 32, are preparing campaigns that will target Larson, 72, for not supporting the health care policy Medicare for All, among other issues.

Hardly known as a centrist in the House Democratic caucus, Larson is a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, the climate change proposal championed by progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. But Hrezi and Legnani said theyre running for office because they doubt that Larson would vote for the bill on the floor or defend it.

They hope to launch insurgent campaigns to topple Larson  like that of Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated ten-term Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., in 2018 or Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who unseated ten-term Rep. William Lacy Clay in 2020.

Closer to home, the challenges reflect a division in a Democratic party with a widening lead over the Republicans in Connecticut. In the state House and Senate, for example, a group of 30 liberal Democrats have loudly challenged Gov. Ned Lamont, a fellow party member, to balance the budget by raising taxes on wealthy residents  a move Lamont said he will not make.

Now in his twelfth term, Larson serves on the Houses influential tax law-writing committee, Ways and Means, and previously chaired the House Democratic Caucus, a top leadership position. He served in the Connecticut state Senate and ran for governor before coming to Congress, where hes made a name for himself championing policies to bolster Social Security among other issues.

Larson grew up in public housing in East Hartford and was a history teacher in that town.

Mary Yatrousis, a spokeswoman for Larsons campaign, said he is focused on serving Hartford area families during the pandemic and not thinking about his next campaign.

At this very moment he is in a Ways and Means mark-up, fighting Republican attempts to block more COVID relief, while also keeping an eye on the impeachment trial, a month after the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, Yatrousis said. Once he has helped pass COVID relief and a much-needed infrastructure package is underway, and once it is campaign season, he will work hard to let voters know all he has done to get us back on track.

Hrezi is a former U.S. Senate staffer, and Legnani, a life insurance agent and Berlin Park and Recreation Commission member. Both are driven by their experiences with health care. They plan to seek help for their campaigns from groups such as Justice Democrats, which backs primary challengers to out-of-touch Democratic incumbents, and Sunrise Movement, which backs candidates with progressive climate stances.

Contributed

Justice Democrats is not currently involved in Connecticuts 1st District, a representative with the PAC said, but the PAC is talking with organizers and voters across the country to hear what people's concerns are about their district and their representatives.

As they launch their campaigns, Hrezi and Legnani have both pledged not to take corporate PAC money for their campaigns, a popular promise for Democrats in competitive races. Forgoing that funding in their 2022 campaigns is not a large sacrifice now because corporate PACs give almost all their funds to sitting members of Congress, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Contributed

In the 2020 election cycle, 80 percent of the $1.4 million Larson raised for his campaign came from political action committees  mostly affiliated with large corporations like defense and insurance companies, and unions, Center for Responsive Politics data shows. At least half of his campaign funds have come from political action committees in every election cycle since 2010.

If youre going to take their money, then how are you not going to do their bidding? said Hrezi.

Hrezi moved to Hartford in September, after working in Washington, D.C. as a legislative correspondent working on health policy for U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. His parents moved to the United States from Libya and he grew up in Naugatuck, where he became a state track star before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He currently is working as a substitute teacher in Southington and as a caregiver to people with traumatic brain injury in Newington.

Hrezi said he decided to leave his work at the Senate and launch his own campaign after feeling increasingly frustrated about what he saw as political inaction and small ideas in Congress. His goal now is un-rigging the system, he said.

In a lot of ways, it just feels like a sick joke rather than the worlds strongest government, said Hrezi. When I left, I was like whats the next step? And the longer I thought about it I realized that our politics might be broken and as a staffer I have very little power to change that, but the only way that gets changed is by people changing the composition of that body.

Legnani said hes launching his campaign because he felt things were getting worse in his community for a decade. He grew up in Berlin and worked as an emergency medical technician for years before earning his bachelors degree in political and legal history from Central Connecticut State University in 2017. He ran for the Board of Assessment Appeals in 2019 in Berlin but lost. It was Legnanis only previous run for elected office.

Legnani called Medicare for All his cornerstone issue, and dismissed the Affordable Care Act as legalized greed.

Hartford is known as a health insurance capital for the large footprint of insurance companies in the area. A strong supporter of the ACA, Larson supports the Medicare Buy-In and Health Care Stabilization Act, which allows younger people age 50 to 64 to buy into Medicare.

Even if he loses the election to Larson, Legnani said it would be a gigantic win if his and Hrezis primary challenges prompted Larson to change his position on the issue.

emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
European authorities have long faced the threat of Muslim predators, but are hesistant to punish them, choosing instead to stand for polical correctness so as not to be called "racist."

Since the 1990's, white women across Europe have suffered in the hands of migrant sexual predators, most of which come from Muslim-majority countries. According to CBN News, white women have been and are continuing to be targeted by these predators, but European governments are taking only minimal steps to persecute them, for fear of racist tag. Now, Christian Concern is raising awareness on how immigration and Islam are threatening the safety and security of thousands of women in Europe.

Christian Concern U.K. Head of Public Policy Tim Dieppe explained that these perpetrators are "gangs of men who groom young teenage girls and abuse them for sex." These girls and women are being used by these Muslim perpetrators and abusers, "imprisoning them and passing them around to lots of other guys, lots of other people, and even selling them for sex."

BBC reported in 2020 an update on Operation Bullfinch, an investigation launched by the Thames Valley Police to uncover the various sexual offences against underage girls occurring in Oxford from 1998 to 2012. Nearly a decade since the investigation began, 32 men that were part of a grooming gang were charged with sexual exploitation offenses against up to eight girls, with some of them as young as 13 years old.

A separate BBC report revealed that up to 373 children were abused by the sadistic sex gang. Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (OSCB) Maggie Blyth admitted that there were missteps on the part of European authorities, due to "a culture across all organisations that failed to see that these children were being groomed in an organised way by groups of men."

Human rights activist and best-selling author Ayaan Hirsi Ali highlights that the increase in immigrants, specifically from Muslim-majority countries, have directly impacted the occurrence of sexual violence in Europe, specifically targeting native, white women.

Dieppe criticized European authorities, saying that there is fear in talking about these issues "because they don't want to be called racist and that means that we are sacrificing young girls on the altar of political correctness." Their fear of racist tag causes their inaction, putting thousands of women at risk of falling victims to sexual predators.

Dieppe also highlights the evidence that shows Islam played a role in these offenses against white girls and women, which the European authorities are hesistant to acknowledge as not to ruffle the feathers of the Muslim communities within their own countries and for fear of racist tag.

An unnamed victim even recalled to BBC how, when she was 13, the abusers would pick up girls just outside the social services offices along Cowley Road. European authorities believed that these girls were just being "troublesome, a bit aggressive" and did not want to get involved. She said, "That was not enough for them to do anything about it."

The failure of European authorities to recognize the problem for fear of being labeled as "racists" is also apparent in the Oxfordshire case. The Oxford City Council report called for further investigation as to why a significant portion of the perpetrators and abusers in such cases were in fact Pakistani and or of Muslim heritage.

The report "shows very clearly that the girls were badly let down by the people and organisations that could-and should-have protected them."

Could this problem -officials fearing the "racist" tag and allowing predators to enter in-- be a major concern in America as well? This is worth looking into, especially now that Biden has opened the country's borders as opposed to Trump's policies on immigration.
The Royal Mail is investigating a postman who told a 72-year-old widow he was 'too knackered' to help her as she lay incapacitated with a head injury in the snow outside her frontdoor - but a hero Hermes driver luckily arrived to rescue her.

Zimmer frame-using Patricia Stewart, who suffers from osteoporosis, slipped and banged her head on Wednesday as she bent over to pick up two parcels on the doorstep of her home in Bainsford, near Falkirk.

She was unable to get up without help and was forced to lie in the snow in temperatures below freezing during the coldest February in Scotland since 1955.

But just when Mrs Stewart thought help was at hand, the postman who turned up at her door refused to lift her from the snow and even told her to put her slippers on before trudging off.

Shocking video captured on a neighbour's Ring doorbell and posted to Facebook by Patricia's niece Sheryl Harkins shows the postman saying: 'I can't help you pal. I'm knackered. Absolutely knackered.'

Patricia was left crying and feeling 'worthless' before she was rescued by heroic Hermes driver Karolina Domska 20 minutes later. The 22-year-old courier helped her to her feet, got her inside her home and called for help.

Mrs Stewart, a former social care manager who lives on her own after the death of her husband a decade ago, has used a zimmer frame since she fell over twice in December.

Treatment for her condition, including scans and operations, has been delayed due to the coronavirus lockdowns. It is understood that she fell over after feeling a dizzy, a day after she received a coronavirus vaccine.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Patricia said: 'I've done nothing wrong. I'm a nice person. I couldn't believe that he walked away and left me and didn't seek anybody's help. I'm still in shock.'

Her niece Sheryl, 36, accused the Royal Mail postman, who has not yet been identified, of leaving the pensioner 'to die' in the snow.

The Royal Mail apologised to Patricia and her family, and revealed that they are probing the shocking incident. According to the Sun, the postman has been dropped from the round.

Scotland is experiencing its coldest February since 1955, with Edinburgh recording -13C and Kinbrace a Baltic -21.2C last night.

Patricia Stewart, who suffers from osteoporosis, slipped and banged her head as she bent over to pick up two parcels left on the doorstep of her home in Bainsford, near Falkirk

But when the pensioner pleaded with her Royal Mail postman for help, he refused because he was too tired and walked away - and even told her to put on her slippers without helping her

Patricia was thankfully rescued by 22-year-old Hermes driver Karolina Domska 20 minutes later, who helped her up, got her inside her home and called her neighbours

What is osteoporosis? Health condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break. The most common injuries in people with osteoporosis are broken wrist, broken hip and broken spinal bones. However, breaks can also happen in other bones, such as in the arm or pelvis. Sometimes a cough or sneeze can cause a broken rib or the partial collapse of one of the bones of the spine. Osteoporosis is not usually painful until a bone is broken, but broken bones in the spine are a common cause of long-term pain. Although a broken bone is often the first sign of osteoporosis, some older people develop the characteristic stooped (bent forward) posture. It happens when the bones in the spine have broken, making it difficult to support the weight of the body. Osteoporosis can be treated with bone strengthening medicines. Source: NHS. Advertisement

The joint record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK is held by Braemar and Altnaharra, in the Highlands, which have recorded -27.2C on three separate occasions.

Recovering at home after the incident, Patricia told MailOnline: 'I'm a bit sore and I think it is catching up with me lying on the ground for so long.

'I was soaked through and it has left me sore all over.

'The bump on my head where I banged it is still sore to touch and I can't comb my hair at all.'

She added: 'I fell down my front steps onto the concrete driveway and it was covered in snow and ice. When I fell down I banged my head.

'I asked the postman to help me get up and he said he was too knackered.

'He walked away and left me shouting for help. I shouted for a while and I was crying because I was angry and frustrated. I felt quite worthless.

'I thought, why isn't he helping me. I've done nothing wrong. I'm a nice person.

'I couldn't believe that he walked away and left me and didn't seek anybody's help. I'm still in shock.'

Patricia, originally from Wolverhampton, has lived in Scotland for 40 years. She lost her husband Johnny a decade ago.

The remainder of her family, including grandchildren, live in England.

She was treated by paramedics after neighbours called an ambulance.

'My next door neighbour phoned an ambulance and two paramedics came and checked me all over,' she said.

'They looked at the lump on my head and all around it. They said that I would need to be careful and just rest up.

'If I feel sick or dizzy or have bad headaches I've to phone an ambulance straight away.'

She praised Hermes worker Karolina, who appeared on the scene 20 minutes later.

'She tried to lift me up but couldn't so she said she would get help and ran to get help from neighbours,' Patricia said.

'The neighbours all came out and one of the neighbours, a keep fit instructor lifted me and sat me on the step. He also got my niece Sheryl and her partner.

'I was saturated from lying there that long. Sheryl helped me get changed and I lay on the bed waiting for the ambulance to come.'

Sheryl told MailOnline: 'The postman came to deliver mail. He left a couple of parcels on my aunt's front step. She came out and bent down to pick them up.

'She tumbled over and banged her head. She told him, 'I haven't been very well, could you help me up please?'

'He said, 'Listen, I can't help you pal. I'm knackered. I've been up since nine this morning delivering mail in this weather.' And he walked off.

'I didn't believe it when I was told what the postman had done until I saw the footage because nobody in their right mind would leave a 72-year old lady lying in a foot of snow.

'It beggars belief that someone would treat another human being in this manner. He left her there to die.'

Patricia's niece Sheryl, who has been looking after the pensioner, said she was helped inside by a Hermes worker a short time later who then called a neighbour for help

The 72-year-old pensioner has osteoporosis and has fallen over twice recently. Treatment for her condition, including scans and surgery, have been delayed due to the lockdowns

Patricia fell over outside her home as Storm Darcy lashes Britain, with cold weather on the way

The postman, who has yet to be identified, also failed to alert neighbours to her plight as he carried on making his rounds.

Hermes delivery worker Karolina Domska arrived in the area 20 minutes later and provided the assistance the postman failed to deliver, staying with Patrica and calling for help from Pat's neighbours.

Sheryl said: 'It's shocking. I've still not come to terms with it. The postman's left my aunt feeling really quite worthless and upset. He couldn't even help her.

'It is very lucky that the Hermes lady turned up when she did 20 minutes later because my aunt could have lay there for three hours and, God forbid, froze to death because he left her there.

'We appreciate he might not have wanted to touch my aunt and get her up but he then proceeded to deliver more mail through other letter boxes.

'Why not just chap a neighbour's door and say, 'There's a lady lying along there who has fallen and hurt her head. Can you call for help?'

'That is the sensible thing to do. He is passing so many other doors. It beggars belief.

'It was -9 in Falkirk and one of the coldest spells on record in Scotland. It was freezing. She had no jacket on. My aunt's slippers had come off.

'She's lying there barefoot and as the postman walked away he said to her, 'Put your slippers on'. She couldn't put them on because she couldn't get up.

'It's disgusting. You wouldn't treat a dog like that and she could have died. He left her to die. That is the situation.'

Sheryl was not due to visit until three hours after the incident.

'I am over four times a day. It happened at one in the afternoon and I wasn't due to go over until four,' she added.

Patricia's niece Sheryl Harkins, 36, accused the Royal Mail postman, who has not yet been identified, of leaving the pensioner 'to die' in the snow.

Twitter users vented their fury at the Royal Mail postman who refused to help Patricia

'She could have lain there for three hours and I'm pretty sure in that temperature after three hours she wouldn't have been in a good situation.'

Sheryl was stunned when neighbour Shona Thompson showed her video footage from her doorbell camera and has only been able to watch it twice.

Shona told the Sun: 'It was really cold, she could've got hypothermia and she could still get pneumonia because of all of this. It's not fair at all.'

Patricia yesterday received an apology from a member of the Royal Mail management team after footage of the incident went viral.

Sheryl said: 'A gentleman from the Royal Mail arrived yesterday, a manager of some sort. He apologised and asked if there was anything he could do, but I have no idea whether they will be back in touch or what's going to happen.

'They have acknowledged the situation and he said they are investigating.'

She added: 'We told the gentleman from the Royal Mail we don't want that postman delivering mail to anyone ever again because what he did was disgusting.

'I've contacted senior officers at Royal Mail because I'm not going to let this go. It is not acceptable what this guy has done and an apology is not good enough.

'I would like the postman identified but some family members don't want to know because of what he has done.

'I would like to know who he is because I am friendly and chatty in the community. I'd hate to come across this chap in the future and be nice to him not knowing who he is.

'We are the kind of community where we say hello to people and stop to chat but I wouldn't want to be nice to him after what he's done.'

A Royal Mail Spokesperson said: 'Royal Mail expect the highest standards of behaviour from our people while out on deliveries and collections at all times. We regularly remind our postmen and postwomen of the important role they play in their local communities

'We were very sorry to learn about this incident, and for the distress this incident has caused. We are in touch with the customer concerned and will be investigating this incident.'

Do YOU know who the postman is? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Astrocytes -- star-shaped cells in the brain that are actively involved in brain function -- may play an important role in stuttering, a study led by a University of California, Riverside, expert on stuttering has found.

"Our study suggests that treatment with the medication risperidone leads to increased activity of the striatum in persons who stutter," said Dr. Gerald A. Maguire, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the UCR School of Medicine, who led the study. "The mechanism of risperidone's action in stuttering, in part, appears to involve increased metabolism -- or activity -- of astrocytes in the striatum."

Findings from the study, published today in Frontiers in Neuroscience, were borne from a collaboration between Maguire and Shahriar SheikhBahaei, an independent research scholar at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The striatum is a key component of the basal ganglia, a group of nuclei best known for facilitating voluntary movement. Present in the forebrain, the striatum contains neuronal activity related to cognition, reward, and coordinated movements.

Stuttering, a childhood onset fluency disorder that leads to speech impairment, is associated with high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Risperidone works by blocking the receptors in the brain that dopamine acts on, thus preventing excessive dopamine activity. Risperidone is available by prescription under a physician's order almost anywhere in the world. In existence for nearly 30 years, it is generally prescribed for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Maguire and SheikhBahaei have now found evidence that astrocytes in the striatum may be crucially involved in how risperidone is able to reduce stuttering.

"We do not know the exact mechanism for how risperidone activates astrocytes in the striatum," said coauthor SheikhBahaei, an expert on astrocytes, and a person who stutters. "What we know is that it activates astrocytes. The astrocytes then release a signaling molecule that affects neurons in the striatum by blocking their dopamine receptors. In our future work, we would like to find this signaling molecule and better understand the exact role astrocytes play in stuttering, which, in turn, could help us design drugs that target astrocytes."

Maguire and his team conducted a randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial with 10 adult subjects to observe risperidone's effects on brain metabolism. At the start of the study and after six weeks of taking risperidone (0.5-2.0 mg/day) or a placebo pill, the 10 participants were assigned to a solo reading aloud task. The participants then each underwent a positron emission tomography, or PET, scan. It turned out that five subjects got risperidone while the other five got a placebo. Those in the risperidone treatment group were found to show higher glucose uptake-- that is, higher metabolism -- in specific regions of the brain according to scans taken after active treatment.

"Naturally, and abnormally, glucose uptake is low in stuttering -- a feature common to many neurodevelopmental conditions," said Maguire, who also is a person who stutters. "But risperidone seems to compensate for the deficit by increasing the metabolism, specifically, in the left striatum. More research is needed to understand this better. Neuroimaging techniques we used to visualize changes in the brains of those who stutter can provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of the disorder and guide the development of future interventions."

Next, Maguire and SheikhBahaei will aim to further understand what causes stuttering, what the different types of stuttering are, what may be their etiologies; and develop targeted personalized treatments for those who stutter.

"The general goal of our research collaboration is to combine basic research in my lab with Dr. Maguire's clinical studies," SheikhBahaei said. "My lab is generating new animal models to study stuttering which will help us understand what causes different types of stuttering. Researchers have proposed other components are involved in stuttering's etiology. Our data, which suggests astrocytes in the striatum may be playing an important role in the development of stuttering, helps unify some of the findings the scientific literature has seen recently on astrocytes and could help connect the dots."

Personally speaking

The UCR School of Medicine has signed a research collaboration agreement with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to work together on research related to stuttering.

"I have been active in the stuttering community for decades," Maguire said. "This is a community that needs support, opportunities, and role models. Dr. SheikhBahaei and I encourage people who stutter to be more engaged in the scientific community. We both stutter and that has not stopped us from achieving our professional and personal goals. Young people who stutter and are thinking about careers in science and medicine should not let this speech disorder hold them back."

For SheikhBahaei, working with Maguire is an ideal collaboration to "bring bench to the bedside."

"We are working to reveal circuits in the brain that control the complex behavior of speaking," he said. "These circuits will shed more light on the mechanism involved in stuttering. Speaking may be the most complex human behavior. Consider that more than 100 muscles in the body must act in synchrony for us to speak."

###

Maguire and SheikhBahaei were joined in the study by Bo Ram Yoo, a student in the UCR School of Medicine.

The research was supported in part by the philanthropic donation of RG Kirkup and partly by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The clinical trial of risperidone, which began when Maguire was at UC Irvine, was funded in part by a grant to UC Irvine from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

The research paper is titled "Investigation of Risperidone Treatment Associated With Enhanced Brain Activity in Patients Who Stutter."
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India welcomes efforts at reducing tension in Eastern Ukraine

International

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

United Nations, Feb 12: India has welcomed all efforts at reducing tension in Eastern Ukraine and expressed hope that all sides will work together constructively to find political and diplomatic solutions to the issue.

"We believe that the Minsk Agreements provide a basis for negotiated and peaceful settlement of the situation in Eastern Ukraine," India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu said while speaking at the UNSC open briefing on the situation in Ukraine on Thursday.

Did India cede territory to China: Ask your grandfather Kishan Reddy tells Rahul Gandhi

The Minsk agreement, brokered by France and Germany and signed by Russia and Ukraine in February 2015, provides a framework for a negotiated peace in Eastern Ukraine.

The agreement aims to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists that flared in April 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for the separatists in the mostly Russian-speaking industrial east called Donbass.

"We also believe that meetings under the Normandy Format will further facilitate the resolution of the issues related to the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Agreements, including its key security and political aspects," Naidu said.

India a red-hot investment opportunity for its clean energy shift: US

The Normandy Format is a reference to the four-way talks involving leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. India welcomes all efforts aimed at reducing tension in the region and hopes that all sides will work together constructively to find political and diplomatic solutions to the issue, Naidu said.

He said when "the parties concerned come to mutually negotiated agreements, such agreements take precedence even over resolutions adopted by the Security Council, particularly since these are not externally imposed but mutually agreed between parties concerned and hence have every chance of success."

Naidu said that peaceful settlement of disputes is an important tool in the maintenance of international peace and security and in the promotion of the rule of law, adding that the States have the responsibility to settle disputes by peaceful means, which is a fundamental principle in the UN Charter.

Briefing the Council, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, UN's political affairs chief, said although a ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine has led to a significant decrease in civilian casualties, the overall situation remains fragile unless progress is made on the security and political fronts.

PM Modi a coward, gave Indian land to China: Rahul Gandhi | Oneindia News

The ceasefire that came into force last July resulted from a summit held in December 2019 between France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, and was welcomed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who had earlier appealed for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, February 12, 2021, 13:17 [IST]


A growing market niche where investors profit from others legal troubles is getting a boost from Covid.

Distressed-investing funds and litigation-finance boutiques are likely to be spoiled for choice after a landmark U.K. court ruling last month rejected pleas from insurers looking to dodge pandemic payouts. Theyre looking to finance or buy denied Covid-19 insurance claims for policyholders without the means or stomach for taking their insurers to court.

This is going to be huge, said Steve Cooklin, chief executive officer of London-based litigation funder Manolete Partners Plc, whose biggest shareholder is veteran distressed investor Jon Moulton. Its hard to say at this stage how big exactly this issue is, but its probably going to be in the hundreds of millions of pounds.

Insurers have warned that Covid-19 coverage claims could top as much as $100 billion - potentially the industrys largest loss in history. Business-interruption coverage, which protects against losses when companies have to shut for a period of time, has been one of the most costly and contentious policy lines in the pandemic. U.K. virus-related claims, including on business-interruption policies, could exceed $2 billion.

Bankrupt Store Chain Sells $175M Unpaid COVID Insurance Claim to Pay Debt The New York company, which filed for bankruptcy, claims its owed more than $175 million from business interruption policies and says proceeds from selling the claim will help repay creditors after it closes for good.

For investors in a zero-yield world of spiraling stock prices, the insurance payout battles present opportunities that can pay off regardless of how debt and equity markets perform  theyre uncorrelated, in the jargon of the trade.

Assets held by litigation funders in the U.K. hit a record high of 1.9 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) last year, an analysis by law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP shows. Its a market that has lured hedge funds including D.E. Shaw & Co., Fortress Investment Group and Elliott Management Corp.

Sustained tailwinds are in store for litigation funders, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tamlin Bason. The uncorrelated, counter-cyclical nature of those returns could make litigation finance an attractive hedge during periods of market volatility.

The focus is likely to be the U.K. While many U.S. judges have found policies dont cover Covid-19 losses, Britains main financial regulator challenged insurers, with the outcome hailed as a resounding victory for consumers. The ruling means firms such as Hiscox Ltd. and RSA Insurance Group Plc, which initially rebuffed Covid-19 claims, now must honor them.

That may translate into plump payouts for investors picking through arcane policy wording. Policies written by insurers vary in their language, with only a handful clearly saying whether they would or would not cover firms in the event of a pandemic.

There is quite a variety of different approaches to this that insurers have taken and some of them are going to be happy and some are going to be miserable, Andrew Lundberg, a managing director at Burford Capital Ltd., the biggest litigation funder, said in an interview.

Retail Crisis

New York-based Cherokee Acquisition is in talks with a number of U.K.-based retailers over purchasing their claims on behalf of investors, having looked at similar transactions in the U.S. For many of Britains retailers, the shuttering of main street was the final nail in the coffin. Arcadia Group, the retail empire founded by billionaire Philip Green, collapsed into insolvency late last year.

The Supreme Court ruling will result in more sale interest from larger claimants whose calculation of damages is being disputed by the insurers, rather than smaller claimants whose claim amounts have already been reconciled, said Bradley Max, a director at Cherokee. Its an opportunity for a seller to get the bird in the hand.

A trade can work like this: First, a company that had business-interruption coverage is rebuffed by its insurer, which argues the policy excludes coverage of pandemics or doesnt cover the type of damages sought. A judge often must parse the policy, and that can take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars  if not millions  in legal fees.

Making a pitch to save policyholders time and money, litigation funders offer to immediately buy the Covid-19 claim at a discount, sometimes for less than a third of the total value. The funds make money by taking the dispute to court, betting the ultimate payout will dwarf the purchase price.

The practice is routine in U.S. bankruptcy cases, said Chuck Tatelbaum, a Florida-based bankruptcy lawyer who represents big-name clients, such as Toyota Motor Corp., in Chapter 11 cases. Its very much like commodities trading, he says.

A real-world example involves bankrupt U.S. department-store operator Century 21s decision to sell its rejected business-interruption claim for $59 million in December, according to court documents. The Gindi family, which owns the retailer, bought back the right to the $150 million policy, betting it will pay off in the long run.

So far, insurers are faring well in the U.S. courts, where judges have backed coverage rejections at a rate four times higher than the claims are being allowed, according to an analysis by a University of Pennsylvania researcher.

The key to making this new form of litigation arbitrage pay is a cold-eyed policy assessment by seasoned insurance lawyers to find language backing up coverage demands, said Stuart Grant, head of Bench Walk Advisors, a litigation funder with offices in New York and London.

These are challenging investments, said Grant. Since this is bespoke financing, you have to tread carefully.

With assistance from Irene Garcia Perez.

Top Photo: Pedestrians walk past shuttered shops along a near-deserted street in the City of London in January 2021. Photographer: Tolga AKmen/AFP/Getty Images

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics COVID-19 Claims
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 10:52:23|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland reported 12 new imported COVID-19 cases Thursday, the National Health Commission said in its daily report Friday.

Among the new cases, seven were reported in Shanghai, two each in Guangdong and Sichuan, and one in Liaoning, said the commission.

No new locally transmitted confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported Thursday across the Chinese mainland.

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WELLINGTON -- New Zealand reported two cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation on Friday.

Both of the new border cases came from Britain and have remained in Auckland's managed isolation facilities, according to the Ministry of Health.

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QUITO -- Ecuador registered 2,137 COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, taking its total count to 262,213, the public health ministry reported Thursday.

According to the ministry's daily report, Ecuador also documented 48 COVID-19 deaths over the same period, bringing the death toll to 10,461, in addition to another 4,713 "probable deaths" from the virus.

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SAO PAULO -- Brazil registered 54,742 COVID-19 infections and 1,351 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the totals to 9,713,909 cases and 236,201 deaths, the health ministry said on Thursday.

With these records, the South American country has recorded its 22nd consecutive day with more than 1,000 daily deaths, returning to the worst figures from the first phase of the pandemic in May through July of 2020.

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LONDON -- Another 13,494 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 3,998,655, according to official figures released Thursday.

The country also reported another 678 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 115,529. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

- - - -

JERUSALEM -- Israel's Ministry of Health reported 5,229 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, raising the total tally in the country to 714,056.

The death toll from the COVID-19 in Israel reached 5,272 after 28 new fatalities were added, while the number of patients in serious condition decreased from 1,031 to 992, out of 1,551 hospitalized patients.

- - - -

ANKARA -- Turkey on Thursday reported 7,590 new COVID-19 infections, taking its tally to 2,564,427, the Turkish Health Ministry said.

The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 94 to 27,187, while the total recoveries climbed to 2,453,096 after 7,811 more cases recovered in the last 24 hours. Enditem

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ezra klein

Im Ezra Klein, and this is The Ezra Klein Show. So whether youre a new listener of the show or an old listener of the show, something youre probably catching on to is that a lot of the way I think about legislative politics is about the Senate. A project of this show is to try to get you and everyone else to care about Senate rules. Because no matter what it is you care about  a minimum wage, a Green New Deal, gun control, democracy reform  whether or not bills can pass the Senate is the debate upstream of that question. So many of our policy debates, we have and we fight them out and we care about them, and nobody ever seems to realize that theyre moot because nothing passes the Senate. Obviously, the key reason nothing passes the Senate is the mutation of the filibuster into a 60-vote supermajority threshold for basically everything  not literally everything, but basically everything. And this is one of those places where you really need to convince people something has changed. Because weve had a filibuster for a long time. As youre going to hear in this episode, it used to be technically stronger. It used to be unbreakable. But it wasnt used very often. And so I want to begin with this statistic. From 1917 to 1970, the Senate took 49 votes to break filibusters  49. Those are cloture votes. That is fewer than one each year. And Im not saying thats a record of glory. Those filibusters were often aimed at civil rights bills  but fewer than one vote to break them each year. Since 2010, it has taken on average more than 80 votes each year to end filibusters  more than 80. This is not the Senate of the 20th century. Something completely different has happened. It has changed. It is not the Senate the founders wanted or built. It is the Senate they warned against. I reported on the Senate for a long time. And one of the fascinating things about talking to Republican and Democratic senators and Republican and Democratic staffers is nobody likes the place anymore. For all the people that work their whole lives to get there, they get there and they look around, and theyre appalled. They may disagree on how to fix it and what is wrong, but they are appalled. Nobody thinks it works well. This is not a situation where its only outside critics who recognize something is wrong. The most searing denunciations, they come from the insiders. They come from the staffers. They come from the members. One of those staffers is Adam Jentleson. He was deputy chief of staff to then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He was high up enough in the institution to see how it really worked, but he was also young enough, new enough, to be free of the gauzy nostalgia for the days of yore. And so, after he left, he spent a few years researching the Senates history to understand how it led to this grim present. And his new book, Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy, it is, in my view, the essential book on the modern Senate. It is excellent. Now its not particularly uplifting, but one thing it is not is without hope, because the Senate, unlike a lot of other things in American politics, can be changed. And so I wanted Adam to come on the show to talk about how the Senate became what it is today, talk about what it means for Joe Bidens agenda, to talk about what really drives senators like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, what it really feels like to be in there, legislating at this moment in this institution at this time, and of course, about how to fix it. As always, my email is ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. Im always interested to know who youd like to see on the show, so send me your guest suggestions. Heres Adam Jentleson. So I want to start with the real sexy stuff, the stuff that gets the audience excited. What is the budget reconciliation process, and why am I hearing so much about it right now?

adam jentleson

So the reason youre hearing a lot about it is, its an end run around the filibuster and a way to avoid having to pass things with 60 votes in the Senate, which I think personally is how we should do most things in the Senate. But the reason youre hearing about reconciliation is that it is sort of one of the few ways you can avoid the filibuster without going nuclear and getting rid of the filibuster altogether. Its a process that was invented in the 1970s and was meant to apply only to the budget and things directly related to the budget. This was when the Senate decided to start passing budgets on a regular basis. The size of the government was growing. It was also an attempt, when it was created, to take back power from the executive branch and have the Congress play a leading role in setting spending priorities for the country. In order to prioritize budget-related work, it created a special fast track procedure that allowed anything that was consistent with its rules to go down this fast track. And on that fast track, there is no filibuster. Its majority votes from beginning to end. Theres no point at which it has to clear a supermajority threshold. And theres no point at which opponents of the procedure can block the reconciliation package indefinitely. So Democrats are trying to use this procedure to pass Bidens COVID relief package. And the reason they can do it is that most of the things that are going in that relief package are, at least arguably, budget-related. Its sort of a primary purpose test.

ezra klein

Hold on, I want to stop you. I want to stop you right on this, because this is important.

adam jentleson

All right, when I get going on reconciliation, man, Im hard to stop.

ezra klein

Listen, you know I hear you. You know I feel you on that. [LAUGHTER] So first, to the audience, the reason we need to talk about this in the detail we are is that this has become the way the Senate legislates. And it has unusual features that then change the laws that we all live under, change what problems we can and cant respond to, and change the way in which we respond to those problems. So in the 80s and then codified in 1990, there are a set of rules imposed on budget reconciliation to make sure that senates do not use it as an end run around the filibuster. Those rules are important. Theyre called the Byrd rules. What do they say?

adam jentleson

They say that in order to go through reconciliation, policies have to have sort of a primary impact that is budgetary. Its like an organization passing a primary purpose test. You cant have a procedure or a policy that is sort of ancillary in its budgetary effects or sort of indirect. For instance, something like DC statehood, its advocates could sort of argue that there is some budgetary impact to statehood. And Im sure that thats true. But it would never pass muster because its very clear that the primary impact of creating a new state is not a budgetary impact. And so, it limits what can go through reconciliation to issues that have big impacts on revenues, spending, and that sort of thing.

ezra klein

And so it also does something weird, right, which is mechanisms. You might have two ways you could do the same thing. So you could potentially raise peoples incomes by passing a direct wage subsidy, like the Earned Income Tax Credit the government pays out to them, or you could do it by raising the minimum wage.

adam jentleson

Right.

ezra klein

But at least canonically, as I understand it, the way people think about budget reconciliation, raising the minimum wage would not survive because thats not primarily budgetary. But doing a direct subsidy would survive because that is primarily budgetary. So even if raising the minimum wage is the cheaper, more efficient, more direct, more useful way to do this  Im not saying it is, but hypothetically  you then would have to do the less efficient, more expensive, less useful way of doing it. That its like, its not just what kind of thing you do, but how you can do it.

adam jentleson

Yeah, it leads to poor policy design. You get these Rube Goldberg policies that were created a certain way, not because theyre the most efficient way to deliver benefits to the American people at the highest impact for the lowest cost, but theyre designed the way they are to comply with these restrictive and, rather, obscure rules. So you can feel the institution sort of reaching for the ability to pass things on a majority rule basis. And instead of going directly at the filibuster, theyre taking this detour through reconciliation that maybe its fine as a stopgap, I guess. But its going to lead to extremely poor policy design thats not just sort of abstract in why its bad. These are things that will cause benefits to be delivered less efficiently. They will open them up to legal challenges and ultimately, have the potential to undermine a lot of the good that is passed through this process.

ezra klein

No, its not fine. I really want to say that this is really  I am upset about this, and I want everybody else to be upset about it. And I need to come up with a new name for budget reconciliation, so people dont tune me out when I talk about it. But let me give an example from the bill that I want to talk about. So Bidens big rescue package is going through budget reconciliation. Its going through budget reconciliation because it cannot get 10 Republican votes in the Senate. And so you are already seeing things get carved out of it that are important. So you can pass a big expansion of the Child Tax Credit in reconciliation. You can do $1,400 checks in reconciliation. But something that is obviously important and very cheap for the government and an efficient thing we could do would be emergency paid leave, making sure that people, when they are sick, can stay home without it being a terrible economic hardship on their family. And that could get taken out of the bill because it doesnt fit reconciliation. It looks like the same thing will happen probably to the $15 minimum wage. And obviously, Senator Bernie Sanders is trying to keep that from happening. But I would be surprised if he is successful in that. You worked in the Senate. You worked for Harry Reid. You were his deputy chief of staff. Did it feel crazy to do things this way?

adam jentleson

Yes. I mean, thats why I wrote the book because everything felt upside down and sideways, and nothing made sense. And reconciliation was crazy for the reasons were talking about here. When things failed by the filibuster, these were bills that were being blocked in the name of unlimited debate, but then immediately pulled from the floor and not debated anymore. Nothing made sense. And when you ask around for why it is this way, you get very mealy mouthed answers about Senate tradition and the wisdom of the ages and the wisdom of delay and all these things. And meanwhile, you look around, and you see the country struggling to deal with these massive issues. And its not struggling because its hard to find solutions. The solutions, in a lot of cases, are right there. They often exist in legislative text. Theyve been road tested by experts. Theres not really a lot of controversy over what the solution should be. Its just impossible to get them through the Senate. And it felt crazy. And it felt like you were living in some Kafkaesque world. And when you dig into the history, you find that this is just not the way it was supposed to be. We sort of backed into it for a series of weird reasons that were never conscious decisions to make it this way. And I think its important for people to understand that it can be different. And it is not actually that hard to make it be different.

ezra klein

One note I want to put here is, we talk all the time in politics about liberal bias or conservative bias or partisan bias. And people really underestimate how dangerous status quo bias is. And particularly, this is very true in the Senate, that people get used to the way they have done things. And so the fact that the way they do things doesnt make any sense and has become an illogical, as you put it, Kafkaesque nightmare  as I put it in a column recently, a Dadaist nightmare  stops reading to them is clear. So I want to go back to something you were saying earlier. The Senate has a filibuster, which we are going to talk about here in some detail. But just as a shorthand right now, the filibuster says things require 60 votes. And there is a coterie of senators, including, at this point, Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who say that is good. It forces bipartisanship. Its how the Senate should work. So you might say, OK, everybodys going to demand everything requires 60 votes. But then they vote for budget reconciliation, which end runs the filibuster in this weird way. Because I mean, of course, you cant really run a Senate where you can never get anything done. So the Senate exists, and this is, by the way, true of everybody. The two major legislative packages of the Trump era were budget reconciliation packages, the Tax Cuts, and Obamacare repeal. You had budget reconciliation under Obama. You had the Bush tax cuts or budget reconciliation under George W. Bush. Its one thing for the Senate to say the 60-vote threshold is sacrosanct. Thats how we want to run the institution. Its another to say majority rules is the way you want to run the institution, which is how most institutions run. Its totally bizarre to me to say we want to keep the 60-vote threshold, but obviously, thats not working, and it would completely paralyze the institution. So were going to do this dumb thing and abuse another rule in a way that creates worse legislation instead.

adam jentleson

Yeah, and I think that gets to the fundamental unsustainability of the Manchin, Sinema position. It would be one thing if by standing in defense of the filibuster, that they could leverage a big bipartisan deal that would be an alternative approach to going it alone with the Democrats and passing things on a 50-vote threshold. But as were seeing on COVID aid, the idea that 10 Republicans are going to give Democrats their votes for just about anything is laughable. Theyre not giving them 10 votes for COVID aid, and I dont think theyll give them their votes for anything else. And so, Manchin and Sinema are quickly faced with a much more binary choice, which is, do you get anything done at all, or do you not get anything done? And if you care at all about the success of the Biden administration and the success of all the Democrats who are up on the ballot in 2022, when youre faced with a choice between delivering results and failing because you care more about the filibuster than about getting things done, I ultimately think they will come around. But they are, as you say, theyre endorsing the premise on principle of passing big things, multitrillion dollar packages, on a majority vote basis. And so once you start to go down that road, unless there is some massive outbreak of bipartisanship, which I think is vanishingly unlikely, then I think that thats the choice theyre going to face. Reconciliation right now sort of gives them an out because theres a way to do it by majority vote and get things done without technically changing the filibuster rules. But its not going to take too long to exhaust all of the things that are possible through reconciliation. And as you say, important things are getting carved out as we speak. And so youre quickly going to face a choice between essentially giving up on the Biden administration and admitting failure or having to reform the rules. And I think that when theyre faced with that binary choice, I do have faith that they will come around and make the right decision.

ezra klein

Oh, thats so sweet. [LAUGHS]

adam jentleson

Well, I think that its the upside of polarization. I think that at the end of the day, they care about keeping the Senate majority. And they care about Biden being successful. Right now, I think theres this sense that by standing in defense of the filibuster, theyre blocking things like Medicare for All or the Green New Deal or far-left priorities from passing. But its going to quickly become clear that theyre not blocking Medicare for All, theyre blocking the basic tenets of the Biden agenda. And that is a much harder choice. And I dont think theyre going to like being the ones who stand in the way. I mean, Mark Kelly, Kyrsten Sinemas fellow Arizona senator, is up for re-election again in 2022. And when push comes to shove and the choice is between getting things done and Mark Kelly having a better record to run on and hopefully get re-elected in 2022, or Kyrsten Sinemas stand for the filibuster, I dont think Sinema is going to tell Mark Kelly to take a hike and fend for himself with no accomplishments because she, for some reason, feels so strongly about the filibuster, that shes going to leave him hanging like that. So I do think peer pressure can be powerful and good in that way.

ezra klein

But then how do you read what happened at the beginning of the Senate session? So theres a 50/50 Senate split. Democrats are going to have the tie breaking vote because of Vice President Harris acting as the presiding officer. Mitch McConnell begins the session by filibustering the organizing resolution, literally the resolution to form the Senate. So he starts out by saying, I will let you do nothing. I will not even let you build a Senate. And Schumer doesnt give in to McConnells demands, among which were a promise never to touch the filibuster. But Manchin and Sinema then have this choice to make. And there are two kind of obvious ways they could have gone to me. One is to say, we do not want to touch the filibuster. What we want to have is a bipartisan regular order process, where we work together with our beloved colleagues on the other side to get things done. But obviously, if you abuse it this way, and you will not even let us form an organizing resolution to create the Senate, we will have to do it. So please stop. Dont make us do this. Dont make us do this thing you dont want us to do. Or they could do what they actually did and give Mitch McConnell what he wanted and tell him, in no uncertain terms, they will never touch the filibuster. And they both released these statements that were by the standards of these things, and you can always change your mind, you know, pretty hardcore. Sinema said she would not change her mind on the filibuster, on getting rid of it, under any circumstances. Joe Manchin went on Fox News  on Fox News  to tell people and then reiterated it to Mitch McConnell that he would never be the vote to get rid of the filibuster. They didnt leave themselves a lot of wiggle room. And so, as somebody who worked in the Senate  Sinema came after you left, but Manchin was there when you were there  what do you think was going on in their psychology or in their understanding of the political interests or needs at that moment?

adam jentleson

Yeah, I mean, as a former communications guy, I think theres always wiggle room. And they were sort of saying, we wont get rid of the filibuster, we wont eliminate the filibuster. Maybe Im being  maybe this is wishful thinking on my part, but I see plenty of wiggle room to reforming the filibuster, changing, restoring all these different sorts of things. But I think probably what theyre thinking is, they were essentially restating their positions as theyve been in the past. And any sort of movement on their parts would have been read as a massive signal that the filibuster was on its way out. And so, I personally wish theyd been a little more forward leaning. But I do think that probably what they wanted to do was just maintain their position. Its sort of like when Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was asked about it recently. She just stated, the presidents position hasnt changed President Biden could be making a very ardent, aggressive defense of the filibuster if he really wanted to keep it. But hes not. Hes leaving his position where it is because the minute you sense any movement on Bidens part, the floodgates are going to open. And I think the same is true of Manchin and Sinema. Ultimately, they may currently be thinking that they are going to stand in defense of the filibuster, and theyre going to find a way to forge bipartisanship. And let them try it for a little while, I guess. But quickly, its going to become clear that thats not just a fantasy, but an outright delusion. And then theyre going to start to need to find ways to get to yes. And I think that shifting from saying, Im not going eliminate it, but we have to find ways to reform it, to update it, to stop its abuse, all those things become on the table. I also think the blaming Republican option is always there. And that is a tried and true method. I mean, my former boss, Harry Reid, was similarly Shermanesque in his denials that he would ever change the filibuster. You know this very well, having covered it through this whole process. And then he changed it. And what he did was he said, rightfully, that the obstruction that Republicans waged against Obama was unprecedented, and that wed never seen anything like it before. And they forced the issue. So I do think that, ultimately, the blame Republicans option is on the table because Republicans are going to put it on the table. Theyre going to obstruct pretty much everything that Biden wants to do. And Manchin and Sinema will have to choose between reforming the rules or getting nothing done.

ezra klein

I want to note something on bipartisanship that struck me as an interesting example of how this plays out. So there was a real interesting bipartisan proposal that came out over the last week, which is Senator Mitt Romneys child allowance plan, which is, in my view, a genuinely fascinatingly excellent piece of legislation. I have my quibbles with the way its paid for, but youd be creating a universal child allowance in this country and simplifying a lot of other anti-poverty programs in a way that, from every analysis Ive seen, would massively cut child poverty, massively cut it  cut adult poverty, too  and really, I think, be a step forward. That is the kind of thing you wish to see, right? That is a space where you could really imagine Democrats and Republicans working together. And what was interesting to me was that immediately, the Republican senators who have been most vocal on increasing support for children, increasing, in this case, the child tax credit, which is a more complicated, less progressive, and universalist way of doing it, Marco Rubio and Mike Lee came out against Romney  instantly. Theres not been, to my knowledge, even one Republican Senator who said they would work with Romney on this plan. And I was thinking in the aftermath of that that  not the aftermath. I mean, this is still a live ball with reconciliation particularly because you could pass that plan with just Romney and the Democrats. But that its a way in which you see the 60-vote threshold impeding bipartisanship. It seems plausible to me that there are bills out there that could get, lets call it 43 Democrats and nine Republicans, and in theory, pass, because thats a majority. But you cant pass a bill like that under a 60-vote threshold. So one of the very few actual glimmers of opportunity for bipartisanship here, a Republican comes up with a great bill, his own party is not going to let him pass that. And so Manchin and Sinema could work with Mitt Romney on this, but not in a filibuster world.

adam jentleson

Right, this bill is going to pass with, like, 51 votes or 52 votes because you get all the Democrats plus Romney. No, this is one of the biggest misconceptions about the filibuster. The misconception is the idea that it promotes bipartisanship, when, in fact, it does the opposite. Because it gives the party thats out of power the means, motive, and opportunity to block the party thats in power from getting anything done. And when the party thats in power doesnt get anything done, when voters see nothing but gridlock from Washington, they turn to the party thats out of power and try to put them back in office. And Republicans are well poised to take back majorities in both the House and Senate. All they need is a handful of seats to do so. So they have every rational political incentive to block Biden from achieving any victories. A program that, as you say, would cut child poverty massively would be a huge victory for Biden. The ability for Biden to pass it on a bipartisan basis would be a huge victory for his campaign promise to restore bipartisanship and unity. So Republicans collectively dont want to see President Biden standing at a signing ceremony with Mitt Romney, signing a bill that is going to massively slash child poverty because thats not good for their political interests and their desire to take back their majorities in the 2022 midterms. Im not saying this is right, but thats the rational political calculation for them. So thats why you have Rubio, Lee, and all these others who supposedly care about this issue coming out and shooting it down. The irony here is that the framers saw this coming. And they identified this misperception about supermajority threshold at the time in 1789. The reason they saw it was that they had just finished having direct firsthand experience with the Articles of Confederation, which did require a supermajority threshold for most major categories of legislation. And so, in Federalist 22, Alexander Hamilton addresses this misperception head on. And he says, what at first sight might seem a remedy, referring to a supermajority threshold, is, in fact, a poison. And he says  now Im going back to my words, but he says you might think it would cause compromise, but really, what it does is, it provides an irresistible temptation for the party thats out of power to make the party in power look bad. He uses the words to embarrass the administration and the good functioning of government. So its not what you would think at the time. You think, oh, 60 votes. Well, theres 50 Democrats so that means they got to get 10 Republicans, so thats going to force bipartisanship. But really, what it does is, give Republicans the ability to simply make Democrats look bad at all times. And in a polarized environment, thats the rational political choice.

ezra klein

So Im just going to read the section of the Federalist Papers  and this is from Federalist 22  just because I love the quote so much. The necessity of unanimity in public bodies or of something approaching towards it  so a supermajority requirement  has been founded upon a supposition that it would contribute to security. But its real operation is to embarrass the administration, to destroy the energy of the government, and to substitute the pleasure, caprice, or artifices of an insignificant, turbulent, or corrupt junto to the regular deliberations and decisions of a respectable majority. They really did look at this, and they really did reject it. And the point you made here  and frankly, the point they make there  I think is very important and very subtle. And it is one of the things that has actually changed in the way people thought about this over the course of my time in Washington. And I will immodestly say Ive tried very hard to get people to change the way they thought about this. Which is when I came to Washington, the dominant view was bipartisanship is something the minority wants, and the majority has to be incentivized to offer them. That the problem in governing is that if the majority is power, they will lock the minority out. They will never let them in. And so, you really need to construct your rules, such as the majority has a reason to work with the minority. And in reality, it is the precise reverse. Bipartisanship is something the majority wants and the minority does not have an incentive to give them. Because as you just said, if the majority looks like theyre doing a great job governing, they have these big bipartisan bills, they can run for reelection on that. And then the minority remains the minority. So if you want bipartisanship, you need to give the minority a really, really good reason to work against their own political self-interest and cooperate on these bills. There may not be that reason. Im not actually sure in a polarized system, bipartisanship is something we will ever get in high numbers. Other political systems do not have this fetishization that the opposition party is going to work with the governing party to govern. The opposition party opposes and the governing party governs. And then you see how that works out. But this is a really, really important point and something I think that Mitch McConnell understood, frankly, better than any Senate leader before him. He understood that he could get the majority back by sabotaging their ability to govern. And that was an important strategic insight.

adam jentleson

Yes, and he had the high risk tolerance necessary to sort of run the experiment because the conventional wisdom at the time was that the minority party would be punished by voters if they offered nothing but relentless obstruction, instead of cooperation. And when Obama came into office, he was riding a 67 percent approval rating, the highest since JFK. Democrats had made massive gains in the House and Senate for two straight cycles, 2006 and 2008. And the general conventional wisdom was that Republicans, if they wanted to avoid extinction as a party, should cooperate with this massively popular president and his giant majorities in the House and Senate. So it took a real bold insight and then a willingness to carry it out on McConnells part to sort of defy all of the conventional wisdom and say, no, we are going to oppose him at every turn. The 2010 midterms, which ended up being a disaster for Democrats, if you looked at them in 2009, it was not clear that Republicans were going to do well in those midterms. A lot of the Senate races were in states Obama won. And so it took sharp insight on McConnells part and the willingness to take the punishment from the punditocracy to carry out the strategy and deny Obama cooperation in every way. And what he did was he proved that blame for gridlock ends up being directed towards the party in power, and that the minority can really easily deflect blame simply by saying, well, you guys are in power, figure out a way to get things done. And if you sort of spread it out over time  and I remember this having been there and trying to sort of mount communications campaigns to lay the blame at Republicans feet  its really hard because people just dont want to hear it. They dont want to hear it. It sounds like excuses. And its diffuse. It happens over weeks and months. There are very few action-forcing points where you can use to hang the blame. So McConnell carried out that experiment. He proved the Republicans suffered, really, no blame at all. And then they have this massive success in the 2010 midterms taking back the House, gaining upwards of 50 seats in the House and seven seats in the Senate, taking Democrats down from 60 seats all the way to 53. So theres just really no question that his experiment worked and proved that obstruction in our current polarized environment is a successful political strategy for the party thats out of power.

ezra klein

Yeah, this is something I always want liberals to understand better about Mitch McConnell. He is not a unique, evil genius. Hes simply somebody who correctly understands the incentives of the system that we have set up and that we allow to roll forward. And in a way, hes weaker than other Senate leaders. A lot of other Senate leaders, because of their feelings about the Senate, because of how they wanted to be remembered, they fought the incentives of our zero-sum electoral system. They fought against the currents that were happening in their time. And maybe they werent entirely successful, but the thing McConnell does is capitulate to them. The thing McConnell does is say, OK, I am here to represent the Republican Party and to represent its interests. And so, obviously, my job is to maximize the Republican Partys power and strategic advantage under the rules to get the outcomes that I want. That isnt some crazy tactical insight. Its simply being unwilling to do what a lot of other leaders have done, which is show restraint because youre worried about where that path will lead. [MUSIC PLAYING] One of the things that I always try to tell people about the Senate  and because of your time there, Id be curious to hear how much you think this is a viable way of explaining it. I try to tell people when they think about Congress and its operation to not think about Congress, to just imagine you work in an office, and you work for a boss. And you dont like your boss, and you dont like what your boss is working on. And that importantly, for your boss to finish his project, he needs your help. And if you dont help him, he wont finish his project, and you may become the boss. And if you do help him, he will finish his project, and you may lose your job. And even if you dont lose your job, all your friends are going to be mad at you. So what do you do? And I think the answers pretty obvious. You wouldnt help your boss. But that is actually how Congress works, as best as I understand it. And yet, we expect people to overwhelm their own self-interest, minority players to overwhelm their own self-interest, because of tradition or something.

adam jentleson

Yeah, I think thats an extremely accurate way of looking at it. And then you add on to it. You have basically a massive cheering section, cheering you on to oppose your boss and throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at you and providing you unlimited resources to run ads against your boss and do everything you can to obstruct him. Im taking the analogy too far, but that is what you have, is you dont just have the opportunity to do it, but you have structural factors encouraging you to do it. You have donors demanding that you do it. You have your base demanding that you do it. So its not just taking the initiative. Its, in many ways, just sort of going with the flow that is already carrying you in that direction of obstruction and sort of legislative sabotage. I think about Merrick Garland in this context and the decision to block him in 2016. Because, look, in retrospect, this turns out to be one of the greatest political gambles, successful gambles, in recent history. But all McConnell was really doing was trying to cover his ass at the time. And people forget that in 2015 and 2016, McConnell was in a lot of trouble. And I think his job as leader was seriously in question. Republicans had just taken back the majority, but that was the only successful election cycle that theyd had under him, aside from 2010. And the leader job was very much, what have you done for me lately? The Tea Party was on the rise. Ted Cruz, in the summer of 2015, came to the Senate floor, and in a moment of shocking violation of Senate decorum, called Mitch McConnell a liar in front of the entire world. That fall of 2015, the Tea Party successfully ousted Speaker Boehner and were very explicit about the fact that they were turning their sights on Mitch McConnell next and trying to take him out. And then you had the rise of Donald Trump, who McConnell opposed. And so when Scalia died in February, the day that Scalia died, there was a Republican debate that night, and it was sort of widely suspected that Ted Cruz and probably also Donald Trump were going to use that debate to come out and demand that Mitch McConnell block any Obama nominee. So McConnell didnt want to be responding to a demand by Cruz or Trump. He wanted to get out in front of them. So literally, before Scalias body was cold, he issued a statement, getting out ahead of Cruz and getting out ahead of Trump, saying that he would block anyone Obama opposed. I think his calculation was that if he confirmed a third Obama Supreme Court nominee during the year of 2016 with a presidential election in full swing, if he had been responsible for installing a third Obama nominee on the Supreme Court and the Democrats took back the Senate and Hillary won the White House, as was widely expected at the time, that McConnell would have, at the very least, had a very aggressive challenge to his leader job. At that point, Republicans would have been in the majority for only two years, been bounced right back to the minority, and seen the confirmation of three Obama Supreme Court justices. Its not a very good record for McConnell to have been running on. So it was a bold move. I dont want to take away from that. And then he proceeded to execute it and keep people in line, which took a lot of work. But essentially, what he was trying to do was block a challenge to his leadership from his right flank and secure his right flank. And it worked. It paid off massively. But I dont think even he at the time had any idea that it would pay off as much as it has.

ezra klein

So I have a long discussion of that episode in my book, Why Were Polarized, which makes a wonderful pairing with Adams Kill Switch. Its like wine and cheese. And one of the things that I try to argue there and that I think is true is that it is important to step back from your outrage, if you are a liberal, about what Mitch McConnell did and just ask, what didnt make sense about the action? And one of the things that I try to show there using a fair amount of research on Supreme Court justices over time is that what had been happening for a long time predating the Merrick Garland affair is that Supreme Court nominations had gone from being relatively non-ideological, if very consequential votes, to very ideological ones. So if you look across to the 20th century, knowing which party nominated a Supreme Court justice in an age of not very polarized parties, not very ideological parties, did not tell you that much about how that justice was going to vote. You consistently had Republicans nominating justices who turned out to be very important liberals, like Earl Warren or David Souter. You had the same thing happen to Democrats a number of times. And that as the parties polarized ideologically, the rallying cry became, never again. They developed these big vetting structures, on the Republican side in particular, the Federalist Society, to make sure that the judges they nominated to the Supreme Court would be reliable, ideological partisans. And so that had already happened by that point. We have not had something like a Souter in a long time. Whatever people say about John Roberts, whos not gone as far as some of the crazier conservatives would like him to go, hes a quite conservative justice, who has done exactly what he was expected to do. And so, by the time you get to Merrick Garland and Mitch McConnell, youre operating in this weird mismatch between this idea that a vote for a Supreme Court justice should depend on whether they are qualified, not whether or not they are ideological, and this reality that ideological parties have constructed an ideological vetting system to get highly ideological justices to give them lifetime appointments to one of the most powerful bodies in the land. And yet, as we expect them to vote ideologically on everything else, we were still expecting somehow the other party to treat this one vote different. And Mitch McConnell just comes along and says, there is nothing different about this. We do not want Democrats to take over the Supreme Court with a more liberal justice. And so we will not let them. He didnt invent a new power. He just treated it like an ideological vote. And it feels to me that so much of the Senate is like that, that we have rules built, traditions built, norms built. For a time when the parties werent that ideological, but as a story I tell in my book goes, the parties became ideological. Then they began using the rules differently. And now were just caught in this mismatch era between a Senate that worked for the non-polarized parties of the 20th century, but simply doesnt work for the highly polarized parties of the 21st. And so, we all get our fainting couches every time a new norm is broken. But theyre not doing anything weird. Theyre just acting exactly as you would expect them to act, given the ideological stakes of the era. Is that wrong in some important respect?

adam jentleson

No, I think its right, and I think I took a similar approach to McConnell in my book, the chapter on this episode  I call it The Uniter  because what McConnell was essentially doing was uniting the two wings of his party. The judges was the one issue where the establishment wing of the Republican Party could reliably unite with the Tea Party base. And he had that insight. And it ended up being the glue that held those two sides together and led a lot of establishment Republicans to hold their nose and vote for Trump and potentially provide the margin of victory. In his book, Carl Hulse, The New York Times correspondent, argues that this was the decisive factor potentially. So no, I think its absolutely correct. Whats important to remember is that Republicans controlled the Senate Majority at the time. So one way to think about this is, what would we do as liberals if Chuck Schumer had been Majority Leader, and Donald Trump had nominated a Supreme Court justice? You can just imagine how the resistance base would have freaked out and told Schumer not to bring up Trumps Supreme Court nominee. So, expecting McConnell to have done differently is, in some ways, expecting him to defy the structural incentives that hes operating under. And I think that thats something that we have to think about and face as a cold hard fact of our time, and do away with this hope that any leaders at this point are going to rise above their structural incentives and take sort of a West Wing approach to uniting the country, and drill down on what needs to be done here to produce results to make the government function. And I think I would argue that that is restoring majority rule. I mean, one thing that I have lost sleep thinking about is, what would have happened if it had only taken a majority to confirm Supreme Court justices in 2016 when Garlands nomination came up? At the time, Reids nuclear option in 2013 left the 60-vote threshold in place for Supreme Court justices. So when Garland came up, Republicans had 53 votes, and Democrats had 47 seats in the Senate. So all McConnell had to do to block Garland was prevent 13 Republicans from breaking ranks. Thats a lot easier to do than preventing three Republicans from breaking ranks. Im not totally sure that he would have made the snap decision to try to block that nominee if he had had to keep three Republicans from breaking away. Thats much harder to do. I think knowing that he had a cushion of 13 votes gave him the confidence to make that snap decision and say, look, I dont know if I can hold Collins, Ayotte, and Murkowski for a year from voting for President Obamas nominee, but Im pretty sure that I can hold 13 Republicans from breaking ranks.

ezra klein

But isnt that why he simply never brought it to a vote? I mean, so much of the Senate, there are so many bills that could have an unusual coalition. But I think an undernoticed reason that you have very few bipartisan votes in the Senate is the leadership doesnt bring bills that split their own caucus to the floor. And in this case, one of McConnells key moves that liberals are very angry about to this day, but he didnt provide Garland a hearing. And I always understood that as trying to forestall exactly the situation youre talking about. Whether it was 13 or three, he didnt ever want to be in a situation where Republicans were asking themselves, does Merrick Garland deserve the seat? So he never let it get to a point where it would matter if he lost anybody because he controlled the floor structure, which Im not really sure I think is a good way for the Senate to work. And Id be curious for your thoughts on it. But my understanding is that was the key playwright there. So it never would have had an opportunity for Murkowski to break on the vote, because there was never going to be a vote because McConnells never going to hold a vote.

adam jentleson

Yeah, I do agree that deconstructing the power that has gone to leadership to control every aspect of the floor agenda, trying to democratize power in the Senate would be a good thing. I think that the ability of leadership to control every minute detail of what happens on the floor is a bad thing for the institution. I just think that the political pressure on Murkowski, Collins, and Ayotte, who did feel a lot of pressure in this and lost her Senate race that year, to break ranks would have been enormous if the three of them alone could have been the difference in proving that there was a majority for Garland. What the cushion of 13 allowed Republicans to do was dodge accountability. Because when reporters came to Ayotte or Collins or Murkowski or whoever, they could just sort of point that way, and point at their other colleagues, and say, dont ask me. Im not the decisive vote here, even if I came out and demanded a hearing. And they sort of did lean a little bit in that direction. It wouldnt have made a difference. And the insurmountability of that 13-vote cushion just took the steam out of the issue. It was very hard. We were trying to sort of mount a campaign and put pressure on Republicans to do this. But what I kept hearing from reporters again and again was, how are you going to get to 13? Theyre never going to break ranks. And when something becomes inevitable, and it seems inevitable this is never going to happen, its very hard to keep the issue alive. So who knows? I think probably the safe bet here is that McConnell, even if it was only three votes he had to keep in line, he would have found a way to keep them in line. But there is a big difference in the group dynamics when you have that majority threshold versus a supermajority threshold. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein

So theres an argument that in a closely divided country, or at least in a closely divided Senate, if you cant get to 60, you cant get meaningful bipartisanship, you just shouldnt do big things because itd be polarizing intrinsically to do big things. And I want to read you what Mitch McConnell said in 2014 in his speech about how if he took over the Senate, he would restore it to its old traditions and luster about this. And hes talking about Obamacare here. And he says, Without some meaningful buy-in, you guarantee a food fight. You guarantee instability and strife. It may very well have been the case that on Obamacare, the will of the country was not to pass the bill at all. Thats what I would have concluded if Republicans couldnt get a single Democrat vote for legislation of this magnitude. Id have thought, maybe this isnt such a great idea. Now, obviously, Mitch McConnell is a hypocrite. Obviously, he has run all kinds of bills without getting bipartisan votes. But a lot of people believe this underlying idea that if you cannot get bipartisan votes for something, maybe it isnt such a good idea. Maybe thats a signal you need to slow down and stop. Im curious what your response to them is.

adam jentleson

So, of course, McConnell spent enormous amounts of energy whipping Republicans to deny Obama bipartisan cooperation on Obamacare. So it wasnt just sort of a fact of life he was observing that he had failed to get a single Republican vote. It was something McConnell deployed every tool in his arsenal to do. And I detailed that in the book.

ezra klein

Its sort of the Jewish definition of chutzpah, right? A kid who kills his parents, demanding sympathy because hes an orphan.

adam jentleson

Yeah, exactly. I mean, it wasnt a real test of whether the ideas could get bipartisan cooperation because McConnell did everything he could to prevent it. But I actually would sort of flip it around and say, what if Obama had come into office in 2009, riding 67 percent popularity with these enormous majorities and having 60 seats in the Senate? And hed only need a majority to pass Obamacare. I would argue that that would have been much more effective at generating Republican cooperation than the need to get 60 votes. Because everybody would have taken it as a given that this bill was going to pass. And the only question was, what does it look like, and who gets to share credit for it? The idea that Republicans are going to work with him in the first place was based on the fact that there are Republicans like Senator Collins, Senator Snowe, maybe even Senator Grassley, whod worked on healthcare all their careers, who had endorsed on the record ideas like the ones Obama introduced, and that they could be incentivized to work with him. But instead, because of the need to get 60 votes, they were incentivized in the other direction. Democrats are ultimately able to pass it, but barely, and Republicans were able to delay it as long as possible and make it as politically painful as possible. If Obama only needed a majority, he would have passed that thing by the summer. And the only question for Snowe, Collins, Grassley, and those folks would be if they wanted to get a piece of the credit for it and if they wanted to help shape the policy to move it in their direction. They still could have decided no, but the bill would have passed. It would have passed faster. And the policy design would have been much more effective. We wouldnt have had to jerry rig it all these different ways that we did that made the benefits take longer to kick in, harder to execute, and all these things that ended up making a worse bill because we had to get 60 votes. The other thing that I would say to the central idea that bipartisanship is necessary to create lasting policy is that it just has never proven to be true. The Senate was a majority vote institution for the vast majority of its existence, all the way up until, arguably, the 70s and the 80s, when things started to more routinely face the filibuster in the 60-vote threshold. So if you think that thats a requirement, then you would have to discount any piece of legislation that you think was a good piece of legislation that passed over those previous 200 plus years. Medicare was not required to get a supermajority. It passed on a majority vote basis. It never had to clear a supermajority threshold. It never faced a filibuster. It got more than 50 votes because it was a good piece of legislation, and Republicans saw that it was passing, regardless of whether they opposed it or not. So they might as well get on board and try to influence it.

ezra klein

One of my favorite things that Ive ever seen about the Senate  now a political science professor, but then I think he was a grad student  David Broockmann was doing archival research, and he sent me this little letter that Mike Manatos, who was Lyndon Johnsons Senate liaison, so his lead representative to the Senate, sent Johnson about Medicare after the 64 election. Manatos says that given what weve seen in terms of who does and does not support Medicare and given who lost and won seats in the election, that if everybody is there and present and accounted for and voting, Medicare will pass with 55 votes. And at that point, you needed a two-thirds majority to break a filibuster. So that wasnt anywhere near what you would need to break a filibuster. But they didnt expect there would be a filibuster. And so, as you say, by then, when the things passing, a bunch of other Republicans jump on board so it ends up having a pretty strong majority in its favor. But the idea that you would imagine passing something like Medicare and not worry about the filibuster. And by the way, its not like there wasnt a filibuster in that time. The filibuster was being used constantly by the Southern bloc  and these were Southern Democrats  to block civil rights and anti-lynching laws. I mean, it has a horrifying history in this period. But its just not used, really, on anything else. So yeah, they won a bunch of seats. Medicare will pass with 55. And then because it is going to pass, a bunch of members of the Senate decide, better to be able to go home and brag about it and not get anybody running against you because you opposed Medicare than be on the wrong side of this one.

adam jentleson

Yeah, and I just want to hammer this home for your listeners because its so important. The Jim Crow era is a really good period to look at because you basically had two categories of legislation that encountered the legislative process very differently. You had civil rights, and you had everything else. Civil rights encountered the requirement to clear a supermajority threshold  at the time, it was two-thirds  in the Senate in order to pass. Everything else only had to clear a majority. Civil rights didnt pass. And I think its really important  for 87 years, every single civil rights bill that came before Congress  and there were many, from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to the first time a Southern filibuster was broken in 1964. Every single civil rights bill that came before the Senate was systematically forced to clear a supermajority threshold. And they were unable to do it. And so, they all failed. Its not like America wasnt ready to pass civil rights. I think one of the things that we sort of look back on with rose-colored glasses is the idea that maybe America wasnt quite ready until 1964. The filibuster played its cooling saucer role and waited until the country was ready for civil rights. Thats not true. There were federal anti-lynching laws. There were federal anti-poll tax laws. And there were laws to end workplace discrimination that all had majority support in the House. They passed the House. They came to the Senate. They appeared to have majority support in the Senate, and they had presidents of both parties ready to sign them. They also had massive public support. When Gallup polled federal anti-lynching laws in 1937, they found support at 72 percent, including a majority support in the South. Anti-poll tax laws also had upwards of 60 percent support. The country was ready for these civil rights laws, but because of the supermajority threshold, they didnt pass in the Senate. On the other hand, every other piece of legislation, all of the things that we passed to build post-war America, came and cleared because they had to pass only a majority threshold. They maybe every once in a while encountered a filibuster, but it was quickly resolved and they passed in a timely fashion. What weve done now is weve taken the process that we applied to civil rights during the Jim Crow era and started applying it to every other issue. And so the reason that there is gridlock on every issue you can possibly think of is that the solutions exist, but they have to clear a supermajority threshold. And so just like civil rights took 87 years to pass when the solutions existed, the country was ready for it, public support was there, thats why were seeing climate change, income inequality, immigration, gun control, you name it, finding it impossible to clear this threshold. Its an impossible threshold to clear. And we should go back to a system like we had before on every other issue, where if you could secure a majority in the House, a majority in the Senate, get a president to sign it, and could sustain scrutiny from the courts, thats the system Madison designed. And that should be what makes a bill a law.

ezra klein

I want to draw out a move that was made in that era, but before I do, I want to note something. Because theres a slight bit to that I disagree with you on. And it goes back to our budget reconciliation discussion earlier. We still do have two classes of legislation. And so for people who think this is not the world we live in now, one thing I do want to note is that all kinds of civil rights legislation that needs to be passed now  the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the For the People Act, which has all kinds of automatic voter registration and voter protection and amplifies small donor donations six to one, so you begin to rid big money of its control of politics  that will all get filibustered. DC statehood to enfranchise DC, which is primarily African-American voters, cannot pass because of the filibuster. But the Trump tax cuts could pass because he only needed 51 votes. You could repeal Obamacare because you only needed 51 votes. They didnt get it, but they could have. Theres still tracking. And I mean, it hits all kinds of different things now, so its not the way it was before, where its just civil rights issues. But I do want to note that civil rights issues remain subject to a much higher threshold than, say, a corporate tax cut. Something that you write about in the book that I thought was such a smart point is that in this era, a very effective move is taking something like, say, the anti-lynching bill that has 70 plus percent support, and saying the issue here is not lynching and what you think of lynching. The issue here is my right to be heard. Its a right to unlimited debate. Its the deliberation that makes our country great. And I think you see this still in all kinds of issues, where people say they dont want to debate the issue. They want debate free speech, right? The issue is not whether or not a bunch of senators and the president tried to whip up an insurrectionary mob against the Capitol. The issue is whether or not Josh Hawley is going to get to publish his book with Simon and Schuster or Regnery. Could you talk a bit about that way in which the filibuster is used to take the focus off of the issue and onto this question of debate?

adam jentleson

Yeah, and this is one of the great innovations that originated with John Calhoun, the senator from South Carolina and sort of the spiritual godfather of the Confederacy. People had been experimenting with obstruction before Calhoun came along. And theres sort of a very robust discussion among historians about which exactly was the first filibuster. But what Calhoun did that makes him really the father of the modern filibuster, is that he fused obstruction with this lofty defense of minority rights and an invented idea of the minoritys right to unlimited debate in the Senate. And just to level set on this, the framers did not intend the minority to have the right to unlimited debate in the Senate. They were very clear about this. Im not an originalist, but I think its important to establish this because this is where the conversation often goes. They implemented many rules and procedures that would allow a majority to end debate when it had become obstructionist and ceased to be about persuasion and just about blocking things. One of the major rules got taken off the rule books by mistake in 1806. No one noticed for decades, and then Calhoun in the 1830s realized that taking away this ability to end debate created the potential for unlimited debate. And so he started to say that this was what the Senate is about. And its about the minoritys ability to always speak as long as they wanted. Madison was alive, and at one point, he wrote to Calhoun and responded to his ideas. He wrote in response to Calhouns ideas that this is not what he intended at all. But then he died, and he was the last of the framers to go. And so then, Calhoun sort of had the floor to himself to reinvent the idea of the Senate. And what you find about this  and I think an example that you raise as well  is that theyre not doing this on behalf of a vulnerable minority. They are doing this on behalf of the wealthy, the powerful, and historically, throughout our history, often in pursuit of oppression of vulnerable people. For Calhoun, it was the maintenance of slavery. For senators in the Jim Crow era, it was the continued oppression of Black Americans in the reign of terror, known as Jim Crow. There was an instance in the 1940s, I believe, where there was a federal anti-poll tax bill on the floor, and you had a senator from Texas defeated on a filibuster and then tell the press immediately afterwards that the issue was not poll taxes, even though the state he represented, Texas, still had poll taxes on the book, but no, no, the issue was not Texass continued maintenance of poll taxes, it was free speech. And so that is an out for the powerful and the oppressive to ignore the consequences of their actions and try to make this about something else. I think part of the reason that it can be effective sometimes is that it does link back to what we consider sort of a foundational American value. And you hear people talking about free speech, and you hear people talking about the right of the minority to have their say and not be trampled upon by the majority. And you think, oh, yeah, thats actually a good idea. But when you see it in its use, it is far more consistently applied in defense of the wealthy, the powerful, and the oppressive, than it is applied in defense of minorities. Thats a structural factor. Its because conservatives, the party thats interested in maintaining the status quo, already have more power. So a tool that serves to block change helps them preserve power. And so its not a coincidence that its often used as a euphemistic defense of the wealthy and the powerful. And that is today how it continues to be used in the Senate.

ezra klein

There is truly nothing  like actually nothing  I find more galling than hearing senators defend an effort to block or deprive actual racial or ethnic minorities of rights under the rubric of minority rights. Right? The important thing is the right of the Republican Party to block bills that would ensure that African-Americans in this country have the right to vote, that it is the important thing is that the right of the minority, the Senate Republican minority, to block a bill that would allow Black and Brown, and for that matter, white residents of Washington, DC to have full representation in Congress, it is so Orwellian. Its one of the places where I have a lot of trouble keeping my cool.

adam jentleson

You have to take the idea that the real victims here are Josh Hawley and Mitch McConnell. Theyre the ones who need defenses of minority rights, not people who are being systematically denied the right to vote.

ezra klein

It drives me crazy. But this gets to something, and I want to talk a little bit about solutions here. So one of the things you will hear people come up with very quickly in this debate is, well, in the past, in order to filibuster, you really did have to hold the floor for long periods of time. We had to sit there and read from the phone book and bring your lunch and get tired and pass things off to other senators. So all we need to do to fix this is to restore the debate dimension of the filibuster. Now people just tell the leaders office theyre going to filibuster, and the leader doesnt bring anything up. What we need to do is make them hold the floor. Thats not the approach you would go for a solution here. Tell me why that wouldnt fix it.

adam jentleson

Its not that Im opposed to debate. I do think that people should have to debate. I mean, one of the insidious things about the filibuster as it operates right now is that people dont just get to raise the threshold for passing a bill all the way up to 60 votes, but they get to do it in silent and never have to explain themselves. They never have to explain why they oppose this bill that is supported by a majority. So I do think we should find a way to restore the requirement to debate in sort of a use it or lose it way. But to me, the essential question of reform really comes down to, can a majority, within a reasonable amount of time, end the debate section of a bills consideration? Because just so your listeners know, thats where the bills get held up. Every time a bill comes to the floor, it is entitled to debate under the rules. And the 60-vote hurdle is the vote to end that debate period and then go to the voting period. The voting period still is at a majority threshold. Its because you cant end the debate period, which is the 60-vote requirement, that bills die. You have to clear a bills path to passage from introduction to final passage to be majority votes all the way through. I dont mind, and I think it would probably be healthy if the path to passage was slower than in the House. It did allow people to debate if they chose to use that time. But when that debate becomes solely for the purpose of obstruction and delay and ceases to be about persuasion, you have to be able to end it on a majority vote and move the bill to the final stage of passage at a majority vote. That is how the framers intended the Senate to be. That would be a restoration of their original Senate. And thats what I think we need today.

ezra klein

So if you could rewrite the rule, how would it read?

adam jentleson

The rule as it is right now, called Rule 22, it is an attempt to bring cloture  which should be closure, but its very confusing. They changed the S to a T, and now everybody is confused about it. So right now, the rule allocates certain amounts of time for debate. So all you really have to do is decide what you want those amounts of times to be. It could be three days. It could be five days. It could be a week. But basically, it would say after this allocation of time, a majority can vote to end debate. The minority would have to use that time to its fullest. And if they dont use that time at any point, the majority would be allowed to quickly end debate and move to a final vote. Maybe people dont want a debate a bill for a week. No ones going to force them to debate it for a week if they dont want to. But lets say a week is the maximum. After that maximum amount of debate time is used, a majority could vote to end debate. The bill would then, in a day or so, move to the final stage. It would vote up or down, and the world could move on. The issue would pass or fail, majority rule, the way a democracy should work. Things would actually start getting done.

ezra klein

So as your book demonstrates, the history of efforts to weaken the filibuster is a history of unintended consequences. Originally, the filibuster comes from a rules change that nobody quite recognizes what its done, until, as you say, Calhoun and others understand what unlimited debate actually can mean. Then for a long time, there is no closure rule. Thats until 1917, so filibuster in theory can never be broken, so long as the people doing it dont give up. Then it goes from two-thirds of the Senate down to three-fifths. And during this whole period, filibusters keep getting more and more and more frequent. The weaker it gets, the more it is used. There are a lot of reasons for this. We dont need to go into all of them. But from a liberal perspective, there is a way of worrying that getting rid of the filibuster will have an outcome they dont like, which is to say that because Republicans win rural areas and Democrats win urban ones, and the Senate is designed to overrepresent rural areas, there is somewhere between a three and seven-point Republican bias in the Senate. Democrats need to win a huge majority of the popular vote in order to win a Senate majority. Right now, 50 Democrats in the Senate represent 41 million more people than 50 Republicans in the Senate. And put simply, one should expect Republicans to hold the Senate more often  quite a bit more often  because they have this quite substantial, and as far as we can tell, growing advantage in the geography of the country. Now Democrats could get rid of the filibuster and add things like DC and offer statehood to Puerto Rico. But even that wouldnt fully balance the scales. So one thing Ive heard from some Democrats  this is not crazy  is that they worry that getting rid of the filibuster will simply mean that Republicans, who will control the Senate more often, will have more power. What do you tell them?

adam jentleson

I tell them that if you are counting on forbearance from Mitch McConnell in not getting rid of the filibuster himself when he takes back power, because we didnt get rid of it now, then Ive got a bridge to sell you. I think that 

ezra klein

But he didnt get rid of it under Trump. Trump wanted to get rid of it, and he said no.

adam jentleson

Well, he did get rid of it for Supreme Court justices because thats what he cared about the most, and thats what he wanted to pass. I think that if Republicans retake power, the minute they have something that they really want to pass that can get 51 votes, but cant clear 60, theyll get rid of the filibuster in a heartbeat. I think that a strategy that is designed to preserve a defensive tool is not a good strategy if the opponents can get rid of that defensive tool whenever they want to. I would also say, look at the world around you today. And if you like it just the way it is, and you dont think that any big structural reforms to our democracy need to pass, anything like a John Lewis Voting Rights Act, statehood, automatic voter registration, or any other issue you care about like climate change, healthcare, income inequality, if you dont see the need for any big changes, then fine, oppose getting rid of the filibuster. If, however, you think that we need changes on any one of these issues, let alone all of them, then you have to support getting rid of the filibuster because it is the only way were going to make major change. And I do think, look, I mean, this is  were in a perilous moment in our democracy here. In some ways, were picking between a lot of not great options. But I would argue that the best option we have on the table is to seize the moment that we have right now to try to fix some of these structural problems that youre talking about. And I do think things like DC statehood and Puerto Rico statehood, if Puerto Rico wants it, would help rebalance the Senates tilt towards rural states. That would be very significant and help create a more level playing field. Passing a John Lewis Voting Rights Act would take away some of the enormous advantage the Republicans are staked to in every single election. If we dont pass any of those things, Republicans are going to still hold all of the cards that you described. And then theyre going to have the option to get rid of the filibuster whenever they want to. So we have to seize the moment. In my book, I talk about an effort to get rid of the electoral college in 1970, which might sound fantastical now, but was actually very realistic at the time and came very close to happening. The reason for it was that both parties wanted to get rid of it. The 1968 election was weird. George Wallace almost denied Nixon an electoral vote majority. So both the Republicans and the Democrats had an incentive to get rid of the electoral college. They came extremely close to doing it. And one of the reasons that they were unable to do it is that at the last minute, a small group of liberals got cold feet and decided that their short-term interests outweighed the structural advantage of getting rid of the electoral college. So you see how that worked out. I think that when you have the opportunity to fix some of these structural inequities, if we had taken that opportunity in 1970, George W. Bush would never have been president, nor would Donald Trump have been president. So I think that the advantages of trying to fix these structural imbalances when you have the opportunity far outweighs the narrow gains of keeping them in place, especially when your opponents can simply get rid of those narrow gains whenever they decide they want to if theyre back in power.

ezra klein

From your lips to Joe Manchins ears. Lets do a couple of book recommendations before we wrap up here. Let me begin with the obvious one. Whats just your favorite book?

adam jentleson

Of all time?

ezra klein

Yeah.

adam jentleson

My favorite book of all time is Double Indemnity by James Cain. Its a noir classic, and Im sort of obsessed with noir. Its short. It packs a massive wallop. And I read it a lot.

ezra klein

Whats your favorite book on the Senate?

adam jentleson

Its got to be Master of the Senate. I mean, theres just no  no one holds a candle to Caro. And the reason I like it is that he is not reverent for the institution in a way that I think a lot of people who write about the Senate are. And he is very good about showing how the individuals who have come through the institution have shaped it. And I think his work  I mean, I dont want to seem presumptuous to say, but was hugely influential on my own.

ezra klein

What book that youve read in the last year would you recommend most to the audience?

adam jentleson

Heather McGhees The Sum of Us. I was lucky to read an early copy. Its incredibly good. I think that its a holistic look at the cost of racism in America, and its incredibly thoughtful. She moves deftly from political science, sociology, to history, and its just an incredible book. And I would highly recommend it.

ezra klein

Ill second that and also note that shell be on the show on Tuesday. So if you want to tune in then. And then finally, your favorite childrens book?

adam jentleson

Where the Wild Things Are.

ezra klein

Oh, thats so good.

adam jentleson

Its so good, and I think its great because its not a happy tale. And I think it really gets into that ambivalence that you feel as a child and helping think through some of the tougher parts of childhood. But its been a big hit for both our kids. And its definitely my favorite.

ezra klein

Your book is Kill Switch. It is my favorite book on the modern U.S. Senate. And believe me, you did not get the full of it listening to this conversation. So if you want to understand why the place works the way it does or doesnt work the way it does, you should read Kill Switch. Adam Jentleson, thank you very much.

adam jentleson

Thank you. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein

A $1.5 billion property fund is waiting to pounce on distressed buildings as the COVID-19 crunch further disrupts Melbournes commercial property market, emptying office towers.

The seismic shift in workplace attitudes caused by the pandemic is prompting big corporations, which cannot break long-term leases signed before the pandemic, to flood subleasing markets with excess unwanted office floors because staff are working from home.

The Little Bourke Street building that once housed Paddy Pallin outdoor store and B-grade office space could be among those ripe for conversion. Credit:Simon Schluter

Between June and December last year the amount of available sublease space in the CBD soared 186 per cent to 182,416 square metres, a figure three times the normal annual average, commercial real estate agency CBRE estimated.

And a long list of corporate tenants were considering shedding office space including Australian Super, Medibank, AGL, Origin, KPMG, NBN, CUB and Deloitte, two people from prominent commercial property firms, who asked not to be identified because it would jeopardise commercial deals, told The Age. Thats just the tip of the iceberg, said one.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned the government over its agreement with China on disengagement in eastern Ladakh, and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "ceded" Indian territory to the Chinese. His attack on the government came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament that India has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China and it will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken away by anyone.

Addressing a press conference, Gandhi said Singh "sheepishly" made a statement on the LAC situation in both Houses of Parliament and it emerged that Indian troops are now going to be stationed at Finger 3.

"Finger 4 is our territory, that is where our post used to be. Now we have moved from Finger 4 to Finger 3. Why has Prime Minister Modi given up Indian territory to the Chinese. This is the question that needs to be answered by him and the Defence minister," Gandhi said.

Why have Indian troops, after the hard work that they had done in capturing Kailash ranges, been asked to move back, Gandhi asked. "What has India got in return for this? Most importantly, the more important strategic area, Depsang plains, why have the Chinese not moved back? These are the real questions. Why have they not moved from Gogra-Hot Springs", the former Congress chief asked.

"It is the responsibility of the prime minister to protect the territory of the country. The prime minister has ceded Indian territory to the Chinese," he alleged.

The Indian government's position at the beginning of this was status quo ante as in April 2020 that is what they were negotiating for, he asserted.

In a breakthrough after a nine-month border standoff, Defence Minister Singh had announced in Parliament on Thursday that India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to "cease" forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner.

Singh had shared the details of the pact to defuse the tense military face-off in eastern Ladakh that severely strained ties between the two Asian giants.

In an identical statement later in the Lok Sabha, he had said the disengagement process was "going on well", and that the implementation of the pact will "substantially restore" the situation to the one which existed prior to the standoff that erupted on May 5 last.
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The New York Times

Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
A handout photo made available by the United States Forces Korea shows Members of Team Osan preparing to receive the first round of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020. Yonhap



South Korea and the United States are getting close to a new defense cost-sharing agreement for American troops here, CNN reported Friday, as they seek to bolster their alliance and defense posture.



The two sides may be "just weeks away" from signing a deal, CNN said, citing five sources familiar with the matter.



The U.S. news outlet reported that the deal is likely to be "a multi-year agreement that increases Seoul's contribution to cover the presence of U.S. troops at around the 13 percent increase South Korea had suggested in 2020."



It added the final agreement could include "mandated increases in South Korea's defense budget" and Seoul making certain military equipment purchases.






Engulfed in the crush of rioters storming the Capitol, D.C. police officer Jeffrey Smith sent his wife a text that spoke to the futility and fears of his mission.

"London has fallen," the 35-year-old tapped on his phone at 2:38 p.m. on Jan. 6, knowing his wife would understand he was referencing a movie by that name about a plan to assassinate world leaders attending a funeral in Britain.

The text confirmed the frightening images Erin Smith was watching on live stream from the couple's home in Virginia: The Capitol had been overrun.

Six minutes after Smith sent that text, a Capitol Police officer inside the building shot and killed a woman as she climbed through a smashed window next to the House chamber.

Smith, also inside the Capitol, didn't hear the gunshot, but he did hear the frantic "shots fired" call over his police radio. He later told Erin he panicked, afraid rioters had opened fire on police, and wondered whether he would die.

Around 5:35 p.m., Smith was still fighting to defend the building when a metal pole thrown by rioters struck his helmet and face shield. After working into the night, he visited the police medical clinic, was put on sick leave and, according to his wife, was sent home with pain medication.

In the days that followed, Erin said, her husband seemed in constant pain, unable to turn his head. He did not leave the house, even to walk their dog. He refused to talk to other people or watch television. She sometimes woke during the night to find him sitting up in bed or pacing.

"He wasn't the same Jeff that left on the sixth. . . . I just tried to comfort him and let him know that I loved him," she said. "I told him I'd be there if he needed anything, that no matter what we'll get through it. I tried to do the best I could."

Smith returned to the police clinic for a follow-up appointment Jan. 14 and was ordered back to work, a decision his wife now questions. After a sleepless night, he set off the next afternoon for an overnight shift, taking the ham-and-turkey sandwiches, trail mix and cookies Erin had packed.

On his way to the District, Smith shot himself in the head.

Police found him in his cherished Ford Mustang, which had rolled over and down an embankment along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, near a scenic overlook on the Potomac River.

He was the second police officer who had been at the riot to take his own life.

- - -

For days, Smith's wife in Virginia and his family in Illinois grieved privately.

That changed Jan. 26, when acting D.C. police chief Robert J. Contee III testified behind closed doors to a congressional committee, telling lawmakers about the "service and sacrifices" of officers who died after having been at the siege.

Contee named three officers. One was Brian D. Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who collapsed after engaging rioters and later died. Another was Howard Liebengood, 51, a Capitol officer who took his own life three days after the riot.

The third was Smith.

That two police officers had died by suicide after confronting rioters thrust the most private of acts into the national spotlight and made clear that the pain of Jan. 6 continued long after the day's events had concluded, its impact reverberating through the lives removed from the Capitol grounds.

Now, families of both Smith and Liebengood - who were buried in private ceremonies lacking the pageantry that accompanied Sicknick's memorial service in the Capitol Rotunda - want the deaths of their loved ones recognized as "line of duty" deaths.

The suicides have also renewed attention on another troubling and often hidden issue: Police officers die by their own hands at rates greater than people in other occupations, according to a report compiled by the Police Executive Research Forum in 2019, after at least nine New York City police officers died by suicide that year. That report said officer suicides outpace deaths of law enforcement members killed in shootings and vehicular crashes.

Since George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis and the sometimes volatile demonstrations that followed in cities across the country, "the occupation has been under tremendous scrutiny by the public," said John Violanti, a research professor at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions.

"I think that officers are suffering from this," said Violanti, who studies suicides by police officers. "There's a feeling of a huge lack of support, not only from the public but from administrations."

Even before the Capitol riot, police officers in the District were exhausted after months of sustained demonstrations for racial, social and political justice, some of which turned violent. Later, there were more violent confrontations when right-wing extremists came to rally in support of President Donald Trump.

About 850 D.C. police officers - nearly a quarter of the force - responded to the Capitol riot, and 65 were injured in hours of hand-to-hand combat. More than 70 Capitol Police officers were hurt.

Newly released audio from D.C. police at the riot shows how police were overwhelmed. "Multiple Capitol injuries, multiple Capitol injuries," one officer screamed over his radio. Later an officer shouted, "We're still taking rocks, bottles and pieces of flag and metal pole." And an officer pleaded for help: "We lost the line. We've lost the line. All MPD, pull back to the upper deck, ASAP."

Officers were struck with poles, dragged down stairs and sprayed with bear spray. One suffered a heart attack.Another lost a finger, D.C. police said.

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., one of the House managers, said Thursday at Trump's impeachment trial that rioters questioned officers' patriotism and loyalty, calling them Nazis, traitors and un-American "for protecting us."

"Several Capitol police officers have reportedly threatened self-harm in the days following the riot," Cicilline said during the trial. "And in one case, an officer voluntarily turned in her gun because she was afraid of what might happen."

Contee knew the emotional toll would be devastating. One officer, he had recalled, told him the siege was scarier than two tours as a soldier in Iraq.

The chief, who said he planned to make officer mental health a focus of his leadership, called on department counselors to hold group sessions, thinking officers would be seen quickly and that sharing their experiences might ease any concerns about getting help. More than 30 meetings were held, with individual follow-ups for some.

"We wanted to get to the most people in the least amount of time," Contee said.

Smith's family attorney said the officer did not attend any counseling sessions while he was on sick leave. He also said no one from the department reached out to Smith about attending.

- - -

Smith, a car enthusiast who grew up in Illinois, moved to the D.C. area 12 years ago after graduating college with a degree in sociology, having spotted openings on the District's police force.

He spent his career in the Second District, his latest beat roughly 40 square blocks east of the White House.

He met Erin, who works for an executive search firm, several years ago on the Internet; they shared a love for cars, a topic that dominated their initial conversations.

They married in 2019 and settled in Virginia.

He took careful care of his prized black 2015 Mustang and his Rottweiler-lab mix, which predated Erin. "We always joked," she said, "it was the car, the dog and me." Feb. 2 would have been their second anniversary.

He typically worked night shifts, and on Sundays Erin made it a ritual to drive into the District and share dinner with Smith on a bench on the Mall. Smith, in his uniform, never hesitated to give tourists directions, and he once sent Erin to her car to fetch jumper cables so he could restart a woman's dead battery with his police cruiser.

Smith had worked many of the demonstrations that began over the summer, telling his wife a chunk of concrete thrown at officers once only narrowly missed his head. She said he talked about one of his friends injured on a protest line who felt he didn't get adequate care.

But he mostly shielded his wife from the intimate and sometimes scary parts of his job.

"There were events that I'm sure happened that bothered him," Erin said, but he didn't want her to worry.

Hours after the siege at the Capitol had ended, Smith later told his wife, he found himself with other officers outside a hotel where insurgents were believed to be staying. Their orders were to arrest any who came outside, at that point breaking a citywide curfew imposed by the mayor to restore order.

At 9 p.m., he told two supervisors he was in pain from being hit by the pole, and he was sent to the Police & Fire Clinic in Northeast Washington, run by a contractor and the first step for nearly every officer injured on the job.

He checked in at the clinic at 10:15 p.m., according to records shared by his family.

On his police injury form, he wrote: "Hit with flying object in face shield and helmet." He added that he "began feeling pain in my neck and face."

He checked out 1:31 a.m. on Jan. 7, his status listed as "sick," though no diagnosis is noted. Erin does not know if he told the staff about any emotional issues.

"He told me it was chaos," she said of the clinic. "There were so many people there."

In an interview, Contee said 16 officers injured in the riot went to the clinic Jan. 6, and he believes Smith was seen more quickly there than he would have at a hospital emergency room. Officers who were severely injured that night, including the one who suffered a heart attack, were taken directly to hospitals; others went to the clinic in the days that followed the riot.

The chief described care given to officers as "adequate" but noted, "We can always do better."

Erin has questions about her husband's care at the Police & Fire Clinic. She said he told her he was seen for only about 10 minutes when he returned Jan. 14 and was approved to return to work the following day.

She wonders whether there were indications of a serious head injury or signs of emotional distress, and she is seeking his complete medical file. Police officials would not comment on specifics of Smith's visit, citing privacy laws. Representatives for PFC Associates, which runs the clinic, did not respond to an interview request.

Smith didn't talk much about the details of what he experienced during his hours at the Capitol, Erin said. She didn't press, but even from the little she learned, she thinks the images she saw on live stream did not fully capture what police experienced. Before the riot, the family's lawyer said, Smith had not been diagnosed with or exhibited signs of depression.

Erin is convinced the trauma of Jan. 6 made the thought of returning to policing unbearable for him.

"If he didn't go to work that day," Erin said, "he would still be alive."

- - -

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., invoked Smith and Liebengood's names during Sicknick's memorial at the Capitol, and acting Capitol Police chief Yogananda D. Pittman included a mention of Liebengood along with Sicknick in a videotaped statement released last week. She said that many officers are "understandably struggling" and that the officers' deaths "will not be in vain."

On Tuesday, the lead manager at Trump's impeachment trial, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), recited injuries officers suffered and said that "two officers have taken their own lives." The Capitol siege occurred the day after Raskin's son was buried after taking his own life New Year's Eve.

Liebengood's family did not wish to speak publicly. Their attorney, Barry Pollack, said the family believes Liebengood's suicide should be treated no differently than the death of an officer in a shooting or traffic accident. "But for his service to the country, they believe he would be alive today," Pollack said.

But classifying Smith and Liebengood's deaths as "in the line of duty" could be difficult.

Experts caution suicide is not typically due to a singular event, even a traumatic one, and precise reasons are generally rooted in a wide variety of factors that are often never fully understood.

And in many jurisdictions, including the District, rules or laws governing pensions exclude extra payouts in suicides. D.C. law says the fatality must be "the sole and direct" result of an on-duty injury and one not caused by an "intention to bring about his own death."

The chairman of the D.C. police union, Greggory Pemberton, said he would support a "thorough investigation" into the reasons behind Smith's suicide, but he stressed a line-of-duty designation for Smith at this time would be "premature." The head of the union for the Capitol Police did not respond to questions about Liebengood.

In the interview, Contee sidestepped whether he would support such a request for Smith. A spokeswoman for Capitol Police did not return a request for comment.

The attorney for Smith's family, David P. Weber, has enlisted the help of two members of Congress from Virginia, where the two officers lived. A representative for Sen. Tim Kaine, D, said he supports the family's efforts.

Rep. Don Beyer, D, who represents the district where Smith lived, said the officer died "pretty much as a direct result" of the riot. "We need to recognize that his death also was tragic, and his actions also were heroic."

Erin had watched as President Joe Biden and other luminaries visited the Rotunda to pay respects to Sicknick as he lay in honor, his remains taken by police escort to Arlington National Cemetery. Officers who die in the line of duty are also remembered on memorial walls and in annual ceremonies.

She believes her husband also deserves a place among the heroes who battled at the Capitol that day.

"It is time the District recognized that some of the greatest risks police officers face lead to silent injuries," Weber said. "Why do we say that one person is honored and another person is forgotten? They all faced the exact same circumstances."

- - -

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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

A man aged in his 40s has died following a shooting in Dublin.

The incident took place in the Ballymun area at around 9pm on Thursday.

Gardai said the man received a number of gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

It has been cordoned off for a technical examination to be carried out by the Garda Technical Bureau.

Gardai are appealing for anyone with information in relation to this incident to come forward.

A spokesperson said officers are particularly appealing to anyone who was in the Belclare Terrace and Belclare Park areas between 8pm and 9.15pm on Thursday.

Anyone with any information in relation to this matter should contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full 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 High-Profile Ethnic Rakhine Political Prisoners Among Those Freed to Mark Myanmar Union Day

Dr Aye Maung in 2014 / The Irrawaddy

YANGONProminent ethnic Rakhine politician Dr. Aye Maung and writer Wai Hin Aung, who were sentenced to long jail sentences for high treason, were freed on Friday as part of the military regimes release of inmates, including political prisoners, to mark Union Day.

Their relatives confirmed to The Irrawaddy that the two were released from Insein Prison in Yangon at around 11 a.m. on Friday.

Dr. Aye Maung and Ko Wai Hin Aung have been released. I have spoken with Dr. Aye Maung directly over the phone, said U Aung Than Wai, a friend of Dr. Aye Maung.

The State Administrative Council said in an announcement signed by coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing that it had ordered the release of 23,314 prisoners across the country to mark Union Day, which falls on Feb. 12.

Citing Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the announcement states that the prisoners release is conditional; should they be convicted of another offense, they would have to serve the remainder of their previous sentence in addition to the new one.

A total of 231 prisoners were released from Sittwe Prison in Rakhine States capital. Among those released are armed forces personnel imprisoned for unauthorized absence from military service, those who were imprisoned for using or selling drugs, and some Rohingya prisoners.

In March 2019, Dr. Aye Maung and writer Wai Hin Aung were sentenced to 20 years in prison for high treason under Article 122 of the Penal Code and another two years for sedition under Article 505, to be served concurrently.

The duo were arrested in January 2018 in Sittwe for remarks they made earlier that month at an event in Rathedaung Township commemorating the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Arakan kingdom to the Burmese in 1785.

In January 2020, the pair lost a special appeal to the Supreme Court of the Union. They spent more than 18 months behind bars in Yangons Insein Prison.

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US Unveils New Sanctions on Myanmar Military Regime Leaders, Associates

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Black legislators were understandably upset last week when the S.C. General Assembly rejected all four black candidates for judgeships and elected 24 white judges. Just as theyve been upset nearly every time the Legislature has selected judges since Republicans took control of the House and Senate. And back when Democrats were in control of both bodies.

Because in a state thats nearly a third black, only 13% of Supreme, Appeals, Circuit and Family court judges are black.

Judges are supposed to make their decisions based on the U.S. Constitution, the state constitution, the laws and the evidence presented in the courtroom. So it shouldn't matter what race they are. But the fact is that race, like gender and age and geography and life experience  especially life experience  influences how judges process the facts and the legal arguments that are presented inside that courtroom.

Even if you decide you want only conservative judges, a conservative judge who grew up in poverty is going to process that information differently than a conservative judge who grew up in wealth, one from the Upstate differently than one from the Lowcountry, a woman differently than a man and, yes, a black conservative judge differently than a white conservative judge. Its not only reasonable but wise to want to see those differences reflected on the bench.

We dont think most legislators are deliberately refusing to elect black judges. But they're not deliberately trying to diversity the bench, in terms of race or gender or much of anything else. And the only way to change the status quo is to have someone who says, when I have two equally qualified candidates, Im going to pick the black one, or the woman, or the one who grew up in poverty, or the one who grew up on a farm, or the one who chose law as a second career, or whatever.

The key to that sentence is someone  as in, one person, instead of 170 people.

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When 170 legislators elect 24 judges, theyre all jockeying to get their preferred candidates elected. Oh, you like this candidate in the fifth race? Well, I dont really care, so Ill vote for your candidate  if youll vote for mine in the eighth race. And I really want that candidate in the eighth race to win, so Ill vote for this other legislator's candidate in the first race even though I sort prefer the other one. And so on until you have 24 different winning coalitions. When one person appoints 24 judges, he can make race or gender or geography or anything else a priority.

The huge flaw in the way South Carolina selects judges is that its controlled entirely by the Legislature, with no input from the third co-equal branch of government, the governor. Lawmakers could fix this by either letting the governor instead of legislative leaders appoint the members of the nominating commission that vets candidates or by letting the governor appoint candidates from among those nominated, and with Senate confirmation.

Either change would solve the problem of too much legislative control over the judiciary, but gubernatorial appointment would also solve the problem with diversity  or at least make a solution conceivable.

It is inconceivable that any S.C. governor in the past 50 years who had to appoint 24 judges, and had four qualified African Americans to choose from, would appoint 24 white judges. Indeed, for decades now, S.C. governors have done a better job than the Legislature at diversifying their appointments. Gov. Mark Sanford, for example, had a Cabinet that was 25% black (and 33% female), even though far fewer black people than that are Republicans.

If Henry McMaster doesnt have a very diverse Cabinet  and he doesnt, with two African Americans and three women among 15 or 18 members, depending on how you define the Cabinet  its at least in part because people havent been focusing on this as much as they did with his predecessors. Thats a problem of priorities, not of the idea.

You know what they say about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Thats what people who want more diversity on the bench have been doing for decades. Maybe its time to work with those Republicans who have been trying for years to let the governor appoint judges. Its hard to imagine the results could be less diverse than what were getting now.
Photo: The Canadian Press In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, handguns for sale are lined up in a display case at Frontier Justice in Lee's Summit, Mo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Charlie Riedel

The Liberal government is poised to introduce legislation as early as next week aimed at strengthening gun control.

The long-promised bill would flesh out last spring's ban of many firearms, propose stricter storage provisions and target gun smuggling.

The government outlawed a variety of firearms by cabinet order in May, saying they were built for the battlefield, not hunting or sport-shooting.

The ban covers some 1,500 models and variants of what the government considers assault-style weapons, meaning they can no longer be legally used, sold or imported.

The bill is expected to propose a program to buy back these firearms at fair market value, but allow owners to keep them with strict conditions.

The government has long signalled its intention to empower municipalities to manage the storage and use of handguns within their individual jurisdictions, given that they have different needs and concerns.
The so-called Kansas City paper-of-record offers stunning mental gymnastics for subscribers this morning by way of an editorial screed which mixes partisan political vitriol with typical justification for misplaced civic priorities.



Here are the highlights, try to follow along because the connections are razor thin.



Helpful hint . . .

The Capitol insurrection is to blame for KCMO budget problems.



It's unclear how that's possible and the polemic doesn't really help explain it beyond the mayor's quotes. . . So here goes:



"Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is proposing a $12 million cut to the budget of the Kansas City Police Department . . .



"But given that so much of our city budget is spent on public safety, there is no way, in the middle of this pandemic that wont be over until most of us get vaccinated, that the KCPD could or should be spared this 4.3% cut.

"As Lucas has been saying for months, it was the refusal of congressional Republicans to send any pandemic relief to cities that will now necessitate some degree of defunding all over the country . . .

We hear all the time about irresponsible cities that because theyre run by Democrats deserve no COVID-19 relief, the mayor said in a Tuesday night interview. But if wed received CARES Act funding that allowed for revenue replacement, there would be no cuts to the police department.

Stunning conclusion . . .



"This is a little bit like those in the pro-Donald Trump mob at the U.S. Capitol who were carrying Blue Lives Matter flags  while attacking police officers. It doesnt track, does it?



"Its because of our Republican defunding of government, Lucas said, that were being forced to reevaluate how to keep the city as safe as possible with less funding for police officers."

Quick guide to follow along . . .



- Republicans are to blame for KCMO budget problems that have been decades in the making by way of EPIC taxpayer giveaways and a focus on funding tourist attractions.

- KCPD are first to suffer cuts amid the COVID budget crisis but it's important to remember that the capitol insurrection proves former Prez Trump hates police far more than Mayor Q.

- The police are to blame for Kansas City's historic murder spike. Hiring more cops doesn't keep Kansas City safe even if neither the dept. nor the mayor has worked to meet staffing goals set in 1968.



Accordingly . . .



Good luck deciphering any of these arguments given that most objections via social media are easily cast aside as racially charged hatred akin to the death threats the mayor has suffered.



Meanwhile, KCMO quickly approaches bankruptcy despite an abundance of nearly indecipherable rhetoric and newspaper discount offers.



You decide . . .
Ankara has no plans to abandon its purchase of Russias S-400 air defense systems, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told the TRT broadcaster.

"The decision on the S-400 systems was not made overnight, which is what we told our American colleagues. The S-400 agreement was signed about four months before the CAATSA [Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act]," he said.

From the legal standpoint, U.S. statements are inconsistent. The U.S. said that it would not hold talks on the matter at the moment," Kalin pointed out.

Moscow and Ankara signed a contract for the delivery of the S-400 systems in 2017. Turkey became the first NATO country to purchase these systems from Russia, drawing a negative reaction from the United States and NATO in general.

In particular, Washington said that "Turkeys decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible." The US also threatens to impose sanctions on Turkey over the S-400 deal but Ankara warned that such a move would not go unanswered.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

Five months after launch, the Microsoft Surface Duo is finally set to cross the boundaries of the US. The dual-screen folding smartphone will be available in Europe and Canada next week. The device will go on sale in Canada, the UK, Germany, and France from February 18th. Its the first time the Surface Duo has been commercially available outside the US.

In the UK, the Surface Duo will be available from the Microsoft Store as well as third-party retailer Currys PC World. Microsoft has priced its first Android smartphone at 1,349 in the country. Buyers in Germany, meanwhile, will have to shell out 1,549 euros to own this unique folding smartphone.

The pricing details of the phone in France and Canada are not known yet. However, its French price should be just about the same as the German price. Well have to wait for confirmation on the Canadian price of the Surface Duo though.

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Microsoft Surface Duo gets another price cut in the US

After several months of waiting, Microsoft finally launched the dual-screen Surface Duo in September last year. The device arrived in the US market on September 10 with a price tag of $1,399. However, by the end of October, it was already selling for $1,199, a discount of $200.

Now as Microsoft prepares to bring the Surface Duo to international markets, it is getting another major discount in the US. The base variant of the phone (128GB) is now selling for just $999 in the country. Unfortunately, though, Microsoft isnt offering the same generosity to the potential Surface Duo buyers outside the US. So while buyers in the US are getting a discount of $400 on the original price of the phone, people looking to buy it elsewhere will have to shell out the full price.

At $999, the Microsoft Surface Duo looks like a decent buy in the US. However, the device still has quite a few shortcomings that may ruin your experience. It runs on the two-generation-old Snapdragon 855 chipset and lacks some of the modern features such as NFC, wireless charging, and 5G. Moreover, theres also only one camera on this phone, that too without OIS (Optical Image Stabilization).

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The modified version of Android isnt quite up to the mark either. Microsoft has optimized its own apps to leverage the two screens but many third-party apps still dont take advantage of this unique hardware that has the potential to be a gamechanger.

All these shortcomings mean the Surface Duo isnt quite the phone to buy right now if youre outside the US unless you specifically want it. Considering how much lower the US price is, we suggest you wait for a promo deal to grab it at a discount.

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Hopes that families will be reunited at Easter have suffered a major blow as government scientists demanded a cautious route out of lockdown.

Advisers are urging the Prime Minister to keep the brakes on for at least another two months and some NHS bosses have even cautioned against reopening schools on March 8.

Boris Johnson is determined for pupils to go back to classrooms on this date but it could be several weeks before other restrictions begin to be lifted.

It means Easter holiday plans may still be ruined, with a government source yesterday warning it was 'too early' to think about holidays, which will not be possible until infection numbers are at much lower levels.

The chair of the NHS Confederation Lord Adebowale said this morning the health service was 'on its knees' and urged ministers to adopt extreme caution in any easing of restrictions.

But in a boost for lockdown-weary Britons, pubs and restaurants are believed to get the green light to start serving outdoors.

It came as:

The so-called R-rate is now below one in every region and stands at between 0.7 and 0.9 for the whole of the UK, which is the lowest level since summer;

It was revealed illegal migrants were getting the Covid jab in plush quarantine hotels in Heathrow;

Matt Hancock said he hopes Covid will become a 'treatable' virus and a disease we can 'live with' after all adults are offered a vaccine by September;

It was reported that Cabinet ministers have backed the use of vaccine certificates for travellers wanting to head abroad this year;

There were 15,144 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the seven-day average down 26.3 per cent on the previous week;

There were an additional 758 deaths, with the seven-day total down by 27.1 per cent.

Boris Johnson is determined to start reopening schools across the country on March 8

Up to quarter of patients were infected in hospital Up to a quarter of hospital patients with coronavirus at the start of the pandemic may have been infected while there, figures suggest. The stark figures are an estimate for the period from the start of February last year to the end of July, which makes assumptions about cases from a time when Covid testing was often limited. The document containing them concludes that the impact on illness and death from coronavirus picked up in hospital may have been 'high', even though these infections are thought to have made up approximately 1 per cent of total case numbers. This is because many who were already in hospital may have been frail before infection. Researchers from Public Health England and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine came to the conclusions after examining two sets of data. But Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, disagreed with the 'speculative' claims. Advertisement

On the current rate of reduction in Covid cases, official scientific advisers think it is likely to take until the start of May for numbers to come down low enough to consider easing restrictions.

Government scientists are sticking to the mantra 'the lower the better' and are likely to push for infections to be at similar levels to June and July last year, when the first lockdown was lifted.

They also believe current travel restrictions reduce the chance of new Covid mutations  such as those found recently in Bristol and Liverpool  being spread around the country.

Officials warned last night that hopes of families being reunited with relatives in different parts of the country at Easter hang in the balance.

Whitehall sources said ministers are waiting for more data showing the vaccine's effect on transmission of the virus before deciding if UK-based getaways will be allowed.

Downing Street has said the PM will set out his roadmap to lifting lockdown on the week of February 22.

The gradual relaxation is expected to begin with the reopening of schools, which has been earmarked for March 8.

But today senior NHS figure Lord Adebowale urged ministers to revise this data for fear of it driving another spike in infections.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We have to be really careful, really systematic about easing any lockdown. What we cannot afford is another peak.

'I understand the pressure to open schools. We need to do so very safely. I think mid or late-March is when we should be re-assessing.

'We have had a number of false dawns when we have set dates, taken the action, then find ourselves having to row back very quickly.'

Yet the PM is being pulled the other way by his backbenches and this morning former cabinet minister David Davis made the case for reopening schools.

He said: 'There's been a lot of discussion in the last few days about the approach to schooling and I think we're going to have to relax the schools.

'That's the first thing to do, it's probably the lowest risk as children are less likely to have serious effects if they do catch it, there's an indication young children catch it and transmit less easily.'

Advisers are urging the Prime Minister to keep the brakes on for at least another two months and said he should apply a cautious route out of lockdown. Pictured: Revellers in Soho, London, in 2020

The latest advice means holiday plans for the period around Easter, which falls on April 4 this year, may still be ruined. Pictured: Shoppers walk along Oxford Street in London

Matt Hancock hopes 'treatable' virus will become a disease we can 'live with' Matt Hancock has suggested that the UK will be dealing with coronavirus long term after revealing how he hopes vaccines and other treatments will mean we can 'live with' the virus like the flu. The Health Secretary's comments suggest that the government does not believe it can eradicate the virus completely, with it instead becoming a regular part of life. Mr Hancock also revealed that he was confident the UK could offer the vaccine to all adults by September. Speaking in an interview with the Telegraph, Mr Hancock said new drugs designed to tackle the virus should arrive this year. This means that, combined with the vaccine rollout, Covid should become a 'treatable disease'. Advertisement

Mr Johnson's roadmap could also see outdoor exercise rules eased at around the same time as schools.

The plans will then lay out a timetable for wider reopening, with shops likely to be first, followed by gyms and hairdressers and, finally, pubs and restaurants.

Ministers are expected to wait at least a couple of weeks between each step so they can assess the impact of lifting each measure.

But in a boost for the food and drink industry, restaurants and pubs will be back serving people outdoors in April if cases continue to fall.

And plans have been drawn up to save the summer sporting season with the Government 'pushing hard' to get stadiums and venues Covid safe before June, The Telegraph reports.

Officials are said to be devising new plans to make sure Wimbledon and the Euros go ahead this year such as home tests for fans in advance of sporting events, asymptomatic testing sites and rapid on-site testing and temperature checks.

A Whitehall source last night: 'This has to be done quite carefully because we want this to be the final lockdown. The last thing we want is to go into further restrictions.'

But Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Conservative MP for the Cotswolds, said: 'It is just as dangerous for the nation to be too cautious in unlocking.

'A sufficient proportion of the population will have been vaccinated by April.

'There is no reason why the vast bulk of the economy  shops, pubs, restaurant  shouldn't be allowed to begin to open then.'

He added that holidays in the UK should be allowed before Easter 'or if not, immediately after'.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said he hoped it might be possible to allow holidays in Wales.

At a press conference in Cardiff, he suggested self-catered accommodation may reopen if infection rates continue to decline.

'I'm trying to give an indication that if everything continues to improve, we will do what we can to respond to [the tourism industry's] wish to be able to resume trading over the Easter period,' he said.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report today suggested suggested there were 695,400 Covid-19 cases in England alone by February 6, down 31 per cent from a fortnight ago in yet another firm sign the second wave is in retreat. This equates to one in eighty people having the virus

A pincer movement of the vaccine and current lockdown measures is hoped to curtain infection rates and chart a path back to normality.

He added that he hoped minsters could allowing more freedom in April or May, but ultimately the UK would have to learn to live with an acceptable amount of deaths in the long-term.

He said: 'If it's the same level as flu, we don't think for a second of locking down the country over flu. There will come a point when there will be a death rate from Covid but at a normal level and we have to cope with that. Obviously we still try and prevent it but we accept it, I think. We have to.'

But Mr Davis warned ministers they must not continue the stop-start cycle of lockdowns, and that any relaxation must be permanent.

He said: 'The thing that worries me most is what I don't want to see is yet more stop-start, relaxing it and going back again.

'If I were running a small company and the government said they were going to relax some measures that affect you, I wouldn't necessarily rush back unless I knew it was permanent... It's an argument for that well known scientific technique "suck it and see".'

R-rate falls below 1 for first time since July as government scientists reveal infections are halving every fortnight

By Eleanor Hayward Health Correspondent for the Daily Mail

Infections are falling across the whole country at the fastest rate since July, official figures show.

The so-called R-rate is now below one in every region and stands at between 0.7 and 0.9 for the whole of the UK, which is the lowest level since summer.

Government scientists said the number of infections is halving around every fortnight, boosting hopes it will be safe to reopen schools in March.

Latest data shows that cases, deaths and hospital admissions have all dropped by around a quarter in the past week.

Data published today by the ONS suggests infections in England have fallen by 31 per cent in the last fortnight, as the second wave is firmly in retreat

ONS figures show infections continued to plummet in every region except Yorkshire and the Humber, where estimates suggest they have plateaued

The ONS also found that Covid-19 infections are still falling in every age group in England as the nation endures lockdown

Yesterday, another 758 deaths and 15,144 cases were reported, taking the overall number of people testing positive to over four million. But the infection rate is now at 177 per 100,000, the lowest level for more than two months. It peaked at 642 per 100,000 on January 4.

As infections plummet, pressure on the NHS is easing significantly. There are 24,352 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, down 40 per cent from the peak.

Yesterday is the first time since July 31 the Government's scientific Sage advisers said they were confident the R-rate was below one across the UK.

The rate, which was 1.4 in the first week of January, is the average number of people infected by someone with the virus. It must be below one for the epidemic to shrink.

Sage said: 'We are confident the epidemic is shrinking across all NHS England regions.

'However, prevalence of the virus remains high, so it remains important that everyone continues to stay at home.'

Although officials are hopeful that the downward trajectory will continue, Government scientists warned it could be months before cases are low enough to lift lockdown safely.

Yesterday, a separate weekly report from the Office for National Statistics confirmed infections were falling. Random testing of people in England found that one in 80 had the virus last week, the equivalent of 695,400 people in total.

This is down from one in 65 the week before and one in 50 at the start of January.
A few days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Iran could be weeks away from obtaining sufficient fissile material for a nuclear bomb, Israels annual intelligence assessment presented a completely different forecast. According to the report compiled by the Military Intelligence Directorate, Iran is at least two years away from nuclear breakout capability. From the moment it decides to enrich uranium to a 90% level, military intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Tamir Hayman told reporters on Feb. 9, Iran will need two years to arrive at a bomb.

His assessment appears to provide a direct response to Blinkens remarks in yet another round of a US-Israeli intelligence-diplomacy duel being conducted in recent weeks mostly behind the scenes. Blinkens comments hardly assuaged Israels concerns. On the contrary, they were perceived as an attempt to provide an advance alibi for a possible decision by President Joe Biden on a speedy return to the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers from which the United States withdrew under the Trump administration.

Blinkens remarks were true, but partial, a senior Israeli military source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, They only related to fissile material, but not to many other elements required for operational nuclear capability. The source was referring inter alia to the fact that even once fully enriched, the uranium must still be made into a nuclear warhead, which then requires an appropriate missile and technological abilities to mount it properly for delivery to the target. Iran has yet to reach such capacity. Its nuclear program was dealt a severe blow in recent years and the 2020 assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh blocked its progress and perhaps even set it back. Its not that Israel is sanguine about the issue, but describing the situation as if Iran is on the verge of an operational bomb is incorrect, the military source said.

Israels point is simple: There is no need to run amuck back to the 2015 nuclear agreement. While Israels leadership regards that deal as particularly bad, enabling Iran to become a nuclear threshold state under the so-called sunset clause that lifts restrictions on Iran's nuclear enrichment program after 2025, nothing is that urgent. As previously reported, Israel is exerting heavy pressure on the Biden administration to refrain from lifting sanctions on Iran and instead exploit Irans current weakness to impose on it a new, improved 25-year agreement that would also limit its ballistic missile capabilities and block its support of terrorism in the Middle East.

We will present the Americans with all the intelligence that underpins this position, a senior Israeli defense source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. The Americans are well aware of the fact that most information regarding Iran originates from Israeli intelligence. According to this source, professional-level contacts between Israel and the new administration have already begun. There are no formal teams yet and the process has yet to be launched officially, but the Americans have promised us an in-depth and thorough dialogue before they come to a decision, and we believe that will be the case, the source said.

Meanwhile, tensions persist on the Israeli-Iranian front. On Feb. 11, jets reportedly bombed Iranian targets on the Iraq-Syria border in a rare daylight raid. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi hinted Jan. 26 at developments along the Iraq-Syria border. Addressing the Institute for National Strategic Studies, Kochavi said Iranian forces were entrenching on the Iraqi side of the border, turning the area into a frontline arsenal for weapons transports westward to Syria, and from there to Lebanons Hezbollah organization.

This weeks raid was attributed by foreign media to Israel, which did not assume responsibility. It joins almost daily activity against Irans ongoing entrenchment in Syria. Israel is determined to continue undermining the precision missile project and to make clear to Iran that its continued entrenchment will exact a heavy toll, a senior Israeli security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. The source added that some 800 anti-aircraft missiles had been fired at Israeli military planes in the Syrian arena over the past two years, an unprecedented number in global comparison. [Syrian] President Bashar al-Assad is paying a heavy price  in cash  for every raid, the source said.

On Feb. 10, a day before the strike on the Iraq-Syria border, the IDF conducted a force-wide maneuver along Israels northern front. Kochavi was among the observers of the drill, codenamed Lightning Storm, which was designed to examine the preparedness of the IDFs 91st Division tasked with defending the northern front against Hezbollah. The IDF said that part of the exercise featured the application of the lessons learned from the recent operational events on the Lebanese border.

This drill also reflects the IDFs assessment that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah is still intent on avenging Israels killing of one of his top commanders in an air raid near Damascus last August, but is seeking measured revenge to avoid escalation into a regional war. Nasrallah cannot afford a war right now, a senior Israeli military source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. He is up to his neck in domestic problems in Lebanon, but he wants to tick off the box on his deterrent power vis-a-vis Israel. If possible, Nasrallah would like to hit a single Israeli soldier in order to salvage his dignity, vis-a-vis his own people too.

The IDF is conducting itself accordingly, maintaining tense, top-tier readiness along the northern border for months but avoiding escalation into war. Nasrallah has lost 10 fighters over the past two years in friction with Israel, another senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Four were Lebanese and the rest were militias, but directly affiliated with Hezbollah. Nasrallah knows this figure but he does not want to set the region on fire. He does not need a war now.

The IDFs drill included various scenarios, possible responses and the potential cost Israel would exact from Hezbollah should it harm its soldiers. The IDF is apparently on the same page as Nasrallah. Both sides, it seems, do not seek a conflagration, as both aim for a delicate balance of strike and counterstrike, while preserving each sides national dignity and not giving either side reason for an exaggerated response. Despite their mutual hostility, the IDF and Hezbollah have come to know each other well over the years and have learned to keep within the confines of a complex equation with minimum friction. In this sense, Nasrallah is one of the most convenient enemies Israel has ever had. He keeps his word, he is pragmatic and measured, and he knows who he is dealing with, a senior Israeli military source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. He is no longer a pawn on the Iranian chessboard. He has his own interests and set of considerations, and his moves are easy to read. Wish it were the same on all other fronts.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 20:25:01|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo metropolitan government on Friday reported 307 new COVID-19 cases, with the daily tally remaining below the 500-mark for the sixth straight day.

The cumulative total of infections in the city of 14 million since the outbreak of the pandemic now stands at a total of 105,765 people, the local government said.

Health officials said Friday that 102 people are designated as being in a "serious condition" in the capital.

While the number of new daily infections has been on a downtrend recently, the healthcare system remains overly strained and the number of deaths remains high, the officials added.

Vice President of the Tokyo Medical Association Masataka Inokuchi said Friday that the strain on the medical system has been prolonged and the high numbers of elderly people contracting the virus must be reduced.

Elderly people are more susceptible to developing serious symptoms after contracting the virus that require hospitalization and often intensive care.

Also of major concern is variations of the virus appearing in Japan, leading the government to decide, in light of the overall situation, to maintain the state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka, and eight other prefectures.

Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is also in charge of Japan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Friday that the emergency period would be kept in place for the time being.

He made the remarks at a meeting of a panel of experts who advise the government on its coronavirus policy.

It was also decided that anti-coronavirus guidelines reflecting recent legal revisions that allow the government to punish those thwarting anti-virus measures would be updated.

From Saturday, people and businesses breaking anti-virus rules could be legally subjected to hefty fines.

Head of the panel of experts Shigeru Omi, meanwhile, expressed on Friday his concern about the virus variants first identified in Britain and South Africa.

These variants are thought to be highly transmissible and Omi has called for swift testing in areas that might be of high risk and has urged that potential asymptomatic carriers must also be tested.

By February 10, 108 cases of people testing positive across Japan for one of the virus variants had been confirmed by the health ministry, with the majority testing positive for the variant first detected in Britain. Enditem
(He) stated the officers had never been involved in a civil unrest situation, he stated he knew the officers were tired, stressed and their emotions were tensed, internal affairs said citing Polanek, who was suspended for the same rule violations as Jones. Sergeant Polanek stated they were told they may be moved to another location. So they used the location for shelter, to stay warm and to relax until they received orders to relocate to their next assignment.
I guarantee Pritiji, these thoughts of yours which I have humbly attempted to put into words will get you to be PM

Oh Bachchoo lets have due regard

For the story-telling genius of Scheherazade

Who over a thousand and one nights

Scaled creations narrative heights



She held a king under her spell

Assuring him there was more to tell

And so, with each inventive breath

Do story-tellers stave off death.

From Lambey Laments by Bachchoo



To: UK Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London SW



My dear Priti Patelji,

I am writing to apply for the post of Chief Speechwriter for which you advertised this week. Your advertisement specifies that the successful candidate will be someone who can imitate the Home Secretarys personal style.

Let me start by saying, Pritiji, that I have closely followed your career, from the time you were thrown out of your job by the then PM Theresa May, for attempting unofficial deals and private contact with Israeli officials and businesswallas, to when you favoured hanging and capital punishment, to your generous policies regarding police pay, illegal entrants to Britain and your speeches attacking anti-terrorism and the Covid crisis.

I am sure that, being a Parsi with a knowledge of fluent Gujarati, I am best qualified for the job. Please tear up and bin any applications from Goras, Punjabis, Pakistanis, Bengalis, etc. None of them will understand the prejudices you have imbibed as a child of immigrant shopkeepers from Uganda. I must confess never having been to Uganda or kept a shop, but as a writer of stage plays, etc, I constantly think myself into the mentality, prejudices, and styles of thought and speech of different characters. I am sure you will consider this my Trump card (I know you got the joke. Ha ha!).

Of course, I dont expect you to call me instantly and offer me the job without testing my abilities to deliver superb text in your voice, so I am setting out some samples below:

The first is a sample address to the Tory Conference.

Comrades, Lords and Ladies, I stand before you as your new Home Secretary appointed by our brilliant elected Prime Minister Doris Bronson who has very perceptively recognised my fantastic talents for this job. I am fully aware of the heavy responsibility that this places on my head such as keeping the wogs out of the country (loud cheers and standing ovation), making the police more effective by cutting their numbers and pay (shuffling in the audience), zero tolerance for criminals with a lock-up-and-throw-away-the-key approach, with the building of five thousand more jails and bringing back hanging (second standing ovation)  er um I didnt mean by ropes, I meant hanging as in suspending people, like my Chief Civil Servants if they express any opinions.

I guarantee Pritiji, these thoughts of yours which I have humbly attempted to put into words will get you to be PM after this fellow --whose name you characteristically forget. Secondly, here is a sample address to the Police Federation as you are now in charge of all PC Plods.

My brave and dedicated servants of the law, let me start by announcing that I intend to immediately boost police pay (huge applause and cat calls). I have instructed my office to see that every police officer gets paid at least 3 and 12 shillings per week (total silence). This is in recognition of the fantastic work your forces are doing in fighting and combating anti-terrorism, which must be wiped off the face of this planet. (Huge cheers from Islamicist policemen) .

And next, Pritiji, your address to the House of Commons on immigration.

Mr Speaker, the gravest crisis facing this country is not the shortage of grave-diggers caused by the Covid virus, but the illegal entry of immigrants and so-called asylum seekers across our land-borders with Europe. The previous Labour government under Terrestrial May lived up to its Prime Ministers name by declaring that these criminals May use the Terrestrial tunnels to enter our country (Here you pause for the laughter that will certainly follow this joke!). I propose, Mr Speaker, to build a wall across these borders with barbed wire on top to stop people coming in. We shall have a Ugandan and Cayman Island style immigration policy by which all Asians will have to leave the country and only tax-dodgers and drug lords will be admitted to the free ports declared by our hedgey-boy chancellor Wishy Anorak. Doris has already told me that he will get the Norwegians to pay for this wall.

And then perhaps Pritiji, the PM may ask you to take to the TV lectern to address the nation on the Covid crisis and the governments efforts to combat it in accordance to the science. So, heres what you might say:

It is with great sadness that the statistics today reveal that Britain has suffered 66 million deaths in the last 24 hours. My thoughts and condolences go out to all these deaths families. Now despite some mother lovers opposing lockdown, what the epicologists, etc tell us that not only is lockdown a good thing, we should also have lock-up  which means anyone who tests positive for Covid should be locked up and the key thrown away. And if any scientist or civil servant opposes my sane policies they can bloody-well F-off and die  effing wankers  I know where you live

Your future ventriloquist,

Obsequiously,

Farrukh Dhondy
Two teen boys remained hospitalized Friday after a Thursday-night shooting in Center Point.

Jefferson County sheriffs officials are still trying to piece together details about what led up to the gunfire. No arrests have been announced.

Jefferson County sheriffs deputies responded to a call of a person shot around 8 p.m. near the intersection of 6th Street NW and 15th Court NW in Center Point, said sheriffs office spokeswoman Sgt. Joni Money. When they arrived, they found a 16-year-old boy with a gunshot wound. He was taken to UAB Hospital.

Shortly after they arrived on scene, the deputies were told that another victim arrived at St. Vincents East Hospital with a gunshot wound. That boy is 15 years old.

It wasnt initially known whether the two shootings were linked but investigators on Friday confirmed that they were connected, and both happened at the same location. Their conditions have not been released, but authorities said it appears both will survive.

According to reports, Money said, a male was seen in the area leaning into a vehicle at the originally reported location. Multiple shots were heard by witnesses.

The investigation is ongoing.
A questionably-worded pregnancy announcement has left social media users disgusted and horrified  and even earned mockery from the couple's own grandmother.

The announcement shows an out-of-focus pregnant woman and man kissing in the kitchen. In the the foreground are a rolling pin, cookie cutters, and a letterboard that reds: 'Recipe for baby: 1 cup mommy, 3 pumps daddy, mixed with love. Bake until July.'

The sign has become the object of derision on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, where commenters are in agreement that it's in terribly bad taste  but one TikTok user who claims to be related to the couple revealed that their grandmother had the most damning reaction of all.

Awkward! A pregnancy announcement detailing a 'recipe' for a baby that includes '3 pumps daddy' is going viral

Veronica Garza, from Chicago, shared the photo in a viral video, which has earned 185,000 likes, in December.

'I wanna show you my cousin's pregnancy announcement,' she says, not specifying whether her cousin is the woman or the man.

The screen then cuts to the image as it appeared on drummer Jon Wurster's Instagram page. Jon was not the original poster of the image, but shared it once it began circulating online.

Veronica doesn't share her own thoughts on the pregnancy announcement, but does reveal what their grandma thought when she received a copy.

Yikes! Veronica Garza shared the photo in a viral video, saying: 'I wanna show you my cousin's pregnancy announcement'

'They sent that to our grandmother and you know what she said? "Only three pumps?" Veronica says in the video

'They sent that to our grandmother and you know what she said? "Only three pumps?" Veronica says in the video.

The image has also gone viral on Twitter, where others are making similar jokes about the speedy sex that the announcement seems to imply.

'Imagine using your baby announcement to tell the world your husband is bad at sex,' quipped author Tessa Miller.

'That guy is getting called "3 pumps daddy" for ever now. RIP,' commented another Twitter user.

'Are straight people ok? 3 pumps? Throw the whole man away,' joked another.

Others were less concerned about how unintentionally embarrassing the photo was, and more upset about its crassness.

Oh now! Social media users are also mocking 'three pump chump' while calling the announcement 'gross' and 'truly dreadful'

'Oh my god. This woman needs a real friend. Because a real friend would have put a stop to this,' wrote one.

'There is no level on which this does not make me want to hurl,' said another.

'This makes me physically recoil. How gross,' wrote yet another, while someone else called it 'THE worst thing I've ever seen.'

One more chimed in: 'Ok can we just all agree a baby announcement doesnt need to involve any reference, no matter how cutesy, to j**z. We all know how it got there.'

'Everything about this is truly dreadful,' another concluded.
South Africa: Two more sluice gates opened in Vaal Dam

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) will today open two more sluice gates at the Vaal Dam to release water. This is in addition to the three gates opened on Thursday.

The initial analysis indicated that there was a need for the opening of three gates but the possibility existed that it could be four. However, the latest analysis showed that there was a need to open two more gates to make it five for now, department spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, said in a statement on Friday.

Ratau said the release of water, which will flow into the Bloemhof Dam, is in anticipation of rainfalls expected over the Orange River System and the river flows from the Upper Vaal rapidly filling the Integrated Vaal River System, particularly the Vaal Dam.

One of the gates will be opened at 10am this morning, followed by the second one at 12pm, with the total outflow expected to be around a safe 649m3/s (cubic meter per second). The water released from Vaal Dam, which is presently full to the brim at 106.0%, is expected to reach the Bloemhof Dam late tomorrow.

The Bloemhof Dam outflow is currently 400m3/s but would increase to 500m3/s from today at 10am. The outflow would further increase to 600m3/s at 12pm today and these increases are not expected to cause any damage downstream, Ratau said.

Ratau said the officials of the department would still alert downstream communities to the impending increased flow at the Vaal Barrage.

It is expected that the released water will show an impact on the water bodies in the Northern Cape as from 15 February.

These releases are managed in such a manner that they would not impact negatively on any roads or such infrastructure in that province, Ratau said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman

Our quest to pick 50% winners in 2021 took some interesting twists last week, but at least we're still on the right track.

Fifth-place efforts from Known Agenda and Greyes Creek impacted our win percentage, but a victory by Jouster saved the weekend and kept us ahead of the line at 54.5%. I have to chuckle, though, at the way Jouster's $2.20 win payoff ironically knocked a few cents off our ROI for the year, which currently sits at $2.53.

After placing a lot of emphasis on Florida in recent weeks, we'll now turn our attention to Fair Grounds, where half a dozen stakes races are on the agenda. The afternoon feature is the $400,000 Risen Star (G2), an important Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race. With a total of 85 qualification points up for grabs, the race has drawn a deep and competitive field with plenty of logical contenders to consider.

Let's dig in!

Risen Star (G2)

Did you know 16 of the 17 Risen Star winners since 2005 had previously contested a stakes races? The lone exception was Modernist, who won the slower of two Risen Star divisions in 2020. Otherwise, this 1 1/8-mile race has been thoroughly unkind to maiden and allowance winners unproven against stakes company.

If this trend holds true in 2021, we can significantly narrow down the list of contenders. With #12 Keepmeinmind expected to scratch in favor of next week's Southwest (G3), that leaves just six stakes-experienced runners in the Risen Star field, including the top four finishers from the Jan. 16 Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds.

Certainly respect must be afforded to #6 Midnight Bourbon, who employed pacesetting tactics to win the Lecomte by a length. Conditioned by two-time Risen Star-winning trainer Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon had previously put together an encouraging two-year-old season, highlighted by a runner-up effort in the Iroquois (G3) and a third-place finish in the Champagne (G1).

But Midnight Bourbon benefited from a picture-perfect trip in the Lecomte. The complexion of the race changed significantly when front-running maiden winner #10 Santa Cruiser hesitated at the start and got squeezed back to last place. Without Santa Cruiser to apply pressure, Midnight Bourbon casually waltzed along through slow fractions of :24.68, :48.99, and 1:13.57 before coming home in :24.52 and :06.32 to win by a length.

Midnight Bourbon seems certain to face more pace pressure in the Risen Star. Santa Cruiser is back in the mix after rallying to finish fourth in the Lecomte, and with a clean break on Saturday, he's bound to be forwardly placed. The same can be said of #13 Rightandjust, who has posted gate-to-wire victories in maiden claiming and allowance races at Fair Grounds. Drawing the far outside post position will likely force Rightandjust run hard early to avoid getting caught wide on the first turn.

Lecomte runner-up #2 Proxy and the undefeated allowance winner #1 Starrininmydreams are also quick enough to be prominent from the outset, so right there you have four horses capable of pressuring Midnight Bourbon if they so desire. And a faster pace would almost certainly play to the strengths of #11 Mandaloun, the third-place finisher from the Lecomte.

A Juddmonte Farms homebred conditioned by Brad Cox, Mandaloun showed promise when rallying to victory in his first two starts sprinting on the Kentucky circuit. The son of Into Mischief earned sharp speed figures and was favored at 4-5 to prevail in the Lecomte, which marked his two-turn debut.

But Mandaloun was compromised by a poor setup in the Lecomte, racing wide on the turns while tracking the slow pace. When the tempo accelerated around the far turn and down the homestretch, Mandaloun initially struggled to keep up, but he dug down late to close ground and finish just a length behind Midnight Bourbon.

There are several reasons to believe Mandaloun will take a big step forward in the Risen Star. For one, the pace scenario should be much more favorable. For another, he's been training sharply, breezing a bullet five furlongs in :59 4/5 on Feb. 6. Cox wins at an impressive 37% rate with horses running long for the second time, and the addition of blinkers could further sharpen Mandaloun's speed and focus.

In short, I'm excited to give Mandaloun another try. He'll offer better odds than in the Lecomte, but victory should be well within reach under hot jockey Florent Geroux.

For the exotics, #5 Senor Buscador is an obvious contender. A son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, Senor Buscador unleashed powerful late rallies to win his first two starts by daylight. A victory sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Remington Park was followed by a 5 3/4-length romp in the Remington Springboard Mile S., stamping Senor Buscador as one of the fastest horses in the Risen Star field.

Senor Buscador finished legitimately fast in the Springboard Mile, dashing the final furlong in :12.18, and visually speaking he looked fantastic. He was full of run down the lane, so stretching out over 1 1/8 miles shouldn't be an issue. But with rain in the forecast for Fair Grounds this week, I'm left to wonder how this stretch-running colt will handle muddy kickback during the early going.

This isn't so much of a concern for Mandaloun, who is drawn wide within enough tactical speed to stay out of trouble. But Senor Buscador might have no choice but to settle back and rally through the slop. In his first two starts, he broke very slowly before unleashing wide rallies to sweep past his rivals, and replicating this strategy against tougher competition in the Risen Star could be difficult. Victory may rely on rallying through the pack to save some ground, and if this is the case, we'll just have to hope Senor Buscador doesn't mind mud.

Now it's your turn! Who do you like in the Risen Star?

*****

Want to test your handicapping skills against fellow Unlocking Winners readers? Check out the Unlocking Winners contests pagethere's a new challenge every week!

*****

The Road to the Kentucky Derby handicapping challenge is back for the seventh straight year! Check out the Road to the Kentucky Derby contest page for more details.



J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, videographer, voice actor, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. He is the founder of the horse racing website www.theturfboard.com.
No new COVID-19 cases reported in Artsakh

Iran and Iraq to intensify cooperation and are ready for joint investment projects

Indonesia frees Iranian tanker 4 months later

Mortar shelling in Afghanistan kills at least 10 civilians

Fire breaks out at West Virginia oil refinery in US

Second President of Armenia meets with residents of Ararat province

Iran ready to help improve the defense capability of Syria

Armenian acting PM invites ex-presidents for debates

European Parliament head proposes to strengthen sanctions on Russia

UK PM gets married in London

Armenia reports COVID-19 new 81 cases: 4 people die

EU countries invite US to issue joint statement against Russia

2 people die in Armenia road accident

Nigeria: Students taken hostage a month ago are released

61 quakes recorded in Congo per day

Syrian MFA: EU lost credibility due to blind obedience to US policy

Armenia ex-minister of emergency situations hospitalized with heart attack

Mher Grigoryan: Clarification of border points is possible only after withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia

Suspicious deal: Whether there was profit from buying DNA IDs?

Armenia ex-president says current authorities are trying to blame Russia for defeat in war

4 people killed in Afghanistani bus attack

Robert Kocharyan: This war could not have happened, it was a consequence of the policy of the authorities

Kocharyan: I have to ask people how it happened that overwhelming majority elected this leader

Armen Gevorgyan presents 'Armenia' bloc program: We offer the concept of a working country

Biden's administration proposed to leave unchanged amount of financial support to Armenia

US Embassy in Baku calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian POWs

Luxembourg MFA calls on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

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

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

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Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

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

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

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

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

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?

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

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

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

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Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

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"

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

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

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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
Mumbai, Feb 12 : Bollywood superstar Salman Khan thanked his fans for their support and concern after Jodhpur District and Sessions Court dismissed two pleas filed by the Rajasthan government against him in a case related to submitting false affidavit in the court in 2003.

Posted a picture on Instagram, Salman said: "To all my fans.. thank u for your love support n concern. Khayal rakho apna n parivaar ka (take care of yourself and your family). God bless n loveee u too..." In 1998, Salman was arrested for hunting two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain". At that time, a case under Arms Act was registered against the actor and the court had asked him to submit his arms licence.

Salman submitted an affidavit in the court in 2003, saying that he had lost the licence. He also lodged an FIR at the Bandra police station in Mumbai in this connection. However, the court later came to know that his Arms licence was not lost, but had been submitted for renewal.

Public prosecutor Bhavani Singh Bhati had then demanded that a case of misleading the court be filed against the actor. However, on Thursday, the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court judge Raghavendra Kachwal dismissed the pleas filed against Salman.

Earlier on Tuesday, Salman had apologised before the court for 'mistakenly' submitting a false affidavit in 2003 during his hearing in the blackbuck poaching case.

His lawyer Saraswat told the court that the actor should be forgiven for mistakenly submitting the false affidavit back then.

A trial court in 2018 had convicted Salman and awarded a five-year prison sentence to him for the killing of the blackbucks in October 1998.

The actor had challenged the trial court verdict in the sessions court. Salman's fellow actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, who were present on the spot in Kankani along with him, were acquitted.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed

There was a time when the Louisiana Attorney Generals office championed citizens right to know what public officials were up to. I remember as a young reporter in the 1970s calling Kendall Vick, a top assistant under then-AG William Guste Jr., and asking for his help getting a public record from a local official who refused to produce it.

Vicks response was immediate and unequivocal. He called the recalcitrant official and read him a combination of the Riot Act and the Louisiana Public Records Act. The information I requested quickly followed.

It was common practice in those days for reporters to call the AGs office when we hit a wall on public records requests. Most of those calls went to Vick, who always obliged. Back then, the Louisiana AGs office understood the importance of citizen and media access to public records.

Nowadays, state Attorney General Jeff Landry is more likely to side with secretive politicians up to no good than investigative reporters or vigilant citizens. Case in point: Landrys petty lawsuit against Andrea Gallo, a reporter for The Advocate. Gallos offense: She requested records from Landrys office about a sexual harassment complaint against one of Landrys top aides.

Landrys Criminal Division Chief Pat Magee was suspended and ultimately reprimanded in the wake of the complaint. Landrys office initially promised to provide the requested documents after the investigation into Magee had concluded. Landry later backtracked, asserting a judicially created privacy exception to the state Public Records Act  and suing Gallo for pursuing her records request.

The Louisiana Constitution expressly guarantees both an individuals right to privacy and a citizens right to public records. Its foreseeable that those two guarantees might one day conflict, but were not talking here about someones medical records or other private information. This case involves a high-ranking state official who was suspended for job-related behavior that appears to violate state and federal laws. Moreover, Gallo and the paper offered to redact any information about the complainant, as is customary.

Landry, whose lack of legal acumen is legendary, obviously confuses his desire to keep a lid on embarrassing details about one of his lieutenants with a colorable claim of privacy under the law. Hopefully, the courts will see through this charade as quickly as they have dispensed with so many other baseless claims brought by Landry.

This is no trifling matter, however. As the Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) noted in a just-released commentary, Landrys lawsuit against Gallo sets an unfortunate example that likely will encourage egregious behavior among state and local government agencies and commissions across Louisiana.

PAR, a nonpartisan think tank and long-time champion of Louisianas sunshine laws, warned the suit will be seen as a SLAPP suit, an acronym for strategic lawsuit against public participation. SLAPPs aim to silence and intimidate critics via costly lawsuits. Those who file them are enemies of transparency.

In this case, Landry deserves to get slapped right out of court. Again.

Commentary: Jeff Landry is a menace to society Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry recently sued The Advocate reporter Andrea Gallo for seeking a public record from his office. The suit 
Over the past day, Russia-occupation forces in Donbas violated the ceasefire regime five times, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters said.

"Over the past day, on February 11, five violations of the ceasefire were recorded in the area of the Joint Forces Operation. One soldier from the Joint Forces was wounded by a gunshot [...] and died of his wounds. Near Novomykhailivka, the enemy opened fire from a large-caliber machine gun. As a result of the shelling, one of the defenders of Ukraine was killed," the JFO headquarters said in a message on its official page on Facebook.

It is noted that not far from the village of Zaitseve, the enemy carried out targeted shelling of positions of the Ukrainian defenders from sniper weapons.

Not far from Vodiane, in the Azov Sea region, the enemy opened fire towards the Ukrainian positions from a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher. And in the area of Avdiyivka, the enemy fired several shots from a grenade launcher.

Also near Luhanske the enemy fired from grenade launchers of various systems and a large-caliber machine gun.

The Ukrainian defenders gave an adequate response to the targeted shelling of the mercenaries, and OSCE representatives were notified on the facts of the violation of the ceasefire regime through the Ukrainian side of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC).

"Since the beginning of this day, on February 12, no ceasefire violations have been recorded," the headquarters said.
Twitter

The reason for providing additional security to the actor? It has been allegedly reported that Ranaut has received several threats of harm and warnings of disruption of the shooting of her film from Congress party leaders and supporters.





After his debut role in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Prateik starred in films like Dhobi Ghat, Dum Maaro Dum, and Ekk Deewana Tha. But then there was a sudden break and audiences rarely saw the talented actor on screen anymore. This time away was because Babbar was battling an alcohol and drug abuse addiction.



When in Kashmir do it Their way! Had to dance on this epic song at the heaven on earth...#Kashmir  pic.twitter.com/43W9WCXOQR  Shehnaaz Gill (@ishehnaaz_gill) February 6, 2021

Well, this video didnt go down too well with the fans and they trolled her. Some even called it Cancer for eyes, while others are not unhappy the video didnt manage to capture anything authentic from Kashmir except the place.





Twitter

Indiatimes got candid with Supriya and spoke to her about her long journey in the industry.

Despite being a talented actress Supriya has done very selective work, we asked whats her mindset behind choosing every project, she said,"I always did projects that I liked without thinking much of people's reaction. There have also been times when I liked some project and people didnt like. But I have also been luckier that most of my work has been loved.

Twitter

Neha Dhupia has been a soft target of trolls since quite some time now. The brave woman takes it all with the pinch of the salt and sometimes gives it back in the classiest way possible. But at the end she is human too and is affected by the negativity around.
Indian stock market benchmark Sensex today ended at fresh closing high, reversing a two-session slide. Strong gains in market heavyweight Reliance Industries, which surged 4%, and other stocks like HUL, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma propelled gains today. Broader BSE midcap and smallcap indices rallied 0.5% and 1% respectively.

Dovish comments from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell also bolstered global investor sentiment.

The 30-share BSE Sensex settled 222 points higher at its new closing peak of 51,531 while the broader NSE Nifty advanced 0.44% to 15,173, also a closing high.

On the other hand, Titan, L&T, HDFC Bank, ITC, ONGC and SBI were among the laggards, tumbling up to 2.50%. The Indian rupee ended 3 paise lower at 72.87 against the US dollar.

Hindalco Industries closed 5.7% higher after the aluminium and copper producer reported double-digit increases in quarterly profit and revenue, pushing the Nifty metals index up 1.02%.

Magma Fincorp jumped 10% after a firm backed by billionaire Adar Poonawalla said it would buy a majority stake in the company.

Here is what analysts said on today's market performance:

Shrikant Chouhan, Executive Vice President, Equity Technical Research at Kotak Securities

The Nifty / Sensex closed at the highest point of the day on the weekly closing of the index options. Index giant Reliance Industries has pulled the market sentiment otherwise the market participants were more interested in small-cap stocks throughout the day. The market is consolidating and would remain volatile between the 15200/51700 and 15000/51100 levels until the market closes at the 15200/51700 level."

Ruchit Jain (Senior Analyst - Technical and Derivatives, Angel Broking)

The weekly expiry session turned out to be a day of consolidation as the Nifty traded with a narrow range and ended the day with gains of less than half a percent. As of now, there are no signs of any deeper retracements and hence, once this consolidation is over we expect the markets to resume its uptrend. The immediate supports for Nifty are placed around 15100 followed by 14975 whereas resistance is seen around the swing high of 15250 above which Nifty should resume momentum."

Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities.

"Volumes on the NSE were below recent average suggesting lower institutional interest at these levels. Nifty rose mildly today after a sideways move on the previous two sessions. It could remain in the 15064-15257 band in the near term and a breakout either side could see action in that direction."

Rohit Singre, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities.

"Index closed a day on a positive note at 15173 with gains of half a per cent, the index has formed a range and its trading within the same range last four sessions. The overall range for Nifty is coming at 15k on the downside and 15250 on the higher side so unless we see either side breakout final direction will not be clear and index may trade sideways in the same range"

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Air travelers to Canada will have to quarantine in a hotel as they await the result of a coronavirus test, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.

Trudeau previously announced stricter restrictions would be imposed on nonessential air travelers in response to new, likely more contagious variants that have cropped up in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.

Government officials confirmed that - with limited exceptions - nonessential air travelers will be required to reserve a three-night stay in a government-authorized hotel at their own expense before they depart for Canada, staring February 22

Trudeau said it could take up to three days for test results to be available and he previously said the cost of a hotel stay for air travelers could be $2,000 Canadian or $1,576 in U.S. currency.

The steep cost for the hotel stay includes the cost for security, food and measures hotels will have to take to keep their workers safe.

Those who cross the U.S. border by land will not have to isolate at a hotel, but will have to show a negative test taken within three days before arrival.

They will also have to be tested upon arrival as well as toward the end of a 14-day quarantine at home or elsewhere.

The measures especially affect Canadian 'snowbirds' who winter abroad and return home in the spring.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that nonessential air travelers to Canada will have to quarantine in a hotel for at least three nights at their own expense. Pictured: Trudeau holds a news conference on February 5

Starting February 22, passengers will have to wait until they receive negative coronavirus test results back and will have to pay around $1,576 USD. Pictured: A police officer stands guard in front of the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport hotel as quarantining hotel guests are moved to a new location in Melbourne, Australia, February 10

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said less than five percent of those who cross the land border are nonessential, which is one reason why the hotel stay is not required for those who enter by land.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said vaccinated Canadians will not be exempt because research is still not clear on whether those vaccinated can still transmit the virus to others.

Some Canadian 'snowbirds' are getting vaccinated in Florida and Arizona.

The Canadian Snowbird Association has said cost of the hotel stay poses financial hardship for many and travelers who test negative should be able to quarantine in their homes.

Some snowbirds are flying back before a hotel stay is mandatory.

Dr Morley Rubinoff, 71, said he left his condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, about six weeks early this year to avoid what he called 'hotel hell.'

The semiretired dental specialist said he arrived in Mexico on December 31 and had planned to stay until mid-March before returning to Toronto.

The quarantine in Canada is similar to ones that have been put in place in the UK and Australia.

Starting on February 15, resident of the UK and Ireland who have been in 'red list' countries in the last 10 days will need to quarantine in a hotel room in for 10 days upon arriving in England.

People can book hotel rooms through an online portal and pay for a 'package', which includes transport to their hotel, COVID-19 testing and meals.

The country hopes stricter restrictions will drive down cases even further and prevent new, likely more contagious variants that have cropped up in the UK, South Africa and Brazil from taking root

Canada is currently seeing an average of about 80 coronavirus related deaths per day

The government has as booked 4,600 rooms across 16 hotels and each adult will have to pay 1,750 ($2,242) for the cost.

Those who fail to quarantine one of the designated hotels could face fines between 5,000 ($6,926) and 10,000 ($13,853).

From next week, new UK border measures will come into force as ministers act to prevent the possible import of COVID variants.

The UK government has been taking advice from officials in Australia over the fresh restrictions - a country that has been widely praised for its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, in Australia, only returning residents can enter the country as long as they complete a 14-day quarantine in city hotels.

People in quarantine are not allowed to leave their rooms, meals are delivered at staggered times to avoid everyone opening their doors at the same time and hotel staff must wear N95s.

At least 2.43% of Canadians have received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose, with contracting doses slow to arrive

While Canada has contracted for far more vaccines than it needs to cover its population, they have been slow to arrive, frustrating many who see a faster rollout in the neighboring U.S.

Canadian officials have said Trudeau spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden about the possibility of getting getting Pfizer vaccines from a plant in nearby Michigan, whose first 100 million doses are already contracted for by the U.S. government.

'I think the president has been clear publicly and certainly privately when the conversation comes up that his focus now is on ensuring that the American people are vaccinated,' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about Canada on Friday.

Canada, which does not have domestic production, has been contracting for vaccines from Europe and elsewhere.

Trudeau said he spoke to the chief executive Pfizer and said he confirmed Canada will get four million doses from that company before the end of March, as well as 10.8 million doses in April, May and June - more than previously announced.

Trudeau also said Canada is buying another four million Moderna vaccines and is looking at the possibility of getting vaccines from India.
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Amazon Sues New York Attorney General Letitia James Over Threat of Legal Action

Amazon on Friday sued New Yorks attorney general, alleging her probe of its treatment of warehouse workers is illegal.

The OAG has now threatened to sue Amazon if it does not immediately agree to a list of demands, many of which have no connection to health and safety and have no factual or legal basis, Amazon said in the filing, referring to the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The OAGs exorbitant demands are based on a standard for workplace health and safety far more stringent than the standard adopted by the OAG when defending, in other litigation, the New York State Courts reasonable but more limited safety response to COVID-19 in the face of threats greater than those present in Amazons private facilities, it added.

The Seattle-based company is asking a judge to declare James, a Democrat, lacks authority to regulate how Amazon treats employees who protest working conditions and how Amazon is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suit stems from the termination of Chris Smalls, a Staten Island employee Amazon fired after he organized a walkout to protest conditions at the workplace.

Smalls claimed Amazon wasnt doing enough to keep workers safe. Amazon says it terminated Smalls and other associate at its JFK8 facility because they committed health and safety violations. Smalls repeatedly violated social distancing requirements and an order to quarantine and stay off Amazon propertyfor which he was paiddue to a potential COVID-19 exposure, the company said in the new suit.

Hours after Smalls was fired, James issued a statement condemning the firing.

It is disgraceful that Amazon would terminate an employee who bravely stood up to protect himself and his colleagues. At the height of a global pandemic, Chris Smalls and his colleagues publicly protested the lack of precautions that Amazon was taking to protect them from COVID-19. Today, Chris Smalls was fired. In New York, the right to organize is codified into law, and any retaliatory action by management related thereto is strictly prohibited, she said at the time.

James called on the National Labor Relations Board to investigate the incident and later informed Amazon in a letter that it may have violated labor practices in the firing.

James said preliminary findings raise serious concern that Amazon may have discharged [Smalls] in order to silence his complaints and send a threatening message to other employees that they should also keep quiet about any health and safety concerns.

Amazon employees hold a protest and walkout over conditions at the companys Staten Island distribution facility in New York on March 30, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Amazon said the step of making a preliminary assessment was unusual and that the findings clashed with the New York City Sheriffs Office, which found Amazon went went above and beyond applicable compliance requirements and that complaints to the contrary were baseless.

Smalls sued Amazon late last year, arguing Amazon violated federal law in the termination. In another related case, the National Labor Relations Board alleged Amazon illegally fired worker Gerald Bryson, who led a protest outside the same Staten Island warehouse. That case hasnt been fully resolved.

Amazon disclosed in October 2020 that nearly 20,000 workers were presumed or confirmed to have COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. One of the largest employers in the United States, Amazon has over 1.3 million workers across its facilities and Whole Foods, which it owns.

Amazon argued in the new filing that it has exceeded what is required under the law, including screening employee temperatures when they arrive for work, putting in place numerous signs stating its social distancing policy, and staggering shifts to try to reduce employee density.

In a statement in response to the suit, James said: Throughout this pandemic, Amazon employees have been forced to work in unsafe conditions, all while the company and its CEO made billions off of their backs. This action by Amazon is nothing more than a sad attempt to distract from the facts and shirk accountability for its failures to protect hardworking employees from a deadly virus. Let me be clear: We will not be intimidated by anyone, especially corporate bullies that put profits over the health and safety of working people. We remain undeterred in our efforts to protect workers from exploitation and will continue to review all of our legal options.
John B. Wilkes. John St. Helen. David E. George. These names are not as well known as the infamous assassin conspiracy theorists say may have used them as aliases: John Wilkes Booth.

The bloody conflict that was the Civil War was coming to an end when Booth, an actor and Confederacy zealot, shot President Abraham Lincoln, who was watching a play with his wife at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC on April 14, 1865. Lincoln died the next day.

In a time before the Secret Service, Booth escaped. At one point, the government was offering a reward of $100,000 - nearly $1.6 million in today's money - for his capture. Union soldiers finally caught up with the fugitive at a Virginia farm where they shot and killed Booth on April 26, 1865.

And so the established and accepted history goes. But for a few, including some of his descendants, there is another timeline in which Booth lives on for years after he murdered the 16th president. Depending on the theory and alias, he lived in India, Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma. In one account, his body was mummified and sold to a traveling circus, which toured the country for decades, before it went missing.

However, unlike other conspiracies there is a possible way to end the speculation: DNA. In the 1990s, distant relatives fought in court to exhume what is believed to be Booth's body at the Green Mount cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, but the judge ruled against them.

Still, there remains another route: extract DNA from a spinal cord piece that was removed during Booth's autopsy and compare it to his brother's Edwin, according to a book recently out in paperback, The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time: Decoding History's Unsolved Mysteries, by Brad Meltzer with Keith Ferrell.

John Wilkes Booth, above, was born on May 10, 1838 in Maryland to a family renowned for stage acting. He followed in his father's footsteps and became well known in his own right. However, Booth was a Confederate sympathizer who initially plotted to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln, according to History. com. That plan changed after the fall of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia on April 3, 1865. Soon after, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox

'Booth had a dark side: He was an obsessed, fanatical supporter of the Confederate cause. Booth decided to exact revenge for the Union victory by assassinating Lincoln,' Brad Meltzer wrote with Keith Ferrell in The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time, recently out in paperback. The actor knew that Lincoln and his wife would be attending a performance of Our American Cousin at the Ford's Theatre. Booth had performed at the theater and had his mail delivered there, according to the book. Above, an engraving that depicts the assassination

Abraham Lincoln, above, rose from humble beginnings to become the 16th president of the United States. Born on February 12, 1809, he was a lawyer who first served in the Illinois state legislature and then in the US House of Representatives. Before he ran for president in 1860, he switched from the Whig Party to the then newly-formed Republican Party. He won the White House but seven Southern states seceded from the Union by the time he was inaugurated in 1861. By April that year, the Civil War started when the Confederacy fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Lincoln was barely into his second term when he was assassinated

Booth was familiar with Ford's Theatre, seen above circa 1865, and he walked in during the play's performance that night, according to book. He went right to President Lincoln's private box. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd, and another couple were also watching the play. The book noted that Lincoln typically traveled with one or two guards. (The Secret Service was founded in July 1865.) Meltzer wrote: Booth 'waited until the big laugh line: 'Don't know the manners of good society, eh? Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old galyou sockdologizing old man-trap.'' He then shot Lincoln from behind and fled

Prolific author Brad Meltzer knows conspiracies. His thrillers and nonfiction books, which are based on painstaking research, have won him fans, including Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush. The former presidents helped him with research for his 2006 thriller, The Book of Fate, which had as part of its plot a code devised by Thomas Jefferson.

That book led to his first show on History after the head of the channel read it. Meltzer recalled how he pitched examining an enduring mystery: Where is the cornerstone that was placed when the White House was being built? 'To this day, no one knows where it is,' Meltzer told DailyMail.com.

Out of his 'obsession with this arcane history,' Decoded premiered in late 2010 and ran for two seasons. The book, The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time, was an outgrowth of that show.

With his many books and a second show called Lost History on the same channel, people started to tell Meltzer their stories. 'I got a phone call one day,' he recalled. It was the Booth's family lawyer regarding proof that the actor had lived for many years after the assassination. Meltzer was intrigued.

'Nobody gets crazier emails than me. Nobody,' he said, adding that at one book signing someone brought the 'Holy Grail' to him to authenticate. While 99 percent of the stories are out there, he explained there is the 1 percent that are gold.

For some of the Booth family, the lore that has been passed down generation after generation is that he escaped the Union Army and the law. This story was also part of why a lawsuit for the exhumation was filed: to ensure there wasn't a stranger in the family plot, Joanne Hulme, a distant relative, told Scalawag in a 2017 article.

Booth reportedly got hurt while fleeing after he shot Lincoln. 'He leaped from the box to the stage, 11 feet below,' according to the book, landed hard and possibly broke his leg.

Racing south on horseback, Booth stopped to have Dr. Samuel Mudd tend to his leg. 'It was here that some say Booth took the first step toward assuming a brand-new identityshaving his mustache and maybe even coloring his hair,' according to the book. 'He was officially on the run.'

Continuing on to Virginia, Booth ended up at a farm in Port Royal where Union soldiers surrounded it. He refused to surrender, was shot and hauled out of the barn. Booth, who was born on May 10, 1838, died at the age of 26 on April 26, 1865.

Nate Orlowek, who has spent years looking into Booth, does not believe that he was killed that day, according to the book. Rather, it was expedient for a country in turmoil  not only from the overwhelming death and destruction from the Civil War but also in shock over Lincoln's assassination  for it to be Booth. 'The war was over, but the Confederacy was still alive in spirit,' Meltzer wrote.

Booth reportedly got hurt while fleeing after he shot Lincoln. 'He leaped from the box to the stage, 11 feet below,' Meltzer wrote, landed hard and possibly broke his leg. Racing south on horseback, Booth stopped to have Dr. Samuel Mudd tend to his leg. 'It was here that some say Booth took the first step toward assuming a brand-new identityshaving his mustache and maybe even coloring his hair. He was officially on the run,' according to The Ten Greatest Conspiracies of All Time by Brad Meltzer with Keith Ferrell, which was released by Workman Publishing. The poster, above from the book, offers a $100,000 - nearly $1.6 million in today's money - reward for Booth

Continuing on to Virginia, Booth ended up at a farm in Port Royal where Union soldiers surrounded it. The actor was traveling with an accomplice, David Herold, who gave himself up, according to the book. Booth, however, refused to surrender, and he was shot and hauled out of the barn. Above, a depiction of those events. Booth, who was born on May 10, 1838, died at the age of 26 on April 26, 1865

Above, an engraved illustration titled Death of J. Wilkes Booth, the chief conspirator. Nate Orlowek, who has spent years looking into Booth, does not believe that he was killed that day, according to th ebook. Rather, it was expedient for a country in turmoil  not only from the overwhelming death and destruction from the Civil War but also in shock over Lincoln's assassination  for it to be Booth. 'The war was over, but the Confederacy was still alive in spirit,' Meltzer wrote

Meltzer examines the speculation of how Booth, above, supposedly lived after the assassination. In one account, the actor stole the identity of an Englishman - John B. Wilkes  that he once met, according to Chuck Huppert, a Booth researcher. Under the guise of Wilkes, Booth traveled to India where he lived until he died in 1883. After Wilkes' death, there was a will that included Booth's wife, his two daughters, and a woman he had an affair with. But, Meltzer noted, there is no way to verify the will, which was not signed

Orlowek contends that Booth wasn't at the farm when the Union arrived. If that was the case, Meltzer looks at a theory of who it could have been: Captain James W. Boyd, 'a Confederate soldier in the Sixth Tennessee Infantry,' according to his service record at the National Archives in Washington, DC. He was also a Union spy and a photo revealed that Boyd happened to resemble Booth, according to the book.

After Booth died, his body was taken to the USS Montauk and an autopsy was performed. The only photograph that was taken has since disappeared. During the procedure, 'the cervical vertebrae and a small section of his spinal cord were removed,' Meltzer wrote. The spinal cord is currently housed at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Maryland.

Meltzer examines the speculation of how Booth supposedly lived after the assassination. In one account, the actor stole the identity of an Englishman - John B. Wilkes  that he once met, according to Chuck Huppert, a Booth researcher. Under the guise of Wilkes, Booth traveled to India where he lived until he died in 1883.

After Wilkes' death, there was a will that included Booth's wife, his two daughters, and a woman he had an affair with. But, Meltzer noted, there is no way to verify the will, which was not signed.

Another theory is that Booth - as John St. Helen - was living in Franklin County, Tennessee at one point. He then married Louisa Payne, who forced the former actor to use his real name once she found out about the alias. The signature of a John W. Booth is seen on the county's marriage register on February 24, 1872, according to the book.

Juanita Keele said that her grandmother's sister married Booth and recounted the story for Meltzer. She explained why: 'Well, at my age, I've decided everybody's dead that mattered, you know, that would have been hurt by it, so I'll tell it.'

The marriage to Louisa Payne didn't work out and he then went to Granbury, Texas. Local legend has St. Helen as a hot-tempered bartender who knew Shakespeare by heart, according to Scalawag feature. The article cites the Granbury's Hood County News about St. Helen, who 'acquired a reputation for being more cultured than the average saloon keeper.'

St. Helen was on his deathbed when he supposedly confessed to his real identity to his friend, Finis Bates, according to the book. But, he didn't die. Instead, he assumed a new identity, David E. George, and moved to Enid, Oklahoma.

'The David E. George part is one of the wildest parts of the story,' Meltzer wrote. 'The man committed suicide by drinking arsenic. The arsenic, combined with his embalming fluids, mummified his body.'

Bates was the one who identified the body, which the authorities then turned over to him. Bates  who wrote a book called The Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth  tried to sell the mummified body but it ended up in his garage. A traveling circus bought it after Bates' death in 1923 before it disappeared sometime in the 1970s, according to the book.

In the 1990s, some of the Booth's distant relatives tried to get his body exhumed, but the judge sided with the cemetery. Meltzer explained that it is believed there are three babies buried in the same grave and there was a concern they would get other DNA.

Meltzer wrote: 'So until we force the hands of the powers that be and test that DNA, we'll never know for sure whether John Wilkes Booth died in 1865 or not.'

In the early 1990s, Nate Orlowek asked permission to exhume the body that is believed to be Booth's at Green Mount cemetery, above, in Baltimore, Maryland, according to a 2013 Verge article. Booth's distant relatives then filed a lawsuit to exhume the body, which went to trial in 1995, according to the Verge article. The judge sided with the cemetery and the body was not exhumed. Meltzer explained that it is believed there are three babies buried in the same grave. 'They were worried they would get other DNA,' he told DailyMail.com

After Booth died, his body was taken to the USS Montauk and an autopsy was performed. The only photograph that was taken has since disappeared, according to the book. During the procedure, 'the cervical vertebrae and a small section of his spinal cord were removed,' Meltzer wrote. The spinal cord is housed at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Maryland, seen above
ORWIGSBURG  The borough council announced the retirement of Orwigsburgs police chief at its meeting Wednesday.

Police Chief John Koury will be retiring after 32 years with the department, including three years as chief.

It goes without saying that John has been a tremendous asset to our community and to the residents of our community, Mayor Barry Berger said.

Berger said an interview committee formed to find a new chief through the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

Were not sure of the time frame yet, Berger said. We want to make sure we have the best fit for the borough.

In addition to Koury, the borough website says that the department includes five other officers.

In other business, Borough Manager Randall Miller said that he will be meeting with the Working Woodlands program Friday to evaluate woodland properties in the borough and discuss entering a carbon revenue agreement.

Schuylkill Haven Borough has also been working with the program through The Nature Conservancy.

Were looking to form some type of private-public partnership so that ... we could gain some type of foothold in this carbon marketplace, Miller said.

Also at the meeting:

 In maintenance reports, the council said that snow has been cleared well in the borough. A snow emergency had been activated for last weeks storm, but it did not need to be extended. Also, a pre-bid meeting was held Monday for borough hall renovations. Bids will be opened March 1.

 Water and sewer supervisor David Teter said a leak on South Wayne Street had been repaired on Monday, but there appears to be another water main break. Teter said it would be repaired as soon as possible, but the continuing snow may make it difficult.

 Upcoming projects in the borough include wastewater treatment plant upgrades and repaving and leveling on Marshall Drive, Eisenhower Drive, Halsey Drive, Ridge Road, Straub Avenue and West Mifflin Street.

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Alexis Devine said that she knew early on that Bunny, her sheepadoodle puppy, was destined to talk. A 40-year-old artist and jewelry designer in Tacoma, Washington, Devine had pored over literature on canine cognition, communication and training in the months leading up to Bunnys arrival. Through her research, she came across the Instagram page of a speech pathologist named Christina Hunger, who was documenting how her own dog, Stella, was beginning to develop an English vocabulary. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Stella had a soundboard made up of circular buttons, each of which dictated a word when pressed. By pawing the buttons, which together formed loosely structured sentences, Stella was supposedly communicating in English. Hunger, 27, had been working for several years with assistive technology  in particular, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices  to help nonverbal children acquire vocabulary and communicate without speaking. It had long been common practice for speech pathologists to restrict the vocabulary on childrens AAC devices, the idea being that too many words would overwhelm them. But the conventional wisdom among communication experts had been shifting in favor of letting users of the devices demonstrate their own capabilities by giving them as many words to play with as possible. One wouldnt assume a baby was speechless if he hadnt uttered his first word by 12 months, Hunger reasoned. So why should that logic be applied to those merely incapable of speech  whether that be a child who suffers from catatonia or a creature devoid of the necessary organs of speech, like a dog? Hunger began experimenting. Most AAC devices were either too expensive or unsuitable for canine use, so she chose the cheapest option she could find online: a four-pack of recordable answer buzzers. The box arrived at her San Diego home a week after Stella. Hunger decided that a button that said the word outside would be the best place to start when it came to walking and house training. Within a few weeks, Stella was regularly and routinely pressing the button to be let out. Devine had read about Stella on Hungers blog. So when Bunny showed up in October 2019, her own first button  outside  was already waiting by the door. Is This Dog Smarter Than a Toddler? Dogs have learned many tricks in the 20,000-odd years since they are believed to have first been domesticated. Most can respond to basic commands like sit and stay. They can recall terms like treat and walk. Some have demonstrated a rather human capacity for quickly picking up the names of new objects and storing them for future retrieval. Domestication is likely to have affected dogs brain positions so they can interact and socialize with humans better, said Claudia Fugazza, a researcher in the department of ethology (thats animal behavior) in Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary. They are probably more predisposed to interact with humans as social partners. All of this is to say, its clear that dogs can follow a wide array of human social cues. But outside of movies and TV shows, dog owners have seldom claimed that their pets possess the ability to speak. Bunny can now speak 92 words, Devine said on a Zoom call in April, her dog just in frame and blending in with the fluffy rug beneath them. Bunny is almost 2 years old now, and her language acquisition might rival that of a human toddler. (The typical human 2-year-old can use at least 50 words with ease.) According to Devine, Bunny can use the buttons on her soundboard to form four-word phrases. She can ask questions. She can, and often does, tell people to shut up  or, in the words of her buttons, settle down. For a long time, Bunny was talking almost exclusively about poop, Devine said. But toddlers do that too, right? With 6.6 million followers on TikTok and 818,000 on Instagram, Bunny has become the poster girl for Hungers canine AAC movement. Alexis is amazing at social media, said Hunger, who has nearly 800,000 of her own followers on Instagram, most of whom seem to be there for the dog content. Most of the dogs (and their owners) dabbling in this area  and there are many; just search the hashtag #hungerforwords  dont have Bunnys social media paw print. Passersby frequently recognize her on walks. There was one instance where a car did a U-turn in traffic and stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down their window to say hello, Devine said. Word Buttons, but Make It Science In early 2020, about six months after Bunny learned outside, Devine was contacted by Leo Trottier, a product developer who works in the pet industry. He was hoping to work together. In 2016, Trottier, a doctoral candidate with a masters degree in cognitive science, introduced CleverPet, the worlds first game console for dogs. But after a failed attempt to raise funds for the product on Kickstarter, he abandoned the project. Three years later, when Trottier discovered Hungers work, he saw an opportunity for collaboration. While Hunger and Devine were using simple prerecorded sound buttons theyd found on Amazon, Trottier was developing FluentPet, an AAC device designed for dogs, and he was looking for beta testers. (Hunger had signed a book deal with HarperCollins around the time of FluentPets beta release and declined Trottiers request to collaborate.) Trottier reached out to Federico Rossano, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to help him  in Rossanos words  science up the project. Rossano, a cognitive researcher who has worked extensively with a range of species, was skeptical at first. But he ultimately saw an opportunity to study dogs capacity for languagelike abilities in a systematic, rigorous way, with the potential to draw results from a participant pool unlike any hed been given access to before. At the same time, Devine, whose jewelry business had slowed significantly during the pandemic, was given the further incentive to become an affiliate influencer for the product, meaning that she would receive upward of 8% of every FluentPet sale made through a referral link to the website from her Instagram page. In June 2020, Trottier and Rossano started They Can Talk, a research project and an online forum for participants. Initially, we just thought wed have a few participants from across the San Francisco and San Diego area, Rossano said. But after lockdowns began in early 2020 and TikToks popularity rose, thousands of bored homebodies began to wonder whether their pet could talk like Bunny, too. Currently, the study has more than 2,500 participants. Buying the FluentPet product isnt required in order to participate, but there is an incentive on the studys website. (Prices range from $29.25 for a tester kit to $195.95 for a 32-button set.) We have a data-sharing agreement, Rossano said. I am the scientific lead of the project, and the analysis and findings will be reported in scientific papers. To avoid a conflict of interest, Rossano is not being paid for his work on the study. Ideally, he would prefer for the research to operate as independently as possible from FluentPet, but a study of this size required the companys sponsorship. I am a scientist, and as far as I am concerned, my job is to assess whether these devices are revealing cognitive abilities that are novel and unexpected or whether this can all be explained through simple learning mechanisms common across several animal species, Rossano said. Animals Have Been Talking for Centuries For at least 200 years, researchers have reported several instances of nonhuman animals demonstrating remarkable languagelike capabilities. One such example, which has loomed large over the field of comparative cognitive studies since the early 20th century, was the case of a horse named Clever Hans. Hans appeared capable of responding to simple arithmetic calculations with accuracy. For instance, when asked What is 2+2? he would tap his hoof four times. But when psychologist Oskar Pfungst analyzed the horse in 1907, he concluded that Hans was merely responding to humans cues rather than showing that it could understand human speech. The Clever Hans Effect has since pushed scientists to develop methods that remove human presence and influence from animal cognition studies in order to avoid false positives. In the late 1950s, primates became the focus of studies on the linguistic abilities of nonhuman animals, particularly chimpanzees. Intent on teaching spoken language to young chimps, scientists quickly hit a roadblock: Nonhuman animals dont possess the vocal apparatus to open their mouths and say, Hey, you. In the decade that followed, comparative cognitive scientists began to take inspiration from disability studies, shifting their attention toward manual languages like American Sign Language. The idea that visually conveyed language contained the same potential for expression as speech was still relatively new when chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans began demonstrating their ability to learn and use ASL-based gestures. In the 1990s, the idea that dog development could mirror a toddlers began to gain traction, but the research into canine communication remains very rudimentary. Canine neuroscience is a relatively novel field, said Fugazza, the researcher in Budapest. In 2017, Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, led a training program that taught dogs to walk into an fMRI scanner without sedation or restraint. With the dogs inside, their owners listed the names of surrounding objects and toys, alongside occasional gibberish. The scans showed that the dogs brains could quickly discriminate the words they knew from the unfamiliar and nonsense but that dogs seemed to make no distinction between words that differed by a single speech sound (for example, paw versus pow). Unlike chimps, dogs have been subject to a process of artificial evolution as a result of domestication. Across the past two decades in particular, research has shown that dogs possess a nuanced and social understanding of humans social cues. One could attribute this to the domestication hypothesis  the idea that dogs social behavior has been molded to satisfy human sensibilities. We are really interested in a recent finding which showed that there are certain facial movements in dogs that humans find very attractive, which has led to dogs evolving a facial muscle that wolves dont, said Juliane Kaminski, a lecturer in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth. Theyre puppy-dog eyes, basically. Theres a facial expression dogs produce when they raise their eyebrows, and this is a movement that resembles sadness in humans and that they seem to find extremely attractive in dogs faces. Rossano said that instead of asking whether dogs can understand humans, we can ask whether they can learn to communicate with humans using human signals. Still, Judith Schwarzburg-Benz, a philosopher and senior researcher at the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna, wonders how much we can truly learn about canine communication through a human lens. What we get is a very reduced picture, she said. I think we can only get glimpses into the mind and learning processes, like very specific questions. Indeed, at what point could one say with satisfaction that Bunny can talk? Would Bunny have to fulfill every item on a linguistic checklist, or only a certain number? And how would that be determined? If dog AAC is going to be as big as I think it is, as I think it can be, its going to take a lot of people working in different arenas from different angles to come at it from all sides, Hunger said. On May 4, HarperCollins published How Stella Learned to Talk (now a New York Times bestseller) alongside the rollout of Hungers own buttons, which are being distributed on a mass scale, both online and in big-box stores. (A box of four costs $28.40.) I think this has the potential to change our relationships with dogs forever, Hunger said. For Devine, the communication with Bunny comes back to a personal connection. She said she recently heard Bunny pressing the ouch button on her board. A few minutes went by before Bunny pressed stranger and paw, then stretched her arm out toward her owner. I felt between her paws and found a thorn in there, Devine said. Anytime she chooses to communicate with me in a way that is not her natural communicative method, it feels really special. If shes going out of her way because she trusts me and wants to engage, then I just know that she loves me. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.  2021 The New York Times Company
Tributes were paid to District Court Clerk, Geraldine McWeeney, on Tuesday, February 1, on the occasion of her last District Court sitting before her retirement from the Courts Service on February 12.

Leitrim State Solicitor, Noel Farrell led the way and noted that most of the practitioners in the courtroom would have known Geraldine for all their working lives.

He recalled the old facilities that existed in the former Courthouse in Carrick-on-Shannon when Geraldine, a native of Boyle, first took up her post in 1985 on transfer within the Civil Service. He said everything at that time had to be done manually, there was nothing electronic, and he described it as a different world to what exists today.

He said Geraldine transitioned from that work as she and others had to become familiar with the world of the Internet and doing things digitally and electronically. Mr Farrell said Geraldine represented the last of that group of people.

Geraldine was a very engaging and sincere woman to deal with and treated everyone of us well all down the years, he said.

Mr Farrell said she will be missed and wished her a long and happy retirement with her husband and children. He said she will have lots to do to keep her busy in the parish of Kiltubrid where she resides.

Sgt Michael Gallagher, on behalf of An Garda Siochana in the Leitrim Garda District and the Sligo-Leitrim Division, acknowledged Geraldine's retirement.

He said he knows Geraldine personally and professionally and said he would 'take a punt' that Geraldine was looking forward to her retirement and embracing the next chapter of her life having given so much public service in the courts in Carrick-on-Shannon.

He said she has always worked diligently and he acknowledged the cooperation she has always shown to An Garda Siochana including many urgent calls out of hours and at weekends for special courts.

Aoife Brennan, Manager of the Courts Service in Carrick-on-Shannon, on behalf of herself and all the staff there, wished Geraldine all the very best in her retirement.

She said Geraldine embarked upon her career in the civil service in November 1978 in the Civil Service Commission in Dublin.

She then spent a time in the Department of Agriculture in both Dublin and Sligo before moving to the courts in Carrick-on-Shannon in June 1985, spending most of her career with the same staff over the years, particularly Michael McKenna and Geraldine Cornyn.

Aoife described Geraldine as very diligent and dignified and 100% committed to her work, facing every challenge with courage and determination.

She said Geraldine can now spend well deserved time with her three children, two beautiful grandchildren and especially her husband, Joseph.

Judge Kevin Kilrane added his best wishes to Geraldine who he said was always extremely calm and solid in the performance of her duties.

Geraldine worked in the Circuit Court office before the amalgamation of the District and Circuit offices.

He said she saw many a Judge come and go over the years and in that regard, he paid tribute to his late colleague Judge Bernard Brennan.

Judge Kilrane said the Civil Service, generally, are not fully appreciated and are sometimes criticised for being perceived to not work hard.

That, he said, is simply not correct and added that the amount of behind the scenes work that the staff do is tremendous. He remarked that it must be done very carefully and with no room for error.

It's an extremely responsible job, he said and paid tribute to all the registrars who worked there for always being diligent, careful and helpful.

That's what good civil servants do, they are meticulous, they work very hard, very diligently, he said, adding that Geraldine is the very essence of that.

You can now relax after a lifetime of diligent work in the civil service, you are a credit to the civil service generally and the Courts Service in particular. Your balance, your good sense, your solidity have shone through throughout the many years that I've known you. Long may that example continue.

Geraldine thanked everyone for their kind words. I thought you were talking about someone else. If I knew ye thought so much about me I mightn't have gone at all, she said.

Geraldine paid particular tribute to her former colleagues Michael McKenna and Geraldine Cornyn who she described as a little family group for about 30 years that went through everything together, both good times and bad. She said there is a new group starting now and it is time for her to be moving on.

She said she always had a great rapport with the Gardai and a great relationship with the solicitors. Her way of dealing with a customer, she said, was to send them off happier than when they came in.

Geraldine thanked her colleagues and wished them well in the future.

Finally she thanked Judge Kilrane for always being very considerate and sympathetic and always putting her at ease during very busy times of work.

Everyone in the Leitrim Observer would like to thank Geraldine for all her kindness and assistance to us over the years and we wish her a very happy retirement.
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Republicans could face significant pressure to impeach Joe Biden should they win back a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections, California congressman Devin Nunes has warned.

Speaking to Fox News anchor Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, the Donald Trump loyalist suggested the GOPs right-wing fringe could use any newfound power in Congress to push for a revenge impeachment against President Biden after his predecessor became the first commander-in-chief in American history to be impeached twice by the House.

Republicans have a good chance of taking the House in 2022, Mr Nunes said. Now, if that happens, and lets  for example, we dont know whats gonna happen to Hunter Bidens laptop. We dont know whats gonna happen with the [John] Durham investigation [into the origins of the Russia inquiry]. But I could see the pressure would become great for us to actually have to impeach Biden.

Now look, I don't want to do that, but you're going to have people that are going to be saying that, he added.

His allusion to the computer owned by the presidents son refers to a pre-election story popular among Trump supporters concerning the device being handed over by the owner of a Delaware repair shop to prominent Republican lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Follow the latest from the impeachment proceedings in our liveblog

He then passed it on to The New York Post tabloid newspaper  owned, like Fox News, by Rupert Murdoch  which claimed it contained emails in which Hunter Biden touted access to his father among overseas clients. During his campaign, Mr Biden said: "I have never discussed, with my son or my brother or with anyone else, anything having to do with their businesses. Period."

Mr Biden Jr also played a pivotal role in Mr Trumps first impeachment, which was sparked when the then-president was recorded in July 2019 asking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to open an embarrassing anti-corruption probe into his rivals sons time on the board of local gas company Burisma.

Mr Trump claimed that Mr Biden, during his time as vice president, had been involved in firing a prosector because he was investigating Burisma. However, Mr Biden said the prosecutor was fired over corruption, and there has been no evidence proving Mr Biden acted improperly.

"Investigations by the press, during impeachment, and even by two Republican-led Senate committees whose work was decried as 'not legitimate' and political by a GOP colleague, have all reached the same conclusion: that Joe Biden carried out official US policy toward Ukraine and engaged in no wrongdoing," said Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Mr Biden, told the BBC in December.

Mr Nunes, currently the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee and best known for suing Twitter for refusing to block parody accounts making fun of his background as a dairy farmer, also speculated that Democrats who had been outspoken in their condemnation of President Trump, like impeachment managers, could be stripped of their committee assignments as part of a future political revenge spree.

Recommended Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene files articles of impeachment against Joe Biden

Every one of those damn guys could be removed from their committee in two years, he said. Thats where were headed if the American people dont stand up to this nonsense.

The House is currently finely balanced, with 218 seats out of 435 needed to command a majority and the Democrats currently holding just 221, meaning there will indeed be much to play for in 2022.

Mr Nunes previously appeared on the same Fox programme on 13 January to denounce the decision by the House to impeach Mr Trump for an unprecedented second time, a vote that passed 232-197.

Look, the president makes a lot of mistakes, he told Mr Hannity then. All presidents make mistakes, but the bottom line is to do a snap impeachment has real consequences.

Joe Biden has actually already been the subject of one retaliatory impeachment effort, with former QAnon believer and Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene introducing articles of impeachment against him on his first day in the White House.

It was swiftly dismissed.
India: Glacier collapse: A worrying sign of whats to come

February 12,2021 | Source: Reliefweb

A deadly flood in northern India, sparked by a cratering glacier, was not an isolated incident but the result of a rapidly warming planet, say experts. They warn the disaster, which has left over 140 feared dead, is a precursor of what is to come unless drastic measures are taken to slow climate change. The flood this week in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand was caused by a glacier breaking away and falling into the valley, sending a surge of water downstream that engulfed villages and workers at a hydroelectric plant. Data suggests that, in the coming years, global warming will cause mountain temperatures to rise twice as fast as the global average, whittling away glaciers and threatening communities in the Himalayas, and further afield. Glaciers around the world are under siege, said Matthias Jurek, a mountain ecosystem expert with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Unless we can limit global warming, support monitoring, early warning, and adaptation measures, disasters like the one in Uttarakhand will, unfortunately, become more common.



Saving glaciers



UNEP and its partner organizations work with mountain communities and governments world-wide to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. One of UNEPs key partners in Asia is the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which, among other tasks, monitors ice coverage and glacial lakes in the high mountains in the Hindukush-Himalayas. In regions like the Himalaya, the problem of rising temperatures is three-fold: it leads to the melting of mountain glaciers, which can spark floods. It also decreases glacial coverage, which leads to a reduction in the long-term availability of water for people, agriculture, and hydropower. Finally, as glacier cover diminishes and the area is replaced by water or land, the albedo  the amount of light that is reflected without being absorbed on a surface  also decreases. This could increase solar energy absorbed, leading to more warming. Glaciers are often referred to as the water towers of the world, with half of humanity depending on mountains for their water needs. The Tibetan Plateau alone is the source of 10 of Asias biggest rivers and provides water to 1.35 billion people, or 20 per cent of the worlds population. The World Glacier Monitoring Service, a Switzerland-based organization that works closely with UNEP, monitors global glacial change. In the 1960s, its data showed, glaciers were largely in a steady state but since the 1970s glacial loss has increased rapidly, almost doubling every decade until present. They note that this ice loss leaves no doubt about ongoing climate change.



Adaptation action



In the Paris Agreement, Member States committed to limit global temperature increases to well below 2C, and preferably to 1.5C, compared to pre-industrial levels. Slowing global warming would help save glaciers, but countries must also prepare mountain ecosystems for an inevitable increase in temperatures. The best way is through adaptation, in other words, introduce a change into the ecosystem that will help combat the impact of global warming. Within the context of the Adaptation at Altitude programme funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, UNEP and partners are working on innovative solutions to adapt to a warming planet. In mountain ecosystems, our ecosystem-based adaptation projects are restoring forests and shrubs on mountain slopes, which helps prevent both floods and landslides by holding the soil together and regulating the flow of surface water run-off, said Jessica Troni, Head of the Climate Change Adaptation Unit at UNEP.



While ecosystem-based adaptation projects cannot stop glaciers from melting, they can significantly reduce the disastrous impacts. Further, they can help mountain communities to adapt to a warmer climate, for example by promoting drought-resistant crops. But it is not just melting glaciers that cause landslides and floods in mountainous regions. In Nepal, for example, increased monsoon rainfall and a decrease in winter rain, a result of climate change, has led to crop losses due to droughts and floods, placing communities at risk from food insecurity. A UNEP-supported project, known as EbA South, is working to combat the impacts of unseasonal rainfall. The programme has planted over 840,000 seedlings. These trees and their root systems act like sponges, absorbing water during intense rains and storing it for times of drought. As global warming increases, crop losses and tragedies like the one in Uttarakhand are likely to become more frequent, making UNEP and its partners work on ecosystem-based adaptation all the more important in building the resilience of mountain communities to climate change, said Jurek.

 2021 Reliefweb

The UKs competition regulator Andrea Coscelli is confident big tech could be regulated like the big banks as regulators globally continue to play catch up in the race to clip the wings of the high-flying technology giants.

Speaking at the annual Bannerman Competition lecture, in association with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), this week, Coscelli didnt mention Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple by name but he didnt need to.

The pervasive power of these companies is now on the radar of every regulator in the world, many of whom are keenly watching the Australian governments news media bargaining code.

The big tech companies including Google are the focus of a push for international regulation. Credit:Bloomberg

The code is the latest spot fire in the evolving tussle between regulators and technology companies as Coscelli reiterated why a collective response was urgently needed.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-13 01:08:07|Editor: huaxia

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Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks during an interview in the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, Feb. 12, 2021. President Mnangagwa on Friday expressed gratitude to China for its offer of COVID-19 vaccines. In an interview with Chinese media, Mnangagwa said the donation is a testament to the long-standing relationship between the peoples of Zimbabwe and China. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

HARARE, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday expressed gratitude to China for its offer of COVID-19 vaccines.

In an interview with Chinese media, President Mnangagwa said the donation is a testament to the long-standing relationship between the people of Zimbabwe and China.

He said the Zimbabwean government and the ruling party ZANU-PF are extremely grateful to the Chinese government for extending this gesture to the people of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe will receive 200,000 doses of vaccines next Monday that were donated by China, the first vaccines it has received as it steps up efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Mnangagwa said the kind gesture speaks volumes to the cordial relations between the two countries that date back to the 1960s when China provided assistance to Zimbabwe during its fight against colonial rule.

"We feel greatly honored, and this speaks volumes to the relationship between us and the people of China," he said.

He said the donation will cover all frontline health workers, and the excess will be extended to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.

"We've already worked out the program, but most importantly, would like to convey our deep appreciation and gratitude to the people and the government of the People's Republic of China," Mnangagwa said.

He expressed confidence that the vaccines will help Zimbabwe counter the pandemic and play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of its people.

Zimbabwe has already finalized a vaccine deployment strategy that would see at least 10 million people, about 60 percent of the population being inoculated.

The country has so far reported 34,949 confirmed cases of the virus, including 1,382 deaths and 29,620 recoveries. Enditem
Britain's military chief General Sir Nick Carter has warned that Covid-19 could a rise in global nationalism last seen in the years leading up to the Second World War.

The Chief of the Defence Staff said economic crises and 'nationalist barriers' will create 'security challenges' across the world.

Sir Nick, the UK's most senior military commander said countries need to cooperate to tackle the virus and its ensuing economic and social problems to fend off potential conflict.

Britain's military chief General Sir Nick Carter has warned that Covid-19 could a rise in global nationalism last seen in the years leading up to the Second World War

The worldwide Great Depression, which started in 1929, has been linked to the rise of fascism in the 1930s which eventually led to the Second World War. Pictured: men on a hunger march in Britain in 1935

He told The Telegraph: 'What you generally find with a crisis like this, which becomes an economic crisis, is that it then undermines the stability and security situation as well.

'What often follows a very significant economic event is a security challenge.

'If you look at the 1930s, that started with a significant economic crash  and that acted as a very destabilising feature. There are moments in history when significant economic challenges have led to security challenges because they act as a destabiliser.'

The worldwide Great Depression, which started in 1929, has been linked to the rise of fascism in the 1930s which eventually led to the Second World War.

With current tensions increasing over vaccine supply, border controls and mutant strains of the virus, there are fears of a renewed isolationism.

The Chief of the Defence Staff said economic crises and 'nationalist barriers' will create 'security challenges' across the world. Pictured: people queue for a soup kitchen in Glasgow this month

Who is Britain's top defence chief? General Sir Nick Carter, who was born in Kenya, joined the army aged 18 in 1977 and commissioned from Sandhurst into the Royal Green Jackets, an infantry regiment. He served in Germany during the Cold War, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia and Kosovo. He toured Iraq and Afghanistan as a brigade commander and was responsible for the Afghan National Army. Between deployments, he headed up the Army 2020 project and became Chief of the General Staff in 2014, the professional head of the British Army. Advertisement

There is also growing resentment against China amid allegations of a cover-up over the origins of the virus, with questions still unanswered about the early days of the pandemic.

Meanwhile Europe has been in the midst of a battle over vaccines, with the EU temporarily invoking Article 16 of the Brexit protocol in an effort to seize jabs destined for the UK.

Sir Nick said the virus revealed fault lines between countries and within the fabric of society.

The comments are his strongest hint yet that the world could be heading towards conflict.

He has previously warned that escalating competition could trigger the next major war.

The military chief says that the different approaches taken by countries could lead to increased tensions.

There will be a hangover of increased surveillance and curbs on civil liberties in countries that could cause future challenges, he warned.

Many totalitarian regimes have fared better in the pandemic, which could pose questions about how citizens want to be governed, Sir Nick said.

His cautions come as Boris Johnson prepares to publish the Government's Integrated Review next month.

The prime minister has vowed to undertake the biggest overhaul of foreign, defence and security police since the Cold War, with an extra 16billion of funding to the Ministry of Defence pledged over the next four years.






By Kim Bo-eun



The local tech industry is keenly watching President Joe Biden's administration for possible opportunities as new policies have been rolling out following the U.S. president taking office last month.



Attention is being paid in particular on how the new government will deal with the escalating conflict with China over sanctions on key IT companies.



President Biden is expected to engage more with U.S. allies in his diplomatic and economic strategy toward China, but the struggle to obtain the lead in key technologies is seen as likely to continue.



The White House last month referred to Huawei as an "untrusted vendor" that is posing a security threat to the U.S. A presidential official stated the U.S. would not have its telecom networks use equipment from such vendors and increasingly work with allies in securing their networks.



The Donald Trump administration earlier banned the use of the telecommunications supplier and smartphone manufacturer's equipment in 5G networks in the U.S. It also blacklisted China's foundry SMIC last year, which made it impossible for U.S. vendors to supply highly advanced chip-making equipment to the company.



Analysts believe that the Biden administration will continue such strategies to contain China, utilizing methods such as cutting the country off from global supply chains in the IT sector.



Expectations are Korean IT companies including those manufacturing smartphones and providing 5G technology services may benefit from the sanctions that have been imposed on Chinese companies.



This is expected to be the case for smartphone makers. According to market tracker Trendforce, Huawei's smartphone production is projected to fall to 45 million this year, from 170 million in 2020, resulting in its market share plummeting to 8 percent from 30 percent.






The United Nations Human Rights Office says it is concerned by a new Human Rights Watch report that says Zimbabwes government is using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to clamp down on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

Marta Hurtado, spokeswoman of the U.N. Human Rights Office, said the agency is encouraging President Emmerson Mnangagwas government to engage with civil society and other stakeholders to find sustainable solutions to grievances, while ensuring that peoples rights and freedoms are protected in accordance with Zimbabwes human rights obligations.

We are indeed concerned at allegations that suggest that the Zimbabwean authorities may be using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to clamp down on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association," Hurtado said.

"Merely calling for a peaceful protest or participating in a peaceful protest are an exercise of recognized human rights. An example of intimidation is the repeated arbitrary arrest and detention of three members of the main opposition party for taking part in a protest.

That is an apparent reference to three female opposition activists who were arrested in May for protesting the Zimbabwe governments failure to provide payouts during a lockdown to contain the coronavirus. They now face two more charges - all related to breaking lockdown regulations.

On Thursday, HRW released a report chronicling how 23 African governments are using the COVID-19 pandemic to clamp down on freedom of the media and of assembly.

On Friday, Cecillia Chimbiri - one of the three female opposition activists mentioned in the HRW report - welcomed the U.N. Human Rights Offices statement on Zimbabwe. She maintains the trios innocence and wants Zimbabwe government look after its citizens during lockdowns.

The demo was simply to say: people are hungry, what are you doing as the government of Zimbabwe, people are unemployed, Zimbabweans live hand to mouth? We are law-abiding citizens," she told VOA. " Speaking against the government doesnt make us unpatriotic. We love our country thats why we are speaking against any injustices and any inequalities that are existing. We did not commit any crime. We are not criminals. They are trying to tarnish our images, this is what this government is doing, to clampdown voices, to make sure they continue doing that (abuses).

On Wednesday, Elasto Mugwadi, the head of the government-affiliated Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, confirmed to VOA that his organization had received complaints of abuses raised in the HRW report. He said the complaints included robust approach in enforcement by the police and generally excessive enforcement.

Mugwadi said the commission was investigating the complaints of abuses during the lockdown by the Zimbabwe government to contain coronavirus.

While recognizing the governments efforts to contain the pandemic, it is important to remind the authorities that any restrictions should be necessary, proportionate and time-limited, and enforced humanely without resorting to unnecessary or excessive force," Hurtado said.

The HRW report, Covid-19 Triggers Wave of Free Speech Abuse, said the rights group was concerned about introduction of Zimbabwes Public Health Order Act in March, which threatened up to 20 years in prison for fake news on public health matters.
New Delhi :

Drawing flak after Karnataka government set up a panel of nine-member to design states legally-accepted flag, KC Venugopal, state in-charge for Congress party, said he will seek a clarification from the state government on the issue. The nation has only one national flag, he said.

It is said that the Congres high-command is not happy with Karnataka government's state flag decision.

Meanwhile, the home ministry has rejected the Karnataka government's proposal of having separate flag.

A controversy erupted after Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah set up a team of nine-members in an order to have legally-accepted flag for the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party has dubbed the initiative as anti-national.

If Karnataka gets its own flag, it would be the second state in the country after Jammu and Kashmir which has already a flag.

A few days back, massive protests were staged for imposing Hindi in the state.

I will seek a clarification from state Govt, we have only one flag and that is the national flag: KC Venugopal,Congress Ktka incharge pic.twitter.com/bcHxyAfA6V  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

While talking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said the move has nothing to do with elections. He said if BJP is opposing the initiative, they are open to say that they are against a state flag.

It has nothing to do with elections. If BJP is opposed to it then can they say openly that they are against a state flag?: CM Siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/s2fYaQEq7H  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

The chief minister said, Is there any provision in the constitution that prohibits a state from having a own flag?

Is there any provision in the constitution that prohibits a state from having a flag?: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/VgZQWtBEn5  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

BJP leader and union minister Bandaru Dattatreya said that Congress leadership must clear its stance whether they are okay with the idea of separate flag for the state or not.

Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said the move is against the constitution of India and such government should be dismissed immediately. He said Presidents rule should be imposed in the state.

This is against constitution,such govt should be dismissed immediately, President's rule should be imposed: Sanjay Raut on K'taka flag issue pic.twitter.com/nuqLCd24o8  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

Reacting on the issue, constitutional expert PP Rao said,"There is no provision in the Constitution for a separate flag. It only provides for national flag. but, There is no restriction in the constitution that state shall not have its own separate flag."

There is no provision in the Constitution, it only provides for national flag: Constitution Expert PP Rao on Karnataka flag issue pic.twitter.com/36g7PcpZKx  ANI (@ANI_news) July 18, 2017

Also Read: Karnataka health department, tobacco major tie up to build super speciality hospitals sparks controversy with public health activists

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-12 16:26:56|Editor: huaxia

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Benjamin and his wife play with their child in Chongqing, southwest China, Dec. 28, 2020. Benjamin, an American living in southwest China's Chongqing, is now an internet celebrity with over 900 thousand followers on social media. Benjamin loves Chongqing hot pot, can do traditional Chongqing finger-guessing game, and can speak fluent Chongqing dialect. His video clips featuring life in Chongqing went viral online. In 1994, Benjamin came to Chongqing for study. Later he became an English teacher at Sichuan International Studies University in 1997, an owner of three bars in 2017. Benjamin has witnessed the rapid development of Chongqing over the past 26 years. "Life is really convenient here in Chongqing, not only in the city, but also in rural areas," said Benjamin. "I love Chongqing the most." (Xinhua/Liu Chan)
Hydrogen for energy use can be extracted in an environmentally friendly way from water and sunlight, using photocatalytic composite polymer nanoparticles developed by researchers at Uppsala University. In laboratory tests, these "polymer dots" showed promising performance and stability alike. The study has been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

How we are to meet future demand for sustainable energy is a much-debated question. One feasible way to go is hydrogen, which can be produced from renewable resources: water and solar energy. But the process requires what are known as photocatalysts. Traditionally, these have been made of metal-based materials that are often toxic. Instead, a research group headed by Haining Tian at Uppsala University's Angstrom Laboratory is working to develop nano-sized organic photocatalysts - "polymer dots" - designed to be both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

Since polymer dots (Pdots) are so tiny, they are evenly distributed in water. Compared with traditional photocatalysts, this provides a larger reaction surface, which means that more light can be stored in the form of hydrogen gas. The research group has now developed a Pdot containing three components. In tests, the particle has shown very good catalytic performance and stability.

"Combining several components that absorb light at different wavelengths is the easiest way to create a system in which all the visible surfaces capture light. But getting these components to work well together in a photocatalytic system is challenging," says Haining Tian, Associate Professor (Docent) of Physical Chemistry at Uppsala University.

To investigate how well the various components work together, Tian and his colleagues used spectroscopic techniques in which the Pdot was exposed to light for a certain length of time. They were thus able to follow how photochemical intermediates were created and, under illumination, disappeared.

"It's exciting to see that both ultrafast energy transfer and electron transfer take place in one particle, and that this helps the system to make use of the light and separate the charge for the catalytic process," says the study's lead author Aijie Liu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Chemistry - Angstrom Laboratory.

The researchers have succeeded in optimising the system of triple-component polymer dots so that it catalyses the conversion of solar energy into hydrogen with a 7% efficiency rate at 600 nanometres (nm). This is significantly better than the 0.3% at 600 nm obtained by the group when they were working on Pdots consisting of only one component. One problem has previously been that the photocatalysts degrade prematurely, but now the researchers were unable to discern any distinct degradation even after 120 hours' testing.

###

Aijie Liu et al. (2020), Panchromatic Ternary Polymer Dots Involving Sub-Picosecond Energy and Charge Transfer for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution, Journal of the American Chemical Society. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c12654
Dhaka, Feb 12 : Nearly 5,42,309 beneficiaries in Bangladesh have received Covid-19 vaccine shots in merely five days, the country's Health Ministry said on Friday.

On Thursday, the fifth day of the nationwide immunisation drive, the centres witnessed 2,04,540 beneficiaries turning up to receive the shot. So far, over 1 million people have registered for vaccination.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Friday reported five more Covid-19 deaths, the lowest in 282 days, taking the cumulative toll to 8,253, said Nasima Sultana, Additional Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Bangladesh.

With 404 fresh cases, the coronavirus tally has reached 5,39,975 in the country, Sultana told IANS, adding that the total recoveries have touched 4,86,393 with the discharge of 422 patients from various facilities.

Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, a civil surgeon in Chittagong district, told IANS: "People should get the jab to contain the spread of coronavirus. There are sufficient numbers of law enforcers and volunteers to control the situation at the vaccine booths." Rajib Palit, Assistant Director of Chittagong Medical College Hoapital (CMCH), said they had received an overwhelming response from the people.

Bangladesh health officials said that to make the treatment facilities available to Covid-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians for round-the-clock service across the country.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Friday said that they are now in close discussion with Bangladesh over coronavirus vaccine assistance.

"China has just announced to provide 10 million Covid vaccines to developing countries through the COVAX initiative," Jiming said in a video message, wishing a Chinese New Year with more prosperity.

The Chinese Ambassador added: "The charm of this ancient festival transcends borders and races."

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I just exited the building of the National Security Service which had summoned me to testify as a witness. This is what head of Adekvad Union Artur Danielyan posted on his Facebook page, adding the following:

The National Security Service of Armenia wanted to receive my testimonies within the scope of the criminal case launched under an article of the Criminal Code under which deserters are sentenced. As far as I understood, the National Security Service isnt charging me with being a deserter, but within the scope of the case, certain information stated in one of my video messages was presented as obtained evidence.

The criminal case was launched since the authorities have ordered law-enforcement authorities, that is, prosecutors and investigators to find the culprits of the capitulation and throw the blame on someone.

In one of my video messages, I stated that the members of Adekvad Union hadnt escaped from Aghdam, which was being shelled, and it was because they were crazy  only a crazy person could wait under shelling without an armored vest, helmet and weapons. Consequently, the law-enforcement authorities will try to find those people who had sent our boys to the region being shelled without weapons and ammunition, and they might clarify it, but the reality is the opposite. In reality, I cant state a pretension to the personnel of the fourth defense region in Askeran because the personnel performed their duties throughout the entire war, and this serves as a ground to state that the enemy wasnt able to move forward even one millimeter in Askeran, he stated.
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UPDATE Friday: This story has been updated to reflect Saturdays cancellation of vaccinations at the Oregon Convention Center.

Operators of the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the Oregon Convention Center have announced that snow will force its closure Friday and Saturday. A decision about whether to open the site Sunday hasnt yet been made.

About 6,000 area residents were scheduled to be inoculated at the Northeast Portland site Friday and Saturday. Staff will contact everyone who had appointments to reschedule them for another date, said Brian Terrett, a spokesman for Legacy Health, which is operating the site with other regional health care providers.

About 1 to 2 inches of snow fell across much of the Portland area Thursday night into Friday.

The National Weather Service in Portland is forecasting 3 to 6 inches of snow for Friday night and Saturday morning. The snowy and icy conditions could linger into Sunday, with temperatures expected to remain below freezing until possibly Sunday afternoon.

Terrett said a decision about whether to shutter the Convention Center site for at least Saturday will be made Friday.

The Convention Center site is typically open seven days a week, and it serves as one of two major inoculation locations in Portland.

Terrett couldnt say exactly who was scheduled for vaccinations Friday. But typically its been a mix of daycare, preschool and K-12 employees as well as health care workers and others in phase 1a of Oregons vaccine rollout. A small number of seniors 80 and older also had started vaccinations Wednesday at the Convention Center.

Operators of the other mass vaccination site, at Portland International Airport, announced Wednesday the cancellation all 6,100 appointments scheduled for Saturday and Sunday -- the only two days of the week the airport site is normally open. Close to 4,400 of those were for seniors 80 and older.

A statement from Oregon Health & Science University, which operates the airport location, said people who had appointments for this weekend have been rescheduled for make-up days Feb. 18 and Feb. 19.

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee

Journalists and Media Houses have been cautioned to verify their information about the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), before publishing such information.



Professor Samuel Kubina Annim, Government Statistician and also the Chief Census Officer, gave the advice at a days training workshop his out-fit organized at Winneba for selected journalists from the southern sector on Media Relations on the forthcoming PHC.



Journalists in the northern and the middle zones have already benefited from the training.



The participants were drawn from Volta, Eastern, Central, Western and Grater Accra Regions and the facilitators were Mr. Emmanuel George Ossei, Head of the National Census Secretariat, Mr. Owusu Kagya, Head of Census Methodology and Mr. William Addo, Publicity, Education and Advocacy.



They were taken through topics including; Issues and concerns to consider, Census Methodology and Enumeration Procedures and resources available for Journalists.



According to Prof. Annim, who is also the Chief Census Officer, the 2021 PHC will provide updated demographic, social and economic data for national development activities and for tracking the implementation of global and continental development goals.



This included; the Sustainable development goals, International Conference on population and development goal and Africas agenda 2063.



As part of the GSS mandate to execute the PHC, all persons, including; foreign residents, outdoor sleepers as well as to enumerate structures and houses within the period from the Census night between April and May.



The exercise will be conducted in accordance with statistical service ACT, 2019 (Act 1003), which empowers the Government Statistician to conduct statistical surveys and census in the country.



The law also required trained censuses officers, including; enumerators and supervisors to keep census information strictly confidential to avoid being liable to a fine or imprisonment, the Chief Census Officer revealed.



We look forward to partnering with you to conduct a successful 2021 population and housing census, Prof. Annim added.



Mr.Owusu Kagya in his presentation on Issues and Concerns to consider, informed the participants that the main goal of the 2021 PHC was to collect and complete accurate census data, adding that the success of the exercise depended largely on good planning, effective training and good collaboration with key stakeholders including the media.



He announced that census information would be used for only statistical purposes and would not be used for identifying people for taxation or punitive purposes, saying, persons who may have the perception should eschew such notions and to collaborate with the enumerators by giving out credible information to them.



On Census Methodology and Enumeration Procedures, Mr. Kagya highlighted few Census concepts and procedures to enhance understanding of the Census process.



According to him this years PHC, will be Ghanas first digital PHC, which involved the use of technology as recommended by the United Nations (UN) instead of traditional paper questionnaires.



The, usage of tablets for electronic data capture and geographic Positioning System (GPS) for recording of structures was faster aids for better data quality of results.



Mr William Addo, who took the participants through Resources available for Journalists, indicated that the Media and all relevant institutions were recognized as its partners, in the dissemination of information on the 2021 PHC.



This, he stated will go a long way to create awareness for people to fully participation for accurate data collection for good governance.

Source: GNA









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Civil Rights Icon Ruby Bridges to Celebrate Black History Month with WSU Community

February 11, 2021

OGDEN, Utah  Civil Rights activist Ruby Bridges Hall, the first African-American child to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans during the school desegregation crisis in 1960, will speak to a Weber State University audience, Feb 18 at 6 p.m. via Zoom conferencing. The campus community is invited to attend this free event by registering at this link. Questions can be submitted at this link.

When Bridges was 6 years old, her parents responded to a NAACP request and volunteered her to participate in the integration of the local school system. Six students originally agreed to integrate the nearby elementary school, but Bridges was the only one who stayed.

Because of angry protesters and threats, the first grader was escorted to and from school by federal marshals every day for a year, a scene immortalized by artist Norman Rockwell in his work The Problem We All Live With. Bridges was the one and only student in her class, but formed a special bond with her teacher, Barbara Henry, and continued to attend all year.

Bridges eventually graduated from an integrated high school, married and now has children and grandchildren. In 1999, she established the Ruby Bridges Foundation to promote tolerance and create change through education.

Adrienne Andrews, WSUs assistant vice president for diversity, will host the event and Nicola Corbin, communication associate professor, will interview Bridges.

Ruby Bridges reminds us that the history of educational segregation is as topical today as it was when she integrated the Louisiana schools in 1960, Andrews said. As living history, she exemplifies one person's ability to transform the nation through consistent action. In a time when it feels individual actors have no power, Ms. Ruby reminds us that individual power helps drive collective power to transformation. We still have many miles to go as we seek equity in this nation, but her story reminds us that each of us matter, that we can, in fact, change the world one person at a time.

Bridges recently wrote a New York Times bestseller, This is Your Time, a 60-page letter to todays youth in which she discusses the similarities between what she saw in the social protests of the 1960s and again in 2020.

She tells audiences she still believes the country has more good than evil but that it will take looking past differences to stand up together. She encourages youth to pick up the torch of social justice and community service activism.

Recent events right here in our own community remind us that we all need the bravery that 6-year-old Ruby showed us 61 years ago and beyond, Corbin said. As we celebrate the contributions of Black people to the building of these United States this month, I hope participants realize that it requires all of us all year round, in all of our humanity, to make meaningful change that moves us forward. If a 6-year-old and her family can do it, we can too.

For a poster, visit the following link:

wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2021-Photos/February-2021/i-KPgZ6J2/A

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

2/19/21 NOTICE: Due to contractual obligations, this event was not recorded and the use of any recording devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, video cameras, or digital recorders was not permitted during Ms. Bridges Virtual Speaking Engagement.
Bengaluru, Feb 13 : Karnataka High Court on Friday granted conditional bail to former Bengaluru Mayor and Congress leader R. Sampath Raj, who was arrested for his alleged role in Bengaluru riots case.

The Bengaluru police booked Raj in connection with Bengaluru Riot's case in which the house of Pulikeshi Nagar MLA R. Akhanda Srinivas Murthy was set on fire by miscreants on August 11 last year.

Raj has been named in the preliminary charge sheet by the Central Crime Branch (CCB). Three persons were killed in police firing and over 50 people were injured in the violence that broke out over an insinuating Facebook post allegedly posted by Murthy's nephew.

This followed by riots which also saw arson, vandalism and stone-pelting targeting the politician's house and police stations at D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli.

So far, more than 300 people were arrested in connection with the violence and the preliminary charge sheet filed in October said that intra-party rivalry within Congress was at the root of the violence. Raj and Abdul Zakir, former Congress corporator, were arrested in the case," the police said.

On November 13, the Karnataka High Court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Raj and directed the investigating officer handling the case to take all possible steps to arrest him. Raj had gone missing on October 30 from a private hospital in Bengaluru where he was undergoing treatment for Covid-19, later Raj was arrested in November.